Toriel picked Frisk out of their crib, lightly shaking them awake. They yawned as they rubbed their eyes. "Good morning, my child. Did you sleep well?" she asked. Frisk nodded. They had slept so soundly. She dressed them in one of the outfits Asgore brought, leaving the cloak in their room. She took them downstairs to the kitchen. Once more, she set them on the table as she looked through the jars for something else to try.

She filled the bottle with another formula, giving it to Frisk. They took it and started sucking on their own. Toriel made her own breakfast, sitting at the table. Frisk looked at the pie enviously.

"I take it you want a bite?" she asked with a smirk. "Unfortunately, you cannot eat solid foods yet. Until then, you will have to drink from your bottle."

Frisk pouted before resuming their sucking. After they finished, they set the bottle down as loudly as they could.

"All done?" Toriel asked. Frisk nodded. "Well, if you feel up to it, you could study the sign language book for a while." She got up and returned with the aforementioned book, setting it down for Frisk. They struggled to sit up, so they laid on their stomach as they tried to read the book. Once Toriel finished her breakfast, she picked up both Frisk and the book and took them to the living room. She sat down on the couch, sitting Frisk up in her lap and holding the book open for them.

They practiced together for a few hours until lunch rolled around. Toriel filled the bottle with another formula, Frisk merrily sucking away. As she fixed her own lunch, Sans showed up.

"heya," he greeted.

"Greetings," Toriel returned. "What are you doing here?"

"came by to see how you're doin'," he answered. "and to see how the kid's doin'." He walked over to see Frisk drinking from the bottle. "must feel weird bein' a baby again, right?" he asked.

Frisk just shrugged.

"nice to see you're still aware. i was startin' to get afraid you'd forget us," Sans admitted. "then i'd have to do my whole routine for ya again."

Frisk just raised an eyebrow in response.

"eh, never mind," Sans shrugged off. He turned to Toriel. "so, got some time to swap jokes? i'm on my break."

"Sure," Toriel agreed. "Also, I want to thank you for the book. We have already learned quite a bit from it."

"good to hear." Sans got a chair and sat down in it.

Frisk listened as Sans and Toriel shared their jokes. At times, Sans made her snort up her drink, which made Frisk giggle. After a while, Frisk sat the bottle down, having emptied it once again. As they joked, Frisk felt themself grow tired. They tried to suppress a yawn but failed. Toriel noticed the yawn.

"Looks like it is nap time," she noted.

"good idea," Sans agreed. "think it's time for my nap break as well."

Toriel giggled. "Should you not be on patrol or keeping watch on the doors?"

"my bro's got that covered," Sans assured. "he's going to be in the woods all day working on puzzles."

Toriel scooped Frisk up in her arms. "Well, I suppose I should put you to bed."

Frisk shook their head. They didn't want to sleep.

"You need rest, Frisk. You are a growing child, after all."

"your mom's right, kiddo," Sans added. "you might've had the energy before, but you don't now. you should get some sleep. you'll be feelin' better when you wake up."

Frisk wanted to protest, but yawned again. Toriel took them up to their room and laid them in their crib, where they quickly went to sleep.


Frisk spent the next several days in a routine. They learned as much as they could about sign language, though getting their arms to move right tended to be a problem and their fingers were even more uncooperative. Sometimes they tended to forget things from the previous day.

Sans would show up every other day to continue his joking with Toriel. He talked to Frisk quite a bit, though he sometimes used words that Frisk couldn't understand.

Papyrus would show up too, bringing with him puzzles for Frisk to solve, hoping they could practice and exercise their brain. He helped Frisk out, giving them challenges for them to solve while Papyrus filled in the answers.

Alphys came by at times to give Frisk the occasional check-up, making sure they were alright. She still didn't know what to make of the extra Soul they had. She tried to figure it out, but couldn't.

Asgore, true to his word, came by every so often to check on Toriel, though she didn't like it. Frisk did enjoy it, however. He always made sure they had enough food and kept saying that if either of them needed anything, they just had to ask.

