Here's a chapter for ya! A rather exposition-heavy one, though.

We'll be discovering what the heck was going on with Alphys in the previous chapter, and exactly why she was attacked. And with those reasons, there will be a new mission in the making!

A New Arc has begun. I do wonder what's gonna happen within it? Probably somethin' big, I wonder?

Meh. Wondering won't get us anywhere, so I'm just gonna start this.

Is Alphys okay?!

Undyne: *Silent snarling*

...for my sake, she'd better be...

Chapter Start!

"...hys...Alphys...Alphys!"

Alphys slowly opened her eyes as she tried to gain her bearings. She was in a room, most likely hers...no, it was definitely hers. She recognized her Mew Mew Kissy Cutie poster anywhere. And she also realized that she wasn't alone in her room. Obviously the first person she saw was her lover Undyne standing over her, the look of concern on her face was enough to make her soul crack slightly. But that crack healed swiftly as the expression as replaced with a relieved smile. Right next to her was MK, who was also looking chipper once Alphys began waking up. It was pretty clear that he was crying, given the dry lines running down his cheeks. He didn't have any arms of his own to wipe them away, so he let them run.

Alphys was about to speak, but was abruptly cut off as Undyne sat down next to her and pulled her into a hug. "You're alright...!"

The yellow lizard sighed a bit at how gently Undyne hugged her, she really was worried. She laughed awkwardly and rubbed her neck. "So much for relaxing, huh? That didn't really go according to plan..."

"Yeah. You've been out for a couple hours now. Toriel fixed you up with healing magic, though she said we had to let you rest." Undyne said as she took hold of one of Alphys' paws and tenderly kisses it, holding it with both of her hands. "How are you feeling...?"

"Much better, now that you're here." Alphys said honestly, blushing crimson and smiling nervously. Her attention turns to MK, reaching out and patting the top of his head. "Hey...are you doing alright?"

"Y-Yo...I'm fine! I just wanted to know that you were okay. And to thank you!" MK smiled, nuzzling her paw softly. "I also wanted to thank you for saving me!"

Alphys blinked and tilted her head softly. "...I'm sorry. Most of what happened was a bit of a blur. Can either of you tell me what happened? I remember doing something amazing...but I don't even know what it is."

"I think I can explain." Geno Alphys said as she slowly pushed the door open to the room. She was immediately followed by Toriel, Asgore, Asriel, and Sans. Geno Alphys shifted her glasses into place as she gently patted her counterpart's head with a soft smile. "First, glad to see you're recovering quickly. There are factors going into that, but it's still a relief."

Alphys smiled as she softly nodded. "Yeah, thanks."

"Second of all, I'm pretty sure you're wondering what's happened to you after some jackass tried to kill you. We'll get to him when I finish explaining what's going on with you. But first, you have to tell me something. Do you feel any different?"

Alphys gently pawed her chest a bit, feeling her soul pulse. it wasn't the exact same pulse though. It felt much stronger and reinforced, and much calmer for some reason. "I...I do feel a bit different. But I'm not sure how...or even why..."

"I'll be able to help you explain both of those things with a little help. But before I do that, I have to show you your soul first." Geno Alphys turned towards Sans and nodded. "I'm gonna need your help with this. Call her soul out."

"yeah." Sans gently took hold of Alphys' soul and brought it outwards. She was surprised for a bit, mostly unprepared for the sudden grasp. Alphys saw her soul before her eyes, and saw something strange about it. It was pulsing even stronger than ever before. And every time it pulsed, a rainbow outline would appear around it before it turned to normal. It was different than Asriel's Rainbow Soul, because his was rainbow at all times. "looks pretty, don't it? and not only that, it's generating much more power than before. and you're not gonna believe why that is." Sans watched her face contort in slight confusion. "ha. believe me, i was just as surprised as you were. as well as the rest of us. you remember asriel's empowerment, his angel's blessing?"

Alphys nodded, and she was slightly embarrassed that she wasn't understanding as easily as they were. "Yes. Asriel's Angel's Blessing is one of the things he did to defy the rules of our world. He enhanced the souls of every monster in the Underground so that our weakness to negative emotions would be completely erased. On top of that, it made us muh stronger, especially myself, Sans, Papyrus, Undyne, Toriel, and Asgore. Our souls pulsed the strongest, and Asriel did it so we could retaliate against Chara. Is there more to this that I'm not aware of yet? Or is it something new?"

