#asgore is a good father and I will die on this hill

[jmbringitonworld]

A Good Father

AO3 link for those who prefer to read fics there.

It's Father's Day where I live, and since I wrote something for Mother's Day, I just HAD to do something special for this day as well. I had a busy day today, so this is coming out later than I'd hoped, but the day still isn't quite over yet, so it still counts as a Father's Day fic!

I'm really excited about this fic, because it introduces a new AU idea which I've quickly become obsessed with, and it also stars one of my absolute favourite Undertale characters: Asgore Dreemurr, the Best Goat Dad Ever.

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It was another beautiful day in the Underground. Bright light from the crystals in the ceiling was streaming in through the windows, illuminating the golden flowers blooming in the Throne Room. Asgore, king of the monsters, was cheerfully humming to himself as he watered the flowers, listening to the birds singing and the distant voices of his beloved people, as they went about their day in the Capital.

Suddenly, a piercing scream rent the peaceful atmosphere, startling Asgore so badly that he dropped his watering can. Another high-pitched cry soon followed the first one, coming from the direction of the Barrier. Whoever was making that noise sounded like they were in a great deal of pain. Alarmed, Asgore dashed off towards the cries, too concerned about what could be hurting one of his subjects, to wonder how they could possibly have snuck by him while he was in his Throne Room.

When he reached the Barrier, he was astounded to find, not a monster, but a human woman, who was clearly very heavily pregnant and sporting numerous scrapes and scratches across her body, most notably a large gash on her upper arm, still slowly oozing blood. The human was leaning her full weight against the wall, barely managing to remain standing, as she clutched her protruding abdomen, sweating and panting, and moaning in pain. Asgore was momentarily struck speechless, as he stood, rooted to the spot, gaping at this most unexpected of sights.

This had never happened before. In all the years monsters had been trapped Underground, no human had ever crossed the Barrier from this side. He assumed that this entrance was either too difficult to reach, or was so obviously not something any person should go through, for none had ever tried to. Whenever a human fell, it had always been through the large, gaping hole in the ceiling of the old Home, where it was easier for someone to accidentally fall through, or where the presence of a magical forcefield was far less noticeable. And yet, here was this human, who had gone through the Barrier, despite being alone, injured, and with child.

As Asgore stared in muted shock at the intruder, the woman cowered before his towering height and monstrous appearance. Backing away from the large goat monster, the human’s legs finally gave out beneath her, and she slid to the floor. A tremor suddenly wracked her body, and she let out an agonised wail. With sweat dripping from her brow, the human turned her head towards Asgore and gazed at him consideringly, eyeing his stunned expression and regal clothing. After a few tense seconds, she seemed to push past her fear and her pain, to give him a pleading look.

“Please...! My-... my baby!... Ahh...! My baby’s coming!... Please, help us... please ,” she forced out through gritted teeth, her voice tight with pain, desperation shining in her watery eyes.

It took a couple of seconds for the human’s words to truly sink in, but when the gravity of the situation finally hit him, with all the force of a punch to the gut, Asgore gave a jolt, letting out a panicked bleat, before hurrying to the human. Bending down, he mumbled kind reassurances to her, while gathering her trembling form into his arms with a gentleness belying his massive size. He then rushed out the door, making his way swiftly, yet carefully through his castle, all while trying to avoid jostling his delicate cargo as he ran.

In the back of his mind, he knew that he should kill this human and take her Soul, for the good of his people. It was his solemn duty as king to do whatever was necessary to free his people from their imprisonment Underground, even if it meant forever staining his Soul by taking the lives of any poor human unfortunate enough to have entered his domain. And yet, he simply could not bring himself to ignore this woman’s cry for help. As tainted by LV as his Soul was, it still refused to let him ignore a person in need, no matter who they were. He could no more turn away from this human and her unborn baby, than he could shatter the Barrier with his bare hands. Despite all that he’d done, he was still a kind and compassionate person at heart.

