DoubleTale: Rewritten

by XWolf26

What if two humans were in the Underground at once? What if one human was DETERMINED to stop the other? What if they could both SAVE? What happens when an Unstoppable Force meets an Immovable Object? When a certain scientist pulls enough of himself together, he finally finds a way to stop the destruction of his world. (Undertale AU. Rewrite of DT.)

104. Chapter 104: Two Pretty Best Friends

Thanks go to Acoolnamme, EpicSlayerGuy99, Guest, TiredWhiteMayge, DoctahSawbones, Wingah, lmao-imdeadaf, XelaZagity, Shredded Metal, Razaraga, kdabo04, GMLxAwesome, 10burgers, JediJames27, stclog000, and Night4099!

I really appreciate everyone's reviews! This entire arc and especially its conclusion have been rotting my brain for the better part of seven years now, so you'd better believe it feels great to finally have it in writing and have you guys respond positively to it. I won't hold'ja up too long; I'm sure you wanna see what happens to our favorite scorched ink boy and his band of misfits. Next chapter will go up either Thursday, November 9th or Thursday, November 16th!

Disclaimer: I do not own Undertale.

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Eden was stowed away in one of New Home's old abandoned buildings hunched over blueprints of the Underground when the cheering started. She was drawing up escapes routes and plans for emergency jumps, had even written up a short list of timelines that might be far enough out of the way to keep Errorphim off their tails for awhile, but when shouting started to shake the walls of that little house she had to look away from her work.

Her first thoughts were negative. She didn't recognize the screaming as cheering, and her exhausted and paranoid mind was certain that either one of the Four had just dropped dead or Errorphim had just appeared in the sky and they were all doomed. She raced to the door, but when she threw it open she didn't see death and destruction. People weren't fleeing for their lives, chunks of reality weren't being ripped away in an instant.

Instead, to Eden's appalment, her people were cheering. They looked up with smiles that she hadn't thought she would ever see again, she watched them clap their hands and roar their approval to the sky. So Eden furrowed her brows, and she took a few skeptical steps through that doorway. She lifted her head, she looked up to the sky, and what she saw made her eyes widen and her pupils shrink.

Painted in a massive screen across the sky, Errorphim was on his hands and knees and the foot of Angel The Seraph was planted on the back of his head. It was a lot for Eden to look at; there was a lot that Eden saw in The Seraph. She saw the monster that had killed her brother, but she also saw the hero that had allowed her and everyone else to escape, Character The Winged. The Seraph's eyes, which had been so cold and cruel when he only had four wings, were now gentle. HOPEFUL.

"I reckon we might finally be catchin' a break." Eden heard through the sea of murmurs and cheers, but it took her a moment to register that she was being spoken to. After a few seconds though, she managed to pry her eyes off the battle displayed in the sky above. She looked to her side, and she saw Clover leaning his back against the wall of the hut she'd stepped out of. He pushed up the corner of his hat with his finger tip, and he flashed her a smirk while he revealed his golden left eye. "Maybe we don't need them evacuation plans after all."

"Wishful thinking." Eden responded, turning her head to look back up to the sky. Despite her less than HOPEFUL answer, she didn't step back inside and she didn't go back to drawing up plans. She'd ignored it when people said Errorphim was hit by the Beat Dome, she'd ignored it when Anthony The Killer appeared, she'd ignored it when everyone but Angel reassembled to fight Errorphim. But she didn't bother going back to drawing up her plan B now, and Clover thought that was a good sign.

For the rest of the fight, Eden didn't move. She didn't cheer, she didn't make a sound. She stared and waited and kept whatever she may have been feeling close to her chest... Until Errorphim was melted to paste. Until Angel The Seraph lowered from the sky on burning wings, Chara Dreemurr in his arms. Until those six human souls dispersed into the sky... And the screens shut off. Then, Clover's head tilted back over to Eden, and there was a smile on his face when he finally said. "Looks like that wish came true."

Eden didn't say anything in response. She couldn't get words out, she could hardly comprehend what she was seeing or feeling. Gradually, she lowered her eyes from the sky. For just a moment, the crowd of her people was entirely silent. Everyone in the underground and perhaps everyone in the multiverse was experiencing the same shock... And then, just as Eden leaned back into the wall behind her, the relief struck everyone. A celebratory roar exploded out of the crowd, and Eden slid slowly down the wall. She took a seat in the grass, and she stared a thousand yards while the corner of her mouth pulled up just a little. She hardly had the energy to cheer like everyone else, but as her fingers clutched that faded and stained orange bandanna tight, she knew she was just as happy as all of them were.

At the far end of a large medical tent, Character had peaked with one eye out the window that they were laid beside to watch the conclusion of the battle in the sky. They never flinched or jumped for joy because they never believed that they'd had to. They knew Errorphim was doomed the moment that they made their wish. So, when his bones were scorched to mush and when they splattered to the ground, Character didn't cheer. Didn't even breathe a sigh of relief. They just smiled knowingly, shut their eyes, and got back to resting.

Near the front of the cheering crowd, Mako and Melanie were so relieved that they felt they had to hug the nearest stranger. And, seeing as they were standing right beside one another, Mako jumped into Melanie's arms and the both of them cried out in glee, pumping a fist in the air. A little ways behind the two of them, Susie yanked Ralsei off the ground, threw him up onto her shoulders and threw both of her hands up while she cheered. Ralsei nearly slipped off of her shoulders, but he laughed as he used one hand to keep his hat on his head and the other to grab onto Susie's forehead and stop himself from tumbling down her back.

And at the very front of the crowd, Future dropped to his knees. He was overcome with emotion in that moment, it felt that a weight had slipped off his shoulders. He listened to the roar of the innocent people around him, but he couldn't make a sound. He just knelt there, staring into the grass and marveling at the will of his students. For the first time, Future didn't feel like he was a failure of a king. That crown on his head wasn't heavy anymore. As tears flooded his eyes and a smile pulled at his lips, the old Angel reached up shakily. He took ahold of the heart shaped locket hidden underneath his shirt, and he dared to HOPE. Did you see them, Chara..? Those brats that you saved, they've come so far... Can you see them? Are you proud of them, too..?

Future knelt there and contemplated that for another moment, before the air shifted. The roar of cheers gradually died down, the air of celebration turned to one of reverence as a portal opened before the crowd. That cheering had died down to a quiet murmuring, and Future lifted his head. He stared forward with tired and appalled eyes, he watched that portal shift... Before I stepped through.

the crowd's murmur fell to total silence. I stepped back into the underground for what felt like the first time in forever, and I hardly noticed the hundreds of prying eyes. Mothers, fathers, children, they all stared at me as though they were watching something beyond their comprehension. Like they believed that I was a higher power. But I was a mortal man, and the burns on my flesh were proof of that. Still, even though every inch of my body ached, I didn't struggle to hold Chara in my arms. I had one arm behind their back and the other under their knees, and they rested their head against my cracked chest and the heart shaped locket that dangled over it. Their eyes were closed, but they were smiling.

I began walking forward with Chara in my arms. I stared straight ahead, and as I made my way towards the crowd, they didn't make a sound. They just parted, calmly and orderly. The sea of humans and monsters spread wide, leaving a path way for Chara and I so that I could get through. One man didn't move though, I didn't think he could. I walked right up to Future, he was right in our path. I stopped in front of him, and he stared up at me with eyes that were teary and bewildered. I smiled gently at him, KINDNESS glimmered weakly in my eyes in spite of the cracks that surrounded my eye sockets. I could see that he was lost, I knew he needed something. He was an Angel just like me, so I thought I knew what he needed to hear. "Thank you, Angel. For everything."

Future's eyes widened, his pupils shrunk. Then, his expression trembled, and the tears in his eyes overflowed. He clamped one hand over his mouth in attempt to withhold any sobs trying to escape, I knew he didn't want anyone to see the vulnerability within. His other hand clenched into a fist against the grass, and he lowered his head in hopes of hiding the relieved and grateful tears pouring down his face. I kept my gentle smile, there was a bittersweet understanding in my eyes. Future had warned me, he knew long before I did that we were going to have to say goodbye. I was almost out of time.

So, I lifted my head and looked forward again. I walked past myself, and with Chara in my arms I continued up the path. Melanie knelt beside Future, she put a comforting hand on his back and smiled with her own bittersweet understanding.

There was a ridge overhead, it overlooked much of the Underground. One last look at my favorite place in the world, with my favorite person in the world. How'd I go and get so lucky? I wandered through the path the silent crowd had given me towards that ridge, and far behind me my fellow Fortune City kids stepped through the same portal I had.

Lexi gave Melanie a big smile when the KIND baker lifted her head to look at her captain, and tears filled Melanie's eyes while she returned that big smile. Xander had his head lowered, and he looked up pensively from under his eyebrows. His exhausted eyes glossed over all those in the crowd that were staring at him now, he knew that they knew this was his fault. He knew that they'd all believed in him, and he knew he'd let them all down. Eventually, Xander's violet eyes spotted a pair of violet eyes staring back at him.

Eden had made her way through the crowd, and now she stood with her people across from Xander Fortune, who only had The Predator and The Anarchist at his sides. Xander couldn't hold her gaze for too long, he looked away and he rubbed his aching shoulder with shame in his eyes. Eden's eyes narrowed with quiet understanding, she knew she had every right to demand that Xander walk right back through that portal and sink with his ship. But, instead, she gave a gentle smile. Maybe her best friend wasn't as far gone as she had thought.

Mako broke into a sprint when she saw Anthony, and George buzzed through the air right after her. Anny couldn't help but crack a tired smile when Mako clung to his side in spite of the blood and filth on his skin. He wrapped one arm around her, and he almost laughed when George The Dragonfly nuzzled his face against his shoulder in a way that he thought was similar to a cat. Anthony rested his free hand atop the Dragonfly's head, and he smiled for a moment longer... Before that joy faded away.

Anny lifted his head, he looked down the path the crowd had made and his eyes narrowed. He could only see my back now, I was walking further and further away from him. That dirt path looked a lot like the driveway of his childhood home, and that thought put a quiet frown on Anny's face. His scarlet eyes stared into the dimming shine of the Deltarune on my back, they narrowed further at the six simmering burns left up the sides of my back.

Chapter 104: Two Pretty Best Friends

Or: Angel's Promise

---

"... Hi." Xander managed to choke out the first word. He reached up and scratched the back of his head, his hair was a mess. His horns had sunk back into his forehead, but he still had blood and soot all over him. His eyes glossed over the grass; he honestly didn't think he'd ever miss regular dirt so much.

"... Hey." Eden responded in a tone that was similarly quiet and reserved. She folded her hands over her lap, and she managed to keep her eyes on his exasperated face even while he struggled to keep any sort of eye contact. She hardly knew what to make of him in that moment; she'd seen Xander Fortune as a king and as a tyrant but now that she looked at him she couldn't see anything more than a withered man at the end of his rope.

"... I'm, I'm sorry. For..." Xander managed to lift those exhausted purple eyes to look up at Eden, but he hesitated when he remembered just what he was apologizing for. He lifted his head a little, and weakly waved his arms out to his sides in an all encompassing gesture. "I mean, fuck."

Eden's eyebrows rose a little, she didn't know if she'd ever heard Xander curse so casually. That, combined with the fact that he summed up all his atrocities with "I mean, fuck." forced the corner of Eden's mouth to lift. She didn't know if it was right for her to forgive Xander, really she wasn't even sure it was right for her to smile at him. But all Eden had was the truth, so that's what she shared with Xander. "... I'm really glad you made it back, Xander."

Xander's eyebrows lifted, he looked surprised to hear that. His exhausted eyes softened a little, and he tried to return Eden's smile, but he failed. After that, his sad eyes drifted down to his soot covered hands. He stared into his palms, like he was hoping he could grasp an answer and perceive it. Finally, he responded. "... Honestly, Eden, I don't know if I did."

Eden's smile faded away, and she furrowed her brows with confusion and concern as she watched her mentor try to make sense of his own existence. Xander's fingers curled in, he had almost forgotten that his fingernails could be normal and not those pointed, smoking claws. He hardly remembered a time where he didn't have horns on his head. He lifted that heavy head, and he looked back to Eden. "After Clifford died, it felt like I lost part of who I am. I realize now, I gave up everything that remained of me to get revenge. Now that that's done... Is there anything left for me, Eden..?"

"... Well." Eden couldn't really refute that. Xander was right; Cliff was gone. Their empire was obliterated. Their army was gone, their friends were dead. But, as Eden stepped forward and took ahold of those soot covered hands with her own blood dried and bruised up knuckles, she knew that there was something left for Xander, humble as it may have been. "I know it isn't an empire and it's not the world that you were promised, but... You've got me. And, I think your old friends like having you around, too."

Eden smiled gently as she let go of one of Xander's hands, gesturing out to her side. Xander followed her gesture, and he spotted Lexi hoisted up on one of Susie's shoulders and one of Grillby's. Melanie, Clover, Ralsei, and Sans all surrounded her, and each of them threw up their arms while Susie and Grillby continuously threw Lexi into the air, just to catch her again. Through her laughter, Lexi happened to glance in Xander's direction while she was tossed up into the air again. And, without hesitation, she flashed a wide smile and lifted her hand, giving him a wave.

"... H-heh." Xander lifted his own free hand, wiping away the tear that streaked down his face before returning Lexi's wave. The last Fortune managed a shaky smile, and he answered Eden with a tremble in his voice. "You know, Eden, i-it's funny... That feels like the world to me."

