DOGsong Chapter 45
It was lucky that music came second-nature to Frisk. Once Avenir laid out the notes, finding melodies was easy for the kid. The fingerings, however, would take a little work, building muscle memory to smooth it out. Also, blowing into the ocarina took a little finesse that she didn't quite have yet. It sounded a bit better than an awkward plastic recorder, but it would definitely take more time than she had to sound good. Despite that, though, the notes carried a tint of red once tooted into existence.
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The most baby of baby spells was the production of a night light, not unlike the red, glowing orb Frisk could already do. After hours of whistling and trying to force herself to remember the notes, the skeletons huddled around the kid near the hearth as she practiced the fingering on such a simple spell.
"Picture it in your mind," Avenir said, "and fuse the thought with the melody."
"It's fairly easy once you get the hang of it," Zapf said.
"Okay." Frisk took a deep breath, but not too deep. Her soul flared red. She blew softly into the ocarina and the note came out sweetly.
Just a few more. The skeletons waited with bated breath. She stumbled on the fingering, but quickly started over. The notes were not so sweet now, but they were correct. Red flickered over the instrument and into Frisk's irises, and the points of light in her soul glimmered. A shimmering, pale orb of glowing magic materialized and the kid almost dropped her ocarina in shock.
"D-Did I just—?!"
Vera barked out a loud, boisterous laugh and yanked her over into her arms as the light vanished into thin air.
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Frisk's heart was pounding, and she found herself with a big grin on her face as she hugged onto Vera excitedly. "A-Are you serious right now, I can do it?!"
"Y'sure can, shortie!" Vera said.
Zapf blew out a sigh of relief. "Congratulations. I'm glad it works. Because it's, um… still not so good on the ears."
"I know, sorry," Frisk said bashfully. "B-But I'm sure I'll get it with more practice."
"Maybe a little later on that one," Avenir said with a laugh. "You know how your brother's soul sounds, don't you?"
"Yeah," Frisk said.
"See if you can find how to play that, before anything else," she said. "Sunrise is in a little while, still, but not all that long."
"R-Right, um…" She looked at Zapf and cracked and apologetic smile before turning to Avenir. "Is there another room I can do it in?"
"Thank you," Zapf said at a whisper.
"My study," Avenir assured her. She stood and beckoned to her. "Come."
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Frisk gladly followed her, waving to the others. Avenir gave her a chair and closed the door, taking a seat at her desk again.
"Wait, won't it be really annoying?" Frisk asked.
"I can't help you if I'm outside," she replied with a smile. "Don't worry yourself about that."
"…'Kay." She ran through the scale of notes.
It was still clumsy. The air was too rough.
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She practiced for a while, trying to play smoother. It wasn't perfect, but she didn't have all the time in the world. Then, she began to slowly play the song of Asriel's soul. His theme came slowly at first as she tentatively; clumsily blew the notes out. Just the sound of it out loud sparked her determination. She played it again. And again. Over and over, her soul flaring along with it. On its own, the round began, merging her song with his. Her heart ached to the point of nausea. Her eyes watered and her breath caught in her throat, choking the note. She had to stop. She put a hand to her face and sniffled into it.
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Before she could get herself together, Avenir had her hands on her shoulders and gently pulled her in close.
"Shh… Shh, it's alright," she said softly. "What is it?"
"I…" She gulped back a lump in her throat. "I m-miss him so much. I-It's been d-days and I never shouldda lost him, w-we were supposed to stay together."
"I'm sure he misses you, too. We'll do our best," Avenir said.
Frisk shook her head and cracked a smile, wiping her eyes. "Th-That's the only good thing about this. Time m-moves different out there; it won't have felt very long f-for him at all."
"Small comforts." She smiled sympathetically and gave her a squish. "Why don't you take a little break?"
Frisk shook her head. She looked at her ocarina steadily. "I… I almost got it."
"From that magic, it sounds like you did get it," she said. She patted her head. "Take a break. Just a walk around the room, even. Breathe. You're doing well. Honestly."
"It's not too annoying, is it?" Frisk asked.
"Actually, I don't mind it at all. Though, I did get a bit distracted listening to it."
Frisk snorted a tired laugh and wiped her eyes on the heel of her hand. "Okay, okay."
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When Avenir gave her space, the kid hopped down from the chair and stretched. She put the pendant ocarina around her neck. The weight felt kind of good, somehow. The faint hum of Avenir's magic murmured in its structure. She lifted it and rubbed her thumb over the star mark on its surface. She almost couldn't believe it.
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The skeleton went back to her desk and began writing again. "Little one," she said after a moment. "May I ask? Had you seen a construct like the ones I made tonight before?"
"Not like Zapf's," Frisk said, looking up from her ocarina. "But Sans and Papyrus have blasters a little like that. Kinda different shape, though."
"…I see," she said, jotting something down in her notes. "And how did they obtain them? In a similar way?"
"I think dad made Sans's, and then Sans made the ones Paps has," she said. "Papyrus really wanted me to have one later but I didn't know if I even could because I'm… you know… Human." She grimaced. "Was…? Was that a problem at all? It seemed to work pretty quick."
"It was smoother than I expected," Avenir admitted. "I think it's that extra magic bound in you. How did that happen?"
"Ah… Soul broke. It was a whole thing," Frisk said bashfully. "It was my fault. I had to do it to save Az. But it really scared the heck outta everyone else and I almost blew up or something." She cupped her hand over her soul spot and couldn't help a fond smile. "My brother, Sans is… the weakest monster. Maybe ever. But it was his idea to do it. I was knocked out, but the others told me he just went for it. No plan; didn't even worry about what it might do to him. Crazy."
"You miss him," she said quietly.
"Oh my god so much," Frisk said with a weak laugh. "Like, I miss everyone? But he was out sick for days before we w… W-We left home originally to try to cure him. So I couldn't even say bye or anything. It's… hard."
Avenir nodded, her eyes full of sympathy. "Deep breaths, little demon."
Frisk nodded.
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She took a moment to pace the room, trying to calm herself. Her eyes drifted over the artefacts on the shelves. There was another, disassembled pictobox with sheets of dim photos piled up beside it.
"Thank you for answering my questions," Avenir said.
"Oh! No, of course. I mean… You're doing so much for me," Frisk said. "It's the least I can do, right?" She paused where she stood as her gaze came upon a familiar cube with many symbols on panels covering its sides. Eyes brightening, she stood on her toes to get a better look; it was very much like the one she and Papyrus had found in the castle when they'd visited. Excitement gave her a kick— a strange cube had been one of her clues.
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"Um, sorry, can I ask?" She pointed at the cube and turned, surprised to already find Avenir behind her. "What is that? Is it a puzzle?"
"Oh? Caught your eye, has it?" Avenir asked. She plucked it up in her long, slender fingers; the little symbols under her grasp lit with blue. "It's more like… hmm. A record keeper. Or a magical map. It can serve several functions, to be honest." She spun it on her fingertip and then offered it to the kid. "Care to take a look?"
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Frisk carefully accepted it. The symbols under her fingers lit up with the red of her magic. Avenir watched her curiously. She knelt down and gently wrapped her hands around the kid's.
"You've seen one before," she said.
"Ah… Yeah. I think so. Or something that seemed really close," Frisk said.
"Would you like to have it?" she asked.
"O-Oh, no, I couldn't," the kid said quickly, offering it back. "I m-might need to borrow it, though, is that okay?"
"Oh?" Avenir's red eye flared. She smiled. She gently took the cube and then, with a crackle of magic, pulled it apart from itself, seamlessly duplicating it. She handed the second one to Frisk. "There. That shouldn't cause problems."
"Wh…?! Th-Thank you!" Frisk said shrilly. "H-How'd you do that?"
"I invented this myself." She looked at the cube fondly. "Once you've composed your own, it's not so hard to duplicate."
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Frisk froze, blood chilling in her veins. She gulped. Avenir chuckled, looking up with both eyes shining.
"Did you think I wouldn't notice?" she asked. "The sounds in your soul are not hard to read. You didn't just wander here and bump into my Knights by accident." She pulled a small, leather-bound book from thin air and opened it, holding the pages open for the kid to see.
Drawn in black and red ink, there was the picture of a kid who was unmistakably Frisk, scar and all, with burning red eyes and red stripes on her wrists. She was facing a solid black-ink shape and surrounded by stars on one page, and, dripping wet, ran into Vera and Zapf on the next. Avenir turned to the next pair of pages, showing the market in Goblin Grotto on one. Beside it was a cabin consumed in flame and Zapf missing an arm and a horn, though red tendrils wrapped around him and a bright, red soul shielded him against six shadowy figures.
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Frisk's heart dropped to her stomach. "You…? You saw me?"
