Wow it looks like déjà vu! Chapter 89
As the night pranced onwards, monsters from all over New Home and beyond crowded the Inner Circle, glad to partake in the celebration that the newly-invented holiday brought to town. Even without a vested interest; even having missed the majority of the commotion except what was shown on the VC or played over the airwaves, monsters from all over were excited— happy for the excuse for a good party, lively music, and free food.
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The dark sky flourished with fractals of colour and the air vibrated with the pulse of an upbeat melody. Mettaton, as expected, had completely commandeered Undyne's stage the second it was set up. The Queen grumped and grumbled at first, but her tone quickly changed as the festival kicked off in earnest without any need for a speech from her. Instead, she sat back, partaking in steins of elixir and heaps of fries as the ever-flustered Pasithea regaled an attentive Alphys (curled up beneath the Queen's arm) with stories of her grandmother and the crystalwork she specialized in.
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Magenta and purple streaks of glitter lit the air like strokes from a paintbrush at each of Mettaton's dance moves as he twirled through an impromptu routine for an adoring crowd. Several of his assistants from MTT's Dreamland, set up at the edge of the stage, gave playful tarot readings to volunteers from the audience and pulled them up to dance, too.
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Though the vibe of the magic was a bit different than she was used to, Frisk couldn't help but bounce along with it. She didn't have a great view from where she stood— well behind the crowd, near a carnival archery range Asriel and Papyrus were blitzing through— but she could still see the blasts of magic and an occasional, pink-booted leg, sticking straight up in the air. Frisk loved the hums of all her friends but, somehow, there was something especially catchy about Mettaton's, especially when played up with all the bombast he could muster.
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"Monsters really go all-out for these things, huh?" Chara leaned over to Frisk, a crooked smile on her lips. "It's always been a little much for me, to be honest."
Frisk snickered, her eyes gleaming. "I dunno, I think it's kinda great!"
"She always used to hide under the tables when nobody was looking when parents had the big banquets," Asriel called. He began to sweat under the aforementioned girl's sharp glare and grinned bashfully. "She got better, though! It was only for like a year or something!"
"Asriel!" Chara chided. "Eyes where you're shooting, knucklehead."
The boy clammed up and went back to blasting targets that looked like cartoon angry faces with a line of a scar below one of the grumpy eyes.
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Frisk snickered quietly. "I just never seen stuff like this before," she said. "You, too?"
"Hm." Chara shrugged. "Not like this. It was overwhelming, at first. Human festivals were nothing like this where I came from. The only thing we had that lit up was fire."
"Oh. OH! Right!" Frisk smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, I keep forgetting you're from, like, waaaay back."
"Good." The freckled girl chuckled. "I'm happy to put as much distance between me and… that, as possible."
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A cheerful buzzer sounded and festive lights around the outside of the archery set-up flashed. Papyrus stuck his arms in the air and whooped loudly. A blue rabbit in a pinstriped suit popped out from the side of the target range and beckoned the skeleton inwards.
"Ooooh, does anyone want an oversized novelty plushie?" Papyrus called.
"Just pick the one you want, Papy," Chara replied.
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Asriel put his bow back into a rack and joined his siblings. Chara shot him a sympathetic grin.
"Tough luck, fuzzball," she said. "Gonna go again?"
"Nah." He stretched his arms out in front of him. "Not bad for a first time, though!" He picked up the sack that Sans had left him and he held it up. "What d'you think, should I take a shot at this?"
"What even is that?" Chara asked.
"I dunno, I think your brother wanted me to get rid of it?"
The girl rolled her eyes and grabbed the sack away from him, yanking it open. She pulled out a letter from within and opened it, then let out a groan. "It's trash."
"What kinda trash?" Frisk asked curiously.
"Mettaton's replies to Sans's replies to Mettaton's news requests." She plucked out another, skimmed it, and her mild annoyance turned to a cold glare. "And some… lifetime exclusivity contracts? For the opera rights to the Interloper Saga? Ugh." She crumpled the paper and slammed it back into the sack, then dropped it with distain. "Either light it on fire or throw it at the guy, Azzy."
The goat boy grinned wide, grasped the mouth of the bag and twirled it in the air. Before he could whip it over the heads of the crowd, his ears perked up and his back stiffened. His eyes swiftly scoured the crowd. Shoulders slumped, he chucked the bag away, and took a step behind Chara, giving her a little nudge.
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The girl turned to follow his gaze, but she didn't have to wonder what had caused his reaction— Toriel, as she strolled over to greet them, was still larger than almost any other monster around them.
"Greetings, dears," she said, her focus squarely on Frisk and Chara. "Have you been enjoying your evening so far?"
"It's really cool!" Frisk blurted.
"It's a bit loud for me," Chara said, "but it's… It's good."
"Mettaton certainly knows how to put on a show, does he not?" The huge monster smiled and her eyes skimmed the area. "Has Sans already turned in?"
"He went to deal with the… you know. The guy," Chara said. "D'you need him? Papyrus could pretend to be in trouble or something."
"Pfff, sister, he'd see right through us, you know that!" Papyrus said as he strode out from the back of the booth with a large, plush snail-shaped cushion. He offered it to Toriel with a big, bright smile. "Greetings, mom! I won this! Please, take it!"
"You…? Oh, my." Toriel accepted the cushion, a warm smile spreading on her face. "How sweet. Thank you, my child." She chuckled. "This will be useful, as I should really turn in myself!"
"Are you still kinda low?" Chara asked with a worried frown.
"Nothing that a bit more rest cannot fix." Toriel bent to put a large paw on Chara's head and rubbed her hair affectionately. "Do not worry, dear one."
"Last night wasn't enough?" Papyrus said worriedly. He darted in and grasped Toriel's face, his sharp fingers carefully probing around her temples. "HMMM. Actually, your soul does feel all bristly, now that you mention it!"
Toriel nodded. She held his hand. "You know, I had been meaning to see an oneiromancer, but it seems that they are all here this evening."
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"Ooh! See Pasithea! She's good," Frisk said quickly.
"…Pasi… thea?" Toriel repeated carefully. "…I am not sure I have heard that name."
The kid pointed vaguely in the direction of the stage. "She's with Alphys over there somewhere, I think."
"She's a pesanta with a cheap shop on Mugwort. But, she's been really helpful, actually," Chara said with a shrug.
"Frisk gave her a ten million out of five rating!" Papyrus asserted. "And I found her pretty nice! So! I think she's really good, actually."
"Ah. That is high praise, indeed," Toriel said. She touched the tip of her snout to Papyrus's forehead before she straightened up, though her back went stiff when her eyes connected with Asriel's, despite the fact that he'd slowly been edging away. She cleared her throat quickly and turned a smile on the others. "I will inquire. Shall I see you back at the castle later, then?"
Chara nodded. "Yeah. But you better take it easy, okay?"
The huge monster chuckled, her red eyes gleaming with warmth. "I will, child, do not fret." She turned, her long tail swishing. "And, do not stay out too late yourselves!"
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As soon as she'd gone, Asriel deflated as if he'd been holding his breath. He tiptoed back towards them and Frisk turned to grab his hand. With a bashful smile and a little shrug, he awkwardly scooped up the sack he'd tossed and puffed fire over it until it dissolved into embers.
"Finally," Chara said under her breath.
With a nod of his head, Asriel gestured down the road. "C'mon, let's go see if we can win any more snail pillows. Maybe I can use one to smooth things over."
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Bouncing between carnival games was fun enough, despite no more cute novelty pillows to be found. Magic darts suited Papyrus well. An enchanted rhythm game glittered enticingly at that booth's side— Chara adamantly refused to set foot on it, but Frisk hopped on without a second thought. After a little practice, she came away with a big grin and a little plush dog that she snuck into the freckled girl's pocket when she wasn't paying attention. A massive hammer paired with a strength test couldn't compete with Asriel, and though he smashed right through the thing by accident, it was nothing a little burst of Chrono Shift couldn't fix.
