The morning sun filtered through the cracks in the Ruins' ceiling, casting long beams of golden light across the ancient stone pathways. The cool air of the underground warmed slowly, dispelling the lingering chill from the night before. In a small, makeshift bedroom within Toriel's home, Vance stirred, his limbs aching slightly from the past weeks of labor.
It had been two weeks since he had committed himself to helping rebuild the Ruins. Two weeks of hammering, lifting, planning, and coordinating with the monsters to restore homes, repair walkways, and create something sustainable for those who had lived in the abandoned underground for so long.
Yesterday had been particularly exhausting. After an intense discussion with Toriel about the future of the Ruins, followed by hours of work reinforcing the housing structures near the central square, he had barely managed to take a warm bath before collapsing onto his bed. He had slept like a rock.
Now, stretching with a yawn, Vance pushed himself upright, his golden soul still pulsing faintly from the magic lessons he had been practicing in his spare time. He rubbed his eyes and glanced around the small room—a humble space with a neatly folded blanket, a few books stacked in the corner, and his staff leaning against the wall.
He got up and changed into a fresh shirt and pants before heading out to the kitchen, where the smell of warm butterscotch filled the air. Toriel had already left to tend to the younger monsters, but she had left him a small plate of breakfast—toast with jam, a boiled egg, and a cup of warm tea.
Vance sat down and began eating, enjoying the peaceful moment.
"Y'know, this is the first time in a while you've actually slept in," Chara's voice rang in his mind.
Vance smirked, picking up his toast. "Yeah, well, forgive me for being human and needing rest."
"Don't get too comfortable," Nina chimed in softly. "There's still plenty of work to do today."
Vance sighed but nodded. "Yeah, I know. We still have a lot of houses to finish, and I wanted to check on the western pathways. Some of the stones were starting to crack."
"And yet, here you are, casually eating breakfast like some kind of responsible adult," Chara teased. "How boring."
"Excuse me for making sure I don't collapse midway through the day," Vance shot back playfully before finishing the rest of his meal. With that done, he washed his plate, stretched one last time, and grabbed his staff before stepping outside.
The Ruins had changed a lot in the past two weeks. What had once been a quiet, broken underground city now buzzed with life. Monsters had started to settle into newly rebuilt homes, while others continued their work to restore the ancient stone walls and buildings. Laughter and conversation filled the air, and the sight of progress warmed Vance's heart.
He had barely taken a few steps toward the worksite when a familiar voice called out to him.
"Hey, Vance! Over here!"
Vance turned to see a Whimsalot fluttering towards him, her delicate wings shimmering in the sunlight. It was Lila, one of the monsters who had been assigned to assist him with the repairs. She had a cheerful demeanor and a knack for organization, which made her an invaluable asset.
"Morning, Lila," Vance greeted her with a smile. "How's it going over here?"
The monster adjusted her helmet before saluting dramatically. "Reporting for duty!"
Vance chuckled. "Morning, Lila. You ready for another day of hard labor?"
Lila puffed out her chest. "Always! The sooner we finish rebuilding, the sooner we can start making this place an even greater home for everyone!"
"I like the enthusiasm," Nina said approvingly.
"I think she's trying to outshine you in the whole 'hardworking leader' department," Chara quipped.
Vance shook his head with a smile. "Alright, alright. Let's get going. Today's goal is reinforcing the outer houses and making sure the pathways are completely safe."
As they walked toward the work site, they discussed ideas for the Ruins' improvement. Vance had been considering ways to bring in more light, perhaps setting up reflective panels or creating lanterns infused with fire magic. Lila suggested building a training area for younger monsters, while Nina proposed expanding the food storage to prepare for harsher conditions.
Then, just as they were deep in conversation, Lila suddenly froze, her wings twitching nervously. "Oh! That reminds me! I was sent to deliver some urgent news."
Vance raised an eyebrow, sensing the change in her tone. "What is it?"
Lila took a deep breath, her wings fluttering nervously. "I overheard some monsters talking last night. They said that there are over a hundred refugees from the Steamworks who are planning to come here. They've heard about the improvements we've made, and they're hoping to find a new home in the Ruins."
Vance's stomach dropped. "What? That many? Why?"
"The Steamworks," Lila explained grimly. "It's been abandoned. The Core has completely replaced it, and the monsters who worked there have lost their homes. They have nowhere else to go."
Vance ran a hand through his hair, feeling the weight of the situation settle on his shoulders. The Ruins were already pushing their limits. They had made incredible progress, but could they really support so many newcomers all at once?
