Epilogue

Kat's POV

Kat stood in the bland gray hallway, massaging the top of her arm with her free hand. The other held her frying pan. It was only a last resort, but as Kat stood there, anxiety building more and more inside her, she feared it would be her only chance to get out of this alive… I have to at least try… She had heard the sounds echoing down the hall but had been too afraid to look. It couldn't be anything good. Finally, soft footsteps echoed down the hall, almost too soft to hear. Kat perked up. Around the corner came a figure. They were about a head taller than her, their skin so gray that Kat couldn't make out a colour. Blood red eyes gleamed through their brown hair. It couldn't be…

"Frisk?" Kat asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Kat." It was Frisk's voice. The figure stopped in front of them, their red eyes narrowed.

"It's... been a while." Kat cleared her throat, glaring at the figure she had once called her friend. "Frisk, this has to stop," she replied, forcing her voice not to shake. "Killing all these innocent people isn't doing anything but making everyone sad. You have nothing to gain doing this. Our… our friends are all dead because of you!" Kat took a deep breath. She held out her left hand, keeping her right hand firmly grasped on the frying pan behind her back. "It isn't too late! Please, just forget all this! Stop right now and come with me! I'll forgive you, we all will! This isn't you. The real Frisk would never hurt a fly, let alone their own friends. I know you're in there somewhere…" Kat's eyes watered. "Please… You were once my friend. All I want is that." Kat's hand shook, though she kept staring intently at Frisk. They moved their hand up. Kat inched closer, gesturing with her fingers for Frisk to take her hand.

Something sharp plunged into Kat's hand. The human let out a yowl, her head being thrown back as spasms shot up her arm. Her entire body jerked. Frisk pulled the knife further down Kat's hand, jerking it around and nearly cutting it open. More spasms shot though her, as if she had been struck by lightning. Finally, Frisk yanked the knife out. Kicking Kat over, they slashed the knife across her chest. She fell on her back, gasping. Blood poured out of a giant hole in her hand from both sides. She couldn't move those fingers. Frisk glared at her for a moment before shambling away, their knife still dripping with blood. Kat gripped her wound with one arm. I should've attacked… But I couldn't… Kat closed her eyes, quickly feeling herself fade.

Frisk's POV

Frisk made their way down the bland hallway, stopping in the middle of a bright green garden. The air was still apart from a light sobbing. A tall figure stood before Frisk, though it clearly wasn't him crying. He was the same monster in the portrait back in the house, with a purple cape, yellow hair, a small crown, and long horns.

"Curious," a voice mumbled. It was the same voice that spoke to them every time they died. "I've never seen a plant... cry before." The king turned around. "Oh! You must be the one the flower just… warned me about. Howdy! Uh, what kind of monster are you? Sorry, I cannot tell. Well, we can always-" Frisk raised their knife, taking a step closer. Their soul appeared. "Now, now." The king gestured for Frisk to calm down with his paws. "There's no need to fight. Why not settle this over a nice cup of tea?" There was a slash of Frisk's knife across the king's chest, making him fall on one knee with a gasp. He gripped his chest.

"Why… you…?" Pellets appeared all around the fallen king, slamming into him. The king's body split into dust, blowing onto Frisk and the flowers behind them. A shaking white heart was all that remained. More pellets appeared around it, slamming into the soul and snapping it in half. It split into smaller pieces. Flowey emerged from the ground, smiling.

"See?! I never betrayed you!" he exclaimed, still shaking, and talking rapidly, "It was all a trick, see?! I was waiting to kill him for you!" A new face appeared on Flowey's face, with innocent green eyes and an almost genuine smile. "After all, it's me, you best friend! I'm helpful! I can be useful to you! I promise I won't get in your way! I can help… I can… I can…" Flowey's voice shook, before changing into a different voice entirely. "Please don't kill me!" His eyes were watering.

