Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

A very familiar feeling filled you. Determination. It had been five months since the monsters had returned to the surface, and Christmas was in just three weeks. Already there were decorations going up around the neighborhoods, lights twinkling from trees and wreaths hung up on doors. People were flooding the stores looking for gifts for their family and friends. You weren’t one of them.

The idea had come to you so suddenly that morning just after you’d woken up. You had jolted upright and practically ran to the bathroom, hurried through your usual routine, and thrown on your clothes, before rushing out the door with a quick goodbye and kiss to your mother. Now, you were sprinting down the street, weaving between people and poles and garbage cans as you raced to Undyne and Alphys’ place. You executed a particularly nice dodge as you slide beneath the clasped hands to two people and launched yourself over a trashcan, landing in a smooth roll and instantly back on your feet. You supposed all that dodging in the Underground had helped you greatly when it came to your reflexes. Undyne’s attacks especially had been useful for that sort of training.

It was with heaving breaths and legs that burned from such exertion that you arrived outside of their new home. It was a large, upgraded version of Undyne’s fish house in Waterfall, blue and orange with actual scales covering the walls and roof. You stopped for a moment to catch your breath, and then rang the doorbell. It took only ten seconds for Alphys to come open the door. Usually, you would spend time on greetings and hugs, but now, you grabbed the clawed hand and pulled her down the hallway and into the elevator down to her lab, gesturing excitedly with one hand the entire way.

“Woah, Frisk!” she said as you dragged her along. “What’s so urgent?”

You hit the button and the elevator doors closed.

“I have,” you panted, still slightly out of breath, “an idea.”

“For…?” Alphys asked, puzzled.

“Sans’ present,” you said promptly. “I need help.”

She blinked. Her wings, ruffled from the sudden movement, smoothed themselves out and twitched a little closer to her sides.

“Why me though? Wouldn’t you rather pick someone else that knows Sans better? I wouldn’t know what to get for him…”

You shook your head.

“Your help,” you insisted. “Making something.”

Her wings opened up.

“R-really?!” she asked, her face brightening. “Okay! What are we doing?”

You paused. You took a moment to consider what you were going to say. After all, it wasn’t an everyday, easy task that the two of you would be undertaking. Still, you wanted to do this for him. You were determined to.

“Making wings,” you said a little breathlessly.

You offered her a bright, hopeful smile. She looked confused.

“Wings?”

You pointed at hers and ran a finger down one of the feathers.

“He needs them,” you said.

Understanding dawned on her face. She looked horrified at first, then sad, and then finally uncertain.

“He lost them,” she murmured. “But, Frisk, y-you know it’s impossible to um, to get them back, right?”

You nodded.

“‘S why we’re making them,” you explained.

She gaped at you.

“Oh. Oh gosh Frisk, this is...this is really big.”

You hesitated. It was a massive project, one that would take many hours and intense amounts of dedication but…

“Please,” you said.

She worried her lip. Then she took a deep breath and gave you a small smile.

“Okay!” she said. “Let's do it!”

You were reminded of another time, when she had thought you asked her out on a date. A little giggle escaped your mouth as you remembered all the events that had unfolded: the roleplay, the dramatic confession, the somewhat comical launching of Alphys, and Papyrus’ arrival. Of course, that date had been what led to the events of the True Lab, but everything had worked out in the end. You took her hand as the elevator dinged! and opened its doors. She led you down the many hallways of her new lab, until she stopped outside of a door labelled “Storage Department.”

“We’re going to need supplies,” she told you in a business voice.

It wavered for a moment, most likely at the daunting task of creating an actual pair of wings , but she seemed to steel her nerves. She pushed open the door and you stepped inside. Immediately you were hit with a variety of smells, ranging from rubber, to metal, to something strangely fruity, and the familiar scent of instant noodles. Boxes lined the walls in neat stacks, and near the back of the long corridor was a haphazard pile of scrap metal.

“We’ll need synthetic fibers,” Alphys muttered under her breath. “Something to cut them with, and a fine tipped glue gun! Yes, we need that too...and bone. Possibly bone. No, definitely bone. We can line it with fibers, to mimic muscles that he can stretch...they’ll have to be easily infused with magic though. It has to be magically flexible, so that we can tune it to his magic…oh, we’ll need that ...but that’s really rare - there’s only one of them known to exist and we can’t create another one...”

She suddenly stopped and jerked upright from her rummaging.

“Frisk?” she called. “Do you - do you think...I mean, it’s hard to say but...do you think he’d like to - to fly?”

She bit her lip and fiddled with her fingers nervously as you gawked at her. Flying…you hadn’t even considered that. You had wanted him to have a pair of wings again, wings that he could move. Despite the fact that they wouldn’t be able to reflect his emotional state, he would have them. They could act as a layer of defense, defense that he needed in case anything were to happen. If he could fly though…

You nodded emphatically at her. Yes, he would love that. You were sure of it. It would easily fit his lazy nature, flying everywhere instead of walking. And you knew that he had blue magic, magic that could affect gravity. You knew he he had cyan magic as well, magic that could affect space, even though it was very slight. Perhaps there were shortcuts in the sky that led farther than any of the small ones down on the ground did. The possibilities were endless. He would love it.

She nodded back at you.

“Okay, so we need - we need something really rare for this,” she said. “If you want wings that he can use, that he can fly with, we have to make sure it can tune to his magic. You know how monsters are made of magic and dust? Well, whatever wings we make him have to also be made with his magic. So to put his magic inside it, we need a - a crystal. There’s only one that’s ever existed, but we know - we know where it is.”

She paused, suddenly looking rather tense. You tilted your head questioningly at her.

“It’s back in the Underground,” she muttered. “In the CORE.”

You frowned. The Underground had been empty for months now - no, not empty. There was still somebody down there, somebody that, while you wished you could help him, would never accept your friendship. Somebody that had hurt Sans beyond belief. You wondered if he would stop the two of you if you went down to retrieve the crystal.

Alphys looked uncomfortable. You thought you knew why; the CORE had been where she had made some of her worst memories, lying to you and then finally confessing with tears in her eyes, and also where Mettaton, one of her first friends, had nearly died with the battery power loss.

You took her hand in yours again.

“I’ll be with you,” you said simply, offering her a smile.

She smiled back.

“Yeah,” she said. “Yeah, we’ll be there together.”

