Summary: Some feels... Old tears.
Ebott Ville, Asgore Dremmur Residence, 1 year 7 months after the release of monsters and magic back in the world.
Frisk POV
"A long time ago, before I was born, my father King Gorem -may his soul rest in peace- used to be Prince Gorem The Adventurous. In his youth he relished in the unknown, action and battle. Discoveries and adventure littered his days like echo flowers in Waterfall."
Wow, his son is VERY different. I don't think Asgore likes "action and battle" much.
**"Times were different, Frisk. Now SHUT UP before I make you." I feel a phantom flick to my head, and I nearly snicker. I focus on Asgore again.
"One day he went to a deserted cavern, similar to the underground in its depth and complexity. Rumor said no human or monster had yet to return from it. Many were the monsters who wanted to accompany my father in his adventure, but he decided to bring just one. His best friend."
**"…" The spirit is becoming uncomfortable. I send soothing waves through our link, and she seems to be comforted by the connection.
"He was the son of the head of the Royal Guard of that time… An extraordinary monster of great strength. Macario and my father… they used to go on these kinds of expeditions. This one changed everything, forever.
"The cavern had magical properties, enough for it to make even humans wander through its maw to never be seen again." Asgore's face fell to the countless lives lost.
"The young Macario and Gorem entered the cavern and felt a strange magic. It felt odd and uncomfortable, old and evil. Macario wanted to go back. He tried to make the young prince halt his advance and reconsider the danger but my father didn't listen. That sealed their destiny." Asgore leaned forward, folding his paws on his lap. He seemed to be lost in thought for a second.
Chester fell asleep on my lap, not giving a dang about what is being said, but Eye Bone was listening attentively.
"The two of them wandered for what seemed days which blended into weeks; time moved differently inside that cave. Their rations depleted far too quickly."
Sans leaned forward, "wait, how was that, how did they know 'time moved differently' if they were in a cave." Alphys seemed intrigued as well...
"Well you see, humans call it having an 'internal clock'. For monsters it's being naturally attuned to day and night cycles. Monsters born in the underground -such as yourself- couldn't develop it. The only ones who can still tell you what time of the day is without any need of a clock are Toriel, Gerson, Grillbert, myself and a handful of other first era survivors," Asgore explained.
"DO YOU MEAN THAT SOME MONSTERS CAN FEEL WHEN DAY TIME AND NIGHT TIME IS? WOWIE!" Papyrus says, amazed by this little bit of monster history."Yes, but it's more like- let me see… We are able to know when it is 'dawn', 'morning', 'midday', 'dusk', 'midnight' and so forth. We cannot tell you the exact time it is." Asgore says.
"Why is that we ne-never got th-this information in school? Why is this not taught to children?" Alphys looks shocked by the underground's educational system.
"We thought that with monsterkind imprisonment, we would forget, or rather, lose the ability to sense day cycles or how they used to affect us. It was not as if we wanted to hide this from you all. We saw it better than to constantly remind our people of how unnatural it was for the monsters to be trapped under a mountain..." Toriel said, remorseful.
"OKAY, okay. Hold on, how does it affect us?" Undyne interrupted with a stressed shout, history and mysteries are not her forte.
"Undyne. Have you wondered why your magic is unstable during night time on the surface? I think you can attest to it. Haven't you been affected by the full moon as well?" Toriel answered with even more questions.
"UGH, yeah… Some crazy sh- things! Some crazy things happen at night, not so much now that I've been on the surface longer, but still. As for the full moon, I feel like the strongest monster alive! NGAAAAAHHHHHHH!" Undyne get's up from her spot, before Alpyhs tugged her down again.
She almost said it!
**"Oh come on! We're not preschoolers, we know the 's' word!" Chara folded her arms but had nothing else to say.
"Exactly. Your magic is stronger at night. Maybe it is because of the tide increase thanks to the moon, and thus, the spike in strength and magic in water type monsters. Water elementals probably experience this as well." Alyphs brought out her phone, quickly typing some notes. Papyrus murmured something about "bone elements", but I'm not too sure about that.
"Oh wow, that's soo cool! It's like getting power ups from the elements. Heck yeah!" The fish monster was super hyped.
