Run all night sleep all day Chapter 66
Galloping between colossal trees of the deep forest, Leirak was so in-tune with the woods that the roots and bracken in his way might as well have been as smooth as an open field. Silvery spears of moonlight streaked through sparse gaps in the canopy, strobing in Frisk's eyes as they punctured the red-tinted mist. She winced, grasping tight to the monster carrying them. His footfalls and her thumping heart were indistinguishable, painful hits inside her chest.
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"Yo, you okay?" Asriel asked, leaning over her.
"K-Kinda dizzy," she stammered, wincing as the wind rang in her ears.
He held her steady with one hand and covered her eyes with the other.
"I'm sorry, I'd slow down if I could!" Leirak said.
"Don't worry about me, k-keep going!" Frisk insisted. A spark of blue flashed in her mind. "Aah, duck!"
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Asriel leaned forward and Leirak lowered his body as an arc of bone spears sailed above them. Asriel growled and sat up, ears whipping in the wind as he stared through the woods. A shifting shadow in the low light, sharp, boney horns breached the fog like the dorsal fin of a shark.
"What the heck is he…? Is he riding his blaster?!" Chara yelped.
"Looks like it," Asriel said, his hackles raising.
"Ugh. At least he's chasing us," she said dryly. "Okay! Everyone! Seems like he can summon like a dozen of those at once. Oh, also, watch out for flying hands."
"Hands?" Frisk squeaked.
"You saw him do the hands, didn't you?" Asriel asked.
"I…! Maybe?!"
"His range on those isn't great but blast 'em if you see 'em," Chara said.
Asriel snorted. His soul surged in his chest and he reached deep into his energy. A grin crossed his face— Hyper Goner didn't feel quite so much like a goner itself anymore.
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"Coming from the left!" Frisk called.
Faint magic light glowed off in the fog. Asriel threw out his hand and his own blaster appeared, jaw gaping into the night just as a flash of white fired off at them. Hyper Goner's maw consumed every shard of bone and blasted them back out, lining a massive tree with spikes of magic as Gaster shot off behind it.
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"Well, at least my blaster's back," Asriel said as he whisked it up to follow along above them.
"Great! But, um, what now? D-Do we have to fight him here?"
"The Dragonguard should have that covered," Chara said. "But if we have to stop, remember not to use any moves early."
"Oh! Um. I'm, um… I'm not sure if he can see well, just so you guys know?" Frisk said. "When I looked at his magic, it was like… he was only seeing souls or something?"
"Kinda like Sans's dead eye. Okay. Good to know," Chara said.
Asriel kept his eyes locked on the whooshing scenery, and almost moved his hand from Frisk's face, but she grabbed it and held it where it was. "If we gotta fight," he said, "we should do it out in the open where he can't hide and we can't get separated by giant trees."
"That sounds smart," Frisk said quietly.
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Chara tried to brush her whipping hair from her face. She sunk her fingers between the vines on the leafy monster's shoulders and leaned forward. "Hey, plant guy, how'd you find us so fast? Were you following us?"
"Not exactly, I was trailing the skeleton," he said.
"So who ratted us out?" she said, half in jest.
"Nobody, he was on a straight course here ever since I—"
"Turn turn turn turn!" Frisk yelped.
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Leirak yelped and spun on his hind legs, veering off to the right just as the thoom of a laser burst sounded. White magic seared the air alongside them as a blaster skull loomed from around the trunk of the gargantuan tree, missing the group by inches. Chara spluttered expletives and Frisk squeaked and leaned back into her brother. He clutched her tight and grabbed onto Leirak to keep their balance.
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The plant monster juked along roots on nimble feet, forcing another towering tree between them and their pursuer. Chara leaned sideways to look back over her shoulder, squinting into the fog. The shadowy blaster stalked behind them like a hungry predator. Two identical skulls swooped in from either side of it, joining the pursuit. Chara scoffed. She pulled a string from her pocket and tied her hair back and out of her face.
"Three now," she said.
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Almost as soon as the words had left her mouth, a burst of magic shot down from the tree above and into one of the skulls. It slammed to the ground and shattered on impact. The one that bore the skeleton began to weave. Before the other one could peel off, a tall, lithe monster dove in and the two vanished into the fog, shards of shattered magic shooting up into the air in their wake. The final blaster's eye sockets dimmed and it slowed, falling back into mist.
"Nice," Chara said. She frowned. "Frisk, you gonna puke?"
"I'm good," Frisk said limply.
"Here, ah…" Leirak's vines reached up and gently wrapped around the kid's waist like a seatbelt. "You won't fall, I promise."
"Thanks," she said.
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With long, powerful strides, Leirak bounded around the outer edge of a tree trunk so close that they could have reached out and skimmed it with their fingers. The moment they broke away from it, the big monster slowed to get his bearings in a gap between their tree and the next formed a gully of fog. Silhouettes of Dragonguard and blaster skulls clashed beyond the range of detail. Distant shots of magic whistled through the air.
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Leirak stuck his head in the air and his petal-like mane fanned out before he burst into motion again, ducking through the fog and twisting their path between the massive tree trunks. Asriel turned where he sat to check behind them again. Nothing.
"Frisk, you feel anything?"
"Dizzy," she muttered.
"Ah… Sorry." He clutched her tighter. "I mean, from him?"
"Oh. Duh. Sorry. No," she said. She rubbed her forehead and squished her eyes shut. She took deep breaths, trying to focus her energy the way Undyne had taught her. Her inner eye didn't see any blue, but she felt a strange, cold pull in her chest. "It… I dunno why, but it feels like he's back there? I dunno though."
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Asriel looked behind them again. At first, there was nothing but mist, but two patches of off-coloured shadow gave him pause. When they were joined by four more, he knew it was Gaster again.
"He's trailing us," he said.
"Good," Chara leaned back and looked up at Hyper Goner and its big, jeering grin. "…He won't fire unless he thinks he can take the big boy out. I think."
"So, what? We just wait?" Asriel asked worriedly. "What if we catches on that we're… You know. Not exactly upset about him being there. And it's not like the blasters get tired, it's all up to how much energy he's using, right? What if he catches up?"
"I dunno, got anything we can chuck in his way to make it look like something?" Chara said. "What about one of those hundred novelty weapons you bought?"
"But I wanna give a bunch of those to Papyrus!" he protested. "I—!"
"Duck!" Frisk squeaked.
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Asriel didn't move fast enough and a dark, shimmering shape knocked him in the head as it sailed by. He growled and looked around. "What the hell was that?!"
"I dunno, I—! Aah!" Frisk recoiled into her brother.
Scattered shapes of disembodied hands stood straight and solid in the mist, matching their pace them exactly. The holes in their palms were deep black and aimed right at them.
"Oh, that's creepy," Chara said. "He is way too close."
