Chapter 10: TLC

A van, covered in slightly rusted purple paint, pulls into a short driveway. The side-door gently slides open, Frisk hops out from the side of the vehicle. He then nudges his brother, Asriel, gently. As Asriel wakes up from his nap, Frisk hops out of the car and then slides his brother onto his back. "We're home, Azzy."

Toriel climbs out of the front seat of the car and rushes up to the front door as Frisk carries Asriel into the house. "I can get the door for you, my child."

Asriel looks down at his sibling, laughs, and a bead of sweat coalesces near his horn. "Hey, Frisk. Remember when I carried you on my own two legs after getting my real body back? If I could walk on my own two feet then, I'm sure I can do the same now."

Frisk smiles softly. "I gotta return the favor somehow."

Asriel nods and beams his bright, shining white teeth and goat fangs. "Thanks. I'm lucky to have you."

Frisk squeezes Asriel's hand tightly and Asriel raises his eyebrow. "What's the matter, Frisk? I'm right here."

"Yeah…I know."

Frisk looks down at the blades of grass beside him on the front lawn. There's a spider wrapping a fly in a series of webbing in-between two more blades of grass. (If we were to try and hunt down this attacker, are we falling for their trap? Or, is it the right thing to do? Although, if we're going to actually hunt down the attacker, we'll have to be smart about it.)

Asriel's fluffy goat head tilts to the right, and he stares at the bright red door. He smiles and breathes softly. "Looks like we're home, Frisk. Here we are."

Frisk nods softly. "Yeah, bro."

Toriel jumps in front of them and opens up the door with a great swing. Frisk briskly carries Asriel into the house. He smirks and turns around, staring cheekily at Toriel. As Toriel closes the door, she raises an eyebrow and clasps her hands together.

"Is something wrong, my child?"

Frisk nods confidently. "Not to worry, Mom! I'll play nurse and escort Asriel to his ward. I want to make sure that he doesn't over-exert himself."

Toriel holds her hand in front of her mouth as she chuckles. "My child, you are quite the caregiver."

Asriel laughs and taps his foot on the ground. "Frisk, you don't have to do that. I can carry myself to our bedroom just fine! If I couldn't walk fine, I'd still be in Ebott General."

Frisk looks behind him, then nods. He gently places Asriel on the floor, and his brother's feet lightly tap on the floorboards beneath them. "Alright, bro. But, I'm still planning on watching over you like a hawk."

Frisk flashes a slightly cheeky grin as Asriel slowly walks behind him. Both of the Dreemurr siblings arrive at their bedroom, and Frisk gestures towards Asriel's bed. It is soft and fluffy, with a heavy green and yellow blanket on top. There's a plump white pillow at the head of the bed inviting Asriel to itself, with a pine wood nightstand beside it. A black book with a golden bookmark sits on top of the nightstand whilst a moat of music CDs surround it. Many of the covers depict supposedly frenzied five irons, and across from his own bed is Frisk's, which has a purple and blue pattern for the blanket to contrast the theme of Asriel's bed.

Asriel turns his head, nods at Frisk, and gently rests his body on the bed. He breathes in and out deeply, slowly taking the book from his nightstand and opens it. He peeks across the top of the book to look at Frisk, who stands at the door with his hands on his hips. He nods aggressively. "You are commanded to get your rest! They are orders from the queen of the Underground herself…and me, honestly."

Asriel chuckles and rubs the back of his head. "I promise I'll take it easy. Just don't worry yourself too much, alright?"

Frisk bows his head slightly and bites his lip. (I wish I could relax, but I can't. He should realize why I can't do that.)

Toriel waltzes into the room and smiles at Asriel. She walks over to Asriel, they hug each other warmly, and she releases him. Asriel's stomach suddenly rumbles, and he rubs it. "My child, you sound hungry. How would some butterscotch cinnamon pie sound?"

Asriel's face lights up. "Oh, I'd love that! My belly and I have been dying for real food."