"I drew this two weeks ago." With a flick of her wrist, the journal vanished once more. "I knew they would find you. You're out of space. You're out of time. You don't belong here at all, little demon. Not that it isn't very nice to meet you. But where are you from? And who are you, really?"
The kid broke into a cold sweat. She clutched her cube with nervous fingers. Her tongue felt heavy. "Um… I… Yeah. I'm… not in the right time. Um. Is it okay to tell you? Will that mess something up? I mean, I will, if you want, it's just… I really don't know where exactly I am and I don't wanna… ruin anything."
Avenir tilted her head. "Your knowledge won't leave this room."
"I-It's… It's not a big deal for the world or anything," Frisk said. "It might be a big deal to you."
"Oh?" Her eyes glimmered. "Then. Please. I'm sure. I would like to know."
Frisk stalled. This must've been how Gaster felt back when she called him out at Grillby's.
"I-I'm… Uh. We're kinda… family," she said.
"I'm not sure I understand," the skeleton said, brow furrowing.
"You're, um…" She took a deep breath and smiled sideways. "If, um… If this is my world— and I'm pretty sure it is— you're my dad's mom? Sorry. That's, um, pretty weird, huh?"
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Avenir stared back at her blankly. "You're human. How is that possible?"
"I…! I can show you," Frisk said quickly. "Y-You don't have to just believe me outta nowhere, I know it sounds crazy." She lit her soul up and held out her hand. "If you l-let me I can—"
Avenir seized her and put the kid's hand against her soul spot, where the energy lit up bright blue and red through her white tunic, and bowed her head. Frisk touched on her temple and carefully pressed her brow to hers. She scrunched her eyes shut, trying to let a little of her memories flash over. A little of what she knew; a little of how she was made. The smallest smidge of Gaster. A tiny pinch of time travel. Hopefully, just enough.
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Avenir's shoulders went slack for a moment. The magic in the air hummed softly. Then, the big skeleton sat on the floor and yanked the kid into her arms, embracing her tightly. Frisk gulped heavily and her heart began to ache. She begged herself not to cry and she clung tight to Avenir, her soul syncing against hers before she could help it. Avenir's gladly reciprocated. She huffed out a soft laugh.
"I should have guessed there was some connection…" she said. "There's something about those points in your soul. And, when you called Vera's construct a blaster. I used to call them that as a child but the others teased me, so I stopped but… Hah. Always called them that in private."
"I'm sorry," Frisk said quietly.
"For what?!" the skeleton asked with shrill surprise.
"…This is so messed up." Frisk couldn't help but laugh and tears began to dribble down her face. "But I-I'm so happy to meet you."
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Avenir drew back and held the kid's face in her hands. She brushed her bangs away from her eyes for a moment and her claw traced the scar on her cheek. The skeleton's irises shimmered with colour and she grinned.
"I wondered why my dreams showed me so much of you. I never would have guessed," she said. "What a wonder. And you have…? Your brothers, they're—"
"Two of them are real skeletons, yeah," Frisk said. "I…! I wish they could meet you. Really. They'd love to! And I bet you'd love them. A-And my dad!"
"Hopefully I'm an alright mother," she joked.
"H-He thinks you're the best," she said.
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Avenir nodded. Her smile softened. "But you didn't know me before this, hm?"
Frisk grimaced. She shook her head. The skeleton went quiet. She stroked Frisk's hair carefully.
"It's… a really long time from now. Where I'm from," Frisk said. "Like, um… I think a thousand years, at least? Monsters, um… They didn't have it so good for a lot of that."
"But we've made it a thousand years more?" Avenir let out a small, pleased laugh. "That's reassuring!"
"I hope it's this world," Frisk muttered. "I… I think it is. I have your book."
"Which one?" Avenir joked, gesturing back towards the library.
The kid pulled the blue book of Dirges from her phone. Avenir stared at it, blinking blankly for a few seconds. She reached out, but then reconsidered. Her magic swept her own copy closer and she grabbed it out of the air. She opened up to a page in her version and then cautiously touched Frisk's. She found the same page, but there was just a tiny bit more text on it in a different coloured ink. She grinned wide and then closed both, jumping to her feet.
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"We're on our way," she said.
"Did you just do a paradox?" Frisk asked.
"Possibly. Don't worry, all I've done is given myself peace of mind." She clasped her hands together and her eyes glittered. "Oh, this is exciting! I hope you don't mind, I may be a bit vocal with my, um… Future sight, I suppose? I have a feeling you're fairly familiar."
"Yeah," she said.
"Good! Good. I just didn't want to alarm you, which is… why I didn't mention it sooner," she said. "But you're…! A timechild. I'm not sure what exactly that means. But that's the notion I got when your soul just touched mine."
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Frisk nodded. She put away the cube and the book as well, but instead grabbed one of her cans of sea tea. She tossed it into the air and used her magic to freeze it. Then, she reversed it back into her hand with a shimmer of red glittering off the metal. Avenir's eyes got big and starry. She lifted the kid up and sat her on a chair, dragging hers much closer.
"Tell me about it?" she asked.
"Yeah." She popped the tab on the can and handed it to the skeleton. "It's, uh. It's a lot. But. Yeah."
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Careful with her words, Frisk explained herself as Avenir sipped the cold tea from the future. She left out the death and the dust, as usual, but laid the stuff about the time loops and the void as bare as she could. She told her about the dreams Sans and her both experienced, as well as the premonition ability he had (and the more subtle version he had lent to her). She also explained how she'd come to be as best she could, even if why she was human was still sort of lost on her.
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Avenir was fascinated. As a test, she gladly and without warning broke the tip off one of her horns with a chisel from inside her desk. Frisk fixed it as fast as she could, receiving a big bear hug as a reward.
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The skeleton had just a little more work to do before sunrise. Frisk practiced her melody there for just a little longer before excusing herself to give Avenir a bit of quiet to work in. The skeleton kept getting distracted, staring at her when the music swelled.
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Zapf and Vera both had their new bone weapons and constructs out as they sat around the table in the library, trading notes. The bone bird sat on the back of one of the cushy fireplace chairs, while the large blaster skull drifted absently behind Vera, moving slightly every time she did. Zapf noticed Frisk first and perked up, waving at her.
"How did practice go?"
"Think it was okay," Frisk said.
"You were in there a while, huh?" Vera said.
Frisk trudged over and slumped on a chair with a loud, long sigh. "I told her."
"What?!" Vera barked.
"How was it?!" Zapf asked.
"G-Good. Good. It was good." She folded her arms and rested her head on them, cracking an exhausted smile. "Mightta just done a time paradox or some junk though. Aah, I hope everything works out okay…" Her smile fell and she sighed. "She was really nice about it. Sorta doesn't seem fair, though, y'know? I wish the rest of my family was here to meet you guys."
"I'm very glad it went well," Zapf said.
"Did you learn your super sense thing from her?" Frisk asked.
"He always had that," Vera said with a proud smile.
"She has helped me refine it," he said. "I still have a ways to go."
"Do you have the dreams?" Frisk asked worriedly.
He nodded. "You?"
"Yeeeeeah. They kinda stink," she said.
Zapf chuckled and patted her on the head. "Ah. Well. Useful sometimes, though."
"I guess." Frisk looked up to see Vera's blaster mirroring her worried expression from across the table. She smiled. "It's okay." She sat up and stretched. "It, um… It went better than I thought it would. A-And she gave me one of these." She took out the cube and set it in front of her. "I… I think this is what I needed."
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Vera leaned across the table and carefully took it, inspecting it curiously. Some of the symbols lit up turquoise under her fingers. "Oh, right! Yeah, I've seen this. We used it for the end of sound mazes before. 'Member, cuz?"
He nodded. "You can trap a soul's sound within it. Then follow it through your senses. Like, a beacon, I guess."
Frisk perked up at the word. As Vera passed the cube back to her, she clutched it close, excitement stirring inside her. She put it away to make sure it was safe. Her phone registered it as Avenir's Mystery Cube. She guessed that was about right.
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"I'm real glad you said somethin' to her," Vera admitted. She smiled sheepishly and tapped her hard fingertips together. "I really think that… Y'know, family, when y'got a good one, is real important, so… So! It's good to be close, while y'can, right? Sometimes that's all y'got."
Frisk nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm glad, too." It was still a bit unfair in her mind, though. She hoped the pictures she took would be some small comfort to her dad. "I really like her. I was just super glad she didn't seem… I dunno. Too freaked out? That I'm a human?"
"Nah, no way she would've!" Vera assured her. She winked. "Besides, you're a demon, right?"
"I'm not gonna live that down, huh?" Frisk said with a laugh.
"It's cute, though, I like it!" the skeleton said, grinning brightly.
"Actually, it was very brave," Zapf said quietly.
"I kinda feel like a dork though," Frisk said, rubbing her head.
