hehe just kidding Chapter 107
As the kids vanished upstairs, gloom settled over the ground floor as if to sap the strength of those that remained there. Toriel rested a heavy fist against the wall and heaved out a sigh so deep it was a wonder she didn't deflate into a heap on the ground. Sans was at her side in a blink, reaching out to take one of her hands in both of his.
"Keep it together, Tori, s'alright," he said quietly.
Toriel rubbed her face. After a moment staring off at nothing, she turned to the skeleton and bent down; cradled his cheeks in her hands. "You… are miraculous, you know that?"
Sans flushed stark blue. "Uh—"
"Everything you did…! And that you're alright… " She nuzzled her snout against his head. "I am so, so proud of you."
"O-Oh." His soul seized up in his chest and he felt like he's been struck in the sternum with a brick.
.
"My turn," Asgore said, his voice low and craggy with exhaustion.
As Toriel allowed it, he moved in and wrapped them both in a hug. Sans was about ready to collapse.
"Ah… Son, I'm so happy you pulled it off," the King said. He carefully released them, but kept a sturdy hand on Sans's back. A warm, fond smile spread on his face and he chuckled. "It felt as if we were cutting it quite close."
"Got real bad, huh?" Sans asked.
"Well, it was about to be, I'd wager! But, everyone on our end was safe, right up until little Frisk shifted us backwards in time." Asgore smiled sheepishly. "It was starting to get a little hot, though."
"I am relieved it was only that much," Toriel said. "It looked quite bad from the outside."
Sans's brows raised, and Asgore's ears drooped.
"Why, what happened out there?" the huge monster asked.
"The whole mountain erupted."
"Oh. Shit," Sans said as Asgore gasped.
"It what?! Erupted?! Was anyone hurt?!"
"No, no. Nothing like that, thankfully." Toriel sighed. "But, let us just say, I am very grateful the kids got home when they did." She cradled Sans's scarred hand in her huge palm. "Thank you, for everything you did, sweetie."
A faint chill ran through Sans's bones. He didn't dare remind her that it had been him who had triggered the whole issue to begin with. He could already imagine the look of pity in her eyes.
.
"Absolutely," Asgore said, pushing through before Sans had a chance to reply, much to the skeleton's relief. "Surely there's something… Oh! I know it's mostly just a ceremonial thing at this point, but I could knight you, for all that hard work!"
"I didn't do a thing," Sans said.
"Of course you did!"
"Never happened." The skeleton winked. "You wanna set yourself up for a bunch of confused letters askin' why the guy with the hotdog stand who hasn't shown up to his comedy gig in months is gettin' a title like that?"
"Yes," Asgore said with a sturdy nod.
Sans chuckled. He shook his head. "I know someone who deserves that way more. Three someones, probably."
"I know just who you're thinking," the King said with a smile. "And, honestly, that's very true. But, it's not as if there's any limit to the titles I can hand out, you know. It's just a word." His ears pinned back. "Golly, when I say it like that, it really doesn't sound like nearly enough, does it?"
"Uh." Sans's grin turned lopsided. "Nnno, no, that's fine."
Asgore's large brows furrowed as he stared off at nothing and he stroked his beard. "Hmm…"
"You've got him going now," Toriel teased.
.
Sans rubbed at his eye socket and laughed hoarsely. The creeping exhaustion threatened to topple him again. Every note in his soul ached. He wanted so desperately to go up into that room with his siblings and fall into a heap but he knew that, if he did that now, not even Papyrus would be able to drag him out until tomorrow. There was still a bit more to do, though.
.
A knock on the door mercifully cut through his thoughts. Toriel's brows shot up and she looked to the others. Sans shrugged. She went to answer it and found two yellow lizard monsters there— Flora and Kid.
"Miss Toriel!" Flora said with a sigh of relief. "Oh, my gosh. Sorry. We were in the middle of a day-trip when everything—! Forget it, is everyone okay?"
"My sis said everything was a huge mess of time stuff?!" Kid asked, eyes wide. "Are Frisk and Az okay?! I didn't notice anything!"
Toriel's face softened. "Oh, dears." She bent down and gave the short monsters a hug. "Thank you for coming."
"So it's true?!" Kid demanded.
"I'm not lying, you goof," Flora chided. Her eyes widened as she saw deeper into the house. "O-OH! Hi, your Highness!"
"Howdy, little ones," Asgore said with a fond smile.
"Oh, Mister King!" Kid squeaked. "Wow, dang, things must've really…! Oh, hi, Sans."
"Hey," Sans said.
"Sans! Are you feeling better?" Flora demanded.
"Like nothin' happened," the skeleton said.
The lizard drooped with relief. "Good."
"Were you sick?" Kid asked, wide-eyed.
"He was dying!" Flora blurted.
"Wh—? Man, that sucks!"
"Yeah, not great," Sans agreed with an amused grin.
.
"Would you like to come in?" Toriel asked.
Flora shook her head. "I was going to go check on Opurl next." Her cheeks flushed. "And I probably need to explain to my parents why I just freaked out in the middle of a restaurant after that."
"Dude, just say time stuff, they'll get it, they know about Frisk a bit," Kid said.
"It was so much more than that, though," she insisted.
"Would it be cool if I stayed to said hi, then?" the boy asked.
"Of course, dear. Stay, if you'd like," Toriel said. She tilted her head back towards the stairs. "Frisk?"
.
The door to the large bedroom upstairs flew open. Frisk rushed out and booked it back to the ground floor.
"Aaah, Kid! I thought I heard you!" she yelped. She threw her arms around him and he slumped into her. "Oooohmigod, I feel like I haven't seen you in like a year!"
"Things went crazy, huh?" he asked.
She held him back by his shoulders. "Y-You don't remember it, do you?!" she squeaked.
He shook his head. "No, but Flora does."
Frisk let out a sharp gasp and whirled around to look at Flora. The older lizard grinned at her.
"Good to see you again," she said.
"Y-You, too!" Frisk said. "You…?"
Flora nodded. "Yeah, there's… You know. Void in the soul, that's how it goes, apparently."
"I'm so sorry," the kid said swiftly.
The lizard blinked. "Uh." She smiled sideways. "You don't have to, ah… Look, you guys go play or something, alright? We'll catch up later?"
"O-Okay," Frisk said.
.
Flora nodded politely at Toriel and said a quick goodbye before rushing off. With the door closed again, Frisk gave her friend another squeeze.
"Whatever it was, it was a lot, huh?" Kid asked.
"Ooooh, man, so much. So much!" Frisk said.
"And even the King's here!"
"I hope that's not too alarming," Asgore said.
"What?! No!" The little lizard's eyes bugged out. "B-But it was serious, huh?"
"Please do not fret about it, little one," Toriel said gently. "What danger there was is gone. Most will never even encounter a trace of it."
.
"Is that Kid?!" Papyrus stuck his head out of the room upstairs. "It is! Hellloooooo!"
"Papyrus!" Kid said brightly.
"Come on up here! We're going to watch a movie from another dimension soon! Starring yours truly, of course!"
"Yo, what?!"
"It's a lot," Frisk said with a sheepish smile. They headed back upstairs. "What'd your sister say?"
"She said the mountain blew up like three times!"
"Dang!"
"So what happened?!"
"I dunno, I was in another dimension!"
"YO! Tell me about THAT!"
Frisk laughed. "Just a sec!" She turned from halfway up to the second floor to scamper back down to give Sans a hug.
He almost wished she hadn't, if only because he didn't really want to let her go.
.
"Sorry," she said with a little laugh. "Just gotta, sometimes."
"Hm." He patted her on the head. "Hey, uh. Still got a couple things to sort out but, uh, I'll see you guys up there soon, alright?"
"Yeah?" Frisk's eyes gleamed.
It was funny, he thought. That red didn't take any time to get used to at all. He nodded. The kid grinned at him.
"Cool!" She scampered back up the stairs, waving at Toriel and Asgore as she went.
.
When Frisk and Kid disappeared into the room, Asgore let out a quiet chuckle.
"A little normalcy is just what they need, I think," he said.
"Hm." Sans nodded. He supposed that would mean they had a few additions into the time-travel-awareness club. It would be a little odd, having it not just be their family circle but people solid in time had proved to be very helpful over the last little while. He'd have to talk to Frisk about it.
"Oh, she missed you dearly," Toriel said, shooting him a knowing smile.
Sans knew. Kinda wished the kid hadn't— at least, not as much as she clearly did. He knew the whole thing had been enough to make him sick; it was hard to imagine how tough it must've been for someone so much younger than him. But, he conceded, caring about people was tough sometimes. Had to be. He rubbed the back of his skull.