Frisk shivered. Staring into the palms of the hands made her feel like so many of those nightmares in the dark; like something was staring right into her soul. "…C-Can he see us through these?" she asked shrilly.
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Asriel growled. Heat coursed through his face and he spit fire into the fog, burning it away with the hands on their left. Frisk cringed from the light, her head aching. Another blue warning fired through her brain and cold fingers seized on her wrist and yanked. She cried out in panic, digging the fingers of her other hand into Leirak's vines as her arm was dragged far out into the open.
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Panic erupted around her and Asriel roared flame down upon the gripping hand. Frisk jerked back as soon as it was gone, clutching her wrist, eyes watering. Her brother held her close.
"Are you okay?!" Chara demanded as she twisted around to look at them.
Frisk nodded, though she was shaking like a leaf.
"I'm sorry, I don't know that I can go any faster!" Leirak called.
Asriel's ears drooped. Chara grimaced. Her eyes skimmed the area around them— more telltale spots of darkness still matched their pace.
"There's more! Ugh! We need some space! Anyone got a bright idea? Frisk?"
Frisk looked dazed. "I… I dunno, I…"
"More fire?" Asriel suggested. "Maybe I could…? Oh!" He could've smacked himself. "The trees."
"What about them?" Chara asked.
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Asriel's fur bristled. His soul reached out around him. The flow of energy was clear but was hard to grasp. He took a deep breath and got to his feet, balancing carefully on Leirak's back.
"What're you doing?!" Frisk squeaked.
"Don't worry! Chara, hang onto her, would ya?" He reached up and grabbed one of Hyper Goner's horns, letting it whisk him away into the air. "I'll catch up!"
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As the others sped away, Asriel swung himself at the closest tree trunk and threw out his hand, willing it to move. Bark jutted out like a blunt spike to meet him. He knocked his chest right into it, winding himself, but he quickly scrambled up on top of it and stood up. Through the rough, ancient bark, energy flowed like a cool breeze beneath the pads of his paws. He held his hand out like a commander calling his troops, his eyes flashing, and the tree around him shot out into a lattice of long, twisting spires of wood and bark, knocking the oncoming blaster back as it slammed into them.
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Asriel's jaw dropped and he spluttered with disbelieving laughter. His magic enraptured more of the tree and he pulled bark up in an arc and then slammed it downwards, tangling with the blaster's horns. The boy took off again, leaping down from his perch. Spires of grass rose up to meet his footsteps. He stumbled to the ground and the plants rose and fell around his feet in soft spirals with his magic. Gaster's blaster fired through the tangled growth, searing it to splinters. Asriel braced himself as big, snapping jaws shoved through the hole and massive eye sockets beamed gold and blue back at him. Asriel raised his hands like a conductor and threw spires of wood into the skull, piercing it and smashing it upwards into the mess of a blockade he'd already made. Gaster tumbled unceremoniously from a height and clunked to the ground face-first.
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Asriel whooped, then turned to run the second he saw the skeleton begin to rise again. He sprinted north, dragging spikes of wood out above him as he went. Soon, he was just barely able to pick up the sheen of Leirak's red eyes dyeing the mist.
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The boy's ears pricked to the sound of blaster fire but a glance back told him it was too far off. Gaster chasing on the head of a new mount, but Asriel'd gained valuable distance. He raised his arms up and shot spiralling pillars straight up above him, a tunnel of giant, many-pronged wooden antlers.
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His soul warbled and ached in his chest. He panted. He looked up at Hyper Goner. It was listing to one side. Wincing, Asriel reached up for it and grabbed one of its low, curled horns. It lifted him up and he scrabbled to get his arms over the top of its head as it sped forward. His own weight pulled down on his soul, but he did his best to ignore it as he used the blaster's second, higher pair of horns to drag himself up and onto the head. He stumbled upright, bracing his paws against its smooth surface and holding his arms out for balance.
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"I'm coming baaaack!" he called.
He could see through the mist that Frisk was twisted around on Leirak's back, staring at him with wide eyes. Chara had turned around completely and was holding onto the blue kid tightly.
"Az, y-you're okay?" Frisk called.
"Yeee—" He stumbled. Beneath him, Hyper Goner shuddered. He could hardly keep it solid, but he gave it one last push and jumped from it.
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The blaster shattered into sparkles and Asriel landed in an awkward slump over Leirak's back. The large monster grunted but didn't flinch. Frisk grabbed onto Asriel's arm and he clambered up, breathing out a sigh of relief as he grabbed both his sisters into a hug.
"C-Careful!" Chara said, her cheeks flushing.
"I-I think that'll help," he said. "Whew." He checked back over his shoulder to make sure and, as he hoped, Gaster still followed, but at a measured distance. "I'm n-not sure if I can make Hyper Goner again for little, though."
"Since when can you do all that?!" Chara asked. "That's weird as heck! What happened, you were knocked out for a day and now suddenly you can just plantbend whenever?!"
"I… Uh…" The words stalled in his throat.
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The strong energy running though his body really didn't feel strange at all. It was his own magic— his own soul. Its burning heat tempered into a summer's breeze. He kind of liked it.
"I think I…?" Asriel frowned.
Flowers had bent around him as if to spy over his shoulders. Grass in fields stretched up to meet him while giving no-one else the same courtesy. He remembered laying in a field back home, pulling soft, green blades back and forth against the wind without a thought.
"I think I mightta been able to do it for a while," he said, wide-eyed.
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"I hate to interrupt…" Leirak's voice was sounding a little strained. "…but we're getting close to the edge of woods. Do you happen to have a plan?"
"The Queen does," Chara said. "Oh! Right. Frisk? Once we get outta here. When we meet up with Undyne, do whatever she says, okay? Just go with it. Even if it looks super dangerous."
"Kay," Frisk said.
Chara frowned and tilted her head "What's wrong with you?"
"Huh?" Frisk blinked her big, red eyes. "What d'you mean?"
"You're acting like you're half-asleep! C'mon, you're usually pretty on the ball, aren't…?" She stalled and stared. "Oh. Damn."
"What?" Asriel asked shrilly.
"Do we have any more moonwater?!" she demanded.
"I have healing spit," Leirak volunteered.
"Yeah, but you can't lick her brain!" she said.
"My brain?!" Frisk squeaked.
"What's wrong with her brain?!" Asriel yelped.
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"Look." Chara put her hand on Frisk's. Her honey-coloured eyes were bright and intense."Focus. Okay?"
"Okay?" Frisk said worriedly.
"All you have to do," she said in slow, measured words, "is not let him touch you. And bring him close to the water." She cupped Frisk's cheek. "Can you do that?"
"Y… Yeah," she said.
