What Blooms in Shadow

by PaddieFrog

In the dog days of summer, a happy event sparks a terrible realization in Toriel regarding her immortality and the future consequences it could entail. She knows there is only one way for her to age again, to avoid such a fate. But things are no longer as simple as they were over a century ago. (Soriel, Sequel to All These Broken Pieces)

21. Remergance

In the all too small guest room, packed wall to wall with nervous monsters, not one soul dared to take a breath. The tension in the air felt so thick, it was as though they had all collectively come to fear that the slightest movement or sound could shatter it all into chaos. Chaos that certainly would spell disaster for the human child and human spirit up on the podium awaiting their final "procedure".

All that could be heard were the ominous rumbles of the same sleek laser like machine used in the similar scenario from before, and the faint, terribly labored breathing of the monster who'd soon be directing its operation.

Something was different this time, and they all felt it. Toriel could tell that this time, she wasn't the only one a hair's breath away from snapping and demanding that this all stop.

The idea of "severing" just carried a finality and seriousness that dwarfed what had happened before. Even beyond all fear of what could go wrong, there was plenty to worry about even if the process was successful. And in the time leading up to this moment, Toriel had sensed that even Frisk and Chara were feeling the weight of what they were agreeing to.

There had even been a point where she thought they were going to back out of the idea entirely, or at least delay it a little further. But in the end, they had gotten up on that podium and in the crosshairs of Dr. Gaster's machine. It seemed that whatever reservations they had, it didn't outweigh their resolve to see it through.

And perhaps she was no different in the end. As she too just stood in place a short distance away as though she'd been petrified by a basilisk's gaze. The dark aura in the room that had been steadily growing since Gaster had first been trapped had never felt stronger, despite the monster himself clearly struggling to cling to life.

He'd never looked worse, almost as if he were some clay facsimile of the former royal scientist, crushed in the grip of some giant pair of hands. It clearly took effort to keep different parts of his body from sloughing into the puddle of dark ooze he was perpetually melting into, and even the areas that appeared more solid occasionally dripped like the wax of a burning candle. It reminded Toriel of the bodies of the amalgamates, but somehow even more destabilized.

And yet despite everything, he still wore that same painfully smug grin as always, and giddy eagerness for what was to come shone in his dark sockets. Whatever suffering his current state was inflicting upon him, it wasn't enough to penetrate his dedication to the operation at hand. Toriel wasn't sure if that should make her feel more or less assured he was capable of pulling this off safely.

"HAVE YOU GOT IT TARGETED?" The robotic translation of Gaster's words cut through the chilling silence of the room, slightly startling everyone a bit.

He seemed to take some pleasure from that, shaking from a chuckle that descended into a few strained, wheezing coughs. At the machine's controls, Alphys gulped a bit, but quickly nodded.

"Y-yes, its fixed on the signature of Chara's s-soul." She replied, doing surprisingly well at keeping the anxiety in her voice controlled. "I-It's just like you said, the first session has made it a lot str-stronger and distinct."

Beside her, Sans made a soft affirmative sound, his eyelights not leaving the machine's screen. Sweat dotted his skull, highlighting his own nerves. But the lack of any more severe worry on his face did calm Toriel's own fear just a bit. Still, she wasn't about to think about relaxing until this was over and done with.

Within her, her child's magic stirred uncomfortably, as though to express their own unease at the situation. Toriel did her best to apologetically soothe them without words as she fixed her gaze back on Gaster.

I am sorry, little on. This stress will be over soon. Just be brave for me until then.

She had to believe in the truth of those words for both their sakes. And for the sakes of the two humans facing down the barrel of the ominous machine before them.

"PERFECT." Gaster rasped after looking over the screen himself from behind the glass. "NOW NARROW THE APERTURE TO 75, AND SET-."

He paused, turning away as he was cut off by another violent coughing fit. By far the worst any of them had heard from him. It was so painful sounding that everyone in the room winced a bit. By the time it had eased off, everyone was looking at him with wide, uncertain eyes.

His amorphous body rippled with erratic waves as he shuddered. Great globs of ooze fell from his hands and face, splashing down into the ever growing black puddle beneath him. The sight felt so viscerally wrong that Toriel half expected him to fully melt away or crumble to dust at any moment.

But without missing a beat, Gaster simply cleared his metaphorical throat, straightened back up and turned back to them. Despite his facial features looking even more askew than before, he showed no signs of being otherwise affected by what had just happened. His distorted expression remained ever determined.

"SET THE ENERGY LEVEL TO 66." He continued, calm and collected.

There were a few seconds where Alphys and Sans just continued to stare at him nervously. It was a sentiment shared by Frisk from up on the platform, though Toriel couldn't tell if it was driven by fear or concern on their part. But after Gaster didn't disintegrate before their eyes or start up that horrible coughing again, they turned back to the machine to carry out his order.

Alphys cranked one of the knobs on the control panel while Sans pushed one of the sliders up higher. In response, the machine hummed a little louder, like a creature awakening further from a deep sleep.

Once satisfied, Sans turned back towards Gaster.

"well? is it ready?" He asked in a flat tone, quirking a brow ridge at the imprisoned monster.

Gaster's jagged, oozing grin widened at the question.

"WHAT DO YOU TWO THINK?" He asked in an odd tone, tilting his skull a bit.

Sans' expression stiffened, and his eyelights wavered as though he were remembering something. But he snapped back to the task at hand quickly. Toriel watched as he intently looked over the control panel again, doing her best to focus on staying calm even as the anxiety within her felt like claws pricking at her soul.

"it all checks out from what i can tell." Sans confirmed after a few moments, before turning to look at Alphys. "al?"

Alphys didn't reply right away, her own amber gaze lingering on the screen a few moments longer. It looked to Toriel as though she were checking it all over dozens of times, convinced there must be something off here. Even now, she was sure all of them still felt as though Gaster had to be doing something underhanded with all this. Even those who had tried to be more optimistic like Papyrus and Asgore.

Eventually though, Alphys couldn't deny what she was seeing.

"Y-yeah… th-this should be right." She confirmed, looking back at Sans and fiddling with her claws a bit. "The numbers are right, the targeting is set, the capsule is loaded, and it shouldn't be capable of h-hurting them at these parameters, even if it didn't w-work."

Her words gave Toriel some tentative relief and she could feel some of the tension in the room ease, but it was not enough to overcome the dread that still had them in its grasp.

"THEN YOU MAY PROCEED WHEN READY." Gaster rasped, eagerness once again leaking into his tone.

Sans nodded stoically, moving his hand to rest on the main dial on the machine. It seemed that this time, he would be the one to activate it. Meanwhile, Alphys kept her nervous gaze fixed on the numbers flashing by on the screen.

"you two ready?" Sans asked as he looked over at Frisk, trying to work up a casual smile for their sake.

Frisk, while visibly nervous, didn't waver from their resolve. They nodded resolutely just as they had the first time they'd endured this, and the faint hue of crimson shining in their eyes made clear that the feeling was shared between both human children. Even after all they had endured at their young ages, they still managed to be so brave. Beneath all the fear Toriel was feeling for them, she couldn't help but feel a little proud too.

As he had the first time, Sans then made eye contact with her, seeking that final approval he felt he needed.

Even as it felt as though her soul was being twisted inside her, she took a steadying breath and slowly nodded. She knew there was no stopping this now, and delaying it any longer would only be more tortuous. All the while, she purposefully didn't look in Gaster's direction. But he thankfully seemed too fixated on what was coming to pay her any mind.

Sans, as satisfied as he could be that he had all the necessary go ahead, looked back down at the control panel with a resolute expression.

"here we go." He said, slowly twisting the main knob with a few faint clicks.

In response, the machine's humming rose in pitch and volume and the same white light as the first time flared to life at the laser like tip. It shot out in an instant and struck Frisk, causing their soul to begin glowing noticeably beneath their shirt. The red hue grew to be even brighter then the first time, casting much of that side of the room in shades of scarlet. They flinched, but didn't move beyond that, going stiff all over as they did their best to stay as still as possible.

Toriel didn't dare breathe all the while, only finding comfort in the fact Frisk didn't appear to be in pain. Everyone around her seemed equally frozen. Gaster though, just watched while pressed up as close to the glass as possible, with a disturbingly manic expression on his face.

The hum of the machine and the brightness of the beam of light increased in tandem with one another, eventually to the point where Toriel's sensitive ears ached from the sound and she had to squint to make out Frisk on the platform. But despite the light becoming nearly blinding, she didn't dare take her eyes off her children for a moment.

It was difficult to make out, but the effect the machine was having soon made itself apparent. Toriel saw Frisk's soul glow with an intensity that nearly rivaled the beam itself, a point of bright red amongst blinding white. Soon it was all that could be seen of Frisk, just as another, far fainter heart shape began to pull away from it. Like someone removing a sticker from its sheet.

The two souls steadily peeled away from each other, but briefly remained stuck together at the bottom tips, hanging on by the barest bit of connection. The shape they formed in that moment reminded Toriel of a butterfly's… or perhaps… an angel's wings. But whatever drove that last bit of resistance to the impending separation soon fell away. The souls finally broke apart with a flash of red light that overpowered the beam entirely, forcing Toriel to close her eyes this time from its intensity.

She fought to blink away the after-image burned into her vision as all the machine's humming rapidly died away. The sudden silence that followed was somehow even more chilling than the sounds the machine had been making before. Toriel frantically tried to spot her children, stepping closer to the platform they'd been standing on despite Gaster's earlier warnings to keep her distance.

"Frisk?! Chara?!" She called out to them as her vision started to clear.

"O-over here, Mom…"

She whipped around to face the direction of the voice, and spotted Frisk shakily easing themself off the platform. She rushed to their side without hesitation, helping to support them and rapidly checking them over for any sign of injury. She heard the others quickly follow after her, surrounding the small human with eyes full of concern.

"Oh my children, are you alright?" She asked, feeling healing magic rushing into her paws by instinct. "Are you hurt anywhere?"

Frisk slowly shook their head, looking dazed and a little confused. It took them a bit to elaborate, even beyond their usual hesitancy towards speaking aloud.

"I-I'm okay… it just kinda st-stung my chest a bit…" They rasped, touching the spot in question.

Their gazes locked then, and Toriel was struck by the feeling that something in their eyes was different. Something had changed. She paused in her fretting and blinked slowly as the implication of what she was seeing sank in.

"D-did… did it wor-"

Her question was cut off by another voice, coming from behind Frisk.

"Woah…"

She looked up to see Chara's ghostly form, hovering just a few inches above the platform. Whatever had happened, it had certainly forced the spirit to be visible and separate from Frisk's body again.

They shared the same hazy look in their eyes, and not just because they were a partially intangible spirit. Something had clearly changed in them too, Toriel could feel it. Were they perhaps… a little less easy to see through than before? The red glow around their body appeared to have strengthened as well, casting much of the room around them in faint scarlet hues.

They shook their head a bit as though trying to clear it, then looked over at Frisk. For a moment, neither said anything, then Chara's eyes widened.

"Frisk I… I can't feel you… or hear your thoughts…" They said slowly, as if they expected the sensations to return any moment.

When they didn't, their hand slowly moved to lay against their chest. Over what Toriel could see now was the faint shape of their own soul, slightly visible through their transparent form. It appeared far dimmer and duller in color than a usual human soul, almost like the shadow of one. But the shape was unmistakable, and she knew Chara must also be able to feel the evidence of that fact for themself in that moment.