Asgore stroked his beard in a sagely manner, watching Alphys' soul curiously. "I believe Geno Alphys gave us an idea of what this progress might be. I believe she called it...'Magic Awakening'. Our souls are much stronger because of Asriel's Angel's Blessing, though it did much more than give us more power. It's dramatically increased our overall potential with magic proficiency. We've been honing our magic skills for a while, as well as our control over it. And as we did those things...let's say that we monsters have reached an entirely new range of magic abilities."

"Our versatility with magic has increased even further than ever before. And once again, it extends about as far as our creativity will allow. Of course our bodies have to be able to handle it as well." Asriel explained a bit for some bits of clarification, though he seemed a bit unsure. Explaining things in this sort of manner still wasn't entirely within his skill-set. "And you were the first one, at least as far as we know, to 'Awaken', Alphys. And from what we can tell, your true potential lies within techno-magic."

Alphys blinked in surprise as Sans released her soul, allowing it to return to her body. She gently pawed the place where it re-entered. "Woah...Techno-magic? You mean the power to use a combination of technology and magic? I actually have that?"

"That's right. Techno-magic is what your deepest potential relies on, given your skills in technology and the study of magic." Geno Alphys said as she continued to adjust her glasses. "You have to admit that it makes quite a lot of sense, doesn't it? Of course the former Royal Scientist would be capable of such a thing, it makes you downright amazing to have such a versatile and unique magic ability such as that one. You've got quite an impressive and versatile power to work with, I can tell you that much! Technology and Magic coming together is can be quite a force to be reckoned with...if you manage it right. And luckily for you, something like this is more dependent on the mind. Which means the only limits you have to this power is your stamina, your imagination, and your concept of whatever technology you're thinking of. And that tech can be infused with magic, as well!"

Toriel clasped her paws and nodded. "If there's anything that I've learned from you, Alphys...is that technology can be just as wide-reaching as magic. And with that knowledge, if one were to use both of them at once, perhaps even in unison...that would create near endless possibilities. As long as you're able to handle it, of course."

Geno Alphys folded her arms and grinned fanatically. "Now then, do you wanna hear the cool stuff you're currently able to do with this magic?"

Alphys nodded numbly, a bit startled by her counterpart's enthusiasm. "I guess so, because I was just doing whatever I could to protect myself and MK, I didn't really think about what I could do that much."

"Well then, allow me to break it down for ya!" She beamed, adjusting her glasses again with an eager smile. "From what MK said he saw, you're capable of quite a bit of stuff for just starting out. First off you're able to summon pods that can shoot lasers. not a bad start at all. You're also able to manifest bombs and manifest force-fields. Again, not bad. From those observations, I can take a guess that you're capable of manifesting some degrees of technology that you can manipulate however you wish. Basically you're capable of techno-spellcasting. And of course we know about your lightning magic. But what's really got me interested in your development is when you applied that power directly to yourself."

"Applied it to myself...?"

"That's right. Techno-Magical Remolding. Think, did you feel a bit faster than usual? Or perhaps a bit stronger than you know? I take it you were surprised that you were able to punch that guy as hard as you did, enough to crack a tree and knock him out, right? That was a result of techno-magical remolding. Increased reflexes, strength, speed...yep. I'm going to put it to you straight...you've made yourself bionic." Alphys' eyes widened at this, and her counterpart grinned. "It's like we said. Any technology that you can think of that you can understand well enough to apply to yourself, you'll be able to use at your disposal. Cybernetic enhancements are something you understand very well, so you were able to apply it to yourself, thus giving you some of the advantages that it entails. Indeed, you got stronger, faster, great reflexes, increased magic ability, and a healing factor."

"...I gained a healing factor...?"

"Mhm. Cybernetic regeneration. Like I said, you techno-magically remolded yourself into a bionic being alike Mettaton, so of course you'd be capable of something like this, even if it wasn't an entirely conscious will. When we actually got you lying down in bed, a majority of your wounds have healed rapidly. All Toriel had to do was clean up the rest."

"It certainly took a lot of concern and work off of my shoulders." Toriel nodded.

Sans took out his phone via telekinesis and turned it towards Alphys. No doubt, she was lying in bed, with what looked to be holes in her body healing via cybernetic regeneration. At least she had the proof of Geno Alphys' claim of her regeneration. "Wow...I'm capable of so much more..."

