Here we are, folks. The final arc of Act 2 begins. Then after it's all over, it's onto Act 3!

Again, this is a buildup. A bit of lore and training going around, and a few bits of fluff around the other parts. And then after all of that is said and done, the arc kicks into gear in the next chapter. So for now, watch as our heroes enjoy the last semblances of peace...it's gonna be disrupted something fierce soon. Hope it will suffice.

Chapter Start!

Lunar allowed herself to be a very pleased dragoness. Because she was a very pleased dragoness, given her hard handiwork. She really outdid herself when she came to training a pacifist. Though she really can't really compare this experience to another...because she's never had a student before. So of course, both her twin and her cousin doubted that she would competently teach her student how to fight in under four months. Though as they see for themselves, her training really did do wonders for Frisk. And today they would be doing a progress check on exactly that.

With the other six children, and also Geno Alphys, as an added audience to provide further confirmation of said progress.

"Do you think Frisk's got all of this down? Four months is a pretty short time to go through all of this. And we've already reached the three and a half mark." Ace wondered as he folded his arms and narrowed his eyes a bit. "Guy's a pacifist at heart, so I don't really know just how much he'll gain from it..."

"I don't think we need to worry." Lisa said softly while gently flipping a few pages through her notebook. "Looking over his accomplishments, it's not very difficult to realize that Frisk's potential reaches far beyond what we believe it does. And it appears that Lunar will be the one who pushes him to reach that deep within himself. Though I do agree that she has rather questionable motivations in doing so..."

"Then again, we don't really know Lunar as well as Darkness and Tempest. There might be more to her than meets the eye." Lizzie said while sighing. "Though we can say that about a lot of different people, really."

"That's a bit of an understatement." Verena huffed, rustling her feathers.

"Shh. They're gonna start." Geno Alphys quietly hushed them, while looking towards Lunar and Frisk.

The dragoness folded her arms while grinning as the adolescent Frisk prepared himself. "Well, kid? Don't keep a lady waiting.~" She cooed mockingly, softly gesturing with her tail for him to start.

Frisk nodded as he lightly clenched his fists. He remembered how he thought about his Support Magic, and how it allows him to increase certain attributes without the assist of items. It wasn't that hard for him to understand, so long as he thought about it in a different way, since his mindset isn't quite like Lunar's. So she taught him how to think of support magic like certain magic items as well as Soul Modes and simply think about their effects and mimic them accordingly.

Sea Tea increases speed...Legendary Hero increases power...Stained Apron increases defense...and I'll use Brave Soul Mode for combat enhancement...alright! Frisk mentally confirmed, his Support Magic mimicking the effects of all three items and stacking them on top of one another. When the process was complete, he sped towards Lunar rather quickly. She smirked, not moving a muscle, until he was right before her, throwing a punch. Lunar used her tail to block the blow, completely stopping his momentum, yet cracking the ground right beneath them in a circular shape. Lunar used Support Magic to enhance defense specifically towards her tail.

Ah, such a wonderful jump in progress. He's managed to stack those effects atop each other rather well. Granted, they're not too intense and don't last incredibly long...though it's certainly not pointless progression. Now, let's see if I can push him a bit. Right with this thought, Lunar throws Frisk off, though he manages to land on his feet. She wasn't done, however. Her tail began extending rather swiftly towards him. Putting his speed increase to use, Frisk as able to dodge a few lashes with great precision, and block a few that Lunar managed to land after she increased speed to her tail. His increased defense was put to use here as he blocked enhanced blow. Though it still hurt quite a bit, even though Lunar was purposefully restraining herself. At one point, one of the tail trikes got through with increased power towards the tail, knocking him off-balance and sending him crashing against the ground with a painful crack. Though his enhanced defense managed to greatly decrease the damage, it ultimately wore off.

Frisk was able to get up after having a slight breather, and panted softly while having his back heal a bit. She hits really, really hard. The defense enhancement managed to hold up, but it wore off at the as I began recovering. She showed me that the time limit for defense won't matter if someone hits me hard enough to shatter it...but... He lightly focused his magic again, and his defense restored with a bit of effort. Luckily I can restore it, but it takes quite a bit out of me...

"Ah. You're definitely getting the hang of it." Lunar grinned, her tell retreating and returning to normal length. "Now that's out of the way, I'm gonna go on the offensive for real, while I reveal to you a bit of history in regards to magic. Ya ready?"

Frisk sighed a bit, but he nods as he prepares himself for another onslaught. Also, he was curious about what the dragoness had to say. "Alright, I'm ready."

"Very well..." Lunar grinned, before she swayed a bit, and she dashed at Frisk, closing the distance in a matter of moments. "Darkness, Tempest, feel free to either confirm or deny whatever I say. And do be honest.~" Lunar purred mockingly. Darkness shivered at the prospect of mentioning something like this in deep detail, especially with someone as kindhearted as Frisk. But when he turned to Tempest for an argument, all he heard was a silent nod of agreement with his twin. Darkness sighed, and gently nodded in agreement with his cousin. "Thatta boys. Here we go!~"

Frisk gasped as Lunar blurred right in front of him, and smashed her fist into the ground where he swiftly jumped away from, trying to avoid her blows. That punch was NOT enhanced...that's just pure physical force! Golly!

