A/N: The case continues on.
Enjoy.
"Le royaume était rien qu'un légende."
As we saw young Frisk holding out Miss Toriel's paw before advancing in the next room, Holmes and I followed suit after our little discussion. It seemed Frisk was listening to something Miss Toriel apparently started explaining before we arrived, "...they serve as ancient fusions between diversions and doorkeys. Please, adjust yourself to the sight of them." Holmes noticed the mechanism in this room, and he admired the goat monster as she gently crossed on the stones and pushed the lever at the other end, while also deciphering the mystery behind the mechanism, "Pressure pads. They have no reset timer, and are meant to be pressed just once." Frisk smiled towards us after he followed Toriel deeper into the Ruins, and it seemed to me Holmes was a bit captivated by the goat-woman's intelligence, because I had to ask him a few times "Holmes, are you alright?" before I could get his answer, as his eyes were fixated on the next corridor. "Yes, Watson. I was just intrigued by Miss Toriel's remarkable dilligence, she definitely would be a great tutor for children," to which I replied, "It may be true, Holmes."
We walked through this new corridor, and Frisk was already put to the test of solving a puzzle. "I have marked the switches you need to press, Frisk," she said, to which the child timidly replied "o...ok-okay. I will...pr..press,... that s...switch.", as they pulled the first marked switch. "Holmes, this doesn't seem so far like a challenge," I whispered to my friend, but he was still interested in the child's actions, who managed to pull the second switch, liberating the path ahead. "Very good, very good, child!" Toriel said while handing out a paw for Frisk to hold onto and the pair advanced towards the next room. When they were out of earshot, Holmes could answer to what I thought was a pertinant observation, "Watson. You may have observed well, but this was all just a test for the child, not for our well-trained minds!" my friend said as he waved his right hand dismissively. "The challenges will begin only when the child will be forced to solve their problems alone", Sherlock Holmes said as he lit up his pipe. I didn't contradict him, as I knew his words were always proving true at a later time in any case we were solving, and we made our way to the next room, which had, on the ground, a rather strange pattern. Holmes noted it as well, and on a rather large tablet of stone hanging from a wall, I could read "The western room is the eastern room's blueprint," and Frisk was listening to me as I read the stone tablet, almost confused. Just as we thought we'd have a rather pleasant journey through the Ruins, a small frog came hopping towards us, and Frisk attempted to talk to the frog, "You are...a ve-very...n...nice...fr-frog." while smiling patiently. Miss Toriel glared at the small frog, who rushed away in retreat at the matronly monster's sight, and I could only comment in embarassment, "I do not think the frog meant any harm to Frisk, but, nonetheless, you are indeed very protective of the child." but she was only content to nod in agreement with my statement. I leveled to Frisk as I saw the upcoming puzzle and whispered to him, "You know, child, what lays before us is a bit dangerous for you to cross. But I think the pattern in the other room is the key to solving the puzzle. I do not doubt Miss Toriel will want to guide you through it, because she seems to be very fond of you."
Just as I finished whispering to Frisk this vital clue, I could notice Holmes was already crossing through the spike puzzle and he did so without any issues. "Watson, Madam Toriel, Frisk, I will await you three here", he told us as he puffed from his pipe. Toriel indeed crossed the spike puzzle holding Frisk's hand and smiling briefly towards the small child, while I kept steady on the pathway behind them. "Oh dear, perhaps puzzles are a little too dangerous for Frisk," she said towards Holmes, but he did nothing else but blink in recognition, as he was waiting for me. "Ugh, Holmes. How many of these puzzles we'll have to solve? And where are we headed to, anyway?" I said as I admitted those puzzles were exercising my wits and my stamina. "Watson. I have no doubt the matronly lady is leading us towards her lodgings, and I believe our task would be to continue observing and asessing the facts that present themselves before us." he said to me as he encouraged me to advance in the next room.