Toriel kept getting reports on the status of a new schoolhouse and she was hired as one of the teachers once it opened. But as it was still being constructed, she still had no job yet. In the meantime, she did teach Frisk as much as she could, but their small memory problems meant she had to occasionally re-teach them the same thing.

Eventually, after a month, Frisk stopped forgetting things and was able to remember just about everything. They were able to make more coherent noises that Toriel was starting to think were words, but they were still undecipherable.

Toriel did her best to teach them how to speak, though their oddly shaped lips did cause a slight learning curve. They tried to walk, but at best they were able to stand for a moment before falling. She also did her best to teach them sign language, spending the nights before bed talking to them, signing as she spoke so they could learn faster.

After three months, their coordination radically improved. They were able to sign decisively and quickly, as Toriel taught them each word she learned. They had also grown quite a bit and a little bit of hair was starting to grow from the top of their head. They were still trying to walk, but they kept stumbling, though they were able to stand for a minute.


One day during breakfast, Frisk heard something odd. They were munching on a banana that Toriel had mashed for them when a voice spoke up.

You eat the mashed banana. It tastes good.

Frisk looked around, trying to find the source of that young voice they had heard.

"Is something wrong, dear?" Toriel asked.

'I thought I heard something,' Frisk signed.

"What did you hear?" Toriel asked.

Frisk shrugged. They weren't sure what they heard.

You decide not to tell her.

Frisk had to agree with the voice. They weren't sure what they were hearing, but it didn't sound bad. They continued eating their banana.


Toriel sat Frisk down in the living room next to the couch, then she stepped a couple paces away from them. "Try to make it all the way this time," she encouraged, holding her arms out.

With one arm on the couch for support, Frisk took their first step forward. Then they took another, then another, and this was where they usually failed.

Try using your tail. It can balance you out.

Frisk didn't know who said that, but they had good advice. They tried sticking the small fluffy nub they had for a tail out and they felt themself balance better on their feet. They took a few more steps, subconsciously swaying the tail in time with their steps.

After walking the length of the couch, they fell into Toriel's arms, who hugged them. "Good job," she congratulated.

'Thank you,' they signed.


Time went by fast after that, as Frisk practiced and practiced with their new body, stumbling but pushing onwards, eventually able to walk without help. They kept trying to speak, but the odd shape of their mouth made it difficult. Luckily, their skill with their hands was advancing fast so they could at least sign.

After Frisk was able to walk the length of the living room unaided, Papyrus started bringing over puzzles involving their body, which were essentially miniaturized versions of the kinds he used in the forest.

Through it all, Frisk kept hearing that voice in their head which tended to narrate everything Frisk did. Frisk didn't tell anyone about it and they felt no need to, either. Whoever it was, they were helping Frisk.

Months went by and Frisk grew bigger all the time. Toriel took their measurements every week, which Alphys used to accurately guess Frisk's physical age. They were growing at three times the rate a child was supposed to, so they hit eighteen months when they were only six months old.

By that point, Frisk's coordination with their body was improving in leaps and bounds as the voice kept giving advice on how to walk with their new legs and how their tail helped out. Frisk's vision also cleared up significantly by then, but things at a distance were still blurry.

Frisk's skill with their hands was also improving significantly, allowing them to sign faster than ever.


Toriel let Frisk play in the snow outside the house today and Papyrus was there to join in. Over eight months had passed since Frisk's arrival and they had the physical ability to match a two-year old.

Right now, Frisk and Papyrus were building a snowman, though Papyrus was trying to sculpt it into the shape of himself.

"NYEH HEH HEH! THIS WILL BE A VERY HANDSOME SNOWMAN," he bragged.

Frisk giggled before signing. 'It will be something, that's for sure.'

"OH, A CRITIC, ARE WE?" Papyrus guessed.

'Don't worry. It will be our best yet,' Frisk signed. As they grabbed another handful of snow, Frisk had a question on their mind. 'Papyrus, how do you use magic?'

"WHAT? WHY DO YOU WANT TO KNOW?"

'Well, everyone I see uses it and mom says it's because you're Monsters, so your bodies are made of magic. I've been trying to do the same thing, but I can't for some reason. But I am made of magic like you guys, so I should be capable of it, right?'

