20XX

A couple of years had passed, and Asriel was now old enough to learn his duties as prince of the Underground. Toriel taught him everything that books could teach him and Asgore started to spar with him more frequently. He was a very lively child and you loved spending time with him and taking him on trips in the Underground. You were not just only his "auntie" but also his guardian, making sure he was safe whenever he sneaked out of the castle for adventure. 

You knew all of his hiding spots and you were more or less partners in crime but despite everything, you made sure he stayed in line to become a responsible little prince. 

However, not everything went as well. Your relationship with Gaster was official, partially being frowned upon by monsters who were still stuck in the old ways. And there was another thing that plagued you. You have frequently been getting headaches or your chest started stinging for unknown reasons. It wasn't anything major but it was still bothersome. Whatever was going on with you seemed to not go away and it felt like with every day passing, it clung to you even more. 

You tried to brush off those uncomfortable feelings, focusing on having a good time with Asriel and try not to worry the others too much.

You were heading to the entrance of Home with Asriel as he cheerfully skipped around you. You wanted to show him the lights that shone through the hole in the ceiling and tell him about the world on the surface. You wanted to tell him about how beautiful it can be and how many different colors the world has. "Careful, young monster or you might trip.", you laughed. 

You picked him up and sat him on your shoulders for a better view. Asriel was rather small, and his soft fur grazed your forehead as he was petting your head gently. 

"As if I would ever trip.", he said in a pouty tone and you laughed in response, "Says the one who tripped and almost ended up sending his mom's butterscotch cinnamon pie flying." 

"That was an accident.", he tried defending himself. 

"Well yeah, good thing Gaster was there and caught it with his blue magic just in time or dad would've not looked as happy." 

Yes, Gaster was sometimes around too. He was rather distant towards Asriel, but it did not change the fact that he cared for him. Especially considering Asriel is the very reason his parents gave up their immortality, so he had to make sure he was safe and guarded at any cost. He invented a lot of things that are supposed to help Asriel as prince and for everyday matters as well.

Asriel grumbled a little in embarrassment before he gasped and tried to prop up himself onto your shoulders. It almost made you lose balance, but you managed to catch yourself and him just in time. Now he stood on your shoulders, balancing back and forth to see something that was somewhere in the distance. 

"What is that over there? Do you see that?", asked Asriel and you squinted your eyes to try and see past the rocks and shadows surrounding you. Obviously, he could see whatever it is better than you since he was much taller. "No? What is it?", you asked and walked closer. 

You assumed he was talking about the sunlight, but you weren't too sure. Before you could react, Asriel carefully grabbed your head to steady himself and slid down your back, landing on his feet with a loud thud. He sprinted towards whatever he saw, and you hurried after him. 

"Asriel, wait -" 

He stood still and as you walked up to him you saw something, or well, someone, you would have never expected to see again. "It...it looks like you.", stated Asriel and looked at you with wide eyes. "I-it can't be...", you said and knelt next to the human to feel their forehead. Something was wrong. 

"Asriel...please, go and get your mom. Immediately.", you said in an urgent tone. Asriel seemed confused first but decided to follow your instructions without hesitation. Carefully, you picked up the little one and held them in your arms. Surprisingly the child was unscathed but unconscious - it was a literal miracle that they survived such a fall. 

"[Y/N]!", you heard the small voice of Asriel's yell and you turned to watch him run towards you, Toriel following closely behind with a worried expression. As she came to halt, she covered her mouth in surprise and shock: "Oh my. What a poor little soul. Are they okay?" 

You stood up and approached Toriel, who worriedly brushed her paw through the child's hair. "I think they are fine.", you assured and carefully let Toriel take the small figure instead. She smiled and sighed a little: "My, poor child. They were lucky we found them in time..." Toriel brushed their long brown hair out of their face and studied their face lovingly. "I am going to keep them with me until they are feeling better. Thank you, my dear." 

You nodded and Toriel turned to leave. She grabbed Asriel's hand, who was blabbering out thousands of questions and led him away, carrying the small human child in her arms. 

Something inside of you trembled. You couldn't tell if it was excitement or fear. Of course, they were just a child, but it still triggered suppressed memories. You took a short breath and decided to follow them. You figured it would be safer if the first face they would see would be one of a human's to not alert the child or even give them a heart attack.

As you entered the room, Toriel was already fully on healing the child. Asriel had previously begged you to let him join you, but you figured that Toriel had a reason to leave Asriel outside and asked him instead to guard the door for you. You gave a quick nod towards Toriel as a greeting and sat down next to the child. 

