Toriel was talking to Rudy at the edge of Snowdin Town, waiting for Papyrus to come back with the children. He was still quite the jolly fellow, reminding her of her ex-husband in a way. He asked many questions but seemed to avoid talking about whether or not she was married.
He was in the middle of talking about his eldest daughter when they heard a creaking sound. They turned their heads to see Papyrus and the children walking across the bridge.
"Greeting, Papyrus," she said to the skeleton.
"GREETINGS, FRISK'S MOM. I HAVE MOST WONDEROUS NEWS!" he said.
"Are the kids old enough to look after themselves, now?" Rudy joked.
"UM, NO. IN FACT, WE HAD A REMINDER AS TO WHY I'M IN CHARGE," Papyrus responded.
"What happened?" Toriel asked as the group finished crossing the bridge.
"WELL, THE CHILDREN WERE PLAYING 'TAG', AND I WAS KEEPING WATCH," Papyrus began. "BUT DURING THE GAME, NOELLE GOT THE… NOT SO GREAT IDEA TO CLIMB A TREE TO AVOID GETTING TAGGED."
"What?" Rudy asked, the smile on his face replaced with worry.
"DON'T WORRY, I TALKED TO HER, AND SHE AGREED TO NOT TRY IT AGAIN WITHOUT PROPER SUPERVISION," Papyrus said.
"So she wasn't hurt?" Rudy asked.
"WELL, I DIDN'T SAY THAT," Papyrus nervously responded.
"Papyrus, you're killing me here," Rudy said. "What happened?"
"WELL, AFTER TELLING HER IT WAS A BAD IDEA, SHE TRIED TO GET DOWN FROM THE TREE. UNFORTUNATELY, SHE SLIPPED AND FELL ON THE GROUND," he said rapidly. "DON'T WORRY! AS YOU CAN SEE, SHE'S FINE NOW!" he immediately assured Rudy and pointed to the young girl next to him. "HOWEVER, IT SEEMS THAT IN HER FALL, SHE… BROKE HER ARM. NOT BADLY! BUT I DO BELIEVE IT BROKE."
"Oh my, are you…" Rudy began to say to his daughter when Papyrus' wording registered. "Wait… you said 'broke'. As in, it was broken."
"YES, THAT'S THE WONDROUS NEWS," Papyrus said. "YOU SEE, WHILE WE WERE ALL TRYING TO HELP NOELLE FEEL BETTER, FRISK CAME FORWARD AND HEALED HER ARM!"
Rudy looked in shock at the kid next to his daughter. "They… healed her?"
"YES! WITH A HEALING SPELL," Papyrus explained. "IT WAS AMAZING! I'VE NEVER SEEN SUCH A POWERFUL GLOW FROM ANOTHER MONSTER. EXCEPT THEIR OWN MOTHER."
Toriel was skeptical. "Are you sure it was Frisk that did it?"
"YES! IT WAS THE MOST AMAZING THING I HAVE EVER SEEN. THERE'S NOT EVEN A TRACE OF NOELLE'S INJURY."
"Hmm. And are you sure that her arm was even broken?" Toriel questioned.
"UM, PRETTY SURE. AT LEAST, SHE WAS ACTING LIKE IT WAS," Papyrus said, puzzled.
"You sound like you don't believe the kid," Rudy noticed.
"I do not," Toriel said.
Papyrus' jaw fell. "BUT… I SAW IT, THEY HEALED HER ARM."
"Papyrus, Frisk cannot use magic," Toriel said. "I doubt they would be able to use one of the most difficult spells there are, especially at their age."
"But I did do it, mommy," Frisk protested. "I healed her."
"I am afraid that is just not possible, Frisk," Toriel said. "You cannot manage even a simple bullet. Healing magic is far beyond your abilities. Even I did not manage it until I was much older."
"But…"
"Well, this has been exciting, but I believe it is time Frisk and I departed," Toriel said, picking up her child. "I trust you can return the rest of the children to their respective families?" she asked the skeleton.
"UM, YES, I CAN. BUT, MS. FRISK'S MOM, THEY REALLY DID…"
"Goodbye for today, Rudy. Perhaps we shall see each other tomorrow."
"Um, okay," Rudy said, waving to the woman as she crossed the bridge.
