A Different Kind of Pacifist Chapter 8: Showdowns and Revelations, an Iji + Undertale Crossover fanfic

nightelf37: Whoopsie, I forgot that Iji already consumed the Spider Donut after her first encounter with Muffet.

Just in case.

Disclaimer: Iji belongs to Daniel Remar, and Undertale belongs to Toby Fox.

STANDARD

Iji's Phone Inventory:

Dog Salad, Dog Residue, Instant Noodles, Hush Puppy, Glamburger, Mystery Key, [Empty], [Empty]

Satchel inventory:

Supplies, Canteen, Water-Purifying Pills, Flashlight, Pen, Tasen Logbook, Flares, Stick, Barbs of Wire, Bookmark, Box of Raisins, Toy Knife, Worn Glove, Worn Glove, Manly Bandanna, Ballet Shoes, Bag Of Misc. Junk, Torn Notebook, Stained Apron, Empty Gun, Cowboy Hat,

Box Storage/Dimensional Box A:

Butterscotch-Cinnamon Pie, Snowman Piece, Old Tutu, Cloudy Glasses, Note from Iji, Starfait, Legendary Hero, Steak In The Shape Of Mettaton's Face, [Empty]

Tasen Logbook Records:

directions_to_snowdin, ascii_catgirl, color_tile_puzzle_guide, monster_compendium, temmie_village_directions, gaster_note, the_undertale, underground_compilation, ask_gerson_about_the_king_later, negotiation_proposal_(draft), business_advice_to_mettaton

Dimensional Box B:

Beans Can, Spaghetti, Bisicle, Sea Tea, Spider Ad, [Empty], [Empty], [Empty], [Empty], [Empty]

Ansaksie's Phone Inventory:

Abandoned Quiche, Crab Apple, Bisicle, Bisicle, Cinnamon Bunny, Sea Tea, [Empty], [Empty]

|
V

FOR THE SHOW

Iji's Phone Inventory:

Glamburger, Mystery Key, Starfait, Legendary Hero, Steak In The Shape Of Mettaton's Face, Manly Bandanna, Cowboy Hat, Spider Ad

Satchel inventory:

Supplies, Canteen, Water-Purifying Pills, Flashlight, Pen, Tasen Logbook, Flares, Stick, Barbs of Wire, Bookmark, Box of Raisins, Toy Knife, Worn Glove, Worn Glove, Ballet Shoes, Bag Of Misc. Junk, Torn Notebook, Stained Apron, Empty Gun

Box Storage/Dimensional Box A:

Butterscotch-Cinnamon Pie, Snowman Piece, Old Tutu, Cloudy Glasses, Note from Iji, Dog Salad, Dog Residue, Instant Noodles, Hush Puppy, [Empty]

Dimensional Box B:

Beans Can, Spaghetti, Bisicle, Sea Tea, [Empty], [Empty], [Empty], [Empty], [Empty], [Empty]

To Time Knight Leo: Trivia for you, because I never played Xenoblade, I only saw that kind of vision play out in the opening cutscene for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate's World of Light Adventure Mode, right before Galeem shoots out his massive light attack that consumed everything except Kirby.

To Guest: I just discovered the lack of Alphastruck just tonight. How the hell did it need censoring? There was barely anything overly sexual there. Try the Wayback Machine. That's all I can think of at the moment. EDIT: Never mind. it's back now. Hooray!

Just before crossing the door that would lead to the final showdown, Alphys quickly notified Iji of a special yellow button in her phone that she would need to use for the showdown with Mettaton. It will only resonate in his presence, though, and turns the phone into a "blaster". It was meant to be part of the old script as a "fake" means to take him down, but Iji's actions (namely, being able to damage him with her Nanogun) threw that plan out until now.

Now, it will help in the final showdown somehow, assuming Mettaton's keeping with the script; he does have a mind of his own and sometimes goes against her wishes.

Also, Alphys advised her to flip the switch on Mettaton's back for an easier time against him. Not that it was necessary, given Iji can take on Mettaton all the same.

After crossing the door, Iji beheld a stage (with its six floor lights off). And at the center was Mettaton.

"OH YES. THERE YOU ARE, DARLING." Mettaton greeted. "IT'S TIME TO HAVE OUR LITTLE SHOWDOWN. ACCORDING TO YOU, THE WORLD ABOVE HAS BEEN DEVASTATED BY ALIENS, AND THAT YOU WISH FOR PEACE BETWEEN OUR KINDS. WE KNOW THAT THE ALIENS ARE REAL GIVEN THEY HAVE MADE THEIR WAY TO THE UNDERGROUND AND ATTACKED US. HOWEVER…"

The stage lights turned on, the light below Mettaton being white and the rest (and the lights at the edges) being red.

"YOU CAN UNDERSTAND THAT NOT EVERYONE CAN BELIEVE THAT STORY. FOR ALL WE KNOW, IT'S NOT ACTUALLY THAT DIRE EVEN IF THE ALIEN ATTACK IS TRUE, AND BECAUSE OF THE BARRIER, WE CANNOT GO TO THE SURFACE TO VERIFY YOUR STATEMENT. YOU CAN SEE THE DILEMMA WE HAVE HERE, DON'T YOU?"

"Yes, I do," Iji replied. "I know it's too much to take faith in what an enemy says. But… Hold on. You know that one needs a monster SOUL and a human SOUL to cross the Barrier, right? Can't one of you just get permission from His Majesty, borrow a SOUL from him, cross, and check? If not, he can do that himself. I don't know what else I could do."

"WELL, YOU DO POSIT A VALID ARGUMENT, AND THAT WILL BE LEFT FOR THE FANS TO STEW IN AFTER THIS, BUT RIGHT NOW, THEY WANT BLOODSHED. HOWEVER, AS YOU KNOW, I HAVE NO DESIRE TO HARM HUMANS. FAR FROM IT, ACTUALLY. MY ONLY DESIRE IS TO ENTERTAIN. SO HERE'S A COMPROMISE. I WILL FIGHT YOU TO THE DEATH. BUT IF YOU DO NOT WISH FOR MY DESTRUCTION, JUST GIVE US A GOOD SHOW. BRING THE RATINGS SKY HIGH AS WE FIGHT, AND PERHAPS I WILL LET YOU PASS. NOW…" His facelights then turned a steady red. "SHALL WE BEGIN?"

Once more, Iji's SOUL began to glow, indicating that their showdown has begun as Mettaton's facelights turned normal. She remembered what Alphys said and decided to give it a try by doing the oldest trick in the book. "Hey, what's that?" she said as she pointed behind him.

To her surprise, he seemed to immediately fall for it and turned around. "OOH? MAYBE IT'S YOUR ALIEN FRIEND! PERHAPS SHE SHOULD JOIN US IN OUR SHOW!" Iji didn't question how he knew; Alphys does have a surveillance system and that probably caught her on camera. That, or Sans notified her, assuming they know each other.

At Mettaton's back was indeed a large switch that even a young child can flip. Well, it was more of a sliding type on sound devices, but still. Iji immediately dashed for Mettaton and slid it to the other setting before jumping away.

"DID YOU. JUST FLIP. MY SWITCH?" he said, after which he turned around and put his hands to the sides of his main body as it began to shake wildly, only anchored by his legs. His facelights began to flash very quickly the meters right below them were flicking wildly, and Iji almost worried she might've activated his self-destruct sequence. And then there was a bright flash that forced her to turn away.

A few seconds later, a different voice came out from Mettaton's direction.

"Ohhhh yes!"

When the light faded, everything was dark. Fog as if from a fog machine then spewed out from the floor as a pair of stage lights illuminated where Mettaton used to be. Except there was a humanoid shape there.

"Ohhhh my," the voice said, but Iji correctly assumed that this was still Mettaton and that this was his other form. "If you flipped my switch, that can only mean one thing. You're desperate for the premiere of my new body, my EX Form. Lucky for you, I've been aching to show this off for a long time. So… thank you for making this my premiere. Now…"

Once the smoke cleared, Iji could now see Mettaton's new form in full. In this form, he had black hair with a long fringe that seemed to cover his right eye, pale "skin", and visible metal segments below and above his left eye.