"Guess so," he said.
.
"You do not have to help us clean," Asgore said swiftly. "Why not just go up and join them now?"
"I, uh… Got a couple things to check on, first," Sans said. "Won't be too long."
"You are feeling alright, now, aren't you?" Toriel asked. "Have your teleports been affecting you since then?"
"Nah. S'all good," he said. "Speakin' of. Be back soon."
She nodded. Sans vanished.
.
Asgore smiled to himself. As the food was cleared and the pillows moved aside into a stack, a cozy rhythm settled over him. He gingerly moved books and the magic weapons off and out of the way. Last of all, he easily shifted the table to the spot in front of the couch, and then turned to Toriel. She'd vanished into the kitchen. When he peeked in, he saw she'd cleaned up the dishes and was preparing more tea, though her eyes were glazed.
"Are you alright?" Asgore asked.
"Oh." She turned to face him. "Not… really, I'm afraid."
He nodded. "Is there anything I can do to help?"
"I don't think so." She sighed. "On one hand, having the children home and… and learning all that they did; seeing what they recovered, I am over the moon. On the other hand, hearing of all the fighting… What almost became of Frisk with those soldiers of the human king…" Her hand pressed against her chest. "I can't stop thinking about it."
"I know," Asgore said quietly. "I feel the same. They've been through so much the last few months, haven't they?"
"It doesn't seem fair," she said wistfully. "They're just children."
"Mhm." Leaning against the doorframe, Asgore let out a little sigh. "I think back to when I was that age. I was fairly timid, I think. Until you and I set out together."
"We were teenagers," Toriel said. "Frisk is barely eleven."
"But we got up to all kinds of trouble, didn't we? And Gaster— I think he was younger than them, wasn't he?"
"Times were harder back then," Toriel said quietly. "But… I take your point."
He shot her a knowing smile. The instinct to wrap those children in a protective shell and cozy them up and away from harm was strong in both of them.
.
"How about you, then?" Toriel asked.
"Oh. I'm sure I'll be hit like an avalanche by tonight," he said. "But, as of right now…" He couldn't help but grin. "I'm just so happy to see them again."
Toriel stared at him with tired eyes for a few seconds before cracking a small smile. "I see."
"And you?"
The woman blinked. "I told you—"
"You told me how you feel about the children," Asgore said. "But, how are you? How's your head?"
"Oh. That." She almost laughed and turned back to the kettle. She tested the temperature with her fingertips against the side and then gently poured the water into the open teapot beside her. "I feel as if my mind is still not fully used to all this," she said. "Does the shift feel natural to you?"
"Hm. Not completely, to be honest," he replied. "I… was able to spy through the… déjà vu, I guess I would call it? Here and there, in the past. It was rare that I remember so clearly as I did last time."
"Hm." Toriel frowned thoughtfully. "I guess it is… something to get used to."
.
Asgore nodded. He stayed where he was a while, words playing inside his head. As Toriel finished up,placing the pot and some fresh cups on a tray, Asgore cleared his throat. Toriel turned to him with her brows raised.
"Yes?"
He tapped his fingertips together. "Tori… Ah. I wanted to say: I was… late for a reason."
"Mhm?"
"I had this… strange thought," he continued. "About Mak. And what… What we saw. What I felt. I went looking for… Well, not records. Gaster and I, we kept things… vague, in public. But." He reached into his cloak and pulled out a simple, plainly bound book. "I went back through my diaries."
"…And you found something?" Toriel asked, her brows raising high.
Asgore nodded. As she came in closer to him, opened the book to a page he'd marked with a pressed flower, an entry from years back below several other dates that all read with the same, cheerful message. This was the only one that was different.
.
Nice day today! And, what a surprise! A human came to my home! And, an even greater surprise, it was that same boy Gaster saved all those years ago in Hotland, the one who vanished! According to him, he simply walked through the barrier to get to us! It must have been quite the hike! He looks quite a bit different, now, but he seems to have grown into a very lovely man. Such a sad and joyful circumstance, to see him again like this. We had tea and he told what he could of the outside before he grew too tired. He is very weak. We will see what Gaster can do!
.
Toriel's eyes moved quickly. Then, she looked at Asgore with surprise. He flipped the page.
.
A day of sorrow and gratitude. We let Makena rest in comfort through the night. He has given me his soul. I have no idea what I have done to deserve such a gift, but he would not take no for an answer.
.
"So… Somehow. It's real," Toriel said softly. "Whatever happened, the past— our past, was changed, for certain."
Asgore nodded. "I remember it both ways," he said, his voice taut. He gulped. "But, if my journal says this…" He shook his head. "There's a few more things I would like to look into." He looked up the stairs. "After checking on Gaster, that is. You would not mind, would you?"
"Take your time," she said.
His ears perked a little. "Thank you." He smiled sheepishly. "I'll just be a moment."
"Give him a hug from me," Toriel said.
Asgore nodded readily.
.
Stepping softly on huge paws, the King of Monsters crept up the stairs to the second room, where Gaster had gone. He leaned his ear against the door and listened. All seemed quiet within. After a few moments longer, he gave a gentle knock. Gaster answered affirmatively, so Asgore quietly slipped inside.
.
Gaster was standing stiffly in the centre of the room. His daughter's phone was balanced across the hole in his palm, very lightly cupped in curled fingers. His eye sockets burned with colour and streaks of tinted tears stained his white face. Asgore froze. That hollow look on his friend threw him back a thousand years, to the day they'd first met.
.
A moment, deep in the dark woods of Annwyn, off the beaten path. Asgore had been a teenager, then. Maybe fifteen or so. Whatever he'd set out to look for had been completely thrown from his mind. Instead, he'd found a little skeleton alone in between bushes, looking like he'd seen the end of the world. When the boy had taken a step towards him, the movement was so stiff it was as if a statue was cracking to life. Asgore hadn't been able to help himself; he'd rushed to that little skeleton and hugged him as if they were the closest of friends.
.
As Asgore stepped forward now, however, Gaster cracked the faintest of smiles. The huge monster hugged him tightly nonetheless.
"Oh…! Hah…" The skeleton wilted in his friend's massive arms. "I-I'm alright. Thank you."
"It's from Toriel, too," Asgore joked.
Gaster couldn't help but chuckle. He patted his old friend on the back.
.
When Asgore released him, the skeleton quickly brushed the tears from his eyes. He held the phone up. Though the video wasn't playing, the smiling face of Avenir was as clear and bright as if it had been recorded just an hour ago. Asgore breathed in sharply and turned his eyes right back on Gaster.
"That's amazing," he said. "How…? What…? Oh! I mean, of course, you don't have to tell me, but—?"
"It… was a message of hope," Gaster said quietly. "It's… so strange. She didn't know me yet. But, that didn't seem to matter to her at all. She was exactly as I remember her." He chuckled. "She seemed very taken with the whole situation. And the phone itself. The kids left a good impression."
Asgore grinned warmly and patted Gaster on the back. "Of course they did."
"There's something about knowing that the whole trip wasn't a nightmare— that my mother was, in a way, helping to protect them… It puts me at ease."
.
Asgore nodded. A thoughtful frown creased his brow. "And… What about the rest of it, if I might ask?"
"The others, you mean?" He closed up the video on the phone, but still held the device cradled carefully in both hands. "Those versions of me?"
"They weren't really you, though," Asgore said. "They were nothing like you."
Gaster's brows furrowed. The huge monster mimicked his expression.
"Gaster. They weren't."
"I… don't know that I agree," the skeleton said. "Single-minded. Obsessive. Desperate. I've been all of those things." He frowned to himself, his eyes darting to the floor. "I wasn't honest, before. The man that tried to kill my daughter most recently doesn't sound very different from me at all."
"What—? Gaster. Come now," Asgore said reassuringly. "You would never—"
"He was beyond desperation, trying to protect his children in the only way he knew how," Gaster said. "One different course of action? Two, maybe? And I would have been in the exact same position he was. Delaying my death would have delayed Frisk's creation, but would not have prevented the degradation of the timeline. Watching what happened to my boys— especially what Sans was going through, during that time— and I would have been the exact same."
.
Asgore was tempted to protest. He couldn't think of what to say other than more denials. Somehow, that felt hollow. He rubbed his friend's shoulder. "So, you're not alright, are you?"
"God no." Gaster grimaced and folded his arms tightly. "I have half a mind to toss myself into the black lake for a while."
Asgore cooed sympathetically. He softly bumped his snout against his friend's brow. "Now, that won't help anyone, will it?"
"Might cool the inside of my skull off, at least." The skeleton sighed and rubbed the back of his head. "It's a wonder they weren't both terrified of me."