Upon reaching his bedroom, Asgore laid the human on his bed, helping her to sit up and propping up his pillows behind her back. Once he’d made sure that she was stable and as comfortable as she was likely to get in her state, he dug his paw into his pocket and retrieved his phone. With shaking hands, he struggled briefly to punch in a number, before succeeding, and held the phone up to his ear.

The seconds ticking past felt like hours to Asgore, as he listened to the dialling tone with bated breath, keenly aware of the human in his bed, groaning and panting as her body went through the long and arduous task of giving birth to her baby. After what felt like an eternity, his call was finally answered and he heard the voice he’d been so desperate to reach.

“HELLO?”

“Wingdings!” Asgore felt like crying, so overwhelming was his relief. He unconsciously gripped his phone tighter in his hands, as he all but shouted into it. “I need your help! The human- the baby- my room-! I don’t know what to do, please come here right now , the baby could be here any moment -!”

“ASGORE, PLEASE CALM YOURSELF,” Doctor W. D. Gaster’s strong and steady voice cut through Asgore’s panicked rambling. “TAKE A DEEP BREATH AND EXPLAIN TO ME CLEARLY: WHAT EXACTLY IS GOING ON? YOU MENTIONED A HUMAN? AND A BABY?”

Asgore did as instructed, inhaling and exhaling as he tried to calm his agitated Soul, and felt his nerves settle just enough for him to resume his explanation.

“A pregnant human has just passed through the Barrier in my castle, and she is currently in labour. Please come to my room as soon as possible, Wingdings. You’re the only one knowledgeable enough on humans to be able to assist us in safely delivering the child. Please, I need your help, old friend.”

His speech was a little more rushed than usual, especially towards the end of his plea, but his voice didn’t shake. His eyes flicked to the human, still visibly (and very audibly) in pain, as he anxiously awaited the Royal Scientist’s response. Thankfully, Gaster’s reply came swiftly.

“UNDERSTOOD. I SHALL GATHER ALL THE INSTRUMENTS AND MATERIALS I REQUIRE AND BE WITH YOU IN BUT A MOMENT.”

He then promptly hung up, leaving Asgore to stare blankly at his phone for a few seconds, before a sharp cry brought him back to the matter at hand. Schooling his face into what he hoped was a reassuring look, the King under the mountain went to the human’s side, leaning over her and hesitantly placing a large, fluffy paw on her shoulder. He gave her a soft smile, as she gazed up at him, still obviously wary of him, but no longer afraid of him, given his willingness to help her in her time of need.

“Howdy. I am Asgore Dreemurr, the Monster King,” he introduced himself, making sure to keep his voice calm and gentle. The human’s eyes widened, but she didn’t pull away from him, which Asgore considered a good sign. “My Royal Scientist will be arriving shortly to lend us his aid. He is a very capable and intelligent man, who has done extensive research on humans. Besides myself, he knows the most about your kind, and I trust him implicitly to do his very best to help you and your child.”

The human nodded her head jerkily, and gave him a strained smile, the pain and exertion of childbirth painted clearly across her features. “Thank you... Your... Majesty...” she breathed shakily, each word seeming to take a tremendous amount of effort to get out. “Thank you... so much...”

Inwardly, Asgore was impressed by her ability to look him in the eyes, and speak to him so fearlessly, knowing only too well how intimidating his physical appearance was to humans. She seemed to have taken her situation in stride, despite how strange and scary it all must have been for her. Asgore couldn’t help but marvel at this small, defenceless human’s ability to trust him, a large boss monster, in spite of her vulnerable condition. He hoped that that courage would stay with her throughout her labour. She’d definitely need it.

A loud knock jolted him to attention, and he all but flew to the door. He swung it open, revealing his Royal Scientist and long-time friend, who wasted no time in pushing past the king with a brisk greeting, and moving to place his large carry bag on Asgore’s desk. The large goat monster hovered anxiously behind Gaster, unsure what to do with himself.

“Thank you for coming so quickly, and on such short notice, Wingdings. I really appreciate it,” he wrung his hands, eyeing each item the tall skeleton monster took out of his dimensional bag.

