p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"uspan style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"Epilogue- A New Beginning/span/u/em/strong/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"Slowly, I let my eyes drift open a slit. Hazy morning light traced the pillow beneath my head, glimmering warmly across my cluttered little room. Burying my face in the blankets helped to block out the glow, but failed to muffle the distant clanging from the kitchen downstairs. A moment later—I smiled. em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"it's a new day./em/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"I lay unmoving for a while, simply enjoying the peace. I'd woken from dreams of my friends, again. Though it'd been three long months since I bid goodbye to the Star Sanses, I still thought about them daily./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"I missed Dream's bright smile and his warm embrace. I longed to hear him recount another marvelous story, one with a perfect, happy ending. I missed Ink. I had so many cheesy jokes to share with him. I wanted to listen to his contagious laugh one more time. I loved how they both called me "friend." I missed hanging out with Raven and sharing the freedom of flight with another soul. I even missed Blueberry, briefly as I'd known him./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"Though I'd stopped checking to see if the portal pendant was glowing, I kept it in my bedside drawer, right beside TAMMy's circuit board. Even though neither could bring back the people I loved, they were treasures to me. After months of monitoring the timeline readouts for Gaster's magical signature, I finally made my peace with G.'s death. But even if I was isolated in my world, I knew I wasn't alone./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"Of all the things I'd lost, the soft whispers of the Maker remained. He still guided my path, even now. His voice comforted me when I was feeling down, and the memory of my friends gave me courage. I'd already reconnected with my homeworld buddies, and endeavored to make more. But mostly, I spent my days by my brother's side, watching him grow up and chase his dreams./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"In the end, it was enough for me. I was content. I was happy to be home./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""SANS!" The call didn't startle me anymore./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""i'm up," I affirmed./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""GOOD! HURRY TO BREAKFAST. YOU MUSTN'T BE LATE!"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""yep," I agreed, already kicking into my cheery yellow slippers. "i'm coming."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"After a pleasant breakfast of semi-edible spaghetti, and a stroll across town, I ended up at my sentry station. Sliding onto the worn spruce chair, I noticed the old box was beginning to thaw. It must finally be springtime on the surface./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"Butterflies drifted aimlessly between the patches of buttercups, visiting the newly opened blossoms. A few birds chittered from the treetops. I watched them as they soared through the caverns and wished I could join them./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"Their discarded feathers in the roadside slush always brightened my morning walks. I'd been collecting them, and had nearly filled a whole jar. But I didn't feel like hunting for feathers, today. Despite the idyllic stillness, my bubbling soul protested the thought of a nap. Instead, I decided to go chat with Toriel. Grinning, I hopped to my feet and headed towards the Ruins./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"Since my return from the Multiverse, I'd finally knocked on the old, mysterious doors and introduced myself to Toriel. She'd already proven to be a good friend, and I hoped to do the same. Perhaps, someday, we would meet face to face. I'd witnessed timelines where the caretaker gathered the courage to leave her cozy prison and walk free. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"Whatever HopeTale's future held, I was determined to keep Tori's spirits up. I'd send her every knock-knock joke and pie-related pun I could conceive, to make sure she never felt alone. Humming, I ambled down the snowy forest path, pausing to watch a robin pull up a worm and a woodpecker leave its nest. Just as the Ruin doors came into view—the hinges squealed ajar./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"I froze. My hands went cold. A child, a emhuman/em child stumbled through the narrow opening. emno, /emI thought. This couldn't be happening. The heavy doors banged shut behind them. emnot again...! /emThey looked up. Their gaze landed on me. I wouldn't make the same cowardly mistake twice; I had to stop them before it was too late!/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"In a blink, my soul was set ablaze. My left eye flashed teal and gold. I flung my hand up—a twinge tugged at my shoulders with a emWHOOSH—/emand the air cluttered with blasters and bone attacks./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"With a cry, the kid dropped to the snow and curled into a trembling ball. My attacks froze, hovering in midair. I blinked at the child, bewildered. Were they em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"afraid?/em Then, I finally noticed the sensation pulling at my back. My breath caught. Tears welled in my eyes. emwings. /emI glanced over my shoulder. Wings. Wings! emMy/em emwings/em…em!