Seeing the long line of armed police surrounding the lab perimeters, the Wanderstar siblings had moved inside the building to hide from unwanted attention. There, they started sneaking some homemade sandwiches over to the Aratet boys.
But the inside wasn’t better for very long. First it became a political circus, followed up with a hardboiled detective speech, leading into a bunch of cursed wires slicing the lobby apart, and capped off with Papyrus crashing through the window.
The moment Roger walked into the room, the whole deal resolved itself, somehow. Cenna had only one sentence to sum up the whole situation:
“What in the actual hell happened???”
Frisk popped the last bit of their sandwich into their mouth. Between chewing, they said: “Typical Ebott stuff.”
“Which part?”
“Every part.” After swallowing their lunch, Frisk tugged on Cenna’s coat. “Let’s go catch Papyrus, Sis. Otherwise we’ll miss the good bits!”
“Follow the trail of the Cinnamon Roll, eh?”
She turned to the rather frightened pair of brothers standing beside her. If an experienced Vanquisher couldn’t make sense of what transpired, the boys were out of luck.
Giving the boys a reassuring pat on the back, Cenna said: “I think your dad is outside.”
“Oh yeah,” Frisk nodded. “You gotta come with us. Definitely.”
The four of them skirted around the wreckage and carefully avoided the broken window glass. Outside of The Lab, at the front entrance, they found quite a sight.
The police, The Magi, and the monster’s Royal Guard surrounded a big bad band of captured humans, tied up in thorny vines. The sharp spines cut their skin upon every small attempt at movement.
Rosy Cheeks Chara, the warden and owner of the vines, was pleased with their handwork. “Ha. Ha ha ha! Struggle. Struggle harder… so that I may torture you even more. Ha ha ha ha!”
Flowey grimaced. “Okay Chara, you’re enjoying this waaaaaaay too much.”
Smug, Chara replied: “Just savouring the fact that I’ve done something right for once. I’m not a failure anymore!”
“As a fellow soulless DEMON flower, I can strangely relate to that. Maybe I’ll let you off the hook this time.”
A little bit more to the front – guarded personally by Captain Undyne herself – was a woman with reddish hair, whose face matched the profile briefings of Madina Odin: Persona’s oldest daughter. Bound in thorns with a water spear pointing to her neck, she was forced to sit at the feet of her many enemies.
Noticing her presence, Captain Undyne waved at Cenna with an excited grin on her face. “Hey, you guys came at the right time! We caught the big lady boss and all her goons in one fell swoop!”
Puffing his chest with great pride, Papyrus exclaimed: “IT’S ALL BECAUSE OF ME, NYEH HEH HEH!” After taking one second of glory to himself, he relaxed to a more humble stance. “I JEST. IN TRUTH, ALL I REALLY DID WAS TO POINT EVERYONE IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.”
Roger patted the young skeleton on the back. “Take some credit, lad! If it weren’t for ya throwing a spanner in her works, that gobby goblin gopnik would have slipped away in the crowd. Ain’t that so, Cap?”
The fishy captain immediately scowled. “Damn right! God, Papyrus. Roger and I spent the whole damn day trying to rat her out. THE! WHOLE! DAMN! DAY!”
With his typical stern stoicness, Mezil added: “Her ordinariness is her strongest asset, enabling her to blend into crowds in a blink. She’s quick to change her costumes and habits, making it difficult for even experienced eyes to spot her.”
Dayton tensed up. He couldn’t bear to look at his aunt, a sign that she held a lot of power over his life.
“Dayton!” Madina barked. “Get me out of here, now! Remind your father what’s at stake! Beg him if you have to!”
The boy winced, shut his eyes, and tried to look away. Yet, despite his attempted resistance, he still found himself swayed. Turning to his father, he said. “Uppa. I-if we turn her in… What about the plans for the village? We… We will lose the engineers and electricians.”
With his arms crossed, Aiden replied: “I know.”
