Hey, guys! Crazy7634 here, with another addition to… The True Monsters! Heh, it took some time, but I finally made this chapter. Also, since there were others who struggled with figuring out when the characters were either thinking, talking out loud or talking in the mindscape, here's something that'll help you guys out:

"Hey, Kurama! Can I have some food?" – Two apostrophes and italics mean that a normal character is speaking through the mind.

"Brat, you just ate." – Two apostrophes, italics and bold are special characters talking through the mind.

"Aww, but I'm hungry!" – Two apostrophes with no italics mean that it is a normal character that is speaking out loud.

"Where's Toriel when you need her…" – Two apostrophes and bold means special characters talking out loud.

'Where is the food…?' – One apostrophe and italics mean that it's a normal character thinking.

'This kid is going to be the death of me…' – One apostrophe, italics and bold means special characters are thinking.

Okay, it's Crazy7634 again. So, I hoped that helped those who were getting confused, and please do inform me if it doesn't. I'll try to find an even simpler way to explain the mechanics, although this already is the simplest way… anyway, on to the chapter!

[P.S: Go onto my profile page and scroll to the bottom to see my story update status(es?)]

Disclaimer: I do not own anything, especially Naruto and Undertale.

Chapter 4 – More Answers, More Questions

[Three Weeks Later]

Three weeks have now passed since the little blonde boy had fallen; two weeks since the goat woman learned that he was actually six years of age, and one week since his full recovery from the assault of the strange flower. Toriel hummed happily as she picked up a coal-coloured kettle, patiently waiting for the tap to finish filling the pot with water, smiling once it was nearly filled to the brim. It was currently quite late in the morning, most likely just around about two hours or so after 8 o'clock.

The ex-queen gave a slight nonchalant shrug at the lack of precision in time. Monsters had already adapted to the night-and-day cycle of the world when they were first shoved underground, with the scientists using the sunlight that emerged from the large hole in the mountain ceiling as a reference to the time. It may not have been the most accurate of ways to figure out whether it was night or day, but it was better than nothing.

After closing the tap securely, she calmly shot a small ball of fire from her hands with a mere flick of a finger, setting one of the four black rings on the stove's top alight. She placed the metallic container on the flaming ring before kneeling to grab two mugs and a tin of chocolate powder from the cabinet underneath the kitchen counter. Her thoughts were pulled to the blonde boy sitting calmly on the dining table she could see far behind her, the corners of her mouth tugging upwards at the sight of his serene smile, the young human reading a book as he absentmindedly shovelled his breakfast into his mouth.

She shook her head slightly in amusement before placing all three objects down on the kitchen counter, pulling open a drawer to her right and taking out a silver spoon, using the utensil to open the tin and drop two spoonfuls of chocolate powder into each mug. She then stared at the kettle, waiting for the water to boil. A frown slowly inched itself on her face when the crimson fire crackling underneath it reminded her of something… or rather, someone. Toriel then turned back to Naruto, staring at the oblivious boy as her eyes followed the line of scarlet magic lazily circling his head. She clicked her tongue, her mind wandering to the thought of the one most monsters took to calling "The Great Fox".

Kurama.

Toriel then stared at the worn notebook laying forlornly to the left of the sink. Her expression seemed indecisive for a few moments before she finally seemed to make a decision and reached for the old journal, flipping through its faded pages, their contents having been written by an unknown figure of the east. Her eyes scanned every page after yellowed page as she looked for a specific section in the book. She paused to read an entry before shaking her head and moving on.

The title of "Tailed Beast" is given to the enormous boss monsters that hail from the Eastern region of the surface, otherwise known the land to the right of the sturdy Mount Ebott. There are nine of them in total. Though, there have been rumours of a tenth, but no one knows where such a rumour spawned from. Only a small bunch of monsters believe this, but because only nine have been seen by the general populace, many say that the existence of the tenth is nothing but just false information or slander. Nonetheless, the nine are revered as the monsters' wisest and most powerful guardians, so much so that even those of the royal family bloodline humbly ask for their blessing whenever one ascends to the throne.

The sound of paper swishing in the air stopped as Toriel immediately halted her movements. She had found what she was looking for. The descriptions of every tailed beast. Despite their popularity among monsters, due to them being a mysterious and secretive bunch, very few knew of their past; let alone their names. Only the royal monsters about to claim the throne were entrusted with such information… along with their spouses. With this gap in their knowledge, the monsters from the Eastern region gave them titles, and each had their own one. Toriel's eyes darkened in intensity, her attention fully focused on the contents of the book.

Shukaku, also known as "Ichibi the Sand Devil". The one-tailed raccoon dog of the desert, gifted with the power to manipulate sand and the overseer of the lands of blistering heat. His thirst for blood and brutality when dealing with trespassers lead to many to believe that he was insane, making them take precautions whenever they interacted with him, the tailed beast himself not bothering to clear up the confusion.