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Down the block, away from the largest of crowds and the loudest of music, a glowing sign with a familiar name on it drew Frisk's eye. She took sharp breath and aimed her finger like an arrow's point.
"Grillby's," she said.
"What, really?!" Asriel whipped around and his face lit up.
"Can you go half an hour without eating?" Chara teased.
The goat boy was already dashing across the street. "Don't wanna! Frrriiiisk, come on!"
Frisk hurried after him. Chara rolled her eyes.
"It's probably full!" she called.
"It's not, it's not!" Asriel pointed at a small group of monsters that were walking away from the careful layout of tables and chairs. "I'm getting us seats, come on!" He grabbed Frisk's arm and yanked her along with him.
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The pop-up restaurant was packed to the grills, but Asriel and Frisk managed to snag a spot near the bar. The temporary kitchen was violently ablaze, but Grillby, calmly wiping the counter down, seemed to have it all under control. He caught Chara's eye and gave her a curt nod. Papyrus waved at him and he replied with a little flick of his dishcloth.
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"This is nuts," Frisk said as the two sat down. "It looks almost just like home 'cept the no roof thing."
"I was gonna say, this is a downgrade," Chara joked.
"What?!" The kid was aghast. "No way, this is great!" She twisted in her seat to look at the fire elemental behind the counter. "Ooh. He doesn't look too different here, huh?"
"He was purple when I first met him," Chara said, resting her cheek on her fist.
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In a billow of flame, Grillby arrived before them. He deposited four bags onto the table and then whooshed away as if carried on the wind.
"Thank you!" Frisk called after him.
"What's…?" Papyrus opened the bag closest to him. "Gasp! Milkshake!"
"We get this stuff just by showing up?" Asriel asked, looking around quickly.
Chara pointed to a chalkboard sign near the bar counter that said exactly that. Asriel's eyes gleamed. He dug his paw into a bag greedily.
"Pie," he said brightly.
"…Won't be like mom's," Chara said under her breath.
"Free pie, though."
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As Asriel dug into the dessert and Papyrus did similarly with a much more polite demeanour, Frisk carefully pulled out the big cup from her bag and lifted the lid to find a chocolate milkshake within. Her face lit up and she looked to Chara. The other kid hadn't touched a thing. Frisk frowned.
"Hey, Chara, you feelin' okay?" she asked.
"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine, don't worry about it," the girl said quietly.
"That doesn't sound fine."
"Did something happen, sister?" Papyrus asked worriedly.
Chara chuckled. She shook her head. "I'm just coming down from… feeling a bit stressed about the crystal thing, don't worry about me, I'll be fine. Just need to get over it."
Papyrus patted her warmly on the back. Asriel and Frisk shared a look and the goat boy pointed to the bag.
"The pie's pretty good, actually," he said.
"A-And the milkshake's chocolate!" Frisk added.
Chara cracked a little smile. "I said not to worry about me." She sat up a bit and cautiously grabbed her bag. "…Let's see."
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Relief lightened the mood a little, especially as Chara began to cautiously sip at the milkshake. Frisk grabbed a fry from the bag and tried it. Miraculously, it was hot and crispy with a fluffy inside, and tasted exactly like what she could get back home. She dipped the next one right in the milkshake and was filled with the warmth of nostalgia. She could almost see the familiar bar counter, feel the heat of the flame and her familiar stool; catch the blue of Sans's hoodie from the corner of her eye.
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For just an instant, her heart sunk. She was having so much fun, but what if things back home were—?
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Asriel put a hand on her head, tugging her gently from her thoughts. He scooted his seat closer to pull her against him. She looked up at him and he shot her a reassuring smile and booped the tip of his snout against her forehead. She snickered despite herself.
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Once they were done, they grabbed a bottle of fancy ketchup for Sans and left a large tip on the counter before heading out. They were barely down the block, though, when they were intercepted by a shy, sharp whisper. The glint of golden petals and dark eyes between buildings caught their attention and, with a quick, shifting look, Leirak slipped out of the shadows with a sheepish smile, waving at them with a vine.
"Oh hi!" Frisk said.
"Howdy. Sorry, I… I didn't want to, um, run right into m… Into Toriel. Um." The monster smiled. "A-Are you having a nice night?"
Chara crossed her arms and tilted her head to the side. "We're really going have both of you sneaking away and hiding from mom, aren't we?"
"I-I just don't wanna make her feel bad!" Asriel said swiftly.
"It's…! It's really… weird." Leirak sighed. He straightened up and looked Asriel in the eye, his jaw tight and a resolute frown on his face. "I… I thought about what you said. And I decided, yes. Please. E-Even if I don't… put it to use right away, I think your experience would be really helpful."
"Oh! Okay. Cool. Good," Asriel said. He rubbed the back of his head "…Did you wanna now, or—?"
"If you have the time, or the place." Leirak's pale face flushed in the cheeks. "Maybe somewhere a little quieter?"
"Castle?" Frisk said.
"Toriel's at the castle," Asriel said.
"Yeah but it's like, really big, right?"
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"What about we defeat two enemies with one bone spear?" Papyrus said. "Or…? Nyeh, is that the phrase? Anyway, doesn't matter! How about the train?"
"…The train?" Chara repeated, eyebrow raised.
"The train?" Frisk echoed excitedly.
The skeleton nodded. "Exactly. Everyone's coming into the city right now, not leaving it. So we could probably get some space all to ourselves! And mom or other people will definitely not accidentally walk in on us. Plus! It can be really relaxing. And I know at least two small human-like someones who could do with something relaxing."
Frisk instantly grabbed Chara's hand. Her eyes got big and shimmery. "Can we?!"
The freckled girl scoffed playfully. "Well, I can't say no to an expression like that, can I?"
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A train station was just a portal away. Trains, Papyrus explained, were just a little out-dated, but still useful to many monsters. The portal networks all over the Kingdom had only been open to the general public since the curse had been lifted, and many of them didn't have direct lines between different regions or to the Inner Circle without a Royal Token. Some mysterious someone had been the one to set up all the magical pathways behind the scenes, exploiting the ley lines that ran below the earth, but nobody knew exactly how they worked yet or who to track down to attain such knowledge.
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Trains were still a very common system to get between regions and had been for a few centuries. Some monsters preferred the slower pace, some experienced a little portal-sickness, while others still used them simply for sightseeing or to help rock them to sleep.
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The place Chara brought them to was a simple shelter with a bench and a roof tucked onto a patch of cobblestone amongst tall grass and trees. The train tracks, much to Frisk's surprise, weren't what she'd expected. Back home, the tracks she recognized were shiny metal and bars, or the ancient ones left about, often unkempt in the wilderness, made of rusted rails and wooden ties. Here, two parallel trails of deep blue magic shone softly, hovering just a little ways above the ground, with small, gleaming crystals at wide but regular intervals beneath.
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Just as she snapped a photo of it, a deep horn bellowed from afar. Down the tracks, some low lights beamed, and with a rumble and a rush of air, a huge, snake-like head shot past them, billowing steam from all along the top of it. Train cars patterned with wide, brown and gold diamond markings sped by, a burst of wind accompanying them, until the train slowed and slid to a smooth halt. The solid side of the railcar opened up slowly, casting the kids in warm, golden light that shone from within it.
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Frisk's eyes were wide and her mouth was agape. "I-It's a big magic snake?!"
"It's just shaped like a big magic snake," Chara said with a smile. "There's a few. There's also a caterpillar and an eel and—"
"Ohmigosh this is the coolest!" The kid darted towards the door. "Can we go in?
