Shatterday, a time to reflect on the past year and what the next might bring.
Given the times, however, there might not be much to look forward to, but it is still a chance to rest and unwind for the troubles ahead.
Shatterday, the annual celebration of Frisk's and Asriel's shattering of The Barrier and monsterkind's return to the surface. A time when all of Ebott would come together, where the streets would be filled with music and merriment, all ending out in the great plaza in front of the castle, where booths with foods and games, and stages with shows and singing would be erected.
Even with The Void being unleashed and a new, suspicious king having taken the throne the bright optimism and festive nature of the monsters were undiminished. Something Frisk, Asriel, and their friends could appreciate.
Usually, the day would be punctuated by a speech from the king. An address on how far they had come and their goals for the future, but ever since getting the strange bag of golden rods from Alphys, Parides had retreated deep into his castle, no doubt to plot and scheme something dreadful.
But that was a bridge to cross when they got to it, for now, all were happy to finally have some time off to unload and relax.
The gang was assembled atop a grassy hill overlooking the plaza, food from Toriel's kitchen laid out on a blanket resting beneath the shadow of an expansive willow tree shielding them from the warming sun. The master chef herself sat at the end, like a benevolent lord at a banquet table, with Frisk and Asriel at her side, followed by sans and Papyrus, and lastly Alphys and Undyne.
"It's good to see you all again" Toriel said, gracing each of them with a warm smile "It's been too long, present circumstances notwithstanding" to which both of her children nodded.
"speaking of circumstance, ya think you could hand me the circu-mustard, frisky?" sans said, gesturing to the "dog" on his plate.
"OH MY GOD SANS! HOW DARE YOU BRING YOUR SORDID PUNS TO THIS DELICIOUS FEAST WITH OUR FRIENDS!?" Papyrus shrieked.
"if anywhere, 'dish' would be the place to bring 'em, wouldn't it?"
"Well I, for one, an appreciate some R'n'R" Undyne added in. She wore a featureless black tank top, that failed to completely hide the magically-infused bandage around her stomach, a necessity following her battle with Valantis. It evidently still hurt as even the smallest of movements elicited a grunt of pain from her.
"Yeah, can't remember the last time I had a moment to myself. Seems like it's been all been one long show of deaths, takeovers and fights for the last few months" Alphys sighed.
"Well, that's why we're here. To forget about all that and just have a day to ourselves!" Frisk declared and raised her cup of soda up in salute vigorously enough it splashed most of its contents over Asriel sitting opposite her.
"Y-yeah, that.." he bleated and likewise raised his cup, with the rest of the crew following suit. Afterward, they quickly fell upon the vast array of food displayed before them.
"Soh, whaf haf you behn up tho lately?" Frisk asked, looking at sans, while having half a plate's worth of pie hanging out of her mouth.
"i've been... in between jobs" sans shrugged.
"WHAT MY BROTHER MEANS TO SAY IS THAT HE RECENTLY QUIT HIS LAST JOB AND NOW LOUNGES AROUND EVEN MORE THAN BEFORE! HIS LAZINESS HAS REACHED NEW, UNPLUMBED DEPTHS!"
"as I said, in between jobs, my last one and the next one"
"BUT YOU HAVEN'T EVEN BEEN SEARCHING FOR ONE!"
"doesn't mean i'm not gonna get one. y'know, i think it all chalks up to an ol' eye-socket injury i had a while back"
"Oh?"
"yeah, i just can't see myself workin'"
"Oh my god, sans..." Both Papyrus and Frisk deadpanned.
Beside them, Asriel wolfed down an exceedingly large cinnamon-coated mammoth snail. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught Alphys reading a strangely evil-looking book, with spikes lining the rims. He picked up a smaller snail and gently tossed it at her, making her jump in surprise.
"Whats that you got there?" He asked.
"What? Oh, eeh, j-just something I found in the hidden archives, nothing special" she quickly fired off.
"It's a book on necromancy" Undyne blurted.
"N-necromancy? Really?" Asriel said, tilting his head sideways with a worried frown. "That sounds... ominous"
"Oh, well, it's not. I mean, it is, but, it's not that I'm going to use it... or anything..." Alphys said, cheeks starting to glow.
"So you're just reading a book on dark magic... for fun?" Asriel raised an eyebrow.
"Uhmm... Yes?"
"... Well, alright then" he shrugged.
