:):
Thank you so much for all of the wonderful reviews!
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Here is it, Chapter 60!
We'll finally have that big important question answered.
Though, I'm sure some of you have already figured it out by now. :)
(if you looked up celestine)
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Celestine
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Reaching into his robes, the King retrieved a small object concealed within a finely stitched white and gold cloth. After a short period of consideration, he leaned forward and presented the item to the tiny human. He truly didn't know what he would do if she failed to activate it, and that made him more than a little nervous. Even so, this was really the only way he could be sure she was telling the truth. "Fearia, I would like for you to touch this stone."
A stone? The little girl felt her anxiety flare up just a little as the goat king gently unwrapped a runestone hidden within the folds of the delicate looking cloth. This runestone was unlike any she had ever seen. It wasn't a stone at all, but a gem! A smoothly polished pale blue crystal with golden runes carved onto its shiny surface. It was really pretty. Without thinking, the small child reached for the runestone.
Stopping a few inches shy of the mysterious stone, Fearia's hand hovered for a moment before she retracted it. "That's a very lovely stone, your Majesty, but I don't think I should touch it. I might get it dirty."
Asgore tilted his head at the odd change of formality the tiny human had just displayed. For some reason, it appeared as if she was growing uneasy, but he couldn't understand why. "Do not worry about getting it dirty, little one. I just need you to touch it - a single finger will do."
Clasping her hands behind her back, the small child shook her head stubbornly before balking again. "I... I don't think it's a good idea. But thank you anyway." She refused as politely as she knew how.
Sighing slightly, Asgore felt his patience wear a tiny bit as he pushed the stone closer to the child. "Please, just touch it."
Hands held tightly behind her back, Fearia took a small step away from the crystal and shook her head again. "I don't want to." She stated as plainly as she could.
"Fearia, I am telling you to touch this runestone." Asgore's tone took an authoritative edge to it in an attempt to persuade her. His plan backfired instantly as the exact opposite effect occurred, causing the little girl to pale slightly.
"I'm sorry..." Trembling now, the small child gave the monster king a fearful look as she took another uneasy step away from him. "I just don't..."
Bewildered, Asgore stared down at the terrified little girl before shooting his Judge a covert plea for assistance. What had he done that had brought forth such a visceral reaction from the tiny human? "There is no need to be afraid, young one, the stone will not harm you. This is only a simple test." His words, unfortunately, did little to ease her growing trepidation.
Feeling herself start to panic as the ginormous monster rose from his throne, Fearia took a few more hurried steps back, stumbling a little as she did. The young child very nearly almost jumped right out of her skin when she accidentally bumped into something that had previously not been there. Spinning around in shock, she felt a desperate hope fill her as she quickly recognized her friend. With a small whimper, the little girl reached out and latched onto a femur, hiding her face in the soft fabric of his shorts.
"What did I do?" Asgore asked in clear confusion.
Tilting his skull to the side, Sans glanced down at the trembling child before releasing a quiet sigh. "i think there's been a small misunderstanding." He replied as he gave the King an apologetic look. "i don't think it was necessarily what you did, but what she's been told not to do."
"I'm afraid I don't understand." The King admitted as he stared down at the tiny human as she clung tightly to the skeleton's leg.
With as much understanding as he could garner from the small amount of information he'd just learned, Sans tried his best to explain what he figured had happened. "according to what she just told us, humans who can use those stones are highly sought after. she's probably been warned not to touch them for that exact reason." With a sad smile, his eye lights traveled back down to the small child. "frisk told you to keep it secret, didn't she?"
Sans felt the little girl's grip loosen slightly, but she stubbornly refused to answer him. Even so, he still got the impression that his guess was probably right. "listen," the skeleton started as he bent over to gently untangle the child's arms from around his femur. Once he was free, Sans knelt down in front of her so that he was closer to her level. Patiently, he waited until he had her attention before giving her a fond smile. "whether or not you can use runestones or even if you can use magic, that's not gonna make much of a difference down here. if you hadn't noticed, magic is pretty common in the underground. besides..." he grinned as he retrieved something from his pocket. Holding a skeletal fist out to the little girl, he opened it, revealing a familiar white stone with golden carvings. "i've already seen you use this and it hasn't changed my opinion of you in the least. it's kind of a neat trick, though."
