HAVE PLACES TO GO
Chapter 4: Monsters and humans
Ebott is a small city located in a mountainous region to the north and with a temperate climate. The original name of the region is currently unknown, prior to The Great Catastrophes. The name comes from the only known site that still retains its original name, Mount Ebott. Despite the fact that the mountain is not a restricted area, the population is recommended not to explore this place due to the possible dangers that can be found in the area. [...]
Frisk and Omeliah continued to hold each other for a few moments, trying to control the crying, the flow of emotions of the reunion... Several days had passed without seeing each other. After so much, a bit of the normality of their lives seemed to recover.
When the woman finally calmed down and stood up, she began to walk, giving the kid the opportunity to enter and again recognize the space of the apartment. The box still felt like their home, that place they came to every day and where they could sleep and eat ... And although they recognized it perfectly, felt so different, the appearance of the place had changed ... knew It was only a few days, but it seemed like years.
Everything was covered in a small layer of dust and not even an electrical device worked, could hear flies buzzing, as daylight began to go away and only a small glow was seen coming out of the door that led to their room...
Frisk slowly approached and pushed open the door; saw a few candles and flowers, placed next to a photo of them on the table in the middle of the beds of both ... let out a small sigh, drowned in a short and barely audible sob, as they approached that improvised altar and their bed, made to perfection near the window.
Omeliah was entering, she couldn't believe that everything was finally over, looked at the child, who returned the gaze and hugged her again. The woman stroked the hair on their small head as she thought about what to say to them. Finally breathing deeply and as if it required all the courage in the world...
"where were you?" she asks.
"I went to Mount Ebott ..." It took them a while to answer, finally understanding the seriousness of the words. Omeliah burst into tears again.
"Oh Frisk, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry ... " She apologizes between sobs "I didn't, ever, forgive me...
"is okay ... I'm fine, I swear." —Answered the little one "in fact, there is something that… "Frisk is interrupted by the sound of their phone. Which answers immediately.
The woman is stunned ... It was so sudden; had no idea what was happening or who they were talking to.
"Since when do you have a phone?"
Frisk ignored her, they're focused on the call, it was Alphys, who spoke to them very nervous, more than usual ...
"F-F-Frisk, please come quickly." The scientist says, stammering. "We are in the main square, and, and, and."
The call ends. They were about to run away when meets Omeliah's look full of doubt ... The child simply looked at her and took her hand.
"Come with me."
She didn't have time to answer, holding her tighter they get out runninh. The young woman still didn't understand what was happening. But didn't want to lose sight of Them. They both leave the building in a hurry and without really knowing what was happening, even Frisk began to feel doubt, began to think that maybe the barrier was destroyed and that his friends were on the surface, it was not the end of anything.
The last rays of the sun sank on the horizon; soon they were arriving at the central square, there were many people, of all the times that Frisk went there didn't remember seeing so many people, a crowd surrounded the place, gets out of Omeliah and sneaks into every little hole that they find in the crowd to see what happened. When they finally get to the center, looks at their friends, surrounded at every corner by curious humans and cellphone cameras.
Innocent and incredulous smiles painted on the skeletons, looks of concern on the kings and the doctor, the eyes of the humans didn't know well where to direct their attention while they continued murmuring; For her part, Undyne felt a great tension in her good eye and her magic spear was present and shining; the young fish woman was on guard and her gaze darted to all directions. It was there when Frisk knew that they had no choice but to intervene, normally didn't like to raise their voice, or attract attention. But the situation warranted it.
"Attention everyone!" Frisk said standing on a bench as high and firm as they could "I want to introduce my friends ... the monsters. I freed them from underground ... and each one of them is a wonderful person, if they all give them a chance ... AND NO ONE ATTACKS ANYONE, I know we can all be good friends."
The kid felt the air was running out, directed a glance at Undyne who immediately with a huff despaired her spear. Everyone was in shock, no one had ever seen creatures like this, and Ohmelia tried just as hard to fight and get to the center even without even having an idea of what was going on.
"Frisk, could you tell me what's going on here?" The woman lets out more than confused as she struggled to get to the center.
When she finally succeeds, the monsters' gaze is on her, especially the gaze of Toriel, who covers her lips when an audible gasp threatens to escape; Just as she notices the physical similarities between the child and the young woman… there was no time to express another word. Hardly a syllable comes from Frisk's lips when loud sirens flood the air.
Uniformed and armed men make their way through the crowd that mutters indistinguishable things. At last dispersing the people they go to the monsters with the intention of arresting them. While still louder another officer with a megaphone was speaking.