Frisk grinned. Dropping their knife, they yanked Flowey out of the ground and tore his face from his stem. The creature let out a cries and yowls. Frisk only grinned more as they tore off each petal one by one, the screams echoing off the walls. Then it was silent. Dropping what remained of the flower, Frisk stomped it into the ground. Not even a speck remained. Frisk gazed at their arm, running a dusty finger over it. Why had nothing changed? They glanced up, surprised to see a new figure standing in front of them. It was a human. The same human they had seen in the photo, with pale skin, brown hair and eyes, and a striped shirt. They were smiling, though their red gaze bored through Frisk.

"Greetings," they greeted. "I am Chara." The human paused. "Thank you. Your power awakened me from death. My 'human soul,' my 'determination,' they were not mine, but YOURS." The human spoke slowly, with no real emotion in their voice. "At first, I was so confused. Our plan had failed, hadn't it? Why was I brought back to life?" There was another long pause. "You. With your guidance, I realized the purpose of my reincarnation: power. Together, we eradicated the enemy and became strong. HP, attack, defense, exp, LOVE. Everytime a number increases, that feeling… That's me, Chara. Now we have reached the absolute. There is nothing left for us here. So what shall we do now, partner?"

"Are there any more monsters left to kill?" Frisk asked, raising their knife.

"The ones who evacuated…" Chara paused. "But there is no way to get to them… and it wouldn't do anything. You have reached maximum LV. We are the most powerful being in the Underground… only the Underground. For with only a human soul, we cannot cross the Barrier."

"It wouldn't matter anyway…" Frisk realized aloud. They ran their thumb over their dusty palm. Screams rang through their head, and they shook as the images of their friends' gazes seared in their mind. The monsters' dust stuck to their hands. No matter how hard Frisk shook their hands, they remained gray and dusty, and their knife remained scarlet red with Kat's blood. "I'm trapped here… With nobody left… All for… all for…" Frisk fell to their knees. Ace… Ray… Clover… Poppy… Teri… Kat… All gone… Their families will never see them again… What am I doing?

"Yes, why did you do this?" Chara asked, seemingly reading Frisk's thoughts. "Why have you made us the most powerful being in the Underground? Was there a higher purpose? Were you going to use our power for something?"

"No…" Frisk sighed, gazing at their shaking hands. "I wasn't… I… had no plans... All I thought about was the power…" Frisk cast a glance at the knife. "I suppose there is one last monster I can kill." They took their knife in their hand.

"What are you doing?" Chara asked, their eyes wide. Closing their eyes, Frisk shoved the blade into their stomach. A yowl pierced the air, though it wasn't theirs. Frisk allowed themself to fall on their side, their hand shaking as they sliced it up the front of their body. Finally, they yanked it out. Grunting, Frisk threw the knife aside, flinching as it clanked against the floor. Blood was pouring from their stomach. Frisk resisted the urge to grip their wound, focusing on keeping their eyes closed. Their head seemed to spin like a top. Finally, all feelings of pain in Frisk's body disappeared, and soon after, they did too.

Alphys's POV

"HEY!" Papyrus's voice cut through the silence. "HAS ANYONE SEEN THAT GOOD HUMAN?"

"Teri?" Alphys asked, glancing up at him from her spot at the computer. "She went with Mettaton to fight the murderer, remember?"

"NO, NOT THAT ONE." Alphys slipped off her rolling chair, raising an eyebrow at Papyrus. "THE OTHER ONE. THE ONE WITH THE APRON AND FRYING PAN?"

"Kat?" Alphys scanned the room. Monsters were sitting against the walls or on the beds. Some children were sobbing into the shoulders of nearby strangers, murmuring about their parents. Everyone else was silent, gazing around the room. The fallen monsters sat among them as well, acting much calmer than Alphys had seen them act in a long time. I suppose all they wanted was their families… Every being present was clearly a monster, with no humans in sight.

