A/N: See the note at the end.
Chapter 3: Family Portrait
As the months flew by it was steadily becoming obvious by the amount of creatures shivering in the house that it was December.
Chara and Asriel had been in their room when they heard someone knocking on the door. Asriel opened the door a hair and spotted her talking with someone at the front door. He immediately caught sight of the package under her arm.
She turned and walked to the living room with a big smile on her face.
"What's got you looking so happy, mom?" He asked.
"Sans dropped by to deliver Dr Aster's recent creation. Apparently he created a device that could capture live images."
"Isn't that a camera?"
"You have them too?" Toriel asked.
Chara nodded.
"I see. Still I have to admit I'm kind of happy with this present. I would love to see us living together in harmony but if everything goes wrong at least we have the next best thing."
Toriel opened the package and immediately got to work setting up the camera-like device.
It took nearly all day before she finally set it up even with the instructions Sans had left her.
The next morning she had gathered everyone in the living room.
"Now smile for the camera."
After Toriel set up the camera she creeped into the picture and there was a flash. A photo came from the camera and landed on the ground.
Toriel walked to it and picked it up.
"How beautiful," She marveled.
"I must say. I have to admit I'm very impressed," Asgore said. "Is Dr Aster working on anything else? First he made that video capturing device and now he made one that capture pictures."
Toriel coughed glancing at Asgore.
"Oh right. Chara, there's something I want to show you," Asgore said as he wrapped one of his arms around Chara leading him downstairs past the long hall. Outside was a meadow of golden flowers.
The only sight that could have turned Chara's mood worse was there. He hadn't wanted to remember the human world.
The golden flowers only reminded Chara that he had been alone up there and no one on the surface had even cared about him.
From behind him Chara heard Asriel walking from behind him.
"Wow, it's beautiful. I've never seen flowers like these before."
"They come from the surface world. I've only been there once. I was intrigued by these flowers so I brought some down into the ruins. They don't grow very well down here without sunlight," Asgore said. "So eventually the flowers I brought down here wilted but they left little seeds. I planted some here and watered them and provided some magic light and they grew like crazy."
"Can I pick them?" Asriel asked.
"Sure if Chara says it's alright."
Asriel turned and gave him the puppy dog eyes.
Chara chuckled.
"Alright."
Asriel picked some flower and had gathered enough to give to Chara.
"Ah come on Asriel. Don't you think flowers are a little girly?"
"I can't help it. They're so beautiful."
"They won't last forever when you are holding them like that," Toriel said. "I think I have a vase for those. We'll put them in the hall."
Days later, Asriel is surprised when Chara comes back with a video camera.
"Where's did you get that, Chara?"
"I managed to sneak it out of mom's room."
"What do you think it does?"
"Want to find out? Here you hold it."
Asriel took it from Chara's hands and glanced over it.
"I think I know how it works."
Toriel came in while Asriel was recording Chara on the video camera.
"What were you two doing?" She asked with narrow eyes.
"Chara wanted to see my creepy smile."
Toriel chuckled.
"Can you show it to me?"
Asriel turned. His right eye leaning to the right of his pupil and the left eyes leaning in the opposite direction. His tongue was sticking out.
"I must admit that is a rather creepy expression."
"I know right."
"If you two aren't busy, would you mind going to the store to get some butter?"
"Why?" Chara asked.
"I wanted to try out a recipe. I got this book from the library with all these neat human recipes. I kind of wanted to try making a butterscotch cinnamon pie to surprise your father."
"Alright we'll do it."
When they leave the house in their coats they head to the village of Waterfall. The bright glistening violet light that twinkles over the village is beautiful.
Asriel and Chara drop by Gerson's shop. It's not the first time they're here though. It had been a massive surprise for Chara seeing the green tortoise for the first time though.
"What can I get you folks?"
"Do you have a tub of butter?" Asriel asked.
Gerson pulled out a tub of butter from the fridge.
"Yes, as a matter of fact. It's right here only for 15 gold."
Asriel gave Gerson the gold.
"Thank you, Mr Gerson."
Chara carried the tub of butter.
Just as they were heading home however Asriel caught sight of a field of buttercups just outside the city.
"We should pick these flowers. They'd be a good present for mom."
"You think every flower is a good present for mom."
A deep voice cut in.
"Hi. Long time no see. I see Tori has you going shopping for her again."
The two looked up and caught sight of a familiar skeleton.
"Yeah, mom says we're going to make butterscotch cinnamon pie for dad."
"I hope you won't be using those flowers."
"Why?" Asriel asked.
"Well those kind of flowers are very poisonous enough to make anyone sick."
Asriel chuckled.
"We're not using it for the pie silly. They're a gift for my mom."
Sans chuckled.
"Well since we are going in the same direction. Why don't I take you kids home?"
