Kain was walking the empty eerie halls of what was known as the hidden labs. The ground was wet, slimy a little thanks to negligence over time, the lights weak and flickering.

He hadn't planned on coming this way, but when he stepped into the labs above this one, Gaster had appeared before him, imploring him to come down here and to clear up the 'unfortunate results' that his replacement had created.

He chose to out of curiosity. He wanted to see these unfortunate results.

He soon found them.

Mutated, distorted and highly deranged amalgamations of monsters who clearly were once separate beings now infused. He wasn't sure how it happened to them, and had on encountering them, lost his interest on being here. He could feel they were undead though and decided to ease their suffering, destroying each one he encountered.

The last one he met was a collection of dogs meshed into one lifeform, a hole where it's face should be, and eight legs crawling on the ground. It's head soon found itself separated from it's body as it gave one last distorted howl of pain, and it melted down into a pool of liquid before drying up transforming into the dust these creatures were known for.

He knew Gaster had been following. "There. That would appear to be the last."

"I believe it was. Thank you Kain."

Kain placed his weapons in it's hold and turned towards the ex-royal scientist. "Now I believe you can part with an explanation as to why you wanted them gone."

"They deserved to be free from the suffering they were in. they were the results of us trying to inject 'determination' into them."

"Excuse me?"

"To the rest of the Universe, forcing their souls back into their dying forms. Most of us monsters here, excluding myself, Sans and the royal family, suffer from weak bodies. Fragile and easily destroyed. Our souls quickly released from their shells without much of an effort. A major cut on a leg or arm can prove quite fatal. Alphys tried to explore a way to improve our survival chances, injecting the Lifestream in a liquid state into the bodies. As you can see, it didn't exactly work. It made them live, but their bodies struggled to maintain themselves, not capable to holding the energy of other souls as well as themselves."

"What is this 'Lifestream'?"

Gaster thought about this for a moment, walking by Kain as he did. "The life blood of planets, where the souls of all living things return to in order to be placed elsewhere on the planet. Though most are of a standard there are unique ones. Like for example your lake of the dead is a direct link to the Lifestream. That water that kills anything it touches is the Lifestream in a material form. But is far more acidic and corrosive then most."

The lake of the dead. Kain cast Raziel into the very lifeblood of his planet. He wondered what happened to the others he threw. "When Raziel was thrown into the lake, he returned as a wraith. Do all those that are thrown into the blood of worlds suffer the same fate? I have tossed many and-"

"No Kain. Raziel is a unique case. Whilst the Lifestream tortured and burned away his body, what remained was spared by a Daedra, protected his body as Raziel continued to rot in the Lifestream for many years, just because the Daedra wanted to save him for later."

Kain started to follow Gaster as they headed into a nearby room with several old computers, the smell of mould and dust filled the air. "I take it this Daedra is no doubt Molag Bal?"

Gaster chuckled a little. "Not at all. It's name is Hermaeus Mora."

"...The one you served."

"He and Molag Bal are not on agreeable terms. He wanted to use Raziel to destroy you."

"My lieutenant was quite close on that matter a few times."

Gaster booted up one of the old machines, waiting for it to load. "I gathered such. Even could of struck you down at one of the fixed points in time. Yet he refused."

"His free will was key in that matter." Kain was now beside Gaster, looking at the strange machine and it's screen.

"Yes and no. It is more to do with influence. Whilst the forces around you both wanted one path, Raziel was unsure, and you wanted another. You convinced him to change directions. Your quite the talker when you need to be. Charismatic despite all things. I suppose that bleeds from being a noble on your world before all this."

Gaster soon found the files he was looking for. "Ah, here we are. The Lifestream extractor device and the crack where we can access such is in the depths of Hotland."

"You want to access it?"

"It's for Asriel. The flower."

Kain frowned. "I don't see why you would waste time on him."

"Because of all those here, he is the one I feel pity for now. Every other monster after all these years have lost my favour as I remained trapped. Most had forgotten I existed, that I spared them. Perhaps I will forgive them when we leave and they come out from hiding from you. Perhaps."

That's when they heard something move behind them. Gaster already knew. "Asriel. Right on time. I have a plan in motion and it requires your presence."

Flowey was clearly feeling nervous about this. "What, what do I need to do?"

"I simply need you to come with me to a special location. Meanwhile Kain will, proceed, through Hotlands and no doubt deal with any potential enemies to him. Kain?" Gaster turned to face him. "Go back to the lift you came down on and return to the labs above and make your way east. We will meet again."

Kain didn't bother with an answer. This had nothing more to do with him and he had his own work to do. Luckily Gaster told him about the buttons inside the room that raises up and down within this building, the 'lift' as the monster called it. He made his way over to do and made it bring him back up to the empty labs. They were cleaner, more brighter but when he arrived, there was nothing to greet him, like everyone had evacuated.

Well at least on the way down there wasn't anyone. This time there was a square shaped...metal box. Riding on a wheel and had two, cylinder armoured arms and gloves as far as he could tell. It was standing near a huge crumbling gap in the wall shaped like it. On it's back it clearly had a huge switch saying 'ON/OFF', and as it spun around to face Kain, he noticed it had a panel of lights on the front as it spoke to him in a rather overly cheery voice. "Well well! If it isn't mass murderer himself! Sorry that I was a little late on my arrival but thanks to you I had to help get my beloved fans away and prepare for you something SPECIAL!"

