Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Doctor William Henrikson, world renowned scientist, advocate for communication, and trusted by world leaders, was very nervous.

When strange readings came in from Mount Ebott, the world was puzzled. What was even more strange was that after these readings were detected, something else was found. Lifeforms. World leaders all over were in complete confusion, unsure of what to do. It was in that confusion that Doctor William Henrikson stepped forward and volunteered to make contact.

As he prepared to make contact, he stood in front of a mirror, trying his best to steal his nerves. “Alright, come on, you can do this,” William told himself. He looked at himself again.

He was a somewhat tall individual, being a little over six feet tall, and was rather on the skinny side. He stared into his blue eyes, running his hand through his short, black hair. He preferred to keep it short, as he hated messing around with his hair.

Even though he was about to make contact with another species, you wouldn’t be able to tell from what he was wearing. William had never been a fan of dressing up in fancy suits, and preferred to wear more casual clothes. He wore a simple t-shirt and a pair of pants.

He stayed there for some time, contemplating if he was truly ready. “No. I can’t just stand here and keep wasting time. I have to do this,” William told himself, his voice filled with determination.

Now, William found himself sitting inside of a helicopter to Mount Ebott. As part of the agreement he made, the military would set up a base camp at the base of the mountain, in case of hostilities. However, they were to remain at the camp and leave the negotiations to William, only stepping in if necessary.

“Doctor Henrikson, we’re here.” William felt the helicopter setting down on the ground. He looked up at the officer that addressed him. “Thanks officer. I’ll take it from here.” The officer nodded, opening the door. William stepped out of the helicopter. He looked around, taking in his surroundings. The military had set up a temporary base camp for their current operations at the moment.

William continued scanning the area before his eyes finally landed on a path. “Does this path lead to the cave where the readings were detected?” He asked, pointing at the path. The officer nodded, and William smiled. “Excellent. I’ll let you folks know if you’re needed.” With that, William started walking up the path.

“Dad? Are…are you sure about this?”

William stopped. Turning around, his eyes landed on his son. Like his father, Micheal preferred to keep his hair short. Unlike his father, his hair was brown instead of black. Micheal’s green eyes met his father’s gaze briefly, before shifting down towards the ground.

“Micheal…” William sighed. Micheal stood there, shifting his shoes awkwardly. Shaking his head, William walked over to his son. “You’re the one who had initially said you’d wanted to go,” William said. Before he left, Micheal had practically begged William to take him with him. It took some work, but William managed to get permission to take his son with him. Now, it seemed Micheal was having second thoughts.

“Are you scared?” William asked. After a few moments, Micheal slowly nodded. William knelt down in front of his son. “Listen, Micheal. It’s okay to be scared. Just remember, they’re probably just as scared as you are,” William said, pulling Micheal into a quick hug.

When Micheal looked up at his father, the fear in his eyes were gone. “Alright, let’s go,” he said, smiling. William smiled back, standing up. He nodded at his son, before he continued up the path.

“Dad, can I ask you something?” Micheal asked. William hummed, turning towards his son. “Why exactly did you dress in something so, you know, casual? I’m not complaining, but why aren’t the both of us in a suit?” Micheal asked.

“Oh. Well, you see, I personally feel that if we show up in suits, it’ll make our guests feel uncomfortable. Instead, showing up in casual clothes will show them that we aren’t just here for business, and would like to get to know them,” William explained. “At least, that’s my line of thinking.”

“I see,” Micheal replied. William patted his son on the shoulder as they walked. It is rather nice outside today, William thought, taking in the quiet environment.

“NYEH HEH HEH HEH!”

“Uh, what the hell?” Perplexed, William turned around, raising an eyebrow at Micheal. Micheal just shook his head and shrugged. Suddenly, William heard footsteps approaching. Whirling back around, he couldn’t help but be surprised by what he saw.

“GREETINGS, HUMAN! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, HAVE ARRIVED!”

Before them stood a rather tall and slim skeleton. Papyrus, as the skeleton identified himself, wore a white chest plate that had a golden trim along the bottom, with blue briefs with a matching golden belt. These were accompanied by a cape that was a mix between red and orange, red gloves that had a yellow trim along the wrists, and a matching pair of red boots. Papyrus stood in front of William in a confident pose. Overall, the skeleton had a look to him that could only be described as ‘cool’. Both William and Micheal were speechless at the moment.

“careful bro, you might scare their spines out.”

“SANS!!!!!”

Blinking, William turned to where the new voice had come from. Out from the bushes on the side of the path came another skeleton, who Papyrus had identified as Sans. While Papyrus was tall and slim, Sans on the other end was short and paunchy. He was outfitted with a blue hoodie, where he kept his hands in his pockets, a pair of black paints, and finally a pair of slippers. From the way he presented himself, he gave off the appearance of begging more laid back and relaxed, unlike Papyrus. “How…how did you get here?” William questioned, staring at Sans.

“i took a shortcut,” Sans answered nonchalantly, shrugging.

“What?!” William replied. A shortcut?! He just got up here! Before he could ask Sans more questions, more people started showing up. Although none of them were skeletons like Sans and Papyrus, they all had distinctive features that set them apart from each other. They all, however, felt like they belonged together. Eventually, someone that was completely different from the others stepped up. Another human. Well, that certainly isn’t what I expected to see, William mentally remarked.

“Hello there?” William greeted, confused. Micheal glanced at the newcomer. A boy with dark brown hair came forward. He wore a long-sleeve blue shirt with two purple stripes, light blue pants, and reddish brown shoes.

“Hello, my name is Frisk,” the boy, Frisk, greeted. “I am the ambassador of-“

“The monsters,” William said, cutting Frisk off. Based on his expression, Frisk was taken aback.

“How…did you?” William held up a hand, cutting off Frisk’s question.

“First off, let me introduce myself. My name is Doctor William Henrikson, but you can call me William. When forms of life were detected in this area, I volunteered to make contact. While most people did not know the true nature of the individuals present in the area, I was well aware. You see, I have studied monsters and their history extensively, so naturally I would be the most capable individual to make a good first impression on behalf of humanity.”

William’s eyes darted around, his anxiety returning to him. He gave a nervous chuckle. “Sorry, I’m not exactly one for formal introductions like that,” William acknowledged with a nervous chuckle.

“No worries! You’re fine,” Frisk assured him. Taking a deep breath, William took a moment to regain his composure.

“Now then, with that out of the way, perhaps you can introduce everyone?” Frisk nodded.

“Excellent!” William proclaimed, rubbing his hands together. Frisk smiled, glad to see that William was quite eager to meet some of the monsters. Phew, that could’ve gone worse, William thought, mentally reassuring himself.

First, William was brought to an individual that resembled a large, anthropomorphic goat. “This is Toriel, former queen of the underground,” Frisk introduced.

“It is good to be welcomed to the surface by such a nice man,” Toriel said as she extended out her paw.

“I’m happy to be here to welcome you.” William smiled as he shook her paw.

“Wait, former queen?”

Toriel nodded. “I left the kingdom after some…disagreements with the king. I moved to the ruins, where I helped any children that had fallen into the underground.” William noticed that Toriel had been subtly glaring at another monster for a moment as she spoke. He simply nodded, deciding to commit that to memory for later.

Next, William was brought to what he could only describe as a blue skinned fish person. She had an eyepatch covering her left eye. Overall, she looked like a badass. “This is Undyne, captain of the royal guard,” Frisk informed William.

Undyne glanced over at him with her eye, scanning him. After a few moments of staring intensely, she spoke. “I take it you’re one that doesn’t like conflict,” Undyne said, her expression unmoving.

“That would be correct.” William shifted his feet nervously under her gaze.

Finally, Undyne smiled and put her hand out. “Ha! You’re just like the punk! A wimpy loser with a big heart!” Undyne exclaimed as she shook William’s hand energetically.

Frisk gestured towards a yellow, reptilian monster next to Undyne. While William didn’t look too closely at her, he could tell she was much shorter than Undyne. “This is Alphys, the royal scientist,” Frisk said. Alphys simply waved nervously at William, anxiously smiling. “Don’t worry, she’s just nervous. Let’s just give her a minute,” he continued, after William raised an eyebrow.

“Ah, let’s give her some space then,” William replied understandingly.

Finally, Frisk brought William to a monster that looked similar to Toriel, however they were outfitted in a large cloak. “And this is Asgore, king of the monsters,” Frisk introduced.

“It is a pleasure to have you welcome us to the surface, Doctor,” Asgore said, extending his paw out.

“The pleasure is all mine, your majesty,” William said as he shook Asgore’s paw.

“Please, just Asgore is fine.” Asgore laughed.

“Now, there’s some…business to discuss. Since I’ve studied the history of monsters, I also know about the barrier. I…know what was required to escape.” William gazed at the ground as he spoke. Asgore solemnly nodded. “Trust me, I plan to help you with that issue,” William replied. “Now, which one of you was the royal scientist again?”

“That would be Alphys,” Frisk replied, gesturing in her direction.

As William walked over to Alphys, he took note that Undyne held her hand. “Greetings, Dr. Alphys,” William greeted.

“H-Hello there D-Dr. H-Henrikson-n,” Alphys replied, stuttering nervously.

“Please, you can call me William!” William laughed, easing Alphys’ nerves slightly. “Anyways, are you familiar with SOULs?”

Alphys nodded. “Y-Y-Yes, a-as a m-matter of f-fact, I am q-quite f-familiar with S-SOULs.”

William smiled. “Excellent! That is something I specialize in as well! Perhaps we can share some of that research, along with other scientific knowledge from our two races!”

Alphys’ eyes lit up in excitement. “Y-Yes, that w-would be m-most intriguing!” Alphys said, smiling. William nodded, smiling. She’s still somewhat nervous, but I think once we get talking about science, she’ll relax and be herself, he resolved.

“Now, before we can go and begin the actual negotiations, I would like to have a look around the underground,” William declared.

Toriel gave him a confused glance. “Any particular reason you wish to see the underground?”

“Yes. I wish to evaluate what it is that your kind has to offer, in order to benefit your negotiations,” William answered.

Asgore nodded. “Of course. Please, right this way,” he replied, beginning to walk back up the path.

Undyne shot William a look. “I’ve got my eye on you,” she said before joining Asgore.

William turned back towards the two skeletons. “You guys coming?” Papyrus nodded enthusiastically.

“FEAR NOT! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL LEAD THE WAY!” Papyrus then ran ahead of William, bolting up the path.

“yeah, i’m coming,” Sans said. Suddenly, he turned around and began walking down towards where the negotiations base camp was set up.

“Wait! W-Where are you going! That leads to our base camp! Y-You can’t go there yet!” William called frantically.

Sans stopped, turning around to face William, shrugging. “relax, i’m taking a shortcut.”

“A shortcut?! You just got here!?” William responded, completely confused by Sans’ response. Sans just continued walking.

William was about to follow when Frisk stopped him. “Relax, Sans will be fine,” he reassured the doctor.

William sighed. “Alright, if you say so.” After that, William, Frisk, and Micheal started walking. “So Frisk, how old are you?” William asked.

“Me? I’m fourteen years old,” Frisk replied.

“Huh. You know, I thought you were either twelve or thirteen,” William remarked, surprised. “Anyways, that’s the same age as my son Micheal here,” William continued, patting Micheal on the shoulder. “In fact, you two should get to know each other!” he added, smiling.

“Alright…” Micheal sighed. He had a feeling his dad was going to do something like this.

“Well, I should go ahead and talk to the others, but don’t let that stop you two from talking!” William said before he began walking ahead.

“Are you sure you can really trust this guy?”

Frisk sighed. Yes Chara, I’m sure it’ll be fine. Frisk briefly glanced over at Chara. She watched as William ran ahead to catch up with the others, leaving Frisk with Micheal.

“I don’t know, doesn’t he seem a bit strange to you?” Chara asked.

He’s fine. Frisk rolled their eyes.

“So…it’s Frisk, right?” Frisk was pulled out of his conversation with Chara by the sound of Micheal’s voice.

“Yeah, it’s Frisk,” he said. Micheal nodded.

“Right, I’m Micheal.” Frisk nodded in response. “So, who’s the girl next to you?”

Frisk stopped dead in his tracks. “Wait, you…you can see her?” Frisk asked.

“What? That’s impossible,” Chara huffed.

“Yeah, I can see her. Why do you think it would be impossible for me to see you?” Micheal continued, addressing Chara directly.

Chara looked over at him in shock. “Wait a minute, you can hear me?!” Micheal nodded.

“I’m going to assume nobody else can see you?” Chara nodded. Yeah, I was pretty sure I didn’t miss Frisk introducing someone. Micheal hummed in curiosity. “Strange. Should I ask my dad?” Chara shook her head.

“I think it’d be best if we let your father worry about inspecting the underground for right now, you know?” Frisk interjected.

Micheal nodded. “Yeah, you’re probably right,” he said. Micheal glanced over at the sun. It was in the afternoon, and the sun was starting to go down. “Hey, maybe it’ll be dark out by the time we’re done. I’m sure we can see lots of stars out here!” Michael cheerfully remarked.

“It’s been a long time since monsters were able to see the stars,” Chara remarked. “If only he could see them.” Her eyes were cast downward, regret in her voice.

“Don’t give up hope,” Frisk added reassuringly. Chara gave a small nod.

Micheal blinked in confusion. “Am I missing something?” Although it was quite clear that Chara felt distraught, he wasn’t sure why. Looking at Chara, Micheal got a closer look at her. She wore a shirt similar to the one Frisk wore, however the shirt was green with two stripes in a color that he could only describe as cream, as well as a pair of brown pants. Their skin was much paler compared to Frisk’s, their hair was a lighter brown as well as slighter longer, and their eyes were red. There was something about her that gave her entire body a semi-transparent look, not enough to see through her but enough to tell that she wasn’t a typical human.

“Don’t worry about it.” Micheal, having his attention focused on Chara, was taken aback slightly. He shifted his attention towards Frisk.

“Did I do something wrong?” He asked Frisk. Frisk sighed, shaking his head.

“Look, you didn’t do anything wrong,” Frisk assured. He sighed again.

“It’s…just something personal. It’s not my place to say. Chara will tell you if they feel comfortable with it, but don’t push her, okay?” Frisk explained, staring at Micheal as he awaited his response.

Micheal took a look at Chara, before looking back at Frisk understandingly. “Of course, I understand,” he said. Frisk breathed a sigh of relief.

The three of them continued to walk forward, taking in the area. “You know, despite living nearby, I’ve never actually been to this mountain,” Micheal commented. Glancing around, he couldn’t help but take in the beautiful scenery surrounding the mountain. “It’s a beautiful day outside,” he added.

“It is rather beautiful today, isn’t it?” Chara agreed. Frisk glanced over at her.

“Not as beautiful as you,” he said, smirking. Chara gazed at the ground, flustered. Frisk snickered.

Micheal rubbed the back of his neck nervously. He felt a little awkward observing Frisk and Chara, but didn’t say anything. Eventually, Frisk returned his attention back to Micheal.

“Say Micheal, I didn’t know you lived nearby,” Frisk remarked.

“Yeah, according to my dad my family’s lived in this area for a long time,” Micheal explained.

“Interesting. I wonder if that has anything to do with how he knew about the monsters being underground,” Chara remarked. Micheal put his hand on his chin, thinking.

“If I remember correctly, I believe my Dad told my stories about my family’s history with monsters,” he added.

“Well, we shouldn’t fall too far behind,” Frisk said.

“Yeah, we should probably pick up the pace.” Micheal nodded, agreeing with Chara.

“Alright, let’s keep moving then.” The three continued walking up the path, talking amongst themselves as they began to catch up with the adults.

~~~

William managed to finally catch up with the others. “Hey guys,” he said, catching his breath.

“Howdy William!” Asgore greeted. William waved, smiling, when suddenly his face went white with shock. “Is something wrong?” Asgore asked, concerned.

Without a word, William pulled out a walkie talkie, activating it. “This is Doctor William Henrikson reporting in,” he said.

For a few moments, all he got was static. “We read you loud and clear, doctor. What’s your status?” William breathed a sigh of relief.

“I have made contact with the monster race. No problems have occurred, and I do not require any assistance. I am perfectly safe,” he replied.

“Copy that, over.” William turned off the walkie talkie, storing it. Relieved, William looked up with a smile, only to be met with confused glances.

“Sorry, I just had to let the folks back at camp know I was fine. Don’t exactly want them to come in guns blazing, thinking that I’m in danger,” he clarified. The group continued walking in silence.

“So…how exactly do you think humans will treat us?” Asgore asked, breaking the silence.

William groaned. He knew this question would come up, but he still didn’t like it regardless. “To tell you the truth, I have no idea,” he answered. He paused, thinking carefully about how to proceed. “How well do monsters treat each other?”

“All monsters treat each other quite well. We may have differences, but we’re all still monsters,” Asgore answered, slightly taken aback by the question. “Why do you ask?”

“Well, you see, humanity doesn’t exactly do a good job at treating each other equally,” William replied, sighing. “For example, some people will treat another human differently depending on things like the country they’re from, the color of their skin, or even their gender,” he explained. “If humanity already has enough problems treating members of its own race equally, I can guarantee that some humans will discriminate against you simply for being a monster. After all, that is how you ended up trapped underground in the first place.”

“So…you know about the barrier?” Asgore inquired. William nodded. “I see.” Asgore nodded sadly.

“Look, I get what you had to do to escape. I don’t blame you for it in the slightest,” William replied. Toriel made a disgruntled noise at that. “You have something to say?” William asked her, raising an eyebrow. He had picked up on some tension between Toriel and Asgore, but at the time was unsure of the reason. Now, he had a pretty good idea.

Toriel glared back at him. “How could you possibly forgive him for what he did!? He killed children! All he had to do was take one SOUL, go to the surface, collect six more, then return and destroy the barrier! Instead, he was too much of a coward.”

“Tori…” Asgore glanced at her sadly.

“Don’t ‘Tori’ me Dreemurr!” Toriel snapped back.

“Hey! Let’s not fight, alright?” William intervened, turning his attention to Toriel. “Now, I get why you’re angry, but there’s some problems with what you said. For one, if Asgore had gone up to the surface and retrieved six SOULs, humanity would likely declare war on monsters. I mean, there’s literally a base camp set up by the military that I arrived at for these negotiations,” he explained.

“As for why I forgive Asgore, it’s because it’s my ancestors’ fault that your kind is trapped down there. You see, I’m a descendant of one of the seven sages that created the barrier,” William continued. Toriel’s expression changed from anger to shock.

“Now, most of my family was actually sympathetic towards the monsters, so he wasn’t exactly liked by the family. As a result, my ancestors have lived in this area for generations, trying to figure out ways to break through the barrier, as well as passing down knowledge of SOULs and magic,” William explained. “Not only that, it was humanity’s fault for putting you in that situation in the first place. If you weren’t sealed underground, you never would’ve had to kill anyone.”

“Now, if we tell everyone what happened, I have a feeling humanity will not be so kind,” he added.

“I never wanted to do it. I just wanted to help my people,” Asgore replied. His voice and expression were filled with remorse.

“I get that you feel remorse, but society most likely won’t care. I’ll help you all come up with an alternative explanation as to how you got those six SOULs that won’t give humans a reason to hate you. In fact, that’s why I want to see the underground. I want to see what you all can bring to the table, so that I can use it to help obtain the best possible outcome for your people,” William explained.

“You have my thanks, William,” Asgore replied. William simply nodded. “Of course.”

“Say, I’ve been meaning to ask, but how exactly does Frisk fit into all of this?” While William was well aware of the nature of the barrier and how the monsters most likely broke it, he was puzzled by Frisk’s appearance.

“Oh, Frisk! Well, you see, they had fallen into the underground. At the time, we only had six SOULs, and he was the last SOUL that we needed to change the barrier, and so they faced constant danger. However, Frisk never hurt anyone, instead choosing to talk rather than fight. He managed to befriend many of the people that you see here. Because of how kind he was, I asked him if he would be willing to represent monsterkind. He accepted, as you already know,” Asgore explained. William simply nodded, processing the information.

After walking for a few more minutes, they still had yet to reach the entrance. Surely we must be almost there by now? We’ve been walking for quite some time, William pondered. He looked up at Asgore, about to ask him if they were close, when he heard a twig snap.

“heya.”

“HOLY SHIT!” William screamed in surprise as he jumped. Sans was standing on the side of the path, partially emerging from the bushes.

“careful, don’t wanna have your spine scared out of you.”

“SAAAAAAAAANS!!!!!!!!!!” Papyrus groaned, annoyed.

“Where the hell did you come from?!” William asked Sans.

Sans simply shrugged. “like i said, i took a shortcut.”

William glared at Sans, who stood there smiling. “Okay, I can understand you getting lucky the first time we met, but there is no way you managed to figure out a shortcut from where we met all the way back here, especially since you went the opposite direction!” William exclaimed, fuming at Sans.

“well, we’re almost at the entrance, let’s get moving.” Sans winked before walking up the path.

William held his fists at his side as he continued to stare daggers at Sans. “I swear…”

After about a minute of walking, they finally arrived at the entrance to the underground. “Finally, here we are!” William exclaimed, excitement in his voice. After all, it’s not everyday that you get to explore an underground civilization occupied by another race. “Alright, is everyone ready?” he asked, glancing behind him.

“IS EVERYONE ACCOUNTED FOR?” Papyrus asked.

“Hey, where’s the punk at?” Undyne replied.

William looked around the group, to no avail. “I think they’re still behind us,” he declared.

“We shall wait for the children to catch up before we descend underground,” Toriel said. William nodded.

A short distance behind them, Frisk, Micheal, and Chara were finally almost caught up. “We should be getting close to the entrance now,” Frisk said. Micheal nodded. They hadn’t seen any sign of the adults yet, and although Micheal hated to admit it, he was getting a little nervous. It’s just because we’re talking it slow, he reassured himself.

“Say, Frisk, how long were you in the underground?” Micheal asked. As they had walked, Frisk hadn’t really said much about their time in the underground. While Micheal did find it a bit odd, he did know they were visiting the underground, so part of him thought that Frisk would rather talk about it after seeing the underground.

“Oh, I think I spent around a week in the underground,” Frisk replied. Micheal nodded.

“Hey, I think I see them up ahead,” Chara informed Frisk and Micheal.

“Are you sure?” Micheal asked, uncertainty in his voice.

“SAAAAAAAANS!!!!”

“Does that answer your question?” Frisk chuckled as Micheal rolled his eyes. As they kept walking, they finally approached the others, where they were met with Papyrus absolutely fuming as he glared at Sans. Sans simply smiled and shrugged.

“Hey guys!” Frisk called out.

“heya kid, glad to see you made it.”

“Hi Sans.” Frisk waved. Sans simply nodded.

“Glad you guys finally caught up with us,” William said. Arms crossed, he stared sternly at Micheal and Frisk.

“Sounds like someone’s in trouble.”

Micheal nervously rubbed the back of his neck. “Sorry about that, Dad.”

William cracked a smile. “Relax! I'm just messing with you!” Micheal breathed a sigh of relief. “If anything, I’m glad you took your time and got to know Frisk,” William explained. “Sans was just telling some jokes to pass the time.”

“FINALLY, YOU’VE ARRIVED! I DON’T KNOW HOW MUCH LONGER I WOULD’VE LAST!” Papyrus exclaimed in relief.

“Well then, it seems we have everyone accounted for!” William declared. “Asgore, lead the way.”

Asgore nodded. “Of course. Come, we have much to see.”

With that, the group was off, entering the cave that led back to where the monsters had remained for centuries. This time, they did not enter as prisoners, but as free people.

Chapter Text

“Welcome, William, to the Underground!”

William stared in awe. After entering the cave, they had found themselves inside a castle. “Is this where you ruled from?” William asked. Asgore nodded. “Huh. I’m surprised at how it’s built right next to the barrier.”

Micheal and Frisk hung at the back of the group. “I’m surprised to see the throne room set in a flower garden,” Micheal commented as he looked at the ground, seeing the entire floor of the throne room surrounded by flowers.

“Yeah, Da-Asgore really liked gardening,” Chara said. Micheal raised an eyebrow. Did she almost call him Dad?

As he considered what he’d heard, Micheal took a glance over at Frisk. He noticed that Frisk had a strange look in his eyes, like he had been in this room dozens of times. “Hey, Frisk?” Micheal called out.

Frisk jolted, turning towards Micheal. “Yeah?” He glanced quizzically at Micheal.

“Are you alright? You had a weird look in your eyes,” Micheal said.

“Oh, yeah, I’m alright. I was just spacing out,” Frisk replied, waving their hand dismissively.

“So, I’m guessing you have a slight interest in flowers,” William joked.

Asgore chuckled. “You could say that.”

Heading out of the throne room, there was a hallway that split off. Asgore stopped. He stood there for a few moments. “Is…something wrong?” William asked concerningly.

Asgore took a deep breath. “There’s something that we should deal with before we continue,” Asgore replied solemnly. Turning to the left, he began walking down the hallway, with the others following. Wandering down a set of stairs, they came upon a room.

William’s eyes widened. Seven coffins lay in the room, each of them having a heart on them that represented their SOULs. “Oh.” William was at a loss for words. He stood there silently for about a minute.

“We’ll…make sure to get the remains to their families,” William finally remarked. Asgore simply nodded. He continued to stare forward, his gaze centered on the coffins. Oh god, William thought. Looking at Asgore, he could see that Asgore had a thousand yard stare plastered on his face.

“I…think we should just say that they all died in freak accidents. We will still mention your declaration of war against any humans that fall into the underground, we’ll just say that none of the children actually died at the hands of a monster,” William continued.

“O-Of course,” Asgore replied. A tear ran down his face. He didn’t know if he’d ever be able to forgive himself for what he’d done.

“Asgore, why don’t you go on ahead. Wait at the top of the stairs. I just need a minute,” William said. Soon, the only people left in the room were William, Micheal, and Frisk.

William stared at the coffins. Wait, seven? His eyes landed on the one with the red SOUL on it. “Hey Frisk, what color is your SOUL?” he asked.

“I have a red SOUL.” Upon hearing Frisk’s response, William walked up to the coffin, getting a closer inspection. He noticed that under the SOUL, there was a name inscribed on the coffin.

“Chara?” William read aloud. Chara? Who’s Chara? There were only six dead kids, William pondered, confused.

Determined to find out what was happening, William carefully opened the coffin. “What?!” The coffin was completely empty. “W-Where’s the body?!” William said in confusion, thinking aloud. His face was white with shock as his eyes darted around anxiously. All that was in the coffin were some strange strands that William can only describe as mummy wrappings.

“Uh…Dad? What are you doing?” Micheal stared confusingly at his father.

Getting up, William looked at Micheal. “You two can stay down here if you want. We’ll be waiting upstairs.” Without another word, William quickly walked back upstairs.

“Hey, uh, Chara? Is this…your coffin?” Micheal asked. It felt extremely awkward to ask someone if a coffin belonged to them. It was certainly a question Micheal never imagined he’d be asking, even in his wildest dreams.

Chara sighed. “Yeah, yeah it is.” Micheal glanced at her quizzically. Chara held up a hand. “Look, don’t ask me to explain, because I’m sure that Asgore will explain this to your father soon,” Chara explained. “Don’t worry about why the body isn’t there either.”

“Come on Michael, we should probably go.” Micheal looked up at Frisk, nodding.

“Yeah, let’s go,” he replied. Walking back upstairs, the two reconnected with the group.

“Alright, let’s move then,” William declared.

This time, Asgore led them down the right hallway. The group passed through a rather elegant looking corridor, with windows adorned with the delta rune pattern on them. As Micheal looked around the room, gazing at the elegant hallway, his eyes briefly went over Chara, giving him pause. She was shaking slightly, her eyes darting around the room nervously. Frisk also seemed to be on edge, as though they’d experienced something traumatic in this corridor.

“So, does this corridor serve any specific purpose?” William asked absentmindedly.

“yep, this is where i judged the kid before they went to the king.” Sans answered.

William frowned, blinking in confusion. “Judged?”

“I judged them for every action, every EXP they earned. What’s EXP? It’s an acronym. It stands for ‘execution points’. A way of quantifying the pain you have inflicted on others. When you kill someone, your EXP increases. When you have enough EXP, your LOVE increases. LOVE, too, is an acronym. It stands for ‘Level of Violence’. A way of measuring someone's capacity to hurt. The more you kill, the easier it becomes to distance yourself. The more you distance yourself, the less you will hurt. The more easily you can bring yourself to hurt others,” Sans explained.

For some reason he couldn’t explain, as Sans spoke, William felt that the skeleton was speaking with proper capitalization. “anyways, the kid is very familiar with this place. isn’t that right, kid?” Sans turned towards Frisk, winking at him. Micheal noticed both Frisk and Chara tensed up. He considered asking Sans what he meant, but decided against it.

At the end of the hallway, the group stepped to a path outside. Upon stepping outside, William was left speechless.

Before his eyes lay a rather elaborate city. The elevated path he stood from allowed him to see countless buildings in the distance. His eyes lit up with wonder and awe. “Wow…what is this place?” William asked, awestruck.

“Welcome to New Home!” Asgore proclaimed proudly.

“I’m sorry, did you say the name of the city is ‘New Home’?” William snapped his head towards Asgore.

“Why yes,” Asgore replied, nodding. William frowned.

“Who named this city?”

“Why, that would be me,” Asgore said proudly. Toriel facepalmed, groaning.

“Asgore, you’re terrible at naming things,” William deadpanned.

“Asgore’s terrible naming choices aside, we should keep moving,” Toriel said. William sighed, deciding not to ask Asgore what else he named. Asgore nodded, beginning to walk across the path, with the others following behind.

“Wow. So this is where the monsters lived?” Micheal asked. As he walked, his gaze was captured by the cityscape. While underground societies have often been the topic of works of fiction, it was completely different to be standing inside one.

“Yeah, this is the capital of the underground,” Chara replied.

“Not what you were expecting?” Frisk asked, smirking.

Micheal shook his head. “To be perfectly honest, I wasn’t sure what to expect,” he replied, continuing to look over the city. “Although, I was not expecting it to have a name like ‘New Home’.” The three of them all started laughing.

“Yeah, to tell you the truth, Dad-I mean, Asgore, wasn’t very good at naming things.” Micheal opened his mouth to ask Chara a question, only to stop when he saw Frisk shake his head. Alright, I got it, don’t push her, Micheal reminded himself, nodding back at Frisk to inform him he got the message.

As the group continued walking, they eventually ended up walking through another hallway. After some time, they arrived at a set of stairs. When William walked up the stairs, the last thing he had expected to see was the inside of a house.

“This is my home,” Asgore informed William. William glanced around, noticing an abundance of yellow flowers, the same ones that were in the throne room. Wow, Asgore really does like his flowers. “You can have a look around if you would like.”

Nodding, William took a right, walking into a living room. There was a fireplace against the wall, with a chair that looked rather comfortable in front of it. Walking through a doorway, he entered the kitchen, which didn’t seem to have anything out of the ordinary. However, his eyes were caught by multiple crumpled up pieces of paper in the trash can. William inspected them, finding them all to be various recipes for a butterscotch pie.

Walking back to the foyer, William walked down the hallway on the other side. He walked all the way down, starting with the last door. Inside he found what he presumed to be Asgore’s room. Exiting, he walked to the middle door, only to see a sign on it saying that it was closed for renovations. Not in the mood to question it, he just sighed and continued on.

As William stood in front of the last room, he carefully opened the door. His eyes widened at the sight of two small beds. “What is this room?” William jumped slightly, turning around to see Micheal and Frisk standing behind them.

“You kids have a closer look if you’d like,” William said, stepping back. Both Frisk and Micheal walked inside.

As Micheal looked around, he spotted Frisk just standing there out of the corner of his eye. His eyes looked bored, as though he had seen this room many times before. Micheal took another mental note.

Turning towards the foyer, William saw Asgore approaching. “So, I’m guessing there’s something you need to tell me regarding those beds?” William asked.

Asgore nodded solemnly. “Yes, there is a story about this.”

“Once, there was a human that fell into the underground. They were injured by their fall, and called for help. A monster heard the human’s cries, and came to help them. That monster was Asriel, my son. He brought them to us, and we adopted them. Her name was Chara,” Asgore began. Micheal’s eyes widened as he listened from the bedroom, however, he didn’t say anything, continuing to listen.

“Chara and Asriel quickly became best friends. Their presence filled the underground with hope. Our family was happy.” Asgore paused, taking a deep breath. “But that did not last. One day, Chara became terribly ill. We did not know why or how, and we did not know how to save them. Their dying wish was to see the golden flowers in their home village on the surface, something that no one could fulfill.” A tear fell from Asgore’s eye. Even though time had passed since that day, the pain was still there.

“Asriel, however, absorbed Chara’s SOUL. It granted him immense power, giving him the ability to cross the barrier. Asriel took her corpse across the barrier, bringing it to the village to fulfill Chara’s wish. However, when Asriel arrived carrying Chara’s corpse, the humans assumed he had killed her, and attacked in response. Despite the power granted to him, Asriel refused to fight back. Still carrying Chara’s corpse, he fled to the underground. When he returned, he collapsed and turned to dust in the throne room from his injuries. It was after this that, in my grief, I declared that any other human to fall in the underground would die. Toriel was outraged at my decision, and so she left me. That is the events that led us to where we are now,” Asgore finished, a few tears falling.

“Trust me, I’m aware of what happened on the surface. I’ve heard about what happened from members of my family. They tried to help, but they didn’t get there in time. I’m sorry,” William explained. The doctor completely understood why Asgore made the choices he did. The man had lost both of his children, and it was all because of humanity. “I know I can’t make up for all the things that humanity has put your mind through, all the pain and suffering that we’ve caused, but I apologize regardless.”

“Please, William. There is no need to apologize,” Asgore said. William nodded, stepping inside the room. He noticed two presents sitting on the floor. Walking up to one, he knelt down and opened it.

Inside he found a knife, one that had certainly seen better days. William inspected the knife. At one point, this blade would’ve been pristine and intricate, but now it was rather dirty. “That knife belonged to Chara,” Asgore informed William.

Putting the knife back in the box, William stood up. “You kids can spend some more time here if you want to, alright? We’ll be waiting for you then,” William said. Micheal and Frisk nodded as William walked back into the hallway, following Asgore. An awkward silence filled the room.

“So, Chara, I guess that explains all the times you almost called Asgore ‘dad’ huh?” Micheal said, breaking the silence.

“Yeah, I figured you didn’t forget those slip ups,” Chara replied. She looked down sadly. “It’s all my fault.”

“Hey, if this is about how you died, don’t feel bad. It wasn’t your fault. Neither was Asriel’s death,” Micheal said, trying to reassure Chara.

“SHUT UP! You don’t know a thing about me, so don’t say it wasn’t my fault!” Chara suddenly snapped at Micheal. He recoiled in response to Chara’s outburst.

“Chara, there’s no need to shout at him! He’s just trying to help!” Frisk told Chara, trying to de-escalate the situation.

“Sorry,” Chara replied. A tear ran down her face, and she quickly turned away from Micheal. Frisk quickly walked up to Chara, and pulled her into a hug.

Micheal stood there, perplexed. While he figured that this was a hard topic for Chara to discuss or think about, he certainly hadn’t expected her to snap at him like that. Perhaps there’s more to the story than what Asgore knows, Micheal pondered. He watched as Frisk comforted Chara. Strange, for only knowing each other for a short time, you’d think that they’d been friends for months,” he pondered. He waited a minute before he cleared his throat.

“Hey, Chara, I can tell something’s bothering you. I’m guessing that the story Asgore told wasn’t the full story, right?” Micheal asked calmly. Chara slowly looked over at him, and nodded. “Look, I know we haven’t known each other for that long, but I’d consider you a friend. So if there’s something you want to get off your chest, you can tell me, alright?” he continued.

Chara took a deep breath. “You’re right, there is more to the story. You see, I didn’t climb the mountain for a happy reason. I had a hatred for humanity. Asgore, Toriel, and Asriel took me in. Those were some of the best times of my life. I…wasn’t sure how long it would last though. There were several times I wondered when they would throw me out. Despite the care they gave me, I still feared that it would one day end, and they’d get rid of me like everyone else.”

Chara paused, tears in their eyes. Frisk put a hand on her shoulder, and they continued. “ I still hated humanity. I hated them for trapping the monsters down underground. I wanted the monsters to be free from their prison. In order to do that, we needed to get human SOULs. However, it was hard to do that since monsters needed a human SOUL to cross the barrier. They already had one though. I made a plan with Asriel. I…I poisoned myself, so that Asriel could absorb my SOUL. When he did, I was able to take control over his body. When we arrived at the village, I wanted to wipe everyone out. Kill them all for casting aside the monsters. For casting aside me. Asriel held me back, preventing me from hurting anyone. It cost him his life. He died because of my anger and recklessness. If it weren’t for me, he’d still be here.”

When Chara finished, they had tears running down her face. Frisk quickly pulled her into a hug, with Chara returning the embrace as she started sobbing. Micheal was completely shocked, but at the same time he felt sympathy for Chara. “I understand why you did it. Look, you made a mistake, everyone does. What’s important is that you understand what you did was wrong,” Micheal assured Chara.

“If you want my advice? Don’t beat yourself up over it too hard. Asriel made his choice to go along with your plan. That was his decision, not yours,” he added.

“T-Thank you,” Chara stuttered out, still embracing Frisk.

“Don’t mention it. Just helping out a friend in need.” Micheal smiled as he nodded.

Micheal eyes scanned the room in greater detail. It looked rather cozy. He looked at the two beds, and chuckled at a thought. “Imagine if the three of us were forced to stay in this room. Wonder how we’d decide who’d sleep on the floor,” Micheal said, his mind flowing with various ridiculous challenges. Hopefully, he’d manage to lighten the mood.

It seemed he succeeded as he observed Chara and Frisk breaking off. “Hm, I can think of an alternative arrangement,” Chara commented, smirking at Frisk as he blushed slightly.

“Oh, well you certainly won’t hear me complaining,” Frisk replied, smiling teasingly as Chara blushed intensely.

“Oh, uh,” she stuttered out, rubbing the back of her neck nervously. Frisk burst out laughing, pulling Chara into another hug.

Micheal blinked, frozen in place. Well, this is awkward, he thought, his eyes darting around. He had just been trying to lighten the mood. He certainly wasn’t expecting that reaction.

“Micheal, Frisk! Are you two coming?” Micheal was about to ask Chara more questions, only for his father’s voice to catch his attention.

“Shoot, we’ve been in here for a while, we should probably head back out.” Micheal gestured towards the door.

Frisk nodded, letting go of Chara before he began walking out. “Wait!” Frisk paused, turning to Chara. “Frisk, take the knife and the locket. Please.” Frisk nodded, opening the boxes and grabbing the contents out before continuing.

After they returned to the Foyar, the group exited the house. They began on another path that contained a view of New Home. Frisk and Micheal continued to hang towards the back of the group. “So, how exactly did you end up connected to Frisk like this, Chara?” Micheal asked.

“To be completely honest, I’m not sure myself. Apparently I landed on their grave, and they’ve been with me throughout my journey through the underground,” Frisk explained.

“I think it has something to do with Frisk’s DETERMINATION awakening me. I’m not exactly sure either,” Chara added. She was just as confused about this as Frisk was.

“So, you’ve been down here for, what was it again, a week?” Micheal asked. Frisk nodded. “You know, for only being down here for a week, you and Chara seem to know each other quite well. Certainly more than I would expect in that short period of time,” he continued.

“Not only that, it really seemed like you had been in the throne room dozens of times, Frisk, along with the fact that Chara was acting like she died in that corridor or something. So what’s really going on here?” Frisk and Chara both gave each other a strange look. Micheal smiled slightly. I guess there is something strange going on here.

“Should we tell him?” Frisk whispered to Chara nervously. Chara stealed a quick glance, noticing Micheal’s slight smile.

“Of course, I could always ask Sans about what happened in the corridor,” Micheal smugly remarked.

“He’s already on to us. Guess we should at least tell him so that he doesn’t start asking anyone else,” Chara reluctantly replied. They both turned back towards Micheal.

“Okay, Micheal, do you play video games?” Frisk asked. Micheal nodded. “So, you know how in games you can save at certain points, and then reload those saves, as well as just reset those saves?” Frisk continued. Micheal nodded again.

“Is this going somewhere?” He glanced quizzically at Frisk, confused by his line of questioning.

“Basically, that’s what we’ve been able to do down here. We’ve been able to SAVE, LOAD, and RESET, allowing us to essentially go back in time,” Frisk explained. Micheal’s jaw dropped at the explanation.

“H-How?! I-I mean, I heard my D-Dad talk about something like this, b-but how?!” Micheal stared in disbelief. Like he said, he had once heard his father talking about things like RESETs, but he had assumed it was all theoretical, or a thought experiment. How would someone even be able to do that at all?

“We did it using our DETERMINATION. I’m not exactly sure how, but we did. We went through several loops, or runs, trying to save the underground. As for the run before this one…” Frisk trailed off. They glanced over at Chara, his gaze seemingly asking her for permission about something. Micheal narrowed his eyes. I have a bad feeling about this. Chara nodded.

“Well, first I should tell you that Chara is able to take control of my body, like she did with Asriel. We had been working together throughout each run. In the last run, Chara…she…snapped,” Frisk explained, trying his best to ignore the lump in his throat.

Micheal could tell that this would be a sensitive topic. After what happened at Asgore’s house, he didn’t want to put Chara through something like that again just yet. “You know what, don’t tell me. Not right now at least. You can tell me about it later if you’d like, but I’d rather not put you both through more stress again so soon,” Micheal explained, holding up his hands.

Frisk and Chara nodded. “Alright, everyone in the elevator!” Asgore called. Micheal turned in his direction, noticing that they had reached the end of the path without realizing it. Currently, everyone was getting into an elevator. Good thing I told them to tell me later, Micheal thought, giving a light chuckle. Once he and Frisk entered, the doors closed, and they were off.

~~~

As the elevator descended, Chara found it hard to ignore her growing nervousness. The group was silent on their descent, giving Chara the ability for her thoughts to finally catch up to her.

Micheal had her worried. Despite only just meeting them, he had managed to deduce several details about her. While most of these weren’t too concerning, such as how he reasoned that there was more to the story of how she and Asriel died, the one that really bothered her was how he figured out the resets. The only thing he even used was how close she was to Frisk. Was it really that obvious how well they knew each other?

Continuing down this line of thought, Chara’s fears rose. If my friendship with Frisk is really that obvious, are my feelings for him just as obvious? Does Frisk already know? Oh god, how would he feel knowing how someone like me feels that way about him?!t

I don’t even know if Frisk likes me that way. Sure, he’s been flirting with me, but he did that with several monsters on his journey, and those were never serious.

As Chara descended through her mind, Frisk was going through a similar thought process. While he enjoyed being around Chara, he didn’t think it was that obvious how well the two knew each other. Sure, they were friends, but he didn’t expect Micheal to notice how close they were. Much closer than two people that had known each other for a week would be. If he was able to tell how close our friendship was, does Chara know how I feel? I mean, sure, I’ve been flirting with her, but I did that with several monsters as a joke! Does she think I’m being serious, or does she just think it’s a joke? Frisk took a deep breath, trying his best to remain calm.

Micheal couldn’t help but notice Frisk’s and Chara’s behavior out of the corner of his eye. Even though it was subtle, he picked up on how nervous they both were. In all honesty, he hadn’t thought there was anything wrong with pointing out how close the two were. He figured they were both already well aware. Well, good thing I didn’t go too far. It seems that they both aren’t exactly aware of their feelings, Micheal thought. His concentration was broken by a ding from the elevator.

“Ah! We’re here!” Asgore declared as the elevator doors opened. Snapping back to reality, William walked out of the elevator, only for his eyes to widen at the sight he took in.

“What is this place?” William asked. He was awestruck by the sleek, futuristic designs surrounding him.

“This is the CORE, William. It provides power to all the underground,” Asgore explained.

“Wait, so this is a giant power plant?” William asked, slowly turning back towards Asgore. When Asgore nodded, William’s eyes lit up in excitement. “Yes, yes, YES! Power! Ha ha ha!” William pumped his fist in the air excitedly.

“Are you alright?” Asgore asked, a joking smile on his face as he chuckled at the doctor’s antics. William nodded.

“Sorry, it’s just that this is something we can use. This is a huge asset to the negotiations,” William excitedly exclaimed. Suddenly, he had an idea. “Who built this place? I must talk to them!”

Asgore nervously rubbed the back of his neck. “SAY, WHO BUILT THE CORE AGAIN?” Papyrus asked.

“You don’t remember?” William glanced quizzically at the tall skeleton. Papyrus shook his head.

“we don’t talk about the CORE’s creator.” Turning around, William saw Sans standing behind him.

“What? Surely there has to be something, like a statue, celebrating whoever built what is powering the entire underground?” William asked. He was incredibly perplexed by Sans’ response to a rather simple question.

Sans closed his eyes, but when he opened them, the light in his eyes were gone. “I said, we don’t talk about the CORE’s creator.” William’s eyes widened, fear running through his body. Sans closed his eyes again. When he reopened them, the light had returned. Guess I’ll just have to talk to someone else.

“Hey, Alphys, do you think you could discuss some details about the CORE?” William whirled around, facing Alphys. Her eyes went wide.

“W-Well…” She looked up at Undyne, who gave her a reassuring smile. “Y-Yes, I believe I can,” Alphys said, stepping forward.

“Excellent! I look forward to our discussion!” William said. The group began walking again, making their way through the core.

“What the hell was that with Sans?!” Micheal asked, turning towards Chara and Frisk. From what he’d seen of Sans, Sans was mostly laid back. He didn’t really do a lot, and most people would describe him as lazy. However, his reaction to the question Micheal’s father asked perplexed him. It seemed so…out of character for Sans.

Chara and Frisk seemed slightly shocked. “He’s done stuff like that before,” Frisk explained.

“The best way I could put it is that Sans is…well, different. However, I’ve never seen him say anything about the CORE, or its creator,” Chara explained.

“So, who made the CORE?”

“I believe it was someone by the name of…? You know, I don’t remember,” Chara said.

“What’s strange is that there’s nothing mentioning who made the CORE anywhere,” Frisk added. “There’s nothing in history books, there’s no statues, or anything named after them. It’s as though the creator just…ceased to exist.”

“Wow. That’s…honestly kinda creepy,” Micheal said. “Well, I’m sure my Dad will figure out a way to use this place in his negotiations.” Micheal glanced at his dad as he talked with Alphys. He was confident his father was doing quite well.

“So, Alphys, since you’re the royal scientist, I’m assuming you have a good understanding about how the CORE operates?” William inquired.

Alphys nodded. “Y-Yes, it is a p-part of my j-job to make sure t-that the CORE is r-running,” Alphys stammered. Despite William being a fellow scientist, Alphys was still rather nervous around him.

“Speaking of, what type of power plant is this exactly? You see, on the surface, humans have various means of getting power, such as solar panels, hydroelectric plants, nuclear power plants, and a few others. What exactly is the CORE? Is it a nuclear plant?” William continued. While he knew that several options on the surface wouldn’t be possible in the underground, the CORE still had a few potential options for how it generated power. He’d never seen anything like the CORE before, so he couldn’t compare it to any other power plants he’s seen in the past.

“O-Oh! Well, y-you see, the CORE utilizes geothermal e-energy,” Alphys explained.

“Really? Now that’s something that’s incredibly rare on the surface,” William commented. “Could you explain how it works?”

“O-Of course! The CORE is actually s-situated in Hotland, a-and utilizes the h-heat from the lava! Ice is s-sent over from Snowdin, w-where it travels downstream from Waterfall u-until it reaches the CORE, providing c-cooling!” Alphys explained excitedly. William watched how her eyes had lit up as she explained the process. He smiled, glad to see Alphys enjoying herself.

“So, do you think it would be possible to send energy generated by the CORE up to the surface?” William asked.

“Y-Yea, in fact, the CORE has been generating excess e-energy that is unused b-by the underground!” Alphys replied.

William beamed in excitement. “This is incredible!” he proclaimed. “With the energy that your kind could provide to the surface from the CORE, this is something that will be an incredible bargaining chip in the negotiations!”

“Really?” Asgore inquired. William nodded.

“People are pretty desperate to get more energy, and if the CORE is already generating excess energy that’s going unused, all of that can be provided to humanity, assuming they come to an agreement with you,” William excitedly explained.

“Thank you for your assistance, William. Without you, I doubt we would’ve recognized how valuable the CORE is for negotiations,” Asgore said.

William smiled. “The pleasure is all mine.” The group approached the CORE’s entrance at last. Heading out, William noticed a building that reminded him of a hotel in front of them. William’s suspicions were confirmed as the group entered the lobby. He spotted a sign that said ‘MTT Resort’ on it.

“What does MTT stand for?” William asked. “Something tells me it’s not a Star Wars reference.”

“MTT s-stands for Mettaton,” Alphys answered. William looked at the fountain in the middle of the room. It depicted an odd, rectangular looking figure with wheels instead of legs. For whatever reason, the water coming out of the fountain was spraying on the carpet around it. “Is that Mettaton?” William asked, gesturing towards the statue. Alphys nodded.

“Mettaton i-is a robot I made to e-entertain the underground,” Alphys explained. “It’s how I-I became the r-royal scientist. That fountain h-has his old body on it, a-as I recently built h-him a new one.”

“Damn, that’s impressive Alphys!” William remarked.

“O-Oh…it w-was n-nothing.” Alphys smiled shyly at his praise.

“Nonsense! A robot like that is a fantastic achievement! Don’t forget about the artificial intelligence you made for it too!” William assured Alphys.

“W-Well, you see, I-I didn’t make an a-artificial intelligence,” Alphys replied nervously.

“Don’t tell me that you killed a kid and stuffed their body inside him,” William remarked dryly.

The color in Alphys’ face drained. “N-NO! I-I, I w-would n-n-never…”

Suddenly, Undyne marched up to William, her gaze filled with burning rage. “Don’t you DARE accuse her of something like that, punk!” Undyne snarled. Summoning a spear, she pointed it at William.

William’s hands flew up into the air. “Woah woah woah! Calm down! I-I didn’t actually accuse Alphys of that! It was just a reference!” William frantically exclaimed. Micheal watched the scene, doing his best to keep himself from laughing hysterically.

Undyne put the spear down. “Oh, uh, sorry about that,” she apologized.

“No no, it’s my fault. I shouldn’t have said that. It’s not like you guys would’ve gotten the reference anyway,” William explained. “Anyways, what were you saying about Mettaton?”

“Well, Mettaton i-is actually controlled b-by a ghost,” Alphys explained.

“Oh, alright. Still, it’s awesome that you made him!” William said.

As the rest of the group walked further from the fountain, Micheal finally lost control. He began laughing hysterically, and although Chara and Frisk were snickering at first, they began laughing as well.

“I can’t believe your dad made a Five Night at Freddy’s reference there!” Frisk remarked, smiling.

“I know, right? That was absolutely hilarious!” Micheal added, his laughter finally dying down.

“Well, I’m glad that your dad was able to find a way to use the CORE to benefit monsterkind,” Chara said.

“That’s my dad for you.” Micheal smiled with pride.

Micheal took a closer look at the fountain. He noticed a plaque with an inscription on it. “Royal memorial fountain…Mettaton added last week?!” Micheal read aloud. Eyes wide, he glanced over at Chara and Frisk.

Chara groaned, crossing her arms. “I don’t want to talk about it.” Micheal looked at Frisk, raising an eyebrow.

“We already went through this when we saw the fountain the first time,” Frisk explained. Micheal nodded, and the three of them returned to the group.

Exiting the MTT Resort, the group began traveling through the region known as Hotland. One of the first things of interest William saw was a spider bake sale. Walking up to it, he noticed a sign.

“Spider Bake Sale. All proceeds go to real spiders. Food made by spiders, for spiders, of spiders,” William read aloud. His eyes widened at the last part. “Wait a minute, food made of spiders, that was made by spiders, and is consumed by spiders. Isn’t that cannibalism?”

“Now that he mentions it, he does have a point,” Chara remarked. Frisk and Micheal both chuckled.

As the group traveled, it became quite obvious to William why this region was known as Hotland. There was lava all over the place, and it was constantly hot. At one point the group passed by the outside of the CORE, which William had stopped and stared at for a bit. The CORE’s exterior was an impressive sight after all, so it’s not like anyone could blame him.

Something that had stood out to him were what he could only describe as television sets. For some reason, there seemed to be a few around Hotland. “D-Don’t worry about it,” Alphys had told him when he asked.

“There sure are a lot of puzzles here,” William commented. They had passed by several puzzles on their journey through Hotland. Thankfully, all of the puzzles were already solved.

“Yes. Most of these puzzles were made with the intention of slowing down humans, but puzzles are also a part of monsterkind,” Asgore explained.

“I suppose that makes sense. You feared that humanity would invade, and decided to create ways to slow them down,” William observed. I wonder if monsters have to go through puzzles in order to get to places, such as work or school, William pondered.

Another thing William noticed was that there seemed to be a good amount of elevators in Hotland. Sure, elevators aren’t exactly unusual, but you usually don’t see a bunch all over the place. Not to mention that the elevators were out in the open, rather than a building. That’s not to say that there weren’t any elevators outdoors anywhere, as William could remember seeing some, but they were quite rare, and certainly not something William expected to see in the underground.

After trekking through Hotland for some time, William spotted a large, white building up ahead. “What is that?” William asked. While Hotland had some strange things, this building was by far the strangest thing that William had seen. It stood out in stark contrast to its surroundings.

“Oh! T-That would be t-the Lab!” Alphys informed William.

“Wait, that’s where you work?” Alphys nodded. William hadn’t expected Hotland to be where the royal scientist did their work, but he supposed that it was close to the CORE.

The group arrived at the entrance to the Lab. Alphys opened the door, heading inside with Undyne right behind her. Soon, the rest of the group followed, entering the Lab. As he stepped inside, William felt excitement inside, wondering what sort of scientific advancements the Lab had to offer.

Chapter Text

Entering the Lab, William looked around. It was a lot smaller than he had expected it to be. His eyes casted over what looked to be two escalators on the sides, indicating there was a second floor. He noticed a sign next to a door that he guessed indicated it was a restroom.

“So, this is your lab? It’s smaller than I expected.” William’s eyes wondered the room. Looking over, he noticed Alphys looked exceptionally nervous. “Hey, is something wrong?” he asked concerningly. He wasn’t sure why Alphys was acting up.

Undyne, noticing Alphys trembling, knelt down and pulled her into an embrace. “Hey, it’s alright to tell him the truth. You told the rest of us the truth, and we’re still here for you,” Undyne reassured Alphys.

“Alphys, I can take him down there if you want,” Frisk added. Alphys looked at Frisk and nodded. William frowned, blinking in confusion.

Letting go of Undyne, Alphys walked over to the door with the restroom sign, opening. “T-This will take you t-to the true lab,” Alphys informed William. “F-Frisk will l-lead the way.”

“Are you ready, William?” Frisk asked. William looked at Frisk, then back at the door. He had a feeling that there was something dark down there, but if Alphys thought he needed to see it, then so be it.

“Alright, let’s go.” William nodded, following Frisk.

William and Frisk entered an elevator, with Micheal following as well. Frisk pressed a button, and they began their descent. After a short time, the elevator dinged, and the doors opened. Stepping out, William noticed that the room he was in was rather dark, giving off the feeling of an abandoned area. Well, this is rather spooky.

“Welcome to the true lab,” Frisk announced.

“Well, best to not keep standing around here,” William said. With that, he began walking down the hallway, with Micheal and Frisk following. As he walked, William’s attention was grabbed by a panel on the wall. Walking up to it, he activated it.

“ENTRY NUMBER 1. This is it. Time to do what the King has asked me to do. I will create the power to free us all. I will unleash the power of the SOUL,” William read aloud. Guess that’s why this is called the true lab then. This is where the real work took place, he thought. Continuing on, he noticed more panels.

“ENTRY NUMBER 2. The barrier is locked by SOUL power. Unfortunately, this power cannot be recreated artificially. SOUL power can only be derived from what was once living. So, to create more, we will have to use what we have now…the SOULs of monsters.”

“ENTRY NUMBER 3. But extracting a SOUL from a living monster would require incredible power. Besides being impractical, doing so would instantly destroy the SOUL’s host. And, unlike the persistent SOULs of humans, the SOULs of most monsters disappear immediately upon death. If only I could make a monster’s SOUL last…” It would be a lie to say that William wasn’t intrigued by the work Alphys was doing down here, however deep down, there was a sinking feeling inside him.

“Say Frisk, you’ve been down here before, right? Did you read all of these?” William asked. Frisk nodded.

“I can give you a summary about them if you’d like!” Frisk offered. William shook his head.

“I appreciate the offer, but I’d rather see the entries for myself,” he replied.

“Eh, I’ll probably just ask Frisk to give me a summary, but suit yourself Dad.” Micheal shrugged.

Continuing forward, William came upon another panel. “ENTRY NUMBER 5. I’ve done it. Using the blueprints, I’ve extracted it from the human SOULs. I believe this is what gives their SOULs the strength to persist after death. The will to keep living…the resolve to change fate. Let’s call this power, ‘DETERMINATION’.” William looked at the number again to make sure he was reading it right. “Wait, number five? What happened to number four?” he asked, perplexed.

“Oh, yeah, not all the entries are placed around in numerical order,” Frisk mentioned. “Don’t ask me, I’m not sure why this is either.”

William, Micheal, and Frisk arrived in a room with a vending machine. “Hey, I’m going to go up this way, you guys can wait here,” William said, pointing to the upper left door. Frisk and Micheal nodded.

Walking into another hallway, William spotted another entry. “ENTRY NUMBER 6. ASGORE asked everyone outside the city for monsters that had ‘fallen down’. Their bodies came in today. They’re still comatose...and soon, they’ll all turn into dust. But what happens if I inject ‘DETERMINATION’ into them? If their SOULS persist after they perish, then…freedom might be closer than we all thought.” Well, that certainly isn’t exactly comforting.

Continuing forward, he arrived in a room with tables against the wall. It reminded him of some sort of operating room. “ENTRY NUMBER 9. Things aren’t going well. None of the bodies have turned into dust, so I can’t get the SOULs. I told the families that I would give them the dust back for the funerals. People are starting to ask me what’s happening. What do I do?” Poor Alphys, William thought sympathetically. He felt bad that Alphys had to deal with all of these things all on her own. Part of him had a feeling that things were only going to get worse.

Having ended up at a dead end, William walked back to where he came from. Frisk and Micheal were still there, and this time, he went in the door in the middle, which a sign told him led to the power room.

In the hallway, he found two more entries. “ENTRY NUMBER 8. I’ve chosen a candidate. I haven’t told ASGORE yet, because I want to surprise him with it. In the center of his garden, there’s something special. The first golden flower, that grew before all the others. The flower from the outside world. It appeared just before the queen left. I wonder, what happens when something without a SOUL gains the will to live?”

“ENTRY NUMBER 18. The flower’s gone,” William read, chills running down his spine. He wasn’t entirely sure what to make of those two entries, but he made sure to keep them in mind for the future.

Walking back out, he passed by Frisk and Micheal. “Hey Dad, are you alright?” Micheal asked. He had noticed his father seemed a little shaken when he walked in.

“Oh! Uh, yeah! Sorry, it was just the entries I read in there, that’s all.” William waved his hand dismissively, giving a nervous chuckle.

He continued up the right doorway, ending up in a large room with beds. He noticed some entries scattered around. Before he looked at the entries, he decided to check out what was in the room in the bottom right corner.

Entering it, William noticed several yellow flowers, like the ones he had seen in Asgore’s house and garden. He also noticed some mirrors on the walls, along with two entries. “ENTRY NUMBER 7. We’ll need a vessel to wield the monster SOULs when the time comes. After all, a monster cannot absorb the SOULs of other monsters. Just as a human cannot absorb a human SOUL. So then, what about something that’s neither human nor monster?” Now the eighth and eighteenth entries were beginning to make a bit more sense.

