Epilogue, One Week Later
"...And once you add the extra chocolate syrup and marshmallows, you add the whipped cream on top, and mix it with some marshmallow fluff for added flavor. Then you garnish it with chocolate shavings and drizzle more chocolate syrup on the whipped cream. I also like to add jelly beans for color, but sprinkles work too." Chara told Tina as she prepared her cup of hot chocolate. Once she carefully placed the jelly beans, she held the green mug up proudly, and Frisk laughed as she noticed it had a drawing of Chara's face on it. "And there you have it! My famous brand beverage, the Chara Special!"
Tina clapped. "It looks so yummy!"
Chara held the mug out to her. "Here, try some. If you like it, I'll make you one of your own." she offered.
"Thank you!" Tina said happily, very carefully taking the mug and raising it slowly to her mouth and took a sip, but was careful not to spill on her new shirt, a Deltarune T-shirt that matched Frisk's, but in purple rather than blue. Her eyes lit up when she put the mug down. "It's so yummy!" she cheered. Frisk giggled at both her sister's enthusiasm and the fact that Tina had gotten a spot of whipped cream on her nose.
"Good. Yours will be coming right up!" Chara told her with a smile.
"Only a little, Chara." Toriel warned as she flipped pancakes and fried sausage at the stove. "I do not want Tina getting sick."
"All right, Mom." Chara agreed, getting a little teacup for Tina's cocoa before placing her own mug by Frisk so Frisk could try the diabetic coma in a cup too. "Now it's your turn to experience the Chara Special! You'll have to hang onto your taste buds for this!"
"Yeah, because they're going to get up and run away." Asriel joked as he helped Frisk set the table. Chara gave him a look of feigned insult and playfully elbowed him in the ribs.
Frisk laughed as she watched her siblings banter and tease. It was good to finally have a relaxing morning. The whole week had been chaotic, filled with visits from police officers, CPS workers, and government officials as the humans and monsters worked on integrating and figuring out what to do about each other. Frisk had lost count of how many times she had had to make statements and tell her story. Gaster and Alphys were equally busy, talking to scientists and forensic investigators about their plans to revive the six humans.
It had thrown the world, especially Frisk's tiny hometown, into shock that monsters and magic were real, and while Asgore and Toriel had kept reporters from bothering their children, Frisk knew it was all over the news.
Forensic investigators had also come in to investigate the deaths of the six fallen humans, and confirmed everything Asgore had told Dan. Monster witnesses were spoken to as well, who also confirmed the accounts, and filled in further information.
And it threw the investigators into an even further shock when Chara's DNA was tested. While they had first considered her story unbelievable, Chara was revealed to be an exact genetic match to the Chara Chandler who had disappeared sixty years ago. That and Chara revealing information never made publicly known revealed that her story was more than a teenage girl lying for attention, out of delusion, or to hide where she truly came from. That it was, in fact, the truth.
And the investigators getting to hold and "speak" to the human souls further confirmed the fact that human souls could exist after death, and that they could, in fact, be saved. While the news was kept to these investigators, some scientists, some government officials, and the family members, with all being vowed to silence until this could be investigated further, the idea that death could be reversed, that humans and even some monsters could get a second chance at life, simultaneously thrilled and terrified many. Some were enthused at the idea of people being brought back to life, some were worried that "playing God" would have drastic consequences, but most were willing to listen.
Still the family members of the six fallen humans were (very understandably) upset about their deaths, though their reactions differed. Violet's siblings and now elderly mother were sad, but also grateful to Asgore, Gaster and Alphys that she would have a second chance at life. David and Justin's parents, as well as Andrea's family and fiancé were angry, and as much as Frisk understood as she would feel the exact same way in their shoes, she was also scared about what would happen today when they would officially meet with the monsters.
Earlier that week, Andrea's father, Eli, and her fiancé, Noel, thankfully accompanied by Dan, had come to the castle unannounced. Thankfully, neither had been physically violent, though very upset. They had ended up screaming at Asgore and even Toriel, though when this ended in Tina overhearing them and crying, and Frisk rushing in to try to calm the situation with Asriel and Chara right behind her, the two showed they were as kind as Andrea herself and forced themselves to calm down to avoid frightening the children further. They managed to discuss things with Asgore more calmly despite being angry and upset, and were also taken to see Andrea. There were heartfelt tears and words of love as they "spoke" to their loved one that brought Frisk and her family to tears as well. Things were much calmer after that, and the two left with a promise to come back today for the official meeting with the other families. And on their way out, Frisk made sure to keep her promise to Mettaton, returning Andrea's notebook and also her glasses to her family as she told them of the ghost that Andrea had befriended and inspired to be a robotic TV star, and just how much she had meant to Mettaton, which had made both of them smile.
"Andrea's always been like that." Noel had told her. "I wanted to create films for a living, but...I never felt I was good enough. Andrea showed me that I was. She made me who I am today. I'm glad to know she touched someone else the same way." With that the two men thanked her again, Noel giving her a hug and Andrea's father squeezing her shoulder before they took their leave.
Frisk was relieved things had ended so well after such a scary start, and glad Andrea's family was so kind, but also worried about how everything would go when they met the families of the other humans. She feared there would be more tension between humans and monsters, or that there would be calls for Asgore's arrest. She also was terrified that someone would try to contest Toriel's guardianship of her and Tina.
Thankfully, Dan and Jessie had been as good as their word. The two had helped them find a sympathetic social worker, and though it was tense for a while, Toriel had been given guardianship of the girls, though there would be surprise visits from social workers and they would need to go through family therapy. It wasn't adoption, not yet, but it made sure Frisk and Tina could stay with their new family, which was exactly what they wanted. Frisk just hoped it would stay that way.
…
"Frisk? You okay? I promise the hot chocolate won't bite." Chara said, cutting into Frisk's thoughts. Frisk looked up and her cheeks reddened as she realized she had been staring into space for probably a few minutes now.
"Sorry, Chara, just got lost in thought." she admitted, and took a sip of Chara's concoction. Her face scrunched at just how sweet it was.
Asriel burst out laughing at Frisk's face before sliding a second mug of much plainer hot cocoa in front of her. "Here, try this. The Asriel Special, hot cocoa with cinnamon."
Frisk took it with a thanks and sipped it, smiling in approval. The cinnamon complimented the cocoa well, adding a slight spice to the sweet chocolate. "This is much better...Sorry, Chara." She gave her sister an apologetic look.
Chara chuckled. "No problem, sis. More Chara Special for me and Tina, right, Tine?" She wrapped her arm around Tina.
"Yeah!" Tina said happily. Chara laughed and ruffled her hair before putting Tina's little cup of Chara Special cocoa in front of her.
Toriel placed plates piled with golden brown pancakes and sausage links on the table. "Breakfast is ready, children. Now where is your father?"
"I am here, Tori." Asgore replied, coming into the kitchen dressed nicely in his royal robes with folders full of paperwork in his arms. "I just needed to prepare everything for meeting the families today."
"Sit down and have some breakfast." Toriel told him. "The meeting is not until eleven. Children, Undyne will be here soon to watch over you while we're gone."
"Are you sure you don't want me to come? I can help." Frisk offered, wanting to be there for both her family and the human souls.
"We will be all right, Frisk. This is all my responsibility, not yours." Asgore told her gently. "We want you to relax and have fun with Undyne. Do not worry about anything."
