A/N: Hello, fellow readers, and welcome to the sequel of A Tale of Two Routes!
This time, I can unleash my full potential and write a sequel that places Frisk in another dastardly situation. ;)
For some reasons, I've decided to place the beginning of the sequel roughly a year after the fight Frisk had with Chara.
During this whole year, he had a happy life - but he will have to fight for maintaining this life as well.
Enjoy.
A year had passed after the events of the Archangel's fight, and Frisk was living quite happily along with his now-sibling and family, in a house that was similar to the Castle where the Dreemurrs used to live, except that it was now painted with vivid colours. The room that was similar to Frisk's one in the Ruins was now the room the two children, monster and human, now shared, with two beautiful beds, boxes of toys and a computer - Frisk really wanted to keep up with all the news from everyone, now that he was Ambassador - and a huge wardrobe, where both kept their robes from the battle, as a reminder that the dark times were behind. Frisk was smiling gently as he looked at his white Delta Rune robe, it served as a testimony he fought against Evil itself just to offer his family and friends the ending that everyone hoped for with all their heart. He must've stood with his gaze affixed on the robe, because he didn't even hear his mother's soft voice calling him. "Frisk. Is anything the matter?", Toriel asked as she placed a paw on his shoulder. Since the battle, Frisk only wore white, sleeved-up shirts, with the collar unbuttoned, revealing a crucifix with two wings Toriel herself gifted him last year.
Toriel's idea for the gift all started when the monster queen couldn't get out of her mind Frisk's appearance in that battle - he was truly resembling like some sort of Angel descended from above - and, knowing the former Royal Scientist kept studying about humans, she paid a visit to the small lizard scientist. Alphys was finally sharing her house with Undyne, now that their relationship was known to everyone. As Toriel sat down, Undyne went to the kitchen and prepared tea, while Alphys was curious what brought Her Highness to visit them.
- What is the occasion your Highness came by today? Alphys asked, rendered a bit shy by the queen's impressive demeanour.
- Yeah, Toriel, what brought you down here? Undyne asked from the kitchen, as she watched over the boiling tea.
- I came down here, because... Toriel paused, as she was trying to find her words, ...because I want to do something special for Frisk today. I heard, while I was out buying some groceries, that a child was going to have a 'birthday party.' At first, I recalled what we used to do for Asriel and..., she hesitated a moment before relinquishing the name of her former daughter, ...and for Chara. I wonder if we could do the same for Frisk, although, in all honesty, I don't know how much will he agree, or not, to this, Toriel continued, with some worry in her voice.
- Queen Toriel, I think Frisk will be really pleased with this surprise from us, Alphys said, smiling, as Undyne entered with a plate with three teacups and placed it on the table. We were discussing something like that just before you arrived, Undyne completed her partner.
- I think the main reason I thought of this, it is because I can't wash away the feeling I had when I saw Frisk..., Toriel paused, ...as he was back there. He definitely needs some reassurance after all the living hell he must've endured, Toriel picked up one of the yellow teacups and sipped a bit of the burning tea, her gaze softening as she said this.
- Ahaha, Undyne laughed lightly, so I wasn't the only one struck by his heroic attitude!
- What do you have in mind, Queen Toriel? Alphys asked gently.
- I have an idea to offer Frisk a pendant as present. Everyone was talking...about how he's an angel, but I don't know what shape the pendant I want to offer him should be, as Asriel already has one, Toriel mused her thoughts.
- Maybe I have something in my files that could help? Alphys lightly scratched the back of her head, why don't you join me in the lab, your Highness?
Alphys' lab didn't change as much in matters of design, but it was really neater than the one she had in the Underground. After everything that happened, she decided to fully decomission the Underground lab - but, just in case things would've turned bad again, she placed some countermeasures and a special button from which she could reactivate it - and, as she sat at the console, Toriel stood behind the small lizard scientist, placing a paw over her left shoulder, looking with interest as Alphys was researching her files, hearing her utter from time to time "no, that's not it..." or "keep searching, Alphys!" until she stopped at two images, a cross and a large set of wings.
- Your Highness, what do you think of this? Alphys asked as she looked at the two images. I believe such a combination would be fit for Frisk's pendant, the scientist mused.
- This is adequate, Toriel said. I think it would be a really, really nice pendant. But I have to infuse it with some magic, as he is capable now...
