Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The light was blinding.

Clover bolted up, trying to get their bearings. Their vision swam. Their head was a mess. Their heart felt like it was pounding out of their chest. Every muscle in their body ached. Where were they? Where was their hat? They struggled to recall the last thing they remembered. Someone unseen offered them a sandwich and a water bottle. Clover snatched them both without a second thought, scarfing down the sandwich and downing nearly the entire bottle of water. Something about that seemed to ease their senses.

They were in some kind of dull, gray room, sitting in… a coffin?! Just where were they? The frantically glanced around the room looking for answers before their eyes settled on a small human child sitting across from them. They were wearing a warm smile and a large blue sweater with purple stripes across it, waving gently to Clover.

Clover hesitantly waved back, still nervous. Their memories were coming back to them now. Fighting Ceroba, choosing to spare her, saying goodbye to their friends, giving up their soul… wait! If they were alive, they must’ve been reunited with their soul! Did their plan fail? Did they die for nothing?!

They quickly stood up, attempting to step out of the coffin. Their head had other plans, however. A wave of nausea crashed into them, causing them to trip on the edge of their coffin.

Before they had a chance to hit the concrete though, the other child caught them with surprising agility. They steadied Clover before guiding them back down to sit on their coffin. The child began making some sort of strange combination of hand gestures before looking at Clover expectantly. What did that mean…? Wait, was this sign language? Clover regretted never trying to learn it, although it’s not like they ever had the time to.

The other human must have noticed Clover’s perplexed expression. They quickly pulled out a pen and notepad, scribbling down a message before handing both items to Clover.

‘My name is Frisk. What’s your name?’

Frisk. Why did that name sound so familiar to Clover? They didn’t trust their ability to speak, choosing to instead write a message back.

‘Clover.’

Frisk read the message before writing one of their own back.

‘Nice to meet you Clover. Are you hurt anywhere?’

Clover wasn’t sure why this person was asking them so many questions. As far as they were aware, it didn’t matter if they were hurt or not so long as they could figure out how they were alive and what happened to their soul.

‘I don’t think so. This might be a strange question, but how am I alive?’

Frisk read their note and nodded to themself.

‘Your soul was absorbed for a little while to break the barrier, and was returned to your body shortly after’.

Clover read the note. And then they read it again. That was… a lot to process. How was their soul absorbed without them even realizing? They’ve been dead the whole time? It just felt like being asleep. They tried their hardest to remember anything from the time between giving up their soul and waking up here, coming up empty. All except for the vague idea of someone calling for help, and the urge to save them.

Clover shook their head in disbelief, hastily scribbling another note.

‘How long have I been dead?’

Frisk read over their note before turning to grab an official-looking folder placed at their feet. Next to it were a couple extra water bottles and sandwiches.

“Can I have a sandwich?” Clover blurted out. Frisk snapped to look back up at them, seeming just as surprised to hear Clover’s voice as Clover was. They giggled a little to themself before tossing Clover a sandwich and handing them another note.

‘You’ve been gone for about three years, and it’s taken you about a month to wake up.’

“Wow,” Clover breathed. They weren’t sure what to expect, but finding out how long you’ve been dead for is surreal nonetheless. They were passed another note.

‘Do you need a moment?’

“I- I’ll be fine.”

Frisk glanced towards the exit to the room.

‘Would you like to see the surface?’

Clover paused. After falling down, seeing the surface again was something they thought could never happen. Granted, they had accepted that around the time of their death, but the idea was still tantalizing, yet felt impossible. But here it was, just within reach.

“C-can you take me there?” Clover asked weakly. Another note was passed to them.

‘Of course!’

Frisk bounced up, beaming widely at Clover and offering them help up. They returned back a smile of their own, letting Frisk pull them to their feet. Their legs still felt a little wobbly, but they could manage. They’d be fine as long as the path was straightforward.

The two walked out of the room, and Clover was immediately hit with a flight of stairs. Just their luck. Frisk must’ve noticed their pained expression (and audible sigh), and helped them up. Several minutes of struggling up the steps later and Clover was at the top, looking back down the stairwell exhausted.

No more stairs, they decided. Stairs are overrated.

It wasn’t long before they passed through what Clover assumed must have been the throne room. A large, regal chair sat proudly in the center of the room, with a second, equally large chair tucked away in the corner, a sheet draped over it. Despite knowing better, Clover got the sense they’d been there before.

Frisk walked them through a short series of hallways not unlike the ones Clover remembered from the upper level of the Ruins before pausing in front of a large doorway. They glanced back at Clover before passing them another note.

‘Are you ready?’

“I guess so?” Clover responded. They felt nervous, but excited at the same time. They’d only spent maybe a day in the underground at most, but it still felt like an eternity since the last time they’d seen the sun.

Clover felt the comforting warmth of sunlight wash over them as they stepped onto a rocky ledge with Frisk. Sunbeams poured over the landscape in from of them, casting the trees and distant city in a bright orange glow as the sun began to set behind it all.

Had the sky always been this beautiful?

Clover was surprised to feel tears welling up in their eyes. They didn’t fight it. Why did they feel like it had been forever since they’d seen the sun? The Deputy pushed those thoughts away in favor of just enjoying the moment. They felt a comforting hand on their shoulder as the first couple tears slid down their cheek.

“S-sorry, I just… need a moment,” Clover stuttered out. They looked over to Frisk, who nodded at them before retracting their hand and shuffling a few steps to the side. Clover sat down, gazing over the breathtaking view in front of them. Seriously, why hadn’t they noticed how amazing the surface was when they were up here? And… why did it feel like it’s been so long since they’d been up there?

-/-

Frisk silently watched over Clover as the two took in the view, smiling contently to themself. They’d finally revived the last of the six humans who came before them. There was… one more before that, but that kind of revival was going to be a lot more complicated. Frisk certainly had their work cut out for them, and none of that accounted for all the responsibilities that came with being the ambassador for monsterkind. Still, their time in the underground and the friends and family they met down there had changed their life. That job was the least they owed them. Even if it could be… stressful, to say the least.

A small part of Frisk wondered if they needed this quiet sunset just as much as Clover did. Probably not, considering Clover was still bawling their eyes out.

The ambassador had… differing views on a lot of the humans who fell before them. Clover seemed like a good kid though. Their official royal file stated that the yellow-souled human had zero confirmed kills after being in the underground for at least 7 hours and had given up their soul peacefully. Frisk glanced over to Clover, wondering what their journey had been like. What had happened that convinced them to sacrifice themselves?

They’d probably never know, and that was okay.

-/-

Clover had finished drying most of their tears before they felt a tap on their shoulder. They glanced up to see Frisk offering them their old hat. The Deputy snatched it almost immediately, placing it on their head. They finally felt like themself again. A paragon of justice couldn’t be seen without their trusty hat, after all! That’s what Clover told themself, at least.

