Phew, can't believe I took a lot of time for writing this chapter... When holiday comes, I'll really enjoy being relieved from those exams... Enjoy!
Chapter eight: Return to the Underground
That night, after going back to her house with Asgore, Toriel refused to sleep. She was afraid she was living a dream, but as the night passes, she calmed down. To keep herself awake, the boss monster took a cup of coffee and went inside the room where Asgore is laying. When Toriel entered the room, she noticed the bed, empty. She panicked but relaxed immediately when she saw Asgore, sitting on the floor looking at the full moon that lights the room. Without a noise, Toriel sat on a chair and stared at Asgore, who didn't acknowledged her presence. Toriel wasn't able to keep quiet, she began to talk with a gentle voice, thinking that Asgore is listening to her.
BGM: Fallen Down
Toriel: The moon is gorgeous tonight, don't you agree?
Asgore: *blinks*
Toriel: *smiles* I bet you do this every night, since we left the Underground…
Asgore: …
Toriel: *drinks coffee* When morning comes, We will join Frisk and Asriel in the Underground… Inside the castle.
Asgore: *turns his head to stare at Toriel, still with blank eyes*
Toriel: *stands up and sits next to Asgore* I guess you want to know why we are going back to our former home… You will gain your memories back…
Asgore: *blinks two times and stares at the moon once again*
Toriel: I know you can't remember us… You don't even know who you are… But you know, everyone missed you… I missed you… *caress Asgore's hair*
Asgore: *closes his eyes*
Toriel: Are you tired? Do you wanna sleep?
Asgore: *shakes his head*
Toriel: *giggles* At least I know you can hear me… Do you want me to leave you alone?
Asgore: *shakes his head again*
Toriel: You should be careful Asgore, you could get dizzy if you do that every time… Alright, I'll stay with you…
Asgore: *lays against Toriel's shoulder*
Toriel: *smiles warmly* Hey, I thought you didn't wanna sleep… Even without your heart you're still have that habit of yours with changing your mind... *cries silently* One month… After o-one month, you're here with me… I've been w-waiting for you to wake up, but now… I-I still can't tell you how much I'm sorry, with you without m-memories…
Asgore:*takes Toriel's tears out of her eyes with his palms*
Toriel: *hugs Asgore* Thank you so much Asgore… Thank you for everything…
After several hours, morning came on the surface. Toriel got back to her senses and prepared a breakfast, she asked Asgore if he wanted to eat but he refused. After wearing Asriel's spare clothes Toriel gave him, Asgore waited for her outside to take him to the Underground. After taking her breakfast, Toriel hold Asgore's hand and began their trip to the Underground. She used her phone and waited.
#… Hello…?
# Asriel, dear?
#…Mom…?
# Don't tell me you and Frisk are still sleeping.
#…. It's 6 o'clock mom…. Of course we're still asleep…
# Oh, right! Excuse me dear, but you wouldn't forgive me if I didn't call you now.
# *yawns* Why is that…?
# Stay where you are, I'm going towards you, with your father.
# Dad is… He's awake?!
# Yes, but he still doesn't remember us. Fortunately, we found a way to help him.
# Really? What it is?
# Don't worry, I will tell you once I reach you. For now, go to sleep, it's still too soon.
# Okay… I'll tell Frisk when we're up…
# Alright… Sleep well Asriel…
When Toriel hang up, she noticed Asgore let go of her hand and stared at him curiously.
Toriel: Asgore? Come here, I know a shortcut to reach the castle, you are heading towards the RUINS.
Asgore stayed still for a moment. But suddenly, he ran towards the big hole and jumped inside. Toriel gasped and followed him. She didn't understand why Asgore wanted to go to the RUINS instead of using the shortcut. When she reached the RUINS, she saw him, surrounded by many Golden Flowers.
BGM: Ruins
Toriel: Asgore! Why have you done this? I told you there was a shortcut, we don't need to go to the RUINS for the castle!
Asgore: *looks around and points the catacombs*
Toriel: You want to pass through the Underground?
Asgore: *nods*
Toriel: As you wish… *takes Asgore's hand* But I don't want you to jump like that anymore, you could've hurt yourself very badly if those flowers weren't at the very spot! From now on, you don't leave me behind until we reach the castle, alright?