It was certainly of interest to Kain as he slowly approached it. "What...are you? All I can see is armor. How do you see through the lights you are emitting?"

"I'm a machine! Call me Mettaton darling! Everyone calls me that, including those you've slaughtered!" It remained...awfully cheery sounding as it gave a few sarcastic claps. "Bravo to you! It wasn't like my merchandise needs any customers!"

Kain just stared at it. What the hell was it talking about?

The robot seemed to continue on. "Well now I suspect you plan to get through Hotland! If you do I'll be waiting for you within the depths of the core to put on a show so powerful, so graceful that you'll be dead within seconds!" With that, it rolled away on it's wheel through the door without glancing back.

Kain was sure that was a challenge thrown out at him. That was enough to make him begin the pursuit.

Raziel had avoided the river spot Sans suggested. He didn't want to be in Snowdin. He wanted to be further away to think things over. A little solitude always done him in favours with the way things were. He chose to head back towards the ruins.

Only as he approached the door to it, did he notice someone had come out. It was a face he didn't expect to see until he entered, and she seemed surprised to him as she closed up the door and turned around. "Raziel!" She seemed happy to see him at least.

"Toriel. I thought you were against the idea of leaving those ruins."

"Well, seeing you and the child leave...it made me think a lot about what I was doing...or more precise, what I'm not doing. Making Asgore stop his plans to kill the child for their soul." She looked around for a moment. "Where is the child anyway?"

Raziel had a brief sigh. "She has chosen to move on without me. My actions have made her fear me."

"Your actions?"

"I had grown tired of the friendly charade. This one monster would not cease her need for combat. As I tried to reason with the child the monster tried to attack her...I struck the monster down after protecting the human."

Toriel was silent. He wasn't sure if she was angry or shocked at him killing something.

But as time seem to pass, as the snow fell into place around them, Toriel shook her head a little whilst giving a tiring relief of breath. "I knew this would happen. I knew from looking at you that you and the child would sooner or later clash. But do not allow one death to make you walk away."

"Toriel?"

"We monsters are not wholly innocent. We have killed. Whilst the child can try and avoid that, there will come a time where peace cannot be achieved. How many times have you killed Raziel?"

He never bothered to count, but the only words he could think was "I have yet to stop."

"Then so long as you are around, the child will not have to perform such actions. I'm not saying killing is acceptable, but it can be a required thing if you feel there lacks another option. The child will have to learn this one day. Perhaps you should go and speak to them, explain that to them."

"I do not think she will listen."

"Would it hurt to try Raziel?"

He mulled over it for a little while. "It cannot bring matters to a worse outcome at this point. Very well. I shall pursue the child and try to speak with them. What of you?"

"I shall be making my way to the barrier. I hope we shall cross paths again."

She began to walk past him. As she did though she suddenly stumbled and fell to one knee holding her chest, coughing.

"Toriel?" He moved closer to her. "Are you well?"

Her coughing eventually abated, and she forced herself back on her feet. "It is nothing Raziel. Lately I have been feeling...weak. Like my strength has left me a little. I am sure it is from me being restless since the time you and the child left. Please do not be concerned for me."

She gave him a smile, and soon went on her way. Leaving Raziel standing there looking at her depart, before turning back towards the ruins...Though the advice was very sound, he knew Sans informed him to allow the child time.

Choosing to take in the skeletons suggestion, he walked into the ruins wishing to explore them for a time before returning to Sans home.

But as he made his way through Toriel's home to the place beyond it...something felt disturbing.

The monsters around this place seemed to be missing. Had they all left before Toriel?

He dismissed that notion, she would've said something. As he walked past her rather easily navigated spike trap...he noticed someone at last.

A froggit...that was crawling around weakly on the floor, struggling to breathe. It seemed to be in pain and couldn't even acknowledge Raziel's presence as he approached it. "I recall there being many of your kind. What has happened?"

"R...ri...ribb..." It stopped moving, it's strength had given way as it turned to dust.

A soul, small and white appeared where it was and before Raziel could do anything, it faded away into nothing.

Only now did he notice the fact floating in the air here, were more particles of dust, far more then when he and the child ventured through here.

It didn't take long for him to guess where they came from, as the dust of the froggit was soon swept away by a breeze into the air.

He had to check around. There had to be another monster. He explored everywhere he and the child had been here, venturing back to where he crawled out of the ground, to back inside Toriel's house and checking every room there.

But all he kept finding was dust.

He decided now to go beyond the route they took, noticing old ruins within the caverns that no doubt housed these monsters once. All of them looked barren, empty. There was no doors, no windows, broken stalls and torn down banners from long ago filled the place, only thing he noticed was an increase in the dust as he approached one particular large square building made of stone, that had an actual wooden door, albeit decayed and had additional planks to stop access into the building, but had been torn down.

He walked into the place and finally found something of interest.

