This chapter might be slightly messy and the like, but it's here!

Also, story anniversary! How about that! And it's about certain women close to Frisk...

For real, I've been thinking about the Deltarune deal. Would it be alright for me to use characters from there for this story? Because it's so unrelated to Undertale that it's got it's own Fanfiction category! So would that count as a crossover?! Should I take the trio from there-and possibly other characters-and give them different origins due to being different worlds? Cause things are DRASTICALLY different in Deltarune if you didn't already know. So there may or may not be harm in managing a few into this story.

I'm interested in it, and have several ways to implement it...but a part of me wants to see the whole game completed first so I can have a full understanding of the characters and such. Or should I just use what's out right now since what's there won't affect this story too much anyway? Lemme know what you think of that. Again, I don't wanna force it if it's not wanted. I can manage.

Oh, by the way. At the time of her creation, I likely didn't think of this. But now I'm glad I kept it around.

Several name meanings for Alvina: Wise Friend, Noble Friend, Dearly Loved, and the most magical, Elf Friend.

Chapter Start!

"I do wonder what Alvina has called us over for..." Toriel thought absentmindedly as she and Asgore walked up to her house. And the strange thing was that she called simply for the two of them, no one else.

"It must be quite personal. She certainly sounded serious about it. Well, not serious...but she sounds rather solemn." Asgore hummed while stroking his beard. "She must have something important to tell us."

"Perhaps. The only way we'll find out is to seek her and have her tell us. I do like good brainstorming sessions, but at this moment I'm more worried about something being wrong than figuring out what she wants to tell us beforehand."

"Yes, I suppose that's fair, Tori. Best to have her tell us what's going on. And if there is something wrong, we'll be able to find a vantage point on how to help her." Asgore hummed softly. "...I wonder if she has any tea available?"

"Asgore..."

"Right right, sorry...besides, I always bring my own tea packs, just in case.~"

"...That's...not what I meant." Toriel sighed while gently face-palming. She shook her head while moving up to Alvina's door and knocking softly. "Knock Knock."

"...Who's there?"

"A little old lady."

"Little old lady who?"

"You're quite a highly skilled yodeler!~" Asgore raised an eyebrow towards her, which she waved off casually. "I never said anything about doing something to lighten the mood."

Alvina seemed to laugh a bit behind the door. Either because the joke was good or because it was terrible. Most likely the latter. So bad it's good. Alvina figured out that it was Toriel's and Sans' main brand of humor. Then Toriel smiled and went for another.

"Knock knock."

"Whooo's therree?"

"Cow says."

"Cow says who?"

"No. Cow says mooooo!~"

"Okay, I'm gonna open the door before these get any more hilariously cringe-worthy." Alvina chuckled as she steadily opened the door, laughing aloud. "Good grief, where the heck did THAT one come from?"

"Well, it may have something to do with my current attire." Toriel smiled softly as she lightly twirled her muumuu, a dress she hasn't worn in quite a while. "I felt like going for something a little more relaxing...and for something to think back on and somewhat laugh at myself..."

"What does that mean?"

"She wore it one time back in the Underground, and people kept telling her how nice her muumuu was...she thought they were calling her a cow, so she never wore it again." Asgore the back of his neck sheepishly. "She had no idea that was the actual name of the dress...not actual name calling."

Alvina turned towards Toriel for confirmation, only to see the maternal monster blushing in embarrassment while hiding her face. At this, Alvina could only sarcastically clap. "Toriel Dreemurr. Brains of the family. May we bask in the glow of her wisdom and intellect.~"

"H-Hush with all that! I didn't know, okay?! I'm not exactly that adept in the art of fashion!" Toriel sputtered with waving paws and such. She patted down her dress and cleared her throat. "Ahem...well...let's move past all that, okay. Are we allowed to come in?"

"Of course." Alvina nodded as she pushed the door open for them to step inside. Due to how big Asgore was and how statuesque Toriel was, it was a bit rough for them to enter through the door. Mostly for Asgore, as ducking was definitely involved. "Thanks for coming, I really appreciate it."

"It's of no trouble, Alvina." Asgore hummed while moving into her living room. And standing there was Adam placing down some morning tea, blueberry muffins, cinnamon toast, and orange juice. "Oh? Adam, did you make all of this?"

"Yeah. Alvina was really tired earlier on, so I took the liberty of making breakfast. And there's still plenty left over when she ate some. I simply warmed them up." Adam said while sitting down on a separate chair. Alvina sits in yet another chair, with Axel jumping onto her lap and laid down comfortably. Alvina proceeded to gently stroke his back, causing gentle purrs to rumble from his throat. You're seriously at her beck and call, aren't you? Axel had begun casually sticking his tongue at him, knowing what his master was thinking from the annoyed expression on his face.

Asgore and Toriel sits down on a much sturdier couch, as Asgore poured himself some of the offer tea and sipped some from the teacup. He smiled and sets it down. "This was nicely done, I must say, Adam."

"I try my best." Adam nodded, then turned towards Alvina in worry. "Hey. You sure you wanna do this?"

"I'm sure..." Alvina definitely sounded sure of that decision, but it was also solemn.

"Alvina? Is there something the matter? Are you doing alright?" Toriel thought in concern, reaching out to gently touch her hand. Alvina appreciated the gesture, holding her paw gently as she takes a breath.

