*Frisk POV*

I napped there- In the throne room. I didn't have any motivation to get up once I lied down and must have fallen asleep for a few hours. When I opened my eyes I could see stars through the patches of the roof that weren't covered in rock.

For the first time in so long, I saw what the surface looked like at night. I don't think I have ever been more pleased to see that god forsaken sky, the one drenched in darkness while I am only searching for some sort of light. But this was different, these were the first I had seen since falling, and they were beautiful. In Ebott they were blocked out by the toxins of the bustling city, I enjoyed seeing them finally flourish and sparkle in peace.

A sudden pang drums in my chest, twisting and squirming around in discomfort. It brings back the revelation of why I had chosen this spot as sanctuary in the first place...

This isn't my first star-gaze. Only the first I've had alone.

I reach up towards them, the pain growing stronger in me as I shift my position, rolling slowly onto my back and getting closer to touching one of those shining wish-granters as they shoot across the sky in a whisp of dust.

A piece of me is spirited away, longing for the dreams I still keep conjuring to one day leave my slumber and magically become a vivid reality; For things to not be so difficult to do when they are considered easy in one's book.

I can't remember ever feeling so weighed down, my arm falling heavy like a rock and slapping onto my stomach, over the tight silk lilac dress I still wore from hours ago.

I hear quiet chuckling from the depths of the throne room.

I jolt, sitting up and wiping my head in the direction of it's source, vision blurring and fists clenching, stabbing into the petals around me and damaging the flowers. I squint hard, desperately trying to see through the darkness, my only light being that of the moon's rays.

From the depths, I can see a black tuxedo worn by one of the elders I had not seen at the party, but within the crowds during coronation. A short familiar turtle from months back. Back when the Rune first burned into my hand. Gerson waves with his can, pale and green-grey skin covered in age spots and laced with wrinkles that cradled his wise eyes.

"Good evening, Gerson." I quickly stand, dusting flowers from my gown and gently folding my hands in my lap, back straight and shoulders relaxed.

"Evening, Princess." He bows, tipping his stovepipe hat my way, rising with it back on his bald head.

Content is written in his expression, serious in a calm sense, he breathered wheezily however, something he had not been doing last I had seen him. Cane jabbed into the flower covered ground, he clearly needed it to be mobile, and he wobbled once he attempted to go without using the old stick. A stick seemingly as old as him. My heart ached for him, and I could feel the weakness in him, engulfing me. So much to give, but he had never received anything in return. Yet, this is the way he liked it... I pitied him.

"May I...?" He croaks, lifting a hand and shakily pointing it to the space in front of me. I give him a kind and sorrowful "Of course." and he hobbled over, squeaking in his shoes with every step. He reached me slowly but surely, leaning on his beat up stick to catch a short breath before giving an open gummed smile.

"I see the hope has grown stronger since I last saw it, hm?" He takes looks to my Rune hand, I hesitantly allow him to. This monster may be a little strange, but I can't imagine how strange I must seem to him, so I'm in no place to judge. Gerson examines it, slowly letting go and waddling over to stand at my side, facing were my back was. I felt him jabbing his stick into the ground.

"But she has been ...holding herself back, . .. . it seems..."

His reptil-like fingers can only graze my arm as he attempts to grab it, cueing me to turn around. I do, gazing down at him with the slight tilt of my head. He is peering up, a crooked happy smile pointed to the sky while he gripped his cane with both hands clutching the top of it.

"From her potential, her desires...at least that's what I am seeing."

I could see his eyes looking dimmer than four months ago, and I hoped it was from sleep deprivation. I might not have been around Gerson much, but he is still considered a relative in my book. I myself care for him- If that wasn't clear before.

I let go of a breath I had no knowledge of holding, hands clenching together tighter as I lie.

" With all do respect, I am happiest I have been in years, and am not holding back from anything."

Gold petals blissfully flow in the draft around he and I, swirling and landing in new places, glittering the atmosphere with yellow dust. Ripples in my druss hug my body's curves and cradle me in comfort while I take in the warm air, bathing in the single ray of moonlight pouring in from above. I listen as the tortoise chuckles lightly, a wheezy whistle escaping through every other breath.

An aching grows inside me, sparks flickering off as I heave his words.

"Why don't you prove go it then?" I stare down at him in shock, watching his grin flourish. "You are afraid. This is true.... And you are heartbroken,.... but broken things can be fixed... Remember?"

At this point he'd lost me, what did he mean? What is it that he was implying?...

He sighs, smile falling as he gazed back up at the stars in a daze. "I too have succumb to my fears a time or two... There is so much in this world- this, wonderous world- that I have yet to see in my time..." He is suddenly speaking more fluently than he was before, I notice. Passionate about what he was discussing with me. "I missed out on the love of my life... I backed out on my royal advisory... And lost all will to be alive until I had been near death."

I feel myself hold back a tsunami of emotions, feeling so much sympathy for him. Gerson has always been such a kind man, I had no clue he'd been so miserable before. It would explain why he remained to himself a lot of the time, but still. I had no idea.

