"So the timeline kept resetting over and over again..." Asgore reflected. "...Is there any chance that someone else could gain this power for themselves?"
"not at this point," Sans answered him. "the power to save and reset was altered for a different purpose; keeping az' from melting into a pile o' goop. i don't think he could even if he tried, with or without the determination."
"And even if I could, I...wouldn't really want to anymore," the prince assured them. "Resetting was the only thing that gave me a sense of...anything. Every time I did something new, I would feel some sort of tiny flicker; guilt, hope, I don't know...It was always gone before I could process it. But now that I have my SOUL back, I...I'm okay. I'm ready for whatever the future brings."
"My dear son..." Asgore rasped, holding his child in his arms. "...If only I'd known how to...I'm the one who put you through all of this. It was me who ordered Dr. Alphys to do the experiments in the first place. If you have any burden, cast it on me. I...I don't deserve this. I don't deserve any of this..."
Both of his parents were in tears. Asriel had explained everything to them; the plan Chara had devised for them, waking up as a flower, having no SOUL, discovering the power to Save and Reset, and the horrible things that he did in the deleted timelines as he continued to go mad from his lack of true emotion.
"No, Dad, it's okay," he promised. "You were just trying to do the right thing, I swear. In fact...This was all my fault from the beginning."
"The things Flowey did were not your fault, Asriel," his mother said to him. "If it could happen to you, it...It could have happened to anyone. Flowey was not who you are. Flowey was soulless. He was not YOU. And now we do not have to worry about him anymore, because you have your SOUL again, and you are not going anywhere..."
"No...I mean...before what happened," he corrected lightly. "I was the one who went along with Chara's plan. I should have told someone. I shouldn't have just...blindly tried to be the hero. It was stupid of me, and it was my fault you guys didn't know what got her so sick, and I didn't tell anyone and..."
A sob wracked his form, but he refrained from letting it hinder his speech.
"...I'm sorry I didn't tell you...I was a horrible brother for not doing anything to stop it, and now she's gone..."
They were about to defend him, but before any words could escape their muzzles, they realized that he had a point. He should have told them about what was really happening. And if he had, if they'd stopped all of this madness before it could start knowing what she was trying to do, then Chara would never have died, Asriel wouldn't have crossed the Barrier, and in turn wouldn't have been beat to death by the frightened humans, then turned into a souless flower.
"...I suppose, then, all of us had a part in this mess," Toriel surmised. "Chara started it with her plan, then you went along with it and got you both killed...And then Asgore was so grief-stricken that he ended up declaring war on the humans, and I was so upset that I left without trying to fix anything myself...It is not entirely the fault of one. All of us have done some...regrettable things, to certain extents."
She looked back at her ex-husband; she wasn't really sure what to think of him right now. On one hand he not only ordered for the death of six human children, but also Dr. Alphys' DETERMINATION experiments, and thus was responsible for the creation of Flowey...But, then again, if Flowey had never come to be, he wouldn't have absorbed the SOULs and used them to restore him back to his true self, and then Ginger wouldn't have gotten the chance to bring his own SOUL back to him and fully retain his form using her own powers. Asgore was the one who set Asriel up to return from the dead, in doing all of the otherwise terrible things he did.
She wasn't sure if she could stay with him anymore, but knowing that the intended good he'd been trying to accomplish had now come to be, and then some, she at least had to thank him for that.
Asgore looked into the cavern; the Barrier that once stood there had been gone for only a handful of hours, but it felt so much longer than that, for some reason. Some of the monsters had since made their way outside; mostly New Home and Hotland citizens, seeing that the ones from any further west would take quite a bit longer to arrive.
"I'll assemble the soldiers," Undyne told him. "Shouldn't be long!"
She dashed off into the cave, and the others stood outside in wait.
"So, Alphys..." Ginger addressed. "Since you guys are all going to be free now, did you have any plans?"
"Uh...W-well, I...I guess I'll see the sights, a-and go a few places so that..."
She trailed off.
"...No. I'm gonna be completely honest with you."
"What's-"
"I'm gonna sit at home in my pajamas all day and watch anime like a total loser!"
"THAT'S THE SPIRIT, DOCTOR!" Papyrus cheered, so loud and suddenly that it made Ginger jump out of her feathered skin and scamper back onto the ground. "AND I'LL BE THE BEST SPAGHETTI-COOKING AMBASSADOR OF MONSTERKIND THAT THE SURFACE WORLD HAS EVER SEEN! LOOK OUT, HUMANS! THERE'S A NEW SKELETON COMING TO TOWN AND HIS NAME IS THE GREAT PAPYRUS! NYEH HEH HEH HEH HEH HEH HEH!"
"Heh heh...Well, I mean, I-I'd have to find another job at some point, y-you know?"
"Yeah...I hear ya..." the owl nodded lightly. There was still a dim glimmer of sadness in her gaze.
