Grillby sat on a chair inside the cave, looking down at the floor, a guard was to his side, a doctor had just finished checking him over and was packing up. He knew he was in trouble but he didn't know what was going to happen to him. He took comfort knowing that he couldn't possibly have been the only one to lie about their age and he had saved a life...

He had been told to wait until they had discussed it. He had no idea what they were talking about but they looked sad, really sad. Grillby just wanted to see his family, he just wanted to know if they were alive.

One of the guards approached him and knelt down. "Alright, kid, come with us."

"...Am I in trouble?" He asked, quietly. Everything was suddenly becoming all too real for Grillby, his adrenaline was gone and he now had time to think about what had happened out there. He realised how many times he had almost died, he thought about all the horrors he'd seen and he thought about how worried his family must be... He was traumatised.

"We'll see," was all he was told and the guard offered Grillby his hand. He took it, stood up and followed close behind the guard and though the cave. He didn't know where they were going, he didn't care. His legs were shaking and all he saw and heard were memories of the battles; the blood and the dust, the screams and the silence...

He was taken into a big building and through the corridor to double doors. There was the sound of people talking on the other side. The guard knocked on the door and someone opened it. The conversation didn't stop for them. Grillby didn't really pay much attention to it but it sounded like they were talking about how much supplies were left.

He looked up from the spot on the ground he'd been staring at and saw the guard whispering to some well dressed monster. He looked away when the guard pointed at him and the other looked over at him.

He looked straight ahead of himself and was shocked to see the King and Queen, in full grand armour and sitting on thrones at the head of a huge table listening to the monsters who were talking. Why had they brought him to the King and Queen?

The guard and well dressed monster waited for conversation to finish before they began to push forward taking Grillby with them.

"Well then, we should move onto the survivor reports next?" Queen Toriel said.

"Yes," someone stood, he spoke clearly but there was sadness in his voice, "we don't think anymore monsters will come now..." He stopped and let out a sad sigh, tears threatening to spill. "I regret to inform you that many monster races seem to be extinct or only have about twenty or so left," he said while trying to remain professional and not let his emotions get the better of him.

Queen Toriel gasped putting her hands over her mouth.

King Asgore put his head in his hands. "There was no such need for so much death..." He sounded so defeated.

"Pardon me, Your Majesty," the guard called out, "sorry for the interruption but two more survivors have come in, I have one with me now and we have something I think you must know."

Grillby was confused. Had this been explained to him and he hadn't listened? Or had they just felt it was not important to tell him?

"What is it?" King Asgore asked.

"This young fire elemental came in with a skeleton on his back. The skeleton is badly wounded with injuries to his head and hands. He is in care now but well..." The guard hesitated.

"Yes?" Queen Toriel urged gently.

"No other skeletons have come back, that injured one, Wingdings Gaster, he's the last skeleton."

The room went quiet. Grillby felt so, so bad for Gaster, he was the last of his kind and he didn't know...

"Is he in critical condition? Does he know?" The Queen asked suddenly, a look of such sadness on her face, it broke Grillby's heart.

"The doctors took him away for treatment, they haven't gotten back to us yet but it does look pretty bad. He has no idea about the fate of his people."

The King and Queen lent over to whisper to each other before turning back. "Keep us informed of his state. When he is able we will bring him the news personally. He deserves that much." King Asgore said.

"Yes, my King," the guard bowed deeply.

"What about this child?" Queen Toriel asked.

"Grillby here saved Gaster's life. He's a hero, but he lied. He told the recruiters he was eighteen, he's fourteen."

The King and Queen looked at each other and Grillby took a deep breath. "...I'm sorry... I just wanted to... help people..."

"It's alright, my child," the Queen said sweetly, "why don't you tell us about what happened?"

Grillby told them everything, it was so hard to speak about. Grillby wasn't sure when he started crying but he did and he sobbed out his story to the royal couple. He hoped he'd never have to think about the war again, he just couldn't stop seeing the battlefield.

He finished explaining everything, including how he saved Gaster and brought him back and about how he worried for the stranger he saved. He told them about how he just wanted to see his family again.

