Asriel: Unfortunately, there is minimal fluff in this chapter. Much hurt and comfort instead.

Chara: As well as some information that further expands the way things are working within this story.

Toriel: Oh how we truly wish things didn't have to reveal themselves this way...

Asgore: Yet despite that, here we are...fortune doesn't always smile...

Chapter Start!

"Are you seriously going to them again?" Linda glared at Helen, while Diana and Gloria looked away with nervous looks on their faces. Helen looked away from them with a significantly more stern look than she had before. Though she knew that if she actually looked towards her for an extended period of time, she would lose her resolve. Besides, this shouldn't have been something that serious, as it truly wasn't that big of a deal. Yet Linda seemed to insist on making it so. "What's happened to you, Helen? Where is all of this rebellion coming from?"

"Why must it be called rebellion?" Helen shook her head, still not meeting her gaze. She refused to meet her gaze, it was meant to suppress her, just like it's almost always suppressing Diana and Gloria. She wasn't letting that happen anymore. "I don't see why you're making such a big deal about this. I've already told you how I feel about you trying to suppress me like you're trying to right now. I I don't want any part of it whatever you have against them, and I never will want to be part of it."

Linda sighed as she rubbed her temples irritably, with Diana and Gloria still looking in between the two with concern clear on their faces. Helen was growing more and more adamant the further she spent time with Toriel and Asgore. Helen used to be the most submissive of the three for years on end, but it seems that the Dreemurr's influence was steadily causing that streak to end. And the worst part-in Linda's eyes-was that she was doing it entirely on her own terms and no one else's. They would like to believe that magic was involved in order to make her act like this, but that was not only preposterous, it was entirely untrue. Unfortunately for Linda, she's not willing to submit to Helen's rebellion so easily. Even more unfortunately, it doesn't seem like Helen was going to back down.

"I...I honestly can't believe what I'm hearing. You're going to take their side?"

"Why does it need to be about sides?! Why do there need to be sides at all!? They've been making their living here and they haven't done anything that could possibly deserve our ire They're honest folk who want to make the best of their second chance on the surface! For goodness' sake, some of the things they brought with them actually helped to make our lives easier! Why do you feel the need to constantly bring them down?"

"Don't you know what they've done?"

"Only because we hurt them first, without giving them a proper chance. We're trying to make up for that now." Helen said as she clenched her fists and lowered her head. "The things they did while Underground might not have been right either, but they're at least understandable. And unlike you, I don't want to be enemies with them. I'd much rather continue getting to know them better. To be friends with them. And they wish to do the same for us. Why are you so against that?!"

Linda folded her arms and glared back at Helen. "This entire time, it was just us humans in Ebott. Everything was so simple and easy to understand before they came crawling out of their Underground prison like they own the place. And by the looks of it they're just barely figuring out what they want to do and why. Because of them everything is needlessly complex at this point. They're complicating our own lives as well as their own."

"They haven't been on the Surface in years, of course they're trying to figure things out! You'd feel the same way if you spent so much time in the dark without any sign of actual sunlight! They're getting better, and they'll continue to get better, I know it. But it's uncompromising people like you that make it so much harder!" Helen narrowed her eyes. "How is it that you think it's much easier to just antagonize them rather than be their friend? How does your mindset immediately go to that?!"

Diana and Gloria continued to watch the back and forth between them, feeling smaller and smaller as it went on. It was so rare-almost to the point of being considered impossible-for Helen to actually talk herself up and defy Linda so openly. The two of them feel like they were completely powerless to stop the two from lashing at one another. It was far too dangerous for them to take a side, since they feel more loyalty to Linda yet more understanding towards Helen. They really didn't know what to do here other than to stand by helplessly and watch on. Though they did know that this was going to end poorly for the both of them.

Helen and Linda glared hard at one another neither of them backing down for a moment. "So everything's changed. I get how that might make you hostile towards them, you prefer that things remained as they were. But you have to accept that this is the way things are now. What do you even suspect to gain from hanging on so strongly to the old ways, knowing that going back to it is impossible? Everything is much better now, so why not just accept it sao we can all keep moving forward?"

