Toriel's Home
Frisk awoke feeling refreshed from the prior day's events. That was something he hasn't been able to say for a long time no matter how you sliced it. Unbeknownst to him, his eyes once again changed. They weren't the vibrant, red eyes he had, but they also weren't grayish red either.
They were pretty much at a level of red like Chara's eyes were. Beyond that, he now felt able to digest everything he'd learned. Frisk said nothing to Chara, and vice versa, as the former needed to take care of himself in the bathroom. Once that was done, they returned to the room.
"Morning Moron." Chara greeted.
"Morning Chara." Frisk greeted with a yawn before slipping on the red sweater Toriel had left for him and then noticing the pie on the plate in the middle of the floor. "What's that?"
"Mom would often leave pie for us to wake up to." Chara stated fondly. "It wasn't often, but there were times Asriel or I would wake up before the other. Then, we'd issue 'brother's rights' which is just a phrase for 'both pieces of pie are mine'."
Frisk picked up the plate and it smelt wonderful to the point that his stomach growled. That was understandable since he hadn't eaten anything before climbing Mt. Ebott yesterday. Didn't really need to plan when you thought it would be the end.
Now, he scarfed the slice down. While it did satiate his hunger to a point, Chara had been right in that monster food wasn't that filling. It still tasted amazing though. While he did look back fondly on the sweats his sister smuggled him, this pie was much better.
"Have you decided what you are going to do?" Chara asked.
"Humans are a fickle bunch in how they teach." Frisk began. "When it comes to knowledge on the war between Monsters and Humans, it's generally accepted that Humanity was in the right. Any other conflict, and they'll tell you either side had its reasons.
Right now, I'm applying the second line of thinking. According to Humanity, there's no way Mosnters, the royal family no less, would take in a Human. If anything, they had every reason under the sun to end you. Even though Monsters have taken lives, Humanity sealed them.
In war, no one side is truly just, so I can't in good conscience accept that a whole race is in the wrong. Especially when that race is at a point that a redeclaration of war is the only thing giving them hope. Hope that was needed at the loss of two princes."
"What are you saying exactly?" Chara asked.
"I'm saying that even if I could come to accept this place as home, which I can't due to my past, it wouldn't sit right with me. I don't know what a mere Human like me can do, but I want to offer my help in breaking that barrier.
Even if Monsters think it can only be done by taking my life, I'll help them find a path that doesn't require any further bloodshed. While I'm at it, I'll see what can be done to save you and Asriel."
"You want to save us?" Chara questioned in disbelief.
"Considering you're the only human ghost I've seen, there's potential in finding a way to restore you." Frisk replied as he stood up. "Asriel is still kicking around as well, so there must be a way to restore him. I can't imagine a Monster housing a Human soul as inviting.
I can only imagine that wherever Asriel appeared, he was attacked. Even if it's impossible, I at least want to try helping you two restore your prior forms. Given magic is real, I'm not about to rule out any possibility."
"Moron." Chara laughed. "Guess it makes sense you'd come to this conclusion. I have no idea if anything you want is possible, but I am currently stuck with you." He shrugged. "I might as well be there to help you along."
"Thanks Chara." Frisk gave a small, genuine smile. "Even if you're stuck with me, you could refuse to help from this point forward, and there's not much I could do about it. The fact that you will help me, as you have ,genuinely does mean a lot."
"Frisk has a nice smile." Chara noted to himself absentmindedly.
He shook such thoughts from his head and decided to focus on the matter at hand.
Frisk was now investigating the room. "Do you think I should ask Toriel about grabbing anything I might need from this room?"
"Mom did call it your room, so she wouldn't mind you taking anything." Chara reasoned. "Now, how she'll react to you leaving is unknown. I mean, she did seal herself in her, but the other six children clearly aren't here. I'm leaning towards she won't like what you decided."
"That's fine." Frisk assured. "Given my goal is to help the Monsters, I'm not going to think of killing one, but that doesn't mean I'm going to let anyone stop me from my current path. If Toriel really doesn't want me to do this, she'll need to dissuade my determination."
"Again, given his past, I'm fairly certain he's determined enough to succeed." Chara thought.