"I don't know… Did anyone see her leave?" Everyone shook their head. Alphys glanced at the room door, shut and locking any possible intruders out. "Then I'm going out to look for her."

"No, Alphys!" Bratty, Catty, and the yellow monster kid jumped in front of her first, along with several others who crowded behind them.

"We can't lose you too!" Catty exclaimed, her eyes wide.

"You're, like, all we have left," Bratty added. The others monsters nodded. Alphys's claws shook as she gazed at everyone.

"That's not true," she protested, struggling to keep her voice steady. "You have each other… And I'm going to be right back. Nothing's going to happen." That's right, right? I'm just going to look for Kat.

"Then at least bring a weapon with you," Frostdrake suggested, fluttering toward her. The other monsters nodded. Catty grabbed a blaster cannon, which Alphys had left out after helping Teri pick a weapon for her and Mettaton's fight against the murderer. Gosh I hope they're okay… Alphys took the cannon from Catty with a nod.

"AND TAKE THIS TOO!" Papyrus grabbed a backpack, kneeling down to put it over the short scientist's shoulders.

"What for?" Alphys asked, raising an eyebrow.

"JUST IN CASE YOU FIND ANYTHING YOU WANT TO PICK UP," Papyrus replied, with his usual goofy smile. Alphys's upper lip twitched up. "OH… AND ALPHYS…" Papyrus suddenly let out a sigh, gazing at the ground. "IF YOU FIND SANS… PLEASE BRING HIM BACK."

"Sans?" Alphys couldn't suppress a groan. "Where did he go?"

"THE LAST CORRIDOR," he answered, as if he didn't recognize the name. "HE SAID HE WAS GOING TO FIGHT THE BAD HUMAN." Of course he did.

"I'll look for him," Alphys replied, dipping her head. She turned away, gripping the cannon and shaking her shoulders forward to make sure the backpack stayed on. It was clearly empty, considering how light it was. Alphys unlocked the door, pushing it open with her shoulder. She scanned the hall. Nothing stirred in the darkness. Alphys glanced back at the monsters inside, who all met her gaze.

"Don't open the door unless you hear me," Alphys ordered, locking the door before she put the cannon down and closed the door behind her. She picked it back up, marching through the hall. Making her way toward the elevator, she stopped to press the button to the upstairs lab. She stepped inside, feeling herself shake. What if the killer finds me before I can find Kat and Sans? What if they already killed them? Are Teri and Mettaton okay? Am I going to find nothing but dust and bodies? Alphys bit down hard, shaking through the thoughts.

Once the elevator reached its location, Alphys took one shaking step outside. Everything was silent in the lab. Poppy's soul is still outside… I should probably go get it… Grabbing a glass jar off the table, Alphys made her way out the back door. Down the path, was a purple soul. Placing the ends of the jar around the soul, Alphys scooped it into the jar. That makes four souls counting the ones back in the lab. She continued down the path, the one route in Hotland she had not been able to block off in time… Alphys passed several piles of dust. She forced herself to look away, feeling tears forming in her eyes. All these innocent people… I should've acted sooner, instead of just watching it happen… Who would do something like this to begin with?! These were civilians… People that just wanted to live their lives in peace.

Alphys scanned every inch of Hotland in search of Kat before making her way to the Core elevator. Mettaton had said that he and Teri would confront the murderer at the end of the Core. Would they even still be there? What if they've… Alphys forced herself onward. She had refused to check the cameras in the Core after… Undyne… More tears formed. But now she had to face whatever happened.

She stepped out of the elevator, forcing herself to walk into the final room. A blue soul glowed in the dark room. It floated just above an unmoving body, covered in blood. Alphys let out a gasp. She looked around the room, but it was completely empty apart from the body. Not even a piece of Mettaton remained… He must've self-destructed. Alphys's sob echoed off the wall as she fell to her knees. I shouldn't have let them go… I should've known this would happen. Alphys forced herself to stand, scooping the blue soul into the glass jar with the purple soul. Head hung low, Alphys walked to the next hall.

