Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

POV: Martlet

On rare occasions, Guards have to do their job. Their REAL job.

Are you ready for some Royal Guard protocol?

Humans are dangerous! They cannot be trusted and certainly not “escorted”.

I’ll get you home in time for dinner!

Humans are merciless. Incapable of decency in any form.

You are a kind soul. One of the best I’ve met.

If I were you two, I’d leave Clover here and forget about this.

Y-you can’t have Clover! We are going to ASGORE and that’s that!

Try to assess the situation rationally. I know you can!

I, Martlet of the Royal Guard Snowdin Division, sentence Clover to be happy and in peace. And that’s a life sentence!

I know there are good humans. I raised one… and killed four.

PLEASE, WE’LL PROTECT THEM. CLOVER… YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT THEY’VE BEEN THROUGH! PLEASE, PLEASE! THEY’RE ONLY ELEVEN!

I have delayed the inevitable, it is true… but that is because I do not wish to follow through with my vow to exterminate humanity.

Your Majesty… don’t worry. You won’t have to go through with it. You’ll never see another human in your life.

If another human ever steps foot in these sands, I vow to protect them, to prevent them from facing King Asgore until their life is spared, until the war is called off, until peace and justice reign. For coexistence between monsterkind and humankind, for justice, for Clover.

Her head swirled with thoughts of Clover, of Chujin’s misguided beliefs, which thankfully never took root in her, of Ceroba’s betrayal and redemption, of Asgore and how much she naively trusted in him before, of all her failures, of the corpse… she was sure if she had been smart, if she had taken the right decisions, if she hadn't been an idiot… but it was too late now, and an innocent child was dead because of her. History could not be allowed to repeat. She now had to do everything in her power to ensure peace, be a responsible adult even if no one else could, so children wouldn’t have to bear the burden, so that war would be made impossible. Even if she lost… she wanted to, at least, have the right to say she tried in the end.

Clover’s face tormented her. This should never happen again. This will never happen again, she tried to convince herself. She was grateful for her friends, who she met because of Clover and who she wholeheartedly trusted in now. If it wasn’t for them… she wouldn’t have been as courageous, she was sure. Thank you, Clover.

As she thought of all the events of that fateful day… someone touched her wing and jolted her awake. She must have dozed off at some point… well, she had barely slept, and everything that transpired since she met them used up a lot of her mental energy, so it made sense.

“Hey… you fell asleep,” said Dina. “Didn’t want to bother ya before, but I’ll let ya know Starlo, Ceroba and Mooch are back now.”

Just like she said, the three had walked in and were taking their seats.

“Good to know”, she replied. “Where are the others, if I may ask? They have the right to leave, I’m just curious.”

“Well… the town… it’s kinda crowded now, so… they’re explaining the saloon is closed and distractin' the visitors,” said Starlo.

“Yes,” confirmed Ceroba. “The town’s pretty busy most of the time, but there’s never been more people before. Some of the faces here I’ve never seen before, even. And I fear I know the reason why.”

“Oh.” She knew the implications… “How disgusting.” She was sure farfewer people would visit the town if they actually knew what they were celebrating.

“Yer right, Feathers,” said Starlo somberly. “Though at least I feel there’s no risk of a break-in. Ed can intimidate, and Moray and Ace are pretty darn good at distracting people with magic bullet shows.”

“Indeed. If someone breaks in, they’ll have to go through Ed, which will give us time to stop talking. And the speakers do a pretty good job of masking our conversations, so I feel we’re still in the clear,” said Ceroba.

“Oh, by the way… I chose to come back because, well… I feel I have experience in, um… sneakiness. And… I’m tiny, so I believe I can at least offer the physical perspective of a kid;” said Mooch.

“I mean… the seventh could be an adult. It’s not impossible,” said Ceroba.

“We’d be very lucky if it was the case,” she replied. “Unfortunately… I have a hunch things won’t be that easy. Why does it always have to be children?”

“Well…” Ceroba sighed. “I guess adults are rational enough to not visit a mountain that I assume is known to be one-way trip for them. I know we have to prepare for the worst, unfortunately. Martlet… thought of anything while you were on break?”

“Um… I fell asleep a-and t-thought about everything that happened… and um, I realize now the river route to here, which should be a safe haven should my plan work, isn’t the best. It skips Waterfall, which is great, but… um… at the end, there’s a waterfall a-and a-a rock and a huge drop… and I left the poor kid t-to die… G-god… t-they had a horrible day, and they remained brave and forgiving despite it all… it’s so unjust, everything that happened to them,” said Martlet.

“Yes… they could have been not just a great sheriff, but something even greater… well, we ain’t taking kids to that goddamn murderer again, that’s fer sure!”, said Starlo. “Anyway, Feathers… you said there’s a rock at the end of the river… well, I got dynamite magic,” the star proposed.

“Um… but wouldn’t that just redirect the flow of the waterfall? We don’t want to flood the cave,” said Ceroba.

“Oh,” replied Starlo.

“Maybe… you could use your woodworking skills and build a dock? Make up an excuse that it’s for ‘infrastructural improvements'. Most people would buy that,” said Ceroba.

“I could do it, but wood and Hotland don’t exactly mix,” said Martlet.

“How about building a boat with an anchor?” said Mooch.

“Great idea! But, um… where would I get an anch-” A lightbulb went off with her head. “Right. I do have connections to the Royal Scientist. If she can build robots and laser systems, anchors should be pretty easy.”

“Oh. Her,” said Ceroba with zero enthusiasm. “Why do you think she’ll give you anything for free? You just guarded her lab, that doesn’t mean you’re friends.”

“Yeah… we’re not really friends… but occasionally, she'd go outside to rant to me about things she was mad about regarding her interests. Once in a while she let me go inside her lab when I was on break. And, from what I’ve gathered… she seems to be a human media fanatic. I believe she has a collection of human cartoons, comic books and video games.”

“…Oh. The royals… what the hell is up with them? Are we really letting ourselves be governed by adults who watch cartoons, and, more importantly… what right does someone like her have to keep my daughter in her clutches? This is an outrage and I dem-“ Starlo touched Ceroba’s shoulder and managed to calm the enraged mother down somewhat.

“Um…” said Starlo, “you said we shouldn’t be startin’ a civil war.”

“Yeah… we’re weak and outnumbered,” said Ceroba. “It’s just… damn it, I just want to know what happened to my precious little girl.”

“Oh… I…I’m so sorry Ceroba,” she told the mother. “It’s just… I was trying to say, that… we could maybe look for stuff in the Waterfall dump to use as currency?”

Ceroba looked shocked. “…Martlet, you have quite the mind.”

“R-really?” she answered. She didn’t really think she was that smart… especially given the fact that she took all the wrong decisions that day, at the worst possible cost.

“Yeah. You… you’re pretty creative, to say the least,” said Ceroba.

“We should at least try Feathers’ idea, just in case. Ya know… you can get some great stuff from the Dump. That’s reason enough not to exterminate humanity to me,” said Starlo.

“Star, did you think I was criticizing it? Just the opposite. Knowing just how ridiculous the royals are… I’m confident the bribe will work,” said Ceroba.

“It’s not a bribe, it’s a transaction,” she clarified.

“Well, call it what you want. Point is, I think we’re getting an anchor,” the fox replied.

“And if she rejects us,” said Mooch, “I have ways of getting stuff, if you catch my drift.”

“Real subtle, Mooch, but I think we’ll be trying to keep things as legal as possible,” said Ceroba.

“Oh, is she… a criminal?” she asked curiously.

“Yeah,” Ceroba responded. “I mean… technically we all are, but…”

“Starlo… aren’t you a lawman?” she asked the sheriff.

“Yeah, but it’s not like we don’t punish her. She’s lost her Adult Soda privileges, her boot privileges, her rights to my inheritance… and she’s a great pal, still. Fun to be around,” replied Starlo.

“And hey… at least you have someone to take the heat in case you plan to do anything illegal… which you do,” said Mooch. “Though it’s not like jail can stop me. I’ve seen the inside of every jail cell in the kingdom, and I’ve found ways to get out of each of them.”

“So, if we’re arres-”, she said. Even though she could technically arrest her, especially given that she was still technically a Royal Guard, she had to recognize she was useful enough as an ally to let her be free. And, well… she had leverage in case she did something unnecessary.

“Don’t get your hopes up,” interjected the squirrel. “My methods are top secret, and even if they weren’t… you’re all too tall for them. So, um… better to keep things legal for you three, right?”

“Right. We’re all law-abiding traitors here,” said Ceroba.

“Yeah, I’m technically supposed to uphold the law, so let’s try to keep the unnecessary crimes to a minimum,” she said. Of course… the crime they were planning to commit was necessary. She believed with all her SOUL it was the right thing to do, that sparing them was justice, just like Clover living would have been justice too. “A-anyway, maybe the anchor plan can fail, but I do actually have an ultragravitational pillow from the Royal Scientist, which she allowed me to use to make my bridge puzzle safe. If she can give me one, I think it’s safe to say she can give me another.”

“Or maybe we could use a regular mattress,” proposed Starlo.

“Maybe a trampoline?” proposed Mooch.

“Mooch… a child just died. Please try to be serious for once,” said Ceroba.

“Yeah, exactly!” she said. “This is no time for jokes!”

“…I was being serious, but alright, I’ll try,” said the squirrel.

“Thank you,” she replied. “With an anchor and a cushion, I think the trip will be safe enough, at least on my end. I’m curious, though… Starlo, Ceroba… how do you get to the other parts of the Underground? There’s the Steamworks, but… I don’t think either of you went there before yesterday?”

“Never have been… maybe one day,” said Starlo.

“And neither did I before that day…” Ceroba sighed. “W-we spent so much time there… I had so many opportunities to back down… maybe, if I did it earlier, they would still be alive.”

“Yeah… as much as I wish I could, there’s no changing the past, sadly,” she stated.

“…all the more reason to change the future now, I suppose,” replied Ceroba. “Anyway, as a response to your inquiry… there’s a path from here to Hotland. I’ve been wondering why you didn’t take it.”

“Wait, really? But I never saw a path to Hotland when… when I was with them.” She realized she had to remember her painfully short journey with Clover, the most precious time in her life whenever she visited the Dunes now. In a better time, they would be happy memories…

“Maybe it’s ‘cuz it’s blocked right now by a cactus monster. Girlboss behavior, she says,” said Starlo.

“Oh… yeah, I remember her,” said Martlet.

“… couldn’t you just have gone over the fence?” asked Ceroba.

“…I didn’t know if it was legal, a-and I was k-kinda scared s-she would attack me with her spines,” she argued.

“…I mean, I guess I didn’t take the path either, but that’s because I was afraid of running into Undyne or another guard. The Steamworks… guards don’t go there. Well, I guess Axis could count as one, in a sense,” said Ceroba.

“…if I recall correctly, there’s a fork in the road there that eventually leads to the Waterfall dump there, too. I… I kinda got lost for hours there when I was a kid. Eventually found my movies that day, so it was worth all the scoldings from my parents, at least!”, said Starlo.

“Yeah, you don’t know how worried I got when I realized you were missing that day. You came back a changed monster after that day, I guess,” said Ceroba.

“Oh yeah, the tight hug when you saw me again… I suppose I kinda misinterpreted the implications, heh,” said Starlo.

“…Yeah, maybe you did.” Ceroba chuckled. “Still… I’m relieved to have you back, friend.” Ceroba smiled.

“…oh, it’s so nice to know how much you care for each other.” She smiled before frowning. “However, unfortunately… as much as I’d like to, we don’t have time to reminisce about the past. You see… I have information to share related to the lab. You see… there’s cameras there. In Upper Snowdin and Waterfall. I fear we’d be very lucky if the next human came out of the Lower Snowdin door again, so… we have to plan against these, somehow.” And she had no idea how to even defeat the cameras. Sure, she could stand outside the Upper Ruins door for hours, but that would very obviously attract suspicion.

“…well, I suppose we have to do some crimes,” said Ceroba.

“But… destroying the cameras would easily mean jail, I don’t know their exact location, and it’s very possible they have some sort of defense mechanism,” said Martlet.

“Wouldn’t the lizard have a feed of the camera locations? All the more reason you should have a meeting with her, I suppose,” said Ceroba.

“W-well, maybe, but I haven’t really checked.” She was busy doing something else that day, anyway. “I… well, I’ll bring a notebook and pencil that day, just in case.”

“Maybe I can thoroughly explore the areas? Jail isn’t really a problem for me, remember? And even if it were… well, better me than any of you,” said Mooch.

“Maybe you should get yerself a disguise just in case,” said Starlo.

“…actually, I do recall my husband having a black cloak,” said Ceroba. “Maybe you could go there at 3 a.m.?”

“And if direct contact is a problem, I do have a gun from Blackjack,” said Mooch. “Sure, Starlo confiscated it but he can give it back to me, right? Right?”

“…on a temporary basis. Remember, if you don’t give it back when it’s time, I’ll tell Ed!”, declared Starlo.

“…Phooey,” replied Mooch.

“But… even if you managed to find and destroy the cameras… wouldn’t they just… replace them?” she pointed out.

“Yes, that’s a good point,” said Ceroba. “Maybe we can wage a war of attrition, but… the more the cameras are destroyed, the riskier things get. All it takes is one mistake,

“…I mean, if I get found out, I can tell a half-truth and say it’s because I wanted to sell metal and glass,” proposed Mooch. “I won’t rat anyone else out, I promise!”.

“…this isn’t about your greed. This is about saving a life and preventing a war,” said Ceroba. “Don’t do anything reckless.”

“Actually… I have an idea,” said Mooch. “Maybe I could use stilts. Would be good to hide my identity further… and well, I lost my boot privileges, so…”

“Oh… maybe I could make them?”, said Martlet.

“Yeah, you sh-“ said Ceroba before quickly backtracking. “On second thought, no. We don’t want anything that could be tracked back to us three. Though… you could explore Snowdin. It’s not illegal to explore, after all.”

“Yeah, I do, in fact, know Lower Snowdin like the back of my wing… but the cameras are in Upper Snowdin.”

“…right, and you have to be doing your job,” said Ceroba. “Searching for cameras and shooting them down is an incredibly risky and reckless plan, especially given that they could be bulletproof, but… I don’t see any better alternatives, sadly. At the very least, we’ll try to make sure only Mooch gets arrested.”

“And that’s what friends are for!” Mooch smiled. “By the way, Martlet, don’t worry about the stilts. I can just… acquire them at a store.”

“Legally. No unnecessary crimes,” Ceroba reiterated.

“Oh…if destroying them is impossible, maybe I could find some way to cover up the lens. We should have time,” said Mooch.

“Maybe we should plan ‘fer more meetings in the future… maybe in our house or Feathers’, given they’re not public places unlike the Saloon,” said Starlo.

“…yes, though Martlet will have to be absent from some meetings, right? She has a job to do, after all. Unlike me…” admitted Ceroba.

“I mean, I have a job too,” said Starlo.

“Yes, but I sleep in the same house as your posse, so I know your schedule. And we can make up the excuse of having ‘government meetings’ on Saturdays… even if it’s not actually a real government,” Ceroba replied.

“I mean, if my plan works out, it’ll be one… though you’ll have to pretend to uphold the law of the kingdom, you know… except for… that law. That damned law”, she replied.  

“If it works out,” Ceroba pointed out.

“I’m pretty confident it will. I…I hate Asgore’s plan now, obviously… but I think it’s clear he doesn’t want to see a human ever again. And he gave us a pardon despite everything we did, so… um, I think he’s a pushover mentally” she said.

“Yeah, there’s no doubt he is, but it’s not guaranteed to work out, as much as I hope it does. I think you’d have to be careful with the wording of the decree if you want to improve your chances. Give Star the authority without revealing what he wants to do with it until it’s time, and only then make the coward announce that the Wild East is a safe haven. That’s the best course of action, I think,” said Ceroba.

“Yeah, and it’d mean the Royal Guard would have no reason to go to the Dunes anymore, which is the main purpose of the plan. Speaking of… I’m quitting my job,” she revealed.

“Really? I mean, I get it. I’d quit too… they murdered Clover, god damn it…” said Starlo.

“…I mean, I understand exactly why you would feel this way, and I won’t judge you for it, but… I think it’d be better if you stayed. More intelligence gathering, more income, less suspicion…” argued Ceroba.

“…it’s just… after everything that happened, after Clover made it abundantly clear just how admirable they were… I don’t think I can bear to hear lectures about how humans are the enemy anymore. My rage could get the better of me, and well… you know what happened with Asgore. And besides… I need to take a principled stand, show that I can sacrifice too, And I’ll have more free time to improve and sell my work, so…” she replied.

“…well, I can’t force you. I…I understand why you’re doing what you’re doing,” said Ceroba.

“And, besides, I’ll probably get fired, given my massive number of infractions. There’s no changing my mind on my decision. I’m sorry, but I’ll be writing my two week’s notice,” she said.

“…I really am sorry for your loss,” replied Ceroba.

“I mean… it’s our loss too,” she said.

“Yeah… I’m pretty torn up inside. Damn it, they deserved to live and be safe and grow up… and they never got to. I’ll always remember them. And… it has to be extra painful for you, Ceroba, after Kanako…” said Starlo.

“…yeah. I… I don’t think I can bear to fail another child again. Actually… I suppose it’s time to renew my gym membership. By the way, Star, Martlet… I really appreciate what you’ve done for me. You forgave me, even if I’m not sure I deserved it… and I do appreciate Clover for valuing my life even when I didn’t…” said Ceroba.

“Ceroba… what do you mean by that?” said a worried Starlo.

“I…before you two woke up, I asked Clover to kill me. And… t-they spared me and forgave me… so I suppose I have to honor that and keep living. T-they… they were such a great kid.” Ceroba sniffled.

“…and I suppose we’re all friend now thanks to Clover. Perhaps… we’re three leaves of a clover, with the fourth ripped out, missing forever. Does that metaphor make sense? Maybe not… but either way… no more deaths. No war. This is what they would have wanted. Clover loved us all, and… we didn’t repay them nearly enough. But now? We have to live for the future, the future Clover deserved to see,” she said.

“…it’s still risky, of course… but I think it’d be nice to say we tried, despite everything,” said Ceroba.

“We’re not alone, at least. Clover… you’ll always be a member of the Feisty Five,” said Starlo. “Maybe… we should all hug each other.”

“…alright,” said Ceroba.

The three tearfully embraced each other. The shared grief… it gave her comfort. They cried for a while…

Eventually, Mooch spoke up.

“Um… sorry for interrupting your moment, but, um... about the cameras, maybe I could just cover up the lenses with black tape,” proposed Mooch.

“Um, maybe? God, I hope we have enough ti-”

All of a sudden, her cellphone went off. She hoped it wasn’t who she thought it was…

“Um… cell phones ain’t allowed in the Saloon,” Starlo pointed out.

“… let her be. You seriously aren’t going to jail her again, are you?” said Ceroba.

“Yeah, I guess I ain’t. Feel free to pick it up,” said Starlo.

“R-right.” She did, and… she heard her boss’ voice. She reflexively flinched.

“Meet me at my house at 2:00 p.m.. We have something to discuss.” Oh god, she had to somehow keep secrets from her. She was the very last person who could be allowed to know about their plans.

“…alright. I-I will.” She was probably going to get fired, given she was... nowhere near her post, but she could live with that. It’s not like she was going to keep her job.

“Great. Actually, I don’t even mind if you come a few minutes late, heh!”

“Um… I’ll make sure to come on time. Um, c-can I hang up now?”

“Yeah, sure. See you later.” And she hung up.

“Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no!” She said while sweating up a storm.

“What happened?”, said Starlo.

“I…I gotta go! M-my boss… s-she called me, and she wants me at my office at 2:00 p.m.! B-bye!”

She rushed off the building, slammed open the gates, hastily apologized to Ed for accidentally hitting him (he was understanding, thankfully), and took off like a rocket towards Waterfall. She could not afford to miss her meeting; doing so would be very suspicious.

She looked downwards. The Wild East really was crowded now…

But it’s not like she was any better.

Somehow… she had to pretend to be loyal to the government now.

She had to fail them one more time.

Chapter Text

POV: Martlet

The speed of her flight surprised even her. Her boss had the ability to bring out the hidden potential in people, she supposed… it was either that or just how terrified she was. Somehow, she had to put on a brave and loyal face (she never cried in front of her boss) without outright lying or betraying Clover. Her, who struggled to keep secrets and who still hadn’t gotten a good night’s sleep, and who had been exhausted before the captain’s voice gave her a sudden burst of energy.

Of course, she went west, through Oasis Valley and the Dunes, up the steep cliff down which she let them fall and abandoned them for an hour and along the river. She really was lucky to have wings. It was unfortunate, but most monsters didn’t have the sheer mobility she had. Shamefully, she didn’t dare to look down, to glance at all the places she toured with Clover. Some of the happiest moments of her life, painfully brief as they were.

She reached the end of the river, near her home, and reoriented herself. The route to her boss' house was familiar to her now; every month, she visited it for combat training (she also visited the headquarters of the institution every month for that purpose).

She had to admit her record in combat was mixed at best, but she could at least put up a fight with every member of the Guard… except her. Fighting with her humbled her; their “battles” consisted of her fumbling around with a spear before quickly being hit with the blunt end of her spear magic. Obviously, it hurt, but she was lucky. After all… she would have hit Clover with the other end of the spear. She shuddered at the thought.

Without any hitches, barring Waterfall’s humidity making her feathers uncomfortably damp, she landed on the rug outside of her boss’ home. The flight exhausted her; she huffed, puffed and sweated. There was no comfort, physical or emotional, to be found in her situation. She checked her phone. 1:56 p.m.. Somehow, she managed to come early. This was perhaps a testament to just how nervous she was. She had four minutes to prepare for her walk across a minefield. Her heart felt like it was about to burst out her chest.

The captain… the adjectives often used to describe her included “heroic”, “strong” and “determined”. She cared deeply about her kingdom and her people… and about upholding the law. Including that law… she imagined how she would have treated Clover. It was revolting.

She… well, she wasn’t exactly mean, let alone cruel, but she cared about getting the maximum potential out of her soldiers. And she was, to say the least, passionate, both about her goal and the means of getting there. Going from Chujin to her gave her whiplash, to say the least. The captain was someone who gave everything her 200 % (as for herself, she had to admit she gave most things her 20 %. But now? She had to match her... if it was even possible.)

As much as her and Chujin's temperaments contrasted, there was something they had in common: their opinions of humanity. But at the very least, Chujin’s perspective, incorrect as it was, came out of concern for his daughter and his witnessing of her Snowdin incident. In contrast, the captain’s opinions… she never really gave a reason for her opinions. Humans were just the enemy and the key to monsterkind’s freedom, without any nuance. And some of the abilities she attributed to human seemed… unrealistic (if Clover were still here with her… she could have learned the truth). She feared she had gotten them from cartoons… or maybe she was right. And if she was… what hopes could monsters even have in a war if seven SOULs didn’t grant omnipotence, as Ceroba claimed? From what she gathered, humans, especially adult ones, were much more powerful and numerous than monsters. The war would either be heinous or unwinnable. And, aside from Asgore himself, she was the biggest reason it was even on the table. At least Asgore clearly felt guilt and discomfort from his actions, he just lacked the conviction to listen to his SOUL. Her? She was vehement about hunting down and killing humans. Perhaps it was because she had never actually met one. She wondered how her boss would feel if she killed a human herself; her murder of Clover was indirect, and yet it made her feel the worst she had ever felt in her life. The mission, the vow… although the captain would disagree, they were for her own good. At the moment, she was untainted… and they would try their best to make sure that she would live the rest of her life free from the stain that never goes away.

But… what could their best even do against someone who so clearly outmatched all of them? Even in a seven-against-one confrontation, the chances were slim-to-none. If the human ever entered Waterfall… she only had vague ideas of somehow distracting her and goading her into entering Hotland. She, learning about humans before them? A terrifying prospect… and all too likely, given the cameras. And… Hotland already had guards, so she couldn’t make up a story about a crime there to bait her. Her wings were an advantage, but most of Waterfall had low ceilings, and the captain really could jump high. Sure, if she missed while jumping, gravity could claim her, but… that was a big if, to say the least. She was a feeling the day the seventh came would hurt… she hoped dearly it was only physically and not emotionally.

A head-on confrontation was futile, and she was confident that neither reason nor empathy would change her stubborn mind. Speed, mobility and dirty tricks were the only methods she could find, and they were immensely risky. Basically, the human entering Waterfall was a worst-case scenario… and she had to plan for it. She supposed she still had her last resort, but… after the Boss Monster serum fiasco, she really didn’t want to rely on it.

The captain… when thinking about her, she once felt admiration. Now? She felt a mixture of fear, resentment… and envy, she had to admit. After all… when she was nineteen, she was captain of the Royal Guard. When she was that age? She was unemployed, and would be for the next three years. And… her boss was younger than her, even if only by a few months. Being yelled at by someone younger and more accomplished and competent than her was humiliating.

Eventually, the clock struck 2:00 p.m. and her boss walked out of the “fangs” that made up her door. The captain of the Royal Guard’s house… it was undoubtedly a unique piece of architecture, and it definitely fit its owner… although she had a hunch Ceroba would think it was ridiculous. She was beginning to be wary about the royals herself, although the captain was totally free to choose her house’s design.

“Come in!”, her boss said. She was wearing casual clothes… actually, this was the first time she’d taken a good look at her outside her armor, head aside (she had a tendency to take her helmet off when for dramatic moments… wasn’t head protection very important? Well, her scales were naturally tough anyway...). A tank top, jeans and boots… she realized the captain’s casual clothes were more or less the same as the ones she wore on the job. Well, she wore her rags and boots for basically every situation, and armor would greatly hinder her mobility, but… the comparison was one more embarrassement.

“A-alright”, she replied. Oh, she was letting her nervousness slip out already… not a great start.

The interior design of the house… well, blue and yellow checkerboard floors and blue walls filled with pink fish symbols weren’t really to her taste. But… she could learn to live with disagreements regarding that, unlike her opinions of humans. After Clover, the two would never become friends unless she backed down… and she was probably more stubborn than even Ceroba, so that was very unlikely.

“Take a seat!”, said her boss, grinning with her good eye closed. Why was she so happy? She didn’t seem like the type that’d cheerfully fire her employees, so… was she somehow ‘off the hook’? She gulped. What excuse could she make up for quitting her job, then?

“S-sure.” She picked a stool and sat down. Well, it was more like squatting. The seat was… uncomfortably close to the ground.

Thus began the most dangerous clash with her boss yet. Whatever she said, she had to make sure violence wouldn’t break out. She didn’t want to get knocked out in one hit a third time after all. She crossed her wings behind her back.

“Well then, Martlet. I bet you know EXACTLY why we’re here!” the captain said. “Though, if you somehow don’t… I’ll TOTALLY EXPLAIN IT TO YOU!”

“N-no, I know. Clover…”

“Wow, I didn't know you collected plants! B-”

“No. Clover is the human’s name,” she clarified.

"Yeah, whatever” replied her boss. The fact that she never learned the fallen children's names in school implied that Clover wouldn't even get that basic courtesy. And this fact pissed her off. She clasped her wings tightly. “Want a drink?” she proposed.

“U-um, m-may I have s-some coffee?” It was strange to think about, but… the last time she drank coffee she hadn’t met Clover. She could have spent so much time with them, see them grow up… ugh. If she thought about them too much, her rage could get the better of her. This was no time to blow her cover... or her top.

“Ah… I genuinely apologize, but I don’t have coffee… but I do have some soda, hot chocolate and golden flower tea!” And indeed, she grabbed the drinks from her fridge. “By the way, last week the Royal Scientist fixed up my fridge so it heats up my food! So now, it’s like… a hot fridge! AND ALL MY FOOD CAN BE HOT LIKE MY PASSION! Isn’t she the greatest inventor ever?”

“U-um sure, she seems nice from what I know.” She was glad Ceroba wasn’t here to hear her… “T-though I can’t say I like the heat, h-heh!” Though at least she didn’t die when she spent hours doing lab duty, even with her feathers and boots.

“Oh, yeah, I can’t stand the heat! Or the cold… but dampness? It’s PERFECT for me! It’s just that I HATE cold food…” The Dunes weren’t Hotland, but… well, she just gave out some rather useful information. At the very least, she could be besieged.

“U-um, w-well, I respect your opinion… A-anyway, I-I’ll t-take the hot chocolate.” She’d probably have taken the tea if she wasn’t stubborn about her promise to Asgore.

“OK! Just make sure the marshmallows don’t get stuck in your feathers. They can really get stuck in beards, you know!”

“Um… o-ok.” She tried to get up, but her boss yelled at her.

“HEY, YOU DON’T HAVE TO GET UP! I’ll get the cup for you! You’re my guest, after all!”

“Um, t-thanks?” Her boss gave her the cup. She realized she wasn’t lying about the fridge when she burned her tongue after one sip. She pretended to drink afterwards to be polite. The boss didn’t notice, thankfully.

“YOU’RE WELCOME!” said the captain. “But... we’re not here for small talk and to hang out. We’re here for VERY important reasons. I have some questions, Martlet.” Oh no. She began to sweat. “First off… why didn’t you follow protocol the first time you met the human?” She… oh god, how could she answer this without lying or revealing anything?

“Um… w-well… um… I… I’m bad at my job?” 

“I mean, I don’t blame you! Humans are VERY strong! Look, don’t feel bad about your combat skills, OK? I'm sorry if my battles with you gave you a wrong impression of them. It's just that only Asgore himself can match mine! I’m just wondering why you didn’t call for backup, that’s all!”

“W-well, I… w-well, I was apprehending them o-on my own, h-heh… heh.” God, she was taking them to Asgore all along, wasn’t she? Why had she been such a naïve idiot? Well… she supposed she learned something about blind trust that day…

“AND YOU DID A GREAT JOB!” NO, SHE DIDN’T! Ugh… she was going to praise her, wasn’t she? God damn it! Why couldn’t she have been fired? It would have made things so much easier!

“R-really?”

“YEAH! Look, it looks like you’re doubting yourself, and well… I have to admit after 145 counts of sleeping on the job, 67 counts of tardiness, 4 absences, 3 puzzle malfunctions and one false arrest of a monster… I was beginning to consider firing you. BUT I’M GLAD I DIDN’T!” Well, the feeling wasn’t mutual.

“Gosh, I’m terrible at my job!” she stated. “Are you sure I shouldn’t be fired?”

“100 %! After all… THANKS TO YOU, WE’RE INCHES AWAY FROM FREEDOM!” And from war.

“Um, b-but…”

“Look, I get it! You didn’t want to get fired, so you apprehended the human yourself without telling anyone to show you had what it takes to be a Guard! Or maybe you just forgot, but… in any case, thanks to you, and, well, I suppose thanks to Asgore we’re just one SOUL away! And nobody died this time!” Bullshit! She didn’t do anything! It was Clover’s mercy and pure nature that ensured no monster died. And how did the world repay someone as heroic and selfless as them? It murdered them, and it dared to celebrate. This was idiotic! If the next human learned their mercy wouldn’t be repaid… what lesson would that imply? That there was no point in being peaceful? That there was no reason to not commit another Snowdin incident? Their death… it wasn’t justice at all!

“Clover died,” she stated. No matter the risk… she had to say this. It’s the least they deserved.

“Well, yeah, thanks to you! Great job preventing them from killing!” PREVENTING? THEY deserved the praise, not her! “And the SOUL was claimed around 2:00 a.m.! You worked hard, like I KNEW you could! Martlet, the reason I called you today… is to reward you! You see… I’m granting you the Hero of Monsterkind title!”

“The WHAT?” Her mind was filled with expletives. Resisting the temptation of slipping one out was difficult.

“It’s a title that has only been awarded four times before, not counting war veterans! Actually, the recipients of the first three awards are dead now…” she said somberly.

“WHAT?”

“Um, sorry for scaring you! It was from natural causes! They were granted decades ago, long before we were born! And it’s not like there anyone to give the title to last time…” Oh. Killing children? Is that what makes you a hero? Was she a hero for killing Clover? She was trembling with rage. Clover was more of a hero than any of them could ever be.

“I don’t deserve the title,” she stated bluntly.

“UGH! STOP BEING SO DAMN SELF-DEPRECATING! Yeah, everyone has their faults, but the important thing is… it’s YOU who gave us the SOUL. And you managed to do it before me! I KNEW hiring you wasn’t a mistake, lieutenant!”

“B-but I-”

“What, did you think I wasn’t going to give you a promotion? And, obviously, you’re off probation!” COULD THIS GET ANY WORSE? She struggled mightily to hold back her rage and tears. There was something she HAD to say sooner or later.

“I’m quitting. I’m handing in my two weeks.”

“What, because you feel you don’t deserve it?”

“Exactly! Look at my list of infractions! Why would you give someone like me any responsibilities?” Perhaps, it was better to sell her incompetence and scatterbrained nature. It wasn’t exactly a hard sell! She really took THEM to Asgore… she didn’t deserve Clover’s friendship.

“OH MY GOD! HAVE SOME SELF-ESTEEM!” She was decent at woodworking and puzzles and… that was it. Otherwise, she was to put it bluntly, a loser. And she could live with it… if she hadn’t been responsible for their death.

“…whatever. Point is… I’m quitting the Guard. You may not understand it, but… I’m a grown woman. I can make my decisions. There’s no changing my mind on this.” If her boss was stubborn… she had to be equally so.

“…well, I can’t stop you, can I? Whatever you do… I’m a bit sad that you had to leave, but… at least, you can serve as inspiration. The guard who didn’t even wear armor, who committed plenty of infractions, who was FULL of self-doubt… and who never gave up when it counted, and who managed to claim a SOUL before the Captain. That’s, like, a GREAT underdog story! DON’T YOU AGREE, LIEUTENANT?”

“…no.”

“Maybe one day you could… I don’t know, LEARN TO APPRECIATE yourself and what you’ve done!” No.

“…by the way, I will not grant permission for anyone to use my likeness in any story.” She joined for the money, but she never wanted fame. But it looks like she was getting it… Ugh.

“Right… well, anyway, now that you’re quitting… I have to announce that, for your service to monsterkind, you’ve earned the right to 2000 G a month. That’s all! Feel free to go, lieutenant”. Really? Wasting tax revenue on blood money? Not one G, she vowed.

“U-um… alright.” This was terrible, but… at least she was beneath the suspicion of the Guard, at least for now. Maybe… she could take advantage of the reputation of her title in the future to pretend to be loyal?

She stood up… but suddenly, she remembered her debt to Clover and her promise to Ceroba.

“A-actually,” she added, “I, um… want to arrange an audience with the King.” At the very least, she didn’t have to keep secrets around him. And maybe… she could get to the bottom of why he was so stubborn about keeping a vow he despised.

“Asgore? Honestly, you can meet him whenever. Guy loves his people! He’s strong as hell, but he’s a big softie at heart!” Yeah, she knew.

“A-alright… I’ll… do it on the 12th at 3:00 p.m.” After everything, she wanted to rest most of all.

“Alright, I’ll call him!”

“A-and, um… do you know when the Royal Scientist is free? I'm planning to go there on behalf of a good friend of mine.” Kanako being alive was, tragically, very unlikely, of course… but if anyone could cure falling down, it was her. And… Ceroba deserved closure, at least, and… well she feared a meeting between her and Alphys would get violent. As for now, she herself didn’t feel a need to dislike the Royal Scientist, however. She just wanted answers, that was all. Of course, she did have a crime to keep secret…

“Ah… she’s a very busy woman, but… I think she’s free at 6:00 p.m. on the 13th. I’ll message you to double-check, just to be sure!” She grinned.

“A-alright.” Boy, was she busy… she wondered if she could get away with not showing to her post anymore. After all, her boss praised her for horrible reasons, so she could argue she “deserved” a break. God… how she wished she had been fired.

How “funny”. If someone had told her she would get a promotion, the title of a hero and 2000 G a month for free slightly over a year after joining the Guard… she would have been overjoyed. But she didn’t know anything, did she? She thought if a human showed themselves to be someone peaceful who cared about monsterkind… mercy and justice would win. But… things weren’t that easy, were they?

“Well, I suppose you think it’s time to leave, right?”

“Um, yeah?”

“Fuhuhuhu… not yet. Martlet, there’s one last thing you have to do.”

“W-WHAT? No, I don’t!” H-had she been found out? She gulped.

“YES, YOU DO! On the 16th, at 5:00 p.m… WE’LL HAVE A PARTY AT MY HOUSE TO CELEBRATE YOUR CAREER AND RETIREMENT! We’ll have drinks! I’LL PLAY PIANO! SPAGHETTI WILL BE PROVIDED! And we’ll even watch some human documentaries! I don’t like humans, but their history is actually EXTREMELY interesting! So it’ll be, like… edutainment… sounds great, right?” The fact that a 22-year-old who believed cartoons were real was more competent and accomplished than her was humiliating. In the cartoons, the good guys always win in the end, she mused. But… reality was different, as she harshly learned. How could she even find a way around her boss? A part of her wanted to quit… but another part was determined not to.

She stayed silent at her proposal. Well… she knew the date now.

“Um… well, I’m finally free to go now, right? RIGHT?” She screeched.

“Yeah, sure! Go and get some rest… and some self-confidence! Maybe I can help you with that in private,” she proposed.

“No, thanks.” She walked out of the door before realizing she had forgotten to say goodbye. Oh well. She had always been a scatterbrain.

She felt defeated. Sure, her plan hadn’t been found out yet, but that was the only silver lining. Now, she had to pretend to be loyal, to somehow not blow her cover, and to bypass her. She still had the Wild East gambit, but, well… that place was rather far away from Snowdin. And, well… how could she even beat the Guard to the punch or avoid the Captain’s spears?

As she flew home, she pondered. She had two paths laid out before her.

One, give up. Hang out with her friends, do some woodworking, and remain comfortable until the inevitable happened. Then, if the war broke out… she’d remain in the Underground. Nothing could justify the extermination of an entire race. And she was sure her friends would agree. And, if the humans won… well, either way, she wouldn’t fight in a war she didn’t agree with. Maybe the humans would kill her… well, she didn’t think anyone deserved to die, but… it could be a lesson about recklessly starting wars. If she took the easy way out, the short-term future would be easy… but the risk of the long-term future being horrible would be extremely high.

Two, refuse to back down, no matter how difficult. It would be stressful, she could easily be jailed, civil war could even break out in the worst-case scenario. And, yet… even if fate was inevitable… she felt she had a responsibility to protect the next child, to guard them from the violence of the Underground. Even if the war was fate… this option wouldn’t make things easy for it. And… what if the seventh made friends? What if their friends had to go through what Clover’s did? Nobody should have to live through that ever again. Whatever the risks, whatever the challenges… if she saw a thread of hope, however small, she would pull on it until the bitter end. It was no time to give up.

And yet, as she neared her home… all she wanted to do was rest, most of all. It had been forever since she had gotten a good night’s sleep, so… maybe it was time for a nap. On the 10th and 11th, she would recuperate. After all, she needed a clearer head to plan for the future.

As she landed, she remembered something very important. She called Moray outside the door of her home.

“Tell Starlo and Ceroba the funeral is on the 16th at 5:00 p.m... We’ll meet up in Waterfall.”

“A-alright, I'll tell them. I’m so sorry for your loss… I hope you can move on from it. If you want a helping hand, I’ll always be there for you.”

“…thank you, Moray. You’re my favorite blue fish in the world. I… I’m a bit tired, so... Goodbye for now.” She realized she was downplaying just how tired she was. Maybe she didn’t want to bother her friends too much.

“…I understand. Bye.” And they hung up.

Clover… they deserved to see Waterfall in life. And they would rest there, in the place they never got to truly visit, in the place they were denied, in the place she got to properly meet them in the Ava. She was so overjoyed when they gave her a 3 for her job experience and a 2 for her puzzles… they would never open their cute little eyes again.

As she entered the door to her home, she felt comfort in the fact nobody could see her. Alone, she had no need to cover up her emotions.

She went upstairs, kicked off her boots and flew towards her bed.

She soaked the sheets with her tears.

Chapter Text

POV: Martlet

She was in Snowdin, assaulting Clover. With her toolbox, she did not construct but destroy. With her feather bullets, she stabbed them. They were hurt, bleeding, frozen… and yet, they did not strike back. A bowling ball struck them, and they fell to the ground. She kneeled, cradled the corpse and cried as their blood stained her rags. It would never wash off. It could never wash off.

She was in the Dunes. She talked with Clover and they pointed their toy gun, the gun they wielded when she met them, the gun they replaced because they were never allowed to be a child, at her. She had left them for dead at the Ava, she failed them, and they did not forgive them. And she fled, left them alone, failed them as a guardian. And yet… they never pulled the trigger.

They were together by the wishing well. They gave her 1 G. She drowned the coin, made a false promise, let herself be scammed by superstition. They deserved happiness. They deserved to grow up. They deserved a good home.

She was at the rooftop of the UG Apartments. A very special place, the place she told them the truth, the place… the place she realized they were best friends, true allies… she stepped forward, and… she was stabbed in the back. The pain...  it felt familiar. But… it couldn’t be. She was alive. She was alive, unlike Clover.

And again, she… no. It wasn’t her. It was a being, a being with wings too large for tinkering, with talons too large for boots, with the armor of a true and loyal Royal Guard. The body… it inspired fear and awe, it exuded power, it towered over Clover. The being battled Clover relentlessly. Its flight did not cease. Its fight did not cease. With its feathers, it stabbed them. With its talons, it stabbed them. And Clover, somehow, shot bullets and even beams not from their gun but from their SOUL. Somehow… it felt like both sides wanted each other dead. This wasn’t her. This wasn’t them. And the being… she-it wielded tools, again not for construction but for destruction. Why did it use… why did she feel so identified with it? This wasn’t her. She never wanted their death. She never wanted it… she never wanted it. And yet… she killed them anyway. And Clover… they never wanted her death either. And yet… with their eyes shadowed, they shot he-the being anyway. This wasn’t them.

And then… the being… somehow, it began to melt, to be grounded. A martlet always soars. A martlet never roosts. But… she felt it would never fly again. And yet… though it ceased its flight, it did not cease its fight. It launched blocks of ice, meteors, stars. Too powerful, too large, too violent. Why did she identify so much with it?

The rooftop was in shambles, Clover was full of wounds, her the being’s body was losing all stability. And yet… nobody was backing down. The violence did not cease. The bleeding did not cease. The melting did not cease.

But… this was all a nightmare. She woke up back in reality, at the UG apartments. There were no signs of destruction. She had her normal body, of course. Clover was there. She felt… she felt they had no ill intent. Why would they? They were a good kid, always. She approached… she approached them with good intentions. And she was stabbed in the back, again. She went limp.

She was back at the rooftop. She approached Clover again. And she was stabbed.

And she was stabbed. And she was stabbed. And she was stabbed. And she was stabbed. And she was stabbed. And she was stabbed. And she was stabbed. And she was stabbed. And she was stabbed. And she was stabbed.

She was at another rooftop, the rooftop with the sakura tree, the rooftop where Clover fought Ceroba. And yet… the second was nowhere to be found. Impossible. They all left at the same time. And yet… all that remained of her was a broken mask. Somehow… Starlo seemed to hate her and Clover. No… this wasn't real. Despite everything… they were good friends. They were allies.

And she was at the castle, alone with Clover and Asgore. Alone, she left and made them face their murderer alone, because she was weak, and she was a coward. With his trident, he would stab Clover in the front after she stabbed them in the back.

The captain… with her spears, she would stab them. Ceroba… she planned to stab them in the back all along, to make Chujin’s serum, to stab monsterkind. Feather bullets, handsaws, talons, spears, tridents, syringes… there were many ways to stab. And in the end, what did she do to Clover? Take them to Asgore with only a faulty “plan”. She stabbed an innocent child in the back.

The corpse, stabbings, the captain in her black armor, Chujin’s tapes, her trust in Asgore crumbling… her mind wandered from place to place, transported her from one location to another without any logic. And yet, she did not suspect anything. She was trapped in her subconscious, until…

Groggily, she woke up from her nap. She looked around. Her house. Right… it had all been a nightmare. Now in reality… she realized that Clover was dead forever. The realization almost made wish to fa-

No. She suppressed the thought. A martlet does not fall down. It is always in flight. A martlet and the ground are enemies. And she had a duty to Clover, to her friends, to the parents who named her. She would not fall down. Clover… they loved her despite everything. Even if she cowardly backed down from her plan… at the very least, she vowed not to flee from reality.

She put her boots on, made herself five cups of coffee and checked her phone. It was… 4:07 p.m... on the 10^th. Even if she wasn’t known for waking up early, this was a new record. And she had slept for 24 hours. And… somehow, her sleep was so deep that not even her cuckoo clock broke it. She shuddered. She really wasn’t doing well, was she?

She realized she really did need to drink and eat. She drank a glass of water, made herself some cereal and grabbed a bag of trail mix. She made sure to take out the raisins, like always. The activity… if only for a little while, it distracted her from the horrible events of that day. And… well, the stability reassured her. She… she was still scatterbrained, she still loved puzzles, movies, nice clothes and boots, she still hated sleeves, raisins, mornings and the heat… a-and she… she didn’t know if she deserved to say it… but… she loved Clover. They… deserved to spend time with their friends in peace, to be a child, to live without the fear of being murdered. But could she say she loved them, when she led them to her death? And now, somehow… she was hailed a hero, given a title that mocked her. A simple, happy ending, peace between the two kinds… it was almost within reach. It was almost within reach, and it was murdered.

And now… she had just met them, and she had to organize their funeral, the funeral of a child... Her sleep-deprived self had given herself a rather tight deadline. Well, after what happened, she wanted to find a way to “get back” at her boss, and well… she didn’t think through it rationally. Still, now that she was more or less lucid, she realized it was time for a change of plans. She realized that, perhaps, getting the corpse back was a bad idea. She knew she couldn’t handle it emotionally, and she suspected her other friends couldn’t, and, besides… her boss could see her burying a human child, and… well, their cover would be blown and the funeral would be ruined. No. They deserved a funeral without incidents.

Instead… perhaps, she would get back objects containing their essence. The hat… the hat which identified them, the reason she identified them as a human and assaulted the poor child, the hat she never saw them take off. A-and… the gun. The real gun, which replaced their toy gun. The symbolism… it was terrible. And yet… they never used the gun, even in a world that wanted them dead, a world that killed them just because of their race, even though they had done nothing to deserve it. She hoped… if one day… if one day, peace and justice won… it would serve as a symbol, a symbol of innocence lost, of the violence of the past, of a kind soul met with nothing but violence in return.

She called Moray (she was beginning to realize she was burdening the poor fish. She definitely had to get Starlo’s and Ceroba’s phone numbers instead of using them as an intermediary) about her change of plans… and she felt a sudden urge to go outside to her worktable, to construct, to make the world ever-so-slightly better. Nothing she constructed would ever make up for their death, but… this was no reason not to improve the world. And, even if it was selfish… her, outside, feeling the cold air against her feathers, sweating and building… it felt good. And… well, after spending 24 hours in bed, it was probably time for a change.

As she went outside, she glanced at her safe. The serum... Determination. “The will to keep living... The resolve to change fate”. If she stabbed herself, would she…? And yet… there was so much silence regarding her experiments. She was no scientist, so she only had to speculate… was it a bust? Were there negative effects? Was the whole premise faulty? She hoped to find answers in her meeting with the Royal Scientist, especially for Ceroba and Kanako’s sake, but… well, if she played her cards poorly, she could attract suspicion, and well... she would be even more useless as a jailbird.

And, in any case… she dearly hoped she wouldn’t have to come to relying on a serum with unknown effects. After all, Mom and Chujin always told her not to play with needles without consulting a doctor or a scientist. Relying on it was, in a way, admitting defeat… but she was always a loser, wasn’t she? And Clover was always the one who paid the consequences…

Time to work. Time not to repeat the mistakes of her past. She spent the remainder of the day and the next one either on her couch or her bed or hard at work. She crafted three masks: a bird, a star, a fox. There… there was room for improvement, but… they hid their identity well enough. Well, they would probably be oversized (she wanted to stay on the safe side), but… honestly, her capacity to make them quickly was reassuring. And, hopefully, she’d have time to improve.

And… she created something else. It came to her on a whim, and after thinking it… she knew she had to create it. It was… it was a wooden coffin. It was small. Tiny. Child-sized. She knew their body was at Asgore’s and their SOUL could now be used as a weapon to wage war (She had to stop this. Don’t let them become this. Please. She didn’t believe in prayer… but in her mind, she prayed and pled pathetically), but… she felt it was a duty, the least they deserved, even if she knew the coffin would be forever empty. As she grabbed a handsaw, an intrusive thought struck her. She quickly suppressed it, but… she shuddered. Had she… had she dreamed too much about stabbing?

She knew it was a bad idea to dwell on such things. She wiped sweat from her brow and she crafted a box (too small) and a lid. On the lid, she chiseled a SOUL symbol. The next time she visited the hardware store, she would buy yellow paint. The fact she knew the SOUL symbol because they wanted to… they were only a kid, and as Ceroba stated… the mountain would have had to have a reputation for disappearing children on the Surface. They… did they ever have a chance to be happy? To have a normal childhood? She struggled to hold back her tears.

Lastly… she wrote an epitaph. As much as she wanted to write Clover’s name, as much as they deserved it… she was too paranoid. Too cowardly, perhaps. As such… she simply wrote these words.

I’m sorry the world is like this. But people like you made it better.

Hugging the empty coffin, she returned home, sat down on her couch, absentmindedly observed her turned-off TV and thought of what to say in her meeting with Asgore. She then took the coffin upstairs and put it down next to their bed. How pitiful… she was trying to replace them with an empty box. But she knew nothing could ever replace them.

As much as she tried not to cry… in the end, she was always a loser.

Chapter Text

POV: Starlo

I know I'm better than this. A dignified sheriff would face their opponent fairly.

This is the only way to fix things. The only way I know...

This sheriff stuff? It's worthless. We all tout justice, but... True Underground status is only secured through pain. Monsterkind's Hero is a title soaked in blood.

Bring him back. Bring back the innocent farmer I once knew.

North Star… the brave sheriff, the lawman, someone cool... he was always a lie. In reality, he was Starlo. The failure of a farmer, the man who ignored his family, failed to care about his posse's feeling, was so lost in his persona he was rightfully scolded by his friend… and, worst of all, the man who tried to murder a child, a child he saw more as a toy to forcefully involve in his antics than a person whose feelings to consider, all because he was too stubborn to apologize. If he hadn’t hesitated to fire his last bullet, if Ceroba hadn’t intervened… how would he have lived with himself? After he talked it through with the posse, they said that Clover was never the problem, it was him, and that such a vile act would have meant the permanent end of the Feisty Five. Nobody wanted the deputy dead.

Nobody wanted the deputy dead. And, yet… he had been reckless, and instead of grabbing them and fleeing like he had been instructed… they were just a kid.

After Feathers stormed off the meeting after an urgent call from her boss, someone she clearly feared (after all, she had made a plan to bypass her), the meeting ended, due to the fact that they lacked insider information. Damn it, he was going to have to keep a secret and pretend to be loyal to that goddamn child butcher. He knew it was for the greater good… but he was going to be ashamed of himself. The heroes of the movies, the families, friends, lovers and children of the Surface… they had to live another day.

But… it was clear that he was bad at making plans; despite his proposals, he let Feathers, Ceroba and Mooch dominate the conversation. He was a good farmer… but… he was in no mood to work. Not after everything that happened.

So, instead… once the meeting was over, he announced that he would take a break and grieve in his parent’s house. The posse was understanding, of course, and so was Ceroba.

For the last three days, he only left his room whenever Crestina or Orion knocked on his door to tell him food was ready so that he would go downstairs. He appreciated the food, of course; it was among the best in the Underground. Otherwise… he spent his time alone without his hat, crying his eyes out. If Feathers’ strategy worked… he could make the Wild West a safe place for humans, have the chance to become a true hero of justice (at the expense of enforcing the King’s business to avoid suspicion… well, he had to memorize the law now. Not that he was that good at it)… but if it didn’t? It was terrifying. He didn’t want war… he was, in reality, a nerd, never properly trained in combat. Well… maybe it was time to start… in self-defense only. His recklessness was a problem, as Ceroba recognized.

As he mourned alone in his room, thinking about the fact Clover would never get to visit the Wild East again, and the fact he never truly knew them (what was their favorite and least favorite color, their favorite and least favorite food? Would they have liked his movies? What was life on the Surface like? He only knew they had no friends there anymore and a bad family… god, that poor kid. God damn it, they deserved to grow up. They… forgave him for trying to kill them, even when he wouldn’t have the same in their situation), someone knocked on his door. He opened it to find Celestina.

“Hey, Starlo… it’s almost noon and you haven’t eaten breakfast yet. I made you some corn cereal.”

“T-thanks, ma. Love you.” He had told his family the truth about Clover the day after. They… well, they scolded him for giving them a gun and for his murder attempt, rightfully. But… in the end, they felt sorry for his loss and promised not to snitch. Said they talked to them for a bit and that they didn’t know them all that well, but they seemed like a nice kid. Yes, they were the nicest kid in the whole goddamn planet. And yet… that didn’t save them. Sometimes, in the world of cowboys, the bandit kills the lawman. If there wasn’t justice in the world… he and his friends would make sure there would be, ‘till the end.

“By the way… Ceroba knocked on the door. Says she wants to discuss something with you alone in your room after you’ve finished your breakfast.”

“A-alright. I-I’d never reject an offer to talk with my best friend.” After they left the bar… he had to admit to his embarrassment that he’d never talked to her since. When Ka-Kanako fell down (why the hell didn’t the two get to meet each other? They could have been friends, best friends even! And now? They’re both dead! They were just kids!), she made sure to check up on Ceroba every day (unfortunately… she spent most of her days in the Saloon. He tried to at least limit her consumption. He was terrified for her health, and so was Dina, who he made secretly water down the Adult Soda), but… well, this wasn’t the first time he isolated himself in his room and stopped talking to Ceroba. Except… this time, the reason was much worse.

He opened the door, ate his breakfast (delicious, as always. He really was grateful for his family.) and opened the door to his home to find Ceroba waiting.

“I’ve been waiting here for almost an hour now,” said Ceroba. “You…you’ve been eating slowly, huh?”

“I… dammit, the food is so good, a-and yet I have to force myself…”

“God… don’t blame yourself, Star. I… completely understand.”

“Yes… a-after Kanako and Clover… god, in only one year too.”

“Yes… this year, it’s been Hell. W-well, I’ve definitely contributed to it.”

“I mean… I tried to murder the honorary sheriff too. In terms of sins, we’re even.”

“I… in the Wild East, the Steamworks, New Home, I had so much time to back out… you did what you did in a fit of stupidity, what I did… it was premeditated. I… I could have warned them about Asgore beforehand, a-and…” Tears began to form in her eyes. The Ceroba he knew in his childhood and most of his adulthood never cried. But… ever since she lost Chujin, she had changed.

“I-it’s alright. You tried to do the right thing when Clover… god, why did we take them there?”

“I… yes I should have shot down the attempt, but… I suppose I wanted to see Asgore squirm. I-I was s-so consumed by vengeance that I made it about myself. And now… poor Martlet. S-she was j-just too naïve. A-and now… the bird must be going through Hell.”

“Yeah… Feathers loved Clover, didn’t she? And the feeling was mutual. I noticed how much Clover checked up on her in my jail… God… what a horrible loss for everyone. That damned murderer! If I was strong eno-”

“Unfortunately… as much I wish it wasn’t the case, there’s just no matching a Boss Monster in strength. I hit the gym. Chujin never did. And he was always stronger… well, until his last days.”

“I… I wonder how thing would’ve turned out if he hadn’t come up with that stupid serum. We… all could have been happy together…”

“Perhaps. A world where Clover met Chujin… well, Chujin had a rather low opinion of humanity. I don’t blame him too much for it. He was the grandson of a veteran a-and… poor Kanako could have almost d-died…”

“Maybe Clover could have changed his mind…”

“Hmm… well, they did have that effect on people. Well, you’ve always been a big fan of humanity, and Martlet is an unabashed sympathizer. I’m not that idealistic about the race, not after Snowdin, but… I never thought humans were inherently evil. And… the coward’s war is folly. It’s either us or them getting wiped out, depending on if the superstition is true. God, I do dearly Martlet is right about peace being possible, because it’s the only light at the end of the tunnel… but I… maybe I’m too cynical.”

“No… look at how us three managed to befriend Clover, even you at the end. It ain’t wrong to hope.”

“…I’m just bracing myself for disappointment. I-I guess i-it’s because my life has been Hell… anyway, let’s go to your room and discuss some things.”

“Alright, partner.”

After they both entered his room, Ceroba spoke up.

“In case you didn’t know, Moray told me the funeral is on the 16^th at 5:00 p.m. in Waterfall. Martlet’s organizing it.” Damn it… how was he handle seeing the corpse again?

“…I’ll go, of course. But… don’t know if I’ll… look at the kid’s body again.”

“Don’t worry about that. Moray later told me Martlet couldn’t handle it either, so she’s proposing to send their hat and gun down a river instead, if the coward allows it.”

“A…alright… Gonna be prepared to cry a lot, huh?”

“Yes. Moray also told me Martlet’s been apologetic about using them as an intermediary. Moray says they don’t mind ‘hearing her anguished yet beautiful voice’, as they told me, but they say she wants our phone number to make communication easier… How do we break the news to her?”

“Ya know… it’s kinda funny the wife of a roboticist doesn’t have a cell phone…”

“I-I… well… I’m hopeless with tech. You refuse to own one because ‘it would clash with the aesthetic of the town’. Perhaps it’s time to allow them? You could easily afford one.”

“Yes… Orion does have one. And… maybe I could make up a storyline about allowing phones? I… I don’t know if I’m in the right state to do it, so I’ll tell the posse… though it’d probably be best to keep Mooch in the dark about it.”

Ceroba couldn’t help but chuckle at his words.

“By the way… what do you think about Martlet’s plan?”

“I… she’s admirable. She has grit, no doubt.”

“I respect the hell out her, too, especially for slapping the coward in the face… but I’m scared. T-there’s a real possibility of someone snitching and the Royal Guard finding out. We… we could end up in jail. And… I don’t think I… I could handle one more dead child.” The way she spoke sounded so pained…

“W-well, me neither… but that’s why we gotta fight, right?”

“But… if Martlet’s proposal doesn’t work out, we’d have Undyne after us sooner or later, and I know just how much she outmatches us. And… some would see us as traitors. A civil war could break out…”

“And what? Just give up?”

“No… I never said that. It’s just…” Ceroba frowned. “I…I’ve experienced so much loss. My parents, Chujin, Kanako, Clover… I… only have you, a-and I guess Martlet now. God fucking damn it… I-I… just… I’ve lost so goddamn much… a-and l-losing a third child…” She began to sob.

“I…it’s OK. We’ll try our best…”

“But… what if it’s not good enough? I couldn't win even at full strength with Clover… God damn it, I tried to murder an innocent child and I didn’t hold back at all.” Ceroba fell to her knees and hugged his legs.

“It’s OK, Ceroba. I… you screwed up, but eventually you backed down.”

“And… and they’re still dead. They’re fucking dead, Star, a-and now… I screwed up by accepting, and y-you and Martlet have to be feeling so guilty…”

“I… yes. I… I failed in my goal to escort them home.”

“And Martlet thought Asgore could be reasoned with, and I didn’t check if Clover hadn’t come back until it was too late” She sighed. “I… god damn it, nobody deserved any of this, least of all Clover…” Ceroba was now a sobbing mess. It reminded him of the first weeks after she lost Kanako… and now, she was going to experience that pain all over again.

“Definitely not. But… at least we have each other, right?”

Ceroba stopped crying.

“Yes, Star. Perhaps… perhaps I haven’t been appreciative enough of you.”

“I…it’s OK.”

“M-maybe. It’s thanks to your aid I made it through the worst time in my life. A-and I think it’s about time I repaid you back by helping out in the farm. I-I need some money, at least for my gym membership a-and… w-well, it’s hard work, b-but I can’t keep drowning my sorrows at the Saloon. It’s… very unhealthy. I-I’ve felt horrible ever since… ever since Chujin.”

“Thanks you so much… you may not believe, but you’re the best friend I could’ve had. I truly believe you have what it takes to be a hero.”

“A hero, huh?” Ceroba closed her eyes. “I… I have bad memories of that word. A-and in real life… heroes don’t always win. I’m sorry, but that’s just how it is.”

“Y-yes, I know. Clover was a hero. The truest I’ve ever met.”

“Indeed they were… but the fact they were a child, and were put in a situation were they had to be one… we really do burden kids with too much, do we?”

“We sure do… King Asgore will pay!”

“…it’s hopeless. We tried our best against him, and we… we got wiped out. Martlet’s strategy is the way to go, unfortunately.”

“Y-yes, I know… I’m just pissed off.”

“And so am I,  but that won’t save us, sadly.” Ceroba sighed  again. “… a-anyway, Star… c-can I s-say s-s-o-o-someth-” He had never heard her stutter so much before. This… was she going to say something big?

“Ceroba… why are you so nervous?”

“W-what? It’s um… it’s nothing. A-about Kanako…”

“What about her?”

“W-well, u-um… sometimes she took your family’s corn to a friend in Snowdin…”

“Yeah, I know. Was it Feathers?”

“No… they only ever saw each other at Chujin’s funeral… even though I’m damn sure they would have great friends. T-they… could have worked together after Kanako grew up. Girl was a prodigy, and now… we’ll never get to see what she was capable of… but I’m getting lost in nostalgia again, aren’t I?”

“I…it’s OK. Mourn all you want.”

“B-but… I was so obsessed with what I lost, that I… I failed to appreciate what I had. You, Martlet, Clover… I owe them all so much.”

“Maybe… but you can be better. I believe in you!”

“…yes, I do appreciate how forgiving you and Martlet are. But… once again, we’re getting sidetracked. Point is, the friend is a ‘he’… a-and his name is Dalv, if I’m recalling correctly. Kanako’s death… I-I’ve mostly kept it secret, so I’m not sure he knows. I… I’ll try to look for him in Snowdin so I can tell him what happened. If I recall correctly from Kanako’s drawings… he was purple? I…I h-haven’t had the heart to go t-there since…”

“Yeah… I get it. Hope you find it.” He noticed that the secret wasn’t really worth the stuttering. Maybe he was being paranoid, but… something seemed strange. “Um… why did you stutter so much back then?”

Ceroba gave a startled look and began to sweat.

“I… w-well, u-um… it’s nothing.”

“Ceroba… what’s going on? You’re acting like when I saw you in Hotland!”

“I… I’m sorry, but…”

“I… maybe I’m being too hasty, but…”

“Um… maybe…” Ceroba laughed nervously. “A-anyway, Martlet meets with the coward today.”

“She sure does… damn, hope she wins, despite… you know, what it'd force me to do.”

“I… if it happens, I’ll be there for you. And, well… hopefully… well, I’m not very hopeful after everything… but I’d be nice if we got a victory. A-a war would be terrible for everyone.”

“Damn right! We’ll make sure it never happens.”

“Hopefully.” Ceroba sighed. “A-anyway, are you willing to go to Snowdin?”

“I… um, I’m not sure I’m in the mood. M-maybe I’ll help around the farm instead. Get my mind off things a bit, y’know.” Well, eventually he had to leave his room. He didn’t want to leave the posse or the family worried, after all. “Maybe… maybe after the funeral”.

“…I understand. I’ll bring corn as a gift, like Kanako did. It’s a way to honor her memory, I think.”

“Yes… that’d be lovely.”

“W-well, anyway, we’ve t-talked about everything I wanted to talk about. I-I hope things get better for you, Star. I know how bad grief can affect you… I’ve spent basically the whole year grieving.”

“T-thank you. I-I’ll try my best. A-and I’ll try to save the seventh for all your sakes.”

“I… well, I trust you to do your best, Star. Moray will probably tell us the result of the meeting sooner or later, so I’ll come back later.”

“Thank you. By the way… you’re not keeping secrets, are you?”

“I-I… u-um… I’ll talk to you later.”

“…alright. I-I’m not here to argue… it’s just we’re all friends here.”

“Y-yes. Once again, I really appreciate. Well… I’ll see you later.”

“I’ll see you later too. C-can I get a hug?”

“Sure. I’ll give you all the hugs you need. God… two children dead in one year, huh?”

They embraced each other. At the very least… the fact he wouldn’t mourn alone comforted her.

But Ceroba was still keeping secrets, wasn’t she? He didn’t want to lose her… but whatever it was, he could tell she was acting very suspicious. He didn’t want it to come to blows again…

After Ceroba left, he was alone again. Nervously, he awaited the verdict of Feathers’ meeting with the murderer. He was possibly going to have to pretend to be North Star… but could he truly be a real hero of justice? And, even if he was capable… sometimes, the bandits defeat the sheriff.

Chapter Text

Content Warning: Suicidal ideation

POV: Martlet

The mood in New Home sickened her. The grey city she knew was covered with colorful pennants, banners and balloons and filled with joyful monsters displaying their bullet patterns. It was infuriating how ignorant monsterkind was, how they saw their murder was something to celebrate. She wished to somehow destroy every pennant, talk to a random monster and tell them Clover’s name, show them their adorable face, show them just how much they cared for monsterkind and how forgiving they were and dare the monster to continue celebrating the killing of someone as pure as them… but that would instantly blow her cover, and she didn’t come to New Home to make a scene.

No. Scatterbrained as she was, she had made sure to carry her bag for this meeting. She had a mission to fulfill and a funeral to organize (she should have been thinking about what to give them for Gyftmas). And she wasn’t going to let the murderer forget what he did, not so soon. Unless he showed mercy, he wasn’t going to let him off the hook. And… well, not having to keep secrets around him felt liberating.

Focused on her mission, she tried to ignore the city’s mood and focus on getting to the castle. She touched down outside the elevator, the one where she ate Nice Creams with her friends (she suddenly remembered she never reported the possible theft to the Royal Guard… well, surely the owner would have filed a report by now, and she had been distracted by much more important things) and went down the elevator where Clover called her their best friend and hugged her (even with their small arms… their hug was so warm. How could anyone murder someone like them? And… he wasn’t the only to try to kill them or assault them. Why did she care so much for the protocol, when they were so bruised and hurt?). She retraced her steps, the steps of her first and only walk with Ceroba, Starlo and Clover, the last walk their little legs ever took. It was so difficult to stay strong, but she had to. But as she approached the throne room, she remembered the coffin room. Now Clover was there and now, one only empty space remained (may it never be filled, she prayed). She shuddered at the thought. She didn’t dare take that detour this time.

She entered the throne room to find Asgore sitting there, expecting her. Once again, she heard birdsong (she realized she saw no birds —animals, not monsters like her— in the room. Where did the sound come from, then?) and saw Asriel’s flowers. She realized this is what the children saw and heard as they were marched to the Barrier and executed. Did they feel fear? Resignation? Anger? Sadness? Did the atmosphere calm them? Those poor children, who just wanted to go home, who never saw their family and friends again, whose names and faces were forgotten and whose deaths were celebrated. The war had to end, the seventh’s life had to be saved. But… pleading and praying in her mind wasn’t going to do anything, was it?

Asgore was the first of speak up.

“Howdy. The Captain of the Royal Guard informed me you would come. I… understand that you are not happy with me…”

“Oh, I’m definitely not.”

“Yes. I understand. Very few people would be happy in your situation. Although I fear I already know the answer… would you like a cup of tea?”

“…well, I’ve already stated my conditions, so…” She opened her bag and pulled out a cup of Honeydew Coffee. “I prefer coffee anyway.” As she took a sip, she realized the coffee was uncomfortably lukewarm… well, she had taken it all the way from Snowdin, so… she never could stop being a scatterbrain, could she? “It’s… it’s gotten cold,” she admitted.

“…I have fire magic,” said the King.

“…a-alright. I…I’ll try to be as polite as I can be given the circumstances. I’ll promise not to slap you in the face this time.” Awkwardly, she watched Clover’s murderer heat up her cup. She realized he probably used his magic against them…

“Very well. I must ask… given the circumstances, why did you come here today?”

“…various reasons. First off, I must ask you: what do you think you’re doing?”

“I… I am staying true to my vow. As much as I wish I never said it… it is too late now. Far too late.”

“No. It’s not too late. It’s too late for Clover, but there’s still time for you to back down and declare peace.”

“…I am sorry, but… if I ended the war, with only one SOU-”

“Child.”

“…yes. They are always children, they are not? ...the first one, they were only eight, and peaceful, but…” Asgore paused, leaving the grim truth unsaid.

“That never saved them. They never deserved it, and it didn’t save them. You… you had so many opportunities to back down…”

“Indeed… when I made my declaration… I wanted to give my people hope. And now… monsters have been raised in an education system which sees humans only as the enemy or as the SOULs.”

“Then tell the truth! Tell them their names, show them their faces! I’m sure many monsters would reconsider!”

“And yet… if that happened, I feel many monsters would fall down after realizing what they are celebrating… and some would not care. They want to see the Surface, no matter the cost.”

“…I’ve seen the cost with my own eyes. And now? I’m not paying, and more importantly… they shouldn’t pay either! None of them should have!” If the war ever broke out, and she survived… she swore never to leave the Underground. The Surface was not worth genocide. Nothing was.

“You are right. And yet… I fear many monsters wouldn’t be as understanding as you. I fear a civil war could break out.”

“…But they say monster SOULs are made of love, hope, and compassion. Was this all a lie?” After all… how many times had been Clover attacked, even though they had done nothing to deserve it? How many monsters cheered when they were murdered?

“…the nature of the SOUL is unknown. In any case… I know what it is like to make a vow without thinking of the consequences…”

“Indeed. Actually, I’ve been thinking… I don’t know the fifth child’s motive, but… perhaps, if the war never started... would they have done it? And, perhaps… if the seventh learned pacifism wouldn’t save them, or if they were an adult looking for vengeance for the children… what could happen to us?”

“…Yes. I never realized the war could backfire on us when I declared it, but now… and yet, if I rescinded the declaration now, I feel monsters would lose hope and some would even fall down. After all… you have seen the mood in New Home, haven’t you? They believe the Sun will come in their lifetime…”

“…well, if I had to choose between Clover’s life and the Surface, I know what I’d choose every single time. Without hesitation, to paraphrase my Royal Guard handbook… incidentally, I’m a lieutenant and a ‘hero of monsterkind’ now. Needless to say, I feel insulted.”

“…yes, I know. It was Undyne’s decision, as she later told me. She’s brave, strong, and loyal to her people, but I fear she’s rather rash.”

“Yeah… I know her well. I’ve trained with her, after all. And I fear she’d be rash to…” Clover’s corpse came to her head. They were very lucky to never meet her, and yet not even that saved them. God, what could she even do against her? “…you know.”

“Indeed. And yet, she is a beacon of hope in her own right. Many monsters admire her… and there is another issue. Overpopulation looms in the Underground.”

“…yes, I know that’s an issue, but… we can form a commission to fight it. I’ve heard of a plan to restore the Meadows, the Steamworks could be repurposed as living space… and the forests of Snowdin are expansive. I… I don’t know much about environmentalism, but maybe… some trees could be chopped down?” She spent so much of her childhood in the woods of Snowdin… but she was willing to sacrifice to save their life. Nostalgic as they were, if it meant a sustainable and peaceful future, she was willing to sacrifice.

“…I appreciate any attempt to make the Underground more livable.”

“Yes… you know, even if I don’t support our imprisonment… perhaps we’re too focused on the Surface to appreciate what we have. The Underground is a peaceful place with kind and resilient people… and I feel we don’t appreciate our achievements enough. When I was a kid, I lived through so many blackouts… and then the CORE was finished, and they just… disappeared. It’s really a marvel of engineering, isn’t it?” She was grateful to whoever built it, but… she just couldn’t remember their name. What a scatterbrain she was…

“Yes. Although I do not know much about technology, they say that with proper maintenance, it could provide energy for over a million years.”

“Yes… I believe that, if we wanted to… we could endure whatever hardships the future offers. And… certainly, it’d be a better use of resources than murdering children. You have the power and the opportunity to end the conflict at any time, Asgore. It’s not too late,” she reiterated.

“As much as I want to… I fear my people would feel betrayed.”

“…I just want you to be brave, to take a principled stand, to hit the brakes before it’s too late. I’m not planning to overthrow you, I just want mercy for once!”

“…I have done unforgivable things. I… may I tell you a secret?”

“Yes. Actually… even though I haven’t forgiven you… there’s a certain sense of comfort in the fact that I don’t have to keep secrets here. I’m no loyal Royal Guard, no hero.” She gave a pained smile.

“If… it the time to eradicate humanity comes, I will end my own life. What I have done and will do… nothing can justify it. If there is a Hell… I will go there.”

The confession… it shocked her, but… it was clear he was a broken man, a man who believed he was shackled. It was pitiful. And… well, all the more reason to prevent him from meeting another human.

“A-asgore… yes, you’ve done unforgivable things. But you can stop at any time. I don’t want your death or deposal. I don’t want vengeance. I just want you to stop already. Your people love you despite everything… I only want justice for the fallen children and peace between humankind and monsterkind.” She pointed her wing at him. “Asgore… the power is in your hands. Either you can continue the cycle of vengeance, which has brought nothing but harm to humankind and monsterkind, including me, my friends, and you… or you can choose true justice and pave a road for lasting peace between two kinds. Your actions from now on will decide everything. For the third time, it’s not too late to do the right thing.”

“Perhaps… but I fear the consequences. If they knew the faces and names of the children… if they felt they would never see the Surface in their lifetime… how would my people react?”

“…as much as I refused to believe it beforehand, Ceroba was right all along. Asgore… I’m sorry, but you’re a coward.” Why did insulting him feel so good, so liberating? She didn’t want to make it a habit… she was raised to be polite, and she didn’t want to lose that.

“Yes… as for her… I have never felt so hated by someone in a long time.” The king looked straight at her eyes. “Martlet… you remind of someone I knew once upon a time. You have the same feeling of righteous indignation in your eyes. Truthfully… I have never wanted to be King. I have always wanted to be a gardener…”

“I see… then why don’t you abdicate?”

“…because I fear what would happen if I did. Martlet… do you know who would replace me?”

“…I’ve never thought about that.” She pondered for a few seconds… “I’ve heard of a Queen… maybe her?” she asked doubtfully.

“…perhaps. And yet… every morning, I pray for her return. It has been almost a hundred years, and they have been unanswered. And… I do not know if monsterkind would support her policies. You see… she never wanted the war. When I made it without consulting it or thinking it through… she left. Would my kind accept her policies, after the Barrier is so close to breaking?”

“…it appears you’re motivated by fear of uncertainty. And I think I know why, The vow… you experienced a terrible loss and dealt with it in the worst way possible.” Just like Ceroba…

“Yes. I was thinking about my children… I had just lost them, and was in no place to think rationally. My people… they brayed for blood back then. The Royal Guard… when it was founded, it was a truly a mighty force. Now… it is but a shadow of its former self…”

“Oh…” She chuckled. “Thanks for the insult,” she joked.

“…Oh, I did not mean to insult you. In any case, even if I understand why you’re leaving… you’ve earned your spot in the Guard. When I met you that night, you were courageous, you were principled, you were willing to break the law for true justice.”

“B-but I’m weak. I… I couldn’t save them… and, I-I could never last seven seconds against my boss…”

“Yes, the Captain… I trained her myself, almost raised her as my own daughter… and now, she’s a hero to her people. If the Queen doesn’t return or is rejected… I feel she is my most likely heir.”

“No!” she couldn’t help to blurt out. A world with her as queen terrified. She wasn’t like Asgore. She… she feared she would have no compunction about exterminating humanity until it was far too late. And, unlike Asgore, she wouldn’t be willing to hide in the castle whenever a human came. How could they win in a future where the human was hunted down until they died? She was weak… too weak…

“Well… as I’ve said, I don’t want to overthrow you, I just want you to choose mercy. A-actually, perhaps I’m being far too polite and forgiving here. It’s just… despite everything, I don’t want to fall into the pit of cynicism.” After all… she knew what it had done to Ceroba. “If I had brought Starlo and Ceroba with me, this meeting would have been far more heated… though I don’t blame them one bit for their attitude towards you.”

“Indeed… I know I would not experience the loss of a child so calmly…”

“…it’s a reaction to the vow, I suppose. A-anyway, speaking of Starlo, I have a proposal. It’s clear you never want to see a human in your life… well, he’s the self-proclaimed ‘sheriff’ of the Wild East.”

“Yes. I have heard of it. I have not intervened, because I appreciate his attempts to bring monsterkind hope.” She realized her arrest was illegal. She decided not to rat him out, of course. Him going to jail was, of course, a bad thing for the mission. They were small in numbers. Every member mattered.

“Yes… and he wanted to kill Clover and… from what I’ve heard from the Captain, me bringing Clover to you was because I was supposedly a ‘loyal’ Royal Guard and a ‘hero’. It’s all a lie, of course… but as much as I want to tell the truth, I realize keeping that lie is in our best interest. So, perhaps… could you use this an excuse to make his title official and make him enforce your laws, except for that despicable one?”

“Yes. It would be better if I never saw a human again.”

“…well, if you promise to spare them, which you can do at any time, I’ll allow you. But… unfortunately, you’re stubborn, so… in my plan, the human would be escorted to Wild East, looked after to prevent the death of them or any monster, and, once there would be spared. After a while, the human’s name, face, and potential good deeds would make monsterkind have second thoughts about murdering them. You’d take advantage of that, declare peace and… finally, we’d have a victory.” She just wanted a victory for once… and, more importantly, she wanted the seventh to be safe, to be given the chance to live the normal childhood Clover deserved. She couldn’t afford to lose the last chance of doing the right thing.

“…very well. I accept your proposal.”

“…wait, that easily? Not that I’m complaining. Thank you!” A victory? Well, not quite. The human wouldn’t be spared, and they wouldn’t be safe until they reached the Wild East, which was a ways off the Royal Road. No human took Clover’s route, after all. “Although…” she quickly clarified… “you’d also need to add the presence of the Royal Guard would be now ‘unnecessary’, preventing them from hunting down the human there.”

“Very well.”

“…thank you again. Though… don’t think that means, you’re off the hook, Asgore. Unless you declare the end of the war, we won't surrender. Peace is your responsibility, most of all, but if you’re not brave enough to listen to your SOUL… we’ll have to bear the burden.”

“…I appreciate you… perhaps I am a coward, but… I fear my people losing hope or fighting each other most of all. And yet… I remember Asriel’s friend. How they were adored by the people of the Underground, how they loved monsters, and how they were unharmed. I wish I could go back to those days, when peace and hope reigned… and yet I cannot turn back the hands of time.”

“…of course. I’m so sorry for your loss. They didn’t deserve to die so young, like Asriel, like the others. What you did… you made others experience the pain of losing your children, haven’t you? I’m sounding like a broken record, but… it’s still not too late to back down. What will you do if you ever meet the seventh? Will you show mercy or repeat the mistakes of your past for a seventh time? Despite everything, I still haven’t given up hope. And I won’t until the bitter end. So then… what will you choose?”

The King trembled silently.

“I see,” she said at his lack of response. “You know… I feel Asriel and Clover were similar. They were innocent, they were peaceful, they befriended the other race, they were just children… and they were murdered still. I believe a future of peace between both kinds is what they would have wanted… not this cycle of violence and grief that has ailed monsterkind and humankind for centuries. The war… it began out of fear of a monster absorbing human SOULs and becoming a God, and the future generations of monsterkind are still paying for it, even though the seven mages must be long gone by now. But… your plan of extermination, of punishing the entirety of humanity for the sins of the past… if you choose to continue the cycle, all you’re doing is proving the seven mages right. I know monsterkind can be better. After all… how many would still support the extermination of humanity if they met someone like Clover?”

“Yes… they were all children. Except for one, they never killed. If, perhaps… I had chose mercy with the first…”

“How many times do I have to keep repeating that it’s not too late?! Well… it is too late for Clover and the others, unfortunately.” She sighed. “Actually… aside from the Wild East plan, which thankfully was accepted without any hitches… there’s another reason I came here today. Even if I do believe you deserve consequences for what you’ve done… if it was just to scold you, I wouldn’t have come here. You see… well, Clover deserves a funeral… well, in reality, they deserved birthday parties. So many birthday parties, so much cake they never got to eat… I-I would have learned to b-bake for them.” She began to sob.

