Understanding

Back before Asgore arrived, Linde called Toriel. "Hello, Mom."

[Oh, Linde. Is something the matter?]

"Well, we're probably going to meet Asgore soon."

[What?! Get out of there right now!]

"Don't worry, Mom. He won't attack us here. And even if he does, I'm sure he'll stop as long as you scold him over the phone."

[No! You can't gamble with your life like that! Listen to me this time, all right?]

"It's fine, Mom. Just listen, okay? Don't say anything. We'll talk to him."

On the other end of the line, Toriel sighed helplessly. She knew Linde was the sort of person who couldn't be stopped once he had made up his mind, so she gave up trying to persuade him. All she could do was listen over the phone and make sure the children were safe.

Asgore's voice came through the phone. At the sound of it, Toriel gave a quiet huff.

She had left him after he announced that decree. She had always believed his approach was deeply flawed: it treated the symptoms rather than the cause, and it would cost innocent lives...

She heard Asgore invite the children in for tea, then heard them enter the room. Memories of their life together surfaced in her mind... No, I can't think about that. I won't forgive him just like that.

But when she heard Asgore ask the two children to kill him, she froze completely. The plate she was holding fell to the floor and shattered.

As the strategist behind the Throne, she naturally understood everything. Asgore had never truly intended to set the monsters free. He knew that if they really reached the surface, conflict with humans would be inevitable.

Monsters had always been kind by nature. It wouldn't even be an exaggeration to call them a little too saintly. They cared for others even when they weren't of their own kind.

Asgore was no exception. He had simply shouldered everything alone to give the monsters hope.

Linde actually felt rather helpless about this. Given the monsters' nature, if they really reached the surface as they did in the original ending, the best outcome would be enslavement by humans. As for the worst...

As Toriel listened, a voice in her heart urged her to rush out of the Ruins and stop Asgore, but Linde gently tapped the phone twice to calm her down.

At that moment, she suddenly realized-

Was I just... trying to save him?

Of course. After all, I never really blamed him...

Something in Toriel's heart seemed to ease.

Later, after Asgore left, Linde finally took out his phone. "Mom, what do you think?"

His words still echoed in Toriel's mind: "I'm just so tired..."

"Mom?" Linde asked from the other end of the line.

"Leaving him like that... perhaps it really was irresponsible of me...

"I always opposed what he was doing... he... but I never hated him. I was simply trapped in my guilt over failing to protect my own children."

Toriel walked into her room and took a photograph out of a drawer. It showed her and her husband, with Chara and Asriel below them.

A few tears fell onto the photograph, washing away the dust and restoring color to the faded image.

"Mom, are you okay?" Frisk's concerned voice came from the other end of the line.

"I never blamed him. I was only forcing my regret over my own helplessness onto him...

"Thank you, Linde. I know what I need to do next."

"Mm-hmm!" Linde nodded, deeply moved. What a time to be alive! I actually lived to see Goat Mom forgive Goat Dad! Now I can die without regrets.

"Linde told me everything! You two were even the nuzzling champions back in the day! I hope you make up soon!" Frisk giggled beside him. "Ow!"

Linde lowered the hand he had used to flick her forehead. Ignoring Frisk's resentful look, he spoke into the phone. "Don't listen to her nonsense. I think you two should have a proper talk about this. If you can come to understand each other, that would be the best outcome."

A few minutes later, Toriel hung up with a relaxed expression, picked up a broom, and went to sweep up the broken plate in the kitchen.

Asgore and Toriel had shared a bond for at least a few hundred years. No matter how serious their disagreement, they would surely be able to reconcile! Linde firmly believed that.

"Are you... finished?" Noelle poked her little head around the doorway.

"Of course. Let's play..." Before Linde could finish, Frisk, seething with resentment beside him, tripped him to the floor. He turned his head stiffly. "Come on, we can talk this out... Aaaaaaah! Help! Murder! Aaaaaaah! Noelle, don't just watch! Save me!!!"

Yep, another happy day!