VOXISTALE: Season 1

by TheOneTrueComic

Once upon a time… A human fell underground. Beneath the surface, they made friends. Made enemies. Made mistakes. Made things right. After a long time, the human decided to stay, calling the underground home. The monsters, her family. One day, the underground was destroyed, but the monsters were able to escape, thanks to the human. For years, they have lived on the surface.

8. Sherudo

"NO!"

Terrence shot up on the couch, blinking blearily as he smacked his lips, having been jolted awake by a yell from inside the house. He could hear heavy footsteps shake the house, the sounds of items being tossed about, before he remembered where he was. His eyes adjusted to the light streaming in, and they focused on a potted flower in the corner of the room.

Slowly, he swung his legs off the couch, tossing the blanket off of him, and stretching, listening as Frisk came down the stairs and entered Asgore's room. "What is it!?" She asked him.

Terrence smacked his lips again, ruffling his bed head for a second, then he rubbed his eyes and let out a sigh.

Where was he again?

Oh... right, he was staying over at Frisk's place. He stretched out a bit, feeling his back pop lightly, much to his satisfaction. Once he was done waking up, he began to worry about what was going on in Asgore's room- that shout had sounded urgent.

Terrence slowly stood up, just as Asgore politely told Frisk that there was nothing to worry about- reassuring his daughter that it was just a nightmare.

"Right. Your room being a mess was the result of a nightmare. Did you lose your favorite oven mitt again?" Frisk's voice drifted into the living room while Terrence did more stretching, popping his shoulders as he did so, letting out a satisfied sigh. "That's the spot..." He muttered.

"Er, yes... sorry, it's... embarrassing to admit to. Again." Asgore replied, and Terrence turned to the door just as the two were walking out. "Mornin', T." Frisk grinned widely at her boyfriend, who smiled back. "Hey, ba- uh, Frisk." He replied, glancing at Asgore, who seemed a little preoccupied as he made his way into the kitchen. "How'd you sleep?" Frisk asked, to which Terrence proceeded to pop his neck. "Like a baby's bottom."

Frisk giggled. "That's the wrong saying."

The boy winked. "I know."

Frisk rolled her eyes, smiling as she sat down beside him, quickly getting his arm wrapped around her shoulder. Despite her positive attitude, Terrence could tell she was worried- heck, so was he. It wasn't like Asgore to act like that... but then again, maybe he just really liked that oven mitt.

"And how'd you sleep?" Terrence asked her.

"Pretty well, but I felt a bit bad about you being out here on the couch," Frisk admitted.

"Don't worry about it, your couch is totally comfy," Terrence assured her, though the knot in his back disagreed.

"So, what do you want to do today?" Frisk asked after a moment of silence, and Terrence bit his cheek. "I uh... I'm actually a little busy today. Got some stuff I was supposed to do and I've been putting it off for too long."

"That's okay." His girlfriend replied, leaning into him. "We can hang out tomorrow."

"Yeah. Maybe. Hopefully. We'll see." He shrugged, and rested his cheek against her head.

The two remained in this position for a few minutes as Asgore prepared breakfast, occasionally whispering under his breath. Frisk could see that Asgore was using his favorite oven mitt from the couch, which worried her even more.

Terrence felt a vibration underneath him- his phone, as he'd fallen asleep with it in his pocket. When he opened it up, it said he'd called '*' 99 times the other night.

"That's the last time I sleep with my phone in my pocket," he scoffed, earning a giggle from Frisk. Another text he noticed made his blood run cold.

'Head over to your foster parents' house ASAP, Terrence.'

The text was from a 'Marcus'. Marcus worked in the foster care system, and he'd made it his personal mission years ago to find Terrence a good home- but something always happened to screw it up. Usually, texts like this meant the foster family decided they didn't want him anymore.

He noticed the text had come early in the morning. 1:24. Terrence bit his lip, glancing down at Frisk, before making up his mind.

"Hey, so uh... something's come up. You don't mind if I head out, do you?"

"Not at all. Is everything alright?" Frisk asked with concern, to which Terrence shook his head.

"Nah, I just gotta go deal with something, it's nothing serious. I'll talk to you later."

He gave Frisk a kiss on the forehead and bid her farewell, Asgore waving goodbye from the kitchen.

With that, he was on his way, walking down the street in the early morning sun, the rest of Voxis still waking up. Some cars drove by, though not many as he made his way out of the 'rich neighborhood' as many of those living on his block would call it. He passed through the train yard, nearly 'home', before he stopped. He wasn't exactly eager to get back, and the local park, known as LaRain Park, was a good scenic detour.

The park was well-kept, and some considered it the pride and joy of Voxis City. The grass was cut perfectly even, and not a single blade looked dead. Flawless flowers decorated several patches of loose soil, giving the scenery some much-appreciated color...

But the real reason Terrence liked this park? The trees. If you sat under one for long enough, a cat would curl up in your lap within a few minutes, without fail- at least, in his experience. The trees here were tall, strong, and blossomed with beautiful flowers every spring.

This time, however, he didn't have the time to lounge around and wait for felines to keep him company. He passed through the park, taking in the scenery he could, before coming to a hedge wall, and upon glancing through the opening, he could see the statue of General Grain, some war hero from a long forgotten war. The statue had since been destroyed over the years, and bits of it remained. At the center of the statue sat a monster, a hard shell covering his back as he dug through the ruins, cackling to himself.

"Hey there," Terrence greeted, but the monster didn't respond, continuing his dig. "Uh- I know it's a public park, but I don't think they're fond of people digging through the-" Suddenly, the turtle-like monster turned his head to look at the orange-eyed boy. Terrence got a good look at the guy- extremely old, and he seemed to be wearing an explorer's hat of sorts tied around his chin, wearing beige garments with way too many pockets.

"Eh?" The monster stepped out of the ruins with surprising dexterity, hobbling his way over toward Terrence, raising a magnifying glass to his eye and peering at the boy closely through it. "Um..." Terrence frowned, taking a step back. "Oh my... oh my!" The monster began to cackle. "How extraordinary! You haven't aged a day, have you?"

Terrence blinked. "I'm uh... sorry, you must be confusing me-"

"With Lord Fallian, one of the Great Mages." The monster replied, putting away his magnifying glass. "I thought you were him, but to see you up close... that power... your SOUL... it's unmistakable!"

"Lord what now?" Terrence took a nervous step back, before having an idea. "Oh, I know what you want!" the blonde smiled, before reaching into his pocket and offering Gerson something- a five dollar bill. "Eh? You think I'm some kind of beggar?" Gerson questioned, appearing offended.

"Um... no, I'm sorry. This is the first time an old man has approached me in the park and not asked for cash."

"Old? I still have a few good years left in me, young one," he chuckled. "Now... about that SOUL of yours..."

"...What about it?" Terrence asked, still feeling really iffy about this entire interaction. "Well, show it to me!" Gerson replied. "Come on now, don't be shy."

Terrence gulped. "Uh... show... my SOUL?" He asked, and Gerson nodded eagerly. "I... don't know how to do that."

"Hm..." Gerson frowned, cocking his head to the side for a moment, before his face lit up. "I've an idea!" He suddenly pulled a stick out from behind him, and pressed a wooden button on the side. The stick elongated into a staff, which Gerson proceeded to whack him over the head with.

"Ow! What was that for!?" Terrence cried, shielding his head from any more sticks as Gerson appeared confused. "Odd. That usually works."

"Wh- do you make a habit of whacking people's souls out of their heads?" Terrence questioned, rubbing the bump Gerson's stick had made.

"No, no, but usually initiating a fight with a human will summon their SOUL," the turtle monster explained, which only confused Terrence even more. "How can you even tell my SOUL is powerful, anyways? If you can't even see it?"

"When you're over 2,000 years old, I'll tell you." Gerson stated matter-of-factly, and Terrence widened his eyes in surprise. "You're over 2,000?"

"Give or take a few leap days." The old turtle replied with a toothy grin, before he started to walk around Terrence. "Hm..." He jabbed him in the side, causing Terrence to jump again. "Hey-"

He got another jab under his arm. "Stop-"

A third jab straight at his left butt cheek. "Cut it out!" Terrence yelled, rubbing his bum as he glared at Gerson, who began stroking his chin with his long claws, pulling at a long, thin, white goatee. "Your SOUL is a shy one, eh?" He cackled. "Then I got one last trick up my sleeve!"

"I should probably go..." Terrence said, not wanting to get hit with a stick again, but the turtle didn't seem to be listening as he raised an arm toward Terrence, and suddenly, a burst of water shot from his palm, splashing against the boy, who stumbled back, now soaking wet- but that was put to the back of his mind as he saw a glowing orange heart appear before him. "Yes! HahahaHA!" Gerson clapped merrily, doing a little dance on the spot. "Pure Bravery! Purest as the time it was Lord Fallian's!"

"What did you- what's-"

"That, my boy, is your SOUL! Look at that glow- it's perfection! You're a lucky boy, a lucky boy indeed..."

Terrence stared at Gerson as the monster whispered to himself, only the word 'SOUL' audible enough that the boy could actually hear it. Finally, it dawned on Terrence that he was dripping with water. He couldn't get kicked out of his foster home looking like this; he could already hear Marcus's voice scolding him...

