Chapter One: A Promise
"It is with a pain in our hearts, to announce that two of our children…Chara and Asriel... have died." King Asgore spoke with his signature trident in his hands, looking back at his awestruck wife and adopted eldest. The monster's looked up to their king, murmuring amongst themselves.
"The poor children, they were so young" one said.
"They were our hope..." another mused.
"The humans, they took my children- Our hope away from us!" Asgore let out a deadly roar as he stomped his foot on the ground.
Toriel jumped at her husband's quick action, the queen was horrified to hear he was going to wage war with the above ground world. A teenage canid stood beside her adoptive mother. She was angry. Angry at the very thought a human was the cause of her own brother's demise. A smoke flared in her eyes, hiding the gaze from her mother she started straight to the king.
"Dad…?" She called.
King Asgore huffed as he looked back to his last little one. "Yes, Rae?" Rae exhaled deeply as she stepped closer to where he was, looking over all the monster's in the Underground. A low growl emitted from her throat, she was formerly a human herself.. but no one in the Underground knew except for the king's scientist Dr. Alphys. She was determined to make the humans pay for what they took from her.
"We'll make sure they pay for what they did to Asriel?..." A determined Rae looked up at her adoptive parent. Asgore simply nodded as he placed his rather large hand on her shoulder.
"We will, even if it means taking every last human soul!" Asgore shouted.
Over time, war waged. The Underground had lost, monsters were trapped by a barrier. King Asgore vows to take seven human souls and free his subjects from the underground prison. The king lost his two children, his wife and his freedom.
Months of training with the head of the Royal Guard was all that Rae Dreemurr had to live for now.
"You can hit harder than that! Show me what you've got pup!" Undyne taunted playfully as she circled the Dreemurr. Rae snorted as she held small flames in her paws. "Come on! We've been at this for hours!" Rae groaned, flicking her tail planting her paws to the ground ready to dodge her oncoming attack.
"I didn't get this good overnight-" Undyne smirked as she tossed spears in her direction. It only took a flap of her feathered wings to evade the attack. Undyne nodded once to her. "I think you're improving" she spoke motioning for her to come down. Rae smiled, happy with herself as she landed on the ground. As soon as she did Undyne put her in a headlock and ruffled her hair making it messy.
"Undyne! Stop it!" Rae laughed trying to escape the monster's grip. "Can't let your guard down for a minute Rae!" Undyne smirked as she let her go.
Rae huffed as she blew her bangs out of her eyes. She smiled gently at her as she took her on duty armor off her. "Thanks, Undyne.. I really needed this" she spoke, her voice becoming soft suddenly.
Undyne frowned and put her hand on her shoulder. "I know. It's been a while since-" Undyne stopped and looked to Rae, her eyes were down to the floor. "Yeah, since Chara… and Asriel" Rae finished her sentence.
Undyne sighed pulling the canid close to her to embrace her in a hug. "I never had any siblings… but I can only imagine how you feel right now" she said with a firm grip. Rae closed her eyes, accepting the hug. "No, it's in the past… I just miss him… not so much that human." Rae cringed as she spoke, as if the words left a bitter taste in her mouth. Undyne let her go and nodded. "Before this gets depressing, you should go. Asgore might freak, you've been out for quite a while. Protective king dad" Undyne let out a chuckle waving bye to her companion.
Rae walked by herself from Undyne's house through Snowdin. The winter ridden town was her main hangout area as well as the main area that she patrolled. She ended up stopping by Grillby's as she did after every training session. She sat on the barstool and waved to Grillby.
"Hey Grill" Rae greeted him with a smile. Grillby nodded to her, noticing she looked pretty beat. "Undyne kick your tail again?" He chuckled handing her a glass of water. Rae rolled her eyes. "What do you think? I look like death don't I?" she chuckled. Her ears flicked hearing footsteps behind her.
"It's a doggone shame isn't it bucko?"
Rae chuckled as she turned around to see a certain comedian, the first monster she met other than her mother Toriel.