"That's right. However, while the basics of your bionic abilities are intact, more advanced techno-magical abilities has it's drawbacks." Geno Alphys continued. "You were able to techno-magically remold yourself so that you would fit the requirements you thought necessary in order to protect MK. Once you were sure he was safe and relaxed your magic, your pain suppression wore off; then the wounds caught up to you and you passed out, allowing your cybernetic regeneration to take over. Depending on how much you change yourself and for how long, it'll take a very significant amount of energy from you once it ends. One of the greatest problems with this is that you'll be rendered completely helpless and vulnerable if timing isn't on your side and no one's around to protect you while you replenish your magic." Her counterpart lowered her head in understanding. That definitely made sense. Alphys remolded herself with techno-magic so she'd be able to protect MK. But once the pain caught up with her, she completely passed out. That's understandable, since it was the first time she's done it. Still, she'd have to be careful about that.

"So...this is what my awakened magic is capable of, huh..." To sum up she was capable of quite a lot of things that she didn't think she'd be able to do. Aside from several basic bionic traits, she was capable of techno-spellcasting and techno-shape-shifting. Both of those things are capable of a great amount of versatility, should she properly figure out how to use these powers. Stamina plays a great part in this. The spellcasting might be fine, though shape-shifting will leave her exhausted since it takes much more energy from her. She'd have to be careful when situations lead to that. She guessed that there was a certain amount of times as well as a time duration in which she can techno-mold herself before she passes out from magic exhaustion.

Asriel nodded. "We don't think that any other monster has 'Awakened', at least not that we know of. In your case, you did so because you wanted to protect Monster Kid, though we don't know for sure if it'll be for similar reasons each time. A lot of things can happen!"

"I-I see..." Alphys nodded softly as she stared as her paws for a few moment. It was a bit much for her to take in at once, especially since she's just woken up from unconsciousness. She allowed the one term that they mentioned when it came to her unlocked potential.

Asriel's Angel's Blessing had allowed many monsters to be capable of unlocking their hidden potential, potential that most directly matches their souls and personality, as well as their magic. Or perhaps...every monster had always had this potential hidden within them, and Asriel's 'Angel's Blessing' simply accelerated the development? But if that was the case, then that would have been yet another reason for the humans of the previous era to seal the monsters Underground. The humans must have feared how powerful the monsters could become, even without the aid of a human soul. Because in years time, they would have 'Awakened' their hidden powers and surpassed them by a devastating margin. Obviously they did not want such a thing to happen. Alphys theorized that absorbing a human soul is a shortcut to Awakening a monsters true hidden potential, and all the monster had to do was fill in the blanks of their power from there. It would definitely help explain Asriel's own potential since his Rainbow Soul have multiple soul traits molded into one soul, making it nearly limitless due to his creativity. In fact, creativity is one of the main traits of a monster's magic overall, and they have plenty of that. Their reluctance keeps them from bringing that potential to it's fullest. But that reluctance was slowly and surely withering away, in order to make sure that monsters cannot fall again so easily to those that wish them harm.

The subject of latent potential especially holds especially true for the core six monsters: Asgore, Toriel, Undyne, Sans, Papyrus, and herself. It completely dawned upon her now that Asriel's 'Angel's Blessing' did more than simply make them stronger...he's given them the possibility to further transcend their own limitations and possibly reach an entirely new level of their respective magic types. Destroying the most problematic limitations such as those game-like stats was just the first step, it seemed. It was only a matter of time before they could discover other things they can do. What they could all do in their respective rights, that's probably for them to figure out as they progressed. At least they now know what she had the potential for.

Techno-Magic...Mettaton is capable of this to some degree because that's how his body was created, a mechanical body enhanced with magic. But me...I have that as an actual power? Apparently my lightning magic was just an initial stage to that ability. I went from that...to mimicking powerful bionic abilities, and possibly more things as I advance. She mentally sighed. I just wish that it didn't have to Awaken while I was under the threat of dying. That would have been a lot nicer.

Undyne once again pulled Alphys into a hug, some relief still filling her as she just wanted to make sure Alphys was completely alright. "I really should have been there sooner, Alph. You got messed up pretty badly. If it wasn't for that unlocked potential of yours awakening at the right time...you and MK would have been..." She adjusted herself and kissed Alphys' head. "Sorry...I'm just really glad you're alright."

