Reply to Guest: You've got a lot of interesting theories there! The "Wizard Frisk" one is a popular one, last I heard. I am afraid that, for the moment at least, I will neither confirm nor deny any of these theories. Gotta ensure I still have some surprises for y'all, right? As for Frisk in general... yeah he's fallen to the side a bit. He just wants enjoy the family and the life that he fought so very very hard for.
Not to mention, there are quite a few characters now, so he has kind of fallen from the spotlight. And since he has no real active power, (he kind of relied fully on the RESET power to get him through the Underground, and that's long gone) There's not really much he can do in a fight or anything like that. Who knows? Maybe all that will change...
Toby Fox owns Undertale and all associated characters.
Kid raced across the grassy field, dodging and weaving between the people clad in bright colors that were between him and his target. He was focused, dimly aware of the shouting and calling around him without being distracted by it.
One, big and burly, stood in his way, his body tensed to intercept the reptile whichever way he went. Kid grimaced in concentration and feinted left, then dashed to the right. The other wasn't fooled by his trick though, and he dove after him.
He wasn't fast enough. Just as he thought he had the armless Monster, Kid turned on a burst of speed and shot ahead, ducking and dodging around the others until he came to his goal.
One of the others had it, but some fancy footwork and the dew-soaked grass gave Kid easy access to what he desired, and soon he was speeding down the field like a shot, intent on his final destination. Only one thing stood in his way now.
He concentrated, dodging the others who tried to intercept him, then sent out a mighty kick.
The ball flew like a rocket, too fast for the goalie in his way to properly block. It sank into the net and bounced back a little, rolling forward past the defeated Human.
Kid gave him an apologetic smile, then turned, registering the cheering of the crowd on the stadium and his teammates crowding around him.
He managed a grin at their praise, but quickly found a way to excuse himself and trotted away towards where his coach stood at the edge of the field by the stands.
The older Human smiled down at him, reaching out and slapping a hand across his shoulders.
"Good work out there today," he praised. "You were focused on the ball. I told you you could do great at this if you really tried."
"I guess…" Kid murmured. "It's kinda fun. Do you need anything else from me?"
The Human's expression saddened, his face becoming more drawn. He shook his head slowly.
"Me? No. But someone did want to talk to you before you go home."
Kid cocked his head curiously and looked around, wondering who it could possibly be. His coach gestured towards the stands and he turned. His magic pulsed quietly within him when he saw Toriel, now obviously pregnant, just getting off the stands and coming towards him.
He swallowed nervously, then made his way towards her so they could meet at the halfway point. Toriel smiled softly as he approached, and they stopped a few feet away from each other.
"Ummm, yo, uh… hi," Kid managed awkwardly, shuffling his feet slightly.
"Hello," came the soft reply, and Kid noted that despite the usual warmth in Toriel's voice, it still seemed a little more tired and a little more sad than he remembered it being. With her appearance, it was easy to forget how old Toriel really was, but something in her voice and the way she was holding herself made it more obvious now.
"Um, yo I… I haven't seen you in a while…" The reptile said, scrambling for something to say.
"Yes, I have been getting a lot of that today." The Boss Monster chuckled in amusement. She began walking slowly and carefully, and Kid followed her after a moment, his eyes continuously drawn to her distended belly.
"I thought it would be good for me to get another breath of fresh air," she explained. "The baby will be due in a few weeks, and I don't see myself leaving the house much for that time."
"I guess not… you've been home most of the time for a few months now, right?"
"Yes." Toriel's gaze swept over the playing field and up the mountain they had been imprisoned under. "Asgore has been hassling me to step outside now that it is spring. And I know our garden has never looked as luscious as it does now." She shook her head fondly. "Perhaps he has a point."
"Yeah…" Kid's voice trailed off, and he he studied the ground beneath his feet, so he he didn't see the glance Toriel gave him.
"Your father and uncle are both worried about you."
Kid jerked his head up, blinking wide eyes at the Boss Monster. "Wha?"
Toriel just kept her gaze trained on him, making no sound other than the swish of her robes from the wind and the brushing of the grass against her fur.
Kid sighed and looked away for several long moments. Finally he asked quietly;
"Does it… does it ever stop hurting?"
He looked back as he asked that, and saw Toriel's face morph into a sympathetic expression.
"No," she admitted. "Not really. It just… changes. Becomes a dull ache that you learn to live with. But it never truly vanishes."
Kid thought about that for a moment, his brow furrowing in concentration. At last he replied;
"I… I think that's okay."
Toriel nodded slowly as he continued.
"If it went away… all the way… then I might forget. I'd rather have it be this than let that ever happen."
