I should have been happy, really I was moreso freaking out over it. It's what I wanted, but it was still a change right down the genetic level, no, not even genetic, down to the level of reality itself shifting.

After I calmed down from my panic attack I took an hour to figure out how my body worked now, you'd think it'd be easy, nope, it was definitely not. Different leg structure, different height and weight, different senses, you'd be stunned at how hard it was to adjust, or maybe not, maybe you have enough of a sense of biology to figure it out.

I still bite divots into my lips every now and then, not to mention that everyone makes door frames too small for me, I can't tell you how many times I've had to pay people to repair the pockmarks my horns make.

I walked – and I use that term sparingly, I tripped constantly – into the palace. Hood down and mask off, I knocked on the door to the part of it that Toriel and Asgore lived in, the actual home part of Home.

Unsurprisingly, Toriel was the one to answer the door, Asgore usually slept in and I couldn't blame him, especially today. "Hello? Oh! did you come from the far ends after hearing about Gorel?" I just smirked at that, "Well, no and no."

I really wish that cameras had been invented back then, the look of pure shock on Toriel's - and when she woke him up, Asgore's - faces when they saw me was a thing of beauty, I- uh, don't tell Toriel I said that, she'll beat the snot out of me.

"The power of a SOUL." Asgore said in disbelief after I finished explaining, "Seems that your father was looking out for him, dear." Toriel added in, eliciting a smile from both of us, and causing me to cut my lip on my teeth again, "Ow!"

"I guess that's why he asked what you wanted to wish for, do you think he knew so far in advance that he'd be able to do something like this for you?" Asgore questioned.

I just shrugged, "I have no idea, the old man always seemed to be a step ahead of us, it wouldn't surprise me if he had planned it to happen this way since the first time I slipped up and called him father." I reclined in the chair, closing my eyes to think, "He lived for a thousand years, he may have even seen it happen before."

"Well, I think it's wonderful that you're finally able to not hide yourself, you always seemed so worried someone would figure it out." Toriel added, "You knew too?" I said, blinking at her. She just smiled, "It was pretty obvious even from the first time we met." She stated, "Really? It took me two years." Asgore added, getting a slight look from his wife that made him shrink back, causing us to both laugh at his expense.

We talked for a bit before Colonna knocked on the door, "Hellooooooo?! I just came to tell you that the funeral will be starting shortly." I couldn't help but notice that he looked over in my direction, "Wow, who's the new Boss Monster? She's pretty." I blinked at that while Toriel and Asgore completely lost it as he left.

"Really?" My tone of voice was completely incredulous, "It's the hair." Asgore added, trying not to burst into laughter again. Okay, so I guess my hair was long for a boss monster, even though it was short-ish for a human, and maybe I was far skinnier than Asgore and Gorel because my slim human body was the base, still though, did I really look that feminine?

...Do I really look that feminine?

He either didn't notice or willfully ignored the large horns, an easy way to tell the genders apart, I'm not sure if he was making a crack or not, as lose as his grasp on reality was he was capable of some good wisecracks.

I shook my head and said my goodbyes for the time, giving the two time to prepare for the funeral. I put my mask back on and my hood up as I left and started to walk down to the main part of the city.

I would continue to wear the mask for a little bit, I could take it off now but that would still show that I was lying by showing my face wasn't marred like I said it was. I would take it off for good eventually, I just needed to come up with a good secondary lie to why I said I was wounded.

...

Gorel's funeral, it was half ceremony, half party. The oldest monsters who were still alive for his reign were all but singing songs of his praise, the younger generation joining in, probably just for the sake of a party, nonetheless it felt lively, probably the way he wanted it to be.

When it came time for the ceremony, I stood a few feet away from where it would take place as Asgore and Toriel walked to the center of the town. Toriel was carrying the ancestral trident, a massive hunk of metal bigger than she was, something only someone of Asgore's size could wield practically, while Asgore carried the urn with our father's dust inside.

As they arrived, Asgore took the weapon from his wife and slung it over his shoulder, then handed her the dust. He walked into the soft patch of dirt in the dead center of the city.

Throwing his arm outside of his cape to reveal the black armor beneath, he swung the trident and spun the massive weapon once, then slammed it prongs-first into the ground, standing over it with his cape billowing in the wind. The sight caused all revelry to cease, the entire city fell dead silent.

"Monsters of Home, those who stand with us in the Underground!" His voice radiated outward, "My father carried us through harsh times, kept us prosperous while the world tried to tear us apart, I've long since known the pain of loss, not just my father but every monster who has turned to dust." I listened in intently, as did did everyone else. I had never heard Home be so quiet.

