"MOM! MOM!"
Frisk shouted as she ran down the stairs, with Asriel following close behind.
Another year had passed for the Dreemurr family, and Christmas Eve was only hours away. Asriel and Frisk were getting a little older now, with Frisk being roughly 10 and a half and Asriel only a few weeks away from turning 12, and while there was still a significant difference in size between them (Asriel was roughly 10 inches taller than Frisk), Asriel had stopped growing so much, and Frisk was beginning to catch up. Their personalities hadn't changed much, they were still silly, childish, and dorky at heart, and would probably always be like that. It's just who they were.
Their tastes in fashion, however, were changing, and it showed. Asriel still wore his usual striped long-sleeve, but with a black t-shirt over it, emblazoned with a Delta Rune, and a pair of dark denim jeans in place of his old pants. Frisk had a pink hoodie over her long-sleeve, still blue and striped, but a little larger and also with a Delta Rune on the front. In addition to her typical wardrobe, she now donned a scarf, a blue one that was hand-weaved by Toriel, imitating her dear friend Papyrus. She even had a pair of blue boots to match, although she wasn't wearing them at the moment. She never wore her shoes in the house, generally a house rule, since the Dreemurrs themselves didn't wear shoes at all. Not their their enormous paws could fit into shoes to begin with.
And they both still wore their heart lockets, every day.
Toriel was in the kitchen, still wearing her traditional robes, stirring a large bowl of dough, preparing to make a couple of pies for Christmas dinner (there was no meat allowed in the Dreemurr household, other than snails, if that even counts. Frisk was a vegetarian). Asgore was on the couch with a book and a cup of hot tea, wearing a pink flowery sweater and dark sweats. He didn't give two Temmies for television, always preferring a good read to pass the time instead. Both of them were jolted out of their focus as they heard Frisks cries, and Toriel ran to the foot of the stairs to meet her.
"My child, what is it!?"
Frisks face beheld a look of utter excitement and glee, and Asriels too.
"I HAVE TO SHOW YOU SOMETHING!"
"Oh, um...okay. What?"
Immediately Frisk grabbed Toriels hand and pulled her towards the living room, a very curious Asgore looking on with interest. Asgore had not yet lit the fireplace to heat up the house, but the firewood was already in place, and Frisk decided it would make a perfect test.
"Okay, give me some room please."
Toriel backed away, standing next to Asgore, who was now on his feet as well. Frisk positioned herself about three feet from the fireplace, while Asriel stood next to Frisk, putting a hand on her shoulder for support.
"Remember what I taught you, Frisk. It's all about state of mind. Clear your thoughts. Calm yourself. Take a deep breath, focus, and envision it in your head. You can do it!"
She nodded, closing her eyes.
"Here goes..."
She took a deep breath, exhaled, and raised her hands, open and cupped together.
And a second later, a small fireball manifested over her hands, no larger than a baseball. It hovered mere inches above her palms, its gentle heat warming her cold fingers.
"FRISK, LOOK!"
Asriel screamed as she finally opened her eyes, becoming completely ecstatic when she saw that her hard work had finally paid off.
"LOOK MOM AND DAD!"
Toriel and Asgore were in complete shock at what they had just witnessed. Their minds had been blown to kingdom come and they just stared at each other in complete disbelief.
"W-WOW!"
She had finally learned how to use...
"M-M-MAGIC!"
With a quick flick of her wrists, Frisk extruded her palms outward, towards the fireplace. Not even a second later the fireball she had conjured took flight, exploding into a small shower of embers when it made contact with the firewood, instantly setting it ablaze.
Toriel rushed over to Frisks side and gave her a big sloppy kiss on the forehead, while Asgore just stared in amazement, clapping for Frisks amazing achievement.
"BRAVO, FRISK! BRAVO! MY DAUGHTER LEARNED HOW TO USE MAGIC! INCREDIBLE!"
She had her hands behind her back now, shy and meek as ever.
"I had a good teacher."
Asriel smiled, immediately pulling Frisk into a massive hug to celebrate her accomplishment, momentarily lifting her right off the ground.
"That was AWESOME! I KNEW you could do it!"
Toriel smiled at them both, but also felt like she needed to ask a very personal question at that moment.
"But, Frisk...why didn't you tell me before? Why didn't you tell me that you wanted to learn magic? I would have taught you."
Frisk pulled away from Asriel now, sighing to herself, suddenly feeling bad about all the cloak and dagger. She didn't let it stop her from being honest, though.
"I'm sorry, Mom...I thought you'd be upset with me for wanting to learn something so dangerous. I tried to learn it once before, but it wasn't working out, so I gave up. But then, when I saw what the school nurse was able to do with her magic, healing people, I really wanted to give it another try. I wanted to be like her, to be able to use magic to help people."
Toriel took a moment to process it all, but eventually nodded in approval.
"And Azzy has really cool looking magic too. That was part of the reason that I wanted to learn how to use it in the first place...stupid, huh?"
Asriel was blushing all of the sudden. Toriel simply smiled and shook her head.
"No, not at all. I understand. And I'm not upset, either. What you've done is...it's amazing, Frisk. You should be proud of yourself. I can see Asriel certainly is."
Asriel nodded, and Frisk smiled back.
"However, I do hope you won't mind, Asriel, if I take over Frisks lessons from now on."
Asriel had no problem with that whatsoever. In fact, he was ecstatic about it.
"That'd be great, Mom! Frisk and I can learn it together now! We can be study partners!"
And Frisk was suddenly excited as well.
"YEAH! I can't wait!"
A knock on the door.
"Looks like our guests have arrived, Tori."
"Yes, please let them in, honey."
Toriel cupped her hands together now, looking at both of her children with admiration.
"We'll talk about it soon, but bravo Frisk. Truly, that was incredible. I'm so proud of you!"
"Thanks Mom!"
Asgore opened the front door to greet their visitors, the skeleton brothers. A seasonally dressed Papyrus and Sans, wearing matching green and red sweaters.
"Howdy, friends! Come on in!"
He's STILL wearing those damn slippers!?
Asgore thought to himself. He wondered if Sans ever even bothered to change his socks. Lazy to the core.
"THANK YOU, LORD ASGORE!"
"sup, guys?"
Undyne and Alphys were on their way as well. A whole day of family and fun was planned with music, movies, great food and the company of friends on the most festive day of the year. 2030 was nearing its end, with Asriels 12th birthday only a few weeks away, and many more exciting events planned in the immediate future.
For now, though? It was Christmas at the Dreemurrs, and everyone was invited.
...
"Are you sure you don't need any help with the cooking, Toriel? I trained Papyrus after all!"
Undyne said, offering some assistance to what appeared to be a very engaged Toriel, bouncing back and forth between preparing pies and side dishes to go with Christmas dinner, including stuffing, cranberries, and yams. While she appreciated the kind gesture, she had everything under control and didn't need a loose cannon like Undyne in her kitchen, what with her being a known fire hazard, having once burned down her OWN house on her hangout with Frisk over two years ago.
"Thank you, Undyne, but I can hold my own here. Go spend some time with the others...and make sure Alphys doesn't sneak any of her anime onto the TV. We should be watching Christmas movies, not giant swords and girls in neon pigtails."
"FUHUHUHUHUHU! I KNOW! ANIME IS AWESOME, ISN'T IT!?"
Toriel sighed to herself, having no such interest in something so ridiculous. Hearing all about it from Asgore was enough for her.
"Okay then, lemme know if you do need a hand!"
And with that, Undyne went back to the den to join the rest of the crew. Alphys was sitting on the larger couch with with Papyrus and Sans, already going through anime withdrawal from being away from her prized collection for more than a few minutes. Asriel and Frisk were on the smaller couch, both enjoying a hot cup of tea. Asgore was standing in front of the TV now, sorting through all sorts of christmas movies to put on for their guests, preparing to brave the snow soon to chop more wood for the fire. Papyrus was already ruining his appetite with some home-packed spaghetti, much to Toriels displeasure.
And Sans had more...mischiveous ideas in mind.
"hey, asriel, what's that above your head?"
"Huh?"
He tilted his head back and looked up, with Frisk following suit, her curiosity getting the better of her.
There was a cluster of mistletoe floating above their heads, enveloped by a blue aura, a telltale sign of Sans own magic. Undyne immediately took notice and called out their situation.
