Papyrus could hardly take it all in, the view from the mountain the day they emerged, the brightness, the colours, the scale of everything before them, showing even, Alphys had mused, the curve of the Earth. It was equalled only by the sky above them, the height of the clouds over their heads and the warm, bright mass of the setting sun. And the air! How new it had been (Papyrus didn't think he had lungs, it secretly unnerved him that he had all the sensations of having them, when he thought about it. But he preferred to try and ignore it and leave the thinking to someone else). There were so many other things about that first day, but even he, the Great Papryus, found that he couldn't absorb it all, and by the end of the day, all the things he witnessed, good and bad, ended up a like a traffic jam in his mind.

The terror on their faces. It wasn't something he expected, he considered himself the friendliest and most fun-loving of all skeletons, it hadn't occurred to him that he, and his friends, were the stuff of nightmares for humans. He might even have thought about abandoning dreams of life on the surface, but that was no longer possible.

The first human he saw was unrecognisable at first, a creature speeding down a dirt road loudly seemingly with a large hard head and wheels. The man on the moped had veered his vehicle into a watery ditch on seeing the terrifying figure. He leapt away, taking off his helmet and leaving the engine running, the moped spitting up mud and dirt as it span madly on it's side. He had taken one look behind him as he sprinted away shouting in a language he didn't understand, eyes out on stalks.

'Well you've done it now.' Sans said, suddenly beside him.

'I-I' Papyrus stuttered, looking confused and defeated, looking left and right, up and down at his strange surroundings as though he'd find an answer somewhere.

Sans shrugged 'It would have gone that way no matter who approached them first... Though, running at the poor guy probably didn't help, Paps.'

Papyrus for once had nothing to say.

And so the day went. The town the man came from wasn't far from them, on the lee of the mountain. Running and screaming and shocking flight or fight reactions from both sides was the theme of the day.

Lead by Asgore, they followed the road slowly in a dream-like trance, as though they were collectively taking their first tentative steps, dust rose off the road as they went. This world didn't make sense to them, the heat of the evening, the wildlife sounds... At this point in the road, as it dipped between hills, the trees had been cleared and now made up the edge of raised fields and plots upon which housing stood. Heads could be seen rising and falling above, harvesting and tending to animals. Then, a child noticed the group. They watched the monsters, matching their pace, curious, then they ran ahead, stopped, took a few more good looks ran back through the field, out of sight.

The town was small and dusty. People gathered on chairs and tiny tables outside businesses and houses, playing cards or just fanning themselves with newspapers in the evening heat. Semi feral dogs ran around on the streets and (seemingly) semi feral children ran with them. Then the screaming started, everyone abandoned their posts, knocking things over and running into each other, the dove for cover somewhere, anywhere. Some people made poor choices and were forced out of their hiding places by their fellow humans and were made to run frantically through the now deserted street to find new ones.

Asgore hesitated and looked back at the monsters with him, some of them seemed to tremble where they stood. His eyes fell on Frisk, who gave him a little smile of encouragement. Asgore gestured for them to stand by his side. He took on a regal posture and addressed the town.

'I am Asgore, the King of Monsters.' To this he heard an eerie chorus of whispers 'Do not be afraid, we have left the Underground and wish to mend relations between humans and monsters once and for all, and live in peace again. We would like to open dialogues with your leaders, in the spirit of cooperation in order for us to proceed in a diplomatic manner.'

The voices sounded again, first in whispers, then shouts which were hushed again by whispers an drowned out again by shouting. One building in particular with a neon sign seemed to creating the most noise. It was from this place that a man marched out to finally confront them. He was larger than the first human they saw. He stopped in the middle of that dilapidated street, around 15 metres from them, a handgun in his hands. He eyed them hostilely. Asgore walked forward tentatively... He shot at the ground immediately. The sound made everyone, humans and monsters alike, jump out of their skins (or bones for those without skin). It reverberated all around the mountainous region and around the stone buildings in an echo that seemed to double itself over and over until finally it faded. The resulting reactions from King Asgore, an exclamation of 'Golly!' and orders for everyone to get back seemed to peek their interest immensely, heads popped out from all over, watching carefully. Undyne had stepped in front of the king aggressively, protectively, obviously spooked, spear in hand. All eyes were on her. Some people had even whipped out cameras and phones and were pointing them toward the new arrivals.

