Clovers and Feathers

by WaxedLightlyWeatheredCutCopperStairs

Summary:

It's been a week since Clover chose to live with Martlet after the grand confrontation against the 'Roba. Hijinks occur.

or: i make bird-human fluff bc i need more

edit: oh god it's a full story now

Notes:

note this was heavily influenced by the UTY: SoJ mod. Go play it if you haven't, it's genuinely one of the best fangame mods I've seen before - also please comment i do wanna improve on my writing

Also, if you wanna make fanart I'd love that, just put it up on a image site and send a link so I can HTML it properly!

Chapter 1: The Beginning

Things had settled down... somehow.

 

Clover had won the battle against Ceroba, with a lot of aid from his flowery companion. Yet, despite the 4 phases of the fox attempting to kill the human... he forgave her, an act complete with a tight hug. And now, after her and Starlo and Martlet started arguing what to do, he deeply considered giving up his SOUL. They'd only be one more SOUL away from shattering the Barrier, and he knew, against everything else, that it was the just thing to do.

 

"Clover!"

 

"Clover, what are you doing?!"

 

His soul shone a brilliant yellow as he looked up to address Martlet's query, taking into account how terrified the bird's expression was. The sight made his impending words harder to speak than ever, the words catching in his throat as his vocal cords refused to cooperate... until he forced them to. Despite how much he didn't want to scare, Martlet... Clover knew she deserved an answer.

 

"It's time."

 

"W-What does that mean?!"

 

"It's time to go." Finally, Clover managed to get his point across, though even he was surprised at the restrained, almost regretful tone he had taken. This... was what he wanted. This is what had to be done. This... had to happen. His being, what that golden SOUL represented, shone with a desire... for JUSTICE.

 

"No... no no no no no-we'll think of a plan! We have options!" Martlet bargained, immediately realizing that if she didn't act... she'd be making a horrible mistake. Clover... helped her more than she could imagine.

 

---

 

Martlet remembered walking with them through the Dunes after their fall. They'd bought some questionable retail from Mo, three teas to be exact. They'd pocketed them in their bag (how didn't they spill??), before turning to Martlet, looking up at them with a slightly determined expression and a growing smile.

 

"Martlet, which tea do you want? It might help you cool down." Clover gruffly queried, their patience waiting as Martlet responded with "Clover, you don't have to- I'm a Royal Guard, not a fragile ball of feathers! Well... I may be a ball of feathers, but still that's besides the point and I'm rambling again aren't I? Uhh... can I have the Ice Tea? Please?"

 

Clover only nodded, before taking out the Ice Tea, along with some Ice Pellets (how didn't they melt???), before dropping them in the tea, and swishing the rapidly-cooling liquid around with a gentle mix. After a few seconds, he'd looked up at her, offering the tea cup with a outstretched hand. Wordlessly, she'd taken it and took a exploratory sip, immediately downing all of it as soon as the lack of warmth reached her tongue. It was a bit awkward, considering she'd had a beak, but she'd settled for just pouring the tea into her mouth directly. She was also fairly certain tea was meant to be drank warm (or at least the tea she knew of).

 

When the cup was completely empty, Clover didn't seem to be off-put by her unorthodox method of consuming liquids, and only casually remarked that "Look, I like packing peanuts, I won't judge you."

 

She should probably still talk to him about that. But in hindsight, the tea wasn't even that good in terms of flavour and taste. A sweet tea, for sure, but not the best, especially considering who had sold it. But... Clover made it cooler for her. Clover had taken the time to make sure she would be okay through her journey.

 

Clover... cared about her. Chujin did as well, but everyone else around her... not so much. Her parents wanted her out of the home, and pushed her for a job. She'd had no other friends since everyone dismissed her as a scatterbrain that had to get her life together. And granted... she was, deeply so. And she'd relegated herself to thinking the majority of people she'd meet would think that.

 

But Clover never did.

 

"Thank you, Clover! Really, that helped me more than you know! I'm not sweating immensely anymore!"

 

"Don't thank me, Martlet. It's simply the right thing to do to help a... friend in need."

 

---

 

"WAIT- Clo- Clover Clover wait! Wait, please! I have a- a plan!!" Clover looked up at Martlet with a determined expression, though with a flicker of hope in his eyes. Even he knew Martlet wasn't the best at plans, considering how she'd wrecked Ava and gotten arrested. Granted, he'd easily forgive both as circumstantial events that neither of them could have predicted. Martlet, meanwhile, seemed to be on the edge of tears, but-

 

"Listen- Look... you don't have to go RIGHT NOW, Clover. Like... can we not just... wait for another human to fall? Then you can both... can... together..." Martlet's voice choked, her body refusing to say the obvious: Clover and this other human... will die. 

 

"That's... actually a pretty good idea. We'll get more time to spend with Clover, all of us." Ceroba chimed in, actually looking hopeful as she refined Martlet's ideas in her mind. "What if this other human isn't as... virtuous as Clover? There's al-"

 

"Then we'll stop them. I've survived all three of you, I have good odds taking on a human... especially if all three of you are alongside me." Clover answered, looking up at Ceroba, Starlo, and Martlet with a gleaming smile, one that spoke volumes along with his words. The group was stunned by his words, rendered speechless completely. They'd all tried their best to hurt Clover previously... and he still trusted them enough to want to fight alongside them if the unthinkable happened.

 

"Partner... I don't think I'll ever receive a greater honor than to fight alongside my deputy. I'd promote you to sheriff 'cause lord knows you've earned it. But you aren't sheriff material - you're much more." Starlo knelt down alongside Clover, looking at the young cowboy with teary eyes, one which he acknowledged with a fist-bump and a gleaming smile.

 

"Clover... I... I don't know if I could ever put you in harm's way." Martlet answered, also kneeling down to Clover's level. "You've done so much, survived so much, including me..."

 

"But who's going to protect you, Martlet? Humans are... powerful. I'd like to imagine I'm proof of that." Clover responded, unconsciously cupping Martlet's face with one of his hands, before bringing her in for a tight hug, one which she quickly reciprocated, throwing her wings around him, pulling Clover tighter into her embrace. Clover's arms wrapped around as much of Martlet's back as he could muster, pulling her in as well. Truth be told, Martlet was truly an excellent fighter to Clover; he had to have died at least 20 times to her, way more than Ceroba's 11, Starlo's 3, and Dalv's 1 time. He wasn't sure how Ceroba, with four phases and with attacks so powerful Clover had to use his soul-shooter thing and DASHing, killed him less than Martlet with her sharp feathers, feathers he now leaned into happily.

 

"Well... who's Clover going to live with? Me and Starlo live decently close in the Dunes, but you're all the way in Snowdin." Ceroba piped up, still mulling over the finer arrangements of Clover staying alive.

 

"What about a shared-custody kinda thing? One week in the Dunes with Ceroba and Star, one week in Snowdin with Martlet and Dalv. Ooh, I should introduce him to you all at some point..." Clover mused, though his idea was clearly the best option. Everyone got to spend time with Clover, and Clover got to spend time with everyone. "Who knows, maybe I'll even take a trip to the Steamworks to talk with Axis every once in a while!"

 

"Huh... I might know Dalv, actually..."

 

"Same here... did he know a fox named Kanako?"

 

"Yeah, actually, how'd you know?"

 

...And the group spent quite a bit putting the pieces together. 

 

It was an enjoyable bit of time, though.

Chapter 2: Dining Out

ding-ding-ding!

 

"Clover! I can't wait for you to see my house! As in, the insides this time! I promise I have my hou-"

 

"Hello, hello, hello there! If it isn't Clover, word extraordinaire!" The Mail Whale promptly interrupted Martlet, who seemed more than a bit surprised, her beak hanging open in a display of shock that made Clover chuckle. He wasn't sure if it was just how friendly the two were with each other, or his ease of rhyming on the spot, or how he was-

 

"What's the problem, Martlet of the Royal Guard? I think your shock and surprise are two emotions you should discard!" Clover heard the Mail Whale laugh hard behind him as Martlet's eyes widened, before she sputtered, heavily confused.

 

"How are you THIS... familiar with the mail service? You can't- Are you training to be a UGPS member?" Martlet's face lit up with joy at the prospect of Clover actually getting a job with the UGPS, and Clover and/or the Mail Whale didn't even have enough time to correct Martlet before she went on a tangent. It wasn't surprising to Clover at this point, but it certainly shocked the Mail Whale. "Ohmygod that's actually so cool! You see I thought about joining the UGPS but I realized I liked carpentry and I wouldn't be able to do that which is why I join..."

 

Clover silently looked to the Mail Whale with a look of 'please be patient for a minute', before getting an idea. "Well... I'd like to check if I've got any mail! All I seek in the letter are some wild tales!"

 

"... the new technique for joining wood together is- ...I was rambling again, wasn't I?" Martlet finally came out of her rant, to which Clover simply approached her, and looked up at her with a reassuring and comforting smile, gently tugging on her wing to ground her slightly. "Don't worry, I love hearing you talk."

 

"Clover Gun-hat, I harbour no mail for you! But since I'm here, I'll ship you too!"

 

"To Lower Snowdin, please! I'm in the mood for a cool breeze!" Martlet had long-since gotten over the incessant rhyming, instead cooing as she saw Clover enter the basket, his head barely popping out to look at her. Martlet took off as well, flying alongside the Mail Whale as the ambient temperature in the air fell dramatically. Finally, the three of them arrived in Lower Snowdin, Clover popping out as farewells were exchanged. After Martlet landed alongside (nearly on) Clover, she brushed off some mild snow from her wings, shaking it off as she looked back at Clover.

 

"Come on, I want to see your humble abode!" Clover joked, running and pulling Martlet by the wing, though not with any harmful force.

 

"AaAAaAaaaAAA-" Martlet responded, caught a bit off guard as she struggled to keep pace with the now-sprinting cowboy. "You didn't run like this back in the Dunes?!"

 

"You said you wanted to take it slow back there, didn't you?" Clover responded, slowing his running to a calm walk, the same style he used in the Dunes. "I ran through the Steamworks with Ceroba so much, she had to sit down."

 

"I... never meant that literally! I mean you could have run if you wanted to... but thanks for not doing so, actually! That's... really kind of you!" Martlet's expression shifted to one of gentle contentment, then to happiness as a familiar wooden sign came into view, along with the big building behind it. "Is that... Oh yeah, it's totally the resort! WAIT- ohmygod have you tried the pancakes they're actually so good- come on, it'll be my treat!!!"

 

Clover was now the one struggling to keep up as Martlet dashed to the resort entrance, no doubt using her wings and magic to aid her extreme speed. Either way, she burst in and decelerated, calmly walking to the counter with Clover in tow (who was now brushing snow off his outfit), still a bit shocked from the sheer distance traversed in the small amount of time. "Two Honeydew Pancakes, please!"

 

"That'll be 36G!" The shopkeeper responded, to which Martlet fished around in her pockets, pulling out the amount of G, and making the exchange, with two pancakes lathered in syrup with a butter square on the top of each of them being presented, complete with plates with a fork, knife, and napkin. Clover had already gone and gotten a booth seat, beckoning Martlet to sit next to him, a request she obliged as she presented Clover with his own pancake, his eyes lighting up with a rare moment of joy as he unwrapped the utensils. Speaking of, she realized she should probably ask him about his stoicism. "Hey, Clover? It's... I... Look, you seem kinda... emotionless, at times? I'm not sure how to word it so this doesn't sound mean, but... why?"

 

"It's... just the shock of being down here is still there. It's just not what you expect, and if you see me let my guard down, then I... probably feel safe around you." Clover responded, mouth half-full of pancake bites before he chewed and swallowed completely. The flavour was rich enough to make him forget basic table manners, the only excuse he had for the breach of unwritten rule. "Apologies, that was improp-"

 

"That... means more to me than you know. Thank you, truly, Clover!" Martlet's eyes shone with mirth as she pulled Clover into a half-hug, not wanting to disturb his eating, but instead draping a wing around his left shoulder "I haven't seen you angry before, though. Even when my boat crashed or I left you after Star-"

 

"You have, Martlet. Remember when we JUST met the Feisty Five?" Clover responded, making her think back to the memory. Indeed, she had...

 

---

 

"Ed, fetch me that kid!"

 

"Sure thing, boss." Ed responded, trodding over and stopping at Martlet, his imposing form looming over her as his shadow obscured her own. "Feathers, please move before I make you move." Clover watched as Martlet grew with a mix of fear and stubborn determination, as she shook her head and stood her ground. This wasn't just, Martlet was just trying to protect them she couldn't be harmed-

 

"You can't take Clover, I won't let you-" Martlet had started to rebuke before Ed moved to grab her, and she prepared to dodge and ready a feather attack pattern as Starlo grinned slightl-

 

Click.

 

All eyes turned to Clover.

 

His face was obscured by a shadow Martlet could have sworn wasn't there before - she couldn't even see his eyes or neutral expression, just the figure of him standing there, completely silent.

 

He was holding a gun.

 

The gun was aimed at Ed.

 

And he had just clicked the safety off.

 

"Leave. Her. Alone."

 

The silence blanketed the area, as everyone froze at Clover's order. Martlet was shocked herself - Clover's tone had changed completely, and it sounded way more authoritative than anything she'd heard before (barring Captain Undyne). His voice was clear as day, not boisterously loud, but loud enough to convey that Clover wasn't JUST serious - he was deadly so.

 

"WOAHWOAHWOAHWOAH UHHH there's no need for violence, I promise you kid-" North Star began trying to defuse the situation before Clover spoke again, cutting him off completely. "-And there's no reason to harm someone who's just trying to protect me. That's not just, is it?"

 

For Starlo, he was immediately blown away by Clover's words. This kid spoke of justice so clearly, and it was clear they were not going to compromise on any front of their demand. As such, he tipped his hat and nodded gently. "Ed... do not fetch that kid."

 

"Sure thing, boss." Ed stepped back, without missing a beat, as everyone let out a sigh of relief as Clover holstered their toy gun, clicking the safety it apparently had back on. "Martlet, please don't go telling anyone about this, okay? I don't want anyone to get hurt either. Apologies for the confrontation, I'm Clover."

 

---

 

"I still can't believe your toy gun has a safety!" Martlet nodded as the pair finished reminiscing, Clover having finished his pancake and was leaning on Martlet's side.. "Also, you shouldn't threaten people like that, Clover! It's really mean-"

 

"Oh, and Ed about to grab you wasn't? He looked like he could throw you to the Steamworks door, Martlet!" Clover rebuked, gently batting her on the back as he looked at her with a quizzical expression, an expression that also conveyed shock, and a hint of fear. "Besides, you helped me out a lot in the Dunes! I'm not letting you go just like that!"

 

Martlet only gently blushed as she smiled (as much as she could with a hard beak), pulling Clover into a feathery embrace as she nuzzled into the side of Clover's neck, the cowboy leaning into her touch as they wrapped their arms around her likewise. "Clover... that means the world to me. It means way too much for me to express... so... thank you for being my friend."

 

"Haven't I told you to not thank me, Martlet? It's just the right thing to do."

Chapter 3: Home Sweet (Bird) Home

"Welcome to my humble abode... again!" Martlet triumphantly announced, making a show of the house Clover had already seen before a few hours ago. It was still impressive... but Clover simply ran past Martlet, turning a hard right and stopping right in front of the workbench. On it rested the birdhouse Clover and Martlet had built, the decrepit quality offset by the sticker on it:

 

'Built with love by Martlet and Clover!' - Martlet's name was surrounded by a exorbitant quantity of feathers and hearts, and Clover's had a more restrained amount of four-leaf clovers surrounded by hearts.

 

"Apologies for brushing you off like that... I just wanted to see our birdhouse again." Clover explained, turning it around on the bench to examine every side, including where he shot the opening into. He reached inside, fingers brushing the rough wood. The uneven planks scratched his skin, but he nodded with light approval. He then examined the sticker, touching it almost reverently with how light his touch actually was. "I said before that we tried our best with it... but it's actually growing on me with the sticker."

 

Martlet moved beside him, kneeling down to also admire the birdhouse, taking in the imperfections. "Clover, it has nails sticking out every way possible-" 

 

"And we aren't pulling them out, Martlet. This is how it was when we signed it, and that's how it'll be." Clover interrupted, gently turning Martlet's head to face him, Clover looking right at her as he cupped her head, fingers gently stroking Martlet's cheek, commiting the feeling to memory. "Don't beat yourself up, Martlet. It's perfect because we built it together." 

 

Clover wasn't expecting to be yanked into a bear hug with Martlet, her wings trapping him in her embrace as he was shoved into her feathery body - not that he complained, pulling her closer as well as he leaned into her. "Clover... how do you... how are you always so... how do you always know what to say? Gosh... I'm so glad I met you, you know that?"

 

Clover only smiled as he gently extricated himself from Martlet's hug, the latter releasing it entirely to help the process. Clover did miss the warmth and feel of Martlet's feathers against his cheek, but he did need to build up her confidence even more. "You're the one doing so much for me, I've gotta repay it somehow."

 

"You've helped plenty, Martlet!"

 

"That time doesn't count, does it?"

 

---

 

"Hello? Clover? Are you okay? Don't worry, I'll try and help you!"

 

Clover awoke with a sudden jump, eyes snapping open as he instinctively tried to stand, before falling when his right leg erupted in a blast of pain, the nerve signals rushing through his spine at lightning speed. "OWWWWW!!"

 

Expecting to fall into the slight puddle he was in, he was surprised to be caught by Martlet's wings, one of them holding his back while the other experimentally moved further down his legs before stopping when Clover winced again. "Sorry-sorry I'm so sorry hold on!! Just- lie down here?!"

 

Martlet laid him down on solid, dry ground as she rolled up his pant legs, wincing when she saw that Clover's leg was red near the midsection, between the knee and the hip, the obscene bend indicating a break. She pulled out and skimmed her handbook, before realizing it only detailed harming humans. "Ohno-ohno-ohno I don't know how to help a human and I need to figure out oh my gosh- I can't let Clover down!! Think, think, think-"

 

Martlet's rambling was cut short when she saw Clover's face - it was fine physically, but it was contorted into a expression of pain as his eyes fluttered, red and puffy and trying to hold back tears. Upon seeing the sight, she immediately focused, locking on as she reassessed Clover's injury. If Clover's leg was bent like that and it hurt... she had to put it back to how it was, right?

 

"Clover, look, I- listen- Please, I'm going to try and fix your leg now- please trust me? Just... hold on, okay?" Martlet begged, her wing grabbing both parts of Clover's leg as she concentrated, tightened, willed her body to move with more precision than ever before, and-

 

Crack.

 

"AAAHHHHHHHHHH!" Clover let out a deafening shriek of agonized pain as his whole body shook, never quite settling down as he held himself with his arms. His scream eventually subsided into tears, which were now streaming down his face. Martlet rushed to hold Clover in her shaking wings once more, cradling him as if he was fragile - to her, he definitely was. "CLOVER!! CLOVER, please, i'm so sorry I don't know what I'm doing please help me I don't know how to heal a human-"

 

And finally, it hit her. Healing. She had to use healing magic. She hadn't ever conjured a healing attack before, but all she knew was that it was supposed to be green. Her bullets had to be green. Either way, she concentrated as she summoned a single feather attack - a simple grid of 25 feathers - probably excessive, but not to her. Most magic attacks usually hit the SOUL, so she had to aim at Clover's leg... or so she guessed. Either way, she focused once more, trying to put all of her mind onto the single thought of healing Clover as much as she-

 

Ding!

 

In a instant, a bright green washed over the feathers, and Martlet finally let them fly into Clover's leg, a bit shocked when all signs of pain instantly vanished from Clover's face. "What just... it... feels better?"

 

Martlet lent a wing out for Clover to grab and pull himself up, experimentally putting his weight on what used to be his broken leg to find it was, in fact, no longer broken. "It's... fine? Was... was that healing magic? I..."

 

"...Yeah, I couldn't think of anything better after breaking your leg again-"

 

"What? Breaking... No, you set my leg back in the right position. That's... something you're supposed to do." Clover reassured, looking up at Martlet with a rare smile, brushing away some hair from his face. Martlet, meanwhile, looked more than a bit confused, kneeling down to Clover's level. "What..? But you screamed in pain, isn't that... not helping? Or is that a human thing?"

 

"It's... yeah it's a human thing. Look... I- sorry, I'm still a bit shocked. But... you did help me, Martlet."

 

"Wait, really? I... actually did it? I healed a human!! Oh my gosh everyone's going to be so impressed I gotta tell everyone about it but maybe this isn't the time?" Martlet cut her own rambling off, before sweeping Clover off his feet, carrying him how you would carry a baby - one wing supporting the butt, and one holding the back of Clover, who started squirming. "MARTLET- I can walk on my own, you know! Put me down-"

 

"But I don't know if you're fully healed yet-" Martlet started to counter before thinking a bit... and realizing Clover COULD, in fact, walk. "Uhh, you know what, sure! But if you feel any pain, I'll carry you again, okay?"

 

---

 

"And I haven't had to be carried since." Clover announced, his grin quickly evaporating when Martlet placed her wings on both sides of his form, and lifted, launching him a few feet into the air, as Clover looked down in shock. "AAAAAAAAAAA-"

 

Thankfully, as Clover went down, Martlet easily caught him in her wings, cradling him as she looked down with a smirk on her face. "What, did you think I'd ever let you fall? Now come on, I want you to see inside my place!"

 

"I- well- No, I just don't expect to be launched into the air like that!!" Clover protested, squirming in Martlet's grasp, though in no meaningful attempt to escape from her. Eventually, she stopped at her front door, and realized trying to get her keys while holding Clover would be... an interesting task. "Clover..? Can you... get down now?"

 

"What, and let you think you've won?" Only then did Martlet realize what she'd gotten herself into, as Clover wrapped his arms around her neck, pulling himself up as he laid his head on her shoulder, sporting a smirk of his own. She thought she had won, but there was Clover, turning the tables against her. "There, use your other wing to get the key."

 

Martlet, utterly defeated by Clover's genius, had no choice but to relent, her other wing shuffling in her pocket to get the key. Clover was still a bit confused how finer dexterity worked with wings rather than hands, but wasn't put off too much by it as Martlet unlocked and opened her door, the sound making Clover jump down to the ground as he turned to face it. 

 

"Ready?"

 

"Of course. After you, Martlet!"

Notes:

oh btw I want to improve my writing since I'm getting into the habit of giving a second look over my work, pls comment i wanna get better at this

Chapter 4: Home Shenanigans

Martlet, after years of living in her house, often thought it was underwhelming. At best... a generic home. Sure it had two levels and was built with the help of Chujin, but overall, it was still a humble house that she loved in her own way - for it was built partly with her own hands, and that made it perfect despite the flaws. She'd remembered hammering, cutting and installing the windows, putting in the planks for the flooring with nails, even installing the perch on the side she never used.

 

Clover had other opinions of the house, however. As was evidenced by him almost immediately running around as soon as he had left his snow-covered shoes by the door. Martlet didn't dwell on the thought that he needed boots before running after him, watching as he inspected the area. Martlet's home had a open floor plan for the ground level, the living room and kitchen only separated by patterned pillars used to hold up the upper level of the home. As such, no obstacles existed for Clover to run into the kitchen, examining the contents of every cabinet... only to find it contained bowls and birdseed.

 

Inside the fridge, however... was a completely different brand of birdseed. "Wh- Are there birdseed brands in the Underground that taste better frozen? HUH?!"

 

"Uh, Clover... sorry, I wasn't really expecting anyone else to come here... I'll be sure to get some non-bird relat-" Martlet's apology was quickly tempered as Clover swiped a bowl from the cabinet, put it on the floor, before grabbing a bag of birdseed, and carefully filling the bowl up. "Clover, you don't need to eat birdseed! I can get you oth-"

 

"I’ve eaten packing peanuts, grassy fries, mossy stew, and gunpowder before, Martlet. I’ll promise you I'll be okay." Clover climbed onto the chair, set the bowl on the table, and immediately began scooping birdseed into his mouth. 

 

"WHAT?! NO-" Martlet yelled, instantly sitting down next to him, pulling up a chair quickly. "You- No- Eating gunpowder?! No!! How much HP did that even restore?! You're too young?!"

 

"It was a superfood, actually." Martlet froze at his words, beak agape with shock. "You can't be serious!"

 

"You can try gunpowder, if you want. I'm not lying." Clover offered with a grin on his face. "Also, 11 is a perfectly fine age to be eating gunpowder."

 

"NO?!?!?!"

 

Martlet’s eyes widened in sheer astoundment at how casually Clover had eaten gunpowder. And that was ignoring the other questionable items on that list. Grass and moss were TECHNICALLY edible, but packing peanuts, to her, simply were not. Speaking of, Clover was chowing down on birdseed... and apparently liked it enough to keep eating it. Martlet soon got her own bowl, absentmindedly setting it on the table. As she spun around to get a bag of birdseed herself, Clover stopped her with a hand on her shoulder.

 

Clover wordlessly moved his own bowl, placing it between the pair. "Take from mine, Martlet. It's quicker. Just don't eat from the bowl directly like a real bird, okay?"

 

The pair lightly chuckled at the image of Martlet beak-deep in the bowl, before Martlet simply scooped a bit of birdseed out with her wing... before diving beak-deep into the small pile, making Clover howl with laughter, nearly falling out of his seat. "Martlet!! I was joking! Hahaha!"

 

"Well, I wasn't!" Martlet responded, as the pair burned through the bowl relatively quickly. After nothing remained of the birdseed inside, Martlet simply threw it over her shoulder and into the sink, it landing with a clattering. "Good to see I've still got it!"

 

"...was that aided by magic?"

 

"Completely."

 

"..."

 

"...So uh... We should probably figure out living arrangements, I think? You're going to be here for the whole week, right?" Martlet finally suggested, giving Clover a hopeful smile as the cowboy gestured to the couch, gently throwing his hat on the armrest as he leapt onto it, landing on his back with a gentle bounce. "Well, I can sleep on the couch, and-"

 

"Nope! You're only... well, a child, I guess. But still, you don't deserve to sleep on the couch! I'm the adult, you... can take my bed upstairs, and I'll take the couch!" Martlet suggested, shaking her head and gesturing to the stairs at the end of the open area with a open wing, before moving over and picking up Clover off the couch, setting him down on his feet. Clover's expression was stoic enough that Martlet immediately knew he wouldn't budge.

 

"What? That's unreasonable, I don't get to kick you out of your own bed simply because I'm here! I'm the guest, I'll take the couch!" Clover refuted, shaking their head as they reassumed their position on the furniture piece. "It's not THAT bad."

 

"But still, I don't like the idea of it! You deserve better, and-" Clover sensed Martlet was about to go off on a tangent, and seized the opportunity to interrupt her, thinking out loud. "Okay, no, wait... how big IS your bed?"

 

"A king-size, actually." Martlet responded thoughtfully, before her eyes widened with the implication as she shook her head once more. "Well- no- children and adults aren't supposed to be sleeping in the same beds together! I-"

 

"Well, from how I see it, the only way we get what we both want... is if we share the bed. We can divide it into sides, or something like that. It won't be weird, I promise you!" Clover planned, starting to walk with Martlet upstairs. "Besides, we can even cuddle together. I get the feeling you'd be nice to snuggle with."

 

NOW Martlet could tell Clover was messing with her - the smirk on his face proved he was intentionally flustering her. "What's wrong? Was it something I said?"

 

She wasn't going to let this stand, of course.

 

"I... No, challenge accepted! I WILL cuddle with you in bed tonight, and I won't complain about it!" Martlet triumphantly declared, puffing out her chest as Clover's bravado collapsed into shock. "Wait, actually? I was just joking, you act-"

 

"Nope! We will! In fact, it's pretty late in the Underground! Come on!" Clover only now realized what he'd gotten himself into as he followed Martlet up the stairs, also not willing to back down from the challenge. Martlet kicked open her bedroom door, and Clover audibly gasped in a mix of shock and awe.

