The train was nearing its destination. Lorena didn't remember much of the outside world, but it sure felt very different to her now. Next to her, Bubbles was watching Frisk play on their phone and in front of her, Toriel and Asgore were starring through the window. All boss monsters had been talking a lot during the ride, but the conversation had quieted down.
"I think even before the war I have never been this far away from home", Lorena stated, also starring through the window.
"I do hope your kingdom will be alright in your absence", Toriel said.
"It will be. Rocky has been around being my second for my whole reign and is fully able to go without me for a few days."
"It sounds like you two go way back!" Asgore says.
"She's the second oldest monster in the Snow Cave, only about a decade younger than me. She was already my second before I changed my official title to queen."
"What was it before?" Bubbles asked.
"King."
The station was visible through the windows now ; everyone picked up their stuff and got ready to get off the train. Then they boarded Toriel's van, drove to Ebott and gave a tour of the town to the visitors. The two of them were fascinated by it and by how little time it took to build.
Regularly, one or more monsters (and occasionally humans) would come up to greet the Dreemurrs and ask who the visitors were. The news of monsters from outside the Ebott area spread like wildfire through the land. Lorena and Bubbles were informed that thanks to this technology called "the internet", it was incredibly easy for information to spread on a large scale that fast.
"If you wish, I can contact my former Royal Scientist to make the both of you phones like Frisk's so you can experience it yourselves", Asgore suggested to the guests.
"It does sound interesting", Lorena said.
"So I can get all the cool games Frisk has on theirs?" Bubbles asked. "That's awesome!"
Her enthusiasm made everyone smile.
Sans was in the middle of a 'dog sale when his phone gave out the short buzz of a text message notification. He waited until the customer was gone before checking it. It was from Alphys.
"I have a job offer for you", it said.
That made him quirk his not-eyebrow. Another text came in asking him whether he knew about the foreign monsters who arrived yesterday, then a third saying that of course he must know about this, it was pretty hard to miss. Which was true.
"I need your help to install fast travel between Ebott and the Snow Cave", Alphys continued. "I already have blueprints I've been working on for a while and I just started actually building the device. But I'm gonna need you to install the other half of it in the Snow Cave."
The skeleton pondered for a moment. On one hand, that was a pretty long travel, he didn't want to leave Papyrus alone, and he just didn't feel like doing anything in general. On the other hand, he would only have to pay for a one-way trip and his brother was perfectly able to survive without him for a day or two. If Sans was being honest, Papyrus was probably better at taking care of himself than he was.
Also, he guessed that it made more sense to send someone immune to cold like him to the snowy mountains than it was for a cold-blooded lizard like her to go there herself. Still, asking for that kind of favour out of the blue like that…
Alphys texted him the pay she would offer him for the job. Had he been able to open his mouth, his jaw would have dropped to the concrete under his illegal hot-dog stand.
"where'd you get all that money" he sent.
"I sell dimensional box upgrades to humans. Lots of demands for those. I can pay your train ticket too"
Hum. He could buy Papyrus a lot of brand new action figures with that money… and then take a day off…
"I'll talk to my bro about it. also i'll only need a one-way ticket"
"I know"
On the first night, the two Snow Cave monsters had slept at Asgore's place, but today they went to Toriel's after school. Frisk finished their homework then showed off their toys to Bubbles, keeping her entertained while the two monster women discussed the past, the present and the future while drinking tea and eating snails like they were peanuts.
"I still cannot believe I got to meet other boss monsters", Lorena confessed. "I was convinced I was the last one."
"Asgore and I were convinced we were the last ones."
"It's a miracle there is any of us left at all when it takes the sacrifice of two to make only one."
Toriel's expression shifted to a sad, pained one at the other woman's words for a split second.
On the other side of the couch, Frisk was teaching their new friend how to play video games. Bubbles' mother couldn't help a smile making its way back on her face. Ever since the little girl had finally gone out of the cave without having to sneak out, she was even bubblier and more enthusiastic about everything than she ever was. Staying sad was pretty difficult when the young elemental was there radiating positive energy all over the room.
The older child gave her the console so that she could try out the game herself.
"YES! I caught it!" Bubbles exclaimed a couple minutes later after catching an adorable little virtual furry animal, and the human applauded her. "I'm gonna call it Frisk!"
This earned her a thumb up from them.