small pieces of a couple things chapter 38
After a snack break in the middle of the gloomy woods, surrounded by the sound of croaking frogs and an overflowing brook, the monsters were revitalized— with the exception of Sans, though at least he was conscious. It was a long way, still, but Undyne was strong enough to ferry the humans part of the way.
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It took a couple hours trekking in the cold rain to reach the foot of the mountain. The monsters were surprised to find the lift was back where they had been missing it. It was different, though— wood-carved and rimmed with blue border rather than a more high-tech, metal platform that was originally there. There was also an unusual sign posted beside it, with what was clearly a very proud Papyrus drawn on it, promising to "LIFT YOU UP WHERE YOU BELONG." It was powered by blue magic and, on the path leading up to the plateau near the top of the mountain where it stopped, a similar sign was posted, vowing to "PUT YOU IN THE DIRT". Both of these signs were scrawled with Papyrus's handwriting, though he swore up and down that he had not made them.
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The opening on the plateau was framed with colourful, festive lights, whimsically glittering through the raindrops. Exhausted and soaked to the bone, the group lugged themselves into the passage and down the slick stairs.
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The first sign of light was the petals of golden flowers, glimmering like a shock of sunlight in the dark. Seizing her father's hand, Ellie scampered ahead, dragging him down with her into the garden throne room. June rushed after them and stalled as soon as she stepped into the flowers. Her eyes were wide and glossy, and she had a tremor in her fingers.
"Daddy, look at the flowers!" Ellie said. "Inside and everything! Do you still like flowers?"
"…Yeah. I do," he said.
"Can we pick some?"
"Guess we should ask the monster King about that, I think this is his place," he said.
"Eh, go ahead, he won't mind if you take a couple," Undyne said.
Ellie lit right up and, shooting a smile at her father, she carefully walked into the flower patch and knelt down.
"You sure?" Boyd asked.
Undyne shrugged, then nodded her head towards the other side of the chamber. "He's a nice guy. Goin' back to his place, this way."
"We get to meet him?!" Ellie squeaked.
"Of course, darling!" Mettaton said brightly. "We can go in, right? Because I should prrooobably get this baby back to the lab." He thumped on the top of his stolen computer.
Undyne rolled her eye so hard one could all but hear it. "Yeah. Yeah, fine, let's go."
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As the robot bounced ahead cheerfully and Undyne trudged after him, Ellie straightened up with a small fistful of flowers. She scampered to keep up with the big monsters, waving for the others to follow her. June paused to give Boyd's arm a squeeze before following. Only the skeleton brothers hung back. Sans had been unusually quiet for a while as he trudged along and, naturally, his extremely perceptive brother had taken note. Before he could ask, Sans shook off headache-induced lethargy and held up a hand to pause him. He approached the human, catching him right before his feet left the grass.
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"Hey, uh, hang on a second," Sans said quietly. "Sorry. Got a question."
"Uh. Sure, what is it?"
Sans eyed him up and down. "Got a gun on you?"
Boyd blinked. He lifted his sodden sweatshirt to reveal a pistol safely strapped to his side. "Yeah, how'd you know?"
Sans held out his hand. "S'okay if I keep it while you're here?"
"Can I get an answer first?" He unfastened it regardless.
The skeleton lowered his voice. "My sis saw it in, uh, a vision. Saw you dustin' a couple of us."
"What?! Who?! Why?" he asked.
Sans nodded his head towards Papyrus, who was watching them, puzzled, from afar.
"Him?" Boyd looked incredulous. "He's harmless."
"Figure you didn't know that," Sans said. "Seemed to be a misunderstandin'."
"Oh… Oh! That's why the Prince kept insistin' I stay behind," he said quietly. "And why she was… Damn, no wonder. I just… I can't imagine…"
"Maybe if you mistook her for your kid," Sans said. He winced as, for the umpteenth time that day, fragments of time shifted before his eyes, "And maybe if you, uh, saw a monster grabbin' her or—"
"Kinda horrific, mate." He grimaced but turned the gun over, grip first.
Sans carefully accepted it; had no intention of telling him just about any object would be just as deadly. He knew just having a weapon could be emboldening. "Glad you think so." He stored it away in his phone. "You'll get it back."
"Honestly. It's not that important," he said. He perked up to the sound of his daughter's voice calling to him from down the hall and readjusted his shirt. "But you'd owe me a couple hundred bucks."
"Fair."
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Boyd left to join his daughter and Sans had to take a breather. He looked at the weapon registered in his dimension box. Maybe he'd just chuck it into the CORE and pay the guy some gold for it. He rubbed his head and his eyes flitted around the room. Something looked a little off, now that he thought about it. Papyrus slid up beside him, giving him a curious look.
"What was that about?"
"Just double-checkin' somethin', don't worry about it," he said.
"Shouldn't we go in? What's wrong?" Papyrus asked quietly. "I mean, aside from the obvious."
"Hm? Ah. Not a big deal." He pointed to the sheet that shrouded a throne that used to belong to Toriel: it was dotted with embroidered flowers. "Sorry. Just thought that was white before."