A frown slowly formed on Fearia's face as she stared at her Mother's runestone for a moment before turning her gaze back up to her friend. "Frisk told me I could get into a lot of trouble if anyone knew I was able to use them." She quietly admitted as she unconsciously gripped at the soft fabric of her borrowed shirt. "She said that I should always keep my magic hidden and never ever show anyone."
With a nod of understanding, Sans gently placed a bony hand to the child's head. "that was very wise of her to tell you that." He agreed as his smile lessened slightly. "on the surface, i can see how dangerous it would have been for anyone to learn what you can do, so keeping it a secret was smart. but you don't gotta worry about hiding it down here, kid, because nobody's gonna care. monsters don't even need to use runestones. we've got our own magic."
Asgore listened silently as his Judge effortlessly reasoned with the worried child. It was as he had suspected, the two of them had somehow formed a strong bond between one another. He wasn't sure how he felt about that. Even though he could easily understand how it had happened, he also knew that it could very well complicate matters. However, if this child did turn out to be a Celestine, then it would change things drastically. If only she would cooperate.
Chewing on her bottom lip, Fearia's amber eyes were drawn back to the white stone in the skeleton's hand. She didn't know when he had seen her use it, but it was true that he hadn't treated her any differently as a result. Maybe he was right. Maybe, in the Underground, nobody would care if she could use magic. Still... she worried if Frisk would be upset with her if she found out. But... Frisk never said anything about the Underground. So... maybe it was okay?
Conflicted, the little girl's eyes rose back up to her friend before giving him an imploring look. "Promise, I won't get into trouble?"
Sans stared down at the child for a moment, before rolling his eye lights slightly. "kid, you're not gonna get into trouble." He reassured dismissively.
"Promise??" Fearia stressed as her brow furrowed in determination.
Hesitating for only a second or two, Sans shot Asgore a quick glance with a flick of his eye lights before forcing a smile back onto his skull. With a small nod, the reluctant skeleton made yet another promise to the tiny human. "how about this," he compromised. "if you do happen to get into some kind of trouble, i promise i'll be right there to get you out of it. deal?"
A relieved smile appeared on Fearia's face as she quickly nodded in agreeance. "Deal."
Filled with a bit more confidence, the little girl looked back to her mother's runestone before drawing in a breath. With as much courage as she could muster, she reached her hand out to the smooth white stone. Pausing for only a second, she carefully collected it from the skeleton's bony hand. The golden runes were the first to light up as a soft radiance began to grow from within the strange object. Turning, Fearia held the stone with both hands for the King to see.
Shielding his eyes, Asgore squinted down at the child. "Is that Freya's Sunstone?" It had been countless years since he'd last seen anything that could come close to emulating the true brightness of the sun. To be honest, it was difficult for him to look directly upon it, having been Underground for to long.
"Uh huh, it was my mother's." Fearia confirmed as she held one hand over the stone so that the light now leaked through the cracks of her fingers, effectively dimming the brightness. "But Frisk doesn't know I have it, so you can't tell her, okay?
Asgore stared intently down at the tiny human before a small smile appeared on his furry face. Even without her touching the Royal Rune, most of his doubts had now been alleviated. She must be a Celestine. It would be more surprising if it turned out that she wasn't. With a slight tilt of his head, he complied with her childish request. "You have my word, young one, I will not tell your sister. However," He began, putting a damper on the mood. "I do not think it was right for you to take something like this without first asking."
An indignant pout quickly formed on the little girl's face as she gave a frustrated huff. "But it was an emergency! And I couldn't ask Frisk because she was sent to Fugue..."
"Be that as it may, you should still apologize to your sister." Asgore scolded in a fatherly manner. "How do you think Frisk would feel if she thought she had somehow lost such a precious family heirloom?"
A guilty expression formed on the child's face as she lowered her eyes in shame. "She would be really sad..."