Papyrus got the rest of the kids home before going to his house. He was disappointed that Toriel didn't believe him about Frisk. Perhaps his brother would.
He opened the door to find Sans swigging from a bottle of ketchup.
"sup. good day?" he asked.
"IT WAS," Papyrus said. "WE HAD A SLIGHT MISHAP, BUT IT FIXED ITSELF."
"that's good," Sans commented.
"ALSO, FRISK USED HEALING MAGIC! INCREDIBLE, RIGHT?"
"yeah, sure," Sans said nonchalantly.
"IT IS! IT WAS AMAZING, HOW EASILY THEY DID IT, TOO."
"yeah, sure," Sans said, still sipping from his bottle.
Papyrus' expression dipped into a frown. "YOU DON'T BELIEVE ME, DO YOU?"
"sure i do, bro," Sans said.
"NO YOU DON'T. I CAN TELL."
"nah, i fully believe you," Sans said, still taking sips from his bottle.
Papyrus could tell Sans didn't. And that hurt more than Frisk's mom. "NO, YOU DON'T. YOU'RE LYING TO ME," he said, disappointed.
Sans caught on that he said the wrong thing. "hey, bro, it's fine. it's just a joke, right?"
"NO IT'S NOT!" Papyrus all but screamed. "I'M BEING SERIOUS, SANS. FRISK USED MAGIC AND HEALED NOELLE'S ARM AFTER SHE BROKE IT."
"her arm got broken? is she okay?" Sans asked, concerned.
"YES! I JUST SAID THAT FRISK HAD HEALED HER," Papyrus answered.
"you sure?"
"YES, I'M SURE! I KNOW I DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT KIDS, BUT I DO KNOW THEY HAVE A MAJOR REACTION TO INJURY. AND SHE DIDN'T STOP CRYING UNTIL AFTER FRISK FIXED HER."
Now Sans was confused. "you sure she was hurt?"
"SANS, SHE WOULDN'T BE CRYING THAT MUCH IF SHE WASN'T. AND I DIDN'T SEE ANY EXTERNAL WOUNDS. ERGO, THE WOUND WAS INTERNAL, ERGO, HER ARM WAS BROKEN."
"hmm…" Sans hummed. "and you're sure it was frisk that did the healing?"
"YES! IT WAS!" Papyrus insisted. "WHY DON'T YOU BELIEVE ME?"
"well, for one thing, frisk can't do magic," Sans explained. "so, the idea of them doing the most difficult of all kinds of magic isn't possible."
"WHY? THEY'RE A MONSTER JUST LIKE US, RIGHT?" Papyrus retorted. "I KNOW HEALING MAGIC IS HARD, BUT IS IT REALLY THAT IMPOSSIBLE? SURELY, THEY'D BE ABLE TO MANAGE SOMETHING."
Sans was trying to logic this conundrum out in his head, swigging ketchup all the while. Frisk being capable of magic wasn't possible, as they were human, and humans couldn't do magic, at least not without practice.
But Papyrus seemed fully convinced that Frisk had healed Noelle. There was the possibility that Papyrus was just messing with him, but with how hurt he was by Sans' attitude, that must not have been the case. Which meant Papyrus was telling the truth.
But how? Frisk couldn't use magic, and yet, Papyrus thought they did. Where was the flaw?
He thought on it harder. Papyrus claimed that Noelle broke her arm while playing. If that had happened, and her parents saw, they'd probably lose faith in Papyrus' abilities. But… given that Papyrus didn't seem too bothered, it meant that the evidence was gone. Which meant Noelle's arm had been healed.
Could it be possible that the injury wasn't real, or that Papyrus overreacted? Papyrus wouldn't lie about such a thing, as doing so would damage his reputation and possibly lose him the few friends he had. On the other hand, being honest about it happening showed that Papyrus was trustworthy, partially repairing the damage that revealing it would do. And Papyrus wouldn't overreact to something like a scuffed arm, which meant the injury was real.
But therein lie the problem. How was it healed? It had to have been from someone who knew healing magic. Who had those qualifications and was present? The ones present were Papyrus himself, Frisk, and an assortment of young Monsters.
Right off the bat Sans could eliminate his bro from the list. As caring as he was, he didn't yet know healing magic. Though he was trying. And the monster children knowing a healing spell was unlikely as most of them couldn't even use magic.