"I'm fine. It's just that...this will be pretty difficult for me, so I've been spending my first waking hours mentally preparing for it..." Alvina said solemnly as she chose to look Toriel in the eyes. "I want to tell you my story, my full story...with Frisk's mother."

"...A...Are you sure...?" Toriel said slowly, with her eyes reflecting upon her hesitation.

"Yes, I'm sure. After all of my experiences, and thinking about possible future experiences, I feel like I should open up about this." Alvina said quietly. "To be honest, I've taken too long to do this, and it was due to my own hesitation. But after everything that's happened, and thinking REALLY hard on it to the best of my ability, I feel like I have to share this with you both, since you have legal custody of Frisk."

"W...Well...alright. If you believe that is the right thing to do." Asgore said slowly while sipping some of the offered tea.

Alvina lowered her gaze to her own lap, before lifting her head up again with a focused gaze. "Okay. So I was still getting used to this mayor gig, right? I was still trying to get my bearings and stuff, and things were still rough for me because at the time, I didn't exactly have a support group to boost my confidence. Then she appeared..."

"I swear...I'm the youngest person in the room, so why the heck is it that I seem to be the most competent...?" Alvina sighed irritably while moving away from the mayor's building, binder in arms, with an annoyed pulsing vein in her head.

She had to endure an hour and a half of half of them bickering over selfish things and the other half too meek to shut them down, when they ought to worry about more important things like how to help their citizens. When she tried to peacefully get their attention, one of them wrote her off as a 'mere child' and told her to leave most of the decision making to them.

Temper flaring, she proceeded to smash her coffee cup into the circular table so hard that the noice echoed throughout the room. After that, they didn't disrespect her for the rest of the meeting, actually listening to her. She put great emphasis on focusing on the wellbeing and happiness of the citizens.

Awesome, in her opinion. But now she needed a new coffee cup, AND she hurt her hand, which was currently bandaged up. So, points for effectiveness, but she REALLY should have thought that through a bit more. She'd rather not be making progress due to having them fear her. She'd rather they genuinely respect her. She had a long way to go in that aspect.

"Most Competent? Yes. Most Mature? Not so much..." Alvina sighed while shaking her head, making a turn. "This whole mayor thing is great and all, but sometimes it can be a real pain in the-"

CRASH!

"Aaaaaaooooowww..." Alvina grunted with tightly closed eyes as she felt both her hurt hand and now a sprained ankle. That was swell, another pulse of physical pain to add to her day. Fantastical. '...Wait a minute. I fell forward...I should have eaten concrete and added my face to my list of injuries. Yet all I feel is...'

"Oh. I didn't really account for falling over as a part of my day plans." A soft soothing voice reached out to her and shook her from her shock. Alvina lifted her head and made eye contact with sapphire and golden orbs blinking curiously at her. They seemed a bit too far away to be very face to face, so...she looked down.

'...Oh. I landed in boobs...'

...

"...GAAAAH!" Alvina jumped back and stumbled on her rear as she waved her hands rapidly. "I'm sorry! I'm SO sorry! I've had a stressful day, I wasn't paying attention, and-"

"Are you alright? I kind of got in your way and made you fall. That's my mistake. Sorry." The woman gently interrupted as she tilted her head curiously towards her. "You seem to be a bit worked up."

"I...I...I...it's okay...?" Alvina blinked in confusion. She expected a significantly more annoyed or angry reaction. Not concern for the person she knocked over. She even took the blame! "Like I said, I kinda had a rough meeting, and I was just leaving it."

"Huh. How about that." The woman blinked slowly and nodded in understanding. She then reached for Alvina's fallen binder and handed it to her. "Here you are."

"Thanks..." Alvina takes the binder and stands up...only to notice that both her and her sprained ankle...weren't hurting anymore. She could stand just fine and her hand didn't twitch in slight pain. It's like she was never injured. 'That's weird...I could have sworn I was-'

"Oh dear. This is a mess." The woman, now that she got a better look at her, appeared to be around her own age with brown hair reaching past her shoulders, and aforementioned gold and sapphire eyes. She was wearing a pink and purple striped blouse with a blue skirt. Alvina couldn't deny that the woman was beautiful. She pouted slightly, and Alvina saw the reason why; she was holding lemonade in her hand, which she likely recently brought, and was now spilled on her blouse, with the empty cup and straw harmlessly rolling away. "This is my favorite blouse, too..."

"Again, I'm soooo sorry!" Alvina bowed slightly. "Let me make it up to you by helping you get it to dry cleaning. I'll gladly pay...for..." Her thoughts trailed off as the woman casually began taking off her blouse, pulling it over her head, leaving ongoing passerby shocked/awed/distracted by the sudden display, and Alvina feeling a mixture of envy and horror. "W-W-WHAAAA?! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

"Why are you shouting all of a sudden?"

"What do you mean why am I shouting?! Why are YOU stripping in broad daylight?!"

"What do you mean? My blouse got dirty; of course I should take it off."

"W-Well, yeah...BUT NOT IN PUBLIC!" Alvina sputtered as she helped the woman up and began pushing her along. "Nothing to see here, people! Carry on!"

"We should introduce ourselves. My name is Freya. What's yours?"

"Alvina. Now let's get you out of here and away from leering eyes. Put your blouse back on!"

"But it's so dirty..."

"I'll help you clean it!"

"But it's so hooooot..."

"I'LL BUY YOU MORE LEMONADE!"