-...to wield fire magic, isn't it? I was impressed when I saw his fiery attacks. He must've had some innate powers that were activated the moment he gained his transformation, Alphys said, still remembering Frisk's eyes glowing with righteous rage against Chara.
- He's everything I expected from one of our family to be, Toriel said. I wonder why did he embrace fire as his main power, though...
- ...Queen Toriel. To me, it is quite obvious why, Alphys said with a smile, as she asked one day that King Asgore would recount to her the moments before his battle. "And then he just rushed to her, as if his heart ached for her and her only, and told her 'You are my mother. You are Mama Tori for me!' "
- Oh, she gasped as realisation dawned on her. You mean he embraced fire magic because of me? she said as an eerie feeling was enveloping her, remembering Frisk's voice calling out to her...
Back in the present times, she remained with her paw on Frisk's white shirt, again asking if he was okay, to which he retorted "Yes, Mama Tori. I was just thinking how I...fared against her. And...that Asriel thought she could still be saved until the point of no return. I had enough of her machinations, I had enough of her harming you," Frisk's eyes lit up with a surge of DETERMINATION, but then turned towards Toriel and hugged her tightly, and Toriel was a bit taken aback by the rather strong grip he held onto her. "He must've had another bad dream?" the motherly monster thought, only to hear her thoughts voiced out by Frisk himself. "Yes...I had another nightmare last night. It involved you, Mama Tori."
Frisk often had nightmares of how the battle between him and Chara would've went, if she would've managed to break out the shield enveloping the monsters he cared about the most. This particular one Frisk voiced out was rather dastardly... as in this nightmare, Chara managed to break the shield and, with a flick of her fingers, ensnared Toriel in dark vines of magic, with electricity flowing through those. "I dare you to hurt me. If you do that, I'll hurt her until she turns to dust. You'll be forced to watch." Asgore was looking helpless as his wife was caught up by Chara, and he looked towards Frisk, his eyes almost begging that Frisk wouldn't allow that. "LEAVE HER ALONE OUT OF THIS!" Frisk was roaring as his eyes were burning fiery red as Toriel was struggling with the vines. Frisk summoned a ray of light to cut down the vines, but those were reforming. "I told you I'll hurt her until she turns to dust. Are you really that stupid?" and Toriel ended up in being zapped in front of Frisk, each time he tried to release her somehow from the vines. Chara's final zap rendered his beloved mother to dust and...all he could do was breakdown completely into tears, tears that were slowly but steadily bringing him back to the reality. He was back in the room, in the other bed was Asriel, and everything felt real. "Shit...," Frisk could only think before falling back to sleep.
As he finished telling the nightmare, Frisk was only tears and sobs, holding tightly on the gentle goat monster. Toriel was trembling for a moment, eyes wide in shock at the horrors Frisk had to witness even after he defeated monsterkind's greatest adversary. All the might he displayed in that battle would've faltered if she was in danger, and as she leveled towards Frisk, she spoke softly, while carressing his still scarred face, "It was only a dream, my child. I will never leave your side, no matter the peril we'd be forced to face." Asriel was in the doorstep as he saw his brother hugged by Toriel. "Frisk, are you okay? I heard you crying from downstairs. Did you..."
- Yes, I told Mama the nightmare I had...I...Frisk was faltering, holding Toriel tighter.
- Pumpkin, are you alright? Asgore came in behind Asriel. What happened?
- Just...a bad dream. A bad dream that I'm glad it never happened, Frisk said as he slowly regained his posture.
- Would you want me to make butterscotch pie? Toriel asked Frisk with a smile.
- Yes! Frisk said gleefully. Asriel, come on, let's help Mama with the pie! the small child ran downstairs, past his brother and father.
- Wow, that surely rendered him back in a good mood, Asgore noted.
- Yeah, Frisk is always excited to help Mom out baking, and to work in the garden with you, Dad, Asriel said with a small chuckle.
- Frisk is really surpassing all of our expectations, Toriel smiled. Asriel, come along, let us not make Frisk wait!
Frisk's life seemed a good one along the Dreemurs', but like everyone knows, the past loves to rear its' ugly head back...and it was about to do so for Frisk. He didn't know that two people who thrashed him away at first returned to Ebott City a week after the barrier was broken. And the Archangel was about to fall from the beautiful haven alongside the monsters, right back into hell, this time a hell more alive that what Chara showed to him.
