A/N: This chapter features the dinner and speeches (the cake will be in the next chapter). Just let me warn you that this will also be a feels trip, especially near the end...
As everyone re-entered the ballroom, Frisk noticed something immediately.
"Smells like the most lavish buffet ever..."
They were right; there were some buffet tables against a wall, and on these tables were a wide variety of lovingly-prepared dishes. Grillby and Emberly had prepared all sorts of meat dishes, Papyrus had cooked different types of pasta, and some other chefs had prepared other meals. In any case, it was certainly a good thing that at least some of the guests had already eaten lunch, or else there most likely wouldn't have been enough for everybody.
A smallish fire elemental with a bowtie and a yellow star on his chest ran up to the crowd; he was holding a clipboard. "Hey, everyone! We still need to set out the plates and cutlery, so if you'll all take a seat, I'll get you some drinks!"
After everyone claimed their seats and ordered their drinks, Frisk looked at Asriel. "You were right; we are gonna have a lot of thank-you notes to write."
"Yeah, I wasn't expecting this many guests to show up..." Asriel shrugged. "Then again, we're turning eighteen, and it's a big occasion. Besides, it wouldn't be a Mettaton party without a lot of guests."
Speaking of Mettaton, he was helping to set things up when Napstablook floated up to him.
"Did you need something, Blooky?" he asked.
"Oh...I was just wondering if I should start the music now..."
"That's a great question, darling!" Things had taken a bit longer than expected in the kitchen, for various reasons. Mettaton briefly pondered, then he had an idea. "Perhaps you could set your first playlist going while everyone is getting their food?"
"I guess that makes sense...thanks, Mettaton..." Napstablook said as they floated back to their seat.
Mettaton continued helping out, when someone else floated up to him.
"Hey, Mettaton, you need any help with that?"
Mettaton noticed the newcomer; they were another one of his cousins, known to Frisk as the Mad Dummy. Of course, they weren't quite as mad as they used to be, especially since they were at their cousin's party.
"Thank you, but it looks like we're almost done here." Mettaton smiled. "What do you think of the party so far?"
Mad Dummy nearly flew around the room in exuberance. "Amazing. Amazing! Amazing!"
"And it will only get better from here, darling!" Mettaton was grinning at the sight.
Meanwhile, back with Frisk and Asriel, the fire elemental had returned to their table, carrying a tray with their drinks.
"These are what you asked for, right?" he asked.
"They sure are!" Asriel replied.
"Great!" The fire elemental set the drinks on their table. "And if you want some more later on, just look for me. I'll be around!"
As he started off, Frisk called after him. "Thanks, Heats Flamesman!"
Just like all those years ago in Hotland, his eyes bugged out and his jaw dropped; he even nearly dropped the (thankfully empty) tray he was holding. "I thought my plan was foolproof this time!"
Frisk tried to stifle a giggle; they never understood what he had meant, whether back in Hotland or just now.
Eventually, all the plates and utensils had been set out near the buffet tables, and Mettaton took the stage again. "All right, everyone, the buffet is ready!"
With that, all the guests, Mettaton included, went down to grab a plate of whatever they felt like eating. Of course, several of the guests let Frisk and Asriel go ahead of them, and several more chose to wait it out until the initial crowd had died down. Before going to get some food, Napstablook went over to the DJ booth and put on some soft music.
After Frisk got some food and returned to their seat, Sans soon took his seat nearby with his own plate of food. "Hey, kid. Did you like my present?"
"Of course, Dad!" Frisk said before taking a bite of their meal.
"I was asking because I also wanted to get you a hoop." Sans started cutting up his food. "But I didn't know what kind you wanted. You wanna go pick one out tomorrow?"
"Sure!"
Meanwhile, as Mettaton got some food, Chara walked up next to him. "Hey, MTT, I noticed your name wasn't on the wheel. Where's your present?"
Mettaton looked at her and smiled. "This whole party is my present for them, darling. But I also have another surprise planned for later on tonight."
Asriel happened to be walking nearby, and he looked over at Chara. "It's so secret that even Frisk and I don't know about it."
Mettaton eventually got his food and returned to his seat. It just so happened that Manny was sitting nearby, eating some food.
"Oh, hello, Manny! I was hoping to talk to you."
Manny swallowed his food, looking confused. "Is everything okay?"