"Never."

"Why are you being so stubborn?!"

"I can ask the same thing of you!"

Helen took a deep breath, closing her eyes and rubbing her temples. "You know what? Fine. Fine. You can say and do what you want. I can't stop you. I'm visiting Dreemurr's in a few minutes. I'm going to stop trying, and accept that we are just talking in circles."

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

Helen shook her head as she was still rubbing her temples. "Listen. Linda. I don't want to stop being your friend. I don't. I REALLY don't. But if you're going to keep up this uncompromising attitude of yours for an extended period of time...I'm keeping my distance from you until you fix it." The trio's jaws dropped in shock at her defiance, and she folded her arms in response. "You heard me. If you can't let go of this negative attitude of yours, then I can't be around you. I'm actually interested in being friend with monsters. Because unlike the three of you they don't treat me like dirt under their feet. You don't share that interest, that's fine. But I'm not going to let them lump me in with you three." She stopped rubbing her temples and opened her eyes again. "So...if Gloria and Diana are willing to stop following you around like lapdogs and actually think for themselves...they're more than welcome to join me. If not, then do what you will. Stay where you are for all I care. But me...I'm going." With this, Helen turned around and began to leave.

Linda seethed slightly. "Helen. Don't you walk out that door." Helen didn't listen. "Helen. Helen!" She reached out to grab her arm. Helen heard her coming, swiftly turning around and smacking the hand away. Linda was genuinely shocked by this, as was Gloria and Diana, who felt even smaller as a result. Helen glared back at Linda with eyes of pure defiance.

"Don't touch me." Helen hissed, actually making Linda step back. "I'm a grown woman! I can make my own decisions without having to defer to you! My decision today? I'm going to people who treat me like a person, as well as a friend. NOT as a doormat!" She stepped back, opening the door and turning her back on them. "Once you remember the difference between those things, we can all work something out. But if you insist on continuing this...kindly leave me out of it. Goodbye."

Linda flinched at the sound of Helen slamming the door and stomping away. Gloria and Diana looked at one another in worry, with the former sighing and rubbing her neck. "I...I don't know what to say, or what to think."

"Helen...why...?" Diana asked herself quietly.

Linda clenched her fist as she stared at the ground angrily. Toriel...this is all your fault. Everything was fine and orderly until you and the monsters showed up...! Of course she thinks this. Because not for a second does she believe she's the one at fault for any of these problems. Little did she know, it was this type of behavior that Helen could not stand anymore.

There wasn't any doubt about it at this point. Linda's insistent hostility towards the Dreemurrs was a hair's away from completely driving Helen away from them. And Helen was the last thing keeping the four of them together. If she leaves...their friendship will completely dissolve.

(Dreemurr Residence)

Helen had to admit, she did feel a bit bad for snapping at her friends like she did. She admittedly wanted to apologize to them as soon as she could, but she shook her head at the thought. She had to be strong. She's made her point on how she felt about Linda's attitude and actions, as well as Gloria and Diana's blind following of it. If she was to fold under Linda's gaze any longer, she won't be able to get the point across that she won't tolerate her behavior anymore. No. She had to stay strong about this. She just wanted them to get along with the monsters. And if not, they should at least be civil with them. But since Linda won't agree to that, Gloria and Diana are unlikely to do so on their own. That was their decision to make, she didn't desire to be dragged down with them anymore.

Nevertheless, she did feel ounces of sadness for the two. They were stuck with Linda due to her grip around them still being rather strong and hard to break. It's been far too long, and a majority of the damage has already been done. She didn't expect them to free themselves anytime soon, so she wouldn't get her hopes up too soon. But that didn't mean she was willing to give up on them altogether, but she wasn't going to wait for them forever. She wanted to make other friends, and she feels like they shouldn't be allowed to stop her from doing so. If only things were different between them, if only they could see eye to eye and come to an understanding.

