Chapter 11

Isadora came into the room with a cup of tea and found Frisk and Chara holding Asriel while he wept.

"They couldn't have just stood their ground and faced the consequences of their actions! Nooooo! They both had to slink off like cowards and leave me to pick up after them!"

She set the tea down. "The Barrier is open."

Asriel snorted. "I noticed." He wiped at tears that were a mixture of sorrow and anger. "I also noticed something else. I never thought about how I was going to explain it to everyone. How do you tell all the monsters in the prison that their long captivity was ended when their 'beloved' king and queen died? How do you tell them that everything they know of the surface is a lie?"

Frisk squeezed his hand. "For right now, it doesn't matter. You only need to lead them outside."

Isadora gestured to the door. "The foyer is filled with the monsters of New Home."

"I don't care." Asriel sniffed loudly. "I thought I had the will for this, but I don't."

Isadora shook her head. "You may not have had the will to end your parents and there is much to be said to your credit for that. And you may not have had a plan for the Barrier opening. But you do have the will for this." She took his hands in hers. "We are waiting for our prince to lead us out."

"I'm not a prince. That was a sham and you know it," he growled.

"You're our prince."

Asriel shuddered, eyes squeezed shut. Then his breath went out in a long sigh and he stood. "All right then. Let's go." He paused for a moment, looking down at himself before nodding, satisfied with the vest over simple button down and slacks he wore. He walked out of the room, Isadora following.

Chara helped Frisk stand, putting an arm around her waist. She'd changed out of the torn and blood splattered dress a while ago, but Chara still flinched as if he could still see the wound.

Frisk gently put her hand on his chest. "Hey. It's okay."

"No, it isn't."

Frisk sighed, hand dropping, eyes on her feet. "Listen. I get it. You aren't the first person to be completely freaked out by it. I've lost a lot of friends over it. So… yeah." She sniffed and wiped at her watering eyes with the back of her sleeve.

Chara grabbed her arms. "No! I don't mean it like that!" He sighed, looking away. "I'd willingly spend the rest of my life in the nightmare of lies Asgore and Toriel created if it meant no one ever harmed you again."

Frisk leaned against him, placing her head against his chest. "But then, it would mean that I'd wouldn't get to be with you."

"Don't say things like that." Chara sighed. "The Barrier is open. Even if, by some miracle, I'm not put to death, the privilege of our bloodlines comes at the cost of our personal freedom."

Frisk looked up at him. "Is that why you don't want your name?"

He huffed, smiling a little. "We've been over why. This is just another thing added to the pile." He stepped away, and offered her his arm. "Come on. It's hard enough for Asriel. Let's not make him wait."

Frisk nodded, sliding her arm in his. They left the room and went to the grand foyer, where the doors had been thrown open and the monsters of New Home filled the room and gated plaza beyond. They all talked loudly, each trying to be heard over the growing din until Asriel put up a hand and they all went silent.

Asriel looked over the monsters who waited, eyes wide, for the sun. "This is going to be a logistical nightmare."

Frisk nodded. "We'll work on phasing it. Get it so that everyone has a chance to walk outside as soon as possible and then move it so we can move people out in an orderly manner."

Chara frowned. "Not everyone will want to leave. We'll have to think about how to handle that as well."

Isadora shrugged. "Well, it's not as if they have too, right? I highly doubt the cavern is just suddenly going to fall in on itself." She looked at Frisk. "Right?"

Frisk opened her mouth, and then closed it quickly, thinking about it. "Let me check that." She held out her arms to the crowd. "Give me some room, please!"

Several monsters moved back, picking up the children to keep them from being underfoot as they made a wide circle. Frisk took a deep breath and let it out slowly as she stepped into the middle. Several violet rings of power ran along the floor, encircling Frisk. With another breath, she pushed them into the ground, feeling her way through rock, sighing with the heat of the magma, shivering with the cold of snow, and exhaling with the slow decay of Old Home. Her magic flooded the cavern, filling every space, touching every surface. A tiny town of monsters hidden in the forests of Snowdin wondered at another snowfall. A crowd of monkeys played in an ancient ruin of a city hidden deep in Waterfall. Undyne and Muffet climbed a ladder made of spider silk out of some hidden part of the cavern. The magic rushed back to her and Frisk teetered a little, but managed not to fall as the violet glow subsided.

"Even with the quake caused by the Barrier breaking, the cavern is fine. All parts are stable." She looked at Asriel. "There are whole sections of this place no one has ever explored."

A little lion monster in a striped shirt, walked up to Frisk, putting both paws on her skirt. "I've never seen magic like that before!"