"We're… we're not connected…" They rasped out, breathlessly.

Soft gasps filled the room from everyone present, hesitantly relieved and excited but still tense with uncertainty. The children stayed silent though, just staring at each other as though they were somehow meeting for the first time all over again.

Frisk was the first to move, the shock in their face finally giving way to something joyful. Words continued to evade them though, as they quickly returned to their preferred method of communication.

(Chara… It worked!) They signed quickly, an exuberant smile spreading across their face. (You aren't bound to me anymore!)

Still a bit shakily, they stepped closer to Chara and threw their arms around the spirit. They couldn't exactly hug their ghostly form properly, but they clearly didn't mind that at all in the moment.

"Y-you're free!" They exclaimed aloud, in perhaps the strongest voice Toriel had ever heard from them since they day they'd SAVE'd everyone back in the Underground.

Chara blinked, a bit startled. But then a shaky smile spread over their own face and they returned Frisk's hug as best they could. A few exuberant, breathless chuckles escaped them before they could manage a reply.

"I… I guess I am."

With those words from Chara, the dread that had been gripping everyone seemed to evaporate. Toriel felt her legs all but give out beneath her, and she went to her knees and just hugged both children close to her. She felt the others all press in around her, all too eager to share in the joyful moment, but she kept all her focus on the two humans in her arms.

As they readily accepted her embrace, Toriel felt the proof of the procedure's success for herself. She could feel the familiar emotions and love of two souls, fully distinct. While weaker, and certainly changed in some ways from all they'd been through, Chara's soul still felt the same to her as it had when she'd first held them all those decades ago. And she was making out all that made Frisk's soul unique clearly for the very first time.

It was unsurprising when she felt tears spilling into the fur down her face. Any hope of keeping a lid on her emotions now was truly lost. She could only be glad she wasn't reduced to a sobbing mess, if only by her desire to still be able to speak to them clearly.

"Oh my children…" She crooned, sniffling a bit. "I am so… so happy for you both."

For the first time in weeks, Toriel felt the heavy weight of all the fear and stress she'd been feeling over the situation finally lift away from her soul. All the struggle they'd endured to get to this point had been worth it.

Her children had been gifted the freedom of a brighter future ahead, just as she had been by the little one within her. Flowey's situation still remained somewhat uncertain, and how Chara's transition into their new form remained to be seen but she felt deep in her soul that they could now all pursue a new tomorrow, together.

Some time passed where that's all she perceived, as if the rest of the world had disappeared. But it wasn't long before Papyrus' bombastic voice pulled her from her joyful reverie.

"IT WORKED! IT WORKED! I JUST KNEW IT WOULD!" He exclaimed, eye sockets sparkling brightly. "CONGRATULATIONS MY HUMAN FRIENDS!"

The children tried to turn to reply to him, but found their mother's embrace was a bit too tight for that. Toriel blinked, then reluctantly released them with a sheepish smile. As much as she would have been happy to not let them go for the rest of the day, she knew that they deserved to receive all the congrats and love from everyone.

Wiping at her eyes, she backed up a bit until she was sitting on the edge of the platform to let the others have their time with the children. Her eyes never left them though, mind still reeling in disbelief that things had gone so well.

"Move Papyrus!, I need to see them!" A sharp voice snapped from the tangle of embracing arms.

Flowey wriggled his way up and out from the hug he'd been forced into, perching his new, ungainly body on Papyrus' right ulna in order to get a better look at his siblings. The sight of him brought Toriel a little more out of her joyful haze, remembering that Papyrus had been watching Flowey throughout the procedure.

The skeleton had insisted on doing so after everyone had gotten a look at how the flower monster's body had further changed during the previous night. Partially for Toriel's benefit, as she had been quite obviously stressed enough with what was going on with Frisk and Chara, but also partially because Flowey seemed more willing to accept such treatment in front of the others from Papyrus rather than her.

He'd not been a fan of the few new pots they had to offer him that morning, so for the time being he'd opted to be carried around instead. Even though he made no secret that he found it humiliating, it did force him to start learning to move and function in his new form. The sight before her showed that the arrangement was already proving beneficial.

As she watched her son look over Frisk and Chara almost as diligently as she had, she felt a little sting of guilt that he hadn't gotten to be included in that initial hug. But then again, he most likely wouldn't have wanted that. Getting to take this in on his own terms was probably for the best. Privately though, she made a mental note to ensure he got one later.

"You're sure it worked?" Flowey asked, looking between Frisk and Chara with narrowed eyes. "He didn't do anything sick and twisted to either of you in the process?"

The human and spirit shared a look, likely attempting to silently confirm what they both felt. Toriel had to wonder if they were still instinctively trying to communicate like they had had before, and only nodded to each other when they remembered they could no longer hear the other's thoughts. Then they looked back to their brother with shared smiles.

"Sure doesn't feel like it." Chara confirmed, doing a graceful little loop in mid-air as if to prove it. "That wasn't fun or anything, but I feel fine now."

They paused, looking at Frisk for a long moment before their gaze drifted down to their own, semi-transparent hands.

"But it is… strange for sure." They admitted in a softer tone. "But like, a good strange. Just one we'll have to get used to."

Flowey still looked a bit suspicious, but nodded, conceding.

Before he could say anything else though, Alphys pushed into the ring of monsters around the children. The relief in her eyes when she got a full look at them was evident, and Toriel realized just how stressed the lizard monster must have been during the whole procedure. Especially given the results of some of her own scientific work in the past.

"Oh th-thank goodness! I'm s-so glad you're both okay." She said, pushing up her glasses to rub a tear from her eye.

She quickly dug out a small tablet device from her lab coat pocket and held it up in front of her.

"H-here! Let me just look one more time, just to be sure everything's a-alright." She said, tapping the screen a few times and stepping closer.

There was a brief pause, then the device made a soft ping that drew Alphys' gaze firmly to it's screen. Her eyes raced back and forth behind her glasses as she combed through whatever she was seeing on her end. Then finally after what had become a somewhat tense silence, she looked back up at them with sparkling eyes.

"It's a-amazing! It really worked!" She exclaimed, thumping her tail against the floor. "I don't see a-anything concerning. Chara's s-soul is a bit weak, b-but that's to be expected! It sh-should improve with time, especially if we can get them a v-vessel."

Everyone sighed another big sigh of relief, including Toriel, who felt some additional uncertainty in her soul lift away. Alphys' insight was another level of reassurance Toriel needed, and was quite grateful for. She gave her a thankful smile, and the lizard monster returned it, with what may have been a tinge of personal pride in her amber eyes.

Sans then abruptly popped the space next to Alphys, startling her a bit. He didn't seem to notice, instead focusing his attention on Frisk and Chara. Like everyone else, he couldn't seem to resist taking a moment to look over them for any sign of foul play from his father, his eyelights intense as they swept over the two children.

But when he too found no sign of anything awry, his expression softened into his usual casual grin and he leaned down to affectionately ruffle Frisk's hair, leaving it a mess. There really wasn't any way to do the same with Chara, and they likely wouldn't be as receptive to such a thing. So he just shrugged with an amused chuckle and gave them a thumbs up.

"i'm real happy for you, kiddos." He said, genuinely, before winking at Chara with a more mischievous smirk. "just don't use this as a reason to ghost us all now, k?"

Groans rang out among everyone present, along with a few giggles here and there, most from Toriel. Chara themself rolled their eyes, but didn't lose their smile.

" I'll haunt you first, Sans ." They promised in an eerie voice, making one of their signature "creepy faces" and drifting closer to the skeleton.

But their spooky routine was cut short when a pair of huge fluffy arms suddenly encircled both them and Frisk. Once they realized who they belonged to though, they wiped the black ooze off their face and played along as they were "picked up."

Asgore, who'd been patiently hovering over everyone the whole time, finally couldn't keep himself from scooping up the children into a big hug of his own. He was too emotional to get any words out, tears openly spilling from his eyes. But the joy on his face was obvious.

Toriel smiled as she stood up, giving the trio a bit more room. But Undyne and Papyrus quickly hurried into the spot she'd left, adding to what was now an enthusiastic group hug. Undyne got so into it in fact, that she lifted everyone in her arms up into the air with a triumphant "NGAAAAH!"

Asgore was unphased, too caught up in pouring his affections over the two children in his arms. Chara too, barely noticed. As was to be expected she supposed. Papyrus and Frisk looked a bit perturbed though, especially as one of Asgore's horns audibly scraped the ceiling.

The sound made Toriel wince a bit. The room had already suffered plenty of damage as of late, but there was no reason to add to it.

"Now now, give them some space everyone." She advised gently. "I know we are all incredibly happy for them both, but we must not smother them."

Both her children gave her an amused, knowing look, and she realized the hypocrisy of her words. She blushed and lightly scratched her cheek with a claw.

"Well… smother them any further I suppose." She continued, sheepishly.

Undyne laughed, but obliged anyway, setting everyone down with a thump that shook the whole room a bit.

"Sorry, I just can't believe it worked!" She exclaimed, flashing her usual wide grin.

But then her gaze locked onto something behind Toriel, and the enthusiasm slowly drained from face.

"I can't believe... that he didn't…"

Her words caused just about everyone in the room to tense up, reminding them that they weren't the only witnesses to this happy moment. Toriel felt a chill run down her spine, and mentally kicked herself for being so easily overcome by emotion. In all their joy at seeing that Frisk and Chara were alright and had been successfully separated, they'd all but forgotten the monster responsible was still there in the room, watching everything.

She turned to look back at Gaster for the first time since the procedure had ended, feeling the usual cold oppressive feeling that the ghoulish monster emanated settle back over the room. It looked like he hadn't moved at all, aside from relaxing his amorphous body as much as was possible, resting the distorted shape of his skull on one of his floating hands, and drumming the remains of his phalanges against his cheekbone.

Though the gesture indicated boredom, his jagged smile and dark sockets still held that eerie hint of manic energy that he'd had at the start of all this.

"OH, REMEMBERED I EXIST THEN?" He quipped sarcastically, tilting his skull a bit. "APOLOGIES FOR RUINING SUCH AN EMOTIONAL MOMENT."

With that, he straightened back up to his full height again, leading to some of the dark sections of his body sloughing off into the ever growing puddle of black ooze surrounding him. As before though, he paid it no mind, sweeping his icy gaze over all the monsters present.

"NOW DON'T YOU ALL FEEL SILLY FOR ALL THAT POINTLESS STRESSING AND HOSTILITY TOWARDS ME?" He rasped, before turning to look directly at Toriel in particular. "SO MUCH FUSS OVER NOTHING."

She narrowed her eyes at him, feeling her soul pulse rapidly in her chest again. Had they overlooked something? The children seemed to be fine, and Alphys had confirmed that all was well with their souls. But what if Gaster knew how to harm them in some way that was just not perceivable yet? Everything about him screamed that there was some ulterior motive to this. He couldn't have actually just been telling the truth this whole time… could he?

Her paranoid emotions and inability to accept Gaster as truthful warred with the knowledge that no one here had found any reason to doubt the successful result of the procedure. She found that she couldn't make herself say anything, and just continued to glare at the ghoulish monster behind the glass.

It seemed she wasn't alone in that struggle though, as a heavy silence had fallen over everyone in the room. Gaster appeared to expect that though, and his smirk only grew in response.

