PATCHWORK SOUL - NEW MEDIUM

by TakaiWolf

DIRECT SEQUEL TO "PATCHWORK SOUL" — A few months later. A family of monsters and their little human kid try to start life anew beyond the confines of a giant mountain. Maybe they find something. Maybe they lose something. Time flows ever onwards, but sometimes it goes sideways, and it's heavier than they thought.

86. it might not be rock solid but

it might not be rock solid but at least the ceiling ain't gonna collapse again chapter 86

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A light, refreshing wind blew around the base of the mountain, rustling through the forest canopy. Wooden clicking as the branches knocked together formed a pleasant percussion, complimenting the excited hum of magic in the air.

.

Beneath warm, golden sunlight, the chaos of the evacuation was mostly forgotten. Some families and groups of friends gathered up on the slopes to watch the sky as the colours slowly shifted. Chatting and crying, singing; spiralling harmonious fractals of magic into the air. They cradled precious objects and held them up to bathe them in the light.

.

Asgore, birds on his horns and a smile on his face, patrolled through the woods. Under his careful watch, some trees were cut or shifted to make clearings that would form small encampments, for the time being. Wood could be used to erect tents or begin to build small cabins, but natural animals were not to be displaced. A single sighting of a nest or a cozy hollow, and that tree was left on its own.

.

It had been a long while since he'd properly cultivated trees. He was excited to try to build in concert with the forest, once the true city could begin to form again.

.

The largest clearing so far was situated at the base of the mountain, nearest to the pathway down. Sounds of clunking wood and banging hammers joined the ruckus of revelry. Several dead trees had been felled, and a few monsters worked at building some shelters near a scruffy man in an MTT hoodie as he chopped at the solid, dead wood with a borrowed magic axe.

.

Boyd had been found just a little ways into the woods and was quickly reunited with his daughter and Mak. Now, the humans still stuck fairly close to the King, but even with many more monsters around, they weren't given much in the way of second looks, even by those who came in quite close and chatted. Suzy hung around with them and, after watching Boyd for a little while, produced her summoned instrument and whacking its blunt edge against branches to the accolades of the other kids.

.

Asgore smiled fondly and was about to make his way over to them when he heard his name called. He turned with a flutter of birds to greet Gaster and Toriel with a big grin and his arms open wide.

"Howdy! I'm so glad you're both here."

Gaster's hands instantly reached up to his friend's face, and the huge monster bent to allow him to inspect his horns a little more closely.

"You're alright?" the skeleton asked.

"Don't worry, old friend!" he assured him. "Tori… Toriel did as she's done a thousand times, and saved my life." He smiled sheepishly. "I did catch a little glimpse of the new eye, and that may take a little getting used to, but—"

"I would have thought you would like it. It is a little festive, is it not?" Toriel teased.

Asgore blinked his mismatched, red and green eyes blankly for a moment before he began to grin again. "Golly, you're right, actually! I hadn't thought of that."

Toriel smiled and folded her arms. "I know."

"I understand, though, it can be a little odd," Gaster said. He set his eyes aglow, highlighting the change in his colours as well.

"Ah! Yes, of course, you'd know better than anyone," Asgore said, giving him an affectionate pat on the shoulder.

.

Gaster nodded his head towards the humans and the monsters around them. "They're alright?"

"Hm?" It took Asgore a moment. "Oh! Yes!" He chuckled. "I haven't heard anyone mention it at all."

The skeleton smiled sideways. "Of course. Why on earth would a group of you-know-whats be standing anywhere near the King with not a single reaction?"

The huge monster chuckled warmly. "Exactly!"

.

With a flutter of feathers, yet another bird flitted down to rest on Asgore's head. Aside from the red ones from up the mountain, a few tiny, blueish chickadees bounced about in his mane. The newest arrival joined another of its kind, a lightly grey and orange bird, a little crest on the back of its head and face marked darkly with a bandit's mask.

"Those red ones, have you seen them before?" Toriel asked, levelling her finger at one of the birds from the mountain plateau.

"I'm afraid I have more heard them than seen them," Asgore joked. "So I couldn't really say."

"Hm. I believe they came from wherever Makena was when we lost track of him."

"Oh? Really?" Asgore rolled his eyes up as if to try to see. "So they may be from another time altogether?"

Gaster reached a hand up towards one of the red birds. It easily hopped onto his finger and he brought it forward. It had a sharp, wedge-shaped beak, and a light underbelly, and puffed up like a fluffy orb as it settled.

"Another season, another time." He chuckled as the little bird lifted a wing and began to preen the ends of its feathers. "Who knows what could have changed? Who knows what year the little ones even came from?" He raised the bird back up and allowed it to hop back to join its companion on the King's broken horn.

.

Asgore smiled. He put a hand on each of their shoulders and pulled them in a little closer. "You heard the howling, didn't you?"

"We did," Gaster said. "Ah. I feel like I haven't seen Graetsif in a hundred years."

"I do tend to wonder why they came out all the way across the mountain," Toriel said, "but we sent a signal, and Sans replied. So."

"I suppose they'll be rejoining us soon, then." Asgore lowered his voice. "Any word about Papyrus, or—?"

"He texted to say he is on his way," Toriel said. Her eyes roamed towards the humans and Suzy, and her mouth pursed. "I am… concerned, to be honest."

"So am I," Gaster said, his gaze settling firmly on Boyd. "Does he… have any clue, or—?"

"He must know something is wrong," Toriel said.

"…He does. The massive delay has to be disconcerting. But his focus has been mostly on the children. I…" Asgore's face flushed a little. "I told Sans I would inform the man, but things got away from me with the evacuation and I didn't actually manage to… Ah. I'm so sorry, I—"

"You were just crushed by a boulder, I feel we can afford you a little slack," Toriel said.

Asgore's eyes just about bugged out of his head and he was stunned to silence as Toriel turned to watch the humans once more.

"Anyway," she continued, "Gaster and I agreed to wait until the s… Until June is actually here, to return to him, so as to not appear as if we are holding out. I think that is understandable, is it not?"

"I…" Asgore shook his head as if to focus, the birds on his horns tittering as his ears flopped back and forth. "I agree, actually, now that you say it like that." He folded his arms and let out a little sigh. "I just… hope it's not cruel not to brace him."

"Things like this are never easy," Toriel said quietly. "Though, he will at least have the advantage that time will return her, eventually."

"Right. Right, of course." Asgore rubbed a hand through his mane. His brows drooped heavily and his mouth pulled downwards.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

"Hm? Oh, yes, of course, don't worry about—"

"You look exhausted," Gaster said.

Asgore straightened his shoulders up. "Don't worry about me," he said. "In fact, I was just about to get to work myself, so—"

.

"Suzy?! Is that you?!"

Pausing the king's words and turning the groups' startled eyes on her, a pale-furred, short-snouted deer girl with silver hair, darted into the clearing, wide-eyed. Her blue and white sweater was dotted with pine needles and specks of dirt, and her matching skirt was a little torn at the hem. One of her short antlers was a little chipped. Suzy paused mid-swing of her axe-like guitar and looked at the girl with puzzlement.

"Yeah?" she said.

The deer whipped around and cupped her hands around her mouth. "HEY FEEEEEY, I FOUND HER!"

.

Like a whirlwind, a pink crocodaur, oversized, battered purple hoodie hanging disheveled around her shoulders; red hair dragged back into a rough ponytail, rushed into the clearing. Suzy perked up, her eyes wide. The newcomer sprinted to her and scooped her right up, crushing her to her chest.

"Oh my god, you dumb little moron, there you are!" the crocodaur whined.

"S-Sis…?!" the kid spluttered.

"Ooh, your sister?! Your sister!" Ellie cheered for her.

"Wait, you were lost?" Mak asked.

"K-Kinda?!" Suzy said shrilly.

.

"Where have you been?!" The teenaged monster plunked the kid back on the ground, kneeling down and holding her shoulders tight. "I was worried sick!"