Alphys let out a sigh of relief. Maybe taking a book on such controversial magic along to the picnic wasn't the best of ideas, but if her hunch was correct... she might just be on to something extremely important, something she was once again reminded of as she opened the book on where she left off, a chapter on: "Correct exfiltration or extraction of metaphysical essences from negative space within reasonable power spectrums" or, put more simply, how the pull a soul out of The Void that couldn't leave on its own.
After a while, the group descended into the calm, carefree and familiar banter that had been the norm in what seemed like forever. Papyrus talked about how he had been offered a role in one of Mettaton's new flicks with his usual enthusiasm, nevermind that his role was "Skeleton nr. 8", had a screentime of approximately 3 seconds, all of which consisted of him lying still on the floor. Frisk and Asriel detailed the volunteer work they had done in the human refugee camp, which seemed to grow on a daily basis as more and more people fled the hordes of lost, angry souls. All the while careful to talk as little about Parides as possible, he had ruined enough happy times for them.
Even Undyne added in with her story of how she had totaled Valantis in a fight just a few days prior, once a couple of seaweed-flavored beers had lessened her tongue, raised her spirits and dulled the pain of her wounds.
Toriel remained mostly silent, only adding her opinions and anecdotes here and there. Almost everyone there, however, would agree that the former queen looked much aged, the current events weighing heavily on her.
Nevertheless, for the first time in a long while, she smiled and everyone there was happier for it.
As the hours passed and the sky turned from clear blue into the bright orange of dusk, the time came to head home. The Skelebros were the first, with Papyrus explaining he had to get up early to prepare for his audition and sans mentioning he had to booby-trap the house as much as possible in preparation for that. Alphys and Undyne were next. In her effort to dull the pain Undyne had gone overboard with the liquor and had fallen asleep face first into Alphys's bosom. The red-faced lizard has excused them both, muttering that it was time to change her bandages anyway, and had dragged the warrior-fish by the arms down to their car.
Left were only Frisk, Asriel, their mother, and a whole slew of greasy, empty pots and plates. Frisk and Asriel had offered to help clean up but was refused. Night was coming but The Shatterday was still young and shouldn't be wasted on doing the dishes Toriel had explained, gesturing her head towards the plaza in the city.
There were more people than ever now. The Shatterday festival would easily and often last well into the morning. Neither Frisk nor Asriel had ever been there that long, their duties coming in the way, but now that Parides had taken that off their hands, perhaps it was time to fully enjoy what some monsters speculated could be the last Shatterday.
Hand in paw, Frisk and Asriel bade their mother farewell and had gone down the hill, looking forward to the night.
Even though the festival was crowdier than ever, the guests themselves had changed a bit. The youth of Ebott was all over, playing games at the booths, dancing, and generally doing their best to forget there was a war going on.
Going through the entrance to the festival, Asriel felt a pressure on his left arm and looked down to see Frisk resting her head there as she walked.
"This is nice" She said with a sigh of ease.
"What, the festival? Yeah, I don't think it ever had this many people before"
"I was more thinking about your fur, but yes, this is great as well. Almost makes you forget- OH MY GOD, IS THAT A PLUSHIE OF MOM!?" She suddenly shrieked, making Asriel wince as the sudden whining noise in his ear. She darted over to a game booth with rows of plushies, one of which, sure enough, looked a lot like Toriel.
"GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME!" Frisk said, pointing at it while pulling his arm. Asriel only managed a choked "Wha-" before a familiar figure came into view.
"Well now, fancy seeing The Dragon of Ebott and little Frisky bits here... its been a while" it said with a dip of its head.
"BURGERPANTS!" Frisk declared louder than intended, still hyped up over her plushie discovery.
"Howdy" Asriel greeted.
"Heyho" he said back "Heard what happened with you and, uhh, you losing the crown and all. Tough break"
"Thanks, and what about you? Last I heard you worked at MTT?"
"Well, you know how it is. Boss makes it big and us lesser grunts get sacked"
"Ouch, I'm sorry to hear that"
"Ah, its no biggie. If I'm to make it to the top I'm fine with it not being the top of a fast food chain"
"So you switched to working a carnival booth?"
"It's, ahh, a temporary gig"
"Right..." Asriel finished with a small shake of the head. "Anyway, I think Frisk got her eyes on, eh, the Toriel-plushie there. What's the game?" He asked, practically already knowing. It was a classic; 3 tracks, each with a moving set of targets to hit. A sign advertised how monsters could use magic, and a basket of baseballs was set out for humans to use. To his side, Frisk was still staring wide-eyed at the Toriel-plushie, squishing her cheeks and making "Nuuuu" sound.