/em/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""where have you embeen?!" /emI whispered, too elated to feel foolish. I numbly ran a hand down the soft plumage and tried to blink past the brimming tears./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"I thought they were gone forever. I thought I'd never fly again. Yet, here they were, layers of detailed teal feathers and downy fluff. emMy wings. /emI slowly dragged my attention back to the kid. Why had the wings returned emnow? /emDid it have something to do with the human? Turning back to the quivering lump in the slush, I carefully reevaluated the kid./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"Unlike the strong, undefinable, teen hacker, this child was recognizably female, and notably petite. My guess was about seven years old. In her hand was clutched a mere stick. em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"where's the knife? /emI wondered, narrowing my eyes. Nervous and skeptical, with a blaster hovering over my shoulder, I cautiously edged closer./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"Her short, tawny hair was arrayed in a bird's nest of a knot. Tucked in it was a flower and a lopsided green ribbon. The buttercup-shaped blossom was evidently artificial, for it was as bright and blue as an echo flower. The petals were frayed and the ribbon was uneven, but this was clearly a beloved, hand-crafted accessory. I couldn't imagine the hacker ever wearing such a delicate decoration./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"I risked another step, observing the child closely. She seemed to sense my presence and curled tighter. A nearly inaudible whimper of fear warbled from the little heap. It didn't seem like a ruse; she seemed genuinely scared of me./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"I scrutinized the worn brown boots, (which were untied), and the jean shorts ending just above her scratched-up knees, (which were covered in Band-Aids). The fabric of her oversized sweater was white, with a single, light lavender band across the torso and three on her sleeves./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"But no matter how hard I searched, I found no trace of dust. I couldn't make sense of it. After a moment of tense indecision, I pinged her soul. My eyes went wide when I saw her stats. Her HP was critically low! Yet, what baffled me more was the fact that the kid didn't have any LV or EXP. She should have six Levels of Violence, by now. I glanced at her name and frowned. "Lark."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"lark? /span/emspan style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"I pondered. /spanem style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"like, the bird? /span/emspan style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"I'd heard plenty of human names in the Multiverse. This hadn't been one of them. A name usually hinted at a human's personality; what did "/spanem style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"lark"/span/emspan style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" mean? Suddenly/spanspan style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';", it hit me. It wasn't just a bird name. The word lark was a synonym for—/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""frisk," I breathed, the blaster disappearing in an instant./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"My mind went numb with dismay. What had I done!? In the Multiverse, "Frisk" was almost always the name of a generally passive, emfriendly human child! /emI'd attacked her, completely unprovoked—I must have scared her half to death! After a shocked pause, I tucked my wings away and knelt in the snow before her. Lark flinched and whimpered./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""i'm not gonna hurt you, kiddo," I soothed. "sorry about that… i thought you were someone else." Hesitantly, shaking uncontrollably, Lark lifted her head./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"Despite the fact she could obviously see, her eyes were nearly shut, obscured behind her thick lashes. A colorful Band-Aid was stretched over the bridge of her frost-burnt nose, and white salt-trails painted her cheeks. Her face twisted fearfully as she clutched her branch tighter. I tensed for the strike. But instead of hitting me, Lark merely pressed it to her chest, searching for comfort in the familiar grip of her harmless stick./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"Relieved, I smiled warmly and offered her my hand. Slowly, so hesitantly, she took it. Her icy fingers were so tiny. Her grip was so soft and timid. I'd never met a human so gentle. Engaging healing magic, I restored her HP and helped her to her feet./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""i've, ah, got some food, if you want," I offered awkwardly, hoping to take her mind off my terrifying display. "it's at my sentry station up ahead." Lark paled at the word "sentry." I shrugged, mentally scrambling to recall the friendly dialogues I'd heard other Sanses offer. "don't worry. i'm not really interested in capturing anybody."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanIndeed, this assurance appeared to calm her slightly. Even so, she kept a few cautious steps behind me as I led the way back to my station./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"Leaning over the edge of the counter, I searched for the snacks Papyrus had packed. Grabbing a warm cinnamon bun and a bag of gummi worms, I held the food out to the child. I noted her gulp. She cautiously inched forward, and with shaking hands, she timidly received the offering. Then she threw caution to the wind and hungrily dug in. Leaning against one of the posts, I watched her carefully./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""so, you're a human?" I asked, though I already knew she was. Lark bobbed her head. "i'm sans. sans the skeleton." When the child didn't reply in kind, I prompted— "'lark,' right?" She nodded, again. It seemed I wasn't going to get her to converse with me. I didn't blame her. Maybe she was just as scared of our species as I was of hers./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"I glanced up at the path expectantly. According to the script, Papyrus should come check on me about now. I waited. And waited. He was nowhere in sight. em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"the script is no longer in play. /emBefore I could dwell on this astounding realization, Lark pointed the way I was looking and tipped her head inquisitively./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""uh… the trail?" I guessed, unsure what she wanted. Lark nodded, then repeated her motions. I was beginning to think she em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"couldn't/em talk. I considered the path. "it leads to snowdin town, if that's what you're wondering."