(I'm so tired)

Healing magic filtered through the wall, hopefully reaching Toriel's unconscious form.  It was extremely convenient for the skeleton who was casting the magic, especially since he could still pretend that they still worked on him.  He desperately hoped that there were no cameras in the room so that the secret could be kept safe. 

Sans had been at this for a while now, sending magic towards his friend through the wall that separated them.  He only wished he could do more, just as she had done for him so long ago.  It felt like ages since he had asked her to open up the door.  It had felt unreal when she had actually done it and they had really met for the first time. 

Pushing his thoughts aside, he continued to send his healing magic across the wall.  Since tomorrow there was his trial and her first appearance in front of the entire Underground since she ran away, he assumed that (hopefully) Alphys would be coming over to fix her up.  A feeling of slight pity washed over him, this will be the third time today she's had to come all the way to the castle.  If she showed up that is. 

Suddenly, the skeleton heard something from the other room, it sounded like maybe, just maybe, Toriel was awake.  "Toriel?" He called out softly, hoping she could hear him.  "Tori, a-are you okay?"

Over on the other side of the wall, Toriel heard a faint, muffled voice.  Her conscious registered that her friend must be calling out to her but despite this, Asgore has hit her head so hard she couldn't understand him.  Surprisingly, it didn't hurt, it felt pleasantly normal.  However, none of this really stuck in her mind for more than a split second.  She couldn't stop thinking about what Asgore had said to her before she had been knocked out;

"I cannot believe that you would pick him over me in every way," he had said. 

She was stuck on what he meant by that, hopelessly stuck.  She couldn't figure out what he was talking about.  Sure it was at least partially true, especially since she rather protect, talk with, and just generally spend time with her best friend.  That wasn't it though. 

Maybe it was something in the way he said it, even that had sounded off for him.  She had expected only anger but she had been surprised when he sounded more hurt and betrayed rather than angry.  But why would he be hurt? He knew that she had been living together with Sans since his disappearance, which was actually a bigger deal than it may have seemed since he was the brother of the former second in command of the Guard. He knew that they must have known each other beforehand too, he at least hopefully remembered that she wouldn't have considered living with a stranger.  He also knew that she didn't love him anymore, not after what he had down to both the innocent human children that fell and what he had done to the Underground. 

Wait... Toriel's eyes widened as this thought crossed her mind, it was like someone had just dumped freezing water over her as she was asleep.  Asgore couldn't think that she... Her brain froze for a second as a more significant question popped into her head.  She didn't have feelings for him, did she?

She tried to think back to any time she might have felt something like what she and Asgore had before the deaths of their children.  Her mind was taken back to when they first told jokes behind the door.  She had felt something then but she had dismissed it as her being happy to talk to someone outside of the Ruins, like her loneliness disappearing.  She pretended like that feel I had gone away, especially she she was afraid that she would ruin the friendship they had. 

Now that she thought about it, this feeling had one of the few, strong reasons she had chosen to open the door.  It was like now, when she looked back on everything that had happened, this feeling had always been there.  However small, strong, weak, or pushed down, it was there. 

The one thing she couldn't believe was that Asgore had seen it before she had.  It was almost like it had taken him pointing it out to her for her to really see it.  Still, now that she really knew this, what should she do? 

Just then, both Alphys and Undyne came bursting into the room after fumbling with the keys for a moment.  The forced-to-be-Queen of the Underground weakly looked up at them, surprised to see them.  "Well I'm glad I just carried you across the Underground now," Undyne muttered, feeling bad for the monster on the ground. 

It took the injured monster a second to recognise her.  When she did, Toriel sent a tired glare at her and tried to summon her magic (she forgot the cuffs), attempting to scoot a little further away at the same time.  Alphys glanced between the two of them for a second, confused as to why this was the Queen's reaction to someone who was most likely a stranger was this bad. 

The fish monster sighed, "Look, I get that we got off on the wrong foot when I..." She rubbed the back of her neck with one hand.  "When I tried to capture you and your friends... And when Sans almost killed me because of it..."  she trailed off for a few moments before continuing.  "Just, I, aw screw it, there's no excuse for what I did.  I'm sorry, okay? And I'm on your side now." 

Toriel seemed to look to Alphys for guidance now, wanting to know if what she had been told was true.  The scientist nodded, trying to give her a sign to trust them.  Letting her guard down, the injured Queen relaxed and allowed the other two monsters to come to her.