But that left Frisk, who was human, and thus by default was incapable. But Papyrus claimed they were the one that did it. How? Humans, as far as he knew, couldn't use magic. So how could Papyrus think they did it?
Was Papyrus mistaken as to the cause? Did Frisk even heal or did Noelle arm just mend itself? That couldn't be true. Her body wouldn't be able to mend itself that fast without magic.
Perhaps some unknown party? But the only ones that fit were the Royal Guard and none of them knew any kind of healing spell.
Which meant that it had to have been someone present using magic. It couldn't be Papyrus. It probably wasn't the other kids, so that left Frisk again. But yet again, it just couldn't be them.
Sans realized he was going in circles. He needed some kind of breakthrough. Something that definitively told him the truth. The only possibility was that Frisk had somehow been able to use one of the hardest spells known to Monsterkind, despite being human.
Sans kept trying to find an alternative, but every possibility came up as impossible. Which meant… that Frisk, a human baby, had used magic. Noelle's arm had been broken and Frisk had to heal her.
Papyrus claimed that's what happened, seemed to really believe it and his brother was a horrible liar.
Which meant he had been telling the truth!
Sans spat out the ketchup he was drinking as that realization struck him.
"SANS! YOU RUINED MY SHIRT!" Papyrus said.
But Sans wasn't listening. He was choking on the ketchup that got lodged in his throat as he tried to process that bombshell.
Frisk could use magic.
A human could use magic.
Without any aid.
Without any focus.
And healing magic.
The hardest of all.
Sans couldn't believe it. So much was going through his skull that he couldn't make sense of it. How could it be possible? How could it be remotely possible? Everything they knew about humans said that it shouldn't have been possible. Humans were strong physically but weak magically. It was why Monsters were able to do as well as they did in the war. Humans, without any tools, found magic nigh impossible to do.
Sans tried to figure out how it happened but he just couldn't. He couldn't see how it was possible. Unless… Frisk wasn't a human. Could he have been mistaken? Could Toriel? Could they both have wrongly believed that Frisk was a different species? Or were they a type of Monster that they weren't familiar with?
"SANS, ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME?" Papyrus questioned, bringing the shorter skeleton back to the present.
"huh?"
"I SAID, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO WASH MY SHIRT TO GET THE KETCHUP OUT," Papyrus repeated.
"oh, uh, sure, bro. i'll… try."
"REALLY?" Papyrus asked skeptically. "YOU'LL ACTUALLY TRY TO WASH IT?"
"yeah, i'll try. can't promise i'll get the stain out, but i'll at least try."
"SPLENDID!" Papyrus took the ruined shirt off, tossing it to Sans. "WELL, I'LL GO PUT ON A NEW SHIRT WHILE YOU CLEAN THAT. AND I EXPECT IT TO BE RETURNED TO ITS ORIGINAL CONDITION. I REFUSE TO WEAR IT IF IT ISN'T CLEANED."
The taller skeleton went upstairs to his room while Sans took the shirt, hoping to get it cleaned pronto. He was still reeling from the previous revelation. How could Frisk have done it? If they were a Monster, did Toriel know? He had to ask her. But she was probably already back in the Ruins by now. So, he'd have to ask tomorrow.
The next day, Sans went with Papyrus to the town entrance where all the kids were congregating for their daily playtime. Sans did suggest to Papyrus that he keep the kids within town for today, for safety.
Toriel was the last to arrive carrying Frisk in her arms.
"Greetings," she said. "We have returned."
"Papy!" Frisk said upon seeing Papyrus.
"HELLO, FRISK. GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN. WE'LL BE PLAYING WITHIN THE TOWN FOR TODAY."
"Okay," Frisk said as Toriel set them down.
"Hello, my friend," Toriel greeted Sans.
"heya. mind if we chat for a bit?"
"Not at all. Have fun, my child," Toriel said to Frisk as Papyrus escorted his posse.
"So, what did you want to discuss?"
"not here. we need to do this somewhere more… private," Sans explained.
"Oh. Where to?"
"this way," Sans said, taking her arm. Next thing she knew she was in the forest on the outskirts of town. "this is as good a place as any."
"How did…?" Toriel questioned.
"now, it's about your kid," Sans explained.
"What about them?"
"well, first, are you sure they're human?"
