"Hmmm, hmmm, hmmm…" The former queen of monsters, Toriel, crooned slowly over the stove. "Hmmm, hmmm, hmmm…" The former queen of monsters, Toriel, crooned slowly over the stove. She remained in her old purple dress - that of the Ruins - where the symbol of their religion appeared: the Angel of Prophecy. Toriel kept it out of nostalgia, feeling unable to get rid of this outfit full of memories, but she would change it whenever she had to go out in order to appear more decent.

In this space house where she lived with Asriel and Frisk since two years, the kitchen was one of the rooms she particularly liked; it was a lively place, where people gathered to eat together. The living room next door was even more so, when everyone came and had fun - compared to all her years of loneliness and isolation, Toriel certainly appreciated this welcome change in her life.

Outside the downstairs window, the beautiful lavender blue sky promised a magnificent day. She loved looking at this sky, she had missed it so much, during all these centuries of sealing. Toriel made sure to never stay up too late, so she could see at it as much as she wanted.

Today, important matters would await her later; at the moment, Toriel had to prepare breakfast for her children who would be coming down soon. This morning, she was preparing breakfast for her adorable children. Every time she prepared the ingredients and mixed them, Toriel made sure to incorporate all the love and devotion that gave that unique flavor to her dishes: it was her greatest magic and secret ingredient.

While waiting for the preparation to be finished, Toriel had read this morning's newspaper which lay neatly on the table. It was important that the former queen kept herself regularly informed of recent developments. It was very interesting: there was a lot of talk about the next assembly that would be held later today, where the integration of the people from the Underground to the Surface would be discussed. Turning the pages of this text, Toriel was particularly attentive to the parts which cited a certain child ambassador - we asked so many questions about him: such a little kid, but on whom the entire future of a kingdom depended? Who was he really? Would the event go well?

I hope so, she prayed, wanting to continue further.

But soon, Toriel had to stop her reading when she saw her specialty, the butterscotch-cinnamon pie, was finishing cooking. The mother goat had waited for the right moment to take it out, trusting in its beautiful golden appearance before stopping the cooking.

Seems good, she thought, very proud of her achievement and knowing that her two gluttons would love it.

Still humming this ancient song of which she had forgotten the words, Toriel grabbed it with gloves, the top steaming and smelling delicious. Absolutely perfect.

Just in time.

The soft air she was imitating was soon drowned out by the sound of running, as she took her famous pie out of the oven and placed it on the underside of the dish. Toriel raised a puzzled eyebrow, revealing kind scarlet eyes like the embers of the fire in her fireplace. Right after, her two children appeared and rushed into the kitchen. Like every morning, they tried to arrive before the other, and it was a surreal sight to see them squirming and bickering to cross the frame.

"First!"

"No it's me !"

Each made his point: the foot touched the tile of the kitchen; the hand held the wood of the door. The painting was so incongruous that Toriel couldn't hold back an amused snort, though she concealed it behind her large white hands.

"If you want my opinion, you've tied the game", the former queen said gently, joining them with a noble step, removing her gloves and her favorite apron covered with snail motifs.

They were a little disappointed, but Frisk and Asriel accepted the maternal arbitration without complaining. Upon entering, the children were enveloped by a pair of loving arms that drew them close to her. They complied happily, snuggling into his grip. It was like being hugged by a fluffy cloud that smelled like cinnamon, caramel and looked a lot like Asriel. Taller and grown-up, of course, with thin, slender horns, and whose majestic presence was imbued with an aura both gentle and fierce that only mothers possessed. Near her, we felt good, warm and safe.

The best morning hugs in the world, Frisk thought as he stroked the beloved's silky ear. Then came her beautiful voice, the one that in the evening tucked them in, read stories to them or made horrible jokes, but soothing to anyone who heard it:

"Good morning, my dear children".

"Hello, mom"/"Howdy, mommy !"

This morning cuddle session had become routine in this house, in the new city where the monsters resided. All three loved this time of day, when they were together. Sometimes guests came to join them; through the door for the majority or, for some, appeared mysteriously in the middle of the room. Frisk suspected that he enjoyed their startled face more than he would admit.

Toriel, in particular, loved feeling the warmth of her two beloved children against her: one of them was of her blood, her precious treasure that she had thought lost forever many years ago, and the other was a human she thought she would never see alive again, before he proved her wrong and freed them from a long existence imprisoned underground. They were both her precious children, whom she loved and cherished equally; but so many others had disappeared under her protection and love in tragic circumstances. For his first and last, she would protect them with her life, even against fate, rather than let any harm happen to them again.