“Thank you, partner,” Clover nodded to Frisk, who seemed to be trying to suppress a laugh. The other human began writing another note, passing it to Clover when they were finished.

‘Where do you want to go now?’

Clover… hadn’t thought that far. Frisk must have noticed, as they scribbled another note.

‘Do you have anywhere to go back to?’

Clover thought about their residence before the Underground. It felt like a lifetime ago.

They remembered the yelling. The remembered the shame. They remembered not liking themself. They remembered wanting to fix something- anything.

They remembered their mission. They supposed Frisk had completed it for them.

They knew that their parents wouldn’t come looking for them.

Clover’s hand holding the note had started to shake. Frisk seemed worried.

Then Clover started thinking about their time in the Underground. Dalv, Martlet, Starlo, even Ceroba seemed to care about them so much despite barely even knowing them. All the other monsters, too. The feeling felt so alien to them, but they knew deep down that it felt right.

“Yeah. Y-yeah, I think I do,” Clover looked back up at Frisk, who was now sitting next to them, “I’m… going to find some old friends of mine.”

Frisk still seemed genuinely concerned. That was a feeling Clover wasn’t used to receiving. Frisk passed another note.

‘Will you be safe?’

“Without a doubt in my mind!” Clover didn’t miss a beat. A hesitant smile crept across their face.

Frisk nodded.

‘Do you need my help finding them?’

Clover thought for a moment. Frisk probably couldn’t accompany them all the way there. Surely they had their own life to get back to, right? A small part of Clover tried to tell them that Frisk wouldn’t offer if they didn’t mean it, but Clover brushed it away. This was something they needed to do on their own.

“I can do this one by myself, thanks.” They responded. “I’d like to sit and watch the view for a little while though.”

Frisk slipped them another note.

‘Do you still need me here?’

“I can manage just fine on my own, partner,” they said with a smile.

Frisk nodded, and stood up to leave. They began walking down the mountain path before hearing a voice call out behind them.
“Hey Frisk?”

They looked over their shoulder.

“I… Thank you. For everything.”

A wide smile spread across Frisk’s face. They flashed a thumbs-up.

“See you around?”

They nodded, before turning back and continuing down the path, past Clover’s line of sight.

Clover returned their gaze to the view ahead of them. The sun was just barely peaking above the trees now, dimming the once vibrant orange glow that coated the landscape in front of them. Stars were beginning to poke holes in the sky, glimmering not unlike the gems Clover saw in the Wild East Mines. The cityscape still shimmered in the distance, bright as ever.

The young deputy had a lot on their mind. They had their whole future ahead of them, and for the first time in what felt like years, they had full control over it. Something about that felt especially significant to Clover now, but they couldn’t quite figure out why. Still, they felt like a huge weight had been lifted from their shoulders. They were still filled with justice, but their heart had made room for something new- hope.

They continued to admire the view ahead of them. However, their quiet contemplation was soon interrupted by a familiar voice behind them.

“Howdy!”

Clover almost fell off the side of the ridge upon recognizing that voice. An inexplicable pit of dread began to build in their stomach as they turned around to face Flowey. Flowey was their friend though, right? He wouldn’t ever hurt them.

So then why did Clover feel so anxious all of a sudden?

“Y’know usually you’re supposed to say ‘hi’ back, right?” Flowey joked. Surprisingly, his expression softened after seeing the look on Clover’s face.

“Right, guess you never really were much of a talker, were you?”

Clover stared back, filled with that same odd sensation of deja vu and too much time having gone by that they’d been feeling all day.

“Look, I-” Flowey paused, trying to choose his words carefully, “I wasn’t the best to you, Clover. I don’t know what you remember, but assuming this goes well, this is the last time you’ll ever have to see me.”

Flowey seemed… resigned, almost? Clover couldn’t understand why. Clearly a lot had changed while they were dead.

“Still, I couldn’t help but overhear your conversation with the kid earlier,” He continued. Clover tensed up.

“I want to set things right with you Clover,” Flowey quickly added, “I can’t ever make up for everything, but this should still help you.”

Clover suppressed a yelp when a vine appeared out of the ground in front of them. They weren’t sure why, but they had been expecting it to attack them. The vine made no move towards them however, instead holding a slip of paper with something written on it. Clover tentatively reached out to grab it, almost sighing in relief when the vine disappeared back into the ground. They checked the writing.

324 Maize Lane, Ebott City

“That’s where all your old friends are right now, assuming you hurry.” Flowey told them. He sighed, turning around.

Just as Flowey was about to leave, Clover found it in them to break past whatever fear was keeping them frozen in place, taking a step towards Flowey.

“W-wait!” they called. Flowey looked back.

“Th- thanks, partner,” Clover said with a nervous smile. Flowey looked almost pained. The yellow flower turned back around to look away from the human.

“For whatever it’s still worth, I’m sorry Clover.”

He disappeared into the ground.

Clover was left mostly bewildered. That was almost nothing like the Flowey they remembered from their time in the Underground. And what was the strange fear that came over them when he appeared? Clover looked down at the address note cupped in their hands.

They glanced back over their shoulder at Ebott City in the distance. They assumed that a road called “Maize Lane” would be on the outskirts of the city.

Seems like they’d have plenty of time to think.

Chapter Text

Martlet woke up on the floor, not remembering falling off the couch. Was that her alarm going off?

Shaking her head and trying to fight through the brain fog of having just woken up, she reached for her phone to turn off the alarm. The screen read the time as 5:03, but that couldn’t be right, could it? She sat up, trying to remember the events of the day.

She had breakfast, ran some errands, met a friendly cat on her walk home, worked on building a desk that someone commissioned, forgot to eat lunch, and… took a nap on the couch. So that’s how she got here.

Martlet stood up, glancing around her admittedly messy apartment. Various woodworking projects were strewn about, some finished, others in progress. Various photos of her and her friends hung from the walls, all in dire need of dusting. Actually, her whole apartment could use a good dusting. Perhaps it wasn’t the best place to be carving things.

She remembered one of her irritated neighbors knocking on her door one morning, about a week after she first moved in. She opened it to see a very tired, very frustrated looking human on her doorstep. As she quickly found out, running an electric saw blade in your apartment at two in the morning was not something appreciated by your neighbors. She stopped, electing to instead try to carve when most of her fellow tenants were out or at work.

That didn’t leave tons of time for her to work, but Martlet could manage. Starlo had mentioned to her that she was more than welcome to take her equipment to his farm to do her work there, but Martlet was hesitant about the commute back and forth every day.

Feeling hungry, the bluebird decided to dig around her kitchen for anything to eat, eventually settling on a granola bar. She paused mid-bite to think for a moment. Why had she set an alarm? Usually she didn’t do that for her afternoon naps. Martlet grabbed her phone (she was still getting used to using these) and opened her alarms app.