"H-hey. It's okay," Alphys consoled, resting a clawed hand on her friend's back. "We'll see each other again."
"hey. it might even be more frequent if i ever decide to head on down to this beaks place and check it out for myself."
That was what made her perk back up.
"...You're right," she realized.
"Oh, what? That, uh, sh-shortcut thing you did?" Alphys piped up.
"that thing i tried with gettin' to the pine tree grove was a pretty big stroke of luck. usually, i have to get to a place on foot before i can cut to it, or else...well...one thing that could happen is for me to end up some place entirely different. i remember my first day as judge, and i tried to get to new home...when i hadn't been there yet. the next thing i know, i'm in this weird part of snowdin...full of dogs. i think that's where the one lives who keeps stealing papyrus' bone collection."
"A-HA! I'LL BE SURE TO HAVE A WORD OR TWO WITH THAT DOG WHEN NEXT I SEE IT! AND YOU CAN BET THAT THOSE WORDS ARE GOING TO BE 'STOP MAKING OFF WITH MY SPECIAL ATTACKS!'"
"i can imagine."
"So, all you need to do is step foot in the Beaks once, and you can instantly cut there?"
"probably. the only concern i have is that it's a lot farther away than what i normally do. but i could probably still pull it off."
"That sounds promising," she smiled.
"well...now that i know a lot of things are gonna be different, i might decide to keep some more of those...papyrus. next time you get the chance, whip me up some of your new spaghetti."
His brother beamed.
"...REALLY? YOU'RE FINALLY...NYEH! WILL DO, BROTHER!"
"So, now that you are going to be able to rejoin your friends," Toriel asked her. "What do you plan on doing with yourself next?"
"Well, I guess I'll be heading back to my hollow-sweet-hollow once I get back. And soon enough, I'll take up my old...my..."
She stopped, the smile slowly fading from her face.
"...I'll have to don my old battleclaws," she realized. "And...kill again. To serve the force."
Silence reigned. It dawned on Ginger that everything she'd learned underneath the mountain about the exercise of MERCY was going to go to waste in the Beaks...But didn't her duty as a Pure One still call her?
"...My dear child," the queen said to her. "I understand that this must be a difficult decision for you to make...If you cannot avoid the battlefield, then...might I make a suggestion?"
"What's that?"
"In times of peace, perhaps you could exercise what you have learned with us, and spread it throughout your own home as best you can. Who knows? If you can find more peaceful ways around things, you may find yourself having to go into battle less and less...I cannot make any promises, but it is worth a try, is it not?"
"I guess it is worth a shot," the owl nodded. "...But, you know...I don't think I'll ever fully escape the battlefield."
She remembered the first time she went into an actual battle, against a horde of crows. She'd felt an excited energy surge course through her. Battle was a thrilling aspect of her life as a Pure One. It strengthened the body and the spirit...but also hardened the heart. Yes, one had to be a bit cold and calculating to be a functioning soldier, but now knowing what she knew about the whole ordeal, she was beginning to see everything in a bit of a different light.
"...I won't lie; a part of me is...actually looking forward to getting back out there and stretching my claws. And at least I know that when I do go out and fight, I'm at least fighting for something good...Sometimes, people have to fight in order to maintain the peace you want, you know?"
"I couldn't have said it much better myself," Asgore commented. "Look, dear. Whatever you do, we will always be behind you. Isn't that why we're sending some members of the Royal Guard in to train with you? For this very purpose?"
"That is true..."
"You needn't worry," Toriel assured her. "You will be alright."
"Hey! Uh, this might sound sorta weird," Alphys added. "But I bet you owls look super cool when you're flying into battle! L-like some sort of force of winged knights flying in to defeat the dark lords!"
"Actually, it does look pretty awesome."
"Holy crap, that would actually make a KILLER anime! I gotta make some concept art!"
"...Concept art?"
"Uh...You know, like, w-weapon and armor interpretation, and stuff...? Uh...Never mind-"
"Hold ON, Al'. You don't think we could send any of your future concept art to us, do you? Gwyndor's always trying to craft new things for us; some of your ideas might just make it into the physical realm if we can use them well enough."
The raptor monster's eyes widened, and she practically squealed with excitement.
"Doyoureallythinkthatcouldhappen!?"
"There's always a chance. And knowing some of the things YOU can come up with, it's probably a good one."
"That sounds amazing~!"
The monster celebrated by scooping her owl friend up and squeezing her into a hug...And forgetting for a moment that Ginger wasn't exactly a five-foot human anymore.
"Too tight. Can't breathe..."
"Oh...S-sorry."
She loosened her grip.
"Thank you. I'd rather not get crushed today."
"Understood. Heh heh..."
Alphys put her down, then lightly scratched the top of her head.
"I-I wasn't expecting you guys to be so soft, you know?"