"You were?!"

"Yeah, duh, you doofus!"

"Wait, really?" Suzy stared at her blankly. "…Why?"

"What kinda stupid question is that?!" The pink crocodaur looked back at the deer monster and gestured at her exasperatedly. "Tell 'er, Holly: we were goin' nuts."

"It's true," the deer girl said, squatting down and shooting Suzy a sympathetic smile. "Fey was super worried, we looked all over the city for you. I'm really glad you're okay."

Suzy's blank expression of bewilderment didn't change at all. "Why?"

"The evacuation, duh!" Fey huffed out a loud sigh. Her yellow eyes bugged out for a moment as she looked around at the others— the monsters and the man with the axe, watching with bemusement, the others nearby; the King, the Queen, and the ex-Royal Scientist— and her jaw fell.

Holly, the deer, smiled bashfully. "But, at least it looks like you were in good company, right?"

.

Suzy didn't look any less confused. She shot a glance over at the royal monsters and back to her sister, brow furrowed. "I was, um, staying with Miss Toriel and her skeleton kids. I mean, they're not really kids, but they're her kids. They were taking care of me. I couldn't find you 'cause the city kept changing," she said. "I didn't think you'd care."

"HUHWHAT?!" Fey blurted. "SCUSE ME?!"

"Well, I mean, I just started existing like a week ago, all your memories of me are fake, so like, I didn't know what—?"

"Suz, what the hell are you talkin' about?!" her sister demanded.

"Are you okay?" Holly asked.

.

"Ah. Um. Pardon." Gaster slid over and raised his hand in a casual wave. "Do you mind if I interject?"

"Interwhat?" Suzy asked.

"Interrupt."

"Wait a sec." Fey jumped upright swiftly. "Ain't you Doctor Gaster?!"

"I am."

"YOU know my sister?!"

"I do."

"Oh my gosh," Holly said quickly, hopping back to her hooves. "I-It's nice to meet you! You were friends with Grandpa Rudy, right?"

Gaster smiled. "I was." He put a hand on Fey's shoulder and gestured farther away from the group at the log cutting. "If you'll just come with me for a few minutes, I can explain what's going on."

"…Uh." The crocodaur's eyes became like saucers. "Sure?"

Gaster nodded reassuringly. He beckoned onwards and guided her away, and Holly scampered to follow them.

.

Suzy watched them go, stuck in place, stunned. Ellie grabbed her hand and shot her a big grin.

"Your sister seems fun!" she said. "She has huge teeth, huh?"

"I guess," Suzy said.

"Kid, y'alright?" Boyd asked.

"I think so," she said. She scrunched up her face and put a hand to her chest. "…She missed me?"

"Why wouldn't she?" he wondered. "That's your family, yeah?"

"I… Well, yeah, but…" Her brow furrowed deeply.

Mak laughed and patted her on the shoulder. "You're okay."

"Aw, kid, don't worry so much," said a green, impish monster who was scooping up some of the broken wood nearby to haul it away. "It was a big mess down there, I'm sure you won't get in trouble or anything."

"That's not… Um." Suzy's mouth twisted to the side. "Y-Yeah."

.

"Suzy." Toriel approached her and knelt down, putting a huge hand on the girl's head and giving her a fond smile. "You look confused."

"Yeah. I…" Suzy's eyes widened. "Yoooo, do you think this is because of Ghost?"

"Ghost?" Boyd echoed.

"Who's Ghost?" Ellie asked.

"My daughter," Toriel said. "I…" She let out a quiet, thoughtful hmm. "If the CORE was settled for now, perhaps some of the changes that separated you are stilled."

"You think so?" Suzy rubbed her head. "I mean, maybe?" She frowned thoughtfully and tugged on Toriel's arm, beckoning her downwards.

Toriel lent her floppy ear and Suzy leaned in close.

"But her memories of me are all fake, right?" she whispered.

.

Toriel's back went rigid. Her brows bent sympathetically and she gently ran her hand across Suzy's hair. "It seems that whatever she recalls of you, it is quite fond," she said softly.

"You think so?" The kid folded her arms. "But…" Her gaze drifted away to her sister.

Toriel followed her eyes. Fey was staring at Gaster, gawking; nodding stiffly as she crossed her arms tight to her chest. The deer girl wore a similar, stunned expression, her hands clasped tight together near her mouth. Gaster had his blackened soul exposed and was pointing out the shine of colour along the visible edge.

"Ugh, she's gonna think I'm a freak," she muttered. "But. Um." A little gleam came to her eyes. "…My memories aren't… real either." A bit of a grin crept over her for just an instant before it dropped to a pout. "Oh. But what if I wanna stay?"

Toriel tilted her head. "Stay where, dear?"

"With… You know. With you." Her cheeks flushed. "And Sans. And Papyrus. J-Just for now, I mean." She clenched her little fists. "I-I don't wanna… just not know what happens. A-And what if you guys need me again?"

Toriel smiled warmly. She leaned in to give the child a gentle kiss on the brow. "I understand. You are always welcome, little one. And I have no opposition to her staying for a while, as well. After all, none of us are quite at home now, are we?"

Suzy perked up, eyes gleaming; tail wagging. "Y-Yeah?! Okay!"

"I think you might worry a little too much," Makena patted her on the shoulder with a sympathetic smile on his face.

"I dunnnooooo, everything's weird!" Suzy said, throwing her hands into the air.

Ellie snickered and gave the monster a big, squishy hug. "Ffffeeeel better!"

"I wanna!"

.

Toriel chuckled. She straightened up, brushing off her robe, and looked back at Gaster. From the corner of her eye, she caught Asgore sticking both thumbs up. She tempered a smile and started towards the skeleton, only to pause when her phone chirped. She pulled it from her sleeve to see a message from Papyrus. He was just a few minutes away, following the rocky edge of the mountain.

.

As she looked up again, the two teenagers blew past her and returned to Suzy. Fey looked down at the kid with a worried, sympathetic smile.

"Suz, I… Yo. I dunno what to say," she said. She rubbed at the back of her head. "So, like… You don't remember me that well?"

Suzy blinked. "Uhhh…"

"The Doctor said your soul turned black and you got some amnesia," Holly said gently. "Don't worry, okay? We'll still take care of you, for sure."

"Yeah, of course!" Fey blurted.

.

Gaster slid up behind them and locked eyes with Suzy. He surreptitiously tapped one of his ear holes and gave a little, false cough as if to clear his throat. "Due to the unusual circumstances, I would like to keep Suzy close. For observation. If that's fine with you, little one."

Suzy blinked blankly. After a few seconds, her eyes grew wide and her tail wagged. "O-Oh! Yeah! That's cool, I'm, uh…" She looked at Fey and Holly. "Look, don't worry about me too much. I'm fine."

"I assume tonight will be fairly chaotic for everyone," Toriel said to the two newcomers. "You two are welcome to stay close, as well. Suzy does not need to quarantine, she just needs a little more rest, isn't that right, Doctor?" She cut her eyes at Gaster.

"I think everyone could use a little more rest," he said. "And, that's correct, there's no danger whatsoever. I'm just being cautious."

"We trust you, Doctor Gaster. For sure!" Holly said. "I just… gotta find my mom or my aunt or someone to check in."

"I can… Uh." Fey looked down at Suzy bashfully. "D'you mind if I go with her? She's got a garbage sense of direction."

"It's true, I do," the deer said with a sigh.

"I-I can come right back," Fey said swiftly. "You'll stay around the Doctor, right? Or around the, uh… The King or Queen?"

"Yeah, duh, I been doing that this whole time," Suzy said with a grin.

"Okay, good!" The big crocodaur ruffled the kid's hair. "You're a good little doofus. We'll be back soon!"

.

They waved and left in a hurry, and Suzy let out a little sigh. She looked up at Gaster, rubbing the back of her head bashfully.

"Thanks for saying that," she said quietly

"We can figure out a better solution once everything is back to normal," he said, and he smiled. "But I do mean it about the rest."