"Yeah." Chara stepped forward and held Frisk's hand to help her over the threshold. "Careful of the gap."
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Inside the train car was bright and warm, lit with little dots of crystals along the ceiling. It had a soft floor and comfy benches facing inward, lining wide windows that were somehow invisible from the outside. Just as Papyrus had suspected, the place was quiet and empty. Frisk carefully hopped up onto one of the long benches and turned to peer out the window— the seat raised beneath her to give her a better view and she squeaked with surprise.
"Aaaaah, cool!" she said.
Chara chuckled. She plunked a coin for each person into a box near the door and, once everyone was in, the opening sealed and the train slowly began on its way again.
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Asriel leaned over Frisk and Papyrus sat beside her, and the three of them watched as the station drifted away and the track went onwards through a tunnel of dark, twisted branches.
"It raises up after a while," Chara said as she sat down across from them. She turned to look at Leirak, who was statuesque in his stillness. "…You alright?"
"Ah! Um! I've just…" The large monster smiled shyly. He shifted his feet on the floor. "Never been on one of these before, either."
"Speaking of people from a long time ago," Chara said under her breath. She gave him a small, reassuring smile. "Don't worry. I get it. You can walk around, the floor sort of compensates for you."
The monster shifted his talons and looked at the ground beneath him, brows raised. "Oh!"
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The girl got up again and headed to the front of the rail car. A doorway appeared before her, revealing another cabin where the seats faced forward instead. Checking the back, the one behind them had a setup the same as the one they were currently in. There wasn't a soul but them to be seen.
"Looks like we got the run of the place," she said.
"Yo, can I literally run through this place, though?" Frisk asked, eyes wide.
"You're such a kid," Asriel teased.
"Um, yeah?!" She looked to Chara. "Can I?"
"Uh." Chara smiled sideways. "I… don't see why not?"
"We'll just, uh, go one back," Asriel said. "Maybe a bit of privacy, right?"
"Yeah, of course," Frisk said quickly. She grabbed Papyrus's wrist. "You wanna come?"
"Absolutely I do!" he said with a grin.
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The skeleton and the kid took off towards the front of the train. Asriel steadied himself, thumped Leirak on the back, and they headed back a car. Chara sighed and lay down on the bench, folding her hands over her stomach. Above her, the sky shifted from branches to a calm, starry night speckled with dark, puffy clouds. An odd pressure pushed at her side. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a little, white dog plushie. It took her a moment of staring at it in puzzlement before she realized what must've happened. She scoffed, smiling fondly, and stashed it away again as she closed her eyes and tried to rest. Nonetheless, Asriel's voice soon drifted back to her:
"Okay, so what do you want to get out of this exactly? 'Cause it… it's not goin' back to how it was. It can't. Even if… Right. Right, right. Cool. You said you didn't do any thing really crazy when you came back, right? …Okay! Okay, that's great. That's…! Hah. Phew. That makes it easier."
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Chara tilted her head and rolled her eyes up to look at where the two larger monsters had gone. Part of Leirak's tail had shifted through where the doors formed and vanished, leaving a little gap just open enough to void that privacy Asriel said he wanted. Sighing, she forced herself up again and took off to follow Frisk and Papyrus instead.
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The train continued steadily on its way, rising upwards smoothly as part of the track lifted to trail along one of the dividing walls of New Home. Chara passed through several compartments, only catching a glimpse of a single other passenger snoozing in one of the front-facing seats, cozied in under a blanket; teddybear and all.
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She found the two she was searching for up near the front of the train. Frisk was on one of the bench-like seats, pressed up against the window. She stared out at the buildings in the shadow of the wall as they reached the apex of their ascent and levelled off. Papyrus was with her, pointing out little landmarks and explaining them as they passed. Chara slipped in beside them and Frisk instantly turned to look at her with a big grin.
"I wanna do this at home," she said.
"Construction Master Frisk," the freckled girl teased.
"I'm serious!" Frisk's eyes turned back out to the city. "If I could… Maybe I could…"
"Friiiiisk, they're not going to be mad at you," Papyrus chided gently.
"I knoooow, but, like, wouldn't it be cool if…?" The kid sighed. "I dunno."
"Who won't be mad?" Chara wondered.
"Frisk is worried about her home and has this idea that if she brings back some interesting things, people will be less upset about the world going all wonky or something," Papyrus said as he patted Frisk on the back.
"Oof, when you say it like that, it sounds kinda… silly," the kid said with a little pout.
"Nyeh! No! Not silly, except silly that you think they'd be upset with you."
"Probably nothing will be worth the world falling apart to them," she said quietly. "If it was just for a little while, maybe it'd be okay, but… I literally have no clue how long we been gone except, like, too long."
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"I guess you'll have to do a short reset when you get home, right?" Chara said. "Most of them probably won't even remember, if that helps."
"I dunno, pretty sure most of my family are gonna remember every dumb thing that happened," Frisk said. "And if there's, like, determination magic stuff going on, sometimes that just burns into people in time weird, so no matter what I do, that stuff'll always be… different, y'know?" She sighed and smiled sideways. "Sorry, I keep, like, moping and then not moping and then moping again and—"
"Frisk, you're ten, relax a little," Chara said.
"E-Eleven!" Frisk protested.
The freckled girl chuckled and patted her on the shoulder. "As if that changes things." She leaned forward, folding her arms and resting them on the back of the seat. "I'm just saying, it's out of your control. And into mine and Sans's, as much as it can be. And now that Gaster's done, we're good, right?" She cut her eyes at her. "That weird cube of yours done anything yet?"
Frisk rested her hand on the magic cube where it rested in its harness at her side and shook her head. "Nope, nothing."
"Are you positive it's something?" Papyrus asked.
"I think so. The other stuff I saw from the weird vision things I got all were. So…" She leaned forward to stare out at the cityscape, too. "I dunno what the something is, though." She clenched her little fingers. "But I know I'm gonna figure it out. Um. At some point."
"That's the spirit," Papyrus said with a smile. "Want to take a look out the other side?"
Frisk twisted around. The other window framed the large moon shining brightly out over the opposite side of the city and the final, large wall that guarded it before wilderness opened up beyond it. The kid's eyes lit up. She bounded over there and Papyrus followed. Chara smiled to herself, but stayed where she was, looking out over at the towers of castle on the hill, dark against the starry sky.
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Before long, Chara had dozed off and, with the smooth rhythm of the train and the calming scenery speeding by, the others soon followed. Nobody roused until there was a little jolt and the pace began to slow. Frisk was up first, bristling like a startled cat, eyes skimming the cabin quickly. Leirak and Asriel had joined them, though she couldn't recall when. The large, planty monster was stretched out on a bench that had widened just for him, while Asriel had his shoulder on Chara as he'd clearly passed out looking out the window behind her. Frisk couldn't remember where she'd been, but Papyrus had moved her more comfortably onto the seat beside him. Even he seemed to have taken a nap, for once.
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The kid turned to look out the window into the darkness, but she couldn't recognize anything, nor could she see the moon any longer. With nothing looking amiss, the kid yawned and sunk back, rubbing her eyes.
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She had almost nodded off again by the time the train had fully come to a halt, but the shifting as it started to move once more roused not just her this time, but Papyrus and Chara as well. The girl groaned and smooshed her palms against her eyes and the skeleton stretched his arms high above his head and stuck out his tongue.
"Whew, I think I needed that," he said quietly. He jolted a little and quickly yanked his bottles of waterfall water out of his pockets and gave them a hard shake.
"Mmmwhat's goin' ooonnn?" Asriel grumbled.
"I think someone got on," Chara said.
