Night knight, knight night Chapter 44
Her rage and bravado drained, Frisk deflated into a limp, exhausted heap over Zapf's shoulder as they hurried deeper into the woods. She could hardly keep her misty eyes open and everything hurt. She put a hand to her forehead and groaned. "I can't believe I just did that."
Zapf patted her back. His magic was warming through her, trying to heal, though not very successfully. "You did well."
"Kid, that was real brave!" Vera grinned brightly, though her eyes were still glistening a little. She wiped them quickly. "A-Ah, man, not gonna lie though, it was real damn scary. How'd y'get out okay, cuz? Were they gonna capture ya or somethin'?"
"Oh. Not capture. They fully were killing me," he said. "I think they intended to do it one limb at a time until my bones gave out."
"Wh-What?!"
"Bunch of jerks, can't believe it," Frisk grumbled. "I'm glad they threw up, I hope it was gross."
"But wait, I don't…" Vera looked at him suspiciously. "Y'got all your bits, though."
"I did lose an arm for a moment," he said. "Frisk is a good healer."
.
Vera stared at him blankly. She looked up at the pouting kid, who by now had grabbed another universe's hotdog from her phone and was munching it despite the faint tears running down her face.
"Is human magic really that strong?" she asked shrilly.
"No." Frisk sighed. "Or. Maybe." She grabbed her turquoise potion and smeared some on her forehead; the cool it brought woke her up a little. She was sure she'd be feeling this particular outburst for a week no matter what she did. She wiped her cheeks on her knuckles. "Okay. Look. Um. Here's the thing. My… My magic, it's…"
"It works in reverse," Zapf said.
Frisk looked at the skeleton with surprise. He smiled faintly.
"You unlocked the door at the Temple by touching it. You put out a fire the same way, with no smoke at all. For me, you made it as if my injuries had never happened to begin with, right?"
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Frisk cracked an exhausted smile. She rubbed her head. "Seriously, are you psychic?"
He laughed. "I wouldn't call it that."
"Dang. Well. You're right," she said. "My magic, it's all… time. Almost all backwards time stuff. That's my thing. And it's… I guess it's strong. I mean, I know it's strong, but I'm still just learning how to use it." She rubbed her forehead. "Aaaand I never did anything that nuts before with it so if I pass the heck out, I'm really sorry."
"I'm just happy you're not scared of yourself anymore," Zapf said.
"Why would y'be?" Vera asked. "You won, right? Didn't stab anyone. I mean, we got scared, but Zapf's fine, and those jerks had to do that weird human upchuck thing " Vera smiled apologetically. "Sorry, shortie, I don't really get the problem."
"It's just a lot, I guess, I dunno. I m-might freak out again soon," Frisk said. "I had a panic attack before so, um, if I start, like, wheezing, if one of you guys could remind me to breathe and I'm not gonna die, that'd be great."
"Breathe and you will not die," Zapf said.
"Yeah, definitely keep breathing!" Vera said.
Frisk snickered.
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A large thrum of magic in the air—a low, loud pulse— froze them with surprise. Then, Zapf grabbed his cousin's arm and pulled her along.
"Wh-What the heck was that?" Frisk asked.
"The wall," Zapf said.
"Aren't we still pretty far, though?!" Vera asked
Zapf nodded. "Hopefully we'll make it before sunrise."
"Does something happen if we don't?" Frisk asked worriedly.
"No." He smiled sideways. "It just means we haven't been making good time."
"Oh." Her face flushed with embarrassment.
Zapf patted her head reassuringly. "Just rest."
"We'll talk quiet," Vera said. "Or. I will. Zapf already talks quiet."
"And keep the magic down," he said. "There may still be lurkers nearby. We're not out of the woods yet."
Frisk smirked to herself despite a heaviness in her chest as she slumped on her friend's shoulder again. She really missed Sans. She missed her mom. She missed Papyrus's inevitable squawking at the all-too-obvious jokes they would have made.
xXxXx
Blue, star-shaped flowers speckled the woods and soon replaced scrappy vegetation as the forest began to thin. Frisk's little body had finally given out and she let herself lay limp over her friend's shoulder as everything hurt. She closed her eyes and tried to turn her brain off, only to rouse with a start to the wingbeats of birds the group had startled from their morning roosts. Zapf pointed out an unassuming line of stones poking up between the blooms ahead. There was a discarded pair of scorched boots just in front of them.
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A breeze that chimed with magic brushed their ears as soon as they crossed the stones and Zapf gently let Frisk down. Vera blew out a sigh of relief. She took her gloves off and flexed her bare phalanges.
"That was the worst," she said.
"I'm so sorry," Frisk said.
"Sshh, y'goofus." She lit magic in her fingers and rested them against the kid's head. "I've only healed a human, like, once, so I'm probably real rusty, but…"
"It's okay." Frisk held still anyway, even if— like her cousin's— Vera's magic was giving her more of a boost of magical reassurance than any actual healing. "I know about the retuning and stuff."
"Good! Anyway. We should be safe now, right, cuz?"
"I think so." He was still standing tall and alert regardless. "Just a little farther."
.
The tiniest speckle of sunlight warmed the deep blue of the sky. The flowers glittered with dew as the forest gave way to a preened field with a protective wall reaching around it. A tower of stone rose up before them. Frisk felt a chill. Though the skeletons acted as if they'd seen the castle beyond the wall that came up before them a thousand times, the kid was sure she'd seen it just once.
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In the courtyard, two statues stood proud, one of a horse and one of a skeleton knight. The horse, in fact, was matched by the real thing, a big, speckled grey mare that grazed nonchalantly nearby. Frisk's eyes went wide. Vera eagerly ran to the horse and snuggled her snout with a big grin on her face. Zapf let his spear vanish again and leaned back on the wall, taking a deep, relieved breath. Frisk hung back with him for a moment. He caught her eye and cracked a smile.
"Don't worry. It's not my first close call," he said, holding up his hand to show four digits instead of five. "You?"
"O-Oh. No. No, not… Not even," she said. "Those guys hardly even touched me, it's all just…" She sighed and rolled her eyes at herself. "Add another thing on the pile of stuff that's wrong with me."
"I don't know, your reaction feels fairly normal to me," he said.
"Yeah, but it's no good if I want to not die, and I want everyone around me to not die," she said. "I… I gotta get it together."
"You're doing well already," he assured her. "Deep breaths."
.
He stretched and then tiredly crossed the field, giving the dappled horse an affectionate pat on the neck before heading towards a big, wooden door to the small castle. Frisk gulped. She snuck a little closer and clenched her hands together. It almost felt silly.
"Nimbus?" she said under her breath.
The horse's ears perked and flared towards her and she looked towards her with big, dark eyes. She felt faint. Vera turned and grinned, heading towards the kid and waving for the horse to follow. She did, lowering her big, sniffing nose to Frisk's height. Her snout was soft and velvety to the touch, and the kid couldn't help but smile.
"She's great," she said.
"I know, right?" Vera said. "I met her when she was too small t'ride, even! Well. Wouldn'ta been too small for you. But she's a good big ol' pony." She patted the horse with a grin and cooed. "Ain'tcha? Ain'tcha a good pony? Yeah y'are!" She turned and looked at the castle with a glimmer in her eye. "I figure— with the Boss's okay— maybe I'll set up a big stable or somethin'. Get a big beastie myself sometime. Gotta find a human willin' t'sell t'monsters, though. Or go all the way t'Burgstede."