"Yaaaay~"

Asgore and Toriel were currently wearing incredibly perplexed expressions, while Adam looked downright lost. Axel was simply lazing about on Alvina's lap. The mayor in question gazed at them all with a straight expression.

"I couldn't make this up if I tried. Remember when I first met you? I said that I WISHED that I could say that you all coming out of the mountain would be one of my weirder days?"

"Vaguely." Asgore scratched his cheek.

"Bet you all thought I was being cheeky and putting on a brave face. Nah, NAH. About half of those days originated from her."

"Alright...it took a while...but we're got all that stuff outta the way..." Alvina sighed softly while Freya was sipping a lemonade smoothie. She didn't want a regular lemonade drink and wanted a smoothie based one, so there it was. "Now, I'd like to think we're just about-"

"A great lemony taste graces my tongue, the softness smooshing all around...it fills me with...lemons." Freya said while lightly sipping more of her smoothie.

"Freya."

"Oh, hi Alvina!"

"I was...already...here." Alvina sighed. "Mind telling me why you felt that the immediate reaction to your blouse getting dirty was to take it off in broad daylight?"

"It was dirty, so I was taking it off."

"Yeah...but...you don't just DO that out of nowhere! You do that inside the privacy of your own home, not outside for many ogling eyes to see!"

"Oh. Were you ogling me, then?"

"...That's not important!" Alvina shook her head in embarrassed denial.

"Besides, I can't really use the privacy of my own home...due go the complication of not having one."

Alvina calmed down a bit at this, lifting her head and looking the stranger in the eye. "Wait...no home of your own...? You're not from here, are you?"

"That's correct!"

"You came here with nothing but the clothes on your back?"

"Also correct!"

"Which means you have no one and nothing to vouch to represent yourself..."

"Three for three! Wow, you're REALLY good at guessing!~"

Alvina looked troubled. "Is...is this really something to be chipper about? I mean by the sounds of it, your in a really crappy position right now."

"Yeah, but it's not the first time I've been put in super rough situations, and this likely won't be the last. Moping about it won't do me much good though."

"I understand THAT, but I don't think appearing chipper about it is the precise response..."

"It's fine. I'm doing fine, really." She tilted her head. "Besides, you seem to be handling your own position quite well. You're likely in your late teens and you have the heavy responsibility of being mayor."

"Y-Yeah...it's rough. But that's me. I'm worried about YOU." Alvina leaned forward. "You have friends and/or family to help you back to your feet, right?"

"...Incorrect. You had a good rhythm going, at least." Freya smiled sadly. Alvina didn't know what it was, but that one word, combined with how utterly aged Freya's eyes appeared for only the briefest of moments, was all that was needed to tell her that Freya's life was not as chipper as she was. She appeared to be in her early twenties, but her eyes spoke of something significantly older.

"...Huh." Alvina didn't know what to think, her mind only being able to process that Freya appeared to be terribly lonely...much like herself. Her heart began speaking in it's place: "How about that...I don't really have much of either myself. No friends to speak of, and my family ditched me for who knows what."

"How terrible. You seem to be a perfectly nice person, you should have many more friends than...well...none." Freya pouted. Then she quickly brightened up and leaned forward, eyes sparkling. "Oh! WE should be friends!"

"W...What...? You wanna be friends? With me?"

"Sure, why not?"

"I mean, we just met...it feels kinda sudden..."

"We already have something in common. Neither of us have any true family or friends. Though I wonder which is worse; coming to a home with no one to welcome you, or having no home, a place to belong, at all...?"

"...Both of those sound utterly horrible." Alvina couldn't help but chuckle, if only as a weak attempt to lighten the mood. "Well...this is totally random, but alright. You don't have anywhere to stay, right? I guess I can make some room and have you move in with me until we can figure some things out..."

"Really? Great! Super fantastic!" Freya cheered brightly. She then sighed and wiped sweat from her brow. "Ah geez...it's still so hot..."

"Well, yeah, I guess it is a pretty humid...day...?" Alvina looked blankly as Freya was once more in the process of removing her blouse. "...FREYA NO!"

"But it's really hot...and my blouse is getting all sweaty..."

"For god's sake someone turn up the AC!" Alvina shouted out as she stood in front of Freya to shield her from ogling eyes. Freya blinked, then she giggled.

"You're weird, Alvina.~"

"Pot, meet kettle! I'm sure you both met at some point!"

"It's a compliment.~"

"HOW?!"

Needless to say, her life was never the same after that...

"...Oh my." Was all Toriel could say after Alvina took a break from the story to give them time to process the information.

"It...it appears that she was a very eccentric woman indeed." Asgore smiled awkwardly.

"Seriously." Alvina smiled mildly. "In any case, I allowed her to come and live with me in my house. Ever since then she made sure that she made herself useful. I mean, she helped around the house, got a job as a groundskeeper in one of the parks, and even takes the time to help me around the office when she could. As for the second thing, cats and hawks REALLY seem to like her for some reason. Like, they'd be flying and pouncing around her, perching on her shoulder, nuzzling her cheek." She shook her head. "Anyway, I thought I'd get used to her within a few short weeks together."

"Did you manage it?" Asgore asked.

"...Noooo." Alvina smiled tiredly.

Baths. Alvina wasn't exactly the biggest fan of them, but she would have rather have them than spend a day dirty and smelly. That wasn't very fun. But then again, she didn't exactly have someone to remind her that her hygiene was important. Not that she NEEDED reminding, but it would be proof that someone else cared enough to do so.