Chara nodded. "Good. Okay." She checked back over her shoulder as the mist began to wain. "Almost…" She awkwardly slung a leg over Leirak's back and then turned herself around to peer forward again. She grasped tight to his shoulders. "What d'you think, plant guy?"
"It's coming up," he said. "Can you hear the river?"
"No, but I'll take your word for it."
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Bushes on the ground were getting taller and more densely packed. Asriel shielded Frisk with his body and branches whipped by.
"Chara, seriously, what's going on?" he insisted.
"She hit her head too hard in the fight," she said.
"That was hours ago, though," he said, wide-eyed.
"Yeah, humans are built weird like that sometimes," she said.
"…Crap," Frisk said softly. "Sorry."
"Don't you dare."
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With one final leap, Leirak sped through a wall of greenery and burst out into a wide, grassy field. The silvery river sliced it in two as it wound out from farther along the forest's edge. The mountain protecting the Soul of the World shot up in the distance and the endless, star-speckled sky made it feel like the whole universe opened up before them. They all breathed a sigh of relief.
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Leirak readjusted course to head for the water. Chara reached into her pocket and pulled out a small red tube with a wide hole near the base. She stuck it in the air, put her thumb in the hole, and pressed. The top of the tube burst with a pop and jettisoned red smoke high into the air above them.
"Whoa, where'd you get that?!" Asriel asked.
"I told you, Undyne has a plan," she said. She shielded her eyes against the wind and peered into the distance.
After a few seconds, another small line of smoke shot up far in the distance, though it was blue. Chara grimaced.
"Damn. They're not ready."
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Branches cracked behind them— Gaster's blaster skull thrust itself from the bushes, scattering leaves and sticks everywhere as it raced out after them, eye sockets blazing. Chara grimaced. She patted Leirak on the shoulder.
"Welp. I'm off."
"What?!" Frisk yelped.
"What're you talking about?!" Asriel demanded.
"You can't want to fight him on your own?" Leirak asked worriedly.
"I just need to delay him a little," she said. "Don't worry. He's not after me. And if he gets me, big whoop, we repeat a few hours."
"…Excuse me?!" Leirak demanded.
"W-Wait, don't…" Frisk pleaded.
Chara turned to look at her and smiled. "Don't worry, you're gonna be fine." She put another smoke tube in the kid's hands. "Look out for the first bend in the river and then fire it again, okay? Orange means you're good."
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Chara jumped from Leirak's back, hitting the grass hard despite Frisk and Asriel's protests. She straightened up and tried not to laugh, waving at them as they sped away
"Just keep following the river!" she shouted.
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She quickly turned on her heel and pulled her sword from the magic mallet-space on her shirt as Gaster bore down upon her. Deep red shone in her eyes and she ran her fingers along the dull blade, sharpening it with an edge of phantom red. She gripped the hilt tight in both hands and braced her feet on the ground, one slightly in front of the other. The blaster didn't look like it was planning on moving. She took a deep breath and counted it down from five. Just as the skull was about to run her down, she raised her sword and pushed with all her might, cleaving the thing in two and shattering it to specks of bone and embers.
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Gaster sailed over her and dropped. He hurriedly righted himself, lurching sideways like a zombie. His sockets still blazed like fire. Chara circled, eyes locked on him, a deep, hot anger rising in her chest. Her soul pulsed, locking into him— a song she didn't recognize began to seep into the air from her body. She didn't have time for surprise, even as it shifted to incorporate the song of an old king under a mountain. She breathed out a deep, calming breath and cracked a smile. The skeleton gritted his teeth, a rattling breath seeping from his body.
"I have… no quarrel with you," he said.
"Oh yeah?" Chara's brow furrowed and her eyes shone with an intense, red gleam. She ran at him, sword aloft. "You got one now!"
He staggered back, his fingers pulling a long, bone blade from the air, but it shattered under her strike. She slashed again, but a second blade arose to catch her. His cold, blue grip seized on her soul and tossed her back with just enough force that she lost her footing. Chara's soul thunked and she shoved herself upright as the skeleton turned to try to get his bearings. His movements were awkward and clunky, she thought. Maybe he really couldn't see.
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The girl growled and ran into him, shoving him with all her weight. He stumbled to one knee, only to pivot quickly and toss her back again. She skidded in the grass and caught herself, pushing back up despite the extra gravity weighing in her. She held her sword in an inside grip and aimed it right at him. He didn't seem to notice at all.
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As Gaster tried to raise another massive, draconic skull from thin air, Chara charged him and ran him straight through the middle, tackling him down and plunging her sword into the earth. A phantom, red ward on the handle locked it in place with burning heat.
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The skeleton grunted as his head knocked against the ground. The blue and gold flames in his eyes dimmed, leaving black sockets. He blinked at her as she staggered upright and peered into the distance. No smoke yet either way. All he would have to do to escape was rip his shirt, but it should be enough to buy the time the others needed.
"C…Chara?" he croaked.
Chara froze. The skeleton tried to sit up but could not, and grasped tight to the hilt of the sword.
"Chara, that's…?" Tears welled up in his eye sockets. "That's you? It is, isn't it, a stór?"
Chara's soul stuttered, but she looked down at him with cold eyes. "You don't know me," she said. "Stay down."
Gaster grimaced. He wrapped his hand around the sword hilt and, despite the ward, slowly pulled it up. The girl's eyes bugged out. She took a step back and wrapped her fingers around a crystal in her pocket.
"W-What? You wanna keep fighting?" she asked. "I can do this all night."
The skeleton got up, dropping the blade unceremoniously to the ground. He held out his hands. Chara recoiled. Gaster looked a little disappointed and magic flared up in both his eyes again. Chara's soul wrapped in blue and she squeaked involuntarily as he lifted her off her feet.
"I am sorry," he said.
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With a flick of his wrist, he sent the girl flying over the river. She landed softly on the other side.
"H-Hey!" She got up and scrambled back to the swift water's edge. "What the hell?!"
"Stay away," Gaster warned. He called up another blaster beneath him, clung to its horns, and they sailed away at breakneck speed.
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Chara sighed. She cast an annoyed look across the river to her sword and held out her hand. The blade wobbled, but she was just a little too far away. She sighed and rolled her eyes. Was she swimming for it? She looked down at the swift current of the moon-tinted water and and scoffed at herself. No, she'd have to come back later.
"What a pain," she muttered.
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She looked off to the north, the way everyone else had gone. A trail of red smoke was fading, and a bright orange one sailed up down the river. She cracked a smile.
"Kick his ass, Undyne," she said under her breath.
xXxXx
"Ohmigodohmigodohmigod." Frisk's voice was high and shrill— she clung tight to Leirak's vines and leaned around his side. She could see Gaster speeding after them, but she strained for Chara. "Is she okay?! Az, did you see?!"
"Yeah, I think so?! Ah, damn it, she's nuts!" he said.