He had a pink chest piece, a narrow metallic waist with a box contraption, and black shoulder guards above his segmented arms, which ended in gloves. The chest piece had what appeared to be a speaker and some knob or gauge, while the waist had two parts that seemed to act as a locking mechanism that held a "heart-shaped core". And his legs seemed to match perfectly with the rest of his body.

"Let our showdown truly begin!" Mettaton EX finished.

And then more lights illuminated the surrounding area, and Iji beheld a slew of cameras propped and recording the showdown surrounding the area. There were also television screens showing audiences of monsters presumably watching the entire event. Speakers were also present, projecting the cheers of the monsters.

Ansaksie and the Royal Guards were also seated among these equipment, and so were the mercenaries who let them through earlier. Somewhere overhead was a rating meter. So that's what I'll have to rack up. She then whipped out her phone and pressed the yellow button. In a few seconds, she felt her SOUL resonate with Mettaton's presence before glowing yellow instead of red, though internally she didn't feel any different, other than power being channeled from her SOUL to her phone as it passed through her shoulder and arm. The phone's antenna then began to glow a yellow hue. Also, according to Ansaksie, her SOUL was also now an upside-down heart shape.

"Lights! Camera! Action!" Mettaton said.

"Bring it," Iji dared as she made the appropriate hand gesture before assuming a basic defensive stance, the Frying Pan poised to block.

The show robot obliged by rushing forward and making to strike with his hand as if to perform a jab. Iji deflected it with her pan, used her other arm to deflect his other hand, then moved in to headbutt Mettaton. However, he anticipated this and drew his head back as he then grabbed Iji by the waist in an attempt to throw her over him. Or lift her like a ballerina partner. But she held her ground, aimed her phone at Mettaton's core, and fired.

Blasts of yellow energy emerged from the antenna and struck true. Mettaton shuddered at each hit, and the ratings grew. I hope this is actually not doing any damage to him. Eventually, the robot jumped away to prepare another attack.

"Drama! Romance! Bloodshed!"

He deployed a fleet of small (base form-)Mettaton-shaped drones that flew on umbrellas, as well as chucked a few bombs that blew up half a second after being shot by the phone, which Iji did just to gauge its range. She then followed up by shooting down the drones, which tossed out heart-shaped attacks that broke in half before disappearing upon being shot. Iji wouldn't say she was a crack shot though, as one heart shape managed to graze her on the shoulder…and she also noticed the ratings go up from that (and from attacking the drones). She struck a pose by flipping her hair as if to shrug that off, and the audience nodded in response.

"I'm the idol everyone craves!"

Mettaton charged into melee again, and this time his hands and feet seemed charged with some sort of energy. A solid hit by one leg as Iji repelled his attacks showed that they were apparently enhanced with magic to bypass her Nanofield. Still, she had enough combat experience to deflect most of them, and right after knocking back Mettaton, she rebutted, "And I'm the human who's gonna take you down."

The result was a chorus of cheers for Mettaton to "destroy" her. Wait. Is this what Wrestling Heels do? Uh-oh. Then that means…

"Smile for the camera!"

Knowing what to do, she weathered the next hits, which comprised of a few punches and Mettaton drones. The ratings jumped higher than usual when she gets hit.

The show robot them jumped back before saying, "Oooh, it's time for a pop quiz! I hope you brought a keyboard. That journal of yours will do."

Setting down her Frying Pan, Iji took out her Tasen Logbook in response, and her yellow SOUL seemed to respond and conjure a box for text to be displayed.

"This one's an essay question!" His next words were heralded by them appearing on a screen above. "Why do you love most about Mettaton?"

Input LEGS, Chara suggested in Iji's mind.

She was confused at their suggestion. Why? And nothing else?

Trust me. And I guess you can add other stuff too. (1)

All right. She proceeded to type Your Legs. Makes up for shooting off your first wheel leg.

"That's right, Legs was the correct answer!" Somewhere off stage, a monster working for Mettaton was writing her words down while Mettaton himself registered her input into his memory banks.

Remembering one of the tips she's learned in Hotland, after putting away her Logbook, Iji took the time to produce the Manly Bandanna from her Phone and put it on, pushing up some of her hair. Judging by the audience's reactions, as well as the rating meter, they seemed to like it.

"Your essay really showed everyone your heart," Mettaton replied. "Why don't I show you mine?"

Stretching his arms outward, his heart-shaped core glowed and another heart shape made of energy emerged from it, spitting out magic bolts in Iji's general direction, which she responded to by shooting at it with her Phone. Periodically, a pair of drones went over to launch heart-shaped attacks, but she was able to spare time to shoot them down each time before turning her attention back to the bolts and Mettaton's core. Eventually, the floating heart blew up and Mettaton shuddered.

"Bring it on. I bet you can't touch me this time either," Iji dared as she picked up her Frying Pan once more. The audience "ooh"ed in response.

"Oooh, I'm just warming up!" Mettaton replied as he sent another wave of drones, but Iji took them all down before they could even reach her and even took a few shots at Mettaton's core.

She was finally getting into the atmosphere of the show; just bring up the ratings, and hopefully she can get past Mettaton without destroying him. "I can do this all day", she said as she took out the Cowboy Hat from her Phone and donned it on her head. "Compared to everyone I've faced so far down here save Captain Undyne, I'm a pro in combat."

"Perhaps," bantered Mettaton. "But how are you on the dance floor?"

All of a sudden, a disco ball emerged from the ceiling and began shooting beam-walls of magic onto the area. The beam-wall shooting over Iji was light blue, while the one in front of her was white. She was already aiming at the disco ball with her Phone and shot it, which turned the white beam-wall light blue and vice-versa. Instantly seeing the pattern, she shot accordingly, and because this was a show, she made sure to dance a bit with her free arm and legs during the interim between beam-walls.

Try the stick, Chara suggested as the disco ball turned off for a while. Pretend it's a rose.

Deciding it wouldn't hurt, putting down her Pan again, Iji followed their suggestion, hurling it the way that tux-wearing masked man in that old show did. Mettaton caught it in his mouth as it passed him and winked, and the audience loved it.

"Wonderful trick there!" he said as he then took out the stick and twirled it like it really was a rose. "Can you keep up the pace!?"

Once again, the disco ball lit up. This time, though, it shot out soon beams that moved like laser sights. Dodging them was harder, and shooting the disco ball even more so. She even got hit a few times, but she shrugged them aside, showing no pain even as the audience watched her SOUL flicker with each landed hit.

She then followed up by accessing her phone's inventory, took out the Glamburger, and took a bite out of it. The audience cheered and the meter rose further.

At around the same time, Chara spoke to her. That key you have. Use it in a pose.

Mettaton grinned as he said, "Lights! Camera! Bombs!" The disco ball then generated two walls that limited Iji's maneuverability. Mettaton then launched a few bombs her way. Upon destroying them with her phone, she saw that they exploded in a plus-sign fashion like in one of those old video game characters. After taking one unlucky hit from that, she was able to dodge the rest.

Her next course of action was to—after completely consuming the Glamburger—say in a cocky tone as she took out the Mystery Key, "That one was a fluke. You're not gonna hit me again."

"Things are blowing up!" was his banter as he repeated the last attack, but faster this time. Iji was able to keep up, and as the "walls" were deactivated, and with it the disco ball, she finished with a roll toward its position, a leg sweep to follow through, and finished by pointing the Mystery Key to the ceiling (and straight at the ball).

At that near-exact moment, as the (momentarily baffled) audience applauded, Mettaton glanced at the meter and got down on his knees in he gave a huge smile. "OOH, LOOK AT THESE RATINGS! THIS IS THE MOST VIEWERS I'VE EVER HAD! WE'VE REACHED THE VIEWER CALL-IN MILESTONE! ONE LUCKY VIEWER WILL HAVE THE CHANCE TO TALK TO ME! LET'S SEE WHO CALLS IN FIRST!" One phone ring sounded off, which was immediately answered. HI, YOU'RE ON TV! WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY ON THIS, OUR LAST SHOW?"

