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Chapter Text

                The Surface. For so long, the Monsters dreamed of it, imagining it a paradise where all their hopes would be realized. In many other universes, that would be true. In other universes, the surface is an endless expanse of life and wonder, with blue skies and fluffy clouds.

                But that is not so in this universe. Years ago, an apocalypse struck, devastating the lands. The sky turned black, the lands cracked with fear, and the world was enveloped in devastation.

                And humanity, rather than banding together to survive, became more divided than ever, nearly wiping themselves out. Small pockets of survivors existed, all fighting and competing to live another day. Over the years, these groups gradually killed each other or died off.

                Save one.

                On a dark day, years after the apocalypse that befell them, a group of humans trudged across the devastated landscape, their numbers supplemented by a motorized convoy, which was just barely puttering along.

                They had traveled for miles, desperately trying to survive to reach their destination. And soon, in the distance, they could see it. A tall mountain, rising above the others.

                Mt. Ebott.

                It was a desperate move, but they were definitively out of options. Each snowless winter that had come and gone, they lost more of their number to the cold and starvation.

                But they had heard the legend from an old man who had lived in the city near it, before he had succumbed to an illness. A myth of a massive underground cavern that was a prison for monsters sealed away for all eternity. Some weren’t sure that this cavern existed and felt they were making this trip for nothing. But they had no choice. They would soon run out of fuel and power for their vehicles, and without them, they would all freeze during the upcoming winter.

                So, cold, starving, and helpless, they chose to take the desperate gamble that such a cavern existed, and that they could hole up in it until more temperate weather came. Many knew that it would be pointless, and that all they were really doing was just staving off the inevitable at this point. But they had decided to do this, as it meant at least one more day alive, and they had to take it.

                Upon reaching the slopes of the mountain, the leader sent a group of scouts, led by his young daughter, to find an opening, as well as a place where they could park their vehicles.

                As the scouts climbed the mountain, they found an opening which spelt salvation and hope. Little did they know that another, much smaller group had made the same climb almost five years ago, following a lone child who had sought to escape, and had found a home and a lost civilization. The Monsters within the mountain didn’t know it yet, but they would soon. Soon, they would find that humanity was still alive, and that this would be their last chance to survive.

End of Prologue

Chapter Text

                Frisk stirred as they slowly awoke. They rubbed their eyes to chase away the last of their drowsiness. As they opened their eyes, they looked over at the Monster sleeping in the bed across from them. They smiled as they saw him peacefully sleeping, light breaths coming from the young child.

                It had been a few crazy months. In the aftermath of their battle with Flowey, and Asriel’s resurrection, the Underground had begun spreading out into the new areas that their battle had blown open. Construction on the towns was slower than anticipated because the areas didn’t have full teams of workers dedicated to them. Fortunately, the Monsters had already established villages of tents which served them well so far.

                Meanwhile, Asriel had started going to the school in Waterfall, with his mother as his teacher, same as Frisk and their friends. His parents were pleased to see him adjusting to being in public and with other kids his age.

                Speaking of Asgore and Toriel, they were on speaking terms again, although initially there was some lingering animosity between them, they gradually overcame that. It made Frisk happy to see them working through their issues, making them hope that they might fully reconnect someday. A hope shared by their brother. Asriel made it no secret that he wanted his parents to be together.

                Frisk sighed. They knew it would be quite some time before Asgore and Toriel got back together. A hundred years apart meant that both had changed and all that hatred and resentment didn’t disappear overnight. It would be a while. But they could wait.

                Frisk got out of bed, lightly shaking Asriel to wake him up, “Asriel, wake up,” they said softly.

                “Mmm, don’t want to,” Asriel bemoaned.

                “We got school today,” Frisk said. “We gotta get ready soon or mom will leave without us.”

                Asriel didn’t immediately get up, so Frisk decided to get started dressing for the day. One thing they always wore now was the Heart Locket, which Asriel had given them a couple weeks after he had been restored. After they got their clothes on, they saw Asriel was still snoozing. Rolling their eyes, they grabbed their pillow and dropped it on his head.

                “Hey!” Asriel shouted, muffled by the pillow.

                “Azzy, get up,” Frisk insisted. “Breakfast will be soon.”

                Asriel threw the pillow off before sitting up. “Okay, okay, I’m up,” he said, rubbing his eyes.

                “Good,” Frisk said. “Get dressed and get to the kitchen in five minutes. If you’re not there by then, I’ll drag you out of bed myself.”

                “Yes, mom,” Asriel said snidely.

                Frisk ignored the remark, walking out of the room. They traversed through the grey house, passing a stack of paint cans as they headed for the kitchen. It was something Frisk had insisted on. Asgore’s house was far too bland for them. They wanted to liven the place up, so Toriel had bought a bunch of paint for the whole family to use to add color the house.

                In the living room Asgore was sitting in his chair, a cup of tea on the armrest, newspaper in hand.

                “Morning, dad!” Frisk greeted.

                “Morning, Frisk. Sleep well?” Asgore asked.

                “Yes, thank you,” Frisk said.

                “Is Asriel coming?” Asgore asked.

                “Eventually, I think,” Frisk said.

                Asgore shook his head. “Still likes sleeping in it seems,” he muttered. “Oh, your mother wants you to help her make breakfast for today.”

                “Sure thing!” Frisk agreed, skipping along. They arrived at the kitchen to find Toriel already at work.

                “Good morning, my child,” she greeted. “Do you think you can help me make breakfast? We are having pie.”

                “Sure!” Frisk agreed, conjuring their magic hands.

                Toriel smiled, happy at their enthusiasm. The two set to work, making the pie together. Once it was done, they brought it to the table. Asgore got up the moment he smelled the pie, sitting down in his seat. A moment later, Asriel showed up, eyes half-closed and feet dragging on the floorboards.

                “Good, you’re up,” Frisk said. “Breakfast is ready!”

                Asriel shook his head, trying to wake himself up. “Mmm, pie,” he said once he got a whiff of the aroma.

                Toriel carved out slices for everyone, Frisk and Asriel sitting next to each other, while Asgore and Toriel sat at opposite ends of the table. Frisk was a little worried about their seating arrangement, but Asriel assured them that was how they used to sit. As the Dreemurr family ate breakfast, Frisk quietly observed their parents. Asgore was pleasantly chatting, while Toriel mostly kept quiet. They could tell she was forcing herself to appear engaged, but she would occasionally look away.

                That made Frisk sad. Toriel might have forgiven Asgore, but it was clear she still had a way to go before her heart accepted it.

*   *   *

                Once breakfast was finished, Toriel collected her things while Frisk and Asriel grabbed their backpacks. Asgore waved them goodbye as they left, both children waving at him enthusiastically. Toriel gave a gentler wave.

                Once at Waterfall, Frisk and Asriel headed straight for the classroom. Toriel, meanwhile, had to go to the principal’s office for something.

                The two Boss Monsters chose seats at the head of the class, their bags leaning against the table legs.

                “So, why do you think mom had to go to the principal’s office?” Asriel asked.

                Frisk shrugged. “Noelle’s mom must have something to say to her.”

                A short while later, the rest of the class showed up. Noelle and MK were the first to arrive, greeting their friends.

                “Nice to see you again!” Noelle said.

                “Same here,” Asriel added. “Any idea what your mom is talking to ours about?”

                “Nope. She doesn’t share much with me,” Noelle admitted.

                “Well, maybe we’ll find out soon,” MK suggested.

                “Maybe,” Frisk agreed. As they said that, Berdly, Catti, and Jockington also arrived. Berdly gave Frisk a sideways glance. He never had gotten over what happened on that first day. Catti and Jockington just waved in their own respective ways.

                “Where’s the teacher?” Berdly asked.

                “Principal’s office,” MK answered. “We’re not sure why though.”

                “Well, the grapevine is we’re going to have a new classmate,” Berdly said. “Maybe that’s why.”

                “Wonder who that is?” Noelle wondered.

                A moment later, Toriel arrived, with a young girl behind her. She was purple, scaley, had yellow slit eyes, brown, mangy hair, and a purple jacket over a white shirt and ripped jeans.

                Toriel gestured to the empty desks, the new girl taking one of them. Toriel went to her own desk at the front of the class. “Good morning, class,” she said.

                “Good morning, Miss Toriel,” everyone but the new girl said.

                “As you can see, we have a new classmate,” Toriel said, gesturing to the reptile. “Everyone, meet Susie.”

                “I think we all already know her,” Berdly muttered.

                “Howdy, Susie,” Asriel said, beaming at her. She just grunted in return. Realizing that he wasn’t getting much out of her, Asriel turned to face his mom again.

                Once the introductions were finished, class began. Frisk occasionally helped Asriel out where they could. One thing they had quickly adjusted to was that Asriel needed help with schooling. He used to be taught by his mother, but he apparently struggled with learning beforehand. So, Frisk found themself occasionally tutoring Asriel, even while class was going on, to help him through some problems.

                Eventually, lunch rolled around, and everyone started heading for the cafeteria.

                “Frisk, might I talk to you before you go eat?” Toriel asked.

                So, Frisk stayed behind while everyone else went ahead.

                “It is about Susie,” she said.

                “What about her?”

                “Well, I was wondering if you could potentially add her to your little circle of friends,” Toriel requested.

                “Why?” Frisk asked.

                “I get the feeling that she is very lonely, and according to her father, she has no other friends,” she explained.

                “That’s kind of sad,” Frisk said. “But if I might ask my own question, why is she in our class now? It’s the middle of the school year.”

                “She and her father just moved to Waterfall,” Toriel explained. “And for some reason, he does not want her going to the school in New Home anymore. Carol suggested me to be her new teacher, and I agreed.”

                “Okay, thanks,” Frisk said. “Well, I guess we can try to include her, but it’ll ultimately be her choice if she wants in or not.”

                Toriel rubbed their head. “That is all I ask. Now run along.”

                Frisk arrived at the cafeteria, getting their lunch before sitting with the rest of their class, next to Asriel and Noelle. Susie, they noticed, had a bit of a wide berth around her.

                MK was chatting away with Noelle and Asriel, occasionally taking a bite out of his food. Frisk saw that Susie wasn’t really paying attention, just staring at her food, barely eating.

                Eventually, Frisk found a break in MK’s talking to speak to Susie. “So, Susie, I hear you’re originally from New Home,” they said. “Me and Asriel are as well.”

                Susie glanced at them.

                “So, what was the school in New Home like? I’ve never been there,” Frisk asked.