"It ain't just for show; that's what keeps our flight from bein' noisy."
"Alright, fellas, here we come!"
Undyne was returning from the caverns, several soldiers in tow. She skidded to a halt just feet away from the crowd.
"Hey featherbrain. Think he'll be happy with this?"
Ginger looked up at the monsters Metal Beak had requested. The two dragons were crimson red and aqua blue respectively, sporting contrasting auras of fire and water, and they each stood at a very impressive seven feet tall. The five Whimsalot looked similar to the ones she'd encountered in the CORE, perhaps slightly differing in their shades of grey and beige, but they were all armed with their signature helmets and double-edged spears, and the rugged-looking band of Snowdrakes each sported confident smirks.
"Oh, yeah. He'll like what he sees."
"well, i s'pose it's time we head on back down there," Sans suggested. "you wanna go the long way again?"
"I guess we can," she decided. "The Pure Ones can wait a LITTLE longer, as long as we keep a brisk pace."
"you got it, kiddo," he smiled, flashing a thumbs-up. "...hey, guard guys. can you fly on over there?"
"As sure as the sun has risen upon us," one of the Whimsalot saluted. "Where is the grove?"
"just eight miles off to the southeast."
"Excellent. We'll get there in no time," the red dragon nodded. "Alright, fellas, let's move out!"
They all took to the skies. Ginger watched them fly, and was impressed by just how fast they were. Another thing for the High Tyto to marvel at.
"alright, everyone," the skeleton told the group. "you heard the bird. let's get a move on."
"Wait, WAIT! Hold yer horses, there, fellas!"
The familiar voice came from the cave, and everyone turned to see a certain elderly tortoise monster marching out from the darkness, slowly but steadily.
"Heh...These old bones o' mine might be sturdy 'nuff, but I ain't gettin' any faster...!"
"Gerson!"
The fish monster ran to meet him. He was already stepping out into the sunlight when she made it to her old idol.
"Heh...Never did think I'd see the sun again," he said to himself. "I heard 'bout what was goin' on, so I went and got a head start. Took me long enough! Wah hah hah hah!"
"It's great, ain't it?" Undyne agreed. "We're, uh...While you were in there, some other things happened."
"Oh, really? What exactly? Eh...Say, where'd the human get herself off to?"
"Uh...Right here, Mr. Gerson."
The old tortoise monster looked down at his feet to see a feathered creature, barely a foot tall, coming to face him.
"Didn't think we'd meet again so soon," she remarked.
"What in the...Am I finally losin' it? That ain't really you, General, is it?"
"You'd be surprised."
"HA! Well, THIS ain't exactly somethin' you see everyday! How in the Sam Hill did you get from up THERE to down HERE?" he asked, marking her present and former height with his hand.
"Well, part of that went into bring him back."
"Bringing-"
He looked over to where the owl was pointing, and, lo and behold, he found himself looking at the spitting image of the dead prince.
"Uh...Hi, Mr. Gerson, sir," he waved. "Been a while, huh?"
"...Alright, now I'm SURE I've done lost it. I'd swear I'm staring at the dearly departed Prince Asriel right about now."
"You are, old friend," Asgore assured him. "It was no less than a miracle it occurred."
"...It's really you, boy?"
Asriel nodded.
"...Stick me in the ocean and call me a loggerhead. First the Barrier breaks, then the human's a bird, then the prince comes back from the doggone dead...Sheesh! It'll take me at least a month to wrap my head 'round all this!"
"I'll explain it as we go along," Ginger assured him. "Just grab onto the skeleton and prepare yourself. Things are about to get even weirder."
...
"...They really ARE dragons."
"Mr. High Tyto, sir," Undyne introduced. "These two big ones are Corporals Fakkel and Foss."
"Pleasure to be of service, your Pureness, sir," Fakkel, the red dragon, nodded. Foss, a dragoness, gave her own testament.
"Captain Undyne explained the situation with the parcel you were willing to grant us. How soon after we arrive in the Kingdoms will we be able to start working on the land?"
"Well, as...As soon as you arrive, if you want," he answered them, still in a bit of a daze. "Ha...dragons..."
"And these five are Sirs Whitman, Whalton, Whinston, Whinslow and Whilhelm."
"Oh, oh, yes. Erm...Are you all...moths?"
"In a way, sir," one of the Whimsalot replied. "But don't be fooled. We are well-trained and will fight vigilantly for you. For any noble cause."
"Interesting...Just don't fly into any lights."
"Oh, no, sir. We've long since learned to resist the temptation of lamps."
"And finally, the five Snowdrakes," the captain continued. "These five rustlers are Cooldrake, Icedrake, Bluedrake, Winddrake and Pinedrake."
Metal Beak blinked. The appearance was not particularly odd to him. In fact, they looked somewhat akin to robust Snowy Owls. It was their NAMES that he was surprised by.