But then it hit you: she had also created Flowey. She must have known that he was still down there. Sympathy filled you and you drew her into a hug. You couldn’t imagine the pain she must have felt, having to face her creation, the creation that had meant to be something beautiful that had warped into a demon. You had long ago made your peace with the fact that Flowey simply wasn’t Asriel, but it seemed Alphys still hadn’t. You patted her back comfortingly, and drew back, pointing at the boxes.

“Right. We need synthetic fiber,” she told you. “It’s white, looks a lot like string, and should be wrapped up into bundles. It’s somewhere along this section of the wall-” she gestured “-in the boxes.”

You went to work instantly, picking a box and beginning to rifle through it. You heard shuffling behind you as she moved to a different part, presumably to get the other supplies. The two of you spent roughly an hour in there, pulling out various items and tools until quite a large pile was amassed at your feet. You reached up and tucked your hair back behind your ear from where it had fallen and faced Alphys, offering her a bright smile. She grinned back, and you felt happiness bubble in you at seeing her confident. Her wings were folded against her back, but you could see them shimmering in the light. She bent down and you did the same, stacking items as best as you could in your arms. Alphys was using her wings to support the sides of her pile, and you both marched out of the storage room. She led the way into a room across the hallway labelled “Construction.”

Inside was a large, rectangular table that sat in the center of the room. The room itself was pleasantly decorated, not at all like the plain, somewhat clinical feel of the hallways and storage unit. The floors were a warm brown, and when you looked closely, you could see faint traces of magic. You deduced that they must have been there to protect the flooring. A counter wound its way around the room, cabinets lining its underside and rows of shelves on the back wall. A simple portable stove sat in the corner.

The scientist laid down her load on the counter closest to the door. You followed suit and shook out your arms. She spread out your collection and began to sort through them, laying out piles of tools and materials. A sizable pile of synthetic fiber was stacked up against the wall.

“Frisk, could you please bring that over to the big table?” she asked you as her claws worked deftly.

You nodded and complied, taking the fiber in small bunches and laying it out. It was a clean white, and when you tugged experimentally on a string, you found it to be stretchy. Other bundles of fiber were thick and hardly flexible at all. As you waited for Alphys to finish setting up tools on the counter, you played around with the fiber, testing out the flexibility and elasticity of each bundle.

“Okay,” she said, as she carried over a small pile of tools. “We have to build a prototype first, make sure it works the way wings should. I’ve already got a design laid out in my head - I just gotta draw it out into blueprints. Next, the feathers. It’s gonna take a lot of time because we have to make each one separately. There’ll be hundreds of them.”

She waited, as though expecting you to change your mind about the project. You simply nodded and flashed her a thumbs up.

“So after that, we need to build the frame of it,” she explained. “I’ll see if I can get Papyrus to conjure up some bones for us to use; his magic is similar enough to Sans that it should mold together just fine. These fibers-” she gestured to a specific pile of bundles “-will be imitations of muscle so he can move the wings. They’ll go onto the bone structure and also connect to each feather so he can move them all. Then, we have to get the crystal.”

She stopped for a moment. You patted her hand comfortingly.

“The crystal is what powers the magical part of the CORE. It’s very magic flexible, but if we can attune it to Sans’ magic, it’ll allow us to connect the wings to Sans body.”

She stopped again, a slight grimace coming across her face. You nodded for her to continue.

“Believe it or not, that’s not the hardest part,” she said. “We need to get a part of Sans’ magic. Not the magic he uses - his actual magic. A part of him.”

You froze. Alphys must have seen the panic that started across your face because she hurried on.

“But,” she rushed, “if he kept any of the feathers that were left over when he lost his wings, even one, then it’ll work. We just need one. Even a hair from the feathers will be enough.”

You exhaled. That would be no easy feat. You weren’t even sure if he kept any of the feathers, if he was able to after Flowey removed his wings. If he did, you weren’t sure how you would convince him to give them to you. You worried your lip, mirroring Alphys earlier.

“I - I’m sure you’ll be able to get it,” she tried to reassure you.

You gave her a grateful smile, then pointed to the materials laid out before you.

“Right,” she said.

She had a look on her face much like yours. It was determination, some form of it. You cracked your knuckles and shared a smile with her.

“So, I need you to grab that piece of wood over there in the corner. Yeah, that one! Now, we need to cut it down to size and smooth it out in the shape of…”

For eight hours you worked under her instruction, filing, sawing, bolting down, and drilling. You paused only for a lunch break, helped out greatly by the portable stove and a cabinet of canned food, then went straight back to work. You saw Alphys in her element, completely focused on the task at hand. She was vibrant, full of life as she flitted about the room, her claws working with impossible speed, a concentrated look on her face as she worked. Her wings rippled every time she finished a section, and she allowed a triumphant look to pass across her face for a moment, before going straight back to work. It was one of the most inspiring things you had ever seen.

Finally, at six o’clock, when her phone rang, the two of you laid down your tools and creations, smiling at each other. She reached over to pick up the phone with one hand, leaning her head against her shoulder to hold it in place as she began to place coverings over your work.

“Hello? Oh hi Undyne! I’m downstairs - no wait! Don’t come down here; I’ll be up in a moment. No, it’s a surprise for someone. Yes, I know you can keep a secret - it’s not like that! No no no, it’s a present. For a friend. Nobody’s allowed to know. Okay, I’ll see you in a minute. Love you.”

She gave you a bit of a weary grin as you finished up the covering for her.

“Same time tomorrow?” she asked.

You nodded. You would do whatever it took to get these wings for him. She seemed to understand that.

“Frisk,” she began, “you’re - you’re really a great friend. You’re one of my best friends and you’re so kind and caring and you’ll...you’ll do great. I know Sans will love this. He’ll really appreciate all the effort you’re putting into this for him too. I know I would.”

She leaned down to hug you quickly, her wings curling around you briefly. You walked hand in hand with her into the elevator, heading up to have dinner with Undyne.

Chapter Text

You set down your feather, and brushed your hair out of your face. Across the table, Alphys was carefully threading her own, her tongue peeking out from the side of her mouth as she concentrated. Together, the two of you had created hundreds of feathers within the timespan of two weeks. You had helped her build the structure of the wings. Today was the day that you would visit the Underground to retrieve the crystal. You were filled with nervous excitement, and, if you were being honest with yourself, a little apprehension as well. Butterflies danced around your stomach at the thought of returning to the Underground.