The elevator ride to New Home was long, and full of silent tears. Finally, the doors slid open. Alphys made her way through a few grey hallways before entering Asgore's house. Is he okay? Oh, I'm kidding myself, of course he's not okay. Asgore hadn't responded to a single one of her S.O.S messages. The chain laid on the ground, already unlocked so Alphys walked right over it and down the stairs. Several long grey hallways awaited her. Finally, after what felt like eons of walking, Alphys had made it to the last corridor. The place was eerily silent. Only Alphys's footsteps echoed down the hall, the usual chiming bells absent. She stopped in the middle of the hall. Alphys fell to her knees in front of a small pile of dust. It slid through her claws as she scooped it up, her eyes watering. What am I going to tell him? Forcing herself to stand, Alphys made her way out of the last corridor and into another gray hall.

Alphys skidded to a halt yet again. Another body laid on the ground, a green soul floating just above it. Kat… The human's left hand was barely held together at the base, the rest split in half and red. Alphys's face turned green. Grabbing the glass jar, she scooped the green soul inside without touching it. Then she made her way to the garden. The first thing she noticed was yet another soul, this one red. There was a body beneath it. Alphys marched through the flowers, gazing down at the body with a gasp. It was… the murderer. Did Asgore finally kill them? Looking around, Alphys spotted a blanket of dust covering the nearby flowers. She glanced back at the human. Their stomach had been cut open, and their knife laid among the flowers in front of them. Alphys picked it up. The scientist's eyes widened when she saw the red stains on the blade. Why would they do that? Regardless, Alphys collected the red soul, scooping it up to be with the others. She put the blaster cannon in the bag beside the jar. Finally, Alphys turned to leave. She walked the same way back, taking the same elevators down and knocking on the door in the True Lab.

"It's Alphys!" she called, pulling her backpack closer. The door was pulled open.

"Alphys!" Catty rushed toward Alphys, throwing her furry arms around the scientist. "What did you find?"

"Well, I have good news and bad news," Alphys replied, putting her backpack on the ground. Everyone closed in around her. She pushed the door closed with her tail, gazing at her fidgeting claws.

"Bad news first," Frostdrake replied, his cheek still pressed against his wife's cheek. Alphys took a deep breath, biting back her tears as she met everyone's gazes.

"Everyone who went to fight the human is dead," she sighed, gripping her arm. Gasps echoed off the walls.

"Mettaton?!"

"SANS?!"

"The good humans?!"

"Yes, everyone," Alphys replied, nodding. "Asgore as well… I found his dust scattered around the garden in New Home."

"How can there possibly be good news then?!" Bratty gasped, clutching Catty's arm.

"The good news is that the murderer is dead too," Alphys replied, pulling her backpack open. "And…" She pulled out the jar, to which more gasps filled the room. "I found these."

"FOUR SOULS?" Alphys looked up at Papyrus. Her eyes flooded with a new wave of tears when she noticed his solemn gaze. "I HAVE… THREE."

"That's, like, seven souls!" Catty exclaimed, dashing toward Alphys.

"We're free and the danger's passed!" Bratty added, jumping up and down as she clutched Catty.

"But who's gonna absorb the souls?" Grillby asked, his eyes fixed on the ground. "Asgore was going to but…" He couldn't finish the sentence.

"I… I don't know," Alphys admitted, folding her arms at her chest.

"You should do it!" The monster kid suggested, dashing in front of Alphys. "You're the royal scientist!"

"And with Undyne gone, the power of succession falls to you," Frostdrake informed, his eyes welling with tears. Alphys's own eyes watered. It should be Undyne leading them… She'd be a much better leader than me...

