Asgore went down to Alphys' lab. Everyone was hard at work above, packing up as much as they could carry to the Surface. Though Frisk had bought them time to make the leave as safely as they could, everyone agreed that the sooner they got to the Surface, the better. Right now, Alphys was checking over the CORE, implementing the shutdown procedures.
He found the scientist hard at work at a console, tapping on a tablet and apparently conversing with people over some voice-chat, as she was speaking with no one visible.
"O-okay, the puzzle shuffler needs to be completely off, since we don't need it anymore," she said. She paused for a moment before speaking again. "J-just make sure it's the safest and most direct layout. W-we don't need to make it hard for people."
"Doctor Alphys?" Asgore spoke.
She faced him for a moment before turning away. "Y-yeah, the king's here. I gotta go." She reached up to her ear, then pulled something out. "Yes?"
"How goes the shutdown of the CORE?" Asgore asked.
"Rather well," Alphys informed. "Since we've reduced the output to the minimum needed to keep everything running, the CORE stopped degrading. Of course, once we try to increase the output, that will begin again. Luckily, rerouting everything through the undamaged circuits seems to be keeping it operational. Of course, that just means the elevators, doors and lights as well as low-powered equipment are still functional. Everything else has to stay off."
"Sounds good," Asgore said.
"Yeah. Once the last group of Monsters starts leaving, the technicians have orders to start the shutdown procedure," Alphys continued. "It'll be on a delay, so they can use the elevators to get out quickly. But once the last Monster has left, the CORE will shut down for good."
"And there's no risk of it exploding in the meantime?"
"It's so low as to be almost zero," Alphys said. "I've asked Mettaton to not do anything that would use a lot of power, so as long as no one tries using more than what the CORE can provide, we'll be good."
"Excellent," Asgore nodded.
Alphys fidgeted with the tablet for a moment. "It's… a little nerve-wracking," she admitted. "This has been all we've ever known. And now… we're leaving it all behind. But it's also exciting. We'll get to see so much new stuff!"
"Yes," Asgore agreed. "If I might, while I know you cannot ever replicate the CORE completely, perhaps you could share some of the rest of the technology we have come to enjoy with the humans."
"I c-could certainly do that," she agreed. "And, who knows? We might be able to build a brand-new CORE on the surface."
"Well, if that is all, I must get back," Asgore said, turning to leave. "I'm helping my family pack up."
"Uh, actually, there's one more thing," Alphys said, stopping him. "It's about your wife."
Asgore faced Alphys. "What is it?"
"She came to me a couple days ago, saying that she was feeling tired a lot," Alphys explained. "She wanted me to examine her to make sure nothing was wrong."
A lump fell into Asgore's stomach. "Is she alright?"
"Oh, yes!" Alphys immediately assured. "Yes, she's perfectly fine."
Asgore breathed a sigh of relief, a weight lifted off his chest. "That's good to know."
"Yes, well, as I was going over the results of the examination, I found something," Alphys continued.
Asgore quirked an eyebrow. "Should you not tell her this? I mean, doctor-patient confidentiality?"
"Actually, this concerns you as well," Alphys explained.
Frisk was helping Papyrus pack up the stores of his restaurant. Papyrus had called just about everyone to make sure it was all done in time. That included Noelle, MK and Snowy.
"COME ON, PICK UP THE PACE!" Papyrus said. "WE NEED THIS ALL DONE SOON SO WE CAN GET IT UP TO THE SURFACE IN AN ORDERLY FASION."
"Is there a reason you're taking almost your entire restaurant?" Snowy asked.
"BECAUSE WE'RE NOT COMING BACK DOWN HERE ONCE WE LEAVE," Papyrus explained. "SO, WE NEED TO MAKE CERTAIN WE'VE GOT EVERYTHING."
"We'll be done soon, Papyrus," Noelle said.
"EXCELLENT. NOW IF SANS WOULD JUST WORK FASTER AS WELL."
"this is my top speed, papyrus," Sans said, moving boxes to a cart.
"WELL, GO FASTER!"
After another few minutes, all the food was stacked up in refrigerated boxes. Frisk wiped his brow. "That's our task done," he said.
"GOOD JOB," Papyrus congratulated. "YOU AND NOELLE CAN GO. THE REST OF US CAN FINISH UP."