“We won’t be able to build a central market for our tribe. Niton won’t be able to travel the world to play his music either. We will lose everything we’ve fought for.”
Aiden lowered his head, heavy with the weight of his choice. “I know that too.”
“So that was what she promised you, huh?” Cenna commented.
Dayton explained, “…After the war, our people were deemed as outcasts. Nobody wanted to trade with us. Nobody wanted to protect us. The other tribes would raid our villages and the rulers would do nothing about it. Life only started improving after Dad struck a deal with the Ebott Branch of Gungnir. Aunt Madina sent technology, generators, and weapons. Helped build wells. Gave all kinds of funding too.”
“So,” The Vanquisher leaned on her leg, “To repay the favour, you gotta destroy The Magus Association. Is that right?”
“Yeah…” The boy lowered his head in guilt. “I’m sorry.”
“Hey, don’t worry about that! I bet Ol’ Mez here can provide better aid than your nasty aunt!”
Mezil cleared his throat. “Judge Caraway, you should know I’m banned from entering that region. Likewise, all Magus Association efforts have been frustrated by the reigning government. We will not be able to help the Aratet directly. However… anything is better than being enslaved by the twisted will of this mad woman.”
Madina spat back. “You have no place to talk, Vampire! You live in extravagance in your stupid tower, far away from normals like us! You have no idea what life is like over there!”
“If you cared so much about your brother’s plight, you wouldn’t have attempted to kill him and his family.” Mezil turned aside, paying no more attention to the cornered rat. “I’d say it’s time for Aiden of Aratet to represent his people.”
Meanwhile, Roger told Clement: “You handle this, Clem. You’re the bee’s knees and the cat’s meow with the fancy-schmancy diplomacy chatter.”
“Hey! I’m STILL here, damnit!” Madina exclaimed, “You can’t just brush me aside and--”
Undyne had heard enough, splashing some cold water on Madina’s head.
With a catty smirk, she said: “Cool off, hotshot! I still remember how you treated Papyrus. Dayton doesn’t need to answer you anymore. Heck, NOBODY does!”
“Clement!” Persona’s daughter cried out, “I thought you wanted to protect humanity too! We tipped you off about The Vampire and helped further your investigation. We share the same goals, remember???”
The fair-headed cop chuckled. “Ah, about that. I’m afraid our goals have diverged. I might have been more sympathetic if you weren’t so vicious in your execution. Besides… you were never honest about your true intentions, were you?”
“You--”
Shaking his head, Roger made little sweeping gestures with his hand. “Put that sussy baka away before I get knackered, Cap. She’s just gonna start another daft racket if you let her.”
“Roger that, Roger.”
And so, Undyne hauled Madina over her head, carrying her off to the nearest police car.
Freed from the nuisance, Aiden breathed a little easier. He then straightened his shoulders to make a declaration: “Us Aratet have disowned Madina Odin as our sister. We will hand her over to this nation’s police, along with her minions. We will also disclose all information related to Gungnir. In exchange, we seek amnesty and the release of any captured members of our tribe. We will then return to the Great Plateau to live out the rest of our lives in peace.”
Clement raised a brow, smiling through his scepticism. “Does that include giving up your lucrative mercenary work? After all, your people’s true expertise has always been in the business of blood money.”
“I will lead by example!” Aiden replied, bold. “I know my tribe’s agricultural knowledge lags far behind the rest of my neighbours. So, I have studied modern farming and ranching techniques with the intent of rebuilding our society.”
“How very interesting. What about those who had gotten comfortable in this land? Especially those with spouses and children?”
“That will be up to them. But, they will no longer be part of Gungnir either.”
“I see. Hmmm. I would consider the lack of imprisonment too soft… but who am I to object against His Majesty’s decision? Amnesty is his jurisdiction, not mine. My King has declared that if you turn in Madina Odin, he will allow you and your entire tribe to leave without strings attached.”
“Do you have proof of your King’s word?”
