Wow, the air is so fresh! You lived with this?
Stay on task! There's time to enjoy it later.
... Chara?
Yes, little brother?
Are you sure we have to do it this way?
You want to free everyone don't you?
... Yes.
Then yes, we have to do it this way. We are the only ones who can, they are all counting on us, remember?
...
... Look, if it makes you feel any better, i'll do it, okay? All you need to do is stand back and... let it happen. Can you manage that?
... Yes Chara.
I promise I will make it quick. I won't let anyone hurt you, Asriel.
The following morning Asgore televised the announcement of Asriel's return to the entire Underground. Within less than an hour monsters from all around were flocking to the castle to meet with the Flower Prince; it was overwhelming. At first, Asgore and the Royal Guards had to hold them back, that was until Asriel said he would agree to meet them. One at a time.
With the exception one strongly insistent robot who attempted to get an entire film crew through the castle gates, everything went smoothly. Many of the monsters brought gifts: assortments of sweets and candies, bullet-pattern cards... flowers. They sat down before Asriel as though he were some kind of sacred relic and told him about their lives. Many talked about relatives and close friends who had 'falling down' from despair and how his return had given them hope for the future. That if he could come back from the dead, then they had to believe that anything could be possible...
It made him feel bad. He really, REALLY wished that he could care, but after the twentieth sob story they all just kinda mushed together in his head. They reminded him of his failure... but most of all he was mad at himself for his own apathy.
As the day drew to a close, Asgore ushered everyone away from the garden. He walked back to Asriel, beaming from ear to ear. "You have made a great many people happy today! I told you you would bring them hope."
Asriel looked at the large pile of gifts, it all felt a bit surreal. He needed a distraction. "Dad, can we finish that story?"
"Of course son, I will go fetch the book now." Asgore turned to leave, but glanced back to give Asriel another warm smile before he crossed the threshold.
With Asgore gone, Asriel's attention drifted across the pile of gifts again, and a card caught his eye. It was purple with 'Happy Rebirthday' written on the front in pink gel pen and patterned with heart and kitty-cat face shaped holes. It was too far away for Asriel to make out any names, but the patterns got him thinking.
Monsters had always had a natural affinity for magic; being constructed of it, they even expressed themselves through it. Before his death, Asriel had been learning to use his magic. Being a boss monster, this magic had molded itself into the form of fire. But now he found himself in a body that was not made of magic, but physical matter, like a humans...
It wasn't impossible for a physical being to use magic. The story of the war and raising of the barrier by the seven human mages had been told to children at a very young age. It got him wondering how long it might take to re-learn the use of magic, and when he did, what form it would take?
Before his train of thought could go any further Asgore reappeared in the doorway with the adventure book tucked under his arm. Asriel mirrored his smile as he sat down and they picked up the story from where they'd left off the previous day.
This time they only died once, having put their faith in Raskel's older sister, Ariah, and her suggestion to cross a century old bridge. Needless to say, the bridge had snapped when they were halfway across and plunged them both into a bottomless pit. Why were there always bottomless pits? After that it turned out that there wasn't much of the story left to read and very soon it was all over.
"That was a lot of fun." Asgore said while standing up and brushing off the dirt. He turned to Asriel with a twinge of concern. "You didn't eat much yesterday, would you like me to bring you anything?"
Asriel shook his head, he didn't seem to need food.
"Very well." Asgore nodded perhaps a tad reluctantly. "Then I will bid you a good night. Pleasant dreams son." He gave Asriel a goodbye hug and started towards the door.
Asriel watched him go, but his eyes came to rest on the book under his arm. He was so disappointed that the story was over already, there must be more to see, surely? "Wait." He called out. Asgore stopped. "Could you leave the book here, please?"
The king looked at him questioningly, but shrugged and turned back. "If that is what you wish." He placed the book down just close enough for him to read the cover.
He smiled graciously at his father. "Thanks, dad."
Asgore nodded and walked away, turning to call back a quick "Goodnight." as he reached the door before stepping through.
Alone again, but this time Asriel had the book! He gazed longingly at the cover, he very much wanted to see what other paths they could have taken, how many different ways there were to "end". Of course, without arms he only had one way to find out. Magic.
Closing his eyes, he concentrated hard on remembering what his mother had told him all that time ago...
"...Now, feel deep down, and look for your essence. When you find it, grasp it in your mind and imagine it in front of you."
Asriel felt deep but could only find a void. Frustrated and more than a little confused, he tried again but no matter how hard he looked, he couldn't find that part of him that once powered his magic. Not to be defeated, he supposed that he could try and grasp onto something else... his determination to succeed was pretty strong, so he latched onto it.
