Fate Versus Determination

by EpicFail236

Why is it, I wonder sometimes, that it took this long for it to happen? Was it because of you? Was I supposed to help you? To teach you something? No, no I think it was you that was supposed to teach me something. Fortunately for both of us, you did. (Set post True Pacifist Ending, post Chamber of Secrets.) Many thanks to reviewers! Updates Sundays or Mondays

12. Beginnings and Endings, Part Two

Chapter 12: Beginnings and Endings, Part Two

I used to be a fanfiction reader like you, then I took a disclaimer to the knee.

==oo00**00oo==

"... and though I am sympathetic to the specific needs and desires of your coalition, ambassador, I feel that your requests of sovereign control of the geothermal plants, even if temporary, would set a dangerous precedent! Having the support of our government, and by extension its laws, will help you both establish legitimacy, and ensure that any potential... conflict of interest would be handled appropriately by our government!"

"Oh stuff it, Roger! Everyone at this table knows you are just looking for an easy out if they decide to start providing power."

Frisk resisted the urge to roll their eyes. The first few minutes after revealing their presence to the table was met with disbelief and some small quantity of fear. The next few minutes after that, as Frisk took the time to explain the situation, albeit briefly, had captured the attention of nearly everyone at the table. Then Frisk made the planned 'mistake' of mentioning the various resources the coalition could offer surface society, which quickly set nearly everyone at the table back into their own personal 'safe zone', politics. The people at the table had been going at this for the last three hours almost non stop, but Frisk was certainly okay with the situation. It appeared that dangling such a generous carrot completely distracted them from the major peculiarities of the situation as a whole. However, that didn't mean Frisk wasn't vigilant after that hurdle was past; each person at the table could easily ruin the entire scenario, either by politicking their way into a completely unfair position on the table, or even possibly stonewalling the whole plan to get some triviality. Some of them had been hard to bring over to their side so far. This particular one was not.

"The Coalition agrees that, given the nature of power as a requirement for survival, that potentially adding another source of energy to Britain's list of providers could cause a significant energy crisis. To that effect, we would be willing to forswear providing power to anyone outside of our sovereign lands for the entirety of the transitional period. In addition, we had already planned to add our geothermal energy research into the knowledge exchange archives, which would be provided gratis to any of the other providers who would request it. As it is, our plant is certainly not powerful enough to provide energy at the scale required to become a competitor in the national market, and though it could be upgraded, the power provided is sufficient for our land for the time being, and we certainly have other places to spend our resources."

Frisk nodded as Roger relaxed in his chair, and a few other members at the table seemed to deflate a bit as well. Sometimes it seemed to Frisk as though some of these people just enjoyed taking the mickey out of each other. It put many things into context, how the powerful could use such world changing concepts as tools in a private for-kicks-only pissing contest. Frisk added another hash to the 'kept myself from rolling my eyes' count, wondering if the count would end up moving to the next page. Then looking around the table again while the group was working through contract language. Over the course of the meeting, nearly everyone at the table had the chance to air a request, question, or grievance, and nearly all seemed to have come through satisfied. All except for two people. One, a older man in a military uniform (a Lieutenant General by the name of Thomas Grant, Frisk recalled), who seemed to look at everyone in the room with a sort of calm acceptance, and almost a fondness, as though a grandparent to a group of barely behaved children. The second man was a bit of an oddity. First, he was an oddity in the fact that he hadn't actually sat at the table with the rest of them, but instead had himself a chair just off the corner of the table, at a point where he was easily able to view everyone in the room, nearly directly across from Frisk and Papyrus. The other odd thing about him was that he was not on any of the dossier records Frisk had received. For a moment, the man turned towards Papyrus, eyes narrowed, and then he turned his eyes towards...

Frisk blinked, then turned from the painting on the wall to one of the two people who had yet to... wait, two? The general was still there in his chair, but the other one...

Frisk blinked again. Now that was strange. It seemed that anytime Frisk would focus on the man for any extended period of time, the man would... somehow... redirect that attention? It seemed odd that someone like that would be in this meeting, and even less likely that Frisk wouldn't have been informed. This was a new factor, one that needed to be handled carefully. Looking up at the rest of the table, Frisk smiled- it appeared that things with the energy question were still being finalized, but we're nearly there. Frisk turned towards one of the gentleman asking for a clarification on the specific terms the Coalition wanted to use, and while answering, began writing on a piece of paper, sliding the note over to Papyrus, who had been studiously observing and taking notes. Papyrus halted in his note taking and looked down at the note subtly.