This was a surprise for Iji as she relaxed her arms, though still held the key. "Wait, what? This was the series finale?!"

Before more could be said, the caller made themselves known through the stage speakers. And it was familiar despite how quiet it was.

"... oh... hi… mettaton… I really liked watching your show… my life is pretty boring, but… seeing you on the screen… brought excitement to my life… vicariously I can't tell, but… I guess this is the last episode…? I'll miss you… mettaton… …oh…. I didn't mean to talk so long… oh….."

And with that, Napstablook hung up.

Mettaton seemed to know them personally, if his dismay was any indication. "NO, WAIT! WAIT, BL… H… THEY ALREADY HUNG UP." Before long, though, just like any celebrity worth their salt, he set his emotions aside. "…I'LL TAKE ANOTHER CALLER!"

And a slew of calls came up. "Mettaton, your show made us so happy!"

"Mettaton, I don't know what I'll watch without you."

"Mettaton, there's a Mettaton-shaped hole in my Mettaton-shaped heart."

There were a lot more that came out, resulting in a cacophony of cheers, well-wishes, and lamentations. It was a very heartwarming minute as Iji's SOUL stopped glowing. It was apparent that this battle was over. Eventually, the calls had to be cut off to give room for Mettaton to speak up.

"AH… I… I SEE… … EVERYONE… THANK YOU SO MUCH." Mettaton faced Iji directly. "DARLING. PERHAPS… YOU MIGHT BE TELLING THE TRUTH. IF THAT IS THE CASE, HUMANITY MUST HAVE LOST MUCH OF THEIR STARS, BUT FOR MONSTERS… I'M THEIR ONLY STAR. WHILE HUMANITY COULD USE SOMEONE LIKE MYSELF TO BRING THEM HOPE, EVEN IF YOU SHOULD ACTUALLY BREAK THE BARRIER, MONSTERKIND NEEDS ME MORE."

"You mentioned that this was going to be your last show. What did you mean by that?"

"MY ORIGINAL PLAN WAS TO TAKE YOUR SOUL AND GO TO THE SURFACE, SO THAT ASGORE CANNOT USE IT TO BREAK THE BARRIER AND WAGE WAR ON HUMANITY. NATURALLY, MY SHOW WOULD END ONCE I'M GONE. OF COURSE, WITH WHAT YOU REVEALED TO ALPHYS AND I… WELL…"

Mettaton closed his eyes as he gathered his next words, then opened them again.

"ANYWAY, YOU FULFILLED YOUR END OF THE BARGAIN, SO I'LL LET YOU PASS. NOT THAT I COULD STOP YOU AT THIS POINT. THE TRUTH IS, THIS FORM'S ENERGY CONSUMPTION IS… INEFFICIENT. IN A FEW MOMENTS, I'LL RUN OUT OF BATTERY POWER, AND…"

"Oh…" For some reason, despite knowing (through traditional fiction) that robots don't lose memory just because they shut down, Iji felt melancholic for his immediate situation.

"ANYWAY, YOU'VE PROVEN TO BE VERY STRONG. PERHAPS… EVEN STRONG ENOUGH TO GET PAST ASGORE. I'M SURE YOU'LL FIND A PEACEFUL SOLUTION FOR HUMANITY AND MONSTERKIND. WELL, I'LL BE ALRIGHT. KNOCK 'EM DEAD, DARLING." He then addressed the watching monsters. AND EVERYONE… THANK YOU. YOU'VE BEEN A GREAT AUDIENCE!"

Soon, as his lights began to dim, Iji remembered something and approached the robot, knelt down, and said, "Mettaton! I almost forgot. There's a monster who wishes to get her butt autographed. It's a purple feline monster named Catty. Dr Alphys should know who she is."

Somewhere in the audience, said monster was squealing. "Ooh! She remembered! She remembered!"

Mettaton chuckled for a bit, even as his power levels were reaching zero, though his voice was quieter. "I'LL MAKE SURE TO REMEMBER THAT. BY THE WAY… THAT KEY YOU SHOWED OFF EARLIER… IT OPENS A PLACE IN WATERFALL. I'M SURE YOU CAN FIGURE OUT THE REST." And then that's when his systems shut down, rendering his body inactive. The screens followed suit as the show drew to a close.

As the Royal Guards and Ansaksie approached her after that, Iji was busy propping up Mettaton's body and moving it around into a "comfortable" seating position, specifically the one called "Indian sitting". She would've carried him, and it would've been no problem for her, but Alphys had told her ahead of time about this form and to leave him here should he run out of power.

Speaking of, the doctor entered via the entrance, and panicked upon seeing Mettaton's deactivated form. "Oh my god," she gasped as she ran over to him. "Mettaton! Mettaton, are you…"

As she checked on the robot, the Royal Guards approached Iji and allowed Ansaksie to rejoin her.

"Well, this is where we part ways," said 04. "Where you're going is beyond Hotland's borders. Good luck."

"We'll, like, see you later and stuff," added 01 as they walked back through the entrance. "Someday. Hopefully." And then they were gone.

Alphys sighed in relief as she finished checking up on Mettaton. "…thank god, it's just the batteries. Mettaton, if you were gone, I would have… I would have…" She did her best to regain her composure. "I m-mean, h-hey, it's n-no problem, you know? As long as the memory drive is intact, I c-could always b-build him a new body." She turned back to the non-monsters. "…I-I-I'll just need a moment. You two can go on ahead."

Facing each other for a moment, the two decided to heed her words and made their way to the exit on the other side of the room.

STANDARD

Iji's Phone Inventory:

Dog Salad, Dog Residue, Instant Noodles, Hush Puppy, Mystery Key, [Empty], [Empty], [Empty]

Satchel inventory:

Supplies, Canteen, Water-Purifying Pills, Flashlight, Pen, Tasen Logbook, Flares, Stick, Barbs of Wire, Bookmark, Toy Knife, Worn Glove, Worn Glove, Manly Bandanna, Ballet Shoes, Bag Of Misc. Junk, Torn Notebook, Stained Apron, Empty Gun, Cowboy Hat

Box Storage/Dimensional Box A:

Butterscotch-Cinnamon Pie, Snowman Piece, Old Tutu, Cloudy Glasses, Note from Iji, Starfait, Legendary Hero, Steak In The Shape Of Mettaton's Face, [Empty], [Empty]

Tasen Logbook Records:

Dimensional Box B:

Beans Can, Spaghetti, Bisicle, Sea Tea, Spider Ad, [Empty], [Empty], [Empty], [Empty], [Empty]

Ansaksie's Phone Inventory:

Abandoned Quiche, Crab Apple, Bisicle, Bisicle, Cinnamon Bunny, Sea Tea, [Empty], [Empty]

The next area consisted of an empty space to the left and a right turn to a narrow hallway.

As Iji (after re-sorting her items) and Ansaksie made their way down the hallway, Alphys shortly joined them and the two slowed their pace so she could catch up. "S-sorry about that! L-let's k-keep going!"

The next few seconds were spent in complete silence, but both can tell that Alphys seemed to be struggling to hide something. As an elevator came into view, Iji decided to speak up, "So, how many interns are at the Barrier? I hope they've done enough research for me to find a weakness to it. You did bring the…collected SOULs to the Barrier, right, when you said you had to leave back when we were still in the CORE?"

"Collected SOULs?" Ansaksie inquired. "You mean aside from human SOULs, right?" Alphys froze in her step. "Don't worry, Doctor. I hold no loyalty to the Komato Empire anymore. Besides, it was war; casualties are a part of it that I've accepted long ago."

"Come on," the human reached out to the monster's head and patted it. "We're almost there, right?"

"I can't take this anymore!" Alphys suddenly said as she reeled back and turned away. "I…I lied to you. There are no interns at the Barrier. I didn't have the confidence to recruit any, and King Asgore never got the time to send some to me." She also had another reason, but she didn't tell them. "And about the alien SOULs… I had them in storage, but… I lost one of them to an… experiment I've made, and it's running rampant that I've had to quarantine the area."