                Susie glared at them.

                Sensing that she wasn’t going to answer, Frisk decided to change the topic. “Well, I hope you’re liking Waterfall so far. Heard you moved here. Undyne lives here as well. We’ll be seeing her later today. She handles our magic lessons.”

                “And she’s really cool!” MK said. “She’s so strong!”

                “And intense,” Berdly added. “My wings are sore from last week’s lessons.”

                “You know, you look like you’d handle the physical part well, Susie,” Frisk observed. “Unless those sleeves are a lot bigger than your arms.”

                Susie growled now, causing Berdly – who was closest – to scooch away a bit.

                “Uh, Frisk, what are you doing?” MK whispered, leaning over Noelle.

                “I’m just trying to have a conversation,” Frisk said. “Susie’s new, so we should make her feel included.”

                Susie grunted, looking away.

                “Come on, Susie, I’m just trying to be nice,” Frisk said.

                Susie just grunted again, not looking at them.

                “Well, onto a different subject,” Asriel said. “You two still good to join us?” he asked Noelle and MK.

                “Sure are, dude!” MK answered.

                “Join you? In what?” Berdly asked.

                “Frisk and Asriel are going to show us around the Ruins,” Noelle explained. “It was their home originally.”

                Berdly scoffed. “What could possibly be interesting in that old dump?”

                “Hey, it was the old capital,” MK defended. “I want to know what used to be there. We only got a quick look while fighting Flowey.”

                “Pah, have fun with that,” the bird said snidely.

                Once lunch was over, everyone walked back to their class. On the way there, Berdly pulled Frisk aside to talk to them.

                “Can I ask what that all that was with Susan?” he asked. “Do you have a death wish or something?”

                “What are you talking about?” Frisk asked.

                “Why were you trying to engage her in conversation?” Berdly specified.

                “She’s new. I’m just trying to get her to open,” Frisk explained.

                Berdly shook his head. “You should stop trying to be friendly with her. She’s bullied us for years.”

                Frisk looked at the girl in question. “Nah. My mom wants me to help her, and that’s what I’m going to do.”

                Berdly could only gawk as Frisk walked into the classroom.

*   *   *

                Once classes were over, Frisk met up with their friends outside the school. It had taken weeks of preparation and a lot of begging, but they were going to show their friends the Ruins. At least as much as they could as parts of it were still being worked on.

                “Man, this is going to be so exciting!” MK said, skipping with glee. “Didn’t get much of a chance to look around when we were there.”

                “Calm down, MK,” Asriel advised.

                Frisk giggled at their friend’s enthusiasm. They looked over and saw Susie standing there by herself. Toriel was nearby, talking to a taller Monster who greatly resembled Susie. A thought occurred to them. “Can you wait here a moment?” they requested of their friends.

                They went over to Toriel, who turned to face them. “Greetings my child. How can I help you?”

                The other Monster faced them as well, Susie next to him.

                “Well, my friends and I are going to the Ruins now, and I was wondering if we could bring Susie along?” they asked.

                The girl in question went wide eyed.

                “I do not mind if her father does not,” Toriel said.

                The man debated for a moment. “I suppose so,” he said. “The Ruins are safe once more.”

                Susie yanked on his coat. “Daddy…” she bemoaned.

                He laid a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “It’ll be okay, Susie,” he assured. “I know things have gotten scary since we moved here, but I promise you’ll be fine. Miss Toriel’s child will look after you, and you could use some friends.” He faced Frisk. “Make sure she’s back home by six.”

                “Will do, sir,” Frisk said with a salute.

                They started walking back to their friends, but Susie stayed where she was at. Her father lightly nudged her, encouraging her to go with them. Reluctantly, she followed. But once she was close to Frisk’s friends, she put up her aloof demeanor.

                “Okay, to the Ruins!” Frisk declared.

                MK was nervous that Susie was along but Noelle just smiled at her, putting up a friendly appearance.

                “So, how come we’re bringing Susie along?” Asriel asked.

                “Mom wanted us to include her in our little group to help her adjust,” Frisk answered. “So, I figured this was a good way to start on that.”

                Asriel shrugged. “She doesn’t seem very friendly, but if you say we’re going to be friends with her, then that’s what we’ll do.”

                *   *   *

                The walk to the Ruins was rather long. On the way there, they passed Sans’ sentry station, the skeleton seemingly sleeping at his post.

                “Uh, is he actually sleeping?” MK questioned.

                “Nope,” Frisk said. “Having lived next door to him for three years, I can tell he’s not asleep.”

                “heh, figured i couldn’t fool you,” Sans said, his eyes not opening. “so, you goin’ to visit the ruins?”

                “Yep,” Frisk confirmed.

                “welp, have fun,” he said, waving them off.

                Frisk continued, some of their friends befuddled. After another short walk, they arrived at the edge of Snowdin. The door that used to separate the two areas was destroyed, along with some of the walls, so a fence and gate were put up to substitute. Frisk had the key to the gate, which Asgore lent them for the day. They unlocked the gate, entering the area with their friends.

                While some Monsters had already moved back in, some portions of the Ruins were still unoccupied as they were being rebuilt. Frisk’s friends had to avoid the areas that were under construction. Luckily, there were plenty of places that were safe for the group of young teens.

                The first place they went through was Toriel’s old house.

                “This is where I lived before we moved to Snowdin,” Frisk explained.

                “And it’s where I lived for most of my childhood,” Asriel added. “We moved out shortly after I turned ten to New Home.”

                “It looks so cozy,” Noelle said. “I can see why you liked it here.”

                Frisk nodded. “It was my first home. I kinda miss it at times.”

                Susie looked unimpressed, though Frisk could see a little bit of envy in her gaze.

                After that, they continued through the Ruins, Frisk showing their friends around the upper levels of the area. While it was very messy, with cracked walls and overgrown plants, it was still a very pleasing area.

                “It is kinda nice,” MK said. “Though a little cold.”

                “Yeah, it was always kinda drafty,” Asriel admitted.

                “Well, I made some modifications to some of the puzzles in these areas,” Frisk said. “My goal was to make them harder to repel humans. Didn’t work as well as I had hoped, though.”

                “Yeah, they still made it through and escaped,” Noelle said, rubbing her throat. She still got nightmares about the time she and Frisk had been held hostage and how close the humans had come to killing them.

                “Well, at least they’re dead now,” MK added. He briefly looked down at his feet. “I… I am sorry about what happened.”

                “We know, MK,” Frisk said, patting the armless lizard on the back.

                Susie looked confused, so Frisk explained. “MK had dared me and Noelle to knock on the Ruins door, and we ended up getting captured by humans. Luckily, we were able to escape, and the Royal Guard sent them back into the Ruins.”

                “Where they were killed by Flowey,” Asriel said sadly. “Those were the last humans alive, and now they’re all gone.”

                Frisk shrugged. “Well, at least they didn’t cause any real damage,” they said.

                “Well, where to next?” Noelle asked.

                “How about you show us some of the puzzles, dude?” MK asked Frisk.

                “Sure!” they agreed. “This way.”

                They continued through the Ruins, traveling the reverse of the path Frisk took when they first arrived. Frisk pointed out some of the various puzzles and how they modified them. The others were rather impressed that Frisk had managed all of that when they were only eight.

                Eventually, they arrived at the first puzzle in the Ruins. “Now this one I didn’t change at all,” Frisk explained. “All I did was add a fail to it so that if the wrong solution was input, boulders would fall and crush you.”

                “Sounds kinda brutal,” Noelle said.

                “It was necessary to protect Monsters from humans,” Frisk defended.

                MK saw the plaque that was next to the exit. “Only the fearless may proceed,” he read aloud. “Brave ones, foolish ones. Both walk not the middle road.”

                “That means you press the tiles on the outside,” Frisk said, gesturing to the six tiles nearby.

                Susie stepped on one of the middle tiles, but nothing happened. “Is it broken?” she questioned.

                “Oh, no,” Frisk said. “I intentionally triggered the fail to block the humans from advancing for a while. Long enough to begin the evacuation.”

                “So, nothing should happen if I pull this lever?” MK asked, gesturing to the yellow handle.

                “Nope,” Frisk confirmed. “Puzzle’s not active anymore anyway.”

                “Cool,” MK said. He grabbed the lever with his tail, pulling it down.

                Suddenly, the floor shook, making them all stumble.

                “Did I do that?” MK questioned.

                “Thought you said the puzzle didn’t work anymore,” Susie said to Frisk.

                “I don’t think that was the puzzle,” Frisk said. “It felt more like… something exploded.”

                “It sounded like it came from that way,” Asriel said, pointing to the entrance to the room.

                “Think it’s part of the construction?” MK asked.

                “I don’t think the workers have made it this far,” Noelle said.

                “We should probably check it out, then,” Frisk decided. They led their group through the area, eventually arriving at the room where they first met Flowey. Finding nothing, they went further, nearing the place where Frisk first fell into the Underground.

                They peaked around the corner, slightly fearful of what they would find. What they found was a cascade of boulders and dirt coming down from the ceiling, making something of a crude ramp.

                From the ceiling, they could hear voices and other strange sounds. Then, a couple figures tentatively walked down the ramp.

                Frisk gasped. The people coming down were unmistakably human. But they thought the humans were all dead. They looked back at their friends, who were shocked to say the least.

                Frisk looked back at the group to see they had guns on them. Memories of their time as a hostage went through their head. These humans, for all Frisk knew, were as bad as the group they had been with. They couldn’t let them into the rest of the Underground.

                But what could they do? All the puzzles were deactivated, so they had no defense.

                But it could be a small group. Frisk looked down at their hands. Maybe they could do it by themself. If they got their hands on one of those weapons… they still knew how to use them. They could do it. And as Frisk looked back at their friends again, they knew they couldn’t ask them to help. No, Frisk would do this alone. They didn’t want the people they cared about to stain their souls like that.

                Frisk was about to tell their friends to run and that they would handle it, but then they heard an engine rev. They looked at the ceiling again and saw a truck slowly rolling down, wood planks under the tires to provide it with a consistent surface to drive down.

                “What the heck is that?” Susie asked, pointing to the vehicle.

                “A truck,” Frisk said. They looked at the ceiling again, and they saw many more people coming down, and there were a few more vehicles there as well.

                “That’s a lot of humans,” Noelle said, clutching Frisk’s arm.

                Frisk groaned. So much for their plan.

                “So, what do we do?” MK asked.

                “They don’t look too good,” Asriel observed.