Don't look

Man in all black, right of General

Uses some kind of magic, can't pay attention

May be uninvited guest.

Papyrus looked back to his notes, not even acknowledging the note, though Frisk did feel a slight tapping of a foot against theirs, a pre-approved acknowledgement for the two of them. Given the circumstances, Frisk thought it might be best to deal with this sooner rather than later. Fortunately, an opportunity quickly presented itself for a change in pace. After concluding the power clause, the group adjourned for a five minute break. Though they were unable to leave the room, they had refreshments provided, and a private restroom attached to the conference room was quickly occupied. Frisk watched as General Grant stood, filled up his drink, then returned to his seat at the table. Seeing several opportunities arise at once, Frisk leaned over towards Papyrus.

"Follow my lead, keep an eye on our potential intruder"

Frisk stood, and walked around the table towards the general, Papyrus following. As they passed the man in black, Frisk noticed that he tensed subtly, and followed their path around the room, though his attention seemed to be more on Paps. As they passed the chair, Papyrus swung past Frisk, ostensibly to the refreshment table, but Frisk noticed that it became a good place to observe both Frisk and the stranger several paces behind. Frisk also noticed, with a slight bit of exasperation, that being so focused meant Papyrus forgot to gather the magic allowing the water he took from the table to be digested, and instead the drink ended up going through him and onto the carpet.

"Excuse me, General, but I had noticed that you have been rather silent this whole time." Frisk approached the man with a polite smile, and he looked up from his glass and smiled back with a nod.

"Ambassador. I'm afraid that I'm not as much a man of words as the rest of the people at this table. I admit to being far more a man of action, rather unsuited to rooms like these."

Frisk nodded in commiseration. "To be honest, general, I believe I've spoken aloud more in the last several hours than I have in the last several months combined." both of them shared a laugh at that. "Nevertheless, this treaty will affect everyone in this country, and likely beyond. I want to ensure that as many people as possible are able to air any concerns they may have." seeing the man was clearly paying attention at least, Frisk decided to air one of the particular reasons why they were glad he was here. "I admit one of my greatest fears is that, if something happens to reveal the Coalition to the general public before we all are ready, that fear would rule the day rather than sound minds. The devastation that could be brought upon our people by those who would see us as a threat could be total, and as our military currently numbers a grand total of eight members of an honor guard, only three of whom have actually seen any conflict, we would need to rely on you to protect us if any greater dangers grew." The man frowned a bit at this, but nodded. "I... actually specifically requested Her Majesty that a member of the military were to be present at this negotiation, as I wanted to ensure that any who would be put at risk would have a say in how this would pan out, and in many ways, you would be the ones at most in danger besides us."

The man nodded, then turned his attention to his glass. Swirling the brandy in his glass, he took a slow breath, before he responded. "You must understand, ambassador, the scope of what is happening in this room tonight. These people are deciding not just the fate of not just your people, but in many ways, how this event shapes the world- and this will change the whole world, not just Britain." He looked up at Frisk. "I have served in Her Majesty's army for my entire adult life, and have worked personally on tasks requested by this court on many occasions, on many tasks both mundane and... less so. Over that time, I have come to trust the judgement of the Queen, and those she keeps in her confidence." He glances up at the mirror along the wall nearest him. "And it appears that you, at least, have earned enough of that confidence to have my initial approval." He straightened up and drained his glass, then turned back to Frisk. "However, you are right in saying that having your Coalition exist in Britain would be a danger. As to whether or not the risk that entails is worth the price we may pay... that will be up to you."

Frisk nodded. "Of course. We will do everything we can to ensure the impact to this country is as minimal as possible." they replied, a bit louder than necessary. This worked as Frisk planned, creating a lull in conversation in the room, as everyone's focus partially shifted towards the two of them. Looking up at the glass, then at Papyrus, who ever so slightly nodded, boney hands tensing slightly, Frisk then slowly turned around to the man in the chair behind them, looking him straight in the eyes. "And what about you, sir? I'm afraid I am unsure as to your name. What can we do for you?"

