Return To Form 27

The scent of freshly fallen rain greeted Clover when he awoke, he breathed deep and slowly cracked open his eyes. He was warm and cozy, cozier than he had been since becoming a Monster, and it was thanks to a still-slumbering Kanako holding him in her embrace.

He smiled at her, laying his head back down next to her and just enjoying the moment. The sea of forest stretching on was enchanting, alongside the mirrored expanse of clouds up above. Though he preferred the nice, dry heat of a summer day, this kind of weather was a close second.

Clover smiled when Kanako mumbled something in her sleep, squeezing him closer. The whole Melody thing had wore on him more than he had anticipated, and the fox's promise to help out was like a weight lifted from his back. Maybe that was the reason he had slept so well.

He sneezed a bit when one of her tails buffeted his nose. Well, one of the reasons – one would find it almost impossible to find a better pillow than her tails after all.

He couldn't help but smile, looking forward to the day's events and meeting the others that couldn't make it to the diner last night. Melody still loomed over everything ominously, but the fact not only Martlet but Kanako too had his back on this made him feel as though that situation really could be handled. Hopefully peacefully as well.

The soft creak of wood made him lift his head again, and in the doorway he saw a sleepy looking Ceroba. He suppressed a snicker at the sight of some pretty major bed head the older fox was sporting, and the way she was rubbing her eyes and snout reminded him of Kanako.

“So that's where you two ran off to.” Ceroba whispered then yawned with a big stretch. She looked several years younger, her fur positively glowing in the morning sun peeking through the clouds. “Sorry about knocking out last night, Martlet told me what happened and I... I... well, there's no excuse.”

Clover shook his head slowly, “Ya need your rest, ain't nobody gonna blame ya for that.” He whispered back, then side eyed Kanako. Though he was reluctant to leave her embrace and the comfort it brought with it, he slowly wriggled out of the younger fox's arms to stand and stretch himself.

Ceroba eyed him intently, then her. “...So why are you two up here?”

Clover frowned guiltily, “I made her real angry last night and she ran up here, but we made up and just kinda wound up slept out here since it was real comfortable watchin' the rain.”

“I see.” Ceroba murmured, sounding oddly relieved by this though Clover couldn't place why. She moved away from Kanako to give her some peace, instead approaching the railing on the other side of the deck and leaned upon it, staring out at the scenery. “...It /is/ pretty nice up here.”

“Ain't it?” He joined her in admiring the treetops – the rain had long since died down, and though it was still somewhat cloudy, it was beginning to clear up once more.

The older fox breathed deep and exhaled slowly. “Feels like the last time you and I had a moment like this, it was back in the Steamworks. If only Chujin could have seen a sight like this; smelled the rain, felt the sun and the breeze on his fur...”

Clover remained silent for a time at that. The memories he had absorbed from Kanako played out in his mind's eye – he had seen many sides of Chujin from Ceroba and Martlet, yet it was through Kanako's point of view that brought the scientist into a new light.

Despite all his flaws, everything he did, he did for Kanako's sake. It was a foreign feeling to Clover back when he peered into Ceroba's memories, but now thanks to the parental love he had felt from Martlet, he could understand it far better.

“You know, I'm not sure how much she told you, but Kanako really spruced up Chujin's grave down in the Underground. It's downright beautiful.” Clover spoke softly, “She told me how much he loved plants, that she got that part of her magic from her dad, so might not be my place to say but... I really think he'd love what she did there.”

“I'll have to see it for myself, but I have no doubts my little girl did something amazing.” Ceroba nodded in agreement, “If I'm being honest, it's actually a big relief; that I left his grave down there unattended weighed on me quite a lot. We'd make the journey to Mt. Ebott on the anniversary of your death every year but... I could never muster up the courage to actually go back into the Underground. I don't know... I guess it felt like if I went back down there, I'd never come back out. Many a time I just thought if I went back to the estate I wouldn't want to leave, even if it was just a bunch of ash and charcoal. I would have been fine with that.”

“Ya know... that was actually Kanako's plan too after she was cured. It's why we went to the estate in the first place.” Clover chuckled dryly, then nodded seriously when Ceroba looked at him in surprise. “Yep. She was just gonna spend the rest of her time there, didn't want to bother anyone none. Didn't want to make anyone sad by suddenly comin' back into their lives.”

“...Like mother like daughter I guess.” Ceroba whispered sadly, “And I take it you're the one that talked her out of it?”

“I wouldn't quite say that.” Clover looked over his shoulder at the sleeping Kanako, “I just laid everythin' out on the table, and she made her choice. In the end, it was Kanako herself that decided against staying and came with me instead. I'm glad for it though, just look how it all turned out.”

“That's... basically the same thing, Clover.” Ceroba chuckled, reaching over to ruffle his hat gently. “You really are too modest, you know that? You can afford to take a /little/ credit from time to time.”

Clover frowned a bit uncomfortably at that. “...Just don't want it goin' to my head is all.”

“Hmm...” Ceroba narrowed her eyes at him and stopped ruffling his hat to instead pinch one of his cheeks. “Sorry. Old force of habit returning I guess.”

He rubbed his cheek with a half smile, “'S okay. Uhm, listen, Ceroba...? I... we-- The reason I made Kanako upset was-”

“The blue human SOUL is around here, isn't she?” The older fox murmured quietly, staring off into the distance. She side eyed him when he looked at her in surprise. “I know you, Clover, and the only thing you could do to piss my daughter off that much is something like that - she's practically stuck to you like glue otherwise. I understand how you feel, but what that girl has done... it can't be forgiven, you know that right?”

Ceroba sighed and a silence fell over the two as they let it stew, though it was neither of them that broke the silence first.