"This weapon, the weapon he once used doesn't just represent him, it represents all of those passed, all of our hopes, our dreams, the future of monsters. I scatter his dust onto this weapon as per his last request knowing that one day it will be taken out of the underground by me, or my son, or my son's son, because one day, the Barrier will fall, and we will see sunlight again!"

He was like an entirely different person out in that crowd. I could see it in the eyes of the younger monsters, that look of sheer adoration, my eyes probably looked that way too honestly. I knew Asgore as a person instead of a king, as my brother more than anything, and he wouldn't have preferred it any other way.

But the way he stood in the midst of that ceremony, dressed in his father's armor and standing there with his father's weapon beside him, his presence and speech caused the crowd to erupt into a roar of cheers and "long live the king!" I understood perfectly why he held the crown, when he needed to make a statement to his people, he was more than capable of sending out that aura of power and leadership.

The sensation sent a tingle up my spine, I could feel the determination welling up inside me, though it made me feel really uncomfortable, almost as if in pain for some reason.

Asgore took the dust from Toriel, and then uncapped the jar and let the dust pour onto the weapon. Monsters put their dust on their favorite thing when they die because- what do you mean you know already? You okay? You look kind of down about something.

… Right, I'll skip the rest of the funeral.

A few days later, after we had finished mourning, and after I had grown more used to my body, I met up with Asgore and Toriel for lunch at their home.

"So, what now?" I asked.

"I'm not sure, onwards to the future I suppose. The royal inventor thinks he might know a way to break the barrier, but that's a big might." Asgore responded, thinking

I closed my eyes at that, "I wonder..." I said as I put my hand to my chin as I thought aloud.

"Well, I know what I have to do." I said.

"Oh?" They both responded at the same time, then shared a smile that was so sweet it almost made me ill.

"I still have the power to cross the barrier, though I no longer have hope of rejoining humanity." I may have been making light of it because I was still in shock over it, you don't just change what kind of creature you are and go about your business.

"That's right, dad's last request." Asgore responded.

I nodded, growing a bit sullen, "To take his SOUL to see the sunlight. I'm going to get some supplies together and head out tomorrow, I'll cross the barrier and then come right back... unless."

"Unless?" Toriel questioned.

"Hey, with someone who can cross the barrier, I bet I can do what I do best; gather knowledge." I said proudly as the light bulb went off in my head, "Humans are always inventing, I mean, we're always inventing too, but it wouldn't hurt if we knew what people were up to on the surface with technology."

Asgore smiled at me, "Golly, I think that's an excellent idea, Ral!"

Toriel nodded in response, "Just be careful on the surface, if humans find you it won't be pretty."

I nodded, frowning slightly at that, "Right then, I'll see what I can find in terms of human innovation while I'm out there."

We spent the rest of the day talking, reflecting, joking. Moments like that... I really hope those two make up, I would like to have those moments back.

Uh, right, it's their business, not mine.

I went back home and made some dinner. If you ever wonder why Toriel and Asgore like snails so much, yeah, it's something to do with Boss Monster taste buds, I spent six years getting sick off them, then suddenly it's like they were the best food I'd ever eaten.

So then, the next day came and I said my farewells, then headed out to the barrier.

I closed my eyes and felt the brisk chill of Snowdin run against me as I left Home. It was substantially easier to traverse with fur keeping me warm, and fire magic to make a camp if I had to stop for any reason.

Waterfall didn't bear mentioning, though I did seed some pretty mean vocal pranks in the echo flowers, the fact they were replaced by screaming on the way back told me they had gotten someone.

Hotland was probably the worst part, even though the Core wasn't there yet and it was just a long path up and around, the heat still killed me.

As I came to the end of the cavern, I walked up to the barrier. The years hadn't changed anything, it was still that same imposing gray tunnel, barely shining through with light from the outside world.

Taking in a deep breath, hearing both SOULs in my body, our hearts beating together, I pushed against it, and it gave.

I almost wanted to cry at seeing the bright overworld for the first time in six years and hearing the sound of birds chirping in the forest below.

I had granted the old man's last request, now to get on to business.

"Dear Diary: The funeral went as it was supposed to, when I left Home everyone was still partying in Gorel's memory, I wish I could have joined in but I have other things to do, a last wish to fill, and then, with what power I have, I'll help monster-kind stay equal to humans, despite the barrier.

Ralochs."

Seeing the sun again filled me with determination, and that same sense of discomfort.