 

It was, indeed, a bedroom, but one that shone with a purely Martlet touch. The (unmade) bed was front and center against the back wall, the window on the front of the house letting light inside. The walls were adorned with shelves containing lots of games, books, manuals, and small wooden creations. The whole place had feathers everywhere, though it didn't really matter to Clover. The light was warm, bright, and it genuinely looked- "It's beautiful, Martlet."

 

"...You really think so?" Martlet asked, her voice quiet as she looked at Clover with a mix of hope and surprise. "I thought it would have been too... me."

 

"That's what makes it beautiful, Martlet." Clover answered softly, pulling the bird closer to him as he leaned into her side. In turn, Martlet draped her wing on Clover's shoulder, enjoying the texture of the cowboy's outfit as well as the feeling of their skin. Clover quickly removed their holster and placed it on the nightstand, before brushing themselves off and gently climbing onto Martlet's bed. The bird did the same, stretching out as Clover shuffled closer to her, him looking up at her with a contented smile as he shifted so he and Martlet's head were at eye-level.

 

Clover's breath hitched as Martlet slid her wing under his arm, her version of a arm reaching to hold Clover's back as she pulled him closer to her. Clover, for his part, didn't resist, only looking into Martlet's eyes as their bodies finally met. The cowboy instinctively threw their free arm around Martlet, gently feeling the bird's back as best they could. "Martlet... you're so soft, oh my god..."

 

"Thanks..." Martlet sighed out, moving to nuzzle into Clover's neck, her beak letting out gentle coos as Clover buried their own face into Martlet's neck plumage, nestling into her feathers. "...blanket, please..."

 

Martlet instantly grabbed and threw the blanket over her and Clover, the latter pulling it so only their heads stuck out from the large fabric piece. Both of them settled in, enjoying the warmth they provided, before Clover whispered one last thing. "Goodnight, Martlet..."

 

"Sweet dreams, Clover..."

 

And then... they slept.

Chapter 5: 2 Weeks Later

Summary:

Clover asks the Wild Easterners about some... questions.

Ceroba finds out what fundamental knowledge Clover is missing

Clover's arrangements in the Wild East took only a blip of time to setup - Ceroba, Starlo, and the posse all had used the week he was at Martlet's to sort everything related to Clover out. He stayed with Ceroba, and went out with them to do various missions, often ending each day with a visit to Dina's, where they'd all chowed down on some sliders. And now, the posse was with Clover, all of the former drinking except him (though not to the point of drunkenness). Ceroba was also present, keeping a level head with some tea.

 

"I still can't believe I nearly got shot AND hit by a train in a single day!" Ed laughed, along with the rest of the table in varying degrees. Clover only grinned, before Dina came over with one last refill of drinks for the table. "Alright, last drinks for you lot. Would you like any beer, Ceroba?"

 

"I'm alright, thank you." Ceroba politely refused, sparking Clover to raise his hand, before Dina instantly turned to him and shut it down, her snakes all collectively hissing at Clover as she stared him down with a disapproving stare. "Absolutely not, Clover. You're too young, I don't know how well you can handle your liquor."

 

"Not even a little bit?"

 

"No, this is the 7th- No!"

 

"Dina, Clover's a full-on deputy now! He's earned at least a pint of 'yer rum!" Starlo interjected, clearly a bit tipsy as he asked Dina to reconsider, which she did. After all, it would make Clover stop asking, even if she didn't want to reward constant pressure. "ONE PINT. That's it and no more for tonight!"

 

"Dina, I don't think this is in Clover's best interest-" Ceroba started to speak, glaring daggers at Starlo with a mix of surprise and anger. Dina, however, had already procured a shot glass, and filled it a bit from the top, before placing it gingerly at Clover's table. "Don't think you can pester me again, Clover! I-"

 

"Thank you, Dina!" Clover interrupted her, giving her a smile before gently putting the glass to his lips and drinking down the liquid. Instantly, he started sputtering, not expecting it to burn as it traveled down his throat. "OH-"

 

Ceroba instantly moved to pat his back, Clover coughing a few more times before adjusting to the feeling. "It... this... feels weird. I don't... huh? There's... this warmth spreading through my chest, and... I feel kinda dreamy... is this what being drunk is?"

 

"No, but if you drink enough, you'll stay at this point for longer." Mooch and Ed laughed gently, as Starlo, Ceroba, and Moray all chuckled gently. Ace's expression remained completely unchanged, though he seemed to have a glimmer of mischief in his eyes. "... wow... Hey, Starlo?"

 

"Whaddup, Clover?" Starlo tipped his hat, the movement a bit uncoordinated due to minor inebriation, though the ajar smile showed Clover how it all still came through.

 

"...Do you feel drunk around people you're close to?" Clover innocently asked, stunning Ceroba, but barely fazing the rest of the group. "We'll, assumin' you're drinkin' with them, yeah?"

 

"But they haven't... uh... you know what, it's fine, I'll ask about it later. A-anyway..." Clover started to talk again with the posse, not noticing Ceroba staring at them with a questioning look. It didn't take long for Ceroba to put some pieces together, and get Clover to start walking home with her. As they exited the Saloon, Clover stumbled lightly from their consumed alcohol, though they were in no way incapable of moving.

 

"So, Clover... it sounds to me like you... 'get drunk around close friends'. I... I'm assuming they don't serve you alcohol, right?" Ceroba probed, looking at him with a inquisitive expression, hiding the growing smile beneath her muzzle.

 

"No, she doesn't. It's... I thought it was normal when you get really close to someone. You don't wanna be away from them, you want to do... everything with them? That's just being drunk, right?" Clover answered, gently holding their kimono as they walked through the sleeping Oasis Valley. Ceroba now had a solid idea of what was going on with Clover, but decided to ask one more thing.

 

"Where's this person you... feel drunk when you think of them..?"

 

"She lives in Lower Snowdin."

 

"I see... well... do you know what love is, Clover?" Ceroba asked. Even she was mildly confused - 11 was a bit late for Clover to be learning about love of all things. Clover, meanwhile, shook his head in agreement, giving her a odd stare. "Yeah, of course. It's what someone feels when they really like someone. But I'm not on that level yet, I don't think so at least."

 

"Well, Clover... I think you are. Everything you mentioned is the feelings you get when you have a crush on someone - when you love someone but haven't told them."

 

---

 

Martlet was having a great day.

 

She'd started cleaning more, working harder, and showing up on time to her job, because now she had 'shared custody' (as Ceroba called it during the planning of this) of Clover. And she couldn't let Clover down again - not after Ava. So as she worked at her post, she decided to swing by the UGPS sign to see if she had any official letters. "Come on, come on, please tell me nobody noticed Clover..."

 

Ding-ding-ding!

 

"Hello, hello, hey! Is it not a great day? What can I do for you? Mail, shipping, or something new?" As usual, the trademark rhyming signalled that the Mail Whale had returned, and Martlet quickly answered with "Mail, please!"

 

"It appears... that you have a letter! Specifically from one Ceroba Ketsukane... how do I rhyme with that? ANYWAY- I hope this news has made your day better!"

 

Of course, Martlet lit up with joy about potentially hearing about Clover. After all, the letter could be something as simple as Clover writing to tell her he missed her, or that he was bringing a gift back for her, or that he was coming back early! The possibilities were nearly endless - and who else would it be about then Clover himself? Either way, she beamed as she held out her wing, grinning when a letter was placed right on it. "It definitely has!"

 

Once again, finer dexterity challenges proved to be trivial for the bird as she simply used a magic feather to cut open the seal, stuffing the envelope in her pocket as she opened the letter to be met with intricate calligraphy - probably something to be expected from Ceroba. Either way, it wasn't trivial to interpret.  "Oh, it's about Clover! What's... oh. I..."

 

"I refuse to intrude, but you seem to be in quite a pickle this interlude!" The Mail Whale looked at Martlet - they usually didn't stay THIS long, did they? "Oh, it's just that Clover, the kid I'm taking care of... apparently has a crush that lives here. I wonder who... it is. I've gotta find out! I'm... just surprised, I guess?"

 

"...So why aren't you jumping for joy? This is a major step for your boy!"

 

". . . I don't know."

 

---

 

"Ceroba... I... really? I'm... I mean, I think you're right. Sorry about this, I just... I've never really had a crush before." Clover asked, sitting down at the kotatsu across from Ceroba, who was looking back at him with a comforting smile.

 

"It's a natural thing to feel growing up. It's okay, Clover." Ceroba reached over, gently patting Clover on the shoulder, even if she had to lean over the kotatsu to do so. "So... you have to decide what to do now. After all, if they don't know you're human... that could get dangerous for you."

 

"Oh of course, but I already met them through my initial trip through the Underground. I'm absolutely certain they know I'm human, and... I doubt they'd ever tell anyone." Clover reassured, earning a small eyebrow from Ceroba. That narrowed down Clover's crush significantly - he had to have met them before he met her, so it was... still anyone in Lower Snowdin, but a smaller subsection of anyone nonetheless. "Well, if you're safe... then maybe you should confess your feelings."

 

"I guess that would be a good idea... but I'm not sure if they'll feel the same way." Clover looked down, deep in contemplation, his fingers absentmindedly drumming against the floor as he thought increasingly depressing scenarios. "Like, what if I get rejected and-"

 

"Then, that's just what happens. Would you rather never try, Clover?" Ceroba asked, looking down at him with a hint of disappointment. "Come on, Clover! You're the cowboy, aren't you known for taking obscenely insane risks?"

 

"...You're right about that second part."

 

"Then take the chance!"

 

"I will!"

Chapter 6: The Reunion

Summary:

They meet and have trouble unboxing their feelings

"I wish I could stop and relax, but the mail service is always taxed!" The Mail Whale departed, leaving Clover happily in Lower Snowdin. Only one thing was on his mind - or rather, one person.

 

Martlet.

 

He HAD to tell her now, or else his feelings may just end up consuming him from the inside out. And yet, he still had a flurry of questions about this whole thing, especially how to... actually do it. As such, Clover decided to seek help from his only other ally in Lower Snowdin.

 

---

 

"Clover... I might not be the best person to ask... for advice about confessing love." Dalv looked him over with a patient smile as Clover sat across from him in his new cabin. Clover, meanwhile, looked up at him with a pouting expression. "Yeah, but you're the only one I can really ask..."

 

"Why not ask Martlet?" Dalv innocently asked. Clover had a feeling Dalv would change his tune VERY quickly if he learned WHO Clover was crushing on.

 

"Because- I... well..." Clover started, trying to deflect from the real reason. "She... might... uh... try and set me up with her?"

 

"...That's fair." Dalv answered after a long pause, adjusting his cloak. "Well... look, Clover. I personally think... it doesn't matter the location or time or atmosphere. You just need to speak with your heart!"

 

"Really? What about... gifts, or something?" Clover suggested, about to start thinking of potential gifts before Dalv shook his head disapprovingly. "From the books I've read, the best confessions don't involve gifts or any physical goods! You just need to speak from your SOUL, Clover."

 

"Speak from... my SOUL? That... how do I do that?"

 

"Well... just say what you want to say, Clover!" Dalv smiled, patting Clover reassuringly on the shoulder. "Just... be confident! Not like me, of course!"

 

"I... I can do that, I think! I can do this!" Clover grinned, feeling determination as he started to get up. "I'll... I'll do it now! I- Thanks, Dalv!"

 

Before Dalv could respond, Clover jumped on his table (to get to eye-level with him), and eagerly shook his hand, maintaining boundaries (even Clover could tell Dalv liked his space still, even if he was beginning to open up). "No, thank YOU, Clover. I'm glad to see you again! Please, do visit again when you can!"

 

Clover only nodded with a grin as he started to walk out. "Of course! I'd love to come by with Martlet some time!"

 

Dalv couldn't respond before Clover dashed off, no doubt to confess to his crush. It warmed Dalv's heart to see Clover like this. Last time he left him with Martlet, he seemed scarily stoic, like he was laser-focused on one objective. What it was... he still wasn't clear on that, as well as other major aspects of Clover's journey through the Underground. Even then, he mus-

 

"Hey, Dalv, can you come look at these new blueprints!" Penilla had shouted, snapping him out of his train of thought. "Of course, Penilla! I'll be right there!"

 

---

 

Martlet... was having a hard time concentrating, to say the least.

 

She was currently sprucing up one of her puzzles, the one that seemed to jam every now and then. She'd flown up here 4 hours ago, intending to implement a fix that should have been done in a few minutes. But no matter what, her mind kept drifting to... Clover.

 

Clover and her had grown very close over the week, to the point they were comfortable snuggling with each other. They'd shared a lot together, and Martlet valued their time to no end.  So why did she feel disheartened when Clover told her about a crush? By all accounts, she should be scrambling to setup a date between Clover and the one in his sights, and inevitably crash it with her own antics. But right now, she had to focus...

 

...

 

---

 

"Aaaagh! I got sand in my eyes!!" Martlet had yelled as they had gotten sent back by the off-and-on sandstorm. She didn't even move a inch, and they were back at the start, somehow! "Same here! I- I have a plan! Just... follow my lead!"

 

"But what if we get seperated?" Martlet protested, making Clover look back at her, before reaching his hand behind him, and holding her wing. "You won't."

 

And so, the pair began a cycle - move forward while the sandstorm was off, and stand on the conveniently marked dark patches of sand. The whole time, Clover held Martlet tightly, and she found herself wrapping the tip of her wing around Clover's hand in return. 

 

He'd, while focusing on dodging, also found the headspace to admire how soft her feathers felt in his hand, how warm her wing was, his hand now trapped in a prison it never wanted to escape. Clover, by this point, knew monsters were made of magic, which was why the feeling of her wing in his hand surprised him - it felt real, tangible, and-

 

"Clover? You... you've kinda been standing here for the past 3 minutes. The sandstorm's been gone for a bit. Do you want to... move?" Martlet questioned, looking down at him with a confused look.

 

"I- uh, sorry! Yeah, we should go-" Clover hid his faint blush as they both ran across to the other side, grinning slightly. "Sorry, was thinking about a few things."

 

"It's okay, I imagine you've got lots to think about since you came down here! But it's alright, I'll be sure to get you home in time for a dinner, like I said earlier!"

 

---

 

Martlet did technically succeed in that regard - Clover lived in the Underground with her, Ceroba, and Starlo, and he'd had dinner with all 3 of them at some point... so mission accomplished. A-

 

"Martlet? Where are you? I... really gotta talk to you please?"

 

Immediately, the bird's face lit up - regardless of her feelings on Clover finding a crush, she would still be happy to see him anyways. As such, she jumped into flight, gently gliding down to where Clover was - right in front of her puzzle. "MARTLET!"

 

Her surprise was quickly tempered when Clover jumped into her arms, immediately pulling her into a tight hug, which she gladly reciprocated. What she didn't expect was for Clover to bury their head into the side of their neck, though... she didn't at all mind. "Hey, Clover! I... I heard you've found... a special someone down here! I'm really... happy... for you!"

 

Martlet's tone was... strained, like her feelings were being propped up... like she was hiding something. And even if Clover was a bit naive to love... he had more than a bit experience with everything of the opposite. So... why did she sound so unhappy? "...Martlet...?"

 

"Yeah?" She squeaked out, caught off-guard by his change in tone, as evidenced by his assertion that "...You're lying."

 

Martlet knew goofy Clover - he wasn't serious with friends. Martlet knew the stoic Clover that barely spoke during their first round trip in the Underground. She also knew he switched between the two frequently often, as evidenced by his mild mood swings in her house. Martlet still couldn't tell how the human could go from 'accepting a challenge' to 'gentle cuddling', but that begat the point - this side of Clover... was new. It wasn't angry, but it was... assertive. And it- "Tell me the truth, Martlet. Why... wouldn't you be happy if I found love?"

 

NOW she was really backed into a corner. She couldn't just... tell Clover her true feelings, they couldn't ever... "I... don't think I can. It wouldn't be..."

 

This, time, it was Clover's turn to think. WHAT would it not be? Kind? Truthful? None of the words that came up fit, and his previous feelings were getting in the way and...

 

"Martlet... how much do you like me..?" Clover probed, deciding to test one possibility - he even put on a more gentle disposition for her.

 

"..."

 

"..."

 

"More than I should..."

 

"..."

 

"..."

 

"Martlet... I feel the same way."

Notes:

The bird confesses (if you can call that a confession)

Chapter 7: Love is Complicated

"Wait, what? Clover... I'm not going insane, right? I mean, I'm known to drift off at times but this is next level!" Martlet exclaimed, shaking Clover slightly, face crossed between panic and happiness. "I'm an adult, Clover!"

 

"Martlet, do you honestly think I'll ever find love in the Underground like this? I'm a human, the chances of finding someone who won't get me killed is practically zero!" Clover rebuked, holding Martlet so she was looking right at him. "Look, I realized I had feelings back at the Wild East. I never told anyone... it was you. Martlet, I... you don't understand how valuable my time with you has been, okay?"

 

"Clover, you're 11!" Martlet countered, shaking her head even as she held Clover up at eye-level. "You... we can't, it's too big of a gap! It's bonkers, I'll get-"

 

"Martlet, please, just... I... wait and listen, okay! I'm probably never going to find love down here again, and even if I did..."

 

"...our hearts are already set on eachother?" Martlet finished, looking down dejectedly as she seated herself, Clover hopping in her lap to look at her. He seemed to finally be happy, looking up at her with an emotional smile. "Martlet... I've survived this long in the Underground. Shouldn't I get a chance with you, at the very least?"

 

"..."

 

"...Martlet... do you want to know what I like... no, what I love about you so much?" Clover finally responded, cupping her cheek as he forced her to meet his gaze.

 

"...What?" Martlet breathed out, eyes looking into Clover's as she began listening to the cowboy.

 

"You're strong, Martlet. Even if you disagree, you're one of the strongest people down here I know. Plus, you're determined, kind, driven, dedicated, and so many other words I'd name right here for you! I don't care that you can be a birdbrain or a klutz-" Clover began rambling, almost mirroring Martlet as he went on a tangent and poured out his heart, his SOUL to her, before she cut him off, looking up at him with a deep blush. "I can't believe I'm letting myself get flattered by an 11-year old. Granted, you're more mature than your age lets on... Also, when was I ever a klutz?"

 

"...I might be misremembering, but it was at that shop with the glass. No, yeah! You got the glass for me because I was too short, and then you dropped it and it broke! I... didn't really need it, so I can forgive you." Martlet let out a light chirp as Clover reminisced about the time, eliciting a laugh from him as well. "Clover..."

 

"Martlet... I... I'm just... Look, I love you, Martlet. And I know you don't deserve a child for your partner, but... I really needed to get this off my chest." Clover finished, looking up at Martlet, staring right into her eyes. Martlet took a second to comprehend that Clover - Clover, the cowboy that survived everything despite being just a child - confessed to HER. And-

 

"Hey! Wait, I won't let you put yourself down like that!" Martlet suddenly exclaimed, standing Clover up as she pointed her wingtip accusingly at him. "Clover, you survived Ceroba, Starlo, and my own attempts to capture/kill you! You're one of the most determined individuals I know! You do all these nice things for me such as make me Ice Tea in the desert, guide me through fake sandstorms, build birdhouses with me, I can't even tell you-"

 

She was cutoff when Clover launched himself at her in a hug, holding her close to him. "Martlet... you... those are just the right things to do, are-"

 

"No! No, they're not JUST right things to do, they're the kindest things that have ever been done for me in so long! You're like an anchor to me, Clover! You keep me grounded, and... I..." Martlet trailed off, breathing in and out gently as she willed herself to look right into Clover's eyes. "I... I love you too, Clover. And-and not just as a guardian, but... as a partner. If you'll want to be mine-"

 

"I want to, Martlet. I want to keep living with you, doing fun construction projects, leaning new things about birds, having new experiences, and... I... Martlet, can... can I ask you something..?" Clover's words came out in a rush, though the question still got across. Martlet leaned in a bit closer, intent on hearing Clover clearer. "Of course, Clover..."

 

"..."

 

"..."

 

"Martlet... I... can we kiss?" Clover breathed out, looking up at her (now shocked expression) with hope. "It's... how you start a romantic relationship, right?"

 

"I... Clover... I'm not sure how to kiss a human!" Martlet blurted out suddenly, the pair staying silent before cackling in laughter in unison. It would be a feat of logistics trying to kiss someone with a beak, though it wasn't like that could truly stop them. "Well... I have an idea. Can you just..."

 

Clover quickly trailed off, angling Martlet's head slightly away from him, before gently leaning closer. His eyes were transfixed on her beak, how uniform the yellow parts looked when the maxilla and mandible of her beak were closed, how soft it looked despite the fact beaks were obviously supposed to be rigid and-

 

Martlet squeaked suddenly as Clover's lips met the side of her beak, pressing firmly in their version of a kiss. Her beak exploded in warmth as it fluttered open and closed when her breath hitched. Though, all she could do was look into Clover's eyes, and see the love and determination looking back at her. Clover's lips felt amazing against her beak, the heat coming from them comforting to her in the Snowdin air.

 

Clover himself was stunned - Martlet's beak felt so much more warm than he expected, and he couldn't help but lean closer, pressing his lips more firmly against her beak. He gently placed an arm on her far shoulder, pulling her even closer as he broke the kiss, panting gently as he looked into Martlet's eyes. "Martlet..."

 

In return, Martlet held Clover's cheek in her left wing, her right coming to pull Clover close to her as she looked down at him with a glowing, brilliant smile. "Clover... that was... amazing..."

 

"You know what else is going to be amazing?"

 

"What?"

 

"The next few years of our lives."

 

"When did you become such a sweet-talker?"

 

"Are you complaining?"

 

"Nope!"

Chapter 8: The Blossom

Summary:

i'm in college now (wooo) so infrequent updates

Dalv was having, by his accounts, an extraordinary day. First off, he met ANOTHER human - a feat he thought impossible, though his proximity to the Ruins almost made it inevitable. And this human, Clover, was the kindest individual Dalv had ever met. His forgiveness for Dalv attacking him with lightning was only the start - he'd explored as much of Dalv's home as he wanted (not opening the wardrobe and Dalv's bedroom door), before leading him back into Lower Snowdin.

 

Clover hadn't used the toy gun he'd gotten a single time, though he did seem keen on accumulating ammunition. Either way, he'd cleared puzzles, and was quietly content, accepting Dalv's choice to wait at the Honeydew Resort for Martlet. 

 

Of course, that didn't last long, as was confirmed when he and Clover were mistaken for being human (or well, he was, at least), and he was drawn into battle as Martlet decided to focus on Clover first.

---

 

"CLOVER! Look, I... I'll heal you a little, okay!" Dalv shouted, before Martlet ordered Clover to make the first attack. "Protocol 1: let your opponent make the first move!"

 

"...That's a horrible idea. Like, what if I was evil and wanted to hurt you? You'd just be letting me get a free hit on you!" Clover protested, though even he found himself questioning why he was now the one critiquing Martlet. Dalv was more than a bit surprised as well, but let it slide since it seemed to stun Martlet completely. "W... well, it's what the manual says... but when you put it like that, maybe it's... not the best? But it was written by Undyne, so it has to be the best, right? Oh wait, my attack!"

 

Only then did Martlet make her first attack, Clover effortlessly dodging the bird's magic feathers. She'd ramble on about some concept, and Clover repeatedly either enlisted Dalv to try and calm down Martlet (which always failed), or to try and spare her, which only chipped away at her resolve slowly. Either way, the fight seemed to enter a stalemate, and even the bird realized so after a rant about a mistaken apprehension. "Could you be more mean like her, please?"

 

Clover, somehow, seemed heavily conflicted. He remained deep in contemplation, even as Martlet, through her growing confusion, told Clover that "Sticks and stones can break my bones.. but words can... only make me sad?"

 

Only then, did Clover get an idea, grinning slightly as he stepped forward, Dalv watching him and pre-emptively readying a heal as Clover spoke.

 

"Your feathers are soft."

 

Martlet froze, comprehending Clover's 'insult'. Even Dalv knew that even though it could be interpreted as an insult... Clover was secretly complimenting Martlet. The bird, who seemed to finish short-circuiting, finally managed to come up with a retort. "No- No! My feathers are really sharp, Undyne said so! But... I guess it's kinda working? Can you... do that again?"

 

"Uhh, Clover, this battle... doesn't seem to be-"

 

"You're... better at carpentry than being a Royal Guard!" Clover blurted out, Martlet freezing as a look of hurt flashed quickly across her face. "I'm trying to improv-"

 

"You're too kind to be trying to kill a human." The cowboy finished as he looked up at Martlet, who seemed to finally grasp just what Clover was doing, a light blush appearing as her feathers shuffled, her looking at Clover with a bit of shock. "You... you've been... complimenting me. Look, I... I don't... usually get compliments..? Usually it's just people complaining I'm apprehending them or monsters informing me that my puzzles broke. I've never..."

 

"Well... I think you deserve more compliments." Clover guided the conversation, forming a plan as he saw a non-violent solution to the fight. "Look, I don't want to fight you. It's not in my nature and... I feel like I... honestly, I think you remind me of someone. I just... can't remember."

 

"Look, you... I kinda also now don't want to kill you anymore? Look- wait, I have a plan- I GOT IT!"

 

---

 

Soon after Clover left with Martlet... he came back. To visit him, help draw up the final page of his children's book, and even heard him play the organ for some time. The cowboy, the whole time, was exceedingly patient, even if Dalv felt he shouldn't be so. Not to mention his kindness and pacifism once again, Dalv admired his resolve and determination to no end. He'd heard from Martlet beforehand there was a major battle, but Clover was convinced to live for some more time until the situation changed. And now, Clover's living in Snowdin half the time, and-

 

"Dalv, Dalv! Clover's back! He's at the snow castle with that bird girl you mentioned!" Flier derailed Dalv's train of thought, descending from the sky like a Mail Whale. "Cmon, it's not far, we can go say hi!"

 

"I'd love to! I could make a portrait for Clover and Martlet- ohmygod where's my easel!!" Penila shouted, scrambling around Dalv's half-built cabin to find her drawing kit. Dalv himself walked out, surveying the scene quickly. "I agree, this could be fun! I'd love to see what Clover's up to with that castle! I... I wonder who built it, actually."

 

He had little time to waste, instantly adjusting his cloak as he set out with Flier and Penilla, the latter holding their signature pencil with both hands as they rounded the corner, and...

 

---

 

"What a view..." Clover stared out in awe, hand-in-wing with Martlet, who's heart bloomed with joy seeing her Clover enchanted by the view from the snow castle's walls. "Martlet... this is beautiful..."

 

"I've gotten used to it before... but it feels like I'm seeing the view for the first time all over again! I think that's cause... you're here with me..." Martlet admitted, sitting on the edge of the castle wall, her legs dangling over the edge as Clover came up beside her, tilting his cowboy hat. "Martlet... can I kiss you again..? I... have an idea. Just... bear with me, okay?"

 

"Sure! I'd love to hear it! I know kissing with a beak can be really hard, and I hope we can make it work and-" Martlet's descent into rambling was cutoff as Clover tugged on her wing gently, his thumb gently rubbing her feathered equivalent of an arm. "Uhh... open your beak? As wide as it can go?"

 

"Aaaaaahhhhhh!" Martlet did as requested, her maxilla and mandible parting, opening gently to what Clover guessed would be a 135* angle. Either way, he tilted his head, and gently moved forward, lips gently interlocking with the edges of Martlet's beak. The feeling between them was electric, and Clover instinctively moved closer as Martlet leaned toward him, before finally pulling back, need for air overtaking her. "Clover... that... that was amazing... A bit sloppy, but... gosh, I really, really want to do that again..."