"C-Can we go back?!" Frisk asked.
"I'll go," Leirak assured them. "Let's just—!"
Racing along the second bend in the riverbank, drawing closer to the Soul of the World, Leirak suddenly skittered to a halt with a yelp, eyes wide and mane flared. Something shimmered in the air like a mirage.
"What's wrong?" Frisk squeaked.
"There's… something here, I can't—"
"Aah! Move!" the kid shouted. "He's gonna shoot!"
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Leirak wasn't fast enough this time and, when Gaster fired a laser from his mount, it them and the three of them fell to the ground. Frisk untangled herself and Asriel hurried to help the dazed plant monster up, but he was having trouble getting his legs under himself.
"S-Sorry," Leirak said.
"I should have said a direction," Frisk said.
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The kid's head ached and blue screamed through her mind again. She looked up to the maw of a blaster gaping, another beam of white charging within it. She grabbed her ocarina and, though her fingers and breath shook and white light stung her eyes, she whistled the melody of Turtle Guard.
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Her blue form shattered and a thick, red shield deployed over top of the three of them. The blast slammed against it, nullifying them both. The second the shield dissolved, Asriel was up on his feet before them, growling flame.
"Come on, old man!" he yelled.
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A loud whistle sliced the night air and, all of a sudden, it was bright as day as volley after volley of spiralling magic slammed into Gaster from across the river, smashing his blaster to bits. The skeleton was upright in an instant, raising massive pillars of bone from the ground to block them. Frisk grabbed Asriel and dragged him backwards.
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Another whistle — right behind the kids, the air shimmered and sprouted metal. A wall of massive shields appeared, three to a section with a fourth overtop, a veneer of magic melting away from them. Just to their side, Alphys shifted into view, her coat and scales changing from the colours of the moonlit field before their eyes. Reflective magic coalesced in her palms, dripping through her fingers as she let out a long, slow breath. They were suddenly surrounded on three sides by towers of metal plates, with only the river to break the line.
"F-FIRST ROUND!" the lizard shouted.
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A cacophony of magic in all colours rained down on the skeleton and his growing bone fortress. Frisk had to cover her ears. Asriel could only gawk. Leirak pointed his snout up in the air.
"Th-Those hands again," he said.
He was right— phantom hands hovered above the fray. Patient. Observing.
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"Come here!" Mistral's voice hissed.
Asriel and Frisk turned. Mistral, in full plate and her large dragon helmet, beckoned to them from a gap tiny in the shield wall. Leirak grunted and got to his feet.
"I'll get your sister," he said, taking off as fast as he could.
Before the kids could move, though, the hands high above shot out over the battlefield and more, massive skull blasters phased out of thin air, helmeted in blue and gold energy.
"SECOND ROUND!" Alphys shouted.
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The blasters charged forth. Magic attacks shot up from below to pierce them. Asriel grabbed Frisk and dragged her behind the shields and ducked. Monsters were packed tight back there, holding up the massive shields. A huge monster beside Mistral covered the kids with their chunky, armoured body.
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Despite the Dragonguard's assault, most blasters made it through and slammed into the shield line, chomping desperately. More rose to replace the fallen with armoured chins and raced into the line across the river.
"HOLD!" Mistral shouted.
"OOMF!" Big monsters replied, bracing their bodies against the metal.
"Th-This is nuts," Frisk breathed.
"I guess Chara did say there was a plan," Asriel said, wide-eyed. He couldn't help a grin.
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"Are you two alright?" Mistral asked.
"Y-Yeah," Frisk said.
"We need to get you across the river," she said.
"We do?" Asriel asked.
Mistral nodded. "We need to draw him there. I will get you to the place."
"Okay," the kid said quickly. "Whatever I can do."
The skeleton nodded. Another hard hit slammed in the shields and she braced against it. She looked up at the monster beside her and handed off her spot— luckily, that soldier had four arms.
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Grabbing Frisk's arm, Mistral hurried them back through six rows of monsters. However, the second they emerged, the phantom hands up above turned to focus straight on them.
"Oh, shit, the hands!" Asriel yelped. He raised up flame to roast them, but it was too late— the blasters had noticed.
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Maws agape, the massive skulls rose up and dove into the shield line from above, scattering the unfortunate soldiers they crashed into.
"HOLD!" Mistral shouted. "RANGED ON AIR TARGETS!"
The air filled with magic and she grabbed the kid up in her arms and ran towards the river. Asriel yelped and followed as fast as he could.
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Bones were piercing up through the ground where the soldiers had gathered, further disrupting them, but their attacks had not relented.
"This is a powerful enemy," Mistral said.
"He's like a thousand year old boss monster, probably," Asriel said.
"Ah. That'd… That'd do it," she said.
"Are you guys gonna be okay?!" Frisk demanded.
"Oh. Yes. Yes! Of course," Mistral assured her. "Just stick to the plan."
"W-We don't know the plan!" the kid squeaked.
"Ah. Well." Mistral paused at the river bank. "Cross and keep running."
"I can't swim."
"You don't need to. You—"
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A massive, deep thrum of laser pulses ignited behind them— running through the whole shield wall. Asriel grabbed Mistral and Frisk and tackled the two of them to the ground as the lasers seared the battalion, leaving a number of them in a dazed heap. The one at the front held as best they could, while other soldiers engaged with the giant skulls themselves. Across the river, much the same happened, disrupting the flank and creating chaos as the armoured blasters headbutted their way through the group.
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A massive skull sheathed in the shimmering, magic shield floated down to them, hovering above the river, eye sockets blazing. It opened its mouth.
"Place the anomaly within," projected Gaster's voice. "And I will leave. I wish no harm to these people."
"You cretin." Mistral rose to her feet, squaring her shoulders, green glinting through the eyeslots in her helmet. Her spear came to her hands and a spiral of pistachio-coloured magic rose up around her. "How dare you? I am Mistral. Tempest of the South. You do not make demands here!" She gripped her weapon with both hands and lunged forward, a tornado wrapping her and slamming into the skull as she did. "GO!"
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Asriel's eyes glittered. He grabbed his rather stunned sister and rushed down the riverbank away from the chaos. The second his toes hit the water, it began to freeze into solid ice. Something orange beneath the water caught his eye, though, and he quickly stepped out as the river froze to form a bridge of them.
"What's wrong?" Frisk asked worriedly.
"You should run," he said. "Don't wait for me."
"What?" she asked shrilly.
Quicker than he could answer, something splashed beside him and dragged him under the water. Frisk shrieked and ran to the edge, but saw nothing but a faint blue light beneath the silvery waves.
"Asriel?!" she yelped.