“ENTRY NUMBER 10. Experiments on the vessel are a failure. It doesn’t seem to be any different from the control cases. Whatever, they’re a hassle to work with anyway. The seeds just stick to you, and won’t let go…”

Heh, I guess Alphys isn’t one to garden, William thought, chuckling to himself.

Returning to the room with all the beds, William began reading the entries in the room. “ENTRY NUMBER 12. Nothing is happening. I don’t know what to do. I’ll just keep injecting everything with ‘DETERMINATION’. I want this to work.”

“ENTRY NUMBER 13. One of the bodies opened its eyes.” Spooky.

“ENTRY NUMBER 14. Everyone that had fallen down…has woken up. They’re all walking around and talking like nothing is wrong. I thought they were goners…?” Oh dear. William had a bad feeling in his gut. He was pretty sure this didn’t have a happy ending.

Heading through the doorway at the top of the room, William entered another hallway. Taking a right, he entered a room that looked like it controlled the ventilation. He noticed a single entry. “ENTRY NUMBER 11. Now that Mettaton's made it big, he never talks to me anymore…except to ask when I’m going to finish his body. But I’m afraid if I finish his body, he won't need me anymore…then we’ll never be friends ever again. Not to mention, every time I try to work on it, I just get really sweaty…”

William’s heart sank at how lonely Alphys was. She didn’t really have many friends. That’s something that’s going to change.

Exiting the room, William walked down the hallway, spotting two entries. He walked up to the first. “ENTRY NUMBER 15. Seems like this research was a dead end. But at least we got a happy ending out of it…? I sent the SOULS back to ASGORE, returned the vessel to his garden, and I called all of the families and told them everyone’s alive. I’ll send everyone back tomorrow. :)” William chuckled at the smiley face Alphys put on the end.

Slowly, he approached the next entry. William felt a sense of dread inside. “ENTRY NUMBER 16. No No NO NO NO NO NO.” William jerked away from the entry. God, poor Alphys…

Entering the next room, William’s eyes widened. In the center of the room was a large contraption that resembled a giant deer skull, with hoses attached to it. There was a sign on the upper left wall. “DT Extraction Machine,” William read. “So, that’s where Alphys got all the DETERMINATION she used in her experiments from.”

Entering the hallway on the left, William was perplexed by the sight of multiple fridges in the room. Shrugging, he began reading the three entries in the room. “ENTRY NUMBER 19. The families keep calling me to ask when everyone is coming home. What am I supposed to say? I don’t even answer the phone anymore.”

His heart sank for Alphys. While she was no doubt a fantastic scientist and a passionate person, she was also incredibly shy, and didn’t deserve to go through something like this.

“ENTRY NUMBER 20. ASGORE left me five messages today. Four about everyone being angry, one about this cute teacup he found that looks like me. Thanks Asgore.” William couldn’t help but chuckle at the last part.

“ENTRY NUMBER 21. I spend all my time at the garbage dump now. It’s my element.” Alphys, William thought sympathetically. As someone who was definitely more of a strange individual, he understood what it felt like to feel like there was something wrong with them. He hated that Alphys had to deal with that.

Heading back to the DT Extractor room, William went up the doorway in the upper right. There, he entered a room with a TV inside. He noticed another entry. “ENTRY NUMBER 4. I’ve been researching humans to see if I can find any info about their SOULS. I ended up snooping around the castle…and found these weird tapes. I don’t feel like ASGORE’s watched them…I don’t think he should.”

Looking back towards the TV, William noticed five tapes sitting in a box. Picking the first one up, he put it in, and pressed play.

~~~

“Man, this place is kinda creepy.” Micheal’s eyes darted around the room nervously. The three of them had stayed in the same room as before, waiting for William to come back.

“Yeah, this place is kinda spooky,” Frisk agreed. “Although, with you here, it’s much better,” he added, turning towards Chara with a smug smile.

“W-What? Uh, I-I…” Chara stuttered, flustered. Her face began glowing red. Frisk started laughing.

Micheal groaned, gazing up at the ceiling. “Jeez, get a room, you two,” he muttered, rolling his eyes. Looking back down, he noticed both Frisk and Chara staring at him, their faces red. Shit. Looks like I wasn’t quiet enough.

Micheal rubbed the back of his neck as his eyes darted around anxiously. Finally, they landed on the door to the power room. “Uh, I, uh, oh hey what’s in here!” Micheal nervously said, rushing through the door. Inside, he noticed two panels, each holding an entry. Well, since I’m here, I might as well read them, he reasoned.

“A flower from the surface…” As Micheal read the entries, his mind thought back to the story of Chara and Asriel. While sure, Asriel was supposed to be dead, but so was Chara. Perhaps Asriel isn’t completely gone…

“Hey.”

Micheal jumped, spinning around to see Frisk standing behind him. “Frisk?! What are you doing here?” he asked, failing to hide his shock at his presence.

“I just came to, uh, check on you, heh,” Frisk replied. He looked around quickly, before leaning closer to Micheal. “Be honest with me, how obvious is it?”

“How obvious is what, your feelings for Chara?” Micheal asked, Frisk’s eyes widening. “I mean, you’ve been flirting with her quite a lot, so it seems pretty obvious to me,” he continued. “I’d be surprised if she hasn’t picked up on it.”

“Well, I did a lot of flirting in the underground,” Frisk admitted. “It wasn’t serious! It was mostly just a joke,” he hastily added when Micheal gave him a quizzical glance. “I’m not sure if Chara thinks I’m being serious, or if she thinks it’s just a joke.”

“Well, there’s really only one way to find out,” Micheal replied. Frisk’s face went bright red. “Let’s just head back out for now,” Micheal responded, rubbing the back of his neck.

Walking out of the power room, Frisk and Micheal met back up with Chara. “So, what was that about a flower in those entries?” Micheal asked. Frisk and Chara looked at each other knowingly. “Is it who I think it is? Is the flower…”

“Asriel? Yes.” Chara nodded, sighing.

“I mean, if you’re here, I guess that makes sense,” Micheal responded, nodding.

“Yeah, it’s a bit of a long story. He’s been going by Flowey,” Frisk added. Micheal smirked.

“Guess he inherited some of his father’s naming abilities.” Frisk and Chara burst out laughing, with Micheal unable to resist.

“Well, he isn’t exactly the same as he was,” Chara commented. Micheal raised an eyebrow.

“What do you mean?” I mean, I get that he’s a flower, but how would that change who he is?

“He says he doesn’t have a SOUL, and so he can’t feel anything,” Frisk explained.

“Wait, if he doesn’t have a SOUL, how could he even come back to life?” Frisk shrugged.

Silence filled the room. “Hey Chara,” Micheal began. Chara looked over at him, humming in confusion. “You said you are able to take control over Frisk’s body, right?” he asked.

“Yeah. I can demonstrate, if that’s alright with Frisk,” Chara replied. Frisk nodded. Chara disappeared. Frisk closed his eyes. When he opened them, his eyes were now glowing red.

“Hey,” Chara said.

“Wow,” Micheal gasped, his eyes widened. “Wait, so what about Frisk then?”

“Right here!” Next to Chara, Frisk appeared in a similar ghost form to how Chara had appeared.

“Alright Frisk, the demonstration is done,” Chara said. Closing their eyes again, they reopened back to Frisk’s original brown eyes.

“Pretty neat, right?” Chara asked, appearing next to Frisk again.

“That is pretty cool.” Micheal nodded in agreement.

Micheal glanced at the door his father had entered. “Well, hopefully my Dad doesn’t take too much longer.”

~~~

As the last tape ended, William stood still. His face was still white with shock, his eyes widened. It was hard for him to wrap his head around.

He continued standing in his shocked state for about two minutes. He still couldn’t believe it. He couldn’t believe that one of the greatest tragedies to ever befall monsterkind was a plan. Chara’s death was planned. She and Asriel planned to free everyone.

But the plan went terribly wrong. The entire thing was a tragedy from the very beginning, even before the plan went awry. He couldn’t help but wonder how Chara felt about her life, given that she had felt that it was better for her to give her life to try and free monsters.

Snapping back to his senses, William realized he had been spending far too much time here. As he walked back to the power room, a thought occurred to him. Wait, I never saw entry number seventeen. Although the entries had been out of order, he had kept track of the numbers. Seventeen was not one of them. I’ll worry about it later. Shoving that thought aside, William continued onward.

Arriving in the power room entrance, he noticed Frisk and Micheal were both still there. “You finished, Dad?”

“Yes, let’s go,” William replied. Walking back through the halls, they arrived at the elevator. Getting inside, William pressed a button, sending the elevator back up.

Arriving back at the top floor, William, Micheal, and Frisk walked back into the main room. “O-Oh! You’re b-back I see,” Alphys stuttered. She tapped her hands together nervously.

Walking up to Alphys, William knelt down in front of her. “So…now you know the t-truth about me…” Alphys said solemnly. Before she could continue speaking, William pulled her into a hug.

“W-What?!” Alphys stuttered, surprised. Letting go, William looked her in the eyes.

“After everything you went through, I figured you could use a hug,” he remarked.

“N-No, it’s my f-fault anyways,” she muttered, looking down at the ground.

“Alphys, listen to me. Nothing that happened down there was your fault.” Alphys slowly looked up. “You had no idea that any of this would happen. You were scared and didn’t know what to do, but that doesn’t mean it was your fault,” William explained.

“Yeah, Alph, William’s right.” Kneeling beside Alphys, Undyne wrapped her arm around her. “You had no way of knowing what was gonna happen. Sure, it may not have turned out like you expected, but they’re still alive now! Don’t beat yourself up over things you can’t control, alright?” Undyne assured her.

“Alphys, it’s clear to me that you are a very passionate person. In fact, I would like to offer you a place in my lab on the surface,” William said.

Alphys stared at William, wide eyed. “R-Really? You w-want…m-me?” she stuttered. William nodded.

“Of course. It would be a pleasure to work alongside…a friend,” he continued.

“T-Thank you.” Alphys, tears in her eyes, pulled Undyne into a hug. William smiled at the sight.

“Dad, I thought we were here to negotiate, not for you to hire people.” Micheal sighed sarcastically. William laughed. Frisk and Chara both laughed as well, with Micheal chuckling at his own joke.

“Alright, Alphys, is there anything we need to see in the Lab?” William asked. Alphys shook her head. “Alright, guess that means we can move on then.”

The group exited the Lab, making their way through the last bit of Hotland. As they neared the exit, they passed another sentry station with snow on the roof. Don’t question it, don’t question it, William mentally reminded himself, trying his best to reign in his frustration and confusion. He found it significantly easier to do than it had been with the other sentry station they had passed by in Hotland earlier.

Exiting Hotland, William looked around at the new environment he had entered. There was plenty of water around, and several plants seemed to have a blue glow to them. Everything else, on the other hand, was rather dark in color, which combined with the water and blue glow, created a rather tranquil landscape.

“Where are we?” William asked, still taking in the sights around him.

“Welcome to Waterfall,” Asgore answered. William nodded, continuing to look around. Behind him was a neon sign that read ‘WELCOME TO HOTLAND!’ on it.

Continuing forward, they began crossing a bridge over a river. Looking at the river, William noticed chunks of ice flowing down it. “What’s with the ice in the river?”

“O-Oh! That ice is being sent to the CORE to c-cool it!” Alphys explained.

“Neat,” he replied.

Heading through a tunnel, William turned around, gazing up at the large rock formation they had exited. He could see the glow of lava from Hotland in the sky.

“This is where I fought the kid,” Undyne commented, staring up at the rock formation.

“Ah. I see. The place does look cool,” William remarked, feeling a little awkward. He wasn’t exactly sure what to really say to Undyne after that. Undyne nodded slightly, continuing to stare. After a few moments, she began walking ahead.

“So, this is where you fought Undyne, huh?” Micheal asked. Frisk tensed up, nodding.

“Is everything alright?” Micheal asked concerningly. Frisk simply looked down at the ground.

“Undyne was rough,” Chara said. “She gave us a pretty tough fight, and we struggled with it. In fact, we never really truly figured it out until this last run,” she explained.

“Oh.” Looking at Frisk, Micheal knew deep down that he had been at this same spot countless times, doing the exact same thing. There’s no doubt that this’ll haunt him in the future, Micheal thought grimly.

Chara walked up to Frisk, putting an arm on his shoulder. “Frisk, the others are moving. We should go too,” she said softly. Frisk looked up at her and nodded, before he began walking.

William gulped at the sight ahead. Before him stood a large chasm. While there was a bridge across it, there were no railings whatsoever. “No railings? What is this, Star Wars?!” William exclaimed. “Seriously, no railing on a bridge over a chasm? That’s a disaster waiting to happen.”

Undyne chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of her neck. William facepalmed. “If we really are getting everyone out of the underground, we really need some railings when that happens. I would rather not have someone fall during that,” he remarked, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Carefully, the group made their way across the bridge. “Don’t look down, don’t look down,” Micheal muttered as he crossed the bridge. He walked slowly, trying his best not to look down. It took all his willpower not to move when he felt a hand on his shoulder, instead willing himself to freeze in place.

Turning his head over his shoulder, his eyes landed on Frisk behind him. “You’re afraid of heights I take?” Frisk asked. Micheal nodded slightly. “Don’t worry, I’ll help guide you across.” As Micheal began walking again, his gaze shifted closer to the ceiling. With Frisk’s help, he made it to the other side.

“Alright, we made it,” Frisk informed him. Micheal knelt down on the ground, breathing heavily.

“I never want to do that again,” he muttered. Frisk looked up at the sound of footsteps approaching quickly, spotting William approaching.

Kneeling down, he pulled his son into a hug. “Oh god, I-I’m sorry Micheal, I know you’re scared of heights, I-I just got so caught up with everything else, a-and, shit. I’m so sorry,” William frantically apologized.

“It’s alright Dad, Frisk was able to help,” Micheal said as he returned the hug.

“Thank you,” William said, looking up at Frisk.

“William, is everything alright? You left in such a hurry!” Asgore said as he walked up. He noticed William and Micheal on the ground.

“O-Oh dear, is Micheal alright?” he asked, his voice filled with concern. Standing up, William looked at Asgore.

“Yeah, it’s fine now. Just got caught up in the moment there, but Frisk was able to help my son.” Asgore gave a nod of thanks to Frisk.

Continuing on, William noticed something on the wall in the next room. “What is this?” he asked.

“Oh, that’s one of the ancient texts found throughout Waterfall!” Frisk replied.

“Let me guess, this is the last one?” Frisk nodded. William groaned. “I’d rather not have to read these all on the way back,” he commented, annoyed.

“Oh, I actually wrote down all of the contents,” Frisk informed William.

“Oh? Can I see them?” Frisk nodded, pulling out a notebook that he handed to William.

“Here you go!” Grabbing the notebook, William looked at the page Frisk opened it to.

“The War of Humans and Monsters. Why did the humans attack? Indeed, it seemed that they had nothing to fear. Humans are unbelievably strong. It would take the SOUL of nearly every monster just to equal the power of a single human SOUL. But humans have one weakness. Ironically, it is the strength of their SOUL. It’s power allows it to persist outside the human body, even after death. If a monster defeats a human, they can take its SOUL. A monster with a human SOUL, a horrible beast with unfathomable power,” he read. As he was reading, the group continued walking, with William following along while he read.

“The power to take their SOULs. This is the power that the humans feared. This power has no counter. Indeed, a human cannot take a monster’s SOUL. When a monster dies, its SOUL disappears and an incredible power would be needed to take the SOUL of a living monster. There is only one exception. The SOUL of a special species of monster called a ‘Boss Monster’. A Boss Monster’s SOUL is strong enough to persist after death, if only for a few moments. But this has never happened, and now it never will.”

Turning the page, William continued. “Hurt, beaten, and fearful for our lives, we surrendered to the humans. Seven of their greatest magicians sealed us underground with a magic spell. Anything can enter through the seal, but only beings with a powerful SOUL can leave. There is only one way to reverse this spell. If a huge power, equivalent to seven human SOULs, attacks the barrier, it will be destroyed. But this cursed place has no entrances or exits. There is no way a human could come here. We will remain trapped down here forever. Without candles or magic to guide them Home, the monsters used crystals to navigate,” he read.

While William had known about the war between monsters and humans, he had no idea what it was like for the monsters. From what he was reading, it was a tragedy. Sure, he always suspected that it had been tragic, hearing it described this way made it hit differently.

Looking back at the notebook, he began the final passage. “However, there is a prophecy. The Angle, The One Who Has Seen The Surface, they will return. And the underground will go empty,” William read. Closing up the notebook, he gave it back to Frisk. Huh. An angle that has seen the surface will return and free the underground. Interesting.

Looking up, William noticed that they had arrived in front of two strange looking houses. Whoops, guess I wasn’t really paying that much attention to my surroundings there.

“Greetings, Darling!” Suddenly, a strange robot grabbed William’s hand, shaking it.

“Uh, and you are?” William asked, incredibly confused. He was practically stunned by the sight.

“Why, I am the one and only Mettaton! Star of the underground, and soon to be a star of the surface!” Mettaton declared, posing dramatically.

William just stood there, dumbstruck. When Alphys had told him she’d built a robot that provided entertainment to the underground, he wasn’t expecting this. Uh, what the hell am I supposed to do, William thought frantically, completely caught off guard.

“Say, Frisk, can we go somewhere else? I feel like he’s just gonna head over to me next,” Micheal whispered. Frisk nodded, gesturing for Micheal to follow him.

~~~

Frisk led Micheal down to a large square room. “Napstablook called this the ‘Quiet Area’, so this should be a good place to wait,” Frisk explained.

“So, how much trouble did this Mettaton guy cause you guys?” Micheal asked.

Chara groaned. “Ugh, don’t even get me started on him.”

“Was he that bad?” Micheal asked. Frisk and Chara both shared a look.

“You should’ve seen how we met the guy,” Frisk commented.

Micheal thought about something for a moment. “You know what, I don’t really have anything better to do. So please, enlighten me,” he said.

“Well, we first met him after we just met Alphys in the Lab. She had talked about him, saying stuff about his anti-human combat capabilities being activated again, when they really weren’t,” Chara began, pausing when Micheal gave her a quizzical glance. “Don’t worry about that last part, that’s its own can of worms.”

“Anyways, so then all of a sudden he just rammed through the wall in the lab, and put us into some kind of game show. He told us that if we didn’t answer the questions correctly, we’d die. The questions were easy at first, but then they started getting difficult. Luckily, Alphys gave us help, only for Mettaton to notice and give us a question she wouldn’t give us the answer to. After answering, he just ran off,” Chara explained.

“I’m sorry, what?!” Micheal blinked in confusion.

“That’s pretty much how I felt during the whole thing,” Frisk commented. “I’m sure you can guess that all the other stuff he had us do was along the lines of some type of television show.”

“What was the question he asked you at the end?” Micheal asked.

Chara and Frisk snickered. “Who Alphys has a crush on.” Micheal snickered.

“By the way, you mentioned someone named Napstablook earlier. Who is that?” Micheal asked.

“Oh, he’s a ghost monster. He lives next door to Mettaton, his cousin,” Frisk explained.

“He also helped us out in the fight against Mad Dummy in the dump,” he added. Micheal looked quizzically at Frisk.

“Basically a ghost took over a Dummy, and they were angry,” Chara explained.

“So, did Mettaton stay in touch with Napstablook after he became, well, Mettaton?” Micheal asked.

“Well, no,” Frisk responded.

“So, he became a star and just abandoned his cousin!?” Micheal was infuriated.

“Well, at first he did. However, he’s starting to make things right with Napstablook. He’s even made him his sound mixer,” Frisk explained.

“Well, I suppose that’s a start.” Micheal stared at the scenery around him. The underground was rather fascinating. However, despite how pretty it looked, he knew the inhabitants viewed this place differently. After all, if he had been imprisoned down here, he knew that eventually he’d stop seeing the beauty of this place, and just see it as his prison.

“Let’s not do that again,” William said as he entered the next room.

“Oh, hey Dad! How’d it go with Mettaton?” Micheal asked as he saw his father enter.

“I don’t want to talk about it.” William’s face scrunched up in annoyance as he remembered what he just went through. He shook his head, getting rid of the thoughts.

“So, which way are we going now?” he asked, eager to move on.

“Well, down there leads to the dump, and over on the right is where we’d want to go!” Undyne explained, pointing in each direction as she mentioned them.

“Wait, the dump?” Undyne nodded.

“Yeah! It’s where all the stuff that humans throw away gets carried down to,” she explained.

“ARE YOU ALRIGHT?” Papyrus asked, looking at William. William’s arms were at his sides, his hands balled up into fists. His expression was filled with rage, and there was a fire in his eyes.

“How DARE THEY?!” William shouted angrily. “It wasn’t enough for them to trap you underground. It wasn’t enough for them to wage war against you when all you wanted was peace. They just HAD to pollute your home with their garbage, because OF COURSE THEY DID! They just HAVE to treat the WORLD AS THEIR TRASH CAN!” William ranted angrily.

Micheal got up, running to his father. “Dad, come on, take deep breaths,” he said, trying to ground his father. Eventually, with Micheal’s help, William calmed down.

“Sorry about that,” he apologized sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. “I apologize for projecting my frustrations onto you guys like that. It wasn’t fair to you guys,” William explained.

“It’s alright, you’re just upset with how humans treat the surface. I don’t blame you,” Asgore said. William smiled.

“Hey, it’s not all bad! We actually repurpose a lot of the stuff that humans throw away!” Undyne explained. “In fact, the dump is actually where I met Alphys!”

“If you don’t mind, I’d love to hear that story,” William commented.

“Sure thing!” Undyne nodded.

“I was looking for cool swords, when I saw her, uh, standing there, staring into the abyss.
She looked pretty, um, contemplative. So I asked her where she thought the abyss led to! She looked up at me, shocked, and went red in the face. But I’m scary, so I’m used to that kinda stuff! Then she kept explaining all her different theories. She went on for hours! I was so captivated! After that, I kept running into her. And now we’re friends!” Undyne explained. “Well, maybe a little more than friends,” she added, giving Alphys a kiss on the cheek. Alphys’ entire face turned bright red.

William’s face went white with shock, his eyes wide with concern. “Alphys…I didn’t know you…holy shit,” he said in disbelief.

“What’s wrong?” Undyne asked.

William looked up at Undyne. “You, you don’t know?” he asked her, eyes widened. Undyne looked at him with confusion. “Undyne, Alphys was…was thinking about, uh, well…jumping,” William explained.

Undyne’s smile fell from her face, her eyes widening. “W-What?” She glanced over at Alphys, who was staring down at the ground. “Alphys, is this…is this true?” Undyne asked, her tone betraying her disbelief.

Alphys nodded, sighing. “Y-Yeah. It’s true. I-I just felt like s-such a f-failure,” she said, shedding a tear. Undyne knelt down, and pulled her into a big hug.

“Listen to me, Al. You will never be a failure to me,” Undyne said, a tear running down her face.

Alphys returned the hug, a few tears running down her face as well. “T-Thank you,” she told Undyne, sniffling.

“You’re not alone in this, Alphys. I’m here for you, and so are your friends too,” Undyne replied.

Alphys looked around. Papyrus gave her a smile and a thumbs up. Sans gave a slight nod. Frisk smiled and waved. “Undyne is right, your friends are here for you,” William said. He nodded, smiling.

Alphys smiled. “T-Thanks, everyone.”

~~~

The group continued walking for some time. Eventually, they arrived in a large, open room. William spotted something off in the distance. “Hey, what’s that over there?” He pointed to the collection of buildings off in the distance.

“Ah, why those would be the buildings of New Home,” Asgore answered. William continued to stare. It was a rather beautiful site.

“Wow, we’ve come a long way,” he remarked. Looking up at the ceiling, he noticed multiple shining lights on the ceiling. “What are those lights way up there?” William asked, pointing to the ceiling.

“Oh, those are just sparkling crystals. Before we were trapped down here, monsters used to wish on the stars. Now, all they have is the crystals in the ceiling,” Asgore explained.

“Oh, I get it! These are your stars in the sky. Hey, it’s just like Metru Nui,” William remarked. The monsters gave him looks of confusion.

“Oh, sorry, it’s just a reference to Bionicle. I’ll explain more about it later, but essentially the city of Metru Nui is located underground, and while it still has a Sun in the daytime, at night there are a bunch of crystals in the ceiling that light up to represent stars. That’s what I was referencing,” William explained.

“Dad, you knew that wouldn’t have made any sense to them.” Micheal sighed, shaking his head.

“Yes, I know, I just saw the opportunity and I took it,” William replied.

“By the way, there’s something I’ve been meaning to ask,” William added, addressing the group.

“Hm? What is it?” Asgore asked.

“So, you guys had a total of six SOULs, and you needed seven souls to destroy the barrier. Frisk was the last SOUL you guys needed, and yet he’s still here. So if you didn’t get a seventh SOUL, how exactly did you destroy the barrier?” William asked.

“Well, you see, we, uh, hm. I’m actually not sure,” Asgore said.

William raised his eyebrows. What? How do you not know how you broke the barrier that was trapping you all down here?!

“Well, what was the last thing you remember?” William asked. Asgore rubbed his chin, thinking.

“Well, I remember a flower holding us in its vines, and then next thing I know, we woke up on the ground. The six SOULs were gone, the barrier was broken, and there was no sign of the flower,” Asgore answered.

“Does anyone else remember anything else?” William asked. The only response he received was heads shaking. “Well, alright then.”

“Say, uh, Frisk, how exactly did the barrier get destroyed? Did it have to do with, well, you know?” Micheal asked carefully. Frisk nodded.

“Flowey absorbed the human SOULs, along with the SOULs of every monster in the underground. He became Asriel again, and called himself the ‘God of Hyperdeath’. With the power he had, he used it to destroy the barrier before releasing the SOULs,” Chara explained. Micheal snickered when Chara said ‘God of Hyperdeath’.

“So, what happened? Did he just turn back into Flowey afterwards?” Micheal asked.

“Well, no, at least, not yet. Last time we saw him, he was still Asriel. He did say that he would turn back into Flowey at some point,” Frisk answered.

“What about the six SOULs?”

“As for the SOULs of the other fallen humans, I have no idea what happened to them. They just disappeared. No one has seen them since the barrier was destroyed,” Frisk explained.

Micheal nodded. He couldn’t help but find it odd how the six SOULs had just disappeared. Where could they have possibly gone, he pondered.

Finally, the group had arrived at the end of Waterfall. “You know, the underground really can be quite beautiful, you know?” William remarked. He took a glance around Waterfall before turning his attention ahead. “Well, let’s continue our exploration!”

Exiting Waterfall, William was immediately hit by a blast of cold wind. “Brr, it got cold in here,” he commented. Shivering, he spotted snow on the ground. Looking off to the side, he noticed a river with large chunks of ice floating in it, making their way to the core.

Despite the cold, the group marched on. Micheal walked up to his dad, tapping his shoulder. “Hey Dad, can I get my jacket?” he asked.

“Hm? Oh yeah, sure thing!” William pulled his backpack off his shoulders. Opening up his backpack, he pulled out Micheal’s jacket, handing it to him before pulling out his own.

At times like these, William was glad that he planned ahead. He still remembered how Micheal had told him that he really didn’t need to bring his jacket, but William had been insistent about it. He was sure Micheal was glad that he listened.

As they walked, William noticed that the visibility lowered. After walking for a bit, however, it began to clear up, and he could see what looked like a town in front of them.

“WELCOME, HUMANS, TO SNOWDIN!” Papyrus exclaimed enthusiastically. He began running forward, heading straight for the town ahead.

William’s eyes scanned over the town before him. Most of the houses looked to be made out of wood, with the town overall giving off vibes that he could only describe as ‘cozy’. Despite the cold environment it was located in, the town was warm and inviting.

“AH YES, THERE’S MY HOUSE!” Papyrus shouted, pointing ahead to the house he was running towards. The house had two stories, with a balcony on the side and a small shed next to it.

Micheal gazed around in awe. The town looked wonderful, and he wanted nothing more than to explore. William cast a glance at his son, noticing the look of wonder in his son’s eyes. He could tell Micheal wanted to take a look around.

Hm. We need a plan. William turned to Asgore. “So, what exactly is after Snowdin?” he asked.

“Well, if you go beyond Snowdin town, you’ll find yourself in Snowdin forest,” Asgore replied.

William refused the urge to groan. Man, Asgore sucks at naming things. “Alright, well what’s after Snowdin forest then?”

“The Ruins.” William was surprised to hear not Asgore, but Toriel answer.

He turned towards her. “What are the Ruins exactly?”

“The Ruins are what remains of our first home in the underground, Home. It has been mostly abandoned for some time, and after Asgore declared war on humanity, I resided there, keeping watch for any humans that fell. I had sealed the doors from the inside, preventing anyone from entering,” Toriel explained.

“Although the doors are open now, there isn’t a need for us to visit there. After all, it was mostly abandoned,” Toriel added. William nodded.

“Alright, so how about this. We take some time to explore, and in a few hours we’ll all meet back up at Sans and Papyrus’ house,” William proposed. Slowly, everyone nodded in agreement. “Alright.”

William shifted his gaze to Micheal. “Yeah Dad?” Micheal asked.

“You’re free to go explore. Just remember to meet back up here, alright?” Micheal nodded eagerly, before he happily began strolling off.

Micheal strolled through the town, taking in the sights around him. Like many areas of the underground, he found Snowdin to be rather beautiful. He felt the cold air blowing through the town, the sound of snow crunching beneath his feet as he walked through the town. Eventually, something interesting caught his eye. A Christmas tree sat in the town, and it looked right at home in this snowy town.

“OW!” Micheal shouted as he stumbled back. While he had been taking in the surroundings, he hadn’t exactly been paying attention to where he was walking, and ended up walking right into someone. I really hope Dad didn’t see that, Micheal thought embarrassingly.

“Sorry, sorry, I didn’t see you there!” The person he ran into began apologizing.

“No no, I’m sorry, I wasn’t watching where I was going,” Micheal said, rubbing his head as he stood up. Opening his eyes, he locked eyes with the person he ran into, and froze.

Before him stood a reindeer-like monster. From her voice and appearance, Micheal figured that she was a girl. Her fur was a short brown, and there were a pair of short antlers on her head. She had freckles on her cheeks, a red nose, and prominent front teeth. She had long, golden blonde hair, and stared back at Micheal with her black eyes.

The two stood there, staring at each other, for a few moments. “H-Hi,” Micheal said, breaking the silence. He smiled, waving nervously as he felt his face heat up, although he wasn’t sure why. Why is my face heating up?

The girl in front of him returned the smile, waving at him. “H-Hi! Are you a human?” she asked nervously.

Micheal nodded. “Nice to meet you, my name’s Micheal!” Micheal greeted, holding out his hand.

The girl smiled, taking his hand. “I’m Noelle! Nice to meet you too!” Noelle replied as she shook Micheal’s hand.

“Sorry about running into there. I’m visiting with my Dad, and I’m taking a look around Snowdin right now,” Micheal explained.

Noelle raised an eyebrow. “Who’s your dad? And what’s he doing here?”

“My father is the one and only ‘Doctor William Henriksom’,” Micheal replied, saying his father’s name in a fancy accent, causing Noelle to giggle. “Anyways, he volunteered to make first contact with the monsters,” he continued.

“Hey, Micheal, do you want to have a seat over there?” Noelle asked, pointing to a bench. He nodded. “Alright, we can keep talking then without standing in anyone’s way! I want to know more,” she continued eagerly.

“Of course! I’ll do my best to answer any questions you ask me. I’d also like to ask you some questions as well!” Micheal remarked happily. Heading to the bench, he took a seat, with Noelle sitting right next to him.

“So, was there any particular reason your father volunteered for this? Or is this just the type of person he is?” Noelle inquired. Despite this being the first time really interacting with a human, she didn’t feel nervous. Sure, she had seen Frisk going through town, but she had been too nervous to talk to him. But with Micheal, she didn’t feel any anxiety when it came to talking with him. It just felt…natural.

“Well, it’s a bit of both. Yeah, this is just the type of person he is, but there was another reason that made him particularly eager to volunteer,” Micheal replied. He was about to continue when he hesitated. “Look, if I tell you this, please don’t freak out on me. Just, let me explain.” Noelle nodded, smiling at him.

“So, I’m sure you’re already aware of the war between humans and monsters, and how seven humans sealed the monsters underground behind a barrier. Well, one of those seven humans is my ancestor,” Micheal explained. Noelle’s eyes widened, but she didn’t say a word, waiting for Micheal to finish.

“Now, this one person did not represent the rest of my family. In fact, for generations, my family has always considered monsters friends, and so were horrified to learn that a member of the family helped seal them underground. Since then, they have continued to live around the mountain, trying to help free monsters from their prison. Because we descended from one of those seven, and since he studied monsters, my Dad knew that he was the one that had to contact your kind, and help guarantee the best possible outcome for monsters.”

“Hey, you have nothing to worry about,” Noelle assured him. “I wasn’t going to hate you or treat you differently just because one of your ancestors helped trap us down here. You’re not your ancestors after all.” She smiled warmly at Micheal, and he smiled back.

“Anyways, so he volunteered to make contact. When I found out, I practically begged him to let me come with him. It took some convincing from him, and mainly my Mom, but he allowed me to tag along. At first I was incredibly excited. Making contact with another species? That sounded awesome!”

“When we arrived at the base camp, my excitement quieted down, and my anxiety took its place. As we were about to start up the path, I was like, oh shit, what the hell was I thinking?! I was absolutely terrified! I immediately started having second thoughts.”

“When I vocalized those thoughts, my Dad came over, and he asked me if I was scared. When I said yes, he told me that the people we were going to meet were probably just as scared as me. That gave me some confidence, but I was still quite scared. At least, I was until I saw Papyrus. He was the first monster I saw, and seeing him pretty much dissolved all my fears,” Micheal said, continuing to tell his story to Noelle. She smiled, giggling occasionally as she listened.

“Enough about me. Why don’t you tell me about yourself?” Micheal addressed Noelle.

“Oh, well, I’m not sure how old you are, but I’ve lived in Snowdin for all fifteen years of my life,” she said.

“Ah, I’m only fourteen.” Noelle nodded at his comment.

“Well, I have an older sister named December, but she just goes by Dess. There’s my father Rudy, and as for my Mom…” Noelle trailed off, sadness and fear in her eyes.

“Hey, hey, it’s okay. You don’t have to tell me about your mom if you don’t want to,” Micheal comforted her. Noelle smiled. “So, what’s it like living in Snowdin?”

~~~

As Micheal and Noelle talked, neither of them noticed William watching them. In fact, he had been watching them since the moment Micheal had walked into her. He smiled as he watched his son making a new friend. I’m glad he found a friend on his own, he thought proudly.

Deciding to give the two some time, he turned his attention back to the town, and went back to exploring. First, he went back over to check out the building next to the skeleton brother’s house.

Looking up at the sign on the door, William noticed that the sign said ‘LIBRARBY’ on it. “I wonder how long they’ve had the sign misspelled,” he muttered, before opening the door and heading inside.

“Yes, we are aware that the sign is misspelled.” As William entered, a lizard monster addressed him. He had a tired look in his eyes.

“That bad, huh?” William commented, chuckling slightly. The lizard just stared at him. William shrugged, gazing around the library.

It was rather small, with a reception desk next to the entrance and a single table in the middle. The back wall was lined with bookshelves. Despite the small size, it was rather cozy. William walked over to the bookshelves, pulling out a book.

Opening one, he looked inside. “Hm. It’s a school report about monster funerals,” William acknowledged, making sure to keep his voice down. Although he found it odd to find a school report in a library, he wasn’t complaining about the opportunity to learn more about monster culture.

“Monster funerals, technically speaking, are cool as heck. When monsters get old and kick the bucket, they turn into dust. At funerals, we take that dust and spread it on that person’s favorite thing. Then their essence will live on in that thing… Uhhh, am I at the page minimum yet? I’m kinda sick of writing this.” William found himself doing his best to prevent himself from laughing hysterically at the end.

“Well, that was interesting.” Putting the book back, William took out another book from a different bookshelf. “While monsters are mostly made of magic, human beings are mostly made of water. Humans, with their physical forms, are far stronger than us. But they will never know the joy of expressing themselves through magic. They’ll never get a bullet-pattern birthday card…”

William sighed, putting the book back. “Indeed, humanity has mostly forgotten about magic,” he muttered. William pulled out another book, opening it up.

“Because they are made of magic, monsters’ bodies are attuned to their SOUL. If a monster doesn’t want to fight, its defenses will weaken. And the crueller the intentions of our enemies, the more their attacks will hurt us. Therefore, if a being with a powerful SOUL struck with the desire to kill…” William trailed off, shutting the book and hastily returning it. He quickly pulled out another book.

“MONSTER HISTORY PART 4. Fearing the humans no longer, we moved out of our old city, HOME. We braved harsh cold, damp swampland, and searing heat, until we reached what we now call our capital. ‘NEW HOME’. Again, our King is really bad at names…?” William chuckled. It seemed most people thought that Asgore had terrible naming skills. He pulled out one last book.

“Love, hope, compassion. This is what people say monster SOULs are made of. But the absolute nature of ‘SOUL’ is unknown. After all, humans have proven their SOULs don’t need these things to exist.” William sighed, shutting the book and returning it. “Well, they aren’t exactly wrong,” William muttered.

Exiting the library, William continued onward. Noticing a split in the path, he turned left. He spotted more houses ahead of him. As he scanned the area, his eyes landed on an odd building near the river.

Walking over to investigate, he watched as cubes of ice came out of the building on a conveyor belt. A wolf monster then grabbed the cubes of ice, throwing them into the water, where the cubes then made their journey to the CORE. “We’ll probably have to extend the conveyor to keep this thing running then,” William remarked absentmindedly.

Not spotting anything else of interest, William returned to the main path. He kept walking, heading up to another building. This one had a sign above it that read ‘Grillby’s’ above it. I think I might have an idea what this is. Opening the door, he took a peek inside.

His suspicions were confirmed as soon as he stepped foot inside. Sure enough, Grillby’s was a restaurant, with tables, booths, and a bar at the back wall. Manning the bar was a monster whose head was made of fire. William presumed that this was Grillby. The place was rather busy, so William decided to keep moving.

Exiting the restaurant, he continued walking, passing by the Christmas tree he had seen earlier when he was watching his son. He noticed an inn ahead, and next to it laid a shop. “Maybe the shopkeeper knows some things about the town.” Walking up to the shop, William entered.

“Hello, traveller. How can I help you?” Entering the store, William was greeted by the owner. She was a purple rabbit monster. William smiled as he walked over.

“Hello there,” he greeted, doing an Obi-wan Kenobi impression.

“Hiya! Welcome to Snowdin! I can’t remember the last time I saw a fresh face around here. Where did you come from? The capital?” The shopkeeper asked.

“Oh, not exactly.” William smiled.

The shopkeeper looked him over. “You don’t look like a tourist. Are you here by yourself?” She asked, eyeing him suspiciously.

“Oh, I am indeed a tourist, but not from where you’d think,” William said smugly as he pulled his hood down. “After all, I don’t think you get visitors from the surface often.”

“Oh! You’re a human! So that’s what they look like,” she replied, muttering the last sentence.

“Yeah, the king is giving me a tour of the underground, along with my son. Say, what is there all to do in town?” William inquired.

“You want to know what to do here in Snowdin? Grillby’s has food, and the library has information… If you’re tired, you can take a nap at the inn. It’s right next door, my sister runs it. And if you’re bored, you can sit outside and watch those wacky skeletons do their thing. There’s two of ‘em, brothers, I think. They just showed up one day and…asserted themselves. The town has gotten a lot more interesting since then.”

“I have indeed met the skeleton brothers. There were actually the first two monsters I met. They certainly are something.” William chuckled. “So, what’s the history of this place?”

“A long time ago, monsters lived in the Ruins back there in the forest. Long story short, we all decided to leave the ruins and head for the end of the caverns. Along the way, some fuzzy folk decided they liked the cold and set up camp in Snowdin. Oh, and don’t think about trying to explore the Ruins. The door’s been locked for ages, at least until Toriel opened it up recently. There isn’t anything of interest there though, so it certainly isn’t worth your time.”

“Alright then. Anyways, what do you plan on doing in the future?” William questioned.

“Well, I suppose I’ll move my store to the overworld. Haven’t planned much more than that I’m afraid,” she answered, sighing.

“Well, I wish you good luck in the future,” he commented.

“Thanks.” William walked towards the entrance. He waved at the shopkeeper as he opened the door. “Have a good day!” she called to him as he left.

Stepping back outside, William noticed Micheal and Noelle were still talking. Smiling, he took a seat on a bench. “Those two have been at it for a while now,” he remarked absentmindedly.

“That they have.” William jolted in surprise as he heard someone speak. Turning around, he noticed a reindeer monster sitting next to him. “Is that your kid there?” The monster asked.

“Yeah. That’s my son, Micheal.” William nodded. “Also, I don’t think I caught your name?”

“The name’s Rudolph Holiday, but just call me Rudy,” Rudy greeted, holding out a hand.

“Doctor William Henrikson, but please, just call me William,” William said, shaking Rudy’s hand.

“So, I’m guessing that’s your daughter over there?” William gestured over at Micheal and Noelle.

“Sure is. That’s Noelle over there.”

“So, how long have you been watching them?” William inquired.

“Oh, I’ve been watching since the moment your son walked right into her!” Rudy answered, laughing.

William laughed. “Oh yeah, I saw that happen. Seems like someone really wanted to explore.”

Silence resonated for a moment. “How long have they been talking?” He hadn’t exactly been keeping track of time as he was looking around town.

“I think it’s been over half an hour now,” Rudy answered. “Say, why’d you bring your son anyways?”

William stared at his son for a moment, before sighing. “Well, I volunteered to be here. He practically begged me to let him come with him. It took his mother some convincing, but she allowed it. He was scared when we first arrived, but he’s definitely gotten comfortable.”

“His mother’s protective, I take it?” William nodded, causing Rudy to laugh. “Ha! Noelle’s mother was just like that with her and her older sister Dess. I think part of Noelle misses that overprotectiveness though, even if she won’t say it.”

Rudy had a sad look in his eyes as he smiled solemnly. “I’m sorry for your loss,” William said, offering his condolences.

“Oh no, it’s not like that. We…had a disagreement between each other,” the reindeer clarified.

”We’ve been doing a lot better. I just miss her though. After Dess moved out a few months ago, it was just me and Noelle. It makes me worry.” Rudy paused, coughing. William stared at him, a worried look in his eyes. I have a bad feeling about that.

Rudy smiled. “Oh, don’t look at me like that! I’m fine!” Rudy replied, waving dismissively. Although William didn’t really buy it, he nodded, turning his attention back towards his son.

“You know, it wasn’t easy getting his mother to let him come here. The main reason she let him go is that, well…” William paused, trailing off. He sighed. “You see, Micheal struggles making friends. It was something I struggled with as well around his age. My hope was that if I’d brought him with me, he’d make some friends. He already seems to be getting along well with Frisk. But, I’ve never seen him get along with someone as quickly as he did with Noelle,” William explained.

“It’s like something clicked between the two when they looked at each other for the first time.”

Rudy nodded. “Yeah, Noelle has similar problems. She’s a sweet kid, but she’s rather shy for her age. I noticed that the two had just stared into each other’s eyes when they met.”

“Well, I’ll have to see if I can find anything near my place on the surface, huh?” William remarked, smiling.

Rudy chuckled. “Ha, that’s not that bad of an idea. It’d be good for them to be close.”

Standing up, William turned towards Rudy. “Well, I should get going. Nice to meet you Rudy,” he acknowledged, holding out his hand.

“Same here, William,” Rudy replied, shaking William’s hand.

As William walked away, his smile fell. Chara, noticing William’s behavior, got a closer look. Frowning, he pulled something out of his pocket. From what Chara could tell, it seemed to be some sort of scanner. William looked at it, and before Chara could get a closer look, put it back in his pocket. Smiling again, he kept walking.

“What are you up to?” Turning around, Chara went back to Frisk, who was currently relaxing on a bench.

“Oh, there you are Chara,” Frisk said as she approached.

“William’s up to something. He pulled some weird scanner out of his pocket. I don’t know what it is, but I don’t like it,” Chara informed Frisk.

“You know, why don’t we just ask Micheal about it?” Frisk countered. Chara nodded. Standing up, the two started walking.

~~~

“Oh yeah, watching horror games on YouTube is something I do, so I definitely get a good dose of scary things.” Micheal had a big smile on his face as he talked with Noelle. He wasn’t sure how much time had passed since they started talking, but he didn’t care.

“Really? You’ll have to show me some on the surface at some point!” Noelle said.

“Yeah, that should be fun.” Micheal glanced off to the side briefly, before looking back at Noelle. “Hey Noelle, can I tell you something?”

“Of course!” He took a deep breath, mentally preparing himself.

“I don't exactly have a lot of friends. I struggle with making them, you know? It’s just, it’s not easy. I think that’s part of the reason my Mom even let me come here. She hoped I’d make some friends. Which I mean, Frisk is pretty cool.”

“I understand what you mean. I’m pretty shy around people,” Noelle agreed. “However, when I met you, I looked in your eyes, and I just felt like…”

“That we were meant to meet,” Micheal said. Noelle looked at him with surprise.

“So, it wasn’t just me then?” Micheal shook his head.

“Nope. You’re not crazy. And if you are, then we’re both crazy.” Noelle giggled.

“Micheal! How have you been?” Micheal jolted in surprise as he heard his father. He turned towards the direction he heard him, seeing William walk right up to him. “I see you made a new friend! Why don’t you introduce her?”

Micheal’s face turned red. “Uh…” He stuttered, wanting nothing more than to just collapse in on himself.

“Oh, I’m Noelle! Nice to meet you, Dr. Henrikson!” Noelle greeted. William started laughing.

“Yes, your father Rudy told me about you. I was just messing with my son here. Also, please, just call me William.” Micheal glared daggers at his Dad, and Noelle started laughing when she saw him.

“Anyways, I just came to say hi. I’ll leave you be,” William said. Micheal continued glaring at his father as he walked away. As he watched, he noticed his father go past the shop.

“Hey Noelle, what’s past the shop?” Micheal asked.

“Oh, that would be Snowdin Forest,” she answered. Micheal narrowed his eyes, and Noelle gave him a look asking if he was alright.

“Why is my father going to the forest?” Micheal pondered.

“Micheal! There you are! Chara saw your Dad pull some strange scanner out, so I was wondering if you…oh.” Frisk suddenly ran up to Micheal, trailing off as he noticed Noelle next to him. “Shit.”

“Chara? Chara’s dead…” Noelle said aloud, lost in thought. Suddenly, her eyes darted between Micheal and Frisk. Her gaze landed on Micheal. “Micheal, explain. Now.” Noelle spoke sternly, glaring at Micheal.

Micheal shivered in fear. “Look, just give me a minute.”

He turned to Frisk. “My Dad’s leaving town,” he informed Frisk.

Frisk nodded. “Let’s go.” Micheal stood up, beginning to walk towards Frisk, only for Noelle to grab him by the arm.

Freezing, Micheal turned around slowly. Noelle stared sternly at him. “I’m coming with you guys,” she said fiercely.

Micheal gulped. “Uh, alright.” Noelle smiled, skipping ahead.

Chara stared at Micheal, her arms crossed. “What, would you say no to her if she asked you like that?” Micheal exclaimed. Chara opened her mouth to speak, before promptly shutting it.

“Come on, we need to get going,” Frisk said. Micheal and Chara nodded, and, together with Noelle, they set off for the town’s entrance.

Chapter Text

William exited Snowdin town, making his way across the wooden bridge over the chasm near the town. However, as he walked over the bridge, it didn’t feel like a wooden bridge.

Getting off the bridge at the other side, William looked to the side of the bridge, noticing that it was a rock formation painted to look like a wooden bridge. “Strange.”

Continuing forward, he noticed several snow poffs on the ground. Blinking, William just shrugged, and kept walking. Entering the forest, he pulled out his scanner.

Like earlier, the scanner continued to pick up an abnormal reading, one that William couldn’t say what it was for certain. The scanner continued to point him in the same direction, however, the readings had gotten slightly stronger.

“Seems my hunch was right.” Putting away the scanner, William continued walking through the forest. He carefully made his way over some ice, passing a solved puzzle.

“What the hell?” After passing the puzzle, he spotted a large amount of snow sculptures around a sentry station. All of them appeared to be of a dog with an extremely long neck, however all of them appeared to be incomplete, with some having certain features, such as the head, laying on the ground, having evidently fallen off the sculptures.

The sights only got stranger as he came across a square of tiles, with a group of pink tiles cutting a path in the middle of red squares. Next to it was a console that resembled Mettaton’s box form. His only guess was that this was a randomized puzzle of some sort. “Didn’t realize they incorporated gambling into puzzles,” William remarked, walking along the pink tiles.

As he made his trek through the forest, he passed by several solved puzzles, ones that Frisk most likely had to deal with on his journey.

“Is that a microwave?” Getting closer, William spotted a microwave on a table, with another table next to it. “It’s not even plugged in,” he commented. On the other table was a plate of frozen spaghetti. “Whatever.”

Walking ahead, he noticed what looked to be some sort of game on a large patch of ice. From what he could tell, it seems the goal is to get the snowball into the hole in the ground. “Mini golf, but with a snowball I guess,” the doctor remarked.

Pulling out his scanner, he double checked he was heading in the right direction. Along the way, he passed a few more sentry stations, one of which was made of cardboard. It wasn’t hard to guess who this station belonged to, but a look at the font on the station’s side confirmed it.

William noticed the trees getting thicker as he walked towards another sentry station. This one looked exactly like the ones he had seen in Waterfall and Hotland. Next to it was a lamp that was conveniently shaped like Frisk. “Sans,” he muttered.

Continuing forward, he came across a small chasm, with a short bridge above it. The bridge had some sort of wooden gate above it, but there wasn’t any way to close it. Walking through, he continued. The woods surrounding him were rather silent, which combined with the snow gave the forest a rather pleasant atmosphere.

Suddenly, the sound of a stick snapping echoed throughout the silence. William froze, eyes widened. Swiftly, he turned around, looking behind him. Nobody was behind him, and the only set of footprints were his.

“Must’ve just been some wildlife in the forest,” William assured himself. Continuing forward, his eyes landed on a wall ahead. It featured a large, purple door frame that stood out from the colors of the forest. The door was wide open, and engraved above the door was the delta rune symbol.

Pulling out his scanner, William confirmed that whatever he was tracking laid beyond this door inside the Ruins. He glanced over his shoulder one last time. Although he didn’t see anything, he felt like something was watching him. “Time to see the Ruins.” Taking a deep breath, William walked through the door.

~~~

Once Frisk, Micheal, and Chara exited Snowdin town, Noelle walked up in front of them, crossing her arms as she forced them to stop. “Explain yourselves, now. We won’t go forward until I get an explanation,” Noelle demanded, giving Frisk and Micheal a stern glare.

“Go ahead.” Chara sighed, crossing her arms. Frisk and Micheal spent the next ten minutes giving a quick explanation to Noelle, whose face went through various expressions.

When they were finished, Noelle looked between the two. “There’s a few more things I’d like to know, but let’s get out of town first,” she said.

Moving forward, the group arrived at the chasm in front of town. “Why are there always bridges over huge chasms here,” Micheal said, glancing over the edge with wide eyes. Looking at the bridge, he had an expression of horror written on his face.

“Don’t worry, it’s just a rock formation that Papyrus painted to look like a bridge!” Frisk assured Micheal, trying to comfort him.

Frisk began walking across the ‘bridge’ first. Micheal looked ahead in pure terror. Noelle walked up next to him, and, noticing how absolutely terrified he was, grabbed his hand. She then began leading him across the chasm.

As they walked, Micheal tried to get his breathing under control. During his attempts, he accidentally briefly looked off to the side, his eyes widening as he saw the ground far below, causing his breathing to quicken in fear. “Hey, it’s going to be alright. Just take deep breaths. You’re alright, I’ve got you,” Noelle assured Micheal, speaking calmly to him as she squeezed his hand.

Micheal squeezed her hand back, and began to take deep breaths. He continued to struggle, screwing his eyes shut. “Micheal, why don’t you just look at me, okay?” Noelle said softly. Opening his eyes, Micheal looked over at her. She stared into his eyes, smiling warmly. Laughing nervously, Micheal smiled back. The world seemed to melt away as he focused his attention on her.

“Hey, you guys made it!” Frisk’s voice brought Micheal back to reality.

“H-Hey, we did,” he acknowledged.

“Uh…” Frisk’s eyes darted between the two.

“Frisk! Don’t ruin it!” Chara snapped, gritting her teeth.

Following Frisk’s gaze, Micheal looked between him and Noelle, noticing he was still holding her hand. “Oh!” The two jumped back from each other. Blushing, the two turned away from each other. Noelle rubbed her arm anxiously, while Micheal nervously rubbed the back of his neck.

“Whoops,” Frisk whispered. Chara crossed her arms, glaring at him.

“Way to go on ruining the moment,” she scoffed, shaking her head.

Noelle glanced at the snow, observing the footprints. “Hey, his footprints are still fresh, so he can’t be that far behind,” she commented.

“Alright, let’s get a move on,” Frisk acknowledged, and the group started walking.

“H-Hey, Micheal, I…I’m sorry about earlier,” Noelle addressed Micheal. She spoke to him in a shy voice. Micheal hummed in confusion. “I’m sorry for just demanding that you and Frisk give me an explanation. I didn’t mean to scare you or anything,” she elaborated.

Micheal’s eyes lit up in understanding. “Oh, no, there’s no need to apologize. Sure it might’ve instilled a little fear in me, but I thought it was pretty badass!” Micheal assured her.

“You, uh, thought that it was badass?” Noelle asked, blushing. He nodded, smiling. “Thanks,” she replied, returning his smile.

“Say, Frisk, what’s with all these snow sculptures?” Micheal asked, looking at the sculptures from Lesser dog.

“Oh, Lesser dog made these. When we pet him, he got excited, and his neck kept extending!” Frisk explained enthusiastically. Chara groaned, earning a laugh from Micheal.

Noelle noticed Micheal laughing as he looked at an empty space that she guessed Chara was in. Wishing she could see the girl’s reactions, the doe got an idea. “Say Frisk, I’m curious. Is Chara able to take control of your body?” Noelle asked.

Frisk’s eyes turned from brown to red. “You tell me,” Chara said smugly. Noelle’s eyes widened.

Frisk’s eyes changed back from red to brown. He frowned, groaning. “Chara, what have I told you about taking control out of nowhere like that?”

Noelle giggled, with Micheal chuckling as well. “It’s a shame you can’t see them banter with each other,” he remarked. Micheal leaned in close to her.

“After all, you never know when they might start flirting again,” he whispered. Noelle’s eyes widened slightly, and she looked at Micheal with surprise written on her face. “Yeah, it’s happened. No, the two aren’t a thing, yet,” he whispered back.

As the group continued walking, they passed Lesser dog’s sentry station. “What’s with the unique sentry station?” Micheal asked, pointing at the dog figurehead on the roof.

“Oh, those are for the members of the canine unit of the royal guard,” Noelle answered.

“I’m guessing they’re all dogs?” She nodded.

“Yup! Since Snowdin is right by the Ruins, we have a unit stationed here,” Noelle explained.

“Where are they at, exactly?” Micheal glanced around. They hadn’t seen any signs of any of the members so far.

Noelle thought for a moment. “I think they’re all on break right now. Why do you ask?” Noelle remarked.

“Well, I was hoping we could ask them if they’d seen my Dad.” She nodded understandingly.

As the group walked, Micheal took in the forest. It was quite beautiful, with the white snow covering the trees and the ground. “It’s pretty, isn’t it?” Noelle said.

Micheal turned his attention to her. “It is very pretty,” he acknowledged, smiling at her.

“Say, Noelle, can you use magic? I don’t really know any myself, and I don’t remember seeing my father use magic in a while,” Micheal inquired.

“Your dad can use magic?” Noelle asked, surprised.

“Yeah. My family has still practiced magic for generations,” he explained.

“Watch this.” Noelle formed a snowflake in her hand, tossing it into the wind.

“Wow,” Micheal gasped, awestruck.

“Ah, thanks,” Noelle said, twirling her hair shyly.

“You know, even though my Dad knows some magic, he never really uses it. I’ve tried to see if he can teach me, but he’s always declined,” Micheal explained. His father has been rather adamant about finding any excuse not to teach magic. Suddenly, he got an idea.

“Do you think you could teach me?” Micheal asked. Noelle’s eyes lit up in joy.

“I’d love to! I’ll gladly teach you magic!” she replied happily, grinning.

Micheal smiled warmly at her. “Thanks.”

The group arrived at the snowball game. Micheal noticed a few different branches in the area to walk to. However, he noticed that his father’s footprints all went in a straight line. “That’s odd.”

“What’s odd?” Frisk asked, pausing.

“There’s a few different paths that my Dad could’ve taken, however he just went down one without even checking the others,” Micheal observed.

“It seems like he knows where he’s going, even though he’s never been in the forest before,” Noelle pointed out.

“Where could he possibly be going?” Micheal asked, thinking aloud.

Chara froze. She stared ahead with wide eyes. “Chara?” Frisk asked, concerned.

“Asriel.” Frisk’s eyes went wide with realization.

“What do you mean, Asriel?” Micheal shot Chara and Frisk a glance, confused.

“After the barrier was broken, we went back through the underground one last time. We walked all the way back to where I had fallen, and we found Asriel there,” Frisk hastily explained.

Micheal’s eyes widened in understanding. “So that’s what my Dad is up to,” he muttered.

“How did your dad even know?” Noelle asked.

Micheal thought for a moment, only to shake his head. “I have no idea. Maybe he doesn’t.”

“How would he not know? If he was truly just exploring, he wouldn’t be making a straight shot towards the Ruins like this!” Chara snapped, glaring angrily.

“You saw him using some sort of scanner, which he obviously found something. What if he doesn’t know what he’s found?” Micheal clarified.

“We should keep moving,” Noelle interjected, trying to get back on task.

“You’re right, we can discuss this later.” The group continued onwards quickly, following William’s footprints.

Eventually, they arrived at Sans’s sentry station. “What’s that?” Micheal asked, pointing at the lamp.

“Oh, that’s the conveniently shaped lamp that Sans had me hide from Papyrus behind,” Frisk said nonchalantly.

Micheal glanced at Noelle with a quizzical look. “Trust me, that’s weird, even for the underground,” she said, just as confused as he was.

“Oh, this is where I met Sans for the first time!” Frisk said enthusiastically as the group approached a wooden gate.

“Really? How’d it go?” Micheal asked.

“Yeah, I’d like to know!” Noelle added.

“You see, I had just exited the Ruins. I had been walking down the path, when I heard a stick snap behind me that I had passed over. I picked up the pass, arriving at this gate, when suddenly I heard footsteps behind me. I froze, chills running down my spine as he approached. He said to me ‘Human. Don’t you know how to greet a new pal? Turn around and shake my hand’. I screwed my eyes shut in fear as I turned around, and as I grabbed his hand, I heard a whoopie cushion go off. Opening my eyes, I saw Sans standing in front of me,” Frisk said, telling the story of how he met Sans.

“Huh. Interesting,” Micheal replied.

“That was a pretty spooky story there until the end,” Noelle commented.

“So, you really do like horror don’t you?” Micheal asked.

“Sure do! Always been looking for more scary stories,” Noelle responded.

He nodded. “Well, like I told you earlier, I like watching horror games on YouTube. Maybe I can show you some on the surface?”

Noelle nodded. “I’d love that,” she said, smiling warmly. Micheal smiled back.

“Come on lovebirds, let’s go!” Chara said, taking control of Frisk’s body. Micheal and Noelle jumped in surprise as their faces reddened, causing Chara to laugh.

“Well, here’s Frisk back.” Frisk’s eyes changed back to normal.

“Chara, when you said you had an idea for a prank, I wasn’t expecting you to say that,” Frisk whispered. Chara just smirked smugly.

“Here we are, the entrance to the Ruins,” Frisk announced, gesturing at the door.

Noelle stared up at it. “I…I’ve never been through these doors before,” she remarked nervously.

“Hey, if you don’t want to go, you don’t have to,” Micheal assured her. She turned towards Micheal, looking him in the eyes.

“No, I’ll be fine. I’m with you after all,” Noelle replied, smiling warmly as she blushed slightly. Micheal returned the smile, his face heating up.

“Let’s go then.” Together, the group walked into the Ruins, determined to make their journey.