---

Mako couldn't help but smile as she looked around at all the relieved faces in every direction. The entire world felt happy in that moment, she could feel the HOPE and the positivity in the air. Even though all of them had almost been destroyed, and all these people were displaced from their homes, they all believed that the future was bright.

Well... All but one. Mako cast her star shaped pupils back up to Anthony, and they changed to be tear drop shaped. His back was to her, his entire body was like a statue. He just loomed there, staring up the path and at the ridge that overlooked New Home. Badster was standing beside him now, similarly still. The bad doctor's hands were folded behind his back, and he too kept his eyes on that ridge while Anthony spoke quietly.

"... Is there anything you can do?" Anthony asked, his voice hushed and deathly serious. He didn't look to Badster, couldn't take his eyes off Angel's Ridge.

"... I don't believe there is, no." Badster hesitated to say those words, if he had an esophagus he thought they might have strangled him halfway up. He'd never said no to Anthony before, it was his duty to do whatever he was told to do. Anthony's wish was and always had been Badster's command. But now they were both standing there, in the shadow of The Angel and his Wish. Badster shook his head apprehensively while he explained, "If it was just his body, or even if his soul was in better condition... There's too much damage and not enough time, Anthony. I'm sorry."

"..." Anthony remained quiet, and Badster's words hung in the air like toxic gas. The Anarchist's red eyes never blinked, his shrunken pupils trembled as they stared straight ahead and up that ridge. Behind his stone expression, he was trying to make sense of what was happening. Beyond the ever present whirlwind of his own feelings, he couldn't even comprehend how this had happened. Where had that power come from..? How could Angel's soul hold the power to destroy itself? His memories brought him back to his father, Genesis The Killer. He had appeared in the flames of Angel's soul... Anthony's eyes drifted down to his own scarred up skin, and the Ghoul blood that ran through the veins beneath...

"... Open a portal for his family. They should be here for this." Anthony ordered mercifully, lifting his head and staring forward once again with his tense eyes. He shut his eyes for a moment, allowed himself to take a deep breath... And then he opened his eyes and added on, "Grab Max, too. I can't imagine how worried he must be about Mako."

"... As you wish, Anthony." Badster bowed his head. He wished he was relieved that he wasn't being ordered to stop the inevitable, but really he just felt guilty that he couldn't stop it, if only for Anthony's sake. Badster lifted his head, before turning around and extending one hand out to the path behind himself and his master.

Mako lifted her head up from George The Dragonfly, who she'd been petting and consoling over Anthony's less than cheery composure. Her brow bones rose as she watched Badster extend his hand, before her sockets widened as another tear appeared in reality. A gateway of pixels and code loomed there on the path, drawing a good portion of confused stares. Everyone watched and waited with growing anticipation... And then Monster Kid's head poked out. "Yo?"

There was a general jolt of surprise that ran through the crowd, but if Monster Kid noticed the way everybody jumped he didn't bother commenting on it. Instead, he flashed a smile, looking back towards the portal that his upper body was poking out of. "Asriel, you were right!"

In the very next instant Monster Kid's imposing drake body was shoved the rest of the way through that portal. He tumbled out onto the grass in favor of Toriel, who launched out of that portal like she was spring loaded. Her head whipped left and right so fast that one of her ears swung up and slapped over her eyes, and after she swept that ear back out of her eyes with her finger she impatiently demanded to know. "Where are my children?!"

It seemed everyone was a little too jarred to speak, apart from Anthony, who still had his back to the portal and those that made their way through it. It was a good thing Asgore stepped through next, putting his hands on his wife's shoulders and laughing only a little nervously at her intensity. "Now, Tori, I'm sure they're around here somewhere."

Asriel stepped through the portal next, only casting a quick glance at his father consoling his hysterical mother before deciding he wanted no part in it. Instead, he knelt beside Monster Kid, who had faceplanted in the grass. The monster prince smiled when MK's head popped back up out of the dirt, and he laughed a little as he reached forward and brushed a stray grass blade off MK's snout.

"Uhh, Angel and Chara are up there." Future found it in him to speak first, despite how weird it was for him to look at a living version of his long dead family. He stepped forward, and Toriel and Asgore both turned to look at him. Future nearly jumped at the way their eyes widened, and he cleared his throat and tugged at his collar while he explained, "I-I think they just need some alone time, they'll probably be back any minute..?"

At least, one of them would be. But Future had already buried his family, he wouldn't be the one to break their hearts with bad news. To his surprise, though, Asgore and Toriel didn't press for more information. Instead, the both of them kept those bewildered expressions while they took a slow, skeptical step towards him. Both their mouths opened, but only Asgore managed to get a sound out. "Angel..?"

"Oh! Well, uhm, not, your Angel, but...-" Future jumped a little at their question, before awkwardly glancing to the side. Honesty, he was surprised that they recognized him. Before he could further deflect, however, Toriel reached up and took careful hold of his face in her fluffy paws. This made Future's eyes widen, and he looked back to the queen as she turned his face towards her.

"But you are an Angel." Toriel stated gently. She could hardly believe the stubble that she felt on her paws. The brown hair that had over the years been inked totally black. It was so strange for her and her husband both to have this glimpse into the future, yet she couldn't help but smile some as her stare lifted to the crown on Future's head. "And you're king..!"

"How can this..?" Asgore trailed off quietly while he stared into the gleam of Future's crown. His thoughts tracked through his lineage, his own projections for the heads his crown could someday lay on. He knew Angel was The Angel, and he believed that should be something separate from the king. Though he and Toriel saw Angel as family, they also understood he was something different from the royal family. So for the crown to be on The Angel's head, that would mean that the royal family... Asgore smiled sadly, and he put a comforting hand on his fellow king's shoulder. "It's, not a very happy story, is it Angel?"

"... H-heh. Y'know, Asgore, I felt that way for awhile." Future found himself smiling in that moment. He swallowed the small lump forming in his throat and he blinked the tears out of his eyes. He reached up and carefully took Toriel's hands in his own, pulling them down from his face while KINDNESS gleamed in his eyes. He hardly felt sad not to have his own family in that moment, he just felt grateful to be seeing them again. "But, lately, I'm not so sure."

While the royalty was preoccupied, the portal that they walked out of suddenly shifted and flickered. It closed inward, before suddenly pulling back open. And it was still for a moment... Until Max awkwardly leaned his upper body out of it. There were several beads of nervous sweat on his forehead just to be interacting with whatever power beyond his comprehension had created that portal, and that anxiety only increased when he saw all the completely unfamiliar faces staring back at him. "U-u-uhh... Wrong number?"

"Max?" Mako's voice drew Max's anxious blue eyes forward, and they immediately widened when he spotted his sister standing across from him. Whatever trepidation he had just moments before was effortlessly tossed aside, and Max ripped himself out of that portal.

"MAKO!" Max shouted at the top of his lungs as he sprinted across the grass. He scooped his skeleton sister up in his arms without an ounce of effort, immediately hugging her tight to his chest. Mako had never seen him so animated, it made her break out in a fit of relieved laughter.

"M-Max, it's okay! I'm okay, really!" Mako assured her older brother even though magenta tears were building in her eye sockets. she grinned wide as Max lifted her up over his head, and she reached down to wipe away a few of the relieved tears from his face. Despite the emotions rushing through Mako's HOPEFUL soul, she still tried to get out an apology. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to worry you, I just-!"

"Never do that again!" Max cut Mako off with his cracking, emotional voice. He had a smile on his face when he said it though, so Mako figured he couldn't have been too mad. He pulled her back down from where he'd lifted her to hug her tight again, adding on. "I am so, so proud of you for being so brave, but you almost gave me a heart attack..!"

Asriel found himself smiling a little while he watched the reunion of such unconventional siblings. He understood maybe better than anyone how horrified Max had to have been and how relieved he must have been now, and the sight of it drew his thoughts back to his own sibling. The prince glanced briefly around to find Monster Kid, and the corner of his mouth lifted when he found the young dragon spreading his wings wide for an appalled Lexi. Then, Asriel looked ahead. His eyes carried all the way to the ridge looming far ahead, he could just barely make out the two people sitting on it.

Silently, Asriel let his eyes drift down that ridge. Back down the empty path, all the way to the base of its incline, where his eyes narrowed. The prince of the Monsters recognized Anthony The Anarchist's scarred up back and mane of white hair anywhere. And Asriel stood there in quiet contemplation for a moment, watching Anarchy carefully. But Anarchy didn't move, he didn't speak. He did exactly what Asriel was doing; he stood and he stared up the ridge. The only difference was, Asriel's sibling was going to be coming back down. But Anthony's brother...

Asriel's paws clenched into fists at his sides, and he took a deep breath before he made his decision. Against his better judgement, the monster prince put one foot in front of the other. He walked through the crowd, could hardly hear all the chattering voices. He was focused in on The Anarchist, he remembered what that looming pale shape looked like under Waterfall's crumbling ceiling. He remembered how it felt watching a Killer walk through his most powerful flames, how much it hurt when Anarchy's fist struck him...

Anthony didn't look over when Asriel stepped up beside him. Asriel didn't look at Anthony, either. They just stood there in silence, side by side, looking up Angel's Ridge. A cool spring wind blew by, it carried a few floating white dandelion seeds. Asriel took a deep breath... And then he exhaled. "... He's not gonna make it, is he?"

"... No." It sounded like that word cut up Anarchy's throat on the way out, but he could regenerate so he didn't bother worrying about it. He didn't move a muscle. Another gust of wind blew a strand of his long hair into his face. "He's not."

Asriel didn't speak, he couldn't. It felt like some invisible force had clasped its hand over his throat, and he didn't bother trying to pry it off. He couldn't be sure if he felt bad for Anthony, he didn't know if he could ever see The Anarchist as anything more than the Ghoul that tried to beat him and all the people he cares about to death on Mount Ebott. He wasn't sure if he should even try to.

"... Goat boy. You'll be honest with me." Maybe Anthony took solace in that, though. Maybe it was easier for him to talk to people that he knew didn't give a shit about him. The Anarchist's eyes narrowed painfully, and he asked the Monster prince for confirmation. "This is all my fault, isn't it?"

"..." Asriel didn't answer. Something spiteful in him wanted to shout "OBVIOUSLY!" in Anarchy's face, but Asriel wasn't too spiteful these days. Or, at least, he tried not to be. Flowey used to be spiteful, after all. So, he hesitated, and he thought for what felt like a long time. "... Maybe some of it."

"If I had gotten Chara's soul back from Xander, or if I'd been strong enough to beat Errorphim on my own..." Anthony's fingers curled in slowly, his hands clenched into tight fists. He tilted his head forward, and more of the white hair he inherited from Genesis The Killer fell over his eyes, casting Dark shadows over his expression while his jaw tightened. "If I'd just, worked things out with Angel the first time..!"

"... The right choice always seems obvious after you make the wrong one." Asriel spoke after Anthony cut himself off with the grinding of his own teeth. The Prince of all Monsters still didn't look at Anthony, he just took a deep breath as he narrowed his eyes and stared up Angel's Ridge. There was another pause... And then Asriel admitted. "The truth is, Anthony, this is my fault too."

Anthony was silent. He stopped grinding his teeth, his frustrated trembling slowed. He didn't turn his head, but his scarlet eye looked to Asriel from its corner. He could see the rainbow of colors sprinkled subtly through Asriel's white irises, even though the prince still didn't look at him.

"I made Angel promise me that he'd get Chara home safely. And, I never said it, but we both knew that promise meant getting Chara home safe, even if it cost him his life." Asriel's eyes glossed down to the grass at his feet. There was a little yellow flower poking up just a few inches in front of his foot, probably another dandelion. Shame filled his eyes while he went on. "... That wasn't fair to Angel. None of this is. I was just, so scared to lose Chara again... I wish I could take it back."

"... The right choice always seems obvious after you make the wrong one." Anthony repeated Asriel's words back to him, and Asriel was surprised by his gentle tone. He wasn't sure he'd ever heard Anarchy speak in such a way; maybe he'd been wrong about the Ghoul. Made sense, he'd been wrong about a lot lately. And that made Asriel's jaw clench, it made his eyes sting.

"Yeah, well..! What's the right choice now?!" The prince demanded to know, finally turning to face Anthony fully. He threw out his arms, opened his hands like he hoped he could grasp the answer he wanted from thin air. There were tears in his eyes, Anthony could hear a crack in his voice while he cried out. "Are we really just supposed to sit here and let Angel die after everything he did for us..?! How can that be the only option?! Is life really this cruel?!"

Anthony was silent. He didn't turn to face Asriel, and he didn't lift his head. His fists clenched so tight that his fingernails ripped through the skin of his palms, but only a healing red mist overflowed from between his fingers. His Ghoul heart was pounding in his scarred chest, his eyes clenched shut tight and his teeth ground together. He bowed his head further, and more shadows slipped across his face.

"... Yeah, it is." Anthony The Anarchist finally answered, and his words made Asriel's grief filled eyes widen. Anthony never lied, Asriel knew that. If he ever did lie, he wouldn't be Anthony anymore. Still, Asriel's mouth hung open. He reached for words that never came. He couldn't possibly refute what Anarchy said, and it made a stream of tears overflow from one of his eyes. It was over, Angel wasn't coming home. Asriel was powerless to the cruelty of fate... Even still, Anthony The Anarchist lifted his head, and the burning red of his DETERMINED eyes cut through the shadows slithering over his face.

"But I'm not."

---

"I never thought I'd be so happy to see the Underground." Chara commented with both exasperation and relief in their voice. The two of us sat with our legs hanging off the ledge we were seated on. They were wrapped up to their shoulders in that blanket, and we leaned our heads against one another as we looked out over the terrain beneath.

