Old Friends And New Beginnings
And now the first of the two part epilogue is here!
...
When they regained their senses, Frisk, Tina and Susie found themselves standing in the middle of the computer lab. Berdly and Noelle were sitting slouched over on the table, heads resting on their arms. Worried, Frisk hurried to check them over.
Berdly was the first to stir. "H... huh...? We're back?"
"Yep. I sealed the fountain. How are you guys feeling? Noelle, you okay?" Frisk asked worriedly.
Noelle groaned and sat up. "Yeah, I'm fine. Traveling between worlds...isn't the funnest experience though. Wait...that did happen, right?"
"Yep, it all happened." Frisk reassured her.
"Trust me, it was just as crazy for us too." Susie told Noelle with a small laugh. "You're actually taking it better than I was. And the way you stood up to Queen back there...not half bad."
Noelle blushed and twirled her hair nervously. "T-Thanks."
"Sorry you guys got sucked into all this though. I'm glad neither of you got hurt." Frisk said softly.
"Hey, it's not your fault." Noelle told her. "It was just a fluke."
"Actually..." Berdly said quietly. "What if it wasn't? Queen KNEW you, Noelle."
"Berdly has a point." Frisk admitted. "It seems like too much of a coincidence that the fountain opened exactly when you two were there, considering Queen most wanted to help you. I wonder if the Knight planned for the two of you to end up in the Dark World with Queen."
"I'm with you guys. I bet the Knight snuck into the library and broke open the fountain either right before you guys came in or while you were in the computer lab studying." Susie agreed. "Damn, I wish I knew how long it took a fountain to form..."
"Did you guys notice anything weird when you came in here?" Frisk asked.
"Well, we walked in and sat down to study while we were waiting for you and Susie." Noelle told her, gesturing to her books on the table. "The next thing we knew, the lights went out."
"And I got up to turn on the switch, but I couldn't even find a wall, then the floor disappeared." Berdly added.
"So you basically had our experience with the supply closet." Susie mused.
"So the Knight either would have had to set up the fountain to go off when you guys were in here, which indicates that they knew your schedule and exactly how long it takes to make a fountain, or...the Knight was in the room with you the whole time and ran out right before the Fountain fully opened." Frisk said, tapping her feet a bit as she tried to figure it all out. "And they could have left without anyone seeing them considering the massive traffic jam that was outside when we came in."
Tina, who had been quietly listening, went to the closet and opened it. "This closet's really big. Maybe they hid in there."
"So this Knight could have been hiding in here like a stalker while we were studying?!" Noelle asked, freaked out.
Frisk didn't want to scare her but she didn't want to lie either. "We can't rule that out as a possibility."
"Okay, we need to call the police." Noelle said shakily.
Susie cut in. "And tell them what? That some weird Knight guy's opened a fountain to an alternate dimension where toys are alive!? They'd just laugh at us and call us crazy teenagers." she pointed out. "And even if we get them to check the school supply closet, what's going to happen when the world discovers Darkners exist? What if they find out they have magic long since lost to us? What if the Darkners in the next fountain are initially hostile like the ones in the other two, and the police react like I did and attack back? We could end up in another war." She crossed her arms. "I'm not putting Lancer or Ralsei at risk."
"Susie...I-I understand, but we can't handle this all by ourselves." Noelle told her.
"Noelle's right. We really should tell someone." Berdly agreed.
"We could start with my dad once he gets out of the hospital. Dad's easygoing; he wouldn't attack anyone. And he'd be able to tell us what to do next." Noelle suggested, looking to Susie with pleading eyes. "And...Susie, he really needs the Dark World. He could use the healing food and spells, and...and I want to make him better."
Susie, Berdly and Frisk exchanged a concerned glance and Tina hugged Noelle. Susie's gaze softened. "Noelle, I...I get it. We, um, can talk to Ralsei about it, okay?"
"Yeah, of all of us, Ralsei would best know how to help your dad." Frisk assured her. "But...Wait to tell him about it until we make sure he can actually enter. We don't need people thinking we're totally nuts."
"True. I highly prefer not being thought of as insane." Berdly agreed. HIs eyes lit up. "But...if we investigate, maybe we can find proof! About the Dark World AND who the Knight is! We should start by..."
Something started beeping and his eyes widened as he checked his watch. "My alarm?! Ahhh! I'm late for my shift with Miss Boom!"
"Oh no, is it that late already!?" Noelle asked in alarm. "I was supposed to meet Dad at the hospital twenty minutes ago!"
"And before we do anything else, Frisk, Tina and I need to get Lancer and the others back to Castletown. We can do this whole dumb investigation thing tomorrow or something." Susie said.