'Step down Undyne.'

'If they want a fight, they've got one!' she chimed, breathing heavily.

'Undyne, move aside.'

'Alright. But if they make one false move...' she said as she backed behind him.

He slowly put his hands up in order to show he meant no harm. 'If you'll allow me,' he said, looking the man in the eye 'We have with us a human ambassador, who fell into our world not long ago and freed us. Would you be willing to talk to them?'

'I am supposed to believe that? A human? Letting you freaks out? How do we know that kid isn't a monster in disguise? How do we know you haven't brainwashed them... Or taken their soul?' He finally spoke, giving special weight to the last few words.

'Well we, of course we wouldn't-' He stammered, unprepared for such a pregnant question, full of assumptions and mistrust. What did humans think of monsters after so much time apart? What information had been twisted by time, what did they have wrong? And more worryingly, what did they have right?

Asgore was about to start again when Sans stepped forward, hands in his pockets 'Because-' he began, much to the dismay of the King 'The kid's human and they're perfectly capable of making their own decisions, trust me. Ask them yourself.'

He thought for a moment. 'Fine. I'll see them. But don't you freaks move an inch.'

Frisk came forward. The street yet again became alive with whispers from all directions. An equally intimidating, considerably less armed human, took his place, he stood behind her, holding his gun down, but readying himself. Things began slowly, very slowly, from there. And it would have continued that way, if not for their discovery.

'The p-portal!' Alphys out of breath voice suddenly came within hearing distance. She cleared the wooden path and ran up behind them 'The p-portal it's closing.'

The monsters gasped and began talking all at once in panicked tones, cutting off the strange relayed conversation between Frisk, Asgore and the humans of this town.

Asgore stepped forward 'We must go back and evacuate our people.'

The woman moved toward them as well, grabbing Frisk's arm roughly on her way. The child let out a little cry, to which the monsters all reacted in unison. Upon seeing this the woman spoke 'You will do no such thing.'

'Our people have been trapped long enough.'

'I believe that's up to opinion.'

For a time there was a stand-off, nobody moved except for Alphys' shaking, and the nervous little tugs she gave Asgore's robe, reminding him that they didn't have much time.

'We must go.' Asgore broke the silence.

The woman calmly took the gun from the man behind her, cocked it and slowly pointed it at the group.

'Go,' Asgore said quietly.

Nervously, the monsers and Asgore backed onto the dirt road. The King saw the human lower the gun, she didn't shoot.

Back on the mountain, everyone gathered around Alphys, watching the now irregular pulses of the gateway light her up. It felt like there was electricity in the air, it would be the feeling that the monsters who survived would come to associate with thunder and lightening storms.

The scientist looked at Undyne, feeling like somehow the warrior was trying to lend her strength 'I don't know how long we have,' she said, with utter clarity 'But I suggest, with your permission, sire, a select few people will go back, get supplies, and present a choice to the monsters in the Underground. Stay or leave'

The plan was carried out immediately, with Undyne acting as drill sergeant. Asgore entered first, and not two minutes later monsters emerged from the mountain. Papyrus looked for Sans, but he wasn't to be found. Just when he started to panic in all the chaos, there he was behind him, a ridiculously towering pile of food, medical supplies, blankets, weapons stacked against the rock face... there even seemed to be movement within the mass.

'SANS! WHERE DID YOU GET ALL OF THESE THINGS?!'

'Guess you could say I have a lot of baggage! C'mon, where do you think I got 'em?' He shrugged, lumping a sack of something down. He picked something out of the tower, it wobbled a bit. Papyrus stood back and flinched, but it managed to stayed upright

'Here. I brought your spaghetti.'

Papyrus looked at the large tub in his hands 'SANS! WHERE DID YOU FIND THIS?!'

