#don't worry bae I'll learn how to make a whole video game just so you can be kinda there off to the side

[headphonemouse]

I need to give the Hermit an ugly ass in game sprite to really hammer in the fact that he is, by design, an unremarkable supporting character who's only there to give the exposition speech and provide housing for the Tower

[godess-of-the-void]

Numinetale Chapter 4

They group got the call from Mettaton that everything was ready at New Home Square. And before the Monsters blinked they were already there. Sans looked at VI who was still wearing her red punk outfit.

How much power does she have? I can't bring that many people through a 'shortcut', barely two others besides me! Yet she can bring this large group through one without breaking a sweat!

"Darlings! Over here!" Mettaton wheeled himself over to the group. "The stage is ready when you are! And may I say, love the puck rock look."

"Thank you Mettaton for your help. This will do quite nicely with braking the Barrier... The second time around." VI let out a sigh.

Mettaton patted the woman's shoulder, "Yes Everyone in New Home noticed that the Barrier was back. So how are we going to break it with a concert?"

"Mettaton! Mettaton!" VI wrapped her arm around the rectangular robot. "This is no ordinary concert. This is also a rematch between you and... Frisk!"

Frisk eyes lit up. They took out a pair of sunglasses out of their inventory and did a dramatic pose. They then snapped their fingers and asked for some MTT brand foods from Mettaton. You know, for ratings. Mettaton was happy to give the ambassador a Starfait and a Glamburger.

Toriel had a thoughtful look to her face. "This have something to do with SOULS growth, does it not?"

The woman giggled as she looked away from the young teen and gave the Monster Boss her full attention. "RUNE is also a video camera and will show live footage to the Surface while we are doing the show. Mettaton. We will do a warm-up with Blooky and me doing a instrumental duet." At the mentioned of his name, Napstablook appeared. "I have practice playing 'Spooktunes' with my guitar, if that's ok with you." Napstablook gave a sad looking wink and disappeared. "Then I'll sing a solo to heal and humans SOULS that is fractured to increase our chances of getting SOUL PARTICLES. Then the dance off. I will be playing my guitar during the rematch to set mood and to gather the Particles to the Underground. Any questions?"

"What are SOUL PARTICLES?" Mettaton asked.

"Napstablook! Are you set? I want to play with you before the concert to do sound check." Napstablook waved at VI from the stage. The strange woman joined the Ghost Monster. They started playing one of DJ's songs for the sound check.

Damn, they sound good! Even if it was a sound check with just a DJ turntable and a guitar, they were killing it.

Mettaton looked at his cousin with pride. But it was short lived when he remembered that no one answered his question. "What the hell are SOUL PARTICLES!?!"

***

Napstablook and VI finished their part and the plan seem to work. While VI didn't out staged the Ghost, in fact quite the opposite actually. She have the whole stage to the DJ and played mainly back up. But it was enough for some SOULS, both Monster and a few Humans, appeared over the stage.

They joined the others, "Hey, Mettaton. How's the ratings?"

The robot was ecstatic! "This little RUNE sweetheart is the best! I must have Alphys make a replica. If only we had him three years ago. Our ratings just started but a good amount of them are from the Surface!"

VI smiled and lifted her guitar, "Cleft Sharp. Lime Light. Activate." Red Electric changed to a green pop singer costume with cat ears and tail. Her guitar changed to a microphone. She returned to the stage. Her voice was strong and beautiful.

Her song was sad and uplifting. Even though it didn't seem to make sense why the song have a happy tune, there was saddness to it. The lyrics had a rhythm and flow of enthusiasms.

Muster up your courage, child

And gather your determination

You've still got a fight to win

Your journey isn't over yet

Someday I'll forget the pain of

Living in eternal darkness

Hopes and dreams will save the world

And you will be the one to do it!

VI kept singing. SOULS of the Surface and Underground was being healed. They even glowed with brighten light.

Just know, baby, I'm sorry

To put an end to our story

I know someday you'll find a way back home.

So dry your eyes, no time to cry,

Just go and save the world!

Everyone in the Underground and on the Surface felt their SOULS grew.

Muster up your courage, child

And gather your determination

You've still got a fight to win,

Your journey isn't over yet.

Though I hate to say goodbye,

I'm glad I learned to love again

I'll be gone, but you'll live on,

Just say you will.

