"Children, can you please come out here?"

Asriel and Chara left their bedroom and walked over to Toriel's chair, where she was sitting and reading a book. "What's up Mom?" Asriel asked.

"As I am sure you two know, your father's birthday is coming up very soon. It is tomorrow in fact."

Both children nodded, although Chara nodded a bit more hesitantly. They had honestly forgotten when Asgore's birthday was. "Now, I am going to need to go into town to get some last minute things for his present. Will you two be alright on your own for a little while?"

"Sure Mom!" Asriel exclaimed. "Can we make something for Dad too?"

Toriel smiled and said, "I'm sure he would love that. Just be careful please."

"We will. Bye Mom!"

Once Toriel left the house, Asriel asked Chara, "What should we make Dad?"

"Well, he really likes Mrs. Queen Mom's pies, right?"

"He does! He loves her butterscotch cinnamon pie. We could make that. Plus, I could practice my fire magic that way!"

"Do you know where she keeps the recipes?"

"I'm pretty sure she keeps them in her study. Come on!"

The two children ran into Toriel's study, where they found a bookshelf, a cactus, a desk and a trash can. Chara looked on the desk and saw that there was a joke book on it and smiled. "Anything on the desk?" Asriel asked as he started to look through the bookshelf.

"Nope, just a joke book."

"I think I got something here." Chara went over to their brother and saw what he had pulled off the bookshelf. It was an old cook book that appeared to be lightly waterlogged. "I think this is it. She might have gotten it from the Dump."

They both flipped through the book and Chara said, "Wait!" They flipped back a few pages and saw a recipe for butterscotch cinnamon pie. "There it is!"

"Cool! Let's get started!"

The two ran into the kitchen with the cookbook and Chara flipped it open to the pie recipe. "I think Mom has some pie crust in the fridge," Asriel said, digging through the fridge until he pulled out a cold pie crust.

"So the recipe says that the pie dough needs to be warmed up in the oven," Chara read from the book.

"I don't know how to use the oven. Mom and Dad never do."

"Well, you said you wanted to practice your fire magic. Go ahead and try it!"

The two children shaped the pie dough so that it fit into a pie dish and Asriel held the dish in his paws. He took a deep breath and concentrated as he felt his paws warm up slightly. After a minute of trying, his paws lit up with an orange glow as the dish began to heat up.

"I did it!" he exclaimed as he continued to heat the dish. "How long does it say I need to do this?"

"Um, about forty minutes."

"I can't hold this that long!"

"Just do it as much as you can. I'm sure it'll be fine."

Asriel nodded and continued to concentrate on his fire magic. He was able to hold it for about ten minutes before he sighed and his magic went away. "Sorry," he said.

"I'm sure it'll be fine. Now, let's make the inside."

"Okay, what do we need for that?"

"It says we need a teaspoon of cinnamon."

"What's a tea spoon?"

"Hmm...maybe the spoons that Mr. King Dad uses when he makes tea?"

"Oh, I know where those are!" Asriel went into one of the drawers and pulled out a large spoon. "Here we go!"

Chara smiled and took the spoon as they scooped out a large portion of cinnamon. They poured the cinnamon into a bowl and said, "Okay, next we need to add the butterscotch."

"On it!" Asriel went into another cupboard and grabbed a large bag of butterscotch chips. He went over to the bowl and poured out a large portion of the butterscotch. "What's next?"

"We need to add…butter cups?"

"Huh?"

"Here, look!" Chara showed the book to Asriel. "It says we need to add 2 butter cups."

"How do we do that?"

"Oh! Maybe it means to add flowers! Like the buttercups Mr. King Dad grows in the garden!"

"Okay! Let's go pick some flowers!"

Once the two managed to gather their ingredients together and Asriel semi successfully heated the ingredients to combine them, they poured the batter into the pie.

"Children, I'm home!" Toriel called out as she entered the house.

"We're in the kitchen Mom!" Asriel called. The older goat monster went into the kitchen and couldn't help but giggle at the scene. The kitchen was incredibly messy, and Chara and Asriel were covered in sticky pie filling.

"Goodness, what happened here?" Toriel asked.

"We made a pie for Dad!" Asriel exclaimed happily, pointing to the pie on the kitchen counter. It definitely was not a pretty looking pie, but it at least looked semi edible.

"How lovely," Toriel said. "Why don't I put the pie in the fridge and help you two wash up? You have both made quite a mess."

"Sorry Mrs. Queen Mom," Chara said.

"Do not be sorry my child. I will clean up in here after I help you two wash up. This was a very thoughtful present for your father. Tell me, where did you get the recipe?"

"One of the cookbooks in your study," Asriel explained. "I helped cook it with my magic!"

"Oh my, that is very impressive Asriel. You know, I don't normally use the recipes in those books."

"You don't?"

Toriel shook her head and said, "I collected those books quite some time ago and merely used the recipes for inspiration. My own recipe is known only to me. I can teach both of you it some other time. But I am sure that this recipe will taste lovely. Now, why don't you both help me finish preparing the other gift I have gotten your father?"

Asgore came home a few hours later to a very cheerful, "Happy early Birthday!" from his family. He laughed heartily at this as his two children ran up to him.

"Dad, we made something for you for your birthday!" Asriel exclaimed.

"Did you now?" Asgore asked. "But my birthday isn't until tomorrow."

"We couldn't wait! Now come on, have some!"

The small goat monster ran into the kitchen and returned a few seconds later with a large slice of pie Toriel had cut earlier. "You made a pie?" Asgore asked, slightly shocked.

"We know you like Mrs. Queen Mom's pies," Chara said. "So we wanted to make you one ourselves. We didn't use her recipe though. We found one in an old cookbook."