Sans quietly watched the unusual interaction between the King and the little girl. It was kinda strange. He knew that Asgore had had a young son a long time ago, but this was the first time he had ever seen the King act in such a way; almost parental. If anything, this was a pretty good sign for the kid. It's been close to fifteen minutes and the worst thing that's happened to her so far has only been a mild scolding. Still, until the King actually gave the kid his blessing and allowed her to remain safely in the Underground, Sans couldn't help but still feel on edge.
Looking back up to the giant goat king, Fearia gave a small nod. "I'll return it to her, I promise." she vowed. "And I'll apologize too!"
Asgore smiled as he knelt down in front of the tiny human, trying in futility to somehow make himself appear less imposing. "Good." he nodded. "I think that's the right thing to do, Fearia." Studying the child carefully, Asgore privately hoped that she was calmed down enough now that he wouldn't accidentally scare her again. "Now," He began as he offered her the Royal Rune once more. "would you kindly touch this crystal?"
Fearia eyed the runestone for a moment as she considered. "What does it do?" She asked cautiously.
"If you are indeed related to Frisk, then this rune should activate when it comes in contact with your person." Asgore explained. "You only need to touch it."
"Okay..." Fearia finally agreed. Turning, she held her mother's Sunstone out to her friend. "Here, Sans, can you please hold this for me? It's super special, so don't lose it, okay?"
With a passive-aggressive smile, Sans accepted the flattish white stone. "Sure thing, kiddo." Seriously? He's the one who keeps finding it everywhere. If this thing was so special, then how come she kept leaving it lying around in odd places? He had half a mind to put the darn thing inside the box with the magic draining coin when they got back home. She probably wouldn't even notice. Of course... he would never do that. He could still think it though.
Stuffing the Sunstone into his jacket pocket, Sans watched curiously as the small child timidly reached out for the runic crystal. When her fingers finally met the runestone's smooth surface, it began to glow with a pale blue light. Once it was bright enough, the crystal's brilliance seemed to somehow channel into the tiny human, causing her to light up as well with an almost ethereal shine. Above the child's head, a translucent white ring spun into existence. The way it hovered in place was very similar to that of a healing star. And finally, with a burst of magic, a pair of ghostly white wings sprouted from her back.
Both monsters stared in awe at the impressive display. The little girl was as close to angelic as she could get at this point. The only imperfection that could be seen, came from the inky black substance that stained the tips of some of the pristine white feathers. Other than that, she looked every bit like an angel from one of the human's religious books. Was this a Celestine?
"What?" Fearia asked as she looked from the King then back to Sans. They were acting weird and she didn't like it. "Did something happen? Is it working?"
Stuffing his bony hands back into his jacket pockets, Sans gave a humored sigh before grinning. She was as oblivious as ever. "kid, look up."
"Huh?" Looking up as instructed, Fearia's golden eyes widened when she discovered the glowing ring. "What is that?" Curiosity getting the best of her, the little girl let go of the crystal so that she could reach for the mysterious ring with both hands. Much to the child's disappointment, the circular luminescent object quickly faded into nothingness before her fingers could touch it.
Asgore stared silently down at the tiny human for a moment as his mind tried to process everything. It was true. All of it. No matter how inconceivable this all seemed, he could no longer deny the facts. This small child was somehow from the distant past and she also happened to be directly related to Freya and Frisk - a pure Celestine. None of this made any sense, but one thing was certain. Fearia must be protected. He owed it to Freya to do everything in his power to keep her child safe and away from all danger.
Wrapping the Royal Rune back into its decorative cloth, Asgore tucked it away with care before rising back to his feet. Clearing his throat, the King of Monsters bowed his head to the child before giving her a warm smile. "Fearia, Daughter of Freya and Sister to Frisk, I hereby grant you sanctuary for as long as you remain in the Underground. You may go wherever you please under the protection of King Asgore Dreemurr."
Sans stared up at the King in disbelief as he replayed what he had just heard over again inside his mind. Did he really just say that? The skeleton unconsciously held onto the Sunstone from inside his pocket as he let the words sink in. Had the kid really just been allowed to say? Not only that, but she was also protected under the King's decree? This was way more than he could have ever hoped for.
The little girl clasped her hands together in front of her chest as a happy smile appeared on her face. This declaration sounded so official, she was truly impressed. "Does this mean nobody's aloud to pick on me anymore?" She asked hopefully.
