Chapter Four

Court Forest

The small branch broke under the weight of her boots. The crackling noise traveled through the trees maybe louder than it should have, but the forest was silent, peaceful; birds were singing on the tree tops, squirrels ran around the ground looking for their missing nuts along other animals, their rapid pacing and small noises formed a strange melody that accompanied the two travelers. The sun shone bright above them, rays of sunlight breaking through the leaves and thick branches, no clouds visible. Frisk stopped and looked up, standing directly under a beam of light. She felt her skin warm under her sweater, the golden chain hot around her neck; she smiled and closed her eyes taking a slow, deep breath, letting the tranquility fill her SOUL. After the incident that happened a couple of days ago with the group of humans, she and Asriel had flew away hoping to get as far away from them. Now, they wonder the forest once more.

Asriel had offered to keep flying a little longer, but so much time in the air made Frisk dizzy and her limbs stiff, so now they walked, taking whatever food they could find, mostly just berries and nuts. Frisk still kept the granola bar and the bag of chips she managed to take from the pile of food they left behind, saving it for when they really needed it. She opened her eyes when she felt a soft, furry hand close around hers, the smile on her lips widened as her friend landed a kiss on her forehead. Asriel was acting more protective over her since the incident, always on high alert, close and never taking his eyes off her, no doubt still shaken up by all of it, but Frisk didn't really minded, although he could get a little carried away, as far as to treat her like a little girl that needed constant protection. However, Frisk had never mentioned this to him, for she knew he only cared for her, so she let him be. She returned the gesture interlocking her fingers with his.

They resumed their walk; Frisk still had trouble with her boots every once in a while, but she had a better control of it now. Minutes turned into ours of walking nonstop, the sun moving to the west slowly but surely. It had begun hiding behind the trees when Asriel made her stop, pointing in front of them.

– There's a highway over there, maybe it leads to the city I saw a few days ago.

–You didn't see it before?

–No, maybe the trees hid it.

–Well let's follow it, see where it goes – Frisk said with excitement, practically dragging Asriel with her.

They walked by the side of the road for what it felt like another our but never saw any vehicles passing by; the sky turned from blue to a mixture of orange, pink and yellow, the sun hiding behind the clouds. The first star appeared when Frisk felt the ground shake and a roaring sound behind her; she turned and saw lights in the distance, she was about to tell her friend but he had already taken her hand to guide her behind the trees. Of course, Asriel had heard the sound long before her. They hid and watched in silence as a blue car passed by, blowing leaves and dust at their direction; Frisk closed her eyes, coughing a few times; she waved her hand in front of her to get rid of the dust before glancing at the road, the car had disappeared behind a curve a few feet from their position. Behind the trees, Frisk could swear she saw lights.

–Ash, look! Lights! –Frisk exclaimed, not waiting for Asriel's response, instead leaving their hiding place and running towards the lights. She heard Asriel scream behind her as she made the curve, stopping abruptly. Her eyes and mouth wide open with what she had in front of her.

Two columns made of bricks stretched to the treetops, each one carrying a lamp on the top that flickered with a soft light; the columns were on each side of the road, connected with an enormous sign that described an arc and read in gold and black letters:

Welcome to Court Forest

The town's name glowed in the rising darkness, casting a small light over Frisk, who tilted her head to the side. She had never heard of a town called Court Forest before; she glanced beyond the gate and saw an empty street with small, carefully planted trees and streetlights on each side, it seemed quiet. Frisk felt Asriel reach her side, putting a hand on her shoulder, she knew he was about to scold her for running away like that but she wasn't about to let him, so instead, she took his hand, which caught him by surprise, and once again she dragged him with her, trespassing the town entrance in a rush.

–Frisk?!

–Come on Ash! Don't you want to see this place?

–Yes but we need to be careful we can't just run around like this! –Asriel said with alarm in his voice, he tried to make Frisk stop, but she just kept pushing forward, fighting against Asriel's strength.

–But there's no one around!