She sighed as she approached the Dreemurr's Residence, just realizing that she was already at the doorstep. She must have been stuck deep in thought to the point of losing track of time for a bit. In all honesty, she really didn't know what to do from here. Sure, she said she would be here. But now that she was, she really didn't know what to do. This was the first time she was actually coming to their house on her own free will. She was incredibly nervous while coming up to the door, but she also didn't want to turn away son soon. She wanted to see this through as well, regardless of her slight insecurities about the decision. She gathered herself taking a deep breath and being prepared to knock.

She jumped slightly as the door opened. Asgore's face was the first thing she saw, and she could also see that he was bending slightly to see her. She noticed how he was just barely able to fit through his own door. Helen knew this already...but Asgore was quite a large monster. She supposed that just comes with being King of Monsters. After a few blin kes of his eyes and recognizing who it was, he smiled at her fondly.

"Howdy, Helen!" Asgore greeted her while stepping to the side. "Helen is here, Tori! Just like she said she would be!"

A few minutes later, Helen could see Toriel approaching the doorway. Her face basically lights up once she sees Helen within the door. "Oh my goodness, Helen is here! Come in! Come along, dear child!"

Helen didn't really get a choice in the matter, as Asgore was quick to gently hold her and pull her inside as Toriel closed the door. She seems grateful that they invited her in and pulled her in. If they didn't, she would have lost her nerve and walked away had they not decided for her. She blushed slightly when she felt Asgore's strong beefy arms hold her for a moment as he gestured her to the living room. Her eyes widened slightly as she saw Asriel, Chara, and Alvina were sitting in front of the TV, seemingly playing a game of sorts. Chara was glaring at the screen with some intensity that helen could swear he was trying to crack it with his mind. Asriel was staring at him with worry while also looking at the TV.

"Um...Chara? I think it's time for you to take a break. You've been at this for approximately forty-five minutes...and you failed forty times..." Asriel said worriedly. To be fair, playing games with only one arm...tends to be extremely difficult. Chara just isn't that good.

"No. I'm not gonna let this stupid thing force me to rage quit, Azzy. This is not going to beat me! I WON'T LET IT!" Chara glared as he continued playing the game. "P is for Pain, yeah? Well V is for Victory! And I WILL achieve vic-"Chara's eyes widened as he fails once again. Asriel smiles awkwardly as Chara's eyes twitched angrily as he puts down the controller and clenched his fists, a twisted angry grin on his face. "...Is this my punishment? Is P also for Punishment...? It's fitting that it represents pain...BECAUSE I'M REALLY FEELING IT!"

"Oookay! That's enough of that." Asriel swiftly turns the game off. "What you need is some nice, easy to manage, stress relief." Asriel holds Chara's hand and brings it to his floppy ear. He then placed his own paws on his lap as Chara immediately begins petting his ear. The angry look on his face lessons to a simple neutral frown as he closed his eyes, then lying his head on the fluffy floppy ear, nuzzling it slightly. Asriel smiled. "There you go...you feeling better now?"

"Very much...thank you..." Chara muttered quietly as he continues nuzzling the soft fuzzy ear. "...Have I ever told you that your fur is incredibly soft and warm?"

"Yep."

"Oh...have I ever told you that I love you?"

"Mhm."

"Oh...well...I love ya bro...I really do..." Chara slurred as he nuzzles leans against Asriel, resting against him and pullin him into a hug, petting the top of his head. "...I wonder why petting something soft, fuzzy and fluffy feels so oddly relaxing...?"

"Alphys said that it relieves stress. Something about increasing stress-reducing hormones and reducing productions of stress hormones...I don't remember the exact details." Asriel shrugged as he returns the hug. "There you go...do you want me to get you chocolate milk?"