"YOU GUYS KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS, RIGHT!?"
More often than not she screamed in a loud, nagging voice like Papyrus. Asriel could feel his cheeks turning red in that moment, and quickly held his hands up in defense, trying to think of an excuse to get out of this silly christmas tradition.
"What!? N-no, cmon Undyne. Frisk is my sister. It wouldn't be right."
But Frisk wasn't going to let him off so easily. Tradition was tradition and must be honored.
"Hey, Azzy?"
He turned to answer Frisk now.
"Yeah?"
Only for Frisk to surprise him with a big wet smooch, right on his fuzzy snout. Immediately he reeled back in terror and disgust, as if he had just caught the cooties, much to Frisks amusement. Usually he loved getting kisses from his sister, little cheek pecks to let him know how much she cherished him, but his snout was sacred and off limits to such a gesture, even from his mother.
"ARGHHHHHHH, FRISKKKKKKK! NOT THE SNOOTLE!"
The flirt was strong with this one.
"Hehe, you're blushing, Azzy! I think he likes it."
The entire room burst into laughter at this quasi-romantic foreplay, even though it was only part of a prank and didn't mean anything. Asriel was redder than a tomato at this point, partially from embarrassment, partially from shyness and surprise.
"He's just like you, gramps! So shy and bashful."
Undyne said, pointing out the similarities between father and son. The apple did not fall far from the tree at all. It was all in good fun, and Frisk was right, deep down he did like it, but he would never admit to such a thing out loud, not in his present company.
And he had revenge on his mind in that moment, immediately acting on his dorky impulses.
"NOW YOU'RE GONNA GET IT, FRISK!"
Asriel suddenly pounced on Frisk, pinning her shoulders down against the soft padding of the couch, using his legs to restrain the rest of her body, completely immobilizing her. He had an extremely silly look on his face now, and his muzzle wrinkled as his expression morphed into an all too familiar grin that was both playful and evil at the same time.
"Remember what my new philosophy of the world is?"
And all of a sudden Frisk realized...
"OH NO, PLEASE, NOT THAT! ANYTHING BUT THAT!"
...she was DOOMED.
"Oh yes, Frisk, THAT!"
He leaned in closer, bearing his fangs as he raised his hands, wiggling his clawed fingers in front of Frisks face, playfully teasing her with the terror of what was about to unfold.
"In this world...it's TICKLE or BE TICKLED!"
As soon as the last word left his mouth, his hands reached down towards Frisks underarms, his fingers digging into her sides, unleashing a cruel barrage of coochie coos. Instantly Frisk began thrashing and squirming, as if a bolt of lightning had just tore through her and sent her body into overdrive. She folder her arms in a vain attempt at defense, trying to shield her most vulnerable point of attack, her sensitive tummy.
"PFFAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA, STAHAHAHAP AZZZ-ZZZ-YY!"
Undyne was taking notes. Literally, scribbling on her arm.
"So THAT'S how you beat Frisk! YOU'RE DOOMED NEXT TIME, KID!"
Frisk paid her no mind, she had her hands full just dealing with the silly dork on top of her. Finally mustering her strength, she forcefully pushed Asriel off of her and began to crawl away.
But...
But he REFUSED
"THERE IS NO ESCAPE FROM THE LEGENDARY TICKLEMASTER, FRISK!"
...he was having none of it. Asriel grabbed her by the waist and effortlessly pulled her back onto his lap. His arms then wrapped around her in such a way that her own arms were pinned and unable to get any leverage to fight back, while his legs and his paws crossed and wrapped around Frisks lower body, making any sort of movement or resistance impossible.
"NOW I'VE GOT YOU, FRISK! YOU'RE ALL MINE!"
Maintaining his own binding position, his fingers wiggled with renewed enthusiasm as they mercilessly dug into her sides again, and Frisks desperate flailing flared anew. Asriel had to be careful not to injure Frisk with those claws of his, but they were tiny and almost completely harmless, no bigger or sharper than the claws of a kitten. They were used as tools, not as weapons, and in fact, the tiny claws and the soft fur on his fingers only made his tickling shenanigans that much more effective.
"H-he's not hurting her, is he?"
Alphys interjected as she watched this whole charade unfold, concerned that Asriel might have been playing a little rough with Frisk, but Asgore reassured her and put her mind at ease, he himself giggling as the whole thing played out.
"Hehe, of course not, Alphys. He would never hurt his sister. Believe it or not, they do this sort of thing all the time. They're just being kids."
"i believe it. they're both dorks at heart."
Sans couldn't help himself in that moment. Frisk wanted to challenge that statement, knowing there was only one TRUE dork in the Dreemurr household, but she was in no position to do so. She continued to struggle against her brothers bonds valiantly, but to no avail. It was a hopeless battle, and she couldn't even raise her own hands to defend herself. She was strong, but Asriel was stronger, easily able to overpower her because of their difference in size, and the only thing all her thrashing and squirming accomplished was wearing herself out faster, making it easier for Asriel to press the attack.
His hands now began pulling away the fabric protection of her sweater, and her thrashing suddenly intensified as his clawed fingers found and began to maliciously tickle her now exposed tummy. She was helpless against her brothers onslaught and completely at his MERCY.
"I can do this forever, you know! I'm having too much fun making you squirm, Frisk! You're so cute when you giggle. How much can you take!? How long can you last!?"
Revenge was sweet, Asriel thought to himself. He was truly enjoying this. In the past, he would sometimes subject Chara to his tickling shenanigans, sometimes as a revenge tactic for sibling rivalry, and other times just to cheer her up and get her to smile when she was in a sulky mood and nothing else worked. Asriel did understand the importance of respecting personal boundaries and knew when to leave Chara alone, but sometimes desperate measures were needed, and in fact, Chara loved it when her brother was like this. She loved getting this kind of attention, whether it was hugs, kisses, nuzzles, or tickles, even if it was by force, because she knew what it meant, that he really cared about her, that he really loved her. And Frisk was no different. No matter how much she struggled and resisted, deep down, she loved it too, because she also knew what it meant.
But she could only endure so much of his theatrics, and she was at her limit. Her DETERMINATION could only get her so far, and it wasn't strong enough to resist him anymore. She cried out, desperate for someone to come to her defense.
"HAHAHAHA HAHAHELPPP!"
But nobody came
Nobody lifted a finger to help her. Undyne even rebuked her plea for assistance.
"No can do, Frisk. You gotta learn to fight your own battles!"
Not at all what she wanted to hear. The assault continued, seeming as if it would never end, but at last he offered her an olive branch...
"WHAT WAS THAT!? HAD ENOUGH, FRISK!? GIVE UP YET!?"
...and Frisk desperately struggled for a breath so she could accept it.
"YEAAAHHHAHAHAHAHAHAHA OKAYYYYAHAHAHAHAH! I GIVAHAHAHAHA UAAHAHAHAH UAHAHAUPPPP!"
He wasn't so quick to let her go, however.
"Who's your best friend, Frisk!?"
A shameless stalling tactic to drag out his attack. Frisk had no choice but to indulge him.
"YOUUUUUAHAHAHA AREEEEAHAHAH!"
But he wanted more.
"Tell me I'm the best brother in the world, Frisk!"
He already knew that, she had told him as much many times before. But he wanted to hear her say it anyway, just to have an excuse to keep going.
"YOU'RE THE BEAHAHAHAHAHA BEST BROTHEAHAHAHAHER IN THE WORAHAHAHAHAHAHALD!"
The torture still wouldn't end. His fingers dug deeper into her tummy, invoking even more violent thrashing and spastic laughter from Frisk as she desperately fought to escape her brothers affectionate torment.
"Now tell me you love me, Frisk!"
Frisk couldn't take it anymore. She felt like she was about to pass out.
Please, make it STOP! IM BEGGING YOU!
"TELL ME!"
"I LOAHAHAHAHA LOVE YOUUUUUAHAHAHAHAHAHA AZZZYAAAAHAHAHAHAH! PLEASEEEEEAHAHAHAHAH, MAKE IT STAHAHAHAHAHAP!"
FINALLY he granted Frisk her desperate plea for a reprieve, ceasing his merciless attack. Asriel gently pulled his hands away, rubbing her back as Frisk struggled to catch her breath. She leaned forward to get some space, taking in deep gulps of oxygen to recover, her lungs still burning from air hunger and her throat now sore from so much laughing. She began to sluggishly scrabble away...