There was vast amounts of dust here, swirling weakly around a shine of some-kind...It was made of a dark marble, thin at the bottom but formed into a bowl at the top. Attached to it was the face of a hellish demon, and from it's mouth flowed a dark red liquid...blood. It didn't leak out beyond the bowl.

Raziel slowly approached the altar. Something about it...he felt a faint connection to it. "Interesting. For what did they pray to as their lives came to an end?"

"They prayed for someone to spare them."

That came from behind him. He quickly made the Soul Reaver form in his talon and spun around, pointing the greenish glow of the blade into the darkness.

There was someone at the wall near the entrance, their legs, arms were concealed in shadow, their green and yellow striped shirt barely visible as was their brown hair...but while their face was hidden away their glowing haunting red eyes stood out like beacons. "They prayed to their old master. But he let them die."

Raziel stared at the being...and soon picked up on something. As a soul wraith, he knew the feeling when there was one around. "You are a spirit."

"One who's body you stole to come to the material plane. I was buried within those flowers by Toriel."

"Then perhaps you can tell me as to what has happened to these monsters?"

The dark spirit chuckled. "You and that Kain..." That quickly caught Raziels attention as it continued. "You're both walking the same routes at the same time. Two undergrounds existing in one go. But that can't go on forever. The split was an unexpected effect of what Gaster had done, and now things are beginning to merge back into one."

"So Kain does indeed live still. If what you say is true, why are they suffering?"

"Isn't it obvious? The most dominant version of the underground is asserting itself. Kain's one. Where all these creatures you and Frisk befriended are dead."

"Now I must ask one more thing. Why are you here?"

"I simply come to pray to my master with this shrine...perhaps you know him? Molag Bal?"

"I do not."

"Come to the spectral realm, he may come to see us soon and could explain more to you."

Raziel stared at the figure carefully, eyeing it up… He felt on guard right now about the idea, but at the same time he had little concern with being in that actual realm. He was comfortable there with his current state of being.

He willed himself out of the skeletal rotting remains of Chara, which fell to the ground in a heap barely covered in a green and yellow torn shirt and dark filthy brown trousers.

The spectral realm was a reality that, compared to the mortal realm and others, is perceived visually differently by each person depending on what they expect and their current state of existence.

For example a living mortal who managed to enter this realm would not have their perception majorly altered. To them it would seem to be a dull coloured, lifeless copy of where they came from. For spirits the results are vast. To Chara, the stone building is black, blood leaking from the walls, the ground embedded in bones and skulls of the monsters that live in the underground. Living beings to him seemed like red silhouettes.

To Raziel, everything was a dim blue colour, the walls seem to slightly move and come alive, pulsating. The ground was slightly shifting and moving, and the doorways were twisted and distorted. The body of Chara in the mortal realm to him, was covered in a faint glowing mixture of light blue and purple light, signalising to him it was possible to use as was his secondary power should the normal route he would take in the Nosgoth, Planar portals, were not available. Both were seeing the same building, but not in the same way. To Raziel in this realm, the living were were faint outlines barely visible to him.

But both could see eachother clearly. Something that remained constant with spirits here was that they could see eachother just fine regardless of what else they can see.

Unlike the freaky appearance Chara had in the mortal, here Raziel could see clearly that it was but a child, rosy cheeks, red pupils, brown hair pale skin...with a small knife in his hand, smirking at at the soul wraith. He was still standing where he was in the mortal realm. "Well now, you're quick to let go of what was mine."

Raziel seemed...a little bemused by Chara. "I expected a monster pretending to be human. Not a human child."

"Don't underestimate me creature." Chara was smiling evilly. "I'm the human that the monsters fear. I'm the one who whispers to Frisk to do what I tell her when those useless things try to befriend her."

"And why?"

"Because their cowards! They choose not to fight, to kill those above ground but seek more peaceful ways of living! I died for them and all they could do is let the humans kill them!"

"I see." Raziel turned his attention to the shrine, which was glowing with a red aura to him in this place. "Perhaps they are not warriors. Afterall I dispatched that Undyne with one strong strike."

"They could be!" Chara hissed. "They should've been. But the one I helped to escape, Asriel...my brother thanks to me being adopted by the monsters, couldn't bring himself to kill when the humans converged on him. Molag Bal helped me with that revenge...and Gaster made it even better, creating the cycles, the loops in time."

"The very one we're now trapped in that Frisk wants to escape, with my help." Raziel summed up as he approached the shrine, that feeling of knowing it getting stronger.

"I can't let that happen." Chara played with the hilt of the knife in his hand. "If Frisk breaks that cycle, I'll be trapped here. Molag Bal's offer to me will eventually get fulfilled when the monsters die and then...I'll have to pledge myself to him within his realm, instead of going to the Lifestream or staying here. Coldharbour." The child shivered for a second. Molag Bal had shown him a taste of it before...the icy cold winds, the beasts that roam that place, the dark almost endless nights…

Coldharbour. Now that rang a bell with Raziel as he stared at the shrine. "I recognize that word. Coldharbour. In ancient vampire texts they mention such a place for those that finally meet death."

"Vampires are a main collection of his. All vampires follow him by right of blood. He brought about the first vampires in this universe. There is no Lifestream waiting for us, only the cold embrace of our master."