Dr. Gaster didn’t look up from his task, as he tilted his head to his king. “NO NEED FOR THANKS. IT IS MY DUTY AS YOUR SCIENTIST, AND MY DESIRE AS YOUR FRIEND.”

Asgore smiled at his back, and went over to the human’s side once again. With much more confidence than before, he patted her hand comfortingly.

“This is Doctor Wing Dings Gaster. He’s not only a brilliant scientist, but has powerful healing magic at his disposal. You’re in safe hands, I can assure you, human. The both of us will do everything in our power to help you deliver your baby safely.”

The human gave him a grateful smile, her eyes flickering to Dr. Gaster for a moment, before returning to Asgore. She turned her hand over to grasp his, squeezing it tightly as she bit out a sincere “thank you, Your Majesty”. Asgore squeezed her hand in return, before releasing it to go over to Gaster, to ask him how he could be of assistance.

The next several hours passed by in a blur, as the human woman laboured to bring her child into the world, while the two monsters worked diligently to help her. Gaster’s hands were aglow with green healing magic, hovering over the human’s abdomen, as he barked out orders at his king, and mumbled observations to himself, a look of intense focus fixed on his cracked skull. Asgore was almost constantly moving, as he rushed to hand over whatever item his scientist required, or to fetch him fresh water and clean towels, and the occasional cup of golden flower tea to replenish his energy whenever he started to wane.

The human was losing a worrying amount of blood, and despite Gaster’s best efforts, her HP continued to decline. The tall skeleton speculated that whatever she had been through before entering the Underground, it must’ve affected her so negatively that her Soul had been damaged too badly for him to heal. Perhaps if her body were not under the stress of childbirth, her Soul might eventually have recovered on its own, but as things stood, Gaster did not expect the human to survive her ordeal.

He kept that realisation to himself, however, not wishing to upset his friend and king. Instead, he resolved to at least make sure that the baby survived. He didn’t think Asgore’s soft heart could take two deaths in one day, least of all that of a baby. What would happen to that baby after it was born, though, Gaster couldn’t say. They still needed two more human Souls to break the Barrier, after all...

After what felt like an eternity to everyone in the bedroom, a baby’s wail cut through the air, momentarily halting all other noise. The two monsters both held their breath as the wailing continued, and with one final, pained cry from the human woman, a tiny, blood-coated baby was pushed all the way out of her mother’s womb and into Gaster’s waiting hands.

The doctor went to clean up the squalling newborn, and Checked them over thoroughly. With a note of relief in his voice, he announced that the child, a female, seemed to be in stable condition and showed no signs of ill health. Her Soul was also surprisingly strong for one so young. With deft hands, in spite of the large holes in their centre, he then wrapped the infant up in a soft, clean towel, and handed her to his king.

Asgore gazed down at the baby, mesmerised by how tiny she was, fitting snuggly in the palm of his large hand, all soft, wrinkly skin, warm and alive and, according to his trusted friend, blessedly healthy. A smile spread across his face. She was so beautiful... His Soul thrummed and pulsed, glowing with emotions he had not felt in so, so long. Not since the birth of his son...

A small noise from his bed drew his attention to the human, her breathing harsh, haggard, and looking utterly exhausted. Asgore quickly went to present to her, her new daughter.

“Congratulations, human. You have a healthy baby girl.” He lowered his hand towards the woman, holding the squirming newborn close to her mother’s head.

The woman turned her face towards her baby, love and relief and wonder brimming in her eyes. It seemed to take every ounce of her remaining strength, to lift her hand and place it on her daughter’s downy head. In a voice barely above a whisper, she greeted her child for the first time.

“Hello... Frisk... my baby... I’m... I’m so happy... to meet you... at last...” Her hand moved to caress her daughter’s head, the corners of her lips lifting upwards in a smile of pure adoration for the tiny life she’d created.

Asgore smiled down at the two of them, his Soul warming at the tender sight. He stilled when the mother’s eyes caught his, her gaze firm, yet pleading.