"I know it is sometimes hard being the odd one out," he said. "When I was little, I was the only skeleton in my town with horns. I… know that's not the same at all, really, but—"
"No, I get it," she assured him. She put her cheek on her fist and cracked a smile. "I had horns for a bit one time, I didn't mind it."
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Zapf chuckled. He got up and returned with more soup for all three of them, carefully moving some of the books out of the way just in case. By the time they'd finished, Avenir loudly burst from her study, garbed in a sleek, grey armour over blue and off-white travelling clothes, with a carved, bone horn strapped across her chest. She also carried a large, pale wooden staff that was almost as tall as she was. Its shape was reminiscent of a long, thin wing-finger of a dragon with a large, sharp tip like a claw as its head. That curve of the "claw" cradled a large, round gemstone of pale, shifting colours with a four-pointed star suspended inside.
"Alright!" she announced. "The sun rises soon. I believe I'm prepared. Frisk? Are you?"
"O-Oh! Yeah, sure," she said.
"We're coming, too, yeah?" Vera said quickly, her blaster skull nodding along hurriedly.
"If you'd like. I'd be happy to have you," Avenir said. "Though it may be dangerous."
"We're Knights now," Zapf said with a sturdy, determined frown.
"Yeah, this is what we're for!" Vera insisted.
Avenir smiled fondly. She dipped her head. "I'm grateful. Then. Let's be on our way. We should try to reach the cluain east of here as quickly as we can."
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As Vera and Zapf got their armour back on, Avenir headed out to feed and prep her mare. Frisk didn't have much to do but quietly ask what a cluain was. Zapf told her it was similar to a meadow.
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It was still dark out with just the glimmerings of light at the edge of the sky. Frisk was disoriented; her sense of time was all out of whack. Avenir came out from around the side of the small castle, leading Nimbus by a rein. The horse had some armour on, now— a simple mask to protect her forehead and the top of her snout, plates around her chest and flanks, and some wide bands over top of mail to protect her neck. They all looked to be made of metal and shiny, smooth magic bone. Vera clapped her hands together.
"Eeeee, pony, y'look so brave!" she cooed, rubbing the big horse's chin affectionately. "Is that a new chanfron? I bet it issss!"
"I'm glad you like it," Avenir said with a laugh as Nimbus contentedly rubbed her head against the pointy-toothed skeleton.
"You don't think it'll be too dangerous, do you?" Zapf asked quietly.
"If I'm honest, I don't know," she said. "Better safe than not, I think." She handed Vera the reins. "Take Frisk ahead, will you? I'd like to talk to your cousin for just a little. We'll catch up."
"Uh, sure thing, Boss." Vera thumped her fist over her soul spot and then, grinning, picked Frisk up. "Y'ever been on a horse, shortie?"
"I-I don't think so," Frisk squeaked.
"No worries! Nimbus's real thoughtful-like! Easy ride." She lifted her up into the saddle and then hopped on behind her, reaching forward to pat the horse's plated neck. She put one arm around Frisk as she stuck her feet into the stirrups. "There we go. Hang on tight, okay?"
There was a raised bit on the front of the saddle that seemed to be the only thing to hang on to, so Frisk grabbed that. Vera raised a hand to wave at the others and tutted at the horse, who eagerly took off at a trot.
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The pace was bumpy at first, jostling Frisk up and down, but Vera's grip tightened on her. They left down a small path and then quickly turned off to the east. Nimbus's gate smoothed. She seemed to know the path.
"Doin' alright?" Vera asked.
"Y-Yeah!" Frisk said. "This i-is kinda cool!"
"I know!" The skeleton beamed.
"H-How are they gonna keep up, though? Can they do that bone surfing thing, too?" Frisk wondered.
"Yeah, the Boss definitely can," Vera said. "Don't worry 'bout them. She probably just wanted t'check in on Zapf."
"Why, is he doing bad?" Frisk asked worriedly. "I mean, I wouldn't blame him."
"Eh, he holds all that stuff in," she said, frowning very slightly. "Always been like that. But, like… he's the youngest of us, y'know? And the Boss… I mean, she's our Boss, but she's also kinda like a nice aunt or somethin', too. She does a good job helpin' out when we're down." She smiled sideways. "Don't worry too much, shortie, it'll be alright."
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Frisk nodded thoughtfully. "Are… you okay, though?"
"Me?! Sure! Why?" she said.
"We almost died and then Zapf almost died. I know you love him a lot," she said.
"A-Ah! Well…" Vera laughed sheepishly. "I was real freaked out when we had t'leave him, not gonna lie. But when you guys were okay, I was so relieved all the bad stuff kinda shot right outta my skull. I mean, I'm sure I'll have a nightmare or two at some point, but for now, I'm doin' okay!"
"Wish I was like that," Frisk joked half-heartedly.
"Well, you're like a tiny little kid. Even though y'talk a bit older. Of course it would effect ya," Vera said. "But, jeez, stop worryin' 'bout everyone else, alright? It's not good for your noggin'. You're too young for that junk."
Frisk wished she could take that advice. Many times, Sans had pulled her aside and said the same thing. It wasn't like she could help it, though. She nodded anyway.
"I-I'll try."
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As the sun crept into the sky, warming the clouds on the horizon with gold and pink, they broke the tree line into a huge field that was surrounded on all sides by more forest and littered with big outcroppings of rock. Vera dismounted near one of them and lifted Frisk down, and then gave Nimbus a grateful pat. The horse meandered away to graze.
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It wasn't long until Avenir and Zapf joined them. The younger skeleton looked as if he'd been crying, but his energy was lighter anyway. Vera greeted him with a big, tight hug and he wilted into it. Frisk really wanted to hug him, too, but she didn't. What had happened was still her fault. She didn't want to make it worse by accidentally forcing him to comfort her, because she was sure she'd start crying, too. Even so, he still seemed pleased to see her.
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Avenir shielded her eyes with her hand and squinted into the sun. She pulled out her spell book and flipped through it before nodding to herself and sending it away again. "I'm ready," she said. "Please get behind cover."
"Right!" Zapf seized Frisk and whisked her away behind the large jutting stone as Vera hurried to grab Nimbus and stash her away with them.
Once they were sheltered, Avenir thunked the base of her staff into the ground. It let out a low, magic thrum that carried pleasantly on the breeze. She pulled up the horn she wore and tapped it with red magic. She stood tall and blew into it, but no sound came out. Frisk frowned worriedly. Zapf's grip was tight and nervous. She held his hand. Golden sparks began to swirl from the end of the horn even though there was still only silence.
"Is it working?" she asked softly.
"…I think so?" Zapf said uncertainly.
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Avenir still seemed to be playing something they couldn't hear. Nimbus's ears strained towards Avenir and she took a step, but Vera gently held her back, cooing to her. The magic whirled around them like a bluster of flower petals caught in a gale. They spiralled off into the field and then ascended skyward. The skeleton lowered the horn and wiped her brow, and the gem in her staff glittered brightly.
"Hopefully they heard that," she said.
"How do we tell?" Frisk asked.
Avenir began to answer, but was drowned out by a loud, deep crash in the air, like thunder despite the clear sky. Everyone jumped. Nimbus whinnied and Vera quickly consoled her.
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As if dropped from the heavens, a gargantuan stone structure slammed onto the ground before them, bouncing them into the air. A chorus of birds erupted from the trees around them, their peeping and wings flapping just barely less jarring than the massive thoom of stone hitting the earth. It settled, and then, silence.
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Avenir let out a loud, disbelieving breath and then turned to the others, who were all clinging to each other behind the rock. She extended her hand.
"Come on, little demon, this is our chance," she said. "My Knights, wait here for a moment."
"What?! But what if it's dangerous?! Y'can't go alone," Vera said.
"You can rescue us, in that case." Avenir smiled fondly. "Otherwise, I'll signal for you to join us."
Vera sighed. "Okay, you're right," she said, pouting a little.
Zapf nodded quickly. He was reluctant letting Frisk go, his sharp eyes wide and worried. She turned to him and his face flushed.
"Careful," he said quietly.
Frisk nodded. She gave him a quick hug. "It'll be fine," she said. She took Avenir's hand and they headed out into the field.
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Whatever had arrived was massive. A mountainous, rectangular structure that towered higher than any tree. It could probably be seen for miles. It was made from smooth, brown-grey stone with little in the way of discernible features except what looked to be three massive, parallel grooves in the side facing them. If they were doors, they had nothing in the way of hinges or handles. Zapf's bone bird circled overhead. It looked no bigger than a fly next to it.
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"Whoa, that's crazy big, huh?" Frisk said, eyes wide.
"I believe many of them live in there," Avenir said quietly.
"Have you done this before?"
"Just once." The skeleton tightened her grip on her staff. "I was able to peek, but I did not actually go inside."