"Ah, well, to tell you the truth; the game's rigged" Burgerpants explained matter-of-factly.
"Rigged? Rigged how?"Asriel asked.
"Eh, it's only about 1 out of every 5 contestant that wins, I'm not really sure, my managed was bit drunk when he explained... but you know what? You can just have it" He said, and handed the Toriel-plushie over to Frisk who replied with a squeal of delight, hugging it close. To her side, Asriel raised a confused eyebrow at Burgerpants.
"Really? Just like that? Won't your manage get upset?" He asked.
"Probably" Bugerpants shrugged "But... I've worked in retail most of my life and I've learned there are things far more important than your job. Now, Frisk and me, we go waaaaay back, way before you even shattered The Barrier" Burgerpants said, glancing over at Frisk who was too busy cuddling her new plushie to pay attention.
"You know the saying 'They never remember you once they reach the top'? Well, I've had that confirmed for me a fair few times now... except for Frisk" He nodded over to a plaque on the wall, inscribed with the words "Royal Endorsement Award For Excellent Character. By Order Of Her Royal Majesty Queen Frisk Dreemurr"
Asriel had to blink a few times in surprise. He hadn't heard anything about this.
"Honestly, I had... kinda gotten used to the fact that I would always get left behind or forgotten somehow. Heck, even my own parents failed to show up at my birth"
"What!?"
"Yeah... Anyway, the point is that Frisk... she is the first one to remember me, she is the only one to remember me. She was only queen for such a short time and still... she remembered our little talk. If it weren't for her endorsement I wouldn't be starting on the Royal Business Academy next week... 'course, there's the trouble of all these spirits causing havoc, end of the world and all that, but eh, gotta take your wins where you can get 'em, right?"
Burgerpants looked back up at Asriel, with a look that all but said 'it's all going to work out in the end'
"You take good care of her, y'hear? She's one of kind. And hey, if you ever go up against Parides, you got my vote"
Asriel was just about to respond that they didn't do elections in Ebott but thought better of it, realizing what Burgerpants meant. Instead, he chuckled lightly, feeling a sense of pride fill his chest "Thanks, and don't worry, I will" he said, turning and pulling Frisk close by her shoulders as they walked further into the festival, hugging her a bit closer than before.
A large space had been cleared out in the middle of the plaza in preparation for the main event of the night. A large stage had been assembled at the end, and at the stroke of midnight 'The Yowlers' would sing the "Song of the year". The song was a vocal-less symphony of howls that sought to capture the essence and events of the year, the ups, and downs, the joyous occasions as well as the tragedies.
Frisk and Asriel entered onto the plaza just as the band was setting up. The hustle and bustle were quieter here but it was nevertheless crowded with families, pairs, and groups. The air was buzzing with excitement and talk about what the previous year had brought but cautiously little about what the next might bring.
Up on the stage, the band got into position in front of their microphones. Asriel felt his heart lurch a bit in anticipation at the opening notes, after all, it had included him.
The Yowlers started off with a low, quiet noise, almost as if they were humming. Then, suddenly, a sharp yelp pierced the air, followed by a low, mournful dirge.
Asriel well remembered. Last year's Shatterday, when Doggo had accidentally taken a bullet meant for him, dying in the process and plunging the city into a week-long state of disbelief. He sighed, the song and memory almost moving him to tears.
After a while, The Yowlers switched their tone to a higher, more upbeat one. The time after Caderas's and The prophet's conspiracy, in which monsterkind faced much more leniency from the human government. A time of progress and much to be proud of.
He felt a nudge in his side and looked down at Frisk.
"Hey, wanna dance?" she asked.
Despite the innocence of the question, Asriel felt a shiver of fear run down his spine. All around him other monsters had broken out into dance as the Song of the Year changed into it's more fast-paced and upbeat part.
Without waiting for an answer Frisk reached up and took his right paw into her hand while placing her left on his shoulder, with him copying the gesture, to gently lead him into the throng. It was a strange thing, he knew 12 different ways to break an arm and 25 different methods to break out of a chokehold, 34 if he had his quarterstaff, but the art and elegance of dance had always eluded him. Not long after returning to the surface, his mom had tried teaching him a dance often used in the remaining human royal courts, an effort she had repeated with Frisk but had never really stuck with him. The art of Slow Dance.