"Baahhhh…"
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At the far end of the railcar, a door formed and, to everyone's surprise but Papyrus's, Sans strolled in with a sleepy smile on his face.
"Sup, nerds," he said.
"Sans! Hi," Frisk said brightly.
"Greetings, brother, fancy seeing you here!" Papyrus said. "Here!" He tossed a bottle of ketchup at his brother.
Sans grinned and caught it easily. He plunked down at the end of the bench and slumped lazily, popping the cap of the bottle and taking a swig. "Whew. Took like three jumps t'find ya. Where ya headed?"
"Nowhere," Chara said. She straightened up and rubbed her eyes again. "Did you learn anything?"
"Ooh, right, how'd it go?" Frisk asked quickly. "Did you give him the letter?"
"Yup. Freaked 'im right out, so I figure y'hit the nail on the head," Sans said. "Think ya got a shot, kiddo."
"Yeah?" Frisk's eyes brightened. "That's good."
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"We gonna start looking again tomorrow?" Chara asked
Sans shrugged and nodded. "Sure can. Got a bit of a day otherwise, though." He looked to Frisk. "Mostly concernin' you, but, y'know, pretty sure everyone here'll get an optional summons or somethin'. 'Cept you since, uh, you know."
"Uh oh, what the heck does that mean?" Asriel asked.
"That… sounds like there's something pretty official going on," Leirak said, his dark eyes cracking open.
"Yup. Our good ol' Gasbag's havin' his hearin' tomorrow," Sans said.
"Hearing for what?" Frisk asked.
"Y'know, crimes and crap."
"Hm. They have to decide what his punishment is," Chara said.
"What, more than just being in the dungeon or whatever?" Frisk asked worriedly. "Is this like a trial or something?"
"Sorta," Sans said. "With the, uh, exception that the guy already refused all help and said he's guilty of everythin'. So it's mostly just, uh, statements from witnesses and people he hit with stuff."
Frisk frowned thoughtfully. "And after that we'll see if he'll talk to me? I don't wanna make him or anything."
"Demanding a conversation… That would be an unusual punishment for sure," Leirak joked.
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Sans's smile widened with amusement. He shrugged. "We'll see. Depends on a few things. But, uh, don't sweat it too much, kid. Y'just go into the Crescent Courtroom for a bit, do what the Archon says, and it'll be a breeze." He winked. "I'll have my eye on ya from up front, so no need to freak out."
"Wait, you have to sit with the council?" Chara asked
"Yup." The skeleton kicked back, twisting to put his feet up on the seat and folding his arms behind his head. "Which is why I can't actually tell ya anythin' more."
"Oh, come on," she said.
"Can't throw the process off." He closed his eyes. "Anyway, I'm not worried."
"So… Then, what do I do?" Frisk said.
"Just answer the questions and, uh, be honest, I guess," Sans said. "That's about it. Also, uh, don't tell me what you're thinkin' ahead of time."
"Okay," she said.
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"Are they gonna ask us to say stuff?" Asriel asked, pointing at Chara. "Actually, I think he tossed Papyrus and blasted Leirak, too, what about them?"
"You got the option," Sans said. "Up to you."
Asriel looked to Frisk, brows raised. She shrugged.
"Hmmm." Papyrus tapped his chin. "I think I'll just send in a written report. All we did was battle and, though that was very exciting, it's not really that important to the big plan, is it?"
"What's the big plan?" Asriel asked.
"Uh. Getting this Gaster skeleton to talk to Frisk about his world, right? And maybe about your world, too?" Papyrus said. "…Or did that change?"
"What, the letter warning him about the big screw up wasn't enough?" the goat boy asked.
"I still wanna know a lot. And maybe he'll wanna know some stuff too," Frisk said. "Sounds kinda like he might?"
"Ugh, I still don't like this," Chara grumbled.
"I know, I'm sorry," Frisk said. "I mean, maybe it'll go totally bad and I'll hate it, too, but I just…" She winced. "I dunno, what I saw from his memories both times really bugged me."
"We can tell," the freckled girl teased, a tired smile twisting her mouth sideways.
"Plus the thing where he was actually back home and Sans actually warned me about him and didn't know what he was! That was freaky," Frisk insisted. "I gotta know if he did anything weird there, too."
"That's…" Chara sighed. "Okay, that's fair." She folded her arms to her chest. "I'll do written, too— whatever gets the hearing done with faster."
"Me too," Asriel said.
"I'll go in person so it doesn't look like we're colluding," Leirak said, sticking his tongue out.
"Perfect," Sans said. "Don't tell me what you're gonna say either, and it's all good."
.
Chara's brow furrowed. She looked to Frisk. "Don't worry, alright?"
"I'm… not, really," Frisk said.
That drew just about every eye in the room. The kid smiled sideways and shrugged.
"Telling the truth's easy, and they're not gonna be yelling at me this time, right? So, I'm not really worried at all."
"Well, that's something, at least," Chara said.
.
Asriel got to his feet abruptly. "Um. Since you're up," he said, staring at Frisk intently, "can I show you something back a few cars?"
"Uh." Frisk blinked. "Yeah, sure."
The boy strode out quickly in a completely unsubtle fashion. Frisk looked at the others, shrugged, and then gave a little wave before following him out.
.
Asriel's fur was raised around his neck and his short tail was swishing a bit more sharply than usual. Frisk looked up at him with a curious frown.
"You okay?" she asked.
"Y-Yeah! Yeah, of course, why?" he asked.
"'Cause you're super obvious," she said.
"N-No I'm not!"
Frisk couldn't help a little snicker. "Ooookay. So, um. How'd it go with Leirak?"
"Good! It was fine. He had a lot less baggage than me," Asriel said, his shoulders relaxing a little. "Probably don't have to deal with dad since he's, uh, kinda gone to wherever the heck. Mom's the hardest. Always was. Tough to tell if she was gonna wail or get pissed or what. I told him what happened with us. We, um, walked through a couple scenarios. I… Heh. I told him I'd figure out how to introduce him." He smiled wryly. "Proooobably shouldn'ta said that, but, there I am."
"That's nice, though, I'm glad," Frisk said. "It's hard to be, like, away from your family when they're right there. Like, really really hard." She snuck a little closer to him and grabbed onto his hand. "So what'd you actually wanna talk about?"
.
Asriel's snout scrunched up. He caught sight of the dozing monster in the seats ahead and hurried ahead to the next compartment before dropping into a seat with a huff. He gestured to Frisk widely and she cocked her head to the side.
"You're actually not worried," he said.
"Yeah, I said that," she said.
"No, I know that, I mean… I can feel it. But, like…" He shook his head quickly, tossing his ears back and forth. "I'm glad you're not, but I am."
"I know," she said.
"So if anything goes wrong, gimme your soul, okay?" he said. "We can be big again and just whack anything that's a problem, right?"
Frisk snorted out a laugh. "What, just go full God of Hyperdeath right there in the courtroom?"
"Yeah!" he said. "I'm gonna be, like, right outside, and I'm gonna listen to everything."
"I think it's gonna be okay," she said.
"Yeah, probably! But you never know, this place is crazy sometimes." He took a breath and cracked a smile. "And let's call it something else, okay? Hyperdeath can be kinda a jerk. What about the God of Hypertime or whatever? Or, uhh… I dunno, you got something?"
.
Frisk snickered. She held out her arms and, though he was a little puzzled, Asriel pulled her close. She hugged him tight around his neck. His shoulders sagged and their souls pinged gently against each other. He dropped his chin down onto her shoulder and snorted out a small, warm flame.
"I'm just…" The boy bared his fangs, his ears pinning back. "I'm sick of seein' you get… scared and hit and shot and chucked all over the place, okay?"