"Let's begin this history lesson-blech, I feel like retching just saying that-with a question for you: When you think of magic, what comes to mind?"

Frisk blinked. It was difficult for him to think clearly while under attack by a rather swift dragon. Luckily he knew this, and swiftly jumped over a leg sweep, his Golden Heart Locket lightly rustling a bit within his jacket. "I think about monsters being made of magic, and it being their prime choice for fighting. Only a few special humans can use magic."

"Yup. Ya got half of that right. But the whole 'special humans' using magic thing is bullshit." Lunar casually swore as she lightly slammed her tail on Frisk, which he swiftly dodged again. She smirked as it retreats back towards her. "In truth, there is no 'special requirement' or 'exemptions' when it comes to using magic. Monsters may be made of magic, but that doesn't mean they're the only ones who can use it. All that magic bestowal and awakening stuff are just methods to draw out one's magic potential quickly. In truth, ANY human can learn magic, if they're really willing to work towards honing it." Frisk seemed surprised at this, briefly gazing at Darkness and Tempest for confirmation. Both of them nodded.

No way...! "So...magic ISN'T exempt for humans? Any of them, not just exceptions, are capable of learning magic...?" Frisk wondered, as he clenched his fist and enhanced speed towards his upcoming punch. Lunar smirked and takes the hit right to her face as she slid back a bit, before licking a bit of blood away.

"That's more like it. Mr. Pacifist." Lunar cooed as she rushed him again. "Anyway, yeah. Any and every human has the potential to learn and use magic. Those 'Seven Magicians' in your cute little plaque in Waterfall are just the seven strongest magic wielding humans. I'll take a shot and say none of the others in that war were interested in learning it due to paranoia or some other cowardly crap."

Frisk noticed that the male dragons nodded again, and even Geno Alphys seems to confirm it. He processes this as he once again dodges a blow from her in the form of a axe kick, then swiftly descended again to dodge her incoming tail. "So then...how do other humans obtain magic without the assistance of Magic Bestowal...?"

"Most of the time, Magic Bestowal is just a cheap trick to make fodder humans stronger. The real way to get it is through effort and dedication. Really, that's all it takes to get it if someone REALLY wants it so badly." Lunar nods, then pouting softly. "Though a majority of the rest of it does get rather mushy."

"What do you mean...?"

"While it's possible to earn magic through hard work, it can be magnified through training, and enhanced by the help of your loved ones around you. Monsters are especially good at this, though it's not like humans can't manage it too." Lunar explained as her cousin and brother nodded again. She struck again, a kick just breezing by Frisk's hair. "And you know why monsters are especially good at this?"

Frisk thought quickly as he jumped back from yet another axe kick that cracked the ground. Lisa noticed that his soul briefly flashed purple, indicating Purple Soul mode, involving quick thinking and problem solving. "Monsters strongest traits are love, hope, and compassion. So...when they all combined each others feelings...they can become even more powerful?"

"Precisely. One of the barely touched upon reasons that the monsters lost the war is because they couldn't fully channel those feelings under the massive stress of battle, the hatred of the humans, as well as the feeling of betrayal staying their souls. They couldn't tap into their full power. Had they been able to, they might not have won, but it sure as hell wouldn't be nearly as one-sided." Both Tempest nodded in confirmation of this. She finished with a strong punch that Frisk dodges by shifting his head to the side, her fist cracking the wall behind him. Lunar smirked. "Well done."

"Thank you." Frisk said while calming himself down, adrenaline leaving him as he plops on the ground. "So...what would you say that the overall magic potential of humans and monsters?"

"If you want my take on it? There's no known limit. Like I said, anyone can learn magic if they really work for it, whether they were born with it or not. It's just like you and these brats. You didn't have any magic before, did you?" Frisk shook his head. "Well...there you go. All humans and monsters have magic potential within them. Some need to unlock that potential within their selves, and that takes a lot of hard work and dedication. The usual trigger would be something highly emotional, or a personal barrier to be broken through with a large concentration of..."

"...Determination..." Lunar smirked at Frisk's surprised face.

"Yeah. Anyone and everyone has the potential to use magic, and the amount of magic they unlock is possibly limitless. How much of that potential that's actually unlocked and utilized within their lifetimes is another matter, and entirely up to them. Their potential to break their limits is what impresses me so much. Monsters usually need a pretty long time to break through their limits-which is signified by a Magic Awakening-but monsters from Ebott seemed to have quickly closed a gap between them and other monsters from the outside. And since monsters are mostly magic oriented to begin with, they benefit just a bit more from it than humans do."

"Creativity also plays a factor." Darkness said. "Example being...Muffet. With her personality, her predatory nature, and sweet tooth, she may very well be capable of magical transmutation in a certain...way."

"What does that mean?"

"It means she could turn living things into the baking goods she makes all the time...and then eat them to restore her stamina and empower her, the latter likely to be temporary." Darkness causally said-without so much as a miniature amount of discomfort-that Muffet could possibly empower herself through eating her enemies after turning them into sweets via magic transmutation. He almost seemed fascinated by it. Must be the scientist within. Or perhaps morbid curiosity. Maybe both. Darkness was that kind of dragon.