But he had nothing to fear. As soon as Frisk got into position it suddenly became the most natural thing in the world to keep up with her and like a guide on a treacherous mountain trail, she led him through the crowds somehow easily avoiding bumping into others.
As the Song of Year increased its tempo, the surrounding monsters delved into the more energetic and wild turns and jumps one would usually see at the nightclubs, yet Frisk and Asriel continued their calm, elegant yet simple dance. Despite the ease and slowness of it, Asriel felt his pulse quicken, no doubt because he adored every second of it together with Frisk, but also because he knew how the Song of the Year would end... everyone did. Frisk knew it was coming as well and rested her head on his chest as they kept their dance going.
Sure enough, just as it seemed like the song would reach a jubilant and exciting climax it dipped back down to a slow, somber tone of grief, finally ending with a punctuating, drawn-out howl that betrayed an uncertainty for the future but not one void of hope.
The loss of Asgore was still a deep wound in many monsters...
Frisk and Asriel continued their dance of simple steps and turns. Both had their eyes closed with Frisk resting her head on his chest and Asriel gently nuzzling her shoulder. It took them almost a full 5 minutes to realize the place around them had gone quiet and as the spell broke and they looked up, they found the rest of the gathered monsters looking at them with admiration.
Almost as if she had been expecting this reaction, Frisk gracefully slid to his side and bowed like an actress thanking a patient audience with Asriel only dumbfoundedly and clumsily managing to follow suit.
The crowd exploded into cheers, jubilation, and whistles, shouting their praises, even the somewhat... more crass ones.
"ASRIEL! TAKE YOUR SHIRT OFF!"
"Man, why can't my girlfriend be as cute as Frisk?"
"Wooooooot! It's the Dragon of Ebott!"
"Hashtag: FriskBestHuman20XX!"
It was an almost surreal moment, the exact opposite of what so many of his nightmares had been about. Here he was, with the person he loved the most, a spotlight trained on them and surrounded by his people cheering them on.
Something welled up inside him. It was a sense of accomplishment and of being filled with Determination.
He looked down, meeting Frisk's eyes. In that instant, he knew he could toss a stone into the sea of devotion in her heart and it would take an eternity for it to reach the bottom.
He just prayed he would be worthy of all of this when the time came.
From atop the balcony in the royal castle, Undyne had a good view of the festivities. The Song of the Year had just ended yet people seemed to be applauding a dancing pair in the middle instead of the band, though she couldn't quite make out who.
A great cascade of fireworks shot up from within the festival and even though Alphys had given her something for her hangover, turning it into a mild, pleasant buzz instead, the exploding lights still hurt her eye.
She turned around, taking it as a sign that she might as well get on with her job. Lately, she had taken it upon herself to patrol the castle interior, for the king's "Safekeeping" a weird notion, given that Parides was much more powerful than herself, but it did give her a good excuse to keep an eye on him.
She stalked up the stairs to Parides's living quarters, finding the door half ajar, with what sounded like voices coming from it, but... strangely muffled, as if they were spoken out loud in an echoing cave far away.
As quietly as she could in her armor, Undyne inched close to the door, still unable to make out what was being said. She peeked inside, a large armchair was facing away from her but judging from the impressive pair of horns jutting out over it as well as 2 robed, white-furred arms at the side it could only have been Parides sitting there.
Much more strange, however, was the swirling mist in front of him. A mist that seemed to flow with changing images, like a TV screen.
She leaned in closer to get a better look. In the mist, she saw a pair of monsters she had never seen before, a male and a female atop ornate thrones. White-furred and with caprine features, clad in old but elegant royal clothes. The male was looking at the viewer in meek sympathy while the female leveled what sounded like thunderous accusations and insults at them. The mist darkened, and what looked like dark tendrils snaked in from the corners. For some reason, Undyne felt an immense sense of hopelessness and despair come over her and she had to reach out and steady herself to keep her from falling to her knees.
The mist swirled, becoming indecipherable for a few seconds, before settling on a new view. A young human woman with long, golden hair and a beauty that radiated infinite peace and patience. A pair of white-furred arms emerged from either side of the view, holding a small box and it occurred to Undyne that whatever she was seeing it was through the eyes of someone else. The box was gently opened, revealing a beautiful but simple emerald ring. The woman stepped back in shock, hands flying to her mouth and for a brief moment Undyne felt a pang of sympathy for whoever was holding the ring. The woman's hands slowly fell over her heart and a graceful smile crossed her face. She uttered a single word but as ever Undyne couldn't quite make out what it was, she didn't need to, as the view suddenly surged forward and she saw same white-furred arms embrace her in a hug and the view grow watery with what she could only imagine was the tears of the eyes she was looking through.