[ 5:00 PM - Dinner with friends ]

Martlet’s eyes almost bugged out of her skull.

She was supposed to leave about… 9 minutes ago for Ceroba’s house to have dinner with her friends. That was why she set the alarm for herself!

Resisting the urge to facepalm she rushed out the door, snatching her keys off the end table before slamming the door shut behind her, hearing a yelp of surprise behind her. She glanced back at a startled neighbor watering his plants looking back at her.
“S-sorry! I didn’t mean to scare you sir!” Martlet stammered out, hastily preparing to take off.

The man simply chuckled and shook his head. “You’re fine Martlet. Just spooked me, ‘is all”.

“Oh, um okay! Bye!”

“See ya around, kid.”

Martlet flapped her wings, lifting off into the air and soaring out of the complex. Sure she’d be exhausted by the time she got to the house, but at least she’d get there on time this way. Thankfully her apartment was on the outskirts of Ebott City, negating any need to fly around buildings.

Martlet wasn’t quite sure what to make of the surface. It was beautiful, especially seeing the stars at night. The technology was wonderfully advanced. The people were for the most part pretty friendly, sympathetic even, and Martlet was trying to leave the best impression possible on each one she met. Still, she couldn’t quite shake the feeling of guilt she felt just by existing here.

Martlet soared over a highway, watching the sun set over Ebott City.

Clover should’ve been able to see all this too.

Martlet thought about them often. They hadn’t known each-other long, but that kid changed her life. She became friends with Starlo, Ceroba, and Dalv. She quit her job. She got a part time job at Grillby's. She befriended a skeleton who lived in the area, and the two of them got Dalv into puzzles. It was the most fun she’d had in years- she barely realized how bored she was in the Royal Guard until Clover arrived.

She just wished that no one had to die for any of that to happen.

Martlet remembered being… cautiously apprehensive upon meeting Clover for the first time. She’d been told all her life that humans were a dangerous threat to monsterkind, but Clover was nothing like that. They’d been kind, compassionate, maybe even to a fault. She felt horrible after attacking them and wanted to make it up to them, guard duties be damned. Everything afterwards just kept on challenging what she thought she knew about humanity.

She had come to terms with everything on the roof of UG apartments while waiting for Clover. There was no way humanity could so dangerous, not after what she’d seen. What she’d been taught was simply wrong, and she needed to accept that if she really wanted to help Clover. She had felt for the needle she stole from Alphys in her pocket. She had turned it over in her hands, watching the red liquid slosh around inside. The idea of needing a backup plan for Clover felt ridiculous at that point. Without an ounce of regret, she let the needle fall out of her hands and to the ground below. No need for it.

When she came to after Ceroba knocked her out, she was fully prepared to protect Clover. At first, she thought she’d need to protect them from Ceroba, but after it became clear that wasn’t the case, she was more than ready to take them home with her.

Clover had… other plans though.

She still wondered if she should’ve done anything to stop them. She hated just standing there and watching them sacrifice themselves, but she also wanted to let them choose to go out on their own terms. Clover had come down here with an objective, and now they had a new one. Martlet often had nightmares about those few minutes, and what came after. More than anything, she wished she had stayed to comfort them in their final minutes.

Martlet could already feel the tears coming on. She was still working through her guilt, and she wasn’t ashamed of that. She knew her friends were all going through the same feelings, and that they were all there for each-other.

Maybe that had been Clover’s legacy- bringing them all together.

Martlet landed on the front steps of Ceroba’s house. It wasn’t far from Starlo’s, on the same road actually, but looked almost identical to the estate back in the underground. She checked the time on her phone, 6:07.

Seven minutes wasn’t… super late, right?

She hastily put her phone back and knocked on the front door. After a moment, she was greeted by Ceroba who welcomed her in. Through the doorway, she could see Starlo waving to her from the kitchen with Dalv cooking something next to him. Whatever it was, it was definitely corn-related.

Martlet quickly stepped inside, and couldn’t help but break a smile at the warm atmosphere.

Things were going to be okay.

Chapter Text

Starlo dropped the last of the corn into a nearby wheelbarrow, dusting his hands off as he stepped back to look at the current haul. It wasn’t bad, considering him and Dalv’s admittedly small farm. More like a garden than anything.

Still, that vampire knew a lot more plant magic than Starlo gave him credit for. It’s probably the only reason he was able to grow anything down in the Dark Ruins.

Either way, the Sheriff had more on his mind as he pushed the wheelbarrow towards the small silo near the yard. He took a brief glance at his watch, determining that he and Dalv would have plenty of time to walk down to Ceroba’s house for dinner that night. He was quite excited for the event, actually. He was looking forward to getting everyone back together again, and it had been a while since he’d seen Martlet.

Starlo made a mental note to plan something with the other members of the Feisty Five sometime soon. The other four members were renting an apartment together in Ebott City, but they’d still occasionally drop by him and Dalv’s farm, bringing news of their various escapades.

Moray was going to college, Mooch and Ace were going to be opening a pawn shop soon (Starlo was slightly concerned about where some of their stock was coming from given Mooch’s habit of “borrowing” things), and Ed was learning how to carve from Martlet. Starlo himself had started doing gigs as a stand-up comedian at various places around the city. Turns out, people loved hearing about his time as Sheriff in the Underground. He couldn’t blame them really- and it gave him a nice chance to reflect on some fond old memories.

Starlo smiled to himself as he watched the sun set between the buildings of Ebott City in the distance, glad to know him and his friends had adjusted to life on the surface. He was initially concerned, as the city had… not been receptive to the group’s first attempt at vigilante justice.

They’d been let off on a warning about not being able to use lassos on speeding cars from a cop who seemed to be trying very, very hard not to laugh. It certainly could’ve been worse, all things considered, but the group agreed that maybe enforcing the law would have to take a backseat in their escapades from now on. Starlo couldn’t help but be a little disappointed, but he knew it was probably for the best.

Dropping off the corn in the silo, Starlo walked back to the house he and Dalv shared. The sun cast the farm in a warm, orange glow. It almost reminded Starlo of the Wild East.

Dusting off his gloves and stepping through the front door, Starlo glanced around the house, Dalv nowhere to be found.

“Hey, Dalv! Get a move on, we’re gonna be late!” Starlo called.

“Sorry, I’m almost ready!” Dalv yelled back.

A few moments later, the vampire jogged downstairs in his usual attire.

“I thought we weren’t going to be leaving until 5:45?” He asked, tilting his head slightly.

“Yeah, I was just tryna mess with you,” Starlo chuckled, “But, it wouldn’t hurt to get there early.”