"...That would be greatly appreciated. But...I'm just going to keep holding onto you for a bit. Let's both walk there." Chara suggested. Asriel sighed as they both stood up and made their way to the kitchen. Alvina rolled her eyes slightly as she stands up and follows the duo out. Temmie was nearby, rubbing rather affectionately against Flwoey, who was looking visibly distressed by how close she was to him. He was very close to calling for help, until Temmie noticed that her boss was leaving the room and hopped away from her. He sighed in relief.

"She's awfully persistent to get closer to me. And I'm actually allowing her to do so without too much resistance on my part...I think there's something wrong with me on that regard." Flowey pouted as he tilted his head slightly. "...Peculiar. Very peculiar." He muttered as he tilted his head to the other side. Aside from watching Chara drive himself mad trying to beat P is for Pain for forty-five minutes, he really didn't experience anything else interesting. Frisk was currently taking a little nap upstairs, and the other members of the family were trying not to bother him. Though now that Helen was now here on her own free will, and not upon the whim of the stubborn witch tha is Linda, he actually took a bit of interest in what might happen next. So, while keeping a respectable distance from Temmie, he sprouted vine legs over the sides of his pot and followed the others into the ktichen.

Helen properly seated herself around the two adult Dreemurrs while Asriel and Chara went to get the latter some chocolate. Asgore and Toriel gazed at her with welcoming looks, and she blushed slightly from how warm they truly looked. It was a feeling that was mostly alien to her since her own friends never looked at her that way anymore. Meanwhile Temmie simply vibrated intensely in Alvina's lap when she eventually sat down in another chair close to them. Toriel was rather quick to hand out multiple slices of pie to them as she sits next to Asgore, giving him a brief nuzzle before turning back towards Helen again as she takes a bite of her pie.

"So you came to visit us on your own, Helen. I'm rather glad to see you." Toriel smiled as Chara and Asriel went back to the living room after getting the former the milk he wanted. "Did you not have anything else to do for today? Once again, I'm still rather glad to see you. And so is Asgore. Isn't that right?"

"Why of course! It's always rather nice to interact with fellow coworkers...well...er...outside of work. Heh." Asgore shrugged while smiling sheepishly at Helen.

She smiled back at him while eating some of her own pie as well. She always found herself mesmerized by Asgore and Toriel to some degree. Both of them were fairly stout. Asgore slightly less so since some of it was simply pure muscle, and him being larger than Toriel emphasized that. She did notice muscle on Toriel was well, i just wasn't as visible. There was one time in which Helen needed to retrieve her keys for her car after she quite carelessly dropped them underneath it, and she couldn't reach. Toriel, more than happy to assist, easily lifted the front of car with no visible strain whatsoever. She stood there confused at the shock on Helen's face as she stuttered a question of how she was able to do that. Toriel simply responded that she works out every now and then.

Chara and Frisk seemed highly proud of her for it, and Asgore seemed just as grateful. With both of them occasionally working out like that, she wondered if it ever came in handy while they-Helen stopped her train of thought and blushed deeply. She needed to keep on the current subject.

As she was thinking, Asgore has a very impressive physique for someone his size, and so does Toriel. Due to Toriel not appearing as muscular as Asgore, she looked a bit more stout than he does, and he was at least two heads taller than she was. However, she-like Alvina-clearly recognized how adorable the both of them were. Toriel's slightly stout physique, and combined with the sweetness of her smile, and her overall motherly nature, always trying to take care of anyone who might need her. She was so sweet and caring, it was cuteness incarnate. As for Asgore, it was different, but the result wasn't too far apart. He looks so menacing for someone who doesn't know him personally. But realizing how utterly dorky he was, as that was combined with his just as sweet smile, with a bit of pleasant awkwardness to it, he was just as adorable. Not to mention his golden mane. She wondered if his beard sometimes tickled Toriel whenever they kiss...

...Okay. I might have a problem. Helen mentally concluded as her face has gotten even warmer than before, trying to shake the less than innocent thoughts from her head. She was more mature than this. Though her constant ogling of the two Dreemurrs, which they were mostly oblivious to, was beginning to discredit that aspect of her maturity.

