Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It was shocking what one day of the barrier being broken did to the Underground.

Granted, Clover only really had a few areas to go off of – New Home, Hotland, the Steamworks, and the Wild East – but it was still remarkable just how quickly monsters had made their way to the Surface. It made sense, though, considering how monsters were imprisoned for millenia.

Somehow, though, as Clover made their way back to the Surface, New Home seemed even emptier. They didn’t think they were gone for that long – it was early in the morning when they had told Martlet they were going to see Ceroba and Starlo – but now they were starting to reconsider that thought. And the more they thought about how much time they had spent in the saloon, the more they started to worry about what a certain flower was doing.

They hadn’t seen Flowey since the day before, right before they reunited with Martlet. Their own experience had told them that Flowey didn’t like showing himself around other monsters, but after they had promised to keep an eye on him, they couldn’t afford to let him be by himself for hours at a time.

They reached the elevator that connected the city with the Castle, Flowey nowhere in sight. They sighed and entered the elevator.

Maybe I’ll see him at the Castle, they thought, sitting down on the elevator floor as it hummed into action.

The elevator ride was fairly short, and before they knew it they were back on their feet and walking to the Throne Room. As they did so, they wondered how Frisk and Chara were doing. They did see Frisk by the time they finally got to the Surface, but they didn’t see where they went off to.

Maybe they met Martlet. That thought made Clover smile – if they liked Papyrus, and they most certainly did, Clover knew they’d like Martlet.

Their thoughts were interrupted when they saw a flower disappear in front of the Throne Room’s entrance. They ran up to where Flowey disappeared and looked around, trying to see if he had reappeared anywhere else in the room.

So he was here… Clover thought. Why…? What business could he possibly still have down here?

They sighed – and on a chance glance behind them, saw Flowey disappear into the ground.

There he is again! Clover thought as they turned around.

They approached the spot where they saw him, and looked down the long hallway. Flowey was in the middle of the hallway, finally facing Clover. As they got close, he waved at them with one of his vines – before promptly disappearing into the ground once more.

Is he… leadin’ me somewhere? Clover thought.

They began retracing their steps, following the rough path Flowey was leaving. Once they got to the elevator outside the Last Corridor, they looked to their left and saw Flowey in that direction. They turned and ran after him, trying to keep him in their sight.

By the time they reached the stairs leading up to Asgore’s home, they were out of breath. They hadn’t run since they had been resurrected – not when they were making their way to the Surface the day prior, nor when they were making their way to the Wild East. They took deep breaths, trying to steady the beating of their heart, before they climbed up the steps to Asgore’s home.

Flowey was waiting for them at the top. And unlike prior times, he didn’t disappear.

“Howdy!” he greeted them. “Golly, you look exhausted!”

Clover glared at him. “Very funny.” They walked past him, rounding the corner and entering the foyer proper. “Why did you lead me here?”

Flowey reappeared in front of them. “Well,” he said, winking, “I’ve got something to show you.”

Clover raised an eyebrow. “You… do?”

The thought of Flowey having a surprise for Clover, as unnerving of a prospect as it was, did genuinely intrigue them. What that surprise was, they had no idea.

“Yep!” Flowey said. He raised a vine and pointed it to Clover’s left. “It’s over here.” He then promptly disappeared again.

Clover sighed, turning to their left and making their way to the hallway.

“You’re not gonna tell me what it is?” they asked.

Flowey reappeared in front of the first door in the hallway. “Well, it wouldn’t be a surprise then, would it? Besides, you’re almost there. It’s just in here.” He disappeared into the floor again.

Clover approached the first door. Their hand hovered over the door knob, memories of when Frisk had stumbled upon this room – Chara and Asriel’s room, if their memory was right. This room was where their surprise was, and Clover was almost afraid to find out what it was. What could possibly mandate Flowey dragging them to the room that once belonged to him and Chara?

They sighed and finally grabbed the door knob. They turned it, pushed open the door, and stepped into Chara and Asriel’s room.

Clover’s eyes scanned the room. It looked largely the same as when Frisk had stumbled on it, though the two gift boxes were no longer there. Frisk had emptied them of their contents, after all.

As they continued scanning the room, trying to find their surprise, they noticed a lump in Chara’s old bed. They raised an eyebrow, yet approached very, very slowly.

Maybe a monster just wandered in here? Clover thought, even if it sounded outlandish.

That thought was promptly put to rest as they got closer and closer. Clover thought their eyes were playing tricks on them, yet as they finally reached the bed and leaned over it, they saw a human they had never seen before laying on top of it.

Their eyes widened. Of all the things they had expected to see, a human that wasn’t Frisk or Chara was not one of them.

Are they…? Clover thought. They… they haveta be, right?

They looked over the human. They didn’t seem all that older than Clover – in fact, Clover would probably say they were the same age. They wore a light blue shirt and skirt, and their hair seemed to fall just past their shoulders. Bits and pieces of their hair looked charred, as did some of their clothing.

What was most interesting, though, was their face – namely, the vines wrapped around the left half of their face. Vines that looked remarkably like Flowey’s.

“Surprised?”

Clover turned around, seeing Flowey not too far from them. They nodded.

“Good,” Flowey said. He grinned, his eyes narrowing. “You better be, because they were a pain to deal with compared to the others.”

Clover turned back to the human on the bed. It looked as if they were breathing – a miracle, given that half of their face wasn’t flesh. But they had seen weirder.

“If you’re wondering about the vines,” Flowey said, popping up next to Clover, “they're keeping them alive. Had to do something similar to the other four, but not to this extent.”

Clover turned to Flowey, stunned. “Other four? You mean the…”

“The very same,” Flowey confirmed. “Consider it my gift to you, friend.”

Clover didn’t know what to say. They had figured out over the course of their journey that the humans that fell before them were dead. To hear that they were all back, to see one of them with their own eyes – Clover couldn’t help but smile and hug Flowey. Or rather, hug his stem.

“Agh–!” Flowey yelled. “Get off of me!”

“Sorry, sorry,” Clover said, releasing their grip on Flowey’s stem and stepping back. “But… thank you. You didn’t haveta do this.” They paused, a realization hitting them. “I’m still puttin’ you in a pot, though.”

Flowey huffed. “Of course you are.”

Clover looked back at the human on the bed and noticed that they were stirring in their sleep. Not even a moment later, the human bolted upright, their right eye wide. They gripped the sheets of the bed as they turned to face Clover and Flowey.

And that’s when they saw the pure fear that the human had on their face.

Chapter Text

Of all the ways to die, Melody was sure they had suffered a particularly bad one. Getting half of their head blown off by some robot was not exactly a pleasant way to go. They would’ve almost rather they had gotten scorched by that vampire.

At the very least, it was quick – but that was of little solace for Melody, who had to endure the tortures that scientist inflicted on them. At every turn, they did their best to resist whatever he was trying to do to them. It was their only option, though as time wore on they began to grow tired – or at least, as tired as they could get in the afterlife.

They weren’t sure when that fox stopped his experiments. All they were sure of was that they found themself trapped in a container not too long after. They felt… weaker, somehow. Like a part of them had been extracted.

Eventually, they found themself stuck in the body of some… thing. They didn’t know what it was, but they heard its speech, directed at a red, heart-shaped thing. And eventually, Melody started attacking it.

It wasn’t of their own volition – rather, their actions were not their own, the ballet shoes dancing around the heart without end. But then they heard a voice, a call for help. It was a young voice, and it was filled with such desperation that something stirred in Melody. They tried to stop the onslaught – and to their surprise (as much as they could be surprised, given their condition), it stopped.

When they (along with five other heart-shaped things) rebelled against the beast, it all felt… familiar. Familiar in a way Melody didn’t want it to be. Not that they had much time to ruminate on it, as they were promptly back to being stuck in an ever familiar container.

They weren’t too sure of what happened next. It all seemed to blend together, time stretching on, and on, and on. But then something changed.

They weren’t in a container anymore.

Melody wasn’t sure when they had landed on whatever surface they were on. What they were sure of was that it felt… soft. So soft, that they could fall asleep on it, and never wake up.

The realization that they were able to actually feel something – and by extension, were back in their body – did not hit them until a few moments later.

Am I… alive? they thought.

They got their answer when they heard the rhythmic beating of their heart.