Frisk eventually managed to find an old, green backpack in the wardrobe. He used it to store his original set of clothes, which had already been cleaned by Toriel, along with the spider donut and his 10 gold. He kept the spider cider and monster candy on him for quicker access.
Once he had that on his back, he put his sheathed bokken on his person. Nothing else in the room was really screaming out that he should take it, so Frisk was ready to depart. Chara left the room with him, and they made their way to the living room since that's where Toriel was.
Toriel, who was sitting in her chair with a book, smiled upon seeing Frisk. "I thought you were up, but I didn't want to be rude since I figured you'd need a little more time to wake properly."
"Yeah, I did." Frisk stated.
While he wanted to leave, the fallen teen didn't think he was a particularly rude person. Perhaps he'd have been one prior to waking up, but his emotions were rather quickly normalizing. He didn't feel like being rude to anyone. Especially someone who'd treated him as well as Toriel.
Speaking of said Monster, she was doing her best to ignore the backpack given it was a sign of something she did not want to happen. "Um, I want you to know how glad I am to have someone here.
There are many old books I wish to share. I'd also like to show you my favorite bug hunting spot, and I've prepared a curriculum for your education. This might come as a surprise to you, but I have always wanted to be a teacher."
"I think you'd be a good one." Frisk noted.
"Aw, thank you." Toriel was touched by his words. "Still, I am truly thankful you are here. Now, is there something I can do for you?"
She was hoping not to hear what she assumed was coming.
"Look Toriel, you're one of the kindest people I've met in my life, but I can't stay here." Frisk stated which upset her to hear it spoken. "Not so soon after I just left my prior home. Sure, your place is different from where I lived, but I just can't."
That wasn't an untrue aspect, but it's all he could really say without revealing Chara was here. Beyond the guy not wanting to be known as he was now, Frisk didn't really want to give false hope to anyone if he could help it.
"I-I know you might have your issues being in a home." Toriel informed. "I once met someone close to me who was like how you are now, I'm here. I can help you."
"Maybe you could, but I still need to leave." Frisk declared firmly. "At this point, nothing you could tell me will change my mind. There's something important I need to do out there, so how do I exit the Ruins?"
"…I have to do something." It was clear to Toriel couldn't dissuade or distract, so she merely set her book down before standing. "Stay here."
Toriel suddenly took off and was already heading down the stairs.
"Moron, she's heading for the exit." Chara informed.
"That's not good." Frisk immediately booked it after her. "Toriel, get back here!" Down the stairs in the home there was a long, purple corridor, and he could see the Monster just ahead of him. "Stop!"
"You wish to know how to leave the Ruins, do you not?" Toriel had stopped, but she wouldn't turn to face him. "Ahead of us lies the end to them. An exit to the rest of the Underground. I'm going to destroy it to prevent anyone from leaving. Please, be good and head back up."
She took off with Frisk immediately following. "I'm sorry Toriel, but I won't."
He followed her as she hung a left leaving only a bit of corridor before coming upon the doors out of the Ruins.
"Every Human who falls down here meets the same fate." Toriel stated. "I have seen it repeatedly. They come. They leave. They die. If you leave the Ruins, they, Asgore, will kill you. I am only protecting you; do you understand? Please, go to your room."
"I know you only want to protect me, but I must leave." Frisk declared resolutely.
"You really want to leave that badly? You are just like all the others, so there is only one solution to this." Toriel took a deep breath as she turned to face him now. "Prove yourself…Prove to me you are strong enough to survive."
"If that's what it takes for you to willing let me go, then I will prove I am strong enough to weather whatever may come my way out there." Frisk declared. "My past really did suck, but at least it prepared me for this."
"Hey…" Chara spoke up.
Chara knew Toriel didn't want this, but that didn't mean she wasn't at least a little serious. Mom wouldn't kill anyone, but she'd certainly hurt someone, at this point, to protect them. Chara didn't want Frisk to be hurt.
"It's fine Chara." Frisk assured. "I decided on this path, so I'll take whatever comes from it."
Toriel's hands were alit with purple fire as multiple fireballs of the same color were summoned and flung at Frisk. He opened his eyes wide before dodge rolling back. While he avoided most of the volley, one fireball did manage to catch his leg.
"Grr, that's smarts." Frisk noted.
It certainly felt hot and painful, but at least magic fire didn't really catch things on fire beyond the initial impact.