–Frisk!

She felt Asriel's arm firmly around her shoulders, forcing her to stop, next she let out a small gasp when her friend lifted her off the ground and guided her behind a small building, shielding them from view. Frisk pressed her back against the brick wall while Asriel glared at her.

–Frisk this is not a game, we don't know anything about this place, it could be dangerous.

–Well, honestly it doesn't look dangerous to me–She said gesturing towards the calm street.

–Yes, that's what we thought about that cabin as well, I don't want to fight for our lives again so soon– Asriel said in a dark tone, he looked in the same direction as Frisk–. And besides…I don't know if the people here would even be comfortable with my presence.

He was right, even though monsters and humans ruled the world in a relative lasting peace, there were many humans who didn't feel comfortable around monsters, and many would even show racism towards them. There had been confrontations between the two races before, hundreds of years ago when war raged all across the land; Frisk remembered hearing the stories, she remembered listening about how the two battling fronts had managed to come to an agreement after decades of conflict, an agreement of peace that had lasted to this day, though some of the old scars and prejudice still remained. Asriel himself had encountered a few people like that in their travels.

Frisk returned her eyes to the street and saw few humans walking along the sidewalks, along with a couple of cars; the day was ending and people returned to their homes, ready to call it a day, rest and be with their families. The sky was now dark blue, more stars appearing in the firmament. Frisk both Asriel's hands between hers. He looked at her.

–I know what you mean Ash, but we can't just avoid people forever, we've had our bad encounters before, however that doesn't mean everyone is like that, you know this– She spoke softly, looking at him in the eye, she gave him a smiled–. We're going to be fine, we always are! Now come on! Let's explore this place! Please? – She implored. Asriel's expression remained hard at first, but after a moment his muscles relaxed, his look softened, glancing at her with an almost painful resignation. She smiled, knowing too well she was taking advantage of Asriel's weakness: He couldn't say no to her when she used that tone.

–Fine, let's look around and see what we find– Say the monster with a deep, defeated sigh.

Frisk didn't wait for him to finish, she stepped on her toes, kissing him on the cheek before guiding him away from the building and into the streets, never letting go of his hand.

/ / /

The town wasn't too big, with a population of maybe three thousand people and in many ways similar to other towns they have known over the past few years, but Frisk quickly fell in love with it. The streets were wide, the sidewalks adorned with smalls trees and bushes. The houses had walls of bright colors, large windows with white frames and beautiful gardens perfectly kept. Tall residential buildings were visible from the distance, the windows reflecting the stars. Street lights turned on as they walked. Asriel looked, holding Frisk's hand; the few humans that were still out turned to watch him, most of them surprised, some shocked, and then there were those with fear in their eyes, as they looked at the dark marks on his face, on either side of his cheeks. They knew their meaning, no doubt. Asriel turned his gaze away, shame washing over him.

"Ignore them, is not their damn business, they don't know who you are" Said the entity inside him with disdain; this wasn't the first time Asriel heard this advice, but it was still difficult sometimes, to face the fear in the eyes of others when they realized the truth behind the darks marks covering his skin, the red glow of his eyes, he hated it.

He looked ahead, were Frisk had let go of his hand for a moment to run to a nearby store; it was small, with large windows and a wooden door with a golden knob. Frisk pressed her nose and both hands against the glass, trying to see what was inside, the interior was completely dark. Above them, Asriel saw a big sign that told him this was an antique shop. He smiled.

Frisk has always been drawn to this kind of places, specifically antique objects, she liked to wonder how they got there, where they came from, what story they tell; it was a fascination they both once shared. When they were kids the two of them, along with their other sibling, would wander the large hallways of a grand castle with golden curtains and marbled columns, exploring every single room and wonder about every strange object they could find, despite his mother's reprimands…

The memories began to flow to the surface of his mind, but he immediately buried them again, shaking his head.

That past life didn't exist anymore, that Asriel, sweet, innocent and naive, had died a long time ago.