I’m… I’m alive…! they thought, their mind clouded by exhaustion. How…? And… where am I?

Then they heard two voices – voices they had never heard before. They couldn’t make out what the two voices were saying, and frankly, they weren’t sure if they wanted to. It never ended well for them.

Instead, they opted to get used to their body again. They wiggled their toes and moved their hands along the surface they were on – a bed, if they had to guess. Despite how much effort it took to get their limbs to move even a little, it felt relieving to be able to move them at all.

Yet… something felt wrong. But they didn’t have much time to think about that; the voices had ceased.

For a fleeting moment, Melody thought they were dead again. The feeling of their hand gripping the bed immediately dispelled that notion. They heard someone approaching. Were they going to hurt them, like that scientist did? Like that robot did? They didn’t even have something to defend themself with except for their hands, and with how slowly they could move them they may as well have been defenseless.

Out of options and the ever-increasing beating of their heart ringing in their head, they sat upright and threw themself back against the bed as far as they could. They opened their eyes to try and get a good look at what they were dealing with – only to find that, for whatever reason, their vision was limited.

Their right eye went wide. Unconsciously, their hands gripped the bed like their life depended on it, and they slowly turned their head to where the voices had come from.

Rather than a fox, they were instead greeted with another human in a cowboy outfit no older than they were… and a flower with a face. The human’s expression was laced with concern, and they cautiously made their way towards Melody. In response, Melody pressed themself against the back of the bed.

“Hey, hey,” the human said, a Western accent in their voice, “we aren’t gonna hurt you.”

They had heard that far too many times for that to be the case, but the way the human said it in such a genuine way eased Melody a little. Not enough to fully calm down – they had let their guard down too early before – but enough for their nerves to partially settle. They loosened the grip they had on the bed.

Their attention returned to their limited vision. They could see out of their right eye just fine, but they couldn’t see anything out of their left eye. They couldn’t even open it. It was as if something was wrapped around it.

They slowly, gingerly moved a hand up to the left half of their face – and found not flesh or bandages, but a vine-like texture. The more they moved their hand across their face, the more they became convinced that it was wrapped in vines.

Logically, it made sense. The last thing they remembered prior to their death was being face-to-face with a robot holding… something over its head, aimed directly at them. But they weren’t thinking logically; they still remembered all the experiments that fox did to them.

Their heartbeat increased, and in a panic they grabbed at some of the vines – and promptly heard the overlapping voices of both the human and the flower. The flower’s voice sounded harsh, but the human’s voice sounded… concerned, almost. Genuinely concerned.

They released their grip on the vines and let their hand lazily fall back to their side. Their heart still beat at a frantic pace.

“Don’t… don’t mess with those,” the human said. “My friend says that they’re keepin’ you alive.”

Melody nodded. They didn’t know how this human had managed to befriend a flower, and they were a little afraid to ask.

After a moment, the human seemed to realize something.

“Shoot, I never introduced myself!” they said. They approached Melody and held their hand out. “I’m Clover, and that,” they gestured to the flower next to them, “is Flowey.”

A flower… named Flowey? Melody thought. How… accurate.

Melody focused their attention on Clover’s hand. After a moment of hesitation, they slowly moved their hand up and took it. They waited for Clover to yank them up, or tighten their grip on it, or do something , but they never did. They just… smiled. And even that lacked any malicious intent that Melody had been so used to.

“What’s your name?” Clover asked.

Melody inhaled. They became aware of just how dry their throat was, but nevertheless they attempted to force their name out.

“M… Mel…ody…”

For a brief moment, a twinge of familiarity struck Clover’s face. Why, they didn’t know. Clover certainly wasn’t familiar to them .

Regardless, the moment passed.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Melody,” Clover said. They let go of Melody’s hand. “You’re probably wantin’ to leave, I’m guessin’.”

Melody nodded.

“Then c’mon,” Clover said, gesturing to the door. “I’ll lead you outta here.”

As much as Melody didn’t want to blindly follow Clover, they seemed trustworthy. They had been nothing but kind in the short time they had known them. Granted, it could have been an act – that was something they had seen people pull far too often – but with Clover, it all seemed so genuine. Their eyes, their bright, yellow eyes, lacked any sort of malice behind them.

So Melody slowly, gingerly got off of the bed. They took a step forward – and promptly felt their knees buckle as they fell to the floor.

Ow…

They lifted their head up and saw Clover rush to their side.

“Shoot!” they said. “Melody, you okay?”

“I’m… f-fine…” Melody croaked, as they slowly rose to their feet. They took another step forward and promptly collapsed again.

Flowey rose from the ground in front of them. “They’re fine, Clover,” he said. “Just weak.”

“I… I guess that makes sense,” Clover said. They looked at Melody. “Would it be alright if I helped you up?”

Melody nodded. A moment later, they felt Clover’s arms wrap around them as they helped lift them back onto their feet. Once they were back on their feet, Clover grabbed their right arm and wrapped it around their neck. They tensed at the sudden motion, memories of how they’d be yanked around like a toy all too prominent in their mind. Yet Clover was nothing but gentle in their movements, and Melody felt their tension dissipate.

It was strange – Clover, someone they hardly knew, treated them with more kindness and compassion than anyone they had met before. A part of them was just waiting for Clover to pull the rug out from under them and reveal their kindness to be an act, yet nothing ever happened.

“You ready?” Clover asked, shaking Melody out of their thoughts.

“Y-yes,” Melody said, their voice still incredibly weak. They looked around the room. “Wh…where’s your… f-friend…?

“What?” Clover said. They looked around the room, their expression turning from one of confusion to exasperation. “Oh, you’ve gotta…” They shook their head, sighing. “It’s fine. I’ll… deal with him later. I wanna get you outta here first.”

“Okay…” Melody said.

They walked out of the room side-by-side with Clover (though, really, it’d be more accurate to say Clover was dragging them as they walked). Despite the unfamiliarity of where they were and of their new companion, for the first time in a while, Melody felt somewhat at ease. A part of them was still on guard, but for the most part they believed that Clover was trustworthy.

Then again, they had believed others were perfectly trustworthy in the past, only to get stabbed in the back when they least expected it. If Clover ever followed that pattern, then Melody knew how to defend themself.

Chapter Text

The walk back to the Surface was quiet. Neither Clover nor Melody said anything as the former’s steps echoed throughout the empty halls of New Home, Melody having given up trying to walk almost as soon as they had gotten out of Asriel and Chara’s room. Clover was thankful for that – it let them keep an eye on Melody.

Ever since Frisk had stumbled upon Melody’s final message, echoed by an Echo Flower, in Waterfall, their opinion of the human had changed. Before they really knew them, and having only Chujin’s tapes to go off of, they hated them. They saw Melody’s actions as needlessly cruel in how they killed monsters just for the sake of it and nearly attacked Kanako. There was nothing just about it.

But Melody’s final message changed things. They didn’t sound like someone that took glee in killing monsters – they sounded like a scared kid. And while that alone didn’t absolve them of their actions, it at least got Clover to temper their hatred of them.

Then there was the matter of Melody’s face. Even when Clover knew little about them beyond Chujin’s tapes, they were surprised to hear Chujin, of all people, be shaken when he recounted the grisly site of Melody’s death. They thought at the time that they didn’t deserve whatever fate they suffered, nor what came after.

Looking at them now, it was a miracle Flowey managed to revive them.

Perhaps that was why, then, Clover didn’t have it in them to truly hate Melody. They had forgiven all of their friends for trying to kill or capture them, after all. They did want to question Melody about what happened in Snowdin, but there was a time and a place for that, neither of which was now. They were focused on getting Melody to the Surface; they could figure out everything else later.

As they approached the Throne Room, Clover glanced at Melody. They looked remarkably less tense, especially in comparison to how they were in Asriel and Chara’s room – progress, if nothing else.

“We’re almost there,” Clover said as they entered the room with Melody. “Just a little further.”

“Okay,” Melody whispered. Then after a pause, they looked at Clover, their expression one of confusion. “I… n-nev…er asked, but… w-where are we going…?”

“Oh!” Clover said. “Right, I never told you. We’re headin’ to the Surface.”

Melody’s confused expression remained. “The… Surface?”

Right, they probably don’t know what terms monsters use.

“Y’know, where humans like us live,” Clover explained.