After waving goodbye, Frisk and Noelle parted. Noelle had to help her family finish their packing, while Frisk went to help his family. He wanted to go home via the shortcut, but the Riverperson was loaded as it was, ferrying people back and forth, and a long queue ahead of him. So, Frisk decided to take the long way. Everyone in Snowdin had almost finished their packing, and the Monsters of the Ruins were already heading their way.
As Frisk walked through Waterfall, he went by Undyne's home, hearing the captain encouraging a bunch of movers to get everyone's stuff from all over the area.
"Come on, punks! We gotta be done by the end of the day!" she shouted. "And I need to hurry ahead to oversee the checkpoint."
That was something that Asgore had decided on to make sure everyone got out. A census had been issued a few weeks prior, so there was a clear number of Monsters that would be heading out. All the checkpoint was supposed to do was make sure that the number of Monsters that left was equal to the census.
Frisk passed through the various paths, catching sight of the Temmies moving out of their village. It wasn't surprising they were ready first, as the sum total of their stuff was made of cardboard. Gerson was there as well, packing up his shop, wondering if humans would be willing to buy his stuff.
Once through Waterfall, Frisk made his way through Hotland. The elevators weren't crammed just yet, as large groups had yet to pass through the area. As such, he went straight to the top level, then decided to go to the MTT Resort, as it had an elevator that went straight to New Home.
Mettaton was overseeing everyone packing up his resort, along with people in lab coats making sure that the CORE was shutting down properly.
"NOW BE CAREFUL, DARLINGS," Mettaton said. "I INTEND TO USE THIS STUFF ON THE SURFACE. ONCE WE GET THERE, I INTEND TO HIT THE ROAD WITH BLOOKY AND SHYREN. WE'RE GOING TO START UP A BAND AND SHOW THE HUMANS HOW MONSTERS MAKE MUSIC!"
"We're being as careful as we can, boss," a grumpy cat-Monster said.
"THEN YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO PICK UP THE PACE, BURGERPANTS!" Mettaton said.
"Oh, can we help!" two girl Monsters, one a croc and one a cat, asked.
"SORRY, LADIES. GOT ENOUGH HANDS AS IT IS. ANY MORE AND WE RISK OVERWORKING," Mettaton said.
Frisk entered the elevator, which luckily wasn't occupied, and went up to New Home. As he walked through the streets, he saw that most people were already moving, heading for the opening to the surface. However, everyone would have to wait for the leadership and a few chosen advisors before heading out. Asgore wanted to be sure that they didn't startle the humans by having thousands of Monsters showing up out of the blue. So, a small group would go first to soften the blow.
As Frisk walked, he saw Susie and Berdly with their families, all packed up and ready.
After a couple minutes navigating the busy streets, and pushing his way through a couple of lines, he reached the entrance to his house. As he stepped into the foyer, he noted that it was a lot emptier now. All the stuff Asgore and Toriel wanted to bring was already in boxes, ready to be brought by one of the last groups who would be carrying the possessions of everyone up to the surface.
Frisk went to his room, knowing that he still had to pack up his stuff. When he entered, he found half of it was already done, courtesy of Asriel. The young Boss Monster clearly hadn't been idle, packing boxes and tagging them so people would know they belonged to his family. Frisk caught him removing a picture from a frame. It was old given the sepia tone of it. Frisk could see it was of Asriel and Chara, with their parents behind them.
Asriel was looking at the picture. It didn't seem like he was about to put it in the boxes. And indeed, he wasn't. As he looked at Chara's hidden face, a surge of resentment went through him. He still cared about them, but their lie had cost him so much, he found it hard to like them. They were his best friend, but they were gone, and Frisk was filling that void.
Asriel grabbed the top of the picture in his paws, steeling himself.
"Asriel?" Frisk spoke, startling his brother.
"Frisk! I didn't hear you come in," he said, taking one hand off.
Frisk came over and stood next to him, looking at the old photo. The two just stood there in silence for a long moment, looking at the image of a simpler time.
"Do you still miss them?" Frisk asked.
"I… I don't know anymore," Asriel admitted. "I know they thought they were trying to help us, but they took advantage of my trust and lied to my face. I know they thought they were doing the right thing, but that doesn't excuse what they did."