"Hello Sans" Rae huffed as she took a sip from her glass. Sans stepped forward and sat on the barstool next to her. "You're never out this late? What gives your highness?" he winked. Rae glared at him, flashing him a rather unamused look. "Just lost track of time is all" she lied. Rae felt a pang of guilt resonate in her chest. She knew Sans would figure things out eventually.
Sans shook his cranium. "No, it isnt. I know you too well." He said nudging her gently. Rae stood up, drank the rest of her water and handing it to Grillby once more.
"I'd love to stay and chat… but dad is expecting me to be home now.." Rae said as she left, she sighed spreading her feathered wings and ascending into the air making her way back home.
Rae entered the main hallway of the castle, looking around. "Dad? I'm back!" she called out searching the entire building for him. She began to grow worried but then found him in the room she used to share with Asriel.
King Asgore sat on the small bed, holding a picture.
"Our family portrait" Rae said sitting down beside of him, leaning against him. Asgore couldn't help but chuckle. "Sure is.. where has time gone?" he said mostly to himself looking to Rae who was years older now. She smiled as she hugged his arm, letting a single tear form in the corner of her electric blue orbs.
"Azzy wouldn't want you to be sad dad. He would want you to stay determined!" Rae sniffed as she looked down at the picture. Asriel was just a toddler when the picture was taken.
Asgore set the picture down and embraced Rae with a bear hug. Rae couldn't hold in her tears any longer. She broke down in her father's arms.
"I'm sorry dad.. I was supposed to watch them. It's my fault they're dead… It's my fault mom left. It's my fault we're trapped in the Underground" Rae sobbed, hiding her face in her paws.
Asgore sighed, he knew Rae blamed herself for all the misfortunes the Dreemurr family had gone through. "It isn't your fault Rae, it will never be your fault." He said running his fingers through Rae's long, black hair to calm her down.
"We love you Rae. The entire Underground looks to you. Tori, Undyne, Alphys, Sans, Papyrus… Everyone. Asriel and Chara may not be here. But you are, you are our hope now" he whispered, letting Rae sob not trying to stop her.
Rae wiped the tears away from her eyes. "But dad, I'm not really a Dreemurr" she sniffed looking away from the broken king. Asgore placed his hands on her shoulders and got off the bed, kneeling in front of her.
"I don't want to hear that from you ever again young lady. You are as much of a Dreemurr as Asriel. You are our child too." Asgore spoke looking straight at her. Rae sighed as she hugged her adoptive father once more.
Asgore happily obliged, a few tears beginning to form in the corner of his eyes. "You are a Dreemurr, and you are our child. Our hope. We only want the best for you." He said as he let go. Rae smiled gently and looked over at Asriel's empty bed. Her expression soon turned serious. She huffed as she black smoke merged on the side of her eyes.
"I'll avenge him. The Underground too. We will be free from this prison" Rae spoke as she stood up, her soul resonating with the determination she was feeling. Asgore smiled as he too got up. "We both will, don't worry" he spoke putting the picture back on the shelf.
Rae sighed as she felt her soul resonate, she exhaled as it soon faded. "I made a promise to mom… but I don't know if I can keep it. These humans.. the only way to obtain their soul is to kill them" Asgore looked a bit confused.
"A promise?" He asked.
Rae only nodded. "Mom told me, if I was to stay with you. I had to promise… that any human that came through the underground… I wouldn't hurt them in any way." Asgore sighed. "Rae, we both know it's the best for the underground… no matter what Tori or anyone else says" Asgore said taking his trident in his hand. "Promise me?"
Rae's auditories perked. "Promise you what?.." she gulped.
"You will do what you can to take their souls-" Asgore said with a serious expression. Rae's heart fell. She knew he meant well, but like Toriel she didn't believe killing them was right. On the other hand, it was a human that took her brother from her. Sudden bitterness and hatred filled her heart as well as the determination she had felt earlier.
"I promise dad.. they will regret falling down here"