"Don't worry, everything's fabulous." Mettaton looked around, making sure Frisk wasn't nearby. When he saw that they were at a farther-away table talking to Sans, he continued, leaning in closer to Manny. "I know you weren't going to propose to Frisk tonight, but I just wanted to say...when you do decide to propose to Frisk, let me know. I'll be more than happy to set up a lavish proposal for you."
Manny blinked. "Well...thanks, Mettaton, but..."
"But what?" Mettaton raised an eyebrow.
"...it's not gonna be in public, is it?"
"It can if you want it to..." Mettaton noticed Manny's expression. "...but it looks like you don't."
Manny shook his head. "No. I don't want to propose when there's an audience. 'Cause what if Frisk isn't ready to get married? Everyone's gonna be pressuring them to say yes, so they'll have to either lie to spare my feelings, or say no and become the bad guy to everyone else. I couldn't do that to Frisk..."
Mettaton took a sip of his drink. "I understand. It doesn't have to be a public proposal if you're worried about that. I could set up a private proposal that's just as glamorous if you wanted me to."
"Thanks, Mettaton. I'll think about it."
With a smile, Mettaton continued. "Of course, if you and Frisk do want to propose in public, just let me know. Those proposals aren't always terrible; I proposed to Papyrus that way, and he loved it."
Manny laughed a bit. "Well, that's Papyrus for you. He loves being the center of attention."
There was a brief silence as the two continued eating for a little bit. Mettaton had started thinking about himself and Papyrus, and all the little things (and of course, very big things) that they had planned for their wedding, and how Frisk and Manny's possible future wedding might turn out...
...weddings...
Suddenly, Mettaton looked a little more sullen, which Manny quickly noticed.
"Is something bothering you, Mettaton?"
"Oh, it's nothing, Manny." Mettaton pondered for a brief moment. "It's just..."
"What's wrong?"
Realizing he couldn't hide things anymore, Mettaton sighed. "Manny...if and when you and Frisk decide to get married, could you please tell us? Getting married is a big change in your life, and all of your friends and family should get to celebrate alongside you..."
"Yeah, we were going to tell you. Why would-?" Manny paused as he realized what Mettaton may have been thinking. "Wait a minute...this isn't about Sans and Toriel, is it?"
Mettaton froze, feeling his internal fans kick into overdrive.
Just then, Toriel walked up to them, having heard her name being mentioned as she was walking by. "Is everything all right?"
Manny wasn't sure what to say, but Mettaton quickly made the save.
"Toriel, my dear, would it be all right if we talked in private for a little while?"
Though a little confused, Toriel nodded. "That would be all right, Mettaton, if Manny doesn't mind."
"Go ahead," Manny said as he started in on his food again.
With that, Mettaton and Toriel walked back out into the patio area. The wheel and its control console had been removed, but the chairs were still there, and some technicians were helping Bennett set up a different device.
Bennett glanced at the two before continuing his work. "Don't mind us."
After taking a seat next to Mettaton, Toriel gave him a concerned look. "You look like something's bothering you. What's the matter?"
Mettaton took a deep breath and let it out, deciding to cut right to the chase. "Why didn't you and Sans tell us you were getting married?"
Toriel blinked. She hadn't had the chance to explain things to Mettaton since everyone found out about the marriage at that dinner party all those months ago; their lives were awfully busy. After trying to think of how to best word what she was about to say, she started explaining herself. "Not long after Sans proposed to me, we had a very long talk about whether to have a wedding or not. We thought about every possible option, and we ultimately decided not to have a wedding, since there would be too many things to worry about."
"But we could have handled it for you!" Mettaton almost looked like he was on the verge of tears. "Don't you think all of your friends and family deserve to come together and celebrate your relationship? We could have arranged something beautiful and extravagant..."
Toriel was hesitant to continue, seeing his distress. "Well, Mettaton..." She sighed. "I don't want an extravagant wedding. Being in one would only bring back bad memories."
Mettaton looked puzzled. "You didn't mind attending Alphys and Undyne's wedding, and you've said you want to be there when Papyrus and I have our wedding..."
"That's just it, Mettaton. Even though I'm attending those weddings, neither of them are mine." Toriel looked at the sky. "Other than that...I've had an extravagant wedding before."
A lightbulb turned on in Mettaton's mind. "To Asgore..."