“…I have caused so much pain, so much grief… there is no forgiving my sins…”

“I…” She wiped her tears away. “I-it’s… m-mabye b-but…” She glared firmly at the king. “You can walk away from this path of destruction and towards one of construction. If you choose to be better… you’ll have my support. But… it seems like you won’t, so… it’s up to us now. In any case… at first I wanted the body, but after sleeping it over I’ve reconsidered. There’s no way I could handle it, so… can I have their hat and their gun? Emptied, of course. I’m not planning on committing regicide.”

“Very well. Clover… you met them for only a day, and yet you all loved them dearly. They were someone who would have done great things if they ever grew up…” He shivered. “I… although it is almost certainly impossible, I hope to never meet a human again.”

“And I hope you declare peace so you can meet them, although… I fear the probabilities seem almost equal. Well… the burden is ours now, I suppose.” She sighed. Ceroba, Asgore, the Captain… why were they all so stubborn? And why were they all so strong (only physically and magically, in the King’s case)? The odds were not on their side, she knew… and yet, she was relieved Ceroba was an ally now, at least. Without Starlo and Ceroba, she wouldn’t have considered the plan. But now… thanks to them, and thanks to Clover, who brought them all together… she wasn’t going to give up.

As the king left to the room Clover never deserved to be in… she was briefly alone, alone with the garden filled with golden flowers, beautiful things associated only with the deaths of children. Chara, Asriel, the fallen children, Kanako… so many children had died in the history of the Underground. It was sickening how it was always children who paid the consequences. It was like a taunt from the universe. In a way, the children of the monsters and humans who fought in the war were still fighting a war that began centuries ago. And yet… she refused to believe peace was impossible, even after everything. Maybe she was crazy... but she refused to believe a future of war was inevitable.

The King returned looking at the hat and gun. He glanced downwards grimly and walked at a dreadfully slow pace. He had seen the corpse again, after all. He knew what he had done could not be undone. He handed her the objects, the only things that she had left of Clover, in her possession for a few days before being taken down a river in Waterfall, a reminder of when the two were happy together on the Ava. Now she had to mourn them for the rest of her life, organize a child’s funeral. When she fist/wing-bumped on the UG Apartments, she thought they had a happy life ahead of them. Now they would never grow up.

She recalled Clover had gotten a newer and nicer hat in the Wild East. Now, the hat was full of scratches, burn marks and holes. She shivered. They went through far too much… and they remained strong to the end despite it all.

She sat on the ground and cradled the hat tenderly. She spoke to it, as if Clover was somehow alive…

“Clover… I-I’m so sorry for taking you here. I…I know no apology can make up for what I’ve done, but…” Tears began to form in her eyes. “I promise… he won’t absorb your SOUL and use you for war. Y-you were always peaceful and forgiving, after all… I… I can’t fail you once last time. Clover… I will never forget you. Wherever you are… I hope you’re happy.”

After she stopped crying, she put the hat and the gun in her eyes and left the throne room. There was no use in remaining there. She had gotten a small victory, at least… still, it was frustrating just how shackled to his vow and his people Asgore felt. She hoped he would finally listen to his conscience and finally do the right thing, but… it felt like the King believed he had dug himself in a hole too deep to crawl back out of. Just like Ceroba, perhaps. She would never have suspected she was easier to ally with than him…

As she flew back home, she felt invigorated. Holding the hat gave her the resolve to not give up. If the King wouldn’t back down… neither could she. For the sixth time… it was not too late.

But for the seventh, it would.

Chapter Text

Content warning: Mentions of suicide.

POV: Ceroba

Going to Snowdin in her regular clothing was a horrible idea. A light kimono, bare thighs, and no scarf or gloves… she shivered miserably. She genuinely questioned if she would die there. Well, she should have brought winter clothing with her, but… she never assumed she would ever go there; she was much more of a homebody than her late husband and daughter, and not even the Snowdin Incident could prevent the pair from making regular visits there, unlike her, who had no ties to any Snowdinite until she met Martlet.

Despite the miserable conditions, the basket of corn in her hands remained not just edible but as delicious as the name “Sunnyside Farm” would suggest (she may have, perhaps, sampled one. Well… she was hungry, and there were plenty of ears in the basket.). Ever since she let another child die on her watch, she became monomaniacal about helping out at Star’s farm to distract her. It was strange. By all accounts, she should have remained at the Saloon, drinking herself to an early grave, to perhaps reunite with Chujin, Kanako and Clover before her time. And yet… somehow, Clover’s forgiving nature, Starlo’s deep friendship, Martlet’s strength of character and the second chance they all gave her inspired her. What did the old Ceroba do? Kill her daughter, assault two innocents, try to remedy the situation by attempting to murder an innocent child and let her wish for vengeance approve of an irrational plan that left that child dead and Martlet and Star grieving. She had to be better. It was what they all deserved. She realized falling into the pit of self-loathing and obsession with her losses had brought nothing but harm to herself and everyone around her. And, perhaps… skeptical as she was about Martlet’s plan, the potential of a bright future, of hope… she couldn’t give up just yet. Her, a hero? Last time she tried to be one, it ended with terrible consequences for her precious daughter (whose whereabouts were still unknown. According to Moray, Martlet said she could meet up with Alphys today, but she had yet to receive confirmation. Well, no surprise the lizard would be tight-lipped. Damn it, why couldn’t she at least get closure?), but… this time, she wouldn’t be alone, and she would be a genuine protector. What she had done with Clover in the Steamworks, posing as a guardian, making them run through steam vents in the hopes she wouldn’t have to get her paws dirty… who had she become? How would have she justified killing someone like them? She shuddered at the realization that if her final attempt to make the serum failed… she would most likely have killed herself. After all… Star would most likely hate her, and Martlet would despise her. She would have committed so many heinous acts, burned so many bridges, loathed herself so much… she was extremely lucky to have lost, she realized (actually, it was strange… somehow, it felt like Clover could predict her every move and dodge it like they had experienced it before. Chujin would say that seeing the future was impossible, and revealing this info would rightfully make her seem crazy, so she withheld it). But now… she was alive, and somehow with friends. She didn’t want to fail people anymore. It was now time to live in the present.

But… why pretend she had improved? She really did try to tell the truth about killing Kanako to Star. She trusted him, knew he wouldn’t snitch and make her go to jail; as the strongest member of the team, and Martlet’s advisor, her arrest would severely hinder their  goals, even though she knew she had a duty to tell the truth. Well, she had heard from Moray that the Wild East plan had been approved by the pushover, which was a relief, so if they ever succeeded in preventing the war, she would come clean, she vowed. Still… her behavior with Star was embarrassing. She had been planning on being honest with her best friend… and she stuttered and changed topics with no subtlety like a coward. No wonder he was suspicious… the poor farmer treated Kanako and Clover like honorary members of his posse, and now they were both gone. She wondered, if perhaps… could one or both of them have become sheriff if they ever got the chance to grow up? Even if that wasn’t the path, she would have wanted for them, she would have respected their choice. Well… she was only pondering hypotheticals now, unfortunately.

The meeting came with a few catches, however. Moray told them later that Martlet’s attempts to get him to back down from the war failed (he was a fool. What were around fifteen Royal Guard members and one King going to do against billions of humans? She knew the damage even a single human child without a real weapon could cause…), Star had been given the “Hero of Monsterkind” title to ‘sweeten’ the deal (when she broke the news to him, he was shaken. Moray told her Martlet was genuinely apologetic, as she held the title herself and despised it. Star became sullen, however. He confided in her that he had the title in his mind when he tried to kill Clover. Now he and Martlet would carry the stain forever…) and Martlet realized that she would be a member of the Royal Guard (a lieutenant, even) until the 23^rd, preventing her from visiting the Dunes until her ties to her job were severed (though the relation was asymmetrical, Moray clarified. Did she want them to visit her house? Well, she’d definitely have to buy some winter clothing first…).

Well, even with the drawbacks, the news gave her hope. They did have a roadmap to victory: have Martlet look for the human, supervise them to prevent violence from breaking and take them to the Wild East, where they would be safe. Of course, she realized getting them to trust her could be a challenge, and so was preventing them from being noticed by Undyne first. Still… they had time, hopefully. Hopefully… hoping was nice, at least, though she realized she’d had to work for it.

But right now, she was freezing. She had found no leads in Upper Snowdin, not even in the town with the embarrassingly misspelled library sign (she complained to the librarian, who answered that the sign had been around for ages and by now was part of the local culture now. “That’s no excuse for government incompetence!”, she stated as she left the ‘librarby’ fuming) and was now trying her luck in Lower Snowdin. She was currently waiting for Mining Co. to dynamite a rock in a cave, the southern terminus of the Upper-Lower Snowdin cable car. The situation would be resolved in twenty minutes, the envoy claimed. She had been waiting for fifty minutes now. She was freezing her ass off and extremely bored. She should probably have been heading back home by now, but… what was a Ketsukane if not stubborn?... very detrimentally so, she realized.

The wait was mostly uneventful, of course, but not completely. She was tormented by a group of shades-wearing green birds, smaller than Martlet, and much ruder. They claimed that their turf was a “Teen Zone”, where adults had “no authority” and mocked her for shivering while wearing clothes (“the only things a chilldrake needs to wear are shades”, the monsters claimed). If they had tried to claim her corn… she had to admit she had to kick the habit of assaulting minors, but these were the most irritating birds she had ever met. Thankfully, a blue bird, of the same type of monsters of the “chilldrakes”, but without shades, made them back down by telling them to “chill out.” The blue bird then ordered her to laugh at the attempt at a pun, which she nervously did. “Snowy”, as his friends called him, then went back to his friends with a triumphant spring in his step and the situation was resolved peacefully, without any corn being stolen.

That wasn’t the only encounter she had while waiting for Mining Co. to finally do its job. She saw two reindeer girls, perhaps sisters, running towards her location. She asked the two girls what they were doing travelling without any adult supervision (at least, Clover was looked after by adults… even if Star gave them a gun and tried to murder them, Martlet took them to two murderers and she was doing it with heinous ulterior motives. Maybe her experiences made her protective of kids).

“Sneaking off to explore the woods, dumbass. Don't you dare snitch” said the elder sister.

“Now where did you learn to use that language?” she replied hypocritically. Maybe it was the maternal instinct talking…

“Ugh, you’re acting just like my mom!” She rolled her eyes. “Adults are so annoying.”

“M-maybe, b-but… Mom still cares for us… and Dad was nice,” said the younger.

“Yeah… he was such a fun guy to be around.” The elder sister suddenly looked saddened.

“Oh…I’m sorry for your loss. I-I k-know how hard it can be to lose someone you care about…” She cried more after Chujin, and especially after Kanako (and now Clover…) than she ever had during her entire lifetime before. And now here she was, crying again…

“Oh… um, sorry for my rudeness, ma’am, I guess,” said the elder. She was feeling sorry for scolding her…

“…I-It’s OK. I’m not your mother anyway.” She was such a failure of a mother anyway. After what she did to Kanako and Clover… how could she ever consider herself capable of raising another child?

“U-um… ma’am… you look like you’re freezing. Would you like me to bring you some hot chocolate?” she proposed.

“Yes, please!” she said with urgency.

“Alright… Dess, you’re paying, right?” said the younger sister.

“Yeah, sure. She looks pitiful.” She didn’t ‘look’, she was.

“Thank you so much. I’ll give you some corn in return.” Chujin always loved his small acts of kindness. She was yearning to return to the Dunes now, but she gave Mining Co. an hour.

And the children ate the corn cheerfully as they walked back home. She waited for the reindeer monsters to come back with the drink. The wait was agonizing, but the warmth of the chocolate made it worth it. The sisters then went toward the woods, where they hoped they wouldn’t die. Two dead kids on her conscience was already two too many.

Five minutes before the hour was up, Mining Co. announced the rock had finally been dynamited and that she had probably been far too patient. Well, she was, but at least, hopefully she’d find Dalv with no more hitches.

The cable car was warm, at least. It made up for the fact that her eyes were closed and she was panicking inside throughout the five minutes of the trip, for, um… she wasn’t afraid, OK?... Well, one more reason she was jealous of Martlet.

After she landed and left the cave, she wandered around intending to ask the first monster she came across about Dalv. She saw a large boulder, and a fork in the road. She decided to go east, closer to the entrance to Waterfall and its at least tolerable temperatures (not that she liked to get her fur wet, but it was the lesser of two evils). Eventually, she saw a yellow lizard monster. Strangely, the back of the monster’s head looked like the tip of a pencil and the tip of its tail looked like an eraser. Well, Chujin always said monsters were known for their extremely high degree of morphological diversity. Perhaps its form inspired its current behavior, because it seemed absorbed in its attempt to draw a landscape of the almost completely frozen lake with a disproportionately large pencil. She didn’t want to be rude and interrupt the monster, but she was desperate.

“...Excuse me, but…”

The monster seemed too lost in her work to have noticed her arrival, as her words startled the lizard to the point the pencil ripped a hole in the paper.

“Oh… looks like I’m going to have to scrap this. Shame, it was almost perf… wait, given the themes of the draw- no, there’s no artistic integrity in pretending I did it on purpose… but incorporating an accident could be a way of making the the- no, most people would see it as an excu-”

“Um…”

“Oh, sorry, I was talking to myself. I have a tendency to do that when I’m too lost in my drawings. Well, that’s why I’ve begun to take more breaks recently. There’s more to life than my work… anyway, the name’s Penilla. I like drawing, as you can plainly see… and I can give constructive criticism, too. Did you come for this reason?” Kanako loved drawing too… she was only nine, and she had so much potential. If she had got to grown up… God damn it, she had taken away so much good from this world. How could she even be forgiven?

“N-no… I’ve been looking all over for someone named Dalv. He’s purple, if I recall correctly.” She didn’t have the heart to visit Kanako’s room for a more accurate description.

“Yeah, predominantly. I don’t just know him, I give him art classes. Actually you’re pretty lucky with your timing. One week earlier, and you wouldn’t have found us. He’s just up ahead, after a solved wooden puzzle with an admittedly ‘unseemly’ amount of PS’s. He’s currently by a dilapidated cabin where’s he’s moving to after it’s rebuilt. For some reason, he’s been finding blue feathers in the most unlikely of places.” Oh… she had been busy, hadn’t she? Well, she was the only Royal Guard in the area. She wondered if she would run into her… no, she believed she had a meeting with her least favorite yellow lizard. She was hoping to get closure, but she knew to expect disappointment from the royals. Besides, even if she wasn’t, she was definitely in no mood to work and too busy organizing a child’s funeral. Having your happy ending ripped away at the last possible hurdle had to hurt. Ugh. Fuck the royals… though, then again, she almost did the same thing to that poor child. The universe was a hellhole. It denied two good people the happy ending they should have gotten so cruelly… it hurt so much. And, if she was dedicated to the mission… she had to prepared for the possibility of even more loss. Was she really ready? She shuddered.

“Um… you seem pretty lost in thought,” said Penilla. “And you seem trembling and in distress about something. Are you OK?”

“U-um, yeah…” she lied.

“Well, you don’t seem like it. But I’m not an expert, and I’m not qualified to give you psychological advice, so… knowing your limits is important to being a well-rounded person, you know… anyway, go on ahead.” Damn it, was she that easy to read now? Well, she realized that if she recognized wasn’t qualified to do science before… well, it's far too late now.

“Alright. Sorry for interrupting you. Do you want an ear of corn?”

“…I’ll politely decline. I’ve already eaten more than enough corn from Dalv’s maze.”

“Ah… didn’t know he grew corn.” Though she knew he ate it, of course.

“Yeah… I’m also not a botanist, but it shocks me it could grow in a place like the Dark Ruins. Though it seems it can handle Snowdin, so…” Wait, was the solution to the Kingdom’s food security literally in her hands? Well, it was either die imprisoned or die in or after an unwinnable war. Being a monster wasn’t fun…

“Certainly better than me…”

“…well, I know of a tailor named Rorrim. The Dark Ruins is the kind of place where everyone knows each other. It’s… well, isolated. And it’s even more now, given almost everyone moved out last Friday.” Wait… last Friday? That’s when she met Clover! And since they went through Lower Snowdin, could it be? Oh god, did they know? Would she have to break the news of two dead kids? God damn it.

“Oh… hope it works out. And hope you find success. Goodbye.”

“Goodbye to you too. I’ll keep working… with frequent breaks for health reasons.”

And so, they parted. She followed the path ahead, as Penilla indicated. After Martlet’s puzzle (which, um… had room for improvement, not like she was an expert on puzzles. She was very tall, but not ‘freakishly’ so, apparently), she eventually reached a cabin under construction. She found a purple monster wearing a winter coat (Dalv, presumably… when she saw his clothing, she felt so jealous) and holding a balloon with a happy face on it. Next to him was luggage.

She approached the purple monster and began to talk.

“Hey… are you Dalv, by any chance?”

“How… how do you know my name? And my culinary preferences?” asked a startled Dalv.

“W-well, my name’s Ceroba Ketsukane. Does that surname ring a bell?”

“Oh… yeah, it does. It’s been a while since that incident, right? Six whole years…” Kanako was so young back then. Only three… both Kanako and Clover went through so much at such a young age.

“Yeah… I’m Kanako’s mother, by the way.”

“Oh… nice to meet you. Actually… I’m in the middle of moving. After the incident… I was so afraid the human would come back for revenge…” Did he meet them? The human who nearly killed her precious daughter? (and what makes you better?)

“Did the human assault you?”

“I… I have to admit I was the one who got hostile first.”

“It’s fine. They were leaving a trail of dust! They could have killed my daughter!” But it was you who finished her off.

“M-maybe… that’s why I initiated the violence, b-but I still feel guilty for what happened. They were just a kid… I-I didn’t get to ask for their motives before they fled.”

“Kanako was just a kid too!”

“Y-yes. I-I wanted to protect her… at the very least, everybody managed to live during the encounter. And no monster died afterwards, if I recall correctly…” Here she was, Kanako’s killer talking to her daughter’s savior. Was she going to tell the truth or continue being cowardly scum?

“Yes, you do recall correctly.” She realized she and Axis were the only people remaining who knew about the robot’s role in the child’s death. She made sure to secretly bury the last tape with him. She realized Clover never got to know what Axis did… would his husband’s masterpiece still be alive if they knew? Well, their SOUL wouldn’t be pure anymore, so… maybe they’d still be alive, assuming Martlet wouldn’t just naively take them to the murderer alone.

“W-well… it’s just a shame I never got to understand their motives… and we were both beaten up pretty badly. Kanako was unhurt, at least. Um, how is she?” Even if it was inevitable, the question sent a chill up her spine, and not just because she was freezing.

“Dalv… I can’t thank you enough for what you’ve done. Y-you deserved to see her again, to see her grow up, but…” But you killed her.

“Oh did she…”

“Y-yes. She fell down a few months ago.” Chujin told you to say no. Why didn’t you listen, you idiot?

“I-I’m so sorry for your loss.”

“I am… and Chujin is dead too. I’m the only member of my family left.”

“Oh… what you’re going through must be terrible.” And it’s all your fault. “I-I’m so sorry…”

“Y-yes. I-I wanted to honor my daughter’s legacy, so I brought you some corn.”

“Oh… she was the one who brought me corn on my doorstep? I-I never knew… I guess that’s why I stopped receiving it months ago.”

“Yeah, eat as much as you’d like…” And he grabbed four ears of corn. After eating the first, Dalv began to speak up.

“You know… these things are really hardy, aren’t they? They really can handle the cold… and the darkness. I really owe Kanako for giving me this corn. It got me through a dark period of my life… both metaphorically and literally. And it’s really delicious, to boot. I-I may have developed an addiction…” Dalv admitted.

“W-well, it’s only natural. Solomon and Crestina’s corn can do that to one. Actually, my best friend is one of their sons. He’s… well, he’s reckless, but he’s improved. I’m proud to call him a friend. He… he got me through a dark time in life.” There really hadn’t been any light in her life since Chujin died… maybe it could have improved with Clover, but… that light was snuffed out, all for a war monsterkind wasn’t prepared for. If humans loved their children as much as monsters, what hope could her kind have?

“Oh… I’m really sorry you’re going through this. It’s a good thing you have someone like him. Better than being all alone like… when I was in the Dark Ruins…”

“Yes, your friend Penilla told me you used to live there.”

“Yes… I appreciate her lessons. Actually, after the Snowdin incident, I eventually became paranoid of the human coming for revenge, so I… shut myself in from everyone and everything. Some monsters tried to befriend me… but I rebuffed their advances. But that changed last Friday… and it was a human that helped me stop living in fear. A child…” said Dalv.

“Clover.”

“Oh… you knew them too? Do you know where they are? They’re one of the nicest people I ever met. I owe them a lot, actually. I-I confused them with the last human, I tried to flee, but to get to Snowdin, you have to go through my house, a-and, well… I attacked them.”

“I tried to murder them, and I knew exactly who they were: a pure SOUL to the end.”

“Did you kill them?” Dalv shot an accusing glare at her.

“It was Asgore, but…”

“No way… they… deserved to live and go home so much. T-they even went all the way back to Snowdin after I left and checked up on me. I-I told them to keep doing good, and now… they can’t anymore.”

“A-and, well… me and my friends share part of the blame,” she admitted. Why couldn’t you show the same bravery with Kanako?  “We took them to the castle. Not because we wanted them dead, mind you —that’s the last thing any of us wanted— but because we wanted a pardon.”

“I… that must be horrible to go through. I-I never liked the kingdom’s policies of murdering all humans, children included. I have a soft spot for kids, I guess. And… I just don’t want any race to be exterminated.” And now, if they failed… a fully avoidable war could break out. Monsterkind was not strong enough. Now, though… after what happened, she believed the Boss Monster serum wasn’t worth the cost. Martlet and Star made her realize there are better ways to fulfill his legacy.

“W-well, I don’t agree with the war either. I don’t think we could win even if Asgore absorbed the seven SOULs… and my friends? They disagree with the war too. Actually… can you keep a secret?”

“A-alright.”

In his ear, she whispered the information about the plan to protect the seventh child, to prevent the war and to fight for a lasting peace between humans and monsters. She clarified that, if he joined, his life, liberty and reputation could be at risk and underscored the risk of sparking a civil war if he wasn’t careful.

“Now then,” she stated after sharing the information, “are you willing to join the plan, now that you’re aware of the risk?”

Dalv remained deep in thought for about a minute.

“…I’ll offer my moral support at least… for however much that’s worth,” Dalv replied. “Clover just gave me the chance to start my life anew, and I don’t want to throw away so soon. Besides… I’m a low-level monster, so I wouldn’t be really useful in a fight.”

“Well, it’s important to know your limits, as your friend Penilla told me.”

“Yes… actually, I want to write children’s books, but Penilla says I should get better at drawing. I was so isolated that I forgot what things looked like. I drew tree’s leaves as red and their trunk as yellow, I drew rocks as orange… isolation was pretty bad for me. I even talked to a broom like she was my friend…” Dalv confessed.

“I understand. Don’t burden yourself if you don’t want to.”

“Thanks… still, I don’t want to do nothing. I live pretty close to the Ruins, so… maybe I could check if a human comes through the doors?” Dalv proposed.

“Sure. It’d be a small thing, but it’d count for a lot. We’d at least tie with the government’s cameras.” Regarding the cameras, he was seriously worried about Mooch’s safety. She could get herself severely injured or even killed if she wasn’t careful.

“Alright… though checking them all the time would probably attract suspicion. And I’d have to spend time studying with Penilla, making children’s books and improving my organ skills. I want to play concerts one day, you know.”

“Oh, that’s great for you!” She smiled. It was nice to see him improve his life… and it was Clover’s. Compared to him, what did she have? She was a terrible scientist and a terrible mother. What were her skills? Did she deserve anything better than her shitty job at Café Dunes? Was she doomed to deal with that boss from Hell and hear that horrible Meow Meow video game machine again?

“Thank you…” He smiled. “Though… it’s a shame Kanako and Clover while never see me improve…” He closed his eyes and frowned. “I-I’ll tell Penilla I need a break to deal with this for a week. She’s very understanding. Sure, she’s critical, but she’s also kind with me.”

“That’s alright. By the way… do you want to attend Clover’s funeral? It’s in three days, at 5:00 p.m. in Waterfall. My friends Starlo and Martlet will definitely be there. They both had such a strong bond with Clover… and it was snatched away in only a day. It’s so unjust what happened to them both…”

“Alright. Even with my break… I owe them this. Although I’m not sure if I want to see the body…” Yes, seeing Clover resting, peaceful and covered in wounds and burns… No wonder she screamed so loudly it woke Star and Martlet too. At least Dalv would be spared that.

“Neither does Martlet, the one who’s organizing their funeral. It’ll be sending their hat and gun down a river. She’s currently making a raft. Got taught woodworking by Chujin himself, and she’s not too bad at it.”

“Yes, I’ve seen some her puzzles. They’re… OK, I think?”

“Well, her lava rock puzzle didn’t exactly wow me, but there’s room for improvement. And Martlet’s kind, forgiving, principled and resilient. She’s not too physically strong, but she’s not easy to break, and she’s not one to give up until the bitter end. And she… she probably cared about Clover more than anyone else. Hearing her desperately plea for their life was one of the most heartbreaking experiences of my life.” Even if she got the slap out of it… was it worth it?

“I see…”

“And she’s been busy.” She began to whisper in his ear. “Thanks to her, the Wild East is now safe for humans, even if it took making my best friend a lawman ostensibly loyal to a government, we both despise. She realized the King wants to never see a human again, but doesn’t want to officially end the war and that Clover was relatively safe in the Wild East, so she came up with the policy and I helped. She’s nice to brainstorm ideas with.”

“Really? That’s great! I really don’t want any more children to die, so… ugh, can’t believe I tried to kill them…”

“Well, at least you’re far better than me.” Tell him the truth about Kanako, coward.

“Still, poor Clover. I feel so sorry for all the kids… anyway, this Wild East… where is it?”

“Well, east of here, unsurprisingly. I’ve heard the river route is very unsafe, so Instead you’ll have to go through Upper Snowdin, Waterfall and the Dunes first.” Even though she took frequent breaks, her feet were still sore. She wondered if she walked more today or the day she almost murdered Clover.

“Thanks for the information… maybe I’ll go there someday.”

“Alright. Actually, it’s near where Star’s family’s farm is. Anyway,” she handed over the corn, “you can have this as a gift. We can talk later.” She needed to tell him the truth sooner or later.

“Thanks… honestly, I need some time alone… even though I’ve probably had enough alone time for a lifetime, I-I need to process this grief.”

“Yes. I-I’m sorry you had to learn the news.” You made your daughter’s hero grieve two children, huh? You’re such an irresponsible scumbag.

“And I’m sure what you and your friends are going through is awful, too…”

“Oh, definitely.” Star loved Kanako, and Martlet would definitely have if she knew her…

“Well, then… see you at the funeral. Though… of course, I’d have preferred to meet you and them in a more cheerful context.” If Clover and Kanako were friends, she wouldn’t have had the heart to go with it. Why didn’t she say now when it mattered? What had she done? And now, she was hiding the truth from everyone. She was horrid. How could anyone forgive her?

“Goodbye to you too.” As she waved Dalv goodbye, she felt nothing but disgust with herself.

As she took her long walk back home, she realized she deserved to be freezing. She saw someone much better than her, like Martlet, like Star, and she denied them the truth about the two children he deserved to spend more time with and made him deal with grief all because she had been too stupid to say ‘no’ or check whether Clover had come back before it was too late. Clover had made someone’s life immeasurably better, and they would never get to see their kindness repaid. God damn it, she hated the lack of justice in the universe.

Speaking of lack of justice, soon enough, she’d learn the results of Martlet’s meeting with the lizard, assuming it’d even be approved. As much she hoped for closure, she knew to expect nothing but disappointment form the royals.

Finally, she made it to Wild East. She wanted to rest at the Feisty Five’s “hideout”, but beforehand there was one last thing she desired.

She went to Dina’s and ordered an Adult Soda.

Chapter Text

POV: Martlet

Martlet’s Day to Day!

Entry 28

Shockingly, standing outside alone for hours in the heat in feathers and clothes and boots adapted for Snowdin suuucks! ;v; Well, I get a good amount of G, the insurance rates rule, and I don’t think a T-shirt, shorts and sandals exactly fit a dignified Royal Guard, plus I’m lucky enough to not to have to wear armor, so… glass half full, Martlet.

Speaking of my job… the paranoia got to me. The Royal Scientist said she was going to Snowdin and Waterfall, and security would be down. Instead of doing my boring job like I’m supposed to, I decided to… find some kind of sciencey super-weapon? I’m not exactly the best at combat, I admit. uvu’ Anyway, after doing some searching, I found a door with an “Unauthorized Entry is Forbidden” sign and I… entered the door without authorization. Great job upholding the law, Martlet! <v<

Anyway, that aside, the door led to an elevator, and… apparently, there’s a whole basement in there! OVO And, well… Alphys wasn’t wrong about the Lab needing a budget approval, because I could barely see a thing in there! Hopefully the government invests in lightbulbs, because jeez! >v<

But enough about my problems. In the entrance hallway, I found these entries with science stuff on them, and apparently, humans have this thing called “Determination”, which, well… to quote entry number 5 (actually, Alphys skipped entry number 4. I guess even geniuses can be scatterbrained sometimes) is a power that gives them “The will to keep living... The resolve to change fate”. Powerful stuff, huh? When I read the entry, I was like… “I have got to get my wings on one of these things, juuust in case!”… of course, I had to be quick. You don’t exactly have time to stop smell the metaphorical roses when you’re in the middle of committing a crime. uvu

Of course, I never stopped walking, but there’s a few things I noticed. First, there was a room full of beds. There were fallen down monsters in there, which checks out, if I recall the news correctly. Of course, I didn’t have time to check every bed (it’d honestly be kind of creepy OvO’), but I think I saw a dog and a siren? Well, it’s not like I can go back and double check. uvu

There was also a room with… a big skull? I recall from my Biology classes that animals have bodies that persist after death, so maybe the Royal Scientist’s studying animals too? I mean, I don’t know what animal the skull belongs to, and I got a D- in my Biology classes, so it’s possible I’m just making things up. I just thought the skull was noteworthy enough to write about. <v<

Anyway, sidetracking aside, I found some fridges, and they were FULL of syringes with a golden liquid. I thought that the Royal Scientist wouldn’t care about losing a single one too much, so I, um… put the serum in my pocket and hightailed it (metaphorically, tragically TvT) out of the lab. Thankfully, I got out around ten minutes before Alphys returned, so I got off scott-free. Well, back to sweating my butt off and dying (metaphorically… hopefully OvO’’’) of boredom. Fuuuun! ;v;

Well… I get movie ticket discounts out of my job, so I can’t complain too much. Actually, I’ve read in the newspapers that there’s a movie about robots coming out next week, so… guess what I’ll be doing in my free time after I get my next paycheck! ^v^

Speaking of paychecks… I think I might invest in a safe very soon.

Sorry for rambling so long in this entry, it’s just… this is the most eventful day I’ve had since forever. I don’t think my life will be this exciting from now on. -v-

Entry 29

After sleeping it over, I’ve realized confessing to a crime in a diary I keep outside to let anyone read for the sake of transparency is prooobably a bad idea. Classic Martlet, huh? uvu

Well, I have a fireplace, soooo… wait, I have to burn this entry too. I… I’m just wasting ink for no reason. Um… well, the Royal Scientist wasn’t suspicious of me, so… wait, why am I still writing this?

……………………………………………………………………………………………

It took her until 3:00 p.m. the day of to finally receive the confirmation from her soon-to-be-ex boss that the meeting with the Royal Scientist was on. Apparently, it took her encouragement for Alphys to agree to the meeting, and even then, the Royal Scientist said to “make it quick”. She was unsure if the meeting was going to bear fruit, given the fact that revealing she knew about the basement would attract enormous amounts of suspicion, and she feared dealing with Ceroba’s fury if it got nowhere, but… a promise was a promise. And it’s not like she would get anywhere if she skipped the meeting, so she at least had to try.

Of course, she spent most of the day cradling Clover’s hat, preparing their eulogy and building the raft where their belongings would be put. But now, she had to think about another (presumably) dead child too. Too many children had died in the history of the kingdom. No more, she vowed as she thought of Clover fist-bumping her and hugging her and of Kanako weeping during her father’s funeral. Part of the duty of a Royal Guard was to protect children and the innocent, and even as a civilian she would do her best to keep this duty, a far more important duty than the vile job of murdering children. Maybe she and her allies would be seen as traitors to monsterkind, but… she didn’t care. She was staying true to the purported love, hope and compassion monster SOULs were made of. And, if the child was under adult supervision, them killing monsters would be more unlikely, so the mission benefitted her kind too. No time to give up.

At 5:30 p.m., she took off, carrying her satchel with a notebook and pencil inside just in case. She left a relatively warm day in Snowdin (well, only a Snowdinite would call -5°C warm...) to the suffocating heat of Hotland. Of course, she wore her trademark rags and boots. Terrible for Hotland’s weather as they were, she took a probably irrational amount of pride in the fact that she could wear that outfit for hours in Hotland without coming close to dying… though she drank plenty of water before the flight, just in case.

She arrived at the lab quickly enough, at 6:02 p.m.; her muscle memory enabled her to take the same route she took on the first few weeks of her job. She found Alphys waiting just outside the entrance.

“O-oh, h-hey… like U-undyne said, I don’t have much time, so…”

“Yeah, I know. Make it quick. I don’t have much to talk about anyway.”

As they entered the lab, whose automatic door was already open, she noticed a screen with a feed of a large purple door surrounded by pillars in a snowy landscape. This was the door from the Ruins to Upper Snowdin, no doubt. Well, she knew where the first camera was now, at least.

“H-hey, why don’t… we go upstairs?” asked Alphys, shaking. This was probably because she didn’t want her basement to be found out, wasn’t it? If the fallen down monsters were there, then logically Kanako would be there, but if she knew the monsters were there even though she was never supposed to go inside the Lab alone, well…

“A-alright.” She noticed the nearest elevator to the etrance went downstairs. Although she could have easily flown upstairs, she decided to go on foot to the upstairs escalator just to browse the lower floor while she still had the chance. The computer desperately in need of cleaning and the fridge were familiar (although the computer situation had somehow gotten even worse… she wondered for how much longer the machine would function), but the bag of dog food was new. Had Alphys gotten a pet, or was it for one of the members of the Snowdin Canine Unit?

Of course, the metal door to her basement was still there. Staring at it would be rather suspicious, so she only gave it a brief glance. She noticed the “Unauthorized Entry is Forbidden” sign had been replaced with a blue sign with a yellow silhouette of the Royal Scientist. She had no idea what this meant. Was the basement accessible now, or…? Or maybe the sign meant that only the Royal Scientist was allowed? The lack of words in the sign made it impossible to decipher. She could ask Alphys, but… she was really paranoid about letting something slip out accidentally.

Well, she had to make it quick. She was only going to ask about Kanako’s whereabouts and well-being. That was all she needed to know.

After passing by Alphys’ bookshelves full of cartoon DVDs and comic books, they sat down by Alphys’ work table. It was nice to know that she was a fellow tinkerer, even if she totally outclassed her (she didn’t know how to work with metal, nor did she know the first thing about robotics, sadly). A predominantly pink potrait of… of the protagonist of Mew Mew Love Blaster winked down at them, smiling. She looked away from the poster. She didn’t want to be reminded of the times Clover was happy, now that they couldn’t be happy ever again. She yearned so much for the times the two were together in Oasis Valley… of course, she couldn’t rewind time backwards, sadly.

“H-hey, u-um… s-so what brings you here again? D-do you want to reminisce about old memories before leaving, lieutenant?” Oh yeah, the captain must have told her… ugh. Well, at least she didn’t call her a “hero”.

“N-no. It’s not like we interacted that much… though I do appreciate you letting me cool off here during my breaks.”

“H-heh… n-o problem.”

“…though I have to admit I never actually paid attention to your rants about cartoons.”

“…that’s what I figured, honestly. They’re called anime, by the way.” Right, that was the proper scientific terminology, wasn’t it?

“Um… OK…” All of a sudden, she felt the need to ask a question. She realized the Royal Scientist was a very busy woman who had little time for visitors, so she wasn’t going to pass up a very valuable opportunity to find out the truth. “This really isn’t why I came here, but… are animes fictional?”.

“U-um… y-yeah.” Somehow, this made her sweat and shake even more. “The plural is anime, by the way.” She jotted down this information in her notebook. Would it be advantageous for her to break the truth to the captain? Well, her belief in anime being real and her willingness to kill were probably unrelated, and she feared getting on her bad side more than anything else, so…

“Good to know. Well, now that that’s cleared up… I came here on behalf of a friend of mine. Ceroba Ketsukane.”

“Y-yeah, I know a-about her. L-likes to send me l-letters, h-heh.” She was vibrating now.

“Huh… She never gave me the impression of someone who’d be your pen pal.”

“U-um… we aren’t pals. Not even remotely.”

“Yeah, I know. And it’s because of her daughter, the reason I came here on her behalf. I’ll make this quick: is she alive?”

Alphys gulped. “Y-yeah.”

“Good to know.” Though if Kanako was still alive… why was Alphys acting so suspicious even she could tell? “Next question: is she still fallen down?”.

“N-no,” Alphys said, quivering.

“OK, then. So, then… where is she?”

The question made the Royal Scientist turn silent for a minute. She was definitely hiding something, wasn’t she?

“T-top secret”, she answered awkwardly. Well… she wasn’t too surprised, but… how was she going to break the news to Ceroba? She made Starlo a “Hero of Monsterkind”, with all that that implied, and utterly failed to bring closure to Ceroba. She had failed not only Clover, but the only living people she could call “friends” too. She was horrible…

“…I know, but… if you don’t reveal answers soon enough, people will get mad. And, well… you don’t want to get in Ceroba’s bad side. She can, um… really kick your butt. And it hurts. Bad.” For some reason, she noticed the Royal Scientist was blushing? She didn’t understand why, though.

“O-oh, I see.”

Suddenly, she realized how poorly what she said came across.

“Augh! I’m sorry for making it sound like I’m threatening you! I swear I didn’t mean to! I-it’s just… you’re lucky I came here and not her! I’ll try to prevent you two from meeting, OK?”

“U-um… I-It’s fine.”

“W-well, OK. Just so you know… it’d probably be better if the families found some sort of closure. Mistrust could undermine trust in the government, you know.” Even if she was planning on committing treason, she wanted to prevent internal unrest and keep the Underground peaceful for everyone… humans included.

“I-I know,” said Alphys, still sweating and trembling.

“W-well, I have a feeling this meeting won’t go anywhere, so…”

“Y-yeah…” Alphys paused. “W-wait, before you go, c-can I give you some ice cream? I made a machine t-that converts seaweed to ice cream. I-it’s, u-um… pretty cool. I-I think.”

“Yeah, sure. I like ice cream. I mean, who doesn’t?”

“Undyne. B-but e-even she likes the seaweed ice cream too, s-so…”

“U-um, alright then.” Alphys turned on the machine, and the seaweed was turned into pink ice cream. Science was very impressive… and the ice cream was great too. “Oh, thank you, but… remember the situation could easily boil over, so…”

“U-um y-yeah, I know.” Unfortunately, the meeting was going nowhere. If she made it go somewhere, questions could be asked and she could be jailed, so…

After finishing the delicious seaweed ice cream, she had no reason to stay in the lab, so… “Well, I guess this is goodbye.”

However, after standing up, she glanced towards her bookshelves and was struck by the sudden inspiration to ask a question. Before realizing just how risky it was, she spoke up.

“Well, um… you really like animes, right?”

“O-only the good ones.”

“R-right. Wouldn’t it be a shame if they were all, um… permanently cancelled?” Subtle as she tried to be, she really signaled her allegiance to the government, didn’t she? She supposed she was just curious as to how one could be a fanatic of human media and work for a government that planned for the extermination of humankind. And… she was never good at keeping secrets, was she?

“O-oh, I get what you mean.” Oh no. “I used to be part of a Human Fan Club myself.”

She gulped.

“C-can you p-please k-keep my opinions secrets? I…I’m sorry, but they could be potentially life-ruining, a-and…”

“Y-yeah, I-I’m good at keeping secrets.”

“T-thank you,” she said nervously. Could she trust her? She didn’t want to be distrustful, but… her trust in Ceroba backfired on her, and she realized trusting strangers with her secrets was probably a bad idea, especially one who so clearly outsmarted her and could easily use her brain to trick her. And, besides… even if she somehow managed to gain Alphys as an ally… well, she didn’t want to imagine Ceroba’s reaction. “W-well, goodbye, then.”

As she left the Lab, she sighed. She really didn’t achieve or learn anything, did she? Sure, Alphys was hiding something, but Ceroba already knew that. And she was going to have to break the news to the fox… And there was a real possibility of her cover being blown.

However, in the middle of her flight she suddenly recalled she had achieved something: she knew the location of the first camera, at least… though she realized she had forgotten about the anchor plan. Well, hopefully they weren’t too expensive…

As she landed back home, she realized there was nothing left to distract her from the funeral now. After entering her house, she hugged Clover’s hat and shed a tear.

POV: Alphys

Well, that was close.

G-god, she couldn’t believe she even accepted t-that meeting… but if she did, Undyne would have been disappointed… and she was so strong, so cool, so earnest, so hot… she was everything she wasn’t. How could someone like Undyne love a sweaty nerd who subsisted off of junk food, barely bathed and kept horrifying secrets from monsterkind because she was a coward? It was a miracle that Undyne even called her a friend.

A-and it was thanks to her that she was still alive. If she hadn’t intervened in that dump… well. Undyne… she was like a real-life anime hero. Her antics deserved to be popular…

Well, the Determination experiments were, to say the least, a bust, so… well, there was a reason why she only ever went outside to go to the Dump now. It’s her element… and at least Undyne visits her.

She owed Undyne at least something, so… she was planning on making the Undernet go live on the 8^th of January, her 23rd birthday. She knew that in human culture, “memes” spread through culture like genes spread through biology, and that the Internet accelerated the spread of these memes, like she read in the literature that wound up in the Waterfall dump. W-well, Undyne could suplex boulders, make heroic speeches like in anime, do crazy stunts to save children's lives, perform ridiculous feats of strength… she was famous for a reason, and footage of her could easily go viral, and she craved all the images she could get. Besides… if she created the social network, communication between monsterkind would improve and people could befriend each other even if they were in totally different zones of the Underground. It’d be useful… much more useful than her, at any rate.

She realized she probably gave Undyne a skewed view on humanity, but… what could she do? After all… would she still be willing to be her girlfriend if she revealed that she had lied to her all along? And, in any case… there was no way a human was leaving the Underground without killing Asgore, who… well, she had even less chance of becoming Queen, but… in any case, her research on the Barrier and the human SOULs provided with an horrifying realization: The Barrier had immense magical power… one needed 1.2 times the power of a human SOUL to cross it, according to her measurements. That meant a human SOUL wasn’t enough to cross it… except Boss Monster SOULs had 20% the power of a human SOUL, so… the seven mages were clever, weren’t they? If the seventh (well, technically eight) human wanted to go home… well, she didn’t want to lose Asgore. And, w-well, it’d be better if the human stayed, but she didn’t want to betray or lie to Undyne even more, s-so…

Shame. It’s not like she hated humans. Just the opposite, in fact: she loved their technology culture, like anime, manga, video games (well, as long as they weren’t trash like her), and she even wrote fanfiction of masterpieces like Mew Mew Kissy Cutie (if a sequel ever washed up in the dump… she knew what she would do that day instead of working. The good thing about being able to make machines in two hours max is that you got a lot of time to slack off… and, well… she really was in no mood to work for obvious reasons). Lieutenant Martlet… Undyne told her she had been given that title after apprehending a human and taking them to Asgore, but she was clearly against the war, so… maybe the poor woman felt guilty? Well… she had to admit she found her kind of… well, attractive, so maybe if she was willing to settle… G-god, why did she find half the kingdom so hot? A-anyway, if he showed her human media, then maybe… no, she would only reciprocate if she knew the truth about the amalgamates, and if she did, Kanako’s mother would be rightfully pissed. As for Ceroba, she definitely wouldn’t be attracted to the lizard that turned her daughter into a liquid substance mixed with a cactony and a dunebud and sent her letters filled with the truth about herself twice a week. The relationship would be doomed… just like any relationship with someone like her.

Speaking of Kanako… there was something strange about her amalgamate. For some reason… their SOUL flashed blue sometimes, and so did their eyes. And when they did… Kanako’s voice demanded her to "stop hiding and finally tell the truth.”

Chapter Text

POV: A flower.

He pondered whether he should reset. Maybe the trio of child killer’s pathetic attempts to replace Gun-hat could work, but… if he was desperate enough, he could use his classic vine-in-the-back trick (which, unfortunately, had somehow become boring now. And after having had so much fun with it...) on the birdbrain and the sheriff wannabee. For now, though, he was still keeping his promise to Gun-hat. Dusting two “heroes of monsterkind” (hope they enjoyed their title!) would attract suspicion, of course, and he liked to keep his privacy.

And if he reset… he’d have to deal with Gun-hat. Again. They were the most frustrating human he had ever met (sure, he had only properly met two, but still!), a dark reflection of himself when he was such an idiot he refused to kill and was rightfully killed for betraying his best friend and not knowing how the world truly operated. Now… somehow, he had to live in a world without a SOUL. A world without them.

Of course, he could easily report their activities to the Guard. After all, the birdbrain had leaked secrets to the monster-melting lizard with an obvious crush on the crazy fish lady (really, showing her anime and manga to "impress" her and sweating even more whenever she was around her? How pathetic can you be?) and the sheriff wannabee had told his entire family and cosplay group, so it could only take a forged note for their plan to be ruined and for suspicion to fall onto them. Perhaps he could even cause some infighting...

And yet… somehow, he didn’t feel the need to yet. It could only take him lying to the human about their intentions, or a human desperate to return home (logically, if they were anything like the first five, her attempts to kidnap kids to replace him would fail. Hopefully, the seventh wouldn’t have Gun-hat’s mommy issues…) for their plan to fail and from him to win. And… perhaps, they could distract the Guard for him. After all, the quicker the human got to the old fool, the better. Besides… a novel scenario would be interesting, after all. Maybe even an internal conflict… though, of course, he preferred to prevent it for now. It'd deny the human LOVE, after all, and he knew how useful a LV 1 human could be.

And really… it’s not like he needed to stress too much. Sure, resetting had gotten old millennia ago, but if the human chose to stay, he could just change the situation in which they entered the hellhole. Like the ending where Gun-hat finished off the crazy fox lady. After all, the birdbrain was alone, depressed, and even more useless than normal. Really, it’s a miracle she didn’t fall down!

The crazy mother presented the biggest obstacle to him now. Sure, she was not like the crazy fish or the old fool, but, unlike her other two friends, she was actually strong, and she was at very least in the top two of the list of “biggest Asgore haters in the Underground”. And she didn’t want to lose a third child now (seriously, you murdered them 23 times and suddenly you’re all about protecting them just because of a hug? Well, now she’ll have to grieve them now! And she’ll never know he was responsible), so she’d probably be crazy about protecting them.

The fox… it was blatantly clear she had a secret. And it was most likely related to her goopy daughter, he suspected. Perhaps “put my precious little girl through hell” meant she was the reason her daughter fell down? Not a bad hypothesis for what happened, even if he still had no hard proof. Hey, maybe if she actually revealed the truth like a good friend should… and, if her daughter was freed, she’d have to spend time raising a “difficult” daughter, which would reduce her time in training or in their stupid “planning” sessions . And… maybe, she’d assault or even finish off the weakling of a lizard and her lasers, which would land her in jail and make things easier for him. The easier the road to the castle, the better (even if he preferred a few obstacles so the human could gain EXP, but not too many to not attract attention).

But if he revealed what happened at that goopy lab… well, it was risky. Unfortunately, the lizard had leverage over him, completely unintentionally, frustratingly; she had the only records of his existence, after all. Thankfully, she didn’t know about reset powers, but maybe monsterkind would hunt for a determined flower? Then again, the search for the fifth SOUL the failure of a scientist kept hidden ended relatively quickly, so maybe he could be fine if he laid low for a while… or maybe he could destroy some entries and blame it on some amalgamate. If he could use his save powers strategically, he could win. Actually, he would win. He just needed patience to reach the Surface and attain godhood, that was all…

And there was another advantage: if the birdbrain what happened if you inject yourself with DT, would she keep her syringe around? And if she threw her momentary boost of strength away like all the times Gun-hat decided to kill, but not obsessively so (but, somehow, not when they were too much of a pushover to practice self-defense even once)… what could she even do to “protect” them? She was a symbol of how pathetic the Royal Guard was, really; aside from the fish that believed anime was real, he could be beaten all within ten resets, and that was in a head-on confrontation instead of using his trusty vine. And if the birdbrain was weak… the next human hopefully wouldn’t be as attached to her. If he managed to convince them, they could even be willing to kill her, which wasn’t too difficult, and being killed by the very person you want to protect would be hilarious way for her to go out.

He was probably worried too much. Sure, prolonging the time until the next human came, which could be decades or even centuries, would perpetuate his boredom… but his actions could bring him some novelty, at least for a little while. And, when you’re determined, failure isn’t permanent, at least. I can always reset, he reminded himself.

He knew who would win in the end.

Chapter Text

POV: Dalv

Whatever I did to you that day was not my intention, I was only… Never mind. Words aren’t enough.

Only one thing to do.

Wh-what’s with that sad face? Don’t you understand? Don’t you remember me?

You look so helpless. Different.

You want me… to… shake your hand? Even after I wrongfully attacked you?

There are some pretty scary encounters to be had out there. I’m nothing compared to them.

I wish you all the luck in the world, Clover! Go do for others what you did for me!

He had just begun to break free from his self-isolation, started to befriend the monsters of the Dark Ruins and begun taking drawing classes from Penilla (even if she was harsh, it was clear she genuinely cared for him and wanted him to improve… and, honestly, he needed the criticism). His chance to begin his life anew with the help of his friends had just begun, thanks to Clover… and now, suddenly, he had to deal with the news that Kanako and Clover were both dead.

...and with the fact that he had hurt two humans. The fifth human was known to have killed other monsters, and the sight a human covered with dust in a place where they could harm Kanako made him instinctively initiate violence, but… he never tried to figure out the human's motives. Maybe it was a misunderstanding... And… falling into a civilization where your very existence is a crime punishable by death and reduction into a SOUL used to cause the extermination of your own kind can unfortunately bias you against that civilization. Maybe if they had both talked things through, a mutual understanding could have been reached… at least nobody died in that encounter, and Kanako was unhurt, though both he and the human were hurt rather badly. And, like the four before them, the child died. Maybe if the war was never declared… both they and the monsters they killed would be alive, he would have remained unhurt and kept his old life as a babysitter instead of falling into isolation, and poor Kanako wouldn’t have cried so much… he didn’t know why the poor girl had fallen down, but maybe the incident contributed to it?

Though, dreadfully… even if the human had been a complete pacifist, even a genuine friend to monsterkind, that wouldn’t have saved them. Clover… even if he barely met them (though, strangely… if felt like he had known them for much longer than barely a few hours), he had acted foolish with them, hurt them with his lightning bullets and tried to kill them even though they weren’t fighting back, all because he was too delusional to comprehend they weren’t the last human. The poor kid just wanted to go home, but… he was too afraid to open the door to Snowdin. But when they gave him a handshake despite everything… he realized just how benevolent Clover’s nature was, and how, despite the risk… it was nice to have friends. Clover’s deeds motivated him to stop hiding, to meet not just Penilla, but Flier, a good and loyal friend, even if he didn’t get what he was saying half the time, Sweet Corn, the most lovable piece of corn he had even met (although she was worried she couldn’t handle Snowdin), Rorrim, who he would definitely ask for advice whenever he went to buy clothes (he was originally planning on buying some clothes today, but he was obviously no longer in any mood to), and Crispy Scroll, who was certainly… passionate, even if he still didn’t know what “anime” was (Decibat chose to stay behind. He supposed the bat owed Clover the added quiet too). As nice and perpetually cheerful as Pops was, it was even better to have friends who he could hold a conversation with too. Apparently, all of the monsters in the Dark Ruins had met Clover and had great things to share about them too.

But now the three children were all dead. As a former babysitter, and a future children’s book author, he naturally had a soft spot for children… if he had the power to protect them and prevent the war from breaking out, he would. Nobody deserved to die so young… but, unfortunately, he was a low-level monster. At the very least, he promised not to betray Clover’s allies or their mission to save the seventh children. Furthermore, after his mourning period was over, he resolved to stop hiding, to create his children’s books, to be brave enough to play the organ in front of a crowd. That was the least he could do to repay Clover. They saw a man in trouble, a man who tried to kill them, and they responded by trying to befriend him and even going out of their way to check up on him Snowdin. He was so lucky to have met them, even if it was only for a few hours. How could anyone justify the murder of someone like them?

They deserved to grow up so much, but… now all he could for them is go to their funeral in Waterfall. He hadn’t been east of Snowdin in a very long time, so he feared getting lost and failing them, but luckily he found Ceroba next to a star monster wearing a cowboy outfit at the entrance to Waterfall.

“Oh, hello there, Dalv,” said Ceroba, smiling. “Glad you came. I’d like to introduce you to my best friend, Starlo. He helped me so much during my time of greatest need…” The mother began to frown, “although now he needs help himself too. It…it’s nice to see him leave his room, at least.”

“Yeah…” said Starlo mournfully. “Anyway, nice to meetcha, Dalv. You knew Clover, didn’t ya?” Starlo offered him a handshake, which he took.

“Yes… I… I assaulted them, unfortunately. I… I confused with the last human…”

“Eh, I did worse. I… I tried to murder them to be a so-called hero instead of apologizing to my posse, and now… I named them deputy, even honorary sheriff, but they were much more than that. And now… damn it, how am I gonna pretend to be a true lawman, loyal to…”

“Shh.” Ceroba interrupted him. “I understand how you feel, but… Waterfall is full of Echo Flowers. We should be very careful with what we say here.”

“Right. I’m a true lawman, 100 % loyal to King Asgore.”

“Yeah… anyway, follow us to go to the funeral. Martlet didn’t actually give us the exact location, so she flew around the place until she found us. The poor bird was so genuinely apologetic, and she felt so guilty while she hugged us both. And when I told her we’d go look for you, she was very grateful for the fact you’d come to their funeral. That’s just who she is: a self-admitted scatterbrain, but one of the kindest people I’ve ever met. Her bond with Clover was one of the most heartwarming things I’ve ever seen… it’s really a shame what happened to them both,” said Ceroba.

“Yeah… I’ve noticed her feathers have gotten paler since the last time I’ve saw her… and she and her clothes were much cleaner last week. Maybe… what we’ve been going through is like the time you’ve lost Kanako, said Starlo”

“Yes… losing a child is a terrible thing. It took me, you, Martlet and Clover to truly begin to get over it… and I’ve gotten no closure yet with Kanako, unfortunately.”

“I don’t mean to be rude, but… what do you mean by no closure?” he asked. “Didn’t you say she fell down?”

“Oh… I didn’t tell you last time, did I?” Ceroba looked at the ground, clearly anguished. “The government… a few months ago, they asked volunteers with fallen-down family members to bring them to the Royal Scientist’s lab in Hotland to use their SOULs to break the Barrier. I…I took my Kanako to t-them, a-and… they told me later the monsters revived, but… the lizard has been silent since. Martlet met up with her to find an answer, but the bastard stonewalled her. Well, what else do you expect from the cowa-” Starlo place his hand on her shoulder.

“Echo Flowers,” he reminded his friend.

“Right. Long live the Royal Scientist!” said Ceroba sarcastically.

“Oh… that sounds like a terrible situation…” He never knew the government was hiding monsters from families… supposedly they had managed to cure falling down, but… the Royal Scientist’s secrecy clearly did not bode well. Of course, he just learned about the situation, but… it was apparent that they were hiding something. He felt sorry for Ceroba, most of all. Having to experience your own daughter’s death, gaining the hope of getting her back, getting that hope ripped away without explanation, and then experiencing another innocent child’s death before getting closure...

“Sure is,” said Starlo glumly. “Girl was like a niece to me, almost a member of my posse… shame she never got to met Clover. They would have been great friends, I just know it!”

“They would have… anyway, let’s not keep poor Martlet waiting any longer. Follow us, Dalv… and stay silent just in case,” said Ceroba.

“Alright, then.”

He followed the pair until they went along a rail track. Just after the end of the track, he found a dejected-looking bird monster with unkempt blue hair and light blue feathers wearing a light blue shirt, dark blue pants and yellow snow boots with fluffy white cuffs clutching a cowboy hat. Clover’s hat… he already knew the funeral involved sending it down a raft was going to be part of the funeral, but seeing it there really made the fact they were dead hit him. Maybe, if he had been there, explained the fact visiting Asgore was a terrible idea, proposed the Dark Ruins as a place to hide Clover… well, sadly, he had no way of knowing where they would go. And now… there was no changing their fate.

At the bird’s feet was a wooden raft with a yellow clover symbol fittingly engraved on it and a yellow flag on one of its edges. The raft was near a the source of a river. They were rather close to an Echo Flower, so he reminded himself he had to be careful with his wording.

Starlo was the first to speak to the avian monster:

“Howdy, Feathers. Sorry to keep you waiting.”

“Feathers” was somewhat startled to hear his voice.

“Ah! Sorry, I… I was lost in thought. Anyway, it’s no big deal.”

Ceroba chuckled.

“Yeah, I figured you’d say that. I know you’ve forgiven much worse. Anyway…” she turned to look at him. “Dalv, this is Martlet… Star just gave her that nickname… just like I call him Star, I realize.”

“Well, I’ve called myself ‘sheriff North Star’, so… and it’s a nice nickname at least, though it ain’t exactly the most original nickname for a star monster,” said Starlo.

“Well, I’m not exactly too fond of ‘Feathers’ myself,” admitted Martlet, “but there’s no use in causing unnecessary squabbles… actually, me and Starlo didn’t exactly meet under the best circumstances.”

“Yes, he jailed her,” said Ceroba. “But Martlet befriended him too. Maybe her forgiving nature is why Clover took such a shine to her…”

Martlet chuckled.

“Heh, maybe.” Her mood darkened. “Right... we’re all her because of them.” She glanced at Clover’s hat before looking at him. “Anyway, Dalv, nice to meet you! I heard you met Clover, and… I’m really sorry about what happened to you. Ceroba told me you met Kanako too before she went to find you, isn't that right?”

“Yes… I’m taking a break for a week to deal with the news.”

“Understandable. Anyway… I suppose it’s thanks to Clover we’re all together, so… we all really owe them a lot.”

“Me included. Anyway, Martlet, nice to meet you too. Would you mind giving me a handshake?” He offered her his hand.

“Sorry, buddy, but you’re only getting wingshakes!” She vigorously offered her left wing while holding Clover’s hat with her right.

“Nice to see Clover bringin’ people together even beyond the grave,” said Starlo. “Even though they should have been alive to see this…”

“Yeah…” both he and Martlet said mournfully.

“Anyway… we’ve delayed them long enough, but I think it’s time for the eulogies,” said Ceroba.

“Yeah, you’re right,” said Starlo. “By the way, thanks for handing me my gift to Clover, Feathers.”

“You’re welcome, Starlo! Well… it’s time for the eulogies. Does anyone want to go first?”

Nobody answered.

“I think you should go first, Martlet. You’re the one who organized this, which I really appreciate, and you were the one who Clover called their best friend, so…”

“Well, alright then. It’s time.” Martlet looked down at the hat and took a deep breath.

“You are a kind soul. One of the best I’ve met. I told you these words to you at the rooftop of UG Apartments, and they still ring true. When I met you, I…I was following my guidebook without questioning it, and I used my toolbox in a shameful way. And yet… despite that, you didn’t just forgive me. You befriended, wing/fist-bumped me, hugged me… tragically, you’ll only be a blip in my life, but… sometimes the smallest blips make the biggest impact. I’ve never felt happier than when I was with you… and I’ve never felt more devastated than when I lost you. And yet… I’ve learned so much from the few hours in which I was with you. You’ve made me confront the reality of what being a Royal Guard truly meant and made me find courage. You’ve inspired me to make the effort to improve as a protector and as a person. You’ve made me realize that, even if construction is harder than destruction… it’s still worth fighting for. And now… if I want to honor your legacy, I’ll try to be kind, to help others, to try to improve the world in whatever way I can. I…I know I’ve failed you so many times and that there’s nothing I can do to make up for it now, but just know this: you deserved a happy, violence-free childhood, you really did. In the end… I’m honored you called me your best friend. Clover, wherever you are… I hope you get to find all the happiness you deserved to have in life. Rest well, Clover. You won’t be forgotten, and that’s a promise.” Smiling, but with a sad look in her eyes, she placed the hat on the raft. “Well… who’s next?”

After a brief pause, Starlo spoke up.

“Could I go next? I have another gift for the honorary sheriff.” He pulled out a revolver from his holster.

“Huh?” he said, startled.

“Um… Feathers told me she made sure Asgore emptied out the ammo first,” replied Starlo.

“But it wasn’t empty when you bought them the gun,” Ceroba pointed out.

“YOU BOUGHT THEM A REAL GUN?” he said.

“Yes… I didn’t treat them very well,” admitted Starlo.

“None of us really did,” admitted Martlet.

“Yes… I hurt them too,” said Dalv.

“We all did at some point, shamefully. They really deserved better,” said Ceroba, frowning with her eyes closed.

“Well… guess they don’t have the guns or bullets now, at least,” said Starlo. “I’ve been practicing my eulogy, but… I’m nervous. Still… I think I can give you the eulogy you deserved… even if you didn’t deserve death. Let’s go.” Starlo took a deep breath.

“Partner… to begin with, I did horrible things to you, I’m sure. I suppose this six-shooter is proof enough of that. My North Star persona… it wasn’t a sheriff or a lawman. It was a selfish, inconsiderate, reckless man, I realize now. I didn’t care for my posse, for Mining Co.’s employees, for Feathers, for Ceroba, and especially not for you. In the Wild East, I treated you more as a shiny new toy than as a person with feelings, forced you to participate in my antics, and… at my lowest moment, I almost did something unforgivable to you. And yet… despite everything, you forgave me. You’ve made me reflect on the kind of person I was and made me realize that what I was doing wasn’t true justice. Now… I’ll try to consider other people’s feelings. I’ll try not to unnecessarily inconvenience the kind people of the Dunes for the sake of my ‘missions’. I’ll try to help my family around the farm. And, most of all… I’ll try to protect the innocent. Because that’s what a true sheriff does. Before you came along, you made me realize that I had dug myself into a deep hole without realizing… and, thanks to you, I’m trying to climb out of it. Clover… you have my undying respect.” He placed the gun on the raft. “In the end, you only used this gun against a dummy… and that really speaks to the kind of persons you were.” Starlo took off his hat. He was shocked by how well it had hidden his glasses and his baldness, both of which he never suspected. “Happy trails, partner.”

“That was a great eulogy, Starlo… although having to write one so soon after meeting them is terrible,” said Martlet.

“I know… in a better world, I would’ve been worrying about what to give them for Gyftmas,” said Starlo.

“Yes… imagine all the celebrations us five could have had together. I think… we could have been a great group of friends, we really could… maybe even a family,” said Martlet.

“But now… we’re allies. Comrades. Partners in crime, even… and in grief, most of all.” Ceroba sighed. “Dalv, do you want to go next?”

“Sure. I… I’ll admit I haven’t thought about what to say in my eulogy…”

“That’s OK. I know you can speak from the heart. After all, you cared enough about Clover to attend their funeral, and I’m grateful for that,” said Martlet.

“Yes… I suppose the kid gave me courage. Anyway… I brought a gift too.” He pulled out an ear of corn. “It’s from the Dark Ruins… like me, it left the place thanks to Clover.”

“Nice to know they’ll have food to eat on the ride.” Ceroba smiled. “I suppose I ought to thank Kanako and Star’s family for the corn… and Clover for bringing everyone here together. It’s funny… I never realized the Underground was so interconnected before now.”

“By the way… what do you think about the corn?” asked Starlo.

“It’s great! I, um… pretty much subsisted on it while I was in the Dark Ruins and, um, probably developed an addiction. I mean… it’s good corn.”

“Best in the Underground!” said Starlo proudly.

“Guess I got to try it one of these days, huh? Anyway… thanks for the gift, Dalv. I really am sorry you couldn’t spend more time with them… but now, you can give them an eulogy, at least,” said Martlet.

“Alright, then,” he replied. “Let’s go friend.” He took a deep breath.

“To begin with… once again, I’m sorry for attacking you. I… confused you with the last human, and… I let my fear overtake me. You could have fought back, but… like with the others, you didn’t. Instead, you forgave me. And you’ve made me realize the way I was living wasn’t healthy. I rejected all social relationships, I talked to brooms, I forgot the colors of things. But when you shook my hand… I realized I couldn’t continue like this. So I resolved to befriend the monsters of the Dark Ruins, to move back to Snowdin, to stop letting fear control me. You’ve done so much good in your painfully short stay in the Underground, Clover, and now… I can never repay you, like I can never repay Kanako. You… you were just kids, and… nobody deserves to die this young. I’ve been a babysitter, and I want to write children’s books, because I want children to be safe and happy. It’s such a shame you’ll never get to see the organ concerts I have planned. Even though I didn’t know you too well, and I barely met you… I’m glad I got to befriend you, if only for a little while.” He looked at Clover’s friends. “I wish you three the best of luck in your endeavors. I believe you can make them proud.” He looked back at the raft and placed the corn. “Well… at least you won’t be hungry on the trip, friend. Farewell.”

“Once again, thank you for coming here, Dalv,” said Martlet. “Clover helped out so many people, didn’t they? It’s such a shame their kindness was never repaid…” The bird looked at the raft and sighed before turning back to him. “I wish you all the success in your future endeavors, too! You deserve it! Thanks for feeding them, by the way. We totally forgot to, heh!... Heh…” Martlet frowned.

“You’re welcome… you all loved Clover dearly, didn’t you? I-I’m so sorry…”

“We sure did… they were one of the biggest heroes this place has ever seen. They could have done so much if they got to grow up…” said Starlo.

“Indeed. They had such a gift for solving problems peacefully and for making us realize when we were failing as adults… they gave us all the wake-up call we needed. The poor child went through so much, and still stayed strong… and I’m proof enough of that. Out of everyone, I’m sure I was the one who treated them the worst. I suppose it’s my turn now. Before I begin…” She looked at the other three monsters in the room “…I must thank you all for giving me a second chance. Well, we’ve delayed it long enough, but… it’s time.” She took a deep breath.

“To begin with… let’s not sugarcoat it. I was a terrible person. I… I was so focused on honoring my late husband and daughter’s legacy that I became tunnel-visioned, obsessed with a plan I could never fulfill and which brought nothing but harm to my family. I became someone who was too stubborn to realize it was time to give up, even though I became a danger to myself and my loved ones. I was unappreciative of what Star had done for me in my time of greatest need, I betrayed Martlet’s trust, and… worst of all, I pretended to be Clover’s protector, all while I was planning on killing them all along, even when it was made abundantly clear their SOUL was pure and that they wouldn’t hurt a jandroid. I… I spent so much time trying to battle them. I really was lucky I didn’t kill them, because… if I had, the weight of the unforgivable act would have done would have hit me, and I would have fallen completely into self-loathing. In truth… after losing, I didn’t think I deserved to live, but… when Clover hugged me, and when Martlet and Star forgave me… I realized I had been given a second chance, and I resolved not to waste it. My road to improvement has barely begun, I’m sure of it, but I owe Clover for making me realize my life was going down a dangerous road and helping me climb back out of the hole I was digging myself into. It… it’s just a shame I have nothing to give you, unlike your other friends. But, just so you know… Clover, despite the terrible way I treated you… I’m glad I met you. And I’m glad I met Martlet and Dalv thanks to you. You may be one of the greatest heroes the Underground has ever seen, and I suppose it’s time for us adults to do our jobs for once now. Thank you, Clover. Your deeds will never be forgotten.”

“Thank you so much, Ceroba. Well, we’ve all give beautiful speeches, haven’t we? Though, of course… I’d rather be living in a world where we all celebrated Clover’s 12^th birthday. We could all have baked a cake together…” Martlet sighed again. “Well, at the very least… I think they would have been proud of these speeches. And, what we’re planning on doing to honor their memory… dangerous as it is, it’s better than giving in to fate.” She glanced at Ceroba. “By the way, don’t beat yourself up too badly over not having a gift for them. I only chose two objects, after all.”

“Yeah, I guess it’s fine… though it’s a shame to be the odd one out,” said Ceroba.

“Actually,” said Starlo as he pulled out a pair of goggles from his pocket. “I have a pair of safety glasses for the trip. They… they’re mine, because Clover was wearing theirs when they… they were murdered, but…”

“I… thank you so much, Star. I really appreciate all you’ve done for me.” Starlo handed over the glasses to Ceroba, who placed them on the raft. “Can’t forget the safety goggles.” Ceroba smiled.

“Yes, now they’ll be safe on the trip!” said Starlo.

“Yes, I know how important safety is on boat rides,” said Martlet. “The last time they went on a raft… it really wasn’t my proudest moment,” she confessed, somewhat embarrassed.

“Of course, they still forgave you. Typical Clover, huh?” said Ceroba.

“I…I can’t believe how much good Clover did in only a day,” he said. “I don’t want any more children to be killed now.”

“Us neither,” said Martlet.

“Yes… we have a mission now,” said Starlo.

“Of course we do, but beforehand… I guess it’s time for Clover to set sail, huh?” said Ceroba.

“Actually, Ava II doesn’t have sails, just like her older sister… so I’d call it aviation,” said Martlet.

“Well, I guess you’re the boat expert here, huh? Speaking of, Mooch acquired an anchor yesterday,” said Ceroba.

“Really? That’s great!” chirped Martlet. “Legally, right?” she inquired.

“Yeah, Ace gave her the money,” said Starlo.

“Oh, that’s great!” said Martlet. “Anyway… time to fly, Clover.” She grabbed the raft with her wings and placed in on the water. The raft began to float along the river.

“Farewell, friend,” he said.

“Thank you for everything,” said Ceroba.

“I’m so glad I met you, kid. You’re the greatest deputy in the world,” said Starlo.

“Take care, Clover.” said Martlet.

Silently, the four watched the raft get smaller and smaller, until disappeared from view. He was hurt, of course… and yet, he found comfort in the fact he wasn’t alone.

Nobody broke the silence for a long time… until Ceroba spoke up.

“Well… we can’t stay here forever. I think it’s time for us to part.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right. I’m going back home to mourn,” said Martlet.

“Um… I don’t want to be rude, but… can I go with you?” he replied.

“Oh, I’d be honored, Dalv!” said Martlet. “Besides, it’d be a nice change of pace to travel long distances on foot for a change. Actually… I know I just met you, but can I call you a friend?”

“…sure,” he replied. “I befriended Clover shortly after meeting them, after all.”

“Hey, me too!” replied Martlet. “And, well… it wouldn’t be the first time I met a good friend at a funeral… isn’t that right, Ceroba?”

“Yeah, we met at Chujin’s funeral, since he was her mentor” Ceroba explained. “Well, we didn’t really interact back then, but… we’re friends now. Anyway, me and Star are going back to the Dunes. Moray’s parents invited us two to dine with them and their child and discuss everything that happened. I think it’s nice to see Star leave his room…”

“Yeah, thanks, Ceroba… anyways, thank you for organizing this, Feathers. And thank you for coming, Dalv.”

“No problem. It’s just the least they deserved,” he said.

“Exactly! Clover was great at bringing people together, weren’t they?. I have three whole friends now!... though, of course, I wish I had four…” said Martlet. “Anyway, I can’t legally enter the Dunes for a week, so…”

“Wait, what happened?” asked Dalv.

“Um, I guess what I said made me sound like a criminal,” Martlet admitted “but I’m technically still a Royal Guard, and I made Asgore forbid them from entering the Wild East, so…”

“Yeah, Ceroba told me all about it,” said Dalv.

“Um… let’s stay silent, shall we? Remember, there’s an Echo Flower here!” said Ceroba. “Speaking of…” She walked up to the Echo Flower and said ‘we hate humans.’

“Well then… we gotta say our goodbyes, don’t we?” said Starlo.

“Yes. Goodbye, you two. We’ll meet again,” he said before shaking hands with Starlo and Ceroba.

“Goodbye to you two,” said Martlet before giving wingshakes to her friends. “I’ve been thinking about us four meeting at my house on the 20^th at 3:00 p.m.. Do you have time?”

“Yeah, sure, I’ll come,” said Starlo.

“Me too. It’d be nice to see your house getting visitors,” said Ceroba.

“Count me in too,” said Dalv.

“Great! Anyway… I hope you two enjoy your dinner,” said Martlet.

“Thank you, Feathers,” said Starlo.

“Well, then, we’ve gotta go,” said Ceroba. The two monsters went east, towards the Dunes, a place he reminded himself he had to visit at some point.

He walked back to Snowdin with Martlet, admiring the gemstones on the walls and roofs of the cave and the vegetation of Waterfall. It was a beautiful place, and he supposed he owed Clover the opportunity to explore what the Underground had to offer instead of remaining isolated in the Dark Ruins for the rest of his life.

The two walked through Waterfall silently. Martlet seemed clearly despondent, and… well, now that he was alone with her, it appeared she needed a good preening and a shower; he saw what appeared to be crumbs of food between some of her wing feathers.

As they neared the border to Snowdin, they came across a monster covered in full armor dark grey. He didn’t know who the monster was, but the moment she saw Martlet jumped in shock and screamed, seemingly instinctively.

“U…um, h-hi, boss,” said Martlet. Had he come across the Captain of the Royal Guard? He didn’t keep up too much with current events even before his self-exile, but he recalled her name was Undyne and she had become captain at a shockingly young age.

“Hello there, lieutenant! I just want to ask you… why didn’t you come to your own retirement party?” Undyne asked, somewhat threateningly.

Martlet, shaking, took a deep breath. “W-well…” However, before she could continue, her boss took off her helmet, revealing a blue fish monster with an eyepatch on her left eye, a red ponytail and sharp yellow teeth.

“I’m so sorry for you! You REALLY missed out! Actually, at first, I thought you were just late like usual, so me and some other guards watched some great human history documentaries like Mew Mew Kissy Cutie and Dragon Ball Z to pass the time, and… well, I admit I got so absorbed I forgot the party was supposed to be about you. Anyway, I tried to cook some spaghetti for the Guard and… my house almost burned down.”

“WHAT?” replied Martlet.

“Yeah, but I was lucky Napstablook was around. Their tears really were a lifesaver! They’re very introverted, but… they’re a good ghost,” said Undyne.

“Oh… t-they sound nice,” said Martlet nervously.

“Yeah… anyway, why didn’t you come to your OWN party?”

“I… I was at a funeral with my friend,” admitted Martlet.

“Oh…” replied Undyne. “Skipping a party to go to a funeral? I KNEW I was right to give you that title! You’re like… like Mew Mew, like Sailor Moon, like… Gohan, or maybe Krillin? Um, I don’t know. Help me out here.”

“I’m not a cartoon character,” said Martlet after an awkward silence.

“They’re called anime,” clarified Undyne. Wait, like that thing Crispy Scroll is obsessed with? Maybe the two should get together one day… “and they’re much more than cartoons. They’re authentic documentaries that show just how powerful humans can be, so… it’s important to study them, just in case!” she explained.

“…whatever,” asked a clearly exasperated Martlet. “Look, I just left the funeral of someone very special to me and I'm not fucking interested in…” Martlet froze when she realized she had just sworn in front of her boss. “Oh… sorry for letting that one slip out.”

“Whatever! It’s no big deal! Actually, I had been paranoid of the humans mind-controlling you after you quit the Guard so suddenly, but seeing as how you successfully apprehended the human and brought someone to fill your vacancy… I need to apologize for my paranoia, and for the way I treated you today, lieutenant.”

“A-alright, t-thank you,” said Martlet, somewhat insincerely. “I just… I just want to go home, alright?”

“Alright, lieutenant! I hope to see you again!” said Undyne. “And, um… I’m sorry for your loss.”

“Yeah… well, gotta go,” said Martlet.

They trudged together throughout Snowdin. When he was sure Undyne was out of earshot, he asked the bird a question:

“You convinced someone else to join the Guard?”

“Y-yeah, I sure did,” Martlet confessed. “I have a meeting with her at my house in a few days. But it’s not like I’m gonna leak out secrets, it’s just… I hope I can guide her to the right path, and, besides, I could get inside information about the guard from her… plus I feel sorry for apprehending the poor girl,” stated Martlet.

“Wait, you apprehended her? And she still wants to join the Guard?”

“Well, I wasn’t the most competent member of the Guard,” Martlet admitted. “G-god, I hope I get to convince her, b-because if I don’t…” Martlet began to sob. “Dalv… I’m scared for the future… I-I’m weak, a-and the captain is strong, a-and… I’ve changed s-since that day. I’ve never cried so much before, but I’ve been shedding so many tears, I’ve been letting swears slip out, and I’ve b-been having bad nightmares… I-I’m scared of heading to bed now… a-and I don’t want to lose hope, but the stakes are so high, and if we fail… I’m terrified for the future.”

“Oh… I understand. Loss is difficult to go through. But you won’t have to bear the pain alone…”

“Y-yes, I’m grateful for my friends. I’m not going to give up on my mission, not if it means another child paying the consequences, but… it’s just, I don’t think I can truly be the silly scatterbrain I used to be ever again. I was naïve a-and willing to see the best in people…” She sniffled. “I…I suppose I’ll never trust people as easily as I did b-before their death. Though, nothing against you, Dalv. You seem like a great guy… and it’s a shame you have to deal with so much. You didn’t deserve what happened. I have to admit bringing them to Asgore was my idea. I thought… I really thought I could get a pardon, and now?” Martlet fell to her knees and wept. “THEY’LL HAVE TO PAY FOR MY IDIOCY FOREVER! It… it’s not fair, i-it just isn’t.”

“I…I’m so sorry about your loss, I really am. But… you’ve resolved not to repeat your mistakes and organized a beautiful funeral for them. You were naïve, but you weren’t malicious. I think… I think Clover would forgive you like they forgave others.”

“I… t-thank you, Dalv. I don’t if I can get over what I’ve done, but… I’m grateful to have you as a friend. And it’s all thanks to their kindness.”

“Y-you’re welcome, Martlet. And, u-um… as a piece of advice, don’t isolate yourself from the world. I know how terrible it can be…”

“T-thank you Dalv. I’ll be sure to support your future endeavors.”

“That’s nice of you.” He smiled. “U-um by the way, now t-that we’re friends… can I tell you something? I promise I don’t want to come across as rude, but…”

“S-sure, you can be honest with a friend.”

“U-um… I think you should probably take a shower.”

Martlet chuckled.

“Yeah, I really should, huh?” She said, smiling. “I haven’t taken one, since, you know…” She gave a mournful look. “But, even if I hate getting my feathers wet… I should try to look presentable for my meeting with Red.”

Chapter Text

POV: Red

15 December, 2113

She supposed it was about time she got a job, even if she hadn’t expected it to be for the organization that had mistakenly apprehended her seven times now; her desperate attempts to explain that she was, in fact, not a human never seemed to bear fruit. But, perhaps, she would take the offer of “Martlet of the Royal Guard Snowdin Division” (as the bird called herself when she apprehended her two weeks ago, trying to sound... imposing?? She reminded herself to go to Snowdin to learn the ropes of being a Royal Guard and… make puzzles together? Yeah, the lady’s puzzles littered Lower Snowdin) and join the Guard to finally stop getting apprehended… and, perhaps, to have friends, or even a family???

After all, she never really had either. The rest of her family had either died to Hotland’s lava or a starving pack of wolves that had fallen into the Underground and had been reduced to resorting to eating dust (the Royal Guard dealt with the situation quickly, but at the cost of her grandmother), or left her when she was very young. Most of her life was spent living alone in her house in the Dunes, wandering around the Underground and watching other monsters go around their daily lives with their families and friends, and looking if anything had fallen down in the Waterfall Dump; sometimes she was lucky to find anime, video games and movies there, though she admitted that when she found Mew Mew Kissy Cutie she… pretty much stopped watching all other media. Well, it is a good show, and the way the ending was clearly setting up a sequel with the introduction of its new villain… hopefully, it’d fall into the dump sooner or later!! It had been three years since the DVD fell, and she was tired of watching the same 52 episodes with no closure… well, at least she had video games to keep her entertained… like Mew Mew Love Blaster, which she had very easy access to, luckily.

