It's not long now.
King Asgore will let us go.
King Asgore will give us hope.
King Asgore will save us all.
You should be smiling, too. Aren't you excited? Aren't you happy?
You're going to be free.
The monsters did not follow him into the next room. There were quite a few of them now; Monsters of all shapes and sorts that joined Norman as he entered New Home. In a way, he needed the company.
"Are you not coming?" Norman asked.
One Whimsalot spoke up. "There is nothing we can do now. It is up to you."
They turned. Some gave him a few more bits of gold, as if he needed it now. A Vulkin tried to encourage him until she was swept away by a Tsunderplane. Norman was alone.
"It's alright to be afraid," his grandmother had said once. "Just so long as you don't let it change who you are."
He wished he remembered when she had said that. It felt so recent but so far away. Everything back home felt so far away.
Norman took the next step into the corridor. He could already see why the other monsters were hesitant. The last hall was as bright as the sun, stark against the usual dark of the Underground. Spotless golden brickwork and intricate stained-glass windows catching and reflecting artificial light to make it shine like a sunset. The air was deathly still, yet it did not feel intimidating. The sounds of church-bells echoed outside.
And all of a sudden, Norman was not alone.
"I've got a question for you. Do you think…even the worst person can change…? That anybody can be a good person, if they really try?"
It took Norman a minute to process a question had even been asked. And he wanted to say yes. It was a near automatic response.
Then he thought about it. Nobody on the Surface had changed for him. The kids would still bully him. The adults would still talk about him in hushed tones. He may end up like Mr. Prenderghast, living in a dump friendless and alone. Would they change? What would make them want to?
Napstablook had been a good person. Shy and lonely, but good. He attacked because he was scared, but he still gave Norman a cool hat and shared his music with him.
Mettaton, perhaps, was a good person under all that. He certainly seemed like he wanted to try.
Papyrus had always been a good person. One on the wrong side of the battle, but one who would probably be mortified if he found that out. Undyne had been a good person. She had to change a bit, realize the human was not as dangerous as she believed. Even Alphys looked like she wanted to change.
If they could change, anybody could.
With a shaky voice, Norman said "Yes."
The figure in front of him seemed to contemplate his answer. They tilted their head back in thought, allowing a skeletal smile to show.
"I'm glad you think that way. Because now it is time for you to decide. Whether the monsters go free, or whether you return home. Our fate, is in your hands."
sans pat him on the shoulder as he walked past.
"don't worry kid. whatever you decide, it'll be right. and if it's not, well…it won't be your fault."
sans was almost out the door when Norman found his voice again.
"What do you think?"
sans froze.
"i used to know," said sans. "now, i'm not too sure."
sans was gone. He did not walk out the door, or turn back and leave the other way. As quickly as Norman blinked, he was gone.
Norman took a deep breath, shook off the lingering questions and fears, and walked away.
The throne room was thick with garden. Golden flowers and leaves filled so much of the room that the throne looked like an afterthought. Norman's eyes fell onto its sole occupant.
"Dum dee dum…oh? Is someone there? Just a moment. I have almost finished watering these flowers…here we are!"
The King of All Monsters turned to Norman.
"Now, how can I—"
King Asgore stopped as he saw Norman. He flinched, ever so slightly, as if Norman had struck him. He turned away from him, eyes looking down on the flowers.
"I so badly want to say, 'Would you like a cup of tea?'" said King Asgore. "But…you know how it is. You know what we must do."
Norman nodded, because he was not quite sure what else to do. He followed the Boss Monster past the throne room and into the dark corridors behind.
"How tense," said the King. "Think of it like…a trip to the dentist."
The corridors weren't as dark anymore. Sunlight, real sunlight, trickled in from above.
"Are you ready?" asked the King. "If you are not…I understand. I am not either."
"What other choice do I have?" Norman asked.
The King let out a noise. It was too breathy to be a laugh, but too quick to be a sigh. It sounded bitter.
"Then, if you are ready…"
Asgore turned back to Norman. The canisters of Souls raised behind him. He lowered his head and raised his trident.
"Human…it was nice to meet you. Goodbye."
The fight lasted a long time, longer than Norman would have thought. Just because he was determined to get home did not mean he was not facing the King of All Monsters. It took him a while to figure out just how much the king was holding back on him, waiting until any attack would become a fatal blow.
When Asgore fell to his knees, Norman felt a wave of emotions crash in him. They settled into guilt when the goat monster looked back at him, eyes tired and pained but accepting.
It turned into panic when a wave of bullets surrounded him, collided with his Soul and turned him to dust.
"You really are an idiot, aren't you?" Flowey's voice was unmistakable, even if it had been so long since he heard it. "In this world, it's kill or be killed."
Everything went black.
The space did not feel real, nor did Norman feel real in it. It felt more like a dream. His mind went back to the incident in the dump. Another vision, perhaps?
All of a sudden, Norman was not alone.
They could not have been older than five they were so small. The threadbare sweater, the ripped shorts and the dirt-caked skin made them seem a lot smaller.
Their eyes widened when they saw Norman. They waved. Their hand flexed in a variety of patterns Norman recognized as sign-language, but could not decipher.
And everything went black.
*RESET