Started as a Feeling

Chapter 25 - Crumbling Pieces

"I... I c-can't b-b-believe it..." Alphys stood before a catastrofic mess of broken jars, shelves, and liquids all in pieces around her feet. She quaked in fear as she looked everywhere around her lab. Everything was destroyed and in ruins. All of her hard work has been smashed into dust. "H-How could this have happened? Why would h-he just g-get upset that way?", Alphys scaredly spoke to herself. Somewhere inside her, her scientist heart could be heard breaking in two. She could feel the sudden lump inside her throat begin to choke her, and tears were mere seconds from falling from her eyes. All of the money sacrificed from the town's mayor to help build Alphys's lab was a waste. She began to feel like an utter failure all over again.

Suddenly, the sound of Mettaton's voice rang over the intercom and echoed through the house, "Doorbell is ringing darling!"

Alphys wiped her face quickly and fixed her glasses back to their comfortable spot above the bridge of her nose. The little pitter-patter of her feet echoed around the room as she scurried to the elevator door. The door closed around her as she pressed the up button, and with a small ding the elevator was on its way. As soon as she reached her desired floor, Alphys stepped out and hurried to the front door. Sweat started beating down her face as she hesitated to open the door. With a firm grasp of the handle, she cracked the door an inch to see Sans standing outside. "Ya gunna let me in Doc?", the skeleton said with less enthusiasm then usual. Alphys nodded and opened the door the rest of the way. She stood in the way and twiddled her thumbs, "I-I-I was hoping you w-would get here sooner... Sans...."

Sans takes a look around the torn apart lab and lets the environment sink in. Mettaton can be heard sweeping the floor while whistling a little tune. The squeaks coming from his singular wheel sound distant as he rolls around scooping up rubbish. Sans turns to Alphys who's shaking from anxiety, "What happened here?"

Not expecting Sans to speak, Alphys let out a scared hiccup and placed both of her hands on the sides of her head. She then calmed herself a little and spoke, "W-Well, Undyne called me earlier a-and said that it was t-t-time for Asgore to... Uhm... Well you know... Know about Asriel's r-return...? A-And... Before that I, uhm, found s-something wrong... Asriel's soul--well n-new soul isn't l-lasting as well a-as a regular soul should. H-His soul is d-d-dying out!"

Sans stood motionless, his feet seemed to be glued to the floor, "What... What do you mean? He's going to die?"

Alphys muttered, "E-Eventualy y-yes... But! I-I have found a w-way to preserve the soul to make it l-last!"

A sigh if relief escaped from Sans, he smiled at the good news, "That's good Alphy..." They both stood in silence, until Sans spoke again, "It is good... Right?"

Alphys hung her head and closed her eyes as if she has been defeated, "Asgore came over... I told him everything... But before I could tell him I could cure Asriel... He..." Her voice trailed off as she looked around the room, hinting that all of this carnage was from none other then the goat boy's father.

Sans felt the familiar burn start to ignite inside his chest. His eyes went dark, and his smile turned into something so sinister that he was barely recognizeable. Before Alphys could speak another word, Sans was no longer in the room. For the first time in forever, Alphys feared for her life.

*****
Sans stood on the plateau ground before the mountain that leads to the underground. This has all become too much. Nothing has been so dark before. He stared into the sky and cursed it under his breath. He had the need to break things, as before. He has always known that keeping such hard feelings in was never good. He took his first step towards the mountain.

*****
Somewhere in the Underground, a loud bang shook the abandoned towns. Asgore climbed out of the darkness and into the light of the setting sun. The exit to the Underground was sealed once again.