Frisk was still worried. "Are you sure? What if something happens?"
Asgore placed a gentle hand on her shoulder and gave her a warm smile. "Everything will be okay, and I will handle things. All you need to do is relax and think about having fun with your siblings and Undyne. All right?" Frisk nodded hesitantly, and Asgore gave her a reassuring hug. Frisk snuggled into it, feeling a little better.
Maybe everything would be okay after all.
...
Later that morning, as breakfast was finished, dishes were cleaned and put away, and preparations were made, there was a knock on the door, which Asgore immediately opened. Undyne stood there, grinning. "Hey, punks! You ready to go?"
Frisk hopped off the couch, glad she could finally walk without dizziness or exhaustion. "Definitely."
"So where are we headed?" Chara asked as she stood up along with Asriel and Tina.
"I figured we'd go see Gerson today. He's been looking forward to meeting all of you and that way we can get Frisk's new reading glasses." Undyne told them.
"Oh! Here is the money for the glasses." Asgore said, pulling out his gold pouch and giving a handful of gold to Undyne. "And can you ask Gerson to check Tina's eyes too, please?"
"Of course, but don't worry about the gold. I got this." Undyne said, gently pushing the gold back at him.
"I can pay for it." Frisk told them, pulling out her own gold pouch.
"Frisk, it's fine, I got plenty of money. Plus, I get a discount from Gerson, and even if I didn't, I'd buy them for you guys anyway. You need them, and after everything you've done for us, I want to do something for you." Undyne reassured her.
"But you don't have to." Frisk said, worried about Undyne using up her hard earned money on her.
"But I WANT to, and I'm going to." Undyne replied, hands on her hips. "And do you really think you're going to be able to talk me out of it?"
"Trust me, you're not going to be able to. So just give in." Asriel sighed, though he was smiling. Frisk finally nodded, thanking Undyne gratefully.
Asgore, also knowing it was useless to argue with his quasi-daughter, thanked Undyne too. He tried to give her some money for if they wanted to eat out or go shopping, but Undyne insisted on taking care of it. He ended up finally giving in and thanking her.
As Toriel and Asgore left after hugging their children goodbye, Undyne turned to the four siblings. "Ready to hit the road?"
They nodded and Undyne happily led them outside. After a little while, she looked to Frisk. "Want me to carry you, Princess? I know it's quite a walk and Asgore told me you had been tiring really easily because of the exhaustion."
Frisk looked at Undyne weirdly, wondering if Undyne was calling her Princess jokingly or as a playful insult, but then her eyes widened as it hit her. "I actually AM a princess now." she said in shock.
Undyne playfully rolled her eyes. "Took you long enough to realize it. That kind of happens when you get adopted by the king and queen of monsters."
"I know, but I honestly didn't think about it until now." Frisk admitted. She then laughed. "Actually, I pretty much told myself throughout my life not to act like some helpless fairy tale princess, because the only person I believed would ever save me was me." She kept her voice low, making sure Tina couldn't hear. "I didn't exactly have a Prince Charming, or kindhearted dwarves, or animal friends to rescue me, and I thought if I expected anyone to help me, it would make me weak."
"Hey, that's not true! Everybody needs help at times." Undyne told her. "I'm a kickass Royal Guard Captain, and even I need other people. Plus, princesses can be badass! Look at all the Space Princesses from anime, and the ones from Disney! Merida from Brave is a super cool archer, and Moana saved her island, and there's Elsa from Frozen with awesome ice powers that can do almost anything, and her sister Anna that punched this dickhead prince so hard he went flying off the railing of a boat! And then there's Mulan, who's sort of a princess. She saved China from a whole army! Princesses are awesome...well, most of them. Cinderella should have suplexed her asshole stepfamily, and Aurora from Sleeping Beauty didn't do ANYTHING, but the rest of them are cool."
"I've never seen those movies you mentioned." Frisk admitted.
"Well, I'll show them to you sometime." Undyne said with a smile. "And Frisk, don't ever be ashamed of being a princess, or asking for help."
"Being down here's taught me that actually." Frisk admitted. "You guys have showed me it's okay to ask for help, and that it doesn't make me weak. Instead, when we can all work together, we're stronger. The barrier's broken because we all worked together as a team. And...I've learned how strong those princesses who asked for help truly are, and it's okay to want lots of friends and a Prince Charming." A certain skeleton's face came to mind as she thought of Prince Charming.
Undyne grinned at this. "I'm glad you know you can count on us. And by the way, do you want me to give you a lift?"
"Nah, I'm good." Frisk reassured her, then continued because Undyne looked a bit concerned. "It's not about feeling that I'll be weak if you carry me, it's more that I've been feeling stir crazy since I haven't been able to walk around a lot due to the exhaustion. It will be good to stretch my legs again. I promise I'll tell you if I get tired."
"Good. I'm holding you to that promise. Now let's catch up to the others." Undyne told her, pointing to Asriel, Chara, and Tina who were up ahead and looking back to make sure she was okay."
Frisk nodded with a smile. "Got it."
...
"...However, your mama didn't realize the microphone was still in her hand when she turned to him and said, "Your turn, Fluffybuns. The audience burst out laughing, and when she realized what she had said, she started laughing too." Gerson told the group a while later as he had Frisk look through a lens to judge her eyesight.
Frisk laughed, as did Asriel, Chara, and Tina. "So what did Da-Mr. Asgore do?" Tina asked curiously, though looked a bit nervous at her slip.
"He won't mind if you call him Dad, little squirt. In fact, I'm sure he'd be absolutely thrilled, knowing him." Gerson said with a smile, patting the little girl's arm. "And as for your question...after a few minutes, he held up his arms. The crowd grew silent. He leaned towards the microphone, expression...stern. "Dear citizens. Thank you for coming here today. I...King Fluffybuns..." And the rest is history." Tina clapped her hands happily at the ending, and her older siblings smiled. Undyne was laughing hard.
Frisk laughed. "I can't believe they really did that."
"Trust me, they did. I was right there." Asriel chuckled. "I was so embarrassed I wanted to hide under the bed. And Chara ended up calling me Fluffybuns Junior for two weeks."
Chara gave a sheepish laugh. "Sorry."
Gerson then turned his attention back to Frisk. "Which of these lenses do you see better through, kiddo?" He switched between two of them, and while they were pretty close, Frisk decided she could see better through the first.
"Well, looks like you do just need reading glasses. Your distance vision seems okay, and it should get a little better once you get that malnutrition fixed. Now let's get your little sister looked at, and then you can pick out some frames."
Frisk nodded with a smile and hopped off the stool she had been sitting on, letting Tina sit in her place. Tina smiled and happily looked around as Gerson set up the eye chart for her. She then noticed the Deltarune symbol on Gerson's wall. "You have the same symbol on your wall that I do on my shirt!" she happily told Gerson, pointing at the symbol on her shirt. "Mom has it on her robes too, and Frisk has it on one of her shirts!"
"That's the Deltarune, little missy, the symbol of our kingdom." Gerson told her, smiling. "The Kingdom...Of Monsters. Wahaha! Great name, huh? It's as I always say, Ol' King Fluffybuns can't name for beans. Anyway, you know, that emblem actually predates written history. The original meaning has been lost to time, but we all speculate that's it's related to the prophecy."
"What prophecy?" Tina asked curiously.