"This SOUL is remarkable. What's your name?" Gerson demanded. "Uh... Terrence." The boy replied, and Gerson's toothy grin widened. "Frisk's little lover!" He stated in recognition. "You have places to be, but I'd like you to come visit me this evening over at Crystal Cave, there's something I'd like to show you."

Terrence blinked. "Um... okay, I guess..."

"Terrific!" With that, Gerson strode off, using his staff as a walking stick while he hummed to himself.

Terrence watched the turtle man as he walked off, wondering how the guy had known about him and Frisk dating. Was he a friend of hers? He'd ask her later; maybe also get some directions to the Crystal Cave. He might have heard about the guy before... it's like his name was on the edge of his mind but he simply couldn't grasp it.

In the blink of an eye, Terrence's SOUL vanished into thin air. He wasn't totally sure how those worked, but he'd seen and heard plenty about them in the past.

...no time for that now, though. He had a house to get kicked out of.

---

"Home sweet home..." Terrence sighed, stopping at the front porch of an apartment complex, staring up at it for a moment, before ascending the steps and making his way inside, ignoring a drunk old man in a heavy coat sitting in the corner of the room, beer in his hand.

He moved up to the next floor, approaching a door labelled '202'.

The instant he knocked, the door flew open, and there stood Marcus. Marcus was a good dude, and he'd done a lot for Terrence over the past few years, even though it seemed like a lost cause to land the boy in a home that could tolerate him. "Hey Marcus," Terrence greeted, biting the inside of his cheek. "What's up?"

"I think you know, Terrence," Marcus replied, closing his eyes and rubbing his temples. "They told me you didn't spend a single night here."

"But-"

"They said you've been ignoring calls, staying out way past your curfew, never coming home..."

"Yeah... I know."

"What were you thinking?"

Terrence frowned. "It's not like there's much point in me staying anyways, is there? Foster parents are stupid, Marcus, I swear. They hate it when I'm around them, and they hate it when I'm not around them."

"Terrence, you're not even making an effort anymore. Did you try to have one good conversation with these people?"

"No."

"So what's your plan? To keep bouncing around foster homes until you're eighteen?"

"If that's what I have to do." Terrence stuffed his hands into his pockets, looking down.

"That's no way to live." Marcus said, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder, who let out a sigh. "Maybe, but... I don't really... belong with anybody in the foster care system. Now I'm too old for most to even care anymore." Marcus was silent for a moment, before he nodded out the door with his head. "Come on, I'm taking you back to the Jade House. We already cleared your stuff out of here, and..." He glanced back into the building. "They don't really want to say goodbye."

"That's fine. I don't either," Terrence replied. "I'm sorry. I know how hard it is to keep trying to find people for me, but there's just no point."

"Nice try," Marcus chuckled. "You aren't gonna convince me to give up on you, Terrence. And if I'm not willing to give up, you shouldn't be, either."

The two engaged in a bit of idle conversation as they made their way to Marcus's car- a grey BMW, which the man took great pride in, even going so far as to wrap the backseat down in plastic.

"How's school going?"

"Fine, I guess." Terrence shrugged. "Keeping up with my grades and all that."

"I don't imagine homework is the only reason you never come home?" Marcus asked, glancing at him as they made their way down the street, and a smirk tugged at Terrence's lips. "I... got a girlfriend." He admitted, and Marcus raised his brows, impressed. "Stop lying." He teased. "I'm not!" Terrence laughed, leaning back and staring out of the window. "Her name's Frisk."

"Frisk... isn't that the same name of that ambassador a few years back? The one for all those monsters?" Marcus inquired, and Terrence gave a nod. "One in the same."

"You aren't pulling my leg, are you Terrence?" Marcus smirked.

"No, I'm not. Here, I'll call her right now and-"

"No need, no need, I believe you," Marcus assured him with a chuckle. "You two aren't doing anything you shouldn't be, I hope."

"Of course not. We're two law-abiding citizens," Terrence promised. "And she's... a pretty good influence, I guess."

"Well, as long as you're staying out of trouble," Marcus shrugged. "How long have you two been together?"

"Not long. A few weeks," Terrence replied. "...but we dated before that, I guess, technically."

"So she's why you've been staying away." Marcus stated, and Terrence bit his lip. "I guess. I mean, partially. I just... you know I really don't like these foster homes. New families who want to tell me what to do and think they know what's best for me."

"Well, have you considered that maybe they do?" Marcus asked, glancing sideways at Terrence, who shrugged. "I kinda like being the one in control." He admitted.

"Look, Terrence- I get it. I was in the foster care system when I was a kid, and I hated it whenever my foster parents tried to tell me what to do- but I followed their rules, because they were authority, and it made me the man I am today."

"But it's... dumb," Terrence frowned.

"Gee, thanks."

"No- I mean- I just hate how I'm supposed to let strangers choose how my life goes."

"They don't have to be strangers. The whole point of this system is that you have to get to know these people, Terrence. You might feel differently if you find people who you really like. But if you don't, it's an opportunity you're never getting back."

"...it's a thousand times worse," Terrence sighed, "when I do get to know them, and they still don't want me."

"...yeah," Marcus nodded. "I know, Terrence. I know."

"Maybe I should just... leave the system, you know? I already know what I want to do." Terrence stated, and Marcus raised a brow. "What is it you want to do?"

Terrence paused. To be dead honest, he hadn't really been talking about occupations or anything of the sort. It wasn't exactly like he could say 'I want to stop an ancient organization attempting genocide on monsterkind'.

"I- um... I want to pursue... a career in, um..."

"'Um' doesn't pay well these days, I hear," Marcus teased.

"I want to be an author," Terrence replied, folding his arms. That had always been the career that came to mind when people asked, but he wasn't so sure about it, personally.

"An author? Terrence, I've seen your essays. I know you hate writing."

"Not true. I hate writing a twelve page essay about some city that existed a billion years ago, not all writing."

"Terrence, if you got out of the system right now, you'd be homeless. I know you want your independence, but I think you should keep trying for a family. You won't regret it."

"...I guess there's no harm in trying again," Terrence shrugged, hopes not very high.

When they got to the Jade House on the south side of town, they exited the vehicle and made their way inside. The Jade House is what the Voxis Foster Care Center was called, and had been for years. The main reason was the fact that the building had been painted jade, and was repainted every few years, depending on the center's budget. The Jade House was where the foster kids without a home stayed, and Terrence personally preferred it to actually living with a foster family.

The only downside was that he had to watch other older kids go through the same thing as him- he'd made a lot of good friends in the foster care center, and it was just plain painful to come back and see the same familiar faces. Was it supposed to be this rough?

"We'll try to get you some interviews with some families by tomorrow. Just... stick around for a bit, alright? Don't go running off." Marcus advised as they made their way inside to check themselves in.

"Sure." Terrence shrugged, knowing full-well he didn't plan to remain cooped up in this building all day.

"Do you have plans today?" Marcus asked.

"Not really, aside from going to Crystal Cave to visit an old turtle man."

"Terrence, you know I love your jokes, but I'm asking a serious question."

"I... wasn't joking," Terrence replied. "I met this old turtle dude in the park."

"Oh. You think it's a good idea to visit random monsters in remote locations?" Marcus asked, trying to choose his words carefully. "If it's who I think it is, then yeah."

"And who do you think it is?"

"Grayson. Er- I mean Gerson. He's a friend of my girlfriend's." Terrence replied.

"Your girlfriend is friends with elderly turtle monsters?" Marcus looked a bit surprised.

"She's friends with all the monsters, dude. I thought you knew she was the ambassador."

"I know. I'm sorry, I just don't want you to get into any trouble. Usually, it's a bad idea for a sixteen year old boy to head out to 'Crystal Cave' alone."

"Good thing I'm not just some sixteen year old boy." Terrence replied with a wide grin. Marcus didn't seem all that assured. "Well... just try to be back to get some sleep, alright?"

Terrence let out a sigh, before nodding. "Alright, yeah." He nodded. "I'll try."

"You're a good kid," Marcus stated, patting Terrence on the back. "Don't do anything you'll regret, okay? I need to go check up on a few other foster families, but I'll be back in time to get those interviews sorted."

Terrence nodded, and glanced at the clock on the wall. Gerson, he presumed that's who it was, wanted to meet in the evening. So... 5? He shrugged. 5 seemed like the best choice, and since he didn't have anything better to do until then, he figured he could call up some friends.

Terrence whipped out his cell phone and went into the group chat to discover that Rian and Sadie had been messaging back and forth for hours last night, talking about a variety of topics, ranging from Fuku Fire to whether it was morally wrong to eat a cheeseburger with your feet.

Terrence: Let me just say one thing. If you can eat a cheeseburger with your feet, I congratulate you. You're more flexible than I could ever hope to be.

Sadie: Ay, Terrence is here. Now this is where the fun begins.

Rian: I'm fun.

Sadie: Yeah, but nobody's Terrence fun.

Terrence: I'm flattered. Really.

Frisk: Don't worry, Rian, you're still taller.

Terrence: Ah, the unconditional support of a girlfriend. Nothing beats it.

Frisk: Very funny, T. How's it going? Asgore thinks you're scared of his cooking now.

Terrence: It's going alright, and tell your dad that nobody can top his western omelettes.