“I'm /not/ going to forgive her.” Kanako called from across the deck, making them turn to look at her. The younger fox had sat up and was rubbing her eyes sleepily. “...But like Clover told me, she's dangerous right now mom. We have to help her so she doesn't hurt more people, then... I want to hear from her why she did all this.”

The older fox looked at her daughter in surprise, then exhaled slowly. “Alright. Sounds like you two have made up your minds on this, so what's the plan then?”

“Mm. We should probably get Martlet in on this too.” Clover frowned, “Where is she anyways?”

“She flew out to get some things so I can make us some breakfast, but knowing her she's just stopping to get something for all of us to eat.” Ceroba stretched then gave a big yawn, “...Which is fine with me since I really don't feel like washing dishes. In any case, good morning you two.”

“Good morning.” Clover smiled up at her, then looked at Kanako and moved to help her unravel herself from the miniature mountain of blankets.

“Morning.” Kanako mumbled while stumbling free from the impromptu bed. She glanced at Clover, feeling a mix of emotions, and he caught her hesitation. He pulled back at that, and the frown he wore lanced pain through her chest.

The younger fox reached out and grabbed his hand before he could pull away fully. “Sorry.” She murmured sadly, then looked at her mother. “Uhm, mom...? Can we be alone for a little bit?”

Ceroba opened her mouth to protest, but the pleading look from Kanako gave her pause – she /did/ promise to be less stubborn after all.

The older fox eyed the two, then waved a hand. “Alright alright, but come down soon okay? I'm going to go get the table prepped – I think it'll be nice for us to eat breakfast together.”

With that she turned and stepped back inside, vanishing down the stairs and out of sight. Once she was sure her mom was gone, Kanako looked back at Clover, and he at her.

“...We gonna talk more about it?” He asked with a sad, yet hopeful smile. “I know ya ain't happy, but...”

“It's what's right.” Kanako hugged herself, looking away from him and out to the treeline. “We /have/ to help her, or she might hurt people. She's probably gonna hurt people even if we do help her though, you know that right? She was already a bad person, and now she's a Boss Monster with a human SOUL too.”

“That's... definitely possible.” He admitted and joined her in watching the trees. It was a lot more complex than that, but he knew well enough by now that Kanako would not budge on this. “But we'll stop her. You 'n me, Ceroba and Martlet too. We just gotta get there first.”

“...” Her jaw clenched and unclenched a few times, feeling herself getting worked up again. “...And if she goes too far?”

He felt her staring at him intently, and he saw the question coming. “I ain't no executioner, Kanako, and neither are you – somethin' like that won't help ya feel better 'bout anythin'. /We/ stop her, and let the people in charge punish her. Starlo is the mayor, and apparently Ms. Toriel is close with the humans over in Hometown. I think it'd fall to them in the end.”

“That's not an answer.” She insisted, “What if she's going to kill me? Or absorb your SOUL? Or anyone else visiting??”

The lizard was clearly growing frustrated, but still she continued to prod.

“What if she beats Martlet? /Really/ hurts her?” She drew close, then backed up a bit when he let out a hiss. It surprised not just Kanako, but Clover himself as they both went wide eyed and looked at each other.

“S-sorry...” Kanako murmured, rubbing an arm guiltily. She hadn't even realized she had been pressuring him like that until it was too late.

Clover rubbed his face angrily, taking a moment to calm himself. “...I don't know, Kanako. I'll admit that. I don't got all the answers, but I do know that all them 'what ifs' always lead to some real dark paths. Paths we shouldn't walk, understand? I know this is a lot more personal to you than it is for me, but I need to make that clear... you're a good person, Kanako.”

He took a deep breath, and gently took her hands into his own, looking her dead in the eyes. The fox squeezed his hands tightly in turn, the growing frustration each felt was more than a clear sign to drop it again.

“...It's too darn early to be gettin' this upset.” Clover huffed, taking some solace in the fact that Kanako hadn't pulled away this time and was squeezing his hands back. “Let's... just go eat somethin', kay? I'm starvin'.”

“Me too.” She said after a brief pause. She wasn't thrilled, but he was right in that they shouldn't let this ruin their day already. “Are we... okay?”

Clover paused for a moment, then nodded firmly. “We're partners, Kanako. We made that promise to each other, now 'n forever. Even if we don't see eye-to-eye on everythin', even if we disagree on stuff, that's normal. It ain't a bad thing, and it ain't just gonna chase me away.”

That hit Kanako particularly hard, yet it was also curbed a bit by the relief she felt. It was a strange feeling, but she decided to just take solace in his words.

Together, the two stepped back inside and went downstairs. Just as they hit the last step, the sound of Martlet touching down outside shook the front door a bit. A few seconds later, the big bird shuffled inside carrying a handful of bags with a few different designs on them.

She let out a heavy exhale once she set them all upon the living room table, not from exertion, but rather her social battery already running low. Buying a whole bunch of fresh produce was a rarity for her around town, and even more so was the fact that she had went out and bought a few breakfast platters from a human-made fast food place in town.

It seemed rumors were already spreading of her acting 'weird', much to her chagrin – she was perfectly happy when people were too scared to bother her with a bunch of annoying questions as to what she was up to.

“Wow... that smells mighty good.” Clover speaking up shook her from her thoughts and Martlet managed a small smile.

“I wasn't exactly sure what I should get... I got a bunch of groceries but I knew I was taking forever and figured you guys would be super hungry so I just... uh, got this?”

The bird set out the platters piled high with pancakes, bacon, sausage, and scrambled eggs, complete with enough syrup to drown everything. This made the older fox turn up her nose at this.