"So do you and Zapf live here?" she asked.
"Part-time," Vera said. "We travel a lot. We have a place a couple tathes from Helfen, but ever since the Duke's Chaos Symphony experiment kinda went ham, we haven't been there so much. Too loud for Zapf. He's a real light sleeper."
Once again, Frisk nodded as if she completely understood all the words Vera had used. The skeleton smiled and patted her on the shoulder.
"Speakin' of, let's get y'inside. Maybe you'll be able t'get a little rest somewhere safe, huh?"
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Though the skeletons went in without hesitation, Frisk felt an uncanny dread as she stood at the threshold where spiral sconces of magic flame had illuminated the path inwards. Maybe this was really it, though. Maybe this was why that grey Sans had sent her here, to these skeletons, at this moment. But, she was sure if somehow she bumped into a tiny Gaster in there, she would collapse.
.
"Boss? Y'here?" Vera called. "Y'awake?"
"I am!" replied a distant, pleasant, female voice with a very similar accent to Gaster's. "I'm just in the library, come in, mo mhuintir."
"Um! Boss," Vera said, edging a little farther in. "We brought someone who needs a bit o' help? She's, uh, a little human kid."
"A human?!" The voice was followed by a sudden clattering and the sound of books falling over. "Bring her in!"
"Don't worry, huh? She won't hurt ya," Vera assured Frisk quietly.
"I know," Frisk said. She wasn't worried about that at all. However, she was pretty sure she knew who this Boss was going to be, and she hoped she wouldn't faint upon seeing her. She already felt a little light-headed.
.
With Vera walking ahead excitedly, they went down the corridor and into a meeting room, laid out with some benches and chairs, and headed by a small, pale stone throne with gems in the arms at the far end. Vera continued onwards, but Frisk hesitated. This whole thing was crazy, wasn't it? Zapf put a gentle hand on her shoulder.
"Vera's right," he said. "She won't hurt you."
Frisk nodded. The skeleton's spiny brow furrowed.
"Then what's this worry?" he wondered. His cheekbones flushed with pink. "Ah. I'm sorry, I don't mean to pry. I'm just—"
"Also worried. I know," she said with a smile. "S'okay. I'm fine. Just nerves."
"…You are not a very good liar," he joked.
"It's not fair, you're like a psychic guy," she said with a laugh. "Sorry. I'll let you know if I'm right, promise."
"That's fair," he said. He beckoned her down the hallway. "Come." He paused for one more moment. "Oh. Um. Just, be aware, she is very touchy. I mean, physically. So you are not startled."
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The room at the end of the next hallway was a large library, floor coated in hand-woven carpets. There were cushioned chairs scattered around rather haphazardly and a large, wooden table covered with stacks of books and papers, as well as quills sticking out of inkwells of many colours.
.
The Boss was right there, brushing off her tunic— white with blue and gold hems, decorated with elaborate spiral patterns. She was a skeleton— tall and graceful looking, with a slender build and strong, pretty features, though there was something a little bat-like about her face. She was almost as tall as Undyne— which was a little taller than Zapf— and had a pair of lyre-shaped horns on her head that made her seem even larger. The spots where her horns began extended forward over the top of her skull in very faint, smooth ridges, converging in a shallow, V-shaped groove with its point in the middle of her forehead. She had bright white pupils shining in her pitch eye sockets, and distinctly pointed eyeteeth. Frisk recognized her— had seen her through her father's eyes. Her mouth went dry.
.
The skeleton smiled brightly, visibly trying to contain her excitement. "Anam ó mo chnámha, a tiny human?!"
Frisk smiled bashfully. Vera held her around the shoulders reassuringly.
"Um. H-Hi there," Frisk stammered.
"Boss! This little kid is called Frisk. See it, right?" Vera asked.
"Ooh!" The tall skeleton beamed. "My goodness. That's a pleasant surprise!" She knelt and offered Frisk her hand. Her fingers were long and thin, each one tipped with a sharp claw. "My name is Avenir. It's very nice to meet you."
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Hearing the name for real gave Frisk an existential chill deep into her stomach. It must've shown on her face.
"Don't be frightened," the skeleton said quickly. "You're completely safe here."
"I-I'm not scared," Frisk said swiftly. She took the skeleton's hand with both of hers— her bones were warm to the touch. "It's really nice to meet you, too."
Avenir's eyes seemed to sparkle with stars. "Fantastic! But. Oh. Small thing, you look exhausted." She brushed her fingers under Frisk's eyes with a glimmer of healing in her touch. "These raccoon marks…"
"It's not bruising," she said quickly. "I'm o—"
"She hasn't slept all night," Zapf said.
"Yeeeeah, and we didn't really have the easiest trip," Vera said.
"My fault," Frisk muttered.
"Shhh, shortie, stoooop it," the skeleton chided.
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Avenir looked thoroughly befuddled. She carefully wrapped her long fingers around Frisk's head, resting her thumbs against her brows. The kid could feel magic tinkering around inside her mind and her posture began to slump before she could fight it.
"My… You've got a lot of stories in that little head of yours, don't you?"
"Um. Guess so," the kid said bashfully.
"And you've seen many places I couldn't even dream of." She tilted her head and a faint glow came to each of her eyes, red and blue. "I see… My, my… You're a very long way from home, aren't you?"
"Y… Yeah," she said. She shook her head quickly, breaking the skeleton's grip. "What're you…? What're you doing?"
"Ah! I apologize," she said. "Your feelings are singing to me quite loudly. But. This should help."
"H-Help with what?" she asked.
"Putting you to sleep."
"But I don't want to—! I don't…" Frisk rubbed her eyes quickly. "I don't have time."
"You do, little one," Avenir said gently. "You can't keep going like this. It's been days since your last proper rest, hasn't it?"
Frisk gulped. She could see her friends leaning in around her. Both of Avenir's eyes were red now, and the warmth that ebbed from her was, admittedly, very relaxing. The kid shook her head.
"I c-can't…"
"It only works if you let it," she said gently. She reached out and, when Frisk didn't recoil, held her head again. "Please, let it."
"We ain't goin' anywhere," Vera said. "In fact, I might take a nap myself! So…" She smiled sympathetically and squatted down to hold the kid's shoulder. "Don't worry, okay? It's safe."
.
This didn't feel real. Staring into the face of this skeleton— her grandmother. It was too much. Her eyes watered. This had to be why she was here, right? Avenir smiled sympathetically at her. She must've known something was off.
.
Frisk's head hurt. She could still feel that tremor in her fingers. She sighed. "Just don't let me fall on my face, okay?" she said in a small voice.
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Before she knew it, the kid was blinking awake in front of a smouldering, warm hearth. A pot of soup was bubbling pleasantly overtop of it. There was a thick blanket over most of her and pillows bunched around her in a chair made for a much larger creature. Vera was fast asleep, too, snoring quietly where she lay, slumped in a similar chair beside her. A little golden sunlight streamed in through small windows high up on the walls. Still looked like it was still barely light out.
.
"Thank you for doing this," Avenir said quietly from somewhere behind her. "I'm still completely rubbish."
"I'm glad to help." Zapf sighed softly. "I hope it helps her, too."