Frisk: I'll do that. What was it you had to run off to do?

Terrence: Just something personal. But I also met Gerson on the way for the first time.

Frisk: What'd you think?

Terrence: He wants me to go to Crystal Cave with him at 5.

Frisk: Sounds like an expedition to me. He's always trying to dig treasures out of there.

Sadie: Who's Gerson?

Terrence: A cooky old turtle monster.

Sadie: Sounds fun.

Greg: So let me get this straight, you met some random guy in the park and agreed to meet him at some cave?

Terrence: Ye.

Greg: This is why women live longer.

Sadie: Bold of you to assume I wouldn't do the exact same thing if I met a cooky old turtle monster in the park.

Greg: Correction. This is why I'll live longer.

Terrence: Anything cool I should know about Gerson, babe?

Sadie: Aw, he said 'babe'!

Frisk: He trained Asgore and Undyne how to fight back in the day.

Terrence: Holy sheet. I'm gonna learn how to conjure spears, aren't I?

Frisk: I wouldn't say that, but I've heard Gerson's always happy to pass his knowledge.

Terrence: I'M GONNA LEARN HOW TO CONJURE SPEARS!

Greg: He's broken.

Terrence: Wait, didn't you tell me that Asgore used to use a trident back in the day?

Frisk: Oh god...

Rian: If this guy starts conjuring tridents out of nowhere, I swear.

Sadie: Yo, Terrence, if you do learn how to conjure tridents, let me know. A big fork is the one thing missing from my kitchen.

Frisk: Keep in mind Gerson might just want someone to go treasure hunting with.

Terrence: Did I mention he called me Lord Fallian?

Sadie: Okay. Turtle guy is crazy.

Sadie: I love him.

Frisk: I don't know who that is but... okay?

Terrence: He told me my SOUL is powerful. And he helped me conjure it.

Greg: Wait, I want to conjure my SOUL.

Frisk: Okay. Maybe he might teach you a thing or two.

Terrence: Hell yeah!

Rian: You know, most teenage group chats consist of memes and relationship talk.

Sadie: Not in here, we have crazy old turtle guys and SOUL shenanigans.

Rian: I love it.

Greg: How did you conjure your SOUL?

Terrence: He sprayed me with water and it just appeared out of nowhere.

There was a long pause after, before Sadie sent a text.

Sadie: I think he went to go spray himself with a hose.

Terrence: Not very surprising.

Frisk: Gerson used magic to conjure your SOUL. Some magic can manipulate elements, like how Asgore can conjure fire.

Terrence: Asgore can do that?

Frisk: Yep.

Greg: The water hose didn't work.

Rian: Yeah, same.

Terrence: Sorry boys, looks like I'm the only one with water powers.

Frisk: You don't have water powers. Gerson just used his water powers ON you.

Terrence: But if he trains me, then maybe I can get water powers.

Frisk: Touché, T.

Rian: How'd you make that little thingy above the e?

Sadie: Hold your finger over the e key.

Rian: Whoa.

Terrence: Who's up for a little Grillby's or something? I got time to kill.

Greg: Sorry, mom's grounded me.

Terrence: For WHAT?

Greg: For sneaking out with you guys last time.

Sadie: Damn, that sucks. R and I can't go, either. We're getting ready for a trip to Wammy's.

Terrence: What's Wammy's?

Rian: Her grandma.

Terrence: Man. Busy Sunday, then. Frisk?

Frisk: I'd love to, but Asgore and I planned a day together.

Terrence frowned. It didn't look like he'd be hanging out with any of his friends, today. It would seem he had the day off to do as he pleased- he'd just have to make sure to get back to The Jade House tonight.

When he looked up, across the street, a familiar character was glaring back at Terrence. The blonde recognized him as Jason, from school. He wasn't exactly a forgettable face- eyes golden, and eerily similar to those of a feline, paired with his white-blonde hair.

Terrence almost went over to say something, but a bus drove by the white-haired boy, and when it was gone, so was Jason... odd. Was Terrence seeing things?

He rubbed his eyes, squinting at the spot where Jason had been. After being sure the boy wasn't there, he shrugged and turned away. Maybe he could visit Sans. The oldest skeleton had taken a liking to Terrence when they'd first met a couple years ago and offered to hang out any time. Not to mention it could be a good opportunity to convince Sans to repair things with Frisk, as neither apparently seemed interested in talking to each other yet.

Terrence pulled out his phone and called up Sans. He figured the guy wouldn't be busy- after all, he was pretty much 'on a break' 24/7. After a couple seconds of ringing, someone picked up on the other end. "Hey, Sans, how's it going?" Terrence greeted.

"goin' alright. what's up, kid?"

"Oh, nothing. Just wanted to see if you were busy."

"for once, yeah. is everything alright?"

"Yeah, it's all good. At least, I think so. Everybody was busy today and I was just thinking we could hang."

"tempting, kiddo, but..."

Terrence could hear another voice screech out from the other side, though it was mostly inaudible aside from the word 'idiot'.

"i can't hang out today. maybe some other time, alright?"

"Sounds good. See you." Terrence replied with a sigh, and hung up once the line went dead. Even Sans was busy. How come everyone he knew was busy on his freest day in some time?

There had to be someone who was willing to kill a few hours with him. Papyrus was in prison, so that was a no-go. Undyne and Alphys probably had enough to deal with right now, and he didn't know either of them that well anyways.

"Mrrrr..."

Terrence nearly jumped when he felt something soft rub up against his leg, looking down to see a slender black cat rolling around on his feet. This part of town was a hotspot for friendly stray cats, though it was a tad unusual for one to be so forward, especially since he wasn't in the park. Maybe he'd met this one before.

"Hey, little guy, how's it- aaaand I'm talkin' to a cat," Terrence sighed. "Wow, what a day."

A cat.

A... cat.

Terrence frowned. He'd always meant to meet all sorts of other monsters, those Frisk had pointed out to him plenty of times over the years... and now was his chance, especially with it fresh on his mind.

Catty and Bratty's. He'd never been, never really thought about going, but he'd heard they were all sorts of fun. Maybe he could meet Aaron. Or he could hang out with Shyren. Or Napstablook. Maybe he could even meet the elusive Temmie's and their hidden village.

He wasn't quite sure why the cat had brought on this sudden motivation to befriend all monsters, but he wasn't complaining. In fact, it was a really good idea- a valuable way of spending his time. He could make a list, even...

And he'd start with the old turtle man. It was nowhere close to 5 o'clock yet, but Terrence could at the very least check the place out first.

---

Crystal Cave was a bit out of the way, deep into the Shrouded Forest surrounding the western side of Voxis City. There had been plenty of rumors that Crystal Cave had a hidden cavern full of rare glowing crystals, though nobody had ever discovered it as far as he was aware. By the time Terrence got there, he found a shop stand set up near the entrance, a plank nailed to the top of the cave named 'Gerson's Goods'.

Did... did the old man really think that he was going to get any customers? He doubted people came by Crystal Cave often enough for him to make a living- unless, hell, maybe the guy lived in Crystal Cave. He seemed cuckoo enough for it.

Terrence approached the mouth of the cave, eyeing the shop setup, and what was deeper within.

Immediately, he was granted the sight of Gerson hunched over a large rock near the cave entrance, and he was beating away at it with a hammer easily twice his size.

Terrence watched as Gerson brought the hammer down, and the rock splintered. He brought it down a second time, and the rock shattered, revealing- more rock. "Bèn dàn!" He yelled loudly, smashing the ground with his hammer.

"Having trouble?" Terrence asked, causing Gerson to wind his head back in alarm.

"Are you trying to give me a heart attack, youngster?" Gerson asked, before turning back to look at his fruitless excavation attempt. "It doesn't get easier," the turtle man huffed. "You're early."

"Yeah. I, uh... actually had a favor I wanted to ask you. You trained the monsters Undyne and Asgore, didn't you?"

"Ahhh, you thought you'd ask for some royal training, eh?" Gerson grinned widely, showing off what little yellow teeth he had. "Well... yeah, I-"

"Nope!" Gerson crossed his arms. "I don't just train anyone! You've gotta earn it!"

"But... what about Lord Fallian?" Terrence asked, making Gerson cackle. "He may be your past self, but you're not him." This put the boy through a loop, who blinked in surprise. "Past... self?"

"Didn't you know? I thought it was common knowledge." Gerson approached him, frowning. "The Great Mages are reincarnated every 100 years. They die every 100 years, and come back to rise again. The Great Mages trained me, and I trained them. Very powerful humans. Always seven."

Terrence blinked; that sounded a bit far fetched to him, but then again, Gerson had been alive for over two thousand years.

"Please- I need you to train me," Terrence pleaded, "I want to protect my friends."

"Eh?" Gerson raised an eyebrow.

"My girlfriend, Frisk- she got attacked by the Messiah a few days ago. I was there, but..."

He looked down, clenching his fists. "I couldn't do anything to help her. I was completely useless. I... I never want that to happen again. With everything going on, I want to be able to protect the people I care about. That's why... I need you to train me!"

"Hm... you're just as brave as I expected," Gerson noted. "I'll give you a chance to earn my special training, youngster, but it won't be easy!"

"Yes!" Terrence pumped his fist into the air.