Something vaguely shaped like a thumbs up hovered deep below, but Frisk couldn't be sure. She didn't have time— blue shot through her sore mind and ran across the ice as fast as she could, covering her ears as a dazed blaster crashed into where she'd been standing and crumbled. Something blue glowed under the ice and she paused just long enough to see a message carved from its underside: get G across
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Frisk's eyes bugged out. She hit the other side of the river and stalled in the chaos around her— blasters fighting, Mistral's whirlwind, bones stabbing lines from the earth; dozens of monsters firing their magic in barely coordinated patterns. She was so dizzy.
.
She leaned back and looked up, scanning for the phantom hands. She caught a few in the moonlight, their palms scanning the river. She gritted her teeth. Bending quickly, she scooped up a stone and threw it into the air as hard as she could. She hit one and four others turned on her. She gulped, stuck her tongue out, and broke into a sprint. She pulled her ocarina from around her neck. It had to have been way more than a minute by now, right?
.
Her breath was getting short but she raised the little vessel flute and began to play again. A strange, round lump raised in the ground near her feet and she stumbled— had to start again. Even so, she noticed more of them— they looked intentionally placed.
.
She didn't dare look, but blue flashed in the back of her head and she knew something was after her. Shaking, running low on breath, she played the spell slowly until she could feel an unnatural wind on the back of her head. She stalled and blew the last note as hard as she could. It warbled and whistled and sounded horrible, but the shield erupted from her soul and Gaster himself— sailing after her on an armoured blaster with an onslaught of disembodied hands— slammed his outstretched arm right into it.
.
The kid staggered back with shock as the skeleton's intense, furious black eyes bored into her. Time seemed to freeze. Her tongue dried and a chill ran through her whole body. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but before he could the river erupted upward to the side of them, drowning out all sounds but intensely rushing water.
.
All around them, the lumps in the ground erupted into purple and blue autocatchers, firing little magic bullets of chilled and sticky energy at Gaster. He teleported in a burst backwards, giving Frisk a little space, but was still hounded, his blaster becoming tethered to the ground.
.
The scattered guards had regrouped completely and finished the blasters off, and two fancy monsters Frisk didn't recognize moved their hands as if to conduct the water. The massive, endless liquid swirled and wrapped all around them in a roar, towering all around and overhead with an oppressive weight.
.
Looming through the deep, liquid curtain, one yellow eye beamed and big, sharp teeth glinted. Undyne stepped out, hair billowing, trident aloft. She slammed her weapon to the ground and the water crashed inwards from above. Frisk's shield burst and she yelped.
"U-Undyne, I can't—!"
Too late. The water pummelled her downwards, but before she'd even had time to lose her breath, she was out in air again, looking with big, dazed eyes into the face of massive, familiar bird.
"Sorry, lass, just one tick," Arnbjörn assured her, patting her sopping hair.
.
He stood up before a great, impossible dome of water and held his claws out. Undyne breached the surface tension and, at once, the two of them touched the surface. It froze solid in an instant, a massive, glinting dome in the moonlight.
.
Frisk stared, her jaw dropped. Arnbjörn guffawed and Undyne whooped loudly.
"Aww yeeeaaah, baby, look at that!" She slapped the side of the ice dome proudly and then raced over to Frisk, beaming. "SQUIRT!" She squatted down and patted the kid on both shoulders. "Great job! You hit your mark perfectly! And I didn't even say where it was!"
"I, uh…" Frisk didn't know what to say. "I-Is… everyone okay?"
"Oh yeah, perfectly fine." She brushed her hair from her face "Well. Maybe a few injuries here and there. That second charge was a bit worse than I thought it would be, but all around, well done, well played, everyone did great, huh?!"
"B-But Asriel—?"
"He's fine," Undyne assured her with a grin. "Just had to get him outta the way for a sec. He wouldda messed that end bit right up."
"He would?"
"Of course! He'd try to save you. Sans's prediction. That was our job." She might've winked her one eye and ruffled the kid's hair. "Oooh hooo! Wow! What a fight!" She sat down. "Arnbjörn! Great timing!"
.
The big monster laughed and grinned his sharp teeth. "I know." He tilted one eye towards the dome and pointed out a faint, shifting shadow deep within. "Looks like our boy's up, too."
"That's fine." Undyne stretched. "He can just chill—"
"Hah," Frisk scoffed quietly.
The blue monster snorted loudly. "—And he can lay around or snack or somethin' 'til we figure out what the hell to do with him."
"Snack?" Frisk asked.
"Yeah. Can't have a jail without snacks, that's no good," she said.
"I could use a snack," the kid said quietly.
"Couldn't we all," Arnbjörn said with a smile.
.
"Frisk!" Asriel, even soggier than she was, raced up to her, followed closely by a tall and mildly damp skeleton. He dropped down and pulled her into a hug. "Oooh, you did it. You did it."
The kid blew out a sigh of relief and wrapped her arms around him. She was more than happy when a cackling Papyrus joined them, too.
"Nyehhh, I wish I had been there!" Papyrus said. "Sorry we were a little late! It was all so haphazard! You got Sans's message, right?"
"Yeah," Frisk said. "Oooohmigod. You guys are okay?!"
"Yeah," Asriel said. He sniffled. "Got water up my nose, though."
The kid couldn't help but burst out laughing. She kissed him on the snout. Asriel snickered and Papyrus looked mildly confused.
"Is that a problem?" he wondered.
.
"Oooh that was crazy," Asriel said. "I'm sorry I kinda got dragged underwater but—"
"Did you know that was gonna happen?" Frisk asked.
"Only like four seconds before it did," he said bashfully. "It was important, apparently."
"Very important," Papyrus said with a nod.
"Turned out perfect," Undyne assured them.
.
Racing footfalls caught their attention and they turned to see Chara and Leirak galloping to join them from down the riverbank.
"Red Ghost!" Arnbjörn said. "Saw yer fight, great work!"
"Eh, couldda been better." She grinned nonetheless. "Hah! Look at you nerds. Guess I am kinda glad I missed this part."
"Oh yeah?" Asriel grinned slyly. He got to his feet and grabbed her off Leirak's back and rubbed his wet, fuzzy face all over hers as she flailed and spluttered.
Papyrus cackled and got to his feet to hug the girl as she pushed away from Asriel. "Thanks for looking out for her, new friend," he said to Leirak.
"Oh! Ah. No problem," he said with a smile. "I'm glad to help."
.
"Hey! You!" Undyne said, getting to her feet quickly and in the large, plant monster's face.
"H-Howdy!" Leirak stammered awkwardly.
"You're that guy!" she said. "I've been looking for you!"
Leirak suddenly looked a little sweaty. "O-Oh?"
"Yeah! You do a great job!" she said. "And I was wondering…" She tilted her head to the side. "Say, uh… You look kinda familiar. You weren't with the Dragonguard back in the day, were ya?"
"Uh, n-no, I wasn't," he said.