Asgore chuckled aloud. It was refreshing to hear such a childish question. "It only means no one is aloud to harm you." He explained good naturedly. "If I might offer..." the goat king began. "There is more than enough room inside my home. If you need a place to stay, I'm sure I could easily accommodate you. You could have your very own room."
Despite the uncomfortable feeling that had mysteriously settled down upon him, Sans kept quiet as he let the little girl decide what she wanted to do. It was her choice, after all. Even so, the tight feeling in his chest was hard to ignore as he waited for her answer.
Smile fading slightly, Fearia was reminded of the lonely lady in the Ruins. Her offer had been very similar to this. However, the memory was rather bittersweet now. She had no desire to take advantage of this kind monster's hospitality. Besides, she couldn't just leave the two skeletons. The very thought was unthinkable!
"As much as I appreciate your offer, I can't accept." Fearia politely declined with a small bow of her head. "I already have a nice place to stay, with nice people too! If I don't come back home, Pappy will be really sad, so I can't say away for too long. Right, Sans?" The little girl asked as she looked up to the skeleton who was now standing beside to her.
Hiding his relief behind a wide grin, Sans gave a lazy shrug before placing a skeletal hand to her mess of auburn hair. "you sure, kid? i bet paps is stuffing the fridge full of leftover pasta as we speak." He was really only half joking.
"It wasn't that bad last time." Fearia defended with a small frown. "He's getting better..."
"i think you're right." Sans agreed, his eye lights sliding to the side mischievously. "all of your complaining really inspired him to try harder."
Asgore smiled to himself as he watched his Judge joke around with the tiny human. It was only now that he could truly appreciate how strong their bond was. As much as he disapproved of any kind of infighting, he could easily understand how Sans had acted impulsively while trying to protect her. In no uncertain terms, this innocent child was precious to him. And she seemed quite fond of him as well.
"Very well." The King nodded in acceptance. "Then I leave young Fearia in your care, Sans. See that she has everything she needs to stay happy and healthy. You appear to be doing an adequate job so far, but..." Asgore narrowed his eyes critically as he took in the child's strange attire. "if I might ask... Does she not have any proper clothing to wear?"
"well..." Sans started, eye lights looking away from the King as he tried to think up a good excuse.
"Sans let me borrow his shirt because my clothes got dirty when I was in Waterfall." Fearia explained with a smile as she tugged at the soft fabric. "This one's a lot nicer than the other one." she grinned. "The last shirt was kind of wrinkled and it had a weird stain on the front. Did you spill food on it?" She asked as she looked up to her friend.
"kid, stop talking." Sans urged under his nonexistent breath as he gave the King a nervous guilty grin.
"Does she not have any spare clothing to wear?" Asgore frowned.
"I left my original clothing back in the Ruins with Mom." Fearia replied with a small shrug. "But it's okay. Pappy said if Sans ever runs out of shirts, then I can use his "Cool Dude" bandana. I don't know what that is, but it sounds nice."
With a heavy sigh, Asgore shook his head disappointedly. "This will not do at all. Fearia needs to be wearing real clothing - something that actually fits her. It just so happens that I might have some children's clothes that are small enough for her to wear. Even if they don't fit perfectly, they'll still be better than having her walk around half naked." Giving the little girl a fond smile, the goat king nodded to her. "I won't be gone long, why don't you enjoy the garden until I return."
"Okay." Fearia agreed, easily returning the smile. He had seemed kind of scary before, but now she could see that he was actually a really nice monster.
Once the King had left the room, Sans released a slow inaudible breath as he felt his nerves finally begin to settle. Looking down at the blissfully naive child, the skeleton was filled with an unexplainable sense of relief. She had done it. She had actually gotten Asgore to spare her. Truthfully, he had come here with more than a little bit of pessimism, but out of all the outcomes he could think of, this was by far that best.
"kid, you're really lucky, you know that?"
"I am?" Fearia tilted her head in slight confusion as she looked up to the weird acting skeleton. "How come?"
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Sanctuary at last!
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In the next chapter... the unexpected happens!
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Thanks for reading!
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Sheii Bae~