Melody nodded in understanding and turned their gaze back in front of them. But for the briefest moment, Clover could’ve swore they saw an expression of fear etched on Melody’s face.

Maybe they didn’t have anywhere to go. Clover certainly didn’t – Martlet had offered to let them live with her, but Clover was hesitant to accept. They didn’t want to be a burden in Martlet’s life. But at the same time, she made the offer. That meant that on some level, she wanted them around, didn’t she?

But what was stopping her from going back on her offer? What was stopping her from finding their parents and sending them back in the event they started acting out? They didn’t want to go back, that was the last place they wanted to go.

…Just focus on gettin’ Melody outta here , they thought.

The two trudged through the Throne Room and entered the hallway right before where the barrier once stood. Clover could hear the birds chirping outside and, judging by a look to their right, so could Melody. Fueled by the knowledge that they were close, Clover helped Melody along the final stretch.

Clover remembered their first walk back to the Surface, how the hallway where the barrier once stood seemed to stretch for miles, their anticipation and excitement to see the Surface after being dead for so long building with every step. They wondered if Melody was thinking something similar, or if they were just glad to almost be out of the Underground.

Eventually, though, they made it to the Surface. The warmth of the Sun was just as welcoming as it had been the day before, inviting the two humans to a place monsters had sought for generations. It was why Clover had given up their SOUL, and the satisfaction they felt when they found out the barrier had broken was immense.

They looked over to Melody – tears were starting to pool in their eye.

“You okay?” Clover asked.

Melody nodded. “It’s j-just… b-been so… so long …” they choked out. “I th-thou…ght I’d… never s-see this again…”

Melody broke from Clover’s grasp and promptly fell along the edge of the cliff. They reoriented themself into a sitting position before turning to Clover.

“C-Can we stay here…?” they asked. “For… j-ju…st a bit…?”

Clover smiled. “Of course!” They sat down next to Melody. “A friend of mine said that she’d be flyin’ while I was in the Underground, so I was plannin’ on waitin’ for her anyways.”

Silence set in between the two. It wasn’t comfortable, nor was it awkward – it merely existed. It was for the best, Clover figured. The time to figure out “everything else” – finding Flowey, whether or not they were going to accept Martlet’s offer, what was going to happen to Melody – had come, and they had no clue where to start.

Kanako’s life had been all over the place. It was as if the very moment she traveled with her father to Snowdin on that fateful day eight years ago, the universe became determined to make her life as much of a mess as possible and make her feel like a burden on everyone she cared about.

When the human attacked in Snowdin, Dalv hurt himself trying to protect her. She never saw him again after that.

When her father died, Kanako couldn’t help but blame herself for his death – a view that was only strengthened when she mustered up the courage to go to his basement and watch his tapes, even if it was for a different reason. It took her mother rushing to reaffirm to Kanako that her father loved her, and never stopped loving her, for that view to break.

Even then, it didn’t break fully, and she had begged her mother to use the serum on her. She wanted to feel useful , not just to her family, but to all of monsterkind.

In retrospect, not one of her better decisions.

She didn’t remember much after she had fallen down. The last thing she truly remembered hearing was her mother begging for her to wake up. And when she did finally wake up, it was in a place she had never seen before, with monsters she had similarly never seen before; all who were once in the same condition as her. The royal scientist, Dr. Alphys, said that they’d all see their families again though, so Kanako enjoyed herself a little in the dreary lab before she was reunited with her mother.

The reunion took a lot longer than she, or anyone, for that matter, thought it would. But it did, eventually, come, though not without her body melting (and all the pain and terror that instilled in her) and then meeting Frisk years later. The latter wound up being the best thing that happened to her in a long, long time.

Then the barrier broke, and Kanako, her mother, Starlo, the Feisty Four, all of monsterkind – they were free.

Kanako didn’t leave for the Surface right away, as she was getting tired from maintaining her fox form for so long – Dr. Alphys did say that trying to maintain that form would wear her out, at least early on. She did attend a party that Starlo was holding with her mother, which let Kanako reconnect with everyone again.

She wouldn’t leave for the Surface until the following day, a while after she had met Clover. Her mother and Uncle Star seemed in especially high spirits as they made the walk, eagerly chatting with each other. Kanako listened in, mostly because it was either that or walk in silence.

“So, you’re alright with lettin’ me stay with you and Kanako?” Starlo asked.

“Why wouldn’t I?” Ceroba responded. “It’s the least I could do.”

Starlo smiled – it was the kind of smile that, Kanako noticed, had only ever occurred around her mother.

“Thanks, ‘Roba,” he said. “And don’t worry, I won’t stay any longer than I have to. Heck, you can even kick me out if you need to.”

“Star, why would I ever do that?” Ceroba asked. “You never kicked me out. It wouldn’t be right to do the same to you. Besides, I doubt Kanako would let me even if I wanted to.”

In response, Kanako nodded, prompting a grin from Starlo.

“Glad to see you’re on my side as always, Kanako,” Starlo said.

“You’re… welcome…” Kanako said, smiling. That got a chuckle out of her mother.

As the walk progressed, Kanako started wondering how her friends would react to her new state. She hadn’t seen them at the party the day before, nor had she seen them at the Saloon before she had left. Would they be afraid of her in her new form? A part of her wanted to say yes. They hadn’t seen her in five years, after all, and while her fox form would be a familiar one to them, it’d still raise questions; even more so should she melt into something else.

All the same, she knew it wasn’t a rational fear. Her mother had seen her new form and she loved her all the same. So had Starlo, the Feisty Four, Dina, all the regulars in the Saloon that she had grown accustomed to seeing. Granted, her mother did have to explain why she was in the state she was to them, but they still had the freedom to react in their own way – and they still chose to love her.

Her friends would be the same, especially Sadie. They’d love her, despite her changed appearance. They had to.

Her mother’s voice ripped her out of her thoughts.

“Nervous?”

Kanako paused. She noticed they were right outside the Throne Room. They were almost at the Surface. While that wasn’t what she was nervous about, she was nervous, even if it was about something completely separate.

“Yeah…” she nodded.

“That’s understandable,” Ceroba said. “To be honest… I’m a little nervous too. But I promise, the hard times are behind us, okay?”

Kanako smiled. “Okay…”

A short while later, they had finally reached the Surface. It felt surreal, even after all Kanako had been through. She had seen the Sun when Starlo had shown her some of his movies, but to see it in person was something else entirely. It was a captivating sight, furthered only by just how gorgeous the view of the Surface was from where she was standing.

“It’s… beautiful…” she murmured.

She took a step forward, and her attention suddenly shifted to two humans sitting on the cliff’s edge. She recognized one of them by their cowboy hat as being Clover, but the other one she didn’t. It wasn’t Frisk, that much was clear. Frisk had a striped sweater – the human next to Clover had a light blue shirt and skirt. Before she could analyze the other human further, her mother called out to Clover.

“Clover?”

Clover turned around. They smiled.

“Howdy,” they said.

“Surprised to see you still here, Deputy,” Starlo said. “And who’s your friend? Can’t say I’ve seen them before.”

“I was just waitin’ for Martlet,” Clover explained. “And this,” they nudged the human next to them, “is Melody. I found them while I was lookin’ for someone else.”

Kanako watched as Melody turned their head to Clover before getting up with the latter’s assistance. They faced the trio for the first time, allowing Kanako to get a good look at Melody’s face. It looked familiar. Half of their face might have been wrapped in vines, but their right eye was a deep, dark blue. The expression on their face, too, was an oddly familiar one of fear. It all seemed so familiar.

And that’s when it all clicked into place.

She took a step back, her eyes firmly on Melody. Memories of what happened in Snowdin, how she was nearly attacked by them and was only stopped by Dalv, came flooding back.

They were here to finish what they started, they had to be. It was the only explanation. But if that were the case, why was Clover with them? Clover was trustworthy – her mother wouldn’t have spoken so highly about them if that weren’t the case. More importantly, Clover didn’t show any intent to hurt her. So then why were they with someone that nearly did?

She couldn’t think straight. Her head hurt, more than it ever did in the Lab.

Kanako took one step back, her body shaking, followed by another, then another. She heard someone, possibly her mother, call out to her, but she didn’t process it. Her attention was solely fixated on Melody, on what they were going to do, on why they hadn’t moved since the two had locked eyes.