"Ah! R-Right."

.

Toriel put a hand on the skeleton's shoulder and tilted her head. "A moment?"

Gaster nodded and let her guide him off for a little privacy, back towards Asgore. She showed them the screen of her phone and tilted her head slightly towards the mountain.

"He's just about here," she said. "Gaster, shall we?"

"If you would prefer to be the one to keep watch," Asgore said, "I would be happy to go meet him."

"Hm. No. No, I'd prefer to," Toriel said with a sideways smile. "My boy has been through a lot today."

Asgore's eyes brightened and he nodded approvingly. "Of course! Then, I will see you all when this is settled!"

.

Gaster and Toriel headed off, back towards the mountain. They followed the ridge where grass and bracken gave way to dirt and stone, reaching ever upward. The breeze was pleasant. Toriel revelled in the smell of the fresh air and the lightly earthy scents it carried with it, before looking to her companion. The skeleton, she noted, had a strange little smile on his face.

"What?" she asked.

"Hm?" He blinked at her.

"That face you're making," she said, giving him a gentle nudge with her elbow.

"Oh. I'm just relieved," he said, "that you're feeling a little more comfortable with him, now."

It took Toriel but an instant before she realized the him was Asgore. Her fur bristled and her ears pinned back. "O-Oh?"

"I know it's… extremely sappy, you might say, but I do love you both with my entire soul," Gaster said. "So if there's any amount of peace gained, I'm happy."

Toriel gave a little, playful scoff, but the hum in her soul did an unusual, speedy skip. She smiled apologetically. "I was never keen to have you stuck between us, I hope you know that."

"Of course," he said. He looked ahead and perked up. "Look who found us."

.

A tall, thin shape of mostly white and green bounded towards them across the stone. A hand shot up into the air and waved frantically. "HELLLLLOOOO, PARENTS, IT'S ME, PAPYRUS! YOUR COOL AND TALLEST SON!"

"Welcome back, dear!" Toriel called.

Papyrus picked up the pace and was on them in an instant, throwing his arms around both of the larger monsters and squishing them tight with his strong, boney grip. Gaster wrapped him in his arms and almost melted at the touch of his son's exuberant soul.

"Everything went well?" Gaster asked.

"Everything absolutely did NOT go well for a little bit there, but then it went pretty well after that," Papyrus said as he drew back.

.

Toriel cooed as she clasped him by the shoulders. Her eyes rushed over his altered form and she cupped either side of his head, running her thumbs over his short, pronged horns with a wide, fond smile.

"I apologize for the circumstances, but these are very cute," she said.

Papyrus smiled bashfully. "Thank you very much! I don't mind them at all."

She softly bumped her snout against his brow. "You've been very brave." Her fingers carefully traced over the faint green on the side of his neck that wasn't entirely hidden by the large scarf. "Were you harmed?"

"Nnnnno, no, I wouldn't say so," Papyrus said. "Though it does sort of look like I was, actually, it was completely fine."

"There was a bit of damage to his ribcage," Gaster said, "but it was superficial. Thankfully."

"See?" Papyrus moved part of the scarf covering his chest aside to show the green marks and the circular blast through his bones just for a moment before readjusting it. "Apparently things can turn out very weird when a human soul leaves you, so all in all, I consider this to be pretty successful! And we didn't even have to add more arm holes to my clothes!"

Toriel's ears pinned back and she had to catch an alarmed breath in the back of her throat. "Well. As long as you're alright." She gently grabbed his hands and looked at his bare arms. She touched an off-colour mark wrapped around his humerus. "What about this?"

"Thaaaaat is actually a tattooooo I got in another timeline, I think," he said with a sheepish smile.

Toriel let out an exaggerated gasp. "My word!"

Papyrus snickered, rubbing the back of his skull. "I didn't expect it, either."

She pulled him tight against her again. His shoulders had a little give this time as he settled in, and she held him comfortably for a warm, lingering moment. There was a tired softness to his face when she released him.

.

"So, what exactly happened over there?" Toriel asked.

"Hm." Gaster peeked around. "Did Sans not come with you?"

"He stayed behind. And not entirely due to laziness! I insisted," Papyrus said. "He's fine though, so you don't need to have that worried look on your face. But, basically, it was a giant kerfuffle; we had to help Graetsif fly a sled out of the hole June and I shot through the mountain because we found a monster who wasn't in an ice cube."

"…There was someone in a cave who wasn't frozen properly?" Gaster asked, brows shooting up.

"Yes, exactly! And Sans said, very seriously, that she was going to fall down unless we got her into the sun literally as fast as possible. So! We did! And she seems mostly fine for now, but we decided him staying with her would be best."

"Do you know who it was?" Toriel asked.

Papyrus shook his head. "Nnnno. Nope, not at all, she didn't wake up yet, as far as I know."

"Ah." Toriel rubbed her temple. "I suppose we can deal with that later."

"Should we give him a call?" Gaster asked.

"You can't!" Papyrus asserted. "Because you have his phone. Which I'm supposed to get from you, by the way."

"Oh! Do I…?" Gaster patted his pockets down. He scoffed at himself and handed the phone over to his son. "Absolute knucklehead. I didn't even realize."

The younger skeleton snickered. He moved as if to stash it in his pocket, only to remember he wasn't wearing a jacket, so he tucked it into his scarf instead. "Perfect! Alright! So! Where is the human?"

"Just this way, dear," Toriel said, taking him by the shoulder and gently guiding him back the way they'd come from. "You… have your friend with you?"

Papyrus patted his bag affectionately. "I absolutely do!"

.

"Did you give much thought to what you'd like to do?" Gaster asked. "It's… a hard thing to break to someone."

"That's true, but I'm sure he'll understand," Papyrus said. "I'll just give him June back, and tell him she was a hero— because she is— and it'll be fine."

"Well." Toriel's snout wrinkled a little. "We will be right there, the whole time, I'm certain I—"

"Don't worry about that for even a second, mom," the skeleton said swiftly. "Honestly, I'd really like to just tell him myself."

"Paps," Gaster said, "I'm not sure if—"

"There might still be some danger," Toriel said swiftly. "You know Sans would never forgive either of us if something happened to you."

Papyrus laughed loudly. "Nyeh heh! Nothing'll happen to me! Why would it?" He smiled at them both. "Don't worry! The human trusted me enough to let me babysit his daughter after we just got her back from being kidnapped, so I'm not worried about much. Except about maybe a bit of crying." His cheekbones flushed. "From him! Not me. Except maybe a little bit."

His mother smiled warmly and held his hand. Gaster let out a little sigh.

"Are you sure you wouldn't like us to talk to him first?" he asked.

"I'm positive," Papyrus said. "Trust me." He gave his bag a little squeeze. "I am the great Papyrus, after all. I can handle this."

.

More monsters were filtering down into the clearing when they returned to it. Some that had already been there were taking the cut wood and sorting it into piles by shape, and others were using some of it to set up a circle of colourful tents made of magic, blankets, and extra clothes stitched together. Boyd continued to chop away. Asgore and a few other large monsters worked together to pull down another dead tree to add to the pile, while a gaggle of kids— several newcomers included— banged stumps like drums and whistled with blades of grass as Suzy strummed her summoned guitar.

.

Papyrus perked right up and ran to greet them, and was instantly bombarded with shouts of the name Blackletter. He sat on the ground with them and Suzy grabbed him, asking about the horns. Ellie jumped him too, pointing out the only barely smudged stripe on her cheek. He laughed and pulled a little makeup kit from his phone.

.

Gaster let out a small sigh and his bones gave the faintest of rattles. Toriel put her hand on his shoulder.

"…We'll follow?" she asked under her breath.

He nodded. Her gaze shot off towards Boyd— leaning back against a tree trunk and wiping his brow, axe in hand.

"Remove the weapon, if need be," she said.

