One World: Many Souls
Chapter 21: Guarding the Soul
Angel's Point of View:
"So, with this problem, if I multiple by five, I get rid of the faction. Then if take and add four, my answer looks like its twelve."
"There ya go, Frisk. Not hard at all. Baby bone math."
"Maybe for you… I always suck at math… Even more so now…"
"Kiddo…"
I carefully watched in the doorway while Frisk struggled with even the most basic of problems that I knew she could handle more earlier in the year. Luke had really messed up her mind. Most of the material that she had learned seemed to vanish from her head once Luke let go of the control. She had been struggling academically, so he must have been preventing her from learning as well. Frisk already struggled with schooling, but it looked like she would be taking most of her summer break and the last two months of school to try and catch up where Luke had ruined her.
The questions Sans used were part of a standardized test to see what Frisk remembered or perhaps what had made it through the cracks of the mind control. Sadly, Luke's control was far more incredible than we realized. It was as if Frisk hadn't gone to school since the time we enrolled her once monsters were free. It had been just about two years exactly since then…
It was quite a devastating thought.
All those years amounted up to nearly nothing for my sister. Luke robbed her of her life. I was still pissed, but Jade promised me he would be taken care of in her domain. He was already beginning his twenty-years lock up. It was rare for a seventeen-year-old to achieve such a disastrous feat. It echoed all over the news. Luke was known everywhere for the true pathetic being he was. His life would never be the same again.
The only prays I had left after that were to make sure my sister could recover from what she'd gone through.
"Wah!"
I jumped slightly at the cry of my daughter. Her voice was loud and she made sure that she was heard. Leaving Frisk and Sans for the time being as they continued to work together, I hurried to the nursery where all three little ones were together up in my room.
Eras, Arial and Impact spent nearly ninety percent of their lives together. They were like the three musketeers. They had to be together. First thing in the morning when everyone was waking up is when Arial screams her head off, wanting attention, food, and her cousin. Then on occasion Impact and Eras would follow. It depended on what their mood was.
Just as I arrived, Arial quieted down at the sight of me walking into the room. I picked her up and nestled her into the side of my arm. Her crying hushed as she stared at me, beaming with a little smile.
"What in the world is going on today?"
I couldn't help but giggle at her little baby talk comment she returned back to me.
"Oh really? And that's the reason I had to come up here so fast?"
She laughed, oh so happy that I was playing with her then.
"Oh, my dear little girl, you are a handful…"
"Think she gets it from 'er mother."
"Ha, ha." I roll my eyes before looking back to my husband who stood in the doorway. Crossed arms and a sly grin on his face, he could only shrug his shoulders before coming over to grab our daughter from me.
"Fore I forget," Sans juggled our little girl on his arm before he reached for a just beginning to fuss Impact as well. "Frisk's got somethin' ta show ya down in 'er room."
"Oh? Okay then."
That… was different.
Sans offered me no other words then that, but the look on his skull… it gave me a worried feeling in my gut as I headed back to my sister's room. Frisk was still inside there, hard at work at her desk. Though it had seemed she had switched over to some other subject before my arrival. Literature perhaps? She seemed to be writing an essay.
I stood there in the doorway for a few moments, allowing Frisk some moments of quiet. Just watching her and seeing just how much like her normal self she was made my heart soar, even if she was still healing from what she'd gone through.
"Sis?"
I blinked, focusing in on my sister as she had apparently looked up and noticed me during those moments I was lost in the past.
"Sorry Frisky, just… happy to have you back."
My sister's shoulders deflated at that and she sunk back into her desk. I watched her rummage through many essay-like forms before she pulled out one that she set aside. After carefully reading it over, she held it out without looking at me.
"C-can you read this?"
"Hm? Of course, I can."
Surprised by the request, I tried not to let it show as I took the paper from her fingers. Hand written and two or three pages. Just looking at it off the bat, it appeared as if my sister spent absolutely forever writing it so her penmanship appeared to be something legible. I knew she struggled with it; I certainly wasn't the best either. Sans and Papyrus had the best penmanship in the house.
Dear Angel,
Wait a second! I blinked at the beginning line, stealing a glance over at my sister who refused to look at me. Upon my quick glance, I saw she was writing more letters. Most of them I saw were to her friends who always called in to check on her while she was under Luke's control. Her best friends, MK, Jay, Sophie, and even Asriel. Yet, I also saw others, Alphys, Undyne, Grandmother, Tori, Asgore, Papyrus, Sans.
