(09)
A long night of thought and contemplation was a rather unfamiliar concept to L, considering the Sun never set on the world above and that his mind was usually too foggy to allow for advanced rumination or recollection of any kind. Of course, he was now considerably more capable of keeping his mind and thoughts collected. Over the course of the night, he began recollecting as much of his past travels and battles, culminating in the events of his battle against the Altered King, which set his mind on the track of kings in general, and finally...
'...Asgore.' He couldn't help but wonder what the king of monsters was like in person. Once Toriel awoke, they would be continuing on their journey to warn the king of just what awaited him on the surface, to tell him of the sheer horror that he would unleash on his people if he broke that barrier and became known to the world above. He found such a scenario reprehensible, this place was likely one of the few, if not only, places untouched by the corruptions that plagued the world.
As he drifted away from that possibility and pondered on what Asgore could be like based off of what little Toriel had given him, the former monster queen herself began to stir as if brought to the waking world by L's thoughts.
With a slight jolting intake of breath, Toriel slowly came to. After so many years of isolation, it was strange not waking up to her home in the Ruins, that was for sure.
After a few more minutes of laying in bed to wake up a bit more, she finally sat up enough to take in the still darkened room, her eyes landing on the only figure they could. "Good morning L, are you feeling any more rested than before?"
It took the undead a couple of moments to think on it, but his response gave her an amount of comfort, seeing as he'd been seated there all night. "Somewhat, I do feel an amount of refreshment not typical to just sitting about like normal. Still, it does not quite compare to a bonfire, but it certainly feels like something is different."
"I am glad you are feeling better, I still feel rather guilty about having you sat in a corner like that."
"Again, think nothing of it, it is no bother to me."
A few moments of Toriel adjusting her sitting position, and she presented a question that had been brewing since shortly after their journey began. "L, when we put a stop to Asgore's plans to break the barrier, what will you do? Will you remain in the Underground or return to the surface?"
L hesitated somewhat before answering, he actually hadn't thought that far ahead, he was too busy looking back into what memories he could the whole night. "Hrm… well, I will certainly not be returning right away, there is much of this new land I can explore. If I am still welcome here once everything has come to a close, I will likely adventure around places… less populated. I am still very uncomfortable being around so many people. After that, I am unsure."
The two once more shared a few moments to think on plans ahead, and L decided to present a question that he had since he'd first seen Toriel. "This likely seems odd of me to ask, but I am curious about your species, Toriel. Above, there is a species of Demon known as 'Capra Demons,' which have vaguely goat-like features, and that similarity piqued my interest. You also stated that you have been around since both our species were young, are your kind immortal?"
Toriel mulled it over for a bit, the term "demon" being entirely new to her. "I know nothing of Demons, let alone Capra Demons, but I can tell you a bit about monsterkind. My species, Boss Monsters, only truly age when we have children and we age alongside them. Both the parents and child grow until the parents pass, after that the grown child continues the cycle. There are not many Boss Monsters in the Underground, and there likely never will be, thanks to our biology. Other monster species are variable and diverse, some can live to be very old, young, or even immortal. Boss Monsters are simply a unique case."
L couldn't stop himself from wondering, considering how old Toriel must be. "...Did you and Asgore have children when you were together? You have been around since the beginnings of man, by the sounds of it..." Based on Toriel's emotional downturn, L immediately realized he'd tread on the exact sensitive subject Toriel had alluded to and steered away from in the Ruins. His curiosity had simply overpowered his inhibition.
Having to remember was painful, but Toriel decided she could trust L enough to tell him. "We did. Two boys… who both died far too young. It was after the war, and Asgore and I just had our son, Asriel. A few years later, the first human fell into our world. He was a... special... child to say the least. His name was Characas. He was an adolescent boy, barely into his thirteenth year. He had fallen in the very same spot you must have, and Asriel found and befriended him. Asgore and I adopted the boy… and he later became very ill…"
She wrapped the covers around herself and sat at the edge of the bed, staring into the darkness of the room, looking at nothing in particular.