“Ready Frisk?” she asked as she placed the last feather into the pile.

You nodded. She took a deep breath.

“I’ve already told Undyne and the skeletons that we’d be going out today. You told Toriel you were spending the day with me, right?”

Another nod.

“And Asogre’s out of town for the week,” she muttered, most likely thinking out loud. “Okay. We’ll be heading around the base of the mountain to where the barrier used to be. From there, we’ll head inside, take the elevator into the CORE, and then I’ll lead us through into the inner parts of the CORE. It’s deactivated now, since we don’t need it anymore.”

You flashed her a reassuring smile, and walked around the table to take her hand. You could feel her claws shaking slightly, but she squeezed your fingers and smiled back.

“Let’s go.”

Fifteen minutes later, you were parked at the base of Mount Ebbott, the sun shining warmly down on the fresh fall of snow. It sparkled brightly, like millions of faceted diamonds, almost blindingly bright to look at. Alphys lifted you of your seat and set you down on a patch of clear ground. You tugged at your boots, making sure that they were done up all the way and snow proof. She did the same, fussing about her coat and wrapped her wings close to stay warmer. You smiled sympathetically at her. She was much more used to warmth after having lived in hotland for so long and it showed. When she had finished, she took your hand and together you walked forward and into the gaping hole where the barrier used to be situated.

The dark hallway into the throne room filled you with a sense of nostalgia. The memories came rushing back from when you had nearly fought Asgore and saved Asriel. You felt saddened at the thought of him. A numb sort of grief washed over you. It hit you harder every time you remembered that he was gone. You thought that the two of you could have been wonderful friends. Now, you would never have the chance to know him.

“Y-you okay?” Alphys asked you.

You blinked, realizing that you’d been lost in thought for quite a while. You stood outside the elevator by the Judgement Hall with the scientist, the gray pavement dull beneath your feet. You turned to face the lost city. The faded colors only served to strengthen your grief. So much had been lost down here. So much had been taken that could never be regained.

But that’s why we’re down here , you reminded yourself. We’re here to take back what we can. We’re here to take back what’s ours.

You shook yourself slightly, trying to dislodge the memories from the forefront of your mind. Alphys was giving you a strange look, not unlike nervous sympathy, but there seemed to be some sort of deeper understanding as well.

“‘M fine,” you said softly.

She squeezed your fingers and opened the elevator. Hardly a minute later, you were stepping out and into the CORE. Alphys’ breath hitched. The two of you stood in the room where Mettaton’s final showdown had taken place. A smile came to your face as you thought of the fun you had had facing off against him. Despite the death chance, there had been a thrill to performing like that on stage. It was your turn to squeeze her hand. She took a deep breath, and strode forward. There was a set to her shoulders and face that resembled your own when you had first fallen into the Underground. Determination.

“We’re going to be taking the fast way in,” she said. “The elevator is programmed to take us into the next layer in with the right password and floor number combo. It’s timed, so I need you to be ready. The password input is on the opposite side of the floor input, so you'll h-have to do the numbers right after the password. Okay?”

You nodded, standing a little straighter and looking more attentive.

“Okay. R-ready? You need to input four, three, sev - wait no four, two, six - not that's night right either -”

Her hands were shaking badly, quivering like autumn leaves barely hanging onto their branches in a gust of wind. You were at a loss as to what to do. You tentatively placed a hand on her shoulder, a bit of a difficult task with your short height. With a questioning look towards her, you mimed hugging. She answered by wrapping you in her wings, which, you noticed, were drooping, the feathers beginning to fade. When you pulled back she seemed to have steeled herself.

“Four two seven nine...no eight...eight…”

She let out a cry of frustration. You backed up, eyes wide. You had never seen her like this before. She was clenching her hands into fists, her wings furled tightly around herself.

“It's stands for...it stands for something!” she yelled. “I can't...I can't remember what it is…”

The tension left her shoulders and her wings fell limply at her sides. A thought began to blossom in your mind. Was there something else here that she was struggling with? Even with the amalgamates she had never reacted that way. You reached out and took her hand again.

“It's okay,” you said quietly. “Go slow. I'll remember the numbers.”

She took a shuddering breath.

“F-four...two...s-seven...three, no eight...four, two, seven, eight...three…seven. Four, two, seven, eight, three, seven.”

She repeated it like a mantra, her brow furrowed. You waited a moment, then motioned to the passcode side.

“Tell me when,” you said.

You walked over to the number pad and readied your fingers. Four, two, seven, eight, three, seven. The numbers rang a bell within your head. You felt as though you’d heard them before...no, that was the wrong word. You felt them before. Something tingled at the edges of your mind, just out of reach. You grasped at it and it slipped away, dancing from your train of thought. You understood Alphys’ frustration now.

“Now!” she exclaimed.

You punched in the numbers as quickly as you could. With a rumble, the elevator doors shut, and you felt it begin to move. Alphys had dropped her head into her claws.

“I can’t remember,” she muttered. “Why can’t I remember?!”

You felt sympathy grow within you.

“It’s not your fault,” you murmured. “I can’t remember either.”

She lifted her head and stared at you. There was something wild in her gaze.

“You know what I’m talking about?” she asked urgently.

You nodded your head hesitantly. You didn’t know exactly. You didn’t know at all because there was an empty space in your mind where the information should have been. You felt like something important was missing. An image flashed briefly through your mind, too quick for you to properly see. All you knew was gray. Static. Static filled the emptiness. Judging by Alphys’ noise of surprise, the same had happened to her.

“I don’t like this Frisk,” she whispered. “I don’t like not knowing something. I don’t - I feel like I’m not in control.”

The words triggered something in the static - a face. It was heavily distorted, entirely devoid of color, and hardly resembling a face at all. It looked nothing like you had ever seen before. A chilling laugh reverberated throughout your head and you gasped a little.

“Do you...want to go back?” you asked her.

The static grew louder in your mind. It was drowning out the rest of your thoughts, filling them with gray fuzz. Alphys looked terrified beside you. Then, she glanced at her own wings. You looked at them too, and noticed with slight horror that the feathers had gone gray in a couple places. The sight of them seemed to steel something within her, and she straightened up.