It could have lasted, but Frisk's empty stomach decided to spoil the party and ruined everything: he let out a loud complaint that, no doubt, must have been heard throughout the house. And certainly from the next street, for those with good hearing like members of the Canine Guard. Which didn't help when Asriel's followed suit, adding more mess. Toriel laughed heartily and released her now embarrassed children.

"If you're so hungry, I won't detain you any longer. So, go sit at the table! I'm going to cut the pie."

Neither one nor two, the duo sat in their chairs, knife and fork in hand, while Toriel shared generous portions of her pastry. She took her place, to watch her little gluttons who wasted no time in satisfying their voracious appetite by engulfing food in large proportions.

The food prepared by the monsters, being mostly composed of magic and few harmful materials, allowed those who ate it to heal themselves effectively, increase their strength and restore their health. The texture almost melted on the tongue, without losing consistency or taste, and was easily eaten by anyone.

Falling into the Underground, Frisk had been saved several times by its blessings after particularly fierce battles. Since then, he brought as many as he could in his luggage, and hadn't changed his habits since they had returned from the Surface.

Already, Asriel and Frisk were finishing their plate, to ask Toriel who served them again with an amused smile, and continued to taste the pie without losing the rhythm. The kitchen emitted a cacophony of the sounds of washing dishes, chewing, and satisfied grunts. Their growing appetites will never cease to amaze me, Toriel thought, though she herself admitted she was more than capable of eating several dozen snails if the mood took her. This thought coming to her, she decided to buy some from Napstablook's breeding, before remembering that he worked as a DJ with Mettaton. In this case, there should be some in the garden or around it, one of these days. She could prepare a snail pie with this; his Asriel loved it, even if Frisk had a little difficulty enjoying it as much because of its "slimy" consistence, although he recognize the taste was surprisingly tasty.

A fun and well-known fact about the Dreemurr family was their ability to ingest gargantuan amounts of food. After settling in with them, Frisk had adopted this incongruous aspect and now possessed an insatiable stomach. But remaining human all the same, he had a limit that the child ends up reaching after several more mouthfuls, until he no longer feels capable of swallowing anything.

"I'm full. No more", he moaned after his last fork, rubbing his sated belly as Asriel finished his fourth batch.

"Will you eat the rest of your share?" he asked him hopefully, pointing to what Frisk had left behind.

The human child willingly gave it to him, and Asriel quickly gulped it down in a gigantic mouthful of goat. Satisfied, he licked the tips of his fingers, then his muzzle with his tongue to collect the precious crumbs, when a consequent burp came out without warning.

"Dear Angel, I'll take that as a compliment," Toriel scoffed as her son muttered a sheepish "excuse me."

"Not bad that one, Azzy", added Frisk who left the table, before preventing his own belching as his feet touched the ground.

He left to wash his utensils and his plate, when Toriel came from behind, a clean napkin in hand.

"Turn around, Frisk", she asked with a gentle smile, wiping his surprise face . "We shouldn't see our little ambassador with caramel on his cheek, should we?"

"Oh… yes", the child stammered under the fabric. "Thanks Mom."

Playfully, she washed it, meticulously, and Frisk let himself be manipulated without moving, more than happy with her care. When he was clean as a whistle, Toriel patted his bouncy little nose.

"There ! Papyrus will pick you up in half an hour to take you to Ebott. Be ready to go, by then."

"…And Asgore and Undyne?"

At the reference of her former husband, Frisk noticed Toriel's features harden. It was barely visible, but the brief tension that had arisen had shaken his usual calm. Although he hid it, the little human was discouraged. Even though time had passed, and she was more accepting of his comings as long as the king of the Underground respected the imposed limits, the tension between them remained. He wanted so badly to help them reconcile, but apart from small attempts, the child still didn't know how. After all, the faults shared by each were not easily forgivable or easy to forget. In a blink, Toriel regained a peaceful expression; neither Frisk nor Asriel, who had joined them, were not deceived by the mask intended to reassure them.

"They are already at the embassy", she explained. "I cannot advise you enough to bring what you need. Asriel, sweetheart, go and help your sibling, please."

"Alright. Come, Az"

"Y... Yes. I come."

Frisk hurried upstairs to check his things; Asriel, for his part, lingered a bit on the steps to spy in the kitchen. Their mother had turned away to do some cleaning, but he clearly saw the gaze that engulfed her. It was a mixture of several raw emotions: however, Asriel recognized sadness and bitterness in it. The kid felt his heart ache, imagining that she must be thinking of his father, then slipped away without Toriel noticing.