"You need to talk with my dad don't you?"
"That's right, kiddo."
The three headed back home. Asriel called out.
"We're back, mom."
Toriel walked in and immediately spotted Sans among them.
"Oh Sans, how good to see you."
"Same here. Is it possible I can speak with King Asgore. I have a message to tell him."
"I think he's reading in the living room."
The three followed Toriel into the living room.
She turned to address the two children.
"You two can start the pie if you wish. This will take a while and we got to let the adults have their space."
Toriel meanwhile had lead Sans up to Asgore's bedroom.
"So what brings you here, Sans?"
"Just some business with the king. I merely wish to ask him something."
Asgore was sitting on his bed reading a book. He looked up when he heard them come in. His eyes lit up the moment he caught sight of Sans.
"Sans, it's good to see you."
Sans turned to glance at Toriel.
Toriel's face heated up.
"Oh I'll give you two some space."
Once Toriel had left, Sans spoke.
"I've been meaning to ask this for a while but what's the deal with that other kid?"
"You mean Chara?"
"He just appeared down here one day. He had a bit of a head injury."
"Did he ever say how he came down here?" Sans asked.
"No, though he did mention that he wasn't exactly happy with his parents in the human world."
"I see. Do you really think that child is the key to our friendship with the humans?"
Asgore's face turned pink.
"Most certainly. Look Sans it's the only chance we've got. We can't live down here forever. Every day I see the monsters losing a little hope."
"I know."
Asriel had been stirring in the cinnamon, sugar and flour just as Toriel came in with Sans.
"I don't know if we should add the buttercups. Well the recipe does say add 1 cup of butter and it is a buttercup."
"It would be a great surprise. Just imagine his face," Chara said.
They were whispering but Chara had turned and saw that Sans was staring right at him and somehow he knew that the skeleton had heard everything.
"So how are you doing with the pie?" Toriel asked as she took a mixing bowl from a cabinet.
"It's great," Asriel said.
'All we need to do is add some flowers,' Chara thought. He did have to see if the flowers were as poisonous as that skeleton had said. He'd love to see the pain on his father's face after he devoured the pie. 'I wonder if he'd die from it.'
"Tori."
Chara turned around. Sans wasn't going to tell her what they did was he?
"What is it, Sans?"
Sans looked at Toriel's gentle smile.
"Uh never mind. I forgot. Well, see you later."
Chara sat at the kitchen table with Asriel waiting intently until the pie had finished baking.
Asgore had joined them. Much to his surprise Toriel had come in with the pie.
"That smell. Is that butterscotch cinnamon pie?"
"Yes, the children made it just for you."
Asgore immediately dug into the pie.
Chara however didn't touch his piece of pie. Asriel glanced at the pie remembering what Sans had said about those buttercups being poisonous and merely picked at his food.
"I'm don't feel good," Chara said.
"I'm not very hungry," Asriel said.
Asgore chuckled.
"Well I guess that just means more for me."
The two headed to Asriel's room and went straight to sleep.
"I wonder what that's all about. They are usually so bright and cheery," Toriel said.
Late in the night where Chara was already invested in a good sleep, he thought he heard panicked screams.
"What's going on?" Asriel whispered.
"I don't know," Chara said.
The two got up. The panicked screams were coming from Asgore's room.
Asriel immediately ran towards his father's bedroom leaving Chara who was walking in the same direction very slowly.
Chara chuckled once he managed to catch up. His pale face was soaked in sweat.
Toriel's face was aghast.
"Mom, what's wrong?"
"Your father is very sick. He's running a high fever. I fear if we don't find what's wrong with him he might die."
Asriel looked down in shame. Sans had warned them about the flower. He had no idea that Sans had been right.
Just as Asriel was about to tell his mother everything, Chara came from behind him.
"Shhh."
He turned and whispered softly.
"Chara."
"You can't tell mom everything," Chara whispered. "We'd get in so much trouble if she found out."
"Well I got to tell her something otherwise dad will die."
"Make up something then."
"Mom, I think Gerson might have accidentally given us buttercups instead of butter."
Toriel's eyes widened.
"What?"
"You two didn't eat that pie did you?"
Asriel shook his head.
Chara chuckled.
"Relax we're fine."
Toriel sighed in relief.
"Good. I should be able to create an antidote."
She headed to the kitchen frantically.
Chara and Asriel could hear her fiddling with objects in the kitchen.
For days, Asgore was bedridden. Chara often spotted Toriel coming in to replace the wet washrag that she had placed on his forehead.
He had been running a fever for quite some time but by the end of the week he was doing phenomenally better.
End Notes: For a certain glitchy skeleton's name I've decided to change his name to Aster since the font's name is Wing Ding Aster. I have a plan with this skeleton and there's a reason why I changed his name.