~~~

When William had gone up the stairs at the end of the long hallway, the last thing he expected to see was a house that looked almost identical to Asgore’s. Unlike Asgore’s house, there were not any yellow flowers throughout the home.

William turned towards the hallway on his left, walking down it. Everything seemed the same, however, the door at the end had a sign saying the room was under renovations. “Guess Toriel and Asgore both had the same idea.”

Opening the door in the middle, he entered what he presumed to be Toriel’s room. He took a quick look across the room, before exiting.

Heading into the last door, William entered a child’s bedroom. This one was slightly smaller than the one in Asgore’s home, and only featured a single bed. Looking around, he came across a box with shoes of multiple sizes. It wasn’t hard to figure out why.

Heading back into the hallway, he went through the foyer and into the living. It still looked almost identical to Asgore’s, but William noticed an open book on the table.

“Trapped behind the barrier and fearful of further human attacks, we retreated. Far, far into the earth we walked, until we reached the cavern’s end. This was our new home, which we named ‘Home.’ As great as our king is, he is pretty lousy at names,” William read. He chuckled at the section calling out Asgore’s terrible naming abilities.

Although he figured it’d be relatively identical, William stepped into the kitchen. On the counter was a large pie with a slice cut out. Its size was quite intimidating. Opening the fridge, there was a chocolate bar inside. “Hmm.”

Exiting the kitchen, William returned to the Foyer, and exited the house. In front of the house was a large, leafless black tree. It seemed to be rather old. Continuing forward led him to a crossroads.

Turning to the left led him to a small room with a doorway. Going through the doorway, William found himself staring out at the buildings of Home. “Fascinating.”

Turning around, William went back to the crossroads. Pulling out his scanner, he looked down at it. “I’m getting closer to the source it seems. Guess it’s this way,” he said, figuring out which way he needed to go. Putting the scanner away, he walked, going straight ahead.

He found himself in a room that had some sort of puzzle in it. However, as the puzzle was already solved, he didn’t bother trying to figure out what it was. After all, he didn’t need to solve it.

Continuing forward, he passed by several puzzles before he spotted a sign mentioning a spider bake sale in another room. “No thank you.” He kept walking, not even bothering to stop by.

Eventually, he entered a large room with cracks littering the ground. Stepping forward, the ground gave out beneath his feet. William screamed in surprise and terror as he fell, landing on a pile of leaves. “Ow,” he groaned. Noticing a sign on the wall, he took a look, seeing it read ‘please don’t step on the leaves’ on it.

William looked at the leaves, noticing they made a pattern. “This puzzle is not kind to people going the opposite direction,” he muttered in annoyance. He walked through the door at the end, heading back up. Eventually, he found a similar room that essentially demonstrated how the cracked floors worked. “Having a lot of fun falling through the floor,” William muttered sarcastically.

Finally, William passed through a doorway that led to what he could only assume to be the entrance to the Ruins. There were two sets of stairs on both sides, leading up to a rather well made entrance. Walking down the stairs, he pulled his scanner. “It looks like it’s just up ahead.”

Walking forward, he approached a large patch of yellow flowers, like the ones Asgore had in his home. Looking up, he could see some sunlight coming through a hole in the ceiling. “Guess this is where the children fell.”

What caught his eye was the boss monster sitting in the patch of flowers. He looked rather young, wearing a green shirt with yellow stripes. Walking up to him, William cleared his throat. The young boss monster turned around. “Greetings, Asriel.”

~~~

“So, I take it this is Toriel’s house?” Micheal asked. After passing through a long hallway and up some stairs, they entered a house resembling Asgore’s. Frisk nodded.

“No time to look around, we need to catch up to your father,” Frisk remarked, before hurrying ahead.

Micheal looked at Noelle, smiling. “Come on, let’s go.” Noelle nodded, smiling, and the two ran to catch up to Frisk.

Together, the group quickly made their way through the Ruins. They passed by several puzzles on the way. Although Micheal and Noelle wanted to see the sights, they both knew there wasn’t any time.

They arrived at the entrance to the Ruins quickly, heading out. “Come on, the place I fell down is this way,” Frisk gestured. The group hurried along, slowing down as they approached the flowers.

They spotted William standing in the flower patch, looking at Asriel. “Let’s just watch this play out,” Chara said. Micheal held up a finger to his mouth, looking at Noelle. She nodded, getting the message.

“Who are you? How do you know my name?” Asriel asked nervously.

“My name is Doctor William Henrikson, but you can call me William. As to how I knew your name, your father told me the story about you as I toured the underground,” William answered.

As he spoke, Asriel spotted Frisk in the background. He smiled, and Frisk gestured for him to stay quiet. Getting the message, he turned his head back to William. “So, why did you get a tour of the underground?” Asriel asked.

“You see, when the barrier broke and monsters went to the surface, I volunteered to make contact, as I am aware of the history of monsters. As such, I asked for a tour of the underground so I could see what the monsters could use to their advantage in their negotiations with humanity,” William explained.

“Also, Micheal, Frisk, Noelle, I know you’re there.” Asriel’s eyes widened as William turned around. “You can come out of the shadows now.” Slowly, Frisk, Micheal, and Noelle all stepped out of the shadows.

“Greetings to you as well, Chara,” William remarked nonchalantly.

Shock fell over the faces of everyone else present. “What?!” Chara exclaimed.

“Yes, I can see and hear you,” William clarified.

Chara had her arms at her sides, seething. “Why the hell didn’t you say anything if you could see me?!” she demanded angrily.

“For one, I could tell that you weren’t exactly normal,” he replied.

“Also my son needs friends,” William deadpanned. Micheal frowned, crossing his arms, causing Noelle to giggle.

“I don’t see Chara anywhere.” Asriel glanced around, confused.

Frisk’s eyes glowed red. “Don’t worry Asriel, I’m here,” Chara said. Asriel stumbled back in shock. Frisk’s eyes returned to normal.

“I guess that confirms my suspicions,” William muttered offhandedly.

“Dad, how come you and I can see and hear Chara?” Micheal asked, hoping to finally get an answer.

“You see Micheal, something similar to Chara’s situation happened to an ancestor of ours, and another ancestor was able to see them. I guess it’s something that just runs in our family,” William answered.

“You know what, I’m not going to question it further. Now how the hell did you even find Asriel?! Did you use some magic?” Micheal inquired, glaring at his father. “What else haven’t you been telling me?”

William glanced at Noelle. “Micheal, it might be best if you tell your friend to leave.” His voice was cold, betraying little emotion.

“I am not leaving,” Noelle replied sternly, a fierce look in her eyes. William simply sighed. “Fine.”

“You want to know how I found Asriel?” Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the scanner device that Chara had mentioned. “This is a portable SOUL scanner,” William explained.

“I began to pick up abnormal SOUL readings near the underground. Although the signal was faint, it began to grow as we journeyed through the underground. Despite the signal increasing, the readings, however, were continuing to decrease. When we went through the True Lab, I found notes discussing a flower, which I deduced was the reanimated prince. Are you following?” The listeners nodded, mostly understanding what William was saying.

“When I asked about how the barrier was broken, I was told that nobody really remembered what happened, besides everyone gathering at the barrier and being held up by flowers. The ancient text in Waterfall mentioned that it would take every monster in the underground to equal the power of a single human SOUL, and since there were only six human SOULs, that left only one option. Someone absorbed the six SOULs, and the SOULs of every monster in the underground, and broke the barrier.”

“None of the monsters remember how the barrier was broken, meaning there was only one being that could’ve absorbed the SOULs. That being, Asriel. With all that power, he regained his original form, and after destroying the barrier, releasing the SOULs as well. This also meant that he would soon turn back into a flower, which would explain why the readings I detected were decreasing.” William concluded his extensive explanation, looking at Frisk expectantly. “Is that correct?”

“Yes, that’s correct,” Frisk acknowledged.

William smiled. Turning around, he briefly thrusted his fist in the air. “Yes!” he whispered. Giggles and chuckles rang out behind him at his celebration.

“Of course, that’s not the end of the story. There’s more to it, isn’t there,” William said. Turning around, he smiled smugly at Frisk. Frisk’s eyes darted anxiously.

“Dad, can you not freak Frisk out?” Micheal exclaimed in annoyance. He was beginning to get tired of his father’s antics at the moment.

“Before the barrier was broken, my lab began picking up readings of various anomalies in the timeline. It was as though someone was resetting, and going back in time. It was quite strange. However, I had theorized something like this might be possible through the use of DETERMINATION. Frisk, Chara, care to explain?” William said, staring intently at the two.

“Yes, that was us. Essentially, we were able to SAVE, and then if we wanted to, we could LOAD, taking us back to the point where we last SAVEd. We would also be sent back upon death. Something else we could do was RESET, which sent us back to the beginning,” Chara solemnly replied.

“Before I fell down here, Flowey, or Asriel, had that power,” Frisk added.

“So it is possible,” William muttered. “So, did you ever RESET?” The two nodded solemnly. “How many times.”

“T-Too many to count,” Frisk said. He and Chara started trembling.

“What was Sans talking about in that corridor at the castle? Don’t think I forgot about it,” William continued, paying no heed to Frisk’s or Chara’s state.

“We’ve been through here so many times, that we started calling them runs. On the last run, I-I snapped. I lost it. So much pain was caused…” Chara trailed off, tears running down her face at the memories. Frisk quickly pulled Chara into an embrace. William turned around, his back facing them.

Noelle had a few tears in her eyes as she gazed at the two. Micheal turned and glared at his dad. “Really Dad?! Really?! You just had to press them didn’t you?!” he snapped, fists clenched in anger.

Noelle gazed fiercely at William. “Couldn’t you see that they were upset?! You didn’t even care! In fact, you’re just standing there, doing nothing!” she shouted, rage building in her voice as she spoke.

William stood silently for a moment. “I know all that I need to know. I…I get what they did. I won’t say anymore about it. I’m sorry.” He spoke softly, his back still facing Chara and Frisk.

After a few minutes, he turned around, wiping his eyes. Micheal crossed his arms, staring at his father. “So, what more do you plan to do now, and how will it upset my friends?” He scoffed at his dad. He didn’t miss the way his father flinched as he spoke to him.

“Micheal. To show how much I want to help the monsters, I plan on restoring Chara and Asriel,” William spoke calmly.

Micheal’s jaw dropped at his father’s bombshell. “H-How?! You’d probably need SOULs to do that!”

Wordlessly setting down his backpack and zipping it open, William reached inside. “With these.” He pulled out a canister that contained six human SOULs inside.

“The SOULs of the fallen children,” Frisk muttered in shock.

“oh, i was wondering where those SOULs went after the barrier broke.”

William jumped, stumbling back. Shrieking, Noelle grabbed onto Micheal, screwing her eyes shut. “SANS!” William shouted.

“sup.”

“oh hey lovebirds,” Sans commented, glancing at Noelle and Micheal. Opening her eyes, she looked at Sans, then back at Micheal. She jumped off of him, her face burning red. Micheal felt his face heat up as well.

“Sans! What the hell are you doing here?!” William demanded. Right now, he wanted nothing more than to slap the skeleton.

“keeping an eye socket on you.” Sans winked.

“Have you been following me this whole time?” William asked.

“yep.” William thought for a moment, thinking about if he had seen Sans anywhere on his way here.

“Wait, was that stick that snapped in Snowdin forest you?” he asked.

“yep. i was worried i messed up there, but you didn’t spot me at all,” Sans replied, shrugging.

“as for what i said in the judgment hall? well, i remember what happened in the last one.” The pinpoints of light in Sans’ eye sockets disappeared as he spoke. “but let’s not worry about that right now. the kids have changed after all.”

“H-How exactly would you be able to help me? I don’t have a SOUL as Flowey,” Asriel pointed out.

“I wouldn’t be so sure.” Reaching into his pocket, William pulled out his SOUL scanner. He walked up to Asriel, scanning him.

A beeping sound came from the scanner once it finished. “Aha!” William looked over the results with excitement in his eyes. “Asriel, I am happy to say that you do have some of your SOUL still. You still have some fragments that must’ve been absorbed by the flower when you died.”

“Really?!” Asriel replied in disbelief. William showed him the results. The display showed an outline of Asriel, with a few glowing SOUL fragments inside.

“let me see that.” Sans grabbed the scanner, looking over the results.

He handed the scanner back to William with shock written on his face. “huh. didn’t expect that,” Sans remarked.

“I’m not surprised that you guys weren’t able to detect his SOUL fragments. This was developed at my lab, and its technology is far more advanced than what would’ve ended up in the dump,” William commented.

“Frisk, I’d like to scan you.” Frisk was still holding onto Chara when William addressed him. With a nod from Chara, he let go, walking up to William. Scanning Frisk, the scanner beeped shortly after. William stared at the result in curiosity. “Fascinating.”

“What is it?” Frisk asked, concerned. William showed Frisk the display, showing Frisk’s SOUL.

“As you can see, some parts of your SOUL glow brighter than the others. Now, pressing this button here will show what parts of your SOUL are yours specifically, and any anomalies in your SOUL.”

Pressing the button, the display puts an outline around the darker parts of the SOUL, labeling them as Frisk. The brighter parts, however, were labeled as Chara. “I’m guessing you’re buried under those flowers there.” Chara nodded.

“So, here’s what I think happened. Frisk, when you fell into the underground, your SOUL broke. Your DETERMINATION, however, took the remaining fragments of Chara’s SOUL and combined them with yours. This kept you alive, and also brought Chara to her current state,” William explained.

“Trust me, I’ve heard about this before. It happened with one of my family members, and they were able to separate the SOULs,” William added assuringly.

“What exactly are you planning to do?” Noelle asked.

“My plan is to cut off the bottom parts of the human SOULs, then cut the other parts in half. I’ll take one of the bigger halves from each SOUL and fuse them with Asriel’s fragments. Then, I’ll remove Chara’s fragments from Frisk’s SOUL. Once that’s down, the remaining larger halves will be fused with Chara’s fragments before I return his SOUL to his body. Finally, I’ll take the remaining pieces and use them to fix Frisk’s SOUL,” William explained, stating his plan.

“interesting. we should probably tell the others about Chara though.” Sans nodded, his hand on his chin in thought.

“Chara, why don’t you make yourself known when we meet up at Papyrus’ house?” William suggested.

Chara froze up. “I…” Frisk gave her a reassuring hug. “I’ll do it,” she said, her voice filled with determination.

“Excellent.” William rubbed his hands together excitedly.

“So, are you both on board with this plan?” William asked Chara and Asriel. Both of them nodded. William smiled. “Alright!” He turned towards Sans. “Sans, I need a shovel.”

Chapter Text

Sans left without a word, simply giving William a weird look. Micheal and Noelle both looked at each other. Neither of them had a good feeling about this.

“Say, did you want to meet Asriel?” Micheal asked. Noelle nodded shyly. As he walked ahead, she slowly dragged behind him. Noticing how far back she was, Micheal turned around and walked back. “Hey, it’ll be okay,” he assured. Smiling, he grabbed Noelle’s hand. She smiled back at him, as he led her up to where Asriel sat.

Walking up to Asriel, he turned around and faced them. “Hello! I’m Micheal, and this is Noelle,” Micheal greeted. Noelle waved shyly.

“Howdy! Nice to meet you!” Asriel replied, smiling.

Noelle smiled, only for it to disappear as her face became filled with horror. “W-Why are you glowing like that?!” Noelle asked in fear.

“Holy shit!” Micheal shouted. Grabbing Noelle, he stepped back from Asriel. “Uh, Dad?”

William hummed in question, looking up from his backpack. “What is it?” His face went white with shock as he saw Asriel. He ran up to him, with Frisk and Chara following.

“What’s happening to me?” Asriel asked, tears streaming down his face. William pulled out his SOUL scanner, hastily scanning Asriel.

“The remaining SOUL energy keeping your form is dissipating rapidly! You don’t have much time left before you return to a flower!” William explained frantically.

Chara looked at Frisk, and he nodded. Closing his eyes, Chara took control. She ran up to Asriel and pulled him into a big hug. “When we see each other again, you owe me a hug,” Chara said, tears in their eyes. Asriel returned the hug, nodding.

Chara stepped back, giving control back to Frisk. Asriel’s body grew brighter, until his entire body was engulfed, causing a bright flash of light. When the light faded, a flower sat in Asriel’s place.

William quickly did a scan. “Yup, the SOUL fragments are still there,” he remarked.

“As if we needed you to check,” Asriel, or Flowey, scoffed.

William looked at Frisk. “So, do I just call him Asriel?”

“Just call him Flowey for now,” Frisk replied.

“well, i got the shovel.” Sans returned, noticing Flowey. “looks like the weed’s back. how are you doing there, bud?” Sans sneered, glaring at Flowey.

“Yeah yeah, very funny,” Flowey replied.

“Sans, Chara said to, respectively, shut the fuck up,” William said nonchalantly. Both Noelle and Micheal burst out laughing.

“I can’t believe how calmly my Dad just delivered that,” Micheal remarked as his laughter died down.

Noelle’s laughter slowed as well, and she nodded. “I certainly wasn’t expecting that,” she said, giggling.

William walked up to Sans. “Have the others started gathering at your place yet?” he asked as he took the shovel.

“yeah, a few have shown up already. shouldn’t be much longer before we all need to be there,” Sans replied.

William turned his attention to Flowey. “So, are you able to move around or do we need to put you in a pot?” he asked.

Flowey shifted up from the ground, using his roots as makeshift legs. “Does that answer your question?” he scoffed.

“Well, I hope you don’t mind seeing me dig up your corpse Chara. Just remember, you don’t have to watch,” William told her.

“Yeah yeah, I’m aware,” Chara replied. Nodding, William walked to the flower patch, and began to dig.

Micheal carefully grabbed out a flower from the patch. Flower in hand, he walked over to where Noelle was. “I picked this flower for you,” he said as he presented the flower.

Noelle took it, giggling. “Are you flirting with me?”

Micheal’s face turned as red as mars. “I, uh, you see, I uh, I, uh,” he stuttered, flustered. Noelle burst out laughing.

“I’m just messing with you!” she said as she laughed, grinning from ear to ear.

The two sat down on the ground. “You know, I’ve had fun so far today,” Micheal commented. “After all, you being here certainly made the day.” Noelle blushed, giggling. Micheal smirked teasingly, causing Noelle to give him a playful punch.

“Hi ho! Hi ho! It’s off to work I go! Do-do-do-da-do, do-do-do-da-do, I will bring Chara back to life.” Noelle and Micheal both stared at William as he sang while digging.

“Why is my Dad so weird sometimes?” Micheal pinched the bridge of his nose, groaning. Noelle giggled.

Finally, William finished digging. “Wow. It’s like she’s only sleeping.” Chara’s body was perfectly preserved, most likely through magic. Frisk walked over and took a look.

“Aw, you look so cute Chara,” Frisk commented, flustering Chara. William gave her a smug look.

Grabbing Chara’s body out, William walked to Sans. “Hey, can you use a ‘shortcut’ to get Chara’s body to your place? I’d rather not been seen carrying the body of the royal family’s adopted child through Snowdin,” he said. “Also, take Flowey with you.” Sans wordlessly grabbed the body and the screaming flower, and was gone as soon as William blinked.

“You know, something tells me that Sans isn’t coming back to pick the rest of us up.” William sighed, turning his attention to the others. “Well, we should get going,” he announced.

~~~

“Not this again,” William groaned in annoyance. Already, the group had arrived at the room demonstrating the cracked floor. “I really don’t want to fall again.” He pinched the bridge of his nose, annoyed.

“Yeah, it wasn’t exactly fun,” Micheal agreed. Getting an idea, Noelle stepped forward. Summoning her magic, she spread her arms forward, covering the cracked floor in ice. “That was awesome!” Micheal exclaimed. Noelle smiled shyly at his praise.

“I’ll go first.” Carefully, William stepped on the ice bridge, putting one foot on first. When the ice didn’t crack, he put his other foot on. “Woah!” As he walked toward, he ended up sliding across the ice bridge, stumbling off at the end.

“You guys can come across!” William informed them after inspecting the ice for any cracks.

Soon, Micheal was the last one to cross. As he slid, the bridge began to crack. “Shit shit SHIT!” he shouted in terror. At the very end, Noelle grabbed him and swiftly pulled him off. The ice bridge broke behind them, collapsing completely.

Micheal took a moment to catch his breath. “I’m so sorry!” Noelle apologized, her expression a mixture of worry, concern, and guilt. “I-I should’ve said that I wouldn’t be able to keep the bridge up forever! I’m so sorry!” Tears began to form in her eyes as she apologized profusely.

Micheal quickly pulled her into a hug. “Hey, it’s alright! I’m okay,” he assured her. Noelle sniffled, wiping her eyes. “We should’ve figured that we’d need to cross quickly. Regardless, you still caught me before anything happened.” Noelle nodded.

“Don’t worry Noelle, you won’t have to do something like this again. I’ve memorized the path in the next room with the cracked floors at this point,” Frisk added, trying to comfort her.

The group didn’t face any major hiccups after that. Towards the end, William led the group to the balcony overlooking Home. “I figured you guys didn’t stop and look at the sights with how quickly you caught up to me.”

Micheal and Noelle both stared out in wonder. “Wow, I’ve never seen Home before,” she remarked softly.

Micheal was reminded of the buildings of New Home as he looked over the cityscape. “It’s rather neat,” he acknowledged. When they were ready, the two walked back to William and the others.

After a short time, they arrived at the end of the Ruins. Walking into the forest, they were immediately blasted with cold air. Noelle closed her eyes, breathing in as she smiled.

“Isn’t Snowdin forest just beautiful?” she asked Micheal. He nodded, before smirking.

“It is beautiful, but it’s even more beautiful with you here.” Noelle’s face burned, glowing red.

Micheal’s eyes widened, and his face flushed with embarrassment. “Oh god, did I really just say that?!” he said nervously. “I, uh, I, shit, what do I do?” He began muttering to himself anxiously.

He was interrupted from his downward spiral by Noelle’s hand on his shoulder. Micheal looked up, turning his head and locking eyes with her. “I, uh, thought it was nice that you said that,” Noelle said shyly. She suddenly flinched, looking away.

“Hey! Are you two coming?” William’s voice got their attention. They spotted him walking over to them. “Oh, uh, yeah! Sorry Dad,” Micheal apologized.

“Yeah, sorry,” Noelle added.

“Let’s go.” William sighed, shaking his head.

After an uneventful trek through Snowdin forest, the group arrived at the chasm in front of Snowdin town. Micheal absentmindedly grabbed Noelle’s hand as he walked across the bridge. William took a quick glance at the two, but didn’t say anything. He simply smiled to himself.

Entering the town, William spotted Rudy get up from a bench, walking over to them. “Frisk, you and Chara can go on ahead. We’ll meet you there,” he suggested. Nodding, Frisk and Chara ran off towards Sans and Papyrus’ house.

“Hello again, Rudy,” William greeted.

“I see you’re back in town! I hope you enjoyed the forest,” Rudy replied.

William nodded. “It was quite beautiful.”

“Well, I’d like to have a word with Noelle and Micheal here,” Rudy informed William.

“Of course.” He turned around, addressing Micheal. “Meet me at the house, alright?” Micheal nodded, causing William to begin walking away.

“Hey Dad!” Noelle said, running up to Rudy and hugging him.

“Did you have a good time out there?” he asked.

“Yeah! I got to see the Ruins! I had a great time with Micheal!” she replied happily.

“That’s great!” Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’d like to have a word with Micheal here,” Rudy said. Noelle nodded, walking away.

“So, did anything bad happen to her?” Rudy asked in a serious tone. Micheal tensed up.

“No, Mr. Holiday. I made sure to look out for Noelle, and she looked out for me,” Micheal replied.

Rudy cracked a smile. “Please, just call me Rudy!” He laughed, causing Micheal to relax some.

“So, do you care about my daughter?” Micheal nodded. Rudy put a hand on his shoulder. “I’m glad she trusts you. Although I haven’t seen many humans, you’re one of the good ones. I know you’ll protect her,” he addressed Micheal, before he began coughing.

Micheal looked at him with concern, but Rudy just waved dismissively. “I’m fine right now,” he brushed off. “You know, you should bring Noelle to whatever you guys are doing,” Rudy suggested.

“Anyways, that’s all. Go have fun,” Rudy said. Nodding, Micheal ran off, finding Noelle on a bench close by.

She smiled as she saw him. “Did my Dad give you a scare? Please tell me he didn’t,” Noelle said, her eyes filled with concern.

“No, no! Don’t worry, he didn’t scare me or anything!” Micheal replied, chuckling. Noelle breathed a sigh of relief.

“Sorry, he was just looking at you like…” she trailed off.

“Like what?” Micheal asked concerningly. She flinched, and he looked her in her eyes. “Hey, if something’s bothering you, you can tell me,” he assured.

She took a deep breath. “Like you and I were together,” she whispered.

Micheal felt his face burn as he was left speechless. Noelle had a large blush across her first. No words were said between the two for a few moments.

Finally, Micheal broke the silence. “So, would you like to come with me to Sans and Papyrus’ house?” he asked.

“You…you want me there?” Noelle asked, unsure of what she just heard.

“Of course! I’d love to have you there,” he replied, smiling.

“I’ll gladly join you! I’d love to be there for you,” Noelle replied happily, grinning. As they started walking, Noelle grabbed Micheal’s hand. His eyes briefly looked at their hands, but he didn’t say anything. Instead, he smiled, and the two set off.

~~~

Micheal and Noelle arrived in front of the skeleton brother’s house. “You ready?” Micheal asked, looking at Noelle.

She thought for a moment, before giving Micheal a smile. “I’m ready.” Micheal smiled, and opened the door.

“Ah, there you are Micheal! Oh, I see you brought Noelle as well!” William greeted them as they walked in. Micheal could see Papyrus and Undyne ahead in the kitchen, and although he wasn’t sure what they were making, it looked intense. In stark contrast, Toriel was cooking calmly as well.

A large table had been set up in the living room, with some chairs placed around it. Asgore and Alphys were currently seated at the table, with Asgore having a discussion with Frisk. The couch had been pushed up against a table with a book on it.

“THE FOOD IS STILL NOT READY YET, SO RELAX A LITTLE!” Papyrus called from the kitchen.

“You two can take the couch if you’d like. I’m going back to my conversation with Alphys,” William informed Micheal and Noelle before he took a seat at the table near the royal scientist.

Noelle and Micheal looked at each other, Micheal gesturing at the couch. She nodded, and the two walked towards it. “So, how exactly are there trees growing underground? Or flowers for that matter?” The two heard William asking Alphys questions as they passed by.

Sitting on the couch, Micheal breathed a sigh of relief. Out of the corner of his eye, a book on the table caught his attention. It was a joke book. Opening it, he found a book on quantum physics inside. Perplexed, he opened the book, only to find another joke book inside. Inside that joke book was another quantum physics book.

“This is some kind of quantum physics joke, I’m sure of it.” Closing the books, he laid back on the couch, relaxing. Staring up at the ceiling, he closed his eyes. Suddenly, he felt something on his shoulder. Opening his eyes, Micheal glanced down to find Noelle resting her head on his shoulder.

“I’m nervous about the surface,” Noelle admitted. I get that, he sympathized. After all, he had been nervous about coming to the underground. It makes sense that people would think the same about the surface.

“Hey, don’t worry. I’ll be here to help you out,” Micheal assured.

“It’s not just the surface, it’s also Dad.” She had a fearful look in her eyes. “He’s been getting worse. He’s been brushing it off, but I can tell. My Mom’s already left us, so what will I do if I lose him?” As tears started to form in her eyes, Micheal started rubbing her back comfortingly.

“Noelle, I promise that if something happens to your dad, I’ll make sure you’re okay. Hell, I’d even let you stay with me if you need to,” Micheal promised.

“Micheal, you’ve been so sweet to me since we met,” Noelle acknowledged. “I’ve felt so comfortable around you since we met. Being around you makes me feel…safe,” she admitted.

“You’re not the only one. I’ve felt this way too. I think back to the first time I crossed the chasm to Snowden forest. I’m absolutely terrified of heights, but you were there for me. Your presence grounded me,” Micheal admitted. “Even now, I feel more relaxed with you here.”

The two sat there in silence, content to relax together. William had noticed as he spoke with Alphys, but he didn’t say anything. I’m happy you found someone, son, he thought, smiling.

“So, uh, did you appreciate the flower?” Micheal asked awkwardly.

“Well, I don’t really know how to take care of a flower. There’s not any in Snowdin, and I’ve barely seen flowers before,” Noelle admitted.

“I have no damn clue how to take care of a flower myself, so it’s all good!” Micheal replied with a laugh, causing Noelle to giggle. “None of my family is very good with flowers. In fact, we just have Lego flowers around the house!”

Noelle gave Micheal a quizzical glance. “Oh, right. You probably don’t know what Lego is,” he replied sheepishly.

Her face lit up. “Oh, no, I know what it is! There’s been some found in the dump before!” Noelle clarified, laughing.

“Well, I’m sure you’ll be shocked when you see my collection then,” Micheal said, smirking.

“I can’t even begin to imagine how huge it must be,” Noelle admitted.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be sure to show you.” Noelle smiled warmly. “I’d love that.” The two gazed warmly into each other’s eyes.

“ATTENTION! THE FOOD IS NOW READY! PREPARE YOURSELF HUMANS, FOR I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, HAVE MADE SPAGHETTI!”

The two looked up as they heard Papyrus’s announcement. “Ugh, I don’t want to get up,” Micheal groaned. Noelle hummed in agreement. William turned around and looked at the pair.

“Don’t worry, you two are just fine to stay there,” he informed them.

“Are you sure Dad?” Micheal asked. William walked over to the two. “You two are both already aware of most of the things that’ll be discussed, so you’re good to relax,” he whispered. “I’ll also bring food over here for you two.”

William returned to the table, taking a seat next to Alphys. Undyne sat on the other side of her. “HERE, TRY SOME SPAGHETTI FROM THE GREAT PAPYRUS!” Papyrus exclaimed, placing a bowl in front of William.

“GREETING, TINY WILLIAM AND NOELLE! HERE IS SOME SPAGHETTI FROM THE GREAT PAPYRUS HIMSELF!” Papyrus set the bowls down on the table next to the couch, walking away. Noelle burst out laughing.

“Tiny William! Ha ha ha!” she laughed, grinning from ear to ear as she stared at Micheal. Micheal turned his head away, trying to hide the fact that he was smiling. Noelle simply laughed harder.

Ignoring her, he grabbed both bowls of spaghetti, handing one to Noelle. He was about to start eating when he realized something was missing. “Hey Sans, do you guys have any ketchup?” Micheal called. Sans had already disappeared from his seat by the time Micheal looked.

Next thing he knew, Sans was walking up to him with a bottle of ketchup. “Ah, thank you.” Micheal nodded, holding his hand out. Sans, winking, took the lid off the ketchup and, to Micheal’s horror, downed the bottle.

“here ya go.” Sans put the empty bottle in Micheal’s still outstretched hand before walking away.

Micheal just stared forward, horror written on his face. “Did…did he just…” Noelle, unable to hold it in anymore, began laughing hysterically. “Did he just…drink the ketchup?” Micheal asked absentmindedly, causing Noelle to laugh harder.

She nudged his shoulder, snapping him out of his state of shock. Noelle looked at him with concern. “Hey, are you alright?” He blinked several times, before meeting her eyes.

“Yeah, I’m alright. I just, you know, wasn’t expecting that,” Micheal answered, smiling. She giggled, returning his smile.

“Well, I suppose we should try it.” Micheal, returning his attention to the spaghetti, took a bite, and immediately regretted it. As Noelle took a bite, he watched her face go through a variety of expressions.

After what felt like an eternity, he swallowed. Micheal turned to Noelle, sharing a look with her. Wordlessly, he grabbed her bowl, setting both of them back on the table.

“Should we tell him?” Noelle asked, her eyes shifting towards the spaghetti. Micheal thought for a moment, until he shook his head.

“I think we should let my Dad handle it,” he answered, smirking mischievously. Noelle smirked back, giggling as the two turned their attention to William.

William, having watched Sans down a bottle of ketchup, decided not to ask for any. He stared at his food intensely, unmoving. Come on, it’s just spaghetti, what the hell are you freaking out about? Picking up a fork, he took a bite. It was…certainly something.

“The taste is indescribable,” Chara said mockingly, smirking.

He finally swallowed. Papyrus was staring at him with expectant eyes, eager to hear what he thought. “SO, HOW WAS IT?!” Papyrus asked eagerly. William took a deep breath.

“Well, it was certainly something I’ve never tasted before, and not exactly in a, uh, good way. I mean, the spaghetti is both undercooked and burnt, which is an impressive accomplishment in itself! I’m not even sure how it’s possible. You certainly have the ability to do amazing things, you just need some guidance,” William answered, being completely honest.

Papyrus’ smile dropped from his face. “OH, I…I SEE.”

“I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings or anything, I was just giving honest criticism,” William followed up, feeling guilty.

Papyrus suddenly smiled. “WOWIE, IS THIS WHAT GETTING CRITICISM FROM YOUR FRIENDS FEELS LIKE?! THANK YOU WILLIAM! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, VOW TO IMPROVE MY COOKING SKILLS!” Papyrus exclaimed happily.

William smiled. “Glad I could help.” Papyrus snapped his head towards Sans.

“SANS, HOW COME YOU NEVER TOLD ME MY COOKING WAS BAD?” Papyrus asked.

“i, uh, didn’t want to hurt ya feelings bro.” Sans shrugged.

“DID YOU REALLY THINK I COULDN’T HANDLE CRITICISM?” Papyrus followed up, sounding hurt.

Sans instantly sat up. “what? n-no, i didn’t think that about you at all bro. i was just…” Sans defended, trailing off.

“JUST WHAT?”

“i was just trying to look out for you, bro,” Sans replied solemnly, sighing. “it was wrong of me to do that to ya, and i’m sorry,” he apologized, gazing at the ground.

“I ACCEPT YOUR APOLOGY.” Sans gaze shot up, staring at his brother. Papyrus smiled.

“thanks bro. you are really are so cool.”

“That he is. That he is,” William agreed. Taking a drink of water, he took a deep breath before standing up. “May I have everyone’s attention?” All eyes turned up towards William. “Thank you,” he said, sitting back down.

On the couch, Noelle and Micheal watched intently. “I wonder how this is going to go,” Micheal commented.

“I hope that this goes well,” Noelle added, gazing worryingly at the table.

“Hey, I’m sure it’ll be fine,” Micheal assured, rubbing Noelle’s back.

She leaned her head on his shoulder. “I hope so.”

“So…” William trailed off. He suddenly felt absolutely terrified. As he felt himself start to sweat, he took a few deep breaths to steady himself. “Okay. Asgore, you remember how you told me about Chara, right?” William began. Asgore nodded.

“You told me about how she died and all that, you know,” he continued.

“What’s this about, William? What about my dead child concerns you?” Toriel asked sternly. She glared at him as she began to lose her patience.

“Oh, uh, yeah I was, uh, getting to that,” William stuttered as he caught Toriel’s gaze. “Well, the thing about Chara being dead is that, well, she kinda…isn’t.” Silence reverberated throughout the entire room.

There was a chill in the air, and it was as if the very air froze. “Is it j-just me, or did it get c-cold in h-here?” Noelle whispered, shivering. Micheal wrapped his arms around her, trying to keep her warm. She shifted closer to him.

“Now, I know what you’re probably thinking, and let me just say that I’m not crazy! In fact, I’m not the only one who knows this!” William hastily explained, whirling his gaze to Frisk. “Frisk, if you would?”

Frisk nodded, closing his eyes. When they opened, the eyes had changed to red. “Hey Mom, hey Dad,” Chara greeted. Cold silence still lingered in the air. No one spoke for about a minute.

“M-My child? Is it…really you?” Toriel asked in disbelief. Standing up, she walked over to Chara. Asgore got up and did the same.

“Do you guys happen to have any chocolate here? I’d love to have some,” Chara said, causing snickers from the couch.

Toriel suddenly had tears in her eyes. “It…it really is you, C-Chara,” she remarked, hugging Chara as tears streamed down her face. Chara hugged her back, and Asgore joined as well. All three were crying happily.

“Aw, that’s sweet,” Noelle remarked as she watched the reunion. Glancing at Micheal, she pulled him into a hug, who looked surprisingly at her.

“Hey, they aren’t the only ones allowed to give hugs,” she teased. Suddenly, he hugged her back, causing Noelle to blush.

William smiled at the Dreemurrs. It warmed his heart watching their reunion. It’ll be even better once they both have their forms back. Of course, he also knew that Chara would talk about the resets, and the last run. It wasn’t going to be pleasant. But right now, they deserve to have this moment.

Eventually, Chara said something to both Asgore and Toriel that William didn’t hear, and the three broke apart. “I suppose I have some explaining to do, and some confessions,” Chara said, wiping tears from their eyes. Or would she be wiping tears from Frisk’s eyes since she’s controlling his body? William shook his head, putting aside his thoughts about what pronouns you use to refer to Chara as they possessed Frisk’s body.

“I’ve been following Frisk around as a ghost ever since he fell in the underground. He must’ve somehow woken me up when he fell, and I became attached to him. So that’s how I got here,” Chara explained. The easy part is over, now for the hard part, she thought dreadfully.

“I believe in you Chara,” Frisk encouraged.

Thanks, she replied. She took a deep breath. “Dad, do you remember the time me and Azzy baked you a pie, and you got sick after eating it because we put buttercups in it?” Asgore nodded.

“It all started because I wanted to help everyone go free. The only problem was, we needed human SOULs, which were on the other side of the barrier. In order to cross it, a monster needed to absorb a human SOUL. We didn’t have one, but what we did have was me,” Chara explained, tears in their eyes.

“So I made a plan with Asriel. I poisoned myself with buttercups, and then he absorbed my SOUL. I shared control with him, and after we crossed the barrier, the humans came to attack us. I wanted so badly to attack, to wipe them all out, but Asriel held us back. Even as I cried, he never fought back. My hatred of Humanity got him killed.” Tears ran down Chara’s face.

Asgore and Toriel both had tears streaming down. Papyrus looked downtrodden, and even shed a few tears himself. Sadness was on the face of everyone on the table.

As Toriel and Asgore both approached Chara, she held up her hands at both of them. “That’s…not everything,” she said, wiping away her tears.

“Frisk has the ability to turn back time. They’re able to SAVE at certain points, they can LOAD those saves, and RESET completely. When Frisk died, they’d go back to the last SAVE point,” Chara explained.

“We…we went through the underground several times. Eventually, we started calling them runs. We kept trying to make things right, help everyone. Nobody remembered each time we RESET, except for Sans.” Chara gestured at Sans, who just shrugged. Papyrus looked like he wanted to say something to his brother, but remained silent, letting Chara continue.

“We kept going, over and over and over again. We died so many times. On the last run, I…I just snapped,” Chara said, tears forming in their eyes. “We call it, the genocide run.”

“I…I hurt so many people. Frisk tried to get me to stop, get through to me, but I didn’t listen. I just kept going, kept killing again and again. I-I killed Mom, Papyrus, Undyne, almost everyone here! People were evacuated, and at the very end, I almost erased the entire world,” Chara said, hot, angry tears running down their face, fists clenched at their sides.

“Frisk got through to me at the last moment, and I just cried. I don’t know how long it was. Maybe days. Eventually, we RESET, and here we are. You know, Frisk said that you would forgive me. He still says that. He’s WRONG. I don’t deserve to be forgiven for what I did.” Chara finally finished, sobbing.

“I…I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST A DREAM.” William whipped his head towards Papyrus.

“What was just a dream?” He gazed at Papyrus with curiosity.

“LAST NIGHT, I HAD A DREAM WHERE I CONFRONTED FRISK, AND THEY KILLED ME. BEFORE I DIED, I TOLD THEM I STILL BELIEVED THERE WAS GOOD IN THEM. IT SEEMS THAT I WAS RIGHT,” Papyrus explained, smiling at the end.

Hm, maybe that has some relationship to the fact that Sans remembers the RESETs, William pondered.

“Y-you forgive me, Papyrus?” Chara asked. Papyrus nodded. Toriel knelt down and hugged Chara.

“My child, of course we forgive you,” she assured. Chara leaned in, still sobbing.

Noelle was shocked. She had no idea how to react, and just stared. “You know, I can’t exactly blame them completely. Giving someone the power to turn back time like that can make anyone go insane,” Micheal commented.

Blinking, Noelle nodded in agreement. “Yeah.”

“Also, Asriel’s a flower,” William said nonchalantly.

Micheal facepalmed. “Did you really have to bring it up like that?” he grumbled as Noelle giggled.

“Sans,” William called.

“yeah, i’ve got the wee- i mean, Asriel here,” Sans replied, setting Flowey on the table. He was currently in a pot.

“Stupid smiley trash bag,” he muttered. William chuckled at his nickname for Sans.

“Asriel? Is that really you?” Toriel asked.

“Yeah yeah, it’s me,” he answered. “But I’m not the same. I’m SOULless, after all.”

William smiled. “Not exactly.” He pulled out his SOUL scanner, pulling up the scan results for Asriel and Frisk.

“You see, after Flowey absorbed the six human SOULs and the SOULs of every monster in the underground, he became Asriel again. I had picked up strange SOUL energy readings that led me to him, and, upon scanning him, discovered that he had a few fragments of his SOUL with him,” William explained.

“As for Chara, her SOUL fragments are connected to Frisk’s SOUL. It seems that when Frisk fell, their SOUL suffered damage, and Chara’s fragments filled the gaps.” After showing Toriel and Asgore, William gave the scanner to Alphys. Her eyes scanned it with wonder, intrigued by the scanner before her.

“There is a way to separate them. I have equipment in my lab to cut the Chara’s fragments from Frisk’s SOUL, and I’ve already retrieved Chara’s body to put her SOUL back into,” William explained, earning looks of shock and outrage from both Toriel and Asgore.

“The only thing needed is a SOUL, or SOULs, to fill the gaps the three have. Luckily…” Grabbing his backpack, pulling out the SOUL canister. “We have these.” Asgore stared wide eyed at the six SOULs inside.

“Those are the six human SOULs we had,” he said in shock.

“How did you manage to even get your hands on these?!” Toriel snapped, glaring at William.

Micheal perked up. “Good, looks like my Dad’s going to explain where those SOULs came from,” he remarked. Noelle looked on with interest.

William sighed. “Yes, I was just about to explain that. Let’s start from the beginning.”

~~~

William sat at his desk, grabbing the paper in front of him. It had just arrived today. It was a request to receive funds for a digging project near Mount Ebbot.

“Denied,” William read bitterly. Over the years, he’s made several similar requests, all situated around Mount Ebott. All of them had been denied, and this one was no different.

“If only…” He trailed off, ending that train of thought. He’d had this thought hundreds of times at this point. William never mentioned the real reason why he was requesting funds for a digging project. He’d often put a variety of reasons, from searching for certain minerals, searching for potential groundwater, to even a future site expansion.

None of these reasons were true, and chances are that had something to do with why they were all denied. The real reason he wanted to dig near Mount Ebott was to attempt to free the monsters.

William ran one of the only labs in the world that conducted SOUL research. Almost every employee knew magic to some extent, and all of them knew about the monsters. It was the reason William never accepted any offers to go to any colleges, why he never moved away, and why he built the lab right by the mountain itself.

Standing up, William started pacing as he thought. It was a quirk he had, one that he noticed his son seemed to pick up. The barrier, however, was an immense problem. Despite the fact that he and his colleagues were human and knew some magic, the barrier was something ancient. The spell that made it had been lost, and whether that was done intentionally or not was still up for debate.

With no way to simply open the barrier, they were forced to search for alternatives. William had suggested the possibility of digging down to the underground. Of course, he had no idea how much the barrier covered, and if it went around the entire underground like a circle.

That would be something that would have to be tested. Of course, they had to actually get the funding to dig in order to test it, something William was losing his patience with.

Groaning, he opened a filing cabinet, placing the rejected request with the others. Slumping back in his chair, William stared at the ceiling. Why can’t this stupid barrier just disappear?

Suddenly, there was an urgent knock on the door. “Come in,” William answered.

Doctor Emma Stone swiftly walked inside. She was the newest doctor on site, having only been here for around three months, and he had taken her under his wing. “Dr. H-Henrikson, you need to see this,” she told him.

William chuckled. “Please, Emma, just call me William! No need to be so formal right now,” he replied.

Emma stared at him. Suddenly, alarms started blaring. White lights shone throughout William’s office. Although the facility had used alarms plenty of times, this one was different.

William didn’t think he had ever heard this one before. He quickly skimmed through each alarm in his mind. He had set up every single one for a specific purpose, with different lights and sounds corresponding with each. He could remember each alarm, except…

Alarm Code Seven. “Holy shit.” He shot up from his seat and quickly ran to the door. “Dr. Stone, to the control room, now,” William instructed. His demeanor had shifted into a serious tone. There was no room for fooling around.

“Yes, Dr. Henrikson.” Emma nodded as she rushed along with him.

Alarm code seven designated the detection of an individual with the power of seven human SOULs. The alarm had never been used before, until today. William and Emma burst into the control room.

“What’s the status?” William demanded as soon as he entered.

“Dr. Henrikson, we’ve pinpointed the source of the readings. You’re not gonna believe it,” a technician answered.

“Where is it?” Emma asked.

“Behind the barrier.”

William froze in shock. It seemed as though time slowed down around him. People rushed about the control room as he stood there. He could hear a ringing in his ears. “Dr. Henrikson, ugh, William come on snap out of it!” William jolted back to reality as Emma shook his shoulders.

“Doctor, something else is happening!” One doctor yelled.

“Put it on screen!” William demanded. The screen displayed incoming energy readings from Mount Ebott, specifically the barrier. The readings kept rising, and rising, until suddenly, it was gone.

“Dr. Henrikson, I mean, William, the barrier’s…gone,” Emma said as she looked at the readings on a tablet. Picking one up, William took a look himself. Sure enough, the energy readings consistent with the barrier were gone.

“Wait, I’m picking up something else.” Suddenly, six signals of SOUL energy arrived on the surface, seemingly coming from the underground.

“Deploy drones to investigate, and have them bring back what they find,” William announced, before marching out of the control room.

He walked rapidly through the hallway when he heard someone running up from behind. “Dr. Henrikson, wait!”

William stopped and whirled around. Sure enough, Emma was rushing to catch up to him. “Yes, Emma?”

“Uh, Doctor, sorry, William, where are you going?” Emma questioned him.

“Well, considering the barrier was just destroyed, freeing all of monsterkind, I’m on my way to my office to celebrate,” he answered. “I’d rather not give everyone a headache.”

Emma nodded. “Hold down the fort for me for now though, alright?”

“Are you sure?” she asked nervously. He nodded, and Emma grinned. “Thank you.”

Turning around, she happily rushed down the hallway to the control room. William smiled, shaking his head. Opening his office door, he stepped inside. It was only once the door was closed that he let out a shout of celebration.

It wasn’t until around half an hour later that the drones returned. William, accompanied by Emma, walked swiftly towards where the drones had arrived. “Dr. Stone, what are the statuses of each drone?” William inquired.

“Each drone returned unharmed. All six of them found something and brought it back,” Emma answered.

“What did they find?” William asked as they approached the door.

“I think you’d like to see for yourself, Dr. Henrikson,” she replied as they entered the room.

In front of each drone was a canister that contained a single SOUL. “So that explains why the drones were unloaded quickly.” William chuckled as he stared at the canisters. He picked up one of the canisters, staring at the SOUL inside.

Grabbing a larger canister, he transferred the SOUL inside. Eventually, all six SOULs resided in a single canister. “Dr. Henrikson, we have another situation.”

Emma showed William the tablet. “It would seem that the monsters have started leaving then,” he acknowledged.

“Dr. Stone, I’ll need you to be waiting for me if I call,” William said.

“Where are you going?” Emma asked. He smiled.

“Well, someone has to give the monsters a warm welcome, don’t they?”

She nodded. “I’ll head back to the control room for now.” She left, heading through the halls.

William grabbed the SOUL canister. “Just in case.” Canister in hand, he began walking back to his office.

Upon putting the SOUL canister in his bag, he pulled out his phone, and called someone. “Hello? Yes, I am aware of the situation,” William said. “I’d like to volunteer to make contact.”

~~~

“There you go. That’s how I got these SOULs.” Silence fell across the room. “Well, this is awkward,” William remarked after a few moments, chuckling nervously.

“Sorry, I just don’t know what to say. On behalf of all monsterkind, thank you. Thank you for trying so hard to help us. Thank you for never giving up on us,” Asgore declared. William simply smiled and nodded.

“S-So, how exactly a-are you going to h-help Asriel a-and Chara?” Alphys asked.

“Excellent question from a fellow scientist. So, what I’m going to do involves using special equipment at my lab. I have to carefully cut out and remove Chara’s fragments from Frisk’s SOUL,” William answered.

“The next thing I’ll have to do is cut the six human SOULs. The idea is that I’ll cut a little off the bottom of each SOUL, and then cut the remaining top part in half. I’ll take one half from each SOUL and combine them with Asriel’s fragments, then do the same with Chara’s fragments. I’ll then take the remaining pieces and combine them with Frisk’s SOUL.”

“H-How exactly are you g-going to get the SOULs to f-fuse together?”

“I’ll have to add some DETERMINATION in order to fuse the pieces together,” William answered. “Once the SOULs are ready, I’ll add Chara’s to their body, and Asriel’s body should just reform.”

“Now, I know this is an extremely delicate procedure. I know you may not think that you can handle this, but I want you to help me with the procedure, Alphys,” William said.

“M-M-Me?” Alphys looked like she was going to pass out.

“Of course he wants you, Al! You’re one of the smartest people I know, and Will would be stupid not to want you!” Undyne assured her.

“Don’t call me Will,” William muttered.

“If you want, Undyne can also provide security, and uh, you know, girlfriend reassurance,” William added, Alphys’ face turning bright red in response. “I’ll take that as a yes.” Her face burned brighter.

“Well, that’s everything I wanted to talk about. If you’ll excuse me, I have to deal with something.” With that, William stood up, heading outside. With a nod from Noelle, Micheal sneakily followed behind him.

Once outside, William took out his phone. “Let’s see if I can actually call someone down here…” he muttered. To his surprise, he was able to make a call.

“Dr. Stone? Are you there? Yes, yes it’s Dr. Henrikson,” William said. “I’m currently still in the underground right now. I’m surprised I was even able to make a call!” He chuckled.

“Listen, I need you to prepare the SOUL cutters for me, Dr. Stone. Make sure that at least seven are set up. Yes, it’s for something extremely important. In fact, I’ll need transport from the mountain,” William continued.

“Look, if you can get a helicopter that’s fine, I don’t care. Just make sure that those SOUL cutters are prepared then, Dr. Stone. Thank you,” William said as he hung up.

“Micheal, I know you’re eavesdropping. If you could please, head back inside. I have to contact the government at the camp.” William didn’t turn around at all as he spoke.

“Yes, Dad,” Micheal replied. Gulping, he walked back inside, hearing his father turn on the walkie talkie.

Back inside, he returned to the couch. “How was it?” Noelle asked as soon as he returned.

“Well, my Dad’s getting a transport to the lab, and wants equipment ready for the procedure,” Micheal answered.

“Oh, so you’ll be leaving then. I see,” Noelle replied sadly. Micheal put a hand on her shoulder.

“You can come with us if you’d like,” he told her.

“What about my dad?” she asked.

“He can come too.”

Noelle pulled Micheal into a hug. “Thank you,” she said, pulling him closer.

“You’re welcome,” he told her, returning the hug.

After a few minutes, William walked back inside. “Alright, I’ve got everything sorted out. My colleagues are sending a helicopter to pick us up,” he announced.

“Dad, can Noelle and Rudy come with us?” Micheal asked.

William put his hand on his chin in thought for a moment, before he shrugged. “Sure, I don’t see why not.”

William looked around the room. “Say, where’s Toriel at? I think she’d like to hear the news,” he remarked.

“she’s up on the balcony.” Nodding, William walked upstairs and opened the doors.

Stepping outside, he spotted Toriel leaning against the rails. “So, I’ve got a helicopter coming to transport us to the lab for the procedure,” William informed her. Toriel nodded.

“So…how do you feel about Asgore?” Toriel whirled around, glaring angrily.

“Do not talk to me about that pathetic coward,” she snapped.

“I take it you haven’t forgiven him.” She huffed angrily in response.

“Answer me this. How is it that you can forgive Chara, but yet you can’t forgive Asgore?”

Toriel blinked in surprise. “Did I hear that right?” she asked, in denial of what she heard.

“I asked how you can forgive Chara, but at the same time not forgive Asgore?” William repeated.

“Did you dare compare what my child did to the actions of Asgore?!” Toriel snapped furiously.

“Well, it isn’t that hard. After all, Asgore only killed six people, and who knows if all six actually died by his hands. Meanwhile, Chara on the other hand, committed mass genocide.”

“And before you say something about Asgore killing children specifically, that doesn’t apply here. Chara killed almost everyone. Not just the men, but the women, and the children too! They killed you for fuck’s sake!” William shouted at Toriel, glaring at her.

“Yet, Chara does feel remorse for what she did. But so does Asgore. Chara wishes she could make it so it had never happened, and so does Asgore. Chara will no doubt feel the guilt for the rest of her life along with Asgore! Chara believed she didn’t deserve forgiveness, and I’m sure Asgore feels the same way!”

“So please, tell me. What’s the difference? What makes only one of them forgivable?” William finished, stared intensely at Toriel.

“I…” She tried to speak, tears running down her face.

“Something tells me you don’t completely hate him. Whether you like it or not, I need you two to work together on the negotiations. I’m not saying you have to immediately get back to what you two were like, but you need to stop being like this and get on good terms with him again.” Without waiting for a response, William marched back inside, leaving Toriel to her thoughts.

~~~

As soon as the door closed behind him, Chara came around a corner, a finger on her mouth in a shushing motion. William managed to contain his surprise to a gasp. “What is it, Chara? And why do you want me to be quiet?!” William whispered aggressively.

“Frisk wants to show you something outside. Follow me,” Chara answered. William followed her down the stairs, passing by Micheal and Noelle on the couch. Micheal narrowed his eyes.

“I think we should follow them,” he whispered to Noelle. She nodded, and the two of them went outside. They followed William around to the back of the house, where Frisk was waiting in front of a door.

“Oh, hi Micheal! Hi Noelle!” Frisk called, waving at them.

Micheal winced as William whirled around to face them. “Stay behind me,” Micheal whispered. The two walked up to William.

“Micheal, were you following me?” William asked, crossing his arms. Micheal nodded. William looked like he was about to tell him and Noelle off, when Frisk suddenly cut in. “Why don’t you two join us?”

William did his best to suppress a groan. “Fine,” he muttered in annoyance. Micheal and Noelle both grinned widely. Pulling out a key, Frisk unlocked the door. William entered first.

He entered some sort of basement, heading down the stairs. At the end, he found himself in what he could only describe as some sort of secret lab. There wasn’t much in the room. A counter laid against the wall, with some sort of blueprint on it. What caught William’s eye was the curtain in the corner.

Micheal, Noelle, and Frisk all entered the room. Micheal glanced down at the floor, which was covered in purple tile. “The tile reminds me of some block I’ve seen in Minecraft. I forgot what it was called,” he commented.

William inspected the curtains. Underneath them was some sort of strange machine. From what he could tell, it appeared that the machine was broken, although he had no way to be sure. “Frisk, who’s place is this?” William asked, glancing at Frisk.

“Well, I found the key to this place in Sans’ room, so I’d assume Sans.” Frisk glanced around.

William walked back over to the drawers, his hand resting on the handle of one, and he began to open it. “You shouldn’t be here.” William swiftly closed the drawer, and whipped his gaze towards the stairs.

There, Sans stood in front of the stairs. The pinpoints of light in his eyes were gone, leaving a black void that felt like it was staring into William’s soul, freezing him in place. Terrified, Noelle backed into a corner with Micheal, the two holding on to each other’s hands.

The only person unaffected was Frisk. “Sorry Sans, I’ll take them out of here,” he said firmly. The light in Sans’ eyes returned, and he stepped aside. Micheal and Noelle quickly rushed up the stairs. William began going up, with Frisk and Sans behind him.

Once everyone was out, Frisk closed the door and locked it. William turned to Micheal and Noelle. “Why don’t you two go and see if Rudy would like to join us as we head to the surface?” he suggested. Nodding the two turned around and rushed off.

Frisk started walking back to the front. Sans went to join him, but William put a hand on his shoulder to stop him. “Do you want to tell me why you have a lab underneath your house?” William questioned sternly.

“well, believe it or not, i used to be somewhat of a scientist,” he admitted.

“So, you’re not a scientist anymore? Why?” William followed up. Sans shrugged.

“look, it’s complicated. i don’t want to talk about it now.” William nodded understandingly. The two headed back inside.

A few minutes later, Micheal and Noelle had returned, along with Noelle’s father. “My Dad says he’d like to join us!” she exclaimed happily.

“Sans can get the necessary…uh, equipment, to the entrance,” William said. With a nod, Sans disappeared.

“Right, we have to trek back through all of Waterfall and Hotland,” William groaned. He was not looking forward to the trek back.

“We can just take a ride from the River Person!” Frisk suggested.

“The River Person?” William asked in confusion. Frisk nodded. “Come on, I’ll show you!”

Following Frisk led them to a cloaked individual on a boat. “Tra la la. I am the riverman. Or am I the riverwoman…? It doesn’t really matter. I love to ride my boat. Would you care to join me?” The River Person greeted William.

William’s eyes scanned across the boat. “Are you sure this will be able to fit everyone?” Before his very eyes, the boat grew in size. “I stand corrected.” Once everyone was off, the River Person set sail.

“Tra la la. Beware of the man who speaks in hands,” the River Person said during the ride. William blinked, his brow furrowed in confusion. The man who speaks in hands? What?

Suddenly, they arrived in Hotland. Once everyone was off, Asgore led them to an elevator. “Don’t worry, we aren’t taking the scenic route this time,” he joked.

Toriel didn’t say a word to Asgore on the journey. She didn’t glare at him, or scoff in annoyance at something he said. She simply didn’t react at all. Well, it’s a start, William thought.

Soon, they arrived at the entrance. Exiting the underground, William immediately noticed that the Sun had set, and he smiled. Sans was already waiting for them, staring up at the sky.

“There’s not really any light pollution out here, so you’ll be able to get a fantastic look at the sky,” William remarked as the monsters began staring at the sky.

Noelle looked up at the sky, and found herself staring at something that she never could have imagined. She stared in awe at the millions of stars above her. She could see the center of the Milky Way in its brilliance.

“It’s beautiful,” she acknowledged, tears in her eyes. She grabbed Micheal’s hand, squeezing it. Her eyes went wide in panic as she realized what she was doing, only to relax when Micheal squeezed back.

The two sat down on the ground. “It really is quite beautiful, isn’t it?” Micheal agreed.

“I’m glad to experience this with you.” Noelle pulled Micheal into a side hug, grinning.