She had no one like that. The thought caused her to sigh as she sank quietly into the soapy water, blowing a few bubbles.

"I gotta stop bathing while sad. Sad bathing. I might accidentally drown myself..." Alvina said solemnly.

"Rrrrrrready or not, Frrrrrreya has come!~"

"Wha-" Her bathroom door bursts open as Freya appeared in nothing but a bathrobe and a large smile. The opposite of Alvina's expression, which was exasperated disbelief and bright blush. "F-F-F-F-F-FREYA?! WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU DOING?!"

"I'm here to bathe with you, silly!"

"WHY?!"

"Because...the tub is big enough for the both of us?" Freya tilted her head.

"NOT the issue!"

"Oh? Well then, it's because I enjoy spending time with you."

"That's not..." Alvina trailed off for a moment. She was flustered by how honest that statement was. She was far too embarrassed, and would have denied the request...but surprisingly that's the last thing she wants to do. She was even more surprised with herself that she'd rather allow this than bathe alone. She was more desperate for company than she realized if she'd let her do something like this. "Doh...okay."

"Great!" Freya beamed as she would eventually remove her bathrobe and join Alvina in her bath. The young mayor sighed, almost unable to believe that she allowed this.

She would blush softly as she gently soaked in the tub, while Freya would take her time to carefully and affectionately wash her back. She didn't know how to feel about another woman helping her bathe. It was...somewhat comforting. She could tell that Freya truly cared, in a strange way.

"Geez..."

"Is everything alright, Alvina?"

"I'm...I'm fine." Alvina sighed. "I just wasn't expecting another woman offering to wash me...not exactly used to that..."

"Is that so? Pretty common thing when I was growing up."

"Seriously? You definitely aren't from here then. Not to say that I'm against that or anything." Alvina paused as she lowered her head to see her reflection. "...Hey. Freya. How exactly did you grow up, anyway?"

"Huh? Well...it wasn't exactly an easy experience." Freya smiled solemnly. "I suppose you could say that a majority of my life was a very uphill struggle. I had to struggle while growing up, and it got almost unbearably worse by the time I was a certain age. At some point, I found myself...all alone. Nowhere to belong, no one to connect with, and nothing to my name..."

"...You lost everything?" Alvina asked hesitantly. Freya nodded softly.

"No matter how determined I was...everybody and everything that I cared and stood for...slipped through my fingers. In one way, or another. And I can never get them back completely...everything's changed too much for it to be possible. The biggest issue was that I tried doing it all on my own...it didn't work out."

"Oh..." Alvina's voice lowered. Freya really must have had it rough, and it didn't sound like she was exaggerating, either. She was speaking from her heart. "That's...really rough. I mean, my family walked out on me. And they didn't exactly leave pleasant memories on their way out the door, either. I was considered something minuscule. Unwanted. Pathetic. And the worst part was that I didn't even fully know why, except that they didn't really think too highly about the fact that I thought positively about the possible existence of monsters in the past." She thought Freya stiffened up for a moment, but brushed it off as imagination. "Freya...you don't think less of me for thinking positively about monsters...do you?"

"Absolutely not." Freya said immediately. "Hating you not only for your supposed lack of potential, and for thinking the best of something you believe in...those aren't wrong at all! At least, not to me." Freya turned Alvina around so she could look her in the eye. "Don't ever let their words drag you down, Alvina. You have SUCH great potential. And I believe you can put it to good use the more you tap into it."

Alvina blinked in astonishment. "...You...you seriously believe in me?"

"Of course I do." Freya smiled. "And I find it heartbreaking that no one from your family did so unconditionally, even leaving you on your own...you didn't do anything to deserve that." Freya gently pulled her into a hug. "You deserve so much better...you ARE so much better than that."

Alvina blinked softly as Freya held her in a warm embrace...a brief moment of sadness washed over her when she remembers she hasn't felt such an embrace in a long time. Thus, she couldn't help but return the hug as tightly as she could, even though she was currently in a bath. That fact temporarily left her focus.

For right now, she was in the embrace of a real friend.

"Thanks, Freya. Really." Alvina said wholeheartedly.

"You're welcome, Alvina." Freya says warmly. "...Alvina?"

"Yes Freya?"

"I'm kinda done washing your back...mind if I wash your front?"

"I think I can handle that myself, thank you."

"Oh...you wanna wash mine?~"

"Dammit Freya, we've been in this bath together for too long." Alvina grumbled. It was bad enough that Freya's left Alvina feeling quite envious.

"I didn't hear a nooo.~"

"I'm not saying a yeesss.~"

Laughter and playful splashing ensued, ending with both of them cleaned up and coming out nice, clean, and full of bigger hearts.

Alvina wouldn't mind doing this again.

"So as you can see, being around Freya kinda brought even more of my inner child. Which I welcomed, because I rarely got a chance to be a kid while building myself up for the mayoral role." Alvina said as Adam poured her and Asgore some mode tea.

"I guess Freya was slowly bringing out the better parts of you, huh? I guess it's around that point that you began relaxing more." Adam suggested.

"Kinda. There was rarely a dull moment with her. But I was fine with that, she was a very welcome distraction from the more stressful parts of being mayor." Alvina said. "I can definitely say that she was a very driving force of my increasing positive. I began doing my job much more efficiently. And my increasing positive got me more genuine supporters. So that was a definite plus."