It made Toriel shiver slightly to hear someone say that. But she nodded in response to his question. "Yes, I am certain."
"how?"
"I know what a human looks like, Sans. Yes, they are very young, but I can see the traits that make them human."
"and you're sure they're not… you know, some kind of monster?"
Toriel glared at Sans. "Sans, I was there when Frisk was born. I helped their mother give birth to them. And she was human. I am completely certain that they are human."
"wait… you were? how?" Sans asked, in reference to Frisk's birth and Toriel being there.
Toriel glanced over her shoulder just to make sure no one was there. "Frisk did not fall into the Underground, Sans. They were born here. Their mother is who fell. I helped her to my house and tried to aid her but she died while having them. Frisk has been in my care ever since."
Sans was shocked. That he hadn't been expecting. At least it confirmed that Frisk was human. But that still left a very large hole in his logic. Somehow, Frisk used healing magic, despite not being a Monster, but how?
"well, that's good to hear," Sans said. "unfortunately, that raises a slight problem."
"How so?"
"well, my bro told me something interesting yesterday," Sans explained. "he said that frisk used a healing spell on noelle."
"Yes, he mentioned that," Toriel said. "Your brother has quite the imagination."
"except, uh, he was tellin' the truth," Sans explained.
"That is ridiculous," Toriel retorted. "Frisk is human. They are not capable of magic."
"that's what i thought. but paps seems convinced that they did in fact heal the girl."
"That is not possible," Toriel insisted.
"i know. i've been tryin' to figure it out. and the only explanation i could come up with was that the kid did in fact heal noelle."
"Is it not possible that your brother was making things up?" Toriel questioned.
"well, i thought that's what he was doin'. but he seemed disappointed that i didn't believe him. so that tells me he wasn't lying. and before you try to say someone else did it, the guards don't have that ability and i doubt any of the kids present could have done it."
Toriel was puzzled. "But… that would mean that somehow, Frisk healed her. But humans cannot use magic."
"well, yours did, apparently," Sans stated.
Toriel tried to refute it, provide some flaw in the logic, but the more she thought about it, the harder she reasoned, the more she realized that it couldn't be the case. Bit by bit, she realized that Papyrus must have been telling the truth. And, as she also thought about it, Frisk had been rather insistent yesterday that they had done magic.
Realization set in as she recalled how she treated their actions. She had dismissed them somewhat cruelly, not believing that her child had somehow done the impossible. No wonder Frisk had been so sad the rest of the day.
"Oh dear. They were being honest. And I did not believe them," she said in horror, hands covering her mouth.
"i think the kid will be willing to forgive ya," Sans said. "ya just gotta tell them you believe them now."
"But… how?" Toriel questioned. "How could they have done even a single spell?"
"dunno. i tried to figure it out and i can't," Sans said. "somehow, they're able to do magic like us."
Toriel sighed before turning to Sans. "Thank you for telling me this," she said. "I do not think I could have been convinced otherwise."
"no prob. that's what i'm here for," Sans said.
The two returned to town, but as they did, they noticed a crowd gathering near the plaza.
"What is going on?" Toriel questioned.
Sans stopped a Monster to ask them. "hey, wha's going on?" he asked.
"Oh, the king is visiting today," the Monster explained. "He's going to the plaza to meet everyone!"
Toriel and Sans glanced at each other in worry when they heard that. They immediately ran off to find Frisk before Asgore did.
Frisk was playing with their friends near the river, building a snowman with Papyrus' help. As they worked, they were discussing what species to make it.
"I vote a lizard," MK said.
"I say a bird," Snowy said.
"I'd like it to be a deer," Noelle suggested.
"I THINK THE OBVIOUS CHOICE IS A SKELETON," Papyrus stated.
"Why not all?" Frisk wondered.
"I don't think we have enough snow for that," MK said.
"Oh," Frisk said, disappointed. "How about… deer then."
"I go with it," Noelle said.
"Hm… I guess it'd be easier than lizard," MK said. "We just add sticks."
"I still say bird," Snowy insisted.
"YOU'RE OUTVOTED," Papyrus said. "ESPECIALLY SINCE I'M CHANGING MY VOTE TO DEER."
They got to work building it. Noelle found sticks to use for arms and antlers. Papyrus jabbed the sticks into the snowman's head, which was situated on its body. Once done they stepped back to admire their work.