Matatabi, "Nibi the Hellfire Cat". Said to be made of the flames from Hell itself, the two-tailed feline stalks the borders of the desert, aiding her brother in guarding their home from unwanted guests. There had been rumours that those who found their demise at the usage of her two tails would witness first-hand the horrors of Purgatory as they felt themselves slowly burn in the grasp of her blazing appendages.

Isobu, "Sanbi the Living Island". Throughout his whole existence, the giant turtle has spent his time calmly drifting through the oceans, allowing other monsters to create homes and settlements on his spiky shell should they wish to accompany him. Any foolish soul who would attempt to harm either him or his passengers can only blink as they found themselves impaled by his sharp tails, an emotionless rose-coloured eye being the last thing they see before blackness.

Son Goku, "Yonbi the Raging King". Despite his seemingly gruff exterior and having a robust and mighty form, this fanged, four-tailed ape is respectful and has gained his title due to his short-temperedness and ferocity when it came to dealing with matters endangering those living in his territory, which is made up of the lands surrounding various volcanoes. He bathes in bubbling lava and wields the ability to command the molten heat to melt any insolent infidels with a mere point of a finger.

Kokuo, "Gobi the Silent Protector". He scours the vast forests along with his eldest brother, the five-tailed dolphin-horse barely uttering a single word to others even as he provides them aid. Fear inciting his rage as the strength behind his most powerful horned charge could force even the sturdiest of mountains to crumble with ease, something that had been witnessed first-hand when a group of stubborn humans attempted to destroy the trees within his domain for profit.

Saiken, "Rokubi the Gentle Guardian". Although his appearance may force the uninformed to believe otherwise, the six-tailed slug is, in fact, a kind creature. Not exactly one for walking, he mostly spends his time residing in his cave, revelling in the peacefulness. Occasionally, he takes a hike outside, saving others from either dangers or, in more likely situations, from his elder sister.

Chomei, "Nanabi the Lucky Charm". Zipping around through the rainforests of the East, the seven-tailed rhinoceros beetle flies through the trees, giving luck to any who are fortunate enough to cross her path. But despite being one of the three elder Tailed Beasts, her child-like mentality and energetic personality usually gives others the impression that she is one of the youngest, especially so when she would pout at her younger brother Saiken whenever he would save someone from falling victim to her… spirited, and unending conversations.

Gyuki, "Hachibi the Headstrong Champion". Swiftly tearing through the deepest recesses of the ocean waters, this muscular eight-tailed creature, whose appearance holds traits of both octopi and bulls, defends the deep-sea-faring monsters from anyone who seek to harm or capture them. Whether they be shadowy scientists or impudent pirates, it did not matter. They will be easily silenced.

And then… there was him. The adoptive mother narrowed her eyes. "Here you are…"

Kurama, "Kyuubi, the King of Beasts". All monsters hold some sort of respect for him, even his own siblings. Being the eldest, many seek him out first when it comes to advice, with all knowing that wherever the "Gobi" may be in the forests, the "Great Fox" was not far behind. After all, it had been common knowledge that he enjoyed his younger sibling's silent company as, while he was at times as talkative as his seven-tailed sister, he was also nearly as silent as his five-tailed brother. But despite this, not many have been able to actually locate the rust-coloured bijuu, with him somehow able to disappear into nothingness whenever he so pleases.

Toriel turned back to Naruto, staring at the gurgling energy and inspecting it closely. The "Kyuubi" was the most mysterious and secretive of the unique group of boss monsters, the one who interacted the least with the other monsters of the kingdom, and the one who was thought to be the most powerful of them all. She herself could attest to his enigmatic persona. When Asgore had ascended the throne and had been tasked with meeting with the beasts themselves, she had accompanied him in gaining their blessing. The fox was the only one out of the nine that they had been unable to meet face-to-face, with the canine only sending them a simple message via Kokuo. It was only after a specific, disastrous meeting occurred that they had met him…

[Flashback]

"…Why have they demanded to hold a meeting between monsters and humans in such short notice, and at such an odd location too?" Toriel slowly walked toward her armoured husband, a hand being gently held by a member of the Royal Guard as they helped her move around while her other furred paw was rubbing the bulge in her stomach soothingly.

The young king froze, his cape was half-way draped across his back when he winced and snapped his head towards his wife, startling at the sound of her voice. Horror seemed to fill his eyes as he hurriedly rushed to aid his queen. "Tori, what are you doing here? You're supposed to be resting!"

His attention then went towards the guard, the one who he had tasked with protecting his fellow boss monster, silently asking for an explanation. The unknown figure flinched to attention when he spotted his ruler's questioning stare. "U-Uh, my lord! I had advised Lady Toriel to remain in her chambers, but she refused. After she had heard of the meeting, she insisted on checking up on you before you left. Despite wanting to halt her movements, I did not want to risk harming her or the young heir within her, so I had decided to instead aid her on her way here. I humbly apologize for my incompetence, sire."

Asgore stared as the male behind the mask gave a shaky bow, his stuttering showing him that the guard was a new recruit, before letting out a sigh.