"Attention! everyone presents clear the area, any human who tries to oppose the process of arresting the monsters will be arrested. We are authorized to open fire on any monster that reacts hostilely."
These words alarmed Frisk, who fearlessly and perhaps without thinking well approaches the officers who detain their friends, who were not resisting the arrest (a smart decision given the enormous disadvantage).
"Wait a minute, where are you taking them?" Frisk asks almost hanging on the huge arm of one of the men
"We can't reveal that information kid, get out of here" the uniformed man answers.
"But they didn't do anything wrong ...
"Sorry kid, we have orders, go away!"
"But they are harmless, I know ..." said the nervous little one, but not ready to give up. "I was the one who free them from the Underground."
The officer as well as several of his companions were surprised. The closest one whispers something to a device
"We have an "Angel from heaven" on our hands." said. Some time passed as sounds full of static noise could be heard through the intercom. "understood. Take the child too!
"NO!" Omeliah intervened. "You can't do that."
"are you related to this child?"
Toriel couldn't help but try to walk slower, even stopping despite the armed person gripping her, she wanted to hear the answer to that question, she had to know, eliminate that doubt.
"Yes ..." she said, "I am their mother."
The older woman this time let out the gasp in surprise, hiding nothing this time, as officers continued to push her toward a huge armored truck.
"Take her too."
No one said another word, the officers kept pushing and shoving the monsters into the huge armored trucks, dissipating people, threatening those who filmed, confiscating cameras and phones. On the other hand, Frisk and Omeliah entered a smaller car whose windows were partially blocked and although they tried to force their eyes, barely made out where they were being taken; The night had completely fallen and trying to identify the direction they were going was technically useless. No one said anything the whole way.
was long way, when they went down they were in a covered parking lot, in which there was only the car that brought them and there was no clear exit or entrance, the officers kept guarding and guiding them through the place, they crossed a huge gray door, and entered to a building that seemed to be somewhat neglected with somewhat dirty white tiles, some cracked, and different doors, seemed to be a series of offices; They passed through one last door and found a waiting room.
"Please wait, from that door a person will call you and you will be able to enter."
The uniformed ones got out, but stood guarding the door, in the small waiting room only a couple of plastic chairs, fixed to the wall and the floor, on the other wall the door where they would call them. They both sit down, Frisk glances at the woman, who seemed to be holding back, makes a small noise to get her attention. Omeliah snorted and was about to speak when the door in front of them opens.
"Can Frisk come in please?" Says the monotonous voice of a woman. They stands and takes a couple of steps, the young woman was about to follow them when. "Only the child".
they give her a look, a slight and almost invisible smile, as if wanting to reassure her, s turns around clenching their little fists, swallowing as they entered and the door closed behind.
Enters an almost dark room with a table in the center, the woman who called him stands by the door while a man was sitting in a chair on one side of the table and another was empty in front of him. Frisk knew what was going to happen, it was an interrogation ... they could see in the corners of the ceiling some cameras with a red light. Finally, takes a seat in front of the man, who greets them kindly.
"Hello, Frisk, right?"
"Where are my friends?"
"they are fine. We won't attack them ... Unless they attack us. Everything will be fine. "The man commented. "We're just going to ask a couple of questions, OK?"
Frisk sighs even doubting the people in front of them. Feared for their friends, yet he wanted and had to keep their composure
"Well, we don't have permission to ask many questions, either, so tell us Frisk. Why did you go to Mount Ebott?
They swallow… they didn't have time to think that when they came out from underground, they would ask all those questions, knew they would, but still never stopped to think how to answer.
"I just wanted to know what was there."
"So, you didn't know anything about Mount Ebbot before you went there? Absolutely nothing?"
They shake their head, looks at them again and tighten their own lips a little, the little they knew before or now hesitated to tell ... Probably and from the whole situation, they seemed to know more ...
"I once heard someone comment that they knew the real reason why nobody came back ... they didn't say it, but I think I already understand what it is ... And that it has little to do with my friends."
"OK Frisk, that's enough." You can go back outside.
So it happens, and finds the waiting room empty, that's how it stays for a few moments until again through the door which they entered, Omeliah came accompanied by other guards, as intact as a few minutes ago which calmed the little one a bit.