When he was done the Queen got out of her seat and walked toward Grillby and hugged him close to her. Grillby was shocked by the sudden embrace but cooled his flames so he wouldn't accidentally burn the Queen and hugged her back. The act just made him cry more.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered, "no child should have to go through any of that. You were so brave for what you did."

"...Am I going to be punished?" He asked, he didn't care if he was so long as his family and Gaster were safe.

Queen Toriel let the flame go and looked him in the eyes, "of course not, my child. It was wrong of you to run away from home and lie but you did so much good. We will not punish you, your parents on the other hand, might..."

Grillby knew they would, his parents had always been strict with him and his brothers but he knew that they loved him and would be happy to see him alive and well.

King Asgore walked over and put a hand on Grillby's shoulder. "Don't worry we'll find your family as fast as we can and we'll make sure you're updated on Gaster's condition. I'm sure he'll be happy to see the monster who saved his life again."

Grillby nodded and bowed to the King and Queen. "Thank you so much, Your Majesty."

"No need to thank us, you are a war hero. I'm sure your parents will be very proud of you once they stop being mad at you," Asgore smiled at him and turned to the guard again. "Help him find his family and see to it that they have a good place to rest."

"Yes, Your Majesty," the guard bowed again and walked off with Grillby following behind him.

It took a while to find Grillby's family. There were so many monsters trying to find loved ones, that most of the notice boards detailing survivors were so crowded, that the guards and volunteers were having a hard time trying to organise people. Grillby ended up resting in an office while the guards went looking. He was so tired and it didn't help that he had been given comfortable clothes to change into. His uncomfortable and stiff armour sat at the side. Grillby was sitting at a desk wrapped in a blanket, falling asleep only to be awakened by nightmares, and then he'd fall asleep again only to repeat the processes.

He was so cold, he'd never been cold before, he was make of fire after all, but he was so cold and numb. He felt like he lost himself. He wondered if he'd be the same again...

Eventually the guard came back with information on his family. His eldest brother had been killed. His father was in critical condition fading in and out of consciousness, slowly but surely falling down. His other two brothers and his mother were safe and together. According to the volunteers who were helping to reunite families, they seemed to be under the impression that Grillby had been killed to, since he was so young, and therefore probably easier to kill. Plus all their friends had found out what happened to their loved ones hours ago and they'd heard nothing of Grillby's fate.

Grillby only nodded in response and quietly followed the guard once again, this time to the rather quickly put together, small hut his family were staying in. Once they got there the guard knocked on the door. Grillby stood quietly behind the guard, hidden from view. He was lost in a daze.

His second oldest... now oldest brother, Blaze, opened the door. He looked exhausted and it looked like he'd been crying a lot too. "Yes?" he asked, voice hoarse. "Do you have anymore news about Father?"

"I'm afraid not but," the guard stepped to the side to show Grillby standing with his head down, still lost in his daze. There was a silence before the shock left.

"Oh my god, Grillby!" Blaze shouted fairly loudly as he rushed forward and pulled Grillby into a huge hug. "We thought you had died!"

Grillby let out another sob, "...I'm so, so sorry..." He chocked out.

"Your brother was very brave," the guard said, "he came in with a wounded man on his back, he risked his life to save people. The King called him a hero."

"Brother... You didn't need to-"

"...Yes I did!" Grillby interrupted, "... I couldn't just wait around... while people were dying..."

Blaze sighed, "you're too young to be taking such risks, Grillby..."

"Did you just say Grillby?" His other brother, Pyre, suddenly called out running over to them. He gasped when he saw Grillby standing there and pulled him into a tight hug. "Oh Grillby, you're alive... I can't believe it..."

Grillby let out a dry laugh and repeated his apologises as he hugged his brother.

When they finally broke apart, they thanked the guard and brought Grillby inside. Grillby sat down on a chair, Blaze sitting with him while Pyre went to get their mother. The walls were thin so Grillby heard the conversation.

"Who was at the door?" His mother asked. "Was there news about your father?"

"No news yet, it was a Royal Guard... Mother, Grillby's back."

There was a gasp and the sound of feet hitting the floor hard and fast as his mother ran out of the room and over to Grillby.