"What?!" gasped Iji. This wasn't good. "Take us there. I'll help you reclaim the rest of the SOULs."

The doctor shook her head. "I destroyed the only means to go there, so there's no point to it. I never even was able to test if enough of their SOULs can break the Barrier. And now that I've confessed to you… I'm sorry." And immediately she ran as fast as her legs could carry her.

Ansaksie made to pursue her, but Iji grabbed her hand and shook her head. "Don't. We can still do this without the SOULs. That was just a backup plan. We can always go back. Remember, the priority is to broker peace and break the Barrier."

"...All right."

And with that, the human and the Komato opened the elevator, entered it, and pushed the button that would take them to King Asgore's castle. As the elevator door closed and the whole thing began to move, Ansaksie had this to say.

"So, you do know that even with what General Tor said, there's still a chance that the Komato might return to Origin one day, right?"

"That's precisely another reason I'm here; to get our civilization back on our feet and eventually be able to defend or hide ourselves should that happen," Iji replied. "After seeing what monsterkind has to offer, I'd like to say we might have a chance. And even if there isn't… well, at least we tried. Better than trudging around in despair, after all."

"Yeah. The Komato have fallen far."

And then the door opened, leading the duo out into a gray brick hallway with only a left turn. They took that turn into the next hall and found only another left turn after that, though there seemed to be a space a little ways ahead that seemed to be meant to have something placed there. (3)

As they walked, Iji paused at that spot for a moment while Ansaksie continued along the path before noticing her companion wasn't walking beside her. She turned around, went back, and clasped her shoulder. "Come on," she reminded. "Let's get moving."

"Yeah."

The next area had an elevator (currently in use) to their immediate left, and to their right (which they traversed) was a view of what must be the city. The signs of combat were still apparent, with all the debris, broken concrete, shattered windows, a few flowers in pots that seemed to be positioned with the intent of marking where a monster died. The lack of a handrail was a bit concerning, but neither non-monster was in danger of falling off as the pathway was more than wide enough.

And everything was in a dreary shade of gray, to Iji's confusion.

The path eventually took a left turn that led to a rail-less path (with tall apartment buildings flanking it) straight to a tunnel whose entrance was with a mildly royal decor.

Through that tunnel was…

What?, both wondered. This looks like…

Indeed, save for the dead tree and all the colors, what beheld them looked very much like Toriel's home.

"What is this place?" Iji wondered to herself as she and Ansaksie crossed the open entrance.

Inside was the same staircase, the same room light, the same bookshelf, the same vase and shelf, nearly everything in Toriel's place was here, too. The only exceptions were that most of the place was gray, the plant had a golden flower instead, and there was a low chain blocking off the way to the stairs, not that that was an obstacle for either.

The two turned to the left, and saw the room there was also identical to the living room in Toriel's house. Of course, everything was still gray, the fireplace was unlit (though the warm coals indicated it was recently put out), and in place of a pot of flowers on the table was a pot with a single golden one.

As they crossed the place, two disembodied voices rang out, making the two non-monster pause.

"A long time ago, a human fell into the RUINS."

"Injured by its fall, the human called out for help."

"What was that?" asked Ansaksie, a hand to her blade handle.

"Wait…I read this story before," Iji realized.

"You have?"

"During my research in Snowdin's library. I wonder if…" She was cut off by two different voices ringing out.

"ASRIEL, the king's son, heard the human's call."

"He brought the human back to the castle."

"Yup. It's definitely that story. The one titled The Undertale."

"…Let's check the other rooms," the Komato suggested. "I'm feeling a strange sense of familiarity."

"Right."

Besides the gray coloration and the replacement of all plants with golden flowers, the hallway was the same as in Toriel's. They entered the first door, which led to a room just like where Iji (and Ansaksie) slept for one night. The difference this time (besides the recurring grayness) was that there was another bed at the other side of the wall instead of a lamp stand. Oh, and there were two gift boxes.

Just to be on the safe side, Ansaksie drew her blade and poked at the corners with it in hopes of provoking any hiding critter or releasing whatever gases may be inside before she and Iji retreated from the room. After several minutes of nothing, they went back inside and opened the boxes (with the lids facing away from them). Inside the boxes were a heart-shaped locket that had the words "Best Friends Forever" and a small worn dagger that looked like it had been used for gardening (like cutting vines, twigs, flowers and such) yet had equal potential as a tool for murder. Of course, both non-monsters had far better weaponry and so the items were stored in Iji's satchel.

Both then glanced the photograph on the shelf on the wall and took a closer look. What it depicted shocked them.

In the picture were four individuals, all of them smiling. The first was a human child Iji identified as Chara.

Second was a small white-furred monster of the same size with long ears, a snout, and visible fangs. He wore a green, long-sleeved shirt with yellow stripes and black pants, similar to Chara's clothing. He also had a small wisp of fur on his head and lacked the horns on the other two, who were most likely his parents. Was this Asriel?

Third was a really huge monster with broad shoulders, a bulky body, a golden blond mane/beard and two large curved horns. He wore a suit of armor, a purple cape with golden pauldrons, and a crown on top of his head. Judging by that and by the illustrations Iji found on the book she had read before, this was most likely King Asgore.

And the fourth was…

"Toriel?" gasped Ansaksie.

"She was actually the queen?!" gasped Iji.

"Now that's interesting news."

"Yeah. I wonder what happened that caused her and the king to split up. Why didn't she say anything? Why does she hold such contempt for him now? I might have to ask him or her myself, but probably at a later date."

Leaving the picture alone, the two left the room and made their way to the next one. According to Ansaksie, in the other house, this would've led to Toriel's room (Iji never explored that far), but the door was locked and there was a sign reading Room under renovations. Voices began to ring out again.

"Over time, ASRIEL and the human became like siblings."

"The King and Queen treated the human child as their own."

"The underground was full of hope."

"Let's check the next room," Ansaksie said as she and Iji walked to the third door.

Iji's Phone Inventory:

Dog Salad, Dog Residue, Instant Noodles, Hush Puppy, Mystery Key, [Empty], [Empty], [Empty]

Satchel inventory:

Box Storage/Dimensional Box A:

Butterscotch-Cinnamon Pie, Snowman Piece, Old Tutu, Cloudy Glasses, Note from Iji, Starfait, Legendary Hero, Steak In The Shape Of Mettaton's Face, [Empty], [Empty]

Tasen Logbook Records:

Dimensional Box B:

Beans Can, Spaghetti, Bisicle, Sea Tea, Spider Ad, [Empty], [Empty], [Empty], [Empty], [Empty]

Ansaksie's Phone Inventory:

Abandoned Quiche, Crab Apple, Bisicle, Bisicle, Cinnamon Bunny, Sea Tea, [Empty], [Empty]

The first thing they saw at the interior of the room aside from a king-sized bed was a table with an open journal. Approaching the journal showed an entry that only read, "Nice day today!" Iji could see that the ink still looked a little wet.

The other furniture in the room (which Ansaksie opened and checked its contents when possible) were comprised of a bureau with a Santa Claus outfit inside it and a vase with golden flowers on top, a clothes drawer with robes, button-up shirts, and a pink hand-knit sweater that says "Mr. Dad Guy", and a trophy that read Number 1 Nose-Nuzzle Champs '98!.

Too bad they won't win the next one anymore, Iji mused for a moment as they left the room.

Making it back to the stairs, the two hopped over the chain and descended further and found themselves in a tunnel also similar to the one Iji and Toriel traversed before reaching the door leading out of the Ruins, where the two first engaged in battle.

The voices rang out again, different as always.

"Then… One day…"

"The human became very ill. "

"I wonder what sickness they contracted?" mused Ansaksie. "Perhaps something relatively harmless to monsters but fatal to humans over time?"

"No idea. I hope that's not the case. I'll remember to add that in my negotiation proposal."

And then came another group of voices.

"The sick human had only one request."

"To see the flowers from their village."

"But there was nothing we could do."

A few seconds later of pacing, the chorus began again.

"The next day."

"..."

"The human died."

Iji felt a pang of sorrow, having had to hear this again, though she wasn't sure of Ansaksie's thoughts.