The mist swirled again, this time coming to a stop showing the woman from before, now wearing a fine wedding dress, embossed with golden lines curved into icons of flowers, leaves, and birds. She walked closer, taking the white-furred paws of the viewer into her hands. She started speaking and despite not being able to hear it clearly there was no doubt in Undyne's mind that it was words of grace and kindness.
Suddenly, the same dark tendrils from the first scene started coming into view again and despite the serenity of the woman in her beautiful dress Undyne felt the same overwhelming despair from before come over her. The white-furred arms suddenly lashed out, pushing the woman to the ground, the view turned, showing the viewer rushing out the door and sprinting down a hall. Undyne couldn't for the life of her understand it, all she could feel was a deep, inexplicable fear.
The view dashed for a set of downgoing stairs, coming to a stop just before reaching them. It turned around, coming face-to-face with the woman, features filled with apology and regret, having apparently caught up with whomever she was seeing through. They struggled, the woman trying to calm the viewer as best as she could, but even without being a part of it Undyne could sense the viewer was filled with an unstoppable dread and despair.
The white-furred arms lashed out again, grabbing the woman by the arms and with a strong pull threw her down the marble stairs.
Despite the need for silence, Undyne couldn't keep herself from gasping at the horror she was witnessing. The woman tumbled down, leaving small spatters of blood on every other step and as she came to a stop at the bottom Undyne could clearly see her neck was broken.
For a few seconds, the view rested on the limp body of the woman, the black tendrils slowly disappearing. The view then angled upwards and began shaking as strange sounds began emanating from it. It was either crying or laughing but Undyne couldn't quite tell what exactly.
The mist swirled for the last time, showing a scene that only lasted for a few seconds, that of a headsman's axe coming down on the view, striking it somewhere below...
… a beheading.
The mist disappeared. Undyne quickly skulked back, finding her heart was racing. Whatever she had just seen it had to be important to Parides. She had to get to Frisk and Asriel and tell them about-
"Enjoyed the show... Captain?" Parides's low voice said out loud.
Undyne felt a shiver of fear run down her back. How did he know!? Or did she just imagine the voice?
"I know you're there, Captain. Just come out, let's not make this any more awkward than it already is"
With a sigh of defeat, Undyne turned to walk back through the door, into Parides's living quarters. The King had risen from his chair, facing her with both arms behind his back. She spotted faint wet lines on his cheek and his eyes were more red than usual.
"What did you see?" He asked. He didn't sound angry at least.
Undyne looked aside. In truth, she wasn't really sure, though she could wager a good guess.
"I'm... I don't really know, sir" She answered.
"Oh come now, if any of all that warrior-wisdom you like spewing about is anything to go by you got a decent head on your shoulders, captain"
"... It was... a memory, wasn't it?"
Parides seemed almost uncomfortable with the answer, but nodded nonetheless.
"A memory indeed. One had I had almost forgotten. I don't remember much of my past life, there's only been this nagging sense of self-loathing I could never really place or explain... until I saw my descendants out there at the festival. Seeing them... made me remember something"
He drew in a deep breath, no doubt steeling himself for what he was about to explain.
"Ever since I came back I knew I had to save monsterkind, but now... I realize it was for more than one reason... there was 2"
Undyne cocked her head to the side, gently urging him to continue.
"I made a promise once. A promise to the best person I had ever met. A person I killed..." He said, almost a whisper.
He cupped a paw to his chest and with an exhale withdrew his soul. The same 2/3 soul as before, flashing with the colors of the power of the human souls within.
"This accursed thing... my soul... I know you and the Royal Scientist has been looking into it, so allow me to answer the question fully; I have never, and will never be able to feel or express Hope...
When my parents first learned that they were appalled. I'm told my mother even considered a 'do-over' for how could a pure-breed Dreemurr ever be born with such a damaged soul?" He said, voice dripping with scorn.
Undyne had very little sympathy for the king, but still felt a flicker of regret for him.