And once again the guard guide them through a series of intricate discolored corridors, there was nothing with which they could identify the places they were passing until they finally stopped in front of a heavy gray door with a small square window. The guards open it and indicate them to enter. There were two beds, a table with two chairs, a water cooler, and a wooden door in one of the walls. All in a greyish white decorated with the black of a surveillance camera on the ceiling
When the heavy door through which they entered was closed, the little one ran to explore what was behind the door inside the room; a simple bathroom with a simple toilet and sink, no mirror. they checked the front door and it was locked guarded by one of the guys who had taken them there. Obviously weren't going anywhere.
Frisk saw Omeliah flop down on one of the beds, frowning, lightly massaging her eyelids and temples ... she was breathing in a curious way, the little kid barely opened their mouth half an inch when she spoke of a snort.
"I want you to tell me what the hell is going on here."
The child purses their lips, again their head has to find a way to tell what happened, all so rushed because they never stopped to consider things, they only did them.
They start to tell her, breathing deeply, talks about how they climbs the mountain, that without realizing there was nothing they recognized and everything was dark, how they found a talking flower that tried to harm them, and that suddenly Toriel came and saved them, he protected him, as she offered them a pie and a bed
As they recounted all this I noticed a strange glow in her eyes, relief ... and knew that they couldn't continue to tell things exactly as they happened, they couldn't say, "and I wanted to leave the ruins because I wanted to return here, but Toriel wouldn't let me even we had to fight. " Obviously they couldn't say that about their friends either, "Papyrus locked me in a garage", "Undyne killed me several times", "Alphys sent a robot to kill me", "Asgore wanted to keep my soul" ... knew they couldn't. People would understand and at first Frisk neither, until they decided to give them a chance, to try to understand why ... then take another deep breath.
"Toriel accompanied me out of the ruins," they said, looking at the ground and then straight into the woman's eyes, "and we met Sans, her skeleton friend, and that's how we met the others."
they lied, honestly, they were getting used to saying things that were not true to try to get everyone to get along. Told her that the rest of the monsters were afraid of them for being human, but that with the help of others and with their own determination showed them that they could all be friends.
It worked, if Omeliah asked, she understood that the reason why everyone was now detained was because of a misunderstanding, and that maybe they would have a chance to solve it later ... and that was not entirely false, Frisk knew deep down in their soul that they were all good people despite what they tried to do to them, that the fights were due precisely to a misunderstanding, once they gave them the opportunity, used all their determination to understand them, to understand how monsters saw things, for in the end they became friends, and in the end, despite the fact that their story was not honest, communicated the idea just wanted to convey to her.
Now there was nothing else to do but sleep; The child had a bit trouble falling asleep despite how exhausted they were, even so, a warm feeling enveloped them when saw the young woman sleeping soundly in the bed next to them, Frisk didn't remember ever having done it, she always arrived when they were already asleep. Notice immediately that it was the first time that she really slept in days ... the awareness of everything that happened and what would happen fell on their little shoulders, their head pulsed, but it didn't matter much, they were going to fix it, was going to find a way out of the mess, just as they found a way back
Sleep finally overcame them, their little body sank comfortably into the bed, curled up and fell into a deeper and more restful sleep ... soon their eyes began to move faster and faster. A dream:
Everything was dark, it didn't seem so bad until a wicked laugh covered all the air, distorted and frightening, they couldn't move his feet and soon around their arms and legs a thick green vine with red thorns stuck and squeezed them more and more ... from the earth the owner of that laugh came out smiling ... Flowey.
"Haha, did you think you would've gotten rid of me? That I disappeared and what wouldn't return?" The flower laughed and brought his face closer. "but no ... I AM GOD! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA." He said with a very thick and demonic voice.
Soon they saw their soul surrounded by hundreds of white petals ready to destroy them, there was nowhere to run, Frisk felt that the attack would be imminent until a bright light revealed how tall and wide the black room they were actually was. It looked like a big angel ... but there were 3 of them, one of them looked identical to Asriel in his form of the God of hyper death, the other 2-winged humans, one of them blue with long hair carrying a huge sword and the last one a smiling child... suddenly Flowey's arrogance had become a pure terror, the petals disappeared like the thorns, he squeezed himself as tight as he could to Frisk crying fat drops quickly soaking their sweater.
"Frisk! Frisk! Please, I'm talking to you, Frisk, save me! Don't let them touch me, Frisk, I'm scared, don't let go. Frisk please." Flowey was crying and whimpering as if he were a small child, the words barely came out and Frisk couldn't help but have compassion on him hugging him back, but was still the same or worse.
Soon the angels were heading towards them, each brandishing a sword and plummeting, Flowey was panicking, not stopping. Frisk couldn't move, they got closer and closer and when they were finally down, they felt the edge of the weapons piercing their chest and a light blinding them completely...