"I never thought I'd see the Underground." I responded casually, lifting my cracked and smoldering right arm and laying it over their shoulders. I pulled them a little bit closer, and they scooted in while they glanced up at me.

"Oh, right. You said the underground's like a video game where you're from, right?" Chara asked as they looked up at me curiously, and I nodded my head.

"Ten dollars on Steam." I informed them casually, and they jolted with surprise.

"Ten dollars?!" They pulled away from me just enough so that I could see their shocked and almost insulted expression. I burst into laughter, and that put a slight smile on Chara's face. Still, they went on at least semi-furiously, "Are you joking?!"

"If ya could see the game you'd understand." I spoke through my chuckling, waving a hand to dismiss Chara's worries and only creating more in the process.

"It's a shitty video game?" Chara said, aghast. I immediately howled with laughter, doubling forward. I might've tumbled right off the cliff if Chara hadn't been under my arm; they put their hand on my chest, laughing a little with me even through their dismay.

"N-no, no, it's a great game!" I tried to refute through my laughter, but Chara still pulled away, crossing their arms and pouting. "It's just, very simplistic..!"

"You're just saying that to make me feel better!" They accused, and I dragged them closer with the both of my burnt arms. I hugged them around the waist, resting my chin on their shoulder. And we laughed like that for a few moments, before Chara sighed and relaxed into my arms. Things got a little more quiet, and they sighed as they looked out over the Underground below. Eventually, they spoke again. "... You know, for a second there, I didn't think we'd ever get another moment like this."

"Yeah, I thought for sure you'd forget about that video game thing." I responded, causing an unamused smile to spread across Chara's face.

"Not that, nimrod." Chara told me, and I laughed a little.

"Yeah, I know." I assured them while I shut my tired eyes. I leaned my head against theirs and I let myself enjoy the sound of their voice.

"I just... I was so scared to lose you. I'm sorry for what I did, I know it wasn't fair to put all that pressure on you." Chara's smile faded in favor of a contemplative frown. Their eyes narrowed shamefully, and I felt them wrap one hand around one of mine while they went on. "It was, probably dumb of me to bet the entire multiverse's safety to make sure you survived, but..."

"... I know, Char-bear. It's okay." I wrapped my arms tighter around them, my fingers intertwined with theirs. But my eyes didn't open, my weak body rested against them. "If I'd been in your position, I would have done the exact same thing."

"... But, to actually be here now... To know that, we're really going home..." A small smile pulled at Chara's lips, they blinked their stinging eyes and struggled to get the next few words out. "I-I guess I'm just, r-really relieved..."

"... Yeah." My eyes opened slowly, just so they could wince. Half from the pain my burned body was in, and half from how much delivering this bad news was gonna hurt. I squeezed Chara a little tighter while I choked out two more words. "About that..."

"What?" Chara asked innocuously. They turned their head to look at me with furrowed brows, but when they saw the way I grimaced and looked away it made worry appear in their eyes. "Angel, what is it?"

"I'm..." I hesitated while Chara pulled away some, turning their body to get a better look at me. It was hard to keep myself sitting up without leaning on them, and I knew right about then that they had to have been noticing that there was no red steam or green light coming off my body. I understood why they hadn't been worried earlier, I always bounced back. I always had The Killer's soul to keep me together. But now, my soul felt light. Weak, empty... I shook my head, and I managed to look Chara in the eye while I delivered the bad news. "I'm not gonna make it home, Chara."

"W-... What..?" Chara's shrunken pupils trembled in their narrowed eyes. They looked me over, up and down. I knew they were trying to find a tell. They always knew when I was lying, they could see it. But all they saw now were burns and cracks, up my arms over my shoulders and across my already scarred chest. There were already tears building in their eyes by the time they looked back into my dim green eyes. "A-Angel, if this is a joke it's not funny..!"

"... I'm sorry. I know you wanted it to be you and not me." I shook my head slowly, and Chara's eyes widened. My eyes drifted down and their stare followed. All the way down to my chest, where a dull green glimmer was starting to manifest. Those tears overflowed from Chara's eyes, one of their hands reached up to clamp over their dropped jaw. A hole punched heart hardly shined on my chest. What had once burned brilliantly was now scorched; there was a jagged hole in the center of my KIND soul, and cracks continued to spread slowly through what hadn't already burned away. I choked on a laugh, and a few tears built in my own eyes. "But I tried to live without you around and it was miserable. I couldn't let you die just so I could live..."

"A-Angel, you idiot..!" Chara managed to pull that hand away from their mouth, even if it revealed the brutal frown that this miserable feeling left them with. They reached out their hands, placed their palms on my aching chest. Their touch was refreshing and cool on my scorched skin. They could hardly pry their eyes off my breaking soul while they demanded to know, "W-what did you do..?!"

"You, remember how Anny's dad kinda lived in my head..? Turns out, it's because I got a piece of his soul when I killed him. And, if you saw Anny fighting Errorphim, you, probably put together that there's some Divinity in his bloodline..." It was hard to stay focused on the point, I had to blink my eyes once or twice to clear my vision. I glanced to the side, couldn't bare to see Chara's miserable expression. I took a deep breath... "I used that piece of a god's soul to overwrite reality and change fate. But... I'm not a god, Chara. A body and a soul like mine... It doesn't contain that power well..."

"B-But..!" Chara's shaking fingers slowly curled into fists against my chest. Their wide eyes watched my soul break more right before their eyes, they wished with all their might that it would stop. But they weren't a god, they didn't have that kind of power and neither did I. Still they denied as their teary eyes darted up to look at me. "Maybe, someone can heal you..! O-or, if we find a way to fuse, or..!"

"We're out of time, Char-bear. I'm sorry." I shook my head again, Chara trembled as they watched a tear slip down from my eye, only to sizzle away when it slipped over one of the scarlet cracks that split down my cheek. I hated seeing them so upset, honestly I kinda wished I'd just slipped away quietly and before I had the chance to explain. But, that would have been selfish. Regardless of how much it hurt to deliver this news, I smiled gently. I had no reason to be sad, after all. Chara was safe. My wish was granted. My life was a small price to pay to see their face again, even if they were crying. "You made my life worth living, and that makes dying for you easy."

"But... But, that's..." Chara's head sunk slowly, shadows fell over their eyes. I frowned quietly at the sight of tears dripping down off their chin, and I reached up with my burned left hand. Carefully I took their hand in my own, and their voice cracked and broke when they forced the next words out. "That's not fair..!"

"Chara...-" I started to speak, but they cut me off with new rage and indignation in their voice.

"No! Don't "Chara" me..! This isn't fair!" Chara's head lifted back up, I could see fury in their tearful scarlet eyes. More streams of tears overflowed and their voice continued to crack and break, but they were too upset to care. They managed a sniffle and a sob before they went on shouting. "You give your entire life to make up for your mistakes, you trade your own health and your own safety for ours and then what?! You're just supposed die without ever getting to live the happy life you were fighting for?! That's not fair! I don't accept that!"

"Chara..." I started again, but they shouted "No!" and turned their head away from me to hide their miserable expression. I sighed quietly, before reaching forward. I wrapped the both of my arms around them, and I pulled their head into my scarred chest. I hugged them tight, and I listened as they broke down into tears and quiet sobs. A KIND smile returned to my lips while I rubbed their back, "It's okay, really. I'm happy. One of us was always going to have to leave first. It's okay..."

Slowly, I felt Chara's arms wrap around me. They hugged me tight while they cried hysterically into my chest, and as my vision started to fade in and out I had to consider just how lucky I really was. There are a lotta men who drop dead and a lot of 'em don't get cried over. Genesis The Killer came to mind; being a god in human flesh and still ending up rotting in some countryside ditch in the middle of nowhere, can you imagine? I would imagine there are a lotta Angels out there who die like that, either alone or with piss on their grave. And yet here I was, hugging my love tight and listening to them cry. It was enough to make a smile stick on my face while my eyes gradually closed. Those cracks had just about reached the edges of my soul...

"No, Chara's right! That's FUCKIN' BULLSHIT!"

My heavy eyelids were forced open, I had to blink once or twice to make sure I was hearing right. Chara shifted in my stiff arms, the both of us turned our heads just in time to see my brother - Anthony The Anarchist - stomping towards us. And he looked mad. I mean pissed. And trust me, I've seen Anny pissed. There were times where I thought the last thing I'd ever see was Anny pissed. Now he looked about twice as pissed. His hands were balled into fists at his sides, there was red steam overflowing from the corners of his mouth. He left burned footprints in the grass as he marched closer, and I hastily choked out, "W-whoa, wait, Anny-..!"

"Outta the way, sidekick!" With one powerful hand Anthony reached down and grabbed Chara by the shoulder. In a display of monstrous strength he ripped them right out of my rigor mortis grip and tossed them aside, and I barely had the time to open my mouth and look up at him in utter shock before he snatched ahold of my throat and pulled me up off the ground. "Come here!"

"Ack..! Anny-!" I objected while my aching body was ripped off the soft grass and held up over Anthony's head. I tried to grab ahold of his wrist, but my arms were too heavy to lift. I stared down at him, but no matter how many times I blinked or how I winced my vision didn't get any more clear. Feeling was leaving my body. Apparently I was going to die in a state of total confusion instead of peace. Not the worst option, mind you, but not the one I preferred either.

"What are you doing..?!" Chara demanded to know after scrambling to keep that blanket covering their body. They were still laid out on the grass, and they opened their hand to summon a knife in their grasp only to be reminded that their new body didn't have an inventory yet.

"Shuddup!" Anthony bit back furiously while he reached up, planting his hand over the cracked and breaking soul on my chest. Red Light flared out from between his fingers, and in the very next instant an updraft of scarlet energy blasted up around the both of us. I think our hair was lifting in the twisting DETERMINATION, but I couldn't be sure. I could hardly keep my eyes open. The red flaring around the both of us was quickly becoming all encompassing, and as my vision darkened my eyes focused in on one thing. For a reason I couldn't discern, the unbreakable scarlet heart on Anthony's chest and the DETERMINED flames that poured out of it held all my attention... Until finally, my eyes closed. Everything went black. The feeling of soulfire on my skin, the sound of wind rushing in my ears, even the taste of blood in my mouth disappeared.

When my eyes next opened, I was laying flat on my back. The grass under me was still wet, but it wasn't raining anymore. I had to wince and blink a few times to make sure I wasn't seeing things, but after my vision cleared it was obvious. The sky over Fortune City was clear and blue. There wasn't a cloud in sight. I could feel the warm sun on my face...

I laid there for a few moments, it didn't feel right to move. Looking back, it kinda seemed like I was in a hurry my whole life. Hurrying to get my wings, hurrying to get out of Fortune City, hurrying to save Chara, hurrying to help Anny, hurrying to get back home. Now that I was dead, I figured it might be worth my now infinite time to lay in the grass and bask in the sun.

... But, eventually, that got boring. And, by the same logic that said my time was infinite, I had all the time in the world to lay back down. So, I waited another few seconds, and then I sat up. It didn't hurt, I didn't have to grunt or groan. I hadn't really realized just how heavy my body was until it became weightless.

I took a good look at Granny's backyard once I climbed to my feet. I forgot she used to have that flower patch along the side of the house, and I smiled at the golden flowers I saw mixed in with the rest. The gate at the edge of the yard was closed, and when I looked up at the deck railing my eyes widened a little. The wood was fixed, the rails that Genesis and I had knocked down in our fight were replaced. With my shortcut sealed, I had no option but to take the stairs up onto the deck. That was alright; it's a beautiful day outside. I didn't mind enjoying the fresh air a bit longer.

I didn't hesitate to walk up to that sliding glass door this time. Had a good feeling about it. Maybe it would be unlocked now that the storm was over, or maybe I just hadn't known how to pull on it the right way before. I did pause, however, when I caught my reflection in the glass. My clothing had been mended, Papyrus's scarf was still wrapped around my bicep and that heart shaped locket still dangled around my neck. I smiled a little sadly at the ink flower once more tucked behind my ear. My body was in much better shape, too. The scorched cracks no longer tainted my skin, apart from the ones in my left arm. I hardly minded those scars now, just like the one in my chest it felt like a part of me.

I stood there for what could have been awhile, staring into my reflection. I wondered if maybe I took mirrors for granted before, or maybe I'd just never looked into one like this. I could see all that I was now, whatever I truly added up to was present and displayed on the glass before me. And when I understood that I was happy with what I saw, the door slid open.

It happened so suddenly, my eyes went wide. One second there's nothing but me, and the next I can see inside the house. I can see my Granny, standing in the doorway and smiling up at me. It was all I could do to stand there, bewildered. Blinking my eyes like I was waiting for her to disappear. She didn't. She kept her hand on the doorway, and she stared into my appalled green eyes with her own deep blue eyes. "... You got taller."

"... E-eheheh..." A smile pulled up my lips whether I wanted it to or not. My eyes stung, and I had to reach up to wipe a single tear away while I shook my head. I hadn't realized how badly I needed to hear Granny's voice until I heard it, and now I was trying to shut off the waterworks while I responded. "Y-you got shorter."

Granny's smile widened. She remained quiet while she reached up and under her glasses with one finger, wiping her own stray tear away. Then, she spoke again into the gentle quiet. "It's good to see you again, Angel. Welcome home."

Hearing that just made more tears overflow from my tired eyes. I managed to keep my smile while I stifled a sob, nodding my head while I answered. "I-its really good to be home..."

"... You know, Angel, when I said I wanted you to do something with your life I meant like getting into a good college." Granny said after a pause, a little smirk pulling at her lips. I immediately started to laugh, though it was shaky through the lump in my throat. "But, killing two gods and saving the uh, what'cha call it... 'Multi-Verse' works too."