A strange knot in his stomach had formed, as he saw his mother's reaction. If Asriel regretted anything, it was seeing the separation between his parents. Of course, the circumstances were more complex than his fault alone; Asriel was aware of this. But he felt guilty for having been the main trigger of this conflict. Especially since Toriel, although she and Asgore were slowly starting to maintain cordial discussions again, had not yet been able to forgive the actions of her former husband against the former human children. And if she couldn't forgive him for this... Asriel thought wistfully, how would mommy react if they ever knew everything about Flow- about what I did? Would she be disgusted by me? Would she hate me, too?

Shaken by this vision and full of these tormenting questions in his head reaching the floor, Asriel didn't hear what Toriel whispered next:

"This idiot…"

-oOo-

"Let's check my Soul..."

Instead of pulling his bag out of the closet as soon he returned at his room, Frisk sat against the wall and decide to take advantage that Asriel was late to arrive - even if he did not know why. Legs crossed, the human reached his hands to his chest and concentrated. The effort made him frown, for it had been a long time, and he had to remind himself how to do it without a monster forcing him. But, like a muscle that just needed to be worked, Frisk managed to remember that feeling of inner energy, gathered in one point, then to grab hold of it.

After a few minutes, a glow slipped out of his chest. As dazzling and shining as ever, during his eventful journey to the Monster Realm, a red heart - the Nameless Soul - floated before him. Within it, his Determination radiated, warming the air and tingling his amber skin. Unconsciously, Frisk had held his breath waiting for his soul to surge and dreaded; however, seeing it in good condition relieved him of a weight that had weighed on him since waking up. The child was still reliving his nightmare of this morning; the memory of the cracks and the unhealthy allure of his soul, which sent nasty shivers down his spine.

This void...
This voice…
Dust all over him...

Beware of the man who talks with his hands...

"What are you doing ?" Asriel called out to him in the doorway, startling him.

Caught in the act, Frisk instantly released his grip on the soul which came back to itself. How long has he been there?

The young monster had finally arrived, after lingering on the way back, and upon entering, he had seen him in this strange position. Asriel eyed him suspiciously, waiting for an answer.

"Nothing at all," Frisk lied, grimacing at the lame excuse before muttering, "please don't tell at mom."

"Only if you explain to me what's going on."

The prince stood in front of him, arms tied and trying to imitate Toriel's attitude when she demanded to know the truth when her children hid something stupid from her. It wasn't quite as convincing, but Frisk knew his friend wouldn't give up. A little reluctant, he told her the bits of dreams he remembered. Gradually, the child found himself foolish to have rid himself of the head for something so insignificant. Asriel had listened to everything carefully and he became enlightened.

"So this morning when I woke up and saw you fidgeting, was it because of your nightmare?"

"I know, it's stupid," Frisk blurted, taking his bag from the closet. "Being afraid of a bad dream is just a baby thing."

"What ? It's not true!" Asriel exclaimed energetically, grabbing his hands with his fluffy paws and gave them reassuring pressure. "Earlier, you looked very hurt and very scared. I... was scared, too. I didn't know what to do to help you, except try to get out you of it."

Frisk looked at him, surprised that he wasn't laughing at him like he expected. On the contrary, the young monster seemed to be sympathetic and eager to help him… That's right, how could he have forgotten, even for a second, that it was Asriel? The being who, of all people, was the one with the kindest heart despite his worst years. He understood better than anyone what it was like to be the victim of terrifying visions. Right. Him and everyone are not like... the others.

Somehow it was oddly comforting and the human child felt warmed.

"Say, Az. Won't you come with us to the embassy?" Frisk offered on impulse." After all, my speech includes you as well, and it would be better than being alone all day. Even MK will come backstage."

Asriel blinked at his suggestion, caught off guard. Uncomfortable, he released Frisk, who watched him take on a desolate and intimidated expression as the little Boss Monster turned away from him.

"I... I'd rather not, Frisk. I still have trouble with that. Maybe another time, but... not today. I'm sorry."

"Oh… I understand, of course." Frisk told him with a small smile that the child wanted light, but he couldn't help a wave of disappointment wash over him. However, he hoped Asriel wouldn't notice.

Asriel retrieved a camera from his own supplies - Frisk had given it to him a few months ago - and pretended to check it so as not to see his friend's expression which had become less bright for a micro-second; he quickly recovered, but Asriel saw him all the same, and blamed himself for his cowardice. His discomfort at the idea of going out and meeting people was not to be underlined. His first impression of humanity on the Surface was not very happy; it had left him scared to death of crowds and grown men. The kid didn't want, in a moment of panic, to create a mess in the middle of town. It would be too dangerous and risky. Today, Frisk had to concentrate and it was not his presence that would help him.