"He made a last request, to see the flowers of his home village… we could not fulfill it with the barrier in the way… but once he passed, Asriel must have absorbed his soul. With that power, he could cross the barrier… after the fact, we figured it out that he took Characas' body to his village to complete his last wish… and the humans attacked him…" She was starting to sob and tear up, she always did, remembering the next part. L could do nothing to console her, so he simply listened.
"Asriel came home with Characas' body, and he was mortally wounded… we had no idea he had left… we could do nothing to heal him. Just like that, our children had died, and there was nothing we could do about it. After that... Asgore's plan to break the barrier began. It was in vengeance's name, and I was disgusted at his willingness to take the lives and souls of humans, just so he could go out into the world and restart the war that had killed most of our kind. When he started taking souls, I left him and isolated myself as a guardian of the Ruins to do my best to prevent his plan from coming to fruition. The sad thing about Asgore is that he is hardly even dedicated to his plan. He has six souls, and it only takes a monster having one to be able to pass through the barrier freely, and seven to break it entirely. If he wanted to, he could absorb all six, pass through the barrier, collect one more, then break the barrier for us all to be free. Yet he will not do it, instead, he waits for humans to come to him, hoping he does not have to come through on his promise of freedom to our people, instead letting them stay trapped down here, clinging to little more than hopes and dreams… he does this because he detests himself for killing those children for their souls. I cannot stand what he has promised, done, and refused to do. And now it is too late for his plan to ever work, and those children died in vain." She was progressively getting closer to crying as she recounted her family's past, and L remained completely still in the corner, taking the tale in.
L slowly lowered his head, feeling terrible about having Toriel recount the experience in such an emotional outpouring. He felt he needed to say something, anything. "I am… unsure… if I have ever experienced anything quite like that… but I can tell it tore you up having to deal with so many things at once, one after another. But you have stayed strong and done something about Asgore's plot, and I am sure that is what Characas and Asriel would want from their mother. If I may ask further, what were they like?"
Toriel actually smiled a little, remembering her sons dearly. "Asriel was a wonderful son, he was the light of our lives down here. He was so friendly and was adored by many, well-behaved, well-mannered… it is almost funny that Characas was like his opposite in nearly every way. We loved that child as well, and people hoped he could one day act as an ambassador between monsters and humans… but he was a bit of a dark child, to say the least. I feel he had some poor influences on Asriel, where Asgore wasn't a rough and strict father, Characas seemed to take it upon himself to be like that towards his younger, impressionable brother… the two were inseparable, but Characas was a real troublemaker at times."
The prospect of family and childhood brought a vein of thought to L's mind he'd not entertained before, that of family. "I can only wonder what I was like when I was younger. The same with my family… parents… siblings? I have no recollection of anything. Having no memories of family actually pains me, now that I know I very well may have had one at one point…"
Toriel looked to the sitting undead, unsure if she should pity or envy the man. He did not know if there was pain under the surface or simply no way he could be hurt in a way as she had been.
Toriel was beginning to feel they should get moving for the day, and was about to voice it when a sudden knocking on the door rang out. Toriel answered, still sitting on the bed, wrapped in the covers. "Yes, what is it?"
A young voice responded through the door. "Comp-complimentary breakfast is being served in the guest's room, i-if you'd like some."
She guessed it might have been a young employee, or maybe the owner's son.
"We will be right out, thank you."
She looked back to L, seeing he was already up and putting his items back in their spots on his person, once more looking away for her to get dressed. She took the opportunity and addressed him once she was done. "So, breakfast?"
With a final check of his gear, L turned and nodded his hooded head in assent. "If it is like the rest of the monster-made food I have enjoyed so far, it will certainly be a treat."
vvv
Once in the guestroom for breakfast, L made sure to keep his hood well over his face, but Toriel could tell he was certainly feeling more upbeat after the rest and prospect of food from his posture and body language alone. The guestroom was large enough to house all the guests of the inn at once, but there were only two other lone monsters and one couple together, all enjoying their breakfast. Toriel had pancakes with syrup, and L simply tried one of everything.