...only for Asriel to grab her by the waist and pull her onto his lap again, binding her arms once more.
"NO, PLEASE! NO MORE, AZZY!"
But this time he simply comforted her with a big nuzzling hug and a gentle kiss on her cheek, reciprocating the affectionate gesture that he had earlier pried from her by force. She could feel her own cheeks burning with embarrassment now as all of her friends laughed at them, watching this sideshow of lunacy unfold with profound glee.
"Mwah! Love you too, sis!"
She giggled and sighed with relief. Asriel finally let go and Frisk quickly scurried away to the other side of the couch, giving herself some space from her goofy assailant. Having finally caught her breath, she reaffirmed what he had successfully forced out of her, even though he didn't even need to do so in the first place.
"How can anybody NOT love a big smelly dork like you!"
"HEY! I don't smell...that bad!"
They smiled at each other and giggled in unison. Papyrus found the whole thing adorable and made his opinions known...rather loudly.
"HUMAN FRISK AND MINI ASGORE WOULD MAKE THE CUTEST COUPLE IF THEY WEREN'T SIBLINGS, DON'T YOU THINK SANS!?"
"yep, those two knuckleheads would be perfect for each other."
Frisk still had the nerve to take a rabbit shot at Asriel in that moment, her flirty side once again taking control.
"I'm still waiting for him to give me the ring, Sans."
That comment elicited a hardy laugh from Sans, and Asriel could feel his cheeks burning again. Immediately he shot a glance at Frisk, another playful grin forming on his face.
"WHY YOU...THAT DOES IT! ROUND TWO, FRISK!"
He lunged at Frisk, pinning her to the couch again, and so began the next siege of merciless tickles from big brother Asriel.
"UUUAHAHAHAHAHAHAH NOAHAHAHAHAHA, NOT AGAHAHAHAHAAIN! AAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAH!"
The battle had only just begun.
...
The hours passed, and the transition from daylight to the eve of nightfall went largely unnoticed by everyone.
'NYEHING AROUND THE CHRISTMAS TREE!"
Papyrus putting his own spin on a classic Christmas tune as everyone else was lost in dance and good times. Asriel and Frisk were taking center stage in front of the kitchen, hands and fingers interlocked with each others, their noses touching as they nuzzled the night away. Asriel took the lead, Frisk followed. It was a repeat performance of what won them 1st place in 2029's Nose Nuzzling Contest. Asriel was a little clumsy with his massive paws and stepped on Frisks toes occasionally, but it didn't bother her.
"No wonder we lost to them. They've really got the gift, Tori."
A very proud Asgore looked on as his children impressed him with what they had learned.
"Yes, we taught them well."
Undyne and Alphys, meanwhile, were lost in their own dance, Undynes own interpretation of the Swing. Unfortunately for Alphys, Undynes twist on the classic technique was applied in a literal fashion. Undyne had Alphys by the wrists as she swung her around and around, like a soldier slinging a bola to dismount an enemy on horseback.
And with just a tiny loss in grip...
"WHOAAAAAA!"
Alphys went careening into the bookshelf, knocking it over, with every single hardcover scattering to the floor below. The vase on top came crashing down with it, leaving a pile of shattered rubble, much to Toriels immediate disappointment.
"Oh, you two! Now look what you've done!"
It was enough to break Asriel and Frisk out of their groove, casting a look of surprise over at the nerdy duo.
"Uh oh..."
Alphys pushed herself up with her scaly palms, a little stunned from the whole ordeal. Undyne was the one to blame though.
"Whoops! My bad, Tori!"
But she shrugged it off just as quickly. It wasn't irreplacable, and besides...
"Oh...it's alright, Undyne. I can fix it with magic later. Don't worry about it."
"why wait?"
With a snap of his bony fingers, Sans gathered all the broken shards into a neat pile, and a blue aura engulfed each piece as they began to connect and seal together, like a jigsaw puzzle being glued in, piece by piece. In all of ten seconds the vase was completely reformed, as if it had never been broken at all.
"Thank you, dear Sans."
"no worries. you should really get off your feet, toriel. you're always working your hands to the bone."
Toriel was all laughs at his pun, while Asriel and Frisk sneered in disapproval.
Booooooo.
DING!
The cooking timer chimed from the kitchen, having run its ten-minute duration, signifying that the pies had cooled off and were ready for serving.
"Oh, sounds like dinner is ready. Let's go everyone, at the table."
"DIBS ON THE SNAILS!"
Asriel announced, much to Frisks disgust. He could have all the snails he wanted, she still wasn't touching them. Unfortunately for Papyrus...
"BUT I'M NOT HUNGRY ANYMORE, LADY ASGORE! I HAD SPAGHETTI!"
Spaghetti. On Christmas. Toriel could feel her snout contort from the stress. She was facepalming at this point, trying to keep her emotions in check as this three-ring circus continued to unfold.
Just a little longer...
...
"Okay, time for presents, everyone!"
Asgore happily announced, and...well, six weirdos came scampering from the dinner table, bumping into each other as they congregated around the tree. The lights and ornaments were in full bloom as the sun had finally set, commanding the attention of everyone.
Toriel was far more reserved, casually getting up from her seat and slowly walking into the den, even taking the time to push her chair in. Since Asgore was already there, he kicked off the honors, handing out the first present.
"This one is for Sans, from Toriel."
Sans took the gift from Asgores hands and, with a noted lack of interest tore through the wrapping, exposing its contents.
It was a book.
"'7,200 side-splitting jokes to share with friends.'"
Toriel came up behind Sans now, bending over to meet his gaze.
"I've already memorized quite a few of them, but I know you love your jokes, especially puns. Hopefully there's some you can use in there, maybe even get Papyrus involved."
Papyrus shot that one down immediately though.
"NO, LADY ASGORE! DON'T ENCOURAGE HIM!"
He was already grinning from ear socket to ear socket.
"heheheheheh, thanks, tori. i'll put this to good use. believe it or not, paps really does have a good sense of humer. he'll be a boneified comedian once i'm done with him."
Toriel found herself bending over the couch laughing, while Papyrus was red in the cheekbones and sneering at both of them.
"NYEHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! YOU TWO ARE UNBELIEVEABLE!"
Even Asriel and Frisk were laughing along. The puns were growing on them.
"okay, my turn. that big one there."
Sans pointed to the large rectangular present against the wall. Asgore set it in the center of the room and gently peeled away the wrapping paper, revealing four smaller rectangular boxes stacked on top of each other. Each one was labeled.
"Let's see...this one is for Frisk...and this one is for Asriel. The other two are for us, Toriel."
Frisk was first up and tore through the wrapping like a bear digging through trash.
There was a sweater inside, and the others found a similar item in their respective gifts as well. They were all different colors and each of them had a pun written on the front, etched in gold.
Frisks was light blue with the phrase "Feeling Frisky?".
Asriels was green and said "Asriel as it gets."
Toriels was purple with "Worlds #1 Momster."
And Asgores was pink with "Dad to the Bone."
Toriel was giggling like a schoolgirl and immediately planted a kiss right on Sans cheekbones, making him blush just as red as Papyrus was earlier, a bit to Asgores annoyance.
"AHHHHH, THESE ARE SO CUTE! Thank you so much, Sans!"
Even Asriel and Frisk were starting to take a liking to the puns.
"Thanks, Professor Sans! You nailed it perfectly."
Asriel nodded in agreement with Frisk, holding his sweater up as well.
"heh, no problem. i'm a pretty punny guy."
Papyrus felt like hitting him.
"I'M SURROUNDED BY BOONDOGGLERS!"
Asgore reached for the next present, almost equal in size.
"Alright, this one is for Toriel, from...oh, Asriel and Frisk."
They gave each other satisfied grins as Toriel gently tore away the paper with her claws.
"Oh, my!"
It was a brand new sewing kit. Toriel loved sewing and knitting, it was one of the few things that kept her active and engaged in her free time, but her old kit was pretty well worn, with most of the materials nearly spent. This one had a large and FULL stock of spools, needles, buttons, threads and yarn in all colors and sizes. It even came with a new set of knitting needles. There were enough materials in here to sew an entire department store of clothes.