"Sounds perfect. As we don't have school tomorrow, we'll have every opportunity to look for clues without interruption." Berdly said enthusiastically. "Well, adieu, everyone. I must gather my booklongings." He scooped up his books from the table. "Ahh, how I love the texture of freshly-picked-up books. Now let us hasten..." He then paused and thought something over, looking between Noelle and Susie. "Actually, since I'm late to my shift...I won't be able to walk you to the hospital, Noelle. But I do not want to leave you alone with that abhorrent Knight running around." he said with faux sadness. He winked at Susie. "Susan, don't you think a big, strong hero should walk Noelle to the hospital?" Noelle blushed brightly and hid her face.
Unfortunately, Susie was preoccupied gathering all the Darkners' physical forms and Berdly's meaning went right over her head. "Huh? Oh, good idea, Berdly! Hey, Frisk, Tina, you guys mind walking Noelle to the hospital? I'll take Lancer and the others to Castle Town and meet you there." She finished putting everything in her bag and said a quick goodbye before hurrying out. Noelle looked down, deflated, and Frisk and Berdly stared at each other awkwardly. Little Tina just looked confused.
"Well, that was not how I intended for things to go." Berdly sighed.
"Sorry, Noelle. Susie didn't mean to blow you off." Frisk apologized. "She's just worried about Lancer and really, REALLY oblivious."
"It's fine." Noelle told her, giving her a small smile.
"I'm sure she'll be happy to hang out when she meets us at the hospital." Tina told her with a smile.
Frisk nodded. "You ready to go?"
"Sure." Noelle agreed.
"Actually...um...Frisk, can I speak to you about something first? Alone?" Berdly asked. Tina tensed and glared at him, and Berdly sighed. "I promise I won't say anything mean to her. Trust me, I have learned my lesson."
"It's fine, Tina." Frisk assured her little sister before nodding to Berdly.
She followed the bluebird outside and to a private corner of the library. "What's up?" she asked.
Berdly sighed. "It...has come to my attention that some of the things I have said to you came off as cruel. I would like to apologize for any emotional pain I might have caused."
Frisk twisted her fingers for a moment, trying to figure out how to answer. "I...won't lie and say you didn't hurt me, but.. It's water under the bridge now. I accept your apology. But..." She looked down. "What...What did you have against me before? You acted like you hated me, but I only arrived here a few weeks ago. We'd barely even spoken minus when we both sat together with Noelle."
Berdly looked down. "I...I..." He hesitated a moment before blurting out, "I was jealous of you, okay?!"
Frisk stood there in shock for a second. "What? YOU were jealous of ME?!"
"The second you walked through those school doors, you and Noelle hit it off. She took to you immediately. She sat with you, you and her studied together...and I-I got jealous." he admitted softly.
Frisk blinked in confusion. "Why? Noelle hanging out with me sometimes doesn't mean you're not her best friend. Noelle can have multiple friends and still care about all of them!"
Berdly waved his wings like he was showing he wasn't armed. "I know. I mean, I know now, but..." He looked down. "I've-I've heard other people talking about me when they thought I wasn't listening. They wonder why someone like Noelle would be friends with someone like me. They've never said that about YOU. Even though you don't dress neat, you sleep in class, you eat food off the cafeteria floor like Susie does..."
Frisk flushed red. "Thanks. Wonderful apology, Berdly." she muttered, crossing her arms. She turned to walk away.
Berdly gently grabbed her arm. "Look, I'm sorry I said that. But please, just hear me out." he pleaded.
She sighed and stopped. "Okay, what?"
"What I meant to say, and said badly, was that you're confident all the time and don't care what anyone thinks. You're always calm, nothing shakes you, and everyone thinks you're cool and mysterious because of that. And...objectively, you're a better friend to Noelle than I am." he said softly. "I, um, got scared Noelle would see that and decide she wanted to be friends with you instead of me. So...I unfairly lashed out at you. And I'm sorry for that, Frisk."
Frisk nodded in acceptance at the apology, then sighed. "I understand...somewhat. I never had any friends before Noelle, Susie, Ralsei, and MK. At my old school...well, I was the weird kid that had bad clothes, slept in class, got in trouble and would still eat my food even if I dropped it on the floor like a barbarian." she said with a sad laugh. "When I came here and Noelle and MK were so kind to me...it was wonderful. Those two are just the kind of people who can brighten anyone's day. And Berdly...you don't have to worry about Noelle leaving you just because she happens to be friends with me too. She'd never do that."
"I know that now. Noelle and I talked on the rooftop before Queen trapped me with that mind control device." Berdly told her. "I know our dear Noelle has enough love in her heart for everyone. And...I'm glad she has you as a friend, Frisk." He gave her a genuine smile. "And...I hope that possibly one day...you and I could become friends too."
Frisk smiled back. "I think that can happen."
Berdly grinned. "Really? Great! So...shall we meet tomorrow for the start of our investigations?" he asked.
"Sounds good."
...