"OH, I SEE," Papyrus said. "WELL, MAGIC JUST COMES NATURALLY TO US, SINCE IT'S A PART OF WHO WE ARE. PERHAPS YOU'RE TRYING TOO HARD. INSTEAD OF TRYING TO FORCE THE MAGIC OUT, JUST LET IT COME OUT. AND REMEMBER, EACH MONSTER'S MAGIC IS UNIQUE TO THEM, SO WHAT YOU CAST MIGHT NOT BE THE SAME AS ANYONE ELSE."

Frisk thought on that and supposed it couldn't hurt to try. They tried concentrating on summoning something. Perhaps fire. They cupped their hands and tried to summon some magic to make a flame, but several minutes passed and nothing happened.

You're still trying too hard, the voice advised. Magic comes from the Soul, so reach into yours and just think about something you like. Our magic is determined by our thoughts, so your spells will shape themselves according to what you like.

Frisk understood what the voice was saying and focused on their Soul. They stretched their hands out, trying to pull forth some magic from within this time and they just let their mind wander. They really wanted to do this. Ever since they first saw Toriel use magic, they wanted to learn. Humans couldn't do it, but they were a Monster now, so they should be able to.

And if they could use magic, there was all sorts of things they could do, especially with their hands. Cast spells, help bake, spar when they got older. And they did want to express themself magically, as it always looked so fascinating.

"FRISK, OPEN YOUR EYES!" Papyrus suggested, awed by something. Frisk did so and saw a pair of red and white hands floating in front of them. They looked at the hands, moving their own, the red-white ones mimicking. They looked a little closer and the red-white hands were identical to their own. They moved their hands some more and the red-white hands continued to float before them, mirroring Frisk's movements.

They got an idea. They looked at the snow on the ground and made a scooping motion with their hands, the magic ones mimicking and scooping up the snow. They held the snow and Frisk mimed packing it into a ball, able to feel the texture of the ball on their hands despite it being in the magic ones.

"WOWIE! YOU CAN MAKE HANDS!" Papyrus praised. "I'VE NEVER SEEN A MONSTER DO THAT BEFORE."

'Neither have I,' Frisk signed, the magic hands mimicking their gestures.

"I BET IF YOU PRACTISED, YOU COULD GET THE HANDS TO MOVE ON THEIR OWN, WITHOUT YOU HAVING TO MOVE YOUR REAL ONES," Papyrus speculated. "YOU COULD PROBABLY EVEN SUMMON MORE THAN TWO IF YOU WANTED!"

'Something to try out on my own,' Frisk signed. 'Now, shall we get back to our snowman?'

"GOOD IDEA!"


Frisk showed the hands to Toriel, who congratulated Frisk on their first spell. Now that they knew how to use magic, she decided to start teaching them how to shape it. And her first lesson was fire. As the day came to a close, they went to bed, which was now a proper bed. Toriel kissed them goodnight before turning off the light closing the door.

As Frisk laid on the bed, they quietly whispered, not wanting Toriel to hear. "Hey, thanks," they said with some effort.

For what? the voice asked.

"For… for…" Frisk wasn't sure they could get their lips to make the right words, so they decided to try something else. They summoned their magic hands, which produced a red-white glow and signed what they wanted to say. 'For teaching me how to use magic,' they signed, looking at the magic hands. 'I wouldn't have gotten it without you.'

You're the one who did it.

'But your advice helped me figure out what to do. So, thanks.' Frisk paused as a thought occurred to them. 'Hey, mind if I ask a question?'

I guess. Go ahead.

'Who are you?'

Where's that coming from?

'It's just… you narrate everything I do. You give advice on how to walk, talk and use magic. You've been in my head since I woke up, but you're not the same voice as before, though. So… who are you?'

The voice was silent for a long moment. I… I don't know. I… I can't really remember much of who I am or… what I am.

'You must have some idea. You just showed up in my head one day,' Frisk signed.

I'm sorry. I don't. I feel like I should, but I can't remember anything about who I am. Not even my own name. But… I do know I used to be like you, the voice said. I… I think I was a Monster, once. But… why I'm the way I am now and why you can hear me, I don't know.