They wandered through the town for what felt like hours as quietness settled around them. A cold wind gently caressed the trees making Frisk trembled despite her sweater. Asriel wrapped an arm around her shoulders. After a few more minutes, Asriel started to notice the number of houses and business decreasing, the path the had taken was covered with grass, bushes and other plants growing chaotically in all directions, the trees were bigger and had an almost threatening look, shielding the moonlight. Asriel tighten up his grip around Frisk's shoulders.

–Stay behind me – He mumbled.

A dark silhouette began to rise in the distance, Asriel squinted his eyes looking for a better view, and soon enough, the tall building appeared before them among the trees. It was obviously abandoned: leaves, branches and dust covering the entrance and ground around it; black stains and climbing plants hiding the walls along with the windows, most of them broken. The limited light that still remained also showed a group of big red letters resting on top of the structure; like the rest of it, they looked old and forgotten, but Asriel could read the message clearly: Bowling Center. Asriel frowned; he lifted his free hand to summon a fire ball, sending it a couple of meters ahead of them. The fire ball floated above them like a small sun, illuminating the path for them. Asriel and Frisk approached carefully, listening to any sound that might indicate the presence of someone nearby. They stopped at the bottom of the stairs that led to the entrance, two doors with large, broken windows, the glass spreaded on the floor. Asriel looked up.

–What do you think? The place seems good enough– Frisk asked in a whisper.

–I don't know.

–Still, we can use it.

–We don't know that Frisk, it could be like last time.

–Then we need to investigate, like we always do– Frisk said with an enthusiasm he knew well, she walked beside him towards the entrance like it was a walk in the park and stepped inside through the broken window. Asriel had to use most of his willpower to not stop Frisk in her tracks; instead he simply took her hand between his. He summoned two more fireballs; the one he originally created floated ahead of them, while the other two stayed at each side of them.

– This place is not like the cabin, anyone can hide in here, stay close alright?

Frisk nodded.

The place was indeed big, but unlike what Asriel thought at first, most of it was empty space. There were large and wide hallways with a few doors that led to small rooms with nothing but desks, chairs, mountains of papers scattered all over the floor; there was also a room filled with large monitors and a control panel, but naturally it was out of power. There were a handful of empty stores, with broken glass doors along with dusty furniture. However, Asriel noticed, the building wasn't in such a bad shape as it appeared on the outside; everything was dusty and dirty yes, but besides that, everything else was in a decent state, just messy.

–I don't think this place has been empty too long– He whispered as they headed towards the main floor using the stairs; Asriel also noticed that the elevator, though nonfunctioning, was almost untouched.

–Yes I see it too, I think it's possible it hasn't been even a year since it closed down–Frisk answered looking around–. I wondered what happened, everything seems fine.

–I have no idea, and I don't think we'll find out.

They arrived to the bowling area, it was massive, with ten long lanes surrounded by pines and bowling balls discarded here and there, however when they took a closer look, they again found everything in almost a perfect state, Frisk even found that the chairs were almost brand new and some of the pines didn't have any scratch on them.

"You couldn't find something better? This place is giving me the creeps" –Said the entity inside Asriel, he could feel its dread like it was his own.

–Is not like we get to pick– He answered.

"Still, you can't believe Frisk can be safe in a place like this, it's more likely to someone to show up"

But even though Asriel agreed with the voice, Frisk didn't seem to think much of it, quite the contrary, the smile on her lips along with the glow in her eyes told him she was comfortable, having fun even. He desperately wanted to find something better, saver for Frisk, a real home, he wanted her to be happy, and right now, he might just be able to achieve the later. He nodded as he made his decision.

–We stay here tonight.

Frisk turned to him, sparks in her eyes.

–Really?

"Really?!"

Asriel ignored the angry voice echoing in his head and nodded.

–Yes; it's like you said, we can use it, let's go.