"There is no need to bow nor to apologize, my friend. I can relate to the difficulty you faced in attempting to halt Tori's movements. I myself must admit that getting her to stay still is quite a challenge at times." He waved his guard off and sent Toriel a cheeky look with his slight jab, but immediately exchanged it for a warm smile when he realized that she was preoccupied with gazing happily at their growing child, who their Royal Scientist had confirmed to be a boy. He turned back to the guard and gave him a nod. "I shall take my wife with me, but before we leave, I wish to speak with her in private. You are dismissed, young one."

"As you wish, my Lord." The newbie bowed again before briskly spinning on his heels and marching away. Asgore stared at the soldier's back until he turned a corner, disappearing from his vision. After waiting for a few more moments to ensure that the new recruit really was gone, he let out a sigh before sending an amused look at his pouting wife.

"I am not troublesome."

Asgore felt a drop of sweat slide down the side of his face as he let out a chuckle at his wife's childish reaction. The queen herself was staring at her sheepish husband, her arms crossed and face petulant.

'She heard what I said earlier… I guess she wasn't as distracted as I thought.' He gave her an apologetic smile, holding a hand out for her to take. "Ah… I apologize, dear. You know I was only kidding, right, Tori?"

"…"

She only narrowed her eyes in return, making Asgore fidget, more sweat drops beginning to accumulate on the sides of his head.

"T… Tori?"

Asgore's facial expression slowly changed into a wince as he felt a sense of dread climb up his spine. More tense minutes passed, the tension in the air only making the king more anxious. His patience then snapped, his sanity holding on by a mere thread. Just as he was about to fall to his knees and beg for his wife to utter a word, Toriel's face broke out into uncontrollable laughter, surprising her husband. She giggled into a hand, an action that caused the previously-panicking monster in front of her to finally fall onto his hands and knees in exhaustion.

"Y- *giggle* Y-You should've seen your face! Hahahah!"

Asgore sighed and slowly stood back up, a gentle smile on his face as he gazed upon his laughing love. Although she may have been entertained at his expense, he could never muster up any sort of anger or annoyance when she was this happy. He walked forward and wrapped her up in an embrace, letting out a few chuckles of his own.

"Yes, alright. Let's all laugh at the Monster King." He leaned down, his face close to his wife's as he looked into her teary eyes, a grin on his muzzle. "So, are we ready to go?"

A few more breathy gasps escaped her lips before Toriel sent a smirk up at her husband.

"Yes, we are."

She beamed down at her bulging stomach once more, giving it some more tender rubs before a thought came to her mind, a serious frown replacing her ecstatic look. Sensing her change in demeanour, Asgore studied her worriedly, trying to figure out what had caused the switch in emotions.

"What is it, dear?"

Toriel's frown deepened, her arms wrapping around Asgore's waist in search for comfort.

"It's this meeting with the humans." She noticed his inquisitive stare and continued on with a sigh. "Does it not seem strange? Usually, they would request an audience when monsters have either been involved in a skirmish or have been seen converging near their inhabited areas. To our knowledge, there have not been any monster-human interactions or clashes in the past few months, nor have there been any requests for the creation of a new settlement. So this conference simply cannot be about territories or assaults."

Asgore tilted his head to the side, puzzled. "I do not understand. What is the problem?"

Toriel sighed again, staring out at the doorway tiredly. "The problem is that I cannot fathom the reason for their sudden request for a gathering. Something just does not… feel right."

Asgore gained a frown of his own when Toriel wrapped her arms around her stomach protectively as she bit her lip in anxiety. He tightened his hug on his queen and pressed his nose against her neck, nuzzling against the female's fur. He felt her relax slightly in his arms, the action allowing relief to alleviate some of his concern.

"I understand your uneasiness about this situation, but unfortunately I cannot refuse their call. All of the human leaders will be attending this meeting. Not being present would not only show me as an incompetent king, but it would also show monsters in a negative light… well, more negative than they already do." He grimaced when his words only seemed to make her even more distressed, her eyes clenching shut in hurt. "I… If their demand for an audience causes you such discomfort, perhaps it would be better if you stayed here. In the kingdom. It would be safer for both you and the baby."

Toriel's scarlet eyes snapped open, the intensity of her annoyed stare causing Asgore to flinch.

"And leave you at their mercy alone? No. I refuse."

"I will not be alone, Tori. I will have members of the Royal Guard with me, remember? I will be fine."

"Still, I refuse. If they really are intending to cause you harm, I wish to be there to aid in your protection."

She willed her magic to materialize, conjuring whispering flames on her palms. Her apprehensive husband stared at her in the eye, a gaze she eagerly returned with vigour. He saw the fiery resolve that he had fallen in love with resurface, and at that moment, the male goat monster knew there was very little he could say that would be able to change her mind. He loved his wife, that much was definitely apparent. She could be as tame as a simple flower at one second, and yet be as bull-headed and stubborn as he was the next. A quality that he loved and resented, depending on the situation. At this moment, however… He let out a breath, placing his furred hands on Toriel's shoulders, giving her a small smile.

