Underground Spirits
Chapter D1: Can I Forgive You?
Asgore's Point of View:
By golly, this is… this is something I never dreamed could ever be happening… Humans… in the underground? And good humans none the less? I can't believe it…
However, it was all true. Humans had indeed fallen into the underground. Two of them in fact. Both females from the sounds of it, sisters. One far older than the other from what my followers were able to relay to me, but even they would not give me much. There was much to learn about them, but my people would fight for them.
And this… frightened me…
For how many years had my father and grandfather attempted to find our freedom? Few humans managed to survive the fall to the bottom. Those that did were brought before them. Only one did I see before. My Chara… my little girl. Fallen from the world above who suffered at the hands of those that should have been kind to her. Humans hurt her, destroyed her… and yet… she was still such a lovely girl to my family and I.
But she died. She along with my son in a terrible accident I still didn't understand.
Somehow my daughter died, and Asriel took her soul. He traveled through the barrier, was attacked we presumed from the wounds we saw on him, and then returned only to die as both my queen and I rushed to them. Asriel's dust, Chara's soul… that was all that remained of them. I tried to bring at least one of them back with the help of my greatest scientist, Dr. Wingdings Gaster, but…
It was not meant to be…
The creature that was made from the remains of my children was… different. It fled quickly after its awakening from the lab, escaping into the underground and never being seen again.
I'd even lost my queen. Shortly after the deaths of my children did I lose her. My beautiful wife, my Tori. Left me in my rage, my pain, my heartache. When the kingdom needed us most is when she herself could no longer shoulder her responsibilities and abandoned us all. For years I had not seen her. Not in quite a few. Sometimes… I struggled to even remember the details of her lovely face before it turned hateful in my memoires…
All I had to remember them by the lovely painting done for us many years ago… though I planned to commission Ravie Gaster to create a new one. The old one was losing its color. Paint beginning to chip from its lack of being protected…
"Oh dear…"
I couldn't help but sigh as I lifted my large self from my thrown. Alone it sat among the many flowers I grew in the inner chamber. It was something I simply couldn't give up, not even after being left alone. I needed something to care for. Something to keep my hands busy. Keeping the castle lined with so many flowers gave me busy work when the papers stopped, when the orders didn't need to be delivered. When I wasn't needed.
Things had settled in the kingdom… years of sacrifice to bring it back to order and to keep the people united… What a struggle without their kind queen, their young prince and princess…
And then the talks of the humans. I couldn't honestly say how many times Undyne came over to express her concerns and cares of the humans she kept watch over. Though it was more of her adventures with them and the day-to-day things she did with them.
Undyne constantly talked of their good praises. She took quite the liking to the younger one, Frisk was her name. An energetic pre-teen who was learning magic to the best of her abilities with the help of Undyne and a few others who she neglected to name. I'm sure that in case something backfired I could simply not blame or punish as many of those citizens who opened their hearts to the human girl. She also was a fan of music. Undyne commented she came over to her home quite often to practice playing on her piano. Playing melodies that had not been heard since the time Undyne's mother lived. Natasha would have been ever so proud to hear her music played again.
Then Undyne spoke of Angel, the older of the two. The homemaker. Angel was a gentle soul who preferred to "play house" as Undyne would call it. Angel preferred to stay home. She found a job that was able to cater to that in order to provide for her younger sister all while maintaining the home they lived in. Undyne commented how often she went over for delicious home cooked meals and to hear tales from the surface. Angel was forthcoming with any and all details of the politics of the houses above that ruled the human world, as well as possible plans to assist us breaking free, should we not be able to obtain that.
It was… strange to hear in all honestly.
It also worried me just how much knowledge that Undyne seemed to bring back about this girl. Something I never mentioned to my adoptive daughter was just how that concerned me that Angel was associated with something perhaps… a bit more than just the average household in the world above. She must have been the daughter of a politician or something of the similar notion.
Perhaps I was thinking too much of it… if she really was… then how or why was she in the underground with her underage sister for goodness sake?
"I am getting too old for this…"
"You and me both, Gorey."
T-that… that voice?! No…! But…?
Turning from the flowers I'd admired so strongly, in the doorway to my throne hall was a figure covered in a cloak of the colors of our country. Rich purple with the deltarune upon their chest. Walking forward on soft feet, the figure stopped only twenty feet away from myself before they removed their hood. Under it exposed white fur, tiny horns upon their head along with soft looking ears that curled around her face. Strong looking eyes of ruby red glanced back at me, though, they held their hesitation as they kept their gaze on me.
My estranged wife… Toriel…
"T-tori…"
What was I to think? What was I to do? Could things possible get any more confusing?
