(19)
After what seemed to be an endless and depressing slog of a walk home, Asgore felt like all he could really do was toss his cape off, sit in his chair by the fireplace, and wait. The events of the last hour or so felt about as impactful as both being locked away in the Underground and losing his sons, perhaps more so knowing the fate of the surface. The king leaned back in his chair and absentmindedly ran a paw through his beard, trying to at least get himself together before Toriel, Asriel, and the undead arrived.
Perhaps he could try and look on the bright side… while he was no longer able to complete his plan, he no longer had to kill anyone else. And hey, how was he supposed to know that the surface would change the way it did? It was also just in his nature to not want to actively seek out people to hurt them…
That last thought only led to remind him of why Toriel had left him in the first place…
The king tiredly buried his face in the fuzz of his paws then dragged them down, groaning as he did so. Really though, knowing that he could drop the dread of having to kill another human was like having a weight lifted from his shoulders. The countless times he'd hope that the next day wouldn't be the one and at the same time that it would be, so his people could go free of the Underground and his indecision. He was quite thankful that he would be able to rest easy, at least until he had to tell the people of the Underground the bad news…
'Being king is becoming increasingly stressful.'
Just as Asgore was about to continue his seemingly pointless attempts at self-comfort he looked up in time to see Toriel come up from the stairwell with Leontius in tow, Asriel in his ex-wife's arms.
Toriel went down the hallway to the rooms, leaving Leontius to stand next to the stairwell, glancing at Asgore. Toriel approached the kids' room and carefully opened the door with a stiff motion so as to not wake Asriel, and then she vanished inside.
For a few moments, the home was dead silent until Toriel exited the room, gently shut the door, and joined Asgore in the living room, pulling out one of the table chairs not covered by Asgore's cape and sitting in it.
Leontius followed shortly after, watching as Toriel and Asgore promptly began something akin to a staring contest, with Toriel giving a glare and Asgore acknowledging it with a look of meekness, wondering if she wanted to restart their previous argument.
Toriel slowly tore her gaze away from him and looked about the room, analyzing everything, finding things were in the exact position she had last had them in. The fact that her home and Asgore's share the exact same look, -bar the material color choices- (that was Asgore's doing, he is not the best with home design or names… really, who opts for a uniform gray?)- was not lost on her either. "I see you have kept the house… eerily similar to how It was when I left."
Asgore could only half-shrug. "Yes, I didn't quite know what to do with it, I do not have your expertise in having things just right, so I figured keeping it the same was for the best. Why bother with changing… hrmm… perfection?" He really regretted how awkward that last bit came out. Toriel wasn't exactly impressed with the flattery either.
She folded her arms and gave her ex a scrutinizing look. Meanwhile, Leontius decided to pull up a chair around the table. Despite his normally considerable presence, the Boss Monsters hardly acknowledged him, so he just decided to let the two do their thing.
With a huff, Toriel came to a verdict. "Well, it is rather unhealthy, if I must say so, Asgore. It is actually somewhat disturbing in a way, now that I know."
Asgore inspected his surroundings now that he was feeling self-conscious thanks to his living conditions, starting to judge himself a little for never really changing anything. "Well… I suppose I could…" He tried to find something in his immediate vicinity to change, then realized. He scooted his chair from it's normally exact position to the opposite side and orientation, now comfortably facing the table and chairs.
He gave a hopeful smile. "Better?"
Toriel rolled her eyes, was he being serious? "...A little."
"Ah! Good! Anyways… hrm…" Asgore's eyes finally fell on Leontius, and he decided figuring out just who he was would be a good idea. The undead was occupied with his equipment belt; It was bothering his sitting position, so he was trying to undo and set it aside. "So… Leontius, we have not actually gotten acquainted yet."
The undead managed to get the belt off and put it aside just as Asgore spoke. He caught the king's gaze just as he got more comfortable. "That is correct, we have not formally introduced ourselves. I am Leontius, of…"
Leontius then seemed to have a sudden moment of clarity. When exactly had he forgotten the name of his kingdom…? "Apologies, but the name of my kingdom has evidently escaped me. Nevertheless, I am Leontius, and in simple terms I suppose you could equate me to a bit of a wanderer, errant, explorer, what have you."