Once Frisk and Tina said goodbye to Berdly, they walked Noelle to the hospital, where Rudy greeted them warmly. Frisk offered for her and Tina to wait in the waiting room so Noelle could spend time with her father, but Rudy insisted he was happy for their company and that Noelle's friends were welcome at any time. So Frisk and Tina sat in his hospital room, Tina doing a drawing for Rudy while Frisk watched Noelle and her father play Dragon Blazers. It looked like a really cool game and Rudy and Noelle patiently showed her how the controls and spells worked.
"Silver Drake?" I've never beaten this boss before..." Noelle was saying as Frisk and Rudy watched over her shoulders.
"Alright, hand it over, honey! I got this!" Rudy told her with a smile.
"No, dad! This is my battle!" Noelle said confidently before looking at the imposing boss and hesitating. "...So, um, how about just telling me what to do?"
Rudy grinned. "Haha, sure! How about trying Fireshock?"
"I'd love to, dad, but the mage left the party." Noelle explained.
"Oh yeah. How about one of your 99 blaze potions?" Rudy suggested.
Noelle grinned sheepishly. "Umm, I'm saving those?"
"For what? Your birthday? C'mon, live a little!" Rudy teased.
"OK, dad! This one's for you! Hiyah!" Noelle cheered, then paused as the potion simply created a glowing shield in front of her character. "It... reflects fire attacks."
"Hahaha!" Rudy chuckled, then winced as Noelle's character was hit by a hard attack. "Whoops - hey, you gotta heal!"
"I wish I knew healing magic in this world." Noelle admitted and Frisk felt sad as she knew how much Noelle wanted to heal her dad from the illness afflicting him. "Then I'd make you better and... It wouldn't... just be me and mom."
Rudy looked down sadly. "... your mother is.." He patted her shoulder, giving a smile Frisk could tell was forced. "Hey, it's ok, sweetheart. I'm getting better. Might even be able to go to church tomorrow."
"...really? Are you...sure you'll be okay?" Noelle asked softly.
"Holidays happen whether you want them or not." Rudy said with a grin.
"Even though everyone likes holidays." Noelle replied with a smile. She then sighed softly and got up. "...Well, gotta go home soon or mom will call."
"See you tomorrow, honey." Rudy told her fondly.
"And I've got something so you can see her even before then, Mr. Holiday!" Tina said proudly, holding up her drawing. Frisk, Noelle, and Rudy all smiled as they took a look. Tina had very carefully drawn Noelle in her Dark World form, holding her arms out wide while snowflakes surrounded her. She had accidentally drawn her eyes and nose bigger than normal, but in Frisk's eyes it was wonderful.
And Rudy clearly thought so too. "Aww, it's a beautiful drawing of my beautiful angel." he cooed.
"Daad!" Noelle mock whined, though she was smiling.
"And I love the snowflakes. It's the perfect theme for a Holiday." Rudy grinned, reaching over to ruffle Tina's hair as Frisk and Noelle exchanged knowing smiles. "Thank you so much, little one. It's only missing one thing."
"What?" Tina asked, curiously.
"The signature!" Rudy told her happily. "Such a piece of art should be signed by its artist."
Tina grinned happily and did so, signing her name in crayon at the bottom of the picture before handing it back to Rudy.
"Thank you, Tina. It's a very nice picture of me." Noelle told Tina with a smile.
"I'll make one for you too!" Tina said happily.
Noelle smiled again. "I'm looking forward to it."
And then the door opened. Susie came walking in, her hair a wild mess. "Sorry I'm late! That stupid Rouxls guy decided to take over and block the whole freaking hallway of Ralsei's house until we played this dumb house puzzle game with him. You should have seen his face when Ralsei and I out-housed him!" She grinned ferally.
Frisk grinned. "I bet it was hilarious."
"Yeah! And it got even more so when Swatch came in and threw him out for blocking the hallway and keeping him from being able to fix up the guest rooms. I wish you three had been there." Susie said with a smile.
Noelle smiled back with a blush. "I'll, um, visit tomorrow if Ralsei doesn't mind."
"He won't. He already said you could visit any time, remember?" Susie told her with a smile.
"Who's Ralsei? A new friend of yours?" Rudy asked curiously.
"Yeah. Well, he's Susie and Frisk's friend and I got to meet him today. That's why I was late." Noelle explained.
Rudy smiled. "Well, it's good to see you making new friends. And is this the famous Susie you've been telling me so much about?"
"You, um, talk to your dad about me?" Susie asked in confusion.
Noelle turned bright red. "COOL, THINK I HAVE TO GO NOW!" she practically yelled as she fled the hospital room.
Rudy reached into his bedside drawer and pulled out his wallet, taking out a few bills. "Tina, sweetheart, why don't you go to the vending machine and buy us all some candy bars?" he requested. "This hospital food is terrible, and I've been dying for a Twix."
"Sure." Tina agreed with a smile and took the money he handed her before heading out.