“Please, King Asgore... look after her... for me... take care of... of Frisk... please ... promise me... that you’ll take... good care... of Frisk... and love her... for me... I... beg you...” Her voice wavered, small and weak, but her tone was strong and insistent. Asgore couldn’t look away from her eyes, determination shining within them, despite everything, and the monster king found himself unable to do anything but nod to her request.

“I will. I promise. I’ll care for her and love her like my own child. You have my word, as a king, and as a father,” he vowed to her, with unwavering resolve, no hint of hesitation in his voice. It was an easy promise to make, really; his Soul was already so full of love for this precious life he had helped bring into the world. Behind him, Gaster made a noise of protest, but Asgore ignored him, his gaze fixed unblinkingly on the woman’s, trying to convey to her his earnestness.

The human smiled at him, her face softening with relief, as she sagged against the pillows. “Thank... you...” were her final words, before she closed her eyes. Her hand fell to the bed, landing on the covers with a quiet thump, and her breathing slowed to a stop, her body going completely, deathly still. She still had a smile on her face.

Asgore bowed his head to her, closing his eyes. He remained in respectful silence, while in his paw, his new daughter wailed loudly and pitifully, as if able to sense the loss of her mother. Their solemn moment was cut short when a green Soul floated out of the woman’s chest. It slowly drifted closer and closer to Asgore, before coming to stop right beside the sobbing infant.

Before Asgore could react, Gaster stepped forward, producing a specialised Soul container from his dimensional bag and using it to scoop up the human Soul, taking care not to let it touch him nor his friend. The goat monster wanted to protest, but knew the necessity of the scientist’s actions, and so merely bit his lip. He instinctively drew his newborn daughter closer to his chest, his free hand coming up to hover protectively over her.

Once the human Soul had been safely contained, and Gaster had sealed the lid shut on top of the large glass cylinder, the Royal Scientist held it up for both himself and his boss to observe. Thin, spiderweb-like cracks ran all across the heart-shaped Soul, but despite that, it still glowed a vibrant, verdant green, a testament to the strength of will of its owner. It reminded Asgore of a previous human who had fallen into his kingdom, many years ago, one whose Soul was tinted the same shade of green.

That particular person had been unusually kind and compassionate for a human, and had avoided harming even a single monster, choosing instead to flee from any encounters they were forced into. Unfortunately for them, it was in their haste to run away from the denizens of Hotland, that the human had tripped on the uneven, rocky floor and fallen into the bubbling lava below. By the time anyone was able to retrieve the Soul, it had already shattered and was lost to them forever. Asgore had grieved both the tragic loss of an innocent life, and the waste of a precious Soul, for a long time.

And now, here was another green Soul, almost as if to make up for the loss of the previous one. That meant that they now had...

“SIX HUMAN SOULS,” Gaster gazed at their latest acquisition with a carefully blank face, the long cracks on his skull seeming more pronounced. His voice was cold, clinical, his entire countenance totally emotionless. “ALL WE NEED IS ONE MORE AND THE BARRIER CAN BE BROKEN. ONE MORE HUMAN SOUL AND WE CAN ALL BE FREE.”

He glanced pointedly at the baby, sniffling softly in Asgore’s hand. With a growl, the boss monster hid his child from the other’s gaze with a large, fluffy paw, shifting his body to shield her from any possible attacks. Not that the doctor would’ve stooped to such lengths, he knew, but Asgore was taking no chances. He had already lost two children. He refused to lose another.

“You will NOT get that Soul from MY child,” he practically snarled, his magic gathering around his free hand, ready to form into his trident at a moment’s notice. The air around him started to heat up, until a whine from the baby caused Asgore to quell the fire magic threatening to burst out from his angry Soul. Gaster bowed his head low.