Once their eyes opened, made out the place where they were, a black room like the previous one but this time didn't start alone, hugged them strong and warmly, the feeling was so familiar and beautiful. They were back in the embrace he shared with Asriel… the real Asriel. warm and soft, full of innocence and pure love ... this time it was Frisk who wanted to sink into his neck and not let go ... even though he gave the child all the time they needed this time Frisk felt they were holding him back ... was like they didn't controlled their body completely, soon realized that they could experience things in both first and third person, but not control it; at times his eyes were clouded with Asriel's fur, at other times he saw the two of them hugging peacefully from outside.
The good feelings did not last, finally stayed out of their body and saw how their head lifted from Asriel's shoulders, looked to themself directly in the eyes, it was a strange sensation. The hug had lasted longer now than it had actually lasted. Soon on their face a slight smile was drawn and was growing more and more.
"Is Frisk all right?" Asriel asks, his voice was soft and harmonious.
The smile grows, reaches from ear to ear and from the hug they see their own body extend their fist out.
"Frisk, are you okay? I hope it's like that because I love you so very much."
their body breathed irregularly and could only be seen from the front, with the smile on their face that was widespread beyond all human possibility, drooling in black, in their outward fist a knife materialized ... eyes slowly open shining red ... Frisk watching from outside slowly nodding their head, while outside of their body they screamed and begged no, their hand slowly approached and moved away like playing, to Asriel's back; who asked for the last time "Frisk?"
they no longer hesitate, with all the speed in the world the knife drives into Asriel's back and the scream awakens them completely.
They were back in the cell, Omeliah sleeping on the bed next to theirs, breath shaking, covered with sweat, their body felt very hot and kicked off the covers, although immediately felt cold. Fearful, took the sheets again, covering themselves completely ... they didn't want to fall asleep; afraid that those dreams would repeat or something worse. They never had nightmares before and the only thing they wanted was to calm their mind, fatigue won out again and slept with a blank mind the rest of the night ...
woke up in the morning, despite the fact that all the lighting was artificial, knew that the new day had arrived, everything seemed real and normal, last night's dreams seemed like blurry memories in their head, started to check the window again, to make sure if the guards were still there.
Approaching a chair, looks through the glass and first of all he notices their reflection, despite everything they still Frisk and it was their determination now the only thing that would get their friends out of there as they took them out of the underground. They looked at themselves and recognized themselves in control again.
The meditation did not last long as the door opened, pushing them a little, soon got out of the chair and the guard announced to both the child and the woman that it was time to leave.
"And now where are you taking us now?" - Omeliah said in a sleepy tone without much desire to wake up, if it were up to her, she would have spent there until noon.
"It's time for the trial." the guard answered dryly
The young woman gets up as fast as she can, exchanging a couple of glances with everyone present, although in different ways, she quickly enters the bathroom, she would have liked to take a bath and fix herself better, but evidently the conditions prevented it, she looked at the kid and then the guard, the three of them left escorted by one more guard. Walked through the corridors until they came across the people who had interrogated them the night before. The six continued walking in silence, Frisk and Omeliah were behind the agents and in front of the guards, the child soon took her hand, then a deep breath.
"Where are my friends?" Firmly squeeze the woman's hand a little more.
"You'll see them after the trial." responds one of the agents.
"And a trial for what or why? Nobody here did anything wrong." Omeliah refutes with a certain confidence that gave her that little squeeze
"Look, I'm not allowed to ask and even less to answer many questions. But because I like you, I'll tell you ... we are an organization created at the request of the Ebott Magic Council. Our job was to keep the monsters' existence a secret and keep an eye on any changes to the mount and the barrier. The moment we detected that your friends had left, we sent forces to the place of the barrier to contain as best as possible the monsters that are still there and stop those who left."
"But they haven't hurt anyone ..." Frisk replies
"And no one will harm them unless they attack, those are the orders we have." - interrupts the man
"If they aren't dangerous, nothing to worry about, right?" adds the other woman who accompanies them, wryly; to Frisk it seemed like an accusation more than anything.
"And what is going to happen to them?" Omeliah asks
"We can't say anything about that, it's the council's decision." responds the agent
"The Wizards?" comes out of the child's mouth.
