A/N Everything Undertale belongs to Toby Fox; Ginny, as well as anything unfamiliar, is of my creation.

Ginny should have known it would rain soon. If the sky darkening quicker than usual wasn't already a sign, or the gray, heavy-looking clouds, she certainly found out once the drops began to fall. They weren't heavy, merely feeling as if water was dropping lightly from trees or rooftops. But that could change, whether fast or slow. And as she looked up at the sky, she realized that it looked like it would get heavier, period.

"I really need to look for an umbrella," she grumbled as she buttoned her coat and held it tight around her neck. She always said this when it would rain, but could never fulfill that quest. She would either forget until the next storm, or would have little to no luck. Who knew umbrellas could be so expensive?

She hurried her pace down the sidewalk, passing various humans and monsters that looked like they had the same idea.

Though she never faltered in trying to find Frisk, the emergence of the monsters was certainly a distraction. For as long as anyone could remember, including the oldest citizens of Ebott, monsters were simply myths, legends; subjects of children's bedtime stories. And villainous ones, most of the time, at that. Needless to say, once they made themselves known, everyone braced for a war or apocalypse. Or even a takeover of their town.

But the monsters were actually very nice. In fact, although curious, they were more afraid of humankind. Apparently, as their king and leader explained, humans had been responsible for banishing and sealing them deep under Mt. Ebott, hundreds of years ago; back when humans possessed magic abilities.

Of course, it was understandable that they were afraid of humans. It would be strange if a group of individuals weren't afraid of the people that had imprisoned them, whether recently or long ago. But they were willing to extend an olive branch, as long as the humans were willing to take them into their town. After all, their ambassador—who had remained anonymous, as they were apparently still young—had proved that not all humans were bad; that they were capable of being patient and understanding. Of showing mercy, in their words.

It wasn't easy. Initially, they weren't allowed into the city until the 'proper authorities' met with them personally; those being the mayor and police chief. Thankfully, the monsters were willing to cooperate, and invited the two of them to visit and evaluate them. And they had long talks with the king. Apparently they discussed everything, from politics and housing situations, to what flowers were the easiest, hardest, or most fun to grow, and how exiting it was to finally see the sun.

The mayor had spoken highly of the monsters and their king. They described him as a noble and kind leader, very friendly and sweet. They had also met with the ex-queen; though she was no longer technically of real authority, she was still someone the monsters looked up to and trusted. She was said to be a very motherly sort of lady, wishing the very best for her people, and their ambassador whom she had taken under her wing; or in her paws, as it were. She was the one who requested they remained anonymous the most.

As for the rest of the new citizens, it was definitely no exaggeration that monsters came in all shapes, sizes, and colors.

It was amazing that it took little time to build and fix up new and old houses for the monsters. It definitely helped that they had worked alongside the construction workers, often times able to do more and faster work. But at the same time, it irritated some people. Why should construction on buildings, roads, and bridges take so long to do on a normal day, but when these 'creatures' needed accommodations, it was like a genie snapped their fingers and made it so? And so quickly?

Needless to say, a lot of people weren't pleased with the inclusion of the monsters. Some businesses limited their facilities to humans only, or would keep close eyes on any monster customers. Various groups banded together, whether it was simply to avoid the monsters, or to lead protests. They spoke against everything monster-related, saying they should go back to the mountain they came from, or at least go somewhere else. Couldn't they see they weren't wanted here? How unnatural and awkward they made their town look? They were changing things, and the humans didn't like it.

Well... those particular humans, anyway.

None of it really affected Ginny. Protests weren't new, and there were stranger ones for stranger things. And she already didn't interact with a lot of humans if she could help it, it was no different with monsters. If asked what she felt about them, she either had no comment, or she didn't care. As long as they didn't hurt or bother her, she wouldn't either. Some did say hello, but she simply returned the greeting and went on her way. She wasn't rude about it, just neutral at best.

There were plenty of people who were making friends with monsters, what did it matter that she wasn't?

But at the same time, she could understand feeling isolated and judged. She felt it everyday, whether it was at work or on the streets. She could feel eyes on her at the moment, as she hurried down the sidewalk through the rain, dressed in her shabby clothes. They were judging her, she could feel it. She could practically hear what they were thinking of her. Heck, sometimes they didn't keep silent. Sometimes they either thought she was deaf, or simply didn't care if she heard.

But she didn't let it hurt her. She had dealt with that sort of gossip for several years. It didn't matter.

By the time she neared her destination, the rain had indeed picked up. Luckily, it wasn't outright pouring. She loved to hear rain from inside buildings, listening to it as it pounded against the windows and walls. But it was sometimes painful to walk through if it was heavy or cold enough. Luckily, her coat kept her dry, and her long, thickly-tangled hair shielded her neck and shoulders; sometimes even her face, if she leaned forward enough.

She paused on the sidewalk to catch her breath, smiling at the bridge before her. It was a large and old one, made of concrete and metal. It was big enough for a single car to drive over it, but it had sidewalks connected to it rather than roads. It stood over a large canal that was also made of concrete. The strangest thing about it was that there was no water, but there was a drain in the middle underneath the bridge. It definitely looked like it could accommodate water running under it, but there was never enough to fill the canal. Not even in the heaviest rain. It looked more like the kind of bridge that ran over a road.

Ginny loved that bridge. It was big enough that it provided adequate shading for sunny or rainy days, and it was nice to just stand on it and look around the area. It wasn't in a park, but there were still some nice things and places to look at. Plus, it was big enough that if someone were to stand on it, they wouldn't be blocking anyone's path.

Wiping away the rain that had stuck to her face, she continued on her way. She slowed down as she stopped in the middle of the bridge until she came to a complete stop. It couldn't hurt to stand on it for a few minutes. Taking in a deep breath, she leaned her upper body back and sighed, stretching her arms out to the side. It wasn't too cold of a day, but it wasn't too warm either, which she didn't mind; she disliked warm rainy days.

She turned and walked to the railing that lined both sides of the bridge. It was a simple metal railing that reached up to her hips. Various vines had tangled themselves around the bars over the years; some had even grown little flowers, making the bridge smell sweet in the spring and summer. Come fall, the vines would dry up, looking like skeletal hands clinging to the bars, until eventually breaking and falling away before the snows of winter fell. Then in the early spring, the vines would come again.

She planted her hands on the railings, letting her fingers instinctively wrap around the bars as she leaned on her palms. It had been a pretty casual day. Almost boring, in fact. She didn't really complain though. Casual meant usual, no surprises to catch her off-guard.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw something moving. Despite having no magic, she could sense it below her, standing on the concrete below the bridge. She looked down almost absentmindedly, not frightened in the moment. Perhaps it was a random stray dog, having sniffed out the food still in her coat.

But there was no dog down below. Instead, her eyes met the eyes of a tall, broad-shouldered skeleton, dressed in red and white.