Rudy turned to Susie once Tina was out of earshot. "Susie, huh?"
"...Yeah." Susie said awkwardly.
Rudy crossed his arms and made himself look intimidating even laying in a hospital bed. "Lay a finger on her and I'll kick your ass."
Susie's eyes nearly popped out of her head. "Huh?"
Rudy burst out laughing at the look on her face. "Hahaha! Hahaha! Just kidding!" He then gave her a stern look. "Well, kinda kidding." He laughed again, then started coughing.
"Are you all right, Mr. Holiday?" Frisk asked worriedly.
He nodded. "Sorry, I... heheh." He looked down. "Used up... a lot of my energy just now. Probably... not going to be very fun to talk to. Thanks for visiting though. It was good to have you girls here."
"Is there anything I can get you? Are you going to be all right?" Frisk asked softly.
"Heheh... seems like, I need some more tests. So just... gotta wait it out." He tried to smile. "They can't keep me down for too long, baby! Sooner or later... I'm busting out of here!" He started coughing again and Frisk rushed to the sink to fill up a glass of water for him. He took it and thanked her. " 'Sides, Asgore ain't much without his main man!"
"Hey, I'm sure you can kick this disease's ass! And our friend, Ralsei... he's actually a healer, and he's really damn good." Susie told him. "We, um, can take you tomorrow, or whenever you can bust out of here, to see him. He's like genius levels of smart. He can probably figure out a way to cure this."
"Aww, kids, don't worry so much about me. I'll...I'll be fine." Rudy said softly, though he didn't look like he really believed this. "Just... take care of my Noelle for me, okay? She... might look like she has it all. But her mother. Her mother, you know? Love her, but... she's... tough on her. Normally, I balance it all out. But... I can't...do much. When I'm not there." He looked determined. "But I'm gonna get better. I have to."
Frisk and Susie exchanged a quick concerned glance, then Frisk managed to smile. "I know you will, sir. And we'll be there for Noelle, we promise."
"Yeah." Susie agreed, though she looked unusually subdued.
Tina came back, smiling. "Candy bars for everyone!" she said cheerfully, then looked at all their faces. "Is everyone okay?" she asked as she handed Rudy his candy bar and the change.
"Yeah, don't worry, kiddo." Rudy told her, ruffling her hair as he unwrapped his candy bar. "Just a little tired and needed something sweet. You came just in time."
"I've also got some puff pastries I made with Mr. Swatch too! Here, have one!" Tina said happily and dug into her bag. Frisk didn't remember to warn her what happened to Dark World food until it was too late, and a very confused Tina pulled out a ball of a grayish black metallic substance. She looked inside the bag for her pastries but found nothing. Her lower lip trembled.
"Aww, it looks like someone liked them so much they got into them and left you only the foil." Rudy told her sympathetically, patting the little girl's shoulder.
Tina pouted, crossing her arms. "Well, that was mean! Those were for sharing! And they even took the plate too!"
"Well, your pastries must have been very good then. Whenever you find who did it, bring them to the window and I'll throw something at them for you." Rudy offered playfully, trying to make her feel better.
"Thanks, Mr. Rudy. I'm sorry the meanie didn't leave any for you." Tina apologized.
"Aww, that's okay. I'm happy with the candy bar you got me." he reassured her.
Tina seemed to feel better at this. "All right. And I'll ask Mr. Swatch to help me make more of them for our next visit!"
Rudy grinned. "Looking forward to it."
...
"...Sorry, Tina. I forgot to tell you Dark World food does that in the Light World." Frisk apologized as they headed down the street after saying goodbye to Rudy and leaving the hospital.
"How do we make it stop doing that? I want to give Mr. Holiday puff pastries, not a yucky ball." Tina pouted.
"I don't think there is a way, Squirt." Susie told her. "But once we can get him to the Dark World, he can eat your pastries there. I'm sure he'll like that. Plus, they can heal down there!"
"Once I get some money saved up, I can try to pick up some stuff here so you can make him a treat too." Frisk offered. "Speaking of which, we need to hit the grocery store so I can get that application."
"Great, that means we're gonna have to deal with that weird Sans guy again." Susie groaned.
"He's not THAT bad." Frisk told her. "And I really need a job."
Susie shook her head. "You're gonna burn yourself out, Frisk." she said in concern.
Frisk sighed. "I'll be fine. And...even though we're going to be living with Ralsei, we're still going to need Light World stuff. We need new Light World clothes, I'll need to get an apartment in a few years, I need to start Tina's college fund..."
Susie sighed. "I know, but it's really screwed up that you have to be the one to do this." She took a deep breath. "I'll help you out. I'll get a job too."
Frisk looked up at her in worry. "Susie, you don't have to..."