"Those are all your...actual names?" he asked them. "Like...your birth names?"
"Yeah," Icedrake, one of the two hens in the group, confirmed. "We monsters aren't exactly the best at naming things...It's practically a part of our culture."
"Well...I don't mean to insult you, but if any of you might be interested, I might be willing to assign you all...Pure One names, if you wish to earn them."
"Pure One names?" Pinedrake asked.
"Yes, yes. Names assigned by me and my dear Ablah General. A lot of Pure Ones wish for the privilege to be granted one...Especially those who particularly despised the names their parents gave them. Isn't that right, Bartholomew?"
"Please, sir. Spare me."
Uglamore rolled his eyes. It might have sounded a bit gross at first, but 'Uglamore' was definitely more intimidating than 'Bartholomew.'
"As for my soldiers that will assist you monsters, I have them all assembled here," the Sooty Owl continued, motioning to the dozen soldiers behind him. They'd all removed their uniform iron helmets so that their faces could be seen.
"These are Lieutenants Blyrric, Wortmore and Uglamore, Corporals Kylor, Scourge, Titus, Brutus and Firethorn, and Cadets Cedar, Gebbles, Marlow, and Nash. May they guide you with their gizzards and guard you with their strength."
"We're at your aid," Kylor, a Lesser Sooty Owl, saluted.
"I'm looking forward to this, really," Blyrric, a Tyto Alba, smirked. "I'm as curious about you monsters as his Pureness himself."
"You weren't kidding about the dragons..." Gebbles awed. She was a Red Owl, and her deep brown eyes shone with amazement at the monsters.
"Nope, we weren't," Undyne shrugged. She turned to the Royal Guard members.
"Do 'em well, fellas, ya hear?"
They all saluted to the captain, and with a final nod, the monsters went to join the rest of the Pure Ones, and vice versa. Undyne went back to join her party of friends; Ginger was busy explaining the situation to Gerson, and her two fellow slipgizzles, Valdimore and Allomere, were present with her. Supposedly, she'd introduced them to him.
"So, you two are Valdimore and Allomere, eh?" he asked, peering down at them.
"Yes, sir, that we are," the former nodded. The tortoise let out a raspy chuckle at what he was seeing.
"I, uh...I gotta say, I imagined you two a lot taller."
He continued to laugh, and Allomere rose his feathery eyebrows, not amused by the apparent stature joke.
"Does that notion strike you as amusing, sir?"
"Eyyyup."
He laughed harder, and the Great Grey rolled his eyes.
"We've got another Ezylryb on our talons," he whispered to the Eagle Owl.
"Oh, give it a blow, old chap. At least he's fond of us."
"Say, if you two ever come to the mainland along with me, you've GOTTA see some of the movies the humans make," their student told them.
"Er...Movies, child?"
"Jurassic Park III's a blast. I swear, you'll LOVE it. A lot of Pure Ones might."
"Oh, no. Uh, I-I should warn you guys, it's gory," Alphys put in.
"Oh, dear me," Toriel gasped.
"I like the sound of it..." Valdimore grinned.
"You know, it's weird, but..." Ginger realized. "Allomere, I swear you sound EXACTLY like the main character, just with a different accent."
"That's ridiculous," he smirked, actually somewhat entertained by this notion. "What could possibly make you think that?"
"HMM...MAYBE THEY SHOULD CALL YOU 'ALAN-MERE' INSTEAD."
Sans and the General slowly turned to face him, and after staring at Papyrus for a good, long few moments, they each held back a loud burst of hysterical laughter.
"you do know what you just did, right?"
"OF COURSE, BROTHER! I MADE A WITTY PLAY ON WORDS!"
"yeah, uh...that's called a pun."
Now it was Papyrus' turn to freeze. And then, suddenly.
"YOU TWO ARE SO TERRIBLE THAT YOU'RE EVEN RUBBING OFF ON THE GREAT PAPYRUS!" he lamented, falling to his knees.
"How's it hangin, fellas?" the fish monster asked everyone.
"I must say, Undyne," Asgore answered her. "All of this, in a way, is pretty amusing. We've barely been on the surface for a handful of hours, and we've already established an alliance...And our newfound friends just so happen to be a legion of owls that come from across the ocean."
"I know...It is pretty crazy, huh?"
"hey, at least i know why you were flappin' your arms like a weirdo when you were goin' up against my brother, eh, kid?"
"Oh, uh...Yeah. It was an instinctive thing."
"that didn't stop it from lookin' ridiculous. i was bustin' my sides when i saw you do that."
"WERE you, now?"
"Darn! I missed that!" Undyne exclaimed, stamping her boot on the ground.
"Yeah, good thing you did, or I'd never be hearing the end of it!"
The group burst out laughing.
"Attention, Pure Ones!" Nyra called out from the top of the tallest tree. "We are now preparing our departure from the mainland for the Beaks! Gather on the southwest edge of the grove for the massing! I repeat! Gather on the southwest edge of the grove for massing!"