"Well, her influence certainly helped you, and for that I can be glad." Asgore smiled kindly. "I do wonder, did anyone else ever befriend her like you have?"

"Aside from ogling her for her looks, no one really interacted with her that much. Sometimes it was like everyone deliberately ignored her on a personal level. I have no idea why that is..." Alvina thought quietly.

"You mean they acknowledged that she was there, but never bothered to commit her to memory? The closest companion of the mayor and a significant cause for her improved mood?" Toriel narrowed her eyes slightly as she rubbed her chin. Strange...even if they weren't particularly fond of Freya, they would have at least committed her multiple appearances with Alvina to memory...I wonder...

"Toriel?" Alvina saw the inquisitive look on her face, and wondered what was wrong.

"Pardon me Alvina, I was just thinking to myself. Please continue."

Alvina nodded. "Anyway, a year has passed and I got used to Freya's appearance...as much as I possibly could, anyway. We hung out a lot...because we lived together and all. We got comfortable with each other, I suppose is a better way to phrase it. Then one day, she mentioned something that really resonated with me for some reason..."

"Hahaha! This is so delightfully cold!" Freya said cheerily as she was gleefully eating ice cream...her tenth cone, to be precise. "I have to thank you for taking me out for ice cream, Alvina!"

"And as usual, you have eaten a lot more than normal." Alvina sighed quietly while pinching her forehead. "Honestly, how to you eat so much?"

"Lots of practice."

"That figures..."

After Freya quite eagerly bites another cone of ice cream, she looks straight into Alvina's eyes with the same greatly aged look she tended to give her when she got particularly focused.

"Alvina..."

"Hm?"

"Now that I kinda lightened the mood with the ice cream, so...do you mind if I lay down something heavy?"

Alvina blinked, before she nodded slowly and focused on Freya. "What is it, Freya...?"

"I just want your thoughts on something, and I hope you answer from the heart." Alvina nodded, and Freya continued. "Just a hypothetical scenario. If...if I wasn't who I said I was...if I was actually someone who is so much more than the person actually sitting right in front of you...what would you think?"

"...Do you mean that if I knew something more about your past, I wouldn't be your friend anymore?" Freya nodded silently. Alvina shook her head. "Freya. Truth be told, I don't really care about your past. If you don't want to tell me about it fully, then that's your decision to make. I'm more about the you here and now. The you right now that has become my best friend. That's who you chose to be." Alvina reached out to hold her hand. "You chose to befriend ME. Before all that, I wouldn't have been friends with me. I never thought I would have been worth it before you came into my life. You have no idea how much that means to me."

"Alvina..."

"And through thick and thin, I am YOUR friend. And that's MY choice to make, for good or ill." Alvina said sternly.

Freya's eyes went through a variety of clashing emotions, with sadness strangely being the most prevalent, before it settled on the strongest ones: Gratitude and Tenderness. Freya smiled and caressed her hand. Alvina thought she briefly imagined Freya wincing and lightly holding her stomach. The image quickly vanished, so she thought she imagined it. "Yes. Through thick and thin...this feeling of friendship...fills me with happiness."

"Heh, me too."

"Okie dokie, with that out of the way, time for more i-, more ice cream for-" Freya gasped as her newest ice cream cone tipped over and landed on her skirt. She blinked. "Oh man! Such a waste!"

"Geez you're a klutz. Alright, I'll get you a new...oh god." Alvina paled as Freya stood up and began shimmying out of her skirt. "FREYA NO!"

"But my skirt got dirty...it's cold on my lap...doesn't feel too comfortable..."

"I'll clean you up!"

"This feels faster though..."

"At what cost?! Your modesty?! People are staring again!"

"I...don't really see how that's MY problem...that's their choice to make..."

"YOU'RE MAKING THAT CHOICE VERY EASY!"

Alvina felt embarrassed that this was something she was getting used to this behavior...

"It was so out of nowhere...I didn't think there was much to it at the time, I thought she was just being deep just to be deep. But now..." Alvina shook her head. "No...I want to finish this story to it's entirety, before I really gather my thoughts and properly give them out to you both. I just..."

"Go on." Toriel gently urged her.

"Right...right. That was the first thing that came out of nowhere...then there was the second...her pregnancy."

"What was so out of nowhere about that?" Asgore asked curiously.

"It was what she said about it...and what she said after..."

"I still have a really hard time believing this..." Alvina said as she was staring in awe at Freya's heavily swelled baby belly. "I mean, I know I said this many times already, and I probably asked this just as many times...but...how?"

"Like I told you many times, I'm kind of unsure. I mean, there's many ways for this kind of thing to happen, after all." Freya shrugged while eating what was to be apple number seven.

"What other way is there than the 'usual' way?"

"You'd be surprised how many methods there are in having a child aside from the 'traditional' way or adoption. The world's more advanced than it seems."

Alvina folded her arms. "Really? Enlighten me."

"Well there's of course the natural way, the artificial insemination way, the artificial womb way, advanced medications way, and one of my favorites...magic.~"

Alvina was struck silly for a moment.

"Of course, that's all at the top of my head. There might be more of them than meets the eye."

"Aren't you reaching a bit far? I mean, artifical womb? Advanced medication? Magic?"

"You'd be surprised what people can do when they want something bad enough. A child is one of the best examples. For good or for ill." Pause. "Besides, you have a soft spot in your mind for the possible existence of monsters. Is it really that far'fetched if you can believe in them?"

