Chapter 12

Her eyes cracked open, and she smiled weakly. "...Fancy... seeing.... you here.... Dream...." Piko said, weakly.

Dream let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, relief flooding his being. "Piko," he whispered, his voice choked with emotion. "You had us worried."

He cradled her carefully in his arms, his heart pounding in his chest. Her body was limp, her energy depleted, but she was alive. That was all that mattered.

"You did it, Piko," Dream said, a shaky smile on his face. "You broke the barrier. We're free." His voice was barely a whisper, filled with awe and gratitude. "Thank you."

Piko's weak smile in return was all the thanks he needed.

"W-well... it..... sure did.... hurt. That's for sure.... heh..." Piko said, weaker.

Dream's heart clenched at her words. "Oh, Piko," he murmured, brushing her hair gently away from her face. "You didn't have to do this alone."

He could see the toll it had taken on her. She was barely holding on, her life force flickering like a candle in the wind.

"But you did it," Dream said, his voice choked with emotion, "You're so strong, Piko. We're all so proud of you."

He held her closer, willing his strength into her. She was their hero, their savior. And he wasn't about to let her go.

"Can you... get Undyne? She's the queen.... she should see the surface.... and lead her people to it." Piko said.

"Of course, Piko," Dream nodded, his heart heavy. "I'll bring her right away."

As gently as he could, Dream laid Piko down, promising to return quickly. He rose and turned to Sans, who had been standing by silently.

"Sans," Dream said, his voice urgent, "Stay with Piko. I'll go get Undyne."

With that, Dream sprinted out of the cavern. He needed to find Undyne. Piko was right; as queen, Undyne needed to see the surface and lead their people to freedom. And maybe, just maybe, Undyne could help Piko. There wasn't a moment to lose.

Dream came back with Undyne, who stared at the broken barrier, before kneeling down at Piko. "You did this?" She said. Piko barely raised her hand, and said "I, Piko, have solemnly swore that I will Protect and fight for the underground, and keep my fellow soldiers safe as commanding officer. And... and I will do anything for the underground. Do anything for it, and protect it from anything with my life." She said, and smiled.

Dream watched as Undyne took Piko's hand, her grip firm yet gentle. "We will honor your sacrifice, Piko. We will live freely on the surface and remember your bravery. You have my word."

Piko's weak smile at Undyne's words was the most beautiful thing Dream had ever seen. Despite the pain, despite the fear, Piko was at peace. She had done her duty, and now, they would do theirs.

"Who... who said it's the end for me?" Piko struggled to sit up. "DETERMINATION... It's the will to live. But that's not my soul type. While PASSION is the reason to live."

Dream's eyes widened in surprise as Piko struggled to sit up. He quickly moved to her side, helping her sit up gently. Despite her weak state, there was a spark in her eyes that hadn't been there before.

"Passion," Piko said, her voice stronger than before. "Passion is my soul type. The passion to protect, to fight, to live. And I'm not done living yet."

Her words echoed in the cavern, bringing a renewed sense of hope to everyone present. Piko had survived, against all odds. She was battered, she was weak, but she was alive. Her passion, her determination, had kept her going.

Dream couldn't help but smile, tears of relief stinging his eyes. "That's the spirit, Piko," he said, his voice choked with emotion. "We're all with you."

Piko smiled with DETERMINATION, or PASSION. She got up, smiled triumphally, and face planted. "Ok, maybe I'm not ready to stand up yet, but I can army crawl!" She said, her voice sounding funny because her nose was flattened.

Dream couldn't help but laugh, a genuine, heartfelt laugh. Even in such a dire situation, Piko was able to find humor and keep her spirits high. That was the Piko he knew and loved, always ready to bring a smile to everyone's face.

"Take it easy, Piko," Dream chuckled, helping her sit up again. "You've done more than enough. You need to rest now."

Despite his words, Dream couldn't help the surge of pride he felt for Piko. She was their beacon of hope, their symbol of freedom. She had fought and risked her life for their freedom, and she had succeeded.

As they all looked out at the surface, bathed in the warm sunlight, Dream knew they were finally free. And they had Piko to thank for that.

Alphys rushed to them. "H-h-how is this p-possible?! Th-the barrier n-needs 7 h-human souls! A-and th-the barrier absorbs the souls after!" She said, her mind blown.

Piko looked up at Alphys, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "Who said I used human souls?" she asked, a smirk playing on her lips.

Alphys blinked, taken aback. "B-but that's the only way to break the barrier--"

Piko cut her off with a chuckle. "That's where you're wrong, Alphys. Yes, traditionally, seven human souls are needed to break the barrier. But who said we had to follow tradition?"