"We need to figure this out fast," Nina said, her voice serious.
Chara scoffed. "Yeah, good luck with that. You barely have enough space as it is. What are you going to do, genius?"
Vance took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "First thing's first—we call the council."
"Thanks for letting me know, Lila," Vance said, his mind already racing with plans. "We'll need to prepare for their arrival. Can you gather the other leaders and let them know we need to hold a council meeting?"
Lila nodded, her expression determined. "Of course, Vance. I'll get right on it."
As she fluttered away, Vance turned to Chara and Nina, who had been quietly observing the conversation.
"Well, this just got a lot more complicated," Chara said, her tone dry but not without a hint of sympathy.
Nina's voice was gentle, as always. "It's a big challenge, but we'll find a way. We always do."
Vance sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Yeah, but this is different. We're talking about a hundred more monsters. We don't have the resources or the space to accommodate them all."
Chara smirked, her red eyes gleaming with mischief. "Guess you'll have to get creative, huh?"
Vance shot her a glare, but there was no real heat behind it. "Thanks for the vote of confidence."
Nina giggled softly, her presence a comforting presence beside him. "We'll help you, Vance. You're not alone in this."
Vance felt a small smile tug at his lips. Despite the challenges ahead, he knew that he could count on Chara and Nina to have his back. They had been with him through thick and thin, and their support meant more to him than he could ever express.
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The council meeting was held in the central square, with representatives from each monster tribe gathered around a large, makeshift table. Vance stood at the head of the table, his expression serious as he addressed the group.
"Thank you all for coming on such short notice," Vance began, his voice steady despite the knot of anxiety in his chest. "As you may have heard, we have a situation on our hands. Over a hundred refugees from the Steamworks are planning to come here, seeking shelter and a new home. We need to figure out how to accommodate them without overwhelming our resources."
The leaders murmured amongst themselves, their expressions a mix of concern and determination. Vance took a deep breath, continuing. "I know this won't be easy, but I believe we can do it if we work together. We'll need to expand our housing, gather more supplies, and find a way to integrate the newcomers into our community. It's a big task, but I know we're up to it."
The Froggit elder, a wise and weathered monster with a deep, croaking voice, was the first to speak. "We will do what we can to help. Our tribe can assist with gathering food and materials."
The Loox representative, a tall, one-eyed monster with a calm demeanor, nodded in agreement. "We can help with the construction. Our strength will be useful in building new shelters."
The Migospel, a delicate, moth-like monster, fluttered forward, her voice soft but determined. "We can help with organizing and distributing supplies. We may not be strong, but we are good at keeping things in order."
However, not all voices in the council were immediately supportive. A Moldsmal elder shifted uneasily before speaking. "We understand the need to help, but we are already struggling to sustain the population we have. Farming in the Underground is difficult—our soil is weak, and only a few monsters possess magic capable of accelerating growth. The lack of capital and resources has made it hard to modernize our food production. Even with recent improvements, we are still only barely producing enough."
A Pyrope leader a tribe relatively few in the number in the ruins spoke, his molten eyes flickering with skepticism, crossed his arms. "We've only recently begun implementing new farming methods, thanks to Vance's ideas. But even those methods are crude, barely scratching the surface of what surface dwellers have achieved. We don't have the infrastructure or trained individuals to expand agriculture on the scale needed to feed a hundred more mouths."
Vance raised a hand to calm the rising tension. "I understand the concern," he said. "And you're right—farming has been a struggle here. But we've also made progress. We've been using outdated techniques for decades because of the monsters being stuck in the underground unable to develop fully due to limitations of materials and manpower. I don't know everything about human agricultural technology, but I remember some basics from things I learned from books and the internet."He gestured toward the assembled leaders. "With help from some of our brightest minds, we've already managed to apply some of those methods using monster magic. By improving irrigation, experimenting with nutrient-rich compost, and utilizing underground-friendly crops, we've seen an increase in food production. It's still small-scale, but it proves we can adapt."
A Whimsalot representative nodded thoughtfully. "And if we take in the Steamworks refugees, there's a chance some of them have knowledge or skills we lack. The Steamworks was a hub of mechanical ingenuity—surely some of them were engineers or researchers who could help us advance our farming efforts further."
A few murmurs of agreement rippled through the council, though some skeptics remained unconvinced.