"Here you are, talking about my safety, and yet completely disregarding your own and our son's…" At the mention of their child, Toriel flinched, the balls of magic on her hands dissipating into wisps. She glanced down at the bulge, her expression torn. Asgore let out a sigh and pulled his wife into his arms once more. "Toriel, we can debate about this all we like, but we both know that—in the end—there is only one solution available to us."

Silence reigned in the royal couple's quarters once more, the atmosphere heavy. The lack of sound carried on for a few moments, Asgore remaining still as he allowed his golden magic to swathe his family in glowing energy, his jaw resting between his other half's horns, the queen's crown having been left on their nightstand. Glimmering flames encased their forms with a feather-light touch, Toriel's tensed shoulders slackening at the warmth the calm blaze produced. The king heard his wife speak, but the words only came out as unintelligible mumbles.

"Excuse me, Love? I didn't quite catch that."

Asgore lifted his head, attention set fully on Toriel as she whispered her words out once more.

"…You're right about one thing."

"And what is that, Dear?"

"That there really is only one decision this conversation will conclude with," Toriel then raised her head, crimson eyes staring right into her husband's own dark-grey. "I will be accompanying you, no matter what."

Asgore immediately spoke to disagree, "But Tori-!"

Toriel held a hand up to silence him, the gesture cutting him off. "I know by choosing to go with you, I will be also taking our child into the line of danger, but… I cannot bear the thought of you facing the humans alone should they truly have any sinister intentions. We both know that I am more formidable of an opponent than our Royal Guards, though they are powerful in their own right. I will be accompanying you to the meeting, and that is that."

Asgore let out a final, conceding sigh and gave a small smile, nodding silently to his wife's demand.

"As you wish, Tori…"

[Timeskip]

[At The Meeting]

Asgore stared at the moving scenery contemplatively, watching as his surroundings transitioned from mountainous to forest, an elbow on a windowsill with his head rested on his hand. His eyes darted left and right, eyeing the royal guards flanking the contraption he sat in, as if checking whether they either truly were there or were mere illusions. Speaking of his current mode of transportation, he tilted his head down, a furry hand poking the metal body of the golden, wheeled contraption. The Royal Scientist had called it the "Royal Carriage", saying that the humans had something like it, only they were moved by the animals they called "horses". He turned his gaze to the two Royal Knights sat at the front of the vehicle, their hands and focus were set on a crystalline orb.

He watched as the grey wisps of magic exuding from their gloved palms flowed into the sphere, the colour of the energy changing to rust orange and bright sky-blue swirls inside the globe before disappearing into the numerous pipes attached to the ball's bottom. The King's eyes trailed one of the pipes until it disappeared underneath the metallic floor, no doubt leading to some other contraption that transformed the magic into fuel for the carriage. A strange invention the vehicle may be, but it doesn't make it any less spectacular. Hearing the shifting of clothing, Asgore's head quickly snapped to his wife.

Toriel raised her paws to rub her eyes as she awoke from her sleep, biting a lip to stifle a yawn. Hearing a chuckle, she craned her head to the side, raising an eyebrow at her amused husband.

"And what, pray tell, is so funny?"

Asgore's smile grew into a grin, "Nothing is funny, you're just adorable."

Toriel quickly turned away, eyes darting to the ground in order to avoid the king's gaze, her fur doing nothing to hide the blush on her cheeks. Her actions only elicited another chuckle from the male Dreemurr, the sound reddening her cheeks even more.

"Oh, HUSH UP you!"

Asgore's grin grew and he wrapped his arms around the goat woman sat next to him.

"Aww, c'mon Tori. You know I'm just doing a little truthful teasing."

"Well, no matter what it is you're doing, you better stop it King Fluffybuns!"

Asgore paused in surprise at his wife's sudden outburst before hanging his head with a sigh at the new nickname. It was now Toriel's turn to laugh. After a moment of grumbling, the king began to join his wife in laughter, her amusement infectious. His eyes inspected the metal partition that separated their half of the rectangular car from the orb knights' area, scanning the two visible through the wall's glass door for any signs that hinted at them overhearing their conversation.

"Fluffybuns, huh? Well, I suppose as long as no one else ever hears it being used, I could live with it."

As Toriel was about to say another quip, the royal couple's playful banter was interrupted by three raps against the carriage's metal door. Looking outside the windows to the sides, noticing that the scenery had stopped moving, the duo knew they had arrived. Their faces were then devoid of emotion and their voices became stern. It was no longer the time for jokes.

"Yes?" Asgore spoke, his tone gruff. A Royal Guard stationed to protect them from the outside then opened the door, poking their head in tentatively.

"Sire, we've arrived at the designated meeting place. It seems the humans are already here."

He heard his wife's breath hitch and discretely encased one of her hands with his own, giving it a reassuring squeeze before nodding to the knight in acknowledgement.

"Well then, let us not keep them waiting any longer." He turned to Toriel, addressing her with a slight, worried tone. "Shall we?"

She looked into her husband's eyes, immediately noticing his concern and understanding the silent question he sent her way.

Are you sure you want to leave the carriage?