"There's nothing to blame you for, Undyne. It's okay." Alphys said reassuringly, returning the hug gleefully. After this and a few comforting back rubs, Alphys turns towards the others. "So with my new powers out of the way...what about that guy with the earth magic? He was a human using magic, though they shouldn't be capable of such a thing, not in this era."

"I've sensed his soul He is not someone who's had magic for an extended period of time." Toriel said, folding her arms and shaking her head in concern. "Geno Alphys has looked into this mysterious person's soul on a deeper level. But the hypothesis she came up with is...quite concerning."

"What I've gotten from the data I acquired is definitely something that needs more looking into." Geno Alphys continued. "From what I gathered, that man has gained his magic power in a certain period of time. Just around our precious six year gap, to be precise." She adjusted her glasses as she nodded strongly. "That's right, it would seem that during or extended stay in the Underground, certain humans have been gaining magic abilities as well. Humans in Ebott might not even be aware that a couple of them have magic potential that's just waiting to be unlocked. Alphys, you said a human shouldn't be capable of magic in this era...don't you know that a lot of things can change? There's always an unpredictable variable to be found in certain situations, and this happens to be one of them."

Alphys wondered about this very deeply. This was a serious change in the world, a very drastic change indeed. This type of information would affect more than just Ebott and the ones that reside in it. This was one of those things that Sans couldn't see coming, thus didn't know how to react accordingly and effectively right away. There are possible beneficial effects for this. Humans would probably be able to connect with monsters better if they could use magic as well. It wasn't something completely out of the realm of possibility; Frisk and Chara were able to gain magic power under certain conditions and circumstances. There's no reason other humans shouldn't be able to do so, with time and patience.

Then again, due to being attacked by that man has reminded her that there are negative aspects to magic-wielding humans as well.

She then remembered that the same man from before mentioned something called the 'Dreemurr Faction', and she looked towards her friends. "I think we'd better go see him..."

(Later)

Their situation has just become incredibly troublesome, and in more ways than one.

Shamir was sitting quietly in the corner, attempting to think deeply on what was currently going on. From what he heard from a furious Undyne as she passed by their cell, her lover has been attacked by a human magic user who wasn't from the city. And if he wasn't from the city, it could only mean one thing for himself, Rasha, an Ribras. The human wasn't just here to assassinate Alphys. Shamir and the others have been under the others captivity for so long...they've surely been marked for death as well.

...But Rasha didn't think of it entirely as captivity.

She's the one who was most accustomed to feeling like a caged animal, even more than her mate and Shamir. She knew what helplessness was like, complete vulnerability. At the mercy of someone with power over her and there wouldn't be anything she could do to free herself. She knew those kinds of situations like the back of her paw. This didn't feel anything like that. While it was true she was a prisoner, and Undyne was strict with the group...she did so with as much reason and tact as she could manage. She was able to understand that Rasha and Ribras weren't entirely happy about their positions. She treated them with respect, and she never more forceful with them than necessary. She brought them food, drinks, things to read...she even introduced them to the Canine Unit on the Dreemurr Trio's birthday and they managed to have a pretty lighthearted conversation. The youngest one was especially jumpy once she knew they weren't an enemy anymore.

She's come to the conclusion that her warden was much kinder than she had thought she would be...though she does have quite a crass mouth when she's properly irritated. That's a definite trait she shared with her previous superior...the one who sent the three of them on a mission they knew they couldn't complete. And then Parvos casually leaves them in the hands of their supposed enemy. Now they would be prisoners for who knows how long.

She heard the doors open, and the trio looked up to see Undyne standing in the way, with the others gathered behind her. She then stepped back and gestured for the three felines to follow them. Shamir sensed the sudden wave of authority swirl around her, and they all silently obeyed without resistance. Alphys was understandably uneasy, but she was also very determined. Shamir knew that she wasn't usually like this, and wondered what her encounter has consisted of.

"UNDYNE! I KEPT A VERY CLOSE EYE ON THE PRISONER, JUST LIKE YOU ASKED ME TO!" Papyrus stood in front of the very cell that contained the captive magic user. He was using his bones and they were glowing blue to keep him from trying to escape. "HE'S BEEN VERY RESISTANT AND SAID A FEW MEAN THINGS, BUT I DIDN'T REALLY PAY ATTENTION TO THAT. YOU ALSO TOLD ME NOT TO TALK TO HIM UNTIL YOU GOT BACK."