She looked at Dream, her eyes softening. "I used the souls of our people, Alphys. I combined the power of seven monster souls and my own to break the barrier."

The cavern fell silent as everyone processed her words. Piko, with her passion and determination, had found a way to break the barrier without taking a single human life. She truly was an incredible being.

"The secret is PASSION. I read into files in the old lab. PASSION is a soul type that only shows with someone who devotes their soul to their own passions. It's stronger than DETERMINATION, and if you have enough... it can override DETERMINATION. The barrier was made out of DETERMINATION. So..." Piko smiled.

Alphys stared at Piko, her eyes wide. "That's... that's incredible, Piko," she said, her voice filled with awe. "I... I never thought it was possible."

Piko just smiled, leaning back against Dream. "Well, it was a long shot," she admitted. "But I had to try. For our people. For our freedom."

Dream wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close. He couldn't help but feel a surge of admiration for Piko. She was truly remarkable. She had broken the barrier, found a new soul type, and in doing so, had secured their freedom.

He looked at Piko, her eyes sparkling with satisfaction. "Thank you, Piko," Dream said, his voice soft. "For everything."

Piko just smiled at him, her eyes filled with warmth. "It was my pleasure, Dream," she said. "After all, we're all in this together."

The sight of the rising sun was breathtaking. It cast a warm, golden hue on everything, making the world seem fresh and new. Dream could feel the warmth seeping into his bones, a stark contrast to the cool, damp caverns of the Underground.

Piko leaned against him, her eyes reflecting the golden light. She looked beautiful, her face illuminated by the sun's rays. Dream could see the joy in her eyes, the satisfaction of finally being free.

"This is it, Piko," Dream said, his voice soft. "We're finally free."

Piko nodded, a smile spreading across her face. "Yes, we are," she said. "And it's all thanks to you, Dream."

Dream shook his head, looking at Piko with admiration. "No, Piko. It's thanks to you. You're the one who broke the barrier. You're the one who freed us."

Piko just chuckled, her eyes never leaving the horizon. "Well, I couldn't have done it without you," she said. "We did this together, Dream."

Together. That word resonated with Dream. They had done this together, and they would continue to face whatever came their way, together. As the sun continued to rise, bathing the world in its golden light, Dream knew they were finally home.

"Piko. Would you like to be the ambassador for monster kind?" Undyne asked. "We'll need someone to communicate with the humans." Piko looked up at Undyne. "Really? Yes, of course! I mean, I've already broken the barrier, so I might as well." She said.

Dream couldn't help but feel a swell of pride as Piko accepted Undyne's proposal. Despite everything she had been through, Piko was still willing to take on such a huge responsibility.

"Great!" Undyne said, smiling broadly. "With your passion and determination, I'm sure you'll do a fantastic job."

As they continued to watch the sunrise, Dream knew that they were starting a new chapter in their lives. A chapter filled with hope, freedom and endless possibilities. And with Piko as their ambassador, Dream knew that they would be able to build a strong relationship with the humans.

"Piko," Dream said, turning to her. "I'm really proud of you. I know you'll do great."

Piko smiled at him, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Thanks, Dream," she said. "I'll do my best. For us, and for all of monster kind."

*One week later...*

Life on the surface had been a whirlwind of change for everyone. Piko, as the ambassador, had been working tirelessly to establish a peaceful relationship between the humans and the monsters. Despite the initial fear and confusion, the humans had gradually begun to accept the monsters as part of their world.

Dream spent most of his time helping Piko and supporting her in any way he could. He admired her resilience and tenacity, her unwavering commitment to their people.

Despite the challenges they faced, there was a sense of peace and contentment that Dream had never felt before. They were finally free, living on the surface under the warm sun. And although there were still many unknowns and uncertainties ahead, Dream couldn't help but feel hopeful.

After all, they had Piko. And with her passion and determination, Dream knew that they could face anything.

Dream frowned, an unsettling feeling creeping into his heart. Piko never ignored calls, especially not from him. He quickly dialed her number again, hoping that she had just been busy and hadn't noticed the call.

But after the third ring, it went to voicemail.

"Piko, it's Dream," he said, trying to keep his voice steady. "I'm just checking up on you. Call me back when you get this."

He ended the call, his heart pounding in his chest. Something was wrong. He could feel it. With a deep breath, Dream made his way to Piko's house, praying that everything was okay.

Dream went out, and went into Ebott city. While walking around a bit, he heard voices say "Isn't this dangerous?" "Why would it be?" "This little maggot has monster friends everywhere." "Exactly why if we kill 'er, then the city will blame the monsters. Then they'll go back to 'th stupid mountain. Or kill 'em. Either's fine with me."