Frisk nodded. The closer she got, the dizzier she felt when she tried to look up to see the top. It felt like a mountain looming over them. The sunbeams behind it seemed to give it a golden glow around its edges.
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Once they were fully in its shadow, they paused near another small outcropping of rock. Avenir raised her staff slightly and a scuffling sound from behind them let them know Vera and Zapf were changing position to slink up behind it. Frisk gulped. She looked up at Avenir. The skeleton's brow was furrowed slightly, but she didn't seem too nervous. She raised her staff high and its gem glowed.
"Divine Beasts!" she shouted. "I have called you here to ask for aid! A great amount of magic is needed and time is short!" She gestured to Frisk. "This child's brother is missing, and there may not be another way to recover him! We would ask for your help in this matter! In exchange, I will grant you whatever you ask that is within my power to give!"
"A-Are you sure?" Frisk asked under her breath. "This is my problem."
Avenir dipped her head and she smiled slightly. "Part of the formalities, little demon."
.
Silence. The wind whistled. Avenir tapped the base of her staff into the ground. Frisk gripped her hands together nervously. Her heart began to beat a little too hard in her chest and she took a deep breath to steady herself.
"H-How do we know if—?"
The great slabs parted with the sound of groaning earth and split into a hallway so black nothing could be parsed from it. Frisk squeaked, grasping to Avenir's leg, and the skeleton put a hand on her head reassuringly.
"They're sending a messenger," she said at a whisper. "Careful."
Frisk gulped and nodded.
.
From the shadows, a small light spot shifted. Out into the grass pitter-pattered a tiny, white dog, holding a scroll in its mouth. Frisk's eyes lit right up and she couldn't help a relieved smile as all the tension left her little frame.
"Ooh, a dog!" she squeaked. She stepped ahead to meet him and knelt down. She held out her hand. "Hey there! Is that for us?"
"Careful," Avenir warned quietly.
Frisk wasn't sure what she meant. The small dog was wagging his tail, black eyes shimmering. He let the scroll go into her palm and she gratefully patted him on the head. The dog's eyes got big and he leaned into her hand. Frisk grinned, carefully placed the scroll aside, and went full in, squishing the dog's cheeks and rubbing his ears.
"W-Wait!" Avenir said.
"Hm?" Frisk looked back over her shoulder. "What's up?"
The skeleton's hand was extended as if to grab her and her eyes were shining and worried, but even so, she froze. Her arm dropped. "What are…? Frisk, what are you doing?"
"Oh! Petting him! Dogs love this!" She turned back to the pooch and grinned. "Don'tcha, buddy? Thanks for the message. You're a good dog, y'know?"
The dog seemed elated. He hopped up and licked her cheek once before spinning in place and bounding back into the shadowy fortress.
.
Frisk picked up the scroll and straightened up, then unfurled it as the skeleton came to peer over her shoulder. It was in English, but the words were mostly too complicated for her.
"How on earth did you know that would work?" Avenir asked.
"How what would work?" Frisk asked as she turned to pass over the scroll.
"The Divine Beasts are usually more… aloof than that. They behave strangely. And they often don't speak to us," Avenir said.
"Divine…? Wait, he was a Divine Beast?" Frisk asked.
She and Avenir stared at each other silently, the air aching with questions. The skeleton sighed quietly and read the note to herself as Vera and Zapf crept from behind the closest rock to join them.
.
"So, uh, what now?" Vera asked. "They gonna help?"
"I… believe they're letting us in," Avenir said. "Though…" She frowned and rolled the scroll back up. "Well. We'll see."
"That was very brave, Frisk," Zapf said, wide-eyed.
"Brave? Guys, come on, it was just a cute dog," she said. "Oh! Sorry! Do they try to take your bones or something?"
The skeletons replied with blank stares. Frisk was equally puzzled.
"…Do you guys not know what a dog is?" she asked.
"Eh…? Wait, is that what…? Are you calling the DBs that?" Vera asked. "A… dog? Where'd you come up with that?"
Frisk could only shrug. "I dunno, they're just called that, aren't they?"
Again, the kid and the skeletons were equally at a loss. Avenir smiled sideways and nodded her head towards the opening.
"Well. If they're allowing us in, we might as well go."
Zapf nodded. Vera put on a determined frown and she held Frisk's hand as they made their way inside.
.
The straight, dark entryway didn't look as dark from within it. There were widely spaced columns in line with the door, leading up to another dark opening that wasn't visible from the outside. On the walls far to either side were little sconces, faintly lighting some carved murals of stylized landscapes and dogs, all detailed with paw prints.
.
Vera clung tighter to Frisk, and though magic flared in her eyes and she put on a brave face, the skeleton looked nervous. Zapf also carried himself cautiously.
.
Beyond the columns, as if from nowhere, some tall shapes slid out: dogs of all shapes in long, grey robes with a sun on the front of them. Each one was adorable. The skeleton cousins stiffened but Avenir kept moving forward as if nothing had changed. Frisk caught sight of the little messenger dog, who was now standing upright and wearing a robe as well. She waved at him and his tiny ears perked as his tail began to wag. The next dog beside him's tail wagged as well.
.
Light didn't move properly in this place. The dark opening at the other end of the hall brightened up as they got closer, and as soon as they passed through, they were blinking in warm firelight. The room was oddly-shaped, long lengthwise with unevenly flared ends on the short sides. In the centre was a round fireplace surrounded by sharp triangles in tile on the floor, spiking out like sun rays. Big blue pillows built for giants littered the floor.
.
Then, like the ones outside had done, dogs appeared from all corners of the room, as if they'd been hidden only behind the pillows and in the sparse shadows. Pooches large and small, spotted and merle, white, and black, and brown, and golden. The skeletons bunched together but Frisk caught herself beaming.
"Oh my gosh, so many dogs," she said quietly. Her eyes were glittering: it was the cutest room in the world.
"Hello, Divine Beasts," Avenir said loudly. She bowed her head slightly. "We've come to ask for help, if this is acceptable to you."
.
The dogs made dog noises. From behind the flames, a big, white mound rose up, and what came with it was an opulently fluffy, massive white dog, ears up and twitching, with the only thing unusual about them other than their size being two extra eyes, one on top of the other, in the middle of their forehead. They leapt over the fire and sat in front of the group, lowering their face and staring at them closely, drawing in big sniffs. Frisk could hardly resist; the fur looked so soft. When the big snuffling snoot came close, she reached out and pet the four-eyed dog. All the eyes became big and shining, and within seconds, the massive dog was leaning into her, thumping one leg on the ground, tail wagging so hard embers flitted around the room from the fire. Frisk beamed. Finally, this was entirely comfortable and familiar.
.
Zapf grabbed Vera and pulled her back and away from the whooshing tail, but Avenir stared silently for a few moments, watching as the little human laughed and rubbed the dog's neck. The others began to close in curiously, tilting their heads and wagging their tails. Soon, more dogs crept into her reach, and Frisk was petting them too.
"How is she…? How did she…?!" Vera gawked. "Cuz, look at the DBs!"
"I know," he said quietly. "Maybe… her home has them?"
"But I never seen one act like that before!"
"Maybe we were just approaching them incorrectly," Avenir said. She turned to the nearest dog— a big fluffy mastiff— and offered her hand. "May I?"
The dog wagged his tail. Avenir rested her hand on his soft, fluffy head, and rubbed back and forth. He all but melted and the skeleton smiled.
"I see," she said softly.
.
Zapf gathered his courage and carefully approached where Frisk was sitting, surrounded by a dozen dogs. The four-eyed one had curled up around her, a big, fluffy fortress. He squatted down and petted a short black and white border collie dog, and she was instantly leaning on him, looking up with those same huge, dark, shiny eyes. He quickly found another, much larger jowly pooch getting in his space, and he sat down as the spotted one flopped herself across his lap.
"They're so cute, right?" Frisk said, grinning as she patted the largest dog's snout. "Ugh, I love dogs, they're always so nice."
"No way…" Vera had begun to squish the mastiff's cheeks. "You guys are really soft. Man, if I knew that, I wouldda patted y'way sooner!"
The big, four-eyed dog laughed with a high, feminine voice. "We would like that!"
The skeletons froze again.
"So you do speak our language," Avenir said.
The dogs began to bark, until the four-eyed one gently shushed them.
.
"It is nice to meet you, boney ones," the four-eyed dog said. She gently peeled herself away from Frisk and shook her fur out, blowing a breeze and more embers all around the room. "And this little human! How funny! I could have sworn she was a puppy."
"I had a dog trial and they said I got to keep puppy essence, if that helps," Frisk volunteered.
The dogs around her woofed agreeably, and the biggest dog smiled, tail wagging.