"Well, legend had it that an 'angel' who has seen the surface would descend from above and bring us freedom. I honestly didn't believe much in it myself and just kept the emblem because it looked neat, but considering we ended up going free after your big sister over there fell, it sounds like it's much more true than I thought."
Tina grinned widely at this. "Frisk's an angel! That's so cool!"
"Actually, I'm pretty sure that's Asriel. He's the one who broke the barrier, and his seven souled form WAS called the Angel Of Death after all." Frisk told her.
Asriel rolled his eyes at this. "Frisk, just because I used the seven souls to become my OC and called his final form the Angel Of Death doesn't mean I actually WAS an angel. Hell, I was closer to the demon Chara always pretended to be during our RPs." He looked down sadly. "I almost destroyed everything, and I would have if you guys hadn't stopped me. I'm no angel. I think you were the one who fulfilled the prophecy, Frisk."
"But I didn't break the barrier. YOU did." Frisk argued. "And Chara was helping me out the whole time. It was her advice that kept me going through the Underground. If anything, you or Chara is the angel. I just helped out."
"Well, I know it wasn't me." Chara said. "Asriel, you broke the barrier, and Frisk, you did all the work of befriending everybody. I just stood at the side and gave advice and made snarky comments at times."
"And your advice saved my life countless times! I would have been clueless without you." Frisk argued.
Gerson and Undyne glanced at each other, both amused and concerned, while little Tina just looked confused. Gerson then decided to cut in.
"Now you whippersnappers cut that out." Gerson scolded. Frisk, Chara, and Asriel immediately stopped arguing and apologized sheepishly. "There, that's better. Now, as for your little argument, I think you're all right. All three of you are the angel of the prophecy."
Frisk blinked in confusion. "But how can one angel be three people?"
"Wahaha! That's easy enough to explain! You see these three triangles below the angel?" Asriel, Chara, and Frisk nodded. "At one time, it was thought to represent us monsters. But what if it wasn't? Three triangles exactly, and one angel. And as the three of you just said now, and as Undyne told me earlier this week, all three of you worked together to break the barrier. Frisk, you worked hard at befriending everyone in the Underground, and showed them just how kind humans could be. Your actions led to the monsters of the Underground standing at your side, united, the critical moment before Asriel came. Chara, you were by Frisk's side from the beginning. You were her guiding light, taking her through the Underground, helping her with battles, and giving her advice on how to befriend everyone. And Asriel, while you weren't fully yourself, you still were the one who came up with the final plan to break the barrier and did so while still keeping everyone safe and alive. You also were the one to enact the plan to save Chara. All three of you were needed. Had one of you been missing, the barrier would have never been broken. The "angel," is the sum of your parts. What can be accomplished if you all work together."
"That...makes a lot of sense, actually." Asriel admitted, and Chara nodded.
"But what about Tina?" Frisk wanted to know. "She was there too, helping us calm down Asriel. There was four people there during the final battle, not three. She helped us save the day. The three triangles could just as easily be me, Tina, and Chara calming down the angel, who was Asriel in his final form!"
"That could very well be true too." Gerson admitted. "That's the funny thing about prophecies. They can be interpreted in many different ways."
"But I wasn't there until the very, very end." Tina pointed out. "Asriel wasn't even expecting me to be there. And I know you and Chara would have saved Azzy even without me, because you're super cool and you knew him more than I did."
"But you were there, and you were a big hero that day." Frisk said, coming over to give Tina a hug. "You had just as big of a role as we did." Chara and Asriel nodded to this.
Undyne nodded too. "Regardless of whether you're part of the prophecy or not, all four of you are big heroes and I'm so freaking proud to be your friend."
"And you're a hero too, Miss Undyne! You helped Frisk and so did Sans and Papyrus and Mom and Dad and Doctor Gaster and Miss Alphys..." Tina happily listed all the people who helped, at least everyone whose names she knew.
"Tina's right. We all worked together to break the barrier." Frisk agreed.
"I still think the angel's either the three of you or the four of you, but that is true." Undyne admitted. "Though I have to admit I probably did more hindering than helping." She looked ashamed.
Frisk patted her arm and smiled reassuringly. "You came through in the end. Don't forget that."
Undyne smiled. "All right."
...
With that settled, they returned their attention to getting Tina's eyes tested. Thankfully, her vision was very good, and she wouldn't need glasses or contacts. Next, they moved on to look at frames, and after modeling some glasses for her siblings, Frisk chose a pair with oval shaped thin black frames, and Gerson fitted her new lenses into them, giving Undyne and the Dreemurr siblings crab apples and green Sea Tea to snack on while they waited and browsed through the rest of his merchandise. Tina found a lovely purple sketchpad and some pencils and colored pencils for drawing, which Undyne immediately bought for her when she saw her admiring them. Tina thanked her happily and drew a picture of Undyne and Gerson. While it was a little messy and more in a cartoon style, it was still a good drawing of the two of them.
"I can see you're quite the artist, little missy. Undyne looks just as beautiful as she does in real life, though I didn't know my nose was that big! Wahaha!" Gerson said when he came back with Frisk's frames and saw the sketch of the two of them. "Can I have the lovely picture you drew for my store wall?"
"Of course!" Tina said with a smile, clearly happy he loved the drawing.
"Thanks, kiddo. Can you sign it? Gotta have the artist's signature for a piece of art as good as this!" Gerson asked, and Tina happily did so, then gave it to Gerson, who hung it up on his wall.
"You know, I've known this one ever since she was a little urchin." Gerson said, putting his arm around Undyne. "She's come a long way since then. I used to be a hero myself back in the old days. Gerson, the Hammer Of Justice. When she was younger, Undyne would follow me around to watch me beat up bad guys... Sometimes she'd even try to help! Though most of the folks she attacked weren't bad guys. It'd be the mailman or something like that. Anyhoo, I appreciated it! Wa ha ha!"
Undyne turned bright red as the Dreemurr siblings tried not to laugh. "Daadd...that's embarrassing!" the fish woman whined.
"Oh, you know I'm proud of you, squirt." Gerson told her with a smile.
"You know I'm taller than you now." Undyne said, though she was smiling. She bent down and kissed the old turtle's cheek. "Anyway, we'd better head off. I need to take the kids to lunch, and the dog squad's been dying to meet Tina. I'll be back soon. I love you."
Gerson grinned. "Love you too, kiddo."
"You know, I haven't been a kid in years, right?" Undyne groaned, though Frisk could tell she wasn't upset.
"Well, you'll always be my little girl." Gerson told her fondly.
"Daad..." Undyne mock whined, though her wide smile showed how happy this remark made her. She gave him another hug and headed off with the Dreemurr siblings.
Chara turned the others. "Last one to Grillby's buys the winner a milkshake!" she called playfully before taking off running.
"Hey!" Asriel protested with a laugh before running after her.
"Wait for me!" Tina called, trying to keep up. Asriel slowed just enough to pick her up and put her on his shoulders before darting after Chara.
Frisk turned to Undyne. "Yeah, I'm not running through puddles and ice and landing on my ass."
"I'll carry you." Undyne told her. "Let's let them get a five minute head start though."
"You're that fast?"
"I'm that fast."
Frisk giggled at this. "They don't stand a chance, do they?"
Undyne grinned. "Nope."
There was a brief, comfortable silence for a moment before Frisk said, "Thanks for taking me to get my glasses. I enjoyed meeting Gerson. He's really nice."