"It must've been hard out there. I'm sorry."
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Frisk leaned a little in her seat to try to get her bearings. She noticed the faint red glow on her wrists— the bandages were gone. She wouldn't be surprised if someone had tried to heal a suspected injury on her arms.
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The two skeletons were near the table laden with books, both looking a bit troubled. Zapf had ditched his armour plating— she could see it on another chair, along with Vera's— and was wearing a close-fitting black shirt with a high collar, similar to the clothes Papyrus would sometimes wear beneath his favoured battle body outfit. There was a small tear in the sleeve of the arm he'd temporarily lost. She guessed it hadn't occurred to her to turn his clothes back at the same time. He folded his arms and frowned thoughtfully.
"I just don't want to cause you any more trouble," he said.
"It's alright, a stór. You did the right thing," she assured him. "And, this girl, she's exactly what I hoped for. Not just red, but a wizard as well."
Zapf flinched. "She, ah… Doesn't really like that word. But she can use very powerful magic. They called her a demon."
Avenir's delicate brow furrowed. "That seems… wrong." She pouted. "Ugh, things didn't used to be like this, you know that? Back when I was small— this was before their current King— there were humans in my village, and we'd play together like there was no difference at all. Mind you, that was a hundred years ago. But now, calling even a child that…"
"Zealots," Zapf grumbled. "To be fair, she did take it in stride. She told them to deal with it."
"Hm!" Avenir cracked a smile. "I'm glad. Thank you for bringing her to me."
"She doesn't fit with your plan," he said apologetically. "She has a home she wishes to return to. And a family she's very close to."
"Both a shame and a relief," Avenir said, winking. "That's alright. No matter what, meeting a red who isn't already under the human King's thumb is a gift. Especially a wiz…" She chuckled to herself and smiled fondly. "A little demon."
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Avenir vaulted over one of her chairs and began to write something on a scrap of parchment on the other side of the large table. Zapf came back to the hearth with a big ladle. He caught that Frisk was awake and shot her a relieved smile.
"Feeling any better?" he asked quietly.
She had to think about it for a moment, but she nodded. The headache was gone and so was a bit of the pain in her limbs. She leaned forward. "…Was that your duty thing?" she asked, jerking her thumb back over her shoulder towards Avenir.
"We were asked to— if we ever found one, that is—keep any unaffiliated red away from the human King. Especially children." He took on an apologetic frown. "I hope that makes sense."
"Yeah," she said. Was that really worth getting dusted over, though? Maybe things were worse here than she thought. She stretched and sat up a bit. "Soup?"
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His eyes brightened. He beckoned for her to join as he pulled the cauldron down off the fire and gave it a stir. She leaned over to look into the golden, sparkling broth. There were meticulously chopped veggies floating in it. The smell was pleasant and familiar. The skeleton gave the pot a spark with his magic and then sat down on the stone for a moment.
"I noticed your wrists," he said. "Did something happen? Were you a prisoner?"
"Oh. Um. No. It's a long story." She shook her head. "It's no big deal. Do they sound weird?"
"Only very very close up." He turned his attention back on the soup. "I wonder if that peanut butter would go well in this."
"I'm not so sure," Frisk said with a laugh. She checked her phone anyway. She did have a crabapple, and she handed that over to him. "Maybe this?"
He looked excited nonetheless. He summoned a bone blade from the air and gave it a quick chop before tossing the slices in the pot.
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"Ah! Our wee demon is awake," Avenir joked. She had a big grin on her face when she darted over and she smiled warmly at Frisk. "You had a nice sleep, I hope. Looks like you really needed it, hm?"
Frisk gulped. Seeing this bright, warm skeleton's face sent her heart racing. It was bizarre. But, she was family. Two weeks ago Frisk never would have even dreamed of something like this. She didn't know what to say. It took her a moment.
"Y-Yeah. Thank you. I guess the hour was worth it," she admitted shyly.
"An hour?" The skeleton blinked and then cast her gaze at the window. "Little one, it's almost sunset."
"…What?!" Frisk yelped
"Don't feel too bad, I also slept almost since we arrived," Zapf admitted. "I woke up maybe an hour ago. And I only just now finished explaining what happened." He shot a fond, amused smile at his cousin. "And Vera's still asleep, actually."
"Sheesh," Frisk said. She was increasingly glad she'd been assured there wouldn't be much in the way of lost time outside this place. She was also a bit surprised that she hadn't had any dreams at all. "Guess I really did need it."
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Avenir looked pleased. She settled in, her bright eyes skimming the kid over again. "Zapf told me that you saved his life. Thank you," she said. "And also, that you used quite a bit of magic. He left it up to you as to how much you wish to tell me about it, if anything. I hope you don't mind my teasing. I think what you said to that human after he kept insisting you were a wizard was very brave. "
Frisk shook her head. "It's fine. From what Vera said, sorta seems like wizards aren't good people, so I don't wanna be like that." She tapped her fingertips together and a thoughtful frown crossed her face. "Demon doesn't mean much where I come from. If they call someone that for going against them acting like huge jerks, then I'll be that instead of a wizard any day."
"Oh? Not the first in a line of good wizards instead?" the skeleton asked curiously.
The kid thought about it for a moment. Her frown deepened. "Heck no. If wizards are gonna act like jerks so much that you guys didn't even realize it was possible for them not to be, why should I somehow give 'em a better name? Seems like that might even be dangerous." She folded her arms. "Nah. I don't know too much, but I do know that it was wizards leading a bunch of humans that really messed up where I live for like hundreds of years. Sounds like what to monsters is a nice wizard isn't even a wizard at all, so might as well not use it, right?"
"See?" Zapf said with a smile.
Avenir chuckled. "I do." Her smile fell slightly. "Unfortunately, you're right. Humans can't learn magic without guidance. And, right now, the monopoly on that guidance comes from their King and his wizards, who certainly aren't too keen on coexisting with people like us. This is why they wanted you, little one."
Frisk looked confused for a second, having to remember what monopoly meant, but she nodded.
"As such, I would like to ask how you learned magic to begin with," Avenir continued. "Have you had much instruction? And from whom?"
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Frisk blinked. "Like… at school? Not really," Frisk said. "It only really started going a few months ago, but it got a lot stronger pretty fast. I, um, think I…" She tried to think back to when it first began— sometime after her trip through a tear in the lab's basement, though there was still a large hole in her memory there. It was related to Gaster somehow, though, right? "Pretty sure my dad got it started for me."
"He's a skeleton," Zapf volunteered. "Her family is fully monsters, isn't that right?"
"Yeah, all of 'em," Frisk said. "My brothers, my sister, my uncle, my parents— all my friends. Yeah. I, um… I know, like, one human, I think. She's nice. But she's kinda weird like me."
Avenir nodded. She held out her hand. "If it's not too much to ask, may I feel your magic?"
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The kid was once again struck by how surreal all this was. She didn't know how much to do or say, but she couldn't have been guided here without reason, right? Carefully, she lit her fingers up with red and rested her little hand in Avenir's large palm. The magic hummed and glittered, and seeped gently through the bone. Avenir drew in a sharp breath through her teeth and then pulled back. She stared at her hand incredulously.
"…That can't be right," she muttered softly.
"S-Sorry, I know it's weird," Frisk said.