"I have no desire to visit this realm of Molag Bal child. I intend to defy any fate that awaits me, and confront Kain." Raziel turned away from that eerie shrine, looking at Chara now, who was staring back at him.

Chara didn't like the sound of that. "You can't do that. You need to let the cycles continue. Our master would want that."

"I have no master."

"Molag Bal is master to both of us...and if you won't keep out of this business-" Chara suddenly pointed the knife towards Raziel. "I have no problems in slashing your soul apart!"

With that, Chara ran towards Raziel, yelling and thrusting the knife towards the chest of the wraith as he got close, sure of himself that this would be an easy kill, as with all the monsters his met.

Raziel easily sidestepped the blade, letting the child pass before forming the blue shape of the Soul Reaver in his hand and brought it down at Charas back.

The soul weapon didn't tear the clothing the child was wearing, but Chara felt it slash through their skin and flesh making him cry out as he attempted to turn around and fight back.

Only to face three consecutive strikes across his chest and stomach, the Reaver slashing through him before it was plunged into his chest, his body lifted off the ground as Raziel held him high, glaring at the small spirit. "Tell me, did you plan on attacking me regardless of the answers? Was this all a trick?"

Chara was snarling, trying to swing the knife still in a vain attempt to slash at Raziels face. "This, this isn't over monster! My soul is stronger then anything you have!"

"You don't know what I am, do you?" Raziel asked coldly, the question silencing Chara. "Let me tell you one thing. From this day you will not serve Molag Bal. I release you, to the wheel."

With that as Raziel kept Chara held high, he moved his cloth away from his face showing the black void that awaiting the ghost child.

He could only scream in terror as he felt himself being pulled in unable to escape, the spirit blade had held him in reach of the darkness.

Soon, there was silence, as the knife dropped to the ground and faded away.

Raziel made the blade vanish connected to his arm. He focused on the rotting remains of the child. What it said about Kain's being the more dominant one...was that because he was making more of a progress to the exit of this place? Was it because Frisk was slowed without Raziel?

"If Kain manages to escape...will I be trapped here? Be forced into a cycle of my own in this place?" He spoke to himself, thinking it over.

He knew what he had to do.

Soon back in the mortal realm, the skeletal rotting remains rose up, and reformed into the soul wraith, who quickly got moving out the ruins, climbing back up to Toriels home and headed out of the place to get back to Snowdin.

He soon encountered Sans who was standing outside his home looking...distant. The skeleton didn't even acknowledge him until he was a few meters away. "Oh...hey Raz."

"Sans. How long have you been waiting?"

"Huh? Oh, not long. I uhh...been busy...been places and all that."

"Such as Kain's version of this place?"

That caught Sans attention for a moment. "Huh. How'd you know about that?"

"I encountered a human child that was a spirit. It had attempted to attack me."

"Ah. Chara. Sorry about him, a real pain in the backside for everyone. I take it you managed to get away?"

"I dealt with him."

Sans chuckled. "Heh, nice. Makes everything a little easier. So you know about the other underground now...Well I've been there lately." The skeleton placed it's hands in its pockets. "Kain is busy."

"I take it he is encountering the same as I am?"

Sans nodded. "Yeah. He dealt with Undyne a little while back...my brother too… Now Papyrus hasn't been feeling well since and I'm trying to figure out why and what the connection is."

Raziel explained to Sans his encounter with Chara, what he told Raziel about the merging and what it was doing to the monsters.

"...We need to find Frisk. Now." Grabbing Raziel before the wraith could do anything, both vanished from Snowdin.

Kain had ventured through Hotlands with minimal resistance. The heat of the place barely hindering him as were the monsters that Mettaton had clearly set up to get in the way. Each and every one unlike the others, were ready for him, they were prepared for a battle and had been hired to take the vampire down giving their all.

It's just that their all was not good enough to even touch him.

Kain wandered through the abandoned MTT Resort, looking at the technology in interest briefly before he left the place and found himself staring at the entrance of the location known as Core.

Kain now found himself on a walkway, lit up by the blue lighting within this most unusual of places he had seen so far in his journey. Above him was dozens of large black cables connecting to it as well as the Resort behind him. The floor was alive with lines of red and blue energy flowing through it, the metal surface created to transmit to the land underground. The doorway ahead had several lights surrounding it, all neon blue except for the one above the door that shined with a blood red glowing orb.

"I created this place for them soon after becoming a Time Patroller. Normally giving this level of technology to those not ready was inadvisable, but Chronoa didn't seem to mind at the time. Nowadays due to the fact they're supposed to have, I understand why it was okay."

Kain didn't bother looking behind him. He then heard Flowey. "Because we were supposed to be all dead, right?"

"Correct. Now Kain. Mettaton awaits you inside. I shall help you get through this place as it is easy to get lost in. No doubt he has disabled the lift at the entrance to hinder progress." Gaster was now standing besides Kain, looking at Core with Flowey on his shoulder, the green roots of the flower around his arm. What Kain had spotted though was that Flowey looked, in pain a little, sweating a large amount as if fighting against something.

"How did your little tests go?" Kain decided to ask.