Some in the crowd yelled. "Lady Frisk is a wizard!"

One of Isadora's rabbit children ran up to Frisk. "Did you open the Barrier?"

Frisk blinked, remembering the vision of Undyne and Muffet, leaving the cavern, the dusty remains of a monster in a bag tied to Undyne's hip. She smiled softly. "No. Such a thing is beyond my power."

Asriel reached down and picked the child up, giving her a smile. "Lady Frisk did not open the Barrier, but her coming here started the process by which it would." He looked over the crowd. "Make a path for me to lead you. It's time for us all to see the sun."

The crowd parted, Asriel walked down the middle, carrying the little rabbit with him. Isadora smiled and followed behind, the rest of her numerous children hopping after her. The crowd fell in behind them, sweeping Frisk and Chara along. The crowd marched behind Asriel as he left the gates and made for the large path that made the way to the Barrier. Several monsters waited there, many too nervous to go past the opening, into the sunshine beyond.

Asriel stopped at the edge. Taking a deep breath, he turned to the crowd. "There will be no rushing. Everyone with a small child," he looked down at Isadora, "or several." Isadora smiled. "Pick them up to keep them from being trampled. Are you ready?"

"Yes!"

Asriel looked out over the crowd to New Home, eyes on the palace. "Then let's go." He turned and stepped into the sunlight.

Isadora's children ran past him, hopping onto the grassy mountain side with wild abandon, laughing loudly even as the brightness of the sun dazzled their eyes. One jumped high and landed in someone's arms with an oof. Blinking away the brightness, the child gasped at the stately, black, goat monster that held him gently.

"There's monsters on the surface?!"

King Asriel's eyebrows went up. "Of course there are, little one. There are many monsters up here." He handed the child to Isadora when she came up. "Would this one be yours? He's got quite the high jump."

Isadora took the child in her arms and curtsied low, shivering a little. "Your Majesty."

"You would be Isadora, correct?"

Isadora stood bolt upright, eyes wide.

The king lifted his hand. "I did not mean to frighten you. You happen to come up in the intelligence reports as someone who was of great assistance to Asriel and Christopher and then to Undyne, even in the face of great personal danger."

Isadora smiled and curtsied again. "It is an honor to be of service to the men who stood between my children and death."

Asriel blinked away the brightness, and a found a large group of monsters and humans waiting for everyone to come out of the cavern. His eyes settled on the king and he shivered. Setting down the child in his arms, he bowed low. The king stepped up to Asriel, and, placing his hands on the young goat's shoulders, lifted him up. The king's hands came up to Asriel's face, looking him over with a soft smile, before touching foreheads for a few moments.

"Finally, I get to meet the youngest of my cousins."

Asriel blinked. "I… I guess we are related. I hadn't thought about that." Asriel swallowed. "You are way more impressive than Frisk described. It's…" His eyes squeezed shut before opening again. "It's kind of hard to look at you."

The king smiled and stepped back. "The shine wears off after a bit."

Frisk ran up to King Asriel, and gave him a swift curtsey before launching herself into his arms, hugging him tightly. He hugged her back, lifting her a little to swing her back and forth.

"You have no idea how happy my girls are going to be to see you!" He set Frisk down.

Frisk pushed at him. "Probably not as happy as my parents!" She hugged him again.

"I was speaking for both of us."

"Ooh! You meant my mom too!" She smiled. "Hello, Grandpa!"

"He says he's glad to see you." The king's hand gently passed through her hair. "Undyne said you were having trouble with the cold."

Frisk frowned. "I…" She looked back at Chara, smiling a little. "I've had a lot of help."

"Speaking of help." The king looked over their heads to the crowd of monsters coming out of the cavern. "We've prepared for this, but We require a few people Our new subjects trust to shepherd them through the process." He looked down at Asriel and Chara. "Can I count on the two of you for this?"

He placed a hand on Asriel's shoulder. "I know it is a lot to ask, considering the circumstances required for their freedom. You are free to decline, but it will give you something to keep your mind occupied."

Asriel took a deep breath and nodded.

Chara looked between them. "Wait. I don't understand. There's no way you're unaware of our LOVE and what that means."

King Asriel raised an eyebrow. "I am aware. I also have quite a bit on intelligence on your actions in the prison and the success of your decade long operation to hide kidnapped humans dropped into the prison." He stood tall, lifting his head, arms crossing over his chest. "Your level of violence, the monsters you killed in self defense and the defense of others, this is a burden We would expect of anyone in Our Service to carry should they be called to do so. As a Nightfall come into his power, it is something you may yet be uniquely tasked with as a wizard born to Our Service."