Asgore: *nods*
Toriel: I should have removed the puzzles before I left the Underground…
As Toriel kept going through the RUINS with Asgore, she noticed that the puzzles have been replaced: there were no dangerous traps before them.
Then Toriel remembered that one day, Asgore wanted Alphys and Frisk to help him with the Underground's puzzles in order to prevent any accident if a human decides to travel inside.
At that moment, Toriel realized that Asgore did got rid of the anger and the hatred he showed for humans and instead of declaring war, he tries to prevent any harm for anyone, monsters and humans as well. Before they reach Home, they encountered another friend of Frisk.
?: Huh…? *sees Toriel and Asgore approaching* It's so rare to have visitors here… Now that the barrier fell, the Underground is pretty empty…
Toriel: Indeed you are the first monster we met since our journey. Are you the only monster here?
?: I think so… Since the fight between the King and the Queen, many monsters are going to the castle…
Toriel: Really? Why is that?
?: Right now, the throne room is like a museum… People are fascinated by the trident… It's the first time we can watch it very closely, it's quite beautiful, but terrifying…
Toriel: Terrifying…? What do you mean by « terrifying »?
?: I say it's terrifying because it's the same weapon which killed the King… *notices Asgore* Now that I think about it, this child have the same hair as him…
Toriel: Weren't you at Hotland at that time?
?: No… I'm not really comfortable with many people around… And to be honest, I don't really like violence…
Toriel: *smiles* You are very kind… My name is Toriel, what's yours?
?: I'm Napstablook… Toriel, I know this name… Aren't you our Queen…?
Toriel: It won't do anything if I lie so I admit, but I was the Queen… Your name is familiar to me, are you a friend of Frisk?
Napstablook: Frisk…? She referred to me as a friend…? *cries acid tears*
Toriel: Wh-why are you crying? Did I said something wrong? Are you hurt?
Napstablook: Don't worry, I'm just happy… This is the first time someone called me a friend… Oooohhhhh…
Toriel: *notices Asgore stepping towards Napstablook* Asgore…?
Napstablook: Asgore… Asgore Dreemurr…? Is that the King who resurrected as a child like the others said…?
Asgore: *looks at Napstablook's eyes and starts crying quietly*
Toriel: Yes, exactly… But he lost his memories… We are going to the castle so he can remember, would you like to join us?
Napstablook: This is also the first time that I see someone else crying because of me… I don't know what to say, I don't want to bother you…
Toriel: *shakes her head* No, your not… Come with us, you will get used to have company… It's not really nice to be lonely every time…
Napstablook: *stops crying* Okay…
Toriel: *smiles* You'll be fine, it's gonna be alright and besides… *stares at Asgore* I think Asgore likes you already.
Napstablook: But I don't understand… You seem pretty nice with him, but still you fought with him… What happened between you and the King…?
Toriel: *looks away* …It's rather complicated. But if you want to know, I could tell you while we keep moving. But it's gonna be long.
Napstablook: I don't mind, since I'm a ghost, I'm used to very long stories…
And Toriel, Asgore with Napstablook went through the RUINS until they reached the door to Snowdin as Toriel told her story to the ghost…
Back in the surface, Alphys was very busy: she was revising the tracking camera she used to watch Frisk when she fell in the Underground.
She wanted to make sure Asgore doesn't get into trouble during his trip. As the machine loaded a search for Asgore, some guests came to Alphys.
sans: heya alphys. how are you doing?
Alphys: *turns around* Oh, sans and Papyrus! S-sorry for not b-being able to open the door f-for you.
sans: don't worry, i don't mind. pap insisted to come out with him for some… exercise as he says…
PAPYRUS: SANS, YOU NEED TO COME OUT SOMETIMES! IT'S NOT GOOD FOR YOUR HEALTH IF YOU ALWAYS STAY ON THE COUCH! YOU SHOULD COME WITH US ALPHYS!
Alphys: *cringes* I… I w-would gladly accept Papyrus, but I still have s-some work to do. I'm setting the tracking camera in order to watch A-Asgore.
sans: i told him the same thing, but he's very obstinate. and alphys, spying people is kind of rude and creepy ya know?