“A drone from the Royal Palace is being sent to his representative – the Supreme Judge of The Magus Association – as we speak. It should carry the proof you seek.”
Mezil nodded in response. “It will arrive soon.”
Satisfied with the outcome, Roger issued orders for his men to haul the rest of the captured criminals into their respective transports.
Just when Cenna thought she could catch a break, she received a surprise phone call from Linda, her former classmate. After they had exchanged numbers, she thought that Linda’s contact would languish in the depths of the untouched list forever, but alas.
“Excuse me for a moment, Frisky.”
Over the line, Linda was in tears: panicked, near incomprehensible, and deeply distraught.
“Linda?” she asked, “What’s wrong? You alright?”
“My son…” Linda sobbed, “I can’t find him anywhere! He’s not in school, not at the playground, not at the mall, not even at home! You have to help me! He’s my precious baby boy, I don’t know what I’d do without him!”
A child going missing put Cenna on high alert. “Linda, I’m gonna ask a series of questions to help me find your kid. Keep your answers as concise as possible. Okay?”
“Okay.”
“What is his name?”
“Robert. Robert Buttons. H-he prefers Bobby.”
“How old is he, exactly?”
“Nine and a half.”
“What does he look like? His clothes? Any other distinctive features?”
“H-he should be wearing a red and black striped shirt with dark pants. He has cute freckles, green eyes, and a crew-cut. His hair is… orange-brown? Somewhere between tawny and chestnut? It changes with the time of day.”
“Got it. When was the last time you saw him?”
“When I dropped him off at school this morning, right before my part-time work.”
“How do you know he went missing?”
“I-I bought lunch for him. Then I went to the school to deliver it, but he was already gone.”
“The teachers didn’t notice anything?”
“No! I-in fact, they didn’t even know Bobby attended school today! They thought he was sick at home. I called my friends and nobody is answering either.”
“Have you reported this to the police yet? I mean, I have connections, but you need to make an official report.”
“I can’t! I can’t tell the police that Bobby is missing! I’ll ruin his life if I do, and I can’t do that Cenna, I just can’t…”
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
More and more red flags popped up in Cenna’s mind. The last she had met with Linda, her fellow Vanquisher had warned the mother that her son was on a downward spiral. He was caught throwing rocks at the police multiple times, with Cenna herself being one of the unfortunate victims.
Bobby had to be somewhere in Ebott Town. Otherwise, Linda wouldn’t be calling her for help.
“Oooookay Linda you’re worrying me now. I got a feeling you know exactly where the kiddo went and it ain’t looking good for him.”
“Please. Please find my son. I’ll drive anywhere to pick him up, so please don’t report this to the police, please.” The poor mother soon broke down into incomprehensible sobbing.
“Alright. Send me a recent pic of the kid and I’ll keep my eyes peeled.”
“Thank you. Thank you so much.”
Not long after, Cenna received Bobby’s photo. He sure had changed his style since last she saw him. The picture, alongside Linda’s answers, made it a lot easier to ask around if needed. Maybe some monster might have seen him.
She then spotted Hannah taking a matching boy into Alphys’ Lab, guided by the geeky lizard herself.
Putting her phone back on her ear, Cenna passed the good news. “Hey Linda, I think I saw your son. He’s with someone I know. ”
“A-already?!”
“Yeah. Can you stay on the line?”
“Sure.”
Cenna set her sights on Hannah and weaved through the crowd, entering The Lab right behind her. She found Hannah standing in front of the bathroom, looking rather discontented.
Waving, Cenna greeted her. “Hey, Hann! Got a min?”
Clement’s sister, Hannah Eccleston, was The Barfellow’s main police contact. Although she was suspicious of the ragtag crew at first, they became good friends and partners after solving many cases over the years.
“A minute may be all I have,” Hannah replied. “What’s up, Cenn?”
“I see you’re on babysitting duty. Well, I got some good news for ya! I have that boy’s momma on the line. She’s willing to drive down to Ebott to pick up the tyke.”