                Frisk looked at the group and realized that he was right. They weren’t just pale; they were all thin. The surface must be getting worse.

                “We should alert the guard so they can deal with this,” Frisk suggested.

                “Hey, they’re talking,” Noelle said.

                Frisk listened harder, and sure enough, the humans outside the vehicles were talking.

                “Wonder how long this cave goes on for?” one of them said.

                “As long as we can get everyone in, it doesn’t matter,” the other said. “I’m just glad this place exists. Should be perfect to wait out the winter.”

                “Hey, I think I see some stone pillars that way,” another said, pointing to the entryway Frisk and their friends were hiding behind.

                “Think we found a lost civilization?” the first one wondered.

                “The legends did say that there were monsters down here,” the third one said.

                “What do we do if that turns out to be the case?” the first one asked. “Assuming that they’re real.”

                “Hope they’re friendly?” the second suggested. “We don’t have any other options.

                “Sounds like there’s more coming,” Frisk said.

                “And it doesn’t sound like they’re as mean as the last group,” Asriel said.

                “Maybe we should talk to them?” Noelle suggested.

                “Bad idea,” Frisk insisted. “We don’t know who they are or what they want, so we shouldn’t act like they’re friends.”

                “But they look weak and sick,” Asriel pointed out.

                “That makes them desperate,” Frisk said. “We shouldn’t trust desperate humans.”

                “Sounds like they will either way,” Noelle quietly said to herself.

                “Okay, we’re going to quietly walk back and try to seal the doors in the first puzzle room,” Frisk decided. “Then we make a mad dash for the nearest guard and inform them.”

                “Sounds like a good plan to me,” MK agreed.

                “Not to Noelle,” Asriel said.

                When Frisk turned to ask, they saw Asriel pointing at something. And to their horror, Noelle was walking up to the group.

                “What is she doing?” Frisk questioned, panicked.

                Noelle carefully walked into the beam of light that was shining from the hole in the ceiling. Immediately the humans had their guns aimed at her. “Who goes there?!” one of them demanded.

                Noelle shot her hands into the air. A trick she had learned from Frisk. “It’s okay! I’m not going to hurt you!” she said quickly and loudly.

                One of the humans lowered their gun. “Christ, is that a kid?”

                “A deer kid that talks,” the other observed.

                Noelle slowly walked closer, keeping her hands up. “Easy, humans,” she said. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

                More humans arrived, some with guns, some without, but all of them looked at her.

                “What is that?” one asked.

                “I think it’s one of those monsters,” someone said.

                “That thing? It’s too cute to be a monster,” someone said.

                Noelle blushed at the compliment. Seemed she was right that her appearance would calm them.

                “I am a Monster,” she said. “And my name is Noelle.”

                “Like the song?” one of the humans questioned.

                “Are you the only one of your kind?” another asked.

                “No, there’s plenty more of us,” Noelle said. “A few of my friends are nearby in fact. But one of us is wondering if we can trust you, since the last group of humans threatened to kill us.”

                A few of the humans looked between each other before one of them stepped forward. Noelle could tell by the way he carried himself that he was the leader.

                “We’ve met a few other groups of survivors like that,” he said. “But I promise you we are not like that. Please, we need help, and we are out of options.”

                “Well, we’ll see about that,” Noelle said. She looked back, beckoning her friends to come out.

                “Are we really going out there?” MK questioned.

                Frisk sighed. “Unfortunately.” They walked out into the beam of light, their friends following. Some of the humans flinched at the sight of them.

                “And here I thought the whole thing was just a legend,” someone said.

                “Why are you all here?” Frisk questioned.

                “We need a place to stay,” the leader said. “Winter is fast approaching, and we do not have the means to survive it. We had heard that there was a cavern here that was hopefully big enough for all of us.”

                “Well, that is technically true,” Asriel said. “But…”

                “But what?” the leader prompted.

                “I’m not sure if you’ll be allowed to stay,” Frisk said. “Last group of humans took two of us hostage and tried to extort our kind. And even after they were offered a reasonable compromise, they rejected it.”

                The leader looked down in sadness. “I promise, we will do no such thing. I am begging on behalf of my people – what’s left of our species – will you help us?”

                Frisk sighed through their nose. They wanted to say no, but the humans were already here, and there was no way to send them away. They looked over at Noelle, and she rubbed her chest in a counterclockwise circle.

                Frisk sighed again. “Give us a minute,” they said. They stepped aside with their friends, the five of them huddling up and speaking in hushed tones so they wouldn’t be overheard.

                “We should do something,” Noelle encouraged.

                “We can’t trust them,” Frisk said. “They could be like the last group or worse.”

                “We should do something, Frisk,” Asriel said. “They’ve already crossed the Barrier, so there’s no way for them to leave.”

                “We should talk to the king and queen,” Noelle suggested. “They might agree we need to help.”

                “We should do something,” Susie spoke up, shocking Noelle and MK. “They need help.”

                “The only problem is we can’t trust them,” MK said. “How will we know they won’t try to take advantage?”

                Frisk thought it over. A part of them wanted badly to lie and find a way to lock them up forever. Yet another part was begging to show mercy to these people, that in the end, they might be better people than the ones Frisk grew up with. Eventually, an idea came to them. A bad one.

                “I might have a solution,” Frisk said. “We take one of them with us to mom and dad, and one of us stays behind.”

                Asriel looked at Frisk in shock. “We take one of them hostage and give them one in return? Is that the idea?”

                “More like insurance,” Frisk explained. “We take one of them so that if the rest try something, we can retaliate on the one we take. Likewise leaving someone here guarantees to them we come back.”

                “Is that really wise?” Noelle asked. “It doesn’t sound very good.”

                “It’s the best way to garner their cooperation,” Frisk said. “It’s not the nicest way, but we can’t afford to be picky.” They faced MK. “Are you willing to stay behind?”

                “Me? Why?” MK asked.

                “Because Carol would kill me if I left her,” Frisk said, pointing to Noelle, “I told Susie’s dad I’d have her back home by six, and there is no way in hell I’m leaving Asriel here.”

                “It does make the most sense,” Noelle agreed.

                MK lightly groaned. “Okay. I’ll try to keep them under control as best I can.”

                “Good,” Frisk said. “We all in agreement?” Everyone nodded. “Okay, let’s do this.”

                They broke from their huddle and went to the group. “Okay, we’ve reached a decision,” Frisk announced. “We’ll take one of you to the king and queen, but only one. The rest must stay here. You can plead your case to them. And to assure you that we mean to return, one of our own will stay with you.”

                Some of the humans didn’t seem to like that plan. There was a lot of muttering. Eventually, the leader stepped forward. “We’ll accept those terms. I will be the one to go.”

                Frisk had hoped that would be the case. Having the leader as the hostage would keep the humans from retaliating.

                “Leave your weapons,” Frisk said, crossing their arms. “You’re not taking them.”

                The man sighed before nodding in understanding. He laid his rifle down.

                “Knife too,” Frisk said.

                The man’s eyes widened in shock before pulling a combat knife from his belt, laying it down.

                Frisk decided that was good enough and nodded in approval. “MK,” they said, the armless lizard stepping forward to stand amongst the group of humans. He seemed nervous, but he put on a brave face for his friends.

                “How’d you know he had a knife?” Asriel whispered.

                “I didn’t,” Frisk answered. “Alright, this way,” Frisk said, gesturing for the leader to follow them. Frisk led their group back the way they came. Frisk didn’t like this one bit, but it really was their only choice. They just hoped it didn’t backfire.

End of Chapter 1

Chapter Text

                Frisk pushed open the doors to leave the Ruins. Behind them was Asriel, Noelle, Susie, and a human. Frisk didn’t like this, but with the number of humans that was with this man’s group, finishing them off wasn’t a viable option.

                Upon stepping into Snowdin’s forest, the human stopped, staring at the snow on the ground, on the trees, everywhere. He knelt to pick up a handful of the stuff, staring at the white powder in his hands.

                Noelle noticed, stopping for a moment. “Everything okay?” she asked.

                “Yeah. It’s just… I haven’t seen snow in years,” he admitted.

                Frisk could sympathize somewhat. They had been in awe when they saw the stuff for the first time. They had never seen snow before, only heard of it.

                “Keep moving,” they said sharply.

                The guy let the handful of snow fall from his grasp before following.

                Once past the first bridge, they arrived at Sans’ station. The skeleton was still fake sleeping at his post.

                “Sans,” Frisk said, walking up to him.

                “heya, kiddo,” Sans said, not opening his eyes. “what’s happening?”

                “Is that thing… talking?” the human muttered.

                “I need you to shortcut us all to the castle,” Frisk said to Sans. It would be faster and draw less attention.

                “how come?” Sans asked, eyes still closed.

                “Because we’ve got a situation,” Frisk said.

                “and what is that situation?” Sans asked.

                “Open your eyes and see for yourself,” Frisk snipped.

                Sans opened his eye sockets, looking over their group. When the lights of his eyes landed on the human, his eyes widened, and the lights shrunk.

                “uh… is that… what i think it is?” Sans asked.

                “Yep,” Frisk said. “And he’s far from alone.”

                Sans looked at Frisk. “so, i take it you want me to get him to the king and queen pronto so they can handle this?”

                “We don’t have much other choice,” Frisk said.

                Sans sighed before standing up. “okay then, let’s go. haven’t done it with this many people, but i can manage.”

                “What’s going on?” the human asked.

                “take my hand, human,” Sans said, extending his left hand.

                The human groaned before he grabbed it, and a fart noise came from the hand.

                “Really?” Frisk questioned; arms crossed.

                “hey, nobody falls for it twice, so i gotta do it with everyone i meet,” Sans cheekily said.

                Noelle and Asriel both groaned, the human looked at his hand, confused, and Susie was trying to suppress a giggle.

                “okay, for real this time, take my hand,” Sans said, whoopee cushion back in his pocket.

                The human got over his confusion, taking Sans’ bony hand. Frisk took his other hand while their friends all formed a chain.

                In a flash, they were in New Home, on the front lawn of Frisk and Asriel’s house.

                “What the… how did we get here?” the human asked.

                “i knew a shortcut,” Sans said, letting go.

                “Wait here,” Frisk said, turning to their house. “Mom, dad!” they called. “We need you out here.”

                A few moments later, Asgore and Toriel stepped out. Asgore had already gotten out of his armor, wearing his flower shirt and pants, while Toriel had an apron on.

                “What is it, my child?” Toriel asked.