At Frisk's direct address of the man, several things happened in quick succession. First, it seemed that the direct address broke whatever had kept their attention away from him, as suddenly not only was Frisk better able to pay attention to the stranger, but apparently everyone else in the room was able to do so as well, given the rather surprised reactions from the rest of the room. Frisk felt rather than saw the general rise from his chair beside them, angry words on his lips. The man himself was completely taken by surprise by Frisks direct address, but recovered fairly quickly, swiftly standing and whipping... something out from his sleeve. The man pointed it at Frisk and twitched his arm, and suddenly a red beam flew towards them. Frisk, however, was faster than the man, and the beam flew past and into a pile of papers on the conference table, scattering them everywhere. The man, however, didn't stop there, swiftly swinging his wand towards the approaching General, another red light striking the man, who stumbled into the stranger, falling near his feet before rolling away. The distraction he provided was enough for Frisk, however, who struck out with a foot in a swift kick, knocking the weapon out of the man's hand. The man scowled at Frisk, then began to turn on his heel, Frisk assumed to flee, when suddenly he began to glow a slight blue and stumbled. The man turned his head around confused, and then centered his focus on Papyrus, whose hand was extended towards the apparently hostile man, eye glowing in it's socket. He then turned back to Frisk with a gaze that burned with hate, and spoke, his voice sounding gravelly and distorted. "Your use of such dark magic is noted, criminal. This Inferius is clearly holding me here using your power. Release me or suffer further consequences."

This confused Frisk in a way that they hadn't felt in some time. Magic? As far as they were aware, the only magic that existed was the magic possessed by monsters...

"CONSEQUENCES OR NOT, UNKNOWN HUMAN, YOU SHALL NOT BE RELEASED UNTIL IT IS PROVEN YOU ARE NOT A THREAT TO THOSE AT THIS TABLE." Papyrus apparently felt such questions could be answered later, it seemed. The man turned to face the skeleton with a glare.

"You dare! I will destroy-urk!" The man's threat, along with the hand reaching into his pocket, froze, as in addition to the blue glow, the man found his neck surrounded by a circle of bones pressing delicately against his throat. Frisk smirked at the predicament the stranger found himself in.

"I suggest you refrain from moving too far, sir. Though Papyrus normally isn't the sort to cause people harm, he is very defensive of his friends. It would be best if, for the time being, you remain as still as possible."

"Indeed" A new, yet familiar voice, rang through the chamber, causing everyone else to look up in surprise. Frisk, turned to the side as, with a strong sounding click, the mirror along the wall seemed to change, and the room beyond it lit up, Queen Elizabeth herself coming into view on the other side, along with several guards and aides, weapons all trained at the apparent intruder. "We appreciate how effectively you have contained this threat, ambassador, guardsman. We find ourselves concerned, however, that a threat could have known about this meeting at all, much less been in attendance." She turned to one of the gentlemen, who had a sidearm drawn and pointed at the man. "Mister Stanford, do you recognize this person as someone your department would be aware of?" Frisk took a sidelong glance at Dennis Stanford, representative to the table from the various security departments, who stepped towards the man, glancing only momentarily down at the object the man had dropped, as well as the man's face. He seemed to be fighting with what to say, glancing back and forth between his Queen, the slowly recovering crowd, and the mystery assailant.

"No, your majesty. The weapon is... known to us, but the person is not. That being said, people with his... particular abilities... tend to-" he seemed to falter for words, less as though he didn't know the answer, and more that he didn't wish to explain the answer.

"Oh for God's sake, Denny, quit beating around the bush, everyone in this room should be cleared to this now anyway." To Frisk's relief, the General climbed to his feet, a hand supporting a bloody shoulder, but apparently sound enough to be quite irate with the uninvited guest. "That's a wand, this fool's a bloody wizard, and I've just been injured on palace grounds, again." He turned to Frisk with a nod, before continuing. "Your majesty, I formally request that all of the members of this body, and the esteemed ambassador and assistant, of course, be considered officially cleared for knowledge of classification Emrys, so that we can deal with this ruffian quickly and move on."