"I am sure it will taste just as fine," Asgore said as he took the slice of pie. He sat down at his spot at the dining table and grabbed a spoon. He scooped a bite of the pie slice into his mouth and tried his best not to grimace.

Asriel and Chara both looked at him with anticipation as he tried his best to not look completely disgusted. "What do you think Dad?" Asriel asked excitedly.

Asgore managed to choke down a bite of the pie and said, "It certainly tastes...interesting." Seeing the eager look on both children's faces, Asgore choked down a few more bites until he finished about half the slice. "I think I might eat more later though. I do not want to spoil my dinner after all."

Toriel smiled and said, "As a matter of fact, dinner is ready right now. Why don't I get it for us now?"

The family all ate dinner together, but Asgore felt ill throughout the meal. He tried his best to look as though he was fine, but Toriel could see that something was wrong. After they finished eating, Asriel asked, "Dad, are you gonna have some more pie?"

"Um, I don't think so son," Asgore said.

"Why not?"

"I don't feel very well right now. I think I might go lay down for the night."

Once Asgore pushed his chair away from the table and attempted to stand, he faltered slightly and had to grip his chair. "Gorey?" Toriel asked, rushing to her husband's side.

"I'm fine Tori," he said as he tried to walk to the bedroom. Once he let go of the chair, he faltered again though and Toriel quickly helped him stand.

"Gorey, I don't think you are alright," Toriel said, concern in her tone.

"I think you are right my dear," Asgore said. "I feel ill. Help me to the room?"

Toriel nodded and helped Asgore walk to the bedroom. As they moved, Toriel turned to the children and asked, "Will you two please help out and put the dishes in the sink?"

Both children nodded as Asgore and Toriel left the room. "What do you think happened?" Chara asked.

"Maybe we did something wrong," Asriel said, sounding very concerned. "I hope it wasn't our pie."

"It couldn't have been! We followed the recipe!"

"I hope Dad's alright…"

That night, Toriel did not come to tick the two children in like she always did. She stayed with Asgore the entire night, tending to him. Asriel and Chara both had a rough night, both concerned about their father. Chara managed to get some sleep in after exhausting themselves with their knitting, but Asriel remained awake the entire night.

The next morning, both children left their bedroom and went to Toriel and Asgore's bedroom. Asriel hesitantly knocked on the door and Toriel answered it. "Hello there you two," she said, trying not to sound concerned. "I am sorry I was not there for you last night."

"Is Dad alright?" Asriel asked, not wanting to beat around the bush.

Toriel sighed and said, "Your father had a very rough night last night. He did not get much sleep and was rather ill throughout the night."

"Is he gonna be okay?" Chara asked.

Toriel looked back at the bedroom and did not look at the children as she said, "I do not know."

"Can we see him?" Asriel asked.

"I am not sure. He is still rather ill and I do not want you two to see him like that."

"Tori?" Asgore called from the room, his voice sounding weak and strained. "Is that Asriel and Chara? Let them in."

Toriel sighed and moved out of the doorway to let the children in. When they both saw Asgore, tears immediately sprung to Asriel's eyes. The once brave and mighty King Asgore looked weak and pale, even with his white fur. His fur was wet with sweat and he looked miserable, but he still smiled when he saw the children.

"Hello there you two," he said, attempting to sound cheery but still sounding incredibly weak. He attempted to sit up in bed, but Toriel quickly rushed to him and gently nudged him down.

"Dad…" Asriel said, sounding close to crying.

"Gorey, you should rest a bit more," Toriel said. "You hardly slept at all last night."

Asgore looked at her and said, "I'm fine Torey, really. I want to spend time with our children."

Toriel nodded and said, "I do not know what could have caused you to become so ill. The only thing you ate was my dinner and the childrens' pie."

"Yes, the pie…"

Toriel quickly turned to Asriel and Chara and asked, "Children, be honest with me, did you follow that recipe exactly? Did you make any alterations to it in any way?"

"No, we didn't," Chara said somewhat defensively.

"Well, we didn't hear the dough as long as the recipe said…" Asriel interjected.

"Hmm, that might cause him to have some issues, but not to this extent. Tell me exactly what you put into the pie."

"Cinnamon, butterscotch, buttercups-" Asriel started.

"What?!" both Toriel and Asgore exclaimed. Asgore coughed after yelling and Toriel's eyes widened.

"You added buttercups to the pie?!" Toriel exclaimed, frightening Chara and Asriel slightly. The queen never raised her voice, so her almost yelling was certainly scary. "What on Earth made you think that was a good idea?"

"It's what the recipe said," Chara said.

Toriel instantly knew the problem and said, "Children, that meant cups of butter. With a measuring cup. Buttercups are poisonous!"

"P-poisonous?" Asriel asked, almost crying at this point.

"Yes, poisonous. I need to know, right now, how many buttercups were in that pie?"

"Just two," Asriel quickly said. "The recipe said to add two butter cups."

Everyone's attention then turned to Chara as they began laughing. "We used buttercups instead of cups of butter," they said as they laughed.

"Chara, this is not a laughing matter!" Toriel scolded. "This is serious! You could have seriously hurt Asgore, or worse! I know you two were just trying to do a kind gesture, but you could have killed him!"

Asriel began to sob at this and Chara said, "I'm sorry."

Their voice did not sound sincere as they apologized and Toriel noticed it. "Chara, you and Asriel both need to go to your room and think about your actions. I am very disappointed with both of you."

"But it was just an accident!" Chara exclaimed.

"I understand that, but your actions have consequences. Both of you go to your room now."

Asriel nodded and began to walk out of the room, but Chara was livid. They pushed past Asriel as they ran out of the room.

"Chara!" Toriel called out as the door to the house slammed shut.

The human was gone.