Good afternoon, readers! This will be the last chapter of this story, and I apologize again for the delayed update. I got a couple personal projects done, so I am ready to wrap up this story and move onto the next project I have been working on. Thank you to everyone for your patience and support, so please enjoy the conclusion of Redemption of Underland!
Asriel knelt where Chara had been, carefully taking a small, heart shaped locket into his hands as he cried. "I remember when I gave her this..." He sniffled. "It was one of the few times she smiled, really smiled. That's why she always smiles now..." He slowly stood up as Frisk took a step closer. "I did some really terrible things as a flower, didn't I? I just... I wanted so badly to... for us to be happy. Like we used to be. I think deep down, she wants that too. She just... we tried to do it the wrong way. We tried to find our happiness... by taking someone else's." He turned to face Frisk then. "She showed me how she made you do things... bad things... over and over again. And the times that you resisted... she concentrated all of her power to make you go back to the beginning, to punish you. See... she is afraid that if she accepts kindness... she will lose everything and feel pain. That's why she wanted monsters to die. She wants to destroy everything completely and start over."
Alice took a step forward. "That will solve nothing, Asriel. You mustn't allow yourself to go down that path. It is not who you are."
"I know... but it was her determination that made me feel the same hatred she felt... the same resentment." Asriel said. "Alice... thanks for saving all my friends... my mom and dad... Frisk." Alice nodded in response, Asriel turning once again to Frisk. "Chara... she wasn't the nicest person. The humans... they made her that way. She seems tough, and scary, and she is... but deep down, she's more scared than anybody. She's jealous of you, Frisk. You have something she doesn't have. You have goodness and hope." He hung his head. "Frisk... I know I deserve it, and... I understand if... you don't want to, but... can you ever forgive-" Asriel inhaled sharply when he was suddenly hugged by Frisk, tears brimming his eyes as he slowly hugged her back.
"I know you don't want to let go... and... I don't want to either." Frisk said. "I don't want you to turn back into a flower."
"I have to, Frisk... to save our friends. We have to do the right thing." Asriel said, the both of them glancing over at Alice.
"Frisk, I know how difficult it is to lose someone you love. But you must keep their memories close. That will keep your connection to them strong." Alice said.
Asriel then closed his eyes, extending his arms as he released the six human souls, and all of the monster souls he had absorbed. All of them together shattered the barrier, Frisk and Alice shielding themselves as the force of the breaking sent a strong gust of wind towards them. Once everything settled, Asriel smiled gently. "Well... I don't have much time left... I'm going to tend some flowers."
Frisk went over to him, taking his hands. "Then I'll tend them with you."
"But Frisk... you should go be with your friends." Asriel replied.
"I am. You're my friend." She smiled, the two of them kneeling down by a patch of golden flowers.
Alice smiled lightly, going over to where the barrier had once been. She smiled when she saw all the monsters had returned, rejoicing and embracing one another. She scanned over the scene, feeling a sense of accomplishment. Her thoughts were broken when-
"Human!" Papyrus exclaimed, nearly crushing her in an enthusiastic hug. "I'm so glad you're alright!"
"Yes, I'm alive and in one piece..." Alice winced a bit when she was finally set down.
"I knew you could do it, I believed in you the whole time!" Papyrus beamed.
"I believed that you had exactly a 7.3% chance of success according to my carefully calculated-" Alphys started, but was cut off by Undyne.
"That was freaking AWESOME! You have GOT to teach me how to do all that neat stuff you did!" She exclaimed.
"First she's going to teach me where she shops, because darling, your wardrobe is to DIE for!" Mettaton interjected.
"Now everyone, settle down." Asgore said as he made his way through. "Alice... we all owe you a big thank you. You helped to save us all, something that I was unable to do."
"Well, at least that's one thing we can agree on." Toriel said as she stepped forward, making Asgore chuckle nervously as she shot him a look. "Alice... our gratitude is immeasurable. I do not know how we can repay you."
"Remain safe and live out your lives in peace. I think that's all I truly desire of you." Alice replied.
"Yo, where's the human kid?" Monster Kid exclaimed, causing a stir.
"I'm here."
Everyone turned, gasping when Frisk appeared. When Undyne caught sight of her, she clenched her jaw. "Stay back!" She shouted, about to bear down upon Frisk with one of her spears. A hand shot out to stop her, and she glanced over when someone took a step forward. replacing the hand in his hoodie pocket, Sans approached Frisk, stopping a few feet from her.
"Are you, really?" He responded, chuckling when he received a nod in response. Everyone held their breath, and Frisk looked at her feet for a moment.