"S'okay," she assured him. "I can protect myself a bit better now. But I don't think anything's gonna happen." She pulled back a little and looked at him resolutely. "But if it does, it's giant goat time, super fast."
"Good," he said.
xXxXx
The group spent the rest of the evening dozing on the train, only departing once the sun began to creep above the horizon, but not before watching its golden hue dye whatever far-flung reaches of the Kingdom they'd been carried to. Still groggy, they grabbed the nearest portal straight back to the castle. Leirak headed out on his own and everyone else went to go crash in the tower room again. It was as if they'd never left.
.
Not even Papyrus awoke again until Mistral came to peek in on them, bringing with her all the forms Sans had warned them about, though the short skeleton himself was nowhere to be seen. Frisk grabbed breakfast for everyone as they filled out the battle reports on their own. It seemed pretty boring to her, so the kid was almost happy she didn't have to do that part.
.
Mistral was a little on edge, but she seemed very pleased with the paperwork. Gaster's hearing was around noon, she reminded them, before heading out again.
.
The head of the Dragonguard wasn't their only guest that morning. Toriel popped in to check on them as well, and Asriel immediately buried himself in his bed, pretending to be asleep. The huge, old monster was kind and reassuring, and though she wouldn't say much about the process, she left them with some warm words and an insistence that there was no need for concern at all.
.
Frisk still wasn't worried, even though her friends seemed to be. The waiting was making her a little anxious, but aside from that, all the kid felt was an eagerness to get through it. If things went her way, it was one step closer to learning about this strange, skeleton man who looked and sounded almost just like her father. If they didn't, it was still another step closer to getting things going to search for home once again.
.
When the time came, Mistral returned for them and escorted them to the hallway outside of the Crescent Courtroom. The corridor was filled up with soldiers— many who'd been trapped within grey bubbles of stasis or who'd been involved with springing the ice dome trap— and a plethora of guards, most of which were spiders or dogs. Leirak was there, too, tucked into the group. He caught them from the corner of his eye and gave them a little nod, but stayed where he was in the group. Even as more went into the court, it still didn't feel like the line was getting any shorter.
.
"Yeesh, is this all the guys from the rooftops or something?" Chara wondered.
"Most of them," Mistral said.
"So what now, do we just wait out here until it starts?" Asriel wondered.
"The hearing has actually already started. Your forms are submitted, so you don't have to wait unless you want to hear the result," the skeleton said.
"No way, moral support!" he insisted.
"We're here to cheer Frisk on," Papyrus said, sticking his thumbs up.
.
"Ah." Mistral smiled a little. "That's fine. The gallery is packed, though. Soldiers waiting to say their piece. It may take a little while to get a spot. And those giving testimony have priority." She looked down at Frisk. "How are you feeling, kid?"
"Okay," Frisk said.
"Did anyone tell you how this goes?"
"Sans said a little. It's just answering some questions, right?"
Mistral nodded. "When there's space, you'll go into the gallery. When it's your turn, you'll go to a seat in front of the Crescent Court. Then, yes, questions, and after that, the Archon will tell you what to do."
"Sounds easy," Frisk said.
"Are you nervous at all?"
"Just kinda hate the waiting bit," the kid said with a sideways smile.
"Waiting is by far the worst part of basically everything," Papyrus agreed.
"And also a crucial part," Mistral said. She patted the boy on the shoulder and tilted her head towards the door into the court. "I'll be in and out. I'll let you know when it's your turn."
Frisk stuck her thumb up. "Gotcha."
.
The kids got a spot on the floor against the wall and huddled up. Frisk tried to read one of the magic books they'd grabbed a while back as Asriel played on his phone and Papyrus stared over his shoulder. Chara eventually left and came back with her paints and papers, doing quick pictures of monsters in the hall. Frisk abandoned the too-hard-for-her book and stared at what the freckled girl was doing instead, mesmerized. When Chara noticed, she traded places with Frisk for a little, taking the time to brush the kid's hair and giving her a moment to try out the paints. Frisk had never painted anything more than letters on a sign or smeared different colours on a wall or fence before. Her work was an absolute disaster compared to Chara's, but she still had fun.
.
Finally, after what seemed like hours, Mistral returned for Frisk, though there wasn't enough room for the others to wait in the gallery with her. Asriel was incensed, but since he'd already submitted his statement, there wasn't much he could do but lurk right outside the door with his ear pressed against the wall.
.
The chamber of the Crescent Court seemed much larger than it had the first time Frisk had been there. The huge, moon-shaped table was headed by Archon Marama, sitting front and centre. Undyne, Alphys, and Councillor Myotis were on her right, and High Cleric Grumf, Arnbjörn, and Councillor Swampum sat to her left. Frisk was a little surprised to see Sans was up at the bench, too, at the very edge of the left side. He sported that heavy scout's coat of his that gave his shoulders enough bulk to have him almost look intimidating, but he wore a lazy, tired grin and sat, leaned over the stone, completely still save for the blue and gold swirling in his illuminated, left iris.
.
Before the court's bench, the same seat Frisk been in last time was occupied by one of the spider guards, telling the story of what happened on the rooftop. To Frisk's right, rows of benches were packed full of monsters waiting their turns, plus the ghostly record keeper and a few others that seemed to be helping them out. There was one, tiny gap on the closest bench to the front, between a long-necked dog guard and a bulky hadrosaur knight. Mistral gestured to it and Frisk stuck her thumbs up. She snuck in and hopped up between the monsters, absolutely dwarfed by both.
.
From there, the kid had a better view of the rest of the front of the room. A light shape far to the left made her heart stutter. Gaster was there, sitting quietly behind another high desk, not a guard within ten feet of him. The kid's eyes bugged out and she pressed back against the seat, until the skeleton shifted and she saw the table through what should have been solid bone. She took a deep breath and leaned forward curiously. A huge, heavy hand rested on her shoulder and she turned as the hadrosaur pushed his beaked snout in towards her.
"Live projection," he whispered. "Don't worry."
"Thanks," she replied.
The knight nodded and sat back again, folding his arms. Frisk did the same, but her eyes remained locked on the skeleton.
.
Monster after monster went up before the Archon, giving their stories and answering any questions she had. A common theme, much to Frisk's chagrin, was how many of them thought the Interloper was trying to kill them, despite the lack of damage he'd done. The kid was perplexed. She stared at Gaster, waiting for him to interject; for him to say that he wasn't trying to harm any of them at all. But, he didn't say anything. He hardly moved, save for a few small shifts in his seat.
.
After what seemed like the dozenth testimony in a similar vein, Frisk stood up on the bench and stuck her hand up high. She could tell she'd caught the eye of the Crescent Court members when the Archon gave a little nod of her head and Mistral hurried over to Frisk as the rest of the statement paused.
"Is something wrong?" the skeleton asked quietly.
"Why isn't Gaster saying anything?" the kid asked. "This isn't right, they're gonna treat him way worse if they think he's tryin' to be a crazy serial killer or something."
"He revoked all use of an advocate."
"Can I?" Frisk asked.
"Wh…?" The skeleton looked utterly perplexed for a few seconds, her eyes locked onto Frisk's sturdy gaze. Her brow softened. "When you're called, you can include whatever you'd like to say."
"Kay. Thanks." She looked up at the council and smiled bashfully. "Sorry!" She swiftly dropped back into her seat. "Thank you!"
Archon Marama nodded and then began again.
.
The population of the gallery shifted and waned. Frisk's seating partners changed four times before new monsters weren't constantly coming in to fill the spaces any longer. Still, everything was the same, and still, Gaster was silent
.
Eventually, the side door opened to a familiar face: Toriel. She slipped in silently and took a seat beside Frisk. She smiled fondly and reached down to give the kid's hand a light squeeze
"I told the others I would watch over you," she said softly. "Do not fret."