“I’m so happy you’re here too,” she commented. Together, the two relaxed, staring up at the stars with smiles on their faces.

Chapter Text

William couldn’t help but feel somewhat glad that the helicopter hadn’t arrived yet. After all, it gave the monsters some time to look up at the stars, and William certainly wasn’t complaining about the view either.

He glanced over at Noelle and Micheal, and a smile crossed his face. The two looked so happy together. It made his heart soar that his son had found someone.

“those two really are quite obvious, ya know?” Sans commented. William turned his attention to the skeleton.

“Yeah, it really is. Shouldn’t take them too long to figure that out.” William nodded, turning his gaze back to the two.

Around ten minutes later, the helicopter arrived. It touched down a short distance away. Soon, William saw the familiar short blonde hair and glasses of Emma. “Dr. Henrikson, sorry we’re a bit late,” she apologized.

William waved his hand dismissively. “Nonsense! In fact, it gave the monsters enough time to look at the stars a bit,” he said. Soon, practically everyone had noticed the new arrival, and was heading to William.

He noticed his son and Noelle were still gazing at the stars. “Micheal! Get up!” William called. Jolting in surprise, Micheal shot a thumbs up at his father, before he and Noelle got up and joined them.

“This is one of my colleagues, Doctor Emma Stone. She will be assisting us in the procedure,” William introduced.

“The helicopter is just down that way, please make your way there,” Emma announced.

“Sans, we can take care of the flower and the body then,” William explained. Sans simply shrugged. Two assistants came up, one of them handling Chara’s body, putting it in some kind of holding chamber. The other put Flowey, who was screaming in rage, in a smaller chamber, cutting his screams off.

Both holding chambers were brought to the helicopter, and the monsters began making their way as well. William stopped both Alphys and Undyne. “Dr. Stone, I’d like you to meet Dr. Alphys. She is the royal scientist for the monsters, and will be assisting us in the procedure,” William introduced. Alphys waved nervously. “Also, her girlfriend Undyne will provide extra security.” The two monster’s faces turned bright red.

“Of course, Dr. Henrikson.” With that, the group of four set off for the helicopter. William spotted the familiar SOUL Laboratories logo on the side as they hopped inside. It happened to be one of the larger helicopters they had available. William took a seat next to Emma, with Undyne and Alphys sitting across from them. Micheal and Noelle both sat pretty close by.

“Is everyone on board?” one of the pilots asked.

“Asgore! Is everyone on board?” William called.

“Yes, we took a roll call already!” Asgore shouted in response.

“Yes, that’s everyone,” William informed the pilot.

“Alright, we’re taking off,” the pilot announced to everyone on board. Micheal trembled in fear as he felt the helicopter begin to lift up.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Noelle asked concerningly.

“I…I don’t really like flying. It terrifies me,” Micheal answered. Noelle grabbed his hand, squeezing it comfortingly.

“Does this help?” she asked. Micheal squeezed back, nodding. “Take deep breaths. Just focus on me, alright?” Noelle instructed him calmly.

Micheal nodded, and began to take deep breaths. As he did, he focused his attention on Noelle. His thoughts focused on the feeling of her hand in his. Turning his head towards her, he gazed into her eyes. Noelle smiled warmly at him. Micheal couldn’t help but think of how she made everything better, his heart pounding faster.

Micheal, focused on Noelle, was completely unaware of the fact that William was staring at the two, smiling smugly. “Looks like my daughter’s growing up.” William jumped, snapping his head to see Rudy next to him.

“Oh! I…didn’t notice you there,” he said, surprised, earning a laugh from the reindeer monster.

“You know, you and your son are good people. Your colleagues seem like they are too,” Rudy remarked.

“Oh, thank you,” Emma said, surprised at the compliment.

“I appreciate it, Rudy. After all, there are plenty of people who aren’t.” William sighed bitterly. “Throughout history, humans have had a tendency to be terrible. Groups of people would move into new areas that they never knew of. They’d claim it for themselves, ignoring the people who already lived there.”

“Those people would be pushed away from their homes. They’d be subjugated, enslaved, slaughtered. Entire wars have broken out. There has been not one, but two world wars. Even now, countries have stockpiled nuclear weapons, even with the knowledge that if even just one nuke launches, the entire arsenal of both sides will launch, wrecking devastation across the entire Earth.”

“Even some of my former friends, people who I worked alongside, had differing ideas from me about monsters, humans, and magic. Some ideas were far worse than others. Humanity can be so cruel.” William’s face was contorted in anger, sadness, and fear. His voice was bitter, with hints of rage inside.

“William…I get your fear. I understand what you mean. But what you’re doing is important. You want to make a difference in the world. No matter how loud the terrible people are, you can’t give up,” Rudy reminded William.

“Yeah, yeah you’re right,” he acknowledged, nodding.

“Dr. Stone, did you make sure to get some DETERMINATION ready?” William asked.

“Yes, Dr. Henrikson, I made sure of that myself.” Emma nodded. “We will have to show Dr. Alphys the ropes, but that shouldn’t take too long,” she added. William nodded.

“Hey Micheal, can I ask you something?” Micheal snapped back to reality upon hearing Noelle’s voice. “Yeah, sure,” he answered.

“Does your Dad…do that often? You know, where he suddenly starts talking seriously?” Noelle asked.

“Yeah, that’s something he does. When something serious is going on that’s work related, his entire tone shifts. He starts calling people doctors and all, and people refer to him as Dr. Henrikson without him taking an issue,” Micheal explained.

As he explained, his eyes wondered, accidentally landing on a window. “Oh shit. Right,” he said, remembering he was in an airborne helicopter. Micheal felt a ringing in his ears, only for it to stop when Noelle squeezed his hand.

“Hey, just go back to focusing on me,” she instructed, rubbing her thumb over the back of his hand. Micheal nodded, feeling himself relax as he focused on the girl next to him. After all, the ride would be over soon.

~~~

Finally, the helicopter arrived at the lab. Once they landed, one of the pilots informed the passengers. “Get the holding chambers to the operating room!” William ordered as soon as the doors opened. Quickly, the holding chambers were unloaded and sent to their destination.

Everyone else began disembarking the helicopter. “Hey, we’re here,” Noelle told Micheal. She spoke softly to him, smiling warmly at him.

“Oh, we are?” Micheal asked, snapping out of his thoughts.

Noelle giggled, when suddenly she saw William approaching. He put a hand on her shoulder. “Thank you, Noelle, for taking care of my son. I’m so glad I can trust Micheal in your hands,” he said. William then exited the helicopter.

“Well, that was certainly a bit strange from my Dad,” Micheal admitted. “You’d think you were about to marry me or something,” he added absentmindedly.

Noelle blushed deeply, and once Micheal realized what he just said, his face burned. “Uh, I, uh, I mean, uh,” he sputtered, flustered. He could feel his heart beating faster.

He was broken out of his spiral by the sound of Noelle’s laughter. “I certainly wasn’t expecting that!” she laughed, grinning. Micheal smiled. His eyes darted around the helicopter.

“Noelle, I think we’re the only ones still on the helicopter,” Micheal commented. Noelle’s eyes scanned the area, confirming what Micheal told her.

“Well, we should probably get going then,” she replied. Nodding, Micheal took her hand as the two exited the helicopter.

“Well, we should probably catch up with the others,” Micheal remarked, leading Noelle to the door inside.

“Do you know where they’ll be?” she asked him as they walked inside. Looking around, she couldn’t see the others.

“Yeah, I know where they’re heading. We’ll be fine,” Micheal assured. He began to lead her down one of the hallways, knowing exactly where to go.

“So, this is where your Dad works at then, huh?” Noelle remarked, glancing at the walls.

“Oh, he does more than just work here. In fact, he actually founded this place!” Micheal answered.

“What even is the name of this place?” Noelle followed up.

“Why, this is SOUL Laboratories, home to perhaps the largest collection of SOUL and magic researchers,” Micheal answered, gesturing his arms out dramatically, earning a giggle from Noelle.

“You’re Dad must be pretty serious about SOUL research then, huh?” Noelle nudged Micheal’s shoulder teasingly.

“He sure is. Before he set this place up, he worked with a group of friends, who researched various topics related to magic and SOULs. One day, something happened, and they all split up,” he explained.

“My Dad never really talks much about those friends, either. They haven’t even seen each other since they split up,” Micheal finished. “Well, we should be getting close now,” he remarked.

“Say, Micheal. What exactly do you want to do later in life?” Noelle asked.

Micheal furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. “What do you mean?” he asked, glancing quizzically at Noelle.

“Oh, I meant in terms of a job,” she quickly clarified. Micheal put a hand on his chin thoughtfully.

“Well, to tell you the truth, I’ve always been fascinated by the work that goes on here,” he answered. Noelle nodded understandingly.

“What about you, Noelle?” Noelle’s eyes widened in surprise. She hadn’t been expecting that question.

“I, uh, you see, I don’t, uh,” she stuttered, unsure of how to respond. Micheal winced, realizing his mistake. “I…I’d like to spend it with you!” Noelle suddenly blurted out.

She quickly slapped a hand over her mouth, realizing what she said. She wanted to die of embarrassment right there. Micheal turned to the side, blushing. Noelle’s the one who said it, so why the hell am I getting embarrassed? Micheal questioned himself. Unless…no, no, that can’t be possible, I just met her! It can’t be a possibility…right?

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry!” Micheal was snapped of his thoughts when Noelle apologized frantically.

“Hey, it’s alright.” Putting a hand on her shoulder, he met her eyes. Noelle’s face was bright red. “I’d love for us to remain friends for the rest of our lives!” Micheal remarked. Or maybe something more. Noelle nodded.

“Hey, wanna hear a funny story?” Micheal asked, smirking. Noelle nodded, smiling. The two began walking again, Noelle giggling at Micheal’s story. Suddenly, he stopped. “Oh, there’s my Dad!” Micheal declared. Grabbing Noelle’s hand, he began rushing ahead, dragging her with him.

~~~

The walk through the halls had been rather uneventful from William’s perspective. As he walked, there was nothing but silence from the rest of the group. The only sound was the echoing of footsteps in the halls.

At least, that’s what most people heard. In the back, Chara and Frisk were having a conversation. “Should I say something? The silence is kind of awkward,” Frisk whispered.

“It’s best to leave him be, considering what he’s about to do.” Chara turned her gaze towards William.

“So…are you ready?” Frisk asked. Chara looked down at the ground.

“Should we really be doing this?”

Frisk raised an eyebrow in confusion. “Why wouldn’t we?” he countered.

“Aren’t you ready to see Toriel and Asgore again? To see Asriel again?” Frisk asked concerningly when Chara said nothing.

Chara sighed sadly. “I don’t know if they should see me alive again,” she admitted.

Frisk glanced quizzically at her. “Think about all that I did, Frisk. Even Asriel admitted that I wasn’t the greatest person. I told him that he shouldn’t cry. I convinced him to help me kill myself, and then I tried to get him to kill people. I got him killed, Frisk. Why would Asriel want to see me? Why would anyone want to see me?” Chara said, tears running down her face.

“I want to see you,” Frisk muttered, tears in his eyes.

Chara stepped back in shock. “W-What? Frisk, I did terrible things to you. I forced you to hurt people. I forced you to commit genocide. Even when you begged me to stop, I didn’t. Why do you want to see me alive, after what I did to you?”

A tear ran down Frisk’s face. “B-Because I know you, Chara. I know that you feel guilty for what you did. I know that you’re not a terrible person. You’re my best friend, Chara. Nothing has changed that,” Frisk answered, a smile on his face.

Chara smiled, pulling Frisk into a hug. She let go a few moments later, wiping tears from her eyes. “You owe me a hug when I see you after this,” Frisk remarked smugly. Chara rolled her eyes teasingly.

Before they could continue, William stopped. It seemed they had finally arrived. “Alright, is everyone here?” he asked as he turned around. His eyes quickly went over the group. “Where’s Micheal and Noelle?”

“Dad! Wait up!”

Down the hall, a call answered William’s question. He spotted Noelle and Micheal sprinting down, hand in hand. Soon, the two caught up. “Micheal, where were you two?” William asked sternly.

“Sorry, we were the last ones off the helicopter,” Micheal explained.

William mentally scolded himself for forgetting to make sure everyone was off before they left. “Sorry about that,” he acknowledged.

Micheal waved dismissively. “It’s alright, I knew where you were heading to anyway,” he admitted.

“Just in time too,” William said. He opened the door, stepping inside. Inside was an observation deck, with a window at the end of the back wall.

William marched up to the window, gazing down at the operation room below. All seven requested SOUL cutters were accounted for, with an eighth one as backup. Six of the SOUL cutters were hooked up together to a computer, and each had its own SOUL containment field.

William turned to Emma. “Excellent work at preparing all the SOUL cutters, Dr. Stone. I am glad to see you took the initiative and brought an extra one as well,” he complimented.

“T-Thank you, Dr. Henrikson,” she replied, a smile crossing her face.

William turned his attention back out the window. The holding chambers containing both Chara’s body and Flowey were in the room, with the canister holding the six SOULs nearby. The seventh SOUL cutter was separated from the others, but still had its own containment field. Finally, William caught sight of the DETERMINATION tank, along with the DETERMINATION injectors.

Smiling, he turned back to Emma. “Dr. Stone, excellent job on getting everything in order,” William congratulated. Emma simply nodded. “Dr. Stone and Dr. Alphys, you two will both be assisting me in this procedure. Undyne, I’ll want you inside to provide security.”

“S-Sure thing, D-Dr. Henrikson,” Alphys replied, a mixture of nervousness and excitement in her voice.

“Don’t worry, Dr. Alphys. I’ll make sure to help you in any way I can,” Emma assured Alphys.

“I’ll be there too, Al! You got this!” Undyne encouraged.

“Frisk, you’ll also be coming with us,” William added, turning to the boy. Frisk nodded.

“Chara, are you ready?” William asked.

Chara thought for a moment. “I’m as ready as I’ll ever be,” she answered.

“Excellent. There’s just a few more things I need to prepare.” William turned towards Asgore and Toriel. “I’m going to need to take some DNA samples from you, as well as some of your magic,” he informed them.

Toriel raised an eyebrow, glaring at him with suspicion. “Just why do you need that?” she inquired sternly.

“Well, hopefully, once it’s been reformed, Asriel’s SOUL will use it to recreate his body,” William answered. Toriel visibly relaxed.

“Oh. Alright then.”

Getting the proper equipment, he took samples from both boss monsters. “Alright, this should suffice then. Now, we can head down,” William declared. Opening a door, he beckoned for Frisk to come with him as Undyne, Alphys, and Emma all entered.

There was a short hallway that led to an elevator and some stairs. “What’s with the elevator?” Frisk asked as they began walking down the stairs.

“Would you want to carry something large and heavy up or down these stairs?” William countered.

Eventually, upon reaching the bottom, William opened another set of doors. Inside was the operating room. “Dr. Stone, I want you to mainly monitor the situation during the procedure. I ask you to step in and provide assistance if either I or Dr. Alphys asks for your assistance,” he instructed.

“Understood, Dr. Henrikson. I’ll double check to make sure everything is operational,” Emma replied, before heading off to check on the equipment.

“Undyne, remember, you’re security. Keep an eye on the door,” William remarked.

“You can count on me!” Undyne eagerly answered, giving a salute.

“D-Dr. Henrikson, how do w-we know that the SOULs a-are okay with this?” Alphys stared at the six SOULs uncomfortably.

William opened the canister holding the SOULs. “If you do not want to be a part of this, then please leave the canister now,” he declared. A minute passed, and all six remained. Closing the canister up, he turned back to Alphys. “I think that answers your question.” She nodded.

Alphys stepped closer to one of the SOUL cutters, eager to get a closer look. The SOUL cutter was a rectangular shape, about the size of a shoe box, with one end possessing a large circle in the middle. The main body was hooked up to a robotic arm connected to the ceiling. The other end possessed several wires connecting to the device, supplying power and hooking the SOUL cutter to the computer.

The SOUL containment field in front of the SOUL cutter was certainly something Alphys wasn’t expecting. The field possessed no glass, instead consisting of four pillars making up a square. “Each pillar fires magically energy to each other, acting as a sort of invisible wall to anything inside,” Emma explained, noticing the curious look on the royal scientist’s face.

“Make sure the beds are prepared then, Dr. Stone.” At William’s request, two beds were wheeled over. Chara’s body, removed from their holding chamber, was placed on one. The magic from Asgore and Toriel were placed nearby the second one.

“T-There’s something I-I have to ask.” William turned his gaze towards Alphys.

“H-How exactly are you going t-to get the SOUL f-fragments out of Flowey? O-Or, combine the s-shards made by the S-SOUL cutters with t-the fragments?” Alphys asked, tapping her claws together nervously.

William looked confused for a moment, before he suddenly started laughing. “Oh, that’s right! Silly me, I completely forgot!” Calming down, he walked over to Alphys.

“You see, I have the ability to influence SOULs. Whether that be to move them around, or interact with them directly,” he explained. To demonstrate, he walked up to Flowey’s holding chamber. “I’ll demonstrate.”

Outstretching his hand, William’s fingers began to glow as he called forth his magic, focusing it on Asriel’s SOUL fragments. Slowly, he willed the fragments to come forward. Alphys stared in awe as glowing white fragments came floating out of Flowey. Careful, William maneuvered the fragments to a containment unit. Once inside, he released them, and the glow in his fingers subsided.

When the two looked back at Flowey, all that was left was a normal flower. “Wow,” Frisk gasped in amazement. From the window upstairs, Noelle gazed with bewilderment.

“You know, I’ve never really seen my Dad do this very often.” Micheal stared down, amazed by the magic his father was performing. “I think I’ve only seen him do this around five other times. It’s still amazing,” he remarked.

“T-That’s incredible! I’ve never seen a-anything like this!” Alphys exclaimed in amazement.

“I know, it’s pretty cool, right?” Smiling, William walked over to the SOUL canister. Opening it, he used his magic to move the six SOULs into their own separate containment fields, moving much quicker than he had with Asriel’s fragments.

“The SOUL cutters actually create their beams from my magic. I’ve stored some of my energy into special containers that are attached to the SOUL cutters, which they then concentrate into a laser beam that can cut through a SOUL. I’ve managed to actually create a beam myself, which led to the idea of the SOUL cutter,” William explained, resting a hand on one of the cutters.

“What else c-can your magic do?” Alphys asked. Her eyes flashed with fascination and wonder. It was clear that she was enjoying herself.

“You know how you have the DT Extractor in the underground?” Alphys flinched briefly before nodding. “Well, we don’t have any sort of device that extracts DETERMINATION.” He walked over to the DETERMINATION container, putting a hand on it.

“Instead, I use my magic to siphon off some DETERMINATION, or DT, from SOULs,” William explained. “While we do have devices that can inject the DT into objects, it’s a lot easier to design something that can add DT to something, rather than remove it.”

“Alright, we can save the rest of these questions for later. We need to move,” William announced.

He gestured at a computer. “Dr. Alphys, this is where you will be operating the SOUL cutters on the six human SOULs.”

Alphys approached the computer. “W-What exactly do I-I have to d-do?” she asked nervously. Sweat ran down her forehead.

“The movements of the SOUL cutters have already been set up, along with the power level of the beam. You will be controlling the speed,” William explained. “You’ll have to be careful. Go too fast or too slow, and nothing good will happen.”

Alphys shook anxiously, her breathing increasing. “Listen. I know you can do this. We all believe in you,” William assured.

After a moment, Alphys wiped some sweat from her face. She had a determined look in her eyes. “Alright. I-I’m ready,” she said with confidence.

William nodded. Standing up, he walked over to Frisk. “Alright, let’s do this then,” Chara declared. She gave a brief hug to Frisk.

“Alright, beginning the procedure…NOW!” William declared, turning to Emma.

With a nod, she flipped a switch. Alarms blared in the room. Alphys started up the SOUL cutters, a hum filling the air as they powered up. William’s fingers glowed as he removed Frisk’s SOUL, putting it into a containment unit. Frisk stared blankly into the distance, their eyes empty.

He directed his magic into the SOUL cutter, starting it up. Directing more energy at Frisk’s SOUL, Chara’s fragments began to glow. “There we go.” William smiled. Taking control of the SOUL cutter, he triggered the beam, directly powering it himself.

Alphys carefully cut the bottom portions of the SOULs off. All six SOUL cutters moved in unison, and she was quite glad that she didn’t have to do this for each individual SOUL.

From the observation deck, Asgore and Toriel watched carefully. The two stood right next to each other without any problems. “Wow,” Micheal muttered, watching the procedure. He felt something on his hand, and, looking down, he noticed Noelle had grabbed it. Her gaze was fixed on the procedure, watching intensely. Micheal simply smiled to himself, turning his gaze back to his father.

Carefully, William maneuvered the SOUL cutter to each fragment. Once he had cut one fragment out, he’d deactivate the beam from the SOUL cutter, move to the next fragment, then reactivate it.

Alphys watched as the cutters cut the remaining upper half of the SOULs in half. As they finished, William managed to remove the final fragment, moving all of Chara’s fragments to their own containment field.

Grabbing all the small pieces from the six SOULs, he brought them all to Frisk’s field. He took each piece, and added them all to Frisk’s SOUL. “Dr. Stone! Get the DT Injectors!” he called. Emma grabbed one injector, which was linked to the container by a hose, and brought it to the containment field.

As she brought it over, William took one half of each SOUL and brought them into the fields for Chara and Asriel’s fragments. As soon as Emma brought the injector, William shoved it into Frisk’s SOUL. He quickly injected DETERMINATION, making the fusion stable.

“Get the other two injectors over to the fragments!” William instructed Emma and Alphys, who both rushed over to grab them. Taking Frisk’s SOUL, William moved it back into his body. Frisk’s eyes lit up with life as soon as his SOUL returned. The alarms were turned off by this point, but they still blared in William’s mind.

Pivoting, William rushed to the other fields, fusing the fragments with the SOUL pieces. Once they were fused, the DT injectors were attached, solidifying the fusion. “Dr. Alphys, open the container with the magic from Toriel and Asgore.”

Alphys opened it as instructed. Outstretching both hands, William grabbed both SOULs with one hand each. He moved Asriel’s SOUL towards the magic Alphys released, and the SOUL began to react.

He let go of Asriel’s SOUL, watching as the magic was manipulated to form an outline of Asriel’s body. The outline was soon filled in, as Asriel’s body manifested. William turned his attention to Chara, putting her SOUL into her body.

“Dr. Stone, hook them up,” he instructed. Emma brought over some equipment that looked like it belonged in a hospital, hooking one up to both Asriel and Chara. William watched as the two Dreemurr kid’s chests raised, before dropping back down.

Emma activated the devices. The silence was broken as the beep of a heart monitor filled the room. “Vital signs are stable, Dr. Henrikson,” Emma declared.

A smile on his face, William turned towards the window. He gave a thumbs up. He immediately saw Asgore and Toriel burst into tears, smiles on their faces. William’s smile widened. Looks like I did some good after all, he thought as he wiped a tear from his eye.

“Dr. Stone, get these two to more comfortable rooms,” he instructed, turning to face her. She nodded, pulling out her phone and making a car.

Alphys sat in front of the computer, staring at the monitor. “It’s done. I couldn’t have done it without you, Alphys,” William complimented, walking over and putting a hand on her shoulder.

He motioned for Undyne to come over. “You’re r-right. W-We, w-we d-did it.” Alphys stuttered as tears began to flow. Throughout it, she was smiling. Undyne came over, pulling Alphys into a big hug.

Soon, more personnel arrived. They began to carefully move the beds that Asriel and Chara laid in. It wasn’t long before they both were wheeled out of the room.

Noelle and Micheal both remained at the window. Asgore and Toriel had both begun making their way to the operating room to thank William in person. “He actually did it,” Micheal acknowledged. He was still in shock at what he’d witnessed.

“That was incredible,” Noelle remarked, her eyes still shining in amazement.

“Yeah, yeah it was.” Micheal nodded in agreement. They watched as Asgore and Toriel both pulled William into a hug. William soon began to make his way back up, gesturing for the others in the operating room to follow him.

“You know, I think he’s probably going to want to bring everyone to where Chara and Asriel are. And I’m sure they’d love to have some friends waiting there for them.” Micheal jumped slightly when he heard Rudy. Noelle turned around, giving her dad a hug.

A few seconds later, William entered the room, joined by everyone else that had been down there. Micheal noticed that Frisk seemed a bit on edge, a combination of both nervousness and excitement. He smiled slightly, as he knew exactly why.

William stepped forward, rubbing his hands together. “So, shall we go see where the royal children are?”

~~~

Frisk sat next to Chara, waiting for her to wake up. About six hours had passed, and he had sat there the whole time. He wanted to be there when Chara woke up.

When Frisk had been asked, he’d said that he wanted to be by his friend’s side when they woke up. Micheal struggled to keep from bursting out in laughter, and Noelle had giggled slightly. Frisk had simply rolled his eyes at the two.

That was at least six hours ago, maybe a little more. Most people had left the room by then. The two skeleton brothers were the first to leave, with Sans saying he was going to take a nap, and Papyrus running after him, yelling at him that he couldn’t be lazy at a time like this.

Undyne and Alphys had followed shortly after. Alphys was still crying happily about the procedure going well, and Undyne wanted some ‘alone time’ to help her. Apparently William even gave the two a room.

William and Rudy were the next to leave. The two had been talking for a while, joking and laughing happily. William promised he wouldn’t be too far away, however, in case something changed. He had also been sure to provide rooms for everyone to stay in, as he figured no one wanted to leave until either two woke up.

Micheal and Noelle were the last two to leave. They had been keeping Frisk company, but as time went on, they both grew tired. Eventually, Micheal said the two were going to take a stroll, and would be back in a bit. After several minutes passed, they still hadn’t returned. Frisk took a risk, and went out into the hallway to check.

He found Noelle and Micheal both asleep on a couch outside. There was a blanket over the two, and they both were resting their heads on each other. Frisk simply smiled before heading back.

Now, the only others left waiting in the room besides Frisk were Toriel and Asgore. They both sat in chairs against the end wall, giving them a view of both Asriel and Chara. They had fallen asleep a few hours ago, leaving Frisk the only one awake in the room.

Emma occasionally came in from time to time. She’d check up on the vitals of both Asriel and Chara. She also encouraged Frisk to get some sleep. Frisk couldn’t sleep even if he wanted to. He had tried, but he realized he wouldn’t be able to sleep until he knew Chara was okay.

Reaching over, Frisk grabbed her hand. He carefully ran his fingers over the back of her hand as he held it. He hoped that Chara would wake up soon, and Asriel as well.

“You know, the Sun is rising now.” Frisk jumped slightly. He hadn’t noticed William enter the room.

“You’ve been awake for quite a long time, Frisk. I would tell you to go to sleep, but I think we both know that isn’t happening,” William remarked.

“So, I’ve been meaning to ask, what exactly is your relationship with Chara? I know you’ve been on several so-called ‘runs’ together, some ranging longer than others. The two of you spent a large amount of time together, and I’m curious what exactly your and Chara’s relationship ended up becoming.”

Frisk flinched slightly. He was afraid this question was going to come up. “We’re just best friends,” Frisk answered.

“So, you two don’t have a sort of brother and sister relationship? Because if you spend that much time with someone, especially someone who’s literally attached to you and can communicate with your thoughts, you’d become extremely close,” William added. He gazed at Frisk with curiosity.

“Y-Yeah, we’re just, uh, really close friends.” Frisk’s eyes failed to meet William’s as he answered. He shifted in his seat anxiously.

William put a hand on his chin in thought. “I know it’s none of my business Frisk, but I think that you’re lying to yourself.”

Suddenly, Chara’s hand twitched. Frisk’s eyes immediately landed on her body. William stepped closer.

Suddenly, she slowly opened her eyes. “Welcome back to the land of the living, Chara,” William greeted, grinning.

She groaned. “Ugh. Who’s hand…” She trailed off, looking at her hand, which was still held by Frisk. “Frisk?”

Frisk smiled. “Hey there.” He quickly pulled Chara into a hug. “I told you I’d give you a hug when I saw you,” Frisk remarked teasingly, tears falling down his face.

“It…it feels good to actually hug you, Frisk.” Chara returned the hug, a few tears falling from her eyes.

Beside her, Asriel stirred. “Ugh…ow. Why does everything hurt?” Asriel asked absentmindedly.

“Asriel!” Suddenly, Asriel was pulled into a hug by Chara, who had practically bolted out of her bed as soon as Asriel woke up.

“I’m so sorry Asriel! I-I came up with this, this s-selfish plan because I h-hated humanity, a-and I dragged you along and g-got you killed!” Chara sobbed as she hugged Asriel, apologizing to him.

Asgore and Toriel were both woken up by Chara’s frantic apologies, and quickly rushed over and pulled the two into a hug. “M-Mom, D-Dad, you were s-so nice to me, a-and I there it all away. I-I hurt you both too. It’s a-all my fault.” Chara continued to sob.

“My child, we should be apologizing,” Toriel said, tears running down her face. “If we h-had paid more attention to your mental s-state, perhaps none of this would’ve happened.”

“Please, Chara, do not blame yourself. I certainly put a lot of pressure on you, calling you the future of monsters and humans. Regardless, we do not blame you Chara,” Asgore admitted.

“Chara, it wasn’t your fault. I agreed to go along with your plan, and that was my choice,” Asriel acknowledged. “You may not think you deserve forgiveness, but I forgive you, Chara. We all do.”

“T-Thank you.” Chara smiled happily, tears continuing to stream down her face as she embraced her family. William couldn’t help but shed a tear at the scene.

“Come on, Frisk. We should leave them to have their moment.” William held the door open, gesturing for Frisk to follow. He nodded, exiting the room. William closed the door behind him, leaving the Dreemurrs to have their family reunion in peace.

Chapter Text

William stared at the couch in front of him. Both Micheal and Noelle were still sleeping peacefully. He had found the two like this last night, both of them resting their heads on each other while sharing a blanket.

He hoped his son managed to get some good sleep in, although he was pretty confident that Micheal did. William had managed to get some shut eye in, but he never really managed to sleep well at the lab.

He had made sure to provide rooms to the monsters with them, giving them a place to spend the night. This wasn’t the first time he’d performed a procedure on someone. Although it wasn’t much, it was certainly much better than waiting at a hospital overnight.

William glanced at Frisk again. He hadn’t slept at all, staying awake by Chara’s side. William had a pretty good idea why he did. After all, you don’t just stay awake for six hours by someone’s side unless you feel a certain way about them.

“You’re stalling. I can tell.” William was snapped out of thoughts by Frisk. The boy gestured towards the two on the couch. William groaned, knowing Frisk was right.

Carefully, he walked over to where Micheal and Noelle slept. “Hey, Micheal. Wake up buddy, it’s morning.” Micheal and Noelle both opened their eyes. “Dad?”

“It’s morning, not to mention Chara and Asriel woke up,” William informed them.

Micheal and Noelle both turned their heads, their eyes meeting. After a moment, their eyes widened, and the two jumped away from each other. “Uh, I, uh, I, um, sorry about, uh,” Micheal stammered. He felt his face burning.

“Yeah, uh, um, I’m uh, um, you know, uh, sorry about, um, uh, that, uh,” Noelle stammered out, blushing.

William stood there, smiling smugly at the two. “Ahem.” Noelle and Micheal snapped out of their flustered stuttering, turning their attention to William. “Anyways, like I said, Asriel and Chara are awake. They’re currently having a reunion with their parents at the moment, but they should be out soon.”

“So, what’s the plan after this then, Dad?” Micheal asked.

“That is something I will discuss in a bit here,” William answered.

“What about me?” Noelle spoke up.

“Once again, that is something that I will be discussing later.” Noelle narrowed her eyes at William.

Micheal put an arm on Noelle’s shoulder. She turned her attention to him. “Don’t bother trying to get anything else out of him. He won’t elaborate any further than he already has when he’s like this,” Micheal explained. “We just have to wait.” Noelle nodded understandingly.

“Ah, Dr. Henrikson, I mean, William, I see that you’re awake.” Emma approached him, her footsteps echoing slightly through the halls.

“Yes, indeed I am Emma. Could you do me a favor and inform our other guests that both Chara and Asriel are awake?” She nodded, heading off to do as she was asked.

Suddenly, the door to the room where Chara and Asriel rested opened. Toriel and Asgore exited the room, followed by Asriel and Chara. Asgore walked up to William, and pulled him into a hug. “Thank you.” A tear ran down Asgore’s face as he thanked William, releasing him after a few moments.

William chuckled. “No need to thank me. Just those two being here is enough thanks for me.”

Micheal and Noelle both stood up, watching as Frisk rushed over and pulled both Chara and Asriel into a hug. Noelle backed away slowly, however she stopped when Micheal grabbed her hand. “It’ll be alright. You can do this.” He spoke softly, encouraging her. She smiled warmly at him, nodding.

They both walked up to the three in front of them. Frisk, noticing them, released Chara and Asriel. “Howdy! Noelle and Micheal, right?” Asriel greeted. Micheal nodded. Noelle hesitated, before nodding.

“It’s…it’s nice to properly meet you Asriel.” Noelle smiled, extending her hand. Asriel shook it, smiling back.

“It’s a pleasure to properly meet you as well Noelle! You seem like a cool person!” Asriel exclaimed.

“Nice to meet you in person, Micheal,” Chara remarked as she shook his hand.

“Likewise.” He turned towards Asriel, who eagerly shook his hand. “Nice to get a proper meeting with you too Asriel.”

“Hi Chara.” Noelle waved at Chara. “I know I’ve heard you, but it’s nice to finally be able to see you!”

Chara took the reindeer monster’s hand, shaking it. “It’s good to meet you too, Noelle. It feels great to finally be able to actually talk with you.” Chara grinned as Noelle giggled.

“Mornin’ Noelle, glad to see you’re up.” Noelle smiled as she ran to give Rudy a hug.

“Ah, I see you’ve made some new friends,” Rudy remarked as his eyes landed on Chara and Asriel. “Glad to see that they are awake.”

“You and me both, you and me both,” William commented, earning a laugh from Rudy.

“Say, Dad, what did you and Rudy talk about last night?” Micheal asked.

William’s gaze wandered over to Rudy, his memory fresh from their conversation last night. “Oh, you know, not really anything in particular.”

~~~

William and Rudy walked out of the room, laughing. It had been about an hour since Asriel and Chara were brought in. Sans, Papyrus, Undyne, and Alphys had all already left. William and Rudy had been talking for a while, but the two eventually began to get tired.

William began to lead Rudy to a room to stay in. “Don’t worry, it’s no problem. We’ve done procedures on people before where we had to wait for them to wake up, and the family members decided to stay. As a result, we have rooms set up for people to spend the night in,” he assured Rudy.

“You know, I’m still amazed at this place.” Rudy’s eyes glanced over the hallways, spotting a SOUL Laboratories logo on one of the walls.

“Trust me, I may have found this place, but even I still find myself amazed.” William chuckled slightly.

“You know, I’m curious. How exactly did this place get founded?” Rudy asked.

“Oh, you know, I was interested in expanding SOUL based research, and so I made a lab dedicated to that,” William answered. He rubbed the back of his neck, giving a nervous chuckle.

“Well, what did you do before this place? I highly doubt that this is where your career started.” Rudy, noticing that something was off with William, pushed further.

William didn’t respond. “You know, I can tell that this is a bit of a sore subject for you. I doubt you really even talk to your son about it. But something tells me you need to get it off your chest, and I’m willing to listen,” Rudy said.

William sighed. “You’re right. This is something I don’t really talk about with anyone. My son knows some things, but it barely scratches the surface. I…I haven’t talked about this with someone who isn’t my wife for a long time, and it’s been eating at my thoughts lately.” He glanced over at Rudy.

“Listen. If I tell you any of this, you have to promise not to tell people about it, alright?” Rudy nodded in agreement.

“Before this place was created, I worked alongside six other friends. All seven of us were interested in various subjects that all involved magic and SOULs, and we all worked together.”

“We all knew each other for a while. Funnily enough, all seven of us each had a different SOUL color.” William pulled out his SOUL, using his magic. The red glow from his SOUL shined on the walls, giving a bit of an eerie effect. “As you can see, mine was red, so its trait was determination.” He returned his SOUL back to his body.

“At least, that’s what I’ve classified the red SOUL trait as. While the other six colors and their respective traits are well documented throughout history, red SOULs have never officially had a specific trait. They’ve just been described as having the previous six. However, in my studies, I’ve noted that red SOULs possess a large quantity of DETERMINATION, hence while I gave it the trait of determination.”

“It sounds like the seven of you were all great friends,” Rudy commented. William nodded.

“Yes, we were all good friends. We worked and laughed together, cheering each other up when we needed it. We made sure to be there for one another if needed.” William sighed, a bittersweet smile on his face.

“But then, I got an idea. I had none about the barrier for a while, thanks to my family, and my other friends knew as well. So then an idea came to me. What if all seven of us put our heads together to figure out a way to break the barrier? I brought this idea to the others.”

William paused. “Now, I won’t refer to the others by names. Instead, I’ll use their SOUL traits to identify them,” he explained. Once Rudy nodded, he continued.

“When I first brought it up, there was only silence. Then, the purple SOUL, perseverance, stood up and left. She said that she wanted no part in breaking the barrier. It was after she left that things came crashing down.” William paused. He stared off into the distance for a moment, remembering how things had ended.

“Are you alright, William?” Eventually, he turned towards Rudy. Rudy looked at him concerningly.

“Yeah, just needed a moment there,” William assured. Rudy nodded, waiting for him to continue.

“After that, the green SOUL, kindness, spoke up. She said that we should just leave the monsters trapped behind the barrier. That we were being kind to them, keeping monsterkind away from humanity.”

“The light blue SOUL, patience, began discussing DETERMINATION. He believed that we should be focusing our efforts on finding the limits of DETERMINATION. His ultimate goal was immortality, as he did not want to wait for his friends and family to die.”

The orange SOUL, bravery, instead began ranting about some sort of darkness, saying that we should be worried about this ‘darkness’ instead of the monsters.” Rudy raised an eyebrow.

“What exactly was this ‘darkness’ they were referring to?” Rudy asked. “As far as I’m aware, monsters have no information mentioning this darkness.”

William shrugged. “Bravery was always strange. His work had revolved around this concept of ‘darkness’, but no one really understood,” he explained. “I’m just as confused as you are.”

“It didn’t take me long to notice that the others were essentially pleading their case to me. I was the only one with the ability to directly interact with SOULs, and so any research that required close examination of a SOUL, or retrieving DETERMINATION, required me to be involved. It seemed that most of the others could tell we were splitting up, and tried to win me over.” William chuckled sadly.

“Then came the blue SOUL, integrity. She primarily focused on the prospect of creating SOULs, and other than that, she mostly helped everyone else. She did state that she wanted to focus more on creating SOULs, saying that maybe we could use those to break the barrier. She didn’t speak for long.” William paused, staring at the floor. He took a deep breath before he continued.

“There was only one person left who hadn’t spoken. The yellow SOUL, justice. You see, he had been the first person in this group of friends I had. Me and him had been friends far longer than any of the others. What he suggested, though…”

Rudy noticed William trail off, staring blankly in the distance. “Hey, William? You don’t have to continue if you want.” Rudy’s voice was filled with concern.

William turned around. “No, I’ll be fine. Sorry about that, it’s just…I knew him for so long,” he remarked bitterly. Readying himself, he continued.

“He wanted to collect seven human SOULs, then take those seven down to the underground, delivering them to the monsters. Not just any seven SOULs either, he wanted them to be as powerful as they could possibly be. Then, once the barrier had been broken, he wanted to use the power of the seven SOULs to remake the world, saying that he would remove the scum of humanity and make a paradise for monsters and the remaining humans.”

“I told him that he was insane for thinking it was right to kill seven innocent people. He told me that humans had trapped monsters underground in the first place, so those deaths would deliver justice for monsters. The others watched as I called him out for wanting to use those same seven SOULs to wage war across the world and destroy society as we know it. He told me that he would create a better world, and deliver justice to those in power who cheat, lie, steal, and manipulate.”

“When I made it clear that I wanted no part in his plans, he left. The others left shortly afterwards as well. I haven’t seen any of them since that day.” A tear fell from William’s eye as he finished. He was still deeply saddened about the way things had ended, and he couldn’t help but remember all the good times they had shared.

“So, I’m guessing after that, you ended up creating this place?” Rudy asked. William nodded.

“Well, I’m sorry about the way things ended with your friends. It does sound to me like some of them were starting to just use you for power towards the end. Hey, at least you have good people around you now though,” Rudy remarked, trying to cheer William up. “Besides, you should be glad to have a friend like me.”

William spun around in shock. “You consider me a friend?” Rudy started laughing.

“Of course I do! Why wouldn’t I?” He smiled, continuing to laugh. William smiled, chuckling.

“Thanks for listening.” Rudy simply smiled, nodding. “Alright, let’s keep going then,” William remarked, leading Rudy along.

~~~

Micheal glanced quizzically at his father. He didn’t like the strange smile William was giving him. “Alright then.” He wasn’t convinced by what his dad told him, but he chose to let it go for now. Walking back to the couch, he took a seat next to Noelle.

“What year is it?” Chara suddenly asked, turning towards William.

“It’s currently May of 2020.”

Chara felt her heart stop. It felt as though time itself slowed down at that moment. “So, you mean that…”

“Yes, it’s been about 40 years since your death,” William acknowledged. He knew that he would have to break the news to Chara and Asriel at some point. He just wasn’t sure how they’d take it.

Asriel stared forward blankly, a dazed look in his eyes. Chara had more of a reaction to the news. Her breathing began to quicken, and she put her head in her hands.

“Hey, Chara, listen to me. It’ll be okay.” Frisk walked up to Chara, trying to help calm her down. “We’ll get through this together, I promise.” Chara suddenly pulled Frisk into a hug. Surprised, he returned it after a moment.

“Do not worry, my child. Everything will be okay.” Toriel pulled both Asriel and Chara into a hug as Frisk released Chara. Asriel snapped out of his trance, hugging his mom back.

“What day is it again, Dad?”

William glanced at his son. “It’s the second of May.” Micheal nodded.

“come on bro, i’m sure everyone is boned without us.”

“SANS!”

Micheal chuckled as he heard the skeleton brothers down the hall. Noelle giggled at their antics. “Were the skeleton brothers always like this in Snowdin?” Micheal asked her.

She nodded. “For the most part. It was always entertaining to just watch the two.” She smiled at her memories.

“I have to agree, they are entertaining.” Micheal chuckled, shaking his head as he saw the two skeletons walk in.

“FRISK! I DID NOT REALIZE YOU HAD A CLONE! HELLO, FRISK’S CLONE! AND GREETINGS, TINY ASGORE!”

Micheal and Noelle immediately burst out laughing. Micheal doubled over in laughter, nearly falling off the couch. Noelle managed to grab him, helping him remain seated.

Frisk had also been laughing, but managed to calm himself down. “Papyrus, this is Chara, and this is Asriel.” Frisk properly introduced the two to the tall skeleton.

“heya.”

“Hi Sans.” Chara and Asriel greeted Sans in unison. The short skeleton simply nodded.

“NGAHHHHHHHH!”

Turning to the source of the shout, William pinched the bridge of his nose. Undyne was barreling down the hall. When she arrived, she tackled both Asriel and Chara. “How’s it feel to be alive again, punks?!”

“U-Undyne, be careful!” Alphys ran in, sweat dripping from her forehead. She panted, out of breath from running after Undyne.

“Alright, alright!” With a sigh, Undyne released the two.

Alphys nervously walked up to Asriel. “I-I’m sorry about h-how I turned you into a f-flower, and I’m s-sorry for using y-you in those e-experiments,” she apologized to Asriel.

“Hey, you don’t have to apologize. Golly, I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you!” Asriel smiled. “For what it’s worth, I forgive you.” Alphys nodded, a slight smile crossing her face.

“So, what are we going to do now, William?” Asgore asked. Slowly, everyone’s gaze turned to William.

“Ah, right. Now that you’re all here, I can discuss what’s next.” He cleared his throat.

“First, Asgore, Toriel, since you both will be needed for the negotiations, I’d like to offer you to stay at my home, along with your kids.” Asgore and Toriel stared at him, bewildered.

“Are you sure? You’ve done so much for our people, but I don’t want you to feel like we’re intruding,” Asgore said anxiously.

William laughed. “Nonsense! It’s perfectly fine by me. We also have a guest house nearby that Noelle and Rudy can stay in. They can visit whenever they want.”

William smirked as he briefly glanced at Noelle and Micheal, doing his best not to chuckle. Their faces had reddened at William’s comment, and they both looked away from each other.

Returning his focus back to everyone, he continued. “Second, Alphys, you can stay at the lab for now if you’d like, this way you can get acquainted with some of the other scientists here.”

Alphys tapered her claws nervously, trying to gain the confidence to ask a question. “Yes, you can bring Undyne with you.” She blushed, putting her head down.

“As for Sans and Papyrus…” William trailed off. He honestly wasn’t sure what to do with the brothers. Papyrus just stared at him with a smile, making William feel worse.

“Well, if me and Noelle are staying in that guest house of yours, I suppose the skeleton brothers can join us.”

William breathed a sigh of relief. Thankfully, Rudy had managed to fix the situation. “Yes, that should work actually. The guest house is pretty big, so it should be fine,” William agreed.

“WORRY NOT, RUDY! WE WILL BUILD A HOUSE OF OUR OWN, JUST LIKE THE ONE IN SNOWDIN! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL DO MY BEST TO MAKE SURE YOU DO NOT HAVE TO DEAL WITH SANS’ LAZINESS FOR LONG!” Papyrus declared.

“Well, now with that out of the way, perhaps you would like a tour of my house?”

Asgore nodded. “Yes, that would be wonderful.”

“Excellent. I’ll get a ride prepared then,” William announced.

Noelle turned to Micheal. “Could I come with you guys? I’d love to see your Lego collection that you mentioned,” she asked, smiling.

“Hey Dad, can I bring Noelle?” Micheal shouted.

“If Rudy’s fine with it, then sure!” Micheal turned to Rudy. Rudy nodded.

Micheal turned his attention back to Noelle. “Guess it’s settled then. You’re coming with us.” He smiled at her as their eyes met. She smiled warmly at him in return.

“Alright, I’ve got the transportation all worked out,” William announced. “Let’s get going then.”

~~~

“Wow…” Micheal smiled as he watched Noelle gaze out the window in wonder.

William had offered to give the Holidays a ride in his car. They accepted, leading to Micheal sitting next to Noelle in the back as she marveled at the world around them.

Ebott wasn’t a city the size of New York or Chicago, but it was still a decent city. The lab was located close to the residential areas, meaning it was further away from downtown.

Although the drive to their house from the lab wasn’t long, William took his time, giving Rudy and Noelle a chance to see the world.

While Rudy’s eyes shined with fascination, he didn’t comment on much. Noelle, on the other hand, bombarded Micheal with questions, pointing things out to him as well. The whole time, he smiled. Seeing Noelle like this made him feel warm inside.

Soon, they arrived at William’s house. It was a two story house, and a rather large one at that. “This house has been in my family for generations. While old, it has been updated to be far more modern, but it’s always been large,” William explained as he noticed Rudy’s strange glance.

Pulling into the driveway, he parked the car. Getting out, he watched as the vehicle carrying the others approached. Sans and Papyrus had already been dropped off at the guest house, so only Asgore, Toriel, Asriel, Chara, and Frisk exited.

“Welcome to my home!” William greeted as he walked over to the others.

“It’s quite big,” Asgore commented.

“Like I said, my family has lived here for generations. It’s not much of a surprise that it’s rather large.”

Suddenly, the front door opened. Out stepped a woman with long, blonde hair. She was similar in stature to William. Her green eyes wandered before they settled on William. “Will, I see you returned.”

William smiled as she began walking towards him. “Everyone, I’d like you to meet my wife Ashley!”

As soon as she reached him, she gave him a kiss on the cheek. “I see that we have guests.” Her eyes scanned over the people present.

William nodded. “Yes, they’ll be staying with us for some time.”

Ashley whirled towards William, narrowing her eyes. “Come on, we have plenty of room! These folks need somewhere to stay, and I have to work with them on the negotiations,” William replied.

Ashley rolled her eyes, smiling. “Come on, Will, you know I’m just messing with you!” She laughed, nudging his shoulder.

William sighed. “Well, let me introduce you to everyone. This here is Asgore, king of the monsters.”

Asgore waved friendly. “Howdy!” Ashley smiled, waving back.

“This here is Toriel, former queen of the underground.” Toriel waved at Ashley wordlessly.

William walked up to Rudy, patting him on the back. “This is Rudy. He’s a rather swell guy, and I’ve already gotten along well with him. He and his daughter will be staying in the guest house, along with the skeleton brothers.” Ashley glanced quizzically at him. “You’ll meet them later.”

Ashley nodded. She was slightly annoyed that the guest house was being used, as she had been trying to convince William to rent it out since they never used it. Oh well, it’s better that we’re using it to help, she reminded herself.

“So, you have a daughter?” Rudy nodded. A mischievous smirk crossed William’s face as he had an idea.

“Say, Micheal, why don’t you introduce your friend to your Mom?” William suggested. Micheal and Noelle’s faces turned bright red, making William’s smile widen.

“Hey, it’ll be fine,” Noelle whispered. She grabbed Micheal’s hand reassuringly. Micheal nodded, taking a deep breath.

“Mom, this is Noelle. I met her when I ran into her in Snowdin,” Micheal introduced.

William snickered. “You sure did run into her.” William and Rudy burst into laughter. Ashley elbowed William, causing him to cry out in surprise.

“Yes, I wasn’t watching where I was going as I was too busy taking in the sights, and we walked into each other. Dad just likes to give me shit about it,” Micheal groaned, rolling his eyes.

“Anyways, we both got up, and when our eyes met, it felt like something clicked between us. So then we started talking, and we both just had a good time.”

Ashley smiled. “I’m happy you made a friend, Micheal.” She ruffled his hair slightly, much to his annoyance, causing Noelle to giggle.

“Yeah, I’m so happy that he made a friend too, OOF!” William was cut off as Ashley elbowed his stomach hard, causing him to double over. “What was that for?”

Ashly gazed sternly at him. “Oh, you know exactly what that was for, Will.” She crossed her arms, shaking her head. “Can we continue with the introductions?” Ashley asked, smirking.

William sighed, before heading to Frisk. “This here is Frisk. He was the last human to enter the underground, and volunteered to be the ambassador for the monsters.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Frisk. That’s rather impressive that you asked to represent monsterkind,” Ashley complimented. Frisk nodded in thanks.

Finally, William brought her to the two Dreemurr siblings. “This is Chara, and this is Asriel,” he introduced. “Chara here was the first human to fall into the underground, and was adopted by the royal family.”

Ashley’s eyes widened. “Wait…if she’s the first human to fall underground, then…”

“Why is she still a teenager? Well, she died. So did her brother Asriel here,” William explained nonchalantly. Ashley stared at him like he had grown a second head.

Micheal snickered. “I swear, I have no idea how my Dad manages to say some of this stuff with a straight face…” Noelle giggled.

“Now, as to how they’re here, we’ll, it’s complicated. Basically, Asriel had some of his SOUL fragments inhabit a flower that was brought to life, and Chara’s fragments repaired Frisk’s SOUL when it was damaged by his fall. I managed to successfully resurrect the two into their own bodies, and here they are now.”

Ashley blinked a few times, before she sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Alright, Will, you owe me an explanation. First, let’s give our guests here a tour of the place.”

“Couldn’t agree more! Follow me folks!” Smiling, William led the group up to the front door. Opening the door, he held it open, ushering the others inside.

When she first entered, Noelle immediately noticed they were in some sort of Foyer. In front of her was a hallway that led down to the screen doors to the backyard. A set of stairs rested against the left wall at the start of the hallway, leading upstairs. On her right was a living room, and to her left lay the kitchen and dining room.

“Welcome inside, everyone!” William announced. “We currently stand in the Foyer, and as you can see, on our right is the living room, while on our left is the kitchen and dining room! Now, if you’ll follow me…”

Noelle’s attention was torn away from William as she felt someone tapping her shoulder. She turned, seeing Micheal next to her.

“Hey, how about we skip the tour guide and I show you around myself?” Micheal suggested quietly. Noelle smiled, nodding.

Micheal led her to a door in the corner of the living room. Opening it, she stepped inside a master bedroom. Two doors were located on the left wall, the one closest to where she came in was a walk in closet, while the other was a bathroom. “This is just a spare. Like my Dad said, this place is big,” Micheal commented, chuckling.

Leaving the spare master bedroom, Micheal led Noelle to a door in the upper corner of the kitchen. This led to the laundry room, which had a door leading to the garage. Bringing her to the hallway, Micheal pointed to the door under the stairs. “That leads to the basement. My Dad doesn’t allow people down there since it’s undergoing renovations though,” he explained.

Turning away from the basement door, Micheal opened both doors on the right side, with the first being a bathroom and the other being a small closet.

The door on the right led to a spare bedroom, which had a small closet on the left wall. The bed laid in the middle of the room up against the front wall.

Noelle exited the hallway, entering a large, open space. The screen doors to the backyard were in front of her, and, looking outside, she noticed a pool outside. She also spotted William and the others outside, where William was giving some sort of speech about something.

“Yeah, we have a grill out there too,” Micheal pointed out. Noelle nodded. Turning around, she noticed a fire place. There was a couch on the back wall nearby, along with a few chairs.

“That looks cozy.” She closed her eyes, imagining herself relaxing on the couch late at night, with Micheal sitting next to her, his hand in hers as she leaned her head against his shoulder…

“Noelle? Noelle!? Noelle!”

She jolted, locking eyes with Micheal. He looked at her with concern. “What…what happened?”

“You just started staring at the fireplace. When I tried to talk to you, you didn’t respond at all. You stood there for like, two minutes,” Micheal said. “You had me worried.”

“Oh. I’m sorry…” She glanced down at the ground sadly.

“No, no, you don’t have to apologize! Noelle, I don’t blame you at all! I was just worried about you, okay?” Micheal put his hands on her shoulders, pulling her into a hug as he comforted her.

When Micheal let go, she looked up at him, smiling warmly. “Thanks.” He nodded, returning her smile.

He led Noelle to a door on the back of the right side. “This is my Dad’s office,” Micheal explained. Opening the door, Noelle peaked inside. There was a desk in the middle of the room, with a computer on it. Shelves lined the walls filled with interesting items. Although Noelle wanted to take a closer look, she decided against it, wanting to see the rest of the house.

Once she closed the door, Micheal grabbed her hand and led her upstairs. There was some railings overlooking the foyer. In front of the where the stairs ended was a door. Opening it, Noelle’s eyes gazed over a spare bedroom.

Micheal led her to the right. A bathroom was located on the back wall, and the hallway branched across the bathroom door. Following the branch, Noelle was led out to a balcony.

“Wow…” She marveled at the view, gazing at the scenery around her.

“Light pollution isn’t too bad over here, so you’re actually able to see the stars rather well from this balcony.”

Noelle whirled around, running excitedly to Micheal. “I would love to go stargazing out here with you,” she suggested happily.

“I’d like the same thing.” Micheal smiled, chuckling.

Heading back inside, he lead Noelle to a door at the end of the right side of the hallway. On the other side of the door was a master bedroom. There was a door directly across from where they came in. Opening it, Noelle stepped out to another balcony.

“Yeah, I think you know which room belongs to my parents.” Noelle laughed, walking back inside. There were two door next to the one that led to the hallway. The door in the corner led to a closet, while the other led to a bathroom.

Exiting the master bedroom, Micheal led Noelle to the left side. Opening a door on the front wall led to a spare bedroom, with the bed in the upper right corner and a small closet on the left wall. The two doors on the bottom also led to spare bedrooms, with their beds in the bottom right and bottom left corners respectively. Their closets were back to back.

Finally, Micheal brought her to the last door in the hallway. Smiling to himself, he opened the door, stepping inside. Noelle followed him in.

The room was dark, with the lights off. She was confused as to why Micheal didn’t turn the lights on when he opened the door, when suddenly the lights turned on. “Welcome to my room, Noelle.”

Like the room directly across from it, the bed was located in the bottom left corner, with a small closet on the right wall. Noelle immediately noticed that the room was somewhat larger than the others were. Looking around, she spotted multiple shelves, with most of them packed full of Lego sets.

“So, what do you think of my collection?” Micheal asked, grinning.

“Holy shit.” She slowly turned around to face Micheal. A grin crossed her face. “I…I love it!” Noelle exclaimed. She pulled Micheal into a hug.

“Your room is amazing!” Her eyes darted around, marveling at everything.

“You know, you’re the first friend to ever see my room.” Micheal felt his face heat up as he spoke.

Noelle smiled warmly. “I’m glad I was the first to see it then,” she replied, blushing.

A knock on the door got Micheal’s attention. “I’ll go see who it is,” he told Noelle. She nodded. Walking over to his door, he gripped the doorknob, opening it.

“Ah! Micheal, Noelle, there you two are!” Micheal relaxed as he saw his dad standing outside.

“So, how is the tour going?”

William scratched his head. “Well, we actually just got done. We even managed to work some things out. Here, come with me.” He gestured into the hallway. Micheal left, with Noelle following behind him.

William pointed at the door across from Micheal’s room. “That is Frisk’s room now.” He pointed to the door next to Frisk’s. “There’s Chara’s room.” Finally, he gestured at the door next to Micheal’s. “And there’s Asriel’s room.”

Micheal nodded, taking in the information. “So, what exactly are we going to be doing now?” he asked, gazing at his father.

William groaned. “Now, we’re going to be giving an explanation to your mother.” He sighed. He was honestly stressed about having everyone explain everything again, but his wife deserved answers.

Micheal had the same annoyance, sighing as he heard the news. He felt himself perk up at Noelle’s touch, turning towards her. “Hey, I’ll be there too. Don’t worry.” She smiled warmly as Micheal nodded.