Gaster nodded stiffly. His voice dropped to a low, rough whisper. "Every time I've seen a human confronted with a soul of one of their own, it… has not ended well."

"I know," she said quietly. "I know."

.

Papyrus straightened up and both monsters jolted back to focus, eyes locked straight on him. The young skeleton gave Suzy a pat on the head and started off towards Boyd. Toriel grabbed Gaster's arm and gave it a squeeze. Though they tried to listen in, the sound of the kids restarting their chaotic music drowned out whatever the two were saying. The human pointed out Papyrus's horns. The skeleton gestured for Boyd to follow him. The man put his axe aside and the two of them left, heading into the woods together, but not before Papyrus gave his parents a quick wave and a gesture to stay put.

.

Needless to say, neither Gaster nor Toriel had any intention of listening, but they smiled and waved him off anyway. The instant the two were out of sight, the monsters bolted to follow them.

.

With a flick of his wrist, Gaster called a shadowy phantom hand that sailed ahead of them, flitting like a silent bird. The hole in its centre pulsed with gloom, casting Gaster's gaze ahead to peer between the trees and over his son.

.

Papyrus and Boyd were talking, but it was inaudible from where Gaster was. Ahead of them, a streak of the tree trunks were thinner than any of their counterparts and the light through the forest was brighter in that direction. It seemed to Gaster that his son was headed that way, following the light. He flew his distant spy up against the canopy and ahead of them to take a look.

.

The forest thinned where an outcrop of flat stone rose up from the foliage. A smattering of large rocks lay along its edge and a little beyond, as if they'd slid down the side of the mountain and came to rest there ages ago. Beyond them, grass and wispy plants grew tall in a patch of sunlight where a large tree that had once taken up most of the space had fallen and petrified.

.

"Are you looking ahead?" Toriel asked at a whisper.

Gaster nodded.

"Are they alright?"

"For now," he said. His phantom hand pulled back and focussed all his gaze back on his son.

Papyrus was looking around— he picked out the clearing, just Gaster had suspected, and headed straight for it. The old skeleton picked up the pace and Toriel followed him closely.

.

As silent as they could be, Toriel and Gaster rushed to the clearing, trailing only a little ways behind their boy and the human. They stashed themselves behind one of the large stones at first and Toriel glanced around to get her bearings. She slid away quickly, flanking the clearing as she situated herself behind another stone, just barely within Gaster's view. He stayed put, braced his back against the rock, and moved his phantom hand up into the canopy to stare down at his son. Toriel kept her eyes locked right on Gaster, and the both of them went completely still.

.

Papyrus took a seat on a rock and Boyd cautiously joined him, plunking down on the petrified, fallen tree trunk.

"All the way out here, huh? I get the feelin' news ain't great," the man said.

Papyrus straightened up right away, his cheeks flushing. "That is… prrreeetty astute, but it's not quite as bad as it could be."

"So what happened; she get hurt? Where is she?"

"Welllllll…. Nyeh. Look. I'm just going to be completely honest with you. Something very bad happened in New Home. And June… is absolutely a hero, a hundred percent."

Boyd looked back at him unblinkingly. The Papyrus tapped his sharp fingertips together. Gaster braced himself— his fingers clawed as he called obsidian bones to lurk just below the human's feet.

.

"The thing is, things were collapsing in New Home. And she was helping with the evacuation, and…" The young skeleton sighed. "You asked me about my horns, right? That… was because of her. She… Nyeh." He rubbed his head and grimaced. "Sorry, I didn't think this would be so hard to say. She fell. Into the earth. And she…" His voice caught and he cleared his throat. "She lent me her soul. So we could help more people."

"…Where is she?" Boyd asked again, his voice low.

.

Gaster's whole spine went rigid. Toriel's fur bristled. She shot him a look and he gritted his teeth.

.

Papyrus carefully took off his messenger bag and offered it to Boyd. "You can keep that."

The man took it gingerly and sat it in his lap. His face was pale and his fingers trembled a little as he slowly pulled the cover back. He drew in a breath sharply at the sight of the green gleam within.

"I told her we'd give her back to you," Papyrus said. "I… I know it's really horrible. I'm extremely sorry. But, when my sister comes back, everything will be fixed! June'll be back, like nothing ever happened."

.

Boyd gently put the bag on the ground and pushed himself to his feet slowly, as if weighed down by boulders. Papyrus stood up, too. Gaster braced, his eyes shining. Every bone in his body felt like ice. His magic creeped from the ground like needles.

.

The human dragged his palm down his face and rubbed his scruffy beard. He looked like he might be sick. Papyrus's brow furrowed, and ran a finger over the back of his opposite hand, but didn't say a word. Boyd let out a bit of a grunt. He took a step; closed the distance between himself and the skeleton.

.

Gaster broke into a cold sweat. Toriel twisted around to risk a peek.

.

But, Boyd stopped short in front of Papyrus. Grimaced. Hugged the boy tight.

.

As the spying monsters all but melted with relief, Papyrus froze for just a moment. He raised his arms to hold the man gently.

"I'm so sorry," he said quietly.

"…'Course ya are," the man croaked.

"I… I wasn't fast enough to save her." Papyrus grimaced. "I wish I—"

"Don't. Don't… do that to yourself." The man gulped back a lump in his throat. "…Damn. Ah…" He pulled back and thumped Papyrus on both shoulders. "You're a good kid. Thanks for tellin' me." He had to clear his throat and winced. "…Was it quick, at least?"

"Yes, extremely quick," Papyrus said. "And, when her soul was inside me, she didn't feel any pain at all. In fact, she kiiiind of wanted to stay, but we thought you having her back would be better. Plus being a great Papyrus that is twice as tall as the King would probably lead to all kinds of antler-stuck-in-the-trees related incidents, now that I think about it."

"Hm. Right. Uh." Boyd dipped and scooped up the bag, holding it carefully in both hands. "So. What exactly do I do with 'er? Do I let her go, or…?"

The skeleton tilted his head. "Is that what you normally do with souls?"

"I, uh, have no idea."

"If it helps, she said she wanted to stay around, for now, just in case," Papyrus said.

.

Boyd nodded. He carefully put the strap over his head to rest it across a shoulder and let the bag settle comfortably at his side. "Is there…? Y'know, anything else I should know?"

Papyrus cupped his chin thoughtfully. "Hmm… I guess… Just keep her sort of cozy? Especially if you, um, don't want a whole lot of questions."

"Right. Right, right." Boyd let out a long, deep sigh. "…The psychic kid'll set it right. Yeah?"

The skeleton nodded.

"Alright." The man gulped, his throat tight. He ran his fingers through his hair and heaved out a breath. "It's just… She's good, y'know?"

"Oh, yes, for sure!" Papyrus agreed swiftly. "Very good! If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't have been able to shoot a hole in the mountain, which ended up being helpful for a couple things, actually. There are people here who are definitely not dead because of her." He rubbed the back of his skull. "I know time'll go back to normal eventually, but it still feels horrible to just do nothing, you know?"

"Yeah, I gotcha." He puffed. "What do I tell the kids?"

"I have no idea."

"You, uh… Mind helpin' me brainstorm?"

"I don't mind at all!"

.

Gaster was knocked from his focus as Toriel gently grabbed his arm and he had to clap his hand over his mouth to keep from making a sound. She smiled at him sympathetically and tilted her head back towards the clearing they'd come from. He nodded and they slipped away quietly.

"I think it might be safe to suggest that humans may have changed a little in a thousand years," Toriel said quietly, an amused smile crossing her face.

Gaster huffed out a quiet laugh. His watchful, phantom hand faded away, leaving him blind to the events behind them. "Agreed," he said.

xXxXx

The sun had almost set by the time Papyrus and Boyd returned. With those who could help putting their skills to use, the clear patch in the woods had been changed, widened and encircled by a ring of tents, with a fire pit and makeshift seating in the centre. Structures of wood, or stone, or even charcoal-coloured bone, supplemented the shelters, with more still being constructed. The gang of children had only grown, and a big rockram was entertaining them with stories near the fire. The human kids were among them, but Suzy was not.