"So cool," MK said. "Glad we went with deer."
"Me too," Noelle said.
"What's so cool about a snowdeer?" Snowy retorted, picking up two sticks and holding them to his head. "It's just a pile of snow with sticks. A bird looks better."
"I think it look cool," Frisk rebutted, picking up two sticks and putting them in their hair, managing to get them standing upright.
"Hee hee, Frisk," Noelle giggled. "That's silly."
"I like this," Frisk said. Pretty soon, noise came up behind them.
"What's with the sound?" Snowy wondered.
"I'LL GO SEE. STAY NEXT TO ME," Papyrus said, walking to the gathering crowd. "EXCUSE ME, WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?"
"Oh, the king of Monsters is coming to Snowdin today!" a Monster said.
"REALLY? HE'S COMING HERE?"
"Who?" Frisk asked.
"THE KING OF ALL MONSTERS," Papyrus explained. "HE'S A BIG FUZZY PUSHOVER. THIS IS A GREAT DAY!"
"Can we see him?" MK asked.
"I DON'T SEE WHY NOT," Papyrus shrugged. "JUST… GOTTA FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET THROUGH THIS CROWD."
Frisk didn't really want to wait. They were rather short and found they could slip through the legs of the adults easily. They walked through the crowd, beneath their notice, trying to find the king, wondering what he looked like.
Meanwhile, Noelle noticed Frisk leave and tried to get Papyrus' attention. "HMM… HOW TO KEEP US ALL IN THE SAME GROUP WHILST NAVIGATING THIS CROWD?"
"Um, Mr. Skeleton?" Noelle asked.
"YES?"
"Frisk went into the crowd."
"WHAT?!" Papyrus looked around, noticing the lack of the yellow-skinned Monster. "OH NO! WE HAVE TO GET THEM!" He barged into the crowd, forcing them to part so he could get through with the kids following in his wake.
Frisk kept walking below the crowd, navigating a sea of legs and tails to find the king. They heard someone shout 'king' and saw them point at something. Frisk tried to make their way through the crowd and noticed a clearing ahead. Just as they were about to enter it, someone stepped on their coat, pinning the sleeve under their foot.
Frisk tried to get them to let go but was having no luck. Eventually, they decided to slip out of their coat instead. Just as they did, however, the foot let up and Frisk shot into the clearing, tumbling through the snow before colliding with something firm yet soft.
"What was that?" said a very deep voice.
Frisk fell back into the snow and looked up at the towering figure whose leg they collided with. He turned to them with a smile, which morphed into shock when he took them in.
Frisk wasn't sure who he was, but the crown on his head, the purple cloak and gold armor said 'king' to them. Though what stood out to them the most was how much like Toriel he looked.
As they sat up, they voiced that observation. "You look like mommy," they said.
The king of Monster looked down at Frisk in shock as they got to their feet. They shivered as the cold started to get to them. "Where my coat?" they questioned, looking around and in the snow.
"You're… you…" The tall Monster was struck dumb by their presence, unable to say anything.
Frisk found their coat and did their best to put it back on. "My name is Frisk," they said to him, with a big smile.
"Um… uh…"
"FRISK!" Papyrus shoved his way through the last of the crowd, the others behind him. "THERE YOU ARE! YOU CAN'T JUST GO RUNNING OFF. IF YOUR MOTHER KNEW I LET YOU OUT OF MY SIGHT… WELL, I'M NOT SURE WHAT SHE'D DO TO ME, BUT I DON'T THINK IT'D BE ANYTHING NICE."
"Sorry, Papy," Frisk apologized, the skeleton looking them over to make sure they were unhurt.
Eventually, Papyrus realized that Asgore was present. "OH, HELLO, MR. DREEMURR! SORRY ABOUT THIS. FRISK WAS JUST EXCITED."
The king shook his head, apparently coming back to his senses. "It is no bother, Papyrus," he said. "Um, did you say you were watching them for their mother?" he asked.
"INDEED. I'M WATCHING ALL THESE KIDS FOR THEIR PARENTS," Papyrus proclaimed, sweeping his arm to show the rest of the kids. "I'M SOMETHING OF AN UNOFFICIAL BABYSITTER NOW."
Asgore smiled at that.
"Hi, Uncle Asgore," Noelle said.