He spent the next hour cleaning the bowling area the best he could while Frisk collected whatever materials she could find to blocks the windows and exits. Asriel was meticulous; he checked, blocked and sealed every entry and every hole, leaving only a side door at the back of the building they could use to escape in case they had unwanted visitors again. When he returned to the main floor, Frisk told him she had tried to search for food in the cafeteria but her search was unsuccessful, everything was clean.

–I'll go explore the town tomorrow, see if I can get us something– He said.

They curled on a small sofa Asriel pulled out of the empty stores, probably meant for clients. It was too narrow for the both of them to fit comfortably so Asriel let Frisk keep it (despite her arguments against it) while he sat on the floor with his back leaning against the couch. They didn't talk much this time, Asriel gave Frisk what was left of the berries he'd found that morning, insisting she keep them and then they both lay there in the darkness, as Asriel had made the fire balls disappear.

The young monster stared at the roof, not seeing anything in particular, his left hand tangled around Frisk's sleeping frame behind him. His mind was wandering, back to the last couple of days, no, the last fourteen years. Has it really been that long? Since He and Frisk, his adoptive sibling, had been forced to run from their home and hide? Since he made the decision of concealing his true identity? Frisk hadn't agree and even tried to convince him otherwise, but he refused. In his mind, it was the only way to keep people from asking questions he didn't want, nor had the courage to answer. He had failed to protect his family; he was a disgrace to his people, to himself, so he had adopted the name of "Ash", not very original and kind of ironic, but it worked. He hadn't used his real name in years.

"Asriel Dreemur"

He jumped, his eyes looking in the darkness even though he knew the voice was in his head.

–Don't call me that.

"Why? Nobody's listening, and I hate that nickname you use"

The young monster stood up, a terrible headache beginning to form; he shut his eyes closed before heading towards the nearest bathrooms, stumbling in his way.

"Why are you acting like this?"

–Because you're causing me a headache just...be quiet.

When he reached the restroom, he waved a hand in a semi-circle and a big, bright fireball appeared on the ceiling. Asriel took a deep breath and placed both hands on the edge of the sink, eyes avoiding the broken, dusty mirror in front of him. He felt the entity tugging at his SOUL, like it was poking it, asking for attention. He sighed.

–What? – He asked reluctantly.

"You can't sleep again"

–….No

"I don't blame you, this place sucks"

–It's the best we could find. And Frisk likes it

"Come on, if you're lucky a ghost will come out of the roof or something, there has to be something better in this place."

–You're really not helping.

The entity moved inside him and Asriel felt like it was staring at him, even from within him as he kept his gaze on the sink.

"Helping you two it's all I do…..don't you remember?"

Slowly, Asriel lifted his head to look at the mirror, the broken glass reflected an equal broken Asriel, but this time, as the monster looked, his image changed, his face seemed to disappear, leaving another familiar face in its place, with equal red eyes looking back at him. Now, instead of his reflection, Asriel was staring at the image of someone that had long vanished, but her presence never left.

"I'm your best friend, am I?"

Asriel looked at the face of a girl about the same age as Frisk, pale skin, small lips, long brown hair, though not as dark as Frisk's and big crimson eyes filled with an old hate of even older wounds. Asriel knew that what he was seeing was an illusion, but still it felt too real, he felt as if he could reach out to the girl and touch her. Instead his hands remained on each side of the sink in a tight grip.

–Chara.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I'M BACK! Holy crap XDD Hey guys!

Ok so this is a really short chapter, way more than the others and my poor excuses are: Work, zero free time, more work, lack of inspiration and the fact that I didn't know If I was going to continue with this story; If you read my note then you know what I mean. I was really discouraged to keep writing but you guys helped me through that, thank you so much :D I really can't say this enough. I'm aware that there must be like hundreds of errors in this thing and for that I truly apologize, English is not my mother language…I really need an editor T.T

Well, I have no idea when will the next chapter be up, don't accept it anytime soon, I'm so sorry T.T but I still appreciate your reviews and comment, they help me a lot and keep me going.

Sooo yeah, thank you so much for reading and I'll see you soon!