"Fair enough...Alright then. Just for funsies, what category would YOU fall under?"

"Me? Why, I'd say I would fall under magic...not exactly by choice..." She murmured the last part to herself. She gently rubbed her swelled belly. "Well...it doesn't really matter. Cause I intend to have this one join this confusing, cruel, yet beautiful and growing world. And I'm gonna name him Frisk!"

"Frisk...?"

"Yup. Gonna be one heck of a master in the art of frolic, mind you!" Freya stuck out her tongue. "Plus, it also means to search for something. He's gonna search for the best ways to befriend as many people as he can! Then he's gonna look for more friends, frisking about for more friends! Tell me that doesn't sound cool!~"

"I...I guess so." Alvina smiled. It seems Freya was incredibly excited to have her baby, and Alvina couldn't help but be infected by her cheer.

...So...why did she sense the briefest hint of melancholy in her voice?

"Come on, Al. Cop a feel."

"What?!" She was distracted from her thoughts from Freya's out of nowhere statement, in which she was smiling from the reaction.

"I said have a feel of my belly. Are your ears working?~"

"I swear you're deliberately trolling me." Alvina rolled her eyes as she laid her head on Freya's belly. The one residing inside definitely seemed to be an energetic and happy one. "Wow, it looks like he can't wait to join us, huh?" She looked up to see Freya's face...only to see it streaming tears. They definitely seemed to be joyful...but once again, they sensed a bit of melancholy in them, and her voice afterwards.

"Yes...'us'..."

It was a difficult battle for her, but they both managed to endure it. Both Alvina's immense stress over the whole ordeal, and Freya's struggle throughout the whole thing.

But finally, Frisk was born. And he was beautiful.

"Look at him...cute little boy..." Freya smiled despite being heavily exhausted and still in quite a bit of pain. Baby Frisk rested in her arms, resting peacefully. "Hah...if anyone is in need of a map, it's me..."

"True that. You both did quite a bit of work, so why is it that he gets to rest?" Alvina chuckled as she took Freya by a hand. "Pretty rough, but I guess it worked out..."

"Yeah...well...not completely...it's...about that time..." Freya said slowly. Alvina was briefly confused by this, as Freya gently squeezed her hand. "Alvina...you are incredibly good to me...and I think i needed it just as much you did from me...and for that, I thank you. You truly are my bestest friend in the world."

"Oh. Uh...thanks, Freya. You're my best friend too. The greatest I've ever had." Alvina was getting a seriously bad feeling...

"...Frisk." Freya said softly to her newborn son. "This world of ours...it can be cruel. Unbearingly cruel. So much darkness...so much hate...so much disconnection...but...maybe you'll be able to search for the light...discover a plethora of love...and uncover all of those hidden connections. Such a role is bound to be rife with hardships and scars that cannot be forgotten...but still...maybe you'll find much more than I ever could...as long as you stay determined."

"Freya...?"

"Frisk...I love you. I truly and wholeheartedly love you. Unconsciously or not...I hope you know and remember this..." Freya gently kissed Frisk's forehead, then gazed at Alvina with a sad smile. "Alvina...I'm sorry. Know that I love you too..."

Alvina's worst fears came true as the light left Freya's eyes as she closed them. She thought she imagined something red and glowing leave Freya's chest and then fly away somewhere. She wasn't focused on that however...she couldn't.

"Freya...Freya...?!" Alvina said desperately as she gently took Frisk from Freya's arms while keeping eye contact with her face. "Freya you...you can't be...please telling me you're trolling again...please don't do this to us! Not when Frisk just joined the world! You...you..." Alvina couldn't even bring herself to cry out of disbelief. She simply chose to calmly cry while holding baby Frisk, who continued to slumber, unaware that his birth mother would never be able to hold him again, and her best friend was left to care for him in her place.

Alvina looked like she just lost her entire world.

"...Please don't leave us alone..."

"...Alvina..." Toriel said softly.

"...Three years. I've only known her for three years. And yet she's managed to help me turn my outlook on things around just by being herself. Now that I look back, she also let tiny hints around that she was more than she seemed...though to me, it never mattered. Because at those moments, I was her friend, and she was mine. And I think deep down she was glad for that."

"Alvina...you were..." Adam said quietly.

"And after all that...she was gone. Without warning. She was gone as quickly as she left...and she took a bit of my heart with her..." Alvina said while shaking her head. "That wasn't the worst part...the worst part was her funeral. That nearly broke my heart AND my soul to pieces..."

"...W...Why is that...?" Asgore hesitated. Toriel and Adam were currently too afraid to do so, so it unfortunately fell to him.

"She needed a funeral for her. It was the least I could do for someone who brightened up my life so much. So...imagined how torn up my emotions where when I invited the citizens to attend this funeral with me...

...But nobody came."

Anguish couldn't begin to describe the looks on Asgore and Toriel's faces.

"...THAT...was strike one." Alvina said almost coldly. "It was bad enough they didn't care enough about her to come to her funeral or to even truly remember her. Strike two: Hating Frisk for something FAR out of his realm of control, which was that plague/soul trafficking/Faust mess we had no idea about until recently. I did my best to protect him, but stress blackouts managed to cripple me for a bit when he turned about five. Strike THREE? Forcing Frisk to retreat to Mt. Ebott, where no one ever returns. I had no idea he went there, because I desperately hoped that WASN'T the case. I refused to believe he was gone forever...because that...would have...SHATTERED me. My relief was immeasueable when you all showed up with him. Because the entire time I worried about him, I was seriously considering leaving this city behind with him and let them lead themselves to whatever fate they decide for themselves. I'm glad I didn't...it wouldn't be right for me to run from my responsibility just because I was frustrated..."