Susie cut her off. "I'm going to. Frisk, you took me in when literally no one else in the town would. I'm going to help you too, not just freeload off of you and Rals. Like I said, we're the Fun Gang. We take care of each other. That's what we do." She smirked. "And do you REALLY think you'd be able to talk me out of this?"
Frisk smiled a little. "I guess not. Thanks, Susie."
"I'll get a job and help out too!" Tina offered, making both the older girls chuckle.
"That's...kinda not legal, squirt. Just stay in school." Susie told her. "You can take care of us when you're a world famous veterinarian/park ranger/artist like you told me you wanted to be last night." she joked.
"Okay!"
They made their way to the grocery store and went inside. Sans was sitting at the counter and Frisk was about to walk up when the door opened and a motherly looking goat woman in a purple dress walked in.
Susie tugged Frisk's sleeve. "That's Toriel Dreemurr. She teaches the younger kids." she told Frisk quietly.
Sans greeted her in a friendly way as Frisk headed to the freezer section with Susie and Tina so they wouldn't disturb them. "Hey hey. Forgot something?"
Toriel smiled. "Why, er, yes. I think I left my eggs on the counter."
"Guess your memory's not what it's "cracked" up to be." Sans answered with a grin.
Susie softly groaned at the terrible pun, but Toriel burst out laughing. "There is really egg on my face now, is there not?"
"Ugh, now there's TWO of them..." Susie groaned.
Thankfully Sans and Toriel didn't hear her. "Oh, you're egg-scused." Sans said with a wink.
"Now it sounds as if you are egging me on." Toriel chuckled.
"Egg on or egg off, I eggspect a lot from you." Sans joked.
"Well, I am eggceptional. Hee hee..."
"When will this end?" Susie grumbled softly, and as if the universe was answering her call, Asgore came walking in.
"And don't forget me, your eggs-husband." he joked.
Frisk could pretty much taste the awkward in the air as Toriel turned around. "Err, hello, Asgore."
"Tori, I didn't expect to see you here, but, I..." Asgore stammered. "I have some extra flowers, and I was wondering if..."
"Oh, I was just about to go, actually." "Tori" told him quickly.
Frisk felt for Asgore as he tried to recover. "Oh, haha, oh! Sure! Home is where the heart is! Haha!" He moved so his ex wife could pass by. But just as she reached the door, he called out to her. "Umm, so, when Asriel and Chara come home..."
"Yes, we should all discuss that together soon." Toriel said bluntly, not letting Asgore finish his sentence.
"Onkey donkey! Say hi to them for me!" Asgore requested.
"Of course. Have a nice day." Toriel said with a smile Frisk could tell was forced.
"Well, that wasn't very nice." Tina said, crossing her small arms as she glared at Toriel while the goat woman exited the shop. Frisk quickly shushed her, not wanting Asgore to hear and get embarrassed at them accidentally eavesdropping on that incredibly awkward moment.
Thankfully, Asgore didn't hear her. He went forward to the counter. "You know what I want, bone man." he told Sans.
Frisk now felt bad for Sans, who had to feel even more awkward than they did. But he remained as casual as usual. "...Yep." He pulled out a pickle jar. "Free pickles."
"Why, thank you!" Asgore said, brightening a bit. He then hesitated a moment. "Can I ask? What kind of flowers, do you think... Would make her remember how she felt before?"
Frisk now felt both sad for Asgore and even MORE bad for Sans considering the poor skeleton just had been asked a question there was no answer to. And even he seemed to be thrown for a loop. "Uhh... Maybe you should talk to your plants about that."
Asgore laughed nervously. "Haha! Don't worry. They're the first ones I asked! They're such good listeners, you know. Flowers."
"Well, yeah, nothin' like a captive audience." Sans said awkwardly with a wink.
"Yes, haha. I even keep them in glass."
"Uh... like that movie?" Sans asked.
"Yes. It's... It's very similar to that movie." Asgore answered quietly.
"...Well, have a good one." Sans told him.
"Haha! I'm trying!" Asgore answered before heading off.
Frisk wanted to give Asgore a big hug and comfort Sans at the same time. She had no clue what was going on, but it must have been a pretty bad divorce. She looked to Susie.
"Well, that was an incredibly awkward thing I never want to experience again." Susie muttered before turning to Frisk and Tina. "I know, you guys are new and probably have a lot of questions, but I don't have a lot of answers. All I know is those two went through a pretty messy divorce and Asgore's still in love with Ms. Dreemurr. No clue why the heck they split up, but there's a crapton of rumors about it, probably none of which are actually true."
"I know. Poor Asgore. And poor Sans; it has to suck for him to be stuck in the middle, especially if he's dating Ms. Dreemurr or something."
"Nah, I don't do dates. I prefer raisins." a familiar voice joked from behind them. Frisk jumped about a mile and turned to Sans, who was grinning as he stood behind them. "And thanks for your concern. It was a pretty EGGS-cruciating situation, but I'm fine. You here for your application, kiddo?"