Toriel nods slightly, turning to head back to the kitchen. She gently pats Frisk on the head and looks down at him with care. "Remember to watch your brother, yes?"

Frisk nods and smiles. As she leaves the room, Frisk lowers his head and sighs deeply. (One might say I have to fight, but how would that even work? I can't be perceived as blood-thirsty, even a little bit. That's not what the town needs. And it's not what I want either! We just need time to figure it out.)

Frisk gently rubs his temples, and turns slowly back towards his sibling, who has begun to read softly to himself out of the book in his goat hands. "Adversary…prowls like a lion…ready to devour."

Frisk lowers his head and rubs his arm while muttering to himself. "Yeah, you have a point there, Azzy."

Frisk rests his mind for a moment, and then there's a crack. His eyes spin. His brain sparks. He rushes towards Asriel and leans in as Asriel's gaze lifts up from the book. He shoves himself back into the pillow, eyes widening. "Um, Frisk? Are you feeling alright?"

Frisk's voice raises in pitch while increasing in weight. "Has your chest been hurting lately?"

Asriel places the book down and raises an eyebrow. "No…I don't think so. It did for a while, but I've felt fine since yesterday." Lowering his gaze, he rubs his head. "When I think about it, though, I have had some pain around my heart both before and after my injury." Frisk nods and rubs his arm again. Asriel frowns. "Is something the matter?"

Frisk sits down at the foot of Asriel's bed and sighs. "Dr. Alphys mentioned this to me right before I went back to the Underground to get your real body back. She said 'If you use your own soul energy to reconnect Asriel to his body, while it will get him his body back, there may be drawbacks'."

Asriel turns his head and his eyes narrow slightly. "What does that mean?"

Frisk lowers his head, and taps the blankets rapidly. "Alphys told me that when one Dreemurr sibling feels pain, the other will feel pain as well. That was one of the most likely drawbacks she theorized. Now, we know it's true."

Asriel's eyes light up and he gently punches one fist into his opposite hand. "Of course! When you felt stressed about being ambassador that one day, I felt my own chest hurt a bit. Did you feel any pain when I got cut by whoever it was? How about when they were stitching up my chest…operating on it in the hospital?"

Frisk sighs deeply. "Yes. I had agonizing chest pain the entire night, and I kept having it until yesterday."

Asriel frowns deeply and bows his head. "I'm sorry that I hurt you."

"It's no problem. But you need to know one more thing…we should treat this next point as fact rather than just another theory. For safety reasons."

Asriel leans closer, and he holds his hands together in his lap. His scalp sweats and his body begins to shiver slightly. "What was it?"

Frisk gets onto the bed and scoots up to Asriel, with his own head strongly pointed at Asriel's body. "If I die, then you'll die as well…or at best, you'd return to your Flowey form. It would potentially be similar if it were the other way around, too."

Asriel backs his body into his pillow more intensely, turning his head to the right. His pupils glare at the wall and he snorts. Frisk raises an eyebrow and stares at him with concern. "Azzy…what's wrong?"

Asriel folds his arms and bites his lip so harshly that one could imagine a drop of blood trickling from his mouth down the side of his chin. (I realize it now…I'm just a burden…nothing more. I'm so sorry Frisk…it's my fault that we're in this mess…)

Frisk clicks his tongue and leans in slightly more. "Bro? Are you alright? Why aren't you answering me?"

Asriel's tongue sputters and explodes. "Why didn't you tell me this sooner?!" His voice raises. "What if I did die…again?! What if you got hit?! I just…I…sometimes I think you should've never come back for me!" Asriel's burning face fades to a tepid temperature, and his eyes water up a little. "I'm just holding you back. A part of me wishes I'd stayed in my Flowey body. I'm just a burden…that's all I am."

Frisk jumps on Asriel and hugs him. "Asriel…listen, please. If you didn't jump in the way, I might be dead. You put your life on the line for me. And we love you, Azzy. Doesn't that say enough?"