"He truly is." Undyne said with a smile. "He's raised me ever since I was three." Her expression then grew a bit sad. "He found me after my asshole of a birth mother abandoned me in the dump."
"I'm so sorry." Frisk said softly.
"Eh, don't be. That was a long time ago, and I ended up far better off." Undyne said with a shrug. "Just...don't tell anybody what I told you, okay?"
"I won't." Frisk promised.
"Thanks. I...just wanted to let you know that what you're going through with your birth parents...I understand and I'm here if you ever need to talk." Undyne said softly.
Frisk smiled sadly. "Thanks, Undyne." There was a pause for a few moments before Frisk spoke nervously. "Undyne?"
"Yes?"
"Is...Is this why you're so upset at Toriel?" Frisk then froze a bit. "You don't have to answer if you don't want to. I know that's personal."
"It's okay, punk. And well, maybe a little bit." Undyne admitted. "I hated seeing what Asgore went through when Toriel abandoned him...and I hated seeing how upset it made you when you tried to call her, just like I did, and she didn't answer."
"I'm sorry about what D-Asgore and you went through. I know Mom is too." Frisk said softly. "The part about me wasn't her fault though. The dog stole her phone."
"She still shouldn't have left you to wander through the Underground all alone." Undyne told her, then sighed. "Not that I'm one to judge about how to treat you after what I did to you."
"Undyne, I already told you I forgave you and you made up for it by helping me afterwards. You even saved my life." Frisk pointed out.
"I know. You're too damn forgiving." Undyne sighed. "You and Asgore have that in common."
"You just made a mistake before. So did Mom. And I know you're both working to make up for it." Frisk reasoned. "And...maybe if you'll talk to her...it'll make you both feel better."
Undyne shrugged. "We'll see. I'll think about it. Now...let's lay off the depressing stuff! It's been five minutes and it's time to kick Chara and Asriel's butts in the race!"
Frisk nodded with a smile, letting it go for Undyne's sake. "All right. Hopefully I won't slow you down too much."
"Ha! I can suplex boulders! I can easily win a race carrying a tiny little squirt like you!" Undyne boasted. She then picked up Frisk and put her on her shoulders before taking off like the wind after Asriel and Chara.
...
Noel, Andrea's fiancé, a short, tanned skin man about 5'8 in height with dark brown hair and brown eyes, walked next to Andrea's father, Eli, a tall, muscular dark skinned man, and her mother Alexis, a lovely woman with curly brown hair. All were eager to see Andrea once again, even if she was only a soul, and hear how they could get her back.
It was much to their surprise and happiness that they saw Andrea as soon as they walked in, no longer a purple soul in a jar, but fully visible, though ghostly. She was floating a few inches off the ground, her translucent body surrounded by a purple aura, wearing the clothes she was when they last saw her. She had a see through sandwich in her hand and was taking bites out of it while happily talking to her companion, a robotic man with dark hair covering one eye and a body composed of mostly pink and grey colors, with hot pink high heeled boots. Noel recognized him from Frisk's description as Mettaton, Andrea's friend from the Underground.
A look around the room revealed that all the other humans who had died and once only been souls were now in the same state as Andrea, with visible ghostly forms that glowed with the aura of their soul color, wearing the same clothes they had when they died, though thankfully no wounds were visible and they looked healthy. Violet was cuddled in her white haired mother's arms, while Justin and David were talking to their parents and their now older friends. Benji however was cuddled in Toriel's arms, his family not there as they had passed away years before, and both she and Asgore were whispering comfortingly to him. Little Felicity was floating by a tall skeleton wearing some sort of superhero outfit, who was talking enthusiastically a mile a minute, clearly trying to cheer her up as he created figures and shapes out of bones and danced them in the air for her. His tactic was clearly working, as Felicity was starting to giggle and clap her hands. Another skeleton monster, this one scarred and wearing a white lab coat, looked on amused as he was writing in a clipboard, and a smaller skeleton monster and a yellow lizard monster were standing around, talking to some human scientists. A nervous looking little ghost monster who reminded Noel of a bedsheet ghost was floating around handing out more of the ghostly sandwiches, though kept also apologizing for "bothering" people whenever they had to interrupt a conversation to hand out a sandwich. Noel felt the urge to hug them.
Though there was someone he wanted to hug first, and she had now spotted him and her parents and was rushing towards them.
Tears in his eyes, Noel held out his arms for Andrea, and she flew into them, pressing her lips to his. Her body was light as air, and her lips cool as an autumn breeze, but he could still feel her faintly, and her kiss filled him with the sparks and warmth he feared he'd never feel again.
She released him to hug her parents, and snuggled into all of them. Noel sobbed in happiness as he held her tight along with her parents, and could also see Eli, who always wanted to act tough and "manly," crying just as hard as he was.
"Are you filming this?" Andrea asked, amused, and Noel looked up to see Mettaton holding a video camera.
"Of course, darling! The reunion of true love and family is too beautiful not to be captured forever on camera and shared!" the robotic TV star told her and Noel chuckled. Reluctantly releasing Andrea, he went over to Mettaton and held out his hand.
"It's really nice to meet you, Mettaton. Thank you for being such a good friend to Andrea while she was down here." Noel told him. Alexis and Eli greeted him too.
Mettaton shook his hand enthusiastically, doing the same thing with Eli and Alexis. Noel found himself instantly liking the robot. "It was all my pleasure, darling! And it's very nice to meet you too. Andrea told me all about you."
Noel smiled. "All good things, I hope."
"Of course."
"May I have your attention, please?" Asgore called, and Noel as well as the others turned to look at him. "Thank you all so much for coming. I truly apologize for the circumstances that brought you here, and we will do everything we can to make everything as right as it can be."
"As you can see, much progress has been made with strengthening the souls of those who passed away down here and improving the quality of their lives so they will not have to be stuck in jars while they await their new bodies. This is thanks to the advice and help of the ghost monsters, who have agreed to assist us with making sure every human who lost their life down here will regain their bodies and lives, as well as the efforts of all the scientists from both our worlds who have been working tirelessly on this project." He introduced them all and let Dr. Gaster as well as Mettaton and Napstablook, who represented the ghost monsters due to their familiarity with Andrea, take the stand.
"While it was thought for a long time that human ghosts and ghost monsters were completely different, our contacts in the ghost monster community have revealed that this is untrue. Despite the differences in their souls, ghost monsters and human spirits are in fact genetically and physically very similar."
Mettaton stepped forward. The smaller ghost, revealed to be Napstablook, hung near him nervously. "In fact, while it was hidden from all but the ghost monster community out of fear of retribution from other monsters or humans, some of our kind remembered once being human."
"Were you human?" Violet's sister blurted out.
Mettaton shook his head. "I was not, darling. Neither was Napstablook. Ghost monsters can be born in two ways. A human spirit, or much more rarely, a monster who died, can become strong enough to qualify as a ghost monster. Ghost monsters can also be born from other ghost monsters, which is much more common. The latter is how Napstablook and I came into this world."