"Yes. Since it was a royal wedding, it was easily one of the most lavish weddings the Underground had ever seen. Everyone who witnessed it, or even just heard about it, was certain that our relationship would last forever."
Toriel cast her head to the ground, her voice beginning to break. "And then...we lost our children...and Asgore made his decree...for the longest time, I didn't even want to be on speaking terms with him. It was only through the others' encouragement that I even considered talking to him again..."
She tried very hard to hold back a flood of tears, taking deep breaths to calm herself. Everything is all right...Asriel and Chara have returned, those other six children are at peace, and Frisk made it so that things will stay like this...
After a few minutes that felt much longer than a few minutes, Toriel reigned in her emotions and looked at Mettaton. "So, Mettaton, please don't think Sans and I did this to spite you or anyone else. Under different circumstances, I would have loved a wedding, but as it is now, the thought of being a bride just brings back memories I would rather not relive."
The silence between them was almost deafening after she said that. She looked around; Bennett was going back inside for some food, the technicians were finishing the job, and the sun was dipping a bit lower in the sky, though it wasn't setting yet. Finally, she felt a hand on her shoulder, and saw that it was Mettaton, who was still looking downcast. This time, however, it was for a different reason.
"Toriel, dear..." he began, sighing. "I apologize. It honestly hadn't occurred to me that that was why you didn't have a wedding. But I understand; those memories must be a horrible thing to revisit. If I had realized that beforehand, I wouldn't have said a word. Please forgive me."
"Of course I'll forgive you, Mettaton." Toriel gently gave him a hug. "And just so you know...I apologize, too."
"Whatever for?"
"For not telling everyone that Sans and I were getting married. You were right; it is an occasion that everyone should celebrate. Even if we only do something small." Toriel frowned. "I suppose I let my apprehension get the better of me..."
Mettaton laughed dryly. "Knowing how everyone, myself included, would have reacted to finding out you were engaged, I understand why you would feel that way." He fell silent for a short moment, looking out at the horizon.
"What are you thinking about, Mettaton?"
"Oh, I just had an idea." He leaned closer. "If you and Sans ever decide that you do want to celebrate your relationship, I could put together a small, simple party that everyone could attend. That style isn't my specialty, but I will try to make it both simple and elegant at the same time. It would be a great opportunity for me to expand my horizons. But I'll only do it if you and Sans want me to."
Toriel smiled. "I will have to think about that. Thank you, Mettaton."
"You're quite welcome." He stood up. "Well, shall we go back inside? We wouldn't want to be late for the speeches."
Toriel nodded, also standing up. "And the others are probably wondering where we are."
They both walked back inside. The first thing they did was find Sans and take him aside so that they could explain what they had just talked about, and Sans agreed that he and Toriel would have to think about whether to have a party or not. After that, they got more food and returned to their respective seats, continuing their conversations with everyone else.
When Mettaton saw that it was around 5:45, he went to grab a few things (a chair, a hat with slips of paper inside, and a small table for the hat) and set them on stage. He signaled to Napstablook to pause the music, and started speaking into the microphone.
"Everyone, if I could have your attention, please?"
The whole crowd looked at Mettaton as they became quiet.
"The buffet will still be open until it's time for the cake, at which point it will be moved outside. You can all still eat dinner, but right now, it's time for some of us to tell Frisk and Asriel how much they mean to us."
Mettaton looked at the hat on the stand. "Once I go through all the names in this hat, anyone else who wants to say something should feel free to say it. I'll start."
He looked at Frisk and Asriel, giving them a sincere smile. "Frisk...I remember when we were trapped underground. At the time, I was so desperate to make it to the surface and become one of humanity's biggest stars. But when you helped get my ratings to levels I had never seen before, I realized that not only was I already a huge star among monsters, but at the time, I was also their only star. And since I had just performed for a human, I felt that there was no need to go to the surface for the time being. But you and Asriel broke down the barrier anyway, and so I did get to fulfill my old dream after all. And it was through you that I made some very dear friends, reconnected with my family, and even found my one true love...for real this time."
Frisk giggled a little at the memory of Mettaton's performance, and Papyrus looked joyful at his fiance's words.