"Howdy," Asgore greeted. "How are you, Noelle?"
"Uncle?" Frisk asked.
"I'm good friends with her father, Rudy," Asgore explained. "So, who is this child's mother?"
"HMM," Papyrus hummed. "I DON'T KNOW. I'VE NEVER LEARNED HER NAME. THOUGH I DO KNOW SHE LOOKS LIKE YOU. COME TO THINK OF IT, SHE ALMOST LOOKS LIKE YOUR CLONE. IF YOUR CLONE SHAVED, THAT IS."
Asgore chuckled at Papyrus' comment. "Perhaps I could aid in finding her? I would like to speak with this woman."
"I DON'T SEE WHY NOT," Papyrus eagerly agreed. "THOUGH FINDING HER IN THIS CROWD MIGHT BE A BIT OF A PROBLEM."
"Maybe mommy will come to us?" Frisk suggested.
"GOOD IDEA, FRISK. SO WE SHALL WAIT RIGHT HERE," Papyrus declared. He turned to the king. "I'VE HEARD YOU'RE STILL PLANNING TO BREAK THE BARRIER."
"Yes, for now," Asgore confirmed.
"Barrier?" Frisk parroted.
"OH, RIGHT, YOU PROBABLY DON'T KNOW," Papyrus realized. "THE BARRIER IS THE MAGICAL SEAL THAT KEEPS US UNDERGROUND. IT WAS MADE BY HUMANS SO THAT ONLY BEINGS WITH A POWERFUL SOUL COULD LEAVE."
"Would my Soul let me leave?" Frisk questioned.
Asgore was about to speak when Papyrus beat him to it. "I HIGHLY DOUBT IT, FRISK. WE MONSTERS JUST DON'T HAVE THE SOULS NEEDED TO PASS THROUGH. YOU PROBABLY WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO CROSS."
"Aw…" Frisk pouted.
"BUT, FROM WHAT I'VE HEARD, IF ANOTHER HUMAN COMES DOWN HERE, KING ASGORE COULD USE THEIR SOUL TO BREAK THE BARRIER AND FREE US ALL," Papyrus assured.
"Really?"
"YES. WE JUST NEED ONE MORE SOUL, THEN WE CAN ALL GO TO THE SURFACE," the skeleton confirmed.
"Wow! Can I help find a human?"
"SURE. YOU COULD TAKE MY BROTHER'S PLACE AS A SENTRY WHEN YOU'RE OLDER," Papyrus said. "HE BARELY DOES HIS JOB ANYWAY."
As Papyrus and Frisk continued to talk about catching humans, Asgore watched in silence. He was trying to process the bombshells that those two had innocently dropped in the space of one conversation. The one he was focusing on was that Frisk seemed oblivious to them being human. He wondered if they could be lying, but at their age, that didn't seem likely.
"HEY, I JUST HAD AN IDEA HOW WE CAN FIND FRISK'S MOM," Papyrus said. "YOUR MAJESTY, IF YOU COULD LOWER YOUR HEAD A LITTLE."
Asgore did as requested, bending forward enough that Papyrus could reach his head. Then, without asking, Papyrus placed Frisk on Asgore's shoulders.
"OKAY, YOU CAN STAND UP NOW."
Asgore straightened and Frisk grabbed his horns for balance, then stood on his shoulders.
"THERE! NOW SHE WON'T BE ABLE TO MISS YOU, AND FRISK CAN LOOK FOR THEIR MOM," Papyrus said, pleased with himself.
"Wow, Papy, that great. I can see the whole town from here!" Frisk exclaimed, looking over all of Snowdin.
Asgore nervously chuckled as he moved in slow and controlled manners, mindful of Frisk.
Then, Frisk yanked Asgore's horns to the left, making him turn that way.
"There she at!" Frisk exclaimed, pointing to the towering goat woman in the crowd, who was frantically looking for someone. "Mommy!" Frisk shouted, one hand to the side of their mouth. They repeated the call a few more times until she looked in their direction. Her eyes went wide when she took in the sight.
She started moving her way through the crowd to them, Papyrus hopping up to get a glimpse of her. "YEP, THAT'S THEIR MOM ALRIGHT," Papyrus said.
After a minute, Toriel finished shoving her way through the crowd to the small clearing Asgore stood in.