Papyrus followed his gaze. "Ah! You know. I think you might be right. Good thing you have a surprisingly sharp memory for detail, hm?"
"Kinda have to," he said with a tired smile. He slowly began to follow after the others and Papyrus gingerly met his pace. "Been noticin' a small pattern, at least."
"Oh?! That's good! What kind?" Papyrus asked.
"If somethin' shifts nearby, that's usually when I start to space," he said.
"Nyeh. Frustrating. I'll have to keep an eye out for that and you at once." Nonetheless, the tall skeleton winked. "I'm sure it won't be a problem, brother. Just let me know, if you can."
"Thanks, Paps."
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Sans was glad to be home. Now, at least, if he started to wander, he knew he'd probably drop himself off in Waterfall again or something, instead of blindly ambling into the unknown (and possibly down a car-filled road).
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"I have to say, aside from that end bit of trouble, that went pretty well," Papyrus said.
"For doin' non-stopped crimes, yeah, guess so," Sans said with a grin.
Papyrus scoffed. "Well. I mean. We had to, didn't we?" He smiled sheepishly. "And. That magic book. That was really something else, right?"
"Dug that boost, huh?" Sans teased.
"Well I've never made something fly like that before! Brother, when things get back to normal, if I forget— which I am going to try very hard NOT to— remind me that's a thing we could do, alright?"
He smiled fondly. "Sure."
"Dad's going to be really happy, I bet," he continued.
"Yeah."
"I can't wait to re-meet our siblings," Papyrus said. "We'll, um… We'll go back though, right? Our sister can do that? Back to when I remember, I mean." He rubbed the back of his hand. "I don't want them to be upset that their cool tall brother Papyrus sort of… forgot. You know?"
"Don't worry 'bout it, Paps," Sans assured him.
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When they got to Asgore's place, the first thing they saw was Mettaton draped dramatically along the railing near the stairs. The King wasn't there, but Alphys was, puffing a little as if she'd run from the lab, even as she was stumblingly but jovially greeting the humans. She had one of the small flowers from the garden tucked between the spikes on her head. There was a bemused smile on June's face as she nodded along and, though Boyd had his hand on his daughter's shoulder protectively, the kid was absolutely aglow. Undyne had her arms folded as she supported the wall.
"So! Um!" Alphys clapped her hands together and leaned around the humans to look at the skeletons that had just come up the stairs from the paths below. "Are, um…? Are they… staying?"
"Yeah," Sans said.
"We are?!" Ellie asked excitedly.
"Ah! Okay! Th-Then, um, there's some ground rules, uh…" Alphys began to sweat. "Oh, god, I'm n-not even sure if I'm the right one t-to, um…"
"Why not, darling? You've already started," Mettaton said.
"Okay, umm…! So! D-Don't, um… Don't tell anyone you're humans, f-for one thing. Um. And if someone battles you—"
"Battles us?!" Boyd repeated worriedly.
"Ah!" Alphys put her hands up. "It's r-really no big deal, j-just stall for a little a-and… And… Oh, maybe if you stay with A-Asgore that won't be a problem, umm…"
"First." Sans stuck a finger into the air. "Towels."
"Oh… That'd be nice," June said quietly.
"New clothes, probably," Sans continued. "Humans actually get sick from bein' wet and cold."
"You do?! Crap," Undyne said.
"I'll find some towels at least," Papyrus volunteered. He bounded off down the hall.
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"Wait, so we're just raidin' the King's house for towels, now?" Boyd asked.
"All our houses are too far," Mettaton said.
"Is that even legal?!"
"I-It's fine. It's fine." Alphys slid over to Sans and grabbed his shoulders. "H-How are you?" she asked in a hushed voice.
Sans shrugged.
She nodded. "Can w-we talk?"
He caught Undyne's eye lingering on them. He beckoned her over and tilted his head towards the door. "Yeah."
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They gathered outside the house and a little farther into the cavern. Alphys was wringing her hands anxiously.
"S-So did you find it?" she asked.
"Yup." Sans pulled the book out of his bag and offered it to her as her eyes bugged out. "Got a bunch of other junk, too."
"Yeah?! What else?!" Undyne asked.
"More books, mostly."
"O-Oh my g-god." Alphys gently took the tome from him and opened it up. "…Look at that."
"Used it, too," he said. "Cap cast two spells."
"WHAT?!" Alphys looked up at her with glittering eyes. She grabbed one of her hands tightly. "Wh-What was it like?! How do you feel?!"
"Uh. Fine, I guess. We picked, like, the only easy ones."
"The e-easy ones from a b-book of Dirges, though!" Alphys insisted, grinning. "Which m-means they must b-be, um, pretty advanced! And that w-was your first time?"
"Yeah."
"Y-You're amazing!" The little lizard's cheeks flushed bright and she pulled back shyly.
Undyne grinned a little despite herself.
"There was a lot. You should tell 'er," Sans said.
"Would you?" Alphys asked.
"Uhh…" Undyne smiled sideways. "Sure?"
"Oh, excellent! Th-Thank you!" She looked around quickly. "Um… I guess we could go back in?"