I had to turn away from her. I couldn't look at her face and not see the one filled with fury, anger. I struggled not to collapse against my throne in the among of pain that simply just… washed over me.
Why in the world did she have to come back at such a trying time?
"Why did you return?"
Did she finally understand what she'd done? Did she finally come back to me? Was this finally a chance to heal at last?
"I came back… for many things Asgore…" Her words were as strained and pained as my own. Though that could have been a figment of my own imagination. It was only a voice as I couldn't look at her at all. "But the main reason… is for those two human girls."
The cold wave of horror then washed over me and I couldn't help but look back at her in almost an awe. All the years that she'd left me, all the pain she'd left solely on my shoulders to face alone… and she didn't even come back… at all… for me?
The iciness the came from own voice almost startled me if it wasn't fueled by such anger behind it. "Is that the only reason?"
"It is… the main one, but there are others." I saw that of what appeared to be a nervous gaze to her own eyes. Something I'd very rarely seen upon my wife's face. She was always a spitfire. Always someone who had power, knew how to use it, and was constantly in control. This… what I was seeing… was honestly very pathetic… "Asgore, I know that you and I have many things that we must talk about that should have been handled long ago… but those girls I don't want to be a byproduct of your hatred for me. I know I left so suddenly-"
"Why is it that everything else or everyone else must come first?" Toriel stopped speaking the second my voice powered over her meeker one. "I have always been there for the kingdom, have always been there for my friends, my family, but no one has ever stepped out of their way for myself. For so long I sit upon this lonely throne to take care of my people, the people that you abandoned… and now you wish me to spare the two humans that are the very ending to save our people? I only need one of them, why don't you pick your favorite and run away from the other? It seems to be something your good at."
Biting words left me as years of holding it could no longer happen. Restraints I'd put on myself to protect the few people that I'd cared ever so deeply, the people I tried every so much to protect after all their hopes and dreams were taken from them… from me…
I saw the sharp flinch of Toriel's features when she took the words I dealt her. In the past I would have seen such a nasty looking scowl on her face. I was not the one to start the fight, but this… this was entirely different. Nothing was as it should have been.
"I… I can't." Toriel's head hung in shame. Though I was far surprised when she groveled on the ground. My anger instantly evaporated when I saw the tears that leaked from her eyes. This… was something Toriel had never done…
"T-tori..!"
I hurried over to her, but just as I was within a few feet, I stopped. My hand outstretched, but I couldn't reach her. My hands shook and I… stopped. Shaky breaths left me as I straited my posture, put on a more serious look, but… I tried to keep out my pain fueled words.
"I have made many mistakes Gorey… I can't say that enough… I have become a demented old goat who thought she had done the right decision back then. I thought leaving you was the best thing… but it was only the easiest. You're right. I did abandon everything. Our kingdom, our people… I hid away from everything. I never expected to run into a living soul ever again from where I hid myself… but… two years ago… those two humans fell into where I was living…"
She choked up for a second. I could see how she was lost to the memories. How they held such power over her as she was consumed by emotion.
"They made me realize those mistakes Gorey… they reminded me of Chara… failing her as a mother was what led to all of this… we couldn't kid ourselves. We tired our best, but she wasn't happy. We weren't able to take that pain and suffering away from her. I know… I know she took her own life, and it kills me that I wasn't enough… Then… she took Asriel from us as well… both of our children lost because of my own failure."
And that was nasty twist of my chest I felt, the truth I had denied for so long. Never did I wish to believe that that it was our fault that Chara had died… no… killed herself… We couldn't save her… we had failed her… and in her pain… she took Asriel along for the deathly ride she set herself out on…
"Angel and Frisk… they weren't broken like Chara, but they were determined like her. They didn't give up in their ideals, no matter what. I think… as Angel learned on this world… I think she figured out I was once your wife and left you. In the more recent months… she'd drawn back from me some… Without even saying it, she's showing me how wrong my decision was… That knowing guilt… it's been creeping up inside of me for so long…"
Ah, so the human had figured it out. But if she had met Toriel in her early arrival of the underground and met her first, wherever she was hiding, and then ventured out as I'd heard she had… it would make sense to assume that.
I couldn't resist the dark chuckle the escaped me. "What an intelligent human…"
"She is… they both are… they are amazing… so much that I had to bite down everything and try to do what is right." The woman finally looked up at me. Tear-soaked cheeks presented and puffy red eyes around her iris'. She couldn't stop her crying. "Everything I've done before was wrong Asgore… And please don't mistake my groveling here as asking for forgiveness. I shouldn't be for what I've done… but, if I could ask for anything. I only wish that you give those girls a fair chance. I will do whatever is needed for that. That I promise you."