Toriel was now explaining something to the child, and all I could note was a mannequin in the corner of this room. "...as a human living in the underground, monsters may try to attack you." and I remembered the flower Holmes told me to be wary about. "...if that happens, you will enter a fight. It would be best for you to strike up a conversation. And I will come to resolve the conflict. Practice talking to the dummy," she told Frisk as she pushed them towards the mannequin. The child seemed to enjoy talking to the doll made out of cotton and wood, and Toriel was pleased with the child's result. "Hee hee hee. I'm sorry, gentlemen, but you two must try as well." she said to us with a soft giggle, as if she was a bit embarassed she had to attract our attention. I tried talking to the 'dummy' as well, and she was impressed by my knowledge, and Holmes agreed to do the same, despite being reluctant at first. He seemed to have recalled a line from a play we saw a week ago, and it seemed to have impressed him. "Tu ne sais pas que le royaume que tu cherches n'est rien qu'une légende?", a line which supposedly made Miss Toriel widen her eyes in surprise and intrigued her at the same time, "Mr. Holmes, could I know what were you saying?" she said in a soft tone. "It was a line from a play Watson and I watched some time ago. It was about a French kingdom long gone, but the playwright didn't seem really bright in composing this. What I was just saying was... 'Don't you know that the kingdom you seek is nothing but a legend?' " to which she said, "Oh dear." as she wiped out a few tears from the corner of her red eyes, "I'm terribly sorry, Mr. Holmes. It reminds me of times long gone. Let us continue, dear child," the matronly monster said as she extended her paw out to Frisk, and the child gently grabbed her paw.
- What could've distressed her so, Holmes? I asked, concerned for Miss Toriel's state.
- Use my methods, my dear Watson, my friend told me as he was also looking down the next hallway.
- You told me she's of a noble origin. Perhaps born in a family with a lot of riches? And I assume she was a countess, or a baroness. Her distressed state was most likely, because of her lost family, I said, trying to use Holmes' methods. But Holmes didn't seem extremely pleased with my deduction.
- Indeed, she has a noble background. However, she's not a monster of lower rank, as you wrongly assumed. She is, in fact, a queen. Don't tell me you failed to observe the way she carries herself around, Holmes said as he was searching for some tobbaco in his traveling pouch.
- What do you mean by that, Holmes? I said in puzzlement.
- Her posture, as she carries herself, betrays the determination only someone with leader capacities would have, my friend said as he finally lit back up his pipe. She is also capable of fighting to a degree, if given the proper cause.
- Holmes, I hope you are not serious about that! I retorted, bewildered.
- I am dead serious, Watson. As about her distressed state, she was definitely crying for someone she still cares about, he concluded as he puffed a bit from the pipe and arranged his deerstalker cap.
As we finally sorted another fact thrown at us, we advanced into the next room, where Frisk was now put before their first true challenge. "I'm sorry, my child. I have to request that you walk to the end of this room, all alone," she said to Frisk as she dashed away from us. "Holmes, shall we-" I began saying, only to be interrupted by my friend's swift silencing gesture. "Frisk has to walk alone. And we'll follow only until they finish this challenge. Go along, dear friend, do not worry," Holmes said to them as he leveled to the child, with a gentle smile. While he was so eager to put the child in front of this challenge, I was a bit concerned for their wellbeing, and I think Holmes noticed that, because one minute later he was chuckling at my bewilderment. "Do not worry, Watson. Frisk will be just fine. Regard, they are almost at the far end of this room." he said as he pointed towards a blue dot that was closing in on another corridor. "Let us make some haste and catch up with them," I could hear from him as he started walking down the hallway. Indeed, after a few minutes of waiting for all of us, Miss Toriel revealed herself from behind a strange stony pillar that resembled Greek columns and leveled to Frisk, as she said "Do not worry, my child. I was here the whole time, I did not leave you." The child pulled her in a hug, and I could discern, between a few sobs, Frisk's hesitant words, "I...I...w-was...afraid. Af...Afraid...to lose...lose ...y-you.", to which she softly replied "I'm truly sorry, my child. There was a reason behind all this," she said as she gently ruffled their hair, "I wanted to see how independent you are."
