A/N: I wrote this story allll the way back in April, but I wanted to finish revising and posting "Friends in the Strangest of Places" before getting to work on this story. The name changed about half a dozen times, before I just decided to go simple and name it "Child of Mercy."
Enjoy!
"Are you sure you've got everything ready, dear? You want don't want me to pack you a lunch?"
"Mooooom," the teenage girl moaned, slapping her hand down on her bag. The action caused her to nearly lose her balance as she rocked back and forth on her heels on the tiled floor. "It's not like I'm ten anymore, you know!"
The goat woman smiled, and straightened her glasses, the early morning light streaming through the window to reflect off her brilliant white fur. "Mmm... though with some of the capers you get into with those two skeleton brothers, one might think you were."
From behind her strands of dark brown hair, Frisk felt her cheeks warm. She ducked her head down, pretending to check over the inside of her bag. Throughout the eight years she had spent living on the surface with the other monsters, she had managed to get swept up into a few of Papyrus and Sans'... misadventures. But hey, they were her friends, her best friends. Papyrus was like the older brother she never had, and Sans... heh, good old "dunkle" Sans.
"I've just got to make up for lost time. Y'know, now that they don't live here anymore."
Toriel smiled and tapped her foot against the tiled floor, arms crossed. "I have to admit, I do miss their presence. But I don't know if the house could stand any more of abuse."
Frisk snorted. "Do you you remember the time when you were reading to me and WHOOSH all of a sudden there came that super burst of fire?"
"All too well, my child," Toriel said with a sigh. Then she smiled and nodded towards the door. "Now, you best get going."
"Be back around four," Frisk called, as she turned and slipped out into the waiting morning.
The morning air sent a pleasant coolness creeping down Frisk's arms as she walked down the well-worn path. Buds on the tips of branches trembled with every breath of wind, and birds twittered to one another cheerfully.
Frisk squeezed her eyes shut and stuck out her tongue, trying to somehow taste that freshness that hung over everything, but just ended up coughing as bunch of dandilion fluff flew straight into her mouth.
"Bleh, ugh, ew!" Frisk gasped, swiping at her tongue with her fingertips. She squinted open her eyes to see that the grass on either side of the path was choked with dandelions, some no more than bundles of fluff and seeds, but mostly in golden bloom.
Not exactly the buttercups of the Underground, but close enough to bring back thoughts of Fl-Asriel.
I haven't forgotten about you Asriel, Frisk thought, reaching down to pick one of the dandelions and twirling it between her fingers. Her heart squeezed inside her chest, just like it always did when she thought of him. I still remember, just like I said I would.
At last, Frisk arrived at her destination. A small sigh escaped as she took in the scenery: the rusty chains that held swings midair, the sandbox that was now a garden of weeds, the slide that looked like it had been left out in an acid rainfall. It was a mess, a disaster, a warzone.
A hopeless cause, some would say.
But to Frisk, it was anything but that. For a moment she squeezed her eyes shut, seeing it the way it once was long ago, a lifetime ago, it seemed. It had been a place where imagination ran riot, where the woodchips became lava, the wooden playground became a castle, and her friends turned into knights and dragons and nobles. Then she opened her eyes and the spell disintegrated, and she was left with nothing more than an weary, abandoned park.
Frisk dropped her bag on the ground with a loud groan. She could already feel the muscles in her arms and legs protesting from the day before. She had spent half the day trying to pull weeds out of the woodchips. Some... were more stubborn than others, and Frisk had resorted to pulling on them with all her might, only to tumble backwards when they suddenly broke free.
(I wonder if there's any gardening tools in that shed,) Frisk thought, spying a large shed in the corner of the park.
She swung open the door and flicked the switch. Light flooded into the small, nearly bare room. There were shelves, gardening tools… and a darkened figure huddling it the corner.
Frisk gasped so sharply it sounded like a shriek. She scrambled backwards, her hands grabbing something off the shelf, which she yanked out in front of her like a shield, and kept backing up.
"Frisk, wait!' the figure yelped, throwing himself back against the wall and jerking his paws up in surrender.
Paws...
A clatter rang through her ears as the shield dropped out of her trembling hands. For a second she didn't know how to breathe.
"A… Asriel?"
"Um, howdy..." the goat prince said, his voice stiff and raspy. For a second he swayed on his feet. Frisk jerked forward, but before she could touch him, he had grabbed one of the shelves and steadied himself. A ragged black sweatshirt and pants covered his body, a body which was torn by long scratches. The bright red clashed against the bright white of his fur.