"I think the kids can tell the difference between what happened and their own family," Asgore said gently.
"Of course. It's just…" Gaster chuckled. "Well. They did warn me, didn't they?" He took a deep breath and lightly smacked his cheekbones. "Get it together."
"It's not selfish to take a little walk, if you need one," Asgore suggested.
"I don't want to vanish on them."
"It will be fine. Just don't take a dip in the lake," the huge monster said with a smile. "I think that's good enough, don't you?"
"Hm." The skeleton smiled a little. "Maybe you're right."
"Of course I am! I'm a wise old King, you know!" Asgore could hardly keep a straight face. "Or, at least, I play one in public, hm?"
Gaster couldn't help but snicker. "I understand completely."
.
The huge, furry monster thumped his friend on the back. "Tori's making more tea, if you're interested."
Gaster looked down at the phone in his grasp. "I… think I'll watch this one more time, before I return it. Then, we'll see."
Asgore nodded. "I'll leave you to it, then. I will probably take a bit of a stroll myself, after this."
"Mhm. Take it easy."
.
Asgore gave Gaster one more hug before slipping back down the stairs. Toriel was waiting. She offered him a large, steamy mug of tea, which he gladly accepted.
"The children are alright up there," she said. "Kid seems to have lightened them right up."
"I'm glad," he said. He took a deep swig of tea and let out a little, pleased sigh. "Thank you. Gaster is… Well. He'll need some support, I think."
"Of course." She tapped on her forearm. "Did you notice, his arm…?"
Asgore nodded. "This whole time business seems a little fickle, hm? I wonder what determines it."
"…Perhaps it's that essence of determination I took," she mused. "Or the void itself." She shook her head.
"I was going to ask Frisk," Asgore said, winking so that only his red eye was showing. "but, suddenly, I'm really not so bothered by it." He finished the tea and returned the mug to the kitchen. "Thank you again." He headed towards the door. "I'll go check— well, it'll mostly be in the Archives, I suspect. The kids still wanted to show you and I something else, hm?"
"There is something about that that gives me a chill," Toriel said with a faint smile, crossing her arms against her chest. "But I can't place why."
"I feel the same," Asgore said. "I'll be back as soon as I can. I… I definitely need to check in with Undyne, as well."
.
Just as he had the doorknob is his grip, Toriel spoke again.
"Oh. Asgore. I had a thought," she said.
The big King's ears lifted slightly and he turned. "What do you need, dea—?" He caught himself, slamming his mouth shut.
Toriel's brows raised. "Since, as you mentioned, it has been such an arduous few months for our children," she said, "and since Gaster's experience has left him fairly drained… It might be nice if you would stay over at our place for a little while. If you wish to, that is."
"…Wh—?" He blinked like he'd been splashed in the face. "I—! I'd be happy to help, I—!"
"Oh, I do not need the help," she said with a laugh.
He stared at her like a slide puzzle was shifting behind his eyes. "Tori, are you sure?"
She nodded curtly. "Yes, of course, you silly oaf, or I would not have said it." She cracked a smile. "I think seeing a little more of you without having to make a trip of it would do all of them good."
"Wh…? I…!" A grin spread over his face, his big fangs gleaming bright. "I would love to."
"Good." She clapped her paws together solidly. "Alright, then, I will prepare a spot for you. Can I expect you back around dinner time? Or sooner?"
"Absolutely by dinner time," he assured her.
"Perfect." Her eyes traced over to the books in the piles beside the television. "Do not feel like you have to rush."
He nodded. With a little spark of warmth in his soul, tail wagging beneath his cloak, Asgore opened the door and headed out into the snow.
xXxXx
Sans's time machine hadn't been in its usual spot. His workroom was chilly and vacant. He was a little surprised. Finding the machine again wasn't exactly a bother, though. Shifting freely through space was as easy as wishing to. He'd kind of missed it.
.
Sure enough, the machine was sitting in the garage, just where it had been left when the world was collapsing. Along with that, a familiar heap of white was snoring on the floor. Sans scooped him up to check on him, but when the dog stubbornly refused to be anything more than a snoozing lump, the skeleton draped him over his shoulder and continued on to the pod.
.
Inside, things seemed to be as he'd left them. The pile of sweatshirts didn't look to have changed at all since he left it, nor had anything else he'd stashed away to protect. As he sat down and sorted through the stuff, the silence started to settle on him. The dog shifted and plunked himself into Sans's hood to sit. Little paws rested on the skeleton's head and a warm breath of air puffed out with a high-pitched sigh accompany it. Sans smiled.
"Hey. Good nap?" he said.
The dog sneezed quietly.
"Hm. Kinda jealous." Sans carefully folded up Papyrus's green and gold scarf. The relief that came along with it made him pause for a moment. He ran his fingers across the fabric that still carried sunny warmth through a weave unlike anything he'd ever felt before. "So, uh. You happen to remember takin' a trip in this thing?"
The dog squeaked out a quiet affirmation. For some reason, Sans was not surprised at all.
"Welp. Then. I owe ya one," he said.
With a wave of his paw, the little pooch let out a bashful huff.
"Dunno, bud, maybe a bit of canis ex machina was exactly what I needed," Sans said with a wink.
The dog giggled. He settled comfortably back in the skeleton's hood.
.
When Sans finished up with the stuff on the side of the seat, he leaned forward to check the capsules in the console. He caught sight of the scar on the side of his hand again and was given pause. He sat back a little and hooked his thumb onto the collar of his t-shirt and pulled it forward to peek down at his ribcage. The pale scar, just a bit off-white, lingered in that broad, diagonal stroke of a blade. He ran his hand across his front and let out a shallow sigh.
.
His thoughts tumbled back to Chara. That odd, grinning face, the cold eyes— the unsure girl in the mirror; the one who had rushed to his sister when she'd collapsed.
.
He tried to settle with how he felt, attempting to parse it. It was with a little strike of shock that he realized that he didn't feel much at all. Maybe when his and Frisk's dreams joined up again, he would feel differently, but not even the mark on his chest and the phantom sting that came with it caused him much grief or distress. He recalled Frisk as that girl had grabbed her, and the complete lack of fear on his sister's face. One could even have described the expression as relief.
.
The name Pidge had replaced Chara in the story the kids had told. Of course, they'd left something out, but he knew Frisk: she wasn't fabricating the adventures she'd described with this new human friend. The three of them had been through a lot, and they'd clearly grown quite close. And, Asriel… Sans flinched. That poor kid, still learning to cope, then thrown right back into the deep end.
.
Sans had read a lot about the human concept of an angry ghost, as they were colloquially called. The technical term that was most commonly used was striga, which, oddly, was the name for a type of bat-like ghost monster as well. None of what Frisk or Asriel described would have been possible if the nature of Chara hadn't changed, though. Whatever had happened, she must have been different than the pattern she'd been trapped in. Either that or his sister had managed to defeat the inherent nature of a human striga to befriend her. Sans smiled to himself. If anyone could do it, it would have been Frisk.
.
The skeleton leaned forward again. He wasn't sure exactly what he'd expected to be left in the console, but the cube remaining still surprised him a little. He pocketed it. The red artefact hadn't moved at all either. When he plucked it up, the dog sitting behind his head shifted and leaned around him, sniffing insistently.
"What, this?" Sans said, holding it up. "I was gonna give it back to my brother. Unless, uh…" He turned to catch the dog from the corner of his eye. "You had other plans for it?"
The dog frowned thoughtfully, tilting his head from side to side as if some confusing sound was emanating from somewhere. Then, he nodded curtly and leapt from Sans's hood and plucked the orb up in his mouth and summersaulted away until he ended up in front of the door. Tail wagging, he swallowed the thing. Sans waved and the dog replied in kind and slipped out the door that opened on its own for him.
.
Sans let out a little laugh. He slumped back in his seat as he stashed the cube away in his pocket. He felt paper brush his fingertips and his soul did a little stutter. He paused. Frisk's words echoed in his head and a chill rushed through him. A letter from another world; from another skeleton with his name. He cracked a wry smile at his own expense. He was already wearing the jacket, but for some reason, the words seemed a bit different. He sucked it up, pulled out the paper, and quickly unfolded it to reveal the writing of a messy hand forced through a concerted effort to make it legible.
.
hey.
.
Sans laughed out loud. If he had been in that position, he would have started the letter the exact same way.
.
so I know this has to be weird for you. It's weird on my end, too, but what ya gonna do, you know? another guy with your name and soul and almost the same face, it's kinda crazy, huh? but here we are.