"Frisk!" she exclaimed.
"Mommy, lookie! It the king!" Frisk cheerfully said, bouncing on the balls of their feet. "He so fluffy." They emphasized it by running a hand through his hair.
Asgore gently reached up to pluck Frisk off his shoulders. "I believe this is yours," he said to Toriel, handing her the kid.
Once in her arms, she began fussing. "My child, are you alright? Are you injured?"
"I fine," Frisk assured. "The king is really nice."
"What are you doing with him?" Toriel demanded.
"I just wanted to see him," Frisk said sheepishly, catching on that Toriel was upset. "Please no mad, mom."
"I AM SORRY," Papyrus said. "THEY FORGED AHEAD THROUGH THE CROWD WHEN I WASN'T LOOKING. MY APOLOGIES."
Once she was satisfied that Frisk was unharmed, she turned a glare on Asgore. Sans came up a moment later.
"what'd i miss?" he asked.
"Papyrus, take the children somewhere else," Toriel said without looking at the younger skeleton.
"UM, SURE," Papyrus said hesitantly, taking Frisk from her. "COME, MY POSSE, WE HAVE FORTS TO BUILD FOR THE NEXT SNOW WAR."
"Snow war!" the kids all cheered as they left the adults behind. The crowd had dispersed during the whole conversation, sensing that they wouldn't get a chance to talk with their king for a while.
Once the last Monster was out of earshot, Asgore spoke first. "Tori, it's so good to see you."
"Do not 'Tori' me, Dreemurr," she said sharply. "Why are you here?"
"Doing my duty to my people," Asgore explained. "I walk around all over the Underground, talking to everyone to make sure they are doing fine."
"And what were you doing with my child?" she demanded.
"I was talking to someone when I felt them bump into my leg," he explained. "I… it took me by surprise when I saw them. They… they are…"
"yeah, they are," Sans confirmed.
"Sans," Toriel said sharply.
"what? he already knew," Sans retorted.
"They… did not seem to be aware of what they really are," Asgore spoke.
"kid thinks they're one of us," Sans explained. "doesn't seem to be aware of what they really are. in fact, i'm now questioning if they really are what they appear."
"What do you mean?" Asgore asked.
"It does not matter," Toriel interjected. "I do not want you anywhere near my child," she said to her ex-husband. "If you kill them, I will show no mercy."
Asgore was shocked by her bluntness before turning. "It matters little," he said. "I will not seek them out if that is what you wish. But… if they should desire to leave… then my hands will be tied." He began walking away. "I shall be at my castle if they should ever seek me out. Also, Toriel," he gave her a sad smile, "it was nice to see you again." Then, he left.
Toriel's claws were digging into her palms, so much so that little bits of dust were leaking out. Once he was gone she forced her hands to relax. Then she began walking in the direction Papyrus took the kids.
"wait, old lady, maybe think about this," Sans said, chasing after her.
She found the group of kids working on their forts. Frisk was with Papyrus, Noelle and MK again.
"My child, we are leaving," Toriel said.
"But mommy," Frisk tried to protest.
"No 'buts'. Come over here," she insisted.
"Okay. Bye, guys," they said to the others.
"Bye, Frisk. See you later!" Noelle said.
"Bye, dude!" MK waved with his tail.
"BYE BYE FOR NOW!" Papyrus added.
Toriel picked Frisk up and began walking back to the Ruins.
"I sorry, mommy," Frisk apologized, sensing that Toriel was in a foul mood.
"It is not your fault, Frisk," she said.
Just as the Ruins doors came into view Sans appeared from the tree line.
"tor, wait," he pleaded. "think this through, first. think about what you're doing."
"I am protecting my child," she said.
"you'll hurt the kid," Sans said. "and you'll hurt yourself. don't do this."
Toriel didn't respond. She just walked through the large purple doors, closing them behind her. She returned to her house, setting Frisk on the floor.
"Today was fun. I not wait for tomorrow!" Frisk said, running to their room.
Toriel did her best to hide her guilt from that statement. But she had made up her mind. She wasn't going to let Frisk go back. She should never have even let them out of the Ruins in the first place. Well, she was fixing that, starting now. She was never going to lose Frisk. And she knew it would hurt them, but she wasn't going to bend. She couldn't lose them.
She wouldn't.
End of Chapter 5