 

"Martlet..." Clover was breathless as he gently pushed Martlet against a tower wall, her letting out a small "Eep!" in response as Clover stood on the wall crenellations, now at eye level with her. "Martlet, you cute, loving, beautiful blue bird... please kiss me. I love you so much, it feels insane-"

 

But he was cutoff as the bird lifted him up, gently cradling him as she kissed him, parting her beak as Clover's lips crashed against her, her eyes fluttering closed as Clover wrapped his arms around her neck. His hands roamed her back, gently straightening the plumage on her back, feather by feather. "Clover... I never... gosh, you're the greatest thing that's happened to me, you know that? I can't believe I got to meet someone as kind as you, as loving as you..."

 

"Martlet, I... can't tell you how much I-"

 

"Clover! Martlet- CLOVER?! MARTLET?! ARE YOU TWO-"

Notes:

God, I wish chapters just set their release date to WHEN I SAY POST, not some date i have to set myself

Chapter 9: Confrontation

Dalv's great day had become... interesting. Especially since he had just looked up, and saw Clover and Martlet making out. Ignoring his surprise at how they'd gotten the mechanics to click, two pairs of boots landed on the ground, accompanied by blushing and lightly panicked faces.

 

"DALV! I... uh, we can explain..?" Martlet squeaked out, Clover still blushing heavily as he managed to look up at the three shocked faces of Dalv, Penilla, and Flier. "Hey guys... nice seeing you again?"

 

"Hey..?" Flier trailed off, Martlet and Dalv and Clover all still making some very uncomfortable eye contact. "Clover, Martlet... why were you two... kissing?"

 

"Well... we're kinda... in a relationship now?" Martlet tried to explain, sounding a bit unconfident as Clover himself decided to take over. "Look, Dalv, Penilla, Flier... Just... hold your judgements for a second, alright?"

 

Penilla gently held her pencil, Flier coming to rest on it as Dalv calmed down, and nodded, calmly sitting down on the icy ground. "Okay."

 

And so, Clover cleared his throat, sat down in the snow with Martlet, and began to speak.

 

"Look, when I resolved to stay down here, I knew making friendships would be hard. Impossible even. But I knew I had you all for support, some of the kindest people I've ever met. I've never been happier in my life, but I thought I'd never find that... special monster I'd want to spend the rest of my life with." Clover started, looking down as Martlet's face frowned with sadness, her wings instinctively wrapping around Clover in a tight hug. Dalv also felt a bit of pity, understanding Clover's situation intimately, in a way. "Clover... I've dealt with loneliness after what happened in Snowdin. I... that's why I went to the Ruins and never talked to anyone. But... I guess I just... didn't expect it to be with Martlet. The age difference, I mean."

 

"Well... Clover... honestly, I'm so glad I met him. I guess you could say he's captured my SOUL, in a way. He's been there for me since I met him, and I... want to return his love. I never want Clover to feel alone like that again, or-or feel like he can't find love." Martlet finally found her voice, her words touching Clover's heart and making Dalv's concerns evaporate completely. Clover popped out of her embrace, a massive smile on his face as he blinked back tears. "Martlet... I... that's the kindest thing I've ever heard. I don't think I could ever... Martlet, oh my god..."

 

And he then pulled Martlet back into a intimate, loving kiss, allowing Dalv to look back to his other companions. Penilla looked to be in deep contemplation, as Flier looked a bit guilty. Dalv himself, meanwhile, found himself beaming seeing the pair's love for eachother so clearly and strongly. 

 

"Look... I... haven't been in the greater Underground for some time... so I... guess it's fine. Things have probably gotten more progressive, anyway." Dalv finally made a judgement, gently moving toward Clover and Martlet as they both gave him their attention. "Look, I'm sorry if I made you both uncomfortable. I'm really happy you two found love in eachother. I... haven't felt that in a while, so I may have underestimated it. But honestly, considering Clover's situation... I really am truly happy for you."

 

"Clover, I was going to ask if I could draw a portrait of you... but now, I want Martlet in it too! It'll be like a photo you can put up on your wall!" Penilla suddenly shouted with glee, already swarming the pair to put them in various positions - slow dancing, Martlet carrying Clover in her wings and vice-versa, and a whole lot of other poses that all blended together. "Penilla- Slow down-"

 

"Well, I... I guess I'm happy for the pair of you!" Flier eventually relented, flying over to Martlet and Clover and circling them. "You two may as well have been made for eachother, honestly."

 

"I agree, honestly."

 

"..."

 

"..."

 

"So, what now?"

 

---

 

Undyne was having a great day. Suplexing boulders, cooking with Papyrus, and overall doing captain stuff. Right now, the fish was at home, relaxing b-

 

clunk!

 

Her thought process was interested as a letter came out from her door's mail slot, falling to the floor gently. Undyne's letters usually consisted of admirers and potential applicants, and that's what she expected as she got up, strode over, and picked up the envelope. "Well, let's see who's applied this time..."

 

The letter was almost immediately ripped open, the paper inside somehow only mildly crumpled as Undyne took out the letter itself, reading the words contained on the paper.

 

Dear Captain of the Royal Guard,

 

"Well, at least they got the addressee right! Can't say that about half of the other letters, haha!"

 

I'm Clover a friend romantic partner of one of your Royal Guards in lower Snowdin.

 

"...I think only Martlet patrols down there. Are they talking about the rookie?" Her eyes gently squinted as she moved on to the next lines of the letter.

 

It's incredibly hard for me to write this, and I do believe Martlet's fit for a Royal Guard position. But... how do you deal with it? The dread that your partner may never come home again if they're struck down by a evil human. The... the panic in your mind if they're even a little bit late to coming back home. Look, I shouldn't vent too much like this, but this has been secretly eating away at me from the inside out. I don't think I could ever let Martlet patrol on her own again.

 

Not when there's a chance it might be the last time I see her.

 

I know you can't just magically make me feel better with a few words, but... I need SOMETHING from you.

 

Please.

 

...

 

...

 

It had been years since this had last happened, but it was happening again as Undyne dropped the suddenly heavy letter, quietly walking back to her couch, looking at the words from a distance with reddened and glistening eyes.

 

Undyne was crying. Quietly so, the type when you're crying on someone else's behalf. 

 

...

 

But after a few minutes, Undyne cleared her tears, calmed down, grabbed a piece of paper, her standard-issued pen, and put the latter against the former. She'd write this letter if it was the last thing she did, she owed this Clover a response as the Captain of the Royal Guard, she couldn't let anyone else down. She couldn't let Martlet down. And she certainly wouldn't let Clover down.

 

... So why can't she think of the right words?

Chapter 10: NGAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

It was supposed to be a normal day.

 

At least, that's what Martlet thought. Dalv had departed to the Wild East to visit Ceroba, and have a long overdue conversation about her daughter. Which gave her even more time to spend with her newfound love, who seemed slightly clingy, always joining her on her patrols around Lower Snowdin.

 

Not that she complained, she did deeply enjoy Clover's presence, as did Clover with her. Still, it was an odd change, one that, despite her comfortability with it... was still a little bit concerning to her. But she quickly cast the thought out of her scatterbrained mind, seeing one of her puzzles again, the gate having been jammed.

 

"Have you ever tried metalworking, Martlet?" Clover queried, gently kicking the gate to see if it could be freed with a simple action. "Your puzzles might be more durable if you put some metal parts into them. And they might even look cooler as well!"

 

"I have, but nobody in Snowdin has fire magic, and I can't just summon Ceroba over here to blast metal with her own fire magic." Martlet responded, whipping out her mallet to tap the gate back onto the tracks. "Besides, wood would still work... the problem is I'm bad at puzzle designing."

 

"Incorrect. Honestly, a little sanding might allow everything to move more smoothly. And maybe some guides and wheels?" Clover had moved to the puzzle console, navigating the ball through what was like a marble course with ease. As it melted the ice cube, he and the bird cheered as the gate moved out of the way this time. The kid jumped down, and quickly gave Martlet a big hug, her returning the favour with her wings. "Ohmygosh it worked! Thank you, Clover!"

 

"No problem, love..." Clover gently replied, stepping back with Martlet as they gazed back up at the puzzle. "Y'know... now that me giving up my soul has been delayed, it feels like... a weight's been lifted off my shoulder. I'm not omnifocused on that anymore, I can... just take it all in."

 

When Martlet turned her head, she saw Clover with a dreamy look on his face, and a rare but brilliant smile. "Hey, have... you ever watched those human shows about love? Everything seems perfect, right, complete, and you wish this could go on forever?"

 

"I... can't say I have! Lower Snowdin usually doesn't get many human trinkets down here. But... I think I might get what you mean? It's... like you get this warm cute little feeling in your SOUL, and you want to stay like this... forever..." Martlet's voice trailed off, her wing draped over Clover's shoulder as she pulled him closer, him leaning into her feathers as she walked them both over to a overturned tree trunk. With a quick swipe and some magic, the pair were now seated on the impromptu bench.

 

"Martlet... I've fallen for you so hard, you know that? Everything about you is just amazing. Your personality, your talents, even your drawbacks, they're all what makes you... you." Clover whispered, leaning his head against her side, Martlet gently sighing in contentment as her wing came on the other side of the cowboy's head. "You've got a heart of gold, Clover. A... beautiful, kind heart. You've... inspired me to be better. For you."

 

"..."

 

"..."

 

"...did you know that on the Surface... Martlets are apparently a mythical bird?" Clover queried, looking up at her with curiosity.

 

"I'm a myth on the Surface? Ohmygosh that's so cool I can't wait-" Martlet's squeal and incoming rant were silenced as Clover gently squeezed her wing, holding it gently afterward. "No, as in a different bird entirely. You just... share the same name as them?"

 

"Well, what's so special about these... mythical non-copies of me anyway?" The bluebird's curiosity overtook her, leaning down slightly.

 

"They apparently don't have legs, so they just fly eternally. It... kinda suits you, in a way."

 

"It does?"

 

"Yeah. Because I want to see you fly forever, Martlet." In a instant, a warmth bloomed in Martlet's chest, brighter than even the heater she'd built. The love and dedication and care and kindness in Clover's eyes was radiant, and her body acted for her. In a instant, Clover was pulled into a tight embrace with Martlet, her wings like a comforting weighted blanket against Clover's form, who simply nuzzled into her neck plumage. "I love you, Martlet... so, so, so much..."

 

"I love you too, Clover. More than I can express with my words." Martlet whispered, moving into Clover's neck, her beak gently poking his skin. "There's-"

 

"NGAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!"

 

"What the... who is that?" Clover instantly looked beyond frightened, surprising even him - why was that scream always so terrifying to him? He hasn't met... whoever this is before, right?

 

"Oh hey it's Captain Undyne! She's the head of the Royal Guard and- OHMYGODCLOVERHIDE!!" Martlet squawked, pointing to a nearby bush frantically as Clover darted towards it, outright tumbling into it, half-surprised when he didn't get instantly pricked by the hundreds of branches inside. He found himself covered in snow, leaves, and branches, which made for a perfect disguise.

 

He'd have to wash out the grass stains this would leave on his outfit, though.

 

"OKAYUH-" Martlet turned to see a very obvious Clover-shaped hole in the bush, making it more than a bit obvious someone was hiding there, counteracting the snow and leaves Clover'd gotten in himself. "Good... enough? Just stay quiet and I'll-"

 

"MARTLET!" yelled out a voice as Undyne charged her with a spear, stopping short of the now-terrified bird. Though, the look in the eyes of Martlet gave her pause - it didn't seem like she was terrified of her charge, or even her specifically. "I- uh- surveyed your puzzles! They're looking much more sturdy now! They could EASILY stop the toughest humans!"

 

Martlet immediately knew Undyne was wrong - Clover got through them, after all. "Uh-"

 

"SPEAKING OF... where's your partner at?" Undyne seemed to calm down, a sense of dread washing over her, a feeling that even Martlet didn't expect. Much more concerning was the fact Undyne somehow knew she was dating Clover. Sure, she only said partner, but that had to be a misdirection tactic since she didn't want to crush Martlet's feelings.

 

Killing Clover would do more than just that, though.

 

"Wh- Wha?" Martlet's face paled, fully realizing she NEEDED to think this through carefully - Undyne COULDN'T know about Clover. At all costs. "Huh?"

 

"I gotta talk to them about... something." Undyne's voice was uncharacteristically quiet, scaring Martlet further, as she looked for any way to misdirect or steer the conversation to the polar opposite of Clover. "They're... away? Down in... uh... Hotland? Visiting... family?"

 

"...Ah! Okay!! Well... I NEED YOU TO TALK TO THEM FOR ME!" Undyne's voice rang out as it grew in volume again, Martlet wishing she could shrink away at this point. If Undyne was trying to scare her into revealing Clover... it was starting to work. Even if it was a secret she'd never divulge until she dusted.

 

"TELL THEM. . . uh..." Undyne trailed off, looking absolutely crushed as she struggled to find the words to express herself clearly. "...Tell them... that... they gotta believe in you."

 

Martlet felt her brain crash on the spot, expectations completely shattered as Undyne's voice fell further. She was just left wondering what Undyne meant.

 

"...Do you know why I trained all of you so hard? Why I wanted you to be the best Royal Guards the underground could ever see?" Undyne's voice sounded on the edge of fracturing, her not even able to look up at Martlet.

 

"..."

 

"It's because... even if we do put our lives on the line if a human shows up... those around you will still want you to come back. The voids left in your SOUL by fallen monsters never... fully go away."

 

"..."

 

"Martlet, your partner... wrote me a letter. I have to say, you've struck gold with them. They... poured their heart out to me, you know? They cared about you so damn much and so deeply..."

 

"They... they did..?" Martlet squeaked out, now on the edge of crying herself. "Oh, Clover..."

 

"Well, Clover... they're worried about you, Martlet. Out of everything they could have asked me... they just wanted you to come back home every day. They just want to see you safe, and I..." Undyne's spear fell to the snow, along with her gauntlets as she wiped away the forming tears in her eyes. "Out of all the things I've been able to do for monsterkind... that's one of the few things I can't do."

 

"Clover..." Martlet herself was now crying, on the verge of fully breaking down as she realized just how much Clover truly loved her... and how much she may have accidentally terrified him. "Undyne, I... I... ohmygod... I-"

 

But they were interrupted as a snowball flew past Undyne, narrowly missing her but landing on the other side of the clearing. "WHO THREW THAT?! Hold on rookie, I gotta check this out!"

 

And, as Undyne ran off in the opposite direction, out from the bush came a teary-eyed Clover, clearly having overheard the conversation. "Martlet... Look, I should have just talked to you about-"

 

"CLOVER!" Martlet bolted toward him, scooping the cowboy up into a tight hug as she cried into his shoulder. "I'm... I'm never leaving you, okay? I promise you, I couldn't..."

 

"Love... Undyne was right..."

 

"I just need to believe in you..."

Notes:

that tidbit about martlets is actually real, i'm 99% sure they're what inspired Martlet's character in UTY

Chapter 11: Interlude: Dalv's Visit + Flower Rage

Summary:

he lets some things slip

The Wild East.

 

Dalv hadn't explored this part of the Underground yet - it was decently off-course from the main path to New Home, which meant a lack of tourism - and not for lack of trying. For Dalv felt incredibly out of place seeing Starlo and his posse run missions. 

 

Though, that wasn't who he was looking for. He was more interested in a small brown kitsune monster, one he'd known very well, and hadn't seen after the massacre in Snowdin. He'd understood at the time; the incident surely had to be traumatizing for her. But... why'd he get the feeling he wouldn't see her again for some time?

 

The vampire was also surveying the area for a taller fox monster with flowing orange hair, along with a white and red kimono. She was also nowhere to be found, and Dalv considered flagging down the sheriff he saw Clover adore, and-

 

"Hey."

 

Dalv nearly jumped out of his cloak, skin, and SOUL, in that order, as he jumped back to see Ceroba standing right there with a warm smile on her muzzle. "Watching Star and his friends do their sheriff thing?"

 

"I... was looking for you. To have that talk... the one we talked about back at the tree?" Dalv iced his nerves, realizing no threat was present (except the potential for another scare). "Of course. Come, we can come to my estate to... discuss. Apologies, it hasn't... been lived in for a while."

 

"It's quite alright. Losing someone close to you can be very challenging." The pair walked through Oasis Valley, taking a sharp detour up as Dalv was lead through some ornate steel gates. "Oh... my... this is beautiful."

 

The Ketsukane estate had come into full view now, the craftsmanship flowing out of every dowel and interlocking joint, from the perfection of every shingle and beam, from the uniformity and tone of every color the house was painted in. "I see where Martlet got her skills from. I think she met your husband, Chujin."

 

"She did. He was... the best. In a hundred ways, but carpentry was his strong suit." Ceroba acknowledged, opening the door for Dalv to walk inside, her following behind him as she unlocked the door to the... room.

 

Her expectations of a normal rug with the kotatsu were shattered when said kotatsu was overturned, the rug thrown aside to reveal the open trapdoor leading into Chujin's basement. The one where he did his experiments, the one Clover and Martlet delved into, the one she... made her greatest mistake in. "Ceroba..? What... is this?"

 

But she didn't answer, for the color had drained from her face, going pale as she realized just what Dalv COULD see if he went down there. Chujin's tapes, her near-betrayal of Clover, his experiments with the one behind Kanako's near-death... she wasn't ready yet. She was a step closer to coming clean more fully about what happened with Kanako, but... to her, it felt way too-

 

"Look... I... get the feeling... you really don't want to talk about this... and... I get it? In a way, at least. But... I can also tell that whatever's... down there, it's slowly eating away at you. So... I do think you shou-"

 

"You wouldn't forgive me. Nobody would." Ceroba cut him off, the fox looking down at the ground with a half-guilty and half-anguished expression on her face. "I... made a horrible mistake down there. It's why Kanako hasn't come down to greet you yet. It's why I nearly killed Clover. It's... it does feel like it's eroding me, every time I think of it. And... I want to tell everyone, but I don't think they'd ever forgive me if they truly found-"

 

"Ceroba... if I'm worried about you now, how do you think they feel? They all must be seriously concerned for you, right? That cowboy, I don't know him, but... he seems kind. Surely, you owe it to him to let him know you're okay-" Dalv's voice was calm and slightly detached, the vampire moving closer to gently hold Ceroba's paw. 

 

"I... I..."

 

"..."

 

"..."

 

"... I'm not okay, Dalv. Not by a long margin." Ceroba's voice was small and on the edge of shattering, her gaze locked toward the trapdoor as she turned to face it. "But... maybe I should... face my fears head on, right?"

 

"It's the only way. I only came out of the Ruins because I was forced to fight Clover. If it worked for me... maybe you should."

 

"...Dalv, do you have... an hour? I... want you to watch some stuff. It's... all down there. Please, just... keep an open mind, okay..?"

 

---

 

Flowey was metaphorically beating himself up.

 

Because HOLY SHIT, what a fucking timeline! He'd always reset after either killing Martlet or after Clover gave up his soul. But just this once, things were different enough that he decided to let the timeline spin out more. And by god, the results were fruitful!

 

For one, Clover was still alive, and potentially able to do his bidding. The bad news was that he was not only living with Martlet, but now a romantic interest. Scratch interest, they were outright kissing! Multiple times!

 

And now, as Flowey popped up just beyond the Ketsukane estate, he had a thoughtful look on his face.

 

"Golly... what a run this is! First Clover runs off to be lovebirds with that damn birdbrain, and now the fox's showing that shut-in... the tapes." He mused, a vine coming up from the ground to violently stamp out a growing tumbleweed, turning it into a pile of thorny branches in seconds.

 

Like him.

 

The worst part about this attempt was how... out of hand it had gotten. Martlet, Clover, Ceroba, now even Dalv and Undyne and Starlo, there were too many variables to fine-tune all at once. Too many permutations, and while he'd normally test them all out, something else was bugging him.

 

"This run's all sorts of messed up, now. But... Clover. He's starting... to remember way too much. He's nearly a expert at Martlet's puzzles, and general navigation and item acquisition. Gosh, I thought I'd reset his ability to talk away, but he's like a chatterbox at full volume! Especially with that fucking bird!"

 

Flowey felt an anger boil over in him, as once again, Clover had (unintentionally?) managed to best him. And worse, he was getting even better at it. "He's so much kinder to that bird, more carefree with that human cosplayer, more patient with the shut-in... and he's even more cautious around the fox. I can't believe I didn't see it sooner. First Clover becomes better at moving around the Underground... then the items... and he's anticipating dialogue now from the others."

 

"And... after that OTHER run... all the other times, he's always gone back to Martlet just before the Steamworks. All for a fucking birdhouse which would get resetted away. THAT run should have been the clue he's remembering too much!"

 

"I... actually can't reset now. Fuck, I CAN'T RESET NOW! He might remember even more, and there's no way I can steer him away from those... memories, or whatever they are! Any more resets... and he may outright distrust me from the start! Even before THE run... he always managed to best me when I tried to take what's rightfully mine."

 

Flowey's vines unconsciously curled around the gate of the Ketsukane estate, vines gripping tighter and tighter, just like the string of his sanity. "The universe has to be fucking with me! And now, it's getting tired of my shenanigans. Crap, I CAN'T let Clover get away from me this time. I HAVE to play it safe..."

 

"..."

 

"... Fuck, LOADs also contribute to persistent memories, don't they? Gosh, I have to do EVERYTHING right this time. There's gotta be a way to send him to King Asgore. There HAS to be! He's getting too untenable, too... knowledgeable."

 

"..."

 

"..."

 

"... Damnit, Clover, you just had to pull that trick in that specific run, didn't you? Just had to taunt me like THAT, and not only did you get away with it in that timeline... but you're about to get away with it here as well!"

 

"No... no, I'm not letting you win that! I don't care if it was in a different timeline, I'M GOING TO PROVE YOU WRONG."

 

Crunch!

 

And the gate had been crumpled into a ball of random metal beams. "...Wonder if that fish can help me?"

 

---

 

"Clovy?" Martlet chirped, looking down at Clover with a serious look. Not exactly what the cowboy expected from their movie night eating birdseed and watching Mettaton's show. "Yeah, love?"

 

"Can... I show you something later? It's... not something I like to think about, now that you're here. But... I think it might really help us both if you know about it, okay?" Martlet spoke gently, her wing holding Clover closer as she leaned her head against his own. "Of course. Look, I'm really sorry I didn't talk about it with you before writing to Undyne-"

 

"It's okay, love. I can tell you just... didn't have the words, I guess? But... I have something that I think will make you feel millions of times better!" Martlet's voice was... odd. She spoke with cheerful words, yet there was a odd undercurrent of dread and fear. 

 

"...Can I see it right now..?"

 

"...Sure! It'll make me feel better getting this off my chest, anyway!"

Notes:

hmm... wonder what could have happened in THAT run...

. . . t h e o n e t h a t s t a r t e d d i v e r g i n g .

Chapter 12: Determination

Summary:

Yep, I pulled a Flowey and LOADed back - I was simply unhappy with how I'd written everyone, it just seemed unfaithful to their personalities and all that

"I usually keep this on me most of the time... But I'm occasionally forgetful most of the time, and it usually sits behind... here!" The bluebird chirped cheerfully, her wings removing a fake back from a bookshelf, much to the confusion of the cowboy, as Clover asked aloud why Martlet had a fake bookshelf. "It... was a carpentry test by Chujin, actually! I got a fake back in this bookshelf so I could keep secrets in plain sight!"

 

The clattering of wood echoed through the room, as Martlet pulled out a glowing blue syringe, the glow instantly capturing Clover's attention.

 

"Wh- W- What- Martlet, what is THAT?!" The cowboy stumbled back a few paces, falling to the floor as he instinctively tried to create distance between himself and the glowing liquid inside the glass injector. Even Clover couldn't rationalize why he was so deathly terrified of that single item, when he'd kept a brave front everywhere else. "Clover? Hey, Clover, it's okay! It's- OH! Sorry, do you have a fear of needles?"

 

Martlet's voice became more soothing as she stepped forward, wings reaching out to take Clover's hand. "Hey, it's okay! Everyone's scared of something, like how I'm scared of actually working... which isn't the best thing to have a fear of... but the point is, it's okay, Clover!"

 

This time, Martlet missed the mark completely, Clover's small body scrambling away from her as he pressed himself up against her wall, his breathing rapid and eyes darting around. His composure had evaporated, his form searching for an escape route as his pupils became unfocused, and his voice yelled out only one phrase:

 

"GET AWAY FROM THAT THING!!!"

 

---

 

Hit, hit, hit... Hit, hit, hit!

 

Flowey's pellets had become extremely handy for Clover, his on-point attacks able to damage the transformed Martlet immensely. He could see her strength fading, her exhaustion setting in as she let out another massive attack pattern. The cowboy didn't have time to be impressed with Martlet's determination or sense of justice for the monsters.

 

He was too busy looking her in the eyes as he chomped down on some gunpowder, the bird's yellow eyes widening slightly as Clover got all the way back up to full HP. Though, it didn't phase Martlet for long as her expression hardened, another wave of attacks being dashed through, only giving Clover more time to shoot her with mini bullets, depleting more of her own HP, which was rapidly dropping. And as Clover's turn began, so did her demise.

 

Hit, hit, hit... Hit, hit, hit!

 

"W-What's going on? The s-serum, it... N-No! I can handle it! I have to keep going!!" Martlet tried to encourage herself, her words making Clover finally focus on her appearance. To his confusion, instead of dusting, Martlet seemed to be... falling apart. Literally, as her entire form seemed to be unable to hold itself together any longer. Once again though, the bird monster pushed herself farther, throwing an even harder attack pattern at Clover, one the cowboy took immense damage from, being depleted to single-digit HP.

 

It didn't matter though; Martlet was under a quarter of her HP. And he had more than enough healing items to bring him through the final stretch.

 

"Why is it wearing off?! WHY IS IT WEARING OFF?!?! I DON'T WANT TO DIE! I NEED MORE TIME!!" The bird pleaded to herself, or to anyone that would listen, as her form wavered, her composition becoming less and less defined as even standing seemed to become a struggle for her. Still though, she never relented, projectile after projectile after explosive meteor slamming into Clover's SOUL. The cowboy, for his part, tanked it silently, focusing back on the main objective, though he suddenly seemed unsure.

 

Just WHAT was that serum doing to her?

 

Hit, hit, hit..., hit, hit, miss!

 

"Y O U. . ."

 

"Y O U  C A N ' T  W I N . . ."

 

"Y O U  C A N ' T . . ."

 

Clover had stopped moving, letting himself tank the damage as he replayed Martlet's words in his mind. Or rather, the tone of her voice. She seemed to be strained beyond belief now, and the pained way she spoke unsettled Clover more than the faint gurgling sound her voice seemed to have. If she was also melting on the inside...

 

Just how much pain was she in?

 

Was this...

 

T o r t u r e ?

 

Martlet's turn had ended, and Clover, with enough HP to spare, walked over to Martlet, his look of determination replaced by a mix of guilt, concern, and indifference. Sure, he wanted to bring justice to the five humans, and he was definitely going to accomplish his goal... but even the kid knew that this wasn't just at all - forcing a monster to fight until it killed them through sheer determination alone. Clover was the arbiter of justice, the lady holding the scales, and this wasn't at all justified.

 

"Martlet... I'm sorry." Clover finally spoke up, clearing his throat as he took a few cautious steps towards the bird.

 

". . . W H A T ? W h a t ? " Martlet strained out, her neck like jelly as her head pivoted to look at the cowboy. Her eyes were foggy and glassy, the yellow tint becoming pale as the pupils struggled to stay locked on Clover. "A f t e r   a l l   t h a t ?"

 

"Look, Martlet... I wanted to kill 'ya, but... this is just suffering, isn't it? I never intended to make anyone suffer, alright?" Clover explained, holstering his gun to show he was serious about this. He approached the bird even closer, wary of a potential trap as he reached out, and...

 

...Took Martlet's wing in his hand.

 

In a instant, the warmth was swept away from his body as his fingers interlocked with the feathers, her wing slightly melting around Clover's hand as she moved closer to him. Martlet trembled, her Zenith form crumbling as her wing wrapped around more and more of his arm. "I t ' s . . . s o   c o l d . . ."