The voices began again.

"ASRIEL, wracked with grief, absorbed the human's SOUL."

"He transformed into a being with incredible power."

"So a monster has once possessed a human SOUL," the Komato said. "I wonder what a monster with a Komato or Tasen SOUL would be like?"

"Given we haven't seen any, or at least they haven't faced us, I'm thinking some scientists (Alphys can't be the only one left) are still testing that."

"With the human SOUL, ASRIEL crossed through the barrier."

"He carried the human's body into the sunset."

"Back to the village of the humans."

"So, either no one has tested if our SOULs in monsters can pass through, or they did and they can't," said Ansaksie.

"The latter," commented Iji. "If Alphys was telling the truth before she left."

Instead of a doorway at the end, there was another right turn. And once again the voices returned.

"ASRIEL reached the center of the village."

"There, he found a bed of golden flowers."

"He carried the human onto it."

"I wonder if that village is in the same place as the one Dan and the others are currently at?" Iji wondered. "And I think I know where this is going next."

"Suddenly, screams rang out."

"The villagers saw ASRIEL holding the human's body."

"They thought that he had killed the child."

Neither said anything as they emerged into yet another handrail-less view of the city to their left. Iji knew very well how unreasonable and fear-driven most of humanity could be in the face of the unknown. Iji had been afraid too, but she was more afraid of dying that time, and she had enough willpower and training to persevere through what she had to go through.

"The humans attacked him with everything they had."

"He was struck with blow after blow."

"ASRIEL had the power to destroy them all."

"Would humans really have done that?" Ansaksie was curious. "In the face of whatever Asriel has become?"

"If it were the present day, before the Alpha Strike, the populace would've fled while the cops surrounded Asriel and demanded him to stand down," the Human Anomaly theorized. "And then maybe the army would pitch in later. I don't know how long ago it was since the first child had lived, so maybe this scenario was plausible."

"But..."

"ASRIEL did not fight back."

"Clutching the human..."

"ASRIEL smiled, and walked away."

"If it were the present day, he either would have surrendered (and get locked up, and experimented on) or he would've fled rather than risk fighting. This must've been like a century or several decades ago," Iji continued.

"Wounded, ASRIEL stumbled home."

"He entered the castle and collapsed."

"His dust spread across the garden."

"So monsters really do turn to dust upon death," Ansaksie mused.

"Did you—"

"No. I…peeked in a house where a monster was passing away from natural causes. Disease or old age, I'm not sure; as far as I can remember, all Komato who died were from battle or weapon accidents."

"The kingdom fell into despair."

"The king and queen had lost two children in one night."

"The humans had once again taken everything from us."

Both remained silent as the voices continued.

"The king decided it was time to end our suffering."

"Every human who falls down here must die."

"With enough souls, we can shatter the barrier forever."

"These folks haven't been that updated with current events, have they?" Ansaksie commented.

"Well, at least we know what they've been doing ever since that happened. "

"It's not long now."

"King ASGORE will let us go."

"King ASGORE will give us hope."

"King ASGORE will save us all."

Neither human nor Komato spoke a word as they continued walking along the path. A right turn and a dead end with an elevator were in sight up ahead.

"You should be smiling, too."

"Aren't you excited?"

"Aren't you happy?"

As they reached the end of the path, one last voice spoke out.

"You're going to be free."

And then it was over. Iji made to turn right, while Ansaksie made for the elevator. Both quickly realized they weren't going the same way and stopped and turned to face each other.

"Aren't you going to check the elevator?" asked Ansaksie.

"Oh, all right," Iji conceded and followed the Komato. But when they opened the elevator door, it became apparent that it wasn't an elevator at all, but like some sort of portal to a different point on space. It also looked very familiar.

"This leads back to where we came," Ansaksie deduced from the familiar minor features, as well as faint footprints on the floor. "It could serve as a quick way back to the CORE, but if things go wrong with your negotiations, I think they'll either close this off or have it guarded."

"Please don't say that," said Iji as she turned to the right turn she had been about to take. "Anyway, that leaves only one other way in."

The corridor they were now in had an appearance far different from the depressing monotone of the previous area. Golden hues brightened the tall corridor, and thick stone pillars delineated a path forward while casting shadows upon the room. Iji and Ansaksie walked across it side by side when something happened.

One moment, the area was empty save for themselves, and then the next, there stood Sans in front of them on the other side of the hallway, hands in his pockets and without much of a care in the world, although his eye sockets said something different. In particular, the lights in them were out, just like the time where he threatened that he would've killed them straight away were it not for his promise to Toriel.

It was clear that he was no mere lazybones Snowdin guard. It seems he had a more important role in the Underground and was taking that role right now. A bell rang in the distance three times as if to signify the moment.

"So you finally made it," he greeted.

"That I have, Sans," Iji cautiously replied as she and Ansaksie prepared their weapons. For some reason, the area looked really fitting for a showdown, but she really hoped that wouldn't be the case.

"The end of your journey is at hand. In a few moments, you will meet the king. Together... You will determine the future of this world. That's then. You'll need your phone for this segment. Please keep it out for this one. There's something you need to see."

With one hand still on their weapons, both human and Komato took out their phones.

"Thank you. Now. You will be judged. You will be judged for your every action. You will be judged for every EXP you've earned."

"EXP?" Ansaksie asked. "Like experience points?"

"Not in here it's not," the skeleton replied. "In the Underground, it's an acronym. It stands for EXecution Points. A way of quantifying the pain you have inflicted on others."

Somewhere in Iji's mind, something triggered as she looked back at her Phone, which depicted her stats, including EXP and LV. Her hands started to quiver as a lingering thought dug itself out of the mental walls that she had erected to keep herself from hearing it.

Around the same time, Ansaksie checked her phone, which also depicted her own EXP and LV (or LOVE, as it was). She had quite enough Execution Points to reach LV …14 (from the assassinations she's had to commit in the Komato Empire's name, and her assassination of Iosa), in comparison to Iji's LV 10, but if their LVs are relatively close despite Iji not having "scored" any kills… what could this mean? Has Ansaksie judged her incorrectly? Was it a mistake to entrust her with the Massacre?

"When you kill someone, your EXP increases," the skeleton continued. "When you have enough EXP, your LOVE increases."

With Iji still shaking and seemingly unresponsive, even as she uncharacteristically dropped her Nanogun, Ansaksie asked on her behalf. "Is LOVE an acronym as well?"

"Yes. It, too, is an acronym. It stands for Level Of ViolencE. A way of measuring someone's capacity to hurt. The more you kill, the easier it becomes to distance yourself. The more you distance yourself, the less you will hurt. The more easily you can bring yourself to hurt others."

He then gave the two non-monsters a hard stare, his eyes glowing normally once again.

"both of you have gained quite a lot of LOVE, and yet… no monster dust has been scattered by either of your hands since you came, at least as far as i know starting from snowdin forest. why is that? what changed in both of you to show mercy to monsterkind after whatever killings you've done? you guys told me there was a war up in the surface. from your weapons, i can safely say you've both taken part in it." He faced the Komato. "you told me your reason before." Then the human. "what about you?"

Ansaksie was seriously concerned with Iji's condition, which doesn't seem to have improved a bit. Did Sans' judgment dredge up some terrible memory from her past? Was she actually a pretty mean person before she met her? Did the Alpha Strike change her into who she was now?

Before she could say a word, there came a scream of painful realization. Both Komato and skeleton turned to the source: Iji. She was now on her knees, her face frozen in fear, and was clutching her head as the revelation of what she had done was finally catching up to her.

In her mindscape, Chara simply observed as their host's mind became a chaotic mess.

There's no more denying it.

It's useless to deny it.

I killed them.

I really killed them.

The Tasen may think otherwise.

The Komato may think otherwise and not care save Iosa's.

Even my brother would say differently.

But there's no denying it.

I may not have shot them to death.

I may not have kicked them to death.

I may not have cracked them to death.

They could've easily stopped after so many have died because of me.

But it's my fault.

It really is still my fault.