"Hey, come on, fellas!" Ginger said to her monster friends as Valdimore and Allomere took off ahead of her. "You guys can watch everyone take off!"
"Oh, wow! Sounds cool!" Asriel exclaimed, excitedly following after the young owl as she spread her own wings and began flying low to the ground. Everyone else ran after her, and it wasn't long until they reached the site of the massing. The entire southwest portion of the pine tree grove was crowded with the assembly of owls and monsters, covering the grassy ground that surrounded the area. The deciduous forest, painted with warm, autumnal colors, stretched on for miles, and while they couldn't see it from the ground, the nearest civilization was bedded down among the wilderness just east the flight path the Pure Ones would take.
Ginger gathered with the other four trainee owls, the monsters behind her, watching the scene. The High Tyto stood in front of the massive crowd, and Nyra scanned over the fleet, calling role as she looked over the names written down on her unfurled parchment. All owls on the list, now including the dozen of monsters that had been swapped out for the dozen Pure One soldiers, were present so far, and then Nyra came to the last soldiers on the list; the five trainees.
"Vaygar?"
"Right here."
"Phillip?"
"Present."
"Uklah?"
"Here!"
"Kludd?"
"Ready to go."
"Ginger?"
Silence.
"...Ginger?"
"Oh, uh, right here!"
She turned around, having been absorbed in her monster company. The Ablah General sighed, and came to face the young Tyto.
"...Perhaps you'd like a moment to say goodbye to them?"
The General hung her head lower, giving a barely discernible nod in response.
"You know, if you think it best, I suppose I could switch out one of the soldiers meant to stay here so you could take on the duties of protecting your friends."
"That does sound nice," she admitted. "But, I mean...I just got back here. I can't just...abandon you guys all over again."
"You never abandoned us, young one," Nyra assured her. "And even if you decide to stay, you would not be abandoning us, then. As long as you remain steadfast to what we stand for, you will always be a Pure One, no matter how far away from the Owl Kingdoms you might be."
She smiled up at the white owl, then turned back to face her monster friends again.
"We'll take care of ya," Asriel said to her. "...We promise."
It was all very tempting...But Ginger knew where she had to be right now: back in the Beaks. And despite her having made all of these wonderful friends during her time in the Underground, she missed the palace of the Pure Ones, and her training regiments with her fellow Pure Ones, and her stone hollow nestled in the rocky crevices. It was her calling. Her duty.
Her home.
She shook her head at the monsters in decline.
"...I have places to go."
Toriel nodded.
"We understand."
They watched as the young owl, who'd helped them through so many hardships, approach. She came to the skeleton brothers first.
"...Guess we'll be seeing each other, huh?"
"don't sweat it. can't do it now, but i'll hitch a ride on a dragon over there one of these days so we can hang."
"That's a pretty FLY idea."
"jeez, kid...you're a CHIRP off the old block."
"Ha!"
Papyrus sniffled as he bent down, eye sockets wet with tears.
"I GUESS...YOU'RE LEAVING FOR REAL NOW...OH, I'M NOT READY TO SAY GOODBYE, EITHER!"
He took the owl in his gloved hands and drew her right to him. Sans joined in, putting an arm around his brother.
"s'alright, bro...she'll be back."
"Hey...Papyrus. You know what?"
"WHAT...?"
And then she said it.
"Alan."
His eyes widened in shock, and slowly, a smile inched across his face.
"...HEH...HEH! NYEH HEH HEH HEH HEH HEH!"
One last smile and one last laugh was all she needed to hear before she left him.
"HEH...I THINK I'LL BE ALRIGHT, FRIEND."
"Make sure you show the humans your amazing spaghetti-cooking techniques, alright?"
"WILL DO! GOOD LUCK OUT THERE!"
"Hey! I'm the one who taught him all that! What about me?"
The fish monster stepped forward. Ginger smirked, then rolled her eyes in an amused manner.
"Don't scare all the humans off with your happy-slappy spear throwing, ya hear?"
Undyne scoffed.
"Jeez...How do they stand you over there?"
"Ditto."
The captain let out an exasperated groan, pinching where her sinuses would be if she had a nose.
"I swear, I'm gonna sneak up on you and get you good one of these days."
"Try me...Duel. Next time we meet. Doesn't matter when, doesn't matter where. And don't hold anything back...Next time, you'll be able to see how I REALLY fight."
"Oh, ho ho ho ho, HELL yeah! I'm lookin' forward to it!"
To finish it off, they locked their hand and feathers to seal the deal, and Undyne reached down with her other hand to lightly cuff the bird's head off to the side, fish clenched.
"Ah, see you 'round, punk."
"Later, fish-face."
Ginger turned away from Undyne, and then came to face her significant other. Alphys smiled, but was trying to blink away her own tears at the same time.