"And from what I have seen of the two of you at parties, I can tell you know how to entertain the masses. If you decide to do some entertainment work on the side, I think it's safe to say you'll have some very adoring fans. Especially since you're both very kindhearted. In conclusion, I had already planned to make this a wonderful party for the two of you when you were still nine, but upon seeing how you've acted as you've grown, I knew I really wanted to celebrate the lives of the amazing pair known as Frisk and Asriel Dreemurr!"
He posed dramatically. "Never stop being fabulous, darlings!"
Everyone, the birthday duo most of all, started cheering and applauding.
Mettaton started rifling through the hat. "And now I would like to give the microphone to..." He drew a slip of paper and read the name on it. "Undyne!"
Undyne got out of her seat, nearly throwing her chair to the side, and ran up onstage as Mettaton walked behind the nearby curtain.
"All right, punks, where do I even begin?" She took a deep breath and looked at Frisk. "Let me tell you something, Frisk. Alphys' anime and manga, when I thought it was human history, made me think humans were cool. And when I first met you, I thought you were the opposite of that. To me, you were the only thing standing between the monsters and their freedom, and so I'd use any reason I could think of to kill you and take your soul...even if I had to make one up." She chuckled a bit. "I actually said you were hiding behind Manny so you could get away from me, when anyone could have seen that he chose to defend you on his own. Can you believe it?"
Manny and Frisk also chuckled.
"But anyway, even after everything I did to you, you still saved my life back in Hotland, and you even asked me to be friends. And the way you attacked me in our sparring match...I could tell you didn't want to hurt anyone. Even then, I still had doubts in my mind about whether you'd stay that way, and I probably would've flipped out if you had cracked."
She smiled. "But you never did. You and Asriel broke the barrier without needing to kill anyone. And I couldn't be happier that the two of you are in my lives. I mean, it's because of you that we're on the surface now. It's also because of you that Alphys and I were able to confess how we really felt about each other, and look at us now; we went from friends, to girlfriends, to wives, to mothers of the most awesome twin sons we could've had."
At that moment, she frowned a little. "Sometimes I feel bad when I think about how close I was to killing you, and how all this wouldn't have happened if I did. But then I remember something that Gerson told me a long time ago: you can either feel bad about what you did in the past, or you can move on and show everyone that you're not like that anymore. And that's what I plan on doing: showing everyone that I'm not the same as I was in the Underground. So thanks for being two of my besties, and never forget that we're always there for you!"
There were more cheers and applause. Undyne walked off the stage, Mettaton walked back on, and he drew another slip.
"Asgore and Katla!"
The couple took the stage, and Asgore decided to start. "Frisk...knowing how things are now, it's hard to believe that I was dreading my first meeting with you. I had done some things that I was not proud of, and I was not willing to repeat them, even for one last time. But thanks to all your friends and family, I didn't have to. Just like Undyne said, the barrier was destroyed without anyone else needing to die."
He looked at Asriel. "And it was thanks to you as well, Asriel. When you had all of our souls, you could have chosen to simply let everyone go and be done with it, or to keep everyone inside and retain your empathy. But you decided to shatter the barrier yourself before letting us go, even if it meant you had to return to the way you were before. And it ended up being a moot point, since a year later, you were able to return as yourself anyway. And for all this time, you have been just as wonderful as you've always been."
"Indeed you have," Katla said as she took her turn. "When Asgore and I decided to become a foster family, we were worried that child services wouldn't trust us. But upon seeing how nice you and Chara were to the children who came in, we knew there was nothing to worry about. Even when you had bad days, you never took it out on any of the children; in fact, you even showed them your own favorite ways to calm down. Your kindness may have even ended up saving their lives, or at least their mental health. I know it took a while for you to warm up to me, Asriel, but you eventually did, and I thank you for that. Thank you for everything too, Frisk; thanks to you, my brother is happily married to the guy he loves, and their fellow Royal Guards Grace and Gail are good friends again."
With that, Katla let Asgore have the last words. "So you see, everything that has happened to us in the last decade has been nothing short of wonderful, and we owe it all to the two of you. Thank you."
They left the stage as everyone clapped and cheered, and Mettaton drew another name. "Your turn, Chara!"
Wordlessly, Chara walked up on stage, and looked out at the crowd. "...Hello. I don't usually do sentimental stuff in front of big crowds, so you'd better take a picture." She smirked. "That means you, Frisky Business."
Frisk took another picture to add to the myriad they had been taking today.