She looked at him with molten tears in her eyes and an angry look on her face, Grillby looked back at her not knowing what he should do or say... Then she slapped him hard in the face. His glasses went flying off his face with the force of the slap. "You stupid boy!" She yelled at him, "you... you could've..." she began to sob, "you didn't... have to... I thought I'd lost you too..."

Grillby stood, he left his glasses where they had landed and hugged his mother. She was shaking but hugged him back tightly. "...I'm so sorry... I... I shouldn't have left you..."

"You didn't think, Grillby... What if you died? Do you know how I'd feel if you did? You should've never been on the battlefield, you're a child..."

"...I'm sorry, Mother..."

The hut was quiet, Grillby's two brothers came in close and embraced him as well and the four of them cried together.

Once they all calmed down, they sat down. The silence was awkward and eventually the eldest brother spoke, "so... that guard said you saved a life and that the King called you a hero. I need to heard that story!"

His mother looked disapprovingly at him but she didn't stop Grillby from telling them what had happened only hours before.

Gaster had passed out again the second he lay down, he'd been so tired and was really weakened. Besides he was much more relaxed now, he was safe and getting medical attention, he could relax and let the doctors do their job.

In his dreams there was nothing but pain. All he saw was his family die again and again and again... It hurt that he couldn't save them. Seeing his nieces and nephews die hurt the most, they were just kids, the oldest was eight, the youngest was two... Why did the humans have to kill children? They couldn't even fight... It was cruel, evil... They were just kids. Innocent children.

Gaster awoke suddenly and opened his eyes to see a wooden ceiling... It took him a second to remember what had happened, his mind was so fuzzy. The first thing that came to his mind was his savoir, Grillby, had he gotten into trouble...? Then another thought came into his mind as he awoke more; his whole family had died... He felt so alone, he tried to hold back the sobs but didn't have much luck. He wanted so badly to see another skeleton, preferably someone he knew, even a bully... He didn't want to be alone...

He sat up slowly, and took a deep breath trying to clam down. Gaster wiped his eye and took another deep breath. He tried to look around but without his glasses the world was blurry but he ignored that. He noticed that he couldn't see at all from his right eye. He reacted up to his face and felt a bandage over his eye and skull... Well that explained that, he hoped.

He looked over to the other side of the room and squinted. He was happily surprised to see Grillby sitting in a chair, laying over a desk, an open text book and notebook under him, it looked like he had been studying. He was asleep with a blanket over him and his glasses falling off his face.

Gaster let out a small laugh and looked over to the bedside table where he found a new pair of glasses sitting there. His had gotten broken and left on the battlefield but he guessed they had his medical records from when he joined the army. He reached out and put them on before he slowly and carefully turned and stood up.

His legs were weak but he wasn't about to just lay in bed and be useless, he hated doing nothing. He took a about five small steps forward before his legs gave out and he fell to the floor with a clatter. The noise was enough to wake Grillby, who sat up quickly, a few sparks flying in surprise.

He saw Gaster on the floor, fixed his glasses quickly and ran to his side, offering a hand. Gaster took it and Grillby helped him up and back onto the bed.

"Good to see you're finally awake but you really shouldn't be walking around yet." Grillby signed and didn't talk.

"I'M FINE" Gaster replied and then asked, confused, "WHY AREN'T YOU TALKING?"

"I can't," was the reply, "I can't bring myself to... It just sort of happened slowly... The therapists say it's the trauma... Luckily I know sign language."

Gaster felt really bad for the kid, he was only four years younger than Gaster himself but right now all he saw was a little kid who'd seen too much. "I SEE... I'M SORRY. IS YOUR FAMILY SAFE?"

"I lost my oldest brother, my Father was in critical condition when I arrived. I did get to speak to him one last time before he... well... He was happy to see that I was alive, although mad that I had risked my life... He still told me he was proud of me though."

"I'M SORRY FOR YOUR LOSS."

"It's okay, Gaster, you said you lost your whole family, that's worse. I still have two brothers and my Mother."