And… it had been over six years since she found herself. In the Dump… Not that her body was garbage, but she had been hesitant about corporealization beforehand. As a ghost, she, of course, always wished for a physical body, something with which she could be herself, but… she feared mortality. Without corporealization, ghosts were totally immortal, after all; physical attacks could do nothing, and the worst magic could do was forcibly expel them from a battle when their HP reached zero. As purely magical beings, they could not dust, as there was nothing to turn to dust. Corporealization meant completion as a being for most ghosts, home, culmination... but it also meant mortality. And yet, the moment she saw the doll, with its big red hood (she suspected this was the reason many Guards called her “red”… well, she decided she was going to call herself that now in front of Martlet, so she supposed it was her name now) and its ribbon, she felt such a strong identification with it that she decided very quickly to make it her new body. The fusion did not take long; she was overjoyed with her new body, and strong unbridled emotions were the key to becoming corporeal. Now she would never go back.

Even with a physical body, she had advantages over other monsters as a ghost: as her body wasn’t biological, it could not experience aging, and thus, old age couldn’t claim her, just like it can’t claim a childless Boss Monster. Of course, lacking a body of biological origin meant its appearance couldn’t change naturally (though she could change its clothing, of course), but this didn’t really matter to her. It was a nice body!!

Still, there were disadvantages to her true form. Not anything related to the body itself, of course, but rather to her society. After all, she looked like a human, and humans were powerful beings, the one who sealed monsterkind underground, and the keys to its freedom. Few monsters knew what a human looked like, but the ones who did were either wary of her or sought to capture her. After all, capturing or even killing (she suspected she was lucky no member had tried that…) a human was an easy way to become celebrated in the Kingdom of Monsters… unfortunately for her.

Speaking of human apprehension, she had read in the newspapers that it was Martlet who had been the one to apprehend a human and claim the sixth SOUL, a job she completed before any other Guard saw the human, despite the fact that she wore no armor and was on probation (“proof that anyone, including you, can be a hero, and that you shouldn’t let your self-doubt prevent you from joining the Guard”, as the Royal Guard’s appeal in page 7 of the newspaper stated). And she suspected that the human’s name was Clover. She was the last person to assume humanoid monsters were human, of course, but given she read the newspaper the day after she met Clover… then again, it was clear that she was fond of Clover, so maybe it was just a strange coincidence??

Whether or not Clover was human, and despite knowing the risks of joining a job in which she would be at risk of violent death… the bird’s offer interested her. After all, the extra G could buy her more Cinnamon Bunnies, and… even if Dogamy and Doge had apprehended her the dogs in Snowdin seemed cute, Lesser and Greater Dog especially … and she wanted to be close to them, and hopefully pet them or even play with them, if they’d let her… they were just too adorable!!

And, well… hopefully, if she was a Royal Guard… the other members would get the hint and finally stop arresting her!! Like, couldn’t a ghost wander around the Underground in peace, huh??

Martlet said she’d be busy “until next week”, so she waited a few days before deciding to apply for the job. She had wandered around the kingdom many times, so she knew where the headquarters of the Royal Guards were. When she went there, though, a mantis monster covered in armor explained that applicayions were handled in the house of the Captain, located in Waterfall; “look for a dome shaped like a fish,” said the monster. Indeed, she had seen what the house looked like beforehand (it was difficult to forget), but she never realized the leader of the Kingdom’s armed forces lived in a house so… tacky.

After receiving the information (the mantis said she’d call the captain in advance), she made her way there and found captain Undyne, wearing full armor except for her face, cheerfully standing outside her house. All of a sudden, she became nervous. Was she really doing this? Joining an organization that could put her life at risk all because a bird took a joke seriously? But, then again… she did desire social interaction, so… she put her doubts aside.

“Come in, applicant!” said the fish, smiling.

“A-alright,” she answered. After crossing the door, which looked like fangs due to the building’s unique architectural style, she entered the inside of the house. The interior design was rather garish… well, she could be as rude as she wanted inside her mind!

After they took their uncomfortably low seats, Undyne immediately began to speak.

“Hello there! It’s great to see a new applicant! We haven’t had one of those in over a year…” she admitted.

“Well, um… I just wanted your employees to finally stop arresting me!!”

“Oh, right. You must be Red, and, um… sorry about my employee’s behavior.”

“Yeah, being apprehended? Not great!!... though, actually, I’m here because your employee Martlet came to me last week, I made a joke about the Guard… and she took it seriously. She seems… enthusiastic about puzzles.”

“Oh, Lieutenant Martlet! Yeah, she sure loves them! I mean, I don’t get the hype at all, and, well, I actually considered firing her for a while, believe it or not! But, despite her many infractions, she was the one who brought the human to Asgore before anyone else! SEE HOW STRONG WE CAN BE IF WE BELIEVE IN OURSELVES?”

“Um… OK.”

“Though… I noticed she’s been acting strange. For some reason, she seemed sad about getting a promotion and the Hero of Monsterkind title. She even put in her two weeks! I was even paranoid about the human brainwashing her somehow, but… she claimed the sixth SOUL and recruited a new member of the Guard, so… perhaps me putting her on probation and beating her so badly in combat is the reason her low self-esteem got so low. WHICH IS A SHAME! SHE’S PROOF ANYONE CAN DO GREAT THINGS! After all… she did what needed to be done… before you join the Guard, are you willing to do that?” Undyne stared right at her.

“Um… w-what do you mean by that?”

“To protect monsterkind against the human menace, to claim the last SOUL, free us, and reclaim the Surface for monsterkind.” …was she actually willing to kill? She supported the liberation of monsterkind, but… would she truly be willing to support a war? She trembled… well, hopefully, another Guard would do it first, but… what would she do if she came across a human, especially one who wasn’t fighting back?

“U-um… yeah, sure!” she said nervously. Well, she’d mostly be upholding the law and maintaing puzzles (even if she admitted she had no idea what to make), and she needed companionship, plus humans only came around very rarely, so...

“GREAT TO HEAR! Now, for question #2… can you hold a weapon?”

“…y-yeah? I do have working hands…”

“AWESOME! Take your pick!” She got up, went to her room and retrieved swords, axes, maces, lances and hammers. Didn’t they have anything more… modern? Well, she did use bomb bullets…

“Um… I’ll take the sword…” Sure, it may be a boring pick, but… swords were cool, OK??

“GREAT TO HEAR!! You’re hired! You’ll get to fill the vacancy in Lower Snowdin on the 26^th!” She knew it was easy, but…

“Wait, that easily?”

“Yeah, you passed the test! And, well… can I tell you a little secret about the Guard?”

“Yeah, sure.”

“We… we’re kind of understaffed. And it’s gotten worse since we lost Knight Knight and Madjick, and now Martlet…” Undyne suddenly looked saddened.

“Oh… well, at l-least you have a replacement?”

“YEAH!” Said Undyne, suddenly cheered up. “Although, now that I think about it… there may be a problem. You see… you have to be at least eighteen to join the Guard.”

“Oh yeah, I get that a lot.” She pulled out her apparition certificate, which gave her age as 26, six of which she had spent corporealized. “Ghosts can’t exactly age, you know!! It’s either that or people looking at me weird because I look human…” she grumbled.

“Oh, I see… though I wonder why’d you chose a body like that…”

“WHAT!!” She immediately replied before instinctively pointing her new sword at her boss. She realized it was probably a bad idea to threaten her boss before she even started her job, but… after realizing what she’d done, she put the sword down. “I’m sorry… do you know how hurtful statements like that are to ghosts?”

“Oh… I… I’m genuinely sorry. Actually, you’ve proven you can be brave, that you can stand up for yourself, and that you have a killer instinct, so… you definitely belong in the Guard! Congratulations!!”… well, she never expected to be congratulated for pointing a weapon at her own future boss.

“U…um… th-thanks??”

“You’re welcome!! Anyway… want a drink? I have soda, hot chocolate, and golden flower tea! MAKE YOUR CHOICE!” She energetically handed her a magic spear.

“Alri-” she said as she stood up to get the drink before almost immediately getting interrupted by the captain.

“HEY, DON’T GET UP! YOU’RE THE GUEST! You’re supposed to pick the drink with the spear,” she explained.

“Oh… s-sorry, I didn’t know…” so that’s why she handed her a spear… she genuinely didn’t know why beforehand.

“WELL, NOW YOU DO! Choose the drink you want!”

“Um… I’ll take the soda!”

“OH, that gross thing? But it rots your fighting spirit!”

“…yeah, but I want to drink it…”

“Well, a good friend gave it to me, and she’d be happy if someone drank it, so… I guess you can have it once.” Undyne gave her the lemon soda. It tasted OK.

“Well, thanks for the job… um, I don’t think there’s any reason for me to stay, so…”

“Yeah, you probably don't," she admitted. "By the way, we’re having a party to celebrate Martlet’s retirement TOMORROW, so… you’re invited! We’ll even watch human history documentaries!” Really? Watching documentaries at a party? Wasn’t that… kinda weird??? Though... it's not like she attended many parties... or any parties.

“Um.. thanks for the offer, captain… but things like parties kinda overwhelm me, so… I’ll pass.”

“Well, you don’t have to come if you don’t want! It’s fine!”

“Right… speaking of, I’m meeting with Martlet later today. She says she wants me to introduce me to the job and to make puzzles with me.”

“Yeah, for some reasons she thinks puzzles are very important to the job. I don’t get it! All they do is make moving around the Underground harder! I’d even deemphasize puzzles if it wouldn’t cause such a big backlash,” declared Undyne. “Also, two people making puzzles together is a code violation,” she clarified.

“Yeah, the bird suspected that. A-anyway, see you later!”

“Well, goodbye! Hope you enjoy the job! IT’LL HAVE COMBAT! YOU’LL STUDY HUMAN DOCUMENTARIES! YOU’LL HAVE NICE UNIFORMS AND INSURANCE RATES! And… YOU’LL EVEN GET TO EAT MY VERY OWN SPAGHETTI! How’s that sound? I should put this in my appeals in the newspapers!” said Undyne.

“I mean… if you want?? Well, bye,” she said as she left the house.

Just as she left Undyne’s home, something strange happened: the dummy outside suddenly changed its color from white to orange, and suddenly grew sclerae and eyebrows. Was the dummy a…?

“HEY! HEY! HEY! STOP RIGHT THERE! I was eavesdropping —don’t ask why!— and I heard you’re a ghost!” said the dummy.

“Um… y-yeah. Fused to a doll,” she replied, somewhat startled.

“Well… I know what Undyne said was OFFENSIVE, but… she doesn’t hate ghosts, OK? She gave me the best job in the world and she pays me EQUAL to a Royal Guard, so I respect her!”

“…um, what’s your job then, if I may ask?”

“Training dummy!” The ghost smiled. “She beats the stuffing out of me! Isn’t that wonderful?”

“No???”

“…well, I guess I can’t prevent you for being WRONG, but I can ask you this: I’ve been trying to fuse with this dummy for AGES, and… why isn’t it working? How did the fusing go for you, huh?” the dummy asked her.

“W-well, I saw a doll in the Dump, possessed it, and, well… I became euphoric and fused quickly.”

“They always say strong emotions are required, but I’ve been so angry for so long and it isn’t working! WHY? WHY? WHY?” The dummy thrashed about.

“I… I’m sorry… I hope you get to corporealize eventually…”

“Thanks, but… I’m so sick of this! Why couldn’t I have been born like my cousin Napstablook and be fine with my incorporeal body? IT MAKES SO MAD! IT’S USELESS! USELESS! USELESS!... by the way, my cousin lives past that wall. Unless you like music and snails you’ll be bored, but! They’re nice! Sure, they have basically no energy, but… if you want to meet other ghosts!”

“Um… OK?” She had she was kind of overwhelmed by the ghost’s excess energy. Maybe if she ever wanted quiet…

“Well, unfortunately I haven’t fused yet, so… I’ll let you leave!”

“Well, sorry I couldn’t help you… I hope you can get the body you want one day,” she said before leaving the poor dummy.

With that interruption over, she walked to Lower Snowdin. She saw many signs (some of them literal) of the bird’s presence and solved some of her unimpressive puzzles (she was scared of the bridge puzzles, but somehow?? All of the gaps led to the same pillow?? Even though it made no sense??). Finally, she found her at the end of the path, just outside her house (she knew it was hers because… she kept her diary outside for some reason??). The guard was working on a raft, placing a yellow flag on one of its edges. She looked decidedly less enthusiastic than the other two times she saw her, even dispirited.

“Um, hey…” she introduced herself.

The bird jumped in shock. “Ah! S-sorry, I was…” Martlet turned to look at her. “Oh, hi Red. I’m sorry for apprehending you, I-I really am…”

“Eh, it’s not big deal. You weren’t the only one…”

“…I think that makes it worse,” she stated. She noticed a hint of mournfulness in her voice. “Anyway… about the meeting I promised you… sorry, but, um… some things happened, and I kind of forgot…” She looked saddened.

“Well, whatever!! Anyway, I joined the Guard.”

“Oh, t-that’s nice for you… as for me, well… as much as I’d like to proselytize about puzzles… I’m currently in no mood. Still… maybe we can meet up in a few days? How… how’s the 18^th at 5:00 p.m. sound?” she proposed.

“Yeah, I don’t start working until the 26^th. You’re supposed to be working until then, right?”

“Yes, but… I… l-look, next time we meet… well, it’ll be about more than puzzles. There’s something very important on my mind.”

Chapter Text

POV: Red

As she walked, she realized commuting from the Dunes to Lower Snowdin every day was going to be annoying. Still, it wasn’t hard for her to wake up early in the morning (although… her ritual of watching an episode of Mew Mew Kissy Cutie every morning was going to have to take place an hour earlier) and the River Person cut down on travel time, at least… though she thought that in terms of public transport, the Kingdom needed more. Sure, the UGPS’s new means of transportation via basket were great… but only if you were light enough for it!! Of course, the mountain’s terrain made wheeled transportation like the cars and trains she saw in media made in the Surface unfeasible, but… maybe the Underground could use helicopters?? Or hot-air balloons?? Well, she was just spitballing ideas, and it’s not like she was an expert on public transportation…

Or on puzzles… maybe Martlet’s puzzles were actually great and she was just too ignorant to see it?? Or too short, given the first puzzles… required blind guessing to solve for most monsters, because she forgot most of them couldn’t fly?? Martlet clearly wasn’t someone who thought about transportation infrastructure!!

But she clearly thought about puzzles. The way she talked about them made it seem like they were, like, the MOST important thing about being a Guard… but Undyne said she didn’t really care about them, so… maybe the bird was just biased?

Well, she was going to get answers about puzzles soon enough… and, perhaps, about her sudden change in demeanor. Something drained her enthusiasm, clearly… and she suspected it had to do with the human. Most people wouldn’t act so depressed after gaining a promotion and a Hero of Monsterkind title, after all…

Martlet was nowhere to be found anywhere outside, so, when she once again reached the lieutenant’s relatively large wooden house (whose uniformity was abruptly broken by some planks of wood on the outer walls) at 5:07 p.m. (the puzzles delayed her a bit), she knocked on it, given her lack of a doorbell; it wasn't unreasonable to assume she was inside, after all. The knocking was answered by the sound of footsteps slowly getting closer, until Martlet slowly opened the door. Her outfit was ever-so-slightly different than the last times she saw her: her shirt was darker, her pants were lighter, and her boots were brown, with cream-colored cuffs. She also noticed her feathers were somewhat cleaner than last time, and looked to be a bit damp.

“H-hey there, Red!”, said the avian. It looked like she was trying to sound enthusiastic, but… it seemed somewhat forced. “Come in,” she said.

“Alright.” As she entered the house and Martlet locked the door behind her and she looked around the ground floor, she noticed something odd: the house looked to be full of crumbs of food like seeds, nuts, raisins, and bread, (and what seemed to be worms??), the walls looked like they hadn’t been cleaned in a while, some shirts and a pair of pants and boots littered the floor, there was a bookshelf full of notebooks arranged haphazardly… and yet, despite this clear lack of organization, the cupboards, bookshelves, the table and the random wooden knickknacks like toy trains, masks, wooden blocks and the rocking chair were neatly arranged polished to a sheen and so was her safe, which contrasted with the rest of the objects by being made of metal.

“Um… nice house you got there,” she said in an attempt to be polite, “though… when was the last time you cleaned it?”, she added to communicate her true feelings.

“Oh… you really got me on that one, didn’t you? I… I’m not a big fan of doing chores, I admit… god, it’s been months since I did a thorough cleaning, hasn’t it? And the worst part is, wind magic makes vacuuming a breeze… gosh, I just met you, a-and I-I’m a terrible host, a-and I j-just screw up everything, a-and…” Well, Undyne wasn’t lying about her self-esteem…

“U-um… I hope you clean it eventually?? I guess??… though I’ve noticed for some reason some objects of the house are impeccable??”

“W-well… it’s just… Lazy as I am, I respect the work I did with my mentor Chujin immen-”… well, that’s not a name she expected to hear coming from her mouth.

“Wait, hold on. You knew Chujin?” She interjected.

“You knew Chujin?” said Martlet, shocked.

“Of course I do?? I’m from Oasis Valley?? Hard to miss that enormous mansion… or his daughter’s drawings. Anyway… sorry for your loss.”

“Oh, thank you very much, Red… well, anyway, Chujin taught me woodworking. I never knew I’d enjoy it so much before I met him… but now? I'll be passionate about for the rest of my life, I'm sure of it!... hence why my house is full of things I made with him back in the day; they’re a way of keeping him alive, in a sense.”

“I see… it’s nice you liked him so much. I mean, I never really interact with other people, but from what I’ve heard he had a good reputation. And his daughter’s just adorable, of course… though I now realize I haven’t seen her in a while. It’s kind of strange… she loved to play with other kids and run outside.”

“Oh… you don’t know, do you?” said a saddened Martlet.

“W-what do you mean?” Did she…?

“She… she fell down a few months ago.”

“Oh… that’s… that’s terrible. Why would a child…?”

“I… I don’t know the circumstances, actually… although, I recently became friends with Chujin’s widow…”

“Oh, her?” she interrupted “I know of her too. Used to be a waitress at Café Dune. Didn’t really see her apart from that, though, and I was more focused on playing Mew Mew Love Blaster than drinking or eating anything from there, though I sensed she didn’t seem enthusiastic about the job at all…”

“Yeah, the poor woman isn’t really doing well, understandably... me and a mutual friend have been trying to make her deal with her losses in healthier ways. Speaking of, do you know about the fallen down monsters in the lab?”

“Yeah… they got cured, apparently?? But there’s been no follow-up, so some people are angry, is what I recall from the news.”

“Yeah, exactly, and well… Kanako’s one of them. I actually met up with the Royal Scientist on my friend’s behalf, but… it’s top secret, apparently, so I got no follow up, unfortunately…”

“I see… I’m really sorry for you and her. I…I really hope you find closure… and that the cure wasn’t just a lie.”

“I do too… but I fear I’m powerless… not just in this case, but… in general.”

“Oh… though, isn’t the Hero of Monsterkind title worth some-”

“No,” Martlet said suddenly. “It’s worthless.”

“Oh… actually, Undyne told me you’ve been sad since you got the title, and… I noticed you used to be more… chipper.” Was it just her, or… did her feathers have more color the first two times she saw her?

“Um…, w-well,” Martlet said nervously, “I… I got a title despite being b-bad at my job, and which I didn’t d-deserve, s-so…”

“Hmph… I think most people would be happy if that happened to them. By the way… what happened to Clover?” The moment she said that name, the bird jumped in shock and tears began to form in her eyes, but she stubbornly refused to let them fall.

“I, u-um… t-they were j-just a lost child that I tried to e-escort home, t-to their parents, l-like G-guards a-are s-supposed to do. That’s all,” she explained. It was obvious she was hiding something…

“Huh… and they were just humanoid like me, right? Not actually human?” Even though it would be an incredible coincidence if she happened to “escort them home” the same day she took a human to the King.

“I-I… y-you… why are you doing this? Is this fun to you? Are you going to tell my boss, make me and my friends pariahs?” Martlet paused and glared at her. “Well… I suppose you know the real reason I quit the Guard now. Yes, Clover was human. And they were one of the bravest, kindest, most selfless people I’ve ever met. I only knew them for a few hours, but… they were my best friend. I… I only took them to A-asgore because I wanted to go home or at least a pardon. And now, I… they were just a kid. A-and they killed no monsters. Now that you’re a Guard… please don’t repeat my mistakes. I… I fear we’re on the precipice of a second human-monster war, a war of extermination, and I… I just, I don’t want anyone to be killed anymore. I want peace between humans and monsters, a-and I don’t care if that means that I’m crazy.”

“I, um, well…” Well, she suspected as much… she felt sorry for the poor woman. Losing your best friend, a child, just hours after meeting them after already losing Chujin and Kanako must be terrible.

“Red… will you promise me? Will you promise that you’ll keep my beliefs a secret? I… I know it’s cowardly and selfish, and I know that after apprehending you I owe you one, but… I… it’s just… I don’t want my life to get even worse. I… I haven’t really been happy since I lost them.” She sighed.

“…alright. I promise.” She didn’t want to make her life even worse, not after what she went through. Kicking her while she was down was just too cruel...

“Great to hear…” Martlet briefly smiling before giving her a serious look. “Although, now that you’ve made that promise, don’t you dare break it. If you do… you won’t be welcome at my house anymore.”

“I… I’m not planning on betraying you.”

“Right… I’m sorry. I do trust you, but… it’s just, I’m sick of people treating my trust as something to exploit. I was idealistic, naively trusted people to do their right thing, and… I was only punished for it. I… I do apologize for the way I’m acting, but… pathetic as it sounds? For once, I want to win, for my trust in people to be rewarded. After all… I… I trusted in the King, and look where that got me, and more importantly… w-where it got Clover.” Martlet sniffled.

“Really, keeping the secret is no big deal…”

“I… look, I’ve arrested you, and now I’m burdening you with a secret for selfish reasons. I… I need something to make it up to you, so… um… what are the measurements of your face?”

“What does that mean???” The non-sequitur befuddled her. Like, where did that random question even come from??

“Oh god, that sounded awful! I swear I didn’t mean anything weird by that! It’s just, well, Gyftmas is near, a-and I wanted a mask, and I wanted to make it a surprise, but I realize I wouldn’t have know if you’d have lik-”

“I, um… no, it’s fine. You, um… really feel guilty about arresting me, don’t you? I mean, it’s annoying, sure, but…”

“You… you could have been killed.”

“Probably not?? I’d just have told Asgore I’m not human…”

“…I’m not confident about his capacity to listen to reason… or to his conscience. Still, um, now that you know my secret… would you like a mask for Gyftmas?”

“Yeah, sure. Apprehension is annoying.  ”

“Great to hear! What kind of mask? A fox, a star, maybe I could try making a vampire?” she proposed.

“Um… an oval. Nothing too fancy.”

“Well, that’s easy. Well, hope you enjoy your gift”

“W-well, thanks… you know, it’s weird, getting Gyftmas gifts…”

“Huh? What do you mean?” said a worried Martlet.

“W-well… I don’t really have a family. Or friends,” she admitted.

“Oh… that’s terrible. I… before I met Chujin, I was really lonely, too. I mean, I had my mom, but… I never really had someone I could call my best friend. I… I know how terrible it feels. A-and now… I’ve lost two best friends.”

“I… I’m really sorry for your loss. I really am…”

“I… thank you. I… I actually have a good group of friends, thanks to Clover’s deeds, but… it’s just a shame they never got to see it.”

“W-well, at least I’m happy you have a group of friends.”

“Thank you so much… I… do you want me to be your friend? Like, I know we barely know each other, but… being alone… it’s just terrible.”

“I… I mean, that quickly?”

“I mean, if you want! I understand if you don’t, but… I don’t want you to be alone for Gyftmas. Maybe you could come to my house that day? Actually… you’re the first person to visit the inside of my house since Chujin,” she revealed.

“I… yeah, sure!”

“Great to hear. Although… I’m planning on spending New Year’s Eve in the Wild East, with my other friends. I hope you understand.” She never knew she had gained friends in that weird town… apparently, its sheriff is a Hero of Monsterkind too? And legally sheriff? And she couldn’t go there once she became a Royal Guard, for some reason?? Perhaps the guy was just as “happy” about the title as Martlet…

“It’s fine… maybe I can spend it with the Royal Guard? I mean, to tell you the truth… I didn’t just join to stop getting arrested. I… I joined because I wanted friends too… maybe even a family.”

“Oh… I see. Well, I didn’t get along too well with the Snowdin Canine Unit. I mean, not that I disliked them, but… I never really got close to them.”

“Huh, but why?? Sure, I got apprehended by them, too but they seem cute!!”

“I mean, maybe, but… being the only non-dog monster in Snowdin made me feel like an outsider, and… they like hanging out at Grillby’s, which… well, I don’t really like that place’s greasy vibe. I much prefer the Honeydew Resort. It’s so cozy! And it’s closer to my house…” she stated.

“Yeah, but I don’t care about vibes!! Dogs are just cute!! Actually… do you know if they’d let me pet them? Or play with them?” she asked.

“Um, yeah, I think they do… I mean, we’re not on the same side of Snowdin, so it’s not like we interact that much… actually, I just realized that you don’t have wings, so… the commute must be terrible!”

“Well, your bridge puzzle didn’t exactly make it better!!”

“Oh, s-sorry you had such a bad experience with it,” Martlet apologized.

“Though I at least appreciate how you managed to make a pillow that violates the laws of gravity??”

“Um, t-that was actually the Royal Scientist. When I was making the puzzles, I was really worried about being responsible for negligent manslaughter, so I called her…”

“Wait, you have her phone number?”

“Yeah, I used to guard her lab when I started. Then I fell asleep on the job too much and came in too late for work, and… well, I got put on probation. For a job that just consisted of standing still… though, that kinda brings us back to the commute. It has to be terrible, right?”

“Yeah, there’s not much public transport here, sadly… well, at least we have the River Person.”

“The WHO?” Oh, so she was completely right about her knowledge on transportation infrastructure.

“Y-you don’t know the River Person??” Even so, she was somewhat stunned about her ignorance, even with the knowledge she could just fly over the river.

“No. A-am I supposed to?”

“Um, probably?? …well, I guess I’ll have to tell you. They’re a person with a boat. A river boat. They say weird things, but thanks to them you can go straight from Hotland to Snowdin Town without going through Waterfall.”

“Oh.” All of a sudden, Martlet grabbed one of her many notebooks, looked around for a pencil, became frustrated due to her lack of success, went upstairs, and came back holding a pencil with one wing and a notebook with the other. “Sorry, um… I forgot what you just said.”

“I said the River Person can allow to go straight from Hotland to Snowdin Town.”

“Ah, yes. I remember now. Thank you,” she said as she jotted the information down. Why did she consider it so important? “It’s a shame most monsters can’t fly, really…”

“Hey, maybe I could use the Mail Whale’s basket to fly everywhere. Though I don’t think I’m light enough.”

“Maybe,” she said as she also jotted this down. “Though, um, I just realized, completely out of the blue… I don’t want to be rude, but I’m pretty sure the Royal Guard is adults-only.”

“…well, there’s a reason I always have this with me,” she said as she pulled out her apparition certificate. She had a feeling she was going to use it a lot in the future.

“Oops… I-I’m sorry for assuming."

“Whatever, everyone would probably assume I’m a child if they didn’t know any better. Beats being confused for a human…”

“Oh. Humans. The real purpose of the Guard.” Martlet scowled. “Say, when you become a Guard… what would you do if you met one? All the humans were children, remember?”

“I mean, humans rarely co-“

“…I used to think that too. Then the words I said came back to haunt me, to mock my naivety. And now? I’ll never be the same ever again. And I’m not going to have a good night’s sleep anytime soon. I used to love naps, but now? I fear them.” Indeed, her loss had turned her into a much more serious person than the one who apprehended her. Even when she tried to be enthusiastic… she was nothing like the bird she met in the Dunes. “So then, if you meet the seventh… will you chose mercy? Or will you continue the cycle of violence and vengeance? It’s in you hands.”

The question left her genuinely speechless. She now had to confront the possibility of running into a human… if they were dangerous, she could at least defend herself, but… what if they weren’t? She could lose her job and reputation if she saved them, but… would she really be fine with killing a child? And, what if she befriended them, and… and they died anyway? No human made it past Asgore, after all… not even Clover. Would she… would she turn out just like Martlet?

And, well… Asgore planned to exterminate humanity, didn’t he? Genocide was wrong clearly… but, if the human was a danger, she could protect her kind, but…

Maybe… maybe she was foolish to never have considered this dilemma.

But… whatever she chose, whether to kill or spare… she resolved never to befriend. After all… Martlet did. She got attached to someone whose very existence was punishable by death, and now? After a few hours of joy, she would have to mourn them for the rest of life. It… it was clear how anguished she was. She… never wanted to become like her.

“It’s… that’s a tough question, isn’t it?” The non-answer made her cringe, but… she really didn’t know how to respond.

“Well, I don’t think it’s too tough. But just so you know… if you make the wrong choice, we’ll never be friends ever again. I don’t like playing hardball, but… this isn’t for my sake. It’s for peace between humans and monsters. And about mercy. Do the right thing.”

“Um… b-but w-what if the child i-is violent?” Oh god, that was a terrible answer.

“…well, that could happen, especially given our Kingdom’s disgusting policy.” Martlet pondered for a few seconds. “Assuming that happened,” Martlet gulped, “you could defend yourself, though… I think you should try a non-lethal alternative first. I’m not even saying it was to be non-violent, though in any case? If you're the one to initiate the violence, I won’t forgive you. And, besides… in case you didn’t know, Asgore plans to exterminate humanity. I’ll never forgive someone who knowingly contributes to such a heinous plan,” Martlet stated with more confidence than she had displayed before.

She knew realized just how terrifying the prospect of meeting a human was. If she was lucky, she’d just let them flee and pretend she never saw them, but what if… what if… God, Martlet would never forgive her but… what if she killed them, and held the SOUL hostage in exchange for a peace treaty? She could claim freedom within the lifetime of living monsters without causing any further death, but… killing a child was just terrible. Of course, they could be an adult… but then what? The war proved monsters were no match for adult humans, and, besides… every other human was a child. She wanted a job, companionship, freedom for her kind, even, but the cost…

After trembling at the question, she fell to her knees, unsure of what to do. In the end, she decided to let Martlet say what she wanted to hear.

“I…I guess you’re right. I—I’ll let the human pass,” she stated. But… was she actually telling the truth? What was she doing? Lying to a friend, a woman in mourning? And yet, if Undyne asked her whether to kill, what would she do? Contradict herself or get fired?

“Great to hear, frie- um, sorry, I realized we’re not officia-“

“Eh, actually, I consider you a friend now.” A conditional one, she knew full well.

“T-thank you, so much… Huh, I’ve been gaining so many friends lately, huh? They’ll never fill the hole they left behind, but… at the very least, it’s nice not to mourn alone…”

“…yeah, I guess… it’s nice to have a friend now.”

“Yeah, it’s great. Chujin taught me that… though, actually, it’s kinda weird how many of my friendships begin with either arrests or funerals.”

“Huh?”

“Um… it’s a series long stories… anyway, I… I feel sorry about bringing the mood down, so I’ve been thinking about making you some spaghetti. I’m, um, not the best cook in the world, but I think it’d be nice to cook you something instead of just reheating premade food or eating cold food like I’m used to,” she proposed. “And, um… I really owe you for the apprehension and for making you keep secrets…”

“It really isn’t as big of a deal as you think it is.”

“… OK, but do you want the spaghetti?”

“…sure.”

“Very well then,” said Martlet before going to the kitchen. She followed her there.

Martlet grabbed a book of recipes and read it intensely. Then, she grabbed tomatoes, chopped them up very carefully, grabbed the noodles and a pot, put water in the pot, turned the stove on, added the noodles and stirred the pot. All the while, she referred to her book of recipes and looked incredibly tense and nervous. After the pasta was finished, she drained the water in a colander while wiping sweat from her brow.

“Enjoy?” Martlet said as she served the finished product. “Though, I don’t think you will, because… god, I’m such a screw up!”

“What happened?”

“I TOTALLY FORGOT TO BUY SALT! I’m such a terrible host! Can’t go 24 hours without screwing something up…” she muttered.

“Yeah, you did,” she said as she ate the very bland pasta. “Um… it’s edible?? I guess??”, she said in an attempt to be as polite as possible.

“Oh, thank you so much!” Well, she wasn’t hard to please…

“You know, Undyne told me Royal Guards get to eat her spaghetti,” she said as she finished the meal.

“Don’t eat it,” Martlet said bluntly. “I did it once, and, well… worst thing I’ve ever had, and I’ve eaten gunpowder…”

“You’ve eaten WHAT??”

“I… yeah, once.” She looked saddened. “A-at least I had mint Nice Cream later…”

“Oh… well, I would have brought Cinnamon Bunnies with me for dessert, but… I also forgot to. So I guess we’re even??”

“I’ve never had one. Are they good?”

“Yeah, you’ve got to try one once you go to Snowdin Town!! Or I guess I can bring it to your house for Gyftmas.”

“That’d be nice. Thank you for the offer, Red.”

After both finished her plate, Martlet began to speak.

“So, then, now that we’ve finished eating, and, um… gone through some very heavy spbjects… how about we discuss something lighter, something cool, a very important part of monster culture?? Puzzles! You know, they’re the real reason I joined the Guard, because… I-I never wanted to kill, I just wanted to make puzzles! Sure, there’s some tax evaders and thieves in the kingdom, but I’d rather deal with them non-violently, and besides, they’re not that many, and I spent much more time standing around and being bored and trying to memorize the protocol, and more importantly, thinking of ideas for puzzles! They’re a great source of self-expression, and I have, like, every book about puzzles ever published in the Kingdom, like, I’ve read Advanced Puzzle Construction for Critical Minds 389 times! It’s a masterpiece, and, um… a constant source of comfort, but of course, if you’re a beginner it’s better to start with the Basic and Intermediate installments first, because it really lays the groundwork! Puzzles are like, the best thing ever, I use them to show off my woodwo-” All of a sudden, the old Martlet was back. She really was enthusiastic about puzzles, wasn’t she? Though, she had a feeling she wouldn’t stop, so… she showed off her anti-dialogue box magic.

“Hey! Why did you interrupt me!” said an offended Martlet.

“Sorry, but, um… I just wanted to get a word in edgewise, and um… show off my magic.”

“Um, OK… so, um… do you want to read Basic Puzzle Construction for Critical Minds? It’s kinda short, only 216 pages, but it’s a great introduction to the art and science of puzzle-making! I actually read the entire thing when I was six, and I was hooked!”

“You… you want me to read a book made for six-year-olds?”

“Actually, it’s made for all ages! Anyone can enjoy puzzles! You know… Clover gave me a 2 for my puzzles, a-and I… I was so overjoyed back then. I… God, maybe… we could have read the books together, o-or maybe I could have learned whether they have puzzles on the Surface, o-or they could have given me feedback…” Loss really hurts, doesn’t it? She… she wouldn’t befriend the seventh, ever.

“OK, so, um… I guess we…  could read the book?” She didn’t really care about puzzles, but… she didn’t want to be rude to someone like her, and… it was nice seeing her be happy, at least.

“Oh, sorry, I um… I have an obsession with thinking about what could have been, and…” she sighed. “As much as I hate it, there’s no changing the past. So, then… let’s go.” She flew upstairs and walked back with the book in her wings.

After she opened the book, she received a barrage of information about puzzles. She didn’t absorb much from the torrent of information, but, from what she gathered, Martlet liked puzzles to incorporate parts of the author’s identity and science and technology, there was a major debate in the puzzle community as to whether spikes on puzzles were good or not (the bird was firmly on the anti-spikes side), and… Martlet really enjoyed puzzles. She didn’t have the heart to interrupt, and to break her the truth that she would put minimum effort into her puzzles, if that.

After Martlet finally finished the book, she asked her what she thought. She then handed her (or maybe winged her?) the book and told her she could keep it in case she forgot something, “since I realize I don’t really need the book anymore, given how I’ve known everything is to teach for a long time.”

“U-um, sure??” I mean, it would be rude not to accept a gift!! “You know, I’ve noticed you have a DVD player, so, um… maybe I could show you Mew Mew Kissy Cutie?”

“Oh, yeah, I’ve heard of it. Clover… they played Mew Mew Love Blaster in Café Dune. They lost a lot, but… they won in the end. I… I’m so proud of them, I just wish they could ha- oh, I’m getting lost in hypotheticals again, aren’t I? Though… you can’t change the past, but you can the future. Please don’t repeat my mistakes.”

“I…I’ll try no to.”

“And I trust you to do the right thing. And I don’t want anyone to betray my trust ever again.” She paused. “Um… kind of a sour note to end things on, but… sure, let’s watch some Mew Mew Kissy Cutie! What’s it about?”

“It’s an anime about a human girl, and she like, has cat ears, and she’s bullied because of it…”

“Aw, poor girl! Wait, can humans have cat ears?” Martlet asked.

“No, they obviously can’t?? It’s fiction!! Anyway, she’s tired of that, so she decides to mind control pe-”

“Huh, that sounds… pretty unethical.”

“Yeah, it is! That’s what her character arc is basically about! It’s like, a 10/10 arc! Well, I’d give the show overall a 8.5/10, the side characters could have been developed more, and there’s some episodes where NOTHING happens, but the core conflict and the prota-” she realized she was beginning to ramble. “Well, you’ll see when you watch it. Actually, by now I’m kinda tired of watching the same episodes every morning, but when the sequel they’re clearly hinting at washes up at the dump… maybe we could watch it together??” she proposed.

“Well, sure if I have free time, friend! …actually, I just realized… maybe that’s where she got the part about mind control from…”

“Huh? Who’s ‘she?’” She was genuinely confused.

“Um… I think you’ll learn soon enough. Anyway… now that you’ve read Basic, do you want to go home or read Intermediate Puzzle Construction for Critical Minds?” She really didn’t waste to waste any more time, so…

She checked her phone. “Oh, god, it’s almost 9:00 p.m! I, um, want to go home…” Martlet really spent hours rambling about puzzles, huh? She didn’t want to stay there until midnight!

“Oh, totally understandable! Well, see you on Gyftmas! So… I can teach you about puzzles and you can teach me about anime! It’s like, a mutually beneficial relationship! Bye, friend!”

“Um… bye.” She’d have to brave the woods alone at night… well, not like “day” and “night” mattered in a cave, but… she was getting a bit spooked… it was probably irrational, but… “Um… is it dangerous? To go in the woods alone at night?”

“What? No, it’s totally safe! Like, I played in the woods alone all the time as a kid… I, um… never played with friends, but… enough about my problems! Point is, unless you’re a worm, there’s nothing really life-threatening there. Worst thing you’ll come across is Jerry.”

“Um, who’s Jerry?”

“Wait, forget what I said. Maybe the woods really are dangerous… though, he hangs around Upper Snowdin most of the time, thankfully.”

“W-well, I guess that’s a relief? Um, b-bye!”, she said as she left Martlet’s house and walked back home. Even though her entire body was covered up, face aside (and even that would change in the near-future, thanks to her new and first friend), Snowdin was still pretty cold. And now she had to deal with the prospect of meeting this scary “Jerry” beast…

As she walked back home, she prayed to the Angel to never meet the seventh.

Chapter Text

POV: Martlet

20 December, 2113

“Alright,” she explained to Dalv and his loyal friend Flier as she flew down from her balcony, “what we’re gonna do is, I’m going to try to fly in place for as long as I can, and, um… you’re gonna have to stare at me until I get winded and land. I-I’m really sorry for having to bore you…”

“Wait. Why are we doing this?” asked Flier.

“Stamina training! Flying for a while without pause can get very exhausting, and, well… worst case scenario we have to prepare to flee before exhaustion takes us. And besides, my parents named me Martlet, and a martlet is a bird that never roosts, because it has no legs. Of course, I can’t fly all the time, so I use boots and long pants all the time as a loophole, because it’s technically not my physiomagical body touching the gr-”

“Do you… do you wear boots to bed?” asked a concerned Dalv.

“No no no! I’m not that weird! I also use the bed as a loophole, because it’s not the ground!” She realized that argument wasn’t really convincing at all, but…

“Do you shower?” asked Flier.

“I…I’ve been trying to more often recently, thanks to Dalv. I can really only last a minute before the wet feathers become unbearable, but… it's better than nothing. And, um, of course I don’t wear anything there. I have a stool.”

“Um, OK,” said Flier while keeping their perpetually neutral expression. Just like… like…why did so many things have to remind her of them?

“Anyway, um, so, I’m trying to be a true loophole-free martlet, and one of you can help me! Basically, I handed you… or is it winged? Well, whatever! Point us, when I begin to fly, you’re gonna start the stopwatch, and when I land, you’re gonna stop it! I, um… realize how boring it is to subject you to staring at me for an indeterminate but hopefully long amount of time, so, um… I apologize in advance.”

“You know,” said Flier, “I could fly, 24/7 if I wanted to.”

“Really? That’s great! Maybe we could switch names! Like, I’m a flier too.”

“No way! I’m not a bird, and I’m not going to change the name I’ve had for 48 years because a bird I barely know asked me to.”

“Well, I get it. Flier isn’t a bad name… Martlet’s a pretty fine name too, I guess… but enough rambling. Who’s gonna stare?”

“Can it be me? I’m good at handling boredom. The Dark Ruins? Most boring place ever,” said Flier.

“I can handle boredom too,” said Dalv. “I… I spent over a year isolating myself from social contact in the Dark Ruins.”

“Yeah… and you said it was terrible for you, right?” she asked.

“Of course,” said Dalv.

“But now he has friends. Like me. Who’s loyal,” said Flier. “And, because I’m loyal, I’ll stare for him.”

“Actually, maybe we don’t need to stare,” said Dalv. “Maybe I could read a book, and you can just yell when you land so we can stop the stopwatch?” he proposed.

“Wow, great idea! It’s great to have friends, because I wouldn’t have thought of that!” she said. “I…I’d have recommended Basic Puzzle Construction for Critical Minds, but I gave it to that Royal Guard I told you about earlier…”

“And did you tell her anything…?”

“I… I mean, she mentioned Clover, who she had already metm a-and I made her promise not to reveal my secrets, a-and not to kill, plus she… she would have joined anyway, so…?”

“YOU TOLD A GUARD?”

“…I… I’m sorry. I… threatened to stop befriending if she leaked anything, at least.”

“… yeah, but what you’re doing is very risky, Martlet…”

“I… I know, but nothing has come up for now, at least.”

“Well… that’s a relief. And I realize we probably shouldn’t be talking about this outdoors, so…”

“Yeah… let’s talk about the book instead. Maybe you could read Puzzles: An Introduction? It’s… kind of shoddy, but I made sure to write down corrections to all the stuff it got wrong, with academic sources cited. You know, I once wanted to get a PhD in Puzzles Studies, but my grades in school weren’t too good, so… well, I tried to use the Royal Guard to show off my puzzles, and look at where that got me…” She wondered what would have happened if she wasn’t so stupid. Maybe she would have never met them… she wouldn’t have to grieve them, and, yet, at the same time… even she lost them, even though the world unjustly murdered them… she was glad to have met them. Even if they were “only” a blip… they inspired her to do better, to be responsible, and to confront the reality of society. She couldn’t afford to be naïve about what “taking back the Surface” meant. Not anymore.

“I see,” replied Dalv. “Um… do you have anything else?”

“Of course! I have History of Puzzles, History of Puzzles Abridged Edition, Puzzles for Ki-”

“No, I meant unrelated to puzzles,” the vampire clarified.

“Well, Chujin gave me some of his manuals about woodworking and engineering, and there’s my late mother’s dictionary…”

“Oh… your mother died? I… I’m sorry…” said Dalv.

“Yeah… she fell down not too long after Chujin’s death. It… it really hasn’t been a good year for me… she was a kind caring woman.”

“It… it must be terrible for you…”

“Indeed. Though, now… I have you, and Starlo, and Ceroba. I have so many friends now, thanks to Clover… I… I think they would have loved to see us become friends…”

“I…I do too,” Dalv agreed.

“I think I was the first to meet the kid,” revealed Flier. “I thought I was having a mid-life crisis, but maybe what I had was a mid life crisis.”

“Um… why did you say the same thing twice?” she asked, perplexed.

“Um, how old are you?” Flier asked her.

“23, why?” She didn’t really understand what the middle-aged monster was getting at… even if it was nice to have even more confirmation that Clover getting the life they deserved would have benefited monsterkind more than having them be disgusting child murderers, as if it wasn't abundantly clear already.

“So you’re a youth,” Flier stated. Sure, 23 was young enough!

“Do I count as a youth, Flier?” asked Dalv. “I’m 28… at least, I think I am…”

“Maybe, but you were isolated from society for a while… so was I, and I… I tried to imitate what I thought the youth said, because I wanted to pretend to be ‘hip’, but… now I realize I didn’t even know what the slang among the youth was in greater society! I was acting foolish, but now that I know a true young adult, I’ll get to know if the old me’s slang was actually accurate. It’s, um… a good study opportunity. Even though it’s been three decades since I last studied… maybe I can give direction to the second half of my life?” Flier proposed.

“Sure, it’s never too late to start! Anyway… enough stalling! Time to fly! One of you, start the stopwatch!” As she took off, she flew towards the balcony’s level. Well, it was time to keep flapping her wings and become bored, she supposed…

She stared back at Flier’s eyes. His neutral expression and perpetually-flapping wings (she had to admit she was somewhat jealous…) were mesmerizing… though, of course, the fact he never changed his expressions couldn’t help but remind her of them. Sometimes… she averted her gaze, unwilling to let her memories, her beautiful memories tainted by Asgore’s heinous actions, overwhelm her.

And yet, as long as she felt she had the energy to, she kept flying. After all… the stakes were too high too roost. She could never hope to beat her boss, but… she hoped she could at least outrun her. Getting winded or cornered could be fatal. She had to minimize the risk, account for every eventuality… god, this was all so overwhelming for someone like her. If only Asgore finally backed down and listened to his SOUL for once...

She supposed there was another reason for her (unfortunately doomed… well, she had her loopholes, at least) attempt to live up to her namesake. After all… her nightmares made her terrified of falling asleep. Her bed was so cozy, and yet… after what happened, she no longer felt comfortable in it. But, if she was exhausted, then, perhaps, nature would make her fall asleep, no matter how horrible her nightmares were (Clover… she was with Clover, and when she woke up… she would experience that loss, over and over! Why? They didn’t deserve it, and now, every morning was a struggle to hold back tears after her cuckoo clock forced her to confront harsh reality). Maybe, she would be so exhausted, that she would fall asleep right in the snow, like the day she did when she was eleven, and her mother, her poor mother was so worried…

But, even if she fell asleep there… she resolved to wake up. To do what she could to fight for mercy, for peace, for justice. After all… despite everything, despite the worst mistake of her life, Clover loved her until the end, she had good friends, and… without her… would someone who wanted help, or a wooden object not get it? No time to fall down. There was still hope. Would it win? Perhaps not. But it certainly wouldn’t if nobody fought for it.

And so, she flew, and kept flying, and flying. She saw her balcony, Chujin’s balcony, the good side of his legacy, she saw two monsters, friends because of Clover’s kindness, she saw the woods of Snowdin, she remembered the awe she felt when she first flew at six and saw the world shrink, she saw her kingdom, her home, the place she was betraying in the eyes of the law, even though what she was doing was making it better; after all, wouldn’t the Underground had been better if Clover had lived? Even if they weren’t allowed to go home… they should have been allowed to be a kid. They… they were so strong, weren’t they? If she had to go through with what they had to deal with did at only eleven, an age too young to be wanted dead, an age too young to be murdered… it would have broken her. The way so many adults had failed them… it disgusted her to her very core.

She kept flapping her wings, and so did her fellow flier. The fact that so many monsters would never get to fly really was a shame… in that regard, she was lucky. In the past, whenever she felt sad… flying would cheer her up, at least a little bit. Trapped as her kind was, flying felt liberating. If she ever reached the Surface peacefully… the world was so big, and so was the sky… but, if the Surface was reached through genocide? She would never step foot outside the Underground. She would never dare to pay that cost.

But now, not even flying would help her mood, not after what she went through. Now, all she was doing was get lost in thought, waiting for exhaustion to force her to land. She was a rambler, of course, and her staying silent was not very common, but, dreadfully, she realized speaking would waste energy.

Still, lost in thought as she was, she couldn’t help but reply after Dalv spoke up, bringing her to the present moment.

“Um, Martlet… maybe I could make a drawing of us five? I’d be nice to practice my skills, and… it’s nice to have friends.”

His words startled her a bit, but once she processed them, she smiled. Flight couldn’t cheer her up… but the fact that Clover would never be forgotten, that she wasn’t alone in her grief, that she had friends now, thanks to them… that could improve her mood. Of course, the reminder that Clover was unjustly prevented from seeing this meant it wouldn’t be genuine happiness, at least not for long, but… at the very least, it was better than not having any friends.

“Yes, it really is. It’d be a great idea, Dalv! I’ll definitely check it out when I land…” Dalv… from what Ceroba told her before she and Starlo went to look for him and the funeral, he was the monster from the Snowdin Incident, the one who fought with the fifth child out of fear for Kanako before isolating himself in the Dark Ruins and rejecting. Now… the poor man would have to deal with the loss of three children. Three dead children was three too many, but he resolved to stay strong, to honor Clover’s painfully short-lived friendship by making friends with the other monsters from the Dark Ruins, stopping isolating himself from society, making children’s books and playing the organ. Perhaps, one day… she could help him write one of his books, or watch him play the organ. After everything that happened… he deserved happiness and success, most of all.

“Thanks!” said the vampire, as he returned to the inside of her house and came back with a piece of paper and a pencil.

“You know, maybe I could make a drawing of my friends too!” she proposed. Even if she was, well… terrible at drawing, it was nice a way to honor them.

“That’d be great,” said Dalv.

And then, things were quiet again, and she again, became lost in thought. Her thoughts focused on Clover, her friends, her hope Red wouldn’t repeat her mistakes (but what if she did? And… what if she betrayed her? And would her other friends approve of her spending Gyftmas with her instead of them?) and… her nightmares, though she did her best to suppress those. She was surprised at her capacity to handle the boredom… well, it’s not like she was sewing. It was also nice to see Dalv’s drawing beginning to take shape, even if she couldn’t see it too well from where she was “standing”.

Eventually, the silence was broken again, this time by Flier.

“…ten minutes now. How are you holding up?”

“Better than I expected, actually.” Turns out she was pretty good at flying in place! “Though… how are you holding up in the cold without any clothes?” Poor Clover was so cold when she assaulted them, and they were fully dressed, face and hands aside…

“…I don’t really feel anything. Not just in this situation. In general.” Was that why his expression was always like that?

“Oh, well, um… I don’t really know how to handle this, but, um… it’s good to know you’re not freezing,” she replied. Even though Flier was nude, Dalv had to wear a big fluffy coat whenever he was outside in Snowdin. As for her, she was a rather modest monster, but she never wore sleeves; they really chafed against her wings when in flight.

“Please don’t die on me, Flier,” said Dalv. “It’d be terrible to lose a um.... friend, I think? If you really feel cold, I… I can go inside and give you my coat.”

“I’m fine. Fine with my life. With my friends. With my portfolio. Well, not with my love life or with my political or vehicular situation, but you can’t win them all,” said Flier.

“Well… my offer is always open, if you want to take it,” said Dalv.

“It’s nice to see you be loyal like that. I don’t need it, but I like loyalty,” said Flier.

It was nice to seeing them getting along… as the two good friends were discussing, she glanced around the area. At her height, she could see from afar, and… oh god, what a scatterbrain she was. How was she going to deal with this?

“Oh no!” she said. “The pizza I ordered is coming, and… my wallet is in my pocket!”

“Just get down?” Flier proposed.

“But… if I put my boots in the snow, then I’ll have to start over again, and by then, Starlo and Ceroba could have arrived, and we’d be too busy discussing to train!... thanks for coming early, by the way, Flier and Dalv.”

“No prob!” said her fellow flier. “I mean, I could totally pay the price for the pizza!”

“…but you don’t have your wallet on you,” Dalv pointed out.

“What? How did you figure it out?”

“…because you’re not wearing anything.”

“Well, maybe I could grab your wallet from your pocket?” Flier proposed. It was nice to have separate hands and wings… she had to admit she was kind of envious.

“Alright! It’s in my left front pocket!” Of course, as a woodworker, she needed plenty of pockets, six of them, even! And an utility belt, and sometimes a satchel, to be on the safe side!

She saw Flier doing what their namesake suggested… in the wrong direction.

“No! My left!”

“Um… I totally meant to do that! Just testing your spatial reasoning, that’s all!” Yes, if they ever had to be in a position where spatial reasoning was important, such as a labyrinthine place like Waterfall…

The monster corrected his course. Scared of slapping the poor middle-aged monster and making him fall to the snow, she raised her wings as Flier took her wallet from her pocket, as the pizza delivery monster neared her house. She didn’t know how the monster managed to hold the wallet without fingers, but she wasn’t complaining!

“How much do I have to pay?” Right, she, um… kind of forgot this very important question.

“48 G. 10 G per medium-sized pizza, plus a 20 % tip, given the trek from Snowdin Town to here, assuming you’re not flying… actually, maybe make it 50 G…” She really felt sorry for the delivery monster! Having to brave the cold, all to deliver something she couldn’t because she was so terrible at cooking and baking… at least she was sure her friends would be happy with Snowdin Pizzeria… better than her spaghetti, at least.

“Wow, you’re really hardcore about tipping, huh? Very political. That’s what’s hip…” said Flier.

“Yeah… I’ve been thinking about politics a lot lately…” How could have she been so naïve about the Royal Guard? Why was Asgore so stubborn about his plan? “By the way, um… I didn’t think you’d be here, so, um… I only ordered four pizzas…”

“That’s not going to be a problem. I’m vegan… at least, I think I am,” said Dalv.

“Frosting has butter,” said Flier.

“Oh,” replied Dalv. “Um… I’m becoming vegan,” clarified Dalv.

“I mean… that’s nice of you, Dalv, but… isn’t monster food made out of magic and/or plants? I mean, I don’t really think about veganism. Like, I hunted for worms all the time as a kid! Now I just buy them canned at the supermarket…”

“That’s kinda weird…” said Flier.

“It’s just bird monster cuisine… I understand not everyone likes it, but let me be!” she pleaded.

“Woah… more politics. Then it’s actually good,” said Flier.

“You like politics?” said Dalv, confused.

“It’s a topic that unites both the youth and people my age. Or divides them. Maybe division’s what’s politics’ actually about,” speculated Flier.

“Well, I suppose we’re going to be discussing politics once Ceroba and Starlo arrive, so… enjoy?” said Dalv.

“Yeah, Ceroba’s, um… pretty political… and so’s Starlo, I guess, but Ceroba… well, she’s not shy about expressing her opinions,” she added. Well, she couldn’t blame her for her opinions on the government, not after what she went through and is still going through, though as for herself… while she didn’t feel hatred for the royals, she certainly felt frustration at her situation. And she didn’t think she could ever fully forgive Asgore for what he did…

“Great to hear,” said Flier.

Not too long after, the pizza arrived and Flier put the stopwatch down to grab the money. He realized he couldn’t carry the boxes inside with the door closed, so Dalv offered to open it for him and haul the boxes inside. Flier, grateful for the vampire’s “loyalty,” returned to grab the stopwatch, and, thankfully, time could be measured completely accurately… though, she realized she was starting to get tired.

“Should we start?” asked Flier.

“Um… maybe eat your box if you want, but… I think I’m gonna start after Ceroba and Starlo come in. Would be rude to eat before them, I think…” Though she realized she was probably going to have to reheat the pizza.

Soon after, Dalv returned to the balcony and continued with his drawing. It was great to see how the drawing progressed… he was close to completing Ceroba, the last of the five… though she came to the sad realization someone was missing…

And, so, a certain monotony set in for the next few minutes. Dalv finished the drawing and began to color it, and she and Flier flew… though she became more and more exhausted. Eventually, she descended before gravity would have forced her to. Time for the verdict…

“S-stop the stopwatch!” she told Flier between huffs and puffs as she landed on the snow.

“Alright!” said Flier. “It looks like, um… 23 minutes and 35 seconds!” Wow… that was actually not bad…

“G-great… t-time to g-go to the couch…” Breaks were important… nothing to do but wait for Starlo and Ceroba and her reheated pizza. She realized they were supposed to get here by now, but she didn’t see them during her flight, not even from afar…

Thus, she entered the house exhausted, and sat down to the couch, against her TV, which she realized she hadn’t turned out in a while (though she would soon enough, to learn what, exactly, Mew Mew Kissy Cutie was about… from what she heard from Red, Mew Mew was going to learn to become more ethical over the course of the show, which was good! It was nice to see people improving, even if they were fictional) and panted. She realized she was probably going to fly in place a lot in the future… and get lost in her memories and unpleasant thoughts. She hoped Starlo and Ceroba would arrive, but…

After a few minutes without any news related to them had passed, she decided to go to her bedroom, as she had at least recovered enough energy to slowly walk upstairs, where Dalv and Flier (in the middle of eating a pizza slice that almost reached his head; it would have been bigger than him had she ordered a large one) were. He had taken off his coat; she supposed the fireplace did its job. She now had the opportunity to look at his drawing up close. It was almost complete, though Ceroba’s lower body remained in black and white. Even if there was, understandably, a gap in detail between Starlo and Ceroba and everyone else (and she didn’t remember the fox’s fur being that… red), it was a nice drawing (better than anything she could make, at any rate!).

“Aw, Dalv, you’re doing great! Thank you so much for the drawing! I’m looking forward to you future career!” she told the vampire.

“You think so? That’s nice, but the perspective is off, the shading is inaccurate, my legs are disproportionately long, Starlo and Ceroba are drawn poorly due to the lack of a reference, and, um… I realize your wings, shirt and pants are different shades of blue…” Yeah, they were, but she didn’t care too much! She looked good! They way he drew her neck feathers was great!

“Huh, Penilla must have taught you a lot. But I still think it’s a nice drawing. I’m telling this to my friend. To encourage him in his pursuits,” said Flier.

“I mean… Penilla wants me to improve. Which is why her constructive criticism is so important,” replied Dalv.

“Maybe, but… look, whatever happens, when I’m rich, I will buy all your books. Because I’m so good at financial support… well, at least I will be, after all the stocks I buy pay off, and I get to own my beach house after the housing bubble bursts.”

“Wait, beach house? But there’s no beaches in the Underground?” Maybe the shores of rivers somehow counted?

“Flier… maybe the house was a scam all along.” said Dalv.

“Maybe, but… you gotta think optimistic… though if it is, I’ll have to be stuck sleeping on your roof. But I’m chill about that. I’m chill about my hopes getting crushed,” said Flier with the same expression he always had.

“And, maybe, you’ll be ‘chill’ if you keep sleeping outside without any clothes,” said Dalv.

“Look. I’m fine with this. And if not, Rorrim can help me. Because the Dark Ruins monsters are tight-knit like that,” said Flier.

“Well, it’s nice you all have a such a close circle of friends! Anyway, like I said… while we wait for my friends Starlo and Ceroba, I’ll make my own drawing! I’m thinking of doing it downstairs, on my table, because I’d be rude to interrupt your conversation!” she proposed.

“Um… OK. By the way… what’s the empty box with the yellow heart and the inscription in your room for?” Flier asked. Oh… he… he didn’t know what a coffin was, did he? Of course, the question brought her mood down…

“It… well, it’s a coffin for Clover. I-in case you don’t know, w-when humans die, it’s tradition t-to put them there before they’re buried… at Asgore’s, there’s a coffin room, a room full of the corpses of kids, kids who never got a chance to live a happy childhood, to grow up, to go home, to live in peace…” Again, the tears came out, as much as she tried to hold them back. “Kids l-like Clover. This coffin is only symbolic, b-but… I…I just wanted to do something for them”.

“Oh… I… I’m sorry for your loss,” said Flier.

“Yeah… from what I’ve heard from Ceroba and you… you were really attached to the kid.”

“Indeed I was…” She sniffled. “I’ll never be the same again, not after losing them, not after learning the dark truth of the Kingdom, a truth I willfully and idiotically ignored when I joined the Royal Guard…”

“I… I can’t begin to grasp what you’re going through,” said Dalv. “I mean, losing Clover was terrible for me, and for you it must have been much worse…” The vampire paused. “By the way… I don’t mean to be rude, but… does the yellow heart mean something…?” She shuddered… the reason she knew what their SOUL looked like… It was so terrible for a child to want to do something like that, so heartbreaking.

“It’s their SOUL.” Their essence, the culmination of their being, trapped in a canister at Asgore’s. Could SOULs think without a body? She dearly hoped not… if they couldn’t even get happiness in the afterlife… why did someone like them have to suffer so much? It was so deeply unjust! “And the reason I know what it looks like…” She gulped before breaking the horrible truth. “They wanted to... to commit suicide, to help monsterkind and the future humans… they… they didn’t know about the war, or about Asgore’s plans… and unfortunately, neither did we. Even though we rightfully shot the idea down… idiotically, we took them to Asgore, believing my proposal of him absorbing the SOULs and taking them from extremely evil humans or adult volunteers would work, completely ignorant of his vow to eradicate humankind. I… I had so much hope back then. And, despite everything, I haven’t given up on all of it, but… God… how can I handle the fact that it’s too late for them? That I was a naïve idiot?” She didn’t hold back her tears anymore. She sobbed pathetically on the floor, because all she was good at now was crying, because she could never be a winner.

“Oh god… that… I… I really am sorry for you.” Dalv crouched down and hugged her to comfort her. At the very least… Clover could bring people together. His warmth comforted her. She hugged him back.

“Th…thank you so much, friend… I…I… you’ve inspired to do my drawing… I… I haven’t done anything 2D since I graduated High School, but… it’s nice to do something for my friends.” She smiled. Reluctantly, she let go before going downstairs, ripping out a page out of one of her many notebooks, grabbed a pencil, and got to work.

Well, she had to admit she was better at woodworking. Her attempt at drawing herself and her friends… well, she hadn’t improved since she was eight. The doodles were barely better than stick figures (she was definitely better at crafting actual sticks), and they were all… hanging around in a white void. Still… she decided to draw Clover as well as she could, in the center of the piece. She… she remembered them as well as she could (alive, not as a corpse), and… she drew them smiling, happy w-with their friends. She was drawing a fantasy, fiction, a future that should have come to be but was ripped away, happiness, hypotheticals. In that small page, harsh reality did not exist… but she didn’t live in that world, didn’t she?

But… she would still keep fighting for the future, despite it all. Clover wouldn’t want their friends to give up. And… after all, they were all here to plan, because she knew full well she couldn’t make great plans alone, that she needed the aid of her friends, her companions, her allies. She wasn’t alone now, and neither was Dalv.

With renewed resolve, she flew back up to grab the colored pencils, and… well, it… wasn’t going to be in any museums, but… it was nice, seeing her and her friends (well, she wasn’t sure if Flier counted as a friend yet, but it would be rude to leave him out) happy and smiling… because the real Martlet wasn’t. And Clover… never would, ever again.

As time passed, she realized Starlo and Ceroba still hadn’t arrived, half an hour after they were supposed to! Sure, she wasn’t exactly the most punctual monster, but she was really starting to get worried for them…

Still, she wouldn’t assume the worst just yet. Maybe they got lost or delayed somehow.

She still wanted to pass the time with her friends, so she went back to her room and showed Dalv and Flier her doodles.

“Um… here’s my drawing… it’s, well, not the best.” It was so embarrassing compared to Dalv's...

“Um, yeah… Penilla would give a lot of ‘constructive criticism’,” said Flier. Really? That was nice to know!

“Well, it’s at least nice to know how much you care about your friends,” said Dalv, smiling.

“Yeah… It’s been years since I last drew. I prefer to work in 3D,” she admitted. “I’ve been thinking… maybe I should put it inside my coffin. It…it’s a nice future, but… it’s dead. It’s just… I like Clover getting the happiness they deserved.”

“They really did… glad I inspired you, Martlet.” said Dalv.

“You’re welcome.” she replied before putting the drawing in her wooden coffin and gently closing the lid.

For a minute, the room was silent. They were all waiting for Starlo and Ceroba to arrive, for the meeting to properly start, for politics to be discussed (After all, they had no choice with Ceroba in the room).

“So, um… what do we do while we wait? Like… I’ve already finished my pizza. Great pizza, by the way,” said Flier.

“Um, thanks.” She was getting kinda hungry herself, but, well… by now, she’d have to reheat it. And she wanted to eat with her friends…

“You’re welcome. Maybe I could make my own drawings too…” proposed Flier.

“That’d be nice…”

“And maybe I could eat something,” said Dalv.

“I have trail mix,” she said. “Though, be careful. There’s raisins. If you don’t know where my trash can is, I can guide you to it so you can deposit them,” she proposed.

“No, I know where your trash can is, but the raisins are the best part,” he said, shockingly. How? Sure, she was weird, but she wasn’t that weird!

“Um… I guess we all have our quirks. As for myself, maybe I could begin my 390^th read of Advanced Puzzle Constructions for Critical Minds?” It was definitely a good way to pass the time… and distract her from her grief and her nightmares.

She went to her bookshelf and grabbed the large green book. She didn’t even have to look to recognize where it was. As soon she cracked it open, however, she heard a knock on the door. Had they finally arrived?

She flew down and opened the door. A smiling Starlo embraced by a shivering Ceroba greeted her.

“Martlet, do you have heating in your house?” the fox desperately asked her immediately after she opened the door.

Chapter Text

POV: Ceroba.

God, she really had repeated her mistake, didn’t she? The walk to Martlet’s house was even longer than the one to Dalv’s, and it was still miserable… though, at least, not as much as last time. She had Star to accompany her this time, at least, and he turned out to have a jacket for the cold, plus the natural warmth he gave off as a star monster. Needless to say, she embraced him quite a bit during the trip, though she made sure not to overdo it to not give off too much room for misinterpretation.

Like last time, she trudged miserably along Snowdin in inadequate clothing (now she was really curious about meeting this Rorrim monster), although thankfully she had Star’s company, and, at the very least, the cable car operated normally (she didn’t really like those five minutes, though. She was only trembling because of the cold, not any other reason, though, OK?). Still… there were delays, which she did really need to apologize to Martlet for. First, well… when she saw a sign showing there were hot springs nearby… well, her desire for warmth overtook her distaste for getting her fur wet. Still… all she did there was take her boots off and put her legs in the water. The place was… too exposed for her to try to do anything further, but… the warmth was nice, at least. Meanwhile, she waited for Star to bring her a cup of hot coffee from the resort. He didn’t enter the hot spring, but the coffee was very good! She admitted she may have been too afraid to return to the cold and stayed too long there, but Star reassured there was heating in the resort so she went inside. And indeed, the heater worked! Though… she noticed something that shook her.

On the heater, there was a sticker which said “Crafted with Love by Chujin and Martlet”. The sudden reminder of what was lost made tears well up in her eyes. Chujin and his small acts of kindness… now, he would never perform these acts again. And… she remembered how highly she talked of Martlet’s kindness, how the world wasn’t built for someone like her, how despite all her failures, she could persevere, how much potential she had. And, in the end, Chujin was right. She was really someone admirable, a scatterbrain, but willing to do the right thing without hesitation, not one to give up until the bitter end, and ultimately… the way he kept the serum hidden from her… she realized, that, maybe… maybe to Martlet, and to her before she knew about the serum plan… maybe he was just a comfortable lie, but… there was a harsh truth about him. Did he not realize what it felt to hurt a pure SOUL?

And yet, she had done it twice, now. Kanako… why did she listen, when she was jusf a child, when Chujin told her it wasn't her burden to bear? And… would she ever stop being a coward to everyone? At the very least, Star deserved the truth, but… she was so pathetic in the end. A second chance, after doing so many terrible things, and she wasted it immediately!

And it took Star for her to stop being lost in thought, staring at a sticker with tears in her eyes.

“Hey… you still miss him, don’t you? I…I’m still sorry for your loss.”

“Y-yeah. Sorry for wasting time, it’s just…”

“’S OK. I understand.” No, he didn’t. She was so guilty. “Want to eat something?”

“S-sure.” And so, they sat down, Star immediately ordering pancakes from the nervous shopkeeper. Pancakes… god, Kanako loved pancakes, and she ate them so enthusiastically, and Star also…

R-right. She… she was being too focused on what she had lost. He was… he was just eating something he liked. It was nice to see him happy… though, she thought pancakes were probably too childish for her, so she ordered a gingerbread bear… which was also a cookie shaped like a head. Maybe so children could imagine they were being carnivores? In the end, there wasn’t anything too substantial in the resort, and the pancake was bigger than the cookie but cheaper, so maybe she had made the wrong choice. The cookie tasted nice, though. Kanako would have loved it.

And so, together, they sat, enjoying the music, the heat and the atmosphere. It was such a nice moment, that… she didn’t want to leave, return to the cold and to the reality of two children’s death, a risky plan, the potential death of a third, Clover’s corpse, how she kept failing children… as much as she didn’t want time to move forward, it inevitably would. She felt a selfish urge to give up, live in the present until the future came, maybe stay in the Underground if the war somehow spared her, but… she couldn’t. She couldn’t fail Martlet or Star, she couldn’t fail another child, she couldn’t fail monsters or humans. Maybe… hope was just wishful thinking, but… she couldn’t be even more of a coward, not after all her sins, not after so much was a stake.

Still… she supposed fear motivated her lack of desire to leave the resort. Fear of the cold, fear of being reminded of Kanako and Clover, a selfish fear of her sins being found out. But… she was keeping Martlet worried, wasn’t she? In the end… she didn’t want to be a coward like Asgore, so she worked up the courage to leave the resort, head home and plan for the future. Well, this wasn’t the first time she had a secret plan… but there was a difference. She wouldn’t take a life this time, she was going to save it. She knew she had to stop, after all.

The trip made it very clear that Martlet was the only royal guard in Lower Snowdin… and she certainly made her presence felt… the bridge puzzle… again, she only trembled because of the cold, OK? It’s not like she was terrified of falling into a cold river… but she was definitely grateful to Star for solving it for her!

After a second lava rock puzzle, solvable for non-flying monsters this time (well, she could learn from her mistakes), an abandoned guard post (she suspected she would never return… if she hadn’t resigned, she definitely would have definitely been fired by now... if the royals were competent), and a bridge, she reached the house. The diary she forgot to bring inside, the work table full of sawdust and the random planks of wood in the outside walls made its inhabitant clear, so she knocked on the door before embracing Star for warmth. She prayed internally for her to be quick, and for her house to have heating. She really was grateful that Martlet would soon be allowed to go to the Wild East again.

Thankfully, Martlet was quick to open the door. As she saw the bird’s face, she didn’t hesitate to ask the question on her mind:

“Martlet, do you have heating in your house?”

“Yeah, I have a fireplace in my living room, and I already have guests, so…”

“Oh… thank God!” she said as she entered the warmer house and headed straight towards the fireplace to heat up. She was freezing so much that she saw no shame in lying down on the floor, directly next to the fireplace. She was tracking snow all over the house, but she wasn’t willing to remove anything that could give her warmth (she know Star wasn’t the type to pay this any mind… and it looked like Martlet didn’t care, either. The floor seemed… wet). The fireplace was so nice… she wasn’t willing to move now, pathetic as she looked. Really, she was pathetic. She had failed everyone in her life at one point or another, after all.

“Oh… Ceroba, you must be freezing, you poor thing! A-and… oh gosh, I didn’t provide a chair, I’m so sorry!” said Martlet as she flew towards her. “A-actually, I made a rocking chair with your husband, so…” Now that she could focus on the inside of the house, she noticed the floor… weren’t the cleanest, not even counting the snow. There were tons of crumbs of what seemed to be food (wait, were there worms there? Well, she was a bird monster…) she was definitely going to take a shower after going home… though, as Martlet had told her that… that horrible day, the projects she had made with Chujin (she could clearly recognize his fine craftsmanship… and her fine craftsmanship, in the other sense of the word) were clearly cleaner than their surroundings.

“Ah… Martlet, sorry for not introducing myself properly,” she told the bird.

“It’s no big deal. You were freezing out there, weren’t you? Aw, you poor thing!” said Martlet. She was 12 years her senior, yet she didn’t mind being talked to like that. She wasn’t wrong, after all.

“Heh, well at least she had me!” Star boasted. “Us star monster are good at producing heat, ya know!”

“Yes, thank you, Star. Now, bring me the chair, please. I want to look at least presentable for this meeting.”

“Alright,” said Martlet. “By the way, I have two guests over,” she said before leaving and bringing her the chair. As she sat down on it, she noticed how comfortable it was. She didn’t know whether it was Chujin’s influence or Martlet’s skills, but… she was grateful to both. “I’ll go look for them, but… beforehand, want a blanket? You… gosh, you really don’t look used to Snowdin. S-sorry about the Wild East law!” Well, she at least bore some responsibility for going there with unsuitable clothing again. Maybe she could have asked Star, but she didn’t know how fast he was at sewing, and… maybe he was in no mood to do work, after what happened.

“Yes, I really would. Thank you, Martlet. I appreciate you.”

“Aw, thanks! I ordered some pizzas, but, well, they got cold. No big deal, though! You’re OK and here, and I’ll reheat ‘em!” she declared.

“Oh, yeah… sorry ‘bout worrying you Feathers. We just… spent too much time at the resort. She really liked the hot springs!”

“Oh, yeah, the hot springs! I never go there because I don’t need ‘em, but I’m glad they did their job!” Martlet chirped before her mood darkened. “A-and I guess my heater did, too? He’s still helping people, even though he’s gone… that’s his legacy, not some serum.” The serum plan… maybe it could have saved monsterkind, but… what if it couldn’t? And, in the end… she lost him, she lost her, she lost Clover, she hurt Star and Martlet all for a “maybe”. She wished… she wished he had never thought of that idea.

“Yeah… it was nice to work under him, wasn’t it?”

“Y-yes. He was so kind and patient with me… he saw potential in a screw-up like me, and it bore fruit, didn’t it?” Indeed, her work wasn’t half bad. She had the potential to match him one day, she was sure. Certainly, she wasn’t one to surrender.

“Yes. Thank you for the heater and chair, Martlet… though you haven’t brought me the blanket,” she reminded her.

“Oh, right, s-sorry!” Martlet replied as she rushed towards a storage closet and brought her the warm blanket. Indeed, it did its job… and now she didn’t want to leave the chair. Well, they had very important topics to discuss. She had a feeling they’d be there a while… “Um, would you like some hot chocolate?”

“…I’d die,” she stated bluntly.

“U-um, what’s that supposed to mean?” Martlet asked.

“Fox monsters like her… they can’t eat chocolate, sadly,” said Star, the person who knew her the most now.

“Oh, yeah, s-sorry, Ceroba. I, um, kinda remember from Chujin now. I wasn’t trying to murder you, I swear!” said Martlet, the last person she would ever suspect of being a murderer. And, even if she somehow was… she had a feeling she wouldn’t have the competency for it… or the strength, given the shameful thing she did to her last time (…though she wondered what her plan was, given she was holding Clover. Was she really trying to fly them? Well, maybe if the kid had held on for dear life… a better outcome that what actually happened, of course. Maybe if she had backed down earlier… she reminded herself there was no changing the past and its tragedies. This meeting was for the future).

“Um, yeah, I wasn’t accusing you of anything. Anyway, about your guests…” she said as she heard footsteps coming down the stairs. Only one set, though: she glanced towards the stairs and saw Dalv with a small white monster with big and round yellow eyes and small wings. Martlet soon rushed towards the two.

“Oh, hi there, Dalv and Flier!” the bird greeted the pair. So the flying monster was named Flier?...not the most imaginative parents. “Anyways, here’s Starlo,” she said as she pointed towards her friend, who was sitting on the couch. Dalv and Flier both shook hands with him before heading towards her. She pulled her arms out from under the blanket and prepared to greet the guests.

“Nice to see you again, Dalv.” Here he was, the savior of Kanako’s life, and, from all accounts, a good man. Keeping the truth from him was just horrible, she knew. He deserved to know, but… right. This meeting was for the plan, and well… she didn't want to derail it. Still… she was scum. “And you must be Flier. Nice to meet you. I’m Ceroba Ketsukane,” she told the small monster, smiling politely as she shook its stubby hand with her paw. The monster seemed to hold a perpetually neutral expression… like… like Clover.

“Hello there, Ceroba. Martlet told me about you. Said you’re very political.”

“Not by choice,” she replied. God damnit… the royals couldn’t tell her anything about her daughter, not even to a “Hero of Monsterkind”. All throughout her life, they had failed her family and Clover, and yet… god, was she the only one who could see that? Well… politics were important to being an adult, of course… unfortunate as it was, they were unescapable, after Chujin, after Kanako, after Clover.

“And yet we can’t avoid them, can we? And neither could Clover, sadly.” Dalv sighed. “Well, we’re here to discuss them. We’ve delayed it long enough…”

“Yeah… though, um, you still want a drink, Ceroba? Can you drink apple juice?” Martlet asked her.

“Y-yeah.” In response, Martlet went to her kitchen before bringing back two boxes of apple juice.

“Here you go, Ceroba!” said the bird. “And, thankfully, there’s still an extra for me,” she said as she inserted the straw into it. Maybe juice boxes seemed childish, but… there was no denying apple juice was a fine drink, and denying a drink from a guest was rude.

“Thank you,” she replied before she ripped out the plastic that covered the straw, put the straw in the juice box and began to drink. The drink was somewhat cold, coming straight out of the fridge, but it was as sweet and delicious as she expected.

“You know, I’ve been thinkin’… maybe we should have a minute of silence to honor the person we’re doin’ this for. We’ll never forget you, deputy,” said Starlo before removing his hat.

“Yes. Great idea, Starlo. You know… I only really turn on this fireplace when there’s guests over. I just… I just wish they’d gotten the opportunity to experience the warmth of this home. They… they looked so cold in Snowdin…” Martlet looked mournfully at the floor and sighed. “Though… I’ve rambled long enough, haven’t I? A minute of silence… for Clover. We’ll never forget you.”

Ceroba spent a minute looking at their friends and mourners, thinking about the time in the Steamworks, of how they saw good in her even when they knew her darkest secrets, how they gave her a second chance despite everything, how they loved her and everyone in the room, how they… how they hugged her. Their hugs were like… like Kanako’s. Tears began to form in her eyes. They deserved to be safe and happy… everyone hurt them, and yet they remained a kind and loving child despite all. They and Kanako could have been great friends…

Eventually, though, someone would have to break the silence. After all… the risk of history repeating, or of monsters getting involved in an unwinnable war was too great.

“Clover… you loved us despite everything. And we’ll do our best to make you proud,” said Star before putting his hat back on. “Let’s go.”

“Yes. They brought us all together, changed our lives for the better. No more children should go through what they did,” said Dalv. “Without them… I’d just be a loner who rebuffed all offers of friendship and someone who lets fear control me.”

“And I’d be a naïve Royal Guard, working for a disgusting plan without truly being aware of the vile cost,” said Martlet.

“I’d… I’d just be an inconsiderate, reckless and big-headed sheriff who would murder a kid in order to be a ‘hero’ instead of being truly just,” said Star.

“And I’d just be a drunk who only keeps hurting people all for a risky plan with an uncertain outcome and a terrible cost.” In truth… she was still terrible. She often kept drinking when Star wasn’t around, and… well, she never shared the truth about Kanako.

“I’d just be a man stuck in a mid-life crisis. Before I met them, I thought that my life was over, but they told me I had a whole half left to live, that I didn’t need to pretend to be hip, that I could help others like they helped me. Now, thanks to them I’m Dalv’s loyal friend, and I’m grateful for having a roof to sleep on. I’m honored to be the first monster they helped… but I wasn’t the last, not by a long shot. Thank you, Clover… you were the goat,” said Flier.

“Aw, Flier, that was a beautiful speech!” said Martlet, “Although… Clover wasn’t a goat, they were human,” she explained. Yeah, that was a strange thing to say.

“I know. It’s a term used to praise people,” replied Flier.

“Can’t say I’m too fond of goats,” she replied, somewhat pissed. Despite what he did, he still praised them by comparing them to their killer?