"Seriously, though, I was just wondering something about you and Az, and about Mom and Dad." She gave them all a confused look. "Where did you guys learn how to forgive people? Really! You gave me a chance after all the things I did. If my birth parents-" -she scoffed and shook her head- "If I so much as spilled some food on the floor by accident, they would have read me the riot act. But you?"
She looked at Toriel and Asgore in particular. "I got your son killed all those years ago! And I nearly killed him again just for trying to save me from the darkness! Seriously, Az, you think you did weird stuff as a flower? The stuff I did in the void..." She chuckled dryly. "Let's just say that the only way I could accurately describe what I did back there would be if I used four-letter words. Don't worry, I'm gonna spare you."
The audience lightly chuckled at this.
"But really, when I came back, I would not have blamed any of you if you had decided to show me the door and tell me not to let it hit me on the way out. And yet, even after all of my crimes, you still decided there was a place for me in your lives. You even trusted me with all those foster children. And similarly to what Undyne said earlier, I was determined to show that who I was back then is not who I am now." She looked down, her voice starting to sound more melancholy. "Especially since, not long after, I had a nightmare where everyone rejected me instead of letting me back in the family. After that, I knew I didn't want to do any other horrible things anymore."
Now her gaze turned to Asriel. "So, Az? Who cares about some dumb plan from when we were kids and I didn't trust anyone? We're all here now, and you're my brother, and I'm happy to be your sister. Same thing with you, Frisk. And thanks for letting me be your daughter again, Mom and Dad."
She once again addressed the crowd. "And everyone, don't worry. I promise to never commit any crimes again. In fact, I hope to get payback against people who do commit crimes once I eventually pass my bar exam." She took a cue from Mettaton and posed dramatically. "Because I am the law, and the law is not mocked!" After saying this, she smirked at the Snowdrake family (Sunny, his dad Drake, and amalgamated mother Mariah). "Remember that now..."
"Hey, everyone else already milked the lawyer jokes dry," Sunny said. "You've got nothing to worry about."
Chara laughed. "Thanks. Anyway, that's all from me, so enjoy the party!"
After she left the stage and the audience reacted as usual, Mettaton picked another name.
"Gaster!"
"Thank you, Mettaton." Gaster walked on stage and took the microphone. "When I first found Sans and Papyrus all those years ago, I thought to myself that they may find other monsters to start a family one day. What I was not expecting was for this sort of family to come about; by the time I had returned from what had happened to me, I had found that my sons had grown up, and they were helping to raise a human child and the formerly-fallen prince of monsters together with the former queen. And not just that, but the monsters had finally broken the barrier and were living on the surface."
He smiled at his family. "After seeing how everyone has lived, I couldn't have asked for a better future. For my sons, for the children, for anyone. I was even able to reconnect with a very dear family member of mine, who, if no one minds, would like to say a few words right now."
Shadows seemed to twist, and from behind the other curtain, River emerged. Frisk and Asriel excitedly waved at zem.
"Tra la la. Today is a wonderful day. The eighth child and the prince have become adults." River looked around at the audience before ze continued. "They have made a lot of friends...and their friends have made them who they are today."
Ze focused on Asriel. "When you met the first child who fell into the Underground..." Then turned to Frisk. "When you yourself fell into the Underground..." Zir gaze focused on both of them. "Did either of you imagine that this would be your fate? Out of the countless possible outcomes...fate has chosen this one for you. Think of what you have been granted, and if possible, strive for what you haven't been granted, as long as it benefits others along with yourself. Tri la, tra li, tri le."
Gaster smiled again. "Well said, River."
"Thank you." River and Gaster put their hands together for a brief moment. When they were done, River again looked at the crowd. "Alas, I cannot stay, as fate has called me elsewhere. Remember what I have said, and never forget to appreciate what you have been given. Farewell for now."
Ze retreated behind the curtain again, and the shadows twisted once more.
Gaster once again addressed everyone. "River's words are true. And every day, I appreciate being a grand-dadster to these two." He looked at them. "You have both done wonderful things. I thank you, River thanks you, and monsters everywhere thank you."
He left the stage, and Mettaton chose the next speaker.
"Alphys, come on up!"