“MY APOLOGIES, MY KING. I MEANT NO HARM TO THE CHILD.” He sighed slightly, his impassive front melting away into a worried frown. “OTHERS, HOWEVER, MIGHT NOT BE SO AMENABLE TO YOUR WISHES. WE HAVE BEEN TRAPPED DOWN HERE FOR SO LONG, AND THE HOPE FOR FREEDOM IS ALL THAT KEEPS MANY OF YOUR SUBJECTS GOING. SHOULD THEY LEARN THAT THERE IS ANOTHER HUMAN SOUL IN THE UNDERGROUND, ONE THAT YOU REFUSE TO TAKE... I FEAR THAT THE CHILD’S FUTURE MAY BE... DARK. AND GROW YET DARKER THE LONGER SHE REMAINS ALIVE.”

Asgore let out a frustrated huff, dropping his protective stance. He understood, on a rational level, that Gaster’s words were true, and yet...

He glanced down at his newborn baby. Little Frisk had tired herself out from all of her crying, and was dozing off within her new father’s gentle hold. Asgore felt his Soul overflow with love, almost alight with the depth of his newfound devotion for this tiny creature, and pulsing in time with the rise and fall of Frisk’s chest. She had only just been born, and yet she already meant the world to him.

“Regardless of what my people demand of me, I will not yield to them my child,” his low, rumbling voice proclaimed, an oath both to Gaster and to Frisk. “That is one sacrifice I will never make. Not for anyone or anything.” He looked up at the other monster, his expression almost desperate. “ You understand my feelings, do you not old friend? You would defend your children above all else, wouldn’t you? Isn’t your youngest just a baby as well?”

Gaster looked uncomfortable, his skeletal hands clenching around the Soul container he still held. He cast his gaze to his friend’s imploring face, then to the baby, a difficult expression on his damaged skull, before he sighed, a heavy, helpless sound.

“PAPYRUS WILL BE TWO YEARS OLD IN A FEW MONTHS,” Gaster’s voice was unusually quiet, a distant, yet soft look on his bony face. “HE’S SO YOUNG AND ALREADY SO LOUD. AND SO FULL OF VIGOUR. SANS, BY CONTRAST, IS MUCH CALMER. HE’S BARELY FIVE AND YET HE DISPLAYS A MATURITY WELL BEYOND HIS YEARS. ESPECIALLY SINCE... SINCE HIS MOTHER PASSED AWAY...” The doctor’s gaze focused on the sleeping baby Asgore cradled so delicately in his hand. His eye sockets narrowed slightly, his tone becoming thoughtful. “SANS WAS ACTUALLY THE SAME SIZE AS THE- AS FRISK IS, WHEN HE WAS BORN. SUCH A SMALL BABY...”

Asgore hummed in agreement, his eyes tracing every single one of his daughter’s features, committing every detail to memory, to cherish forever. “Indeed. So small . Asriel was much bigger when he was born. Chara must have been just as little, though. Golly, humans sure are tiny and soft and vulnerable.”

Gaster gave a start at the mention of the deceased royal children, his scarred eye sockets widening. Asgore had refused to speak of either of his lost children for as long as the scientist had known him, the wounds on his Soul still too fresh, even after so many years. To hear him mention them now, so casually... Gaster could feel hope rising, unbidden, in his Soul. Maybe, just maybe, Frisk might be exactly what his friend needed to finally move on from his painful past.

Asgore raised a finger to very, very gently stroke his daughter’s chubby cheek. But even that featherlight touch was enough to rouse the newborn from her nap. With little fussing noises, Frisk blinked her eyes, swivelling her head around, her gaze unfocused. For a brief second, Frisk’s eyes met Asgore’s and he sucked in a breath. She had her mother’s eyes... Asgore hoped with all his Soul that she had also inherited her mother’s strong will. His daughter would need to be brave and determined to overcome the challenges the future would bring.

“No matter what, I will protect you, my child,” he murmured softly. Frisk’s head turned towards the sound of her father’s voice, tiny fists flailing in the air, and Asgore smiled down at her. “Not just because I love you with all my Soul, but also because I feel certain that you are the future of humans and monsters. I’d once thought the same of Chara, but... I was wrong... Now, though, I’m positive. You, Frisk, will one day bring about the future I’d always hoped for.”