Asgore turned towards Helen with a tilt of his head. "Helen, I almost forgot to ask...why didn't Linda, Gloria, and Diana come? Are they busy?"

"Um...you could say that..." Helen said quietly at first. But she then sighed and shook her head in despondence. "Actually...they didn't want to come. They didn't want me to come either, but I wasn't about to let them decide that for me. We were sort of at an impasse...then I started yelling and they eventually backed off. I still feel really bad about it..."

"Oh dear..." Toriel pouted sadly. This feud that Linda was insisting she and her friends have with monsters-specifically the Dreemurrs-was beginning to wear out poor Helen's patience. She didn't look like she was quite ready to cut herself away from her friends, but she looked dangerously close to doing so. Toriel...could find some similarity within that intention. She didn't want Helen to lose her current friends for the sake of her latest ones. She should be able to keep them both, but she herself didn't know how to handle Linda's hostility. This has been going on for too long. What was the answer...?

Alvina could see the troubled looks on Asgore and Toriel's faces, and she sighed softly. "Alright, I can't you two go on ignorant of Helen's situation. i think it's time for you two to know more. That is if Helen is okay with it." Helen nodded softly to her, hanging her head. Alvina nodded back to her as she finished her slice of pie, clasping her hands on the table. "Alright. There's something important you two need to know. I held off on telling you the deeper details on the day that we've first met, but now it's time that you both knew what most of those important details mean." She slowly looked towards Temmie. "Temmie. You take it from here. Temmie nods as she hopped off of Alvina' lap and onto the table. She stood up on her hind feet and brushed off her skirt.

"I've been looking through Ebott's history ever since I've been appointed the Mayor's secretary. According to them, as well as the Mayor's words, Ebott has a rather dark history." Temmie began, shocking Asgore and Toriel greatly. Normally Temmies had a very nonsensical way of speaking. But Temmie was speaking normally for them, which means she was completely serious. "Even more importantly, it has something to do with Frisk, the final child to fall before the other seven."

"Frisk...?" Asgore and Toriel asked simultaneously, now fully invested in the subject at hand. Helen lowered her head further, while Alvina simply looked on with an unreadable expression.

"There was a great plague that swept Ebott once. It was devastating, and it was merciless. It went on for a single week, and everyone did their best to try and defend against it. But in the end, it was hopeless to prevent the tragedy that followed." Asgore and Toriel tensed up, holding each others paws as Temmie continued. "The plague claimed the lives of all first-born children in the entire city...this included the children of Linda, Diana, Gloria, and Helen. Each of them only had one child." Helen's head was covered by her hands at this point, while the Dreemurr's continued to listen, stricken by shock. "Only Frisk survived that plague. In fact, it started the very day he was born. An entire week, first-borns and newborns all over the city have died without a hint of warning, yet Frisk was the only one to live through it. Alvina saw it as a miracle...but not most of the people. They were outraged that all of their newborn and first-born children have been slain by this mass plague, yet this one newborn still continues to live. They became irrational, and channeled their hatred and despair, blaming him for all of those lost lives. Some have even outright called him an Angel of Death, as it was from his birth that other first-born and newborns died over that timespan."

"WHAT THE BLOODY HELL?! THAT'S PREPOSTEROUS!" Toriel roared, her body becoming coated with flames of rage. Helen flinched greatly from the outburst, jumping out of her chair. Asgore quietly pulls his wife to him, hugging her and rubbing her shoulder to soothe her. She gritted her teeth for a few moments, until she eventually sighed and relaxed in her husband's embrace, letting herself lean against him. "How could they blame Frisk for such a tradegy...?"