Gaster nodded. "Both human spirits who choose not to cross over and newborn ghost monsters start out as Level One entities. Level One entities are weak and need a constant supply of energy to maintain their form. They normally cannot be seen by anyone other than other ghosts and those who are more sensitive to spirits. Newborn ghost monsters will need magic from their parents until they reach the level two stage, where they can maintain their own energy. Human spirits however, have much more trouble. Most of the time, the only energy they absorb comes from other humans, which will make them stronger. However, that energy is often not efficient enough to maintain their form, and they will weaken when their energy source leaves. This can also leave the human they're draining energy from tired or ill. There was however one exception. Due to having the same color and type of soul and an extreme excess of DT, Frisk was able to create a soul link with Chara Dreemurr which sustained her with no ill effects, nearly bringing Chara to the Level Two stage before her resurrection."
"Before the barrier was broken, we also attempted to sustain the souls with regular magic. This worked to keep their souls from fading away, and kept their spirits "alive," but it was not quite enough. What we did not know was that the ectoplasmic magic of ghost monsters would produce far better results. After only a few days of intravenous ectoplasmic magic, they began to reach the Level Two stage, and were able to leave their containers. While more observation under controlled conditions is necessary, they are now responding well to ghost food and appear to be maintaining their form."
"What exactly is the Level Two stage?" David and Justin's father asked.
"At Level Two, an entity will be fully visible and able to interact with the living. They still cannot feel touch, and taste is limited, which is why many ghost monsters seek physical bodies. Once bonded fully with the body they choose, they will become a Level Three entity, fully corporeal."
"At Level Three, a ghost will become mortal again with their body vulnerable to attacks, though for many it's worth it to be able to truly feel and be among the living. I'm still too scared to do it though." Napstablook said softly.
"So Level Two entities cannot die?" Violet's mother asked softly. "Can they age?"
"Ghost Monsters born of other ghosts can age, though, like skeleton monsters, very, very slowly once they reach physical adulthood." Mettaton explained. "Human spirits cannot physically age unless they gain a body that can. They can however weaken without adequate care, or choose to cross over and leave this plane of existence."
"Can your robot body age?" a human scientist asked Mettaton.
"Yes and no. It can wear out, though it can be repaired. I will age, but I will still look like my fabulous self for hundreds of years." Mettaton bragged.
The scientist who asked this question frowned. "Would robot bodies even be good for the younger kids? I mean Andrea and even Justin might be fine since they're adults, but Felicity, Benji, Violet, and David would all be stuck as young children and preteens forever. That wouldn't be good for them."
Mettaton thought this over. "Well, they don't HAVE to be robots. Once they know how, they can possess any body they want, as long as no one else is occupying it. Many of my cousins are training dummies now, and one even possessed an airplane."
"So theoretically, one of them could possess another human body that's brain dead, and use that?" another scientist asked. Those with the younger spirits quickly tried to cover their ears.
Mettaton gave that scientist a disturbed look. "Well. Well. Welly, well, that's...kind of morbid. Though, yes, technically, though that would probably be dangerous if the body wasn't healed first, and prepared with magic. Actually... I remember a rather interesting story about the skeleton monster race. Two human mages, very much in love, were killed together in battle. But they weren't ready to leave. They poured the magic from their souls into their own skeletons and then possessed them, becoming the first skeleton monsters."
Gaster's eyes widened. "I've...heard that legend too, though I wasn't sure as to its authenticity."
"It's more than just a legend, darling. It's definitely something a ghost monster can do, or a powerful mage spirit."
"I've never heard of humans even having magic." David and Justin's mother said quietly.
"Well, they did at least at one point. There still may be mages left, though it's possible they're either in hiding or simply keep their powers secret." Mettaton told her.
"That makes a lot of sense. Humans fear what they don't understand." Andrea said quietly.
"So we can be skeletons?" Felicity asked excitedly. "I wanna be a cool skeleton, just like Papyrus!" Said skeleton blushed at this.
Sans chuckled at this. "We'll see if we can figure it out, kiddo."
"I BET YOU'LL BE EVERY BIT AS COOL AS ME! I'LL TEACH YOU ALL THE MAGIC I KNOW!" Papyrus told her happily.
"Yay!" Felicity cheered and hugged him, though she partially went through him.
"Can it be done?" one of the human scientists asked Gaster, who still looked shocked.
"I...I never even thought about it before...but...now that Mettaton's mentioned it, I think it's very possible. I'd have to check their, um, their skeletons, and rebuild and repair any that are damaged, and infuse them with magic to make sure they can handle the introduction of the kids' souls. I'm going to do every possible check to make sure it's safe though. I'm not going to risk their lives or health. Though I really think this can be done."
"If it can, I wanna be a skeleton too!" Benji cheered.
"Can I still do ballet as a skeleton?" Violet asked.
"Of course." Gaster told her.
"Then I'll do it."
"Skeletons are just as cool as robots. I'll be happy with either." David shrugged.
"I'll be whatever David is." Justin added.
Noel looked to Andrea, curious as to what she wanted. He would be fine with either, as long as he had her. Andrea shuddered a bit. "If it's all the same, I'd rather be a robot. The idea of possessing my own bones...ugh."
"Then we'll build you a body every bit as lovely as your own!" Mettaton declared grandly. With any other person, this would be a flirt, but Noel somehow knew that it was just Mettaton's way of giving a genuine compliment.
...
Through the rest of the meeting, the families, the human spirits, and the scientists all discussed what was to be done. While the human spirits were not able to go home yet, the families now knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that the monsters would do everything in their power to rectify their mistakes and give the six humans who had died their lives back. Any charges the angrier family members had spoken about holding against Asgore were quickly dismissed on the condition that their family members were saved.
And Noel had no doubt, holding his beautiful fiancée in his arms, that they would be.
"Do you think you'll be able to come home soon, Andrea?" he asked her.
"I'll probably have to stay Underground for a few weeks." she said sadly. "I'll need access to ghost food and then monster food, and they don't have it on the surface yet."
Noel nodded sadly, understanding. "We'll visit you every day."
"Actually, Napstablook and I have been talking about it." Mettaton cut in. "We know how long you've been separated from Andrea, and no one should be separated from those they love." He looked like he felt really guilty at this, though Noel had no clue why.
"Y-You four can move in with us." Napstablook said shyly. "I mean, if you want to...we have plenty of space...I'm sorry...was that weird? Or rude?"
Andrea, her mom, and Noel showed them that the suggestion was the furthest thing from rude the best way they knew how, by throwing their arms around both ghosts. Eli hung a bit back as he wasn't as physically affectionate, though he was smiling widely as he thanked them. He, Mettaton, and Noel burst out laughing when Alexis kissed Napstablook on the cheek and hugged them, making the poor ghost yelp and turn invisible.
And Asgore had an announcement of his own to make after that, saying that he would provide housing, food, and anything needed to all the families so they could stay with their loved ones until they could return to the surface, which was met with a lot of approval. Gaster and Alphys also offered for anyone who wanted to to stay in the lab, and that they would bring up beds and provide food, which was of course accepted. No one wanted to leave their children again after getting them back.
After this, Asgore and Toriel had to return home, as their own children were waiting, and the meeting concluded with light hearts. Everyone was together again, and it would stay that way.
...
Asgore was shaking as they left the lab and headed towards home. Toriel frowned in concern. "Asgore, it's all right. Everything turned out fine."
"I know. I'm just so relieved. I'm so glad those children can have a happy ending. It's a miracle. And...we can be happy too, and we don't have to lose Frisk or Tina. I was so scared that they'd push to take them away." he admitted softly. "And I was worried you'd get hurt because of my mistakes."