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The humans and Mettaton were bundled in King-sized towels, now. Mettaton was warming Ellie's head with a built-in hair drying hand attachment. He'd rarely made use of it, but smiled at Alphys as if to say he'd told her so when she walked into the dining room where they were gathered. The fireplace was smouldering and Papyrus fanned it with an old calendar. The flame puffed and sparkled faintly.
"Alright. We're doing a debriefing," Undyne announced. "Paps, you took photos, right?"
"Ah! I absolutely did!" He straightened up and gently placed the calendar back where he'd found it. He also took a moment with his phone to pull out a new shirt and hoodie for Sans. "I'll call mom. Change before you make the King's stuff all damp with your soggy self."
Wasn't a bad idea. Sans gratefully accepted the clothes and plopped in the big chair to switch out for the dryer tops as the three monsters headed away towards Asgore's room. The sweatshirt was a black one with faded, cartoon rib patterns on it, with the little blue spot his sister had added. Of course it would be. He sighed quietly and pulled the shrouding scarfs out of his ribcage.
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"Sans? Are you alright?" June asked.
"Hm? Oh. Yeah. Sure," he said as he pulled the new, white t-shirt on. "Why?"
"Well, you fainted twice today," she said. "I'm not sure if it's similar for monsters or not, but if that was one of us, I'd suggest you should go to the doctor right away."
"Ah." He smiled tiredly. "Extenuatin' circumstances. Don't sweat it."
"I'd go so far as to say unconscious is his default state," Mettaton teased. He looked at Ellie and tilted his head. "How's that, sweetpea?"
"A lot better!" she said brightly.
"Okay, who's next?"
Boyd pointed at June. He was starting to look uncomfortably flushed.
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The sound of the door opening stalled them.
"Alphys? Undyne?" Asgore's voice echoed down the hall. "Boys?" The huge monster, dressed casually in a cozy knit sweater, rounded the corner and froze up, his eyes darting over the humans.
June's jaw dropped. She looked like she might cry. Ellie squealed and she grabbed her father's hand, jumping up and down.
"It's the big King! He's real!" she squeaked.
Asgore caught Sans in the corner of his eye as the short skeleton lazily waved. Mettaton turned his hair-drying appendage off and it flipped back inside to replace itself with his normal hand.
"Hello, your Majesty! You would not believe the day we've been having."
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Asgore chuckled. His surprise tempered and he smiled at the humans. "Visitors. Howdy! Unexpected, but welcome." He tilted his head. "I… feel like we may have met, is that right?"
Though June nodded stiffly, Boyd cracked a tired smile.
"Yeah. I mean. Your Highness." He dipped his head. "The girl I talked to at your place gave me a lead on how to find my daughter." He patted Ellie gently on the head. "This is Ellie. Oh. Uh. And I'm Boyd. Dunleavy. In case, y'know, all this memory stuff is kinda getting it lost."
Asgore smiled. "I understand." He put a hand to his chest. "I am Asgore." He knelt down. "And howdy to you, little one. I don't believe we've met."
The kid was jittery with excitement. She looked up at her dad and he nodded. She scampered to meet the massive monster and cautiously grabbed his finger with both of her hands.
"I-I read a-about you in my book!" she said shrilly. She offered him the flowers from his own garden.
"Oh, did you now?" Asgore chuckled and graciously accepted the blooms. "I would love to hear about it."
"Really?!"
He nodded and gently patted her tiny shoulder. "Oh my, you're a bit damp, little one." He looked around. "The rest of you, too! Goodness."
"World's basically floodin' out there," Sans said.
"Hm." Asgore stroked his beard. "Well. Guests. Would you like to accompany me down to the city? I'm sure we could find something to fit you. I'd offer you something of mine, but it might fit more like a blanket with sleeves than… Well. You know."
"Hope you don't get sick of doin' this for us," Boyd said with an unintended sniffle.
"Anything I can do to help," the King said. "But, um. Sans. The others—"
"There." He pointed down the bedroom hallway.
"Ah! Alright. I'll talk with them later. Did you manage to find what you were looking for?"
"And then some," Sans said.
Asgore's face lit up, his eyes shimmering. He grinned brightly. "I'm so glad, son." He straightened up and then beckoned to the humans. "If you are willing, please, follow me, we'll find you something dry."
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"Um! Your Highness?" June asked, her voice shrill.
"Yes, little one?" he asked.
"Do…?" She gulped. "Do you remember me?"
Asgore smiled gently. "Of course. You're June. The human's Ambassador. Am I right?"
"Y-Yes." She breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you for the help."
He nodded and held out a paw. "It's good to see you again, despite these strange circumstances. Come. And stay close, friends. You can tell me all about what lead you back to our mountain."
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Mettaton waved jovially to them as they left, and then turned to the groggy skeleton, putting his hands on his hips. "You're unusually quiet."
Sans shrugged.
"Well. You must feel a little better, right?" he said. "Having that book, I mean." He raised his brows. "You're really doing all this for some mysterious kids, hm? I hope it's worth it. I mean, it was worth it for me."