Starlo held the door open as the two exited their home. They lived on Maize Lane, meaning they were technically neighbors with Ceroba. The “technically” was because almost every house down there was spaced apart so much you couldn’t really call it a neighborhood. Him and Dalv had been lucky to catch a low offer on a recently foreclosed home in the area. It was a little bit of a fixer-upper, but the combined efforts of him, Dalv, the rest of the Feisty Five, and Martlet had made quick work of the place.

Man, Starlo was lucky for his friends.

The two began walking down the street in a comfortable silence, watching the sun finish disappearing behind the buildings of Ebott City.

“So, how’s the new book coming along?” Starlo asked, turning to Dalv.

“Oh! Quite well, actually!” Dalv lit up. He loved talking about his books, and Starlo loved watching him get excited. “I’ve just finished all the illustrations for it, although I’m not sure about including all of them.”

“This is the one about monster food, right?”

“Yes! I’ve been very excited to finish this one!”

Dalv had been writing and illustrating children’s books on various aspects of monster culture for the past three months. He’d been extremely successful with it, much to the vampire’s shock. It took a lot of convincing from Martlet, Starlo, and Ceroba, but the three had eventually persuaded him to agree to do readings of his books at a few different public libraries.

Starlo kept listening as he remembered the last time Dalv had come home after reading at a library. It was around a month ago when the vampire had stumbled through the front door while Starlo was making lunch.

-/-

“Hey!” Starlo had said. Dalv didn’t respond back. Slightly worried, Starlo had leaned through the kitchen doorway to see his friend.

“How’d it go- Oh no, what’s wrong?”

The normally calm and collected vampire had tears streaming down his face, and looked like he was on the verge of breaking down.

“I-I thought I s-saw them,” Dalv had whispered. Starlo’s eyes widened.

“You mean Clo-”

“Yes.”

Starlo had quickly ducked back into the kitchen to turn the stove off before stepping into the hallway to comfort his friend. He guided them over to the couch in the living room, sitting the two down.

“Y’know, sometimes I see them too,” Starlo had told him.

“You do?” Dalv looked up.

“Yeah,” Starlo said, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. He hadn’t really talked to any of his friends about this before. “Sometimes it’s in a crowd, or one of my audiences, or on the street.”

Dalv had stayed silent.

“Every time I get all excited for just a moment, but then it all comes crashing down.”

Dalv reached around Starlo to grab a tissue. Starlo handed him the box. They were both going to need it.

“I like to think it’s almost their way of watching over us,” the Sheriff admitted, “Like they’re still thinking of us, wherever they are now.”

“That’s a nice thought…” Dalv finally choked out.

Starlo patted his friend’s shoulder, pulling him into an awkward side-hug. The two stayed like that for what felt like hours. Starlo wouldn’t admit it to anyone, but he cried right alongside Dalv on that couch.

-/-

“Are you alright Star?” Dalv’s voice pulled the Sheriff out of his momentary flashback.

“Huh? I- uh… yeah, I’m fine,” He sputtered out. There, saved it!

Dalv gave him a concerned expression, tilting his head again.

“C’mon, I said I’m fine!”

“If it’s the dinner you’re worried about, I can call Ceroba and tell her something came up,” Dalv offered.

“Nah, you don't have to do that. I'm actually looking forward to this thing!” Starlo plastered a grin on his face.

“Well… alright,” Dalv sighed, not fooled by the grin, “But know you can talk to me if you need anything.”

“Thanks Dalv.” Starlo glanced at him. He felt a pang of guilt at making his friend worry about him, followed by another for lying. The Sheriff paused for a moment.

“I was thinking about Clover again,” he said quietly.

“I thought so,” Dalv told him. Starlo turned in surprise. Dalv didn’t sound accusatory, just concerned. “You get this far-off look in your eyes, like you're somewhere else”.

“I- I… huh. Okay,” He didn't think he was that obvious. Dalv had always been pretty perceptive though.

“We're worried about you, Star.” Dalv almost sounded like he was pleading. Starlo felt horrible. “I know you want to be some kind of strong, tough Sheriff for everyone, but you're allowed to feel things too.”

“I know… I just want to be able to be there for y'all.” Starlo looked down.

“You can do both.”

Starlo stayed silent. Eventually, his friend pulled him into a side-hug as they kept walking.

“What’s your favorite memory of them?” Dalv asked. Starlo thought for a moment before chuckling to himself.

“Our dual in the town square when I was trying to make them my Deputy,” Starlo answered, smiling at the memory.

“Your… ‘dual’? Are you talking about a duel, or something else?”

“Duel, that's what I said.”

“Sure,” Dalv laughed, “Why is that your favorite?”

“It took ‘em forever to shoot me!” He exclaimed.

“What?”

“Yeah! The first couple times I thought they were just slow to the draw, but after the third time I realized they were trying to let me win!”

“Aww, really?”

“I know, right!?” Starlo laughed to himself. In the years following Clover’s passing, Ceroba had told him a little bit about their showdown in New Home. If anything she said was true, it made Starlo wonder how much that kid was really holding back.

“Well on the fourth try, I decided to just not shoot them at all. It took ‘em a few seconds, but they eventually pulled the trigger on me. I faked my death-”

“You what??”

“It was their emotional trauma test! I had to!”

“...”

“Okay in hindsight that might've been a horrible idea,” Starlo admitted.

“Yes. Yes, it probably was!” Dalv softly laughed.

“Well… yeah. The kid looked like they felt awful, even after I tried explaining that it was just acting.”

“You did make them think they shot and killed someone.”

“That’s- yeah, that's true.”

“I'm sure they forgave you for it.”

“Clover forgave me for a lot of things…”

“I'm not sure that child was even capable of holding a grudge.”

“I don't think they were.” Starlo shook his head. “Did I ever tell you that they hugged Ceroba?”

“No! When?”

“Right after their fight.”

“Wow. I… wow.”

“What about you?” Starlo asked, “What’s your favorite memory of Clover?”

Dalv’s face scrunched up as he thought.

“Well, I didn't know them for long… but I think it has to be when I gave them my slice of Sponge Cake.”

“Sponge Cake?”

“I made it for my birthday a couple days before I met Clover, and offered them the last slice when I was showing them around my house.”

“Huh…”

“They almost looked like they didn't believe me when I offered! I still remember the way their face lit up when I handed it to them.”

“Aww. Did they have it then?”

“I don't think so, why?”

“Dalv, was your Sponge Cake just icing on a dish sponge?” Starlo asked, a smile forming.

“Yes, it was- Wait, wh… how do you know that?!” Dalv stuttered.

“Because when I was fighting Clover, I watched them pull a frosting-covered dish sponge out of their pocket, lick the frosting clean off, and toss the rest of the sponge over their shoulder!”

Dalv burst out into laughter.

“What did you put in that ‘frostin Dalv?? It healed ‘em all the way to max health!”

Dalv doubled over laughing, and was quickly joined by Starlo.