"Nice work, Papyrus." Undyne said calmly as the others soon moved into the cell and gazed at the man before them, with Toriel slowly closing the cell door behind them. Undyne placed a hand on her hip and glared hard at him. "Alright then. You know why we're here. Start talking."

"..."

Expecting this, she simply rolled her eye and hung her head low. She raised her hand as Sans took over. "look...buddy. pal. it's not too late to try and clean up your own mess. the mess you made? attackin' this crazy gal's girlfriend while she was defenseless. while she was still able to kick your ass, she still got pretty hurt in the process. and as you can see, undyne doesn't appreciate that. just tell us what we need to know. because given what you told alph when you thought she wouldn't survive the encounter, it sounds big."

He stared at all of them for a moment. Then he closed his eyes and sighed. "As I thought...the power of your monster souls...they're tremendous. Much more than they should be. Hmph..." He reopened his eyes and sat back in the chair. "...As I said to the lizard, I was sent to kill her. I'm a mere lesser subordinate, so my success wasn't very expected. I was sent to kill her because one of her creations attacked a hideout of ours when he figured out what was going on. He did quite a bit of damage, which got them panicked enough to send someone after her so she can't create more like him."

"CREATIONS...ARE YOU SPEAKING OF METTATON?" Papyrus asked, suddenly very worried. "YOU SAID HE ATTACKED YOU AND YOUR COMRADES AT YOUR HIDEOUT...I'M SURE HE HAD A REASON. A POSSIBLE ONE IS THAT HE SAW SOMETHING HE DID NOT LIKE."

"That's the gist of it when it comes to that, yeah. The ones who hired me thought that Dr. Alphys sent him to attack them, so they decided to strike back. Though judging by her reaction to me and the idea that her creation was in trouble...she must not have sent him after them after all."

Undyne's eye twitched. "...You mean to tell me that they sent someone to kill my girlfriend...just because they thought she was out to get them first...?"

"Of course they did. They're afraid of you, all of you. You somehow managed to get the Barrier broken and make yourselves significantly stronger than monsters should ever be. Shamir, Ribras, and Rasha were sent to be tests for just how strong the monsters from the Underground has gotten. And after the results, they've grown even more fearful."

Sans narrowed his eye sockets. "so what parvos said before about some monsters that weren't sealed behind the barrier..he wasn't bluffin' after all..."

Their prisoner slowly lifted his head before speaking further. "But what's really gotten them on edge were the unexplained and shocking revival of Asriel and Chara Dreemurr. That terrifies some of them like crazy."

"What...?" Asriel whispered in shock. Chara simply stayed silent, but felt his fists clench.

"Of all the beings to exit the Underground, the Dreemurr's magic power are without a doubt the mightiest out of all the monsters. A couple of people even thought you've taken Ebott by force and subjugated the humans under your will. I honestly hought they was going overboard within assumptions, but I was in no position to argue. The bottom line is, the Dreemurr Faction was deemed a threat to them because they have no idea what you're capable of...and they're don't want to wait and find out."

"The Dreemurr Faction...?" Asgore questioned curiously. "How odd...now why would they call us that...?"

"...I believe I can explain that. your Majesty..." Rasha spoke up, raising her head slowly. RIbras looked towards her worriedly. She simply held his paw with a gentle squeeze before turning towards Asgore and Toriel. She took a deep breath and spoke clearly. "The world has changed drastically since you've been sealed Underground. Not just in it's advancements or how it's citizens have changed...there's much more going on than you currently know. The first thing you should know...there are plenty of humans who can use magic, such as this one right here who attacked Alphys."

"That's right." Rasha nodded. "Magic wasn't ever lost to humans. It's more that the ones that do show a degree of magic competency have been taken away from the eyes of the world, possibly never to be seen again. The ones that are caught are forced to join magic cabals."

"...MAGIC...CABALS...?" Papyrus repeated.

Shamir took his turn. "That's right. Monsters have always been capable of magic. Though compared to every single monster being magic users, there aren't that many humans who can use magic. But...the number is still high enough for them to be recruited into magic cabals. Those cabals take them in and hide them from normal human society, and train them hard so that they can master their power...in exchange for their eternal loyalty and servitude."

"what...?!" Sans's eye sockets darkened.

