The days following Asriel's death were some of my worst in the Underground. I spent nearly a week in my lab, working myself half to death in an attempt to take my mind off my failure.

And when I wasn't working, that was all I could think about.

When I finally emerged from the depths of my lab, I found the Underground was not in much better shape than I. Even those of the new generation, who had not seen the sky, who had not truly put their hopes on the human and prince like those that remembered the surface were still sorrowful over the deaths.

King Asgore and Queen Toriel, normally the strongest two people in the Underground, normally the two everyone looked to for hope were worse than the rest.

Honestly, I don't blame them. For as much as I hated the human, they considered the child their child. And they had lost both children in the span of a single night.

The whole Underground was losing hope.

Monsters Fell Down.

Things were going just as the humans had planned.

That realization was enough for me to snap out of my depression, stoking the fire in my Soul.

The problem was, I was the only one with such a fire. Not even Dagiel, my wartime companion, had such a driving fire. He was as most monsters- his life was centered on HOPE.

And even I, haughty, arrogant, vengeful I, recognized that if something didn't happen soon, the humans' plan would succeed, and monsterkind would perish in the pit.

I could not allow that to happen.

... There... was the small issue of the fact that I had no experience in crowd morale-boosting, and had no idea how to inspire HOPE in the monsters. I doubted a glorious show of weaponry would be of much use here.

Asgore was far too depressed for me to logically bounce ideas off him, so I brought things to Dagiel.

Unfortunately, Dagiel, I think, would be the one monster that would take HOPE from a glorious show of weaponry. So while we may have agreed on that, we still had no idea what to do in all actuality.

The Underground needed HOPE, and needed it fast.

I won't take credit for the whole thing. Honestly, a lot of it was due to the idiot teens near my home who decided it would be fun to prank a gyftrot by covering its horns in decorations, then later tried to make up for it by giving the monster a gift. I happened to mention the incident in passing to Dagiel, who said it sounded a lot like some human holiday the fallen human talked about a lot.

And then suddenly almost four months later, the whole Underground was celebrating, giving gifts to each other and decorating trees and such.

I...

I hid in my lab for most of it. For as much as I appreciated that it was raising people's hopes, I have never been one to enjoy social activities that involve small talk, being polite, and giving gifts. I am good at many things, but I will openly acknowledge that I don't do the whole "kindness" thing too well.

I probably would have stayed bunkered down in my lab for the whole month leading up to the celebration had Asgore and Toriel not dragged me out for a walk through Snowdin.

... I have to admit, seeing all the bright festivities, the warm lights amid the cold snow, so many happy monsters...

It did bring a smile to my face, however small it was.

Well. I was content so long as I wasn't expected to participate in any of the festivities. I was happy enough standing on the sidelines.

... Because that's what I do, I suppose. However involved I may be in war and destruction, I am not one for peace. I may work to gain peace, but, well... it has never worked to well for me. I work to solve conflict, but I am not happy without conflict to solve.

... I suppose that is why, even amid the happiness of what was to become the new monster tradition in the Underground, I still left Firhaur's fire burning in my Soul.

Perhaps it was best that I stayed on the sidelines, then, as that meant I couldn't so easily create the conflicts I so frequently leaned to.

But Asgore...

Asgore threw himself headfirst into the celebration. Peace fits that monster better than the red suit he got Toriel to sew for him, so that he might take up the role of Santa for next year's holiday.

I don't know if... if his love for children simply is, or if he's trying to do for them what he couldn't do for Asriel.

... Like I tried to do for Asriel what I couldn't for Firhaur.

...

Well. Regardless. The coming of Christmas to the Underground was just what everyone needed. Monsterkind would live to fight another day.

§

A/N

THERE'S A FLY THAT KEEPS BUZZING RIGHT AROUND MY HEAD.

I HATE THAT FLY.

I HATE IT SO MUCH.

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