I hung my head while I laughed, trying to hide all the tears that were overflowing. But I couldn't, they were still plenty apparent dripping off my face. So, I stepped forward and I wrapped my arms around Granny. I hugged her tight, and I was surprised by how small she felt in my arms now. I really must've grown...

"You did great, Angel." I heard Granny say, and it just made me hug her tighter while more tears overflowed. She lifted her own arms and returned my hug, I could feel her hands resting over the Deltarune on my back. She told me gently and honestly, tears overflowing from her own eyes. "I'm so, so proud of you..."

I wished I would stop crying so much, it was embarrassing. But I'd needed to hear those words, felt like I waited my whole life for them. So, we stayed that way for as long as I needed. Until eventually, finally, I felt that I was ready to let go. I unwrapped my arms from around Granny and gradually stood back to my full height. She had to tilt her head back to smile up at me, and I had to tilt my head down to smile at her. Things were quiet and peaceful for a moment... And then I knew it was time. I lifted my foot and began stepping inside...

Thunk!

"Agh-!" I recoiled when that glass door slide just enough closed to be right in my way. My forehead bounced off the glass, and I rubbed my head before wincing down at Granny with confusion and aggravation. "What was that for, ya crazy old hag?!"

When I looked at Granny however, she wasn't looking at me. She stood there in the half closed doorway, craning her neck to one side to look over my shoulder. I furrowed my brows with confusion, before turning my head and following Granny's stare to see just what was so important. My eyes snapped open wide when I spotted Anny standing in the yard, in front of the now open fence gate with his hands in his pockets. He stared right back at me, and the look on my face must've been funny because it made his lips part in an amused, sharp toothed grin.

"... You Genesis's boy?" Granny asked before me or Anny could say a word. I had stepped away from the door some, I got my body out of the way so her and Anny could see each other. I looked back to Granny with some surprise, but she hardly looked angry to have the son of her murderer on her property. In fact, she looked more curious than anything.

"I like to think'a myself as more Delilah's boy these days." Anny shrugged his shoulders as he answered, taking steps across the wet lawn and towards the deck. His clothes were mended too, he was back in jeans and that leather jacket with the symbol for anarchy across its back. He stopped in front of the deck, staring up at Granny and I with those bright red eyes. His answer made Granny smile, before she reached out and patted me on my shoulder.

"You'd better head back, Angel. Your friends are gonna be screwed without'cha looking after 'em." Granny stated so casually that I had to do a DoubleTake. I blinked my eyes and recoiled, but while I was reeling Granny casually offered Anthony a wave and started to step back into her home. "Keep an eye on him for me, Anthony. He's got a bad habit'a gettin' himself in trouble."

"I-! But-! Wait, Granny-!" Totally bewildered, I took a step after Granny, but she reached out her hand and put it over my scarred chest to stop me in my tracks. I look down to her hand, and then back to her. My mouth was open, but I couldn't find any words. I just shook my head, I didn't understand. But Granny did. So, she turned back to face me, and she smiled lovingly as she reached up, taking gentle hold of my still young face in her old hands.

"I didn't want to say anything when I thought it was the only option, but you're way too young to die Angel." Granny's smile only grew wider as she shook her head, I couldn't believe how happy she looked. Their was relief and there was love in her eyes as her thumb wiped away one of the tears rolling down my cheek, and a happy tear overflowed down her own cheek while she went on. "You promised me you'd get out of this place, remember? So go. Your other home needs you more."

"Granny, I..." I trailed off. Didn't know what to say, honestly. I didn't know how any of this was happening, I didn't understand how Anny got here or how I was supposed to get back to my other home. But, what I did understand was that Granny and I were saying goodbye again. I had a promise to keep, after all. So, with teary eyes I reached up and placed my own hand over one of the hands she held my face with and I said something that I'd needed to say for a long time. "... I'm sorry. For, not being able to stop Genesis I mean. I couldn't save you, and I'm sorry. I tried, but I just... I wasn't strong enough..."

"Oh, Angel..." Granny's smile turned a little sad, and she tilted her head while she wiped another tear off my cheek with her thumb. I tried to turn my head away, but she kept me looking at her with her hands on my face. "You know I don't care about that."

"I-I know, I just..." I glanced to the side and winced painfully. A frown pulled down my lips while I dragged the words out. "Ever since you died, it... It's felt like there's some part of me that's just waiting for the chance to bring you back. To... Hit undo, somehow. To go back to that day, as strong as I am now, and try to stop him again..."

"Angel, I was an old. Bitch. When I died. If it was a choice between me and you to survive that day, you would be the right choice every time." Granny assured me with absolute certainty - She looked a little amused to be calling herself an old bitch. But, then her more serious and forgiving smile resumed, and she went on. "It wasn't your fault. There was nothing you could have done. I forgive you, and I love you. You, and all the other versions of you out there."

"..." I found a smile back on my face when I heard Granny say that. It felt like a weight had shifted, like some boulder on my shoulders had finally slipped off and disappeared. Another relieved tear left my eyes, and I squeezed Granny's hand in my own. "... We all love you too, Granny. Thank you, for everything."

Granny didn't speak. She just continued to smile, slowly slipping her hands off my face. She took a step back into her house, and I didn't follow. I just stood there, a bitter sweet smile on my face and a few tears still in my eyes as she reached out and took ahold of that sliding glass door once again. She assured me as she closed that doorway between us, "You've grown into a good person, Angel. You're gonna do great."

Clunk.

That glass door closed, and once again I was staring into my own reflection. But, in that reflection, I could see Anny standing behind me. He'd walked up onto the deck, and now he stood behind me with his arms crossed and a light smirk on his face. I doubted he'd ever admit it, but he looked relieved too when I turned around and looked at him. Still, I was bewildered by the sight of him here. I had to shake my head and ask, "Anny... How is this possible..?"

"Reality said you were supposed to die." Anthony answered, reaching out one scarred white hand to me. My eyes were drawn down to his open palm, and the scarlet Light that he was offering out to me reflected in the green of my wide eyes. "I said you were supposed to live, and I said it louder."

I had to blink a few times when I heard that, I felt my breath catch in my throat. That DETERMINED flame Anny was holding out to me, its Light was becoming all encompassing. The Killer's words echoed in my head, and the understanding that this knowledge brought made another tear overflow from the both of my eyes.

"To make a wish, you have to want something more than anything. You have to demand that reality change louder than the entire universe demands reality stay the same. That's Divine Will, Angel."

To make a wish, you have to want something more than anything. I found myself thinking about all the time Anny and I had spent fighting, and even more than that was all the time I had spent wishing I had done things different. All the apologies I had wished I'd said, how badly I wanted us to be friends again. If The Killer's theory was correct, then this all started because Anthony made a wish to kill me. But, now... I wiped the tears off my face, and I smiled at Anny as his DETERMINATION reflected in my KIND eyes. My left hand reached out, and when I grabbed Anny's outstretched hand with it, red Light flared up through the cracks in my arm. A flash of DETERMINATION shrouded my vision, a burning heat didn't burn me as it flooded my very being, and then...

Karma.

My eyes snapped open wide, and my jaws snapped open immediately after. I sucked down two lungfuls of air, and new life jolted into me. It hurt when my beat up body jumped and recoiled, but that pain could hardly overpower the energy now coursing through my veins. My eyes blinked in the fading scarlet Light, the burning winds were just about finished dying around me by the time my vision became clear. When it did, the first thing I saw was Chara's face.

They were leaned over me, their eyes wide in shock and awe. I felt tears dripping off their cheeks and onto mine, and I watched as their trembling lips slowly curled up into a smile. I was exhausted, but I managed to smile back. I was about to tell them that I had a dream like this once, but as soon as I opened my mouth to speak they lurched forward and wrapped their arms around me. They hugged me tight, and my own arms lifted and hugged them back.

We stayed like that for a few moments, Chara hugging me like I was a beat up teddy bear and crying into my shoulder. I couldn't stop smiling if I tried, this was the second time today that I got to see them after believing I'd never see them again. But, eventually they loosened their grip and I loosened mine. They helped me sit up, I had to grunt and groan a few times but it was all worth it when I spotted Anny standing in front of us and breathing a quiet sigh of relief.

"A-Anny, I..." I was appalled, totally shocked. I just didn't understand as I shook my head, before my eyes glossed down to my chest. Over my heart, where had once been a hollow green shell about to crumble, I now saw a red shine with a green outline. That missing piece of my soul was back, and it was back in red. My mouth hung open as I lifted my eyes back to Anthony. I shook my head, fumbled wordlessly for a moment or two before I finally choked something out. "How did you..?"

"You said you were dying because you had a piece of a god's soul keeping yours together and you used it up, right?" Anthony arched a brow down at me, he had his arms crossed over his chest. I wondered if he was trying to keep how worried he'd been on the downlow - was he embarrassed to be doing something so nice? Maybe, because he glanced to the side when he unfolded his arms, and Chara and I both went wide eyed when we saw what he'd been covering. The unbreakable, unchallengeable, unscratchable ruby soul of Anthony The Anarchist... Was chipped. "Well, now you got another one."

I stared like an idiot for several long seconds. I had to blink once or twice, just to make sure I wasn't seeing things. But it was true. The heart shape of Anthony's soul was compromised, for the first time in history. A small chunk had broken off from the right side of that scarlet heart, and when I finally tore my eyes away from his soul to look down at my own I saw a red fragment glowing in its core that matched the missing piece of Anny's soul perfectly. That fragment's DETERMINED shine was flooding the cracks in my emerald soul, I could feel it welding me back together. It grew gradually, eventually it would fit into the exact shape that Genesis's soul fragment had left behind. Similarly, when I looked back up at Anthony's soul, it was burning and expanding gradually to fill in the damage that chipping his soul had caused. His soul would be healed... And so would mine. "A-Anny, I... I-I don't know what to say..."

"Go home, Angel. Live your life." Anthony told me without a smile or a frown on his face. What remained of his Divine soul disappeared back into his chest to finish its regeneration. After it did, Anny rested his scarred and bloody hands in his pockets. The corner of his mouth lifted in a smirk, and I thought I could see a little KINDNESS in his DETERMINED eyes. "You've more than earned it."

"So... S-so this is, this is real..?" I asked aloud, more to myself than Anny or Chara. I lowered my head and I looked into both of my burned and cracked hands. There was red Light glimmering in my scars again, just a little. I was beyond beat up, and I didn't know if I'd ever heal right. I didn't know if I'd ever sprout wings again. But, I was alive. The fight was over. We... We won. My vision blurred, my eyes stung, tears pelted my scarred hands. And I smiled, because another weight had been lifted from my shoulders. "I... I really get to go home..?"

"Yeah, yeah. Don't say I never did anything for ya." Anthony stated, awkward and dismissive. He glanced away from me, reaching up and scratching the back of his head. Did he really expect me to believe this was no big deal? "J-just, turn off the waterworks already! Your family's waitin' for ya, they expect good news- ack!"

Anthony The Anarchist jumped when I managed to spring up and hug him. His body jolted, but I still wrapped my arms tight around him and latched onto him with whatever might my busted up body had. And his lips parted a few times while I hugged him ,he tried to get out a "Get off me, weirdo!" or two, but the words never got more than halfway out of his throat. Finally, begrudgingly... He lifted his own arms. And he sighed, defeated, as he returned my hug. His ears turned red, and he hoped nobody saw the relieved smile that pulled at his lips while he enjoyed the moment... Before pulling me off of him and exclaiming, "A-alright, alright! We're both shirtless, it's weird to be huggin' for this long!"

"... Thanks, Anny. Really." I sniffled before I spoke, but I never stopped smiling at my brother. I even laughed a little at his disgruntled and embarrassed expression, wiping the tears off my face. He rolled his eyes, but he was fighting his own smile and his ears were still red.

"And you!" The Anarchist suddenly exclaimed after silently accepting my thanks. He pivoted to face Chara, pointing an accusatory finger at Chara, who recoiled with surprise. "Next time ya die, you're on your own!"

On that note, Anny spun around and tried to stomp away with the same attitude he'd had stomping up here. He was a bad actor though, Chara and I both knew he was more than relieved that the both of us were alive. He only managed to take two and a half steps before Chara called out for his attention, "Anthony."

"What?!" Anthony demanded, dramatically looking over his shoulder and back at Chara.

"Thank you for keeping your promise and keeping an eye on my idiot." Chara smiled gently and graciously even in the face of Anthony's feigned annoyance. "It's more than obvious that Angel was right about you."

"Y-yeah, well-!" Anny lifted one finger like he was about to point back at Chara, but it just hung in the air while he struggled to find some sort of comeback. It must've dawned on him that Chara's words were genuine and not some jab though, because eventually he looked away from them again while gesturing irritably back towards them. He called up into the air and hastily changed the subject, "Fuckin' A Gaster, can we get them some real clothes?!"

Anny's wish was Badster's command. Without ever appearing before us, the bad doctor conjured a neatly folded pile of clothing in the grass beside Chara. Then, a few feet away from them, a single changing room stall built itself from the same multicolored pixels that Chara's new clothes had been built from.

I helped Chara up, and Anny got back to walking away as they stepped into the changing room with an armful of clothes. He stopped walking however when he saw the army of family and friends waiting at the bottom of the ridge. He must've decided he didn't want to face all those appalled and grateful people alone, because he stood there and awkwardly waited for Chara and I, looking wherever he could to avoid eye contact and grumbling under his breath. He was being such a sourpuss, I couldn't help but smile wide. The demeanor may have changed, but Anny was still very much the sweet kid I used to sit on the swings and make wishes with.

