Toby fox owns Undertale and all associated characters.
Frisk stood on the sidewalk just outside his house, idly fiddling with the tail of his scarf. Despite the sweltering heat of midsummer, he still refused to take it off unless he absolutely had to.
He glanced up and down the street, and was surprised to see Papyrus approaching. The tall skeleton had a jaunty spring in his step, and he waved back the moment he saw Frisk.
"Papyrus! I didn't know you were coming out here!"
"Chara called me a little while ago," the skeleton explained, striding up to stand next to the Human. "She said she had something she wanted to show me, and so, here I am!" he looked around expectantly. "Erm, where is she?"
"She's setting up the surprise, whatever it is," Frisk replied. "Mom and Dad'll be out here soon too. And if she called you, I'd be surprised if some of the others don't show up. Must be something pretty big."
"I should think so! She sounded very excited when she spoke to me! Even more so than people usually are in the presence of the great Papyrus!"
Frisk laughed at that, then grinned up at his friend.
"I guess so, huh? Kind of hard to keep in a bad mood around you."
"But of course! No bad feelings can stand up to the mighty spaghettore!"
"Are you two having fun out there?"
Papyrus and Frisk turned to see Toriel leaving the house to join them, Asgore close behind. Both Boss Monsters smiled warmly at the pair.
"Always, Mom," Frisk called back. "Which is good, since who knows how long it's gonna take Chara to come show off whatever she's cooked up for us."
"Do you have any idea what it's about?" Asgore asked, white-furred feet stepping onto the sidewalk.
Frisk shrugged.
"Not sure… but I think it might have to do with her motorcycle license?"
"She has been very excited about that, ever since she got it," Toriel agreed. "I believe she was trying to find a way to set it up so that it was safe for Kid to join her?"
"Maybe she's gonna get one of those side-car things for him?" Frisk suggested. "Who knows, maybe that's what she wants to show us?"
"Perhaps," Asgore chimed in. "I haven't seen her motorcycle since we bought it last weekend. Perhaps she's been setting something up with it?"
"Guess we'll find out, won't we?" Frisk chuckled. The others nodded, and the teen turned to Papyrus.
"Hey, I've been meaning to ask," He eyed the jeans and multi-colored shirt the skeleton wore. "Why don't you ever wear your battle body anymore? Besides the scarf, I mean."
"I decided it was time for a change! Too much of the same thing, and I would end up as lazy as Sans! Besides, there are so many more articles of clothing that can be improved by my masterful tailoring marker! Not doing so would be a grievous waste of my talents!"
"I see," Asgore rumbled in amusement, his gaze resting momentarily on the skeleton's chest where the words, "Please don't noogie the skeleton" were emblazoned in Papyrus's neat, methodical handwriting.
"Hey, nerds!"
The group turned to see Alphys and Undyne walking down the street towards them. Undyne was pushing a light blue stroller with Alexander buckled in. Undyne waved at them with one hand before returning it to the stroller and the others waved back in return.
"Hey Alphys… good to see you out of your lab!" Frisk teased as the couple approached. "I was starting to think you miss the Underground, being down there the whole time!"
"O-of course not!" Alphys protested, vigorously shaking her hands in denial. "I-I just-"
"Relax, babe." Undyne rubbed at Alphys's head crest, causing her to fall silent in response. "He's just teasing you."
"O-oh…" Alphys realized, blushing slightly and looking away. "Sorry…"
"Hello there, little one," Toriel cooed, stepping closer to the stroller and crouching down to get eye-level with the infant within. Alexander stared up at her with wide brown eyes, tilting his head to the side.
Toriel smiled at him, and reached out a hand, stopping just shy of touching the boy. After a moment, Alexander reached out with both hands and grasped at her fingers, each small hand wrapping around a different digit as the child inspected her white fur, his gaze falling to the new oddity within his reach.
"Hah, why do I get the feeling that if we ever need you to babysit, he's gonna get spoiled beyond belief?" Undyne grinned.