She gave him a determined nod, her stare now icy. "Yes, we shall."

He squeezed her hand one last time before exiting the vehicle, the knight holding the door open for them as he helped Toriel step out of the car. He surveyed the forest around him until the sight of the human leaders standing around a large, circular, wooden table placed oddly in a large clearing caught his attention. With Toriel's hand still clutched in Asgore's own, they began to walk to the waiting group.

Although the clanking of their armoured knights' steel suits calmed their nerves somewhat, the sound reassuring them of their loyal subjects' alert presence, they couldn't help but be alarmed at the sight of the humans. As they scrutinized them, they couldn't help but notice details that made the hairs on the back of their necks rise. The number of their people attending outnumbered them three to one, and there were definitely more armed guards than country leaders. A few of the leaders and guards, about a handful, were from the East; the only place where you could find magic-using humans.

Every set of eyes in the clearing were focused on the approaching monsters. As each second ticked by, the gazes of the humans rose in intensity and the amount of pressure the young couple felt increased as well. The walk to the table had felt like an eternity, and when the moment they finally stood in front of their fellow rulers arrived, they felt as if their hearts were attempting to jump out of their chests.

The air was heavy with tension, and from the corner of his eye, Asgore could spot the human guards tensing as they nervously eyed the steel-plated monsters, his entourage flinching to attention. He saw the escorts, both human and monster, tighten their grips on their weapons and coughed into a fist, intending to get the meeting out of the way before any sort of violence occurred.

"Urm, well… let us get this meeting to a start, yes?"

The steely glares of the humans diverted from his knights to him at the sound of his voice and he fought back a wince. He just knew this would not end well. A brown-haired human, who appeared to be from the West, walked forward while no one else moved a muscle—their eyes were still set on him.

"Yes, we should."

"…Judging by how the rest are not responding, I suppose you will be acting as the representative for the humans for this gathering?"

"Yes, I will."

"I… see."

Asgore's coal orbs darted from person to person. The hairs at the back of his neck were going haywire and he couldn't help but feel a sinking pit in his stomach. Something was very wrong. He released Toriel's hand from his hold and instead wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him slightly. He gulped, finding the action to be not much help as he felt as if he was attempting to swallow a rock. Toriel—bless her observant SOUL—noticed his distress and spoke in his place.

"If I may ask, for what reason was a meeting of this calibre called for?"

The spokesperson who stood on the other side of the table fiddled with the cufflinks of his lavish suit, stare and voice grim.

"The problem, your Highness, is standing right in front of me."

He spat the title as if it was poison in his mouth. His hands slammed down on the table in outrage, the appendages now flat against the wooden surface, his form partially hunched over as his emerald irises burned with fury. The monsters were taken aback, shocked by the sudden eruption. Their guards tensed, nerves officially fried and were readying themselves to act at any moment. Toriel, being the first of the royal couple to find her voice, hesitantly spoke.

"W-What do you mean, Duke Edward?"

[A/N: Just to be clear, if any of this story's made-up people share the same name as someone in real life, then that's pure coincidence. I literally just think of as many names as I could and pick out the ones I liked. x3]

Her question elicited a snarl from the now-named Duke Edward. One of his hands formed a fist and he banged the table again before lifting said fist to point a finger angrily at the group of monsters before him.

"What do I mean? WHAT DO I MEAN?! I mean that we have had enough of you and your hideous kind walking on the surface of this planet. You harass our people, you monopolize our land and you traumatize our children with your so-called harmless magic." Toriel's jaw hung slightly ajar, astonished. Noticing her bewilderment, he let out a guttural growl. "You think we wouldn't find out, didn't you? You thought you could pull a fast one over our heads, right? WRONG!"

She shook her head and hurriedly stuttered out a response. "B-But our magic IS harmless to humans. We may be able to c-create flames and weapons from our energy, but nothing that is strong enough to cause harm to a human!"

"As lie after lie passes through your teeth, I find it harder and harder to restrain myself from gagging. You say that there is nothing you monsters could do to harm a human, and yet I have heard myself from one of your own kind say the exact opposite!"

The monsters thought that they couldn't surprise them even more than they had already done, but the humans proved them wrong. Edward snapped his fingers, and a metal cage was immediately brought forth. The knights' eyes widened while their king and queen gasped. Toriel brought her hands up to cover her mouth as she stared in horror while Asgore clenched his hands tightly into fists in his anger.

Inside the cage was a turtle… a very familiar turtle. His Royal Guard armour was nothing but pieces of chipped metal barely hanging on to his body, dried blood staining the edges of the broken plates. Wounds littered his hunched form, his hands and feet were shackled together with thick, rusting chains; and if it weren't for their acute sense of hearing, they might've missed his shallow breathing and mistook him for being a somehow-mummified monster corpse. Tiredly, the injured monster raised his head and giving a weak smile at the sight of the king and queen.