“I can't believe you actually got th-” She began to say, then caught herself and grimaced. “...Not to sound ungrateful just... I don't think it's wise that you eat something so loaded with real sugar this early in the morning, Kanako, Clover. It's really unhealthy and not exactly what I'd call a 'proper' breakfast and-”

Her lecture was interrupted by Kanako opening up the plastic top and sniffing deep, then grinning wide. “Wow! This smells amazing, Martlet!! This is really for us?”

“Well, it's one a piece but yeah.” Martlet's smile widened, then took on a guilty edge when she looked at Ceroba.

“Just... take it easy, okay kids?” Ceroba sighed and grimaced at her own platter, and at least fished out a sausage to munch on. “...Thanks, Martlet. Sorry, just.. guess I'm being overprotective again.”

“Mm.” Martlet narrowed her eyes at Ceroba for a moment, then patted Clover on the head. He had been waiting patiently as if wanting permission to eat. “You go ahead and eat too Clover, but like Ceroba said, take it easy – too much sugar can make some Monsters act a bit loopy okay?”

Clover sniffed his own platter curiously, then grabbed a piece of bacon and the platter itself and moved over to sit with Kanako so the two could dig in together. “Thanks Martlet, I won't eat too much since I ain't ever been a fan of this kinda sweet stuff anywho, but I'll definitely eat the bacon and eggs.”

“Oh! Can I have your eggs and sausage then?” Kanako licked her chops and snatched them up when he slid them over to her.

“Hey!” Ceroba called, then frowned when she saw just how much her daughter was enjoying this. It didn't take long for the two kids to finish up and the sugar rush to set in, and from there they ran outside to play.

“Well... I guess since it's going to be a long day, it's best to load up now huh?”

“The winds are really nice now, so I think last night really was the last of the rain.” Martlet nodded while pecking at her own food, “The festival venues are all set up and people are waiting to get in. So think it's going to be in full swing all day.”

“Great.” Ceroba sounded equally excited and worried, “At least I can give the kids some money to shop with since I don't have to worry about rebuilding the shrine anymore.”

“I'll pitch in too.” The bird said seriously, “Clover's my kid now too, so it's only right, right?”

“Right.” The fox chuckled, “Though maybe we can get a gift for them ourselves too, eh? That sounds pretty nice... maybe I can find some clothes for Kanako for cheap since she doesn't exactly have a wardrobe that fits her anymore... I can make some clothes just fine but it's not 'proper' since they'll be going to Toriel's fancy academy.”

“That's... a good point.” Martlet admitted, in truth she had planned on just sewing some clothes up for Clover but the last thing she wanted was him being teased for having home made clothes. “...Can I tag along with you when you're browsing?”

“Sure.” Ceroba chuckled some more, patting the bird's hand. “Though we'll just have to find some boy's clothes instead, it's not a big deal.”

“You know, if you wind up buying some furniture, I don't mind flying it up the mountain for you. Save money on a hauling truck.” She offered, making the fox blink in surprise.

“That...” She looked off in thought from the sheer amount of possibilities that opened up, “I'll definitely take you up on that, I need to get some furniture for Kanako like a dresser and a bed. Though... that reminds me – what are your plans for Clover and his room here? I saw that they slept in a uh... well your closet last night.”

“That was just a temporary thing.” Martlet waved a hand and chuckled nervously, then settled into rubbing the underside of her beak as she mulled it over. She had a few concepts that she had been thinking about, though none of them seemed too realistic. “...The most reasonable idea I had was just building an entirely new room onto my house, he definitely deserves nothing but the best but you and I both know Clover will fight every board I lay down insisting I'm doing too much for him.”

“He'll definitely do that, yeah.” The fox agreed with a snicker, watching the two kids run around playing tag through one of the windows. “Well in that case, why don't you turn it into a bonding project? You and him, making his room together. You can teach him about carpentry and he can help you make the room exactly how he wants... it'd be like that boat you kept talking about and how you wanted to rebuild it with him all those years ago, right?”

Suddenly Martlet found herself growing misty eyed, smiling warmly at the idea and the memories that rushed back to her. “That's... a really really sweet idea, Ceroba. Thank you. I'll do that.”

Martlet stood and shuffled over to her back porch and waved the kids over, with Ceroba trailing behind her shortly after.

“Look, look!” Kanako snickered about something she was hiding behind her back while Clover looked grumpy with his arms crossed. After a dramatic pause, the younger fox produced a small lizard she had caught in the underbrush of Martlet's backyard.

The little gecko had resigned itself to its capture, though still it kept its maw agape ready to unleash its fury should Kanako let go. The source of her snickering and Clover's irritation was the lizard's coloration and wriggling tail.

“It's a mini Clover!” She giggled, ribbing the lizard monster all the while.

“It so does /not/ look like me.” He insisted, though it was clear from the expressions of Martlet and Ceroba that this was not the case.

The bird waved a hand for Kanako to stop teasing him and she let it scamper off underneath the floorboards of the porch. “Honestly, I used to get confused about all the bird comparisons up here on the surface.”

“The amount of times humans have asked me if I dive head first into snow used to get on my nerves but now I just play it off.” Ceroba admitted.

Clover sighed, easing his posture a bit. “...Dunno why that irked so bad. Uh, sorry.”

“Sorry too.” Kanako frowned, “I just thought it was really cute... I didn't think it'd get you so mad either.”

The lizard rubbed an arm then managed a small smile at her, “...Least ya got your hands on it and it played nice, right? Told ya not all animals would react like that to ya, just gotta keep trying.”

The realization only seemed to hit Kanako at that moment now that he had pointed it out. “You're right! Mom, I held that lizard and it didn't freak out!”