- Miss Toriel, I must admit, Frisk was looking at us with some worry, I said. They were almost expecting my friend and I to intervene...
- Watson, remember what I told you, Holmes said sternly. Suffice to say, Frisk did well in their attempt at independence, Holmes said as he softly smiled towards Frisk and Miss Toriel.
- Will you watch over them, while I return to some matters I must attend to? the matronly monster asked the two of us, visibly concerned for the young one's state.
- Of course we will, Miss Toriel, I said as I placed my hand on the child's right shoulder, and my friend nodded solemnly.
Frisk turned towards us after Miss Toriel left, and he was curious about what we were thinking. The child didn't seem to get over their fear of speaking, and I was certain the rather shocking abandonment would cause severe trauma for the young one's development, but for some reason, he seemed to like Holmes as much as he did with me. I was indeed surprised to hear that they wanted my friend to be honest about Miss Toriel's concerns for themselves, and about her as a monster, "Mr...Ho...Holmes. Can you...t-tell...me...what do..what do you think...of...T-Toriel?"
- Frisk, he began in his usual tone, Toriel, your caretaker, is a very gentle monster. I hope you don't mind me giving you advice, young one, Holmes said as he leveled to Frisk. Try to defeat your fear of speaking. I can see how fond you are of her and how much you regard her as a mother.
Needless to say, the child's cheeks had a tint of red as my friend mused out the deepest thoughts they must've had about Miss Toriel. "Holmes is right, Frisk. I know you do not feel like speaking, but I am sure you will progress in time with defeating your fears." I said as I gently smiled towards the small child, who rushed then to hug both of us, in turns. Holmes, this time, responded with a gentle pat on the child's hair, while I returned the child's gesture. Frisk then proceeded to the next room, with us behind him as protectors. A small frog monster approached us, seemingly interested in giving out some advice, as I could discern in the monster's eyes. "Ribbit, ribbit. Excuse me. Remember that, when you ACT a certain way or FIGHT until their HP is low, monsters may not want to fight you anymore. If that happens, please use some MERCY, humans." Frisk seemed to dislike the idea of fighting, and I was against the idea as well, because I have seen enough in the wars that raged through India. Holmes, while he was a singlestick expert and proficient boxer, he joined the idea of not fighting as well, making a really stunning promise to me and Frisk, "Watson. Young Frisk. While I do have my share of past adventures that had a degree of violence, for this time only, I will not fight unless the situation would present no other resort than this one." and the child smiled softly seeing my friend promising this.
"What is that, Holmes?" I asked as I pointed towards the yellow star forming in the leaves. "Frisk, why don't you go and investigate that for me, young one?" Holmes said, in the jovial manner he had when making use of the Baker Street Irregulars, to find out certain news only the street urchins could grasp without being seen. He was watching the child as they dashed towards the small star forming in the leaves. At Frisk's gentle hand touching the star, there was a small chime, as if..."Frisk saved our progress here. Each time we will see one of these stars, he will be able to save our progress. We cannot interfere with those, Watson." Frisk was curious to see what was in the next room, and I accompanied them, only to discover it was a small room, with water flowing on the sides, and in the middle, there was a bowl of candies sitting atop of a stone.
- Let us take four, one for each, Frisk, I said as I gave the child a small lift to reach the bowl.
- Do...Do you think Mr. Holmes will like these? Frisk told me, seemingly at ease with my presence and trying to defeat their fear of speaking.
- I am sure he will, I said with a smile. The fourth one, keep it for Miss Toriel, alright?
- Yes! I really want to give her a candy too, the child smiled, a tint of red forming on their cheeks.