 

"C l o v e r . . ." Clover was starting to guess this was a trap, and a growing part of him told him to fall for it - he'd caused Martlet and so many innocent monsters so much pain, and this was the only just thing to do. Yet, another part ordered him to shove and shoot Martlet away, to keep going to the human SOULs. But his morality won out, and he moved closer to Martlet, suddenly getting an idea as he pulled out a Feisty Slider from his satchel. "Wait, I got some healing items! Maybe those'll help?"

 

"T h e y . . .  w o n ' t ." Martlet rasped, before suddenly lurching forward, her wings wrapping tightly against Clover as the cowboy felt his heat being drained away. Clover guessed this was the trap, and braced himself for a third round of fighting...

 

...

 

...which never came. All that happened was Martlet burying her now-pliable beak against him as her form melted more and more to encompass him. THAT was the trap, wasn't it? And Clover'd fallen for it, hook, line, and sinker. He couldn't feel himself wanting to leave, though. His whole journey here was about the the SOULs, yet here he was putting that potentially on hold forever for Martlet. "Just focus on my words, Martlet... how c-"

 

"n-No!! Please!"

 

He was cutoff as Martlet suddenly shook, her form falling apart even more horribly as her wings seemed to melt into eachother, her feathers becoming more of a uniform shape rather than textured. And the haunting look in Martlet's paling eyes was something that scared the light out of Clover. Not to mention that the rest of her seemed to melt even faster as her legs couldn't keep them up. "Hey, hey what's happening?!?!"

 

"WHAT DO I DO?!" Martlet's yell became a quiet whisper as her voice seemed to become distant, her blue form turning a pale cyan as she tried to hold Clover tightly, though melting on the spot made it a challenge. Her beak was starting to melt together, further entrapping her voice as she effectively collapsed onto her knees. All Clover could do was try and hold her tightly to himself, though his hands only sank into her form rather than meeting anything definitively solid. "H E L P . . . C L O V E R !"

 

Her eyes were gone. Her beak was gone. She looked like her regular form now, but with the horrific bonus of melting completely. Her voice was unrecognizable, her form a pale grey as everything about her seemed to be subsumed into a gray texture. "C... C L O V..."

 

Swoosh!

 

And then, just like that, Clover was covered in ash instead of melted monster as Martlet dusted, putting an end to her suffering. Clover only stared forward, even as Flowey popped out of the ground right in front of him, with a surprisingly stern look on his face

 

"Great... Just great! Do you know how much-"

 

File 1 Saved!

 

B A N G !

 

"CLOVER?!?!?!"

 

Crack!

 

"...Clover... golly, I was waiting for that to happen! But of course you just had to save RIGHT BEFORE, so I CAN'T GET YOUR FUCKING SOUL!!!"

Chapter 13: Crash

When the memory finally ended, Clover found himself wrapped tightly in Martlet's wings. He hadn't even realized it, but he was actively sobbing into Martlet's plumage, clutching the bird tightly against himself like she'd dust at any second. "Martlet!!! Martlet please, PLEASE-"

 

"Clover! You're back! I... I don't know what's happening but... Look, I'm here for you, okay?! I'm never leaving you, alright!" Martlet reassured the crying kid in her arms, Clover's ragged and unsteady breaths finally starting to slow, but only barely as he cried harder, before looking up at his partner with puffy red eyes and tears steadily streaming down his face. "Martlet, I... I... just... throw that thing away! Get it out! Anywhere away from you, okay?!?!"

 

Now, the bird finally refocused on the syringe - just what about it had scared the hell out of her cowboy? This definitely went beyond fear of needles, and how Clover mentioned to get it away from HER specifically did put some ideas of what could be distressing Clover in her mind. "Clover, please... tell me what's going on, okay?"

 

"..."

 

"I... Oh god, it... how do I explain it? It didn't happen, but I'm certain it did, somehow. I was... It was like a memory into another... version of me. Another world, I..." Clover's voice shook with every word, his recollection shaky as he tried his hardest to recount exactly what he saw.

 

---

 

When he'd finished, Martlet was crying as well.

 

Clover's retelling sparked something deep in her SOUL, a glimmer that brought memories rushing forward. A part of her wanted to run from Clover, to escape the cowboy now that she knew what Clover could do. After all, maybe there's something that could make him snap, and it'd be snowing ash all over the Underground.

 

A bigger part of her, though, knew the Clover she loved wasn't the Clover in whatever she considered that to be. A memory, a timeline, a vision, anything fit. Externally, though, all Martlet could do was bury her face in Clover's neck as the human and bird grieved for their nonexistent counterparts.

 

"I... I'm so sorry, Clover... I'm sorry for putting you through all that, even if... no, what you did at the end..." Martlet's voice cracked, new tears brimming forward as Clover held her tighter, gently shaking his head in protest. "Martlet... I'm so proud of you. I'm terrified at the same time, but... Martlet, you're amazing... I just wish that serum didn't..."

 

"T... That's why you were so terrified of that thing, weren't you? You... saw me... I'm not even sure if that was falling down, really. When monsters fall down, it's... more like a human sickness. Bedridden, unable to move or take care of themselves." Martlet rambled, her emotions stabilizing as Clover looked into her now-reddened eyes. "I... didn't know I could have that in me. The courage, the strength, the determination."

 

"And yet... I still made you pay the price with your life..." Clover whispered, standing up to look into Martlet's eyes, his earlier sorrow replaced by a growing pride, a golden glint in his eyes. "You're a lot more determined than you think, Martlet. Looking back on the battle... your attacks, your emotions, everything... It was excellent. Undyne was wrong about keeping you on probation. So, so, so wrong. You're the greatest monster- no, the greatest living being I've met in my life. I mean, you literally put up such an amazing fight against me, a human with 100 HP! You were so brave, love, you know that? You didn't hesitate to use that syringe and take me head-on. And god, even if it was just a memory... that was probably the greatest challenge I've had the honour to even attempt."

 

"You really are the Zenith of Monsterkind, Martlet."

 

"In... whatever that was... you were the harbinger of justice, not me."

 

The bird, for her part, was staring, beak agape, at Clover's barrage of compliments and praise, stunned. She'd thought Clover would be more terrified... yet a smile grew on her face as she looked back on her own memories. "Clover... look, you did some horrible things in that timeline. I thought you'd hated all of Monsterkind for what happened to the human SOULs, which... But... you held me. You hugged me as I fell apart, you gave me warmth and comfort, you gave me something to hold on to for just a bit longer. Even if you did hate monsters in that timeline... you always had a little bit of good in you, even when I thought it was six feet under."

 

It was now the cowboy's turn to be stunned, a smile erupting on his face as he gently leaned in, placing a loving kiss on Martlet's beak, one that told everything the bird needed to hear... even as Clover told her so himself. "Martlet... I'm so proud of you. I can't believe I ever met someone as amazing as you..."

 

"Oh, Clover... I... you... I'm so glad I met you, let alone date you." Martlet murmured, pulling the cowboy back as she nuzzled into Clover's neck with a contented sigh. The pair simply held eachother, human and bird taking comfort in each other's existence.

 

Martlet wasn't melting, and Clover wasn't dead. 

 

"I'll never let you go, alright? I promise, I won't let anything make you go to those lengths, alright?" Clover vowed, the human tilting up his cowboy hat to look Martlet in the eyes. "You've done so much for me, you know? And it's about time I return the favour."

 

"Clover... I won't let you die, alright? This... I've got this feeling in the depths of my SOUL, and... I won't let anyone kill you or take your SOUL or do anything insane, alright! You don't deserve to die just because you're a human. It's not just!" Martlet declared, the bird holding Clover firmly as her eyes shone with a glint akin to Clover's. She gently shook Clover, trying to get the point across as her SOUL felt a rush of courage build up. 

 

"I promise you, Clover."

 

---

 

"We... really should have had Clover and Martlet come to the Wild East." Ceroba groaned, not at all pleased with how the perpetual snowfall seemed to weigh down her kimono. "But still, I'm not going to leave Clover and Martlet without any explanation. They need to know what happened, why I did what I did. Clover, most of all, deserves to know why I... tried to do something so horrible to him."

 

Dalv, standing right beside her, nodded gently, brushing off his cloak. "I think Clover would be at Martlet's house. It's a bit of a... walk, but I think we'll manage! There's also this resort in between we can take a rest in i-"

 

Ding-ding-ding!

 

"Phew, what a busy day. The mail's never at bay!" A rhyming voice called out as a Starlo was air-dropped unceremoniously into a snowdrift, the cowboy's protests of shock muffled by the fluffy solid form of water. "AAAAAA- I'm a sheriff! Snow is my weakness!"

 

"Star, come on, you're being...  not overdramatic, but... Look, I hate it too, but we've got a lot to go, alright?" Ceroba pulled him out by the spur, setting him right as Dalv gestured to beyond the UGPS sign, a large building faintly visible in the distance. "Honeydew Resort is just down there, we'll be at Martlet's in no time."

 

"Sounds... great! Please tell me it's warmer in there..?" Starlo squeaked, brushing off snow from his poncho as Ceroba did the same from her kimono, only to look up and see snowflakes magically fall off Dalv's cloak as soon as they landed on the cape. "At least one of us doesn't have to deal with it, I guess. That's pretty nice."

 

And so, the trio began walking, almost completely silent with the only exception being the crunch of snow under everyone's feet.

 

...

 

"So... Clover and Martlet. They sound like they're close, aren't they?" Ceroba cut through the silence, her mind thinking back to how Clover had one hell of an affinity for Martlet. Even during their limited time, it was clear the cowboy absolutely adored the bird. Either way, the words piqued Starlo's interest, him looking up at the kitsune as he adjusted his hat. "Oh believe me, Clover would put his life on the line for her. One of the only times I've seen him genuinely pissed was when I tried to throw Martlet in the slammer. That's... probably the only time he pulled out his gun, actually."

 

"Huh?" Was all Ceroba mustered as she looked at Starlo, more than a bit confused. Dalv seemed to take in stride, looking over casually as he pondered something. "Really? Wait, were they partners even back then?"

 

...

 

...

 

"Clover and Martlet are dating?!"

 

"Clover and Martlet are dating!"

Chapter 14: The Part Where They Find Out

Summary:

why are there beans all over the floor?

"Wait, correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't Clover an entire decade-" Ceroba's inquiry was almost instantly cutoff when her attention was inevitably captured by Starlo's cheers of excitement. "I knew Clover and Feathers had a special kinda bond, but clearly I'd underestimated 'em!"

 

"They really fit well with eachother, in my opinion. It's amazing how progressive the Underground is!" Dalv was also completely oblivious to Ceroba's simmering concern, only smiling as he remembered how the pair of lovebirds (one literal) seemed to bounce off eachother's personalities. The kitsune's words were overlooked, but listening into the conversation and hearing no signs of anything amiss managed to temper any concerns she had. "I... guess I'll keep an open mind about it..?"

 

"I just want my deputy to be happy, a-... Wait, hol' up! I've a great idea!" Starlo cut himself off, a wide smile on his face. "We should get them a present! To congratulate them! Like, we could get them somethin' from the resort, or build snowmonsters of them, or-"

 

"We could just congratulate them with words. Sometimes... a few words can express what actions can't." Ceroba calmly suggested, Dalv seeming to agree with her with a simple nod of his head. "That's... actually a really in-depth perspective. I... You know, Kanako used to always be able to reflect deeply like you just did. She'd do it at least once every time we'd meet! I... I'm happy to know where she got it from."

 

Ceroba looked up, a wide smile on her muzzle that radiated joy as she appraised the vampire with a newfound layer of respect. The sheriff had also stopped ranting about presents for Clover and Martlet, somewhat stunned as he reflected himself on his own experiences with Kanako. "I... I wasn't ever really one for that kinda thing, up until Ceroba and Martlet stopped me from trying to kill Clover. But... even I've seen it. The way she always had a deep understanding of things. It's... somethin' valuable to have."

 

"..."

 

"You both are wise beyond your years."

 

"..."

 

"I'm still gonna make snowmonsters of them, though."

 

"One of you are wise beyond your years."

 

---

 

"NONE of them are wise beyond their years!" murmured a certain Flowey observing this all go down. Clover had a certain knack for screwing him over across timelines - he'd always have to push up through Snowdin's snow to see clearly, and like Ceroba and her fur, it left his petals feeling damp. Right now though, Flowey was thinking. "Clover's remembering too much, I can't just reset his memories away. They keep... persisting. But HOW? Resets are supposed to be a full erasure! How can Clover remember minute details, and how can he remember how best to screw me over!?"

 

"..."

 

"...No. No! Hold the hell on, no! I'm going to be the GOD OF THIS WORLD! I shouldn't have to bow to a human when I'm only two souls away! I've got the timeline and vines on my side! That kid has screwed me over thousands of times, I'm not letting him get a happy ending this time! Not now, NOT EVER AGAIN." Flowey's rage hit a peak, a vine absentmindedly crushing snow into ice, then crushing the ice into ice chunks that splintered into the fresh coat of snow. His mind was filled with each run that Clover screwed him out of his SOUL - by giving it up to Ceroba, by simply resisting long enough, or by either killing Flowey or...

 

...

 

"How can I... how can I... gosh, I'd sic Undyne on him, but that might go off the rails with that little letter stunt Clover pulled. Golly, he's outsmarting my future self without even realizing it!"

 

"...No, screw this! I'm just going to confront him myself! Show him he isn't in control of this hellhole, show him the true meaning of this world!!! First off..."

 

FILE 1 SAVED

 

"There we go. Now... let's have a little chat, Clover..."

 

---

 

Clover and Martlet had retired to the latter's bedroom, hoping to sleep off the trauma they'd inevitably gained from seeing into another timeline. Clover was, as always, the little spoon as he settled into the comfort of Martlet's wings wrapped around his front, pulling him against her and trapping him in a fluffy, feathery, prison. One he was fully content to stay inside, knowing he was safe with his partner.

 

"Clov..." Martlet lazily whispered, her eyes fluttering open as she awakened her beak from sleeping. Her vision was slightly unfocused, the odd hour of sleeping having thrown her entire sleep schedule into complete disarray. "Clovy, are you..."

 

"Mart... yeah, I am... you also having trouble sleepin'?" Clover murmured, slowly shuffling and turning to face Martlet, a small smile spreading upon seeing the sleepy expression of his girlfriend, who had a similarly growing look of adoration on her face as she stared into Clover's eyes. "What's got you so happy, Martlet?"

 

"I just... still can't believe I managed to get you as a boyfriend, Clover. Me, and I've got a human cowboy for a partner. You're one hell of a catch, you know that?" Martlet pulled Clover closer to her, nuzzling into the cowboy's neck as Clover melted into her embrace, and the feeling of her beak against his skin. "You always know how to make me feel cherished, you know that? And don't sell yourself short, a'ight? You're the greatest bird I've ever met. I've gone bird, and I ain't ever goin' back."

 

"..."

 

"..."

 

And the pair burst into laughter instantly, Martlet's chirps and Clover's own wheezing filled the air as they both comprehended what the hell the cowboy just said. "Going- Going bird?? That's a new way- Hahaha!!!"

 

"It's true, I just- meant that in a more romantic way-" Clover managed to get out, being overcome in a fit of giggles as the pair eventually (2 minutes later) wound down, returning to lazing around in bed with eachother, and simply enjoying eachother's company. "...One of these days... I'm so taking you out to Honeydew Resort as an official date. Don't worry, I won't make you go in the hot tub!"

 

"Please don't ever make me go in the hot tub- Look, I love it like actually really much, but I just soak up water like a dry sponge sometimes! It's horrible when the warmth wears off and you're just soaking cold, y'know?" Martlet rambled on, Clover nodding in agreement as they pulled the covers more over the two of them, enjoying the warmth coming from the fluffy blanket and Martlet's body heat. "Don't worry, I get it. Bit of a choice to live in Snowdin, though. Where... there's snow. Everywhere?"

 

"Snow's alright, don't worry. My clothes can stop snowflakes in their tracks! It's just large volumes of water that soak my clothes AND my feathers!" Martlet exclaimed, as if she'd been through this before. Clover seemed to just settle down again, not stopping her from talking until she stopped herself upon noticing Clover was staring off into space. "Uhh... Clover? Are you still listening to me?"

 

"Sorry, Mart... I just really enjoy the sound of your voice. It's... it's comforting, in a way. To just hear you talk 'bout the things you love. I know some monsters may not like it... but I sure do, okay?" Clover replied, looking up dreamily at the bird before him as his eyes roamed over all her features with a loving smile on his face. Martlet, for her part, was charmed by Clover's words, leaning down to press her beak against Clover's lips, the bird melting into the kiss as warmth exploded across her maxilla and mandible. "Clover... I-"

 

BANG-BANG-BANG!

 

"Who is..?" Clover muttered, throwing the covers off as the pair stretched out and Clover grabbed his weapon. Martlet joined him, grabbing a small mallet she had on her, appraising it's effectiveness as Clover simply looked on. "You really do carry that thing around all the time, don't you?"

 

"It's made of magic, don't worry. I can just... make it appear and disappear at will." Martlet explained, smirking slightly as they both descended the steps to the first floor in sync, and tentatively approached the front door. "That bangin' didn't sound very friendly. May-"

 

But Martlet was one step ahead, latching the chain lock as Clover braced himself against the door, as she undid the deadbolt, and gingerly opened the door the few inches the chain allowed. As the door creaked open, determination gave way to... complete confusion.

 

"..."

 

"Uh, there's nobody there? What, was this just really violent ding-dong-ditch?" Martlet squawked, more than a bit confused as Clover peeked out beside her to see the empty clearing before Martlet's house. Though, he became even more concerned when he looked down, only seeing a single disturbed patch of snow in the shape of a small circle. A shape that resembled...

 

"Howdy!" Came a cheerful voice from behind the two, Clover instinctively holding his revolver as he slowly turned to give the intruding figure a death glare.

 

"Flowey." 

Notes:

yo do me a favour rq and leave some feedback, I do want to improve my writing and it gives me one hell of a motivation boost to continue knowing ppl actually read this far

Chapter 15: Pruning

"Clover..? Who is... Wait, how did they even get in here?" Martlet trailed off, looking at the flower as it returned Clover's glare with a menacing frown of it's own. Upon her question, Flowey's expression snapped to a fake smile, as he demonstrated his ability to burrow into the ground, wait a bit, and pop up somewhere else. "That's how, birdbrain! I'm a flower, of course I can-"

 

"Do you REALLY need to wreck my floorboards though? Like, those were really annoying to put in and all that and it-"

 

"SILENCE!!!" Flowey shouted nearly deafeningly, startling both Clover and Martlet into obeying him. Flowey moved back to his original position, his frown having returned as he appraised Clover and Martlet more critically. "Well, well, well. If I haven't seen this before, but not to this extent. It's funny, you know? Of all the timelines, there's this growing trend of you sticking by Martlet's side as soon as you meet her. Even when she kills you trying to apprehend you over and over and over, you just come crawling right back to her! Golly, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were a fucking masochist!"

 

"I have a feeling the amount of times she's killed me is miniscule compared to the amount of times YOU killed me." Clover's accent had vanished, a low rage in his voice as his vision tunneled onto the flower before him. Flowey, for his part, was stunned, caught off guard. "What? You aren't supposed to know what I'm talking about! What do you mean you know-"

 

"Timelines. I saw one of them. You... you fucking tricked me into slaughtering half the Underground! Ceroba, Starlo, even Martlet! All dusted at the end of it... including you. You're fucking horrible, you know that?!" Clover shouted, his voice filled with indignant anger as he took a menacing step towards Flowey. "I should stomp you like the weed you really are."

 

"Guess what, Clover? I'v-"

 

"What happened after?" Martlet blurted out, drawing the cowboy and weed's attention. Clover and Flowey seemed lost for a second, Flowey taking the chance to make her clarify with a "What do you mean?"

 

"That timeline after Clover dusted me. What. Happened. After?" Martlet spoke again, her voice filled with a tone Flowey only heard right before she-

 

"I don't remember." Flowey made up a lie on the spot, refusing to elaborate as he played dumb, in a way. "I always RESET immediately aft-"

 

"I seized control of the timeline and shot him to death." Clover interrupted with the correct version of events, a small smile coming on his face as he recalled unloading 7 of Flowey's own 'friendliness pellets' into him, and watching him fall. "That's probably the most just thing I've ever done that whole timeline, actually."

 

Flowey looked beyond angry at Clover's comment, raising his stem up slightly so he could meet Clover at eye-level with a homicidal look in his face. "What about the five humans, Clover? What about justice for them? Are their lives not worth anything? You've betrayed your own ideals! How could-"

 

His tone became manipulative, his constant berations reminding Clover of the same anger Flowey showed him right before he executed him on the spot. The two were locked in a staring contest, Clover only growing more angry with Flowey's continued insults as Martlet got one last idea to separate the pair. "HEY! Flower, or whatever your fucking name is! What the hell did you mean by RESET? Is that... part of timeline control?"

 

FILE 2 SAVED

 

"Well, well, well! The birdbrain CAN put things together! How cute!" Flowey taunted, turning his attention to her as he burrowed into the ground, and re-emerged from the ceiling to loom over her, displacing rafters in the process. "Yeah, RESETting is part of timeline control! If you have timeline control, you can SAVE at a point in time, and later, you can LOAD back to it! It's like rewinding the clock, in a way! And if you're really fucked, you can RESET all the way back to some standard point! For this timeline, that would be when Clover enters the Underground. That satisfy your curiosity enough?"

 

"No, actually!" Martlet shouted back, noticing Clover having grabbed and aimed his revolver at Flowey. "Like, I can't fucking believe you! All of this, and for WHAT?! What's your ultimate goal here?!"

 

"MY GOAL IS TO BECOME THE GOD OF THIS WORLD! AND I NEED THE 7 HUMAN SOULS TO DO SO! AND I'VE BEEN HAVING A PARTICULARLY HARD TIME GETTING CLOVER'S!!!" Flowey roared back, his rage hitting a fever pitch as Clover's trigger finger moved imperceptibly, the motion sending the internals of the gun into motion, launching a nail bullet flying right toward Flowey, wh-

 

FILE 2 LOADED

 

"Well, well, well! The birdbrain CAN put things together! How cute!" Flowey taunted, turning his attention to her as he burrowed into the ground, and re-emerged from the ceiling to loom over her, displacing rafters in the process. "Yeah, RESETting is part of timeline control! If you have timeline control, you can SAVE at a point in time, and later, you can LOAD back to it! It's like rewinding the clock, in a way! And if you're really fucked, you can RESET all the way back to some standard point! For this timeline, that would be when Clover enters the Underground. That satisfy your curiosity enough?"

 

Flowey then instantly turned his attention to Clover, as he quickly dodged his shot, the nail embedding itself harmlessly in the ceiling. The flower used a vine to grab and throw Clover outside, the window shattering horribly as Martlet racked her brain for any way to stop a being with control over time itself. How can you defeat someone who can roll back any move you try? How can you defeat someone who has timeline control?

 

"Let's see what that gun of yours can do now! You don't have the DETERMINATION to take timeline control now, do you?! This is what you deserve for dangling your SOUL so far out of reach from me!" Flowey yelled from outside, followed by a series of gunshots, probably from Clover defending himself. Even now, the bird only just realized she needed to back up Clover out there. But instead, she used wind magic to dump out her toolbox, tools and hammers and bowling balls falling out, though she only grabbed the glowing blue syringe. She didn't hesitate to jab it in herself as she kicked out her door with rapidly growing strength, her body already beginning to tremble as she thought of what she'd become in a few seconds.

 

---

 

Clover's bullets were of near-equal value of Flowey's pellets, though that didn't matter when most of his attacks involved vines, which had to be precisely shot and cleaved by the nail ammo. Healing items were being used each turn of the fight, but Clover was still holding his own in the real world. The two were so completely focused on themselves, they nearly missed Martlet breaking out of her own home... and Flowey being struck by the door as it flew past. "What the hell-"

 

When the two enemies looked, Martlet's wings were already windows into a starry night, her talons digging into the snow as her eyes bloomed with a yellow glint. Her beak was blue and gritted, as she stared daggers at the now (mildly concerned) Flowey.

 

"Flowey... your terror... ENDS NOW!!!" She yelled, sending a massive barrage of feathers towards the weed, managing to cleave most of his vines as Flowey burrowed down into the now shaking ground, Clover rolling to the side as he grabbed as many healing items as possible from his Dimensional Satchel, stashing them in his immediate pockets. Only then did he move to Martlet's side, taking one moment to give the bird an awestruck look before levelling his gun and firing anywhere he thought Flowey would appear.

 

Flowey, for his part, wasn't all that concerned due to having timeline control - though that didn't mean he wouldn't try his best to fight against the pair of them.

 

It was the Zenith of Monsterkind and the Soul of Justice against the self-proclaimed god of this world.

 

The three were locked in a fight to the absolute end, Martlet bringing out more and more of her attacks, Clover right beside her downing a Sea Tea to move even faster, and Flowey starting to shoot vines at the two from all directions. 

 

This would be the greatest battle any of the timelines have ever seen.

Chapter 16: FILE LOADED

Notes:

psst... you might wanna pay attention to what FILEs get SAVEd/LOADed

Things had fallen... out of favour for the pair.

 

FILE 3 LOADED

 

Things had fallen... out of favour for the pair. Martlet's chestplate was on the edge of shattering, and both the cowboy she loved and the flower they were trying to kill knew that Martlet would be vulnerable the moment that armorpiece was destroyed. Even Martlet herself knew things weren't going to plan, but she just kept throwing attack after attack as the barrel of Clover's gun smoked from the bullets it was firing. Though, she was more worried about her partner, who was visibly exhausted, even if he didn't acknowledge it. "Come on, Flowey! Is this all you've got?! The most monumental battle in the timelines, and this is it?!"

 

Clover, for his part, had gotten used to dodging vines, though he'd taken quite a few hits, and was running out of healing items in his Dimensional Satchel. He knew he was just stalling, since the vines were just magic, judging by the lack of severed vines and the growing piles of magic dust on the snow. Physically, the cowboy was also beyond tired, an hour of constant conflict having taken a toll on Clover's stamina. Not that he could afford to slow down, since either he'd be speared or it'd give Flowey a window to throw friendliness pellets at Martlet.

 

Flowey was faring the best, still having a majority of his HP intact, and now having learned Martlet's attack patterns and Clover's reaction speeds. Even he felt some form of tired, his vines constantly either being dodged or shot apart. It seemed like a stalemate, one that definitely wouldn't budge. Not that the weed was complaining.

 

His REAL concern was team attacks.

 

It took a few minutes, but Martlet and Clover realized they could do much more damage if Martlet pinned Flowey to a specific location, to where Clover could shoot him with perfect accuracy knowing where he was. It worked most of the time, and Flowey found it hard to even recognize when he-

 

"I'll make you regret THAT, birdbrain!" Flowey taunted, launching a barrage of vines at Martlet's chestplate, Clover firing as fast as he could at each of them. Unfortunately, even with a lightning-fast reload and 14 bullets later, two too many hit Martlet's chestplate, and Clover's face paled as shards of armor flew across the ground, and like all the other times... he was yanked into a memory.

 

---

 

He'd nearly forgotten that the shattering of the chestplate always brought a glimpse into the bird's memories. The cowboy braced himself for seeing Alphys in Hotland... but instead found himself (and Flowey, perchance), observing Martlet and Clover speaking on the rooftop of the UG Apartments from a distance. Not Clover as in Clover, but Martlet's memory of Clover. Memory-Clover and Memory-Martlet stood together, surveying the bridge to the CORE, as they spoke.

 

"...You defuse situations and mend relationships... it's a far cry from what I was taught growing up." Memory-Martlet monologued, looking down at Memory-Clover as the cowboy returned her gaze.