"Then let's not make a decision just yet," Vance proposed. "Before we set anything in stone, we should meet the refugees first. We don't know their exact skills or how they can contribute, but we shouldn't dismiss them outright. Once we see who they are and what they can offer, we can reassess the situation."
Toriel, who had been listening in quiet contemplation, finally spoke. "That is a fair compromise. The Ruins have always been a place of refuge. We must be cautious, but we must also remember our compassion. Let us meet them before we decide."
With the matter temporarily settled, the council agreed to send a delegation to meet the incoming refugees. As Vance looked around at the gathered leaders, he felt a cautious optimism take root.
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The council meeting had ended with a sense of cautious optimism. The leaders of the monster tribes had agreed to welcome the refugees from the Steamworks, though not without some reservations. Vance had done his best to mediate the discussion, balancing the concerns of the Ruins' current inhabitants with the urgent needs of those seeking shelter. It hadn't been easy, but in the end, the council had reached a consensus: they would open their doors to the refugees and find a way to make it work.
As Vance stepped out of the meeting room, the weight of the decision settled heavily on his shoulders. He could feel the tension in the air, a mix of hope and uncertainty. The Ruins were already stretched thin, and the arrival of over a hundred new monsters would test their resources and their unity. But Vance knew they had no choice. Turning the refugees away wasn't an option—not for him, at least.
Chara's voice cut through his thoughts, sharp and unyielding. "You're making a mistake, you know."
Vance sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Not this again, Chara."
Chara's spectral form flickered into view beside him, her red eyes gleaming with disapproval. "You're too soft, Vance. Letting all these monsters in? They're just going to drain your resources and cause more problems. They should learn to fend for themselves instead of relying on others. It's pathetic."
Nina's softer voice chimed in, her presence materializing on Vance's other side. "Chara, that's not fair. These monsters have lost their homes and their livelihoods. They need help, and we have the ability to give it. Isn't that what compassion is about?"
Chara scoffed, crossing her arms. "Compassion is overrated. It's just an excuse for people to be weak. If they can't survive on their own, maybe they don't deserve to."
Vance stopped walking, turning to face Chara with a frown. "That's a pretty cold way of looking at things. These monsters are just like us—they're trying to survive. If we can help them, we should. It's not about being weak or strong. It's about doing what's right."
Chara's expression hardened, her red eyes narrowing. "Doing what's right? That's a nice sentiment, Vance, but it's not going to feed a hundred extra mouths or build enough shelters to house them. You're being careless."
Nina stepped forward, her light blue glow flickering with concern. "Chara, I understand your worries, but Vance is trying to help. We can't just turn our backs on them."
Chara glared at Nina, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Of course you'd say that. You're all about kindness and understanding, aren't you? But the real world doesn't work like that. Sometimes, you have to make hard choices."
Vance sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Chara, I get where you're coming from, but I can't just ignore people in need. If we work together, we can make this work. We've come this far, haven't we?"
Chara didn't respond, her silence speaking volumes. After a moment, she turned away, her form flickering as she disappeared from view. Nina hesitated, glancing at Vance with a worried expression.
"She'll come around," Nina said softly. "She's just… complicated."
Vance nodded, though he couldn't shake the unease in his chest. Chara's reaction had been more than just frustration—it had felt personal. He couldn't help but wonder what was going on beneath the surface.
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As Vance walked through the Ruins, his thoughts turned to Chara. Over the weeks, he had come to know her as a complex and often contradictory person. She was sharp-tongued and cynical, quick to criticize and slow to trust. But there were moments—rare, fleeting moments—when he caught glimpses of something deeper. A vulnerability that she tried so hard to hide.
He thought back to the first time he had met her, when her spectral form had flickered into existence before him. He had been shocked, of course. Chara was a figure straight out of the game he remembered from his past life—a human child who had fallen into the Underground long before Frisk. In the game, her role had been ambiguous, often painted as a villain in fan theories. Some believed she was the driving force behind the Genocide Route, a malevolent presence urging the player to destroy everything.
But the Chara he had come to know was different. Sure, she had her moments of darkness—her ominous remarks during battles, her occasional suggestions to "end it quickly" or "make them suffer." But Vance had always felt that those moments weren't entirely her. It was as if something else was influencing her, something she couldn't fully control.
And then there were the gaps in her memory. Unlike Nina, who had slowly begun to recall fragments of her human past, Chara seemed to remember very little. She knew technical things—how to fight and survive—but nothing about who she had been or what had shaped her. It was as if her soul was incomplete, missing a crucial piece.