Frisk took the photo and laid it in the box before Asriel could do anything. "Yeah. But think about this; they wanted you to see the surface. And now, you will."
Asriel nodded. "Yeah. I know that."
"While I never knew Chara, I know they loved you very much, and I think they would be very happy to know that everyone is going to be free."
Asriel nodded, a couple tears running down his cheeks. "Yeah, probably."
"Now come on, brother. We gotta get everything packed and tagged in time."
An hour later, they were done. The entire house was packed up, and everything of value to the Dreemurrs was ready to be transported to the Surface. With that done, Frisk and Asriel went down to the room the Barrier used to stand in. Their mother was already there, as was Sans and Papyrus. Undyne was also present.
Frisk waved to his mom as he walked up. She reached down to hug both her sons. "Is everything in your room packed?" she asked.
"Everything that we want brought with us," Frisk answered.
"So, how come we're all here?" Undyne asked.
"My husband and I decided that we will be with the first party to greet the humans," Toriel answered. "We want to assure them that we mean no harm and they have nothing to fear."
"SO WHY ARE WE HERE?" Papyrus asked, pointing to himself and Sans.
"Asgore and I agreed that you both have beneficial personalities that will put the humans at ease," Toriel explained.
"Who else is coming?" Undyne asked.
"A couple of the other guards, Alphys, a few civilians - Frisk's friends namely - and that might be all," Toriel listed.
"My friends?"
"We feel that if the humans see our young, and see you, especially, that it will assure them that we mean no harm," Toriel explained.
"That makes sense," Asriel agreed. "If they see a human living with us, it will tell them that Monsters can be trusted."
After a short while, Asgore and Alphys arrived, along with the rest of the group Asgore had called upon. Frisk greeted the rest of his friends. All told, there was about a hundred Monsters in this group. A couple broke off to set up stands, which Frisk realized would be the checkpoint.
"Now then, are we all ready?" Asgore asked.
"I believe so," Toriel said.
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Undyne cheered.
Frisk took the lead, speeding ahead of everyone, running through the tunnel and out into the midday sun. He stood on the cliff, looking out at the blue sky above him, his scarf flapping in the gentle breeze. His friends and family filtered out behind him.
"Wow. It's so… big," Undyne said.
"The human shows don't do it justice," Alphys added.
"SANS, WHAT'S THAT GIANT BALL IN THE SKY?" Papyrus asked, pointing at the white orb above their heads.
"that would be the sun," Sans answered.
"WOWIE! I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M SEEING THE SUN!"
"Hey, in the distance, is that the city?" Alphys asked, pointing to the towering grey buildings.
"Indeed," Asgore confirmed. "We shall be going there."
"And we'll convince the humans that we're alright," Frisk added.
"I think you would be better at that," Asgore said to him. Then he knelt down to look at Frisk more directly. "Frisk, as my son has been restored, he will resume his place as my heir."
"I figured as much," Frisk said jovially.
"But I have been thinking about it, and I believe you would serve us well if you still worked in our political system," he continued. "So, would you be willing to be our ambassador to the humans?"
Frisk was stunned by the proposition but was also extremely excited. "Yeah, I'd love to!"
Asgore pat his newly appointed ambassador. "I have no doubt you will perform your task well."
"I will, I promise," Frisk vowed. Then he grabbed Asriel's hand. "Come on, brother! Let's go make a good first impression!"
Asriel immediately found himself dragged away by his brother, down the mountain slope.
"Wait for us, Frisk!" Noelle said, running after him, MK, Berdly and Susie following.
"DO NOT WORRY! I SHALL WATCH THEM MAKE THEIR IMPRESSION!" Papyrus said, running after them.
"welp, someone's gotta keep an eye on him," Sans said, turning and walking back to the mountain.
Undyne rolled her eyes. "Ugh, Sans," she bemoaned. "Papyrus, wait up!" She ran after the taller skeleton.
"Undyne, wait for me!" Alphys shouted, following her girlfriend.
Toriel chuckled at their antics. "That boy sure looks excited."
Asgore finally stood up. "Hope he doesn't go too far."
"Knowing our son, he probably will get to the city first," Toriel commented. She looked out at the distance for a moment. "I never thought I would see all this again."
"Me neither," Asgore agreed. "I am happy that we are here at last. And that we get to see it together."