"If you insist," Alphys forced herself to say. "But first…" She took a deep breath, straightening up to address everyone. "I'm going to do a final check of the Underground for any remaining monsters. Papyrus-" The skeleton met her gaze. "I'd like you to come with me, bring the souls. Everyone else, go to the Barrier and wait for us. Our freedom is in sight, everyone." The monsters cheered, though some were weaker than others. Papyrus made his way through the crowd. Jars of souls were clutched in his arms, one light blue, one orange, and the last yellow. Alphys sighed as she kneeled in front of her backpack, pulling the blaster cannon out and laying it on the floor. She took the three jars, putting them with the others. Zipping the bag, Alphys threw it on her back.

"DID YOU FIND SANS'... SANS'..." Papyrus looked away. Alphys pushed the door open, feeling a pang of sympathy for the tall skeleton. Sans was a good guy… I wish I could've seen him before he...

"All I found was dust," Alphys sighed, pushing the door closed behind them. Papyrus let out a sigh. The two made their way into the elevator, avoiding each other's gazes.

"I INSISTED THAT HE DIDN'T NEED TO GO…" Papyrus sighed, stepping out of the elevator. Alphys remained at his side. "BUT HE WOULDN'T LISTEN. HE WAS SO ADAMANT ABOUT GOING…"

"Mettaton was the same," Alphys sighed, gripping her arm. "And… and… Undyne…" She bit her lip.

"UNDYNE," Papyrus repeated, softly. The two met each other's gazes, their eyes wide.

"That's right… you were her friend too…"

Papyrus nodded. "SHE TALKED A LOT ABOUT YOU, YOU KNOW. SHE… UM… SHE ALWAYS SORT OF… LIKED YOU."

Alphys looked away. "Oh…" She covered her mouth to hold back sobs, unable to keep her tears at bay.

"OH, GOSH I MADE IT WORSE!" Papyrus exclaimed, skidding to a halt. He kneeled in front of Alphys, resting his hands on her shoulders. "I SHOULDN'T HAVE SAID THAT. DO YOU WANT TO TAKE A MINUTE?"

"No, no." Alphys pulled her glasses forward with one claw, wiping her tears away with other. She wiped her glasses on her coat. Taking a deep breath, Alphys put her glasses back on and took a step back. "Let's keep going." The two continued toward Mettaton's resort.

"WHY HERE?" Papyrus asked.

"I wanted to see if anyone hid in here… or something." Alphys pushed the door open. She and Papyrus made their way inside. The sound of water sloshing around in the fountain filled the otherwise silent air.

"WHO IS THAT?" Papyrus asked, pointing somewhere. Alphys glanced at the burger emporium. There was a figure behind the counter, with round ears and brown fur.

"Burgerpants?" Alphys asked, raising an eyebrow. "What is he still doing here?"

"WHY DON'T YOU GO ASK HIM?"

Alphys glanced at Papyrus with a nod. "Yes, I'll go do that. You go check the hotel rooms." The skeleton nodded before walking down one of the hallways. Alphys stopped in front of the counter.

"Welcome to MTT-Brand Burger Emporium," Burgerpants greeted, his usual fake smile plastered on his face. "Home of the Glamburger. How can I help you, o' customer?"

"Hi, I'm Alphys, the royal scientist. Why didn't you evacuate with the others?"

The cat's eyes widened. "E-evacuate? What evacuation? And I just came in to work because I didn't want Mettaton to-"

"Mettaton is dead." Burgerpants flinched. Alphys was unable to meet his gaze. "Asgore, Undyne, everyone. They're all dead. A human fell Underground and killed them all, including the six other humans they fell with."

"Six humans…" Alphys met the cat's gaze again. "Does that mean...?"

"Yes. The ones who survived are at the Barrier waiting for me to go and break it. I'm doing a final check for any monsters left."

"W-well. I'll go join them. Thank you, ma'am." Burgerpants pushed the gate, making his way out the door. Alphys waited by the fountain. Papyrus emerged from one of the hallways, his head hung low.

"Nothing?" Alphys asked.