'So you really don't remember anything?'

No. But… I remember more than when I woke up. When I first came to, I didn't remember anything and I couldn't really think for myself, either. But… the more time passes, the more I remember and the more aware I am.

'So maybe you'll remember everything one day,' Frisk signed excitedly.

Maybe. But not for a long time, I think. But that's enough conversation. You need to get rid of those hands before mom notices the light and sees you still awake.

'Good point,' Frisk conceded, dispelling the hands. They laid on their side, falling asleep.


Frisk spent several months learning how to use magic, though their magic hands were the one spell they did great at. They were able to make fire, but using it in any way other than cooking was pointless. They still couldn't use it as an attack.

Toriel kept up her lessons including magic practice in them. While Frisk was still young she noticed that they were doing quite well for their physical age. The voice in their head was also helpful, giving Frisk advice on how to cast the spells. The voice did it with a lot of enthusiasm and Frisk got the impression that it wanted them to make their attacks flashier somehow.

Alphys had them come to her lab at one point so she could give them a check-up. Their body was growing at the correct rate according to her and they were perfectly healthy. She did a Soul check-up as well and their Soul was fine, as was the unknown Monster Soul, which she still couldn't identify, or understand what it was. But as nothing seemed to be wrong, she didn't put much effort into figuring it out.

The new school was now in its final stages of construction and Toriel was already working on lesson plans for the fall semester. She was one of the many new teachers that were hired. She also found out who her boss was; the new principal of the school went by 'Principal Holiday'. Toriel was pretty sure she knew that name and then remembered that one of Asgore's friends had the last name of 'Holiday'.

Frisk, though, was not going to be admitted to the school yet, as she had yet to figure out what their grade level was. Toriel was going to have them take a placement test once their writing had improved, but until then, she was going to keep educating them at home.

Frisk didn't mind at all because they knew that while they were smart, they were ignorant of many things due to their upbringing. They would need to learn many things that children in the Underground took for granted.


Toriel put Frisk to bed. Over eleven months had passed since she brought them home and they were quite big now. She patted them on the head before closing the door. Frisk dozed off to sleep. But when they opened their eyes they found themself in a black void. They looked around and there was someone else there. Frisk walked to them and realized that they appeared human in this 'void'. As they got closer to this new person, Frisk could see they were a Monster. In fact, they looked a bit like Frisk's new body, just taller.

The stranger looked up at Frisk from where they were kneeling on the floor. "Howdy," he greeted.

"Hi," Frisk returned. They recognized that voice. "You're the one who talks to me in my head, aren't you?"

"Yeah. It's me," he admitted.

Frisk sat down across from him. "So, this is what you really look like?"

The Monster looked at his hands. "I guess so. I still can't remember anything else. But… I did recall what I looked like before." He looked up at Frisk. "And you… you're human, aren't you?"

Frisk curled up. "Used to be. I… died a while back. Over a year ago now that I think about it. Doctor Alphys put my Soul in this new body to give me a second chance at life."

"Died…" the voice trailed off. "Died… I think… that's what happened to me. I died."

"What happened?" Frisk asked.

He looked at his hands intently, then held his head as he struggled with that question. "I… I don't remember. I just remember that I died. But… how am I alive?"

Frisk shrugged in response.

"Well, I guess it doesn't matter," he voiced. "It doesn't change the fact that I died or that I'm here in your head now."

"It's nice to finally see you," Frisk greeted. "And… I'm sorry that you can't remember."

The Monster shook his head, long ears flapping as he did. "Don't be. It's not your fault. I just wish I remembered who I was."

"Maybe you will one day," Frisk encouraged. "Before, you couldn't even remember you were dead. Maybe your memories will return to you one day."

"Maybe," he agreed.

"And until you do, you've still got me to talk to," Frisk assured happily. "Whatever you need, I'm here for you."

He looked up at Frisk with a smile. "Thanks, Frisk."

"By the way, do you remember your name yet?" Frisk asked. "I want to be able to call you by name."