.

Just as Papyrus and Boyd split— the latter heading for his daughter and the former glancing around for the little crocodaur— the skeleton was jumped near one of the tents, piled onto by an alligator and an alleycat.

"Aaaah, there you are!" Catty squealed.

"Dude, you had us, like, actually concerned or whatever," Bratty said.

"I did?! Nyeh! I'm sorry!" Papyrus said, giving them both a squeeze. "You didn't need to worry about me at all, you know!"

"Kinda hard not to when you just vanish into thin air!"

"HmmmMMMM." Papyrus rubbed his chin. "Oh right, you did say that, didn't you?"

"Totally did!" Catty insisted. "Spook-o-rama, amiright?"

"Also!" Bratty fished out her phone and pulled up the UnderNet. She shoved it into Papyrus's face and scrolled through photos upon photos; videos upon videos, of a massive, antlered skeleton and an arrow of light piercing up into the stone of the mountain. "That's you, right?!"

Papyrus's eyes filled with stars and he cautiously took the phone from her to scroll through it himself. "I… I can't believe it! Not one single person tagged me!"

"I'll tag you!" Catty said quickly, yanking her phone from the pocket in the front of her overalls. "Wait, do I even have you as a friend on here?!"

"I sure hope so!"

.

"Anyway," Bratty said, stifling a laugh as she slid her phone from his hand. "Hope the big hero gig hasn't been too rough on you. Seems like you've been, like, running around like crazy."

"There has been a lot going on," Papyrus admitted. "But! Nothing too much for the great Papyrus, of course! I've been doing alright with it, if I do say so myself!"

"Yeah, dude, people think these videos are totally awesome, at least!" Catty said brightly. "We didn't see it in person, but—"

"We definitely saw the, like, arrow thing go up." Bratty pointed a claw at the sky, and then levelled it straight back at the skeleton's head. "Is that what made you grow those little horn things?"

"Pretty much," he said.

"Not gonna lie," Catty said with a smile, holding up her phone to snap a picture of him, "they're kinda the bomb."

"You think so?" Papyrus touched one carefully.

"Defs a little cute," Bratty agreed.

"Oh! Well, thank you, then!" the skeleton said brightly. "Now, um, sorry to cut right through this extremely cool topic, but have you two seen a little purple crocodaur girl around here somewhere?"

"I think I saw someone like that kinda scoot off, like, that way," Catty said, pointing off towards where Gaster was helping set up the roof of a large, doghouse-looking structure made of a latticework of obsidian bones.

"Thank you very much!" he said. "I'll catch up with you la—"

Bratty stopped him in his tracks, grabbing his scarf. "Hang on, this thing is all, like, totally wonky, let me fix it." She winked. "I know a thing or two about ponchos, y'know?"

"Oooh, it's true, she does," the cat agreed with a swift nod.

"Um! Sure, okay, thank you," Papyrus said.

.

He unravelled the long, green scarf to hand it over, but his friends both winced at the sight of his chest.

"Waah, that looks, like, totally painful, though!" Catty said.

"It's not," Papyrus assured her.

Bratty put her hand against the busted bones, her fingers gleaming pink. "That's some major damage, though, right?"

"Technically yes, but it's really not a big deal," he said quickly. "I appreciate it, though."

"Papy please!" Catty whined, squishing her own cheeks.

"Catty please!" he echoed. "I'm serious."

"But, like…! OOMF, THOUGH!"

"It is only oomf visually!"

"…Hm. Yeah. Guess so." Bratty pulled back and shot the cat a little smile. "He's right, his health is, like, super solid."

"That's cool, but still!" She crossed her arms and looked up at Papyrus with a little pout. "Just! Be! Careful! Almost every time we see you lately, you're doing something wacky."

"That isssss… true," he said. "I'm hoping the wacky levels are going to reduce pretty soon."

"Saaaame," she said.

.

Bratty snickered. As she took a moment to straighten out parts of the scarf, Papyrus's attention was caught as Asgore came back to the clearing with a couple of short, seadrake monsters. They rushed to pick up one of the kids, a skinny little turquoise monster in a pink and blue sweater, from the story group. Asgore smiled warmly, did a headcount, and then left again. The skeleton's soul swelled, but he caught the pang of a little ache, too. Something about those colours struck nostalgia deep into his bones.

.

He had to stop himself from jumping when Bratty leaned up towards him and rewrapped most of the scarf so it was much more poncho-like and comfortable. She patted him on the shoulder and handed back the two phones that had been stashed in it.

"There. Fixed," she said.

"Thank you!" Papyrus said. "Alright! See you two later?"

"Yeah, you better!" Catty said.

.

Papyrus shot finger-guns their way, then bounced off along the path they'd pointed him on, greeting his father with a hug before he ducked around to the trees just behind him. Sure enough, he saw Suzy there, scrounging around the base of a tree.

"Hello, my great assistant!" he announced. "What are you doing?"

"Oh! Uh." Suzy spun around. "Just lookin' for stuff."

"What kind of stuff? Can I help?"

"Moss."

Papyrus's face crinkled. "Moss?"

"Yeah. I thought I saw some," she said. "I dunno if it's fake but I remembered my sister likes it and it's kinda a good snack and I just thought—"

"Wait! For one thing, don't eat the moss from out here, we don't know where it's been or how magic it is; you might feel sick after," Papyrus said quickly. "…Also, for two things, you found your sister?!"

"Yeah, her friend found me," Suzy said. "They just left for a bit again." She scratched her head. "It's kinda weird but they seem nice, I think."

"Wh…?! That's great!" Papyrus said brightly. "But, uh—"

"Your mom and dad said I could still stay around, though," she said. "That's okay, right?"

Papyrus grinned. He dipped down and ruffled her hair affectionately. "Of course! Always! Buuuut let's get you some normal snacks instead, okay? Instead of suspicious mystery moss."

The kid's face flushed. "…What if I already ate some?"

Papyrus's grin strained and he patted her on the back. "Leeeet's goooo find Doctor Alphys very quickly." He hopped up and cupped his hands around his mouth to call, "DAD, DO YOU KNOW WHERE ALPHYS IS?"

Gaster perked up and turned around. "I believe she went with Scath and Kio to theeee, uh… group just north of here."

Papyrus pointed to his right, but his father corrected him, directing him the opposite way. Papyrus stuck both thumbs up, waved, and scooped Suzy up to ferry her away.

.

The woods were bustling with activity and magic, now. Some groups of monsters had set up along the mountain path or even back up on the plateau, but the majority of the evacuees from the mountain were gathered in the forest.

.

The next clearing was set up almost exactly like the first was, though with more structures crafted from woven sheets of indigo magic. Alphys stood out in the crowd because she was on top of a log, stirring a huge pot of soup, but her gaze was a million miles away.

"Doctor!" Papyrus said brightly as he ran up to join her. "Hello!"

"O-Oh!" She snapped back to life and smiled sheepishly. "Papyrus! Suzy! Yahhō! Good t-to see you guys. N-Nice horns!"

"Thank you. Suzy ate some wild moss, do you have anything for that?" the skeleton said, plunking the kid down beside her.

"Wild moss?! Uhhhhh… How much?"

"This much?" Suzy held out her palm.

"Oh! Th-That's not too bad, okay. Phew, haha! Good thing y-you have little hands!" Alphys grabbed a can of soda from her pocket, a mug from her phone, and then pointed out a large bucket near the fire. "Grab some of th-that water and mix it with the soda a-and… drink it slowly. M-Maybe over an hour or so. If you finish, d-don't worry, you can have more."

"O… kay," Suzy said trepidatiously. "What'll that do?"

"The water'll carry the energy a little farther into your body, r-rather than just, um, you know, dissolving in your mouth or throat."

"…What happens if I don't?" the kid wondered.