"And! You have spoken the name of Dog," she said. "We welcome you! I am Foredog. We heard your whistle. What is it that you need?"
.
"Thank you for hearing us out. We would ask for help, casting a powerful spell," Avenir said. "This little human's brother is adrift in the void of time and space, we're afraid. I have a spell that should be able to help him return to us, but it's a Dirge that must be performed in a round. I can carry one part, but not both."
"May I see it?" Foredog asked.
Avenir pulled her book from nowhere and opened it to show the page. The dog leaned in very close to the pages and, after a moment, she nodded.
"Hmm, I see, I see," Foredog said. "Very strong magic, very difficult." She tilted her head to the side. "We will need a gift."
"Name it," Avenir said swiftly.
The dog laughed. "Sorry! Not from you. From a much greater dog. If the Greatest Dog approves, we should be able to help."
"Can we meet the Greatest Dog?" Frisk asked.
Foredog tilted her head. "Will you do the Challenge of Dog?"
"Sure," she said.
"Then," Foredog said. "Pick your Champion."
.
Avenir grabbed all three of the others in her blue magic and whisked them close, though Zapf was still holding the black and white dog
"If it's a battle, I will do it," she said.
"But you are needed to perform the spell, send me instead," Zapf said.
"No way, cuz, y'just had it real rough. It'll be me doin' that stuff," Vera said.
"Guys, it's no big deal, I should do it, it's because of me we're even doing this junk to start with," Frisk said.
"But we're doin' all this for you, we don't want your brother comin' back t'you gettin' your tailbone booted!" Vera grabbed her shoulder. "The Boss is out. Me, you, and Zapf. Do stone, parchment, sheers for it."
"At a time like this?" Zapf asked.
"Yeah! Best way!" she insisted.
Frisk wasn't worried. Knowing the dogs, it wasn't going to be anything that couldn't be solved with a good ear rub. She put her hand out regardless. Zapf rolled his eyes and did the same.
"You three…" Avenir sighed. "Don't be foolish, you can't do it three ways with just one hand each. And besides, Frisk can anticipate movements, and will certainly cheat due to her sense of responsibility."
"Whaaaat? No I…" Frisk considered it. Actually, Avenir was probably right. She smiled bashfully. "Well. Only because I think I got this."
"Buhhh, but what if y'don't got it, smartypants?" Vera asked, folding her arms.
"Then… I dunno. But I think it'll be fine." She looked up at them with big eyes. "Please, guys? I really super appreciate you wanting to, but I think I can do it. I know dogs pretty well! Promise."
.
Zapf grimaced worriedly and shot a look at his cousin. She pouted. Avenir sighed.
"Stubborn," she said softly. "So be it." She put her hand on her head and cracked a smile. "I trust you, little demon."
"What?! I mean! Yeah, I trust you, too, but still…" Vera grumbled.
Zapf knelt a little and gently touched Frisk's forehead with a glimmer of pink magic. She felt a reassuring warmth surge through her bones.
"Good luck, Frisk," he said.
"Thanks, guys," she said. She turned back to the dogs. "I'm ready. I'll do your challenge."
.
The dogs at the edges of the room bayed in a mysterious melody. Others stomped their little paws along with it. Foredog smiled. She closed her eyes, threw back her head, and howled. The fire at the centre of the room glowed and, from it, a shining, round object rose. It floated to Frisk and rested in her hands before the light dimmed, revealing a disk emblazoned with the sun.
"First," Foredog said. "Answer: whomst is a good dog?"
"Oh, easy!" Frisk grinned. "All of you are good dogs. All dogs are good dogs, pretty sure!"
The dogs all rumbled with pleased murmurs, and every tail in the room was wagging. Foredog's ears perked forward.
"Second! The object you hold. What is its meaning? Its purpose?"
.
Avenir frowned nervously. Vera grabbed her hand. Zapf hugged the border collie closer.
.
Frisk looked at the sun disk she held. She turned it over in her hands a few times. The shape was familiar. She grinned. She took a few steps back. Checked behind her. A few more. She flipped it on its side and, with a flick of her wrist, gave it a toss. It sailed through the air like a breeze, to a chorus of gasps. Foredog hopped and caught it in her mouth, tail up and wagging proudly. Frisk grinned and clapped.
"Nice!" she cheered.
.
Foredog swallowed the disk. She stared Frisk down with big, dark eyes. "Third!" She grinned. "You passed! Congradoglations!"
.
The dogs erupted into joyful howls. Again, Frisk was overcome with excited fuzzballs, all of which she gladly petted. When they moved apart, a red artefact was left before the flame. It was shiny and spherical, with not much else of note about it. The kid's eyes went wide. It was exactly like what she'd seen in the Sun Temple with the glowing Papyrus. Foredog smiled warmly.
"Put the artifact in our fire, and we will see if the Greatest Dog will answer us," she said.
.
Frisk grabbed the red orb and, after rolling it in her hands for a moment, she lobbed it into the flames. It vanished.
"Greatest Dog, we call to you. Here, Greatest Dog!" Foredog howled a little tune and then looked at Frisk expectantly.
The kid hurriedly grabbed her ocarina from around her neck and stumblingly tooted the same melody. The monsters waited with bated breath. The fire crackled softly. Its embers roiled and sputtered and a thunderous woof answered. The flame burst white and engulfed the room in a blazing heat.
.
Frisk recoiled, covering her face, but the sensation subsided into a pleasant warmth, like the sun on a cool day. She blinked and peered through gleaming, pale fire that flowed, mesmerizing, around her in an endless plain.
.
Flames curled and spiralled, twirling calmly, and Frisk thought she heard a small noise. She turned, peering around curiously in the blaze, only to see a pinpoint of white light. There was the sound again, though she wasn't sure what it was. It was a little like a growl, but nasally, somehow. Frisk took a deep breath of the warm air and marched forward towards the light.
.
Piercing the blinding white, it gave way to what looked like fire and molten gold run through a kaleidoscope. In the intricate, fractal patterns, slept a massive, white dog. He looked somewhere in between a pomeranian and a samoyed, but was the size of a house. His eyes were closed and, very quickly, Frisk recognized those bizarre sounds as the snores of the dog. She held back a laugh and edged around towards his face. The red orb sat by his snout.
.
Cautiously, Frisk sat down in front of the massive dog, though he didn't budge.
"Greatest Dog?" she asked.
The dog snorted and let out three little, nasally huffs. The kid edged closer. She put her hand on his snout and realized that, despite all the soft dogs she'd felt, this one was by far the softest. She gently rubbed the top of the dog's nose and, after just a few seconds, the huge creature opened sparkling, obsidian black eyes that stared at her with surprise.
"H-Hi!" she said, pulling back carefully.
The dog smacked his lips and his big, fluffy tail did one wag.
"Are you Greatest Dog? I'm Frisk," she said.
The dog's eyes brightened and his tail wagged twice. She laughed.
"It's good to meet you! I guess this is why you're Greatest Dog, huh? I've never seen a dog so big before!"
He seemed pleased. He woofed so loud it shuddered the world and then snuffled towards her. She couldn't help but laugh and she rubbed his big fuzzy cheek. Greatest Dog fully flopped onto his side and the tiny kid pet around his closest ear. He looked up at her with a nebulous expression. He was so soft, she could have stayed there for hours.
.
"This is nuts," she said softly.
He tilted his head slightly and let out a small aroo.
"Oh! Sorry, I don't wanna bother you with that," she said. "I just kinda got shot through time is all. And I met my grandma before my dad is even born."
Greatest Dog aroo-ed again.
"I know, crazy, right?" Frisk said. "Now I'm here and I've never seen a place that looks even close to this. You live in here?"
The massive dog panted in reply, puffing out warm air that somehow smelled like toasted marshmallows. Frisk snickered.
"Yeah, it's nice!" She sighed. "Sorry to come in here just to ask a favour. Foredog sent me. Because I need help finding my brother."
Greatest Dog panted, his tongue lolling out to the side. Frisk smiled and nodded.
"Yeah, you're right. Dogs are kinda the best at finding stuff."
.
The gargantuan fluff ball rolled to his paws and shook his fur out, stirring a cooling breeze over the kid. He sneezed on the artefact, high-pitched and loud, and it turned reflective, shining bright with mirrored flame. He nosed it towards her. Hoping that it would not be slimy, Frisk picked it up. Thankfully, it was not.
"Thank you," she said. "Do, um…? Do you want me to throw it?"
The dog instantly leapt into a play-bow, butt in the air, tail wagging so fast it became a blur, but he quickly corrected himself before she could toss it, shaking his fur out and jumping to attention. He let out one loud, resounding BORK, and a spiral of white light opened before him. His eyes darted between Frisk and the light. Frisk turned to look, shielding her eyes with her hand for a moment and blinking hard.