Gaster gave the two of them a sceptical look. “YOU TRULY BELIEVE THAT THIS ONE, TINY HUMAN CAN CHANGE THE WORLD, WHEN YOU YOURSELF COULD NOT, WITH ALL OF YOUR POWER?”

Asgore looked straight at Gaster, staring directly into those dark eye sockets, as he replied, “I do. I genuinely believe that Frisk can someday bridge the vast chasm between our two races, showing humans that our kind can be trusted, and showing monsters that not all humans are bad.”

Gaster still appeared unconvinced. He gave Frisk a dubious look, trying to see in her what his king did. “A VERY, VERY DIFFICULT TASK, ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING WHAT HAPPENED WHEN THE LAST HUMAN FELL INTO THE UNDERGROUND.”

Asgore’s face turned sombre, as he remembered the previous fallen human’s murderous rampage across much of the Underground. Unlike the human with the green Soul, this blue Souled human had refused to run away, and had stood her ground in the face of the monsters’ hostility, returning their attacks with her own deadly, yet graceful kicks. The violence had only been brought to an end when she had been slain by his previous Head of the Royal Guard. The fierce fish monster had fought valiantly to avenge her fallen comrades, including her husband, and had triumphed in the end, but at the cost of her own life, leaving her infant daughter orphaned.

It had only been a few years since that dreadful time, and the scars on his people’s Souls were still very fresh. Their hurt and their hatred would not easily be assuaged. But Asgore refused to give up hope.

“All the more reason why Frisk must live and grow alongside monsters. My people need to see that our two species are not so different, and that we can coexist in harmony. For the good of everyone.” Asgore fixed Gaster with an uncommonly serious look, causing the other monster to stand to attention out of pure reflex. “This is about more than just freedom.

I know that at any time, I could’ve simply absorbed one or more of the human Souls in my possession, crossed the Barrier, and gathered the final Souls needed to free us all. But doing so would only incite the fury of the humans Aboveground. Merely suspecting that Asriel had killed a human had provoked them into attacking him; if they actually saw me murdering one of their own, and stealing their Soul, the humans’ wrath, and their fear, would know no bounds. They would never accept us amongst them.”

Asgore’s brow furrowed deeply, a dark look in his eyes. It was as if a shadow had passed over his face, as he spoke ominously of the perilous future he sought to avoid.

“Their ire, coupled with my people’s thirst for vengeance, will only lead to another war. One which I fear we cannot win, even with the power of seven human Souls, and which will only lead to innumerable casualties on both sides,” Asgore sighed, long and full of sorrow at the thought of such a devastating outcome. “If monsters are to have any hope of living peacefully on the Surface, then we must first shed our hatred of humanity.” He then glanced down at his baby, his expression softening into a loving smile. “And I believe that Frisk will help us to do so.”

Gaster stood silently for a while, mulling over what he’d been told. He couldn’t deny the truth of his king’s words, and he very much shared Asgore’s dream of peace. But still...

“THAT IS A HUGE RESPONSIBILITY TO PLACE ON SUCH SMALL SHOULDERS,” he remarked evenly, the barest hint of reproach in his voice.

Asgore, dipped his head in acknowledgment. “I know. And I feel terrible for doing so.” He truly sounded it, shame colouring his voice and dragging his shoulders down, as if it were a physical weight on his neck. He looked once more to his young daughter, his expression firming up. “But something in me believes that Frisk can accomplish it. When I look at her, I feel a certainty rise up within me, telling me that she is the one who will bring my people together in a shared desire for friendship and peace. She is the answer to all of our hopes and dreams.”

Gaster privately thought that that’s what every parent believed of their child, but kept that thought to himself, unwilling to dampen his friend’s enthusiasm. It was admirable really. He couldn’t help but be captivated by the strength of Asgore’s conviction, irrational as it was.