"...That definitely sounds like something she would do if she could." Frisk was definitely surprised, but he was so used to Muffet at this point that the shock quickly evaporated.

"It's more preferable than her potentially tapping into the power of mystical spiders. I like Muffet, but someone like her shouldn't be weaving webs of destiny. Too many consequences."

Even Frisk had to concede to that one. It also really gets into his head just how powerful monsters can become if they really, really tried. And considering they're made of magic anyway, they could reach those heights much faster than humans could...

"So...any human can learn magic if they really try...that could be a potential bonding point between humans and monsters! It might even be a huge step towards reconciliation because of monsters returning from the brink. But if all that is true...why would someone want to keep that knowledge hidden?"

"There's a variety of reasons kid, and while some of them are genuinely understandable...others...aren't. So for your own sake, I suggest you don't think too much about it right now until you've seen more of the world for yourself." For the final time, Tempest and Darkness nodded in agreement to Lunar's words. It seems like she finally finished her explanations.

Frisk sighed softly, shaking his head. Though he cheered himself up and bowed slightly. "Thanks, Lunar. I sure did learn a lot today! I'll see you later!" Frisk waved as he began to leave.

Lunar was rubbing her chin for a bit, thinking through their conversation and thinking back on their training. After a moment, she sighed and closed her eyes. "Frisk." She said quietly, stopping him in his tracks for a moment. "Remember what I said. Magic is not exclusive. It belongs to no one, and it's free to everyone, whether they're made of it or not, whether they know it or not. And one of the more reliable ways to draw out that power of yours and to become stronger is it's response to a very powerful need. Desiring it is NOT always enough. You have to create that need."

"W-Wow..." Frisk seemed surprised, mouth agape and all. "I...I see. Well, thanks for the practice, Lunar. Goodbye!" Frisk nodded in understanding as he made his way off again accompanied by Geno Alphys, who wished to return to Undyne and her present counterpart. In the meantime, Lunar kept her stance, wondering how Frisk will develop from here. He's still quite a ways away, but he was definitely making progress. Making use of that progress, however...that was entirely on him. And the only way there can be proper evaluation on that is if more conflict comes his way and forces him to put his training to the test, and to further push his limits. That was the meaning of training. To reach those limits, then surpass them. At least that's what it is to her, and Undyne seems to agree to some extents.

And Lunar's inner instinct is telling her that Frisk's test was soon to come...whether he was ready or not.

"Peek-A-Boo! I see you!~"

"You have three more eyes than I do. Of course you're gonna see me." Chara deadpanned while munching on a chocolate chip muffin, with a giddy Muffet cheerfully poking his cheek while he was doing so. She has made a basket full of chocolate chip muffins herself and brought them with her during her visit, and now the two of them were sitting around in Grillby's, lightly enjoying the war atmosphere, and the cheer of various onsters-and the occasional human-around them. "And not only do you have three more eyes than me, you also have five more arms than I do. I think you're pretending to be helpless just to toy with me further."

"Now why ever would I do something like that?~"

"Literally for any reason you can think of."

"Pbbbht!~"

"That's not even a proper response!"

"I don't need to make sense to make a point."

"Now I know that's a load of-"

"Shhhh..." Muffet lightly hushed him by pushing another muffin into his mouth. "Now now, be a dear and eat your chocolate muffins.~"

"Tch." Chara huffed while munching on the next muffin in his grasp, with Muffet brightly smiling towards him the whole time. While he was eating a bit of his current muffin, he turned towards Muffet herself. She had obviously made a few pastries and treats herself, except they were made with spiders. She paid enough attention to separate the two of them and leaving no room for mixups. "Um..Muffet? Do you mind if I ask you something?"

"Not at all, Dearie.~"

"Do you...still remember what you told me? About how you style some of your predatory tendencies?"

"Hm...yes, I do somewhat recall that conversation if I really think about it." Muffet confirmed while lightly paling her cheek. "Yep, indeed I do. Is there a reason why you're thinking that far back?"

Chara looked a bit nervous, lightly rubbing the back of his neck. "Well...I remember what you said about your predatory nature. You don't usually kill anything you don't plan on eating. And you frown heavily upon killing for sport or hunting in excess."

"Ah yes, I do remember saying something along those lines. But why do you-ooohhh..." Muffet was quick to understand what he meant, and lightly tilted her head. "I'm going to take an educated guess and say that those words have made you a bit anxious when it comes to interacting with me, him?" Chara slowly nodded. The spider-girl shook her head a bit while gently reaching out to cup his left cheek. "Dearie, it's quite alright. It was a long time ago, and you're clearly not that kind of person anymore. Being mad at you for something that goes that far back, regardless if I find it distasteful or not, isn't worth the effort. Especially if your regret is genuine and you wish to be better than that person you used to be."

"Yeah...it helps that nearly every one of our friends is capable of taking me in a one-on-one fight..more than that and I'll be completely overwhelmed. So there's that reassurance."