"You'll be able to get along without me, right?"
"Yeah..." she nodded. "Th-thanks for all you did t-to help me."
"Don't mention it, pal. Heh...You know, it might not be right to think, but I'm gonna miss standing taller than you."
"I...I w-wouldn't be standing h-here at all i-if it weren't f-for you."
She sniveled, and the tears broke free.
"I'm sorry..." she sobbed. "C-can I just have w-one more hug b-before you go...?"
The young owl didn't say anything, instead just stepping closer and letting Alphys stoop down to pick her back up and hold her close.
"I'll miss you..."
"Same to you."
The monster stifled another sob, squeezing her just a bit tighter. Ginger reached a wing out to rest on her back, using her other one to wipe away her friend's tears.
"It'll be okay, Al'..."
"I-I know. I just...don't really like goodbyes."
"Would 'see you soon' do better?"
Alphys smiled through her tears.
"Yeah. That...sounds better."
"Next time we meet up, show me some more of that anime you got, okay?"
"Heh heh...Okay. S-sounds like fun."
She put her down, giving her one last pat on the head.
"Y-you're a great friend," the raptor nodded, raising her hand in a small wave. "Good luck."
"See you soon, Alphys."
And then, Ginger turned to the Dreemurrs; Toriel, Asgore, and Asriel were all standing there, waiting for her to come near. And she didn't keep them waiting.
Toriel bent down first.
"Stay safe out there, dear," Toriel bid her.
"Hey, thanks for all the help back in the Ruins. Did me a lot of good in the long run."
"You know, you ought to have some snail pie the next time we meet. I remember you saying that it sounded appetizing..."
"And now you know why."
The Boss Monster giggled, resting a gentle paw atop the Barn Owl's head for a moment.
"Yes, I suppose I do."
Asgore approached.
"Always strive to do the right thing," he nodded. "And above all, never give up hope."
"I'll fight for you monsters as well as I do my own kin," she promised the monster king, raising her wing into a salute.
"Thank you, child, for being there for me. For all of us, when we needed it."
He lifted her up in his paws and brought her in for an embrace of his own.
"Make sure everyone else is safe for me, alright?" she asked him.
"Will do."
He put her down, and then...
The prince came forward. There was a grateful glint in his hazel eyes.
"Y-you know..." he began. "If it hadn't been for you deciding to come into the Ruins, I...I wouldn't be here. Flowey's gone. I'm here. This is all real. I...I have my life back."
"And you're gonna live it out to the fullest, ya hear me?"
Asriel wiped his eyes on his striped sleeve.
"Heh...I've really gotta get over this crybaby stuff."
"Come on, Az', you guys are all rubbin' off on me."
He got down onto his knees, and the two children, whose roles in this pivotal event would be forever cemented in history, stood there, arms and wings around one another, as it had been in the void, and in the Ruins. They'd done it. They were alive. They were free. Their business was finished.
And now, both of them could finally go home.
They parted from each other, and Ginger backed away from the crowd. Everyone she had come to know and love beneath the mountain was there. They were ready.
And so was she.
"Ready to depart, Tyto?" Nyra asked her.
Ginger turned to face the Ablah General, and, sporting a confident smile across her beak, nodded.
"I'm ready."
She turned to join her party of owls, and readied her wings for takeoff.
"we'll send you a postcard now and then."
"Complete with whoopie cushions?"
"maybe."
"F-fly safely, okay!?"
"Will do, Alphys!"
"Alright, Pure Ones! Attention!"
Ginger and her fellow Tytos looked ahead, forms stiff and wings ready to open. And then, Nyra gave the command.
"Takeoff!"
With a push of her legs and a flap of her wings, she was airborne, and so were the other trainees, the monsters, and the other Pure One soldiers returning to the Beaks. In mere moments, the sky to the southwest was almost obscured by dark silhouettes of the flyers, soaring higher into the morning sky. The seven on the ground watched the spectacle, in awe of the sight of the fleet. As they flew onward, Ginger looked back down at her old comrades one last time.
They were all waving goodbye.
And, just before they disappeared beneath the forest below, the young General sounded off a shrill screech. It was both a parting farewell and a cry of victory, and it echoed across the vast autumn woodland.
The band of monsters kept waving until both she and her fellow flyers had completely vanished into the horizon.
"so...now what?" Sans shrugged.
"Well..." Asgore pondered. "I suppose we will have to...find a few humans to start things out with."
"Do you think they will turn hostile when they see us?" Toriel worried.
"Hey, I-I think I have an idea!" Alphys exclaimed. "Since the Barrier's gone, I-I might be able to get service on my phone from somewhere! If I can find a hotspot, o-or somewhere else where the connecting is strong enough, then we could communicate with the humans over the phone, o-or via radio frequency! Y-you know, to prepare them for, uh, what they're gonna see."