'In our house.'

'NO SANS, WHERE DID YOU FIND THIS?!'

'In the fridge'

'SANS!'

Sans looked tired, his breathing was laboured, but rapidly calming down.

Papyrus breathed and started again 'BUT SANS! THERE WASN'T ANY IN THE FRIDGE, I WAS PLANNING ON MAKING IT FRESH TODAY, LIKE SPEGETTI SHOULD BE MADE! This looks suspiciously like my cooking... THIS TASTES SUSPICIOUSLY LIKE MY COOKING!'

'Ah forgetti about it Paps! We've more more important things to worry about.'

'OH YES? LIKE WHAT?' Then he added '…and I've heard that one before...'

'Like that' The smaller skeleton pointed, he returned the spaghetti to the pile and his hands to his pockets and watched.

Monsters were already pouring out of the beating portal with all the things they could carry, coming faster and faster. Within a minute some of them were starting to be thrown out and the pulsing intensified into flashing. It was clear that something was wrong, and not only that, there was chaos on the other side.

At the front stood Alphys and Undyne, Undyne in front of the scientist, protecting her from the mad jostling that was taking place. She turned to her suddenly.

'Listen up! I'm going in to help!'

'No Undyne!' Alphys said, clutching at her arm 'It's t-too d-dangerous! The portal will close any moment, and with it destabilising like that, you might be hurt!'

'Someone needs to do some crowd control in there and if there's anything I'm good at, it's pushing punks around, right? I'll be back. I promise.'

Flying back into that strange void felt like Undyne was falling for a long time, this together with the sensation of being propelled forward at great speed was deeply unnerving, but she managed to brace herself before she hit the other side. She crashed into the monsters immediate to the door. Everyone quickly picked themselves up, but stood before Undyne, unsure of what to do.

'What are you waiting for?! Go! ….LISTEN UP, ALL OF YOU! Everyone, form three lines, try to get the children and the elderly out first, don't shove or you punks will have to deal with me. Steady as we can!'

'Ooooh what drama!' Someone said in her ear while she was ushering people out.

She didn't recognise the... thing... beside her, though those boots looked like they could be used as lethal weapons and if she hadn't been trying to evacuate the whole Underground of monsters she would have asked where she could get herself a pair 'It's meeee, Mettaton! I've traaaansformed!'

'Em ok! ...Ehhh, mind giving me a hand?'

Outside Toriel found Asgore, who had recently come back through the portal, in the crowd. Putting any ill feeling aside she took hold of his shoulder. He turned around to see her serious expression. 'People are starting to get hurt, we need to lay as many soft things we can find around the entrance way.'

'Good idea.' Addressing the monsters nearest him he repeated what Toriel had just said to him. Once Asgore and Toriel began leading teams, other monsters followed suit. It was difficult not to get hurt in the thick of it, monsters being near catapulted out of the Underground with their belongings in tow. Lighter objects, and people, were being turned into projectiles.

Sans ambled awkwardly towards the gate, a pillow in his hands when something yellow flew at him at high velocity, he braced himself and held the pillow up.

'Ooof!' He was hit hard in the sternum, he stumbled back into a greater dog (he knew from the greater smell), who barely seemed to register the knock in all the excitement. Sans opened his eyes to find a small dragon like child his arms. 'Uh hi-ya little buddy. Ya almost cracked a rib there.'

'Oh boy! Wow! Thanks! You really saved my butt there! I was going really really fast like-' All of a sudden Sans saw the kids eyes widen into saucers and his little month drop open, having caught sight of the outside world. He climbed awkwardly over Sans' shoulder, awe in his expression and jumped, immediately faceplanting in the dirt. Sans turned 180 degrees, wincing. He quickly went to pick up the child but the boy righted himself and ran off into the crowd. Away from danger, hopefully, for now.

Looking up he saw that others had picked up the same idea and were bravely standing at the portal with the pillows and mattresses San's (somehow) managed to haul through, the semi-circle widened as they were pushed back. People were coming through less now. They all wondered what was happening on the other side. Then there was a change in the portal and everybody turned to look.