"But you have to come back this evening. I'm a little busy right now." Gerson added, and a bit of the boy's excitement faded, though not much. "Alright, yeah. That's fine." He shrugged.

Gerson went back to work on the wall of rock, spouting words in different languages that Terrence could only assume were swears. The boy turned and headed back out to the mouth of the cave, wondering who he should try to befriend first before the evening...

---

It was a pretty small building, all things considered, standing two stories tall and decorated in all sorts of graffiti, which was mostly praise about Mettaton. The front of the store was titled in very large, bubbly letters that spelled out 'Catty and Bratty's Beauty Salon'. From what he heard, all they did was make customers look like Mettaton. Terrence felt a little weird about going into a beauty salon like this, but it was a little too late to turn back- he'd already paid for the bus ride here, after all. The moment he entered, he heard a girly squeal from across the room.

"Omigosh! Is that Frisk's future hubby?! He came to get a makeover for his girl! That's so sweet!"

Two monsters quickly made their way to him from behind a counter. The first was a purple cat monster with short, wavy black hair and large yellow eyes. She was rather plump opposed to her best friend, who was tall and slender, with green scales covering her body beneath her skimpy pink clothing. She had long blonde hair and pink eyes, and an elongated snout full of sharp teeth. An alligator monster. Or crocodile. Did it matter which?

"He's even cuter in person!" Catty the cat monster danced in place as the two girls stared at him. "Just wait until we make him even cuter, Catty!" Bratty replied with equal excitement.

"Eh? Well, I don't know about-" Terrence began, but before he could finish his sentence, Catty and Bratty had rapidly moved closer to him, and were now taking measurements of his body.

"Uh- what are you doing?" Terrence asked with a nervous chuckle.

"Silly, we have to fit you for clothes Mettaton would wear!" Bratty insisted.

"But I don't want-"

"Oh my God. Bratty." Catty turned to her partner in crime. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Bratty straightened herself, eyes lighting up. "Yass, girl! Like, orange Mettaton makeover! Just look at his eyes!"

Both girls squealed in joy as they dragged Terrence over to a chair near a mirror, throwing a plastic blanket around him.

"Wait, wait, I don't-" Terrence began, but Catty and Bratty were talking over him, discussing all the ways they could make him more fashionable. Bratty was even holding a can of orange spray paint- which she seemed to have plucked from out of nowhere.

"SO hyped to get him Mettafied!" Catty purred in delight as Bratty began to gel his hair, spiking it to the side while Catty began to quickly apply make-up on him.

Terrence was left without any room to argue, or else risk getting a mouthful of blush. The two moved in unison, weaving about him and through each other's arms with practiced skill.

"Aaand... boom! Makeup's done!" Catty announced after about ten torturous minutes of applying it to Terrence's face. Bratty held up a mirror so he could check it out- Terrence had to keep himself from whimpering. He looked eerily similar to Mettaton; a human version of him, of course.

"Oh. Wow, uh... I..."

"Hold your horses and contain your excitement, because like, we're not done!" Catty grinned widely. "Not... done?" Terrence asked, voice laced with fear as Bratty began to shake the orange spray paint. "Like, not at all." She winked.

Suddenly, a shiny silver sleeve that looked a lot like Mettaton's arm was shoved over Terrence's arm by Catty, and almost immediately, a glossy orange color began to appear on it, courtesy of Bratty. Terrence was astonished by how fast they worked- but he was more concerned about what they planned to charge him.

He didn't even realize they'd stood him up and torn off the plastic blanket until nearly two minutes after, the two monsters working quickly all while they chatted away, mostly about Mettaton, guys, Mettaton, their rent, and Mettaton, just to name a few. Finally, they both stopped, taking a step back as Terrence stood rigid, his entire body covered in fake plastic Mettaton bits. "Ohmygod, Catty, he looks like he could be Mettaton's sidekick!"

"Soooo cute." Catty replied, and the two both started laughing as Terrence looked into the mirror. As much as he didn't like it, he had to admit, he looked like Mettaton after an orange paint job. Catty and Bratty were definitely skilled. "We're like, so glad you came in." Catty told Terrence. "Yeah, like, nobody's been coming by for a few days ever since those lies about Mettaton started spreading on the news."

"Seriously lame stuff." Catty folded her arms, nodding as Bratty nodded in agreement with her.

"I thought Mettaton was really popular, though," Terrence frowned, surprised that the one incident had wrecked Catty and Bratty's business. Other celebrities got away with much worse things all the time... Human celebrities. Terrence wrinkled his nose- there wasn't even much evidence on Mettaton and Papyrus, was there?

"Well... I have to admit, the sleeves are a little glossy for me, but I sure do look the part," Terrence shrugged.

"Silly, once you go gloss, you can never go back!" Catty laughed. "Like, EVER!" Bratty added in a sing-song voice and the two girls broke out into a fit of giggles, before Terrence pursed his lips. "Um... how much do I owe...?"

"Oh, for you it's like, free." Catty replied. "Yeah, Frisk's hubby gets a free pass. But like, don't forget to spread the word! Tell all your little friends and stuff, we need business!" Bratty exclaimed.

"Oh- well, sure, I'll do that. But you guys do know that Frisk and I are just dating, right?"

"I dunno~ the way she talked about you last time she was here, I think it's time you went ring shopping," Bratty teased, Catty giggling like an amused toddler.

Terrence felt the blood rush to his face, and he doubted even all this makeup could cover the intensity of his blush. "O-oh, I don't- that's not- I'm- she- we-" He stumbled over his words for a good minute, giving the two monsters even more to giggle at before they were finally waving bye to him as he walked outside, feeling a little uncomfortable in all the parts he was wearing over his clothes. Luckily the day wasn't exactly warm, so he wasn't going to start baking up inside.

He glanced at his beaten phone to see it wasn't even the afternoon yet, and there were no new texts from anybody. He let out a sigh as he tucked the phone away. Free time could really suck sometimes. Though, if he was being honest... he did have a little fun with Catty and Bratty. Not that he'd admit it out loud. As he walked around, he noticed that he was getting a lot of looks from people. Some of them were bad, but some were positive, even calling out things like 'looking good!' and 'slow down!' and 'my man!'.

Heck, a group of girls even waved at him and called out compliments on his new style- he didn't approach them, though. Had to remain loyal to Frisk, after all. Not that he wouldn't have had he approached them. Now he was making excuses for himself.

Now... where to next? Maybe he could meet that Napstablook fellow?

He'd heard plenty about Napstablook before. He was a rising DJ with some major doomer vibes to him. Apparently he'd spend almost all of his free time laying around in random places thinking about how expansive the universe is and how insignificant everything else is until somebody either stepped on him or he was told to move. Apparently he and Mettaton were cousins or something of the sort.

After getting Napstablook's address from Frisk, Terrence had walked over to the ghostly fellow's house from Catty and Bratty's salon- as much as he enjoyed the positive attention, he'd also gotten a total of three rocks thrown at him by people who probably weren't too supportive of the jailed celebrity. He just hoped Napstablook would appreciate it, all things considered.

The house he came upon was strangely a little out of the way, which wasn't what he expected for a celebrity figure like Napstablook, even if he opted to mostly remain anonymous. The home was simple, but seemed very old. It had vines growing around it from all angles, and the yard was very overgrown. Then there were the trees obscuring the house, making him nearly miss it.

Terrence figured that Napstablook must really value his privacy- but a short visit wouldn't hurt, right? After all, he wanted to make friends with monsters. He wanted- no, he had to do this. As he approached the porch, out of the corner of his eye, Terrence saw a figure, but when he turned to look at them...

They were gone. Weird. Maybe he really was losing it.

"Talking to cats... seeing people… becoming Mettaton..." he mumbled, walking up to the front door.

He knocked a few times. Initially, there was no response, before a voice drifted through the window nearby, which appeared cracked but intact. "come in..."

Terrence slowly pushed open the door, and was surprised at the sight he was greeted. The interior of the house was way different than what he'd expected. Napstablook had an entire computer system set up, alongside a large flat screen television nearby. A vast assortment of cords hung from the ceiling, running all about, attaching to monitors and devices and surround sound speakers. Comfy bean bag chairs were scattered about, and there was a box of various headphones next to the computer desk. On the center of the floor is where Napstablook the ghost was, lying face-up, staring at the ceiling, a pair of headphones on his head. "oh. hey..." He looked over at Terrence.

"Hey there. Napstablook, right?"

"yeah... um... you look kind of familiar... but i don't think we've met..."

"Did Frisk tell you about me?"

"oh... i think so... but you weren't wearing that in the picture..."

"Oh- yeah, well, I stopped by a salon on the way, and they insisted on this look," Terrence chuckled.

"you look like mettaton... cool..." Napstablook said, and Terrence could swear for a second that he could see the faintest hint of a smile.

"sorry... i don't host people often... i'll go get refreshments..."

"Oh, that's okay, you don't have to." Terrence replied, but the ghost had already drifted upward, turned himself right side up and hovered into a neighboring room.

"do you like lemonade... or water...?"

"Um... water's fine," Terrence replied. Blooky drifted down, 'holding' a glass of water in his hand, but it looked oddly spectral to Terrence.

"Thank you," Terrence smiled, accepting it- but it phased through his hand, hitting the ground with a spooky thunk.