The queen nodded at one of her attendants who immediately bolted out of the observation room, and to another who quickly proceeded through a door hidden along the wall, med kit in hand, and proceeded to assist the injured man. "Of course, general. Considering the subject matter of this evening's discussion, we do not see any reason to further restrict knowledge that has clearly become relevant." The queen faced the intruder directly, walking up to the edge of the glass. "Regardless, this man is certainly a criminal, guilty of any number of violations of British law-"

"We do not recognize any of your laws in these circumstances" the man interrupted the Queen, who simply proceeded as if she had not heard.

"-in addition to violating any number of currently valid treaties. You will be detained until we can ascertain your motives in infiltrating this meeting, and then will be tried and sentenced for your crimes as appropriate."

The man simply scoffed. "You have no authority over me, you filthy muggle. Once I am released I will ensure-"

The Queen, who had been observing the proceedings with a calm air, darkened her countenance as his words continued. Turning to Papyrus, she nodded at him, simply saying, "if you would..." Papyrus' smile grew a bit, and one of the bones raised up, and the man was silenced as he was struck firmly in the back of the head, and he slumped to the ground. "Thank you, mister Papyrus, he was becoming quite a bore to listen to." Frisk could swear she smirked, just a bit, but it might have been imagined. "Ladies and Gentlemen, we apologize for the interruption to the proceedings. We will have this unexpected guest removed in a moment, and you can conclude this meeting." She then turned to Frisk and nodded. Frisk returned the nod with a smile and a bow. As three men came through the side door with a pair of handcuffs and a rather heavy looking set of chains, the light in the observation room dimmed until there was just a mirror remaining. While the man was shackled and hauled out of the room, still unconscious, the rest of the people in the room returned to their places on the table, except for the general, who instead walked over to Frisk and Papyrus first.

"General," Frisk said as he approached. "I hope you are not too badly injured. I am sorry I was unable to get to the assailant fast enough to prevent him from using his... magic?" Frisk tilted their head as they spoke the word. Now that the excitement was gone, the thought of humans being able to use magic seemed to swiftly push itself to the forefront of Frisks personal questions. The general seemed to sense this, and laid a hand on their shoulder.

"Don't fret over it at the moment, ambassador. Suffice it to say, a small portion of people on this earth were born with... rather special talents. People of his type are one of a few groups that are able to use what we would traditionally term 'magic'. The number of people who don't have such talents but know about them anyway are further fewer still, so it's no surprise you were unaware. Good catch spotting the blighter, though. Most people wouldn't have been able to even see him, including me admittedly. And the fact that you stood up to him when you could have fled was something as well." He frowned for a moment, then nodded. "We may have to work out details at a later date, but as far as I am concerned, you have my full support in your endeavour." He held out his hand to Frisk, who gladly shook it with a beaming smile. The man smiled back, then grimaced. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I'll go get this arm looked at a bit closer. Not as young as I used to be it seems." And with that, he said his farewells to the table, and left with an aide. Frisk sat down, shocked at the turn of events. It took just a moment however, to come to an even better realization. With General Grant on their side... it meant that everyone was on board! Frisk couldn't help but smile again, settling down at the table preparing for the conversations to resume. Not long now, and the Underground could truly consider themselves free.

==oo00**00oo==

It took another hour, and a few minor concessions, but in the end it was done. The final draft of the document was completed, and a schedule was set for a private signing of the document in four days time, pending final review by Her Majesty. Frisk was nearly giddy as the rest of the members departed, hands being shaken and personal business spoken of before retiring for the evening. Bidding the final member of the table good evening, Frisk looked up to find Paps walking in their direction. "I MUST SAY, FRISK, THIS WAS THE MOST ENGAGING AND... EXHAUSTING PUZZLE I HAVE YET TO PARTICIPATE IN CREATING!" Frisk laughed openly at the joke, and Papyrus chucked. "YOU HAVE TRULY ACCOMPLISHED A WONDERFUL THING HERE TONIGHT FRISK, PERHAPS ONE OF THE GREATEST IN OUR HISTORY. NOW, I BELIEVE IT BEST THAT WE BOTH GO HOME AND RECOVER!" Seeing as it was nearly eleven at night, Frisk couldn't help but agree, the last few hours had been quite a marathon. After being escorted back to their entryway by Jean (who also extracted a promise for further conversations about Frisk's newfound love life (blush blush awkward mumble blush)) Papyrus took Frisk by the shoulder and stepped backwards towards home.