- Let us head back to Holmes, he is waiting for us, I said as I took the child's hand.
Frisk then rushed to give Holmes one candy, and the slender detective took it heartily, offering a polite smile. "Thank you, young one. I will place it in my special pocket. Now, let us go further, we must reach Miss Toriel's house." Indeed, the Ruins were full of puzzles, and of monsters that approached us curiously. We kept our best at talking to them politely as if we were meeting people at our residence in Baker Street, and Frisk was all complimenting the monsters, on their posture, their widsom and so forth, I must admit this was by far the most interesting adventure we were involved in. We kept walking along the road, until we found a ghost lying down on a pile of leaves, pretending to be sleeping. "H-Holmes! A g-ghost!" I said, with some fear, as I wasn't really looking forward to such a meeting, and Holmes could only laugh ironically. "My dear Watson, don't you see the ghost is harmless? He is only suffering from a serious case of depression. I believe he needs some attention from someone that is able to show emotion. Help young Frisk with this. I will stand aside for this time." Frisk was looking curiously at my friend, and I explained to them that Holmes didn't enjoy expressing his emotions because that would affect his deductive reasoning. The child didn't seem to understand, so I used the general metaphor I had for Holmes' accurate sense of deduction. "Look at my watch," I said as I tucked out my pocketwatch. "If the pocketwatch would be scratched, it wouldn't be accurate with showing time anymore. Holmes is like this pocketwatch. If he would allow emotions to cloud his judgement, he wouldn't be the great detective he is today." It seemed that Frisk understood the principle, so he took me along in helping out the ghost.
- oh...who are you...i'm napstablook...and i'm a ghost...
- I am Doctor Watson, I began saying, and this is my friend, Frisk. What distresses you, Mr. Napstablook?
- i...want to be alone...everyone hates me...nobody knows me...i miss my cousin...hapstablook...
- Most assuredly, your cousin is missing you too, I said, while Frisk was content to patiently smile at the ghost.
- no...i just...love the quiet...want to be alone...
- I get it, Napsta, but you have to be happy! Frisk said, encouraged by my compassion towards the ghost.
- here...i will...show you...something... the ghost said as he formed a tophat with his tears. do...you like it...i call it...'dapperblook'...
- Yes! It looks so well on you, Frisk said while they showed a big smile on their face.
- Sir, you're indeed a gentleman with that look, I said, gently smiling in turn.
- oh gee...i stay here in the ruins because there's nobody around...but this time i met two nice people...oh wait...i'm rambling, i'll get out of your way... Mr. Napstablook said as he vanished in the thin air.
Holmes, content he didn't have to witness more of this, finally rejoined us as he puffed from his pipe. "Well done, Watson! And you too, young Frisk. You show great promise to be a person of morals and of strong convictions." I looked at Holmes, and his features were betraying the usual excitement he had whenever he was on the trail, and he held his pipe between his teeth, while motioning towards us to move forward. Indeed, we weren't far from the end of the small Ruins, and next to another door stood a frog monster, which seemed to be afraid of something or someone. "Ribbit. Just between you and I, I saw Toriel coming out of here with a few groceries. She didn't tell me what were those for." and Frisk naturally asked "Why didn't you talk to her?", but the frog was seemingly intimidated by the matronly monster's fierceness and stature. Holmes then called out to us, prompting the both of us to rush at his voice, "Watson and young Frisk. We're approaching Miss Toriel's lodgings, it's just beyond this corridor," he pointed to us the shape of a building profiling through the narrow corridor. The child, naturally, hearing we were closer to Miss Toriel, dashed through the corridor, while I was calling out to them from behind "Wait up, young Frisk! We don't know what's in there!" but Holmes assured me I had nothing to fear. "The house that presents itself is nothing more than a safe haven for us and the child. And I will finally be able to ask Miss Toriel more about herself.", my friend said in a concerned voice, as he watched Frisk saving their progress and then advancing in the colorful home before everyone's eyes.