They both stared at it for a moment, before it seemed to just fade, and Napstablook sighed. "oh... sorry... i don't usually have... corporeal guests..." He drifted back into what was presumably the kitchen, and after a few moments, he came back. "sorry... all i have is... ghost stuff..."

"That's okay." Terrence replied with a shrug, and looked about. "This is a really cool place you got."

"yeah... i think so too..."

"Do you make all your music right here?" Terrence asked, glancing at the ghost's setup.

"actually, yeah... do you wanna hear the beat i've been working on...? it doesn't have any words or anything since mettaton isn't around... i hope that's ok..."

"I'd love to hear it!" Terrence grinned widely, folding his arms, which made a crinkly metallic sound.

"okay... just a moment..." Napstablook said, drifting over to his computer.

He didn't seem to do anything, but a moment later, a tune started to play. It was slow, somber, and pretty techno sounding. It was definitely nothing Terrence had heard before, and was actually pretty catchy.

Once it finished, Terrence turned to Blooky. "That was really good." He admitted, and another faint smile hinted on the ghost's face, who drifted backward a little. "thanks... it's fun to make, you know...?"

"Yeah. I'm sure I'd love making music if I had the patience for it," Terrence nodded in understanding.

"huh... well, maybe i could teach you... you know, if you want... i don't know if i could be a good teacher, though..."

"You'll never know unless you try," Terrence offered.

"yeah... wanna hear another song...?"

"Sure."

With that, another tune began to play. This one had a different tone to it. Almost ambient, with an overtone of mystery, but maintained the techno feel. Napstablook's music was strangely intoxicating, and he could feel himself actively daydreaming to the music, but he returned to reality once the music stopped.

"I really liked it," Terrence admitted, to which Napstablook turned his gaze over to the orange-eyed boy. "usually, after listening to music... i like to lay down on the ground and feel like garbage... do you want to join me...?"

Terrence blinked. "Oh. Uh..." He paused. He didn't really want to feel like garbage in any capacity, but he was hanging out with Napstablook at the moment. May as well. "Sure. Why not." He shrugged, and Napstablook hovered back down to the ground, and stared up at the ceiling. Terrence got into a sitting position, feeling a little awkward, before he too laid down.

At first, Terrence didn't feel anything other than the slight discomfort of laying down while wearing all his Mettaton-like clothing... he wondered if he should say something, the silence feeling far too awkward for him.

...but then, he got a weird feeling- as if he were one with the room, and everything around him started to darken...

It was about thirty minutes later when Terrence was waving bye to Napstablook, who only watched him leave, lacking any arms to wave back. That had definitely been an... interesting experience. Nothing like what he'd expected, but to be honest, he didn't know what he expected.

Still dressed as Mettaton, Terrence looked down at his phone to see it was almost one o'clock in the afternoon.

"Sheesh, four more hours to kill, huh?" Terrence frowned, before thinking long and hard about other monsters Frisk had mentioned; he'd simply visit the first person whose name came to mind...

'Burgerpants.'

Who the hell was named Burgerpants? The name sounded familiar, and he opened his phone to message Frisk about it, before stopping. "Oh... right..." He suddenly felt bad. Burgerpants had been one of the earliest Messiah victims. Been in the wrong place at the wrong time or something like that. He bit his lip, before deciding to stop thinking about that particular topic and thought about something else.

Now... who else was there? Frisk had talked about a lot of monsters before, yet recalling names was a bit of a struggle. Terrence didn't have the greatest memory when it came to that...

The next name that came to mind was 'Temmie.'

Temmie...

Temmie...

Didn't they have some sort of hidden village they'd built in Voxis?

Making up his mind, he pulled out his phone to message Frisk.

---

Terrence found himself wandering into a train tunnel, triple checking the directions Frisk had given him. She'd made it clear he needed to enter the tunnel and find a big hole in the wall. Apparently, it led to 'Temmie VIllage'.

Frankly, he figured it was a little bit dangerous to build a village in a train tunnel, but who was he to judge? He hadn't heard of any Temmie-related train deaths yet, so they must have been doing something right. He just wanted to hurry up, a bit paranoid about being turned into a pile of Mettaton look-a-like goop.

The tunnel ahead was dark, and it bent at an angle, meaning all he could see was darkness ahead of him. He ran his hand along the wall, which was strangely damp, before he made the bend, and he could see the end of the tunnel in sight. Terrence pushed on, wondering why he was so dedicated to find this hidden village, before his hand was suddenly no longer pressing against anything, and he lost his balance, falling into a dark hole, landing on his side in a patch of dirt.

"Ow..." Terrence mumbled, pulling out his phone to use as a flashlight, something he felt stupid for not using sooner. He seemed to have stumbled across another tunnel, but it was more like a man made hole in the wall...

Or, perhaps in this case, a monster made hole in the wall. Brushing dirt off of his Mettaton outfit, Terrence stood up and began his trek toward the village.

At least, he hoped that was where he was headed.

The tunnel went on for quite a bit, and he was beginning to consider turning back, before he heard a collective shout echoing up ahead. That must be the Temmies. He jogged forward, picking up the pace, and before he knew it he had stumbled into a cavern. The village he'd entered, however, was in a state of unrest as a small white dog ran in circles through the tiny town square, several small cat-like monsters chasing after him, all yelling various things in what almost sounded like baby-talk while the dog barked happily back at them, leading them round and round.

"What... the... he-"

"WeLcom! to... tEM villAge!" a baby-ish voice rang through Terrence's ears, and he turned to look at another cat-like creature, standing on top of a box labelled 'tEM!'

"five dollar pleeeez!1!"

"Um... okay?" Terrence raised an eyebrow, handing over a five dollar bill, which the Temmie accepted with her mouth, hopping off the box to go and stash her cash away- or maybe eat it.

Either way, it felt like a bit of a waste. Terrence turned back to stare at the scene unfolding before him as the little white dog began to run through the houses around, the Tems following him throughout each one, destroying each house in the process. The damage didn't seem too bad, however, as every single house appeared to be made of cardboard.

Terrence was just beginning to wonder where the light source in this cave was coming from when the little dog ran between his legs, darting out of the cave behind him, yipping as he went- and the Temmies all barreled into the boy, knocking him onto his rear.

Terrence tried to get up, but the Temmies were absolutely swarming him. They seemed to have given up on catching the dog, and they now seemed much more interested in jumping on him. Oh well- at least they weren't biting, aside from that little bugger near his leg. All he could hear was a torrent of 'tEM!,' and one monotone voice saying 'Bob.'

One particular Temmie stuck her face in his, and he watched as her face seemingly moved itself to the left, then right, without moving her head at all. "HooMAN!" She yelled, and the chanting grew in intensity, before they all ran off him and returned to the village square, seemingly forgetting about him.

"Um..." Terrence slowly stood up, looking around the 'village,' which was pretty much just a room about the size of a convenience store, filled with cardboard boxes and a few other luxuries, such as a 'shop,' which seemed to sell a questionable-looking cereal.

Terrence approached the village square, a stray Temmie clinging to his leg.

"tEM luVs hOoMaN!" The Temmie stated, hugging his leg tighter as he made his way to the village square, where the other Temmies were talking rapidly to each other about the exciting battle for their homeland. Apparently they were used to raids from the dreaded 'Toby Dog'. For some reason, he didn't think that was the right name for the little pup that had just been here.

"We neEdS tO REBULD!" One Temmie stated, slapping her paw down on a fallen box.

Terrence frowned; rebuilding didn't seem like too hard a task, considering these 'Temmies' were living in a cluster of boxes. Then again, it was probably harder for them than it would be for him, considering they were about the size of an average cat.

He knelt down to one of the ruined 'houses,' all the Tems in the land watching in awe as he picked it up in one powerful arm, before effortlessly unflattening it and placing it back in its original spot.

It was as though an explosion had gone off. The Tems went insane at the sight of his good deed, rolling around on the floor or jumping around the cave, all screaming incoherently. Terrence, shocked, took a step back from the house, unsure if he'd upset them somehow.

It wasn't until the Tem on his leg spoke through the chaos and confusion. "HooMaN hELp MOAR!" She yelled cheerfully.

The Temmies began throwing 'tem flakes' at him, which he figured was an offering or something so he'd fix more of their 'houses.' Terrence moved over to the adjacent box, which was also flattened- without much effort, he brought it back to its cubic glory, putting it back down, earning more squeals of joy.

"aGaiN!" The Tems began chanting, and he made a circle around the village, picking up boxes and restoring their shape before setting them down. By the time he set the last box down, the Temmies were practically worshipping him. One was even bowing down as though she was praying.

"Good job." One Temmie told him in a deep, monotone voice.

"Ehehe... guys, it's really no big-"

"hOomAN! thRONE!1!" one Temmie demanded, bounding over to the back of the room, hopping around what looked like a rusty stool with a red velvet pillow taped onto it. The other Temmies seemed to be in agreement with this, leaping around wildly, forming a wave of sheer tEM.

An undisclosed amount of time passed before Terrence found himself blinking in the sunlight of the outside world. His Mettaton makeup was a mess, he was missing bits of the plastic costume, and he had a wreath of flowers showered in tem flakes on his head. He also had plenty of the flakes in his hair, as well.