"Sans... she showed me everything."
"... she did, huh?" Sans asked. Frisk nodded, holding her arms out in a hugging gesture. She said nothing for several moments, but Sans could tell what she was feeling... what she was silently asking. "I want you to know something, kid. What I said, in that hall... I wasn't saying it to you." His eye sockets darkened for a moment. When he noticed Frisk's arms were still extended, he stepped closer, finally closing the space between them as he returned the hug. In that moment, tension the monsters had felt melted into sympathy as Frisk broke down.
"I'm sorry, Sans... I'm sorry for everything... I didn't mean it... I didn't mean any of it..." She sobbed.
"I know, kid." Sans replied, the thought of Chara making his eye sockets darken again. "I know."
Hating to see Frisk cry, Papyrus shuffled over, bending down to join in the hug. "Please don't cry, little human. I forgive you."
One by one, monsters went over to join the others until soon, all surrounded Sans and Frisk in a collective of love and healing. Alice sighed contently, feeling her work was done. As she went to leave however, someone grabbed her arm, pulling her into the large group hug. As she did so, she felt a presence behind her, glancing back to see a familiar face. He did not make a sound, hovering silently, but she could tell that he too was content with this outcome. She gave him a small nod before he disappeared back into his nothingness, lingering unseen. When the huge group hug finally ended, they all began to migrate through the barrier, many crying out joyfully as they ran into the fresh air of freedom. The smaller group of friends stood together, looking out on the sunset as it descended over the surface of the Earth.
"So... this is it, huh?" Sans asked Alice as the others spoke among themselves.
"Rest assured... I don't think there will be anymore of these... 'resets.'" Alice replied.
"That's good to hear." Sans said. "And for you?"
"My journey here is complete. I have other lands to explore, more perils to thwart." Alice replied.
"You're pretty good at it, Alice." Sans said. "Gonna say goodbye to the others?"
Alice glanced over, seeing them all chat away with Frisk. "I think they are all occupied. I'll slip quietly away."
"Alright, I'll pass along your good wishes." Sans said, turning to look at the sun setting again. "You know, Alice... for the longest time, I thought that the worst thing in this world was to know that every time I woke up, every time it started all over again, that I knew that i was either going to get to the end only for it to be snatched away from me... or to watch my brother be snatched away from me and that I would be holding his dust-covered scarf again." He chuckled sadly, sighing shakily. "But I realized something... that every time I opened my eyes... it was a new chance to tell him how much I loved him before everything crashed and burned. A new chance to see his smile, to make him happy." He glanced up at Alice. "You had no idea that was coming for her, did you? You will never have that chance to see her again, to have closure."
"You're right." Alice said, staring ahead. "I suppose it's difficult to determine which situation is the worse of the two."
Sans nodded. "I know I can't ever give back to you what you've given me, kiddo. But I hope you know that I will never take a single moment with my brother for granted. I owe you that much."
"I appreciate that." Alice replied, turning to look at him. "I don't know what the future will bring for you and your company, but... I hope it is for the best."
"You too, Alice." Sans replied. "Oh, and when you do get back to Wonderland... tell Cheshire he's a pretty cool cat." He chuckled as Alice rolled her eyes.
As they parted ways, Alice knew there was nothing else she needed to say or do. Sans would tell them she had to leave, and she bid them all a fond farewell. She had met quite a group of characters here, but knew she had given them the means to move on from the never ending loop they were subjected to in the underground. Through there may have been darker forces at play laying dormant, she knew they all had the strength to overcome it, now they had finally earned and could now keep their freedom. As she left this world, she closed her eyes, keeping her ears open. Someone, somewhere, and in possibly another time, would call for her aid, her guidance, and her insight to claim victory over evil. For now, however... in her heart, she knew that the bonds with her own company, present and past, had been strengthened with the redemption of the monsters from the underground.
The End.
And there you have it, ladies and gentlemen! I want to thank everyone again for their support, this was a fun story to write and it really gave me the opportunity to explore some personal ideas from Undertale as well as some relationships that I had been pondering about. Also, I had seen many similarities between the characters of Undertale compared to those from Alice in Wonderland in general, and that idea was what inspired me to write this in the first place. I love Undertale and Toby really made a fun and unique story that includes concepts which defy typical gaming styles. There is a real art of storytelling there which I both appreciate and respect, and I hope that you all enjoyed my ideas and interpretations in this story here. Please leave a review of what you thought, and if you are still eager to read more, please don't hesitate to check out my other stories. Thank you again and I wish you all happiness! :)
~Kapra