Toriel squeezed his hand reassuringly. "We both made mistakes, Asgore. I could have prevented some of those deaths, and I did not act like I should have. Most of what happened is not your fault, and with the only death you are responsible for, Andrea and her family forgive you. And...I forgive you too."
Asgore smiled softly. "Thanks, Tori."
Toriel smiled softly. "You're very welcome."
As they entered their house, they found Undyne playing a video game with the kids. Tina happily jumped up and ran over to them. "Mom, Dad! You're home!" She then realized what she said. "Was it okay to call you that?"
Asgore beamed. He could see Toriel doing the same. "Of course, little one. You can call us whatever you wish." he reassured her, ruffling her hair. "Did you have a good day?"
"Uh huh! We got Frisk's glasses, and Mr. Gerson told us stories and about the prophecy, and Undyne took us to Grillby's and we met the dog guards and they were really nice!" Tina said happily. "And I made you this!" She ran over to the coffee table and grabbed a piece of paper, showing them a drawing she had done of their whole family.
"Oh my, it's a lovely drawing." Asgore said with a smile.
Toriel nodded as she gently took it. "It's beautiful, Tina. We love it." She went over to put it on the fridge, or as Chara had been affectionately calling it, "Tina's Gallery," as Tina's drawings were almost entirely covering it. They then went back to the living room with Tina, greeting the rest of the children and listening as Chara told them Gerson's theory about the prophecy.
It had been a wonderful day.
...
One of Gaster's assistants walked over to him about fifteen minutes after Toriel and Asgore had left. "Sir, your shift's over. It's time to go home."
"Just let me finish these calculations." he muttered.
His assistant sighed. "If I do, you'll be in here for another hour. I can finish them. Plus, you promised to be more careful when we talked to you after we all came back from the CORE. Pushing yourself could cause you to get hurt, or mess up one of the calculations, remember?"
Gaster nodded guiltily. In the days he had been working on the time machine, he had indeed pushed himself beyond his limits through many late nights, so eager to get it to work so he could go back in time to break the barrier and save his wife. And in doing so he made the most horrible mistake of his life, trapping him and his assistants in the Void. He had ruined their lives, just because he didn't think. It had been such a relief when he had called after he had awoken after helping resurrect Asriel and they had answered and revealed they had come back too.
"Hey...I didn't mean to sound so harsh. We already forgave you for what happened. We just want to make sure it doesn't happen again, and that you don't work yourself to the bone again. Go home and take a break. We'll handle the calculations. And...Papyrus wants to cook with you, and I'm pretty sure Sans fell asleep in a pile of papers forty minutes ago."
Gaster laughed. "I'm not surprised." He thanked his assistant and got up, heading to get Sans and Papyrus. Papyrus was talking to Violet's family and making sure they had everything they needed, and Sans was, as his assistant said, asleep in a pile of papers. "Hey, Papyrus. It's time to head home. We'd better get dinner started."
"COMING, DAD!" Papyrus called cheerfully. He said goodbye to his new friends and picked up Sans, carrying his brother as easily as one would carry a baby.
The three skeletons headed home, and Papyrus tucked Sans into bed before coming back to start dinner with his dad. With his father's help, Papyrus's spaghetti was actually delicious now, rather than it being an inedible mess due to Papyrus's extreme experiments with trying to make his spaghetti taste as good as it did when he cooked it with his dad.
Though now it seemed Papyrus had a different problem. The normally enthusiastic skeleton was unusually quiet as he rolled the ground meat into meatballs, which made Gaster worry. "Papyrus, is everything okay?"
"Can I, um, ask you a question? A guy question?" Papyrus asked shyly.
"Of course."
"Um...I...How do you ask out a girl?" Papyrus blurted out. "In a properly romantic, not embarrassing or weird way?"
"I'm guessing you're finally going to ask out Frisk?" Gaster asked with a smile.
Papyrus blushed deeply and nodded. "Y-Yeah. I really like her and I want her to say yes, but I acted so stupid on our last date and friend zoned her and she probably thinks I'm an idiot..."
Gaster placed a hand on his son's shoulder. "Papyrus, calm down. You weren't an idiot; you were just nervous. She was too. She didn't hold it against you, and I know she still likes you. Have you seen the way she looks at you?"
Papyrus blushed even deeper and nodded. "I...I just don't want to mess up. Frisk is really important to me." He looked up at Gaster. "How did you ask out Mom? I bet it was really wonderful and romantic!"
Gaster rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Actually, I was so nervous and asked so fast that it took three tries for her to understand me. Somehow, she still said yes. So Papyrus, don't put so much pressure on yourself. Just be true to yourself. It's the real Papyrus Frisk likes, not the act you sometimes put up."
"I know, but...I still want it to be romantic and sweet. Frisk deserves that." Papyrus said softly. "I mean, I know Undyne and Alphys got together in the dump and it worked out great, but I want to take her someplace a little...classier. But Mettaton's resort might give her bad memories, and I want to do something more different than the star room, and the field of Echo Flowers in Waterfall is pretty, but it can be so loud she might not be able to hear me."
"Papyrus, you know we're not confined to the mountain any more, right?" Gaster reminded him gently.
"I don't know many places outside the mountain though." Papyrus admitted. "And getting lost isn't romantic."
"I'm sure Frisk would show you around. And you don't have to go too far. You could even ask her on the mountain itself. I took a walk up there a few days ago and the view is lovely."
Papyrus's eyes lit up. "That's a great idea, Dad! I heard sunsets were lovely! I can make her a special dinner or dessert and take her up on the mountain and tell her under the rays of the setting sun! It would be so beautiful! I really hope she says yes..."
"She will, Papyrus." Gaster reassured him. "I'm sure of it."
Papyrus smiled softly. "Thanks, Dad. I'll ask her tomorrow evening."
...
The next day, Frisk took a deep breath and hoisted her backpack onto her shoulders as she stepped into the early morning sun, her family by her side. It was the first time since falling that she was leaving the mountain, and it was time to keep a promise she made.
They made their way down the mountain and into the outskirts of town where Professor Williams' lab was. Frisk headed up to the door and knocked, hoping the professor wouldn't be too upset about the late delivery, regardless of what Marianne had said. Though she knew the bonus gift she was bringing would definitely make him happy.
Professor Williams immediately opened the door. His eyes widened. "Frisk? Tina?" He then noticed Asgore, Toriel, Asriel, and Chara, who were standing a bit away to give Frisk and Tina a moment with their old mentor. "And you must be their new family. Marianne told me about you. Come in, come in."
He held the door open and the group walked in, Asgore having to duck and then looking awkward, clearly worried about breaking something as the professor had plant specimens, beakers, and papers everywhere.
Frisk smiled sheepishly. "Hey. Sorry I'm two weeks late, but everything's been crazy. I got your specimen though." She pulled out a jar of dirt with a golden flower carefully planted in it. "I also got you an Echo Flower. It can only be found in the Underground. I hope it makes up for..."
But before she could continue, she found herself swept in a huge hug by Professor Williams which nearly took her breath way. "Frisk..." Professor Williams said softly. "I wasn't worried about the flower. I was worried about you. When Marianne and I figured out what happened, I was so worried I had gotten you killed...And then Tina disappeared too...Marianne told me you and Tina were okay as soon as she got back, but I'm so relieved to see you both safe with my own eyes. I'm so sorry I asked you to go up there. I should have thought about how dangerous it was."