Muffet sighed, shaking her head a bit while slightly folding her middle arms. "Goodness, Chara-Dearie. You really need to lighten up a bit. There's nothing to gain from constantly beating yourself up. I understand that it's easier said than done, so I can't completely criticize you for it. I'm still going to support you to the best of my ability regardless of that. I'm just saying...try to be a bit more cheerful? Hm? Cheerful Chara Cutie Cheeks?~"

"I really don't need you extending your embarrassing nicknames for me..." Chara huffed in slight complaint, though he didn't bother trying to hide the smile on his face. Muffet was being herself as usual, and for some reason that made him feel much better. As such, he reached out to hold one of her hands, the middle left one after she unfolded both of them. She smiled in return as she gently placed her other hand on top of his, lightly caressing it. And, just because she could, she lightly kisses him on the cheek. Chara blushed brightly at this, but managed to handle it a lot better than most of the other times. In fact, just a bit under impulse, he turned his head and kissed Muffet's cheek in return.

The act greatly surprised Muffet, but in a very positive and welcome manner, while also putting a very bright smile on her face. "Oooh! You actually returned it this time.~"

"Y-Yeah...I did. Boyfriends can kiss their girlfriends too, you know...you shouldn't be the only one doing it. So, uh...yeah."

"Awwwh.~" Muffet was touched/amused by this. It seemed Chara was further getting used to the idea of being in a relationship. Much faster than Asriel and Red, though that may be because their sense of familiarity with one another was much deeper than the latter. Not to say that the latter pair's connection wasn't deep, it's just new. They need much more time to further understand their new bond. Muffet was sure something amazing will come from it once they do improve.

"heya. what's goin' on?" Chara jumped a bit as Sans was suddenly levitating above the two of them, grinning like amusingly at the two of them. Muffet looked upwards a little to see hi, and she casually waved.

"Good day, Sans! Nothing much, really. Just finishing up a certain topic in a conversation.~"

"must have ended rather well, ya both gave each other a peck on yer cheeks."

"Shut up..." Chara muttered while looking away, now embarrassed.

"Aww, look what you did, Sans. He's all bashful again.~"

"you're one of the few people to keep him that way perpetually if ya really wanted to. i consider that an accomplishment."

'WHAT IS THIS ABOUT ACCOMPLISHMENTS?~" Papyrus also jumped in, lightly gazing at the trio. "OH? LOOK AT THE TWO OF YOU, LOOKING ALL CUTE! IS THIS A DATE?"

"N-No..."

Muffet blinked, and lightly rubbed her chin. "...Oh my goodness. We've never been on a clear-cut date yet! We've got to fix that as soon as we can. This was a simple conversation, not an actual date. Don't worry Chara-Dearie, I'll fix this as soon as I can!"

Chara groaned. He was not looking forward to what she had planned. Not because he didn't want to go on a proper date. But because he had no idea what she might be scheming. It's possible it might be fulfilling for the both, but incredibly embarrassing for him. He didn't know what to expect, and he won't know until it actually happens. "Thanks for reminding her, Papyrus..."

"NOT A PROBLEM! ALWAYS HAPPY TO HELP!~"

"...Ugh. I can't be that mad with you. You make it too hard..." Sans definitely didn't miss the contrast from what Chara used to think of Papyrus to now. The circumstances definitely weren't up to anyone's comfort at the time, but now things were much smoother between them...even if Chara still couldn't keep up with Papyrus' overall attitude , it served as yet another sign that Chara has continued to improve himself to the best of his ability, and Sans is fully capable of acknowledging that.

great progress, kiddo.

Papyrus pulled back while pounding his chest. "NOW THEN, HOW ABOUT WE LEAVE THIS GREASY ESTABLISHMENT AND FIND SOMEWHERE CLEANER TO CHAT?"

"whaddya talkin' about, bro? when ya really think about it, grease is kinda good for ya."

"COMPLETELY UNTRUE! YOU ACTUALLY BELIEVE THE NONSENSE YOU'RE TELLING YOURSELF?!"

"what? i did say 'kinda'."

"IT SHOULD BE 'NONEDA'!"

"what does that even mean?"

"IT MEANS THAT THE SENSE OF WHAT YOU'RE SAYING AMOUNTS TO NONE!"

Chara sighed while facepalming. So much for a calm day out...what a bother.

Undyne was in the middle of a spar with Shamir, while the likes of Ribras, Rasha, Asriel, Alphys and the Pack were watching nearby outside of. It might not seem like much to some others, just another day of training. Though there was another purpose to this. Undyne requested sparring with Shamir so he could further better himself, as well as Ribras and Rasha. However, she also wanted to know a bit more about their past occupation, and they didn't seem to mind too much. They felt safe enough around their friends to be willing to share private information such as it certainly wouldn't be easy. They were in the backyard of the newly married couples' house, and there was luckily plenty of space to move around in.

"I'm a bit surprised that you actually wish to hear about our past...'loyalty' to someone who really doesn't deserve it..." Shamir said as he twirled his swords around and clashed them with Undyne's spear. She parried both swords and swung upwards to break their formation, pushing him back a few feet while she stayed her ground. "Our former leader...Ratoveros...obviously wasn't that great or compassionate a leader. Nothing like you."

