A Bird to Believe In

Summary: Shortly after the barrier is broken, Asriel manages to recover his soul and escapes the Underground. Now finding himself on the surface, he meets a new friend who helps show him where to go. A parody and spoof of a political campaign.

Asriel stuck his head out of the opening. The sun shone down on him through the branches of the trees. He had not seen sunlight in a very long time. He shielded his eyes and looked around at the landscape. Several trees surrounded the opening. He was in the middle of a forest.

So familiar, and yet so different. He couldn't imagine what all must have changed since last time.

He pulled himself out, brushing some dirt out of his fur. It felt wonderful to have his soul back. He stopped for a moment to take in the fresh air. The sun was warm and pleasant against his fur. The birds chirped, and the tree leaves rustled as the wind blew through them.

He had to find Frisk.

It was such a long journey. It shouldn't have been possible. Still, he made it this far. But where was he now? He had to figure out which way to go.

A voice suddenly called down to him. "Well, hello there fella! What's your name?"

Asriel looked up. He peered at the tree branch, noticing a green bird looking down at him.

"Oh! Hello. My name is Asriel. What's yours?"

The bird smiled at him. "I'm Birdie! Birdie the Bird!"

"Birdie... that's a nice name." Asriel took a closer look. The bird was wearing spectacles and had disheveled white hair on his head.

"Are you okay, little guy? You seem a little lost. Did you just come out of the Underground?"

Asriel glanced around at the forest. "Yeah. I've never been up here to the surface before. Well... actually, that's not quite true. I have, once. But that was a long time ago."

"I see." Birdie looked him over. "You look like you're a little late to the party. A lot has been happening up here. Well, don't worry! You'll do just fine. You look like you need some help getting started up here. I'll be happy to do that!"

Asriel perked. "Okay! Sure!"

"I always like to help. Everyone deserves a chance at a decent life." Birdie stuck a wing under his chin. "First, where are you trying to go?"

"Well, uh... that's the thing. I don't know yet. I'm trying to find some friends of mine, actually."

Birdie nodded. "Well, were your friends in the Underground too?"

"Yeah. A human, with some other monsters. They all left together."

Birdie's expression brightened. "Ah! Well, I think I know just where you need to go. Follow me! I'll teach you some things along the way."

"Okay!"

Birdie flew along the trail, while Asriel followed his lead.

"One thing you need to do up here Asriel is, always be very mindful of your health. Make sure to take good care of yourself! If you do get injured, you can use some medical supplies, or go to a doctor."

"Okay."

"Keep in mind that this is the richest country in the world, and yet too many people still have no access to quality healthcare." He smiled brightly. "Also, they often have trouble affording the outrageous insurance premiums!"

"Huh. Okay, I'll remember that."

Birdie continued flying down the path, stopping intermittently on the tree branches. "Also, it's always good to have some money. When you get to town, try to get some. It'll be easier to deal with other humans when you have money to spend."

Asriel chuckled. "Yeah, I already knew that about humans. We used money in the Underground, too."

"It might be a little bit difficult, since right now, most of the new income being generated is going to the top one percent."

Asriel followed Birdie down the winding path. The sun rays shone through the tree leaves. The sky was a clear blue, with a few clouds hanging overhead. He stepped over a few roots, and occasionally grabbed at some low-hanging branches for support.

"It's really a beautiful day, Birdie."

"It sure is. You picked a great day to come up here!" He flew about overhead.

"Yeah. After being down in the Underground for so long, it's nice to be able to walk around up here. I'm excited."

"Oh, I'm sure many of your monster friends felt the same way. I bet you can't wait to see them again. Hopefully it will stay nice for a while too!" Birdie took a moment to perch on a branch. "Say, Asriel. Want to hear something interesting?"

"Sure!"

"Did you know that one out of four major corporations doesn't pay a nickel in federal income taxes?" He batted his lashes.

Asriel looked at him blankly. "...no, I didn't know that."

"It's true. They keep their money stashed away in offshore tax havens, like the Cayman Islands!" He smiled cheerfully.

Asriel nodded slowly, the blank look still on his face. "Uh huh..."

Birdie motioned toward the path. "Anyway, come on! Let's go! You still need to find your friends!" He flew away.

Asriel ran after him, struggling to keep up. "Wait!" He followed him down the trail.

Eventually, the tree line ended and they exited the forest. They found themselves in an open, grass-covered field, surrounded by small hills. Bushes dotted the landscape. Birdie slowed down, letting Asriel catch up. He flitted from one bush to the next as Asriel continued walking.

"You know, Asriel, some of the humans weren't sure what to make of the monsters coming here. They talked about taking military action."

Asriel blinked. "They did?"

"Yes. It's a good thing they didn't do it. Taking us into an armed conflict would have been an unmitigated disaster. The last thing we need is another war that would just be put on a credit card, while at the same time they talk about cutting benefits for seniors. We must learn to resolve conflicts peacefully."

Asriel smiled softly. "Yeah. You can say that again."

Eventually, they climbed up a large hill. Asriel went to the top and was greeted by a breathtaking view of the city. He could see the skyscrapers, the traffic, the suspension bridges over the water channels that surrounded it. Birdie perched in a small tree. He continued talking as Asriel took in the view.

"There are lots of things to learn up here, Asriel. Speaking of which, it's an obscenity that someone who goes to college will get hit with this insurmountable debt, while the bankers who crashed our economy get bailed out."

"Yeah..."

"And then you have this situation where one family owns more wealth than the bottom forty percent of the citizens. Prescription drug prices are at an all-time high. We have these disastrous trade agreements..."

Asriel sighed. "Birdie, I really appreciate your help, and you telling me these things. But I kinda need to find my friends now. Can you tell me where to go next? Maybe we can talk about this later."

Birdie stopped. He hung his head. "I'm sorry, Asriel. I don't mean to go on like this. It's just..." He raised his head and looked at the city. "I worry very much. The middle class is disappearing, income inequality is rising, people can't find decent paying jobs..."

"Uh huh..."

"We are becoming an oligarchic form of society. People can't afford to send their kids to college. We have a crumbling infrastructure..."

Asriel glanced down for a moment, silent. Then he looked back up, attempting a smile. "Well, cheer up, Birdie. I'm sure things will get better."

Birdie shook his head. "Maybe. But for that to happen, we have to keep the millionaires and billionaires from buying the election process." His expression became serious, as he stared at the city. "We need a political revolution in this country."

Asriel just looked up at him.

A moment went by. Then, Birdie's expression suddenly brightened again. "Anyway! I think your friends are in the city. If you go in that white building over there, they can help you from here. That's the new monster embassy that just opened! If you ever need anything else, I live on the hill over there."

"Which hill?"

Birdie gestured. "The big one, right there. It's the one that's bigger than all the others. I like to say hill, with a capital H. Think of it like, the capital hill."

"Okay, I will."

"And if you need anything, just call me!"

"Okay! Thanks Bern... er, Birdie!"

"You're welcome! Have a nice day!" He flew off.

Asriel made his way over to the white building that Birdie had indicated. Hopefully they could point him in the right direction. He couldn't wait to see Frisk again. They had a lot of catching up to do.