"It's not too late to reconsider." Toriel offer.
"I'd say at this point I'm well beyond reconsidering." Frisk declared.
Toriel clinched her eyes shut as she didn't want to hurt Frisk like this, but she had to make him see he couldn't leave. In an instant, six prior children flashed through her mind. No matter how much she didn't want to do this, she had to.
She sent a torrent of flames, but Frisk was ready as he managed to roll to the right avoiding it. "You can keep attacking all you want Toriel, but I'm not retaliating. What I want to achieve has nothing to do with hurting anyone."
All Toriel could do was stare at that declaration. This resulted in her and Frisk staring each other down; however, the latter was resolute while the former wavered before launching another large volley of fire balls. Frisk attempted to move through them, but he couldn't avoid everything.
Slowly, he was pummeled into the back wall by the barrage until he collapsed to his butt. Upon doing this to someone she wanted to protect, Toriel held her right arm with a sad look. At this moment, Frisk downed the spider cider healing himself fully and standing.
Toriel saw this and summoned more fireballs which she lobbed at Frisk. With less targets to worry about, he avoided them before deciding he had to act. The fallen teen sprinted for Toriel who was at this point losing the will to continue harming him.
Eventually, Frisk stood right before Toriel who was now staring him down before he hugged her. "I know you care Toriel, but you got to let me go."
"I'm…pathetic." Toriel smiled sadly as she collapsed to her knees and hugged Frisk back. "I cannot save even a single child."
"No, you can't stop a single child from leaving if they want to, but you had a hand in saving me from myself back when I fell." Frisk declared firmly. "For that, I truly do thank you."
"I believe I understand now." Toriel stated as they let go. "The Runis are rather small once you get used to them, and that's not going to help you any more beyond this point. My expectations, loneliness, and fear, for what you need, I will put them aside."
"That means more to me than you know." Frisk responded.
"I will no longer stop you; however, know that should you leave, I would not want you to come back." Toriel informed. "I hope you can understand."
With that, Toriel parted from him and started to head back. Before she truly left him, Toriel did look back and Frisk did the same meeting her gaze. No further words were exchanged before Toriel was the first to leave, heading back to her home.
"I know you told me what you want, but are you sure about this?" Chara asked. "Mom could take really good care of you."
"I bet she could, but my mind is made up." Frisk turned to the doorway. "Besides, as well as every other reason I've given, I wouldn't feel right taking your mother like this. Even if you're okay with it, I couldn't accept that."
"Frisk really is a Moron for willingly passing on a good life here." Chara smiled. "Even so, he's turning out to be a Moron with a great heart."
Frisk pushed opened the doors and stepped on through. As he walked, those doors closed behind him and he was in another corridor. Frisk pushed on to the end and entered a dark room exactly like the one he first encountered Flowey in. It was truly exact given Flowey was here as well.
"Clever. Verrrrry clever." Flowey stated. "You think you're smart, don't you? In this world, it's kill or be killed." His face became something dark and disturbed. "You think by not killing anyone it invalidates that, but what will you do if you meet a relentless killer?"
"That's the ramblings of someone soulless." Frisk declared again not waiting to give away Chara at this time. "I have faith things will work out, and I intend on even having them work out for you."
"Work out for me?" Flowey laughed. "Please, I am the true prince of this world's future, but I suppose I can watch to see just what you come up with. After all, this is turning out to be rather interesting."
Flowey's face looked utterly demonic as he laughed darkly. When he was done, Flowey was gone. Frisk and Chara shared a look before the former started moving, and the latter followed.
The Void
Gaster was here because he had been foolish enough to let his guard down. While he did not regret the things he was talking about, he loved both his sons with all his soul, he did regret the fact that he'd been careless in the work space.
Because he vanished, a 12-year-old Sans and 6-year-old Papyrus had to go without a father. Through his mistake, they lacked guidance when they needed it. Sans was the only one who remembered. Papyrus could have as well, but he was so young.
No one else he had known remembered him at all. While Gaster was so very proud of Sans for stepping up in taking care of Papyrus, it never should have happened. His son never should have been alone knowing they lost their father,
No matter how long passed, even with the one reset he remembered, Gaster tries. He tries so hard to make it out of the Void or reach anyone. This time something miraculously worked. He acquired the prototype soul. The culmination of his work on the human soul.