The two followed William down the stairs, heading into the dining room. Everyone else was waiting there for them, with Ashley giving William an annoyed look as she crossed her arms. “Alright. Let’s start from the beginning.”

~~~

Over the course of the next several hours, everything was explained to Ashley. From the story of Chara and Asriel, and the story of Frisk’s journey through the underground, to the RESETs and how William acquired the six human SOULs.

It was rather grueling. It wasn’t long before Micheal and Noelle went over to the couch in the living room, relaxing side by side. They were soon joined by Asriel and Chara, and eventually Frisk as well.

When the time came for Micheal and Noelle to explain their parts of the story, neither one wanted to get up. In the end, Ashley moved over to the couch in order to hear what happened with them.

“Alright, that’s everything. There you go.” William breathed a sigh of relief. He felt like he could collapse from just how long it went on. They had even stopped at some point to have lunch before continuing. Or was it Dinner?

Ashley rubbed the back of her neck. “I…I wasn’t expecting it to take that long, Will.” Towards the end, she had begun questioning how much longer it would go on for.

William walked over, giving her a side hug. “I love you, but you make things difficult sometimes.” He smiled as he spoke.

“Can we talk in your office?”

He raised an eyebrow as she whispered to him. “Why?” He made sure to keep his voice down.

“I’ll tell you about it in your office.” William nodded, and Ashley stood up. Heading to the office, William followed.

However, as soon as they rounded the corner, he stopped her. “Look, we just went through an extremely long explanation. What the hell is going on?”

Ashley sighed. “It’s about Frisk. I don’t know who his parents are, or where he even wants to stay,” she admitted.

William nodded understandingly. “One moment.” He walked to the living room, approaching Frisk. “Say, can I ask you something?”

Frisk looked up, nodding in response. “What’s your last name?”

“M-My last name? It’s just Frisk,” Frisk answered nervously.

“What about your family?” Frisk stared hard at the ground, not saying a word. William cringed at himself. Yeah, I shouldn’t have asked.

“Well, do you plan on joining the Dreemurr family?” Frisk put his hand on his chin in thought for a moment, before shaking his head.

William nodded. Leaving Frisk, he went back to Ashley. She had moved over by the fireplace. “Well, what’d you find out?” she asked as she spotted William.

“Frisk didn’t mention a last name, saying that he’s just Frisk. When I asked about his family, he didn’t answer. Finally, I asked him if he wanted to join the Dreemurr family, to which he shook his head no.”

William paused, smirking. “I’m pretty sure I know why he said no to the last one, even if Frisk doesn’t exactly know himself.” Ashley nodded in agreement.

“So, Frisk has no family, or no family they want to go back to, and so they really have nowhere to go.” William nodded.

“Well, what if…we adopt him Will?”

William stepped back in surprise, nearly falling over. “Are…are you serious?” He couldn’t believe his ears.

“Yes, Will. What, do you not want to adopt Frisk?” Ashley’s voice turned stern, her eyes glaring daggers.

William started laughing. “Are you kidding? I had the exact same idea! Here I was thinking I was going to have to convince you!”

Ashley nudged him, smiling. “Well, we should go talk to him then, shouldn’t we?” William nodded in agreement, and the two headed to the living room.

Frisk looked up at William and Ashley as they approached him. “Frisk, we heard that you don’t exactly have a family,” William began.

“Well, Will and I were thinking that, well, if it’s what you want…”

“Would you like to be a part of our family?” William and Ashley asked simultaneously.

Frisk gazed forward, stunned. After a few moments of silence, William and Ashley began to worry.

“Yes.”

Any concern they had washed away as soon as they heard Frisk’s answer. He smiled as tears fell from his eyes. Running forward, he pulled both William and Ashley into a hug. “Thank you.” The two smiled at each other, before hugging Frisk back.

Noelle watched with a smile. “Would you look at that? It seems you have a brother now, Micheal.”

Micheal smiled. “Yeah, yeah I do.” Noelle rested her head on his shoulder, continuing to watch the scene. Micheal rubbed her back soothingly, a warm smile crossing her face.

“So, you do not wish to stay with us then, Frisk?”

Frisk broke off from the embrace once he heard Toriel’s voice. William and Ashley still remained kneeling down next to him. “Toriel, when I said I wanted to stay with you…I didn’t have anywhere else to go.”

Toriel wiped a tear from her eye. “It is alright. If you do not wish to stay with us, that is your choice. The Henriksons are lovely people, and I’m sure they will care for you,” she assured Frisk.

“Well, since you will be here…I’m a way, I’m still staying with you.” Frisk smiled, chuckling to themselves.

Toriel smiled, laughing. “I suppose that is true. Still, I meant what I said, Frisk. This is your choice, not mine.” Frisk nodded.

William and Ashley stood up, heading into the kitchen. He got her a glass of water, getting himself one shortly after. As the two drank, they looked at Noelle and Micheal.

“So, how long do you think it’ll take those two to figure it out?” William asked, his eyes still on Noelle and Micheal.

“Hm…” Ashley put a hand on her chin. “With the way those two are right now, I’d doubt it’d be more than a month.”

William’s eyes widened slightly. “Well, that’s certainly a bold claim. Unfortunately, I can’t help but agree with it.” He sighed dramatically, earning a laugh from Ashley.

Micheal glanced at the time. “Hey Noelle, do you wanna head up to the balcony and see if we can see any stars?” Noelle nodded.

Standing up, Micheal took Noelle’s hand, leading her upstairs and to the balcony. Ashley and William watched the two run upstairs. “Hm. I wonder where they’re going,” Ashley commented.

William contemplated for a moment, only for the answer to come to him. “They’re probably going to the balcony to look at the stars. It’s what they did after we exited the underground and had to wait for the helicopter to arrive.”

Ashley nodded. “I can’t say I blame them. Noelle hasn’t seen the stars for all her life, and Micheal would love to show them to her I’m sure.”

Upstairs, Micheal opened the door to the balcony, stepping through with Noelle. She stared up at the sky, a smile crossing her face as she saw the sky was filled with stars.

“You know, you look cute when you’re gazing with wonder.”

Noelle jumped slightly, causing Micheal to chuckle. “Oh, um, t-thanks.” She could feel her face heating up at his comment.

Micheal sat down on some patio furniture, gesturing for Noelle to sit next to him. Taking a seat, she laid back, resting her head on Micheal’s shoulder as she marveled at the sky.

Micheal wasn’t sure how much time had passed when he heard the door open. His eyes darted over, spotting William walking out.

“Micheal, I know you’re relaxing here, but you really need to actually get some sleep.”

Micheal groaned in annoyance. “Can’t we just stay out here for a little longer?” He had no desire to get up at the moment.

William gazed sternly at him. “Micheal, you and Noelle have been up here for half an hour now,” he informed.

Micheal’s eyes widened in surprise. He knew they had been out here for some time, but he didn’t think they’d been out for that long. It certainly didn’t feel like it’s been half an hour to him.

William turned his attention to Noelle. “Rudy is waiting for you downstairs as well. I’ll let you two finish up.” Turning around, he walked back inside.

Noelle sat up. She turned towards Micheal, smiling sadly. “I…guess we have to go then?” She stood up.

Micheal sighed. “Yeah, it seems we do. Wish we didn’t have to.” Standing up, he briefly glanced up at the sky again.

“So…I’ll see you tomorrow, then?” Noelle brushed her hair to the side as she spoke, smiling shyly.

Micheal smiled. “Yeah, I’d like that.” Noelle’s face lit up in excitement, causing his smile to widen.

“Hey, don’t forget about teaching me how to use magic too,” Micheal remarked, holding the door open for her.

Noelle giggled. “I won’t.” As she stepped inside, Micheal closed the door behind them both.

Later, laying in his bed, Micheal thought about the day. Whenever he thought of Noelle, a smile crossed his face, bringing him comfort. As he drifted to sleep, he felt at peace, knowing he’d see her again tomorrow.

Chapter Text

Two weeks had passed since the monsters arrived on the surface. During that time, all of monsterkind moved out of the underground. Luckily, the nearby city of Ebott welcomed them with open arms.

William had been rather tense during that period, but was relieved when things went over smoothly. Along with Asgore and Toriel, negotiations began, taking over for Frisk for the time being. While Frisk still helped out from time to time, they had taken up most of the work. Much to William’s dismay, they were taking far longer than he expected, and after two weeks, they still were ongoing.

The good news was they managed to secure a guarantee for monsters to stay in Ebott. With the help of magic from monsters, new homes went up practically overnight.

Shortly after coming to the surface, Papyrus built a house for him and Sans. It resembled their previous house in the underground perfectly. Papyrus ended up doing most of the actual construction, while Sans was, well, Sans.

Papyrus took his job as monsterkind’s ‘mascot’ seriously. William couldn’t think of a better person to be the face of monsters than Papyrus. His joyful attitude and overall coolness helped alleviate skepticism about the monsters.

Toriel and Asgore were on much better terms than when William first met them. The two seemed to be actively repairing their relationship, and although it would be a while before it was what it once was, it was a step in the right direction.

Alphys accepted the job William offered her at SOUL Laboratories, with Undyne often joining her. She’d usually end up testing some of the simulations, demonstrating her fighting prowess.

During this time, Asriel, Chara, and Frisk all began to display a heightened affinity for magic. Undyne began to train the three at the lab, allowing William and Alphys to monitor them. They both concluded that the three’s increased control of magic was a result of the procedure, with the pieces of the six SOULs providing them an enhancement.

Today, Frisk, Chara, and Asriel were set to go through another training session. William got up around eight thirty in the morning. Letting his wife sleep, he quietly went about getting ready. By the time he had finished showering, it was almost nine. Finishing up in the bathroom, he quietly exited the bedroom.

Looking down the hallway, he could see that all the children’s doors were still closed. It seems he was probably the only one awake at the moment, although Toriel or Asgore might’ve been. He quietly walked down the stairs, entering the kitchen.

“Morning William!”

It took all of his willpower not to shout in surprise, instead stifling it to a gasp. Whirling around, his eyes landed on Noelle, sitting on the couch. She smiled, waving.

“Good morning, Noelle. I would prefer not to have a heart attack.”

William sighed. Noelle comes over every morning, yet he still finds himself jumping in her presence. When she first came, she had been waiting at the front door for some time before William heard her knocking. After this happened the next two days, William gave her a set of keys. Now, he usually found her when he came downstairs in the morning, usually scaring any remaining sleepiness right out of him.

“Oh, sorry. I’m…still working on that.” Noelle smiled shyly.

William shook his head with a smile. “It’s alright, I’m well aware.” Getting himself some cereal, he sat down at the kitchen table. When he opened the fridge to grab some milk, he noticed a container full of Christmas cookies inside. Briefly glancing at Noelle, he chuckled. The Holidays certainly lived up to their name.

“So, where’s Micheal at? He’s usually up by now,” Noelle asked, standing up from the couch and entering the kitchen.

“It’s the weekend, so I’m letting him sleep in.”

Noelle’s smile faded as her expression fell. “Oh…”

“Oh, but I’m sure he’s aware that you’re already here, Noelle. I’m sure that Micheal will be up shortly,” Ashley suddenly said.

Looking up, William saw his wife come down the stairs. “Morning Will.” She walked over, giving him a kiss on the cheek.

“Good morning, Ashley.” William smiled, returning a kiss on her check.

“Ah, so I am not the first one awake.”

Toriel, closing the door to the extra master bedroom, walked through the living room and into the kitchen. “Good morning, everyone.” William waved.

“So, what’s the plan for today Will?”

“Well, Chara, Asriel, and Frisk all have magic training coming up this morning at the lab. You’ll need to pick them up once they’re done then.”

Ashley nodded. Noelle suddenly perked up. “Oh, you can also take me and Micheal so that we can train after them!”

Micheal had suggested letting Noelle teach him magic. Although William had been hesitant, he allowed it. The two trained at the lab’s training arena, which also allowed William to observe from time to time.

“Sure, that would work,” William agreed.

“Well, I probably won’t be able to pick you two up then, since I have things I need to attend to. You’d have to get someone else,” Ashley interjected.

“That’s fine, I’ll just get my Dad,” Noelle remarked.

Toriel turned to William. “Is Asgore still asleep?” William nodded. While Asgore and Toriel were on better terms, Asgore currently stayed in the downstairs guest bedroom, while Toriel resided in the extra master bedroom.

Footsteps were heard descending the stairs rapidly. Coming around the corner, Frisk entered the kitchen. “Good morning, everyone.”

William flashed him a quick smile as Frisk prepared himself some breakfast. Shortly after, Asriel and Chara burst around the corner, having raced each other down the stairs.

“Ha, looks like I won,” Chara declared.

Asriel shook his head. “No you didn’t.”

“What? Come on Azzy, don’t be a sore loser.”

“Please, we both know that I made it down first, Chara.”

“Nuh uh!”

William snickered, watching the two siblings bicker. “Actually, I believe it was a tie,” he interjected, smirking.

Asriel grinned. “See Chara? I told you that you didn’t win.”

“But you didn’t win either,” Chara retorted.

Asriel shrugged. “Yeah, but you still didn’t.”

Chara groaned, giving up as Asriel laughed. The two began to get themselves breakfast. Chara took a seat next to Frisk at the table, with Asriel sitting next to her.

Noticing Frisk besides Chara, he nudged her. She glanced over at Asriel, who had a knowing smirk on his face. Chara, flustered, whispered sternly to Asriel, “not. A. Word.”

Before Asriel could make a comment, Asgore entered the kitchen. “Howdy,” he greeted, waving cheerfully.

William waved back as he stood up, walking over to the sink. Since coming to the surface, Asgore had taken up tending to the plants around the house. William had never been good with plants, so having Asgore care for them was a welcome relief.

“Morning, Asgore,” Toriel said. She didn’t speak to him in a snarky or stern tone, instead just casually greeting him. Their relationship had certainly progressed more.

Toriel’s eyes landed on someone stepping around the corner, and a smile crossed her face. “Ah, good morning, my child.”

As they entered the kitchen, William waved with a smile. “Good morning Kris.”

While Micheal didn’t have many friends prior to the barrier’s destruction, Kris was one of those friends. They were a young kid, only thirteen. Kris looked incredibly similar to Frisk and Chara, and was something William caught on very quickly when he saw the three together for the first time.

Kris had always been a somewhat strange kid. They were often rather quiet. Micheal often expressed his concern about his friend at times. One day, William came home at night to find Kris waiting outside. Kris had told him that they weren’t sure where else to go for the night. William let him stay the night, something Kris ended up doing occasionally several more times.

It was clear to both William and Ashley that Kris was not doing alright. The two had actually been considering adopting them before Frisk. A few days after the Dreemurrs made their residence in the house, Kris came to stay for the night. When Toriel saw them, her heart melted. In the end, she adopted them, making Kris Dreemurr the newest member of the family.

Kris quietly got his breakfast. Despite everything, they still remained rather quiet for the most part. In fact, William hadn’t even heard them come down the stairs this morning.

Once he got his breakfast, Kris took a seat next to Asriel. Out of the other two Dreemurr children, Asriel was the one Kris had taken a liking to the most. Asriel was shocked at first that Kris looked up to him, but over the past few days he grew more comfortable with being the older brother for Kris.

Seeing Kris cared for by a loving family brought a smile to William’s face. Leaning on the island as he watched the table, his gaze turned to the side.

Noelle stood by the island, looking impatient. “So, you really like Micheal, huh?” Noelle jumped slightly as William spoke quietly.

“Y-Yeah, we’re really good friends,” she muttered anxiously.

William moved in a bit closer, smirking as he asked, “are you sure that you’re just friends?”

Noelle’s eyes widened as she blushed. Flustered, she stammered out, “w-what do you m-mean?”

His smirk widened. “You know exactly what I mean.”

Blushing harder, Noelle faced the ground, covering her face with her hands. William’s smirk fell. He felt bad about teasing her.

“Look, sorry, I’m not trying to scare you or anything. I’ve just seen the way you look at him, how you light up when you’re in the same room,” William explained.

Uncovering her face, Noelle looked up at William. She didn’t meet his eyes as she continued blushing. “O-Okay, I…I think I like Micheal,” she admitted, immediately whirling away from William.

“I’m sorry! Please don’t be mad at me! Please don’t tell him I said that!”

William placed his hand on her shoulder. She turned around, seeing a small smile on his face. “I’m not mad at you, Noelle. In fact, I’m rather happy. In fact, I think Micheal feels the same way about you.”

Noelle felt her face burn brighter. “You…you do?”

William chuckled. “Oh, trust me, I know. You know, you should tell him.”

Noelle’s face turned red as a tomato. “I-I-I should d-do what?!” Flustered, she stuttered anxiously.

Chuckling, William smiled knowingly. “Just think about it, alright?”

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs reached his ears. Rounding the corner, Micheal came into view, wearing a tired expression. As soon as he saw Noelle though, he lit up completely. “Good morning Noelle,” he called, smiling warmly.

Noelle happily rushed over to Micheal pulling him into a hug, before saying, “Good morning, Micheal!” Pulling back, she giggled as he blushed lightly.

“Here, let me get some cereal, and then we’ll have a seat.”

“Okay!” She nodded, letting him get his breakfast.

Micheal paused, glancing concerningly as he asked, “did you eat yet, Noelle?”

“No, not yet, let me get some food here.”

By the time Noelle and Micheal finished preparing their breakfast, Frisk, Chara, Asriel, and Kris had already finished eating. The four left the table, and after cleaning up, went their separate ways.

Noelle and Micheal brought their breakfast to the table, sitting next to each other. Micheal quickly rushed upstairs, returning with his tablet in hand.

“Ready to get some spooks in?”

Noelle smiled, nodding. Grinning, Micheal pulled up one of Markiplier’s three scary games videos. The two had a habit of watching videos together as they ate breakfast, and Micheal had been showing Noelle plenty of horror game videos.

“They’re really sweet together, aren’t they?” William commented, noticing his wife leaning against the island next to him.

“They certainly are.”

They watched as the two jumped in unison. Noelle and Micheal both reached for each other’s hand simultaneously, before the two started laughing. William couldn’t help but smile at the scene.

After several minutes passed, Ashley grabbed his hand, getting his attention. He turned towards her, listening as she told him, “you should probably get going to the lab, shouldn’t you?”

William nodded. Glancing over at the time, it was almost ten already. “Yeah, you’re probably right.”

“Of course I’m right. You should know that by now.”

“Sure, whatever you say.”

Ashley nudged him teasingly, a grin on her face. William laughed. Getting back on track, he called out, “Frisk! Chara! Asriel! We’re going to be going to the lab for training here!”

Soon, the sounds of multiple people scrambling down the stairs reached the kitchen, followed by Frisk, Chara, and Asriel rounding the corner. Micheal and Noelle both laughed together at the scene as they were placing their dishes in the dishwasher.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, William shook his head. “What am I going to do with you three…” he muttered, smiling.

Clapping his hands, he continued, “alright, we’re going to be heading off for your training. Are you three all ready to go?”

They nodded eagerly. “Alright, well, if everyone is ready, let’s get going!”

The three rushed out to the garage. Chuckling, William walked over to Ashley. “See you later, Will,” she said, giving him a kiss.

“Bye Dad!” Micheal called out.

“Bye!” Noelle added.

“See you two later.” William waved goodbye at Noelle and Micheal, before heading into the garage. A few moments after he shut the door, the familiar sound of the garage door opening could be heard faintly.

“Well, guess we didn’t get that video finished.” Micheal turned to go grab his tablet, only for his arm to be grabbed by Noelle.

Opening up the fridge, she pulled out the container of Christmas cookies. “God, I love you,” Micheal muttered absentmindedly. When he noticed Noelle blushing, his eyes suddenly went wide.

“Uh, I, uh, I-I, um…I mean, uh…” Flustered, Micheal stuttered anxiously, feeling his face increasing in temperature as each second passed. He was pulled out of his flustered state when Noelle grabbed his hand, squeezing it.

Micheal looked into her eyes. They gleamed brightly as she stared back, her smile warm and comforting, making Micheal’s heart soar. “Come on, we have a video to finish,” Noelle reminded him.

Grabbing two plates, she pulled him back to the kitchen table, setting the container on the table. Taking her seat, Noelle opened the container, putting some cookies on her plate as well as Micheal’s.

Smiling, he pressed play, and the two resumed watching scary videos together, enjoying Christmas cookies happily, taking comfort in each other’s company.

~~~

Having brought Frisk, Chara, and Asriel to the training chamber, William entered the observation deck. There, he immediately spotted Emma and Alphys watching. He began to walk towards the two to greet them.

“Ah, greetings William!”

He was about halfway there when someone else called to him. Turning towards the right, he smiled as he saw who it was. “Ah, Lewis! There you are my friend! Good to see you!”

Lewis approached William, giving him a brief hug. Doctor Lewis Matthew was one of William’s oldest friends at the lab. He had been away for a few weeks, but had just now gotten back.

“Thank you for keeping me updated on the whole barrier situation! I wish I could’ve been here myself when the whole thing was going down, but at least you kept me updated!”

“It was the least I could do for someone who’s been with us since the beginning.”

William grinned, clapping Lewis’ shoulder. “I assume that you’ve already met Alphys?” Alphys peered over as soon as her name was mentioned.

“Why yes! I must say, she is a wonderful scientist, and I’m happy to be working alongside her!”

“T-Thanks. I-I’m happy to be w-working with you too.” Alphys smiled shyly before redirecting her attention to the window.

William and Lewis both walked over towards where Alphys and Emma stood. “Ah, hello William,” Emma greeted.

William nodded, looking out the window.

Down in the chamber, Asriel, Chara, and Frisk all stood together on one end. Across from the three stood Undyne, wearing her arm.

Undyne had taken charge in training the three once their enhanced magic capabilities became apparent. As the captain of the royal guard, she specifically taught them how to use their magic in combat, with Papyrus occasionally joining as well.

Summoning a spear, she held it at her side, awaiting the go ahead to begin.

“Alright, you may begin.” William’s voice echoed through the chamber. Undyne smiled. She was going to enjoy this.

“Alright punks, summon your weapons.”

Focusing her energy, Chara formed a knife in her hand. This was a weapon made entirely from her magic, similar to Undyne’s spears. The knife resembled the old knife she had from the underground, and it cast a somewhat sinister red glow. She took up an offensive stance, ready to strike.

Frisk was next. He summoned a sword into his hands, facing forward at the ready. His feet were planted firmly on the ground.

Finally, Asriel held both his arms out at his sides. Two chaos sabers materialized into his hands, the sound reverberating through the air.

“God, I love that sound,” William commented from the observation deck.

When Lewis gave him a strange look, he elaborated, saying, “it’s kinda like the seismic charge sound from Attack of the Clones. It’s just a cool, satisfying sound.”

“EN GUARDE!”

With a shout, Undyne caused multiple spears to appear, sending them at the three from different directions. Each took up defensive stances, using their weapons to block each spear. Both Chara and Frisk were masters at this, and Asriel was getting much better. Using both of his chaos sabers to his advantage allowed him to quickly block spears that changed direction.

“So, uh, do we, urgh, have a plan?” Asriel shouted, grunting as he blocked incoming spears.

“Simply, get to Undyne, and beat her down,” Chara retorted sternly.

“Ah, right, just that easy,” he muttered sarcastically in response.

Focusing, Chara watched as red knives materialized in the air. Mentally aiming at Undyne, she fired, sending the knives flying towards the captain of the guard. Undyne readied her spear defensively. She blocked each knife, spinning her spear around in her hand effortlessly.

While Undyne was focused on blocking, the spears began to lessen up, allowing Chara, Frisk, and Asriel the opportunity to begin moving closer. Chara was able to materialize more knives, sending them Undyne’s way. Continuing to block, Undyne began marching forward, with only her arm moving to block.

William watched as Undyne continued marching determinedly. He briefly glanced at Alphys before he commented, “Alphys, your girlfriend is a badass.”

Alphys’ face turned red as a tomato. Flushed, she glanced away, hiding her face. William, however, managed to catch the small smile on her face. Chuckling to himself, he returned his attention back to the chamber.

Chara continued summoning knives, before she turned to Frisk. “Frisk! What are you doing?”

Frisk, perplexed, glanced up at her. “What are you talking about?”

“Why aren’t you summoning swords to help me? You should’ve been doing that by now!”

“Sorry, I didn’t know I was supposed to start doing that.” Muttering to himself, Frisk began summoning small swords, firing them at Undyne along with Chara’s knives.

“NGAAAHHH!” With a shout, Undyne summoned another spear in her hand, using both to block the incoming knives and spears.

The amount of spears being fired at the three decreased further, allowing Asriel the opportunity to fire off some magic bullets in between blocks.

Undyne smiled. She switched strategies, instead summoning a circle of spears around each of the three. The circles spun around as they closed in. While Chara and Frisk weaved through each circle almost effortlessly, Asriel was struggling.

Watching from the observation deck, William sighed, shaking his head.

“Seems that those three need to work on their teamwork,” Emma observed. William nodded.

“sup doc, how’s it going?”

William nearly fell over in surprise. He whirled around to find Sans standing behind him. “SANS! What have I told you about doing that!?”

“doin’ what?” Sans winked.

William, fists clenched at his sides, was about to say something when Lewis spoke up. “Who is this guy exactly?”

Sans walked up to Lewis, holding out a hand. “i’m Sans. Sans the skeleton.” When Lewis grabbed his hand, the sound of a whoopie cushion filled the air.

Sans chuckled. “heheh, the old whoopie cushion in the hand trick. it’s ALWAYS funny.”

Lewis chuckled nervously, before turning to William, whispering, “so, what’s this guy’s deal?”

“He’s Papyrus’ brother.”

“Alright, but what exactly is he doing here?”

William shrugged. Lewis turned to Sans, only for him to do the same. “i just wanted to see how the training was going.” Peering through the window, Sans groaned. “yikes.”

William nodded in agreement. “They haven’t exactly picked up on the whole teamwork concept yet.”

“You’d think that Chara and Frisk would be a little better at this,” Lewis remarked.

“There’s a difference between sharing a body and having to work together that way then having to work together separately. They can’t just share thoughts either and expect the other to know what to do.”

William put his hand on his chin, thinking. “Actually Lewis, that gives me an idea.”

Lewis raised an eyebrow. “Really? May I inquire as to what this idea is?”

“Once this is over, I want to put Chara and Frisk into a simulation. I’m curious how well the two will be able to work together,” William explained.

“O-Oh dear. Asriel isn’t looking so g-good.”

True to Alphys’ comment, Asriel was having a harder time dodging. While Chara and Frisk both continued pushing forward, Asriel lagged behind, struggling.

Things started going downhill rapidly when Asriel was hit for the first time. His dodging worsened, resulting in him continuing to get hit.

“Chara! Frisk! I…I need help!”

Chara and Frisk were about twenty feet from Undyne when they heard Asriel shout. Frisk whirled around, spotting Asriel getting hit again. He tried his best to use his chaos sabers to help block the spears circling around him, but it wasn’t much help.

He was being overwhelmed, and Frisk could tell. He’s been in the same position before. “Chara! We have to help Asriel!” Frisk turned to Chara, shouting at her.

Chara continued to stare Undyne down, the two getting closer to each other. “We’re almost to her Frisk! We’ve almost won!”

“If you want to keep going, fine, but I’m going back to help Asriel!”

Chara didn’t say a word. Frisk turned around, beginning to make his way back towards Asriel. The small swords that Frisk had been firing ceased, giving Undyne less resistance moving forward.

“AGGGGH!” Chara, concentrating, slashed her knife down in front of her with a shout, sending forward a wave of energy formed from the slash directly towards Undyne.

Undyne quickly pulled the spear in her left hand up to block the slash. When the slash made contact with the spear, the spear was destroyed.

As the slash raced towards Undyne, Chara took off running. After blocking, Undyne barely had enough time to put her spear in both hands to block Chara’s downward slash.

As Chara continued to slash at Undyne, Frisk finally reached Asriel, pulling him along in an attempt to help him dodge.

Chara kept striking, only for Undyne to continue firmly gripping her spear in both hands as she blocked. Noticing Frisk and Asriel in the back, she increased the amount of spears targeting them.

“Come on Asriel, just follow my lead and we’ll be-AGH!”

Frisk’s shout filled the room, having been struck by a few spears. “Frisk!” Chara, having slammed her knife down against Undyne’s spear, snapped her head towards Frisk and Asriel, shouting in concern.

With Chara distracted, Undyne gained the upper hand, forcing her spear upwards against Chara’s knife, causing her to lose her grip as she was sent flying back.

“OOF!” She shouted in pain as she hit the floor, her knife flying out of her hand, landing on the ground before dematerializing. When Chara looked up, Undyne had her spear pointed at her face.

Pressing a button in the observation room, William spoke. “That’s enough.” Undyne’s spear disappeared from her hand, and she glanced up at the observation deck.

William sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Well, that could’ve gone better,” Lewis remarked.

“seems like none of em had the spine for teamwork.” William groaned loudly, before marching down to the chamber.

Entering the chamber, he glanced over at Asriel and Frisk, seeing Frisk helping him up.

“You wanna talk with the punks?” Undyne inquired. When William nodded, Undyne shouted, “alright punks! You heard him! Get over here!”

As the two waited, they began discussing their assessments on the performances of the three quietly. When Chara, Frisk, and Asriel came over to William, he groaned heavily. “Undyne, why don’t you start.”

“You three did excellent jobs blocking the spears at the beginning. Frisk and Chara, both of you punks did great at dodging the circles. Asriel, you struggled. It’ll take some practice, but I know you can do better. There is, however, one glaring issue that me and the doctor here both agree on.”

“Teamwork,” Undyne and William said in unison.

“From the very beginning, there was no plan between you all. Asriel even asked for one, only for Chara to basically say that the plan was to beat Undyne, which, by the way, is not a plan.” William paced as he criticized their performance.

“Chara, you cannot get angry at Frisk when they don’t do something that you never told them to do. Both of you should’ve been more keenly aware of how Asriel was doing at dodging. Finally, Chara, you should’ve gone back to help Asriel. Going for Undyne on your own was reckless, and it put Frisk, Asriel, as well as yourself in danger.”

Chara’s head hung low. “All I do is screw everything up,” she muttered quietly. The only person that heard her was Frisk, but he didn’t say anything.

Undyne stepped forward. “Listen punks! Me and William have decided that for the next several sessions, we’ll be focusing primarily on your teamwork skills! By the time we’re done, the three of you combined will be a force to be reckoned with!”

Frisk, Chara, and Asriel began to make their way towards the door, only for William to hold up a hand. “Asriel, come with me. As for Frisk and Chara, you two wait here. We still have something else for you.”

~~~

Back up in the observation deck, William continued setting things up on a computer. “Hm, you know what, let’s use battle droids from Star Wars, because why not.”

While the training chamber could be used for simple sparring, it also had the function of displaying a simulation. It functioned almost identically to a holodeck from Star Trek, however it was powered by magic instead. Finishing the final touches on the simulation, William activated the intercom.

“Alright, Chara, Frisk, listen up. The two of you are about to be put into a combat simulation, where you will be fighting battle droids. The purpose of this is to see how well you both work together. If one of you goes down, you’ll still be able to stand up and walk around, however your movements will not be shown in the simulation. If both of you go down, the simulation will end. Do you two understand?”

Chara and Frisk both nodded. “Alright. Beginning simulation.” Preparing themselves, the two put their backs to each other in a defensive stance, with Frisk summoning his sword, while Chara summoned her knife.

Up in the observation deck, William pushed the button, with the simulation beginning to boot up. Unfortunately, it wasn’t an instantaneous operation, and took a little time to warm up before the simulation would actually begin.

After about two minutes or so, the walls of the chamber vanished around Chara and Frisk. The two now stood in the middle of a trench in a field. To the left was some sort of complex.

“Hey! Stop right there!”

Chara and Frisk turned towards the voice, finding a B1 battle droid pointing a blaster at them. Chara swiftly summoned a knife in the air, and fired it at the droid, piercing through its neck, decapitating it.

“Guess we have to deal with battle droids Frisk.”

A smile formed on Frisk’s face. “This should be fun then.”

A squad of about ten droids approached. They immediately took notice of the fallen droid. “You’re not supposed to be here!” One of the droids shouted. Aiming their blasters, they started firing.

Frisk quickly summoned a shield to block the incoming blaster fire. Chara simply carefully blocked each blast with her knife. Together, the two charged forward, heading straight for the squad of droids.

Frisk immediately plunged his sword into the chest of the first droid he got close to. Chara ran ahead, slicing across the chest of one droid. She then sliced off the legs of another droid before plunging her knife in its chested. Using that droid as a boost, she leaped onto the back of a third droid.

“Ah! Get it off me! Get it off ME!” The droid screamed frantically before it was silenced by Chara slicing off its head.

The two continued cutting through the droids ahead. One nearly got a shot off on Chara when she had her back turned, but Frisk blocked it with his shield before slicing the droid to bits.

With a nod at each other, Chara and Frisk fought side by side. They were completely in sync, keeping an eye on each other’s backs as they slashed through the opposing forces.

From the observation deck, William and Emma watched with interest. “They seem to work pretty well together in battle. Of course, with how much time the two spent in the same body, it’s not surprising that they are well aware of the other’s fighting styles,” William observed.

Emma hummed in agreement. “They were a bit off at the start, but after sharing a body for so long, it takes some time to get used to having your own.”

“yeah, those two can fight. Lotta people in the underground can attest to that. The question is, how well will they work together when they aren’t in combat?”

Turning his head to the side, William’s eyes spotted Sans standing next to him. He still had his hands in his pockets as usual, and he stared at the window.

“I suppose that’s true. We’ll just have to wait and see.”

Asriel watched curiously. “So, I’ve always wondered, but how exactly does the simulation work? What causes it to take so long to start up?”

William turned his attention to the young boss monster. “Well, the magic used to power the simulation has to be moved very carefully. If it’s moved through the system too fast, it can explode.”

“Once the magic is flowing constantly through the entire system, the simulation begins. Once the simulation is turned off, the system has to carefully slow the flow of magic, causing the simulation to persist for a short time before it eventually shuts off,” William explained.

Asriel, taking the information in, nodded. “So, when you said that the magic that powers the simulation can explode if it moves too fast…”

Lewis suddenly interjected, chuckling as he said, “you can guess what happened!”

William sighed. “Yeah. It was not a fun day. We’re still working on trying to make the process faster, but it’s a bit difficult to test with all the possible explosions.”

“They’ve almost finished off the group of droids.”

At Emma’s comment, William turned his attention back to the window, witnessing Chara and Frisk approaching the last droids.

Frisk cut down the one in front of him, before stepping behind Chara, blocking her from the droid coming up behind her. As Frisk made short work of the droid, Chara approached the final one. It backed up against the wall of the trench in fear.

“No, please, DON’T!”

The droid’s pleading was silenced with a slash of her knife. With the group of droids now taken care of, Frisk and Chara continued through the trenches, gaining on the complex.

As the two approached the entrance of the complex, they stumbled upon the body of a clone. “Hm. He’s dead,” Chara observed. Looking around, there was a fork in the trenches. Both sides led to the front of the complex.

“But which side do we go down?” Frisk asked as they gazed at their options. From what they could see, the left side looked the same as the right side.

“Frisk, do you hear that?” Chara held up a hand, signaling for Frisk to be silent. Frisk listened carefully, only for their ears to pick up the sounds of blaster fire.

“Blaster fire.”

“It sounds like it’s rather close too, doesn’t it Chara?”

“Yeah. Not sure from where.” Suddenly, they heard a static sound coming from the clone’s hand. Taking a look, Frisk observed it was some sort of communication device. Cackling to life, a voice came from the other end urgently.

“Mayday! Mayday! We need backup immediately! We’re surrounded by droids!” A clone’s voice came through the end, the sounds of blaster fire in the background.

“We’re almost at the complex. We took a right at a fork in the trenches, and now we’re pinned down! If anyone can hear us, we need backup now!”

Chara glanced over at the right side, before looking at the left. “Alright, Frisk, since the right side is occupied, we’ll-Frisk?!”

Chara had begun walking to the left, only to turn around and notice Frisk wasn’t following her. Instead, he was glancing down towards the right side.

Chara ran over to Frisk. “Frisk, come on! Let’s go! This way is clear!” She called to him frantically, pointing to the left.

“Chara, they need help.”

Chara looked to the left, before looking back at Frisk. “Frisk, we’re almost there! We don’t have to worry about anything if we go to the left! The clones are distracting the droids for us!”

Without a word, Frisk took off running to the right. “Frisk, wait!” Chara called after him as she ran, trying to catch up. When Frisk rounded the corner, he spotted a few clones pinned behind some crates. A few bodies laid ahead, indicating a rough fight. The droids were closing in on the clones when they spotted Frisk.

As a shot was fired towards him, he summoned his shield, blocking the shot. “Hey! Is that a Jedi?!” One of the droids exclaimed. Suddenly, a knife flew right through them, tearing a hole in its chest before stabbing the other droid behind it.

Frisk glanced behind him, noticing Chara. She had summoned a few knives in the air, ready to fire. With a smile, Frisk turned his attention back to the droids, before drawing his sword and charging.

While he charged, Chara fired knives from behind him, slicing droids ahead. Frisk brought their sword down in a dramatic slash, sending a wave of energy forward that cut through several droids.

Once Chara caught up to Frisk, the two fought side by side. It wasn’t long before all the droids had fallen to their blades, clearing the path ahead.

Frisk put away his weapons, turning around and walking towards the remaining clones. They looked on in surprise at the scene they witnessed.

“Uh, s-sir?” One of the clones asked anxiously as Frisk approached.

“Head back and wait for reinforcements. It’s much safer that way,” Frisk commanded. The clones stared at him for a few moments, and he wasn’t sure if they would actually listen to him.

“Sir yes sir!” With a salute, the clones quickly turned around, marching back into the trenches. Frisk smiled, happy to have saved some lives.

“Frisk, I said to go left.”

Frisk whirled around to face Chara at her stern tone. She didn’t look happy as a scowl grew on her face.

“If we went to the left like I said, we would’ve been there already.” Frisk walked closer to Chara. He crossed his arms as he approached.

“There were people that needed help, Chara,” Frisk declared sternly.

“We could’ve helped them by getting to the complex sooner.”

“We might’ve been too late by the time we got there!”

“They would’ve been fine!” Chara waved her hand dismissively. Despite this gesture, she had a troubled look on her face.

“They were going to DIE, Chara! We had to help them!”

Chara turned around, facing away from Frisk. She put her head in her hands.

“What was I supposed to do, Chara? Just leave them?!”

“Yes,” Chara muttered.

“Why! Why did you want me to leave them to die?! Why didn’t you want me to help them?!”

Chara was shaking, her fists clenched at her side. Unbeknownst to her, a droid sniper was watching nearby. It was lining up a shot on Chara.

“Because I don’t want YOU TO DIE!” Chara whipped around, shouting at Frisk. He recoiled in shock.

Silence persisted between the two. Putting a hand on her forehead, Chara took a deep breath. “Come on, let’s get moving,” she said quietly, stepping off to the left.

Right before she moved, the droid sniper fired. She managed to move just in time so that the shot flew right past her. In a split second, she summoned a knife and fired it at the sniper, slicing right through its head.

“Well, that was a close one, wasn’t it?” Chara chuckled, sighing.

“C-Chara…”

Hearing Frisk’s voice, Chara’s head snapped toward him. She felt the blood drain from her face at the sight she saw. Frisk, clutching at their chest, doubled over.

While Chara had moved away from the shot just in time, Frisk, who had been standing right behind Chara, wasn’t so lucky. As Chara rushed over, he collapsed on the ground.

“Frisk? Frisk?! FRISK!” Chara frantically called his name as she got to him. Tears formed in her eyes.

“Frisk, speak to me, come on. Please. Frisk, PLEASE!”

Tears streamed down Chara’s face as Frisk laid there. She shook his shoulders, trying anything to get him to wake up, but nothing happened.

Although it was just a simulation, and Frisk hadn’t actually died, in that moment, all of that left Chara’s mind. To her right now, this was all real. Her sadness turned to rage as she clenched her fists, summoning a knife.

Standing up, she marched towards the complex, her vision burning with rage as tears continued to fall. When she got within sight of the entrance, two droids approached her.

“Hey, you’re not supposed to-AGH!”

Charging forward, she slashed through each droid, cutting them limb from limb. She marched onward, with a squad of droids spotting her as she got closer to the entrance. Seeing the droids, she summoned multiple knives behind her.

“Hey! S-Stop! D-Don’t come any closer!” One of the droids called out, shaking in fear. They began to slowly back away. Suddenly, Chara fired the knives, cutting each droid to bits.

As she walked on, she spotted a droid without legs attempting to crawl away. Stopping, she walked over to the droid, knife in hand. Turning its head, the droid met her eyes, a sinister smile on her face.

As she got closer, the droid pleaded, “please! Wait! Have MERCY!” Ignoring the droid’s protests, Chara stabbed her knife directly into the droid’s chest, moving upward until she sliced right through her head. Turning around, she walked back to the entrance, a dark cloud over her eyes.

As she entered the complex, she summoned multiple knives behind her, firing them at anything that moved. One droid, defenseless, put his hands in the air, pleading for his life, only for Chara to cut off his arms, followed by his legs, before ending with his head.

Frisk had been shouting, trying to get Chara’s attention. It was no use, as Chara couldn’t see or hear him anymore.

From the observation deck, William watched in horror. Emma, Lewis, and Alphys were similarly horrified. Undyne just stared, wide eyed. Asriel watched with a hand over his mouth.

Sans looked like he was having a flashback based on his expression. “Shut it down.”

William swiftly slammed the shutdown button, causing the system to begin shutting down the simulation. “I’m going down there,” he declared, before quickly rushing down the stairs to the chamber.

Continuing through the complex, Chara arrived in the main command room. Inside, people sat around screens, planning troop formations and analyzing the battle. A few droids walking around. Chara summoned far more knives than they had the entire simulation as some of the people looked on with fear.

“AAAAAAAGH!” With a shout, Chara fired every knife forward . The knives ripped through the room. Droids were cut to pieces, glass displays shattered, and blood was tossed around the room as the knives traveled through people.

In the end, the room was a horrific sight. People lay dead with multiple stab wounds going straight through them, with some on the floor while others laid against the computers and other equipment. Blood covered the entire room. Chara, hands clenched into fists and her eyes screwed shut, screamed in anger and sadness.

“Chara, Chara, CHARA!”

Suddenly, she heard Frisk’s voice. Opening her eyes, she saw the simulation finish fading around her, leaving her in the chamber. William stared at her with a mixture of horror, shock, and concern, while Frisk stood right in front of her. The only thing on his face was concern.

“It’s okay, Chara. I’m right here.” At Frisk’s words, tears began streaming down her face again, and Chara ran to Frisk, pulling him into a hug.

As Frisk hugged her back, she sobbed. “I-I thought I l-lost you…” Chara admitted, before she continued to sob.

Frisk’s grip tightened. “It’s okay. I’m here Chara. I’m here,” he assured her, comforting her. The two stood there as she continued to sob.

“I…think that’ll be enough training for today, Dad,” Frisk remarked.

William nodded profusely. “Of course. In fact, I’ll text your mother to pick you three up. Let’s get you two upstairs though.”

After William texted Ashley, he helped Frisk lead Chara back upstairs. Once in the observation room, the two sat down on the couch in the back. Chara put her head on Frisk’s shoulder, continuing to cry.

William stepped away from the couch, leaving the two alone. As William walked back towards the window where everyone else was, he stopped midway.

“Frisk…he called me Dad…” It was only now after the tension of the moment was gone that what Frisk said finally set in. For the past two weeks, Frisk had still referred to him as William. Pushing that to the side for later, he continued walking.

Emma’s eyes remained glued to the window. “H-How were we even able to make it so Frisk just…stopped appearing?” She spoke quietly.

“You see, the simulation functions in a unique way. It uses magic to essentially fill a space with an environment. As such, it’s able to remove certain aspects in that space from the simulation itself. It’s an odd process, but magic itself can be rather odd as a whole.”

Emma simply nodded, continuing to stare at the window. She jumped when William put a hand on her shoulder. Her head turned, and she took in William’s concerned gaze. “Emma, I think you should take a seat.”

Pulling out a chair, she took a seat, her back facing the window.

“What the hell happened there?” Lewis demanded.

William sighed. “Sans, you knew, didn’t you?”

Sans nodded grimly. “yeah. i took one look through that window, and it was like i was in the judgement hall again.”

Lewis glanced at Sans, before slowly turning his gaze back at William, understanding in his eyes. “Wait, is this about what I think this is about?”

“During their time in the underground, Chara would have witnessed Frisk die countless times. I did not anticipate how much this affected Chara’s mental state, even though I should have. Seeing Frisk die like that, her mind must’ve believed it was really in that moment, and she snapped.”

William glanced back over at the couch in the back. Chara was still sobbing into Frisk’s shoulder, with Frisk rubbing her back soothingly.

“A-Asriel? Is e-everything alright? Y-You’ve been v-very quiet.”

At Alphys’ question, William’s attention turned to the young boss monster. Asriel wore a neutral expression, impossible to tell what he was feeling. Calmly, he asked, “what can we do to help Chara?”

“Well, we do have a therapist at the lab here. There’s been…accidents in the past that people had a hard time processing. As a result, we ended up hiring a therapist to help.”

Asriel thought for a moment, before asking, “how much do they know?”

“She is well aware of the situation. Being one of the senior staff here, I made sure she was well informed regarding my interactions with monsterkind. I believe Chara would benefit greatly from seeing her.”

“Well, that’s something you’d have to bring up with Mom. She’ll want to know about this.” Asriel paused. When he continued, he lowered his voice. “Don’t tell Chara I said this, but she’s been having nightmares lately too. She really could use the help.”

William nodded subtly. “Yes, I’m well aware Toriel will want to know of the situation. I’d rather not suffer her wrath.”

He glanced back at the couch. “Now that I think about it, Frisk could probably use it too. After all, he’s the one that actually died all those times.”

Silence fell throughout the room for the next several minutes. Eventually, William’s phone rang. Pulling it out, he answered it. “Hello?”

“Oh, Ashley! You’re almost here? Alright, got it. Thanks for the heads up. Love you.”

Hanging up, he put his phone back in his pocket, turning to Asriel. “Alright, Ashley’s almost here for you three, so we should get moving.”

With a nod, Asriel began to collect his things. William walked over to the couch where Frisk and Chara sat.

“Frisk, Chara,” he addressed them softly. Frisk looked up at him. Slowly, Chara did the same. She had mostly settled down at this point, but her face was red from crying.

“Ashley’s almost here to pick you guys up, so we need to get going, alright?”

Frisk nodded. “Don’t worry about us Dad, I’ll help Chara get there. You can go on ahead.”

“You called me Dad again,” William observed in bewilderment.

Frisk’s eyes widened. “Sorry, I can go back to calling you William if you’re, uh, not ready…”

“No, it’s okay. I’m happy that you feel comfortable calling me Dad.” With a smile on his face, William left the room, followed by Asriel.

Frisk rubbed Chara’s back comfortingly. When their eyes met, he smiled warmly. “Chara, we’re going to be leaving. Are you ready?”

After a moment, Chara nodded. As the two stood up, Chara grabbed Frisk’s hand. She gripped it as though he would disappear if she didn’t hold on tight enough. “It’s okay, Chara. I’m not going anywhere. I promise,” Frisk assured her.

She nodded slowly, loosening her grip, but holding on nonetheless. Frisk didn’t mind, feeling a warm sensation in his chest.

Opening the door, he led Chara through the halls. Eventually, the two could see William and Asriel as they approached the entrance.

William had been waiting now for a few minutes. Ashley should be here any second now. Just as he pulled out his phone, he heard the door open.

Looking towards the front door, William smiled as Ashley entered, pulling him into a hug. “Hey Will, did you miss me?” she asked teasingly.

“You already know the answer to that, my dear.” He leaned down, giving her a kiss before the two broke apart.

Behind her, William spotted Noelle and Micheal walk in. He took note of the fact that the two were holding hands.

He pulled his wife to the side. “So, did they tell each other?” William asked quietly, gesturing his head towards Noelle and Micheal.

Ashley shook her head. “No, they haven’t.”

“Hey Mom. Hey Dad.”

Ashley stiffened as she turned, her eyes landing on Frisk. “You…you called me Mom.” A smile crossed her face, tears forming in her eyes.

William simply chuckled. “Yeah, he called me Dad earlier.”

Ashley’s expression changed to one of concern when her eyes landed on Chara. Chara’s face and eyes were still red from crying, and her hair was slightly messed up.

As William pulled Ashley to the side to quickly explain what happened, Noelle and Micheal both noticed Chara. “Oh my god, Chara, are you okay?” Noelle asked, her voice filled with concern.

“We…we did a simulation,” Chara began, sniffling. “Frisk d-died in it, a-and I thought I-I lost him.” Tears began to form in Chara’s eyes again.

Noelle put both hands over her mouth. “Oh Chara, that’s awful. I’m so sorry.”

Once William had finished explaining what happened, Ashley walked over to Chara and Frisk. Wordlessly, she pulled them both into a hug. “I’m so sorry you both had to go through that.”

“How about we all just head home?” Both Chara and Frisk nodded in response. Letting the two go, Ashley looked over at Asriel. He nodded in understanding.

“Well, we’ll see you two later then,” Asriel said, addressing Noelle and Micheal.

Noelle waved cheerfully. “Bye!” she called out with a smile. Micheal simply waved, smiling at Noelle’s enthusiasm.

Asriel laughed, waving back, before following Ashley. Along with Chara and Frisk, they walked out the front door, leaving the lab.

As the door closed behind her, Ashley waved at William. He smiled, waving back. Once the doors closed, he turned his attention to Noelle and Micheal. “Are you two ready to go?”

The two nodded in unison. William grinned. “Well, let’s get going then.”

Chapter Text

After traversing the halls of the laboratory, William, Noelle, and Micheal finally arrived at the entrance to the observation deck for the training chamber. As William opened the door, the three entered.

Inside, they found Lewis, Alphys, Undyne, and Sans standing near the window overlooking the chamber. Noticing someone was missing, William frowned.

“Where’s Emma at?”

Lewis turned towards William upon hearing his question. “She went to get an update on the work being done on the CORE. Emma was hesitant to go at first, but I insisted. I could tell she needed a walk.”

William nodded. “Ah, I see. I feel silly for not thinking of having her take a walk.”

Lewis waved dismissively. “Don’t beat yourself up, William. You had other things to worry about at the moment,” he assured.

As William walked forward, Lewis noticed the two standing behind him. “Ah, Micheal! Good to see you again,” he greeted, smiling as he walked over to Micheal.

“Hey Lewis, it’s been a while.” Lewis held out his hand, and Micheal gave him a high five.

Lewis’ eyes landed on Noelle. “Well, are you gonna introduce me to your friend here?”

Micheal nodded. “Lewis, I’d like you to meet my friend Noelle Holiday,” he introduced.

Noelle waved shyly. Lewis held out his hand. “Well, hello there! I’m Doctor Lewis Matthew, but you can just call me Lewis! I’ve been a friend of William’s for a while, and it’s nice to see a new friend of Micheal’s.”

Noelle hesitantly took Lewis’ hand, shaking it. “It’s…nice to meet you too.”

“hey, would ya look at that, the lovebirds are here.”

Micheal and Noelle both turned away, blushing at Sans’ comment. William glared angrily at Sans, only for the skeleton to shrug with a wink.

“Sans, what did you say about my daughter?”

William turned towards the door, seeing Rudy come inside. “Ah, Rudy, you made it!” The pinpoints of light in Sans’ eyes widened.

“Hi Dad!” Noelle ran over to Rudy, pulling him into a hug.

“What took you so long?” William asked jokingly.

“I took a wrong turn on the way here,” Rudy answered. William sternly shook his head, before a smile crossed his face as he chuckled.

“Well, I can see that Frisk, Asriel, and Chara have already left. Did I miss anything?”

William’s smile dropped. Micheal and Noelle looked at each other knowingly. Alphys dropped some papers she was holding, and began to hastily pick them back up, with Undyne helping her. Lewis just stood awkwardly.

Rudy, noticing the shift in the atmosphere, frowned. “Something bad happened, didn’t it?”

William nodded slightly. “Was anyone hurt?”

“Physically? No. Mentally…” William trailed off, rubbing the back of his neck anxiously.

Rudy’s expression changed to one of sorrow. “Oh, I see then. What exactly…happened?”

“After Undyne went against all three in a fight, Chara and Frisk were put in a simulation. During that simulation, uh, well let’s just say that something happened to Frisk in it, and Chara thought that…”

Rudy’s eyes were filled with understanding. “Yeah…let’s move on from that,” William said, rubbing his arm.

He turned around to face Lewis. “On a brighter note, I’d like you to meet my friend here!”

Bringing Lewis up to Rudy, William introduced him. “This is Doctor Lewis Matthew. He’s one of my oldest friends here at the lab. He was off somewhere else when the whole barrier thing happened, but I made sure to keep him updated.”

Rudy smiled, extending a hand. “Pleasure to meet you, Lewis! I’m Rudy Holiday.” Lewis smiled, reaching out to shake his hand.

As soon as their hands met, Rudy pulled back, descending into a coughing fit. Behind him, Noelle’s face became filled with worry and concern.

Lewis raised an eyebrow. “Uh, are you alright?”

Once he finished coughing, Rudy waved his hand dismissively. “Yeah, don’t worry, I’m fine. It’s nothing to worry about.”

Lewis narrowed his eyes. Something about the way Rudy spoke didn’t convince him. It was as if Rudy didn’t believe it himself, but was telling himself otherwise.

A quick glance at William told Lewis that he was already aware. William gave him a subtle head shake, and Lewis chose not to press the issue.

In the back, Micheal glanced at Noelle. Her face was covered in fear and worry. He grabbed her hand, causing Noelle to glance over at him, meeting his eyes.

Noelle’s gaze was filled with fear, a stark contrast to the warm and comforting gaze Micheal gave her. Bringing his hand up, he ran it through her hair. “Hey, it’s going to be alright. There’s no reason to worry right now,” Micheal said soothingly.

She nodded wordlessly. Slowly, the fear began to leave her face. “T-Thank you,” Noelle whispered.

Micheal smiled warmly. “You’re welcome.”

“Now, what was that you said about my daughter?!”

The two turned to see Rudy marching over to a nervous looking Sans. Noelle giggled, causing Micheal to laugh.

“you know, i just remembered that it’s time for my legally required break,” Sans said nervously. He was gone in the blink of an eye.

“Well, that takes care of him,” William commented.

“I meant to ask this earlier, but how did Noelle and Micheal meet?” Lewis asked. William smiled smugly, causing Micheal to groan.

“Well, we had just arrived in Snowdin town. I told Micheal he could take a look around. He was looking at the sights a little too much that he ended up walking right into Noelle!”

“Dad…” Micheal mumbled in embarrassment, crossing his arms. Noelle laughed, causing him to turn towards her. “Oh, you think that’s really funny, don’t you?” Micheal sneered, causing her to laugh harder.

“After that, the two stood back up. From what I could tell, it seemed like their eyes met immediately. Then they just started talking, eventually taking a seat on a bench. About half an hour later, they were still talking. I ended up taking a seat myself, which is how I actually met Rudy,” William continued.

“I’m guessing you and Rudy here are friends then?”

William nodded. “You bet.”

Lewis smiled. “Well, once again, it’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance Rudy. If you’re friends with William, I have a feeling the two of us will get along just fine.” All three broke into laughter, with Rudy’s turning into a coughing fit at the end.

“Rudy, how bad of a wrong turn did you take? You completely missed the entirety of Frisk, Chara, and Asriel’s training session. Just how lost were you?” William asked.

Rudy chuckled. “Oh, I had stopped at your place before I left. I was there for a good while. I believe I arrived about an hour earlier,” he explained.

“What’d you all do there?”

Rudy smiled. “Oh, you know, just checking on things. Had a brief chat with Micheal, nothing out of the ordinary.”

Noelle glanced at Micheal. “You never did tell me what my Dad wanted to talk to you about,” she stated.

Micheal looked down at the ground. “I’ll tell you about it later.”

~~~

Micheal sat with Noelle at the kitchen table. It was about eleven, and his mom had made the two sandwiches for lunch, as she had told them that Christmas cookies alone were not lunch.

While the two ate their sandwiches, they continued watching videos. Micheal couldn’t help but smile, enjoying himself. Spending time with Noelle always filled him with happiness.

The two were interrupted by the doorbell. “I’ll get it!” Ashley called from the living room. Standing up, she walked over to the front door, opening it.

“Hey there Ashley, fancy seeing you here!”

Ashley sighed. “Rudy, you know you have a key for a reason, right?”

Noelle briefly looked over towards the front door at the sound of her father’s voice, before quickly returning her attention to the video.

Rudy laughed. “Figured you would appreciate it if I didn’t just barge in here unannounced!”

“Eh, I doubt those two would’ve noticed,” Ashley remarked, gesturing her head towards Micheal and Noelle. “So, did you need something?”

Rudy shook his head. “I don’t need anything in particular, I just wanted to check in on everyone and see how they’re doing.”

“Plus, I think you could use a little company,” he added with a smirk.

Ashly put a finger on her chin. “You know, now that you mention it, I wouldn’t mind having someone to talk to.”

“It’d be my pleasure! Just give me a moment.” Rudy, entering the kitchen, waving at Noelle and Micheal.

“Hello Rudy,” Micheal greeted, waving back.

“Hey Dad,” Noelle said, giving her father a smile before returning her attention to the video.

Rudy simply shook his head, smiling. Heading back to the living room, he took a seat on the couch, remarking, “well, those two are certainly enjoying themselves, aren’t they?”

Ashley glanced over at the kitchen, before nodding. “They certainly are.”

“So, what’s everyone else up to?”

“Toriel’s over by the fireplace, reading a book. Asgore’s currently working on the landscape outside. Honestly, it’s been a relief having him around to help out with any gardening that needs to be done outside. Me and Will always dreaded upkeeping the outdoors. Gardening is something that’s in either of our skill sets, so it was always a struggle.”

“Thankfully, Asgore’s an expert on gardening and has been doing a wonderful job. It’s rather clear that he enjoys doing it too, as we’ve offered to give him a hand sometimes, only for him to tell us that it’s not a problem. As for Kris? They’re up in their room, doing…something.”

“What have you been up to then?” Rudy asked.

“Me? I haven’t been doing much. Noelle and Micheal were eating Christmas cookies for a while, but I told them that they couldn’t eat Christmas cookies for lunch, so I ended up making both of them sandwiches.”

Rudy nodded. “Hm, I see.” His eyes glanced slightly off to the side, as though he was considering something.

Ashley, picking up on this, asked him, “is something on your mind?”

Rudy shifted on the couch. It was only now that Ashley noticed the smile on Rudy’s face was gone, replaced with a neutral expression. “So, about Micheal.”

Ashley’s eyes darted left to right awkwardly. “What about him?”

“I’m sure you’ve noticed how many friends he made on his trip to the underground. Friends that he’s very happy with, some more than others.”

Ashley nodded. She rubbed her arm nervously. She had an idea of where this was going, but hoped she was wrong.

“So, with all the friends he made, why didn’t you want him to go?” Rudy finally asked.

Ashley sighed. “I was afraid this was where you were going.” She paused, taking a deep breath. Rudy waited patiently for her to continue once she was ready.

“So, Will’s probably mentioned how his family has known about monsters for generations, and wanted to help them. He always told me that monsterkind was made up of good people, which I always believed what he said.”

Rudy raised an eyebrow. “So, if you knew that monsterkind wasn’t a threat to your son, then why were you so hesitant to let him go with William?”

“I wasn’t worried about the monsters hurting him. I…supposed I was worried that people wouldn’t like him. He already didn’t have many friends, and the last thing I wanted was for him to go down there, only to be turned away.”

Rudy smiled. “Well, you don’t have to worry about that. Micheal made great friends from his visit to the underground.” Pausing, he looked over at Micheal and Noelle. “Although, one person might be more than just a friend.”

Ashley’s eyes darted to the two, before darting back to Rudy. “So, you’ve noticed too?”

Rudy laughed. “Are you kidding? Noelle is practically bouncing off the walls in the morning before she heads out to see Micheal. She bakes him Christmas cookies all the time, and there’s this sparkle in her eyes when she talks about him.”

“Noelle didn’t even eat anything until Micheal came down. While she waited, Will had a talk with her about it,” Ashley stated.

“Did he tell her anything specific?” Rudy inquired.

“Will basically just told her that she should tell Micheal. He doesn’t have a problem with it at all,” she answered.

Nodding, Rudy glanced at the time. It was currently eleven thirty. “Oh, would you look at the time? I should get going here.” Ashley nodded.

“Although, I do need to talk with Micheal for a second.”

Rudy walked into the kitchen, before calling out, “hey Micheal? Can I talk to you for a moment?”

Micheal and Noelle were cleaning off their plates. “Uh…” Uncertain of what to do, Micheal looked towards Noelle. Understanding what Micheal was trying to ask, she nodded, smiling.

Nodding back at Noelle, Micheal turned towards Rudy. “Sure thing.” Heading over to Rudy, Micheal was led around the stairs.

“So, what’d you want to talk to me about?” Micheal asked nervously. He wasn’t sure why, but the atmosphere felt tense.

“So…you like my daughter, don’t you?”

Micheal’s face turned a slight red. He rubbed the back of his neck nervously. “I, uh, of course I do! We’re friends after all!” Micheal chuckled nervously.

“You know what I mean,” Rudy sternly replied.

Micheal swallowed nervously, his eyes darting around anxiously. “I’m, uh, not sure what, you, uh…” He trailed off at Rudy’s stern gaze.