"Mr Gerson helped us with this one. Said it took him a month to put together enough materials to complete it. We know your old one was pretty worn out, so we thought..."
Before Frisk could finish that thought, Toriel dropped to her knees, grabbed her and Asriel by the collars of their shirts, and pulled them into an enormous fluffy hug, with nuzzles and kisses for all.
"Thank you you so much for this, children! This will keep me busy for years! You're both getting new outfits for the next semester!"
Asriel and Frisk secretly high-fived each other in satisfaction, and Toriel finally let go.
"sounds like quite the investment. i guess toriel really does wear the pants in this house."
Toriel was keeling over in endless giggles again, while Papyrus looked like he was ready to off himself.
"NYEHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
The nyeh heard all around the world.
The next one to catch Asgores eye was...
"Oh, this one is for me! From Asriel and Frisk."
Asgore grabbed the wrapping and literally ripped it clean off its gift with one yank, no tears or shredded pieces.
"Oh, wow."
Inside was a new tea set, consisting of a kettle, several petit glass tea cups and plate coasters, and even an herbal press for mixing, all with a buttercup decor.
"We couldn't stand seeing you drink out of the old ones anymore. We know they're sentimental to you, but still..."
Asgore set his gift down and ruffled both of his kids hair (or tuft of fur, in Asriels case), grinning at them with squinted cheer.
"Thank you, Asriel. And thank you, Frisk. It's perfect. I almost feel like having a cup right now. I'll make a fresh batch for everyone in the morning."
As he set down his new chinaware, Asgore noticed a fairly small present nestled in the branches. Two of them in fact, one much smaller than the other. Asgore spotted it next and pulled it out.
"And these are...ooh, they're for Frisk, from Asriel."
Frisk took them from Asgores waiting hands and, starting with the larger gift, ripped the paper away in one yoink.
There was a brand new diary inside.
"Oh, cool!"
It was a hard cover, one with a solid back instead of ring binders. It had a flowery motif on the front and a blue ribbon for bookmarking. It was quite thick and came with its own personal little padlock and key. It even had a little slot for a pen on the binding. Frisk was in absolute awe at her gift. It was something she had wanted for a long time, and Asriel picked this one out just for her. The other gift as well.
"Go on, open the other one! It goes with that."
With glee, Frisk qucikly peeled away the smaller present, revealing a small rectangular case. Inside was a thick pen, black and gold, one that looked very fancy and professional. It was a perfect fit for the pen slot on the binding, complementing its colors and decor.
And her name was engraved on the golden clip.
Frisk
"You always said you wanted to keep a diary of all the happy memories we've shared. Now you can!"
Frisk held both of her gifts close, swooning like a shy little girl.
"Aww, thanks Azzy! I love it! I'm gonna write every day, starting tonight!"
After an exchange of cheerful smiles, she looked over at a charmed Asgore, pointing to a present in the corner, right at the base of the tree.
"Hey Dad, can you hand me that one please?"
Asgore plucked it from its spot and handed it to Frisk, who then held it out to Asriel.
"Thanks. Here you go, Azzy."
Asriel took it from her waiting hands, quickly tearing through the paper with his tiny claws. Frisks gift took him by surprise.
"OH!"
It was a camera, but not a modern one with digital technology or filming capability. No, this one was much older, one of those flash-mounted instant cameras that ejected the photo immediately after snapping, fully loaded with two spare packs of film. It even had a time delay for setting up group photos. A collectors item, and in great condition.
And there was a brand new album packaged underneath it, with flowery motif on the cover.
"I had to search around for a while to find it, but I remembered that your old one broke and you always wanted a camera like this, one that could always capture the moment, so I..."
He was jumping up and down, unable to contain his excitement.
"AWW, THIS IS SO AWESOME! THANK YOU SO MUCH FRISK!"
And this was the perfect moment to capture.
"Gather around the tree, everyone! Family photo time!"
It didn't take long for the entire gang to converge around the christmas tree, the shortest ones in front (Frisk, Sans and Alphys), the taller ones in back, with Papyrus and Undyne on the left, and Toriel and Asgore on the right. Sans had his hands in his pockets.
"come on, asriel. put a little backbone into it."
Alphys was as shy as ever.
"H-he's gonna catch my b-b-bad side."
Papyrus and Undyne were leaning over Sans and Alphys hogging the spotlight, trying to nudge each other out of the picture.
"MOVE OVER, UNDYNE!"
"You're cruisin for a bruisin, Papybutt!"
Another nudge.
"AT LEAST I DON'T LOOK LIKE ROADKILL!"
Instantly Undyne caught Papyrus in a headlock and gave him a massive noogie.
"THAT DOES IT! IT'S TIME FOR AN ASS WHOOPING, BONEHEAD! FUHUHUHUHUHU!"
And Toriel and Asgore were holding hands with shy smiles all around.
"I hope our friends never change, honey."
"Me too, dear."
Finally Asriel as satisfied with the arrangement and the angle and calls for a freeze.
"Perfect, just like that!"
Setting the camera on the couchside table, he set the timer for 15 seconds, engaged the countdown and quickly scrambled to Frisks side.
"SMILE, EVERYONE!"
He put an arm around her and nuzzled her cheek, she put an arm around him and nuzzled his (her pen and diary locked in the grip of her other arm), and Toriel and Asgore stood behind them proudly, their friends alongside them as the timer ticked down to zero.
SNAP
A bright flash, a loud click, and a brand new photo was dispensed from the business end of the camera. The first for the album, and what a shot it was. Asriel took hold of it and fanned it out, letting it come into clarity.
"Mom, you should enlarge and frame this one before I put it in the album."
"Absolutely, Asriel. It will look perfect above the fireplace."
And then followed a chorus of giggles and jolly cheer by all, as the night rolled on.
...
"Take care everyone! Have a safe trip home, and Merry Christmas!"
"yup, merry christmas guys."
"MERRY CHRISTMAS, ASGORE AND LADY ASGORE! AND TO YOU AS WELL, MINI ASGORE AND HUMAN FRISK!"
"It'll be a lot merrier once Alphys and I open our presents and turn on some Mew Mew Kissy Kitty! FUHUHUHUHU!"
"YOU READ MY MIND, UNDYNE!"
Alphys had the last word as the door closed behind her, and only the Dreemurrs remained.
"Oh, that was a wonderful party. It was so nice having everyone together."
That it was. Two and a half years since their exodus from the Underground, and nobody had changed at all. And Frisk wouldn't have it any other way.
Unfortunately...
"Well, everyone except..."
Someone was still missing. Someone who deserved to be there just as much as anyone else.
Asriel flashed a look of concern to a now distraught Toriel.
"Mom?"
She could feel a tear roll down her cheek, catching her by surprise. Quickly she turned to brush it away, hoping nobody had seen it. But they did.
"Oh, dear me. I'm sorry, I just..."
She turned to Asriel now, looking right at him. But not at him.
At her.
"...oh, Chara. I know you're still there, I know you can hear me, I just...I miss you so much Chara. It's just not the same without you. I'd give anything to have you back, to hold you in my arms just one more time..."
Now the tears started in full, and Toriel could do nothing to stop them.
"I-I'm sorry, everyone. I need...I need some time alone."
She turned and scampered up the stairs, nearly tripping over herself as she made the ascent.
"Toriel, wait..."
A concerned Asgore followed close behind, hoping to console her. Frisk and Asriel were alone now, both clearly worried.
"Mom...Dad..."
Frisk muttered under her breath, while Asriel hung his head low.
"I never really got over it either, Frisk. I still miss her too. Every day."
They sighed to themselves, not at all sure what to do.
But somebody came
"Huh?"
Once more his chest shined with that same soft, scarlet light. And a second later, her voice called out to Asriel from within.
"...Are you sure, Chara?"
Frisk stared at him now, fully aware of what was going on.
"...okay. I understand."
"What did she say?"
Without hesitation, Asriel grabbed Frisks hand and started walking upstairs, pulling Frisk with him.
"I'll let her tell you herself, Frisk."
A beaming smile suddenly manifested across Frisks face. Asriel didn't need to say anything else.
She knew what was about to happen.
...