"Okay, good. Now think about your intention. Intention is key to controlling your magic. Focus your will onto the fireplace..."
He summoned up all of his determination, focused on the book and willed his magic to bring it to him.
Nothing happened.
Maybe it needed more information? He visualized a pair of hands and tried again.
Nothing happened.
Grumbling, he let his mind wander. An image of a vine bursting from the ground popped into his head... hmm, could that work? He focused his determination again, this time there was a quiet rumbling sound and a a leafy vine broke through the soil in front of him. It stood, swaying lazily as if watching, waiting for its next command.
Asriel, who had been taken by surprise was ecstatic at his success! He mentally ordered the vine to pick up the book and bring it to him. It obeyed without question, holding the old paperback unsteadily. Coordination would need some work, but this was an excellent start! He manipulated a tendril to open it up to the first page and read the dedication.
"To Prince Asriel and the Fallen Human, taken from us tragically at ages nine and ten."
... On second thought, maybe the book could wait until later.
He turned his attention again to the large pile of gifts. Looking carefully over the assortment, he picked something out that looked like it contained chocolates and instructed his vine to collect it. The floral appendage stretched out effortlessly, coiled around the box and carried it back to it's master. Opening the box released a truly delectable aroma, Chara would have loved these! With calculated precision he maneuvered the tendrils of his vine around one of the sweet treats and carefully lifted it out of it's casing and into his mouth.
He still couldn't taste anything.
Oh well... it was a bit of a dampener on his otherwise good mood, the first good mood he'd been in since his resurrection in fact... but he didn't let it get him down.
With food out of the question, he decided to investigate the oddities in the pile. Squinting, he could make out... a couple of hand carved knick-knacks, a painting, a bracelet and... was that a plant pot? He summoned a second vine and used the two together to fish it out - Asriel was pleased by how quickly he was becoming accustomed to this new magic.
The vines dragged the object into his view. Yes, it was indeed a plant pot, a very well crafted one at that with intricate patterns adorned on the sides and the makers initials debossed into the base. Looking at it made him feel uncomfortable.
"that's a nice pot you got there. if you gave it a chance, i'm sure you could grow to like it." Asriel spun around. A short monster stood in the doorway, silhouetted by the long shadows of the fading evening light. "sorry pal, didn't mean to startle you." The monster said casually.
"No one is supposed to be here right now!" Asriel snapped back. Not only was this intrusion rude, but it also made him feel vulnerable.
The monster just shrugged. "i work in the church down the hall, just finished up and thought i should come by and say hi. the name's sans by the way, sans the skeleton."
Sans stepped into the light. He wore very informal attire for a supposed holy man who'd just come off duty. He was also grinning.
Asriel narrowed his eyes. "Asriel... though I suppose everyone knows my name by now. Was that the only reason you came to see me? To say 'Hello'?"
Sans gave no reaction. "well, an old colleague of mine seemed a little concerned about you so i said i would pay you a visit for her sake. but with you being the new star of the underground and me being so busy, this was the first chance i got. so, sorry about that."
"Does da- the king know you're here?"
"nope."
"Then i'll tell him." Asriel attempting to look stern, but it didn't seem to work.
"you could, i guess..." Sans' pin-prick pupils flicked away for a moment and he sighed. "look, i know everything must be pretty overwhelming for you right now, you're probably feelin' like the next big fad that'll be dropped in a week so i just wanted you to know something. there are people out there who really, genuinely, care about you. even if it doesn't feel like it sometimes."
Why was he telling him this?
"so yeah... be good, okay kid?" And with that, Sans strolled out the door and vanished.
Asriel stared after him for what felt like an eternity. Something about that skeleton was oddly unnerving, and it wasn't just that he'd appeared when no one else was around. He didn't need anyone to tell him that they cared, everyone was already doing that... and yet, he got the impression that this monster, Sans, knew more than he was letting on.
A shadow drifted overhead and Asriel remembered he was still holding onto the plant pot. He looked at it, then turned away. He would never accept it. Being a flower was humiliating enough without also being made into a pot plant. Like being someones pet... even if he would be staying with Asgore...
A potted plant pet... Ha ha... ha... Asriel looked down at the ground with a sigh. How could he fit into this new mold? What exactly did people expect from him now, anyway? It all just felt like he was playing along to a script that he didn't really care about, all based on a promise that he was steadily losing faith in...
His eye's widened and he fought back a twisting sensation building up inside him. No. He remembered when his family had moved out of the old house in Home and into their New Home castle. At first it'd felt strange and daunting, he missed his old home and the familiar streets, but just like his parents had told him he would, he had adjusted. He would do the same here, too.
Asriel put the pot down and dismissed his vines, they slithered silently back into the ground.
Give it a week.