After receiving a kiss on the hand from Undyne, Alphys walked up on stage. "The others summed up my feelings nicely, but I just want to put my two cents in. Frisk, even though you'd forgiven me for tricking you in the Underground, I still felt horrible about it for some time afterward. I tried taking Undyne's advice, and it worked sometimes, but on other days, it was easier said than done. You and Asriel, along with all our friends, stayed with me no matter what I did or how I felt, and you didn't lose your patience with me. Since then, I've been able to feel good about myself in ways that I would have never imagined ten years ago."
She wistfully looked up at the ceiling. "If someone had told me back then that we'd be making it to the surface soon, and that later I would be married to Undyne, and the two of us would have children together...I would have thought it was just wishful thinking." She smiled at the two, tears of joy beginning to form. "But the two of you made it real. And I can't thank you enough for that. I really can't."
She went back to Undyne's table, and Mettaton picked out another slip.
"Manny, it's your turn!"
Manny went on stage and looked at the two. "All right...I just want to say that I really owe a lot to both of you. Frisk, you saved my life back in the Underground, and you helped me get along with the other kids at school. Asriel, you've also been a great friend to me, between all the times we hung out together, and the times you helped fix my clothes and even given me some new ones. Even when I just needed someone to talk to, one of you has always been there. I don't always feel good about myself, but whenever I'm around the two of you, I feel like I'm in my second family."
He looked at Frisk with a gentle smile. "And who knows? Maybe someday our two families can become one...but that'll happen once we've sorted out our lives. Anyway, even though I'm not the best at speeches, I just want you two to know that meeting you has been one of the best things to ever happen to me."
He returned to where he had been sitting, and Mettaton grinned when he saw whose turn it was now.
"Papyrus, darling! It's time for you and Sans to give your speeches!"
Papyrus stood up. "Nyeh heh heh! Here I come!"
He ran up on stage, and Sans followed behind him.
"You go first, Pap."
"Gladly!" Papyrus eagerly took the microphone. "Frisk! When I first met you, I was so happy to have met a human. But then you showed that you were even greater than I could have imagined. I never thought I would have met someone who loved pasta and puzzles as much as myself. And I always believed in you from then on. I believed in you even more when you helped everyone: you helped my brother, you helped Undyne, you helped Mettaton, and you helped everyone else here! And you helped us too, Asriel, when you broke the barrier. After we made it to the surface, I was finally able to achieve my dream of learning to drive, and not only did I get to meet Mettaton, but he and I are engaged now! I like to think it was my encouragement that helped you out. Before I let Sans have the microphone, I just want to say that, although I am and will always be The Great Papyrus, your greatness easily rivals mine, considering everything you two have done. And I couldn't be happier to be your brunkle!"
He took a bow before stepping aside, allowing Sans to take center stage.
"Hey, kids. I know exactly what I want to tell you, so this birthday speech should be a piece of cake."
Laughter and groans came from the audience.
Papyrus was among those groaning. "Sans! This is supposed to be a heartwarming speech!"
"I know, bro. But everyone saw it coming, so I thought I'd just get it out of the way right now. I didn't plan any more puns for this speech."
Papyrus sighed. "All right..."
"Anyway..." Sans turned to Frisk, looking rather serious. "Frisk...you already know this by now, but the first time I met you, I was not inclined to become your dad, or even your dunkle. If it weren't for Tori making me promise to protect you...well, who knows what would've happened. I've had all sorts of nightmares and recurring visions of a kid who looked just like you going through the Underground and solving problems by force instead of with words. I was ready to give you a bad time if I had to..."
His face returned to its normal grin. "But I never had to. Not only were you kind to everyone, no matter what they did to you, but you didn't want my nightmares to come true, either. You were willing to risk everything to end the resets, just so we could all live like this without fear that it'd be taken away. And ever since you did...I've been happier than I've ever been before."
Now he was looking at Asriel. "I gotta give credit to you too, Asriel. When you were a flower, I thought you were just a bad person, especially after you tricked my brother. But after I got to meet the real you, I don't think I could've been happier to have known you. Not only did you break the barrier, but you wanted to show everyone that you're not a bad person, and you meant it. Which is much more than what I can say about other folks in this world."
Sans looked at the confused crowd. "Don't worry. As far as I can tell, none of them have been invited to this party."
He returned to addressing Frisk and Asriel. "So as I was saying, kids, even though we didn't start off perfectly, you two have definitely made me proud to call myself a dunkle and a dad. And no matter what happens, I'm always rootin' for you. And so's everyone else."