"Yeah, I kind of figured that one. You're all afraid of ending back up in his clutches. I swore I wasn't going to let that happen." Undyne said as she swung her spear to knock away a ball of lightning from Shamir, then twirled her spear again to parry a lightning-coated sword coming towards her right. With him taking a few moments too late to pull back, she swiftly spun once and kicked Shamir in the cheek, sending him tumbling away from her and ending up on his back. Undyne grinned. "I've grown used to playing with fire and lightning after training Asriel for as long as I did. You won't catch me off guard that easily."

"I'm...beginning to notice..." Shamir groaned in a bit of pain while turning over and recovering from the blow, rubbing his cheek. He shook it off and readied his sabers again, while Undyne switched weapons to a pair of sais. Shamir blinked at this. "Your telumkinesis is rather impressive...I wonder how creative you can get with it...?"

"That's a bit of a secret, dude. Now let's continue.~" Undyne grinned as she swirled the glowing blue sais in her hands, then getting a tight grip on them before she dashed towards the feline in front of her.

Ribras and Rasha seemed a bit surprised at Undyne's eagerness. Though they adjusted quite quickly before they chose to continue the conversation. It began with the latter. "It was rather terrible under Ratoveros leadership. It bordered on unbearable, if we didn't have each other to rely on. It's been difficult for us all."

"I don't doubt that. You all were anxious at the mere mention of him." Asriel said with a soft sigh. "Well...I haven't forgotten what I've promised you all before. We won't let him get you. We'll keep you safe from him, as much as we can, anyway." He said with a nod as he lightly scratched his ear. "Though I have something else to ask of you for both me and Undyne, if you don't mind."

"It's no trouble, Prince Asriel."

"It's...it's just Asriel." Asriel sighed while he shook his head and regained his focus. "I just need some confirmation. Parvos used to be one of you, wasn't he? You all were comrades with him?"

"We were more like business associates than actual comrades." Shamir said to him while hurriedly parrying sai swipes from Undyne. "But regardless of him seeing us that way, we actually did care about him deep down, considering all the hardships we've been forced to endure together. I suppose we're hurt that he doesn't feel as close to us as we thought he was, despite how rude he tends to be. We really did care about him."

"...And you still do care about him."

"...I suppose we do." Rasha mumbled while caressing Ribras' paw. "We don't know what happened with him...we've begun working with one another much sooner than one might think. He's been left alone with his father much longer than when he began working with us...he might have been significantly different from when we met him. We don't know...we weren't able to have much personal time...Ratoveros wasn't all for times like those, honestly..."

"Ratoveros must have been an especially irritating superior...little time for personal things...even when you two are married." Alphys muttered while clenching the helm of her skirt. Not being able to spend some time with your spouse would be infuriating, especially if it's due to someone deliberately refusing that time to them. Given how fulfilling her marriage with Undyne felt even though it's just begun, she would never abide for anyone to stand in-between them like that. Regardless of whether sher wins or not, she'll fight before succumbing to that kind of oppression.

"I would not stand for being unable to show affection for my beloved. I'd fight with everything I have before I allow that." Dogressa huffed while hugging her beloved Dogamy. He nodded affectionately towards her and squeezed her paw in return. Dogressa blinked a bit as she turned towards Red and Asriel. "That brings something to mind for a little bit...how are you two doing?"

They both blushed slightly, and they both found their laps to be much more interesting at the moment. Though only Asriel spoke up at the moment: "Y-Yes...we're doing just fine..."

"Y-Yeah, Mama. There's nothing to worry about." Red said quietly while rubbing her neck. It isn't that their feelings for one another were fake in any way. They were just as great as Chara and Muffet's connection. Though at the cost of them being much more shy about them. Sure, Chara was nervous about their relationship as well, but nowhere near to the extent as the younger pair.

"Ah, I see. Well, I hope you two continue to grow together. Me and Lady Toriel are looking forward to more adorable moments between you both.~"

"SERIOUSLY, MAMA?!"

"Golly..."

"Ugh!" The duo thanked the interruption as Undyne roughly pinned Shamir down with her boot on his chest. He groaned as he tapped the ground to signify his surrender. Undyne smirked as she helped him up, slapping his back.

"You're a tough kitty, alright. You can take a lot more damage than before. FUHU!~" Undyne chuckled while lightly petting his head. "You're much better off than before."

"Y-Yeah...I suppose so..." Shamir muttered while looking down with a blush.

After their training session eventually ended, they went into the house for some refreshments. Alphys smiled as Undyne stretched a bit in front of her. She walked up to her and hugged her from behind, sliding her arms around her toned abdomen. Undyne smirked at this. "Oi. Whaddya think ya doin', cute little liz?~"

"Just hugging you." Alphys smiled quietly. "Marriage is still quite new for me, so I'm taking a bit of joy in the small things. Hugs are small and nice."

"Hey. Ya don't need to explain yourself when it comes to this stuff. I'm all for showing affection just because." Undyne chuckled while lightly caressing the paws around her middle. "That's something we do anyway on a daily basis."

"Y-Yes...b-but now we're doing so as wives. I-I dunno...it just feels a bit different...not in a bad way, though." Alphys smiled while closing her eyes. Her stutter tends to come up with a vengeance, when she least expects it. "In fact...I couldn't be happier."