Apparently he was King of Temmie Village now.

"Geez... how long was I in there?" Terrence wondered aloud, checking his phone. "4:45?!" he sputtered in shock- he'd spent over three hours down there. And he looked ridiculous, too. What was Gerson gonna say when Terrence showed up in 80% of a Mettaton costume, with ruined makeup, and cereal in his hair?

---

"You look like a Hobber Snuff who just tangled with a Greater Ebow." Gerson laughed at the sight of Terrence as he came to a stop at the cave, panting. He didn't immediately respond, having no idea what Gerson was talking about, but also to check his phone to see that he was seven minutes late. Drat. "Sorry, Gerson..." Terrence replied, using his sleeve to remove some of the makeup on his face. "I've had an... interesting day."

"I can tell," Gerson continued to chuckle, clearly amused by Terrence's disastrous appearance, wiping a tear from his eye. "Hey, cut me some slack. You're talkin' to royalty, now, y'know," Terrence scoffed jokingly, turning his nose upwards.

"Eh? You the king of bad fashion choices or something?" Gerson retorted.

"No I-" Terrence stopped, and couldn't help but grin as Gerson tossed him a towel. "Get yourself cleaned up, Mettaton wannabe." Gerson told him, pulling out his staff. "I've got somethin' I wanna show you."

"Oh really? Did you find more rock walls behind the rock walls?" Terrence's grin widened as he used the towel to remove the remaining makeup Catty and Bratty had put on him.

Gerson whistled. "You've got a quick wit, boy. You're a lot like me in that way."

"Think I'll get to conjure water with my hands, then?" Terrence asked eagerly, slipping out of the bits of Mettaton garbs about him, before shaking tem flakes out of his hair. Gerson cackled at that. "You wish! Magic is different for every human and monster. No magic is ever the same- in the rare exception of the Great Mages."

"Whaaaat? But what about my special once-in-a-century SOUL?" Terrence frowned.

"That doesn't mean you're gonna be able to master any kind of magic you want!" Gerson continued to laugh. "It takes lots of practice to even get the basics down."

Terrence pouted, having been certain he'd be splashing Greg with conjured water by next week. "Come on." Gerson gestured for Terrence to follow, and the two made their way into Crystal Cave. Terrence pulled out his phone to turn on the flashlight, but his hand was whacked by Gerson's staff. "Rely on your eyes, boy." Gerson snapped, the darkness consuming him as he continued inside.

"Sheesh, alright- it's just so dark," Terrence replied, to which Gerson shook his head.

"You'll adjust, toughen up," the turtle monster insisted as they continued to progress. It wasn't until Terrence had nearly tripped twice that he could actually start to make out what was three feet in front of him.

Even still, they traveled deeper, and he continued to trip and bump his head against rocks while he followed Gerson. Finally, they stopped, Terrence bumping into the old turtle. Gerson turned to him. "Conjure your SOUL." He ordered.

"Um... I still don't know how. You had to spray me last time, remember?"

"C'mon, boy. If you don't do it yourself, you'll never learn."

"But... how? Come on, there has to be some trick."

"No tricks. You just let your mind reach into the inner depths of your being, and... presto!"

Terrence frowned. He didn't really wander into his inner being or whatever that often...

He closed his eyes, standing in place, trying to summon his SOUL. After several minutes, he began to feel pretty ridiculous. "This isn't working." He told Gerson, who cackled in reply. "Because you're not trying hard enough! Think about the attack on Frisk. Think about what you would have done could you have been useful, and not just a sack of meat for her to protect."

"Well, that's a bit harsh-"

"Focus!"

"Okay, okay!"

Terrence closed his eyes, taking a deep breath, in and out... he took Gerson's advice, thinking about what had gone down. God, he still felt awful about it. Frisk could have been seriously hurt, or way worse. The Messiah was capable of nearly killing Undyne, after all.

He wanted to protect everyone. Not just Frisk- but mostly Frisk.

He opened his eyes- and to his surprise, an orange heart illuminated the shadows.

Gerson smiled warmly at him, the first time it didn't seem like a partially insane look. "You've passed your first test." Gerson told him. "Conjuring your SOUL. Now keep following me, and keep your SOUL out. It gets a lot darker in these next parts."

"Um, Gerson, sir? How much deeper does it go?"

"You'll see," the monster snickered, which didn't reassure Terrence that much, but he continued to follow anyway. The perk of having his SOUL present was the pleasant amount of light it provided- Terrence no longer stumbled or smacked his head on stalactites.

The air around them became stale and cold, and after several minutes, Terrence found himself beginning to shiver. That was when he heard rushing water. It was faint, but growing louder as they continued on. After about ten more minutes, they came to an opening in the tunnel to find a drop off, rushing water down below, and a distant ledge at least twenty feet away from them. "This is your second test." Gerson stated. "Reach the other side without getting wet."

"Um... Gerson, sir, I'm not much of a builder..."

Gerson smacked Terrence on the back. "Use your head, boy!"

Terrence blinked- of course, he was supposed to use his SOUL... but how? He didn't know anything about how to use it. He'd barely even been able to summon it.

...but complaining was pointless. He didn't plan on complaining about being too weak to protect Frisk any longer- so like hell would he complain about this, either.

He just needed to focus on his ambition... right?

He looked around him, thinking maybe he needed to use his surroundings. Maybe he could still technically get to the bridge. Maybe there was some kind of pillar he could knock down or... No. No luck on the pillars. This cave seemed to be entirely natural.

Gerson smacked his lips as he stared down at the water below. Terrence looked across the gap, wondering how he could make that jump. Maybe his SOUL could... boost him? He'd seen instances where Frisk had used her SOUL to do special things, like creating tools or items, or shield herself. Did his work similarly? Could he make a… trampoline?

"Gerson..." He turned to Gerson, who looked over at him in return. "What kind of SOUL do I have?"

"The SOUL of Bravery," Gerson explained. "In many cases, it's considered the most powerful SOUL, offensively. But it also means you're reckless; usually, people with the SOUL of Bravery will lose a fight because they think with their fists."

"Good to know," Terrence nodded, taking a deep breath. He'd need to conjure something... offense-based, then?

...he needed to think with his head...

...or...

...his fists?

Terrence looked over at his SOUL, and nearly jumped when he saw that a pair of orange fists had manifested next to the heart-shaped manifestation.

Gerson stared at it, before nodding. "You've summoned your weapons. One of them, at least. What will you do with them?"

Terrence thought about that. How in the world could he use the fists to get to the other side? Perhaps... using them to pick himself up? No, that seemed too stupid. No way was that the answer. Maybe he could use them to... strike the ground? Propel himself forward?

"I have an idea!" Terrence announced. He attempted to make the hands move over to him- which they did, but it took a few seconds. He wouldn't be able to afford that kind of delay in a real battle. Hopefully it would get easier with time...

"Go on," Gerson tilted his head with interest. Suddenly, Terrence grabbed the SOUL hands, and jammed them over his own like gloves. He reached into the rock walls- and just as he'd expected, he was able to plunge his fingers inside like the stone was made of warm butter. The SOUL magic was much stronger than his bare hands.

"Not a bad idea, in theory," Gerson smiled. "But do you have the upper body strength to make the entire climb?"

"Oh..." Terrence frowned, glancing at Gerson, before looking up. The wall extended a fair bit before meeting with the other side that he wanted to get to. "Guess we'll see." He replied, and started to climb.

It was a lot tougher than he'd expected, and he wasn't even three feet off the ground before he started sweating. The entire time, he kept thinking 'do it for Frisk's sake. Do it for monsterkind. It'll get easier with time. Don't give up.'

What he lacked in natural ability, Terrence made up for with passion and vigor. He began to climb a bit quicker, but the strain was immense, and his breathing grew ragged.

"Don't... look... down..."

He looked down.

His eyes widened as he saw how high up he'd gotten- but the ceiling was so close. Was this really the best choice he could have made?

He reached the top, and dislodged a hand to jab it into the next wall to begin his descent. It wasn't until he started climbing down that he realized it wasn't any easier than climbing up. In fact, it was a lot harder.

"Ooooh boy..." Terrence huffed, not wanting to fall forty feet to his death- but climbing back down would be a lot more awkward than pressing forward now, and he was bound to slip up. That being said, he was already exhausted, practically hanging from the ceiling... if only he'd conjured some Spider-Dude webs, too.

Sweating, he pressed on...

"That's it... you're almost there..." Gerson's voice sounded close, and he chanced a look down to find himself only a couple feet above the ledge. With a sigh of relief, he detached himself from the wall and landed heavily on the stone ground- a little too close to the edge. The stone was slick, and he felt himself slip on it, falling backward. Gerson reached forward, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt and pulling him to safety.

"Woo..." Terrence groaned, bending over and resting his hands on his knees to catch his breath. "Thanks..."

"You could have just leaped across like me." Gerson stated. "You don't just conjure gloves, you know."

"Thanks for the advice, I'll make sure to keep that in mind next time I cross a bridgeless gap," Terrence said, breathing in and out heavily, wiping sweat from his forehead.

"You say that like you won't have to make your way back across again," Gerson snickered.

Terrence blinked.

"Crud."