“It seemed pretty mad at the entire situation but I understand your meaning.” Ceroba chuckled, patting her on the head, “Still, don't make it a habit going forward okay? There's a lot of dangerous critters around here and you wouldn't want to stay in the hospital for a few days because you got bit or stung by something, right?”

That sent a shudder through Kanako's body and she shook her head, “N-no. I uhm, I'll be more careful.”

They let the moment sit for a moment, before Martlet cleared her throat. “Well, I wanted to get your thoughts on something, Clover. You can't just sleep in that closet going forward, and so I thought maybe we could add onto the house by making you your own room. It'd be just me and you, with me teaching you the basics of woodworking and you can get it exactly how you want it arranged and stuff.”

As expected, his expression immediately read as not being for it until Martlet got to the part about teaching him, to which he brightened up considerably at. “Could ya show me how ya coat stuff to make it all resistant to the weather and stuff?”

That took the bird by surprise, and the two adults exchanged a side-eyed look that struck the kids as a bit strange. In reality the technique Martlet had developed was something she had made all her own and was highly sought after, especially in town, but given how much Clover meant to her, she could think of no better person to actually pass it down to and nodded.

“Alright... it's really tough to do and takes a lot of magic power, but honestly given what you are you should master it in no time flat.” She smiled hopefully at that and the lizard pumped a fist in victory. “Can I ask why you want to learn it so badly though?”

Clover ran his hands over his frills in thought at this, admittedly there were a lot of reasons he wanted to learn the magic, though primarily it was just curiosity and admiration.

“...There's a lot I feel like should be preserved in the Underground.” He finally said, looking at Kanako. “We walked basically the entire Underground when I woke up, and... there's stuff down there I don't want fallin' to ruin like everythin' else.”

Kanako seemed surprised by that, but it was obvious that her father's grave came to mind. “New Home was really... spooky. And... and the cafe in Oasis was all buried by sand. It was...” She trailed off with a sad sigh.

Ceroba felt a pang of guilt for burning down their home, then looked to Martlet. The bird similarly felt guilty for what was, in retrospect, likely something she could have done something about herself. It wasn't like there wasn't precedent given that there were Humans and Monsters alike that did make the journey to Mt. Ebott to view that piece of Monster history.

“...Alright, I'll teach you, but maybe we can head over there soon and I can take care of the more important things first.” Martlet leaned forward and with a soft smile ruffled Clover's hat. “It's so like you that something like that is on your mind even now.”

“You'll really do it?” Kanako seemed surprised by the offer, and even Ceroba seemed to be taken aback a bit.

“Yep. Of course I'll do it, actually... I haven't gone to see your dad in a while.” She said, and Ceroba nodded in agreement.

“We can make it a big journey together, kind of like the anniversary thing just... well, different.” The older fox squeezed her daughter's hand, “You can show us how you arranged things down there.”

That returned a big smile to the kid's faces, Clover at the prospect of learning this unique magic, and Kanako with the knowledge that her father's grave would be forever immortalized against wear and tear.

“...I hate to break up the moment, but... we should probably get going to the festival since we have to walk and it'll be in full swing by the time we get there.” Ceroba cleared her throat, but before the two kids could run off to get their things, she placed a hand on each of their shoulders. “Actually... Clover,  Kanako, before we go, lets get Martlet up to speed on the /game plan,/ okay?”

That sunk their smiles right back down into frowns. Kanako remained quiet, but Clover nodded in understanding. “Best a time as any. Uh, listen, Martlet? Ya remember what I told you I was thinkin' about and how I said I'd tell ya about it soon? Well...”

Clover set about getting Martlet caught up on the finer details of his encounter with Melody, the things he had discussed with both Kanako and Ceroba, his own thoughts on the matter, and what he and Kanako were planning. The two foxes remained silent throughout save for when he prompted them to give their input, and likewise, Martlet was entirely quiet save for when she needed some clarification.

She had pieced most of this together on her own during their talk with Alphys, but Clover's effort in all of this surprised the big bird still. Of course, she knew that this was right up his alley, but it still made her both proud and apprehensive.

Clover was no stranger to life-or-death situations, and he had proven that he had no issues getting into the nitty gritty if it meant helping out someone else, but all of this still made her uneasy.

Maybe it was in part thanks to her own hand in all of this – if she had not helped that strange monster to town so long ago, would Melody even be a problem now?

						----

The trek through the forest was nice and fresh, a brisk breeze flowed through the trees and to ruffle fur, feather, and frills alike. It was always lovely this time of year here in Eastwood, even with the destruction the storm wrought the quiet aftermath was as peaceful as ever.

The four of them had all agreed to head out as soon as possible, the coming confrontation with Melody looming over them all had become something for the two adults to ponder in silence.

Martlet was kicking herself for being so irresponsible as to leave Clover alone like that, leaving him at risk of being attacked by Melody. Even if she had a good reason to rush ahead back then, it was a clear sign to her that she needed to do better.

Ceroba meanwhile had taken to sorting through all that she could recall concerning the Blue Girl. The rotten little girl that had, in the end, taken everything she had held dear to her. It was only by a miracle she had Kanako now, and she did not intend to let that demon finish her work.

The aftermath of the Snowdin Incident had left both Chujin and Kanako changed. The former much more so than the latter, but it was unmistakable. Chujin had grown distant, which only increased as time went on. Her daughter meanwhile had become more reserved, less trusting. Even if only slightly, a mother knows.