Hannah’s expression changed into an outburst of relief. “That’s wonderful! Could you pass the phone to me for a moment? Switch to speakers.”
“Sure thing.”
Cenna did as asked, the policewoman then turned serious again on a dime.
“Officer Eccleston speaking. Is this Linda Buttons, mother of Robert ‘Bobby’ Buttons?”
“Y-y-yes.” Linda stammered. “Is… is my son in trouble?”
“Not anymore, ma’am. The Magi rescued your son from a big fire.”
“Magi? A fire?! Is he hurt?!?”
“Magi medics said he only has some first-degree burns. Nothing life-threatening. I heard from your contact that you’re willing to drive down to Mount Ebott to pick him up?”
“Yes! Definitely! I will go wherever I need to go for my little Bobby.”
“If that’s the case, I’ll release him from police custody and hand him over to your contact. Is that fine with you?”
“Of course! Thank you so much, officer! Thank you!”
Around that time, Bobby came out of the bathroom. His first reaction to Cenna was to open his eyes wide and gasp. “It’s the witch!”
Hearing her son’s voice, Linda yelled from the other end of the line: “BOBBY!!!”
A mother’s authority was quite a sight to see. The boy instantly straightened up upon hearing his angry mother, “M-mommy?”
“Do you have ANY idea how worried I am??? Don’t go anywhere, young man! You’re going to stick with Aunt Cenna until I pick you up, you hear me?”
“B-but Mommy, she’s the witch you warned me about! Don’t you remember? She shot you with her evil magic!”
It was at that moment, Cenna felt the boomerang of consequences hit the back of her head. She too remembered that incident, when Linda and her gang tried to exhume the corpses of The Six. A table was blown up in the heat of the argument.
With a gentler tone, Linda said: “…Bobby. That ‘witch’ is the only person Mommy can trust right now. Don’t leave her side. Understand?”
“But…”
“It’s grown-up things, okay? Be a good boy and listen to me. I’m driving down to you right now, so see you soon.”
“Okay, okay. Bye Mommy.”
“Bye dear.”
The call ended. Despite the words of compliance, Cenna doubted that Bobby would stay obedient for long. A kid who ran away from school, hitched a ride all the way to Ebott, and joined a protest won’t be yielding to a few words from his momma.
Hannah, being a mother herself, must have sensed the same problems. “Will you be able to take him in my stead, Cenn?” she asked.
“I’ll try my best. Go on Hann, you have bigger fish to fry.”
“Very well. I’ll let The Supreme Judge know on the way out.”
“Thanks.”
She passed the boy to Cenna and left with a mutual salute. Then – as predicted – the moment the police officer stepped out of sight… Bobby tried to run away.
Cenna summoned her bird-shaped Psychia and made it fly. It spun around the kid, tying him tight in a magic rope. When the bird returned to its owner, the caster gripped the cord like a leash and pulled it tight.
Smirking, the Magus said: “Gotcha!"
“Let go of me, you bitch!” Bobby snapped back. “You witchy bitchy witch!”
“Nope, no can do. Though I gotta say, that’s some pretty impressive ‘b’ and ‘w’ switching right there.”
Ignoring the surprise compliment, the boy tugged on the rope in defiance. Cenna in turn grounded herself and resisted his attempts.
Seeing that he couldn’t break free, his brain cells decided the next best course of action was to fight. Using the entire weight of his child-sized body, he tried to bodyslam Cenna.
The experienced Vanquisher dodged all of his immature, clumsy attempts. Eventually, Bobby tripped over himself and fell flat on the floor.
“Kid, you’re gonna hurt yourself bad at this rate.”
Flopping like a fish on land, the boy threw a tantrum. “Shut up! Shut up! You’re a brown bitch witch! Brownie brown bitch witch shit! You don’t belong here! Go back to your own country!”
“Sorry, buddy. I ain’t got no memory of that sorta place. There’s nowhere there for me to go.”