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"That appeared to be what she wanted to know. She gazed down the snowy road nervously. Then, looking back to me, she timidly handed me a gummi worm in thanks and started off. Initially, I merely gaped at the simple gift, then turned to watch Lark go./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"I couldn't sort my emotions from my logic. Last time a kid had fallen from the mountain, they'd ripped our lives to shreds. In the Multiverse, I'd learned that humans were capable of kindness. But just because Lark hadn't hurt anybody emyet /emdidn't mean she wouldn't./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"Still, my brief interaction with the kid suggested she wasn't a threat. She had unusually low stats for a human. She could only deal a maximum of 2 damage and had 15 mere hit points. She was practically defenseless. It wouldn't take long for the Royal Guard to apprehend her. But, if Lark was anything like Sparrow or Strawberry—she might be the best thing to ever happen to HopeTale! I couldn't just stand by and let her be captured!/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"Remembering the star-told story of Frisk I'd witnessed in the Space Place, I hesitated. The script had taught me I wasn't supposed to intervene, right? In its absence, it'd be even easier to mess up the moldable timeline. I should just let Lark's journey play out naturally. I shouldn't get involved. I wasn't supposed to sway humans' fate. But then again, I remembered—emthat's never stopped me./em/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanem"Go," /emforesight prompted./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"Straightening from the post, I followed Lark's snowy footprints into the forest./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanI soon caught up to her. From behind a tree, I watched her approach a save star. She tentatively ran her fingers through the ethereal light. A glowing display appeared before her, confirming her successful interaction with the star. em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;""Filled with Hope. HP fully restored." /emspan style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"My eyes widened/span. em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"hope? not determination? /emA smile tugged at my style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" Lark /spanturned to continue along her way. Curious, I slipped between the pines in pursuit./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"Just then, Snowdrake sauntered into Lark's path. Alarmed by the presence of a human, the avian monster attacked her. The battle began. I cringed as he landed a solid strike on the kid. Despite the unprovoked assault, Lark didn't retaliate. She waved at him and tried a nervous smile. Misinterpreted, the gesture earned another volley./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"Though she was evidently light on her feet, Lark didn't seem to have good peripheral vision. She was taking a lot of hits. After a few failed attempts to prove her sincerity, Lark started to look desperate. Another failed dodge. Her stick was knocked away; an icicle sliced past her cheek, sending blood dripping down her chin. Tears were welling in her eyes as she let out a cry of panic./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"Her fearful display left me uneasy. Long ago, the hacker didn't seem to mind getting defeated. They just reverted to their save file and came back stronger. So, why was Lark so scared of dying? She must have experienced it at least three times, by now. Surely she knew her HP would be restored if she just reloaded./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"Lark stumbled to the ground, tripped by an ice stake. The air filled with frozen splinters, all aimed at the child. Covering her head with an arm in terror, Lark reached the other out to Snowdrake, offering and begging for mercy. And then, I heard the whisper of foresight—/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"emspan style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""Save."/span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"My breath caught as I realized the truth. She couldn't reload the save file. She didn't emhave/em one. The star didn't say em"file saved"/em when she interacted with it. span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"If her HP hit 0, she'd die permanently!