More voices. They seemed so distant, drowned out by the ringing in her head. She needed to get out of there.

And so, she turned and ran back into the Underground.

Chapter Text

Kanako didn’t make it far, ultimately.

Having to maintain her fox form sapped a lot of her energy – Dr. Alphys had said as much. Combine that with the energy she expended on running, even full on sprinting back into the Underground, and it was a wonder she didn’t collapse sooner. She didn’t even get a good spot to hide; she was out in the open, right next to the Throne Room.

The only thing she could do was curl into a ball and hope that Melody wouldn’t come after her.

She felt blue flames lick against her. She wasn’t sure whether to be relieved or afraid again. The last time they had appeared was when she attacked Frisk in a panic. They’d provide her protection, if nothing else.

At least, she hoped they would.

She didn’t know how long she lay there for. It couldn’t have been long, though, because she heard footsteps after what felt like minutes. She tried to ignore them, reasoning (as much as she could, anyway) that if she didn’t acknowledge them, they’d go away. But then she heard a voice, one that, even if it was deeper than she remembered, was one she still recognized.

“Who is this…?” A pause. “K… Kanako? Is that you?”

Kanako dared to lift her head up slightly – and then promptly uncurled herself once she saw who was talking to her. The flames around her receded as she sat up.

“Sadie…?”

Sadie’s eyes went wide. For a second, all of Kanako’s fears came rushing back to her. She thought that those fears were about to become prudent, that she was about to lose a friend she hadn’t seen in years , and there was nothing she could do about it. She braced herself and waited for Sadie to run off.

It surprised her when Sadie instead wrapped her in a hug. She was startled by the sudden contact for a moment before she wrapped her arms around Sadie in turn.

“I missed you,” Sadie whispered. “Bit and I… we missed you so much. We spent so much time wondering where you went…” She paused for a moment. “Your mom told us what happened, eventually. I’m… really sorry you had to go through that, Kanako.”

“Thank you…” Kanako half-mumbled, her grip around Sadie tightening. “But I… I wanted… her to…” She pulled back for a moment, looking up at Sadie. “You’re not mad… at her, right…?”

Sadie smiled. Even in all the years that had passed, Sadie still had the same, sweet smile she had when she was younger.

“No,” she said. “At first I was… I wouldn’t say mad, more so shocked, I guess? But she was… very upset when she explained it, and it looked like she regretted it.”

Kanako smiled, a wave of relief crashing over her. “Good…”

Sadie finally released her hug on Kanako and stepped back. “So, what are you doing here? Are you heading to the Surface?”

“I… was…” Kanako started. She felt herself slide down against the wall as she spoke. “But then I… I saw someone… and…” She shook her head. “I don’t… want to go… just yet… I… I can’t go…”

Her body shuddered. She looked up at Sadie; she simply nodded, then sat down next to Kanako.

“Then I’ll wait here with you.” Kanako looked at Sadie in a moment of brief shock, to which Sadie laughed. “It doesn’t matter that it’s been five years since we last saw each other, Kanako. We’re still friends, and that won’t ever change. Bit and I will always have your back.” She paused for a moment, a jokingly annoyed expression on her face. “Assuming they ever get here…”

Kanako smiled, relieved once again. She didn’t know how she had gotten so lucky in Sadie being so understanding about everything, but she wasn’t going to complain. She just wanted to enjoy the moment between the two of them until she felt she was ready to go to the Surface again.

The two were quickly thereafter joined by Kanako’s mother, who rushed out into the hallway. She made eye contact with Kanako first.

“Kanako!” she said. “There you are.” She rushed to Kanako and hugged her. After a few seconds, she pulled back. “You had us worried when you ran off.”

“I’m sorry…” Kanako mumbled.

“Don’t be,” Ceroba said. “There’s nothing to be sorry about.” She turned to Sadie. “Thanks for staying with her, Sadie.”

“You’re welcome.”

Ceroba looked back at Kanako. “I’m assuming you don’t want to go just yet?”

Kanako shook her head. Frankly, that was the last thing she wanted to do. Not while Melody was still there, waiting.

“That’s more than fine,” Ceroba continued, taking a seat on the other side of Kanako. “We’ll wait until Star comes and gets us.”

“Okay…” Kanako said with a smile.

She let herself ease. For now, she felt okay. A part of her knew that she’d have to contend with Melody at some point – but she was equally fine with pushing that off for as long as possible. What happened in Snowdin, and everything that followed, still hurt deeply, and the last thing she wanted was to relive that day again.

Melody clung to Clover’s side like their life depended on it. Their eye didn’t leave the weird star man in front of them; their gaze was returned on occasion by said man, whose gaze flicked between them and Clover. Melody felt weak, like their knees were about to buckle again. But they kept themself standing – if they fell, then there’d be nothing stopping the star man from attacking them, and they’d be dead once more.

Please don’t hurt me please don’t hurt me please don’t hurt me please don’t hurt me please don’t hurt me…

The silence stretched on, no one willing to break it, until the star man sighed.

“I’m not gunna hurt you, Melody,” he said.

Melody’s grip on Clover tightened. “N-no… th-that isn’t… y-you’re gon…na…” They doubled over, coughing, as tears dripped down their face.

“Starlo’s tellin’ the truth, Melody,” Clover’s voice rang out. “He won’t hurt you, I promise.”

Once Melody’s coughing fit subsided, they looked at Clover. Everything in Melody’s being screamed at them to say they were wrong and that this man – Starlo – was going to hurt them, but Clover’s voice seemed so genuine, and their face betrayed not a hint of malice, that Melody couldn’t help but feel like maybe they were telling the truth after all.

They loosened their grip on Clover, though not entirely – they still needed Clover to help them stand upright with how weak they felt. They wiped the tears off their face and looked at Starlo, the fear from before mostly subsiding; yet they felt the need to apologize for their behavior.

“S-sorry,” they apologized, praying that it sounded genuine enough. It had to.

“There’s nothin’ to apologize for,” Starlo said. “At least, not pertainin’ to this.”

That… wasn’t what they expected to hear.

They acted out of line, didn’t they? Why wasn’t he mad at them? Why wasn’t he demanding a better apology? There had to be something else, right? There always was – and there seemingly was this time, too, with how he mentioned that Melody evidently had something else to be sorry for. But what?

They didn’t realize they had spaced out until Starlo raised an eyebrow, his voice cutting through the silence.  “You’re lookin’ mighty confused, Melody.”

Before Melody could answer, Clover did so for them. “They’re probably just tryin’ to process everythin’. Today’s been a lot for them.”

“I see,” Starlo nodded. He paused for a moment, appearing to be deep in thought, before he continued. “Well, if it’s not too much trouble, I’d like to keep the both of you company for the time bein’.”

“Sure!” Clover said almost immediately, as if they had forgotten Melody was there. A second after realizing their mistake, they turned their head towards Melody and added, “If it’s okay with you, Melody.”

Truthfully, it wasn’t. While they were willing to believe that Starlo wasn’t going to kill them, they still couldn’t shake the feeling of inherent fear that gripped their being. It was an all too familiar feeling, one they had frequently (and seemingly constantly) felt on the day of their death, especially when they wandered into what would end up being the last town they visited.

At the same time, though, Clover hadn’t lied to them thus far, and Melody found it unlikely for Clover to so readily have accepted Starlo’s company if he was going to hurt either them or Melody. Clearly, whatever business they had with him in the past made them trust him. So, despite every part of their mind begging them to say no, Melody relented.

“I-it’s okay…” they said.

Clover smiled – and for the first time since Melody had gotten to know Clover, it didn’t meet their eyes. They didn’t know why that would be. Maybe Clover wasn’t the trustworthy person Melody thought they were.

Regardless, Melody wouldn’t have much time to think on that at that moment, as Starlo clapped his hands together, bringing them back to the present.

“Great,” he said, making his way over to them. He sat down next to Clover, prompting Clover and Melody to sit down in turn. “So, Clover, did you enjoy stayin’ with Martlet last night?”

At the mention of this “Martlet” person (the friend Clover mentioned, perhaps), Clover perked up. They started enthusiastically rambling about her, but their words ultimately never made it to Melody’s ear; their attention was back on Clover’s insincere smile.