The house in the Ruins had two small windows and it was painted in a rather dashing purple, the colour ancient byzantine leaders used to wear, as Holmes once told me. The door itself was large enough for us to enter, and just as we made it past the threshold, we were enveloped in a scent of cinnamon and another scent I failed to recognize. "It's butterscotch, Watson," said my friend as he caught a whiff of the scent in full. "Yes, it is, mister Holmes. I baked it as a surprise for you three, and especially for my child right here, " she said as she gently ruffled young Frisk's hair.
- Why don't you, gentlemen, make yourselves comfortable? I have another surprise for Frisk, and then I will return to join you, the gentle goat monster said as she pointed towards the larger room on the left.
As we entered it, Holmes remarked this was the living room and could imagine with ease, that the great reading chair in front of the fireplace belonged to Toriel. He also noted the rather used books the gentle lady monster had in her bookcase, "They are mostly books about monster history. All of them talk about a monster exodus and how they are trapped by a barrier. There are also various references to a King. Hm...I wonder..." and I could see his brows furrowing in thought, like he used to do, while searching in his pockets for the book on German folklore. "Ah, there it is!" he said with a gleeful exclamation, as he began sharing his deduction with me, "I read that the Germanic people have this mythos of the King under the Mountain. A sleeping hero waiting for the day their kingdom would be in peril and they would rise in eternal glory to save it. But it seems this kingdom queen Toriel must've ruled at some point, alongside with her King, hasn't vanished completely. However, there is a peril threatening the lives of these monsters, and with this, I hope we can solve the mystery of the six missing children as well. All the facts point that they have wandered and have been cared for by our matronly queen living here."
- Holmes, but that's impossible! How could they have survived in all these six years? Where are they? I said, completely shocked.
- That is something I can share with you, gentlemen, Miss Toriel entered the room as she heard my questions.
- Your Majesty, began Holmes to say as he performed a corteous bow, we are indeed curious to know what happened to your kingdom.
- How did you know? she said, almost ashamed someone figured she was indeed a queen, while seating herself in her reading chair.
- Your posture gave you away, as well as the fierce determination only a leader with convictions would possess, Your Highness, Holmes said while he seated himself back on the wooden chair to the left of the large table.
- Please, do not tell Frisk what you're about to hear, Queen Toriel said to us as she looked with pleading eyes. I do not want the child to foolishly risk their life for monsterkind.
- We will do our best to protect them, I assured her in the softest of timbres I could produce.
- Please, begin with your tale. And do not omit anything, as even the most trivial of facts could be important, Holmes said as he leaned on the chair, the way he did in Baker Street, when taking cases from various clients.
"The tale of our kind begins long ago, when we were peacefully living along with humans. One day, war broke out between the two races, but I don't know exactly why did the humans declare war on us. Various reports were telling us that one of our kind had killed a human and absorbed their soul, but that was all. Victory belonged to the humans, and most monsters were turned to dust. Seven of the most powerful magicians of the humans have created a barrier that is impossible to break, and my husband, in his reckless actions, he tried to figure out a way to break down the barrier."
- Queen Toriel, did you have any children? I asked her, in curiosity. I noticed how kind you are to Frisk, I said.
- Yes. I had a son, and an adopted daughter. My son's name was Asriel, and my daughter's was Chara, the queen replied, almost visibly disturbed by my question.
- What happened to them? I asked in a concerned tone.