"...Indeed...good for you..." The look of tormented guilt on Toriel's face wasn't easily missable. Asgore gently reached for her paw and squeezed it. Alvina seemed to have realized what that might have sounded like, but the warm looks in their eyes reassured her that they knew she meant no harm. Still, she felt very bad for it, but nonetheless continued.

"You had to imagine how all of this made me feel. For a good number of years...I had to come to an empty home with no family to welcome me or friends to share my burdens with. Freya, and then Frisk, were my only sources of true warmth and happiness for years. Nobody remembered Freya, and for a while, everyone hated Frisk. Do you have ANY idea of just how much that crap...truly and utterly...hurt? There's no other way to describe it. Everyone either disregarded my two greatest sources of joy or hated them. Knowing that...all I felt was...hurt."

Everyone else was silent. Alvina was venting at the moment, and all thoughts of interrupting her were silenced until she finished.

"I think it was after letting them know that through my face...seeing how CLOSE their mayor was to the true breaking point...that got them to change their tune." Alvina said quietly. "They still can't remember Freya...but at least they're treating Frisk better. I was willing to take any victory at that point. With monsters taking care of Frisk, I could focus on my duties, this time with a more cooperative citizenship."

Axel meowed quietly. At first he was simply lazily laying on her lap, but now he was nuzzling against her in a deliberate attempt to comfort her.

"...Sorry. I'm getting off track."

"No no, please don't say such things." Toriel shook her head. Many in the room could see just how much the maternal monster wanted to leap out and engulf Alvina in a big, fluffy hug, but restrained herself, barely. Asgore was keeping her calm. They haven't forgotten that they've killed her parents because they were just too far gone, too deep into corruption.

It was clear that despite genuinely hating them, Alvina would have appreciated having actual family that loved her and been there for her. But they were reduced to cogs in a truly immoral machination of someone else's. Adam was the only one to survive that ordeal. Even then, only barely.

It was awe-inspiring that Alvina still kept going despite all of that and more.

"...Anyway, I need to go over several things." Alvina got back on topic, though they could tell that she was glad she got that all off her chest. "Now that I've had time to think over the whole story of us...several things caught me on a second look."

"What would those be?" Adam asked curiously.

"First, Freya truly came out of nowhere. No records, no papers, no loved ones...no trail. It's like she just started existing in Ebott without anyone's deep notice."

"Right..."

"Another thing, she said that everything she cared and stood for slipped through her fingers despite her struggles. She lost everything. Something about that lead her to Ebott. Then she said that I had great potential. I'm sure she meant about my potential to grow as a person...and she may have meant my hidden magic as well. She might have sensed it...and then there was her quick approval of my belief in monsters..."

"You believe so...?" Asgore hummed, gently and sagely stroking his beard.

"And for some reason, when I assured her that I would be her friend despite what her past might seem to be...it looked like that was the best words she's heard in her life. That must mean something..."

"Mhm..." Toriel nodded slowly. She was taking mental note of all this as well.

"And then...while she was pregnant. She said that there were many ways to induce a pregnancy aside from the natural way, and she said magic was one of them...I legitmately thought she was simply joking around to make herself feel better, and that the father just wasn't around for either of them. But after meeting you all, and awakening my own magic...something I've been thinking about might not be so far'fetched. I thought the father simply wasn't there for them at all...but now...I really think Frisk's conception involved magic to some degree ..."

"...What...?" Adam blinked owlishly.

"Which leads me to more questions. Since it clearly wasn't by her own will, and it wasn't the natural way and likely to be by magic...then how did it happen? And more importantly...why?"

"Curious questions indeed..." Toriel hummed while rubbing her chin and falling into deep thought. There was a reason...there must have been a reason. But what? And why? And what lead to it?

"And when she died from the childbirth. She seemed very accepting of it...almost like she knew it would happen way ahead of time. She knew for a while yet simply kept it hidden. I didn't get this feeling until the life faded from her eyes..." Alvina rubbed her shoulders. "I always had a feeling that there was more to her than meets the eye, but I mostly accepted that she was my friend, and she was happy about that. But now? At this point it seems like I really have to be deep in thought about it, now that I know for sure that magic and monsters and more are real and abundant."

"I see. It definitely seems that Frisk's mother knew more than she let on, and was more than she appeared." Asgore hummed while closing his eyes. "And there was the fact that no one from Ebott seems to remember her on a deep level...aside from yourself. That troubles me greatly." He turned to his wife for a second opinion. "Tori...do you believe it might have been a spell?"

"A spell that causes those who do not have deep bond with you to forsake your memory from their minds? That sounds more like a curse." Toriel deduced with narrowed eyes. "And for it to be a curse, she must have been antagonized by someone malevolent, given it's nature. And yet Alvina is the one who truly remembers..."

"Strange, definitely strange..."

Alvina narrowed her eyes. "I want all of those answers questions answered. Things were as they were for a reason. I want to know what they were. This is my personal mission, for the sake of closure. Frisk seems content as he is...so this will be for me."

"I can say that I support this mission, Alvina. We will find the answers, wherever they might be." Toriel nodded supportively.