Eventually, Chara stepped back out of the changing room now fully dressed. They were wearing pretty standard clothes, a green and yellow striped T-shirt with brown shorts. That blanket was folded up under their arm now, and they smiled at me as they shut the changing room door behind them. Immediately after they were done, the structure broke apart and teleported away. They crossed their arms while I looked them up and down, and they waited a moment before stating with a slight smirk. "... You better not be about to say that you preferred the blanket."

"I'm just glad I can still see your legs." I responded without a moment's hesitation, and Chara's cheeks instantly tinted red. They grumbled and looked to the side, mumbling "Moron..." under their breath while they reached up and twirled a strand of their hair between their fingers.

I stepped forward while they recovered from my comment, my steps were labored and almost limps but I walked regardless. I set my hands on Chara's waist when I reached them, and they smiled up at me with some pink still on their cheeks. I didn't hesitate to lean down, and they didn't hesitate to stand up a little further. Our lips met for what felt like the first time in an eternity, and they reached up while we kissed, wrapping their arms around my shoulders.

We stood there like that for what felt like awhile. When our lips finally parted we rested our foreheads against each other again. We were both smiling with our eyes closed; I thought about telling them that I loved them again but I kinda liked the peace and quiet of this moment better. So, instead we stood there together in silence. At the top of the ridge, with our whole lives ahead of us. Our whole lives, together.

---

Me, Chara, and Anny all made our way down that ridge together. Chara let me rest my arm across their shoulder, they supported much of my weight as we wandered down to where friends, family, and war buddies alike stood and watched. I figured they all must've seen that big tower of light from Anny's wish, they might not have known if it was good or if it was bad. So, they all watched with baited breath as I hobbled before them.

"... Well, I've got bad news." I called out to them when the three of us finally stopped just a few feet in front of the crowd. I let my eyes gloss back and forth over all the desperate eyes and pursed lips... Before I cracked a smile. "You guys are stuck with us!"

I honestly half expected to get boo'd over my villainously timed joke, but everyone must've been too relieved that Chara and I were okay, because only laughter and cheers broke out. Immediately Asgore, Toriel, Asriel, and Monster Kid all swarmed forward, and before I knew it Chara and I were wrapped in teary hugs from all angles.

Anthony took a step back while Chara and I got swarmed. He crossed his arms over his chest, and he glanced to the side while he tried to ignore all the happy words being exchanged. Despite his best efforts however, a slight smile appeared on his face. That smile widened after he felt someone plant a playful punch on his shoulder, and he turned his head to spot Lexi standing beside him. She smirked knowingly at him, neither of them had to say a word. They had proof now; The both of them had done bad things, but that didn't make them bad people.

"I'm j-just so glad you're both okay..!" Toriel exclaimed through a steady flow of tears. She essentially had Chara and I in a headlock with each arm, I feared she might not ever let go as she buried her face in the both of our heads. I was laughing though; I was glad she wouldn't have to lose anymore children. She exclaimed thoughtlessly, "I-I also had no idea you two felt that way about each other, but I think it's a-adorable..!"

"MoOOoOoMM!" Chara exclaimed as their face went bright red, widening their embarrassed eyes and looking to the side. They tried to scramble out of Toriel's grasp, but Monster Kid's expansive wingspan closed in on all three of us and kept us together.

"I never gave up on you for a second! I knew you'd get your bro back and I knew you'd get Chara back from that skeleton weirdo, too!" MK assured me while he pushed his head against the side of my own head, a giddy grin clear on his snout. "And, yo, when you grew six wings and just started whoopin' him? SO! COOL!"

Toriel and Monster Kid finally let us go, just for Asgore and Asriel to snatch the both of us up. Chara could have laughed at the feeling of Asriel scooping them up in his arms; it was so hard for them to not think of him as their crybaby brother. He was certainly crying now, but he was much bigger than the little goat boy they'd known in their childhood. They were happy to see how he'd grown, they were glad the mistake that ended their last lives wasn't permanent and that their brother was forever free of that flower hell. Asriel's words proved he may have had something similar on his mind, "Do all your master plans include giving up your soul..?! Y-you almost gave me a heart attack..!"

"H-hey, it worked didn't it?" Chara asked through their smile, blinking a few relieved tears out of their eyes while they looked up at Asriel. They returned his hug, and they laughed at the way he groaned at their answer. "That means it's got a 50/50 success rate!"

"That is not what that means!" Asriel scolded through his tears, but he only succeeded in making Chara laugh harder.

This went on for awhile; Chara and I getting passed between hugs, getting trapped in group hugs, and then getting passed back around again. I thought I would've gotten tired of it, but I was just as relieved as the Dreemurr family (and Monster Kid) were. For all my fighting and all my DETERMINATION, I don't think I ever really believed I'd be alive for this moment. And, if it wasn't for Anny, I wouldn't have been. So, I cast a glance through the smiling and the hugs over to my brother, and I found myself smiling even wider when I saw him.

Anthony looked less lonely than he'd ever looked, I think. That big ol' dragonfly was behind him and leaning its head over his shoulder to try and nuzzle its face against his like a cat would, and that skeleton girl was hugging his arm. Lexi stood by his side, too. He glanced briefly over to me, and when our eyes met he smiled right back at me. I was glad I wasn't the only one who had a home to return to.

"I'm so happy that you two are alright, and I don't want to bring down the mood, but... I feel that we also need to know." Eventually though, Toriel had to speak up. When the hugs died down and all of our tears had dried for the most part, she drew our attention with a less than hopeful tone. My brows furrowed when I looked to Toriel, and she struggled to return my stare. A bittersweet smile had a hard time remaining on her face while she asked, "What... What happened with Frisk?"

My eyes immediately went wide and my pupils shrunk. The smile evaporated right off my face; somehow, I had totally forgotten about Frisk. Frisk, who I left chained to a post in Xander's empire. Xander's empire, which was completely and totally ERASED by Errorphim. There was a pit in my stomach, and I watched fear start to appear on Toriel's face when she saw just how horrified I looked. My mouth opened, but I struggled to get any words out. What was I supposed to say?! 'Whoops'?!

"... Gaster, bring 'em here. In the cage, preferably."

I only had a second or two to look over at Anthony with confusion, before once again those multicolored blocks began popping into existence. All eyes turned to the rapidly building square, and our eyes all widened when the pixels finally cleared and revealed what had been brought to us. I let out a loud, relieved sigh while Toriel threw up two hands to cover her mouth, speaking through her paws. "Frisk!"

Sitting before us in a cage that was hardly tall enough to stand in was Frisk The Traitor. Their body was hidden inside Anny's old sweatshirt, likely retrieved and put on from their inventory. When Asgore and Toriel stepped forward and kneeled down to look at them, they immediately turned their head away and flashed a smile at Anny, who had stepped over closer to us. "Anthony! Great job massacring Errorphim! Too bad about everybody else surviving, but we'll get 'em next time~!"

"... I had Gaster teleport 'em away when Errorphim first appeared. Figured you guys might want them back." Anthony set one hand on top of Frisk's cage, and when all our eyes landed on him he grimaced awkwardly and glanced to the side. His free hand scratched the back of his head while he went on, "They ain't exactly safe to be around right now, so I figure Gaster n' I will build them somewhere that's homier than a cage but still far away from anyone they could hurt. Maybe put some kind of barrier in place, so you guys can still visit without worrying about them trying to kill you."

"It's sweet of you to offer to build me a house, but I don't want any visitors~!" Frisk teehee'd. Their eyes were squinted almost entirely shut, and they never looked away from Anthony. That plastic smile never disappeared so long as they were looking at him; did they really expect us to believe that they were happy about being trapped in a cage again? "Except for you, of course. We can have all the sleepovers that you want, Anthony~"

Anny's ears tinted red, he refused to look at Frisk. I didn't blame him. I too was plenty grossed out by the way they flirted with him right in front of our family, I couldn't imagine how embarrassing it must've been to be on the receiving end of that. Anny took a deep breath, he shut his eyes briefly before turning his head forward and looking at Asgore and Toriel. The both of them had been frowning thoughtfully at the sight of Frisk, but they looked up when they felt his scarlet stare on them. Anny was frowning too, I thought he looked guilty. His words confirmed my worries, "... I know I've caused your family a lotta grief. I wanna make up for it."

"... This life hasn't been kind to you, Anthony. Even we know that much. I too have made the mistake of hurting people in attempt to heal my own hurt." Anthony's eyebrows rose when he heard Asgore say that. His bewildered eyes darted to his shoulder when Asgore set his paw there, before looking back up into the king's bittersweet smile. "Three of our children left home, and you've helped all of them find their way back. Consider everything before that to be water beneath the bridge."

"Angel has said that you are his brother." Toriel folded her hands over her lap, and she smiled sweetly when Anthony looked at her. "And any family of Angel's is family of ours."

"F-... Family..?" Anthony repeated the word like he'd never heard it before. He had to blink his wide eyes a few times, clearly this wasn't the reaction he had expected. Whatever emotion this acceptance may have caused him, he worked hard to keep it stifled in his chest. Still, I smiled when his eyes darted over to me. If he could share his soul with me I could share my family with him. His eyes darted away again, and none of us minded the sight of his sharp teeth when he smiled a little. "Well, that... That's awfully nice of you all..."

Frisk rolled their eyes once nobody was looking at them. They rested their arms over their raised knees; this had hardly ended the way that they'd wanted it to. But if they weren't dead, then the run wasn't over. And they weren't dead. So what if they had to wait a little longer? Play along long enough, an opportunity will present itself. They hardly minded being in a cage when Anthony was the one who put them in there. They looked forward with those squinted eyes when Chara leaned down to look into their prison, and that fake smile resumed.

"Chara!" Frisk exclaimed, perking up and clapping their hands together as though they were actually happy to see that Chara had survived. They tilted their head to the side and spoke with their usual pleasant tone, "Thank god you found clothes! Your nudity was by far the scariest thing this multiverse had to see today!"

Chara didn't say anything in response to that, but they did smile in the face of Frisk's vicious jab. They tilted their head to the side opposite to Frisk's own tilt, and responded in a tone far more honest than Frisk was ready for. "I'm glad you're safe, Frisk."

Frisk's brows furrowed, their eyes had to open just to try and see something hidden in Chara's words. That fake smile disappeared in favor of a scowl, but Chara's smile remained. They stood back to their full height, patting Frisk's kennel once with their hand before stepping away and dedicating their focus back to the people that mattered more. Frisk was hardly hiding their sour expression by the time Lexi leaned down to look into their cage from the left, and when their eyes glossed over to her Frisk found that she wasn't smiling. "... And what do you want?"

"I want you to know how lucky you are." Lexi told them while her cyan eyes narrowed with an icy chill. Frisk's now open scarlet eyes were similarly cold, but they didn't react while she let them in on the truth. "If it were up to me, you'd be dead."

"Of course I would be." Frisk agreed with a casual shrug. They lifted one hand and shook their head, giving Lexi a smirk. "You're terrified that I'll get between you and your knight in shining armor."

"..." Lexi was quiet for a moment. That harsh expression remained on her face, but she wasn't hasty to respond. That's what Frisk wanted, for Lexi to lash out and say something defensive. They wanted a knife to twist. Instead of giving them that, Lexi narrowed her eyes and told Frisk what she believed to be true. "Anthony's a lot of things, but he's not anything of yours."

"... Maybe not yet." Frisk conceded after a moment's hesitation. They shrugged their shoulder like it was an easy and flippant statement, but Lexi knew it was the first time they'd acknowledged the truth in years. They smiled at Lexi after that, squinted their eyes just to open one again in their strange reverse wink. "But, give it time. He'll forget all about that little skeleton girl. He'll forget all about Angel. He'll forget all about you."

"Oh yeah?" Lexi tilted her head just a little. She arched a brow at the caged lunatic before her, and she posed the obvious question. "And what makes you think he wouldn't forget you?"

"Isn't it obvious, sweetie?" Frisk perked up in their lowly cage, they must've been hoping Lexi would ask them that. They smiled so sweetly, tilted their head to one side and clasped their hands together over their heart... But when their eyes slithered open, Lexi couldn't see anything but Darkness inside. "It's because he loves me."

Lexi paused. She paused, and she stared... And then she snerked. She shook her head, and she laughed at Frisk's absurd reasoning. Frisk's lovely smile faded back into a scowl in the face of Lexi's snickering. They hid their eyes again, and they'd turned their face away by the time Lexi finished up her laughing. She was still giggling a little while she stood back to her full height, tapping the top of the cage twice as a reminder of who was on what side of the bars. "Yeah, okay 'sweetie'. Enjoy your stint in gay baby jail."

Frisk's heartless eyes followed Lexi as she walked away, and then their stare glossed back up to Anthony. They watched through their bars as he smiled and laughed awkwardly, Monster Kid was asking him if he really could bench press a planet. "I mean, probably." Frisk watched Anthony's lips move. "I haven't ever tried, but..." He was so cute, underselling his abilities like that. Even when he was being delusional, Frisk couldn't help but smile at The Anarchist. Their hands trailed gradually up their body, their fingers traced over where they'd felt his hands on their neck. More waiting for their perfect run... That was okay. The future wasn't scary to them anymore, not with Anthony The Killer in it.

---

It wasn't long after Lexi stepped away from Frisk that Anthony's conversation with his new extended family came to a close. He asked Frisk if they wanted to say any goodbyes before he sent them back to their temporary holding area, and they responded by throwing up both middle fingers and smiling. That was about what I expected; I didn't say anything, but I was pretty relieved once they were gone. Helping Frisk was a project for the future, and right now I just wanted to appreciate that I was gonna get to see that future.