Sans laughed. "So what's on that computer that you're so into?"
"Exactly what I said! Movies. Hundreds. A huuuuge database. I mean, I got some off their internets while we were out," he said as he patted the top of the desktop's tower, "but this baby fits so many films in there, too! I couldn't pass it up." He winked. "Plluuussss, imagine what Alphie can reverse-engineer from this!"
"Told you time was gonna be undone, right?" he said tiredly.
"So?"
"So you ain't gonna have any of that."
"What? Not even if I backed it up?!" Mettaton's eyes went wide. "Come on, now, that's crazy."
Sans sighed quietly and laughed, tapping on the side of his skull. "Is there some part of this day will not have happened that's not computin' in there?"
"Other than that it sounds insane, no."
Sans shrugged. "Welp. Warned ya."
"Ugh, what about your father, isn't he some superpowered smartypants? Couldn't he figure something out for me?"
Sans shrugged. Mettaton rolled his eyes.
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The sudden bang of the front door slamming open made the metallic monster jump, though Sans didn't move.
"Boys? Undyne?" Toriel called. She found them before they answered and hurriedly moved to swoop Sans up into her arms. She squished her cheek against his head and blew out a heavy sigh. "Thank goodness you're back."
"Hey, Tori," Sans croaked.
"Greetings, your Highness, you're looking beautiful today," Mettaton said.
"What did you do?" she asked him with a suspicious glare.
"What?! Nothing!" he said, putting his hands up quickly.
"Aside from sneaking away from the mountain without telling anyone like a fool with a death-wish, I mean."
Mettaton smiled sideways and took a very exaggerated step backwards. "I seeee you're probably going to be very busy, my liege so…" His arms extended for his stolen treasure and he plucked it away as he edged away. "…I will take my leeeeave! Toodles!" He was gone from sight and his high heels clacked away very, very quickly— right out the door.
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Sans snorted out a tired laugh and the huge monster holding him wilted and plopped down in the seat he'd been in. She sat him on her leg, rubbed her hands together, and then held either side of his skull, summoning a powerful, yet gentle, healing magic.
"Guess Paps told you what happened, huh?" he asked as her violet energy began to set the dark of his eye sockets shimmering faintly with purple. The chunks of alternate time that danced before him started to fade out.
"Yes. He did."
"Alph said you did a circle."
"Ah! Yes. That's also true." She cracked a smile. "It was strangely cathartic. So, the NOCTURNE is complete and ready to go, once the other elements are in place. I heard your trip was a success."
"Got some good stuff. Got the book. Alph has it," he said.
"I'm so glad," she said. "How was Undyne? I know her eye was bothering her."
"Not bad. Did a pretty, uh, bang up job." She wouldn't get the joke, but he liked it anyway. "But, uh…" His mind rolled over to their dreams of the goat kid, and he tried not to wince. "Oh. We had to detour to rescue a kidnapped, uh, kid."
"Papyrus mentioned that, too," she said. "I'm happy you could help. But… Sans. Honey." She held his face in one large paw. "Pace yourself. I can't believe I have to say that. But still."
He smiled tiredly and grabbed her hand. "I know."
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Toriel looked at him fondly, but there was still worry in the furrow of her brow. She pulled him into her arms again and drooped. To be honest, he was kind of grateful.
"Worried you, huh?" he said.
"Among other things." She laughed quietly. "Ah. I'll be alright. But, things here have been… odd." She gently set him on the arm of the chair. "We'll discuss it when your father gets here. I… do need to tell you one important thing though." She winced. "You will not like it."
"Wuh-oh. What?"
"Grillby's is gone."
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The simple phrase was like a kick to the chest.
"Oh. Shit. What happened?" Sans asked.
"Time changed," Toriel said. "It's Flambé's, now."
"Flam…?" He frowned and a chill rattled him. "Is he alive?"
"Yes, he's in New Home with his daughter, thankfully," she said. "Though we haven't had the chance to speak with him. And I'm not exactly sure what happened."
Sans blew out a sigh of relief and he nodded. "Welp. Is it good, at least?"
"It's… different," she said.
"Great," he grumbled.
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Toriel cooed and gently patted his head. "It will be alright, my child." The base of her ears perked up and she got to her feet in time to meet Papyrus as he returned to the room.
The skeleton was taken aback, but instantly broke into a grin and accepted a big, warm hug. "Mom! Hello! I'm so glad to see you!"
"Welcome back, sweetie." She cupped his face. "How are you?"
"Fantastic as always! Happy to be home. But the human world was so interesting!" He patted his hands onto his jacket. "Most of us got some new human clothes! And we even saw a small museum about before the war. Sans, did you show her the things you took? Also, show me the things you took."
"Oh, ah… Sure."
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He had to delve into the pockets of his soggy hoodie for his phone, but once he had it, he pulled a couple books and the little dog sculpture.
"Oh, adorable," Toriel said as she gently plucked it from him. She took a seat on the chair again and turned it over in her hands. Her thumb brushed over the small sun symbol on the dog's back. "If you so choose, give this to the dogs in town, I think they'd appreciate it."