Alvina nodded back as she sighed deeply while petting Axel's back. Adam set down some spicy cat food due to Axel being a monster hellcat. He meowed as he dropped down from her lap and began eating. "...Thanks, guys. It ..it fills really nice to share the full story with someone. At least from my side. The only thing left to do is find out hers...if we can. I don't even know where to start."

"That can be figured out another day." Asgore suggested.

"Right...for now, we should just calm down and chill...for a...while..." Alvina slowed down as she saw Toriel with a big twitchy smile on her face, her paws clasped, eyes far too wide-with the left twitching-and her right leg bouncing uneasily. Alvina remembered she has just gotten through telling her story, and it was not the happiest around. "...Lemme guess...you wanna hug me real bad, don't you?"

"Mhm..."

"Uuuuhuh..." Alvina took a deep breath, then sighed and braced herself. "Alright, give me your best shot." And just as she expected, Toriel leaps out of her seat as she rushed over to Alvina and wrapped her big fluffy arms around her and lifted her off her feet, nuzzling her cheek.

"You poor baby...!" Toriel whimpered with rivers of tears falling down her face. "You've been through so much...much that was undeserved...you're such a good woman...someone who hasn't received nearly enough hugs...you need lots and lots more hugs...!"

"Good to know..."

Toriel gently sets her down, only to hug her to her bosom and pet the back of her head. "You do so much good with little return...I haven't done much to reoay your care of Frisk after such pain...! Don't you worry, dear, I'll be sure to bake you some nice and yummy Thank-You Tart for all your hard work and determination! It's sure to give your belly a nice and full feeling of accomplishment!"

"I...I'll like that. I'll really like that." Alvina smiled while lightly tapping her shoulder. Toriel being quite a statuesque monster matched her very large bust and the larger heart and soul that lies within, and thus leads to incredibly warm, soft, and comforting hugs. And Alvina could certainly appreciate the motherly aura that came with Toriel's hugs. Asgore's was close, very admirably close. She didn't forget about his hugs either, and the fatherly aura they gave with his large encompassing arms. And Asriel's, despite being much smaller and leaner than either, gave a sort of brotherly aura.

Their cuddles were always warm and fluffy.

Asgore smiled at the display, briefly turning towards the window. He sighed softly. "If you all would excuse me for a moment." He said while on his way out, politely closing the door behind him and gazing wonderously towards the skies. "...How much did you hear?"

"...As much as I wanted to...yet somewhat wish I wasn't." Flowey said, sitting under a windowsill while gazing at the grass beneath him. He seemed rather down. "I wasn't expecting any of that...and I expected my soul clenching up from most of the story even less. If there's one emotion I find most troublesome ever since gaining a soul...it's empathy."

"Hm...?"

"Empathy. It's annoying. Really annoying. It drives people to care about the feelings of others even if you don't know them personally. It can drive one to act recklessly for the sake of someone else. I'm unable to care just about myself anymore. I feel for Frisk and Alvina and the pain they must have endured...and now...I've humiliated myself by crying." Flowey slowly lifted his head to meet Asgore's eyes. Indeed, fears were running down the flower's cheeks. "I'm supposed to be the tough flower...shouldn't be bawling like a daisy..."

Asgore smiled and lightly patted Flowey's head. "The strong are well within their rights to cry, Flowey. It's another way to show how you truly feel. I know you are still getting used to having a soul, Flowey. But just know that is okay to cry. It shows a great deal of emotional strength. It means you're not afraid to show how you truly feel."

"Is...is that why you and Asriel can be such crybabies sometimes? Because before all of this, life was kind of kicking both your asses, and now it's gunning for ALL of us." Flowey grumbled.

"It is a bit frustrating, Flowey. But no matter how rough things get, we struggle and we fight, and that makes us strong. It makes us who we are. It is a lesson I have taught Undyne, something Asriel instinctively knows, and simply needed reminding. Even Alvina has shown great shades of it."

"What do you mean...?"

"Every time life decides to knock you down, you brush yourself off...and get up again. Our fire may waver, but it will not go out so easily...not anymore."

"Even though you'll repeatedly get your butts kicked? Despite ALL the crap that has headed your way or WILL head your way...you'll brush yourself off by the end of it and continue to genuinely smile. It's like you're willing to fight, but are also hoping life will eventually get tired of trying to knock you on your asses." Flowey shook his head. "You all have become terrifying gluttons for punishment."

"It...kind of runs in the family." Asgore smiled sheepishly. "And besides...by the end of it all, we can still see the sun, can't we?" As he said this, a ray of sunshine shined down on the both of them, briefly making Flowey flinch and Asgore bask in it's warmth.

"Yeah...I guess."

"Well, there you go. To me, when you can push through it all the hardship and still be able to admire the beauty of the shining sun, the singing birds, and the blooming flowers..." Asgore took a breath and sighed, smiling calmly. "When you're still hopeful enough to acknowledge such a beautiful day...something about that is strong all on it's own."

Flowey, for good or ill...smiled. He too stared at the sunrise for a moment and took in the other elements stated...and nodded.

"Yeah...I can get behind that."

You can too...right, Frisk...?

Alvina's been through the wringer, and so has Frisk. Their Determination is strong indeed. But now they haved loved ones to share their burdens, and that is a true victory for mystery of Frisk's mother is being brought to the light. Wonder what they might find when they finally get a chance to focus on it...?

Until next time!