Eventually, the "thank yous" and "congratulations" and "I'm so glad you're okay"s were said, and things calmed down. Camps had finished being set up, all the displaced citizens of Gatherer's old empire were calming down into temporary homes. On a large, flat rooftop that overlooked much of New Home is where the majority of the people I knew had gathered now. Some of us stood, some of us sat in old chairs around circular tables.

It was something, looking out at all of us in one place. My family, Anny's little crew, Predator's Pirates and what little remained of Gatherer's Inner Circle. There was a time hardly long ago at all when I would have thought that a meeting like this would be a blood bath, but all I heard now were peaceful conversations. I smiled gently while my KIND eyes glossed over all the different interactions...

"Mako, I'm okay, really!" Anthony assured Mako at the table beside mine. He used one hand to hold his chipped soul up over his head, and his other hand was planted on Mako's forehead. She was swinging her little arms and trying to get past him with frantic haste. "It'll heal!"

"Your soul is missing a chunk! That has to hurt!" Mako told Anthony, who immediately groaned at her stubbornness. She pulled Anny's one hand off her face with both of hers and glared up at him with tear drop shaped pupils, "There has to be some way I can help!"

"Well ya ain't gonna help if your little monster ass accidentally touches it and you absorb it!" Anthony scolded, closing his raised fist and making his damaged soul vanish back into his body. "Do you really wanna unleash Mako The Anarchist on the world?"

"... Uhhh..." Mako paused when she heard that. She stepped away from Anthony's raised hand, instead holding her chin while she pondered. The first thing that she imagined was herself with longer legs and a big white beard, chopping down trees. She nodded her head at that image, before it was replaced by an image of her standing in the middle of an inferno. She had glowing red eyes and a cartoonishly villainous sharp toothed grin, as well as a crowbar in her hand. She shook her head disapprovingly at that image, before looking back to Anthony. "Okay, you're right. That'd be bad I think."

Anthony couldn't help but laugh at her response, shaking his head. Across the table, Max chuckled a little too. He allowed himself a moment to smile, before frowning thoughtfully as his eyes glossed down at the table. His own hands rested folded together. His fingers gripped one another... Before he sighed, and lifted his head. "Hey, Anthony."

"Hm?" Anthony looked back from Mako on one side of him and past where Badster was seated on the opposite side of him, over to Max at the other side of the table. "What's up?"

"Well, I, I just thought I should say... I'm sorry." Max struggled to get those words out, but Anthony could tell he felt better after saying them. He watched Mako's older brother scratch the back of his head and glance to the side while he explained, "About what I said when you left, I mean. About not wanting you back."

"You don't have to apologize." Anarchy told him, even though he appreciated it. He shook his head and gave a light shrug, "You were right to be upset. I never gave you the full story, and if I wanted us to be friends then I should have done that."

"Yeah, well... I've got the full story now." Max smiled gently when he looked back to Anthony, and Anny could see the INTEGRITY gleam in his eyes. Anthony liked that color, he liked that soul trait. Seeing it in Max's eyes assured him further that he was a good man to have around, so he felt relieved when Max spoke next. "And, I'd be really glad to have you back home with us."

Anthony smiled when he heard that, Max wasn't sure he'd ever seen such an unburdened expression on his face. The Anarchist tilted his head back, he cast his eyes up at the stone ceiling above. He listened to all the conversations chattering around him, and he thought he wouldn't mind if his somewhere quiet had visitors more often. He looked back to Max and nodded his head, "I think I'd be really glad to be back home."

Badster didn't really care much for interactions like these. For what felt like eons he had deemed moments and times like the one he was living in now as pointless. Friends, family, they were fleeting. Dust in the wind. The real importance he had believed was in knowledge. Scientific discovery. Achievements that would be immortal in the eternal stretch to the end of time. With all that in mind, Badster didn't mind sitting around this table with The Anarchist and his friends. And when Mako got his attention, he was glad to be speaking with her. "Hey, Mister Gaster..?"

"Yes, Miss Mako?" Badster turned and looked to his side, where he found Mako standing. She had stood and walked around Anthony to allow him and Max to keep talking across the table to each other. Now, she smiled at Badster a little sheepishly while she spoke.

"Thank you for letting me help Anthony." Mako said with nothing but gratitude in her voice. Her smile became more sure when she saw the way Badster's browbones lifted with surprise. "I know it would have been easy to think that I woulda just got blown to smithereens out there, so... Thank you for believing in me."

"... You know, Miss Mako, I believe you may be the bravest person I have ever met." Badster spoke after a short pause, and his crescent smile looked a lot more real to Mako. He stopped for a moment after he said that, though. His pupils glossed over to Anthony while Mako's pupils were still exclamation points. Badster pondered the sight of his master's smile... And when he looked back to Mako and spoke next, her pupils turned to stars. "Thank you for saving my friend."

Meanwhile, while Mako beamed and Anarchy and Max exchanged far friendlier words than either of them ever thought they would again, Future sat at a table with a few pirates. Melanie was to his right and Fell!Grillby to his left, and across from him Lexi leaned her elbows on the table and smirked at him.

"There's probably gonna be some chaos in the multiverse now that all the malcontents have ran outta Xander's empire, y'know." Lexi told him, lifting her eyebrows and tilting her head with her suggestion. "You've been a lotta help ever since ya showed up at Jevil's Circus. My crew could use another greenie."

"Wait, really?" Melanie perked up when she heard Lexi make her offer, a grin immediately pulled at her lips. She turned that giddy smile towards Future, "It's been forever since somebody new joined the team, and we'd love to have another grumpy old man around!"

"... Another?" Fell!Grillby repeated incredulously, tilting his head forward and looking to Melanie with a violet glare filling the lenses of his glasses. Melanie laughed sheepishly and lifted her hands like he was pointing a gun at her.

"It's a kind offer, really. In another life, I might'a taken ya up on it." Future spoke up before Melanie could get grilled. All eyes fell to him, and Melanie frowned with disappointment. Lexi kept her little smirk though, just arching a brow at the King Over The Mountain while he explained. "But, I got people to look after."

"'Sides, after today I think I've seen about all I ever wanted to see outta this multiverse." Future rested his hands behind his head. He sighed as he leaned back, casting his tired eyes up at the ceiling of the Underground. He muttered, "Never thought I'd miss paper work..."

"... Yeahh, I kinda figured you'd say that." Lexi shut her eyes and shrugged her shoulders while she leaned back in her own chair. She didn't struggle to accept Future's answer, and it made Fell!Grillby think about how much she'd changed since they first met. When Lexi first showed up in the diner Grillby once shared with Swap!Muffet, she shrugged off about a hundred "no"s before the cooking crew had to relent and join her pirate crew. Now, Grillby watched Lexi smile and wink an eye open at Future. "More fun for us."

"Well, if you ever get bored of that fun, you're all welcome back in my timeline whenever you want." Future tilted his head back down to return Lexi's smile. He looked to Grillby and to Melanie, sharing that smile with them as well before going on. "It gets a little too quiet there on some days. It's nice to have visitors."

While Melanie jumped for joy and gladly agreed to visit, causing Future to laugh a little at her enthusiasm, Hacker and Demon sat quietly on a bench against the roof's guard wall nearby. It'd taken most of the day, but eventually they were cleared by the doctor's to leave their tent and defuse. Still, they slumped against one another, exhausted. But even through that exhaustion, there were small smiles on their faces. From murder hobos to saviors of the multiverse... Hacker thought it was kinda hilarious in hindsight.

Eventually, through all the nonsense chatter that surrounded the two of them, they picked out footsteps getting closer. Demon peaked an eye open after those footsteps stopped right in front of the two of them, and their second eye opened immediately after. Their eyebrows rose, and they found their smile turning into a smirk while they nudged Hacker to make sure he was awake. "Well, look at this. The person of the hour."

Hacker peaked open his own eye, and he found himself smirking too when he spotted Chara standing before him and his Demon. Chara smiled knowingly down at the two of them. They crossed their arms over their chest before they spoke, "Apology accepted."

"Huh? Oh, right." Hacker looked confused for a moment, before raising his eyebrows and nodding his head. He tried to play it off like he hardly cared about Chara's forgiveness, but they could see the smile on his face growing. "Guess we did say sorry."

"We were more focused on the part where we whooped Errorphim." Demon added on with a casual shrug, making a "No big deal" sort of expression. "And, Errorphim had your soul while we whooped him, so it's basically like we beat you in a fight."

Chara snerked as soon as they heard that. They kept their arms crossed, shaking their head while they laughed quietly at Demon's remark. They knew better than to think Hacker and Demon still gave a shit about beating them in a fight, but they also knew the two of them wouldn't just be able to say "thank you" either. "Well, now that you've achieved your ultimate goal of maybe sort of in a way beating me, where do you think you'll end up?"

"Somebody's gotta look after the dopes down there." Hacker shut his eyes and relaxed into his seat while he answered. He lifted one bandaged arm and pointed over his shoulder down to the people camping below the rooftop with his thumb. Chara's eyebrows rose with surprise, they hardly expected his answer to be that easy on honest. Then again, him and Demon had fought god to save those people, so maybe they should have already known what Hacker's answer was gonna be.

"We are Eden's most trusted advisors, y'know." Demon leaned their head on Hacker's shoulder, smirking wide up at Chara. "We're a pretty big deal around here."

Chara couldn't help but smile at the two of them. They were a far cry from the petulant children they'd left in a crater back in DoubleScramble; Chara was proud of them but they knew Hacker and Demon would get embarrassed if they told them that. So, instead, Chara just smirked and tilted their head to the side. "So, no more murder hobo livin' huh?"

"We're sorta like paid murder hobos now." Demon answered with plenty of ease. They planted their fist in their open palm while they grinned happily. "Anybody wants to hurt anyone that cheered us on back there, they gotta get through us to do it."

"... You know, I was cheering you on back there too." Chara's smirk widened a little while they teased their doppelganger.

"Then you better not plan on givin' your soul away again any time soon." Hacker peaked one KIND green eye open and gave Chara an incredulous look with it. "I don't think I got another wish in me."

"Not with that attitude." Chara shrugged, before turning around. They waved over their shoulder at their old nemeses while they walked away with a smile, "I'll see you around, Character. Thanks for making it up to me."

Hacker and Demon both tried to frown when they heard that, but they both ended up smiling a little instead. They watched Chara walk back over to that table with all their family and their friends and their Angel, and they knew there was a time when seeing a version of them with so much would have made them both furious with envy. But, when they looked out across the rooftop and spotted Eden looking out over the now safe people below, they knew that time had long since passed. They had their own home now, and it was far more than either of them believed they deserved.

---

It was pretty nice, the night after Errorphim died. I was wrapped in bandages again, almost felt like it'd been too long. I hardly minded any of the pain I was in or how silly I looked with my entire upper body wrapped up like a mummy. I'd take looking a little silly over being fuckin' dead any day'a the week.

I got to have a good few hours laughing with all my favorite people in one place. I think everyone knew better than to try and bring up any of the work that needed to be done for those first few hours. We were all just grateful to be alive, I think. But, the fact of the matter was, we were sitting on top of a temporary home flooded with tens of thousands of people. So, I wasn't surprised when Future quietly nudged Chara and I.

He led us over to a quiet corner of the roof top. Eden sat on the ledge, facing the rest of the roof. Xander sat beside her, I was glad I wasn't the only one with arms covered in bandages. His forehead was wrapped up too, he even had a Band-Aid on his cheek. Hacker and Demon had dragged their bench over into that corner to be seated on the side of Eden opposite to Xander. Lexi sat on one of the rounded tables pushed in towards that corner, and Clover sat in a chair at that table. CORE!Alphys sat across from him, and at the other table pushed in towards the corner Anny leaned back with his feet up on the table. Badster sat beside him with perfect posture. Future took a seat opposite to Anthony, and Chara let me rest my arm over their shoulder so that I could keep standing. Neither of us really felt like sitting.

"I hate to call all of you here after the day we've survived, but the morning holds more struggles for my people." Eden forced the conversation to start. Her words drew all her eyes towards her, but she cast her own stare over her shoulder and down to the tents and campfires beneath. She frowned while she crossed her arms under her chest. "... Their home is gone. Most of them have nothing more than the clothes on their backs. I've, tried to reach out to CORE Frisk to see about a move into the Omega Timeline, but they refuse to show themself."

Lexi, Chara and I all grimaced and exchanged glances when Eden said that. I'm sure each of us thought about delivering the bad news, but ultimately it was Lexi who spoke up. I was glad, I didn't feel right saying it. My eyes narrowed down at the floor beneath us, and I wrestled with the fact that not everyone was coming home in the morning. I'd been extraordinarily lucky today, but, CORE Frisk... Lexi's voice pierced the silence. "CORE!Frisk is... They're gone. Errorphim put them back together and killed them almost immediately after he formed."

"CORE Frisk is dead?" Eden's head whipped back around to give Lexi a shocked stare. When The Predator nodded her head solemnly, Eden breathed a quiet and troubled sigh. She lowered her head and shook it slowly, "Oh, that's... That's awful news. If they're gone, then..."

"The Omega ain't got no leader..." Clover finished Eden's sentence for her. He took the rim of his hat between his thumb and index finger, and he took hung and shook his head.