Toriel had her face buried in Asgores chest, her long snout digging into the sensitive fur extruding from underneath his pink sweater. Even now it was a horrendous struggle for them, dealing with the grief of a dead child. They had one child back and a new one to care for, but they still thought about the one who never came back. They thought about Chara, every single day.
"I know, Toriel. I miss her too, but we just have to..."
"Mom?"
Asriel called out as he pushed the door open. Toriel turned to answer her sons call.
"Yes, I'm sorry Asriel. I didn't mean to walk out on you like that. I'm...I'm okay now."
That was a lie and everybody knew it, but what else could she do? Asriel and Frisk turned to one another now, and Frisk already knew what to do. She walked up to her parents now to set the stage.
"Mom, Dad...there's someone who wants to talk to you."
They looked at each other with immediate confusion.
"Someone at the door?"
Asgore responded. Not that he wasn't intelligent, but he was slow to catch on to some things.
"No...I'll let Asriel tell you. Or, rather..."
Frisk turned to Asriel once more and beckoned him over, who nodded in response.
"Okay...I don't know how this is going to work, but this is what she's telling me to do."
Toriel immediately shot Asriel an expression of surprise.
"She?"
Asriel held out his open hand towards his family now.
"Everyone, give me your hand."
Not sure of what was happening, Frisk reached for Asriels furry hand with her own, placing it on top of his. Asgore followed suit next, his much larger hand completely engulfing both of theirs. Finally Toriel put her hand on top of his.
Then, Asriel put his other hand on top of all of theirs. They were all connected now.
"Now...close your eyes."
...
They opened their eyes again.
Darkness engulfed them. Everywhere they looked, nothing but an empty void. Left, right, up and down, it was pitch black. Yet they could see each other perfectly.
"Where are we?"
Toriel spoke out, scanning her surroundings. It didn't feel physical, it was more like a dream, like an out of body experience. Astral Projection, or something like that. They looked at each other, Frisk, Asgore, and Toriel, not at all sure what to make of the current situation.
And then...
"Hi Mom..."
A voice, one that was oh so familiar, but not heard in many, many years.
Toriel looked down at Asriel now, where the voice was coming from.
Only...Asriel wasn't there. In his place was a human child, a girl, equal in size to Frisk. Said girl was wearing a striped green sweater, brown pants and small boots, much like the clothes "she" wore back in the day. She was facing away from them at first.
And then "she" turned around.
"C-CHARA!?"
Toriel shouted, hardly able to believe what she was witnessing. It was Chara. The bobbed hair, the rosy cheeks, the wide staring eyes. Every detail was spot on, and she looked exactly as she did in the days long ago, only a little older.
Asgore was equally blown away, now on his knees, while Frisk stood and watched in stunned silence.
"CHARA, YOU'RE HERE! YOU'RE REALLY HERE!"
She stepped forward now, putting a consoling hand on Toriels cheek. Toriel raised her own hand to meet Charas, feeling her warm touch.
"I'm here, Mom. I've always been here."
Asgore knelt down now, gently taking Charas other hand into his own, feeling her warm touch for himself.
"Oh, Chara! My dearest...we've missed you so much!"
She turned her gaze to him now, a little hesitant to do so.
"Hi, Dad..."
Frisk approached her now, unable to contain her joy in the moment.
"I've wanted to meet you for so long, Chara."
She nodded.
"Me too, Frisk."
Toriel looked around now, observing a very important detail that Asgore and Frisk were currently oblivious to.
"Wait a minute, where's Asriel!"
"I'm right here, Mom!"
A soft white glow flashed from Charas chest at that moment, and not even a second later a SOUL floated outward, hovering mere inches over her cupped hands. It was white and looked like an inverted heart, pulsing with pure energy. It was a monsters SOUL. Asriels SOUL.
"Don't worry, I'm perfectly fine. Chara needs my body to be able to do this."
"I didn't even know if you wanted to see me, after everything I've done. But when I saw you earlier, the sadness in your eyes...I just had to talk to you."
Toriel wrapped her fingers around Charas hand and squeezed gently, cupping it with her other hand.
"Oh, Chara..."
Chara looked like she was about to cry, hanging her head in shame, but she didn't allow herself to. Not yet. She had to be strong now.
"Mom...I'm so sorry."
Toriel looked confused now.
"Sorry for what? I don't understand..."
The sobbing was starting to take command, but Chara forced herself to quash it. Not now.
"Everything that happened...it's my fault. It's because of me and my selfish actions that you lost us both that day...it's because of me that you and Dad suffered for so long."
She turned to Asgore now.
"Dad, that time you got really sick, it was because of me. I poisoned you, and I laughed it off at the time, and I...oh, GOD!"
She was on the verge of a hysterical breakdown now.
"I'M SO SORRY! What Asriel did, going to the surface...none of it was on him. He did it for me, because I asked him to...and he...h-he..."
"No, Chara! We did it together. Don't take the blame for me!"
"No! I made you do it, Azzy! It IS my fault, and you should all hate me for it! You all opened your hearts and your home to me, and I...I caused you all so much pain. I've done such horrible things, and I..."
Toriel shook her head.
"That doesn't matter anymore, Chara! That was then and this is now! You're still our daughter, and we still love you!"
"B-but..."
Asgore spoke up now.
"It's okay, Chara. We've all done horrible things. You're not alone in that. And we've all dealt with our sins in own ways...at least, we've tried to."
Toriel and Frisk nodded.
"Yes. Even I'm guilty of something terrible. Some of what has happened may have been prevented had I not run away like a coward. You are NOT alone in this, Chara. And no matter what you've done, we forgive you!"
Chara couldn't believe what she was hearing. After all the bad, they still didn't hate her.
"But none of the things you all did would have ever happened if not for me!"
"Like I said, Chara, I was NEVER upset at you. No matter what, I still love you, and I always will!"
Asriel called out.
"And so do we."
Asgore said proudly, Toriel and Frisk nodding in agreement. Chara was sobbing still, but her facial expression had changed, no longer a trace of regret on her face, as if she had finally achieved the absolution she sought for so long.
"Y-you guys...you're all wonderful."
She turned to Frisk now, taking hold of her hands.
"Frisk...I don't even know where to begin. I...I really meant it when I said that you were something special. You've done so much for everyone, and you haven't asked for a single thing in return."
Frisk smiled in response.
"But...I have to know, Frisk. Why? What drives you to be the person you are? What drove you to save Asriel...to save US? I just...I have to know."
Frisk had to think long and hard about it, and it was in no way an easy question to answer, but she tried her best, reflecting on how it all began.
"It started with the first reset. Before we left for the surface, I went to see Asriel, at the Ruins. I don't even know why I went, I didn't know he would be there. I just felt something pulling me, drawing me to that place. Where I met him the first time. And there he was again."
She hung her head low.
"We talked. He wanted to be left alone at first, but I refused. I kept him company, for as long as he would allow me to. He started telling me things, what you and he did, how he had finally come to terms with his sins, even if it meant he would lose everything in the process. He called me a f...a f-f-friend, and he told me that I was going to do a great job out there."
Frisk felt tears welling up in her eyes, but she quashed it before it had a chance to start, the weeping. Not now.
"When I told him to come to the surface with me, to see his parents, he refused, not wanting to put them through any more pain. I didn't know what to do. I didn't want to leave him. I wanted to drag him back to the surface by force, so he could see his parents, so they could see HIM, but...I just couldn't do it. I understood why he felt the way he did, and why he refused. And so...I left him behind."
She looked skyward now, into the inky void above.
"We were all free. We started new lives on the surface, and for a while, things were good, at least for most of us. I lived with Mom, and everyone else went on to explore the world above. Everyone was happy. Except...except me. Every day I would stare at that mountain, sometimes for hours on end, and my thoughts were always drifting on Asriel, how lonely he must have felt. How miserable he must have been. All I could think about was him. I didn't eat, I barely slept, and everyone was so worried about me."
She closed her eyes, clutching at her locket.
"And then I decided one day that it wasn't good enough. I couldn't just leave him there. I couldn't live like this, knowing I had left someone behind. There had to be another way, something I had missed, or so I thought. And so, as much as it hurt me to do it, I reset EVERYTHING. I stripped everyone of their happy ending. And before I knew it, I was in the Ruins again. And nobody remembered anything, even Flo...even Asriel."
"Frisk..."
Asriel called out to Frisk, trying to console her, but it was of little comfort. Even now the truth was hard to stomach for her.