.
"Okay, okay, guys, gimme space," Chara said, pushing away from her brothers. She beelined for Frisk and stared into her eyes for a moment. "I knew it."
"Knew what?" Frisk asked.
The freckled girl turned to Undyne and snatched a small flask off her hip.
Undyne's eye bugged out. "Yo, that's—!"
"I know what it is, she needs it!" Chara said. She uncorked it, grabbed Frisk's face, and poured it right in her eyes.
"Aah!" Frisk yelped.
"Oh stop, it doesn't hurt," the girl said.
"It's cold!"
"Good." She shoved the spout into the kid's mouth. "Drink it." She held it until Frisk took it herself.
.
"Chara, what're you doing?" Asriel asked; Leirak look at him with big eyes.
"She has a concussion!" Chara said.
Frisk coughed. "I-I have a—?!"
"Shut up and finish drinking."
"Jeez, okay okay."
"What's a concussion?" Papyrus asked worriedly, looking at Frisk. "Are you alright?"
"When Gaster chucked her, her brain got bruised," Chara said. "Didn't you see her eyes? The pupils were totally different."
"They what?!" Frisk spluttered.
"Frisk," Chara said, "I swear, you better finish that whole thing."
Frisk gulped and hurriedly tipped back the rest of the drink— undoubtedly moonwater flavoured with tea leaves.
"Wait, I've never heard of that!" Papyrus said worriedly. "You get thrown all the time and that's never happened!"
"I don't bruise," Chara said. "No parts of me bruise. It's not an issue."
"Well, thank goodness for that, but…" Papyrus bent down to Frisk as she finished up, and he held the side of her head. "Does that feel better? Do you need some other potion?"
.
Frisk blinked. She hadn't realized everyone had looked so fuzzy until just now. She wiped her eyes. Her headache slipped away so suddenly it was like she'd just woken from a dream. "I… Whoa. No. I'm okay." She handed the flask back to Undyne. "Thanks, guys. Man. You're right, that's a ton better."
"Knew it," Chara said smugly.
"Ohh… No wonder you were so forgetful," Asriel said.
"You couldda said something!" Frisk whined.
"I did!"
"Buhhh." Frisk rubbed her brows. "Sorry."
Asriel snorted. He grabbed her and smooched her on the head. He couldn't help a smile and he stepped back to look at the huge, icy dome. "I… I kinda can't believe it. Something actually worked out."
"Yeah." Frisk sighed. "…Thank you guys. All of you. That was nuts."
.
Undyne grinned. "Hey. That's what we're here for." She turned to Leirak. "You wanna join up?"
"H-Huh?" he stammered.
"North's stretched thin," Arnbjörn said. "Could use someone like you."
"Well, I…" His face flushed a little gold in the cheeks. "I don't know…"
"Pay and board, all you gotta do is bring us the thugs," the big bird said.
Leirak cracked a small smile. "I'll think about it."
"Well, let's think about it over some food, huh?" Arnbjörn said, thumping him on the shoulders. He looked down at the kids with a big grin. "Figured, win or lose, we'd need a big meal after this fight, so I got a little somethin' cooked up. What d'ya say?"
"Yes, hundred percent," Chara said.
"That sounds great," Asriel said, shoulders wilting.
"Then!" Arnbjörn beckoned and strode ahead, puffing his chest out.
.
The others followed, but Leirak lagged. He frowned in thought, staring at the ground and mumbling something. Frisk tilted her head and doubled back.
"Hey, you coming?" she asked.
"I'm not sure," he admitted.
"I hope you do. Kinda sounds fun."
His petals flattened. He looked uncertain.
"And, um, thank you again," she said.
He shook his head, smiling sideways. "Don't worry."
.
Frisk tilted her head the other way. She edged closer to him. He drew back, wide-eyed, with a bashful expression on his pale face. A little memory pinged inside her head. She could have sworn she'd seen that face, but thinner, and at a more carryable size.
"Sorry, brain's been a mess. What did you say your name was again?"
"Wh…? Leirak. The, um. Plant. Monster," he said.
"Leirak," she said, nodding to herself. "…Um. How d'you spell that?"
"L-e-i-r-a-k?" he said nervously. "Why?"
Frisk smiled sideways and had to stop from laughing. She was pretty sure she got the picture now. "Ah. Cool, okay. It's just, I couldda sworn that's the name Asriel out of order and with a K in it."
.
"Wh…?" The monster's cheeks flushed bright. "N-No, no, I'm—"
"Leirak," She said quietly, with a thoughtful frown on her face. "Asriel. But with a…? Is it…?" She tilted her head and whispered, "No way, is it both of you?"
The monster yelped and jerked back, wide-eyed. He blinked, then his shoulders wilted and he began to laugh. "How in the stars did you guess?!"
"Is it?!" she asked shrilly, breaking into a grin. "Aah! I'm really glad to meet you!"
"But how…? Okay. Maybe this first, but how are… Asriel and Chara here? And yet different?"
"We're all from another world," Frisk said. "I guess kinda like how those weird human souls come in sometimes?"
"Oh. Oooooh. Oh. Okay." He nodded. "I never did have a very good poker face, did I? Chara was much better."
"…Is she…?" Frisk asked quietly. "Are you guys—?"
"We're one monster," he said. "I'm… not sure exactly how. But I awoke as this very creepy little thing a couple years back, and gained this body after the curse was broken by…" His eyes darted after the others. "That girl, right? Your Chara?"
Frisk nodded. Leirak smiled, but he tilted his head to the side.
"But, seriously, little human, if you're from another world, how did you figure it out? We definitely didn't meet back when… You know."
.
"Long story." Frisk sighed. "Basically, time dreams, saw into a different world, my brothers in the dream were in bodies that looked like the ones here. Asriel looked like you. But small. Before the curse broke."
"Ah! That's…" He chuckled. "Bizarre. Okay." He blushed. "I'm… sorry to ask, but… I've kept it a secret for a reason."
"Oh yeah?" Frisk looked worried. "I'm sure they'd love you."
"I… I know."
"And Undyne misses you," she said.
"Does she?" He looked surprised.
"I won't tell," Frisk assured him. She twisted her ring and shifted back into a small, blue monster. "But I hope you will."
He chuckled. "Me too."
xXxXx
After a jaunt through a portal spot back in the forest and a drying-off from Mistral, everyone met up at Arnbjörn's place in a cold, frosty pine forest— a massive stone and log building filled to the brim with tables, benches, fire pits, and food. Within minutes, it was packed full of Dragonguard, celebrating raucously with feasting, elixirs, and song. Sans met the group, too, greeting with hugs and ginseng drinks for the kids.
.