After the assault on breakfast, they left the room key with the owner and the duo left the inn, Toriel putting her cloak on as they returned to the cold of Snowdin.
L followed close behind, peering cautiously out into the town as he exited the inn. "So, we keep heading through town and continue on to the capital, correct?"
Toriel pulled her own hood over her head as she nodded in confirmation. "Let us hope we do not run into too many interruptions." With agreement reached, the two walked East through the town. L noticed that the locals were all sorts of furred monsters, and he reasoned that it would make sense they'd be fine living out here. The Undead and Boss Monster duo made their way through the town, trying their best to simply blend in.
They passed a tree that had been decorated with brightly colored bulbs and lights, and various small children and an adult bear monster were gathered around it. L noticed one of the monster kids looking at him, a yellow scaled reptilian child with… no arms? The kid looked as if he were in awe. L put it out of mind not long after they passed him.
After the crowded tree was Grillby's, a glowing "OPEN" sign in the window. It looked like an especially warm building. After that, the… Librarby? Past that was a larger house, featuring two mailboxes out front. One was stuffed full, the other totally empty. The two didn't know who lived there, but they could take a wild guess.
Finally, they were at the town's eastern limits. Just as they were about to follow the path leading out of town, a certain tall skeleton dramatically stepped out from behind one of the trees lining the path.
"HUMAN. ALLOW ME TO TELL YOU ABOUT SOME COMPLEX FEELINGS."
Toriel looked unamused, muttering "Already with this…?" and L looked about to be sure attention wasn't being drawn to the scene.
"FEELINGS LIKE… THE JOY OF FINDING ANOTHER PASTA LOVER. THE ADMIRATION FOR ANOTHER'S PUZZLE-SOLVING SKILLS. THE DESIRE TO HAVE A COOL, SMART PERSON THINK YOU ARE COOL. THESE FEELINGS… THEY MUST BE WHAT YOU ARE FEELING RIGHT NOW! I CAN HARDLY IMAGINE WHAT IT MUST BE LIKE TO FEEL THAT WAY. AFTER ALL, I AM VERY GREAT. I DON'T EVER WONDER WHAT HAVING LOTS OF FRIENDS IS LIKE. I PITY YOU… LONELY HUMAN…"
Papyrus was hitting closer to home than L would like… at least on the last part.
"WORRY NOT! YOU SHALL BE LONELY NO LONGER! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL BE YOUR… NO… NO, THIS IS ALL WRONG! I CAN'T BE YOUR FRIEND! YOU ARE A HUMAN! I MUST CAPTURE YOU! THEN, I CAN FULFILL MY LIFELONG DREAM! POWERFUL! POPULAR! PRESTIGIOUS! THAT'S PAPYRUS! THE NEWEST MEMBER… OF THE ROYAL GUARD!"
The skeleton's shouting and subsequent heroic pose had attracted quite a bit of the locals' attention, and L knew it.
The skeleton man had also revealed an important tidbit. 'Papyrus' lifelong dream is to join the Royal Guard? It just so happens I am wearing the armor of my kind's Royal Guard… I suppose I can entertain him a bit more, he has already revealed to the whole world that I am a human.'
He took a more strained, heroic posture, then addressed the prospective Royal Guard. "Papyrus! You wish to be a member of your king's Royal Guard! Well, I must share something with you… for I am a member of my own king's Royal Guard! I am a Silver Knight! And I accept your challenge, draw thine weapon and let us have a friendly competition to see who is the better warrior, for the honor of our lords!"
L unbacked his gleaming silver shield and drew his claymore with a flourish, giving the large blade an experimental swing, the air around the magical edge rushing out of the way with a loud "Woosh!" as he did so.
Papyrus looked excited, he was going to show just how capable a warrior he could be! He summoned up his bone staff and two handed it, the ends glowing in preparation to summon his magical bone attacks.
