A.N. Sads here, with some humor towards the end.
Warning: hints at past history, also some potential character death
Chapter 8: Love Feeds Hope
The next year or two was surreal for Undyne. They would schedule a short guard shift around the time she would call- once a month for two minutes, a quick update, nothing more, nothing less.
The next year went more surreal, though. Not only did the phone calls happen, but in a moment that lit up Asgore, she was able to deliver items now and then. Presents she had missed, mostly, new books, and a new phone, every month. Scrapbook pictures with the baby, endless scrapbook pictures.
Undyne found herself falling in love with the child, a little bit. It was natural, she thought, to see a child grow up from so small, and fall in love.
On the fourth year, Asgore got a unexpected call, outside their regular time. Undyne hadn't been there, but when another sentry passed by, they hurried her to the king- he was going mad again, they claimed, and you brought him out of it, last time. Do something!
When she got there, Asgore was throwing as much monster food into as big of a box he can pack, without any of it getting damaged. He was in a frenzy, and couldn't see anything, even running into corners and tearing himself up a little.
Undyne tried talking to him, tried touching him, even tried attacking him, but nothing broke through.
"Urrgh... " Undyne grumbled, an idea coming to her. She wasn't musical! She didn't like to sing! But.. she'd listened to Shyren enough, surely she could hum.
And with a few rough starts that had her coughing, Undyne hummed Hope and Dreams. The room went silent, and she opened her eyes, watching Asgore stare at her with flat eyes.
"You mutilated that song," Asgore grouched, and she flushed with motification and turned away. To her surprise, she was swept into a hug. "But thank you." And he began to weep.
It was brief, though, and after five minutes he pulled away, packing the food again, but careful, and slow.
"What happened..?" Undyne asked Asgore, and he stiffened, he back rigid, before he forced himself to relax.
"Melody is dying," he said softly, packing the food more.
"Who..?" she wondered. The answer sent her to her knees in despair.
"My grand-daughter," he sobbed.
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The journey up the mountain was wretchedly harder than before. Frisk had missed her father horribly, but the reason for re-uniting was painful, so painful she wanted to lay down and die.
Her mouth thinned, and she berated herself. The last time she gave up, something horrible happened. She wouldn't let herself do that, ever again. Even if it hurt! that gave her motivation to take the rest of the mountain at a jog.
When she reach the top, she was surprised that her father wasn't the only one there, and she shot Asgore a dirty look.
"Dad! You promised!" she cried out, feeling upset and betrayed.
The familiar face, Undyne, spoke up then. "Hey, hey! He didn't break any promise! I just weaseled in! I caught him talking and badgered.. but he didn't tell me anything about you, just that you knew me." Her hand came up the comb, sheepishly. She never took that lizard comb out of her hair now, just like how Alphys never took off the locket with a piece of her hair in it.
"Oh..." Frisk trailed off, smiling, sad, but relieved. She didn't have the gumption to inquire about Alphys, but hoped..
"But oh!" Undyne pulled a container of spaghetti out, and shoved it towards here, where it smashed into the barrier and fell apart.
"Well crap," Undyne grumbled, disappointed, before perking up. "Wait I forgot I packed two!" And she pulled the other one out, holding it out.
Frisk reached through, trustingly pulling the spaghetti into her side. "Thank you," she whispered. "But why?"
"I sorta got a glimpse of the kid early on," Undyne looked away, trying to be tough. "And I sorta thought, maybe, I could be Auntie Undyne?" She turned back with a familiar gleam in her eyes. "But she better not called me Aunt Undie! I'd never live it down."
And a thrill of mixed emotions flashed through Frisk, as she fell to her knees, laughing, laughs that turned into relieved sobs. She leaned towards the barrier, and in a movement that had become automatic, Asgore fell to his knees, and flipped himself around, allowing Frisk to rest against his back. Frisk wrapped her arms around her dad, sobbing.
And with little hesitation, Undyne joined them, pulling one of the arms onto the shoulder next to Asgore.
"H-hey," Undyne stuttered. "I'm sure Melody will be okay. The food will help, right?"
"I hope," murmured Frisk, half muffled by her fathers robe.
"So Frisk," Asgore started, and Undyne was hit with a wave of unease, the dejavu telling her to hug the girl and run as far away as possible, equally. She sat still, and continued to listen.