Vance couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for her. Despite her tough exterior, he sensed that Chara was lost, searching for something she couldn't quite name. And while she often pushed him away, he knew that deep down, she cared—in her own way.
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The tension from the earlier conversation lingered, and Vance found himself alone as he made his way to the temporary camp where the refugees were staying. Chara had chosen to leave, her frustration palpable, and Nina, ever the peacemaker, had quietly followed, sensing that the atmosphere wasn't right for her to stay.
Vance's thoughts swirled as he walked, his golden soul pulsing faintly in his chest. He couldn't shake the feeling that Chara's reaction had been more than just about the refugees. It was as if the idea of helping others had struck a nerve, reminding her of something she had lost—or perhaps never had.
He shook his head, trying to focus on the task at hand. The refugees needed his help, and he couldn't afford to be distracted. As he approached the camp, he was met by Lila, the Whimsalot who had been assisting him. She fluttered over, her delicate wings shimmering in the dim light.
"They're waiting for you," Lila said, her voice soft but urgent. "The leaders are still debating, but they want to hear from you."
Vance nodded, steeling himself for the conversation ahead. "Thanks, Lila. Let's not keep them waiting."
As he entered the camp, he was struck by the sight of the refugees. They were a weary-looking group, their faces etched with exhaustion and uncertainty. Some huddled together for warmth, while others sat alone, their eyes hollow and distant. It was a stark reminder of the challenges they had faced—and the challenges that lay ahead.
The refugees were a diverse mix of monsters, many of whom Vance had never seen before. A few had reptilian features, their scales dulled from hardship; others had forms reminiscent of creatures from fairy tales—tall beings with elongated limbs and glowing eyes. Among them were stout, troll-like monsters with thick fur, shifting uneasily as they clutched meager belongings. A small group of winged creatures, resembling gargoyles, perched on the ruins of broken structures, their eyes watchful. Only a few still held traces of hope in their gazes, but most bore the weight of survival.
At the center of the group stood a gathering of monsters who had taken on leadership roles within the Ruins. The most imposing among them was an Astigmatism, its large, unblinking eye staring down at Drak with a scrutinizing gaze. The monster's thin, floating body drifted slightly forward as it spoke, its deep voice carrying authority.
"So, you're the one leading these monsters," the Astigmatism intoned. "Tell me, what exactly can you offer?"
The most notable among the refugees was a tall, purple dinosaur-like monster with a calculating glint in his eyes. He stood with an air of confidence that immediately put Vance on guard. Unlike the others, he didn't seem uncertain or conflicted—he seemed opportunistic. His gaze swept over the leaders of the Ruins before he smirked slightly.
Drak extended a clawed hand. "You can call me Drak. I'm the one who's been keeping these folks together since the Steamworks shut down. We've been through a lot, but we're looking for a place to settle."
The Astigmatism narrowed its eye but didn't immediately reply, waiting for Drak to elaborate. As they discussed the logistics of integrating the refugees, Vance's attention was drawn to a figure standing just behind Drak. A young monster girl—tall and lanky, with purple scales and messy, dark hair. Her yellow eyes were sharp, but there was a vulnerability in them that caught Vance off guard. He recognized her immediately—Susie.
Her appearance matched the descriptions he had seen in fan art and theories from his past life, though she looked far more worn down than he had imagined. Malnourished, her clothes hung loosely on her frame, and she kept her arms crossed, as if shielding herself. Vance noticed how she flinched slightly whenever Drak moved, as if she expected something.
Their eyes met for a brief moment, and something in Susie's gaze made Vance's stomach twist—recognition, hesitation, and a deep, buried resentment. Before he could say anything, Drak stepped forward, blocking his view.
Drak's smirk widened as he spoke his next words.
"What we do have, though, is manpower. Plenty of kids in this lot—young, able-bodied. They could be useful. Train 'em up, put 'em to work. It's a fair trade, isn't it?"
The air grew cold. Vance's heart pounded, bile rising in his throat. The gathered monsters stared at Drak in stunned disbelief. Even Susie tensed, her expression flickering with something—disgust, fear, or perhaps just confirmation of something she had always known.
The Astigmatism's eye darkened, its expression unreadable. The winged gargoyle-like monster nearby twitched uneasily, and the reptilian elder let out a low, disapproving growl. The idea of forcing children into labor—even under the guise of apprenticeship—was unthinkable.
Vance clenched his fists. The refugee situation had just become far more complicated than he had ever expected. What could they do now?