Alphys: *turns the camera on* Maybe, but at least we can k-know if something is happening to him, it's s-safer like that…
PAPYRUS: UNDYNE ISN'T WITH YOU? I CAN'T SEE HER ANYWHERE…
Alphys: Undyne is w-with Mettaton, buying c-clothes for Asgore. For now, we can't know if his growth is fast, slow or normal like Asriel's.
sans: *shrugs* if you say so… by the way, about asgore, i watched the papers you gave me about his dna.
Alphys: Oh, I forgot about that… T-thank you sans, with your help, my r-research would take less t-time from now on! So what did you f-find?
sans: *stays silent* it's hard to believe, but on the first blood sample you did on asgore before that « incident », i noticed an large amount of determination. And in the second one you did earlier, it almost… disappeared…
Alphys: D-DETERMINATION..? Wait, you mean…
sans: human determination.
BGM: Small Shock
Alphys: *widens her eyes* A-are you sure you are not m-mistaken? M-maybe it's something else…
sans: alphys… i can't prove it for now but what i'm telling is the truth… asgore has determination in his soul…
Alphys: What… Did Dr. G-Gaster said a-anything about t-this?
Gaster: *appears behind Papyrus* I must say that I'm interested…
PAPYRUS: YOW! HEY, DON'T DO THAT EVER AGAIN! I ALMOST FAINTED!
Gaster: *chuckles* Excuse me Papyrus, scarring you wasn't my intention… To answer to your question Alphys, i don't really know… But what is sure, if Asgore's SOUL contains DETERMINATION, you can be sure Asriel's contains some as well…
Alphys: Asgore's SOUL have been split in two without killing him… They share the same SOUL, the same DETERMINATION, but whose..?
A gloomy silence kept sans, Alphys and Gaster speechless. Papyrus noticed the tracking camera's loading came to and end as the screen showed Asgore
PAPYRUS: WOWIE! IT'S REALLY WORKING! THAT'S SO GREAT TO WATCH OTHER PEOPLE! HEY…. I RECOGNIZE THIS PLACE, THE KING IS IN SNOWWDIN! AND IT SOUNDS LIKE TORIEL IS WITH HIM!
sans: we will talk about this later when they come back.
Alphys: *stares at Asgore* He's s-still e-emotionless like yesterday… H-how long must he stay like this?
Gaster: Until he regain his memories back I guess…
PAPYRUS: HMMM… HEY LOOK! THERE IS A GHOST WITH THEM!
Aphys: A g-ghost… C-could it be… N-Napstablook..?
sans: you know him?
Alphys: No… N-not really…
Gaster: It sounds like Asgore knows where he is going… He may have lost his memories, he doesn't really need help to find his way towards the village…
PAPYRUS: SNOWDIN IS LIKE A MAZE, A GIANT PUZZLE. I REMEMBER SANS AND I GOT LOST SOMETIMES WHEN WE ARRIVED THERE…
sans: you remember..?
PAPYRUS: OF COURSE! YOU CANT COUNT ON THE GREAT PAPYRUS TO REMIND YOU ANYTHING YOU HAVE FORGOTTEN!
Gaster: *stares at Papyrus then looks at the camera* I noticed the Underground is almost empty. Since the barrier has been destroyed, almost every monster went to the surface.
sans: which means nothing could happen to asgore. you don't have to spy on them doctor.
Alphys: *gets annoyed* L-leave me a-alone sans… I'm j-just being c-careful.
sans: *smirks* yeah right… you just wanna spy on them so you can see them gettin' cuddly
PAPYRUS: WOWIE! THAT'S A MAGNIFICENT IDEA! CAN I JOIN AS WELL ?
Alphys *with stars in her eyes* O-of course! You a-and I will d-do great t-things Papyrus!
Gaster: Such determination they're showing for getting Asgore and Toriel together…
sans: *shrugs* let's just hope they won't make those two fight once again, i don't wanna use the blasters just because of two fighting idiots…
Meanwhile, back in the Underground,in Snowdin
Toriel: *sneezes*
Napstablook: Uh…? Are you alright…?
Toriel: *rubs her nose* Yes I'm fine. It seems I caught a cold right now *uses magic fire to get warm*
Asgore: *sneezes quietly*
Toriel: *giggles* Are you cold Asgore? Don't worry, we'll almost at the town. *holds Asgore's hand*
You expect me to say something to explain what you just read? Well, too bad, I'm afraid you'll have to wait for the next chapters. I'll do my best to finish this story, and I won't stop until I reach the end. See you next time!