                “We’ve got a little problem,” Frisk said, gesturing to the human. “Actually, a big problem.”

                Both Dreemurr’s eyes widened at the sight of him, and he too was shocked to see them, having to look up to meet their eyes.

                “A… a human?” Asgore asked.

                “Yeah, and it’s not just him,” Frisk said. “A large group has shown up.”

                The human shook his head before stepping forward. “I take it that you two are in charge?”

                “I am,” Asgore said. “I am king Asgore.” He gestured to Toriel. “This is… my consort, Toriel.”

                “A king? Holy shit,” the guy muttered.

                “Might we ask why you are here?” Toriel asked.

                “To survive,” the human said. “We have traveled far, looking for a place that is safe and protected. When we heard the legend of this place, we decided to come here. We didn’t know there were already people down here. Hell, we didn’t even know if a cave existed in the first place. But we had to take the chance, because if we didn’t, we wouldn’t last the winter.”

                “And how many is ‘we’?” Asgore asked.

                “One hundred forty-seven,” he answered. “That’s how many souls are left.”

                Toriel gasped. “That is… bigger than the last group.”

                “Might I ask something?” the human requested. “How is it you guys are still here? Everything else has been destroyed. How can you still live?”

                “A magical seal is what separates us from the surface,” Asgore answered. “We call it the Barrier. It keeps us all trapped underground. Including you.”

                “What does that mean?” he asked.

                “there’s a reason we haven’t left,” Sans spoke up. “the barrier traps everyone that crosses it. and it is completely impassable.”

                The human looked at the king and Toriel. “Wait… what happened to the last group? I keep hearing about them.”

                Asgore shuffled on his feet. “They were… killed. At least, most of them were. One died due to starvation.”

                “How did they die?” the human asked.

                “They were killed by an evil flower,” Frisk explained. “A sentient golden flower called Flowey.”

                The human looked at Frisk. “Why?”

                “Because he’s a little shit,” Frisk said.

                “Frisk!” Toriel admonished.

                “Well, it’s true,” Frisk defended. “Haven’t seen him since, though.”

                The human shivered a bit. “So, they’re all dead? Will you do the same to us?”

                “Only if you give us a reason to,” Frisk said before Asgore could speak.

                Asgore laid a hand on Frisk’s head, fixing them with a look. He then faced the human again. “We would prefer it not to come to that,” he said. “We might be able to work something out where your kind and ours can live together. If you are agreeable.”

                The human sighed. “We don’t have much of a choice. Like I said, we’re out of options, and we won’t make it on our own. We’re begging you to help us.”

                Asgore nodded. “We shall see what we can do,” he decided. “Let me get changed, then I’ll have Sans take us to wherever you are.”

                “Why?” the human asked.

                “I would prefer to see everything with my own eyes before I start making concessions,” Asgore answered. “Frisk, I would like for you to accompany me.”

                “What?” Frisk exclaimed.

                Asgore turned and went back into the house, Toriel pulling Frisk aside while their friends talked to the human.

                “Why do I have to go back?” Frisk asked.

                “You know more about humans than Asgore,” Toriel explained. “He needs your perspective if he is to make an accurate decision.”

                “But there are other Monsters who know more,” Frisk pointed out.

                “Yes, but their knowledge is either inaccurate or out of date,” Toriel said.

                “So’s mine. I haven’t talked with other humans for five years, not counting the two days I was a hostage.”

                “It is more recent than everyone else,” Toriel insisted. “You are the best choice.”

                Frisk groaned.

                “Is something wrong?” Toriel asked.

                “I was hoping to spend the rest of the day with my friends, not dealing with humans,” Frisk said.

                “They are your people, Frisk,” Toriel said.

                “You are my people,” Frisk replied, hugging her. “I’m a Monster now, not human. I’m one of you guys, and I always will be.”

                Toriel returned the hug with a pat on their back.

                Asgore exited, his cape and armor on. “Now then, shall we?” he asked.

                Frisk didn’t want to, so Toriel looked them in the eyes as she spoke her next words. “Asgore will need you for this, Frisk. Not just to inform him of human things, but to protect him. You know humans best and can anticipate what they will do. We are counting on you.”

                Frisk sighed. “Okay, I’ll go,” they agreed.

                They walked over to Sans, who stood at the ready. “okay, take a hand.” Everyone grabbed each other’s hands. With that, Sans teleported them straight to Toriel’s old house in the Ruins. “welp, this is as far as i can take ya,” the skeleton said. “i’ll be at my post. see ya.” With that, he vanished again.

                “How does he do that?” the human questioned.

                “So, where are these humans?” Asgore asked.

                “This way,” Frisk said, leading the procession once again. Noelle, Susie and Asriel were with them.

*   *   *

                They walked through the halls of the Ruins, eventually arriving at the place where Frisk had first arrived, and where all the other humans were at. They could hear a commotion up ahead, which was several people talking to each other. They found the group of humans, which included several vehicles that were loaded with either more people or supplies.

                Two humans with rifles at the ready saw them, facing them. “Who goes there?” one demanded.

                “Stand down,” the leader said. “We’ve returned with what appears to be the king of Monsters.”

                “Howdy,” Asgore greeted, waving at them.

                He towered over the guards, who lowered their weapons at the sight of him.

                “Now, might I be shown your people?” Asgore requested.

                “Sure, come along,” the leader said, this time in front.

                They entered the area where Frisk first met Toriel, which was already packed with humans and supplies. There were a few cars around, which people were relaxing in. When Asgore stepped into the crowd, they gaped, as he towered over all of them.

                Asgore took in the humans around him. The first thing he noticed was how pale they were. Frisk’s skin hadn’t been very dark, but these people were much paler than even the humans in the last group. He then saw that they were all very thin, to the point where he could almost see their bones where clothing didn’t cover them. Some he could see had bags under their eyes.

                And as for their clothing, Asgore could see that most had patchwork shirts and pants, with mismatched patches of cloth covering parts of their clothes, and there were holes around the elbows and knees.

                Asgore could recall what humans from before looked like, and if those humans had been healthy specimens, then these guys were clearly sick. It was apparent that they needed help. Desperately.

                “Golly,” he finally said. “I knew it was bad, but this is worse than what I had assumed.”

                Frisk looked around, trying to spot MK amongst the crowd. “Where’s MK?” they demanded.

                “Over here!” came MK’s voice. The armless lizard walked up. “They’ve been setting up camp, and I’ve been doing what I could to help.”

                “His tail is surprisingly handy,” someone said.

                “You’re okay though, right?” Frisk asked.

                “Yeah, I’m good,” MK said.

                “Well, how about you show us around?” Asgore asked. “I’d like to see for myself what has become of this group.”

                “Sure,” MK said. “Though you’ll probably want to have the girl who set everything up tell you what is what.”

                “Girl? You mean my daughter?” the leader asked.

                “About my age, black hair, light skin – though they all have light skin – blue eyes?” MK clarified.

                “Yeah, that’s her,” he said. “Connie,” he called out. Frisk stiffened at hearing the name. Before long, the girl MK described came up. She was wearing what looked like an old baseball outfit, but it was hard to tell amidst the purple and blue patches.

                “Yeah, dad?” she said. “Did you get the help we needed?”

                “Not quite yet,” the man said. “Uh, this is king Asgore. Asgore, this is my daughter, Connie.”

                “Pleased to meet you,” Asgore said, extending a hand to her. She flinched a bit, his hand almost as big as her head.

                “Uh, hi,” she said, eventually shaking his hand. She was surprised at how gentle his grasp was.

                “Connie’s almost my right-hand,” the leader said. “Even though she shouldn’t be. Also, I don’t think I got the rest of your names.”

                Now Frisk was glad they had neglected to mention their name.

                “Well, I think we can fix that,” Asgore said. “The first one you met is Noelle, you already know MK. These are my children, Asriel and – “

                “You can call me Prince,” Frisk interrupted. They quickly signed to Asgore to not correct them or say their name.

                Asgore sighed before gesturing to Susie. “And this is Susie, a friend of my kids. Though technically, they all are friends.”

                “So, are you going to help us?” Connie asked.

                “I first need to examine your people and supplies to see in what way we can help,” Asgore said.

                “Well, this is mostly just overflow for now,” Connie said. “The rest of our stuff is in that first cave, though it is kinda cramped.”

                “I should be able to manage,” Asgore said.

                Connie and her dad led the way, walking into the cavern where they had first entered the Underground. She hadn’t been exaggerating when saying it was cramped. Most of their vehicles were crammed together. While the cars and vans could maneuver more easily, the big trucks were almost next to each other, and on the far side was a semi with an attached trailer. The path out of the cave was mostly lined with people, some carrying guns, some not. There were some crates as well.

                Asgore’s eyes widened at the sight. “Wow.”

                “One hundred forty-seven people,” Frisk repeated. “I take it most are in the cars?”

                “Yeah,” Connie said. “It’s easier to rest in those and they make good shelters.”

                “And what of the big cars?” Asgore asked.

                “They’re trucks,” Connie corrected. “They’re what we carry our supplies in.”

                Frisk looked at the various big trucks and saw one that had an air conditioning unit on its front. It looked the most modified of them. “What’s in that one?” they asked.

                “Our perishables,” the leader said.

                “Perishables?” Asriel questioned.

                “Its food that needs to be refrigerated to last longer,” Frisk explained.

                Noelle hummed before something occurred to her. “Oh, right. Human food does something called ‘spoiled’, where it goes bad after a certain length of time.”

                Connie and her dad looked at the reindeer in confusion. “Uh, yeah, does your food not spoil?” the leader asked.

                “Our food is magic, so it doesn’t go bad,” Asgore explained.

                “We should probably look at that truck,” Frisk suggested.

                “Good point, though I might have a slight problem,” Asgore said.

                Frisk wondered what it could be, but then looked between Asgore’s frame and the gaps between the trucks. “Maybe you could suck in your gut?” they suggested.

                “I don’t think it would help,” Asgore said.

                MK gasped as an idea came to him. “I know! We could show him with face time!”

                “What?” Connie asked.

                Frisk knew what he meant, pulling out their phone. “That could work,” they agreed. “I’ll get to the truck and show dad what he needs to see with my phone.”

                “I’m confused,” Connie said. “What are they doing?”

*   *   *

                “He can really see everything?”

                Frisk rolled their eyes as they moved the phone’s camera around, showing Asgore what was in the refrigerated truck.