Toriel stood beside the ready undead somewhat worriedly. "You are not going to hurt him, are you?"
L looked at her in just the right way for her to see the edge of his face from inside his hood. "Of course not, he is just a hopeful warrior, and he knows not just what being a true warrior means. This is just a friendly bout."
Toriel nodded in understanding and noticed people were gathering to see the inevitable duel. She motioned for the people to stand back before joining the onlookers. Some were in awe, others were looking in excitement. She just wanted to make sure they were out of harm's way, accidents could happen.
Papyrus and L stood at a distance, Papyrus in a readily poised stance, and L in a loose, ready to dodge stance. He was still wearing his enchanted rings. They allowed him to be incredibly agile in almost any kind of armor, taking the weight of the gear down to nearly non-existent. He could dodge things fully-armored that not even people wearing normal clothes would be fast enough for.
'Time to begin this.'
"Defend yourself!" L started the attack, running at Papyrus. Papyrus rapidly spun his staff, sending floating bone-shaped attacks at the undead. L had to continuously dodge and flip about, and when Papyrus started sending wider blue attacks, he had to hop and duck or suddenly change direction, he had too much momentum to stop in place to let the mixed waves of normal and blue attacks pass him. Papyrus was on the move, still sending attacks at L. The skeleton man had to slow for a few seconds to regain a bit of his energy, and in that short time period, L had recovered from his last dodge and prepared a technique he learned from battling the Altered King's best ( and abyss-corrupted) great-swordsman.
L got his legs into a ready-to-jump stance, then held his heavy claymore before him. He made a leap and swung his sword down mid-arc, his rings letting him achieve height nigh-unimaginable for any normal person. He had front-flipped while swinging his sword, resulting in him bringing down a strike with the force of a falling boulder that was as sharp as any blade. He made sure the attack would only scare Papyrus further back, aiming the attack just before the skeleton to encourage him to start dodging.
The meteor-like attack flung snow in every which direction when he landed, and Papyrus had avoided it well enough, stumbling backward out of reach, but he caught himself using his staff.
L stood from the crater, flourishing his claymore once again. He was beginning to rather like pulling off flourishes after attacks, actual Silver Knights always wove them into theirs.
Papyrus picked up the pace after he rebalanced, sending a mixed wave of blue and non-blue attacks to keep L in place, then he ran forward and cocked his staff back to bring a barrage of striking hits with it against the undead's gleaming shield and armor.
L saw his window. He had done this plenty of times.
He let the strikes batter against his shield to get the timing down, then swung it out to redirect an attack and throw Papyrus off-balance. To his credit, Papyrus had back-stepped quickly, trying to get out of range.
He didn't expect L to roll forward then kick powdered snow up at him, both blinding him and getting him off-balance as he tried to figure out what was happening. He heard a crack as he felt his staff get ripped from his right hand, and then a sound of rushing air as the snow finally settled, revealing L right before him, claymore pointed and at the ready.
"You put up an admirable fight Papyrus, but you have been disarmed and I have the advantageous position. Do you give up?"
Papyrus gave a defeated sigh and held his hands up. "HUMAN, I DO NOT KNOW HOW YOU MANAGED IT, BUT YOU HAVE BESTED ME! I USED MY COOLEST ATTACKS AND YET YOU STILL WON… THE GREAT PAPYRUS, DEFEATED…"
L sheathed his claymore and held out his hand for Papyrus to shake. " It was a good battle, Papyrus. I am L, by the way."
Papyrus shook L's hand gladly, and his trademark skeletal grin came back as strong as ever. "SO, HOW ABOUT YOU AND THE ASGORE-CLONE COME HANG OUT FOR A WHILE? I WILL MAKE THAT SPAGHETTI I PROMISED YOU EARLIER!"
L grinned at the skeleton beneath his hood. "That sounds good to me."
Toriel could only audibly groan at the thought of enduring more of Papyrus' cooking.
(09)