.
first, thanks for takin care of my brother in that dream. honestly, really appreciate it.
.
I told Frisk this would be coat instructions, pretty sure she won't read it in that case. I know what I'd say if I heard that though, that I'm a bonehead but I can figure out how to put a coat on.
.
Sans snorted. If he met this guy, it seemed as if they'd just end up finishing each other's bad jokes. Something about that was also pretty funny to him.
.
I don't know how much the kids'll tell you. hopefully all of it. I'm not writin to violate their privacy, but I wanted you to know, I guess cause I'd wanna know, that they were with me and my bro and my sis almost the whole time they were gone. we loved em. Papyrus was havin the time of his life. tried to treat em as if they were home, you know? and they were brave. Frisk was a bit of a wreck at first but I think she really made the best of everything. that kid Az, though, whew, he played a tough guy as much as he could. has to sometimes, I guess. they both missed you a lot. they'll try to play it off, because they feel guilty as hell for the whole thing. i know you'll go easy on em, but I feel like I gotta say it anyway.
.
the way they talked about you, I'm about ninety five percent sure that they'll have told you about Chara. If not, oops, ask them. this next part is creepy, sorry. ask about Chara first if you didn't know, just warnin you. here it is.
.
I know what happened to you. I know what she did. I saw all of it through her memories. wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. cold comfort, I guess, but I felt like you should know she's done with that now. curse is broken, or whatever it was. not sure if that'll make you feel better or not, but there it is.
.
she talks about you sometimes. especially on a bad night. hurtin her parents is one of her biggest regrets. draggin you through that golden hallway is another. might be a stupid thing to say but, if we're as alike as your sis seemed to think, then I think I might know how you feel about grudges. If not, I get it, worth a shot.
.
anyway, there is actually some coat instructions, surprise. mallet space with each pocket, the kids can explain it. It's also enchanted. I know you're usually runnin pretty low on the energy front, so its charged up with extra +def and +stab, and regen-patches stitched in the shoulders that'll activate if you take a hit. good for 2 uses before recharge. might save your ass, who knows? you can mod it more if you want. wear it if you're goin out somewhere stupid, huh?
.
that's it. see ya
.
sans
.
Sans read the note over twice. It was almost as if he'd written it himself and just forgotten about it.
.
He folded it up again and put it away, and just sat for a while.
.
When he got up again, he dragged all the time remnants out of his machine. He gave the thing a solid pat and closed the capsule.
.
Sans shifted back into the house. Toriel had her snout buried in a book— if she noticed his presence, she didn't show it. He left the pile on the table. He considered staying for an instant, but there was something more he had to do before letting himself collapse.
.
He chucked himself to Waterfall and landed in front of Undyne's house. The door was closed, but the lights were on. He knocked and heard her shout from somewhere. The way opened for him and he stepped inside to controlled chaos. Boxes of tea were all over the counter and spears were scattered across the kitchen table. The piano bench was laden with books.
"Goin' somewhere?" Sans asked.
"Oh! Hey!" Undyne poked her head out of her room. Her hair was down and she was mid-way through brushing it. "Nah, nah. Alphys is gonna stay over. Just gotta move some crap." She dragged the comb through a few more times before chucking it aside. "So, whatcha need?"
.
"How's the head?" Sans asked.
"Eh." Undyne lay her hand flat and waved it from side to side. "Just glad that it's back to normal." She grinned and drew her thumb across her forehead. "Might try out that anime hairstyle sometime, though."
"Heh. Any luck on Suzy?"
"Not yet," she said as she stepped out into the main area. "But I got some guys lookin'. Hopefully we'll get a location tonight. Want me to text you?"
"That'd be good," he said. "So, uh…" He tapped on his own soul spot. "Feelin' okay?"
"I took a void nap, right?" she said. "Didn't even notice, I feel great." Her ears perked up. "How 'bout you?! How'd it work?! Tell me all about it!"
"I, uh… Welp." Sans scratched his cheek. "I woke up the same day, doin' spears."
"Hah! Nice," she said.
"And, uh, ice."
"ICE?! I can't do ice, that's friggin' cool." Her eye glittered. "You sure you got that from me?"
"It was from the boost, for sure," he said. "Oh. And I lifted some boulders."
"You DID?!" She beamed. "How high?"
"Uh. Over the head?"
"Aaah, that's great! Did you throw 'em?"
"Yeah. Uh." Sans rubbed the back of his skull. "Thanks, huh?"
"Just glad I could help," she said. "I was kinda a wreck at that point. It was definitely for the best."
"Sorry all that crap happened," he said.
"Pfff, what did I say? The lake ain't that far," she teased. She quickly shook her head. "Look. We did what we had to, hm? Both of us. And it all worked out. It was worth it." She put a hand against her chest. "I'd do it the same way a million times."
.
Sans couldn't help his grin widening but there was a tired look in his eye. Undyne cocked her head to the side.
"What?" she asked.
"S'just… Ah." Sans chuckled dryly. "We did it again, huh? Same as always."
"Did what?" she wondered.
"You go out early and end up savin' everyone," he said. "And I'm just scrapin' by."
"Oh. That. Hah…" She smiled bashfully. "Dunno 'bout that, but—"
"If things were fair, it'd be the other way around."
"Eh, shuddup," she said with a dismissive wave of her hand. "You did good. I know you did." She poked him in the chest. "Now if only you'dda put that much effort into the sentry gig, huh?!"
Sans couldn't help but laugh. He shrugged. "Eh. Found what I needed to."
"You say that every time."
"S'true."
.
Undyne scoffed. She put her fists on her hips and frowned thoughtfully. "Hm."
"Hm," Sans repeated.
"Do you, uh, know if it's still there?"
Sans shrugged again. "No clue."
"Then…" Undyne grabbed two chairs from the table and sat down in one, gesturing to the other.
The skeleton plunked himself down. His soul brightened, as did hers. She stuck her hand in the light of her own and closed her eye to focus. Sans tried to as well. In the quiet, deep in his soul, he felt… something. Maybe a little flow. He wasn't sure.
.
"Hmm…" Undyne grumbled. "I… don't think there's anything? But I'm not sure what I'm supposed to be feeling for."
"Yeah. I, uh, can't tell either," Sans said.
The blue monster frowned and gritted her teeth. "I'm tryin' to send you somethin', you gettin' it?"
"Uhhhh… Nope. Nothin'," he said.
"You don't feel stronger?"
"Nope."
"Damn." She sat back in her chair and chuckled, rubbing her head. "I dunno why; I sorta wanted it to work."
"What?" Sans asked with a laugh. "Why the hell would y'want that?"
"I don't know!" She smacked her fist onto the table and frowned at nothing for a second. "Maybe if somethin' crappy happened again, I could just chuck you some HP, that wouldn't be so bad."
"You don't gotta be responsible for me like that," he said.
"Dude. I'm the Captain of the Guard. I'm your boss. And I'm like, your… I dunno, but we're family now," she said. "Of course I'm responsible like that."
.
Sans blinked. She stared at him with a very serious frown. He couldn't help but burst out laughing.
"What?!" she demanded.
"Nothin', nothin'," he said.
"Why the hell are you laughing, then?!" she demanded.
The skeleton merely laughed harder. Undyne gave him a gentle whack on the shoulder and he wiped a tear of mirth from his eye.
"Damn," he said.
"What?!" she insisted.
He wasn't sure. Maybe it was how much she reminded him of Asgore in that moment. Maybe it was how intrinsically, tragically prone to self-sacrifice she was. He shook his head.
"Nothin'. It's fine. Just, can't imagine wantin' to be stuck to me, that's all."
"Pfff, it'd be fine," she said as she got to her feet again. "It doesn't have to just be super-marriage for couples, y'know! When Tori was walkin' me through it, she said that best friends and siblings can soul-link, too."
"That's not— I mean. Yeah. But, you know me, I'm made weird. There was a high chance it didn't undo itself."
"So what? I was ready. I signed up for it." She jabbed her thumb at her chest. "Whole thing was my idea!"
"I know." He tapped his fingertips together. "Heh. Thanks."
"Eh. I owe you," she said.
Sans shook his head. "Never did."
Undyne rolled her eye. "Absolutely did."
"Even if that were true, y'paid it back like a million times already," he said.
"Toooooo bad, punk! I do what I want!" she asserted.
.
Sans couldn't help but start snickering again. Undyne's frown fell and she joined him with a hearty laugh. She rubbed her face.
"Aah, I lied a bit before," she admitted as she took a deep breath. "I'm exhausted."
"Same," he said.
"All that stuff the kids said? Holy shit."
"Yup."