"Okay, okay, settle down. Where was I? Oh yes," the goat man cleared his throat and continued to tell the story, "This shift in their 'inner clocks' did not go unnoticed to the two adventurous youths. As I said, the realization made Macario's worries increase, but my father yet again did not pay any mind to his friend's advice and kept moving forward into the unknown."
Young Gorem was a stubborn one huh? Chara shot me a quick glare, and I couldn't help but snort. Sans gave me a look, but I played it off as a sneeze.
Asgore continued on with his story,"They kept marching on in mazes of sub caves, which were almost always dead ends and deep pits of nothingness. Suddenly, the atmosphere changed and the two of them were thrown out from under their feet. The torches they carried went out instantly in the damp environment.
"My father remembered being struck in a void of darkness while being attacked with claws that pierced his skin. One, two, three times he was attacked, and by the screams of his beloved friend, he was met with the same fate. They fought valiantly for a while, but unable to grasp the source of the attacks, their HP easily lowered."
Like the Grue!
Chara blinked, **"What's a grue?" I want to answer but it'll have to wait for now.
"My father thought that it was the end of his short life. Regrets filled his vision as great pain was imprinted into his mind and SOUL. But then…"
A pause.
"What?" All the present except for Sans and mom said in unison.
"In complete darkness Macario's voice howled like thunder. He said, 'We are sorry we entered your domains! Oh powerful ones!' At his heartfelt cry, the slashes stopped. Both friends huffed and puffed and tried to recover their strength."
"'Sons of monsters!', this new voice addressed the injured monsters. 'What are you doing here?! You are not welcome! You shall die for trespassing our lands.'"
'We are sorry!' Macario's voice trembled with fear for his life as he knew very well that the entities' strength was not something to be trifled with. 'What we have done is wrong and we know it, but please! Let it be just me the one to be punished, my friend- my friend needs to live, our people need him!' Macario's words were filled with fear and resolution. 'And what makes you think we would let you sacrifice yourself for another? We could take both of you lives if we so wish!' The shadows responded."
**"He's going to-…" Chara's eyes widened, surprise written on her ghostly appearance.
"'I surrender willingly, you can do with me, my life, and SOUL whatever you wish, but let him go. One life for one crime!' By this time, my father was back on his feet, and objected 'NO! It was my idea to trespass your territory! He has nothing to do with this!' Only silence answered their pleas for a while before the decision was made. 'The first to offer, the eldest. You are going to make a contract with us' The shadows dwellers said."
"'Anything as long as Gorem is freed from here and alive...'"
"'Very well'"
"At this, the entity used a trapping magic on the prince's mouth and cut the string of profanities sent to Macario and the shadows' way."
"'We are to take your SOUL for it to be drained of what constructs it. Your hope, your compassion, your love, shall be taken away'."
Oh my God.
**"Should we be listening to this?"
Oh is this too much for you? I say sarcastically. Chara knows very well we have been through worse.
**"Of course not you buttface! I speak for you; you still wet your bed!"
Chara! I shout in my mind but the story continues.
"'We shall use your life force, love, hope and compassion to our liking and then you will become a shadow one, just like us,' they continued."
Everyone flinched. It was hard to imagine being stripped of what made monsters- well, monsters.
"'You shall be emptied of any memory and will. Your friend shall live and be set free in exchange.'" Even Asgore shuddered as he spoke, "'I agree.' Gorem could not believe his ears; his friend gave his life away like a discarded rag to save him of their fate."
There is a pause and Asgore grows mournful.
"The shadows touched him to seal the contract. With the dim bioluminescent bugs that started their daily rituals, my father could watch his friend transforming. He saw his friend's soul extracted from him and watched as the shadows sucked out all it's light. Macario was no longer his childhood friend when they released him.
"In the meantime Gorem sat, struck by what he had seen, or rather by what he was not seeing anymore. Just like that, he was all alone. Never to see his friend again."
Wait! I didn't sign up for this!
"The last thing he saw in that cave were the tear tracks forming in the hollow and soulless creature, a shadowy hand reaching for him, surely to end his life in revenge.
"But alas, that did not happen. And for years he wondered if it would have been better to die a hero's death like Macario or return home with the horrendous news of his best friend's demise."
Notes: I'm sorry. I hate OCs but I had to add them. Take in mind that they will not be THAT important and are part of a sub plot. Again, sorry.