The small soft chirps of crickets echoed through the moonlit night, complimenting the twinkling of stars from above the Surface, and the shimmering of precious stones attached to the rocky ceiling of the Underground. It was silent, yet tranquil, none of the two, or rather, three was disturbed, as they continued on their path to reach the gates of their territory.

Just as they arrived safely unto the golden-barred entrance, Freya halted on her tracks, her calm expression falling to a frown at the sight of their light. Her mind was not at peace, and her skeletal companion could easily read that.

"something bothering ya, firefly?"

Ugh, she hated him calling her that.

"Nothing, it's just that," she sighed nervously, "I'm afraid to what will happen now if I manage to get back and stumble upon my royal guard--or worse! What if I run into my mum?" It's as if she could feel herself exploding inside.

This was enough for Sans to finally straighten up in an alerted stance. No way was he going to end up in trouble with this nosy little princess in front of the Queen again. So as quick as a peregrine falcon, he grabbed her arm, and engulfed them into a blinding ray of blue light with the use of his magic. Just as she came to her senses after a nauseous feeling in her gut, the sight of the tall purple walls of the Ruins, and a familiar makeshift cloth rope beside her, added up to her existing shock.

How did I get here? she thought, turning about in all directions, only to be met with still air. He's gone.

"Uh, F-freya?" Chara suddenly trembled out of nowhere.

"Hm?"

"It's Mother! She's coming!"

"Oh, shit!" the girl hissed in alarm.

"Hurry, climb!" the specter ushered, as the princess did as fast as she could. While climbing, she ignored Chara's panicked cheers of 'Faster! Freya, climb!'. Instead her mind wandered numbly as her fingers clinged on soft cloth. What will happen if she couldn't make it in time?

Her dainty palms reached the beam edge of her open window, helping in pushing herself up, and entering her own bedroom as she stood up quickly. There's no time for pretending to be asleep.

________________________________

The white-painted door creaked open, revealing the soft white face of an endearing mother. Toriel gazed further to see her daughter staring out of the window in a remorse expression. Both sighed in a sad manner, and the queen decided to walk in, slowly approaching her.

"Freya..." she begun, both her furry hands clasped under the purple sleeves of her dress, "I would like to apologize for my harsh actions. I'm sorry for doing this to you, my child."

Freya was astounded, other than masking her emotions of timidity and guilt, a sense of surprise welled up inside her. Her mother is definitely that kind of person you dare not wish to mess up with, and seeing her apologizing so easily was very much new to her ignorant knowledge.

"You are my daughter," she continued, "and yet why do I think we're distant, even after all these years? Do you suppose I did not do a good job in being there for you? As your mother?"

"Mum." Freya was moved by her mother's words. The fact that at least she knew something is not quite right, softened her building walls of ice between her and the Queen. "I-" she halted on talking further, surprised to hear her mother chuckle in a dark tone. She hasn't seen her like this before, and so it frightened her a bit.

Toriel's shoulders were bouncing in sync with her chortles, before dropping in a somber manner, "I see... How foolish of me not to recognize that." she paused, her head hung up to reveal her tear-stained white furred cheeks, her oxblood eyes still glistening with saline liquid, "You're... You're an adult now, Frisk."

"..." w-what...

She didn't need to hear Chara's gasp of bewilderment to realize what their mother just said. She just called her 'Frisk'!

The room was suddenly deprived of any known sound, even air itself could be heard waltzing by. The Queen wiped her tears away with a pat of her paw, simultaneously blinking and gazing up to make her appear as if she didn't weep in the first place. Obviously to us, she is.

"You're eighteen, you could do whatever you want. Actually, you could've done anything you wanted in the first place, it was terrible of me to keep you here in the Ruins for eternity. To think that I could actually protect you by doing so, ha." she smiled, although it seemed to waver, threatening to frown, she turned around to start heading for the door, "You are a fierce lady, my child. I know from the start, since you fell down to the Underground, the moment I wrapped my arms around such a frail child back then... I knew you could be the most mature than any of us. Flourished enough to bravely fall down here..."

Freya's eyes were wide open, with all the things she's trying to take in slowly, but here she is, surging rapidly with those stuff she could never understand. Queen Toriel turned to look at her daughter, sighing to eject a smile.

As she spoke, she slowly walked towards her in slow and gentle steps, "I felt it in you. The determination resonating, no soul could possibly deserve to have. Even now, I could hear you, I could sense fire and ice, altogether, combining to evolve into water, washing every aspect of what little pain you have it in you." she stopped on her tracks, standing tall to glower at her. Her stare softened at the sight of the naturally honey-glazed golden glint of her orbs, as she gently caressed her little princess' face.

"The perfect balance... Who knows what will happen if I did not come to aid you? If I was too late, and you were taken away to the dreaded hands of Asgore?

I would not dare imagine what he could've done to you if I did not decide to rescue the seventh soul. But I wish I knew in the beginning that it would never happen. He will never reach you. Do you know why?"

Frisk was about to speak, but clamped her mouth shut, wanting to hear what her mother would say.

"Because I knew you are strong. You could overcome anything that comes in your way. I was afraid you might fall down once again, but nay, even if you do, you still have the determination to stand back up and fight for yourself. For your people as well. For everyone who deserved to be spared from injustice. Asgore may be mighty, but not as radiant as you are. My child, even if he was cruel, you must remember that every one is worthy to see the light. Please promise me, you'll shine your light and guide the misled? To demonstrate the true radiance of mercy, despite how deep they have sunken through the shadows?"

"M-mother-"

"I understand. You do not need my hel-"

"Mother!" she screamed, the Queen stopping herself in huge shock, as she suddenly felt her daughter's unexpected embrace. Freya was desperately in tears, "I don't... I don't want to do whatever I want! I don't want to leave you, I neither not like to be alone, or make you feel alone, Mum. Please, I-I can't, I'm not strong like what you said I am, please let me stay by you a bit longer, no, forever! Let me be led by you, stay under your roof, I... I need you."

"M-my child..." Toriel couldn't help but burst into tears, holding her dearest tight, not wanting to let go in fear of her precious possession to disappear.

"Toriel, you're my mother the moment I fell to the Underground. To me, you bore the light, no, you are the light who guided me through my darkness. The Source of my light. The whole reason I was ignorant of the obscurity's secrecy, though I may crave to know more, I understood more than anyone of what kind of love was there for a mother to grant. I was never a child of your own blood, and yet you took me in like if you had been there the moment I stepped into existence."

"Freya." she sniffed, "I'm very sorry for everything, I just love you so much, I couldn't bear to see you gone." she sobbed.

"I love you to, Mum." she cracked a reassuring smile. "And I would never imagine what I will feel islf I lose you to."

It seemed after a total of several minutes, the weeping subsided, and silence once again took over, with the princess adrift to slumber, and the Queen closing the door shut behind her, ordering the guards to keep it unlock for the rest of her life.

This is all for her daughter's sake, both we and they would agree.