"NO NEED FOR ANY APOLOGIES, THE LOOKS ON YOUR FACES RIGHT NOW MORE THAN MAKE UP FOR IT." He said, looking back at the others before focusing on Frisk and Chara, still cradled in Asgore's arms.

That manic spark entered his sockets again, and he pressed close to the glass as if to get as close a look at them as possible.

"WELL… THAT AND BEING RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS MOST INCREDIBLE OF SCIENTIFIC BREAKTHROUGHS THAT IS." He rasped, personal pride dripping from his tone. "I AM SO GLAD THAT I LIVED LONG ENOUGH TO SEE IT THROUGH."

Frisk looked away from Gaster and pressed a little closer to Asgore, clearly uncomfortable. Chara met the imprisoned monster's gaze, but looked just as conflicted on what to feel or say as Toriel was. Perhaps more so.

That was enough to make Toriel's legs work again, and she quickly moved to stand between Gaster and the children. Whatever his role in this, she wasn't going to stand by and let him ogle them like his little test subjects. Not like he'd treated Sans and Papyrus in the past .

It seems her dear skeleton shared the same idea, as she bumped into him a bit without seeing him as he tried to do the same thing. Whether that would have worked at his height was… questionable. But it was the thought that counted. She met his gaze for a moment, and both were almost amused at the shared surprise they mirrored back at each other. But beyond that, there was deeper understanding that passed between them then. And it was something she felt was starting to sink in for everyone in the room.

They didn't need Gaster anymore. He no longer held any power over them. He'd done what they agreed to let him do for the children, but his usefulness to them had ended. They didn't need to put up with anything from him ever again.

Before she or Sans could put that into words though, perhaps more openly tell him off than ever before, the imprisoned monster interjected.

"YOU WILL WANT TO GET GOING." He rasped, his voice suddenly sounding weaker than before.

Something there also told her that he had picked up the shift in the dynamics of the situation, but a hint of his usual smugness remained in his tone regardless.

Then he coughed violently a few times, destabilizing his form enough that he had to hold his skull in place for a few moments after it passed to ensure it didn't start melting away into the rest of his body. Once he seemed satisfied that he was not about to just collapse into a pile of sludge, he continued.

"THE SUPPORTIVE MAGIC THE MACHINE HAS PROVIDED THEM WITH SHOULD BE PLENTY ENOUGH TO ENSURE THEY CAN BOND TO THEIR CHOSEN VESSEL WITH EASE, BUT IT WILL NOT LAST FOREVER." He explained, working up another grin as he looked in Chara's direction again. "IF YOU'RE STILL TAKING MY SUGGESTION FOR YOUR CHOICE, THEN YOU HAVE QUITE A HIKE AHEAD. THOUGH NOT ONE UNFAMILIAR TO YOU, OF COURSE."

Toriel gulped at that, remembering what and where he was referring to, and just what they would have to do once they got there. Instinctively, she looked down at Sans, wanting to see if he'd counter his father's words at all. He met her gaze and then slowly nodded.

"don't worry, they'll be fine if the extra magic runs out, they'd just need another boost later on if they decided to try bonding to a vessel another time, just to ensure it doesn't strain them." He assured her, before looking back over his shoulder at the child in question. "but if they are sure about what they want, and would rather get this done now… then…"

He trailed off, and Toriel knew it was to give her a chance to chime in. He likely expected her to object, given that they were all sleep-deprived, still processing all that had just happened, and likely only staying alert as they were because they were riding the brief energy boost from seeing that the procedure had been a success.

But in the end, this needed to be about what Chara wanted. She'd spent enough time earlier on acting uncomfortable with their choice of future vessel. Even if the idea still didn't sit quite right with her, she wouldn't allow herself to be led by her own selfish feelings on the matter anymore.

She briefly rested a paw on Sans' shoulder as a silent thanks then turned around to look at Chara. They were still perched up on one of Asgore's arms, though they were actually floating a few inches above it. Due to how high this led them to be, she didn't have to lean down at all to talk to them face to face.

They blinked at her as she approached, expression betraying a mix of emotions. She took a deep breath to steady herself, then gave them a gentle smile.

"Are you still set on that being your choice, my child?" She asked, tone soft but serious.

Chara gulped a bit, looking away as they pondered their answer. Eventually they turned to Frisk, who gave them an encouraging smile of their own. Then looked over at Flowey, who remained stoic but nodded once in response to some silent question between them. The support of their siblings seemed to help Chara relax, and their expression became more resolute as they grew confident in their choice.

They faced Toriel again and nodded, determination shining in their scarlet eyes.

Deep down, Toriel had known that would be their answer. Her expression remained unphased, and she dutifully pushed away any of her own lingering reservations with the idea from her mind. Chara had made their decision, her role now just needed to be supporting them as they saw it through.

"And do you wish to go do it now?" She continued, tilting her head a bit.

This time they didn't need to think it over it seemed, as they nodded again without missing a beat. Toriel found herself feeling a warm sense of pride in seeing how brave and strong they'd become.

Where they once made a habit of making decisions with little to no regard for their own wellbeing, and struggled with self-destructive tendencies, they were now making a decision for themself that showed plainly that they wanted to pursue a brighter future. They wanted to live, in every sense of the word.

"Very well then." She replied, a small, proud smile spreading across her face.

She then turned back towards Gaster, hardening her expression as she did so.

"We will be going now." She declared stiffly, not bothering to meet his gaze before looking away again.

Focusing on the others around her, it appeared as though her declaration had been enough for them to all begin preparing to leave without a word. It faintly reminded her of how she once had been easily able to make orders and have her subjects follow them when she'd been their queen. The potential implications there didn't sit all that well with her, but she wouldn't argue it in this case.

Chara drifted away from Asgore and over to Toriel, eyes bright with equal parts excitement and nerves. She gave them a warm smile and motioned for them to follow as she turned towards the door. She purposefully kept her gaze focused on the exit, away from Gaster, but that didn't stop him from chiming in again as they passed him regardless.

"GOOD LUCK TO YOU." He rasped out slowly, clearly right up near the glass. "NO ONE IS MORE EAGER FOR YOUR SUCCESS THAN I, LITTLE FUTURE FEY."

The urge to shoot him a glare for addressing Chara was strong, but she resisted. She was determined to not give him the satisfaction of getting under her skin ever again. Chara paused only briefly to cast one last long look back at the captive monster, but then followed after Toriel without another word.

Only one of the room's occupants remained by the containment chamber, addressing Gaster with undeserved warmth. Though a heavy layer of confliction weighing down the words kept it from being wholly genuine.

"I KNEW YOU WERE CAPABLE OF USING YOUR ABILITIES FOR GOOD, FATHER." Papyrus said after a moment of hesitation, a smile evident in his voice. "THANK YOU FOR DOING THIS FOR THEM."

Hearing his brother speak, Sans paused just ahead of Toriel, going a bit stiff. It caused her and Chara to stop as well, only a step or two from the doorway. Toriel looked down at him, briefly considering nudging him ahead and encouraging him to let Papyrus do as he wished, if only for the excuse to leave the room faster. But when she saw that his sockets had gone dark, concern for him overpowered her eagerness to be freed from Gaster's presence.

She shared a look with Chara, then nodded towards the door as her expression grew more somber.

"Go ahead with the others, my child." She said softly, before reaching out to gently lay a paw on Sans' shoulder. "We will catch up in just a moment."

Chara seemed to understand, and only spared a quick glance down at Sans before nodding and swiftly floating out of the room. Toriel watched after them until they were out of sight, then looked back down to Sans. He was watching Papyrus' interaction with his father as much as he could without fully facing the imprisoned monster again. Toriel followed his lead and did the same, worrying her lip with her fangs a bit.

Gaster had said nothing in response to Papyrus' words, only offering an emotionless stare in his direction and the sound of labored breathing. Papyrus though just continued to smile, in a way that was clearly a bit forced but not wholly un-genuine.

The cold silence from Gaster continued until anger on Papyrus' behalf began flaring up within her. But the imprisoned monster's crackly rasp of a voice came through the speakers again before the feeling could lead her to do or say anything she may regret. But the words were far from the response her friend deserved.

"YOU HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A FASCINATING ONE, PAPYRUS." Was all Gaster had to say, his large distorted grin returning to his face.

It didn't last long though, as another terrible bout of coughing overtook him. One that once again made her instinctively wince from the intensity of it. He turned away from them all entirely as his body lost and regained solidity in erratic bursts along with each hacking cough. By the time it was over, what Toriel could see of the white exposed bone of his skull and hands had become so splattered with black ooze they were nearly indistinguishable from the rest of the dark mass of his body.

Papyrus moved closer to the glass and rested his gloved hands against it. Concern was etched onto his features and he opened his mouth to say something, but his father cut him off. As before, it unnerved Toriel how quickly Gaster could regain his usual scholarly tone. Notably though, he didn't turn to look at them again.

"GO NOW, I NEED… TO REST." He said in an all too nonchalant tone, coughing one more time before clearing his metaphorical throat. "I'M SURE YOU UNDERSTAND."

Papyrus blinked and hesitated for a long moment before nodding and stepping back from the glass and towards Toriel and Sans.

"OF COURSE! WE'LL BE BACK SOON, OKAY?" He replied quickly, and it hurt her to hear a sting of rejection in his tone.

This time Gaster's reply was prompt, turning his skull back towards them just enough to show he was still grinning as much as he could through the melty, distorted features of his face.

"I SHALL BE WAITING..."

...

No matter how many times she saw it since monsterkind had been freed, the sight of Mt. Ebott filled Toriel with a nauseating mix of emotions. The always looming dormant volcano had towered above the place that had been hers and all monsters' prison for centuries. But… that place had also been their home.

Whether she wanted to face the fact or not, she'd spent far more of her long, long life in the Underground than she ever had on the surface. And for the majority of monsters, it had been the only home they'd ever known before freedom came.

It was a place few wanted to return to now that the world had been opened to them. But also one that contained countless memories for so many monsters, terrible, wonderful and everything in between. It would always be a part of them.

Somehow, it felt as though even her unborn child reacted to being so close to it, their magic stirring more noticeably deep within her as her eyes traced the mountain's slope.

If Toriel cast her mind back far enough, she could still so clearly remember the day they'd all first been sealed. When what remained of monsterkind after all the slaughter of war was forced back towards the yawning mouth of the mountain cave by the encroaching mass of the human army. Leading them had been the seven mages, including a painfully familiar face at the head.

She remembered the screaming, the crying, the panic, the terror all around her, as they all watched the world outside disappear behind the shimmering wall of magic. Then the subsequent rain of earth and debris as the humans sought to bury them in for good.

Toriel had a clear image in her mind of pressing close to Asgore and reaching out towards the cave opening with a paw as the last glimpses of the sun and sky disappeared, leaving monsters in total darkness for the very first time.

The final thing Toriel remembered seeing before the world above was lost to them, was the chilling red eyed stare of her former friend, their poncho blowing in the wind, and the ornate golden crown upon their head sparkling in the sunlight.

Part of the mountain they'd all been forced beneath that day would eventually partially collapse with time, leaving a small opening high above the inner cave system. And through that hole to the world above would one day fall…

A small hand suddenly gripping her paw pulled Toriel out of her thoughts. She blinked and looked down to see Frisk looking up at her. She answered the silent question in their eyes with a reassuring smile and gave their little hand a thankful squeeze.