"Uhhh… Welllll…" Alphys's smile twisted sideways awkwardly. "You know, i-it's just, um, a l-little painful, is all."

"Oh. Kay. Got it." Suzy got up again to do what Alphys said. "Yeesh, guess I gotta watch my mosses, huh?"

"Stick to mushrooms, maybe?" Papyrus suggested.

"Aaah, no no no, d-don't eat mushrooms out here yet either!" Alphys said.

.

Papyrus snickered bashfully. Alphys shot him a smile.

"I s-saw you online," she said. "Y-You, um, did really well, you know?"

"I know," he said. "I can't wait to show Undyne, when she wakes up."

"Y… Yeah." Alphys sighed plaintively. "Ah… I wish w-we didn't have to… leave her down there."

"But she's safe. And you'll see her again tomorrow," Papyrus said. "Sans said that's when work is going to start again, right?"

"R-Right. Yeah. Of… Of course," the lizard said quietly. She chuckled at herself. "Sorry, Papyrus, I'm j-just being a worrywart."

"Hm." He tilted his head to the side. "Are you sure that's it?"

"Um." The lizard blushed a little. "I— Maybe? I d-don't know, I—"

"Oh! Did you finally remember that you two are dating?"

"Wh-Wh-WHAT?!" Alphys almost dropped her soup spoon into the pot and had to scramble for it. "Why—?! Why would you say that, when did we—?!"

"Nyeh, sorry! A rare perceptiveness mistake," he said. "Never mind!"

"N-No, no no no way, y-you c-can't never mind that!" she stammered. "D-Did you read the letter she left me?!"

"No, why, was it a love note?"

.

Alphys's whole face flushed and she put her hands over her snout and let out a wheeze. Papyrus tapped his chin.

"I guess it was," he said.

"What's wrong with her?" Suzy asked as she came back to sit on the log.

"Nothing! N-Nothing at all!" Alphys said shrilly. She took a long, deep breath and looked up at the skeleton, her dark eyes shimmering. "I th-thought… I mean, it h-had to be a joke, right? She's so tall and cool and st-strong and h-hot and smart and—"

"Why does that need to make it a joke?" Papyrus asked.

"H-How could someone like that even look a-at me as i-if w-we could…" She gulped, hard. "She… wasn't joking, w-was she?"

"Of course she wasn't," Papyrus said with a laugh.

The lizard drew in a long breath that trembled in her throat. "Oh." She tried to go back to stirring, clenching her fist against her short, buck teeth for a few moments. "P-Papyrus?"

"Yeees?"

She whirled on him, wide-eyed, and grabbed his shoulders. "W-We're going to get my memories back, right?! I'm n-not just going to b-be stuck all on my own w-with no memories, right?!"

"Everything's going to go back to normal once Crabapple Kid comes back," he assured her. "You, Undyne, Suzy, Sans; everybody."

"O… Okay. Okay." She rubbed a hand across her head and blew out a sigh. "You're… Y-You're right. I know y-you are. E-Even if… Even if everything possible screws up, e-even if… Sans gets sick again, I know… y-you and your dad, you w-won't ever stop."

"Not even for a second," Papyrus said.

"Then…! Then I'm sure we'll be j-just fine." She nodded to herself. "Yeah."

Papyrus offered her a hug and she gladly accepted.

.

As Alphys went back to her soup, Papyrus sat down beside Suzy and gave her a pat on the head. The faint flecks of time that he'd been ignoring suddenly looked a little brighter. He wiped his eyes on the back of his hand, though that didn't help at all.

.

His phone buzzed in his scarf and he swiftly pulled it out to see an unknown number on it. Brow raised quizzically, he opened his texts up to one message.

"she woke up"

His eyes brightened and he quickly replied. "DO YOU NEED ME?"

"ye after dark"

"I WILL BE THERE SOON!"

"no rush but also i will have no phone lol"

"I UNDERSTAND! ALSO THANK YOU STRANGER FOR LENDING MY BROTHER YOUR PHONE!"

"np!"

A selfie popped up of what looked a bit like a tall, skinny monster with a face that was mostly eyeball, waving, with Sans's tired grin in the background. Papyrus snickered and snapped a grinning photo of himself to send back.

"omg blackletter wow ur movie was cool"

"THANK YOU!"

.

Papyrus tilted his head back to look up at the sky. It was dark at its apex, with faint stars peeking out of the deep blue. The flecks of time painted early morning pinks, oranges, and white, puffy clouds amongst the stars. A tingle ran up and down his spine, and a smattering of them flitted across his vision like a small flock of birds. He looked around quickly, but he didn't see anything out of place.

.

Suzy looked up at him with a puzzled frown. "You feel that?"

"I sure did," he said.

"Crap, I hope it's not off again already," she said quietly.

"I… Hm." Papyrus got to his feet and took another glance around. He pulled Kio out of the crowd, working on knitting more magic roofs, and waved to her. "AUNTIE KIO, DID YOU SEE ANY STRANGE SHIFTS JUST NOW?"

"Ummm… I don't think so, hun!" she called back. She grabbed Scathkath nearby, interrupting his attempt to detangle a substantial ball of gleaming yarn and leaned in close to his ear for a moment before she looked back to Papyrus. "We haven't noticed anything!"

"OKAY, THANK YOU!" Papyrus shouted. "Hopefully it's nothing worse than someone's pants changing colour or something." He looked down at Suzy. "I should go meet up with Sans, do you want to come along, or…?"

"I guess I should at least go back in case my sister shows up again, right?"

"Good point."

"Don't forget the w-water and stuff," Alphys said. She put her stirring spoon aside. "You go ahead, Papyrus, I can get her s-set up."

"Perfect! Okay!" He walked away backwards, sticking both thumbs up. "And I will seeeee youuu later!"

.

Once again on the move, Papyrus rushed back towards the first clearing. Toriel caught him there, dragging him into a tight, warm hug and holding him for a little while before allowing him on his way again.

.

Papyrus raced the sun, and as the light grew dim, the flecks of time gave him a little advantage as the shadow of the mountain and the trees above shrouded the path. He caught a little sparkle of blue magic in the distance and rushed for it.

.

He found Sans and the massive dog right where he'd left them, slumped near the pond. Both of them looked like they were asleep.

"Sans?" Papyrus asked.

The short skeleton opened one gleaming eye and shot his brother a tired smile. "Sup, bro?"

"Oh, several things," he said, sitting down quickly. "You first. I thought she was awake."

"She was. Fell asleep again." Sans petted the dog's huge head. "She's still a bit, uh, ruff."

"Ugh." Papyrus let his fingers gleam with light and he petted the huge monster's fluffy shoulder. "That one was old hundreds years before you said it. Older than the ice caves we dragged this dog from, for sure!"

Sans snorted and grinned. Papyrus tried not to smile and shook his head.

"But. I'm glad to hear she was up at all, to be honest. Did you get her name or anything like that?"

"Nope. Said some weird stuff, though." Sans frowned thoughtfully. "Might be a psychic or somethin'. Or an empath, maybe."

"Oh?"

"She seemed real glad I was alright, for some reason," he said. "I mean, nice of 'er, but she seemed weirdly invested, y'know?"

"Or you just looked like you were about to become a heap, as usual," Papyrus teased gently.

Sans snorted out a little laugh. "Maybe. But, uh… What seemed to have gotten her attention was, uh… the idea of a timechild."

.

Papyrus stared at him with surprise. "How the heck would she know about that?!"

"Dunno."

"Did Crabapple Kid talk to her, somehow?!"

"Dunno. But, somethin' else, too. She asked about the prophecy."

"I guess that'd make sense," Papyrus said. "She might have been around when they made it, if she was down there for a really long time."

"True. So. I told her it was all good; Asriel did it. Told 'er his name and she perked right up. Wanted to know if he got home okay."

"Wh…?" Papyrus blinked. "But he's…?" A little glimmer of gold came to his eyes. "Both of them?! That's oddly specific, do you think she somehow knows…? How could she…? That's extremely weird, brother. Very, very, extremely weird."