Asgore found he was amiable enough in that description, but he had not forgotten what the undead said earlier… "I am King Asgore Dreemurr of The Kingdom of Monsters, and I welcome you to my home. And New Home, as well."
Leontius shortly thought about the odd naming conventions before mentally moving on. "A pleasure to meet you, King Dreemurr."
The king gave a wave of his hand at the formality and stopped slouching in his chair, leaning forward to get a better physical presence in the conversation. "Likewise. Oh, and it's alright if you just call me Asgore. Now, I am curious and must ask you, what drove you to come to my kingdom? And now that you're here… what do you plan to do?"
Leontius knew exactly what the answer to that last question would be. "As I said, I am an explorer. Mount Ebott has always been on the horizon, so I did what came natural, I had very little of my kingdom left to explore anyways. And now that I am here, now that I have found a place of peace, I have decided I only wish to stay. Lost knowledge and experiences have recently come to light for me, and I tire of wandering and fighting. I am finally feeling the fatigue of my ventures. If you would allow me to become a member of your kingdom, I would be most thankful."
Asgore was thoughtful for a few moments. While he had a few personal blocks disallowing him to call Leontius a "friend," he couldn't deny that the undead had done more than enough to deserve a place among his people. Leontius had gone all the way across the Underground from the Ruins, from the way it sounded.
Even though Toriel's perturbing gaze wasn't necessary in influencing Asgore's decision, it didn't make him want to deny the request either. "You've certainly earned the right, all things considered. And I do not think I'd be able to send you away anyways, it would weigh on my consciousness knowing you'd be back to a place where fighting and… killing… is necessary. So yes, you may stay."
The undead had been energized by that, knowing he'd been welcomed by the king himself. Toriel was pleased by it as well.
Asgore somewhat dreaded the next question he had in mind, he felt like he knew what Toriel's answer would be. He gave her a pleading look as he asked it. "And what about you, Tori? It has been so long since you went out to the Ruins, what are you planning on doing now that the plan to go to the surface is impossible?"
The former monster queen adjusted her sitting position as she thought on it for a bit, her hostile air towards Asgore vanishing, if only for the moment. "Well… I cannot return to my home in the Ruins since I sealed the whole area up due to the dangers that could come through… perhaps I will just settle down elsewhere."
Asgore once more tried to look on the bright side, at least Toriel was no longer going to be purposefully isolating herself in the Ruins. But there were still issues that needed to be addressed.
He swept a hand in both Leo's and Toriel's direction. "Where will the two of you be staying, then? I know Tori wouldn't want to live here, and I think providing a place to live for Leontius is the least I can do after what he has done."
Leontius and Toriel had to think about that. Toriel had been absent from the rest of the Underground for so long that much of it was radically different than she remembered, she didn't have many choices thanks to her outdated knowledge. Leontius doubted he'd enjoy living in a sprawl like New Home with so many people around, and there didn't seem to be much in the way of housing in Hotland or Waterfall.
Toriel came to a conclusion first. "I will be staying in Snowdin."
"Ah, a smaller place then. People have been wanting to move there lately, I hear it's quite cozy. I can have a message sent out there to purchase a home in your name, and what of you, Leontius?"
Leontius thought about it for a moment, but Snowdin seemed that it was likely the best option. "I will be staying in Snowdin as well."
The king nodded and stroked his beard. "It will be done." And now he had to address the biggest issue. "Now… this is going to be a sensitive topic, but what about Asriel?"
The ensuing silence was almost palpable. Both Toriel and Asgore were unsure about that. Who would have custody of Asriel? They hadn't been thinking of that much, at least not before Asgore had brought it up. Meanwhile, Leontius was beginning to understand that the situation was made incredibly complicated by Asriel's return.
Asgore was torn, now that he was really thinking about it. Either way, his son would be stuck with only one parent, only one half of the parenting necessary to raise a child correctly.
Asgore hesitantly broke the thought-permeated silence with a suggestion. "Maybe… it might be best to let him decide for himself once he wakes up… although honestly, I am leaning more towards you taking him, Tori."
Even though it wasn't particularly his place to talk about it, Leontius agreed with Asgore's idea. "Having his input seems like a good idea, he is the main subject of the whole issue, after all."