Chara was eminently at home amongst the soldiers, as was Sans— everyone seemed to know them. Papyrus fit right in, too, playing his lyra with a group of rambunctious monsters near the largest of the fire pit. Frisk was surprised by how quickly she and her brother were absorbed into groups of back-patting and loud, victorious laughter. It didn't seem like anyone had noticed she wasn't a monster but, if they had, nobody mentioned it, much to her relief.
.
Leirak, too, was taken in by the Dragonguard with much adulations. He seemed pretty happy about it, despite his shy avoidance of the boisterous Queen. They all ate and celebrated long into the wee hours of the morning
.
Alphys showed up as things began to wind down. She huddled up at a table with Frisk and Asriel to get their point of view on what happen but, after just one warm elixir, she fell asleep with her head on the table. Frisk followed her lead. It had been a long night, but despite that, it was so nice to finally have something go right.
xXxXx
Frisk awoke the next afternoon in a dog bed alongside Asriel and several large, snoring pooches. Most of the room was still dead asleep, with the exception of a few monsters playing cards in a corner and the one big chunky four-armed soldier that had shielded her and Asriel knitting by the fire. Leirak, though, was missing.
.
Sans sat nearby on a tipped-over bench, reading a book with a drowsy expression on his face. He stuck his hand up to greet her and she did the same. He nodded his head towards the door and slowly got to his feet, stretching, before vanishing into thin air.
.
Frisk gently nudged Asriel. He stirred, blinking heavily and smacking his lips.
"What time is it?" he asked quietly. "…Who're these dogs?"
The kid could only shrug, and she pointed for the door all the way across the room. Her brother snorted quietly.
.
They got up and tiptoed outside to find Sans, Papyrus, Chara, and Alphys waiting for them. Chara grinned brightly and hurried to give each of them a hug. She clung extra long to Frisk and then pulled back, squishing the kid's floppy ears.
"How's the brain?" she asked.
"It's good! Doesn't hurt at all," Frisk said.
"Good! You sound better."
"That sure was a lot of nonsense, wasn't it? You all look much better," Papyrus said. "I'm extremely glad."
Chara looked up at Asriel and smiled. "Except this guy. You look like you could sleep another two days."
"Haaa… No, I'm good," he said.
"Sounds nice, though," Sans said. He turned to Alphys. "So. Wanna tell 'em?"
"Oh! Y-Yeah." Alphys smiled at the kids. "We thought you should know. We, um, kept watch on this… Gaster. Overnight. H-He tested the defences, but he hasn't been able t-to make any progress. So. I-If things continue like this, you'll be safe."
.
Frisk's shoulders slumped and Asriel's ears perked, his short tail wagging.
"That's really good," he said.
"Yeah," Frisk agreed. "He's, um…? He's not too hurt or anything, is he?"
"Pfft, kid, you don't gotta worry about that," Sans said.
"He was literally trying to kill you, Frisk," Chara said.
"I-I know! I know. But…" She frowned a little and folded her arms. "I dunno, never mind."
.
"Did I hear some talk about our special guest?" Arnbjörn approached them from around the side of the building, a bunch of firewood tucked under his burly arm.
Alphys put a hand on Frisk's shoulder. "She was just worried that he might have been hurt in the fight."
"Well, I think our Queen's just…" The big bird turned to look over his shoulder. "Oi, Undyne, y'still back there?"
"YEAH?!" Undyne, dressed in a casual tunic, with her long hair pinned up in a messy bun, came round the corner, too, followed by Mistral and the two fancy monsters from the battlefield — one, a small, green goblin and the other a tall, gangly white caribou with red eyes. "What?"
"How's our resident ice cube?" he asked.
"Oh! Yeah. He's fine," Undyne said, waving her hand dismissively. "Can't get out of the dome. Not for lack of trying. Got guards posted around the outside, though. Sent some snacks and a bedroll in through the autocatchers. I think it'll be fine."
"He can't get out that way, can he?" Asriel asked worriedly.
"What? With the snacks?" The Queen guffawed loudly. "Nah! Don't worry, kid, his big head'd never fit through!"
.
"We did think of quite a lot," the little fancy goblin said. "Don't you worry your large fluffy he…" His eyes bugged out. "Wait a solitary moment, why on earth does this boy resemble the queen but a different colour?!"
"Uhh… Same kinda monster?" Asriel suggested awkwardly.
"I thought you all were extinct?" the caribou asked.
"They're from outside the Kingdom!" Papyrus butted in, rushing over to stand beside Frisk protectively. "Very… Very far away. Outside."
.
"Anyway," Chara said quickly, "any issues we should know about?"
"Waaa, so informal with the Queen," the goblin said quietly.
"That's the Soulbonder," Mistral said dryly.
"What?! You are?!" the little green monster looked faint and drew his hand back across his brow dramatically. "My goodness!"
.
Chara held in a laugh and looked up at Undyne. The Queen, on the other hand, snorted.
"Yeah, someone leaked to Mettaton and he's sent me fifty six—"
"Fifty eight, now," Mistral muttered.
"Fifty EIGHT letters and crystal missives today about how upset he is I didn't let him know so he could send a reporter to watch and broadcast the whole thing." She rolled her eye.
"…A dream guy and a reporter?" Asriel asked.
"He got his weird automata fingers in a lotta dumb pies," Undyne said, wiggling her claws.
Alphys laughed awkwardly. "Heeee's always been like that."
"You wanna deal with him?" Undyne asked hopefully.
"Oh no, no no no," Alphys said, raising her hands quickly. "If it's up to me, you'll e-end up doing interviews by dinner time, no thank y-you."
"Maaannn…"
.
"I'll do it," Sans said.
All eyes turned on him. Undyne gawked.
"You?!" she demanded.
"You can't be serious, you're actually volunteering for a job?!" Papyrus demanded.
"Sure." The skeleton's eyes glinted. "I'd be glad to."
"That… is dangerous," Chara said quietly.
"Let him do it," Frisk said.
Sans grinned wide. Chara's eyes bugged out and she looked at Frisk. Undyne shrugged.
"Welp." She handed him a big, chunky envelope. "Your funeral."
Sans merely beamed in reply.
"Nooooope," Frisk said under her breath.
xXxXx
Time came to head back to the city, with Sans scrawling notes as they strolled, including several in pictograms and others with messages of refusal scrawled out one letter at a time over a large amount of separate parchments. He split off to head to a mail kiosk while the kids headed to the Magnificent Pasithea's dreamweaver shop.
.
Papyrus had never been there before, so inspected the interior and knickknacks with intense scrutiny until Pasithea herself burst from the back room, cloak held out like wings. When she caught sight of them, though, she quickly dropped the pose and cleared her throat.
"Welcome back! And! Welcome, for the first time, to the newcomer!" she said.
"Hello, friend!" Papyrus said brightly. "I am the great Papyrus! I think I spied you at Grumf's place!"