“Ceroba… I understand your feelings about Asgore. He’s frustrating to deal with, undoubtedly… but that doesn’t mean all goat monsters are like him. It’s wrong to paint them all with the same brush,” stated Martlet. After thinking it through… he had a wife and children, didn’t he? And well… she never knew them, but maybe they were good people. Asriel’s murder was, undoubtedly, an injustice. Maybe… maybe he could have made a great king… and spared Clover.

“Woah… you’re pretty woke,” said Flier. He was a strange monster, definitely. What did he even mean by that?

“Me? But I take naps all the time,” replied Martlet. “W-well, I g-guess since my nightmares…” She also had nightmares? Well… loss can change a person, the loss of a child especially. She really hadn’t had a good night’s sleep since she lost Chujin.

“Um… I though this slang was popular among the youth, but maybe not. Maybe it’s from my youth,” said Flier.

“Yeah, didn’t you tell me GOAT is an acronym? Stands for Greatest of All Time,” said Dalv.

“Oh, yeah. Sorry about the misunderstanding,” said Flier.

“Y-yeah, we’re getting sidetracked,” said Martlet. Well, if even Martlet said that… “A-anyways, I have good news on the traversal front! Turns out the UGPS can carry small objects and monsters around! So maybe we can send ‘em straight to the Wild East, maybe with a mask to stay on the safe side!” Martlet announced. Wait, really? If the coward acquiesced… victory would come much easier than she thought.

“Wait, really? Great news!” said Star. “There’s a station in my parent’s farm, so it’s gonna be really easy!”

“This is great news, but… do any of you read the newspapers?” asked Flier.

“U-um… I probably should,” said Dalv.

“A-and, well… so should I. Due to horrible recent events… well, the tone would disgust me, and I’d hate to see my face in there, but… yeah, being informed is very important!” said Martlet.

“To tell ya the truth… there’s only a news board in the Wild East. Didn’t think anything more would fit the aesthetic, but… maybe, now that I’m bein’ a real sheriff, I should start taking things seriously,” said Star. Indeed, he had a strange obsession with keeping things “accurate” to the movies he watched… even though there were no TVs or films there.

“And, well… I’m also a disappointment.” Chujin kept up with the news, but… she didn’t. She didn’t trust anything the royals put out.

“Oh… so that’s why none of you know that traversal via basket will be discontinued on the 31^st of January.” Why would they introduce this only to… well, can’t expect competency from the royals.

“W-WHAT?” said Martlet. “OH NO! We lost our most convenient option!... still, we still have the River Person, which will let us go straight from Snowdin to Hotland. Waterfall… it’s the worst-case scenario, after all.” Undyne’s reputation reached even the isolated Dunes. What Chujin told him about her… undoubtedly, not someone you’d want to be enemies with. And yet, they were bound to be…

“Oh… the River Person’s still around? They’ve been doing their work since I was a kid. Thought they’d have retired by now…” said Flier.

“Well, the fact they’re around is good news, at least,” she stated. Also… it would definitely save her a lot of walking in the future whenever she wanted to visit Dalv or Martlet. She just wished she knew beforehand, because all that walking made her feet sore.

“And I also have good news!” declared Star. “Mooch managed to shoot down the cameras without being caught, and then she bought a trampoline to cushion falls, so the river route should be relatively safe!” Yes, she remembered when she told her about the cameras. She said they went down so easily it was a bit anti-climactic. Maybe they shot it down too early... the cameras were bound to get replaced with improved defenses, at least if the government was competent, which, to be fair, was a big assumption.

“And she brought me an anchor. I… I admit I forgot to bring it here, but I can mail it to you later when you build another raft,” she told Marlet.

“Alright! I’d prefer a solution that limits child and raft endangerment, so that’s even more great news! I… I’m more confident about our odds now,” said Martlet. “By the way… I’ve been making masks to pass the time and ensure their safety. I…I don’t think I’m too bad at them, so…” The royal guard got up and retrieved four masks that she wrapped in her wings, one for each of their monster types. “Perhaps, each of us should carry one just in case. What do we think?”

“Yeah, good idea, Feathers!” said Star. She wasn’t opposed to the mask idea, but… if each one suddenly had a new family member nobody had heard of before, wouldn’t people get suspicious? Maybe they could claim they were a stranger, but why would they be so close to an unrelated child? Well… monsters didn’t pry too much about family matters. Maybe that’s why nobody knew about Kanako…

“So… we have masks, an anchor, a cushion, the river person, a ban for Royal Guards in the Wild East and, if we’re very lucky, the Mail Whale. Things… things are looking good. And… worst comes to worst, we can retreat to the Dark Ruins,” said Dalv.

“Yup! Like in the Wild East, Royal Guards are banned there! I learned that from training!” stated Martlet.

“And I learned that from the sign in the door,” said Flier.

“Yeah… I guess it’s not exactly obscure knowledge,” admitted Martlet.

“Well then, Feathers, I think we’re done here. I can leave with a mask now…” said Starlo. But… she felt so cozy with her blanket and the fireplace. She really didn’t want to return to Snowdin so hastily…

“The pizza isn’t done yet,” Martlet reminded Star.

“Oh… then we’re staying.”

“And, besides… we don’t want to be too hasty. There’s a possibility… well, I’ve had a quite few nightmares about it. What if… what if the human reaches Waterfall before us?” Martlet shuddered. “We have to have a plan for it. And we shouldn’t be too hasty… What happened to Clover cannot be allowed to happen again.”

Chapter Text

POV: Martlet.

They had to plan for a human entering Waterfall and meeting the Captain. They had found ways to transport a human to the Wild East and destroy cameras, thankfully(though… it’s likely they would get replaced with better security, and maybe all Mooch would be doing there would be wasting the government’s budget… even if she did have to thank her for the cushion and anchor. Legally acquired, hopefully...) but being overconfident had failed her twice in her life. First, when she assumed that she would never run into a human (even if it turned out that they were no threat… rather, they were just the opposite: someone who needed to be protected. And she failed them...) and her naïve belief that, if she presented her plan of Asgore going to the Surface and killing only the most evil humans or asking for pro-monster volunteers would work (why had she been so naïve about what “taking back the Surface” meant? If the freedom of monsterkind came on top of mountains of human corpses… then it wasn’t worth it. Then monsterkind would only prove the Seven Mages right! No. Monsterkind could be better than this. Maybe she was naïve, but… if they knew Clover, and the other children, and the good humans that there surely were existed, then, maybe… they’d realize how heinous their extermination would be. Ceroba was right about secrecy being important for their plans, but…the fact she couldn't tell other monsters about Clover pained her). It was time to think up a plan against her boss, impossible as it seemed. After all… if victory in battle or pleading were impossible, then, somehow, she had to be fled from or bypassed in some sense.  

Perhaps finding a way to deal with her was just another puzzle… one with a solution, hopefully. And, at the very least, she had feedback and allies. There was no way she could do this alone, of course. And, well… she wasn’t going to bring it up, because it was embarrassing, but… she had to admit the fortune teller’s prediction about the human by the water cooler in Hotland (forgetful as she was… she would never forget the unjustly short time she spent with Clover, and the many decisions that could have saved them) helped motivate her to think about the possibility. Oasis Valley… a beautiful place, yet it was haunted by so much loss, defined by absence. She had heard from Chujin and the residents it used to be much greener, but… in the end, the Meadows, like Chujin, and Kanako, and Clover… they were only beautiful memories now, and yet she it hurt to temember them. The playground, the drawings, the little sprout… there were so many signs of childhood there. Seeing a happy child was a beautiful thing, but… she knew it would bring her sorrow now. And yet, at the same time, it would bring her motivation. No more children should have to go through what they did. And she would do her best to plan for Waterfall.

“A-anyways,” she continued her sentence, “as I’ve said, my boss… she’s an anti-human fanatic, and very strong. I’m sure not even us five together could beat her in Waterfall, not even with Ceroba.” she explained. She didn’t want Ceroba to experience the pain of her own hit…

“I could take her,” said Flier. She realized he didn’t know how strong the monster was, so… maybe he could defeat her non-lethally?

“Flier… I’ve checked how strong you are, and… you have an attack of 2 and a defense of 3,” said Dalv. Oh… well, there went that plan.

“I… I know how strong she is. Her attack is 25 times that. Point is, if we fight… well, it’ll be very painful.” She knew there was a real likelihood of her getting speared. Ceroba and Asgore hurt so much… and yet, well, she knew it was better them than a child. She trusted her to be honorable enough not to kill another monster, at least.

“So then… we should just flee while holding the kid?” asked Starlo.

“Yes, perhaps, though I’m not sure how much speed will help. She’s fast too,” she stated.

“Well, I renewed my gym membership yesterday, thanks to Star,” revealed Ceroba.

“And I joinin’ her too,” said Starlo. She was definitely going have to train her at least her endurance and speed too.

“Great to know. Always good to stay fit.” Even if she didn’t think matching her was even possible. “By the way… remember to carry your masks with you. You may never know when the human might need it,” she reminded the other monsters.

“I don’t have a mask,” said Flier.

“U-um, sorry.” She reminded herself to make a mask for whatever type of monster Flier was. Right, and she still hadn’t made Red’s mask… gosh, she had been making plenty of masks, hadn’t she? Well, she needed a new source of income, so being at her workbench was a good thing, though she feared her work being seen as inadequate, or her scatterbrained mistakes giving her a bad reputation. What could she do, if she couldn’t hold down a job, if she failed even at what she was most passionate at? After all, all she did was fail. “I-I’ll make you one later.” Though she didn’t know what a child of Flier’s subspecies looked like, sadly.

“Thank you so much. It’s nice to receive free art. One day, I’ll have enough money for Penilla’s commissions…” said Flier.

“Thank you! And hopefully, it’ll help save a child’s life.”

“But… what if the mask doesn’t fit, or it’s broken, or they get to Waterfall first? And what if their identity is discovered?” asked Dalv. Indeed, she had learned not to rely on just one thing, like she did with her plan with the human SOULs. Why did she think she was the first to think of this idea? He knew how his son died. It was obvious he knew the possibility existed, she was just an idiot. Now, the parents of the five would have their children missing, forever unaware of their fate, feeling the same pain he felt.

“I… well, I’ll try to pretend to be loyal to my boss a-and maybe I…I’ll try to do what I can to show I’m ‘loyal’ to the Guard beforehand, l-like, I dunno, tell them when crimes are going on?" Honestly, she was planning to be as obsequious to the Royal Guard as possible before the child came. It was dirty, and she definitely wasn’t happy about doing it, but her boss' trust was too valuable to lose...

“Honestly, you really don’t sound confident about your idea,” said Ceroba. “We do have advantages, but it looks like our best strategy is to run like hell and hope for the best if she comes, sadly.” And it would only take one spear… well, maybe two or three with Ceroba. She feared their chances of winning in that scenario were 0.1%. And, yet giving up would mean leaving a child to fight her alone. She could not do that alone.

“R-right, and besides her speed, Waterfall is a labyrinthine place. It’s easy to be cornered.” A terrifying possibility, of course. The best thing she thought she could do in that situation is buy time for the child, but it was obviously painful, and the chances of success were doubtful.

“So… maybe we could make a map for everyone?” proposed Dalv.

“Oh, like… cartography? Yeah, that could work.” Sadly, she couldn’t draw at the same time, but she hoped her short-term memory could suffice. She could fly over places multiple times to stay on the safe side, and even without taking into account their plans to escort a child there was nothing wrong with accurate maps of places. Besides, she’d stay close to the Captain, and perhaps she could learn her patrol routes? And, ideally, the government could pay her for her cartography project. Definitely better than her “reward” for helping to murder a child. She definitely to thank Dalv for that idea!

“You know… I haven’t really found any purpose to my life. Maybe I could become a cartographer too.” And he could draw and fly at the same time! They could make a good team.

“Great idea! Anyway, when the time comes… I think I’ll try to fly to my boss and supervise her. After all, I’m the one who knows her best, and she gave me the ‘Hero of Monsterkind’ title, disgusting as I find it.” Though, thankfully, she didn’t know her well enough to be suspicious. She hoped she wouldn’t become aware of her motives… dealing with her was certainly a full-body workout. Even when working against her, she brought people’s full potential… she hoped it was good enough.

“And what about us?” asked Starlo.

“You know the way to the Dunes from Waterfall, right?” she asked the star.

“Yes, he still goes to the Dump occasionally, though he often gets lost… and empty-handed. Still, you and Flier’s map can cover for that… though, bring a source of light. It gets dark in there,” said Ceroba. If she recalled correctly, her cellphone could give off light… and if not, she could invest in flashlights. At least, if she had money.

“So, then… maybe Starlo can escort the human, maybe with you and Dalv as backup, while I keep my boss distracted. Maybe I could even give her false information about the human’s whereabouts...” Hopefully, she didn’t have direct access to the cameras while she was in Hotland. Of course, there was a risk of her calling Alphys and her lies being exposed, so… but if Mooch found the cameras first… but there was no set dates for the human’s arrival, the cameras could have improved defense, and the more cameras Mooch destroyed, the likelier her arrest.

“Alright, then… I think my ability to slow down time will help too,” said Starlo. Wait, he could do that? That'd definitely be useful!

“Your what?” asked Flier.

“I can slow down time. Cowboy magic,” Starlo explained.

“And, worst-case scenario maybe, I can store my boots in my bag and fly the kid to Hotland with my talons?” She couldn’t just leave them unattended. Materialistic as it sounded, they were 500 G, and very comfy!

“Well, assuming you can dodge her spears, it’s not the worst idea” said Ceroba. Yeah, this was also a problem. And she probably needed to be out of range for her to initiate combat and prevent dodging, or worse, ground her and doom her. But most of Waterfall had such low ceilings…

“Yeah, and it’s a big assumption.” Plus, maybe the kid would be too heavy, and what if they were a teenager? Of course, she could have an advantage in Hot-.

All of a sudden, she remembered something. “And I can’t leave my talons unprotected in Hotland! Once I sat down on the floor when I was guarding the Lab, and my wings hurt really bad!”

“So you’re saying you’d need some kind of protection?” asked Dalv.

“Yes, exactly!”

“Like… socks?” said Ceroba.

“No.” Unfortunately, she couldn’t wear socks made of softer materials, at least not if she wanted them to survive. “More like… gloves. I need grip and protection.”

“For the amount of time it’d take you for you to retrieve your boots and put them back on. We’re spending money on this,” stated Ceroba.

“Yes, exactly.”

“I can commission some leather gloves,” said Starlo.

“Aw, thanks you so much!” Though, she didn’t recall stores selling gloves for feet, and she loved looking at fashion at stores when she had days off… “I’ll send you the measurements eventually, and the money.”

“Yer welcome! By the way, maybe you can practice flying other people with Mooch,” proposed Starlo.

“U-um, sure?” She didn’t really want to spent too much time close to her, but… she was the only person who wasn’t too heavy for her, barring Flier, who had the opposite problem… wait, maybe Clover… what if they were light for a human child? What if others were heavier? She… she didn’t know much about humans. What if she failed to identify one? Maybe Starlo’s movies and Red’s cartoon could help her…

“Well, now that this detour’s taken care of, I’ve noticed you didn’t mention me when it came to escorting the human. Why is that? I mean… after what happened, it’s fine if you don’t trust me,” said Ceroba.

“No, I… I trust you to get better. It’s just… Well… you’re the best fighter here, and you can handle the heat, certainly better than me and my boss. How would you feel about… waiting in Hotland to hold her off? You could, I dunno… go back to the Steamworks?”

“Or use the normal route,” said the fox. “Either way, I… well me being in Hotland for no apparent reason would be suspicious.” Yeah, and, unlike Snowdin, Hotland lacked the vegetation to hide, unfortunately. Snowdin wouldn’t be a bad place to spy (she loved fly to its trees as a child and relax there for a while, after all), but anyone in Hotland would be very exposed…

“But you wouldn’t be doing anything illegal, no?” Frustratingly, Alphys’ refusal to say what happened to her daughter could lead her to take drastic measures. She really did deserve to know, but… sadly, it wasn’t conductive to her goal. Still… maybe if… gosh, hopefully they would win… if peace and justice prevailed, she’d help her start a peaceful movement for transparency. She felt plenty of guilt for not telling her Kanako has most likely in that basement, but… sadly, the mission wasn’t about that, even if Ceroba definitely deserved justice.

“N-no, I guess I shouldn’t.” She laughed nervously before taking a sip of her apple juice. “Oh... I ran out. Thanks for the drink, by the way.” It was hard to believe the woman covered in a blanket, sitting on a rocking chair and drinking apple juice was once an attempted murderer. She looked so endearing… Chujin’s plan was horrible, but thankfully she learned before it was too late… unlike her plan to make her king listen to reason. Did Clover like apple juice or pizza? She’d never know now…

“Oh, thank you, Ceroba! I love apple juice too!” She was also close to running out, though, sadly. “Anyway, Ceroba… I’ve noticed you’re rather stubborn, so… maybe, in an advantageous place like Hotland, you could hold her off until the heat becomes too much and she retreats.” Ceroba could even destroy the water cooler, but… the idea seemed too cruel and too harmful to other monsters, including herself. Unfortunately for her, it only began to be built just before her relocation. She really was grateful and lucky she never even passed out back then… though this may have been because of the fact she didn’t have to wear armor.

“Well, I suppose it’s a possibility. Maybe I could use my shield ma-… no, I couldn’t,” said Ceroba.

“Huh? Why can’t you use your shields anymore?” asked Starlo.

“My s-staff… Chujin’s walking stick… it’s broken. I need it to put up shields,” she explained.

“Well… you shouldn’t have tried to kill them,” she stated. Maybe they could have been shielded when going to Asgore, a-and Clover wouldn’t… they died alone. They shouldn’t have… everyone failed that day, as protectors, as adults. They could have more time for the seventh, but… what if they didn’t? What if the captain knocked them all out and murdered the child, like Asgore? There were so many threats to their life… she never realized how high the stakes could be. Could she bear the weight of the burden with her feeble wings? And yet… better than tiny arms bearing them.

“… I know. My actions have consequences.”

“But you’re trying to be a true protector now, and I trust you to be one. And, besides… I’ve learned a thing or two from your husband, haven’t I?”

“You've learned more than that. Thank you for the chair.”

“You’re welcome. By the way… I know just what to give you on Gyftmas now.” Could she make one as sick as her mentor’s, though?

“Thank you. I definitely need to practice my magic. I have a feeling I’m going to spend a lot of time with your staff or in the gym in the future” said Ceroba.

“Yes… though, of course, we’re only going to fight in self-defense, and non-lethally.”

“R-right. Though, I’ve also wondered. We don’t know the seventh human’s heart. What if they’re like the fifth?” The fifth human… why did they do what they did? Maybe they could have killed Kanako and that would have been unforgivable, but… would they really have done something like that? Did they kill because they hated monsterkind or because they were afraid, because their existence was a crime no matter how peaceful they were, because monsters never tried to understand their point of view? She didn’t want to believe they were beyond redemption. They… well, she wouldn’t express around Ceroba, and the mother would have the right to be livid at her, but… to her, they were a child reacting poorly to an unjustly hostile environment. Most importantly, they didn’t deserve their death.

“Of course… I suppose there is that issue. Protecting a killer would be terrible for our reputation. But, I think… if we explain our motives, if we watch the human from the start, if, hopefully, the human trusts us to protect them, then maybe… a situation like that could be prevented. I… the time I spent with Clover was far too short, but… when I was with them, monsters never attacked Clover… well, except you, but otherwise… maybe they all assumed I was a family member, or something.” Even if they looked nothing alike… though, honestly, if Chujin had chosen to adopt her, she wouldn’t have said ‘no’.

“Well, Clover was attacked by plenty of robots when I was with them, but I get your point. And yet, that’s a gamble. What if… they’re just malicious?”

“Well… it’d take a lot for me to think a child deserves to die. Anyways, if the human really is someone despicable, well… I’ll protect monsters from them too. I support humans and monster alike. If we do have to kill them… I’d warn you. And, either way, I’ll make sure the royals don’t take the SOUL. The plan of extermination cannot be allowed to be carried out.” She still had that serum on her… but she didn’t know the effects of determination, and, well, there were parts of Chujin's legacy that shouldn't be followed.

“…very well, then. Well… I’ll try not to kill, I suppose. And I guess I do have experience with non-lethal knockouts… I really do need to apologize to you, Martlet. And to Star,” said Ceroba.

“Well, we all screwed up that day,” said Starlo. “Though… it was still a heck of a hit.”

“Yeah, no kidding,” she said. And the magic she used against Clover was probably worse. Something, she wondered she was too forgiving… no, Ceroba was a good ally and… she did try to make up for what she did when she prevent their suicide and argued rightfully that going to Asgore would doom them.

“With regards to the human… I’ve been thinking about looking around inside the Ruins. After all, Royal Guards don’t go there, and it’d be a good way of gauging their intentions and trust in us,” said Dalv.

“It’d be a good idea, but… most humans have gone through the Royal Route, which goes through the upper door, if I recall correctly. Is there a way to get between levels of the Ruins? I’ve never been there,” said Ceroba. She had only been there once, over a decade ago, and even if she remembered the details, it would’ve probably been to dark to discover a way to go between levels.

“As far as I’m aware, there isn’t a way on foot, but… it’s an old place. There’s small holes in the ceiling. Martlet wouldn’t fit, but…”

“Maybe I’ve found my life’s purpose. Well, aside from being a cartographer,” said Flier.

“Though… stay safe. Perhaps it’d be better for you to survey the area and find places to hide there, because none of us know anything about the upper levels of the Ruins,” said Dalv.

“Well, maybe I could do cartography there, too, if it’s not too dark. Anyway… well, thankfully, my obsession with being ‘hip’ led me to have a cellphone. Now, my friend Dalv doesn’t have one, but surely you all do.”

“Yeah, I can give you my phone number!” She was probably sure she could keep her cellphone after quitting. Quickly, she went and grabbed one of her many notebooks (which she should have done in the first place…), jotted the phone number down (she had managed to memorize it by now, thankfully) and shared it with the small monster before quickly writing down other parts of the meeting she remembered (masks, gloves, sick magic staff, and… if she were a cowboy, she could slow down time, but she wasn’t. Wait, could the ‘boy’ be referring to gender? Then, she would be a cowgirl instead, but… wait, what was a ‘cow’? Yeah, the ‘boy’ in that word was probably just a coincidence. She then realized how unnecessary writing that down was).

“Thanks, Martlet. Now, what are your phone numbers, Martlet and Ceroba?” She knew that cellphones weren’t allowed in the Saloon (Starlo going out of his way to point that out that… the worst day of her life was honestly rather insensitive… well, he was grieving too. She knew he loved them…), but surely he’d have one, and if not, Chujin’s wife certainly would. Who doesn’t have a cellphone nowadays, after all?

“I, um… have to admit I don’t have a cellphone. F-for aesthetic reasons,” Starlo admitted with embarrassment.

“And neither do I, and I don’t even have a good excuse. Just not good with technology,” Ceroba

“Thankfully, I do have the money to afford one for us both for Gyftmas,” said Starlo.

“Gosh, I kinda feel bad for depending on you so much, but… thanks,” said Ceroba.

“Yer welcome! And don’t worry, you’re doing great on the farm. I’d love to work with you, but… I just don’t have your strength, not after what happened,” said Starlo. Yeah, she hadn’t really worked since that day either, hadn’t she? And, given how heinous their purpose was… yeah, she would never work for the Guard ever again. Still… she had to have a job.

“…I understand. Thanks, Starlo. You… you helped me out when I screwed up, and I… I really owe it to you. I really appreciate what you did for me. I’m glad to have you as a friend,” said Ceroba.

“And you made me realize I screwed up too… Clover never deserved what we did to them.” He sighed. Everyone in the room assaulted them, didn’t they? It was disgraceful, the way human children could be treated even if they did nothing to monsterkind. “Anyways, does anyone have more ideas on what to do?” …unfortunately, she really didn’t. Flier’s contribution really did bring her comfort, but… she knew so many things could go wrong in Waterfall, and if they all got speared or cornered in Waterfall, then what? And what if Asgore didn’t spare them even after they arrived at the Wild East? Of course, it was better to have a chance, for the human to have protection, for humans and monster to understand each other.

“Well, I suppose we’ll just wait for the pizza to be ready,” said Ceroba after a minute of silence. “By the way… I haven’t brought it up because it’s not relevant to our plans, but… of course, Kanako and your meeting with the Royal Scientist have been in the back of my meeting. It’s… ugh, it’s what I expected, but I… I just want the truth!”

“Yeah… I’m really sorry, Ceroba. I… I’m supposedly a ‘Hero of Monsterkind’ and a lieutenant of the Royal Guard, but all I achieved was talking to brick walls. Worthless, disgusting title.” She frowned. The way Clover’s murder was celebrated was just sickening, and the Royal Scientist’s lack of answers frustrated her, and it must be much worse for her. Then again… she did deserve to know where her daughter was kept, and the way she hid it… but, then, she didn’t want to admit to her crime… God, she shouldn’t have let Chujin’s paranoia rule over her. She should probably destroy the serum… and yet, somehow… she felt she would regret it if she did. This was so stupid! She didn’t know what the serum would do to her, and yet… when she looked at her safe, there was something inside her preventing from just chucking into the river. Well… if all else failed… she had a “Plan Z”, though hopefully all her other plans would work first.

“And with all those titles, using completely legal means, what did you achieve?” Nothing, but…

“I… you’re not suggesting a break-in, are you?”

“I just want to know what happened! Any parent would want to know the truth!”

“I… I know it’s ju-”

“You don’t! Do you know what it’s like, to wake up knowing you’ll never get to see your daughter again? Knowing that you don’t even have the dust for a funeral? Knowing that something is being hidden by the government, and nobody really caring? It’s just… fuck. I… I’ll never hug her or tuck her in again. I… I’m sorry, Martlet, it’s just… what I did was awful, but I know this is unjust too.” Ceroba began to sob. Would she… would she even understand Ceroba’s pain? She knew she’d never have biological children. She never desired pregnancy, and the responsibilities of motherhood were so much for her… losing a child was certainly horrible, and the uncertainty of her fate definitely made things worse. Ceroba did horrible things, but… she understood why she felt the way she did about the royals. If she were less forgiving, she’d want Asgore gone.

“I… I know too,” she replied. “I’m sorry.”

“Did…. Did something happen?” asked Flier.

“Oh… you don’t know, do you? Her daughter, Kanako, fell down after her husband’s death. She was sent to the Royal Scientist’s lab, and apparently the monsters managed to wake up, but… there’s been no information since. Martlet tried to intervene, but she couldn’t get any information,” said Dalv.

“Yeah… it’s just a horrible situation,” she said.

“Oh… I’m sorry. What could make a child fall down?” asked Flier.

“Well… perhaps it was grief from her father’s death,” proposed Dalv. Indeed, she knew the pain of losing a parent at a young age, and it could very well be the case, but…

“You know… I’ve been thinking… and I may be wrong about it, but… I have a hypothesis. Ceroba… are you comfortable with me sharing it? Because I understand if you aren’t.”

The mother briefly jumped in shock before replying. “N-no, go a-ahead. I can t-tell you if it’s correct.” For some reason, she seemed nervous… well, it made sense for her not to want to relive bad memories. She didn’t know if it was a good idea to share it, but…

“Chujin, her father… h-he experimented on himself with the fifth human’s SOUL.” Though she didn’t know how he acquired it. “According to him, his cause of death was the SOUL’s corruption. I do know Boss Monster pass SOUL monster from parent to child, so perhaps… the corruption was inherited”. She immediately felt guilty for sharing this. After all, it’s not like she knew much about SOUL science, and accusing Chujin of indirectly killing his daughter in front of his window without hard evidence just felt wrong.

“T-that’s not what happened,” said Ceroba.

“Oh, I’m so-“ She was interrupted by the dinging of her oven.

“Oh… the pizza’s ready, huh?” commented Ceroba. That really was terrible timing...

“Y-yeah. A-anyway, sorry for making baseless claims… I know it’s too personal, and it’s horrible tha-”.

“Yes. And yet, I know how risky breaking into the True Lab can be, unfortunately. And, yet, let’s not get sidetracked. It’s time to eat,” said the fox.

“A-alright. Stay there if you’d like.” She didn’t want to make her get up, not after she looked so comfy, not after she experienced something so painful.

“I can help you get the pizzas, if you’d like. I can handle the heat,” said Starlo.

“Thanks! By the way, Flier already ate his pizza, and apparently Dalv is becoming vegan, so there’s only three boxes,” she told the star.

“One full box per person?” the sheriff asked her.

“I like eating,” she stated.

“And so do I! Thanks, Feathers!” Well, all the training she was going to was probably going to make up for it…

After she grabbed her mittens and she and Starlo took the pizza out of the oven and carried it back to her room (Starlo carried Ceroba’s pizza), a general quiet entered the room. It was clear that, by now, the meeting was nearing its end. Being around her friends, it was the most pleasant time she had spent since their death, but soon, her house would be alone again. Nothing out of the ordinary, and yet… somehow, she had become less accustomed to being alone. She hated those times. The reminder that Clover would never walk again, never hug again, never be happy or sad or angry again… it was painful, like the strange sharp pain she woke up to the day she met them.

“W-well, I s-suppose we have a plan we can build on now? I… I can’t lie to you, I’m terrified, like the time I… like the time I spoke to Clover at the UG Apartments. We really are taking a huge risk here, but… we can’t let fear control us. The war, our imprisonment… it only happened because the humans were afraid. Asgore doesn’t rescind a war decree he no longer believes in because he’s afraid what would happen if he did.” And Chujin’s came up with his serum plan because he was afraid of what could happen if seven SOULs didn’t grant divinity. “If… if any of you want to quit, I understand. We… we’re all weaker than my boss or the king, and there’s many risks to our plan. But, as for me… I won’t give up. I’ll do my best to make sure justice wins.”

“And so will I,” stated Starlo.

“Well… I don’t know if it’ll make up for what I did, but… I can’t let another child die. And… I can’t deprive you of your strongest fighter, can I?” Indeed, as much as she didn’t want it… the likelihood of violence was high, sadly.

“And me and my friend will help in our own ways,” said Flier.

“W-well, you didn’t wait for me to say anything, but… I’ll do what a low-level monster can,” said Dalv.

“And I’ll do what a Flier can. By the way, is your boss single?” he asked her.

“Um, probably?” She didn’t keep up with her love life, but she never mentioned having a girlfriend, did she? But… why ask that question?

“Maybe I could convince her to choose mercy with the power of love,” said Flier.

“…she’s a lesbian.” Well, so was she, but getting into a fake relationship with ulterior motives just felt scummy.

“…oh,” replied Flier.

“Well, maybe we don’t need romance. Maybe we could just convince her Meow Meow Kiss Cute is in Hotland or whatever,” proposed Ceroba. Yeah, she really did believe cartoons, or scientifically, anime, were real. What she said after the funeral… a terrible experience.

“I don’t know if we should use such tricks. The Hotland Royal Guards could handle it, and probably expose our lies. Also, the show is Mew Mew Kissy Cutie and the protagonist’s name is just Mew Mew,” she explained. For some reason, she’d heard of that one show so frequently… she didn’t know how popular was on the Surface. Clover… they liked the game, at least.

“I don’t care,” stated Ceroba.

“Yeah, it’s just fiction for kids. Not like my movies. Anyway, where’d you learn all that stuff, Feathers?” Starlo asked her.

“It’s pretty surface level information. I haven’t watched it yet,” she explained.

“…what do you mean by ‘yet’?” asked Ceroba. Oh right… they didn’t know about Red, did they?

“Oh… well, would you all be mad if I told you I’m spending Gyftmas with a Royal Guard?”

“Huh? You’re not coming over for Gyftmas?” asked Starlo.

“You’re free to spend it wherever you like, but spending it with a Royal Guard? And watching cartoons with them?” said Ceroba.

“I… I made her promise not to harm humans,” she stated.

“And I promised not to hurt Clover. Martlet, what are you thinking? She could tell Undyne you’re a sympathizer, and then what?”

“I…it’s been two days, and nothing has come up yet!” she argued.

“…only two days? Really? God, the risk of us being doomed is so high, all because you couldn’t keep secrets!”

“L-look, I… I arrested her, and she’s lonely, and… she’s never spent a Gyftmas with someone before. Maybe… with small acts of kindness, she could…”

“Martlet… it’s nice you want to help others, but… I fear you may be too naïve,” said Ceroba.

“Y-yes. It was my naivety that made me convince her to join the Guard, b-back when Clover was alive. I’m trying to make the best out of a bad situation, and… I just don’t want to make someone spend another Gyftmas alone,” she said.

“Well, I guess it can’t be helped. I suppose the imagery of a lonely Gyftmas really tugs at one’s hearstrings” Ceroba sighed “But promise not to tell her anything about our plans, alright?”

“Alright. By the way, I’ll mail you my gifts and I’ll be in the Wild East for New Year’s, if it makes you feel better,” she said.

“Well, see you there, I suppose,” said Starlo before biting down on his last slice of pizza.

“Yeah, I’ll come on Gyftmas and New Year’s too, I suppose,” said Dalv.

“And I guess someone has to stay near the Ruins for the holidays, just in case,” said Flier.

“I appreciate your sacrifice… I suppose I can come with Penilla, then. She can draw us something… anyways, we’re leaving. I want to brainstorm ideas for my book and get her feedback on my drawing,” said Dalv.

“And I drew something too.” Flier flew back to her room before retrieving his drawing. She and Dalv didn’t look too bad (they didn’t draw Clover… she wasn’t sure if she couldn’t handle the reminder), but…

“I’m not that red,” stated Ceroba.

“Well, I copied you and Starlo from Dalv’s drawing. I drew it before I knew you two, after all,” said Flier.

“Oh, well, tell that to Penilla, I guess. Anyway… goodbye Flier. Nice to have a new ally. And Dalv… thank you for saving Kanako’s life. I’m sorry about your losses,” Ceroba told the vampire before he came to her to shake her paw.

“Thank you. It… it hurts to see a child die, I know.” said Dalv She shuddered just thinking about the time she saw Clover’s corpse. A split-second she wanted to forget, and yet she knew she never would. And it was her fault for taking them there and not fleeing when she had the chance. “I’ll try my best to make what happened to them never happens again.”

Soon after everyone exchanged farewells and after everyone finished their pizzas (though Ceroba only ate half her slices, not that there was anything wrong with saving food for later), Starlo announced he was leaving to. Ceroba was reluctant to get up, but she soon conceded that she had to leave and brave the cold eventually (and she wouldn’t leave without Starlo’s warmth) and soon, the other monsters left her house too, though not before Ceroba reminded her telling anything more to Red was risky.

And then, she was alone, thinking about the past and the many potential futures, about Ceroba’s grief, about her plan, about how she had to not let anything slip out, about her Gyftmas with Red and her New Year’s in the Wild East…

And, above all else, about Clover. She could never stop thinking about them, could she? They deserved to see her home.

Chapter Text

POV: Mo

Business had been booming since that day. Ever since the kid had managed to buy every single product he managed to make (or scavenge), sometimes even coming back to him for the purpose of buying one they couldn't afford previously, he had managed to pay off his debt to the Shufflers and gotten the right to not just sell popsicles (or rather, “pops”. He knew a shorter and catchier name would be good for business. He was the best darn salesman ever, after all!) on their turf, but also employ them. It turned out cold things were popular in Snowdin! His life, his business, his relationship with his wife and the Shufflers… his life couldn’t be better! And yet, there was one thing that he noticed. Despite being their most loyal customer, to the point that he decided to track them down, ‘borrow’ his wife’s old Steamworks ID and look for whatever edible things there were there (turned out there was a surprising amount of plant life in that factory! He was not going to let an opportunity pass him by. And he was smart enough to keep some products in his pockets, just in case. Sure, wore salesmen would forget to have backup, but he knew a salesman must always have something to sell!) to make products for sale, because he knew there was guaranteed profit, and thus an end to his debt, with them. And yet, despite being the most loyal customer he had ever had, even if only for a day… they hadn't shown up since then.

And he knew exactly why. After all, he had overheard the fox lady say their name, Clover… and their species, human. After he left the Steamworks, he felt dread over their future hanging over him. After all, they were always kind, and just a child, and… humankind was one step closer to extermination. And then, after he woke up that day, he saw the news: Clover, or “the human” or the SOUL, as the newspapers called them, had been delivered to Asgore and murdered, and Martlet was the “hero” responsible. Now, that checked out. He had wondered why, exactly, they had come back with her in the Dunes, but perhaps she was doing her job, all to get a promotion and a title. His relations with the guard were…  already frosty (well, he had basically opened business without regard for the law, failed to follow food safety standards and had never paid taxes in his life, not the actual Royal Treasury ever noticed… though scammers sure did send letters claiming he owed them 700 G), and she had never bought anything from him, but her decision to escort a child to their murder was not something he expected her to do… still, even if she often failed to memorize the law, fell asleep on the job and arrived late, she was supposed to uphold the law, and he supposed she did. There was something strange about what happened, though: she was a fixture (some would say nuisance) who flew all around Lower Snowdin during her (and his… though all hours in he was awake were potential work hours to him. A great salesman never misses an opportunity to pitch a product) work hours, mostly working on puzzles or sleeping. However, he hadn’t seen her since that day. Even if they didn’t talk much, and she clearly mistrusted him, it was hard to notice her absence, especially given his successful pop stand and his new employees were in Lower Snowdin. What was she doing, living it up in New Home?

Now, he was a wanderer who despised staying in one place too long. After all, he had to be known by the entire Underground. Thanks to this, he knew the fox monster lived in the Dunes, and he’d seen her plenty of times in the town’s bar, a place he liked to frequent too. Given how she had somehow managed to go to the Steamworks with them, she had to be close to them, and… the poor woman had to have become even more depressed (given how she had barely left the place in the last few months, it was clear she didn’t lead the healthiest life. His sales pitch in the Steamworks was the first he saw her outside the Wild East in a while, in fact) by the loss of the kid, thanks to the work of that Royal Guard that took her from him. He wanted to show her she wasn’t the only one who mourned them.

There were other reasons for him to go to the Wild East, of course. After all, it was an untapped market, and his pops definitely could succeed in hotter climates… if they survived. Unfortunately, he couldn’t store things there… not until he bought a Dimensional Satchel, but they were 5000 G, and the 3000 G debt for his new hat (a salesman had to look snazzy, of course) didn’t help too. Now, he would be able to afford them both eventually, and what better way than setting up more shops? Thankfully, he knew teas wouldn’t evaporate there. He could simply set up a shop there and sell them his teas. Perhaps he would even secretly advertise his appreciation for Clover. After all, the town loved cowboys and human culture and he saw them once at the saloon while he followed them and they remained unhurt, so his political beliefs would most likely be an advantage here (if nothing else, the eradication of humanity would lead to the loss of billions of potential customers, and there were probably moral issues with the plan too). And, maybe… he could aid the fox monster financially and strike up an alliance against Martlet. From their unfortunately brief encounters, he knew they were someone kind who went of out of their way to help others, someone who according to the Shufflers was smart enough to get past them and never got mad at them unlike other monsters (they did try to fight the gang, but the human quickly realized their mistake and played the game fairly) and… a child. They didn’t really deserve to be murdered so young. So many people he had met had nothing but nice thing to say about “that kid in the cowboy hat”…

Having left the running of the stand to the Shufflers, he made his way to the Wild East and opened the doors to the Saloon with his trademark catchphrase.

“Bam! It’s ya boy Mo!” As he entered, he noticed the presence of the fox and North Star, the sheriff of the town. Now, he also knew he was supposedly a Hero of Monsterkind too, but that thanks to him Royal Guards were also forbidden from entering the town. Of course, he had to find a way to be careful with what he said, and find a way to separate the lady from him. If he did so, he could find a way to pitch his plan to her without him overhearing.

“Howdy, Mo. Want anything?” asked Dina.

“Of course I do! You know, I’ve been successful in Snowdin, but you know Mo. The best darn salesman ever can’t stay content in just in place! That’s why I’m offering you all this!” He pulled out a portable fan from this pocket. “Imagine! People from all over the ‘ground, beating the heat with this fan!”

“I can’t allow this!” North Star objected. “Cowboys never used fans! Have you seen the movies?”

“Of course!” He threw the small fan in the ground. It didn’t break like he hoped to, but if he revealed his plan, people would get distracted. A great salesman always adapts! “We don’t need these anyways! There’s low tech ways to beat the heat!” He pulled out, in succession, a cup of tea with partially melted ice on it, a leaf he scavenged, and a piece of paper. Unfortunately, no Dimensional Satchel, no pops.

“…are you really try to sell one piece of paper and some random leaf you found? Seriously, what’s with you and plants?” asked the fox, seated next to North Star. The proximity to the “Hero of Monsterkind” was going to be a problem, but thankfully he could whisper!

“Well, they can be used for fanning, and you know, you can doodle whatever you want on the paper!”.

“No shit,” Said the fox. A hard customer, huh? Well, he had a special offer, just for her!

“Anyways, I sell Icewater. Only 18 G!” announced Dina. That price just for cold water? Well, if he sold it for 17 G…

“Yeah… this town ain’t big enough for three salespeople. If you wanna replace Dina… you have to beat her in a ‘dual’!” announced North Star.

“…it’s pronounced ‘duel’, Star”, stated the fox lady.

“But it involves two people…”

“You know? Keep calling that if you want, Star. But, whatever the pronunciation… the town isn’t that small, and I suppose I wouldn’t mind any reason to attract Snowdinites to this place. What do you think, Dina?” she replied before sipping a glass of Root Beer. It was odd seeing her drink something else, but… maybe the loss changed her. And hey, it was nice to talk to sober people! He knew that if she decided to ally with him, she’d be of sound mind, at least.

“Honestly, I don’t mind this fella and his ‘competition’. I honestly ain’t the best tea brewer, heh, and this ‘dual’ is a silly thing. Still… does he have a business permit? ‘Cuz I do!”… well, maybe he didn’t, but: salesman secret #1: the law doesn’t care. Aside from a few suspicious glances from a bird, and he’d never opened a legal business in his life! Well, maybe he did from the Shufflers, but they didn’t seem to be on the side of the law! Or maybe they were? After all, there were no laws against blocking roads and forcing monsters to play shell games!

“I well… as the sheriff of the Wild East, I can’t allow any illegal businesses!” declared North Star.

“Yeah, sorry, Mo. You won’t get to afford pants yet,” joked the vulpine monster.

“Hey, maybe one of the reasons I began selling is to afford sufficiently snazzy pants, but ya know? It’s one of my trademarks as a salesman now. I haven’t worn anything in my legs in over a year and I feel fine!” he declared, with the unflappable confidence a salesman must always have.

“I, um… good f-for you, I suppose? Is that even legal?” asked the fox.

“Yeah,” answered North Star.

“Yeah, I suppose there’s plenty of monsters who don’t wear clothes, but one who doesn’t wear pants specificallty is a rarity. It feels… weird”, said the lady.

“But it’s certainly memorable! Anyways, miss, can I whisper something to you? I promise it’s really important,” he announced.

“As long as it’s not related to pants, or lack thereof…”

“Very well! By the way, what’s your name?” he asked her.

“Ceroba Ketsukane. Nice to see you again, Mo… I suppose.” Like Chujin? Well, looks like the poor woman lost someone else that year. At least she still had what he believed was her daughter… though he hadn’t seen her in a while. Well, it makes sense she wouldn’t take her to such an adult place, but… that was irresponsible parenting, wasn’t it? Well, he wasn’t in the business of speculating… though he realized he could, perhaps, sell information, hints and predictions in the future. It was an untapped market!

“You know him?” asked North Star.

“I’ve seen him here, but I properly met him in the Steamworks.” Now, she couldn’t go around blabbing information like that! If someone learned she was with a human, what then? She could be seen as a protector, or sympathizer! Thankfully, he was no snitch, and he knew sensitive information should be kept as secretly as possible.

“How did he get there?” asked North Star.

“Top secret! Anyway, mister, I don’t have business with you, I have it with the miss!”

“If it’s anything romantic I’m going to immediately reject it,” stated Ceroba. “Go ahead and whisper what you want.” Of course he wasn’t going to betray his lovely wife! He had some lines too, believe it or not!

“Alright!” He pressed his mouth against her large right ear. He was thankful he didn’t have to keep his secret from her, because those things looked like they could hear! “I knew Clover. Met them thrice. I’m sorry for your loss. Can we discuss somewhere private?” he asked her in the lowest voice possible. It appeared he could hear her, because what he said suddenly made her shudder and sweat, and she was someone who could handle the heat. As for him, he was sweating, but despite his heavy fur, he remained composed. Nobody’s going to buy anything if you don’t stay composed!

“I… sure. Though if it’s another sales pitch, I’m not going to bother,” replied Ceroba.

“It’s no sales pitch, miss, I promise” he declared. Maybe it was kind of a lie, but it was more a pitch in the abstract sense, not in the exchanging money for products sense. If anything, he was the one giving her money!

“Alright. Don’t break your promise. I just started hitting the gym and I promise I can use magic,” she stated.

“Well, I’m no secret badass, so I’m totally at your mercy!” he stated with a smile and a confident demeanor. Tone was very important for a salesman too!

Ceroba sighed. “Well, I hope this doesn’t take too long. Star, is the jail empty?”… was he going to face consequences? But he hadn’t set up his illegal shop yet! Well, even if he was jailed, he was never going to stop selling whatever he found, even if it was just moss!

“Yeah, Mooch broke out this morning, and you know Vengeful Virgil doesn’t work weekends. Though it’s not like we’ve been havin’ missions lately…” Star sighed.

“Very well, then. Follow me,” said the fox before drinking the last of her root beer, paying her tab and standing up. He followed her to the jail. It had a stone floor and bar made of wood. It looked kind of shabby, and, oddly, it looked like the bar of the right cell had been gnawed on. “What is it that you want to discuss? Make it quick.”

“Well, I was thinking… Clover must be a terrible loss for you, right?”

“For everyone. Been a shitty year for me.” She sighed. “I mean, I guess I can hold a second funeral, if you want.”

“Well, I was thinking, give how popular my pops are in Snowdin… I could give you some financial support if you need it.”

“Trying to grow your brand by showing how charitable you are, huh?” Well, he wouldn’t say it was a bad side effect. “Don’t worry. Star will make sure you won’t starve to death.”

“You sure you want to depend on a ‘Hero of Monsterkind’?” he asked her.

“… there’s context you’re missing. And I trust my best friend since childhood over some random leaf salesman,” she argued.

“Well… if you ever need it, I’ll give out financial support. I travel all ‘round the 'ground, so you’ll run into me again sooner or later,” he announced.

“Well, I guess as a last resort… heh, can’t believe she was right about selling ice cream in Snowdin.” She smiled briefly before frowning. “Clover liked popsicles too…”

“Yes, they bought my pops at all temperature levels.”

“Is money all you think about? In any case, we’re done here. I have root beer to dri-”.

“Now, now, miss, I ain’t done. Don’t worry, it ain’t relating to money. It’s about preventing a war. You see, I know the other so-called ‘Hero of Monsterkind’, and…”

“I know her. And she loved Clover more than anything. If saving lives is what you want, she’s the opposite of an enemy. She… she’s just naïve. She thought Asgore could give give them a pardon. I was obsessed with personal revenge, we confronted him… didn’t work out.” She sighed. “Anyways… don’t reveal anything we said here to the general public, but… if you wish, go to Snowdin and talk to Martlet. She’d love to have more allies.” Well, it was a shame he wouldn’t implement his plan of distracting her with puzzles or free pops and covering the human’s face with a clock with holes to make them look like a ghost monster, but an ally would be nice to have… although she probably wouldn’t choose to ally with him; she was always suspicious, and perhaps her limited knowledge on business law was the only thing preventing him from being arrested. Still, he was always willing to make his pitch.

“Well, if what you say about Martlet is accurate…”

“Oh, believe me, it’s accurate. She loves Clover more than anyone, and she loathes the war decree.”

“But… she always viewed me with suspicion.”

“Well, your demeanor doesn’t help.” Or his actual criminal activity. “Anyways, tell her the information about Clover and she’ll be receptive to whatever you’re pitching. Even if what I said sounds a lot like emotional manipulation,” Ceroba admitted.

“Very well, then. Though… I’ve traveled all around Lower Snowdin and I haven’t since her since that day.” In fact, Lower Snowdin is where slept, but he couldn’t really say he was from any region. A great salesman isn’t bound by geography, and especially not the best salesman ever. “Is she in New Home, pretending to celebrate being a Hero of of Monsterkind?”.

“Oh, she despises that title, not that I blame her. And if you haven’t seen her, it’s probably because she hasn’t left the house much since then, job or not. Loss like that is hard to get over. I know since…”

“Since who?” he asked.

“It doesn’t concern you!” she snapped. “A-anyways, you know where to find her.” Indeed, it wasn’t hard to know who the occupant was. The raft outside, the bench with a couch with a nest on it, the diary with her name on it that she, for some reason, forgot to bring inside. “Well, I have to go now. In any case, I suppose it’s nice to have new allies. Though don’t do anything illegal. Except trying to save a child’s life, I guess.” Ceroba closed her eyes sadly. But registering a legal business was so time-consuming, and having to stay in one place? A great salesman couldn’t be limited by time or space (well, he still had to sleep occasionally, at least until someone invited technology that made it unnecessary and that he would definitely sell even if it was patented).

Still, even if she wasn’t known for being the best at it, she was allying with someone technically on the side of the law here… who was, apparently, willing to commit high treason for a child she just met. Still, he didn’t know how flexible she was with the law, so…

He left the first jail he’d ever stepped foot in and headed back to Lower Snowdin. He headed back to Martlet’s house, of course, and knocked on the door… and found no answer. And he waited for over an hour! Clearly, either she wasn’t inside or she wasn’t answering doors. Of course, he could break in, but he ruled out doing in immediately, because it would be a terrible first impression, and first impressions were the most important part of a sales pitch.

Instead, he looked all around the ‘ground, trying to find sight of her. Surprisingly, she wasn’t in Lower Snowdin, but after taking the cable car and walking around a bit she found her with a group of green bird monsters with teeth and shades (“chilldrakes”, he believed they were called), doing her job.

“I… I don’t know how legal secessionism is in the Kingdom of Monsters, so maybe I don’t have jurisdiction over this ‘Teen Zone’, a-and I’m not willing to use force against minors, so y’know what? I… I’ll pay the snowball tax for you. I-it’s a good solution, I think.” She was possibly the only monster in Snowdin who actually cared about the tax, even applying it to herself. He had to be careful with what he revealed, because if she did memorize a law, she took it seriously. Thankfully, she did at least allow for the snowdecahedron loophole.

“Hah! Another victory against adults! The Teen Zone will live forever!” a chilldrake boasted.

“…what happens when one of us turns eighteen?” a monster similar to the chilldrakes, but blue and shadesless replied.

“Um… we’ll think about that when it happens! For now, we can have snowball fights for free, and some adult will pay for us!” the chilldrake gloated.

“Um, w-well, I recognize the independence of the ‘Teen Zone’ from now on! Really eases the financial burden, heh!... though I don’t know where I’ll get the 257 G I already owe from…” Well, maybe she’d get them… if they made a deal. Though… it was strange to see her being so loyal to the government. Could Ceroba have been a secret government agent all along? Still, a great salesman must take risks sometimes!

As the guard turned around, he immediately spoke up.

“Bam! It’s ya boy Mo!”

“…I mean, I want to make sure the provenance of the money is clean. A-anyways, u-um, n-nice to s-see you, Mo.” She gave him a glance of suspicion. “What are you trying to sell?”

“Miss, I know you well! I know you wouldn’t buy any-”

“I don’t want free samples either!”

“No, miss. I’m not selling any products. I just want to whisper something in your ear.”

“…alright, then.” Though now she missed Ceroba’s big ears, because bird ears weren’t easy to find. “Under here,” she said as she revealed a small hole under her feathers. Now, he just needed to share his information. His ‘sales pitch’, if one was being cynical.

“I met Clover thrice. I never harmed them.” After hearing this, Martlet began to shake and sweat.

“…oh. T-that’s nice of you. A-admirable, even. We… we couldn’t say the same.” She sighed before. “I… I have a pl-”

“Don’t you think it’s a bad idea to talk about this in earshot of other people?” Of course, he knew her as someone who didn’t always think things through…

“R-right. A-anyways, um… I’m not sure if foreign agents are allowed h-here…” stated Martlet.

“Oh, all grownups are banned here! Unless they laugh at Snowy’s jokes!” declared a chilldrake.

“R-right. We… we’re going somewhere private for an adult conversation.” said Martlet.

“Oh, my! I didn’t think you were into each other!” said a Chilldrake. No, no way he would cheat on his wife!

“I… that’s not what I meant at all!” said a sweating Martlet with a mortified expression on her face. “A-anyways, I… I just realized I don’t know the borders of this ‘Teen-Zone’, s-so I don’t know which are-”.

“Oh my god! Are you asking us to do homework for you? Go away!” interjected a chilldrake.

“Yeah, we may be in Snowdin, but homework still isn’t cool!” stated the blue monster. He laughed at the joke, of course. Even if it wasn’t that funny, he couldn’t throw away potential customers.

“…well, we gotta go, then. Don’t want to cause any international incidents, heh!” said Martlet before turning to him. “Mo, follow me.”

“Alright, miss.” There was no reason to make things unnecessarily difficult, after all. Thus, he followed the path. It was clear that she was still suspicious of him, the way he kept glancing. He followed her throughout almost the entirety of Lower Snowdin, watching her quickly solve her own puzzles. The walk took a while, so he assumed they would discuss the plan at her house, but soon after she solved her second lava rock puzzles (and the first puzzle of that type he could see. Maybe he could invest in stilts…), she pointed at a raised platform with two benches.

“O-over here. Honestly, I wanted to discuss it at my house, but I’m kinda tired and it’s close enough to my post.”

“Are you sure it’s safe to talk outside?” Well, as ‘outside’ as a cave could be.

“I… I mean, I can talk in a low voice, and I’m still the only royal guard in Lower Snowdin, so…”

“Still?”

“It’s my last day on the job. Not that I’ve really worked recently, but… I quit.”

“Ideological disagreements?”

“Yeah…” she looked mournfully. “Oh, Clover… Well, I’m done supporting the murder of children, done supporting this sick cycle of vengeance. I…I know it’s risky, but…”

“You have a plan. A friend of yours told me.”

“Oh… well, whoever they were… well, maybe it’s risky to share our plan, but I appreciate having an ally. You know, Mo… I haven’t really trusted your business. Still don’t really feel comfortable supporting them, but… however legal they are, you were more just than me and the Royal Guard. Thank you, Mo, from the bottom of my SOUL.” Well, to be fair, he didn’t know they were a human before Ceroba slipped it out, but they were a potential customer, someone whose killing would lead humankind and monsterkind closer to war, and a child. “Now, I know what we’re doing, is, um… well, we could be arrested, or worse, so you’re not obligated, but… in what way do you want to contribute? Do you have any combat skills? In self defense, non-lethally!” she quickly added.

“Well, no, I have basically no combat abilities,” he stated without losing his cool. Confidence was, after all, very important for a sales pitch. “I’m not some secret badass, but I can contribute financially. You stated you’re 257 G in debt, right?” Strange she was still paying money to the very government she was plotting against.

“Um yeah, but… the thing is… as I said, I don’t know whether your businesses are legal,” said Martlet.

“Miss, your whole plan is very illegal!” he reminded the bird.

“I know! But, um… we… we’re not committing crimes for the sake of it. I… I’d rather we stay on the side of the law if possible. L-look, i-if you give me proof your businesses are legal, a-and share your tax returns…” Well, his business weren’t legal. Still, he thought that after everything she would stop caring about that…

“You’d still pay taxes to the government even after what they did?”

“I’ve never evaded taxes on purpose!” she replied. “If I started, it’d attract suspicion, and besides… just because I’m willing to break one law doesn’t mean I’ll break them all! It’s just… the anti-human law is unjust, I know this deep within my SOUL, but… does that mean they all are? And, as much as I hate the Royal Guard now, I… puzzles and infrastructure and the CORE still need to be maintained, right? T-the line for justice… I’ve only just started thinking about it, and it’s hard to draw for a birdbrain like me, but… do what you want, but for now I’ll try to be cooperative with the government, at least pretend to be loyal. It it’s part of my plan. The reason I hassled those poor drakes back then, heh…” she confessed.

“Well… I suppose despite everything, you’re still suspicious of me, huh?”

“I… I mean, if I hung out with a criminal, that’d be bad for our reputation… if you were a criminal, that is!” She hastily clarified. “Still… even if you were, I don’t think you’re a bad person at heart, and I do have to find a job now… you know, I’ve always been passionate about woodworking, but, um… I’m not sure if my products will be successful, so maybe… worst case scenario, I guess I could work for you.”

“Or I can help sell your products! I can make a pitch, and I can travel all around the Underground!” Maybe he could even sell products to the robots in the Steamworks? He didn’t know if robots used money, but if they did… “I’m the best darn salesman ever, after all!”

“Yes, that’s a great idea! Especially since my plans mean I can’t afford leaving home too much.” Martlet paused for a minute. It looked like they had struck a deal, but… “Though, to be clear, only if it’s legal. I do not want to be associated with tax evasion. Actually, my tax-filing skills aren’t too shabby. Sure, sometimes I put stuff in the wrong field and have to get replacements, but I guarantee that after a few tries they’ll be filed correctly!” she said in a boastful tone. She probably couldn’t be a great salesman, but he appreciated her ability to state embarrassing things in a confident tone.

“Well, those tax-paying skills actually sound pretty shabby, but I appreciate we’ve come to an agreement!”

“A-and I guess I’ll also try to advertise my services in the newspapers too… I… haven’t been too motivated to do things, but… I know it’ll benefit me. A-anyways, Mo… thanks for your support. Clover… they stayed here for so little time, and yet they made so many friends… humans and monsters… we aren’t really enemies, are we?”

“’Course not! Clover helped me pay off my debt!” And he supposed he was paying off her self-inflicted debt too, even if she’d face zero consequences for not paying it.

“Checks out. Nicest kid I’ve ever met. And now they’ll never get to share their kindness again… I…I suppose we’re trying to continue their legacy, in a sense. By the way, Mo… just in case, what’s your phone number? You do have a phone, right?”

“Who doesn’t?” He pulled out his cellphone.

“You’d be surprised,” replied Martlet before he gave her his phone number. “Well, anyways… looks like this discussion is over. I… I’ll keep in touch if it’s necessary. Again, I… I appreciate having an ally, but… no unnecessary crimes, all right? Being in jail sucks!”

“You’ve been in jail?”

“Even ate moss there… not an experience I’d like to repeat.” Moss, huh? Well, even if he ended up in jail, he’d still have products to sell.

“Well then, farewell, Miss. I got a stand to run.” Honestly, he doubted the ability of the Shufflers to make a pitch, and in any case, he knew time was money.

“Well, don’t expect me to stop by, but… y’know, I just remembered Gyftmas is in two days, so, um… merry Gyftmas.”

“Thanks, miss. You too.” Well, he hadn’t succeeded in his plan to set up a store in his Wild East or make anyone buy his products, but nobody had found out his crimes yet, and… in his small way, he was contributing to the greater good of humankind and monsterkind and trying to helping out monsters affected by their death. He wasn’t the most sentimental raccoon, but it was a shame Clover’s friends would spend Gyftmas mourning.

Chapter Text

POV: Martlet

She had been waiting for Red for some time now. Well, she admitted the fact she didn’t tell her at which time to meet up kind of made it her fault, but… Ceroba was right. Even if it was temporary, spending Gyftmas alone really was somethinng heart-rending. She had always spent it with her mother, but now… she was gone, like Chujin, like Clover. It really was a shame Chujin never invited her to his house. It made sense he’d spend time with his actual family, of course, and she admitted that, as much as she saw him as a kind of second father, and as much as she wanted to see Kanako and Ceroba in better times, he never really saw her as a daughter. Of course he didn’t; he really had no reason to, not when he already had one, and he met her in adulthood. Still, that didn’t make the exclusion hurt any less, nor the fact that she knew now there was a lot about him that he never told her about. Well, he only ever told his wife anything about his plan, and perhaps his secrecy was his undoing. If she knew, would she have rightfully told him to stop with the dangerous plan to become some sort of savior at the expense of himself, his family and a human child, or… would she have made her loyalty to the man who gave her purpose, skills and self-worth blind her and gone along with that stupid plan? She just wished anyone would have told him “no”, that she could have spent just one Gyftmas with the family, maybe bringing Mom over too. And… maybe it was a vain hope, but… she hoped dearly he could have met Clover, and that if they’d met someone like them… maybe he’d have gotten over his prejudice, scrapped his plans and started believing in peace instead of trying to make some kind of super-weapon. Maybe Snowdin made his belief too deeply-rooted, but… he was a good person at heart, she knew. Was she being too naïve? Perhaps. But unfortunately, she’d never know the truth, and, in the end, even if it was only a fantasy, she liked giving him the benefit of the doubt. Maybe, if things had gone better she could have been spending Gyftmas in that mansion… with Clover.

Clover… it hadn’t been one month since their murder yet. She met them for less than 24 hours, and yet they dominated their thoughts. The loss, how lonely her house felt suddenly now, the plan… she was certainly not the same naïve royal guard she was when she assaulted an innocent child out of loyalty for some “protocol”. Now, well… she was aware she was taking major risks, but she found comfort in the fact she had at least a plan and in the fact that she would never hurt (and, hopefully, let others hurt, though that seemed nigh-impossible) an innocent human ever again. Of course, no matter whether she took them to that castle or not, she would be thinking about how to protect a human. If she hadn’t been naïve about Asgore, she would have (she should have) turned around in New Home and taken them back to her house in Snowdin or the Wild East, and… protected them, made them the same masks she was making for the next human (she would have known the measurements… Clover was small. Too young too die, too young to bear so much responsibilities, too young be hurt as much as they were) and make sure they were well taken care of. Well, she didn’t know too much about dealing with children, let alone human children, but… with the aid of her friends, she would have tried her best to make Clover have a normal childhood. A happy one, with tons of pancakes, games (well, they weren’t that playful, but maybe they’d like sports or board games? They gave her puzzles are “2”, so maybe… it may have been a code violation, but the lost potential hurt), woodworking… and, given the season, Gyftmas cheer. Did humans celebrate Gyftmas? Even if they did, what would she have given them? Well, no matter what, if they wanted a gift, she would have bought or made them one. She would have given anything for them to have a childhood like hers. Perhaps her mother was too overprotective, but… she was loved. Clover… they never truly were, were they? How she wished she could have spent a Gyftmas with them.

Too late now, of course. Too late. She had to think about the living and the present. As much as it pained her to admit, Clover would never come back. It was the biggest tragedy of her life, but now they lived as an example to follow, someone with a legacy worth fulfilling and an eternal reminder for her and her kind to be better (like the other children before her, perhaps… did the previous humans also make friends in the Underground? She didn’t dare to learn). When she got back home after spending the day harassing some teens, ending up 257 G in debt and gaining an unlikely ally (and, perhaps, someone who could sell her products? Only as a last resort, though. As she told them that day, something about him seemed… shady, pun intended, even if she never could quite put a feather on why), and, sadly but necessarily, deactivating her puzzles, she was done with the institution that made her a “hero” for helping murder a child. Crushing her Royal Guard badge under her boot and hearing the crunch really was satisfying, and so was gathering the pieces and throwing them in the garbage. She realized feeling joy over destroying things probably wasn’t the best idea, but… well, even if she didn’t agree with Chujin’s reasoning, and though she never regretted meeting Clover, he was right: she never should have joined the Royal Guard.

And yet, the number of royal guards remained the same, and it was her fault. Naively, she proposed Red join the Guard, and she had to deal with the consequences now. Of course, the lack of complaints from her boss (if she wanted to scold her for being a human sympathizer and hiding her motives for quitting, she’d definitely have made her presence known) inclined her to trust her, but… Ceroba was right. She… she couldn’t trust promises now. Still, there was no reason to distrust her yet either, and perhaps a monster who had experienced first-hand (and first-wing…) the effects of the anti-human law on humanoid monsters, she’d be merciful when it counted.

And… well, she couldn’t let her spend Gyftmas alone. Of course, having a soon-to-be Royal Guard with the others would be awkward and hinder any potential discussion of plans there, so she decided not to go to the Wild East for Gyftmas (even if she would go there for New Year's; after all, if she was upholding Asgore’s law, there was no risk of Red entering the town), as much as she liked her other friends (and truer allies? No, she hadn’t done anything yet, and… obviously, unlikely and impossible were very different things, but every other child did take the Royal Route… not that Clover’s different path changed their fate), hanging out with Red was nice. She’d get to learn about cartoons, share information about puzzles, eat whatever her favorite food was (rabbits made of cinnamon, right?)… she was looking forward to it. If… she arrived. Well, she… hadn’t really checked her mail since Clover died. It was incredibly important, but the “congratulations” from the government or the first 2000 G from the Guard would be hard to stomach, she knew. Still, even though she hadn’t received mail, she had sent it: Starlo’s, Ceroba’s and Dalv’s gifts, plus the measurements for her talon gloves she had sent three days ago. And, knowing she didn’t want the poor workers to work even more on Gyftmas, she had, surprising even herself, remembered to buy Red’s meal! Well, worst-case scenario, she could have made her spaghetti or fed her some cereal or trail mix, but Red deserved better than that. She had also bought something to get her ready for Gyftmas: one strand of Gyftmas lights. It was perfunctory, perhaps, but anything would probably have been financially irresponsible, and it was better than nothing. She supposed she had her friends for giving her reasons to do things instead of just wallowing in misery alone in her room. Dalv wasn’t wrong: she did really need to shower regularly, and she mustered the willpower to do so at least every other day now. It’s what Clover would have wanted.

The Gyftmas lights weren’t the only thing she did to be festive: she also chose to wear her red shirt and black boots for the holiday. Her wearing anything not blue or yellow wasn’t too common (most of the time, she wore her rags, because there wasn’t too much loss in them getting dirty, and whether she was a Royal Guard or a woodworker, her work prevented her as fancy as she wanted to most of the time).

She had spent hours waiting now (it was 1:47 p.m. according to her clock), but she had only her thoughts and memories, her work and her mentor’s (including her coffin and the drawing inside… she often stared at it in her room, as if she hoped an utterly impossible miracle would bring them back if she looked at it long enough) and Advanced Puzzle Construction for Critical Minds to keep her company. It was a familiar read, and perhaps a means of distraction. After all, if she didn’t find a way to entertain herself, work, or contribute to the plan… she would always be thinking about them. Of course, they deserved to be remembered, but she was worried about being a burden to others or bringing her friend’s mood down. She just didn’t want Red to feel the pain she felt…

She was in the middle of reading page 251, about the possible uses and disadvantages of mixing magic and puzzles (she decided against using it in the Guard, mostly because she used puzzles as a way to improve and show off her woodworking skills, and that was all physical), when she realized she hadn’t gotten gifts… because she wasn’t in the Wild East, which means her friends would mail them, and… she hadn’t checked her mail, hadn’t she?

Realizing what a scatterbrain she was, she flew (in both sense; she wanted to minimize the risk of Red arriving when she wasn’t home) towards the UGPS station and rang the bell. After receiving 4 envelopes and a small gift box from the Mail Whale and attempting to tip the whale 10 G (who seemed baffled by the concept of tipping for mail that had already been paid for… well, she was making him work on Gyftmas), she hurriedly shoved the envelopes and stuck the box into her pockets and rushed back home, realizing she had forgotten to lock her door along the way. Thankfully, it looked like no one was outside or inside, nor were there signs anything had been stolen (she didn’t look too thoroughly, though), so she breathed a sigh of relief as she began to look through the letters.

The first letter she chose to read was from the government. She dreaded having to read it, but she knew saving it for last would ruin her mood. The contents were an announcement she was a “Hero of Monsterkind”, and all the “benefits” she could get for letting Clover get murdered. She quickly sent the letter to the fireplace. She was never going to use her title for discounts or accept any reward for what she did that day.

The second letter was from the Captain. She expected more undeserved praise, and expected to give the letter the same fate as the previous one, but the contents, were… unexpected.

Hey, Martlet.

I genuinely apologize for the things I said that day. I know you were going through a great loss and you needed time to grieve alone after going home. I really am sorry for pestering you and your friend. What I did was wrong, and there’s no excuse for what I said. After talking it through with King Asgore, I’ve decided to start sensitivity training with him. After all, he’s the most sensitive guy I know, and I’m always up for training! Anyway, I understand if you don’t want to, but if you ever want to rejoin the Royal Guard, you’re always welcome to. Whatever you choose to do, you’ll always be a Hero of Monsterkind, so ALWAYS BE PROUD OF THAT FACT!

-Undyne

Captain of the Royal Guard

…Well, she appreciated her apology and her efforts to change, and she believed anyone was capable of change, and, of course, she knew she was the last person who could learn about her plans, but… God, how she wished she could send her a reply explaining the real reason she was ashamed to hold the title and to have been a royal guard.

Right… it was better to not write that reply. She didn’t want to spend her Gyftmas thinking about her old boss or job, or her vehemence about “taking back the Surface” (what a disgusting euphemism), or the fact that she was weak, and one spear bullet could doom her plan and the future of humankind and monsterkind. It wasn’t a good train of thought for the holidays, and she hadn’t read her friend’s letters anyway, so she decided to read Dalv’s.

Greetings, Martlet. I don’t know you too well yet, but I really appreciate your friendship and all that you’ve done for Clover. I’m sure there’ll be a bright future for both of us! Unfortunately, I haven’t really begun my new life in earnest yet, so I can’t give you too much for Gyftmas, but I can at least give you a sneak peek of the cover of my new book for children, “Peek-a-Boo with Fluffy Bunny”, drawn with the help of Penilla. Thank you for being my friend, Martlet. I wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors.

-Dalv

The lower side of the letter featured a drawing a rabbit covering its face with its front paws in… in a field of clovers. Of course, she wasn’t the target audience for the book, but the drawing was cute, and she did always have a soft spot for children, especially after what happened. Seeing happy children was tougher than it had any right to be after what happened, but… no child ever deserved to go through what they went through, and this was reason enough to protect the human. The gift may not have been much, perhaps, but she really did appreciate Dalv’s friendship and care. She thought about visiting more often. They both lived in the same region, after all.

And, thanks to Clover, Dalv wasn’t the only friend she had made. It was a bit odd she hadn’t gotten a letter for Ceroba, but she had to have had her reasons, and she was grieving too. There was no reason to pester ger over some gifts. Whatever Ceroba was planning, she still had to read Starlo’s letter. She opened the last envelope and began to read.

Howdy, Feathers. It’s a shame you won’t be around for Gyftmas, but me and Ceroba will see you on New Year’s, at least. I also want to say that I’ll do what I can to help everyone in any way I can and. As for my gift to be sent over via Mail Whale. Without revealing too much, it’s something you shouldn’t forget. They’re not the gloves, though: I commissioned them at a store in New Home, but it’ll be a few days before they’re ready. You should get ‘em before the end of the year, though. And, by the way, just in case you haven’t received mail from Ceroba, don’t panic. It’s just she hasn’t gotten the gift yet, but she promised to send it before the day's over.

Happy trails, partner. Sorry for all you had to go through.

-Starlo

Reading the letter, she felt a pang of guilt for not being with him, someone who could fully understand and share the pain of her loss. Still, if she did go, she’d feel guilt for betraying Red and leaving her alone, and… no matter what, she’d still feel guilt for not heeding Ceroba’s advice and letting them enter the castle.

At the very least, the fact the two exchanged gifts meant their friendship and alliance wasn’t hurt too much by her decision. She took out the box that was sticking out of her left back pocket, unwrapped it and opened it to find a pair of safety glasses. Right… one could never forget them, could they? Clover… Starlo gave them a pair before they died. Of course, it did nothing to save them, but… they looked nice, and eye protection wasn’t a bad idea. She put the gift on, and looked at the mirror. Not bad! She thanked Starlo in her mind. Then… she realized that, between her, Ceroba, Starlo and Clover she had been the only one without headwear (now Dalv was the only one without… wait, did horns count? No, probably not). Anything associated with Clover would bring her painful memories, but receiving a friend’s gift was always a great thing.

Pleased with the goggles as she was, she realized now that she had to wait, both for Red’s arrival and Ceroba’s gift. She raised the goggles to her forehead and went back to her book before paranoia struck her. She knew there were no signs of a break-in, and it’d probably be relieving if anything if someone stole the serum, but… she went to her safe and opened it, to find the serum still lying there, with the Determination golden as ever inside it. What a stupid thing to be afraid of… why would a burglar steal only the serum, a serum which nobody but her and Alphys knew existed, and not steal anything else?

And, while the safe was wide open, she heard someone knocking on her door. She quickly closed the safe and locked it. Scatterbrained as she was, she knew how could be incriminating her having possession of an unknown substance could be, and she did her best to not let anyone learn about its existence. Shortly after closing the safe, she quickly flew towards the door, hoping the delay wasn’t too suspicious, and opened it to find Red.

“Oh, hi, Red! Merry Gyftmas!”

“Hello there, Martlet. Sorry if I came late, it’s just, well… I had a good day with Mew Mew Love Blaster, and I kinda lost track of time!!”

“I mean, it’s not like I set a time for arrival. It’s fine really!”

“Yeah, whatever. Anyways, though I still don’t like the commute, it looks like it’s easier to traverse Lower Snowdin. Though… I kinda miss the gravity-defying puzzle now!! I know it’s probably best for everyone it’s gone, but…”

“Oh, did you… think my puzzles were bad?” She knew feedback was important and that people were free to have their opinions on it, but the unpopularity of her bridge puzzles hurt a bit. Even how hard she had worked and making sure to get an ultragravitational pillow to make it safe!

“I mean, um…” She probably was trying not offend her, wasn’t she? At least she’d always had Clover’s rating… she could have talked so much about puzzles with them, and maybe they could even have made their own…

“W-well, it doesn’t matter now. I don’t have a Puzzler’s License, nor am I a Royal Guard anymore, so…” The realization struck her suddenly. Quitting the Guard was the right choice, but... “I may never make another puzzle in my life.” Of course, nothing prevented her from discussing them with others, but… she liked expressing herself through puzzles, showing off her ideas, and… now, she’d never get to again. Now there would be one thing she missed about the guard, she supposed.

“Um, well, sorry about that. I…I’ll make puzzles for you, I guess,” she told Martlet. Yes, the nobler purpose of the Guard. She knew she’d probably make a terrible queen, but at the very least, she knew just how to reform the Royal Guard. And she would never have allowed innocent humans to be harmed. Better to be merciful than vindicate the humans who started the war and the Seven Mages.

“Oh, you’re so nice, Red. Anyway, welcome again to my house! Want some Hot Chocolate? Um, if it’s not poisonous to you that is!”

“Um, why would it be poisonous?? And, YEAH, who would reject a cup of hot chocolate?? I’m not even that cold, but it’s hot chocolate!!” That was good to know, because she really was skilled at making hot chocolate, like her mom! It was one of the few things she could make, but… she thought she was great at it! Not that she got much feedback from guests… maybe Clover could have liked it.

“Well, it’s, um… poisonous to fox monsters, so I wasn’t sure if your monster type…”

“Don’t worry, Marty. Us ghosts can eat anything!”

“Um, my name is Martlet!” she corrected the doll. Unless she was actually talking to some invisible monster? No, but it seemed she was responding to her question, plus she didn’t think invisible monsters existed. Well, she’d never seen one, that’s for sure!... though she probably just forgot her name.

“Yeah, I know!! Um, by the way… do you know if, um… did your mentor die of chocolate poisoning??”

“Oh no, I just learned that from him, and learned it again from his widow. He didn’t die from that poison,” she explained.

“Wait, he was poisoned?? But I thought murders never murdered other monsters here!” Humans, however…

“I… well, I don’t know if it’s truly accurate to call it poison or murder, but… I know just how he died,” she told Red. “But I learned it just this month. It’s kinda complicated, but… we can talk about it over hot chocolate. I don’t need to drink it, but… it’s a nice drink, too.”

“Um, sure, we can distract ourselves from the delicious drink with discussions of a tragedy?? Or the other way around??”

“Um, I mean…”

“Whatever, if you feel comfortable sharing it, we can discuss while drinking.”

“Y-yeah.” She went to the kitchen and prepared the hot chocolate. As she whisked the ingredients together, she though about Chujin’s secrets, about their last meetings, about how she never admitted to him that she was dying… she noticed he lost muscle since he started mentoring, but she thought it was just her imagination, and she never imagined anything serious… him, her mother, Clover, Kanako… they were never coming back. This was the worst year of her life. Now, she would make sure no years would be worse for her than 2113.

Then, the hot chocolate was done. She served two cups and brought Red hers as both sat down on her couch. She knew that, as Ceroba told her, she sadly couldn’t be too honest about her plan to save the seventh, not until she could trust her 100 %, but… at the very least, she could be honest about Chujin and his illness… like he should have. How dearly she was wished he would have stopped, or someone would have noticed…

“So, then… it was an accidental poisoning, right? Or manslaughter?” Red asked.

“Um, no… um, Red, do you know about the Snowdin incident?” Who killed the fifth? If someone talked to them and explained the situation, could they have been saved? And… was it wrong for her to be so sympathetic to them, when she knew she didn’t lose anyone, family, teachers or classmates? Was it wrong for him to kill to protect his daughter? And… what if she had killed to save Clover? And… what if she had to kill to protect the seven? No… she would hold back, try her best not to use lethal force. Was she naïve to believe an ending were nobody died was possible? A happy ending is possible… she couldn’t help but remember that day now.

“Yeah, of course… but isn’t he from the Dunes?” Red asked her before sipping from her cup.

“Yes, but he traveled around a lot. Like, he never invited me to his house, for example.”

“…yeah, that was a stupid point to make. And I did only began seeing you in the Dunes this month…” Well, she did go there for his funeral, but she didn’t really explore Oasis Valley that day.

“Well, he was in Snowdin that day… and so was her daughter. She wasn’t harmed and a monster called Dalv protected her, but… well, he didn’t have a good experience with humans, and so he thought they were all evil. Incapable of decency in any form, as he told me once.” And yet, his plan relied on a pure of SOUL one. One like Clover. She dearly hoped he would have changed his mind, but if he had dared to lay a paw on Clover, she would have immediately defended them and quit her apprenticeship with no hesitation.

“…well, they did kill four monsters and threatened to kill a child, so… I guess it’s understandable.”

“Yeah… and I think if he met someone like Clover, he would have changed his mind.” He couldn’t have blamed for feeling what he felt, but… fear had clouded his rationality, hadn’t it? She had never heard of the other humans causing an attack like Snowdin’s, after all. She was too trusting of Chujin, too ignorant of that omission. She never did realize that the first four fallen children and Asriel’s friend were peaceful, like Clover. She supposed that Clover had made her a better person…

“Though keeping them around would have been ille-”

“And the right thing to do!” she snapped. The law and true justice were different things.

“Y-yeah, I… that was very insensitive,” Red replied. “I’m sorry, that was a terrible thing to say. I know how much Clover’s loss affected you…”

“Well, you’ve promised not to harm the next human, so… you’re forgiven. Anyway… you know how the SOUL just disappeared? Well, turns out he kept it for five years.”

“That’s illegal!!” Well, if he gave it to Asgore, the SOUL would have been weaponized… though, either way, it would have been used for war, wouldn’t it? Turning children into just resources and weapons for a war of extermination… what a disgusting thing to do. This would not be the seventh's fate. This would not be Clover’s fate.

“Um, yeah.” She never realized it, but Red was completely right. And what Ceroba was planning to do… she was going to be careful with what she said now. Well, it looked like she was friends with a criminal… or was she? Thankfully, she never succeeded, so… still, she didn’t know enough about the law to feel comfortable with revealing her plan. “Anyways, he was a Boss Monster, so he thought that if he mixed his SOUL with the human’s, a serum could be made, and all monsters would become Boss Monsters. Apparently, that would be enough for monsterkind to win the second war after we break the Barrier.”

“But wouldn’t Asgore’s omnipotence be enough?” And if it wasn’t, Ceroba would be vindicated in her belief that the war was folly. Either way, the stakes were far too high to allow the seventh child to be murdered.

“Well, he was skeptical about that.”

“Yeah, I mean… I haven’t thought about it, but I don’t think seven SOULs have been absorbed before?? Like, we’re trusting the humans who started the war for some reason??” Red asked.