                “There’s not as much in here as I thought,” Frisk said. The truck had plenty of shelves and boxes, but they were largely empty. A layer of frost covered everything that wasn’t food.

                “There’s hardly any food?” Asgore asked, his voice coming through the phone’s speaker.

                “A lot of the boxes and shelves are empty,” Frisk said, showing Asgore the vacant spots.

                “And this is just the food that we need to keep cold,” the leader said. “We got through it as slowly as we can, rationing as much as possible.”

                Frisk stopped on a box that was labeled differently from the rest. “Hold on, what’s this?” they asked.

                “It’s medicine,” the leader said. “What little we need refrigerated, anyway.”

                Frisk opened the box, looking inside it, making sure the camera was pointed at the contents. The box was almost empty, save a few vials held by a tray.

                “What do the rest of their medicine stores look like?” Asgore asked.

                Frisk walked over to the leader, relaying the question. “Not good,” he answered. “We ran out of serious stuff a few months ago. All we got left are over-the-counter painkillers and congestion shit.”

                Frisk tried not to feel bad for them, despite how sad that was. They didn’t want to admit it, but they had gotten used to not having to worry about stuff like this anymore.

                “Might I see the rest of your food stores?” Asgore asked through the phone.

                “Sure, this way,” the leader agreed, motioning for Frisk and Asriel to follow. Noelle, Susie and MK stayed with Asgore.

                “So, you can really see everything?” Connie shouted to the phone.

                “No need to yell, the phone works just fine,” Asgore said back, a hand over an ear.

                “The camera on my phone’s relaying everything it sees to his,” Frisk said tersely.

                “How? Is that magic?” Connie asked.

                Before Frisk could speak, her father spoke. “No, Connie. It’s just technology.”

                “You don’t have phones?” Asriel asked.

                “We used to,” the leader said. “Had to give them up when everything craped out.”

                They arrived at another truck. This one didn’t seem as heavily modified. Connie opened the back door, allowing Frisk and Asriel to get a look. Frisk held their phone up, showing Asgore another mostly empty truck.

                “Tell me this is not all that is left,” Asgore asked.

                “We have one more truck, but it’s just as empty,” Connie said.

                “Golly,” Asriel said. “All the time I’ve lived, our cabinets have never been this empty.”

                Frisk hopped out of the truck. “Weapons now.”

                “Very well,” the leader said.

                They weaved their way around cars and trucks to arrive at another truck, this one a somewhat muted green. The door was opened, and Frisk stepped onto the floor. There were guns on racks, of many sizes, but there were also a few boxes of ammo. Frisk went over to an open crate and saw that it was empty.

                “What used to be in here?” they asked.

                “Ammo,” Connie said.

                Asriel picked up a round piece of metal with a clip and pin. “What’s this thing?” he asked.

                Frisk panicked and yanked it out of Asriel’s hands. “That’s a grenade. Not something you should be handling, brother.”

                “You shouldn’t, either,” Connie said, taking it out of their hands. She put it back where Asriel had got it from.

                Frisk looked around at the boxes of bullets and saw that most of them were empty or only had a few magazines left. “Wow. These are a lot emptier than I thought,” they said.

                “We’ve had to use a lot recently,” the leader said. “Not that it did much good.”

                Frisk’s eyes then landed on a .50-caliber machine gun. “How did you get your hands on that?” Frisk asked.

                “We found it in an abandoned military base,” Connie said. “Though, it was all we managed to find. Looters probably took all the good stuff first. Like tanks.”

                “What are tanks?” Asriel asked.

                “Do you have ammo for that gun?” Frisk asked.

                “Only a single belt,” the leader answered. “There’s like maybe two hundred rounds in it.”

                Asriel’s eyes went wide when he heard that.

                “That’s not a lot, comparatively,” Frisk said to him. “That’s like four minutes of continuous operation.”

                “So, what does that say about their capabilities?” Asgore asked.

                “Well, judging by the bullets that are left, I don’t think they’d be able to survive a firefight for very long, if you don’t count the .50-cal,” Frisk said.

                “You know a lot about our weapons,” Connie observed.

                “I’ve had more experience with them than the average Monster,” they said, keeping their expression level.

                “Think you’re up to seeing our medicine stores?” the leader asked.

                “Show me,” Asgore requested.

                Frisk hopped out of the truck, and they made their way to a large truck with a longer back to it than the others. The leader opened the door, and they walked up a provided ramp to stand in the truck. On the floor were several people in beds, a few others walking over them, tending to them.

                “Medical truck, I take it?” Frisk asked, gesturing to the people present.

                “The best we can manage,” the leader explained.

                Frisk started walking forward with Connie and her dad, but Asriel stayed rooted at the entrance.

                “Brother, you okay?” Frisk asked.

                “Not really,” Asriel admitted. “You go on ahead. I’ll stay here.”

                Frisk didn’t press, just continued stepping over the humans that were on the floor. They could see these people were hurt. A few were outright missing limbs, others had bandages on their chests or heads. Occasionally, there were a few that were coughing.

                They reached a set of cabinets at the front of the truck, which had bottles in them. But one look and Frisk realized they were not prescription bottles. As they had said earlier, the medicine was all painkillers and decongestants. “That’s all the medicine you have?” Frisk asked.

                “Unfortunately,” the leader said.

                Asgore muttered something, but it was so quiet his phone’s microphone didn’t pick it up.

                Once done, they left the truck, Asriel rejoining their group. “It looked bad from where I was standing,” he said.

                “It’s really bad,” Frisk agreed. “They don’t have any real medicine. And the dosages of what they do have is so mild it wouldn’t do any good.”

                “Now you see why we need help,” the human leader said.

                “I have seen enough,” Asgore decided. With that, he turned his phone off and Frisk and Asriel returned with the two humans in tow. “You are desperate for aid, and I believe we can help you.”

                “Really?” the leader asked.

                “Yes. For the time being, you humans are to stay within these two caverns,” Asgore said. “I shall talk to my captain and have her arrange a delivery of food, water and medicine for your group.”

                “Why do we need to stay here?” Connie asked.

                “I need to let my people know of your presence,” Asgore answered. “I am afraid if humans were to show up, people would panic, and eventually some Monster would attack. Better if you stay here where it is safer, and you are less likely to run into a random Monster.”

                “He has a point, Connie,” her dad said. “But I trust we will eventually be able to leave?”

                “In time, once I have made the announcement,” Asgore said. “There is quite a bit to do before we can allow our kinds to coexist.”

                “Well, we will be here,” the leader said. “I’ll tell my people what the situation is.”

                Asgore nodded before turning to leave. The children followed him, though Frisk yanked on his cape to get his attention once they were out of earshot of the humans.

                “This is a bad plan,” they said.

                “How so?” Asgore asked.

                “We can’t trust them,” Frisk said. “They’re humans.”

                “They are probably the last of their kind, Frisk,” Asgore said. “And we cannot simply lock them up anymore. The Ruins and the new cavern you had created are almost ready for people to move into.”

                “I still don’t like this,” Frisk said.

                Asgore sighed. “I know you have issues with humans, Frisk, but now is not the time to be angry. They need our help, and we will not turn them away.”

                “They need us, Frisk,” Asriel said. “And don’t worry. Alphys made more of those shield thingies for the guards, so their guns won’t do them much good.”

                “Still, they probably have a very high LV,” Frisk said. “They could kill an ordinary Monster very easily.”

                “Which is why I’m only letting Undyne, and a few chosen Monsters interact with them and sparingly,” Asgore said. “She knows who can take a hit and who can’t.”

                Frisk sighed. They’d go along with this because Asgore said so, but they weren’t going to like it. They didn’t trust the humans. If they betrayed them, Frisk would be ready.

End of Chapter 2

Chapter Text

                Frisk and Asriel went home with Asgore, while the others went to their respective houses. Frisk’s plan to show their friends around the Ruins would have to be on hold until the humans were dealt with. Toriel was informed of Asgore’s decision and agreed it was the best course of action. He had contacted Undyne as soon as he could, letting her know what to do and who to choose for their regular visits.

                Frisk themself had been silent the entire walk back to New Home. Toriel was currently making supper and Frisk waiting in their room with Asriel, who was studying the reading material for school. Asriel wasn’t as good as Frisk, so he often needed an extra hour or two of studying to keep up.

                “Okay, I think I got it now,” Asriel said. “And we have about ten minutes before supper’s ready. So, let’s talk.”

                “About what?” Frisk asked.

                “The humans,” Asriel said. Frisk glared, but Asriel kept going. “Turns out they’re not extinct after all. Another group survived.”

                “Yeah,” Frisk said.

                “So… how do you feel about that?” Asriel asked.

                “What’s it matter?” Frisk retorted.

                “Frisk, I might not be a voice in your head anymore, but I can still tell you’re upset,” Asriel said. “Your people are alive and are struggling to survive.”

                “They’re not my people. Not anymore,” Frisk said.

                “But you were human,” Asriel pointed out.

                “That part of me died when my old body died,” Frisk said. “Heck it was dying the moment I fell into the Underground. You all treated me better than any human ever did.”

                “Yeah, but still, they were your people, Frisk,” Asriel reminded. “Don’t you feel bad for them, even a little bit?”

                “No,” Frisk said bluntly.

                Asriel was saddened by that, but he could sense there was more going on here. “Is there some other reason you’re so mad?”

                “No, there’s no secret reason,” Frisk said.

                “Not sure I believe that,” Asriel said. “You were mad when they first showed up, but the whole time we were getting a tour you were on edge. Why?”

                Frisk sighed. They realized Asriel wasn’t going to take ‘no’ for an answer this time. He was used to there being no secrets between them and he didn’t like it when Frisk tried to keep stuff from him.

                “Fine,” Frisk said. “That girl, Connie. I knew her.”

                Asriel raised an eyebrow. “You did? I thought you didn’t know any kids your age.”

                “Well, that wasn’t quite true,” Frisk admitted. “And I only really knew her for a week. It was before I… killed. We had found her, seemingly alone and abandoned. I insisted we bring her with us. She talked to me, I tried to be friendly with her, but then in the middle of the night, she snuck off with half our ammo stores. And she didn’t do it alone. There were a couple of others helping her. When my group found out and realized what happened, they blamed me for all of it. I didn’t see her again after that.”

                Asriel winced in sympathy. No wonder Frisk was so mad. “Well, you did say it was all about survival up there. ‘Kill or be killed’, wasn’t that the rule?”

                “Yeah, why?” Frisk asked.