"I did it all again. I saved everyone, made friends, confronted Asriel, broke the barrier, and free'd everyone again. But nothing had changed. I went to see Asriel again, but it was all the same. He was still doomed to turn back into a flower, and I couldn't do anything for him. But damned if I was going to give up so easily, so I reset again. And again, and again, and again. Ten, twenty, fifty, a hundred runs. Eventually I stopped counting, because I didn't see the point anymore. I kept searching, kept looking for a way to save him, some little detail that I overlooked, some answer to the riddle I sought to solve. It was all that drove me, all that I thought about, helping him. I was no longer holding on to the hopes and dreams of everyone...I was holding on to the hopes and dreams of a single person, my friend."
A long, drawn out sigh followed a pause in the speech.
"But...it wasn't working. Every single attempt was met with crushing failure. The situation was desperate going on hopeless, and at some point I began to question what I was doing. I don't even know why I had that power in the first place, but eventually I began to hate myself, playing God with the lives of so many innocent people, all because I wanted to save someone who I wasn't even sure WANTED to be saved."
"Frisk..."
Chara muttered under her breath, feeling Frisks pain, the desire to want to help someone no matter the cost. It was something Chara understood all too well, even if their methods differed. Toriel and Asgore shared in their daughters pain, but they said nothing. Frisk needed this opportunity to clear the air. They both did.
"But before every reset, I would go back to the Ruins to visit Asriel. Spend a little more time with him on each visit. Get to know him a little better. We would tell each other things, we made promises, shared laughs, smiles, hugs, until he no longer felt like a stranger to me. He became the closest person in my life, my best friend, someone who I would do anything for, give anything for."
And Frisk finally opened her eyes again, meeting with Charas gaze once more.
"And then it dawned on me, clear as day. It was so obvious, right under my nose the whole time, and I never even noticed. Asriel needed a SOUL, because every time he cracked the barrier, he released all the SOULs he had absorbed, giving them back to everyone, leaving himself with nothing. He needed a SOUL, and I had one to give. And by that point I had lived this journey so many times, all the happy memories, the laughs, the joy of making so many friends, that it wasn't even a difficult decision for me anymore. I was terrified of course, faced with what was essentially a death sentence, but I didn't care. Asriel was more important to me, and my ending wasn't going to be happy unless Asriel got to share in it, unless he got a happy ending too. And so..."
"F-Frisk..."
Asriel was touched by Frisks words, even if nobody could see it at that moment. Frisk reversed grip now, taking Charas hands into her own.
"Chara...I think I understand you now. Why you did what you did. It was because...because you loved your brother. Because you loved Mom and Dad. And I did what I did for the same exact reason. Because I love my brother, my parents. Because I wanted to see them happy, no matter what the cost."
Chara looked ashamed now.
"But you never hurt anybody, Frisk. I did..."
Frisk shook her head.
"That's not true. I DID hurt everybody. Every time I reset, I savagely ripped away everyones happy ending, forcing them to relive those horrible 24 hours as I desperately sought a way to save the person I cared about most. And when I finally had my answer and made my choice, I knew how much it was going to hurt everybody when it was all said and done. But I still did it anyway, because Asriel means that much to me."
She stared Chara straight in the eye now, like a warped reflection staring back at itself.
"But...I had a guardian angel all along, didn't I? You saved ME...US."
Chara was smiling now.
"You deserved to have that happy ending, Frisk. You all did."
Frisk smiled back in return, feeling a tear roll down her cheek.
"So do you, Chara. You deserve to be here as much as Asriel. I...I just wish I could have found a way to save YOU too."
Chara could feel a tear rolling down her cheek now, and she touched a hand to her heart.
"But you DID save me, Frisk! Until you came along, I was so angry, so bitter. I had terrible ambitions planned for the day that I would finally be free from my 'prison.' I was going to use you to destroy humanity. At one point I even wanted to destroy the world. I wanted to raze it to cinders and dance on the ashes. My hate was so powerful back then, and it was all my own doing. I was a terrible person in life, and until you came along, in death as well. I had cut myself off from those feelings because I didn't want to HURT anymore."
She touched her other hand to Frisks heart now.
"But then I met you. My polar opposite. Through every act of MERCY and every friend you made, I began to feel something, little by little. I learned how to care, how to love, and then I embraced the pain that came with it. I embraced it because I knew...it was REAL. You SAVED me, Frisk! You reunited me with my beloved brother, with my parents, and here we are. I feel no hatred or anger anymore, I feel...loved."
Frisk cupped her hand over Charas now.
"Chara..."
She blinked, and fresh tears streamed down Charas rosy cheeks.
"Thank you, Frisk. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. You truly are a wonderful person, and Azzy and I are blessed to have a friend...no, a sister like you. I'm really glad that I finally got to meet you, and I will always be grateful for what you have done."
And Toriel agreed.
"So will I. Thank you, my child."
And Asgore.
"Thank you, my daughter."
And Asriel too.
"Thank you, sis, for being there for us when we needed you the most."
Frisk was completely floored at this point. She had to turn for a brief second to knob away her watering eyes.
"Cmon guys...you're gonna make me cry again."
Smiles and giggles were shared by all, but a soft white glow engulfed Chara in that moment. And then...
"Well, the link is fading. Looks like it's time to go again..."
Everyone became distraught immediately, and Toriel made it known.
"What!? NO! YOU CAN'T GO! YOU CAN'T LEAVE US AGAIN, CHARA! STAY WITH US! PLEASE!"
Toriel couldn't have been more wrong. She was still on her knees, sobbing and shaking, trying desperately to get a grip on herself.
And Chara was there to help. She took one of Toriels massive furred hands and cupped it with both of hers.
"Mom, I'm not leaving you. I didn't leave you then, and I'm not leaving you now. I've always been here, and I always will be."
"B-but..."
Chara looked completely content now, and a beaming grin took command of her face in that moment.
"I feel EVERY hug that you give to Asriel, every kiss, every nuzzle. I feel everything he does. When he laughs, I laugh. When he cries, I cry. When he smiles, I smile. He is me, as much as I am him."
Chara raised Toriels lone hand up to her cheek now to feel her warmth. It was real.
"I've been with you all along, and I always will be. And I'm happier then I've ever been, getting to spend every day with all of you, every moment with him. I really am. But...but I can't do it if I know that all of YOU are unhappy. So please..."
"C-Chara..."
Even Asgore could barely speak now, the sobbing forcibly taking control from him. There's nothing worse for a parent than losing their child, and they've both gone through it twice already. And here they were, faced with that same situation again.
Only...they weren't. They weren't losing anyone, and Toriel finally realized it now.
"You...you're really not leaving us, Chara?"
She shook her head.
"I'm just...I'm just going for a little nap. And when I wake up, we can see each other again!"
"Y-you promise!?"
"I promise, Mom!"
Toriel put both hands to Charas cheeks now, gave her a loving kiss on the forehead, and with lightning speed, pulled Chara into the biggest hug she could give, the fabric of her robes sleeves nearly swallowing Chara whole. It wasn't the last hug that she would feel, but it was definitely the best one. The best one by far. And a second later Asgore joined in. And then Frisk.
They were as one now.
"We love you so much, Chara! We'll see you soon, okay?"
"VERY soon! I love you too, Mom! All of you!"
...
The darkness faded.
They were all standing in the bedroom again, still embracing one another, except it was now Asriel whom was enveloped in his mothers arms. Chara was not there anymore.
Except...she WAS there. And everybody knew it now.
"T-thank you, Chara! You've made me so happy!"
Asriel called out to her now, his voice completely muffled from his faced being pressed into her robes.
"You'll see her again soon, Mom! Don't worry!"
She hugged him even tighter.
"I know. And I love YOU, Asriel!
And a second later her other arm lashed out, pulling Frisk into the crushing embrace.
"And I love YOU too, Frisk!"
Tighter and tighter, with Asgore joining in behind them.
"My babies are all here now. My beloved children."
They must have stayed like this for at least five minutes, trying to get a grip on themselves again, but when they finally pulled away, Toriel was no longer distraught. She was elated.
"How about we all watch a movie together. As a family."
Asriel and Frisk were all for that idea.
"Sounds great, Mom!"
Asgore had the dessert covered.