Frisk blushed in embarrassment, but nodded. "Yeah, thanks, Sans."
"I'd like one too, ...sir." Susie said, though the last word was somewhat reluctant.
"Sure. Just one thing, kid. Can you do updogg?"
"Can I do what?"
Sans grinned. "Updogg."
"What is updogg?!"
Sans's grin got even wider and Frisk swore she could practically see stars in his sockets. "I don't know, what's up with you?"
Susie stared at him incredulously for a moment before the joke finally caught up to her. She let out an angered cry and threw up her hands. Frisk tried very hard to avoid laughing at Susie's over the top reaction.
Sans burst out laughing. "You're great; my brother would love you right now." He pulled out two applications. "Here, fill these out; I'll hire you once I get them processed."
Susie looked at the application she was handed blankly. "All you asked me for was my name, if I can breathe, and a dumb pun."
"Hey, "Why didn't the skeleton go to the party?" is a classic." Sans grinned.
"I got, "What is a ghost's favorite food?" Frisk stated as she looked at her own, similarly short "application." "And I think the answer isss... "Boo-berry pie!" she said with a grin and wrote it down.
"It was actually supposed to be Ice Scream, but I like yours better." Sans shrugged as he took their applications. "Okay, applications are processed. You're both hired. Congratulations." Frisk grinned and he shook her hand. "Be back next Friday for your first day. Though...I'll give you each ten bucks right now if you guys carry in the big delivery boxes I'm too lazy to lift myself."
"I'll help too!" Tina said happily.
"They're too heavy for ya, kiddo." Sans told her. Tina looked a bit disappointed, so Sans suggested something else. "You can put the magazines up for me though."
"Okay!"
It didn't take longer than twenty minutes for Frisk and Susie to bring in the boxes and Tina to finish putting up the magazines in their proper places. Sans gave them each the promised ten dollars. The girls thanked him, and then Frisk remembered something. "How's your brother doing, by the way?"
"He's good. Unfortunately, he can't meet you this weekend. Bummer when things don't work out, huh? You should be able to meet him someday though. Someday soon. Maybe by the time the Dreemurr kids come home from college next week."
Frisk smiled. "That sounds great."
...
"That wasn't so bad, was it?" Frisk asked Susie as the trio made their way back to Frisk's house to get Frisk and Tina's things.
"If I heard another terrible pun, my head probably would have exploded." Susie grumbled, though she clearly wasn't as mad as she pretended. "I feel bad for his poor brother. Still, a job's a job. Maybe if we make enough we can even go to the Winter Festival."
Tina's eyes shone. "That sounds like so much fun!"
Frisk nodded with a smile as they made their way up the path to her house. She quickly pulled out her keys and unlocked the door. The group headed upstairs where Frisk unlocked their bedroom door as well.
"We're back!" Tina called happily to her stuffed animals on the bed. She picked up Spot the dog, Stripes the kitty, and Teddy the bear all up at once and snuggled them. "And we're going to go to a new home! We're going to live in a real castle with Ralsei! He's a real prince and he's a goat monster and..." She set them back down gently on the bed and continued to happily tell them about their adventures in Cyber World as she pulled her favorite drawings off the way. Frisk and Susie chuckled at Tina's enthusiasm as they found some boxes and Frisk began packing her and Tina's sparse amount of clothes.
Tina smiled as she finished removing her drawings and packed them in her backpack. "I know, Teddy, but you'll be with us in Castle Town from now on." she told her teddy bear, then looked up at Frisk. "Teddy's sorry he wasn't there to protect us." she told them matter of factly.
"Well, let him know it's not his fault." Frisk told her with a smile, playing along like she usually did. Then a realization hit her, and looking at Susie's wide eyes, she realized it had hit Susie too.
"You thinking what I'm thinking?" Susie whispered.
"You think they might be Darkners too?" Frisk whispered back.
"Considering what the Card Castle Darkners' physical forms look like, it's definitely possible."
Frisk nodded. "We'll have to see when we take them to Castletown."
"Right."
They finished gathering all of the more necessary things, whatever they could fit into two cardboard boxes and three backpacks. Trusting Susie, Frisk reached under the bed, moving a box with some old books and drawings in it and revealing the loose floorboard under her bed. Susie watched curiously as Frisk lifted the floorboard, revealing a stack of paperwork relating to getting custody of Tina which covered a small envelope where Frisk kept a small amount of cash she had managed to save.
"I'm guess that's why you've got that big lock on the outside of your door?" Susie mentioned as Tina carried a light box with her drawings and her stuffed animals in it downstairs. "Oh, and you wanna take the stuff in that box with you? I think I've got some more room in my backpack."
"That's okay. I can come back for those tomorrow or something." Frisk reassured her, wanting Susie to have room for her own stuff. "And, well, yeah, the lock's for that, but it's also to protect Tina's toys and our library books."