 

"So... this is what you experienced when the pair of you froze for a few minutes?" Flowey murmured, much to Clover's surprise. "Wait, what? That felt instant from my perspective!"

 

"Timeline controls can make everything feel instant-" Flowey was about to retort, before being interrupted by Memory-Martlet, who had knelt down to talk to Memory-Clover at eye-level, the bird brushing away some of her feathers and a few locks of Memory-Clover's hair as she looked into his SOUL through his eyes. "We're only told over and over that humans are the enemy, and fed stories of our war and imprisonment. But... you're different. Humanity isn't as monolithic as some monsters make them out to be."

 

"Y'know... up on the Surface... humans make stories and games about killing monsters. Tales of victories after defeat, gamifying their deaths, turning them into... points. But... you've all shown me monsters aren't just a means to make a number go up. You all have emotions, desires, beliefs... and character. None of you deserve to be trapped down here, you know that?" Memory-Clover poured his heart out as he cupped Memory-Martlet's cheek, wiping away tears that were threatening to form. Flowey, meanwhile, was more than a bit confused - this wasn't how the conversation usually went.

 

"I think this is the one from this timeline." Clover muttered with a smile, moving closer as he watched the interaction continue. Memory-Clover cleared his throat, before looking into Memory-Martlet's eyes. "You all may be called monsters up on the Surface... but in reality... you're the exact opposite."

 

Memory-Clover was then pulled into a tight hug by Memory-Martlet, the bird gently crying into his shoulder with a grin on her beak. Memory-Clover hugged her back, leaning into her feathery embrace as her muffled voice came out. "This... this is why I think you can change Asgore's mind. You're simply too kind to be killed in my opinion. If I could, I'd adopt you, you know that? I'd take you home and give you the life you deserve down here... and-"

 

"Bleh." was all that Flowey said, earning him a stomp from Clover, the cowboy looking on with a smile. "Martlet... we've seen enough. Let's finish this, once and for all, okay?"

 

Clover's call out was quickly answered, a blinding light growing in response as Clover simply closed his eyes.

 

---

 

And just like that, the three had returned, Clover starting to feel the burn of overexertion as his partner shifted into a different pose, no longer constantly flying. Martlet, now in her second phase, now channeled all her DETERMINATION into a flurry of magic attack patterns that converged on the Flower, catching him off-guard from the sheer amount of them. Every-

 

FILE 2 SAVED

 

-attack raced towards Flowey, hitting their marks as the flower didn't react-

 

FILE 2 LOADED

 

-attack raced towards Flowey, only barely missing him as the weed threw himself down with an impossible reaction speed. The attack patterns easily flew above and around him, disintegrating into reusable magic as Flowey narrowly avoided a nail from Clover's revolver, the cowboy seeming to think any free moment he could get. Martlet was lacking the energy to fly now, channelling all of her power into simply attacking Flowey. And when she did that, she left herself vulnerable to any hits. Which meant things would fall apart very quickly unless the strategy changed. "Martlet, beat your wings!"

 

Martlet followed Clover's command, sending a wave of snow flying towards Flowey, who was almost instantly buried in snow. All he could hear was a muffled "Go! Use it and find the thing and get us out of this before we die! It'll look a bit like Starlo's head! I'll-"

 

Finally, Flowey burst back out of the ground, only to see Martlet having vanished and bullets already flying toward him-

 

FILE 4 SAVED

 

The nails arced through the air, flying far beyond any possible reaction speed as they hit Flowey in the eye-

 

FILE 4 LOADED

 

The nails arced through the air, flying far beyond any possible reaction speed as Flowey just barely managed to dodge them, Clover's breathing becoming laboured and louder as he put more and more of his diminishing energy into shooting Flowey wherever he or his vines reappeared. It was back to a 1v1 that'd occured hundreds of times in Flowey's mind. This time though, Clover had the lingering damage from Martlet by his side, and he seemed to almost have an air of self-assurance around him. "Come on, Flowey! Is this all... you've... got?"

 

Suddenly, though, Clover seemed to shake, his movements growing slower and slower as his aim became more and more uncoordinated. His reaction time seemed to increase exponentially... until he fell to the ground, revolver falling from his hands as his eyes became glassy and skin became pale, his breathing becoming laboured. Flowey took the chance to move right in front of him, surrounding him with friendliness pellets as he appraised him with a menacing grin. "Golly, did your heart finally explode? I was wondering how hard it would be to make you pass out from sheer exertion alone! Now then, let me just take what's rightfully mine..."

 

A vine flew past Flowey, impaling Clover violently as it fished around in his body, looking for a certain something that wasn't there. "Huh? Are you hiding it from me, Clover? You can't stop me now, damnit! Your bird companion's abandoned you... wait."

 

Clover let out his last breath as Flowey unceremoniously threw his now bleeding corpse away, looking up at the sky, guessing Martlet took off somewhere. "That's odd... did she take Clover's SOUL already? There's no way they had enough time though. Also, feathers doesn't seem like the type to just abandon Clover like that... unless he was stalling for time. Even then, he's acting just like when he gave up his SOUL to Ceroba, so it has to be gone. Still, s-"

 

FILE 5 SAVED

FILE 1 LOADED

 

"-omething doesn't make..."

 

"..."

 

"...Now THAT's new. Golly, how do they always show me new things at the WORST POSSIBLE TIMES?!"

Notes:

There's a minor plothole here that relates to UT canon, I'll rectify that somehow in the coming chapters

Anyway, i had one hell of a time writing this chapter

Chapter 17: Persistence

Clover and Martlet had retired to the latter's bedroom, hoping to sleep off the trauma they'd inevitably gained from seeing into another timeline. Clover was, as always, the little spoon as he settled into the comfort of Martlet's wings wrapped around his front, pulling him against her and trapping him in a fluffy, feathery, prison. One he was fully content to stay inside, knowing he was safe-

 

FILE 1 LOADED

 

And just like that, where everything was supposed to continue as normal... the memories still came flooding back. Memories of Martlet injecting herself and turning into the Zenith of Monsterkind to defend her Clover, of Clover pushing himself to his absolute limits to defend his partner, of the pair's insane plan that seemed to have... worked. That didn't mean they weren't still shaken to their core, the cowboy's outfit in disarray as he clung to Martlet, still shaking slightly. "M-Martlet... I-I'm so proud of you..."

 

"Clover-" Squeaked out a similarly terrified Martlet, bear-hugging Clover as if the cowboy would vanish at any second. "W-what was... what? I'm so confused, and it's not just because I'm scatterbrained! Clover... I... I'm just glad you're still here, okay?"

 

"I was so scared you'd melt before you could pull it off. I... I don't want to think about hearing you... y...  I- I can't, Mart-" Clover's voice became small as his shaking suddenly intensified, as he gripped the bird for dear life, his breathing becoming irregular and quick, his voice becoming a mix of terrified and panicked. Images of Martlet begging for help amidst the pain of a determination crash, of her holding Clover as she dusted in his arms filled Clover's mind, and the knowledge of how close she got in this world as well sent his mind into a tailspin. "Martlet, I- please, I- Oh god, it- I-"

 

Martlet quickly looked down at Clover with confusion, holding the cowboy close as she shuffled him up to look into his eyes. "Clover, what- Oh wait, I think we learned about this in Royal Guard training! Wait... that means... OHMYGOD Clover!" 

 

In that instant, Martlet wrapped her wings around Clover even tighter, her own face mirroring Clover's terrified expression as she buried his face into her neck plumage. "Clover- Clover, listen, don't think about- about that timeline, okay? Just focus on my voice- no, focus on your breathing! I'm still here, alright? I'm not melting or dying or about to dust or anything horrible like that, okay? I'm right here, and I'm not going away. I'm never settling for a world without you, okay? Please, Clover..." 

 

And that finally sparked Clover's mind, realizing that Martlet was right beside him, and wasn't going away anytime soon. She said it herself, she wouldn't settle for a world without him, and Clover wouldn't dare leave her alone if he couldn't help it. Out of all the timelines he'd experienced and didn't remember, he knew this was one of the very few where he fell in love with Martlet AND defeated Flowey. Throwing all that away would be foolish, and he'd hold on to it as tightly as he held onto Martlet right now.

 

That started with making sure he didn't asphyxiate.

 

Suddenly, it was over, as Clover's breathing became normal, and his panicked words turned into gentle sobs. Martlet, of course, was eager to offer comfort, the pair staying embraced as Clover finally quieted down, going still in her arms as he seemed to fall fast asleep. The pair drifted off to sleep, knowing, for a fact, they'd do anything to keep each other around. For Martlet, though, she took a few minutes to think about the final moments before everything was rewound.

 

After all, she still had a few questions to answer.

 

---

 

"Go! Use it and find the thing and get us out of this before we die! It'll look a bit like Starlo's head! I'll-" Clover's voice became faint as Martlet propelled herself higher and higher, fully expecting and dodging a violent impact as the looming ceiling of the Underground was littered with stalactites and gems and other things that made it a bearable home for monsterkind. Though, there was the much greater priority of finding whatever Clover was talking about, before Clover inevitably died without his SOUL.

 

Speaking of, it was still tethered to Clover enough to resist absorption, but Martlet prayed that putting enough distance between her and Clover would finally allow her to use it. "Oh my god, oh my god, where is it?! What was he talking about?!"

 

As she flew far over Lower and even Upper Snowdin, she took a moment to look down at the glowing yellow heart-shaped-object clutched in her talons, making deathly sure none of the three sharp points dug into it at all. "Clover... come on, please... God, I just want this to be over! This won't end like this! It can't! I won't let it!!! Please, Cl-"

 

Blip!

 

And, all at once, Martlet felt her vision swim, beating her massive wings to instantly redirect her back over Lower Snowdin as she felt a tidal wave of DETERMINATION flow through her. Her wings seemed to grow even bigger, their glimpses into a night becoming a shimmering window of stars as her eyes seemed to be able to focus on any area with extreme clarity. "Oh my gosh, it's actually working... I promise, Clover, I won't fai- what are those?"

 

Martlet's new eye zoom had allowed her to see little stars all over Lower Snowdin. Near her guard post to Honeydew Resort to the Delta Rock, they seemed to liter the main path from the Dark Ruins exit to her own sentry station. "...Like Starlo's head, huh? Hold on, I can't waste any time-"

 

In an instant, the feathers on her wing shifted as she sent herself into a steep dive, beating her wings harder and harder to force herself to accelerate beyond terminal velocity. Even so, it took a few seconds as she aimed right for the star near... "Wait, is that-"

 

Yes it was - Dalv, Starlo, and Ceroba, all looking up and scattering at Honeydew Resort seeing the massive bird rocketing toward the front of the resort itself. With a double-take up, Starlo yanked Ceroba as Dalv bolted into the Resort, holding the door open as the three boss monsters rushed inside, peeking out as the shadow of Zenith Martlet grew darker and more opaque. However, all Martlet did was push herself to go even faster. To Martlet, Flowey had all the time in the world to LOAD and undo everything that's happening, and Martlet didn't dare chance it as she anticipated a crash, and reached out with her wing, and-

 

0 - SAVE FILE - LOAD FILE - FLOWEY - LV 1 - 370:22

1 - SAVE FILE - LOAD FILE - FLOWEY -  LV 1 - 18720:33

2 - SAVE FILE - LOAD FILE - FLOWEY - LV 1 - 18733:24

3 - SAVE FILE - LOAD FILE - FLOWEY - LV 1 - 18737:56

4 - SAVE FILE - LOAD FILE - FLOWEY - LV 1 - 18740:12

5 - SAVE FILE - LOAD FILE - EMPTY

6 - SAVE FILE - LOAD FILE - EMPTY

 

RESET FILE

 

"...This is timeline control, isn't it?" The world froze around Martlet, her able to select files and roam around them. The bird was more than a bit confused seeing that Flowey had so many SAVEs, which she guessed were what Flowey meant by SAVing at a point in time and LOADing back to it. Thankfully, the bird's surge of determination gave her some cognitive upgrades, along with a better memory recall. "...Which one do I LOAD to...?"

 

"I... File 0... there's no way that... are those numbers in minutes? That's... about 6 hours, isn't it? If Clover fell into the... that's right before he fought Ceroba, isn't it?" Martlet thought to herself, quickly frowning. "I can't believe I let myself get knocked out like that an- FOCUS-"

 

The next four SAVEs were all only a few minutes apart, but Martlet had guessed those were what Flowey used to dodge some of the attacks she was absolutely sure would hit. Which meant if she messed up, Flowey could be waiting to LOAD back to any of these points in time and crush any hope of foiling him this once. "Which one..? I... guess I'll try the first one..?"

 

Carefully, she navigated to the LOAD FILE button for FILE 1, before an idea popped up in her mind. If she could take control of the timeline, who's to say anyone else couldn't? And if, for whatever reason, Clover needed Martlet to take control of the timeline... it might be prudent to leave a insurance ticket. "Yes! Martlet, you're a genius! I knew I should've gone into freelance carpentry rather than Royal Guarding!"

 

FILE 5 SAVED

 

Almost instantly, Martlet retouched what she guessed were SAVE points, reopening the window and freezing time once more.

 

0 - SAVE FILE - LOAD FILE - FLOWEY - LV 1 - 370:22

1 - SAVE FILE - LOAD FILE - FLOWEY -  LV 1 - 18720:33

2 - SAVE FILE - LOAD FILE - FLOWEY - LV 1 - 18733:24

3 - SAVE FILE - LOAD FILE - FLOWEY - LV 1 - 18737:56

4 - SAVE FILE - LOAD FILE - FLOWEY - LV 1 - 18740:12

5 - SAVE FILE - LOAD FILE - MARTLET - 850-25-40 - 18742:08

6 - SAVE FILE - LOAD FILE - EMPTY

 

RESET FILE

 

"...Let's hope this works..."

 

FILE 1 LOADED

Notes:

and here comes my ass having to correct the previous chapter to include FILE 5 SAVED

(btw take a guess as to what 850-25-40 mean, im curious if y'all can get it!)

Chapter 18: The Meetup

Knock-knock-knock

 

Martlet chirped in her sleep, stirring slightly as she and Clover sleepily woke up. The cowboy shuffled up slightly to be at eye level with her, looking into her eyes with a smile as he leaned forward and gently pecked her on her cheek. Martlet, in return, cupped Clover's face in her wings, her beak twitching slightly as she got a dreamy look in her eyes. "Morning... or well, I'm not sure what time it is!"

 

"I... how about a few more minutes..?" Clover lazily murmured, leaning back in to part Martlet's beak and kiss her properly, pulling the bird closer to him. Martlet didn't resist, pulling the short cowboy against her as he melted into her embrace, arms comin-

 

Knock-knock-kno-

 

"HE'S BACK ALREADY?!?!" Martlet squawked, Clover scrambling to the bedside table as Martlet threw off her covers, grabbing her toolbox as Clover grabbed his cowboy hat and revolver from the table. He threw open the drawers hurriedly, sweeping out more nails to load into his revolver, spinning the chamber as Martlet sent him flying down the stairs with wind magic. As soon as they ran to the front door, Martlet threw the contents of her toolbox across the floor, grabbing the syringe as Clover threw the door open, his attention locked onto the floor, searching for Flowey's presence to lock onto and unload his chambers into bef- "Clover?! Martlet? What's wrong?"

 

Only then did Clover look up, and see a highly concerned Ceroba, a mildly surprised Starlo, and a apprehensive Dalv waiting at Martlet's doorstep. He sheepishly holstered his weapon, wiping away sweat from his forehead from the sheer tension of the moment. Martlet also relaxed, fully opening the door as she brushed off a few loose feathers. "UHHHHhhh... sorry, we were expecting... someone completely different? But... it's also good to see you! Come in!"

 

And Ceroba was yanked in by Martlet, with Starlo being guided to the table by Clover as Dalv seated himself as well. Martlet had to, with Clover's help, lug the couch from in front of the TV to the table, completely rearranging the dining room such that Clover and Martlet got the love seat, Starlo and Dalv sitting opposite to them... and Ceroba taking a chair at the head of the table. The tension in the room seemed to rise again as the kitsune brushed away some of her hair, Dalv straightening his cloak as Starlo adjusted his hat, Ceroba clearing her throat to command the room's attention. "So... we came because there's a lot of things we need to talk about."

 

"First off... Look, Clover. I... We know you're dating Martlet, alright? I just... Look, I'm not... I'm genuinely happy you've found a partner in Martlet, alright? I just... heck, you aren't even half her height, you two are more than a decade apart in age, and while I fully agree you can pick who you can date... I bet a lot of people won't be happy about it. Especially anyone who's REALLY anti-human." Ceroba explained, her voice clutching up as she unintentionally backed herself into a corner. "God, I... I worded that horribly."

 

"Clover... I've been ponderin' it as well. But... Ceroba is right about that last part. You're a human, and I've a feeling there's ain't a lotta monsters who'd willingly date one. And, to be truthful, I don't care at all about how it looks. Martlet's proven you're safe with her, and Martlet's sure as hell safe with you. So... as long as the both of ya' are happy... I'm happy as well." Starlo explained his perspective, leaning forward on the table as he turned his attention to Martlet. "You should come down to the Wild East sometime. The posse would be stoked to learn our deputy's got a special someone!"

 

"I... don't mean to intrude, but... there's another reason we came here. We had a talk with Ceroba, and... we're trying to help her." Dalv chimed in, looking downcast as Ceroba suddenly remembered the real reason they came to Martlet's. "That... that's correct. Look, I've... done terrible things even before trying to murder Clover. They've haunted me to this day, and I think the only way I'll heal is to tell the truth."

 

"The truth about what?"

 

"Kanako."

 

---

 

Ceroba was sobbing into Dalv's cloak as she finished recounting the demise of Kanako. Chujin's experiments, the Soul of Integrity, every single haunting detail arranged out like a horrific jigsaw puzzle finally solved. And it painted a picture of complete despair. "I... I trusted Kanako. I trusted Chujin... and I lost everything in return. Sometimes, I feel like I... Either I break all the trust I had with my family, or... or I stand back and watch it all crumble. Clover... when I was trying to take your SOUL... I wanted to use it to try and save Kanako. You were- no, you are still a pure SOUL by every metric."

 

Martlet was pale, her beak ajar as Clover looked on in sheer horror. Dalv was slightly unnerved by the retelling of the events, and Starlo was the only one who made the next move. "You said she was at the lab, right? Have you tried to call or contact the Royal Scientist?"

 

"I... I have. It's probably been hundreds of letters I've sent, messages went to voicemail. Hell, I even showed up at the lab itself once, but the doors never opened." Ceroba explained, composing herself as she forced herself to answer the group's inquiries. "I... I swear on my SOUL, I can still feel her presence. She's still alive there. She has to be. It's just so frustrating that he won't even tell me if Kanako's... if she..."

 

Ceroba's voice broke again as her words trailed off, Dalv hugging her tightly as Starlo had to look away. But it was Martlet who seemed shaken to the core, her breath stopping for a moment as memories came flooding back. Of guarding the lab, of entering the fake bathroom, of...

 

---

 

Thunk!

 

The elevator doors opened, Martlet being greeted with the teal, patterned walls of the real lab as she immediately regretted her decision to enter. But at the same time, her own determination to acquire SOMETHING to use against any evil humans pushed the bird forward, making her creep around the darkened halls, distant sounds becoming nightmarish due to the echoing nature of the area. Martlet knew she had to be alone in the hall itself, yet she constantly felt like she was being watched. She was tempted to work up the cour-

 

Blip!

 

"AAAAAAAAAA-" Martlet squawked, flapping her wings to put distance between her and the monitor that just lit up. The screen flickered with bright green... not text. Rather, out of place symbols that just didn't make sense. It mirrored her own nature, the glyphs in a seemingly indiscernible and nonsensical pattern, yet still seeming like they contained information with certain repeated groups. Either way, Martlet kept walking, creeping more and more until she got to a sort of intersection.

 

The centerpiece was a door with 4 colored indicators, locked shut as a vending machine full of "POPTATO CHISPS?!?!?!" stood beside it, Martlet rushing forward to exchange some of her G for a few, before realizing that off-brand human snacks weren't the objective. "Focus... focus... it's fine... just go to the... right? Right is always right!"

 

And so, Martlet, now free from distractions and with a sense of dread looming over her, walked to the right and up, slowing down as she came across a sharp bend in the hallway. Almost imperceptibly, she peeked her head out from the wall, freezing when she caught view of a bed. She was outright confused now as she proceeded forward, stepping out into a much larger room. Nine beds were arranged in a staggered grid, a ventilation fan idly spinning as two more hallways branched off from the impromptu dormitory. "...Hello..?"

 

"..."

 

"..."

 

"BUTNOBODYCAME" 

 

Martlet felt a sharp pain in her head as out of nowhere, a...

 

"What are you..?" Martlet trailed off, looking at the amalgamate as it responded in a garble of indecipherable noises, the jarring, static-like noise making Martlet cover her ears with her wings as she stumbled back. "I'm not trying to hurt you!! Just stay back, okay?!?!"

 

But it kept advancing, creeping up until only a few feet from Martlet, before it suddenly seemed to swivel around, taking one glance behind it before fading away completely, letting Martlet see who stood behind it. Speaking of, all she saw was a tall, grey figure, with a rounded 'head', looking back at her. "H-hello? Did... who..?"

 

Only then did it change, the form shifting as it took a new form. A much, much more familiar form, one that Martlet nearly instantly recognized, if not with some new features.

 

Grey but well defined ballet shoes. A colorless kimono that laid above a tutu of also a nonexistent hue. A face with a muzzle, two eyes, a head of what looked like fur... and two distinct triangles on either side of her head.

 

"..."

 

" . . . "

 

"Oh... oh my god..."

 

"What happened to you, Kanako?"

Chapter 19: Amalgamated Timelines

Her eyes hurt.

 

Her ears hurt.

 

Kanako looked... distinctly wrong, and not just from being a uniform grey. And there stood Martlet, only now realizing she was FAR in over her head. "Kanako..? Is... is that really you?"

 

"Ȟ̶̬.̸͍̋.̴̛̳̗̊.̵̮͍̐̚ ̶̛̲̐h̶̢̼̓̈ư̵̻̻͌h̶͖̅.̴̖̘̽̽.̵̘̣͊?̵̲͈̐̄ ̸̺̉T̸̘̙̀͋h̴͍͈͌ă̴̠̿t̵͖̰͛'̴̢̝̓̾s̸̺̼͌.̶̞́̅.̸̧̓̀.̶͓͖̕ ̵̙́ͅṉ̸͖͒ö̶̝ṫ̵̺̫̋.̷͎͔̄.̷̺̽.̷͕̅ ̴̯͛̒m̴͖̋y̷̘͙̓̕ ̴͔͑n̵̦̆̓a̴̢̟̓m̷͙̐ĕ̸̙.̴̥̎͌.̷̞͆?̸͔̲̏̆" Her voice was disjointed, sounding wrong and unlike Kanako's as the amalgamate suddenly snapped to look up at her. Martlet could barely understand her "M̷͚̔y̸͔̌ ̷̙͖́̀n̶̞̿̎a̷͛ͅm̴̭̂̕e̵̲͇͘͝.̷̛̤̝̿.̷͎͔́͋.̴̥͍͐̉ ̵̩̼́i̵̝̍͂.̷̻̊̏.̴̹̎.̷̩̓́ ̶̭̣̕d̶͉̬̏o̸͈̗͂ṋ̶̹̕͘'̵̡̜̾̋t̶͉̄̉ ̸̻͝r̵̟͛e̸̍̀ͅm̶̗̿͝ė̴̫͉̑m̷̗̬̈́b̶͔̀e̴̖̽͜r̵̰̩̂.̶̙́̍.̸͓͇́?̶̝͎͐̀"

 

"W-what? Wh... wait..?" Martlet trailed off, her racking her brain for every single memory she had of Kanako, while also trying not to go insane from the encounter. The last time she saw her, the Snowdin Massacre... the way the Soul of Integrity just... vanished. She wasn't privy to what happened, but she knew Kanako had been in contact with them. Dalv had been as well, and she realized that if Dalv was left so traumatized by the encounter he sealed himself off from the rest of the Underground...

 

...Kanako must have been much worse, right?

 

"H... hey... listen to me, okay? You... you may not remember your name, but... what about anyone around you?! Ceroba, Chujin, Martlet, Dalv, Starlo, Clover- well, maybe not him, but still-" Martlet cut herself off, trying to jog the half-melted kit's memories of anything. Though, only then did Kanako's form seem to solidify more into the young fox she used to be, one of the names jogging her memory. "C̶̖̆.̴̧̰̑.̷̨͉̂̍.̶̢̳̇̔ ̸̺͊́C̵̜̖̽l̵̙̲̍͠o̴̠͌v̸̝̕ͅe̸̮̩̅̕r̸̹̹͒͝.̸̻̟̊͊.̴̬͊?̷̡̡̄"

 

"Yeah, Clo- wait, what?" Martlet's excitement was cutoff as she felt a wave of dizziness hit her, confusion building as she realized this had to be impossible. "H... how? You haven't met Clover, I'm sure of it, right?"

 

"C̶̖̆.̴̧̰̑.̷̨͉̂̍.̶̢̳̇̔ ̸̺͊́C̵̜̖̽l̵̙̲̍͠o̴̠͌v̸̝̕ͅe̸̮̩̅̕r̸̹̹͒͝.̸̻̟̊͊.̴̬͊?̷̡̡̄" Kanako's voice trailed off, a blue hue seeming to fill the room as Martlet almost seemed to blend into it. "M̶̺̈́͐y̶̤͍͛.̴̠̃.̵͚͍͒.̶͓͂ ̷̗̇̕n̸͍̬̋̅ä̷̪ͅm̶͊ͅe̴͆̓͜.̷̰̀̆.̵͎̺̒͊.̶̖̹̋ ̴̼̰̾ì̷̫̌s̸̼͖̈͑.̵͖̬͒͂.̷̪́̊.̷͓͇͌͌ ̴̡̬̽̕M̸̦̳̃e̵̱̤͘ĺ̵̟o̵͙̽d̴̯̣̑̾ỵ̸̨̓͆.̶͈́͋͜.̶̲͘?̸̙͋"

 

Martlet could swear she heard Ceroba or Chujin call out to her, but when she scanned her surroundings, the only other figure present was Kanako. Speaking of, Kanako's form had shifted, morphing from a kit to an blob to something uniquely... human. Martlet herself didn't know what Melody looked like... but she could take a guess that this was once how she looked. "...Melody..? It's... nice to... meet you..?"

 

"H̵͕̥́͘ǫ̵̲̍̍w̵̡͖̕.̴̺̰͐.̸̲́̕.̷̞̠͐̿ ̵͓͂h̷̳̟̋ö̴̰́ŵ̸͕̞̈ ̵̣̓̿d̷̡͘ỏ̴̮͌.̶̤͘.̷̼̂͂.̶̧̲͠ ̷̝͑y̷̼̥̋o̷͉͇̾͝ù̶͍̚ ̴̺͖̑k̷̺͓͊n̸̛͕ö̶̦̈́w̵͇̏͠ ̴̠͓́C̷̥͂̅͜l̶͇͝o̸̤̻͗v̴̞̫͊̀ȩ̷͈̈́̚ȓ̶̢͐.̴̼̾.̸͙͆?̵͇̮͊̆" Melody forced out, her form... fuzzy, in a sense. Her hair and features were almost shrouded in static, but the tutu and ballet shoes she wore were in perfect fidelity. It made Martlet struggle to keep looking, even as she backed up against the lab wall. But Melody's question finally made her pause, realizing... it just didn't make sense. "I... what? Wait, how... who..?"