Toriel nodded, slowing her pace to a standstill and placing her hand on the reptile's shoulder.
"She loved you very much, you know." Her other hand reached out to gently brush the locket Chara had given him before everything had gone wrong. Kid closed his eyes and took a deep, shuddering breath. He wasn't sure if it was because of the contact, the memories it evoked, or both.
"I know," his voice was barely a whisper, and he could hardly keep it from breaking. Toriel's hand squeezed his shoulder a little tighter though she kept her short claws from digging into him.
"I want you to know… how much good you did. Chara was hurting in a lot of ways, and she didn't allow anyone to help her. But you soothed her. Calmed her. Brought her peace."
"It wasn't enough," Kid managed, tears trickling down the side of his face. He bowed his head. "I should have done more, I didn't understand what was happening until… until it was too late."
A hand cupped his chin, raising his face to look Toriel square in the eyes.
"Do not blame yourself."
Kid shook his head in her hold.
"When it all happened… I was excited," he choked out. "I thought we'd get to show off Undyne and Chara to the other guys." he managed a bitter snort. "I mean, what did I have to worry about? Nothing could happen to them, they were invincible."
Toriel stooped slightly and pulled the unresisting Kid into a gentle hug.
"That does not make it your fault."
"I just… I can't stop feeling like I could have done something. I could have.." his voice trailed off and he sniffed, changing the subject. "Do you ever think about them? The other world, I mean."
Toriel sighed, and was quiet for a few moments, thinking on the question before answering.
"Yes," she said at last, finally releasing the boy. "Every once in awhile."
"Do you… do you blame them? For…"
Toriel shook her head, her long, floppy ear swinging slightly with the motion.
"No. They are not to blame for what happened. It is not as though they wished the Beasts to come upon us."
Kid mulled that over for a moment, then asked,
"Do you think we'll see them again someday?"
"Perhaps," Toriel replied, unconsciously caressing her stomach. "The Rift is still there, and anything could happen. Maybe one day… but not soon, I do not think."
Kid couldn't think of anything to say to that, so he just nodded, looking away. Toriel placed her hand on his shoulder once more, and quietly murmured;
"You must remember to take care of yourself, Kid. You are what was most precious to her. Honor her memory by keeping yourself."
Kid swallowed. "Y… yeah." he looked up to her. "Can you tell me about… what she was like? When you first met her, I mean."
Toriel gave a little start, then let a bittersweet smile cross her features.
"I suppose we have time for a few stories," she began to walk again, and when next she spoke, Kid paid full attention to her words.
"And… there." Doggo sat back on his haunches to admire his handiwork. "That looks better, should even perform better now. How's it feel?"
Vigil rotated his wrist, clenching and unclenching the fingers of the black gauntlet he wore.
"It feels good. Seems… lighter somehow. Stronger."
"And no bloody wonder," the canine grunted, his ears twitching in agitation. "I can't believe that hodge-podge of magical metal held on for as long as it did."
Vigil shrugged. "I have not before heard of a Shifter who possessed enchanting magic. We had to make do with what materials we had."
"I keep telling ya, enchantment ain't like base magic." Doggo pulled a dog treat from his back pocket and stuck it in his mouth. With his other hand, he pulled a match out from behind his ear and struck it on a nearby stone, using it to light his treat.
"'S a skill," he continued, waving the match to put it out. "Technically, any Monster could learn it. Like healing, it doesn't really have anything to do with your base magic. Though I guess it's easier to make enchantments related to your base…"
The shifter shook his head, his tail reflexively curling behind him.
"That is… a difficult concept to wrap my head around," he admitted. "For as long as I can remember, our ability to shift and our base magics were the only ones Shifters could use. Perhaps it was different before, or the skills were lost over the centuries. Or maybe my kind never possessed such potential."
"Maybe." Doggo gave Vigil a critical look. "I still think you should try it a bit more. Can't always have me around to patch up that suit of yours."
"Under normal circumstances, it rarely comes to harm," Vigil muttered, but reluctantly nodded. "You are correct, however. Perhaps, when this is over…"
Vigil trailed off as raised voices approached the camp, and he and Doggo looked to where the sound was coming from. Instinctively, Vigil stood, his tail twitching, but he stilled as Doggo grabbed him by the wrist, pulling him gently back down.
"Probably best you don't get involved."
A moment later, Dogamy and Dogaressa appeared from behind a tree. Dogaressa was walking at a brisk pace, her feet all but punching holes into the dirt while Dogamy hurried behind her.
"Love, please-" he tried.