You silently watched as their eyes started to flutter open and you smiled warmly at them. They immediately gasped and sat up. Out of instinct you grabbed their hand: "Please, lay back down. Everything is okay. You are safe with us." The heavy breathing of the child quickly calmed, and they slowly laid back down again. 

They haven't noticed Toriel yet, but you were about to gently break the news to them: "You probably fell from the cliff near the mountain. You are now in the Underground. A place, where monsters are living. Please, don't be alarmed. We all mean you no harm." 

"She is right, my child. Please, do not be afraid of us.", said Toriel now and slowly approached the bed. "You are safe with us."

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{Handplates chapter reference: i'm going to regrets this}

You were sitting in the kitchen, drinking a warm cup of tea as you watched Gaster and Asgore in the living room. Asgore had his arm over Gaster's shoulder, pulling him close and beaming with excitement. Both watched Asriel and the child, Chara, playfight together. As soon as they first saw each other it basically immediately clicked between them.

Meanwhile, Toriel had summoned Asgore and Gaster to discuss how to proceed. You were worried. As soon as Gaster arrived and he saw Chara, you saw how his expression changed immediately and something inside of him turned. He was more silent, and he somehow felt distant. Of course, before Gaster arrived, Asgore and Toriel had discussed if it was possible for Chara to return somehow back to the surface but considering that one soul wasn't strong enough to do that, it was pretty much hopeless for them. 

So, they thought about possibly adopting Chara and maybe even getting her to advocate for monsterkind in future. Well, the last part was more of Asgore's idea. 

"Gaster, what do you think?", asked Asgore cheerfully. You could not see what Gaster was signing but you could sense his hesitation and wariness. You were more than flabbergasted that no one else could sense or see in this room how uncomfortable he was, even though the signs were more than clear. "Gaster, I am not asking you as your king and you know that. Don't avoid the question with protocol. You can tell me." Gaster's movements were stiff and slow as he pondered, how to carefully voice his opinion to Asgore. "I know how you must feel, but this time things will be different, I am sure of it. Imagine having a human ally down here, Gaster!"

You are a human too but since you never have been with anyone else but monsters, you weren't exactly a great representative. It would be more favorable if we had someone who has lived on both sides. And you could not fulfill that. But you couldn't help but think that Asgore was placing too much hope and faith into the kid. He was too excited to be realistic.

"An advocate for our side who could convince the humans to let us go, defend us when we were in trouble...if we can prove to the humans that we're more than what they're afraid of, maybe they will finally let us share this world as equals, like we're supposed to." You admired Asgores' hopefulness, but you were also concerned.

Yes, you wished for more than anything that we could share this world. You were literal proof that it could work, but when it mattered the most during the war, no one listened to you and thought you were forced by your parents to lie about them being your parents. If it would have made a difference, no one would be trapped down here in the first place.

But maybe, just maybe, humans have changed overtime, and they now listen. Maybe Chara could share their experiences with the human world to us so we can learn about them, and they could learn about us. Gently and step by step through a human, they trust. You are probably nothing more than a wildling that was raised by feral creatures.

"[Y/N], went past the barrier once like you reported. And now a human has fallen from the sky. This can't be a coincidence. Maybe this child is the key. I can't remember the last time I felt such hope, Gaster. And now when I look at that child, I see a future for us, all of us. For you, Gaster. Do you know what I mean?"

We all knew what he meant. Asgore was very invested in our future, considering that his life wasn't forever anymore. He wanted to ensure that we are living our best possible lives as our best possible selves. Asgore wanted Gaster to be more than an Underground scientist. He should get the opportunity to measure himself with real scientists and present his ideas to the whole world and not just in the underground. He deserved this more than anything but you knew Gaster was rather pessimistic about the entire idea.

Asgore grabbed Gaster's shoulders, looking at him with hopeful eyes. 

"Now now, children. Not so rough!", said Toriel calmly as Chara pinned Asriel down the floor and pulled on his ear. You watch both of them for a moment, before returning your attention to Gaster. His shoulders dropped lightly as he sighed. 

You finally got to see his answer: 'I...just want you two to be happy. If this will do it...then so be it.' 

Gaster seemed rather unconvinced, almost as if he was hurt and you wanted nothing more than to walk up to him and hug him, but this was their private conversation, and you knew you couldn't convince Asgore to reconsider. 

Asgore hugged Gaster, Gaster tensing slightly: "Don't worry, Gaster. You'll see...this human will be our future."