"Ah, King Asgore and Queen Toriel… fancy meeting you here, huh?" He attempted to laugh, only to end up coughing in pain. Once his hacking fit was over, he raised his head again and frowned at the sight of the tears running down Toriel's cheeks. "Hey now, don't you worry your pretty li'l head over me, your Highness. No matter how high their LVLs are, none of these Western humans' SOULs were strong enough to cause me any lasting damage. This'll heal in no time, you'll see."

'But you shouldn't have to heal from anything at all in the first place!' She screamed in her mind, the waterfall of tears only rushed faster when her eyes landed on his. "G-Gerson… your eye."

"Hm?" The turtle gave an unabashed grin, tilting his head innocently to the side. He raised a hand to his right eye and felt it… or rather, he felt the absence of it. "Oh, this old thing? Bah! One's enough for me. Now how'sabout ya turn that frown upside-down, huh?"

Asgore bit back a growl at the sight of one of his knights caged and wounded. He turned to Edward for an explanation, only to feel a spike of fury at the sight of the man's smug smirk, his venomous, green eyes proudly scanning over every single injury on his friend. As he glanced over at every human present, his anger only grew at every satisfied smile on their faces. He did note, however, that not all of those from the East had smiled; a few, too, were filled with sorrow at the sight of Gerson. Nonetheless, the fact that even a single one of them found the situation to be amusing was one too many in his eyes. No longer caring about taking a more political approach, he addressed the despicable man in front of him with snarl of his own.

"What is the meaning of this? Answer NOW!"

All the smiles then turned into frowns. Loathing leers were now directed at the Monster King, but he didn't care. His ebony glower was trained on Duke Edward, whose smug smirk was now gone at the sight of the king's blazing glare. He twisted his head around for support from his fellow humans and seemed to have re-grown his spine at the reminder that they had the monsters outnumbered. He gave the furious king a haughty laugh.

"See? You demand as if you have control over us humans. You may be beasts from hell in terms of combat, but you are oh, so laughably easy to capture." He walked over to Gerson's cage, which had been placed out on the center of the table for display, and banged the metal bars as hard as he could. With the stringy duke's pathetic strength, his hit barely made a single bar budge, but it did what he wanted to. It got the monster's foul eyes away from him and back onto its comrade. "As for the answer that you nicely requested for, this oaf has been imprisoned because one of my employees… overheard, him say something particularly troubling."

"Oh?" Derision dripped from Asgore's words. "And what would THAT be, good Duke?"

Edward flashed his teeth at Asgore's lack of respect before barking back his own quip. "THAT, would be the fact that you monsters can absorb the… what was it that the useless terrapin said again? Oh, right. The SOULS of HUMANS. You barbaric beasts have the ability to suck out the souls of humans in order to increase your own power! Of course, he wouldn't say anything past the fact that monsters could interact with the souls of humans, but as you can see, a bit of… coaxing, can do wonders for information gathering."

[A/N: Just so no one complains; it IS intentional that the humans refer to "SOULs" as "souls", while the monsters refer to them as "SOULs". The difference in the usage of capital letters just refers to the fact that the humans don't actually have a clue as to what they're talking about, while the monsters do.]

"Information gathering?! THAT is what you call the torture and interrogation of an innocent civilian of my kingdom?!" Asgore roared, both arms now wrapped around his distraught wife.

"INNOCENT?! HA! A thief who has murdered and pilfered for three decades is much more innocent than even the youngest spawn of your kind." The human duke thundered in defiance. His eyes darted to Toriel's pregnant stomach, staring with a disgusted curl of his lips. "You lot are a blight on this land that must be cleansed. We will not allow you to eradicate our kind as you continue to deceive us with your supposed pure and honest intentions."

The armed humans then began to stalk forward, their weapons readied. Asgore and his Royal Guard instantly flinched in alarm, the king nudging his wife behind him. He stretched an arm out protectively in front of Toriel while his trademark, crimson trident materialized in the palm of his other arm's hand. His eight of his knights had already taken down ten of the West's human soldiers, the ten themselves having gotten too close for their liking.

"And what, are you planning on taking down every monster in existence with your armies?"

Duke Edward chuckled. "Oh, heavens no. Us from the West understand that your kind are adept at the barbaric art of fighting. So, this is where our neighbours from the East come into play with you pests'… extermination."

A long, raven-haired man then walked through the crowd of soldiers with a regretful face. The man's outfit confused the goat monster. He wore a black, metal-plated headband around his head which had a strange spiral-like symbol engraved into the shining steel. A simple pair of black pants with bandaged bottoms and a set of sandals were the only things protecting his lower half. The only piece of armour that the man seemed to be wearing—other than the headband, since it seemed to be some sort of… forehead protector?—was the scarlet chest-piece that had extending metal plates to specifically cover his shoulders and the sides of his hips. His head was hung low and he hopped onto the table, right behind Gerson's cage. He then lifted his head hesitatingly, staring at Asgore with a pain-filled expression. By this time, Toriel had managed to regain her composure and was now staring the man down with tear-streaked cheeks and flame-engulfed hands.

"I suppose you are the support?"

The human let out a sigh and nodded sullenly. "I… apologize for this."