"O-Okay. Okay. I got it," she said. She turned back to him with a smile. "Thank you so much, I really appreciate it."
Greatest Dog bent down to her and she gratefully petted his snout again. His eyes glistened with stars and he licked her, his tongue so big it knocked her over and her whole body glowed red for just a second. She spluttered and laughed, wiping her cheek.
"Ack! Th-Thanks?" She giggled as he shoved his nose up to her. She grabbed him and he lifted her to her feet. "I hope I'll see you again sometime."
The massive pooch barked and panted, tail wagging. She waved and, taking a deep breath, stepped into the light.
.
Just a moment later, Frisk stumbled out of the fire and was instantly pulled into the arms of a watery-eyed skeleton.
"Aaaaah, shortie, we were woooorrieed!" Vera whined, squeezing her tight.
"Ah! I'm o-okay! I'm okay!" Frisk said quickly. She hugged her regardless, only to receive an excessively crushing squish in reply.
A big hand settled on her head and she looked up to see Zapf smiling down at her and the little dog he still held wagging her tail.
"Alright, you three." Avenir gently moved them aside, knelt down, and cupped the girl's cheek with a fond smile. Then, her eyes narrowed. "Why are you damp?"
"Ahh… Um. Greatest Dog slobber," she said bashfully.
"…Ah."
.
"So!" Foredog drew their attention with the loud bark of a word. She looked at them with all four eyes beaming as she padded softly up to them. "Have you received something from Greatest Dog?"
The skeletons gave the kid the tiniest bit of space and Frisk turned to the not-quite-as-massive-but-still-incredibly-large dog.
"He gave me this back," she said, holding out the shining orb, "and he licked me."
The dogs all around the room bayed approvingly. Foredog smiled. She took the orb when Frisk offered and, just like the sun disk, consumed it. Red magic shimmered at the ends of her white fur and a light like fire glimmered in the dark of her eyes.
"Timechild, we will help you," Foredog asserted. "Or, more, I will help."
"Really?!" Frisk couldn't help but beam. She grabbed the massive dog and hugged her tight. "Th-Thank you so much!"
Foredog's tail wagged and she nuzzled her big white face against the tiny kid before straightening up. The other dogs gave them space as she leapt the fire pit once more and nodded for them to follow her into a dark opening that wasn't there before on the other side of the room.
"Walk with me," she said. "Take a moment, if you need it." She vanished.
.
Frisk was more excited than she had words for. She began to follow, but was held back gently by Avenir. The big skeleton pulled her into a gentle hug. The kid certainly wasn't going to reject that. Avenir patted her hair before drawing back to look her in the face.
"What did you see in there?" she asked.
"A lot of spiral fire and the biggest dog ever," Frisk said. "Super cute."
"I still can't believe y'just started callin' DBs dogs and y'were totally right," Vera said, wide-eyed.
"But they're totally dogs," Frisk said with a laugh.
"Do you have them where you live?" Zapf asked as he finally put down his new little dog friend. "You do, don't you?"
"Yeah, a bunch," Frisk said, waving to the dog as she also waved and bounded away to join the other pooches. "But we don't have, like… any of this kinda stuff? Sun Temples with dogs and—"
.
The kid felt like her brain fizzed all of a sudden. Pieces slid into place and she realized she'd seen a lot of the same stuff with the dogs in the world Pidge and the sharp-toothed skeleton brothers lived in. That would explain all the dog statues. Even the Sun Priest, Soleil, had been a dog. They hadn't had the massive war with humans. Maybe this was another thing her world had lost when the monsters were forced underground.
"Oooh. I guess… I-I think… I dunno, maybe dogs just wanted to live like normal?" she suggested, her voice going shrill as she stumbled over the fib.
The skeletons looked confused. She smiled nervously. She knew they'd caught her, but to her relief, neither Zapf nor Avenir pressed. Vera tapped her teeth thoughtfully.
"Could be," she said. "Weird! But, hey, I'm real glad they're super nice." She tilted their head. "Y'think they want anything for helpin' out?"
"Pet them a lot," Frisk said. "They really love that."
Avenir cupped her chin. "It's really no wonder communication was so difficult," she mused. "We were doing exactly the opposite of what they liked." She sighed and laughed quietly, shaking her head. "Don't worry about the compensation, I'll discuss that with them later. Come."
.
When they entered the dark doorway, it lead into an orb of golden magic. Foredog was already sitting inside. The magic closed up behind them and, with a loud woof, it began to float upwards until it popped from the floor of a huge plane with a base of rock and grass. Smooth stone walls stood around it, but the roof was clear and full of warm light.
.
Other dogs were here, mostly around the edges and near a glinting, crystal pond, and there were stone benches scattered all over. Foredog lead the group into the centre, where a bright, gold gemstone sat imbedded in a circle of smooth, polished rock.
"Here is the best place to make preparations," Foredog said.
"Perfect." Avenir held her staff out to the dog. "Where might be best to place this?"
The huge dog took the staff from her in her mouth and then nonchalantly plunged it into the golden gem. It slid in and stuck as if the jewel were jelly. Avenir's eyes lit with curiosity. She pulled some chalk from her tunic and began to draw circles on the floor around it.
"Can we help?" Zapf asked.
"Prepare a healing station," she said. "We don't know what may happen. To us, or to the boy, if we find him."
"Right!" Vera saluted and grabbed her cousin's arm. "Got an idea!" She dragged him over to the nearest bench and pulled a large bag from her mallet space. "We'll be over here!"
"Perfect," Avenir assured them.
.
Frisk's fingers tapped over the holes on her ocarina as she watched the circles evolve into strange constellations and geometric shapes, decorated with runes and dots on lines that resembled music notes. Her heart began to pound. She hoped this would work. It had to, right?
"Does the crystal serve as enough of an earth connection?" Avenir asked.
Foredog smiled. "Clever! It does." She looked up, squinting into the light. "We have everything we need. I'm excited to see what you've created in action."
"I feel the same," the skeleton said with a laugh. She drew the moon in one of the final circles, and a star in another; the centre was reserved for a massive sun with the crystal and staff at is centre. She shot Frisk a curious look. "Are you ready, little demon?"
"Yeah," she answered instantly. "Whatever you need me to do."
.
Avenir looked thoughtful. She picked Frisk up and stood her in the circle marked with a star. Foredog licked her paw and put it down in the moon circle. It left a print lit with gold and silver magic.
"I believe we're ready," Avenir said.
"Good luck!" Zapf called.
"You got this!" Vera cheered.
.
With one more look at the spell book, Avenir's eyes lit up with blue and red. Her soul pulsed a low and moody melody. Drums beat from nowhere and the sky seemed to darken save for the bright dot of the sun. A deep, voiceless choir rose up from her soul and her bi-coloured magic began to draw lines on its own on the rock, merging with the chalk and dyeing it at its touch. The melody was higher, strong and solid, one clear voice starting a haunting path. Magic sparks glimmered in the air, swirling around her, and after a few pulses, Foredog lifted her head and howled along, the same tune but a few bars back. Avenir waved a hand in an invisible, flowing symbol, and the magic seemed to bend to her.
.
The energy drawing itself on the ground sped until all but the star circle was saturated in red, blue, and gold. Frisk gulped heavily. The magic tugged on her. She cautiously let her soul light up and red surged over the chalk. Foredog's eyes lit with searing crimson and Avenir's light overwhelmed the dark in her sockets, a blazing star shining in the air between her horns. In the middle of the group, the staff beamed rainbow light, its own star mirroring Avenir's.
"His notes. Quickly," she said, her voice strained.
.
Frisk snatched up her ocarina and played Asriel's hum, trying not to rush despite desperately wanting to. Her own song swirled out of her soul and spun red magic around her as if carried in the wind. Foredog howled Asriel's melody and Avenir waved a hand, conducting the energy into the song of the universe. The star dimmed into deep, impenetrable black, so dark it hurt the eyes. Frisk's leaned forward, scanning for red deep within it. Like an eye of its own, the star swept through space. She felt a pull in her chest. She played the song again the void raced up to meet her, showing her a vision in red of Asriel with wings of pitch magic, frozen in a falcon's dive. Shadowy hands clutched at his form. His time was almost static.
.
"Quickly," Avenir insisted again.
Frisk's soul pulsed against her brother's. She reached out into the blackness could feel his shirt in her hands. She grabbed him as tight as she could and pulled, yanking him back into proper colour and onto the magic circles as they tumbled to the floor together. He grunted, wings melting into smoke as he collapsed on her, a small, panting heap of white fur. He rolled over and his pale, dizzy eyes tried to focus.
.
"Eeeey, it worked!" Vera cheered.
"Hurry. Close it." Avenir said.