"Thanks," Frisk whispered.
The big monster nodded and settled comfortably, waiting for her turn.
.
When Marama called Toriel up a few statements later, it was the first time Frisk had seen Gaster move more than an inch since she started watching him. As the huge monster took her seat before the Councillors, the skeleton jolted and leaned forward, eyes wide.
.
"Lady Toriel, good to see you," Archon Marama said. "Thank you for making the time to see us today."
"Not at all, dear, though I am afraid I do not have a great deal to contribute," Toriel said.
"Would it be fair to say the Interloper is the reason you've returned to the Kingdom?"
Toriel nodded. "Yes. You see, what transpired was, I was… very far afield, when a letter from my daughter reached me. She had written to me, in desperation, that she and her friends were beset by a rogue skeleton who had made a target of her sister, and she wished for some aid. So, I used much of my energy to fly home at once."
"And when did you encounter the Interloper?" Marama asked.
"Oh, within minutes of arriving at the castle. He was engaged in battle with my children." She smiled bashfully and spread her hands on the table. "I am afraid I saw red. I grabbed the brute and I gave him a toss into the wind to remove him."
"Did you encounter him again?"
"No. Aside from that, I took action to help intercept him at the Soul of the World, but everything was dealt with prior to my arrival."
The Archon nodded. "Were you injured at all in your first encounter?"
Toriel chuckled. "I am sorry, my friend, not to sound arrogant, but he did not ever have the opportunity." She cleared her throat. "No. I was not injured at any point."
"Thank you, Lady Toriel," the Archon said. "That is all for now. As with the others, you may leave or remain to watch."
.
Toriel nodded politely. She returned to sit beside Frisk. The skeleton up front twisted a little to look at her but, as soon as he saw the human kid, the lights in his eyes shrunk and he stared for only a moment more before he swiftly returned to facing forward.
.
"Now. Frisk Dreemurr, Demon of Starhome, would you please come up?" Archon Marama asked.
Toriel gave the kid a warm pat on the head and Frisk smiled gratefully. She hopped from her spot and hurried up to the witness desk. Mistral helped her up onto the tall chair before standing aside.
.
Frisk felt the tiniest sting of nerves as she remembered the treatment she'd received last time she was in this seat, but seeing Sans's face up there was more reassuring than he could have know. She settled as best she could. From the seat, though, she could see a little golden, magic gleam in the air that was imperceptible from afar. It seemed to be just around the desk, maybe even coming from within it.
.
The Archon dipped her head in greetings. "Thank you for your patience, Frisk Dreemurr. Let's begin. How did you first come into contact with the Interloper?"
"Um. Well…" She looked at Sans, then steadied herself. "He attacked me and my brother outside of the Kingdom. With, um, some blasters, I think."
"And what were the results of that attack?"
"I passed out and I woke up in the Soul of the World," Frisk said. "I, um, didn't know who he was at the time or anything like that."
"You'd never encountered him before?"
"I… Um. Well, I mean, I know a guy who looks just like him," the kid said bashfully. "But not him. I really don't think so, at least."
.
Marama nodded. "How many times did you encounter the Interloper?"
The kid frowned in thought and ticked them off on her fingers. "The Void, the Soul and then outside it, so I guess that counts as one, then at the cabin, and in the woods for the river plan, but that was all kinda one thing, too? And then at the castle, and then at the Soul again, sooooo… five, I guess?"
"And those were all battles?"
"Part of it was running away," Frisk said.
"And was the Interloper the instigator in every instance?"
"…I think so? Except at the Soul of the World. I jumped out and told him to stop breaking stuff, so I guess I kinda started that one between us. But then, he was sorta fightin' everyone else there before that, so I dunno what counts as what."
"I see." The Archon nodded. "And in all of these encounters, what sort of injuries did you sustain?"
Frisk's brow furrowed and her face screwed up as she tried to recall all of it. "Well, um, I got thrown around a lot. Gravity magic stuff. I hit my head pretty hard on one of those and I got an, um…? Like, a thing that made my eyes a little blurry and my memory go all woogy for a bit." She reflexively rubbed at the side of her head. "I think I probably got whacked at some point, too. With, um, a bone attack or a blaster? Oh! Definitely a blaster, actually, it bit me really hard right before I got here. I-I mean, into the Kingdom, not like, here today or anything."
.
The kid's eyes darted towards Sans. His expression was unreadable, the gold still swirling in the blue of his eye. She dug her fingers into the table. Tell the entire truth, she reminded herself. Even if it sounded ridiculous. She smiled awkwardly.
"Aaand he kinda shot me with a time laser that messed with my memory and shot my soul back to where I came from for a little bit and I turned into a big glowing dragon thing for a couple minutes and now my eyes are just red all the time, I guess?"
.
The gathered monsters rumbled quietly and the record keeper scrawled the details furiously into their notes. Archon Marama dipped her head.
"Anything more?" she inquired.
Frisk frowned thoughtfully. "Nnnno? I don't think so."
"Are you quite certain?" The ceratopsian's words were slow and probing.
The kid racked her brain. So much had happened. She gave a little shrug. "I can't remember any other, like, hits or anything. There might be? We fought a couple times. Besides that, I dunno, I guess he hurt my feelings."
.
Marama's face softened. She nodded and looked to the others at the table. Sans stubbornly wore exactly the same tired, faintly amused expression, but he shifted a little, resting his cheek on his fist. The massive monster stared at him silently for a few seconds before she turned back to Frisk.
"That should conclude your statement," she said, "unless you wish to add any more?"
"Oh! Yeah, actually! I would," she said. "I wanna be, um… A… Advocate?"
The Councillors looked between each other in puzzlement. The Archon leaned forward a little.
"For… the Interloper?" she asked cautiously.
"Yeah!" Frisk said. "I just, um, wanted to say super quick, he wasn't trying to kill everyone. He was just only trying to kill me, he wasn't on a crazy murder rampage or anything. That's all."
"I see. Your reasons to believe such a thing?" Marama asked.
"Um. Well, everyone said they were really scared, right? But also, everyone who comes up says that they either just took a little damage from getting knocked around or they didn't get hurt at all, really." Frisk said. "The only person who took a lotta damage was me because that's what he was trying to do, he wasn't trying to kill everyone. Just me." Frisk's face flushed. "I just… thought that was sorta important?"
.
The Archon turned to the other Councillors. Swampum shuffled through a stack of papers swiftly, his big eyes rushing over them. He straightened them out, tapped the stack against the bench, and then gave a curt nod.
"If you read the battle reports closely," Swampum said, "they seem to be in agreement."
"Yeah, I told you that before this started," Undyne said under her breath, and Alphys suppressed a snicker behind her hand.
.
The Archon leaned forwards, fists on the table. "The Court's independent conclusions match your assessment, Frisk Dreemurr. As you are the primary victim of these events, the next step is to inquire: what does justice look like to you?"
Frisk blinked. Her eyes darted towards Sans again for just a moment before looking straight back at Marama. "Like, with… Gaster?" she asked hesitantly.
"Yes," Marama said. "If the Kingdom were to take action against this Interloper, what would you consider justice?"
"Um. Can I…? Can I just suggest whatever?" Frisk asked.
"You may."
"Oh! Then. I mean, I think everything he broke is already fixed, right? So, maybe send him home?" she said. "If you do that, you don't gotta watch him anymore and he can't come bother you again, right? That's what I think, anyway."
Marama jotted something down on a paper before her and let out a little sound of affirmation. "Very good. That is all." She straightened up and gestured to the side. "Please head out to the back and remain there until someone comes to speak with you, alright?"