“N-no,” she said unconvincingly.

She took a deep breath and tried again.

“No, I don’t. I mean, I - I do but...but we have to do this. I want to do this. For Sans. I c-can’t imagine wh-what it must be l-like for him…”

She curled her wings around herself.

“Even when they aren’t p-pretty, they’re the most important thing I have. B-besides y-you all, of c-course. We h-have to do this f-for him.”

“For him,” you echoed.

That had been the reason you had gone through all of the trouble in the first place. You had done it for him. He deserved that and so much more that you couldn’t give, but you were absolutely determined to do this right for him. That familiar rush chased through your blood and you felt the static recede.

“For him,” Alphys murmured.

You both took deep breaths. For an instant, you were transported back to Waterfall in your mind’s eye, and the static receded even further. Your breath caught as you saw a gray door, but it vanished faster than a blink and you found yourself back in the present.

“Where do we go?” you prompted.

“R-right. We have to h-head to th-th-the core of the CORE...heh…”

She let out a weak chuckle at her pun. It faded into the thick air, lost in the static of noise that rushed all around you. You stared at her for a moment. Laughter bubbled up within you and you let out a stronger giggle. It lingered this time. She laughed too, and the two of you were suddenly in stitches, howling with laughter. You rather thought that Sans would have appreciated that one. It only served to fuel your laughter even longer, and you chortled until you couldn’t breathe and had to lean on Alphys. When the mirth died down, the two of you smiled at each other. The strangeness of the events had begun to fade. The events themselves had dulled into background noise and you turned to face the winding maze of hallways with renewed strength.

Laughter really is the best medicine , you thought. Perhaps that was why Sans had hidden behind it for so long.

You followed the scientist silently as she navigated the halls, your laughter ringing in your head. At first, it was a comfort, chasing away the static that had filled your mind, but as you drew nearer and nearer to the center, it began to feel like a war within your mind. The static grew louder and louder, and the laughter refused to back down, both clashing in a way that had you wincing as a headache grew.

The static was inevitably overpowering. It filled your thoughts and wormed its way through the rest of your mind until you swore you could hear it physically too. You called out to Alphys, and she turned to face you with a confused and fearful look on her face. As you glanced down at her claws, you noticed they were shaking.

“I can’t hear you!” was what you were able to make out from the noises coming from her mouth. Terror began to seep into you as you realized you could hear the static - but everything else was nearly void. You tried to call up the laughter, but the memory had already faded from your mind. Panicked, you tried to recall earlier that morning, when you had worked on the feather with Alphys. Snippets of moments flashed through your mind accompanied by that same static but what was that static and where was it coming from?

You nearly fell over in shock when a vine gripped your shoulder in a vice hold and spun you around. A familiar face loomed over you, pressing close to your own. Golden petals were flared open from glaring eyes and a twisted snarl.

“What are you doing back here?!” the flower screeched into your ear.

You could barely hear the words, but you replied anyway in your loudest voice, hoping he could hear you.

“We need to get the crystal from the CORE!” you shouted.

Unfortunately, your loudest wasn’t audible. Flowey screamed.

“I can’t hear you!”

With your free hand, you tugged his face close and repeated yourself. It morphed into a confused expression.

“WHY?!”

“For Sans’ wings!” you replied.

It twisted grotesquely, the angry snarl transforming into something demonic as he glared at you.

“You won’t be getting those any time soon!” he said with a maniacal laugh. “ You need the feathers that I have. ”

But when he realized what he had said, it was too late, and you squeezed him desperately as he tried to backpedal. He spat at you, his eyes glowing red, but you held on.

“ Please !” you said.

You felt a wildness rising in you, a mixture of fear from the static, grief for the flower, pain for Asriel, and desperation for Sans. Beneath it all was the barely discernable feel of determination.

“ Why should I?! ” he yelled.

His voice had a reverberation to it that broke through the static. For a moment, your hearing was clear, and you heard Alphys whimper and scramble backwards behind you.

“I spared you!” you answered.

“ You spare everyone! ”

But his face was changing, his resolve wavering, and you could see it, and a tiny bead of hope blossomed within you as you stared at him.

“Wait here!” he said, and his voice was back to normal.

You nodded and released him. He dove into the ground and now you could clearly see a trail of where he must have burrowed through the metal, lifting it slightly. You quickly made your way to Alphys, where she was huddled in a ball on the ground, her wings wrapped around herself. You carefully touched her cheek and she flinched, before slowly opening her wings.

“I-I’m s-s-sorry Frisk,” she whispered. “I-I don't...I can't…”

Bleakly, you wondered how such a simple task had turned into a disastrous adventure. The static grew louder. You pulled her into a hug and held on tight, a swirl of emotions running through you.

Flowey returned some time later, his vines clutching two objects. You stared at him in wonder as he held up a crystal and two feathers. You needed them, yes, you felt that deep within you...but for what? The thought had slipped away. Fear gripped your heart like a vice and you nearly snatched them from him, cradling them to your chest.

“Thank you!” you called.

He pushed his face close to yours.

“Don't think this means we’re friends,” he hissed. “I'm repaying you for what you did. After I get you out of here, we’re through. Come back again  and I'll kill you .”

You nodded, desperate to escape the oppressive atmosphere of the place. Dimly, somewhere in the back of your mind, you recognized the small change in the flower. He was repaying you. He hadn’t simply left you there, even though he could have. You knew it wasn’t due to any sort of care for you, but he was able to understand fairness again. Perhaps that change back into Asriel hadn’t been an entire loss for the little golden flower.

“Follow me!” he snapped. “And hurry!”

You stumbled to your feet, focusing on him and the scientist by your side with all your might. You grasped her hand tightly and pulled her along with you, the two of you struggling to keep up with the mound that was now Flowey as he raced through the metal. Turn after turn, hall after hall, you raced through it all with a single goal in your mind: get out with Alphys .

An eternity later, you slowed to a stop outside of the elevator. The static receded slightly. It was no longer physically audible. Flowey popped out of the ground, a sneer on his face. Unthinkingly, you reached out to touch his petals and thank him, but he jerked away and summoned a bullet to smack your hand away. You flinched back and gripped it as you felt your HP lower by a point. Alphys was shaking, but she stepped forward to shield you and unsteadily opened her wings to hide you from sight. She mustered up a weak glare.