"I just kinda wanna grab 'em and squish 'em, but I know you guys gotta do that first," she said. "And I wanna grab Alphys, too, and ugh."
"Tomorrow, squish 'em all you want," he said. "…But, also, I was thinkin'—"
"Grab Suzy," she said.
"That, too," he said. "But. What about, real soon, grab Ellie?"
"El—?! OH!" Her eye brightened. "Yeah! Oh! We know all that crap now, yeah?!"
"Yup."
"Because she's back where she was and—! Oh, that's a good idea." She nodded. "Road trip."
"Mhm."
"Okay." She grinned. "That'll be a blast. And—"
.
There was a light knock on the door. Undyne's ears perked.
"Ah! Probably Alphys," she said.
Sans wasn't so sure. Either way, he smacked his palms onto his knees and got to his feet. "I'll get outta your hair."
"You don't have t—"
"Don't sweat it," he said. "Catch up later?"
She stuck her thumb up. He vanished.
.
Undyne let out a little scoff and shook her head. She headed for the door just as there was another knock. This time, she noted that it was too high off the ground to be Alphys.
"Hey, c'mon in," she said loudly as she thumped her fist into the wall.
The maw that was her door opened to reveal Asgore there, smiling bashfully. He looked even more formal than he had before, armour and all.
"Sorry, I hope I'm not interrupting," he said.
"Nah, not at all," Undyne said, beckoning him inside. "What's up? Got an event or somethin'?"
The door shifted a bit to accommodate him, though he ducked anyway.
"You could say that." He looked around. "Ooh. Cleaning up?"
"Makin' room for some of Alph's junk," she said with a grin.
"Ah! Lovely! After everything that's happened recently, some time closer to loved ones is a wonderful idea, I think." The fur of his cheeks pinked a little. "In, um, a similar vein, Toriel actually… invited me to stay in Snowdin, for a little while."
"WHAT?!" Undyne barked. "She feelin' sick or something?"
"I wouldn't dare question it," he said with a laugh.
"I mean, that's great, though." She smiled. "…I think Az'll really like that." She turned back to the kitchen. "Anyway! Want some tea?"
"Normally I wouldn't hesitate," Asgore said, "but I… actually came here to speak with you. About something important."
.
Undyne's ears perked up and she spun right around again. "Okay. Sure. What's up?"
"While the world was so full of chaos, I did a lot of thinking," he said. "You worked so hard. Unfathomably hard. And I'm so proud of you."
"Oh. Uh." She grinned, her scales flushing. "Thanks? I mean, I'm just doin' my job!"
"I know it isn't just a job for you," he said. "You're the youngest Captain we've ever had, and you've surpassed everyone's expectations. The way you care for all the monsters under your protection. You're amazing."
"Man, you just come here to boost my ego or what?" she teased.
Asgore chuckled warmly. An apologetic bend came to his brow. "There is… something else."
"What's up?" she asked.
.
The great monster hesitated. He tented his fingers and tapped the claws together. Undyne tilted her head.
"Uh? Asgore?"
"Undyne, I…" He held her shoulders tight and sighed. "I should have said this a long time ago. Forgive me."
"Dude, what?" Undyne frowned. "You got me worried, here!"
"Oh! I apologize! It's nothing bad. I hope." He smiled sheepishly. "My girl, you are so bold and brave. You've risked yourself to protect us. You've sacrificed yourself more times than you can remember. You are more than worthy of being my heir. But…"
"But…" Her brow furrowed. "…Asriel's back?"
.
The King looked confused for a moment. His eyes got big. "Oh! No, no no no, that's not… No. What I wanted to say is— or more, what I wanted to offer, is, if you want, you could… And don't feel bad saying no! But, if you like, you could… take the Dreemurr name."
"…What? WHAT?!" Undyne gawked. "Me?! A Dreemurr?"
"Well, yes, you've been one for years." He smiled fondly. "I would be honoured."
"I…! Well! Damn!" Undyne's eye was huge and gleaming. "I didn't expect—! I mean… Yeah, okay!" She grinned her big, pointy teeth. "Undyne Dreemurr! Sounds kinda cool!"
.
Asgore beamed and pulled her into a tight embrace. She held the big monster in a crushing hug, too, lifting him up off his feet. He guffawed loudly. When his paws hit the ground again, he held Undyne's face gently in his hands. His smile was soft and warm, and his eyes glistened with pride. He leaned in and planted a gentle kiss on her forehead.
"Princess Undyne Dreemurr," he said.
"Yo… You're totally sure?" she asked.
"Totally and completely," he said. "All that has happened got me thinking, and… And I know, we've been family ever since you allowed me to be. I began to feel as if… Well. As if there is nothing more important than telling the people you care for that you care for them, in the moment. I had thought of, perhaps, holding off until a birthday surprise, but…" He shook his head. "A-After I felt like… we could have lost you, I didn't want to wait another day."
.
Undyne gawked. She cracked a crooked smile. "There was no way you were gonna lose me."
"If Sans did not succeed, who knows how long you would have been in that bubble?" Asgore insisted.
"I, uh…" Her face scrunched up. "Damn. Guess you're right. But, still, I wouldda been okay!"
The huge monster smiled fondly. He pulled her in for another hug and held her for a little while. She knew his eyes were watering, so she stayed right where she was until he pulled back. His cheeks were wet, but he beamed.
"C'mon, you gotta stay for tea now," she said, nudging him with her elbow.
"I…" He had to clear his throat.
.
As she stepped to the kettle, a proud glow still about her, Asgore caught himself in a reminiscence again. He recalled the first time she had tried to make tea for him as a child. Beaming, the steaming cup overfilled and spilling onto her fingers; leaves floating on top of it. Nonetheless, she was gleefully proud. So had he been, and he gladly sipped the whole cup.
.
The old King's mismatched eyes glittered. "I would like that."
xXxXx
Sans still hadn't had any luck tracking Suzy down, but in a few quick stops around New Home, he found Scathkath and Kio fairly quickly. They were overjoyed to see him and dragged him into their house for tea and cookies. They'd been trying to get in contact with Gaster or the lab all day, they explained, but had had no luck. Scathkath had been on his way out the door to head to Hotland himself, in fact, when Sans got there. The skeleton could only guess that Alphys had been in and out all day, if the official lab's phone was even still plugged in. Gaster, he couldn't explain, but it could easily have been that the old skeleton just hadn't thought to check in all the chaos.
.
They exchanged numbers and promised to be in contact again, soon. Both of the ex-lab scientists were eager to meet the two kids whose absence turned the world on its head.
.
After that, Sans stopped in at Grillby's before heading home. Felt like he hadn't been there in a hundred years. A burger made by his old friend almost had him getting emotional.
.
As he munched, he couldn't help but ask about Flambé. Grillby proudly showed him a photo of a teeny tiny fire elemental about the size of the head of a match, cradled in his palm. He was also glad to prepare the milkshakes that Sans ordered. Always was. He liked that he'd found a way for the heat of his hands to work well with ice cream, and he liked how much the kids liked them.
.
Upon entering the house, Sans found it pretty quiet, but he could hear the faint hum of voices upstairs. He shifted into the corner of Papyrus's room and found that the place, dark and lit by the glow of a computer screen, was packed. Papyrus's film from a timeline they hadn't even visited was playing. The TV downstairs probably would have been better, but it seemed like the kids might not have intended to have such a large group.
.
The two beds had been shifted around to act like seats, and were packed full. Toriel, eyes glazed, sat with Frisk cozied up under her arm while, on the other, Kid and Asriel lay around with that white, snoring dog that nobody seemed to question. Papyrus was near the screen, just at the end of a demonstration of how he could make the bow and arrow like in the movie. The kids were very impressed.
.
As Sans's eyes skimmed the dark, he noticed Gaster was there as well. He was seated in Papyrus's desk chair, back to the wall behind the others, arms folded and head down. The old guy looked like he needed a good snooze.
.
Sans stepped forward quietly. Papyrus caught him and began to grin. His greeting cut through the film, and, much to Sans's surprise, everyone else welcomed him excitedly. He wasn't sure what he'd done to deserve that. He hadn't even been gone that long. Passing out the milkshakes only endeared him more.
.
It was sort of a strange feeling. It put a little pit in Sans's soul. He wasn't sure why. He flopped down on the floor and tried not to fall asleep.
.
When the movie ended, everyone left but him, talking about Papyrus's ever-growing cinematic career. Things went quiet. Sans took a while longer to force himself upright. He sat against the side of the car bed to support his back. He rubbed his face. Just a little more, he told himself.
.
He dragged over some sheets of paper in his blue magic and started making a list of next steps. From the time that was erased, there were several things he had to check up on, and he wanted to make sure he didn't miss anything.