"Enough is enough, Dogamy!" the woman growled, her eyes narrowed and her hand tightly clenched around her axe. "It's been ten days since we so much as heard a rumour of a Beast! And three months since we were home!"
"Dogaressa-"
"Our pups grow quickly, Dogamy. We already spend so much away from home with our work. I don't want to miss out on them while we have them, do you?"
"Of course not," Dogamy attempted to soothe. "And we won't, I'm sure Sans-"
"Do not bring him into this," Dogaressa warned, the softness that had edged into her tone when discussing her pups melting away to anger. "He will go after every rumour and every vague sense he gets like he's punishing himself. Well, why do we have to be involved? He's strong enough to go on his own, and if he gets into trouble he can just teleport. We've more than done our part."
"He is our leader," Dogamy pointed out warily.
"Then he should start acting like one!" Dogaressa snapped. She strode hotly up to where Vigil and Doggo were.
"Where is he?" she demanded, looking between the two.
"I have not seen Lord Sans in two hours." Dogaressa's glare deepened at the emphasis on lord.
"Oh really?" she all but snarled. "And did our glorious leader happen to mention where he was going?"
"'Course not," Doggo put in quickly, before Vigil could reply. "When does he?"
"I thought as much. In that case, keep everything close at hand. If he's not back in an hour, we're leaving."
"Leaving? Are there not more Beasts that need to be hunted down?" Vigil asked, rising. He was a good head taller than Dogaressa and she glared up at him.
"Maybe there are. But my Unit needs rest and recuperation. We're wasting our time searching for them manually, we should wait until we hear something."
"The only way we'd hear anything is if someone was to get attacked," Vigil responded quietly, shifting his stance to subtly loom over the canine a bit more. "Is that what you want?"
"Don't test my patience now, Vigil," Dogaressa warned, her fur bristling.
"Our duty-" the Shifter began angrily,
"My duty is to make sure my family and my Unit are safe and secure," Dogaressa cut him off sharply. "That is my priority, above all else."
"What's going on here?" The two arguers turned to see Sans standing a few feet away, hands deep in his hoodie pockets as he stared intently at them.
"Sans!" Dogaressa turned and took a few strides towards him, her fur still bristled. Dogamy followed close behind.
"Sans, this has gone on long enough!" The canine came to a halt just in front of the skeleton who watched her silently. "We've been out here for three months hunting these things down!"
"She does have a point," Dogamy put a hand on his wife's shoulder, momentarily pausing her angry tirade. "It's been awhile since we've so much as heard anything new about the Beasts. Maybe they'll pop up again, but if they do, we should be fully rested and prepared to deal with them."
"Is this the general consensus?" Sans asked after a moment, flicking his gaze to Doggo and Vigil, then Greater and Lesser Dog who had gathered around during the commotion.
Doggo nodded, while Greater tilted his head with a quizzical "Borf?" and Lesser came to stand beside his captain as his answer.
"While I do not appreciate everything that has been stated here, Lord Sans," Vigil started.
"Please stop calling me that."
"It may be for the best to do as they say. I know you have grown… weary over this hunt. Taking time to rest may be beneficial to you all. Though if you wish to stay, I too will remain to aid you."
"What do you have planned if we stop now?" Sans asked.
"I will resume my previous mission." Vigil stated, coiling his tail around his waist. "I am closer to finding Overwatch's headquarters than ever before, I am sure of it. But again, I will defer to your judgement on this."
Sans snorted quietly at Vigil's choice of words, then let out a long sigh.
"Maybe you're right," he murmured. "Maybe it is time we went home." He locked his gaze on Dogaressa. "But if we hear about more Beasts around…"
"As long as we have at least a few days at home," Dogaressa replied warily, surprised at how quickly Sans seemed to fold. "I think we can manage. There shouldn't be many of them left… if there are any at all."
"Alright then." Sans rolled his shoulders under his hoodie for a moment. "Get ready to go, then. Might as well get as far as we can today."
"Then I, too, shall take my leave," Vigil stated as the canines dispersed. He planted a fist on his chest and gave a small bow. "It has been an honor. Perhaps we shall meet again someday."
"I get the feeling we will." Sans stated. "Keep me posted on the situation with Overwatch, will you? If you find their base… well, I wouldn't mind taking a crack at it myself."
The light behind Vigil's visor brightened.
"As you command."
With that, the Shifter let his wings appear and he quickly took to the skies, expertly dodging the treetops in his flight. Sans watched him go for a moment, then turned back to the remainder of the group who had gathered on the other side of the camp, already ready to go.
"Alright then," Sans began walking nonchalantly towards them. "Time to go home."