"Because he is," Frisk put in, earning him a chuckle from the others. "I think… hang on, what's that sound?"
In the distance could be heard a quiet roar, and the group turned as one to look down the street.
All but one. Toriel was reluctant to pull herself away from the child. She smiled softly at him before looking down the street herself. As they waited, the sound grew louder, until its source was revealed, turning around a corner and into sight.
It was large, jet-black motorcycle, with wide handlebars and the words "Harley Davidson" on the side. Several long, thin black wires attached to the handlebars stretched tight as they held and straightened the bike.
The seat was empty… because attached to the motorbike was a metal chariot in the ancient Roman style, painted in black and yellow colours. Standing in the front of the chariot, pressed up against the protective metal barrier between it and the cycle itself, was Kid, wearing a black leather vest and sporting a massive smile, large enough to rival even Undyne's. Right behind him was Chara, her arms stretched around the boy and her stance wide as she gripped the reins in her hands.
Chara was wearing her own leather jacket, the spikes on the shoulders glistening in the afternoon light. She wore a pair of dark, rectangular shades, hiding her crimson eyes from sight. Behind her, her unbound hair whipped about in the wind.
There was nothing but stunned silence from the group as Chara pulled on a different rein, and the bike began to slow and turn towards the sidewalk. By the time it came to a complete stop, the two riders were just beside their captive audience.
Chara couldn't stop the smile that spread across her face even if she wanted to. She untied the length of wire around her waist and coiled it around a handle on the side of the chariot before stepping out onto the pavement. Kid followed her, bouncing in excitement.
"Yo, that was awesome!"
"This is what you were working on?!" Frisk exclaimed in disbelief. "This... this…"
"Motorcycle chariot?" Chara grinned, rolling her shoulders and removing her shades.
"How did you even…" Undyne breathed, her gaze never leaving the contraption.
"Took some work, but I know a few people with the skills to set this up. Whaddya think?"
"Are you sure this is safe?" Toriel asked in concern, noting that there was no protective barrier on the back to keep the occupants from falling out.
"We gave it a few test runs first, Mom." Chara assured. "And the guys who built it made sure everything was safe. It's no more dangerous than just the bike would have been."
"I still can't believe you got all this set up just so I could ride around with you!" Kid exclaimed, starry eyed. "You're the best, Chara!"
"Anything for you," Chara murmured, pulling him close and kissing him. It was a brief kiss, not out of a desire for it to end quickly on either side, but because Chara had to pull away to glare at Frisk, who had begun clapping.
"Frisk, I swear…"
"Oh, don't let me stop you," the boy chortled. "Please, do go on."
"Don't you have some estranged girlfriend you could be annoying?"
While the siblings bickered, the others gathered around the vehicle to inspect it, some looking for safety features, and others marvelling in the sleek, elegant contraption. It was then that Sans appeared, just outside the doorway into the Dreemurr house. He looked around and spotted the others, then strode casually towards them. Papyrus noticed him first.
"Sans! I was beginning to wonder if you would show up!"
"Just had something I needed to deal with first." The skeleton replied, eyeing the chariot. "So, what's got you all hipnotized over here?"
"Sans… "Papyrus groaned, clutching at his skull. "That was terrible. Even for you."
"Eh, they can't all be weiners," Sans chuckled, pulling a hot cat out of his pocket and taking a bite out of it to the sound of Toriel's muffled snorting as she tried to keep herself under control for Papyrus's sake.
"Oh! Since we are all here," The former queen spoke up, just in time to interrupt a rant from Papyrus. "I have some important news!"
The group's collective gaze fell upon Toriel, and she gave a smile before continuing.
"I received a call this morning, and I have learned that there is going to be another Human-Monster relations meeting coming up next week."
Chara looked up in surprise. "Another one? Already? This isn't about that thing with Overwatch again, right? I thought we dealt with that!"
Toriel shook her head.
"No, this one is different than the ones we've attended before. This one has more to do with our relations with Humanity as a whole, rather than just here in America."