Her husband rarely commented on the Incident, and by and large all those involved even tangentially had little to say on the matter – it was just a reminder of the grim reality Monsterkind found themselves in, and fuel to the  the dying embers of anti-human sentiment, rekindling it to a blazing pyre once more. The Human had come and killed Monsters, then had gone as fast as it had arrived like the boogeyman so many had painted Humanity as in their mind. That they were never found was a topic of harsh criticism towards the Royal Guard, at least until the SOUL had mysteriously found itself at the King's doorstep. People didn't question it, they were just happy that the threat was gone once more.

Ceroba had learned that this torrent of thoughts had occupied her husband's mind until it ultimately consumed him, but in retrospect all of his strange mannerisms made sense. She had gone over it many times in the years since Clover's passing, particularly during the Amalgamate Trials, yet her husband's rapid decline in mental health had always stood out to her as being particularly harsh.

Now she knew that that rotten little monster had a hand in that, too. He was driven mad and his very SOUL made to waste away by that little girl twisting and haunting him. Or at least, that was likely the conclusion she would have reached years ago.

Ceroba could tell that her daughter harbored much the same fears that she now held – it was something she was scared to dwell upon, for she already knew the answer deep down: Was her husband's fate /actually/ Melody's fault?

The forest echoed with the laughter of Kanako and Clover as the two chattered idly about all that they wanted to do at the fair – Clover telling Kanako all about the various foods and rides and prizes to be won, and Kanako being the one to decide what to do and in what order.

They were more than happy to push the topic of Melody to the side for now, after all, what use was there in continuing to worry themselves ragged if it was going to happen anyways? They knew what they had to do, so when the time came it was just as simple as doing it.

This attitude slowly infected the two adults as time went on – a peaceful walk in the forest just after a fresh rainfall with friends and family was not something that they should take for granted after all.

And so that was what they did, first it was Martlet that opted to join their conversation – this would not be the first festival Eastwood held after all, and if it was anything like the ones prior, then she had a lot of insight to the best spots to go and try.

Rattlesnake bites, candied apples, fried macaroni, the whole gambit of treats that were as unhealthy as they were delicious. The more Martlet went on, the more she and the others realized that she had a penchant for the foods more than anything else.

Which prompted Ceroba to give her insight to the places of interest. She was similarly familiar with past fairs held by the town, but with the added bonus of being so close with the mayor – she had heard some particularly juicy tidbits from him during their chat in the cafe yesterday.

The Dunk-A-Mo was sure to be a hit, as was the tilt-a-whirl, and especially the grand ferris wheel which was the pride and joy of the town – a favorite among the denizens of Eastwood and especially those coming from Hometown to show their support.

This got Kanako even more excited once they had explained what all of that was to her, and just like the long walk in the woods to the edge of Eastwood proper went by in a flash.

They crested a hill that also held the edge of the treeline, with the two kids running ahead. The gasp Kanako let out echoed through the trees. Framed in the light of the sun poking out through the clouds was Eastwood in all its glory. Parts of the town had been leveled by the storm, but for the most part it still stood proudly beneath the peaks of the Koun Mountains.

Kanako hadn't seen it from this angle before, and Clover had only seen it like this at night prior, and from a bird's eye view besides. It really was a shining gem amid the sea of forest and mountains.

What was most eye catching of all was the fairgrounds itself – intertwined with the town itself just next to city hall, it comprised several blocks that had all been decorated with bright colors and lights. The lots next to what could only be the civic center had all been set up with rides and booths alike, and the entire town was abuzz like an angered ant hill, a majority of the traffic centered around the fairgrounds.

“Wow...” They both breathed in unison, then started pointing it out to their respective parents when they finally joined them at the treeline.

“Look at the ferris wheel mom!” Kanako excitedly pointed it out, “It's so big! We can really ride that to the top??”

“Yep, sure can.” Ceroba took a moment to catch her breath, “Sorry, you'd think with how often I come up and down those stairs at the shrine I'd be in shape...”

“There ain't no rush.” Clover smiled over at her, clearly anxious to get a move on alongside Kanako, who finally seemed to catch on and she nodded too.

“Mm, wanna take a break here? The sight is really really pretty so it's okay.” She walked over to her mother to take her hand.

Ceroba smiled wearily at being fussed over like this, clearly not used to such a thing, and waved their concerns away. “I'm fine, I'm fine. Just needed a breather after that hill is all, it's smooth sailing from here since it's downhill.”

“That offer to fly us all there is still there~” Martlet smirked down at the fox, who narrowed her eyes up at her. She let out a snort and inhaled, then let out a steady stream of frosty breath onto Ceroba. The fox sighed in relief, basking for a few long moments until her hair had gotten frosty on the tips.

“Alright, I'm good.” She pushed up off of her knees and gave a thumbs up and a nod of appreciation to Martlet. “That never gets old.”

“It's a nice warm up, I'm probably going to be doing that a lot today. Maybe I'll get started on making some ice blocks for people to cool off by when we get into town.”

“The humidity /is/ killer.” The older fox gestured to the trail, “I'm sure Starlo will appreciate it.”

“...I hope he doesn't start trying to take advantage of my good mood. Him or Mo.” The bird grumbled as she lead the way towards town, crossing her arms and glaring at city hall. “Not that I don't mind helping out, but still...”

“Mm, I can see Mo doing that for sure, but Star? I think he'll be happy just to not have you giving him the death glare constantly.”

“Ugh. Okay, fair, but still - if things get too hectic I'm heading out.” She grimaced heavily at that, then looked at Kanako and Clover over a shoulder. “That extends to you two as well, okay? If you ever feel like things are getting to be too much, just come find me.”

“Gotcha.” Clover responded seriously, and though Kanako nodded, it was clear she didn't quite understand what Martlet was talking about. He'd just have to stick closer to her than usual in case she got overwhelmed by just how hectic things could get at a fair.