"She had this one eye that was red, but kinda… different. I'm not sure what to make of it," Sans said. "But she mightta had dreams or somethin', I can't be sure."

"You could ask."

Sans snickered. "Tried that. But, uh…" He grinned sideways. "She's dog-tired. Didn't budge."

"You'd think you'd be at least a little refreshed after sleeping all that time," Papyrus said.

.

The tall skeleton laid both hands onto her and closed his eyes, focussing hard as he let his magic seep down into her. She felt cool and her soul echoed strangely, as if it were in a deep cavern. The skeleton let out a little, ponderous sound.

"Big strange dog, can you hear me?" he asked.

A tiny shift and a small, sleepy snort was his only reply. The skeletons waited, but the huge dog didn't budge.

"See?" Sans said.

"Well. I guess that's okay," Papyrus said. "It's not urgent. We can ask in the morning."

Sans nodded. "Your turn."

"Oh! Well, I got jumped by some fans and then by some friends, everyone's setting up big circles like are over here, I told Boyd about June and that went okay; Suzy ate some moss and found her sister, aaaannnd I think that's it. Oh! And I felt a shift but I didn't see anything weird, so I have no idea what happened."

"Oh. Huh. Same, actually." Sans blinked. "Suz okay?"

"I thiiiink so, Alphys told her to drink some soda mixed with water really slowly."

Sans snickered. "About her sis."

"Oh! That! I think so?" Papyrus said. "She didn't seem upset or anything. But she wants to stick around for a while longer, anyway."

The short skelton's shoulders sagged a little and Papyrus poked him teasingly.

"You were worried!"

"Welp. Y'know. Didn't wanna just send 'er off, after all that," he said with a shrug. "Specially not after today. You guys talk about that?"

"Nnnno, it was a little hectic," Papyrus said. "Plus, I'm sure she had to go over it a ton of times already, knowing how it goes around here, sometimes."

Sans snorted. "You're not wrong."

.

Papyrus let out a little sigh. He clenched his fingers lightly into the dog's fur. "I hope she did talk to our siblings, somehow," he said quietly. "Because that's extremely suspicious."

"I know," Sans said.

"I really hope they're okay."

"Same."

"Have you been able to see either of them since that weird red orb dream?"

"Nah," Sans said quietly. "Guess that'd just be too easy, huh?"

"Maybe it just hasn't been that much time, wherever they are," he said. "Maybe Crabapple Kid hasn't gotten to sleep again, yet. Maybe you two just haven't been sleeping at the same time."

"Hope she's takin' care of herself whatever's goin' on, the weird little goober," Sans said.

.

Papyrus stared at his brother sympathetically. He scooted closer and grabbed him into a loose hug. "We're nearly there," he said. "You are. Just a little longer, okay?"

"I know," he said. "Thanks."

"Get some rest."

"No you."

Papyrus pouted. "Sans."

"Paps."

"SANS."

Sans tilted his head back and grinned. "What?"

"Go to bed."

"No you." He stretched. "I had a chance. And you said you'd sleep tonight."

"That was before I had to heal a dog."

"You can take breaks. We can rotate."

Papyrus stuck a finger in the air to protest, then curled it inward. "Okay. You first."

"Not a chance." Sans winked. "You're good, bro, but not that good."

The tall skeleton snickered. "Then it's an impasse." He leaned back a little and looked up at the glittering stars. His fingers gingerly shone golden magic into the dozing dog.

Motes rose up around them, bobbing softly in the breeze like dandelion fluff. His warm energy ebbed out and he concealed a smile as he caught Sans's eyelids drooping ever so slightly.

"It's a nice night, anyway," he said quietly.

xXxXx

A few hours after dark, the basics of the monster camp were mostly complete. Clear circles lit by magic and fire separated by small sections of trees spread from the base of the mountain, all surrounding the largest one in their centre.

.

Almost all the children who had been separated from their guardians in the evacuation had either been reunited with them or were under the careful watch of some of the other parents, for the time being. Snacks had been passed out to everyone and things were relatively calm in most of the circles, though some were a little more lively with music and dancing.

.

The rumblings of an announcement from the King ran through the crowds, though nobody was as surprised by this as the King himself as he strolled around, making sure every group was doing well. He supposed it was probably a good idea, though. In a time like this, a reassuring voice with some careful words could certainly help them through the night. He wondered who'd put the idea out, but it didn't matter much, regardless.

.

As he passed through the first clearing they made, he caught sight of Toriel, much to his relief. She was there with Suzy and the two girls who had come to find her, along with the humans, Gaster, and Alphys. The woman had her arm around Makena, who had already dozed off snug against her, and Suzy wasn't far from it, either. Gaster, by some miracle, had actually taken a moment to sit and had fallen asleep, too, arms folded and chin dropped down onto his chest. Boyd was walking back and forth across the area as much as he could, cradling his snoozing daughter against his shoulder.

.

He slipped in to join them, putting a hand up in greetings. "I think I'm supposed to give a speech," he said.

"This late?" Toriel said at a whisper.

"I suppose so. Anything I should mention?"

"If there's anything to caution about." She tilted her head upwards. "I doubt we'll have to contend with any humans, but, just in case the world shifts."

"Right. Right right." Asgore's ears perked a little and he looked to Boyd, who had just come to a rest on a log bench near the central fire. "Excuse me."

.

The huge monster headed straight for the human man, and gestured to the log beside him. Boyd nodded and shifted over a little.

"How is she?" Asgore asked quietly as he sat down.

"Ah. Y'know. A little upset," he said, gently rubbing Ellie's back. "Doesn't quite get why June can't come back yet. Not too bad, though. Thankfully."

"I'm glad, but I am so sorry about all of this," he said.

"Why?" Boyd looked confused. "Ain't your fault, your Highness."

Asgore shook his head. "It's my kingdom. I… I take full responsibility."

"Look," the man said quietly. "Even if she couldn't… Y'know. It would still have been an accident."

Asgore let out a low, mirthless laugh. "An accident that might have shredded peace between our species in other circumstances."

"I won't tell if you won't," Boyd said in jest.

.

Asgore cracked a tired smile. He lightly patted the man on the back. "I meant to ask," he said, "and, I apologize for putting any pressure on you, but would you happen to be aware of anything I should caution my people about here? I am aware humans don't exactly live deep in the forests any longer, but…"

"Ah. Not that I can think of, really," Boyd said. "There's that road way to the west, and it'd still probably be good not t'run into the middle of it, but the chances of someone comin' that way are almost nil."

"And why is that?" Asgore wondered.

"Same reason we've hardly seen any planes or crap like that since we got out here— and definitely nothin' right above us," he said. "Our tech starts to get unreliable close to your mountain. Especially the newer stuff. The more computer it is, the less it likes this area."

"Golly. That's… very interesting, actually, thank you," Asgore said.

Boyd nodded.

.

The huge monster gave him another affectionate pat on the shoulder and got to his feet. He glanced around. Everyone here looked so tired. Maybe the speech was best left until morning. He pulled his old phone from his robes and went onto the UnderNet, took a deep breath, and performed a taboo act— he tagged every single citizen of the underground in a message:

.

Howdy! This is your King, Asgore! Tonight is a night for celebration, but also for rest. I will give a big speech tomorrow morning, but since so many have already headed off to bed for the night, I will simply say, please stick to the safety of the clearings, keep your loved ones close, take comfort in the fresh air, and enjoy the stars! Have a lovely evening, all!

Love from, King Asgore Dreemurr

.

Sent. He winced and smiled bashfully as he heard phones begin chirping all around him and awkwardly waved to those nearby. Thankfully, nobody seemed very annoyed.

.

Asgore patrolled through every clearing once more, checking for anything worrisome. Much to his relief, he found nothing. As the moon rose high, he returned to where Toriel and the others were and found them all sound asleep in various cozy tents or shelters. The only one still out on a seat was Gaster, though it was a different stump than before. Asgore smiled fondly, scooped him up, and tucked him into a tent with the several puppies that were already inside.