Toriel sighed. "I did not think I would ever be able to even look at you again. And now, I cannot help but look forward to the life we shall have together, with our wonderful boys."
Asgore took her hands in his own. "Me too. And… our family will be getting even bigger soon."
Toriel quirked an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
"Alphys told me the results of your exam," Asgore explained. "And… she found something… wonderful."
Toriel was puzzled for a second before her eyes widened.
"You're pregnant," Asgore told her.
Toriel's jaw opened in surprise. She laid a hand on her stomach, just now noticing that it felt… firmer than normal. That was why she felt so off the last few weeks. She couldn't believe she hadn't realized it sooner.
Words failed her as she felt so elated. "Is… is it true?"
Asgore nodded.
She chuckled. "Wow. I… that is incredible." She didn't realize she was crying until Asgore wiped a tear from her cheek.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
"Never better," she confirmed. "I just… cannot believe this is happening." She looked out again at the wide-open world around her. "To think, twelve years ago, I was an old lady living alone. Now, I have my husband back, my son back, a child that helped restore what I had lost, and now… another on the way." Her voice trembled as she spoke. "My heart feels so full, it could burst."
Asgore cupped her cheek before kissing her. "I can't begin to tell you how happy I am to have you back, and with our family growing larger than I could ever imagine."
Toriel wiped her cheeks, unable to stop smiling. "Now, enough of this. We should catch up with our children before they go too far."
"Very well," Asgore agreed. He took her hand as they walked down the trail. "So, when should we tell the boys?"
"When things have died down, or if I start showing," Toriel decided. "Whichever happens first."
Frisk continued to run, Asriel just barely keeping up. He could hear his friends behind him as he reached the trees. He gawked up at them, having never seen surface trees before. They were different from the kinds he was accustomed to Underground.
He walked through them, slowing down to allow his friends to catch up. He heard chirps and whistles from the branches, the telltale signs of birds. It was something he had never heard before.
"Whoa. They're so big," MK said.
"And pretty," Noelle added.
Frisk let his brother's hand go, walking over to a tree and climbing up the branches. He went up and up and up, glad he left his cape off so it didn't snag on anything. Eventually, he reached the top, head popping through the leaves to catch sight of the rest of the forest. "It just keeps going!" he shouted down. Everything was so big. The land stretched on and on further than he thought possible, past where you could see in the Underground.
He heard someone coming up, and Noelle managed to squeeze through with some sticks caught in her antlers. Frisk giggled, plucking a couple out.
"There's just… so much," was all Noelle could say. "I… I can't believe this is really happening."
"I'm having a hard time believing it as well," Frisk admitted.
"The others are looking around," Noelle said. "We should keep moving if we're to get to the city before nightfall."
"I don't think it's that far," Frisk said. "But it will take a while to beat our way through this forest."
They began to climb down when they heard MK's voice ring out. "Dudes! You gotta come see this!"
The five friends followed the lizard's voice, coming out of the trees, and standing next to a long grey strip that MK was staring at. It had yellow lines on its side, and white dashes.
"What is this?" MK asked.
"I believe it's a road," Berdly answered.
"A road? This?" MK asked skeptically. "But it's too big to be a road."
"Don't the humans use cars to go far places?" Noelle asked. "Wouldn't this be for that?"
"That would make sense," Susie said.
Asriel looked up and down the paved road. "Hey, I think this goes right to the city, doesn't it?"
"That will save us time," Frisk said. "Let's follow it."
Once more, they were off, heading right for the city. As he walked, Frisk took a glimpse back at the mountain. That had been his home and his whole world for his entire life. Now he was leaving it all behind to see what the world above had to offer. The place he would have come from, had his mother not fallen down.
For a moment, Frisk tried to picture how his life might have gone had he been born amongst the humans. But he didn't want to think about that. There was no way such a life could compare to the one he had. If he had been born on the surface, like all the other humans, then he would never have met Toriel and been taken care of by her. He never would have met Sans and Papyrus, or Undyne and Alphys. He never would have helped the king and queen reunite, and his friends would be strangers. Asriel would probably stay dead, and Noelle would have to suffer alone.
He might be human, but he was raised a Monster. He was a child of the Underground, and he wouldn't trade it for anything.
End