"I've done all I can for now, but the last piece Asriel needs will have to come from somewhere close. The Lifestream can only help him regain the shape for a temporary time, but if left as it is, he will mutant into something he knows well enough that is pretty much an abomination. He needs blood. Such a thing will give the Lifestream fluid something to attach to and combine his remaining mortality back into a figure that's...more like how he should be rather than a flower".

The vampire looked at Flowey for a little while, then walked into the entrance of the Core. Gaster followed suit, the darkened pathway before was soon replaced by hundreds of hundreds of small lights that covered the walls and bouncing off the blue metal flooring, such as its light that Kain had to quint his eyes to avoid being blinded.

Kain found himself at a minor disadvantage with this issue. Granted such light that could easily match the sun should burn him, his age as well as evolution has allowed him a degree of immunity from the light and it's dangerous effects to Vampire kind.

As he walked through the futuristic complex, Gaster had indeed helped via guiding him. Telling each direction to turn and what to expect within each hallway and room, including the types of monsters that will be around.

Final Froggit, Whimsalot, Astigmatism, Madjick, Knight Knight. Each of these monsters proved to finally be a decent enough challenge for Kain that he had to take them as serious as Undyne. They would often team up to try and get the jump on Kain. An example would be that Knight Knight would get in the way of Kain and sacrifice itself to his blade whilst Whimsalot and Madjick would use their magic and weaponry to strike him from afar.

Another time two Final Froggits would slow him down and try to attack him one way while an Astigmatism would attempt to use it's magical attack to strike Kain from behind.

All the while Gaster would purposefully step away from any confrontation to allow Kain to handle the matter. It wasn't in any clear malice but rather due to the fact Kain would most likely want to deal with these monsters without interference.

He had explained this to Flowey, telling him of Kain's exploits that he knew of, saying about how Nosgoth, a major landscape on a different world, fell into pure chaos and despair thanks to Kain, and Kain alone. How each pillar that controlled the world fell apart by his hands. How he now intends to bring that world into the rule of his kind as he wishes to stabilise his home now rather than lead it into it's far future state of eventual death.

Flowey, like everything so far, found it difficult to take in. The might of Kain was especially shocking to him to watch. Chara when they got Frisk to commit to killing found interesting ways to taking monsters down but Kain...he was enjoying every victory he gained. A smile on his lips as the monsters in his way turned to dust.

Soon the last Knight Knight fell down, the dust sprinkling into the Core. Kain had arrived at a doorway leading into what appeared to be a massive hall. It had a raised floor in the center of it that was covered with glass tiles on the ground, the steps and floor around it a deep blue, the walls dark and barely visible...and on that raised platform.

Awaited Mettaton.

Kain walked onto the raised platform, stopping as he got off the steps staring the machine down. Meanwhile Gaster and Flowey came into the room, waiting at the doorway.

"SO, you've finally got here! I hoped my mercenaries would have destroyed you at some point! I got them for a cheap price once I told them how they'll be saving the underground from your vile acts. Instead you turned them into dust and left the place more empty than it was before! How does it feel Kain? How does it feel knowing my only fans are the ones who hide in fear within our safety bunker, praying for a saviour?"

Mettaton raised its hand up to the top of it's head in a swooning motion. "Oh to know I have to take center stage to bring you down. It truly is a shame that I must be the one to do the work that others could have done if you just accepted that you'll fall sooner or later!"

Kain didn't answer, just staring at the machine.

"Well darling! If I must perform so be it! I shall give you a special preview of my ultimate combat form that my friend had prepared for me should I have to act against you! I hope you are prepared to meet whatever being you pray to!"

The machine spun around, it's arm outstretched and finger pointing towards Kain. "For now you will face me! Mettaton! In a battle to the death! With your death being the center piece, and my body being shown live to those in the bunker to let them know of my beautiful form!"

Stage lights hanging from the ceiling came to life, pink and white beams bringing the hall to life, showing the blue walls of the place that also had additional stage lights on standby, which soon triggered as well, a rainbow of colours filling the place as the robot began to spin around again and again and again, faster and faster, before a massive smokescreen was released beneath it, shielding it from view.

As the smoke began to dispersed, there stood Mettaton, now within what was known as NEO form. Long black metal legs, a thin slender metal torso carrying it's heart glowing white upside opposite a dimly lit large pink one, slender black arms and one with a white metal hand, the other with a pink energy glowing arm cannon. On it's back were two wing like objects that were emitting pink lights to produce false wing membranes. It had a thin, femine-ish face with long eyelashes, one side of the face had a pink iris' glowing eye which was briefly seen before Mettaton closed it, the other seemed like it had been striped down. Whereas the face was white that segment was black and wires shown, with the eye socket glowing red. It finally had shiny black medium length hair, swept to one side to show it's full face and magnificent set of teeth as it smiled.

"Now look at me and realize what you face Kain! Look in defeat as I am the result of what the monsters need! A star! A hero! A legend in the making! From this point I will become the one, the only-"

As Mettaton finally opened his eye to finish his speech, as the red eye socket was non-functioning, he could only stare in horror.

Kain was already before him, weapon held high. The blade now rushing down.

It went right through his NEO transformation. He was cut perfectly in half, his insides spreading out, white liquid spraying across the ground, wiring sparking and gears falling away as the robot landed apart from each side of itself.