Frisk returned the smile but kept their hand in hers, even tightening their grip a bit as their own gaze was drawn up to the mountain before them. She couldn't blame them for being uneasy as well, they had equal reason to be nervous to return to this place.

Toriel glanced around, re-orienting herself. Everyone from the house had come to Mt. Ebott with them, and were getting ready for the hike ahead. Which mostly meant a lot of bundling up, especially for poor Alphys, who noticeably shivered even under multiple layers. Even Flowey was wrapped up tight in a small scarf and hat that almost fit him. The clothes were a gift from his father and almost certainly meant for baby monsters or humans, but he didn't need to know that.

Fortunately, it was proving to be an unseasonably warm winter's day. The sky above was a sea of blue, allowing the sun's rays to chase away some of the chill in the air. Unfortunately, it was just enough warmth that even some of the snow was melting in places, leaving the ground beneath their feet more slippery than usual. Not ideal for the hike it would take to reach the summit.

A short distance away, Undyne dramatically slammed the trunk of her car shut, having pulled out and donned the last bit of protective clothing she felt she needed. Which in her case was only a light jacket and fin-muffs. She then hummed thoughtfully and frowned as she tested the snow nearby with her boot.

"Hmm, even if we stick to the path we all took down here that first time, it's gonna be a rough climb." She said, narrowing her eye up at the slope of the mountain in front of them. "Especially for those of you non-Snowdiners."

She spun around towards Alphys, whose face was only barely visible under all the layers of warm clothing.

"Better let me carry you, babe." Undyne declared in a serious tone, but with a noticeable blush on her cheeks.

What could be seen of Alphys' eyes sparkled at that, and her tail wagged a bit.

"O-okay!" She agreed quickly, her shivering lessening as Undyne effortlessly scooped her up into her arms.

While the couple laughed with each other, Toriel went to test the snow for herself. She pressed one of her feet into an undisturbed patch, then lifted it out again with a frown. As she expected, it was slushy and slick, leaving her foot unpleasantly damp. Her thick fur and fire magic protected her from the cold, but it wouldn't keep her from potentially tumbling ungracefully down the mountainside. Not exactly something she'd ever want to happen, but especially now that she was carrying precious cargo.

While she prodded her mind for a potential solution, she felt a very different sort of chill to her side and looked over to see Chara floating beside her. They had been excited and chatty on the car ride over, but it seemed the sight of the mountain up close had rendered them quiet again. They looked between Toriel's wet footprint in the snow and the mountain towering over them for a long moment, then turned to face her.

"We… uh, don't have to do this today if it won't be safe." They said, sounding a touch deflated.

They glanced back up at the summit again and something stirred in their scarlet eyes.

"Or... maybe I could just fly up there and come meet you back down here once I'm… skeletonized?"

Toriel blinked, surprised by the suggestion. She hadn't considered it, but she supposed it would be possible. It didn't sit well with her for a number of reasons though, and it seemed Frisk didn't like it either.

From beside her, they made a soft, unhappy sound in their throat, drawing both her's and Chara's attention back down to them. They frowned up at Chara and raised their hands to sign to them.

(But what if something happens to you? Or it doesn't work? How will you get back to the surface?) They asked, worry creeping into their expression. (Now that we are separated, I won't be able to know if you are okay!)

Once Toriel processed all Frisk had said, she quickly nodded her agreement.

"Frisk is right, we should do this together." She insisted, reaching out a paw and gently taking her child's ghostly hand.

The look in her eyes became heavier as their gazes met again.

"You should never have to climb this mountain alone ever again, my child." She said softly, for theirs and Frisk's ears only.

Chara's eyes widened at that, and through their spectral glow, Toriel could see the intense emotion that briefly flashed there. Before long though, they slowly nodded and regained their smile, this one warm with gratitude. Frisk pressed up against her side with the same sentiment, and she relished for a moment in the feelings of love emanating from both of their precious, powerful, individual souls.

Hearing the others moving up just behind her pulled her back to the present, and she gave both children a reassuring pat as best she could before raising her voice so she could be heard by the full group again.

"Me and Asgore can use our fire magic to melt a path through the snow ahead of everyone." She declared, summoning a small ball of flame in her paw by instinct.

Asgore blinked in surprise at suddenly being volunteered, but quickly nodded before moving to stand beside her. In a silent sort of synchronicity that had long ago been all too natural for them, they summoned controlled fire attacks and directed them at the snowy path ahead.

As the snow melted away under the heat of their combined flames, memories of similar events in the distant past picked at her mind. Of both the violence of war and playful magic training spent with the monster beside her.

Perhaps in response, the child within her sent a wave of nauseating magic up through her soul. It made her paw tremble, but only for a moment before she forced back those memories once more. She couldn't afford to let such things get to her now, even with the pregnancy excuse.

Thankfully, their efforts were quickly rewarded. With the snow already partially melted, it hadn't taken much from them to finish the process. Now rather than slippery slush in their way, there was just damp bare earth. Still not ideal hiking terrain, but far more favorable than before.

She smiled and motioned for the others to follow as she and Asgore continued clearing the path forward. Then, with a thought occurring to her, she briefly paused in order to scoop up Frisk from beside her and set them on her shoulders.

They seemed quite happy with the arrangement, quickly holding on to her horns like they were motorcycle handles and sitting up tall. Chara floated up to Frisk's new level and looked to Toriel, sensing there was a meaning behind her actions.

"Point us in the right direction, my children." She said, nodding towards the path ahead.

Chara's eyes lit up a bit and they nodded before moving over to float beside Asgore, choosing to direct him as Frisk directed her. It was… a little strange feeling like she was being ridden and guided like a horse in some ways, but it would have to do for now. And it did ensure she and Asgore didn't needlessly waste their magic at least.

"OH! WILL YOU TWO BE LEADING US THERE THEN?" Papyrus chimed in from behind them. "YOU WOULD KNOW THE WAY BETTER THAN ANYONE!"

Toriel couldn't help but glance over at Chara to see their response, still sensing they carried more unease about this than they were showing. They didn't reply for a moment, just watching as another wave of Asgore and Toriel's combined fire magic cleared the snow ahead of them. Then they turned to look back at thier brother.

"Yeah… but it should be mostly Frisk." They said, motioning toward the other human. "The mountain trails and forest… looked a lot different then when I first climbed it. It's been uh... a long time…"

Papyrus seemed satisfied with that answer, but the same couldn't be said for the little monster he was carrying.

"I climbed this mountain too, Chara." Flowey pointed out with a huff. "And I had like, a million wounds at the time and still made it. I could probably help guide everyone too."

While Flowey's tone was more that of a whiny child, his words caused a heavy silence to fall over everyone present. Toriel had to once again do what she could to wrestle back her emotions, as she struggled not to picture how her children's combined form, teetering on the brink of death, perhaps walked this exact same path up the mountain slope. Back to their home, where they would finally give into their grievous injuries.

"Yeah sure, but we were going off of my old memories at that time too." Chara reminded him, their voice a little duller than before. "I'd rather not have any of us rely on what we remember of… that day… to do this, y'know? Let's just leave most of it to Frisk."

Flowey seemed to catch on to the change in Chara's tone this time and didn't argue further, lowering his own voice when he did respond.

"Fine, fine." He conceded, a hint of heaviness entering his tone. "Just wanted to make sure you didn't forget."

His words got no reply this time, and the silence stretched on a little while longer. Leaving only the quiet sounds of the breeze through the barren trees, the soft hissing of the flame attacks melting the snow, and the layered footsteps of the group as they continued upward.

Eventually though, quiet conversations between the others began to take hold behind her and the mood steadily shifted to be more lighthearted and determined once again. But Toriel kept up her silence, wanting to focus on the task at hand to avoid tempting her erratic emotions from surfacing.

It appeared she wasn't fully successful in that regard though, as the sudden feeling of a large paw touching her arm caused her to stop in her tracks. She looked over to find it was Asgore who had stopped her, poorly masked concern evident on his face.

"Perhaps you should let me handle the rest, Toriel." He suggested gently. "You um, shouldn't strain yourself right now, right?"

She drew back from his touch a bit by some old instinct, then did her best to play it off as her just adjusting her footing. Just as instinctually, she went to open her mouth to insist she was fine, but stopped when she better assessed her current condition.

She was more winded from their hike so far than she expected, no doubt bolstered by all the magic she was using up. Plus, she could feel she was starting to sweat a fair bit as well, a rare sensation at this cold time of year. As much as she knew on an ordinary day she could and would push through these things and continue onward, she recognized that Asgore was right. She wasn't the only one who would be negatively affected if she exhausted herself.

She subtly touched her middle for a moment and looked up towards the summit, assessing her little one's magic and the distance they still had to go. Then she begrudgingly nodded.

"Very well then." She conceded, allowing her flame attacks to dissipate. "Thank you, Asgore."

She then carefully reached up and picked up Frisk from her shoulders. She gave them a little nuzzle and shared a knowing look with them before handing them over to Asgore.

"Here, you take Frisk then." She said once they were safely in his paws, then she brushed a stray messy hair out of their face. "Guide him the rest of the way, my child."

Frisk nodded, flashing a smile and retaining that determined look in their eyes. Asgore lifted them up onto his own shoulders in turn, and Frisk wasted no time indicating to him which way they should go. He chuckled and dutifully complied, but not before he gave Toriel a genuine, reassuring smile.

Toriel tried to return it, but found it difficult to do so earnestly. It seemed she may never be fully comfortable handing over her human children to him.

Perhaps sensing her unease, Chara followed Frisk's lead in swapping places between them and returned to floating at her side.

"Are you okay?" They asked, as she continued watching Asgore and Frisk move further ahead of them.

She forced herself to look away and back to Chara, working up a more believable smile.

"I am fine, sweetheart." She assured them, starting to walk again, a bit slower than before. "I just need to take things a little easier than usual, for your future sibling's sake."

That made their expression soften, but it didn't banish the worry from their eyes. So Toriel made an effort to change the subject to hopefully lighten their mood again.

"You have gotten quite good at getting around as a spirit." She pointed out with a smile, noting how high off the ground they were.

Her strategy seemed to work, as Chara's smile grew and they leaned back in a silly, casual pose as though they were relaxing on a beach. All the while, they somehow continued to float along with her at the same speed as before.

"Heh, yeah. It's pretty fun once you get the hang of it. I'm gonna kinda miss it." They said before doing a few gravity defying mid-air spins.

The sight coaxed a laugh out of her, which Chara seemed quite pleased about. They quickly swirled around her before returning to her side at eye level.

"But… I'm looking forward to having an actual body that can, y'know, touch things again." They continued, before their grin grew into something more devious. "Even if my scary faces are way cooler in this form."

With that, they quickly surged toward her and shifted their face to the "scary face" in question. With dark pits for eyes, an impossibly wide dark mouth, and black ooze leaking from both like streams of blood. It would have been a horrifying sight, if it wasn't something Chara had done at least once or twice a day since returning to their lives.

Toriel blinked, unphased even as Chara's ghoulish face was mere inches from her own. Again, she merely giggled and playfully shooed them away.

"I am sure you will find a way to make equally scary faces in your new form as well, my child." She assured them, as casually as though they were discussing the weather. "Maybe Sans will teach you how to imitate his."

Chara made a low gurgly grumbling sound at her lack of reaction, then shifted their face back to normal. As they seemed to shift their focus on pondering her suggestion, Toriel looked behind her to check on the others.