Bobby flustered for a moment. Then, he yelled: “I bet your parents were illegal immigrants!”
“Dunno about that actually. I was adopted at an early age. Any other insults you wanna throw my way?”
Out of words, Bobby’s only remaining action was to… throw a bigger tantrum. His face turned red with rage as he flopped around. A somewhat concerned Cenna vaguely recalled a certain fictional carp who could do nothing but splash. Didn’t that thing become a deadly blue dragon later?
The gal commented, “You got a lot of spunk, pal.”
“FACK YOU!!!” Bobby yelled back, still flopping.
“Man, you must have had some super bad influence in your life. Maybe more than one.”
The Dreemurr Siblings peeked from the corner, curious about the ruckus.
Flowey squinted. “Hey, it’s the kid Grillby and I rescued. Don’t feel sorry for him. He’s a total brat.”
“How so?” Frisk asked.
“Apparently, he was carrying a backpack filled with bottles of flammable liquids. I felt them sloshing around when I tried to pull him to safety.”
Chara stared at Bobby with a cold, cynical stare, maintaining their twisted smile. “More human trash, I see. Mankind continues to prove that they’re a disease. Ha ha ha.”
Frisk poked the flower by their rosy cheeks. “Wow, so edgy. So misanthropic. A flowerpot calling the kettle black. This calls for a bar of chocolate.”
“I agree,” Flowey nodded. “We all gotta stop being edgebags. There are too many running around town as is.”
The Aratet brothers popped in too. Dayton immediately recognized Bobby for a different reason. “Hey, it’s one of the youngest kids from Aunt Madina’s group.”
Pointing, Niton asked: “Um… what is it, student spirit? Muduu roha? ”
“Yep. In these lands, they call that a ‘disciple’.”
“Oooh, learn new word!”
Before Cenna could explain herself, Bobby became furious. “Why are you standing there, you lazy Aratet half-breeds??? You should be helping me kick her ass!”
Dayton grimaced at the boy and sighed. “I forgot that he’s also the most annoying one… with a nasty racist streak to boot.”
Niton patted him on the back, understanding his brother's frustration. Then, the younger one explained something in his native tongue and called for ‘Uppa’.
Not long afterwards, Aiden of Aratet himself arrived. The sheer towering presence of that man cast a shadow over Bobby, hushing him into wide-eyed terror. He stopped flopping too.
Aiden commanded: “Stand up.”
Despite his binding, Bobby diligently did as told. He sat up and shuffled his legs into a squat. Then, he pushed himself off the ground with a big grunt.
Locking a glare at the kid, Aiden asked but one question: “Robert Buttons. Do you have your mother’s blessing?”
Bobby replied, “I-I came here with the other adults.”
His gaze narrowed, ignoring the deflection. “I ask for the last time. Do you have your mother’s blessing?”
“Y-yes!” Bobby replied. “S-she told me that I can fight.”
Instead of praise, the man barked back in fury. “You have dishonoured your mother with that lie!”
Bobby flinched, his guilt and shame further fanning his fear.
Amazed, Cenna said: “Whoa, how did you know he’s lying?”
“Linda Buttons told me in person she wanted to protect her family’s future. For that, she has my undying respect. Being a mother isn’t easy in any day and age.”
It was a little mind-blowing to think that a hardened warrior like Aiden held Linda in high esteem, especially with all her brashness. Then again, Cenna’s status as a Magus would often bring out the worst in her. Maybe she was nowhere near as rude or stuck-up around him.
“Dishonour your mother again…” Aiden manifested his Mark above the palm of his hand. “And I’ll call upon the gods to punish you.”
Bobby ducked from the terrifying display of sparks and lightning, then started to wail. He cried and cried. After all, he was still just a child.
Seeing Bobby’s sorry state filled Cenna with pity. Once upon a time, she was a bratty, naughty kid as well. Her biological parents couldn’t stand her very existence. Contrast that with the Wanderstars, who were determined to set her on the right path.