He was so much older than the last time she had seen him, almost the same age as her. And he was here… as himself…
Frisk took a step back. This wasn't real. This couldn't be real. It was... too good to be true. "Wait... how do I know you're really Asriel? This could all be some sick joke... or a trap."
Asriel's face twisted. "I came all this way, and… you… you don't believe me?"
Frisk just looked back at him, her soul twisting in pain, telling him silently that she wanted to believe him... but she couldn't.
He was quiet for a moment. "In that valley, I asked you not to forget me. I asked you to remember me, like this, for your sake. To hold onto this good memory. Because that's the only way you can stand the pain."
Before he had even finished speaking, Frisk had her hand over her mouth, sobbing. "It's you. It really is you. Asriel. You came back." She rushed forward and grabbed him in a hug, feeling his fur under her fingers. She had dreamed about this moment for so long, and now it had finally come. She had longed for that touch, that spark of connection she had felt between them in the valley of the shadow, if only for one more time. And now that time had come.
"This time, I'm never letting you go," she said, burying in her face into his shoulder. "I'm not leaving you again."
Suddenly her nose was filled with the scent of blood. Immediately, Frisk dropped her hands. When she looked down, and saw the tips of her fingers were wet with blood that wasn't her own. "Oh my gosh."
"S-sorry, Frisk." Asriel looked down, his shoulders dropping.
At this, Frisk gave Asriel as gentle smile, and reached out to stroke one of his long, silky ears with the back of her hand. "What do you have to apologize for? It's not your fault. Even if it was, I forgive you."
"You sound just like Mom." Asriel gave a quiet, strained laugh and sank back down into a sitting position, one hand holding his forehead.
Frisk jerked. "Oh my gosh!" she exclaimed. "We gotta get you back! Mo-Toriel can help fix you up, oh my gosh, she's going to be so-"
"No!" Asriel looked up at the girl with wide eyes, and shook his head so hard his ears nearly flapped into his face. "No, no, no! I-I c-can't face her. N-not after what I did... I k-killed Dad, I w-wanted to m-murder..." His breath jerked in and out. "I'm so sc-scared. I don't want to turn back into Flowey. I don't want to hurt anyone. W-what if..."
"Asriel, it's okay, shhh," Frisk whispered, dropping to her knees and placing a hand on his shoulder. "You're not going to turn back into Flowey. I'm not going to let that happen. But... I've gotta get you fixed up. You look awful. How long have you been staying out here?"
"I-I've only b-been on the surface for a couple days," Asriel said, struggling to control his breathing. "I saw you working in the park, and I decided to stay the night in the shed, and come meet you the next day. Then... I just couldn't do it."
Frisk let out a short sigh. "Well, if you're so determined to stay in this shed for a while, let me at least bandage up those scrapes you've got."
Asriel nodded miserably, and wrapped his arms around himself, shivering. Frisk lightly touched a hand on his forehead, and bit her lip. Even through his fur she could feel the smoldering heat. She looked into his eyes and found them dull, bleary. His nose was dripping.
"I'll be right back, Asriel. I promise," Frisk whispered, and slipped out the shed door. He didn't even answer, which only made the knot in Frisk's stomach tighten.
Frisk rarely got sick, but Toriel's reputation brought quite a few monsters that were in need of healing to their doorstep, especially in the early years, when regular doctors were still figuring out how to treat monsters. It had been at least a year since a sick or injured monster had come to their home, but Frisk was pretty sure she knew where all the stuff was kept.
The only problem would be not getting caught.
Frisk walked quickly along the path, keeping her head down. The items in her bag clanked together as her steps became faster, and the girl gritted her teeth at the sound, her hand tightening around the worn leather strap.
(Just get back, just get-)
"GREETINGS, YOUNG FRISK!"
Frisk froze and cringed. Then she whipped around, plastering a smile on her face. "Oh, hey there, Papyrus!" she called out, hoping her voice sounded cheerful enough.
The tall, lanky skeleton was adorned in his usual "battle body" clothes, with his signature bright red scarf, even though Frisk was sweating in her loose, striped t-shirt. He was holding a basketball in his hands, which was something he had really gotten into over the last couple years. Beside him stood...
"hey kid. whatcha doin'?"
(Ohcrapi'msoscrewed.)