Compared to what he's seen of actual Human Souls since his fall, it became abundantly clear this thing was a mere pittance in comparison. Now, it might just be his opportunity to finally be free of the Void. He could only see one potential avenue to make this happen.
"It wasn't tested, but this artificial soul should bond well with the soul of a boss monster…like the genuine article." Gaster reasoned. "All I can do with it is attempt that. Perhaps even with its limited power, there would be enough to at least reconstruct my soul.
It is also likely this attempt could end me meaning I would no longer be able to even watch Frisk and Chara as I did yesterday. Beyond even them, I would truly be lost to my sons. Thinking about it, perhaps I shouldn't have tried."
Gaster wanted so badly to seize a potential chance for freedom…for those children who had only themselves…for his sons who had to grow up without him. This prototype was the first hope he had of achieving that, but it could just as well be his end.
"Beyond everything, this is the only avenue I have yet to explore." Gaster stated. "If I don't attempt it, I have no other ideas to finally free myself. That means I couldn't help anyone."
Gaster had no choice but to try unless he wanted to admit now that there was no way out. He couldn't admit that, so he brought the prototype closer causing his fractured and destabilized Monster soul to appear. He let the prototype merge with it.
Just as he knew, it wasn't anywhere near as powerful as a genuine Human soul, but what power he had created was enough to achieve something. The prototype became a red energy which washed over his soul repairing it. After countless years, his soul was whole.
He still had cracks under and above his eyes as well as the holes in his palms; however, the rest of his body was there. He wasn't the least bit goopy, and his attire was normal. Light gray pants, a smart sweater vest, and a long grey coat.
"I…I'm complete!" Gaster was in disbelief as he broke out into a huge grin. "I'm whole again!" He ran to the door which led to Waterfall. "Oh, I must go to my sons at…" Upon exiting the door, he was still as transparent as ever outside the Void. "I'm still trapped…"
Gaster collapsed to his knees devastated that he wasn't free as he initially thought. Even if he was once again whole, the Void continued to hold him. Despite potential new possibilities to be free, the fact that his hope had been dashed devastated him in the moment.
Surface: Early Morning…
No one under Mt. Ebott may be able to tell what time it was, but at this point roughly one full day has passed since Frisk climbed it. It was now the next morning and across the world key points of interest to the ongoing Almos Case were being surrounded by the WDA.
Police departments, corporation buildings, city halls, mansions, and much more were all targets. Ebott City had the largest number of WDA members. All at once, collective signals went over equipped ear pieces commencing the operation.
Ebott City: Almos Mansion
Faye was currently leading her own large group to raid the mansion that once housed her. When the signal went off, Faye made the motion to breech. In complete synchronization, everyone effortlessly jumped the walls through their use of magic before rushing the estate from all sides.
"Adrian and Sarah Alamos are to be contained in the fore while every servant of the estate shall be contained within the ballroom." Faye declared over her ear piece. "Frisk is to be handled with care and secured off the property."
Unlike every other location, which wouldn't be spared men and woman busting through doors and windows, some care had to be taken here. There was a confirmed innocent teenager, so the tactical insertion at least needed to cover every angle to ensure he could be secured.
Faye knew she was going to go down in history for this and receive plenty for starting the WDA on this; however, anything she gained hardly mattered when weighed against her brother. She made it clear that she wanted him safe. That meant great care in ensuring they secured him.
So, Faye waited in the fore as sounds of moving feet echoed throughout the extravagant building. She caught sight of her people carrying unconscious bodies to the ballroom and gave out instructions as needed. Eventually, things began to wind down.
It was appropriate then that her parents were led down the right and left stair cases to the second floor at this time. Adrian Almos had well-kept brown hair and sickly purple eyes, which could be interpreted as his soul being corrupted from perseverance to inflexible.
He wore an expensive purple suit which was fitting considering he thought himself a ruler. Sarah had long sickly green hair in a braded pony tail with matching eyes. The sickly green could be a sign that her soul had been corrupted from kindness to compliance.
"Unhand my beloved Adrien." Sarah declared indignantly. "We have done nothing wrong."