Asriel nods, and releases Frisk from his tight grip. He chuckles, but his eyes still contain tears. "I'm very grateful; thank you." He breathes deeply, settling his emotions a little. "I'm trying my best…I just don't want to hold you back or hurt you ever again. I don't want to hurt anyone ever again."

Frisk leans in and pats Asriel on the shoulder. "We've all forgiven you, Azzy. Please don't be sad."

"I'll try to remember."

Frisk continues to rub Asriel on his back, staring at Asriel intently. "Now, I have one last question for you: who are you, Asriel Dreemurr?"

Asriel tilts his head and rubs his chin.

"Um… a goat?"

"True, but not what I'm looking for."

"A theater club member?"

"Also true, but again, not what I'm looking for."

"Ebott resident?"

"Keep going."

"The eldest son of Toriel and Asgore Dreemurr?"

"That's not it."

"A choir boy?"

"Heh, closer but not quite?"

"Someone who loves my mom's pies?"

"Haha, yeah…but still 'no'."

"..."

Asriel sighs, and he stares at Frisk. After a few moments, he nods his head gently and smiles softly. "Not worthless…I'm not worthless."

Frisk hugs him tightly. "You passed the test."

Asriel nods, smiles, and allows a single joyful tear to pass his eyelid. "I love you, Frisk. Thank you for helping me."

"Love you too, bro. Try not to get discouraged, ok?"

Asriel wipes his eyes and smiles. "When I'm feeling more up for it, we should play Super Smashing Fighters."

Frisk nods and chuckles. "I'm down. I hope you're ready to feel the pain; I've been practicing."

Asriel folds his arms and smiles proudly. "Not if my favorite green dino and boy in the red cap have anything to say about it. You're on!"

Frisk chuckles and shrugs. "Alright bro." He then gives Asriel a thumbs up. "I'm glad I could help cheer you up."

"Thanks, Frisk," Asriel says.

…

Frisk smiles and gets up from Asriel's bed. He stands at the door to the bedroom and glances up the hall while the phone rings loudly. Toriel rushes to pick up the receiver. "Hello…oh, hi Sans…yes? Sounds like the interrogation went well…oh, um…sorry, no. I appreciate the offer, but I don't think you should pay us a visit. Asriel really needs his rest; he just got discharged from the hospital this morning. I hope you understand…yes, thank you. Take care, Sans."

Toriel hangs up the phone, rubs her sweaty brow, and returns to the oven. A pie warms up up in the oven, with a golden-brown effect coming over the crust. On top of the counter sits various chicken breasts and vegetables, which she begins slicing. Frisk looks down the hall, sniffs the air, and turns back towards Asriel, who is still reading his favorite book from his nightstand. "Lunch will be served to our patient in about…" Frisk quickly checks his watch, then holds up all five fingers with his right hand. "Five minutes! Hang tight for now."

"Can't wait," Asriel excitedly bleats.

A quick pattering sounds at the door. Toriel turns towards the front door with a quick jolt of her head, and rushes to throw the food onto a tray. In a bellowing voice, she speaks out to Frisk. "My child! Grab the tray and give it to your brother while I get the door!"

Toriel wipes her hands quickly with a tablecloth as Frisk rushes into the kitchen to grab the tray. "Yes, mom!" He grabs it and quickly and marches back the hallway towards the Dreemurr child bedroom.

Meanwhile, Toriel throws open the door and nods. "I'm sorry that I was late to respond. I was making lunch for my eldest." A pair of police officers stand in front of her, one strong-looking owl and one prim-looking yet slightly whimsical looking secretary bird. Their badges shine in the sunlight, and Toriel takes a slight step back. "Oh, good morning, officers. Is there a problem?"

The owl officer smiles slightly. "Good day. We would like to ask your son a few questions concerning our investigation."

Toriel holds her mouth and shakes her head. Her face gets flushed and she tries to catch her breath. The owl officer leans forward. "Ma'am, are you alright?"

"Oh…I apologize…I know why you're here. It's because of the party, correct?" Toriel asks.