Papyrus strolled along confidently, with Flowey's bundled up form in tow. The now not fully flower monster was half-heartedly conversing with the skeleton about some shared memory. Thankfully didn't look to be in any lingering pain from his previous change in appearance the night before.

Papyrus too didn't look to be badly affected from the events of yesterday. It seemed that his changed perspective on his blaster and support from his brother had been enough to return much of his usual cheerful self today. Toriel was sure that his conflicted feelings on the matter and towards his father were far from truly resolved, but it was a great relief to see his bright smile again.

Not far behind Papyrus, Sans The poor dear was having to work pretty hard to keep up, given his stride was so much shorter than his brother's. But he looked more lost in thought than tired, staring off into space with that crease between his sockets that told her he was thinking hard about something. It wasn't difficult for her to imagine what, as a flash of Gaster's dark, decaying form behind the dome of glass rose up momentarily in her mind again.

She made a mental note to talk to him, to make sure he wasn't slipping too deep into whatever storm his mind was caught up in. But before that, she decided to speak to the monsters who were currently closest to her.

"How are you two holding up?" She asked, turning to look over at Undyne and Alphys.

Undyne was still carrying her girlfriend, looking the least affected by the strain of the climb out of any of them. Alphys was still shivering a bit, but looked perfectly happy to be held the way she was. Undyne flashed Toriel a wide grin in response to her question.

"Oh we're good. I could do this all day! Heh, Alphy just uh, tends to move really slow when she's cold is all. So it's just easier if I carry her." Undyne explained, before quirking an eyebrow playfully at Alphys. "Plus, this way I can sneak in some romantic nature smooches."

Alphys' face flushed and she laughed at the flirtatious look on Undyne's face.

"H-how... is... this... romantic?" The lizard monster asked, sounding like she was talking in slow motion.

Undyne was unphased by that, patiently waiting for her to finish getting the words out before replaying. All while still grinning from fin to fin.

"C'mon it's kind of like that one episode of Mew Mew, remember? Where she and the red haired girl are at the winter festival…"

She continued talking, but Toriel tuned her out, recognizing that the conversation had moved on without her. And admittedly, she rarely could follow the plot descriptions of Alphys' anny-mays even when she was paying full attention. Moreover, she was eager to speak to Sans, who still looked as distant as before as he trailed after his brother in silence.

Settling on that, she dipped her head politely to the couple even though they likely were too busy chatting to notice. She then slowed her pace a bit and stepped over closer to Sans and Papyrus' side of the mountain path. Chara followed after her, though they were more focused on looking up at the mountain peak than at the brothers as the summit grew ever closer.

Papyrus was still actively engaged in conversation in Flowey, so she just silently greeted him as she passed. She moved to walk at Sans' side, at the very back of the group as a whole. As she somewhat feared, Sans did not notice her presence for a moment, so caught up in whatever was going on in that skull of his.

But when she accidentally stepped on a fallen twig lying in the path, the sound pulled him from his thoughts and made him look up at her. He looked surprised for a moment, but quickly composed himself again, offering a weak but earnest smile.

"hey tori." He greeted her, moving to more accurately match her stride as best he could. "you doing alright? i'm sure everyone would be fine to take a break for a bit if you need it."

She giggled softly at his reply, realizing he'd misunderstood why she'd lagged behind the rest of the group. Or he was intentionally trying to direct attention away from himself. With him, it was always hard to tell, even after all this time.

"I am fine dear, thank you." She assured him, carefully stepping over an uneven section in the trail. "We are making good progress. I… I was moreso wanting to ask if you …"

She trailed off, unsure of how to word it. Now that she'd addressed him, those signs of troubled thoughts she'd seen were gone from his face. But the look in her own eyes must have given away her concern.

"heh, you wanna turn my question right back on me, right?" He asked with a tired chuckle, giving a pebble on the path a small kick.

Toriel nodded, moving a little closer to him out of instinct.

"It is just… you have been very quiet back here, dear one." She said, eyes softening. "You look troubled, though... I suppose I do not have to ask why."

He made a quiet affirming sound, confirming her suspicions. His expression dulled again as his gaze drifted away from her. She frowned, unsure if she should prod him to speak on the matter further at all, or just leave it be. It wouldn't be surprising if he wasn't exactly eager to discuss such a thing given the current circumstances, so she instead took a little inspiration from Undyne on how to hopefully lift his mood a bit.

"Would you like a little pick me up as well?" She asked in a more lighthearted tone, nodding towards the couple walking ahead of them. "It would be no real additional strain on me."

That pulled his attention back to her again, and she was happy to see a spark of joviality return to his eyelights. He contemplated her offer for a moment, looking over at Alphys and Undyne while tilting his skull a bit. Then he simply chuckled and looked back up at her.

"heh, i'm actually alright for now, surprisingly… but thanks tori. maybe a little later." He replied, accenting his last point with a wink.

That coaxed another warm giggle out of her, but also left her feeling a bit hopeless on how to help him. She felt firmly she didn't want to ignore his stress just because this was meant to be a happy event. His history proved how harmful that could be. But at the same time, she understood why he kept silent. His lack of a pun in response was a bit more directly worrying, but she recognized that he had plenty of reasons to not currently be in the best joke sharing mood.

So she just walked beside him in silence, to at least offer her company as a small comfort. Chara didn't have much to say either, though she could tell they were starting to get excited again as they got closer and closer to the mountain top. Their gaze hardly ever left it, and that telltale glint of determination shone brightly in their ghostly eyes.

Eventually, Sans struggled a bit in his less than ideal footwear with a steeper section of the path. She offered him her paw to keep him from sliding backwards, the gesture being all but instinctual by now. He took it without question, making her soul feel warm within her. He'd been handling all this strenuous activity surprisingly well so far, given his short little legs and usual lack of energy. But it was no surprise he was starting to wear out.

Even as the path started to level out more again, he kept his grip on her paw. She had no complaints about that, giving his hand a little reassuring squeeze as they pressed on.

Eventually though, he did need to take her up on that "pick me up" she'd offered. Matching his pace had led to them falling further and further behind the pace of the others. Even Chara looked to be getting impatient with them, continually spinning around just ahead of them and giving them a flat look when they failed to keep up with their floating pace.

So after a needed water and snack break for everyone, she got Sans' okay to carry him the rest of the way. This time piggyback style rather than up on her shoulders. Only after giving him plenty of assurances that it was no trouble of course. Normally a pregnant monster such as herself should probably not be carrying around her partner, but given how exceptionally small and light Sans was, it hardly even registered with her as a difference. Though even with all that in mind, she was still surprised that she was handling this climb as well as she was.

Truly, after all that had happened the past few days, she should be near to collapsing. She couldn't explain why she wasn't more tired, but she still got the distinct feeling that, once she was home again after this outing, she was probably going to end up crashing hard, and for a long time. She just had to hope this strange energy fueling her would last her until then.

Thankfully, her own lack of proper rest over the chaos of the previous few days didn't seem to be affecting her little one's magic yet at least. It was good to be a boss monster sometimes, she supposed, As she had little doubt her powerful soul played a big part in hers and the baby's resilient wellbeing. Every time she checked, she felt their magical signature as strong as ever. Which was still faint at their current size, granted, but beautifully distinct when searched for.

Some time later, after they began walking again, Sans slipped into that familiar silence once more. At first, she was sure he'd just fallen asleep. But she could feel the elevated energy of his nearby soul, still buzzing with unvoiced thoughts and emotions. She left him be for the time, other than to point out the beautiful views of Newer Home and Ebott city below as their trek took them higher and higher up the mountain. He'd offer plenty of "cool"s and "nice"s in response, but little more than that.

It was only when they paused at a vantage point that allowed them to see and point out all their current houses far below that he finally spoke up. After staring down at the tiny distant shape of their home for a long time, the place a certain former royal scientist was awaiting their return.

"i just… can't believe ol' g didn't pull any dirty tricks with the whole "severing" thing after all." He sighed, resting the side of his skull against her shoulder. "i mean… i obviously wouldn't have let the procedure go ahead if i thought something could happen... but…"

He trailed off, shaking his head helplessly.

"i just… can't make sense of it." He managed after a moment, his voice becoming a touch more strained. "why… did he do any of this?"

Toriel didn't respond right away, casting one last lingering look at the house as well before continuing on the path. Their brief detour had left them a little behind the group once again, so she didn't worry too much about the others overhearing. Still, she struggled to know what to say, so awash with her own similar questions about it all.

"I do not understand it either, but... it is over now. We can at least keep that in mind. He will have no further opportunity to be anywhere near Frisk and Chara…" She assured him, giving his leg a pat. "For the moment, we should allow ourselves to be happy for the children and what all this means for them. Once we get home… we can think about how we want to handle things with Gaster going forward."

As useless of an answer as it was, Sans seemed relieved some by it. Perhaps comforted enough to know he wasn't the only one feeling all this had turned out a little too good to be true. Still, he happily latched on to her attempt to put off worrying about it.

"yah…" He replied slowly, in that all too familiar way that let her know a pun was imminent. "would be a shame not to properly enjoy this real ice moment, huh?"

She snorted, which trailed into a series of giggles that nearly had her stepping off the path and slipping on said ice. Once she caught herself, she spotted an untouched pile of snow atop a tall rock edging the trail. Gaining a mischievous grin, she reached out as she passed it and grabbed up a pawful of snow.

"Yes indeed." She replied in her best dignified voice, before playfully tossing the snow back at him. "There is snow way that we will have an experience quite like this again."

Sans blinked, processing what had just happened before chuckling heartily and brushing the snow off his face and hoodie.

"wow, that was awfully cold of you tori." He said, feigning a hurt tone before chuckling again. "but i'm afraid you've frost this round."

He then promptly grabbed up the handful of snow remaining on his hoodie and dropped it down the back of her neck. She let out what could only be described as a squeak and jumped a bit at the sudden cold.

"Why you-" She exclaimed, trying to sound indignant but unable to keep from laughing.

He followed suit, dodging her halfhearted attempts to get back at him. The rather childish fun they were having left them both distracted enough to not realize right away that they'd caught up with the others again, and were drawing many amused glances. Apart from Flowey, who was annoyed enough at their antics to be covering his new, tiny ears with his leafy paws.

"Auggh, I am going to chill you both if you do this the whole way up!" He shouted back at them, then stiffened and covered his mouth once he realized his most appropriate slip of the tongue.

That gained Toriel and Sans' attention and got them to stop punning, but it was probably not any sort of attention that Flowey wanted at that moment. Still, Toriel was not about to just overlook such a notable event for one of her children. Especially from Flowey. Her soul swelled with pride and her eyes sparkled as she beamed at her son.

"Flowey, what an absolutely terrible pun that was!" She said, clapping her paws a few times before laying both over her heart. "You truly make your mother proud."

Flowey's subsequent screech of dismay echoed down the mountain. So far that all the way back in Newer Home, it caused a small white dog to rouse from his sleep.

He blinked up in the direction of the mountain, yawned dramatically, then curled back up again. Returning to his dreams of chasing down a strange blue human with a sword in a giant toy car, all while the faint scent of bananas hung in the air.

...

Sooner than expected, the group found themselves standing on the mountain's summit. It was the opposite side of the peak the monsters had left from years ago after they were freed. A side Toriel hadn't seen in full like this in centuries.