She was writing letters to them… to… all of us? That must have been why Sans sent me down here so cryptically. He must have just read his own.
Oh, my goodness…
I had to read it.
I'm sorry for what I put you through. I'm trying to recall as much as I can from the time I was under Luke's control. I have so much to apologize for. You're my sister, who always took care of me no matter what happened or what we were faced with. I… I was so mean to you… The fights… running out on you guys… Trying to ignore your very existence at times…
The fuzzy memories become clearer the more time I spend thinking about them. I think… if Luke had been attached to me any longer… I think I would have started to lose a lot of those memories… Maybe that was his plan? Its honestly really scary to think about…
I hate myself for what I'd done… I was so cruel to you during times when you didn't need it. You thought you lost Arial and Eras and I just… up and started a fight with you… I know I just about destroyed you that night and I'm so sorry…
I wish I could take it all back… I wish I never met him. I know I wasn't kind when I met him… but I hadn't done anything so stupid yet… Maybe I could have avoided it? I never wanted to put you through so much stress… Forcing you to come home and put your work to the side just to watch and care for me…
Then I started to pull away… not feeling good as he was taking as much as he could from me. I felt… so numb unless I was by his side. He blocked off my emotions. I couldn't feel… anything… It hurts knowing that he robbed me of so much… I feel so guilty that during the birth of the twins… of Impact… I felt nothing… Even though I know they are the most precious things in our lives right now, and I adore them!
I… want to get better… I want to say sorry to all the people I've hurt. I… don't know how much I can handle right now, but I still want to… I don't want to lose anything else. Or anyone else.
Could… I start with my other letters? I have a lot I need to mail out. I made so many of them to apologize and thank everyone who helped me, even when I was being a downright terror… and not in the funny way like when Sans calls me "Mighty Terror" either…
I haven't felt like that in a long time.
I just… wanted you to know what I've been thinking of, what I want to do… I want to get back into music. I want to play again since Luke took that away from me months ago. Music was my solace, but he refused to let me feel anything when I played. I can't tell you how elated I felt when you sang a lullaby that night I came home for the little ones… I cried… it was so beautiful…
And I could feel again…
I'm sorry, this letter is a jumbled mess, like everything about me.
But… I really, really love you Angel… you've always been there for me no matter what, before and after we lost our parents. You never gave in, ever. You were always fighting for us to be together and to be happy. Especially me. You took over being Mom and Dad. I honestly don't know what I'd do without you…
But I know I don't want to find out…
I know… I don't deserve it… but… will you stay with me?
The letter trailed off then. It seemed by the end of such a heartfelt note that Frisk had cried. Tear drops were dried into the pages where she'd not written on. I slowly looked up at my sister, seeing how she still wasn't looking at me while she focused on another letter she was writing. She herself had let loose a good number of tears while she sat there. Once again staining her pages.
My hands carefully landed on her shoulders. I didn't want to startle her too badly while she wasn't in the best emotional state. Frisk stopped her writing, setting down the pen she was using.
Once she had stopped her actions, I turned around her chair to yank her into my arms. The startled squeal that came out of her echoed in her room, while her arms hovered around my body, but didn't return the hug.
"Of course, I'm here to help you. I'm not going anywhere." I pulled her back so she could look into my eyes. Tears already running rampant the second she focused in on me. "Do you honestly think that after all the years I spent loving you and raising you that some psychopathic asshole who controlled you was going to take you away from me? Not on your life."
"I'm sorry…" Her words came out more like a garbled mess as she sobbed, muffled by snot and tears. But I could read her lips as they wobbled. Her words came clearer to me than most times. She latched onto me then, hugging me tightly as we stood there in her room. "I'm… s-so sorry…"
"And I forgive you. I never was mad, just worried about you." I pulled the girl back just enough so I could see the scrunched-up face covered in tears. She looked so happy in those moments. I tried to ignore the line of snot that attached her nose to my shirt. "We'll get better, together. Okay? You're not alone and that rude son of a bitch, excuse my language, is never going to get his mitts on you ever again."
Through her tears she began to laugh. I tried to be good about keeping the swearing down to extremely low or non-existent levels. But it seemed my impromptu terrible comment was enough to get her to show me a smile. A real smile. Something that I hadn't seen in so long.
"Good, now how about we have a family meal together? All the fixings. Everything tasty, probably somewhat fatty, with a little bit of good in between?"