"Hey...Like I told Marianne, it's not your fault. It was just a little accident. I just slipped. And I'm okay. In fact, I'm better than okay. Because of your flower, Tina and I have a lot of new friends, and a family that loves and takes care of us."
"I'm so glad everything worked out for you. You two are such good kids. It's wonderful to see you so happy." Professor Williams said softly.
"Thanks." Frisk told him with a smile. "And...as thanks for everything you've done for us, I have something extra for you." She pulled out the Echo Flower from her bag. "Like I said, it's an Echo Flower. It only grows in Underground, in the marshes of Waterfall. I wanted you to be the first human scientist to study one. And it has a feature you're really going to like. It repeats everything you say."
She opened the jar as she said the last two sentences with a flourish, letting the flower "hear" her. And she wished she had a camera to capture the expression on Professor Williams' face when it repeated back, "And it has a feature you're really going to like. It repeats everything you say."
"How...?" he gasped. "Frisk, is there a recorder in this?" He checked it everywhere, but of course found no recorder, even as it repeated back his words.
"Nope, no recorder. It does that on its own. It's magic." Frisk replied with a smile as the flower once again copied her.
"Frisk, this is incredible...How much do I owe you for this?" Professor Williams asked.
"It's a gift. Think about it as a "Thank you," plus "I'm so sorry I was late on your delivery," present." Frisk told him.
"But you can't just give me something this valuable for free..." Professor Williams told her.
"There's more of them down there. A lot more. Don't worry about it." Frisk reasoned. "Plus, it's a gift. No "take backsies," on gifts, right?" she added with a giggle.
Professor Williams smiled. "Thank you, Frisk, but seeing you smile like this is an even better gift."
Asriel chuckled. "I swear, he's as fast with the flattery as Papyrus." he whispered to Chara, who stifled a laugh.
...
They spent an enjoyable morning with Professor Williams. The professor gave them a tour of the lab and gardens, clearly excited as he was giving a commentary of scientific jargon that Frisk, Chara, Asriel, and Tina didn't understand.
But apparently Asgore did, and the two ended up in a huge discussion on plants and gardening, with Toriel joining in as well. Frisk was glad to see them all so happy. She had the feeling that the three of them were going to be fast friends for life. Asgore also talked about building a rail car to bring Professor Williams up the mountain so he could explore the Underground, which the old professor was of course thrilled by.
"Well, he was tolerable for a human." Chara said later as they headed back up the mountain after their visit.
"Don't hide it. You like him." Frisk said with a smile.
"Okay, so I like him. He reminds me of me of some of my old teachers." Chara admitted.
"See? I told you humans weren't all bad." Asriel told her, smiling as well.
Chara cracked a smile as well. "I know. You're right. You always are."
Asriel gave a playful smug expression. "And don't you forget it."
Tina looked up at Chara with wide, cute eyes. "Am I tolerable too?" she asked.
Chara wrapped her arm around her little sister. "You're not just tolerable, you're wonderful."
They stopped at the summit of Mt. Ebott, where Toriel pulled a picnic basket and blanket out of her inventory and set everything up for a lovely picnic lunch. The happy family sat together, eating the delicious sandwiches and sides Toriel had made, talking and laughing as they soaked up the sun that monsters had been denied for so long.
"Dad, can you pass the potato salad?" Frisk asked Asgore, who did just that before they both realized what she had called him. Frisk looked down. "Sorry."
Asgore just smiled widely and wrapped an arm around her. "Do not be sorry. I am very happy to have you call me Dad."
Frisk smiled up at him, snuggling into his side. "Thanks, Dad."
They hung on the mountain for a while, lingering over lunch to simply enjoy the scenery and each other's company. Eventually it was time to go home, as Asgore had a lot of work to do in his office, and the six reluctantly headed back into the Underground.
Chara turned to Frisk. "So what do you want to do now?"
"I need to stop by a butcher's shop actually, if you guys have one." Frisk replied.
Chara blinked in confusion. "We do, but why?"
"Because there's another promise I need to keep."
...
Later that afternoon, Frisk stood at the stove, cooking a large steak. She had chosen the biggest and best one she could find at the butcher's shop, insisting on paying for it with her own money despite Asgore and Toriel offering to give her some.
Regardless of whether or not it meant to, the Annoying Dog deserved the best steak she could buy for its actions saving her little sister's life.
She seasoned it with the special spices the shopkeeper told her the dog guards loved, carefully cooking it to a medium rare, making sure to follow the instructions and not burn it. "Now I just need to figure out where exactly the Annoying Dog is..."
"Bark!"
Frisk jumped at the sudden sound behind her and turned to see the Annoying Dog right there, wagging its tail.
"Wow! Good timing... I was actually going to go look for you." Frisk said with a smile once she recovered from her shock. She then blinked in confusion. "Wait, how'd you even get in here?" The Annoying Dog pointed its paw at the open kitchen window. "Oh." Frisk said with a smile. "Bet you smelled the steak, didn't you? Well, it's all for you." The Annoying Dog wagged its tail hard at this.
"I wanted to thank you." Frisk continued as she dished up the steak for the dog. "I don't know if you know this or not, but you stealing the phone from Toriel...it led her to be at the garden to catch Tina when she fell. You probably saved my sister's life." The Dog smiled knowingly and Frisk's eyes widened. "You DID know, didn't you?"
"Yes."
The Annoying Dog suddenly speaking made Frisk yelp and she accidentally dropped the steak and the plate it was on. The Dog casually reached out and caught the steak in his mouth and the plate on his back, not letting either of them hit the floor.
"I also expected that you were going to do that." the Annoying Dog said in an amused voice, lying down to hold the steak between his paws and munch on it. "Wow, this is really good steak. I'm coming over every time you make this. Not guaranteeing I'll leave anything for anyone else though." he joked.
"You can talk?!" Frisk asked in shock.
"So can Doggo, Dogamy, and Dogaressa." the Annoying Dog pointed out.
"True." Frisk admitted. "But I was surprised to hear you do it. I've never heard you talk before."
"I just didn't feel like it before."
"Fair enough." Frisk conceded. "So how'd you know anyway?"
"That the steak's good? It's a little thing called taste buds." the Dog answered, though the mischievous look on his face told Frisk he knew exactly what she was talking about.
"I meant about Tina. How'd you know stealing the phone would save her? How did you even know she was coming?"
"I have my ways." the Annoying Dog replied cryptically, still smiling. "Just like how I know someone very special to you is coming up the path to see you and is going to ring the doorbell in three...two..."
At that exact moment, the doorbell rang and Frisk turned in shock. The next thing she knew, the Annoying Dog was gone.
...
Pushing the encounter out of her mind, Frisk hurried to go open the door. As the Annoying Dog had predicted, Papyrus was standing outside, dressed nicely in a red sweater with black slacks. He was smiling, though his hands were fidgeting a bit.
Frisk grinned and gave him a hug. "Hey, Papyrus! I didn't know you were coming over today."
"I...I wanted to see you." he said shyly. "Would-Would you like to go up on Mt. Ebott with me, and...and see the sunset together?"
Frisk smiled widely. "I'd love to. Just let me ask Mom and Dad."
She headed off to ask them and they of course gave her permission, so she headed off with Papyrus. As the two went through the area that was once the barrier room, Frisk found herself stumbling a bit on the steep slope in the dim light of early evening.