"That's right. There are many humans, such as very young ones, who don't have a clue what's going on and just don't wish for their power to get out of control and hurt others. The less honorable magic cabals prey upon that desire for control of their magic, and take advantage of their gratitude by asking for their servitude. Most of the time, they will immediately accept. Some for different reasons than others. Maybe they got drunk on their power, maybe they wish to see what they could do, or maybe they're genuinely grateful for their guidance. That is the most threatening variety of all, because nothing can sway them from their gratitude once they hit that point. And the ones that don't accept membership, are highly likely to become traitors, or their potential is simply too dangerous to risk training...they're...dealt with." Shamir's eyes darkened as he lowered his head. "...No one is exempt from this rule...not even children of either species."

Toriel suddenly felt a very dark feeling in her soul, and she clutched tightly over where it rests in her chest. With this information, she thought about something very dark and worrying as she looked back to the past. It was mere speculation since none of the human children before and in the present have fully divulged their pasts to her. But it was enough for her to cover her mouth in horror. No...those six children...Chara and Frisk...could they have been...?! She could tell that Asgore was thinking of the same possibility, as his hair overshadowed his eyes at the thought. Neither of them could have come to the conclusion that those children could have escaped to the infamous Mt. Ebott for such a reason. The thought of this possibility was enough to almost make her cry, while Asgore's soul was silently burning with fury.

Undyne shook her head and ran a hand down her face. "...Shamir. Is there anything else you'd like to tell us about these magic cabals?"

"We don't know everything about the highest authority of these cabals. Just that they very rarely take action themselves, as the less powerful cabals are usually more than capable of managing on their own. Multiple cabals might even be collaborating to crush any possible threats to their power. In either case, even when certain magic cabals are being persecuted, the more powerful ones will stick to the shadows until they feel it's necessary to show themselves."

"So these magic cabals exist and no normal human knows about them? And they usually consist of humans that can use magic AND monsters that weren't sealed Underground?" Undyne groaned as she leaned against the wall, shaking her head. "Damn it...! Geno Alphys was right to remain skeptical about how easy things might be at first, only for things to get harder later...but THIS is something completely different." She turned towards the man in question. "I'm gonna take a chance and say that you were also sent here to kill Shamir, Ribras, and Rasha?"

"They were definitely decoys to test your power. Though when it became apparent that they weren't dead yet, I was assigned to do it myself after I was through with the Royal Scientist. As you can see...that didn't go as planned at all." Shamir's growl at the beginning made it clear that he didn't appreciate being used as a testing dummy. That's full confirmation that he, Ribras, and Rasha have been heartlessly discarded.

"ya said that these three were merely tests of our power...then what does that make parvos?" Sans asked.

"Parvos? He was simply an observer who took too much pleasure in participating. However, he also has connections to the very top. So he's very dangerous even when you discount his power and skill."

"And why would they go along with all of these things?" Asgore asked.

"Think about what was said earlier. The monsters that emerged from the Underground are tremendously more powerful. Not only that, but Ebott as a whole is one of the very few places in the world that they can't reach without forcing themselves upon it. It's a bit ironic, really." He continued. "With the monsters from the Underground stronger than ever and peacefully living with humans that can possibly gain magic, as well as being placed in an area they don't wish to return to unless it's necessary, they're seeing the Dreemurr Faction as a possible threat to the balance of power amongst them. You're likely to shift this balance into your favor and out of theirs...and they obviously find that to be an unacceptable scenario. While the very top wouldn't really count you as much of a threat yet, the lesser cabals are intimidated by you enough to try and do something like this. Your friend approaching one of those cabals was misinterpreted as a direct attack from the Faction itself, and they decided to return in kind by killing his creator."

"METTATON ATTACKED ONE OF THE CABALS FOR WHATEVER REASON, AND THEY SENT YOU TO TRY AND KILL ALPHYS OUT OF RETALIATION..." Papyrus frowned. "...THEY ATTACKED ONE OF OUR FRIENDS AFTER METTATON ATTACKED THEM...THOUGH HE MUST HAVE HAD A REASON FOR DOING SUCH A THING."

"i agree. the guy's a showboat, but he wouldn't outright attack somebody as fiercely as you say he did, unless he experienced something to trigger that reaction." Sans wondered. "still, it doesn't entirely change the fact that they've got it all wrong about our intentions. we're just trying to enjoy our new lives on the surface, we aren't tryin' to pick a fight with anyone, tryin' to take over the world, we aren't tryin' to start anything except good relations between humans and monsters in ebott. though i guess that since mettaton attacked them, convincing them of that has now been considered impossible, right?"