With Ceroba good to go and Kanako eagerly wanting to get there as soon as possible, the four of them upped their pace down the winding hills and eventually the farmland surrounding Eastwood.

The gray-black blots that blighted the crops went ignored by them all, and it seemed Martlet's presence was more than enough to keep those volunteers working the fields away save for some stares direct the group's way.

When farmland gave way to buildings and streets and the hustle and bustle of the city, they formed into a tighter-knit group without a word.

Ceroba eyed her daughter cautiously whenever people moved past them, but it was unneeded.

To Kanako, it was all so different compared to when she had driven here with her mother, perhaps because she was on her own two feet. Or perhaps it was just the company? In any case, gone was the apprehension of all the people staring at her, Monster and Human alike walked the streets yet rarely anyone paid her any mind – it was clear that they – and she – had only one thing on their mind, and that was the festivities.

Even out here on the outskirts of town, the distant thud of fireworks and music lent everything a whimsical nature.

It certainly took Clover by surprise.

He wasn't sure what he had been expecting, but looking around he could see groups of Monsters and Humans chatting and going about their day like nothing was amiss.

It was enough to leave him feeling choked up slightly. Maybe it was because of how long he had dwelt on the matter, of what the sacrifice he had made so long ago might have meant for Monsterkind as a whole, but seeing this here now set his mind at ease. Lifted a worry from him of a kind that weighed far more than he had ever fully considered.

Flowey was wrong. Granted, there were bound to be bad actors, but by and large, this town was living proof that Humans and Monsters could not only coexist, but thrive.

The prospect of Hometown which he had heard was a full blown city compared to Eastwood's township became ever more enticing to him.

Whenever they passed anyone, he bid them a polite wave of the hand and a tip of the hat, and though generally everyone was polite back, it was in a way that gave him a bit of pause.

Monsters whole-heartedly returned the greeting, some of them even with a stray bullet or two direct his way which let him know just how happy they were to be here and how they wished him the best of days today.

Humans however were different – Maybe it wasn't something Monsters could pick up on, but as he was an ex-Human himself, he could tell that though the returned greetings came from a place of genuine kindness, it was marred just a bit by the way they looked at him.

He was being studied, somehow someway. Like one would do when at the Zoo. This puzzled him and he had begun following the others in silence, pondering on why that would be.

He supposed that, in the end, if he were in their position, he'd likely have done the same. He was guilty of it plenty of times down the Underground, after all. The exotic nature of Monsterkind just naturally lent itself to Human curiosity.

That was what he chose to believe in anyways. As the group neared the center of town, all of that gave way to something both Monsters /and/ Humans shared: Awe, and fear, all of it directed Martlet's way.

Most of the former stemmed from Humans, and most of the latter from Monsters. He hadn't thought her reputation in town was that dramatic. He looked up at her to see Martlet putting on a stone faced glare that sent onlookers packing with just a glance their way.

Clover knew better. He could tell she was stooping, even if only slightly. Hunching her shoulders. Her feathers slicked back in agitation, which only heightened her predatory, intimidating look.

He reached up and grabbed her hand, offering her a kind smile when she peeked down at him. She returned it with a half-smile, though the gesture did put her at least a bit at ease.

It was obvious that Martlet's presence in town had made the rounds as more and more people started idling about to catch a glimpse of her, especially as the group got closer to the fairgrounds.

By the time they were about a block away, a small crowd had started gathering, keeping a good radius of distance around them all.

It was Starlo that broke things up.

“Alright now, alright, break it up y'all! Nothing to see here now, go on git! Git I said, shoo! The chili cheese stand is all set up or so I heard, world famous Sunnyside chili, with extra corn! Get it while you can!!”

That seemed to do the trick, though some still insisted on hanging around to gawk at the big bird.

“Hey there everyone, sorry about that, you know how it is in town, Martlet.” He offered her an apologetic smile, “Happy to see everyone made it though, how'd the night go?”

“Well enough.” Ceroba said, looking him over keenly. “And you?”

“All went well, no worries there, Roba.” He grinned and hooked his thumbs behind the straps of his suspenders, “In fact I'm mighty happy things went smoothly, got some real actual shut eye for once, and through the night too!”

“Well that's good to hear.” Martlet said genuinely, “You looked a bit worn out before Starlo, but now you're back to your old shining self.”

“I feel like a million bucks!” He grinned, then looked at Clover and Kanako. “So, how're you two liking things so far? It ain't the fair just yet, but just about the entire town gets in on things when something like this goes down.”

“It's really pretty.” Kanako said, “Uhm, the noise is a bit much but at least it's nice noise? Like the music I mean. It's nice to hear, but... is it really loud at the fair?”

“Right, right... I suppose we're just used to it nowadays. Back when we first came to the surface, a lot of Monsterkind had trouble adjusting to just how noisy things were up here on the surface.” Starlo frowned and took a knee, placing a hand on her shoulder. “The Underground was a real big place, but it was still /underground./ One thing that helped a lot was just findin' somewhere quieter to be and counting your breath, some like the alleys or just stoppin' inside a building here and there. Let me teach ya, c'mon.”

He inhaled for four seconds, held it for another four, then slowly exhaled for an additional four. Kanako mimicked the motion a few times, then nodded. “That's... a bit better. Thanks Uncle Starlo.”

“D'aww, no problemo.” He ruffled her hair and stood up, “Just remember that if it gets a bit too much, alright? Find a nice quiet spot and do that. What about you, Clover? How you holdin' up?”