“Th-thank y-y-you,” she said through gritted teeth. “We’r-re l-leaving.”

She spun around and nearly punched the button for the elevator. The doors opened immediately and the two of you rushed in. They shut with a ding as you fell against the wall and pushed the button to go up. Alphys was at the other side, shakily inputting the password. You waited with your hand poised above the number pad...but what were the numbers again? Four, two, seven, eight...five? Nine? It was odd...three? Four, two, seven, eight, five, three...three…

You heard Alphys curse from the other side of the elevator.

“M-my claws are sh-shaking t-t-too much,” she said. “I’ll d-do the n-numbers. The pad i-is b-bigger. P-p-password is ‘s, o-one, p-p, o-one, g, z-zero.”

You swapped places with her and held your trembling fingers over the keypad. You repeated the password to yourself, afraid of forgetting. With a weak surge of determination, you punched it in. Your finger slipped and hit a wrong number. A small cry of frustration left your mouth.

“It’s o-okay, F-Frisk,” Alphys said. “T-t-try again.”

You nodded and sucked in a breath. The static lessened again. The trembling ceased. With steady fingers this time, you punched it in again.

“Now!” you said.

She pushed in the number passcode. Her claws slipped too. Another curse. You turned back to the keypad. S, one, p, one, g, zero.

“Again.”

It worked. The elevator began to move and you slumped down to the floor, Alphys mirroring you on the other side. You crawled over to her after a moment and wrapped her wing around you, curling up against her side. As you moved up, the static began to fade. You sighed in relief, as did she. But something else had faded with it.

You glanced down at your other hand, the one holding the crystal and the two feathers. How had you gotten them? Alphys asked the question you had thought.

“I don’t...I don’t know,” you said quietly.

An image of a snarling flower and a metal walkway flashed through your mind accompanied by a rush of static. It ended almost instantly, but you jerked upright for a split second anyway, your heart pounding.

“F-Frisk?” she asked. “Are you okay?”

You stared at the objects and tried to remember. There was nothing but static when you thought about it. You told her this. She frowned and looked at her wings. They had returned to their normal golden-yellow state alongside the retreat of the static.

“I think...the CORE is really powerful. It has so much concentrated magic left down there alongside the heat...it must have affected our memories somehow…”

You nodded slowly. It seemed plausible. After all, magic was incredibly powerful on its own. It had to have been to create monsters and the food that they ate. Concentrated magic...who knew what it could do?

“I think that’s right,” you said slowly.

Alphys seemed to lose herself in her thoughts for a moment. Then, she shook herself and offered you a small smile.

“We got what we needed,” she said reassuringly. “And neither of us are hurt. Nothing could have really gone wrong down there, could it?”

You smiled back.

“Yeah,” you said. “We’re okay.”

It was with a spring in your step and your usual smile on your face that you strode out of the Underground by Alphys’ side.

Chapter Text

“YOU WANT ME TO CONJURE WINGBONES? WHY? AND WHY SUCH A SPECIFIC SIZE TOO?”

Alphys fidgeted next to you, her claws and wings nervously twitching. A sad mental smile wormed its way into your mind. She really was a bad liar, but she had worn her nervousness like a shield for so long that nobody questioned it.

“It's a surprise,” you told Papyrus with a little bounce.

“A SURPRISE? WOWIE! I’M SURE WHATEVER IT IS THAT YOU’RE WORKING ON WILL BE TRULY MAGNIFICENT!”

You have no idea , you thought. This last week would be the assembly of the wings, the completion of the final product. You were filled with excitement.

“HERE WE GO!”

The skeleton narrowed his eyes, and with a concentrated look on his face, his hands began to glow slightly.

“IT TAKES A LITTLE LONGER AND A LITTLE BIT MORE EFFORT BECAUSE I HAVEN’T DONE THIS BEFORE,” he explained. “GIVE ME A FEW MOMENTS.”

Bones began to slowly appear around him, forming as they hung in the air. You watched, fascinated, as they materialized with a faint orange glow. When they finally finished, they floated through the air and straight into Alphys’ arms. She stumbled a little under their weight and let out a grunt. Her wings flared open to help her keep her balance and you giggled a little. You reached up to take a couple from her, relieving her from some of her load.

“Thank you!” you chirped.

You tucked the bones underneath one arm rather unsteadily and gave him a quick one armed hug.

“NYEH HEH HEH! YOU’RE WELCOME FRISK!”

You grinned at him and hefted the bones over your shoulders. With a wave, he sent you off with Alphys, and the two of you strode inside her house and into the elevator. You were silent on the way down, content to stand by her side. You couldn’t help the little bounce that you did every few moments, happiness coursing through you. Alphys shot you an amused glance at a particularly wild one that nearly sent you stumbling into the wall.

With a ding! the doors opened, and you stepped out, walking as fast as you could with your load down the hallways and into your workroom. You pushed the door open with your foot and set down the bones on the table by the feathers. Alphys followed quickly after, arranging the materials as she set them down.

“There!” she said triumphantly. “You ready?”

You nodded and clapped your hands. A wide grin was splitting your face and you eagerly grabbed the first bone and fibers and got to work. Alphys had had a “glue gun”, but in actuality, it used a certain kind of magic to seal things together, leaving behind a seamless creation.

With deft fingers you began to attach the first feathers, working slowly and carefully in order to ensure precision. Opposite of you, Alphys’ hands were flying as she worked, and you envied her for a moment. She truly was a force when she was working in her element.

==

~~

==

“O-okay Frisk,” Alphys commanded. “I need you to hold the wings steady as I press the dust into the bones. We have to be extremely careful - can’t waste any of the crushed crystal. It’s gonna be a long process. Ready?”

You nodded. You carefully laid your hands down on the wing bones - a little tingle of happiness ran through you as you touched your creation, the gift that had taken weeks to complete - and watched as the scientist placed weights gently on the ends of feathers. She pulled a vial out of her lab coat, and your breath caught as you stared at the glinting, shimmering dust. It was iridescent, sparkling with a rainbow of colors, not unlike the way Asriel’s had. You saw what she meant when she had told you that you couldn’t waste any of the dust. The crystal itself had been surprisingly small, and seeing it reduced to dust only served to motivate you to be exceedingly careful. With baited breath, you watched as she measured out just a few grains, and began.