Frisk staggered upright in a daze. She rested her hand against the rip and focussed as well as she could. Red flared in her eyes and the star-shaped hole into the void sealed itself off as if nothing had ever been there. She dropped to her knees as the cacophonous spelled died down, just as Asriel shoved himself upright. They locked eyes and she felt herself turn to putty. She reached out for him with shaking hands and touched his fuzzy cheek.
"Y-You're…?" She gritted her teeth and knocked the wind out of him with a desperate hug.
He laughed quietly and gladly wrapped her in his arms. "Dude, what happened, what—?"
"It's okay. It's okay, it's okay, it's okay," she mumbled, more to herself than to anything, even as her throat snagged. Big, hot tears rolled down her cheeks and she buried her face against his neck. "I-I'm sorry, it's okay, I…! I-I…! Ohmigosh…"
.
Asriel sat back onto his tail. His head was reeling and his eyes hurt from the light, but his sister's soul was stuck so close to his he was afraid he might pull it from her little body if he even moved. It ached so deeply that, somehow, it felt good. He snuggled her and she gripped into his fur.
"…Sis, what…? How long…? How long've you been out?" he asked quietly.
"I-It's been a c-couple days a-and I didn't know if I'd even be able to find you and i-it's been so crazy and I missed you so much and I'm s-s-so sorry I couldn't hold on and that you fell and—"
"Shhhh, shh, it's okay," he said. "It's okay. What happened, you didn't get hurt, did you?"
Frisk wheezed. Everything hurt. "I fell and I woke up somewhere else and there were S-Sans and Paps but different and another time kid and they tried to help but I got arrested a bunch and I had to fight Undyne and it was scary 'cause I didn't know wh-what would h-happen if she killed me and I couldn't find you and they thought i-it might t-take months and th-then I got lost out here and these nice skeles tried to help but I a-almost got them all k-k-killed and I made some guys throw up all over and they hated monsters s-s-so much and I'm s-such a m-mess and I j-just…" Her words were lost to incoherent sobs and she clutched to him for dear life.
The goat boy's jaw dropped. He rubbed her head and glowed his soul against hers as warmly as he could as she became a limp, weeping mess. He gulped. Trying to channel their mother, he shushed her gently and rested his chin on her head, humming a quiet lullaby as well as he could.
.
Once she finally began to catch her breath a little, he eased up enough that he managed to look around. There was a large horned skeleton he didn't recognize trying to help up a massive dog who had collapsed onto the grass. Two more skeletons were to their right, both of them looking exceedingly worried as the shorter of the two rushed to the dog with her arms full of food. The taller of the skeletons had pink glowing in his eyes. He cautiously waved to Asriel and the kid raised a couple fingers in reply. Though he hesitated a moment longer, the skeleton was very brisk walking over to them. He squatted down.
"I'm sorry," he said quietly. "Are you hurt at all?"
"N-No," he said quickly. "…Who're—?"
"Is Frisk hurt?"
Asriel had no idea. "Frisk? Hey. Friiiisk. Frisk. It's okay." He gently lifted her face.
She had deep, dark circles under her eyes and tears were still pouring down her face. He wiped her eyes with his thumbs and smooched her on the forehead.
"C'mon. You got this. Okay?"
"Noooo I donnn't," she whined.
"You totally do. It's okay. Love you."
"L-Love you s-so much," she squeaked.
He booped his nose hard against hers and she couldn't help a hoarse laugh. He grinned. "Deep breaths. Alright." He tilted his head towards Zapf. "This guy wants to know if you're hurt."
.
Frisk's face flushed darker and she looked up at Zapf with big eyes. "Zaaapf, oh n-no, no no, I'm o-okay, please don't worry!"
"You were crying very hard, though," he said gently.
She sniffled loudly and tried to choke back the lump in her throat. "I-I guess it was j-just a lot." She finally released her brother and wiped her eyes with her palms. "I'm sorry."
The skeleton shook his head and reached out to gently ruffle her hair. Asriel snickered.
"Lookit you, makin' friends all over the place, huh?" he said. He shot the skeleton a smile. "I'm Asriel, by the way."
"I know. I'm Zapf," the skeleton said. "I'm very happy to see you're alright. She was very worried about you."
"Yeah, I see." He squished Frisk's cheeks. "You're a mess."
"I knoooww." She held his hands and blew out a long, shaking sigh. She met his eyes and she cracked a smile. "I'm so glad you're here."
"Was it a long time out here?" he asked.
.
Frisk frowned in thought. She sniffled as she tried to count on her fingers. "Um. F…? Four…? Five days? I dunno. Something like that, it's hard to tell."
"Jeez." His eyes went wide and he put a hand to his head. "Wasn't even close to that on my end. Man. I'm sorry."
She shook her head. "I-I gotta tell you s-so much."
"I bet! I got a little myself, but let's just take a breather first, alright?" he said.
Frisk grimaced, but she nodded. She took another deep breath, sniffled, and then finally seemed to gain some sense of space again. She took one look at the dog across the room and squeaked with surprise. She got to her feet and stumbled over, just as the huge monster managed to heave herself up.
.
"A-Are you okay?!" Frisk demanded.
"Y-Yes, timechild, don't worry," Foredog said, though she sounded a little short of breath. "What an experience!"
"How about you?" Avenir asked the kid worriedly.
"F-Fine!" she said shrilly. She turned only to almost run straight into Asriel. She grabbed his hand tight. "Um! This is my brother, Asriel! A-And, um. Az." She pointed sheepishly at the monsters. "This is Foredog. And Avenir."
"Av…? Wait, Avenir?" he said loudly, eyes bugging out.
The skeleton smiled sideways. "Ah. I see my name is familiar to you, too, little Prince. It's good to meet you." She knelt as her eye flashed red and she gently held the boy's cheek. "Poor thing. Your soul is so heavy."
"Y… Yeah. Guess so. I'm alright," he said sheepishly. "Thanks for helping my sister."
She dipped her head and smiled warmly at him. "Very glad to." She rested her hand on Foredog's shoulder and pulled her staff out of the crystal. "I believe I can soften the blow a little. Shall we?"
"Thank you," the dog said, her tail wagging lethargically.
.
As they moved off towards one of the ponds, Asriel grabbed Frisk's shoulder and leaned in close.
"Dude, wait, don't tell me that's your grandma?!" he asked.
"Y-Yeah, pretty sure," Frisk said. "I told her a few hours ago."
"And?!"
Frisk smiled sheepishly. "She was really nice about it."
"Does weird psychic stuff actually run in your family?" he asked.
"Seems kinda like it," she said.
"How'd you get yourself into this?!" he said with a laugh.
"I saw that grey guy who looked like Sans again, it was a whole thing," she said, rubbing her head. "Th-This isn't even where I fell into, this is… somewhere else?"
.
"Hey!" Vera slid up to join them. Her eyes were instantly glittering when Asriel turned to look at her. "Woooww… Man, you're even cuter in person."
"Course I am!" He tossed his ears with immense sass and then burst out laughing, his cheeks flushing faintly. "Hah! Thanks." He put a hand to his chest. "I'm Asriel."
"Vera," she said. "Nice t'meet you, fluffstuff! Glad y'made it. Aw, shortie, y'alright now?" She bent and offered Frisk a hug, which she gladly took. "Had a good cry?"
"Y-Yeah." The kid blushed. "Yeah, I'm okay."
"Great!" She pulled back, patting Frisk's head, and offered both kids a fried pastry, crimped around the outside to vaguely flower-shaped with a dark golden filling peeking from a hole in the middle. "Eat up, it's good for ya!"
.
Frisk tried it first as Asriel inspected it curiously. The pastry was crispy and buttery and only lightly sweet, and the filling was a little like cheesecake but softer, gooey and smooth, with sugary, nutty mixture caramelized on top.
"Wow, thanks, that's amazing," she said around a mouthful.
Asriel tilted his head and then took a big bite. His eyes bugged out. "Wow, that's good, where'd you get that?!"
"Picked 'em up at the last inn," she said.
"You got an extra?! I'll trade you," Asriel said, pulling out his phone and skimming his item list. "Whatcha want?"
"Uhh… Ooh. You got any peanut butter stuff? Zapf loves that."
"Deal." He held out a perfectly toasted peanut butter and jelly sandwich from nowhere.
Vera laughed and gladly traded him for another pastry, which he safely ferreted away. "Damn, kid, you're goin' a tathe a second! Was it cramped in there or something?"
"No, opposite," he said. He gave Frisk a gentle nudge. "I'm gonna give that to mom and see if we can make more."
"That's super smart," she said.
.
"Ooh, alright, question," Vera said. "Fluffstuff, what the heck are ya, exactly?"
"Uh." Asriel blinked. "Like… a dragon goat, sorta?"
"But what's your real name," she pressed. "Are y'luck dragons, or capripans, or what?"