I glanced over to Xander, couldn't help it. He didn't look at anyone. He didn't say anything. He crossed his legs and his arms, and he stared at his feet. I thought he looked guilty, and I thought that was a good thing. Eventually, though, the silence hung on too long, and The Gatherer was forced to lift his head and add what he knew to the conversation. "... The Omega isn't a hard place to get into. I had plenty of spies spread throughout it."

"A'course ya did." Clover lifted his head. The gold of his one eye gleamed while he squinted and glared at Xander. Xander sunk a little ways back into his seat and glanced to the side.

"... My point is, from what I heard, CORE Frisk was more of a figurative leader. They brought people there and they had final say on most things, but The Omega is a community, not an empire. It runs on the kindness and giving nature of dozens of small leaders in the community." Xander turned his head forward and he looked back into the group with those tired violet eyes. He uncrossed his arms, resting his palms back on the stone ledge he was seated on. "Apparently, Frisk grew increasingly detached from that community ever since us DoubleKids got introduced to the multiverse. The Omega will function in their absence; if it wouldn't, I would have looked into ways to kill them earlier."

An uncomfortable silence hung after Xander explained that. He caught a few side eye glares, but he merely shrugged his shoulders. He was just being honest, and I appreciated that, even if the truth was ugly. Future's voice broke the silence, those glares were drawn away from Xander by the King's voice. "Xander's right; The Omega Timeline isn't going to collapse without Frisk. But, they're gonna need somebody to look to in hard times. At the very least, your people are gonna need someone to represent them in The Omega's community."

Eden was silent after she heard that. She furrowed her brows, it looked like she was thinking hard. Eventually though, that tension on her face broke, and she scoffed while a small smile lifted the corners of her mouth. She turned her head and looked back to Xander, and he arched a brow at her excitable expression. She explained, "Xander, this could mean... You could lead our people, you could take charge of The Omega! We could make it into the safe place that Cliff wanted! We can still achieve his dream!"

That string of sentences jolted just about everybody to life. We all sat up or stiffened some, I figure we all thought the same thing: "Are you crazy, bitch?!" Seriously, what was she thinking?! We were in this mess because Xander went totally mad with power! I get that he helped us kill Errorphim and he hardly seemed batshit crazy anymore, but I don't think any of us felt comfortable trusting him with a campsite, let alone The Omega!

Before any of us could accuse Eden of having a concussion, though, we all looked to Xander, and we were all stunned into silence by the sight of him wincing and recoiling in the same way that we did. Eden furrowed her brows some at the way Xander and the rest of us pulled back. She frowned and raised her shoulders, lifting her hands in a defensive gesture. "Look, I'm not an idiot. I know you, kind of, lost your mind before, but things are different now! You're the only one who's prepared for that kind of responsibility! You could still lead us into a brighter future!"

"... I, could, but..." Xander was still wincing, Eden was hardly able to reel him in. He glanced briefly away from her, his eyes glossed over each of our urgent expressions... And then he sighed and closed his eyes briefly. He shook his head while he looked back to Eden, gesturing back over the side of the roof. "Eden, those people down there don't want me. The Omega doesn't want me. Our friends here certainly don't want me."

"But... If not you, then..." Eden hesitated when she heard Xander's words. She furrowed her brows and quietly turned her head, looking out over the encampment Xander had gestured to. She was frowning now, maybe it was silly of her to think things would be that easy. There was no PR team alive that could rehab The Gatherer's image that fast. Cliff's dream was slipping through her fingers again. Or really, it already did a long time ago, and now she was just feeling it again. Before she could waste too much time sulking, however, she felt a hand on her shoulder. And Eden looked up, raising her eyebrows with surprise when she saw a smile on Xander's face.

"They want you, Eden." Xander stated without hesitation. He smiled gently, there was pride in his eyes as he squeezed Eden's shoulder with his bandaged hand. His words made Eden's eyes go wide, but he went on with his jarring words regardless. This time, the truth wasn't very ugly at all. "When I fell apart, you held them together. When devastation was on our doorstep, you fought against all odds to protect them. When our world ended, you lead them to safety. I'm not their leader, Eden. And I'm not the one who can make Clifford's dream come true. It's you, and it always has been."

Eden was stunned into silence. She blinked a few times while she stared at Xander, slowly lifting her hand and resting it over his own on her shoulder. She turned her head, and when she looked out at us again she found that none of us were glaring this time. Nobody was about to jump out of their seat and protest. In fact, most of us were smiling. Eden's lips parted, but it took a few moments before she managed to stammer anything out. "D-... Do you all, really think that... That I'm the one for this job..?"

"Duh!" Hacker stated immediately. He shrugged and shook his head like he'd just heard the most obvious question of all time. He couldn't help but smirk knowingly when Eden turned that shocked expression towards him. "You convinced a literal army of humans and monsters alike to fight Anarchy!"

"They didn't fight him because they thought they could win, either." Demon crossed their arms under their chest. The corner of their mouth lifted a little. "They fought him because you told them it was important and because you fought with them."

"You stuck around after their ranks crumbled, too." Anthony threw in his own two cents, drawing our eyes back to where he sat with his feet on the table and his hands behind his head. He looked over towards Eden and stated the simple facts, "Even after all your tricks failed, you put your fists up and fought with your bare hands for what'cha believe in. Not a lotta people who punch a whole in my chest and live to talk about it."

"You talked Frisk outta killing me and Melanie." Lexi admitted with a casual shrug. If that fact stung her pride, she didn't let it show.

"You talked Xander into making that deal with me." Chara smirked a little while they admitted with a shrug similar to Lexi's. Xander thought about their statement for just a second, before his expression immediately soured with the realization that he had in fact been played.

"... W-well, if all of you really think I'm the one for the job..." Eden had to blink a few times after that outcry of support. Her eyes glossed briefly over to Clover, who just gave her a simple smirk. She hesitated, before returning his kindness with a confident smile. She looked forward to the rest of the group and straightened her back, "I'll do it! I don't know how The Omega will take to our presence, and we'll all certainly struggle without the assistance of CORE Frisk's omnipresence, but..."

"Well, I might not be everywhere at once, but I can see everything at once." It was then that CORE Alphys spoke up, drawing our eyes over to her. She pushed up her glared glasses and smirked only a little shakily while she went on, "I'm thinking of getting out of the 'spreading codes to dirtbags' business, anyway. You all have really won me over with your story, s-so I'd be happy to help out with The Omega!"

"Really?" Eden recoiled, but a smile did curl her lips. She added on hastily, "That would be great, thank you!"

"There'll be a lot more folks that slip through the cracks without CORE to show up 'n guide 'em." Clover spoke up. He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms while he looked up at Lexi, who was still sitting on his table. "We ain't omnipresent, but I reckon The Omega could use a hand from us pirates."

"Can't imagine we'll have too much else to do now that we aren't waring with Xander." Lexi smirked over her shoulder at Clover, nodding her head in agreement.

"Well, this is..! This is great, really! I, hardly expected to receive so much help after all that trouble..." Eden trailed off slowly after her excited words. She glanced slowly to the side, mulling over what Lexi had just said. Really, mulling over all she had just heard. She furrowed her brows thoughtfully, and again she turned her head towards Xander. "But... If you're not going to lead, then what will you do, Xander?"

"... I'm, not really sure." Xander answered after a moment of thought. His eyes narrowed painfully, and he once more looked over his shoulder. He frowned down at the sight of all those people beneath. His empire, his hopes and aspirations, the world that he'd been promised would be in the palm of his hand for his entire life... He knew he had to let it go. But, now that he had, there was little left. His home was gone, his purpose was relinquished. It dawned on him then that he was no different from all the people scattered beneath. The only thing that separated him from the refugees was that he wasn't innocent. He exhaled quietly, and his bitter frown sunk deeper into his face. "I don't think that there's, really any place for me anymore..."

Quiet followed Xander's words. Eden had a sad look on her face, so did Lexi. I didn't like Xander, but I didn't like this fate for him either. The fact of the matter was, nobody objected to his statement, and nobody objected because what he said was true. He was a dethroned despot. His old kingdom didn't want him, the worlds he'd wared with didn't want him, and any world that knew what he'd done wouldn't want him. Even if we wanted to, none of us could say a word... Until Future stretched his arms up over his head and groaned. "Weeeell, the castle's gonna be pretty lonely now that the munchkins are goin' home to stay."

"Yeah..?" Xander gradually turned that beaten down expression of his back towards Future. His sunken in eyes and frown told me that he probably thought Future was just trying to change the subject and get away from that awkward silence, but I already knew that wasn't it.

"Yeah. And I can't be king for forever." Future set his hands in his pockets while he leaned back in his chair. He tilted his head a little and shrugged his shoulders while he made his next casual statement. "It'd be good if I could find somebody to pass the crown to."

"... You can't be serious." Xander narrowed his eyes suspiciously at Future. He couldn't help but think this was the set up to a cruel punchline; the last time he'd spoken to Future he shot a lightning bolt into his heart! Why would the old Angel wanna help him out now?!

"It's a humble little kingdom, a real long shot from an empire. But it needs a leader and its leader needs a next in line. I don't got a spouse and I don't got a kid." Future shook his head, lifting his left hand and spreading his fingers to show the lack of a wedding ring on his left ring finger. He smirked a little, gesturing his raised hand out towards Xander. "So, if you're still interested in politics, whaddaya say you come back to my timeline and stay there? I can show you my way of leading people, and once you've got it figured out I'll pass my crown to you."

"..." Xander crossed his arms over his chest, he glanced to the side and tried to hide the emotions that flickered in his tired eyes. His jaw clenched, and he resisted Future's good will on instinct. "I don't need your charity..."

"It's not charity. It's an investment." Future stated matter-of-factly. His words drew Xander's eyes back to him, this new perspective helped loosen up that shell around The Gatherer. Xander looked to The King Over The Mountain from the corner of his eye, he listened as Future explained. "I give you a home and teach you everything I know, and then you take my kingdom off my hands and let me retire from politics while I'm still young and hot enough to bag the good looking MILFs."

"... Well, when you put it that way..." Xander glanced back over the ledge again. He wondered, how had this all started again? Staring through a fence, wanting the world on the other side of that fence to be better... How did his goals get so twisted up? How had he failed so hard? He supposed he'd hardly had the right mentors and role models... He turned his head skeptically back towards Future and asked, "Are you sure you want to trust me with that? This is your home we're talking about. Your people. I could be a danger to all of that."

"We could all be a lotta things." Future didn't hesitate to say, before he pushed himself up out of his chair. He stepped forward and stood tall before Xander, who looked up at him with wide eyes. Future smiled KINDLY as he reached out his hand, and he told Xander. "It'll be a long road, it'll be hard work, and your reward won't be the whole world. But, it would mean the whole world to a lot of good people if you were willing to help them."

"... I'm not so sure that I deserve the world these days." Xander hesitated, but eventually spoke. And even though he sounded sad when he said that, he still managed a smile as he reached up with one bandaged hand and shook Future's hand. "But a good home, I think, would be good enough."

I watched with a smile as those two shook hands. I wasn't sure I'd be able to trust Xander like Future had, but seeing him do it gave me hope that some day I would be a person that forgiving. Plus, if anybody could straighten Xander out, I figured it was Future. All in all, this meeting had went a lot better than I thought it would. I guess I wasn't all that used to good news. But, from the looks of things, the war was over. Everybody had somewhere to go. A lotta people had work to do, but not Chara and I. Nobody said it because nobody had to, but our work was done. We could really just... Go home. Any problem we might have had was shrunken down from this huge multiversal scale and back into just our quaint little timeline. Recovering from my injuries, finding a new ambassador for Monsterkind, and of course our first date. I liked the looks of this future, I liked it a lot.

"... Oh, shit!" Anthony suddenly jolted, like he was remembering something. He sprung up out of his seat while Eden was patting Xander on the back and Hacker was ruffling Eden's hair and Demon was laughing at the way she glared at him for it. The four of them all looked up when Anarchy stood before them though, Demon couldn't but grimace when they remembered what had happened the last time the four of them stood opposite to The Anarchist. Anny didn't notice though, he just glanced down to his darkening shadow. "I keep forgetting, I got something for you guys."

The four of them all instinctively leaned back when Anthony's shadow grew. The shape of one of his worms rose out of The Dark before what remained of Gatherer's gang, and they all watched it, totally bewildered. The rest of us were confused too, both by his words and the creature he'd summoned. Confusion became disgust when that worm lurched forward, opened its jaws, and gagged. Several "Ew!"s were voiced while Hacker, Demon, Eden, and Xander all scrambled out and away from that worm while it vomited... Something up onto the floor in front of them. Anny scratched the back of his head and explained once his monster was done regurgitating. "This didn't digest right. I figured you guys would want it back."

Eden squinted her eyes at the mass of soggy fabric laying on the floor before her. It was soaked in black water, but underneath that it was... Pink? Eden's eyes slowly widened, a thought occurred to her. She tried to deny that thought, but as she watched that pink fabric start to move and mush itself back together, she had to consider it again. Still, she desperately denied her idea even as the shape of that body became more and more clear. She couldn't get her hopes up just to be let down again, she wouldn't put herself through that... But then the pink fabric and stuffing put Mad Mew Mew back together, and Eden's knees went out.

Eden dropped to her knees beside Mew Mew's prone body. She stared with wide disbelieving eyes at the face of a friend she'd once been certain was lost to the war, and when Mew Mew's eyes fluttered and winced, Eden had to clasp both her hands over her mouth. Everything that she'd lost; her brother, her home, so many of her friends. All things she'd had to part with and pretend she was okay with parting with in the name of moving forward. She'd kept her upper lip stiff, she'd marched forward in spite of the pain that came with knowing she would never see even one of them again. She had to remain strong in those times, because people needed her. But, when Mad Mew Mew's eyes slowly glossed over to Eden, and Eden heard a voice she'd told herself she would never hear again, rivers of tears immediately overflowed from her wide eyes.