But for the moment, they all had their backs to the infamous cave entrance, entranced by the unobstructed view the peak offered of the world below. A collective quiet fell over them all as they took it in, standing close together as if by instinct. Only the chilly wind cut the silence, winter still muffling much of the sounds of life that would be present every other season.

Surprising Toriel a bit, it was Sans, now standing at her side, who spoke up again first.

"wow…" He breathed, quiet enough that the wind almost stole the sound.

He turned towards Chara and Frisk, who had huddled up close to one another upon reaching the summit. Despite the separation of their souls, they both turned in unison to look up at the skeleton.

"you kids… really did that before all by yourselves, huh?" He said, eyelights going slightly hazy.

It wasn't really a question, but there was an element of that tone still there. As if he was hoping that, despite what they all knew, they'd say no. That the reality of what drove two young children on such an arduous climb up a mountain where they knew people were said to disappear could somehow be untrue. But this tale they were all a part of would have never have unfolded had that been the case.

Toriel had come to know that, while their reasons for climbing the mountain differed, many of the core feelings driving the decision were the same. It summoned up a terrible ache in her chest, and she was unable to keep herself from picturing how they must have looked those fateful days, what awful thoughts must have been swirling through their minds. Both so young… So terribly, unfairly young…

She had to take a moment to compose herself, until she was sure the sudden unstable surge of emotion would not lead her to suddenly succumb to tears. Thankfully, Sans recognized the painful emotions his words had invoked in many of those present and didn't press the issue. The dull, distant look in Chara's ghostly eyes and the way Frisk avoided eye contact entirely made it clear enough.

"sorry, dumb question." He said with a bit of a wince, stepping closer to apologetically rustle Frisk's hair. "yer right, let's not worry about that. let's just focus on what we're here to do."

With that, he turned towards the looming cave entrance behind them. Slowly, everyone else followed suit, steadily working to follow his advice and not let the heavy emotions that haunted this place affect them further.

Toriel silently took Frisk's hand as they approached the mouth of the cave, much like she had the day they'd all left the mountain behind. They accepted it gratefully, and their grip on her paw was notably tighter than it had been back then.

She was sure they were all thankful the cave didn't look the same anymore.

The entrance was finally properly sealed off. With a thick metal gate and high tech looking locking system securing it shut. Clear warning signs were posted all around, declaring the site as dangerous and off limits to anyone without authorization. Some also, unsettlingly, depicted a person falling into a hole as a visual of the potential danger. There was even a security camera covering the area, sure to record anyone who even came near the cave.

It was fair to say no more human children, or anyone else for that matter, would be falling down into the underground again any time soon. Stars willing, ever again.

For this visit though, none of them had to worry about the newfound security measures. Given that Alphys had helped design and install the tech in question, and Asgore had unrestricted access to monsterkind's former domain. The king of monsters simply just had to press his paw to the keypad on the gate, and the lock opened up with an audible click.

They all watched as a section of the gate slid away into the ground with a mechanical whirring sound, leaving an opening they could all file through, one by one. Asgore led the way, ensuring they all got inside but kept a safe distance from the looming hole in the earth before them.

It too had additional security measures now, in the way of an encircling safety metal fence all the way around adorned with more clear warning signs. The vines that had once criss-crossed the cave floor had been removed as well, noted as a tripping hazard. But all of that still did not rob the hole of its intimidating nature.

It looked so much bigger from up here, like the mouth of some cruel beast lying in wait for a wayward soul to wander close enough for it to swallow them up. It was positioned in just the right spot that some of the angled sunlight from outside could seep in, all the way to the cavern floor far below. Yet from where she was standing, it seemed just as much a dark pit as the eye sockets of the monster waiting for them back at the house.

She struggled not to think of each of the children who had plunged into that darkness, into her life… only for each one to be swallowed up by darkness and disappear from it once more. One way or another.

She knew it was impossible for such memories not to reemerge here, especially with how out of sort the baby was causing her emotions to be regardless. But still, she had to at least try to focus on the fact that this was meant to be a happy event. A brighter memory for them all to contrast with so much sadness.

After all, the child buried beneath the flowerbed down in the depths of the hole was about to be reborn. And, if all went to plan, leave no trace of themself in the grave she'd once dug for them other than the flowers their body had nourished.

Hanging on to that thought and following along with Frisk's own movements, she forced her feet to move again and draw a little closer to the hole. Many of the others followed suit, unable to resist the almost magnetic sense of curiosity it inspired. Once she was close enough, and sure the Frisk was in safe position behind the safety fence, she took a deep breath and leaned over just enough to peer into the chasm below.

It seemed an impossibly long way down, enough that it made her soul drop in her chest to imagine falling from such a height. But there, far below them, cast in the small amount of light able to reach the whole distance, was what they had come here for. The bed of golden flowers marking what had been up until now, Chara's final resting place.

Even from so far away, Toriel could see that the little garden was still flourishing, even without having been tended all this time. Their colors shone up at them like points of light in the darkness, almost beckoning in their beauty.

Toriel swallowed hard against a sudden knot in her throat, knowing that this was undoubtedly the last thing many of the human children had seen before they fell. She squeezed the metal bar protecting her from that same fate in her paws, riding out another wave of harsh emotion and nausea until it passed.

Once it did, she noticed the others starting to back away from the hole again, no doubt feeling unnerved as well. Only Frisk and Chara remained, once again entranced into silence by this location from their past, and the plethora of memories that came with it.

Carefully, Toriel knelt down closer to their level and laid a paw against Frisk's back. It was enough to grab both their attention again, and both their eyes became visibly less hazy as they refocused on her. She gave them a small, understanding smile.

"Come now, my children." She said, encouraging them away from the hole's edge. "You will be safe this time, and we are all here for you."

Her words seemed to be the comfort they needed in the moment, as they were both quick to regain that same light of determination in their eyes and follow after her. They rounded the hole, keeping some distance from it this time, until they met up with the others on the other side.

They had been waiting patiently, all more than happy to give Frisk and Chara all the time they needed. Even Flowey was watching his siblings with a surprising amount of understanding in his eyes, along with that same inevitable heaviness from his own history with this place.

Once they were all together again though, Alphys cleared her throat and spoke up with notably more confidence than usual. A good sign of her continual progress on the matter.

"O-Okay everyone, we will need to split into two groups and take the l-lifts down." She said, gesturing to the two large machines behind her, jutting out over the edge of the hole.

Their sleek, mechanical design made them look as alien as all the other new safety measures in the ancient cave. Toriel couldn't help but eye them warily, even if she did trust Alphys' handiwork. But there was little doubt that they would provide a much safer method of reaching the Underground then the way her children had first entered it.

"I designed them to be a sm-smooth ride." Alphys continued, as if picking up on Toriel's anxieties. "But uh, try not to move around too much until we get to the bottom."

She gulped a bit but nodded, as she saw her reaction mirrored on the faces of most of the others. Save for Papyrus, who seemed too busy being impressed over the engineering of the machines to be nervous. Undyne, not about to allow herself to look afraid by comparison, loudly affirmed her agreement to Alphys' instructions and marched over to and into the first lift.

"COME ON PUNKS!" She shouted out to the rest of them, leaning out the opening of the lift and grinning widely. "LET'S DO THIS! THOSE BONES AREN'T GONNA DIG UP THEMSELVES!"

Toriel couldn't help but wince at that, but it did make Chara laugh and relight the excited sparkle in their eyes. So she did her best to keep her weak smile in place and not betray the fresh wave of nausea washing over her. Not so much from Undyne's words… but from the memories they summoned of that day.

A shovel, dirt on her sleeves and paws, tears burning in her eyes, anguish and rage burning in her soul, and an all too small, limp form wrapped in strips of cloth…

She shook the images away as best she could as she noticed Alphys was approaching her. All the while, her little one's magic prodded at her own, almost showing concern in its behavior, until Toriel laid her paw on her stomach to settle them again. As they noticeably calmed within her, she felt herself start to calm down as well. By the time the lizard monster reached her, Toriel felt she had managed to reground herself.

"Toriel, you and Asgore sh-should probably go with the k-kids in that one." Alphys said, pointing at the unoccupied lift. "Otherwise w-we might not all f-fit in one go."

Just like that, Toriel felt that little twinge of anxiety start to reemerge all over again. Albeit for different reasons. She was able to quickly quash it this time, though not without some annoyance still bubbling up within her.

Being forced into a tight space with her ex-husband, even just for the short ride down in the lift, wasn't exactly something she wanted to deal with at the moment. Especially right now when she was so out of sorts… But if it was for Chara's sake…

"Very well." She conceded, doing her best to keep her tone even.

Asgore, now carrying Flowey in one paw, walked over to stand at her side then as expected, offering a slightly apologetic smile. It seemed no matter how hard she tried to mask her discomfort, he could recognize it in her all the same. It was terribly embarrassing, but she continued to attempt to keep up a composed expression regardless. She just needed to focus on the task at hand.

Thankfully, the presence of her children made that easier as they walked together to the lift. She helped them inside first, ensuring Frisk didn't slip on the metal floor as they stepped onto it. For Chara, riding down with them was merely a courtesy, but one they seemed content to oblige in nonetheless.

Before she stepped into the lift herself, she cast a glance over at Sans in the other one a short distance away. He was so short he could hardly see over the edge of it, but she did catch his gaze after a moment. Playing up the humor of his situation, he stood on his tip toes until just a bit of his huge, purposefully goofy grin could be spotted. Then he gave her a wink of acknowledgement before sinking back down again.

She knew he was trying to lighten her mood, recognizing the heavy mix of emotions being in this place again brought her. Happy to play along, she giggled softly and winked back at him, poking out her tongue a bit in a silly expression of her own. She enjoyed seeing what was visible of his eye sockets over the rim of the lift crinkle in amusement at that.

Feeling a bit lighter, she gave him a little wave before turning back towards the lift. But she almost ran straight into Asgore, who apparently had been standing right behind her. She quickly stepped back a bit, surprised. Looking up at him, she saw the mix of amusement and old resignation in his eyes. A look that told her he had watched that whole exchange.

Embarrassed all over again, she quickly worked to regain her serious expression, averted her gaze, and stepped around him. She stifled a grumble of annoyance as she did so, wishing he didn't have to so often make these things awkward. Intentionally or otherwise. But perhaps that would be like asking a Temmie to speak in a more formal manner.

She took a steadying breath and stepped inside the lift, looking forward to this even less than before. She pressed as close to one of the sides as she could as Asgore followed in after her. There was enough room for both them and the children, but it was pretty tight regardless. There was no avoiding their sides touching if they didn't want to crowd the children too much.

At least such things no longer sent waves of nausea and panic through her, as it had before. She likely wouldn't have been able to do this otherwise. For now, she simply gripped the rim of the lift tight and kept her eyes on Frisk and Chara. They thankfully seemed far less uncomfortable, busy looking over the control panel of the lift with curiosity.

Toriel did dare to cast one glance over the edge, given that her height allowed her to see past it without leaning out of the lift too much. But when she processed how high up they were, she quickly pulled fully back inside.

She didn't consider herself afraid of heights but, hanging over the chasm in a cramped metal box certainly made the distance down a lot more daunting. And she didn't need to be giving her soul any new excuses to make her nauseous again.

"Just hit the button with the down arrow on the control panel when I t-tell you to, okay?" Alphys called over to them from the other lift, peeking over the rim just a little more effectively than Sans was able to.