                “Well, it sounds like she might have done it to help her group survive,” Asriel said. “She needed those bullets, and I doubt your group would have been willing to share.”

                “Asriel, she used me and lied to me,” Frisk emphasized. “She used me as a scapegoat and betrayed my trust. I trusted her and she stabbed me in the back.”

                “Maybe she just did what she felt was needed,” Asriel said. “And just because she did all that, that doesn’t mean she doesn’t feel bad about what she did. Maybe she regrets lying to you.”

                “If she did, then why didn’t she say anything afterward?”

                “Did you give her a chance?” Asriel retorted. “Weren’t you constantly on the move? Maybe she wanted to apologize afterward but could never find you.”

                “Well, for now, I want her to keep believing that,” Frisk said. “I don’t want to see her again.”

                “Frisk, eventually we will have to live with them,” Asriel pointed out. “We can’t just ignore her and the other humans forever.”

                “Watch me,” Frisk said.

                Asriel winced at the sharp way Frisk said that. He needed to do something. But it was then that Toriel announced that supper was ready. The two children left their room, heading for the living room to eat. As they ate, Asriel tried to think of a way to help Connie and Frisk meet again, but he decided that for now, she wasn’t to know Frisk’s identity.

*   *   *

                The next day, Undyne was leading the way through the Ruins. Papyrus was behind her carrying a cart full of stuff. Alphys was with her because the lizard wanted to examine the humans herself.

                “I can’t believe that there are still humans around,” Alphys said. “If this group survived all this time, maybe there are others still around.”

                “Or maybe these are all that is left of them,” Undyne said. “And anyways, there’s nothing we can do to help other groups. And I still can’t believe Asgore decided to do this. Why trust them?”

                “WELL, I THINK IT IS VERY NOBLE,” Papyrus said. “THE HUMANS NEED HELP AND THAT IS WHAT WE SHALL PROVIDE.”

                “So, what are you hoping to find, Alph?” Undyne asked.

                “Uh, well, not much,” she admitted. “Maybe do some medical examinations. I want to know if they’re alright. K-keep in mind, we still don’t know what happened to the surface.”

                “Thought you said it was some sort of bomb?” Undyne asked.

                “It was an assumption,” Alphys pointed out. “Though I still think that’s what happened. It’s also why I’m doing this. I need to make sure there’s no danger of radiation poisoning.”

                “THE KING AND PRINCES AND SEVERAL CHILDREN WERE AROUND THEM FOR SEVERAL HOURS YESTERDAY,” Papyrus said. “WILL THEY GET… WHATEVER THAT STUFF IS AS WELL?”

                “It depends on the amount of exposure the humans have had,” Alphys said. “If they’re emitting too much radiation or if something else is, the amount of it could be dangerous.”

                They reached the end of the Ruins where two humans were standing guard at the entrance. “Halt,” one said. “State your purpose.”

                “Relief aid from king Asgore,” Undyne said, gesturing to Papyrus, who waved. The humans went wide eyed at the sight of him.

                “Uh, you can pass,” the guard said.

                The three Monsters walked past, though as they did Alphys caught sight of one of the guards coughing. Upon entering the first cavern the Monsters saw humans scattered around. Some were lounging on cars; others were sitting on the floor, and others were walking around.

                One human walked up to them. “I’m the leader. Did you bring stuff?”

                “Yep,” Undyne said. “Got food, some jugs of water, and a few bottles of medicine with a much higher dosage.”

                “Thank you,” he said. “Really. You don’t know how much this means to us.”

                “I’m not completely on board with my king’s choice, but if he thinks you deserve a second chance, we’ll give you one,” Undyne said. “Alright, who wants free grub?!” she shouted.

                Papyrus set the cart on its legs and began handing food to anyone who came up. Alphys had decided that humans needed nutrient rich food and some plain stuff to ease their stomachs. As such, the cart was packed with fruits, vegetables, and bread. Undyne helped distribute the food, making sure everyone got a fair share. Even the human leader helped, making sure everyone behaved.

                As everyone was handed food, they thanked the Monsters. Papyrus returned their thanks with his normal smile, while Undyne grinned as much as she could. She was glad the humans were so grateful. Each one thanked her or Papyrus when they got their share.

                Meanwhile, Alphys took a share of medicine and asked to be shown to the sick humans. She was pointed to the other cavern, where she found the trucks that housed the sick and disabled. The doctors that were there nearly jumped when they saw her.

                “Who are you?” one of them asked.

                “Oh, um, I’m Alphys, the royal scientist,” she explained. “I came to deliver this medicine and to offer my aid.” She presented the bag which was filled with bottles. “So, what can I do to help?”

                One of the humans lying down coughed. “Well, we seem to have a rash of lung infections going around. Seems to be some bronchial infection,” one of the doctors explained.

                Alphys reached into the bag, pulling out a bottle of pills. “This might help. Have them take two of these with water every six hours,” she recommended.

                “We don’t have a lot of water,” one of the doctors said.

                “You do now,” Alphys said. “We brought several jugs. Should be enough to last for several days.”

                One of the doctors got up to retrieve one of the jugs. As Alphys walked among the sick, she observed how many of them were coughing and shivering. “So, there’s been a lot of sick people recently?” she asked.

                “Yeah. We’re not sure what’s going on,” one of the human doctors said. “Granted, none of us are physicians. We just know more about medicine and biology than other people.”

                “W-well, robotics are more my thing, but I do know a bit about human physiology, and I got a few assistants who are quite knowledgeable about biology,” Alphys said. “I could take a couple blood samples for analysis, maybe give you an idea on what to do.”

                “That would be greatly appreciated,” the doctor said.

                Alphys had hoped for this, so she already had a syringe and a few vials ready. She took a few milliliters of blood from five of the sick humans. She also drew a few milliliters from the doctors as well for comparison, though internally her reasons changed when she saw one of them coughing. Once she had enough, she returned to Undyne and Papyrus, who were still handing out food to people.

                Some of them were a little disgusted at being handed food by a skeleton, but his friendliness allowed them to overcome their disgust.

                “Hey, Alph,” Undyne said. “Dropped your medicine off?”

                “Yeah. I also got some samples to study,” Alphys answered. “There might be a sickness going around, so I want to see what it is and how we can help.”

                “Nice thinking,” Undyne said. She handed the last loaf of bread out. “Well, that’s all we brought,” she said. “Now don’t worry, we’ll be back tomorrow with more food and water. Hang tight until then.”

                With that announcement, Papyrus grabbed the cart and began hauling it away with Undyne and Alphys alongside him.

                “Oh, one more thing,” Undyne said. “There’s a lot of old traps and puzzles up ahead. If you don’t know how to solve them, I’d suggest staying here, as they were modified to be dangerous if you fail them.”

                “We shall remain here,” the leader agreed.

                Undyne nodded before walking off.

*   *   *

                Frisk packed up their backpack once the school bell rang. Another day was over. They looked over at Susie, who seemed to be trying not to look at anyone. They walked over to her.

                “What do you want?” she snipped.

                “My friends and I are going to the park in Snowdin to play,” they said. “Want to join?”

                “Why would I want to do that?” she asked somewhat harshly.

                “Because you look like you could use some fun,” they answered. “Come on, what do you have to lose?”

                “Uh, I’m pretty sure my dad wants me home right away,” she said.

                Frisk didn’t believe that for a moment, but they could tell Susie was going to stick with that story. No matter. They knew how to fix that.

                As they walked out of the school, rather than join Asriel right away, they found Susie’s dad first and went up to him.      

                “Hey, Frisk, right?” the Monster asked.

                “Yeah. My friends and I are going to the park in Snowdin, and I was wondering if Susie could join us?”

                The guy shrugged. “Sure, she can go with you,” he said.

                “Awesome, thanks!” Frisk said.

                Susie came up a moment later. “Hey, what’s going on?” she asked.

                “I talked to your dad, and he says you can join us,” Frisk answered.

                “Uh, but, uh,” Susie stammered.

                “Have fun, sweetheart,” the guy said, walking away.

                Frisk took Susie’s hand and brought her along. They joined their brother and friends, and together the five went to Snowdin.

                Upon arriving at the park, they decided on what to do first. Frisk had to almost force Susie to participate because they could see she was having trouble adjusting to being part of a group. Eventually, while their friends were playing in a jungle gym, Frisk decided to talk to her.

                “Hey, any reason why you’re being so grumpy?” they asked.

                “What’s it to you?” she snipped.

                “Well, you just seem like you’re trying to avoid having fun,” they said. “I can tell you’re liking it, but you don’t want to. Is there a reason why?”

                “Why are you so nosy?” she retorted.

                “Because I want to know what’s going on with you,” Frisk said. “I’m trying to help you, but you’re being very rude.”

                Susie grunted, not looking at them.

                “My mom indicated that you moved to Waterfall because something happened in New Home.”

                “It’s not your business,” she said.

                Frisk shook their head. “Sorry, but my mom wants me to make an effort to include you, so that’s what I’m going to do.”

                “You really want to know? Fine,” Susie snapped. “My dad had just up and decided one day that we needed to move to Waterfall and leave the city. No warning, no explanation, he just packed our bags and moved me into a house in Waterfall and even said that I would be attending the school there.”

                Frisk hummed. “He never said why?”

                “No, just that we were moving out, the two of us.”

                Something occurred to Frisk. “Just the two of you? Was there someone else living with you?”

                Susie grunted. “My mom,” she said.

                “And the two of you left her rather suddenly?” Frisk questioned. Something else occurred to them then. A potential explanation based on their own experience. “I wonder why?”

                “Heck if I know. He wouldn’t even say why,” she said. Frisk then saw her grab her arm, rubbing it.

                Pieces slid together in their mind as the explanation they had come up with seemed more likely. “Did your mother do something to you that made him decide that enough was enough?”

                “Like what?” Susie returned.

                It was then that the rest noticed what was going on and came over. Frisk paid no attention, focusing on Susie. “Roll up your sleeve,” they said.

                “Excuse me?” Susie snipped.

                “Your sleeve. Roll it up,” they said.

                Susie rolled the other sleeve up, showing her slightly muscular arms.

                “Other sleeve,” Frisk clarified.

                Susie growled, but Frisk refused to be intimidated. So, reluctantly, she rolled up the other sleeve, showing her arm, and the blemish on her forearm.

                Frisk stepped forward, hoping to look at it better, but Susie growled more audibly this time. “What happened?” they asked.

                “Nothing,” she said.

                “Susie was your arm broken?” they asked. “Is it still?”