"Oh! Don't worry!" Avenir was all sunshine again. "It is very unusual, but then again, I've felt very little human magic, even after all this time. Where are you from, little one, that all your family and friends are monsters?"
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Frisk gulped. Wondered if she'd already said too much. Her face flushed. The other chair creaked softly. She saw Vera stirring in the corner of her eye. She guessed they'd been talking a little too loud.
"Well, um. It's called Snowdin. It's really far away, I think." She shrugged tepidly.
Avenir looked thoughtful. She stared into her and her eyes skimmed the air as if she was reading. "Hm. Frisky. I see," she said softly. "Alright. And what was it you needed, Frisk from Far Away?"
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"Ah! Right! She's on a magic quest!" Vera volunteered groggily. "T'help her brothers out. Good mornin', by the way." She flopped off the chair and onto the floor, and then pulled Frisk over to give her a warm, sleepy hug. "Shortieee, I'm proud of ya, okay?"
"Th-Thanks!" Frisk was a little confused, but she appreciated the hug— as she noticed Vera's now bare arms bore a plethora of little, off-white scars.
"Right. We thought you might be able to give her some help," Zapf said, looking to Avenir. "Since you've studied the Celestial."
"And since you're super strong," Vera said.
"Oh? Interesting," she said. "I will certainly try. Tell me, what is it exactly you need?"
"I'm not, um, really sure," Frisk admitted. "See, I… Okay, this is gonna sound crazy, but I was already pretty far from home before coming here, trying to help my brother, 'cause he got really sick. I found a weird cosmic guide skeleton who said he could help me somehow. He sent me to this place with magic, I guess. He said I'd find something, but I don't know what it is or where to look except for some kinda vague clues. Part of it mightta been in the Sun Temple, but I dunno how that helps me."
"Man, you're too little for a confusing quest like this all on your own," Vera said sympathetically.
"I wasn't on my own before," she said. "Okay, this is also gonna sound nuts? But when you do a big… magic travel thing, like I did? There's this in-between place that looks like night, but kinda acts like water, and we mostly call it the time void. Normally, we pass through really quick, but somebody shot at me and my brother and we got separated. That's why I'm looking for him. I'm pretty sure he's still out there. If I could pull him out, that'd be great. Did… what I just said make any sense at all?"
"So, two brothers. A sick one and a missing one," Zapf clarified.
"Right. Sorry, it's…" Frisk rubbed her head. "Sans is sick; Az is missing. Sans might already be okay, I just don't know 'cause we can't get home. And Az got knocked away out in the void so I gotta get him back and I just…. I just don't know how or…" She sighed. "Sorry, it's just… a mess."
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Avenir looked at her curiously. She tilted her head one way and then the other. "And what of your parents?" she said, gently holding the kid's shoulder.
"Oh! Um. Well. Our parents didn't super want us to go on our own, but our magic is kinda the only type that can cope with all this stuff," she said. "So… They understood. Mom made us some food to bring with us, at least."
"Yeah, it was pretty good," Vera said quietly.
Frisk snickered.
"It's pretty clever, actually, they take a bread and cut it down the middle and then fill it with tasty things," Zapf explained, bright-eyed. "So one does not get their hands gooey from eating… preserves? And peanut butter. Very delicious invention."
Avenir smiled fondly. "I see. So. If you could narrow it down. One thing. What would you ask of me?"
"Ah… Well. I… I guess, if you had anything you thought might help me get Az out of the void," Frisk said sheepishly. "I dunno if that's even possible, but—"
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The skeleton got to her feet. "I'll look through my books. Don't worry, little demon, I may have something for you." She winked. "Make yourself at home. And feel free to explore." She shot the other skeletons a knowing smile. "I have something for you two, soon, as well. In the meanwhile, Vera, would you mind giving Nimbus her dinner?"
"Nah, I don't mind at all!" Vera said brightly.
Avenir smiled gratefully.
"Is there anything I can do?" Frisk asked.
"Be patient. And rest." Avenir hurried off and disappeared into another room with an armful of tomes.
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As Vera went outside and Zapf tended to the soup, Frisk took a moment to recalibrate herself. Her mind matched the dim, magic-lit ruins she'd seen to this bright, warm library. It broke her heart. With cautious steps, she strolled the room, looking at the books of magic and knick-knacks strewn all over in organized chaos. The shelves were packed to bursting. A tremor returned to her fingers and she pulled out her phone. Wasn't fair. Her dad could never come back here. And this place, it was much more suited to Sans and Papyrus than it was to her. Still, she couldn't help but feel nostalgic about it. She carefully snapped some photos to add to her collection. It was the least she could do.
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She peeked into the room Avenir had vanished into. She was sitting at a wide, wooden desk with extra magic lights in blue hovering around her. She poured over a few huge books, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. Frisk hesitated, but took her picture, too, before slipping off.
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Outside, Frisk found Vera in the field. The big grey mare was with her, enjoying a good brushing as she ate from a pile of hay and veggies. The skeleton also seemed to have braided a couple of the blue flowers into her mane. Frisk sat in the grass to watch, snapping photos every once in a while. The golden hues of the incoming sunset were very pretty, and Vera's grin as she chatted all about horses was contagious.
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Dinner was soup and chunks of fire-toasted, stale bread. The broth had an unusual flavour but it was very tasty, and somehow refreshing. Vera chugged hers, then spent the time Frisk took eating gently braiding and unbraiding small sections of her hair. At Zapf's insistence, the kid used up what was left of her potion and refilled the bottle with extra soup. He also gave her another bowl; suggested she bring it to the Boss. She didn't mind. She didn't even have to announce herself, Avenir waved her in without taking even a moment to look up.
.
Frisk entered the study and gave it a curious once-over. Many large bookshelves lined the walls like the library outside, though these held odd contraptions more than books. The tomes that were crammed onto the shelves were huge, some comically so. The walls were decorated with hand-drawn star charts and fanciful pictures in ink of the sun and moon. One corner in particular at the back of the room looked to be notes specifically about the Divine Beasts. Near them, there was a pedestal with a small white orb hovering above it and, to its right, a crystal ball swirling with fog.
.
She joined the skeleton at her towering table and offered the bowl of soup. Deep blue magic gently seized on her soul and lifted her up as a chair was brought under her. Avenir looked up and took the bowl with a grateful nod. She sipped it and her bi-coloured magic flared in her eyes. Frisk was lost in those colours that were so similar to hers and her brothers' for a moment. Avenir put the dish down between two large books.
"Ah, Zapf is good, isn't he?" She tapped her fingers on the page, and then words under her touch chimed softly. "He's young but he takes everything so seriously. Thank you again for helping him. These two are like family to me."
"He wouldn't have even been in trouble if it wasn't for me," Frisk said quietly. "And don't say it was whatever you asked them to do; they agreed to help me before they even knew I had a red soul or anything."
"My my." Avenir chuckled. "Then, I can be even more proud of them. But, try to forgive yourself, little demon. I know it doesn't seem like it sometimes, but even such awful things can lead to something good."
"I know." She sighed. "I know, a ton of good stuff would never've happened to me without bad stuff first. It's just… I hate that he got hurt. I really hate it." She also hated how angry she had felt. She wasn't sure if she'd ever been so mad in her life.