Toriel nodded to her, doing her best to stifle her amusement at the sight. She looked down to the control panel, but saw that Chara had already found the button in question.

"Let me press it!" They demanded with a grin, holding their hand just above it.

After a moment though, and a somewhat sardonic snort from Flowey, they blinked in realization.

"Oh… right." They said flatly, drifting back away from the controls and crossing their arms.

Frisk did what they could to give them a consoling pat, then lifted their hands to sign to them.

(You can do it on the way back up!) They pointed out with a smile.

Their words prompted Chara to look down at their semi-transparent hands and slowly open and close them a few times. Then they looked back up at Frisk with a more confident grin.

"Yeah, definitely." They agreed, a hint of warmth to their tone.

"If your new skeleton hands can handle it, that is." Flowey abruptly chimed in from his place on Asgore's shoulder.

Chara shot him a flat look for that, but before anyone could say anything in response, a reply came from the lift beside them.

"SKELETON HANDS ARE THE BEST AT BUTTON PRESSING!" Papyrus loudly assured them, posing as dramatically as the cramped space of the lift would allow. "ESPECIALLY PUZZLE BUTTONS! BUT LIFT BUTTONS TOO OF COURSE!"

Then, as if in demonstration, he promptly brought his gloved hand down on the control panel of his lift. One high pitched beep later and their lift started slowly moving downwards into the hole.

Papyrus cackled a triumphant "NYEH HEH HEH!" all while Alphys, taken off guard, hurried back over to the edge of the lift.

"U-Uh, okay!" She stammered, quickly waving over to Asgore and Toriel with both hands. "You guys can pr-press your button now too!"

After a quick glance at Toriel for permission, Frisk quickly did so. The lift gave a small shudder and then began to descend with a low hum. It was a surprisingly smooth ride, but it was… slow. Painfully so. Granted, she preferred that over it being too fast, but it still wasn't ideal. It meant she was going to be stuck in this cramped space with Asgore even longer than expected.

She glanced out of the lift as the last of the world above slid out of sight, leaving only dirt, stone and tangles of roots all around them. In front of her, the children watched the walls of earth move past as well, notably quiet and eyes wide. She could only imagine what thoughts… and memories… the sight was stirring in them. It was impossible not to feel every inch crawl past, and recognize it was all distance Frisk, Chara, and the other fallen humans had plunged through at great speed long ago.

Flowey for his part seemed to recognize the renewed unease in his siblings. Toriel heard him whisper something to Asgore, leading to the boss monster leaning down and carefully handing Flowey over to Frisk. His changed form made him a little more awkward to carry, but Frisk happily accepted and immediately held him close.

Flowey grumbled at the affection, but didn't fight it either. Instead he quickly pulled his siblings back into a conversation about Chara's impending transformation, emphasizing all the potential new abilities they may gain from it. Toriel felt herself slowly smile as she realized what he was doing.

It warmed her soul to see him care for them in his own way, whether he'd ever admit that or not.

It didn't take long for an awkward silence to set in between her and Asgore. As the lift continued slowly creeping down into the mountain's depths. The children were still chatting about what was to come, thanks to Flowey. But the two hulking boss monsters taking up the majority of the small space stayed quiet. But in a way, Toriel preferred that to the alternative.

Inevitably though, Asgore did break the silence, though not without some reluctance.

"How… um… How are you feeling, Toriel?" He asked her, with a somewhat nervous smile. "I couldn't help but worry about how all this may be affecting you and the…"

He trailed off momentarily, and she could feel his gaze on her stomach area. She shifted a bit, subconsciously pulling her sweater a little tighter around herself.

"You need not fuss over me." She said, a bit huffily. "I am just fine, and so is the little one. I have been checking on them frequently."

Feeling prompted, she did just that again, pressing her paw to her middle and seeking out her child's magic. She found it the same as before, distinct and familiar as it pulsed faintly back to her. She couldn't help a small smile from forming as she cherished the feeling, warmth blossoming in her soul.

"R-right, of course…" Asgore replied, forcing himself to look away from her again. "Glad to hear it…"

She detected something in his tone that made her feel like he didn't fully trust her judgement. It instinctively made her irritation flare a bit, but she steadied herself and didn't let it spoil the moment. After all, she knew his feelings on the matter were rooted in concern, no matter how much they may annoy her.

"I assure you, I will not be doing anything more strenuous than making dinner for a few days after all this." She said, with a bit of a weary laugh. "And I may… even let Alphys or Sans substitute at the school in my place for part of next week… Though that is no doubt going to make my students suspicious at this point..."

Asgore didn't reply right away, continuing to look away from her out at the sides of the chasm they were descending. It made Toriel wonder for a moment if he had even heard her at all. But he did turn and meet her gaze again eventually, an old, somber fondness in his bi-colored eyes.

"You never were very good at letting others take care of you, Toriel." He said simply, with a soft chuckle.

Immediately affronted, she sharply narrowed her eyes up at him. He sputtered a moment, then attempted to wave his paws placatingly.

"Ah, y-you didn't let me finish… I was just going to say I'm glad you are more open to the idea this time." He clarified, before letting out a few nervous laughs and rubbing the back of his neck.

Toriel held her harsh gaze for a moment, then shut her eyes with a soft sigh and looked away from him again. She wasn't sure just what to say to that, to continue to feel insulted by his statement or not. But he continued speaking before she could.

"I still remember when you tried to give a very serious royal speech just a few weeks before Asriel was born, insisting you didn't need to skip it or have me do it in your place…" He reminisced, a touch of amusement entering his tone.

As she realized what he was referring to, she felt her face rapidly heat up with embarrassment.

"We will not be discussing this." She replied flatly, narrowing her eyes at him again.

This time though, he wasn't deterred, and couldn't help but finish his sentence.

"...And you accidentally knocked over the podium with your baby bump mid-sentence." He finished, unable to keep a few warm chuckles from escaping him.

"We will not be discussing this." She repeated louder and more firmly.

He gave her an apologetic smile and backed up from her as much as he could in the same space. He had his paws up in surrender but was poorly stifling his further chuckles. Defeated, she covered her face with her paws and let out a groan.

"Geez Mom, You're lucky I didn't end up with a dent in my head." Flowey cut in, and Toriel felt further dismayed to realize the children had all been listening.

She dropped her paws and drilled him with a flat look for the needless morbidity, only to catch Chara giving him a huge, mischievous grin.

"Hmm, maybe you did ~" They teased, poking the flower monster's forehead as much as a ghost could.

Flowey hissed in protest and tried to bite them, but his fangs of course just phased through. Chara mockingly feigned injury though, clutching their hand and dramatically describing the great pain Flowey had inflicted. The three children were then drawn right back into their own little world again, with a bit of extra squabbling this time.

Toriel didn't love that, but accepted it for the moment, just happy to move on from the last topic of conversation. It was only when she broke from thoughts of embarrassing old memories and looked back out at their surroundings did she realize how much darker the earth around them had become.

There were no plant roots this deep, only dark earth and stone edging the chasm like a natural tapestry. The light from above was far weaker now, and the temperature had noticeably fallen by a few degrees. It couldn't be long before...

Then as if by cue, ancient crumbling pillars slid up into view of the lift. The very ones that surrounded the patch of golden flowers. Once the pillars seemed to grow tall enough to tower over them all, the lift gave a slight jerk and came to a stop. The mechanical hum went quiet, and all suddenly felt eerily still.

They were back in the Underground. The Ruins.

Toriel gulped a bit, feeling the once familiar pressure, temperature and air quality of the place settle over her. It had been so long since she'd experienced these things, things she hadn't even really thought about being different from the surface in a very long time.

She suppressed a shiver and worked again to steady herself. They had all come here for a reason, she needed to focus on that. They wouldn't be staying here. It shouldn't even take too long, if they were lucky.

"We are here." She announced, almost subconsciously.

No one replied or moved right away, just stared out of the lift at the familiar cavern. Apart from a mix of die off and overgrowth in the flower patch, it appeared hauntingly unchanged from when they'd left. As though time had truly stood still here in their absence.

Toriel had grown used to that feeling when she'd imprisoned herself here, wandering the hallowed halls that seemed as ancient and ageless as she had been. It was a place where decades could pass by, but only be marked by the birth and death of the sparse few monsters who'd chosen to inhabit this place.

With none of the sun, wind and rain of the surface to steadily weather it away, Toriel truly felt this place could still be standing after another milllenia or more.

To perceive that ageless quality now though, after living for even a short time in the ever-changing world of the surface, felt all the more eerie. All the more wrong.

It was the door of the other lift opening with a soft creak that finally broke the silence, as Papyrus chose to be the first one to exit the lift. He seemed to break the others behind him out of their momentary trance as well, and they slowly followed after him. Everyone seemed unable to resist directing their gazes upwards, to the small amount of the surface visible high above.

While they were occupied, Toriel took a steadying breath and exited the lift as well. Asgore followed close behind her, and gave her some appreciated distance once they were both free of the small space.

Her paws pressed into the familiar cool earth of the cavern, and for a moment it was like she'd never left.

Like she would blink now and everything that had happened since she left this place would be revealed to just be the delusional fantasy of a desperately lonely old goat. Such things were… not unheard of during her time there.

But no, no… nothing like that was going to happen. Even if the sudden elevated pulsing of her soul seemed to disagree. She couldn't let his place cast its terrible spell on her like that. They were here for an important errand and then they would leave. Nothing more, nothing less.

Keeping the others and the obviously new mechanical lifts in her sights kept her grounded, as did turning her focus back on her children. The differences in their appearances since they'd last been in this place, some subtle, some drastic, were definitive in proving everything on the surface had indeed happened.

She felt a bit foolish for needing that reassurance, but did her best to file away the feeling for the moment. To hopefully be one of the things she got to eventually discuss with the mysterious therapist Dr. Euca had recommended.

For now, she focused on offering a paw to Frisk to ensure they didn't slip while stepping out of the lift. Flowey dug his small claws into their arm, peering around the cavern with an uneasy expression. Chara phased through the lift and drifted out next to them, notably staying close to Frisk's side. Unlike the others all gazing skyward, Chara's eyes were directed firmly downward. Fixed on the patch of golden flowers growing in the center of the room.

She couldn't even begin to imagine how such a sight made them feel. It wasn't often that one had a chance to look at their own grave, after all. And even less, plan to reclaim their own body after death.

The reminder that that was what they had come here for briefly reignited her nausea, especially when paired with the image her mind conjured up once more of when she'd buried them. But again, she steadied herself and walked up closer to stand beside the children. Frisk and Flowey had joined Chara in looking at the flowers, drawing close to the grave and no doubt fighting all sorts of conflicted emotions of their own.

The flowers, oblivious to all the grief and nostalgia they inspired in their observers, seemed to all but glow in the faint sunlight. Their golden colors shone like the horizon just before the sunrise, and the tangle of green vines and leaves stretched out in all directions, many having stretched far beyond the original confines of the garden patch without her tending. But none strayed far enough to be totally deprived of the sparse sunlight.

Toriel had been around Flowey so long that she half expected his face to appear on any one of them. As had been a feature in a few of her returned memories. But Flowey had changed enough now that he could no longer blend in among his "kind" anymore. If that bothered him, he didn't show it, simply staring down at the sea of flora with a heavy mix of emotions dancing behind his green eyes. All poorly masked beneath a layer of disdain.