"Without hope, there is despair. Every time I am uncertain about something important to me I... become lost in a sea of fear and despair. Almost my entire youth I was kept away from the outside world, forbidden from leaving the castle. I spent as much of it as I could in the libraries, learning about the world I couldn't see for myself. But also to become as certain of the going of the world as I could. Doubt is like poison to me, captain. I HAVE to be certain in anything I do and for the most part I was successful, until... my parents decided to get rid of me. They knew it wouldn't do to have someone with a soul like mine become ruler of our people, so they married me away to the daughter of a human king that was a friend of our family, while my newborn little sister became the heir apparent instead" He said. A faint smile crept across his face and Undyne guessed that this 'daughter' was the woman she had seen in the memory.
"I was... quite lucky in that. She was the bravest, kindest, smartest most beautiful person I had ever know. Alarielle, she was called. Even when I told her of my condition it only spurred her to greater sympathy for me. I knew for certain this was someone I would be more than happy to spend my life with, and even if I didn't she had more than enough hope for the both of us"
His face fell and a shadow came over his eyes.
"Then, our wedding day... the day I... we both died. We talked about our future, of our love for one another and then... the pitfall, our future as king and queen. I hadn't even thought about it. I had traded the stewardship of monsterkind for a kingdom of humans, I hadn't considered that one day I would still be king.
I can't even remember that much, only that I ran, that I needed to get away from the source of my sudden hopelessness and despair... but she caught up with me. I was lost in a storm of fear and horror and despite all her grace, Alarielle only poured more fuel on the dark fire inside my soul. And so... I did the only thing I could think off to get rid of it..." He screwed his eyes shut, his face torn in a mask of self-loathing.
Undyne thought back to the scene of the viewer throwing the woman down the flight of stairs with a sinking heart. She was anxious to leave but still felt compelled to stay and hear it to an end.
When Parides opened his eyes again they were stained with lacrid droplets. His voice was heavy with a burden that had been carried for thousands of years.
"Do you understand now why I spent so long in The Void? In the last moments of my life, I killed the one person I loved the most and the one who loved me the most... because I felt afraid and scared. I did that... and I laughed. I laughed because of the immense relief, I felt the fear leave me. I was a coward that committed a heinous act. When Alarielle's father found out what I had done... well, you saw for yourself... but that was only the beginning of my punishment"
He looked back up at Undyne. Small tears were falling again, in stark contrast to the determined, almost angry look on his face now.
"I had been in The Void for so long I had almost forgotten her... Alarielle was always so fascinated with us monsters and so I promised that were I to ever be given a second chance I would do whatever it takes to save us. Even if I had to break out of The Void itself to do it and no one, not you, not even my descendants will get in my way!" he finished, lips curled back in a wolfish snarl.
Undyne took it all in, not flinching but still not unmoved. There was more to Parides that she had expected, she admitted. But personal tragedy was no excuse.
"Heh... you remind me of our own little furball, in a way" She muttered.
"... Asriel?" Parides wagered with a confused look.
"Yup" Undyne nodded "You seek redemption, something he once did as well... still does in a way I think" She crossed her arms and straightened her back "I know you've heard what happened to Asriel, how he died and came back as a flower and what he did in that state. When Frisk saved him, he was so taken with remorse and regret that he was willin' to do almost anythin' in the name of redemption, to the point he would'a been happy to give his own life if need be, not understandin' that doin' so would only repeat the mistakes of the past. Put simply; his first death caused a lot of misery, if he had sacrificed himself, no matter how noble the cause, it would only have made things worse"
Parides blinked a few times, taking in the words "And you think... I'm doing the same mistake?" He asked.
She shrugged "A lotta people don't agree with what you're doin'. Bottom line is; there's nothin' wrong with wantin' to atone for past mistakes. Ya just have to be careful you don't commit even bigger ones doing so"
"I know what I'm doing..." Parides hissed.
"I'm sure you think you do. Now, if that was all" Undyne said and turned to leave.
"I can imagine you're going to inform my descendants about our little tête-à-tête here" Parides said behind her, more a statement than a question.
"I might" she grunted back.
"I see... just know, change is coming to Ebott, Captain. You would be wise to place yourself on the right side of history" Parides finished.
Undyne reached the door, turning her head to fix her eye on the king
"Oh, don't worry about me... sir. I know where my loyalties lie"
With that, she left into the corridor beyond.
We're nearing the end of the ThroneTaker Arc, Parides's final ploy will soon be enacted.
Oh, and a belated Happy New Year to you all! Here's hoping its gonna be a great one!