 

"T̴̝̮͆̇í̷͍̃m̷̺͗͂ë̶̤͎́́.̴̲͈̓.̴̝̫̉́.̶̗̊ ̷̲̬͛̔d̶̞̗̀̾ȏ̷̜̀è̴̗̆s̷̖̿n̶̖͝͝'̶̰̑t̴̻̾̽ ̷̢̰̈m̵̖͈̑̍à̶̩͒k̵͔̣̆ḙ̴̣͑̇ ̵̡̦̑̚s̷̖̎e̵̫͍̐̊n̷̺̻̿̈́s̸̳̬̑͑e̶̞̊ͅ.̷̻̦͐̆.̶̡̏͑.̴̻͉͊ ̶̠̟́ȟ̴͖͝e̴̢̳͌r̶̀ͅe̴͍̍̎.̷̺͓̀.̶̤̏.̵̬̩̓" Kanako or Melody explained, though it only served to confuse the bird more, especially as she remembered the person, Clover... but not any memories where they'd interacted. She knew him perfectly, the cowboy that... "...what DID he do..?"

 

"I... what happened to Kanako?" Martlet asked, not quite sure who she was asking anymore. She tried to not think about Clover, the memories not making sense at all - Martlet swore Clover gave up his soul, slaughtered half the Underground, and betrayed her all at once, but it was impossible for any of the three to have happened since Integrity was the most recent human to fall into the Underground. For Kanako or Melody, though, they had a different answer to Martlet's query. ".̷̘̽.̷͚́.̸̱͝r̸̩̃i̷̜̇g̴̭͝h̸̥͝ẗ̶̮́ ̸̖̄ẖ̶̍ḙ̴̋r̶̦̽e̶̦̔."

 

And just like that, the amalgamate looked exactly like Kanako, the pure-white kit looking up at Martlet, who seemed to relax only slightly in her presence. "I̵̊͜.̷̳͂.̵̢͋.̴̖̾ ̶̢̛w̷͈͋ā̸̗n̴͉͝t̸͇̄ ̵̧̈́m̸̯͂y̵̗̒ ̸̈͜m̷̜̈a̵͎͑m̸͙̈́á̸̼.̶͇͊.̷̙̓.̷̞̋"

 

"Kanako... I... what... what happened to... you..?" Martlet started, before suddenly realizing Kanako was starting to fade, her form flickering from translucent to opaque and back, before eventually becoming fully transparent. "Ẃ̵̳ĥ̵͉ḙ̷́r̵̼̀e̴̬͝.̶̹̃.̵͔̈.̸̟̽ ̴̝͑i̸͗͜s̴͇̀ ̸̙̈́m̷͇͊o̵̱̾m̴͔͋.̵̧̈́.̴͈̈́?̷̤̈́ Ḭ̷̉.̴̼͠.̸͗ͅ.̷̗͝ ̸̲̍l̶̮̃o̸̡̅v̷̗͌ȩ̵̓.̴͓̒.̴̨̀.̶̺̀ ̸͓̏y̶͇͝o̵̧͒ǘ̶̩.̴͜͝.̸̡̈.̶̫̌ ̶̻̒l̸̯͌o̴̫͝ṱ̷̌s̴̭̉.̶̬̿.̵͓̉.̴̬̐"

 

And just like that, when Martlet blinked... the room looked completely normal. No sign of Kanako or Melody or anything else anywhere. The only thing that changed was a small syringe lying on the floor, filled with a glowing blue compound. Martlet was unsure of whether it was Kanako or Melody who left it, or whether she just didn't notice it. Either way... she grabbed it, tucking it into her pocket as she turned to make a swift exit... stopping at the end of the hall to think.

 

"Who... who the heck is Clover..?" Martlet could barely remember anything about the 6th human now, the memories having vanished from her mind even though they seemed clear as day when she was near Kanako. "I... I need to... god..."

 

"Who's... Martlet? MARTLET?!" Alphys came down from the hallway, rushing in to try and check over the now-frightened bird, her face bearing an expression of pure guilt, having re-

 

"GET AWAY FROM ME!!!!" Martlet shrieked with a loudness that shook the room, terror flooding her mind as she bolted from Alphys, fleeing down the left hallway as she came into a room with several operating tables, which only scared her as Alphys ran into the room, stopping at the doorframe. "Martlet! Please, I won't hurt you, I promise! I can explain everything, alright?! I just need to make sure you're okay! Can... can I come closer..?"

 

"..."

 

"...S-sure..." Martlet responded, letting her guard down as Alphys came close, still trembling as Alphys gave her a non-tactile physical exam, deeming her alright. But with Martlet not in any danger... Alphys had to talk to her a- "W... what did you do to them, Alphys...?"

 

"What did you do to Kanako..?"

 

"Who's Melody..?"

 

"Who's Clover?!"

 

"Answer me, please!"

 

"Martlet, just hold still, alright? I'm gonna give you... an injection. It won't harm you, it'll help alleviate any trauma from this, alright?"

 

---

 

"I left the lab with THIS that day. I don't think I've even Alphys again after that, and I... don't want to." Martlet finished explaining to the stunned group of monsters and shocked human, putting the syringe on the table's center for everyone to observe. "It's... it's weird, those memories of what happened... I can't remember them on my own, it's like I need a direct reminder. And as soon as I stop thinking about them... I can't go back to them. I'm really sorry I couldn't remember, Ceroba... gosh, how could I forget like that..?"

 

"I'd think you were lyin', Martlet... but I don' think anyone could come up with such a convoluted tale on the spot like that." Starlo gently flicked the syringe, watching as it glowed in response, his face only now starting to un-pale as Ceroba and Dalv finally regained control of their thoughts, Dalv leaning on the table to speak. "Honestly... I'm not completely convinced that's what happened myself. I guess I'd have to see it to believe it. But... Melody IS the name of the 5th human to fall, so that does add some validity..."

 

"I'm not... I don't even know what to make of that now. I'm not sure if Kanako's suffering or if she's not there half the time now. And... 'I love you lots', huh. We'd only say that to each other during bedtime, it was a whole routine we had. I think I may have mentioned that to Clover in passing, but... I'm not sure how you would've ever found that out." Ceroba thought out loud, looking more downcast with each word. "You... really aren't lying, are you? And... I forgive you - clearly, Alphys is willing to cover their tracks."

 

"Mart... when you said I'd gave up my soul, slaughtered the Underground, and betrayed you... do you think those were also other..?" Clover trailed off, looking up at Martlet with a indecipherable expression. "Yeah, I think so. It's... either way, I'm absolutely certain Kanako's still alive in some capacity."

 

"Then... why don't we just go?" Clover asked, the entire group turning to look at him. "I want answers for myself, and... this doesn't seem just at all. No contact with family, no status updates, somethin' fishy is going on here."

 

"Why don't we ask the doc' ourselves?"

Chapter 20: Imperative

Summary:

If you wanted something badly enough, you'd do anything to achieve it.

"Deputy... are you sure?" Starlo asked, leaning closer with a growing smile on his face, tipping his hat up to get a better look at Clover. But Starlo saw that glimmer in Clover's eyes, one he knew all too well, especially as Clover leaned forward as well, facing everyone. "From Mart's description of the lab, Kanako ain't the only one locked away down there. There could be tens of monsters in... tens of them locked down there. It just ain't right not to do somethin'. It's... not just."

 

Martlet looked down at her partner with a growing smile, Clover's sense of justice and wealth of determination to do right by monsterkind reminding her exactly why she fell for the young cowboy so hard. "Oh, Clover... you know what... I saw... Lord, that memory blocker she gave me is really annoying. But whoever I saw-"

 

"Kanako." Ceroba reminded, the bird's eyes widening as the simple mention of her name made the memories come flooding back for the time being. "I saw Kanako down there, I know I did! I... I owe it to her to do everything I can to help her, and everyone else down there. So... even if it's risky... I'm in, Clover. I'll be with you, no matter what."

 

Martlet then scooped up Clover in her wing, the cowboy playfully protesting about trying to remain serious and the fact he was her partner and not her child. Either way, Clover's earlier words gave everyone pause to contemplate on their own. Dalv had an unreadable expression as he poured over the pros and cons, Starlo was inspecting his own revolver with a keen eye, and Ceroba seemed to steel herself before Starlo commanded the attention of the room. "A sheriff's worst fear is corruption in the system above 'em. So... let's get some answers, once and for all. The world must know if anything fishy's been happening."

 

Dalv straightened his cloak, brushing it off as he looked at everyone sequentially with a look of pure determination. "I... It's time I stopped hiding behind walls. I've been consumed by the fear of another human for far too long, and... maybe confronting them directly will finally break that phobia once and for all."

 

And finally, Ceroba looked at everyone, her eyes glistening with tears as she heard everyone agreeing, their resolves unshakable as they all looked to her for her own opinion. "I... I can't express my gratitude enough that you all want to save my daughter, save everyone down there... I've waited to do this for far too long, and I want to see my child again."

 

"I'm in."

 

---

 

"Hey, Mart... do you remember when we went to Ceroba's house to investigate her basement?" Clover asked over his shoulder, stocking up on ammo and healing items and anything else he needed. Martlet, in turn, was packing her toolbox and occasionally shouting down locations of items to the other three. She was also half-buried in the closet, pulling out a set of work boots as she dusted them off. "Yeah, I do. It... it honestly was the most Royal-Guard thing I've ever done, it really made me feel like I was finally doing my job, in a way. Why?"

 

"This is givin' off the same feelin', isn't it?" Clover responded, straightening his outfit as he fixed his cowboy hat on his head. Martlet quickly put on her work boots, before gently nodding, approaching Clover to pick him up and hold him at eye level with herself. "It... look, I don't know what's going to happen from here on out, we're completely on our own with Dalv, Starlo, and Ceroba. So... if things go south... I just wanted to say..."

 

"You're the greatest thing that's ever happened to me across the timelines... and... I hope we can get a happy ending. For all of us." Martlet finished, her heartfelt words making Clover's eyes shine with brimming tears as he cupped Martlet's cheek in one of his hands, while gently pulling her closer with his other. "The timelines... they've shown me that... anythin' can happen if you have 'nough determination. There's gotta be a few million where we win, so let's aim high, alright?"

 

Martlet, now similarly touched, couldn't help but pull Clover into a loving kiss, holding the cowboy tight as if this would be the last kiss they would share.

 

And Clover didn't hesitate to wrap his own arms around Martlet, holding the kiss for a second before pulling away, a glint of determination in the pair's eyes as they, hand in hand, descended the steps to meet up with the others. Starlo had taken some Flint Ammo from Clover, loading it into his own revolver as he also stocked up on healing items (birdseed) from Martlet's fridge. "I'll admit, I don't feel 'ight about violence... but this ain't gonna wait no more."

 

"So, we could take the Mail Whale to Hotland, take the R3 elevator to R1, and go this way and down here, then the Lab is right there. We'll completely evade Waterfall and it'll be the fastest route there, in my opinion." Dalv had drawn a map of Hotland, explaining it to everyone else before rolling it up and putting it in Clover's Dimensional Satchel, which had been fully ransacked for everything the group would need for the trek.

 

"I'm ready when you all are. Lower Snowdin has a UGPS station about... halfway down. Hopefully we won't have to endure the snow for long." Ceroba chimed in, looking over her staff before un-summoning it, looking over at Clover and Martlet. "Ready, lovebirds?"

 

"You're lucky that joke actually somewhat fits." Clover laughed along with the rest of the group, everyone packing up their belongings as Martlet swiped her spare-spare-spare house keys, unlocking the door, with everyone filing out in suit. One re-locked door later, and the group fell into step, Clover leading the way, followed by Martlet, Ceroba, Starlo, and Dalv. A gentle pace turned into a full-on run as they sprinted past Martlet's sentry station, the three arches before them, her second puz-

 

"AAA-" Starlo yelped, Dalv catching him as his boots slipped on some ice, the noise making the whole group halt. "Careful! Maybe walk on the snow itself?"

 

Dalv's suggestion was taken to heart as the group instead ran on the snow itself, breaking into a full-on sprint over Martlet's bridge puzzle, which had long gone silent after being solved. Monsters around Honeydew Resort were more than a bit confused seeing the five almost fly past them, running right to the northern entrance to the clearing that contained the large structure. Right past the looming sign above, right past where the Shufflers would be, and right up to the UGPS sign.

 

Ding-ding-ding!

 

"Hello, hello, hello, Clover and Co! It's been extraordinarily long since I've seen you, Clover! Where can I ship you and your friends over?" The Mail Whale descended gracefully, a bit nervous at the idea of having to make 5 separate trips. "You also seem pretty tense, and that doesn't make a lot of sense-"

 

"We're all going to Hotland. It's... it's urgent, okay? We really cannot wait." Ceroba interrupted, the group nodding in agreement as the Mail Whale lowered her basket for Starlo to hop into, Martlet signalling to Clover to hop on her back, the cowboy immediately obeying as Martlet flapped her wings, using wind magic to force herself to take off alongside Starlo and the Mail Whale. The four of them quickly flew over Waterfall, though it al-

 

"I know it's not my place to inquire, but knowledge is what I desire. So, what business do you have that's so dire?" The Mail Whale inquired, Clover answering for Martlet so she could focus entirely on flying. "Well... do you have anyone close that went to the Lab some time ago? After falling down?"

 

"...I do. My sister, she... well, something happened and she was emotionally crushed by it. Fell down instantly as she was told the news. We sent her to the lab for some treatment... but we haven't heard from her yet." The Mail Whale's voice was quiet, devoid of rhyming schemes as the wave of heat from Hotland hit them, and the UGPS sign came in sight. "...Why do you ask..?"

 

"...Let's just say we're goin' to do somethin' incredibly dangerous. But... you might get to see her again, so... don't go tellin' noone, 'ight?" Starlo finished, hopping out of the basket when he could tell the descent down had ended, Clover jumping off Martlet's back to ease her own landing. "We'll do our best, alright?"

 

"...As much as I should report this... I do just want to see her again. I don't know what you have planned... but I wish you luck." And with that, the Mail Whale was lifting off again, Martlet staying put as Starlo gave her a confused look. "Clover's 11, he's light as a feather. I can't carry Ceroba or Dalv on my back."

 

"Y'know... if even the Mail Whale has someone down here... just HOW MANY monsters really are locked down there?" Starlo questioned, looking up at the departing Mail Whale off in the distance. Clover and Martlet both looked down, half-unwilling to answer his question as they themselves also contemplated. But finally, Clover shook Starlo's hand, forcing him to look up at him.

 

"It doesn't matter how many are down there."

 

"We'll free them all."

Notes:

The big 2-0, I never expected this story to go past a few one-shots, to be honest. I'm glad it did, though, it's been fun writing this!

Chapter 21: Here They Are

Alphys was in... a place.

 

Tied between being contracted to work on a new body for a ghost monster to inhabit, her repeated failures in the Determination experiments, and the pressure of trying to find another way to break the Barrier, the lizard monster was barely sufficing off of Instant Noodles, diving deeper and deeper into the former task in order to take her mind off the latter two as much as possible. Creating a robot a monster could control was hardly trivial, and maybe she could spin it to look like it was sentient.

 

Though, making it actually sentient required a bit of... DETERMINATION, and Alphys had had more than a lifetime of seeing it's power to even dare touch it again. "I... come on, just these last few lines of code..."

 

Typing and typing, though, some other part of her mind always drifted back down to those elevator doors, memories of analyzing and documenting and interacting with the amalgamates clouding her mind, a continual cancer that simply would NOT go away, and it would haunt her until the rest of time. Playing memory game with the Memoryheads, letting Snowdrake's Mother get a few hits on her SOUL simply to make her feel better, of Kanako's gleam as she poured food into the do-

 

...

 

"Oh my god. Did... How could I forget?! Come on, Alphys! They're still monsters, how could you forget??!!" The lizard chastised herself repeatedly as she lugged another bag of treats onto the elevator, half-dreading the sights she could be met with as the doors clanked shut, and the self-contained room began to descend.

 

---

 

Swoosh!

 

"She... she just leaves it unlocked?" Ceroba questioned, Clover craning his head to try and survey more of the Lab. Martlet and Starlo, heedless of danger, walked in, scanning the room before declaring it safe, ushering Ceroba, Clover, and Dalv forward. "I... thought I'd have to shock the doors open. I... guess not."

 

The inside of the lab looked... dichotic, to say the least. The area around the computer desk was a mess of anime figurines and packs of dog food, yet the lower floor was also somewhat clean. Either way, there wasn't any evidence of suspicious wrongdoings yet. The bathroom, of course, instantly stuck out like a sore thumb, mostly because monsters didn't need it, an-

 

"Heya, Clover! You... haven't had to... do that human thing at all yet, have you?" Starlo questioned, thinking about it as Dalv shrugged his shoulders, gazing critically at the haphazardly stacked piles of dogfood. "Monster food is made of magic. Clover's been living off that for a couple of weeks now. There isn't any physical matter to digest, the magic gives him the required nutrients to live directly."

 

"That's... a neat fact, actually." Clover grinned, thinking about it as his own appraisal of the room caught an escalator dutifully moving upwards to a secondary level of the lab. "So... where does that escalator go to?"

 

"I... think it leads to a more office-like space? Her bed box is there, some bookshelves, and a robotics project, last I recall?" Martlet trailed off, not entirely sure as she herself took a small step closer to the unnecessary mode of transportation. Ceroba also disapproved of the waste of resources, summoning her staff as she contemplated damaging the moving set of platforms. "SHE of all individuals doesn't deserve any comfort. Would it really have killed her not to take the sta..."

 

"Wait! Look... Alphys may not actually be here. If she comes back and sees a destroyed escalator, she might call the Royal Guard. We should try and keep everything unassuming here so if she is away, she won't suspect a thing!" Dalv quickly interjected, gently grabbing Ceroba's paw and guiding her to lower the staff as she un-summoned it quickly, looking over at the vampire with an appreciative look. "Thank you for stopping me. I... I just really dislike Alphys. A lot."

 

"It's understandable, 'specially with what Martlet's described. Honestly... I ain't up 'fer waitin' anymore. Let's just... go down and see the truth." Starlo suggested, the entire group looking toward him as they collectively felt a wealth of determination shine within them. Despite the risks of what they were doing, and the consequences of being caug-

 

"I agree." Martlet simply answered, hitting the elevator button with a dull thud of her wing, not caring at all about the pain or sound it would make. "I... owe it to everyone down there I forgot. I don't know if Alphys gave me that... memory blocker to cover her tracks or if she was genuinely trying to help me. But it's time I remember."

 

"It's time I faced my demons. I've let them haunt me for too long, and it's time I vanquished them. Once and for all." Dalv declared, pressing the door-open button as he straightened his cloak, smiling slightly at Starlo's own determined look. "I've... been a fraud of a sheriff for far too long. It's time I've acted for the interests of monsters as a whole. And I know for a fact that starts with the truth, the whole truth, and nothin' but the truth."

 

"Alphys... from what I've heard, she's done something nearly unforgivable. She's hidden for far too long, and it's about time she faced justice for her crimes." Clover's hat hid his scowl as he expressed his own reasons for this mission, hitting the button to close the doors, smiling slightly as the light from the fake lab was cut off by the clank of the elevator doors.

 

"I've done horrible things as a mother to my own child and Clover. I watched my husband die, and I helped my daughter fall down. It's time I finally atone for what I've done." Ceroba growled, summoning her staff as she fully prepared for a confrontation like no other. Starlo and Clover also whipped out their own revolvers, as Dalv and Martlet got their healing and wind magic ready to aid their own friends.

 

"It's time."

 

---

 

Alphys sat down on a bed as she watched the Analgamates systematically eat/absorb/dissolve the food she poured into the bowls. She buried her head in her hands, groaning slightly as she shielded her eyes from the view of her mistakes. "Damn it, Alphys... what have you done..?"

 

"I... I was just trying to help... I just wanted to save lives..." Alphys threw off her glasses, not caring if they shattered or not as she sobbed into her hands, not noticing a certain few of the Amalgamates turn their attention toward her. Alphys's emotions crushed her completely, and like a very few minority of times... she forced herself to look, and see the horrors she'd created.

 

Endogeny. Kanako. Reaper Bird. The three surrounded her, appraising her as she took in the pale forms of each of them. Melting, all of them sharing multiple minds in a single body, but Alphys could only think about the potential torment that such an arrangement caused them all. "...I'm so sorry. To all of you... I'm so sorry for what I've done. I'm sorry for what I haven't done. I... I should've... why didn't I heed his warnings..? I... I don't know what to do..."

 

The three amalgamates moved closer to her, Endogeny lying on her lap as Kanako pulled Alphys into a hug... even if that usually consisted of her melting around her in a semblance of an embrace. Reaper Bird seemed more indifferent than anything else, choosing to simply observe from their current position. Either way, Alphys returned the hug, gently petting Endogeny with one hand. "I... I don't know how you can all forgive me..."

 

Eventually, of course, Alphys had to get up, choosing to instead retreat deeper into the lab, with the room full of tapes and the yellow switch to the backup elevator. She knew a select few were Asgore's home videos, but the majority were tapes she'd recorded, as journal entries to document her experiments. They'd been well-watched hundreds of times, Alphys spending countless hours pouring over all of them, over and over, searching for the clues to put the pieces back together. "There has to be something I missed... there has to be... I can't let them down, not now. Any detail, I just need to rem-"

 

"T̶̝͗h̵̦̕a̶̹̋n̶̗̅ḳ̸͊s̵̻̏.̸̜̿.̵͕́.̵̙̎ ̵̗͝f̵̥̏o̵̖̾r̵̨͗ ̵̼̀l̷̡̿e̸͇͊t̵͙́t̷̻͝į̶̚n̴̻̂g̷̺̀ ̸̮̌m̸͕͗ḛ̴͠ ̵͕̆s̷̯̈́e̶͛ͅȩ̶̀.̷̖͊.̵̘̽.̴͔̌ ̴̧͐m̶̧̑o̴͔̍m̵̨̓ ̵̩̈́a̵̗̐g̸̖̑à̶͕i̸͙̇n̷̟̿.̷̢̈́.̷͊ͅ.̸̯͠" Alphys heard a voice call out from behind her, the reptile swiveling around only to see the unmistakable shape of Kanako slipping away. Though, it was more concerning what she said. "Wait, what? You've been... you've only begged to see your mom, what do you mean... unless..."

 

"Oh. No. Oh no, oh no, oh no, she's gonna get herself dusted if- WAIT, HOLD ON!!!! PLEASE-"

 

And a neat stack of tapes was sent flying across the room with an office chair as Alphys sprinted down the corridors. "STAY WHERE YOU ARE, ALRIGHT?!?!"

 

"I... I CAN EXPLAIN, ALRIGHT?!?!"

Chapter 22: It's Time (1/2)

Summary:

Here comes [THE BIG ONE]

Notes:

Five enter.

"OOOHHHHHHH NOOO-" Martlet's voice dragged on as the memories of the lab came flooding back, the rest of the group all similarly unnerved at the sight of the teal walls and tiled floor. For Martlet, it looked even more dusty than she remembered, the air somewhat stale with the mild scent of food coming from down the halls. Ceroba herself bristled at the sight, shaking her head. "It looks more like a prison than a lab at this point."

 

"It... there's no way this' where Kanako and the others are lyin', right?" Starlo quickly swatted away some dust, holstering his revolver as the team began to trudge forward, at a much quicker and confident pace than Martlet's solo journey through the Lab. The screens blipping on at their movements only slightly startled them, but the passages contained within (those that had been deciphered anyway) were more unsettling. "They... DETERMINAITON? They... they're talking about it like it's a physical thing and not... a feeling. Did... what?"

 

"Martlet's serum she stole from Alphys... I wonder if that's what it contained?" Clover thought aloud, the bird trailing beside him as they reached the foyer, where Poptato Chisps were in full s- "Poptato Chisps? That's... an interesting take on potato chips."

 

"Potato chips, now that's a odd-soundin' name." Starlo countered, feeding his G to the machine to grab a bag once it had been dispensed with a thud. "Though, I guess I'm more used to it, and-"

 

"Star. Don't. Those are probably decades old..." Ceroba facepalmed, looking at the faded branding with a critical eye, frowning in disapproval at how bland the colors had become from time itself. "I know they're technically magic, but come on!"

 

"They might be our only source of healing, even if it is only minor. Even then, we-" Dalv suddenly jumped back, looking down a corridor on the left as he reflexively sent a bolt of lightning magic to illuminate the hall, the flash showing... absolutely nothing. "W-what?! That- I swear I saw someone! That- who- huh?"

 

"The lab... this place really plays tricks on you. It made me remember Clover before I met him! Visual hallucinations or whatever they're called... that's par for the course at this point." Martlet raised her guard, trying to recall her memories quickly, but finding the memory blocker made those specific ones... harder to reach. Like digging into a pile of papers, sifting through needles in a haystack, and sti-

 

"WOAH!" Clover stumbled back, taking only a few steps back before quickdrawing his gun and firing a round down at the floor in under a second. The muzzle flash was surprisingly bright despite the lack of combustible material, revealing... once again, nothing. "Okay, Dalv isn't insane. But... what the hell? That didn't-"

 

"I don't... What is happening?" Starlo shook his head, trying his hardest to rack his brain for any memories. "I know this is a horrible idea... but should we follow it? Them? Whatever they are?"

 

"That's a very horrible idea, Star. We can literally go left, anyway." Ceroba countered, the group nodding in agreement as the quintuple proceeded left, entering a room with several operating tables, three sinks, another doorway, and- "Wait, this is where I was injected! This is where she..."

 

"Operating tables... wait- are those straps?" Dalv observed one of them, tentatively pulling on the binding restraints, ascertaining that they were completely solid. "Huh... I hope nobody was... forced onto these."

 

"I hate to say it... but for some of them, it might've been for the best. Whatever Alphys did... I've a feeling it could've messed with their minds as well." Martlet peeked into the room beyond, only seeing a yellow key inserted into a relay of some kind. Either way, nothing of note, which is why she turned to the others, freezing in the process. "I... wait... Oh my god?!"

 

"Where's the fucking-" Clover had spun around and seen the lack of it as well, searching the wall for it. "The exit! We're... what...?"

 

"How..?" Dalv and Starlo and Ceroba were now sufficiently unnerved as Clover and Martlet scoured the wall for any hint of an exit, finding nothing except a cold patch where the door was. The pair stepped back to survey the room again, shaking their heads... when SOMETHING started to happen. "Umm... that... wall doesn't look... I can't keep looking at it-"

 

The group made various actions to shield their eyes from the wall in some way, from turning away to simply closing their eyes. Either way, when they dared look again... the exit had returned, but now it was guarded by a pale amalgamate, wh- "Kanako?! Melody?! It's you two! Do... do you remember me?! Please, we're here to free you!!"

 

But there was silence for a moment as the spoon-shaped figure melted and shifted back into the greyscale representation of Kanako, shocking all the other monsters who, in some way, recognized Kanako immediately. For Clover, he was shocked at Martlet's plea, a certain name bringing memories flooding back. "Wait... Melody? That's... you're one of the humans that fell down here, aren't you?"