No matter how hard they tried, they couldn’t get the sight of it out of their head. Clover didn’t seem malicious – far from it, actually. They were perhaps one of the nicest people Melody had ever known. Which made it all the harder, then, to rationalize why that particular smile wasn’t sincere like the others were. Had they said something wrong? Was Clover’s patience with them wearing thin? Was Melody truly wrong for believing Clover may have been different?

Their mind swam with questions and, without thinking, they grabbed onto Clover’s sleeve. They realized what they did not even a moment later and anxiously waited for Clover to pry their hand off.

Strangely, that moment never came. They just glanced over at Melody and gave a genuine, slightly concerned smile before resuming their conversation with Starlo.

…What…?

That only prompted more questions from Melody. They wanted to think that that meant Clover was still who Melody thought – hoped – they were. But they knew from experience that Clover was likely just trying to reign them back in, merely putting on a facade of being their friend so Melody wouldn’t be suspicious. But if that were the case, then Clover’s smile wouldn’t have appeared so genuine. Melody had seen people give fake smiles before, and Clover’s wasn’t anywhere close to that.

They felt their eyelid grow heavy. Though Melody’s mind was restless, their body evidently did not care. Despite Melody’s attempts to keep their eye open, they could hear sleep calling to them; ultimately, they gave in. They released their grip on Clover and – not even a second later – let their head rest on the latter’s shoulder. They closed their eye and let sleep take them.

Though Clover was listening to Starlo, they knew something had changed when they could no longer feel the grip on their sleeve. That notion was further reinforced when they felt a different weight on their shoulder. A cursory glance showed the culprit to be Melody, their eye closed and head leaned against them in a (hopefully) peaceful slumber. Clover couldn’t help but smile at the sight.

“Clover.”

Starlo’s voice prompted Clover to turn their attention away from Melody and towards him with a hum.

After a moment of thinking his words over, Starlo asked, “Do you know where you’re gunna go?”

Clover nodded. “Martlet said I could live with her if I wanted, so I’ll take her up on that.”

Starlo nodded. “That’s good. I’m sure she’ll appreciate havin’ you around.” He paused for a moment, deep in thought. “Could you promise me somethin’, though?” Before Clover could answer, he quickly added, “Well, actually, you’d be makin’ a promise to Ceroba and Kanako, really.”

“Okay…” Clover said, confused by Starlo’s added clarification. “What is it?”

“I want you to promise that you’ll keep an eye on Melody,” Starlo explained. “I’m sure things have changed since the incident, but… you never know.”

Clover nodded, Starlo’s clarification making more sense. If he was worried about Melody dredging up bad memories for Kanako (which they already had, with how quick Kanako bolted back into the Underground), then that meant he watched Chujin’s tapes and how some idea of what happened, even if that boiled down to “someone attacked Kanako in Snowdin.”

“I can do that,” they said. “I’m sure I can convince Martlet to let them stay with us!”

Starlo smiled. “Thanks, Deputy. Kanako’ll appreciate it.”

A brief, comfortable silence returned as Clover and Starlo both staring out into the horizon. Then Clover heard Starlo inhale, as if he was about to say something – maybe comment about how beautiful the view was.

“Oh, before I forget, what… what’s on Melody’s face?”

Or he could ask that.

Clover grimaced. They were really hoping no one would ask, especially because they didn’t want to name-drop Flowey. At the same time, though, they knew it was a matter of time before someone did ask; if Starlo didn’t, then Ceroba would, or Kanako, or Martlet. They figured they may as well explain now.

They inhaled, trying to figure out the best way to explain Melody’s condition. Eventually, they finally settled on something.

“Those are vines,” they explained. “They’re what’s keepin’ Melody alive.”

Starlo’s look of shock said it all – and Clover knew they were in for a very long explanation. One they’d have to repeat to Martlet, knowing their luck.

Chapter Text

Cleaning up the Ketsukane Estate was no easy task. Starlo was well aware of that fact – it was why Ceroba had asked for his help in the first place. There was too much “history,” as Ceroba put it. History that needed to be left behind, no matter how much it obviously pained her to admit it.

It also needed a fair amount of dusting. Six months without a resident in the Estate meant no one to clean up the dust that would inevitably kick up, and it certainly looked the part.

Starlo and Ed had intended to clean up the Estate before getting it ready for a party to celebrate Kanako’s return, but that fell through when they found the trapdoor. Neither one (or the rest of the Feisty Five, for that matter) had set foot in the Estate since, either because they didn’t need to, they didn’t want to, or they were respecting Ceroba’s privacy.

Not that it seemed as if Ceroba was in any sort of rush to get back to the Estate; quite the opposite.

But when she did finally work up the courage to move back into the Estate, Starlo was quick to ask if she’d need any help cleaning the place. She rebuffed that initial offer, saying she’d be fine – only to show up at the Saloon the next morning looking like she had hardly slept. It was there where she asked Starlo to help clean out the Estate, something he was all too happy to accept.

He largely had free reign in picking where he wanted to clean, with the exception of Ceroba and Chujin’s room, and Kanako’s room upstairs. Starlo understood why and didn’t press the matter.

What was shaping up to be a largely uneventful cleanup where Starlo mostly just dusted changed when he made his way into the dining room. There, the trapdoor – the same one he and Ed had discovered – was wide open. Evidently, Ceroba either hadn’t bothered closing it or didn’t want to close it. It beckoned to him regardless and, rationalizing that Ceroba never told him he couldn’t enter it, descended into Chujin’s study.

Even six months after he and Ed had stumbled upon it, Chujin’s study still looked the same as back then. It made sense, he figured; Martlet and Clover were the only two Starlo knew for a fact had any reason to be down there. Ceroba might have paid it a visit, but that didn’t seem likely. She had only moved back in a day ago, and judging by how the rest of the Estate looked, she didn’t attempt to clean it all that much before asking for Starlo’s help. If she did pay the study a visit for whatever reason, though, it was unlikely she touched anything.

Starlo surveyed the room, sighing.

She… probably wants this cleaned up.

It then dawned on Starlo that he didn’t know what needed to be cleaned out. While there were papers strewn across the floor, books on Angel knows what, and robot parts scattered across shelves and boxes – all of which belonged to Chujin – he wasn’t sure if Ceroba ever intended on repurposing Chujin’s study or even coming down to visit it at all. After a few long moments of deliberation, he ultimately decided that he should probably clean it out just to be safe. If Ceroba wanted stuff to stay in the study, then they could talk about it later.

He decided he’d start with the papers strewn about and bent down to pick up one of them – but as he did so, his eye caught something sitting on the desk, next to the television.

It was a pile of tapes, assembled in a hurry; the very same set of tapes that got Starlo and Ed worried about Clover to begin with.

He started rifling through them. All of them had dates on them, the earliest dating back to over three, almost four years ago. He wasn’t familiar with the content of the tapes, but the fact they existed to begin with, along with everything else in the study, had formed his belief that Ceroba wasn’t planning anything good.

Which left him wondering – just what was on those tapes to begin with? He and Ed were so caught up in warning Clover that neither one took the time to watch any of them.

His curiosity getting to him, he picked up the tape with the earliest date, inserted it into the tape player, and pressed play.

A few minutes later, when the television’s screen turned to static after the final tape, Starlo could only shake his head and sigh. Ceroba never divulged how Chujin died, nor did she ever divulge how Kanako fell down – in fact, Starlo didn’t even know she fell down until Ceroba told him and Clover outside the Steamworks. While he still wasn’t certain as to how the latter happened, he now knew just how Chujin died.

Tamperin’ with a SOUL… and testin’ it on himself, he thought, a chuckle escaping his lips. He was dedicated, that’s for damn sure. No wonder Ceroba needed Clover.

He ejected the last tape and put it with the rest. Only then did his eyes catch a tape he hadn’t touched. It was unmarked, seemingly thrown on the desk without a care in the world. Or maybe it was because whoever watched it was in a hurry.

Starlo took the tape and looked at it for a moment. He doubted it was ever used; it was probably just an extra tape that Chujin never got around to using.

He heard footsteps – familiar footsteps – descend the stairs.

“Star…?” Ceroba called out, her voice betraying her exhaustion, even now. “What are you doing down here?”

Starlo turned his head behind him and saw his best friend standing in the hallway. He flashed her a smile.

“Hey, Ceroba,” he greeted her. “I was just…” He looked back at the television, its blank screen reflecting his face right back at him. “Just checkin’ to see if anythin’ in here needed to go.”