"Um, just... y'know, fixing up that old playground. Y'know... that really old one? I'm, uh, sure you've seen it around somewhere. I'm just going there to fix it up. L-like I do... uh... sometimes, y'know?" Frisk felt her smile become even more strained, but she shrugged her shoulders. (It's not even really a lie, and I still feel guilty.)
"HOW VERY THOUGHTFUL OF YOU! DO YOU MIND IF WE COME ALONG?"
"N-no!" Frisk's eyes jerked opened. Then she clamped her mouth shut, swallowing her words until she could decide what to say. "I-I mean, yeah, I do kinda mind. I-um-I mean, it's just... I kinda want to keep this a secret, until it's all done."
(And now smile. Um, wait. Scratch that. Just smile a little.)
"a secret, huh?" Sans gave Frisk a look, then quietly shook his head. "guess we should leave you to it, then."
"Yeah, I'd better get back as soon as possible. It was nice seeing you!" Frisk waved, then began nearly sprinting down the path, her limbs tingling.
Sans turned to his brother. "she's hiding something, bro."
Papyrus crossed his arms. "SANS! WHATEVER MAKES YOU SAY THAT? YOU ARE JUST SO SUSPICIOUS OF EVERYONE!"
"Easy, Asriel," Frisk said, keeping her voice low. He had jerked away at her touch, trembling.
"S-sorry," the young prince muttered, ducking his head. "I'm just... not used to being in this body, after so many years."
"It's alright," Frisk said, putting her hand in her lap, but a part of her longed to reach out and help heal him. But instead she simply sat beside him, leaning back against the wall. "You never did tell me. What happened? How did you turn back?"
Asriel looked down, letting out a small sigh. Blood slowly trickled from a cut, and Frisk fought against the urge to reach up and help wipe it clean.
"Well, after we fixed the timeline, I used those monster souls inside me to break the barrier, before returning them."
"Oh," Frisk breathed, rubbing a finger up and down her nose. "So that's how the barrier got broken."
Asriel gave her a lopsided smile. "It was the least I could do. Anyway, after a little bit, I turned back into Flowey. For a while, I was trapped in that hopeless prison. Then, later, I don't know how much later, I began changing back. I'm not exactly sure how... but I think when you and the ponies 'saved' me, you triggered something. My soul… it started to come back together. It took so long, and it was... painful. Not all the time but… there were times where I just wanted it to stop. I didn't care what happened to me, I just wanted it to stop. But then-then I remembered you, and how you didn't even know me, but you wanted to help all the same. And all the ponies and monsters, how you banded together to save both your world and theirs. But, I think what really kept me going was this."
He reached into his sweatshirt pocket and withdrew a small book with an ivory-colored cover.
"I read some of those verses you marked out. I liked the ones about the shepard. They gave me hope, something I hadn't felt in a long time."
Frisk nodded, and brushed her fingers lightly over the binding. The book blurred before her; she felt wetness slide down her cheeks. "I'm glad, Asriel. I'm so glad."
After a few moments of silence, Frisk looked up at Asriel, screwing up her eyes, then slowly raised her hand, and her eyebrow. He nodded, and Frisk lightly touched his forehead with the back of her hand. The fever had gone down a bit on it's own, but Frisk still handed him a wet cloth to help bring it down even more.
Then she took one of his paws that had a long cut across the palm and began wiping it clean. Beneath her fingers, she felt the muscles in his paws tense.
"So-" Asriel cleared his throat. "Um, what's it like, up here on the surface?"
Frisk felt a smile tug at the corners of her mouth. "Oh Asriel… it's better than I ever dreamed it would be. And I know that sounds so clique and all that, but… it's true. I mean, for a while it was pretty chaotic and all that, but guess it helps to have an ambassador as who's spent quite a bit of time with both races. Papyrus was a big help too."
"So you're they're ambassador? That's gre-"
Just then the door swung open.
"FRISK? WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"
Frisk jerked into a standing position, whipping around to face the skeleton brothers. She felt a shock of cold jolt through her body. "I-I'm ah-um... I'm-" her words were flying out too fast. She could not think of anything to say.
Papyrus' eyes narrowed. "FRISK... IS THIS YOUR BOYFRIEND?"
"What!?" Frisk yelped. The question was so unlike anything she had been expecting she had no response. A part of her wanted to burst out laughing.
But then Sans spoke.
"so this is the guy who tried to kill us."