“Yeah, it’s a gamble. Though, um… I don’t think his plan was the solution either. After all, the reason he died, the “poison”… it was his experiments. He blamed the SOUL’s corruption on his death, though I don’t know enough about science to know if he was right,” she admitted. And what if it wasn’t? What if Ceroba murdered Clover and used her fallen down daughter’s SOUL for nothing? God, what an idiotic plan! So many people harmed, all for a chance, to fulfill his “legacy”. Didn’t he and Ceroba realize his legacy was the things he made and the people he helped, his small acts of kindness? Construction instead of destruction?

“Oh, I…I’m sorry for your loss. A-and he never told you he was sick, did he?”

“W-well… in our very last meeting, he did, but… I never knew it was terminal. I… I thought that he’d recover, and t-that we’d have a b-big party. T-the hope… kept me going for a while when I was starting as a Royal Guard. But g-getting the news in the mail, a-and going to the Dunes a-and seeing her family for his first time.” Tears began to form in her eyes. He… he never told her, a-and it was… like all the tears she shed when she was just nine and she lost her father. “A-actually, there was something eerie about my last meeting. I knew it wouldn’t help him, but… I thought about making good luck charms for his recovery, like… like clovers. I… I didn’t know if they had three or four leaves back then, heh.” She chuckled unenthusiastically to lighten the mood for the holidays, but it was clear her heart wasn’t in it.

“They have four leaves,” clarified Red.

“A-and yet, no matter the number, clovers can get killed all the same,” she stated grimly.

“T-that’s… pretty heavy stuff. I…I’m sorry for all you went through. You didn’t deserve it,” said Red as she finished her cup. “Um… your Hot Chocolate’s actually pretty good!!”

“Oh… thank you. I, um don’t have many things I can make well, but i-it’s not nothing, at least. And, u-um, sorry for bringing down the mood like that. We… we haven’t exchanged gifts, right?”

“U-um, yeah. And, um, I…I get how you feel. Hasn’t even been a month yet,” replied Red. The holiday season should have been happy, she should have been celebrating it with Clover and her other friends, they should have been laughing and exchanging gifts. Instead, she was spending it in grief, stressing out over the stakes of the plan.

“Though I don’t think I’ll ever fully go back to being the naïve but happy bird I was once.” She sighed. “Still… remember, you have the chance not to repeat my mistakes and keep your promise. T-though, u-um, maybe I’m rambling too much. I’ll go get your gift.” She finished her cup of chocolate and stood up to retrieve Red’s mask. An oval, tailor-made, like she wanted it. “U-um, how do you like it?”

“Let’s see…” said Red before putting it on. “Oh… it’s… it fits so well! And hopefully people won’t think I’m human anymore!” It was such a shame she had to face so much just because of what she looked like… and she was guilty of that too, she knew. She had to make it up to her, even if it was a shame the mask was even necessary. “Thank you so much!”

“You’re welcome… though, of course, I’m sorry about the way my colleagues and I treated you just because of what you look like.” Perhaps she wouldn’t be willing to hurt a human, after knowing how the Royal Guard treated her…

“Eh, I’m used to it,” she said as she took of the mask. “Actually, the captain made a hurtful remark about my appearance, but she recognized she was wrong after I pointed a sword in her face?? And she also sent me a letter where she apologized and said she’s going to be more sensitive, so maybe we’re cool now?? I think??” Well, it was like her to appreciate willingness to stand up for yourself… she supposed her passion could be positive if it was directed towards a less heinous end…

“Y-yeah… so you begin tomorrow, right? In Lower Snowdin?”

“Yeah, not a big fan of the commute,” she replied. Though, at the very least, if a human entered through the lower door, unlikely as it was… would she keep her promise? Well, her sympathies towards humans hadn’t been revealed to the captain yet, as far as she knew… though it’s not like she had been to Waterfall since that day. She really had to stop slacking off and start with that cartography project, and also got over her fear of the captain… though it was probably healthy to be at least a little bit scared of those spears.

“…W-well, it’s not like I can stop you. Hey, m-maybe we can um, hang out, a-and talk about your job.” Well, maybe it was a clumsy attempt to gain news about the Royal Guard now that she had quit, but

“Yeah, I’ve actually met some of the members of the Snowdin Canine Unit in Grillby’s. They’re actually pretty nice and fluffy. And they love to play fetch, apparently.”

“Yeah, I knew that,” she replied. She didn’t go to Upper Snowdin that often, but on the rare occasions she met her colleagues, she knew they liked sticks.

“And, do you know what happens when you keep petting Lesser Dog??” Red asked her.

“Um, I don’t," she admitted.

“Well, you’re missing OUT!!... that aside, I did hear some news from them. Apparently, some guy tried to join the Royal Guard recently.” Well, however he was, he was going to have to learn about him, and maybe have a strategy to deal with them… necessary as it was, this was all so stressful. She realized that the fallen children all had to deal with so much, without prior preparation…  those poor children, hurt so much… and she was guilty of hurting Clover, too. Too scared of losing her job to realize she was hurting an innocent child because of a disgusting law.

“Oh, I see. Do you know what he’s like?”

“U-um, not really. All I know is, he went to Undyne’s house and stayed up all night begging to be let in. But apparently, he got rejected??”

“Huh, I’ve never heard of someone being rejected. Like, they even let me join!” She even managed to get away with passing off her tools as her weapons. Well… they did hurt Clover…

“Yeah, and it’s a really short-staffed institution. Pretty unusual, right? W-well, he’s apparently receiving training from Undyne herself.” Royal Guard or not, he could be trouble in the future…

“W-well, h-hope he doesn’t get to kill a human, h-heh.” She noticed Red shook at her response, but the ghost stayed silent.

“A-anyways, the dogs are cute. A-and, um, Cinnamon Bunnies are great too! I, um… look, I know consumables aren’t great Gyftmas gift, but you said you’ve never eat one, so…” She pulled out a paper bag out of her pocket, inside which was a cinnamon roll shaped it like a rabbit. She tried it out, and…

“Oh, this is delicious! Thank you so much! Hey, maybe you could bring this over whenever you come to my house,” she proposed while savoring the treat.

“Um, sure. A-anyway, I was thinking about how I was going to show you Mew Mew Kissy Cutie…” And she was going to read her Intermediate Puzzle Construction for Critical Minds. Red spent hour listening to her rambling about puzzles, so clearly she liked them! And for a while… she was distracted from what happened.

“Oh, right. I have a DVD player, so let’s watch before reading Intermediate Puzzle Construction for Critical Minds!  Though, I’ve been thinking, I should make lunch,” she told Red. “Do you like frozen lasagna?”

“…well, it’s better than nothing.” She went to the kitchen and heated the meal in the microwave for five minutes before serving it in her table.

“So, um, how do you like it?” she asked as Red took the first bite.

“…it’s, um… mediocre,” she replied.

“W-well, if it wasn’t Gyftmas I would’ve ordered you a pizza, but I didn’t want people to work on the holidays...” She could have offered worms, but she had to admit she was embarrassed about sharing her preferences with non-avian monsters.

As they finished their lunch, Red took out the Mew Mew Kissy Cutie DVD and inserted it into her player. She selected the first episode of the cartoon and they watched it together on the couch.

“Hey, do you prefer watching subs or dubs?” said Red as she opened the options menu.

“Huh? What do submarines and the letter W have to do with Mew Mew Kissy Cutie? Or are you asking me in general?”

“…nevermind. Well, looks like I won’t get judged for preferring dubs…”

“Huh? Is there some sort of debate I’m not aware of? W-well, there’s a lot I don’t know about the Underground, like I’ve only properly expl-” Red used her magic to cut her off. Well, maybe she was annoying, but her rambling being interrupted hurt a bit. At least her other friends didn’t have that magic…

“Well, it… it doesn’t matter!! Let’s go watch it!” said Red. She picked the first episode, which introduced Mew Mew and her friends, explained how she was bullied and the way she gained the power to control people’s minds via kiss.

“So, um… what did you think?” Red asked after the episode finished.

“W-well… if it’s a realistic depiction of human society, then integration on the surface could be difficult, but, um… even if Mew Mew didn’t deserve to be treated that way, kissing people to mind-control rgwm is very unethical.” And the way it probably gave her boss an excuse to dismiss any anti-war arguments, all because she believes cartoons are real...

“Indeed. The guilt, the consequences, her character arc… it’s deeper than society thinks it is, they just ignore because of all the filler episodes in between about beaches or baseball or cooking competitions in which she cheats!! And gets away with it!! But, um, I’m getting ahead of myself, and at least the food in the episode looks good??”

“Yeah… I suppose, sometimes it’s difficult to do the right thing. It’s always tempting to take the easy way out, even if it hurts other people. And yet, hard as it can be… we must always try to do good, and not evil. Still… it’s hard not to feel bad for Mew Mew, unjustified as her actions are…”

“Um… I think you may become a fan… well, if you can tolerate all the filler…”

“Well, it was a nice Gyftmas gift.” She wondered if she would have left Clover watch it. Would they have gotten the wrong message for it? Though, she realized… they were treated much worse than Mew Mew, and they stayed peaceful… until they were murdered, like Asriel. She had never taken sapient lives but she wondered… what if she had been in their tiny boots at their age? Would she have been still peaceful, despite the lack of reward? Would she have always been the bigger person, bigger than all the adults who attacked them?

“You, um, seem, lost in thought…”

“I was, um, thinking about ethics.”

“…I mean, it’s mostly a comedy, it doesn’t really get dramatic until episode 48,” Red  explained.

“W-well, alright. Hey, want to read Intermediate Puzzle Construction for Critical Minds with me?”

“U-um, sure?? It’d be something new, I guess.”

“Well, it certainly isn’t new for me… like Mew Mew Kissy Cutie isn’t new for you, right?”

“Of course not. I watch it every morning. Now I’ll have to wake up earlier to keep the tradition…”

“Oh, I feel so sorry for you! I hate waking up early!” Going to bed was difficult now, but when she did manage to sleep and wake up… well, if it wasn’t for the cuckoo clock, she’d probably never wake up before noon now, and even with it… well, at least she could keep flying in place at night to exhaust herself, hopefully not passing out mid-flight…

“Um, O-OK… well, anyway it’s nice that we’re friends.”

“Yeah… I didn’t really have friends after losing Chujin, but now… after that day, I… I have a friend group now.” And it was thanks to Clover. How cruel it was they never got to be a part of it… “And… you haven’t had many friends before, right?” Well, if it wasn’t for Clover, she’d never have met her in the Dunes, so in a way… they were responsible for Red having friends too.

“Yeah… it’s weird. To spend Gyftmas with other people… but I guess it’s nice too. A-and I guess I’ll get to befriend the dogs in the Guard too.” The Guard… people who would have killed them. Red had promised not to, of course, but the other members hadn’t. Well… Starlo and Ceroba also tried to kill Clover, didn’t they? And she didn’t want her to deprive her of friends… hopefully… maybe it was wishful thinking, but she hoped with all her SOUL that they would choose mercy when the time came.

“Yeah… merry Gyftmas, Red. Well then, let’s go grab Intermediate Puzzle Construction for Critical Minds!” As she got up from the couch, she suddenly remembered something. “W-wait, I’ll… I’ll be out of the house for a bit. I need to see if another friend’s gift has arrived.” She left the house, being reminded to lock the door by Red, and flew towards the UGPS station, hoping Ceroba’s gift had arrived.

Chapter Text

POV: Ceroba.

It was her first Gyftmas since the loss of Chujin and Kanako. Every Gyftmas since she was born, she spent it happy, laughing, sometimes bringing Star’s parents along. They’d hold feasts, she’d make the best food for her daughter, the daughter she thought she loved, and she’d give Chujin whatever things were related to his interest in science and engineering, Kanako all sorts of toys and plushes and Starlo things that reminded him of his movies and corn. They were all so… so happy back then. Of course, she couldn’t complain too much; her daughter’s death was her fault, and she still undeservedly had Star and the Feisty Four, and now Martlet and Dalv too as friends. It was a cowardly move, gaining all those friends  while keeping her silence. Of course, her cowardice about Kanako gave Martlet the opportunity to unintentionally spread misinformation about her falling down, and she supposed she couldn’t avoid questions from other monsters forever. But… no, Chujin was never at fault for what happened to Kanako, she was, all because she wanted to be some “hero”. But after what happened to Starlo and Martlet, she realized the title was never worth it. It always involved a child’s death, didn’t it? She still desperately wanted to know the truth about her and that lab, and Kanako even deserved a funeral, but… would she deserve to know, even when she hadn’t told anything to her best friend or the person who saved Kanako in Snowdin?

And, of course, she bore some blame for a second child’s death, a child who she would gladly spent Gyftmas with and given whatever they wanted, even if humans weren’t aware of the holidays. She didn’t know how pro-human Starlo’s family was, but… a picnic with them, and with Kanako… it was all fiction now. She… she didn’t have the strength for one yet. It’d remind her of the morning she woke up holding his dust, the smiles and then tears of Kanako, the absence of Clover… Clover… the main person responsible for their death was the coward (as if she wasn’t one herself too… they were no better than each other, were they?), but… she admitted that she could have prevented their death if she told Martlet that, like the Boss Monster serum, the risks were too high to put a child’s life at stake. And now… she’d have to live with the guilt she felt, the poor woman. Maybe her illusions were broken, a painful yet important part of growing up, but the cost… it was unbearable. Clover, Kanako, Martlet, Dalv, Starlo… they were all people who didn’t deserve to live in a world like this. Monsterkind and humankind were still facing the consequences of the injustices of centuries ago…

Of course, a war wasn’t inevitable, although it was terrifyingly likely thanks to the idiocy of the royals. What if seven SOULs didn’t make a God, like Chujin believed? And, if they somehow did, she knew now not all humans were like the one who nearly killed her daughter (and she finished the job… even if she didn't do it out of malice, unlike the human, did it matter if an innocent, kind and playful girl was still dead?). Of course, she had faith in Martlet’s strength of character and goodness. She knew that she had learned from Clover’s death, and… the plan was risky, but it, at the very least gave hope (even if the cost was yet another dead child on her paws). Still… Martlet was a good person, someone who saw the best in others… and, perhaps, too naïve and too willing to trust. What if her beak was leaky with the Royal Guard she spent Gyftmas with instead of them (all because she didn’t want her to be alone… this was a good trait, and yet a dangerous one too). What if the next human was malicious? Of course, she had planned for the possibility, but what if it was too late? She was sure she could be a good protector, but… there was a real risk of her being dusted by the human, or perhaps other monsters. A shame, really. And, despite the proximity to the Steamworks and the Wild East being an advantage… her standing out in the open would attract suspicion, wouldn’t it? Of course, it’s not like she could beat Undyne, and… what about the cameras? Hero of Monsterkind or not, the captain would certainly be more interested in murdering the seventh instead of a “conversation” with some Ex-Guard. Of course, the cameras had apparently been destroyed, bu-.

All of a sudden, Mooch jumped out of her bed, and she realized she had been awake for a while. Of course, after all her losses… she had so many nightmares, so many dreams in which she remembered the happy life. Once, she was the young, cheerful girl who loved to burrow holes play with her friend Star, who supported her wholeheartedly when she realized she was no boy, who loved playing games like in the movies, before she grew up and distanced herself from the world of cowboys and entered the world of girlfriend, wife, and mother… back then, she was just… just like Kanako. Those days were long gone, and she would have to remember the cruel present.

And the squirrel monster who jumped to her bed when everyone else was asleep.

“Um, Mooch, what the hell are you doing in my bed? A-and what time is it?”

“5 a.m.!” the squirrel cheerfully replied in a loud tone of voice. She had the irritating tendency to do this, but she always the only one this woke up, apparently, though she didn’t knew whether it was down to her keen hearing or her difficulty with staying asleep. Sleeping in that house was… well, despite everything, it was better than the memories of that mansion. Perhaps she was just running away from her sins…

“…let me sleep, you asshole,” she answered in a low tone of voice.

“Oh, but you weren’t sleeping before!” Mooch claimed… accurately. She gave her a scowl, given it was still five in the fucking morning. “I mean… I get why you wouldn’t like to… anyways, guess who just went on a camera-destroying spree?”.

“In one night? And you know they can be replaced, right?”

“But I read the newspapers after I destroyed the first one, and guess what! They cost the government a ton of money! And hey, it’d mean less funding for the Guard!” she stated cheerfully.

“…well, at least you won’t rat me out when you go to jail.” Though maybe the royals would be incompetent enough to not catch the squirrel who, apparently, went on a property-destruction spree all throughout the kingdom without telling anybody.

“If I go to jail,” Mooch corrected her. “Anyways, I hope you enjoyed my gift!”

“…not anything material?”

“Nope! And it’s not like I expect you to give me anything back! Well, hope you and your friends have… as good as a Gyftmas as you can get given the circumstances,” said the thief before hopping out of bed. Well, she supposed things staying even counted as a gift when it came to her… she wasn’t planning on giving her anything, but now she had more time to reflect until she woke up. As she got up and quietly made her way to the kitchen to make herself a glass of water, she reflected. She realized that, as much as they deserved it… she hadn’t thought about what to give Starlo, Martlet and Dalv for Gyftmas. Too busy with the farm, grieving on her bed, drinking, Adult Soda when alone or Root Beer with others, or working out in the gym with a lot of zeal. She had lost too much, far too much, and yet she still had people she cared for, to be grateful for. Clover knew, they knew and forgave them, they said they loved her and her friends despite everything, and she couldn’t lose sight of that fact. She couldn’t call herself a good person until she told the truth, but… she still could do good.

And, yet, as she drank the cold glass of water in the dark… she thought. What would she give her friends? Dalv… unlike Marltet, he was going to visit the Wild East, but… what could she give him? She didn’t know him too well… sure, he wanted to draw children’s books and play the organ, but… she wasn’t an artist like… like Kanako, nor was she a musician. What was she good for? She thought she had been a good mother and wife, but… that was all a lie. Perhaps her only skill was violence.

And Martlet… a naïve woman, and not someone she was going to see today, but kind enough to give gifts, and admirable to not give up even after her greatest loss. She was surely suffering, grieving… the loss of a child was a terrible thing, she knew, and it was impressive how she stood up for what she believed, to the point of betraying the Royal Guard without regret. And yet, what could she give her? Unlike her, or Chujin, or Kanako, she was useless as a woodworker. And… she could go to her house, but she still wasn’t strong enough to return there and be haunted by her memories and sins.

Worst of all… she didn’t know what to give Star Her best friend, the man who helped in her darkest hour, who never gave up on her! It was horrible how she kept the truth for him, and she didn’t know what to give him this Gyftmas? Normally she gave him all sorts of guns or gifts related to his movies, corn or, on one occasion, gunpowder (which… well, he did something he regretted in front of Blackjack with. Still, embarrassing as the memory was, she had to admit it was endearing), but… would he get sick of getting a repeated gift? And… in his time of greatest need, would this suffice? The poor man… he had managed to work a bit on the farm and leave for the funeral and the meeting at Martlet's house, and he had moved back to the hideout five days ago, thankfully… but of course, he couldn’t get over the loss. How could he? Nearly a year, and she still hadn’t gotten over Chujin, let alone Clover and Kanako.

She finished her glass of water, returned to her bed and pondered. God, she was the type to fuck up something as basic as gifts, wasn’t she?

As deep in thought as she was, eventually she managed to fall asleep, as she noticed when Star tugged on her sleeve to wake her up.

“Oh, hey, Star… merry Gyftmas. What time is it?” she asked the star.

“Merry Gyftmas to ya too! 10:30 a.m..” With Chujin and Kanako, she always woke up early. She had to go to her hellish job and give Kanako a healthy and delicious breakfast. Still, she would have borne her job if it meant seeing Kanako happy when she got home and hugging her. But now… without her family, she often didn’t have the drive to get out of bed without Star’s encouragement. She owed him so much, and she wasted her time drinking and grieving instead of being grateful… or giving him a gift.

She quickly got out of bed and changed to a green kimono and boots before making Star and herself some cereal. Annoyingly, the “hideout” lacked a chair, but they could sit on the couch or Ace’s hammock, giving the other members of the posse had left, probably to spend the holiday with their families. Star would always give them holidays off, after all, and this was even more true given Clover had made him consider his friends’ feelings. They had such a knack for making people better… perhaps monsterkind’s opinion on humanity would have changed if they had allowed to live.

“By the way, Ceroba, here’s your gift!” He pulled out a cellphone and handed it to her. She knew she’d have to get used to it, but given she was experienced with normal phones at Chujin’s phone, and that she’d only use it for making calls with Dalv, Flier, and Martlet, this was probably fine. Long-distance communication was crucial for the plan, after all. “I also bought myself one! Of course, I can’t use it outside the hideout or my house yet, not until I’ve introduced the storyline… haven’t had motivation for missions yet,” Starlo said grimly.

“I understand. I… I know how painful losing a c-child can be. I… maybe I can write the story if you’d like.”

“That… that’d be great, Ceroba.” Still… would that count as good gift? No probably, not. “By the way…” He stood up and opened a box over the countertop, next to Mooch’s tiny “bed” (well, she was at least ethical enough not to steal gifts…) “here’s some safety goggles too.”

“Can’t forget them, heh.” Of course, she was reminded of Clover, their murder, their funeral, the shared grief between the four, but… after giving a sad expression, she smiled at her friend, a friend who, unlike her, cared enough to give her gifts. “Thank you so much, Star. I… I appreciate your care, and your contribution to the mission, for sticking with me even in my darkest moments. I… I think anyone would love to have a friend like you.” She couldn’t help but hug the star. God, he deserved a gift! What was wrong with her, not having any ideas for it?

“Ah, yer welcome, Ceroba! You… you told the honorary sheriff to value their life and friends, when they were trying to give up their SOUL... I… they never should have gone there, but I appreciate you.”

“Thank you.” But… would he still be friends if he new what she did to her niece? The secrets she kept? He was well within his rights to end their friendship if he knew, after all. “By the way…”

“Ah, are you giving me my gift?”

“Um, n-not yet,” she replied. “I… I’m saving it for a more appropriate moment.”

“I… I’m spending time with my family today. I’ll eat lunch with ‘em. Even though I’ve been with my folks… I’ve just been alone in my room most of the time.” Like the time she rejected him… well, he was too immature, he was no Chujin, and he would have always picked someone responsible and caring and loving towards their daughter like him (and unlike her), but… he was a good friend. It was a shame to see him like that, even if she still wouldn’t have gone back and picked him. Still, this time… it was so understandable how much time he spent locked there. She was sure that, without him, she’d have spent her time after murdering her daughter grieving in her room before falling down. Perhaps she was repaying the favor by working… god, the year had just been a string of losses, and yet she still had to do things, and, perhaps, hope another child didn’t die on her watch. And if she gave up selfishly, the burden would have to go to Star and Martlet. She was… well, as Clover, Star and Martlet unfortunately learned, she was better at violence than them. Still, utterly unjustified as her assault and attempted murder that day was… the need for self-defense, or defense of a child was very likely when the time came. Even so, Martlet was right: she was too quick to resort to violence. For Clover and her friend’s sake, she had to be better.

“Oh… well, after you come back, I’ll give it to you,” she promised.

“We have to meet up with Dalv and Penilla first, remember? Though I checked before waking you up, and they haven’t arrived yet”. God, what could she give him?

“Well, let’s go outside and wait. Actually, why don’t we check if Martlet has sent us our gifts?” Of course, Chujin had told her she hated waking up in the morning, but… well, she had told them her nightmares had made the poor bird unwilling to sleep, like her when she lost Kanako. Her SOUL ached thinking about her… so kind, so naïve, so loving, someone who didn’t deserve what happened to her… and yet, she stayed strong, she didn’t give up. Maybe he wouldn’t have seen past her sympathies for him… but if he did, she thought Chujin would have been proud of her.

They traveled to the UGPS station in Sunnyside Farm and rang the bell, but the whale said there was no mail from her, though there was mail from the royals giving Star the Hero of Monsterkind, which he dramatically threw down the ravine as they returned to the Wild East in a rage, rightfully so.

As they looked around the Wild East, dealing with monsters upset that there was no Gyftmas event in the Wild East this year (Star made up the excuse that, as an official sheriff, he unfortunately took his job too seriously now… of course, it really was because he was grieving, the poor man. It was like her pain from losing Kanako, except it wasn’t his fault at all. He did his best to protect Clover and fight the coward, but tragically he was too weak and hasty). They even had to experience a “robbery” from Kangarufus… though they actually gave them 55 G, not surprisingly (Star had always said the kangaroo monster had things to learn from Mooch, though she thought Kangarufus was the best thief in the Underground). As the disappointed monsters slowly left when they realized they wouldn’t get to see the annual Gyftmas reenactment of Star’s favorite movie, in which she acted as the heroine, they decided to wait for Dalv and Penilla at the Saloon. They had already eaten breakfast, and still too early for lunch, so they ordered Root Beer (she had to tell Star the truth that she hadn’t actually quit Adult Soda at some point...) and talked about their childhood, the happy times they had. Star even told her something somewhat shocking, and yet which made sense. Back in the day, before loss, before grief, when she had friends and parents, when she was just a cheerful and happy girl… she was like Kanako, and like Martlet, “but more competent”. She couldn’t help but laugh at that… and yet, she thought, would Martlet grow up to become someone like her? Someone irrevocably changed by the loss of a child, someone whose idealism was cruelly beaten out of her? Still, there was still a difference between the two: she knew that in her place, she would have never crossed the line with Kanako, or created anything with a cost as severe as the Boss Monster serum. Scatterbrained as she was, she was really someone with an admirable core, someone who never gave up trying to do the right thing. She was more than met the eye, really. Her husband wasn’t wrong in making her his apprentice.

They talked and laughed and thought about their most embarrassing moments of their lives, the time he was grounded for eating Adult Soda, the time she was briefly the rudest, most profane girl in the world for a month, all the times they played board games together and he lost embarrassingly (though the times she played video games with Kanako and Chujin showed  her what it was to lose humiliatingly too… God, the happy times… they would never come back, and she and Clover never got to play video games together, and it was her fault). For a moment, it was like they were happy people, living in the past, in a world of fantasy where the tragedies had disappeared. Though… she knew she could have Clover their stories. They… they should have celebrated Gyftmas with then and Kanako. Did she really deserve her second chance?

As she pondered, she saw Dalv and Penilla opening the door, with both holding presents in their hands, Dalv holding a parasol in his left hand and dressing lighter than in Snowdin. Oh god, what could she give him?

“I… is this the pla-” he asked Dina before noticing the two. “Oh, hello there!”

“Do ya two know him?” Dina asked him.

“Sure do! He’s Dalv, a friend of us…” said Starlo, “…and of Clover,” he added mournfully.

“And of Kanako,” she explained. “In fact… he may have just saved her life in the Snowdin Incident,” she told the armadillo.

“Oh… thank you so much, Dalv. I can’t appreciate what you’ve done for her enough. Kanako… she was always beloved here. Our little troublemaker, and like an honorary member of North Star’s posse…” said the barkeeper. She had sworn her to secrecy in her darkest moments, and she had told her not to tell anybody about Kanako’s fate… though after Clover died she allowed her to let people know about her death… though she still too much of a coward to let her say the cause.

“Yes. She was like a niece to me… damn it, she should have gotten to know the honorary sheriff. Maybe they could have been the next generation of the Feisty Five… well, if they had gotten three more members…” Even if Chujin didn’t like her getting influenced too much, if that’s what she really wanted… she would have let her join. Hell, Star was probably a better caretaker than her, even if she had let her buy a gun (she had once told Chujin she’d slap him in the face if he let Kanako buy a gun… and now, he had the right to return the favor, or do worse. Nothing would compare to killing an innocent child, her own daughter, and the greatest woodworker, artist and cowgirl she had ever met).

“She really should…” she agreed.

“Ya know… I know you like my family’s corn, and I’m definitely givin’ it to you Gyftmas, but… would you like something else?”

“Yes, I’d be nice for some variety. Honestly, I’m somewhat surprised he survived on this diet…” answered Penilla.

“I mean, I do like corn, and I also have Sponge Cake, so maybe it’s not a bad gift…”

“Perhaps, but… I also think that after all you’ve done for Kanako, and all the loss you’ve endured… you deserve a break. Dina… would you accept him getting to eat and drink for free at the Saloon for the rest of his life?” she asked the armadillo.

“Of course. I’m trying to run a business, but… I’m not cruel. You saved a child’s life, and… you’ve had to mourn ‘em, without you even gettin’ to say goodbye. That’s really not just to you. So… yes, you can get a hero’s discount for the rest of your life,” said Dina.

“Thank you very much, ma’am,” answered Dalv. “Though I’m trying to go vegan…”

“The meat in Feisty Sliders is plant-based. Ain’t any cows here,” Star admitted. In fact… did anyone eat animals in the Underground, aside from perhaps some bird monsters and worms? Wasn’t all the food made from magic anyway? He knew from Chujin’s obsession with human biology and Star’s obsession with human movies about meat, but how did he know and why did he care? Well, he was free to eat whatever he wanted. After all, we was a true hero. More than her, in any case.

“Oh, that’s great to know,” answered Dalv.

“Where did you even get the idea of becoming vegan from?” asked Penilla.

“Um, I don’t really remember. Maybe it was a conversation with Flier. Or was it Crispy Scroll? Or did I get it from a book? Maybe I should read my diary…”

“U-um, whatever. Anyway, we have gifts for you both. First, a gift for your sheriff. Nice to meet you, by the way. Dalv’s told me about you,” the yellow lizard she liked said as she shook Star’s gloved hand.

“Oh, thank you,” said Star as he unwrapped the gift. It was a drawing, a beautiful one, and rather accurate given Penilla hadn’t known him. He was… in a field filled with plants, including… cherry blossom tress and clovers. It… it reminded her of the Meadows, of better times. God, she had almost never cried before Chujin’s death, and now even that had gotten her choked up. “It’s beautiful.”

“Yes, I got a sketch from Dalv, and I added more details. Kind of shocked you like it, given I’ve noticed your poncho is the wrong shade of brown, the shading isn’t exactly accurate, and, embarrassingly, I forgot the dots in the poncho."

“…it’s a good drawing,” argued Star.

“Beautiful,” said Ceroba.

“Well, I don’t know if you’re saying this because you feel obligated, but it was fun making it with Dalv, at least,” said Penilla.

“You’re great at drawing. And at remembering the correct colors of things.” Dalv smiled. “By the way… here’s your gift, Ceroba. My friend Rorrim made it.” She unwrapped the present to reveal, unsurprisingly, a coat, a rather fluffy and red one. She put in on for a bit, though of course the climate made her take it off and order a glass of Ice Water after a few seconds. Still…

“Thank you very much, Dalv. I have two good reasons to visit Snowdin, and it’s nice not thinking you’re in the verge of death whenever you're going to visiting a friend.” She gave him a genuine smile. She was getting gifts that she didn’t deserve. How would she repay him now?

Suddenly an idea for a gift came to her.

“Well then, it’s time for my gift. I can’t thank you what you’ve done, but, um…” Even if she could pretend it was her plan all along, well… it made her look like a scatterbrain. It was like the kind of mistake she would make. “I left it at home.” Of course she didn’t bring one, she just made the idea up!

“Actually, I want to go home. Don’t want my folks and Orion waiting too long, so maybe we’ll meet up there?” Star proposed. “And maybe you could meet my family, Dalv. Great people, great corn farmers,” her friend said truthfully.

“That would be wonderful,” replied Dalv.

“And there’s an UGPS station nearby, so we can all get Martlet’s gift sooner or later… at least, if she remembers to send them…” she said hypocritically.

“See you soon!” said Dalv. “And um… it’s really a shame Martlet isn’t with us.” The fact that she was spending it with a guard… she had told her not to reveal anything, but could the guard infer what Martlet was up to? At least, they were lucky enough that it seemed the Guard didn’t know about the plan, because without the element of surprise their plan would be even more risky… and Kanako and Clover taught her about risky plans with children. Still… they also taught her children shouldn’t bear the burden, that they should be protected.

“By the way, Dalv… sorry, but I’m staying. I’m thinking of becoming a food critic if my artistic career doesn’t pan out,” said Penilla.

“Um, alright,” replied Dalv.

“Root Beer and Feisty Sliders are an unbeatable combo!” declared Star, and rightfully so… although she spent most of her time drinking Adult Soda.

“Damn right! Well… see you all soon,” she said as she rushed away from the bar and towards the hideout. So Dalv said he liked corn? And wasn’t variety of meals important? Well, thankfully she had a book of corn recipes in the cupboard, which she often she often used after she moved in; Star and Ed were good cooks, and Moray and, surprisingly, Mooch weren’t too bad either (although she never had Ace’s cooking, she had heard from the other members of the posse that would never let him cook “again”), but well… everyone told her she was the best cook in the house… she had experience, of course, and she didn’t want to be a total freeloader there. The book of recipes, which she took with her after killing Kanako… they reminded her of all the times she dined with her family. She was going to give him that and hope her memory of her recipes worked until she bought a new one (she still had the book of desserts, at least; everyone loved her desserts… and so did Kanako). After grabbing the book, she made her way to Sunnyside Farms. After checking with Star’s parents that neither he nor Dalv had come yet, she went to the UGPS station, where she found Star wearing a well-made poncho and holding what seemed to be a wooden gun and Dalv with a… a wooden clover painted green and pinned to his chest and holding a box of crayons.

“Well, as for these crayons… of course, I already have ones from Penilla, but it’s nice to have back-up, I suppose…” Dalv was saying before noticing her arrival. “Oh, hey there, Ceroba… um, looks like Martlet mailed out her gifts. A crayon and… a pin of a clover…” Well… it was an obvious metaphor, but…  it was a nice gift, really. She really was someone caring… someone who would have also been good friends with Kanako, she knew. God, there were no kids this Gyftmas, because… she was such a fuck-up! Killing her own daughter, and then, instead of convincing her to turn back, being so obsessed with revenge that she had to burden her with guilt, grief and loss…

“And she gave me this poncho and gun,” replied Star. “She said that the poncho really was an extra gift that she stayed up all night sewing ‘cause she felt guilty over the gun’s quality… then she also apologized for the poncho, but… it’s a great poncho really. Though, um… she’s not here, so I can say she wasn't wrong ‘bout the gun,” replied Star.

“Well, a gift’s a gift. Maybe you should put it in your holster and accidentally use it in your time of greatest need,” she joked. “Or you know, keep it in your room as a token of friendship. You know… I saw the sewing machine in her home, but I never realized she was a sewer on par with you,” she commented.

“Well, she wrote she hates doin’ it, she only did ‘cause the gun was bad and for the sake of her friends. But… it’s a fantastic poncho!” The fact she apparently did it reluctantly, and it turned like that was somewhat shocking. Did she… realize she was so gifted?

“It really is…” She tried to sew with her mom and Star, but… she never was really good at it. Unlike her friends, apparently. “A-anyway, Dalv, I know you like corn, so I brought you this,” she said as she brought the notably unwrapped book. “Merry Gyftmas!” She smiled at the vampire, who smiled back.

“Great choice, Ceroba. Ya know, you should try one of her meals. Her corn bread is almost as great as my folk’s, and her corn chowder…” She noticed the cowboy salivating. Corn chowder… she didn’t make it much since Kanako. It… more than anything, except perhaps her strawberry cake, gave her bad memories. Still… Star was right about her corn chowder. Everyone, from his family to his posse, to… to Chujin  and Kanako loved it. In fact… when she… god, she really did try to murder a second child, didn’t she? She was truly scum… and she wasn’t paying enough attention to know, if somehow, they had gotten Corn Chowder… no, it couldn’t be. She hadn’t made any that week… it was probably a gift from Star’s family.

“Oh, I see. I’ve been trying more variety, so this gift is nice,” Dalv said. Well, for idea she just made up, it wasn’t too bad…

“Well, it looks like it’s time for me to get Martlet’s gift,” she said, banking on the fact Dalv would have assumed Star had gotten his gift already. Actually… she didn’t have a gift for Martlet either… though at least her absence, unfortunate as it was, gave her time. She rang the bell to see… a whale with a basket with a rather long and thin gift. Well, it was obvious what she was going to gift her, though she noted that the UGPS also gave her a letter. She opened the envelope and began to read.

Hey, Ceroba. Um, I hope you opened the present before reading this letter about that, because, well, there’ll be spoilers if not. Anyways, um… I hope you like the staff. It wasn’t that difficult to make, but… well, woodworking is fun! Your husband taught me that, I suppose… and well, you miss him too, huh? Wait what am I say writing, of course you do! He… he was a kind man, to everyone, and I hope thar with this gift I can continue his legacy of construction. Ceroba… even if I’m not here, I’m glad to have you as a friend. Hope you enjoyed the gift. I hope it can be as “sick” as your husband’s staff was.

Martlet, ^formerly of the Royal Guard Snowdin Division

PS: No, I didn’t rip out the feather in the end of the staff, it’s just they have a tendency to fall off, I… I’m trying not to hurt myself.

P.P.S. The part about me being a Royal Guard was force of habit. I noticed that I wrote it just before sending it, thankfully, that’s why the formerly is written over the page. Sorry if doing this is unprofessional, maybe I could write you a second letter?

P.P.P.S I just realized I didn’t ask you if you wanted my feather or the bell at the end. I mean, maybe I shouldn’t reveal Gyftmas gifts but I kinda made it obvious what it was. Augh! Can’t go 24 hours without screwing something up, I guess.

P.P.P.P.S When I called the staff “sick”, it was in the complimentary sense of the word. I do realize now my choice of words may have been insensitive given your late husband’s condition, and I apologize for any offense I may have unintentionally caused. I respected Chujin deeply, and I owe him the ability to have made this staff. I'm sorry.

P.P.P.P.P.S I… I’ve been trying to limit the number of P.Ses (is that the plural?) in my letters, but, um… it looks it’ll be hard to kick the habit. Sorry to waster your time, friend. I hope the gift made up for it?

…well, even if she forgot the signature (honestly, especially if she did so), there was no mistaking who wrote it. Well, she could never be acused of being boring. It was nice reading the PSes… the former guard was so worried she would be disappointed or offended (though… did Martlet think she was too old to know “sick” could be a compliment?... well, she wasn’t getting any younger…) , but as she unwrapped the present she felt nothing but fondness towards her. She had continued her mentor’s legacy, but the feather meant she made it her own way. Maybe she could never get her old staff back, but… Chujin was gone. It was time to think about the friends she still had, about the staff she would have to use in the future for self-defense. Perhaps, after all she did… she didn’t deserve a fixed staff. It was time to let the past rest. As she held the new staff, she noticed that, though it was slightly lighter and longer… the quality remained. In a way, as long as Martlet was alive and passed down his woodworking skills, he could, potentially, live forever in a way. This comforted her.

“Nice staff, huh?” Star asked her.

“Yes. She really learned from my husband.” The way she continued his legacy, the way she never used it to harm… what happened to Kanako and Clover was her fault alone, but… perhaps she wished she had never learned about the tapes. In other words, blissful ignorance over the harsh truth…

“I’m glad that, in a way, he’s still helping people.” Dalv smiled. “By the way, I mailed Martlet her gift before arriving here, so now that we’ve all exchanged our gifts… I’ve been thinking. This is were all the corn I’m eating comes from, right? What if… I ate lunch here this time?”

“Oh, I’d be honored. You deserve to meet my folks. They’re nice people, and… we may have had our differences ‘bout the Wild East, but at the same time… I’ve realized I haven’t spent enough time with ‘em. Let’s eat together. Want to come, Ceroba?” Star asked her. She would have loved to. After all, it’s not like she had family left, but… she had to get him and Martlet a gift before that day was over, especially after all the great gifts she had received. Thanks to her idiocy, there was no time to spare.

“I… I really appreciate the offer, but I have plans for today…” she lied. She… she didn’t even have anybody to go back to. Well, there was Martlet, but… she also didn’t have a gift for her, and she feared her interactions with the royal guard could get awkward.

“Really? Where are you going?” Star asked her… He… he was so genuine about it and a good friend, and all she had done was lying. About Kanako’s falling down, about her intentions with Clover, and even as something as pathetic as Gyftmas presents. And yet… after everything, he deserved the truth, didn’t he? She thought about Chujin. Perhaps, if he hadn’t hidden the truth from everyone… maybe he could have stopped, and they would have been celebrating Gyftmas together, with Clover and Kanako too…

“I… I have to be honest with you, S-star,” she said with embarrassment. “I… I don’t know what to give you this Gyftmas. I… I was so focused on the g-gym, a-and my l-losses… I’m so fucking path-” Star put a hand on her shoulder.

“It’s OK. You… you’ve been through a lot.” And a big part of it was her own fault! “It… it doesn’t have to be anything big. Y’know… a ticket to the movies with the money Kangarafus ‘stole’ from you would be nice.” He smiled. “Merry Gyftmas.”

“A-and merry Gyftmas to you too. Sorry, I was… I was just thinking about how I feared nothing I could give could live up to what you’ve given me. I… I mean, I couldn’t even afford a cell phone, but… thank you, Star. I hope you have a good time with Dalv and your family.” She smiled at him. “Well…” she hugged the sheriff and shook hands with the star “…I have tickets to buy.”

“Well, Ceroba, it was nice being with you. I appreciate the book of recipes. Maybe I could make food with Starlo’s family. Could be fun…” said Dalv.

“Oh, it definitely will”, replied Star.

“Well then… goodbye for now. See you later,” she told the pair as she headed back to the Saloon. After all, she knew Dina well enough to be aware she read the newspapers, so she could ask what movies were in theaters, and… all the talk about food  had made her hungry, and she didn’t have much motivation to cook during the holidays, so she ordered a Feisty Slider, and a Root Beer. It was time to stop keeping secrets, time to come clean and get the opportunity to actually change.

“Hey, Dina. Know what you can watch in movie theaters right now?” she asked.

“’Course. It’s important to stay up to date. Really helps with the business, heh. There’s Mettaton Tales XXXIII; Mettaton: the Real Story: Dust and Magic; Mettaton Uncensored; Mettaton Partially Censored; Love during the War, featuring Mettaton; the Mettaton Gyftmas Special, Featuring a Guy Dressed like Asgore…”

“Do they… have anything WITHOUT Mettaton?” God damn it, even when you wanted to just watch a move, you couldn’t escape the royals and that robot. It… maybe the lizard was some sort of genius, but he didn’t act like a robot at all! Sure, maybe she had no evidence, and maybe she was just jealous, but… maybe it was just a monster that looked like a robot! Chujin… Chujin always told here there was morphological diversity among monsters, and… well, it was most likely just envy. Still, real or not, that robot was still irritating, and she was never going to give money to anything related to the royals and that lizard, not until she learned the truth about Kanako!

“Not that I’ve seen.” God, what could she even give Starlo now? And she still had Martlet to consider!

“I see. Dina, hit me with an Adult Soda.”

“Um, alright.” God, she had spent 72 G on the Saloon already, hadn’t she? She still had some money from working at Star’s parents and Chujin’s inheritance, plus the money Star and Moray occasionally gave her (and which Mooch occasionally didn’t steal), but… here she was, away from her friends, not managing to give them simple gifts, not managing to quit Adult Soda. As she thought about how much she failed everyone who had ever loved her, she heard the Saloon doors burst open and a familiar voice saying ‘bam!’.

“It’s ya boy, Mo!” As soon as she saw the racoon monster, wearing a Santa hat, she suddenly remembered something… I wouldn’t mind any reason to attract Snowdinites to this place, she said two days ago. Well… it was clear she wasn’t used to the heat, the way her feathers sweated. “Merry Gyftmas!”

“Um, thanks. Say, do you still have one of those portable fans? I need them… for a friend.”

“Well, of course I do! And as you saw that day they’re very resilient! You can drop ‘em and they don’t break! So sure, even if cowboys don’t use it, perhaps Snowdinites can! Like your friend Martlet!” Right… she had told them they were friends, and knowing him, he probably tried to scam her… though she realized she didn’t know how their meeting had went. Well, one more reason the bird should have gone to the Wild East…

“Yes, my good friend…”

“And, given it’s Gyftmas, and how you’ve been alone, I’ll even give it to you for FREE!” he said as she handed him the fan. Wait, was that his gift? Well, he had to thank him… and even if it was embarrassing to admit, perhaps…

“Thank you, Mo. I… I appreciate the gift. But, um… I don’t know what to give Star for Gyftmas. Do you... do you know if there’s somewhere the two of us can be alone? The movies aren't an option!”

“Well, there’s a place to show off bullet patterns in New Home! In the theme park, there’s a place to shoot tin cans, targets and dummies, maybe even with a gun!”

“Oh, I see!” Well, she owed him one. She basically never travelled, and she didn’t like New Home and its royal-sympathizing population… but maybe it wasn’t all bad to visit new places. And, besides, it was a good place to train, and to spend time with Star at once.

“Or the New Home aquarium. Everyone likes aquariums.” She had never been to an aquarium, but Chujin said it was an excellent place, and Kanako… she always wanted to visit with her family.

“Wait, can’t we go to both?” After all, Star gave her two gifts, and he deserved two gifts too.

“Sure! Tickets are 8 G per person for the theme park, and 10 for the aquarium!” 36 G in total? That was… surprisingly cheap. Thankfully, affordable for her too!

“Oh, thank you Mo! I… I’ll tell Star when he comes back. We’ll discuss the dates and price later. Maybe over the cell phone he gave me. Can we exchange phone numbers?” As she exchanged phone numbers with the salesman, she was overjoyed. Even if she had to get outside help, Martlet and Star finally would get gifts! Not anything that would ever make up for the loss of Clover, nothing ever would, but… at least, they managed to get a bit of happiness before the year was over. And… she appreciated her friends, and the small acts of kindness Gyftmas was about. As she left the saloon, she appreciated the friends she still had. She had lost Chujin, killed Kanako, let Clover go to their killer, and this would mean the Gyftmas would never be as good as it could have been, that she spent so much of it thinking about their losses, the friendships and gifts they never got, but… she had Star, Martlet and Dalv to mourn with her, to, perhaps, make sure the next child wouln’t spent Gyftmas alone, if it ever came to that, and she had gotten them the gifts they deserved for their kindness, their willingness to do the right thing and their willingness to befriend her. There wasn’t enough happiness on Gyftmas… but it hadn’t fully disappeared.

However, soon soon after leaving the Saloon, as she was heading toward Crestina and Solomon’s… she saw something that made her stop in her tracks and shudder. Kanako’s friend, Sadie… she was there with her father. Kanako, her poor Kanako… she always talked about how they were such good friends at school, and how the played on the swings and showed off their magic and took turns playing on that damned arcade machine when it wasn’t occupied by their cat friend or the doll monster with a hood… she despised the sound of that machine, but if it meant Kanako was alive and happy, she would have dealt with hearing it every day for the rest of her life.

But she wasn’t. Instead, here was her best friend, on Gyftmas, wearing a Santa costume, wondering, perhaps, why her best friend had suddenly disappeared.

“Oh, are you Kanako’s mother?” asked the father.

“Oh, yes…”

“My daughter… she’s been wondering where her friend went. She… she hasn’t seen her recently.”

“I… she… well, she’s b-been on a field trip in New Home,” she lied. What was she doing? Maybe it was wrong to deny her the harsh truth, but… making a little girl cry and grieve on Gyftmas? Maybe she just wanted to play with her friend, and give her something.

“You’re not celebrating Gyftmas with her? And why was this so hard for you to say? Are... are you lying, Miss Ketsukane?” said the child. Oh no! What… what she done? She… she would learn eventually.

“Yes… you’re acting suspicious,” the father agreed.

“I… well… I lied. Kanako… she’s in a better place now. She… she’s not coming back,” she said as tear began to flood her eyes.

“She… she’s dead?” Sadie replied as she wept to the floor and cried inconsolably. Poor girl… no nine-year old should have to go through that.

“I… I’m so sorry,” she said as she tried to console her. She really felt like the worst person in the world…

After what must have been an hour trying to console the poor girl,  she went to the hideout looked at her gifts. The goggles and cell phone, the staff, the coat… all given out of genuine love and care, but… did she really deserve it? As she looked at herself in the mirror, wearing the goggles and coat and holding the staff, she new something had to change. She had denied her friends the gift of the truth.

Chapter Text

POV: Flier

It had been three days since Gyftmas. He had tried to look for a hole in ceiling of the Dark Ruins that would lead to an upper level, and allow him to do his part as the first person to see the next human. Thankfully, Dalv told him that he had now gotten Ceroba and Starlo’s phone numbers (maybe as a consolation prize for not being invited to the aquarium and theme park in New Home. Those places reminded him of the days of his youth, when he still had hope in a girlfriend and was disinterested in politics. But now, it was clear they were important… though, of course, his plan to be Undyne’s boyfriend and prevent the child with the power of love had no chance of succeeding. Still, he could at least use the power of being capable of flight and being small enough to fit into holes, and of course he was going to beat her with the power of protecting his friends if it came to that. Yep. His Attack of 3 and Defense of 2 were going to save the world… OK, maybe he wasn’t the best at combat right now, and his back hurt sometimes and his eyesight was getting worse, but… going to the gym was hip, right? Well, he had learned he didn’t know what getting “hip” was, but the only young persob he knew who could fly was really into flying in place, and he could do that, so maybe he really was being hip?). Of course, he knew the Dark Ruins were kind of dark. And that that prevented from seeing openings. Of course, he could detect by putting his body against the ceiling, but he had found no luck, and the Ruins were big, and being stuck in the ceiling was bad. Thankfully, he had a good friend, a guy who stopped being isolated because of the human he met first, the child who helped him realize that, perhaps, he didn’t need to chase trends, that his life had a whole half left to go… if only Clover’s life still had nine tenths to go. No, even if he was never that interested in childish things like Crispy Scroll… he had to admit that knowing what was hip in the human world was interesting too. And the kid was so nice, going out of their way to talk to him both in Snowdin in the Dark Ruins…

Of course, he had a plan now, a plan in which he could count on the aid of his friend Dalv, who gave him a free blanket to sleep in for Gyftmas and who he gave albums of music that was popular among the youth (they liked rock, jazz, hip hop and the kind of music in the cartoons Cripsy Scroll liked, right? He had to like at least one of them… OK, maybe he didn’t actually know what music was hip, but, to be fair, he didn’t feel like the vampire did either. The music he made was great, but it had a a rather… vintage vibe to it. Wait, maybe vintage was hip?) and his fellow flier Martlet, who seemed like a rather nice lady who gave him pizza and actually had a cellphone… and, apparently, loved the child more than anything in the world, and wanted to make sure nobody would ever share their fate. She gave him hope in the younger generations… though she probably should have cleaned her house more. Still, it was a good thing for young people to be like her.

Or like Dalv. After Clover taught him to value friendship, he had turned out to be someone rather nice, and surprisingly quick to make friends. In reality, he was often too busy learning recipes from the book, playing the organ, thinking up ideas for his children’s books and writing them, receiving drawing lessons from Penilla and resting as the artist often told him was important (yet another way Clover helped people) to aid him in his search. However, his lighting magic could aid him greatly, and as he said…

“I… I can’t accept the loss of a fourth child. We can’t give up yet,” he told him as they entered the corn maze, having found no way to reach the upper level of the Ruins yet, even with the aid of his illumination.

“Neither can I…” Even if the slang was no longer popular among the younger generations,Clover really was the greatest of all time. He had to do something to honor the kid. “But I’m getting kinda hungry. I think I’ll eat some corn first.” After all, corn was abundant and tasty enough, and it apparently could make up a majority of one’s diet down in the Dark Ruins. Actually, after he left he started eating different things, like oatmeal and sandwiches and fruits and vegetables… he hadn’t eaten corn since then, but…

“This bring backs… OK, it wasn’t even a month ago, they’re not old memories. Still… it’s better that I left of course, but I guess the corn wasn’t bad… still, it reminds me of Kanako…” Right, even if he never met her, saving a child and then losing them anyway has to have been terrible. Still, he didn’t know why a child would fall down. Even if she had a dead father, it seemed like her mother loved her… but was grief the real reason she fell down? Well, it was a personal matter, and a very sensitive one unrelated to him. He really had to reason to open those fresh wounds.

“Yeah… I’m sorry for your loss,” he responded as he picked an ear of corn and began eating. “Of Kanako and Clover.”

“Nothing I can do about it now… maybe if I never exil- no, no use blaming myself now. We’re preventing history from repeating, and that’s what’s important.”

“Yes, that’s the spirit! You’re my bud! My pal! My bro!”

“Um… OK, friend? Anyway… I’m learning to make Corn Chowder, and given I get free meals at Dina’s… maybe I can give you Feisty Sliders one day. They’re vegan,” Dalv explained. He didn’t know why he was so focused on it, but it was nice to see him stick to his new-found principles… even though he often ate things with butter. Well, it was made of magic, but… so was anything monsters ate (unless those were real worms at Martlet’s house…). So he was actually vegan after all.

“Great to know.” They finished the Corn Chowder. It brought back memories of the recent past, when Dalv was just a recluse, when he rejected even Sweet Corn’s offer of friendship, and he was someone who only cared about being “hip”, who kept embarrassing Penilla and acting like someone he wasn’t. But a few weeks later, and Clover had made them kinder and more understanding… it was incredible, what they could do in only a few hours. If only they managed to live for more time…

“Well, then, are you ready to continue?” Dalv asked him as they finished their corn, delicious as always (and, apparently, it was even better when it was straight from the farm, as Dalv told him when he got home from the Dunes. The family that made them was very kind, even. Actually, the parents were on the older side, so he was interested in meeting, if only so they could commiserate about the pains of growing older and about the Underground of the past). He replied with a nod.

The walk was, unfortunately, uneventful. Every room, their hope grew slimmer with every roof without a hole. At that rate… it was very possible the Royal Guard would find out about the human first, and that would make their plans much more difficult. They tried every room, even the one with the lemonade stand, a room  where Decibat was sleeping (needless to say, he was not a fan of the loudness of electricity magic…) and a room they didn’t even know existed, with a golden pear on it.

They couldn’t give up until they checked every room, but… by the time they reached the entrance of the Dark Ruins, they were dejected… until Dalv noticed something.

“There… there’s light coming from above.” Indeed, he looked at a patch of… wait a minute. He’d go to that patch once in a while, but now that it was illuminated, he realized that those yellow flowers weren't buttercups or sunflowers.

“Light that leads to these… Golden Flowers. Dalv, do you know what those are?” Well, if his History class was anywhere near decent…

“They’re historically important, right? From the Surface? And… I think they have sticky seeds… sorry, it’s just… there’s many things I forgot during my isolation…” Dalv admitted.

“All Golden Flowers descend from flowers from the Surface. The seeds were brought here by… by Asriel before he…” Everyone in the Kingdom knew what had happened to the prince, but, if Dalv forgot… he had to deal with learning with so many dead children.

“B-before he was killed. Right. That’s… that’s why all the human children after him died too.” Dalv began to shed tears. “I mean… it must have been horrible for the King. I… I know how painful it can be, and they were his own children… but… I don’t think his solution was the way. M-making others feel the pain he felt.”

“Indeed… grief can make people make terrible decisions. But, that’s why we’re here, are we not? After Clover, I can’t let other humans share his fate.”

“Thank you very much, Flier. I appreciate your contribution. By the way, I’ve realized… this must have cushioned Clover’s fall, right? After all, if this is the only way to get here from the upper level, and… you met them before the others, right?”

“Indeed. They didn’t look too injured while I met them… well then, we’ll have to part ways for now.”

“Right. Chances are no human will come today, but we can see if there are any threats to them up here…” Actually he didn’t know how to identify humans, but if they looked similar to Clover… maybe they also kept one expression all the time like them? And it seems like they wore clothes and weren’t too big… at least, if they were children. Well, the Underground had never seen an adult human. None of them had the opportunity to grow up... “By the way, can I get a hug before we go? Maybe it’s hip…”

Dalv chuckled a bit, but his eyes were still teary. “S-sure. It… it really is nice to have friends. Thanks, Clover. And… thank you too for this pin, Martlet. In a way… they’re with me.” He smiled as he hugged and comforted the vampire. “Let’s go… time to study, Flier… shame I can’t fly or fit through that hole.”

“Well, I do have the profile… I don’t know how big these Ruins are, so this may take a while. Goodbye, Dalv. See you soon.”

“Bye, too. Stay safe.” He nodded and flew to a new world. Immediately, he noticed the upper room was brighter, there were three switches on the wall, the leftmost two labeled with some drawn yellow arrows pointing to it and some work on fixing the hole, though he still could fly through. He could go left or right from where he was, but he chose to go left first, because there was a path which led to the entrance, doubtlessly the place the seven humans fell (after all, they all entered through the Ruins). After passing a few rooms, he crossed a rather fancy door, purple like the rest of the architecture, surrounded by pillars and bearing a Delta Rune on the lintel. It shocked him a bit to see it, though realized the symbol was ancient, so it made sense it would be used in such an old-looking place too. As he crossed the door, he saw a room, pitch-black and nearly featureless, save for a strange circular patch of grass. He crossed another door, and he saw… light. Perhaps even sunlight; even though the Ruins were a rather dark place, this was the brightest place he had seen is his 48 years. And after crossing a short hallway, he saw where the light led to. Another patch of Golden Flowers… well, if the children all survived the falls without major injuries, there had to be some cushioning… and yet, he was somewhat shocked at the fact Clover landed on those twice. Clovers were associated with luck, but… sadly, they weren’t lucky enough to get to go home or survive. It was a shame. In a way, those golden flowers allowed the humans to live, and yet they were what they say shortly before their death, the plants being there due to the reason they were all killed for existing. He wondered, however… humans couldn’t fly, but he could. If this was sunlight… if he flew high enough, he could find an exit to the Underground. Of course, monsters who couldn’t fly couldn’t take advantage of it, not without some sort of rope, ladder or elevator, but… could he find a way of freeing monsterkind while sparing the seventh? Could victory be within reach?

From the patch of golden flowers, he took a deep breath and flew up, up, towards the light. It became brighter, yet brighter, but eventually… he felt some sort of magic force preventing him from progressing, somehow. Like… a barrier. And then it hit him. The Seven Mages… the people responsible for their imprisonment, the reason his kind wanted to sacrifice innocent children to make up for the sins of their ancestors… those magicians from centuries ago were clever, weren’t they? He had always assumed the Barrier only existed by New Home… but now he know it covered the entire mountain, unfortunately. He flew down and sighed. Victory could have never come that easily, could it? The lives of the children both started and ended with the Barrier and Golden Flowers, tragically.

Though he was, of course, very disappointed, at least the information was useful, and he could still gather more if he went back. Of course, he couldn’t know how dangerous the Ruins were, but they seemed to be relatively safe… either that, or more humans had fallen, and it was just five that managed to make it past the upper level. Nonetheless, he couldn’t reveal his plan; snitching was always unhip, and, besides, he didn’t know how sympathetic the populace of the Upper Ruins were, or if they even knew what a human looked like.

He flew back, towards the parts of the Ruins he hadn’t visited. As he flew through the area, with its purple stone floor, bricks walls of a darker shade of the same color and occasional bodies of water and red leaves, he realized how fortunate he was to be capable of flight: there were floors made of spikes, and puzzles made out of spikes that maybe could have stump- no, he was… he was smart, it’s just… the puzzles would have slowed him down a bit, so it was nice he was able to fly over the blockades.

He didn’t fly all the way through: occasionally, he found inhabitants (even if the Ruins weren’t too dense, they at least had a somewhat higher population than the area below), and asked them what their opinions of humans were, just to gain information (he presented himself as anti-human, in case his new-found sympathies would land him in trouble). Of course, being asked questions by a complete stranger wasn’t something most liked to experience: some frog monsters let out just a “ribbit” and clearly looked intimidated, a moth-like monster outright fled the moment it heard its voice and a slime monster seemed totally unaware he had asked him a question. There were a few cooperative monsters, though: one monster with a big eye explained that he would spare them if they “didn’t pick on him”, though he admitted he didn’t actually know what one looked like, while an insect monster next to him only said to “HEED THE SWARM”; he didn’t know anything about the slang in the Ruins, but that was probably a signal of agreement.

He was confident that he had interviewed at least most of the monsters, and that, at the very least, most of them didn’t seem strong (though his judgement could be wrong), and that most didn’t seem to be anti-human. Still, he needed to check the area thoroughly, so he flew back and forth… until he noticed a monster that looked like a vegetable pop out of the ground, which, well… it kind of startled him. Unlike the other monsters, it spoke to him first, before he had the chance to question it.

“Eat Your Greens,” said the vegetable monsters.

“Sorry, but I’m not hungry. I alre-” Apparently, the monster was not pleased with the answer, as it launched a flurry of vegetable bullets, two of which hit him hard and knocked him towards the ground. He wasn’t doing so hot, but thankfully he noticed a green bullet. His state and back didn’t help, but thankfully he made it just in time for the green magic to heal him, and for the vegetable monster to burrow back to the ground, satisfied. He realized that he probably needed to hit they gym, and he really hoped the next human would like vegetables… though, if human children were anything like their monster counterparts, it wasn’t look too likely. Maybe he was going to be kind of like a dad…

In any case, though the green magic obviously made him feel better, he needed to rest. He noticed a nice patch of red leaves in a narrower part of a hallway. The leaves kind of felt nice, so he stayed there a while, probably for more time than he should… until he noticed a ghost monster coming towards his location.

“oh no… there’s already someone in the patch. this is awkward…” said the ghost before they began to vanish.

“Wait! I need some information first. Like, I’m, um, looking to see if anyone can help to fight humans…”

“fight? why would we need to do that?” Wait, where they joking or serious? If they were serious, it was a good sign, but he needed to confirm.

“You know, for the war? To free our kind and take back the Surface?” he replied… although he realized now the lessons of his youth about the need to “exterminate” humanity for the murder of Prince Asriel were morally despicable. He didn’t know much about humankind, but there was a real chance the perpetrators had died off. It was almost a century ago, of course…

“a war? sorry, I don’t really keep up with current affairs, but… that seems bad,” replied the ghost.

“It… it was declared almost a century ago.” Was it all a joke? Were they trying to trick him?

“oh… i’m sorry. i’m 191 years old, and after school I only really focused on my farm. well, when computers came here i’ve also focused on my music, but… i guess i have my cousins, but they’ve all left now…”

“Oh, I see… well, I’m 48, and I guess I thought it meant I was old, but you’re almost four times my age…” Ghost biology helped them get to that age, of couse. If his memories of Biology were accurate, ghosts couldn’t be killed in battle, or hurt by physical attacks, unless they became corporealized, as many did as a matter of their identity. “Still, I… until recently, I was obsessed with was I thought was hip. And… I’ve kept up with every child that was killed for the war.” Three in his lifetime, the fourth being killed when he was only thirteen. Actually, he recalled the then-Captain playing a role in the capture and execution of the human, and royal guards being a more common sight back then, in general. To be fair, he didn’t keep up much with the current state of the Guard after he entered the Ruins, nor did he know what effect the fifth child’s killings had on the numbers of the institution, but… well, it was clear the sixth’s led to a decrease, thanks to a principled stand. The newspapers called her an “unlikely hero”, but it was clear that the title was something she despised. Still, though she had every right to hate being called that now… he still believed she had what it takes to be a real hero, despite everything. And he and Dalv would help her!

“they… they kill children? that… that sounds bad…”

“I see… well, then.” He began to whisper the plan to… he didn’t know if they had ears, but they seemed to be listening. “So… do you think you could contribute?”

“i mean… that sounds like a hard job, and… actually, it’s a big responsibility…”

“O-only if you want to. I know it’s risky.” Thankfully, he would become so strong it wouldn’t matter, after his training.

“…you know, if im feeling up to it, maybe i’ll contact you. um, by the way, my name is napstablook. Visit my snail farm, blook acres, if you want to. any business is good… theres not that many customers nowadays,” explained the ghost. Well, they seemed like a good person, so, sure he was going to visit! Though he didn’t know the address, and besides, he hadn’t given them his address or phone number!

But before he could reply, he heard footsteps, and the ghost immediately vanished. A tall goat monster wearing a purple robe approached. She had a very unhappy expression on her face and seemed powerful, perhaps because she was rather similar to Asgore. Of course, any monster with Asgore’s power being an enemy of humans would be terrible for their plan, but, like Martlet said, judging any type of monster by the action of one was wrong. And, honestly… OK, there was very little chance of this happening, but maybe in the future, he could get a girlfriend…

“Hey, um… can you help in the fight against humans, m-ma’am?” His crush really didn’t make his words come out well… still, he felt his reactions was a bit harsh.

“I am not interested. Get out of my way” The goat scowled at her as she revealed a very painful fireball to threaten him with. Getting the message, he quickly apologized and got out the way, somewhat scared and unsure about her opinions on humans, which was a problem, given she was heading west, towards where the humans fell. And he feared he had no chance of beating someone as strong as Asgore, even at full strength, so… he hoped she wasn’t anti-human, but he didn’t feel she was in the mood for conversation with a complete stranger.

He still had places to look around. Thankfully, he didn't see monsters that looked too anti-human or too strong.

Eventually, he came across a fork in the road. He first went to the right path, which had a large patch of grass in the shape of a “T” and a door to the next room, with… a tree, completely devoid of leaves. He didn’t know much about trees, but it seemed rather old, and for some reason… it felt tragic. Well, maybe he could learn about trees on the side… he was sure Dalv would appreciate learning accurate facts about the plants; they’d help him when it came to drawing his books. And, maybe… the tree without leaves could be symbolic. Like how something seemed beautiful, and yet was clearly missing something, like Penilla’s frozen pond and its hole, or… their friend group and Clover.

Beautiful as the tree was, there was something else behind it, which was probably more important: a house with a locked door on it. Could the way to Upper Snowdin be through that house? Perhaps, but the door was locked, and even if he could fly through the windows he didn’t want to violate someone’s privacy, so it looked like a dead end. He turned back and took the other fork in the road.

What he saw when he crossed the door awed him. He never expected to see a whole city filled with buildings, as purple as the rest of the area. He was so awestruck he almost failed to notice the knife on the ground, though it wouldn’t he have mattered if he had, as it turned out to be just a plastic toy, and thus useless for self-defense (plus, he didn’t know who it belonged to, and he didn’t want to be a thief).

And yet, astonishing as the city looked, as he flew around noticed the architecture seemed to be in disrepair, and as he flew around he only saw a shop that seemed to be active, selling food: all the other buildings seemed to have been houses, stores, schools, and administrative buildings had no signs of being inhabited now. He realized that he had stumbled across Home. Even in his youth, that city had been practically abandoned after the birth of Asriel and even more so, when the arrival of his human friend, in that brief period were the kingdom was filled with hope and humanity wasn’t feared. Even after the death of the children, which would beget the death of six more (and a seventh, if they failed), no attempt was made to return to the old city, to the long and dark period between the imprisonment and the war.

Still, he wasn’t here to admire old ruins and think about the past. He had to think about the future, about ways a human could be escorted throughout the Ruins and about paths to Snowdin, so Dalv or Martlet could take his work from there after he messaged them about the human. However, as he searched around the city, he soon realized that it was a dead end; he saw nothing that would serve as a path to Snowdin… which meant that the door was in the house (like Dalv’s, actually… could history repeat? He hoped not… hopefully, if he explained to the occupant that the human was just passing through, he could stop them, but… he didn’t know them. Which was a problem).

He made his way back, believing he had explored all of the parts of the place he needed to and somewhat disappointed. Well, he learned that only one monster in the Ruins seemed dangerous, and gained a potential ally in Napstablook, but… he didn’t really know how pro-human they were. Still, he could find them and escort them, and… wait, would he have to solve his puzzles? Well, he believed the youth could have initiative too… it’s not like he was bad at puzzles or anything… he could totally solve them if he wanted to, it was just flying over there was quicker. That was all.

As he was leaving the city, he noticed something, a frog monster. Now, there were plenty of frog monsters, and his questions were generally met with a fearful “ribbit”, so he didn’t have much hope of getting anything useful out of him, but… just in case, he had to check. He kept in mind Martlet’s words about not judging monsters by their type, after all…

“Hey, I’m looking to see if anyone can help in the fight against humans…” he repeated, like always.

“(Humans…)” the frog croaked fearfully. “(My brother was killed by one six years ago…)” Six years… the human from the Snowdin incident. He wondered if they were evil, but, in any case… Martlet’s words also applied to humans. Clover was one of greatest person to have come to the Underground, after all, and they were human.... “(… but I never get to see them, so I don’t know what they look like, and us Ruins monsters… we’re weak.)”

“Oh, that’s… unfortunate.” Perhaps, if a malicious human came, he’d protect them with his post-training strength. It was a shame, but the weakness of the Ruins monsters did help them… though his mission hinged on the human and monsters being willing to get along. He feared a malicious human more now… “I’m sorry for your loss…”

“…Thank you.”

“U-um, by the way, do you have any information about the goat lady with a purple dress?”

“(Forget it. You won’t have any chance with her)”, the frog bluntly stated. His crush was controlling his demeanor… not good.

“N-not what I meant! I just want information!” After all… well, he had no hard evidence, but that fireball seemed like it would hurt.

“(Sorry, your blushing made me misinterpret your intentions. I do apologize, but… you’d really have no chance with her, not even as a friend. She doesn’t really like socializing. She just mostly keeps to herself, sometimes drinking, sometimes going to the entrance of the Ruins, and sometimes, she just… lies on the floor and weeps. Actually, she seems to be in an even worse mood lately,)” explained the Froggit.

“I see…” Well, looks like he wasn’t getting much information about this woman, her strength or her attitude towards humans…

Still, at the very least, he had found information about the Ruins, potential obstacles and a new ally, and… he had discovered there were beautiful things there.

After going back to the flower patch and seeing no human there,  he went back to the Dark Ruins, down the hole he had entered through. Dalv was waiting for him. He made him Corn Chowder! It… wasn’t the best, but it was edible. And the way he was willing to open up and be a friend of the guy who slept on his room was nice. He gave him the news, thanked the vampire very much for the meal and wished him success in his endeavors of writing children’s books, playing the organ, cooking meals, and… not letting history repeat.

Chapter Text

POV: Martlet.

Five days had passed since Gyftmas. She knew she had to go to Waterfall to do her cartography project, but she had spent the last days mostly just… trying to process their loss, absent-mindedly watching the TV (actually, the day before Red had decided to watch episodes 2 and 3 of Mew Mew Kissy Cutie with her... she supposed that the animation and voice acting were good, but… the way that girl mind controlled people to do things like  get out of doing homework or get free food was just gross. Well, she hated homework and liked free food of course, but she should have been more ethical about it!) or appreciating her gifts and writing thank-you letters to Starlo, Dalv and Ceroba for them. Clovers… even when drawn or sculpted, they were beautiful things, weren’t they? She didn’t know that much about plants nor did she really pay attention to them (not that being from Snowdin gave her many chances, unless they were trees…) but now, seeing a clover… well, it wasn’t the fault of the plant. She could… she could appreciate seeing them, though the memories of what was lost, what wasn’t allowed to live, made seeing the plant and making the pin a more difficult experience than it had any right to be. Maybe they… they and Clover could have built the pin together. In truth… Dalv wasn’t the first person she had considered making the clover for. Of course, it was just a superstition, and Clover never really had luck that day, but… even if it wouldn’t make them win, it was nice to have something to remember them. Even when they were all old, she and her friends would never forget Clover. Even if they were only a blip… they had changed them all for the better. They deserved to be more.

As for the other gifts, the goggles really were appreciated! They were great for eye safety, when she worked weren’t they? Even though she’d often forgotten to put them over her eyes… or to take them off in the shower or before sleeping… actually, had she even taken them off since Gyftmas? …well, they looked nice, and… well, they fit her work. She often felt guilty about how lazy she was being, but at least she could make toys, masks and sculptures to pass the time. Simple and small stuff, but she didn’t want to get rusty. After quitting the Guard, she had to get a new source of income, and… she hoped she could live off of her skills. Still, was she good enough? Would she be respected, after being a total failure at everything? She knew she had problems getting things right on the first go with Chujin, after all. What if he was wrong? Well… as much as she hated it, she could… she could get a job at retail if she failed like always. Maybe it’s what she deserved, after not heeding Ceroba’s warning, and not fleeing when she had the chance. Still, she had to at least try doing a job that she loved, and to help others improve her lives. She wanted to prove he was more than a serum, that no matter how bleak things got, there was always a reason to perform small acts of kindness. Yesterday, she had even gathered the courage to begin advertising her services in the Snowdin Chronicle, making sure not to mention anything she had done in the Royal Guard or her heinous Hero of Monsterkind title.

And, finally, she had gotten a portable fan from Ceroba. A fan that would really help her tomorrow! Of course, she remembered the Wild East’s anti-technology policies, but she was confident Starlo could make an exception. After all, he understood her loss, supported the plan and loved Clover just like she did, and he probably realized his anti-cell phone stance was wrong, given Ceroba had written that he and Starlo had gotten cell phones… though he didn’t have their phone numbers, because she… hadn’t hung out with her new friends, even though she legally could now (fear about being too far away when the seventh came may have played a part… and she admitted retracing the steps of that day… Ava, the cave, the well, the jail, her blind trust in Ceroba… she failed them, and they… the poor kid was never given a break, not even time to go to sleep! Every day that went by, she spent it alternating between being sad and infuriated at both herself and the world). Still, she promised she’d visit tomorrow, and then… together, they’d banish the worst year of her lives. And now… she had to work hard to make sure justice won, that no year would be worse than 2113.

Though she had been rather lazy about her cartography work, she admitted. At the very least, there were good news regarding her plan; two days ago, Dalv had invited her for dinner in his and Flier’s house (the Corn Chowder was amazing, incidentally, and it was nice to eat it for the first time… though she knew Ceroba ate them too. With her family… she knew Ceroba breaking into the lab was a hindrance, but she really did feel sorry for the poor woman. And… it was terrible, how she hid her likely location, but… she really didn’t want to start a conflict, or for her or Ceroba to go to jail). Flier had gone to the Upper Ruins, and apparently the Barrier was unfortunately there too, and there was sunlight, and there were the ruins of what was probably Home in there, and, in general, it seemed like a beautiful place. Awestruck as she was at the description (and, perhaps, jealous of Flier… she mentioned wanting to visit the place, but the hole was too small, and none of the three were knowledgeable enough about structural engineering to feel comfortable with making more holes in the ceiling), there were more important news: apparently, besides one monster that looked like Asgore (and knew fire magic like him… like the magic that he murdered them with), but kept to herself, the Ruins monsters weren’t all that strong, and apparently not too anti-human (at least, most didn’t know what a human looked like), which was a relief… though there was the risk of a truly malicious human, and perhaps Flier would have to deal with that; though he claimed he “would be strong enough”, Dalv reminded him that his attack and defense… weren’t really the best for combat, and promised Flier not to endanger his life in a doomed battle, and instead warn them about a violent human if peaceful solutions and explaining their goal to protect them didn’t work. She hoped, though, that the human wasn’t evil to the core. She doubted many people were, especially children. Though, then again… she knew there was a difference between 0% and 0.1%, unfortunately. She’d also learned from Flier they had a potential ally in Napstablook, who had a farm… that name seemed familiar, but unfortunately she didn’t quite remember where she’d heard it, nor the location of the Ruins, but it was, of course, good to have allies (though the poor ghost had to learn about the murdered children and their country’s reprehensible policies…). At the very least, it looked that it wasn’t too likely the child would get killed in the Ruins, and she was grateful for that, and Flier’s work in making sure they’d find a human before the Guard.

Speaking of learning about humans first, Mooch had somehow broken into her house a few days ago. After giving her one of the biggest shocks of her life, the squirrel handed her the anchor for the Ava, explained there was now a cushion at the floor of the waterfall in the cave where she abandoned Clover and announced Starlo’s gloves would be arriving on the first week of January. Before she could give a reply, she rushed out of her house. It was all so sudden that she thought it could have been an hallucination, but she had the anchor, and, after she looked around, there some grey fur in her house and some missing fruits and bags of nuts so… well, at least she hadn’t touched anything in her safe (and… her paranoid obssession with that serum continued, though… perhaps it would have been better if she had stolen it, if it meant she stopped thinking about the potential of something that may very well hurt her, or worse. Had she learned nothing from Chujn’s obsession with relying on a serum?). In any case, she made sure to close all her windows and lock her doors and the hatch to her roof after she left.

It seemed the squirrel had done something else too: yesterday, Red had spoken about how the cameras in Snowdin had been destroyed, and how costly it’d be to replace them. The ghost asked her if she knew anything about the crime and its perpetrators and she… well, she felt so much guilt for lying to a friend, but she didn’t want an ally to get arrested… though before she watched the cartoon episodes she really did almost consider mentioning Mooch had broken into her house and eaten her food, but thankfully her birdbrain realized just before it was too late that incriminating her could lead Red to realize she was also  the one who broke those cameras. Legally speaking, it was the right thing to do, but… those cameras could also lead to the murder of a child, so… was it just for her to protect her like that? Well… it’s not like her government was just. Still, she promised that on New Year’s Eve she’d tell Starlo to hold her accountable somehow. She wouldn’t have even been that mad at her (thankfully, everything she made with Chujin was still clean…), but she was really looking forwards to eating those pears!

Now, she had Flier, the masks, cell phones, an anchor (she needed to start work on Ava III… well, bigger rafts only took her five days, which could be three if she wasn’t lazy), a cushion, the Boat Personm the Mail Whale, if the child came soon, and someone who could keep destroying cameras (though it was risky, she admitted…)… and, yet, she was still worried about the Captain learning about the human before they arrived to safety in the Wild East, or entering Waterfall before they could. Clover faced far too many threats to their life, and unfortunately wasn’t lucky enough to be spared in the end, but somehow they could have been even more unlucky, as if their stay wasn't horrible enough already: her boss never spotted them. Still, the next human would be… the last of the seven, the last chance to avoid a terrible war, and, from the Royal Guard’s perspective, only a SOUL, something to be used. The captain was already considered a hero, but she didn’t have a formal title, and she and her allies would have to do everything in their power to prevent her from getting it… though it was no easy task. If they couldn’t use the Ava or the Boat Person, the only way to the Wild East was through Waterfall. It was crucial for everyone had a map for that scenario. Perhaps all her efforts to make a map would be rendered moot if they were lucky, but they could leave nothing to chance, not after hinging her plan to spare Clover on the “likelihood” of Asgore being reasonable (perhaps his demeanor tricked her… she was so foolish, but… if only he had stopped being so afraid, if only he were brave enough to choose mercy. Well… they were doing his job for him, weren’t they? Actually, she had considered getting paid by the government for her cartography work, but… she forgot. Not like she had the strength to deal with them, o-or… or return to New Home. She’d seen so much of the Underground with them. She knew her fear of retracing steps was silly, but… well, their absence was difficult to ignore), not that the stakes were so high.

So then, after gathering her energy and willpower, after looking at her drawing of them being happy, and the coffin that symbolized the impossibility of that, she grabbed plenty of notebooks (after all… she knew herself. She would make a mistake at some point or another. She needed back-up…), pencils and rulers and put them in her satchel before flying to the entrance to Waterfall. After taking a short break to catch her breath, it was time to get to work: she took off again, flew forwards and back multiple times to stay on the safe side, landed, opened a notebook and drew what she remembered. She realized that it would be a rather laborious process, given her inability to write and fly at the same time and she realized that she had been too scatterbrained to ask Flier for help beforehand (she could go back and look for him, but she didn’t want to now that she’d entered the area, and it could be a waste of time if he was busy). On the upper left of the page, she sketched the room, hoping there’d be enough paper to not have to split the map between pages, but… Waterfall was big, and the map had to be readable, so… in any case, she knew there’d be iterations. She’d brought… OK, seven notebooks were probably overkill, but better safe than sorry! The first room, at the border with Snowdin, was nothing too remarkable. There were ice blocks floating around the river, almost definitely thrown by Ice Wolf, who she often saw working while she was a Royal Guard. She remembered the ice… had something to do with the CORE?... she really should’ve paid more attention in school.