Papyrus shook his head. "WHERE NEXT?"

"I know Hotland and the Core are empty," Alphys replied, making her way out the door. "And Snowdin Town and New Home were evacuated. Since, there's no way to get to the Ruins we should check Waterfall and go back."

"GOOD PLAN," Papyrus replied, with a nod. The walk to Waterfall was long and silent. As they passed the bridge where Undyne and Clover had fought Poppy and the murderer, Alphys forced herself to look away from the pool of dust that had once been Undyne. She continued into a dark corridor, Papyrus at her side. They needed to light up the stones to see a thing as they continued over the reeds. Eventually, they spotted movement among the reeds.

"Hello?!" Alphys called, squinting in the darkness. A figure jumped out in front of her. Alphys and Papyrus stumbled back, letting out gasps.

"Who goes there?!" a squeaky voice demanded.

"Alphys, royal scientist, and my friend Papyrus." She pointed at each of them accordingly.

"WE COME IN PEACE!" Papyrus added, perhaps a bit too loud. Alphys tapped the light stone beside them. The figure in front of her was only about the size of her head, floating to meet her eye-level. They were a little dog-like creature with cat ears and white fur.

"Hoi Alphy!" they greeted, "I'm Temmie! And these are my friends, Temmie!" More Temmies emerged from the reeds, making odd faces. Some had teary eyes.

"We lost a brave tem today! WAAAA!" one of them exclaimed, tears streaming down their face. Today? Has this all been one day?!

"Well… We got seven human souls and were going to break the Barrier once we make sure everyone knows," Alphys explained, gesturing her claws as she spoke.

"Break da Barrier?!" one of the Tems gasped. "Tems be… free?!"

"Yes…?" Alphys replied, raising an eyebrow. The Tems let out gasps, gazing at each other with glowing eyes.

"TEMS… BE FREE…!" One of them exclaimed, convulsing rapidly. "TEMS… DO IT... FOR TEM!" The Tems floated past them, shaking like trees about to fall. Alphys glanced at Papyrus.

"Do you… know them?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"NEVER SEEN THEM IN MY LIFE," Papyrus replied, shrugging. The two of them continued forward. Finally, they were out of the maze of reeds, stopping in front of a stand in the wall of the cliffs. Inside, was frail looking turtle monster.

"Gerson?" Alphys asked, glancing at him.

"Yeah, it's me," he answered, slouching over the counter. "And, yes, I know about the human threat. I saw them come through here, hoped to distract 'em, but they walked right past me."

"The threat has passed sir," Alphys replied. "We came to tell you that we got seven human souls and are planning to use them to shatter the Barrier once we bring everyone out of hiding."

The old monster's eyes widened. "Seven human souls?" he repeated, chuckling dryly. "How'd you manage that?"

"Seven humans fell underground today. One was the murderer, two followed them and when they turned against them, they were killed. The other four were killed by the murderer, and the murderer killed themself after killing Asgore."

The old turtle nodded along. "Well… that's a lot to take in… I'll…" He made his way out of the stand. "I'll just head to the Barrier then. Thank you, young'uns." Finally, Alphys and Papyrus made their way into the main neighborhood of Waterfall. It contained three houses. Alphys didn't bother checking Mettaton or Undyne's refusing even to look at the structures through her teary eyes. She stopped in front of the blue house and knocked. The door creaked open.

"Hello?" Alphys called, peeking inside. A ghost floated out from behind the television. Alphys covered her mouth. The ghost ducked back behind the television, letting out a gasp.

"Oh… No… don't cry because of me…"

"Oh no, it's not because of you," Alphys insisted, holding her hands out as she entered the house. "It's just… are you… Mettaton's cousin? Blooky?"

"Um… yes…?" The ghost peeked out at her again. "Why?"

"He used to talk about you a lot." Alphys immediately gasped, covering her mouth with her claws.

"Used to? What happened to him?"