As VI wrapped up the song not a single eye was dry. She stepped down from the stage and winked at Frisk and Mettaton. "You guys are ready?" Frisk gave a thumbs up after wiping a tear from their face. VI changed back to her Red Electric form. Mettaton also changed to his other form.

VI was the first to the stage and started to play 'Death by Glamour.' Frisk was next waving at the crowd and the RUNES followed by Mettaton Ex. The two friends struck a dramatic pose and smiled. For every heel turn they struts their stuff.

The dance was epic. And everytime the ratings dipped Frisk did an impressive pose while taking a bit out of the Glamburger or Starfait. The two swirled, dipped, and sway in extraordinary timeing and grace. But Frisk was wearing out. So the brought out of their inventory a MTT Facesteack. The ratings where off the grid and the air above the stage was filled with cartoon heart shaped SOULS of many colors and white.

VI looked above her to count the number of SOULS there and was pleased to see that she now have more than enough for bringing back the dead and breaking the Barrier.

***

Mettaton and Napstablook was playing music and dancing on stage while VI was collecting SOUL backstage. VI was contently giggling to herself, "One of each color and a Boss SOUL for the Barrier. And another one of each color with a Boss Mon-"

"You idiot! Stop! Right! Now!" VI looked at the flower with a questioning nit on her brow. "And stop looking at me like that!"

VI giggled, "Flowery, why don't you want a SOUL?"

Flowery's face puffed up, "It's not that I don't want a SOUL. It's that I don't want to give everyone false hope. Besides even if you do brought Asriel back there is the issue with Chara!"

VI scratched Flowery behind one of his petals, "I think being around so many SOULS have made a SOULESS plant have empathy." VI got up at walked back to gather more SOULS.

Color formed under Flowery's eyes, "Hey! Get back here! Idiot! You aren't even listening to me are you?" Frisk joined Flowery and asked if he was alright. "No! I am not alright! I don't want to give everyone's hopes and dreams to shatter... AGAIN!"

Flowery felt a weight of someone sitting next to him, "i can relate, bud. the unknown can be scary. losing hope is terrible. but sometimes you just have to be there, doing all that you can. sometimes you have to believe that everything is going to be alright, petals."

Flowery faced the short skeleton. He knew what he was saying. Even though Sans himself was in a dark place, he still stand tall for his loved ones. Even if it was pretend, Flowery knew. The souless plant wrapped Sans with his vines. Sans'body tensed up but only for a moment before he realised that Flowery was hugging him.

****

This will work. It has to work! Flowery was right to be concerned about Chara. This is a dangerous game I am playing.

VI was a giggling mess. All the Monster SOULS in the Underground equals to on human SOUL. Not only should the Barrier break from seven SOULS and a Boss Monster Soul, but that rule should apply also to Asriel. Easy Pesy. But what Flowery said about Chara hit her hard. And she can't stop her annoying giggling!

"VOID HUMAN! WHAT IS WRONG! YOU SEEM TO BE NERVOUS!" The taller skeleton was behind her with Undyne and Alphys.

VI smiled at the trio of friends in front of her, "Nervous, nonsense!"

"Y-you ju-just giggled..." Alphys looked at the woman. "Y-you gi-giggle when y-you are ner-nervous."

"And don't even try to deny it! I have be with my bae for to long to not notice a nervous tick!" Undyne glared at VI, "Now spill your guts, Punk!"

Alphys waved her arms at her girlfriend nervously, "U-UNDYNE! Y-you ca-can't be forceful. B-but she is r-right ab-bout your ne-nervous tick."

Sans probably noticed as well, but have more tack not to say even a pun about it...

"Guys. I think Sans is more important than my tick right now." Papyrus looked at VI with curiosity, "Papyrus, when was the last time Sans made a pun?"

Papyrus' eyes bulged out and he started to run to where he saw Sans last. Everyone followed him. The Dreemers saw them rushing somewhere and decided to go with the group. They found Sans, wrapped in vines and a teenager's arms. All three of them with tear stains on their faces.

VI sat behind the skeleton. "Well, I am truly not helping your PTSD." Sans made a noise with his non-existent throat.

"Wh-what do you m-mean PTSD? As in po-post tr-traumatic s-stress disorder?" Alphys looks at Sans with worry and guilt in her eyes. "S-sans, wh-why you didn't t-tell a-anyone?"