"Fuhuhuhu...CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!~" Undyne chuckled. Alphys blinked at this, surprise.

"What do you mean, challenge accepted...?"

"I've decided that we're not gonna place a limit on our happiness, Alph. It's just gonna remain ever-increasing!~"

"U-Undyne...g-geez...it's just a simple phrase..."

"Phrase or not, I'm gonna challenge it with everything I have!"

"I-I guess that's how you approach a lot of things...I...do really love that about you."

"You can be passionate too, Alphys! It just takes the proper motivation!~"

Alphys smiled softly while gently tightening her hug on Undyne. T-True...all it takes is proper motivation.

In the meantime, not that far away, Geno Alphys was eying the two wives with a gentle smile. It was true, there was a certain solemn feeling in her heart and soul that feels regret for not having this experience for herself, but there was more joy in the fact that her counterpart was able to experience this joy. She accomplished her goal with flying colors, and it brought about ore benefits than she could have ever imagined.

She turned and moved on from the...though she felt much heavier while she did so. She thought about why she suddenly felt heavy in her soul. She lightly lifted her paw, softly gazing at it for a moment. Her eyes lowered halfway as a thought came to her mind. She had what Undyne would call a 'gut feeling'. And she was surprisingly content about what that sensation was telling her. It was calm acceptance, yet she was curious as to why she felt so easy about it. She might find out soon enough.

Well...regardless of what this feeling is telling me...I'll just keep doing what I can.

W...What to do...? Why must this be so troublesome a decision..? Toriel thought as she was staring ahead in total darkness, her eyes currently shadowed over. This decision is sure to carry over into the future...do I go the route that's more familiar to me...or do I take a chance and try something new...? Perhaps the latter option will lead me to new heights...or maybe I should stick to my usual choices and try again later...? But...I am unsure if I can wait that long... Toriel shook her head slightly, her ears flopping about, before she lifted her head and her eyes opened with a slight whimper. Oh dear...why must this be so difficult...? What should I do...goodness, what should I do?!

Alvina lightly tapped Toriel's shoulder, looking just a bit concerned. "Um...Toriel? You alright, girl?" She asked. The maternal monster was shaking, hunched forward with two grocery bags in paw, as she was right in front of a dessert stand. And the three things that's mostly caught her eye were flapper pie, angel's delight, and sponge cake. "You're gonna have to make a choice sometime. We don't want the line behind us to get pissed."

"All three of them look so delectable..." Toriel mumbled with twitchy paws. "But I am here to eat lunch...why is it that this caught my eye first...? I won't be able to pull myself away from it now...decisions decisions..."

Alvina rubbed her neck slightly with a sigh. "Look, the guys are taking care of ordering food, while we take care of dessert. All this was made by monsters, so it should be fine." Weight gain was not really a problem for monster food, more that Toriel might not be able to stop once she starts. She doesn't wish to be hypocritical with her discipline, which she's told her children. Eat actual food first, dessert comes later. Though since their sweet tooth was quite notable, it was a difficult vow to follow. But she was determined to do so. Alvina smiled softly. "Look, how about this. How about you order all three of them, pick one to eat immediately after lunch, then save the other two for later?"

Toriel sighed softly. "Y-Yes...I suppose that would be best...I would appreciate that very much. Let's go with that plan." It was finally decided. Toriel would order all three desserts and save two of them for later. For now, they simply bagged their desserts and went to join the others for lunch time.

In the meantime...

"Does she usually take this long to pick her desserts...?" Adam asked while sitting at a dining table across from Asgore, with Temmie lying across his lap, vibrating softly. On Asgore's side, Adam's pet magic cat Alex was sitting atop his head with an uninterested yawn, simply finding the King comfy. Obviously Asgore didn't mind this, just enjoying the company. Flowey didn't care much for the cat, however. He was just a little bit annoying at best. Temmie was at least somewhat bearable, because he's known her for that long.

"Not usually. Tori must really be on the fence about spoiling herself today. I'm not completely against it, she just needs to take her time...so long as it doesn't result in public disturbance." Asgore replied while lightly rubbing his neck with one paw, taking a sip of tea. He smiled and pulled it back slightly. "I must say, I believe I can get used to the taste and sensation of iced tea. It's not as fulfilling as when I make tea myself, but it's definitely something I would like to experience more than once."

"I'm...happy that I managed to introduce you to it. I'd have thought that you would have had this kind of tea sooner, seeing that you're a big fan of it." Adam responded. He blinked and rubbed his neck. "Then again...you did just say that you prefer to make your own tea...so...that's kind of a brain fart on my part."

"That rhyme is disgusting." Flowey deadpanned.

"Be nice, Flowey." Asgore gently scolded while maintaining eye contact with Adam. "It's true that I prefer to make my own tea, but I'm certainly not against new experiences. And now, it's quite obvious to me why it's called iced tea. It's cold in a soothing sense. I wasn't really expecting them to come in bottles like this. And I believe lemonade is among my favorites."

"Oh? Again, glad to be of some help. Though of all your preferences, I didn't expect lemonade to be the one that draws you in. Must say, I'm honestly a bit surprised." Adam said while scratching his head a bit. "Then again, I don't really know you that well on a personal level, so...that doesn't really say much."