The first part of Waterfall was a straight road, dark blue, cavernous and with the occasional river, bridge, and… waterfalls (well, it was called that for a reason...). The walls were filled with gemstones, which gave her occasional… innate urges. Right. However tempting they were, no unnecessary crimes. Actually, beyond her selfish desires… the glacialstones and pinkstones were part of how beautiful the region was. When she flew there for the first time, when she was only a birdling, she was mesmerized. Their trip on the Ava was a disaster, but… at the very least, Clover got to experience a bit of that beauty. But… they should’ve been allowed to explore more, to discover in safety. Unfortunately… they were denied Waterfall, and even in the best-case scenario, the next human would be too. An injustice in itself…

Of course, she wasn’t here to admire the place, so she sketched only what was necessary to traverse the area (not that she was skilled enough to capture Waterfall’s beauty in a drawing anyway. Though she wished she at least brought some colored pencils…)

Along the way, she noticed patches of seaweed, which… may be useful in stealth? Not as good as Snowdin’s trees, of course, and there was the risk of being stepped on, but it beat Hotland’s total lack of vegetation. Speaking of plant life, there were also some… Echo Flowers. She was alone, of course, but… what if she was with Flier, and she got careless? After all, she had trouble keeping her beak shut. Well, talking was nice… Actually, she had found some interesting information from the Echo Flower. Apparently there was something behind the rushing water, but… entering the waterfall would mean getting her feathers wet. Maybe it would be a good place to hide the human for a bit, but… given Flier hadn’t called, she didn’t want to feel awful for no reason, so she chose not to enter.

Soon after the waterfall, she came across the bridge seed puzzles! Of course, she hated ever being part of the Royal Guard (meeting Clover was not something she regretted, but… thanks to them, she hurt them, and they needed protection even if she'd done the right thing and prevent them from entering the castle) but, when she worked in Hotland, and wasn’t too late, she tried to always solve the puzzles instead of flying over them and disrespecting their creator during her commute. The captain hated puzzles, and Waterfall sorely lacked them, sadly, but if she ever became captain… OK, there was no way she would, but if she did the organization would become only about puzzles, certainly a nobler pursuit than the murder of innocents.

Solving the puzzles… it brought back memories. She couldn’t call them good ones, not that the Royal Guard was tainted in her mind, but at least it was better than the hours of boredom and miserable heat and sweat that followed them. And, across the door… the wishing room. Perhaps the most beautiful room in Waterfall. She’d been multiple times, but the gemstones that covered the ceiling still awed her. It was said that the stars of the Surface were even more beautiful… of course, she had always wanted to see the Surface, but now that she knew the horrible cost... What a tragic dilemma. Well, she had to deal with the fact that she may die without seeing the stars, but… if it meant Clover would have lived, that the next child would live… she would accept the trade-off. After all, the glacialstones were beautiful too. She gazed at them through the telescope. Of course, she had to to solve the puzzle, but… she would have looked at that ceiling either way. Clover should have gotten to see it too…

And to make a wish. The main purpose of the room. After finishing her sketch of the room, she made a wish. She couldn’t be too explicit, but…

“I wish for peace and freedom.”

It was vague, perhaps impossible, but… there was still hope. And, she hoped, with the help of her allies and her map… they would win.

With the wish made, she crossed the door. There were some glyphs there, about things nearly all of monsterkind knew (though, perhaps, they also served as means of education for the children of Waterfall) relating to the history of humans and monsters, and… monsters with a human SOUL. Poor Asriel… she wanted to believe that he wouldn’t have supported the murders made in his name.

Sketch done, she realized something as she sketched the nearby bridge, which was thankfully a straight line (though she then realized that humans couldn’t fly, at least if Clover was any indication. There was a small raft, much simpler than the Ava, and with only space for one, that provided transport for the missing section of the bridge), she realized something… if nearly all monsters had the power of a human SOUL, couldn’t they get the population of the kingdom to use their magic against the Barrier? And, actually, given how old the glyphs seemed… um, maybe they only needed the number of monsters that were back then? OK, she didn’t know that much about historical demographics, but there had to be less, right?

Though, as she continued sketching the bridge and the patch of the seaweed that followed it, she realized that her plan was flawed… of course it was, she came up with it. Of course, there were thousands of monsters (she didn’t know the exact number) in the kingdom, weren’t there? How were they going to fit without destroying the castle? And… of course, a disgusting war to exterminate humanity had been declared, so, unfortunately, she didn’t want the Barrier to be broken unless the decree was rescinded first. And, finally… monsters SOULs disappeared upon death, so it’s not like they could be used (and, even if they did, mass murder was wrong, obviously… though it seemed like many of her people didn’t find it obvious when it came to humanity). After all, if the SOULs of living humans could be used… the kingdom’s policies would have been even worse, utterly unforgivable.

Unfortunately, like Flier’s plan to fly through the hole, it seemed like there were no easy solutions. She cursed the Seven Mages for all the suffering they had caused, even centuries in the future. Still… she kept on making the map. After all, if breaking the Barrier peacefully wasn’t an option… they could still save a life, prevent a war. At the very least, she and her friends could strive for that.

She continued onwards, to find a table with cheese on it (which almost tempted her, but she didn’t want to be a thief, and maybe it ‘d make her sick…), followed by a door leading to a room with nothing too remarkable about it, except for ancient glyphs (she noted the room was a dead end; being cornered is something they would have to avoid at all cost if Undyne ever got to learn about their existence). And then… a fork in the road. If she continued forwards, she’d meet her good cousin, the Bird That Carries You Over a Disproportionately Small Gap. Even if she didn’t need their services, she really admired her cousin, who gave a public service for no charge, and was so dedicated they even changed their legal name. She could have easily made a bridge over the gap, but she chose not to, because they didn’t want to make their cousin lose the job they so clearly loved. Still, she could fly over the gap, and she did as always, but as she landed on the other side, she realized something: she needed to stop assuming everyone could just fly! Sure, the Bird That Carries You Over a Disproportionately Small Gap would aid anyone, but what if… they had a sick day, or she forgot to mention their services could be useful, or they were unavailable somehow? And, besides… she had to leave nothing to chance. So, for the first time in her life… she took the other fork in the road. And she found… a rather labyrinthine room, sadly. She had to have flown like twenty times over it before drawing, and five times after to be on the safe side. She didn’t know how exhausting cartography could be… bemoaning her scatterbrain for forgetting to bring trail mix, she sat down and rested for a bit, admiring the area. The dark floor and the light water, flora and fungi created a nice contrast. She wondered, in the very limited time Clover spent in Waterfall… did they pay attention to their surroundings? Was there something as beautiful as Waterfall on the Surface, or were places like it commonplace?... she had to stop asking herself questions she’d never know the answer to.

After about twenty minutes, she got back up and gathered the energy to proceed. Thankfully, the next room was a straight line, but that’s not what she remembered about it. Turns out, it had a monster named Onionsan living in it! She was kind of startled by the appearance of the monster, which she felt guilty about when it turned out they were rather nice, and welcoming to any visitors to Waterfall… although she learned from the monster that the aquarium in New Home was full (actually, Starlo and Ceroba must have visited it a few days ago… she wondered if they realized it was crowded), and that they were losing space in Waterfall, and so… they wanted the breaking of the Barrier, and praised the captain for her work towards it. She realized that’s what the common monster felt, and given how aquatic monsters like them suffered the monster from the Underground’s lack a space, and how they didn’t know the fallen children, the cost of breaking the Barrier, the horrifying concept of exterminating humanity… of course, Onionsan deserved more space, and she didn’t want to pick unnecessary fights, especially with a monster with their problems, so she nervously agreed with them before leaving the room. There… there had to be another way to deal with the issue, a more peaceful. She… she didn’t know, but… maybe an artificial way?... well, whatever the case… she could never accept the murder of someone innocent, not after Clover. So, she kept making the map… and, perhaps, she’d tell Asgore about Onionsan’s plight in the future. Going to the castle didn’t appeal to her, of course, but… at least she could be honest with him, scold him, and, if she was brave enough… visit Clover and pay her respects.

Speaking of the king… a bit further ahead, she saw a bucket of umbrellas. Right… she recalled hearing once that he had ordered the provision of those, to protect his citizens from the water that fell and from getting a cold… and, indeed, she saw a leaky ceiling up ahead. She felt… conflicted. She hated the feelings of wet feathers, and her clothes would be ruined (though, thankfully, her boots were waterproof, making the puddles a non-issue), and… the fact that Asgore ordered something like that was a symptom of why she’d foolishly trusted him so much. He was a kind man, who went to school, he was Santa Claus and gave the kids of Snowdin what he wanted and gave each a big hug, and she always saw him as someone kind and soft, loved by everyone around her (well, except Ceroba). And… this was her fatal mistake. He’d killed those children, she knew he did, and yet… what an idiot she was. And… poor Clover. They had the pay the consequences, while she was celebrated as a “hero”… she chose to reject him and his umbrella, though… the moment the water hit her she went back and reconsidered. Really, there was no problem with his umbrellas, or the good things he did, it’s just… he was more than that. He was a regretful man, who hated the war he declared, but… he was a killer, too afraid of the consequences of doing the right thing and stopping, at the expense of innocent children, dreadfully.

As she grabbed the umbrella, she realized there was another issue: there was no way she was flying with all that “rain” (… well, she supposed she learned what rain would be like on the Surface from that roof), and unless she carried it in her beak (which seemed… gross) holding the umbrella prevented her from flying even if she wanted to. Besides, water would be terrible for her notebooks, so… she realized she had to go on foot.

Thankfully, though, the rooms with the leaky ceilings weren’t too complicated, so she quickly mapped the straight road and the single right turn as soon as she saw another right turn which led her to dryness, and the ability to put down her umbrella.

She continued to the next room, and… she saw something that was even more awe-inspiring that the rest of Waterfall, somehow. The room… it was large and open (perfect for fleeing, she noted… though one spear would doom her. Would the Captain be willing to use it against her former employee, the one that she gave that title to?... whatever the case… she was probably willing to spear her if she saw treason. The pain, the fall… actually, unlike most of Waterfall, the ceiling of this room was rather high. High enough that a spear could be fatal… a terrifying thought!). The ceiling was filled to the brim with glacialstones. Perhaps the closest she’d ever get to see the night sky… and she was fine with that. There were beautiful things in the Underground.

Speaking of… she noticed that New Home could be seen from there. The Underground… from her perspective, it was big place, but it really wasn’t compared to the Surface, wasn’t it? As a child, she could fly to New Home and back in a few hours, after all. And, more prominent that the rest of the city stood Asgore’s castle. The place where Clover and four others were murdered. The resting place of Clover, Asriel and six other children. Of course, from outside, it just seemed like a beautiful castle, but… after what happened, it just seemed like a blot on the landscape. God damn it. Even if the Underground wasn’t that big, even at 23 there was so many things she hadn’t seen… and Clover got to see even less! And now they were in that castle, that beautiful castle like the other children, and they wouldn’t get to see that or the Glacialstone and… the injustice of it all just hit her. Her eyes began to well up with tears as she stood, transfixed on Clover’s tomb.

Until suddenly, she heard footsteps. The familiar clank of metal against the floor, specifically. She flinched, of course. Why? Why did she have to deal with her now?... quickly, though, she wiped her tears. She had to stop being afraid. And she had to look strong… unfortunately, having to explain why she was crying would look suspicious. She had to win, prevent her killing the human and tainting her forever. Her ex-boss was a hero among monsterkind, and she knew that was worth more than being a “Hero of Monsterkind”.

After a short while, her former boss appeared. Well, given how fast she was, and how making the map would slow her down, meeting her was going to be inevitable. At least… she felt she was more in control of herself than the day Clover died. Really, it was a miracle she didn’t slap her back then…

“Hey, Martlet didn’t expect to see you here!... I know I already sent you a letter, but I wanted to apolo-”

“It… it’s fine.” She didn’t like her remarks that day, of course, but she didn’t want to continues the issue, given it had been settled, she was training with Asgore about to be more sensitive and that she didn’t want to bring attention to it… she realized she never told her who the funeral was for.

“Oh… still, I’m sorry. You’re always welcome to come back to the Guard, by the way… and, um, if it’s alright, can I know why you’re carrying that bag? Only if you want to, of course, I don’t want to seem to fami-”. OK, with the way she was acting, it seemed like she’d already started the training (even if she certainly felt offended by the insinuation that she’d ever want to return to the Guard… deep breaths, Martlet. Be careful with what you say to her). In any case… she knew her cartography was very public, and she didn’t bother getting sanctioned by the government. She felt kind of paranoid about someone finding out her real intentions, so…

“I’m doing cartography. It’s mapping out the a-”

“…I know what cartography means. Alphys told me the brain is the biggest muscle! Of course I care about nerdy stuff like that! So, like, it’s cool that you’re doing it! Nice to see you doing other things!”

“Y-yeah, it’s, um, fun.” Well, not really, especially given how hungry she was and the amount of work it took, but… the map didn’t look too bad, right?... well, that was because she chose not to draw anything too complex. “A-and it’s useful for, um, evacuations.” After her work was done, she was mapping out the fastest route from Waterfall to the Dunes, so she wasn’t lying in this case.

“Oh, Martlet, that’s so thoughtful! You’re a real hero! Speaking of, I’ve been thinking about you meeting Gerson for the last few days!”

“Gerson?”… wait, she’d heard that name somewhere before. Wait… the former Royal Guard Captain? She knew him from History of Puzzles, but she didn’t know he was still alive. He’d retired in 2078, but she at least knew he was responsible for making puzzle-making part of being a Royal Guard. She supposed she had to blame him for making her interested in that horrible job…

“Oh, you don’t know him? He’s the only other Hero of Monsterkind who’s still alive! And he fought in the war too! You’re bound to meet him while doing your work! Actually, I’ve told him about you!”

“I… I see.” She was nervous now. If she was going to meet him, someone who also sent a child to Asgore… of course, she could choose to not really speak to him, and maybe she should, given the risk of her slipping something and him knowing the current captain… and yet, at the same time, not talking to him could also be suspicious and… God, she knew she shouldn’t say anything, Ceroba was right, but… maybe she could listen to him. Learn about the war, the Surface, humanity, the story of the child they killed… she…  what was she thinking? Was she crazy? And yet… something in the back of her mind compelled her to listen. Of course, she vowed not to reveal her plan and… losing Clover hurt, and the fact that she would have to hide her love for them, how good of a child they were, how monsterkind was wrong to celebrate their murder… it anguished her.

“Oh, by the way… this is my last patrol for the day. I’m going to visit Alphys, to watch some documentaries about humans. Research is important too!” …well, if she was going to watch cartoons, it was fine. Actually, her not patrolling Waterfall would be ideal… though she probably wouldn’t get lucky that day, sadly. “If you ever see a human, PLEASE DON’T HESITATE TO TELL ME! YOU’RE A TRUE HERO!”. She extended an arm to… god, was she really going to have to shake her hand after hearing this?... well, she did to be polite, but she certainly had nothing to be happy about after hearing all of that.

And with those words, the captain left. What was she going to do if a human entered Waterfall and she spotted them? She was so weak, a-and just one spear… well, she couldn’t look afraid. She had to at least look brave, like a genuine protector. Maybe she would only buy time, but… if she gave the child the chance to go to the Wild East, it was worth it.

She continued towards the next room, towards an unpleasant surprise: the next room was also leaky! After being soaked, she went back to grab the umbrella that she had dropped (…she realized she was probably guilty of littering. She was lucky the captain didn’t notice, because she could have gone to jail!... wait, would littering lead to a jail sentence?... she didn’t want to risk it!), only to find… a bucket to deposit umbrellas. Before the end of the room. And the elevation of the floor abruptly rose afterwards, without even a ladder! So, unfortunately… she took a deep breath and climbed the ledge and felt miserable. She realized her map was 2D, but she noted there was a ledge there. Under a “rainy” roof. She brushed herself off, but… she was hungry, and her clothes would have to be dried when she came home and she had to deal with her boss and a very risky meeting in the future. Not ideal. But… she couldn’t give up yet.

But what she saw next almost made her do it. Thankfully, the room was dry, but that was the only saving grace. There was a large and complex, very labyrinthine bridge. Mapping it was very time-consuming. Eventually, she realized the structure was monster-made, so she wondered why it built was like that. And in the end, she wondered what its purpose even eas, given it led to a dead end. It… well, realizing that not crossing the disproportionately small gap would lead to it was infuriating. She was… she was even willing to think the word pissed. Well, given all the effort it took and for the sake of having a complete map, she would keep all of it when she made more accurate versions in the future… but she really wasn’t happy when she fluttered down to the gap, to the… patch of golden flowers? Like… like Asgore’s garden. A beautiful place, but… taking Clover there was the worst mistake of her life. And… given Chara's village and Asriel, and the fallen children… those flowers were associated with death, beautiful as they were, were only associated with the death of children now.

Still, they were beautiful, and yet… she trampled on them. The smell in the area was disgusting; waterproof boots or not, she was not willing to touch the water. Actually, given all the pile of strange objects, and the stink… she realized she was in the Garbage Dump… and that… well, not that she blamed her kind for trying to learn more about humanity (actually, she even encouraged it, though… the Barrier and the murder of the children were injustices that made this difficult, sadly), but… were they really willing to wade in that water? She shuddered. Once she took off, she was not going to land until she found dry land.

Being very careful to only touch the flowers and the occasional panels of wood, she… well, she was exhausted, so she rested, despite the smell. She looked at the piles of garbage and… noticed something. The yellow flag, the pieces of wood, the clover symbol… she came to an horrifying realization. And she sobbed uncontrollably. That… that’s where it landed. Even after their death, they were treated like garbage, even though they never deserved it, and her birdbrain took them there. She had to have spent ten minutes just weeping on those flowers…

And then… she stopped. She had work to do. She… at least, she wanted to believe Clover was happy in Heaven, and… she had to prevent herself from failing them one last time. They couldn’t be used for war. Never.

Thankfully, the geography of the Dump was simple. Just one left turn and she could land on dry ground. And then… she was back in familiar territory, on the other side of the disproportionately small gap. As she made she realized… well, she wasn’t a professional cartographer, but it seemed geographically impossible. Well, it’s not like she was getting paid for this (…she should have gone to the government. She had very good reasons to not like them, but she probably worked more today than every day she was a Royal Guard… except, perhaps, the day she met Clover). She knew that one of the forks in the road led to her ex-boss' house, which of course, was the last place she wanted a human to enter… and suddenly she remembered where she heard the name Napstablook from. Her neighbor, who saved her house from that party (…not a day she liked to remember. But it's not like there were many that she wanted to lately…), and apparently, an older monster who hadn’t even realized the Kingdom murdered humans and planned to exterminate them, and was rightfully disgusted when they learned. They went to the road in the middle, and saw… two houses, one blue and one pink-ish. She didn’t know which house was the ghost’s, but she knocked at the door on the left… and someone closed the curtains. And, suddenly, she realized they probably didn’t want a random stranger knocking on their door.

Embarrassed, she went back (but not before learning Blook Acres were to the right of the pair of houses) and checked the first door she found. It turned to be a store… a store! Maybe she could buy food (she then realized she didn’t bring any G… she was honestly so famished she was willing to commit unnecessary crimes, but… the shopkeeper was right there, which may have saved for feeling guilty for the next month). But, before she could say anything, the elderly-looking turtle monster said something that shook her to the core. Well… it was time.

“Wa ha ha! Well, looks like the blue bird came after all! If my memory is correct, you must be Martlet. Undyne told me you’d come by!”

Chapter Text

POV: Martlet

…well then. She had two options before her: play it safe, talk about irrelevant subjects, maybe even play the part of the loyal “hero”, betray Clover... Maybe she could say she was too busy for conversation (she was kind of working in a way, after all… despite the lack of pay) and quickly end things (but would this just delay it? Would things get suspicious?). This was the smart choice but…

She felt an impulse; she didn’t know much about the Surface and humanity and even if she didn’t have to keep secrets with Asgore, and though she would probably do it sooner or later to talk about Onion-san’s situation, there were obvious reasons why she didn’t want to talk to Clover’s killer (…and some were younger, she recalled him saying before rage fully overcame her. She shouldn’t have done that, she should have fled with Clover but… after hearing this, after all her begging and pleading and failed… why didn’t he choose mercy? He was so stubborn, so unreasonable! They could have gotten the pardon they deserved, but he… Ceroba was never wrong about him being a coward. She only felt guilty about the slap for Clover’s sake, not his), who was, beyond his crimes, someone so frustrating to deal with.

Now it was her and Gerson, the only two “Heroes of Monsterkind” remaining, as she recalled hearing from her now former boss that horrible day. Maybe it was a stupid move, and what she heard could be disgusting, but… though she accepted the likelihood of dying in the Underground, she wanted to at least know second-hand what the Surface was life, about the war… and about the child they most likely helped kill. After all… she didn’t know their names, what they were like, and neither did anyone else she knew, and this angered her. Her kind had murdered them, and they wouldn’t even get dignity in death, their killing ignorantly celebrated. She remembered the jovial atmosphere in New Home, the way the people of the city only saw them as a resource, denied their personhood, and how she knew that was the sixth time this happened…

Perhaps she was taking advantage of his advanced age to receive free History lessons (falling asleep during them back at school…what a mistake it turned out to be. Had she known about the plan to exterminate humanity, she would have never joined the Royal Guard), but… well, she wanted to learn for someone who had experienced the Surface, the war, the murder of the fallen children for someone who was there. A tragic past, but… education was important. Perhaps, if they succeeded, and peace reigned, she would teach people Clover’s story and good deeds too.

Besides… she was hungry. And she noticed that, among other things, he was selling apples… it felt disgusting to attempt to exploit her “Hero of Monsterkind” title should it come to that, but she was famished.

So, nervously, she made her first move…

“O-oh, a-and you’re… G-gerson,” she replied. “U-um… do you have food? I… I didn’t bring any with me.”

“Food? Well, I have these things,” the elderly monster replied as he handed her the crab-shaped fruit, which she quickly devoured. It was so sweet and juicy… however, though it was a nice snack, she didn’t feel quite full yet.

“Oh, this is delicious! U-um, can I have a second?”

“25 G. The last one was just a free sample,” Gerson explained.

“I… I don’t have any money on me,” she admitted. Her scatterbrain often forgot things like that… at least she hadn’t forgotten her keys! …wait, did she bring her keys?

“Oh well. Actually, Undyne told me you were on probation, and I think I know why! Well, age makes you forget things, so it’s not like I have any room to talk! Wa ha ha!”

“I…  um, I’m only 23, it’s just I’m a scatterbrain.” Back when she worked as a Royal Guard, she forgot things like her handbook, her tools or her phone every other day. There was even the time she forgot her tank top and didn’t notice for hours (it turned out feathers made for very good protection from the cold, but… it was unprofessional of her to go to work without a shirt, not that she would have objected to being fired after realizing what the Royal Guard’s true purpose was. It was maddening. With the kind of person she was, she feared getting fired or failing as a freelancer, but the job she hated the most never fired her and even gave her a promotion in the end, for something she hated!)  “By the way… how old are you? You remember the Surface, right?”

“Wa ha ha! I sure look like someone that does!” …she realized how bad what she said sounded like now.

“Oh… sorry if I offended you! I… it’s not because of your looks, it’s because I read History of Puzzles…”

“Ha! You didn’t offend me at all, but now I feel shocked that that’s why you know about me. What are they teaching you kid in History class these days?”

“I… I slept through most of them,” she admitted. If she had, she wouldn’t have joined the Royal Guard or become a “Hero of Monsterkind” or hurt Clover…

“And they let you?..., I don’t know how today’s schools are, but I hope at least some kids like History... well, I shouldn’t worry that much about this. It’s not like I’ll get see them grow up, most likely!”

“A-are you going to die soon?”

“Wa ha ha! Well, of course I am! We’ll all get old or die before we can, but… if it makes you feel better, my ‘soon’ is longer than monster like yours’. See, us turtles are known for being slow, and apparently our Grim Reaper is as well. Still, no matter how long it takes him, he’ll win sooner or later… or maybe a turtle monster’s ‘sooner’ and a common monster’s ‘sooner’, ha!”.

“I… I see. Um, actually, I still don’t know how old you are…” Obviously, the elderly died, but that’s not something she was happy about. Still… infinitely better than a child doing it. Clover should have made it to his age… though, she realized they were getting sidetracked. Perhaps, if this conversation lasted long enough, she’d have a reason to end it before she could slip anything out, but… she really was curious about all he knew given his age.

“…I don’t remember. I lost track somewhere around the 300s, but I’m definitely between 500 and 600.”

“Th…that’s a lot.” Besides Asgore, she’d never seen a monster that old!... though she quickly realized that, given that he fought in the war, obviously he’d be that age. Still, most monsters couldn’t remotely live half that long!... could humans, though? She didn’t know what their lifespan was, but… it was definitely much more than eleven.

“Ha, I certainly look my age… even if I’ve forgotten it.” He did say age made one forgetful. She wondered how much of the Surface or the war he remembered…

“But… do you remember the Surface? What’s it like?”

“It’s bright. Not something monsters born here would be used to… and the sky’s light blue when the Sun’s out, of course.”

“I… I see. And… is it beautiful, seeing the sky and the Sun and the moon and the stars?”

“Wa hah hah! Every monster talks about wanting to see ‘em, and you know… they’re not wrong to do so. Those things… I haven’t forgotten them. I’ll probably die before seeing them again, but… they’re nice. Not that the gemstones here are a bad replacement!” Clover would have also known about them, huh? It really was an injustice for her kind to be denied these beauties, but… if the Surface was reached at the cost of exterminating humanity, then they didn’t deserve it. If she died without seeing them, so be it. At least… it meant the seven mages would be proven wrong, that it wasn’t too late to end the war, that some things were worth sacrificing to save lives.

“T…that’s nice.” Of course, she couldn’t reveal her sympathies, especially not to someone who knew her ex-boss personally, but… she curious about whether he was anti-humanity, whether he regretted the four murdered during the time he led the Royal Guard, whether she could… feel comfortable talking about Clover. It was so painful, having to hold it all in. “A-and, what about humans? Are they good or bad?”.

“What, the humans I met? They’re all dead now!” The turtle monster laughed.

“O-oh, I guess they don’t live that long…”

“Nah, very few make it past one hundred… though that’s not what you’re getting at. Humans… they were the ones who started the war, stuffed us all in a cave, made the Barrier… it’s no surprise our kind resents them. And what I live through… massacres, executions, torture, and things that I’ll keep to the grave forever.”

“So you… you don’t like them. B-because they’re bad, I mean.” Well, so it seemed like he was anti-human… which meant she had to be careful what she said, and kept her sympathies secret, Clover secret. Maybe… maybe the humans of the past were bad, but they barely knew the present. Surely Clover wasn’t an exception! Humans and monsters… they could leave in peace. She… she wanted to believe. The imprisonment, Asgore’s war declaration, they were all wrong!

“Wa ha ha! I never said that. They committed terrible crimes, of course, but… the humans from my time also loved, had families, could do acts of good… and some of them even allied with our kind. Of course, most were just regular people, like your average monster, and… centuries have passed since I surrendered and Asgore and I were shipped off to Mt. Ebott along with his wife and the rest of our kind. I… I lost so many comrades back then. I hated humanity, this cave, but… it’s been centuries now. People change, and societies do too. After all… I’m not just a historian, I lived through the history of the Underground. And the youth is lucky they weren’t around for the first couple of centuries, because boy were they boring!”.

“I… I see.”… It was nice to know that, despite everything, he realized prejudice was wrong and changed his ways. If only her King had… or Chujin. Well… of course, her upbringing and job also made her treat humans unfairly, harm the poor kid, but now… she realized that the way monster were taught was wrong. She hoped, if they won and the seventh was allowed in the Wild East… love, hope and compassion would prevail. Maybe they were myths, but… perhaps the hope of preventing the war was the only thing keeping her going. No time to lose hope now. Perhaps it was a huge burden for someone like her and her friends, a burden caused by Asgore’s inability, but… that’s just the world they were born in. Metaphorically, children facing the consequences of the mistakes of older generations…

“Well, things got better here eventually. And, as time passed, and Asriel was born… people weren’t out for revenge anymore. Say… do they teach about the first human in school these days?”

“Chara.”

“Oh, is that their name? I had forgotten about it…” Really? She thought it was too important to forget… In any case, though she admitted her memory wasn’t the best, she never recalled hearing Chara’s name before they visited that room, the room Clover was in now… she wasn’t brave enough to visit it when she returned to the King, she remembered.

“Yeah… actually, I only learned it recently. Saw their coffin…” And five others more, plus Clover’s now, all little, child-sized. But the last coffin would never be filled, she wouldn’t stand for it!

“Well, seeing the coffins of dead children…” Gerson briefly paused. It looked like he had frowned for a second. Perhaps… there was more to him than just the jovial and wise elderly turtle. If he became a Hero of Monsterkind for that reason… was he hiding something? Perhaps… the concept of murdered children was sad in general. Children, out of sight and mind of monsterkind, the cost of the war being ignored. An unfortunate truth, and a tragedy. Who would remember them, grieve them? “Well, nobody wanted to kill them back then, you know. People loved the kid, even if they were a rather private person. I knew Asgore enough to meet with his family, but the kid barely interacted with me. Still, it seems they were rather formal and loved chocolate and playing with Asriel more than anything, at least if what Asgore and his wife told me was right. From the few times I met Asriel, it seems like they were good friends, siblings even. In any case, it seemed like every monster wanted to meet them, a real human, even if the feeling wasn’t mutual. Nobody wanted to kill them, or to restart the war. After all, after the feeling of revenge subsided… we realized that even if we broke the Barrier we’d still lose as miserably as we did last time!” She knew what happened to the royal children, of course… but how she wished that the future children were treated the same as Chara. Of course, she knew how grief and losing someone special could make people do terrible things, not just from Asgore, but also from Ceroba. Speaking of…

“Yes, but they say with seven SOULs Asgore will become a god. That’s why… that’s why we’re doing all this killing.” And why she became a “hero”. “Actually… you’re a historian, right? Do… you know if a monster has absorbed seven SOULs before?” She knew how powerful even one SOUL could make a monster, of course, but… she didn’t have enough information to know if this was true. Certainly, Ceroba doubted it, and if she was right, what then? No matter what, the war was a mistake!

“Well, not that I can recall… still, it’s not like we have access to records from the Surface. Od course I know it was this fear that drove the humans to attack us, but it’s not like anyone knew squat about science and technology back then!” …this was like something Chujin would have said. In the end, both wars were based on something that may happen, at the cost of the suffering of innocents.

“I… I see. Well, I don’t whether seven SOULs make a God either. I… I’m just a common bird monster, whose grades weren’t good enough to go to college…”

“Well, it’s not like anyone could know!... Still even if this was the belief that got us trapped, it turned out to also be the one that gave us hope after the royal children were murdered. After that… most monsters grew to hate humanity again. Even if I was as skeptical about the belief as I am now… I saw Asgore in pain. He’d lost both of his kids, and monsterkind took the loss hard and turned against humans again. The way everyone acted, it’s like they forgot Chara was human too… including me. So I became leader of the Royal Guard. Humans… everyone hated them even more back then, if you can believe it! And well… so did I. The old Queen left for a reason! Shame, she was the brains behind the throne…”

“…and six children were murdered because of this, because of something they weren’t responsible for,” she stated. The murders were never about justice for monsterkind, they were just vengeance for the murders of the royal children, a vengeance that ignored Chara’s race and Asriel’s actions, a vengeance that painted an entire race as guilty for the actions of some of its members, as if they didn’t have individuals! Strangely, as she thought that… she felt a strange sense of déja vú. In any case… she knew from Asgore and Ceroba the pitfalls of falling into vengeance.

“Indeed… but very few people saw it that way back then. Asriel was the future of the kingdom, their hope, and people wanted retribution. Actually, you weren’t alive back then, but… the Royal Guard I founded… what a formidable force it was in the first few decades!”

“You… you mean it was even worse back then?” She already had to work so hard to prepare for the scenario of the Captain being aware of the human… if things had been even worse… she wasn’t even sure if she would continue or just give up and allow a child to be murdered and the war to start.

“… I’m sorry if I offend you, but besides Undyne and maybe a few of the guards in Hotland… today’s Royal Guard is a shadow of its former self. It used to number in the hundreds, but now, it numbers less than fifteen. Still, it’s not like it could’ve done anything against a human army! If the omnipotence plan fails, well… we’re back to square one, assuming don’t all turn to dust.” Right, the war would bring nothing good to any race! The children, the poor children murdered for nothing… would a massacre of monsterkind be “justice”, like the murder of the six children would have been? All the death had to stop, especially when to point of no return was so close!

“…but they managed to kill children,” she pointed out. Technically, even an incompetent like her managed to lead Clover to their death. She didn’t want it at all, of course, but it wouldn’t change the fact that… she couldn’t make the right decision until it was far too late.

“Indeed… well, more like apprehending them and send them to Asgore,” he clarified, like it made it any better. “Actually, I never got to see the first three children, but my subordinates did. It was shameful, but… I never really cared about their deaths, even celebrated them like most of monsterkind. Actually, the guards that captured the children, they quit soon after. I thought it was because they quit because of becoming a “hero” and the monthly 2000 G reward I implemented, but… perhaps it was guilt, guilt for what they had done, for what Monsterkind celebrated without truly knowing what they were celebrating.”

“So… it looks like history repeated.” She grimaced.

“Well, maybe they just quit for the money… though, I don’t know if this is a coincidence, but they all died relatively young… or maybe just young by my standards!”

“…I…” She… she hoped all the grief and stress wouldn’t kill her. In any case, she ignored the turtle’s disconcerting joviality about the subject to ask him about something that caught her attention. “I… I’m not planning on falling down. A-anyways, you said ‘three’ children… I know what happened to the fifth…” That wasn’t exactly true, but she knew more than most monsters. Even if she didn’t see it that way… she had blackmail on Ceroba, didn’t she? Still, she still didn’t know how they died. Another thing he kept from her… though if it was murder, well… her esteem for him was getting lower than the Martlet from even one month ago could ever imagine. “…and the sixth, but… what about the fourth? Were you still Captain back then?”

“Well, I met them myself. Decades after the last human. After 31 years, there were generations that had never seen a human, and most monsters weren’t around when Asriel was murdered. As much as the textbooks tried, anti-human sentiment wasn’t at the forefront of monster’s minds. Now, almost everyone supports Asgore and his plan today, of course, but monsters began to focus on other things too. The Royal Guard’s recruitment numbers decreased year by year, and I tried other methods to attract them, like including puzzle-making, which has been very important for monster culture since time immemorial.”

“…well, it worked on me,” she noted bitterly. She noticed Gerson starting to laugh, but she interrupted him. “It’s not funny.”

“Oh… you really don’t like your time in the Guard!”

“OF COURSE I DON’T!” she screamed immediately, before realizing how loud she was. Could… could an Echo Flower hear it?

“Well… after what happened with Hope, I understand why you’d feel that way, if the child was anything like them.”

“Hope?”

“The fourth fallen human, and the first I met. Now, over the decades, I realized Asgore’s plan was… well, he wasn’t the brains behind the throne, like I said, and besides… there were good humans. Like… like them. The first human I met since Chara, and, unless you hate notebooks, harmless. Really, they were a nerd! Despite the risk, they went to the mountain with tons of notebooks, because they couldn’t bear the lack of information humanity had about it. Of course, the Underground… it’s a dangerous place for a human child, as you’re aware. So, when I met them… they stayed with me for a week.”

“And yet… they were murdered in the end.” That’s just how the story ended, of course. They all had names and faces, and yet she ignored that when she joined the Guard, all because of puzzles and money. What was wrong with her? “…I guess someone found out.” What if her masks weren’t enough? What if the same thing had happened to Clover? Would she and her friends have been punished for doing the right thing?

“Yes…the kid wanted to learn more about the Kingdom, and bring their findings home. They didn’t like being stuck in my house, not that I blame them, and they wouldn’t give up.” She noticed how the old turtle’s mood began to darken and his expression turned mournful. “So I… decided to go to Asgore and plead for mercy. But… the old goat was stubborn, afraid of the consequences of ending the war.”

“I… I know.” Her eyes began to well up with tears as she remembered that day. “I… I’ve been crying a lot since I tried to plead Clover’s case. I… I really that being a Royal Guard would help me…”

“Well… not even the words of the Royal Guard Captain himself, an old friend of his could make him back down. I… haven’t kept touch with him recently, but I’ve noticed that he’s changed since the day he started the war. He’s not the strong and driven man he was back then… he’s returned to being the soft gardener he once was, but with no wife to nuzzle anymore, and… he’s a profoundly sad man, I feel.” Yes, she’d told him he would commit suicide after the war… she wondered if she would tell people about this. Would anyone believe her? “Anyways… I never got to say goodbye to Hope. Apparently, they were apprehended on the orders of the King himself, leaving their glasses and notebook, which was torn in the struggle, behind. Picked ‘em both up later.”

“I… I didn’t know that. Did… did you tell anyone?”

“Nah, I covered up it all up,” he said, with his usual jovial energy returning, inappropriate as it was. “I quit the Guard soon after, but everyone thinks it’s because of my age, and  maybe that was a factor too. Plus… I didn’t want the reputation of being a human sympathizer, or the potential of conflict which a malicious human could exploit, not when our kind’s so weak.” …history really was repeating, huh? She couldn’t help but think it was cowardly, but… here she was doing the same thing, and… maybe Gerson was right. An open rebellion would most likely be doomed given Asgore’s popularity and… she really did appreciate the fact no monster had murdered another in decades, as she recalled hearing from Mooch. Still… Hope and Clover and the other Fallen Children deserved to be remembered, their stories taught in school! “Actually… I planned on only telling the truth to the next ‘Hero of Monsterkind’, whoever it was.”

“…I’m not a hero.”

“Neither am I! Really, people only consider me one for not dying in that war. It was a massacre, really… I managed to whack a few guys with my “Hammer of Justice”, but no monster managed get a SOUL, as you’re aware of. And the battlefields… well, they were coated with dust. And then… they gave me the title again, just for doing my job!”

“The job of murdering children… I just… I just wish I could’ve known what you did before, so I wouldn’t… wouldn’t have gone to that castle and repeated the mistake of trying to make him listen to reason. Clover… I… I failed them.” She sighed. “I… hurt them, all because I didn’t want to get fired, but now… I realize it’s better than getting that title.”

“Well, I already had that title from the war, so it’s not like I benefitted from a second. Well, it was nice sharing my story. Actually… have you noticed what I have on sale?”

“Tea and apples and notebooks and glasses? Why are you bringing this up?”

“Oh… don’t you know what the notebooks and glasses mean?”

“I… I already have enough notebooks at home, a-and my eyesight is still fine, the goggles are just, um… supposed to be for safety, even if I forget to put them on… what’s your point? What does that have to do with heroism or the fallen children?”

“Oh, they have everything to do with the Hope. Don’t you remember the things that fell during their struggle with the Guard?”

“No… you don’t mean?” Disgusted as she felt for accidentally sending their hat and gun to the dump, at least she wasn’t selling them, using them for monetary gain like they didn’t even matter.

“Wa ha ha! They’re exactly like the ones that they left behind! Gotta make a living!” Something about the laugh, about his attitude, about the disrespect… it set her off. She had trusted him so much, and now, he wasn’t just keeping their story secret, he was selling their belongings. Enraged, she quickly launched some feather bullets before realizing what she had done. Quickly, she realized she was repeating her slapping of Asgore, except she was assaulting an elderly war veteran who had, at least, tried to plead for mercy. Of course, she felt selling the objects was disgusting, but…

“Augh! I… I’m so sorry about my assault… attempt?” She realized that… when she tried to initiate violence, it somehow didn’t work.

“Wa ha ha! It’s no big deal. Actually, it speaks to your character that you were willing to stand up for your beliefs like that. Actually… everything you’ve shown so far is that, scatterbrained as you are, you’re someone admirable at heart.”

“But, I… C-clover.”

“You tried to plead for mercy, right? You can’t be blamed for believing what your society does… I know I have no room to scold you. You’ve shown me… you’re someone who’ll protect the innocent, who’ll stand for justice, at great personal risk. I see great potential in you, really. And… really feel free to try to assault me here all you want. You can’t win.”

“I… I know. I’m… not actually that strong. I could only last seven seconds against my ex-boss.”

“Hah… you think these elderly bones could last three? I’m not in prime anymore. Still… it’s impossible to assault me as long as I’m here. By the way… I have something to show you.” The turtle pulled out some glasses and a notebook from his pockets. They looked much older than the ones on sale. She realized… “I never parted with the originals. All the things I sell are copies. We’ve got some great scientists in here, really! Though… I can’t remember the name of the guy who made the machine. Well… I’m no good at fighting or thinking anymore, but at least my wife and kids are well-off.” It was nice to know that he still had the originals. Given where they ended up, maybe she and her friends should have kept the hat and gun too… still, something about selling those items still didn’t sit well with her, copies or not.

“That’s um… great to hear. By the way, about my ex-boss…”

“Ah, Undyne. Been with her since she was a little urchin. Been really good at not beating up random people in the last decade, heh. What about her? She’s not your boss anymore, so…”

“I… well, I’m afraid I’m weak, a-and… it’s just, it’s her fault I’m a Hero of Monsterkind, and she… she’s so strong, a-and an anti-human fanatic, a-and… we’re just one SOUL a-away.” Waterfall… waterfall just a worst-case scenario… she had so many methods of getting a human to the Wild East beforehand, but all the memories, all the times she was humiliated… she had to stop being so afraid. She had plans from A to… Z.

“Well, she’s a hero among the current generation, as I’m sure you know. What, are you planning on going against her?”

“N-no, I don’t wanna kill anybody, it’s just… what if she meets the last human? You know… I’m actually making a map of Waterfall to escort them to safety if they ever come here. I don’t… I don’t want the two to meet.” After finishing the sentence, she jumped in shock at how casually she revealed she was revealing her plan.

“Ah, yes… you don’t want any more people to die, right? And you’re planning on committing the crime of harboring a human, despite your weakness against her, when there’s only one SOUL left. Maybe you’re just being foolish, but you really are admirable!”

“I just… don’t want to fail Clover one last time.” Or Hope, or the other fallen children, or… Asriel, who she knew wouldn’t have supported all the murders done in his name.

“But you couldn’t win a war, right? You’re just one bird, after all.” She did have allies, but… she wouldn’t rat them out, as open as she was being despite the obvious risk. Still… she was going to be honest tomorrow, and face Ceroba’s wrath. That hit really was painful… and the Captain’s spears could be even more so. Still… she had to do it. “Still… if you can’t win, there’s other methods. Hope was physically weak, but their notes really helped them. And… perhaps today you learned of a shield, the most powerful shield of them all. Think about what you did today.”

“Shields? Like, a turtle’s back? I… did some note-taking too, but… I mean, I don’t think notebooks count as shields?”

“Wa ha ha! You’d be surprised about what notebooks can do. But no… you’re off the mark. And it’s not like we can take off your shells either. But, when you go to a shop, think about what happens. Connect it with what you tried to do today, and… I’m sure you’ll figure it out!”…something about a shield? W-well, she’d probably have time to think about it back home. Ugh, what a birdbrain she was!

“I… I see.”

“And, besides shields that keep you in an area… I’m sure a bird monster knows it’s fight or flight. And, sure, Undyne is quick, certainly, but… there’s unnatural ways to match her, even exceed her. Say, we’ve been talking for quite a while. Would you like a cup of Sea Tea?”

“I prefer coffee, but sure, I like caffeine in general!” Probably too much… she accepted the offer and as she drunk the cup, it was like she gained a massive boost of energy. Her mind began to race, and her SOULbeat accelerated. “Oh…ohmigosh! This is… this is so good! Can I have another?” her beak said before her mind realized it was probably unwise to do.

“18 G.”

“I… I… I’ll bring my wallet in the future!” Maybe… maybe her caffeine addiction could make her outrace the captain? A-and, could she even outrace her spears? But what about the SOUL greening? She had to prevent that. And also, was it good for a kid to drink something like that? Well if it helped them flee, and also it would be good for her friends to drink it too, and she definitely needed some source of income now because this thing was so expensive and also her SOUL felt so quick!

“Good to see. I wish you the best of luck in the future! You’ll need it” Yeah, it didn’t seem like they had much to talk about now. At the very least, she had learned the story of one fallen children, and more about the history of humans and monsters. She was so certain now that the war was unjust, that humanity deserved mercy. And she learned about some “ultimate shield”, whose nature she’d hopefully learn soon. She jotted down the information in her notebook so her scatterbrain wouldn’t forget. She was about to say goodbye to the old turtle, but he spoke up before her.

“Hey, by the way… do you know what a Delta Rune is?”

“I… I wasn’t that bad at school! Of course, I know about monsters… and The Angel. Wait, actually… I see a symbol among all those gemstones?”

“And you noticed just now?”

“W-well, gemstones… they distract me, a-and tempt me,” she admitted. She had to put conscious effort not to keep staring at them whenever she saw them… and, of course, she knew stealing was wrong, but, but… right, she would be even more useless as a jailbird.

“Well… I can’t deny they’re pretty, but to overlook this big emblem on the wall? Ha, this meeting has helped me learn a lot about your character! Wa ha ha! But, what I was getting at was… the prophecy of the Angel. Do you believe in it?”

“I… how should I know? I’m just an ex-Royal Guard probation, and, um… frankly, these sorts of questions are beyond my intelligence. W-well, actually, my late mentor always told me not to rely on superstition”… even if that clover discussion was eerie… still, she knew they were associated with good luck, so it’s not like bringing them up in the context of his ‘illness’ was strange… “C-clover… their name was that, and they were so unlucky.” Maybe… maybe if he had listened to her proposal, ended the war, the Barrier would have been broken as peacefully as possible, and freedom and peace would have reigned. Clover… maybe they weren’t the angel, if such a thing existed, but an angel, and they were murdered still, their innocence and mercy ignored by most of monsterkind. “So, I… I’m going to try to use my intelligence to win. It’s, um… not my best asset, but it’s not like I can use force against her…” Unless… the plan Z was a success? Why did that serum entice her so much? After all, there was another lesson Chujin taught her… s-she… with her allies, she could win without it.

“Ah, it’s not like it’s a question anyone can answer. The Angel… it’s hope for most, despair for a few, and part of a neat symbol for me, ha! Oh, and by the way… you seem afraid of Undyne, but… I’ve been with her since her childhood, and I think she has what it takes to be monsterkind’s hero in their time of greatest need. Our kind sees her as a hero, for a reason, but… determination can be a great asset, but it can also lead to stubbornness. I know how hotheaded she can be, but… I thank you for choosing mercy with her. She still has a chance to be the hero neither of us are. Heroism isn’t found in a title, after all.” Right. The guilt… she knew it well, and she didn’t even kill them directly, or mean to. She couldn’t imagine how it would feel to carry that stain for the rest of your life…

“I just… maybe I’m naïve, but I just want the ending Clover would have wanted. Peace between humans and monsters… I… I’ll work hard to make an ending where nobody else gets killed, hard as it maybe…” She’d have said ‘impossible’ were it not for her allies. “By the way… thank you for sharing Hope’s story and for the free apple and tea. I… I’ll come back in the future with my wallet. Um… by the way, don’t rat me out!”

“Wa ha ha! It’s no big deal. One of the many conversations I’ve had over the centuries. And, by the way… I wouldn’t betray someone who’ll definitely be a future customer… or Hope. I was only with them for a week out of over five hundred years, but… I’ll never forget them.”

“…sometimes the smallest blips make the biggest impacts. Clover changed my life forever, even if they were only here for a day. Well… see you later, Gerson. I have work to do.”

“Right. Happy New Year’s, by the way. Wonder if this’ll be the one where the Reaper finally takes me…”

“Oh right! Happy New Year’s too! And, um, don’t die!”

With these words, she left the elderly monster. His Sea Tea would definitely be useful, and so would his “ultimate shield”, whatever it was.

Finally, it was time to get back to work. Back to notebooks, pencils, and exhaustion…

Unfortunately, she soon realized that the dark maze was near. And, without Dalv… how was she going to make an accurate map? Thankfully, she remembered glowing mushrooms could light the way when she accidentally touched one, so the room was… well, mapping out the maze without knowing if you missed something was obviously irritating, but it could have been worse…

Like the next room. Thankfully, lanterns were provided to light up the way, but they only lasted so long! How was she going to use her “bird’s eye view” when she couldn’t see anything?... Before she fully fell into despair, however, she remembered she could use magic projectiles! And so… she turned on the lanterns with some magic feathers mid-air, landed again and turned them on again to be able to see what she drew (it took her an embarrassingly long amount of time to realize she could do this)… and she realized she would have to revisit the maze in the future just to stay on the safe side. Still, for a first attempt it wasn’t bad, and she was always planning on iterating anyway… after all, it’s not like she got things right in her first try with Chujin either.

The following rooms were relatively uneventful, thankfully… and then she reached the mountain room. One she was familiar with from the time when she commuted to Hotland, and a very dramatic room from which one could see both the CORE and Steamworks before a red background.

As she revisited the room, she realized that it was a big and open one, like the castle room, and it was near the border to Hotland too (she really wanted to return home and eat a meal and dry her clothes…). If she was ever foolish enough to face her ex-boss directly, she supposed it wasn’t the worst place to do it… of course, her aerial advantage didn’t mean much given the infinite projectiles she had.

Though, as she flew up and up, she suddenly realized something.

At her height, a spear would be fatal.

Chapter Text

POV: Ceroba.

Oasis Valley was a beautiful place. Not as beautiful as it was before the Sweltserstone, perhaps, but there was beauty in monsterkind’s efforts to restore the Meadow, to never give in to fate. Perhaps it would never be as vibrant as the place she grew up and played with Star in again, but… thanks to the efforts of the inhabitants of the Duns, including Star’s family, it was still a nice place to grow up in. Kanako never knew the Meadow, but she never minded the Dunes, where she had friends, “uncle” Star and the Wild East, a loving father… the pictures all around the town and her old house were signs of how much she loved the world, even despite what she lived through at only three years of age. She and Chujin, they always told her they’d always protect them from evil humans, that she was safe around them, and the child believed it… a child who was always kind to others, loved her parents more than anything, a great artist and craftsman for her age… Oasis Valley was even more beautiful back then, when she was around.

But now she was dead. According to the lizard, she was still alive, but she knew that wasn’t the case. After all, she never got any further information about her state, not even with Martlet’s futile attempts. And… she had fallen down. All because she thought she could live up to his legacy, all because she couldn’t follow his instructions, all because she thought she could be a hero. But… now, the dust of a child, her child was on her hands, and it was her fault alone. And, worse still, she tried to kill another child, a pure of heart of child, all because she still thought she was smart enough to continue his legacy. And… she decided to listen to that child’s closest friend, let them go to Asgore, and, when the time came… she could have fled, but revenge blinded her. Now another child’s death was on her hands, and Star and Martlet had to bear the guilt of being “heroes” of monsterkind. Heroes… she hated that word now.

She had to tell the truth, she knew. The way her friends had been thoughtful enough to give her gifts like Star’s goggles and cell phones, Martlet’s staff and Dalv’s coat, the way her actions made a poor girl cry on Gyftmas… something had to change. She couldn’t say her friends loved the real her, not when she kept being a coward.

December 30. Besides the time she spent with Starlo in New Home’s aquarium and theme park on the 28^th (it was fun, but… she couldn’t help but feel guilt the entire way through. And yet, she didn’t want to reveal the truth and ruin his day. He… he’d never seen him so happy since Clover died), she had spent the last five days in the gym, drinking or working at Sunnyside Farm, mostly. Right now, however, she was pacing all around Oasis Valley, having headed home from her gym near the border with Hotland. Martlet’s thank-you letter for Mo’s fan said she’d start her cartography project “soon”, though she hadn’t heard from her since. Still, she couldn’t blame her for not being in a state to want to work after what she went through, and she’d meet up with her for New Year’s Eve, at least (it was really a shame she spent Gyftmas with that Royal Guard… who, after seeing her in the newspaper, apparently was the very same doll monster that kept playing that accursed Meow Meow Love Blast game, and occasionally ordered Cinnamon Cookies from her. That damn café… it was a blot on the landscape, clashing so horribly with the rest of the town’s brick architecture, and worse still was its damn owner! Though, at least… it had Kanako’s drawing. If she was still around, if Clover was still around… she would bear working there for their sake). Flier had also called her, and, after getting used to the device, she had received useful information about the Ruins, including that generally, monsters there weren’t too strong (besides, perhaps, a monster that looked like Asgore, had the same type of magic and kept mostly to herself) and that, most likely, all the fallen humans had fallen to a bed of golden flowers there. She couldn’t fly, and even if she did she wasn’t small enough to fit through the celing hole, but… even though she never traveled much, Flier’s description of the place suggested the city once called Home, the city most of monsterkind lived in during its first centuries of imprisonment was a breathtaking place, even if calling it the Ruins was apt.

Star, Martlet, Dalv… for now they considered her a friend, but she had withheld the horrible truth from them, the truth they all deserved to know. Of course, what she did was definitely illegal and immoral, and confessing to the truth before the seventh child was saved and the war was averted would damage the mission’s reputation for associating with someone like her, but… even though she knew hiding the truth from greater monster society was unfortunately the smarter decision… she had to tell her friends. Still… could they keep a secret? After all… Martlet couldn’t keep her sympathies hidden from a royal guard, despite the paramount importance of keeping it hidden, and Dalv…he was a good man, too good, and she didn’t know him too well. It was a horrible thing to think, but she didn’t want his daughter’s savior to reveal that it was her own mother who killed her in the end.

This left Star. A close, trusted friend since childhood and someone he knew could keep secrets, given how most monsters didn’t know Kanako had fallen down. However… he didn’t know the cause of that, and he deserved to before the year was over. She didn’t want to ruin New Year’s Eve for him, which left… today. It was time.

As she aimlessly wandered around Oasis Valley, she found herself under a shelter, under which she found a white monster wearing a dress and a hat and watering three purple flowers… she didn’t know much about flowers, but they were tulips, weren’t they? Whatever they were, she may have so lost in thought she barged into another monster’s home, open door or not.

“Oh… I must apologize for breaking in…”

“N-n-no i-it’s fine. I-it’s not my home a-anyway,” said the monster nervously. Indeed, the complete lack of furniture, shower and bed indicated this was the case. “W-wait… a-are you… Chuji-”

“…her widow, yes.”

“Oh… I see. He… he taught my sister about gardening. She… always said he was a very nice m-man. G-gardening and flowers… me and my sisters don’t agree on everything, but we all love it. I…I’m sorry for your loss.”

“Thank you. Yes… he was a very kind man.” Much more altruistic than her… the way he helped others for free and tried to improve Monsterkind’s situation… maybe that’s the legacy she should have followed.

“I… I see. He must have been a great husband… by the way, this flower… it was just a sapling only a little w-while ago, and it’s grown so much… perhaps a small p-part of the Meadow can be restored. The townsfolk are working hard taking care of it.”

“I… I see. Maybe I can join the restoration project.” She was reminded of the old garden she had with Chujin, which decayed with the Meadow. And yet, the Meadow wasn’t totally lost; the people of Oasis Valley hadn’t thrown in the towel. She didn’t know much about gardening, but she was willing to learn. After everything she did, she at least could make life bloom. But, unlike the Meadow… Kanako and Clover could never return. “Though I don’t know much about botany…” Or woodworking, or engineering, or SOUL science… she knew so much less than her husband.

“W-well… I… I don’t like talking to people much,” the monster admitted, “but there’s a man where who can teach you. A rock monster. He’s… really helped the reforestation project. A-actually, he’s the one who planted this s-sapling.”

“I see.” She exchanged goodbyes with the shy monster. Plants where nowhere near comparable to monsters of humans, but the way the little sapling managed to grow, become something beautiful… it was inspiring. There was no harm in helping the people of Oasis Valley, anyway. She had been given a second chance, and she was not going to waste it.

But she know she couldn’t truly deserve that chance if she kept everyone in the dark about Kanako. As she left the deep shelter, she took a deep breath. The reforestation project would have to wait for now. It was time for Starlo to know the truth.

Slowly, she made her way to Sunnyside Farm. Trembling, she knocked the door to Solomon and Celestina’s.

“Oh, hello there, Ceroba,” Crestina greeted her. "What brings you here, dear? You’re always welcome, but… if it’s to work, please don’t burden yourself. We all appreciate your hard work, but the harvest is plentiful. You need to rest… but you can do it here, of course! Say, can I make you some Corn Chowder?”

“W-well… I appreciate the generosity, but I only came here to ask if Starlo is here,” she explained. “Although a meal would be lovely later.”

“Starlo… the poor boy loved the amusement park and aquarium, he loves me, but… he’s still spending quite a bit of time in his room, not that I can blame him. I met their deputy… I didn’t know they were human back then, but they were a sweet kid… someone who could have been friends with your daughter, I think.” The mention of Kanako made her flinch and her eyes well up with tears.

“Yeah… t-they were a great kid, like K-kanako. It’s only natural he couldn’t handle the loss well.” At least he was doing better than her during the first weeks after killing Kanako, when she was barely functional, spending even more time in the Saloon than now.

“Well… you can comfort him, at least. I know it can take him time to move on, but my boy is resilient in the end,” the moon monster stated.

“I see. Thank you, Crestina.”

She made her way upstairs, and nervously knocked on Star’s door. It took him around a minute to answer, a minute she spent nervous about the future.

“Howdy, Ceroba. Sorry for takin’ a while to knock, it’s just… I was thinkin’ about Clover and Kanako and our mission.”

“Star, you don’t need to apologize at all. It’s been a terrible year for you, and yet I still admire how you act. But the reason I came here…” She paused. She… she didn’t feel brave enough to continue.

“Why… why’d you come here? You’ve been acting strange sometimes, I’ve noticed.” She gulped nervously.

“I…” She paused for around half a minute. “There’s… s-something I… I n-need to tell you.”

“Alright then.”

“B-but not here,” she explained. She was too paranoid or even cowardly, perhaps, but she feared potential eavesdroppers. As long as the seventh’s life hadn’t been saved, she couldn’t afford to come clean to the general public. “I… let’s go to my house.”

“To the hideout?” he asked. Indeed, it was natural for him to ask that, given she hadn’t the courage to return ever since she moved in. She didn’t like all the noise the Feisty Five made at night, but… the silence was worse.

“No. Chujin’s estate,” she clarified. After all, only her allies knew about the basement, so it was the best place to share a secret.

“Really? Are ya moving back in? I mean, I’m alright with that.”

“N-no. I like your companionship too much.” And, honestly, she didn’t mind the posse. She couldn’t call them her friends exactly, but it was nice to have people to talk to… even if Mooch was an annoyance. “B-but there’s something I’ve kept hidden f-for you, that you need to know. S-star… would you mind hearing it?”.

Silence reigned for a while. If he said “no”… she’d continue being a coward, and he wouldn’t know the truth at least for now. Last chance for her to back out of her responsibility.

After what felt like an eternity, Star nodded. Her stomach dropped.

“A-alright,” she replied. “Let’s… not waste any more time.” She grabbed Star’s hand as the sheriff stood up. With heavy steps, they walked in silence, out of the house, through the Wild East, to Oasis Valley, and finally… to the place she once called home. All the way through, she trembled. Star looked worried, but both stayed silent. Perhaps they looked suspicious to the monsters that watched them, but she knew none of them were aware of the secret basement. Still, perhaps out of paranoia, she locked the gate, as she brought the key with her once she moved out of the mansion and locked the gate to prevent any thefts, and she’d thought ahead today (though… how did the Feisty Five and then Clover and Martlet enter? Actually, it looked like the lock had been damaged. Ed’s work, perhaps…). They crossed the stone path and walked up the steps. She took a deep breath as she entered her old house.

POV: Starlo.

He knew she had been hiding something ever since that day, when she acted suspiciously after entering the room to comfort him. She had at least managed to not make him isolate himself all the time, unlike the time she chose Chujin, but… there were days where he had no energy. After Kanako and Clover… he was officially the sheriff now, but he really was in no mood to work (another thing he thanked Ceroba for… perhaps she was repaying him for what he did for her after she lost her daughter). But now… he was going to learn about whatever he "needed" to know. He was nervous, of course, and he didn’t want for the terrible year to become even worse just before it ended, but… he was her friend. He had to be someone who she could feel safe about confessing her darkest secret.

They entered the estate. He had been there plenty of times, but ever since Kanako fell down, he’d only gone there to set up the party for the “recovery”, back when he was being naïve about what her recovery and her mother's plan with to Clover. Maybe if he realized that the government was most likely lying, he would have objected to the plan, but… of course he hoped for the girl’s return, and he trusted her. He realized she may have betrayed him, but… Clover forgave her, and so did she.

The mansion was as beautiful as he remembered (though maybe Chujin’d overspent on it), but it was dark, dusty and it felt… abandoned. On the floor, tracks of sand remained, brought over by him and his posse, Feathers, and… Clover. When he was still around, chujin asked guests to replace their outside footwear with slippers, and Ceroba had kept the tradition after his death, but after Kanako she stopped bothering. Perhaps in another time she would have complained about all the sand, but today she was silent, focused on something more important.

The entrance hallway led to a room with bamboo plants and a rug with beautiful art featuring the crest of the Ketsukane family over a mountain, behind which was a door with breathtaking art featuring cherry blossoms making the face of a fox monster. Like Kanako’s beautiful mask, which she proudly showed to everyone she knew when she made it… perhaps that’s where she got the idea for it. And now, it was broken, thanks to Ceroba’s decision not to back down. What the hell was she thinking, using her daughter’s hard work to execute a horrible plan?

Ceroba pulled out a key and opened the door to the kitchen. He remembered it’d been locked that day, and given she was in the Steamworks back then, he had to take a longer route to it than most of the times he came over. However, it looked like Ceroba was prepared today. Was she going to reveal her secret while they ate?

After a short hallway… here they were, at the place where their two families ate meals together, next to the fireplace. So many good memories… even if they ate there again, it just wouldn’t be the same without Chujin or Kanako.

Though the kitchen didn’t look like it did once, despite the fact that the mansion had been mostly untouched after being abandoned. It looked like someone had moved the kotatsu (…the blue feathers on it made the identity of that “someone” obvious…) and exposed the trapdoor, like Ed did, and didn't bother to move it back.

“Down here,” stated Ceroba quietly.

“A-alright.” And so they entered that eerie grey room, with its remains of robots, notes on SOUL research and tapes. He never spent too much time in the room, but it was clearly worrying, so worrying that he and Ed rushed towards Hotland to intercept her. And thankfully, they arrived in the nick of time… he didn’t want to imagine what would’ve happened if it was too late. Would he still be Ceroba’s friend, had she been the one to murder the honorary sheriff?

“…well, no more stalling.” Ceroba took a deep breath. “Starlo… are you ready?” His SOUL was pounding, but he nodded after about half a second. “…alright, then. Now, this place… it’s where Chujin did his SOUL research,” she explained.

“I know… he taped his plan, didn’t he? I never watched the tapes, but from what I’ve gathered he tried to make some kind of serum with a human and Boss Monster SOUL.”

“Yes. He wanted to turn all of us into Boss Monsters. He tried creating it with an impure SOUL, the SOUL of that violent human,” Ceroba explained.

“I see…” He didn’t know much about SOUL science, but it’d make sense for the SOUL of a human like that to be harmful to a monster. “So that’s why you tried with… with Clover’s.”

“Y-yes. I just… I just didn’t want to be seen as a failure of a wife. A-and I though it’d save monsterkind, a-and…”

“Ceroba… their life was more important than some legacy, some serum,” Starlo explained.

“M-may-”

“MAYBE? YOU STILL THINK KILLING THEM WOULD HAVE…”

“I… it’s a terrible moral cost, I know. I… I betrayed them, I hurt you and Martlet, I tried to kill them.”

“Yes. Being a ‘hero’ wasn’t worth it.” Trying to be a ‘hero’ led him to do the most horrible action of his life, and now that he held the title, he knew its cost. It weighed on him, letting the child go to that damn butcher.

“But… without the serum, monsterkind is hopeless against humans. Unless seven SOULs really do make a God, but that would be worse.”

“It would… damn it, I hate Asgore, but in the end… Feathers was right. We can live in peace. We can find allies in the good humans, like the deputy. Clover believed in peace between the races, and that’s a good legacy to fulfill.”

Ceroba closed her eyes. “I hope you’re right.” Maybe he was being too naïve, maybe the world wasn’t like his missions where justice always won, but after Clover, he didn’t believe that peace was hopeless. Difficult, maybe, but it was worth it. “And… maybe I would have been incapable. I’m no Chujin.”

“Could the serum have even been made in the first place? What if… what if purity wasn’t the problem? Clover wouldn’t have liked their SOUL to be used for that serum, that’s for sure!”.

“…my husband studied these things for years. He knew what he was talking about. But… raising Kanako, working at that damn café, and then having to read his notes, trying to make the serum work… I wasn’t smart enough, and I was exhausted.”

“It looks like he’d placed a heavy burden on you. Far too heavy.”

“He… he believed in me. I didn’t want to fail him. I… I worked hard, incapable as I was.”

“You’re no scientist, and you had to raise a daughter. He should’ve known that!” he argued.

“…he believed it would save monsterkind. I was under so much pressure, but I never considered giving up.” And it made her nearly kill Clover and hurt Feathers. The energetic and cheerful girl, the responsible and caring woman he knew, his best friend… she did terrible things, all because of some legacy. He also helped others and was kind, wasn’t he? But it looked he picked a worse legacy to leave behind, a task that harmed his wife.

“You should have,” he replied. Ceroba was silent. “Now… I know he was a kind man, but he should have never tasked you with that plan. Now then… is that what you wanted to confess?”

“No. Everything I’ve said so far is anything Martlet or anyone who watched the tapes would know. But… the serum. It… it doesn’t just require a Boss Monster SOUL…”

“Of course. That’s why Chujin experimented on himself and died, sadly. And you tried to break into that lab and use the SOUL of your own fallen down daughter, didn’t you? Ceroba, what the hell were you doing? She was unconscious, but using the SOUL of someone who can’t consent? And didn't you realize how'd risky it'd be to break into that lab? And, didn’t Martlet say something about her not being a factor in this?”

Ceroba paused for a few seconds in response to his outburst. She really trusted her that day, but her husband’s stupid plan, her refusal to scrap it despite all the harm it caused… she was getting better, and he couldn’t say he was innocent with Clover, but… she was going in a dark path before thankfully stopping.

“Yes, she did. And, like you said, she was completely right. Haven’t seen you call her by her name since that day.” Ceroba closed her eyes. “Martlet… poor, naïve, admirable, Martlet. And, for that matter, poor Dalv. Starlo… I… I must request something terrible of you. These two deserve to know the truth, they really do, but… please, promise not tell them anything of what I’m about to say until the next human’s life is spared. You… will feel guilty for keeping this secret, and rightfully so, but… pragmatically, I feel it is the best course of action.”

“I… it’s something horrible, isn’t it? Ceroba, what the hell are you hiding? And… don’t you trust your friends?”

“…I trust them to do good.”

“…but you don’t feel the same way about me.” Ceroba was shocked upon realizing the implications of what she just said.

“No. It’s not that. You can be a her…” Ceroba paused. “…not a nice word, for either of us. But… you’re a good man, Starlo. And I trust you to keep dark secrets. And you’ve been my friend for far longer than those two. Like I said, I'm deeply sorry for burdening you, but… would you like to hear the truth?”

“Of course,” he said without hesitating. “I’d be better for you to stop hiding whatever it is… from everyone.”

“But you promise not to tell anyone until the human’s life is spared.” Reluctantly, he nodded with a frown on his face. “…very well. Now, as you said, the serum needs a Boss Monster and a human. Actually, a few weeks before he died, Chujin got rid of the human's SOUL.”

“Yes. The SOUL that had suddenly reappeared in Waterfall… it was all over the news earlies this year. But… you said you continued the experiments after Chujin’s death…”

“Well… he left over an extract from the SOUL so that I could learn about its properties. Strictly forbidden to use for the actual serum, his notes told me,” she explained.

“I see… so you had the extract of a SOUL. That’s illegal, of course, but it’s not like I’d not snitch for it, and I don’t think Martlet and Dalv would either. Still, if it makes you happy, I won’t tell ‘em. Well, looks like it’s time to leave…” Thankfully, it wasn’t nearly as bad a secret as he thought it'd be.

“Ah, Starlo. Did you think that was the only secret that I was hiding? That this is my dark secret? If only.” She sighed. “I… I also found something in Chujin’s notes. Something about the substance of the SOUL, and how he theorized he could detect the corruption with it. U-using magic and his research, I…” Her eyes began to well up with tears. “How stupid was I? I… I thought I had a method, but…”

“You… you thought you already had a pure human SOUL?”

“How naïve I was. Of course, I wasn’t completely certain about its chance, r-rightfully, so I threw the note the trash. Still. I trusted my own i-intelligence too much. O-of course, there wasn’t a willing Boss Monster…”

“Of course there wasn’t. They’re not exactly a common sight. I know there’s the King, a-and…” He paused. The fact that Kanako, like her father and Asriel, was dead hit him suddenly.

“A-and the Queen, perhaps, but she’s out of my reach, like the King. I… I tried to find another Boss Monster, I looked at Chujin’s notes, but… the search came up empty.”

“So, then, your option was…” The realization struck him. “N-no, it couldn’t be. It… it couldn’t.” He trembled.

“Starlo… why did you think Kanako suddenly fell down? It wasn’t due to grief, not was it from the corruption being interrupted.”

He fell silent for a minute. He knew exactly what that implied. Had he been too naïve about Ceroba still? He didn’t want to ask too many questions about a child suddenly falling down, but… he couldn’t believe it. He couldn’t believe it, his best friend since he remembered keeping all those secrets, and forcing him to hide them from her other friends. Finally, he had to reply.

“Ceroba… what the hell did you do? I… I don’t understand. I… surely the serum wasn’t worth it.” His eyes began to well up with tears. “K-kanako… w-why…”

“I… I…” Ceroba began to sob. “I thought it was pure, that it'd work. She found the note in the trash, told me we’d be heroes, and I… what the hell did I do? She wasn't even old enough to say 'extract' without struggling, a-and I…”

“You stabbed her with the syringe. In the end… you killed a precious little girl. Your precious little girl.”

“Yes. And I tried to ‘fix’ it by killing another child.”

“Ceroba! You still kept trying to make the serum after everything? You tried to kill another child even after Martlet and I told you it was wrong?”

“Yes, I did. I… fuck. I’m horrible. I… I don’t think I deserve your friendship, Star.”

He paused for a few minutes. He had so much to process. Chujin’s legacy… he had begun to hate what I’d done to her. Maybe he was always polite, but his obssession with that serum… and hers too. Kanako was dead because of her. And he… he had to process that now. And he had to keep Martlet and Dalv in the dark too? No.

“I…I’m going to tell Martlet and Da-“

“Unfortunately, it’s not wise to…”

“AND YOU STILL CALL THEM YOUR FRIENDS?”

“I committed a crime! And, if I’m in jail I can’t do anything to help save the seventh’s life!” He was still trembling with rage for being made to do that, but after processing her statement…

“I… I guess you’re right.” He sighed. “Ceroba… what you kept from was horrible, no sugarcoating it. Now, when the next human’s life is saved, do you promise to reveal the truth?” Ceroba nodded immediately. “…good. Ceroba… you’ve changed for the better. You’re not the person who tried who tried to kill Clover on that rooftop anymore, at least.”

“…perhaps. I have so many debts I need to pay, I know, and I’ve done so many things that can never be forgiven. Kanako… she’ll never laugh again, play again, draw again. By the way… I swear I’m not lying, and I’m not trying to look for forgiveness, but… strange as it sound, when I was trying to kill them… Clover looked at my memories.”

“They did?” Huh… he didn’t know much about human abilities. And thanks to that damn murdered, he’d never get to see what else they were capable of.

“Yes. They knew what I did to Kanako, and they forgave me still. What a pure SOUL they were. Someone who didn’t deserve anything that happened. After everything, I promise to never harm another child, human or not, and to never try to create the Boss Monster serum.”

“And you better keep that promise! For now… I… there’s so many things I have to process. I… I’ll go to my parent’s house.”

“Alright. Crestina told me she’s making Corn Chowder,” Ceroba revealed.

“Alright… see you around. And don’t expect me to spend New Year’s with you. I… I need time to think.” He’d always spent it with his and her families, but… this was a special case.

“I understand. I think it’s time for me to leave, too.”

Slowly, they both left the mansion. Ceroba told him she’d decided to observe a flower in the town she had learned about earlier today, while he went back to his parent’s house and ate some Corn Chowder (it had been made for Ceroba, his mother said, but there was enough for him to eat a part… though she felt the widow wouldn’t be coming today). As he ate it between tears, he thought about the horrible revelations he had to deal with, the secret she had now burdened him with…

And how, despite everything, he still considered Ceroba a friend.

POV: A flower

Golly, what an interesting thing to learn about that crazy fox lady! Apparently, that crazy fox lady was an even worse scientist that her husband, and she'd made her daughter fall down before that cowardly nerd made her all goopy! But speaking of cowards, that lady’d hid that from all her so-called friends until today, and she was still doing it with that idiotically naïve birdbrain and that loser vampire.

But he had to thank for all the information she’d been given. He had to play his cards right (and, thank to his power, he would eventually), but he felt he had won a major victory in his plan to make their attempt to replace Gun-hat irrelevant. He was so grateful for what she’d done! In return, he had to give her an important lesson:

There is no ticket to redemption for your actions.

Chapter Text

POV: Ceroba

As she left the mansion, she was filled with shame. Even if she felt keeping her great sin secret from Martlet and Dalv was the most rational action, it was still horrible to deny people like them the truth. Still, Star had promised to hold her accountable and made her promise to tell the truth if the mission succeeded, and she was proud of him for that. Even so, it was a shame she would spend New Year’s Eve without him. She had always spent it with his family every year since meeting him, but… she hadn’t murdered her precious Kanako yet, the child everyone in the Dunes loved. The revelation his so-called “best friend” committed such a heinous act… she knew that if she was in his boots she wouldn’t handle it well either.

Perhaps this was why that plant, that desire to make the Meadow bloom again enticed her so much. Just a way to somehow make up for unforgiveable acts? Perhaps, but… even so, it was never wrong to do good, was it? Kanako and Clover, those poor children… they would have loved it. So… after weeping for a few minutes, she shared her desire to contribute to the project to the rock man in charge of it. After praising her husband and his gardening work (…she really couldn’t live up to him at all. Did she even deserve to marry someone like him? Well, he loved her, he loved her even with all her faults, but… what would she say in the afterlife about Kanako? His daughter, the prodigy he loved to play with, to teach, to hug, feed and care for! What would he say about his beloved wife murdering her?... impossible to know, tragically), he said he appreciated her aid and was even willing to teach her in a few weeks, but for now he was busy. He also shared that, thankfully, many monsters had already joined, but he was sure to talk to her if she was ever needed. She thanked and appreciated him, but… could she even be good for anything? Still, her future apprenticeship was something to look forwards to, at least, and working for Celestina and Solomon did give her experience, so she was hopeful on that front. Hope… was it something she was naïve about? Maybe she was just a cynic, but… at the very least, hope was worth fighting for.

And then, there was the matter of New Year’s Eve tomorrow. Like the day Clover died, she talked to Dina about locking the Saloon towards only Clover’s allies (minus Star and plus Dalv this time, of course…). The armadillo was understanding, but there was a problem: she was running a business, and locking the Saloon during a holiday would obviously be a poor financial move, so she promised to give her 750 G as compensation. She did manage to give her a 250 G down payment. The debt wasn’t too onerous, thankfully, and she didn’t feel it’d take her too much work at Sunnyside Farm to pay it off, especially since Dina was rather generous with deadlines. Perhaps… she was a friend. At the very least, she was one of the few people who knew what she did to Kanako, when the fact they were alone in the Saloon and her drunken lack of inhibition made her reveal her worst secret. The bartender was shaken, clearly, but she was also great at keeping secrets. She never leaked out a word…

She also told the bartender Star wouldn’t be coming there, for the first New Year’s Eve since she opened shop there… and the cause, even. Dina was saddened, but of course, she was understanding… and she also told the bartender to not say a word to the Feisty Four, and tomorrow’s visitors. Dina told her she was disappointed in her, and that honesty was a virtue… but it was all too risky for the plan. The armadillo admitted she wasn’t better in that department (worse even; “I know the darkest secrets of half the Dunes,” she said) too, but… it was for the greater good of humankind of monsterkind, but she really felt terrible with herself.

And then, she went home, showered, made herself some water brushed her teeth. Nothing to do but stew in her guilt, and think about all the people that would never see 2114 because of her. Even though she didn’t leave her bed for the rest of the day, she barely slept. She feared her nightmares… although the reality of what happened to Chujin, Kanako and Clover was bad enough. Enough to keep her awake for a while.

Eventually, though, she fell asleep. And she dreamed. It was a sweet dream, of when she fell in that ditch and saved him, of their dates, their intimacy, the birth of Kanako, the meals, the times they played together, the years gone by.

And then… she dreamed of Chujin’s decay. And she woke up cradling his dust. She cried for what felt like forever before her fallen down daughter next to Clover’s corpse shook her awake, awake in reality. And she wept.

Soon enough, the sound of an eagle screeching marked the beginning of the last of the year in the Wild East and the rest of the Feisty Four woke up one by one. Of course, the order of showers, tooth brushing and clothing was… chaotic at the beginning of her moving there, but thankfully they had agreed to a schedule. It was Star, then Ed, then Mooch, then Ace, then Moray, then her, with the first becoming the last every day. Today Star was first, but he was in his parent’s home, of course. His posse didn’t suspect his absence right now, as he had often slept there after Clover was murdered (actually, his parents often told her they wanted him to visit him, but… of course, they wanted it to be in better circumstances). Of course, she’d have to break the news that he’d be absent, eventually (and lie about his motivation…), but for now she’d have to wait. And… she was last today, and she knew just how long they took, Ace and Moray especially.

As the posse slowly got ready, she thought about her nightmares, about her loss, and about how her meeting with Dalv and Martlet would go. She was prepared to feel like the scum she was.

After around an hour and a half, everyone was done showering and clothing. Ed and Moray donned fancier outfits for the holiday, while Ace and Mooch wore their usual attire. It was time for her to get out of bed, brush her teeth and shower, but beforehand, she had news to break.

“Hey… Star won’t be coming to the Saloon. He… he wants to stay with his family today. P-please respect that,” she requested.

“Oh, really? What a shame…” said Mooch.

“Yeah… looks like he ain’t doing well, not that I can blame the poor guy. Been a terrible year for him,” said Ed.

“…and for you, too, Ceroba,” said Ace as he covered his face with his hat. “Can’t imagine what it’s like to lose your husband and daughter, and the honorary sheriff, too,” said Ace.

“Yeah… I can’t even imagine what you two are going through either,” said Moray. “Kanako… we all miss her so much. She… she liked participating in our antics, at least as much as you and Chujin allowed her too. And the drawings she made were so nice…” The fish sighed and gave her a mournful look. Everyone loved her. And she killed her, and she kept nearly everyone in the dark about because she was a coward!

“T-they really were.” As was a common occurrence now, her eyes began to well up, so easily now. Between the crossing and Chujin’s last days, she’d never shed tears once, and now look at her. “And Clover… the time I spent in the Steamworks made me realize what a great soul they were.” They really were pure… of course, they had to be for the plan, but how could she justify herself killing someone like that? Maybe, if the serum worked, monsterkind could have been saved, but it was likely that she didn’t have the skill, and Chujin would have been ashamed of what she did to Kanako, and she rightfully wouldn’t have Star or Martlet or Dalv’s friendship…

“The honorary sheriff… that day, we took out our frustration with Star on ‘em, and…” admitted Ed.

“Indeed. They were treated terribly throughout their entire stay in the Underground, and yet they never lost their kindness, their desire not to take lives. They… they should have been friends with Kanako,” she said mournfully, even though she was the main reason they never met. “But… unfortunately, we can’t change the past, but we can how we live from now on, as a good friend of mine once said. Whatever happens… I’m just glad this horrible year is almost behind us. But… before that, I’ll have to shower,” she reminded the Feisty Four. “See you later at the Saloon.”

“Alright,” said Moray. “By the way… I know you told me Martlet spent Gyftmas with a Royal Guard when I returned here the day after Gyftmas, but… you also said she’d be here today, right?”

“Indeed she will, assuming nothing unforeseen happens.” Hopefully she wouldn’t get herself into trouble… she still felt the meeting with Red was a bad move on her part. She wondered if she would have been honest with her about her sins if that hadn’t happened.

“That’s nice to hear. She must also be grieving still, but… I hope today takes her mind off of things, at least for a bit.” Well, assuming Flier didn’t call her… she had to admit that his contributions to the plan were rather valuable, in spite of his poor attack and defense. “She’s a real hero to me,” proclaimed the fish.

“Well, she wouldn’t like to be called that… but I admire her resolve and willingness to fight for what she believes in,” she replied. “I haven’t seen her in over a week, but it’ll be nice for us to meet again. Well, then… time to get ready,” she said as she made her way to the bathroom.