Anything… Anything?
For those humans?
It was for them, not even because she wanted to come back.
It wasn't for me…
But her words were true… the humans deserved a fair trial, regardless of how I felt and how many of the people were fighting for them. Even my estranged wife…
"I will… give them a fair trial. For the good I've heard of them and what they've done for my people, it is the least I can do for them…" I sighed a heavy hand wiping away at the stress of the day. "You on the other hand, shall be confined to the east wing. I won't be so cruel as to treat you improperly, but you abandoned the kingdom you swore to protect. Those are charges I can not handle lightly, regardless of my own feelings on the matter. The jury and judge will be summoned after that of the humans' trial to see to your punishment."
"I understand… thank you, Gorey…" I heard her give out that of a relieved, heavy sigh before she stood up. "I will await in the eastern wing. Should you wish to talk, I will be there. I can not ask any more then what I have already… And I know it has been a great amount."
"You have…" I couldn't look at her then. I had to turn away and stalk to my own chambers. "I… I need time to think… I will attempt to visit you in later days, but for the time being… please do not speak to me."
"Of course, my king."
Oh, how those words stung…
Toriel left the chamber with no fuss, though she pulled the cowl of her cloak over her head once more. Hidden under the cloth she had, she vanished from my sight in the direction I pushed in her.
Though… it hurt to have her near just so much as it was to push her away. How was I supposed to feel? The entire event was rather confusing with Toriel returned and the humans actually… possibly being good for our people…
Could we actually get along?
Could I… actually begin to heal? Forgive?
I wasn't honestly sure yet… but… I would try.
Witch's Note:
Welp, the first thing I need to do here is apologize for the slightly late delay today folks. I know normally I post so early, but I was without internet that morning and didn't have a hot spot. Oh, didn't that make me mad… So sorry for that but moving on then!
Now… here is an amazing chapter! Remember that earlier chapter of Angel and Asgore talking in the back chambers of his castle on the day of the girl's acceptance? Welp, here is the previous encounter of Toriel and Asgore meeting after all those years… yikes…
How do you relate? Asgore still is struggling with the turmoil he dealt with what was thrown on his shoulders, what he was left with when Toriel made the selfish decision to leave. What would have been your take if any of you had been in such a decision as what was placed here?
Mystic Girl: Why in the hell did she even go back? She really fucked that over.
Me: Welp… don't you want Angel and Frisk to survive the first book?
Mystic Girl: The hell? Wait… oh shit! I nearly forgot! She helped make sure Asgore didn't kill them right?
Me: Yep yep! Not the only person of course, they did plenty and had lots of people to help put them in good lighting, but yeah, she helped. Perhaps even directed his anger and frustration at herself so that the girls didn't have to face that.
Mystic Girl: Oooooo…
Anyway! Let's move onto reviews!
Shadow8Phantom: My God, Phantom! You're so sweet to us! We certainly try to bring out the best in every chapter. I guess being an overly emotional person helps when writing these bits and pieces. And friends really help you understand that emotional side of everything. To understand maybe what pieces of that pie you don't understand.
Thechaosmaster: Yeah, I'm glad you checked too Chaos! I'm doing the same thing! I normally get a email about you all sending me a review but I'm not getting those either, so something might be going on with the site! Make sure to check every Saturday! I haven't broken that pattern yet!
But you having issues with writing again? Do you have any other projects that you're having thoughts about writing? Deviate to that for a short while, it might help. Trust me, I have A LOT of stories I'm working, including book two and that other story I've mentioned for Undertale series, and the other series I want to post in the future.
RoseCentury: Rose, I'm so excited to see you again, but I can't believe what's happened to you… I'm so sorry for your lost, both of us are. We can't even imagine the heartache you must have gone through losing one of your miracles… We truly are sorry. I know this might not be much, but we hope our love is reaching you and I hope this story brings you any comfort. Something to enjoy in these dark times.
Not A Shady Guy: Your surprised I brought out his friends? Why thank you! I might be good at describing thoughts and actions while a character is on their own, but I find that the communication between one or more characters is my strength. He did go through a lot for what happened. I'm glad you enjoyed it!
But you've been sick?! My goodness! Seem like that's everyone! That just plain sucks! Sorry to hear that. Get lots of rest and hopefully we see you again soon!
Okay! Here we go! Another end to another chapter! We've managed to make it to chapter ten! Now we are halfway through and don't have too many chapters left! We ready for the other half?
Love you all and see you next week!
Halloween Witch and Mystic Girl
Asgore pov throughout the book when he knows about the humans and has to decide whether to kill them or not. (have this as Asgore and Tori meeting, 2 weeks before he would meet the girls)