.

As he went to sit down again, his eyes lingering on Toriel, something gave him pause. Asgore rushed back to where she rested and peered deep into the tent. Suzy was nestled up near the back, while her sister and the deer girl had dozed off sitting up, playing some game on their phones. But, Makena, who had been in a blanket right beside Toriel just a moment ago, was nowhere to be seen.

.

The huge monster straightened up quickly, his mismatched eyes probing the darkness, his floppy ears pricking at the base. "Makena?" he asked worriedly.

He didn't hear any answer. Gulping hard, he bent down to Toriel and shook her by the shoulder. "Toriel," he said urgently.

"Mm. What is it, you old goat?" she said softly.

"Mak is missing again," he said.

"…Nonsense, he's right…" Her hand went out to rest beside her, squishing down into the blankets. Her violet eyes shot right open. Her jaw dropped and she swiftly scrambled to her feet. "Where?!"

"I have no idea," he said. "He was there, and then gone."

.

Toriel bared her fangs and whipped around, eyes shooting from one tent to another. She tilted her snout into the air and gave a cautious sniff, then bolted to the edge of the trees. "Makena?" She tried to keep her voice calm and level. "Dear, where are you? Are you out here?"

Asgore's ears perked, as did hers. She heard no reply and looked to Asgore. He shook his head.

"You saw nothing?" Toriel asked.

He shook his head again. "It was in the time it took for me to walk from your tent to the fire."

"Oh no. Then… this is some time problem," she said. "Just like before." She grasped his shoulder. "Check around for some… edge. In the air. That might be it."

"I'm afraid your eyes are still better than mine in the dark," he said. "But I'll do my best."

.

Frantic urgency driving them, the two white-furred monsters delved into the deep shadows, following the faint trail of the human child's scent. They scoured the woods for a spot where the world was different— the light or the trees, some stray movement, anything. The only hints they had lead west, beyond the farthest of the monster clearings. It didn't seem possible— two grown monsters could cross that ground quickly and with ease but a little human boy, in the dark and on foot, doing the same didn't make any sense.

.

Worry sped their footsteps as they raced deeper into the forest. The scent trail was making less and less sense— stopping and starting again at random— but still pulled them westward.

"Makena, please, if you're out here…!" Toriel grimaced. "What on earth is going on?"

Asgore frowned. "I'm still not sure, I—" He clammed up and his ears lifted slightly.

Toriel didn't need to ask. She could hear it, too. A strange, muffled echo of voices. Toriel quickly ducked behind the thick trunk of a tree and yanked Asgore along with her. It was not quite big enough for them, but it was better than nothing. They froze in place and listened, but it was impossible to discern any words. They shared a look— Toriel shook her head.

"Same for me," Asgore said under his breath.

.

A strange glint of light caught the corner of Asgore's eye, peeking out behind some bushes and tree trunks. He gawked for a moment, then quietly beckoned Toriel towards it. She grimaced. She hardly had to get close to recognize what it was.

"Just like on the plateau," she said.

Asgore shook his head in bafflement. "How…?"

"I don't know." She prowled around it— it was only visible from one side— and swiftly gestured for Asgore to follow her. "Come. I still smell him this way."

"Should we try interacting with it?" Asgore asked, casting a glance back over his shoulder.

"I would highly recommend against it," she said. "Not without Sans or Gaster here."

"Ugh, I should have woken him," he muttered.

"Or I should have," she said. "It does not matter right now. We have to keep looking."

.

The strange voices, still unintelligible, carried like a distant echo between the tree trunks. The cadence of them was calling; searching, just as they were.

.

Some slope rose up ahead a little ways away. A twinkle of light cut the night, and they turned and headed towards it. Peeking out between trees, daylight shone through a crack in the air like a broken window. Past the trunks, peering up the slope, to look through the gap before them was to look into another world.

.

A strange vehicle, a car with multicoloured side panels, rested idly at the top of the slope. The legs of two humans could just barely be discerned. Swiftly, the monsters ducked aside, and they watched silently as whoever was up that slope came downwards, their words clearing up only as they passed by the gap in the world and vanished beyond the view of it. They were calling for Makena as well.

.

Toriel and Asgore locked eyes. His family? His parents? Toriel put a hand to her mouth. She took a deep breath and risked a longer look.

.

Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped. There he was. The boy, standing right at the edge of the world. She had no idea how he'd gotten there.

"Makena!" she called. "Be careful!"

The boy turned swiftly, eyes wide, and stepped backwards through into the daylight. He blinked and looked around, baffled. "Miss Toriel, I lost you again, I—"

.

Almost as soon as he had, the boy was beset by the two humans wailing and hugging, kissing his head; beaming with joy.

"How…?! Where did you come from?!" the woman asked, her voice shrill, snagging in the back of her throat.

"Mak, oh my god, where…? Come here, son, come here." The man wrapped Makena up in his arms and squeezed him so hard that the child made a noise a little like a duck before starting to laugh, tears pouring down his face.

.

Toriel's throat was tight, too. She watched, beaming, her eyes glistening. Asgore hurried to her side, holding her arm reassuringly.

.

"M-Mom! Dad—! I…" Mak sniffled and laughed, wiping his eyes. "I—! You won't believe it! I was at the Monster Kingdom!"

"Oh, sweetheart," his mother let out a choked laugh. "What a horrible—! We…! They told us not to look anymore, but we n-never gave up, we never—!"

"M-Mom, I'm okay! I'm fine! I p-promise."

His father cupped his cheek and smiled at him, wide and bright. "You look… You d-don't look like you've been lost for a week, do you?"

"Dad, I-I'm okay. They took care of me and everything," he assured them.

"Kiddo, we need to get you some water and something to eat, okay?"

"But I—!"

"Don't worry about a thing," the woman said gently. "C-Come on." She offered him her hand.

Makena nodded, but he turned back to the woods with a determined look on his face. "MISS TORIEL? MISTER KING? DOCTOR?" he shouted. "IF YOU'RE THERE! THANKS FOR LETTING ME LIVE IN YOUR HOUSE! I'M GONNA COME BACK SOMEDAY! I PROMISE! I'LL SEE YOU THEN! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR EVERYTHING! I LOVE YOU!"

.

He turned and took his mother's hand. She lead him up the slope. The human man turned back to unknowingly peer into the dark of night, straight at the King and Queen of monsters. He looked exhausted and his eyes were misty, but couldn't help a smile. He clasped a fist with his other hand and bowed his head for a moment.

"Whatever's out there. Thanks," he said under his breath before turning around quickly.

.

Toriel and Asgore shared a stunned, wide-eyed look.

"What…? What on earth did we just do?" Toriel asked. "He… He made it home." A smile strained her face. "Oh, god, I… What…? Was this… supposed to even be possible?"

Asgore's mouth dropped open. A gleam shone in his red eye and he drew in a sharp breath. He clapped his hands to his snout and tears dribbled down his cheeks.

"Asgore?" Toriel asked worriedly.

.

The great monster's knees buckled and he plunked down to the earth. Toriel yelped and ducked down, cautiously putting her hands on his shoulders.

"What…? What have we done?" she asked.

"Nothing." Asgore looked up into her eyes, beaming from ear to ear. "Nothing but good, Tori. F-For once. Nothing but good." He sniffled. "He… He kept that promise."

"How do you…?" Toriel's eyes went wide, her jaw falling agape. She took a moment to gather herself up, and, hesitantly at first, embraced him. "I see…" She blew out a sigh and her grip tightened around his massive shoulders. "Yes, Asgore. If… If that's what he chose, then, you did do good."

.

The huge monster let out a wheeze and clung tight to Toriel, burying his snout against her shoulder. She sighed quietly and rubbed his back. Though her heart ached and her mind tumbled, she'd let him sit there and weep on her robes. At least for a little while.