“Okay, y-yes, I, uh, I-I like Noelle,” Micheal admitted quietly, his face red with embarrassment.

“Have you told her?”

“W-What?! No, I-I haven’t said anything to h-her,” Micheal hastily answered.

“Well, you know, I think you should.”

Micheal felt the blood drain from his face in shock. “W-What?” His eyes gazed forward, completely taken aback.

He was snapped out of his shock when Rudy put a hand on his shoulder. “From the way you look at her and treat her, I can tell you like her. And from what I’ve seen, I think Noelle thinks the same about you.”

“Y-You’re okay with this?”

Rudy laughed. “Of course! I know I can trust you to look after Noelle, and I know that she’ll look after you,” he answered.

“Have I ever told you how I met Noelle’s mother?” Micheal shook his head.

Rudy chuckled. “The first time I met her, I immediately told her that she was a HOT piece of work!” Micheal’s eyes widened in shock. “She slapped me so hard I blacked out!”

“There is no way in HELL that I’m doing that to Noelle,” Micheal immediately responded.

Rudy laughed. “Well, maybe not those exact words, but my point is that you should just tell her.”

“Anyways, I gotta get going here. Just remember what I told you, alright?” Micheal nodded.

The two walked out back into the kitchen, where Noelle sat waiting at the kitchen table. When she saw them, she smiled. Standing up, she ran over and gave her father a hug. “Bye Dad.”

Rudy hugged his daughter back. “Bye Noelle. I’ll see you two later.” Waving goodbye, he stepped out the front door, leaving Micheal to think about what Rudy had told him.

~~~

Noelle glanced quizzically at him. “Alright, if you say so then.”

Noelle sighed, the conversation she had this morning with William still on her mind, a worried look settling on her face as she turned away. Does he really think the same about me? Should I tell him?

Noelle’s expression changed from worried to determined. You know what? I will tell him. I’ll do it during training. Yeah, that’ll work, she thought to herself, nodding slightly to her thoughts.

Beside her, Micheal was going through a similar thought process. The best time to do it would probably be in the chamber, he concluded, getting the same idea Noelle had.

“Well, the good news is you’re just in time to watch Noelle and Micheal train!” William declared.

Lewis’ eyebrows raised in surprise. “Wow William, I didn’t think you’d ever let your son learn magic, especially combat magic! Guess you must really trust Undyne then,” he remarked.

“Oh, Undyne isn’t training him.”

Lewis frowned in confusion. “Then who is?”

William smiled. “Why, that would be Noelle here,” he remarked, gesturing towards her. Noelle smiled shyly.

“Micheal had insisted that Noelle be the one to train him actually. I was hesitant at first, but she’s done a fantastic job,” William praised, causing Noelle to blush.

“My Dad’s right, you know. You’ve been an excellent teacher.” At Micheal’s comment, her blush deepened.

“Anyways, enough with that. Noelle, Micheal, if you would follow me I’ll take you down to the chamber,” William announced. He then led the two down into the training chamber, before returning to the observation room.

Once he was back up, he approached Rudy, keeping his voice a whisper as he spoke. “So, what did you talk about with Micheal?”

“I told him that I could tell he liked my daughter. When he admitted it, I told him that he should tell her. I also told him that I’m pretty sure she feels the same way.”

William nodded, chuckling. “What’s funny is I had a similar conversation with Noelle when she was waiting for Micheal to come down.” Rudy barked a laugh.

Looking at the window, the two stared into the chamber. Inside, Noelle stood across from Micheal.

“Alright, Micheal, let’s start out by having you summon a weapon again,” Noelle instructed.

Nodding, Micheal focused his energy into making a blade. “Just try and form whatever comes natural to you,” Noelle encouraged.

Holding out his hand, Micheal closed his eyes in concentration. He imagined his hand gripping onto the blade. Suddenly, he felt something in his grip. Opening his eyes, he stared at the saber he made, examining it. Its shape somewhat resembled a lightsaber.

Noelle smiled as she clapped encouragingly. “You’re getting better at that! It took less time to summon your blade than it did last session!”

Micheal smiled. “Well, it helps when I have such an encouraging teacher.”

Noelle blushed slightly at the compliment. “Now, let’s see how well you can block with your saber.” Holding out her hands, large snowflakes materialized in them as Noelle took an offensive stance.

Micheal took up a defensive stance. “Are you ready?” With a nod from Micheal, Noelle tossed a snowflake at him. Micheal swiftly moved his save to block it.

Noelle smiled before she began to throw more snowflakes. As time went on, the snowflakes became faster and faster, making it harder for Micheal to block. Eventually, he missed one of the snowflakes, causing it to strike him in the chest. “Agh!”

Hearing him cry out, Noelle ceased throwing snowflakes. Concern filled her face as she rushed over to Micheal. “I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to hurt you!” She began frantically apologizing as she approached.

Micheal held up his hand, causing her to stop. “It’s alright, I’m alright. Just took me by surprise,” he replied, trying to calm her down.

“Here, let me help.” A green glow appeared in Noelle’s hand as she placed it where Micheal was struck. Instantly, Micheal felt the pain leaving his body as Noelle healed him.

“Thanks,” Micheal said. Looking up, his eyes met Noelle’s, and the two froze. It was only now that Micheal was aware of how close they were. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest.

Realizing Noelle’s hand was still on his chest, he briefly glanced down, before looking back up. “Your, uh, hand, uh,” Micheal stuttered.

Noelle blinked, her eyes widening. “Oh! Sorry!” she apologized, her hand recoiling. Her face began turning red as she shifted her gaze to the side. Micheal felt himself blush as he stared at the ground.

Still watching from the observation deck, William sighed. “I just wonder if those two will actually tell each other,” he remarked.

“You know, maybe we should try to hang around the back of the observation room. I feel like they’d have a hard time talking if they feel like we’re watching them like a hawk,” Rudy suggested.

Suddenly, the door opened as Emma walked inside. “I have a progress report on the work being done with the CORE, William,” she declared.

William nodded in thanks, when suddenly an idea dawned on him. “You know what, that gives me an idea.”

William activated the intercom. “Micheal, Noelle, I’m giving you a heads up that we will not be monitoring this session, as Emma has just arrived with a report on the CORE. I trust you both enough to be able to do this safely on your own, so you may proceed with your training,” William announced, causing his voice to echo throughout the chamber.

Noelle and Micheal gave each a look of confusion. Eventually, Micheal shrugged. “Eh, I’m sure it’s fine. So, what should we do now?”

Noelle put her hand on her chin in thought for a moment, before her face lit up with an idea. “Oh, I know! Why don’t we have a duel?”

Micheal paced slightly, considering Noelle’s suggestion. While he was still learning the ropes, he knew Noelle wouldn’t go too hard on him. The thought of telling her crossed his mind. Micheal continued to pace back and forth for a few minutes, torn between going with the duel or telling her.

I can tell her later, he eventually decided. “Sure, we could do that,” Micheal answered.

Noelle nodded. “Ready yourself,” she instructed. Summoning two large snowflakes in her hands, she once again took an offensive stance.

Micheal focused, coursing his energy to reform his saber. Once it was back in his hand, he took an offensive stance. “Ready whenever you are,” he informed her.

Noelle closed her eyes. When she opened them, she projected a fierce gaze. She swiftly threw one of the snowflakes, Micheal lifting his saber to block. As she sent a few snowflakes, Micheal focused some of his energy while he blocked. Eventually, he formed small orbs of energy behind him.

Noelle, while throwing her snowflakes, couldn’t help but watch closely as Micheal blocked each one. She could feel her heartbeat increasing, and she became so engrossed that she didn’t notice the orbs behind him until they were flying at her.

Focusing, he fired all of them at Noelle. Seeing the incoming orbs, she summoned a wall of ice in front of her, creating a shield against the orbs just in time. The wall of ice was torn to shreds by the orbs, but it had done its job.

She continued throwing snowflakes at Micheal, this time moving around the room. While Micheal blocked, his gaze was caught by her movement. Noelle moved gracefully, almost as though she was skating on ice.

His focus returned when he was struck in the shoulder by a snowflake. Noelle visibly froze, causing Micheal to use this opportunity to fire more orbs at her. She put up another wall of ice, however a few orbs managed to get through, striking her.

Micheal’s eyes widened as he realized he managed to land a few more hits than he intended to. Shit. Regret and concern filled his face, taking his mind out of the duel. He only just noticed that Noelle began summoning icicles. She fired a large swarm of them at him.

Panicking, he tried his best to focus his energy into a shield. In his haste, he managed to form a small shield, holding it against the incoming icicles, when one hit him in the shoulder, hard. “Agh!” Micheal cried out in pain as he fell backwards, his shield dematerializing.

Noelle’s face turned white as she watched him tumble back. No no no I didn’t mean to hurt him that hard! Panicking frantically in her head, she rushed over to Micheal.

When she got close to him, he stood back up, slashing his saber in a daze. Noelle managed to block the first strike with her snowflakes, but the second strike hit her in the chest hard. “AHHH!” She screamed in pain as she fell backwards.

“SHIT!” Micheal’s eyes widened in horror as he came to his senses, rushing over to Noelle. “No no no, please be okay, please Noelle, I-I could never forgive myself if I hurt you badly without ever getting the chance to tell you that I, I-I,” Micheal frantically stammered out.

Suddenly, Noelle groaned, sitting up. “Ow…” she muttered, clutching her chest. Micheal, taking a deep breath, focused on his desire to heal her. As he concentrated his energy into his hand, he continued focusing on his want to heal her as he placed his hand on her chest, closing his eyes.

Noelle’s eyes widened as she saw a green glow emanating from Micheal’s hand. She felt her pain beginning to drain from her chest, and once it was gone, the glow disappeared as Micheal opened his eyes. His eyes immediately stared into Noelle’s.

“Did I…did I just…” he began in disbelief, only to trail off when Noelle nodded.

“You did it, Micheal. You managed to heal me,” Noelle congratulated, a small smile on her face.

“Yeah…yeah, I did…” Micheal began rubbing the back of his neck nervously. It’s now or never. “N-Noelle, I don’t know if you could tell, but I-I was distracted during the duel. T-There’s something that I want to tell you,” Micheal confessed.

Noelle nodded. “There’s also something that I-I want to t-tell you too. It distracted me during the d-duel, and I just need you to hear it,” she admitted.

“Noelle, I…”

“Micheal, I…”

“I love you,” the two said in unison. Both of their eyes widened.

“Wait, what?” Micheal said, in shock.

“Really?” Noelle added in surprise. “Huh, I guess your dad was right…”

“Wait, what about my Dad?” Micheal asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Oh, your dad talked to me this morning. He said he could tell I liked you, and told me that he was pretty sure you felt the same. He told me that I should tell you too,” Noelle explained.

“Funny, your dad told me something similar when he stopped by today,” Micheal added.

“So, y-you actually like me?” Noelle asked, sounding as if she wasn’t sure if this was real.

“Ever since I’ve met you, you’ve always been there for me. When we crossed the ‘bridge’ in Snowdin, you held my hand and grounded me. On the helicopter, you took my hand, and told me to focus on you. When I did, I felt…safe. I know I can trust you with my life,” Micheal answered.

“Y-You know, when we went up to the surface for the first time, you were there for me. You managed to show me wonderful things. We watched the stars together, and you always made sure I was alright. I knew that I could trust you to show me the world and protect me as well, while I looked out for you too. With you, I felt…”

“Safe,” Micheal finished for her. Noelle nodded, tears in her eyes as she smiled. Suddenly, she pulled Micheal into a hug, tears streaming down her face.

“It’s okay, I’m here,” Micheal said comfortingly as tears began running down his face. He rubbed Noelle’s back soothingly, and the two stayed in their embrace for a while.

Eventually, the two sat side by side, Noelle leaning her head on Micheal’s shoulder. Micheal glances up at the observation room. “You know, I think I understand why they left us alone now.”

Noelle giggled. “Well, I’m glad they did,” she replied, planting a kiss on Micheal’s cheek. Instantly, his entire face turned bright red. “Too much?” Noelle asked. “Micheal?”

Micheal continued to stare forward. Opening his mouth, he tried to speak, only for nothing to come out. Noelle’s face began to fill with worry. Finally, Micheal blinked several times. “Let’s, uh, move on,” he said awkwardly.

“So, do you think we should head back up?”

“Well, I don’t think we’ll be doing any more training, so that sounds fine to me,” Micheal commented, causing Noelle to giggle.

As the two stood up, Noelle took Micheal’s hand. Glancing at her, he smiled as he gripped her hand back. The two then began walking out of the chamber, hand in hand.

~~~

Turning off the intercom, he walked towards the back of the observation room. Emma blinked in confusion. “You do know I could’ve read the report to you while you watched them train, right?”

William’s eyes gleamed mischievously as he smirked. “Oh, I’m aware. I just wanted to give Noelle and Micheal some time…alone.”

With that, everyone gathered towards the back of the room. “Can you send the report so that we can follow along?” William asked as he pulled out his tablet.

Emma pressed a few buttons on her tablet, before looking up at William. “It should be sent to you now.”

Finding the report on his tablet, William smiled. “Thank you, Emma.”

“Alright, let’s get started then. How’s the progress been moving?”

“Currently, progress on connecting the CORE to existing power lines has been moving along at a steady rate. Recently, work was just finished on extending the conveyor belt for the ice blocks in Snowdin, fully automating the process,” Emma explained.

Alphys pushed up her glasses. “H-Has there been any t-trouble with getting the a-authorized monsters inside?” she inquired.

“While the military has set up a perimeter around the mountain with a checkpoint at the entrance to the underground, there haven’t been any reports of authorized monsters having difficulty getting through. If there were, I’m sure they would’ve told you as well, Alphys,” William added, alleviating Alphys’ worries.

“Everything’s going smoothly Al. If those military punks were causing problems, I’d go and beat them up!” Undyne assured, causing Alphys’ face to turn a slight red.

“So, why exactly is there such a huge military presence at the mountain anyways?” Rudy asked.

“It’s mostly there to prevent people from breaking into the underground. After all, we don’t want people to try and sabotage the CORE, or break into the true lab,” William answered.

Lewis turned his gaze to William. “Say, William, you’ve mentioned the true lab before, but you’ve never really said much about it. What is it exactly?”

At Lewis’ question, Alphys shrank in on herself, with Undyne coming to comfort her. Lewis, noticing this, glanced back at William. “Did I…do something wrong?”

William shook his head. “No Lewis, you didn’t know. Alphys…doesn’t want anyone to go into the true lab yet and start bringing things back from it. Or really, talking much about it. Not until she’s ready to talk about it,” William replied.

“All you really need to know is there were a lot of things that happened down there that had to do with DETERMINATION, and the amalgamates had something happen to them with DT that made them the way they are. There’s also a DT extraction machine down there.”

Lewis nodded understandingly. Shifting the topic, he asked, “so, you never mentioned who built the CORE. It’s not in any of the reports either, and it seems that the creator isn’t even a part of our operations.”

Rudy frowned. “Now that you mention it, I can’t seem to remember who built the CORE.”

Their eyes turned to William. Quickly glancing around the room, he lowered his voice as he spoke. “That’s the thing, I have no idea.”

“You see, when I was in the CORE during my tour through the underground, I had asked who constructed it, as I wanted to speak with them. Papyrus said he couldn’t remember who did, and suddenly Sans told me that we don’t talk about the CORE’s creator. When I questioned him, he simply reiterated what he told me. Something about his voice…changed, and the lights in his eyes were gone, leaving a black abyss. I didn’t ask anything else.”

Lewis’ face was white with shock. “Wow. And here I thought that Sans was lazy. That’s…actually pretty scary.”

“Yeah. It freaked the hell outta me. That skeleton can be terrifying when he wants to be.”

They were interrupted by the sound of a door opening. Turning around, William saw Micheal and Noelle walk in, noticing how the two were holding hands.

Choosing not to comment for now, William smiled. “Done with training for today?”

The two nodded. “Micheal’s really has been improving. He’s already much better than when we first started,” Noelle informed him.

Nodding, William turned to Rudy. “Well my friend, I suppose it is time for you to go then. I’ll see you tonight?”

Rudy nodded. “Of course!” The two shook hands, before Rudy walked over to Noelle and Micheal.

“Well, let’s get going then!”

The two nodded. Following Rudy out of the observation room, Noelle and Micheal looked at each other, smiling as they continued holding each other’s hands.

~~~

Opening the front door, Micheal was greeted by his mother in the kitchen. “Ah, Micheal! You’re back!”

As she walked over to the door, Noelle followed behind him, still holding his hand. “Hello Noelle, it’s nice to see you again.” Looking up, she saw Rudy standing behind them. “Are you coming inside?” Ashley asked him.

Rudy shook his head. “Unfortunately not right now. I have things I need to take care of, but I know Noelle is in capable hands.”

Giving Noelle a hug, he walked away. Ashley closed the door behind them. “Well, I’ll be in the kitchen if you need me. Chara’s in the back along with Frisk, and I believe Kris is in their room.” She returned to the kitchen, leaving the two alone.

“Wanna go see what Chara is up to?” Micheal nodded, and together the two walked past the stairs and towards the back. There, they found Toriel sitting by the fireplace, reading a book. When she spotted the two, she smiled. They both waved at her, before she returned her attention to her book.

At the other end of the room, Chara sat on the couch in front of the TV, with Frisk and Asriel sitting next to her. She was playing DOOM 2016. “Hey, I’m going to go see how Kris is doing,” Micheal said.

Noelle nodded. “Alright. I might watch Chara while you do that.” With a nod from Micheal, Noelle plopped down on the couch next to Frisk.

Walking upstairs, Micheal knocked on Kris’ door. Since being taken in by the Dreemurrs, they had moved into the spare bedroom right in front of the stairs. “Come in.” Opening the door, Micheal stepped inside.

Kris sat in front of their computer next to the door. Noticing Micheal, they smiled. “Oh, you’re back.”

Micheal nodded. “How have you been doing?”

Kris leaned back in their chair, putting a hand on their chin in thought. “It’s…different, you know? I spent so much time on my own, just bouncing around places. I always felt like if I stayed at one place for too long, I’d end up just becoming a burden and I’d get kicked out. When Toriel saw me for the first time though…there was something about the way she looked at me that told me she’d never see me as a burden.”

“I’ve felt at home with the Dreemurrs. They’re kind, good people. In one night, I went from having no one to having a mother, a father, a sister, and an older brother. Asriel’s been great to me. Whenever I need someone to talk to, and you’re not available, he’s always there to listen. He looks out for me. I couldn’t have asked for a better brother.”

Micheal smiled. “Well, I’m happy that you’re doing well. I’ve been worried about you for a while, but I’m glad that you’ve found a loving family.”

“How’s it been having a brother now?” Kris inquired, putting their hands behind their head.

Michea shrugged. “I don’t think I’ve really felt a huge difference. We got along naturally when we met. And yet, Frisk is my brother now. I’m still wrapping my head around that,” he answered.

“So, how did your training go today?”

Micheal’s eyes darted side to side anxiously. “Oh, uh, you know, it went fine. Pretty much was just a normal, uh, session. Nothing special happened.”

Kris leaned forward, smirking. “So, did you tell her yet?” they asked smugly.

Micheal’s face turned bright red. He nervously rubbed his arm. “I, uh, uhm…” he stammered, flustered.

“Well?” Kris continued, their eyes gleaming.

“Alright, I did!” Micheal blurted out, before swiftly covering his mouth in embarrassment.

Kris, however, continued to press onwards. “So, what did she say?”

“She…she likes me too,” Micheal quietly muttered. He glanced down at the ground, his face burning.

“Well, congratulations.” Smiling, Kris clapped their hands together. “I’m glad things worked out.”

Micheal lifted his head, face still slightly red, and flashed Kris a small smile. “Thanks.”

“Of course. We’re friends after all,” Kris replied.

After a moment of silence between the two, Kris’ eyes moved to the door, before back at Micheal. “Well, you don’t want to keep your girlfriend waiting now, do you?”

Micheal’s blush intensely, earning a laugh from Kris. “I suppose you’re right,” he muttered, before walking up to Kris and playfully punching them in the shoulder.

“Hey, what was that for?” Kris asked, putting their hands up as they feigned innocence.

Micheal shook his head. “You know exactly what you did.” Stepping out of Kris’ room, he closed the door behind him.

Heading back downstairs, Micheal went towards the back, walking back to the couch where Noelle, Chara, Frisk, and Asriel all were.

Frisk whispered something to Noelle as he saw Micheal approaching, causing her to blush. The two Dreemurr siblings started whispering to each other. Micheal frowned, knowing that they were up to something.

When he arrived at the couch, he stood before the four, crossing his arms. “So, what were you four talking about?” he asked sternly.

Chara and Asriel both smiled innocently, but Micheal could tell that they were hiding something. Noelle blushed as she shrank in on herself. Frisk rubbed his neck nervously. “Uh, it was, uh, nothing!” he answered nervously.

Micheal raised an eyebrow, unconvinced. “So, ‘nothing’ huh?”

“Uh, y-yeah.” Frisk chuckled anxiously as Micheal gazed intently at him. His eyes started to dart around nervously as he sat in silence.

“They asked me if I told you that I liked you okay!” Noelle suddenly blurted out, breaking the silence. She quickly pulled her legs up to her chest, burying her face in embarrassment.

Micheal’s expression softened immediately. “We were teasing her about it before she told us, and she felt embarrassed about it and didn’t want you to know in case you freaked out,” Asriel explained.

Micheal nodded, turning his attention to Noelle. “Hey, Noelle, why don’t you come with me so we can talk?”

Keeping her head facing the ground, Noelle stood up, following Micheal as he led her upstairs and into his room. Once inside, she sat down on his bed, folding back in on herself.

Closing the door behind him, Micheal joined her on the bed. He put a hand on her shoulder. “Noelle, I’m not mad at you, and you know that, right?”

Noelle, lifting her head up, turned to face him. “You’re…you’re not upset I told Asriel, Frisk, and Chara?”

He shook his head. “Kris basically did the same thing with me, so I get it.” As he put his arm around Noelle, she leaned into him.

“I’m sorry, I just wasn’t sure if you would’ve been comfortable with it.”

Micheal chuckled. “Noelle, I have no problem with them knowing at all. I’m not surprised that they found out, and to be honest, I expected them to press me about it at some point later.”

Noelle giggled. Putting her head on his shoulder, she sighed contentedly as he rubbed her back. “So…would you be my boyfriend then…?”

“If you’re comfortable with calling me that, then I’d say yes,” Micheal answered. “Are you comfortable with you being my girlfriend?”

Noelle nodded. “It just feels a little weird I guess,” she commented.

He laughed. “I certainly agree with you in that regard!”

Silence settled between the two. “When should we tell our parents?” Noelle asked softly.

“Well, considering we’re having your dad over for dinner, I was thinking that’s when we’d tell them. What do you think?”

Noelle sat silently, thinking. “I think that we should do that,” she replied, having reached a decision.

Micheal smiled. “It’s settled then.”

Noelle nodded. After a few minutes, she moved away from Micheal’s embrace. When he gave her a questioning glance, she laid down on the bed. “Sorry, I just really needed to lie down.”

Smiling, Micheal laid down beside her, turning so that he was looking in her eyes. “Did I ever tell you how beautiful your face is?” Micheal asked.

Noelle giggled, blushing at the compliment. He ran a hand through her hair. She sighed contentedly, closing her eyes as she relaxed. “I’m really happy that I told you,” he remarked.

“Me too.”

The two laid there for several minutes, relaxing in each other’s company. Eventually, Micheal shifted, propping his head up with his arms.

“Well, what should we do now?”

Noelle put a finger on her chin, thinking. “I don’t really feel like doing anything outside. In fact, I kinda want to just stay here,” she eventually answered.

“Well, did you want to watch some more videos then?”

Noelle nodded. “Sure! That works with me.” Micheal stood up, heading over to where his IPad was plugged in. Unplugging it, he turned back to his bed, spotting Noelle sitting up. She twirled a finger through her hair nervously.

“What is it Noelle?” Micheal asked, tilting his head to the side.

Noelle smiled shyly. “I was just, uh, wondering if…we could just stay in your bed?” she asked anxiously.

“Sure, I don’t see why not.”

Noelle’s face lit up in happiness. Micheal couldn’t help but smile. Turning on his tablet, he opened up YouTube, preparing the video. Once he had it set up, he sat back down on the bed.

Noelle laid back down, patting the spot beside her for Micheal to join her. Lying down next to her, he propped his head up against the pillow, putting his IPad on his chest.

Noelle shifting closer, her head lying next to his. She wrapped her arms around Micheal as she moved in closer. Looking up at him, she smiled warmly, Micheal smiling back.

“This is nice,” she commented, her voice calm and relaxed.

Micheal nodded in agreement. Putting his arm around her, he asked her, “are you ready?”

Noelle nodded, and Micheal smiled as he started the video.

~~~

The two spent the next few hours watching videos together, enjoying the comfort of each other.

As they finished the current video, Micheal sat up, stretching. “This has been nice.”

Noelle nodded in agreement as Micheal laid back down. She wrapped her arms around him again. “Did you want to watch another?”

Micheal shook his head. “Eh, it’s gotten late, and I’m sure my Dad will be home shortly,” he replied, setting his tablet on the floor.

Wrapping his arms around Noelle, he continued, “right now, I just want to relax with you.” Noelle giggled, blushing.

The two held each other for several minutes before Micheal heard the familiar rumble of the garage door. The smile fell from his face, replaced with a frown. Noelle’s gaze changed to one of concern. “My Dad’s home,” he replied.

She nodded solemnly. “We have to get up then, don’t we?”

Micheal nodded, sighing. “Ugh, but I’m so comfortable,” he complained. Noelle laughed, her face turning red.

Together, the two sat up, their hands intertwined. “We’re telling them tonight right?” Noelle asked.

Micheal nodded in clarification. The two stood up, heading towards the door.

Meanwhile, downstairs, William entered the kitchen. He spotted both Ashley and Toriel working in the kitchen. Ashley, spotting him, smiled. “Hey Will! Glad you’re home.”

“Glad to be back. Say, what are you two making?”

“Toriel’s been making a butterscotch pie, while I’ve been making mashed potatoes, meatloaf, and corn,” Ashley replied, pulling said meatloaf out of the oven.

“Heh, looks like I got home just in time then! Wonder when Rudy will get here.” Upon finishing, the sound of the doorbell reached his ears.

Walking over to the front door, William opened it, a smile reaching his face as he saw Rudy on the other side. “Hope I’m not too late!” Rudy remarked with a laugh.

“Ha, no, not at all. Come in!” William replied, holding the door open. As Rudy stepped inside, William closed the front door.

“Hey Rudy, glad to see you could make it!” Ashley called out, waving. Rudy smiled, waving back.

“Well, I suppose I should start letting everyone know that food’s about ready,” William announced.

“My children are in the back by the fireplace along with Frisk. Asgore is sitting outside, and I believe Noelle and Micheal are still upstairs,” Toriel informed him.

He nodded in thanks before walking past the stairs. Heading to the back, he spotted Chara, Asriel, Kris, and Frisk all sitting on a couch in front of the TV. Chara was still playing DOOM 2016, with the others watching.

“You’re quite good at that game, aren’t you?” William asked, startling Chara slightly.

“Oh, hey Dad,” Frisk greeted.

William waved at Frisk with a smile, before turning his gaze towards Kris and Asriel. “Hello you two.” Both Kris and Asriel nodded in greeting.

“Anyways, I came to tell you four that dinner is almost ready,” William said, getting to the point.

“Good thing I’m almost at a stopping point then,” Chara remarked, her eyes still on the screen.

“Asgore’s sitting on the patio if you’re looking for him,” Asriel added.

“Thank you. Do any of you know where Micheal and Noelle are?”

The four of them glanced at each, before looking back at William. “They were both still upstairs when I came down,” Kris answered softly.

“Thanks, Kris. I think I’ll check on Asgore first.” Heading to the screen door, William stepped outside. Once outside, his ears picked up the sound of Asgore humming.

Turning in the direction of the humming, he spotted Asgore sitting on a chair. Eventually, he noticed William. “Howdy William!” Asgore greeted, waving.

“Hey Asgore. How’s the gardening going?”

“Oh, it’s been going quite splendidly,” Asgore replied enthusiastically.

William chuckled. “I really can’t thank you enough for dealing with the work outside. Maintaining the house’s exterior is something me and my wife have always found to be a hassle, so we both really appreciate you stepping in for us.”

Asgore laughed. “My pleasure. I have a feeling you didn’t just come out here to thank me for gardening, correct?”

Asgore received a nod. “Correct. Dinner’s almost prepared, and I’m sure you’d like to hear that Toriel’s made a pie,” William answered. Asgore’s face lit up in excitement at the end.

“I’ll be inside in just a moment then,” Asgore replied.

After giving Asgore a nod, William went back inside. Chara was in front of the TV, turning off the Xbox and putting away the control. Leaving her alone, he walked past her and went to the living room, spotting Rudy on the couch.

“Guessing you haven’t seen Noelle and Micheal?” Rudy shook his head.

William was about to head upstairs when the sounds of footsteps interrupted him. Noelle and Micheal finished descending the staircase, with Noelle running over to give Rudy a hug.

“Hey Dad,” Micheal said. William walked up to his son, giving him a quick hug.

“Hey there Micheal, how’ve you been today?”

Micheal shrugged. “I’ve been fine. After we got home, me and Noelle went upstairs and watched videos together. Didn’t really do anything else.”

William nodded. Ashley stepped out from the kitchen. “Food’s done, so you can come and grab a plate,” she announced. Frisk, Chara, Asriel, and Kris quickly went to the kitchen and started to put food on their plates.

“Howdy Rudy,” Asgore greeted as he walked into the living room. Letting go of Noelle, Rudy waved.

Once Kris, Asriel, Chara, and Frisk finished getting their food, the four went to the table. Chara and Frisk took a seat next to each other, with Asriel and Kris sitting by each other, Kris sitting on the table’s edge while Asriel was next to Chara.

Once Noelle saw that those four were finished, she grabbed Micheal’s hand and led him to the kitchen. Once the two had gotten their food, they took a seat at the table, sitting side by side.

Toriel silently got her food, followed by Asgore. The two sat directly across from Asriel and Chara, with Toriel being beside Kris.

“Well, the kids were certainly eager to eat. Can’t believe they didn’t let the guest get their food first,” Rudy remarked jokingly, causing William to laugh. Rudy joined him before descending into a coughing fit.

Getting up from the table, Noelle quickly rushed over to help her father. “It’s okay Noelle, I’ll be fine,” he assured her. She glanced at him unconvincingly.

“Relax Noelle, I can give your father a hand,” William cut in. Noelle glanced at Rudy, silently asking him if that was alright. Rudy nodded, and she gave him a hug before returning to the table.

“Ashley, dear, you can get your food. Me and Rudy will be right behind you.” Ashley nodded, standing up and heading to the kitchen.

William glanced at Rudy. “Are you sure you’re alright?” He spoke with concern for his friend.

“Yeah…yeah I’m alright,” Rudy replied. He didn’t sound entirely convinced. “Let’s just leave this be for now, alright? I don’t wanna ruin the mood,” he added.

“Alright.” Although he was concerned for Rudy, he was William’s guest tonight, so he let it go.

The two of them made their way to the kitchen. Grabbing plates, they both proceeded to get their food before sitting at the table. William took a seat next to Ashley, who sat across from Frisk. Rudy took the other side next to William.

They both ended up directly across from Noelle and Micheal, with William across from Micheal and Rudy sitting across from Noelle.

As Noelle and Micheal ate, they both glanced at each other nervously. They both knew they would have to get this over with, but that didn’t make them any less nervous.

While they were drumming up the courage to speak, William was telling Rudy a story. “So there I was, standing in the training chamber, preparing to run a simulation. Lewis, activating the intercom, asked me if I wanted anything specific for the simulation. I told him to surprise me.”

Rudy nodded along as he listened. “So, after a few minutes, the simulation began. And you know what I saw? I was strapped to a chair in a dentist’s office, about to get my wisdom teeth removed! When I said ‘surprise me’, I should’ve known I would’ve gotten something like this!”

Micheal stifled a laugh, Noelle giggling beside him. Rudy, laughing, pat William on the shoulder. “Honestly? You kinda walked into that one.”

“I know! I haven’t asked him to surprise me since, because I don’t wanna know what he’d do next!” William replied, causing Rudy to laugh harder.

Ashley shook her head with a smirk, before turning her attention to Frisk. “Your birthday’s coming up soon, isn’t it dear?”

Frisk nodded eagerly. “Yup! It’s on the twenty sixth!”

“Speaking of birthdays, Chara has hers on the fifteenth of June,” Toriel chimed in.

“Let me make sure I got both of those in my schedule then,” William remarked as he pulled out his phone. While he was checking his schedule, Micheal and Noelle turned to each other.

“When should we tell them?” Noelle asked in a whisper.

Micheal glanced at William briefly before looking back at Noelle. “I think it might be best if we tell them after my Dad is done,” he whispered back.

“Micheal…I’m scared. What if my Dad doesn’t approve? What if your dad doesn’t approve? What if we’re never allowed to see each other again?” Noelle began frantically whispering questions, panic setting in.

She stopped speaking when she felt Micheal grab her hand. “Hey, look at me.” Noelle looked into his eyes, her eyes filled with fear and worry. “Everything is going to be alright. I promise,” Micheal assured her, squeezing her hand. A small smile formed on her lips as she began to relax.

“Hey, what are you two whispering about over there?”

Their eyes widened simultaneously. Slowly, they both turned towards William. He glanced at the two of them curiously. Well, I guess we’re doing this now, Micheal thought, taking a deep breath. He kept his hand intertwined with Noelle’s.

“Well, you see Dad, uh, there’s something that, uh, me and, um, Noelle, uh, would like to, um, tell you,” Micheal nervously began.

“T-This is also, uh, for you too Dad,” Noelle added. Rudy and William glanced at each other, before turning their gaze back towards the two.

“Go on, then,” Rudy said.

“W-Well, you see, uh…” Micheal rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

“M-Me and, uh, Micheal were, um, talking with each other…”

“And we, uh, um, both sort of, uh…”

“Oh, so you told each other, didn’t you?” William suddenly cut in. Noelle and Micheal’s faces immediately turned a bright red, causing him and Rudy to smile.

“I don’t know William, I think I might need more proof than that,” Rudy jokingly replied, a smirk on his face. “I think they gotta say it.”

“We…we like each other!” Noelle and Micheal admitted simultaneously, staring down at the table.

When they both looked up, their eyes landed on William and Rudy, massive smiles on their faces. “Oh Noelle, I’m so happy for you.”

“R-Really?”

“Of course I am! I’m so glad that you found someone you want to spend your life with, and it fills me with pride that you had the courage to tell him,” Rudy replied. Noelle smiled, tears forming in her eyes.

“Micheal, I’m so proud of you. It takes a lot of bravery to do what you did, and I’m glad that Noelle makes you happy,” William remarked proudly.

“T-Thanks, Dad,” Micheal acknowledged, grinning. He turned his attention to Noelle. “See? I told you everything would be alright.”

Noelle pulled him into a hug, a few tears streaming down her face as she smiled happily. Micheal embraced her back, a few tears forming in his own eyes.

Frisk and Chara had watched closely during the whole thing. Asriel and Kris were quick to notice. “So, how long do you think it’ll be before those two get together?” Kris whispered, pointing a thumb at Chara and Frisk.

Asriel shrugged his shoulders. “Honestly? I’m surprised they haven’t already. Chara’s already told me about her feelings for Frisk, but I have no clue when either her or Frisk will bite the bullet.”

Several minutes later, dinner was over. Frisk, Chara, Asriel, and Kris had already cleaned up and left the kitchen. Micheal and Noelle were finishing up cleaning. “You know, me and Noelle could help with the cleanup Mom,” Micheal suggested to Ashley as she put the leftovers in containers.

She waved dismissively. “No, it’s fine. You two go and spend some time together. I want to have a word with your father here as well,” she answered.

Micheal nodded. Grabbing Noelle’s hand, he led her out of the kitchen and up the stairs.

Once they left, Ashley turned to Asgore and Toriel. “I appreciate the help with the cleanup, but I’d like to talk with my husband. Alone,” she announced sternly. Both boss monsters exited the kitchen.

Noticing Rudy was still there, she glared at him. “Did you not hear what I said?” Ashley asked in annoyance.

“Oh, I did. But something tells me this has to do with my daughter, so I’m a part of this conversation,” Rudy replied, with no intention of backing down.

Ashley threw her hands up in the air in defeat. “Fine.” She turned her attention to William. “Will, I’d like to have a word about Noelle and Micheal.”

“If you don’t approve of our son’s relationship with Noelle simply because she’s a monster, I will sign the divorce papers immediately,” William fiercely declared. “Just want to make that clear.”

Ashley shook her head frantically. “No no, this has nothing to do with that at all.”

William sighed. “I know, but I was just clarifying that fact in case somehow our son being in love with a monster changed your perspective of them.”

“I know. I wouldn’t have married you if I didn’t like monsters. I’m a little hurt that you said that, but I understand,” Ashley admitted solemnly.

He sighed, knowing he’d have to deal with this later. “Alright, what is it then?” William asked.

“Doesn’t it feel like the two of them are moving rather quickly? They only just met each other two weeks ago, and now they’re in a relationship.” Ashley sighed, rubbing her arm. “It just…seems a little strange at how sudden this was,” she added.

William nodded understandingly. “No, I get what you mean. They certainly have moved their relationship swiftly,” he agreed.

“But, Ashley, you weren’t there when they first met. After they both walked into each and stood up, their eyes met. There was this glimmer in both Noelle and Micheal’s eyes when they met, and from where I was watching I saw it. Now, I don’t know if I’ve ever truly believed in love at first sight, but if that isn’t what happened between those two, then I don’t know what love at first sight is.”

Rudy nodded in agreement. “Yeah, I saw something similar from where I was sitting too. They just clicked immediacy after making eye contact.”

“I see. It still just feels somewhat odd to me I guess,” Ashley admitted.

“Don’t worry, I’m certain they won’t do anything too crazy together, if you, uh, know what I mean,” William remarked, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

Ashley pinched the bridge of her nose. “You just had to bring that up, didn’t you?”

“What? I figured that was what you were worried about when you said you thought things between them were moving fast.”

Ashley groaned. “Don’t worry, I know my daughter. Noelle wouldn’t immediately dive off the deep end like that,” Rudy added.

“I figured as much, Rudy. I’m just annoyed at Will for bringing it up,” she replied, gesturing to William, who just smiled innocently.

Meanwhile, upstairs, Micheal led Noelle out to the balcony. “We did it, Noelle. We actually told them,” he acknowledged, still in disbelief at the fact.

Noelle smiled ear to ear as she pulled him into a hug. “I’m so happy that everything turned out okay.”

Micheal ran a hand through her hair comfortingly. “Of course it did. I never doubted that for a second.”

Noelle gave him a deadpan expression. He chuckled nervously. “Okay, so maybe I did feel a little scared at the moment,” he replied, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. Noelle raised an eyebrow.

Micheal sighed. “Alright, I was terrified,” he admitted.

“I was so terrified at the time, I wasn’t sure if I could do it,” Noelle admitted in a quiet whisper as the two sat down.

Micheal pulled her in closer. “Noelle, you were so brave today. You are so much stronger than you think, and I love that about you,” he assured her softly.

“It helped that I had you there, Micheal.”

“And you being there helped me so much, Noelle. Ever since we’ve met, whenever there’s been times where I’ve been terrified, you always helped me get through it.”

The two sat there in silence for a while. “Say, did Rudy ever tell you how he met your mother?” Micheal asked.

Noelle’s face turned red in embarrassment. “Oh gosh, he actually told you?!” Micheal started laughing.

“Yes! When he told me, I was so damn confused!” Micheal said, laughing. Noelle couldn’t help but snicker.

“Hey Noelle, can I ask you something strange?”

She glanced quizzically at him, motioning for him to continue. “How long do you think it will be before Chara and Frisk get together?”

Noelle furrowed her eyebrows in thought. “I don’t know. I’m a bit surprised they haven’t already. Asriel told me how Chara confided in him about her feelings for Frisk, so I don’t know.”

Micheal nodded. “Frisk told me the same thing. Honestly, I guess that explains why it looked like the two of them were taking notes when we told our parents today,” he remarked with a chuckle.

Noelle giggled, before staring up at the sky. “So, what do we do now? We’ve told our parents, so…what now?”

“I…I don’t know,” Micheal admitted. Grabbing her hand, he gave a reassuring squeeze. “I guess we’ll just have to figure it out together.” Noelle smiled warmly, and the two stared up at the sky, hand in hand as they marveled at the beauty of the stars, ready to face whatever came next together.

Chapter Text

Micheal slowly crept his way down the stairs. It had only just turned six in the morning, and almost everyone was still asleep. Creeping towards the front door, he opened it, seeing Noelle about to pull out her key.

Shock initially filled her face upon seeing the door open, however she immediately relaxed as she saw who it was. Smiling warmly in greeting, she quietly walked inside before Micheal carefully shut the door.

Over a month had passed since Micheal and Noelle had begun their relationship. It was currently the twenty-eighth of June, and negotiations between humanity and monsterkind were quickly approaching its conclusion, much to William’s delight. In fact, today a test was set to observe the power distribution system for the CORE that had just been completed. With hope, negotiations should end sometime in July, according to William’s projections.

Toriel and Asgore’s relationship has only progressed positively, to the point where the two now share the spare master bedroom.

Frisk, Chara, and Asriel’s training took a shift, instead now focusing on getting the three to work together as a team. Papyrus has taken a major part in these sessions, with the three often having to work through puzzles and obstacle courses together. From time to time, Undyne would test how well they fought together as a team.

Since the incident in the simulation, both Chara and Frisk have regularly been seeing Doctor Melissa Thompson, SOUL Laboratories’ therapist, who has also observed their training sessions at times. Although she has made some progress, they both still haven’t opened up much.

Rudy has continued to get worse. His coughing fits have become more frequent, with his coughs themselves worsening. His strength has gone down, and Noelle has only become more and more concerned. While she’s encouraged her father to get help, he’s only continued to downplay it.

Quietly making their way into the kitchen, Noelle placed down the container of Christmas cookies she brought on the kitchen table.

“Did I ever tell you how much I love you?” Noelle managed to contain her laughter to a giggle.

“I think you have once or twice,” she whispered back, playfully punching Micheal’s arm.

Taking a seat beside each other at the table, Micheal turned on his tablet, opening up YouTube. Making sure the volume was low, he started a video. Noelle, having grabbed plates, opened up the container and set some cookies down on both plates.

Handing one plate to Micheal, he smiled, leaning over and pressing his lips on her cheek. Blushing, her smile widened. “I can’t believe how lucky I am to have found a girl who’d make Christmas cookies year-round.”

As the two ate, they became so focused on the video that they didn’t hear the sound of footsteps carefully moving down the stairs.

“Hello, Micheal. Hello Noelle.”

The two froze upon hearing someone speak. Micheal quickly paused the video, and the two glanced at each other fearfully. Slowly, they turned their heads towards the source, their gaze landing on William. “Uh, h-hi Dad.”

William smiled smugly. “Really, Micheal. Cookies for breakfast? Do you know what your mother would say about that?” Micheal gulped, nodding nervously. Noelle, tensing up, briefly glanced nervously at him, worried if she had gotten him in trouble.

William’s smile widened. “Well, it’s a good thing I’m not your mother,” he remarked with a chuckle as he poured himself a glass of apple juice. Micheal breathed a sigh of relief. Noelle’s face relaxed, relieved she hadn’t put Micheal in a bad position.

William took a seat at the table. “What are you doing up so early anyways, Dad?” Micheal asked, giving his father a questioning look.

“Don’t you remember? Today we test the CORE’s power distribution system that we built, to ensure that it’ll safely transmit power to the surface.”

Micheal nodded. “That’s right, I forgot.”

“Yes, if the test goes well then negotiations should finally be over shortly,” William remarked as he took a sip. Putting the glass down, he turned to Noelle. “Actually, there was something I wanted to talk about. Specifically, with Noelle.”

“M-Me? What did you want to, um, talk about?” Noelle asked nervously.

“It’s about your father, Rudy.”

Noelle’s face changed from nervousness to worry. “Oh,” she replied solemnly. Micheal took her hand, giving it a comforting squeeze while he rubbed her back soothingly.

“How has Rudy been doing?”

“My Dad…he’s been getting worse. He’s had more coughing fits, and his cough sounds horrible. He’s…he’s also been losing s-strength lately. I-I’ve had to help him move things around.” She sniffled, tears forming in her eyes.

“T-The worst part is…t-that every time I-I try to t-talk with him about it, h-he just brushes me off. He says…he says that he’s p-perfectly fine. But h-he isn’t, and I…I don’t know what to do.” Tears streaming down her face, she buried her face in her hands as Micheal held her, comforting her.

“I-I just don’t want to lose him…”

William stared blankly at the table. He’s been aware of Rudy’s worsening condition for quite some time. However, Rudy insisted he was fine, at the very least taking some cold medicine. And while he had hoped his friend would eventually come for help himself, William knew that this couldn’t wait any longer.

Standing up, he turned to Noelle and Micheal. “I’ll talk to him. I had hoped Rudy would come to his senses and try to get help, but this can’t wait anymore. I promise you Noelle, that I will do everything in my power to help your father,” William declared.

Noelle nodded slightly. “Thank you.”

“He may be your father, but he’s also my friend. I’ll make sure he gets what he needs.”

William glanced at the time. “Six fifteen. Well, I’ve gotta go here you two. Don’t get into too much trouble while I’m gone.”

Micheal waved goodbye. “See you later then Dad.”

Waving back, William exited the kitchen, heading into the garage. Soon, the familiar sound of the garage door opening could be heard throughout the kitchen, followed by the sound of it closing.

“Hey, I’m sure Rudy will be fine Noelle,” Micheal assured her, running a hand through her hair.

“I…I don’t know what I’ll do if he isn’t.”

“Hey, whatever happens, I’m still here. We’ll get through this together, alright? You’re not alone in this.”

Noelle nodded, gripping his hand tighter. “I’m so happy to have you, Micheal.”

“Not as happy as I am to have you, Noelle,” he replied with a smug smile.

Noelle nudged his shoulder. “Don’t even start,” she laughed.

“Whatever do you mean?”

“Micheal…”

“I haven’t done anything,” he replied, a wide grin stretching his face. Noelle elbowed him in the chest. “Ow!”

She burst into laughter. “You know exactly what that was for,” she remarked as she laughed.

“Well, shall we continue then?” Micheal asked, gesturing at the tablet in front of them. Noelle nodded, and after he unpaused the video, the two went back to watching horror games in the comfort of each other’s presence.

Ashley came down the stairs around seven. Entering the kitchen, her gaze landed on Noelle and Micheal, who were both still eating the cookies Noelle made. “Good morning, you two.”

Their gazes quickly turned towards her. “Morning, Mom,” Micheal replied. Noelle simply waved.

“You haven’t just been eating Christmas cookies for breakfast, correct?” Ashley asked, her voice taking a serious tone as she crossed her arms.

Micheal’s face turned white as his eyes widened. “Uh, n-no! We, uh, had stuff before the, uh, cookies! Ha,” he stammered out in response.

“Noelle?”

Noelle’s face turned red when Ashley called her name. “Y-Yes, Mrs. Henrikson, Micheal is telling the truth,” she said nervously.

Ashley visibly relaxed. “Noelle, I’ve already told you to just call me Ashley,” she said, smiling.

Noelle apologized. “S-Sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it. Sorry for putting you on the spot there too.” Grabbing herself some breakfast, she took a seat at the table. “Did Will already leave then?” The two nodded in response. “Ah, I see.”

“How are you two doing this morning?”

Micheal smiled. “I’m doing great. After all, I’m with Noelle.” Noelle lowered her face as she blushed, causing his smile to widen.

Ashley snorted. “You two can be so cute together, you know that?” She burst into laughter when Micheal blushed at her comment.

He groaned in embarrassment. “Mom…” Ashley snickered at his embarrassment.

Suddenly, she stood up. “You know, I think I’ll go eat outside today. It’s rather nice out right now, and then you two won’t have to worry about me teasing you,” Ashley said as she grabbed her breakfast. Heading out of the kitchen, she turned the corner, making her way down the hall to the back door.

Micheal breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank god that’s over.” Turning towards Noelle, he smiled. “Now, where were we?” Noelle giggled, and the two began leaning their faces closer.

“Oh, hey Micheal!”

Noelle and Micheal bumped their foreheads together in surprise. “Shit, are you okay Noelle?” Micheal asked concerningly. After she nodded, he whirled his head around.

His eyes landed on Kris standing in the kitchen, a grin stretched across their face. Asriel suddenly came around the corner, shooting Kris a glare. “Kris! Come on, they were having a moment!”

Kris’ grin widened in response. “Sorry, did I interrupt you two lovebirds?” they asked, snickering.

Noelle’s face burned bright red, with Micheal struggling to hide his blush. Kris, unable to hold it in anymore, burst into laughter. They doubled over, wheezing as Asriel facepalmed, shaking his head.

“Very funny Kris. Very funny,” Micheal deadpanned, rolling his eyes.

“Sorry, I just had to,” Kris replied, their laughter dying down. After getting some cereal, Kris and Asriel took a seat at the table.

“Howdy, you two!” Asriel properly greeted.

“Hi Asriel!” Noelle said enthusiastically, while Micheal simply waved.

“Chara and Frisk still asleep?”

Asriel nodded. “Yeah. I don’t think they’ll be up for a while.” He paused, before speaking softly. “Nightmares.”

Micheal nodded slowly in understanding. “Yeah, Frisk definitely had one last night too. I went in there to check on him, and I heard him mumbling something about Chara in his sleep.”

Noelle frowned in confusion. “I thought Frisk was seeing a therapist. Shouldn’t that be helping with the nightmares?”

Micheal sighed. “In a way, it has. Frisk used to have nightmares of what I can only guess are his experiences in the underground, but those have become less frequent as it seems he’s now having ones about Chara,” he explained.

“Funny that you mention it, but I think the same thing is happening with Chara. There’s been a few times recently where I’ve peaked in to find her calling out Frisk’s name in a panic,” Asriel added.

Micheal nodded grimly. “As far as I’m aware, neither Chara or Frisk have talked to each other about these nightmares.”

“As far as I’m aware, I can confirm that,” Asriel remarked.

Micheal turned his gaze to his girlfriend. “Noelle, have either Chara or Frisk mentioned anything about their feelings for each other with you?”

Noelle let out an audible groan. “They’ve talked with you guys too? Of course they have…” she remarked, sighing.

“Honestly, Frisk has been talking to me about his feelings for Chara for a while now.”

Asriel nodded slowly. “Same thing for me and Chara. I’ve told her to just tell him, but she’s convinced that he could never love her.”

“How is it that you two, who only knew each other for about two weeks, got together before the two that have been through time loops and literally shared a body together?” Kris remarked softly, rolling their eyes.

Micheal put a hand on his forehead as he leaned forward, groaning in exasperation. “Ugh, tell me about it…”

Their attention was suddenly drawn to the sound of a door opening. Micheal’s eyes darted over to the spare master bedroom, spotting Asgore and Toriel walking out, heading towards the kitchen. “Howdy,” Asgore greeted.

“Good morning, children,” Toriel greeted. She turned her gaze to Micheal. “Are your parents up?”

“My Dad left about an hour ago to test the power distribution system made for the CORE, and my Mom’s eating breakfast outside,” he answered, grabbing another cookie.

“Well, I think Asgore and I shall join her.” She gazed seriously at Kris, narrowing her eyes. “Behave,” Toriel commented sternly. Kris chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of their neck.

“Don’t worry Toriel, I’ll make sure they don’t get into too much trouble,” Micheal assured, giving Kris a side eye. Kris simply rolled their eyes.

After the two boss monsters got their food, they went out to the backyard. It wasn’t too long afterwards that Chara entered the kitchen, rubbing her eyes. “Howdy Chara,” Asriel said upon seeing her.

“Hey Asriel. Hey Kris.”

Noelle immediately picked up on how tired she sounded. Glancing at Micheal, it seemed she wasn’t the only one. “Did you sleep alright?” Micheal asked.

Chara, in the middle of pouring a bowl of cereal, looked up at Micheal. “Huh? O-Oh, uh, I slept okay,” Chara answered unconvincingly.

Asriel gazed at her with concern. “Chara…”

She sighed. “Okay, fine, I didn’t sleep all that great,” she admitted. “I didn’t sleep terribly, but I didn’t sleep well either.” Grabbing her bowl, she took a seat at the table.

The sound of footsteps coming down the stairs reached Micheal’s ear, and a few seconds later Frisk entered the kitchen, a tired look in his eyes. “Morning guys,” Frisk greeted, yawning.

“Didn’t sleep that great?” Noelle asked.

“What gave it away?” Frisk replied with a tired smile. As he grabbed a bowl and a box of cereal, he noticed Chara at the table.

After getting his cereal, he took a seat next to Chara. “Morning, Frisk,” she said.

“Did you have any nightmares last night?”

“No,” Chara lied. She stared at her bowl for a few moments. “What about you?”

Frisk’s gaze fell off to the side. “Nope, same for me,” he lied.

Micheal fought the intense urge to say something during the conversation, with Noelle squeezing his hand to help calm him down. Kris opened their mouth to say something, but stopped when Asriel gave him a look that told them to keep it to themselves.

As Chara and Frisk ate, they sat in an awkward silence, heads turned away from the other.

“This is hard to watch,” Micheal whispered to Noelle, who nodded in agreement. He turned his gaze towards her, locking eyes. “But you’re not hard to watch.” Noelle made a squeak in embarrassment as she blushed, Micheal gripping her hand tighter as he grinned.

Sliding his chair back, Micheal stood up, quickly pulling Noelle to her feet as she yelped in surprise. “Well then, why don’t we go somewhere else?” he whispered into her ear, causing her already red face to darken further.

Grabbing the container of cookies, he led Noelle over to the couch in the living room, setting the container on the coffee table. Lifting her off her feet, she gasped in surprise. Micheal pulled her down into his arms and onto his lap as he took a seat. “M-Micheal…” Her jaw was wide open in shock as she stared at her boyfriend’s eyes.

Micheal simply grinned at her, before his eyes glowed with concern as his grin faded. “This…isn’t too much for you, is it? If I’m making you uncomfortable, or if this is too much, I’ll stop, and we can…”

He trailed off as Noelle put a finger on his mouth to silence him. “Micheal…you’re so wonderful. I was just a little shocked at first, that’s all. This is perfectly fine with me,” she assured him, her hand wrapping around his.

“A-Are you sure? I-I don’t want to pressure you or a-anything,” Micheal nervously asked in response. Noelle leaned her head in closer, to the point where their noses were almost touching.

She smiled lovingly. “Yes, Micheal. I’m sure.” He was about to speak when Noelle leaned in, and their lips met. Micheal’s eyes widened in surprise, but after a few moments, he leaned into it, wrapping his arms around Noelle as he returned the kiss.

After about a minute, the two separated. “Wow…” Micheal, awestruck, stared forward. Looking into Noelle’s eyes, the only thing he saw was the loving gaze she looked at him with.

Noelle squeezed his hand. “I love you, Micheal.”

“I-I love you too, Noelle.” Micheal leaned forward again and kissed her on the lips.

Asriel smiled as he watched. “Ah, that’s sweet.”

Kris pretended that they were about to barf. “Ugh, great. Now those two are gonna be all lovey dovey with each other,” they muttered in annoyance, before they quickly finished their breakfast.

As Kris quickly cleaned up, Asriel sighed, shaking his head. A few moments later Kris bolted up the stairs. Asriel briefly glanced over at Chara and Frisk, before doing a double take in surprise.

Earlier, the two had been doing their best to avoid each other’s gaze. Now, they were both staring at Noelle and Micheal as they kissed passionately. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d think those two are jealous,” Asriel muttered to himself jokingly.

He waved at them, and that seemed to snap them out of it. Both Chara and Frisk returned their attention to their cereal. Once they finished, they cleaned up and went upstairs.

Asriel sighed. “Those two just need to bite the bullet and talk to each other,” he muttered. After cleaning his bowl and putting it in the dishwasher, he made his way upstairs.

Micheal slowly pulled back from Noelle, her eyes sparkling as she gazed into his. He ran a hand through her hair, Noelle closing her eyes as she leaned into his touch. “You know, I’m glad I found my soulmate,” Micheal commented.

Noelle nodded. “Me too.” Resting her head against Micheal’s shoulder, she smiled contently. She was so comfortable that she didn’t even turn her head when she heard footsteps approaching.

Entering the living room, Ashley’s eyes landed on Noelle and Micheal, a smile crossing her face. Micheal’s eyes glanced in her direction. “Hey Mom.”

“Hey there Micheal. I came inside to get some more ice.” She noticed the container of cookies sitting on the coffee table. “Want me to put these in the fridge for you?”

Micheal nodded, and she picked up the container, before heading into the kitchen. After a minute, she came back out. She briefly glanced at Noelle and Micheal, simply smiling at the two before heading back outside.