The Gaster who had torn a hole in the universe had made her upset like that, too, but at least she could understand a little of where he was coming from. Those humans were so cruel it turned her stomach. Even so, she was just glad that, in a panic, she and her powers hadn't picked to do worse than that to them. She pouted and slumped, cheek on her fist.
"I dunno, s'just scary."
.
The big skeleton looked down at her with a worried furrow in her brow. Though she hesitated a moment, she put a hand on the kid's head and patted her gently. Frisk's eyes got hot. She sat up and brushed her knuckles over them quickly.
"Th-Thanks. Sorry."
"I understand," she said. "This seems to have rattled you quite a bit. Are things not like this in your home?"
"Things can be rough sometimes but nothing like that," she said quietly.
"Zapf mentioned you healed him," Avenir said. "But he neglected to say the extent of the injuries. I think for the sake of keeping your privacy. Now, I don't expect you to tell me anything you don't want to, but how bad—?"
"Bad," Frisk said. "Like… Lost an arm bad."
The light in Avenir's eyes shrunk to almost nothing. "What…?! But he has both…?! I don't understand."
"I-If I catch something quick enough, I can… fix stuff like that," Frisk said quietly.
.
Avenir leaned in over her, staring with an unnerving fascination. Her soul prickled and considered reaching out. Stalled. Then, withdrew.
"What was that thing you held near the door earlier?" she asked. "Was that related? A charm of some kind? I could feel a strange magic around it."
Frisk looked puzzled for a moment before she recalled. "Oh! No, that's like a… Dang, what did Zapf call it? Like a pictobox? Sorta? He said it was like that. We don't call it that, though."
"Oh?!" Avenir's eyes brightened and sparkled as if Frisk had said something truly wonderful. "Someone in your home has made one like it?!"
The kid nodded.
.
Excitedly, the skeleton hopped up and crossed the room. She picked up a wooden box with a shiny, clear disk in the front and a crystal on the top. She pointed it at Frisk and shocked it with magic. After a moment, the bottom slid open and she pulled out a slick little page that now had a faint, but sharp-lined picture of the bemused kid on it. The colours were mostly grades of sepia. She grinned proudly.
"I picked this up from an inventor in Burgstede a few years back. Tinkered with it a little to get the focus better. Interesting, isn't it? May I see yours?"
Frisk hesitated for a moment. But, she'd already shown Vera and Zapf. Again, she really hoped she wasn't thoroughly messing up the past of some place. She pulled up her phone and scrolled to the picture she took of Avenir from the door before handing it over.
"It, um, doesn't print though."
.
Avenir's eyes lit right up. She held it close to her face. "That's astonishing. Those colours…! Hah! I look so serious." She peered over the phone curiously, turning it over in her hands; inspecting the lens on the back. "Do you know how it works?"
She didn't; Sans did. She shrugged. "Um, something with light and like, an echo or something? Sorry, I'm—"
"Ah, not to worry," she said quickly, handing the device back to her. "Maybe another time. Or I'll spend all day on it." She gestured to her shelves with a smile. "As if I don't have enough gadgets to fool around with, hm? Oh! Feel free to take a look at them, if you like. And ask any questions. I'd be happy to explain."
"I-I don't wanna interrupt," Frisk said.
The skeleton waved her hand dismissively. "Impossible."
.
The kid looked confused. Avenir pointed back at the table and the blue orbs of magic. They were hovering low over pages of books and Frisk realized quickly that, more than lights, they looked like the eyes of cats from that angle.
"Ooohh. Okay. Got it," she said. "Hey, um, can I help at all?"
The skeleton tilted her head. "You can cast?"
"Like a written spell? Um… N-No, not really, I can't figure out to make my soul do it. Sorry."
Avenir folded her arms and looked thoughtful for a moment. "Have you seen spell books at all?"
"A couple! Um. It's pretty new to me. But, um… I got one for babies, and then this one—" She took out the book of Hymns and offered it. "—from a DB in, um… Goblin Grotto? Right?"
"A D…" Her eyes went wide and she carefully took the book from Frisk, flipping it open gently. "A Divine Beast gave you this? Why?"
"I asked for help," she said.
"You don't mind if I look, do you?"
Frisk shook her head.
.
Avenir took it away excitedly, moving to the table. She had a quill and ink out almost instantly, scribbling something down in a nearby tome.
"Was there a Celestial mark involved?" she asked.
"Uh…"
"Any repeated images. In visions or in the Temple itself."
"Oh! Um. A red sun," Frisk said.
"A red… sun…" Avenir flicked through the pages at lightning speed. "And it is…"
Frisk edged over and stood on her toes, but was still too short to see. Blue seized her again and lifted her up onto the taller of the two chairs. Avenir had come to a page with a red sun marked on it in a fancy mandala. The spell written there was simply called Blessing.
"A solar augment. Of course," Avenir said quietly. "Oh, you lucky thing. Whatever you said to it must've been exactly right."
.
She pulled over a dark blue tome with bone runes around the outer edge of the cover and threw it open to a blank page. Her soul chimed along a soft, gentle melody as she copied the musical notes over.
"Um. So what does it do?" Frisk asked.
"In theory, it allows a spell cast during sunlight hours to gain immense strength. If cast with good intentions, of course," Avenir said as she wrote. "And if you can layer these notes along with your spell in a way that sounds coherent." She finished up and added a few sentences in skeleton script underneath before handing the book back. "Keep this close to you, little demon, that isn't a spell that should be shared too freely, alright?" She froze and her cheekbones flushed with a hint of red. "Ah. I apologize. That includes me." Though she flinched, she grabbed the edge of the page. "I should have asked first; I will tear this out if you like."
"No, that's okay," Frisk assured her quickly. "Don't worry about it. I trust you."
The skeleton looked a little puzzled, but there was relief clear in a hum in the air as well. "Thank you. But. I'm not sure I understand," she said. "We've just met."
"I know." Frisk could only shrug. "You, um…" She pushed back the immediate want to say she reminded her of her father. "Z-Zapf and Vera think you're really great! And I trust them. So. I trust you, too."
Her eyes lit up. She dipped her head. "I appreciate that. I still have a little more tinkering to do. Would you like to watch or…? Oh. Actually that may hurt your wet human eyes. Hm."
"It's okay, I'll go get more soup or something," she said.
"Good idea," Avenir said with an approving smile. "I'll just finish up. I have something you might enjoy planned for tonight."
The kid nodded. She hopped from the chair and, as she left, the door closed behind her on its own. Magic chimed and flickered bright colours under the door.
.
Frisk became keenly aware of the hard thumping in her chest. She took a long, deep breath. The whole thing was making her head spin, but she felt a weird lightness inside. Excitement. Everything seemed to be going well. There was something about that blue book, though.
.
Vera was lazing in one of the chairs, flicking a coin absently on her thumb and catching it as it fell. Zapf leaned against the table, looking a little concerned. He perked up at her return. She smiled.
"She liked the soup," she said.
"Thank the stars," Zapf said, blowing out a sigh.
"You worry too much, cuz," Vera teased.
He smiled tepidly and shrugged. Frisk snickered. She went back to the chair she'd slept in and traded the Hymns for the Dirges. The cover was uncanny. She only had to flip through a few pages before she found one matching what Avenir had just written. Her stomach did a flip. Gaster had never mentioned that his mother had written the book. She wondered if it was possible he didn't know. Maybe. He'd been younger than she was right now when his mother had died.