He looked over to him and the lizard gave a bit of a shrug, “I'm alright, thanks for askin'. Honestly it's just bringin' back a whole heap'a memories for me back before I went to the Underground. Only went to the big city a few times, but it were never as nice as this. This town is downright special, Starlo. Seein all the humans and monsters getting along together is just... I dunno, it brought a big ol' smile to my face earlier.”

The mayor actually sniffled at that, taking a moment to pull out a handkerchief and wipe an eye then busied himself cleaning his glasses while he fidgeted a bit. “Sorry, just... hearin' that from you of all people really hit me hard, Clover. Thank ya... that means the world to me.” He slipped his glasses back on and gestured for him to get closer, then placed his hands on both of the kid's shoulders. “Bout time I officially did this so bare with me. Ahem... Kanako Ketsukane, Clover... uh... well, to be determined, welcome to the town of Eastwood.”

To put a cap on it, Starlo pulled out a pair of items and presented it to them. It was a polished wooden case, and contained inside was a brass badge and a fancy looking cellphone.

“Woah...” Kanako breathed, taking out the badge and looking it over, then did the same with the phone. “Isn't this really expensive?”

Clover was more focused on his badge than the phone, it looked identical to the one Starlo gave him so long ago, though proudly embossed on it were the words 'VIP Pass'. He looked up at Starlo for an explanation.

“Now now, I know that look.” Starlo chuckled while making a placating gesture to the lizard, “The badge is from me, the phones are from Miss Sadie. She went out and bought 'em this morning for the two of you, they're all set up and ready to go. She said she wanted it to be a welcome back gift for you both, so no turnin' up that nose even if it's real expensive looking, alright?”

“Gosh...” Clover exchanged a look with Kanako, then swallowed any protests he was forming. “...I'll have to thank her myself when we next meet.”

“Yeah, where is Sadie?” Kanako gently put the phone back in its case with a frown, “She said we'd... play like old times.”

“Miss Sadie? She's over in the fair getting' the pie eatin' contest all organized for when high noon hits. It's gonna be a killer for the tourists just you wait!” Starlo chuckled while wringing his hands, “Oh yes, it's all comin' together smoothly. If I'm bein' honest, it's going /so/ smooth that I think we'll have enough to give most of the buildings around town a fresh coat of paint, so to speak. Won't have to just settle for repairing the worst of the damage that darn storm wrought!”

“Mm... these VIP passes then, are they...?”

“Now /those/ are from yours truly. You wear those badges and you two can ride just about anything in the fair, free of charge and even skip the lines which can get real bad trust me.” Starlo held up a finger, his smile widening. “Though keep in mind that the entire point of this whole thing is to support local businesses and raise funds for the town, so I can't rightly ask people to give away the hard work they put into their food and all that. The passes are purely for the rides, sorry about that.”

“Actually that puts me at ease.” Clover smiled and pinned the badge on his vest. “It wouldn't feel right just getting' everything for free.”

Kanako was obviously disappointed by this, but after a look from Clover, she nodded in agreement. “It's okay, the rides are going to be a lot of fun anyways! Thanks Uncle Starlo, we'll just stick to them.”

“Actually, here.” Ceroba interjected, pulling out a wallet from her back pocket to look through it. She pulled out a handful of bills and split them evenly between her daughter and Clover, $50 a piece. “We use this stuff as money up here on the surface sweetie, so don't lose it.”

“Really mom?” Kanako seemed more surprised at the gesture itself than the amount, taking it reverently then looking past it to her mom. “Isn't this a lot...?”

“It sure is...” Clover frowned, hesitant to take it.

Ceroba gently pushed the bills into Clover's hand and patted her daughter's head. “It's not a /lot/ but it's a good amount to have some fun with at the fair. With Undyne handling the repairs at the shrine for free, I can spare at least this much. Take it, it's a gift, don't feel bad.”

“If it's really bothering you Clover, here.” Martlet cleared her throat and reached down to add another bundle of bills to the pool of money for the two kids, “Think of this as making up for all the birthdays the two of you missed out on. Can't turn /that/ away, can you?”

“I-” He started to protest, then furrowed his brow and considered this. Phrased like that, he couldn't rightly turn it down, could he? “...Thank ya kindly. All of you.” He muttered while lowering his hat to hide his face.

Kanako let out a giggle then pinned the badge to her shirt proudly, her tails wagging with wild abandon behind her. “Can we go check it out then?”

“Sure thing lil' lady.” Starlo gestured to the street leading to the fairgrounds. “Though you two go on ahead; Ceroba, Martlet, can I talk to you two in private for a lil' bit?”

“Eh?” Kanako's grin faded, looking from the faces of the adults then to the fair, suddenly on edge. “You mean you...”

“It can't wait?” Ceroba placed a hand on Kanako's shoulder comfortingly.

“Wouldn't be askin' if it could, sorry to say. It's real important.” Starlo shook his head then shot a reassuring smirk at Kanako. “Y'all ain't gotta worry none, there's plenty of security around, and everyone's real nice. Besides, sometimes you just gotta let kids be kids, y'know? There ain't no harm in it, is there?”

Martlet rubbed an arm, exchanging a look with Clover. A silent conversation between the two about whether or not to let Starlo in on what was happening and their plan – the answer was obvious. “...How long are you going to keep us? We kind of have something to talk to you about too.”

“Geez Martlet, it ain't gonna be long. Just gotta iron out some things back at city hall.” Starlo frowned, looking between all of them. “If it's that big of a deal you two can come along, I just didn't want to rain on your parades is all.”

Clover let out a sigh and took Kanako's hand into his own, the Mayor didn't know about any of what was going on with Melody, and it wasn't as though they could just up and stop the festival now of all times. Eastwood /needed/ these funds, after all.