"The plague came out of nowhere. We couldn't find a cause. So out of paranoia, the people chose to blame Frisk." Alvina took over, as Temmie stepped back. "For seven years, I had to protect him from most of their harsh words, their hateful glares, and sometimes attempts at direct assault. Frisk was quite possibly the most hated person in all of Ebott, because a large amount of an entire generation suddenly dropped dead after his birth. And they let him know this one he grew to understand what their words meant. It was very difficult for him to accept that he was the most hated being in the city, but he didn't take it personally. He just tried to live his life as best as he could...but he couldn't endure it forever. That was when the orphanage kicked him out from behind my back, and I was too late to stop him from going up to the mountain. You all know the rest."

"...That was another major reason why you wanted us to stay Underground for six years...you wanted to quell the people's hatred for Frisk.." Asgore muttered quietly.

"He was much safer with you than he was with me. I know I did the right thing. My part was to stop these morons from doing something that might invoke your wrath. Once I've gotten that mostly taken care of, you all were returning to the Surface for real." Alvina sighed. "The tradegy did not do good for Ebott's reputation, which includes that Monster-Human War many years back. So the world has chosen to turn it's back on Ebott." Asgore and Toriel's eyes widened. "Yep, you heard me. The world's solution to Ebott's situation is to just completely avoid it. Ebott isn't, and never will, receive assistance from the outside world, as it completely lost hope in us. No one's holding our hand anymore." Alvina shrugged. "I didn't really care too much. We were able to take care of ourselves pretty well regardless whether or not we had help from the outside. I'm not saying it wasn't tough...but it was at least possible."

Toriel slowly turned to Helen, her eyes greatly saddened. "Helen...is it true? Did you and your friends lose your children to this plague...was that the time period in which you all began to drift apart...?" Helen looked towards Toriel and slowly nodded. The maternal monster moved over to Helen, getting her to stand and pulling her into a hug. "Goodness...you poor thing...you've been trying to keep them together this entire time, but they're too bitter to heed your attempts..." And they're aiming their bitterness towards me and Asgore for adopting Frisk in the first place...

Helen whimpered as she returned the hug, softly crying into the maternal monster's bosom. "We're...we're never going to be close like we used to be...I'm beginning to think they're simply too far gone...especially Linda...I don't know what to do..."

"Shh..." Toriel quietly hushed her, petting her hair. "Don't you worry, dear child. Me and Asgore shall find a way to mend your bond back together. There is no reason that you all cannot find a way to connect again. This is our promise." Asgore nodded in agreement, and Helen felt a little better knowing she had their support. She slowly pulled away and went to clean up her face. Toriel sighed as she pinched the bridge of her nose. Asgore stood up from his seat and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind. "This is rather difficult to accept, Asgore...they blamed Frisk for something that wasn't his fault...and completely out of his control. And then there's Helen and Linda. The latter's bitterness and refusal to acknowledge her fault as well as her grudge, is causing their relationship to completely fall apart...oh dear...that sounds familiar, doesn't it...?"

"Tori." Asgore said, turning her around and lifting her head by the chin. "I've told you many times before, and I'll continue to tell you until it sticks. I forgive you."

"I know...but you were quite dumb for forgiving me so easily. You're a Dummy, Dreemurr." Toriel frowned sadly for a bit, though she didn't resist as Asgore pulled her in for a light kiss on her muzzle. She sighed as he does so again, which puts a smile on her face. On the third try, she outright giggled as she playfully slapped his cheek. "Okay okay! I concede! I won't focus on that right now!" Asgore hummed happily as he hugged her a bit tighter, satisfied with the results of his persistence. Toriel relaxed in his embrace as she sighed. "To think, Ebott has such a dark history behind it...and Frisk is a major part of the more recent events...no wonder he kept quiet about it...which is why Alvina felt the need to do it for him, because he doesn't see it as something worthy of concern..." Alvina nodded in confirmation, as well as Temmie. "I just cannot believe Ebott could do such a thing to him..."

"We'll get through this, Tori." Asgore stated strongly. Toriel nodded in agreement as she returned his embrace, lifting her head towards him as they nuzzled noses, which improved their overall mood quite a bit.