Now Papyrus had learned to perform the same feat of 'shortcutting' his brother was so fond of using by accident once, when he accidentally backed himself off the roof while shoveling snow off of one of the buildings at the campground. He panicked and ended up triggering a shortcut to right above his old racecar shaped bed, breaking it in several pieces upon landing. This little surprise led to Sans teaching his brother how to properly shortcut (as well as facilitating the purchase of his new castle loft bed). He found afterwards, though, that he wasn't actually able to perform the transit without walking backwards. He also found that he usually ended up falling over when the transport completed. This particular time was no exception, as he found himself sprawled on the ground, Frisk standing next to him giggling at his predicament. The two of them brushed themselves off, and walked through the short path to the main camp.

As they approached, Frisk winked at Paps, steeled their expression, and slowed their walk as they approached the central grounds. As they neared, the found nearly all of the Underground gathered around the campfire, along with a good number of the human campers. One of them spotted the two of them approaching, and the rest were quickly informed. The crowd hushed as the two of them approached silently, the circle opening up allowing them passage to the center. They arrived and stood in front of the fire, silently staring forward. From the other side of the flames, his countenance contrasting to the rather festive floral shirt he was wearing at the moment. Papyrus stepped aside with a bow to the king, sliding back a few paces, not quite joining the crowd, who still looked on in anticipation.

For a moment, the two of them stood there silently, the fire crackling between them. Not a word was spoken by anyone in the crowd. After a beat, the king spoke.

"Ambassador Frisk. You have returned from your mission of goodwill."

Frisk's face remained impassive. "Yes, your majesty."

"You have delivered the request for a formal treaty between our peoples and the peoples of the surface to Queen Elizabeth and her advisors, then?"

Frisk nodded slightly. "I have done so, your majesty. She has reviewed it, and per your orders, there was a negotiation of terms."

The king's face tightened slightly. "And... and the results of this negotiation? Were... were you successful?" his next words were nearly whispered, yet were heard by everyone present. "Will... will we be free?"

Frisk stood silently for a moment and looked down, the crowd collectively held their breath, waiting for the response from their friend, their savior. When Frisk looked up, however, it wasn't with a stoic expression.

When Frisk looked up, it was with a teary eyed smile, a smile that lit up the campsite nearly as much as the fire.

"Yes." it was quiet, but booming. Whispered, yet echoed through the hills.

"Yes!"

"YOU WILL BE FREE!" In that moment, hundreds of voices, of all types and creeds, all cried out, in relief, in triumph, in joy, in victory. In that moment, the sound of happiness was nearly a tangible thing, draping itself around the crowd and warming the cool night air in a way no fire ever could.

In that moment, a people celebrated an end, and a beginning.

==oo00**00oo==

The celebration continued for hours after the announcement became public, though Frisk stepped away from it after the witching hour, the long day finally beginning to catch up to them. Saying goodbyes to most of the monsters, Frisk walked away from the revelry and towards the lake, a few monsters following behind. The group walked in silence, Frisk nodding to a slightly worn looking up happy Undyne (apparently Alphys had been gone for most of the day on some errand) and bumping shoulders with MK, who had wandered up beside them with a smile. Glad for the company, Frisk wrapped an arm around his side, pulling him close while they walked. Approaching the dock alongside the lake, Frisk and MK lowered themselves down on the waterside, feet dangling over the dock edge. The comfortable silence hung in the air for a bit, permeated by the sounds of celebration still drifting across the camp. After a moment, a voice from behind them spoke.

"You know, when we first exited the underground, and made it to the surface, I couldn't help but think that the world had become more beautiful than even the stories I remembered my grandfather tell me so long ago. I would have thought that the beauty that often becomes exaggerated in tall tales and stories would dwarf the actual beauty of the surface. Now twice I have been proven wrong. First, when you led us out of darkness." Frisk looked up at King Asgore, who had taken a place on the far end of the dock past them, looking out at the moonlight over the lake. "The second... is right now. Looking at these stars... as a free monster, truly free, for the first time that i have known."