"I'd like to see rain." He suddenly wheezes.

I nearly jolt at this, confused. I ask in a quiet voice so I don't break confidence with a stutter. "But I rains in Waterfall all the time, isn't that enough?"

He half laughs, keeping his newly cut glass-like gaze fixated on the constellations above.

"Princess, you and I both know very well that it is never enough."

He coughs a little, doubling over and shaking on his cane, he continues to weakly look up. "We are all, deep down, human. We all are naturally yearning for more than what we are given. In short, we are all selfish. Even you and I."

I nod, agreeing with him sadly "There is just some things we can't hide, I guess."

He nods too "Indeed. We each wish for happiness, but only few take it for their own... I believe you can if you simply try."

"Who said I wasn't?"

"With all due respect, your Highness, I say it ... If you were truly happy, you wouldn't be here by your lonesome."

This is true. Too true. If I were happy I would be with my brothers back at my home in the capitol. If I were happy I'd be speaking to people on a daily basis instead of on rare occasions. If I were happy I'd still be going to the lab every day, I'd be whispering to flowers in Waterfall, I'd be in Snowdin having a fries with Sans at Grillby's. But Sans isn't here. Nor is Papyrus, Alphys, Undyne, Gaster, none of them. I'm completely alone in this. I have no one to really talk to to relate to, anymore. In these past few months, all I have done is push them away.

Now they all have their lives going for them, while I'm stuck in one place. Trapped. Torn between my heart and logic as I struggle to decide how I want my future end up.

All I've done for the past four months is debate on sacrificing myself or letting the Royal Scientist's work out a solution- Even though I'd made my decision a long time ago. But there's just something I keeping me from doing it. Something inside me tells me that my business Underground isn't over yet, and that I still need to sort through things before I go and do anything else.

Gerson smiles up at me "I see the the hope has grown much stronger since I last saw it."

I answer back hesitantly "You've already said that, Gerson..."

He smiles more, scratching his white tangly beard "But it is true, is it not?"

He hacks, doubling over again. Just as I think he is better, he begins to cough more, trembling terribly and nearly falling over. In a panic I jump in front of him and catch his limp frame, exclaiming in shock.

"Gerson!"

He holds onto me, his four foot stature hunched over to make him look as though he was much shorter, quaking tremendously in my arms. I tense, holding him tightly by his frail arms, worry drencing my tone.

"Please, don't strain yourself!"

He gently pushes me away, continuing to cough and wheeze between words "Nonsense... Little one. I am-....Fine!"

I grit my teeth a little, holding my tongue before I panic further "No, you aren't. Now please, go home and get some rest." I look him in the eyes, taking in his wrinkled skin more, realizing just how weak he truly was, that and the difference in complection compared to our last visit. Sternly, I tell him "Your ill."

"Fiddlestix!..." he waves me off, standing on his own, still wheezing. He completely ignores me, getting back on topic as though it was nothing.

"You were once so young, so giddy, now you resemble a grown young lady...Standing with your head held high is just one of many more steps you must take to finally reach that thing you desire most-..."

"Gerson. Please..." I beg, feeling helpless in not being able to assist him simply due to him being a stubborn old man.

Ignoring me again, he keeps rambling, trembling continuing to get worse. I couldn't even make out the message to all of what he'd been telling me. The rest of what he muttered was all gibberish, slurred words and drowsy remarks. I couldn't do a thing. He was so sick, yet he wouldn't allow me to help.

That is...Until he had no choice but to let me.

After a long series of my worry and his crazy chatter, he finally couldn't speak anymore. He hacked and re-doubled over, back arched and entire body limping. He gasped and hissed, clutching his chest and rumpling his tux.

I felt bile in my throat as I watched him pull out a handkerchief, wetting it with red fluids. "G-..Gerson...?"

He hacked up clumps of it restlessly, letting his cane go and proceeding on with his fit, wobbling as tears dotted his squinting, grey eyes. Gerson, still holding the handkerchief, turns my way a little, smiling with blood dripping down his beak-like mouth. He cried as he did so, even his final words trembling "Oh dear, do not cry. . . Do you...need a one as well...?" I shake, feeling my hands ball up while he holds out his bloody handkerchief, smiling kindly "I always have an extra with me-..."

Before he could finish Gerson's eyes rolled to the back of his head and he had dropped into the patch of buttercups we were standing in.

I wailed as tears stream down my cheeks, staring down at the dyed cloth that was only inches away from my feet. 

(((Lol, you must have been expecting to see Sans in this, huh? Did the picture give you the notion that he'd show? If so, PPFFFF NAH. He's bein a dick at the moment and won't make an appearance until I see fit. You can hate me all ya want~! ;) 

Anyways, heya my muffins and rolls! 

Wow, haven't called ya'll that in a while. Huh. 

Sorry for the long wait! I uh...Got sorta sidetracked and lost inspiration for the chapter until- I kid you not- two hours ago. So yeah. Hope ya enjoyed! 

Much love!! ~Eko)))