Meanwhile, upstairs in their room, Chara and Asriel were watching Frisk sleep peacefully on the bed, with Flowey sitting on the windowsill after he told them what was discussed downstairs. Chara rain his hand through Frisk's hair as Asriel looked at him in sadness. Asriel seemed to notice the glare Chara was holding, and that it was not towards Frisk.

"Chara..."

"Ebott treated Frisk like trash, Asriel. Unlike him, I'm not able to just brush that off without a care."

Asriel sighed as Chara snarled out that comment, though didn't stop tenderly petting Frisk's hair. "Chara...I can't deny that Frisk has had his own troubles before we both met him. But we can't take that frustration out on his home. it wouldn't be right." Chara didn't respond right away, but Asriel knew he didn't disagree. Asriel nodded as he stood up and moved out of the room to check up on his parents. Chara was left to watch Frisk, as Flowey watched them both curiously.

"Sheesh. You're pretty mad about this, aren't ya?" Flowey was still reeling over the fact that the tradegy surrounding Frisk's past resulted in the whole world cutting itself off from Ebott and refusing to acknowledge it's existence, to the point of actively avoiding it at all costs. Or at least parts of the world that were more worried about themselves than some city that's rife with terrible luck.

"Of course it does. Frisk is the youngest of us. It's our responsibility to protect him from anything that means him harm...it extends to everyone, in fact. We have to stick up for each other and protect one another." Chara muttered softly, briefly placing his hand over Frisk' chest, where his scar is. He then lowered his head as his hair overshadowed his eyes, which began glowing dangerously crimson. "No one will ever get away scot-free for hurting our family, Flowey. No one." Flowey agreed with that. Anyone who messed with this large and close family would face some serious punishment.

It didn't matter who they were or why they would do so. Threatening their loved ones or harming the innocent is a surefire way to incite their wrath.

And to be perfectly honest, Flowey could get behind that role.

(?)

Justice. Comformity to truth, fact, or reason. It has the ability to make decisions free of discrimination or dishonesty. Equal treatment of all rivals or disputants. It cannot be for one side alone, but it must be for both. It is the ideal of fairness and impartiality, especially when it regards to the punishment of wrongdoing.

...So it's highly likely to become a problem when someone becomes far too enthusiastic in pursuing justice, seeing it as the only thing that matters. Some may see it as the elimination of all that is evil, regardless if they were justified eliminations or not. In fact, the only justifications they can make for their actions is their own. Perhaps the harshness is warranted...but that didn't mean everyone agreed to it. And that was what further made someone like this dangerous. If someone opposed their ideals, they're immediately seen as the enemy. And as the enemy, they MUST be brought to justice, no matter what the cost is. After all, it's much easier to fight the enemy after you demonize them first. They're wrong because they're evil, and the other is right because they're on the side of justice. And whatever stands in the way of their vision of justice, is considered 'evil', and must be destroyed.

There's a reason why a Soul of Justice can be considered a worthy rival to a Soul of Determination. Their devotion to a cause can be considered extremely dangerous, especially when they believe that they are incapable of doing anything wrong. And any wrong they might acknowledge is passed off as 'collateral damage'. In short, once they've committed to a cause, stopping them is very close to impossible, aside from defeating them and forcibly making them see reason, snapping them out of their own warped desires. Though having them as an opponent is difficult at best and hellish at worst.

Which is what makes this situation so much worse for the targets in question.

In an abandoned pub, where pracitioners of gun magic tend to hang around and simply relax...which is what they pretty much did all of the time, there were multiple lifeless bodies lying around. There were glowing yellow holes that pierced straight through them. Some went through their lungs, their knees, their arms, their shoulders...even their heads and their hearts. It seemed that some of their deaths were slightly delayed, causing them degrees of suffering before they were eventually killed. The numerous holes in the walls indicate at least some form of resistance, but it ultimately proved futile against someone far superior to them in this practice.