The flashing intensified. When Undyne looked the door looked as though it were about to implode, back and white came from both directions and met in the centre. A low hum sounded.

'QUICK! EVERYONE NOW!' Undyne shouted and the crowd obeyed, streaming out the darkness, hardly hesitating before going forward. Undyne pushed and patted the backs of the people immediate to her for encouragement. The hum suddenly turned into a rumble and the block of light ahead shook madly.

Mettaton grabbed her arm, the actor had been saying something to her but the noise was too loud. 'Gooo darling, they neeeed you on the other side.'

'I'm not leaving until every last monster is outta here!' She shouted back, annoyed at being given orders.

Mettaton seemed to have accepted this when all of a sudden she was turned rapidly around by two robot arms. The two hands settled on her back 'Tell Alphys she's one in a million. I'll never forget her.'

'No no NO!' Undyne fought, tearing at Mettaton, ripping things off, sparks flying, but the arms were too strong and before she knew it, she was speeding, far far too fast toward the light.

Undyne only saw a glimpse of the night sky before she begin skidding down the side of the mountain. The first impact had made her scream, hitting hard rock and only just managing to protect her head. Then she was rolling fast down loose stone, round and round. Recovering from the shock she dung her feet in and braced herself. She spied an edge ahead, unsure of the drop ahead she flipped around and scrambled up with all of her might, arms, legs and face being scratched to ribbons. She finally came to a stop, breathing heavily, too relieved to assess the damage just then.

Without hesitation Alphys jumped after her, skidding down with her foot, a lot more nimbly than anyone had expected. She could see Undyne ahead, jumping and rolling, feeling every impact her friend, no girlfriend, maybe, took. It was dark and Alphy's couldn't see very well. She took a few running jumps and then she saw her, lying just ahead. he hoped desperately that she would be alright.

Toriel watched as the light from the portal was suddenly snuffed out and there was only darkness, she could here, gasps, cries and whispers in the crowd. When her eyes had adjusted she found someone's lantern (goodness knows how it survived the trip) and was able to set the fixed candle inside alight. She went around, checking everybody, seeing if they were alright when something occurred to her. She hadn't seen Frisk at all through this ordeal.

She immediately called out 'Has anyone seen Frisk? Frisk? Has anyone seen them?' She pushed through the crowd with increasing franticness. 'Frisk?!'

'Ova here!' She heard a familiar voice shout.

The monsters made a clearing around Sans and Papryus and allowed Toriel to push through.

'Oh thank heavens!' Toriel sighed, upon seeing Frisk in Sans arms. Sans gave a smirk but he looked a little uneasy for some reason. He walked up to Toriel.

'Here,' he whispered, transferring Frisk carefully into the queens arms and taking her lantern.

'Frisk dear?' Toriel whispered. When she got no reply she carefully placed one hand on their face. There was dried blood there, the remnants of a nose bleed. Memories of a similar scene, a very sad time, a long time ago, occupied the forefront of her mind, she tried to shake it away 'Frisk?'

There was a little grown from the child, then they turned their head and smiled sleepily up at her. Toriel seemed to finally be able to breathe again. Sans thought her eyes had tears in them when he raised the lantern.

The crowd was clearly relieved too.

'They got hurt a lil'' Sans explained to Toriel, blushing slightly blue. He paused a moment then he cocked his head to the side, smiling 'But I think they're just tired. Big day for someone so small I guess.'

'Yes, of course.' Toriel sighed, smiling, she ruffled the child's hair and tipped her snout down, a motherly look in her eyes 'Thank you Frisk. We're free now, thanks to you.'

When Alphys reached Undyne she was lying face up. She could barely make her out in the dark.

'U-Undyne...' She said shakily, unsure what kind of state the warrior was in.

'Stars.' She heard.

'W-what? Undyne you're-!'

'Quiet punk...' There was silence for a while and then her voice came back, softer than she'd ever heard it before 'Look. Stars.'