“Mister Aiden?” Cenna spoke up. “I think someone’s teaching him all the wrong stuff. He just needs some wisdom from the biggest of big bosses. Right?”
Although he did not reply, Aiden seemed to agree. Towards Bobby, he said: “A true warrior honours his parents first. Follow their guidance. Don’t betray them.”
With a confused and disappointed whimper, Bobby asked, “Then what about you? What about Dayton? You started as kids too.”
“My mother gave her blessing, and Dayton’s mother did too. That is the difference. We let our elders decide if we should leave for battle.”
“But why?” Bobby sobbed, “Why won’t Mommy let me go? Does she think I’m too weak to fight?”
Aiden knelt down to Bobby’s level, making himself less intimidating. With sincerity in his words, he said, “It’s because your mother decided that this war is not yours to fight. You don’t need that kind of bad karma.”
Cenna added, “Bobby, listen here. Your country and Aiden’s country? Two totally different places with totally different circumstances. He’s been backed into a corner, you are not.”
“I dun care!” the child huffed.
“Oh you’re gonna care, kid. Think about it. What if a cop caught ya burning down someone’s house? That’s worse than throwing a bunch of stones! You’ll get thrown straight into juvie, and sent to a prison school far, far, faaaar away. You won’t be able to see your mommy for years and years. Do you want that?”
His little brain cells finally ignited. “No… No! I don’t wanna be taken away from Mommy!”
“See? Now you’re getting it. So, lay low and stay with me until your mommy arrives. Okay?”
Bobby muttered: “…Okay…”
“Alrighty…” Cenna dispelled the ropes. “Now that you’re a good boy, why don’t you say hello to Frisk? Go play with a fellow kid.”
The choice was obvious for Bobby. He’d much rather hang out with another kid than to stick with an adult, especially this particular bitchy witch. He hurried over to Frisk and immediately started greeting them. Cenna was about to follow, but then Aiden blocked her path.
Tilting her head, she asked: “Anything I can help you with, Mister Aiden?”
Cutting into the chase and skipping all pleasantries, Aiden stated: “You’re an Asura Sakti. Scourge of Omni Itari. Dark skin, spirit eyes, and a burning soul that’s crumbling into embers. A rare commodity in my country.”
The sheer frankness shocked her. Here she thought she was used to Mezil’s tsundere ways and wouldn’t be shaken by anyone else.
‘Asura Sakti’, roughly translated to ‘Demonic Power’, was the regional term for girls who underwent a heretical magic-enhancing ritual. It was an ancient practice that predates Lord Berendin’s founding of The Magus Association.
“Did The Vampire buy you from the black market?” Aiden added.
“Whaaaaa?! No way! Is that the word on the street in that side of the world?!?” Cenna took a moment to recollect herself with deep breaths. “…Okay, okay, okay. Buddy. I think you got your wires crossed somewhere. First of all, our business is busting human trafficking, not encouraging them! Secondly, Social Services took me from my parents before I manifested any magic. A kind childless mage couple then saw a youngling in need and picked her up. Don’t go making a boogeyman outta them or Ol’ Mez. They did nothing wrong.”
“I see. Are you sure your parents were actually your parents then?”
What a weird question to ask, thought Cenna. If they weren’t her biological parents, Lucy would have already told her about it. Knowing her, she would have done a full investigation years ago.
“Yeah. They were. As far as I know anyway. Why do you ask?”
Aiden glanced at the floor, somewhat nervous. He maintained a strong front at all times, yet it cracked ever so slightly.
A couple of seconds later, he made a curious confession: “I saw an Asura Sakti before, as a child on the battlefield. We had secured an abandoned town as our base of operation. I was on scout duty at the time. At noon, on a clear day, I spotted a lone woman in the distance, wearing a sari. She looked just like you, complete with unnatural eyes that glowed as bright as the sun.”