A klaxon sound outside sounded, dissipating the heavy atmosphere that surrounded them, then their mother called:

"Frisk! Papyrus is here!"

The child took his luggage and left hastily, followed by the prince to the front door. His jacket on and a kiss from Toriel later, he joined the sports car on the driveway which was driven by a skeleton in armor suit, scarf, red gloves. Papyrus, the little brother of Sans, was one of the first friends Frisk made during his journey among monsters; kind and innocent, he was a clumsy but kind-hearted character, whose love of spaghetti and puzzles were well known, as well as his contempt for Sans' jokes. Ironically, the skeleton had been in the past "friends" with Flowey, without knowing the last's intentions or his hostility with his elder. Flowey had tricked him, so that Papyrus bring together in the king's castle all the monsters who had become friends with Frisk, and trap them in order to recover their souls. Fate was strange, because it was only thanks to this that Asriel was able to temporarily regain his true form, before he and Frisk engaged in a battle where the fate of the world was at stake.

However, Frisk knew perfectly well that without Papyrus, the prince of monsters would never have been able to come back from his condition, helping him after many resets to find a way to save him. But the main person concerned knew nothing about it; when he saw them, the skeleton at the wheel of his sports car had greeting his young friend and the whole family.

"HELLO, HUMAN FRISK! HELLO, YOUR MAJESTY AND HIGHNESS DREEMURR!"

"Hi, Papyrus! See you later, Mom, Az!"

"Good luck, Frisk! Papyrus, watch over my child!" / "See you tonight, Frisk! I'll watch you on TV, I promise!"

Frisk strapped in and, in a "NYE HE HE!" full of spirit, Papyrus drove down the mountain road, heading for the town of Ebott a few miles away. The human child waved his arms towards his family, until he no longer saw them.

Outside, the sun was up. The flowers are blooming. Birds are singing. Slowly, the small town "Second House" was waking up with the first light of the sun appearing behind Mt. Ebott where, for centuries, the nation of monsters had been sealed.

But everything had changed: about two years ago, a young human child – Frisk – climbed the forbidden mountain where, according to rumor, no one has ever returned. After falling into a hole, he discovered the realm of "Underground", where the monsters had survived and were forgotten. Before Frisk, seven other children had preceded him; after the monster king Asgore declared war on humanity following the death of his son by humans, six of them were killed by the underground dwellers to recover their Souls and destroy the Barrier - a powerful spell of the magus that kept monsters trapped during a long time. Frisk's journey back to the Surface was not an easy: the child had encountered, fought and, luckily, befriended many monsters who ended up helping him. Beside, Frisk had discovered this power that the monsters called "Determination": the power that, according to some, existed in the will to continue living and rewrite people's destinies. With this, the child had gained the ability to SAVE from star-shaped save points, allowing him to heal his wounds or, through a file, RESET time (but this was important and confidiential secret, which few people knew). In the end, Frisk had discovered the truth about the tragedies the monsters had suffered and, thanks to these powers and the new friends he had made, Frisk had managed to survive each ordeal and, ultimatly, he helped free monsters.

Now, as the ambassador for them, Frisk worked hard so that Man and Monster could live together again. All this time, the child had tried to make everyone trust each other and forgive. Since his return and that of the monsters to the Surface, the child lived with the former queen of the monsters, Toriel, and the prince of the monsters Asriel, who had returned from death thanks to the intervention of Frisk. The King of the Underground, Asgore, was with him to helped him in his task of reintegrating the monsters.

Today was a special day: as the representative of the nation of the Underground, Frisk would give a speech in Ebott, so that everyone could know of the progress and their success.

Frisk could see it right now ; as Papyrus led them through Second House, he watched the human mix with the monsters : on the sidewalks, they strolled together, naturally greeting each other with friendly smiles as they passed. In a park as the car approached, children were having fun catching, under the supervision of their mothers who were laughing and chatting on the benches. Whether they had hands or paws, coat or scales, round or very long ears : they had fun together, and the current understanding gave hope for their future. Everything Frisk had gone through was rewarded. And this city near the mountain, built to welcome the two peoples, was proof of that.

A few citizen saw the human ambassador pass and greeted him happily, sometimes expressing encouragements, and Frisk answered them with pleasure until they leave Second House. Their trust in the child gave him a lot of courage.

As the city faded away and Frisk sat back in his seat, he was resolute to do his best for the trust the monsters placed in him.

*Knowing that all his friends were counting on him, on such an important day, filled him with determination.