.
The kid's heart hurt. She grimaced and hugged the book close for a moment. Even if this was just a weird, out of time place, the odds of it being connected to home just skyrocketed. She was shaking again and felt a bit nauseous.
"You okay, shortie?" Vera asked, leaning over to her.
Frisk nodded. She sighed and put the book away. Zapf crept in closer.
"Would you like more soup?"
"Nah, s'okay," she said quietly.
"Hey, noticed y'snuck me money," Vera teased. She showed her the coin she'd been tossing. "Didn't have to, y'know! Neat symbols on 'em, though."
.
Frisk blinked. She looked at the thick gold coin— Delta Rune on one side and a flower on the other. Only, she wasn't sure if the Delta Rune had even been invented yet. She winced and rubbed her forehead.
"You don't think people are gonna notice that much, do you?"
"Well, yeah, that's how you tell what town it came from," Vera said.
"Oh dang," Frisk said sheepishly.
"Frisk, what's wrong?" Zapf insisted. "Did you… get your answer?"
.
The kid hesitated. Zapf's eyes shifted to pink. He could see right through her, she was sure. He put a hand on her shoulder with a reassuring, gentle shimmer of magic in his fingers. She sighed.
"You don't have to say," he said.
"I promised." She cracked an exhausted smile. "You almost got dusted for me, dude, it's the least I can do."
The big skeleton knelt down and Vera leaned in, intrigued.
"What's this about" she asked.
"She was concerned about something to do with the Boss. Right?" Zapf asked.
Frisk nodded. "I really hope this doesn't screw anything up," she mutter under her breath. "Okay. Um. S-So. Uh. You know how my magic is, like… weird time stuff?"
"Yeeeah," Vera said.
"So, um. I'm… also weird time stuff?" She huffed. "I'm sorry. I'm, um. Kinda…"
"In the wrong time," Zapf concluded, though he seemed surprised by the words as he said them.
Frisk nodded sheepishly again.
.
"What, seriously?!" Vera asked sharply, lowering her voice, her eyes wide. "Wait, so your cosmic skeleton, he sent you from like… what, different years or somethin'? Can he do that?!"
"A different world. A-And different years," Frisk said quietly. "I'm really sorry I lied. I mean, I am from a place called Snowdin, it's just, like… not around here but also way in the future, I think."
"No!" Vera said as a disbelieving gasp. She looked between the kid and her cousin, gawking. "H-How?! Like. That's crazy! D'you know how far ahead of us y'are?"
"No, not exactly," Frisk said. "But, um… Wh-What I do know is, um… What I thought before. It was that, um… Okay, this is gonna sound super nuts, but I was pretty sure that Avenir was… Um. Is. My grandma."
.
Vera gawked. Zapf stared at her with wide eyes. Frisk slumped low in her seat, wishing for the cushions to swallow her.
"A-Are you sure?" the tall skeleton asked in a hushed voice.
Frisk nodded. "I saw her in a memory my dad shared with me." She sighed. "Dang, this is all sounds so crazy, I'm sorry."
Zapf gently touched on her temple. His magic fizzed through her brain like a cool soda. "And yet I can feel you're telling the truth… But how—?"
"I wasn't born normal," Frisk admitted. "I'm… Like… I'm not adopted. I mean, I am. By my mom. But not by my dad."
"What?!" Vera barked. "Wait, so, skeleton name; it's 'cause you're literally an actual skeleton? But y'look human?"
"No, I am human, it's… It's complicated," she said quietly. "…Kinda wish I was a skeleton sometimes instead, though."
"I'm sure being human has some advantages, though, yeah?" Vera said. "Like the, uh, durability?"
"Only against monsters," Frisk grumbled. "As if that's useful."
.
"But. Frisk. This is a big deal, isn't it? Will you tell her?" Zapf asked gently.
"I-I dunno!" Frisk said shrilly.
"Man, y'gotta!" Vera said. "Imagine?! Y'get to meet your descendant? And learn about the future?!That'd be kinda awesome, right?"
"I-I dunno, wouldn't that be freaky as heck though?!" the kid said. "Unless he's just like hiding in here somewhere, my dad's not even born yet!"
"He is not born," Zapf assured her.
"Right! Heck, I don't even know how long it'll be 'til that happens," she continued, her voice pitching higher. "And I don't wanna weird her out! She seems really cool and nice and I…" Frisk choked on her words. She'd seen through her eyes as she died. Tears caught her and she coughed to try to cover a whine.
Zapf gripped tighter to her shoulder and his magic warmed her. She needed a hug badly but she kept it to herself.
.
"Kid, y'alright?" Vera asked gently.
She sniffled but she nodded. "Y-Yeah. Yeah. I'll… I don't know. I just… I don't want to screw anything up. Ugh, even this could already be enough to screw things up. I mean, I bet it is. If she even believes me. But I totally wouldn't blame her if she didn't." She put her face in her hands. "I don't knoooww…"
"Well. Whatever you do. It's your choice," Zapf assured her.
"Yeah. Even though it's nuts. We won't mention it unless you do," Vera said. "So, uh, keep us in the loop, yeah?"
"I-I will," Frisk said. "I…" She wiped her eyes quickly. "I don't know yet."
"I think she would enjoy knowing." Zapf smiled. "You are an anomaly; even more so now."
"Man, you got no idea," Frisk said quietly.
"Long story number a thousand," Vera teased. She reached over and patted the kid's head. "So. Uh. In the future. Do we, like…? I mean, do humans and us, does it go okay? Can you tell us that?"
"It, um… It goes bad for a while. Really bad. But. After a while, I think it goes okay," she said. "We, um, kinda just got to that part."
"Wow, damn, that's crazy," she said, eyes wide. "Do you know us from then? "
"N-No. No, um…"
"And what was that about a tapestry?" she pushed.
.
Frisk gulped. "Man, I talk way too much, huh?"
"Nah, nah, it's okay!" Vera said with a laugh. "I was just curious; it kinda came outta nowhere."
"It was, just… Now that I know you guys? I'm really sure I saw you in an old t-tapestry," Frisk said. "So I… I just knew, if that hadn't happened yet, there wasn't even a chance you guys were supposed to… You know. Get hurt."
"Huh. Hey. That's kinda smart, actually," Vera said, nodding approvingly.
Zapf cocked his head to the side. His eyes flashed with colour. "Oh. I understand. You've been here before."
The kid nodded as Vera's eyes bugged out. "Just once. It's… It was empty, then. But there was some art left around. Some of it kinda looked like you guys and A-Avenir. There was also a skeleton with, like, a bunch of spikes in the middle of his head. And a lot of horses and dogs and stuff."
"…Dogs?" Zapf repeated.
"Yeah, and trees with pink flowers," she said. "Like, farming and stuff, I think."
"Oh! I know those," Vera said. "Dang. We were gonna plant some next season. Guess that's a good idea."
"I wish I took a picture of it," Frisk said sheepishly. She blew out a sigh. "Th-Thanks for not thinkin' I'm totally nuts."
"Eh. Don't worry so much, shortie." Vera reached over and patted her reassuringly on the shoulder. "No wonder you were so weird, huh?"
"Just a little weird," Zapf added, smiling fondly.
"And thanks for putting up with me," the kid said quietly.
"Put up with way worse," Vera said with a wink.
.