"It's fine. That's why we spend time together, to know one another better." Asgore responded while lightly clapping Adam on the back. "By the sounds of your upbringing, there wasn't nearly enough friendly faces in your life, thanks to your family, including outside forces preventing you from making any true friends."

"It's...it's not that I didn't have any true friends. Actually finding the time to further connect with the...that was difficult, if not outright impossible..." Adam mumbled while shaking his head. "I was really put to work...cooperation with others was purely professional. Family wasn't really treasured or even cared for, more than usual. I knew they were a lost cause, an even emptier shell than they all used to be...but that didn't make it hurt any less..."

"Hm..." Asgore lowered his eyes. "Well. At least you had your cat, Alex. You say that's one of the only good things that you've gained from your experience."

"Yeah. Alex is someone to treasure. Glad to have him as a companion. Until now, he was the only one I could truly count on..."

"Not anymore. Now you can count on the rest of us as well."

"Blech." Flowey muttered.

"Hey boys!" The duo looked back to see Toriel and Alvina walking up to them, having finally caught up with the both of the, and took their seats next to the both of them. "Oh, you actually did get lunch for all of us. And we've gotten the dessert."

Asgore nodded softly as he lightly caressed Toriel's paw, seeing how she was eagerly eying her desserts, seeing how much she was restraining herself. She really wanted to follow her own guidelines and not spoil her lunch, and focused upon her self-discipline to resist it. "How are you doing, Tori?"

"Fine...just fine." Toriel mumbled. She calmed her eagerness by biting into her sandwich provided by her husband. Salad nicoise sandwich, to be precise. "Hmm...I do find the simplicity of sandwiches to be interesting. The Legendary Hero is rather easy to understand and can be rather filling for monsters and humans alike."

"Yeah. Sandwiches are somewhat easy to make, and can be satisfying to eat overall." Alvina smiled while stretching her arms. "Though I can understand why some might not serve sandwiches."

"Why is that?"

"They don't serve food."

"Pffft!" Toriel had to hurriedly swallow her food before she actually began laughing, pressing her face against the table and tapping the surface.

Adam blinked, rather surprised by this. Alvina snickered at Toriel's giggle fest. "That pun was easy, and it was bad. Those tend to be her favorites. Though I might have to admit that this one was definitely in bad taste."

"Tehehehe!"

"But for real, I don't really like making my own sandwiches. That's why we hire sub contractors."

"Alvina! S-Stop! I'm trying to eheheheat...!"

Oh man. The cringewothy jokes are one of her favorites...? Adam sweatdropped.

Alvina rolled her arm a bit. "Yeah, I know. Besides, I know I wouldn't want Asgore to make me a sandwich."

Flowey flinched greatly, and bends over to glare at Asgore right in his eyes. "Don't you dare. Don't. DON'T. Even I can acknowledge that the tasteless joke you're about to make is below your standards. I'll be highly disappointed in you if you do it. So I'm warning you right now, DON'T."

Asgore smiled rather mischievously, as he lightly waved a bit of sparkling magic around Alvina. It didn't do anything, but what he said afterwards: "Voila! You're a sandwich!"

"PFFFT! HAHAHAHA!" Toriel lamented that she couldn't eat her lunch right now because of her laughing fit, but she didn't care. She was leaning back a bit while holding her sides, trying her best to at least breathe properly. It was too much for her to handle. Alvina wasn't much better.

"Hah! Dad jokes! They're so easy to set up! They're also horribly bad...but they only make Asgore stronger!"

"That's it. No. I-I'm literally done." Flowey stuck his tongue at everyone as he hopped off of Asgore and landed on the ground. "I'll be back far long after your toxic joke session is over." He muttered as he dug into the ground.

"Oh. How unfortunate. Flowey left us to our own devices." Asgore said with a light chuckle, as Toriel herself was finally beginning to calm down and take in deep breaths, before she began eating again. "Bahhaha...goodness. Oh well, as soon as we finish lunch, we'll go find him and apologize. We go right now, he'll just keep avoiding us."

Adam nodded in simple agreement, and couldn't help but manage a small laugh of his own. Hearing himself laugh was a bit of a surprise at first. He doesn't remember the last time he did so with a genuine smile on his face. He didn't have much to laugh about back then, and even less to actually smile about, aside from having Alex by his side. Though now he did have more things to smile about. That his torment was over, and he was with his sister again, reconnecting with her. He hoped to continue their reconnection, there's so much about her that he wants to know, despite Alvina liking to live somewhat simply, despite being the mayor. He needed to support her however he could. He would actually be there as her big brother. He at least had to try.

And he planned to succeed, regardless of any personal consequence.

Flowey soon pops out of the ground, a decent distance away from Ebott's inner limits, shaking his head in abstract disgust. Bad jokes are one thing. Dad jokes was going way beyond his level of tolerance. Honestly, if Sans was there, he'd make the whole thing several times worse. And he definitely wasn't in any mood for that, nor will he ever be. He was thus immensely glad that he left when he did, otherwise he would do something that Toriel would certainly make him regret.