His apology surprised the Dreemurr. Shaking his head out of his daze, the white-furred royal scrutinized the saddened human in front of him suspiciously. "…What is your name?"

"I am Hashirama Senju."

"If you truly are sorry, then why do you do this?!"

"Believe me, I would be on your side if I had a choice…" He muttered lowly, so only the king himself could hear. He then sent him a small, sad smile. "…but unfortunately, I do not."

The king could only blink in shock. "W-What?"

"HURRY IT UP!"

Duke Edward's barked command forced another sigh to escape Hashirama's lips, the man sending a pained look at Toriel, or more specifically, at the bulge in her stomach. He glowed a light green for a moment before the energy exploded away from him in a strong gust of wind, kicking up buckets of dust into the air. Asgore covered his eyes with a hand, trying to see through the dirt particles. The moment the blinding powder dispersed, he wished the cloud of dust didn't return his vision. The clearing was now filled with hundreds of knife-brandishing, magic-using humans whose eyes were glaring blankly in his direction through the holes in their thick, animal-themed, porcelain masks. His eyes met Hashirama's once more, and the man uttered two final words as his hands formed an odd sign.

"…I'm sorry."

To the monsters' horror, an enormous wooden hand rose from the table and held Gerson's cage in its palm as it grew higher and higher. Hashirama shut his eyes tight and hung his head, gritting his teeth. The hand's fingers then moved to close and form a fist, intending to crush the cage and the monster trapped within into a ball.

"NO!" The scream was ripped from Toriel's throat, causing tears to fall down Hashirama's face as she futilely threw fireball after fireball at the wrist of the wooden arm, hoping with all her heart that it would break him free. "GERSON!"

Just as the fist was about to fully close, a long, ivory claw separated the wood hand from its arm at the wrist with a quick slice. It then cut the lid of the cage open like an enormous can opener. Every figure gaped in stupefaction and followed the claw as it retreated back to its owner. The trail led them to the most terrifying sight they all had ever witnessed in their lives.

"You kami-damn bastards… and to think, I was thinking about leaving MOST of you alive!"

An enormous rust-coloured fox snarled down at them, showcasing its shining, pearly-white fangs. Its crimson eyes' pupils were not their usual docile circle, but predatory, vertical slits. Its hackles were raised as it emanated blood-red energy and a suffocating, murderous presence in waves, its nine tails flickering dangerously behind it. At the sight of the canine's multiple tails, the royal couple gasped in awe, realizing just who it was in front of them.

"Lord Kurama…"

The fox's ears twitched, having picked up on their whispered words, showing that his rabbit-like ears were not just for decoration. His head snapped to the side to face the leaders of the Kingdom of Monsters, his harsh gaze softening at the sight of the distraught queen, only for his rage at the humans to return when his eyes landed on the female's pregnant stomach. He snarled at the humans once more.

"You lack the honour to spare even an unborn child, yet you call us despicable? Ha, FOOLS!"

Edward cowered at the feeling of the fox's power and at the sight of the Tailed Beast's great size. He nervously turned to the frozen Hashirama and screeched at the top of his lungs, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! Don't just stand there, get rid of it!"

But the Senju didn't even twitch at the sound of the terrified duke's voice, all of his and his army's attention were fixed on The Great Fox, eyes wide in astonishment.

"…Kyuubi-sama."

His whisper, too, was caught by the fox's ears and jumped when his crimson eyes landed on his form. Quickly, the Senju fell to a knee and bowed along with a few others in his group, confusing all but the warriors in his command. Kurama tilted his head to the side, curiously inspecting the bowing humans of the East. Biting back a curious question, the fox reminded himself of the current situation and shook his head before facing the gobsmacked monsters by his feet.

"Oi, you two. This is no time for gawking! Here-" One of his tails lowered to reach the still-speechless Toriel and Asgore, the two immediately jumping back into life when they realized that Gerson was laying limply on the furry appendage, completely unconscious. "-take your friend and leave with your guards, NOW!"

Asgore nodded in understanding, his eyes darkening, if it was even possible. He quickly scooped Gerson up into his arms, minding the tortoise's injuries, and began hollering out order after order at his guards as he sprinted to the "Royal Carriage". Creating a mental checklist, his stare blurred from monster to monster, making a headcount as he ran. Realizing that one of their own was missing, he skidded to a stop and spun on his heels, looking pleadingly at his unmoving wife.

"Tori, we must leave!"

His shout was ignored, however; her saddened, shimmering rubies set on the nine-tailed behemoth before her. Noticing her lack of action, he passed Gerson to a nearby Royal Guard, commanding them to place Gerson in the Carriage before running off to his queen.

"…But what would become of you, Lord Kurama?"

Kurama sent the worried royal a gentle smile and chuckled. "Do not concern yourself with my wellbeing and focus on yours and your soon-to-be-born child's. Please, leave while you still can. I shall hold them off in order to buy time for your escape."