"The cabal he attacked is one of the less tactful ones, but that's the basic idea."

"...this is becoming a huge mess...what a drag."

"I suppose this is a major consequence of moving onto the Surface. I anticipated possible enemies...but this...?" Asgore frowned, looking worriedly towards Toriel. "Golly...this is very serious..."

"Is...is Mettaton alright? Are Napstablook and Shyren okay? What's happened to them?" Asriel asked slowly.

"As I said, your friend started a fight and ultimately lost, then he went into hiding. They haven't found him yet, but it's pretty clear that they don't plan on letting him leave alive." Their captive sighed, shaking his head. "You'd best forget about him and the other two now. They're as good as dead, being pinned down and surrounded in the middle of enemy territory."

"...I can't accept that." Everyone in the room turned towards the silent, yet fiercely defiant owner of this statement. Alphys, with her fists clenched and her glasses shining dangerously. "I can't accept that. And I won't."

"I know it's difficult, but there's nothing you can do at this point. These aren't people that you should be picking a fight with."

"I don't care."

"Neither do I." Asriel added strongly. "Mettaton had a chance to ask for help, and he gave it up so that his situation wouldn't ruin me and my brothers' first birthday on the Surface. With that in mind, I feel like we owe him by saving him and the others before they get the chance to kill them. There's still time, but we have to hurry."

"Mettaton is much more than a creation of my design. He's my friend. Not to mention he brought Napstablook and Shyren along as well. There's no doubt that he's feeling guilty for dragging them into something so dangerous. He wouldn't outright attack potential fans without a reason, so I'm going to believe that he was feeling justified in whatever he was trying to do. And with that, I'm going to do everything within my power to help save them!"

"That's madness!" Shamir declared, eyes wide. "You're going to outright attack one of the cabals?! You're going to rebel against them?! I've known about them and been a part of that system for a long time, and there hasn't been anyone who's been successful in resisting them! Even the lesser subordinate cabals can be considered dangerous!"

"That's not important to me. Our friends are in trouble, and we need to go help them, regardless of the danger." Alphys remained stern, her glasses still shining. "If we have to go through this magic cabal first in order to save them, then that's exactly what we're going to do. But I am NOT going to sit by while my friends are at risk at getting killed. This is something I can't afford to wait out! I have to act now, or else I'll lose my chance! I can't let that happen when I know there's something I can do!"

The monsters in the room were stunned by Alphys' declaration, and what it meant. Hearing her speak out so strongly and full of passion wasn't something they saw every day. The only ones who weren't totally surprised were Undyne and Sans. They both know that she has felt a lot of negative emotions when her past failures were brought up in her nightmares, and even through her words. Through this turn of events, they have confirmed her change: As scared as she possibly was, that was not going to keep her from taking action. Not taking action sooner has lead to drastic consequences and even some lost trust. It was clear she wasn't going to let that happen again when there was something she could do. Her magic potential wasn't the only thing that's been awakened.

Alphys was filled with determination. Undyne found herself proud of her lover for making this choice...not to mention she found it kind of hot when she gets fired up like this. She'd have to find a way to get her to show this side of herself more often.

"Well, there's no way I can say no to her when she gets fired up like this!" Undyne grinned. "Alrighty guys, we've got preparations to make, and friends to rescue!" Everyone readily nodded in agreement, determination flowing through them.

Shamir and Ribras were gobsmacked, while Rasha shook her head. She too could hear the passion within Alphys' voice. She's made her choice and she's going to stick to it. This did involve Mettaton, who was closest to Alphys than anyone else in the room. Their human captive shook his head with an exasperated sigh, knowing that there was no way he could sway their judgement now...which means that the cabal that sent him was going to be crushed very soon.

With what I've experienced from recently getting my ass kicked, it's obvious that those poor saps have no idea what they've just unleashed...

(?)

"Yep. They're gonna move out soon, just like you said they would. And also, the Awakening thing happened, also like you suspected." Parvos yawned, scratching his ear with one paw as a string of shadows held a phone. He looked incredibly bored. He also began rubbing the back of his paw against his cheek after licking it a couple times. "Once again, you were right. I'm still don't owe you money, though."