A yellow striped poncho could be seen worn by a lion monster in the center of the room, his Cowboy Hat sitting confidently on his head and his Toy Gun resting in it's holster. Though given how it was able to cause so much carnage, it was anything but a mere toy. His mane hasn't fully grown, given that he was an adolescent, but it was still noticable. His glowing yellow soul pulsed in his chest as he glared at the helpless enemy before him.

"...W-Why...?" He whimpered helplessly, trying to scoot away from him. The lion monster didn't bother moving up towards him. His prey didn't have any means of escape.

"You should have known this was coming." He said emotionlessly, his eyes never losing track of him. "The others may have been tolerant of you and your comrades misbehavior and outright defiance of our rules...but not me. They have to be ordered to follow though with the respective guilds elimination...I'm proceeding with this because that's my duty. I have no other purpose besides that. To deliver punishment upon evil...and I've always depraved this guild of mine. Unlike my comrades-they at least get things done when they need to-you all have been utterly useless and have made no attempts at improving yourself. That is blatant disobedience, and that alone is worthy of punishment. And I'm the one who will deliver."

"You can't do this! Even if we aren't competent, you still need us!

"Negative. We have other subordinates much more competent than you. They'll be your replacement." He slowly removed his Toy Gun from his holster and aimed it towards his target. "None of you will be missed. Uselessness will not be tolerated."

The pleads for life were not heard by the monster. A yellow beam pierced the man's chest, causing him to slump over, the sound of a soul shattering following it.

With his assignment complete, he turns around and leaves the premises, his poncho flowing across the wind. As he moves onward, a human and a monster respetively, appeared beside him. The latter was recognized as Parvos, who has just did a quick check of the mess inside the pub. "Wow. You certainly don't waste any time. Didn't even have to tell to proceed, you just did it."

"I did what my duty requires of me. I don't need to be told." The adolescent lion monster muttered. "I assume the others are already finished?"

"Well, I had to do Impassivity's work for her, and Rashness nearly got himself killed. So I guess it wasn't a total washout. We got some things done. Weeded out the incompetent members of your the more competent ones can meet at our place." Parvos grinned. "My old man takes great pride in you, being the strongest of the six."

"Whatever."

"Riiight..." Parvos stopped for a moment as he allowed the lion monster to walk on a bit aheadof them. As he did, he shifted over to the human beside him. "He's even more cuttthroat than Impassivity, which is really saying something."

"Why of course, Parvos. That's what happens when someone believes so strongly in justice. They don't just blind themselves from emotional ties, they blind themselves to nearly everything if it means reaching their goal. That alone makes them much easier to manipulate. They believe strongly in their justice, and care not for the methods, or who suffers from them, as long as they succeed. That's what we call Detachment. Justice must be blind, it doesn't need to have a heart. And he demands justice upon Asriel and Chara Dreemurr, and to 'liberate' Frisk from Ebott, thinking it is unworthy to have him. They all know their purpose is under Ratoveros, who has ordered me to ressurrect them. They cannot disobey. Especially Pertinacity, Vanity, and Detachment."

"That's kind of weird, though. They were all humans once. Why were those three brought back as monsters?" Parvos asked, catlike curiosity piqued.

"Because during their short time in the Underground, those three unconsciously wished to abandon their humanity the most, and embrace the nature of being a monster." The human grinned as he and Parvos continued onward.

"I simply granted them their wish..."

The next major arc begins after this chapter.

Whaddya think? Seems that Frisk didn't have much of a great life before he met the monsters. Though Ebott as mellowed out drastically, the damage has still been done. Though this just assures everyone of one very important thing. Frisk is the youngest of the min cast. He's someone, in their eyes, that needs to be protected. He currently can't bring himself to harm anyone, even if they harm him without remorse. His loved ones are significantly less hesitant.

You've already seen what happened in the past arc. Hurting Frisk is a very effective way to get most of the cast seriously pissed off at whoever is responsible.

Until next time, with this next arc!