The brothers returned to their seats, and Frisk and Asriel were on the verge of tears after all they'd heard so far. But there was one more slip of paper for Mettaton to draw...
"And the last name in this hat is Toriel!"
She slowly walked up on stage, looking for all the world like the most proud mother who ever lived. Her face was beaming as she took the microphone.
"Frisk, Asriel, my children...I do not know how to even begin describing the way I feel right now. After I first lost you, Asriel, along with Chara and eventually the other six children... well, at that point, I felt like the worst mother in the world. And when you fell down, Frisk, I wanted so much to avoid having the same thing happen to you. But you were determined to find your way home...and you were determined to get there while hurting as few monsters as possible. You stood up to every monster that you encountered, but you did so with kindness rather than violence, no matter how much they wanted you dead. And then..." She looked up. "You helped to save my son not once, but twice. I hadn't even thought it was possible for him to come back. And yet...you did it."
She smiled at Asriel. "And you, Asriel...I never lost faith in you. Even after I found out that you were the flower who tried to kill us, I never once thought of leaving you behind. Not only are you my son no matter what happens, but as Sans said, who you were as the flower is not who you really are. Breaking the barrier before letting our souls go was the most selfless thing you could have done. And you never gave up on Chara either...now both of my first children have returned from death. And it was thanks to both of you."
Toriel took a deep breath to stop her voice from cracking. "I've watched the two of you grow up over the years, and you've proven yourselves to be a wonderful example of how humans and monsters can live together in harmony. Even on days when things have gone wrong, you've handled the situations with maturity, whether at the moment or after the fact. You've learned so much and done so much over the years, and..." Another deep breath. "I'm proud of you two. I truly am. Thank you for being my children. No matter what happens, always remember that you're both in my heart. And whatever the future holds, we will face it together. All of us."
After leaving the stage, the first thing she did was walk over to see her children; her speech had been the thing that finally made them start crying joyfully, and she embraced them both. Sans soon joined in, and Mettaton felt so joyful seeing the spectacle that he just barely remembered to continue the presentation.
"Before the birthday duo give some speeches of their own, would anyone else like to say anything to them?"
Many different monsters each took their turns saying a few short words to them; although they weren't full-blown speeches, they were just as heartfelt. Froggit thanked Frisk for never giving up on pacifism, Loox thanked them for being the bigger person, and Whimsun thanked them for caring about their feelings. Napstablook thanked them for their kindness, and for helping to put their family back together. The dogs, the Snowdrake family, and Shyren and Lemony also thanked them for bringing their families back together. Jim was grateful to the two for helping him understand the value of hard work, and Tice appreciated that they had helped him build up his special effects club in school. Heats Flamesman thanked them for remembering his name, Nathan and Muffet took a short break from finishing the cake (they were a bit ahead of schedule anyway) to thank them for supporting their businesses, and Grillby thanked them for a similar reason. The other guests thanked them for other reasons, and before they knew it, everyone who had wanted to say something had said it.
Mettaton smiled at the two. "All right, you two, it's time for you to say a few words."
Frisk and Asriel nodded, and they got out of their seats; notably, Asriel also brought his guitar case on stage. He set it down near the chair and took the microphone.
"Frisk...I still remember when I became myself for the first time in years. I was so lonely, and so scared of being abandoned. After everything I had done to you as a flower, I would have understood if you had just given up on me. But you didn't give up; you still had faith in me - the real me. You wanted to make sure I could be happy, too. And I am happy: happy that my parents and I got to see each other again, happy that my sister's back too, happy that we've made all these wonderful friends and had all these great experiences. Since we're just becoming adults, our lives are just getting started as well. And we're not gonna give up; we're the first generation of humans and monsters to coexist on the surface since the war, and we'll show everyone that, just like our family, humans and monsters can live together in harmony."
Frisk grinned. "You've been studying some diplomacy tactics, haven't you?"
Asriel shrugged. "Hey, it comes with the territory of being royalty, even former royalty. Besides, it's hard not to pick these things up from you."