.
Some time later, just as the silence started to get to him again, the door creaked open. Frisk slid back into the room with a bashful smile on her face.
"Hiiiiii," she said. "You still busy?"
"Eh. Little bit," he said.
"Oh!" She was about to sneak back out, but he shot her a tired grin.
"Not that busy," he said. "Sup?"
.
Frisk grinned. "Mom said she was gonna grab something for dinner. Papyrus is doing pasta, too. And Asriel's showing off some magic stuff. I… I guess I just want to, like…" She rubbed her head. "I mean. I kinda had a minute a-and I—"
"Just come over here, y'dork," he teased.
The kid lit right up and she bounced across the room to sit close beside him. "You workin'?" she asked.
"Eh." He shrugged. "Keepin' track of some time junk." He raised a brow. "You, uh… didn't read that stuff yet, didja?"
"Nnnnno, I haven't had time yet. Why?" she said.
"Maybe best y'don't." It was a bit pathetic, he thought.
"Well now I extra wanna read it." She stole his hand and held it tight. "It was freaky, huh?"
"Some of it, yeah," he said.
"Ugh, I'm sorry," she said.
"Knock it off," he teased. It wasn't her fault, anyway. "We handled it."
"But still."
"But still nothin'."
"Buhhh…"
.
Sans couldn't help a snicker as his little sister pouted. She rolled her eyes dramatically at him.
"It's fine," he said. "Buncha the notes are technical specs, anyway. In case I, y'know, bit the dust at any point."
"Ugh, I can't believe you were on a dust timer," she grumbled.
"Who said that?" he asked.
"Papyrus said it was countdown-y," she said.
"Ah."
"It really was, huh?" Her red eyes were big and worried.
Sans snorted. He patted her on the head. "Don't sweat it, kid. No point."
Frisk sighed dramatically. She crossed her arms against her chest and leaned against his side. "Maaaaan."
"I know."
.
Frisk sat there, mulling things over for a little while. Sans found himself feeling pretty glad she'd showed up. It felt kind of like things were back to normal.
"So, um," she said after a little while. "Whatcha doin'?"
"Told ya—"
"Yeah, but like… why?" Her eyes glimmered a little. "Is there stuff to do? Timey stuff? Can I help?"
Sans grinned. Typical of her. It was nice to hear again. "Welp. Guess we do have a couple things to redo."
"Ooh?" Frisk snuck in close to look at his notes. "What, what?"
"Mostly gettin' Boyd— uh… That bald guy? Gettin' him his kid back," he said. "And I guess I should see how June's doin'."
"Ooh, that's those humans, right? You guys're friends now?" Frisk asked curiously.
Sans chuckled. "Kinda. They probably won't remember much, but this bit's important."
"Yeah, but— Wait, you found his kid?!" she squeaked. "Yo, did you have to do a big adventure, too?"
"Small one," he said. He added to his notes. "Oh. Reminds me, I gotta send a translation of that big magic book to the university guy."
"Road trip?" Frisk asked excitedly. "Really soon road trip?"
Sans scoffed. "You just got back."
She hugged onto his arm and looked at him with big eyes. He snickered and patted her head.
"That ain't fair, you know I'm gonna do basically whatever you want at this point."
.
Frisk grinned bright. She threw her arms around his shoulders and slumped there comfortably. He snorted a laugh and patted her back.
"Can't work with you there, y'know."
She grinned. "You're welcome."
He couldn't help a snort of laughter. "Kiddo—"
"Hugs first."
The skeleton had no complaints about that. He leaned back against the side of the bed and held her snug. Their souls sparked. She sighed and slumped on his shoulder. Suddenly, she seemed quite small and tired.
"Thanks for putting up with me," she said quietly.
"Hey. That's what big brothers are for," he said. "Plus, uh… I'll take what I can get before you grow up and get sick of me, huh?"
"What?! Never!" she said shrilly.
"It's okay, it's normal," he said. "I'll still be here. Embarrassin' you as usual."
She pulled back and grabbed his face in both hands. "I will never ever ever get sick of you. Not in a billion years!"
He winked. "You say that now…"
"And I'll say it when I grow up, too," she said.
He snickered. He pulled her in and bumped his brow on hers. "Ah, you're a good kid."
"Love you!" she said with a grin.
.
The skeleton's expression softened. "Gonna embarrass m'self again in a second."
"S'okay," she said. She squished into him, tucking herself in under his chin. "Needed this."
Their souls connected and washed over purple. The ache from his side was intense. He breathed out a sigh, his shoulders sinking, and chuckled hoarsely.
"Same, though."
"…S'gonna hurt for a while, huh?"
"Oh. Absolutely."
"I'm sorry."
"Nah." He brushed his fingers across the back of her head. "It's good."
.
Frisk huffed quietly. Her fingers dug into the back of his shirt. "Ugh," she mumbled. "I missed you. Like, I… I know we did this already, but I really, really missed you."
He caught his thoughts again shooting to how he wished that she hadn't. The whole thing was such a wreck. He rubbed her back. "You're alright," he said quietly.
"I knnnoooow." She huffed. "…D'you mind if I stay for a bit?"
"Why would I mind?" His smile quirked to the side. "But wouldn't ya rather be with your friends?"
"You're my friend," she muttered, pouting.
He snorted out a quiet laugh. "You know what I mean."
"But you're my brooooother and I loooooove you," she whined.
"Alright, alright," he said.
.
Frisk relaxed, slumped in a heap, and Sans went back to organizing his thoughts; planning the steps to get that little human kid back to her dad. Still had to find Suzy, too. Had to deal with that four-eyed dog. Even if many things had never happened, he'd do his best to make them matter, where he could.
.
He wondered about Papyrus's movie. Maybe they could just send it to Mettaton to put it out regardless of it never having been made. He still had the little thumb drive full of stolen human films, too, now that he thought about it.
.
"Sans?" Frisk's groggy voice broke through the quiet.
"Yeah."
"We gotta tell mom and Asgore about Chara tonight," she said quietly. "When he gets back."
"So soon?" he asked.
"I can't hold onto it, I'm gonna go nuts," she said. "I-I'm really nervous, but they gotta know. Dad, too, soon." She flinched. "I hope they can tell him. Or… Or I can show him. I dunno. Or… Or should we bring him in, too?"
"Ask Az. But, uh, stick to the tellin', unless you want every emotion you were feelin' to come with it."
She sighed. "You're right." She laughed quietly. "When I found out, I felt like I might puke, there was so much… everything. You know?"
"Got overwhelmed," he said.
She nodded.
.
Sans drummed his fingers on the floor. "Could you, uh… tell me somethin'?"
"Yeah, anything," she said.
"How, uh…? How would you describe her?"
Frisk pulled back a bit. She blinked and frowned thoughtfully. "Well…"
"You can be honest," he said. "I won't be weird 'bout it."
"Well." A little, warm sparkle came to Frisk's eyes. "Actually. She was… really brave. And really smart. She sort of reminded me of mom, a little bit. She was kinda tough and a bit serious, sometimes, but we had a lot of fun, too. She taught me how to do, um, sparring?"
"Sparring?" he repeated. "Like, what, with a sword?"
"Yeah! Yeah, she was really good with this, like, ghost sword, I guess?" Frisk smiled. "I got an umbrella from her. But it's like, a secret shield. It's really cool. She was just… cool. I dunno. I felt like, if stuff went wrong, she could totally handle it. And it was super nice to see her and Az together again." Her expression turned bashful and her cheeks flushed. "I… felt weird, at first. Knowing… everything. But. But she… she said, if Asriel hadn't shown up, she was just going to… let me think I met a nice kid called Pidge, you know? She didn't want me to feel scared of her. She… wanted me to be alright." She folded her arms tight to her chest. "She felt so guilty. For… everything. Even for what was happening here while we were gone. She said it was all her fault."
"She… ain't exactly wrong," Sans admitted.
"I… I know. I do. But…" Frisk shook her head. "Remember when she was in my head, and I could hear… stuff, sometimes? It was like… Like that little kinda helpful Chara, it's like that's all there was and… and I couldn't be scared anymore."
"When'd she spill the beans?"
"After I brought Az back."
.
Sans nodded thoughtfully. He cocked his head to the side. "You… kinda love 'er, huh?"
Frisk's eyes darted to the floor and she sheepishly tented her fingers. She nodded. "Y-Yeah, I… I know it's crazy, but we ended up like… Like family. I'm sorry."
Sans's eyes grew wide. The surprise in his soul was palpable. "Sorry?"