When the first granule touched the wingbone a soft golden light spread from the impact point. Alphys pressed it in gently, and the light spread, making its way down the fibers of the feathers. Each of Sans’ feathers was placed in the very center of each wing, and when the glow touched one, the blue spread up the spidery threads of light and across the rest of the wing, zigzagging its way through the feathers. You watched, entranced, as she measured out another couple grains and pressed them in, further along the bone.

The process took hours - each wing had to be done carefully and precisely so the magic would spread evenly across. Your legs began to cramp and you shifted slightly, careful not to move the wings as you did so. Alphys let out a small noise at the movement, but sighed in relief when she noticed the wings had stayed put. She offered you a weary grin and flexed her claws.

“Almost done,” she said.

You smiled at her.

==

~~

==

On the surface, a skeleton felt a ghostly tingle over the stubs that were now his wings. His breathing ceased for a moment as he felt a wind rustle through feathers that were no longer there. With a sigh, he continued his walk.

==

~~

==

Christmas day dawned bright and early, the sun sliding in through your window to bathe your face in a warm golden light. You lay there for a moment, basking in it, before your eyes snapped open. It was Christmas. It was Christmas !

You threw off the covers and raced to the bathroom, feet pattering against the floor. Hurriedly, you splashed water on your face and brushed your teeth, before running back to your room to throw on clothes. You found that Toriel had laid out an outfit for you while you were in the bathroom. A warm feeling spread across your chest - love - and you smiled brightly.

In the living room, you found her waiting for you, dressed and ready to go. A covered pie was held in one hand, two large bags in the other.

“Are you ready, my child?” she asked.

You grinned in response and made to hug her tightly. When you pulled back, her wings had half-opened, the purple feathers taking on a golden tint near the edges from the sunlight streaming in through the window. She laughed, a bright, carefree laugh, and suddenly she seemed so much younger, and you wondered why you had never really seen that side of her before.

“Would you open the door please, Frisk?”

Cold air drifted inside as you did so, breezing across your face and causing a little shiver. You were brimming with excitement, practically dragging your mother along with you as you skipped to Alphys’. You had decided ahead of time with her that the celebration would be hosted there, for convenience. It was an added bonus that she had a massive tv room somewhere downstairs, and that it also branched off into a lower kitchen. It was almost like a second house below their main one.

Monsters of all kinds called out to you as you passed them on the streets. You waved back, flashing all of them a wide smile. The few humans that had wandered into town for the holiday gave you some strange, but friendly looks. There was one girl that you recognized, a fifteen year old from the high school you would be attending in a few years. Her name was Alyona. She strode over to you and leaned down to hug you.

“Heya Frisk!” she chirped brightly. “Happy holidays!”

You returned the sentiment and reached into one of Toriel’s bags. You had hoped that you would run into her over the holidays, and you withdrew a small package, the same one you had been carrying the day you had had Sans make the promise. You knew that she loved science with a passion, and wanted to go into the field when she graduated. You’d worked hard on this project for her, and your face was lit up with excitement and anticipation as she took it.

“For me?” she asked.

You nodded emphatically.

“Oh, thank you!”

She hugged you again and you patted her back with a grin.

“I have to be off - I got an internship at a local observatory - but it was nice to see you!”

She waved at you as she walked away and rounded the corner. With a small bounce and a bright expression, you turned back to the route and waved your mother onwards. She chuckled, and followed as you made your way quickly through the crowd, ducking beneath limbs and sliding between people.

==

~~

==

“ALRIGHT SO WHO WANTS ANOTHER GO?!” Undyne roared. It was many hours into the celebration, and by now everyone was exhausted and ready to open their presents. Toriel had insisted they wait until at least evening to tear into the packages and that they all should spend time together first. You obliged, albeit with slight disappointment at having to wait to show Sans what you had created for him. Alphys’ expression had mirrored yours across the room as she nodded resignedly.

Of course, everyone who had already been beaten by Undyne at the various party games (at this point in time pin-the-tail, an old classic that she had adored as she grew up) was eying her dubiously, and Asgore stepped in.

“While I would love to play another round against you Undyne, I feel it is time to stop,” he said gently. “There are still presents to open, after all.”

At that, she managed to become even more energetic, and you and the rest of your family watched in horror as she lifted the rather heavy, rather large board that she had been using, and began to bend backwards, ready to suplex it.

“YEAH! PRESENTS!!”

Asgore hurriedly placed his paw on her shoulder with a mildly panicked expression.

“Uh, yes, but please do not suplex the board…”

She stopped in her motions instantly and seemed to register what she was doing.

“Oh. Heh, yeah, sorry ‘bout that,” she laughed a little abashedly. “Anyways, let’s get opening!”

You had expected the presents to be opened one by one, in a circle, as most of the human families you had seen do. Instead, each member was given a present and told to open it on the count of three. It took quite a large amount of shuffling as people mistakenly handed out presents, but soon enough, everyone had their own package.

“We like to get things for people in groups,” Alphys had explained to you earlier. “Usually two or three monsters will get together for one gift, and all put in effort to make it the best that they can. So in this case, you’ll probably have two or three gifts, maybe four.”

You shifted impatiently in your seat as you waited for everyone to settle.

“Okay!” called Toriel. “Are we all ready?”

There was a chorus of grumblings and affirmations. She smiled at them all, a little bit of a mischievous quirk to the edges of it as she listened.

“Well, maybe not yet,” she said.

Undyne gave a loud groan. Sans was chuckling into Papyrus’ side, pulled into a tight cuddle by his brother.

“Alright, alright,” she said, laughing. “One, two, three!”

The next minute was an absolute whirlwind of chaos. Wrapping paper went flying everywhere as people quite literally tore into their presents. For all your enthusiasm and impatience for this occasion, you took your time with your gift, carefully peeling the paper back to keep it intact. When it revealed a box, you shook the box, and were surprised to hear nothing. It felt heavy in your hands, so you kept going. You set the paper aside, folded neatly, and grabbed the nearest pair of scissors and began to cut along the tape. When you opened the box...another box was revealed, also wrapped in paper. A thought began to blossom in your mind and you checked the first layer of wrapping paper suspiciously. There was no note, only a small sticker with the words “To Frisk” printed on it in Arial font. You narrowed your eyes at Sans, who sat across the room from you. He was too busy poking fun at Papyrus and his model car that Asgore had gotten him. You turned your gaze onto your mother. She was laughing her head off at a book of teacher jokes and witty lines to use in class that Undyne and Alphys had put together for her.