VI groaned, "Sorry, Sans. I take it you didn't tell them everything about the Resets."

"tibia honest, I didn't thought it was such a bonehead of a move to keep some of the Resets a secret." Sans winked.

"You don't fool me, I see right through you!" VI elbowed Sans' ribs. "You're just a boney phoney with no guts to tell anyone anything. Now everyone has a bone to pick with you."

"you really know how to get under my skin, don't you." Toriel and Frisk tried to hold back their laughter while everyone else was groaning but smiling. Sans and VI did a little staring contest before Sans got up, "fine! but only if the kid and flower helps me tell them about the Genocide Runs."

Flowery unwrap his vines from Sans body, "Deal!" Frisk not only agreed but shook Sans hand. The three told their friends everything.

***

"I-I d-don't like it! N-not one bit!" Alphys was cross about the dangers of ripping a demonic spirit of a human's body.

Toriel was deviated. One of her children is a SOULESS plant, another is a vengeful ghost, and the other possessed by said vengeful ghost. And all three are murderers. Papyrus was crestfallen that his brother was still keeping things from him. Algore felt the story was very ironic that his children killed, but felt their actions were more justified then his.

Undyne, who always seem to headbutt her way through any problem was the first to asked, "Now what?"

VI got off the ground and dusted herself off, "Time to bring back the dead!" She activated another form, this time she looks like a cross from a mad scientist and a phantom of the Opera. Behind her was a pipe organ. "This form is called Purple Keys. This can formulate or make concentrations of Souls. For example mixing one of each color of human SOULS and one Boss SOUL can either break the Barrier or change Flowery back to Asriel."

VI put the gathered SOULS in the little drawers attached to the pipes. "Or combining seven SOULS of DETERMINATION with a Boss SOUL can, in theory, will drive Chara out of Frisk's body. They will absorb the concentrated SOUL and the will to live will be so strong it will form a new human body."

She moved Flowery to a spot in front of the organ, "Don't worry Flowery. If Chara goes all Genocide, Sans will Karmic Retribution their ass."

"Most likely their be a Hyper Goner." Smirked the flower. Frisk just asked Flowery if that was a pun. "Yes, yes it was."

VI started to play on the keys. The Boss Monster SOUL glowed brightly as it was absorbing the human SOULS. Flowery still in position looked at the Boss SOUL with DETERMINATION. The Boss SOUL now filled out by the human SOULS started to move to the spot the flower was rooted. With tears in his eyes, he claimed the new SOUL.

A bright flash of light filled the area. A little goat child stands where the flower used to be. Asriel looked at his parents and hugged them with all his might. Frisk and the skeleton brothers joined in when Asriel waved them over. A defening roar of cheers appeared out of nowhere!

"Darlings! I am so sorry, but I had to use RUNE to broadcast what you all was up to." The robot explained with RUNE hovering over him.

VI marched over to Mettaton, "How dare you use my RUNE to broadcast a touching moment!" VI grabbed the metal star by the neck and whispered, "How much did you broadcast? How is the ratings? How could I have forgotten RUNE! I am so proud of you!"

A glint appeared in the robot's eyes as he whispered back, "The ratings are sky high! Everyone from here to the Surface was watching, is watching! And I started broadcasting long before Sans, the flower, and Ambassador Frisk confessed to the Genocide Runs."

VI returned to her companions, "We are not out of the woods yet! We still have Chara to bring back! In case they are planning to go Genocide on us, we better brace ourselves!"

Frisk stand at the same spot as Flowery stood. VI placed seven SOULS of DETERMINATION and the Boss SOUL in the drawers in the pipes. VI gave everyone a thumbs up. The Boss Monsters conjured their weapons and magic. Even Asriel conjured his Chaos Blades, preparing for the worse. VI played on the pipe organ. Again the Boss SOUL absorb the human SOULS, but this time the Monster SOUL have changed to a human SOUL.

The red SOUL became bright flash and a red haired child in a green and yellow sweater stepped out of the light. "Hey, Partner." They looked at the Monsters that are ready for battle. "I am not going to do anything. Don't get me wrong, I still hate humans. But, Partner, you did what Ariel and I never could. You freed the Monsters and lived in peace with the humans for three whole years." Chara hugged Frisk, "Thank you for bringing my family back."

***

My daughter is doing well I think. But there will be problems. I will make sure of that. Let's bring in more friends into the mix.