He watched Ceroba’s gaze fall to his hands. It was at that moment that he realized he was still holding the blank tape in his hands.

“Uh…” Starlo started, stammering his way through his words. “I-I can explain! I just saw ‘em on the desk and–”

“It’s… it’s fine, Star,” Ceroba said, giving a smile that appeared to be genuine. She walked next to him. “I don’t blame you for being curious. I certainly was when I came down here for the first time.” She paused. “Where did you get that tape, anyways? I don’t think I’ve seen it before.”

Starlo cocked his head. “Really? Because I found it here, sittin’ next to the others.”

Ceroba hummed, the expression on her face turning into one of confusion. “It… wasn’t there when I watched all of them. Maybe I missed it…?”

Starlo looked at the tape, turning it over in his hands. He looked back at Ceroba, at her tired, defeated expression.

“I guess you don’t know if anythin’s on it?”

Ceroba shook her head. “I don’t. I only watched the tapes you did, a-as did…”

She trailed off, but Starlo didn’t miss the slight hesitation in her voice, nor did he miss the tears that threatened to spill out of her eyes. He put his hand on her shoulder, just like he did when they were traveling to Asgore with Clover’s SOUL, and just like he had done in the months since. She looked at him, a soft smile on her face as she wiped the water out of her eyes.

“Thanks,” she said, her voice low. Then, after a moment, she turned back to the pile of tapes. Her voice wasn’t any louder when she spoke again.

“…Kanako snuck down here one day and watched the tapes. I didn’t… I didn’t notice until I saw the kotatsu had moved. By the time I rushed down to get her…” She took a shaky breath. “She had seen them all already. And she… she convinced me to use the serum that Chujin had developed.” A mirthless laugh escaped Ceroba’s mouth. “I thought… I thought it would work. I really did. Instead… I killed her.”

Starlo didn’t say anything, absorbing what he had just heard. Truthfully, when Ceroba had told him and Clover that Kanako had fallen down, he thought it was just through mundane means, like a sickness. He never would’ve thought that Ceroba would’ve been the cause. No wonder she was such a mess when she started rooming with the Five.

“That’s…” he started, words failing him.

“Horrible? Despicable?” Ceroba said. “It’s okay, Star. I won’t think of you any less if you call me that. I deserve it.”

Starlo shook his head. “I just wish I… no, me and the Five knew ‘bout all this. We could’ve helped you.”

“You would’ve helped me carry out what I intended on doing to Clover down to the exact detail?” Ceroba asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm. She cracked a wry smile. “I somehow doubt that, given how obsessed you were with Clover the minute they showed up.”

“I… okay, fair enough,” Starlo said. “But I didn’t mean that. We could’ve found some other way.”

Ceroba looked like she wanted to argue further, but instead she sighed. “As much as I want to say it would’ve been no use… maybe you’re right. Maybe things… could’ve worked out differently. But… I-I promised I wouldn’t live in the past anymore. That’s what… cleaning all of this out was supposed to be for.”

Starlo nodded, a smile returning to his face. “I’m really, really happy to hear that.” He quickly realized how that could be misconstrued, and hastily added, “Th-the not living in the past anymore part, not the–”

“Relax, Star,” Ceroba chuckled, “I know what you meant.”

“Phew,” Starlo sighed. After a couple moments of silence passed, Starlo continued. “So, I assume you don’t want to keep these tapes around?”

Ceroba shook her head. “It… it’ll hurt, not being able to hear Chujin’s voice again, but… it’s for the best.” She regarded the blank-labeled tape Starlo still had in his hand. “Except for that one. I doubt it was ever used, so I don’t see the point in throwing it out.”

Starlo nodded and set the blank tape on the desk, away from the rest. He scooped up the rest of the tapes with a fair bit of effort; he chose to ignore Ceroba laughing at him and made his way up the stairs, his best friend following closely behind.

The blank-labeled tape remained on the desk, untouched, even as Starlo came down to clean out more of the room. Despite his curiosity, he never watched it.

It was like Ceroba said: what were the odds anyone had recorded anything on it?

When Clover finished explaining what happened to Melody, they fell silent. They had to cut out some key details – namely, Flowey’s involvement in patching Melody up – but they were able to explain it relatively well.

Starlo sighed. “Axis…” He shook his head. “I didn’t know he was capable of somethin’ like that.” He paused for a moment, in thought. “Where did you find out about that? He wasn’t mentioned in any of the tapes.”

Clover tilted their head in confusion. “He was. It was only on one tape, though.”

“Well, which one?” Starlo asked.

Clover thought for a moment. It had been a while since they had been in Chujin’s study – they had been dead for five years, after all – but they remembered all the tapes had labels on them. Martlet said they had dates on them. But the one Clover found behind Chujin’s grave, the one that gave them the lasting memory of Chujin being shaken in describing the scene Axis left, was the exception. It didn’t have a label.

Had Starlo not watched that one? It wasn’t like they put it back – they had just thrown it on the desk in horror. It was a miracle it didn’t break.

But if he didn’t know… then that had to have meant that he missed that tape.

When they relayed to Starlo about the tape without a label, he sighed.

“So there was somethin’ on it…”

“You saw it?” Clover asked.

“Sure did,” Starlo said. “Found it sittin’ next to the rest when I was helpin’ Ceroba clean out the Estate. We both thought it was somethin’ Chujin never bothered to use, but… clearly that wasn’t the case.”

He looked past Clover and at Melody, their head still resting against Clover’s sleeve. It looked for a moment as if he wanted to say something, but instead he just sighed and shook his head. He then turned his attention back to Clover, and this time, he did speak.

“Thanks for tellin’ me this, Clover,” he said.

“Of course,” they said, trying to keep their voice low out of consideration for the sleeping Melody leaning on them.

Silence set in, Clover content to wait for Martlet to arrive and Starlo having nothing more to say, deciding to simply enjoy the sunset. This silence would not last long, though, as after a couple of minutes, both Clover and Starlo heard the sound of wings flapping behind them.

It was just as well, because Clover could feel themself start to nod off. The sound of Martlet’s descent and her voice ensured they remained wide awake. They turned their body towards her, trying their best not to wake Melody up.

“There you are, Clover!” she exclaimed. “Sorry I took so long, it’s just I never got a chance to fly yesterday and I wanted to take advantage of you going back into the Underground today, but then I lost track of time and…” She shook her head. “But I’m here now!”

Clover looked to their side and mentally exhaled when they saw Melody barely stir, as if Martlet’s voice was just white noise.

Starlo chuckled. “Good to see the Surface’s been treatin’ you well so far.”

“Oh, sorry, Starlo!” Martlet apologized. “I didn’t see you for a second.” She looked around. “Where’s Ceroba and Kanako? I figured you would’ve arrived with them.”

“They’re… back in the Underground,” Starlo answered.

“Okay…” Martlet said, noticing Starlo’s hesitation. “Why?”

“Kanako ran back in,” Starlo said. “She saw Melody and just turned right back into the Underground. Ceroba ran after her, so I assume she’s keepin’ her company.”

“Melody?” Martlet asked. “Who’s…?”

It was only then that Martlet made eye contact with the sleeping, one-eyed human leaning on Clover’s shoulder. Clover watched Martlet’s face go from confusion to shock.

“Oh my gosh…” she gasped. “What happened to them?”

“I found them like this,” Clover said. “It’s a long story as to how they got like that, though. I can tell you later.”

Martlet approached Melody and knelt down in-front of them. Concern was apparent on her face as she studied Melody. Clover wondered if Martlet would let Melody stay with them. She almost certainly would let Clover stay with her – she had made the offer to let them stay with her to begin with – but what about one more? Would she be willing to let Melody stay as well? Would Melody even want to stay with them?

On and on the questions swirled in their head, until Martlet’s voice broke through the silence.

“Do you know if they have anywhere to go?” she asked. “If not, they can stay with you and I!” A moment passed before she hastily added, her expression morphing into one of nervousness even if she was still smiling, “I-if you’re alright with that. And if you want to stay with me, that is. I don’t want to force you.”