She spent more time in the shower than she wanted to admit. Without any eyes on her, it was easy for her to weep pathetically over her actions, actions that could have easily been avoided. She knew she had to do her best to prevent the war now, to prevent disappointing her allies any further.

Finally, she dried herself and put on a red kimono and boots, like in the day she met Clover. A simple outfit, but formal enough to be appropriate for the holiday, she thought.

When she stepped out, the hideout was already empty. She really had taken her time in the shower, hadn’t she? Though, when she made her way to the Saloon, eating some corn-based cereal first, Martlet and Dalv hadn’t yet arrived.

Even though only five people were in the Saloon besides her (certainly, there were a few angry monsters outside, but it looked like Ed going outside once in a while was enough to dissuade them from trying anything), that didn’t make it any less loud than usual. The monsters laughed, drank some Adult Soda and Root Beer (although a certain kleptomaniac squirrel only drank the root beer… not by choice, although Dina was very competent at using magic, traps, snakes and sometimes just her physical strength to keep Adult Soda out of the squirrel’s reach, as Ed, Moray and Ace told her, to the squirrel’s embarrassment). Eventually, lunchtime came, and with it, the Feisty Sliders. All the while, the monsters shared stories about Star, their “missions”, embarrassing stories involving mostly Mooch and sometimes Ace and Moray, shared some bullet patterns and… sometimes, they talked how much they missed Kanako and Clover, even though they barely met the latter, tragically. However, they generally avoided those heavier subjects; they generally didn’t want to bring the mood down, and they probably didn’t like reminding her of her losses.

As the hours passed, she felt like an outsider, even though she had lived with them for a few months now, and had known them for about two decades. After all, they were Star’s friends, not hers, and so she barely talked. Besides her self-loathing for keeping her killing of Kanako from them, the main thing dominating her thoughts was the possibility of Star and Clover being with them. The sheriff, the deputy, and their posse. And, wouldn’t Kanako want to be a member, as much as her parents had discouraged it? The saloon was loud and lively, certainly, and yet she only could think about absence.

On a somewhat lighter note, she noticed neither Dalv nor Martlet had arrived. Both were broken up about Clover’s death, obviously, but she didn’t think they’d skip New Year’s Eve, especially without announcing them. Well, she didn’t know about Dalv, but Chujin always told her Martlet wasn’t the most punctual (even though they met at her house. She liked buying coffee at the Honeydew Resort for both beforehand, but even so!), so this wasn’t unexpected. Still, given her lack of deep bonds with anyone there… she was somewhat bored.

She checked the clock above the saloon’s swinging doors. 5:34 p.m.. About six and a half hours remained until New Year’s. She didn’t want to be seen drinking in public, not after her supposed “recovery”, so she ordered her third Root Beer of the day (she’d probably switch to Icewater afterwards, given how sweet the drink was…). As she began drinking, a blue bird monster kicked the door open.

“S-sorry if I’m late!” Martlet exclaimed as she entered the building. She was wearing a dark blue suit with a yellow tie, a belt with a golden buckle and her usual boots, along with the goggles Starlo had given her for Gyftmas. She noticed the outfit lacked sleeves; it looked like they’d been ripped out. She looked… sweaty.

She rose to greet her friend.

“Hey, Martlet. Glad to see you.” She smiled. “Actually, I know I’ve already thanked you via letter, but… thanks again for your staff. It means a lot to me.” Certainly, she wasn’t used to the feather at the end yet, but… it meant the bird was her own person, separate from her mentor. And… maybe she didn’t deserve to use his walking stick after what she did to his daughter.

“Aw, you’re welcome! Actually, your fan…” She looked around her satchel and her pockets before shaking her head in disappointment. “Oh… I may have forgotten to bring it here. Well, can’t go 24 hours without screwing something up, no matter the year… gosh, and this suit is so nice too, but I hate the heat! Like, it’s a shame I wasted this opportunity to wear something other than rags, a-and… um, I may be just rambling… anyway, before getting down to business, I’d like to greet the other monsters. Um, by the way… where’s Starlo?”

Right. Some “friend” she was, keeping the truth from someone like her… and yet, she really was afraid of the consequences of her slipping something out, the guilt she’d feel if she were to be arrested… or, perhaps, the righteous hatred she’d hold for her. Well… time to make up an excuse.

“He… he didn’t have a good year.” Of course, what he learned yesterday didn’t help… “Not just Clover, but Kanako too. He’s spending it alone at his parent’s house.”

Martlet replied with a mournful look. All of a sudden, she felt so much guilt from keeping the secret from her. What a shame she only got to meet Kanako at her husband’s funeral.

“I see,” said the bird. “I… I understand how he feels. When you see him, tell him he’s not alone in his grief. What a horrible year it’s been… although at least I have you and Dina the Feisty Four, though I haven’t interacted too much with the latter. Still… it’s time we exchanged greetings. Sorry for bringing the mood down.”

“It’s fine,” said Moray as they got up to shake her wing. “Nice suit, by the way… though, no sleeves?”

“I don’t like ‘em,” stated the bird. Moray laughed at the bluntness of her statement. Martlet exchanged greetings with Ed, Ace and Dina (from which she ordered two Icewaters) too, before moving on to Mooch. She knew about the squirrel’s nature, so the fact that she acted guarded around her didn’t surprise… but what did was the disdain she saw in Martlet’s face. It was perhaps a dumb assumption, but she didn’t expect someone like her would be capable of that…

“Oh… hey, Mooch. I… I appreciate what you’ve done for the cause, a-and I guess the anchor was nice…” she said with clear reluctance, “and, honestly, I even wouldn’t have been mad at you for breaking into my house, but… eating my pears? How DARE you?” She was a bit shocked at the sheer rage of that last statement.

“She broke into yer house?” asked Ed.

“Well, she had her reasons for doing so, but the pears? I… I was really looking forwards to them!” Mooch was clearly sweating.

“I… I’m sorry. Running to Snowdin took a lot of ene-”

“You could have asked. I wouldn’t have minded! Look, maybe you got unlucky, because if you had stolen any food that wasn’t a pancake, a pear or an apple I could have forgiven you, but now… sorry, but justice must be done!”

“W-what do you mean?” Mooch was sweating bullets now. “L-look, last time we fought…”

“I… no, I don’t seek a violent solution for now,” said Martlet, “…even if I feel Ace and Moray did most of the job back then. I’m just… North Star isn’t here, for understandable reasons, but if the sheriff can jail me just for wanting to pass through his town with a human, he can allow justice to be done.”

“I… I’ll talk to him later, when he’s mentally better,” said Ace. “I’ll see what he can do.”

“I mean, if he jails Mooch for a crime committed in Snowdin, that’ll show to the rest of the Kingdom that the Wild East is loyal, which would be good in preventing suspicion from falling on us,” she pointed out.

“Um, I guess… I just really wanted to eat those pears, but you know what? Thanks to Ace, I feel the matter is settled for now. However, if you dare to lay a paw on my pears again, Mooch… well, prepare to see feathers!” Martlet threatened.

“Well, I guess I’ll lay off you… even if feathers really don’t seem scary,” said Mooch.

“That’s… that’s just what my bullets look like. I mean, I also have physical means of attack, but feathers… they’re just what my self-expression looks like. Do they look weak? B-because I feel I’m weak. Too weak,” said Martlet.

“Martlet… do you still feel bad about what happened when you went to the Wild East?” asked Moray. “Don’t be. We had the numbers advantage back then, but now, we’re you’re allies. We’ll do our best to protect the next human from harm together, I promise!”

“Thanks, Moray. I’m sure you’ll all do your best, but it’s just… the path to the Wild East is rather long. Who knows what we could do against other monsters, my boss especially?...  actually, I realized that, given strength is futile, I’ve been thinking about other means, like just fleeing, or something special I learned yes-” her speech was interrupted by two monsters opening the Saloon doors. Dalv, wearing a dark purple suit and a black tie, along with Martlet’s clover pin, and Penilla, wearing a black dress and hat.

“Excuse me, but…” said Dina before Dalv interrupted him.

“Penilla is an ally of us. She… she met Clover, even,” said Dalv.

“Yes. Whatever you’re planning, I won’t leak anything. I’m sure Dalv would be disappointed in me if I did, and… even though I didn’t meet them for very long, Clover taught me the importance of taking breaks sometimes… like today. I didn’t draw anything… By the way… of course, food criticism wasn’t for me in the end, but may I have a Root Beer and a Feisty Slider? They were, at the very least tasty,” said the small lizard artist.

“Alright. 52 G And what do ya want, Dalv?” the bartender asked.

“The same, actually. Or maybe some Adult Soda instead…”

“Alright. Well, yer getting your ‘Hero’s Discount,’ thanks to Ceroba over there.”

“That’s nice. Rorrim has been successful and generous enough to offer us 100 G for today, as well as these outfits, but if it wasn’t for this discount we’d be 2 G in debt,” Penilla pointed out. “Which isn’t much, but debt is annoying to have.” And he really did deserve his discount, unlike her! Just compare their actions in regards to Kanako… her 500 G debt was justified, really.

“Good to know,” she replied. It was so shameful what he did to the girl he saved. “Thank you so much for saving Kanako. It means so much to me.”

“U-um, thanks. I’m really sorry for your loss.” Dalv looked at her sadly. “By the way… Penilla told me my first children’s book, Peek-a-Boo with Fluffy Bunny is ready to be published next month. At least other kids still have the opportunity to be happy… of course, I owe a lot of it to Penilla.” Maybe Kanako would have loved it…

“Indeed. The book’s art style isn’t the most technically proficient, but it’s charming enough that children could find it appealing,” stated the lizard.

“Actually, I got a preview of it for Gyftmas,” Martlet revealed. “And, yeah, I’m sure Penilla’s right. It’s a nice looking-book… and it’s set in a field of clovers.” Hearing ‘clovers’ hit her like a ton of bricks.

“I… I see. That’s… a nice way to remember them,” she told the vampire. He was such a good man…

“Thanks. I didn’t know them for a long time, but I wanted to find a way to honor them, however small,” he said.

“That’s very sweet of you, Dalv. I… I’m so sorry we took the wrong decisions that day,” said Martlet. “By the way, u-um… this is more for technical than artistic ends, but… yesterday, I did some cartography, like I promised.” From her satchel, she pulled out some pieces of papers that looked like they’d been ripped out of something. “I… I actually had to turn back mid-flight because I forgot them, but these pages are important. It’s a bit of a first draft, and, well with 2D I’m not the most skilled, but… please give these to Starlo when you can, Ceroba.”

“Alright.” She examined the drawings. They were somewhat crude, but they were readable enough (although she wasn’t familiar enough with the region to tell whether it was accurate), though something stuck out to her as rather odd.

“Um… this gap. Are you sure the size is accurate? Because it feels like it should be much bigger.” After all, surely there had to be a reason it had no bridge despite how tiny it looked, right?

“Oh, that’s the famed disproportionately small gap!... well, I don’t know if that’s what most people call it, but my cousin changed their name to ‘Bird That Carries You Over a Disproportionately Small Gap’ for a reason! But, yes, the size is accurate,” Martlet confirmed. “It may be weird, but I’m not a professional geographer, so it’s not like I can explain this phenomenon.”

“U-um… if the gap is tiny, couldn’t you just…  build a bridge over it? Certainly would be a better use of wood than that weird maze near the Dump,” she pointed out.

“Yeah, I don’t get that weird dead-end either, but… no, I’m not going to leave my cousin out of a job, out of an identity. They… I don’t have much family left.” All of a sudden, she remembered how Martlet told her about her parents in that rooftop. She felt terrible for her… she had lost her parents, too, so she knew her pain. Though… she also lost an husband, and murdered her own daughter, but it didn’t feel right to compare their pain. All of her friends had suffered loss in some way, tragically.

“Yes… I’m sorry,” she told Martlet.

“It… it’s no big deal. I know you didn’t mean anything bad. Oh, by the way… I don’t think I’ve ever told you, but… I saw your husband as almost like a second father. He… gave me guidance, purpose, he was such a kind man… his loss hit me, as much as I’m sure it did you. Seeing him die… it was like my father all over again. It’s been a terrible year.” And her mother fell down a few months ago, too… she didn’t realize just how hellish 2113 had been for the avian until now.

“God… that’s horrible,” said Dalv. “I didn’t know him that well, either, but… learning Chujin and Kanako and Clover were all gone… I don’t regret ending my isolation, but it’s so painful… maybe if I wasn’t afraid…”

“Dalv… don’t worry. You weren’t at fault for anything that happened.” If only she had tried to learn what he was doing when he was disappearing… and, of course, Kanako’s death was nobody’s fault but her own. “I’m really sorry someone like you had to live in a world like this… and the same goes to you, Martlet.” It was so unjust, the amount of innocents that died and grieved because of the fucking humans that started the war centuries ago and the coward that ruled over them… and the idiot that she was, too.

“Everyone here’s suffered from the consequences of the crimes of centuries ago. Clover, most of all.” Martlet sighed. “Poor kid… though, it wasn’t the first. Ceroba… I have something to confess. Yesterday, I met Gerson…”

“YOU MET GERSON?” Gerson, the former captain of the Royal Guard? The man who served as a mentor to Undyne? What the hell was she thinking? As terrible as it was to keep the truth about Kanako from her… though, perhaps she was being unfair. Maybe she didn’t say anything…

“The old Captain of the Royal Guard? He’s still alive? Did you… did you reveal anything?” asked Dalv.

“Um, to be clear, I didn’t rat any of you out. Still… turns out, he… met the fourth human to fell, and, like me, he… revealed their existence to Asgore. They were innocent, but… it didn’t save them. They… they justed wanted to learn information in her notebook. I… did other humans befriends monsters too?” Martlet began to shed tears. “A-and yes. I… I told him about Clover. A-about my sympathies. I just…”

“You… you’re aware he’s good friends with Undyne, right?” She asked. Martlet… she was too naïve. Too naïve. What a cruel universe she had been born in…

“He… promised not to rat me out,” Martlet argued.

“And I promised not to harm Clover in that jail,” she reminded her.

“…yes. I… I know I may be bad at keeping secrets, but… there’s useful things I learned. He sells Sea Tea…”

“The tea that makes you quicker? You just learned about it?” asked Mooch.

“…yes. I never expected an adult not to know about it,” said Ace.

“U-um… well, it could be useful against my boss. Even if I feel all the caffeine in my system is probably bad,” said Martlet.

“The point is… this is the worst possible way you could have learned about it.” It was unfortunate, but it looked like the meeting brought her much more risk than reward. And she assumed she knew about the tea, but she realized she’d never brought it up before. Maybe it wasn’t popular in Snowdin? A shame, really, even if she didn’t enjoy the effects… well, maybe it could have been useful in the Steamworks. And it would be useful against Undyne, she acknowledged.

“Oh… well… there’s another thing I may have learned. It’s just a hypothesis, but…I… I have to admit I tried to assault Gerson. He… he said something that set him off, so I tried to shoot a few feathers, but… somehow, I had been prevented. He then said something about the ‘most powerful shield of all’. I… I didn’t get what he meant  then. Then, I went home, and Red came to me. Turns out, Mo’s ‘pop’ business in Snowdin… it was kind of illegal, and there was some tax evasion involved, so she shut it down. A-anyways… have you noticed how the vibes change when you’re buying in some shops but not others? Like…you’re kinda transported, or something?”

“Um… yes?”…where was she even going with this?”

“Yes, I know that feeling too,” said Ace.

“W-well, what if… that feeling was because some businesses are legal and some aren’t? And maybe the reason I couldn’t attack Gerson…” she speculated.

“Martlet… what the hell are you getting at? What does the law of the Kingdom of Monsters have to do with metaphysical law? And, are you sure Gerson didn’t have shield magic or something?” she asked. This was… baffling.

“Well, if it could help us, it’s worth a shot. And, even if it doesn’t… I don’t think Mo is a bad person at hear. So… I think it’d be nice to help him open a legal business. Look, I promise if he does anything illegal I’ll end the partnership, but… I could sell wooden sculptures and toys and simple furniture, maybe Dalv could sell children’s books or recordings of his mu-”  Dalv interrupted her explanation of whatever that plan was.

“U…um, sure. If it works… though I’d rather put the books in libraries too for those who cant’t afford them,” said Dalv.

“Right. Like the library in Snowdin. Whose sign is still misspelled… A-anyways, it’s only a secondary purpose! If legal business make one immune, then! A child could hide there for a while until the Captain goes to sleep. She doesn’t sleep much but it’d be enough time to get them to the Wild East. By the way, I haven’t mentioned but I want the business to be in Waterfall, given its central location and the potential it has to save a child’s life if they go there,” she stated.

“Would he even want to start that business?” She pointed out.

“Well… I hope he’d want to help contribute to our plan to prevent the war once I explain it.” Or maybe she was being too naïve. “And Gerson’s shop could serve as a backup option.” Or maybe she still being too naïve. And, even if he was willing to risk harboring another human… it was a horrible thing to think, but would he ever be alive when the next human came? Nobody knew how much time remained until the next one, after all.

“A-alright. Though… I’m still rather doubtful about the legal business immunity thing,” she admitted.

“Actually, I’ve been thinking,” Dina spoke up. “I’ve never really thought about till now, but I ain’t ever had a monster strike back during Crappy Hour. And my business sure is legal!”… wait, the bartender wasn’t wrong. She’d practically lived in that bar since Kanako’s death, and she’d never seen that, and she could hit hard!

“I… wait… I think Martlet's hypothesis may be right,” she said.

“That's nice to hear from you, but... what's Crappy Hour?” Martlet asked.

“Oh… you really aren’t from here, aren’t you? For an hour, Dina doubles the price of drinks and punches you. Not something I enjoy,” explained Mooch.

“Well, zero times two’s still zero… though that ain’t the cost of my drinks,” said Dina. “Well, yer strong enough to not have to go to the clinic, at least… saves me the 10 % discount coupon for there at the end. But the squirrel’s right. By the way…” Dina looked at the clock. “6:05 p.m.. It started just a few minutes ago.”

“Ah, I see. Violence. Y’know… Clover, they were hurt a lot, so much during their short stay here, and… don’t get me wrong, Ceroba and Asgore hit me, but my suffering was miniscule compared to theirs. I… assaulted them, left them to die in a cave, didn’t flee when I could… I failed them so much, and I got rewarded, promoted to lieutenant, called a ‘hero’… I don’t deserve any of this! Dina… you… you never harmed Clover once. So… please, hit me as hard as you can. I need to face consequences, feel even a fraction the pain they felt!” declared Martlet… was she okay.

“I don’t give out punches for free,” replied Dina. “And I don’t feel like doin’ it to someone in mourning. Look… it wasn’t yer fault.”

“Yes, Dina’s right. Martlet… you loved them, didn’t you? And they loved you, too. They wouldn’t have wanted you to be hurt. Of course you didn’t take their loss well, but more suffering wouldn’t help anything,” said Moray.

“Yes, listen to them. Look… I did worse to Clover, I… I even asked them to kill me, because I thought I was irredeemable, and yet they forgave me still.” They… they even knew what she did to Kanako. The world was so unjust to someone so kind and forgiving! “You once told me ‘you can’t change what has happened, but you can control how you live from now on’. Harming yourself… it won’t fix anything. Clover wouldn’t want you to be hurt.”

“Oh… thank you all. I… I guess you’re right. As this year ends, I realize… whatever happened, I can still help others. That’s better than harming myself. That’s what Clover would have wanted. It’s just… I feel so much guilt about what happened.” Although, really, she hadn’t done anything nearly as bad as killing her own daughter and hiding that fact from her. She felt like scum, but, rationally… she didn’t trust her with her darkest secrets, not when they could land her in jail.

“Yes. The way you came up with the plan to save the next human after Clover was murdered, the way you didn’t give up… it speaks to your character.” She smiled. “But… I fear the burden you’ve placed on yourself may be too heave. So, allow me to announce… I’ve been thinking about if for a while, but… I think I may join the Royal Guard.”

“Huh?” Martlet briefly gave her a look of disgust, before she realized her intentions. “Oh! So you can share information about it and secretly work to save the next human! And you do have a weapon, and you’re strong…”

“And… as much as I hate, I do qualify as a ‘Hero of Monsterkind’.” Although her lack of membership in the Royal Guard made her involvement in Clover’s murder a secret perhaps. Still, if Star received the title at Martlet’s request to not attract suspicion over the Royal Guard’s ban on entering the Wild East, she’d qualify too… “And, given your staff and friendship, and given that with Red you’d have made two people Royal Guards, it’d make people believe you’re still loyal to the Royal Guard, even though you quit. I feel it’s a good idea.”

“Yes… I suppose you can apply on the 2th, right? I do believe that’s a very good strategy for our side,” said Dalv.

“Yeah, it’s genius!” said Martlet.

“But… there’s a catch. A huge one. Royal Guards… can’t enter the Wild East. Sure, Star can come over sometimes, but… I’d have to spend much less time with him.” And move back to that lonely mansion, haunted by the loss of her family. After yesterday… she didn’t want to go back there ever again.

“So… you won’t get to see us, or Star often. Don't like that, 'specially for him” said Ed.

“And it means you can’t go my Saloon,” Dina pointed out. Indeed, she was still in debt to her… and going to Sunnyside Farm meant having to cross the Wild East, unless she wanted a long detour through the Steamworks. Even if the Guard covered financial matters, Star’s parents were nice people.

“Indeed… and yet, unfortunate as it is, I feel it’s the best choice. But… I’m not going to apply immediately, not when Star is grieving.” And processing the truth of her sin, too. “I’ll… wait a few weeks.”

“Alright. It’s a sacrifice, right? But getting information, training and stable income would be advantageous, I guess… still what a shame it’d be to be away from your good friend…” said Dalv.

“Yes… well, Ceroba…” Martlet stared at her. “…thank you for doing what I’m not strong enough to. You… could handle my boss’s training and lectures, I guess…” She gave a mournful look.

“Thank you. Though I feel it’ll be more difficult to tell Star…” So soon after he learned about Kanako, too… “By the way, does anyone have any news?”

“Well, Flier hasn’t report anything out of the usual… other that he’s begun hiding from the goat monster. Who likes buying snails, apparently,” said Penilla.

“Snails, huh? Actually, speaking of, there’s a monster in Waterfall who likes snails… Their name is Napstablook, I believe.” Martlet revealed. “Dalv told me Flier met them in the Ruins a few days ago, and since they’re a ghost they could be a good potential ally… but I didn’t get to talk to them yesterday. I mean, makes sense they wouldn’t talk with random monsters.”

“Well, if they’re trustworthy…” She didn’t like being cynical, but there had to be some balance to Martlet’s naivety, unfortunately… “Though, yes, any allies we can get would be good. Is that all?”

“Yes, I believe. Nothing comes to mind, at least,” said Dalv.

“Well… I think there’s nothing to do now but wait for 2114,” said Ace.

“Yes… and, finally, 2113 will be over. What a terrible year… the worst of my life, clearly. Don’t think it could get worse…” said Martlet.

“Well, a malicious and powerful human could come, or Asgore’s plan could succeed, or it could backfire…” She pointed out, even if it felt horrible for doing so. Still, those were real possibilities, sadly… things could get worse.

“Ceroba! We’re here to look forwards to the future,” said Ed.

“Yeah… maybe you’re being too cynical,” said Dalv.

“Ceroba… just… you’re not wrong about those being possibilities…” Martlet shuddered “b-but… we… we’re trying our best to prevent any of these for happening. I… I want hope for the future. The fact that the war isn’t guaranteed y-yet… it keeps me going after everything.”

“You… aren’t doing, OK, are you, Martlet? Well, as you said… not many good things happened this year,” said Moray.

“Oh, Martlet, and everyone else… I guess I keep bringing the mood down, don’t I? Well, there’s not many things to be happy about in my life right now.” Chujin, Kanako, Clover… they wouldn’t see 2114. And she bore the blame, especially with Kanako! “Yes, I do admit that it’s not inevitable. Hence why I’m planning on joining the Guard…” Despite the cost of not being able to go to the Wild East. “Of course, the future isn’t set in stone. Damn, it’s really a burden for us to carry… but as long as the coward won’t budge, it’s our responsibility…” Of course, after everything she did, she had do to do everything in her power to prevent the war, not allow another child to come to harm again. It’s the least she could do.

“Yeah…” Martlet sighed. “We didn’t choose to live in this situation, but… I’d feel disgusted with myself if I didn’t at least try, despite the risks. The stakes are awfully high, but… I haven’t lost hope yet. I just… hope I can make Clover proud. That… that’s my New Year’s resolution, I guess.”

“Well… I suppose it’s mine too. God… I hope 2114 is better than this hellhole.” Though she found comfort in the fact that she wasn’t grieving alone… unlike Star. God, she really was a coward, wasn’t she?

Chapter Text

POV: Martlet

5 January, 2114

The Dunes

As she landed on the sand, Mooch leapt out and lifted her from the weight she’d carried from behind her neck. Thankfully, she’d learned that she could, at least, fly while carrying people with the squirrel’s weight above her shoulders, although… it did slow her down, unfortunately, and her neck was a bit sore. Still, it was nice to learn that, at least a child could be saved… unless they were older, or a spear hit them, especially easier with their weight slowing them down. At least Sea Tea could make up for the loss a bit?... maybe it’d cancel out and bring her speed back to normal, which wasn’t too good.

Speaking of the drink, she had drunk it two days ago, when she made a map of Waterfall, thankfully bringing some Trail Mix with her this time, and maybe drowning some raisins, which hopefully wasn’t illegal… (at the very least, a monster got really angry about all the feathers she dropped in Waterfall and she had to do some clean all up afterwards, which was as boring as it sounded… ‘Wosh u feathers’, she recalled the green monster saying. At least its little bird was cute!... though maybe she wasn’t the most unbiased source for that). Buying it from Gerson made her realize what an useful tool it could be, though in the process she made some… unwise financial decisions. And, given her woodworking ads in the newspaper had received no reply… well, her Royal Guard salary was running out, and she didn’t want to ask Mo for help yet, wherever he was, especially since it turned out he really was a tax evader who ran an illegal business (although she would help him if decided to turn over a new leaf, which she felt he was very capable of. After all, he was a friend of Clover and someone who she felt could be a good ally. And, thankfully, his crimes weren’t prison-worthy, Red told her the day she shut down his non-invincibility-granting store). And, most of all… she didn’t want to use the 2000 G from the government she got for murdering Clover. She’d feel disgusted with herself for doing so. And so… it looked like it was time to ask her friends for money, or at least tips for getting a job and somehow keeping one despite the failure she clearly was.

“Well, that was nice! Didn’t feel like I’d fall most of the time, which is better than I expected! Though I feel I’m too squeaky for falls to really harm me,” claimed Mooch. When Ceroba called her earlier that day, telling her Starlo had recovered enough to meet with her, she also told him he’d jailed the squirrel for her crimes (she spent two whole hours in jail!) two days ago. She wasn’t on best terms with her, nor did she 100 % forgive her yet, but given the boredom she’d surely faced in those two hours, the contribution she’d made in giving her the anchor and destroying the cameras (shockingly, she still hadn’t been caught. She was sure if she was in her stilts she’d have dropped some feathers that would give her away, if she hadn’t made other scatterbrained mistakes first!), and the fact that she was the perfect weight to test out flying a human child, at least as far she knew, she considered the matter settled. Even if she missed the pears…

“Thank you, Mooch! A-and yeah, I really was afraid of dropping you…” Indeed, this was the reason she flew her outside the entrance to the Wild East and not the exit, with its steep drops, though it’s not like this area didn’t lack cliffs, either… “but it was nice to fly, wasn’t it?”

“Yeah, it is. Though not it’s like my first time. I’ve snuck into some mail baskets… I didn’t steal anything most of the time, mind you!”…OK, that last statement made her suspicious of her motives for doing so. “…anyways, it sure brings me back! By the way, can't bird monsters also use their feet to carry others? It looks like it’d be easier.” Indeed, she could do that, and the talon gloves had arrived yesterday, and fit perfectly, notwithstanding the fact she forgot to bring them to the Dunes today, but…

“…I’m not leaving my boots unattended around someone like you. They’re cozy, and fashionable, and they cost 500 G…” The squirrel interrupted her explanation.

“Oh, that’s rather valuable information you’ve given me!” Martlet, you and your big beak! “Look, I wouldn’t have cared about boots so unfashionable even if I had been allowed to wear them, but now…” Ugh, she would have been willing to test flying other with her talons if it had been anyone else, but…

“Rude.” She couldn’t tolerate the insult towards the pieces of footwear, which unlike their owner hadn’t done anything wrong. “Look… if you steal them, well, my talons are sharp.” Not as sharp as the ones of the being in her nightmares (Clover’s wounds there terrified her), but the marks in her mattress indicated something. “A-and I’d also talk to Starlo about punishing you legally! And, certainly, I wouldn’t fly with you again!” she declared.

“…phooey. Yeah, hurting our relationship would be bad for our plan. Yeah, I guess I won’t steal anything from you again, as much as I hate to say it.” Well, flying the seventh human with her talons was something she was willing to do if necessary, but… flying Mooch made her realize something. Actually, she didn’t know how good the Captain’s aim was, but she didn’t want to underestimate her. If she grabbed them, the human would be under her, a clearly separate target. But if they were on her back, the risk of the spear hitting her would be higher. And, given she was planning on distracting her ex-boss in places in high ceilings, where any spear would be fatal… she at least believed she wouldn’t outright kill a fellow monster, especially not a former employee who she even gave the title “Hero of Monsterkind” to, traitor or not. Was she being too naïve? Maybe, but she felt the Captain was a very open person in regards of what she what she was willing to do. Killing a human child was unfortunately something she’d do, but a fellow monster? “Well, looks like the experiment succeeded, didn’t it? Unless the next human is heavier, I guess.”

“…they were all children. And chances are the next one will be too.” They were all children… Ceroba was right about the mountain likely having a reputation in the human world. And, if a child went there, on purpose or out of ignorance… either way, it was heart-wrenching. “So… thank you for that. And your contributions. I don’t trust you fully, but I appreciate what you’ve done. And… thanks for giving back Clover’s coin.” As an ex-Royal Guard, she wasn’t too fond of criminals (…not like she was above theft herself. Actually, she never got to steal gemstones, but... she stared at the safe in her house every day for a reason.), but she had to admit that she, at the very least, had lines she wouldn’t cross. If she was a completely bad person, after all, she wouldn’t have four good friends.

“Oh, that’s so sentimental. Well, from your behavior, it’s obvious you haven’t taken their loss well. So I guess I can say something mushy like ‘I’m sorry for your loss’ this time…”

“Well, thank you. Was nice flying with you.” Flight… that breathtaking experience most monsters couldn’t get to see. How lucky she was, to get to do it every day! She wanted to do it with Clover so much… she remembered, as she entered the room where they were murdered, how she wished so badly for the happy ending she thought was possible, how it should have been possible had Asgore just listened to reason. Heh, she may have gone overboard in the safety measures she envisioned in their flight, but… she knew she couldn’t bear their loss. She didn’t in the end. In a way, she may want to thank her mission to prevent the next human’s fate for keeping her active, preventing her from stewing in her own misery. Justice is definitely what Clover would have wanted. She had to stay focused on the mission, not let her grief cause the death of another child. “By the way… mind if I bite your jacket?”

“What? Why?” she asked. "That's a very weird thing to ask about the blue, but it's so bold I'm interested. Nobody's ever asked me that before!"

“Um, maybe it's a weird request but... sorry, but I need to test something! Hopefully this won't take much,” she said before biting down. She flapped her wings and… turns out, Mooch was light enough! Well, not light light, but enough so that she would fly, although of course the weight limited her speed. As she flew under to the train tracks, to that cool-looking wagon with a oak base held together by iron nails, she spoke up. “Oh this is so ni-” she said before quickly realizing what it meant to talk while holding someone in her beak.

“Oh, gosh! Oh no! I… I’m so so so so so sorry!” she told the squirrel, lying on the ground. Oh gosh, would she dust soon? Would she have a charge of negligent manslaughter on her record and her conscience? How could she go on?

“I… I… t-there’s an hospital in the Wild East,” Mooch replied faintly. She held the poor thing gently in her wings and ran to the Wild East hospital.

“I… where was the hospital?” she said as the two women crossed the gate to the Wild East. Mooch’s voice didn’t look too good! How much time did she even have left? Gosh, she was such a scatterbrain, and now she had to potentially deal with causing two deaths, all because she couldn’t keep her beak shut!

As she panicked, the squirrel jumped out of her wings, stand up without any difficulty.

“Heh, gotcha!”

“W-what?” she replied.

“Did you really think that small fall could really damage me? I feel mildly injured at best. Nothing a few Adult Sodas… or I guess Root Beers couldn’t fix!”

“So, wait… you tricked me?”

“Um, maybe I did.” She replied to the confession with an angry stare. “Well, um, thanks for the free rides! This has been a good day for the cause, h-hasn't it?”

“…I… I’m going to the Saloon. Ceroba told me to meet up with Starlo there after I was done with you.”

“Wow, what a coincidence! I’m going there too.”

“A-alright… well, even if it wasn’t as bad as I thought, I’m sorry for dropping you.” At least she’d learned a lesson about talking while holding someone if her beak… even if it was very much common sense. C’mon, Martlet, you should be able to stop talking for a few minutes!

“Eh, whatever. It’s probably karma or something. Let’s drink!... non-alcoholic drinks. God, can’t believe you have the right to drink and you still don’t do it!” replied Mooch as they began to walk towards the Saloon.

“My… my mentor didn’t drink. It’s not great for your health anyway.” Well, neither was experimenting with an untested serum… “I… really don’t want to get addicted,” she stated. She feared, once she started, she couldn’t stop. She had to stay strong.

“Ah, whatever.” The squirrel said as she opened the doors, to see Ceroba, Starlo and Dina. “Well then, if it isn’t my good friends North Star and Ceroba and Moray and Dina!” As well as some monsters she hadn’t seen before, such as a fire monster with a cowboy hat, a bubble monster with a cowboy hat, a pyramid monster with a cowboy hat and a long, blue injured monster without a cowboy hat. Strangely, she got the impression his name was “Blembino.” Well, whatever his name was, the Saloon was open… which meant she couldn’t talk openly about the plan or Clover, tragically. “Though, y’know… I’m terribly injured! Oh, how it aches! I need medicine, Dina… if you know what I mean.” The squirrel with a cowboy hat winked at her.

“Alrighty, I’ll give you some Root Beer.”

“Heck.”

“By the way, ya ain’t lying for sympathy, are ya? If you are, ya gotta pay up!” said the armadillo without a cowboy hat.

“No, she really was injured,” she confirmed. Even if she was probably exaggerating the severity. “I… I spoke while flying her in beak.”

“Ah. Turns ya weren’t lying, so here’s your drink.” Dina gave her a glass of Root Beer.

“Um, Martlet, why the hell did you that? Well, I shouldn't be surprised about. Heh, we know each other well now, don’t we?” Ceroba smiled. “Nice to have you as a friend despite… you doing things like that.”

“Oh, thank you! Though, yeah, I… should probably have more awareness,” she admitted.

“Eh, I’m a sinner, so it's not that bad this happened. Plus I got a free drink out of it. Though it’s not the drink I wanted…” Mooch moaned.

“Well, sorry, Mooch. It's sad this happened to ya, but ya still ain’t gettin’ the Soda privileges, not after my lasso, Ed’s hat, Ceroba’s boots, Moray’s sword, Feather’s pears, my mother’s mail, my father’s gold…”

“Oh my, I really am a terrible squirrel,” replied Mooch before taking a sip… yeah, she never knew she was that bad.

“Um, yeah, you may not be wrong about that one. Even if I still regret dropping you. Anyways, hi Starlo! Nice to see you!” For someone who jailed her for no reason (and, unfortunately, tried to murder Clover… though he stopped before it was too late, thankfully, and she really wasn’t much better with them), he was a really nice guy! It was so unfortunate how he had to lose his “honorary sheriff”. Loss hit him hard, so hard he even skipped the New Year's Eve celebration,, but it was nice seeing him outside! He wouldn’t wallow alone in misery forever, thankfully.

“Ah, thank ya! So… ya can’t fly humans, Feathers?” Starlo looked disappointed.

“Indeed, she can’t take the seventh to the King,” Ceroba replied immediately. She really was serious about maintaining their secret, wasn’t she?

“Oh, no, if she keeps her beak shut things can work out,” said Mooch as she finished her drink.

“Yeah, turns out I can fly her," she confirmed. Which meant she could carry Clover… when she cradled them in her wings in New Home, they were light… she knew she could hug them again. The memory would only mean pain in the present. “They… they’re correct weight for a human child, maybe a bit heavier…”

“Hey, leave me alone! it’s not like this Saloon sells anything other than Feisty Sliders!” Mooch exclaimed.

“What… oh gosh, I-I’m so s-sorry Mooch, I didn’t mean it like that! I… oh no, I can’t believe I said something so offe-”

“Look, Martlet, I believe you didn’t believe anything bad by it,” said Moray.

Mooch chuckled. “Yeah, of course not. She’s too much of a goody two-boots. But the reaction was funny!”

“I… look, I need to apologize for dropping you again, Mooch, but you’ve been kind of acting like a jerk…” she told the squirrel.

“Yeah,” she replied.

“Well, whatever her attitude, she at least, played an useful role today. But, Martlet… you haven’t ordered anything yet,” Ceroba pointed out.

“Ah, right! The thing is I, um… don’t have my wallet on me. W-which isn’t Mooch’s fault, mind you! I just left it at home. It happens!” she explained.

“Well, I never forget it,” said Ceroba.

“Me neither,” Starlo added.

“Well, it’s happened to me on occasions. We’re birds of a feather! Though when that happens I have mea-” said Mooch.

“Stop,” interjected Ceroba.

“A-anyways! I actually didn’t forget this!” She pulled out her portable fan, put it on the counter and sat down. The air against her feathers felt so nice! And Dalv was probably nice enough to recharge the electricity magic when it ran out. “Ah, I can’t believe people lived without this.”

“The humans of the past were hardy folk. The lived in the heat without this,” Starlo explained.

“…I’m not a human from the past.” Though, would Clover be familiar with the fans?... probably, given she recalled hearing from school that monster technology was inspired from human technology that fell in the Dump, so they had to be, like, super advanced! Though… it was a shame she could never get confirmation from Clover. Imagine what monsterkind could have learned if it weren’t for that heinous decree. “Ah, I wish everyone was allowed to use it.”

“Well, Star’s state has caused the technology plotli-” said Ceroba.

“Hey, spoilers,” said Moray.

“A-anyways, um… I’m kinda thirsty, especially seeing all those drinks, so it’s a shame I can’t drink a Root Beer,” she stated.

“Ooh, Martlet, trying to exploit people's sympathy to great free drinks! Great to see!” said Mooch. Well… yeah, even if it wasn’t her intention, that’s kinda how it came across.

“I… I mean, you don’t have to buy me a drink if you don’t want to,” she clarified.

“It’s OK. I can buy you one,” said Moray.

“Oh, thank you so much!” She drank the sweet beverage. “It’s… nice to have friends who like me.” Clover… they would have liked to see that. Why did she take them to the castle? Why couldn’t they have been with their friends? The reminder that despite how happy everything seemed, they were still gone… she couldn’t stay happy. “Very… nice.” She leaned forwards and put a wing over her forehead, like she saw in the movies.

“…you’re not alone,” said Starlo. He understood what she meant.

“T-thanks. You know… I… my financial situation isn’t the best. You know, being unemployed a-and all. I… want to repay what you’ve all done. Without you… I… I don’t know how I’d have spent the last month.” Could she even have fallen do-… no. A martlet never roosts. But… could she have handled grieving alone, having no one she could share her pain with, her worst sin being celebrated? Losing Clover was terrible, but… doing it alone would have been worse. Though maybe it was natural so many missed. They were so good, so kind, so young…

“Thank you, Martlet. Despite everything… you’ve been holding up well given the circumstances. Certainly better than me when I lost Kanako…” Yes, 2113 was hellish for her. Ceroba did terrible things that year, but… she didn’t deserve her losses. And at least… she lived, had the opportunity to get better.

“Yes… so I… can’t keep wallowing in despair.” They still had a human to save, after all. Maybe that's what kept her going after Clover's loss. “And… I… want to keep my minds off things for a bit.” Even if she would remember Clover every day, for the remainder of her life. “My ads in the newspaper haven’t received a response yet, so… I need a new job.” Maybe it was selfish, but… she wanted tickets to the bowling alley and the cinema, nice outfits, books about puzzles…

“Alright then. If that’s what ya want, ya can work at my folk’s farm,” said Starlo.

“Um, sure, that’d be nice!” she replied.

“…though, you should know what you’re getting into first, Martlet. Working at a farm is hard work, it involves waking up very early, and… Solomon and Crestina said they already have enough people working for them. Point is… think it over before agreeing.”

“…yes, I suppose you’re right. And it’d mean me being far away from the Ruins door, right?... hmm, it’d be better to have other choices.” Waking up in the morning and commuting all the way there? Every day?... maybe she was lazy, but the prospect didn’t appeal to her at all, nice as it would be to aid Starlo’s family! And… after losing Clover, sometimes getting out of bed was a struggle. Her bedsheets were soaked with tears every day. She didn’t feel she’d have the energy to do jobs like that… nor did she feel she would ever be competent.

“How about the Mines? My parents retired when the year ended, but they’ve told me the new foreman won’t change much. It’s very easy to get in, I’ve heard,” Moray explained.

“Um… thanks for the offer, but mining doesn’t really appeal to me.” Though at least it wasn’t retail, as she told Clover once. Still… it seemed way too hard! How was she going to avoid the temptations to steal gemstones? Though… I was a nice place to tour, of course. She… she was so happy back then, just… hanging out with Clover in the Dunes. The moment didn’t last long, but it was so special…

“Hey,” said Ceroba. “Martlet… I admire you, I really do, but… given what you’ve went through, your cartography efforts, the masks and staff you've made, your role… I think it’d be best if you took it easy. Can you just… clean my house? You’ll get paid well, I promise. After all… I’m applying for the Royal Guard in a week or two, and combined with the money I get from Starlo’s parents, I have the income.”

“And if Ceroba’s ain’t enough, I can send ya extra G,” said Starlo.

“Oh, so can I!” added Mooch.

“…that won’t be necessary,” replied Starlo.

“Thank you so all much for the offer.” Even with snacks, Ceroba wasn’t wrong, cartography was exhausting! She just… didn’t want to deal with the government, or maybe she was just too scatterbrained to remember to apply… still, she didn’t want to rely on the institution that killed Clover for income in the end. “Guess I’ll do that. Today. I’m… acquaintanced enough with cleaning the stuff I made with Chujin, after all.” Even if the state of the rest of the rest of the house wasn’t in the best state…well, it’s not like she got paid for cleaning her own house.

“Um, today?” Ceroba asked. “…alright. Though, speaking of my husband… there’s a reason I want you to clean my house. His notes. The tapes. I want you to destroy them.”

“Huh?” she immediately replied, before her brain caught up to her. “You don’t want any monster to discover what’s in them, do you?”

“…in the end, they caused much more harm than good. There’s… better ways to remember him. Any monster coming across them… I don’t want history to repeat,” Ceroba explained. The Boss Monster serum, the murder of a pure SOUL. In the end, they killed him, brought nothing but harm. Ceroba was right. The Underground would have been better off if Chujin never came up with that idea.

“I understand.”

“Thank you for doing what I’m not strong enough to. I… can’t go back. The sheer emptiness… it feels haunted.” Well, she was to only inhabitant of her house, so she was used to that emptiness, but… Clover’s death made her truly realize she lived alone. In the end, having and losing and never having were different things… even if she still felt the eeriness of the mansion. When she was with Clover.

“Alright, then. I’ll go back to you when I’m done.” Well, given how big the house was, it could take a while. And she didn’t she’d do it quickly, either…

“Very well. Though… this may seem strange, but… please, don’t touch Kanako’s room. I just… don’t want it perturbed.” She remember how terrible she felt in that room. She hadn’t learned Kanako was gone yet, but the fact that it looked so abandoned gave her suspicions. Those nostalgic early reader’s books, that console, those drawings… she was just a kid, like Clover. She didn’t feel she could stomach staying in that room after knowing what happened.

“I… I understand. I don’t really want to go back there either.” She shuddered. The way the light of the Swelterstone passed through the sole window in the room was so eerie… though she realized that she would have loved being there in better times. She would have wanted to play video games with her, see her drawings, tinker with her, see her grow up… and it would have been even better to do it with Clover. She had to remind herself that the past was irreversible. “Let’s go, then.” She shook wings with Ceroba, Dina, Moray and Starlo… though she kept her distance with Mooch. She appreciated, maybe she would even like her as a friend? But she didn’t trust her. Actually, though, thinking of her contributions made her remember something else.

“Actually,” she said just before leaving, “I’ve heard from Red…”

“Oh. You still talk to her,” said Ceroba. Well, the ghost hadn’t ratted them out… nor had she told her anything about her plans. She didn’t regret her conversation with Gerson, but the widow wasn’t wrong about her needing to keep her beak shut sometimes.

“Yes. And she’s getting along well with the dogs.” It was nice to see her gaining more friends, eating Cinnamon Buns with them, playing with a stick… point is, she didn’t want her or anyone else to feel as devastated as she was when she lost Clover. “She’s a good friend of mine. But, um, my point is, there’s a new website launching on the 8^th. The Undernet, it’s called,” she explained.

“This Monday? That’s Undyne’s birthday…” Moray remarked. Huh, she didn’t know that. She wondered if that was intentional.

“Yeah. She’ll be my age,” she replied. “It’ll be the Underground’s first social network,” she explained.

“Well, whatever a ‘social network’ is, I won’t be using out. Dina also told me about it, and… it’s made by the Royal Scientist.” Oh, her… it really was concerning, the lack of information about the fallen down monsters. Maybe the secret was as simple as the monsters ending up dusted… but would Alphys still be silent by now if that’s what happened?

“But I feel it’d be useful for us if it were easier to communicate,” she argued.

“I’m not giving my data to the government, least of all to her,” said Ceroba. Maybe it was a concern for her, but given her face was on the newspapers and she kept her diary outside, she didn’t think it would be difficult to figure out her identity. She wasn't planning on discussing her mission there anyway.

“I… well, I’m joining. I don’t live near the Dunes, so… I just think it’d be nice to keep in touch without having to fly all the way there,” she said.

“We have phones and mail,” Ceroba reminded her.

“Yeah, but… I think sharing text and pictures without having to wait for mail would be cool…” And at least members of the Guard would definitely use her, so it could be useful for research.

“Whatever. I won’t join it until she tells the truth about Kanako,” stated Ceroba.

“A… alright. I can’t force you. Well then, we’re getting sidetracked, so… I have a house to clean.” She turned around.

“Hey, Martlet, by the way… I’ll be joining, at least,” revealed Moray.

“And so will I,” said Mooch.

“But you don’t have a cell phone,” Moray told the squirrel.

“Yet.”

“Anyways… as fer me, I ain’t sure whether to join yet. Now, I definitely won’t be usin’ it in this Saloon, but…quick long-distance communication is nice. Even if those humans didn’t have ‘em. I’ll… consider it. But, Feathers, before ya leave, there’s something I need to tell ya. Outside.”

“Alright.” She put the fan back in her pocket and they walked outside the Saloon together. As they approached the town’s bell, Starlo spoke up.

“I have something to tell you about Ceroba. In private. Let’s go to Oasis Valley.”

Starlo led her to a small yellow building with a round roof. It kinda reminded her of the backs of the Frostermits back home, except made out of stone instead of ice. This building… being in Oasis Valley, she couldn’t help but recall Clover. The two explored the entirety of the small town, including this place and she remembered every second of it, including that little sapling, wanting to grow big and strong…

And now it had. Here was… some sort of blue flower. She didn’t know its name, but that didn’t change its beauty… Clovers were plants too, weren’t they? But they couldn't grow now...

But she wasn’t here to admire the flowers. Starlo clearly had something serious to tell her. He acted so nervously, had such a serious expression on his face… she braced herself. Whatever it was, she was ready to learn something about Ceroba. Both were trembling, but… finally, Starlo spoke up.

“Martlet…” He called her by her name. The last time she recalled him doing so was on the rooftop with the cherry blossom tree. She didn’t really enjoy being called “Feathers”, but… she didn’t like what him doing something so uncharacteristic implied either. This really was a serious matter, wasn’t it? “…promise me that, whatever happens, you won’t tell anyone else about what I'll tell you here. Ceroba’s already promised she’d confess once the plan ended, but right now, you’ll have to keep it secret." His accent had changed, she noticed. Was the way he spoke part of his persona too?

“A…alright.” This wasn’t good, was it? She remembered when she discovered Chujin’s tapes, when she naively believed it was nothing, how she never realized someone so kind and helpful could hide such dark secrets. She feared the situation repeating…

“Alright. Now, Ceroba may chew me out from what I’m doing, but I have faith in you, Martlet. Now… Martlet, I’ll let you know that I’ve always spent New Year’s Eve with her and her family. I never missed one since I met her until now… and, well, of course the loss of the honorary sheriff hit me hard. I… I’ve had trouble leaving my room…”

“So have I.” She gave him a mournful look. He looked back tearfully. Their pain was shared. Clover…

“Yes. You’re strong for still coming up with the plan and contributing despite everything. But, even with the poor kid’s murder… I still planned to go to the Saloon. However, the day before… I met with Ceroba.”

“Did she… do anything bad?” The fact she was planning on confessing something… she didn’t know her as well as she thought she did, did she?

“I… look, I think she’s improved as a person, but… she told me to keep this secret from you. Ya see, even when Chujin returned the human’s SOUL to Waterfall… he left behind an extract of it.”

“He… he did?” Starlo nodded in response. The SOUL of a human child… she didn’t think much about it before, shamefully, but wasn’t experimenting on it a terrible thing to do too? Couldn’t they even have been allowed to rest?

“Yes. She told her not to use it for the serum, but… she thought she could purify it. Though… maybe she didn’t. She never was a SOUL scientist, anyway.” Neither was she. Was “purity” really the issue? Well, whatever the case… experimenting on SOULs seemed rather unethical to her now, when she truly realized they belonged to people, children.

“I… I see. So she had some sort of extract she tampered with. Is that her secret?” In the Royal Guard, they told her human SOULs were to be given to Asgore. For his plan to break the Barrier… and, despite her disgraceful ignorance of the goal of the institution, to use godhood to wipe out humanity. Sheltering Clover would have been illegal. Kids, however kind or innocent they were, reduced to just resources and weapons. The thought disgusted her to the core of her SOUL.

“Well… yeah, maybe she broke the law. Or maybe she didn’t, given she didn’t have the full SOUL… anyways, in the end…” Starlo took a deep breath. “In the end, it was used. And the Boss Monster she chose was… Kanako.”

She responded only with shock. The weight of that fact made her fall to her knees. Ceroba, experimenting on her own daughter? With that child whose cute drawings she saw in Café Dune and the Ketsukane Mansion? The child who she made her first project for, who her father spoke of glowingly as someone brave and kind and playful? Kanako… how? Why? She always wanted to truly meet her, she really did.

What the hell had Ceroba done?

She was speechless. Of course Ceroba tried to kill Clover, and that was terrible, but… involving her own daughter too, even before she fell down?

Though… she had one thing to confirm first.

“And… t-that’s why… why she... s-he f-fell down.” Starlo nodded. She felt a pit in her stomach.

“Ceroba told me Kanako found the note in the trash. The girl she wanted to be involved that’d they’d be her-”

“Heroes of Monsterkind. L-like us.” She paused “But… she was just a kid! A-and Chujin told her no to, a-and…” She began to shed tears. “Why did she continue with that plan? Why… why did she hide this from me? W-why?” She thought they were closer friends, like… like with Chujin. This was all so… Kanako, and Clover, the world was all unjust to them.

“I suppose she wanted to continue her husband’s legacy…”

“But that’s… stupid. That plan… it led to nothing but harm.” She realized something. “Ceroba… she’s done terrible things, all for that stupid plan. But now I realize, on the rooftop, when Clover wanted to give up their SOUL and she told them no… perhaps, it was the start of her changing. I don’t know if I can forgive her fully yet, but… I see a want to correct her mistakes. She’s become a better person since, at least. I feel she’d do anything to protect the next human now.” Though… she would have to come to terms with all the horrible things Ceroba did in the past. She was sure the guilt of killing her daughter suffocated her every day. How could she continue with her plan even after this?

“Yes. Martlet, I have to admit I still consider Ceroba my friend, and I loved Kanako. I always played with her, she was almost a member of the posse, at least as much as her parents allowed her to… Ceroba did terrible things, undeniably… but you’re right. She’s turned over a new leaf since that rooftop. And I feel her wanting you to destroy the notes is a way of making amends.”

“Y-yes. She’s a great ally no doubt, but… it hurts. It hurts that she didn’t trust me with her secrets. I mean… Kanako and Clover…” She began to sob. “T-they were just kids.”

“Great kids, too. And, Martlet, like I said, she’d promised to tell the truth once we win but for now, her saying the truth would land her in jail.” Right. She committed a crime, a terrible one. She, after all, recklessly killed a child, her child. But… somehow, she didn’t feel Ceroba should be jailed, after changing, scrapping the serum plan, helping to save the life of a child, being crushed by the guilt she should feel for her sins. .

“Right. I… I’ll keep her sins secret, I promise. But, for now, Starlo… it’s time to clean a mansion.” She stood up. “Thank you for telling me this, by the way. You’re a good man. I’m sorry you lost Kanako and Clover. Can I hug you?”

“Alright, Feathers.” Well, it looked some things were back to normal… she wrapped her wings around the star cowboy. Both shed tears for what was lost, for what they learned. Now, it was time. Time to destroy the notes. Chujin’s worst mistake was coming up with the Boss Monster serum idea. Now, it would never be completed, and after everything, it was the right thing to do.

After breaking the hug, she observed the flower, the plant which still could grow. There was still time for the seventh. Leaving the building filled with resolve, she flew towards the mansion, over the gate. Even when she flew over it when going to the Wild East, Oasis Valley and its mansion reminded her of Clover, of what was lost, but… however painful, she had to keep moving forwards.

She landed just in front of the door to the Estate. She was going to have to be reminded of the time she spent with Clover, of the tapes in which she learned the harsh truth about Chujin, which she would destroy. She took a deep breath and went inside.

The house was as beautiful and fancy as she remembered… and as large. Now, she wasn’t with Clover. She was all alone. It took her hours to sweep, mop and vacuum the mansion, full of sand brought from outside, dust (not of monster origin, thankfully, but it added to the eerie feeling of the place) and her own feathers. She learned about rooms she had never been in, like the bathroom, a room for laundry and another room where objects for woodworking, cleaning and gardening were stored. All the while, she was thinking about Clover and Kanako, those poor children who would have loved the huge and clean mansion if they hadn’t been victims of the war and Chujin’s plan and Ceroba’s obssession with it. They could have played together, maybe running in the hallways and knocking things over… or maybe they could have more responsible, or played video games together, or…

Whatever they would have done, they could have been kids. Maybe friends, in a better world, a just world.

Friends, who could have grown up together.

Hypotheticals kept tormenting her. She was here for cleaning, that was all. Though… even if she wasn’t told to leave Kanako’s room alone by her mother, she wasn’t sure if she would have the stomach to enter it.

And she had a more important mission now. The boss monster serum plan, which destroyed a family, nearly killed Clover and hurt her and Starlo badly. If she destroyed the notes, then nobody could find out about it and try to repeat it with the seventh. And Ceroba wanted to move past it, to improve as a person. It was time to complete the job.

She returned to the kitchen, with its fridge empty (She remembered how Clover took Ceroba’s Corn Chowder… well, the house was abandoned, and she didn’t think she’d mind even if they had been allowed to live), and the trapdoor still open. She was a bit shocked to see still be that way when she entered the estate, but she remembered she didn’t really close it, and she supposed Clover didn’t either.

The basement was as creepy as she remembered. The scrapped robots, the darkness, the dust that she had to clean…

But the tapes were gone.

Somehow, somebody had stolen them. She flew all around the house twice, trying to find them, but… they just weren’t there.

She cleaned all the feathers that fell off in the frantic search, and burned the notes in the fireplace as requested, but… how was she going to explain this?

Clearly, someone had broken in and stolen them. But why?

Her task finished, she left the house with a pit in her stomach. How was she going to explain this to Ceroba? And just who stole the tapes?

POV: Asgore

5 January, 2114

11: 31 p.m.

The day was winding down. One less day until the seventh came, one less day until he had to confront his sins, make his promise come true… at least, if the plan of Clover's friends failed. She recalled their bravery, their strong sense of justice, their grief for losing them… it was like the grief he experienced when he lost his son and Chara, and the one Gerson felt for losing Hope, and the one the other royal guards who sent humans felt after becoming "Heroes of Monsterkind". He could have spared them, but… he was a coward.

As much as he feared the future, for now he was no god, just a king, a king with a vow to keep. He feared a vehemently anti-human monarch coming to the throne, a revolt for revealing the Surface was not at hand. Martlet, Starlo and Ceroba Ketsukane knew the value of mercy, but did other monsters? Most of them never knew Patch, or Valor, or Sunny, or Hope, or Melody, or Clover. Was it wrong for him to not share their names or faces, to shelter his kind from the harsh truth of his actions? Perhaps, but… he had to keep hope.

He wanted most of all to abdicate and be a gardener, but doing so most likely would mean Undyne of the throne if Tori didn’t come back, and would she? This year, the hundredth anniversary of their children’s death would came. One hundred years without them, without her, and she hadn’t returned.

One hundred years of this war now. How time flew…

This day wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. Go to schools and listen teachers talk about how their generation would definitely see the Surface "thanks to him" (although they were still too young to learn what that meant… around the same age as the humans whose eyes he saw close for the last time), listen to Alphys talk about the Undernet’s launch in three days and listen to Undyne speak of the Royal Guard’s newest recruit, “Red”, and how she had done a very good job in training and memorizing the protocol, and even caught a criminal (although she clarified he was not the one destroying the cameras. To tell the truth… although he could not tell her, he was not saddened by their destruction, if it meant it would be easier for the child to go to the Wild East without being detected). Mostly, he drank tea and gardened. School, new technology, updates in the Guard, tea and Asriel's flowers… in a hundred years, the duty of being king had not changed much.

It was late now. He did not sleep much, nor did he want to, given the nightmares caused by his unforgivable actions. He liked the quietness of the night. It was a time to be alone, to garden…

Until he heard footsteps. Armored footsteps. A Royal Guard, coming this late at night? He trembled. Last time that happened…

He breathed deeply, fearing the worst as he waitedm until RG-03 came through the door. Thankfully, there was no human with her. Instead, the mantis monster held in her gloved hands a package from UGPS.

“Asgore…” She appreciated how she recalled him not liking formal titles. He was not worthy of them. “It’s for you. I found it just outside the UGPS station nearest to the Castle.”

Receiving letters and was not unusual for him. It was mostly children requesting or gifting him something (he made sure to always reply, and to return the gifts with a message of gratitude and explanation that he did not need the object) or government workers communicating when speaking in person was unfeasible. The only thing strange was how late he had received it.

He opened the package to find six videotapes and a letter. He opened the envelope to find a message written in a strange handwriting.

Dear Asgore, your Majesty, sir.

To be clear, I need to state first I don’t fully forgive you or respect you, not after what happened. But there’s something you need to know about Ceroba, that I can't keep silent about. You see… don’t you think it was unusual for her to come with us that day? Actually, she wasn’t planning on killing Clover for your sake. Her husband kept the SOUL of the fifth human in secret for years! He was planning on using it to create a serum, and his widow wanted the plan with Clover and Kanako’s SOULs, all without you knowing anything. She was even willing to break into the Lab to use the SOUL of her own daughter! But don’t just take my word for it. These tapes have all the evidence you need.

Oh, by the way, don’t you find the way Kanako seemingly just “fell down” to be just a bit suspicious? I’d just like to note that Chujin died because of his poorly-done experiments.

I’ll say, given all the crimes this family has committed, and the status of Kanako Ketsukane, wouldn’t it be best for the Royal Guard to deal with this? That is, if North Star of the Wild East is loyal enough to collaborate.

Even if they’re my friends I’ll always be committed to justice! Now, monsterkind can know the truth of the “missing” fifth human SOUL and the fate of the monsters in the lab. Will you be brave for once?

Martlet, ^formerly of the Royal Guard Snowdin Division

Chapter Text

POV: Starlo

It was true. Someone had stolen the tapes, as Feathers said when she frantically returned to the Saloon hours after he had told her about Ceroba’s greatest crime. Despite what she did with Red and Gerson, she was a good friend whom he, unlike Ceroba, trusted to keep secrets, after all, and he believed she didn’t take the tapes, although clearly someone did (Ed and Moray searched the mansion later, and they corroborated her claim), but who and why? It most likely happened after the day Ceroba confessed, given he didn’t see anything off, and neither did Ceroba, who was familiar with that room, but… why steal only that, and nothing else in that mansion full of valuables (as Mooch stated when people began to naturally suspect her?) and… would they even find the culprit? Were people checking who went and left the mansion the entire time, and, most importantly… who did it? Was it someone they knew? If they stole the tapes, surely it meant someone who knew about their existence came to the mansion, but… why? And, given how few people knew about them… he feared he might have to distrust someone. But… someone who was a good friend, most likely for all his life, stealing the tapes for unknown reasons? He trusted all of his friends, he really did, so… for now, he chose not to suspect anyone close. Maybe it was someone who wanted to steal valuables and discovered the still-opened trapdoor and its content by chance. Alright, the chances of that weren’t likely at all, but… perhaps he feared the prospect of one of his close friends acting behind his back more than anything and suspecting them without any hard proof.

In the end, their attempts to investigate Oasis Valley and ask for information about who entered the mansion bore no fruit. Feathers flew back home, and everyone else decided to sleep in the Hideout. He hadn’t been sleeping there recently, as the loss of the honorary sheriff made him reluctant to leave his house, but he acknowledged that, as much as his family wanted him to spend more time in their home (though under less tragic circumstances… he barely interacted with them, and made Ceroba, his parents and Orion all of the work on the farm, he admitted), he had neglected his posse too… and he wanted to spend time with Ceroba. She would be joining the Royal Guard this month, she told him, to better protect the next human and receive free training. It was probably for the best, but… it meant she couldn’t go to the Wild East, that, after skipping New Year’s for the first time since he met her, he’d be without his best friend since childhood, and the first and only woman she ever loved, although he kept that to himself. He knew she didn’t reciprocate, and he believed he wouldn’t ever live up to Chujin in her mind.

Chujin… of couse he was happy for Ceroba, and every meeting with the Ketsukanes showed how deeply the family loved each other, but… love had blinded her, sadly. Over the past two months, he had learned that Ceroba wasn’t the perfect woman he thought she was. Now, she was still hard-working, determined, and nobody deserved all the suffering she endured in the past year, and he still fully believed in her capacity to do good, to protect the next human (at least, her willingness to destroy the research and tapes give up on that awful plan was encouraging), but she committed terrible actions against children, against her own daughter, someone who was almost his nice. Even Chujin had told her not to do it…

He had to live with that. Ceroba had committed terrible crimes, no doubt about it. But Clover believed in her capacity to improve, and so did him and Feathers. It was a burden to keep her actions with Kanako secret, but she played an important role in saving a child’s life, and that was an acceptable sacrifice, given how she would confess if they won.

He kept thinking on the couch. Late at night, and with no evidence towards the culprit of the thefts, there was nothing to do but that. About Ceroba, Clover, Kanako, Martlet, his family and posse, Dalv, their plan and its stakes… there was so much to think about, so much to grieve, so much to dread. It was difficult for him to fall asleep, but not to weep.

Although, it was likely that he fell asleep. No matter whether he did, it was clear that Mooch jumped on him before the eagle screech.

“Hey, look who’s first on the ord-” He hadn’t quite remembered the order today, but it looked like she had…

“It… it ain’t even 7 a.m yet, Mooch!”

“And you’re not the only person I’ve waken up at an ungodly hour recently!” The squirrel smiled. He considered her a friend still, but… there were downsides. “Anyways, I was… looking around Oasis Valley, like you do, and… turns out I know where the tapes are!” She had to admit that she was useful sometimes too… though her reason for visiting the town was likely dubious. Good news were good news, in any case.

“Oh… really? That’s great to hear.” Even if she hadn’t figured out who did it, he could easily destroy the tapes with his magic, at least. “Did ya retrieve them?”

“Um… maybe I could! Y'know, I can't believe I've never sneaked into Asgore’s castle!”

“They’re WHERE?” The scream was loud enough to wake up Ceroba and Ace, though Ed and Moray remained sound asleep. Seriously, they were in the hands of that bastard. Who and why?

“Well, I took a peek in the newspapers, and… well, looks like King got them along with a letter. Said in a broadcast he learned about the Boss Monster serum plan.”

“He WHAT?” he heard Ceroba shout. “How… why… I… I kept silent. I told everyone to…” Ceroba was trembling.  It hurt seeing gwe like this. That horrible plan was always going to include the risk of her being exposed and jailed, not to mention it killed and innocent child and almost killed another. The Boss Monster serum idea deserved to die, and yet it looked like it lived still, to haunt her. Maybe she deserved justice, but… the next child did too! Not to mention, Clover forgave her, she stated. Who the hell had done this?

“I didn’t tell anyone either,” he replied. Actually, that was a lie, but surely Feathers wouldn’t… not after everything, after all she had done to make sure the next kid lived.

“Oh, Star, I’m not accusing you of anything,” Ceroba clarified.

“About what? You didn’t keep the plan to destroy the tapes secret in the Saloon,” Ace pointed out. Right… he hadn’t told the posse about Kanako too. Actually, he had considered it, but given they weren’t too close to Ceroba, he was too afraid of the consequences, unfortunately.

“Well, whatever it is, the sheriff’s innocent,” Mooch said. “According to what I’ve read the letter was signed by… by” Mooch paused dramatically.

“Mooch. This is no time to joke around,” said Ace.

“Oh, even you’re mad at me? Well, I guess it wasn’t the best idea to pause for five minutes until I said “Martlet”.

“WHAT?” he replied as soon as the name hit his ears. “What do you even mean by that?” All of a sudden, he felt he guilt. He had betrayed Ceroba, naively trusted her, and now… she was derailing her own plan? Maybe she couldn’t blame her for not liking her after knowing what she did to Kanako, but… not even telling him he was doing that?

“That’s what the King says. Who even knows if the letter is authentic…” Mooch speculated. “But maybe she’s the type to sabotage her own plan for what she sees as justice? She has a good heart, I at least know that.” She did, but… what about her brain?

“I… she… I.” Ceroba paused. “I couldn’t run away from my sins forever. Star, everyone… I’ll go take a shower and eat breakfast. And then I’ll turn myself in to the Guard.”

“You’ll WHAT?” She was going to give herself up so easily?

“Yes. It’s out of the bottle now. And if they know the sheriff is harboring a criminal, someone who’s done something infinitely worse than Mooch’s petty thefts… people are going to want the sanctuary law repealed. And… maybe I deserve to know justice. Star… I’m sorry.” Ceroba got up and hugged him. He began to cry. “You’ll be without me for a while, alright?”

“Ceroba, I… as long as I can remember, I… I’ve always been with you. The first time I drifted apart from you, is when you… when you were with Chujin. It was… terrible for me, but I knew you were happy. And when you had Kanako… I was so overjoyed for your family. And then… it was time for you to grieve. You… last year was terrible, and you did terrible things, but at least we were together. I just want you to know… I… I’ll have to be alone. If you… end up in jail, I’ll remember to visit you. Always.” He would lose Ceroba for however long her jail sentence would take… and he lost Feathers too. Why did she backstab them like that? He wanted answers.

“Thanks, Star. You’re the best friend I could ask for. And, at least… I hope to use the trial to get closure on my daughter.”

“Yes. It’s what you deserve.” Why couldn’t the government just tell the families the monster were dead? Or, if they were somehow alive, why were they hiding them?

“Oh, by the way, if the next human arrives… I have a staff, thanks to a friend. Thanks for the safety goggles too, Star. I’ll wear them in jail. Can’t forget them.” Ceroba smiled.

“…Ceroba, are you sure security in the government jails is as flimsy as ours?” Ace asked.

“…Well, maybe not. If that’s the case… well, we have the masks, the destroyed cameras, and an anchor and cushion. We’ll have to make sure the next human doesn’t step foot in Waterfall now, I suppose,” she stated. “Anyways… we need to speak to Martlet…”

“Oh, I will.” He needed an explanation. Ceroba was going to jail early because of her. The chances of a child dying, humanity being destroyed were higher because of her, because of him. They both had good intentions, but why… why would they do something so stupid?

Putting on his boots and grabbing his gun, he left. “Um, Star you haven’t even eaten break-” he heard Mooch’s voice say as he left the hideout. Maybe, but that could wait. He needed an explanation. Soon, Ed and Moray would wake up, and then they would discuss the future. For now, he needed to make her move her beak as much as possible.

He heard the eagle screech as he left the town. He walked through Waterfall (he had to admit Feather’s map he received yesterday from Ceroba helped him, rough as it looked), through the cold of Upper Snowdin, waiting 20 minutes for the cable car, walked through Lower Snowdin, the puzzles now gone.

When he made it to Feather’s house he was hungry, cold and exhausted. He knocked on the door and waited… and knocked waited, and knocked waited. Maybe she wasn’t home, but he doubted she’d leave it so early in the morning, and he also knew that she didn’t like waking up early.

He had to spend hours alone in the cold. More boring than even working on the farm, he had to admit. He had to admit he was tempted by Feathers’ diary, which she still kept outside for some reason, and which was right next to him. Though, it looked like the entries where from when Chujin was still alive and that it stopped being updated around the time he died. Strangely, it seemed like the last entry was ripped out? Well, it’s not like he could bring it up, given it would be a confession he read her diary without permission.

Mostly, though, he thought. Thought about how Ceroba was likely in government custody by now, about the risk of the bastard wiping out humanity, about how they couldn’t be strong enough, especially thanks to Martlet. He needed an explanation, at the very least. And… sometimes, he thought about Clover and Kanako, although he did not like dwelling to much on those thoughts.

And he also realized it had been a terrible decision to skip breakfast. He had thought about going to the Honeydew Resort, but he didn’t want Feathers to open the door while he was away.

Hungry, cold, frustrated, he waited for Feathers, for that bird monster who couldn’t even give him the courtesy to respond quickly to his knocking, who didn’t even have the courage to tell him about her plan to send a letter to the coward.

Eventually, though, he had enough. He at least had enough money in his wallet to buy Honeydew Pancakes. Just when he was beginning to consider leaving, though, Feathers slammed the door open.

“Hey, Starlo, sorry I’m…” It was time, finally. After all the waiting, the starving, the lack of information, it was time to get her to explain why she chose to betray Ceroba and the next human like that.

He pulled out his gun. “WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?” Feathers replied in shock. He then realized that, even if the gun was empty, there were perhaps better ways of getting her to explain what happened. He put it down.

“Sorry, I… I was just… waiting forever was so damn frustrating.” As he was walking to her house, the more he thought using the gun to get her to talk may not have been the best idea, but spending hours hungry… well, it tempted him.

“Um, sorry it took me so long to get ready, but…pulling a gun on me was a horrible way of dealing with it! Seriously, what were you thinking?” As Feathers scolded him, he looked at his goggles, still on her head. It looked like she still considered him a friend, even after not telling him or anyone about what she was planning.

“Fea-”

“Martlet. You can’t ‘Feathers’ me after doing that.”

“R-right. Um, if it makes ya feel better, the gun was empty. I… I was bluffing.”

“I… I didn’t know. Look, just… please apologize and don’t do it again.”

“Well, I’m sorry fer starting off with that. But I need ya to explain. I need you to tell me why you did that.”

“Um, about what?” She seemed confused. Was this a trick, or…? Whatever the case, he had to deal with his hunger first.

“We’ll discuss after I’ve had my breakfast.”

“A…alright, Star. I have some leftover cereal and coffee… oh, by the way, sorry for taking so long. I have a cuckoo clock, but… it takes a while for me to get out of bed in the morning. I’m sure you understand why…” He recalled how, despite everything, she was someone who was grieving too. Would she really sabotage her plan despite the risk of repeating her loss? Though, then again, Kanako was a child too, and, even if she didn’t know her well, the daughter of her beloved mentor. It’s likely she’d want justice for the poor kid too.

“I do…” He entered the kitchen. The house was still cold, given the fact that he had come over without warning, but Feathers hastily turned the fireplace on when he mentioned the cold. She said that, despite the gun, she was glad he came over, although she told him she’d have prepared his cereal and coffee for him if it hadn’t been for that. Now they were… getting along somewhat, but, of course, he still needed to know. Why had she sent that letter, even after promising not to?

“11:35 a.m., huh… look, Star, I really am sorry I took so long. Even before everything, I wasn’t exactly functional in the morning…” Feathers admitted. “But, um… I suppose if you point a gun at me you’re clearly mad about something, so… what did I do?”… her demeanor didn’t seem to be of the one who sent that letter. And she didn’t exactly seem like an expert manipulator,

“Fea- Martlet… why did you send that letter about Ceroba to Asgore?”

“That WHAT?” Her shock seemed genuine. It looked like somehow, she was framed… but how? As far as he knew, only him, Ceroba and Martlet knew about Kanako… among the living. Why did he have to mourn two children in a year, dammit? Still, if it wasn’t Feathers… did she tell someone who framed her? Or Ceroba?

“Huh… it looks like someone sent a forged letter, then.”

“W-what?” Martlet began to sweat and shudder. “S-someone… did that? W-why?”

“The King knows about the Boss Monster serum plan. And whoever sent that letter has the tapes too. Ceroba, she… she’s turning herself in for her crimes.” As he spoke those words, he couldn’t believe them. It was always a possibility, of course, but… having to live in a world where had to go to the government jails just to see them? She was always a constant presence in his life, and now… at least she wasn’t fully gone. Whatever happened, he was going to visit her in jail as much as he could.

“She’s… Oh no… She… she did horrible things, but she’s changed… and the plans…” The feathers on her face became paler. “Looks… it looks like we’ll have to adjust them. We… we need to make sure they never step foot in Waterfall now, at least without a mask…” She shuddered. “The next child… maybe she can’t protect them now... maybe she won't prove she's changed.” She shed a tear. “…well then, of course, we have to plan around it. Could we meet up in the Wild East later today?”

“Of course. We have to plan for her trial, too.” He doubted she’d get an acquittal, given that she really was guilty, but could she get a lighter sentence? Though it wasn’t like he knew any lawyers…

“Oh, right. Trials.”…had she forgotten they existed? “Also, we need to go to Asgore.”

“To that goddamn murderer?”

“Um, yeah. I get why’d you feel that way, but… ugh, he at least gave us a pardon, and he knows about our plan… still doesn’t make up for Clover or the other kids, but… he doesn’t want to see another human again. Maybe… Ceroba could get another pardon.”

“Martlet, maybe you can go to that butcher, but I ain’t going with him…”

“But you could corroborate my story about the tapes being stolen and show people believe me about the letter being forged. And, besides… maybe he could let you slap him in the face?”

He couldn’t help but let up a mild chuckle. “Heh, Feathers, you’re more vengeful than I thought. Yes, I’d like to do that.”

“Look… I still think he can change despite everything. Maybe there’s something wrong with me… but he still needs to remember what he did to Clover.” Even if Ceroba deserved to go to jail, why not him too? Just because the kids were human? “I don't feel guilty about slapping him in the face because of him, after all. So, will you come?”

“Yes. He needs to remember. And, ya know, he needs to know the letter’s fake.” Feathers nodded in response. Though… who did steal the tapes and forge the letters? He didn’t have even an inkling of an idea. “He’s got an open door policy, right? We’ll meet with him tomorrow.”

“Very well, then! As for today…” Feathers sighed. “Kanako… Can’t believe we’ll still dealing with the consequences of that horrible plan. But Ceroba’s changed now… she deserves mercy, the King needs to see that.”

“She’s a good friend. The best I could ask for.”

Martlet smiled. “You now, it’s nice… that you’ve been friends since childhood. Don’t have anyone I can say that about…” she frowned briefly before smiling again. “Worst comes to worst, we’ll visit her in jail, alright?”

“Of course.” Still… she felt the pain of losing her. “Well… I gotta get back to town now. See you later, Martlet.”

“See you later, Starlo. You know, for a guy who pulled a gun on me, you’re pretty nice. But never do that again.”

“Um, yeah. Sorry, again.”

Martlet chuckled. “It’s been an hour and you’ve already improved as a person. See you later, Star. No matter what, we’ll try to make sure the next child gets to live, alright?”

“Of course.”

“I’ve never doubted that about you. Clover… they would have loved being part of friend group. For now, though…” Feathers extended a wing so he could shake it “… goodbye, friend.”

Chapter Text

POV: Starlo

As he returned to the Wild East saloon, still not entirely full, he found Ceroba was already gone.

“Dammit… didn’t get to give her one last goodbye before she left.” He was so focused on taking out his rage against Martlet's supposed betrayal that he neglected something far more important. He failed her today, no doubt about it.

“I…I’m really sorry, boss. Ace told me, Moray and Dina what happened after we woke up. This is a lot of pain to deal with,” said Ed, who was waiting for him in the Saloon, along with the bartender and the rest of the posse. But… not Ceroba, of course.

“Yes. I’m sorry too,” said Moray. “Ceroba ate one last breakfast with us. Said that you shouldn’t have rushed off like that, and that you shouldn’t get too mad at Martlet. She said she had to stop hiding her sins too.” Of course… they didn’t know yet.

“Maybe she does… but not at the cost of our plan. So many lifes are at stake here, and she was plannin’ to come forward once we won” he clarified. “But that ain’t the biggest issue here. Feathers said the letter’s a forgery. And from the way she’s actin’, I believe her.”

“Huh? It’s fake?” asked Ace.

“Well, I kinda suspected it. I didn’t think she’d do something that would sabotage her own plan like that,” stated Mooch. “She’s…  maybe not the smartest, but she’s really dedicated to it.” Indeed, the murder of another human, another child, and the destruction of humanity was something he knew she couldn’t bear, just like him. Dammit, how was he going to speak to that bastard? He at least wanted to get the chance to give him a hard smack in the face. He could never win against him, but hopefully he could get at least that much.

“Speaking of her…” Moray pulled out 450 G from their pocket “…Ceroba gave me this. A payment for a job well done, after all.”

“Ah, thank ya. Feathers… she’s a really nice person. I… I never should have pulled a gun on her today,” he admitted.

“You WHAT?” asked Moray.

“Yeah… I… I was reckless. I felt like she betrayed me, and I’d been standing in the cold for hours. When she opened the door… it was really stupid of me, I admit.”

“Star, what in the world? Those ain’t the actions of the heroic sheriff I know!” said Dina.

“I… yeah, she didn’t deserve to be scared like that. She scolded me a bit, but she’s forgivin’. She’ll be comin’ here later today,” he revealed.

“Well, good t’know things worked between you two in the end, I guess. But that’s a terrible thing to do to a friend. By the way, I’m lookin’ forward to seein’ her,” said Dina.

“Well, so am I. Poor woman, havin’ her identity stolen and then havin’ a gun pulled on herw. By the way…” He looked at Dina and pulled out 48 G from his pocket. “…I still haven’t eaten’ anything besides her cereal today. A Feisty Slider and some Icewater, please.” As he began to eat his meal, Ace spoke up.

“So… if Martlet didn’t send the letter, it had to be someone else. Almost definitely the same person who stole the tapes, too. Who could it be?” Moray and Ed immediately glared at Mooch.

“I… look, again, why would I steal just some tapes, of all things, in that mansion? And why would I pretend to be Martlet for the sake of arresting Ceroba?” argued the squirrel.

“Well, it’s gotta be someone who knows the tapes and what’s in ‘em, Ceroba’s old plan, and the fact Kanako fell down. That ain’t a lot of people,” said Ed.

“Yes… there’s a traitor in our midst, no doubt about it. And we know there’s a thief here…” said Moray.

“Look, it’s not me. I wouldn’t betray both Ceroba and Martlet like that! Believe it or not, I have ethical standards!” claimed Mooch.

“Well, maybe I find that hard to beli-” said Ed before being interrupted by Moray.

“Lay off her, Ed. I’ve known her since High School, and I do know she doesn’t deny thefts like that.”

“Thank you!” said Mooch. “I’m such an ethical criminal!”