Leontius piping up reminded Asgore, he'd yet to properly thank the human for what he'd done. "I believe I have been somewhat rude, Leontius. I haven't thanked you for saving my son, giving up a piece of yourself to do so must not have been easy."
The undead shook his head. "It is honestly of little consequence to me in terms of what I gave up, Asriel only needed a small fraction of a fraction from my soul to have a substitute for a monster soul. But, if I may ask, would you not like to have your son back, Asgore? Why is it that you lean towards having Toriel take him?"
Asgore sadly leaned back once more, his kingly pep and presence faltering. "I would give anything to have him back… but the Underground is probably going to react poorly to knowing we have no chance above, I will be busy… and quite stressed… for a long time." Asgore then leveled a stern glance at Leontius. "And if he does choose to go with Toriel… you'd be living out in Snowdin near him, Leontius. He will probably look up to you for all you've done. If he does, treat him well. He is already of your soul, so I don't doubt you will share some level of connection by nature."
Leontius gave a well-noted nod, maintaining eye contact to signify he was listening well and fully. "I will treat him so, Asgore. And as for the matter of souls, I know just what him having a part of me means."
Asgore's stern attitude softened. "Good. As much as it would pain me seeing him go, knowing Asriel is in good hands and has positive role models out there will put me at ease."
The three then fell back to general peace and quiet. Asgore had relaxed into his chair, and Toriel and Leo began quietly catching up. Leo told her how he'd dealt with the path once they'd been separated, and Toriel told him how she'd caught up, partly thanks to an odd person who offered to give her a ride on a boat, which she gladly accepted over having to go through most of the Waterfall Cavern again.
As Leo was about to get to telling her about his bizarre encounter with Mettaton's opera and actually functional colored-tile puzzle, the sound of a door creaking open seemingly smashed the settled air of quiet. The three adults found themselves looking to the hallway, and sure enough, a tired looking Asriel came walking out, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes and steadying his still-waking self on the wall.
He blearily tried to look around before he finally entered the room. Toriel held her arms out to him with a motherly smile, and the boy tiredly climbed up onto her lap and looked at everyone again. "Mom? What's going on?"
As he settled into his mother's embrace, his thoughts started to clear as he shrugged the sleep off. He was actually back, after a nightmarish existence as a flower, he was really back to his old self.
Toriel started to rub the boy's head lovingly, running her paws in a massage between his ears. "We were just having a bit of a grownup talk, my child."
He barely heard her, he was too busy trying to figure out why he felt so… funny. As he began to open his eyes and tolerate the light, Asriel spotted Leo sitting at the table near them. Seeing the human made recent events come back in a rush. The fight, his god form, Leo jumping on him then pulling the monster souls out, the fight ending, Asriel releasing the human souls…
Then, of course, there was the biggest hitter. Leo had given up a piece of his own soul to keep Asriel in his real form. He could feel a resonance, an odd echo, almost as if Leo's soul was calling out to its removed piece. It was subtle, but he could feel it. Leo and Asriel's eyes locked momentarily before Asriel processed what his mom had said, and instead focused on her. Asriel did not miss the usually gaunt and neutral-faced human's expression soften though.
"What were you guys talking about?"
Toriel wasn't quite sure how to put it, so she decided it would be best to just be truthful with her son. She tried to explain it slowly and carefully. "Your father and I are... not together anymore. We split up a long time ago, a while after… you and Characas left us."
Asriel didn't motion to act surprised by that at all. He already knew this, because Flowey knew this. As the flower, he'd traveled across the Underground and seen timeline after timeline, he'd done it all across the loops. He knew his parents weren't together, he knew about how Asgore had planned to use those human souls to destroy the barrier…
He knew literally everything there was to know, except for the recent events involving Leontius, because as Flowey he had some reluctance to stalk him closely. It was like he felt something different, something had been off. So what was different? Why would he distance himself? He didn't normally do that when-
-A blank, where a name should be, a name he felt like he should know. Why couldn't he remember who he normally followed…?
The confused child needed some more clarity. He looked between his father and mother. "Okay… what else is happening then?" His parents seemed to be a bit off-put by his quick acceptance of the fact that they weren't together, but Toriel felt like she should try and word the next explanation carefully for him as well. "Well, I have decided I do not want to live with Asgore, and I cannot go back to my old home in the Ruins. Now that you're back, we needed to come to a decision..."