"R-really?" Her lower lip wobbled in her jaw. "W-what are you thinking?"
"Oh, all sorts of goodies!" I wiggled my eye brows at her. "Come on, you can help me make your favorite."
Her eyes lit up at the notion. "L-lemon sponge pie?"
I pulled her along after me with the largest smile on my face in a long time. "Of course. How could we have ribs, homemade mac and cheese, and our specialty stir-fry without lemon sponge pie for dessert?"
She sniffled, but it was partnered with a smile. "I-I don't know…"
"Good, because there is no answer to that question." Out her door we went and down to the kitchen we moved. "Come on, let's get Papy to help us and Sans to bring down the kids. It'll be a family event. We can even invite Gram."
Her tears couldn't stop in those moments, yet I'd like to believe they were happy tears rather than guilty ones. She followed after me like a lost puppy to the lower levels where our family slowly gathered and a lively night came forward.
It was the beginning steps to healing her soul.
Witch's Note:
Oh my goodness... reading this chapter always brings tears to my eyes! Look at how Frisk is struggling! Oh the poor girl...
Mystic Girl: (She pops her head in from where she's been busy with her most recent prey as well as hunting for the doctor. I could see the tired look in her eyes when she snipped at me.) You know, you're the reason this happened. You wrote it.
Me: (I raised an eyebrow.) And you're the one who created Luke, so I don't want to hear it.
Mystic Girl: I may have made him, but now we get to destroy him. Don't ruin this for me!
Me: Well, okay then. (I rolled my eyes before turning away and back to my computer.) Anyway, let's go ahead and jump over to reviews!
Thechaosmaster: My oh my, you are having lots of fun with this I see! Glad that you're enjoying making Luke suffer.
And yes! The doctor escaped, so there is more work to be done on that front, even I don't know where he is.
And as for the others... I hope their well too. it's not often they don't review, but I do understand many of them are busy with school and jobs. Sometimes they don't have the time to review and that's okay. I do wish them well regardless.
Dasansi: It's great to see you all back! And you are right in certain areas where perhaps I could have included more drama into the court case rather than make it rather one sided. But thinking as logically as I could about it, first, I thought it would be good to offer a bit of a break after all that had happened with Frisk in the previous chapters (plus look at the poor girl now!) and Angel wouldn't want to allow the defense to have a chance to make an argument. She would know the person she's presenting to by working with her in the past, and trying to get the best serving of justice for her sister who was wronged.
At least, that's the way I see it.
And as for your last request, I can't promise we'll have large amounts of Asgore as we move on through the story. The story is focusing more on Angel and her family, as well as her siblings. The four of them, as well as their kids, are taking the center stage for the moment, but that perhaps will change too down the line. I will say that Asriel you'll start to see more here and there, especially since he's one of Frisk's friends who will be making more appearances as they grow, get through school, and begin their adult lives. And especially as she recovers from the emotional trauma.
Shadow8Phantom: I'm glad you liked the way I brought Asriel back into the fray! It was difficult back in the beginning when I first started working on it, but after a lot of time of editing and what not, I'm feeling pretty good about it all!
Yeah, pretty much all of that family is pretty toxic. I tried to make the husband more agreeable or realistic to his set up, but his wife is horrid and his sons are even worse, probably due to his horrible wife. We'll have to see what happens if they happen to appear again, but it won't be for a while with a sentence like that unless Angel and her family leave Terians land.
And yes! Isn't it nice to see a villain getting a second chance to try and screw things over? I friggin love it, and hopefully you and the others will love this new baddy who has recruited our fowl doctor. I'm going to try and keep them a secret as much as possible, but who knows?
Lots of things are being planned!
Not A Shady Guy: Hey Shady! You're back! Figured you were busy with school and that's why you didn't respond last week. No worries. Oh? And you didn't get into the school you wanted? I'm sorry, but you got into another reasonable one that you liked, right? I'm not sure how school works in different areas. Is this a college?
And as for the doctor guy… yeah, we got a lot of work ahead of us. Plus, we gotta find him!
Phew, that's all we've got for this week. Sorry Mystic didn't say as much, but she I know is very busy hunting down that doctor that went missing and making sure Luke is suffering. I'll try to get her to come out next week if I can, no promises though.
Anyway, love you all and see you next week! We have a few tough weeks ahead of us as we see our dearest Frisk overcome all that has happened to her.
Halloween Witch and Mystic Girl