/span/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanI bolted. Pinging Snowdrake's soul gold, I turned invisible to him and leapt into the fight. Dodging the first wave of attacks, I met the second with projectiles of my own. The shards powderized mid-air. Before Lark could look up, I slid towards her. Grazing my fingers across her shoulder, I restored her HP with a surge of healing magic. Lark snapped her head up and glanced around in surprise, but I was gone in a flash teleport./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"Snowdrake soon realized Lark was harmless. Calmed by my hopeful whispers assuring him he wasn't in danger, he accepted Lark's mercy. Receiving the gummi worm she offered, he fluttered off, and the battle ended. I released my tense golden grip on Snowdrake's soul and ducked further into the shadows./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"Silently gasping to catch my breath, behind the trees once more, I watched Lark melt to the ground. She sat in the snow, smiling yet quietly sobbing in overwhelming relief. I longed to go comfort the child. I wished I could scoop her up and carry her the rest of the way to town. But I couldn't let her know I'd intervened. I didn't need the script to tell me that./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanAlright, so, she had to face this journey by herself. But she wouldn't be alone. Because I was going to keep her safe./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanFrom that moment on, I followed Lark as faithfully as her shadow. It seemed Raven's wish for me had come true: a kind human had come to my world. Through all the impositions and misunderstandings she suffered, Lark remained as gentle as a lamb. She didn't hurt a single person, in word or deed. Her kindness warmed even the most suspicious of souls in her favor./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"It wasn't long before I casually crossed paths with her again and led her safely to Snowdin. Too late, though, I realized I hadn't called Papyrus to tell him about Lark. He had no idea there was a human in the Underground. I worried where his allegiance would fall. Would he listen to his own friendly nature, or would he obey Undyne's misguided ideals?/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"Truthfully, I should have known. I had nothing to fear. The script had no control over their friendship./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""SANS?" he'd breathed in awe./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""yeah, bro?" I'd answered anxiously, brushing the falling snowflakes from my shoulder./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""IS… IS THAT A HUMAN?" he'd whispered./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"I hesitantly nodded. Lark shyly peeked from behind my legs, intimidated. Papyrus was the tallest, strongest monster she'd yet encountered. With a muffled gasp of starstruck delight, my brother was suddenly on his knees, earnestly shaking the child's hand and gushing like she was royalty./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""HUMAN! IT IS AN UNPARALLELED emHONOR! /emI'VE ALWAYS DREAMED OF MEETING ONE OF YOUR KIND. YOU ARE emEVEN/em emGREATER/em THAN I EVER—" A gasp of dismay. "Y-YOUR FINGERS ARE COLD. HUMANS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE emWARM!/em" His scarf was promptly wrapped around her shoulders, and she was swooped up and perched atop his. "YOU MUST COME TO OUR HOUSE UNTIL THE SNOW STOPS. WE COULD BAKE COOKIES!"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"Numb from head to toe, I gaped stupidly at the two as they set off. Lark's bubbly giggle assured me she no longer feared Papyrus, short-lived as the emotion may have been. She wrapped her little arms around his neck in a big hug, then tucked the ends of his scarf back where they belonged. And I overheard him ask—/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""… LITTLE LADY, DO YOU LIKE HOT CHOCOLATE?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"The problem, honestly, became emseparating /emthem./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"When she finally set off, Lark left with a tummy full of treats. Pockets stuffed with hand warmers, she waved goodbye to us and pressed on towards her goal. While Papyrus bounded out the front door to go find Undyne and convince her of the wonders of humanity, I slipped out the back and followed Lark into the Waterfall district. Together, we just might secure her freedom./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"It wasn't long before Lark encountered Undyne. She was absolutely petrified, faced with such a fierce warrior bent on battling her. But I was there, too. I pinged spears off-course, healed her, and subtly beckoned her down safe paths. Knowing Undyne, I easily concluded she was missing on purpose. Clearly, Papyrus had already gotten to her./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"Despite everything, Lark managed to befriend Undyne, too—with Papyrus's help, of course. I hid in the bushes around her house. I listened at the window, ready to intervene. But it wasn't necessary. I'd never seen my brother disobey his beloved mentor, let alone defy her!/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"His unabashed bravery, contrasted with Undyne's stupefied surprise, left me wheezing with laughter. I nearly blew my cover. If Undyne had caught me, I'm unsure whether she would have invited me inside or dueled me to the death on the spot./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"Lark made it to Hotlands. The guards, warned off by Undyne, let her pass. Soon, she and Alphys were outsmarting Mettaton, and quickly won him over, too. Muffet positively doted on the child, showering her with delicious baked goods and 8-armed hugs. Soon, Lark turned her gaze towards the castle, and I met her in the Hall./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"Lark slowly wandered the cavernous corridor, pausing to gape at the towering pillars and glittering mosaics. With an awestruck breath, she reverently cupped a crystalline glimmer in her hands and held it close, as if wishing to tuck the light into her pocket to keep. The stained-glass windows set her amber hair magically aglow, but nothing lit her face as brightly as her smile./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"I gave a serene sigh as I soaked it all in. I'd dreaded the Golden Hall for ages. Now, I beheld its beauty anew. It truly was a beautiful day. I could die happy, and for once, I emwasn't/em fated to die here. Lark playfully hopscotched across the gold tiles, giggling at her warped reflection grinning up from the floor. Then, as she rounded a pillar, her gaze finally landed on me./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""hey, kiddo," I greeted. Her smile widened. She scampered over and thudded into me with a bear hug. "it's good to see you too, lark," I replied, chuckling softly./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"From there, I delivered my own abridged version of the pacifist speech I never got to give. I explained that, since Lark didn't gain Levels Of Violence—L.O.V.E.