"Yes," he replies.

"Please, come in."

A couple sweat drops fall from her head and she bows deeply, moving to the side. The officers come into the home; the owl officer, Harlow, wiggles his beak and breathes in the steam deeply. "Mmmm, it smells good in here, Ms. Dreemurr. You got a party planned?" Toriel slams her fists on the counter; body trembling. The superior officer, Sterling, sternly glares at him as he frets and coughs. "Um, sorry ma'am. And you too, Ms. Dreemurr. I should stay on task and not mention anything about parties, perhaps."

Toriel nods slightly, without looking at the officers. "No, it's alright. There's just a lot on my mind."

Toriel walks over to the kitchen table and sinks into her favorite chair. Harlow takes a moment to compose himself and looks intently at Sterling. "Who should I interview? Toriel or her sons?

"You will interview the mother and the younger son. Leave the older one to me," Sterling commands.

Toriel stares back at the kitchen counter, which now has some pie steaming as it sits on the countertop. She looks back the hallway, then at the officers. "Pardon me, but my child needs rest. If it isn't too much trouble, could you please keep the interview short?"

Sterling sighs and holds her beak with her wing. "Alright, that's fine. But be warned, we may need to inconvenience you at a later date with more questions if that's the case. Not a guarantee, but it's possible."

Toriel nods. "That is fine."

Sergeant Sterling nods and heads into the hallway. When she turns to her left, she arrives at the Dreemurr child bedroom and Frisk salutes. "Good afternoon, officer! It is 12 noon on the dot, and our patient is currently resting and eating lunch. It would be good to come back later."

She sighs again, and crouches down to meet Frisk at eye level. "Look kid, I'll explain to you what I explained to your mom: this will be quick. I'm also grateful that you've helped us monsters get used to the Surface again, but even you don't have exemptions when it comes to police command. Please move aside."

Frisk nods and slowly moves to his left, frowning. "I'm sorry, I understand. I'm just trying to take my job of guarding Asriel seriously. Whoever attacked him is a menace."

He grips his fists tightly at the side of his body. Sterling gently pats him on the shoulder. "We'll find the perpetrator soon. I promise."

Frisk sinks his head, with his mind sprinting. (I hope it's soon, but who knows? These two seem to be doing their job well, but the Ebott precinct isn't exactly large.)

Sterling steps into the room, and Asriel slowly sets the book on his lap. He reaches over to his nightstand and takes a small sip of water. "Um…hello, officer."

His brow raises slightly and his eyes dance timidly. Sterling pulls up a swivel chair from Frisk's desk and sits beside Asriel. "Hi, bud. I'm Sergeant Sterling. Don't worry; you're not in trouble."

Asriel sighs and smiles. "Well, that's good. I do my best to be a good kid. Is this about the party?"

Sterling continues. "Yes, we're trying to find the person who hurt you. We suspect that they're still armed and dangerous, and may attack more residents in this area, whether monster or human. I understand you need to rest, so I'll keep this brief."

Asriel nods. "Alright, what's the question?"

Sterling's eyes narrow, and her beak pierces the air. "Do you have any peers, whether you know them from school, church, the drama club, the track team, or otherwise that are known for wearing green and yellow striped patterns for clothing? Other than yourself, of course."

Asriel lowers his head and shakes it. His eyes droop and he bites his lip. "I'm sorry; I don't know."

Sergeant Sterling turns her head. "Hey bud, are you feeling alright?"

Asriel takes another sip of water, then grabs for another cup sitting on his nightstand. It appears to be filled with golden flower tea. He takes a long sip and sighs. "Yes ma'am, um…I'm fine. I'm sorry for being so timid, but your question reminded me of my passed-on younger sibling…Chara."

"Oh, I see," Sterling mournfully replies.

"She was…complicated," Asriel says, "but I still love her and miss her." He lets a single tear escape. "I still visit her memorial in the backyard every day. It's not fair that she's still dead while I got to live." His crying increases and he quickly grabs at tissues, pulling out a few and wiping his eyes. "I wish she was…still with me. I loved her."

