Frisk helped Midori through the streets of New New Home until the two of them reached Toriel's house. Toriel opened the door for them and saw that her daughter was helping an injured monster into her home. Frisk walked into the living room and laid Midori on the sofa.

"My child, who is that monster?" she asked. "How did she get injured?" Toriel sniffed the air. "Why do you smell like ash and smoke?" Then she saw the symbols on Midori's robe, and her eyes widened. "Is that the symbol of the Great Dragon Clan?! I thought they were destroyed during the war against the humans. If they're back, then these are dark times indeed."

"Yes, the Great Dragon Clan has returned." Frisk said in a somber voice. "One of their members, Sargon the Sorcerer, survived the war and reorganized the Clan in the Underground."

"I always knew that Sargon was a shady character." Toriel said. "He always hated humanity, and it doesn't surprise me at all that he would be the one to rebuild the GDC. Might I ask where you found this monster?"

"I can explain everything, but please heal her first. Her name is Midori, by the way." Frisk replied.

Toriel laid her hands on Midori, and the cat's wounds were healed in seconds. Then, Frisk explained everything that had happened up until that point. She explained how Gaster had returned to the world, and how Sargon had tricked her into helping him kidnap the scientist. She told of how she befriended Alazar and launched an operation to rescue Gaster. Finally, she told Toriel that the Father of all Monsters had been summoned back into the world, and how she had decided to save Midori from the burning temple on the Forbidden Island.

"I'm so glad you're safe, my child." Toriel said, wrapping her arms around Frisk. "Well, you've certainly proven once again that you're a brave and caring individual." Toriel said to Frisk. "You always put others first, even your enemies. But if Zeregoth has returned, then how can we defeat him?"

"Gaster said that his greatest invention could help us." Frisk answered. "I don't know what it is yet and he told me it was broken, but he said he would be able to fix it. I'm going to meet him at Sans and Papyrus's house and see what it is."

"I hope he can." Toriel replied. "Zeregoth is the most powerful monster in existence. He is indeed the Father of all Monsters, but the Dreemurrs are his closest relatives. He is Asgore's grandfather. After he was banished into the void, his son took the throne. His son died during the War of Humans and Monsters, and Asgore surrendered to the humans as soon as he took the throne. He had no choice. monsterkind would have been wiped out if he hadn't."

"I'm not giving up." Frisk said. "Our world depends on it. But whatever happens, just know that I love you, mom."

"I love you too, my child." Toriel replied, getting off the sofa and walking toward the door. "I'm going to the grocery store. You and your new friend should get to know each other before you go to the skeletons' house. Have fun, alright?"

"We will, mom." Toriel opened the door and left. Frisk sat on the couch with Midori, who then started speaking to her.

"Human, let me tell you why I joined the Great Dragon Clan. I was an orphan in the Underground, and I always barely had enough to eat and sometimes had to dig through the trash for food."

"I'm really sorry about that, Midori." Frisk said.

Midori continued. "One day, I was walking through the streets of New Home, and Sargon the Sorcerer found me. He took me into his home, fed me, and raised me as if I were his own daughter. For the first time in my life, I felt loved and accepted. Then, he taught me to hate humans. He told me stories about the war against humans. Stories of their greed and hatred for monsters. Terrible stories. He let me into his cult, taught me how to use powerful magic, and promised me that one day, the Father of all Monsters would return and take revenge against humanity. Then monsters would have a better world, free from humanity's greed."

"I know what it's like to be an orphan." Frisk replied. "I was one myself before Toriel adopted me. You were in such a vulnerable place. I know it must have been easy to blame humanity for your problems. Not everything he said was untrue. Humans were very cruel to monsters during the war."

"But there is goodness in them." Midori declared. "You've proven it to me. You saved my life. You had every reason to leave me to burn to death on that island, yet you chose to save me."

" If there's one thing I learned in the Underground, it's that you can get a lot further by making friends with your enemies than by destroying them."

" That is very true, and I wouldn't have learned it if it weren't for you." Midori replied. "But you mentioned that you were an orphan yourself?"

This was an emotional topic for Frisk, but she decided that Midori deserved to know. After all, Midori had told Frisk about her own childhood. "My parents were unmarried." Frisk explained. They abandoned me without even giving me a name. They took me to an orphanage on the surface, and that's where I spent the first eighteen years of my life."

"They didn't even give you a name? How did you get your name, then?"

"I was very playful and frisky as a toddler, and my caregivers nicknamed me "Frisk" because of that. The name stuck throughout my childhood and adolescence."

"Why did you climb Mount Ebott, Frisk? You probably heard the legends that nobody who climbed it ever returned. Was life bad in the orphanage?"

"The place itself wasn't bad, but there were a few people who bullied me for being born out of wedlock and for my golden eyes. Ultimately, though, I never let them bother me. The real reason why I climbed the mountain is that I was bored. I wanted my life to be an adventure, and I wanted to be a hero of sorts. Most kids give up on such dreams as they grow up, but I never did. In the end, I decided to climb Mount Ebott out of sheer boredom more than anything else."

"I'm sure you found everything you were looking for. You destroyed the barrier and freed monsters from the Underground."

"Yes I did. Climbing Mount Ebott was the best decision I ever made. Now I have the best job in the world, the best friends in the world, and the best mother in the world."

"Now it's all in danger, though." Midori replied anxiously. "But I believe in your Determination. You've never failed yet, and I don't believe you will."

"Thanks, Midori." Frisk said. "I promise you, I will put a stop to this madness."

Frisk and Midori continued talking for a long time. They talked about their daily lives, their friends, and their hopes for the future. After a while, Toriel returned from the grocery store.

"Hello, my child. I hope you and your new friend enjoyed each other's company. I'm going to be making snail pie for dinner tonight."

Snail pie was an acquired taste for non-goat monsters, but Frisk had grown accustomed to it. After dinner, Frisk decided to go to bed. She was exhausted from the day on the island.

"You can sleep on the couch, Midori." Frisk said. " If you need anything, just ask me or Toriel. Goodnight!" She walked upstairs to her bedroom and went to sleep. As she drifted off to sleep, she spoke to Chara.

"Do you think Sargon can be reasoned with? If what Midori said was true, he does have a charitable side."

"Your guess is as good as mine, Frisk." Chara replied.

Frisk went to sleep. The next morning, Chara spoke to her again.

"We need to go to the skeletons' house to see Gaster's invention, Frisk. We need it to defeat Zeregoth."

"Alright. I'm going there as soon as I can. By the way, what do you think Gaster's invention is?"

"Your guess is as good as mine, Frisk."

Frisk went downstairs, grabbed some breakfast, and then walked out the door.

Continued in chapter 12.