"Yes, my wife and I are upstanding members of Ebott City." Adrien added. "We will not stand for this."
Both sounded fitting for their position and as though they truly believed every word of the sewage that spilled forth from their mouths.
"Anyone within the WDA will be hard pressed to believe that." Faye stated, drawing shocked expressions from her parents as they saw their daughter now. "A little under five years saw the association follow every scrap of information. It all started with every detail I could provide.
Turns out my information led to quite a few surfaces level crimes that were attributed to Sarah Almos." The parents were now down the stairs, so Faye paced before them. "Digging deeper revealed you're a duo in every sense of the word.
Beyond that, there were countless strings to follow leading to more heinous crimes. In short, the association played it carefully by taking their time to air out every piece of dirty laundry. Today marks the start of your downfall. You and anyone you associate with will be brought in.
I'm certain those with far less crimes against them will be willing to work out deals for their confessions." At this point, the parents were furious as their prior mask fell. "In a web as large as yours, there are bound to be people content to sell out anyone they can for a little leeway.
Arson, murders of varying degrees, bribery, theft, conspiracy, extortion, robbery, perjury, kidnapping, and much more. All of it over countless years between innumerable associates. It was a rather protective web until the wrong people looked in the right places."
"Insufferable, ungrateful child." Adrien declared. "We tried to turn you into a person of high standing, yet this is how you repay us?"
"A person of high standing…" Faye held up her right hand. "A miniature version of either one of you…" She held up her left hand and immediately dropped the right. "Let's not get it twisted. You had Frisk and I to one day take over when you were both too old.
We were heirs to a kingdom of criminal activity; however, you failed to raise us in the way we'd ever accept it. Children often rebel when mistreated, so is it any wonder why we never adhered to what you hoped we'd be? You were terrible parents, and this is your reward. Now…"
Before she could speak, someone was talking over the ear piece.
"Frisk Almos isn't anywhere on the property."
"What!?" Faye went wide eyed as she immediately pressed the ear piece. "Has the entire mansion, every known and unknown room, been searched thoroughly?"
"Yes ma'am."
Before she could respond, Sarah spoke up taking delight in what she was about to say. "Your men must have failed to find Frisk." Faye leveled a dangerous glare her way. "You won't find him because even we know not where he is."
"He was always more of a disappointment than you ever were, but he was all we had left." Adrien added. "Clearly, we should have thrown him out sooner. At least he did that for us, but it is a pity he left before we could show him the emancipation papers. Still, a small price to…"
Faye slammed her fist across his face. "Looks like this morning has unraveled those big brains of yours." She crouched before Adrien. "By telling me my little brother ran away, and that you legally emancipated him, you just lost your last, possible leverage."
"Knock them out and get them ready for transport with the staff." Faye declared as she stood up.
Before either could speak, two association members quickly knocked the couple out before hauling them away. Faye then took a deep breath to compose herself.
Once she had a grip, she pressed her communication device. "I want our best analytical Wizards to every room I outlined as potentially housing my brother. Use whatever magic you have to discover where my brother went. Anyone less proficient should start scouring the entire mansion.
Anyone who is left must turn this whole place over to collect every scrap of evidence we can use to further sentence the Almos couple. I do not want a shred of potential evidence unaccounted for. Have I made myself clear?"
"Yes, High Mage Almos!"
Faye knew she would be forgiven for losing her cool like that, especially since she managed to reign herself in better than the commander had thought she would. It probably helped that everyone knew her brother was quite the sore subject given how she failed him all this time.
Faye walked to the open doorway as the sounds of similar operations were being carried out across the city. Rather than focus on the fact that her parents had finally reached the end of the line, all Faye could do was worry where Frisk had gone.
"Just one day too late…" Faye sincerely hoped this one day wouldn't end up costing her little brother. "I hope you're okay wherever you are, and if you're not, just hold on. I will find you."
Of course, the possibility now existed that her brother could very well be dead, but Faye didn't want to truly admit that to herself. After all this time, her brother had to be alive. If he was, she could do everything possible to try and make things right.
Maybe making things right was impossible, their parents could have done any number of things to him, but she had to try. Faye wanted her brother to have the kind of life she's lived without the whole bringing their parents down part. It was a necessity but one he wouldn't need to deal with.