Pasithea nodded. "You're a little early," she said. "But! I believe I'm ready. Are you?"
"Yeah, think so," Frisk said. She returned the little pouch the pesanta had given her. "I… think I only had it a night and a half. Hope that's okay."
"That is perfectly fine." She smiled sheepishly. "To be honest, it really just needs the one full night most of the time. It's more of a just-in-case. Plus…" She beckoned them back behind her curtain. "…You! Are a special case! And I needed a little time to prepare."
"…You're not saying we could have come in early, are you?" Chara said dryly.
"Hah! No, not quite."
Pasithea beckoned them back to her table and the crystal ball. The kids took their seats— there was one set up with a few pillows stacked on it for Frisk.
"How did the potions work, by the way?"
"Oh! They did what they said," Frisk said. "No dreams did what I wanted, though."
"Ah. That's a shame. Worth a try, though. I can give you a partial refund—"
"Actually, I wanna buy more of the nice dream ones," Frisk said. "Best sleep I've had in ages."
"Oh!" Pasithea's face lit up and her cheekfeathers flushed faintly purple. "That's great! I'll give you a batch discount! Now…" The pesanta waved her long, clawed fingers over the crystal and it deepened to pitch black.
"Isn't that from last time?" Asriel asked.
"Astute observation!" Pasithea said, sticking both thumbs up. "It is, indeed! In fact. This… is what I was working on."
"What is it?" Chara asked.
"There… is a darkness. Deep. Deeeep. In your soul," the monster said, eyes fixed on Frisk.
Frisk gulped. "Wh… What?"
"No way, Frisk's super good, though!" Asriel protested.
"There's no way she has a weird, evil sinister soul," Papyrus echoed, frowning worriedly and taking the kid's hand.
"Oh! No! Not… an evil darkness," Pasithea said quickly. "But a shadowy. Mysterious. Impenetrable darkness." She smiled proudly. "And I think! It's why your dream connection wasn't working."
Frisk stared back and her blankly. Chara leaned over the table and tented her fingers with interest. Asriel raised his brows.
"Come again?" he asked.
"When our souls touched," Pasithea explained, "I saw a deep, dark void. Now, I won't lie! It was very alarming! But! I spent our time apart peering into it! And what I found! Will shock you!" She sat down and put her hands heavily on the table. "It is sticky!"
"Sticky?!" Frisk replied.
"Yes! It's stuck. Inside your soul. Just a tiny bit. Enough to disrupt things! And… enough for whoever's it is… to find you wherever you are."
Frisk's heart sunk. Asriel's eyes bugged out. Papyrus gasped loudly.
"It was that villain, wasn't it?!" he demanded. "That's how he found you!"
"That's how he could follow even when he couldn't see," Chara said quietly.
"B-But how…?" Frisk asked.
"Could he follow me, too?" Asriel asked, looking at Frisk with wide, worried eyes. "I know you were kinda outta it, but when you saw what he saw, was it me, too? The same way he saw yours?"
"I, uh… Actually, I think so," Frisk said, ears drooping.
"So! That'd make sense," he insisted. "Neither of our dreams were working. And he attacked us both in the void! Maybe… Maybe when you got snapped by his blaster out there, he… marked you or something?"
"You think so?!" she asked shrilly
He nodded quickly.
"Wh…?" Pasithea looked between the two, her jaw hanging open for a moment. She gathered herself back up and cleared her throat. "Well! Then! The main solution! Is to remove it!" She smiled. "And now that I know where it is and what it feels like, that should be easy!"
"You really think you can mess with void magic?" Chara asked worriedly.
"Whatever kind of magic doesn't matter," the pesanta assured her. "It's like a splinter! I don't have to do a thing to the darkness itself, I merely have to coax our blue friend's soul to push it out." She smiled and tilted her head. "I know you're worried about your friend, but don't worry, I have done a similar thing before."
"C-Could we get you to do it to me, too?" Asriel asked.
"Absolutely! I can book you in immediately after this session is done."
The pesanta rolled her sleeves up as she stood again and circled back around to Frisk. She pulled out the kid's chair and rolled her fingers. "Allow me to just pull your soul out for a moment."
Frisk nodded. Pasithea extended her claws and hovered them above the kid's chest. Red flickered and emerged, shining brightly through her t-shirt. Little, iridescent points glittered like starlight in her soul. It also glimmered in the little scars on the back of her hand. It was straining, but it didn't hurt. Nonetheless, Frisk held as still as she could and tried to relax her breathing.
Purple and green magic gleamed in the pesanta's claws and she pulled her fingers through the air as if drawing something towards her. After a few seconds, a tiny dot of black married the red of Frisk's soul. Papyrus gasped softly and Chara leaned closer across the table. Frisk winced. Pasithea drew it farther out. It grew larger and rounder until she grasped it with her claw tips and plucked out a fang of shadow and held it aloft. It dissolved into nothing.
Frisk gawked. Pasithea grasped her own ears and burst out laughing.
"It worked?! It worked!"
"H-Holy crap," Frisk squeaked. "That was in there the whole time?!"
"That has to be from his b-blaster," Asriel said, his voice warbling. "Oh my god."
"I can't believe that was so easy!" the pesanta barked.
Chara squinted. "I thought you said it was gonna be—"
"Sister, shush, let her revel." Papyrus grinned. "That was fantastic, honestly. So! Now Frisk might be able to contact her brothers?"
"Th-That…! That is definitely the hope!" Pasithea hurriedly straightened herself out and held up two fingers. "Part two of our session! Alright! Let's hope we're on a roll!"
She rushed to the other side of the room and drew a large couch down out of the ceiling and placed it on the floor. She fluffed the pillows and beckoned to Frisk. The kid cautiously sat down and Pasithea gently pushed her to lie back. The monster took the objects from the little pouch and placed them in a small bowl, which she ignited in flame with a snap of her fingers. She swirled it around, back and forth over Frisk, the smoke billowing gentle red and purple in a circle.
Frisk blinked. She already felt her head getting heavy. "I-Is… Is this it?"
"Yes."
"That… That's fast."
"Yes. This part is my specialty. Now. Just relax. Reeeeelax," Pasithea said. She put the bowl aside and knelt on the floor beside the kid, waving her fingers up and down over her soul. "Think of who you wish to see. What you wish to do. And… reach."
"…How do I… reach?"
"Here." She held out her hand. "Think of them. And reach."
Frisk's soul fluttered. Her blinks were slow. She thought of Sans. His name lingered in her mind. Her red light swelled, lighting the shop like a beacon. She lifted her hand and grasped tight to Pasithea's. The monster held her and closed her eyes.
"…Sans," she said at a whisper.
Frisk had no idea how she knew. She didn't care to ask either as she fell away into warm, lavender-scented darkness.