"I'll do it, they jump me all the time for some bizarre reason," Papyrus said, accepting it from her and tucking it away in his phone. "Sometimes in our own house. As you may have seen."
Toriel smiled. "They like you. In the olden days, dogs were fairly uncommon. It was thought to be good luck to be approached by one."
"Really?" Papyrus said, his brows shooting up. He cupped his chin. "Well. I do have fantastic luck. So that might make sense."
"Dogs and skeletons have an interesting history together. Long before we were trapped below ground, many groups of us were actually quite spread out. It was skeletons that introduced dogs properly to the rest of us."
"Ooooh," Papyrus said. He turned as Undyne and Alphys rejoined them. "I've just learned that apparently it's good luck for dogs to climb you and chew on your bones."
"Oh yeah? Nice," Undyne said. "Are we checkin' out the haul?"
"We sure are!" Papyrus said.
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Undyne dragged chairs over from the dining table and Toriel moved on to the small book with the star, moon, and sun symbols on the cover. Her eyes lit up.
"You didn't…" She flipped it open and broke into a smile. "Oh, goodness, would you look at this."
"You recognize it," Sans said.
"It's a Celestial compendium," she said.
This drew a blank from all the other monsters.
"Celestial…?" Alphys's brow furrowed for a moment before her eyes grew wide and she grasped her own hands tight. "W-Wait, I've heard of th-that, I think? It was an old magic classification system, right? It's a l-little outdated. It hasn't been taught in a-ages."
Toriel chuckled. "No, I suppose there would be no need. You all know, don't you? That our magic's strength grows in the natural light of the sun. Without it, we were always at an additional disadvantage if a violent human so happened to come down here."
"They knew. Time might be a bit, uh…" Sans tapped the side of his head.
"Well. While we wait for Gaster. Would you be willing to hear a little magic lesson?" Toriel asked. "It may also double as a history lesson. I can fill in some gaps: I was there, after all."
"I would love that!" Papyrus said brightly.
"Yes, please," Alphys said eagerly.
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Toriel turned a few pages of the book, a fond smile growing on her face. "Our mythology always spun around the sun, moon, and stars. Much more so on the surface. The sun is the source of magic. So, too, are stars, and the moon is a reservoir of it, or so the stories go. So, the Celestial classification reflects that." She put her hand to her chest. "A Sun soul is swift and powerful, and draws magic most effectively from the sun, as per its name. A Moon soul is weaker overall, but sustains longer and can draw from moonlight. They are stronger in darkness. A Star soul is rare and very powerful, drawing from starlight and sunlight together."
"Wait, so our magic really comes from the sun?!" Undyne barked.
"All magic does." Toriel's expression dimmed. "Which is why our banishment was so cruel. It was intended to be a slow death of starvation. I suppose, for many, it was."
"Why didn't we know this?!"
"So much was lost…" Toriel shook her head. "Our scholars, our composers; most of those with any sort of mastery did not make it through. And then, many who knew the sun and then went without simply gave up." She grimaced. "Marks meant nothing underground, and there was nothing anyone could do. It was thanks to Gaster discovering that the centre of the planet also held that magic we needed, and being able to draw it up to us, that kept our race alive. His work— and that of Graetsif in Snowdin and Whorl in Waterfall, along with a few others— was really what saved us, especially in those early years."
"Who?" Papyrus asked blankly.
"Graetsif is the biggest icewolf; lives in the valley," Sans said. "Oh. Guess she does the snow, huh? That makes sense."
"And Whorl does the floods," Undyne said. "Lives at the bottom of that black lake. Huge dragonfish guy. Totally ripped."
"There were those who did similar tasks in Home and Hotland, and even New Home, at one time," Toriel said. "Sadly, they… did not make it."
"Aw," Papyrus said quietly.
"Wait, o-one second, sorry, can we, um, go back a minute? You said marks, didn't you?" Alphys asked. "What d-does that mean?"
"Oh! I'm sorry, Alphys— of course, those never appear anymore," Toriel said. "When one is fully at mastery of a type of magic, a large burst of power may cause a Celestial mark to appear somewhere on the body." She rolled up the sleeve on her right arm and rested her hand on her shoulder. "Mine used to be here. Perhaps with more light, it'll show itself again." She laughed. "Or perhaps I've gotten slow in my old age and it's gone for good now."
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"So, this book is…" Papyrus gently took it from her. "It's all about this? Oh! And about some knights?!"
"Ah. Yes. Back before the mountain, there were once two orders of knights under the royal family. Of course, sorting things was very popular, so there was an Order of Sol and an Order of Lune, which—"
"Sol and soul. Ah. I get it," Sans said thoughtfully.
"What? O-Oh! Hey, I like that," Alphys said.
Toriel chuckled. "It was needlessly political." She turned a page for Papyrus, where the next one displayed sketches of armoured monsters in fancy regalia, emblazoned with the same symbols from the cover of the book. "Anyway! The separation of the two was counterproductive due to the natural traits of our souls complimenting each other. It was the source of many foolish arguments, vying to get the favour of the King, which was such nonsense since we all worked for him anyway. The Orders joined into the Celestial Knights under Asgore's father, which was much better. Though. I must say, I'm biased."