Gaster sighed, he didn't want to think about his family. He didn't even know what he was going to do, his life was changed forever and he wanted all humans dead for what they had done. "HOW LONG WAS I OUT FOR?" He changed the subject as fast as he could, he wanted to talk about anything other than his loss.

"Almost three weeks, we thought we might've lost you a few times, everyone's going to be so happy you're awake! A lot has happened when you were out."

"LIKE?"

Grillby looked away, he seemed to hesitate about whether or not to tell him but he did. "We lost the war, thousands of monsters died. The humans... They've sealed us all inside the mountain with a magical barrier. We can't break out."

Gaster took a moment to process all that... They lost... They were trapped underground... Trapped, he'd never see the surface again. Trapped and at the mercy of humans. Human murderers, who killed children... He couldn't think and his head hurt so much. He groaned out in pain and grabbed his skull with his bandaged hands. He was hyperventilating, so many thoughts going through his head... WE'RE TRAPPED... TRAPPED... IT HURTS! MAKE IT STOP HURTING! Gaster gripped his head harder, his nails digging into the bone of his skull as he panicked.

"I'm going to get a doctor," Grillby signed and ran off out of the room leaving Gaster sitting in the bed with his pounding head. Thoughts all over the place... He'd never see his home again, he'd never have revenge, he'd never see the stars or the sun, or feel the rain, or hear birds sing... He wanted his family, it was all too much and it felt like he might shut down, like he might fall down. At that thought his hyperventilating stopped and he was left feeling numb, he could die and he wouldn't care...

Gaster sat there motionless until he heard the door open and Grillby returned with a doctor.

The doctor looked at him, eyes going up and down, it felt like she was judging him. "Good to see you're awake, how do you feel?"

"MY HEAD HURTS. WHAT'S WRONG WITH ME?" Gaster asked quickly just wanting to find out and then be left alone to die.

The doctor sighed and pulled a chair over before sitting down. Grillby came closer as well and stood next to the doctor.

The doctor looked down at her notes before looking back at Gaster. "You came in seriously injured. You had hairline cracks all over your left ankle that was the least serious wound, it should be healed by now." Gaster didn't even remember getting that or any pain there... Well he had been limping... "We tried to heal the holes in your hands but, we couldn't, I've never seen an injury like that before which doesn't help. They may hurt sometimes and I would imagine it'll be really hard to get used to but you will. It's your head injuries that were the worst."

"HOW BAD IS IT?" Gaster was so scared. He wanted to die but at the same time he didn't and he didn't want is mind to be affected by his wounds. He really couldn't live if his brain was damaged in any way, he cared more about that than anything.

"Well, you'll have two permanent cracks on your skull. It was quiet hard to tell if there is any brain damage without the necessary equipment... or power, but you're up and speaking normally so I doubt there will be too many negative affects. We'll have to keep you in for a while so we can keep an eye on you for any changes, however. Although I don't think it affected the magic that makes up your brain, it's better safe than sorry."

Gaster let out a sigh of relief, he didn't care if he was scarred and deformed all that mattered to him was his intelligence. "THAT'S GOOD."

"There is something else however," the doctor went on, "we were really worried about the crack on the right side of your face. We didn't know how far the blade went into your eye and Grillby hadn't seen it happen so he couldn't tell us. We didn't know how bad it was until we got you into surgery and well... The magic that made up your right eye was totally destroyed and useless, we had to remove it to avoid infection, so you're now half blind. Of course if you're worried about you're appearance you could always get a glass eye..."

Gaster didn't like the sound of that. Half blind... could he still be a great scientist if he was half blind? Would it effect his observations if he couldn't see everything? His depth perception would be all off, that could cause so many accidents. Everything was hopeless now...

No, he still had to try, he couldn't give up. He had to make his family proud, he had to prove they didn't die for nothing. He couldn't fall down, they wouldn't want him to.

He cooperated with the doctor as she checked him over and changed his bandages. He ended up talking to Grillby when he didn't need to talk to the doctor, she didn't seem like a very friendly monster, she didn't give him any of the news gently, but it must be stressful dealing with so many wounded... He just wanted to keep his mind off of his current pathetic state by talking to someone and he liked Grillby.