Noelle looked up at Micheal as he caressed her head softly. The two smiled at each other as they enjoyed the peaceful morning, relaxing in each other’s embrace.

~~~

William fidgeted with his hands nervously as he looked out the observation window. He was currently in an observation room for one of the testing chambers.

In the middle of the one he looked out into sat a large fan, hooked up to large cords. These cords were a part of the CORE’s new power distribution system, and would transmit power directly from the CORE into the fan. At least, that’s what it’s supposed to do.

“Nervous?”

William jolted forward in surprise. Whirling around, his eyes landed on Melissa approaching. “Did you even have to ask?”

“I just wanted to see how you’d respond. And from how you did, I got my answer,” she remarked jokingly. “However, the CORE test isn’t the only thing you’re worried about, is it?”

“Sometimes I forget how well you know me.” William sighed. “I asked Rudy to come by the lab today.”

“I’ve seen him around often. What is it about this time that makes you nervous?” Melissa inquired.

“Well, he…he hasn’t been doing great. When I first met Rudy, I remember he’d occasionally have these coughing fits, but he’d always just wave them off.” Melissa nodded thoughtfully as she listened with the same focus that she gave her clients.

“But over the past two months, they’ve only gotten worse. They’ve become more frequent and sound much worse. Apparently, he’s also been losing strength.”

“You remember Noelle, right?” William asked.

Melissa nodded. “Of course. Micheal has talked about her quite a bit in his sessions.”

“Well, she’s been trying to convince Rudy to actually get help, but he’s just been brushing it off still. She’s really worried about him, and I’d told her I’d talk to him this morning,” William explained.

“You’re worried about confronting him.”

William put a hand on his forehead, groaning. “What if he gets angry at me for telling him? What if he just continues to deny that something is wrong?”

“Well, if you want my opinion, he’s your friend, and you care about him. There’s the possibility that Rudy doesn’t want to worry his daughter further and will be more open to talking to you. Regardless, if you truly care about him as a friend, you’ll do everything you can to help him,” Melissa remarked.

William nodded wordlessly, staring out the window. After a few moments, he turned around to face her. “You came to discuss something with me, though.”

Melissa nodded. “Yes, I thought now would be a good time to discuss Chara and Frisk.”

William motioned for her to go on. “For the first few sessions, both Chara and Frisk described having various nightmares of dying in the underground. As a result, those early sessions were spent discussing the trauma they both carried from their experiences in the underground.”

“However, as we began having more sessions, I noticed something change between the two. They both mentioned a decrease in nightmares like the previous ones they described, however, they began to give less and less details about their nightmares. The only thing I’ve really managed to glean from them is Frisk mentioning something bad happening to Chara, and Chara mentioning the opposite.”

“They’ve also been strangely guarded about each other.” William frowned in confusion. “For example, while Chara will easily discuss how she feels about Asriel or her parents, she barely says anything when asked the same questions about Frisk,” Melissa explained.

“So…what exactly do you think then?” William asked, scratching his head.

“For one, I think they are both currently having nightmares about harm falling to the other. They are also not telling each other about these nightmares either, as when I asked Frisk and Chara if they’ve heard anything about the nightmares the other was having, neither had a clue.”

“I believe that they are deliberately keeping each other in the dark, as I find it rather obvious that the two have feelings for each other.”

William chuckled. “Oh yeah, I can confirm that it’s pretty damn obvious,” he agreed. “But yet, they somehow haven’t told each other.”

Melissa smiled. “There is a reason for that. Chara has often discussed feeling as though they don’t deserve the kindness they’ve been given. Frisk recently expressed concern that he wasn’t sure if a certain someone would take his advances seriously or if they’d think it’s just a joke.”

“Combine those facts together, and you have one who doesn’t think they’d be taken seriously and another that feels that they don’t deserve love. Their inability to talk to each other extends beyond their feelings, even affecting how well they work as a team,” Melissa explained.

William listened to the conclusions she’d drawn, pacing in thought. “That would explain a lot. I’ll have to let you know how their training with Asriel goes today.”

“No need, I’ll be observing it myself,” Melissa acknowledged. “I’ll also be staying for the test.” William nodded.

Behind them, Lewis, Alphys, and Emma approached. “We are almost ready to begin, Dr. Henrikson,” Emma announced.

Lewis smiled as he approached William. “Hey there William!” Lewis greeted cheerfully. Pausing, his eyes darted around the room, before returning to face William, leaning in to whisper something. “Looks like he isn’t here then. Guess we can actually get started.”

William nodded. “Indeed, Dr. Matthew. Dr. Alphys, how are the preparations?”

Alphys typed away at a terminal. “N-Nearly ready to b-begin, Dr. H-Henrikson,” she replied, her voice a mixture of excitement and nervousness.

“sup doc.”

William balled his fists in frustration. He glared at Lewis, who just shrugged sheepishly. Turning around, he gazed sternly at Sans.

Over the last few weeks, Sans had been appearing around the lab, despite never being asked to show up. He’d often show up during equipment testing, occasionally just pressing random buttons that would usually end badly. Occasionally, he’d just scare people, appearing randomly. Each time he showed up, he never actually did anything useful. At best, he just existed, and at worst, he was an issue.

“so, i see you’re testing the CORE’s new power distribution system,” he commented, walking up to a terminal. “now, let’s see what ya got goin here.”

Sans activated the terminal, looking over the test they had set up. “hm. wonder what this does.” At this point, William had been getting more and more frustrated with Sans’ shenanigans, but now he finally snapped.

“SANS!” Sans stepped away from the terminal in surprise. Luckily, he hadn’t changed anything, but that didn’t stop William from glaring daggers at him.

“I have had it up to here WITH YOUR BULLSHIT SANS! You just come here and do nothing except be an absolute nuisance, offering NOTHING. In fact, YOU’RE NOT EVEN A SCIENTIST! So do me a favor, AND GET THE FUCK OUT!” William furiously shouted at Sans. Fuming, his hands were balled into fists at his sides.

Alphys had shrunk down into the seat in front of the terminal she was using, hiding her face with her hands. Melissa seemed a little surprised, but she barely showed it. Emma’s mouth was agape in shock, while Lewis took a few steps back.

Sans glanced at the ground solemnly. “you’re right, ya know. i’m not a scientist, not anymore.” William stared at the skeleton in shock. “what? how’d ya think i knew Alphys? or did ya forget about my lab at my house?”

William just continued staring. Sans sighed. “i could’ve actually helped out around her. but i chose not to, and that’s on me. sorry.” Sans turned around, starting to walk towards the door.

“Sans, wait.”

Sans turned around, looking at William. “If you ever want to go back to being a scientist, we’ll be glad to have you,” William said.

“i’ll keep that in mind.” Sans then continued onwards, only to disappear in the blink of an eye.

William breathed a sigh of relief. “Dr. Stone, how are we looking?”

“So far, all is going well.”

William nodded, before turning to Alphys. “How goes things on your end, Dr. Alphys?”

“W-We are ready t-to start whenever, D-Dr. Henrikson,” Alphys answered, pushing her glasses up.

“Dr. Thompson and Dr. Matthew, are you both ready?” Melissa and Lewis both nodded in response.

“Alright, let the experiment begin.” Nodding at William, Alphys opened up the power line to allow power to travel to the fan.

“T-Turn the fan on, D-Dr. Henrikson!” Smiling, William flipped the switch for the fan.

Looking out the window, he watched as the fan blades began to spin, getting faster and faster until it leveled out. “Dr. Henrikson, the fan is running at full power,” Emma announced.

A huge grin formed on William’s face. “YES!” he shouted, pumping his fist into the air. Lewis started clapping, and Melissa flashed William a smile in congrats.

“Get those reports sent over, Dr. Stone. I’ll need them for the negotiations,” he instructed. Emma nodded in response.

William clapped his hands, rubbing them together. “And that concludes the test,” he declared.

“Well, I will see you later William,” Melissa remarked before heading out the door.

“I-I’m working on a r-report now!” Alphys said, typing away eagerly.

Emma, glancing down at the tablet she held, suddenly approached William. “Rudy is here to see you then.”

William nodded. “Have him meet me in my office.” Turning towards the door, he exited the observation room, swiftly heading to his office.

Once he arrived, he sat behind his desk. It was only a few minutes later that he heard a knock on the door. “Come in.” The door opened, Rudy entering the office.

“Hey William, how’d the test go?” Rudy asked as he took a seat.

“It went perfectly.”

Rudy nodded. His eyes darted around the room. “So…what’d you want to talk to me about?”

“Well…” Suddenly, Rudy began coughing, cutting William off. Hearing it, he could tell that Noelle was correct about Rudy’s cough sounding much worse. “Do you want me to get you some water?”

Rudy held up a hand. “No, no, it’s fine,” he said as his coughing died down. When he finally stopped, he looked back at William. “So, what was it you were going to say?”

“Well, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about.” Rudy raised an eyebrow in confusion. William sighed. “Your cough, Rudy.”

Rudy chuckled nervously. “Y-Yeah, what about it?”

“It’s been getting worse. Over the past two months I’ve known you, your coughing fits have only been becoming more and more frequent, and now your cough is starting to sound worse.”

“Noelle came to me this morning, Rudy. She told me you were losing strength too, but that you continue to say you’re fine. She’s worried about you, and asked me to talk to you about this. Now, I’ve been aware of this issue for a while, and I had hoped you’d get help on your own. But I just can’t wait anymore,” William explained.

Rudy just smiled, waving a hand dismissively. “Really? That’s all this is about? Just my cough? Come on, you don’t have to worry about it! I’m fine,” Rudy replied. There was a hint of nervousness in his voice, and his smile seemed strained.

William groaned, placing a hand on his forehead. “Rudy, you can’t keep doing this. We’re worried about you, and you need to get help. This is serious.”

Rudy stood up. “Well, if this is what you wanted, then I’ll leave.”

“Are you serious?!” William shouted in frustration. “What the hell am I going to tell Noelle?! That you refused to admit something’s wrong? What do you think that’s going to do to her?!”

Rudy faced away from William, not saying a word. Opening the door, he walked out of the office. William leaned forward, head in his hands in frustration.

“Why can’t he just talk about what’s wrong…”

~~~

“GREETINGS, TINY ASG-ER, I MEAN, ASRIEL! HELLO CHARA AND FRISK! WHO’S READY TO BEGIN TODAY’S TRAINING SESSION?”

Asriel smiled. Although he had at first been slightly annoyed at the idea of having to do team building exercises, Papyrus made things enjoyable.

Unfortunately, things weren’t exactly easy with Chara and Frisk. The two wouldn’t talk to each other often, and occasionally even ended up shouting at each other.

From the observation deck, William groaned as he spotted Melissa approaching him out of the corner of his eye.

“So, how did things go with Rudy?”

William groaned loudly in frustration. Melissa nodded. “I see.”

“What the hell am I supposed to tell Noelle?” William stared up the ceiling, feeling completely lost.

“Tell her the truth, of course. She isn’t going to blame you for what happened, it’ll be her father she’ll be upset with.”

He sighed. “That’s the part I’m worried about…”

He returned his gaze back to the window, looking at the training chamber. Papyrus had set up a maze inside, and he stood on a platform above.

“I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, HAVE PREPARED A MAZE FOR YOU! THE THREE OF YOU WILL HAVE TO WORK TOGETHER IN ORDER TO GET THROUGH THE MAZE! YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO GO OFF ON YOUR OWN, AND MUST REMAIN TOGETHER! GOOD LUCK!” Papyrus instructed.

“OH! ONE MORE THING! YOU HAVE TEN MINUTES TO COMPLETE THE MAZE, STARTING NOW!”

With that, Chara, Frisk, and Asriel all entered the maze, immediately arriving at an intersection. Wordlessly, Chara began to move down the left side.

Frisk noticed a few seconds later. “Chara!” Quickly, he and Asriel followed her.

Above, William groaned. “Off to a great start,” he muttered sarcastically.

Chara, coming to another intersection, turned to the right. Frisk and Asriel struggled to follow as she moved through the maze without saying a word. “Chara, wait!” Frisk called, only for her to keep going.

Arriving at a fork in the road, she turned to the left, only for it to lead to a dead end. As Chara turned around to head back, she ran into Frisk.

“Frisk, don’t just stand there! We have to keep going,” Chara said. “Couldn’t you tell this was a dead end already when I slowed down?”

“Chara, you haven’t said anything about where you’re going. Me and Asriel have been struggling to keep up behind you,” Frisk replied in frustration.

“You should already know where I’m going! I shouldn’t have to tell you which direction!”

“We’re supposed to work as a team, Chara!”

“I didn’t hear you asking me to slow down! All you said was to wait, and we don’t have time to come up with a plan!” Frisk shifted his feet awkwardly.

“W-Well, I shouldn’t have to tell you to let us know which way we’re going! You should already be doing that!” Chara stared down at the ground.

“ENOUGH, both of you!” Asriel shouted, getting Frisk and Chara’s attention. “Look, it seems that there’s a bigger issue between you two, and whatever it is, get it solved later. Instead, I’ll be leading us through the maze.”

Frisk and Chara voiced no objections, and began following Asriel, avoiding each other’s gazes.

In the observation deck, William sighed. “They should be glad they have Asriel with them, otherwise they never would make it through this maze.”

Melissa put a hand on her chin. “In theory, once Chara and Frisk resolve the issue between them, they should be a sturdy team. The two have displayed excellent coordination in combat,” she mused.

William nodded in agreement. “I agree. Put those two side by side in a fight, and it’s like they share a brain.”

Eventually, Asriel managed to lead them all out of the maze, with less than a minute remaining. “WELL DONE, ASRIEL!”

The tall skeleton turned his attention to the two humans. “CHARA, FRISK, I NOTICED THE TWO OF YOU STRUGGLED AGAIN TODAY. IN ORDER TO WORK WELL AS A TEAM, YOU HAVE TO BE HONEST WITH EACH OTHER! YOU TWO ARE BOTH HOLDING SOMETHING BACK, AND IF YOU FINALLY SHARE IT, YOU’LL BE MUCH STRONGER TOGETHER! I KNOW BEING HONEST CAN BE HARD, BUT I BELIEVE THAT YOU CAN DO IT!”

“Papyrus really is cool,” Melissa remarked.

William chuckled. “Yep! That’s Papyrus for you.”

“I don’t think they could’ve picked a better monster to serve as their mascot. He’s a kind soul, a shining example of monsterkind.”

“Even when he was only just a head and about to die, he could still see good in people,” William remarked solemnly.

“It takes courage to be able to find the good in everyone. The world needs more people like him.”

Papyrus entered the room, with Chara, Frisk, and Asriel following him. “HELLO WILLIAM! HELLO MELISSA! THOSE THREE HAVE FINISHED FOR THE DAY!”

William nodded, smiling. “Thank you. You did a great job today, Papyrus.”

Papyrus struck a confident pose. “OF COURSE! THE GREAT PAPYRUS DELIVERS AS EXPECTED! NYEH HEH HEH HEH!” he replied enthusiastically, causing William to laugh.

“WELL, I AM AFRAID THAT I MUST BE OFF!”

“Hope you have a good day Papyrus,” Melissa said as he walked towards the door.

“I AM AFRAID I MUST DISAPPOINT YOU, MELISSA. I WILL NOT HAVE A GOOD DAY, INSTEAD, I WILL HAVE A DAY AS GREAT AS MYSELF!” Papyrus replied before stepping out the door.

William waved goodbye at Papyrus as he left. Once the skeleton had left the room, he turned his attention to Asriel, Chara, and Frisk. “I’ll admit, today’s session could’ve gone much better,” he began, crossing his arms.

“Chara, Frisk, if it was just the two of you in there, I doubt you would’ve made it out of that maze.” They both stared down at the ground. “I’d take Papyrus’ words into consideration,” William remarked.

“Anyways, let’s head home.” William exited the observation room, with Asriel, Chara, and Frisk followed behind him.

~~~

Micheal sat at the couch next to the fireplace, Noelle resting in his arms, sniffling.

When William had gotten home along with Asriel, Chara, and Frisk, he told the two of them how today’s training session went. He also told Noelle about his talk with her father, something she didn’t take well.

She had cried for a while as Micheal had held her in his arms, doing his best to comfort her. By now, she’s mostly calmed down.

“Are you doing okay?” Micheal asked softly, gently brushing her hair with his hand.

Noelle shook her head. “I’m here for you, Noelle. If you want to talk about it, I’ll listen.”

She sniffled. “I-I just don’t know what to do, Micheal. I feel so…helpless. I’m worried that I’m going to lose my Dad, and he refuses to even get help. My Mom already left us too, so what will I do if I lose him?” Tears welled up in her eyes again, and Micheal pulled her closer.

“Hey, why don’t you just spend the night here?” Micheal suggested. Noelle gave him a quizzical look. “Well, you’re worried about losing your Dad. So, if he doesn’t want to get help, then he shouldn’t get to spend time with you,” he emphasized.

“A-Are you sure? Doesn’t that seem cruel?”

Micheal sighed sadly. “Noelle, I know you don’t want to hear this, but I’m not sure how else to get through to Rudy. I know it’s hard, but if it might get him to finally get help, then we have to try.”

Noelle sat in silence, pondering his suggestion. After a few moments, she nodded. “Now all we need to do is tell my Dad.”

“There’s no need for that Micheal, I’ve already heard.” Suddenly, William entered the room.

“D-Dad?! How…how long have you been listening?!” Micheal awkwardly stuttered.

“Oh, not very long,” William dismissed. “Anyways, I’ll bring a sleeping bag into your room, son.” With that, William left Noelle and Micheal alone.

Micheal looked up at the time. It was about eight thirty, and he could tell Noelle was hitting her limit. “Hey, why don’t we head to sleep a little early?” Micheal suggested softly, placing a kiss on her head as he brushed her hair.

“T-That sounds alright,” Noelle answered. She continued to sit in his arms, barely moving.

“You know that means we have to get up, right?” Micheal remarked a few moments later. Noelle simply nodded slowly, having no desire to get up. Although part of him agreed, he knew they couldn’t just sit there.

Wrapping his arms around her, he slowly began to stand up. Noelle shrieked in surprise, swiftly standing up. Feeling bad, Micheal apologized. “I’m sorry, but you had to get up.”

Grabbing her hand, he led Noelle up the stairs. As they approached his room, Frisk suddenly stepped out of his room. “Hey Micheal, can I talk to you about something?”

Noelle turned her head, giving Micheal a worried glance. “Just go wait in my room, Noelle. I’ll be quick,” he assured her. With a small nod, she walked into his room.

Once she was gone, Micheal turned to Frisk, a stern look on his face as he crossed his arms. “Make it quick, Frisk.”

Frisk rubbed the back of his neck nervously. “W-Well, it’s about C-Chara.”

Micheal facepalmed, sighing. “W-Wait! Just hear what I have to say!” Frisk replied in a panic.

“I…I want to tell her how I feel, it’s just…that’s not the only thing.”

Micheal’s face scrunched up in confusion. “What else is there?”

“T-There’s also the nightmares I’ve been having recently, about…her,” Frisk answered quietly.

“Well, just tell her about those too then. Even if she doesn’t reciprocate those feelings, and believe me, that isn’t happening, she’s still your friend. She cares about you and will want to help you.”

Frisk nodded slowly. “T-Thanks, Micheal.”

Micheal smiled. “Of course. Anything to help my brother out,” he replied, patting Frisk on the shoulder.

“Anyways, me and Noelle are turning in for the night, so have a good one.” Micheal then turned around, walking down the hall to his room, leaving Frisk on his own. Frisk glanced at Chara’s door briefly. She had already gone to sleep a little earlier. Frisk entered his room, collapsing on his bed.

Down the hall, Micheal opened the door to his room. Once inside, he found Noelle sitting in the sleeping bag. Grabbing his pajamas, he left the room, returning a few minutes later.

Micheal switched off the lights, making sure his night light was on. He turned his gaze towards his girlfriend. “Goodnight, Noelle.” Climbing into bed, he stared up at the ceiling, closing his eyes.

“H-Hey, Micheal?”

Micheal’s eyes shot open as he sat up. Noelle sat up in her sleeping bag, staring at him. “What is it?”

“I-I…can’t sleep.” Noelle brushed her hair nervously. “C-Could I…sleep in your bed w-with you?”

Micheal immediately felt his face heat up. “Uh, I…” Trailing off, his eyes met Noelle’s gaze, a worried look in her eyes. “Of…of course you can.”

His girlfriend blushed as she got out of the sleeping bag, before climbing into bed next to Micheal. Laying back down, he closed his eyes, only to open them when he felt something around him.

Looking down, Noelle’s arms were wrapped around him as she pulled him into a hug. Blushing furiously, Micheal simply stared, stunned for a moment. Eventually, he wrapped his arms around her.

“Everything’s going to be alright, Noelle. Just go to sleep,” he said softly as he rubbed her back. A smile crossed Micheal’s lips as he noticed her relaxed smile.

Her face wore a peaceful expression, Noelle’s eyes closing gently. Micheal’s smile grew as he closed his eyes, and the two drifted to sleep peacefully in each other’s arms.

In the room next door, Frisk’s eyes shot open. “Chara!” he cried, sitting up as he breathed rapidly.

After a few seconds, his breathing began to slow down. “I…could use a drink,” Frisk muttered to himself. Getting up, he walked over to the door.

Gently opening his bedroom door, he stepped out into the hallway. As he began to quietly walk down the hall, a noise came from Chara’s room.

Frisk immediately turned his head towards her door in concern. Wanting to make sure she was okay, he tiptoed over, quietly opening her door.

“Frisk…Frisk…”

Frisk’s eyes widened as he spotted Chara tossing and turning in her bed, saying his name. From what he could tell, it seemed she was having a nightmare. Stepping inside, he closed the door behind him.

“No…Frisk, FRISK!”

Suddenly, Chara began to thrash violently, her voice sounding more frantic. Frisk quickly rushed over to her, grabbing her shoulders.

“Chara, please, wake up Chara!”

Chapter Text

Chara’s knife slashed through the froggit in front of her, turning them into dust. She could feel the rush of her EXP increasing inside, and continued onwards.

As she marched forward, her mind was consumed by a singular thought. Destroy the enemy.

Chara marched over the walkway to the castle in New Home. Occasionally, some monsters would cross her path. Some tried to stop her, others tried to flee, and a few were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. She cut them all into dust regardless.

Eventually, she reached Asgore’s home. A few royal guards stood posted at the entrance, but Chara made quick work of them. Marching into the house, she conducted a search, only to find the house was empty.

Heading down the stairs, she walked through the hall, killing any monsters she came across.

Finally, Chara reached the judgement hall. Light shone through the elegant stained glass windows, casting the hall in a beautiful light. She, however, didn’t pay attention to that, as she continued forward with a single minded focus.

Chara paused as she spotted a figure at the end of the hall. They began approaching her, and from what she could make out, it appeared to be a human. Her mind ignored the human’s features, instead focusing on the sword and shield the human wielded. Gripping her knife, she took an offensive stance.

The human’s sword suddenly vanished, and they stepped forward, speaking. “Chara, you don’t have to do this.”

Chara gripped her knife tightly. The human knowing her name had caught her off guard for a moment. She managed to regain her focus. “So, you know my name?”

The human nodded. “Of course I do, Chara. Now, why don’t we just…talk?”

“So, you’ve been waiting for me then? You knew I would come here eventually,” Chara snarled.

The human took a step back nervously. “Chara, please, why don’t we just…”

Suddenly, Chara charged at the human, slamming her knife down. They swiftly pulled up their shield in response, causing the knife to clash against it with a metallic sound.

“C-Chara! Please, I…I don’t want to fight you!” The human pleaded with her, but Chara ignored them. They were the enemy after all, and they must be destroyed.

Chara brought her knife back, and began beating against the shield. The human managed to block each strike with the aforementioned shield, but they were being forced back by the force Chara attacked.

After several strikes, when Chara raised her knife to strike again, they pulled out their sword and struck her knife as she swung. The two blades met, and Chara was pushed back several feet. She slid back on the ground, but managed to remain upright.

“P-Please, Chara…”

Chara let out a shout of anger before charging at the human. There was no surrendering for her. She would not stop until the enemy was destroyed.

The human began countering each strike from her, holding their ground. As time went on, they began to push forward, forcing Chara back.

Chara snarled. It seemed this human’s determination was beginning to match her own. The two continued striking, until eventually, the human swung their sword with such force that when it struck Chara’s knife she was knocked to the ground.

Chara looked up to see the human standing over her, their sword raised above their head. They looked like they were about to strike when they stopped. Putting their sword away, the human held out a hand to Chara.

“Please, Chara. I don’t want to hurt you,” they said softly. “Just take my hand.”

Slowly, Chara grabbed their hand. The human pulled her up. “Now, why don’t we just go and tal-!?”

Suddenly, Chara plunged her knife straight into the human’s chest, cutting them off. They stared at Chara in shock as blood began to leak from their chest. Chara’s red eyes glowed as she smiled.

Suddenly, the smile on her face fell. Looking at the human, she could suddenly make out their features, and her heart dropped. “F-Frisk?”

Frisk stared at Chara sadly, before he began to collapse. “Frisk…Frisk no no no,” Chara frantically said, panicking. She tried her best to keep him upright, only for him to collapse to the floor.

Chara quickly fell to his side, tears falling down her face. “No, no…” Pulling the knife out his chest, she flinched as she saw it covered in his blood. She swiftly threw it to the side, the knife cluttering to the ground.

Blood continued to pool out of Frisk’s chest. “C-Chara…” Frisk muttered, his body growing limp.

Chara quickly put her hands over Frisk’s chest, trying to stop the bleeding as she called out for help. “No, Frisk…HELP! SOMEONE HELP! PLEASE!”

But nobody came.

“Oh Chara, you should’ve known this would happen.”

Chara looked up, only to see what looked like herself standing across from her. “W-Who are you?”

The figure laughed. “Oh Chara, you know exactly who I am! I’m you!” ‘Chara’ replied, laughing. “The REAL you!”

“W-What does that mean?”

Again ‘Chara’ laughed. “Don’t you remember the genocide run? The feeling of LOVE filling you? Your single minded goal to destroy the enemy? That’s what I am, Chara. And that’s who you are.”

Chara stared forward in stunned silence, the blood draining from her face. “All you do is hurt people. You know it to be true. You’ll just end up hurting every single person close to you.”

“You’re a demon, Chara. Do you really think Frisk could ever love you? Or that you deserve his love? You’ll just end up hurting him in the end.”

“N-No, that’s…that’s not true!” Chara shouted shakily. ‘Chara’ chuckled. “Really? Then why don’t you look down?”

Chara glanced down, her eyes widening at Frisk’s pale face. She glanced back up at the sound of laughter, only to see ‘Chara’ fading away.

“C-Chara…”

Chara swiftly looked down at Frisk to see him smiling weakly. “I-I still don’t…h-hate you.” Chara stared into Frisk’s eyes, only to watch as life drained from his eyes.

“No…Frisk, FRISK!” Chara grabbed his shoulders and began shaking them, crying his name as she sobbed. “Wake up! Frisk, please…”

“Chara, please, wake up Chara!”

Suddenly, she heard Frisk’s voice coming from somewhere. She looked around, but couldn’t pinpoint where it was coming from. Out of nowhere, it felt like the world was shaking. Chara hugged Frisk’s body, sobbing as the world collapsed around her.

~~~

“Chara! Wake up!”

Chara’s eyes snapped open, and she jolted upwards, breathing rapidly. Tears quickly formed in her eyes. “Hey, Chara, it’s okay! I’m here.”

Turning her head, her gaze landed on Frisk, staring at her with a concerned expression. Tears began to run down her eyes as he pulled her into a hug. “It’s okay Chara, it’s just a nightmare. You’re safe now,” Frisk assured softly.

Chara began to sob in his arms. Frisk held her, letting her cry as he rubbed her back soothingly.

Eventually, after a few minutes, her tears began to slow. Chara sniffled as she looked up at Frisk. “W-What are you doing here?”

“I was going to get a drink when I heard a sound from your room,” Frisk explained. “When I went to check on you, I saw you were thrashing around in your sleep, having a nightmare.”

Chara flinched. “Did…did I-I say anything?”

Frisk nodded. “You were saying my name. It sounded like something bad had happened to me in your dream.” Chara went silently, gazing forward.

“Did you…want to talk about it?”

“I…I don’t know,” Chara replied, her gaze unmoving.

Frisk sat in silence for a few moments, before he spoke. “I…had a nightmare too.”

Chara’s head turned, her gaze landing on Frisk. “Y-You…you did?”

Frisk nodded solemnly. “It was about you, Chara.” Chara’s eyes widened, but she remained silent. “I was up against Flowey, and I tried my best to resolve things peacefully. He was about to kill me when you suddenly leaped in front of his attack, taking the hit for me.”

“After that, Flowey left. I had rushed over to help you, only to find you were covered in blood. I held you close, crying as you died in my arms, knowing that if I had just fought back, you would’ve still been there. I would be able to tell you, that…”

Frisk suddenly trailed off. After a few moments, he continued speaking. “But then, I woke up. It was only a dream.”

Although he did his best to hide it, Chara could tell that he was still rattled by his dream. Wanting to help, she wrapped Frisk into an embrace. His face turned red, and after a few seconds, he returned her embrace.

“Thanks,” he muttered, Chara nodding in acknowledgment. “This isn’t the first time I’ve had dreams like this either. I’ve been…having them for weeks now. I’ve just never said anything,” Frisk admitted.

The two broke off, sitting side by side on the edge of Chara’s bed. She gazed down at the floor. “It was like I was back in the genocide run.”

Frisk perked up. He listened silently as Chara continued. “There were differences, such as the fact that I encountered monsters on my way through New Home. It didn’t matter. Only one thing was on my mind. The enemy must be destroyed.”

“It didn’t matter what the monsters that I encountered were doing. They were all cut down regardless.” Tears began to swell in Chara’s eyes. Frisk grabbed her hand, squeezing it comfortingly.

After regaining her composure, she continued. “When I reached the judgment hall, Sans wasn’t there. Instead, I saw a human there. My mind couldn’t make out their features, just that they had a sword and a shield.”

“They called my name when they saw me, and put the sword away. I charged at them, battering my knife against their shield. They told me they didn’t want to fight, but I ignored them. I kept pushing them back until they countered a strike with their sword. The two of us fought, until eventually I was knocked to the ground.”

“They raised their sword above their head, preparing to swing down. Only, they stopped, putting the sword away and holding out their hand. I took it, and as they lifted me up I plunged my knife into them. Now, I could finally make out the human’s features, and…” Chara trembled, tears in her eyes. She squeezed Frisk’s hand with a death grip. “It was you,” she finally said.

“I…I tried my best to stop the bleeding. As I did, a figure that resembled…me, appeared. They told me this was who I truly am. I-I denied it, b-but they told m-me to l-look down…” Tears began to run down her face. “When I looked back up, the figure was gone.”

“Suddenly, you said my name. When I looked at you, you told me that…y-you didn’t hate me, b-before, before y-you…died in my arms.” Chara rested her head on Frisk’s shoulder as she sobbed, Frisk simply squeezing her hand.

When she calmed down, Frisk looked her straight in the eyes. “Chara, listen to me. None of what that dream said is true. That is not who you are. You are not a demon. You are not a bad person. You do deserve kindness. Chara, I…there’s something I want to tell you.”

Chara gazed at him expectantly. “Chara, I…I love you.”

“W-Why?”

Frisk blinked in confusion. “Why do you love me?” Chara asked. “After all the things I’ve done. All the people I killed while you begged me to stop. I’ve hurt you, Frisk. I don’t deserve your love. So why…”

Chara trailed off, tears in her eyes as Frisk grabbed her hand again. She looked at him, a tear running down her face. “Chara. How do you feel?” Frisk asked.

“I…I love you, Frisk,” Chara admitted. “You’re such a kind and wonderful person, and someone like me doesn’t deserve you.”

“You are not a terrible person Chara, despite how much you keep telling yourself. You’ve admitted your mistakes and are attempting to do better. I can see the good in you, Chara, and it’s beautiful,” Frisk said, gazing lovingly at Chara.

Her eyes shifted to the ground. “I…I don’t,” Chara began, only to be cut off when Frisk leaned in and their lips met. Her eyes widened in surprise, only for them to soften as she returned the kiss, pulling Frisk into an embrace.

After a few moments, their lips parted. Frisk ran a hand through Chara’s hair. “Chara, I will always love you, no matter what,” he assured.

The two broke off from their embrace, Frisk’s eyes drifting to the door. “A-Are you…leaving, then?” Chara asked.

Frisk thought for a moment, before shaking his head. “I don’t think you’ll be able to sleep well on your own, and I doubt I will,” he answered.

Frisk moved further onto Chara’s bed. “Is that alright with you?” Chara’s face burned a bright red as she simply nodded. Frisk smiled slightly, his face heating up as well.

Chara climbed back under the covers, with Frisk joining her. Frisk grabbed her hand, and she squeezed his hand back. Eventually, their eyes drifted shut, and they slept peacefully, hand in hand.

~~~

Micheal’s eyes slowly opened. He groaned as his sleepiness wore off, and when he could start to see in front of him, his eyes widened.

He stared directly at Noelle’s face. Her arms were still wrapped around him as she continued to sleep, a smile across her face. Micheal couldn’t help but smile. She looked so peaceful.

He remained like this for several minutes, perfectly content to watch his beautiful girlfriend sleep happily. Eventually, her eyes fluttered open, meeting Micheal’s eyes.

Her eyes briefly widened in surprise, having not expected to immediately stare into his eyes, only to relax as she smiled warmly. “Hi.”

“Hi,” Micheal replied, causing Noelle to giggle. “I woke up a little bit ago, but I didn’t want to disturb you. You looked beautiful as you slept peacefully.”

Noelle blushed at the compliment. “Well, I’m glad I woke up to meet your handsome face,” she paused, her smile widening as Micheal’s face reddened. “With those gorgeous eyes,” she added, making his blush intensify.

Micheal ran a hand through her hair. “It’s a good thing you’re still beautiful when you’re awake. Perhaps even more than when you’re asleep, since I can watch your eyes light up.”

Noelle giggled as her blush deepened. Leaning over, she gave him a quick peck on the cheek, a grin stretched across her face.

Micheal sighed, before leaning over and kissing her on the lips. Noelle’s eyes sparkled as she gazed into his.

Moving his head, Micheal glanced at the time. It was about eight thirty. He turned back towards his girlfriend. “We should probably get out of bed,” he told her.

Noelle pulled him closer as her embrace tightened. “Too comfortable,” she muttered. Micheal simply chuckled, running his hand through her hair.

“I know, but I’m starting to feel my stomach revolting over the lack of food.” Noelle looked up at him with a frown. Micheal planted a kiss on her forehead, and she struggled to keep from smiling. She lost the battle a few seconds later, a smile crossing her face.

“Alright…” Slowly, the two sat up. Noelle stretched her arms into the air, yawning.

“Did you sleep well?” Micheal asked.

Noelle turned to him. “I slept amazingly, and I have you to thank for that.” Micheal chuckled, a light blush on his face. He climbed out of bed, with the reindeer monster following.

Together, the two walked to the door, entering the hallway. Looking around, Micheal noticed that Frisk’s door was ajar, while Chara’s was still closed. “Well, since Chara’s still asleep, I’ll probably have a chat with Frisk then,” he remarked. Noelle nodded, and the two continued down the hall, heading down the stairs.

At the dining table, William took a sip from his glass of apple juice. With Noelle staying here for the night, he knew Rudy would inevitably visit him to ask about his daughter. The coming confrontation loomed over him, putting him on edge.

Kris and Asriel sat next to each other at the table, eating breakfast. Ashley had made pancakes and hash browns for breakfast, and was currently making more in the kitchen.

She noticed how tense her husband was from the kitchen. “Everything alright, Will? You look stiff,” she addressed him with concern.

William glanced over at his wife. “Oh, I’m alright. I’m just nervous about the confrontation with…” He trailed off, his eyes gazing at the table.

Ashley nodded understandingly. “It’s alright to be anxious. You just want to help him after all,” she assured him.

“Help who?”

William, hearing his son’s voice, looked up. Noelle and Micheal both entered the kitchen, with Micheal having an inquisitive expression.

“Oh! Micheal! Well, it’s about…” Trailing off, he motioned his head towards Noelle. Micheal blinked in confusion at first, before putting the pieces together, giving his father an understanding nod.

Oblivious to their exchange, Noelle turned towards the kitchen, smelling the food. “Oh! You made breakfast, Ashley!” she remarked, smiling at the pancakes and hash browns.

Ashley smiled at the reindeer girl. “Mhm! When Will told me you were staying the night, I knew I just had to make you something special for breakfast!”

“Aw, thank you!” Noelle said.

“It was my pleasure! Please, help yourself! You too, Micheal!” Noelle, grabbing a plate, put some pancakes on before grabbing some hash browns. Micheal followed after her, and once the two had their food, they took a seat at the table next to each other.

Noelle grabbed the syrup bottle on the table, pouring some on her pancakes. Micheal put some ketchup on his hash browns. As he was about to put the ketchup back, Noelle elbowed him. Micheal looked at her with a raised eyebrow, only to see her holding out her hand. “Oh, right. Sorry,” he apologized, chuckling as he handed her the ketchup.

After Micheal went upstairs and retrieved his tablet, the two started eating, with Micheal putting on a video. As they ate, he noticed that Frisk wasn’t at the table. “Hey Kris, Asriel, have you guys seen Frisk?”

Kris shook his head as Asriel raised an eyebrow. “I got up pretty early, and Frisk was still asleep,” the boss monster remarked, confused.

“We found Frisk’s door wide open when we got up, and he wasn’t in his room,” Micheal replied.

Asriel hummed curiously. “Interesting. Guess I must not have noticed in the dark,” he mused.

Now it was Micheal’s turn to be confused. “Wait, how early did you wake up?”

“I think it was a little before six? I couldn’t really sleep, so I just came downstairs to not disturb anyone. Pretty sure I was the first one up,” Asriel answered.

Suddenly, William spoke up. “It’s true. Me and Ashley found him down here when we woke up. He had dozed off over by the fireplace.”

“What about Asgore and Toriel? Maybe they’re doing something with Frisk?” Noelle suggested.

William shook his head. “No, Asgore and Toriel are eating alone outside,” he replied, dismissing Noelle’s point.

Micheal hummed in thought. “Wonder where he went then,” he muttered, before continuing to eat.

Meanwhile, upstairs, Frisk began to stir. Slowly, he opened his eyes, ending up face to face with Chara. Slowly, she blinked, her eyes open. The two stared into each other’s eyes for a few moments, before their eyes widened.

Looking down, Frisk noticed that Chara had her arms wrapped around him. It seems Chara noticed this too, as when he looked back up her face was a flustered mess.

“Good morning, Chara,” Frisk said, his face red.

“H-Hi Frisk,” Chara stuttered anxiously.

She looked like she was about to explode when Frisk ran a hand through her hair. “This isn’t a dream, Chara. I meant what I said last night. Nothing has changed,” he assured her. Slowly, she began to relax, a few tears forming in her eyes as she smiled.

“I…I love you Frisk,” she said, smiling as a tear ran down her face. “This…just doesn’t feel real. But…but it is, and I’m so happy.”

“Me too Chara. Me too.” Frisk leaned in, and their lips met. After a few moments, he slowly pulled out of the kiss. “Should we get something to eat?”

Chara nodded. The two sat up, both of them climbing out of bed. As they walked towards the door, Frisk grabbed her hand. Briefly glanced at their intertwined hands, Chara smiled. Opening the door, the two stepped out.

In the kitchen, Noelle tapped her boyfriend’s shoulder. Pausing the video, Micheal looked at her. “I’m worried about Frisk,” she admitted.

“Relax,” Kris cut in. “I’m sure he’s fine.”

Micheal nodded. “Kris is right. I’m sure Frisk is doing just fine,” he assured her.

As if on cue, Frisk and Chara entered the room. “There he is now,” Kris remarked. Asriel, Noelle, Micheal, and William all looked up.

Immediately, they noticed that the two were holding hands. “Morning everyone,” Frisk greeted as he and Chara walked towards the table.

“Finally! Took you two long enough,” Kris scoffed, rolling their eyes. Both Frisk and Chara stepped back in surprise.

“Good job, Chara,” Asriel congratulated, giving a clap.

“Oh! I’m so happy you two finally got together! You both look so cute together!” Noelle happily commented, grinning.

“W-Wait, you knew?!” Chara asked in shock.

“Yes! It was so obvious! Pretty much everyone except you could see it!” William answered, sighing in exasperation.

“So, are you two actually in a relationship?” Ashley asked. Frisk nodded. “I’m glad. You both do make each other happy. Anyways, I made pancakes and hash browns for breakfast. Please, help yourself!”

After they got their food, Chara and Frisk took a seat next to each other at the table. “Chara, I forgot to ask, but did you have any more nightmares?” Frisk asked.

She shook her head. “No. In fact…that was the best sleep I’ve had in days. What about you?” Frisk shook his head.

“I guess I have you to thank for that,” Chara remarked with a smirk.

“Howdy, Chara! Howdy Frisk!” Chara smiled as she saw Asgore enter the kitchen, with Toriel following him.

Chara waved at the two. “I believe Chara had something to tell you both,” William remarked smugly. Chara’s face turned white as her parents looked at her.

Ashley crossed her arms, scoffing at her husband. “Will! She’ll tell them when she’s ready!”

“It’s…alright Mom,” Frisk interjected. He glanced at Chara, whispering to her. “I’ll handle it.” She nodded.

Frisk turned his attention to Asgore and Toriel. “Last night, me and Chara talked, and…well…”

“You’re in a relationship with my child, aren’t you?”

Frisk blinked in surprise. “Was it really that obvious?”

Toriel let out a laugh before turning to Chara. “Chara, dear, I am happy for you. I am glad that Frisk is someone that can make you happy.”

“T-Thanks, Mom,” Chara replied.

“Back for seconds?” Ashley asked, eyeing the two boss monsters.

“If it isn’t any trouble,” Toriel replied, turning her attention towards Ashley.

Ashley laughed, waving her hand dismissively. “Please! It’s no trouble at all!”

After getting seconds, Asgore and Toriel went back outside. After a few minutes, both Asriel and Kris finished. After cleaning up their plates and silverware, they both ran off down out of the kitchen and down the hall.

“So, I trust you both resolved the issue between each other?” William asked Chara and Frisk. They both nodded. “Good. I have no doubt your feelings for each other were part of that communication problem. We’ll have to have Undyne test how well you two and Asriel work as a team then.”

It wasn’t long before Noelle and Micheal finished their food. After cleaning off their plates and silverware, Micheal got the container of Christmas cookies out of the fridge, and the two ate some while continuing to watch a video.

A few minutes later, both Chara and Frisk finished their breakfast. “Thanks for the food, Mom,” Frisk said.

Ashley smiled. “You’re welcome.”

Chara grabbed Frisk’s hand, and together the two ran out of the kitchen, heading upstairs. William watched them leave, taking a look around the kitchen. With Frisk and Chara gone, that left himself, Micheal, Noelle, and Ashley. “Do you want any help with the cleanup?”

Ashley was grabbing out containers when her husband called to her. She looked up at him, shaking her head. “I appreciate the offer Will, but I’m alright,” she replied, thanking him for the offer.

Suddenly, William’s phone rang in his pocket. Noticing a call from Emma, he answered. “Morning, Emma! Did you need something?”

Ashley watched from behind the island curiously. “Oh? Something important to discuss?” William said, raising an eyebrow. “Well, I’m not exactly busy right now…”

The sound of the front door unlocking reached his ears. He frowned, sighing. It seems the time has come then. “Actually, Emma, I’ll have to call you back about this. I have to go do something,” William informed her, before ending the call.

As he put his phone away, Rudy entered the dining room. His expression was filled with worry, however once his eyes landed on Noelle, his face relaxed. “Noelle! Sweetie, there you are! I was so worried about you!”

Hearing her father’s voice, Noelle looked up, her eyes widening as her gaze landed on Rudy. “J-Just leave me alone,” she declared, her voice anxious before turning to a firm tone.

Grabbing her hand, Micheal could tell that she was trying her best to stand firm against her father, but she was struggling. Rudy blinked, stepping back in surprise at his daughter’s words. “Noelle…?”

William looked at his son and his girlfriend. “It’d be best if you two left the room for this.” Nodding, Micheal took Noelle’s hand, leading her out of the kitchen and back upstairs.

As his wife returned the container of Christmas cookies to the fridge, William turned towards her. “You should probably go too.”

Ashley simply shook her head. “You’re not the only one who has things to say,” she remarked, and her husband simply sighed in defeat.

Rudy watched his daughter leave, before turning back to William. “What’s going on? Why didn’t my daughter come home last night?” Rudy demanded.

“Relax. Your daughter stayed here for the night. She’s fine, for the most part,” William remarked sternly.

“Why didn’t she just tell me then?” Rudy asked. “I figured she was over here, but I was still worried sick!”

Micheal crossed his arms. “Yesterday morning, Noelle told me she was worried about you. As I’m sure you remember, I asked you to stop by the lab to talk.” Rudy flinched slightly.

“I’m sure you remember how that went.” William closed his eyes, sighing. When he opened them, he glared fiercely at Rudy. “Do you know what Noelle did when I told her that you just continued to deny that anything was wrong?”

Without waiting for an answer from Rudy, William continued. “She cried her eyes out in my son’s arms! All because you couldn’t admit something was wrong!” William shouted, a furious look in his eyes. From across the island, Ashley glared angrily at Rudy as well, disappointed in him.

“Micheal suggested that Noelle spend the night here. As he put it, if you don’t want to admit something’s wrong, then you don’t get to spend time with your daughter.”

Rudy’s eyes widened as he stammered in disbelief. “T-That doesn’t sound like N-Noelle. W-Why would she…?”

“Because she’s afraid of losing you!” William shouted. “She had no idea how else to get through to you, Rudy!”

Sadness formed in Rudy’s eyes as he stared at the ground. After a few minutes, he looked back up. “Y-You’re right. I…I can’t keep running from this,” he admitted, a tear running down his face.

Pulling out a chair, he sat down at the kitchen table, putting his head in his hands. “I just didn’t want to worry her. I guess a part of me didn’t want to believe there was anything wrong either.”

“So, does this mean you’re finally ready to let us help you?” William asked, hopeful. Rudy slowly nodded.

William stood up, looking down at the reindeer monster. “Shall we go tell your daughter then?”

Rudy nodded, standing up. The two went upstairs, heading towards Micheal’s bedroom. “I’ll go in first,” William instructed before knocking on the door. “Micheal, it’s me.”

After a few seconds, he heard his son’s response. “Come in.” Opening the door, he found Micheal and Noelle sitting on the bed.

“Noelle, there’s someone who’d like to speak with you.”

Upon William’s words, Rudy entered the room. Noelle’s eyes widened at her father. “Noelle, I’m so sorry I put you through this,” Rudy admitted. “I’m so sorry for making you worry. Everything will be alright now. I’m…getting help.”

Noelle smiled. Standing up, she ran over and hugged her father, tears in her eyes. Rudy hugged her back, shedding a tear.

William smiled at the sight. Deciding to leave them be, he headed back downstairs. Ashley spotted him from the living room. Noticing her husband’s smile, she smiled, knowing that things went well. “I’m glad that things went well between the Holidays.”

“Me too,” William agreed. Remembering that he had to call Emma back, he pulled his phone out. “Hello Emma, I’m back,” he greeted her after she picked up.

“So, what was it you had to tell me?” Ashley watched as his expression shifted. “They’ve received the reports on the test already?” William inquired.

Suddenly, his face lit up. “T-That’s wonderful news! I’ll inform Asgore and Toriel about this! Thank you!” William remarked enthusiastically. Hanging up, he pumped his fists into the air as he jumped, a grin on his face as he shouted, “YES!”

Ashley, smiling at her husband’s celebration, raised an eyebrow. “What’s the good news Will?”

He turned towards her with wonder gleaming in his eyes. “The United Nations has just received the reports of the test, and they’re ready to agree with monsterkind’s terms!”

Ashley jumped up with a smile. “That’s wonderful!” Running over, she jumped on to her husband, wrapping her arms around him as she planted her lips on his. The two spun around happily. Ashley pulled away, and the two laughed, before she leaned in for another kiss.

“Uh, Mom? Dad?” William and Ashley’s heads turned simultaneously towards the stairs. In the hallway by the stairs stood Micheal and Noelle, staring wide eyed at the two. Rudy just finished coming down the stairs, and smiled at the two.

“What? There’s nothing wrong with me and your mother showing how much we love each other! I’m sure you and Noelle know that,” William scoffed, causing his son and his girlfriend to turn crimson.

“Well, what made you two so happy anyways?” Rudy asked.

“It’s finally over. Humanity is ready to agree to monsterkind’s terms,” William replied happily, doing his best to remain collected.

Rudy’s smile widened. “That certainly is a cause for celebration.”

Tears formed in Noelle’s eyes as she turned to her boyfriend, squeezing his hand. Wordlessly, she pulled Micheal into an embrace, before the two kissed. “I’m so happy,” Noelle muttered as she pulled back, sniffling.

“Me too, Noelle. Me too.” A few tears ran down Micheal’s face as he smiled at her. “How about we go take a seat?” Noelle nodded, and Micheal led her over to the couch. The two took a seat, Noelle resting her head on his shoulder, tears of joy in her eyes.

Letting go of his wife, William looked down the hall. “I need to tell Asgore and Toriel about this immediately.” Ashley nodded understandingly, and he took off, walking quickly through the hall.

Reaching the screen door, he opened it. Stepping outside, he spotted Asgore and Toriel sitting by the pool. “Asgore! Toriel!” The two boss monsters turned in his direction at the sound of his voice.

“Howdy William! Are you here to enjoy the nice weather with us?” Asgore asked.

William shook his head. “I have fantastic news. The United Nations have received the test results, and are ready to agree to monsterkind’s terms!”

Toriel’s hands went over her mouth, tears in her eyes. Asgore stood up, marching over to William. Upon reaching him. The boss monster held out a hand. “Thank you, William. We are so grateful for your help,” Asgore thanked William as he shook his hand enthusiastically.

“They’re waiting for us to sign,” William added.

Asgore hummed, putting a hand on his chin in thought. “I think we should sign it tomorrow. That should give enough time to put together some sort of ceremony to celebrate. What do you think, Tori?”

“That sounds like a wonderful idea,” she agreed. She turned her attention to William. “Does Frisk know?”

He shook his head. “No, I haven’t told him yet. I had planned on doing so after telling you two,” William answered. “A ceremony sounds like a great idea. We could even have speeches given,” he added, agreeing with Asgore’s suggestion.

“Is that something you can put together on such short notice William?”

The doctor nodded. “Of course. From what Emma told me, the news has been spreading like wildfire at the lab, so we’ll be able to get plenty of hands to help out, and I’m sure the news will spread among monsters fast.”

“We’ll be sure to spread the word amongst our people,” Toriel added.

William smiled. “Well, I best be off then. Better tell Frisk about this.” Stepping back inside, the two boss monsters waved at the doctor as he closed the door.

Heading back through the hall, he ascended the stairs. Once upstairs, he looked in Frisk’s room, only to find it empty. Knowing where he was, William knocked on Chara’s door. “It’s me, William! Can I come in? I have news to share.”

After a few seconds, Chara called back a response. “Come in!”

William opened the door, finding Chara and Frisk sitting on the floor against the bed, with Chara resting her head on her boyfriend’s shoulder.

“Hey Dad,” Frisk greeted. “What’d you want to tell us?”

William smiled excitedly. “Well, the United Nations got the results for the CORE power distribution system test, and they’re ready to agree to our terms!”

Chara immediately shot up in the air, a massive smile on her face. Pulling Frisk up, she planted a kiss on his lips, wrapping her arms around him. “We did it, Frisk! We really did it,” she remarked happily, a few tears falling down her face.

“Asgore wants to sign the agreement tomorrow, and he requested a ceremony put together as well,” William added. Still holding each other, Chara and Frisk nodded.

William smiled. “Well, I’ll leave you two alone then.” Leaving the room, he closed the door behind him.

He let out a sigh of exhaustion, groaning. “Now, I just have to find Asriel and Kris.”

“No need to do that, we already know.”

William whirled around, Asriel standing in the hall. “Me and Kris were out on the balcony when you gave the news to Mom and Dad,” he explained.

William smiled in relief. “Well, that certainly makes things easier,” he remarked.

“Oh! I’m planning on setting up a session for you, Chara, and Frisk with Undyne today. I’m curious to see how well Chara and Frisk will be able to work together now that they’ve finally talked,” the doctor added.

Asriel nodded, and William descended down the stairs. Spotting Micheal and Noelle on the couch, he called out to them. “We’re having a ceremony tomorrow to celebrate. Asgore plans on giving his signature then.”

Micheal nodded in understanding, and William turned down the hall. As he approached his office, he pulled out his phone. Opening up his contacts, he called Emma.

As he entered his office, she answered. “Ah, Emma! I’ve informed the Dreemurrs, and Asgore had some ideas,” he began, closing the door behind him.

~~~

When William arrived at the lab alongside Asriel, Chara, and Frisk, he could tell that the news had spread fast.

People rushed through the halls, excitement in the air. As soon as he was inside, he spotted Emma swiftly approaching him. “William! There you are,” she greeted as she slid to a stop.

They began walking down the hall quickly.
“I assume we’ve managed to get something set up for the ceremony?” William inquired.

Emma nodded swiftly. “Yes, we’re in talks with the mayor about getting something set up in front of city hall,” she answered. “Everyone is scrambling to get everything ready on such short notice.”

He nodded understandingly. “Yeah, sorry about that. I should’ve asked Asgore if he would’ve wanted to do something like this,” William apologized, rubbing his neck.

“We’ll manage,” Emma replied. Finally, the group reached the training chamber. Entering the observation deck, Melissa, Alphys, and Undyne all stood by the window.

William waved as he walked to the three. “Undyne, are you ready?”

Undyne nodded, before turning her attention to Asriel, Chara, and Frisk. “You three? Follow me.” The trio nodded, following Undyne as she marched down to the chamber.

Melissa turned to face William. “So, what made you set this up so suddenly?”

“Well, Chara and Frisk finally talked last night,” he answered, looking back out the window.

“So, they’re in a relationship then I’m assuming?”

William spun his head around to face her. “Woah, how the hell did you come to that conclusion?!”

Melissa smiled. “I noticed that they were holding hands when they walked in, and based on your reaction, I’m assuming I’m right.”

He sighed. “Yes, you’re correct.” Looking into the chamber, Undyne stood on one end, while on the other end, Asriel, Chara, and Frisk were all huddled together.

Melissa hummed curiously. “It seems you had the right idea,” she remarked, watching the trio as they split off, taking stances side by side.

“Indeed,” William mused. Pressing the intercom button, he spoke into it. “You’re all set to begin.”

On cue, Asriel summoned his twin chaos sabers, with Chara summoning her knife and Frisk summoning his sword, each taking a defensive stance.

Undyne, summoning her spear, began by firing spears at each of the three individually. They each blocked the incoming spears with their weapons. Undyne began each fight like this, so the trio had become quite effective at blocking the spears.

Chara turned to Frisk, shouting, “now!” Frisk began to summon additional swords, firing them at Undyne as Chara began to do the same with knives.

As Undyne focused on blocking the swords and knives, the spears she sent began to lessen. Chara turned to Asriel. Nodding, he swung his sabers down, firing bullets at the head of the royal guard.

With the amount of spears coming at them continuing to decrease, Frisk turned to Asriel and Chara. “Let’s move!” Together, the trio began to march forward.

Noticing their advance, Undyne changed tactics, summoned circles of spears that closed in. The trio began to weave through the spears. Asriel, however, still had difficulty timing the gap. “I could use some help!” he called out.

Chara and Frisk both looked over at him. “We’ll help you time the gap!” Frisk replied. Asriel nodded. As he waited to move through another circle, Frisk watched, waiting for the right moment. “Now!” On cue, Asriel moved, passing through the gap.

“Move now!” Chara shouted, watching him. Asriel managed to make his way through the gap, and Chara and Frisk continued to help him time them for the next few circles.

“I…I think I got the time!” Asriel called out. Watching the spears in front of him, he waited. Spotting his opening, he moved, passing through the gap. “I got it!”

Now, all three weaved through the circles with ease, and Chara turned her attention back to Undyne. Her teammates nodded, and the three began to fire knives, swords, and bullets at Undyne again. The captain of the royal guard took a defensive stance, striking each projectile. She summoned a second spear to assist her, and the spear circles began to slow.

“Go!” Chara called out, and the trio rushed Undyne. Chara and Asriel went to strike, with Asriel swinging his sabers in unison while Chara slammed her knife down, only for Undyne’s spears to successfully block them.

Chara moved back, giving Frisk the chance to swing. Undyne managed to block the swing, and as the three swung their blades at her, she managed to block each strike.

Noticing they weren’t getting anywhere, Chara turned to her teammates. “Now!” Frisk and Asriel both swung at Undyne, who blocked them with her spears. A split second later, Chara swung. Undyne quickly moved a spear to block, but as she blocked Chara’s strike, Frisk swung his sword again, and got a hit on the royal guard.

Undyne flinched in surprise, giving Chara and Asriel a chance to strike. Taken by surprise, Undyne fell to one knee. As the trio went to strike again, she held up a hand.

“Enough!” William’s voice boomed from the intercom, causing the three to stop in their tracks. Asriel, Chara, and Frisk turned to Undyne. The captain, panting, looked up at the three, and smiled, bursting into laughter.

“Fuhahaha! Now that’s what I call teamwork! You three certainly fight like hell together!” Undyne complimented them. “Well, let’s head back up, shall we?”

Back in the observation deck, William and Melissa approached the trio. “Asriel, Chara, Frisk, I’m glad to see the improvements you three have made in being a team,” William congratulated.

Melissa nodded in agreement. “It is good that you have managed to work through the issues between each other.”

“Anyways, we should all head home. We’ve got a big day ahead of us tomorrow.” William turned towards Alphys and Undyne. “See you two at the festival tomorrow,” he remarked, waving at the two.

Frisk, Chara, and Asriel all followed William to the door, exiting the observation deck and making their way out of the lab.

That night, as he was preparing to sleep, Frisk heard a knock on the door. Opening it, he found Chara standing on the other side. “I…can’t sleep,” she muttered, rubbing her arm as she looked at the ground.

Frisk, grabbing her hand, pulled her inside, closing the door behind them. As he hopped into bed, he beckoned Chara to join him. She climbed in, and it wasn’t long before the two were drifting off to sleep.

William and Ashley had watched from their bedroom door. “I’m so happy to see them together,” he remarked to his wife, placing a kiss on her forehead. The two went inside their bedroom, closing the door behind them.

As William lay next to Ashley, he stared up at the ceiling, thinking about tomorrow. He smiled at the thought, and a few minutes later, drifted off to sleep.

Chapter Text

The next morning, William woke up filled with excitement. Making sure not to disturb Ashley, he showered before heading downstairs.

Once downstairs, he grabbed himself a glass of water before sitting on the couch. After a few minutes, the sound of the front door unlocking reached his ears. “Morning, Noelle,” he called after hearing the door close.

William heard her shriek in surprise. A few seconds later, she peered over at the couch. “Morning William,” she greeted with a wave.

The sound of footsteps coming down the stairs reached the living room, and William looked up to see Micheal descending the staircase. “Oh, morning Dad,” his son remarked upon seeing William.

Spotted Noelle, he skipped over to her, wrapping his arms around her. “Good morning, Noelle,” Micheal said as he planted a kiss on her forehead, causing her to giggle. “Big day today.”

Noelle nodded enthusiastically. “Mhm! I’m so excited!”

“At least you’re not the ones who have to give speeches,” William muttered from the couch, causing the couple to laugh.

“Now, now, it won’t be too bad William.”

William turned his head to see Toriel and Asgore stepping out of the spare master bedroom. “Howdy William!” Asgore greeted cheerfully.

Glancing at the time, William turned towards Toriel. “Didn’t expect to see you up at seven thirty.”

Toriel smiled, walking to the kitchen as she spoke. “Well, I figured that I’d cook breakfast for everyone to celebrate this special occasion.”

William nodded. “Just keep in mind that my son Micheal has an egg allergy,” he reminded her.

Noelle winced at the mention. She still remembered the first time she had made Christmas cookies for her now boyfriend, and he had eaten one before realizing he didn’t check if there were eggs in them.

Micheal rubbed her shoulder. “It’s all in the past, Noelle. Don’t beat yourself up over it,” he assured her.

“Micheal, we’re probably going to have to pick out something fancy for you to wear.”

Micheal groaned at his father’s words. “Do I have to?”

William sighed. “Look, I get you don’t want to dress all fancy, and neither do I, but you’re going to be sitting on the stage at least,” he informed his son.

He turned to his son’s girlfriend. “We’ll also probably have to get you something to wear as well, assuming you’d like to be up with Micheal.”

Noelle’s face turned bright crimson. “Wait, w-what?”

William nodded. “You wouldn’t have to give a speech or anything, you’d just be sitting up there next to Micheal. In fact, I plan on asking your father if he’d like to be up on stage as well.”

Noelle nodded enthusiastically. “Yes!” She started jumping up and down in excitement, grinning.

“Well, I can certainly help you pick out something.”

William smiled as he saw his wife stepping off the stairs, smiling at Noelle. The girl’s eyes gleamed with excitement. “R-Really? Thank you Ashley!”

“Is there anything else you need, Dad?” Micheal asked begrudgingly. William shook his head. Seeing his father’s answer, he grabbed his girlfriend’s hand, leading her over by the fireplace.

The two sat down on the couch by the fireplace. Noelle raised an eyebrow at her boyfriend. “Sorry, I just wanted to go somewhere where we could be alone,” he explained.

Noelle leaned against him, putting her head on his shoulder. He rubbed her shoulder soothingly. “Are you nervous about today?” Micheal asked.

His girlfriend nodded. “I’m excited, but at the same time, I’m nervous, you know?” Noelle replied.

“Yeah. In fact, I feel the exact same way right now,” he remarked. “But hey, we’ll be there for each other,” Micheal added reassuringly.

Noelle smiled. “I baked extra cookies this morning.” She giggled as her boyfriend’s eyes lit up.

“God, I love you so much.” Micheal sighed contentedly, running a hand through Noelle’s hair.

“I guess I like to bake more when I’m stressed,” she added.

Micheal nodded understandingly. “There’s nothing wrong with that, especially if it takes your mind off of things.” Noelle hummed in acknowledgment.