 

"Y̷̤̊o̷͎̪̾ủ̶̦̲͝.̸͓̟̓̃.̸̣̈.̶̟͚̒̃ ̷̤͆ǩ̶͚ń̶̼ô̷͜.̴͍̝̾͠.̴̹̥́.̷͖̫͆͊ ̵̰̝̈́ẅ̴̝̯́̄?̷̼́̑" Like nails on a chalkboard, the entire group stumbled from the jarring noise, though Clover stood firm and Martlet slowly came up beside him. The amalgamate shifted again, the kimono flickering in and out of existence, a tutu taking it's place. Sometimes she had both on, and sometimes it was only one of the two. Either way, the bird and human stood their ground as what Clover assumed to be the form of Melody took hold over Kanako's own. "Ĩ̵̝.̷̗̚.̴̧̿.̵̭̉ ̷͎̒Í̸̡ ̵̘̅ň̸̜è̶̲ė̵̘d̵̝͝ ̷̖̈t̵͎͝ó̴͍.̵̭́.̸͙͂.̸̩́š̷̗h̴̤̓ŏ̶̰w̸͔͗.̸͔̈́.̸̽͜.̴̞͒ ̸̣͗y̴̔ͅo̸̥͒ǔ̸͍.̸̧̏.̶̢̆.̸͕̃"

 

"S̴̯͝h̷͌͜o̶̞͋w̸̙̐ ̸̬́y̸̛̠ő̷͇ȕ̶͓ ̴͈́w̶͓̏.̶͎̽.̶͙̈́.̵̯̾ ̶̤̊ẃ̷͎h̴͒͜â̴̼t̴̻̐ ̴̠͒T̸̫̀H̵̿͜E̵͈͝Y̸̬̅ ̵̘̾č̴̫a̴̫͌n̵̫̐ ̸̫́d̷̺̆ọ̵̃.̵̲͊.̶̤̇.̴͈̌ ̶̤̈́w̴̱̋ḣ̷͙ḁ̸̾ẗ̵͍́ ̴̛̹S̷̤̀H̴͍̀E̷̩͛.̶̰͒.̵̧̓.̴̨͛ ̸̡̕c̷̝̐ô̴̥u̴̒͜l̵͖̚ḋ̸̰ ̸̘͘d̸͖̍ó̵̧.̴̤̏.̸͚́.̸̮̚" Clover's breath hitched, Martlet also trying to make sense of her barely decipherable words. It only took a few seconds of intense thinking for Clover's mind to click the pieces together, as he tugged on Martlet's wing and looked up at her. "Wait, does she mean what happened in Snowdin? W-"

 

"I... what is happening? I can't..." Dalv looked back at Starlo and Ceroba, shaking his head as he tried to come up with a plan of action. Though, that didn't matter when Starlo suddenly yanked him back, narrowly saving him from a sharp jab from the amalgamate, a pointed spear-like object. "Hey!!"

 

"H̶̟̏E̷̻͐.̸̥͐.̷͜͝.̶̩̚ ̸͉͝H̶̗̽e̶͈̓ ̵͊ͅt̴̠̆r̴̡̈i̵͈̇e̴͕͗d̸̫͋ ̴̞̎t̷͕̃ȏ̶̹.̴̹̽.̴͖̋.̴̨͊ ̴̹̀ḱ̷̳ḯ̴̺ḽ̶͠l̸̛͉ ̴̬͆m̸̻̿e̷̛̩!̸̛̻" Melody screamed, Kanako no doubt along for the ride as Clover and Martlet both stumbled back slightly, the former gripping the latter's wing as they came up with the only explanation they knew. "H-He was protecting Kanako! You dusted half of Snowdin, of course they'd be wary of you!"

 

But Melody-Kanako only seemed to be angered, up to the point they actually slashed at everyone with a slipper of all things, the sharp blade arcing through the air as it connected with Clover and Martlet, both making only the instinctual move to react w-

 

---

 

It was dark. A stereotypical dark void in fact, with only the basic semblance of a floor. The only frame of reference Martlet had was Clover, the short cowboy getting up and preforming a quick survey of the room, immediately approaching his partner the moment his eyes landed on her, who looked at him apologetically. "Sorry, Clov... I-I should've pushed you away or something, or not held on so you could've run away an-"

 

"Love, it's alright. I needed the support anyway." Clover interrupted her, throwing his arms around the spiralling bird to calm her... which he knew easily worked when he felt a pair of wings embrace him in return, Martlet's breath evening out slowly. "Works every time~"

 

"It really does, doesn't it? But... anyway, where ARE we..?" Martlet asked, gesturing around, freezing as she preformed her own survey of the room. "Is this... Melody's mind? Cause'... tha-"

 

"H... hello?" Clover heard a voice not dissimilar from Ceroba's, and turned to where Martlet was looking, revealing the kitsune form they'd both seen before, but with the full color of a living being. The red kimono, the brown fur and darker fox ears, the non-perfect whites and blacks of her eye, it perfectly matched Martlet's own memories of her. "KANAKO!!!"

 

"Woah!" Clover stumbled slightly as the bird burst forward, embracing the kit with a enthusiasm even he'd never seen before. Regardless, he let the two have their moment, standing back and watching them while also occasionally surveying the room, though no new figures appeared for the time being. Even so, he could still make out a muffled "I'm so glad you're still here!" from Martlet, followed with a "I missed you too!" from who he assumed was Kanako.

 

"Martlet..?" The kitsune queried the bird, now looking over Martlet's plumage to Clover with a mix of curiosity and apprehension coloring her voice. "Is... who is that? They... look human."

 

"That's cause' I am. I'm Clover, I'm the human to fall down here after Melody." Clover had spun around, walking towards the kitsune with a moderate pace. "It's nice to meet'cha. I've met your mom, she's... very headstrong, to be completely honest."

 

"My mom... that sounds like her, yeah." Kanako slowly nodded, before shifting her attention to the void around her. "Melody... she... wants me to show you some of her memories. To get her point across about her beliefs. She's usually the one in control, but she can't do everything without me. It's weird, sharing a mind with a human."

 

"Which are..?" Martlet continued for her, Clover listening intently as he leaned in imperceptibly closer.

 

"...That all monsters should die."

 

---

 

The three found themselves in Lower Snowdin again. Though, all three knew this was still the mind of Melody since Kanako stood right beside them. The more nerve-wracking part was how... real it all was. The snow crunched under Clover's boots, snowflakes melted on Martlet's wings, the wind noticeably affected Kanako's kimono. "Huh? This... did I just black out?"

 

"This... hey, is that..?" The area came into even more detail, the ruined cabin and nearby materials coming into view with the treelines serving to easily bound the area. However, it looked slightly different, more newer. The cabin was less destroyed, there were more barrels and the note on the back wasn't there. "This is... before, isn't it?"

 

"Yeah, before I deconstructed some of that cabin for my puzzles." Martlet affirmed, walking into the cabin as Clover and Kanako came up to the front. With their new locations, they could now see someone approaching from the left, and everyone moved closer. "Hey, who is that?!"

 

Their slow walks turned into a light sprint as they moved quicker, freezing when the figure finally stepped out of the shadows, revealing a h- "Is... that's... that's Melody."

 

Clover's mind flickered back to the poster he'd long since memorized, the one he'd lost at the start of his journey. Even if the memory had dulled with the weeks in the Underground, the human that stood in front of him was a near-perfect replica to what his mind had. Kanako, meanwhile, knew her appearance just as perfectly, the memory of her encounter also imprinted forever on her mind. For Martlet... she could only guess this was Melody based on Clover's words.

 

Either way, she trudged forward, and it immediately became clear... her tutu was grey. A stark contrast to the almost tranquil temperment of the area before, the dress shook with each step Melody took, fine grey powder almost forming a haunting trail behind her. The sight made Martlet and Clover freeze in shock, both of them stumbling back with matching expressions of horror. "Oh... oh my god. H-how many did she dust..? Th... there's so much dust, Martlet... I... I..."

 

"I should've seen the signs Melody wasn't nice. I don't know what I was thinking." Kanako's voice was monotone and full of regret, the three watching as another unsuspecting Kanako came out from the top-right exit to the room, turning the corner and stopping a few meters away from Melody... before a wide smile broke out onto her face. "Hello? Hey, who are you?? You don't look familiar!!!"

 

Memory-Kanako bounded forward, unable to be stopped as Melody, in turn, stopped in her tracks, slowly pivoting up to look at her with a dark blue glint in her eyes. "Hello."

 

Melody's voice was... neither Clover or Martlet could immediately identify it from the tone alone, but they knew that single word was spoken threateningly, like a predator gauging some unsuspecting prey. It dripped with a mix of distaste, hatred, and mild curiosity as she slowly approached Kanako, her eyes narrowing. "...Why aren't you running?"

 

Only now did Memory-Kanako take pause, slowing down as she came a few meters away from her. "Um... why would I? I... just wanted to meet someone new?" she squeaked out, finally realizing the peril she was in as she took a step back. Though, with every step back she took, Melody took two forward. "You're... you're kind. Maybe even too kind. I'd... love to spare you. But... I can't give up on my mission."

 

"Oh my god-" Clover couldn't help it, quickdrawing his own gun before remembering it would have no effect. "Damn it, it's still just a memory..."

 

"Try anyway, we haven't-" Martlet started before Melody cleared her throat, moving one of her legs back and bending it slightly, the ambient light glinting off the edge of her slippers. The tension in the room increased tenfold, Martlet's eyes widening slightly as Kanako looked away from the memory version of herself. "JUST TRY IT!!"

 

Bang, bang, bang... bang, bang, bang!

 

Six perfect shots rang out in quick succession, the noise echoing through the room as nails arced through the air. Kanako herself jumped slightly at the quick sound, and looked up to see Clover's gun smoking. But true to Clover's guess, all six embedded themselves harmlessly in a tree, having passed straight through Melody and Memory-Kanako. "Oh... Oh no!"

 

Slash!

 

Melody had kicked off, spinning in a half-circle as she stuck out her leg, hitting Memory-Kanako violently in the side as she screamed in pain, quickly stumbling back as she clutched her injury. Her face was contorted in pain, but there was also the clear shock and betrayal displayed on it as she glared at Melody "OWWW!! Wh- what's wrong with you?!?! Why are you attacking me?!"

 

"You should start running if you even want to live." Melody seemed to never give up, breaking into a run as she chased after Memory-Kanako, who began screaming her head off as she bolted towards safety, which came running quite quickly in the form of "DALV!!!"

 

"Kanako, what happened to you? Who did... Oh, I see." The vampire froze as he was checking on Memory-Kanako, eyes landing on Melody as she screeched to a halt, once again judging the situation with a critical eye. "Kanako... run. Run back to Chujin, alright? He should be just behind me. Quickly!"

 

And the fox took off running, Kanako herself now actively crying as Martlet scooped her up, a bit unsure on how to comfort her. "Hey... it's okay? I think? She can't hurt you again, okay? She's just a memory right now!"

 

"You... wait. Is... that's a lot of... just how many have you dusted?" Dalv's voice became quite threatening, his gaze boring down on the child in front of him, as he gently shook his head Thunder bloomed behind him, terrifying shadows being cast as he summoned every bit of determination he had. "No matter. It's time I stop this before it gets out of hand."

 

And the fight began, Dalv taking kick after kick and repeatedly electrocuting Melody's SOUL, the latter unable to effectively dodge as often and taking mass amounts of damage as a direct result. Attack after attack, both had depleting HP, but Melody's lack of healing items became apparent as she simply focused on fighting. "Clover, wait... why isn't she using healing items? You did so in some of your battles in the Dunes, right?"

 

"I did. I've a feeling she scared off anyone she could've gotten 'em from, and was so laser-focused on dusting anyone in sight she never took the time to look." Clover answered, Kanako having calmed down, peeking at him. "Wait... I never asked you, what about your journey through the Underground?"

 

"More peaceful than Melody's, but let's-" Clover was about to redirect attention when Melody finally dropped to 2 HP, and Dalv was still well above half. One more attack could easily kill her and save the Underground, and both Dalv and Melody knew it. Dalv himself seemed to brace, gathering all his magic for a finishing attack. So... it wasn't a surprise to Clover when Melody fled, sprinting past Dalv and into the forest itself. "...Huh. I've never actually tried going beyond the trees. Neat."

 

"Is... is that it?" Martlet breathed out, setting down Kanako as the room faded once more.

 

---

 

"I think it was." Clover finished, quickly reloading his weapon now that he had the time. All three were shaken by the memory, Clover shaking his head. "It makes sense in hindsight... that there would be evil humans who would dust mercilessly. Kindness... it's not exactly the most plentiful trait up on the Surface."

 

"But her mission? Did she come down here intending to do this?" Martlet breathed out, shaking her head as Kanako looked up at her. "She... told me everything. Her motives, her reasons, and... well, I have a feeling you wouldn't want to know that. It's... not pretty. Let's just say... she heard some old tales on the Surface quite a lot, and they... really reinforced this hatred of monsters."

 

"It's... weird, in a way. When we first met in our minds, kind of like this... Melody apologized. She told me she was just staying true to her mission and had no ill will toward me as a person, she just hated us as a species. But... after seeing it again... that's not an excuse." Kanako shook her head, everyone else nodding in agreement. Clover brushed himself off, and mov-

 

"Hello."

Notes:

plunker chapter for everyone, I've no idea if it'll be good or not, we shall see - evil Integrity wasn't something I'd seen yet, and we'll see how it goes

Chapter 23: It's Time (2/2)

Martlet didn't dare speak to Melody.

 

Kanako didn't want to speak to Melody.

 

Clover... well, he wanted to speak to Melody. And so, he did. "So... you're Melody. I... honestly, I'd have expected you to be more threatening." 

 

"I'm a ballerina, I'm supposed to be prim and proper." Melody countered back, eyes flicking to Martlet with a hint of distaste, then to Kanako with complete indifference, and back to Clover. "Why'd you end up down here?"

 

"I... wanted to find the missing humans. It was my own mission. I'm glad I could... somewhat... see it through. I know the truth now, and I'm damn proud of myself for seein' it through." Clover answered, walking forward, his cowboy accent coming back in full force as he felt a small surge of pride in himself. Though, he only gave Melody a look of dissatisfaction. "But let's talk about your mission."

 

"You really didn't even try to SPARE anyone, did you? From the moment you entered the Underground, you dusted every damn monster you saw." Clover confronted, looking up at Melody with clear unhappiness and a growing anger. "I knew there'd be violent humans that fell... but I never imagined they'd also be so resistant to other perspectives."

 

"I tried my absolute best. Monsters are exactly that; monsters. I had found the legends, the texts, all of those old documents of time. And they all pointed to monsters being evil. They started the war they couldn't finish, and they paid the price." Melody spoke once more, her tone deadly serious as she looked Clover in the eyes. The cowboy stood his ground, eyes roaming over the ballerina with growing hatred. "Oh, and you'd never considered those damn writers would've been biased?!"

 

"So much of those texts told the truth about what Monsters actually were. Magical creatures. Made of dust of all things. If they're right about those... what's to say they're wrong about something else?" Clover walked forward threateningly, his eyes locked firmly on the ballerina in front of him. "You've failed your mission, Melody. You're dead. All you're doing is haunting Kanako's mind."

 

"I'm just biding my time until I can complete my quest. After all... who's to say I can't dust anyone in Kanako's body?" Integrity threatened, her ballet shoes seeming to grow more firm as she walked forward. "I have a feeling there's nothing I can say to convince you."

 

"Not a damn word." Justice walked away from Martlet and Kanako, both of them only watching from the sidelines as Integrity and Justice grew more hateful with eachother. "You're a murderer. Plain and simple, you're a killer."

 

"I'm not deviating from my goal. I'm doing what I know is right until the end."

 

"I'm gonna' give the monsters the help they deserve, until I can't no more."

 

"..."

 

"..."

 

"Come at me!"

 

"Gladly!"

 

---

 

And suddenly, they were back in Snowdin, though it was still clearly Melody's mind. Melody and Clover stood at opposite ends of the battlefield, the ballerina bracing herself for a twirl as Clover checked the rounds of his firearm, loading nails into it and spinning the chamber. With an adjustment of his hat, Clover extended his arm, aiming it out at Melody as either side waited for the other to take action. The moment one of them fired, they became predictable, which wasn't a disadvantage either of them wanted.

 

"T... they're going to kill each other, aren't they?" Kanako whispered, looking at Integrity and Justice personified waiting for the other to make one small mistake. "Martlet, we... we can't just stand here, right?!"

 

"I... we're in Melody's mind, there's no way Clover can just win by himself, right?! He... by himself." Kanako could almost hear the gears turning in Martlet's head, the bird quickly smiling as she launched herself high into the air, sending a single bullet pattern down in just the right way to catch Melody off guard, taking away a decent chunk of her health. Clover, of course, grinned as he used the moment of confusion to unload his entire chamber into her, knocking off even more of her health. "I'm not letting you slaughter a single monster ever again! Your beliefs aren't gonna fly when we're here!"

 

Martlet landed hard next to Clover, the dynamic duo of justice now assembled as Melody braced herself for a major conflict. "Well... this'll be fun. I've been meaning to kill that bird anyway."

 

And only then did Melody kick off, charging at Clover, her footwork and agility able to allow her to dodge most of Clover's gunshots as she aimed a hard kick at Martlet, sending her stumbling a bit as she squawked out in pain. "OW!"

 

Melody was then met with six more close-range shots as Clover backed up, instantly reloading his weapon and wiping sweat from his brow as Melody remained laser-focused on Martlet. "Hey! Look at me when I'm shootin' ya'!"

 

Martlet, of course, didn't hesitate to send some bullet patterns at Melody - feathers, boxes of tools, even the feather tornado. The ballerina countered by managing to dodge all the attacks, though that left her open to more gunshots from Clover. At the continued volley of bullets, she finally and instantly changed direction, charging towards Clover and delivering a gut-stomp that sent him flying a few feet in concentrated and pure agony. This time, she tanked some hits from Martlet's magic attacks in exchange for her continual advancement on Clover, the clearing providing no real cover besides running into the forest.

 

And Clover wasn't going to flee.

 

But Clover was caught-off guard when, for once, Melody genuinely screamed and stumbled herself as a giant fireball slammed into her, sending her sprawling into the snow. Martlet looked over, and saw Kanako approaching the fighting group, a determined look burning bright on her muzzle. "I... I can't just step back and watch this anymore! I won't let you hurt anyone, Melody!"

 

"I... I don't blame you, Kanako. It's only natural you back up those on your side. It still does not mean I won't go after you." Melody warned ominously, even as she surveyed the team of three now hell-bent on defeating her. Kanako herself was of little concern to Melody with her underdeveloped magic, but Martlet was clearly an excellent fighter with dangerously complex and barely-predictable bullet patterns. And Clover... well, he had the strength, endurance, and DETERMINATION of a human, which made him a formidable opponent. "Then come at us! We'll fight until our last breath!"

 

And so came a triple attack, Melody being trapped by a feather tornado as she fought to dodge fireball after fireball while also anticipating Clover's gunshots. The three-way junction left Melody in frequently impossible spots, leaving her heavily damaged as the three opposing her took a few seconds to recharge quickly. "I won't... stop either... until the absolute end... but I won't..."

 

In that moment, all of Snowdin vanished from around the three, leaving them in a dark and desolate void, as Melody seemed to instantly regain her strength. "You're in MY mind. I can think of anything I wish. And I think... you all won't ever be able to beat me."

 

"...That's such shit!"

 

"I don't disagree... but I'll still use it anyway."

 

---

 

The Lab was... in pandemonium to say the least. Alphys had rushed in to see Ceroba, Dalv, Starlo, as well as Martlet and Clover knocked out, with Kanako being in the room beyond the operating tables, and beyond her view. Of course, the doctor moved the monsters to the beds in the dormitory, and dragged the human to the closest thing the True Lab had to a jail. "Oh my god, oh my god, what the hell am I seeing? When the hell did another fall? I... I gotta check on Kanako after I move this one... there!"

 

...The room with the videotapes. The lizard perched the human against the wall in a seated position, leaving the door shut as she bolted down the halls to where Kanako still was. 

 

The amalgamate was downed on the floor, seizing and convulsing violently as she looked to be on the verge of dusting, her form barely holding together as the recognizable parts of her were starting to melt even more. "Kanako!! Kanako, please, are you okay?! What's... what's happening?!"

 

"C̴̟͂.̷̫̑.̶͍̓.̸͔̏ ̷͍̈́C̷͕̐-̵̜̊C̸̛͚a̶̛͈n̷̤̽'̷͕͘t̸̢͌.̸͓͌.̵̱͆.̶̛̯ ̶̟͛M̶̯͆u̸͖͗ś̷͍t̵͋ͅ.̸̜̓.̷͉͛.̵͙̓ ̵̤́s̶̡͐ţ̸̐-̴̺̈s̵̭͆t̴̯͘ó̴͖p̸̳̈ ̶͇̓h̵͇̆e̷̤͒r̸̜̈.̷̘́.̵̲̆.̴̛͖" It was a rarity that Alphys heard Kanako speak, but the surprise was overshadowed with sheer confusion as she trembled more and more. "H̸̼͠.̵̒ͅ.̵̼̂.̴̺̍ ̷͔͠ḥ̴̎ư̴͙m̸̺͠â̸̭n̷̘̕.̶̜̌.̸̦͋.̴̩͐ ̴̻̏ń̸̦e̴̼̍e̷̹͆d̸̜̔.̷̦͐.̴͚͠.̵̣̉ ̶̖͒n̵̗̉e̴͖͌ẻ̴͇d̴͈͘.̷̠̋.̸̛͚.̵̙̊ ̵̮̏h̶̺̃è̶͔ļ̵̀p̵͖̓.̴̢̕.̷̨͝.̵̗̄ ̴͖̒n̷̬͐ò̵͓ṯ̶͒ ̵̩̑ș̴̾-̸̼͐s̷̖̏-̴̲̀s̶͓̽-̴̩̽t̶͓̀ŕ̴͙o̵̥͘n̵̢̍g̴̝̅ ̵̤̑ẹ̵̉n̴̫̾ö̵͇́ŭ̷̮g̵̻͆-̸̻̍"

 

"B-but that other human's fine! I... I think! Kanako, I'm worr-"

 

"H̴͔̀.̵̖́.̸̞̉.̸͓̈́ ̸͎̓H̴̩͛E̶̘͋L̸̻̅P̷̣̓-̸̬͊ ̶̭̍H̴̨̋I̸̓ͅM̶̖̈.̸͓͘.̵͎̄.̶͇͂ ̸͔̿J̶̘̾-̶͚̈́J̶͙̀U̸̜͛S̸̢̾T̶̰͝ ̴̝͝D̷̤̚-̵͕͆D̶̼͂O̵̳̿ ̴͕̐Î̷̡T̸̝̆!̵͖̓!̶̯̊!̶̤͊" The amalgamate seemed to shriek loud enough to shake the room, the first time Kanako had ever raised her voice to that level in her entire life. But it was enough to scare Alphys into trying to find a way to help in any way she could, looking over at the operating tables, sinks, and the racks with...

 

"..."

 

"...This has to work. It has to..."

 

---

 

Turns out, Melody being able to cheat the fight really tipped the scales away from the trio trying to destroy her.

 

Clover's face was covered in a few deep scratches, his clothes torn to tatters as he kept reloading his gun and shooting at Melody as much as possible. His hands and body trembled with overexertion as, even in Melody's mind... he could tell this battle was a definite loss. Martlet fared barely better, feathers scattered everywhere and exhaustion also setting in as her magic slowly got depleted. Kanako was unharmed as of yet, but she was also the most tired, her stores of energy and magic running dry as she continued pelting Melody with fireball after fireball.

 

Melody, to everyone else's credit, had been brought back to being heavily damaged once more. Her tutu was also in tatters, and if not for her ability to change the game completely in her mind... she absolutely would have lost to Martlet, Clover, and Kanako a long time ago. "You... I won't let you win... I can't... all of monsterkind, we can't..."

 

"Your bodies can only take so much." Melody was uncaring as the battle continued, her kicks and slashes getting hit after dangerous hit. Only then, though, did Clover seem to freeze, before collapsing to the ground, coughing as Kanako paused her attack patterns to check on him. "Clover? I... Is this a human thing?!"

 

"I see the human's met his end." Melody fearlessly strolled through Martlet's feather tornado attack, advancing slowly on the human as she tanked any and all feathers that stabbed and cut through her. "It's time to end this. Any final words?"

 

"You... YOU..." Clover rose to his feet, body shaking as his form gradually rose back to a fragile standing position. Though, the grin on his face contrasted deeply with his pose, his head snapping up to look at Melody with a manic grin. 

 

"You should have killed me when you had the chance."

 

And so, Clover summoned his SOUL the yellow heart-shaped object hovering safely above the floor of the void as it charged up, the glow becoming more and more brilliant as the seconds ticked by. Kanako looked up in confusion, but Martlet only grinned brightly. Even if the last time she saw this attack was when she remembered being on the other end of it in that other timeline... she still knew the power it held. "Y-YES! Clover!! That's my Clover!!!"

 

"W-" Integrity failed to get the second symbol out before a blast of justice enveloped her form, the yellow laser completely obscuring her form for a solid few seconds, as well as temporarily blinding the others. Though, it didn't take long for the light to get brighter and brighter, as the group found themselves...

 

...filled with DETERMINATION.

 

---

 

Ceroba woke first. Then Martlet, Dalv, Starlo, and Kanako. All of them woke up from their temporary slumber, Alphys tripping over herself as she rushed to check on them. "Oh my god! Okay, okay, you're all alive! That's- That's a good start! Fir-"

 

"Where is Clover?" Martlet interrupted the doctor, staring down at Alphys. "Where. Is. Clover? Where is he?!"

 

"The human? I- Don't worry, he's locked up in the videotape room-" Martlet was off in a instant, wind magic being employed to almost fling her over the beds, as she ran and threw open the door in a instant. Inside, among all the tapes, shelves, and the TV... was a stunned Clover, his arm bleeding from a pinprick wound, a empty syringe lying next to him as he looked to be somewhat dazed. "Mart... Martlet? That you?"

 

"CLOVER!" Martlet threw her arms around him, gently crying into his shoulder as he felt her whole body tremble from the force of her embrace. Clover's mind finally caught up with him, and he returned the hug, laughing gently into Martlet's plumage. The pair held each other tight as smiles broke out on their lips and beak, especially as Clover gently kissed Martlet on the side of her cheek, before leaning up. "Martlet... you think I can be taken down that easily? When the future of monsterkind, Kanako, and your life was on the line?"

 

"...Well... I... I..."

 

"I'm glad you're worryin' 'bout me, Martlet." Clover mumbled, pulling back to look Martlet in the eyes with a brilliant, loving smile on his face. "It means the world to me."

 

"..."

 

"..."

 

"...And you mean the world to me as well, Clover."

Notes:

And that's the end of the first arc of this! My plan is to just write some fluff one-shots from now on, and maybe start the second arc I'm planning if it comes to it

(assuming I don't just end up writing into the void)

Chapter 24: Aftermaths

Turns out, freeing all the amalgamates and opening the floodgates about the 'Determination Experiments', as the media called it... didn't come without consequences.

 

Alphys, to her credit, tried her hardest to protect the five behind the lab breach, always deflecting about the actual monsters behind the intrusion publicly. Even in private, though, she never gave up the details of who entered the lab. King Asgore, of course, was elated that all the amalgamates returned to their families, but also moved to shutter the True Lab for the foreseeable future, since Monsterkind was only two human souls away from freedom.

 

---

 

"Y'know, it was hella' nice to see my deputy and Feathers again... we gotta' go back over there sometime!" Starlo took a swig of root beer, smiling with a half-drunken mirth at the kitsune beside him, who returned his smirk with a patient grin. Ceroba unconciously grabbed for her drink as well, taking a light sip as she reflected on the day. "It'd be nice to see Clover and Martlet again. Honestly, I... had some reservations about their relationship at first, but... I'm not gonna complain about a good ending."

"Clover's proven to hell 'n back he's mature 'nough to decide who he wanna' settle with. He's fought all of us and triumphed, freed everyone in that doc's basement, and somehow nearly gave his life for us. If he's happy, then I'm happy as well." Starlo agreed, looking over Ceroba's shoulder as he saw a very welcome newcomer. "Kanako!"

 

And in strolled Kanako, the kit eagerly leaping up into the lap of her parent as she grinned giddily, trying to grab at the beverage her mother held high out of her reach. She was still a uniform shade of grey, but she actually could hold a composed form now, in addition to the other minor benefits that came with being an amalgamate. "Kanako- No, I know you're highly invulnerable to all forms of physical damage, but that doesn't mean you can't drink-"

 

"But what's the harm? I've got the determination to survive anything!" Kanako stated proudly with childish pride and lack of foresight, brushing herself off before pulling back as her arm slightly stuck to her kimono. "Aaaa- Wait-"

 

"Hahaha!" Ceroba chuckled slightly as she unstuck Kanako's arm from her outfit, shaking her head slightly as she sported a teasing smirk on her muzzle, picking up Kanako and leaning in close to her. "You were saying?"