"Eden..?" Mew Mew spoke slowly, she was delirious. It'd likely been a strange few weeks for her, just floating in a pitch black void. Maybe she'd even believed she was dead, or maybe she'd hardly been conscious through it at all. Either way, she frowned like she was worried when she saw the way Eden was crying. "Are you okay..? You look really tired..."

Eden lurched forward. She scooped Mad Mew Mew's body up in her arms and squeezed her tight, even though it wrung more of that black water out of the living doll's body. Mew Mew smiled weakly as she returned Eden's hug with a far weaker grip. Her eyes glossed between Hacker, Demon, and Xander, who all knelt around her too. She was more than a little surprised to see Hacker wiping a single tear away and Demon trying to blink the sting out of their eyes. Even her fearless leader Xander had this awestricken look on his face and a tear in his own eye. Mew Mew blinked a few times, furrowing her brows up at them in quiet confusion. "Guys, what happened..? Did we win..?"

Anthony crossed his arms over his chest while he stepped back and gave that reunion space to breath. His worm disappeared back into his shadow, and he tried to hide the small smile on his face... But then I punched him playfully in the shoulder. And he turned his head over towards me, sharing that slight smile with me. I shared my own; I was glad we all had something to smile about.

---

After that, everything was settled. We gave it a night to let everyone rest up, and now the time to move was fast approaching. I wandered off somewhere in everyone helping the refugees prepare; I was mostly in the way now that I was hobbling around on crutches. Plus, people kept stopping to thank me. I'd had to awkwardly ward off about a hundred different religious monsters; I did it better than Anny did. We should have figured all that talk about godhood would draw us some unwanted attention. Oh well, I guess it wasn't the end of the world if our fight with Errorphim ended up on a few stained glass windows. Anny'd probably tell ya different, though.

Now, I was standing back on Angel's Ridge and looking out over New Home once more. It really was a lot to take in, the past forty eight hours. Wars, empires, gods, death and rebirth... I had to blink my eyes and shake my head. I'd never been more excited to sit on the couch and see if I was still good at Paddle Ball.

"Figured you'd wander off back here." A voice caught my attention, and I looked over my shoulder to see who it belonged to. I smiled a little when I saw Lexi making her way up the ridge towards me. "You really outta say something before you disappear. Toriel's gonna turn into Toriphim if we give her any more reasons to worry about her kids."

"My bad." I laughed at Lexi's statement, turning my head forward and looking back out over the ridge. In a few more paces she was standing beside me, and the both of us were looking out at The Underground.

"... So, Undertale, huh?" There was a short pause, and then Lexi spoke again. I glanced over at her; she had her hands in her pockets. I smirked a little at her statement and how vague it was, but she added on. "I guess I see why you liked that game so much now. I like it here, too."

I didn't say anything in response to that, I just smiled. It seemed so far away now, the days that Lexi sat beside me and watched me play through that silly indie game that captured my heart. Things were so simple back then, when we were in the gang. When we were... I frowned a little, Lexi arched a brow over at me when I sighed. I glanced awkwardly to the side while I forced the words out, "Lexi I, know it probably doesn't mean much now, but I'm sorry for being such a shitty boyfriend."

Lexi's eyebrows rose with some surprise when she heard me say that. She remained quiet, turning her head forward again and looking out at the world we were now forever apart of. And after a moment of thought... She shut her eyes and scoffed. "... Bah. You were actually pretty good to me, up until the whole assassination part. Great dive, botched landing."

"Yeah... I was only a good person when it was easy." My frown didn't exactly lighten up, even when Lexi told me I'd been an alright boyfriend. She smiled some though at the sound of me quoting her, turning her head back to look at me.

"Either way, I don't think I hate ya anymore." She said, making my eyebrows raise with some surprise. Her smile grew, and as a gust of wind blew some of her long hair into the wind I had to reckon with how much she'd grown since we first met. I felt lucky to still be able see her smile at me like that. "You kept your promise. Next time I saw you, you were better. So, I forgive you."

"... Thanks, Lexi." I said after a pause. There was a relieved smile on my face as I turned my head and looked forward. It felt right, sharing this sight with her. I'd shared much of my love for Undertale with her when this all started, after all. Lexi looked out at the Underground with me, and she scoffed again with more amusement.

"I really thought you were gonna bite it back there." She confessed with a slight smirk. I smirked a little at her words too; I was glad I wasn't the only one who was sure I was screwed. And if it wasn't for Anny, I woulda been. Lexi went on, "I'm glad ya didn't. You've more than earned your retirement."

Lexi glanced over her shoulder after that, she spotted Chara making their way up the ridge towards the two of us. She turned her back to the view after that, and she shut her eyes with a content smile on her face. The both of us took a deep breath, and whatever it was that we let go of was carried away in another gust of gentle wind. Things were quiet... And then Lexi looked back over to me with a little grin. "So, do they know about your freaky monster tongue yet?"

"D-don't call it that!" I snapped immediately, jolted from my state of tranquility by Lexi's out of pocket question. My ears turned red while I glared over at her, and she threw her head back and laughed at my embarrassment.

"You're gonna be alright, Angel." Lexi assured after her laughter died down, before reaching out and patting me on the back. After that, she stuck her hands back in her pockets and started walking back down the ridge. "You'll stick the landing this time around."

Lexi and Chara exchanged a harmless smile and nod while they walked past each other. My ears were only a little pink by the time Chara reached me, and they didn't say anything. They just stood beside me and reached over, taking my hand in theirs. Then, they leaned their head on my shoulder, and I felt at peace again.

---

The morning was over, and it was time for everybody to go home. We were saying our goodbyes now, even though they were much closer to see you laters. I stood with Chara beside me, and a ways behind me Monster Kid and the Dreemurr family were all gladly waiting. To my left, Anny stood with Mako sitting on his shoulders. A little way behind him, Max and Badster were both waiting patiently. To my right, Lexi was standing with Melanie beside her and all of her pirates behind her. Across from me were Xander and Eden; Future stood behind Xander while Hacker, Demon, CORE Alphys and Mad Mew Mew stood behind Eden.

"... Y'know, I know we all just reunited, but it feels weird splitting up again." I stated honestly as I looked between my fellow members of The Fortune City Four. There was a slight smile on my face though, this bittersweet feeling wasn't all that bad.

"I don't really think it's a split up this time." Lexi stated with a shrug of her shoulders and a slight smirk. "If any of you need me or wanna see me, you know how to get ahold of me now."

"You all know where to find me, too." Xander stated with a little less enthusiasm as he pointed over his shoulder with his thumb at Future. His sourpuss attitude put a slight smile on my face, and that smile only grew when Eden nudged him with her elbow. He rolled his eyes, before begrudgingly stating, "... And, I would be... Happy, to keep in touch."

"You should all definitely stop by the farm house!" Mako stated in the wake of Xander's begrudging invitation. She grinned happily while she invited on Anny's behalf, "We never get visitors, and I bet you weirdos have a buncha great stories!"

"We've got a handful of 'em, alright." I smiled up at Mako on Anthony's shoulders; I never thought I'd see him so chummy with someone, especially someone I'd never met. This was the girl who talked down Anthony The Killer? I'd of thanked her for looking after my brother if I didn't think it would kill the vibe and make things too sentimental. I glanced back down to Anny then, smirking some while I teased. "And farm house? Sounds like you weirdos have some stories, too."

"Y'all city slickers wouldn't get it." Anny responded deadpan, giving a slight shrug of his shoulders. He did crack a smile when Lexi, Xander and I laughed a little at his terrible southern accent though. After that, he reached one hand out of his pocket, and he extended a handful of paper slips out to us. "Here, it's the URL to my home timeline. If you ever find yourself needing somewhere quiet, it's a good place to be."

I was surprised by Anny's hospitality, I think we all were. But, I still reached out with Lexi and Xander to take one of those paper slips. After we'd all taken one, one still remained. Anthony kept his hand extended, a few confused glances went around... Until Anny turned his head towards Eden. "You too, sunshine."

"H-huh?" Eden recoiled some when she heard that. She blinked her eyes a few times, before glancing skeptically between Anthony and the paper he was holding out towards her. "Are you, sure..?"

"From what I've seen, this multiverse is a dangerous place. And Angel's retiring." Anthony nodded over towards me, and we all watched him with surprise, none moreso than Eden. He shrugged his shoulders casually while he made his offer. "You're plenty capable and I'm hardly eager to get in another fight any time soon, but if you find yourself in a real gruesome emergency gimme a call and I'll see about bailing you out. Figure it's the least I can do."

"O-oh, well..!" Eden had to shake her head to try and rid herself of her shock. She smiled, and gladly took that paper from the grasp of The Anarchist. "Thank you! That's, a very kind offer!"

"I also build houses." Anny stated while he returned his hand to his pocket. He didn't bother accepting Eden's thanks, but he didn't reject it either. I immediately felt a smile curling my lips at his words though, and I looked over to him while I fought back an amused grin.

"So wait, you're the son of a god and you do carpentry?" I asked, and Anny furrowed his brows for a second... Before the realization hit him, and he shut his eyes and groaned.

"Aaahhh shit..." He muttered, reaching up and rubbing his brows with his fingers and thumb. I was trying not to giggle; had he never made this connection before?

"Anyone have a bottle of water?" Xander asked with his own teasing smirk. "I wanna test something."

That got everyone but Anny laughing. He had a little smile that he couldn't hide though, even as he looked to the side and tried to give a convincing grumble. He reached up then, taking gentle hold of Mako's ankles while he turned around. He started to walk away before we forced him to wish water into wine, waving over his shoulder at us. "Alright, I've got very important non-messiah-like things to do. I'll see you dorks around."

"Thanks again for the soul piece, ya big softy!" I called after Anny, who didn't respond with words and instead chose to answer with a loud and disgruntled noise. Mako was giggling on his head though, I figured it made her happy to see him so begrudgingly happy. Badster opened a portal, and the four of them all stepped through it. Just before it closed though, Anny looked over his shoulder and let me see his smile. I smiled too, because it looked just like the smile he used to have as a kid.

"Well, we'd better hit the road too." Lexi conceded, lifting her arms up over her head and groaning while she stretched. After that, she put her hands on her hips and smirked at the rest of us. "Maybe we should just do lunch next time, now that Xander doesn't have his own house for us to destroy."

Xander smiled in a way that was mostly unamused, and we watched as Lexi spun around on her heel. She gladly walked away towards where the rest of her pirates were gathered around the open hangar of her ship. Melanie stayed for a moment, just to offer me a fist bump that I gladly accepted. She only had one thing to say before she turned and walked away, but it made me happy regardless. "Good going, greenie."

"Greenie squuuaaaad!" I called after her, waving to both her and Lexi as they left. Once they were out of ear shot and gathering into Predator's ship, Chara and I looked forward at Xander and Eden. And things were quiet for a moment, it was a little tense. I knew I had to say something, it felt like there was an elephant standing between the four of us. But, I couldn't put the words together right in my head. My lips parted a few times, but I just couldn't get the sentence right. How was I supposed to properly apologize for murdering someone they loved? "... Hey, I... I'm, uh... Sorry. About,-"

Xander lifted his hand then, and I was kinda relieved that he cut me off. I stopped trying to choke words out, and instead I just looked into his eyes with the same understanding that he looked at me with. I remembered what it was like, seeing him through that fence by Granny's grave. When he reached through and handed me that umbrella, leaving himself in the rain... Xander lowered his raised hand, and instead stretched it out to me. "We both did things that we aren't proud of."

"..." Silently, I looked down at his hand. Bandaged and burned, just like my own hand. And I smiled a little, before reaching out and taking that outstretched hand. There weren't any rungs to reach through, I didn't think there ever would be again. I shook Xander Fortune's hand, and I looked into his PERSEVERANT eyes with my KIND ones when I finally spoke. "I'm glad you're back, Xander."

Xander smiled when he heard that, just a little. But, that was enough. He let go of my hand, and he turned back to Future. Future gave us a wave, and then the both of them walked off towards their own portal. I watched Xander go, and I wondered if Future was right to make him that offer. Then, I smiled a little. I still didn't like Xander too much and I doubted he was my biggest fan either, but I thought Future's crown could be a good fit on his head so long as those horns didn't get in the way.

After those two left, it was just us and Eden. I looked to her, and she looked to me. There was a long quiet... And then she smiled. I liked it a lot better than the look of terror I'd put on her face three years ago. Looking at her now, she hardly looked like that frightened child I'd met back then. She stood so tall, there was power to her now. And when she spoke, I knew her people and maybe even The Omega as a whole was in good hands. "Maybe you're not such a bastard after all, Angel."

Eden turned and walked back to Hacker and Demon. To Mew Mew, to CORE Alphys. The lot of them wandered back towards their people, they had more work to do. But, I knew they could do it. They'd made it this far, we all had.

"Well..." Chara squeezed my hand, and when I looked back over to them I saw that they were smiling. That made me smile, too. It was just us standing there now, everyone else had gone to do what was next for them. Now, it was time for us to move on too. Chara's smile only grew when they asked, "You ready?"

I felt a relieved tear in my eye. I squeezed their hand, and once again I was certain that I was the luckiest man alive. I nodded my head as that tear overflowed, and we both turned around to face our family. Our home, our future. My voice trembled a little, but I happily answered them.

"More ready than I've ever been."

---

I'll see you all next chapter for Season 6 Epilogue: The First Date!

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