Susie sighed. "Let me guess, your parents had no respect for your belongings either?"
Frisk looked down. "...Yeah. You too?" she asked quietly.
"Yeah."
"I'm sorry."
"Not your fault."
Frisk's heart ached. Susie didn't deserve to go through that. To have someone take her precious items, not caring how important they were to her. An old, nearly buried memory flashed into her mind.
Little Frisk glared up at her mother, feeling tears roll down her cheeks. "You can't sell ...! He's my best friend!" she sobbed. "Where is he?! Bring him back!"
Her mother's blue eyes were like ice as the brown haired woman crossed her arms, glaring back at Frisk. "It was a TOY, Frisk. You're a big girl now and we needed the money. Quit whining!"
"You had no right to take him! He's not a toy! He's my friend! My best friend!" Frisk sobbed.
Her mother rolled her eyes. "You're seven, Frisk. You're far too old to believe stuffed toys are real. It was a THING, not a person. Get over it. Now go outside and play. You're giving me a headache."
Knowing she couldn't make her mother listen, Frisk ran, tears nearly blinding her vision. She had to find him! She had to find...
"Frisk, you okay?" Susie's voice asked.
Frisk snapped back to reality as the dragon girl put a hand on her shoulder. "Huh? Oh yeah, I'm fine. You okay? Do you want to go your old house too? I can help you get your things..."
Susie shook her head violently. "Hell no. My parents kicked me out weeks ago, so they probably threw what I didn't take with me in the garbage or burnt it or something. And even if they didn't, not going back there again, especially not with you guys with me. I don't want my parents anywhere NEAR you or Tina." She forced a smile and patted her backpack. "Don't worry, I've got my important things in here. And I've got an awesome room and a cool new Dragon Heroes statue to go in it. I've got everything I want."
Frisk was still a little worried, but let it go, knowing Susie didn't want to talk about it further. "All right." She made sure nothing important was left behind. "I'm ready."
"Good. Let's get the hell out of this place."
The two older girls grabbed what they needed to and headed downstairs to meet Tina. The little girl smiled happily. "I put my box by the door, and I packed the first aid kit! And the cookies Mr. Asgore gave us!" she said proudly.
"Good job, Tine." Frisk said with a smile. "Ready to go see the castle?"
Tina bounced excitedly, her happiness brightening Frisk and Susie's moods as well. "Yeah!"
...
The sun was almost completely set as they made their way back to Ebott and into the school, which was thankfully open. Thanks to Susie jimmying the closet lock, it was open too and the blackness of the Dark World greeted them as Frisk set down her box and opened the door.
"Tina, we need to tell you something." Frisk told her sister gently. "While Susie and I aren't completely sure, we think there's a chance Spot, Stripes, and Teddy could be Darkners. If they are, they're likely going to look different when they enter the Dark World, so don't be afraid."
"Don't worry, Frisk! I know they are and I won't be!" Tina said happily like it had always been obvious to her as she picked up her beloved toys from the box and hugged them. Frisk wondered how she knew, but didn't have a chance to ask as Tina then looked into the darkness dubiously. "How do we get down there?"
"We just jump." Susie told her.
Tina looked more than a little nervous at jumping into a dark void and Frisk was quick to reassure her. "It's okay, sis. I'll jump first and catch you." Tina nodded and Frisk picked up her box again and jumped into the Dark World, her skin turning back to the now familiar cyan color and her clothing changing back to her Dark World armor as she fell. She landed on her feet, dropped her box, and held out her arms for Tina. A moment later, Tina and Susie came falling down to join her.
She caught Tina in her arms, just as three little white stars floated down to join them. She and Susie had been half expecting this, but they still watched in awe as the three new Darkners took form.
Spot, the little stuffed dog Tina once cuddled in her arms, was now bipedal and as tall as Susie. His face retained the same spot pattern, with a large black patch over one eye, but it was longer, resembling the dog monsters Frisk had seen in Hometown. He wore a slender suit of armor and was carrying a long sword, but immediately dropped it, panting happily and tail wagging a mile a minute as he spotted Tina and Frisk. He rushed to them and jumped on them, licking their faces, but clearly underestimated his own size. All three of them tumbled to the ground.
"Spot, do not tackle the princess and the commander like that!" a gruff voice scolded and an apologetic Spot was lifted off them effortlessly. Frisk found herself looking into the eyes of a massive bear monster who obviously had to be Teddy. He was taller than both Spot and Susie, his body broad and muscular. Like Spot, he wore a suit of armor, though one that was heavier and bulkier. He had a face like a grizzly bear with a scar around one ear where Frisk had repaired him after having to rescue him from the neighbor's pitty puppy who had thought Tina holding her bear meant she wanted to play tug. He looked incredibly intimidating, but his dark eyes were kind.