“...Naw, it's okay. Starlo's right, it's not like y'all will be gone long or that we'll stray too far. It'll be alright, right?” If he was being honest, he did want to talk to Kanako in private as well, and this seemed to be the best avenue for that. He looked at her and also smiled reassuringly, “We're perfectly capable of defendin' ourselves in any case, we'll be alright. Just you 'n me, remember?”

“...” The younger fox eased up a bit at this.

Starlo raised a brow, “I... feel like I'm missin' something here.”

“Like Martlet said, we have stuff to talk about.” Ceroba shook her head at him, then wagged a finger at the two kids. “We're trusting you two to be smart and be safe, okay? Why don't you two load up your new phones with our numbers and give them back to us, so in case anything were to happen, we're all just a call away?”

Kanako and Clover took the new phones out of their cases and quickly familiarized themselves with how they work, then exchanged numbers with each other, then Ceroba's and Martlet's numbers well, then finally handed their parent's original phones back.

“The /moment/ you suspect anything is wrong, call me, okay?” Martlet said seriously to Clover, then swept him up into a big hug. “It'll be alright, we won't be too long, okay? Enjoy the festival, and have fun.”

“Mm, of course.” Clover returned the hug, “Don't you worry none, and uh... tell Starlo that I'm sorry about all this Melody stuff harming the town.”

“He'd never blame you or anyone for that, Clover, you know that by now.” The bird set him down and looked over at Ceroba who had done much the same as she had but with Kanako instead.

“...It isn't anywhere near as scary as you make it out to be in your head, alright?” The older fox eased, “You just have to go and do it, then you'll see that it isn't so bad.”

“...I'm not leaving Clover's side for anything still.” Kanako insisted, but nodded all the same. “Bye mom... see you soon, okay?”

“Ya ready?” Clover gestured to the fair with a thumb, and together the two of them ran hand in hand down the street.

...Right to a candied apple stand when they spotted it.

“Take it easy on the sugar, you two!” Ceroba called after them, then sighed when they vanished out of sight. “...Ugh, they're definitely going to gorge themselves on all sorts of sweets.”

“Aw c'mon Roba, you know how it was when they held festivals in Snowdin when we were kids. Just let 'em be kids, now that they can, right?” Starlo laughed and patted her back, “It'll be fine, let their first experience be one to remember, I say!”

“You haven't had to deal with kids when they're hyper.” Came Ceroba's rebuttal, though before Starlo could reply, Martlet cleared her throat again.

“Fun as this is, what did you want to talk to us about, Starlo?” She crossed her arms and glared down at him, “You're right that this is Clover's first time being at a festival as far as I know, and you're making me miss it.”

“Uhh... right, right...” The mayor's good spirits withered away under the intensity of her glare. “It's just business, like I said. Y'all promised to run your booths this year, remember? So I just needed you to read the contracts and sign them, then get started on running them... heh, uh, if you want we can just throw the whole thing out...?”

“Ugh, I forgot about that...” Ceroba groaned, “No, I should run things at least a little bit to make some cash. Can never have too much... besides, I have to save up to buy school supplies and all that. Is everything ready to go then?”

“Yep, the Koun Shrine booth is ready to go.” Starlo gestured in the direction of city hall and lead the way there, “And your aerial tour booth is a big talk of the town, Martlet. I'd really appreciate it if you ran it for at least a little bit... I know it's a big ask, but it'd really mean the world!”

“Fine.” Martlet at least saw the wisdom in Ceroba's words – she needed to provide for Clover now too, after all. And besides, running her tours from the air would at least let her keep an eye out for any moth clusters out and about.

“Oh! Speaking of bad news, uh... well, Undyne's over at city hall, she's wanting to settle the contract for rebuilding Koun Shrine too, figured we might as well get it all handled and out of the way pronto, you know?”

“Wonderful...” Ceroba rolled her eyes, “Let's just get this over with as fast as possible.”

The walk to City Hall was mercifully short, though when they entered they were caught by surprise.

Standing in the middle of the lobby, pacing up a storm, was Dalv. He looked like he had aged a couple of decades since the last time they had all seen him. Sat nearby was an irritated but worried Undyne, her gaze leaving the vampire only long enough to acknowledge the rest of them.

“Dalv? Is that you, pardner?” Starlo asked in shock and jogged over, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and easing him over to one of the seats in the lobby. “What in the blazes happened? Why haven't you been returning my calls?”

Martlet's gaze focused on him intensely, noting the cuts and bruises he had on his face and hands. Despite an obvious attempt to clean up, he was still filthy in a few places. She looked over to Undyne, who matched her glare undaunted.

“Don't be a dumbass and think /I/ did this. He won't tell me squat.” She gestured over at Dalv, “Maybe you all will have more luck, I wanna know who did this, and why.”

“You could stand to be less /you/ then.” Ceroba growled at her, then walked over to Dalv and ran a hand across his eyes, “Dalv... Dalv! It's us, are you okay?”

The vampire jumped and held a hand to his chest, heaving for a few moments as he finally seemed to register where he was. He looked at Ceroba wide eyed, then past her to Martlet and scrambled over to her. “Martlet! Martlet the... the moths.. they-”

The bird's eyes widened. She planted her hands on his shoulders and held him steady, leaning down to look him in the eyes. “Dalv.” She spoke authoritatively, her presence weighing down on everyone in the room, even Undyne shifted uncomfortably. “You're safe. Calm down, okay? What happened?”

The dazed vampire bit his quivering lower lip, then shut his eyes and took a deep breath. “Yes.. yes you're right, you're right. I... I apologize everyone, I-- I was so terrified that I... let me start over, please.” He looked between them all, “I come baring grim tidings, I'm afraid. This town... all of us are in grave danger.”