"…She hurt you so bad," she said quietly. "And she hurt everyone. But it's… It's not that it doesn't matter, but she's… really her now, and not… Oh man, I dunno—"
"Kiddo." Sans stopped her with a firm hand on her shoulder. "Relax. It's… Y'know. It's probably good."
"Huh?!" Frisk perked right up, eyes bright. "Y-You think so?"
"Sure," he said. "Angry ghost needed someone like you. Needed you in this world; probably needed you over there, too."
"S-So you're not upset?" she asked shrilly.
"Pffff. Nah."
Frisk leaned forward to stare him in the face, putting a hand lightly against his chest. "Seriously?"
He barked out a laugh and squished her cheeks. "What am I gonna do with you, huh?"
"Huh?!"
"What?"
"You're just… okay?" Frisk blinked. "Are you sure?"
"Anything to do with that kid was always gonna be complicated," Sans said. "But, y'know, I think I prefer this. Might actually help your nightmares, hm?"
The kid stared back at him. She put a hand against her chest and let out a long, deep breath, her shoulders sagging. "Oooohmigod I felt so guilty."
Sans laughed. He gently tapped her on the hand that was covering her soul spot. "Just means this's workin'."
"Yeah, but still!"
.
Toriel's voice bounced up the stairs, announcing that it was dinner time. Frisk looked up at her brother with a concerned frown. He patted her on the head.
"Go on," he said. "I'll catch up."
"Kay," she said. She got to her feet and paused to give him a skeptical look. "You sure?"
He nodded. Frisk sighed. She ducked down again to gently bonk her brow against his.
"Love you so much," she mumbled before she scampered away.
.
As she closed the door, Sans slumped. He put a hand against his chest. Just as he thought. His tired grin widened a little as his fingers traced the line that ran beneath his shirt again. Somehow, there was a little finality in it. A sign-off, maybe. Or, maybe that was just nonsense.
.
Sans got to his feet and stretched, popping his back. He grabbed his notes, stuffed them in his pocket, and lethargically strolled downstairs to join the others.
.
Dinner was a few things picked up from town, as well as Papyrus's perfect spaghetti, with cheese for the special occasion. Frisk was already stuck in, watery-eyed as she shovelled fork-fulls of pasta into her mouth.
.
Asgore had returned, just as he'd said. There was a little more lightness about him now, though, even though he was dressed extra regal. He'd also brought a small suitcase with him. Hopefully it fit more than one sweater inside.
.
After dinner, Kid said a cheerful goodbye and headed home. While Asgore and Gaster cleared up, Frisk grabbed onto Asriel and pulled him aside to the stairs.
"Do it now?" she asked at a whisper.
Asriel glanced back over the room. Toriel looked exhausted. Gaster did, too. Sans was already slumped on the couch and Papyrus was putting the table back to normal. His ears pinned back a little and he lowered his voice as much as he could.
"TV for the video, yeah? Do we…? Ugh, I dunno."
"I think so," she said. "Who'd wanna see that on a little phone screen?"
"Right, true." The boy rubbed his head and sighed. "I… Shit. I dunno. I'm gonna hype them up like really really bad right at the start."
"What, why?" Frisk said.
"Because I want them to be mentally in a spot to get completely wrecked," he said, wide-eyed. "I don't know what else to do, it's gonna hurt really bad."
"A-And what about… my dad, should…? I mean, should he leave, should everyone but mom and Asgore leave, what—?"
"I… Uh… Shit." Asriel massaged his brows and gritted his teeth. "I… I think G can… I don't think she'd mind. But then…" He shook his head. "Maybe letting mom have an emotional-support-Papyrus would be a good idea?"
"Man, I'm gonna need an emotional-support-Papyrus," Frisk muttered.
"Same."
"You can all have an emotional-support-Papyrus!" Papyrus cut in, ducking down to put his arms around both of their shoulders.
Frisk blew out a sigh of relief and grabbed the skeleton into a hug. He let out a little nyeh.
.
"I don't know what's going on, but can I help?" Papyrus asked.
"We're about to totally ruin everyone's night," Asriel said. "Or, uh… make everyone's night. Maybe both."
"Paps, um… So. The thing is…" She leaned in close to his head and whispered as quiet as she could, "Az's sister Chara's alive."
"Ooookay," the skeleton said. His brows shot right up. "O-KAY?!"
"Is something wrong, dear?" Toriel asked.
"NO!" he blurted. He ducked down again . "How and why and how?! And…! Oh my god." He yanked Asriel into his arms. "You are a brave and strong little fluffy guy, aren't you?"
"I-I'm tryin'," Asriel croaked. He caught Sans giving him an amused, if not sympathetic look from across the room. "We're telling them." He looked at Frisk. "Nnnnow?"
She nodded.
"What, right now?!" Papyrus blurted.
Asriel looked back at everyone else again. They were just finishing tidying up. He took a deep breath.
"Yeah. You guys take care of mom, okay?" He raised his voice and clapped his hands together, striding into the centre of the room. "Guys. Can you come here?"
.
"What is it, son?" Asgore said, poking his head out of the kitchen. There were soapy suds in his beard.
"Okay, uhhh. So this is the thing we mentioned," he said. "But I… I decided, all you guys can stay for this part." He waved them towards the couch.
"I feel a sort of ominous air over here," Gaster commented, half in jest.
"Yeah, that's accurate," Asriel said.
.
Sans shifted himself over to sit on the stairs near Frisk, making room on the couch for the two huge, goat-like monsters to park themselves. Papyrus took a seat on the arm beside Toriel, and Gaster, a little awkwardly, propped himself up against the table.
"Can everyone see? Uh." Asriel took a deep breath. "Course you can. Um. So. This thing we got… I… Uh…" He rubbed his face. "I dunno how to say it."
"Goodness, is it really so bad?" Asgore asked.
"It's not bad! It's… not bad at all," Asriel said. "But, like… Okay. It's gonna make you guys yell. Maybe scream. Maybe cry. Maybe throw up. Just so you know."
"Asriel," Toriel chided jokingly. "How crude."
"Mom, I'm dead serious," he said. He smacked his palm against his cheek. "Why'd I say that?" he grunted at himself. He looked to Frisk for help.
The kid gulped and she walked up close to him. She slipped her phone into his hand, already queued up to the video.
"Um. Everyone," she said. "I'm, uh… I'm really sorry. I kinda feel like we just put you guys through so much junk and—"
"Frisk, don't apologize for any of that," Gaster said swiftly.
The others agreed, and Frisk's face flushed. She shook her head quickly.
"But, listen, we did! I know we did," she said. "And… A-And just a couple months, ago, too. It was so much! And… And I'm really sorry, but here we go again."
.
"I'm not sure I understand," Asgore said with a puzzled frown.
"We're about to run you guys over with an emotions train," Asriel said. "So, like… brace yourselves?" His ears perked a little. "Also this is, uh… It's directed at you, mom; dad. So, like… if you want privacy, that's okay, but I just figured that—"
"It's alright with me," Asgore said. "Tori?"
Toriel didn't answer at first. She stared at her son unblinkingly, the pupils in her violet eyes dilated.
"Um. Toriel?" Asgore asked hesitantly.
Her jaws parted. "It's… something about Chara, isn't it?" she said in an icy breath.
Asriel's fur stood right on end and his eyes darted to Frisk. Asgore's mane fluffed and he gawked.
"Wh—? T-Toriel, what do you mean?" he asked.
"…What happened a couple months back?" she croaked, her brows raising up. "Why else would she say that? If not to…"
.
Asgore looked as if a phantom flashed before his eyes. Papyrus reached out for his mother's arm and she gripped tight to him. Asriel gulped. He nodded quickly.
"It's Chara," he confirmed. "We... found her."
"Wh…?" Asgore's brows bent with grief but an awkward smile plastered itself over his face. "Asriel, what do you m—?"
"I have felt such a chill ever since you said there was something more," Toriel said softly.
"…You found her in another world?" Gaster asked quietly. "That's… I guess not completely unexpected, but—"
.
"Pidge was Chara," Frisk blurted. "Not just a different Chara; our Chara." She looked at Asriel. "Play it."
Asriel gulped. He nodded. He pressed the button and, all of a sudden, there was the steady face of a red-headed girl up on the screen, a faint aura of crimson around her, residue from the phone's ghost mode.
.
There was Chara. Older than she'd ever been here. Longer hair; a little more put together. Her eyes, locked onto the camera lens, were also stained faintly red by the ghost filter, so they almost looked like fire.
.