Resonance Reflector? Still me using it to send their attacks back.

Blits? Still me setting them loose on them.

I was such a fool. So stupid…

To think I can escape from this.

To keep lying to myself.

To keep denying the truth.

I'm no pacifist.

I never was.

Never was… Never was… Never—

She was broken out of her thought process by two different hands tapping her shoulders. One was a clawed Komato one on her left, and the other was a bony one on her right, its owner now right on front of her. However, this act instead set off the ocular gushers as she let it all out, tears staining the floor amidst sobs.

"uhh… i can't say i was expecting this," said Sans.

"Me neither," said Ansaksie.

"I'm…sorry…Ansaksie," Iji confessed. "You left me… a Massacre because you… thought I didn't… kill a single one… of my enemies. But that… couldn't be further… from the truth. Even without shooting them… even without kicking them… even without running them over… even without kicking turret heads at them… I have led so many aliens to their deaths. I don't deserve it. I never deserved it."

"i feel like i'm a little locked out of the loop here," Sans politely cut in.

"I granted her the Massacre, an experimental powerful Nanoweapon, out of respect to her resolve because—at least by Komato standards—she survived without killing a single one of her enemies," Ansaksie explained. "Evidently, killing standards are different for those in Origin."

"origin?"

"This planet. Here, you call it Earth."

"oh." Sans helped Iji get to her feet, but she immediately sat down on the floor. Whatever revelations she had must've really done a number on her. "so… now i'm really curious. judging from how you reacted, you look like you've been lying to yourself for a while now and i just tore down your defences."

The human wiped the tears off her face. "Yeah. I think I should let you both know the whole story. And I'll let you decide if Papyrus needs to know, Sans." She then assumed a cross-legged sitting position as she took out her remaining canteen to sip from on occasion. Sans put some distance between himself and her, and Ansaksie went to the middle to sit between them.

"It began on the day of the Tasen Alpha Strike. It was Bring Your Kids To Work Day at the D.C.M.F.P.R. Research Facility, where by father Ron and brother Dan worked in. I only remember losing consciousness when the lasers from the Tasen spaceships rained down all over the planet. During the weeks I was out, my dad's colleagues and Dan had managed to reverse-engineer the Tasen's Nanotechnology and implemented it into me."

"what did they put into you?" asked Sans.

"Besides the Nanofield that protects me from most anything except other Nanoweapons (and magic, apparently), I was implanted motion amplifiers for running speed, jump height, and some extra strength, a translator, and a control unit to run it all. Unfortunately, by the time I woke up, the Tasen found and killed the scientists, so I don't know all the details. I think they didn't touch me because they thought I was dead that time. Dan managed to survive because he had locked himself in a security room."

"Needless to say, when I woke up, heard Dan over the building speakers, and saw the hostile aliens… that wasn't a good day for me and I was initially overwhelmed. So after Dan got me oriented with using the Nanogun, as well as what I should do (which was at the time to approach Tasen Elite Krotera and ask him to get his troops to leave), I got moving. My brother told me I should get used to killing them, but I refused. After all, I figured I won't make a good impression of being a negotiator if I do that. While I've actually had…combat training before, I never really used it to kill anyone.

"Back then, I just resorted to running past the enemy, picking up Nano—blue balls of energy that the aliens drop when they die, I'm sure you've seen some when they attacked the Underground, Sans—and upgrading my Nanofield with them to be more resilient, to assimilate more ammo, increase my cracking/hacking proficiency, enhance my strength, et cetera. Also, collecting Nanoweapons (all stored in here, eighteen total, though I've only used the shotgun option and two of the reflectors so far down here) and ammo (in an attempt to deny the enemy of it). In general, I was just trying to get by. Along the way, I eventually found a machine that allowed me to unlock more Nanoweapons, and among them are the reflectors I've been seen using during my battles against Undyne.

"In the wake of non-negotiable enemies trying to kill me in every turn, it was really, really hard to be a traditional pacifist, and I knew that in order to collect the Nano I sorely needed to survive as there was only so much lying around on their own, I started getting technical. Eventually, I found a logbook talking about the Resonance Reflector, and there I had my answer; I'm only accountable for my projectiles, and if they don't get that their shots will keep going back to them, it's not my fault. I even give them plenty of warning each time to further convince myself.

"Not that I used it when I entered Sector 3, since one of the soldiers Vateilika proposed an uneasy ceasefire to allow me passage through the sector. Along the way, Dan discovered the Tasen had been on the run from a different race called the Komato, and thought about calling them to help with our current invaders, though logs regarding them that I've read made me doubtful of that idea.

"I eventually reached Krotera, but he refused to listen, was a really cruel leader, and felt that our kind should be grateful to be the last species to be wiped out by them. And then Vateilika came to my aid and shot him in the back. She had been worried about me, and also had had enough of Krotera (as had nearly everybody else under his command). To avoid a civil war, though, it was decided that I take the credit for the kill.

"Later, Dan directed me to a terminal I could use to contact the Komato, but I decided against it; it sounded like a terrible idea. I didn't want a genocide on my conscience, and the risks were too great. It turns out to be a moot point anyway since the Komato already knew the Tasen were down here and shortly started sending their forces over. Due to the chaos, Dan had been forced to hide and wasn't able to talk to me. I got seriously worried.

"Throughout the next Sector, I admit I had found another "excuse" by directing the two opposing forces against each other; evidently, when it comes to their priorities on who needs to die first, they choose each other over me, and that left me free to grab their dropped Nano to further enhance my Nanofield's survivability.

"Just as I reached an exit, I was confronted by a Komato Assassin named Asha, and I discovered the following: there was a bounty on me (for my custom gun and my Nanofield), and they were going to Alpha Strike the planet to ensure the Tasen are extinct. And I don't think the Barrier would've survived another stronger hit. And even if it did, the planet would no longer support life, leaving your kind to die slower deaths if the Alpha Strike doesn't demolish the Underground." She paused in her narration so that Sans and Ansaksie could take it all in.

After half a minute, the skeleton spoke up. "man, that's rough. you did your best not to kill without being killed, and in doing so, you made a compromise?"

"Yeah. I'm sorry I'm not a zero-kill kind of person. With my circumstances, it just wasn't happening." Iji then decided to continue her story. "Anyway, I eventually managed to force Asha to retreat, but that wouldn't be the last I would see of him."

"During the first hour of my arrival on Origin," Ansaksie pitched in. "I took interest in whom we've only known as the Human Anomaly and started investigating her. Then again, every Assassin did given her weapon and her Nanofield. It was unlike anything my kind or the Tasen ever created. To think that humans could reverse-engineer something to their purposes so quickly.

"But I'm not going to elaborate further. My history is mine alone to share."

"Anyway," Iji got back on track. "As the Komato continued their purge, I continued traveling, upgrading my Nanofield, bypassing aliens, and so on. Eventually, I finally found the room Dan was inside and we had a chat on what to do next. As it was, the reason the Komato didn't Alpha Strike Earth as soon as they confirmed the presence of Tasen was because the Tasen had set up a planetary shield to protect against such an attack. As such, the Komato were sending their forces to find that generator, let their superiors know where it is, and then use a Phantom Hammer laser to destroy it. I think those were all used for an Alpha Strike."

Ansaksie nodded in conformation.

"Thankfully, one of the Komato ships was parked low enough for a lift to take me there and destroy one. At best, we would just stall for time since they would just bring in more, but that was all we had right now. The goal was same as when I first awoke after the Alpha Strike, except I was to make contact with General Tor this time.

"Ironically, I felt safer contending with the Komato Assassins, mainly because I was confident enough that they would bail out before I could theoretically kill them.

"That said, I really should've paid more attention. As it was, sometime after my reunion with Dan, Asha had been prowling around outside his room, likely to map out a quick way to reach me with my brother as hostage. Which he eventually did after the Komato sent a ship with a second Phantom Hammer to finally destroy the shield generator."

"I don't know how, but for some reason, I was able to prepare against Asha's trap with a Trapmine I picked up along the way on a teleporter that a Komato would've used to ambush me. Once I closed off that option from him, I forced him to run for it lest I shoot his head off. Technical pacifist or no, I would never have let my brother come to harm."