"It is indeed, something to behold, isn't it?" Toriel's voice drifted towards them from the other direction, as she approached from the shoreline towards them. "I think it gets better every time I look, truly. We've been given a wonderful chance to start a new life." If anything, Asgore's smile grew even wider.

"It is that, isn't it? It even gives us a chance to give back to this world, something else I am grateful for."

Frisk nodded at this, leaning into MK just a bit closer. "We all should have a chance to make our own futures. I'm glad I was able to help give everyone here the chance to do so."

MK, in a moment of introspection it seemed, replied "Kids stories always talk about things like second chances and lessons. I've read so many books where monsters... or humans... don't use those chances. I don't really want to end up like that, having a chance to make things better and not taking it."

Asgore turned and walked towards them. "Well said, child. I know I, for one, intend to use this gift to it's fullest." Stopping by the three of them, he nodded to Frisk. "I thank you once more, Frisk, for this chance you have given me... given all of us. But for now, I think the best way to use it, is to return home and get some rest. There is still much to be done. Sleep well, all of you." Looking up at Toriel, he placed a paw on her shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze and a smile. Toriel smiled back and nodded in acknowledgement. Frisk smiled at the two of them, glad they had been able to resolve their differences. It was probably never going to be a possibility for them to be a couple again, but they had taken the time, partly at Frisk's insistence, to resolve their differences enough to at least be civil to one another, and that had blossomed into a deep friendship, something that Toriel had noted was the one thing she truly missed from their old relationship. Bidding the group goodnight, Asgore walked down the dock and back towards shore. For a moment, the group continued to look out over the lake, but then some sort of disturbance back towards the camp drew their attention. Frisk looked up and saw a group heading in their direction rather quickly led by...

"Kiiiiid! Kiiiiiid!" Frisk stood up surprised. It had been ages since Sans had used that particular title, at Frisk's insistence. He had actually promised not to... what possibly could make him...

Sans half ran half stumbled onto the dock, holding his knees and panting, sweat pouring from the top of his skull. He tried to talk, but only managed to gasp out something completely unintelligible.

"Sans, calm down! What's going on?" Looking up, Frisk noticed the group that was following him had caught up. Undyne was being held back (sort of) by Alphys, who was clearly trying to get her to not be as... murdery... as she currently appeared. Papyrus was clearly concerned about his brother, of course. And Asgore apparently had come over, concerned about the situation. While Sans continued to pant on the ground, Frisk turned to the group. "Would one of you know what exactly has caused Sans to exert himself?"

It was Alphys who responded. "S-s-sorry, Frisk. We-I-I mean Sans and I... we found something b-back at the Lab today. We-well Sans found it really, and I was just brought in as an assistant really and I wasn't sure what exactly was happening at first because he just kind of took me to the lab without telling anyone which is why Undyne is so angry at Sans though she shouldn't be because it was important and-"

"Alphys, calm down!" Asgore was the one who stepped forward, placing his paws on both Undyne and Alphys' shoulders. Both relaxed after a moment, and the Alphys took a deep breath.

"We... we found that something was happening. Happening to the underground... Happening... to Determination."

At that, three faces darkened. Before anyone could say anything else, Alphys continued.

"We werent sure at first what was happening, and were worried, which was why we were gone so long today. We needed to ensure noone was in danger. We... thing we've isolated the source of the issue... but to do it... we... we need..." Alphys hesitated, and Frisk frowned. What help could they possibly need in the underground?

"We need you to try and reset." The mood, if it wasn't tense before, suddenly became cold. Frisk turned to the skeleton, eyes nearly glowing with fury.

"How. Dare. You." Frisk walked up right into the skeletons face. "You would sacrifice all this? Everything we've worked for? The whole of this year, the treaty? There is nothing that could be worth this, nothing!"

Sans didn't move from his spot, eyes locked onto Frisks. "Kid, if I thought there was any other way, I wouldn't be here. This could mean everything, more than everything, and affect more things than you know." his eye sockets glowed, but his gaze didn't waver. "If... you do this for me, kid, not actually reset, just... check, just... go to the void, that... place. If you do that for me... I consider us even."