Kain walked past the remains placing the Soul Reaver back into it's casing. His footsteps now being the only sound. "If I wanted to enjoy a theatre show, I would do so on the comfort of my own world."

The last thing Mettaton managed to stutter out of one side of itself was "S-So, no time for, an autograph huh?"

Before the machine erupted, it's fragments spraying everywhere as Kain continued his journey, with an amused Gaster and a slightly disturbed Flowey still watching from where they all came in.

"I always knew Dr Alphys couldn't make something more sturdy. Despite the danger of Kain she still let it try."

"...Will he truly help me Gaster?" Flowey looked to the scientist.

"It due time once I reveal the source he needs to extract the blood from. Come. Let's follow after him. The journey is soon coming to a close." With that, Gaster with Flowey remaining on his shoulder, continued to follow after the powerful vampire, walking past the scraps of metal and small white puddles of fluid.

Raziel stood there. Waiting. Annoyed.

Sans said to hold on. To Frisk everything was still as normal. They were taking the best they knew best for the best outcome despite the loss of Undyne.

He insisted to let the kid get through Hotland, it would only be another ten minutes then they can tell Frisk that plans have to change as they could well be racing against the clock.

Raziel was especially annoyed due to the fact he was being made to wait within the MTT resort restaurant for them both. Standing alone at a table whilst other monsters watch him from afar, wondering where he came from.

Food held no appeal to him. That part of him long since rotted away. So when the waiters keep asking what he wanted, he was losing more and more patience on the matter.

Why here? Why not further ahead on their journey to the surface? This just felt like a brief diversion.

Soon, Sans had used his ability to make himself and Frisk appear at the table on the opposite side of Raziel. Sans just casually sat down at one end...whilst Frisk easily spotted Raziel and glared at him. "I thought when you said an extra someone you meant Papyrus Sans."

"My brothers feeling a little under the weather and Raz here wants to help you get out. Simple enough right?"

"After what he did to Undyne..."

Sans sighed. "Yeah well. Undyne has always been a bit stubborn kid. You know this well enough. But you gotta remember Raz here isn't from around the underground. They've never been here before. So He doesn't know he could spare Undyne by getting away from her. You didn't exactly tell'em what to do."

"I take it in previous cycles it was possible?" Raziel asked them.

Sans nodded, sitting back in his chair. "Yup. Sparing her makes her quickly become good friends with the kid depending on the actions the kid took before. If she hurt anyone Undyne would stop attacking but would refuse to talk to Frisk anymore. If no ones hurt, she comes around to the idea of friendship."

"Well, should we delay too long there will not be any monster that Frisk has spared left to enjoy becoming friends with."

It was loud enough that some of the other monsters around them turned their heads in surprise. Sans quickly dismissed it. "Ah don't worry about it folks. It's an upcoming show from Mettaton. You'll hear about it soon enough."

As the other monsters eventually lost interest, he spoke more quietly to them. "You could keep it down for us. Don't need mass panic right now."

Frisk meanwhile, was quickly worried about what Raziel had said. "What did he mean by that Sans? What's going on?"

Raziel decided to talk to Frisk rather than allow Sans to explain. "I encountered Chara recently. After our separation I decided to return to the old ruins. There all the monsters that lived in that place had now perished into dust. I found a shrine that the monsters here once prayed to, and there was Chara. They informed me that Kain and the underground he is going through is becoming the dominant one out of ours and his, and what atrocities he has committed are now being reflected here. Slowly but surely."

"Then...that dream. That death I experienced..." Frisk quickly realized.

"It was real. And soon his reality will surface."

"But, but I died all the way back at the flower bed...I don't feel any different." Frisk touched her neck, at where Kain had drained her blood.

Sans took a guess. "Probably because of what an exception you are already Frisk. Remember that the cycles revolve around you, so no doubt whatever power it is, is probably protecting you from what happened over there."

"Then, then what do we do? I don't want to lose you all." Frisk was starting to panic, her breathing getting a little tense now.

"Just get through the Core with Raz okay? Both of you hurry through it. I know there'll be problems blocking your way but let Raziel distract them before he evades them and keep moving on. Don't try and resolve what they want just get through as fast as possible. I know you can do that kid. I know you want to save us." Sans reassured her.

That got the kid more confident and settled. "Al-alright Sans. Thank you." She looked to Raziel. "That person, Kain. We're going to stop him if we make this underground survive right?"

"I do not wish to stop him, but rather confront him. If this keeps him here for me to settle things, I will assist you however I can child."

Frisk smiled at that response. That was good enough for her. "Then let's get going!"

Sans seemed happy with how this had all turned out. "Well at least I now we'll get our happy ending soon enough with you two running about. Now I'm gonna go on ahead and-"

His phone had gone off in his pocket. He looked at it's small screen to see who was calling.

Papyrus.

He answered the call. "Bro?"

"S-Sans?...I...really don't feel so good anymore...I can't even move off from the couch...I, I think I'm going to..."

Sans felt his heart sink fast in fear at what was coming. "I'm on my way bro! Hold on!" Quickly putting the phone down he looked to Raziel and Frisk. "Get through the Core! Quickly!" With that he used his instant transmission to vanish from their view.