"Tch. So glad I don't have to hear any of that anymore...it was really getting to me. I don't think I'd be able to take any more..." He muttered in complete and utter annoyance. "So glad I managed to get away when I did..." Further complaints almost left him, but he stopped them for the tie being, as he heard something nearby. Curious, as well as more than a bit cautious, he stretched his ste for a moment in the direction of the voices...

"It ain't too late to back outta this, old man." Parvos said while casually picking his hear, yawning. "The big boss sends her final regards, because she has pretty high expectations of our complete and utter failure."

"She knows nothing of us. The advantage is ours. And we will abuse that advantage for whatever it's worth. I grow tired of our consistent failures in the face of an insignificant city such as this." The large feline standing in front of him muttered angrily while gazing upon the city. "And you, unreliable son of mine, will do your job. And you will succeed. Unless you'd wish to suffer the consequences. Then again...you simply take what's dished out no matter what I do."

"There isn't much you can do to me that I can't take, Pops. That's how ya raised me.~"

"Enough of your smart mouth. It's time." Ratoveros turned towards seven other figures behind him, each with their heads lowered. six monsters, one human. "You all know what your roles are. Fulfill them with complete efficiency, and we will achieve victory. As usual, the komodo dragon monster will lead the charge."

"Hm. Allow me to deal with Ebott's precious 'mayor' and her treacherous brother. Only fair that we end the family line completely." The one human said with a grimace.

"Very well. Move out, all of you." Ratoveros ordered as he and the other monsters moved out after the feline monster gave out his order.

The only one who didn't leave as of yet, was Parvos...and one other human behind him. One who was much more frail looking than the one who gave out the threat. The feline grinned a bit as he looked back towards said human. "Looks like Ratoveros' magic submission on my comrades is remaining pretty powerful...hey there. Whaddya think the outcome of this operation will be?~"

"You know I don't like giving those out." The other human frowned, as he takes something out of his coat pocket, an inhaler. He appeared to be around his mid-twenties, wearing a dark-blue hoodie and beige cargo pants. His eyes had an icy glint to them, though they also had a hint of massive exhaustion behind them.

"Oh come on be a pal."

"...Hm." He shook his head...but he nonetheless spoke anyway. "All I can say is this. This is Ratoveros' final chance to completely destroy his enemy. Success would mean that a future crisis will be averted, and things can go back to how they were going." He lowered his head. "...However. Should he fail here...well...everyone is going to be in for a lot of trouble. If the Dreemurr Faction survives past today...the chances of stopping them will drop drastically. Both in combined strength and powerful influence. Because after this, they will unanimously take action against their enemies."

"Hehe...that'll be interesting." Parvos grinned as he stretched and rolled his arm. "You're just gonna sit here and watch?"

"You know I'm not a fighter. I'm more of an observer."

"I've got ya, Mr. Prophet."

Prophet...? Flowey narrowed his eyes. He didn't like where any of this was going. He decided he needed to hurry back and warn the others-

"And look. The central part of this operation has been observing us." Flowey's eyes widened as he could see the human turn towards him, with his eyes lowered. He reached his hand out towards him. "Sorry about this...it'll only hurt for a moment..."

Flowey felt strange, like a piece of his mind has been picked from him. What on earth was this human do-

Hewassittingintotaldarknesswithhisleaveswitheredandtatteredandhiseyesdullandlifelesscharafriskandasrielwerealllookingdownuponwithlooksofdisdainanddisgustcharabrandishinghisrealknifefriskbrandishinghisnewflamesandasrielgrippinghischaossaberfloweycouldonlylookupandfeeblybegforthenottokillhimbuttheydidnotheedhispleainmomentshewasslashedcutandburnedtocinderswithnothingleftbehindhisremainsthrownintothewindforeverforgottenjustlikehethoughttheycouldneverfullyforgivehimforwhathesdonetoeveryoneitsonlyfittingthathisfinalfatewouldbethisjustacynicalpieceofasrielthatshouldhavebeendestroyedlongagoafterallfailedexperimentshsouldbeforeverforgotten.

Flowey didn't know what happened. First he was sitting before the mysterious human, then suddenly he was expose to any brutal images at once. He was writhing on the ground as Parvos watched with amusement and the Prophet looked on with pity and guilt, fully knowing what he has just unleashed upon Ebott. Soon enough, Flowey stopped writhing, slowly lifted his head, and smiled creepily.

Any reason and sanity he had beforehand has suddenly been destroyed for the time being...and the consequences that would follow would be severe...

Just a note. That garbled mess ya see up there? That was fully intentional, as one certain reader might be able to spot right away, because I just introduced a certain someone into the grand scheme of things that they'll be familiar with. Take your time translating that. And if it causes a bit too much trouble, I might edit it later.

And with that, the Flowey Arc begins..

Prepare for the next few chapters to involve things going downhill and chaotic really, REALLY fast. It is after all, the final arc of Act 2, which shall set certain tones and attitudes for Act 3. I pretty much am on a role of what I want to do and where I want to go at this point. The only thing that I can see at the moment as my personal obstacle is pacing. I might improve on that, at least a small bit. Hopefully.

Also...keep your eyes on Frisk and Papyrus. They're gonna be awesome, ESPECIALLY the former. I haven't given them enough of those kinds of moments, and I intend to rectify that here.

Look forward to it!~