The two recovered shortly after, both wiping tears from their eyes.

They were good tears.

“I really miss ‘em,” Starlo said after a few moments of silence.

“Me too,” Dalv replied.

They continued walking in a comfortable silence as Ceroba’s house came into view. They walked up the front steps, and Starlo stepped forward to ring the doorbell. After a moment, Ceroba swung the door open.

“Wow, you two are-” She glanced at the clock on the wall- “exactly on time.”

Starlo elbowed Dalv, “See, I told you it wouldn't hurt to be early!” He teased.

“We aren't early though.”

Starlo shrugged, turning back to Ceroba.

“Mind if we come in?”

“Not at all!” She moved back to let Starlo and Dalv enter, “Although, I was expecting you two to be late, so dinner is still cooking.”

“That’s no problem!” Dalv said as he walked through the door.

“I could probably help you finish,” Starlo offered.

“That sounds great! Dalv, do you think you could go set the table?”

“Sure.”

Around seven-ish minutes later, the three heard a loud thud on the front lawn, followed by frantic knocking on the door.

Chapter Text

Ceroba’s day hadn’t been as busy as she was expecting. Sure, she had guests coming over later that afternoon, but they were the kind of guests she didn’t feel the need to deep-clean the house for. That was one of the benefits of being so close with your friends.

She checked the time on her phone. It read as 5:47. Not too long until everyone arrives. Knowing Starlo though, she’d probably have a good half-hour until he got there. As for Martlet? That bird was just impossible to plan for.

Ceroba shook her head. She couldn’t judge either of them, she used to be the same way.

It might be best to go ahead and start making dinner though. Worst comes to worst, they can just heat it up in the microwave when they all arrive.

It had been a while since the last time she made corn chowder. She’d made it a few times since moving up to the surface, but usually it was for friends rather than just herself. She’d always thought it was a meal best shared. Eating it alone never felt right.

Ceroba grabbed a few ingredients and got to work.

She liked inviting people over, it made the house feel less empty. That loneliness was something she struggled with a lot after Chujin passed away, and especially after Kanako fell down. Ceroba remembered spending a lot of days in the saloon trying to forget about it all. It never seemed to work.

She’d been making a conscious effort not to fall back into that. Her friends helped a lot with it.

A small part of her still felt like it was strange to be able to call people that, “friends”. For the past few years it wasn’t something she really kept track of, but now Dalv, Martlet, and Starlo were some of the most important people in her life.

Ceroba just wished she could've gotten there under different circumstances.

How had it taken not one, but two dead children for her to snap out of her grief and get her life back together? She cursed at herself under her breath. Ceroba still remembered the day she attacked Clover. She thought for sure that she was doing the right thing, that she could help secure justice for monsterkind, that she could honor Chujin’s legacy and save her daughter, and that this would all be worth it in the end.

All it took was a fifteen minute duel with Starlo’s Deputy to change that.

And even after the hell she put them through, they still forgave her in the end. That was the part Ceroba struggled with the most. Despite knowing all the horrible things she'd done, Clover still forgave her in a heartbeat. It took Ceroba years afterwards to be able to forgive herself.

Her friends had been there for her through it all, and she couldn't be more grateful. They’d done a lot of talking over the years, and she’d had to open up about a lot to them. Oddly enough, it was Martlet’s words after her fight with Clover that had stuck with her the most.

“You can’t change what has happened, you’re right. But you can control how you live from now on. Your actions will mean everything,” Martlet had told her. That bird could be a lot more introspective than Ceroba gave her credit for.

She continued working on the corn chowder, eventually glancing over at the clock on the oven. A bright 5:59 glowed back. She shook her head, laughing a little to herself. As usual, they were lat-

DING DONG!

…Nevermind then.

Ceroba opened the door to see Starlo and Dalv, both surprisingly on time. They seemed in good spirits, despite both looking like they’d been crying. Ceroba elected to not mention it right now. The two stepped inside, Starlo offered to help finish dinner, and Dalv went to go set the table.

Ceroba got back to work on the corn chowder, this time with Starlo in tow. She considered trying to make some small talk, but decided to just cut to the chase.

“Are you alright, Starlo?” she asked bluntly. He glanced over at her, obviously a little taken aback.

“Yeah of course, I’m fi…” He trailed off before looking away and shaking his head to himself. “It’s just… Dalv and I were ‘talkin about Clover earlier, and I got a little teary-eyed. That’s all.”

Ah. That made sense.

“I was thinking about them earlier too.” Ceroba told him. Star grew worried.

“What about them?” He asked.

Ceroba thought for a moment.

“That I’m glad that I’m here, but I still miss them,” She eventually responded. Starlo nodded solemnly, taking a break from chopping celery to lean on the counter.

“Me too.”

“I just… feel guilty that we’re all enjoying our lives here on the surface without them,” Ceroba admitted.

“I think that’s what they wanted though,” Starlo argued. Ceroba gave him a confused look. “Not the feeling guilty part, but that they wanted us to be able to be here,” he quickly added.

“Maybe…”

“We can still miss them, but I don’t think Clover would want us to spend all our time up here dwelling on them.”

“...Did we even really know Clover?” Ceroba asked. It was a genuine question. They hadn’t known Clover for long, and even though the child had changed both of their lives forever, they didn’t actually know all that much about them.

Starlo seemed to be thinking the same things, too.

“I… don’t know,” he finally said. The two remained silent for a few moments before someone else entered the room.

“Okay, the table’s done! Is there anything I can… are you two alright?” Dalv walked in, seeing Starlo and Ceroba both quietly sitting against the counter, turning to look to him as he entered. Neither said anything for a few seconds.

“Dalv, did we really even know Clover?” Starlo eventually asked.

“Well… yes? Of course we did,” the vampire answered.

“We meant details about them- Who they were as a person,” Ceroba clarified.

“Oh…” Dalv thought for a moment. “Well, we knew enough about them to be able to miss them. That has to mean something, right?”

“That’s… yeah, that’s true,” Starlo agreed.

Ceroba looked down, still having more on her mind. Now that she was wondering, she couldn’t stop. Who was Clover before they fell down into Mt. Ebott? Why were they so determined to find those five other children in the first place?

Oh Angel… did they have a family? Ceroba nearly felt sick. She knew firsthand the pain of losing a child, but at least she only had herself to blame. Clover’s family, wherever they were, likely didn’t even know what happened to them. It had been a whole three years since Clover had passed, and their family had never gotten closure on what had happened to them.

Ceroba looked over at Starlo and Dalv. The Sheriff’s mood seemed to have somewhat brightened as he and Dalv got back to work on the chowder, although he still cast a concerned look back at her.

The fox decided that she would have to bring this up later. It would likely be a long discussion, and Martlet should be here for it too. She nodded to Starlo, smiling towards him. Perhaps it would be best to just try to enjoy a night with her friends.

