Chapter Text
Martlet exits the throne room, tears in her eyes as she slowly shuffles towards the stairs. Was this really how it ends? She had been sure Asgore could be talked down, she had placed Clover's life on it! Now...
Now he's in there... Waiting for his death.
She thinks back to the events of the day. Meeting Clover at her station, riding her boat through waterfall (He was the first person to give her a perfect score on the survey!), Crashing in the dunes... Abandoning Clover until he made his way to the Oasis... Getting locked up by Starlo and his gang.
And then all that business with Ceroba. She had really thought Ceroba was trying to help Clover, just as she was! But it was all an act. She couldn't believe what she'd seen on those tapes. Besides putting a whole new perspective on her mentor, it called into question everything she had believed until that point.
Then they found Ceroba, and she was knocked out.. and when she woke up, Ceroba was gone. Clover had killed her.
Not that she blamed him, not really. She knew Ceroba was after Clover's SOUL, so he was entirely acting in self defense, but... Someone is still dead. And soon that number will rise, because she just LEFT CLOVER WITH ASGORE TO BE KILLED!
"What am I doing?! I can't let this happen!" She turns on her heel (or bird equivalent) and darts back into the throne room, quickly dashing through the door in the back.
"I will make this quick." She hears, spurring her even further. Bursting into the barrier and being momentarily stunned by both the nature of the room and the containers of souls, she shakes her head.
"I won't let you do this Asgore King Sir!" She hurries out, pointing a wing at the very confused monster while simultaneously pushing Clover behind her. "Clover deserves better than this! They went through so much to be here!"
"Miss Martlet-" He's interrupted by the bird simply lifting up Clover, who is snapped out of his shock and starts squirming in her grasp. "Nope, don't care! Uh- sorry! I'm not letting you do this!" She quickly sprints back the way she came (Stumbling twice and tripping completely in the throne room), leaving behind a shocked Asgore.
"Martlet, let me down!" Clover yells, doing his back to squirm out of her remarkably tight grasp. How is she holding him so tightly anyway? She doesn't have hands.
"You'll thank me later, Clover! Just gotta get back to Snowdin, and then I'll make you some nice soup, if I still have the ingredients for it, I'll have to check, I haven't had a chance to go shopping you know? And then you fell on the day I was gonna go so I might not have any left and I just really need to get you home okay?!"
Wow, she's serious isn't she? He didn't think she had it in her. He knew she was tough, he'd died to her once or twice the first time they met but this was unexpected. Deciding squirming is futile, he simply goes limp in her wings, pouting under his hat.
After running out of the castle and heading into New Home, she realizes she can't exactly fly while holding Clover, and getting back to Snowdin is probably not a great idea right now anyway if Asgore decides to look for them... That only leaves...
"Starlo..." She sighs, already dreading the reunion. "Well, guess we're ripping that band-aid off a little earlier than I had hoped. Don't set him off, please? He's gonna be mad, I know it."
"You could just let me go back to Asgore, ya know."
"Nope! Dunes it is!" She runs through the streets, her eyes darting behind her. Realistically she knew Asgore wouldn't be able to call any guards up this fast, but she was still on edge. It's not long before she slides into the elevator they used to get into this disaster in the first place.
Hastily pressing the button with her shoe, she finally allows herself to breathe. "Listen, I'm... I'm sorry for leaving you there. I mean, I know you wanted me to leave, but... It still felt wrong of me." She sets him down. "But, uh, since I've committed treason now, why not give living with me a shot?"
Clover crosses his arms, huffing. "I want to go back." He was not giving up this easily, he had to go back! For the kids, for Ceroba!
"Clover, I don't want anyone else to die today."
He looks at the ground, his hat obscuring his eyes. She could not have said a worse thing right now. Now he doesn't even know what to do anymore.
"I know you have this mission you came down here for. Maybe we can figure out something together? It's better than throwing away your life at least." She nervously chuckles, some feathers falling off her. From stress, likely. "Please, Clover. Please."
He sighs, removing his hat and running his hand through his unkept hair. "Okay. But only until we find some way to save the humans. I still gotta finish my mission."
Martlet gives him a beaming smile, kneeling down to give him a crushing hug.
"M-Martlet! Can't breathe...!" He wails, pushing against her in an attempt to escape her rib cracking embrace. This bird could hug like a champ!
"Oh! Sorry." She lets him go and stands up again, before awkwardly patting the child's hat. "Well... We'll figure things out. Partners in crime! Just like before!" She holds out his wing, to which Clover gives a small smile and fist bumps it.
"Yeah. Partners in crime." He puts his hat back on just as the elevator doors open.
The lobby is empty, the late hour meaning everyone has either left or is sleeping. Only the receptionist remains, although it kind of seems like she's sleeping at her post... How does a hand sleep anyway?
"Just a short trip... Despite how... Uh, distraught Starlo is, I don't think he'll turn his back on you. At least I hope not..." A question surfaces on her mind as they move towards the elevator to the Steamworks. Before she can even think about what she's saying, she just blurts it out.
"Hey, uh, actually... What happened between you and Ceroba while we were knocked out? She seemed... Very tough. How did you... 'beat' her?"
Clover feels the gun in his holster, normally it would be comforting for him, but now... It feels wrong. He still doesn't know why he pulled the trigger on Ceroba. She was beaten already, even if she asked for it... Why did he do that?
"She attacked me... And I attacked back. That's all." He mutters, rubbing some tears away from his eyes. He was not thinking about this right now.
Why did she even ask that? Of course he's not ready to talk about it, it happened less than an hour ago. And he's a kid! An actual child! She really needs to get her head on straight, and fast.
After a quick trip through the Steamworks, they exit into the dunes, Clover walking noticeably slower now that they're back out under the swelterstone. "They're probably gonna cover that up soon.... We should get going."
The two continue off towards the Wild East, while a Flower pops out of the dirt a ways behind them. "How interesting... Normally I'd intervene in such a boring outcome like him going to live with that birdbrain, but... This is new. And I like new things."
He weighs his options. On the one hand, this could just as easily be a dead end timeline like all the others. On the other... Maybe this is the change he's been looking for after all this time. He's not sure why this happened after so long of the same routine, but why complain?
Of course, he doesn't have hands. So there's only one real option ahead of him.
He grins, bouncing with excitement. Oh, How he can't wait to play with this new outcome. "Heh, I'll let this one go for just a bit! He can always go back, of course... Not that he'll remember... I've got all the time in the world." He sinks back into the ground with a fit of psychotic laughter.
Clover hears something echo across the canyon, but checking behind him reveals nothing. Not that he has any doubt what it was.
Flowey's always watching.