He raised an arm while speaking. "And, separately from that, there is no way I would take Evan Nightfall's son from him a second time." He raised one finger. "But there does remain the matter of you having put your hands on an Everdawn, having Frisk act as your pet, and sleep in your bed. Regardless of your doing so to shield her from death, these are not acts that can be overlooked."

The king turned to Frisk. "As the victim, you may choose his punishment."

Frisk's head whipped up, eyes wide as she looked up at her king. His lips curled just a bit deviously as he nodded for her to step forward.

Frisk snorted softly, catching his drift. "I guess this is my only shot at having a choice, huh?"

King Asriel nodded.

Frisk sighed, smiling a little, and stepped up to Chara. He shifted uneasily as Frisk lifted her left hand, watching the light shine off the pink diamond set in the engagement ring. She pulled it off her finger and held it out to Chara.

"I think that, being forced to spend the rest of your life with me, is exactly the punishment you deserve."

Chara let out a held breath on a choked chuckle. Taking the ring in his hand, he got down on one knee. "I'd rather a ring I chose."

Frisk waved it off. "We can discuss that later. Hurry up and accept your punishment."

Chara caught her hand with a smirk, holding it gently. "Frisk Everdawn, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

She smiled, trembling a little. "Yes."

Chara slid the ring on her finger and stood, Frisk stepping up to him. He gave her a wry smile. "We've only known each other for all of a few days. You could be making a grave mistake."

"A few days in a very intimate situation where you showed your true colors. I'll take my chances." She patted his chest as she turned away.

Chara spun her back toward him, and kissed her, his lips catching hers, his hand at the back of her neck. Frisk sighed, melting against his chest, lips parting for him.

Undyne came up to stand next to the king. "Woah! Looks like I made it in time for the fireworks."

King Asriel cocked his head toward her. "Not yet you haven't."

Frisk's arms slid up, clasping around Chara's neck when he pulled back, rubbing his nose against hers.

Evan Nightfall came up the path only to gasp. "She is an Everdawn! Unhand her this instant!"

"Now it's time for the fireworks."

Chara lifted his head with a glare only to look away and step back.

Frisk grabbed his hand, squeezing it. "It's all right."

"No, it isn't." Evan and Chara said at the same time.

Evan frowned at the phrase in stereo, but turned to Frisk, hugging her tightly. "I finally have news that you're not only alive, but safe, and I get here just to find- Ow!"

Frisk smiled up at Evan while she mashed her foot into his toes. "Done talking? Good! Evan Nightfall, I wish to present to you my fiance." Frisk stepped back and took Chara's arm, turning him forward. "Christopher Nightfall."

Evan's anger drained away, face going pale. "Christopher…?" He reached out. "Is it really you?"

Chara stiffened and stepped back, only to find Asriel behind him, keeping him in place.

"I'm not letting you run from this," Asriel whispered.

Evan's hands came up, touching Chara's face. "It is you!" He hugged Chara tightly. "You… You've grown so much. You look like your mother."

Chara's eyes closed, tears running down his cheeks. "I'm sorry…"

Evan pulled back. "Why?"

"I'm not-"

Asriel cut him off, a hand over his mouth. "No! I won't let you cut yourself off from your family!"

Chara turned to him. "But-"

"It doesn't matter! God dammit, Chara! I lost my parents today!" Asriel sighed, his fire leaving him. "I'm not letting you lose yours."

Frisk took Chara's hands in hers. "They've been praying for this miracle for so long. It's all right."

Chara shook his head, hands balling into fists. "I…" He turned suddenly, hugging Evan. "Oh God! I missed you so much! I never thought I see you again!"

Evan hugged him back, holding the son he'd thought lost forever.

The crowd's attention elsewhere, Undyne handed her king a bag filled with Asgore's dust. "Sire."

King Asriel sighed, taking the bag. "Thank you." He frowned at the bag. "And now you will lay with our ancestors in the long custom of our family." His hand reached out and landed on Muffet's invisible head. "And thank you."

Muffet's camouflage slipped away as she pulled her hood back. "Always, Sire." She rubbed her head up against his hand, eyes closed and smile happy.

"You took another level."

She nodded. "From the monster who hurt Frisk. I refuse to be anything other than proud of it."

Evan leaned back. "Wait. Frisk said... fiance?"

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I hope you enjoyed this short adventure. If you did, please remember to say so with a comment! Made your own fic based on it? Drew some fanart? Let me know! I'd love to see it!