For a few moments, Asriel's still somewhat slowed thinking had to process that. "Oh." Asriel could tell everyone in the room was looking at him without even checking to see.
Asriel could see where this was going. He was much more mature than he looked, he had aged mentally in his years as Flowey, so he could understand what was being hinted at. His dad looked like he wanted to get a word in, though.
"Son, Asriel. We need to know who you want to stay with. We don't want to put you on the spot or anything, but we felt like deciding for you wouldn't be fair to you. You can stay here with me, or you can go to Snowdin with your mother. Just… think about it for a little bit, alright pal?"
Asriel was still too tired to be making a decision like this, he'd just woken up, after all. He thought about it like his father suggested. As he did so, he clutched his mother's unfamiliar dark clothing and rested his head against her chest, letting her sooth him with rubs to his ears. As a flower, he held no sadness about his family falling apart, but now that he was back to normal he couldn't be with both his mom and dad and it was hurting. Leontius seemed to take note of his quandary, like he was feeling a degree of the pain on more than just a sympathetic level…
Asriel looked pleadingly to his father, he was starting to feel cornered with this decision. "Dad, if I go with mom, will I still be able to see you?"
"That's up to your mother, Asriel." Asgore looked to her for the answer to the boy's question, and she gave it decisively.
"Yes, while I may not hold your father in the highest regard anymore- I will not prevent him from seeing you, my child."
Asgore gave a thankful and relieved smile, relaxing thanks to her answer.
Asgore expectantly looked to his son, he looked like he'd come to a decision. "So, son? Have you decided?"
Asriel gave a reluctant nod. "I'll go with mom…" saying it didn't seem to make him feel particularly well, but it's not like the other option would make him feel any better either.
Asriel expected his father to be upset, but the king Boss Monster seemed fine with it. "It's probably for the best son, my job is going to be a whole lot more stressful very soon… I wouldn't have much free time to spend with you."
Asriel was still not fond of having to choose, but his father's assuring words put him at ease, and he tried to shut out the world for a few moments by burying his face against Toriel, before she patted him on the shoulder, getting him to look at her. "Let us go get you some clothes, Asriel. You will need something warm in Snowdin, after all, it is awfully cold there."
Asriel gave a quiet "Yeah…" and hopped off her lap, then went back to his room with her in tow, leaving Leontius and Asgore in the living room.
The undead and king of the Underground shared a brief look, Leo then stood to re-equip his belt, speaking to the Boss Monster as he did so. "Asgore… you may not believe it, but I had a wife and child once, on the surface. I would tell you about them, their names, what they were like, but… I cannot, because I have forgotten. I cannot remember their names, their faces. I will most likely never know, my memories have been eaten away after an existence tainted by the curse, but I know what it feels like. I know what you are experiencing right now. I lost my family to the point that I no longer remember them in much of any capacity, I do not even know what became of them after the kingdom fell to the curse."
He got his belt resecured, and approached the king in his chair. "I… am sorry, Asgore." The king got up from his chair and held out a paw for Leo to shake. "Don't worry about it, Leontius. It's just how things havta' be between Tori and I." Leontius took his hand and gave a firm shake, and Asgore gave the undead a friendly pat on his shoulder as they did so.
Toriel and Asriel had appeared in the living room entry, with Asriel now sporting a mint-green coat, matching hat, and plain-red scarf.
Asgore took a brief look at his son and wife before addressing Leontius once more. "Again, thank you for helping me see the truth of the situation, and for bringing my son back."
"It was for the good of your people, and what I did for Asriel was what anyone else would want to do. I wish you luck in your endeavors of handling the people."
The two ended the handshake and respectfully stood at height and straight posture for the other before everyone went to the front door.
As the trio stood to leave, Asgore started the goodbyes. "Leontius, it was nice to meet you. Toriel, Asriel… goodbye." The three returned their goodbyes and left Asgore's home to begin the journey to Snowdin.
As he watched them leave, Asgore took in a shaky breath. His son was back and then gone just like that. But he'd still be able to visit him, that was good. Asgore returned to his chair and slumped in it. He sat static for a few minutes before realizing something.
"I still forgot to get Tori's butterscotch pie recipe…" He gave a laugh, at least something humorous came from all this.
"Oh well, there's always next time we'll meet."
(19)