"Alphys, that's a marvelous idea!" the king beamed.
"Ha...Y-you really think so?"
"THINK so? Alphy, you're a GENIUS!"
Undyne tackled her by surprise, then lifted her up and spun around with her in her arms.
"Aw...C-come on, you guys are makin' me go all pink again."
"Not enough for me! And now that those birdbrains are finally gone, I can do THIS again!"
In one swift motion, the fish monster leaned in and pressed her lips right against those of her sweetheart. It took her a moment to register what'd happened from the sheer shock of it, but once she did, Alphys kissed her right back, and they stayed like that for a few good, long moments before breaking apart. At that point, the smaller monster was blushing so hard, even the feathers on her head almost looked orange.
"...Wow," she huffed, practically having swooned in Undyne's arms.
"There's gonna be plenty more where that came from down the road, Al'. Ya better be ready for it!"
"This is a new beginning for all of us," Asgore nodded. "Erm...Toriel. I know that...you must not be very fond of me right about now, but...S-since we have Asriel back, and we finally made it to the surface again, do you think that maybe we could..."
He scratched the back of his head.
"You know...try again sometime?"
Toriel cast a glance off to the left, letting out a long, uncertain sigh before giving her answer.
"We will see about that. In the mean time, I say we simply cooperate as representatives to help forward our progress. One step at a time, alright, Asgore?"
"Yes, Toriel."
"King Asgore. Lieutenant Blyrric reporting," one of their Pure One protectors said to him, now wearing his iron helmet. "Would you care for me and a handful of the underlings to retrieve supplies from Mount Ebott in the case you have to camp out here for the night? Food, water, shelter supplies, the like?"
"That would be splendid, Lieutenant. You shall depart effective immediately."
"Yes, sir. Alright, Tytos, let's move!"
Four of the other owls took off behind him towards the mountain.
The seven monsters looked to the sky; bright and blue. Whatever happened between monsters and humans, he knew that now, he could rest assured that in the end, everything would fall into place, and everything would turn out just fine.
The future was now. And the best was yet to come.
...
...
...
The tips of the rock spires could just barely be seen through the mist, and the black sand shore of the Beaks rose over the horizon. It wasn't long until the surface beneath the fleet turned from endless ocean to solid, stone ground, and in time, the most massive of all the spires, the Pure One Palace, came into clear view. The next thing they knew, they were drawing near the entryway into the open cave system, which would lead into the palace itself. Ginger knew this place very well, and her eyes grew moist at the sight of it. For a good while, she thought she would never see this place again.
And now she was here.
"Alert Stryker! His Pureness has returned with his fleet!" one of the soldiers spying their leaders hollered as he watched them come in. "Go on and spread the...Spread..."
THAT was when the soldier took note of the armed insects, giant birds and(especially) the image of two immense dragons flying alongside the fleet in place of a dozen owls.
And he went yeep right then and there, where he stood.
"Prepare for descent!" Nyra called out. The eight armed soldiers, the trainees and he monsters all followed after the Ablah General and High Tyto as they slowed their flight, then alighted on the stone floor. The sound of many sets of claws clicking against the rock sounded out through the castle walls.
Several other Pure Ones were present witnessing the scene, and they were terrified and awestruck by the strange creatures that their leader had brought with him from the mainland. In an instant, the entire Throne Room was ablaze with questions.
"Please, soldiers, one at a time!" Metal Beak nearly screamed. His outburst got the entire room quiet in an instant.
"Now...I'll explain everything in time. As of now, just be aware that these unfamiliar creatures come in peace."
"Are those dragons!?"
"What did I just say?"
More bantering and verbal chaos ensued, and drowned out the High Tyto's words. It wasn't until the arrival of another owl that things finally calmed.
"Order, order in the palace! What's going on!?"
The large, rugged Barn Owl stepped out of the crowd, now going silent again as he approached to assess the situation A scar showed across his stomach, and in several other places on his battle-worn form, and his eyes flashed with an old thirst for combat, oblivious to what exactly the attention of the crowd was directed at.
"Your Pureness," he addressed. "You've returned, I see."
"Anything involving certain enemy forces occur during my absence, General Stryker?"
"Negative, sir. All things went as according to routine."
"Excellent. Now, I don't suppose you've noticed the certain band of temporary recruits behind me, have you?"
"What? Eagles, perhaps?" he surmised, taking a look behind the king to see the newcomers. "Well, I say we..."
Definitely not eagles.
"...What in the name of Lord Glaux..."
"General Stryker, these are monsters. According to local legend of where we met with the A.F.F., the race was hidden beneath a mountain for a millennia, only to resurface at the aid of a certain couple of aspiring youth within recent days. They are weaker defensively, as their bodies are composed mostly of magic...But their attacking capabilities are something to behold, and I am certain we can utilize them for the battles to come. Plus, they have agreed to help prepare the barren parcel which the Guardians use to launch their attacks on us in turn for a number of our own soldiers stationed on the mainland."