"But-"

Toriel's protest was cut short, Asgore having pulled her up into a bridal carry. After sharing a silent, grim nod with the Tailed Beast, he quickly made his way back to the golden vehicle once more. While Asgore focused on getting his wife to safety, Toriel stared at the kneeling humans with an uneasy yet curious look on her face. Just before they went out of ear-shot, she heard the humans of the East speak to the eldest of the Tailed siblings.

"Lord Kyuubi, I'm… sorry."

"Say your apologies one more time, and YOU will be the one to be sorry for uttering those two words oh, so many times. But… I digress. What is it that you are "sorry" for, exactly? And on that note, why are those of the East concerning themselves with the petulant snivelling of the West?"

"Kyuubi-sama, I, and those who belong to a certain clan—as nonsensical as this may seem—regret to inform you that we have no choice in this matter. As unhappy as we are with what we must do, unfortunately, not many of our people share the same sentiment. Our hands have been shackled by proverbial chains behind our backs and, at this point, we are unable to do anything but follow commands the puppeteers have relayed to their stringed toys."

"And what "certain clan" would you be referring to exactly, Hokage?"

"…My wife's clan," The long-haired Senju turned to a masked human who had been kneeling to his right. With a point and a nod, the human removed their mask to show a pair of somber amethysts and a head of crimson hair. The fox's eyes widened in recognition while Hashirama gave a sad smile to the unmasked man. "the U-!"

"The Uzumaki."

"H-How did you…?"

"It'll be a cold day in hell before I fail to recognize an Uzumaki, brat. I-"

Then, last thing Toriel saw before her vision was replaced with a wall of dull, gold-coloured metal, was Hashirama's face of bewilderment. Flinching out of her daze, she shook her head to focus on the current situation. On the floor, being tended to by one of their guards, was Gerson. The sight of the shallowly-breathing monster tore at Toriel's heart and she was tempted to look away, but instead, she steeled her heart and knelt down to help attend to the tortured knight.

A few moments later, she heard shouting from outside metallic contraption she sat in. With a suspicious look on her face, she was about to open the door and see what the commotion was about, only for its knob to suddenly blur away from her reaching hand. Asgore stood in the carriage's doorway, startled by the sight of his wife about to leave the strange machine.

"Tori, what are you doing?"

He quickly, yet gently, ushered her back inside; but not before she could catch a glimpse of the monster soldiers outside as she looked over his shoulder. They were facing the direction where the humans were stationed, readying themselves for battle.

"Gorey… why are the royal guards not preparing for the journey back to the kingdom?"

It was useless to ask… she already knew the answer as to why. But she hoped and prayed that they weren't doing what she thought they were going to do. However, Asgore's hesitance to look her in the eye wasn't helping her already dwindling hope, beads of liquid now forming at the corners of her scarlet irises.

"They… They wish to return to the kingdom at a later date, and requested for us to begin the trek back to Home before them.

[A/N: Capital H in "Home" is intentional too.]

Despite the sugar-coated words, Toriel understood completely what he meant. The tears that had been threatening to fall were now leaving trails down her cheeks. Her breath hitched in her throat, a hand flying up to cover her gaping mouth.

"N-No… but…" She looked outside a window, staring at the Head of the Royal Guard outside as the scaled monster readied his spear. "W-What about Seaton? We… we can't just leave him! We can't just leave THEM!"

Asgore clenched his hands into fists, grimacing as he turned away from his wife's pleading gaze. He then turned to the knights situated by the carriage's battery orb, sending them a saddened look as he tiredly gave them an order.

"Get us to Home, please."

[End Flashback]

And after that disastrous meeting, came… the War.

A sniffle escaped Toriel's control as the horrific memories of the past came back in flashes, one after another. She clutched the edge of the counter tightly, white-furred hands twitching and her shoulders shaking.

There had been so much death…

"-een…"

So many families had been lost…

"-ighness…"

So many friends now nothing but dust…

"-iel…"

The guards…

"-at's going on with you…"

Seaton…

"TORIEL!"

The former Queen of Monsters flinched, her mind flung out of her thoughts. She scanned her surroundings frantically, until she regained her bearings a few moments later. The moment she retrieved her composure, she also noticed the ring of blood-red energy now arcing around her head.

"…Lord Kurama?"

"In the flesh… or, more like, in the mind. Now, speaking of "mind", mind telling me what exactly had you in such a catatonic state? You had been lucky this time, the boy was too engrossed in his reading and eating to be concerned; however, I would like to know the cause in order to be able to prepare for the possibility of this situation ever repeating itself…"

While the fox spoke to her, Toriel's mind was elsewhere, focusing on the topics she had been contemplating on before her… walk, down memory lane.

What was he doing inside a child? In fact, how did he even get there? He couldn't have been sealed too, could he?

The mere thought of doing such a thing was so inconceivable!

And yet…

"…iel, are you listening?"

"…You owe me some answers."

"Excuse me?"

"We need to talk."

"…I see, I have put it off for far too long. It seems it is time for that explanation, no?"

Crazy7634: The mechanics of how thinking and talking through the mind is shown in the author's note above, just in case if you purposefully always skip top authors' notes. I just hope you don't skip this one as well… x3