After laughing for a bit, Frisk took over the microphone after Asriel handed it to them. "You know, Asriel, when I first fell into the Underground, I would have never thought that the flower I met would really be my best friend after what he did. But as we've talked about before, Flowey wasn't the real you. When I met the real you, I knew that I couldn't just let you live like that; you deserved to live a happy life like the rest of us. I mean, if your kindness alone wasn't enough, it was you who broke the barrier. If you hadn't done that...well, I don't want to think about what I might have had to do. But since you did, there's no reason to worry about that. All these years, you've been a great brother to me. We would laugh together on good days, help each other feel better on bad days, and even though we've had our disagreements, as everyone does sometimes, we were eventually able to see each other's points of view, and we came out stronger because of it. Even though I was terrified of you back in the Underground, I now can't imagine not having you around."
Frisk looked Asriel in the eyes as they said this last part:
"Asriel Dreemurr, you really are my best friend."
In that instant, the two hugged each other on stage. It had been nearly a decade since the first time they hugged each other, and they had shared several hugs between then and now, but that didn't make this one any less sincere.
After they broke out of the hug, Frisk looked out at the audience as Asriel walked over to the chair. "And to all of you...we'd be standing here all night if, at this moment, we did a speech thanking each and every one of you individually. No matter how much we may want to do that, and we honestly do, it wouldn't fit the schedule."
"So we decided to sing a song for you instead," Asriel said as he took out his guitar. "And I think you all know this one."
Asriel briefly made sure his guitar was in the right tuning, and then he began to strum a series of chords. Within a few seconds, all the humans and monsters in the room recognized the song, and Frisk hummed along with the intro before singing the first verse:
"Sometimes in our lives, we all have pain, we all have sorrow..."
As the song continued, Frisk looked out into the audience. Their voice sounded so sincere as they sang the chorus, promising to be there for everyone.
Eventually, they got to the bridge, and Asriel stopped strumming for a brief moment as Frisk brought the microphone over. They sang the next part together:
"Just call on me, brother, when you need a hand
We all need somebody to lean on!"
After another bit of lyrics, Asriel went back to strumming as Frisk kept singing. While the two continued singing and playing the song, everyone else thought about what the two meant to them, and how far they'd come since their childhood. Toriel in particular was nearly beside herself with emotion, and Asgore was unable to keep tears from streaming down his face. Jim and Tice held up their cell phones as if they were lighters (Jim didn't use his fire magic for safety reasons, since he was so close to everyone), and Manny gently swayed from side to side in his seat. Even Chara was having trouble holding back her emotions.
As the song wound down, Mettaton watched the whole thing with a gentle smile. These two really had become fabulous people since their childhoods. And he knew that everything that happened behind the scenes was absolutely worth it.
"Call me..." Asriel strummed the final chords as he and Frisk sang that line together. The two stood up and bowed, and the audience clapped for them.
Sans was among those clapping. He looked over to Toriel, and he saw that her face was in her hands...was she crying?
"What's wrong, Tori?"
Toriel looked over to Sans, revealing a tearful smile on her face. "Nothing's wrong, Sans. It's just..." She threw her arms around him. "I'm so proud of them..."
"I am, too." Sans returned her embrace, and he looked up at her. "We all are."
A/N: Well, I promised a feels trip, and a feels trip is hopefully what you got. Next chapter (which is also the last) is going to be straight-up fun, starting with the cake and ending with Mettaton's surprise.
Before I go, though, I have a speech of my own:
Sunfreckle, we didn't start talking until you published the Alphyne wedding chapters. I hadn't given any suggestions for prior chapters since I was so scared about telling you what to do, especially considering my own negative experiences with requests. However, you were always patient and kindhearted. We would chat with each other about other ideas, and you didn't mind hearing my opinions on certain chapters...even if they weren't always positive, and even if I didn't always express them in a restrained manner. Thanks for being there while I tried to figure out why the first part of "The Grand-Dadster" made me feel sad, and thanks for at least hearing me out while I expressed my opinions on the finale. I would apologize for freaking out, but you've already heard me apologize several times before, and so it'd just be redundant at this point.
(An aside to the other readers: yes, although I'm loath to admit it to the public, I initially had severe issues with the finale. I felt the dark tone came out of nowhere, and I didn't like the way Chara was portrayed; she struck me as being the very definition of "unintentionally unsympathetic". My opinions have since warmed up to it, and I currently don't think it's anywhere near as alarming as I initially considered it.)
Anyway, thank you, Sunfreckle, for showing us your kind heart through your amazing story and through your sweet, good-natured attitude. My only regret is that I didn't start talking to you sooner.