Sterling bows her head slightly, while still glancing at Asriel. The tears stop flowing and he calms his breathing pattern. "I'm sorry for your loss", Sterling says.

"Thank you...I'm sorry for being a crybaby, but…I just miss her. She was my best friend before Frisk came along," Asriel confirms.

"It's alright; I understand." Sterling sighs and taps her foot twice. "In fact, I'm in a similar boat as you are."

Asriel rubs his lips together and takes a moment to think. "I should tell you more about Chara…when we were in the Underground, she fell from the heights of Mount Ebott. My mom and dad took her in and treated her like their own child. After taking her in, we could see her face."

Sterling's face perks up. "So…your deceased sibling didn't have long bangs, or a mysterious face?"

"No, ma'am. She had shorter hair than that. No bangs covering her eyes. She also had very rosy cheeks, if that helps."

Sterling's face darkens and she releases a heavy sigh and slowly brings herself up to a standing position. "Well, that will be enough for today, kid. Thank you for cooperating; I hope you feel better soon."

Asriel nods and smiles solemnly. "Thank you."

Asriel continues reading the book again as Sterling leaves. She enters the kitchen to see Toriel and Harlow seated at the kitchen table. Toriel is currently sipping on a glass of tea as the officer is asking her questions. "Alright, Ms. Dreemurr. What happened next?"

Toriel sits the glass down on the kitchen table and rapidly taps her finger. Her face covers with somewhat dark expressions. "My child was brought home. She was wearing green and yellow, which is what my Asriel wears. She must've blacked out from the fall, so Asriel carried her to bed when we had her home for the first night."

Harlow leans forward and continues. "Did you manage to see her face?"

Toriel claps her hands together, and a short light emits from her scalp. "Oh yes! Of course, I would know her face. She had peachy cheeks and a smile as bright as the sun." Toriel lowers her head and frowns. "She was livelier and more assertive than Asriel, too. Perhaps mischievous and somewhat misunderstood, but a blessing nevertheless. I miss her." She takes another moment to wipe her tears away. "May my child rest in peace."

Harlow swears under his breath, but then clicks his beak and rubs the back of his head. "Apologies. Been a stressful investigation and it pains me to hear what you've been through, too."

Toriel nods. "I forgive you."

Sergeant Sterling strokes her chin, and then looks quietly out the window. "It seems as if you and your eldest son were describing the same person, ma'am."

Toriel quickly taps her fingernails on the mahogany, with her head lowering slightly. "I see. I just hope and pray that I don't lose my Asriel again." Her face flushes pale. "I already lost him once, and I cannot bear to lose him again."

Frisk's ear burns as he listens around the corner of the hallway. His brain awakens and a lightbulb goes off. A recent memory enters into his psyche and something clicks. (Yellow and green…wait, I might know something.) Frisk comes bursting forth from the hallway, and points towards the table. "Mom! Officers! I'm sorry to interrupt, but my first day of school was today. And, I thought I saw a tall, skinny kid wearing a green and yellow striped shirt just like Asriel! I think he might have had bangs, too…maybe."

Toriel's face flashes pale and she holds her hands over her mouth. "My child…is he a new student?"

Frisk strokes his chin, and snaps his fingers. "Yes; I think so! I've only seen them once so far. Asriel hasn't met them yet of course, and thank goodness for that." Frisk's voice lowers. "My first day of 8th grade was a blur, which stinks. I can't say that the jerk who attacked my brother was that very person…they might be."

Harlow leans in slightly closer to Frisk. "Is that all you remember?"

Frisk stands there for a moment silently and thinks. "…Yes. All I remember is that he was pretty tall and thin. His hair may have been covering his eyes, too, which wasn't Chara's hairstyle. He might be stalking us, but I'm not sure yet." He then looks down at the ground slightly. (But if it is him, then we might be closer to catching the attacker than I thought, unless he gets to me…or Azzy, first.)