Asriel stared at her blankly. After a few moments of silence, he burst out laughing, shaking his head quickly. "Y'know, I have no clue!"
"What?! Even you?!" she yelped. "No way!"
"It never really came up," he said apologetically. "We mostly make goat jokes at ourselves, though."
"Yeah, but, a real goaty goat monster doesn't usually have that kinda snout or big teeth like you, and they usually got hooveses, and don't breathe fire. Y'do breathe fire, yeah?"
Asriel blew out a soft flame in reply and Vera gestured to it with both hands.
"Yeah, like that!" She rubbed her head. "Y'really don't know, huh?"
"Sorry," he said with an apologetic smile.
"Guess it's gotta stay a mystery," Vera said with a sigh.
.
"So, uh…" Asriel took a look around. "Where are we?"
"A really big tower thing that's just full of dogs," Frisk said.
"Oh. Cool. Sounds cozy," he said. "That must've been nice for you at least, huh?"
"Listen. There's like, dozens and dozens of dogs," the kid said, eyes sparkling. "I saw the biggest dog ever and he was so cute."
"How big?"
Frisk held out her arms. "Like as big as our house or something!"
"That sounds pretty great," he said with a nod.
"So you both know what these dogs are?" Vera asked curiously.
"They are from the same place," Zapf said as he joined them.
"It's just nuts goin' from hardly even knowin' what they look like to pattin' 'em on their cute heads in like a day," she said with a laugh.
Asriel looked between the skeletons with a puzzled frown. "Sounds like I'm missing a lot."
"So much," Frisk said. "W-Wanna…?"
"Yeah," he said.
.
The gathered themselves up near the bench the skeletons had set up at and sat in the soft grass. Frisk explained everything she could, starting from the pond, with brief interjections from her new friends. Asriel was particularly impressed by Zapf's description of the fight with the humans, even though Frisk clung to his paw with tight, nervous fingers through the whole thing.
.
Once they were done, Asriel explained what had happened in their short time apart, from his perspective. How he'd been hit by some beam that had knocked him from himself into a confused, grey mess. How the creature they suspected was another Gaster had tried to pursue him back to their home; how he'd been trying to destroy the weapon that'd shot him before he'd been pulled from the void. Including the odd time as a scattered, wandering ghost, it probably hadn't been more than a few hours. Asriel was adamant now that this was not the Gaster they'd met in the last world, unless it'd been a hundred or so years over there. This new guy was far too powerful to be the same man.
.
Frisk couldn't figure out if it was before or after the skeleton had appeared to her in black ooze. Asriel also repeated Gaster's vague reply about how Sans was doing— Frisk supposed learning that he had been better was better than hearing he was a pile of dust in a ketchup bottle or something. Besides all that, she really hoped that was the last they'd hear from this strange skeleton man out in the void. They'd keep an extra eye out, though. The last thing they needed was some guy with a weird time weapon going around messing stuff up, on top of everything else.
.
When Avenir returned, she looked spent but pleased. She plopped down behind Frisk and scooped her up, holding her not unlike one of the small dogs from earlier. "It's all settled."
"Nice one, Boss!" Vera said brightly as Zapf clapped quietly.
"I'm just glad you're okay after that," Frisk said. "Foredog is too, right?"
"She's fine. Tired. She'll have to sleep it off." Avenir smiled. "As will I, I expect." She grinned rather proudly. "Despite the circumstances, I have to thank you two little ones. That composition was strictly theoretical. I never expected to use it. It was amazing to hear it at work."
"Guess maybe y'could do other big ones with Foredog, huh?" Vera wondered. "Since she's gotta be a Lord t'be that tough, right?"
"Hopefully," Avenir agreed.
"Do you, um, need anything from me?" Frisk asked. "For the, um…? I mean, if they wanted something for doing such a big favour?"
The big skeleton shook her head. "All they asked for was to allow some of the dogs to come train as Knights. And to make an official introduction for them in Burgstede. Both things I am more than happy to do."
.
"Wait, so how long these guys been around and you didn't even know they were dogs?" Asriel asked curiously.
"Hey, I dunno if anyone even knows what dogs are right this second," Vera said. "But they been around… I dunno, feels like forever, yeah?"
"Oh, hundreds of years, probably." Avenir chuckled. "A massive miscommunication, it seems."
"We were staying at a respectful distance," Zapf said, "but they wished to be pet, I think."
Asriel snorted and laughed, grinning wide. "You'll like having them around as long as you don't mind one chompin' on your leg a bit every once in a while."
"Ooh, yeah, that cute little one back home does that to Paps a lot," Frisk said quietly. "They, um, don't really get personal space? But I don't mind too much."
"What monster gets personal space?" Asriel joked. "I don't know if I've met a single one!"
"Oh!" Avenir looked down at Frisk. "You don't mind, d—?"
"Definitely don't mind!" the kid said quickly.
"If Frisk could be in hugs like every second, she'd do that," Asriel teased.
"I mean you're not wrong," she said. She gestured to Vera and Zapf. "Oh. Um. They know the future stuff, too, by the way."
"I guessed as much," Avenir said. She patted her head with a cooling glimmer of blue. "What a fascinating little while, hm?"
.
"You look much better," Zapf told Frisk.
Vera nodded readily. The kid's face flushed, and Asriel grabbed her closest hand and smiled.
"We, uh… I was kinda in a bad place just a couple months ago and we finally just got things settled and… A-And, uh, y'know, our souls are kinda stuck together, so we both kinda end up in a dumb heap if we're apart too long, still."
"He gets grumpy and I cry a lot," Frisk said with a sigh.
"Then it's too early," Avenir said. "Souls can take along time to heal. Little Prince, I don't know your story, but I know the feel of your soul is far from usual. Take your time, alright? Both of you. Whatever happened, you shouldn't pressure yourself to feel normal too quickly if it causes you stress."
Asriel blinked. He was at a loss. He nodded sheepishly.
.
"Wait a sec, you're a Prince?" Vera asked, leaning forward. She gasped and looked at Frisk. "So you're a Princess?!"
"What?! No!" Frisk said with a laugh. "No no, it's from his dad. We have different dads."
"Oooh, right, right. Wait." She put her hands up. "So. If… we're like the past for you guys, does that mean fluffstuff's ancestors are…? Where do y'think, in Burgstede?"
Asriel shrugged widely. "Got a King Goreged or Queen Astrid Dreemurr?"
"Both of those," Zapf said.
"And how 'bout Duchesses Edifyr and Delmi?"
"Definitely heard of Edifyr, at least," Vera said.
"Then yep!" Asriel laughed and rubbed the back of his head. "That's… surreal. I mean. Not as much as…" He looked at Avenir and smiled wide. "Damn, just kinda hit me how nuts this is."
"I suppose it is," she agreed with a smile. "But I'm glad."
"Okay, so, I know we probably don't wanna say too much about the future," he said, "but your kid? He's great. That's it."
She laughed. "Well. I'm glad. I'm sure I'll think so, too. I quite enjoy his little one, if I do say so."
.
Frisk blushed. She felt like, somehow, it was a mistake. Like she'd somehow fooled these kind skeletons into liking her. Wouldn't it have been better if Avenir could have met her real skeleton decedents instead of this insecure, unnatural human? It wasn't logical. Wasn't even possible. Frisk's mind was running away with her. She tried to steady herself.
.
She cracked a tepid smile and the big skeleton gave her a warm shimmer of magic through her hands. The palpable affection surprised her. She slumped.
"Th-Thank you," she said quietly.
"Sorry to interrupt!" A big, puffball of a collie dog rolled up to them. He beckoned with a paw. "Before you go, you should come soak your bones in our moonwater! It should help." He pointed to one of the ponds, where Foredog now sat with a steaming towel on her head.
Asriel raised his brows. "That sounds pretty good."
The skeletons shared a look. Vera smiled hopefully. Avenir chuckled.
"Go on," she said. She gently put Frisk down and then got to her feet, stretching, as Vera grabbed her cousin's hand and dragged him after the collie. She followed along with a smooth, sleepy gait. "We're in no rush, are we?"
Frisk shook her head. She wasn't really in the mood to float in a pond again, but she'd be more than happy to laze around with a bunch of dogs for just a little longer.
.
Asriel grinned. He snuck in close to whisper in her ear. "And you can tell me all about that other place, while we're waiting, huh?"
"Yeah," she said. "H-Hopefully without crying like a dumb baby this time."
He mussed up her hair and grinned fondly. "That's my line," he joked.
Frisk snickered. She grabbed him into a hug again, her soul lighting up warm against him. Their songs fused instantly and it felt snug and warm.
"Missed you."
"Hm." He squeezed her and lifted her just barely off her feet. "We're sticking together from now on. Promise."
"Promise," she agreed.