"What do you mean, dear?" Asgore asked.
"Well, you know how Monsters have been spreading out over the past few years? There are now Monsters in nearly every nation on the planet. The man who contacted me said that this meeting is the first of many that may help us solidify our relationship with Humans worldwide."
"Why do I get the feeling there's going to be a catch?" Chara intoned.
"There is one, but I am unsure if I would call it a catch," Toriel replied. "The meeting is not being held nearby, as most of the others have been. This one… is in Paris."
"Whoa, whoa…" Frisk waved his hands and blinked rapidly. "Like… the Paris? In France?"
Toriel's smile widened and she tilted her head in acknowledgement. The others looked to each other in stunned silence for a few moments, then Frisk leapt into the air in excitement.
"Aw yeah! That's gonna be awesome! I've never gone overseas before!"
"Me neither," Chara admitted. "That could actually be fun!" She stole a glance at Kid. "What do you think? You want to come to this one too?"
Kid nodded vigorously in response.
"Yeah! I have to ask my… my parents first, but I'm sure they'd be okay with it!" He hesitated, then looked over at Toriel. "Umm… if it's okay with you guys…"
Toriel looked down at the teen, her gaze soft.
"Of course you can. In fact…" she looked back at the others. "All of you are welcome to come with us, if you wish."
"Wowie, really? Sans, just think of all the new friends we could meet out there! And I hear the French love their pasta!"
"I think you might be thinking of Italians, bro."
"Oh," The skeleton deflated for a moment, but quickly bounced back. "Well then, I shall just have to enkindle the love for it deep, deep within their souls! Papyrus will change their lives for a better and noodlier future!"
"Yeah, you go!" Undyne enthused, slapping the tall skeleton on the back, nearly knocking him over. "You'll show 'em how it's done!"
"What about you two?" Asgore questioned. Undyne's grin faded slightly and she shook her head remorsefully.
"I don't think we can make it, we've got some plans for that week. But hey, if there's gonna be more of these, let us know! I'll take any excuse to drag this one out into the sunlight!"
"Oh come on, I-I'm not that bad!" Alphys protested weakly, though the only response she got from the fish-warrior was a snort of laughter.
"Come on, Sans!" Papyrus grabbed the smaller skeleton by his hoodie and began dragging him away. "We must begin preparations at once!"
"Paps, come on," Sans protested, though he made no actual move to resist his brother. "It's not until next week, we don't have to-"
"I know you, Sans! It'll take at least three days for you to pack your socks if I don't handle it properly! But I, the great Papyrus, will show you how to be proactive about it! Your whole life will be transformed when this is over, just wait and see!"
"Welp, later guys." Sans waved at them nonchalantly as Papyrus dragged him around the corner. "Nice bike, Chara!"
"You're totally gonna have to show me how this thing works sometime!" Undyne told Chara, an excited gleam in her eye. "Maybe I'll have to get me one of these! It's so badass!"
"Well, I should probably drop Kid back off at his place, but afterwards… maybe I can show you?"
"Um, actually Chara…" Kid said hesitantly, drawing his girlfriend's attention. "I think I should probably just go back by myself for now… you could show it off to Undyne now…"
Chara looked to him in concern.
"Is everything alright?"
Kid nodded.
"Yeah, everything's cool! I just uh… gotta figure out how I'm gonna convince my parents to let me come, haha."
Chara's gaze went sympathetic as she realized what was going on.
"Okay, I'll talk to you later then, alright?"
"Sure thing!"
Kid dashed off, and Chara looked after him sadly for a moment, wishing there was something she could do to help him.
"Well, while you two have fun out here," Toriel said, glancing at Alphys, "Perhaps the rest of us could go inside? I get the feeling it's going to get… loud out here."
"Um, s-sure!" Alphys replied, and she followed the Boss Monsters inside, still carrying her son.
As they left, Chara turned to Undyne and forced a smile onto her face.
"Alright, now, watch carefully…"