Frisk didn't dare look at Sans, but her stomach twisted at his words. She almost said, "No, that's not true!" but suddenly swallowed the words. Because it was true.
Asriel looked at the floor and swiped a paw across his nose.
"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT SANS?"
Frisk hesitantly looked back up, and saw Papyrus place his hands on his hips and glare at his brother. "THIS YOUNG GOAT CHILD DOESN'T LOOK LIKE HE COULD HURT ANYTHING."
"you don't remember, but..." Sans let out a sigh. "years ago, this guy dragged us all into another world where we were stuck in a time loop that almost killed me and frisk. he almost ripped our world and the other world apart. for fun."
"FRISK?" The tall skeleton looked to Frisk and she nodded, hating herself for it.
"It really happened. You were there too, Papyrus. And Toriel, and Muffet, and Napstablook, Mettaton, Monster Kid, Alphys, Undyne... but only Sans and I remembered what happened. Well, and Asriel."
"BUT... HE... HE DIDN'T DO IT ON PURPOSE, DID HE?"
"No... I did do it on purpose," Asriel said, his voice cracking. "That's the worst part. I just... felt so empty and alone and I..." He choked. "I'm so, so sorry."
"Everyone deserves a second chance, Sans," Frisk said quietly. "Even him. He's changed, Sans. He's the one that broke the barrier. I would trust him with my soul."
Sans closed his eyesockets. After what seemed like an eternity, he asked, "what do you think, pap?"
"WELL, I SUPPOSE ANYONE CAN BE A GOOD PERSON, OR MONSTER, IF THEY REALLY TRY. AND IT SEEMS LIKE YOUNG... ASRIEL HERE IS REALLY TRYING. I SAY WE GIVE HIM A CHANCE."
"Y-you would?" Asriel asked, his breath hitching.
YES, OF COURSE I WILL!" Papyrus looked like he was about to grab Asriel in a bone-crushing hug, but the prince quickly held up his hands.
"Uh-still kind of injured here," he said.
"alright, asriel," Sans said. "if frisk trusts you... you can't be all that bad." He let out a breath and closed his eyesockets, but when he opened them, they were black as night. "try anything funny, though, and you're gonna have a bad time."
"I'm not going to," Asriel told him quietly. "I've already caused enough damage to last me a lifetime."
Frisk simply glared at Sans. "Well, now that that's over with, can you give us some space? I'd like to wrap up his cuts before we go see Toriel and Asgore."
"no need for that. pap's really good at healing magic. but we'll still give you guys a moment," Sans said before slipping out the door.
"OF COURSE I AM. THE GREAT PAPYRUS IS THE BEST MAGIC HEALER AROUND THESE PARTS."
"I know, I know, along with the greatest puzzle-solver the world has ever seen," Frisk finished for him as he sauntered out after his brother.
"Uh... are you sure about this? I-I can't face them again… they must hate me."
"Asriel... you're their son. They love you, and nothing will ever change that. There's nothing you can do that will make them love you less."
"Mom..." Frisk began, as she quietly slipped inside, her hands twisted tightly together.
Toriel looked up from where she was washing dishes. "You're home early," she said with a smile, which quickly faded when she caught Frisk's expression. "My child, is something wrong?"
"No, no!" Frisk said, holding up her hands. "The opposite, actually. It's something really, really good. Just... please don't freak out."
"My child, I can assure you that I am not in the habit of 'freaking out'," Toriel reassured her.
Frisk took a breath and looked at the floor. "Well, it's about your son... Asriel... he..."
"Mom?"
A whisper, so quiet Frisk barely hear it, came from Asriel as he hesitantly slipped through the door.
Toriel didn't say anything.. Her paws were raised to her mouth, tears spilling down her face. She took a step forward, her eyes wide. Asriel cringed.
"I'm s-mmmph!"
He was cut off by Toriel's smothering hug. She slowly stroked his ears, whispering over and over again. "My child, my son..."
"Sans, you have better got a-" Asgore stepped through the door, then stopped dead when he saw Asriel. "Son," he breathed.
Asriel pulled away from Toriel just long enough to give a watery smile. "H-howdy... Dad."
Asgore's face erupted into a smile warmer than all of Hotlands, and he rushed forward to embrace his son.
Frisk simply grinned, drinking in the moment. She elbowed Sans sharply, muttering, "See, what'd I tell you?" The skeleton rolled his eyes, but his grin shone.
The lost son had finally returned home.