The both of them made their way to the other monster as fast as they could, helping her into a sitting position.  Nodding her thanks, as she became more and more aware she put her hand up to her head.  Surprised to find that it didn't hurt, she glanced around, despite her vision still being a little fuzzy, she could see faint healing magic coming from the other side of the wall.  Before anyone in that room could find their voice, the skeleton called out, "Alphys? Y-you over there?"

Following Toriel's gaze the scientist saw the magic and replied, "U-u-uh, Sans, you can stop your magic now..."  The faint green wisps stopped shortly after.  For a moment, Alphys was confused as to why his magic worked on her since she was wearing the magic binding cuffs, then she remembered how she had designed them.  No extraneous magic could come from the monster wearing them and no harmful magic could impact the wearer as much as it normally would, but healing magic was aloud to do what it will.  Undyne muttered something along the lines of 'man, Asgore must have been pissed.'  After this, she asked Toriel where she had been hit. 

Her hand instinctively went to her cheek, and by the darker, almost bruise like spot by her eye and forehead Alphys could tell she had been hit multiple times.  Pulling out her medical bag (which had also been to the castle two other times today) and grabbing a few bandages that were laced with healing magic of their own, and started to gently wrap the Queen's head. 

Toriel tried to say something, but her mind was one step ahead of her mouth and no sound came out.  It took her another second, but she was finally able to speak.  "Th-" her voice gave her a hard time again, "Thank you," she softly said.  Her eyes gradually drifted back over to the fish monster, who was grabbing a few more things and handing them to the smallest of the three of them. 

"You-" she coughed before she could continue, concerning the scientist even more so.  "You are the Captain of the Royal Guard, are you not?" She asked Undyne.  Looking at her for another second, then glancing off to the side, the monster in question sighed.

Undyne's face had a bittersweet look to it as she spoke, "I was, after I was almost killed by a one HP monster," she called out to the skeleton, saying that she meant no offense, "I kinda got put in my place.  Asgore had enough of it about a day ago and fired me."  Despite losing her job, Undyne was actually glad she had been fired.  When it really came down to it, she didn't enjoy the stress it caused on herself and pain it caused others.  The only problem she had with being fired was her replacement. 

Thinking her job was finished here, Alphys asked how the Queen felt.  There were bandages on her head, side, and arm, as well as one on her cheek.  The scientist couldn't afford to take chances right now, especially considering the fact that A, she needed to please Asgore, and B, if Toriel wasn't in the best shape tomorrow, all escape plans would have an even higher chance a failing.  Gosh, she hoped that Papyrus and the other monsters were coming up with something good. 

After making sure Toriel got into bed alright and double checking that her HP was rising steadily, the other two monsters left.  While they were at the castle, the scientist figured she might as well check up on Sans as well.  Locking the door to the room they were in and opening the one next to it, they went in the skeleton's cell. 

The scientist could tell that something was wrong as soon as she entered, being his friend and coworker for many years helped a great deal.  His eye lights were out and he had his knees tucked up to his chest, seeming to be lost in thought.  "S-Sans?" She asked solely to get his attention.  One of the last things they needed was to be dusted by someone on their side.  "You okay?"

The only response she got was one asking if the Queen was alright.  "Yeah, she'll be fine," Alphys replied.  The skeleton nodded, seeming to relax a little.  Still, something was wrong, and with their luck it could foil their plans.  "What's wrong?" Undyne joined in. 

Burying his face into his arms and knees, he said something they couldn't quite hear.  The other two monsters exchanged glances with each other to confirm that neither of them heard what he said.  The scientist asked him to repeat himself, prompting him to pull his face up from his knees as he spoke again.  "T-this is a-all my fault..." 

A few tears slid down his face and he tried in gain to wipe them away.  Slightly taken aback, Alphys started to tell him that it wasn't his fault, that he wasn't at all to blame here, but was cut off by the skeleton before she could get out an entire word.  "N-no, Asgore heard me call her 'T-Tori', and he just went off on her even though it was me who did it! I-I couldn't even do anything, I just s-sat there while he hurt her!" 

The tears flowed faster now from the breaking down skeleton.  Alphys crept over as quickly as she could manage and bent down to match his height. She put her hand on his shoulder and spoke quietly, but firmly at the same time, "Sans, none of this was your fault.  If you had fought back, we would be in a much worse situation, maybe he would have killed her! Just- g-get some rest, and please don't worry." 