"I'll make chocolate pudding for everyone!"
"Charas favorite!"
Asriel proclaimed, knowing her better than anyone. With one of their hands in each of hers, Toriel lead the way.
"Come on, kids!"
...
The movie had run its course, 'How the Temmies stole Christmas,' and only a black void was projected from the bulky flatscreen now. There were half eaten bowls of chocolate pudding on the coffee table, alongside a much bigger bowl and ladle, and Asriels snout was completely caked with sugary mud.
"Oh, Asriel. If you keep eating so much you'll get fat like Dad!"
Toriel said, poking fun at Asgore simultaneously. Asriel licked his lips, cleaning the pudding off his muzzle.
"Hey, I'm eating for two, don't forget!"
Frisk nodded.
"Yeah, and besides, he could use a little fat anyway. He's so skinny."
Asriel giggled. That he was. Asgore was a pretty heavy guy, and Toriel was only slightly overweight, but Asriel was young, fit, and lean. Maybe he'd fill out as he got older, or maybe he'd always be like this. Who knew? And who cared, anyway?
"Okay, bedtime kids!"
Toriel said, hitting the power button on the remote. Asgore stretched his arms now, having fallen asleep halfway through the movie. The fireplace was slowly dying out now, casting its fading glow into the living room, combining with the decor on the christmas tree to give off just enough light to softly illuminate the den.
Asriel wasn't quite ready for bed though.
"Could we stay up a little while longer, Mom? Just until the fire goes out? Please?"
She seemed reluctant to say yes, but it was Christmas after all, so...
"Well...alright kids. Just this once. I'll go start some laundry and get the beds ready."
With a smile and a wink, she turned and ascended the stairs, two by two, one hand on the rail. Asgore stood now, letting out an enormous yawn, ready for the real thing. It was pretty surreal for Asriel and Frisk, seeing him in such good spirits again, but they relished it. Having had so much time and support to sort through his demons, Asgore was doing much better these days, having finally been able to put the past behind him with the help of his wife and children.
And now that Chara had made an appearance and helped to put his mind at ease, he truly felt like a lot of weight was off of his shoulders, like he could breathe again. He would never forget what he did, but he doesn't punish himself so much for it anymore, and after a heartfelt reunion with his beloved daughter Chara, even if it was only in spirit and only for a few moments, now he felt like he was truly able to let go of his grief. Things could only get better for him now.
"I'm turning in as well. Good night, kids! Merry Christmas!"
They responded in unison, Asriel now speaking for two people.
"Good night, Dad!"
He turned and ascended the stairs as well, retiring to his...their room for the night.
"They're both doing so much better now."
He put a hand to his heart, gripping his locket tight.
"Thank you, Chara. They really needed that."
Frisk agreed, albeit with a tone of disappointment, and a hint of shame.
"Yeah..."
And Asriel picked up on it immediately.
"Frisk?"
She sighed to herself, unable to even bring herself to look at her brother.
"Frisk...what's wrong?"
She couldn't take it anymore.
"I...I'm sorry, Azzy. What happened earlier with Mom..."
He was confused.
"What are you talking about, Frisk?"
After a moment of silence and self-reflection, Frisk carefully stood from the couch and walked over to the christmas tree, looking down at the remaining presents that had not yet been opened. Two of these were from her, a pair of small jewelry boxes, the same ones that their heart lockets came packaged in, and she picked them up and held them out towards Asriel, who was on his feet now as well.
"Here...I was going to save these for tomorrow, but..."
He carefully walked over to Frisk and took both gift boxes from her much smaller hands. The ribbons on top of them were marked and colored to separate them. The yellow one read:
To: Azzy
From: Frisk
While the red one:
To: Chara
From: Frisk
"To...Chara? Wait, that means..."
She nodded, sighing to herself.
"Yeah. I asked Mom to help me with these, and when I told her one of them was for Chara, I saw the look on her face, and..."
Now he understood what she meant.
"...it's all my fault. I know she feels better now, having had a chance to finally talk with Chara after so long, but...what happened earlier...it's because I..."
And he interrupted her mid-sentence to quash any notion of what was now plaguing her.
"No, Frisk! Mom has missed Chara every day since...she never got over it, Frisk. Neither did Dad. It's NOT your fault."
But Frisk started crying anyway.
"I know, I just...I'm sorry, Azzy. I didn't mean to cause all this pain. I didn't mean for it to happen this way. By rights I shouldn't even be alive right now. It's Chara who deserves to be here, not me."
Immediately he dropped both gift boxes and put both hands on her shoulders, giving her a firm shake.
"Don't say that, Frisk! That's not true!"
"Yes it is, Azzy. The only reason I'm even here is because she..."
He couldn't say anything in response because...well, she was right. It WAS the only reason Frisk was still here, because Chara took her place as the sacrificial lamb, giving Asriel her own SOUL in Frisks place to SAVE him...to SAVE them.
"Frisk..."
She was beside herself now, feeling like everything up to this point was her fault.
That couldn't be farther from the truth, though.
"I just...I'm so sorry. This was...I didn't want it to be this way. I mean, I'm so happy that I'm here, with you, and Mom and Dad and all my friends, but..."
He had a growing suspicion about what Frisk was getting at now.
"...it's just...I know how much she meant to you, and to Mom and Dad. I know how much you loved her, and I...the last thing I wanted to do was to interfere with that, to become a replacement for her. Until tonight, that's what I felt like, that I was just some replica of Chara for all of you to cling to, and I...even though she's still here with us, even though we can still talk to her, it's just not the same, and...and I'd trade places with her in an instant if I could, just so the rest of you wouldn't have to miss her anymore."
She had her hands cupped over her eyes at this point, the sobbing becoming almost uncontrollable. It was horrible admitting all of this to the person she cared about the most, and she felt completely ashamed of herself, always causing pain to others no matter how hard she tried to help them.
But Asriel was having none of it. He knelt down in front of Frisk now, on both knees, to meet her gaze (what with him dwarfing her by at least 10 inches). Then he grabbed her hand with both of his, giving it a gentle squeeze. Asriel stepped up as the big brother now and gave his sister exactly what she needed.
The truth.
"Frisk...you're wrong. That was never the case. I NEVER saw you as a replacement for Chara, and neither did Mom or Dad. It's MY fault, to be honest, because I once confused you for her, and it was part of why all this happened in the first place!"
"Azzy, no, that's not..."
"Please, Frisk. Let me say what I need to say."
He could feel his eyes welling up in that moment, as he struggled to confront something that had apparently been bothering him for a long time.
"Chara...she's my best friend and I miss her more than anything, and I would give almost anything to have her back, but...but not if it meant losing YOU in the process. I would never choose one over the other, and she wouldn't want me to either, because...because YOU'RE my best friend too, Frisk!"
He touched a hand to his heart now, closing it around his locket, his other hand still gripping hers tight.
"Do you really think we'd be better off if the shoe were on the other foot, if Chara were here instead of you? Sure, I'd be happy to have her back, and so would Mom and Dad, but then we'd be missing YOU in her stead. Don't you see, Frisk? Mom would've been in the same exact position she was in earlier, grieving for YOU instead...and Chara would feel just as bad about it as you do right now. You trading places with her wouldn't make things any better."
She wiped her nose with her sleeve, knobbing away her tears as she desperately tried to get a grip on herself.
"But..."
He didn't even give her self doubt a chance to take command again.
"It's okay, Frisk. Chara WANTED it to be this way. We wouldn't even BE here without you, Frisk. We'd both be lost in the darkness, alone and miserable, if not for you. You SAVED us. You brought us ALL together again. You made this all possible, and you're very dear to all of us, not because you remind us of Chara, but because of who YOU are, Frisk. Because of the wonderful person YOU are."
Again Asriel grabbed both of her hands and clasped them together with his own, one on top, one underneath. His furry hands were much bigger than hers and swallowed them from sight completely. Frisk stared into his brilliant green irises, his piercing gaze completely commanding her attention now, and what he said next drove away any shred of doubt that might have been poisoning Frisks mind in that moment.
"So please, Frisk...please, don't ever put yourself down like that. What Mom and Dad were going through until tonight...hell, what I was going through until tonight, NONE of it was your fault. And you're NOT just some replica of Chara, some shelftop replacement to fill the void she left behind. You never were. You are, and always will be, Frisk Dreemurr. You will always be my beloved baby sister, the proud daughter of Toriel and Asgore Dreemurr, and the most wonderful friend anyone could ever ask for."