He helped Tina to her feet as Susie helped Frisk up, and Tina gave him a hug. "Thanks, Teddy! Wow, you're so tall now!"
"Thank you, Princess." Teddy told her fondly though he looked to Frisk in slight confusion.
Frisk had the feeling Teddy had always remembered himself as being exactly as tall as he was, and didn't understand why Tina said what she did. She wasn't sure how to explain, but thankfully was saved from having to as Stripes walked up, holding Spot's sword. She was now a beautiful bipedal cat monster, retaining her usual bright orange color with darker orange stripes across her face. She was dressed in a forest green tunic with black pants and long boots. On her tunic was a belt that held a quiver of arrows and a bow was strapped to her back.
"Spot, you dropped this. Again." she told the dog monster, who let out a happy bark.
"Stripes! You look so cool in the Dark World! Your dress is so pretty!" Tina said happily, hugging the neko.
"Thank you, Princess. It's just the tunic I wear every day, but I'm glad you like it." Stripes told her with a smile, ruffling her hair.
Tina cocked her head. "But I've only ever seen you wear it when we go on adventures, and only in my mind." she said in confusion before Frisk could stop her.
It was Stripes's turn to be confused and she looked down at herself as if to see if her outfit had changed on her randomly. She then looked to Teddy and Spot. Spot just cocked his head and Teddy looked worried before whispering to Stripes about checking Tina's head to see if she might have bumped it.
"I can explain." Frisk said quickly. "To us Lightners, things look a lot different in the Dark World than they do in the Light World. That's why Tina thinks your outfit looks different."
Stripes's worry was immediately replaced by curiosity. "Really? What did we look like in the Light World, Commander?"
Frisk blinked at being called Commander, then Ralsei's words came to her mind. "Don't break their reality." She knew she couldn't exactly tell Stripes, Spot, and Teddy that they were stuffed animals. That she had no clue why the hell they were calling her Commander.
That she didn't even know they were ALIVE until half an hour ago.
She tried to figure out what to say, what it would be okay to tell them that wouldn't just confuse them or break their reality. She glanced to Susie, but Susie was just as lost as she was.
"Guys! You're back!" a familiar and welcome voice called, saving Frisk from answering. Ralsei came running down the path, his eyes alight with joy.
"Ralsei!" Tina cheered and jumped into his arms.
Ralsei happily caught her and hugged her back. "Good to see you again, Tina!" he said with a smile. "Who are your friends?"
"This is Spot, Stripes, and Teddy!" Tina told him happily.
"We're the Royal Guards of Princess Tina, under the leadership of Commander Frisk." Teddy introduced. Spot barked happily at this, standing tall as his tail wagged. Frisk was utterly lost. Apparently she was their leader when she had only realized they were sentient a half hour ago. And then she remembered something. Whenever she and Tina had played pretend, she would always play a knight or a guard while Tina would play a princess, and Tina would always have her toys be guards too.
Frisk was only a pretend commander, but Tina's toys, who had turned out to be actually Darkners, obviously thought she was a real one.
What was she supposed to do?! How was she supposed to react?! She couldn't break their reality, but what even was their reality? They knew her and Tina, but she knew so little about them, except what she had read in the little comics about them Tina liked to draw.
"Frisk? Are you all right?" Ralsei asked and Frisk realized with an embarrassed blush that she had likely just been staring blankly through the conversation her friends have been having.
"She looks peaked." Stripes commented.
"Yeah, I'm fine. It's just been a really long day. Sorry." Frisk apologized.
She sighed. "You've been overworking yourself again, haven't you, Commander? We keep telling you you need to stop doing that and let us help you."
"You could have spoken a little more respectfully." Teddy chided Stripes before turning to Frisk. "Sorry, Commander, we're just worried about you."
"Thanks. I'll be fine though." Frisk told them with a smile, hiding her worry.
"I'll make sure she takes it easy." Susie told them.
"Thank you. I'm glad the commander found such a good friend in you, Lady Susie." Teddy told her warmly. "You too, Prince Ralsei."
Ralsei beamed and Susie's cheeks tinted red slightly. "Whatever. And just call me Susie. Lady Susie sounds weird as hell." Susie mumbled though Frisk could tell the compliment pleased her.
"All right, La-Susie." Teddy agreed.
"Thanks. Now let's get our butts to Castletown! Frisk, you won't believe how cool it looks now! It's really expanded from that ghost town it once was."
Frisk grinned, feeling a bit better. "I can't wait to see it."
"Me too!" Tina added happily.
Ralsei smiled and took her hand. "Let's go home, Frisk."
The word "home" made Frisk's soul feel warm. She beamed and squeezed Ralsei's hand. "Let's."
She'd figure everything else out later.
...
I hope you guys like the new OCs! I made them to explore some Deltarune headcanons I have and to help jumpstart a plot point coming up next chapter.
Please review and let me know what you think!