Chara mirrored a lot of that same reaction, but carried a lot more curiosity in their eyes as well. They reached out to one of the flowers adorning their grave and tried to touch its petals, only to inevitably have their spectral hand phase right through. They were unphased though, and continued watching the subtle swaying of the flowers as they found their voice again.

"These flowers… they grew from my clothes, didn't they?" They asked in an uncharacteristically soft tone. "The seeds must have stuck to me when Asriel laid my body in the flowerbed in the village…"

Toriel shut her eyes for a moment against the weight of the images Chara's words summoned in her mind, but nodded as she slowly opened them again.

"Yes… they did not appear right away… but when they did…"

Even now, the memory was strong in her mind. Of making her daily trek from her home to visit her child's grave, and ensure no other humans had fallen. It had been at the very start of her long, long isolation in the Ruins, but she had been determined even then to never let a day pass without checking. Even though she had still been so thoroughly overcome by grief at that point that even just getting her legs to move sometimes felt like a monumental challenge.

But she did it, and around six days after she had laid her human child to rest, she found something new upon her usual daily visit. A tiny green sprout adorned with the beginnings of a bud and a single leaf, growing right in the center of Chara's grave. It had been wreathed in the pale golden light shining down from above, like it was a gift from the stars themselves.

Somehow, long before it ever would bloom, Toriel knew it was the flower Chara had so badly wanted to see before they died. Their beloved golden flowers from the surface.

She had cried a lot during that week following when she buried Chara. Cried so much that it essentially became her default state of being then to have her vision blurred by tears and her soul's aching all but burning a hole through her chest.

But when she saw that first tiny flower sapling emerging from her child's grave, it had been the only time for a long time that the tears she shed in that place had some positive emotion behind them.

"It felt like a sign you were still with me in a way… and it soothed some of my terrible grief." She continued warmly, looking at Chara with slightly watery eyes despite herself. "It certainly brought some much needed color and life to this place as well."

She swiped a paw over her eyes, clearing them of moisture and taking a steadying breath before continuing. As if on cue, she felt Sans' presence at her other side, and it helped further soothe the sudden flare up of emotion.

"Caring for these flowers… made me feel connected to you" She admitted in a steadier voice, crouching down to gently rub a golden petal between her fingers. "It was one of the small comforts I had while I was here."

Frisk stepped closer to Chara then, lifting up their hands to sign to them.

(Your flowers cradled my fall.) They reminded them with a grateful smile. (If they hadn't been there, I would have been really hurt.)

Once she'd processed what Frisk had said, Toriel nodded and felt her gaze drawn upwards towards the hole far above them once more.

"Indeed, and the falls of the other humans as well." She agreed, pausing a long moment before turning back to her child and meeting their scarlet eyes.

"Even before you could be with us again as you are now… your presence was felt… always."

Chara blinked at that, and though they were doing their best to keep a brave face, Toriel could see the effect of her words getting to them. They set their jaw and dropped their gaze, trying to hide the small tears that had formed in their eyes. Inevitably though, their efforts were in vain. A few of the unwanted bits of moisture escaped, and they drifted upwards towards the cavern ceiling. Just like the tears of Napstablook and their cousins.

They willed away the waterworks quickly though, sniffling just once and giving Frisk a dramatized glare when they moved closer to try to give them a hug. Clearing their throat, as much as a spirit could manage, they looked back up at Toriel. Hints of that heavy emotion still lingered in their eyes, but it was mostly drowned out then by concern.

"Are you… sure you're okay with me potentially ruining it then?" They asked quietly, casting another glance at the flowers. "I'm not sure I can do this in a way that won't mess up some of the flowers."

Toriel's eyes softened further, and she moved both paws to at least give the illusion she was holding both their hands. They played along with it, and Toriel felt a small twinge of joy at the thought that she may be able to do such a thing for real again before long.

"You are here now, my child." She reminded them, staring deep into their glowing scarlet eyes. "This grave and the flowers upon it served its purpose, but now it can serve a new one."

Taking in her words, they nodded, and that telltale spark of determination returned to their eyes. Their smile followed suit, and they turned back to face the grave once more. Toriel looked up then too, slightly surprised to find that everyone had gathered around the flowers while she was distracted. They looked at Chara expectantly, a range of positive and nervous emotions in their eyes.

Despite their renewed resolve though, Chara still hesitated at the edge of the flowerbed for a long moment, moving their gaze over every plant before stopping to stare intently near the very center. Their fixation on the spot was so intense that it was almost like they had fallen into a brief trance. At the same time, their spectral form's faint red glow seemed to intensify a bit, turning the golden flowers a sunset orange.

"you uh, having second thoughts?" Sans eventually asked, tilting his skull slightly.

"Better not be, otherwise we came all this way for nothing…" Flowey muttered under his breath, earning himself a flick from Frisk.

Chara blinked and shook themself back to awareness, casting a somewhat embarrassed glance around at their captivated audience.

"No, I… I am ready." They assured everyone, before looking back down towards the flowers. "It's strange to say but… I think I feel almost… drawn to my body."

Their smile returned, though a little shaky and uncertain.

"Maybe it's a ghost thing, or I'm just weird…" They said, rubbing the back of their neck. "But I feel like I really want to go to it…"

While most of those of the group responded to that with mild confusion or curiosity, Alphys perked up. She quickly gained the bright eyed expression that indicated she was about to launch into an infodump about a certain topic.

"There is actually a g-good reason for that!" She said eagerly, standing up a little straighter. "You see, spirits are often-"

She cut herself off when she saw Chara's flat expression, tinged with a bit of impatient irritation. They were now floating right over the spot they'd been staring at before, and the red glow around their ghostly body was glowing even brighter.

"Er… j-just go ahead. I'll t-tell you later, eheheh." She amended quickly with a small, sheepish laugh.

Chara's expression softened again and they nodded, floating downwards towards the flowers. They once again stopped short though when another voice spoke up.

"OH I AM SO EXCITED FOR YOU, CHARA!" Papyrus exclaimed, eye sockets sparkling. "YOU'RE GOING TO BE ONE OF US!"

He paused, then frowned a bit as he considered his words.

"ER WELL… SKELETON WISE THAT IS!" He clarified, back to his previous joyful expression. "YOU ARE ALREADY ONE OF US, OF COURSE!"

Chara let out a sound between a chuckle and a sigh at that, but the smile on their face remained.

"I get what you mean, Papyrus." They assured him, before more pointedly looking back down at their targeted spot in the flowers.

"So... do I just… phase through the ground and…" They murmured, more so to themself. Nevertheless, Papyrus was sure to answer.

"I BELIEVE SO, YES." He said with a nod. "BASED ON WHAT FATHER SAID EARLIER."

When no other dissenting opinions rose from the rest of the group, and Alphys gave a nod as well, Chara drew a steadying breath and began to descend once more.

"Alright… here I go then." They said, just as they began slowly phasing down through the flowers, then the earth below them. "Wish me luck."

"I KNOW YOU CAN DO IT, LITTLE GHOST FRIEND!" Papyrus responded with gusto, as though they were encouraging the child through a marathon rather than an attempted spirit bonding. "JUST DO WHAT I WOULD DO, BELIEVE IN YOU!"

His enthusiastic tone helped soften the flare up of nerves that gripped her when she saw them start to disappear from sight. But it certainly didn't eliminate her stress altogether. Her mind was suddenly racing with potential ways things could go wrong, some more fantastical than others.

But she did her best not to let those emotions show on her face, not wanting her own unease to dash her child's confidence, and potentially the whole process. So she kept up her smile as best she could as she watched more and more of them slip away from view.

"We will be right here waiting for you, my child." She assured them, when just a small bit of them was still visible above the earth.

She caught the flash of the subsequent renewed warmth in their eyes just before their ghostly form vanished into the ground entirely, without so much as a sound or rustle of petals.

What followed was a terribly heavy silence and stillness. Chara and the red glow that their ghostly form had been casting were just gone, and it seemed everyone was holding their breath as they waited for them to reappear. None dare move, none dare speak, just like back during the severing earlier that day. The resulting silence was so overpowering that Toriel was sure they would be able to hear even a Whimsun's delicate wingbeats from the adjacent hall loud and clear.

Toriel focused on timing each of her breaths to keep calm, forcing them in and out in as slow and controlled manner as possible. Just like her doctor had shown her. She felt Frisk squeeze her paw tighter and tighter as the seconds passed by at a snail's pace, expressing their own worry over the situation.

In the crook of their other arm, Flowey stared at the spot Chara had disappeared with all the same wide eyed intensity as the others, curling his claws into the sleeve of Frisk's shirt as he waited. Sans shifted closer to Toriel still and rested a hand on her side, though she could tell through the attempt at a comforting touch that he was equally tense.

Even Papyrus, for all his earlier enthusiasm, was visibly sweating as he too stood still as a statue waiting for some sign from Chara that all had gone well. As the seconds ticked on, Toriel was starting to hope for any sign from them. Some reassurance they had not simply disappeared entirely from this world by leaving their line of sight.

Just before anyone's worry could grow too intense though, there was the slightest sound, the slightest movement coming from the flowers. It was faint enough that in any other situation it may have been missed. But the intense silence had amplified it, and it made everyone rapidly direct their focus on the area it had come from.

The sound and movement came again, louder this time, and a few of the flowers in the center of the flowerbed visibly shook. The same thing repeated again and again, growing louder and disturbing the flowers more and more each time. Until some of the flora were uprooted by the movement and fell over entirely, just as the sound revealed itself to be the telltale scritch-scratch of something digging. Something digging upwards, towards the surface.

With little warning, the dark earth in the center of the grave suddenly began rising in a mound as the digging sound grew louder still. More flowers were torn from their places and fell to the sides of the newly formed and growing slope. The mass of dirt and tangled roots continued to push upwards, further and further. Until what was digging from below was finally able to burst through, momentarily spraying dirt out in all directions.

Toriel stepped back a bit at first to avoid it, but then quickly rushed back up to the edge of the flowers to see just what exactly had suddenly appeared from below. All around her, she heard and felt all the others doing the same.

She found herself having to squint to take in the sight before her, as she was met with a bright crimson glow. Not unlike Chara's usual one, but much more intense. But once she'd narrowed her eyes against the light, she was able to make out just what was now in the center of the torn up flowerbed.

A small skeletal hand and arm had burst up from the mass of golden flowers, dirt staining its bones and torn petals wedged between its thin phalanges. It was wreathed in that ethereal crimson glow, and was reaching up towards the sunlight far above them. The sunlight filtering down the same hole they had once fallen into to end up in this place... long, long ago.

"Chara…?" Toriel breathed out, barely able to comprehend what she was seeing.

It was all anyone could get out before a pulse of red magic erupted from the spot the hand had emerged from, rippling out and colliding into everyone present like a shock wave. It almost knocked Toriel off her feet. Not just from its force, but from what the magic communicated to her soul as it passed through her.

The magic that met her own was not monster, nor human. It felt like a great convergence of the two species, carrying recognizable echoes of both. But beyond that, it was undeniably unique from both of them as well. Transcendent, adjacent, and divergent all at once. Magic from a soul unlike anything Toriel had ever known before.

The soul of something entirely new… but still most undeniably Chara beneath it all.

Still enveloped in a near blinding magical luminescence, the small skeletal form before them shakily pulled themself out of the earth and into the light.