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Papyrus peeked ahead in the book. There was a full page drawing of an elegant, goat monster knight, carrying a large sword with a winged guard and a shield patterned with a crescent moon.
"Hey, this knight looks a lot like you!" Papyrus said.
Toriel took one look at it and she laughed brightly. "That's because it is me, hun," she said. "At least they got my good side, hm?"
"What?! You were a cool heroic knight?!" he yelped.
"Wait, and you had the same job I did? You?!" Undyne barked. "But you're so soft and a big mom!"
Toriel smiled warmly. "It was a long time ago. And, really, I was more of a peacekeeper."
"With a giant sword!" the skeleton said excitedly, pointing at the picture. "Oooh, do you still have it?!"
"No, it shattered a thousand years ago," she said.
"Aw."
"The shield saw a lot more use," she said. "…I was going to give it to my daughter, Chara, one day. It may still be here, somewhere, but it's been a few hundred years."
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Sans leaned forward to look closer. Her old sword looked a little familiar— kind of like one he saw dyed with rainbow light and trying to cut his sister in half. "Interestin'," he said quietly.
"S-So, wait, you were A-Asgore's top Celestial Knight and th-then you… You got married and…?" Alphys blushed. "That's so r-romantic. Did you ever have to rescue him from any towers?!"
"I had to rescue him from everything," she said with a sigh. "He and Gaster got in over their horns more times than I can count."
"Are you talking about the Tower of Airtal?" Gaster had slipped in silently, somehow, and wore a bashful smile on his face. "Because that was an unmitigated mess."
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"Dad!" Papyrus bounced up to give Gaster a hug as Sans tiredly raised a hand to greet the old skeleton. "You would not believe the two days we've had!"
"I'm glad you're back home," he said. "Did you—?"
"They did!" Alphys said brightly, offering the book.
Gaster's eyes glimmered and he eagerly took it from her. He flipped through the pages quickly and let out a deep sigh of relief. "There aren't words strong enough to express my gratitude." He looked around curiously. "Ah… Where are the humans? I owe them some thanks, I'm sure."
"With Asgore," Sans said.
"We got caught in the rain. Repeatedly. And had to walk to the mountain. The surface really does a lot of rain, apparently," Papyrus said.
Gaster nodded. His eye caught on the open book and the sketch of Toriel. "Wait, that couldn't be…?"
"Seems like there was a few books from the castle's library, old friend," she said. "I was just giving an impromptu lesson on Celestial classifications. Who knows, now that we'll be living above ground again, it may be relevant for the first time in a thousand or so years."
"That would be something," he said.
Papyrus smiled brightly and patted his mother on the shoulder. "And maybe you'll get your m—!"
"WHOA WHOA WHOA HOLY CRAP, WHAT?!" Undyne exclaimed loudly, leaping from her seat.
"Nyeehh! What?!" Papyrus yelped, drawing back with alarm.
"What's wrong?" Toriel asked swiftly.
Undyne took a deep breath and beckoned everyone close, only to seize Papyrus's hand tightly and shove it against Toriel's exposed upper arm fur. Under his fingers, a silvery crescent formed, only to vanish completely again when she pulled him away.
.
"…Huh," Sans said blankly.
"Wait, I… I don't understand," Toriel said, wide-eyed.
"Me neither!" Papyrus stared at his hands. "Did I… do something?" He took Undyne and held her hand into Toriel' fur, but nothing changed. "…I did do something?!"
"You gotta have, right?!" Undyne said.
"Th-That's amazing," Alphys said quietly.
"Welp. Guess we know who's a Sun soul, huh?" Sans said with a wink.
"What, you think so?!" Papyrus said.
"Of course you are, but that is not supposed to happen regardless of what kind…" Toriel ran her fingers through her fur. "That… doesn't make sense." She looked at Gaster. "Well?"
.
He was at a loss. He'd also lost his voice. He shrugged and rubbed the back of his skull, before coughing a distorted, gravelly sound into his fist.
"O-Oh! I have some, uh…" Alphys pulled some small cakes from her phone and handed them over.
He nodded his thanks and chucked one in his mouth. "It, uh…" He coughed again. "It does not make sense at all, actually."
"Sure it does," Sans said, drawing nine skeptical eyes. "Hey, he's your sun, right? Definitely the light of my life."
Everyone groaned, even though Papyrus was blushing now.
"That was the worst," Undyne chided.
"I… kind of didn't mind it though," Papyrus said under his breath. He jabbed his elbow into his brother's side. "But! You are a very unacceptably cheesy dork."
Sans shrugged, though he was grinning rather smugly. "Welp. I'm fully comfortable with that. But, uh, think we can focus on sheddin' light on this a little later? We got a lot of catching up to do."
"Ah. Yes." Toriel pulled her sleeve down and looked at Gaster much more seriously. "We have to tell them about the boy."
"What boy?" Undyne asked with a frown.