And in an instant, all her fears and her self depreciation having been washed away, just like that. Asriel always knew just what to say to warm Frisks heart and lift her spirits in times of need. It was a gift that they shared in common, being able to bring joy to everyone around them, no matter how down in the dumps they might have been before.
"A-a-azzy..."
And he could tell right away.
"Come on, Frisk. Don't make me resort to 'Round 3.' Smile for me...please?"
He tilted his head slightly and wiggled his fingers with a playful grin, letting her know that he meant business, but there was no need. He had already gotten through to her. Her sobbing magnified exponentially in that moment, but for different reasons now. She was overjoyed beyond words now, and every last bit of her body language gave testament to that fact. She flashed him what was probably the best smile he had ever seen, grinning from ear to ear, not a trace of sorrow on her face anymore, even as the tears kept rolling down her cheeks.
"That's more like it!"
She giggled to herself, trying her best to get her emotions under control. She knew she couldn't take another round of tickles from Asriel if he did resort to 'desperate measures,' but thankfully he didn't need to.
"You've rubbed off on me too much, Azzy. I'm more of a c-crybaby than you are now. Look at m-me, I'm a m-m-mess."
He giggled in response as well, because it was the truth. She WAS the crybaby of the family now. In fact, their contrasting personalities had rubbed off on each other quite a lot, with Asriel being far more confident and self-respecting of himself than he was in the past. Her face was worn and weathered from all the sobbing, and her sweater had gone slightly damp from the tears as well.
But Asriel didn't care one bit. Still on his knees, he held out his arms towards Frisk and fanned his clawed fingers inwards, beckoning her in for a hug.
"C'mere, sis..."
And after a moments hesitation of shy swaying, she took it, clinging her scrawny arms around his neck as his own furry arms closed in around her, squeezing her so tightly that any tears she may have had left were wrung from her eyes by force. The Legendary Hugmaster was on the scene now, and he had all to give for Frisk.
"You mean the world to me Frisk, to ALL of us, and I love you with all my heart. I mean that, Frisk. I'd be lost without you..."
The joy that Frisk felt in that moment made her wonder why she ever doubted herself at all, and she reciprocated Asriels heartfelt sentiments immediately. She felt the same way. She'd be lost without Asriel, without her family.
"M-me too, Azzy. I love you too...ALL of you."
They stayed like this for a minute or two before finally pulling away from each other, smiling at one another.
"I hope Mom doesn't see me like this. She might worry."
Asriel picked up his gift box once more, while Frisk knelt down to collect the one meant for Chara.
"Go ahead, open it."
He did so, pulling on the yellow string that bound it shut. He lifted the top lid to see what was waiting for him.
There was a handmade charm inside.
"What's this?"
He delicately took it out of the box, holding it up to inspect it. It was shaped like a star, yellow in color, made of stained glass and silver lining, with a Delta Rune etched in the center. It had a small chain of seashells attached to it, ending with a gold letter, an A.
"I made them myself. I got the idea for it from a game that I read about on the internet. It's called a 'Wayfinder.' It's a charm that represents an unbreakable connection between friends and loved ones. It's said to bring the owner good luck and, supposedly, if a person ever gets lost, all one has to do is hold it up to the light, and it will show them the way home."
Asriel inspected it closer, noting something familiar about it. He had seen some part of it before.
"Wait a minute. These shells...these are the ones you collected when we went to the beach."
She nodded.
"Mmhmm. I had to save up a bit of allowance to afford the rest of the materials, but I'm pretty happy with how they came out."
Looking at Frisk for a brief second, he set his charm down and opened the one designated to Chara. There was a similar charm inside, the only difference being that this one was red in color, and the gold letter attached to the end was a C.
As soon as he took it out of its box, it started glowing. And so did his.
"Huh? Why are they glowing?"
Frisk took the red charm from his hand and held it up against the yellow one.
"That's why I needed Moms help. I asked her to enchant them with magic. They glow when in proximity to one another, and the closer they get to each other, the stronger the resonance between them. I don't know about the finding our way home part, but...we can always find our way back to each other at least..."
Then she dug into her pocket at that moment and pulled out a THIRD charm, a blue one, with a golden F at the end. And it started glowing too.
"See? Now we can always find each other, no matter how far apart we are. I was even thinking about making one for Mom and Dad, so we could all be connected no matter where we go, and then..."
He flashed Frisk a warm smile and felt a tear roll down his cheek.
"Frisk...these are wonderful. You really outdid yourself."
Asriel held his and Charas charms side by side, and Frisk held her own charm next to theirs. They were now resonating as one.
"I love it, Frisk. And Chara does too. Thank you so much for this. We'll treasure them, always."
And suddenly he was struck with inspiration.
"In fact, I know just what to do with them, right now!"
Immediately he rose to his feet and inspected the christmas tree in front of him, scoping it out for an open space that wasn't being hogged by ornaments. They had over-decorated the tree and there was no room anywhere on its branchy surface, so he made some, removing a few of the ornaments in the center and re-hanging them on the branches above, until there was sufficient space in the middle.
"Give me your charm, Frisk."
With a cheery grin on her face she handed it to him, and carefully he hung each one on a free branch in the center of the tree, Asriels yellow one on the left, Charas red one on the right, and Frisks blue one right in the middle, their letters hanging down in unison, A F C. They were shimmering as one now, giving off a silvery glow that was both soft and bright at the same time, completely commanding their undivided attention.
"Now we're all together. And when we take the tree down, we can hang them over the family photo in our room, so we always know where they are. And we can take them with us whenever we leave the house to go somewhere."
Frisk stood by his side now and clasped her hands together in awe, marveled by her brothers thoughtful suggestion.
"It's perfect, bro."
They stared in dumb amazement at the tree, their charms harmoniously resonating as one. Their hands met with each others now, fingers interlocking, Asriels claws harmlessly digging into the sensitive flesh of Frisks knuckles.
"Hey, Azzy..."
"Yeah?"
"Do you...think these days will last forever?"
A strange question, coming from Frisk, but Asriel had a good answer for it.
"I wish, but...nothing lasts forever, Frisk. But what matters is that we make the most of the time we have together, right?"
She agreed, although her skepticism was still there.
"Yeah, but...are you REALLY happy with the way things are?"
He didn't even need to think about that one.
"I have two of the most amazing friends a guy could ask for, so...yeah. I am happy. So is Chara. And I know Mom and Dad are too. Our family is whole again."
He grabbed her other hand, clasping both of them together again.
"And...Chara once told me that she always wanted a sister. So..."
Frisk could feel her eyes welling up again, but she didn't hesitate with a response.
"Well, she's got one now."
Asriel already knew it.
"Yep! A wonderful, flirty twin with squinty eyes and a dumb fashion sense!"
Mocking the scarf. Even so, Frisk wasn't offended, and in fact felt like the luckiest kid in the world in that moment.
"Haha, s-stop! You're gonna make me cry again."
He had an answer to that too.
"That's okay, you can use my fur if you need a tissue."
Frisk laughed at that comment as the sobs renewed once more, clutching her heart locket with both hands.
"T-thanks, bro. Thanks for always being t-there for m-m-me."
Asriel dropped to his knees again and, with heartfelt cheer, pulled her into another warm hug, rocking her back and forth, gently squeezing her like one of his teddy bears.
"Always, sis."
She rested her chin on his shoulder, and her bobbed hair softly tickled his droopy ear as her own arms reached around him as far as they would go.
"I...I don't want to let go, Azzy."
And he reciprocated, letting her know that once more, there was no escape from the Legendary Hugmaster.
"I'm never letting go, Frisk. Never."
And they held each other firm and snug as they lost themselves in the moment, the warm contact of two inseparable friends embracing one another, on this most joyous of nights. He rested his own head over her other shoulder and closed his eyes as his own tears rolled forth, sliding down her back and onto the floor below.
"Merry Christmas, Azzy. Merry Christmas, Chara."
And as the embers in the fireplace burst and cast their dying glow over the living room, Asriel spoke out for both of them, grateful for the life he had today, thankful that he had such wonderful friends...and that they all had each other.
"Merry Christmas, Frisk."