You narrowed your eyes even further and got to work. Soon, you perfected the art of taking off the wrapping paper in just a few smooth strokes with your deft fingers as you worked through layer after layer, box after box. Finally, you reached a small box, about the size of your palm. There was no wrapping paper over it; the box itself was decorated with golden swirls and little red hearts. You opened it carefully, expecting some sort of prank, but gasped once you saw what was inside. It was a beautiful white gold locket in the shape of a heart, with little wings on either side of it. Small, delicate blue engravings were blooming across the surface in an intricate pattern. The locket itself was half the size of your palm, a small chain curled around it.

Toriel leaned over to look at it. Movement around the room stopped as everyone watched you, waiting for you to reveal what you had received. You were speechless. Granted, you were speechless most of the time, but it was voluntary. Now, you simply had no idea how to react. Who had given it to you? And why? You slowly pulled it away from yourself so that Toriel could see.

“Oh Frisk!” she exclaimed. “That is beautiful! Who gave it to you?”

You shook your head and continued to stare at it.

“What is it?!” Undyne called from her left.

Asgore, who was seated to your right, also leaned over. Toriel shot him a cool glance, and then seemed to dismiss him, no longer bothering to pay attention to him. You hesitantly turned the box around so its contents were open for all to see. Alphys let out a gasp similar to yours. Papyrus was gaping at it. Sans had his usual grin, although he seemed to be blinking quite often. You couldn’t tell if it was in shock or not. His pupils were glowing much more brightly than usual, although it could have been for any number of reasons.

“O-open it,” Alphys suggested. “Maybe there’s a note inside.”

You turned the box so it faced you again. With slightly trembling fingers, you opened the locket. The metal felt cold and smooth, the engravings hardly making any impact on its surface. With a small click, the clasp pulled apart. Inside was a tiny ruby heart dangling from a chain attached to the top of the bottom cover. There was a small slip of paper folded up. You opened it.

We can’t fly, but you’re the wind beneath our wings.

The words were printed onto the paper in curling script. It was unsigned.

“Sans, did you give this to them?” Toriel asked.

The skeleton shrugged and pointed.

“my gift is right there tori,” he said as he gestured to the tree.

She frowned.

“It was not me,” Asgore murmured.

Everyone began shooting confused looks at each other. You saw that Sans was the only one who seemed unconcerned, but he was watching you almost exclusively, his eyes on flickering around to look at everyone else once in awhile.

When the muttering and speculation died down, another round of gifts was handed out. You received a suit and a formal dress, a matching set that also went rather nicely with the dresses that Toriel had given Undyne and Alphys. The dress was cute, with a fluffy skirt that would fly outwards when you twirled. She winked at you when you looked at her questioningly.

“Papyrus helped me pick them out,” she said in a low tone.

You giggled, and imagined the tall, boisterous skeleton in a clothing store with your mother.

“Mettaton was there too,” she added.

It only served to make the image even funnier.

Sans had, rather comically, been given a Jenga set. You had been confused at first when his eyes lit up so brightly, but he looked over at Toriel and Alphys and grinned like the cheshire cat.

“oh finally!” he said. “i’ve had my eye on this for a while.”

The tone he used was one that indicated he didn’t mean to play with it, and you tipped your head at him questioningly. He winked at you.

From Undyne and Alphys, you had been given a large journal, sketching pencils, a small pen set, a rather large collection of anime stickers, and scrapbooking supplies. Undyne gave you a big smile, and Alphys leaned over to wrap a wing around you.

“There are friendship bracelet kits inside the journal,” she said. “I - I thought we should try them together.”

You offered her a bright grin and wrapped your arm around her as best you could. You felt Toriel’s wings settle over the both of you, and suddenly an impromptu group hug had been started. Sans and Papyrus made their way over, and within moments, you were surrounded by fur, scales, bones, and feathers. It felt nice, and a warmth bloomed throughout you. This was what family was like. You loved it. You loved them.

With some difficulty, everyone detached themselves from the tangle of limbs, and Alphys had “accidentally” ended up in Undyne’s lap.

Asgore had given you a small pendant in the shape of a quill. The symbolism in the feather was not lost on you; you gave him a big hug and felt a little tear pricking at the corner of one eye. Not many knew that you liked to write, and most would assume it was a symbol of the monster’s wings. You remembered how he had stumbled on you scribbling in your journal one day.

Your last gift was from Sans, and your breath caught as you unwrapped it. It was a photo album that looked as though it had been through many hardships. The cover was worn and the leather was torn in some places, but it had a ruggedly beautiful look to it. It featured a photograph of you and your family when you had just reached the surface. The seven of you were silhouetted against the sun in the background, a golden glow spreading over everything. You wondered how he had taken it. A note was taped just below it.

look at this when you’re at home, kiddo.

You glanced up at him. His signature grin was there, but beneath it you could see a kind of softness that he rarely displayed. Sometimes you felt as though it was reserved for Papyrus, and only Papyrus. You tucked it back into the box and carefully closed it. Just as you had done with everyone else, you reached over to him with your arms outstretched. He chuckled, and pulled you into a hug.

“Outside,” you whispered into his ear.

When he pulled back, he gave you a barely perceptible nod, before prompting Papyrus about the food. The ensuing chaos that resulted as he attempted to rush to the kitchen allowed you to make your way to Alphys. With a little nod and smile, you pointed to the door. She seemed to understand, and took your hand to lead you to the workroom, even though you knew the place by heart after spending so much time there.

“R-ready?” she asked.

You squeezed her hand in answer and she chuckled.

“Do you - do you want me there?”

You shook your head. You didn’t feel that it would go very well if she was present. From what you had gathered, only you knew the circumstances behind his missing wings. It would be one thing for him to know that she had helped with something so private. It would be entirely something else if she was there when he accepted it. You assured her that she would be able to see them in action some time later. She smiled at that, and patted your back as you carefully took the wrapped wings in your arms. They were quite large for you, and you stumbled slightly as you tried to balance yourself. When they had settled into a heavy weight, you flashed her a grateful look and marched out the door.