Gaster's phantom hands pulled him up a chair. He sat and crossed his arms. "We had an… unexpected guest."
xXxXx
Asgore and the humans (in new, dry clothing) returned a little while after Gaster and Toriel had already finished explaining the mysterious, grey shadow of the goat child that had appeared before them. Though the story drew mild confusion and concern from the others, Sans was particularly perturbed and felt sick from the news. He hardly paid attention as Papyrus and Undyne told their side of their time apart.
.
Why had the goat boy come through? Why had he been alone? What had caused him to forget himself, even if it had only been for a short time? And what had he been trying to keep away from them?
.
He was only snapped from his thoughts when Asgore clamped his giant paw onto his shoulder and offered him a tea. He chugged it. Nothing helped.
.
Once all the stories were done and introductions had been made, Sans passed off into a troubled sleep right on the floor. Toriel was happy to scoop him up and hold him steady. He clearly needed it.
.
It was late afternoon by now, so Papyrus and Alphys piled into the kitchen to help Asgore cook. The humans would probably be staying for a while, and the King refused to be a poor host. The spell casting was catching up to Undyne; she napped on her back in front of the fireplace, where Sans had been before her. She didn't look very happy, though. Her soul's energy was bristling uncomfortably every once in a while. Boyd wandered through the house as if in a daze, but his daughter was much more accepting of the chaos around her. She didn't know how to cook, but she did know how to taste-test, and there was plenty of room to sit up on the counter.
.
Gaster took the dining table in the meanwhile, spread out with a mug of steamy tea, a notepad, and the book of Dirges, reading each meticulously composed spell with careful, analytical eyes. He knew he'd seen something while looking at it with his daughter. Just the thought sent his soul roiling and he had to take another of Alphys's curative cakes. He was sick with worry. Seeing the boy was such a relief, but the fact that he'd been grey— even if for just a short while— was very disturbing. The fact that he'd been without his sister worried him to no end. He missed them both dearly.
.
A cold weight settled in his ribcage when he shot a quick glance at his unconscious son. He couldn't help but want an eye on him, too, and so sent a phantom hand to lurk near Toriel. This whole thing brought back some harsh memories— ones of Sans's first night alive. The boy's determination had climbed so high, out of control and beyond any rational number, that Gaster was sure he wouldn't survive. He remembered sitting up all night, shattered over a child he hadn't expected, never daring to imagine he would see morning. And yet, Sans had endured. The first skeleton born in centuries.
.
The heartbreak was heavy in his soul and he sighed softly to himself, glad that his glasses hadn't misted as he quickly wiped a tear from his broken eye socket. He felt the same dread now as he had watching that overwhelming determination skyrocket. The outcome he feared then was coming to fruition. He willed himself to keep it together. Sans had died too many times already. This was unacceptable. And, Gaster was sure his daughter wouldn't forgive him for letting the boys suffer like this.
.
Meanwhile, June sat at the other end of the table, watching the skeleton with nervous curiosity. She had a cup of tea, but had hesitated to try it. Her eyes followed Boyd as he paced the house, until he finally stole away into the kitchen to join the others.
.
Gaster was fixated on the Dirges. He tapped his sharp fingertips against the wood anxiously, mimicking the rhythm of whatever he read.
"Um. Excuse me. Sir," June said.
It took Gaster a moment to realize she was talking to him. He looked up over his glasses at her.
"Gaster," he said.
"Oh! Right. I'm sorry, I—"
"No need to apologize," he assured her. "Technically it's doctor, but there's no need to be so formal, either."
June nodded. "I'm s…" She gulped. "You're… their father, right?" she asked. "You're the father of the missing kids?"
He nodded. "The girl is my daughter. The boy is my nephew."
"R-Right. Right he's…" She rubbed her brows. "A goat, uhh…" Her eyes darted to Toriel. "O-Oh! Oh. I'm… I'm sorry, y—"
"Don't worry yourself, little one," Toriel said, keeping her voice low. "We're all trying to figure this out. And we've all had quite a few unusual or uncomfortable revelations today."
June nodded. She grimaced and folded her arms on the table. "I can't believe we flew the car."
Gaster snorted softly. "That's Papyrus for you." He sounded proud. "He's full of surprises today, hm?"
"Once this is done, we really need to look into that," Toriel said. "…If we remember, that is."
"I will. Most likely." He wrote a quick note anyway.
.
The skeleton went back to reading, and his phantom hands moved around Sans again. June stiffly sipped her tea, watching them curiously. The black, shimmering magic carefully touched on the dozing skeleton's forehead, then gently inspected the new scar on the side of his palm.
"Hm. Hasn't faded at all, has it?" he mused.
"Doesn't look like it, no," Toriel said. Her hand dwarfed his when she gently lifted it. She ran her thumb over his knuckles. "I wouldn't have expected red."
"…Is red unusual?" June asked. "Sorry to interrupt."
"Very," Toriel said. "Especially since his soul doesn't match." She let out a soft coo. "Oh, no, honey…"
His eyes had started to leak in his sleep. She gently propped him up and bumped her snout against his brow.