"APART FROM THE BARRIER HAS EVERYTHING BEEN OKAY?" Gaster asked him.

"Yeah, all things considered, it's a okay as it can be. Everyone's really depressed and many fell down, those who are left are traumatised. The King and Queen are doing everything they can to keep the people's hopes up but... It's hard, ya know. They had an award ceremony last week, they handed out medals of honour to monsters who had shown great bravery or saved a lot of lives. That raised people's sprites a bit."

Gaster grinned, "SO, DID YOU GET ONE?" He asked, Gaster knew that Grillby definitely deserved it but he had told them he was eighteen so that might have been enough to deny him a reward.

Grillby nodded. "I did! For saving you, and a few others. It came with some money too, it's really helped my family get back on their feet."

Gaster smiled, "THAT'S WONDERFUL!"

The two spoke for a while longer after the doctor left until there was a knock at the door.

Grillby got up to open the door and the two friends saw that it was the King and Queen. Grillby bowed to them but the King quickly stopped him and Grillby stood upright again and began to sign to them. Gaster couldn't see what he was saying as Grillby had his back to him and the King and Queen were talking too quietly for Gaster to hear.

Grillby turned back to Gaster and signed to him, "I'm going to leave you guys alone. I should really be getting home anyway before Mother starts to worry."

Gaster just nodded and Grillby left the room after grabbing his things, and the King and Queen entered. Gaster had no idea why they were here surely they had better things to be doing...

King Asgore walked over and held out his hand, "It's nice to meet you, Mr Gaster," he said.

Gaster shook the King's hand in a loose grip, the King was big but he was gentle with him. "PLEASE YOUR HIGHNESS, JUST GASTER IS FINE."

"Oh, alright."

Queen Toriel stood next to her husband and smiled kindly at Gaster, there was something about her that reminded him of his mother but he quickly got rid of the thought. "Are you feeling any better now?" She asked him.

"YES I AM, THE DRUGS THE DOCTOR GAVE ME HAVE REALLY HELPED MY HEADACHE."

"That's good news. Grillby has told us about what happened. You must be very strong to have survived all of that. It's good to have you back and recovering," The Queen said still smiling at him.

"UM, NOT TO BE RUDE, BUT WHAT ARE THE KING AND QUEEN DOING HERE?" Gaster asked. He knew that the Dreemurrs were kind and gentle monsters and them visiting the wounded wasn't all that weird but Gaster noticed the lack of guards, he also had a bad feel about this for some reason.

"Ah, yes..." King Asgore said slowly, "I'm afraid there is no easy way to tell you the news we're here to tell you so we might as well just say it..."

He didn't say it.

Queen Toriel sighed and put a hand on Gaster's shoulder, "I'm so very sorry to be the one to tell you this, we felt that it was our responsibility to tell you that... well..." They both seemed to be struggling to find the words.

That just made Gaster more afraid of what were they going to say. "WHAT IS IT?"

"I'm so sorry..." There were tears in the King's eyes.

The Queen took a deep breath and spoke quietly her voice full of sadness. "No other skeletons made it back," she said.

Gaster looked at her, his one eye wide. "THAT... THAT CAN'T BE... THERE HAS TO BE... THERE HAS TO BE SOME MORE THAT MADE IT BACK! THERE HAS TO BE..."

"I'm so sorry, my child, but you are the last skeleton," The Queen looked away as she said it.

Gaster felt the tears fall... He was the last, he didn't want to believe it, there had to be more somewhere, there had to be... but there wasn't.

"I can't imagine what it feels like to suffer such a loss but my wife and I will be here for you, anything you need don't hesitate to ask," King Asgore offered.

Gaster broke down in tears. He was already feeling lost and hurt and now that he was the last of his kind, the pain he felt was unreal and impossible to describe. And with the pain came rage; the humans... They killed every last one of his people, he'd never see another skeleton again, not even one of his bullies.

He swore then and there as the King and Queen embraced him as he cried, that he would become the best scientist in the world and he'd find a way to break the barrier and then... Then he'd kill all humans. Every last one, he'd make them feel his pain even if he died trying.