"If you are here, who is watching Melody? I didn't think you made any new friends?" he continued.
"No, dad, not since college," she murmured, and Asgore's mouth turned down. "Prison was too good for that trash," he growled angrily.
"Dad, no, you can't," she pled, and he sighed.
"You are right as ever," he acknowledge, and Undyne felt there was a large hole in her understanding. "But then, who is watching the child?"
Frisk smiled, pulling back, and they all turned to face her. Carefully, she pulled out an ear piece, and in a deliberate step of trust, handed her the ear piece to Undyne, before turning to her father.
Undyne could barely hear the response she gave Asgore, about a nursemaid, because she put the ear piece in her ear.. and could hear.
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Her name was Melody Cherish Hope, and she was 4 years old. Her mommy said she was born a lot too early, but she knew she was special because her mommy believed in her so much that her mommy made her last name Hope because Melody was her mommy's hope and so when Melody was born she could be hope for real!
She didn't know where Cherish was for, but when mommy was scolding her, her mommy called her Cherry, then swept her up for tickles and giggles.
Mommy seemed sad a lot, and Melody couldn't move much to give her mommy all the hugs her mommy needed. She knew her mommy was a secret writer, and mommy told her stories from the secret writing books, all the time. Even some nobody else knew!
It was neat her mommy had the name of the character in the book. She told her mommy that she wanted to save the monsters like the hero did in the book, and her mommy gave a small, pained smile, and told Melody she had a secret name.
Her secret name was Arial Chara Dreemur, and nobody was supposed to know it. Especially not the name Chara. But she asked her mommy if she could be called Arial, and say it was from the little mermaid, and her mommy smiled a happy happy smile, pet her head, and said yes. And thank you, for some reason..
From then on Melody only answered to Arial, it was her realist name ever. And mommy told her more stories, and showed her pictures of her grandpa. The monsters were real! But.. mommy said she can't tell, or people wouldn't understand. And maybe hurt her and mommy.
So Arial didn't tell anyone ever. Never ever ever. When her mom was gone, she still talked about her monster family to her nursemaid, but she used special nicknames so her nursemaid didnt know and was really careful.
Today she wanted to hear her mommy's stories, but Miss. Sally didn't know mommy's stories. It was a special day cuz mommy was going to see Pawpaw to see if the special food can help her move more, so she really wanted to feel closer to the family she never ever met.
"Miss. Sally! Miss. Sally!" Arial called, gasping a little. The nursemaid looked up from where she was doing embroidery. Miss. Sally was reeeeally old and didn't smile much but had a warm voice and a soft touch so that was okay.
"Yes, Melody?" she said calmly. Arial whined.
"Miss. Salllllly, I'm Arial. Arial!" she reminded. A thin grin and raised eyebrows were what she got, but Miss. Sally's eyes danced in amusement.
"Alright, Arial," she consented. "What is it that you need?"
"I wanna hear the Fluffy bunny book? Pleeease!" Arial asked needily. An amused but exasperated sigh left the nursemaids mouth.
"Again?" Miss. Sally said, in humored disdain. Arial put on her biiiggest puppy dog eyes, the one that mommy said looked like greater dog.
"Pleeeease! Unca Pappy loveses it! And I wanna be like Unca Pappy!" she complained.
"You always mention your Uncle Pappy," Miss. Sally said, a curious tone in her voice. "But I've never seen hide or hair of the man."
Arial was silent for a long moment, running what Miss. Sally said through her head, before her eyes took a keen look that she hid by looking downward. This would be perfect.. Uncle Pappy's brother would like this. Even though mommy always looked really sad talking about Sans, Arial always thought she might like him, even though his mommy cried about Sans a lot when she thought Arial wasn't looking.
"B-but.. Miss. Sally," she said, with a fake quiver in her voice. "I can't see Unca Pappy anymore...He's all bones.. underground." The fake sobs made Miss. Sally really uncomfy looking, but stammered out she would get the book.
Looking like a little imp, she grinned at the now closed door, and since she couldn't move her hands anymore, made a noise.
"Swish! Get dunked on," Arial said, giggling. "Oh..I better not tell mommy...course Unca doesn't have hide or hair.. he's a skeleton!"
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Across the country, in a cave next to the barrier, a fish woman broke down laughing.