It wasn't long before Avenir emerged from her room again. Her bones were steaming. The stone around her shimmered as she passed.
"Alright. Little ones, I have a task for you," she said.
Both skeletons perked right up and jumped to attention. Avenir smiled.
"The moon is bright and will soon be high enough. I would like you to pick thirty three of the beltaine outside and prepare to steep them. Alright?"
Nudging her cousin with her elbow, Vera grinned. "Sure thing, Boss!"
"You, too, little demon," Avenir said. "Don't worry. It won't take long."
"Um. O-Okay. Sure," Frisk said.
Vera snickered quietly and grabbed the kid up and out of her seat. "If this is what I think it is… Oooh, this is gonna be cool!"
.
The three went outside into the cloudless night, where the full moon was so bright the world was blue, and extra light was hardly needed. The beltaine flowers were the pale blue ones glittering in the moonlight, each with five, pointed petals. Against the darker grass, they looked almost as if they were glowing stars. When Frisk touched a petal, she could feel a faint hum through her fingertips. She carefully plucked the bloom and spun it between her fingers.
.
Vera was already done by the time Frisk had picked five, with an armful of flowers and leaves and a big grin on her face. "Hey, Frriiissk, how y'doin'?" she called. "D'you want me to get yours and you get the water? Or d'you wanna hold mine and keep goin'?"
"Umm…" Frisk carefully plucked another one and then gently handed them over to the skeleton. "Got six. Where?"
She nodded her head towards the castle tower. "Just around back, that way."
Frisk stuck her thumb up and headed for the tower. She waved to Zapf where he wast bent in the field, closer to the trees, as she passed him by. He waved back.
"Oh! And don't forget to give it a zap!" Vera called.
"What?" Zapf called back.
"Zap not Zapf, Zapf!"
"Whaaat?"
"Forget it, cuz!"
Frisk snickered to herself.
.
Behind the tower, there was a large circle of stones sealed together. Frisk only recognized it as a well because she'd seen one in a video game. It was a little high for her, but she could see over the top when she stood on her toes. She propped herself up with her arms. It was sealed by a circle of wood, with a crystal sticking out of the top. Cautiously, with a bit of reaching, she touched it and gave it a little zap of magic off her fingertip. Something far below creaked and metal clunked. The wood groaned and, after a few seconds, a hidden panel slid back and a large bucket filled with water slid up, supported by a shadowy, long-fingered hand. The kid blinked. She carefully grabbed it from the bottom and lifted it away, trying not to stumble as she settled back on her feet.
"Um, thank you!" she said.
The hand stuck its thumb up and then retreated as the wood panel closed.
.
When Frisk returned, holding the bucket in both arms, Zapf was waiting. He carried a stack of stone bowls, with all the flowers gathered in the top one.
"Is it too heavy?" he asked.
"Nah," Frisk said. "Who was that in the well?"
"Hm? Oh. That water ghost," he said. "They're kind, but they mostly keep to themself. Are you ready?" He tilted his head towards the woods. "The Boss and Vera went on ahead."
"Yeah, I'm ready," she assured him.
.
They went to the edge of the field where a path through the trees was marked by the beltaine, easy to spot for anyone who cared to look. It lead to a small clearing, where the last of the flowers gathered around a wide, half circle of rocks cut flat like the stumps of trees, while two stood proud and tall near the opposite end. They were covered in some dot patterns and each had a large, empty cavity near the top. Avenir stood between them, shooting them a welcoming smile. The moon shone above, and from where Frisk stood, it looked as if it rested, cradled between her horns as if it were a part of her.
.
Vera waved as they got near and bounced back to join them. Avenir gratefully took the bowls and flowers from Zapf. She placed one each in front of the tall stones, and one between them, then straightened up and raised her hands. Red and blue orbs floated up around her shoulders.
"Almost there," she said. "One more thing, little ones. A small puzzle. The clue is on the rocks." With a wave of her hand, one of each colour of orb shot off, weaving into the forest like oversized fireflies. "Pick one. Then, we'll start."
"Red or blue, cuz?" Vera asked.
"You prefer blue," he said. "Red's fine."
"Thanks," she said with a relieved grin. "Let's get… Oh, what about the kid?"
Avenir smiled. "I have something else for her to do." She gently grabbed Frisk in blue and plopped her at her side, at once taking the large bucket of water from her arms. "Good luck, mo mhuintir."
The cousins bumped their knuckles against each other's. They each took a moment at their respective stones before booking it off into the woods in opposite directions.
.
The skeleton Boss smiled fondly. She cut her eyes at Frisk. "Would you like to see?"
"Sure," she said.
Avenir produced a bi-coloured magic orb that floated down to the kid. From within, she could see each skeleton, following a trail of light. Vera was ahead, sprinting between trees, while Zapf was walking briskly but cautiously. Vera came upon what was clearly the puzzle first; an arrangement of stones in the grass. Frisk took a look at rock here in the clearing. It was similar, but a few bits out of place.
"What do you think?" Avenir said. She was hovering over the kid's shoulder with subdued glee on her boney face.
"They probably gotta match the pattern," Frisk said, pointing at it. "But… one's missing, looks like. They gotta use the magic to fill in a spot?"
"Ooh, my, you're clever!" the skeleton said with a laugh. Her eyes brightened. "Do you do puzzles often?"
"Oh, yeah, all the time, my brother, Papyrus, totally loves them," she said. "We would build all kinds together and test them out. He really likes ice slide puzzles and ones with lots of switches."
"I see!"
"Icy."
Avenir scoffed, but she chuckled nonetheless.
.
"I must say, you're handling all this very well," she said.
Frisk shrugged. "Thanks. It's, um… Honestly, except the fighting bit, this hasn't been too bad."
"Mhm. Well. I'm glad." She took the bucket and bent to fill Vera's bowl. "Would you begin to divide the flowers evenly for me?"
"Thirty three by… Oh! Easy," she said quickly.
The bowl was harder to lift than the bucket, but the kid got it up and brought it over, counting out eleven blossoms to put in the water as Avenir moved aside to fill up the bowl at Zapf's stone. Once they were done, the skeleton took the stone from her. She placed it back in its position and filled it with the last of the water.
"Perfect," she said. "They're on their way."
.
Vera arrived first, clutching a big round rock in both hands. She grinned big and bright, but she waited for Zapf to show up, which wasn't much longer. They fit their prizes into the openings in the standing stones, which lit up with a pale, moonlit glow.
"Eeeee, lookit that!" Vera said excitedly. "Guess we passed!"
"You did," Avenir said. "I think you know what comes next."
Zapf nodded. He knelt to the grass and carefully dipped his claws into the bowl. The water began to glow pink. Hurriedly, Vera ducked down to do the same. Avenir gave Frisk a gentle nudge.
"You too, little demon," she said.
"Me? Um. Okay." Frisk was confused, but she did like the others, dipping her fingers into the cool water, though nothing happened. She gave it a hesitant spark and it shone bright, radiant red.
The beltaine blooms shattered into glitter, sparkling across the surface of the liquid. She looked up at Avenir questioningly, but she wore an unreadable smile and gestured for her to join the others, who now stood back from the stones a fair few paces.
"Take a seat, if you like," she said.
.
Frisk did, hopping to a flat rock behind her new friends, watching eagerly from there. Vera reached out to her cousin and grabbed his arm tight, eyes excited and flaring.