                “No. Well, it hurts a little,”

                Noelle gasped. “What happened?”

                “It’s not your –”

                “Your mom,” Frisk interrupted Susie. “She broke it, didn’t she?”

                “Shut up.”

                “That’s why your dad left your mom. He couldn’t bear to watch her hit you anymore,” they said.

                “Shut. Up,” Susie growled.

                “Susie, it’s okay,” Frisk said. “I understand. My… previous caretakers beat me as well.”

                Susie’s eyebrows went up.

                “It hurt but leaving them was the best thing I ever did,” Frisk said. “Leaving is hard, but staying was worse.”

                “So why did he pull me with him?” Susie questioned.

                “Because he cared,” Frisk said. “He still does. He probably knew that pulling you out of the only life you knew would be painful, but it would have hurt more if he left you with her.”

                Susie didn’t say anything in response.

                “I know it seems scary, all this. New home, new school, a new life, but it’s for the better,” Frisk assured. “And you don’t have to face it alone. We’re here for you.”

                “I barely know you,” Susie retorted.

                “True, but we’ll still help you through this,” Frisk promised.

                Asriel stepped forward. “Yeah. You might not think of us as friends, but that doesn’t mean we won’t be here for you.”

                Noelle stepped up as well. “Yeah, all of us. I know you’re not as mean as you pretend to be, so, I’ll be here for you.”

                MK seemed reluctant, but he stepped forward as well. “I know you’ve picked on me before, but I can bury the hatchet if you can.”

                Susie was shocked, a light blush on her cheeks. “Thanks.”

                Frisk smiled at her. “Now then, what shall we do next?”

                “There’s a new volleyball court we could do,” Noelle suggested.

                “Sure,” Frisk agreed. “Susie, you in?”

                Susie was silent for a moment. “Yeah, I guess so,” she agreed.

                “Splendid. We’ll form teams when we get there,” Frisk said. They led the way, confident in the new friend they had made.

End of Chapter 3

Chapter Text

                A couple days after the humans’ arrival, the entire Underground was informed of their presence, as well as an order from Asgore that these humans were not to be attacked. Many were frustrated, as they only needed the Soul of one to free themselves. But they would not disobey their king, despite their reservations.

                Frisk tried to stay as far away from the humans as possible, not wanting to see any of them. Their focus was on helping Susie adjust to her new life and integrating her into their group. An endeavor that was going well. While MK was still hesitant, Noelle had taken a bit of a shine to her. Frisk was certain that the deer had a crush on the reptile. Asriel, meanwhile, was a friendly face and a source of comfort for the girl, making himself as available for her as he could when she needed to vent.

                Out of the group of friends, Susie was closest to Frisk. She found she could relate to them more easily than the rest due to Frisk knowing what it was like to have previously lived with abusive parents and moving to a new home to escape. She still didn’t like that she no longer lived in her old home, but Susie got used to the idea of not having her mom around, enjoying the freedom her father gave her, and the friendship Frisk and their friends offered her.

                Meanwhile, Asriel was trying to figure out a way to get Frisk and Connie to meet and talk again. It upset him that they used to be friends and was convinced that their distance from each other was the result of a misunderstanding. He wanted them to meet up and clear the air, but Frisk was determined to stay away from the humans. He wanted to fix that and had an idea how to go about it.

*   *   *

                Asriel was sitting alone in his room, writing at his desk. He looked over what he had written so far, making sure that it all made sense and was reasonable. It was his last idea to get Connie and Frisk in the same room, and he hoped that this would work where everything else had failed. Trying to get Frisk to go to the Ruins was pointless, so he planned to have Connie meet them while they played in Snowdin.

                He felt a little dirty, going behind Frisk’s back to do this, but he knew it was for the best. Frisk and Connie needed to talk, and this was the only way to do it. Once he was done writing, he read over what he had written. He wasn’t going to impersonate Frisk in this, but he hoped that she would be willing to listen to him. The letter wasn’t much; the main point of it was to invite Connie to the playground they would be playing at tomorrow, and there he was going to force the two to talk to each other.

                He placed the letter in an envelope before sealing it shut. He then wrote on the back who it was for. He planned to give it to Undyne or Alphys, as they both went to the Ruins every day with supplies. From there, they would deliver it to the girl in question.

                There was a knock on the door, and he quickly stuffed the envelope in a pocket on his backpack before Frisk walked in.

                “Hey, brother, we need to get going or we’ll be late,” Frisk said.

                Asriel put his backpack on. “Okay, I’m ready.”

                With that, the two followed Toriel out of the house and to school. Asriel was able to hand the letter to Undyne when she showed up for battle class. She promised to deliver it when she stopped by the Ruins later that day. With that done, Asriel spent the rest of the day with his friends, going to New Home to play in a playground there. He hoped Connie got the letter and took him up on his offer. She and Frisk needed to talk.

*   *   *

                Asgore and Toriel headed for Alphys’ lab, as she had called with urgent news regarding their guests.

                “We are here, Alphys,” Asgore said upon entering the main area. “What is it you need to tell us?”

                “Well, I have a little bit of good news, but some bad news as well,” Alphys said.

                “What is the good news?” Toriel asked.

                “First off, there’s no danger from the humans. They don’t seem to have any lingering radiation and none of their equipment is radioactive either,” Alphys explained.

                “Well, that is good news,” Asgore said with a smile.

                “What is the bad news?” Toriel asked.

                “The bad news is that the humans are sick,” Alphys answered. “I’ve examined some blood samples as well as a few tissue samples from their lungs, and they seem to have some disease.”

                “What disease?” Asgore asked.

                “I’m not sure,” Alphys admitted. “It’s not one I’ve ever seen or heard of. I’ve done extensive research and there’s no record of this virus anywhere.”

                “What does it do?” Toriel asked.

                “From what I can tell, it attacks the lungs, infecting and eventually killing the bronchial. It also weakens the blood veins in and around the lungs, causing ruptures that eventually turn into full-blown tears. Not only will the humans have trouble breathing, but their lungs will also fill with blood, eventually killing them. And it’s airborne.”

                Asgore was stunned at that. “That is… very bad,” he said.

                “Doctor, how dangerous is this virus?” Toriel asked.

                “To the humans, very,” Alphys answered. “I can’t be certain at this time, but it looks like it might be fatal. The damage it does to them would eventually result in death, and it’s very contagious without their living conditions making it easy for diseases to be transmitted.”

                “And the danger to us?” Asgore asked.

                “None at all,” Alphys assured. “This particular virus seems to only be able to infect humans, so there’s no possibility that it can harm us.”

                “Frisk is partially human,” Toriel pointed out.

                “Only a tiny bit,” Alphys said. “I doubt the virus would be able to do anything to them. At worst, they’d be weak for a couple days.”

                “How many of them are infected?” Asgore asked.

                “It’s hard to be sure without testing them, but… I think all of them,” Alphys answered. “The virus is highly contagious and they’re living in close contact with each other, so it can spread very easily.”

                “How long do they have?” Toriel asked.

                “I-I don’t know,” Alphys admitted. “It’s hard to be sure how long it takes for the virus to do its job, and everyone’s body is different, so it’ll work faster on some and slower on others.”

                “Best guess?” Asgore asked.

                Alphys shrugged. “A few weeks, at most.”

                “Is there anything you can do for them?” Toriel asked.

                “I can give them more medicine to help with the symptoms and maybe slow it down, but I don’t know if it is possible to cure them. It would require weeks, if not months of testing to create a cure.”

                Asgore sighed in sadness. “So, all we can do is prolong the inevitable. Eventually, they will die.”

                Toriel also sighed in sadness. It seemed the human race was destined to go extinct no matter what. But then a thought occurred to her. Frisk had also suffered a slow torturous death, but they had saved them by transplanting their Soul to a new body.

                “Wait, doctor, could you do for them what you did for Frisk?” Toriel asked.

                Alphys considered that. “Well, I suppose it’s possible,” Alphys said. “I have been doing a little more research into cloning, but unfortunately there’s not much.”

                “What would you need to make it happen?” Asgore asked.

                “Well, I do have the materials to create new bodies for one hundred forty-seven humans, and I do have the knowledge. The problem is I lack the facilities and the personnel to do it,” Alphys answered.

                “You could hire more Monsters,” Toriel suggested. “I am certain there are people who still need jobs and would not mind an assistant’s position in this place.”

                “You could also do an after-school program for some younger people,” Asgore suggested. “It would look good on people’s resume’s if they aided the Royal Scientist.”

                “I guess I could do that,” Alphys said. “But that still leaves the problem of facilities.”

                “I could get you what you need,” Asgore offered.

                “The p-problem isn’t the resources, it’s the space,” Alphys said. “I just don’t have enough room – even in the True Lab – for that many growth tubes and the necessary equipment.”

                Asgore pondered on that before an idea came to him. “There might be room in the Steamworks,” he said.

                “Was that the old lab before the new facility was built?” Toriel asked.

                “And the old power source before the CORE was built,” Asgore answered.

                “Hmm,” Alphys hummed. “That might work. It would probably need some cleaning up and retrofitting, but it could be converted into the facility we need.”

                “I shall have the place recommissioned then,” Asgore said. “Get a team together to repurpose what you need.”

                “I’ll get to work. I-it might be a few weeks before we get any results, though,” Alphys admitted.

                “Work as fast as you can,” Asgore advised. With that, he and Toriel left.

                “Will you tell the humans this time?” Toriel asked.

                “Once Alphys has made some progress, yes,” Asgore answered. “I intend to give them the option if they want it.”

                Toriel smiled. She appreciated that Asgore was being so considerate. Once again, it reminded her of the one she had fallen in love with, and that thought helped her forget what he had become that day.

*   *   *

                Asriel was a little nervous. Today was supposed to be the day Connie showed up to talk to Frisk. He mentally rehearsed what he hoped would happen and his role in it. He even told Noelle about his plan, wanting her support in the matter. He hoped that she would be able to keep Frisk from straight up leaving.

                The day went on, eventually coming to the part where it was supposed to happen. Asriel was playing with Frisk and his friends at the playground in Snowdin, all the while occasionally glancing in the direction of the Ruins, hoping Connie would show up.

                Frisk noticed Asriel’s behavior, eventually talking to him about it. “Something wrong, brother?” they asked.

                “Nothing,” Asriel said quickly.

                Frisk raised an eyebrow. “Okay, what did you do?”

                “What makes you think I did anything?” Asriel nervously replied.