Several minutes later, the two heard a call from the hallway. “Food’s done!” Standing up, they walked together to the kitchen.

Noelle and Micheal walked out just in time to see Chara and Frisk stepping off the stairs, with Micheal shooting Frisk a smug look. “So, did you sleep well last night?” he asked with a smirk.

Frisk’s cheeks turned red at Micheal’s teasing. Chara shot a glare at him, and he quipped back at her. “You’re welcome to answer the question as well, Chara.” Chara’s eyes widened in surprise as she blushed.

Micheal snickered, when suddenly he felt Noelle’s elbow slam into his chest. “Ow!” He doubled over in shock and pain as he cried out. “What was that for?” He spun to look at his girlfriend, only for her to shake her head at him.

“You know exactly what that was for,” she replied, nudging his shoulder.

William sighed as he watched the exchange, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Come on, you two. Get your food here,” he instructed.

Toriel smiled as she saw Micheal approaching. Micheal looked over the island, seeing mostly egg based items for breakfast alongside waffles and bacon, before turning to look at Toriel.

“Ah, Micheal! Your parents told me about your preferences. I…know it is not much, but I made some hash browns for you! Unfortunately, I didn’t have all the ingredients to make pancakes, so I do hope this suffices,” Toriel informed him with a nervous smile.

He nodded. “No, it’s fine! It’s not often that I even have hash browns in the morning, so this is a nice surprise!”

Toriel relaxed, turning to Noelle. “What would you like to have for food?”

Noelle briefly glanced at her boyfriend, before returning her gaze to Toriel. “I think I’ll just have hash browns too.”

Micheal frowned. “Really? You don’t have to. Just because it’s the only thing I’m able to have doesn’t mean you have to eat it too,” he remarked.

Noelle smiled at him. “I know, but I just want to.”

Micheal smiled back at his girlfriend, and was about to speak when he was interrupted by the sound of fingers snapping. Whirling around, Kris stood behind them, crossing their arms impatiently. “Alright, alright, we’re moving!” Micheal scoffed. Kris simply rolled their eyes.

Turning back around, he quickly got his food before taking a seat next to Noelle at the table.

Moments later, Kris rounded the corner, taking a seat a few chairs down from them. Micheal raised an eyebrow, gesturing his hands in confusion. “What? I’m starving,” Kris muttered in response, before they tore into their food.

Giving up, Micheal sighed in defeat, knowing it wasn’t worth the effort. Noelle, however, spoke up. “You know, you could’ve just asked to go in front of us.”

Micheal froze as he heard his girlfriend’s words. His eyes shifted over to see Kris’ reaction. Kris stopped shoveling food into their stomach. Looking up at Noelle, they shrugged, before returning to their food.

Micheal breathed a sigh of relief. Well, that should be over now.

“Why didn’t you just use your words?” Micheal’s relaxation was broken when his girlfriend spoke again. Kris looked up, annoyed. “Instead of just snapping your fingers or standing there impatiently, you could’ve just said something!” Noelle pressed on.

Kris glared angrily at Noelle, their grip on their silverware tightening. Panicking, Micheal turned to her. “N-Noelle, I think you’ve, uh, made your point,” he said, trying to defuse the situation.

Noelle continued pushing. “Come on, was it really that hard for you to just open your mouth?”

Suddenly, Kris slammed their fists on the table, dropping their silverware, causing Noelle to jump back in surprise. Pushing their chair back, they angrily stomped upstairs.

Noelle, shaken, turned to her boyfriend. “D-Did I do something wrong?”

“Kris…well, sometimes it’s hard for them to talk to people. When people make fun of them for it, or get mad about it, they don’t usually take it well,” Micheal answered with a sigh.

Noelle sniffled. “I-I’m sorry,” she stammered, staring down at the table.

Micheal wrapped an arm around her. “Hey, it’s okay, you didn’t know,” he remarked comfortingly. “If anything, I should’ve told you about that.”

Asriel, setting his food down on the table, looked at them. “I’ll go talk to them, don’t worry.” Micheal nodded in thanks as the boss monster walked after Kris.

“I’m sure Asriel will explain how you didn’t know and that you’re sorry,” Micheal assured his girlfriend, rubbing her back.

She slowly nodded. A few minutes later, Asriel came downstairs with Kris trailing behind him. The two took a seat back at the table. As Kris sat down, Noelle stood up, walking over to them. “Sorry,” she apologized. Kris simply nodded, and she returned to her seat.

William looked around, seeing everyone here. Well, almost everyone. He was beginning to get worried when he heard the front door open. “Sorry I’m late!” Rudy called as he walked in.

William sighed in relief. “Alright, that’s everyone then.” He paused, clearing his throat. “Since everyone here is going to be at the very least sitting up on the stage, we all have to dress up.”

A collective groan came from most of the teenagers, with Kris rolling their eyes silently as they kept munching down food. William turned his attention to the two boss monsters. “Asgore, Toriel, I assume your outfits are already selected?” They both nodded, and the doctor clapped his hands together. “Excellent!”

He then turned to face the reindeer monster. “Rudy, would you care to be up on stage then?”

Rudy shrugged. “I mean, if it isn’t any trouble for you, sure! I’m assuming I’d have to dress up?”

“It’s no trouble at all! The pleasure’s all mine!” William replied enthusiastically. “But yeah, you’d have to dress up.”

His attention landed on the teenagers. “Now, we’ll help you all get outfits for you to wear. Luckily, none of you have to give any speeches, besides Frisk unless he really doesn’t want to, but you’re welcome to give one if you want. We can also bring a set of clothes to change into once the speeches are over. Any questions?”

After a few seconds, Noelle slowly raised her hand. William nodded, signaling for her to speak. “S-So, what would I wear? I don’t exactly have a dress.”

“Ashley can help you look through some of the dresses that we do have,” he answered.

Beside him, Ashley smiled. “I’ll be happy to help you pick out something nice!”

“So, how much time do we have?” Asgore asked, briefly looking at the time.

“Well, the speeches are at eleven…” William trailed off, glancing over to look at the time. “Right now, it’s eight o’clock, so we’ll probably leave around ten fifteen.”

Noelle and Micheal stood up, having finished their food. The two cleaned off their plates, putting them in the dishwasher. Noelle grabbed her boyfriend’s hand, dragging him upstairs and into his room.

Closing the door behind them, she flopped down on the bed. Micheal blinked, regaining his bearings. “So, why’d we rush up to my room?” he asked, laying next to Noelle.

She sighed next to him, staring up at the ceiling. “I just wanted some time alone.”

Micheal frowned. “Is that the only reason?”

“Well…no.” Noelle turned to the side, facing her boyfriend. “I guess I’m nervous about all of this. Having to pick out some fancy dress, going to some special ceremony.”

Micheal grabbed her hand, squeezing it. “Hey, it’s like I told you before. We’ll get through this together. If you’re worried about the dress, I’m sure you’ll look great in whatever you pick out.”

Noelle blushed at the compliment. “Thanks.” The two laid there for the next several minutes, when they heard a knock on the door.

“Noelle! It’s me, Ashley!”

Micheal and Noelle both slowly sat up. “You can come in, Mom,” he called out.

The door opened, and Ashley walked in. Her eyes landed on Noelle, and she smiled warmly at the reindeer girl. “Hey, Noelle. Let’s go get you something to wear, shall we?”

With a nod of encouragement from Micheal, Noelle stood up, walking over to Ashley. “Right this way.”

She led Noelle into the master bedroom, entering the closet. There were a few boxes pulled out closer towards the center. “Alright, these should have dresses that are your size,” she remarked, pulling the lid of one of the boxes.

Ashley pulled a red dress out of the box, handing it to Noelle. “But just in case, let’s have you try this on to check.”

Noelle nodded, heading into the bathroom. A few moments later, she came out wearing the dress. Ashley smiled. “Looks like it fits. What do you think of this one?”

Noelle did a spin as she looked over the dress. Frowning, she turned to Ashley. “I don’t really like this one,” she replied.

The older woman nodded. “That’s okay! There’s plenty others that you can try!”

Noelle went through several dresses, rejecting each one. Eventually, as Ashley went to pick out another, Noelle stopped her. “How about, I pick this one out?”

“Sure! I’ll even let it be a surprise for myself,” Ashley remarked. She turned around as Noelle entered the closet. She searched through the boxes, when a dress caught her eye.

Ashley heard the sound of the bathroom door closing behind her. Moments later, it opened, and she turned around.

Noelle stood in front of the bathroom door, wearing a long, white dress. She spun around, a smile on her face. “Well, what do you think?” Ashley asked, smiling.

Noelle grinned. “I love it!”

Ashley laughed. “Well, let’s head downstairs then.” Together, the two walked down the hall before descending the staircase.

In the living room, Micheal gazed forward as he sat in his suit. He wasn’t exactly happy about it, but he was thankful his dad hadn’t made him wear a tie. The suit itself was black with gray pants.

Suddenly, he heard his mother speak. “Ah, I see your father got you your suit already then.” As Micheal turned towards his mother, his jaw dropped as he saw Noelle.

His eyes scanned over her white dress, eyes wide in shock. Noelle walked over to him. “D-Do you…like it?”

“You’re absolutely gorgeous…” Micheal muttered, completely at a loss. Noelle’s entire face turned crimson, and suddenly he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her.

When he pulled back, his girlfriend giggled. “I’m really glad you like it,” she said, smiling.

William marched down the stairs, dressed in a suit and tie. Spotting Noelle, he turned to his wife. “I see you managed to help her pick out a nice dress after all.”

She smiled in agreement. He gestured his head upstairs. “The other kids have got their clothes. You should change here too, dear.”

Ashley nodded, heading upstairs. William walked over to Noelle and Micheal. “So, how’s the dress?”

Noelle turned her attention to him. “It’s great! It feels quite comfortable, and I love the look of it!”

“Good, I’m glad,” William remarked, nodding.

A few minutes later, Kris and Asriel came downstairs, both wearing suits similar to Micheal’s. Kris’ however was white with black pants, while the young boss monster had a purple suit.

Kris had their arms crossed, unhappy about their current predicament. William sighed. “Trust me Kris, I don’t want to wear this either,” he commented sympathetically.

Finally, Chara and Frisk descended the staircase, hand in hand. Chara wore a red dress that matched her eyes, while Frisk wore a gray suit.

“I love how the dress matches your eyes!” Noelle complimented Chara, who simply smiled and nodded in thanks.

Asgore and Toriel both wore their royal robes. William looked around, taking stock of everyone gathered. “Alright, we’re just waiting on Rudy then.”

As if on cue, the reindeer monster stepped into the room, wearing a bow tie with his suit. Upon entering, he apologized with a smile. “Sorry for the holdup there!”

William chuckled, before turning to address everyone. “Alright, time to head out then.”

~~~

When they arrived at city hall, they found a bustle of activity. People ran around, quickly setting up last minute decorations.

Spotting the stage, William began to lead the group through the plaza. As he approached the stage, he spotted Emma.

Noticing her boss, she ran over to greet him. “Ah! William! There you are!”

William smiled in greeting. “I hope we aren’t too late.”

Emma shook her head. “No, you should be alright. We have about a little over half an hour before the ceremony starts, and in a few minutes we’ll be all set to let people in,” she informed the doctor as the two continued walking.

Heading up to the stage, Emma led him to a door in the back. “You’ll be able to wait in city hall for the time being.”

She opened the door, holding it open. William nodded in thanks, walking through the door as the group followed him. Heading up the stairs of city hall, he pushed the doors open, heading inside.

Inside, he spotted Undyne standing off to the side, having a talk with Alphys. When she spotted him and the others, she quickly gave a salute.

“Undyne’s in charge of security for the ceremony,” Emma informed everyone. “Anyways, we’ll bring you out to the stage about fifteen minutes before we begin.”

William nodded. The teenagers made their way to a collection of couches off to the side.

“So, are you ready then?” William turned, seeing Rudy approaching him.

The doctor shrugged. “I think I’m about as ready as I’ll ever be,” he replied, earning a chuckle from the reindeer monster.

It wasn’t long before Rudy’s light laugh turned into a violent coughing fit. “Do you need water?” William asked concerningly.

Rudy shook his head as the coughs died down. “No, no. What I need is to get some treatment.”

William winced in anger. “Goddamnit! I should’ve done that yesterday! Shit!”

“Woah, don’t beat yourself up over it. You got pretty big news yesterday, so I don’t exactly blame you,” Rudy assured the doctor.

Noelle was watching her father with a worried look on her face when she felt a tap on her shoulder. Turning towards Micheal, she felt him running his hand through her hair gently. “Your father will be alright, okay?”

She nodded, leaning against her boyfriend. The two simply sat there wordlessly for several minutes. When they heard the sound of a door opening, they sat up, looking to see what was happening.

William turned around to see Emma and an ambassador from the United Nations walk in. “Sir, there’s fifteen minutes to go.” She gestured at the ambassador. “He’s here to verify the treaty’s signature.”

William nodded, turning to address the room. “Alright everyone, to the stage!”

Emma cleared her throat. “Before we go out there, there’s something that should be addressed first.”

William frowned. “Well, what is it?”

“I want to make sure everyone understands the speech schedule.” William nodded. She paused, waiting for everyone to gather before continuing.

Slowly, everyone gathered around William at the door. Once everyone was together, Emma spoke again. “First, Frisk is set to give a speech. After he’s done, next in line is Asgore. Then, it’ll be your turn William. Once your speech is done, Asgore will then sign the treaty.”

“Does anyone else wish to give a speech?” She paused, waiting to see if anyone would speak. No one said a word. “Alright, let’s get moving then.” They followed Emma out of City Hall and onto the stage, where she led them to a row of seats along the side wall.

Micheal and Noelle both quickly took a seat next to each other, with Chara and Frisk following suit. Asriel sat on the other side of Chara, and Kris, unsure of what else to do, took a seat next to their older brother. Ashley and William sat beside each other, with Rudy sitting next to the doctor. Asgore and Toriel both took the two remaining seats next to each other.

Now on the stage, William took the chance to get a good view of the crowd. Several monsters occupied the plaza, alongside a sizable number of humans. “Well William, it seems you really did it,” Rudy remarked as he gazed at the crowd.

Some time later, William looked at his phone, seeing it turn eleven. Feeling a nudge from his wife, he looked up to see Papyrus walk towards the podium.

The skeleton smiled as the spotlights shined down on him. “GREETINGS EVERYONE! IT IS GREAT TO SEE YOU ALL HERE TODAY! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, MASCOT OF MONSTERKIND, WOULD LIKE TO WELCOME ALL TO THE TREATY SIGNING CEREMONY!”

Applause erupted from the crowd at Papyrus’ words. “FIRST, WE HAVE SOME PEOPLE THAT WOULD LIKE TO SAY A FEW WORDS! NOW, GIVE IT UP FOR THE AMBASSADOR OF MONSTERKIND, FRISK!”

Frisk swallowed nervously. Chara squeezed his hand assuredly, and feeling confidence radiating through him, he stood up, walking to the podium.

Papyrus stepped back, allowing the teenager to take the stand. Frisk, looking out at the crowd, spotted Chara give him an encouraging smile and a thumbs up from the corner of his eye. He smiled, taking a deep breath.

“When I first began my journey through the underground, I was warned that monsters would try to kill me. That it would be dangerous. But that didn’t stop me.”

“Despite the fact that others wanted to hurt me, I never harmed them. Hearing about how they were trapped down there for so long, I knew that they didn’t really want to hurt me. They just wanted to be free. So, I did my best to make friends with those I came across.”

“Some were harder than others, but I never gave up. I was determined to keep moving, to ultimately help monsterkind achieve freedom. And it is through that determination that we all stand here today. I’d like to thank everyone, because I never could have done it without all of you.”

With that, Frisk stepped back from the podium as applause rang out from the crowd. He quickly made his way back to his seat, greeted eagerly by Chara. “You did amazing!” she congratulated, grabbing his hand.

Frisk lightly blushed. “Thanks.” Chara placed a quick kiss on his cheek, making his blush deepen.

Papyrus stepped back up to the podium. “NOW, WE SHALL HEAR A FEW WORDS FROM KING FLUFFY BUNS HIMSELF! PLEASE WELCOME, ASGORE DREEMURR!”

Laughs and applause boomed from the crowd. On the stage, laughter spread among those seated as Asgore stood up. “King Fluffy Buns?!” William snickered, doing his best to remain from howling in laughter.

Asgore stepped up to the podium with a smile. “Howdy, everyone! Wonderful day today,” he began.

“Forty years ago, I lost both of my children in one night. In my hour of despair, I declared war on humanity. It went against who I was, and drove those close to me away.”

“Six innocent children lost their lives in the underground, and even though I didn’t kill them, I still feel responsible. They will be honored and remembered, for we wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for them.”

“When we first came to the surface, we were greeted with generosity. And, thanks to a certain man here, my children were restored. To that man, I give them my thanks on behalf of all monsterkind, for making this treaty happen.”

“Now, I would like to call up that man. Please welcome Doctor William Henrikson!” Asgore stepped away from the podium as applause rang out, gesturing for William to come up and speak.

After a nudge from his wife, the doctor stood up, walking to the podium. Taking a deep breath, he spoke.

“Long ago, one of my ancestors was one of the seven humans who sealed the monsters underground. Since then, my family has strived to help monsterkind for generations. It is a great honor for me to be here, standing in front of all of you.”

“Enough about me! Let’s sign that treaty!” Applause rang out after his proclamation, and the United Nations representative brought the treaty towards Asgore.

The cameras focused on the king of monsters as he took out a pen, before finally signing the treaty. Asgore then turned to the crowd, raising his fists in the air in celebration as the crowd exploded into cheers.

Micheal smiled from his seat, taking in the scene. His girlfriend wrapped her arm around him, smiling as their gazes met. “See? I told you my Dad would help.”

Noelle rolled her eyes at his teasing, giggling. “I’m glad I get to spend this day with you,” she remarked.

William walked past the pair, nodding at them with a smile. He took a seat next to his wife, and smiled at her. “We did it. It’s finally over,” he said, sighing in relief.

Ashley nodded in agreement. “It’s like Asgore said, they couldn’t have done it without your help.” William smiled as he relaxed, finally able to rest knowing that monsters had secured a place in society.

~~~

After the treaty was signed, most of the crowd began to leave. About fifteen minutes after the signing, most people had left, with some sticking around in the plaza to celebrate.

William stood up, turning around to address the others on stage. “Well, with the crowd gone, I think it’s time we go and properly celebrate in the plaza!”

Asgore, Toriel, Asriel, Kris, and Rudy were quick to rise from their seats, following William off the stage. Chara and Frisk stood up next, quickly heading down.

Noelle and Micheal watched the others leave. After a few moments in silence, Micheal turned to his girlfriend. “We should probably head down. I’m sure there’s places to sit in the plaza.”

She nodded, and the two stood up, walking off the stage. Eventually, the couple took a seat at a bench. Micheal was perfectly content to just sit with his girlfriend as he watched his father being approached.

William paused as Emma approached him alongside Mettaton. Immediately, the robot flashed a smile at Frisk as he and Chara caught up. “Frisk, darling, that was a wonderful performance!”

Frisk smiled at the compliment. “Thanks!”

Mettaton turned to face the doctor. “Hello again, William darling! It is a pleasure to see you again!”

Perplexed, William raised an eyebrow, glancing at Emma. “Mettaton provided the televised coverage of the ceremony,” she explained.

“Ah! Well, thank you for your assistance Mettaton!” William shook the robot’s hand as a gesture of thanks.

Mettaton waved a hand dismissively. “Please, darling, I was more than glad to broadcast such a momentous occasion to the world!”

Ashley suddenly stepped forward. “Thank you again, but we unfortunately must keep moving! We have people to see!” She grabbed her husband’s hand, dragging him away.

Mettaton waved at the doctor as he was dragged off. “Ta ta!”

After walking for a bit, Ashley checked behind her to see if Mettaton was following. As she paused, William removed himself from her grip. “What the hell was that about?!” he demanded.

“I didn’t like the way he looked at you, and how he just kept calling you ‘darling’,” Ashley remarked with a huff.

“Mom, relax, that’s just Mettaton.” William spun around to see Frisk approaching the two, with Chara coming up behind him.

Ashley twitched nervously. “W-What are you talking about?” she inquired, in denial of what she’d heard.

“That’s just who Mettaton is. He didn’t mean any harm,” Frisk emphasized. Horror struck Ashley’s face at his words.

“Oh god, I-I must’ve made him feel so bad, dragging William away from him like that so suddenly!” She put a hand on her forehead, her face turning white.

Frisk immediately shook his head. “No, you didn’t hurt his feelings at all! He wasn’t bothered by it at all,” he assured her. “In fact, he, uh, actually thought you dragged him off for a…different reason.”

Ashley blinked in confusion. Frisk cleared his throat, gesturing between Ashley and William. “He thought you two, uh, wanted some alone time.”

Ashley’s face turned crimson as she processed Frisk’s words. “Oh,” she remarked, uttering a single word.

“Yeah…well, uh, see you around Mom.” Frisk slowly backed away, Chara following him.

Ashley turned to her husband. “I’ll be back, I just…need to find the restroom.” He nodded, and she walked off.

William sighed. Looking around, he spotted Micheal and Noelle on a bench, laughing. He smiled at the sight. Suddenly, his phone rang.

He was too busy watching his son and his girlfriend that he didn’t look at who was calling before he answered. “Hello?”

“Hello, William. It’s been a while.”

The voice on the other end caused William’s blood to freeze. Time seemed to slow down around him as his face turned pale, his eyes widening. He stared aimlessly in shock for what felt like hours. Suddenly, time snapped back to normal.

The doctor spoke harshly into the other end, the recipient’s name spoken with venom. “Harold.”

William briefly glanced around, checking to see if anyone noticed his reaction. From what he saw, it seemed no one did, so he returned his attention to his call. However, unbeknownst to William, Rudy had witnessed what happened.

“So, you do remember me, old friend,” Harold replied with a laugh.

“What do you want?” William demanded harshly.

Harold acted surprised. “Woah, no need for the outburst! Can’t an old friend just want to reconnect?” He spoke with a malicious tone, almost as though William could hear the smile on his face.

“I remember exactly how we last spoke fifteen years ago, Harold. Don’t think I haven’t forgotten what went down. So I’ll ask again. What. Do. You. Want,” William demanded, his free hand clenched into a fist as he scowled.

Harold laughed. “Ah, I see you’re not in the mood then. What a shame. Well, you made a great speech today!”

“You saw the ceremony then?”

“Of course I did! Did you really think I would miss that? Anyways, I enjoyed your speech.” Harold paused. When he spoke again, his words dropped with venom. “However, I couldn’t help but notice that you didn’t mention me or the others.”

“Oh really? Why the hell would I mention you or the others?! That was fifteen fucking years ago!” William snapped back.

“You all had your chance then to help monsterkind, but you all left me! You had no part in this!”

Harold let out a laugh. “I did suggest a way to help them, but you refused my offer.”

“Well, now it’ll never happen. It’s over, the barrier is gone.”

“Hm, yes, I suppose that’s true,” Harold mused. “You’re right. I didn’t put my plan into action, and now I never will.”

An awkward silence hung in the air for a few seconds. “Anything else you want, Harold?” William snarled.

After a few moments, he answered with a question. “Do you remember when we saw Revenge of the Sith?”

William was taken aback. Where did that come from? “Of course I do. How could I forget? I saw it for the first time in theaters with you.”

“Those were good times, weren’t they? Shame they had to end.”

William scoffed. “You have no one to blame but yourself,” he snapped back.

The recipient laughed. “It was good to hear from you again, old friend. I look forward to seeing you in the future,” he replied.

“What do you mean ‘seeing me in the future’? What makes you think we’ll meet again?!” William demanded.

“It means exactly what you think it does, William! I look forward to when we meet again. Goodbye for now, old friend,” Harold answered with a laugh.

William opened his mouth to speak, only for Harold to hang up. Bringing the phone down, he put it back in his pocket. Gazing at the ground, the doctor clenched his fists in frustration as he muttered to himself. “How dare he think he can just…”

“Hey, you alright William? You looked like a deer in the headlights when you got that call.”

William’s eyes widened as he spun around, seeing Rudy approaching, a look of concern on his face. The doctor’s face turned pale in shock. “Y-You saw that?”

Rudy nodded. “Yeah. Is everything alright? Who called you?”

Not saying a word, William stared aimlessly into the distance. The reindeer monster sighed. “Look, you’re the one who convinced me to be honest to those I care about with my health. So please, just be honest with me.”

William spotted his wife approaching from the crowd. “Will? Is everything alright?” Ashley asked concerningly, a worried look on her face.

William sighed, looking between the two. “Rudy, do you remember my old colleagues I told you about?”

Rudy nodded, causing Ashley to raise an eyebrow. “Wait, you told him about that?” she asked her husband in shock.

“Well, mostly.” When she looked even more confused, he added, “I’ll explain here in a minute.”

Turning his attention back to Rudy, the doctor continued. “You remember how I only referred to them by their SOUL traits, being perseverance, kindness, bravery, integrity, patience, and justice, correct?” William asked.

Rudy nodded again. “Well, their names are Natalie, Jessica, Ethan, Nicole, Jordan, and Harold respectively.”

William paused, letting Rudy take in the information. “Well, I just received a call from…Harold.”

Ashley’s face immediately filled with understanding. “Oh, Will…” Slowly, she walked up and wrapped her arms around him comfortingly.

“I just…it’s been fifteen years since we last spoke. Fifteen years since he made his proposition, and I told him I wanted no part in it. And out of the blue, he calls me. He said he watched the speech, and…he said I didn’t mention him or the others.”

Rudy frowned. “Why on earth would you mention them? They could’ve been a part of this, but they made their choice,” he scoffed.

“Exactly what I told him. Before he left, he said that he looked forward to seeing me again. When I demanded to know what the hell he meant by that, he just said that it meant exactly what I thought it did. He reiterated that he looked forward to meeting again. Before I could say anything else, he hung up.”

William’s hands clenched into fists at his sides in anger. His wife noticed, holding him closer.

“Well, I think he might just be trying to get under your skin,” Rudy remarked.

William stared at him, raising an eyebrow in confusion. “What makes you say that?”

The reindeer monster laughed. “Well, for one, he didn’t even bother actually showing up. All he did was call you.”

“Huh, you’ve got a point…” William muttered to himself.

“Will, everything will be fine,” Ashley assured him calmly. “And if he does show up…” Her expression contorted in fury. “I’ll have some choice words for him,” she sternly remarked.

William smiled. “Yeah…you’re right.” He glanced around at the plaza. “Let’s just go back to celebrating.”

~~~

Harold hung up with a smile, putting the phone back in his pocket. It felt good talking to his old friend.

“I look forward to seeing you again, my friend,” Harold said to himself, smiling maliciously.

Standing up from his desk, he exited his office, heading into the hallway. The architecture dates back to around the early twentieth century. “This old place certainly has its charm.”

Walking through the hall, he passed by a painting of one of his ancestors. Pausing, he examined it. The man shown wore an all black suit, with brown hair and a beard. The inscription on the bottom read ‘Arthur Hanwell’.

“Hello, great-great grandfather,” Harold remarked. He continued moving down the hall, eventually entering a large room that contained a circular table.

When Harold had initially found the keys for this manor, the place had been abandoned for decades. He ended up refurbishing the entire place, adding modern electrical systems. This was his family’s manor, after all, so naturally it belonged to him.

The room he was currently in had initially been a ballroom, however he converted it to serve another purpose.

As he began to walk towards the table, a man entered the room. “Sir.”

Harold turned to the man. Opening his mouth, he spoke a single word in a firm, flat tone. “Report.”

“We’ve identified a group of monsters that aren’t completely happy with how humanity’s treated them.”

Harold smiled. This was exactly the news he’d been hoping for. “Good. Make contact with them and inform them that I would like to have a discussion.”

The man nodded. “Of course, sir.” With his instructions, the man exited the room.

“Exactly as I hoped…” Smiling maliciously, he continued forward, taking a seat at the table. Everything was coming together, just as he hoped it would.

Pressing a button on the table, a computer monitor came out of the table in front of him. He pulled up the contacts for Natalie, Jessica, Ethan, Nicole, and Jordan.

A smile crossed his face. “I think it’s time that we all convened again. After all, there is much to discuss regarding the future.”

Chapter Text

Brutus wasn’t entirely sure about this.

The large rhinoceros stood at the doors to a rather impressive manor, with some of his followers behind him. He wore his armor from his time in the royal guard, still as polished as the day he first put it on.

He had been given instructions to come here by a group of humans he had been in contact with for some time now, in order to meet their leader.

Bracing himself for whatever came next, he stepped up to the door, and knocked three times. He stepped back, and waited.

A few minutes passed when the door finally opened, with a man in a tuxedo stepping out. Brutus assumed this must have been a butler.

“Ah, Brutus! Please, Doctor Hanwell has been expecting you. Right this way,” the butler greeted, gesturing inside. Brutus and his followers stepped inside.

“Now, just follow me,” the butler instructed. Unsure of what else to do, Brutus began to follow along, with his followers joining them.

Elsewhere in the manor, Harold smiled behind the circular table. “It is good to see you all again.”

Around the table sat Jessica, Ethan, Nicole, and Jordan. Each chair had a SOUL on the headrest, with the color corresponding to the occupant’s trait. One seat stood empty, having been meant for Natalie, having a purple SOUL.

Jordan huffed. “It seems that all of us couldn’t make it, however,” he remarked, eyeing the empty chair as he spoke.

Harold let out a laugh. “Yes, well I figured I couldn’t count on Natalie to actually show up.”

“So, what exactly are we all here to discuss? Is it about…the darkness?” Ethan asked, glancing across the table.

Jordan let out an impatient groan. He had expected Ethan to bring up his research into this ‘darkness’, but it annoyed him nonetheless.

“No, Ethan. It isn’t,” Jessica calmly dismissed him, before turning to look at Harold. “This isn’t, right?”

Nicole looked between everyone. “Well, it’s been a while since we’ve all met up like this! Harold, dear, while I appreciate the surprise, I’d like to know what’s going on here.”

Harold smiled, clasping his hands together. “As you all know, a few months ago the barrier was destroyed, and monsterkind was freed from their imprisonment, and on June thirtieth, a treaty was signed between humanity and monsterkind.”

“Now, I’m sure you all remember, fifteen years ago I proposed a plan to kill seven humans and take their SOULs down underground so that the monsters could free themselves, and together, with the power granted by the seven SOULs, remake the world to a place where monsters and humans are equal.”

“Of course, our old friend William rejected that idea. While I searched for powerful SOULs, I never ended up finding all that I needed. The barrier ended up destroyed regardless.”

A malicious smirk crossed his face. “Of course, that doesn’t mean I’ve completely abandoned those plans. Just…changed them up a bit. Which brings us to why I called you here today.”

Harold paused, glancing around the table. “In those past fifteen years, each of us continued pursuing our own research. I, for one, continued in robotics.” He pointed at Nicole. “Nicole experimented with creating artificial SOULs.”

“Jessica counted looking into the nature of the barrier,” Harold remarked as he pointed at her. He pointed over at Ethan. “Ethan looked into the darkness.” Finally, he turned to Jordan. “And Jordan here continued researching DETERMINATION, or DT.”

“And what does our separate work have to do with your plan, exactly?” Jordan asked, taping his fingers on the table impatiently.

Harold frowned, turning to address his friend. Despite his SOUL trait being patience, Jordan often had the tendency to be the exact opposite. “How much DT do you have, Jordan?”

The man shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “W-What does that have to do with anything?” Jordan stammered, caught off guard.

“Just answer the question. It will make sense shortly.”

Jordan sighed. “Not much. All me and my team have left are the reserves I collected from William during our time working with him. We’ve tried to create our own device to extract DT, but to no success. Without William’s magic, we’ll run out eventually,” he admitted.

Ethan’s eyes widened in fright, and the others around the table looked nervous. “Every single one of us has relied on DT to some extent,” Harold began. Pausing, he glanced at Ethan. “Some of us more than others.”

“And without our old friend William, our DT supplies will inevitably run dry. This presents a major problem, especially given our dear friend has no interest in working with any of us again.”

Jessica’s eyes lit up with an idea. “We could kidnap his wife Ashley, and force him to give us more DT,” she suggested.

Harold’s eyes immediately glared at her. “Jessica, no,” he sternly dismissed her idea. Suddenly, a light lit up on the table in front of him. He smiled as he pressed the button. “Before we continue, there are some people that I think we should meet.”

The doors to the meeting room swung open, heads turning to the open door. They were met with the sight of a large, rhinoceros like monster in a suit of armor entering the room, flanked by a monster whose head was made of a large ice crystal in a trench coat and a monster that looked like some sort of dragon in a beat up jacket.

Harold smiled. “Greetings, my name is Harold Hanwell. Please, have a seat.” Upon his words, three seats were brought into the room and placed at the table, with the rhino monster taking the middle seat.

“It is good to finally meet you. My name is Brutus,” the rhino, Brutus, began.

The frozen crystal monster spoke next. “My name is Freya. I am an ice elemental, and I’m the most experienced scientist in our cause.”

The red dragon snarled. “Name’s Alexander, but most people go with Alex. Combat expert.”

“So, you’re the leader of the group known as the Eye of Truth then?” Harold mused, eyeing Brutus.

The monster nodded. “That is correct. Now, please explain your business.”

“First, I believe an introduction is in order. Please, meet doctors Jordan Grayson, Jessica Madison, Ethan White, and Nicole Hanwell,” Harold announced, gesturing at each individual as he said their name.

“Now, before we continue, Brutus, why don’t you tell us a bit about yourself, and the group of monsters you lead?”

“Long ago, I was a member of the royal guard in the underground. We had gotten our second human SOUL. I wanted to take one of those SOULs, go to the surface, gather the remaining SOULs needed, and destroy the barrier,” Brutus began.

“Asgore didn’t allow it, and eventually I attempted to steal one of the SOULs. I was unsuccessful, and Asgore had me removed from the guard. Coming to the surface, I found it absurd that monsterkind had to negotiate with humanity, and wasn’t immediately accepted. As a result, I formed a group with other like minded monsters known as the Eye of Truth, with the goal of changing how humanity treats monsterkind.”

Brutus leaned back as he finished, crossing his arms. Harold turned his gaze toward Freya, nodding for her to go next. “I’m the head scientist for the Eye of Truth. I once served as an assistant to the royal scientist,” she explained briefly.

Alex didn’t even bother waiting for Harold as the dragon began speaking. “I specialize in stealth operations. I was part of a special division of the royal guard that specialized in that field, and was the head of my squad. Ultimately, Asgore disbanded my division.”

Harold clasped his hands together. “Now that we’re all introduced, I think it’s time I tell you all my plans.”

“What I am proposing is that we all work together. Each of us has their own resources that we’ve built up over the years, and we’ll use those to help each other. Ultimately, I plan to acquire seven powerful SOULs. A monster will then absorb those SOULs, and with the power granted to them create a new world order, where monsters and humans are equal. At the top of that new order will sit all of us, together,” Harold explained.

“So, if that’s your plan, then why do you need us? Just go and get those SOULs yourself. How do we know you won’t just turn against us?” Jordan inquired, leaning forward as he gazed at Harold suspiciously.

Harold laughed. “Jordan, and here I thought you of all people would know! The more DT a SOUL has, the more powerful it is. I just don’t want any SOULs. I want powerful ones,” he explained.

“Which brings us back to our dwindling DT supplies,” Jessica interjected.

“I believe we may have a solution to that,” Freya began, an icy coolness to her voice. “You see, during my time as an assistant to Alphys, there were these blueprints for a device called the ‘DT Extractor’, a device designed specifically to extract DT from a SOUL. It was constructed using said blueprints.”

Jordan perked up at the mention of the device, his eyes filled with intrigue. “Does it work?” The ice elemental nodded.

“The extractor is located down in the underground, inside the true lab,” she continued.

“Which brings us to this,” Harold said as he pressed a button. Suddenly, the middle of the table opened, producing a hologram of Mount Ebott. “This is Mount Ebott. As you can see, there is a massive perimeter around the entire mountain set up by the military, with patrols made around the entire area. The entrance to the mountain has a heavily guarded checkpoint, with the only way to get inside is with proper clearance.”

Jordan studied the hologram intensely. “So, there’s only one way in or out.”

Harold smiled. “Not exactly.”

“There is another entrance on the mountain, the same one that Chara fell from, and presumably the other humans as well,” Brutus added.

On the hologram, a red dot appeared near the top of the mountain. “From my observations, this is the entrance that those who climbed the mountain fell in. Unlike the other entrance, there is no checkpoint here. The only problem is the perimeter.” Harold paused, glancing at Ethan. “That’s where you come in.”

Ethan jolted in surprise, glancing quizzically at Harold. “Your stealth technology will allow us to minimize our chances of being detected when we sneak a team in.”

“It’s…not perfect,” Ethan admitted. “I haven’t gotten the darkness to fully cloak the target yet.”

“Which is why we aren’t just relying on that. Nicole has begun the process of infiltrating members into the mountain’s security. It will take time before we are able to send a team into the underground, so we must prepare our resources in the meantime.”

Jordan angrily shot up from his seat, glaring at Harold. “What?! You mean we aren’t doing this now?!”

“Have a little patience, my friend! What good would it be if we tried busting in now, with no people on the inside and no idea how well Ethan’s stealth technology works?” Harold countered.

“We must plan this extremely carefully. Caution must be taken at every turn. If anything goes wrong, and we are caught during the infiltration, we’re done. We only have one shot at this.”

“So, you’re having us put all our eggs in one basket. Sure, we all have different resources to bring to the table, such as ancient, long forgotten magic for me, but what do you have, Harold?” Jessica asked, raising an eyebrow.

Harold grinned. “Oh, let me show you.” He pressed a button on the table, causing a door to open. Out stepped what looked like a perfect replica of a B1 battle droid, as though it had stepped right off the screen.

“As you can see, I’ve been quite busy with my robotics research,” Harold announced with a smile. “You all know I’m a huge Star Wars fan, so I created several robots based off of the droids used by the separatists.”

Everyone around the table stared at the droid curiously. “That’s not all I have.” A strange sound came out from the door the battle droid had stepped out of, and suddenly a droideka rolled out, before it stopped and unfolded.

“Behold! My latest creation my friends! A fully functional droideka!”

Jordan stared wearily at the droid. “Isn’t it supposed to have a force field?”

Harold chuckled nervously. “It’s…still a work and progress,” he admitted. “But everything else about it works perfectly!”

“Fascinating,” Jessica remarked. “What about Ethan? What’s he providing us with? All you’ve said is ‘stealth technology’. What exactly are we using?”

Harold nodded. “Whoops, my bad. Specifically, we’ll be using his Shadow Cloak.”

Upon hearing Harold’s words, Ethan shot up from his seat, a crazed look in his eyes. “No, no no no no! You will not be using that!”

Harold, trying to defuse the situation, spoke to Ethan in a calm voice. “Now, Ethan, let’s just think about this…”

“There is NO TALKING ABOUT THIS!” Ethan snapped. Spinning around, he stomped off, exiting the meeting room.

He angrily walked through the hallway, mumbling to himself. “They never had any respect for my research…”

Back when the seven of them all worked together, Ethan had always been looked at strangely. There were whispers that he was a madman obsessed with a nonexistent darkness. Ultimately, no one gave his research the true attention he believed it deserved. Even William, who showed interest in Ethan’s research, would always turn him down when he tried to make his research the focus of the group.

His thoughts were interrupted by his phone ringing. Pulling it out, he looked to see who it was, only for his eyes to rise in shock. “What the hell…?”

A string of odd symbols were displayed for the caller ID. Although Ethan was freaked out, he had this feeling that he needed to answer the phone. Answering, he spoke. “Hello?”

“HELLO, ETHAN
“IT IS A PLEASURE
“TO FINALLY MEET
“YOU.”

Ethan’s face turned white in shock. “H-How did you k-know my name?”

“I KNOW A
“LIT OF THINGS
“ABOUT YOU
“ETHAN,
“EVEN YOUR
“RESEARCH.”

“You know about the darkness?”

“I AM VERY,
“VERY,
“KNOWLEDGEABLE
“OF THE DARKNESS.”

Ethan’s body filled with a mixture of joy and shock. “F-Finally, someone who truly understands!”

“DR WHITE
“I HAVE A
“PROPOSAL
“THAT YOU WILL FIND
“TO BE
“VERY,
“VERY,
“INTERESTING.”

“You want t-to…work together? That’s great! W-What do you need me to do?”

“FIRST YOU MUST
“PROVIDE THE OTHERS
“WITH YOUR
“SHADOW CLOAKS.”

Ethan’s face contorted in confusion. “What?! But they don’t understand my work like you do! What could I possibly gain from giving it to them?!”

“ETHAN
“THIS IS ALL
“PART OF THE PLAN
“ALL WILL MAKE SENSE
“IN TIME.”

“I-I…don’t know,” Ethan replied hesitantly. While he had the impression that this man took his research on the darkness very seriously, he wasn’t sure about going along with him.

“ETHAN
“I ASSURE YOU
“THE END RESULT WILL BE
“VERY,
“VERY,
“INTERESTING.”

Ethan sighed, thinking. A few moments later, he agreed. “Alright, I’ll do it.”

“EXCELLENT
“GOODBYE FOR NOW
“ETHAN
“WHEN THE TIME COMES
“I WILL FIND YOU.”

The man hung up, and Ethan slowly lowered his phone. Putting it away, he walked back to the meeting room, smiling at the knowledge that someone took his work seriously.

Upon entering, he walked back to the table. “Alright, you can use my Shadow Cloaks,” he declared.

“What’s with the change of heart?” Harold inquired curiously.

“I…just did some thinking,” Ethan answered, a smile on his face. It wasn’t a total lie, as he did some thinking.

Harold didn’t press further, instead choosing to return his attention to the whole room. “So, is everyone on board with this?”

Slowly, the heads around the table all began to nod. “Excellent. Thank you everyone for coming. Trust me, you won’t regret it. We are going to do wonderful things together.”

~~~

“Dr. Henrikson? I-I think I’ve made a diagnosis.”

William glanced over at Alphys with wide eyes. It had been a month since the ceremony, and when they had started treating Rudy. It had been a struggle just trying to figure out what he even had.

“What did you find?” William asked.

Alphys nervously pushed her glasses up. “W-Well, he has a d-disease k-known as…fractorus syndrome.”

“Fractorus syndrome? I’ve never heard of that.”

“It’s a disease t-that monsters h-have,” Alphys explained, an aimless gaze in her eyes.

“So, how do we cure it?”

Alphys looked up at William. She opened her mouth to speak, but no sound came out. Instead, tears began to form in her eyes.

William understood immediately. “Well, I’m glad that you decided to visit me at home instead of just calling me about this.”

“I’ll…have to tell Rudy and Noelle about this,” he admitted with a sigh, putting his head in his hands.

Alphys tapped her claws together awkwardly. “S-So…did y-you need anything else?”

William shook his head. “No, that should be all. Thank you for coming, Alphys.” Alphys nodded before exiting his office.

Once she was gone, he leaned back in his chair, staring up at the ceiling. “What on earth am I going to do,” he muttered to himself.

A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. “Come in.”

The door to his office opened and his wife stepped through, closing it behind her. “So, did Alphys tell you anything about Rudy?” Ashley asked.

Her husband nodded solemnly. She could tell by the look on his face that the news wasn’t good. “How bad?”

“It’s a disease that monsters had to deal with in the underground, and they don’t have a cure for it. I plan on doing everything in my power to create a cure,” William answered.

“But that’s not what’s troubling right now, is it Will?”

He sighed. His wife had always been good at figuring out when he wasn’t telling the full truth. “I have to tell Noelle and Rudy about the fact that Rudy has a disease that, according to monsters, is incurable.”

Ashley nodded understandably. “I know, but they both deserve to know, Will. To know that despite there being no known cure, that you will stop at nothing to make one.”

“You’re right,” William admitted with a sigh. “But that doesn’t make it any easier.”

“Well, the sooner you get it done, the better. It’ll just keep eating at your thoughts until you finally tell them.”

William nodded wordlessly. With a groan, he stood up from his desk, before walking around it. “Do you know where they are?” he inquired.

Ashley shook her head. “I haven’t seen them around the house for the most part today. I saw Noelle eating breakfast with Micheal in the morning, but I haven’t seen her since. My guess is that they’re in the guest house,” she informed him.

“What about Micheal?”

His wife shrugged. “Same as Noelle, only saw him eat breakfast. Chances are, he’s probably over there too,” she answered.

“Good idea. I’ll go look right now,” William said. Opening the door, he gestured for his wife to go out first. She nodded in thanks before exiting the office. William trailed behind her, closing the door.

He noticed Chara, Frisk, Kris, and Asriel on the couch, with Chara playing a game on the Xbox. Curious if they knew anything, he walked over to them. “Have any of you seen Noelle or Micheal?”

“Can’t say I have,” Asriel answered. Mris simply shrugged.

“Haven’t seen them. Been a little busy,” Chara replied, her eyes never leaving the TV.

“I think I heard Micheal say something about going with Noelle to the guest house,” Frisk added.

“Figured,” William muttered. “Figured I’d just double check.” Having gathered all the information he could from the four, he walked away, heading towards the front door.

Exiting the front door, William breathed in the outside air. It was a nice day today. It wasn’t too hot, but it wasn’t too cold either. Looking around, he spotted Asgore working on some flowers. When the boss monster noticed William, he waved cheerfully. He waved back, before beginning to walk to the guest house.

Arriving at the steps to the guest house, William gazed up at it. It was a somewhat small home, with a second floor that provided additional space. Walking up to the front door, he knocked.

After a few moments, the door opened. “Dad?” Micheal asked as he opened the door.

“Hey Micheal.”

Micheal raised an eyebrow in confusion. “What are you doing here? Did you need something?”

William shook his head. “I need to speak with Rudy and Noelle about something important.”

Micheal’s eyes widened slightly in understanding. “Do you…mean what I think you mean?”

William nodded, confirming Micheal’s assumption. Knowing his father needed to speak with Rudy, he held open the door. “Come inside, I’ll take you to them,” he said, a sense of urgency in his voice as he swiftly gestured for William to come in. Once he was inside, Micheal shut the door behind them.

Stepping inside the living room, Micheal gestured at the couch. “Just have a seat. I’ll go get them for you Dad.”

William nodded as he took a seat. Micheal rushed upstairs, leaving William alone.

His gaze wandered to the old CRT television in front of the couch. While the rest of the home was rather modern, the television stood out of place. It was only really there for his parents whenever they stayed over, as his father had insisted on setting up his old TV. Naturally, it didn’t see much use nowadays, but William could still remember watching shows on it as a child.

Pulling out his phone, he pulled up an email Alphys had sent him about fractorus syndrome. The disease seemed to spread throughout a monster’s body like a sort of cancer, degrading their functions, resulting in things like coughing fits or loss of strength, with those only increasing over time. The end result was that the affected monster would ‘fall down’, a term used by monsters to describe a coma that was essentially a death sentence.

He was so focused on absorbing the information provided that he didn’t even notice his son enter the room along with the two Holidays.

“Hey William? What brings you here?” Rudy asked, causing the man in question to jump slightly.

Putting his phone away, William looked between the two Holidays. “Have a seat. I came here to discuss something important, that being your health, Rudy.”

Rudy nodded grimly before taking a seat. Noelle remained standing, a terrified expression on her face. Her boyfriend noticed, walking up to her Micheal grabbed her hand and led her to the couch.

“We’ve…made a diagnosis, Rudy,” William began.

The reindeer monster nodded. “Let’s hear it.”

“You’ve been diagnosed with a disease known as…fractorus syndrome,” William said solemnly.

Rudy’s face fell into one of grim acceptance. Noelle, however, began to have tears form in her eyes. Turning away, she buried her head in Micheal’s shoulder.

“You know, I was…starting to wonder if that’s what I had myself,” Rudy admitted sadly. He opened his mouth to speak again, only for a barrage of coughs to come out.

“Do you want me to get you some water?” William asked concerningly.

The reindeer waved his hand dismissively. “No, I’ll get it myself,” he remarked. Standing up, he began walking towards the kitchen.

William glanced over at his son. Micheal rubbed his girlfriend’s back as she sobbed into his shoulder. Putting his hand on his forehead, the doctor sighed.

After a few moments, he turned towards Rudy. He opened his mouth to say something when the reindeer monster suddenly collapsed. “SHIT!” Jumping up from the couch, he quickly rushed over to Rudy.

Hearing her father collapse, Noelle looked up from her boyfriend’s shoulder, only to see her father on the ground. “DAD!” She rushed off the couch, heading over to her father. She wrapped her arms around Rudy, tears flowing down her face. “Dad, wake up. Wake up!”

Suddenly, she was pulled away, Micheal’s arms around her. She screamed as she was brought towards the couch, her face red from crying as she fought her boyfriend’s grip. “Noelle, I’m sorry, but we can’t help him if you’re clinging onto him,” Micheal said to her.

Eventually, she stopped attempting to escape his grip and just collapsed in his arms, sobbing profusely. Micheal spotted his dad on the phone. Knowing his dad had it under control, he returned his attention to his girlfriend, holding her tight as she cried.

“It’s going to be okay, Noelle. It’ll be okay,” Micheal assured her. “Help will arrive soon, I promise.”

~~~

William stood in one of the lab’s medical rooms, staring at the bed in front of him. Rudy laid before him, unconscious, strapped up to life support systems.

When he had initially gone to check on the reindeer monster after he collapsed, William had found Rudy unconscious. What he believed happened was that Rudy passed out as he was walking.

While some of the paramedics that arrived initially wanted to take Rudy to a hospital, William had insisted that he be brought to the lab. Given the illness he carried, there was a possibility that he had ‘fallen down’.

“D-Dr. Henrikson?”

Snapping back to reality, the doctor turned around. Alphys looked especially nervous, and William couldn’t exactly blame her.

“How bad is it?” William asked, getting straight to the point.

“W-We think he m-might’ve…f-fallen down,” Alphys said.

William turned back to face Rudy. Noelle sat in a chair next to her father, along with Micheal. She held her father’s hand as she cried in her boyfriend’s arms.

Walking over to the pair, he knelt down in front of the reindeer girl. “Noelle?” Sniffling, she looked over at him, her eyes red from crying.

“Listen to me. I promise that I will do everything in my power to keep your father alive,” he assured her.

“T-Thank y-you,” Noelle replied in between sniffles, tears still flowing down her face.

Standing up, William walked towards Alphys. As he did, Lewis and Emma entered the room. “We came as soon as we could, William,” Lewis said.

“Glad to see you could make it,” he replied.

“Is there anything that we can do to help?” Lewis asked.

“Emma, put the amalgamate research on hold,” William instructed as he turned towards her. Recently, they had been trying to figure out how to separate the amalgamates back into each individual monster at Alphys’ request.

“Sorry Alphys, I know you came up with the idea, but we need to find a cure to this disease. The amalgamates can wait, Rudy can’t.” Alphys simply nodded in understanding.

“The medical team found this in his pocket, by the way,” Lewis said as he handed William a note. He looked over the note, pausing when he noticed it was addressed to him, Noelle, and Micheal.

Looking away from the note, he walked over to Noelle and Micheal. “Hey, Noelle, they found a note in your father’s pocket. It’s addressed to you, me, and Micheal.”

She perked up, grabbing the note from William, before she began to read aloud. “Noelle, if you’re reading this, then I’ve probably fallen down. I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you and get help sooner, and even though I haven’t gotten a diagnosis yet, I already have a feeling I know what it is. Noelle, you’re a strong girl. I know you’ll be able to push forward in your life, and you have people around you who care about you. I love you, Noelle. Always remember that.”

As she finished, she quickly handed the note over to Micheal, covering her mouth with her hands as she squeezed her eyes shut. He wrapped an arm around her comforting as she buried her face in his shoulders, before turning his attention to the note.

“Micheal, you have proven yourself to be a kind young man. I know that you have the best interests of my daughter in mind, so I trust you to take care of her,” Micheal read. Handing the note to his father, he turned his gaze to Rudy. “I won’t let you down,” he said softly.

William took a deep breath before looking at the note. “William, I’m sure that you will do everything you can to help me. I’m glad I have a friend like you. In the meantime, please, keep an eye on my daughter. Thank you, my friend.”

Once he finished reading, he placed the note on a table next to the bed. “I think we should give him some time to rest on his own,” William remarked, turning towards Noelle and Micheal.

Micheal nodded, turning his attention to his girlfriend. “Noelle, I think we should give your father some time alone.”

Her grip on her father’s hand tightened. Teary eyed, she shook her head. “Noelle, Rudy would want you to keep living your life. He wouldn’t want you to spend all your time here,” Micheal said softly.

“Not to mention it’s getting dark outside,” William added, earning a glance from Micheal that said he wasn’t helping.

After a few moments, Noelle looked up, her entire face red as she nodded slowly. “You’re r-right,” she admitted, sniffling. “L-Let’s go.”

Micheal nodded, and as he stood up, he held Noelle in his arms. “Alright, we’re ready Dad,” he said to William.

William nodded, holding the door open for the two as they all made their way out of the lab.

When the trio arrived back at the house, night had already set in. Noelle stood outside on the path to the guest house, frozen in place. Fear and anxiety painted her face.

Suddenly she felt someone grab her hand. “You don’t want to go back, do you?” Micheal gazed sympathetically at his girlfriend as she turned her head to face him.

Noelle nodded, trembling. Stepping forward, Micheal pulled her into a hug. “That’s okay. You can stay with me, Noelle,” he said soothingly as he rubbed her back.

Micheal turned his head to see his father watching. “She’s good to stay with us, right?” he asked quietly. William nodded and gave a thumbs up, before heading to the front door.

Opening the front door, William held it open, gesturing for his son and his girlfriend to come through. Micheal led Noelle up and through the door. Once they were inside, William closed the door behind them.

Ashley got up from the couch, sadness in her eyes. As soon as she saw the state Noelle was in, she immediately gazed sympathetically at the doe. “Oh Noelle, I’m so sorry you have to go through this,” she remarked solemnly.

Noelle gave a slight nod as she sniffled. Leaning in close, she whispered something into her boyfriend’s ear. “I’m gonna bring her upstairs,” Micheal announced. Ashley nodded understandingly, and he started up the stairs, his girlfriend in his arms.

Once the two were out of sight, Ashley turned to her husband. “How bad?”

William gazed downwards grimly. “He’s on life support.”

Ashley’s eyes widened as she put a hand over her mouth. “Holy shit…”

William collapsed onto the couch, leaning back with his head towards the ceiling. He looked emotionally drained. “What happened?” Ashley asked.

“I had Micheal bring Rudy and Noelle down, where I told them about his diagnosis. He didn’t seem that surprised, even told me he started to wonder if that’s what he had. He broke into a coughing fit, so I asked him if he wanted some water. He got up, telling me he could get it himself. On his way over, he collapsed.”

Ashley stared in disbelief. “Holy shit, that’s terrible.”

William nodded grimly. “Noelle ran over to him, and Micheal had to practically drag her away from him. She struggled for a bit, but eventually just started sobbing in his arms.”

Ashley’s experience changed from disbelief to sorrow as she imagined what that must’ve looked like. “That poor girl…”

“I know. I felt so bad for her, but Rudy couldn’t get help if she was clinging to him,” William admitted somberly.

His wife scooted closer to him, grabbing his hand. She ran her fingers over his hand gently. “Hey, listen. I know you’ll find a way to help him, Will. I just know it, and I’m sure that you do too.”

“I know. It’s just mentally exhausting,” he replied, a tired look in his eyes. Taking a glance at the time, William sighed. “Well, I don’t plan on staying up much longer. It’s been a stressful day.

Ashley nodded understandingly, before turning to gaze at the stairs. “I just feel so bad for Noelle, Will. That poor girl.I hope she’s doing better with Micheal.”

Upstairs, Micheal brought his girlfriend into his room. Closing the door behind him, he brought Noelle over to his bed. As soon as he released her from his arms, she immediately flopped down on the bed, burying her head in a pillow.

Micheal stood there, silently watching his girlfriend as he did his best not to cry at the sight. Despite his efforts, a few tears ran down his face. Noelle, turning her head to face him, caught a tear falling down his cheek.

“Noelle, you didn’t do anything wrong,” he quickly assured her. “I…it just makes me sad to see you suffer through this.”

“I’m tired, Mike,” Noelle said exhaustedly.

“Did you just call Mike?”

Noelle’s eyes immediately widened, before she could speak, Micheal waved his hand dismissively. “It’s okay! You can call me Mike if you want. Nobody really calls me that, so it just took me by surprise.”

“Do you like it when people refer to you as Mike?” Noelle asked curiously.

“For the most part, no,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. “However, I have no issues with you calling me Mike,” Micheal added with a smile, causing Noelle to giggle.

“Look’s like someone’s started to feel better,” he replied teasingly, causing his girlfriend to laugh more.

“T-Thanks, I…I really needed that,” Noelle admitted, sniffling.

“So, I know we have spare bedrooms, but would you like to stay in my room with me?” Micheal asked.

Noelle’s face turned a bright red as she blushed. Micheal rubbed the back of his neck nervously. “It’s, uh, okay if you, uh, don’t want to…”

Suddenly, the doe rushed forward, pulling him into an embrace. “Of course I would, Micheal. I love you after all.”

Her boyfriend smiled as he returned her embrace. “And I love you too, Noelle.”

The two held each other for a few minutes, breathing slowly without a word. Eventually, Micheal spoke up. “We…should probably get some sleep.”

Noelle nodded in agreement. “Would you like me to get ready first?” Her boyfriend asked. She slowly nodded again, before pulling her arms away from him.

Grabbing his pajamas, Micheal opened the door. “I’ll be right back,” he told his girlfriend before closing the door, leaving Noelle all alone.

At first, she tried her best to simply focus on her breathing. However, thoughts of her father began to enter her mind. She tried her best to shake them out of her head, but they kept creeping back. It wasn’t long before her breathing quickened, the doe’s thoughts consumed by scenarios of losing her father.

Squeezing her eyes shut, she suddenly felt someone pull her into an embrace. “Noelle! It’s me! I’m here,” Micheal said soothingly. The doe opened her eyes, and upon gazing into her boyfriend’s, she leaned into his touch, grounding herself to reality.

“Are you going to be okay?”

Despite it being such a simple question, Noelle hesitated. “I…I don’t know,” the doe admitted.

“Do you think you’ll be able to go get ready for bed in the bathroom?” Micheal followed up. Noelle opened her mouth, only to close it. “I can stand outside the door if that helps,” he added.

“That…that should help. Thank you.” Micheal nodded, before standing up. Turning to his girlfriend, he held out a hand to her. Smiling, she grabbed his hand, letting him pull her up.

Hand in hand, the two exited the bedroom, walking down to the bathroom. Micheal held the door open for Noelle. “Remember, I’ll be right out here if you need anything,” he assured her. As the doe nodded in understanding, he closed the door, leaning against the wall.

After several minutes passed, the door to the bathroom cracked open. “M-Micheal?” Noelle called out softly.

“Yes?”

“I-I didn’t bring anything to change into.”

“That’s okay. You can just wear what you wore today,” Micheal informed her.

A few seconds later, the bathroom door opened, with Noelle walking out. Spotting her boyfriend, she swiftly grabbed his hand. Giving her a small smile, Micheal led her back into his bedroom.

Once they were inside, Micheal pulled off the covers, letting his girlfriend get in bed first. Joining her, he pulled the covers over himself, before turning his head to face Noelle.

Her eyes shimmered happily as she wrapped her arms around him, giving him a small peck on the lips, giggling afterwards. “Mike, thank you. For being here for me.”

Micheal caressed her head gently, leaning in for a kiss. “I will always be here for you, Noelle. Always,” he promised.

As Noelle laid in her boyfriend’s arms, her worries began to leave her mind, and the two happily drifted off to sleep peacefully.