And reappeared outside his house.

He rushed in, quickly turning towards the couch.

...There was a fine white layer of dust across it and a bit of the floor, as well as over Papyrus' favourite scarf.

He just stared at it.

His mind had gone blank at the sight before him.

Both.

Both versions of his brother…

He slowly began to stumble his way over to the seat, staring at the scarf.

Then he picked it up, ever so slowly as the dust fell off it.

There was nothing to say.

But a new rage fuelled him.

Kain had to be stopped.

Frisk and Raziel would have to continue on their own for now.

Within one of his eye sockets, a blue flame ignited. A latent power within him awoke from his anger.

He transmitted himself into the basement of his house. Sat down on the chair near his computer and closed his eyes.

He was gonna force himself to lose consciousness. Knock himself out with a minor energy burst enough to do the job. He needed to be in Kain's timeline. He aimed his hand towards his head.

A small ball of blue energy formed within it.

Soon he was down on the floor, out like a light.

Frisk and Raziel had done what Sans wanted them to do. Thanks to Frisks knowing of the route to take. It was a case of avoiding the traps set up and keeping themselves on their toes when monsters got in their way thanks to Mettaton.

Frisk had to explain to Raziel what had been going since the wraith had gone elsewhere.

Trying to explain what a robot was took a little while, but then telling him about the one calling the kid, Alphys, the tricks Mettaton had been getting up to in Hotland, Muffet the spider and her trap, the baking show, the news show, the drama show…

Raziel took it pretty well in his stride, mostly because monsters kept ambushing them as Frisk was talking leading him to get the kid out of the way and shoving through the monsters to get heading onwards rather than focus on what the child was saying.

Soon though their rush through this place came to an eventual halt.

They had arrived in the same room Kain had faced Mettaton. There was the machine, waiting for them.

Raziel wanted to rush by, but Frisk shook her head and stopped him. "I want to save Mettaton. The only way is to do this properly. Please understand that."

Raziel just wanted to treat this like Undyne. But remembered what that did. "...Very well child. Tell me what to do, and I shall follow. I feel we have progressed quickly enough to keep up with Kain for now."

Frisk was thankful for that answer and stepped up on the raised flooring with Raziel following.

...Boy oh boy did Raziel not see the next ten minutes of his life coming.

At one point the room was dark, eerie almost. A rectangle shaped machine on a wheel with arms was before them ready to fight Frisk before she tricked them to spin around and moved a switch on the back of the automated device.

Now there was lights on everywhere emitted all kinds of colours of the spectrum. The glass tiles lit up with their own lighting, cameras all pointing towards the platform they were on that had now raised up further. Music playing in the background of the most unusual tune he had ever heard, and a glass panel connected to machinery that was showing a jagged green line slowly going higher and higher as 'popularity' increased little by little, the numbers on that glass screen increasing.

Now Mettaton was humanoid looking, with high heel legs, a black machine body and some of the best kept hair he had seen with a face that made him question if it was a he or she, covering up one side of it with said hair. Dancing to this strange music on this platform firing the odd yellow energy shot and throwing small bombs shaped in its previous form towards the now equally dancing Frisk, who was using their...small device that the child called a Phone, to shoot back at Mettaton.

Raziel had been left standing at the sidelines of this platform.

Never before had he seen such a sight.

Mettaton on the other hand, had been trying to get him to join in. It's voice sounding more human than it's tinny machine like voice from before. "Ohh darling! Please come and join us! I wouldn't mind a little closeness to such a mysterious and certainly handsome fan such as you!"

Raziel wanted to back away further.

But Frisk egged it on "Come on Raziel! We need to boost the ratings! Dance with us!"

Ratings? Raziel had no idea what the child was on about but still wanted no part of it as he saw the child dramatically pose...which caused the green line on the screen to go up with the numbers again as she spoke. "Raziel! This is the only way forward! You said you'd follow me this time!"

Mettaton was thrilled with the idea as it tried to bring it's high heel down on Frisk who easily dodged before continuing to dance. "Oh yes Raziel! Dance with the star of the underground and you'll be just as popular! We're both monsters afterall!"

Dancing? The last time Raziel done ANYTHING like that was thousands of years ago when he was a vampire.

The odd courting ritual led to it as the female vampires and those of more noble feeling enjoyed the petty facade of mimicking what humans of high birth would partake in. He was one of those that joined in on a few occasions before the evolutions led to them abandoning such things for more simple ways of appeasing others of their kind.

'Oh of all the things I must do for this child...' He submitted to the calling whilst Mettaton continued to 'dance' with Frisk.

As Mettaton was about to shoot at the child again, it felt the talon hand of the wraith grab it's own and twist it around to face him, his glowing eyes looking right into Mettatons as he placed his other talon around the back of the machine holding it close. The music came to an abrupt stop.

Slowly, Raziel made a few steps around with Mettaton following, the intense dancing that had previously occurred was now replaced by what clearly appeared to be a slow, steady ballroom dance, the only thing Raziel knew.