Toriel drew in a gasp so sharp it sounded like it got caught in her throat, and Papyrus held tight to her arm. The sound of Gaster's fingers clenching into the wood of the table broke what was otherwise silence and even Sans couldn't help but shift from his spot to get a better look at the screen. Papyrus looked at his sister with surprise as if to ask if it was really this girl he'd heard about. Frisk nodded.
.
With a shaking hand, Asriel pressed play and the ghost on the screen spoke.
"Greetings, mother; father." Chara's voice came through, clear as day. Her brow furrowed lightly. "No, that's… too formal. Hi. Hello. Howdy." She rolled her eyes at herself and her gaze darted off camera.
"It's fine, keep going," Asriel's voice in the recording urged her.
.
So, she did.
.
The video wasn't very long at all, but Frisk and Asriel felt every second. They could do little but cling tight to each other. Asriel's fur felt like pins all over his body. Frisk's thin fingers clutched into his hand like a talon.
.
When he finally ventured a glance at his parents, however, Asriel could see his father smiling. Toriel was still utterly frozen, except her hand clenching tight into Papyrus's. The goat boy snuck a look at Gaster, too. The skeleton had one hand pressed against his mouth and the lights in his eyes were hardly visible. He looked like he was trying his best not to hiss.
.
At the end, the recording stopped in the middle of Asriel's quick reassurance to his sister that she'd done a good job, and that was it. The silence in the room ached.
.
After a little while, Toriel's voice creaked out of her. "What did she mean? That we might… see her again?"
"Um." Frisk had to clear her throat. "We, um, used my blood to make some special crystals. They might be able to let us talk between worlds and stuff. 'Cause of time magic stuff."
"Tori…" Asgore breathed, putting a hand on hers.
The woman cracked a small smile. She patted his arm and then got up. One by one, she gave everyone a quick hug. She buried her snout into Asriel's fur for an extra moment, and then turned to Gaster. She embraced him as tight as she could, then took a step back and a deep breath.
"I think I must head up now," she said. She looked at the kids and smiled warmly. "With all my soul, thank you."
"Oh. Um." Asriel's voice cracked a little as they watched Toriel drift up the stairs. "N-No problem, mom. Good night."
.
The great monster vanished into the farthest room upstairs. Frisk bit her lip.
"Is she gonna be okay?" she asked quietly.
"I… I think so," Asriel said.
"Whew," Sans said heavily.
"Should I go after her?" Papyrus asked.
Asriel shook his head. "She needs some space."
.
"A-Asriel," Asgore said hoarsely. His eyes were glistening with tears. "H-How…?"
"There's a whole story," he said.
"God. I-I thought you meant a… a parallel," Gaster finally managed to say. He took a deep breath and rushed to take Toriel's spot, rubbing Asgore's back.
The King of monsters nearly fell apart, buckling forward and wrapping Gaster in a crushing hug "M-My—! My l-little girl," Asgore muttered. "M-My little g-g-girl is—!"
"I know. I know." Gaster said gently.
"Aw, jeez," Asriel said. He hurried to the two ancient monsters and clambered up onto the arm of the couch to reach his father and held his arms out. "Get over here, you big ol' goat."
Asgore wheezed and pulled the boy into his embrace.
.
Frisk clenched her hands tight together and breathed out a heavy sigh. Sans was suddenly at her side, giving her a steady pat on the shoulder. She gritted her teeth. Her throat hurt when she spoke.
"I… I'm so sorry," she said. "Everyone, I… I was really scared of Chara before. So… So, everything I said—"
"Oh, little one, d-don't worry," Asgore said, sniffling and wiping his eyes. "I—!" He laughed through a cough. "I think w-we can all be happy to be a little w-wrong about how Chara is, hm?"
"Yoooou come here," Papyrus said, whisking Frisk into his arms.
"I don't understand how this is possible," Gaster said quietly. "It's her. The same girl. She…" He looked at Frisk. "Somehow detached from you? Gained a body elsewhere?"
"Lemme just tell it," Asriel said, giving his father a steadying pat on the arm. "It's kinda complicated, but here's sorta what she figured."
.
Asriel went through everything with Asgore and Gaster paying rapt attention. Sans was also clearly curious, but he kept a little distance. Frisk, on the other hand, stayed slumped with Papyrus near the table. She very suddenly and very badly wanted to go to bed, too. Her brother was cozy, though, and that was a big help.
"Did you notice," she said quietly, "the skeleton in there?"
"Of course I did," he said. "That was extremely uncanny but it was nice to see that he seemed to be a good big brother, too." He pointed to the top of his own skull. "Did he get hit in the head?"
"A while back, I think," Frisk said.
"Well, he still looked very solid and nice!" He smiled sheepishly. "I thought it would be weirder but it was a little like watching myself in Blackletter."
Frisk smiled. "Good." She looked up the stairs. "…I kinda… wanna…"
"Me too," he said. He gently put her back on the ground. "But. I think you should."
"You sure?" she asked.
He nodded and stuck both thumbs up.
.
Since everyone else was still caught up in Asriel's story, Frisk silently slipped off upstairs. Her heart hurt. Very carefully, she tapped on her mother's door and then opened it a crack. The lights were off inside, but she could still faintly see Toriel, sitting up on the bed.
"Mom?" she said at a whisper. "C-Can I come in?"
"Of course, sweetheart," Toriel replied. She patted the mattress beside her. "Come, sit."
.
Frisk gulped. Her throat ached. She hurried to her mother, who bent forward and gently scooped her up under her arms and placed her on the bed, though she didn't have to. Frisk's face flushed and the huge monster let out a tired sigh.
"Goodness," she said quietly.
"Mom, I'm sorry," Frisk said.
"…Whatever for?" Toriel asked.
The kid froze up. She clenched her hands together. "I-It… was just a lot, huh?"
"Oh. Unbelievably." The woman laughed hoarsely. She put a hand on Frisk's head and gently stroked her hair. "Thank you for enduring that."
"Me?" Frisk squeaked.
"You have been through so much," she said, "and still try to support the feelings of adults. I hope you will be able to relax a little more now."
.
Frisk stared up at her despite the darkness. The most she could see was the faintest gleam of lavender and the outline of her mother's snout and horns. She hardly knew how to respond to that. "But, mom, this whole thing is—"
"I understand," Toriel said gently. She chuckled. "I just need… a little time to process, I think."
"Y-Yeah. Yeah, totally, I know," Frisk assured her swiftly.
.
"So. Tell me," Toriel said. "In your story, it was… Pidge that was Chara. That all happened as you said?"
"Yeah," she said.
"So, you two got along, then?"
Frisk nodded again. "Y-Yeah, really well, actually. I… I didn't know what to expect, even before, 'cause I never really hung out with another human or anything, but it was really good." She smiled sheepishly. "Maybe this is… weird? But she… She said, when she went to that world, at first she couldn't remember stuff right. E-Except she knew Az was her brother a-and… And she thought I was her sister." She tented her fingers and her cheeks flushed. "…So… So. We kinda… were that."
.
Toriel was silent for a few moments. Then, she laughed softly. She bent down and gave Frisk a little kiss on the forehead. "Thank you, my child," she said softly. "That is so lovely to hear."
"Mhm." Frisk grabbed onto her mother's hand with both of hers. "I'm just sorry for all this stuff so quick."
"I was about to thank you for it," Toriel said. "I appreciate you did not keep that to yourselves."
"Couldn't. No way," Frisk said.
The monster carefully scooped her up and gave her a warm hug. It was only from so close that Frisk could see her mother's cheeks were wet. She clung tight to her and let her soul glow warm and red. Toriel's shoulders slackened a little.
"I… Hah. Maybe it's foolish," she said. "But I was… very glad to hear who she was with. What an odd feeling."
"Her other mom left you a message, too," Frisk said.
"Ooh. Hah. Absolutely not for tonight," Toriel chuckled. She gave the kid another soft kiss on the forehead and cuddled her up. "…Goodness, I could sleep for a month."
"Same, though," Frisk said. "I could go, if you wanna go to bed…?"
"No. No." The huge monster gently rubbed her back and allowed her to sit back down on the mattress. "Perhaps… if you're willing. Would you tell me a little more?"
The kid blinked. "Um. Sure. Which part?"
"Tell me more about her." Toriel's voice was quiet and wistful. "Tell me… what you spoke of, and where you went. Tell me what you did during the times that were not dire. If you would not mind, that is."
"Oh!" Frisk instantly lightened. "Sure! We did a ton of stuff."
Toriel raised a hand to her face and gently ran her fingers through the fur beneath her eyes. "Thank you, dear."
.
This part was easy, Frisk thought. Easiest thing in the world. Her mother had told her plenty of stories late into the night before. She was happy to return the favour.