After wiping the taken aback look from his face, the skeleton took his sleeve and tried to get rid of his tears, nodding slowly.  "I-I'm sorry Al, I w-was just-" Undyne finished his sentence off with 'being over dramatic'.  He started to open his mouth to argue, but it was kinda true.  The fish monster swore she saw the corner of his mouth perk up a tiny bit when he realized this. 

After thanking them for everything, the skeleton had the healing IV stuck back in his soul before the pair left.  As they walked down the hallway, Alphys and Undyne hoped that the younger skeleton had better luck with coming up with a plan for tomorrow than he had been before they left.  It was just like nothing seemed to work.  Just as the fish monster lifted her girlfriend onto her back with ease to carry her home, the two of them suddenly found themselves in Snowdin, right in front of Grillby's. 

(2154 words... Super short, sorry)

Well, just incase anyone can't tell, I obviously will not make the goal of finishing ASOTD by the end of 2017... Oops XD... Oh well, I guess I just got caught up in everything.  Anyway, I'm not going to spend five million sentences apologizing for this being short (I think it's implied now)  or unedited, I just really wanted to get something out before the holidays!

That being said, HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!!! I hope you have had a great year and I hope next year is even better! Thanks to everyone sooo much for keeping up with this story, it means a LOT to me.  I know for a fact that the next chapter will be longer, and I can't wait to write it! (We finally get to free Tori! I think... This next chapter or the one after for sure!)

For your patience, (and my randomness) here is a quick excerpt from my upcoming (after ASOTD of course) story that I still don't have a title for! Thanks for reading this chapter, and I hope you enjoy this mini preview! -TOFGT

Frisk wiped another tear from their cheek before it could run off their face.  The flower that sat in the pot they were holding sighed, "Frisk, please."  He felt bad for them despite not having a soul, "Toriel will be okay." 

"Yeah, I know," their voice cracked.  They were upset about leaving her behind, it felt like she was just lonely.  She had mentioned something about the monster behind the door when they had asked her about it, something about him being her only friend.  They wanted to stay, they really did, they just had to go home. 

Letting out a deep breath and pretending that was anything holding them back, Frisk looked ahead.  They couldn't turn back now. 

A small pathway through some trees lay before them, some kind of gate lay past the trees as well.  They took a few small steps forward, the tiny steps soon giving way to larger ones.  "That's it Frisk," Flowey encouraged. 

About two thirds of the way through the trees, they almost tripped over a large branch.  Discovering that it was strong, they tried to pick it up without much luck.  'That would be hard to break,' they thought to themself. 

Stepping over and past the branch, they continued.  Pausing once again, Frisk and the flower glanced back at the stick, as if they expected something to have changed within the past five or so seconds from when they had seen it before.  Shrugging off the feeling, they reached the small, gated bridge. 

When they approached the bridge, immediately making a mental note to be cautious since the wood was wet from snow, they stopped to make sure the gate was actually locked. When the bard didn't budge one bit, the two exchanged glances before the child decided to try slipping through the bars... Without success. 

Suddenly, the crunching of snow, the sound of footsteps, started to grow louder.  "Quick, hide!" Flowey exclaimed, knowing that the reasons he had for staying in the Ruins only all these years were good ones.

Frisk scrambled to get away from the gate and hide in the trees, slipping on the wet wood in the process.  With a small cry, their fingers on the hand that wasn't holding Flowey were able to grab one of the wooden beams. 

The footsteps became faster and louder and before they knew it, the gate had been opened.  Frisk didn't have time to look upward and kept all their focus on hanging on.  It turns out, they didn't need to.

A strong hand grabbed their arm and lifted them up onto the bridge.  The unknown monster let them go as soon as their feet got a good grip on the wood below them. 

"Th-thank you," Frisk breathed heavily from the sudden rush of adrenaline.  Glancing upward at their savior, their eyes were met with not quite what they expected. 

In front of them stood a skeleton who was wearing long, slightly ragged black pants, tall, red boots, a black t-shirt, long red gloves, and finally a ragged and torn red scarf around his neck.  This left an impression on them for some reason, it seemed like the scarf had been through the skeleton's entire life and had actually held up pretty well.  Despite this being the first time they had ever seen him, something just felt off. 

(To be continued...)