Stryker was dumbfounded by all of this. So much so, that it didn't even make sense to him.
"...What?"
"I'll explain later. I've positions to assign these new members of the force."
The old Sooty Owl turned.
"Alright, you fellows. Before we have you set off for the parcel, I might see if I can have Gwyndor fit you for some weapons..."
His voice grew indistinct as he departed from the rest of the crowd. Nyra, Ginger and the other four trainees broke away from the crowd, leading a particularly worn out Ginger to her quarters.
"Quite a trip, eh?" Uklah remarked. "You look about ready to keel over."
"I could use the break," the General nodded. "Last week was just..."
She sighed, shaking her head.
"Think you'll be up for a bit o' training tomorrow night?" Vaygar questioned.
"I'm not sure...We'll see, I guess."
She seemed a bit despondent, and in somewhat of a daze.
Maybe she's still depressed about leaving her friends... Phillip assumed.
"Would you, uh, like our company for a while?" he offered.
"No, I...I think I just want to rest for a bit."
"It is fairly late in the day; I believe we were awake for a good day and a half, actually," Nyra acknowledged. "And I can imagine you had a very eventful week...Perhaps at Tweener tomorrow, you'd like to explain some of what you did underneath Mount Ebott to us? I would think it must be fairly fascinating."
Ginger nodded lightly as they all came to stand before her hollow.
"...Well, here we are, Tyto. Your old quarters. Just the same as how you left them."
She stared up at them. This was real. She was really here. Home. And back to normal.
"Erm...Ginger? Are you quite al-"
She was cut off when the child swiftly spun to face her and flung her wings around her. Nyra was about to ask what the problem was, but the suppressed snivel of a sob that came from the owlet was all the answer she needed.
"I thought I'd never see any of you again..."
The white owl sighed, putting her own wing over her student.
"Come now, young one," she consoled. "You're back, now. You needn't worry anymore."
Vaygar's eyes widened at the scene. Of all the owls he would expect to break down in their squadron, Ginger was at the bottom of that list. Whatever she'd gone through beneath that mountain, it must have done something particularly altering to her tempered spirit.
"And look what you've done, child," Nyra continued. "You defied the odds. Survived the Underground, brought their prince back, and in doing so, ultimately helped to save their entire race from eventual extinction! And on top of that, you lead them here to aid in our cause!"
"Heh..."
She pulled away from the Ablah General, wiping her face dry on her wing.
"There is a reason, owlet, that you were bestowed with the title of General," she explained. "You have achieved greatness. And you are destined for even greater to come. And wherever the currents of life lead you, we will all be behind you."
Ginger turned to face her fellow Pure Ones in training. Uklah. Phillip. Vaygar. Kludd. All of them were there to accompany her in the journey of life.
And so would her friends on the mainland.
Kludd stepped forward, glancing off to the side a bit.
"So..." he began. "I know you just got back and all, but...Maybe tomorrow night, if you're up for it, we could go night-flying for a bit? I mean, if you're not busy, or-"
"I might take you up on that."
"Oh, really?"
She nodded.
"Oh...Well, er...That sounds good. Good...Em...So...turning in?"
She nodded.
"Alright, then. I'll...we'll see you tomorrow."
"G'light, Kludd."
"You, too."
"Hey," Uklah said to her. "...Glad you're back."
Ginger smiled at her.
"It's good to be back."
The other owlets turned away. Nyra lead the young General into the hollow, and she readily stepped into her downy nest and bedded down to roost.
"I'll go easy on the training for tomorrow," she notified her. "Maybe have a bit of a bigger evening meal in celebration for the current events. Yes, I know we just had one on the mainland, but I must admit, I've taken a liking to meal gatherings as of late. They give off a nice, homey aura, don't they?"
"They do..." Ginger yawned.
"Proud of you, General," Nyra finished, turning and stepping out of the stone hollow.
"Hey...Nyra?"
She swiveled her head around. THAT got her attention; nary a soul beneath her ever addressed her by informally. But it wasn't out of lack of respect for her authority. Rather it seemed more...personal.
"Yes, owlet?"
"Would...it be an issue for some of the guys from the mainland to visit every so often if they can?"
"They can always come, Ginger," she nodded. "Always."
"Heh..."
Her drowsiness was catching up to her mind, and she let out another yawn.
"Tell the guys I said goodnight..."
Nyra let out a soft quip of a laugh.
"Will do."
She stepped out of the stone hollow, pinching the lit candle beside the door out.
"...Goodnight, Ginger."
Nyra left, and the owlet curled into her nest, content.
"...Goodnight, everyone," she mumbled to herself. "...See you soon."
It was odd, but right before she drifted off, she could have sworn she smelled the sweet scent of Golden Flowers wafting up from somewhere below.