—she grew in love. Kindness wasn't cowardice. On the contrary, by choosing to act mercifully, she'd proven herself to be stronger than steel and more courageous than the fiercest of lions./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"I'll never forget her smile as she patiently listened, nodding enthusiastically or solemnly. I wondered if these words were as monumental in her life as they were in mine./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""…as you face king asgore, the path you choose will determine the future of humans and monsters. but in more ways than one, you've already saved us all," I concluded, giving her a warm, earnest smile. "so don't worry 'bout a thing. you'll be home before you know it."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"Stepping aside, I indicated the path ahead encouragingly. Just as I was about to teleport out of sight, Lark gave a distressed murmur and reached out to catch my sleeve. She rarely made any sort of sound; something had to be terribly wrong, or important, for her to vocalize her feelings. I turned back./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""what is it?" I asked, concerned. She hesitated, fidgeting nervously. Then, tentatively, Lark pointed at me. Tipping her head to the side, in the sweetest, gentlest voice I've ever heard, she whispered—/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""guardian… angel?" I was shocked speechless. Between hearing her speak for the first time, her timid voice, and the meaning of her words, I could barely even emote. Lark saw my baffled expression and reiterated— "guardian angel."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanSuddenly, it all made sense./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"Lark attracted mortal danger like a magnet. Between her unlucky encounters and frequent missteps, she'd faced death almost constantly. If I hadn't protected her, she'd have been swiftly killed. She didn't have the power to reload or reset. She wasn't determined, just hopeful, which left her vulnerable to lasting damage and heartache./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"At any time, she could have turned back, or frozen up in fear, and been killed. But I'd been there, protecting her from hundreds of unseen threats. I wasn't the Angel of the Underground. I never was. My lost abilities had returned, but not because I was supposed to emfree/em anyone. I wasn't meant to save my world. Just one kid./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""guardian angel," I breathed, marveling over this revelation./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"It seemed Lark took this as a "yes," for she heaved a sigh of joyous relief and hugged me tightly once more. A stunned moment later, I returned the embrace./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""i guess you figured out i was following you, huh?" I asked. She nodded. "i'm so sorry i left you to face all those frightening trials on your own. i'm so sorry," I whispered, wishing I'd known long ago that she'd noticed my presence. I could have fought for her, had I known the secret was blown. She shook her head./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""no, never alone!" she quietly insisted. She looked up at me and smiled… and blinked her bright golden eyes at me for the first time./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanWe walked from the hall, hand in hand, to go find our happy ending together. This time, Lark didn't stand alone. Unaffected by the script, Asgore readily welcomed the child. I shielded the king from Flowey's sneak attack, and the king protected Lark. The human souls, which I had hidden ahead of time, were not there for the flower to misuse./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"With a shield separating Lark and Asgore from us, I got the chance to talk to Flowey alone. I knew who he was. I knew he was the lost Prince Asriel. I promised to find a soul for him on the surface, to come back and set him free. All he had to do was let Lark pass. And so, with the power of seven human souls, hope, and a single monster soul…/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"The barrier was broken./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"The deafening, rumbling emCRACK /emshuddered through the ground, shaking the cavern. Everyone heard it. From across the Underground, all the monsters came running as the hope of freedom called them onwards. And that hope wasn't disappointed./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"Lark led the way to the light of the sun. Us monsters all stood, gazing at its beauty in complete rapture… because we were free. We were finally free. Staring into the warm sunrise, with welling tears, I concluded I'd never seen anything so beautiful./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"well, look at that, /span/emspan style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"I smiled to myself, standing between my beloved brother and the brave child who'd saved us all,em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;" happy endings really do exist./em/span/p