"yeah," agreed Sans. "i prolly would do the same had papyrus been in his place and i in yours."

"After taking Dan into another security room, I continued onward. Along the way, I found a stronghold housing the last Tasen on Earth. Thanks to Vateilika, I was allowed through. From what the survivors tell me, Iosa was probably en route to the bunker. Before I left, though, I found a teleporter leading to an area called Deep Sector."

"Me and the rest of the Assassins had been using the area as a base," Ansaksie inserted. "When Iji arrived there, the rest saw a golden opportunity to claim the bounty. However, they soon had to flee as she brought them all down to the threshold in which retreating was required lest our self-destruct systems collapse the whole place. As soon as she returned to the bunker and then left it, that's when I revealed myself to her, explained my goals, and that Iosa was up ahead. She certainly would've broken into the Tasen bunker were it not for her running into us. Well, just Iji, and I showed up shortly after."

"It was certainly a really tough battle. Iosa had a reputation for being invincible, and I could definitely say that was no exaggeration. However, there was one weakness. After destroying her Annihilator exoskeleton, I had to face her on foot on my own."

"Iosa had a specialized Nanofield that protected her from all weaponry, thus making me useless, so I backed out until she could find some way to get around it."

"I had to kick her over and over until I slammed her against a wall to stun her, after which I cracked her Nanofield to disable it… and after which Ansaksie finished her off."

"If Iji had spared her, she would've just died later, as Iosa's defeat would scar her pride. Unlike Undyne, she is no hero, not by your standards at any rate. With her out of the way, Iji's path to General Tor was clearer than it would've been. However, there was still one other Komato she had to face and was persistent in trying to reach her."

"Asha. If I had run into him again, I would've made an exception to my code and killed him for what he did to Dan. However, somehow I missed him, and I later found a log of this that said he eventually killed himself out of shame."

"Soon enough, Iji made her way to where she would eventually meet General Tor. I stopped by on the way to gift her the Massacre because I had admired her resolve. That was the last time she saw me before I met up with her again in Snowdin. Now that I look back, I'm still not sure if I made a mistake giving it to her."

"I don't think you did. In fact, I only managed to use it a few times before defaulting to my other weapons. It does drain Nanofield Health, and I needed most of it just to survive Tor's attacks. Speaking of, I managed to reach him, though he was understandably angered since he and the entire army assumed I killed Iosa.

"He refused to call off the attack, acknowledging that my arguments made sense, but his people's will was his as well, regardless of whether he wanted it or not. He didn't want to Strike the planet, but the rest of the Komato did, so he was left with no other choice."

The retelling was interrupted by a single chuckle from Sans, making Iji pause. "sorry. the way you described that general, it reminds me of the king in a few ways. please, continue."

"I was forced to fight General Tor, and I ended up barely winning. Tor was impressed by my skill, and called off the Alpha Strike, leaving me, Dan, and the remaining Tasen on Earth alone. He said that he was sick of being responsible for killing so many people, regardless of whether they were Tasen or not, and decided to not return to the fleet he was in charge of. He said after that that he now had nothing to live for, and that he now had no home to return to, even if Earth recovered from the Tasens' Alpha Strike…" She trailed off, not wanting to finish that sentence yet.

"...he ended his own life, didn't he?" Sans deduced.

"Yeah. After all that, the harder part came; negotiations. There were very few pockets of surviving human settlements in the surrounding area, among them the village at the base of this mountain, which also seemed to have mostly survived thanks on the Barrier. Now that I think of it, that doesn't make much sense; if the Barrier was supposed to keep your kind in, Mt. Ebbot should've been a large formation of former mountain rock depending on the barrier's shape. But what do I know of magic humans used to have?

"Anyway, Dan and myself being the only human survivors in the facility was a sort of blessing. As the only ones who knew what really happened, our presence with the Tasen survivors eased up negotiations as we told other survivors the following story: that the Komato were responsible for the Alpha Strike because they were hunting down Tasen refugees who were hiding on Earth. After realizing the consequences of their actions, as well as losing so much of their kind…" Unless someone tries out cross-breeding…eww. "The Tasen offered to help us rebuild our civilization. As for how I found the Underground, well, your kind persisted in legends, and we decided that I investigate the rumors, despite them also saying that anyone who climbs Mt. Ebott never return."

"that sounds pretty risky," commented Sans. "anything could've happened to you down here. did you arrange your farewells before you left?"

"A search party will follow in a month if I don't return. As for why a month, Dan reasoned that if monsters have formed a society, which they have as we can all see, then I would likely be schmoozing with the locals, figuring out the best peaceable terms for an alliance, and so on. I'll have to say, I didn't expect the Underground to be this traversable in just a few days. Then again, I haven't been to the city, so I could be wrong."

Once she finished speaking, Sans decided to stand up. Ansaksie and Iji followed suit. "so, what do you plan on doing when you meet the king? if you refuse to fight… asgore will take your soul and probably destroy humanity. but if you kill asgore and go home…monsters will remain trapped underground."

"First, I'll try breaking the Barrier myself with this Nanogun." She picked up the weapon where she had dropped it earlier. "There's no way it could remain strong right after enduring an Alpha Strike. If I run out of ammunition and it's still standing, then I'll request him to take one of the human SOULs he already has, cross the Barrier, send a signal I'll give him later, then come back. Then, we and the search party will meet up at the Barrier's boundary, and we'll negotiate from there."

Sans nodded as he took all of this in. "you have really thought this through, haven't you?"

"As much as I can. This is not a game for me." And then another thought came to her. "Shoot! I think I made a terrible mistake."

"What sort of mistake?" asked Ansaksie.

"I was supposed to be giving the cover story I gave human survivors to you. Instead I told the truth. This'll be a hassle when our kind and yours realize their explained stories don't match up. It might not end well for the Tasen."

"well, i can't help you there," Sans shrugged his shoulders. "that's all on you. good luck."

And with that, Sans walked off to one of the pillars, where he vanished from sight.

Ansaksie turned to face Iji, one particular thought on her mind, and it wasn't about what happened a few moments ago, "Think you should keep going? Given what just happened…"

Iji shook her head and gave a smile as she re-holstered her weapon. "I'll be fine. In fact, I actually feel lighter for some reason. Admitting that I really have killed, instead of hiding it all behind a wall of self-delusion, I didn't realize how tiring that was. Does that sound weird?"

"I'll have to say it does."

Iji's Phone Inventory:

Dog Salad, Dog Residue, Instant Noodles, Hush Puppy, Mystery Key, [Empty], [Empty], [Empty], [Empty]

Satchel inventory:

Box Storage/Dimensional Box A:

Butterscotch-Cinnamon Pie, Snowman Piece, Old Tutu, Cloudy Glasses, Note from Iji, Starfait, Legendary Hero, Steak In The Shape Of Mettaton's Face, [Empty], [Empty]

Tasen Logbook Records:

Dimensional Box B:

Beans Can, Spaghetti, Bisicle, Sea Tea, Spider Ad, [Empty], [Empty], [Empty], [Empty], [Empty]

Ansaksie's Phone Inventory:

Abandoned Quiche, Crab Apple, Bisicle, Bisicle, Cinnamon Bunny, Sea Tea, [Empty], [Empty]

The next area was comprised of a gray hallway that eventually ended at a gray brick wall with a few dead vines. To the right was a plaque reading Throne Room, further on is a humongous doorway that was completely wide open, judging by its open doors that opened inward, and further on was another path that turned right again.

Curious about it, Iji decided she would check that out.

"The King can wait for a while longer," she reasoned to Ansaksie. "It's not like he's expecting me. To understand someone, this includes checking any dirty secrets they might have. That said, if it's guarded, we'll turn around."

As the two bypassed the throne room, Ansaksie took a glance at the interior as she did, seeing who must be King Asgore busy with something and his back turned to the door, which she noted was a very insecure position to be in.

After taking the right turn, they found themselves in a long hallway that eventually became a descending staircase, which eventually led to a room with nothing in front and nothing to the right. To the left however, was something that disturbed Iji and left Ansaksie curious.