                “You answered way too fast and you’re sweating. Your eyes are even bigger than normal. You, Asriel Dreemurr, are a terrible liar.”

                Asriel internally groaned. Chara had said as much once. He knew he couldn’t keep a secret from Frisk forever. After all, they had pierced Flowey’s lies all too easily, and Asriel wasn’t half as good a liar as that flower.

                “It’s nothing,” Asriel repeated.

                “Does it have something to do with the humans?” Frisk asked. “You keep looking at the Ruins.”

                Asriel tried to keep a straight face, but Frisk’s scrutiny was making it hard. He was praying that someone would show up to change the topic before Frisk pieced the truth together by themself.

                Luckily, Noelle called out to them, suggesting a change of games. Frisk came over, helping explain the games to Susie, who was adjusting to being a part of their group rather well.

                As the playing ended, Undyne showed up. Asriel ran over to talk to her. “Did you get it delivered?” he asked.

                Undyne pulled out the letter from her armor. “Yeah, but she gave it back. Didn’t say why,” Undyne said.

                Asriel took the letter back. He saw that it had been opened. That saddened him. He could only assume that she was rejecting his offer. He stuffed the envelope into his pocket before continuing to play with his friends.

*   *   *

                Upon arriving home, Frisk went off to get changed, while Asriel went to the table to look at the open envelope forlornly. What had he done wrong?

                “What is that?” Toriel asked, looking at the envelope.

                “Oh, just a rejected attempt at mending bridges,” Asriel said sadly.

                “What does that mean?” Toriel asked.

                “That human girl we told you about, Connie? Turns out, she and Frisk had been friends on the surface, but then she did something that got them hurt and they haven’t talked to each other in six years,” Asriel explained. “I had hoped to get her and Frisk together so they could talk to each other and clear the air. You know, like you and dad.”

                Toriel winced at the slight jab. “So, what happened?”

                “I don’t know. I had Undyne give this to her yesterday, and she had Undyne give it back,” Asriel answered.

                “Did she know it was from you?” Toriel asked.

                “It says so,” Asriel said.

                Toriel sighed. “Some relationships can be too broken to fix,” she consoled. “It is hard to let go of past transgressions if they have caused great harm.”

                “Like what you do to dad?” Asriel retorted.

                Toriel groaned. She probably deserved that. “You should not try to force things to heal, Asriel. Perhaps it would be better to let Frisk and Connie reconnect on their own.”

                “But they won’t,” Asriel said. “Frisk seems to hate her too much to even talk to her. They’re avoiding the humans as much as they can. I was trying to invite Connie to Snowdin, thinking maybe I could trick the two into talking.”

                “Was that all your letter said?” Toriel asked.

                Asriel handed it to her, allowing her to unfold the paper within and read it herself. Toriel hummed. “This is a rather nice letter. And forgive me for saying this, a little more forward than I expect from you.”

                “Well, I have been interacting with more people than I used to,” Asriel said. “I just imagine I’m sending this to one of my friends.”

                Toriel looked at the letter over again. A part of her was amazed at how much her son had matured. Another was a little disappointed that Connie would just return a letter like this, especially after opening it.

                “Did she say why she returned this?” Toriel asked.

                “No. Undyne said she just gave it back with no explanation,” Asriel answered.

                Toriel hummed. “Interesting.” A thought occurred to her. “Perhaps you should deliver this letter yourself and tell her it came from you.”

                “Why would I do that?” Asriel asked.

                “Well, for one, it would mean you could make sure that she reads it in front of you, so you know that she did,” Toriel explained. “It would also give you a chance to talk to her in person to explain things to her.”

                “Okay, but when would I do this?” Asriel asked. “I don’t want Frisk to know. And lying to them is hard.”

                “Well, you could say you want to accompany Undyne on her next trip to the Ruins for… royalty reasons. They might believe that, and it would be a decent excuse that they cannot deny as your father has already pledged his support.”

                “Is it safe for me to go?” Asriel asked.

                “Undyne would be there, and I would trust her to keep you safe. Also, if the humans wanted to make a move, I believe they would have done so already.”

                Asriel debated on that, before deciding that she was right. He took the letter from her, putting it back in his pants pocket.

                A moment later, Frisk and Asgore walked in, ready for supper. As the four ate, Asgore decided to inform his children of what they had learned from Alphys the previous day.

                “Asriel, Frisk,” he said, getting their attention. “Yesterday, Alphys told us of a recent development regarding the humans.”

                “What is it?” Frisk asked.

                “She has discovered that they are all sick,” Asgore said. “They seem to have gotten some disease from the surface that has spread to their entire population.”

                “Are we going to get sick, too?” Asriel asked.

                “She has informed us that Monsters are immune,” Toriel consoled. “However, this virus attacks in such a way that it is fatal to them.”

                “F-fatal?” Asriel stammered. “H-how long do they have?”

                “Doctor Alphys has estimated a few weeks,” Asgore said.

                “Good riddance,” Frisk spat.

                “Frisk,” Toriel admonished. “They are dying. Show a little sympathy.”

                “Kinda hard for me to feel bad for them,” Frisk said rather nonchalantly.

                “B-but Frisk, they’re your p-people,” Asriel said, tears beginning to spill.

                “Not anymore,” Frisk said.

                Asriel whimpered at the way Frisk said that. Briefly, images of Chara dying of the flowers he got them went through his mind. He didn’t want that to happen to them.

                “While Alphys says she cannot cure them, she has a way to save them,” Asgore informed.

                “She plans to do for them what she did for you, Frisk,” Toriel said to the former human.

                Frisk stopped eating when they heard that. “You mean… you’re going to clone them Monster bodies and put their Souls in them?”

                “If they are agreeable,” Asgore added. “She is already working on the solution and should be ready in a couple weeks.”

                Frisk quietly groaned. They excused themself from the table.

                “My child, you have not finished your supper,” Toriel said.

                “Lost my appetite,” they said.

                Frisk returned to their room, flopping onto their bed. They had been almost relieved when they thought the human race was extinct. Now, not only had some of them survived, but they would also be given the chance to be Monsters. Even her.

                Frisk was frustrated. They knew they shouldn’t feel like this, but they did. They didn’t like humans, and they didn’t trust them. Eight years had taught them to always be wary. Humans had essentially caused what had happened to the surface and trapped the Monsters for a thousand years. It was hard for them to feel even a little sorry for them when they had caused so much harm.

                They didn’t want to forgive humanity for all they had done and felt like they should just burn for it all. Frisk wanted so badly for them to just die. Humans had done enough damage. Let the Monsters have the surface in peace.

                They touched the locket around their neck. They hated humans, but why did that feel so wrong?

*   *   *

                Asriel was walking alongside Undyne as she and Papyrus brought along more food for the humans. It had taken some convincing to get his father to be okay with it, and it took a lot of effort for Asriel to convince Frisk it was the only reason.

                They arrived at the cavern the humans occupied. As Asriel walked into the cave, he could see the humans were getting anxious. He didn’t blame them. They were keeping over a hundred people crammed into two rather small rooms. It wasn’t exactly fair, but they didn’t have much choice either. He hoped that soon they could allow the humans to spread out. First, they had to make sure the puzzles ahead weren’t a threat.

                As Undyne and Papyrus began handing out what was in the cart, Asriel looked for Connie or her father. He spotted the man, waving to get his attention.

                “Can I help you?” the human asked.

                “Yes, I need to speak to your daughter,” Asriel said. “It’s important.”

                “Sure,” he agreed. He called out, and Connie came up a few moments later.

                “What is it?” she asked.

                “This Monster needs to talk to you,” he said. He then left to help sort the food.

                “Well, hi,” Connie said. “It’s… Ariel?”

                “Asriel,” he corrected.

                “Sorry. It’s an unusual name,” she admitted.

                “You’re one to talk. What kind of name is Connie?” Asriel retorted.

                “Touche,” Connie joked. “So, is there something you want to talk about?”

                “Yeah, there is,” Asriel said, taking the letter out.

                “Why do you have that with you?” Connie asked.

                “I wanted to make sure you had seen it,” Asriel said, showing it to her. “The envelope was open, but you didn’t say anything.”

                “What’s that mean?” Connie asked.

                “I just want to know if you saw all this,” Asriel explained, holding it up so she could read it.

                “Never seen any of that in my life,” Connie said.

                Asriel felt a little better hearing that but also confused. “Okay, well, do you think you could look it over, tell me what you think?” he asked.

                “I think it’s a waste of time,” Connie answered. “Food’s here and I don’t want to miss anything.”

                “You’ll get your share, just take this,” Asriel said, almost shoving it into her hands.

                “Okay, fine. What do you want me to do?” she asked.

                “Read it and tell me what you think,” Asriel said.

                Connie grit her teeth. “Can’t you just tell me what you want to say?” she asked.

                “The letter says it all anyway,” Asriel said. “Please?”

                Connie looked uncomfortable, scratching her neck nervously. “What exactly do you want me to do?”

                “Just read the whole letter,” Asriel said.

                “I’m not sure I have the time,” Connie said.

                “Well, okay, then do you mind just reading the bottom paragraph? It’s a nice summary,” Asriel asked.

                “I do mind,” Connie said.

                Now Asriel was confused. It was a simple thing, and the paragraph was only a couple sentences long. “Okay, well what about the first paragraph? Can you read it out loud, please?”

                “Do I have to?” Connie asked.

                Something was tickling at the back of Asriel’s mind at that little whine, but he couldn’t figure out what it was. “Okay, then how about the second paragraph? You don’t have to answer it, just read it out loud.”

                Connie looked at the paper, squinting at the words. Several moments passed and she didn’t say anything. Asriel didn’t understand why she wasn’t saying anything. It’s not like he was using a lot of fancy words or even big ones. It was basic vocabulary that everyone understood. So why didn’t she –

                Suddenly, a memory from a few years ago popped into his mind, from Frisk’s first day of Monster school when he was still a voice in their head before he had recovered his full memory.

                Everything I learned was all about how to survive. I did teach myself to read. Sort of.

                Asriel almost gasped. It made a lot of sense, but a part of him hoped it wasn’t so. Because if it was, it would be very sad.

                “Do… do you not want to read it because it makes you uncomfortable?” Asriel asked. Connie didn’t say anything. “Does the letter not make sense to you because you don’t understand it, or because you don’t know what it’s saying?”

                Connie looked at him, and he could see it in her eyes.

                Asriel felt a wave of sympathy for her. This changed so much.

End of Chapter 4