Clover perked up. As much as they feared they were going to be a burden Martlet (and partially Melody, now that they were going to be staying together) had to deal with, everything seemed to indicate that Martlet wanted Clover around. And, it seemed, she wanted Melody around as well. Granted, that may have also been spurred by Melody’s condition, and Clover was almost afraid to see how Martlet would react once they told her what happened to Melody, but that didn’t change the fact that she was willing to let Melody stay with her without Clover having to ask.

“I’d like that,” Clover said. “And I think Melody would appreciate havin’ a place to stay. I’m not sure they’ve got anywhere to go.”

“Great!” Martlet exclaimed. She turned towards the trail down Mt. Ebott. “We should probably head back to the tent. I’m not sure when Melody’s going to wake up… but I doubt it’s soon.”

Clover nodded. They started to stand before they realized that they had no clue how they were going to get up without accidentally waking Melody up. They didn’t want to intentionally wake them up, either – that didn’t seem fair to them.

They looked at Martlet and chuckled. “Uh… kinda stuck here.”

“I can see that,” Martlet said, a laugh escaping her beak. She reached out to Melody with her wings and scooped them up. “There we go!”

Clover, now without anything against their shoulder, pushed themself onto their feet. As they did so, they watched Melody in an attempt to gauge their reaction. Given Melody’s… skittish behavior thus far, Clover was half-expecting Melody to stir in Martlet’s wings. But they never did. If anything, they were seemingly more relaxed than they were before.

They couldn’t help but smile, though the fact that Melody didn’t know they were being held by a monster sat in the back of their mind.

“Well, if y’all are leavin’, I oughta go find Ceroba and Kanako,” Starlo said as he got up.

“Bye Starlo,” Clover said.

“Bye Starlo!” Martlet echoed. “Tell Ceroba I said hi.”

Starlo chuckled. “I will. Take care, both of you.”

Clover and Martlet watched as he made his way back into the Underground. After a moment, Martlet turned to Clover.

“Well, are you ready?” she asked.

Clover nodded. “Yeah, let’s get goin’.”

The two began to make their way to the trail down Mt. Ebott. They just missed the appearance of a flower popping up behind Clover, before vanishing into the ground just as quick.

Voices.

Melody heard voices, talking. They weren’t sure if it was about them. They hoped, prayed that wasn't the case. For once in their life they wanted to be able to sleep without having to deal with anyone talking about them while they slept.

One of the voices they recognized as Clover. They weren’t quite sure how to feel about that.

They nestled further into… whatever they were on. They were moving, they knew that much – they had felt someone pick them up. At least, they thought they did.

What they were sure of was that whatever they were on was soft. It was comforting.

Another voice made itself known. This one Melody did not recognize, but it sounded… caring. Concerned. A bit rambly at times.

The other voice seemed friendly with Clover, at least. Maybe Melody could trust them. That was a nice thought.

It was a shame they couldn’t fully believe it. There were always other intentions with people; this mysterious voice would be no different.

The voices receded, and Melody was finally able to enjoy a peaceful sleep, even as seemingly ever present fears lingered in their mind.

Chapter Text

“You met Frisk?” Sadie asked, her head tilted in a mixture of amazement and wonder.

Kanako eagerly nodded. While her first interaction with Frisk had been… messy, it was them who had helped calm her down. The unending kindness they’d shown to her left its impact on her, and they would forever have her thanks for playing a role in reuniting her with her mother.

It was a shame not all humans were like them or Clover, but those two were likely just one of a kind.

“My… mom and I… did…” she added.

Sadie scoffed, smiling. “You guys are so lucky. Bit and I have been dying to meet them.”

“I’m sure you’ll meet them eventually,” Ceroba said. “Kanako and I just happened to be at the right place at the right time.” She paused for a moment, in thought. “Maybe you’ll run into them on the Surface.”

“Maybe,” Sadie said. “So, what were they like?”

“They were… really nice…” Kanako started, smiling. It disappeared quickly, as memories of the Lab flooded back. “When I… first met them, they… they looked scared… they were scared… I think…” She smiled again. “But they… helped me calm… down… and now…” She hugged her mother. “I get… to be with… you and… my mom…”

“That’s… wow,” Sadie said, amazed. “They did all of that for you.” She chuckled and scooted next to Kanako. “I’ve got some thanks to give when I meet them.”

“You’d like them, Sadie,” Ceroba said. “They’re like Clover, in a way, if you remember them.”

Kanako looked at Sadie. “You met… Clover…?”

Sadie nodded. “I did. I sat with them on the swings. I don’t remember them saying anything, but… honestly, I didn’t want them to.” She looked up. “I needed that moment, I think.”

Kanako smiled. Clover, it seemed, was even kinder than she had thought they were. She’d have to thank them the next time she saw them – preferably without Melody nearby.

“I never saw them again after that,” Sadie continued. “I didn’t even get their name or tell them who I was. The only reason I ended up learning their name was because of your mom.” She turned her head towards Kanako. “I’m guessing you knew them?”

“I met… them earlier…” Kanako said. “They were… really nice…”

A confused chuckle escaped Sadie’s mouth. “That’s… that’s not possible. They’ve been dead for five years. Maybe you just… got them mixed up with someone else, like Frisk?”

Kanako shook her head. “I haven’t… seen Frisk since… yesterday…”

Sadie hummed, a look on her face that said that while she certainly wanted to believe Kanako, she couldn’t. Luckily for Kanako, her mother came to her defense.

“It’s true,” she said. “You weren’t at the saloon earlier, so I can’t blame you too much for not knowing, but Clover is alive again. We both saw them, and so did Star and Dina.”

Sadie blinked for a moment, then shook her head. “I… wow.”

“That was my reaction,” Ceroba said. “Frisk was the one to tell Kanako and I, and I could hardly believe it either. But like I said, it’s true.”

“And you said they were at the saloon?” Sadie asked, any disbelief in her voice gone.

Kanako eagerly nodded. “They were… They even have a… drawing I… made of them…” She smiled, recalling how happy Clover was to see her drawing of them and how they enthusiastically praised it. “They… really liked… it…”

Sadie smiled. “And I thought I couldn’t like them more than I already did.”

The conversation continued, gradually turning away from Clover and onto what the three present monsters were going to do on the Surface once everyone had gotten settled in. The topic of school had come up more than once, much to Kanako’s chagrin – especially when her mother had mentioned how far behind Kanako was. Luckily, Sadie volunteered to help Kanako, so that took some of the sting out of it. The fact that she’d get to spend more time with her best friend was an added bonus.

She had missed being able to be with Sadie. It reminded her of when she and Sadie would play on the swings, how nice it felt to just be able to talk to her. It was moments like that that helped Kanako pull herself out of the rut she was in after Snowdin, even if her father’s death sent her right back down it.

While she could never go back to those times, Kanako found that she didn’t need to. It wouldn’t be the same – the fact that it had been five years since they had all hung out being the primary reason for that – but as long as she got to be with Sadie and Bit, Kanako didn’t care.

Eventually, the sound of bootsteps echoed through the halls. They got louder and louder until Starlo entered the hallway, standing right outside the threshold leading into the Throne Room.

“Melody’s gone,” he said. “They left with Clover and Martlet. We’re all clear.”

Kanako smiled – more good news. She wasn’t happy about missing Clover, but if it meant she didn’t have to cross paths with Melody again, she’d take that. She could always catch up with Clover another time, preferably without Melody anywhere nearby.

At the same time, who knows what Melody would do if left to their own devices. Who knows who they’d hurt. Who knows if they’d run off and come back into the Underground. Who knows if they’d hurt Kanako’s mother, hurt Sadie, hurt Starlo. Who knows if–

A bump in her shoulder spurred Kanako out of her rapidly spiraling thoughts. She turned her head towards the source and saw Sadie staring her down, a concerned expression plastered on her face.

“You okay?” she whispered.

At that moment, Kanako became aware of her mother and Starlo talking about something in hushed tones. She wasn’t sure what exactly, though part of her suspected it had something to do with the blue-eyed, one-eyed human. The other part of her suspected that they were just talking about what they were going to do on the Surface.

She refocused on Sadie and nodded. “I’m fine…”

Judging by the doubtful expression on Sadie’s face, she didn’t believe what Kanako had just said. Mercifully, though, she didn’t press Kanako any further.

“Okay,” she whispered. “But remember, you can talk to me if something’s bothering you. I don’t… ever want to see you like you were after…”

She trailed off, but she didn’t need to complete the sentence – Kanako knew full well what she was referring to.