It was a row of seven coffins, each with an engraved painting of a heart as the only thing it has that's colored. Moreover, there were names engraved over them. On the coffin with the red heart, the name on it read Chara. The one with the yellow heart read Clover.

So that hat and gun were theirs, after all.

She committed those names and the ones of the rest to memory as she walked all the way to the end of the room, then decided to record their names just in case.

"I scanned the coffins," said Ansaksie. "They all are…occupied. Except for this Chara's."

This alerted Iji for a bit, but then Chara in her head supplied, Toriel must have taken my body as she left for the old home, and then buried it in the flower patch you then landed on when you entered this place.

"I see. Well, there's nothing else here. And we're not desecrating the coffins."

Tasen Logbook Records:

Returning to the throne entrance, Iji stopped Ansaksie from going further.

"I think it's best I do this myself," she said. "Given their kind had just fought the Komato…"

"I understand," replied the Komato. "I'll be waiting nearby."

As Iji crossed the doorway, she found the stone floor immediately make way for a field of golden flowers, though there seemed to be a few signs of damage in the form of charred soil, burnt and/or new flowers (likely replacements for the ones crushed underfoot), and crumbled parts of the walls.

So the Tasen and Komato made it this far? Where is the Barrier exit anyway?

"Dum dee dum…" King Asgore was saying to himself as it sounded like he was watering the flowers with a gardening can. And from this close, Iji could tell that he was very tall, at a height of 9'8" if one measured all the way to his horns, exceeding the height of a Tasen Elite by a mere two inches.

"Your Majesty?" she addressed.

He seemed to react as he acknowledged her presence. "Oh. Is someone there? Just a moment. I've almost finished watering these flowers." She patiently waited as he finished his business. "Here we are." It was than that he turned around slowly to behold whoever was addressing him. "Howdy! How can I…" He trailed off as he comprehended the human standing in front of him. He took a step back. "Oh." And then he seemed to assume a defensive stance, though it didn't look like he was about to fight right out of the gate.

He's definitely fought them. I best be careful.

Even if her attire didn't make it fitting, Iji decided to greet him with a curtsy, bending her knees while bowing her head, her left leg behind her right and heel up. "It is an honor to finally meet you, King Asgore Dreemurr of the Underground. My name is Iji Kataiser, an envoy for the human race, and I have come here to discuss some important matters."

As she stood straight after the curtsy, she saw the king look a bit confused and conflicted, as if this wasn't what was supposed to be happening. He then turned to the side.

"I so badly want to say 'would you like a cup of tea'? But… you know how it is," he said. "Nice day today, huh? Birds are singing, flowers are blooming. Perfect for a game of catch."

"I guess," Iji admitted. "But that's not what I'm here for."

"…You know what we must do. When you are ready, come into the next room." With that, he walked off to a doorway at the back of the room to the left, rendering visible what must be his throne. At the far right corner of the throne room was a similar royal seat, except it was covered in a white sheet.

Toriel's throne? "Your Majesty, wait!" Iji immediately followed him as he disappeared into the passage. Just before she crossed the door as well, she put a finger to her ear and used the communicator. "Stay where you are, Ansaksie. I'll tell you when it's safe to follow. And watch for Flowey. I have a feeling he might get involved."

"All right."

The next room looked very similar to the area she first fell in, including the passageway to the next area being adorned with the same arch she saw the first time, except of course the lack of a flower bed, and the other passage they just went through. And King Asgore stood in the middle.

"How tense. Just think of it like… a visit to the dentist."

As he walked to the other passageway, Iji followed as she called out. "Please wait up and listen to me! It's about the Surface!"

He stopped at the mention of that as he reached the arch, then turned around.

"I'm sure you know by now about the invaders who attacked the Underground, right?" Iji continued. "Well, I think you can safely assume they've attacked humanity as well. We… well… let's just say your kind is currently better off than us right now, and ironically it's thanks to the Barrier."

This drew his interest. "How is that so?"

"Well," While she saw that monsterkind was almost pretty modern, the concept of anything beyond Earth probably wasn't mainstream. "The invaders came in from vessels in the sky and had charged up energy weapons that could each cover and devastate an entire town on their own. They had thousands of those vessels that surrounded the whole world. With those weapons, they struck the entire planet all at once. As it was, it seemed the Barrier trapping you all here goes both ways; the earthquake that hit the Underground was most likely the 'Alpha Strike' hitting the Barrier and the surrounding region.

"I know that humans and monsters have had a terrible history long ago, and I'm sure you have incurred human casualties as well in that war despite what your murals in Waterfall say, but I'm here to say that all of that doesn't really matter anymore. Things have changed. Drastically. If you don't believe me, take one of the human SOULs you have, cross the Barrier, and see for yourself. You do have them in reach, right?"

King Asgore lowered his head and replied, "It is as you say. I have Six SOULs with me. And you shall be my seventh. If you are not ready, I understand. I am not ready either." He then continued walking.

"Wha— are you even listening?!" Iji said as she followed him to the next area.

What beheld them was a strange place that was very tall, several times King Asgore's height, and had a very strange appearance. It was like a very long hallway, but the length of it was in an alternating color of black and white. Instead of stripes, it was light some strange light-emitting entities traversed its length and emitted enough of it so that the shadows between them were just as notable as the light.

She could also hear what seemed like the breathing of a vaguely familiar end-game character. Something supposed to be incomprehensible.

Additionally, all the effects in front of her also looked like it was acting up at places, almost as if…

Is this the Barrier getting weaker? Oh dear. I was expecting a dome of magical energy that slowed a clear boundary. Or maybe it's just invisible. If only I could actually test it out.

"This is the barrier," King Asgore explained. "This is what keeps us all trapped underground. If… If by chance you have any unfinished business… Please do what you must."

Instead of saying anything, Iji walked past him, and opened her satchel to take out one of the Dog Residues (a few glowing crystals).

"Your Majesty, how close are we to the Barrier's boundary? Is it safe to touch?"

Caught a little off guard by this question, he didn't answer immediately, but he nodded in response. Iji then tossed the Residue, and it let fly at an amazing speed before it hit the Barrier, shattering as the Barrier flickered.

"As I said, the Alpha Strike most likely did a number on the Barrier. Have you had Dr. Alphys check for its integrity? For all we know, perhaps you don't even need seven SOULs anymore to break the Barrier. Maybe fewer would do, but we should talk more before we start crossing that bri—"

She was cut off when upon turning around, she saw King Asgore with a red glowing trident. And he already hurled it in her direction. It was too late to dodge as it flew straight through her. For some reason, it didn't hurt, but she now had this odd feeling in her SOUL; somehow, any notion of ending this fight without violence was forcibly curbed. (4)

"Y-your Majesty?" she sputtered.

"It is the will of my people," he said in a grave tone, his head hung low, as if he didn't dare look her in the eye. "Your SOUL must be taken. I'm sorry. If you wish to follow this alternative you propose, prove your determination to me. Prove to me that you have what it takes."

Dammit! Not again!, Iji cursed to herself, memories of her bout against General Tor coming to the fore as she drew her Nanogun. For this battle, she needed to end it quickly. Hopefully, the king would be a lot more reasonable.

And somewhere beneath them, a certain something took note of the events unfolding.

nightelf37: In case you're confused as to why Asgore would attack Iji out of the blue like that, it's because of two things. 1) The alien attacks have made him more inclined to battle. 2) Her explanation of the situation on the surface gave him the notion that this was the perfect time to make good on the promise he gave his people, to attack humanity while it was weakened.

(1) I devised this myself to compromise between this being a private showdown and having a live audience, which I thought to be impractical, especially given how it ends.

(2) I don't know what would happen if you input other words with LEGS in the pop quiz segment, so I'll assume it still counts for the big point bonus.

(3) Yeah. She can't see the Save Points, but she is using them.

(4) This is how I "translated" Asgore destroying the Mercy option for a non-game battle system.

Up next: The First Ending. That's all I'll say, since this is reaching the last few chapters.

See ya on Third!