"Paaaarrrvooooss...are you doing something catlike and adorable again?~" The same feminine voice from before sang cheerfully. "Awww! Once you get back from your recon, I'm gonna give your cutie cheeks a pinchin' of a lifetime!~"

"Whatever floats your boat, boss-lady." Parvos deadpanned. "You seriously can't bother to check the progress yourself?"

"That course of action is currently not in my occupation, unfortunately. I have to keep things tidy over here. Plus...I don't wanna."

"Ah, the REAL reason." He rolled his eyes as he eyed the area of the park. "Apparently one of your subordinate magic guilds got a little twitchy and thought that attacking a close friend of the Dreemurrs this early was a good idea. They're soon going to learn how moronic that move was, right? Especially with how weak they are. And you're not going to do anything about it?"

"They've made their choice, let them deal with the consequences." She said lazily. "But you know, this is good. No, this is GREAT! This is an amazing opportunity! There's no doubt that they'll be coming after their friends, so now we can get a more detailed glimpse of what they can do! It'll be quite interesting, as well as a pretty good time-consumer." Parvos heard her trail of a bit, then her voice returned, almost sounding insecure. "Although...I am slightly hoping that Toriel doesn't come. While I may be able to observe these events from where I am, I'm not totally ready to watch her yet."

Parvos raised an eyebrow. "What's with the hesitation to see the Queen of Monsters? You're obviously not scared of her, so why-" His eyes widened. He smirked as he laughed aloud, covering his muzzle with his paw. "Oh god. Don't tell me...are you jealous of her-"

"No! Don't say it, PLEASE!" She whined pathetically on the line, whimpering like a child.

"You're such a little kid sometimes, it's surprising that you're the one in charge." Parvos teased a bit more, before gazing at the sky. "Though that's not to say I'm more mature than you. Anyway, they might head out soon to save their friends. What happens if that rosy-cheeked kid doesn't go?"

"Him? Oh, you don't have to worry about that. Chara will tag along. He'll feel obligated to do so, now that a friend is in danger. He can't help it..." He heard her voice trail off again, this time in a greatly confident manner. Unfazed by this, Parvos shrugged. "On a totally unrelated note, you should spend more time with your father. It'd be good for you two to bond!~"

"Ha! My old man wanting father-son time. That's a riot!" Parvos laughed heartily, wiping a tear from his eye. "That asshole sees me as another faceless soldier rather than a son. That's fine though. I don't give a damn about him either. Anyway, I'm gonna go. I'll probably do recon for a bit longer before I stop caring and take a cat nap."

"That's a good kitty! Keep playing along with my game that you know that I enjoy! Maybe if you perform well, I'll give you a nice tummy rub! Doesn't that sound great!?~"

"That does sound pretty great." Parvos casually began, smirking evilly while closing his eyes. "Yeah...almost as great as Toriel's t-"

"NOOOO! STOP IT!"

"-utoring. She owns a school, ya know. You should also know that it's really rude to interrupt someone while they're talking."

"PAAAARRRRVOOOOOSSSS! YOU TROLLING SON OF A-" Parvos hangs up without a care, and allows the phone into the darkness. After a moment of contemplation, he gazed up towards the sky.

Huh...she does realize that if the Dreemurrs and their friends go to rescue their friend from the magic guild...that'll be the beginning of some serious struggless. They'll be branded a target, along with Ebott as a whole...and they ultimately won't give a damn, will they? Parvos grinned nonchalantly as he closed his eyes and hung his head. Eh. Whatever. They've each had their own piece of struggling to experience. Why not hand them a little more? They'll ultimately become stronger from it...if they survive, that is. Or maybe that's what she's really interested in. I don't care too much about the details. I just have to have them, then assist in spinnin' the wheels. Parvos took a deep breath and jumped forward off the building, before disappearing in a flash of dark flames.

Sigh...I'd better go warn the cabal they're comin' after. They deserve a heads-up...not that they'll care too much about what I have to say. Worth a shot, though.

Many things have been brought to light. Magic Awakening within humans and monsters...Magic Cabals...Mettaton's whereabouts...the Dreemurr Faction...this obviously won't result in conflict. No way!

...Oh. Wait, it will? Oh...well in that case, they've got quite a tiresome future ahead of them.

Say! Whaddya call an awesome scientist who can now use technology and magic together?

Alphys. Alphys is gonna be AWESOME with this new range of abilities.

Undyne: I*'m just glad she's alright. Now that she's new and improved, she's got a whole new range of awesome abilities!

Alphys: O-Okay...!

Until Next Time.