The three got back to work on dinner, eventually settling back into a more casual demeanor. As they nearly finished the chowder, they all simultaneously jumped at a loud thud outside before sharing a knowing look with each other. Ceroba approached the door, trying not to laugh at the frantic knocking from the other side.

She opened her front door to Martlet, who looked very out of breath.

“Hi! I hope I’m… um… not too late,” she panted.

“You’re fine Martlet, we only just finished dinner,” Ceroba reassured her.

“O-Oh, okay,” Martlet said as she walked into the house, a hint of disappointment in her voice as she glanced at the clock on the wall, “You must’ve eaten pretty quickly.”

“No Feathers, we just finished making it!” Starlo called out from the kitchen, laughing slightly. Martlet glanced down the hall to see him and Dalv still in the kitchen.

“Ohhh, okay!” she realized, her usual chipper returning. She looked back at Ceroba, “Is there anything I can still do to help?”

“I’m not sure, maybe you could grab a few bowls for us?”

“Can do!” Martlet rushed to the kitchen, joining in on whatever banter Starlo and Dalv had gotten into in the few moments Ceroba had left them alone.

The fox hung back for a moment, watching her friends from the hallway.

Starlo casually gestured to Dalv while explaining something to Martlet, prompting her to burst into laughter. Dalv shook his head before pointing at Starlo and saying something that caused Martlet to crack up even more. The Sheriff shrugged before tipping his hat and saying something else that caused to two other monsters to continue laughing before he joined in too.

Ceroba couldn’t hear a word they were saying, but felt her heart warm at watching her friend’s antics. She walked down to join them.

Things were really messy right now, and she still had a lot of worries, and she still had progress to make on herself, but if Ceroba could keep on having nights like these, surrounded by the people she cared about, then maybe things would be okay.

Chapter Text

Clover slipped the address into their pocket, adjusted their hat, and set off down the path leaving Mt. Ebott. The sun had fully set behind them now, giving way for moonlight to wash the environment around the Deputy.

The path was still relatively easy to follow, never branching off and not being obscured by more than a couple of pine trees at a time. Still, Clover regretted not asking Frisk for some kind of light source. They continued making their way down the old dirt path as it eventually widened into a road. The foliage grew thicker the closer Clover got to the base of the mountain as trail markers began to appear around them, nailed to the nearby trees.

Clover remembered what the path looked like when they first climbed Mt. Ebott. It was afternoon (“High noon”, as they referred to it internally) as they hiked up the trail, missing poster in hand. A part of them had wondered if they’d join the ranks of the children on the poster in their quest for justice.

Clover nervously let out a small laugh to themself. If only they had known.

But would they do it again?

Clover paused slightly at the thought. Did they really regret their journey to Ebott? Sure, it hadn’t gone at all how they were expecting. They got into several fights that they never would’ve won without Flowey’s strange time powers, they died multiple times, and they were somewhat concerned about some of the magical food they’d digested down there, but they would still do it all over again.

Meeting all of their friends were some of the happiest memories they’d had in a long time, and they wouldn’t give them up in a heartbeat. Clover couldn’t wait to see them all again.

Feeling resolute, Clover debated what to say when they knocked on the door as they continued down the dirt road. The trail eventually spit them out into a dusty parking lot illuminated by a dim streetlamp, with some kind of information booth nearby. The lot was empty, its dust floating in the light. The scene felt a lot like the feeling one would get by watching a park at night- something just felt wrong.

Suddenly feeling uneasy, Clover walked across the lot towards the exit by the booth, dust kicking up beneath their boots. They glanced around nervously, expecting something to jump out at them from the surrounding darkness. The Deputy didn’t remember ever being afraid of the dark, but they sure were right now. Clover sped up, making their way through most of the lot before their fears were granted.

“Hey, sorry kid, but the park’s closed,” someone called out from the booth.

Covering their mouth to stifle a yelp, Clover fell backwards in surprise at the voice.

“Woah, woah, calm down bud!” Clover heard as someone opened the gate to the booth. Scrambling backwards and eventually standing up, Clover eyed the figure as they approached them.

“Sorry about that, I didn’t mean to scare you,” the figure said, stepping into the light. He seemed to be a human male in his late twenties to early thirties, dressed in a park ranger uniform and carrying a flashlight.

“We don’t usually get a whole lot of people this late at night, so I honestly think you might’ve spooked me just as much as…” The ranger looked down at Clover, trailing off. “Y’know what, nevermind.”

Clover couldn’t find the words to speak, instead taking their hand off their mouth. They noticed it was trembling slightly. Since when were they so… jumpy? The ranger seemed to pick up on it too, his expression softening slightly as he lowered himself down to Clover’s level.

“You got a name, bud?” he asked. Clover didn’t respond. “That’s alright. Did you come here by yourself?”

Clover thought for a moment. Technically they did initially arrive at Mt. Ebott alone, but that was years ago and this guy absolutely didn’t need to know about anything that had happened to them since then. But, they did arrive at the surface with Frisk, so maybe that counts?

They elected to tilt their hand back and forth in a “maybe?” motion.

“...Okay. Could you tell me what you mean by that?” the Ranger seemed confused, and looked even more confused after Clover nervously shrugged.

He scratched the back of his head, looking off to the side before turning back to Clover.

“Were you with that kid who came through here a little while ago? Blue sweater, purple stripes?”

He was definitely talking about Frisk. Clover nodded hesitantly.

“Yeah… that checks out.” the ranger said, “They come here pretty often, usually with their family, but for the past couple months or so they started bringing people down from up there that I don’t remember seeing go in. Does that seem familiar?”

Clover slowly nodded again.

“Alright, then that makes more sense. I’m guessing there’s a story there, but it doesn’t seem like it’s any of my business. Not like I get paid enough to investigate it myself, either,” he laughed a little, attempting to lighten the mood. Clover didn’t reciprocate.

-/-

Mike was really expecting this to be an easy night. He felt like he’d earned it after all, given how crazy the past few months had been. Being the first human besides the ambassador to welcome monsterkind to the surface, the surge of park visitors that followed shortly after, and seeing all those people who kept on coming down from the mountain despite never having entered.

Despite his joke about not being paid for it, Mike did actually do a little investigating of his own. What he found was surprising, but it made a lot of sense.

There was a string of unresolved disappearances dating back to Ebott Park’s initial opening, all of whom were children. There weren’t many common threads between them. Some had the parents in a frenzy, others went unreported for years. Some of the kids had left notes behind, explaining where they were going and why, and others simply vanished, only to be noticed when they didn’t show up for school the next week. Local law enforcement had supposedly tried their best, but none of the children were ever found. All of them were either last seen at Ebbot, or said that they’d be going there.