Frisk tried to hide her puzzlement, but she nodded. She slid from her seat and looked through the sparse gallery. A spooky-looking bunny guard at the back subtly pointed her towards the right door with his spear. She puffed herself up and hurried there, shooting the guard a grateful smile when he pushed the way open for her.
.
Despite cool stone walls and a lack of windows, the small room awaiting Frisk was fairly welcoming. There were cushy chairs lined up against the wall to the left, and a large seat resembling a beanbag in the corner. A table at the back of the room held pitchers of water and iced tea, along with a stack of cups and a bowl of hard sweets. To the right of the door, Frisk recognized a crystal music player on a low shelf, and there was a stack of novels and comic books in a box on the floor just beside it.
.
As the door closed behind her, Frisk took a steadying breath. Now, all of a sudden, nerves gripped her. She grabbed the first comic she saw at the top of the box and beelined for the big seat in the corner. As soon as she nestled in, she became uncomfortably aware of the thump of her heart and the sinking feeling in her gut. She drew in a few more slow, deep breaths, then tried to distract herself with the comic. She only got through the first few pages of a llama monster's magical academy adventure before nerves overwhelmed her and she put it aside, electing instead to clasp her hands, stare at nothing, and tell herself it would all turn out fine.
.
The rhythm of voices drifted into the room with her, but none of the words did. The more she heard, the less comfortable she felt.
.
After what felt like an hour, the door opened again and Sans strolled in with a big grin on his face. Frisk jumped out of her seat. Before she could say a word, the skeleton plucked her up under her arms and held her up in the air.
"Great job, kiddo," he said.
"Y-Yeah?" she squeaked. "It went okay?"
"Couldn'ta gone better." He plopped her down onto his shoulder and held her close. "Need this, huh?"
"Yeeeeah." She slumped against him, melting with a sigh of relief. "Thanks, Sans." She let the pleasant chill of the skeleton soothe her as she wrapped her arms around him and gave him a squeeze. "So I guess I said the right thing?"
"Yup. Absolutely," he assured her. "Knew we'd be on the same page." He grinned a little wider. "Got 'im the special banishment package. A one-way trip back to wherever he came from, when I got time. Now all that's left is for Undyne to sign the thing, and for me to make the dude an offer."
"What kinda offer?" Frisk asked curiously.
"Welp. I figure," Sans said as he carefully let her back down to the ground, "sendin' him out's a given. But. Give 'im the option for a chat, too. Hang out in the Soul. Solves a couple problems at once, which is great for me." He winked.
.
Frisk's eyes got wide and bright. "Yeah?! Really? That's…? That'd be okay, we can do that?"
"Yup," he said. "Give Alph a few hours to make some anti-portin' wards or somethin' and we should be good."
"Man, she's been doing a lotta work, huh?" Frisk said. "I should get her something."
"Worry 'bout that later," Sans said with a wave of his hand. "Besides, she's havin' a blast."
"Still."
The skeleton chuckled and ruffled her hair. He nodded towards the door. Frisk put her comic away and hurried out with him.
.
A bunch of the Councillors were still packing up when they headed out. Undyne greeted them with a big grin and jumped before Sans, slamming a scroll into his hands.
"BAM! Royal Decree!" she announced. "Guy's all yours."
"Th-This is really helpful, S-Sans, thanks for volunteering," Alphys said. She shot Frisk a smile. "A-And good job up there, Frisk! You hardly looked worried a-at all this time."
"It was pretty easy," she said, though she looked at Sans and lowered her voice. "Yo, why is this helpful to them?"
"A-Ah. Um. See, the… problem with the dungeon i-is, no sunlight," Alphys said, her smile turning sheepish. "E-Even with the worst criminals, you can't really keep them like that for very long."
"So, the Soul," Sans said. "If he agrees."
.
"But there's one more thing," Undyne said. She thumped a badge with a dagger on it into Sans's hand. "Give 'im that, we're doin' a duel."
"You're gonna fight him?" Frisk squeaked.
"Hell yeah I am, and I'm gonna kick his ass," she announced. "Guy deserves it, with all the crap he pulled." She waved a hand dismissively. "Not today, though, later."
"Sounds like a blast," Sans said.
"I think so." She turned to Frisk and she shot her a lopsided, toothy grin. "Hey, sorry to put you through all this again, kid. It was kinda a formality, but we had to get all the stuff on record, do the prisoner transfer, blah blah blah." She might have winked. "Bit easier on this side of it, though."
"Yuuuup," Frisk said.
The Queen guffawed and dipped to roughly muss up her hair. "Alright! I'm starving, I'm outta here. C'mon, Alph." She headed for the door and shouted, "COME ON, MISTRAL, TAKE A BREAK! THAT'S AN ORDER!"
"Alright, alright!" Mistral poked up from behind a large box of documents around the other side of the court's bench and rushed after them.
.
Frisk and Sans followed behind, and the kid was taken off her feet and engulfed in fluff the second she stepped into the hallway.
"H-Hi, Az," she squeaked, giving him a tight hug.
"You okay?!" Asriel demanded.
"Yup!"
"I was there the whole time, y'know," Sans said, winking his bad eye.
Asriel pouted. "…Yeah, I know, I know."
.
"I hope you're happy for taking so long," Chara called from across the hall. "I must've painted every guard in this castle three times by now!"
"Gimme, I'll hang 'em on the walls," Sans said, receiving nothing more than a scoff and roll of the eyes from the girl. "Where's Papy?"
"He's being very good and responsible and getting us food," she said as she started to gather up her papers.
"Cool. Meet ya somewhere?" Sans said.
"Why, where are you going?"
"T'see our new pal." He grinned slyly. "See what he says."
"Right now?" Frisk asked.
"Yup. Finish that up and I can sleep until tonight," he said.
.
Asriel frowned. He gently put Frisk down. "Bring me," he said.
"What for?" Sans asked. "You're not allowed t'bite 'im, y'know."
"I don't care, I… I wanna see what he says," he said. "I'll stand back, I just wanna see."
Sans looked to Frisk, who merely shrugged. Chara's response was much the same. Sans shrugged, too. He reached out and grabbed the boy's arm.
"Sure," he said.
The two of them were at the statue outside the cell in the blink of an eye.
.
Down in the dungeon, Gaster was pacing his cell like an anxious beast, his brow locked into a scowl— eyes blazing. Asriel snorted flame at the sight, but Sans held a hand out to pause him, keeping him behind the one-way barrier. The short skeleton himself strolled out slowly and shot the agitated skeleton a wide grin.
.
"Meetin' here again, huh? Must be fate," Sans teased.
"Sans." Gaster whirled on him. "What is it playing at?"
"Welp. Question could be clearer," Sans said.
"The entity. Why…? Why in the world would it do exactly…? What does it want?"
"Told ya. To talk."
.
The tall skeleton grimaced. The gleam in his eyes dimmed a little. "Why are you going along with it? Playing its game will only get this world and every one it chooses afterwards ripped to shreds."
"Ooh." Sans's brows raised. "Shreds, huh?"
"You know what it is," Gaster said sternly. "I know you do."
"Sure," Sans said. "Little kid. Big magic. Big deal. Anyway. Got somethin' for ya." He passed the dagger badge through into the cell. "Queen wants a duel."
"What? Oh. That's… That's fine, absolutely. Just tell me when and I will let her pummel me to her soul's content."
"Yeesh, boring."
"Sans, how could I possibly care about a duel right now?" Gaster insisted. He took a deep breath. "I believe you're being played by the entity. Please. Don't make the same mistake I did."
.
Sans couldn't help his grin from widening. "So y'know what this is. Y'know all about some… version o' this phenomena and you, what? Built some super gun to kick their asses, or somethin'?"