She seemed to hesitate for a moment, and I could see tears forming in her eyes, her paws shaking a bit. "My apologies if I'm asking a rather distressing question," I said in embarassment as I gently placed my hands over her shaking paws. "but it is important that my friend knows all the facts," I said as I turned my head towards Holmes, who was listening with his eyes closed, puffing slowly from his pipe, only to reply himself a few moments later, "Watson is correct, Your Highness. I can imagine the loss of your children has left behind a wound that hasn't healed for centuries. The same it is for your husband, as he compensates your absence with trying to figure out a solution for everyone. But every wound deserves a proper cure, and your Highnesses' is not yet found. Please, take your time to adjust to this situation, and when you feel confident enough, you can continue the story." Holmes' words indeed reached the gentle queen's soul, as she, after exhaling heavily and adjusting herself, continued her explanations. "Chara fell down through the hole of the mountain you gentlemen and Frisk have come. My son, Asriel, found her laying on the bed of flowers and decided to help her out. He thought she'd make a great sibling, but the child was strange in her behaviour and didn't seem to adjust so well with the life we were living. One day, she fell ill and asked us to take her to the human village above, to see the flowers once more. However, we couldn't fulfill that request, and the next morning, she was dead. I don't really know what Asriel did, because he carried her away that morning...and returned later battered and bruised, only to turn to dust right in front of Asgore and I, as we were sitting in the garden." The fierce queen was now crying her heart out, and I could only pull the gentle queen in a reassuring hug. "Good God, you have gone through quite a shock. There, there, do not worry. My friend and I will try our best to make things right for you." Frisk, in that moment, saw Toriel sobbing uncontrollably, and they tugged on my pants to leave Toriel to them, as they tugged on her robes, and she leveled down to Frisk, as the child pulled her in a tight grip, whispering softly in her ear "Don't cry, Mom. Mr. Holmes is brilliant, and he will solve everything. But I want to help as well..." to which Toriel's eyes were widened in shock. "Have you listened in to our conversation?"
- Yes, and I want to help out, Frisk said gently. I want to help out my mother, to help her be happy.
- My dear child..., she said looking towards the young child who wanted to be selfless.
- Frisk, I could hear my friend's voice resounding, breaking in the moment of tension. You say you wish to help out? I believe your role in this case is indeed vital, and you are the only one who can undo this mess humanity has pulled on these poor monsters. The kingdom is in ruins as of now, and you're the only one who can bring its' former glory back, with the help of the King and the Queen here.
- Good God, Holmes! Whatever do you suggest? I asked in puzzlement.
- The Queen wishes to prevent the young child from leaving, that much is obvious in her intentions. However, I have no doubt the child will offer their MERCY without any hesitation, even if it would cost them their life. They care about Her Majesty far too much to describe in any words, and they resent the idea of fighting. Your Highness, said Holmes as he turned towards Queen Toriel, allow us to move on further with our journey. We will do our best to save you from your loneliness, fulfill your expectations and fully defeat your fears. Do not worry, the young one is safe with us.
- Mr. Holmes, however did you know? she looked shocked as my friend completely read her emotions.
- Your Highness, it is obvious you fear for the child's safety. And you are concerned for some reason that, should the child meet the King, he will be in danger.
- Yes, she said, still in shock. Asgore ensued a human killing policy, and I was disgusted with his actions, that is why I'm living in the Ruins. I will allow you three to leave, but..., she leveled to Frisk while hugging them, telling the child to stay safe.
Time and time again I vouched for us that we will keep them safe from harm, as she guided us towards the basement and opened a rather large door, with the same symbol on it. "What is this symbol," asked Holmes before we left for good. "It is the Delta Rune, the symbol of my family, Mr. Holmes. It is also the emblem of the Kingdom of Monsters. Please, can I don the rune on something you possess? I want Frisk to feel safer seeing the symbol." she said, as she pointed towards Holmes' pipe. My friend gently put the pipe in her paws, and she, with some sort of fire, managed to engrave the Rune on Holmes' pipe. "Thank you, Mr. Holmes," she said to him, while forming a gracing smile on her muzzle, and my friend nodded solemnly. We could hear the door behind us close heavily, and in front of us stood a rather large forest, covered entirely in snow. "Where are we going to go, Holmes?" I asked my friend. "We're going to rebuild a kingdom, Watson. And for the time being, we have no destination."