Alphys followed you to the elevator. She waved as the doors shut with a ding! , and then you were by yourself. You felt yourself quivering with excitement at what was to come. You had slipped the locket on amongst all the commotion and it settled against your chest exactly where your soul emerged when it was called out. With all of your movements, it shifted slightly, and you could feel the wings occasionally touch your chest.

The doors opened, and you stepped out. Two hallways and a door later, which you struggled with for a few minutes as you carried the wings, you were standing outside. It didn’t surprise you to see a certain skeleton already there, staring up at the stars. He had the same strange expression that he had worn when you had spoken to him just after reaching the surface. You stopped where you were and watched him. He didn’t acknowledge you for a moment, still staring, his hands in his pockets and his hood around his neck. When he finally turned around, it was with a layer of seriousness beneath his grin. You set down your load on a patch of clear ground, taking care to keep it wrapped and safe from the wet snow surrounding it.

“heya,” he said. “what’chu got there kiddo?”

You beckoned him closer. He was standing over you now, hands still in his pockets. With the same gentle care as you had last time, you removed them and opened his jacket.

“what?” he asked. “you want a hug? y’know, i’m gonna have to start charging for those kid. it takes a lotta work to wrap my arms around you; plus, you get the warmth and comfort of this old jacket here.”

You shook your head and tugged at one side of it, pulling it off of his shoulder.

“you want me to take this off? why?”

But he obliged, and the jacket came off. You walked around him until you were facing his back. He turned his head to glance at you with a questioning expression. You saw that his shirt was still cut in two places, made specifically that way for wings that were no longer there. You took a deep breath.

“hey, frisk. if you could, yanno, hurry up...see, i don’t like not having this on. feels weird on my shoulders, yeah?”

You walked back to the package. All of a sudden, it was hard for you to breathe. Tears began to fill your eyes and you bit your lip, hard. You couldn’t tell which emotion was causing this - all you knew was that you were suddenly overcome with feeling , and you couldn’t stop. Your hands were shaking as you bent down to unwrap it. Fear began to dominate. What if he didn’t like it? What if he took it the wrong way? What if he didn’t want a replacement? What if he hated you after this, for trying to pull such a massive stunt on him, and on such an important holiday too?

The first layer came off. You could see a very faint blue glow emanating from the wings now. Second layer. Third layer was open so that they rested on cloth that separated them from the ground. Behind you, you heard a strangled breath, and your hands shook even more. The wings were revealed, black feathers grading to a vibrant blue. They rustled gently in the wind, magic radiating from them so strongly that you could feel it. You didn’t dare look behind you.

“frisk…”

You felt the tears began to fall. Furiously, you swiped at your eyes, a nail catching your cheek and scratching it. You bit your lip harder. He hated it. He hated you now.

“buddy. how…?”

You felt a hand rest on your shoulder and you flinched.

“woah, kiddo, you okay?”

You nodded minutely, one hand pressed to your eyes. Stupid. Why were you crying over this? Why had you even done this in the first place?

Why had you done this in the first place?

“‘S for you,” you said quietly, your voice wavering. “I thought you might want…”

You cursed yourself for not keeping your voice steady.

“wait, are you crying? kid, why are you-”

You turned around and threw yourself at him, diving into his jacket and burying your face in his chest.

“You’re sad without them,” you muttered. “Don’t wanna replace but - but - but thought you would like having...having another. Again.”

Your sobs were silent as you clung to him. He wrapped an arm around you hesitantly.

“why are you crying though?” he asked.

He sounded genuinely confused, and you lifted your head to look at him.

“I don’t wanna replace them,” you repeated, trying to slow the tears.

Understanding dawned on his face and he chuckled. It was your turn to be confused, and to have a little spark of hope appear.

“i don’t wanna replace them either,” he said. “but this...this isn’t really replacing them, is it? you just brought them back to me.”

“Can’t feel with them though,” you sniffled. “Magic only lets them connect to you. Can’t really connect with feelings.”

“so?” he said. “i mean, yeah, these aren’t gonna stop me from feeling sad, but i think if i had my wings back, i’d be sad anyway. ‘s not something you can just make go away. everyone has bad days, right? sometimes people just have them really often. sometimes people can have bad weeks, or even bad months, or maybe even bad years. i think it’s enough that i get ‘em back.”

“You - you really mean that?” you said with a small hiccup.

“i really mean it,” he said.

He patted your back and let you go. You stumbled a little, then steadied yourself. A little smile was situated on your face. Silly. There was no reason to worry. He meant it. Sans wouldn’t say something if he didn’t mean it.

“now uh, can we maybe get it started? i’m startin’ to be chilled to the bone here out in this cold.”

You couldn’t help but laugh at that, the negativity fading almost instantly from you. With much steadier hands, you lifted one wing and walked to his back. Carefully, slowly, with extreme caution, you righted it and took a deep breath. The wing flared half open, startling you as the feathers parted to reveal the exact place where it would connect. You saw blue magic pulling open the slits, and glanced up momentarily. There was a blue glow around the left side of Sans’ head, indicating that he was using his magic. You placed the wing against the stub, wincing inwardly as you saw how it had healed. When bone met bone, there was a soft glow that quickly grew into a burst of brilliant blue light, too bright for you to look at. You closed your eyes.

When you opened them at the sound of Sans’ gasp, you saw the same gold light from when you had placed the crystal into the wings spreading across them, intertwined with cyan and ultramarine. The feathers stirred, and you watched with wonder as the wing opened and closed, flexing as Sans tested it.

“can you do the other one?” he said in a rush.

You went over to it instantly and repeated the process. The same blue light appeared and you shut your eyes for another second. When it cleared, Sans had turned around to face you with a wide smile. He opened his arms and you fell into them, wrapping your own around his middle. You felt feathers settle around your shoulders and happiness filled you until you were overflowing with it. Everything was a sea of blue, black, and white. Your vision went blurry with more tears, but you understood that it was the amount of joy you had at this moment. You couldn’t hold it all inside of you. Sans seemed to understand as well, because a moment later, a glowing cyan tears splashed onto the top of your head. You stood on your tiptoes and leaned your head against his shoulder, sighing in contentment.

An eternity later, his wings opened and you stepped away reluctantly. He was smiling at you, the softness all there in the open. You were smiling back, and as you walked inside, your hand was in his and a spring lifted your step. You felt as though you could touch the stars.