"They are world eaters. Don't you see, none of us can ever be safe with something like that in existence." Gaster grabbed the bars of the cell and leaned closer. "Help me. I… I beg of you."
"No can do," Sans said. "One: impossible. Two: don't wanna. She's a good kid."
"And good kids can grow into abominable adults," he said. "It has happened before. It will happen again."
.
Sans raised his brows. He tilted his head to the side and frowned. "…How many of these time kids you gone through?"
"…They were not kids," he said. "They were abominations hundreds of years old with the void in their eyes and souls that burn to the touch."
"How many?" Sans repeated.
"Six. That have erased whole universes from existence before moving on to others," he said. "They would not have stopped."
Sans gritted his sharp teeth. "And, what d'ya expect me to do? Gonna come after my sis next?"
"Chara? Absolutely not; she can't touch the void in that way, she poses no threat."
"And if she did?" he asked.
Gaster fell silent.
"You'd try to kill her, too."
"Not… Not her. Never."
Sans's eyes narrowed to a dangerous squint and he lowered his voice to a cold whisper. "Just so y'know, I've already dealt with one guy like you— thought he knew better than everyone— and I got absolutely zero issues doin' it again, capiche?"
.
"S… Sans, I…" Gaster's shoulders sagged. "You don't understand. There's no other way."
"Y'ever tried talkin' with 'em?"
"Of course I did!" His eyes were wide and sad. "You can't think this is my first choice? They have no fear of consequences, and without my weapon's ability to send them out of time, there would be no chance whatsoever to stop them ripping universe after universe apart. Selfish gods cannot be reasoned with."
"Then don't talk to a god," Sans said. "Talk to Frisk."
Gaster shook his head. "Someone with power like that—"
"Not just someone. A real, soul and blood kid with a life and a family. A kid who's real open to discussion, y'know? Heh. T'be honest," the skeleton said with a wink. "She's the only reason I'm even here pushin' this." He shrugged. "Had my own curiosities, sure, but nothin' that couldn't wait until she left. She insisted. It ain't just the dreams. Kid's worried 'bout ya. Said she saw somethin' of yours when she got blasted."
"What?" The skeleton's eyes widened. "What did she see?"
"Talk to her about it," he said.
.
Gaster grimaced. He wilted— looked like he wanted to collapse into the wall. "…I never wanted it to be like this," he said quietly. "I… I was so excited. When I met my first one. What a fool."
Sans's grin twitched a little wider. "So. Give her a chance," Sans said. "C'mon. She ain't gonna hurt ya. What's the harm?"
The other skeleton opened his mouth, but his protest died in his throat. He grimaced and his fingers tightened on the bars. "…If I refuse?"
Sans shrugged. "Nothin' changes, I guess. You can hang out here. Might knock ya out and drag ya outside a couple times to get some sun. And, I'll try t'send ya home when I get around to it."
"Ah." Gaster sighed. He looked back at his quarters. "It's not so bad, I suppose…"
.
Sans couldn't help but chuckle. "Sheesh. Stubborn, huh?"
"It's not intentional," Gaster said.
Sans tilted his head. He drummed his fingers on his opposite arm. "Gonna level with ya. We got a lot of questions."
"I know. I have some of my own. If that's alright." He tented his fingers. "I do realize I'm not in any position to be requesting things, mind you."
The skeleton shrugged. "You can ask."
"What reason did the time god give for not just… dusting me? It's well within its power."
"She… doesn't to that," Sans said. "Most normal people don't, y'know."
"You and I both know these entities are not normal." He frowned. "But. I take your point. Something about me… stalled her. I noticed it several times. What might that have been?"
"That's one you're gonna have to talk to 'er yourself for."
.
The frown on Gaster's brow deepened. "I… would ask that you guarantee my safety but, to be honest, at this point it doesn't matter."
"Nobody's gonna hurt ya unless ya start brawlin' again," Sans said. "Though my sis is gonna give ya the stink-eye, guaranteed."
"…That's fair." He folded his arms. "What is it that you want, exactly, Sans?"
"Me? Not much," he said, kicking the toe of his boot against the ground. "Honestly, it don't make much of a difference to me what you wanna do. But, if you wanna blow this joint until your, uh, banishment: come with me, meet the kid; don't be a freak about it." He winked. "Simple, right?"
.
The old skeleton went quiet. He drew back from the bars, his eyes locked on the floor. He gritted his teeth. "So I will be in… your custody, then?"
"Yup, pretty much." Sans jerked a thumb back over his shoulder. "We'll chill in the Soul, where ya came in, for most of the time 'til I can send ya back out. And we'll feed ya. All y'gotta do is stop attackin' people and let us keep a security charm or two on ya. I think it's a pretty good deal."
Gaster frowned thoughtfully. Sans's grin widened.
"And I'm sure the kid'll let ya ask as many questions as y'can think of."
Though he made a low tsk sound, the old skeleton didn't move away. He clenched his fingers into his arms. "…Ask me again tomorrow."
"Alright, that's a yes, then," Sans said with a wink. "Good choice."
Gaster sighed, a strained laugh wheezing out of him. "I'm as good as dead anyway."
"Y'don't gotta be so dramatic," the sharp-toothed skeleton said. He turned back towards the exit and his eyes rested on Asriel.
.
The boy's pale eyes were almost blank, his pupils had pulled so thin, and his fur was spiking out around his neck. Sans grinned sideways and beckoned him forward. He spun on his heel to look at Gaster.
"Hey, got someone here who wants to say somethin' to ya."
Gaster's brows raised quizzically, but when Asriel stepped out into view, even as enraged as he was, the old skeleton's face lightened. "Asriel."
"Where's the gun?" the boy demanded.
"Pardon?" Gaster asked.
"The gun! The stupid time gun, where the hell is it?!" Asriel demanded. "Is it on you? Is it an attack? Bound to your soul or something? Give it to me."
"Oh. You're welcome to it," Gaster said. "It's… not bound, though. I believe a guard took it from me when I was arrested. So, I don't have it to give."
Asriel growled. He leaned into the bars, fangs bared. "If you come outta here, if you even look sideways at my sister, I'm gonna—"
"I understand," Gaster said, his voice calm and gentle.
Asriel balked, brow furrowing. "G-Good! You better!"
The skeleton couldn't help a little smile. "I know you'll hate to hear this from me, but it's so good to see you."
"You don't even know me," he growled.
"Of course I do," Gaster said softly. "But I… I do wonder, how it is you came to be so far from home."
"…What?"
"You and Chara, neither of you are from here," he said. "There are… little differences, here and there, between worlds. But I'd know my niece and nephew anywhere."
.
Asriel's ears pinned back and his fur fluffed out. "You have no idea what you're talking about."
"I do. But, you have to know how incredibly dangerous this is," he said. He drew in a breath sharply. "What happened? Were you cast out earlier? Did that…? Why do you defend the entity, did it tell you it's your way home, or—?"
"Listen, jerkface!" Asriel blurted. "We're not out here 'cause of her, we're out here because some dumb idiot skeleton scientist from another dimension couldn't stop messing with shit he didn't understand and put our brother into a coma!"
"…A coma?" Gaster breathed.
"Yeah, you know, fallen down without the falling," the boy growled.
"I apologize, I know what a coma is, I was just surprised that—"
"Why are you surprised?! You're just like him! If it wasn't for someone not knowing when to quit, we wouldda never been in any of this mess to begin with! So don't you dare gimme that crap!" Asriel turned on his heel and stormed out.
Gaster looked to Sans. The shorter skeleton gave a lazy shrug.
"I'm stealing your gun and I'm gonna burn it to dust!" Asriel shouted back over his shoulder.
"Do what you have to, son," the old skeleton said quietly.