“…you should stop thieving altogether,” stated Moray.

“Heck,” replied the squirrel.

“But… what if it was someone else? What if he brought the topic of the criminal up to evade suspicion?” asked Moray.

“You’re not saying it’s me, are you?” asked Ace.

“I… Ace, you’ve always been a good friend. But I have to think rationally here. The only possible suspects here are… people I know and care about. My friends...” Moray was right, he realized. He… he’d been betrayed. And now that he had… would he trust any of his posse again, knowing any of them could be responsible for Ceroba’s arrest, Martlet’s forgery? Was this a goal of the culprit? He wondered.

“But don’t have any hard evidence of who the culprit was, do we? After all, we were very thorough yesterday, and we didn’t get close to findin’ out who stole the tapes,” he reminded the members present as he drank the last of his Icewater.

“…yeah, you’re right,” admitted Moray. “But the fact someone I know is a traitor…”

“All I know is that it’s not me,” said Mooch. “Hey, maybe I’m not the worst criminal in this group after all! Though if we count Cero-”

“Don’t joke about that.” Her crimes… she had killed her daughter, nearly killed another child. And yet, losing his best friend, even despite the risk to humanity? Whatever the case, Mooch’s flippant attitude just pissed him off. This was not the times for jokes.

“You know, you haven’t been ruled out as a suspect. You were alone with her in that mans-”

“Mooch, I would NEVER betray two friends. If I had sent the letter, I would have at least put Feathers out of it. I didn’t steal ANY damn tapes. Apologize for that joke about Ceroba now,” he said, shaking in rage. He walked to her and gave the thief an intimidating glare. With his hat covering his eyes, it would almost look convincing.

“You’re not going to pull a gun on me, are you?” She didn’t look afraid… perhaps because she knew his real self since they met in high school.

“I… no.” He’d learned his lesson. Still, he wanted something out of her. He grabbed her scarf.“But apologize.”

“Alright, jee-” He heard the door bursting open.

“Hello there,” said Feathers before she noticed the situation he was in. “Um, did… did something happen here?” she asked, her face looking somewhat shocked. He realized he might have overreacted somewhat, so he let Mooch go… but he still wanted an apology from her.

“Mooch joked about Ceroba. Star gets sensitive about that sometimes,” explained Ace.

“Well, they’ve always been very close since I can remember. Can’t blame ‘im for sticking up for her, ‘specially given what happened,” said Ed.

“Yeah, I guess having someone pretend to be a friend to arrest your best friend has to suck. Though I don't think that justifies pulling a gun on somone!" said Mooch.

“Oh, yeah, he told you, huh? I mean, u-um… I may be too forgiving, because we’re still good friends! Though, um, yeah, that... wasn’t very pleasant… nor is Ceroba going to jail. She’s done horrible things, much worse than even pulling a gun on me, absolutely, but… for the short time I knew her, she was trying to improve, to stop being  the person she once was. Point is, I didn’t send that letter. She was going to confess her sins to the world i…in case we win, after all.” Feathers shuddered. She was dedicated to the plan and its success, clearly. As he saw her, he briefly felt the same deep fear of it failing as she did.

“We’ll try our best. By the way, before she turned herself in, she remembered to do something.” He gave her the payment for cleaning the mansion.

“Ah, so thoughtful!” Feathers smiled briefly. “I don’t think I’d have remembered to do that before going to jail, heh. I’ll send her my thanks when I see her next.”

“Speaking of… she owed the Saloon some money, but now… I’ll forgive her,” revealed Dina.

“Ah… thank ya so much, Dina. I can’t thank ya enough.”

“Well, she’s goin’ on trial. Can’t burden her even more.” Oh. He’d almost forgotten they had to plan for her trial too. But…

“We’re gunna have to pay for a lawyer,” he said. None of them had legal experience, after all. Of course, he and his family were rather wealthy, but it’d be a real hit on their finances. Maybe if they pooled their money together…

“Oh, there’s no need. I can defend her pro bono, after all.” Mooch smiled.

“MOOCH! Stop jokin’ around!” He was so sick of her antics. This wasn’t the time!

“Y-yeah, and well, I’m currently unemployed and haven’t gotten a woodworking commission…” Feathers admitted.

“Ah, not even she believes me! But… haven’t the rest of you wondered about the time I disappeared for three years? What do you all think I was doing?” Mooch asked. Yes, it really brought back the memories. He was really worried about her, especially given the fact that she didn’t talk about the period… although she wasn’t too harmed by it, though she did become the squirrel she was today. Well, even though she was like that… he never truly hated her. She was always interesting, at last.

“Yer usual stuff? Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if you vanished like that again,” stated Ed.

“Oh, it was horrible! There’s a reason I never talk about it! What would happen to my reputation if it turned out I became a lawyer!”

“It… it’d be better?” said Moray. “But… you’re not really serious about this, are you?”

“Oh, I am! Why do you think I do what I do? Law school ain’t cheap, you know!” said Mooch.

“Stop jokin’ around, Mooch. We need discuss where to find a good lawyer. Of course, if corn sal-”

“I’m not joking. Say, do any of you know the term perjury?” asked Mooch.

“When you lie in court? What are you proving here?” asked Moray.

“Oh, that was probably too easy. Well, this isn’t court but I’m not lying this time! I know terms like mens rea, subpoena duces tecum, Ex turpi causa non oritur action, and plenty of other non-Latin stuff too! I know the difference between common and civil law, and can hold you this entire Saloon hostage with my voice until you believe me. And I’m even kind enough to work for free!” Mooch reminded the Saloon.

“You know… I know you well, Mooch. And I know when you’re serious. I believe you,” said Ace.

“She… she’s not jokin’ around,” said Starlo.

“But… surely you’ve been disbarred by now, haven’t ya?” asked Dina.

“I haven’t! You see, we’re pretty isolated from the rest of the kingdom, and, more importantly, my crimes have never actually been reported to the Guard, at least not in ways that have been traced back to me.”

“Well, I do recall my boss saying we get a lot of pickpocketing reports from the Dunes…” said Martlet. “And I’m not that naïve.”

“But on the rare occasions where I do get caught, our sheriff just handles it himself and I get thrown in that jail for a bit. Maybe he cares for his friend?” Mooch speculated. He had to admit he had some fondness for her, especially given her aid in destroying the cameras, buying the anchor and now, shockingly defending Ceroba… but she still wasn’t getting a cent of his inheritance.

“Well… I never wanted the Guard to get too involved in our business, ‘specially now what I know what they stand for,” he confessed. Though locking up Feathers wasn’t a great thing to do, nor was kidnapping the honorary sheriff and even trying to murder them… though they were forgiving and soon, they were on good terms. He thought about all the things they could do together, if it wasn’t for that murderer and his guard.

“Don’t appreciate getting locked up for hours on end, though. Well, it happened to the pear thief too… though it seems she’s actually a lawyer, huh? I do have to thank her for that. Well, people are complex. Sometimes they eat your pears, and sometimes they defend a friend…”

“Yeah, and the pears weren’t even that good!” said Mooch.

“Unforgivable!” replied Feathers. “Um, seriously, though… as hard as it is to believe, it looks like she’ll be Ceroba's lawyer.”

“Well, that’s up to Ceroba to decide. Actually, I don’t know where she is yet, but the newspapers should tell us. Though, I must ask… is she actually guilty of what she’s accused of?” asked Mooch.

“…yeah. The letter’s fake, but I think the only lie’s the person who sent it,” he said reluctantly. Ceroba… why did you have to go forward with that plan? Why couldn’t you let his legacy go, instead of harming Kanako and Clover? In a better world, he was sure they would have all celebrated the holidays together, and Clover could have been allowed to got to school… maybe they could have been part of a new generation of the Feisty Five. But… they’re all dead now. No use in thinking about what could have been.

“Very well, then. This’ll help my strategy. Thank you for being honest.” It was odd hearing her being so sincere.

“And thank ya… for all that you’ve done,” he replied.

“Though don’t think this means I’ll do things like ‘grow’ or ‘improve’, OK?” stated Mooch.

“And don’t think this means I’ll let you drink a drop of Adult Soda!” declared Dina.

“Heck. But I’m getting kinda hungry… I want some Feisty Sliders.”

“Sure. I don’t ask where the G comes from, after all,” confessed Dina.

Not much happened in the rest of the meeting. He and his posse shared stories about their past and Ceroba’s, which Feathers never knew about, and they discussed strategies to exhaust Undyne in Hotland, which included all of the members fighting at once (though Feathers still said they underestimated her and, given the stories in the newspapers, most believed her). Plenty of Feisty Sliders were eaten, and Root Beer and Adult Soda was drank. He admitted it distracted him a bit about the near future.

Though, finally…

“Ah, it’s… 9:00 p.m! S-sorry but I gotta go home! And I gotta prepare for my meeting with Asgore too…” said Feathers. “B-bye everyone,” she said as she gave everyone a wingshake before quickly leaving the Saloon.

He supposed it was getting late for him too. He said goodbye to Dina and his posse before going to his parent’s home, thinking about his meeting with Clover’s murderer and his meeting with Ceroba. And… the trial. Would Mooch really be a good lawyer, especially given she seemingly hadn’t taken a case since becoming one? And… would Ceroba accept?

Ceroba… as he ate his mother’s Corn Chowder, he kept thinking about her and her dead family. She… she hoped things would be looking up for her eventually.

POV: Martlet

She flew back home worried. Getting a gun suddenly pulled on her and finding out someone among them was a traitor who pretended to be her to expose Ceroba was a terrible way to start the day, of course, and just flying over the route between Lower Snowdin and the Dunes just… it brought memories of a better time, which she knew would never return.

And now, Ceroba would be in jail, a-and she had a meeting with the King, and given the importance she had, she’d have to testify at the trial and tell everyone about the stolen letter and she still didn’t know how to deal with her boss, and now it was urgent to discover the human and bring them to the Wild East before she was aware, and of course despite Ceroba’s payment, which she was very grateful for, she still had to find a way to get stable income, and also make an improved map of Waterfall.

It was all overwhelming. She had to stay strong, to deal with the issues like a mature, responsible adult, but… a martlet never roosts, but all she wanted to do was rest. She didn’t feel like doing her new tradition of flying in place for as long as she could at night today.

She supposed that, at least as long as she didn’t get a call from Flier or Dalv, she could rest for now. She could just microwave a dinner and head to bed. A brief respite from everything…

But as she landed outside her house, hearing the familiar crunching of snow under her boots, she saw Red waiting for her.

“Oh, h-hey, Red! H-how are you doing?” Well, it wasn’t uncommon for the now-masked ghost to visit her after her job was over and eat some Cinnamon Bunnies and watch some Mew Mew Kissy Cutie with her.

“I’m fine! Nice to see you! Where were you, anyway? You kept me waiting forever, you know!!”

“I was, u-um, with friends. In the Dunes. It’s, um, a personal matter.”

“Well, then. Hope you had fun. Though, of course, if you went there, you surely knew what happened. Thank you for writing that letter!! I understand why you quit but you’ve done a great job upholding the law!! You deserve extra Cinnamon Bunnies today!!” declared Red. Ugh! First she was made a “hero” for leading a child to be murdered, and now she was praised for a letter she didn’t send, which would put the next child’s life at risk. Ceroba… she’d learned, she was getting better, she was her friend who needed support, who needed to at least know the truth about the daughter she killed. She wanted to cry now…

“It wasn’t me who sent the letter,” she stated bluntly.

“Huh?? But… the signature shows it was you?? And you do know the suspect, right??” Red asked.

“…yes. She’s my friend. And it was a forgery… for some reason, someone pretended to be me…”

“Huh. So… someone is making up crimes about her?? For some reason?? I… I… don’t know how to deal with this!!”

“I… well…” She sighed. “Unfortunately… the crimes are real.”

“But… if your friend’s a criminal you… have a duty to bring them to justice, no matter how much it hurts.” She was about to tell her about how Ceroba was planning to confess to her crimes, but… thankfully, she managed to realize she couldn’t tell her about their plans. Ceroba wasn’t wrong about her needing to keep her beak shut sometimes…

“Um… yeah, I suppose. But… even though she really did terrible things, she’s been trying to be better. Working at the farm, learning how to help bring back plant life to the Dunes, supporting a good friend. I just… would it be wrong to want mercy? Heh, maybe I’m biased…” And she did have to admit what she did to her daughter, the same innocent girl Chujin spoke so fondly of, the girl who she only saw in person weeping at his funeral, was just horrible, even if unintentional. She should have just listened to Chujin, give up on the serum and… have hope for peace between humans and monsters. At least, she had managed to destroy all of his research of that Boss Monster serum. She had no regrets about burning it in the fire.

“Well… I’ll see for myself at the trial. You know, I’m a rookie at the Royal Guard, but it’s been so nice. Being around others. It… it’s like having a family. And they say I’ve been really good about memorizing the Royal Guard handbook, and the code of the Kingdom too!!”

“Oh… I see. That’s nice for you, I… I suppose.” Of course, it was nice for not be lonely, but… the handbook, the law of the Kingdom, the institution… it called for child murder. Her stupid birdbrain worked for an institution dedicated to it, to aid the extermination of an entire race, and she just worked happily, ignorantly. Red had promised to do the right thing, but the institution, the handbook… it hurt. It hurt to remember.

“Yeah, I’ll be helping out the prosecution. It’ll be Doge, they told me.” It took her everything to keep her from screaming and crying. Still, she was clearly shaking by now. She’d have to be there. She was a witness, she was with Ceroba, she was hit by Ceroba, she had to be there, be honest, keep her composure, recall the events of that day, recall Clover… how could she? How?

“G-good to know,” she replied unconvincingly.

“Oh you seem… shaken. I don’t blame, it looks like she’s a good friend!! But, um, you’re a friend too, so… want to watch some Mew Mew Kissy Cutie? Or, you know just eat some Cinnamon Bunnies?”

“NO!” she screamed. She just wanted to go home. Go home and rest. That was all.

“I… I understand. Sorry. See you in the trial in three months.” Three months. Three months to prepare, to deal with the future.

“Oh. B-bye, Red. S-see you there, too.” She didn’t even bother with a wingshake as she slammed the door shut, flew to bed without even making herself dinner and wept pathetically.

Chapter Text

POV: Starlo

He made his way to New Home with his filled with thoughts about that goddamn murderer, about when he knocked him out and he woke up to discover their death, about how he would dare to use their SOUL to destroy humanity. Maybe the heroes he knew existed could stop him, God or not, but there still too much at stake, and he wasn’t gonna let another kid get murdered. And neither would Feathers, Ceroba, Dalv or his posse.

But he’d heard how damn stubborn he was. He was going to remind him of his sins, of course, and hopefully give him a good smack in the face if allowed, but he was aware he was most likely gonna have to his work for him, to do something that he could easily end with one decree.

Today, he was going to have to convince him they’d been betrayed, that someone stole the tapes and faked the letters. At the very least, being with her would be good enough evidence, and he could corroborate, so he was hopeful on that front. And maybe the fake evidence could get her arrest and trial thrown out… although, unfortunately, he doubted it, given the information in it and the tapes were real.

The trial… he was going to have to prepare to relive that horrible day. Of course, it was something he did often, but now he’d have to do it in front of the public, in front of people who didn’t share his pain. And… he’d have to lie about Clover, about how good of a kid they were, about how they never deserved to be murdered. Although… he did try to murder them, to try to “solve” a problem caused by him. He had to be grateful to Ceroba for saving him from something doing unforgivable, that he would regret for the rest of his life, to make him reflect on how he treated others. He supposed he deserved that hit later on… and at least, he did repay the favor when she was in the wrong.

Ceroba… speaking of her, there were at least some good news. His parents had told him the business was going well, and they had enough money for her bail. Of course, she’d have to show up for interrogations, but he’d have a few months to stay with her before the trial.

But meeting with her would have to come later, when he learned of her whereabouts. For now, he was in the city, the city in which Clover was murdered, the city where he spent a fun day with Ceroba, still unaware of what she had done. Looking at all the gray architecture… it wasn't something he enjoyed. Abd, of course… it pained him to retrace the steps of that day, when they were murdered, when his recklessness sealed their fate. But still… he had to be a true sheriff, someone who truly fought for justice and protected the innocent. He had to look strong.

Nervously, he went down the elevator in which he remembered Clover told Martlet she was their best friend. The hug was such a heartwarming sight… now he’d never hear their voice again.

After making his way through the golden hall, there was nothing between him and the throne room and Clover’s murderer. He couldn’t help but tremble as he waited for Feathers.

Thankfully, the wait only took a few minutes this time. From far away, he saw what was at first a blue blur gradually become that avian monster he knew well by now, wearing the goggles he gifted her again, along with a bag, and dropping feathers along the way.

“Oh… am I late? S-sorry if I kept you waiting…” she said as she landed on the ground.

“Actually I only just got here,” he replied.

“Oh, that’s reassuring. Although, given I can fly, maybe that’s not so good, but you do live further east, but I still don’t know how much it should…” Feathers stopped. “…this doesn’t matter. I…” Martlet sighed. “It’s time, I suppose. This place… I don’t like it. And I don’t think you do either.”

“Hell no I don’t.” How could he like the place where he killed kids, pretty as it seemed?

“Yeah… actually, last time I was here, I… I chose not to go the coffin room. Didn’t have the courage to deal with the fact they were dead. I… I don’t really feel like visiting it now either, but if you want to…”

“Martlet… if you can’t handle it, then I can go pay my respects alone,” he told her. “You can wait for me, alright?”

“N-no… if you want to, I’ll come with you. I don’t want you to grieve alone. And…I don’t want Clover or the others to be forgotten, I suppose.”

“Alright. Though… if you want to leave, feel free to do so, OK?”

Feathers nodded. Slowly, they made their way down those stars, to that room, like in that day… but without Ceroba and Clover.

They didn’t stay too long in that bare, gray, room, filled with the result of the murderer’s work, nor did they speak. But, in tears, they embraced each other. Inside that grey coffin, now with a yellow heart, was their body, resting with their fellow children, separated from their SOULs. None of them would wake up again, and their SOULs were in his possession, to be made into weapons for destroying their kind… if they lost. There was one last coffin in the room, still empty. Their duty was for it to never be filled.

Of course, they weren’t just here to mourn; he definitely would have never returned to that castle if it was only for that. Inevitably, they had to leave the room. They had to tell him, make him know the letter was a fake, maybe even try to get Ceroba a pardon. If it helped them, if it helped the next child, it was worth it, as much as he dreaded talking to the murderer. At least, he had Feathers by his side. They weren’t as close as Ceroba, but he was proud to call her a friend… even if he had jailed her and pulled a gun for her. She was forgiving at least… and a true ally of justice, no doubt about that. He believed Clover would be proud of her.

As slowly as they entered it, they made their way back to the throne room. As soon as they entered, they saw him, Clover’s murderer, watering those flowers, the flowers Asriel brought back, the last flowers the children would see. Even in self-defense, the prince was unwilling to take a life, and yet six children were murdered to avenge, six children who had nothing to do with it. This wasn’t justice, and Asriel would have known that, the same Asriel who also had a good human friend.

He wanted to loudly made his presence known, startle the King, suddenly remind him of what he done, but Feathers was quicker on the draw.

“Asgore…” she told him. Hearing his voice was enough to make him take a step backwards in shock.

“Oh…” said the butcher as he turned to greet them. “Howdy, Martlet,” he said somberly before noticing he was there, giving him a shocked look for a small while. “…and Starlo. I fear I already know the answer, but… would you like a cup of tea?”

“Of course not. I came prepared today too.” She pulled out two cups of coffee from her bag. “Don’t heat mine up this time unless you revoke that decree for once. I… I can handle lukewarm coffee. But, Star, would you like to heat up for you?”

“Nah. I can handle it too. I’m willing to sacrifice fer justice, after all,” he said to show bravery, although in truth he didn't really like his coffee lukewarm. Still, he didn’t tell that to the King; it was a persona, but he had to look like North Star in front of him, not Starlo. “Although, I’ve been meanin' to ask… if Feathers gave you a slap, can I give ya one, too?”

After a few seconds of silence, Asgore gave his reply: “Once.”

He was disappointed it wasn’t more, but he would make his free slap count. Mustering as much strength as he could, he slapped him across the face with his free right hand. It was satisfying… although we felt some emptiness. He didn’t regret doing it at all, but Clover and the others were still dead, and the next human’s life was at risk.

“Yeah, he… doesn’t exactly like you. I mean, I don’t blame him at all. I’m not too fond of you either,” Feathers admitted. Of course not. He murdered the honorary sheriff.

“Yes. I understand why he did what he did. And I do recall him being good friends with Ceroba… Martlet, Starlo, I admire your sense of justice, and the fact that you are willing to remain friends despite what must be a terrible situation. I am grateful to you both.” He didn’t like being praised by someone like him, but… he supposed that given the information he had, he wasn’t wrong to make that statement. They’d tell him the truth about the letter, at least, but… he wasn’t going to confess to pulling a gun on her in front of him, stupid as it was. In the end, their friendship survived and he wasn’t exactly going to risk being jailed either.

“Um, well, that letter you read… it’s a forgery…” said Feathers. Again, the king looked shocked.

“And I’ve talked to her 'bout it. She ain’t lyin’”, he added.

“Oh… I see. I am sorry that this happened to you and your friend,” Asgore said as he looked somberly at the ground. “You two must care a lot for her… Ceroba once told me she would have likely fallen down if it wasn’t for you,” he revealed. She… she must have said that while she was knocked out. It… it was true that losing her husband and causing her daughter to fall down pained her greatly. He was just trying to be nice to a good friend in her time of greatest need… but it was nice that she wasn’t alone, that despite her criticisms, she cared deeply for him, like he did for her.

“We’ve been friends since childhood,” he said.

“Yeah… I’ve only really befriended recently, the same day I met…” Feathers looked at the ground “…Clover. I… only knew her as my mentor’s wife before t-that day. Oh, right, I… knew Chujin too. He taught me woodworking. Actually, does the letter say that? I’ve never… um, actually read it,” said Feathers, getting completely sidetracked from the point of her and Ceroba being friends, though she wasn’t wrong about needing to see the letter.

“Very well… a screenshot has already been taken of its contents by the Royal Guard, so you may have it… as it was addressed to me, I still have it.” The king walked outside briefly to retrieve it, leaving the two alone for a short while.

“Well, Feathers… looks like he believes us, at least. Hey, maybe we could get a pardon out of it,” he told her as she finished his coffee.

“Yeah… but the tapes haven’t been addressed yet… nor Kanako.” Feathers sighed. “Poor girl… It’s not just what happened to her at all. The poor kid, being burdened with the consequences of a legacy, of something she never truly understand… she went through things no child should, like Asriel, like the human children… I… I’ve been thinking so much about how much this war affects children. A…and what Ceroba did was horrible, but no matter what, she deserves to know Kanako’s state.”

“Yeah… yer right, Feathers.” He recalled hearing Ceroba wanting to use the trial to finally get closure. Before he could speak of, however, he heard the King’s footsteps.

“Ah… I am sorry to have kept you waiting,” said the King as he returned with the forged letter in his hand.

“Not what you should be apologizing for. Repeal the decree.” Feathers glared at him. He froze. “Ugh. It’s so frustrating carrying that burden for you, but carry it I will. This is just… you’re so unreasonable. But, um, thanks for the letter,” Martlet replied.

“…well, it seems there is someone who is trying to sabotage your group. Do you know anyone it could be?” he said as he handed Feathers the letter, cowardly dodging her statement. It was as easy as repealing a damn decree, and yet! 

As for his question, however… “I’m afraid he haven’t found a suspect yet,” he replied. The worst part was, it had to be someone they knew, but… why?

“Yeah, it had to be the same person who stole the tapes,” Feather stated, perhaps not realizing that she had just revealed they weren’t forgeries.

“Ah. So… they are authentic?” Asgore asked.

“Unfortunately… not a side of Chujin I wanted to see. Actually, the day you received them, Ceroba told me to destroy them, but…”

“Feathers…” He told her. She was saying too much. It was likely she’d admit to destroying the experiments, and then she’d be in jail too. How could the plan even succeed in that scenario?

“Um, well, they were stolen first. Point is, they incriminate him. And well… as for the suspect, it looks like to be someone knowledgeable about his plan… the plan Ceroba was trying to carry out too, until Clover finally made her back down.”

“So… is the information accurate? I believed that, since you said it was a forgery…” said Asgore. The situation was getting worse, wasn’t it? He had to intervene.

“Oh, it is a forgery!” he exclaimed.

“Yeah, he’s right. It was a shock to find out ‘I’ wrote it. I… it feels horrible. Though… rude as they are the suspect isn’t lying about anything in this letter, sadly. And it seems they didn’t know with certainty that Kanako fell down because of Ceroba,” Martlet said casually. As soon as she realized what she just did, Martlet’s eyes widened and her beak opened.

The room fell t silent. What had she done? But then again, what had the suspect done? And… well, as painful as it was to come to terms with, what had Ceroba done?

“Ceroba… she… never told me any of that when we fought. About the plan… or her daughter.” Asgore said after around a minute of silence. It looked like he was shaking, suppressing his rage. And well… there were reasons to hate him, but given the information he had just learned, as far as he knew she was terrible, and the two were as bad for being friends with someone who killed her own daughter. At the very least… he had to tell the truth, which was already bad enough.

“She… just… dammit she didn’t want it to happen. She just… she wanted to make the serum plan work, she thought it’d work, she’d…”

“Ah. Perhaps it was not done out of malice, but… it was reckless to experiment on a child. On… someone Asriel’s age”. Asgore looked at the two grimly. “I understand she is a good friend of yours, and that she must play a role in whatever you’re planning, but… she must face a trial, at least.” Well, he wasn’t wrong, but the same could be same about him, too!

“I… I understand. I just… maybe I was hiding the truth, but, I just… she was planning to confess once we won, a-and I just… look, I… she’s improved as a person, alright?” she said, not too convincingly.

“Since Clover has made her back down, she’s made strides to improve. And now…” He sighed. “I s’ppose she’ll have to face justice, huh? As much as I hate it, as much as I don’t want it to happen… what’s done is done. Just… I promise she’s a good friend, and… no matter what, she deserves to know the truth about her daughter.”

“Perhaps. Her trial is in three months. If what you are saying is right, if she has improved, then… perhaps I will choose my power to show mercy. However, causing one’s daughter to fall down is not something that I can let go overlooked, nor can I ignore what was revealed in the tapes. All will be decided in the trial,” Asgore stated.

“I… I understand.” Well, no way she’s getting a pardon now… and he couldn’t blame the King. With Clover, with the others kids, he was fully in the wrong, but… he was someone who knew what it was like to lose children. He couldn’t blame him for taking the situation with the seriousness it deserved. “By the way… I need to know where Ceroba is being kept.”

“She is in New Home’s jail. I can hand you a map,” Asgore proposed.

“Oh… by the way, do you have the tapes too?” Feathers asked.

“You may have copies sent to your home later today. The original is evidence held by the Royal Guard, which you may not destroy.”

“Oh, yeah, it looked like I was still going to destroy them like I planned to that  day, huh?” Feathers admitted. “I just wanted to prepare for the trial. I… don’t exactly trust my memory.”

“Well, then, let’s get outta here. I don’t want to spend any more time in the castle Clover was murdered.” His rage today may have been justified, but he wasn’t going to forget what he did to Clover ever.

“Right… Clover… it’s stupid, but I’ve been thinking about what they’d do about all of this… but I guess I’ll never know. All they can do is rest now… by the way, it’s still not too late for you to finally do the right thing about humans. But if you keep being stubborn… I guess this is goodbye. Let’s go see Ceroba,” Feathers proposed.

“Of course.” Without saying any more words, they left the castle. As they walked in silence, it soon sank in that well… he had a few months of bail, but Ceroba would go to jail. It was a tough pill to swallow, but… what she had done with Kanako was awful. They’d have to plan around her absence now in her plan, and… they’d have to prepare for the trial. No matter whether what happened to Ceroba was right, though, he’d never forgive the traitor for pretending to be Feathers and for not confessing to his crime too.

As they made their way back to the elevator, Feathers spoke up.

“Starlo… I’m so sorry! I… I couldn’t keep my beak shut, a-and now, the next human, a-and Ceroba, and you’ll have to prepare for the trial…”

“Yeah… you should have been more careful, Feathers,” he replied. “Still… you didn’t lie, did you?”

“But thanks to me, your best friend couldn’t get a pardon, a-and no you’ll have to live without her. And, gosh, it’s not like I can blame Asgore for how he responded either. I… I’m so goddamn stupid!” Tears began to well up in her eyes.

“Asgore… yeah, maybe Ceroba deserved to know justice too. But he’s done much worse,” he stated.

“Y-yeah, you’re right! I don’t blame you at all for that slap. It’s all… it’s all been so horrible for you, Starlo. You’ve lost K-kanako, and Clover too… I’m sorry.”

“Well, things haven’t easy fer you either… or Ceroba. Let’s… discuss when we meet with her, all right?” he said as the elevator stopped and opened its door.

The jail, clearly labelled as such was just a short walk away. It was a grey stone building with pillars, not too distinct from the rest of the city’s architecture.

Inside was a monster clad in black armor, with dragon ears coming out of their helmet. He didn’t know them, but…

“RG-02?” said Feathers in shock immediately as she saw him.

“…didn’t expect you here… we take turns in new home,” said the dragon monster.

“Oh yeah… I kind of remember my bo- my ex-boss saying we do this because we’re understaffed? But, um we’re here to see Ceroba.”

“Yeah, we’re her friends,” he added.

“…alright… behind this door… she’s the only prisoner here…” said RG-02.

“Um, yeah, I also recall her saying we don’t get much crime… a-anyway, let’s go, Starlo." Feathers took a deep breath, and so did he.

Behind them was a huge room, filled with cells that were large, at least more comfortable than the ones in the Wild East jail (the beds looked nice, at least) and… empty. Except for one, of course. After walking a bit, they came by a cell guarded by a moth monster wearing a helmet and wielding a spear… behind which was Ceroba, drinking some tea, probably provided by the prison.

“Oh… hello, Star, Martlet. Nice to see you,” Ceroba said before taking a sip from her cup. “I knew you’d come to see me. Thank you.” Ceroba smiled.

“Ceroba… I… I’m sorry,” he said as he hugged his friend.

“A-and, oh… gosh… I… I’m so sor-” added Feathers.

“Don’t apologize. I… I needed to face some consequences from what I’ve done.”

“Oh, n-no it’s n-not that. I… I didn’t write that letter, you see…”

Ceroba eyes widened as he broke the embrace. Unfortunately… they weren’t just here to comfort her. There were serious things to discuss with her too… although better than Asgore. Stubborn as she was, she backed down before it was too late. He couldn’t say the same of that coward.

“W-what do you mean? It was a forgery? I…” He saw Ceroba shaking. “Who the hell would…”

“I… I dunno,” he replied, “but… it seems to be someone we’re close with. And they’re likely the same person who stole the tapes.”

“Y-yeah. So… there’s a traitor? I mean… I suppose I’ve been a backstabber too, so maybe I have no room to talk, but… to be betrayed by someone you trust has to feel horrrible.” Ceroba closed her eyes. “As I’m sure you’re well aware of.”

“Y-yeah. I… I never knew about all these dark secrets you were hiding. You don’t know how much it stung that you were the one who did all that,” he told her.

“And learning about Chujin, too…” Feathers said, looking dejected. “I… trusted everyone so blindly. I…” She sighed. “I’m so naïve.”

“I… I don’t how I can make it up to you now. For now… all I can say is, I’m sorry. I suppose there’s not much I can do while I’m this jail… though, I’ve been wondering. Martlet, if you didn’t send the letter, why are you apologizing?” Ceroba asked.

“I… well, we met with the King earlier and I… I didn’t keep my beak shut. I… told him about Kanako now, not just your plan on that day,” Martlet replied.

“Huh? What do you mean? It’s not like I… I told you a-ab…” Ceroba was trembling.

“Ceroba… I have to confess that I told her about Kanako. About the serum,” he said.

“You WHAT?” Ceroba quickly replied, dropping her cup to the ground and spilling her tea before calming herself down. “Well… I supposed what I feared would happened happen, even if it seems someone stole her identity. I… I have to confess that I kept things secret from you, because I know you’re friends with Red, and you have a strong sense of justice, so…”

“D-do I? I mean… I was planning on keeping the truth about Kanako secret until we won…” Feathers admitted.

“You wanted to save the next human, prevent the war and the potential destruction of humanity, if that old superstition is right. That’s your sense of justice,” said Ceroba.

“…perhaps. And now we’ll have to plan around your absence…” said Feathers.

“I trust in you two, in the Feisty Four, in Dalv,” stated Ceroba. “And… there’s a gym here. And Martlet, you did give me a nice gift…”

“Ceroba, you’re not…” he said, trying not to say too much; he didn’t know how much attention that guard was paying to the conversation.

“Oh, please don’t try to do anything until the next child arrives. But... I… I’m sure you’ll visit me plenty of times here.”

“I… I will.”

“And so will I,” added Feathers.

“I know. Thank you.” Ceroba smiled. “I’ll, um, have to clean up this spilled tea later. It… looks this guard didn’t really pay attention to this. Or anything for that matter… incidentally, do you know about my trial? It’s in three months,” revealed Ceroba.

“Y-yeah, Red told me about it. She’s helping the prosecution,” said Feathers. She was? He really wasn’t fond of the fact that she had a friend in the Guard, one she had even told  the truth about Clover about, but… from what little he’d heard about her, it seemed Feathers trusted her. He didn’t want to create more conflict with her, anyways, so he kept silent, waiting for Ceroba’s response.

“I… she is? I… well, I am guilty. Do you know who could be a lawyer?” Ceroba asked.

“Um… Mooch,” he replied, still not really believing that he had just said that in earnest.

“Be serious,” Ceroba said bluntly.

“He is. I was at the Saloon when she said she could be your lawyer,” said Martlet. “For free,” she quickly added.

“What… you…” said Ceroba.

“She’s serious. And so am I,” said Star.

“No fucking way. MOOCH?” Ceroba exclaimed.

“I… I mean, it’s up to you. We can hire someone else, if you want…” Feathers proposed.

“I… I’ll talk to her. And consider it. If it’s not a joke.” said Ceroba.

“Well, even Feathers thought it was a joke at first. But it ain’t,” he said. “By the way… my parents are paying fer your bail. Now, you’ll still have to go to the trial, or the interrogations, but… you’ll be able to be with us for the three months.”

“Oh… give them my thanks. You know, your parents… I’ve been so close to them since meeting you. They’re so kind and hardworking.”

“Yeah, they’re good folks. I… I admit that I was so absorbed in my town that I kind of neglected ‘em. But I’m very grateful for them.”

“Of course. Chujin, Kanako… they enjoyed their corn so much. A-and Clover… for some reason, I saw them eat the chowder I made with their corn…” Ceroba revealed.

“Oh… I remember them taking it from your fridge. I mean, it’s not like you were gonna it, right?” said Feathers.

“Well… I suppose I can forgive you for letting them steal the Corn Chowder… and eat it, even though it was weeks-old. I…I’ve done worse.” She turned to look at him. “Your parents… they loved Kanako.”

“They did.” He remembered how Kanako loved to play in the corn fields, draw the corn, and, of course, eat the corn. Maybe she could even have worked in the farm too, if she had been able to grow up.

“That’s nice. I… well, I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t do terrible things, didn’t I? It’s not like anything the forger accused me of is a lie, after all. Though, now that I think about it… I have a question. Star… when you told Martlet, where did you do it?” Ceroba asked.

“It was… it was just before she went to your mansion. There’s a building there with a flower growin' inside.”

“Yes… it’s a nice flower. Part of the project to restore the Meadows… which it looks like I won’t be joining now.” Ceroba sighed. “And… were you sure you and Martlet were the only ones who heard?”

“Well… it was a tiny building. I wasn’t paying too much attention, but I didn’t notice anyone enter or leave.”

“And neither did I!” said Feathers.

“But… did you check if any monster could overhear through the gaps in the bricks, which had vines coming out? Or did you look down to check for smaller monsters like spiders?” Ceroba asked.

“Well…” He had to admit he’d just learned from Ceroba that that building wasn’t abandoned, and now… dammit, how careless had he been?

“Well… maybe it was just a traitor. Blaming some unrelated monster from Oasis Valley is just wishful thinking, I admit. Still… be careful from now on, alright?” said Ceroba.

“A…alright,” he said.

“God… I… yeah, I really do need to be careful with my beak,” said Feathers. “Well, now… do we have anything more to talk about?”

After a few minutes of thinking, he didn’t come up with much. “Well… no. I… I suppose we’ll have to prepare for the trial, then. To remember that day.”

“Y-yeah.” Feathers sighed. “Not looking forwards to it.”

“Mooch hasn’t come yet. There’s not much we can do,” said Ceroba. “Though, now that I mention her… Star, don’t leave your posse and family waiting alright? I’m sure you’ll visit me often, and I’m grateful, but… don’t forget them. Or… your mission, if you’re up to it.” Right… even without Ceroba, he and Martlet would still try their best to make sure Clover’s history would not be repeated.

“…Ceroba, yer right. But… would you be OK if I was with you with a few more minutes? Like… like the older days.” Before Chujin, before the posse, before Kanako, before Clover… as much as they changed as people, thanks to all of them, they still had each other. They could never go back to the past, but, no matter what, they had each other. It was a shame that Clover and Kanako couldn’t see this, but…

“Alright. You can have that.” Ceroba’s smile was one of his favorite things… he just wished it wasn’t so bittersweet now.

Chapter Text

POV: Ceroba

After Star and Martlet left, she was alone again, alone with that guard who barely spoke and her thoughts. Crime was not common in the Underground, it seemed (at least, not reported crime, given... Mooch). Of course, this was a good thing for nearly every monster, but it also meant she desperately lacked companionship. Well, it looked like after the bail period was over she’d have to make do with the books provided and the gym in the jail.

She requested some paper towels from the guard, who thankfully could provide them, and made her way to the treadmill, watched all the while. She managed to keep Martlet’s staff hidden, but unless her friends notified her of the next human’s arrival, she wouldn’t try to escape. The iron bars and her cell lock seemed more durable than the Wild East’s lock, at least, but they seemed like something she could handle eventually, especially after some exercise in the gym.

And yet… she didn’t feel like she deserved to be free. In a country where there was barely any crime beyond tax evasion and pickpocketing, she had murdered her own daughter. After her interrogation ended (she confessed to her plan that day, although she refused to tell the government anything else unless they gave her information about Kanako’s state and whereabouts, which the cowards didn't, of course), she was sent to the jail. It had a good selection of books about monster history and science, about what little monsterkind knew about humans (she… could have probably learned more if Clover hadn’t murdered) and… Advanced Puzzle Construction for Critical Minds, for some reason. It made her think about Martlet…

The bed was comfortable at least… like the bed in her old mansion or in her hideout. Of course… she help but think about all the nights spent in comfort with Chujin. She realized Clover never even got a good night’s sleep in the Underground.

Of course, she couldn’t stay attached to the past. The Ceroba that killed her daughter and nearly took the life of another had to die. She had to live for the people who remained, for Star and Martlet… and, perhaps, the next human.

For now, she had to wait for Mooch and the bail to arrive. At least… she could spend a few months with them. With her good friends. And… perhaps, if they wanted it, she could get a good outcome, for the sake of them and the next fallen child. Though… she expected jail time. She deserved it… but so did the coward, the murderer of five children. Whatever the case… not that she wanted more crime in the Underground, but she dreaded the loneliness, besides some occasional visits for her friends. How was she going to stay sane?

After around ten minutes on the treadmill, she paused to stop her breath and requested a glass of water from her guard (it took him a while for him to listen to her). As soon she turned back to take a small break in her bed… she suddenly heard a familiar voice.

“Heya!” Mooch greeted her on the other side of the bars with a jarringly cheerful voice. As she looked at the squirrel she began to tremble at the prospect of her being her lawyer. Mooch? An open, unashamed criminal? Was she going to let her fate depend on her? How the hell hadn’t she been disbarred?

Still… she didn’t know anything about her skill as a lawyer. She would speak to her for a small bit before likely rejecting her… at the expense of the finances of Star and his family, sadly.

“Oh… hello there, Mooch,” she replied, being perhaps more polite than the pickpocket deserved. “Star and Martlet already told me about your plans.”

“Well, it’s nice to know that! Remember, if you choose me, I’ll be defending pro bono. For free!” Mooch winked at her.

“…I hope you actually mean for free.” After all, she could easily get her “payment” in secret. “Anyways… do you… have any evidence in a real trial whatsoever?” After all, she’d never heard anyone talk about her being a defense attorney before today.

“Ha, no! This is my first trial! I mean, even with the low crime rate, I should have at least one trial a year… well, aren’t you happy I’m doing something special for you? I hated law school, you know!”

“Oh, that’s, um… well…” No way she was going to be her lawyer… they’d have to hire someone else, unfortunately.

“Yeah, yeah, I know how untrustworthy this sounds. You know me well. But, look, I remember what I was taught. And, guess what! I’ve prepared! I’ve been to Martlet’s house, so I remembered to take a photo of the diary she keeps outside for some reason! Combine that with the supposed letter she sent, and I compare the supposed wingwriting! And if it’s a forgery, it can’t stand as evidence!” Mooch confirmed.

“…there’s the tapes. A…and… I… I…” Her voice strained, she found herself unable to speak after that. Mooch didn’t know about Kanako yet, did she? She knew that if she was going to be her lawyer somehow, she’d have to be honest with her, more than anyone else. And yet… did she really trust her with information about her greatest sin?

“Oh… with the way you’re acting, and given the wording of the tapes… this might be offensive to say, but I’m going to be you lawyer… look, I know the wording of the letter. Do… do you know why Kanako fell down?” Kanako… ever since Kanako fell down, she’d never Mooch say her name, no matter how insensitive she could be otherwise. She and Chujin always told her daughter to not be influenced by her, she remembered, but there were lines she wouldn’t cross, at least.

In response… after an agonizingly long wait, she nodded with tears in her eyes. “I… C… chujin’s serum… s…she was a Boss Monster, a-and she volunteered…”

“I… I see. Well, it looks like the death of your husband and your daughter affected you.”

“OF COURSE IT DID!” she yelled. What wife and mother would she be if it didn’t? Then again, given she killed her and went against his wish…

“And it should. Grief… it led you to take irrational actions,” Mooch stated, eerily unaffected by the information she’d just learned.

“I…I still did them,” she stated. “K-kanako, m-my daughter, m-my precious girl… Chujin told me to l-leave her out, b-because she was just a kid…” Just a kid, like Clover. What could she even do to call herself a good person, who deserves freedom?

“So you’ll plead guilty?” Mooch asked. She replied with a nod. “Well, of course. You are guilty. Although… you clearly weren’t of sound mind, were you?” She responded with a glare. How dare she excuse her daughter killing with that? “Ah…” This was enough to make Mooch look shocked, which wasn’t something she saw often… “That was insensitive, wasn’t it? But it’s clear you were really determined to make that serum.”

“I… I thought if I didn’t, I’d fail him. H…his legacy” And she wasn’t even patient enough to find a Boss Monster that wasn’t her daughter… nor wise enough to realize that, perhaps, she was incapable of doing that, that he could have fulfilled it by helping others, by his small acts of kindness, like Martlet and Star taught. And, given the cost… she wasn’t ashamed of destroying the notes and trying to do the same to the tapes. She just wished she wasn’t too cowardly to do it herself. Another reason to be grateful for Martlet, she supposed.

“So you… you did that to your daughter, before trying to kill Clover.” She nodded. Two children… it was horrifying that she did that. She would never wash her hands off of the stain on her SOUL. And the worst part, she realized… if she’d sent Clover’s SOUL to the coward instead of trying to use it for an illegal serum, she’d be praised, called a Hero of Monsterkind like her friends. In the ends, her sins were as bad as the coward’s… although she was at least willing to experience retribution, unlike him.

“Yes… I… gave her a shot of a serum with an extract of the last human’s SOUL,” she explained. Actually, Chujin had actually managed to send the SOUL mostly intact back to Waterfall, all without being aware he had a SOUL at the time, but… was it legal for her to have an extract?

“So… you made her fall down. That’d be… child endangerment and unethical experimentation,” Mooch stated.

“And murder. Child murder,” she reminded her.

“You mean manslaughter,” said Mooch. Either way, she’d killed her daughter, so why did the distinction matter? “And you’d be right… if she is dead.”

“She fell down! If you fall down, it’s over!” she screamed.

“However, the Royal Scientist sa-” She knew what she was going to say. Enraged, she interrupted her.

“SHE LIED! SHE WON’T LET ANYONE SEE WHAT HAPPENED BECAUSE SHE’S DEAD A-AND SHE’S A GODDAMN COWARD!” Those bastards couldn’t give her closure! She deserved to be in that pit with her, for everyone that she had failed.

Mooch took a step back at the sheer force of her rage. “I… w-well… I understand why you’d feel strongly about this. But, as your lawyer, I must get the best verdict for my client. A-and if she’s not officially dead, t-then…”

“I…” She had to admit she was this close to launching some bullets at her, but as she calmed down she realized something. “W-wait… Mooch. You… you could give me information about my daughter. C-closure. A-and, you know… dammit, Star and his family are so nice, and I don’t want to burden them, s-so… Yes, Mooch, you can be my lawyer…” Actually, if she was working for free, how did she get mon-. Well, she knew. Well, it wasn’t like she couldn’t judge anyone’s morality by now…

“Great! Actually, I’ve heard Star’s parents are paying for your bail. So I guess you can get a bit of freedom before the trial?”

“Um, yes. Tell them I’m grateful.” Star’s parents were such good people…although, would they do this if they knew what she did to her beloved Kanako?

“Alright! I’ll go back with the bail money! Bye for now!” And with that, the squirrel hopped away, and she was alone again. She realized she’d have to get accustomed to…

And yet, she didn’t have to give up, for the sake of Star and his parents, of Martlet, of the next child. She had been given the chance to turn over a new leaf, to improve as a person, to take accountability for what she had done, and… to learn what happened to her daughter, and she wasn’t going to give it up. No matter how difficult it was, she resolved to live.

Chapter Text

POV : Martlet.

She flew back home thinking about her two meetings in New Home. She knew Ceroba needed to tell everyone the truth about Kanako sooner or later, that the way she acted when she was obsessed with his legacy was horrendous (to the point of even disobeying his last wish, all because she couldn’t let go of that stupid serum), and yet… she felt guilt for her birdbrain slipping that out in front of the King. Ceroba, after all, was clearly becoming a better person (even if she disliked how she didn’t trust her with the truth about Kanako… well, she did talk to more Royal Guards and Captains, current or former, than she probably should), who was willing to protect children, even human ones, now, but… despite the horrible things Asgore did, that he still hadn’t faced consequences for… he could sympathize with his anger with Ceroba. He went about it the wrong way, like Ceroba, but losing one’s children had to be something so terrible she couldn’t even begin to imagine.

Most of all, she felt bad for Starlo. A true ally and friend, he’d lost Kanako and Clover, and was going to spend less time with his best friend, and none of it was his fault. Now, he was certainly reckless, and he did try to unjustly kill Clover, but… he’d gotten better since then. He was a good man at heart, she knew.

Now… she’s have to plan for the trial, plan for the possibility of Ceroba not being available when the next human came, especially if her attempt to break out of jail with her staff failed. She did have three months to prepare for it, but… she didn’t want to relive that day, remember what was lost, lie about her loyalty to the Royal Guard and to the anti-human law.

As she landed outside her home, opened the door and flew to the couch, she sighed. She wanted to take a break most of all, after that heavy day.

And then she fell asleep, apparently. She didn’t notice she had (thankfully, she didn’t have any nightmares, or sweet dreams with Clover and the Ketsukanes that would dissolve when she woke up to bitter reality), but all of a sudden, she was groggy, and the clocks suddenly went from 3 to 6 p.m.. She realized that… she hadn’t even eaten lunch! Quickly, she ate some birdseed and worms. A very avian meal, but it gave her comfort, memories of childhood and… her family. She wondered if humans ate that… well, maybe not, but she knew they ate weird stuff like packing peanuts and gunpowder. She… wanted to learn more about their diet.

As she ate, she thought about what she often did now: Clover, the Ketsukanes, Starlo, now the trial… and Dalv. It wasn’t anything unusual (although… she realized she never recalled a time where she thought about puzzles so little. She… she’d changed, even if she would always love puzzles), but she thought that, instead of her plans to simple sculptures of things like trees, lava rocks, or maybe her new friends, or cleaning the work she made with her late mentor (she didn’t have much energy to clean the rest of the house afterwards… or maybe she was just lazy), she could meet up with Dalv. After all… it’s likely he didn’t know about Kanako, and besides… she hadn’t seen him in a while. She’d often meet up with Red (or rather, the Royal Guard met up with her most of the time), but him… he was a good man, someone who had to learn about Clover and their failures to keep them safe without even giving the kid a farewell, and… someone who, sadly, had to learn the truth about Ceroba and Kanako. That poor vampire… he may have saved her life in Snowdin, only for his work to be in vain because Chujin just couldn’t believe peace between humans and monsters was possible, and because of Ceroba’s tunnel vision about his legacy and “failing” it. That accursed serum…

Just after finishing the last of her birdseed (and forgetting to put the plates and utensils in the dishwasher…), she flew towards Dalv’s cabin (actually, the same dilapidated cabin she legally “borrowed” some wood from, she recalled Ceroba saying when she first hold her about him before… before their funeral. In… in any case, she certainly remembered that day… and that cabin too. She certainly remembered that high-quality wood… although it was kind of sad she never knew what happened to that poor cabin or its original inhabitants).

As she arrived, she noticed the house actually looked pretty nice, with two lamps outside, a fancy door and a window outside of it, plus a little sleeping bag on the roof, presumably for Flier! Actually, though… she didn’t know if Dalv was actually inside. She realized she probably should have called Flier, given he had a cell phone (actually, did she have her cell phone on her right now? She didn’t really check when she rushed outside… not unusual for a scatterbrain like her.). Well, she was here now, so she knocked… loudly. After a few minutes, someone came out. It was… Penilla.

“Sorry. We… were in the middle of art class. And we were discussing Peek-a-Boo with Fluffy Bunny’s release on the 15^th….” Indeed, behind the small monster, he could see Dalv walking towards her.

“Yes… although, to be fair, I don’t have a cell phone, and Flier’s out buying groceries after his daily tour of the Ruins…” Dalv admitted.

“Well, they’re all the rage, recently, it seems. Actually, I bought one shortly after moving out. Can I give you my phone number?” The lizard monster asked.

“Yeah, sure!” She tried to pull out her cell phone… but it wasn’t in any of her six pockets. Well, maybe she had been careless… “U-um…”

“It’s OK. I also have plenty of paper and pencils.” Penilla wrote down her phone number in a small piece of paper and handed it to her.

“Oh, thank you so much! Anyways… nice to see you too, Dalv!” Although… she probably shouldn’t be so happy, given what she was about to reveal.

“Well, nice to see you too. I didn’t expect you to drop in so suddenly, but it’s nice to see you. We haven’t spent too much time together recently, but… it’s nice to see you, friend.” Dalv smiled before she gave the vampire a wingshake. It was a nice moment… although she knew it’d be ruined by what she was about to reveal.

“Thank you so much, Dalv, but… unfortunately I didn’t come here just to hang out with you.” As much as she would have liked it to be the case… it was a shame how little time she’d spent with him compared to Red. Not that she disliked the ghost, but… their last meeting had ended on bad terms. Would this also happen with him? “I…” She sighed. “There… there’s something I need to tell you that you deserve to know. It’s… about Ceroba and Kanako,” she revealed, though she didn’t know if he already knew.

“Yes… Flier told me she was arrested after you revealed her plan to use Kanako’s and Clover’s SOUL for a serum. I… I was shocked to find out about all of that. I'd never thought she’d do that. Though I've been wondering… why did you decide to send the letter now?” Dalv asked. She realized he hadn’t checked up on him the day it happened, nor did he know the truth about the forgery…

“Actually, I didn’t send the letter.”

“Huh? What do you mean?” Dalv asked.

“It… it was a forgery. And yet… as much I wish it wasn't... I know that everything in it is true, and so did whoever forged it.” The fact they didn’t have any leads was very concerning to say the least. “But there is something I did tell the King.” It wasn’t exactly on purpose, but it it weren’t for her he’d never have known the truth about Kanako with certainty… “It… was something that she told Starlo, and he told me afterwards, and I guess I'm telling you know. It… looks like a terrible chain, and I suppose it is. W-well...” She sighed. “You need to know... the reason Kanako ended up in that Lab… well, she thought she’d made a pure serum, a-and… the Boss Monster to used to test it was… it was Kanako,” she revealed.

“It... it was WHO? She fell down because… because…” He saw the vampire grow pale. All he did to protect her… it was for nothing, and not because of a human, but because of her own mother. He couldn’t even imagine how he felt at this moment but it wasn’t good.

“Yes… she… her daughter asked her to test, so…” she tried to explain.

“Why… WHY?” he shouted, as he shook, lighting magic coming out of his fingers, as if he was holding himself back from shooting a bolt. She didn’t think he could get this angry.

“I...I’m sorry she did that,” she replied hastily.

“And… she also tried to kill Clover? WHY?” Dalv began to tear up. “She… she was such a sweet, innocent young girl and now…”

“B-because her husband thought his serum would ‘save monsterkind’… and she loved him too much to give up. Because of his legacy.” The Ketsukanes… she really once thought they were the perfect family.

“Why did she think some legacy was more important than the lives of CHILDREN? WHY?" He trembled with rage for a while and yelled before calming down. “I… I’m sorry, Martlet. I… I knew you didn’t have anything to do with this, but… it’s… I’ve had to process so much since I left the Dark Ruins.”

“W-well, if it makes you feel any better, I destroyed Chujin’s research at her request, and she is getting tried… and I’ll have to testify.” And relive that day… how was she supposed to lie about them? Why did he have to lie about them?

“That’s good, a-and I’m sorry about how I treated you just now, but… why? Why did she hide the truth from me when she came to me? I…” He began to sob. “She’s gone.” She wrapped her wings around the sobbing man.

“I’m sorry, Dalv, You didn’t deserve this.”

“W-well, needless to say, class is canceled for today. Take all the time you need to process this… like you did Clover. I’m sorry,” said Penilla.

“T-thanks, Penilla. I appreciate it, but… I’m going to keep creating children’s books, learning music. I… I’m not going to isolate myself from society again or forget what I learned from Clover. And… after everything, I believe children deserve happiness most of all.” He turned to look at the bird hugging him. “Oh, and Martlet… thank you for everything you’ve done. You’re a good friend to children too, and you’ve stayed strong despite everything, but… I need to tell you… I don’t want to see Ceroba again.”

The vampire’s words startled her. “H-hu, wh-” she said immediately before her brain caught up to her beak. “I… I understand why you wouldn’t want to see her, but… she’s changed. I promise.”

“Maybe, but… she still hid the truth from me,” he replied.

“She did. The truth you deserved to know, most of all,” she admitted. “I… well, I can’t force you to see her, can I? Though… just know she didn’t confess and end up in jail for the next child’s sake,” she told him.

“But… do you know she was telling the truth about her motives?” Dalv asked her.

“I… I trust her.” She trusted her, even after she betrayed her promise not to harm Clover. Was she naive, just a birdbrain? Maybe, but… she was a good friend, and she believed in her.

“Well… do what you want, I suppose.”

“Look… no matter what you think about Ceroba now, you still want to save the next human’s life, right?” She asked him.

“Of course I do!” he replied.

“Good. That’s all I needed to hear. I understand you’re not the strongest monster, but… do what you can.” She smiled. “Thank you Dalv, and once again…” She frowned. “I’m sorry.”

“None of this is your fault,” Dalv reassured her. “Now… can we spend more time discussing other things…” She wanted to say ‘yes’, but she suddenly remembered something very important.

“I… Chujin made tapes about his serum plan, the one he wanted Ceroba to continue after his death.” If it wasn’t for that plan, he and his daughter would be still alive, and Ceroba would be free… “Ceroba wanted me to destroy them too…”

“D-did she want to hide the evidence?” Dalv asked.

“I… I just think she didn’t want anyone to discover them and try to make another serum with the next human. L-look, m-maybe I’m being too naive with her, but… Starlo and I, we’re her friends. A…and I believe in her.” Like Clover did too… despite everything, they forgave her. They were perhaps even more forgiving than her… “A-anyways, the tapes ended up being stolen, most likely by the same person who forged the letter. I… I don’t know who did it or why, but maybe it was to sow distrust among our group?” Star had pulled a gun on her just after she ate breakfast… in any case, she couldn’t trust anyone blindly now, could she? This may be what the traitor wanted. Although… why didn’t they just report their plan to the Royal Guard?

“I… I see… w-well, I suppose I should watch what I say among others?” Dalv asked.

“I… perhaps that's the smartest choice. What you and Flier are doing right now is very valuable, and I appreciate. I don't want to make you do anything beyond your capabilites and endanger you... Oh, by the way… I requested a copy of the tapes for the King.” Well, she requested the originals, but it was probably fair to not trust her with evidence… “They should arrive today, he told me. I actually watched the originals with C-clover and now… I requested for the trial. It was painful to watch them for the first time, and I’m not sure you should watch them too…”

“N-no I… I want to know what happened. There’s… there’s a lot about the Ketsukanes I didn’t know about and now… I want the full story.” She realized that there was also a lot that she didn't know about the family before that day.

“A… alright. There’s a video player in my house.” Although what she would watch was much different from Mew Mew Kissy Cutie… would Dalv like the show?… that wasn’t important. “I’ll go to the UGPS station.” Though she’d heard from Red that they would get discontinued next month, and that its function would get replaced by mailboxes and the new Undernet apparently… actually given all that happened she wasn’t paying much attention to it but it was releasing tomorrow, wasn’t it?

“A...alright. I suppose we’ll turn back if they haven’t arrived? I… I mean if you want to…”

“Um, sure! Maybe I could take a look at your work and, maybe eat dinner with you?” she proposed. Well, she did still have some pasta and cereal in her house…

“A-alright. I’ve been trying to make Corn Chowder with Ce-… with a book of reciped I was gifted recently. It’s… I don’t know if I’m good enough yet, b-but…”

“Look, it couldn’t be worse than what I make,” she reassured him. Her cooking… well, she was the person most familiar with it. It… was better than what she made when she was 19? At least she hoped it was. Well, if Clover lived they’d have to deal with it… she wondered if even humans could stomach it. Well… Clover had other friend too. God, she missed them so much! How was she supposed to get over their murder? Deal with the fact that she once had the job of killing them? That she became a hero for killing them?

“U-um... are you OK?” Dalv asked, shocking her a bit.

“I… just spaced out a bit. It happens.” Right, the injustice of it all meant she often got lost in her thoughts… but that wouldn’t help their plan, would it? “W-well, are we going to head out?” Martlet asked her.

“Y-yes. I’ve put my coat on. I’m ready,” he told her and he indeed had.

“Oh, g-good. Let’s go.”

“And I guess I’ll watch the house? Well, I do like drawing alone…” said Penilla. “Goodbye for now.”

After they both said goodbye to the lizard, it was time. Whatever was waiting at the UGPS station would determine how the rest of her day would go.

They nervously made their way through Lower Snowdin, familiar to her as ever, except for the absence of her puzzles (she felt bittersweet about it… she did love creating puzzles, but… quitting the Guard was the correct decision, even if it meant sacrificing that).

They reached the UGPS station, now with a note explaining they would not longer work when February began, and rang the bell. The whale came as always… and she noticed tapes in his basket. Trembling, she claimed the six tapes (were there always six of them? Well, her memory wasn’t the best…)

“Oh… well, I guess you’ll have to watch them at my house?” She didn’t notice a TV in his cabin. “L-look, you can back down if you want to…” she told the vampire.

“N-no. I want to know. I think… I deserve to know the truth.”

“Y-yeah. I know you were involved in the Snowdin incident… let’s go then.”

They went to her house, both on foot, even if she preferred to fly home. She had to prepare herself to seeing the side of Chujin she didn’t want to remember, but that she couldn’t deny existed. He really was a kind and caring mentor who made her believe she was worth something… and he was also the man who had requested his wife to murder someone pure of heart, all for a dubious plan, and kept it all hidden from her. In hindsight, perhaps his claim that humans were incapable of decency in any form should have told her he wasn’t perfect but… neither had good experiences with a human did they?… Perhaps she was lucky she never had to choose between Clover and him. In any case, she didn’t want to believe someone so kind was incapable of changing…

She spent the walk thinking about Chujin and Clover, perhaps the most important people in her life, now both dead. Finally, she made her way home. After apologizing for the mess and offering Dalv some Trail Mix (oddly, he enjoyed the raisins) it was time to watch the tapes.

In silence, they watched the tapes. Of course, she didn’t like the content, as she was sure Dalv didn’t, but it wasn’t anything new. His recounting of the Snowdin incident, the firing he never told her about, the Boss Monster serum plan, his plan to leave Kanako out of it…

“Dalv… I’m sorry,” she told Dalv as she reached the end of what seemed to be the last tape.

“So… she chose Kanako against his wishes?” the vampire asked her. She nodded.

“She… if she couldn’t find a willing Boss Monster, she should have scrapped the plan,” she said. “I’m sure he was a good husband and father, but…”

“But nothing justifies doing what she did instead of abandoning his plan,” Dalv stated. “Even if she thought it was purified, even if Kanako wanted it… she was just a kid.”

“Yeah…” Even if Ceroba had gotten better, she couldn’t deny that. Poor Kanako… she wished to see her happy, but she never got the chance to. And she knew it was her mother’s fault, unfortunately.

“Well… should I go home?” Dalv asked.

“Y-yeah, though maybe I’ll dine with you first." Even if she would rather eat better food after reliving that. "Although… there’s something that’s been bothering me. It look like there’s an extra tape. A tape I haven’t watched before,” she said. “Maybe it’s a fake, but… I still want to know what’s in it.” Or had her scatterbrain just forgotten a tape that day? In any case, it was odd. She place the tape in the recorder and… it looked like the other tapes. The same Chujin, in the same place, with the same pose. The same fox as her mentor, as hard as it was to believe. He began to speak, with the voice she was familiar with.

“This is Chujin. I messed up, miscalculated something. Axis… Axis is dangerous.” Axis? That name rung a bell, but from where? Before she could think it over, the tape continued.

“I must have overshot the variables. All I wanted was apprehension… The human who almost hurt my child, I told Axis to track them down. I know I should’ve stayed to comfort Kanako and tend to the resident who was hurt, but…” Dalv… he’d ignored the man standing right next to her too, and her daughter. She looked at Dalv’s face, as shocked as she expected it to be.

“...I had a tool that could stop the human’s crusade, so I tried…” The tape continue. “...In a flash, Axis left me. Bolted for Waterfall. By the time I tracked him down… it was too late.” For what? She dreaded the answer…

“I’ll never forget the scene laid before me. Part of me wanted to quit everything that instant, but…” Had… had Axis? She gasped. No… she… she had thought the human died in an accident but… she had been too naive, hadn’t she? In any case… she really wished he had quit. He’d learned from the Ketsukanes that sometimes stubbornness could be a terrible thing.

“...This outcome was earned, was it not?” The callousness immediately made her feel a chill in her SOUL. Was she wrong to react that way? She had to think about whether her lack of knowledge on the situation, and possibly her new-found sympathy with the fallen children had made her not consider the feeling on his mentor… or the fact that, whatever the case, this was a child in a society where their existence was illegal, who at least deserved to live. Whatever the answer to the dilemma was, she had to finish the tape first.

“… Axis soon contained the subject and… hid the evidence…” She didn’t feel good about the euphemistic language about the SOUL and… and the corpse of the child. Chujin had seen one too, hadn’t he?

“There was some property damage but I’m sure it won’t come back to me… I hope.” Indeed, she never even suspected his mentor hid dark secrets like that… although these tapes were the very evidence that led to the arrest of his wife, for continuing his plans.

“In any case… I now have a human SOUL in my possession. I do not know exactly what to do with it but the power that rest within it… Well, let’s just say I’m not donating it to Asgore like all the other… Not yet. As for Axis, today’s actions were excessive, but the potential is astounding. With some more work, Axis can be the future, I’m sure of it.” She suddenly recalled where she’d heard that name. That day, on that rooftop… Ceroba told her he was a robot that tried to kill Clover. And… they considered him a friend in the end. She couldn’t know how much they knew about his involvement in killing a human, or whether they’d still consider him a friend even if they knew. Well… they were forgiving, weren’t they? But… would they forgive someone who had done that? Could even their forgiveness have its limits?

“Anyway, I need to sleep. Although something tells me that will be difficult for a while," the tape ended. Even if the situations were different... she'd seen a child's corpse too. And as much as he disliked his reaction... he wasn't wrong about that last point.

“I… he… I… there’s so many things I never knew about him. His family,” she said as she processed what she just learned. “I never realized my mentor…”

“Yes… this... I'm shocked. I guess that’s why I never saw him in person. He was… really afraid for Kanako, wasn’t he?” Enough to avoid comforting her, just to keep the human in check… he supposed he couldn’t blame him for wanting apprehension after that happened. “Although… I’m wondering if this is a real tape.”

“I… I don’t know, but he looks and sounds just like the Chujin I remember.” As much as she hoped the tape and the callousness it displayed was false, though… she knew he didn’t make his opinions about humans a secret around her. “He… he didn’t like humans, I know. And I suppose given all his experiences with them I can’t blame him too much…” Actually, she did fear humans somewhat before Clover changed her mind. Perhaps that’s why she often dreamed about her or the powerful being fighting, a remnant of that fear in her subconsciousness. “Still… the lack of concern about the child Axis killed… it’s a step too far for me,” she continued. “A-and I hate that he never told anyone. That no one stopped him. I…” She began to cry. “I wish he was still around, that we c-could still hang out and talk about woodworking together, t-that I could still be naive…” She paused. “U-um, sorry… got too emotional there.”

“It… it’s fine. I… I never knew about all the terrible things it caused. M-maybe if I had just talked to human, n-not gotten aggressive… I… I’m sorry.”

“No Dalv. It’s fine. You… you were just afraid for a child’s safety, and you tried to protect her. We’re trying to protect a child now, aren’t we?” she pointed out.

“I just… I never thought about talking things through.”

“You can’t change the past… and you can’t control the accident that killed his child, not what Chujin did afterwards.” How would have reacted if Chujin was still alive? She didn’t if his words would convince him, or if she would have trusted in that serum plan. “Chujin… actually, there’s something I want to do now.”

She got up and flew to her bedroom. There, she found a photo, a photo of her and her mentor being happy, taking a well-deserved coffee break after she made her first attempt at a boat. The two smiled. She saw the ignorant eyes of the bird that didn’t know her mentor had experimented on a child's SOUL, the faces brimming with joy. She really had thought he was the perfect monster.

She placed it in her pocket and returned to the living room. She shuddered. Was… was she really going to do this? Too impulsive, perhaps, and she couldn’t get it back, but…

After taking a deep breath, she spoke up. “Dalv… you don’t know how great of a mentor he was. I’m grateful I worked under him, I really am.” She resolved to keep his creations clean, still. In the end, he was still right about small acts of kindness and she would never forget this part of his legacy.

And yet…

She threw the photo to her fireplace. No turning back now. She looked at her mento'sr eyes and her old innocent self’s eyes as they turned to ash one last time. The perfect monster and the naive girl who thought he was incapable of harm and believed everything he said was the truth. They were in the past now, as the woman had learned the world was far more complex by now.

The world where he stopped, where he revealed the truth… they couldn’t exist now. Even so… she would always cherish those years. He couldn’t change now, but she believed he could have, in a better world. Perhaps she would always be naive…

As she watched the fire, she recalled how she turned on the fireplace for his sake.

Chapter Text

POV: Martlet

She ate the last of the Corn Chowder Chujin gave her. It was delicious, as always, and Clover agreed too. Now it was time to watch Clover and Kanako play on his console, and maybe she and the young kit’s parents would watch too. It was a really special day… she was grateful they had been invited over. The foxes hugged Clover and it warmed her SOUL.

She watched the two play the game. How good at it they were, unlike her! They jumped and shot and managed and it looked so good, thanks to Chujin’s skill at making games!

In her house, she ate some cereal with Clover, and then she made a birdhouse with Chujin and a real blue bird came. It was so fluffy…

She was at the bowling alley with Ceroba and Starlo and Chujin and Kanako and Clover. She kept getting strikes and the poor kids couldn’t get the bowling ball out of the gutter. She should teach them techniques in the fu…

And then the cuckoo clock loudly made her realize she couldn’t. As reality set in… she broke down into a sobbing mess over the cruelty of her subconsious. The happy life, where Chujin and Clover and Kanako were alive, the one where she could be with the Ketsukanes, stay in their houses almost as a family member… it wasn’t real. Infuiating as it was, it wasn’t real and it would never be.

She had to have spent over an hour in bed processing all of that. Dalv was, understandably, shaken over what the tapes revealed, and so was she. Chujin wasn’t perfect she already knew… but she didn’t know how dark the story of the Snowdin Incident and the killing of the fifth human could get. Three children, dead or nearly so, all because of his fear. Maybe the fifth was as evil as Chujin claimed, but… she never got an explanation. And… they were just a kid. A kid in a world that couldn’t allow them to be one. None of the children could get the peace they deserved…

And of course, so was Kanako, uninjured that day, thankfully (even if her mother’s blind obssession with his legacy unfortunately killed her in the end…), which is why… she couldn’t blame Dalv for initiating violence (she wasn’t innocent when it came to harming children, anyway), despite his guilt for believing he caused all of the deaths.

They comforted each other and cried together that night over Corn Chowder (was that why she dreamed about the meal?) at his house. She had to leave to sleep, but she really enjoyed his company. But as much as she did, that couldn’t prevent time for passing.

After all the thinking and crying over the past, over what was lost… she had to think about the future. There was her plan, of course, but more importantly, she had to think about what to do today.

She put on her boots, observed the coffin she had made for Clover and opened it to see the drawing she’d made of them (it brought her to tears, of course. So much of them lately…), and went downstairs to make herself some cereal.

She thought about meeting with Starlo today (and Ceroba too, if the bail had been paid), but… she was exhausted. After everything that happened the last few days, plus her training involving flying in place every night, she was drained. She felt bad about it, but… she could meet them tomorrow, at least? After calling Starlo and explaining what had happened after she returned home, he sounded a bit disappointed but he understood that, after being framed, having a gun pointed at her and having to learn her mentor and a friend of hers were responsible for the death of a child, he couldn’t blame her for taking a break. He did, after all, skip New Year’s. It… made her feel better about not being with her friends, at least.

She wondered what to do today… actually, the Undernet was releasing today, wasn’t it? She knew Ceroba wouldn’t use it even if she hadn’t been arrested, but maybe some of her other friends could? Still, she had no idea how to install it on her cellphone (she didn’t have a desktop computer, even if she’d learned how to use one at school… which didn’t teach her anything about cell phones!) and obviously, she didn’t like dealing with the government now that she was fully aware of the weight of their actions.

As she finished her cereal, and read some Advanced Puzzle Constructions for Critical Minds on her couch to pass the time, she thought about she could do later. Maybe she could make some masks or some more chairs to store in her sideroom? Well, she did always like working “outdoors”, so… she got up, thinking about perhaps visiting Dalv and comforting him, maybe watching she could watch him drawing with Penilla? Maybe she could see what Peek-a-boo with Fluffy Bunny was about, even if she obviously wasn’t the target audience anymore… unlike Kanako. She saw the types of books she read… she was so young.

As she left the house, she wondered if her or Dalv would be comfortable talking about Clover and Kanako. Well, maybe they didn’t need to broach the subject. After all, as much as they loved the kids, they also could have other things in common. What did he think about puzzles or woodworking or movies? And what would she think about his art or his music?

As she reached her workbench, though, her train of thought was interrupted by a rather unusual sight.

A Golden Flower. In the middle of Snowdin. With a cowboy hat. And a face. And if she recalled correctly, they had five petals, not six, not that she knew much about botany.

“H-huh?” She couldn’t help but say out loud at the unusual sight. Was she dreaming? Was the flower even alive or some sort of plushie? Or robot? And… why did she feel so much pain in her chest for a second? What was wrong with her?

She thought that, perhaps, she needed to sleep more, given the possibility she was hallucinating or maybe she needed to wake up from her dream...

And then the flower began to speak.

“It’s… it’s so good to see you again, Martlet. I missed you.” How… how did they know her name? She realized monsters had great diversity in body types, so it probably wasn’t a Golden Flower, b-but…

“H-huh? How do you know my name? And I don’t remember meeting you?” Although… the neutral expression and lack of emotion in their voice reminded her of someone.

“Oh… sorry. It wasn’t just for me to act like that without you knowing. It’s me, Clover.”

“W-WHAT?” She reacted immediately. “B-but h-ho… it doesn’t matter!” She smiled warmly. “It’s great to see you again, Clover.” Of course, she still needed to know how they turned into a flower, but they way they acted… it was them. It was them and they were alive and that was all that mattered now. She gave them a big hug.

“Thank you,” they said as she broke the hug after what seemed like forever.

“Aw, you’re welcome! I’m so glad you’re back, Clover! Though, u-um… are you cold?” The flower nodded. She never thought they could that… it must be so odd to be turned into a flower of all things. She didn’t even know that was scientifically possible. Wait, why was she thinking about that? They were freezing! She needed to be responsible!

“Oh, gosh, oh no, I’m so sorry for leaving you all alone!” She said before quickly returning home with a scarf she had a kid and she kept around for sentimental purposes and also her biggest glass of water, which she thought could briefly serve as an impromptu jar for a bit before she bought a pot. Oh no, oh no! She didn’t know anything about caring for a plant! Maybe there were books in the Snowdin Librarby about plant care? Look, she couldn’t let them down! They had to live. They had to.

Panicking, she rushed back outside. Right, she had to uproot the plant! Oh no, what if she did wrong? She didn’t want to… to.. she didn’t want it to happen again.

“I can move around,” said Clover. “I’ll be inside your house,” they said before burrowing underground. Flowers could do that? She really didn’t know anything about botany, did she? Well, it was still a relief. Perhaps she could question why they suddenly became a flower. After all, it wasn’t exactly the most common ocurrence. Still, more of all, Clover was going to live. And she would do everything in her power for it to remain that way. She realized she was probably going to tell Dalv and Starlo and Ceroba, but… not right now. She headed inside, and the plant… was right on the wooden floor. Could the roots even go there? She didn’t question it. What did matter is, the house was still cold; the photo was now as in the past as the scene it depicted, and Dalv had left, so she’d turned off the fireplace. This couldn’t be. She turned it on, scarf (and glass of water…) still in her wings.

“H-hey… here’s a scarf from my childhood. U-um, do you like blue?” They did wear a bandanna with blue spots and blue pants when they were alive, so they probably didn’t hate the color, even if the blue was lighter. Indeed, they did nod, unenthusiastically, to her question. And thus… she gave a scarf. To a flower. Which is not what she expected to do today, but she wasn’t exactly sad about doing it. Still… she really was worried about the cold, perhaps too much, but better safe than sorry! And, besides, she thought it could lift the kid’s spirits, so… she asked them something else.

“Do you want hot chocolate?” She wondered if flowers could even taste, but they seemed enthusiastic about the drink, so they probably did, right? Well, what kid would say no to hot chocolate on a regular day in Snowdin? She smiled at the prospect as she prepared the drink. After everything, today was a nice day.

Cheerfully, with a glass of the drink (she added marshmallows too!) she made her way back to the flower. They drank it rather quickly. They looked so… satisfied, so happy. It warmed her heart, as much as she was sure the fireplace, scarf and hot chocolate warmed them. Though… she still had a rather important on the tip of her tongue.

“U-um… Clover, I don’t mean to pry…” Indeed, right now she didn’t want to remind them of the circumstances of their death, “...but, u-um you’re a flower now.” Was that… was that too direct?

“They… they made experiments in that terrible lab. I’m alive because of… of Determination,” Clover stated.

“The will to keep living… the resolve to change fate…” she immediately replied. Clover looked a bit startled. Well, she just pretty much admitted she’d been to that part of the lab… and now she’d just learned something horrifying about it. “Were they… e-experimenting on your SOUL?” Clover nodded. Were they… conscious during it? She didn’t want to fathom it… though now she realized how terrible it was to experiment of the SOULs of dead children, like Chujin or Alphys.

And yet… she couldn’t criticize them, could she? If everything went wrong, Determination was her Plan Z. She definitely didn’t want to use it, but… she feared the possibility.

In any case, she decided not to tell Clover about her plan for the next human. She was sure they’d want to join, but… they were just a kid. And they’d suffered enough. Right now, they needed someone to comfort them and let them live peacefully. Human, monster or flower, she wanted the best for Clover, most of all.

B-but… how was she going to balance this with her plan? Clover living was just, but what about the next human?

Maybe… maybe she’d get Dalv to babysit them when the time came.

Actually, she needed to get others to know Clover was now alive and hopefully well, but she wondered if it was risky for the Guard to know. Well… they weren’t a human anymore, so she probably was being too paranoid. Maybe they could even go to school and everything (but how would they write things?).

“Martlet…” Clover’s voice interrupted her.

“Oh… I’m so sorry, I get lost in thought sometimes! There’s… there’s lot I need to think about now that you’re back!” Indeed, she needed to focus more. She had one more responsibility now, beyond protecting the next child and testifying at Ceroba’s trial, which was still on. Lots of unpaid responsibility… there was something she needed to ask, too. “Oh, u-um, by the way, want to see Dalv? I-if you’re up to it, I kn-”

“That loner who shot lightning magic at me to kill me? No. I never want to see him again.” The response shocked her, but..

“A-alright. We can… we can… stay together, just the two of us. I… meant today to be more of a break day anyway.” Dalv had went through enough. She didn’t want him to deal with the fact Clover disliked them… not that she could blame the kid for disliking someone who tried to kill them, even if she knew he was ultimately a good guy who loved kids. “U-um, how do you feel about meeting with Starlo and Ceroba? I doesn’t have to be tod-”

“That stupid nerd that kidnapped me and tried to kill me instead of just apologizing to his cowboy wannabe group? No, I don’t want anything to do with him, and even less with that drunk who killed her daughter and then tried to do the same to me instead of admitting her beloved husband and his science fair project were total failures!” She was shocked at their sudden harshness… She, again, couldn’t be mad at them for not liking their attempted murderers, but… she though Clover liked them, genuinely. Were the hugs on the roofop not genuine?

“I… t-they’ve been trying to get better, I promise.” Although they couldn’t witness their attempts to improve, she realized. “I… it’s just, I thought you liked them?”

“What, because of what I did on that rooftop? It was just to have more people to bring justice to Asgore, you birdbrain!” Really? Was she… was she too naive? She thought the love Clover felt for all of them was genuine, but... maybe she really was a birdbrain. “And yet, you couldn’t do anything, even though it was four against one. Ceroba couldn’t protect me, Starlo couldn’t protect me and you couldn’t protect me.” It was true. They had so many opportunities to flee…

“C-clover, I… I’m sorry. I’m sorry I fai-”

“Shut up! You’re sorry you failed me? You assaulted me with your tools! You left me to die in that cave when your excuse for a raft crashed! You couldn’t even beat three cowboy wannabees! On that rooftop, all you achieved was getting yourself knocked out, just like that stupid sheriff! And when it came time to bring justice to Asgore, none of you could protect me. Martlet, you’re not the “coolest monster ever” or whatever I called you when I pretended to care about you for back-up against that King. You’re a weak, pathetic failure, and that’s you’ll ever be. What, you’re going to save the next child? Heh, I’d like to see you try!” Clover suddenly began to grin maniacally. “Go on, do your best to save the next children! I’ll love seeing you fail. YOU COULDN’T EVEN PROTECT A SINGLE CHILD!” Clover’s attitude felt chilling now. She’d failed them, but… death had changed them, hadn’t it? Even if she didn’t like the way they were acting now… they had just died and come back to life. Maybe they just needed to vent.

“Clover, I… I’m sorry! I… M-maybe it’s hard to believe, b-but I’m trying my best.” Tearfully, she embraced the flower. “I… I’m not going t-to r-repeat my mistakes,” she said. “C-clover, w-we love you. We’re not going to fail you. We are-”

She suddenly felt a sharp pain across her chest. For some reason… the hurt felt very familiar. She had just…

“C-clover?” They were… smiling.

Did they… really hate her all along?, she thought in her last momen-

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