 

And so came the laughter of Dina, Starlo, Kanako, and Ceroba.

 

---

 

"I... don't get Alphys's reluctance to tell us who broke in. I thought we were close, but it's like she's determined to hold this secret until she dusts." Undyne nursed a cup of golden flower tea, looking up at the King of Monsterkind who sat literally a few feet from her on the other side of her dining table. "It's weird, she said something about... her wanting to protect them from everyone?"

 

"Oh? The Royal Scientist only refused to inform me." Asgore moved forward slightly, fixing Undyne a confused look as his mind raced with the implications of what her words meant... which didn't make sense. The withholding of information from Asgore only confused him further, and speculation ran rampant as he kept thinking harder and harder. "But... why would these individuals require protection? I highly doubt any monster would feel malice to them considering the end result of their actions."

 

"That's the thing! Apparently, the camera footage from the lab was lost, and it just... it just doesn't make sense. You mentioned on national media, right-"

 

"Yes, I did. A full pardon for the events of what transpired in the lab. I... have a feeling they broke into the 'True Lab' BECAUSE they had evidence that the amalgamates were down there." Asgore pondered, taking another sip of his tea before setting his cup down gently, and adding some more hot water from a kettle, before adding another tea bag and letting it soak and diffuse into the steaming liquid. "They very clearly aren't criminals, so why would they need protection?"

 

"...Unless they were already guilty for something else."

 

---

 

"Clover, I'm not- I'm not that very great at walking with my eyes closed! I tend to like, trip and fall very often!" Martlet protested as the shortstack cowboy lead her by the wing into her workshop, making sure her eyes were covered by her wings the whole time... and closed for good measure. For the cowboy's part, Clover simply moved slowly enough, letting her get her bearings. "We're almost there, Mart... just... halt right here and wait, okay?"

 

Martlet did as her partner asked, freezing in place as she resisted the tempting urge to peek through her feathers and see what Clover's surprise was. All she could hear was one of the drawers in her workshop being opened, two items being grabbed, and the drawer being closed. She heard Clover mildly struggling to climb the table, but resisted the urge to peek, waiting un-

 

"Alright, you can open your eyes!"

 

The bluebird's wings fell to her side as her eyes snapped open, scanning the room. It looked... exactly like her workshop, except in front of her stood Clover with two small objects in his fist, closed so she couldn't get a good view of the two items he held. "So... Look, I wanted to make us... friendship rings?"

 

Clover's voice trailed off as he realized how he sounded, a big blush coming over his face as he looked away with a embarrassed expression on his face. "W-Well- I'm not ready for marriage yet! But the point is- wait, is marriage even a thing in the Underground?"

 

"Wait, slow-" Martlet tried to interject, quickly realizing her scatterbrainedness was starting to rub off on Clover... quite a bit, as it seemed, as the cowboy's words tumbled out faster and faster, his flustered state not at all helping as he tried to explain his gift. Still, it left Martlet herself feeling a bit touched at how her partner tried hard to explain his point... even if it failed repeatedly.

 

"Also, we're technically in a relationship rather than just being friends, so the whole... I- Look, I just really wanted to do this, okay?" Clover was breathless as he finally finished, taking a deep breath in as his racing mind finally pulled the metaphorical brakes, allowing Martlet to catch up with his statements. "I... So... marriage is a thing in the Underground. It's... not too dissimilar to human marriages on the Surface, actually. It's just generally more of a closed-knit thing, I guess? But- you said you made something?"

 

"Yeah. I also came to the realization you couldn't wear rings because you've got wings... Not that I dislike that, your wings are amazing to cuddle with!" Clover backtracked on his previous statement, finally giving up as he simply opened his palm. "Pins! I made relationship pins! Look, you can put them into your clothes and they shine and-"

 

"They're... they're amazing..." Martlet's beak was ajar in awe, reaching out to pick out one of the pins. It had a sharp point for affixing to a fabric piece, and on one end was a silver cutout of a four-leaf clover, with a feather having been milled out on the inside. The whole thing had a golden trim around it, and it did, in fact, reflect the light beautifully, the milled-out feather standing out surprisingly well with the depth. "Clover... you made these? All by... I'm... I'm so touched! And amazed, but... oh, Clover..."

 

Martlet wasted no time in putting it on the shirt she was wearing, smiling as the small pin shined brightly in the light. Clover looked up, a wide grin occupying his face as he looked down at his own pin, which sat comfortably next to the deputy badge Starlo had made. She blinked back forming tears of joy, a wide grin on her beak as she picked up Clover, pulling him into a loving kiss as she held him tightly against her. The sound of their pins clinking was the only other one aside from the soft rustling of feathers as Clover wrapped his arms around his bird's neck.

 

The pair had perfected kissing with a beak and lips, this time going with the more intimate but simple strategy of Clover kissing the side of Martlet's beak. "I love you, Martlet. You're the greatest thing that's ever happened to me, y'know that? I... never want to leave your side, you know that?"

 

Martlet returned his gaze, tilting his cowboy hat back as her irises dilated, taking in all the detail of Clover's appearance she could, her beak curved slightly in a massive smile as she looked Clover deep in his eyes. "I love you too, Clover. You've changed my life for the better, and I feel like the luckiest bird in the world! You're amazing and kind and devoted and all these other big words I can't easily name! The point is... I'm glad you hopped on my raft."

 

"And I'm glad you apprehended me."

Notes:

Hey, drop a comment about my writing if you can! Mostly because I want to know that ppl would actually read this far, but also because I want to improve

Chapter 25: Twittering

Clover was the first to awake, eyes slowly opening to see a sleeping Martlet beside him. Her beak gently opened and closed with each breath, feathers gently ruffling as her cowboy smiled, moving slightly closer. His eyes dilated, his eyelids lurching down as he simply took the time to admire the beautiful bluebird that lie in a slumber before him. "Oh, Martlet..."

 

"(Chirp!)" Clover was caught off guard completely as he heard Martlet chirp in her sleep, and he moved even closer, a smirk growing on his face as he remained completely silent. Minutes past, and his attention slowly shifted back to admiring Martlet's sleeping beauty, the way her feathers shone with the ambient light from the crystals and-

 

"(Chirp!)" Now Clover was completely, 100%, for a fact, certain he heard Martlet chirp, his smirk softening into a genuine smile as he realized how endearing it was that Martlet shared more qualities with surface birds than just appearance and demeanour. Martlet's "(Chirp!)"'s sounded completely genuine, Clover quickly concluding the sounds were a perfect replica of birds he heard on the Surface. He couldn't help but reach over, and gently hold Martlet's left wingtip, fingers intertwining with feathers as he gave her wing a gentle squeeze. "Cutie pie..."

 

"(Tweet!)" went Martlet in her sleep as she unconsciously surprised Clover with a different bird sound, the cowboy's heart melting like butter at how adorable Martlet was being in her sleeping state. He gently shook his head, his smile only growing as he leaned in closer, preparing his voice as he licked his dry lips, and... "(Tweet!)"

 

Clover's tweet was... very much not like a bird, since he was a human trying to replicate a bird monster's replication of a tweet. Either way, his mind flooded with ideas as he finally decided to get up... and mess with Martlet a bit.

 

But first off... he needed some practice.

 

---

 

Martlet chirped awake, rubbing the sleep from her eyes as she sat up and stretched her talons after. "Clover, I finally remembered not to accidentally poke you with my talons! Can you believe it, Cl-"

 

She was cutoff as she whirled around to see a distinct lack of Clover in her bed, only now registering the sound of something being poured into a bowl coming from downstairs, and the aroma of freshly-poured out birdseed caught her attention instantly. She managed to connect the dots instantly, an adoring grin coming onto her beak as she yanked open her door, and flew down the stairs, eyes opening in sheer, unbridled joy as she saw Clover standing on the table, pouring out birdseed for her with a light smirk on his face. "Clover, are you... gosh, you're so kind, I... thank you!"

 

"(Tweet-Chirp-Chirp-Tweet-Tweet-Trill!)" was all Clover answered her with, looking at her with a mild smile as he appraised the reaction of his now-confused bird lover. Martlet, for her part, was also frozen in shock at how well Clover had replicated birdsong. She knew Clover was also just messing with her, and a funny idea popped into her head as she grew a large blush on her cheeks, and stepped back, covering her beak with her wing, biting her beak.

 

"Well- Clover, I knew you loved me, but... I didn't think you loved me THAT much!" Martlet tried her hardest not to smirk at the joke she was playing on Clover, though that task became hundreds of times harder when she saw Clover's eyes widen slightly, completely caught off-guard by the sudden shift in her demeanour, quickly wondering what she just said.

 

Not that he'd back down, still intending to continue with his own practical joke... but it was clear he didn't expect this. "(Trill-Trill-Tweet!)"

 

Martlet fakes a growing blush, her absolute joy at flustering Clover increasing as she thought of her next words, the ideas flooding her mind. There was all sorts of devious things she could say to fluster her cowboy lover, and even if her thoughts raced discordinantly... she wasn't going to give up this battle of words. "Don't worry, I'll... hold you close the entire time! I won't let you go~"

 

Clover was now utterly confused, the idea Martlet is pranking him back never floating his mind as he realized he was in way over his head, and was now forced between stringing this out or accepting defeat. "(Tweet?)"

 

And he was left shocked as Martlet smirked, a blush on her face as she walked forward, guiding Clover to walk closer to her on the table as she grinned, appraising the cowboy in front of her with a faked predatory smile, as she tilted his head and whispered into his ear. "Oh, I was planning to be on top anyway. I don't have a lot of experience with this, and... I'm not exactly sure how human anatomy works? But look, it'll be a fun learning experience! I'd love to get to kn-"

 

"WHAT. WHAT. WHAT. WHAT. WHAT. WHAT. WHAT. WHAT. WHAT. WHAT. WHAT. WHAT. WHAT. WHAT. WHAT. WHAT."

 

Clover accepted his defeat in the form of complete shock, stepping back with a heavy blush on his own face, mirroring the one that now disappeared from Martlet's. "I'm imitating random bird noises! How, HOW am I flirting with you?! This ain't possible! I-I ain't ready for THAT yet, god-"

 

"Hahahahaha!!!" Martlet stepped back and sat down, howling with laughter, as she reveled in her winning the prank war Clover didn't even know he had entered. Her wing hit the table hard, nearly knocking over the bowl of birdseed poured out for her as her laughter turned to light chuckles... before stopping completely as she finally settled down. "Oh, Clover! Gosh, did anyone ever tell you that you can make some excellent birdsong? That was beautiful!"

 

"...I've been bamboozled, haven't I?" Clover palmed his head in his hands, taking a seat as he contemplated his decisions.

 

"Yep." Martlet smugly replied, moving to sit next to Clover as she eyed the bowl of birdseed Clover made for her, her smugness fading away quickly into a genuine love as she gently ruffled Clover's hair. "But... I also do appreciate waking up to breakfast already prepared... so I'm not complaining."

 

"Damn, I let ya' win in more ways than one!" Clover mused, fishing around in his satchel for a quick snack, finding a Floral Cupcake inside, which he instantly devoured, enjoying the feeling of having his HP maxed out... even if he was already at a perfect twenty. Either way, his tone was only joking as he looked to see Martlet's face buried deep in the bowl of birdseed, the human shaking his head. "Oh, Martlet... some things never change about ya'. I'm hella' glad for that, that's for sure."

 

"Thanksh, Clover! Thash means a lot!" Martlet's beak was full of birdseed as she spoke, her muffled voice making Clover himself howl with laughter as Martlet swallowed and cleared her throat. "I'm... really glad you appreciate me for who I am, to be honest. People just see me as a scatterbrained bird... but you see me as so much more."

 

Clover was... surprised at the emotional turn the conversation had taken, but he only smiled as he stood up on his chair to get to eye-level with Martlet, a patient smile on his face as his eyes shined with an adoring look behind them, the pair of orbs dilating as his eyes took in every detail of Martlet he could. "I'm just treatin' ya' like the amazin', kind, beautiful bird I know ya' are. You... ya' don't give yer'self 'nough credit. You're a carpenter, and an amazin' one at that. You're a Royal Guard, and ya' managed to apprehend lil' ol' me!"

 

"Clover, I..." Martlet was stunned once more by Clover's neverending kindness, a soft chirp escaping her as she pulled Clover up and into a tight, warm embrace, burying her face into his shoulder. "How are you so good at cheering me up?"

"(Chirp!)" was all Clover said, the sudden return to the birdsong eliciting a laugh from Martlet as she pulled back, shaking her head as she repeated after Clover, the melodic sound impeccable coming from her. "(Chirp!). You're doing great with the chirps, but I think your tweets could use more practice. And I only heard you trill a few times, and it definitely needs work. But, I... I think you can master it if you just try hard enough!"

 

"(Tweet!)" Clover tried again, feeling the portion of birdspeak. He chuckled slightly, shaking his head, repeating the sound a few times before giving up. "That pitch, I just can't seem to get it! Might' be outta' my vocal range..."

 

"Aww, don't give up now! You're actually really close! Here, just... listen close and repeat after me, okay..?"

 

"...Ready when you are, love."

 

---

 

And outside Martlet's home stood Flowey, sprouting out of the ground only to be assaulted by two consecutive sets of bird noises. He was genuinely caught off-guard by the cacophony, only shouting a "What the fuck are they doing?!" before burrowing away to do literally anything else for the time being.

 

Spying wasn't worth the ear damage he'd get from listening to the couple.

Chapter 26: Echoes of Another

Notes:

It isn't healthy to bottle up trauma.

You have to process it at some point.

And you will.

...Even if you don't want to.

Martlet awoke to find herself in her guardpost... but she was confused. "H-huh? What? I was sleeping in bed with Clover... How is... Wait, did I sleepwalk here again?"

 

Only then did she realize... she couldn't feel her body. She was IN her body, but not the one in control. Flapping her wings, kicking, dragging her boots on the floor, talking, every single command went unanswered. Instead, her body looked up of her own accord, and she saw, standing there, Clover. He lacked the pin he'd made for the pair of them, though, which was... odd. Though, now that Martlet thought about it, she was also missing the pin. In fact, this whole scene felt strangely familiar. 

 

"Hm? Oh- Uh, hello! Sorry, I don't know where my head was right there! It seems like I have a summer home in lala land these days!" Martlet's body spoke for her, the cheerful greeting matching up perfectly with what she said when she actually met Clover. 

 

"Huh? I didn't... Wait, am I dreaming?" Martlet asked herself, watching as the conversation proceeded between the two, batting back and forth like a relaxing tennis match. Her confusion had melted away at the realization she was dreaming, and she metaphorically kicked back and let the sc-

 

"I'm gonna take a shot in the dark here, but... you're human! Right?" Her body queried, not waiting for a response as the dream went on regardless. For Martlet though, her momentary point of relaxation was shattered completely. If she could command her face to pale, she would as a terrifying thought raced in her mind. "Wait, I'm... I'm... when I said that, then..."

 

"Are you ready for some Royal Guard protocol? I hope you are, because I memorized it!" Her body cheerfully engaged Clover into a battle, announcing her intention to apprehend Clover as Martlet herself stared on with a growing shock and horror, her metaphorical heart racing in her chest as she realized what she was about to witness. "Wait! WAIT, WAIT!!! H-HOLD ON, STOP!!!"

 

"NO, PLEASE, JUST- DON'T HURT HIM!!!" Martlet tried as hard as she could to force her dream to screech to a halt, to command her body to run away or to move, or do SOMETHING to stop what she knew could happen. Unfortunately for her, she was still only a passive observer, and could only watch in dread as Clover SPAREd her. Even in this timeline, his kindness was infinite. Though the time for Martlet to derail this was running out. She hadn't thought about this fight in a long time. "CLOVER!!! CLOVER, RUN!! PLEASE! I'M-"

 

Spare.

 

"CLOVER!!!"

 

Spare.

 

"NO, STOP!!! NO!!! I... I can't... I-I-"

 

And Clover spared her one last time, and Martlet realized with a growing terror that her lack of control over her body meant... she couldn't close her eyes. She wasn't sure if she even needed to blink, but that meant she was effectively going to be forced to watch herself do the unthinkable, and watch what happened to Clover as a result. "...Clover, please... wake me up, don't let me see-"

 

"Oh... does that count as hesitation? What? Protocol two! My attack!"

 

And finally, Clover saw his SOUL be trapped in the green box as Martlet saw her first attack begin. The yellow heart-shaped-object was adept at dodging the falling feathers, and Martlet almost hoped Clover could dodge all of her attacks easily. After all, this could have been any timeline, and maybe, just maybe, Clover remembered the exact movements required to dodge her attacks with ease. "Come on, Clover... please, please..."

 

Her hope shattered as quickly as Clover's SOUL did, her body freezing as the dream version of Martlet finally comprehended what she did. "...Whoops!"

 

---

 

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" was NOT something Clover expected to wake up to, the shout nearly scaring him off the bed as he dove and grabbed his cowboy hat, quickly affixing it before turning his attention to Martlet, his eyes widening in shock as he took in Martlet's state - the bird was trembling, tears streaming down her face steadily, her beak chattering as Martlet seemed to be on the verge of a mental breakdown. "No, no, no, Clover, I... I-"

 

But Martlet was interrupted as Clover stood up, and pulled the bird into a tight, loving hug, his arms reaching around to rub soothing circles on Martlet's plumage as he pushed her face into his shoulder. "Martlet, darlin'... was it a bad dream? We... we can talk 'bout it if ya' want."

 

"Clover..." Martlet quickly wrapped her wings around Clover, holding him close as she sobbed into his outfit, her voice muffled by both Clover's shoulder and her own emotions. The memories of Clover's corpse filled her mind, the memories of her so cheerfully impaling Clover with tens of feathers, and it just sent her into another nearly inconsolable wave of tears. "I'm so sorry, Clover... I... I... I wouldn't do that to you, I swear!!"

 

"Love, wha... Oh dear, did you have a dream from 'nother timeline?" Clover finally hit the mark as to why his partner was in such emotional distress, him dropping his cowboy hat off as he nuzzled into Martlet's chest, fully understanding her own pain. After all, Clover'd murdered Martlet quite a few times, so... they were even, in a way. "Martlet, love, listen, a'ight? I'm right 'ere. I'm still 'ere, and I ain't goin' away, okay? The Clover in that timeline didn't have the skills I've got now! Besides... from what I remember, you put up a damn good fight, didn't ya?"

 

Clover knew he was on the right track when his words elicited a laugh from Martlet, who only gripped him slightly less tighter as she pulled back, looking at Clover with wide and hopeful eyes. The cowboy smiled back, reaching out to wipe away any tears he could, thumb gently rubbing her cheek in a attempt at a calming gesture. Either way, Martlet took a shaky breath in, and...

 

"You promise, Clover..?"

 

Clover knew he couldn't promise that he'd be safe forever. The day the 7th human was captured was the day he'd planned to be his end. Flowey could show up anywhere in between and force another major battle to transpire. Undyne could storm Martlet's house and kill him right in front of Martlet, or any other fatal thing could happen. Hell, even one other Royal Guard seeing him would spell doom. Hundreds of things that could end him could still happen, and could happen nearly anytime. 

 

And yet... he knew that he'd try his absolute best to never let Martlet down. He'd fight harder than ever just so that Martlet wouldn't lose him, and so that he wouldn't lose Martlet. Promises were a thing he hated to his core, simple words that had varying degrees of determination behind them, and he'd vowed long ago on the Surface to never make one.

 

But he'd break this rule this one time.

 

For Martlet.

 

"..."

 

"..."

 

"I promise."

Notes:

I do love how the story has gone from Martlet teaching Clover how to make bird sounds to emotional damage x1000

Chapter 27: Cowbird

"How do you not roast in this weather, Clover?! I'm gonna become a pile of chicken nuggets at this rate!" Martlet was torn between shaking sand out of her feathers and trying to beat the heat of the Wild East, astounded by how the cowboy walking beside her took the weather like a complete champ. Speaking of, Clover smiled as he gentle squeezed Martlet's wingtip, pointing over to the southern gate of the Wild East, now only a few feet away. "C'mon, Mart! The town's right there! Once we're in, we'll hop on over to Dina's and get'cha somethin' to cool down, a'ight?"

 

"Fine..." Martlet quietly pouted, though that went away quickly when she saw a certain Starlo-shaped person approaching her and Clover, a big grin bursting out on his face as he approached the pair, hands pursed behind his back. "Deputy! Feathers! Howdy! Long time no see, 'eh? Welcome back to the Wild East! Hurry on in, there's someone wantin' to meetcha!"

 

Now this was something that piqued Clover and Martlet's interest, the pair moving with more vigor as they rushed up to join Starlo, who, from behind his back, pulled out... a cowboy hat. Unlike Clover's regular one, this one had a golden feather patch sewn into it, the sight making Martlet's eyes shine with joy as she dashed forward and took it. The bird admired the patch closely before putting it on, realizing... it fit perfectly. Martlet's confusion melted away completely, replaced by pure happiness. "Wow!! Clover, look at me! I'm... I'm a cowboy, like... well, not a cowBOY, but... cowgirl?"

 

"Well, I think yer' lookin' like a real wrangler in the flesh i'self!" Starlo appraised her slightly modified appearance with a smile, before he examined a certain pin on Martlet's front, one that looked identical to one Clover wore. "Matchin' pins, eh? I didn't know friendship pins were a thin', but... I like em', really!"

 

"Don't worry, I didn't either!" Clover joked, the laugh from Martlet worth the mild self-deprecation... even if it left Starlo beyond confused. "Er... But still, come on in, they're waitin' for ya!"

 

"Who-" Martlet was cutoff as Starlo ran off ahead, leaving her to look at Clover, who just shrugged, smiling up at her. He reached up, having to stand on his tip-toes as he gently set Martlet's hat correctly, a warm grin on his face as he took in the sight of Martlet. "You look stunnin', Mart. Now, best we don't keep em' waiting... whoever they are?"

 

Martlet only chirped slightly in affection, the cowboy finally moving to lead her into the town square, before gently leading Martlet into the saloon. The doors pivoted open, and inside... was Ceroba, Starlo, Dina, and- "Kanako?!"

 

"A-" Was all Kanako got out before being bear-hugged by Martlet, her wings wrapping around her tightly as her beak smiled with a brightness that made Ceroba coo, Starlo sport his own grin, and Clover smile lightly, before looking up at the pair. "Heya, Ceroba! Nice to see you and Star again! I'm sorry 'bout not comin' down the last few weeks, I... Well, there was a lot goin' down, we'll just leave it at that."

 

"It's quite alright, don't worry!" Ceroba assured Clover, Martlet releasing Kanako as the latter signalled to let her down. The bird moved back beside Clover, crouching down as Kanako turned to Clover. She was still a completely uniform white... but she was completely intact, and that was what mattered. Kanako gently approached Clover, looking the cowboy up and down with a gentle look. "Hey... I... you're that kid that fought Melody in my- our mind with Martlet? It's... it's really nice to meet you, Clover!"

 

"Martlet, it's water! You don't gotta pay for it!" Dina chuckled, sliding her a glass of ice cold water, a sight that made Martlet exhale in relief as she drank down the water. Beside her, Starlo and Ceroba were busy... processing the implications of Kanako's words, to say the least.

 

"HUH?!" Starlo and Ceroba were heavily confused by the idea of a mind-battle, but the momentary distraction melted away as Kanako moved to embrace Clover, the latter quickly embracing her as Ceroba shook her head with a rueful smile. "I had the idea for you to meet Kanako... but clearly, that wasn't entirely necessary, huh? By the way, Martlet! Starlo's roped you into his shenanigans, hasn't he?"

 

"W-"

 

"That's a mighty fine idea, Ceroba! We should take 'er out on a mission or five, show 'er what bein' a cowboy in this here town is like!" Starlo announced theatrically, quickly taking Martlet (who had only just set her glass down) by the wing and pulling her outside once more, only freezing at the edge of the store. "Clover n' Kanako can come and watch as well!"

 

"AAAA-" Went Martlet's voice as it gradually faded, Starlo taking the surprised bird outside, leaving a smirking Clover, somewhat stunned Kanako, and heavily stunned Ceroba, who instantly got up, straightening her kimono. "Alright, I'll make sure he doesn't get her into trouble. I'd still recommend you two come along, though. This... could be fun to watch."

 

---

 

"By George! This must be Vengeful Virgil's doing!" Starlo shouted in feigned shock as he pointed to the jail cell, which had been unlocked, allowing a convict to escape. Clover and Kanako played along, gasping in faked horror as Martlet's beak dropped open in disbelief. Ceroba, for her part... simply smiled. "B-But those jail... that lock, it looks so sturdy and unpickable, I think?! Wait, who even escaped?!"

 

"That's a damn fine question, Martlet! Moray, fill us in real quick, will 'ya!" Starlo ordered, gesturing to Moray, who pulled up a clipboard, a paper reading "JAILBREAK SCRIPT CONVICT RECORD" present on it, with some clear text lines. "In this cell was a convict named Mooch... no last name given. A cunning thief, absolutely stunning in her skill by all means. She's an excellent pickpocket, one of the greatest criminals in the west!"

 

"Aww, you're gonna make me blush!" Came a voice from the outside, before a grey and green blur flew past the jailhouse exit. Starlo didn't even get to issue the command to follow her before Martlet used wing magic to dash outside, taking the mission surprisingly seriously as she seemed to leave them all in the dust... Before she came back, a sheepish grin on her face as she took Starlo's lasso from his belt shamelessly. "Sorry I really need this right now-"

 

...And out she went again, leaving them in the dust AGAIN as Clover broke out into a fit of laughter, quickly being followed by Ceroba, Kanako herself trying to stifle her own laugher. "I'm- I'm glad Mart's havin' fun, at least. I was worried she wouldn't take to cowboyin', but I think she's got the hang o' it!"

 

"Oh, Martlet... exactly how I remember her. Dad sometimes took me down to Snowdin to visit her as they worked on projects together. It... watching them work was one of my favourite memories." Kanako reminisced, smiling. Moray and Starlo were pouring over the script, realizing how the mission plan had been... almost completely derailed. "Um... Okay, let's... go see if Martlet actually managed to capture Mooch, huh?"

 

And so, the five went outside again, highly curious about what they'd see out there... but definitely not expecting to see Martlet chasing Mooch around in circles around the belltower, her wind magic allowing her to only just keep pace with Mooch's own speed magic. Either way, the scene of her flapping one wing to gain more speed as her other kept twirling the lasso was comedic enough, but only added onto by Mooch running for her life, clearly not expecting this. "AAAAAAAa- You can't keep runnin' forever, Martlet!!"

 

"I'm a Royal Guard and I've got wind magic, of course I can!"

 

"AAAAAAAAAA-"

 

---

 

"Why are you carrying me like a baby???" Mooch questioned, unable to move from having been lasso'd as Martlet cradled her in her wings, smirking down at her as she calmly pranced over to the jail. "Well, since you don't wanna abide by the laws of society and act like a baby, I'll just treat you like one!"

 

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN I'M A BABY-" Mooch was about to complain about the incredulity of it all, only to be plopped down in the cell as Martlet released her restraints, turning back and putting the lasso back on Starlo's toolbelt, him smiling approvingly at her in return. Clover, of course, was all over his partner in an instant, fully enchanted by how well she handled the mission "Mart, oh my god!! You were amazin', I ain't never seen such amazin' lassoin' and cowboyin' in my whole life! You looked like you came straight outta' a ol' Western movie!"

 

"Aww, Clover, you're too kind-"

 

"No, no, no, Clover's exactly correct!" Starlo interrupted, stepping forward with a big smirk on his face. "You've proven your absolute competence in preformin' sheriff duties, Martlet! Absolutely amazin' job out there today!"

 

"How'd you like to be an honorary sheriff of the Wild East?"