Frisk's fists clench. How dare Sans bring that into this conversation.

But... he had a right to. Memories flashed in Frisks mind...

"If we're really friends, you won't come back..."

"I don't know what's happening, Sans... I can't control it sometimes... I... just want to be free... but..."

"Kid, you're asking more than I really am able to give... But in the end... I think you're the best shot we've got. You'll owe me for this though..."

Turning away from Sans, Frisk wiped the tears from their eyes, and summoned forth the willpower to bring about the end of the world. Half turning to the skeleton, the only thing they could say was, "With this, we're even. I hope you know what you're doing."

Then... blackness. The void... and two buttons, the true terror in this world.

*Continue *Reset

Reaching down, hand shaking, Frisk touched the Reset button.

... but nothing happened.

Frisk frowned. Was something wrong? Looking down at the button, they couldn't help but gasp, as both buttons seemed to fade away. The cursed markings that had, for so long, slowly turning into dust, and the void, the terrible terrible void faded away, to show a group of astonished monsters gathered around. Frisk fell to their knees, MK, quickly running over to help provide support. Alphys, looking almost disbelieving... in a shakier voice than normal was the first to speak.

"Wh...what happened?"

Frisk could only stare at their hands, the dust vanishing before their eyes even as they breathed their second breath of air. Air, that felt like a freedom that, even after all that had happened, was until that very moment truly unattainable.

"It's... it's gone."

"He... heh... hehheh..."

It started slowly. First a chuckle... then a laugh... and then Sans was practically bouncing. Laughing and dancing, the skeleton cheered and bounced with the exuberance of one of the campers on a sugar rush. After a moment, he proceeded to run around the group and celebrating, starting with Frisk, who could do nothing but stand there shocked as Sans lifted them completely off the ground in a hug. It wasn't long before each of the other members of the group got an enthusiastic greeting, from a smiling and tearful Alphys, to a shocked Undyne, to an even more shocked Papyrus. He even, to everyone's surprise, planted a kiss on Toriel's cheek that made her blush profusely, before running off towards the party, laughing and yelling about freedom.

The rest of the group stood frozen for a moment, not knowing how to proceed. Undyne was the first to break the silence.

"Wellllll... that was interest-"

"WooHoo!" This time, it was Alphys who interrupted with a cheer, turning to hug Undyne hard enough to surprise her, then pulling her away babbling in scientific terminology that only she could understand. Asgore turned to follow them, clearly interested in what Alphys was saying, if unable to understand it. MK was the next to speak.

"Um... Frisk, are you alright?" He leaned down towards Frisk, who looked up at him with a teary eyed smile.

"Oh, MK. I can safely say that, for the first time in a very long time, I am more than alright. I... didn't think I could ever be this alright." And like a shot, Frisk's arms wrapped around MKs neck in a tight hug, and the two promptly fell over in a heap on the ground, laughing.

Toriel, blush still coloring her cheeks looked from the children to Papyrus, who hadn't moved from the spot he had been, leaning around to look at his face, she found that he was crying, looking towards where his brother had left. She frowned. "Oh my... Papyrus, are you okay? You appear to be crying."

Papyrus jumped a bit at being addressed directly, then turned to Toriel. "OH, AM I?" he wiped a tear from his face. "IT'S JUST... WELL. I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA WHAT JUST HAPPENED, AND I FEEL LIKE I SHOULD BE CONCERNED ABOUT IT... BUT... I DON'T THINK I'VE SEEN MY BROTHER THAT HAPPY IN YEARS, MANY MANY YEARS. THE LAST TIME... I THINK IT WAS WHEN WE WERE BOTH STILL VERY YOUNG..." He wiped his eyes and turned to Toriel. "IT TRULY MAKES ME HAPPY TO KNOW THAT HE CAN STILL LAUGH LIKE THAT."

==oo00**00oo==

And with that, one of the hardest chapters so far to write is complete. Thanks again to reviews and to likers and favoriters, you folks are the bestest!

Next chapter: "Do you have any idea how hard it is to navigate in this forest without a map? Why don't you try navigating for a change?" "I'm a flower, idiot, the best you'll get from me is which way the sun is right now."