And music had followed suit. Whoever was watching seemed to have a track on standby for such an occasion. Frisk knew it right away, the same one that played as Mettaton was dressed in a light blue long dress for it's dramatic play.

Raziel spun the machine around, who was clearly just silently enjoying this, taking steps back from one another whilst holding hands, returning, sidestepping, moving ever so close to the edges of the floor they were on…

As the music was reaching it's rather obvious end, Raziel used his unusual strength to lift the machine up high with his hands around it's back. Mettaton's face looking up to the ceiling letting itself stretch out, head back in bliss.

Before Raziel brought it down into his arms as it swooned...lucky for him he was holding it's torso in one arm as the legs and arms suddenly fell off soon after, with his other hand holding one of the arms as he looked baffled at it.

The ratings skyrocketed past ten thousand and beyond as little fragments of glittery paper and plastic were fired all around them whilst Frisk was clapping.

"Ohhh yes. Darling, that was, simply divine..." Mettaton was clearly trying to catch it's breath.

"Your limbs appear to have fallen off...is this normal for you?"

"It's due to the overload of emotions you fuelled within me Raziel...that, and my battery was running low anyway." Mettaton tried to brush it off. "But with moves like that, why would I ever want to go above ground when you and I, we can be the ultimate celebrity couple down here! What do you say Darling? Would you give this machine, once I have my body back in shape, a chance to dance with you again?"

"...I will consider it."

With that Mettaton finally shut down. The floor was lowered back to it's original position, and Frisk's phone friend Alphys entered the room as Raziel placed Mettaton on the ground walking away towards the door leading onwards towards the exit of the underground.

Frisk was seen talking to Alphys for a short while, thanking her for all she did and soon followed after Raziel, both heading to the elevator that led to their last stop. Frisk was smirking. "So, did you mean that?"

"I do not ever intend to return to this place child. Do not allow that machine to know of my location once we leave."

For Kain, Gaster and Flowey who still remained on the monster scientist, they had made their way through the last area.

New Home, as it was named, walking down the great walkway that was above the town leading to the castle of the king of the monsters, and the exit.

This is the capital of where the monsters lived...if they had not fled in terror to their shelter.

The eerie silence was fine with Kain, as it was with Gaster who was walking right behind the vampire. Flowey though wanted to talk. "You know...I'm getting scared. What will happen to this place? To my home?"

Gaster thought about this. "I believe the result will be one of two outcomes. We shall return to the time of the end over 200 years ago, or exist in the present time. Those who Kain has allowed to live will survive to see which."

"Do you think, the above world is safe Gaster? That, I...could see it again?"

"In due time. Yes Asriel. You will see the above world again."

"What about you? And Kain? Will I see you both again?"

"I will make sure the results of this plan to restore you are what I expect. So I will be with you. Kain-"

"I will return to Nosgoth." Kain answered with.

Flowey looked to the ground for a few moments, then to the town below. Before finally he looked back up to Kain. "Will we, be coming with you?"

Kain stopped, as did Gaster.

"My world holds little comfort. It does not welcome me and nor will being there be a simple task. I wish to restore it under the rule of vampire kind. You may not like that."

"It doesn't matter to me. This place won't be my home anymore. That time has passed. You may need some small assistance from the shadows. I'm happy to provide that." Gaster explained to Kain.

"In hopes I will come around to that future you saw?"

"It's always possible."

Kain gave a small laugh.

"Well. Wherever Gaster will go, I wanna follow. This place. It, it can't be a home for me either. I've lived around it for so long, without feeling anything, or if I do it's always for so little time that it keeps hurting when I return to this form. So. I wanna see your world Kain. I wanna see how you will fix it." Flowey told them.

"..." Kain walked on, with them in tow.

They went through the entrance to the castle, finding themselves in a massive cathedral like place, with windows allowing light in from the world above, making it seem golden thanks to the panels of glass carrying the royal family symbol. Large stone pillars were set in place here, a marbled black and white tiled floor...and a figure of someone Kain hadn't seen in sometime was waiting for them in the middle of this place. Behind him was a doorway that led to stairs, heading towards the throne room.

Gaster seemed annoyed at who it was, speaking his name. Whilst Flowey was showing clear signs of worry.

"Sans."

The skeleton chuckled on hearing his name from Gaster. "Well now, I'm flabber'gaster'ed. You somehow got out thanks to Kain after so long. You, Flowey, Kain...all three of you are pains in my neck you know that? If Chara was here it would make it one helluva party."

Kain simply walked up to the small monster. "I suggest you step aside. I have already killed one skeleton. Don't make me waste time on another."

"...Listen Kain, and listen good." Sans' relaxed stance and voice seemed to shift. "I swore to myself to avoid confrontation against you because Chronoa fears us time patrollers won't survive against someone like you. But I'm tired of you killing people, forcing this version of my home as the one true reality."

Gaster looked briefly surprised, before he seemed to know what was going on. "Ah, the eventual merging of the distortion. Interesting."

"Not how I would put it with Paps dying twice on me. Now here's the question I wanna say to you Kain." He looked right up at the ancient vampire...that one eye of his flaring up with the blue flame aura.

"Do you wanna have a bad time? Because if you grab that sword of yours, you'll really not like what's gonna come next."