They continued on past the creek, and soon enough, the sound of running water faded, replaced by strange radiant clicking sounds. Almost like quick-noted chimes. "Hear that? We're close." Gerson informed his companion as they pushed on, and eventually, the tunnel opened up into a massive cavern.

"Whoa..." Terrence gaped about, staring at the cavernous room they'd entered. The ceiling was full of crystals that were glowing deep blues, purples, and pinks, as well as reflecting the orange of his SOUL. "This is Crystal Cave."

"Mhm." Gerson nodded, satisfied at his reaction. "This is where we'll begin your real training."

"You mean... that wasn't even the start of my training, back there?" Terrence swallowed, looking around the room at the flawless crystals. He could make out his reflection in each one if he focused hard enough.

"I told you it would be hard," Gerson shook his head. "Don't tell me you're ready to call it quits?"

"Of course not! I'm ready! I can start training right now, even!" Terrence suggested.

"Well why do you think we're down here, eh?" Gerson cackled, before sitting on the ground, folding his legs together, and setting his clawed hands in his lap. Terrence stood there for a moment, watching him, before frowning. "Uh... what are you doing?"

"The same thing you should be doing." Gerson replied. "Your SOUL may style on aggression and offensiveness, but to truly master your power, you must first learn to meditate. To let go of all your emotions. They clog your mind and SOUL with unnecessary things, ultimately making you weaker. With a clear mind, you can use your abilities at their maximum potential."

"Y'know, a PE teacher once told me the same thing; just a lot dumber, and without the SOUL stuff," Terrence replied as he mimicked Gerson, sitting criss-cross and letting his arms relax, hands in his lap. It felt nice, after that ludicrously strained climb across the ceiling of the cavern.

He took a deep breath, eyes closed, trying his best to get into the meditation mindset.

However, things kept swirling through his mind. He found himself continually thinking back to his friends, but mostly Frisk, and what they were up to. Every time he emptied his mind, more thoughts would replace those he cleared. After some amount of time, he let out an annoyed sigh. "I can't meditate." He stated. Gerson simply cackled in response.

Terrence decided to continue trying, but he met the same results. Some time later, he let out another annoyed sigh, louder this time. "It's not working."

"Do you hear that?" Gerson asked. Terrence paused, listening, but all he heard was the strange chiming. "Just that... weird sound."

"That's the crystals." Gerson stated, his eyes still closed as he sat in his meditative position. "Do you feel that?"

Terrence paused once again, before shrugging. "What am I supposed to be feeling?"

"A gentle breeze flowing against you. In the center of the ceiling is a natural hole that leads right to the surface. That chiming is the crystals rubbing against each other from the wind." Terrence looked up again, for the first time noticing that the crystals seemed to be softly swaying. "I thought crystals were firm? Like... attached."

"These crystals are different." Gerson told him. "They are Singing Crystals. They hang loosely from the ceiling, rubbing against each other to create a beautiful song. It's a wonder of this world, as these crystals have never been found anywhere else." He opened his eyes to look at Terrence. "When meditating, clear your mind. Take in your surroundings. Listen to the song. Feel the breeze. Let go of your worries. Become the cave."

The more Terrence thought about Gerson's words, the more he realized that he'd already meditated earlier today. But this time, he wasn't going to lay down on the ground and feel like garbage. Instead, he was going to sit on the ground and feel like... the cave. He closed his eyes, taking another deep breath, forcing himself to repeat the same thought on loop- listen to the song. Listen to the song.

"Wrong," Gerson cackled. "You're listening to my words, and using them to try and fuel your thoughts, rather than your actions."

Terrence frowned. Not thinking was easier said than done; but it was getting a little easier. The more he listened, the nicer the melody of the crystals sounded...

And when he opened his eyes once again, Gerson was gone, as was the cave, but the music still whispered through his body. Terrence felt like he was floating on a cloud, without a care in the world regarding his surroundings. He blinked- and he was back.

Well... at least he'd achieved inner peace for a fraction of a second. It was a start.

They stayed like this for quite a while. Terrence didn't bother keeping track of time as he and Gerson cleared their minds and relaxed their bodies. Finally, however, Gerson stood up. "Alright. You've passed your third test." He informed the boy. "You have no idea how long it took Undyne to get that down."

"How long, exactly?" Terrence asked. "Two years!" Gerson cackled loudly.

"Y-You're being serious?" Terrence's eyes lit up. He'd passed a test in a couple of minutes- or maybe it had been a few hours- that Undyne had taken years to complete?

"You're a quick learner," Gerson admitted. "Just don't tell Undyne."

"Of course I won't. I'm not looking to lose a head," Terrence chuckled.

Gerson then led Terrence to a corner of the room, where he noticed a pickax sat on the ground. "Start mining." Gerson ordered. Terrence froze, blinking in confusion. He was about to question what mining would have to do with his training, but then remembered each of the other tests he'd passed. Instead of questioning why he had to mine, he asked something else. "What will I be learning while I mine?"

"Movement." Gerson answered, seeming impressed with his response. "Movement, weight, and balance. They're all very important, especially in combat."

"Are you sure you aren't just using me to excavate a few free crystals for you?" Terrence joked, raising an eyebrow. Gerson snorted. "Boy, if I really wanted these crystals, I would have mined this cave out centuries ago. You'll be striking the stone wall, instead. After all, it would be a shame if we ruined their song."

With a nod, Terrence got to work, bringing the pickax over his shoulder, and bringing it down on a bit of stone. The stone was tougher than he'd been expecting, and the pickax pretty much just bounced off of it. After a few more tries with the same results, he paused, wiping a bead of sweat on his forehead. "Instead of rising the pick to your shoulder, swing it around your side to pick up momentum, taking less energy to swing, and giving you more weight and power with your strike." Gerson advised. "And lift with your arms, not your back. I haven't lived this long without a back problem for no reason. Spread your legs, too, eh?"

Terrence took Gerson's advice, memorizing the words and obeying them with obedience. He would do whatever it took; and besides, even though Terrence hadn't known him long, he trusted Gerson. He spread his legs apart a bit more, straightening his posture and readjusting his grip, bringing the pickax to the side and swinging hard. The pickaxe didn't come close to plunging into the rock, but a few tiny pebbles crumbled off of the wall.

"There you go. Good!" Gerson grinned toothily as Terrence started moving in a fluid motion, swinging the pickax around to rise, then using its weight and his own strength to bring it down on the stone. Within a dozen or so swings, he'd cracked open a portion of the rock, and the slab of stone tumbled down to the cave floor. Gerson nodded in approval. "Keep going." He ordered.

Terrence continued his assault on the rock, which seemed to get softer as he continued digging- that, or he was getting better at using the pickaxe. He chose to believe the latter to boost his ego...

"So, usually, how many tests does your average student pass on their first day?"

"Don't be silly," Gerson grinned. "I don't have any average students."

"Okay... how many tests do your students normally pass on their first day?" Terrence asked. "It varies." Gerson shrugged. "Undyne completed seventy seven tests in a single day once, and on other days failed to complete a single one. Same with Asgore. And those I trained before them. As well as I, when I was being trained."

"Seventy seven, you say?" Terrence huffed, wiping sweat from his brow.

"May I ask why you wanted to know?" Gerson watched as Terrence struck the rock again, causing a sheet of it to fall to the ground and crumble.

"Because whatever the record is, I want to break it," Terrence replied. "I've gotta work as hard as I can, there's no room for me to mess up."

"You've got the spirit," Gerson nodded. "But you don't want to bite off more than you can chew. As intense as my training becomes, working yourself to the bone only makes you weaker. You have to know when you reach your limit."

"How will I know when I reach my limit?" Terrence asked, swinging away at the rock again. After a few more swings, the old turtle responded. "Oh, you'll know." He chuckled. "Alright, keep that up while I do some meditating." With that, Gerson dropped to the ground, folding his legs and placing his hands on his lap, closing his eyes.

And so, Terrence continued to swing, again, and again, and again... and again. His arms were beginning to get tired, but it was nothing compared to when he'd been hanging from the ceiling an hour or two prior. So, at least he knew that he hadn't reached his limit just yet. He wondered how Gerson planned to meditate with all the noise.

---

It must have been an hour before Gerson got to his feet. "You can stop." He said, and Terrence let out a sigh of relief, his clothes drenched in sweat. He set down the pickax, and turned to Gerson. "What now?" He asked.

"One more lesson." Gerson told him. "It's getting late and you'll need rest. Are you prepared for some combat training?"

"Combat training? You mean... you're gonna fight me?" Terrence raised an eyebrow. Gerson was clearly a good trainer and all, but with his age... and the fact that he was a turtle... would he really be able to put up much of a fight?

"Something like that," Gerson grinned. "You'll be trying to land a hit on me- just one. If you're training for combat, you won't get far if you don't practice combat, yes?"

"I guess... just one hit?"

"Just one." Gerson nodded. Terrence shook his arm out, biting his cheek. He'd just go in with a real light hit, no need to get rough. So he walked up to Gerson, who was staring up at him with a toothy grin, and he jabbed his fist forward, aimed at Gerson's middle.

Quicker than the blink of an eye, he felt Gerson's staff slap his fist aside, throwing him off balance, causing him to stumble past the old turtle, tripping over his feet.

"That the best you can do?" Gerson asked.