Papyrus caught her before she could fall. "NEED SOME HELP, HUMAN?"
"A little bit." she admitted and Papyrus smiled, scooping her up bridal style in his arms.
Frisk blushed. "You didn't have to carry me." she told him, though she happily snuggled into his hold.
"I KNOW, BUT THIS WAY'S MORE FUN." he told her with a smile as he ran up the slope with her in his arms, making her laugh.
They quickly arrived at the top, and Frisk looked in awe at the beauty that surrounded them. The sun was just setting, bathing the grass and the dirt path in golden light. The fluffy clouds were beginning to grow a soft pink, and the sun was lighting up the city in the distance. She had seen the view before of course, but it no less took her breath away. Not to mention, having a handsome skeleton holding her in his arms made it all the more romantic.
Papyrus too drank in the sight as he cuddled her close. He then put her down, seeming reluctant to do so, and pulled a soft blue blanket out of his inventory, laying it carefully on the ground. He then pulled out a thermos and two cups. "HOT CHOCOLATE?" he offered.
"I'd love some. Thanks." Frisk said gratefully as she sat on the blanket and Papyrus smiled and poured her some, handing it to her before settling down next to her. Frisk thanked him again and took a sip, humming in pleasure. "It's delicious, Papyrus."
"I-I ALSO MADE YOU THESE." Papyrus pulled out a white candy box from his inventory and opened it, revealing a dozen large chocolate covered strawberries, which were a bit lopsided but still looked decadent. "I TEXTED CHARA THIS MORNING, AND SHE SAID YOU REALLY LIKED THEM."
"I do." Frisk told him, happily taking one. "Wow, Papyrus, you're really spoiling me today."
"AND THE SPOILING'S NOT OVER YET, MY DEAR FRISK!" Papyrus told her, pulling a large and very colorful bouquet of flowers out of his inventory with a flourish. "I ALSO GOT YOU THESE!" He fidgeted a bit. "I didn't know what your favorite flower was, so I got one of everything the flower shop had. I hope that's okay." he added shyly.
"It's more than okay. It's perfect." Frisk told him, smiling widely as she reverently took the bouquet, inhaling the sweet scent of the flowers. "This is so beautiful. Thank you so much, Papyrus." Impulsively, she leaned up and kissed his cheek. Papyrus froze and blushed so hard she was almost worried his skull was going to explode. Realizing what she had done, she quickly backed off. "Sorry, Papyrus! That was stupid of me. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."
"No! No, you didn't do anything wrong, Frisk!" Papyrus quickly told her, wrapping an arm around her and drawing her back. "In fact...I...I...brought you out here to tell you something."
Frisk's heart pounded. "What...What is it?" she asked softly.
Papyrus gently clasped her hands in his. "I...I wanted to tell you... I like you, Frisk. I like you a whole lot. You're-You're so special to me. You're an amazing friend, and I feel like I can be the entirety of myself around you. And...whenever you smile, it lights up my whole world. You're so beautiful, inside and out. I wish I had realized this on our first date instead of overthinking things, but...I think I just needed more time to get to know you. What...What I'm trying to ask is...if...if you still have those feelings for me that I do for you, and I didn't scare you away with how badly I screwed up our first date, would...would you like to go on another date with me?"
Frisk's soul fluttered, glowing with a brilliant red light. She was so happy she felt like she could fly. She beamed at Papyrus. "I'd like that. I'd like that a lot."
She had just enough time to move her bouquet and the strawberries out of the way before she was engulfed in a tight hug, pressed against Papyrus's warm chest. She happily hugged him back, her soul glowing even more.
For a little while, they simply held each other, savoring the closeness and new relationship between them. Then Papyrus leaned back slightly and gazed into Frisk's eyes longingly. He gently cupped her cheek. "Can...Can I..."
Frisk nodded, butterflies in her stomach as she realized they were going to have their very first kiss, and he smiled widely before leaning in, pressing his teeth gently to her lips.
It was gentle, chaste, rather quick, and slightly awkward as neither of them had ever kissed anyone before and Papyrus didn't have lips, but sparks and warmth still filled them both as they shared their first kiss under the last rays of the setting sun.
For them it was perfect, and they eagerly anticipated many more dates and kisses to come.
...
A few days later, it was another couple that met at the top of Mt. Ebott. Sans was lying on his back on the summit, watching the stars that twinkled in the inky blackness of the night sky, breathing in the fresh air and soaking up the beauty of his surroundings.
"Is it okay if I join you?" a very familiar voice asked.
Sans propped himself up, seeing Chara standing close by. He smiled to her. "Of course. C'mere."
Chara came and lay beside him. "It's beautiful, isn't it?"
"It is."
There was a silence for a few minutes as both watched the night sky before Chara spoke. "I'm sorry." she blurted out.
Sans turned to her. "I know you are, Care. And...while what you did still hurts a little, I do forgive you. Just...don't you ever do anything like that again. As beautiful as those stars are, you're still more precious to me. To all of us. Don't ever forget that."
Chara nodded softly. "I won't. Not ever again."
"Good." He smiled at her, the smile he had given her so long ago in the days before tragedy had torn their lives apart. "Regardless of what happened...you're still my best friend, Chara. And..." He blushed a bit. "R-Remember what I blurted out after you told me what happened? When I kinda said I loved you?" Chara's prominent blush deepened, and she nodded. Sans twisted his fingers and he took a deep breath. "Well, I meant it. And I still do."
Tears filled Chara's eyes and she gave him a soft smile. "I love you too, Sans. And I always will." She reached over, taking his hand and giving it a gentle squeeze.
Sans squeezed back and shifted closer, the two adjusting so that Chara was snuggled into Sans's side with his arm wrapped around her, holding the other's hand with their free one. Cuddled together like this, they watched the stars, simply enjoying each other's company.
They had had a long hard journey, one where death and bad choices had nearly torn them apart, and they still had a lot of healing to do. But what would keep them going was one simple truth.
No matter what happened, they loved each other. And they always would.
And that was a fact that would never change.
...
The Undertale ends here, with the monsters free to live on the surface with the humans, new relationships formed and old ones on the mend. But for Frisk, Papyrus, Sans, Chara, and all their family, friends, and acquaintances, their own tales were just beginning.
The End.
...
After many years of writing Hopes, Dreams, And DETERMINATION is finally finished! I hope you guys enjoyed the final chapter! It's been an amazing ride for me, finishing my first major longfic. I hope you guys liked the way I'm planning to save the six fallen humans and enjoyed my interpretation of the prophecy!
Also, the story about the two mages who died together possessing their own skeletons, becoming the first skeleton monsters was something J-Farraday made up in a crossover RP of our two fics. She kindly allowed me to use it here. Thank you so much July!
Now that HDAD's over, I do have plans to write a series of oneshots of the future moments in the lives of our favorite characters, and I'm also thinking of making a Gacha Life/Club Ask Blog on my Dragonsrule91 DA account if you guys are interested.
As always if you have any questions, concerns, or comments, or just want to talk, feel free to review or leave me a PM!
I'd like to thank J-Farraday and Stallionwolf for all their help and advice throughout my writing of HDAD! I love you guys and you're the best!
And to all my readers, thank you so much for following me throughout this journey! I really appreciate all of you! You guys are amazing, and I hope you have a great day!