He looked down sadly. "No. I still can't remember even that. But… I'll keep trying."

"Good luck. By the way, how did I get here and where is here?" Frisk asked.

"I think it's just in your head," he guessed. "I wanted to be able to talk to you and I was able to bring your mind to… whatever this is."

"It's… really empty," Frisk noted.

"It's just a place for us to talk. It's not supposed to have anything in it," he pointed out. "Well, I think daytime is approaching and mom's going to be here, soon."

"Hey, you keep calling her mom. Why?" Frisk asked.

He opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He seemed vexed by that question. "I… I don't know. You do. Maybe I just… picked it up?"

"Maybe," Frisk agreed. "Well, it was nice to meet you, whoever you are." They stood up. "Guess I'd better wake up."

"I'm still in your head," he reminded. "I'll be watching the entire time."

"Okay," Frisk said. "Saying 'goodbye' in that instance would be really inappropriate, so I'll settle for, 'see you around'."

"Me too," he decided, waving as Frisk vanished. "See you around."

Frisk came to in their room and they could hear Toriel's paw beats just outside. She would be in to wake them soon enough and she would probably chastise them for waking up so soon. So they closed their eyes and pretended to still be sleeping when she came to collect them.


Frisk was reading several books Toriel had gotten out for their education when they heard a knock on the door.

"Come in," Toriel said from the couch. The door opened and in stepped Asgore. Toriel's good mood crashed upon seeing him, which concerned Frisk.

"Howdy," Asgore greeted them both. "I see you are doing well, Toriel." He turned and kneeled in front of Frisk. "And look at you. You've had to have grown five inches since I saw you last."

'More like six,' Frisk signed. 'What brings you over?'

"Well, it has come to my attention that you aren't attending the new school this semester," he noted.

"They are not ready," Toriel explained. "They are quite smart, but they need to catch up to the others their age before they can join the classes. Plus, I am not sure their… younger age will be well received by the older students."

"That is understandable," Asgore agreed. "Speaking of kids their age, I did see someone's name on the list for one of your classes, Toriel."

"Who?"

"Noelle Holiday."

Frisk tilted their head to the side. The first name meant nothing, but the second… wasn't that the principal's name?

"Noelle?" Toriel asked. "I was unaware your friend had children."

"She is about Frisk's age," Asgore explained. "She was born long after you left."

Now Frisk felt lost. Left? What did he mean by that? Left what?

Then it clicked and Frisk didn't hear the rest of the conversation. They should have figured it out sooner. It was so obvious. Frisk hadn't seen any others of Toriel's species except Asgore, Papyrus kept referring to her as 'Lady Toriel', keeping her identity secret almost to the point of absurdity, her connection with Asgore, which was clearly strained, the symbol on her robes and on Frisk's cloak was the emblem of the royal family, which she never talked about except in broad terms.

Asgore and Toriel. They were a couple. They were – or had been – married. Which meant Toriel was the former queen. It explained so much. And Frisk could also see why she left him. She clearly held no hate towards humans, but he declared war on them, so of course she left him. But what caused the separation in the first place?

"Frisk? Are you alright?" Toriel asked.

Frisk shook their head, snapping back to attention. 'Yeah, sorry. Got lost in thought,' they apologized.

"Anyways," Asgore continued. "She's about Frisk's age and quite lonely. So I was thinking I could schedule a playdate of sorts."

"What for?" Toriel asked.

"So Frisk can interact with other kids," Asgore explained. "They can't stay here with you forever and I think they would like to interact with other children, given that their experience with others their age is quite limited."

'More like none,' Frisk signed. 'My group on the surface didn't have any other kids. I was the only one and we didn't interact with other groups much.'

"Then this will be perfect," Asgore affirmed. "You could use other friends to talk with and I think Noelle could use a friend."

Toriel thought it over for a while before agreeing. "Very well. I will allow this," she decided. "If it is alright with you, Frisk?"

Frisk nodded. 'I guess so,' they signed. 'I could get out of the house more, anyways.'

"Excellent," Asgore said happily. "I will let her mother know. I will be in touch with possible times."

End of Chapter 9