A Yellow Major, Cenna thought. Despite her conclusion, she didn’t interrupt, letting Aiden tell his tale at his own pace.
“Before I could sound the alarm,” he continued, “That demon… she rained destruction on us. Her magic decimated everyone and everything in its wake. Nothing could withstand her might. My mentors. My peers. The adults. The children.”
“I hid beneath the rubble like a powerless, pathetic mouse, certain that I was going to die. When she stopped her assault, I was too afraid to find out why. I stayed in that same spot until I was rescued days later.”
Cenna gulped. “Uh, based on first-hand experience, that woman probably died before she got ya. Her last hurrah. Cheap nukes sound good on paper, but in reality they put too much burden on the caster.”
“Indeed,” said Aiden. “It would have been her pride to destroy us before her soul extinguished.”
Cenna crossed her arms and pondered. “Sorry if I sound a bit rude, but are you sure this Asura looked like me? Memories can get super fuzzy over time, especially when it comes to faces.”
Aiden replied: “…I’m not mistaken. Her face is forever burned into my mind. When I saw you, I was sure that you were her child.”
“Not sure how I feel about that. I would rather be a product of coincidence, if that makes any sense. I don’t know if that lady was my mom, aunt, cousin, or sister. Never in a million years would I describe myself as an Asura Sakti.”
“Why?”
In her usual cheeky demeanour, Cenna pointed to herself and winked. “Because I’m a Wanderstar!”
“That’s just make believe. It won’t cover your violent heart. I know what you did to Linda.”
What followed after was an awkward silence. Cenna’s conscience began to nag at her. She could dismiss her pre-adoption life on the basis of childhood ignorance, but she can’t do the same with her adult life. She thought that she better come clean to Aiden before her Justice was affected.
Lowering her head, she tipped her hat and hid under its shadow. “…Yeah, I get it. I can’t run away from reality, can I? I may act fine now, but you haven’t seen all the times when I blew up. Lucy did. Ol’ Mez did. Heck, even Captain Undyne did. I have an annoying list of medications to take every day so I don’t go crazy under my own skin.”
Continuing, she said: “I gotta admit that there were times where I wanted to give up. But, Ol’ Mez is determined, no pun intended. He wants me to live as long as possible. Said that maybe one day, somebody would discover a method to give folks like me a normal life. Me, and, well, a lot of other patients with similar symptoms.”
Aiden then asked, “Then, what about all that talk about being a Wanderstar?”
“It keeps me grounded. Otherwise… I might become an Asura for real.”
“No. You’re different.”
Hearing that, Cenna lifted her head and blinked a few times. “Eh?”
Aiden continued, “You tried to console my sons and protect them from my sister. You helped Linda and Bobby, even though they are your enemies. That warm kindness proves that you’re different.”
Hearing that praise made her blush, “Whoa there, I could be the one raining hell if I had to. Like, if you guys came charging in with missile launchers, machine guns, and whatnot. I wouldn’t have held back.”
“But that never happened. We’re not at war anymore. And I already surrendered Madina to the police.”
“Huh… that’s a great point.”
Her spirits lifted, Cenna grinned with gladness, showing her pearly whites without reservations once more. “Hey, I guess that makes both of us regular human beings then, right? Just trying to take care of our families in this quaint monster town.”
A soft chuckle escaped under Aiden’s breath. “‘Regular human beings’… I never thought that I’d hear that phrase apply to an Aratet and an Asura.”
“That too is ‘karma’. The best kind. Good instead of bad.”
“Agreed. Then, live your remaining life to the fullest. That’s my blessing for you, Miss Caraway… No, Wanderstar.”
Satisfied with the conversation, he turned around and walked back outside.
Cenna stood there for another ten seconds before reality sunk in. She couldn’t believe her ears. A former enemy? Blessing her by name? Talk about this being a ‘golden timeline’, where miracles happen on top of miracles.
She would happily accept this outcome with deep gratitude, especially when Papyrus, Frisk, and everyone else had busted their chops for it.