Okay... so, Gerson was a little quicker than he'd expected. Terrence would just have to try to make his next attack faster; how hard could it possibly be to land one single strike on a two-thousand year old man?

The blonde was still pretty sore from the hours of training he'd endured, so he was running a bit low on energy, but managed to not fall flat on his face.

Terrence turned back toward Gerson once he regained his balance, this time moving toward him a little quicker. He went to strike the turtle's middle again, but was met with a similar result- the staff was jabbed into his gut, making him nearly double over. Just as he was about to try once more to hit Gerson, a blast of water sent him stumbling backwards.

"Think you're up for this challenge?" Gerson asked. Terrence inwardly groaned. He had no idea why he'd thought this would be any easier than the other tasks he'd gone through today. Without replying, he moved forward, attempting to strike Gerson's middle again- only for the old turtle to grab his arm, step to the side, and throw him several feet away, skidding to a halt on the stone floor.

Scratch a little quicker, this old dude was fast. "Tell me what you're doing wrong." Gerson instructed, still standing in the same spot he'd been in since this latest challenge began.

"I'm not going fast enough," Terrence huffed, placing his hands on his knees and catching his breath.

Gerson shook his head. "You're being predictable. Not only that, but you're underestimating your opponent. Pretend I'm one of those Messiah men, if you have to!"

Terrence frowned. Gerson was right, he'd have to try something new. The boy did a quick scan of the room- and noticed the orange SOUL levitating nearby.

"YOU'RE the answer!" Terrence concluded, pointing at it.

"In certain situations, yes- but you need to understand that your SOUL always can't be relied upon." Gerson informed him. "For this lesson, you must learn how to strike me without the assistance of magic. Use what I've taught you so far. Patience. Balance. Weight. Movement. All can be used to successfully hit me."

Terrence stared at his SOUL a moment longer, before nodding, and turning back to Gerson, picturing the big lumbering brute who'd attacked Frisk shortly before he'd been knocked out. Other than the one Undyne caught, it was the only member of the Messiah he could recall. The ones in masks with guns didn't count. They weren't as memorable.

The orange-eyed boy took a nice, deep breath, visualizing the opponent, plotting out his path of motion in his head. He wanted to be the opposite of what Gerson had told him the SOUL of Bravery was prone to. He wanted to think with his head- there was no way he could protect Frisk by swinging wildly like a dumbass. His opponents would never succumb to such a lame strategy.

Having a plan proved to be much better than walking up and attempting a jab- Terrence moved forward, much quicker this time, still seeing Gerson as that massive Messiah goon, extending a hand, which was promptly struck by Gerson's staff- but the boy had left his hand open, enough so that he could grab onto the staff instead of getting his fist struck away. With the weapon now in his grasp, Terrence swung with his other hand- but Gerson sidestepped in the blink of an eye, causing his student's fist to strike a wall of solid rock instead.

"Shhhhhhhhhhhh-" Terrence hissed, biting his tongue to force himself not to swear in front of Gerson.

"It was a good attempt," the turtle monster admitted. "Much better than your first one."

"Thaaaanks..." Terrence replied through grit teeth, his fist throbbing painfully as he clutched it with his other hand, tears of pain stinging his eyes. He quickly blinked them away, still gritting his teeth as he turned back to Gerson, raring to go again.

---

When the pair exited the mouth of the cave, Terrence breathed in a breath of fresh air, the moon hanging high in the sky above. "You've done well today." Gerson congratulated him. "I think you may have earned your title as my student."

"Does that mean I have to call you sensei?" Terrence asked, his hands wrapped in cloth, which proved to be very helpful in later accidental punches to cave walls. "It does." Gerson nodded. "You have begun your training following the way of the turtle. It is known as Sherudo, and is a long forgotten art." He paused, and turned to look at Terrence with a twinkle in his eye. "Lord Fallian was the one who taught it to me."

"Lord Fallian... the guy who you think I'm a reincarnation of?" Terrence scratched the back of his neck, which proved difficult with the cloths attached to his hands.

"I don't think you are," Gerson replied simply, smiling brightly. "I know it. There's only one person in the world who could possess a SOUL of Bravery like yours."

Terrence personally wasn't buying it, but decided to let it go. He had no real reason to argue otherwise with Gerson, who seemed like a fairly wise and intelligent monster. "I still didn't land a hit on you." He stated, folding his arms, making Gerson cackle. "I know." He stepped behind his wooden booth, digging through it for a moment. "You will in time." He told Terrence. "You must master Sherudo to succeed. Undyne and Asgore both didn't succeed in hitting me for weeks, and those two are some of the best students I've ever had."

"Do both of them still follow Sherudo?" Terrence asked, starting to unwrap his hands. Gerson shrugged. "As I said, it's a forgotten art. The style of patience, balance, and precision- which I still have yet to teach you -are not most popular. Asgore had many teachers, I was merely one of them. Over time, you begin to develop your own unique fighting style. Asgore learned to fight with the trident, his father's signature weapon, despite him desiring to be a swordsman. Undyne too desired the way of the sword. It wasn't until after her teachings under Asgore that she became the Spear of Justice, much like I once was the Hammer of Justice."

"Why would a person want to have multiple teachers?" Terrence folded his arms. "Isn't it better to learn from one person who really knows what they're doing?"

"How many teachers do you have at school?" Gerson asked.

"There's dozens of teachers at my school," Terrence replied. "Why?"

"Why do you think they don't just hire one teacher who knows every subject?"

"Because they'd have to pay that person the entire school's annual budget."

"Try again."

"Alright, alright. It's because nobody's a master of all subjects."

"Exactly. I may be old and wise, boy, but I don't know everything. Your growth would eventually come to a grinding halt if I was your only sensei for the rest of your life. Learning from more than one teacher will make you stronger than any one of your sensei's. It also enables you to develop a style unique to you."

That made sense. He guessed. It seemed pretty logical at least, and Terrence nodded. "Am I dismissed, Gerson?"

"Hm?" Gerson asked.

"Am I dismissed?"

"Am I dismissed...?" Gerson repeated, and Terrence blinked blankly, before realization hit him. "Oh! Uh... Am I dismissed, sensei?" He asked. Gerson smiled, and gave him a nod. "As is customary with your sensei, both student and teacher will bow to one another, signifying the end of their interaction, whether that be tea, a friendly conversation, or training."

Terrence offered a bow, as deep as he could manage with his sore muscles. Gerson seemed satisfied with it, offering a bow of his own, before coming back up and turning around.

"Get back home before it gets too late," the turtle monster advised. "I expect you to be back here tomorrow, same time."

Terrence swallowed. He'd be doing this again? What if he didn't have time? After all, there were those interviews.

"Um... Gerson... before I go, can I talk to you about something?" Terrence asked. Gerson plopped himself on a stool behind the booth, whipping out a magnifying glass to look at a crystal that sat on the booth's surface. "Ask away!" The turtle replied.

"So... I'm a foster kid. My last foster parents just sent me back to the foster home this morning, and uh... a friend of mine has set up some appointments for me. For new... families. I don't know if I'll have time tomorrow."

"Hm..." Gerson stroked his chin for a moment, twirling his wispy white goatee. "Don't worry about it." He replied. "I'll foster you."

Terrence blinked, completely taken aback. "I... what?"

"You heard me. I'll foster you. Better me than some stranger, right?"

Terrence blinked. He'd just met Gerson that morning, but... he'd already come to respect him, after the day of training he'd just gone through.

"But are you, uh... qualified to foster?" Terrence questioned.

"Boy, I'm over two millennia old and have amassed a great wealth. Mostly of rocks. If they don't accept that, I'll make them. Just tell me when the appointments are tomorrow. You're the one who chooses the family, aren't you?" Gerson asked, pulling back the magnifying glass and bringing the crystal to his mouth, biting down on it. Satisfied, he pulled it away from his mouth and stared at it in interest.

"Uh... yeah. It'll be at a place called The Jade House, sometime tomorrow morning. There's a guy named Marcus Jones setting up the appointments, if that helps," Terrence offered, a little surprised Gerson had made such an offer. Training was one thing- fostering was another.

"Good." Gerson set down the crystal and hopped down from his chair, moving to stand in front of Terrence. "I will be by tomorrow to collect you." With that, he bowed. Terrence hastily bowed back. "Thank you, sensei. This really means a lot." Terrence smiled.

The two bid each other farewell, and then Terrence was off, heading back toward the Jade House to try and get some sleep for the night. According to his phone, it was about 11:00 at night, meaning he'd been training for nearly six hours. No wonder he felt ready to pass out. On the bright side, he'd mostly worked with his upper body, so his legs had enough energy left in them to carry him back to the foster care center.

In what felt like no time at all, he'd returned to what he'd often called his room. It was mostly empty aside from a bed and a poster of an old rock band called 'Snake Tongue' that he often enjoyed. He'd even gotten Frisk into the music, though the band had broken up long before he'd been born. They were still good though. Stray articles of clothing littered the floor, most of which was too small for him now. He'd stayed off and on in this room for years. For as long as he could remember, really. Now, here he was. Back again.

'Not for long', he smiled to himself before collapsing onto his unmade twin-sized bed with blue sheets. He didn't even bother to take off his shoes as he fell asleep.