"You two have dutifully carried out every task I've set for you," Avenir said, her silvery voice ringing clear in the night air. "And for that, I thank you with all my soul." Raising each hand, magic in shining white coalesced above her palms. She lifted them up as if to touch the moon and, with a flash, the whole field was overcome in twinkling magic, like crystal snow twirling down from a cloudless sky.
.
As Vera gasped, Frisk ooh-ed quietly and clasped her hands together. The skeletons both began to glow gently. The water they'd collected rose up in tendrils from their dishes and the stones they'd brought hovered from their places to be engulfed as the liquid defied gravity and wrapped them up. Then, they flashed out of sight. The glitter faded. Avenir smiled proudly.
"From this night onwards, you two— Zapf of Beinn Mhòr, and Vera of Helfen Marsh— are Moon Knights of Crios Cnàmh. I hope you will accept this title with pride."
"We do! We definitely do!" Vera said brightly.
"We do," Zapf agreed.
Avenir bowed to them. They eagerly bowed in return. Frisk wasn't sure if it was okay to clap but she really wanted to.
.
The tall skeleton left her place between the stones and approached Zapf first. She put her hand on his shoulder. There was a flash of magic and a quick, excited merger of hums. His soul surged out pink and in his hand appeared a new spear— refined and partially made of silvery stone. Alongside that, a bone crow with shining pink eyes took shape from nowhere, flapping rattling wings. Vera squealed. Zapf took a step back and put a hand to his head, letting out a disbelieving laugh.
"Now that is an odd sensation," he said.
"For one who sees so much," Avenir said with a wink. "Well. You can see even more now, hm?"
"Thank you," he said. With a flick of his hand, it took off and flew around the clearing. He snickered. "It'll take some getting used to."
It landed beside Frisk. She couldn't help but grin.
"Can you hear through it, too?" she asked at a whisper.
"Ahh! It seems I can," he called back to her.
She snickered. "That's pretty awesome, dude."
"Oooh, no waaay," Vera said under her breath. "Amazing…"
.
"And, for you," Avenir said, touching on Vera's turquoise-green soul in the same, melodic way. "I think you will be pleased."
Vera quickly raised her hand as a new sword formed in her grasp, one with a much more refined blade of the shining moonstone and bone, and a guard that looked a little like the Boss's own horns.
"Oh man, it's so coo—" She let out a squawk as, beside her, a large, horse-like, horned skull appeared, its eyes glowing back at her the same colour as her own, just like Zapf's construct had. "AAaaah!" She hugged its snout. "It's amazing, I love it!"
.
Frisk whooped and clapped and, as the ceremony seemed to have ended, she got up and ran to them. She gave Vera a hug, and the skeleton gasped and quickly squished her close.
"You did it! You're Knights!" Frisk said. "Great night for it, right?! And you got a blaster?! It looks so cool!"
"Y-Yeah! Aw, shortie, thanks!" She giggled loudly and grinned. "I'm real happy 'bout it!"
Avenir perked up. "Blaster?" she said in a quiet, curious voice.
"And Zaaapf! Congrats!" Frisk held her arms out. "I'm gonna insist on a hug, dude."
He chuckled and bent down to allow her to latch on. "I am alright with that."
"Are you excited?"
He nodded. "I've never had any sort of bound construct before."
"And now we can fully, hundred percent, introduce ourselves as Knights!" Vera grinned widely.
"You guys are super brave, you totally deserve it," Frisk said brightly.
.
"And now that the ceremony is over," Avenir interjected. "Frisk. I have something for you as well."
"Me?" Frisk pointed at herself with a befuddled look on her face.
"You must've suspected," the big skeleton teased. "I would not have you begin a ritual for nothing."
"O-Oh. Right," Frisk said.
Vera clapped her hands together. "Oooh! Shortie, that's excitin', huh? What are y'gonna give 'er, Boss? A cool sword?"
"Or maybe a nice shield?" Zapf suggested quietly.
"Hm. Something a bit smaller. But more… noteworthy," she said.
.
She doubled back to the bowl that still glowed red and focused some magic into her palm. As she let it drop, the water snapped up and engulfed it hungrily. Avenir drew the red into her bones and returned to the kid, kneeling down as she reached out for her soul. Frisk felt a strange tingling pass through her whole body, and her hum flowed into the open air. The white points of magic shone from her soul, bright and glimmering in reply. Avenir took her hands and cupped them for her, and in the kid's palms, a light glimmered. A small, rounded object attached to a string dropped into her hands. As the magic faded, the skeletons on either side of her leaned in to look.
.
"Is it a little doot?" Vera asked quietly, brows raised high.
"I think it's an ocarina?" Zapf said cautiously.
"An oca-what?" Frisk asked. She curiously lifted it to look.
The shape was reminiscent of the wide tooth of a beast, though it had rounded points and with a little bit extended to blow into. There were six holes of varying sizes on the top and two on the bottom. Overall, it had a boney colour with a faint iridescence, and there was a four pointed star emblazoned on the top.
"It's really pretty," she said. "Thank you!"
"It is an ocarina," Avenir said. "And now, it is bound to your soul."
"It is?" Frisk squeaked. "Oh wow. S-So can I… summon it or—?"
"Maybe keep it out," Zapf suggested gently. "It's your first summon of any kind, right?"
She nodded. She could hardly keep her eyes off it.
"It can be a little difficult, especially for children," he said.
.
"For humans, learning to tune your soul to cast may take years. Time we don't have," she said. "But. A magic instrument like this is a method we often use for monster children. I can teach you to play it fairly quickly, I believe. With that, as long as your soul can support it with its power and you can play the tune, in theory, you should be able to cast." She laughed bashfully and rubbed the back of her head. "Otherwise, you just will have a nice little musical pendant, there. Which I hope is not correct, because I will need you to help pull your brother from your time void."
"W-Wait. Wait wait. Y-You can…?! You think you can do it?!" Frisk squeaked, eyes wide.
"Of course she can, the Boss's the best!" Vera said with a big grin.
Avenir's cheekbones flushed faintly. "I spent all day searching and I believe I have a spell. Experimental. However, I will need your help to guide it, little one, and I will need one more monster of comparable strength to myself. And sunlight."
"Where're we gonna find another Monster Lord?" Vera asked worriedly. "Helfen's far as heck. And so is Burgstede."
"I may also have an answer to that," Avenir said. "But… It's shaky. And, to be honest, I'm not sure if… Well… I'm sure if we ask nicely, they'll hear us out, at least."
"Who?" Frisk asked worriedly.
"The Divine Beasts," Avenir said. "There is a spell to call them to you. I'm strong enough to cast it, but whether or not they answer is up to them."
"Well, we gotta try, right?" Frisk asked. She let out a relieved sigh. "Thank you so much. I'm… I'm gonna learn these notes!" She picked up the ocarina and blew into it, hard.
The sound was loud and shrill, but even so, carried a hint of something more than an unceremonious whistle. Zapf covered his ear holes. Avenir chuckled and put her hand on the kid's.
"I'll show you. We have a while until sunrise."
.
Frisk's eyes glimmered. Sunrise. If she could figure this out, she could fix at least one thing, couldn't she? She looked at the ocarina in her hands with a sense of awe and determination.
"I'm gonna get it, I promise," she said.