Alphys wrapped her tail around herself, letting out a sigh. "I wish I didn't have to tell you like this… He… He's dead. He died honorably fighting a rampaging human, as did many monsters."

Blooky's eyes filled with tears. "Oh… so that's why it's been so quiet…" The ghost looked away, sniffling as tears poured down their face. "I… I never got to…"

"I'm sorry," Alphys sighed, stepping closer to the ghost. She stopped herself from reaching out to them. "I figured you already knew…"

"I should've," they sighed. "I should've done something… Instead of hiding and crying like the garbage I am."

"You're not garbage!" Alphys exclaimed, reaching out to Blooky. "You didn't know any of this was happening!" She cleared her throat. "Anyways, I… I only came to look for everyone who was in hiding. We got seven humans souls and we're gonna break the Barrier."

"Oh… okay… See you there then…" Blooky floated out of the house, face still wet with tears. Alphys shambled out the door.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY TO THEM?" Papyrus asked, closing the door behind them.

"That was Mettaton's cousin…" Alphys sighed, clutching her own hands. "I told them what happened…"

"OH…" The two began making their way toward the capital. It was another long walk. When they finally reached the Barrier, a crowd of about forty or so monsters were clustered in front of it.

"MOVE ASIDE EVERYONE!" Papyrus called, gesturing everyone to the side. The crowd parted as Alphys and Papyrus made their way through the hall, clutching the jars of human souls. Alphys glanced at the crowd. This is all that's left… of our entire species… Papyrus and Alphys put the jars down in front of the bright light that was the Barrier.

"Everyone stand back!" Alphys called, gesturing them back with her arm. Everyone stepped back. Claws shaking, she twisted the lid off the first jar. Then the second. Before Alphys could touch them, the souls floated into the air. They spun wildly in a circle.

"I-IS THAT SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN?!" Papyrus exclaimed, pointing at the souls.

"I… I don't know!" Alphys gasped, glancing back at the monsters. "Everyone! Leave the hallway! It might be dangerous." The monsters filed out, their footsteps echoing off the walls. Papyrus stayed where he was. Alphys was about to protest when the souls began spinning faster and faster, becoming a blur of colours before slamming into the Barrier. A bright light flooded the room. Alphys and Papyrus were backed up against the wall, shielding their eyes with their arms. Once the light faded, it was replaced by a much softer light. Alphys lowered her arm. She and Papyrus both gasped. Sunlight was streaming in through the entrance of the Underground.

"The Barrier… It's gone!" Alphys's voice echoed off the walls. The monsters made their way back to the front of the hall, gasping.

"We're… we're free…" One of the kid's voices came out in a breath. Alphys and Papyrus made their way out first, the monsters trailing after them. They stopped at the edge of the cliff. The sun shone in front of them, forcing Alphys to blink as she looked out across the land. The leaves on the trees blew softly in the wind. A mountain loomed in the distance, just to the side of the sunset. Alphys closed her eyes. The sun warmed her skin as the breeze blew through her hair.

"We made it…" Alphys murmured, clutching her claws.

"So what now?" someone asked.

"I…" Alphys paused to think about it. "We'll need an ambassador to the humans and with all the humans that fell dead…" Alphys cast a glance at Papyrus. "I think it should be you."

"REALLY?! WOWIE! WELL, I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS WILL BE THE BEST AMBASSADOR TO THE HUMANS!" Alphys smiled. Glad he's starting to act like his usual self.

"Well… Let's go…" Alphys made her way down the path, Papyrus at her side and the other monsters at their heels. Even as her stomach churned with anxiety, she smiled. Mostly to look like she was sure of what she was doing, but somewhat out of her own happiness. Her heart still ached at the thought of everyone who wasn't here. However, a flicker of hope swelled inside her. This was a new beginning. An opportunity. They would rebuild from the ashes and find a way to live in this strange new world. It wasn't the end, rather a new beginning.