“I promise I… will…” Kanako said.

It wasn’t a total lie, at the very least.

Sadie smiled. “Good.”

Kanako heard her mother call her name – they were about to head off to the Surface. She stood up and joined her mother and Starlo. Sadie followed her, and the four set off to the Surface.

The Sun, despite having set behind the tree lines somewhat, still created a magnificent view, that much was certain. But Kanako couldn’t enjoy it as well as she wanted to, as much as she did before – knowing that she’d have to contend with Melody again left her feeling far less optimistic at the prospect of living on the Surface.

Maybe they wouldn’t do anything. Maybe Clover would keep them in check. Or maybe they’d hurt her again. Maybe they’d hurt her friends and family again.

Kanako didn’t know, and that uncertainty terrified her.

The walk back to the tent Martlet had set up was considerably less suspenseful than it was the day before, in part because Clover had already seen it. Were Melody awake, it would’ve been suspenseful (and, given their, at the very least, fear of monsters, stressful) for them, but they were still fast asleep in Martlet’s wings.

Clover had to admire how deep of a sleeper they were given what they were sleeping on. Clover could never manage much sleep if they weren’t snug in their own bed – though the night prior with Martlet was an exception – yet here Melody was, sound asleep in Martlet’s wings. Even the constant movement from Martlet walking, which she did her best to mitigate, didn’t wake Melody. They must’ve been quite hard to wake up.

It also occurred to Clover that it was equally as likely that Melody was just that tired from the day’s events. They had just come back to life, after all, and had been weak the entire day. It was a miracle they had managed to stay awake for as long as they did.

Whatever the reason, it seemed as if nothing would wake Melody up, not even the idle conversation between Clover and Martlet – of which Clover had been dancing around the issue of Melody as much as they could.

They knew at some point, possibly as soon as they got Melody situated in the tent, Martlet would start asking questions. Like, for example, why half their face was covered in vines, or why their appearance caused Kanako to run back into the Underground. They knew the answer to both of those questions, but actually telling Martlet them was a whole other matter entirely.

Martlet was one of the kindest people Clover knew, even among the monsters they had befriended over the course of their journey five years ago. Surely Martlet would have it in her to keep Melody around, even after she found out that Melody was the one behind the attack in Snowdin. But at the same time, she hadn’t known Melody nearly as long as she had known Clover for. She didn’t have the little extra bits of context Clover had been able to gather from their time as a ghost. She didn’t–

“Clover?”

Martlet’s voice snapped them out of their thoughts. They gazed up at the blue bird and forced a smile, hoping to drown out the concerns in their head.

“Yeah?”

“Everything okay?” Martlet asked. “You were… a little zoned out there for a bit.”

“I’m fine,” Clover said a little too quickly. Then, without thinking, they added, “I was just thinkin’.”

“Oh!” Martlet exclaimed before immediately realizing how loud her voice was. She looked down at Melody, making sure they didn’t stir, before continuing, her voice lower. “About what?”

Crap…

That was the one thing they wished she didn’t ask, and they regretted their decision to not keep their mouth shut.

They knew that they could lie to Martlet and just tell her something bland, something technically true but not even close to it at the same time. And yet a part of them didn’t want to. A part of them felt like Martlet deserved the truth. After all, she was going to have to find out at some point. At least this way, they could rip off the band-aid early.

They took a deep breath, thinking about how best to phrase what they were about to ask.

“…You remember Chujin’s tapes, right?”

Martlet nodded, her expression turning somber. “It’s been a while, but I do. Why?”

“He mentioned somethin’ about how Kanako was attacked in Snowdin,” they explained. “How a human was behind it.” They paused. “Melody… they were the one behind it.”

The two stopped in their tracks. Clover didn’t look Martlet in the eyes, instead staring down at the grass. They didn’t know what to expect, aside from maybe a harsh reprimanding for keeping this hidden from her. It wouldn’t have been the first time someone did that to them.

Martlet sighed. “That’d explain why Kanako ran back into the Underground…”

“Mhm,” Clover replied. They dared a glance upward, and were shocked to see Martlet staring at Melody with sympathy.

“I… know this is going to sound bad,” she said, “but… I feel bad for them.” As if she realized how that could be interpreted, she added, “Not that I’m excusing them! They caused a lot of people a lot of grief, especially Chujin and Kanako. And yet… that’s… that’s in the past, isn’t it?”

That… was certainly not the attitude they were expecting; and yet, for some reason, Clover had this vague, very vague feeling that she had said something like that to them before. But that was ridiculous. There was never any point where something like that had come up.

Perhaps Flowey had something to do with it.

They brushed that thought aside and focused on the present. They quickly nodded.

“And again! I’m not trying to excuse what they did,” Martlet continued. “It’s just… regardless of what Melody did, I don’t think they deserved to die like… this.”

Clover nodded again. It was hard to disagree with her; they held a similar opinion, especially considering what they knew now (or had managed to piece together).

“So… you ain’t mad at them?” Clover asked.

“I… don’t know if I can be, really,” Martlet said. She looked down at the sleeping human. “Besides, I think they’ve… already paid for what they did.”

Clover nodded. They found it hard to disagree. Still, they knew that when the opportunity presented itself, they’d ask Melody what happened. They wanted the full picture on the frustratingly vague subject, on what made Melody so scared as to do what they did to begin with. How they were actually going to phrase that question was a whole other matter, one they didn’t want to worry about right now.

Instead, a thought came to them relating to the logistics of where everyone would sleep – a thought that, in hindsight, should’ve come to mind earlier.

“So this ain’t really related to anythin’ we were talkin’ about,” they began, “but where’s Melody gonna sleep?”

Martlet hummed. “Well… I was thinking she could just sleep with you and I. It might be a bit cramped, but we’ll make it work!”

“I can handle a little cramped,” Clover said, smiling.

Martlet breathed a sigh of relief. “Thanks, Clover. I promise, it’ll only be for tonight. I’ll get some more bedding tomorrow.”

The two continued the walk to the tent, the conversation shifting further away from the consequences of Melody’s actions, instead focusing primarily on how the rest of Clover’s day went.

It felt nice, talking to Martlet about something as mundane as how their day was. Having someone actually listen to them and care about their day filled a desire Clover didn’t even know they had.

Eventually, the trio finally arrived at the tent as the sun had mostly set. It wasn’t the most grand thing in the world, but it served its purpose of being a temporary residence quite nicely, at least in Clover’s opinion. They could only hope Melody would feel similar.

Clover lifted the flap up and allowed Martlet to enter before following her in. They watched Martlet lay Melody down on the bed she had made for her and Clover as gently as she could. Melody barely stirred, if at all.

“There,” Martlet whispered. She turned to face Clover, clasping her wings. “Are you good with sleeping in those again?” She awkwardly chuckled. “I don’t… really have anything else for you to wear.” 

Clover nodded. They knew they could handle sleeping in the same clothes again. It most certainly would not have been the first time they did so.

After a few minutes of Martlet scrambling to make sure everything was properly set-up, she and Clover climbed into bed. Recognizing from how Melody acted with Starlo that it might not be the best idea to let them have Martlet be the first thing they see upon waking up.

“G’night, Martlet,” Clover mumbled as they got situated.

“Good night, Clover,” Martlet replied, before almost immediately falling asleep.

Clover smiled, then rolled over to face Melody. Part of them felt bad that Melody didn’t have a say in staying with Martlet; that same part was scared to see how they’d react when Melody woke up and came face-to-face with Martlet. Clover knew Martlet was kind, but they also knew that Starlo was kind, and Melody didn’t take well to seeing him.

And yet, Clover knew that the worst Melody would feel is fear. Fear that, with time, could be reeled in. If they could just get Melody to not feel afraid of monsters, to see that they truly meant no harm, then maybe they’d be able to help Melody make up for what they did in Snowdin – once Clover figured why they did what they did, and what even happened to begin with.

All the same, though, Clover couldn’t force them. They’d ask Melody tomorrow if they were fine staying with Martlet. If they weren’t… well, that would have to be that.

Given how they likely lacked anywhere to go, though, Clover was hopeful they’d see reason.

“G’night, Melody,” they whispered before rolling onto their back. They let sleep take them, all their concerns pushed aside to tomorrow.