Toriel's eyes fluttered awake as she felt her canoe gently tapped a large rock. It looked to be a piece of debris from the war that blocked off the rest of the river flow-In other words, it was the end of the line for Toriel.

Hazily she looked about her surroundings. This was it. All her life's work, everything she had built was quite literally in shambles all around her. This was the fate she had chosen. The weight of solitude crawled down her back as the revelation sunk in, but she shook those thoughts away and began to scout the area to find where she would make a new home. While she did this, memories flashed in her head of venturing through this place long ago, when the humans had first knocked the monsters into this prison. She remembered children crying and stumbling in the darkness, calling for their parents, calling for just a bit of light to show them the way home. She had been there at the very beginning, guiding as many monsters as she could to what would eventually be-

Home.

There it was. In the distance, a desolate house that the monsters had once used as refuge. When the underground was a new place and there was no telling when the road would suddenly stop or give in, places like these were what kept the monsters from all dying out on their dark descent. As they became more established and the king was able to lead his people, they sent scouts to explore even more of this prison. Eventually they would find Snowdin and the Hotlands and expand away from this sad, dark place.

I saved countless monsters on the road to home. So...why...why couldn't I just save one...human, child...? I'm not the queen people think I am, the queen that they NEED. Just some cheap, subordinate slave to a coward!

Her hands ignited with the flames of her emotion and she channeled it into a continuous stream powerful enough to melt stone. At first she was melding the stone to make it into a home, but the more she went on, the more she rounded the edges, left no room for windows. She was building her tomb. When she was satisfied with her dark cave like coffin she extinguished her flames and simply sat down, she couldn't help but openly weep as guilty words escaped through her gasps for air.

*Human...Child...Can you...hear me? I know that...we've done terrible things to you... But from the bottom of my heart I...how can words even describe how sorry I am to you? I know you were not really my child, but when I saw you standing before me...in that tattered sweater and eyes shimmering with potential...I saw a unique, and wonderful aspect of life that needed to be protected. It wasn't about mending relations with humans so that we could one day return to the surface or anything like that; only that a child, as beautiful as you could fall into this hell and still manage to fill my heart with love. I cared for you like my own...Because my own...My...My son...Asriel...

Asriel...

ASRIEL!

It was then Toriel lost control of herself, consumed with the overflowing grief Toriel openly wept and screamed, blaming herself for her failures and simply wanting an end to it all. As she did this her hand brushed across the ground revealing a knife. Slowly, she wrapped her fingers around it. It was so light. It was so easy to hold right now. Bringing it up to her face, she ignited her other hand with flame to get a better look at it. It was just a toy. Her expression hollowed with an air of dissatisfaction, she was about to throw the thing until she realized what it was.

This was one of Chara's old toys.

*Chara...my child...hehe...I know you never liked me calling you that. I know that you always hated eating your vegetables. But you'd at least take them over snails right? Hahahaha...You never really seemed to like having someone look over you. You always argued and resisted authority but in that same breath you still would play and have fun with Asriel. Its possible that you never really liked me but...but that was okay! I loved you all the same. I could see that deep down, you were still a child, and one that had the capacity to love life more than anyone else. But...I could also see that something was troubling you. Something you never cared to reveal to us. And I accepted that and strove to make a better environment for you. I hope I gave you the best childhood I could. I hope I did the best for you. I miss you so much...Chara... I wish I could have helped you. I wish I could have known what was tearing away at you. Because through all of it...

I believe you were a good child.

That was the last thing she spoke out loud. Her cries dying down to soft whimpers until she eventually fell silent. Only the faint echo of her breath could be heard in the dark cave. It would be so easy...so easy to just lay down and die here. To let the darkness take her whole and give up on this life. And yet...when she looked at this knife...

*I...won't do it. Though continuing on may be hard, its what the others would want. I have to set a good example after all...

She faintly smiled and sent fire out in all directions creating small pockets of light for her to see around the cave. Clutching the knife with a new resolve, like the child was right beside her once again.

*Every human life is valuable and worth protecting so I...I will build a place to do that. To protect them from Asgore and if I can save even one human...that will be enough for me. You'll help me won't you? Chara...?

Rebuild Home.