Each one matched the exact description of all of the kids who had mysteriously appeared out of nowhere on the mountain, right down to almost exactly what they were wearing at the time of their disappearance. All of them were either proceeded or accompanied by Frisk Dreemurr, monsterkind’s beloved ambassador.

It was… unsettling to think about, but Mike had an educated guess of what was going on up there. He wasn’t kidding when he said it wasn’t any of his business. If the kid was doing necromancy or something, then it at least seemed to have a net-positive impact. Nothing for a normal park ranger to be worried about.

Still though, Mike had a pretty good idea of who was standing in front of him, and that was something to worry about. The poor kid was shaking like a leaf and hiding it horribly.

It wasn’t anything new per se- the other five kids seemed to be pretty on edge too, but this one was a nervous wreck. There wasn’t anyone else around, it was night, and Mike wasn’t about to just let this kid walk to Ebott City alone.

“Tell you what, I can call your parents to come pick you up, and while we wait I’ll-” The kid flinched, taking a step backwards.

Okay, not good. Mike had no idea what he was doing, or how to talk to kids. The one in front of him looked like they were a couple of seconds away from bolting off down the road.

“Okay- okay, um… uhh…” Mike stuttered out, “Do you have anywhere to go right now? Anywhere at all?”

They just stared back for a moment before slowly nodding. The reached into their pocket, producing a small slip of paper with an address scrawled on it.

324 Maize Lane, Ebott City

That was… a good ways away from here. Mike sure hoped that this kid wasn’t planning to walk all that way by themself.

“Are you waiting on anyone here?” he asked. They shook their head.

Okay, so they were planning to walk. Mike was glad he didn’t leave his shift early like he had planned.

“Alright,” he nodded to himself, “I could probably get you most of the way there if you want me to. That address is a long way away from here.”

He extended his hand, offering the slip back to the child. They hesitated, before eventually accepting the paper and nodding to Mike.

“Got it, cool,” he said, standing up, “My car’s parked not too far from here if you’ll follow me.”

The two walked to the employee parking lot in silence, mostly. Mike felt the need to occasionally check over his shoulder just to make sure the kid was still behind him. They were so quiet, even while moving, that it was unnerving.

They eventually reached his pickup truck. It was pretty old, and maybe slightly rusted towards the back, but a park ranger’s salary wasn’t going to cover any of that. He opened the door for the kid, letting them climb into the passenger seat before he slipped in front of the wheel.

“It’s 324 on Maize Lane, right?” he asked, putting his key in the ignition. The child pulled out the paper, glancing down at it before turning back and nodding to Mike, a little more enthusiastically this time.

“Alright, then…” He turned the key. Nothing happened. He looked over at the kid. “One second please.”

Mike turned the key back and forth several times before on the 7th try, the car roared to life.

“Then we’re off!” he cheered triumphantly. Glancing back, he could see a small smile on the kid’s face. Mike smiled too.

He pulled the truck out of the employee parking, driving down a dirt path before eventually pulling out onto an actually paved road.

He almost jumped out of his seat in surprise when he heard a small voice squeak out next to him.

“My name is Clover.”

“...Good to meetcha Clover, I’m Mike.”

-/-

Clover wasn’t fully sure what to make of Mike.

On one hand, he almost scared the life out of them, and he seemed like he knew a little more than he was letting on, with recognizing Frisk and assuming that Clover somehow knew them.

On the other hand, he was being really helpful. He didn’t seem to mind Clover’s anxiousness, he seemed like he was trying to cheer them up actually.

“Do you know the people at this address?” Mike asked them. Clover nodded. “Are they relatives you’re staying with, or family friends or something?”

“They’re my friends!” Clover responded.

“Uhh, okay… Are they like, grown-ups that you trust?” Mike sounded worried.

“I’d trust them with my life.” Clover chuckled a little to themself. Mike’s eyes widened at the laugh, although he tried his best to hide it.

“I just- I want to make sure that I’m driving you somewhere safe, kiddo.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll be alright.”

Mike nodded, and the two continued to drive in silence.

-/-

It occurred to Mike that he probably could’ve handled this a lot better.

He didn’t actually know what was at 324 Maize Lane, or if Clover even knew what was at that address. They also probably shouldn’t have been that willing to accept a ride from a stranger, either.

Mike glanced over at Clover, who was currently gazing out the window of the passenger seat, seemingly in awe of the moonlight that washed the surrounding landscape. Just where did this kid come from?

Technically, the right thing to do would’ve been to get the police involved, probably. Figure out if Clover had a family they needed to be returned to or if they were a ward of the state. It would’ve been pretty easy, just make sure that Clover didn’t leave the park and hand things off to the cops once they got there. Something told him there was a little more to this than just a lost kid incident, though.

Clover matched the description of the 6th kid who went missing at that mountain, and the ambassador passed through only about half an hour before Clover appeared. Chances are, Clover was one of those missing kids.

Mike thought back to some of things he read during his little investigation. Police had investigated the parents of a couple of the missing children, and the results… weren’t always pretty. In all but one case, nothing was ever proven, but that didn’t mean things didn’t happen. Kids usually don’t run away from home when they’re happy.

“Do you… like these friends?” he asked, trying to sound casual.

“Uh-huh, why?”

“Just- um, curious,” Mike said.

He never thought anything in that rabbit hole he fell down would ever become useful, but here he was, driving what was likely a revived missing child to a mysterious address that they claimed they had friends they trusted at.

Absolutely none of this was in his job description, hell, for all he knew it was maybe illegal. But, it is a part of a park ranger’s job to make sure everyone there stays safe, so he was going to fulfill that duty to the best of his ability.

-/-

Clover and Mike continued to drive in a now somewhat comfortable silence as they approached their destination. The world outside the pickup truck had long since shifted from the mossy rocks and towering pine trees of Ebott Mountain to flat, dusty farmland that stretched onwards to the shining city in the distance.

Clover couldn’t help but be in awe of it all. It was still strange, though. Really the surface world should’ve felt like it was yesterday for them, and yet it felt like years instead. It was unsettling. Clover felt like they were somehow missing something important, like there was just one key detail they couldn’t quite place.

They brushed it off as just a by-product of having been dead.

Mike took a few turns, eventually turning down a dirt and gravel road lined with low crops and the occasional farmstead. Down the lane, Clover could see a house that looked strikingly similar to Ceroba’s estate back underground.

“There! That’s it!” they excitedly called out, leaning forward in their seat. Mike chuckled a little in response, glancing at the number on the last house they passed.

“Yup, looks like it!” he turned to Clover, “You ready kiddo?”

Clover thought for a moment before nodding quickly.

“Alright, we’re almost there.”

The truck rolled to a stop in front of the house. Clover quickly unbuckled and hopped out of the passenger door, circling the vehicle to put themselves between it and the house. Mike rolled down the window.