Sterling nods and stares down confidently at her fellow officer and Toriel. "That settles it: we should analyze the student records."

Harlow gets up from the table and begins to walk towards the door with Sterling. They mutter to themselves. "Based on our interview with Ms. Dreemurr, the profile of our suspect wouldn't match a teacher, either. Not only that, but Asriel never gets into trouble in class and receives straight A's most semesters."

Sterling taps her chin with her wing. "My understanding is that we're searching for an older teenager."

"Correct. And, I doubt he'd still be attending school anymore if he was a student at Ebott Junior High, considering what they did."

"Or at the high school, if his grade level is that high."

As the officers turn around to head out the door, Toriel jumps up from the table and extends an arm to them. "Wait, officers! I haven't received your names yet."

The pair spin around and show off their badges. "I'm Harlow," the owl officer quips.

Sterling shows off her badge and introduces herself next. "And I'm Sergeant Sterling." Sterling then looks at Frisk, and nods happily. "You've given us great information, ambassador of Ebott. There's no need for further interviewing at this time."

Toriel waves at the officers as they head out the door. "It was a pleasure to meet you both. I pray that whoever harmed my son will be tracked down as soon as possible."

Harlow smiles slightly, while keeping his wings in front of him. "We just do our best, Ms. Dreemurr. And, I hope Asriel gets good rest and recovers well from his laceration."

Toriel and Frisk nod at each other as they close the door; the two officers drive away in their police car. As the front door closes, Susie pops out of the bushes and stares at the house with binoculars. After a few seconds of staring, she removes the binoculars, folds her arms, and snorts. "The prince of the Underground is alive and well. Sweet." She strokes her chin and crouches down and smirks. "I can finally meet with him and his brother. Let's pounce."

…

A dark cloud of gray covers the expanse as the time moves backward slowly. The world spins mightily yet eerily for the person laying on the ground. "Stupid human!" A pair of monsters with cat-like features look down at a skinny human child, who is covered in bruises. As he curls up into the fetal position, the two cat monsters kick him in the ribcage and back at the same time. He growls and tries to punch at their legs, but he misses every shot.

The human looks up at the two monsters, who smirk down at him. "What's the matter, cat got your tongue?"

They laugh and the human growls. "You two aren't funny."

The pair shrug and the first kicks him in the stomach, causing him to spit up blood mixed with saliva. The human chokes and grips the ground tightly.

"That's what you get for whining all the time" the first cat monster spats. "You're not special; you're just like us and yet you act like the world is against you. Face it, kid: life is unfair."

The human tries to get up, but stops moving halfway up from the ground. He shoots daggers at the cat monsters again and growls. "We all attend the same orphanage, and yet you treat me like this. Why?"

The second monster smirks down at him and folds his arms. "We just got tired of your whining. You always act more important than everyone else."

The human skyrockets from the ground and hurls himself at the second cat monster. He punches him square in the nose and a loud pop fills the alleyway. As the cat monster backs away, holding his nose, he waves his paw in front of his face and his face twists with panic. "W-w-wait, hold on!" The human lands a second punch, then a third. His fists fly like wind in a storm. With one last punch, he lands a hit under the monster's chin, and the monster flies backward and lands unconscious on the ground, mind going cold and body being beaten down.

The first cat monster gasps, pulls up his sleeve, and charges forward. "YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT!"

The human child readies another punch, but from the light across the way, a muscular purple monster appears, arms folded. She's sporting tattered jeans and a white undershirt, with a black jacket on top. "Why don't you punks pick on someone your own size, huh", she says as her cool demeanor wafts over the alleyway. She shrugs and chuckles. "Would make for a more fair fight."

The cat monster stops moving as he moves to stand beside his friend again. He tilts his head and lowers his tone. "Fair fight…what do you mean?" He stops talking and grimaces. "Oh right, you're Susie. You've always gotta flaunt yourself whenever a fight comes up!"