"Should I wake him?" she asked quietly.
"Let him rest a bit longer," Gaster said. "If something serious happens, Papyrus will know."
She nodded.
..
Gaster went stiff very suddenly. He lifted the book into his arms and stared at it intently. "Transcendent Dreamscape."
"Pardon?" Toriel said.
"For lucid dreaming in long range communication." He couldn't help the excitement in his voice. He leapt up to show her, pointing out the melody of the spell. "This is it."
"Dreaming? You think that'll work?" she asked, eyes brightening.
He nodded. "When I was trapped in the void, the best way to communicate with our girl was through her dreams. I have some mind nodes to boost my reach anyway. With this…!"
"You can get her a message." Toriel let out a quiet, relieved laugh. "How can I help?"
"Well… Are you up for casting again? I don't think I can cast on myself."
She looked over the notes of magic written into an ethereal, hypnotic melody. "This may take more than just me."
Gaster grimaced. He tilted his head towards the kitchen. Toriel sighed.
"You're right, of course." She flinched. "I'll explain it."
"Are you sure? I can—"
"No, no, I have some things I need to discuss with him anyway." She looked down at Sans and gently wiped his cheeks. "After Sans wakes up."
xXxXx
Dinner was an informal array of snacks and the pasta and hodgepodge pie the monsters had made. The humans were staying. That much was decided quickly. Asgore was happy to host them.
.
Sans got up, only because Papyrus roused him to force him to eat something. When asked, he said he couldn't recall his dream and didn't have much to say about it otherwise— at least, if he was to be believed. He didn't look well. The grey around his eye sockets had deepened a shade. Asgore made a whole pot of tea extra, just for him, and Papyrus kept making him drink it.
.
While the others chatted— mostly answering the humans' questions about the rules of the underground— Asgore excused himself to go start preparing a place for his guests to rest. Toriel left to join him in the room where children had once slept. He was tidying up a little, but there wasn't much to do. There were two beds in there, but Chara was still the only child that filled her mind. But she could remember her playing with… Who was it? Toriel sighed quietly and leaned against the door.
.
Asgore turned, eyebrows raised. "Tori? What is it?"
"I need to talk to you about what's happened," she said.
"Of course. Anything," he said, placing his full attention on her.
"First. Gaster's found his spell. He needs us to cast it on him. We're the only ones powerful enough."
"Oh! Of course. Just tell me when," Asgore said swiftly. "That'll be interesting, I haven't cast a new composition in quite a while. What else?"
"Gaster and I each saw a phantom today," she said. "He said he was one of the missing children. Come through from out of time and then gone again." She clenched her hands together. "The boy looked like us."
"He…? He did?" Asgore couldn't conceal an ounce of surprise. Then, his face fell. "…We have a son. Don't we?"
She nodded. "Gaster remembers. Just not the name. He told me… everything he could." She gritted her teeth. "He died with Chara. Then was resurrected by Alphys. And was given a soul through the work of my daughter, and the others here, too. He left our world on purpose, with her."
Asgore nodded stiffly. "I…" He cracked an exhausted smile. "I know."
"What?!" she barked. "You know, what do you—?!"
"I remember much of the boy so clearly," he said with quiet fondness. "I remember him and Chara, in this very room. So long ago. But it feels like yesterday! And I remember he and… another child that I… can't recall properly, but I know they were very close. I think he had grown, somehow. Horns had started to come in, even! I think his eyes were different, but I can't remember how. I… thought I was crazy."
Toriel stared at him incredulously. "Why didn't you say anything?!"
He shrugged slightly. "I… did not want to cause a fuss. It came back just a little earlier."
"…Maybe when he did." Her ears drooped and she grimaced with fang. "…Damn."
"What?" he asked gently.
She chuckled sardonically and smiled with sad eyes. "I'm a little jealous, to be honest."
.
"Tori…" He offered her a hug— when she didn't reject it, he pulled her into his arms. "I'm sorry. I'm sure it'll come back to you. I'm sure he will."
"So am I, it's just… Awful," she grumbled.
He drew back and held her shoulders lightly. "It's going to be alright."
"Asgore," she said, frowning. "If anything like that happens. You have to tell us. Gaster or I, or even Sans, alright? Please."
"There is so much going on." He shook his head. "Honestly, I don't want to distract from—"
"I know. But there's no reason to suffer alone," she insisted. "And Gaster might be able to use anything you remember to help find the children."
Asgore nodded. "Thank you, Tori."
She folded her arms and tilted her head. "You didn't happen to remember his name, did you?"
"Hmm… No." He stroked his beard thoughtfully. "But! It shouldn't be too hard to figure out, should it? You and I are here. What would we have named a son, all those years ago?"
.
Toriel blinked. She clicked her tongue. "Well… To me, there's two options, isn't there?"
"Two exactly," Asgore said with a smile. "And, for me, well, I don't think I'd have wanted gore in the name. That puts an awful lot on a child, sometimes. I would know."
"So, all that leaves is—"
"Asriel." He took her hand. "I think we would have called him Asriel."
Toriel nodded. "Asriel," she agreed.