“Thanks for taking me here, partner,” Clover said, looking up at the park ranger.

“No problem kid, just doing my job… kind of…” he responded, appearing to be in thought.

“I thought you didn’t get paid enough to do your job?” Clover joked.

“Eh, not really,” Mike laughed, “But it would be pretty shallow of me to only be in it for the money, wouldn’t it?”

Clover laughed too.

“Take care Clover, I hope life treats you well,” Mike said as he turned back to the wheel before quickly snapping back, “Oh! And uhh… probably don’t accept any other rides from strangers you meet in the woods at night, okay? That’s some park ranger advice for ‘ya.”

“Oh… yeah, okay, thanks.” Clover shuddered a little, realizing how poorly this night could’ve gone. “I’ll see you around?”

“I’ll probably still be stuck working the same old job at Ebott.”

“Then I’ll know where to look!”

Mike chuckled a little.

“See you around Clover,” he waved before driving the truck away. Was that rust on the rear bumper?

As the headlights faded into the distance, Clover turned to the estate his friends were all supposedly at. Warm, orange light illuminated the front yard as it poured out of the window.

Clover could feel their anxieties creeping in as they approached the door. What if they aren’t even here? What if they’ve all already moved on? What if coming back just made things worse? What if they were better off without Clover? What if they didn’t even miss them?

They shook their head, as if attempting to shake off all those horrible thoughts. Of course their friends cared about them, of course they were missed… right? None of that stopped their heart from pounding out of their chest as they climbed up onto the porch, just a few steps away from the door. They had people who loved them on the other side, they were sure of it. Clover raised their hand to knock on the door. They could do this.

-/-

Dalv, Martlet, Starlo, and Ceroba were in the kitchen cleaning up from dinner. For Starlo, it had been comforting being able to relax with all of his close friends around a warm meal they’d made together.

They’d talked and reminisced and joked about all manner of things, and the conversation had carried over to the kitchen. Star and Martlet were teasing each other about something when they were interrupted by a knock at the door.

All four monsters glanced around, none sure of who it could be. Martlet turned to Ceroba.

“Did you… invite someone else?” she asked.

“No, I don’t believe I did…” the fox replied, clearly just as confused as everyone else.

“I don’t know, but whoever it is is making you look punctual, Feathers!” Starlo joked.

“Star, we’re hardly any better,” Dalv reasoned.

“Oh c’mon, we were right on time today, weren’t we Ceroba?” the Sheriff reasoned.

“For once…” Martlet muttered.

“Just for that Star, you have to get the door,” Ceroba grinned, chuckling to herself.

“Alright fine, let me just go dry my hands first,” Starlo laughed to himself, shaking his head as he turned down the hallway to the front door.

-/-

It had been a few moments since Clover knocked. Maybe they were just being impatient, right? Surely someone was coming.

And so they waited. And there was no answer.

Their nerves made it impossible to tell how much time had actually passed, but each moment felt like hours.

Clover should’ve known there was nothing for them on the other side of that door. It was foolish to imagine that there could’ve been. Sighing to themself, they turned around and walked down the steps of the porch, trying their hardest not to cry. They continued down the pathway across the front lawn, each footstep feeling like it took all their might.

But as they stepped over the halfway-point between the house and the road, they froze at the creak of a door behind them.

Amber light spilled out of the front door, casting Clover’s long shadow across the pathway they stood on. They could feel the cozy warmth radiating from the home behind them, contrasting with the chill of the night air. The whole building seemed to glow with invitation, but they couldn’t bear to turn around and face it.

“...D- Deputy…?”

And that was all it took.

Clover whipped around, sprinting back up the path as quickly as their little legs could carry them and embracing Starlo in a tight hug. He didn’t hesitate to hug back.

“I- just, how’re you… I don’t-” Star could barely get the words out, “It’s good to see you again Clover.”

Neither one of them could seem to decide between sobbing or laughing in joy, but they were able to do both at once.

“Hey Star, is everything alright…?” Ceroba called as she approached the doorway, Martlet and Dalv in tow. Her voice trailed off as she witnessed the scene in front of her.

“Is that-” Dalv’s eyes widened in shock.

“CLOVER?!” Martlet finished.

Starlo was able to partially pull Clover away from him, turning to hold them up to the rest of their friends before they were both tackled into a hug by Martlet.

“Oh my gosh I’ve missed you so much!” the bluebird cried. Clover felt something resonate in them at that line. Martlet pulled back to allow them and Star to stand up, still holding on to Clover.

“We really have,” agreed Starlo.

“There are so many cool things about the surface I have to show you! I just- I can’t believe it!” her eyes were almost bubbling with excitement.

“It really is you…” Ceroba still seemed like she couldn’t believe her eyes. She approached Clover cautiously, opening her arms. “May I?”

Clover hugged her too, almost quickly enough to knock the wind out of the fox. She wiped a couple of tears from her eyes as she embraced the child.

“I… I don’t know how this happened, but I am truly glad you’re here again.” she said. The two separated after a couple of moments before Clover turned to Dalv, who still seemed almost frozen. They spread their arms, offering a hug. Something about that seemed to jog Dalv’s mind a little, as he shook his head.

“I’m sorry Clover, I’m not much of a ‘hugs’ person,” he apologized. Clover instead moved to offer him a handshake. The vampire laughed a little before accepting.

“I’m glad to see you again too, but how on earth are you here?” he asked. Clover let go of his hand before shrugging.

“It’s kind of a long story…” they answered before their stomach growled.

“How about you tell us over some dinner, alright? You sound like you’re starving!” Starlo suggested. Clover nodded sheepishly.

“I don’t think we finished packing the leftovers, should I go reheat some?” Dalv asked.

“Go right ahead, I’ll be there in a moment,” Ceroba told him.

Ceroba led Clover and the other two monsters to the living room.

“This is a lot different than your house underground,” Clover remarked.

“I… thought it might do me some good to have a change,” Ceroba said before turning to the Sheriff and the bluebird behind her. “Starlo, Martlet, I trust that you’ll make Clover comfortable?”

Both monsters saluted as Ceroba turned to leave. They sat Clover down on the couch, sitting with them as Martlet pulled them into another hug.

“Alright, tell us everything! I promise I’ll catch up Dalv and Ceroba later,” Star said, biting back a laugh.

“Hey!” Ceroba’s voice rang out from down the hallway.

“Wait for us!” Dalv called.

“Wait, should we give you some time first?” Martlet asked, turning to Clover. “I’m sure all of this has to be pretty overwhelming.”

“No, I think I’m ready,” Clover replied, wiping a few tears off their face.

Dalv and Ceroba soon returned with a warm bowl of corn chowder. Clover ate, recounting the past few hours to their friends as they described their journey to the house.

They realized as they came close to the end, surrounded by their friends, that for the first time in a while they felt like they were home.