Susie folds her arms, and her yellow eyes appear again from behind her hair, glowing like a pair of twin suns. "Unless you don't want a fair fight, because I can easily stomp you into the ground. Or eat your face." She shrugs and smirks. "Whatever you prefer." The cat monster gasps, grabs his friend, throws him over his shoulders, and fireman-carries him away from Susie. He dashes into the night screaming; she shakes her head and snorts proudly. "Heh, typical."

Susie turns around. She sees the human holding his ribcage painfully and walks up to him calmly. "Looks like they beat you up pretty bad." The human stares up at her, with red fire emitting from his eyes. Susie grimaces and holds up her hands peacefully. "Hold on, bud. We're friends, right? I get that we just met for real a couple days ago, but we gotta stick together. Let's partner up."

"Why would I want to do that?" the human asks.

"I can tell you're lonely and I'm lonely, too. Why not be lonely together?"

The human teen raises his head and spats at the ground, gritting his teeth. "How can I know that I can trust you?"

Susie smiles, pulling out an axe from behind her. The blade shines in the moonlight and her eyes proudly stare at the weapon. "What kind of woman doesn't have an axe? Me showing off my favorite toy should be proof enough that you can trust me."

The human hangs his head and sighs. "I don't get why you'd be friends with me. And honestly, I don't really like monsters that much."

Susie stares down at the human, frowning. She places her hand on his shoulder and sighs. "Listen, kid. I normally hate quiet people, but ironically, you're the only one I've connected with in the orphanage so far. I don't make friends easily. We gotta stick together to avoid jerks like what you just dealt with. Protect each other, ya know. What do you say?"

The human nods and hunches over more, holding his stomach. Susie nods, lifts him up, and begins to carry him on her back. "C'mon, kid. I'll take you to the nurse's office. He nods, and Susie picks him up. She gently places him over her shoulders. Straight ahead is the orphanage, which is mostly shrouded in fog. Susie lowers her head and looks back at the human child out of the corner of her eye. "That's right…I never forget a face."

The human teen's pupils nonchalantly glance at Susie's snout. He spits towards the ground. When it lands, the saliva mixes with blood. He chuckles, and Susie grits her teeth.

"Hey kid, why are you laughing? You're beat up."

"I'm just surprised that you wanted to help me out, since I'm creepy and all."

"Who said you were creepy? Aside from you."

"Don't you know? Everyone else at the orphanage acts like I have the plague."

Susie chuckles and her eyes gleam. "Dude, I've felt the same way. All I need to do is get within 10 feet of one of them, and they run away screaming."

"To be fair, you are known for beating up kids who look at you funny."

"Hey! Only if they deserve it. Besides, the most recent kid I beat up was gossiping about you behind your back. Someone had to stand up for you, right?"

He says nothing. A minute passes before another word is spoken, from Susie. "Um, hello? Earth to fellow outcast?"

"Oh…sorry, Susie," he says. "Thanks…I've never really had someone stand up for me before."

Susie snorts softly. She then smiles slightly. "I gave you a chance, and you don't seem half-bad."

"First time I've heard a compliment in a while." The moon continues to rise as the human's smile fades into a frown again. "There is still one thing on my mind, though."

"Shoot."

"I can trust you, right? Like…you'll listen to me and support me and agree with me when I need you, right?"

"Uh, sure…why do you ask?"

The human child bites his lip. "Friends trust each other, right?"

"Uh, yeah. That's obvious, though." Susie shakes her head. "I can tell that you're not used to making friends."

"Listen: if I ever learn the exact reason why I lost my parents, promise me that you'll be on my side. Oh, and that you won't betray me."

A howling wind blows through the street. "Uh, what", Susie asks.

The new friend's voice sparks. "PROMISE ME!"

"Relax, geez…yes, I promise."

"Thanks, Susie. That's all I wanted."

Susie nods as the human looks towards his side. He begins to whisper darkly to himself as his face contorts and he bites his lip harshly. A small trickle of blood erupts from his bottom lip.