The agents no longer answer anything, they stop walking in front of other large doors that push and the six enter a huge room crowned by a dome and windows through which sunlight entered, the structure and its decorations seemed somewhat old neoclassical. Without a doubt it was a court, but neither Frisk nor Omeliah had seen one like it in their lives, in front of it was a high curved platform with seven chairs that looked like small thrones, it was so high that they had to throw their head back to look at it properly ... On the right side were leaders on an equally elegant platform, but simpler, Frisk recognized some faces from the news. They led the two to a smaller desk next to a dais with a barrier. It wasn't long when more guards led the monsters to that dais.
The eyes of each of the monsters shone with joy upon seeing the child.
"Frisk!" All the monsters screamed almost in unison. They almost run to hug them, but are stopped by the guards.
When distancing themselves the little one notices something, someone was missing, was about to make it notice, but soon felt the ground rumble and the doors open, surrounded by guards at finally appears, Asgore. In orange overalls and handcuffed.
"What kind of sick joke is this ?!" Undyne exclaims in a fury, drawing the attention of the guards trying to calm her down.
"Don't worry Undyne, it's okay, I chose this, to tell the truth, this outfit and chains bring some peace to my soul after everything that happened." Asgore answers with a deep voice and a sad smile.
Frisk felt their heart sink in their chest, after everything that had happened, to think that somehow all their friends were still trapped, that everything that happened underground, breaking the barrier, all that hadn't been enough, but there they was, they were their ambassador, the proposed to help them ... and if this was part of the process, they had to face it.
Soon, in the direction of the high platform of the seven chairs were appearing, in a solemn attitude ... the rulers on the side of the jury stood up, four people, leaving the first, fourth and sixth chairs empty, wearing hooded robes of iridescent dark colored velvet.
All of these people were older, the youngest should be in his mid-50s or early 60s, wearing the black robe and sitting in the seventh chair, while the brown-robed woman who appeared to be the oldest sat. in the second. These two people became familiar to them, knew that they had met them at some time in the city, it was not until they dropped the hoods behind his shoulders that he could confirm that it was so, the eldest, was that lady who was always in the square of the golden flowers; the youngest the man from the candy store.
Nobody said anything, was it a spell or simply the solemn and haughty attitude of these five people; maybe some psychology from the fact that they were in the highest part of the room, the tension in the air was almost palpable. Finally, a voice resounded throughout the room, the acoustics of the place were impressive, someone had never been heard so clearly and loudly.
"Before beginning this honorable session, we the Ebott Council of Wizards would like to welcome the governors and secretaries of the region; We appreciate your presence and your role as a jury in this historic meeting in which today we will again decide the fate of the monsters." the man in the third chair pronounced sententiously.
"And why you?! What right do you have to decide that, after everything you did to us?!" For Undyne it was almost instinctive to shout it out, drawing everyone's attention, it couldn't be a worse moment, but it was the elephant in the room, at least for she and surely the rest of the monsters, after so many years only wanted to live a free life on the surface. It would not be easy that she had to know from the beginning and especially now when she felt the cold barrel of a guard's weapon on her back.
"Who are we, you ask?" The woman of the fifth severe chair begins "We are the humans, we won the war, we have all the authority to decide what will happen to you."
"But they didn't do anything wrong, and they won't hurt anyone." It was Frisk who interrupted now, gaining awareness of the possible consequences shrinks, looking down, clenching their hands.
"The Angel! I knew from the beginning that there was something with you. "Ebert almost screamed, the emotion in his voice was evident, now it was he who received certain accusatory looks for his abrupt
"Albright." Paused, letting the magician in the third chair echo his low voice. Before continuing. "We understand that not everyone present knows the story that brings us here."
"Of course we know it." Exclaims the warrior "The humans attacked us with all treachery and advantage, aware that we couldn't defend ourselves. Then they put us in a hole for years." She continued angrier each of her words.
"Of those present, I only recognize three faces." The old woman in the second chair pronounces. There was a moment of silence, her voice high and shaky. Felt less loaded with resentments than anyone else who had spoken before.
"Hehehe we're so sorry, lady, she still has bones to pick, you see." Sans adds
"Sans!" His brother scolds
"I'm just trying to lighten the mood."
"It's always a laughing matter with you… I haven't forgotten." The second magician points peacefully
"We speak here of history much older than the war of monsters and humans." The third wizard breathes deeply.
The old man leans back in his huge chair and begins to speak, slowly and calmly, as if the words he would pronounce were sacred ... whether or not they had a heavy load in his mouth and throat, in his eyes, were words that for him and the rest of the magicians at his side had an importance of greater transcendence than any other real story or not ... and each person present, it was not known if by spell or psychology they were attentive to each word that was said.