Then the king looked towards him, a bright smile lighting up his furry face. “Besides, she won’t be alone! I’ll be with her every step of the way, and I’ll do everything in my power to keep her safe and happy. I will raise her with love and compassion, and trust her to show us all the same as well. That is both my promise, and my wish, as her father.”

Against his will, Gaster could feel his own answering smile tug at the corners of his lips, his Soul radiating a pleasant warmth into his bones. And so, when Asgore asked him for his help in looking out for the child and safeguarding her wellbeing, his voice hesitant and meek, Gaster could only scoff.

“AS IF YOU EVEN NEED TO ASK, ASGORE,” he drew himself up to his full, rather considerable height, crossing his arms behind his back. “NATURALLY, I WILL DO ALL I CAN FOR BOTH YOU AND THE LITTLE PRINCESS. AS SOON AS I RETURN TO MY LABORATORY, I SHALL LOOK INTO THE PROPER CARE OF NEWBORN HUMANS. I’LL ALSO SEE ABOUT PREPARING FOOD SUITABLE FOR HER TINY HIGHNESS. BUT IN THE MEANTIME, BABY MONSTER FOOD SHOULD SUFFICE.”

Asgore beamed at him and Gaster puffed out his chest slightly, looking undeniably proud.

“Thanks Windings! Golly, you’re a true friend. I’m so lucky I have you to count on,” Asgore’s eyes glistened with unshed tears, his voice becoming thick with gratitude. Gaster’s cheekbones tinted a light pink, the colour, faint as it was, standing out starkly against his white bones and the black cracks along his skull. He averted his gaze, coughing lightly into his fist.

His boss was never shy with his praise, but this time felt a little more personal. While Gaster was well used to people complimenting his work, personal compliments were a rarity, and always left him feeling embarrassed. His wife had often teased him about it. To his surprise, that thought was not accompanied by the familiar ache in his Soul. Instead, all he felt was fondness and nostalgia. How very interesting. Perhaps... perhaps Asgore wasn’t the only one whose past wounds were finally starting to heal...

“A-ANYWAY, THERE IS MUCH TO BE DONE! LOTS OF RESEARCH THAT NEEDS... RESEARCHING! I SHALL BE OFF NOW!” he announced, his normally loud voice an octave higher than usual. Asgore nodded his head, opening his mouth to bid his friend farewell, only to snap it closed when Gaster suddenly pointed a long, skeletal finger right at his snout. “AS FOR YOU, ASGORE! YOU SHOULD INFORM THE ROYAL GUARD IMMEDIATELY OF WHAT HAS TRANSPIRED. IT WILL BE THEIR DUTY TO ENSURE THAT OUR NEW PRINCESS IS PROTECTED AT ALL TIMES. MAKE SURE THEIR LEADER IS AWARE THAT FRISK’S SAFETY IS HIS TOP PRIORITY!”

Asgore could only nod obediently at Gaster’s strict orders, his eyes wide. “R-Right! I’ll go have a word with Muttler and his pack at once!”

Gaster drew his hand back, appeased with his boss’s easy compliance. “EXCELLENT. WELL THEN... GOODBYE, MY KING.”

And without waiting for a response, Gaster seemingly blipped out of existence. Asgore blinked at the abrupt departure. “Goodbye, Wingdings,” he whispered into the air. His Royal Scientist was such an odd fellow.

Suddenly, Gaster reappeared, looking very flustered. With hasty movements, he grabbed his dimensional carry bag from where it rested on Asgore’s desk, and shoved his items back inside it without care. Then, without looking at Asgore, he shouted “GOODBYE FOR REAL THIS TIME!!”, before promptly vanishing once more.

Asgore shook his head, chuckling under his breath. An odd fellow indeed.

With the Royal Scientist gone, the room was once again still and quiet. The monster king knew that the coming days would be hectic, with a newborn baby to care for, and with all that he would need to see to. He would need to have a very important discussion with his Royal Guard about their additional duties, he would need to prepare a private funeral for Frisk’s mother, and he would need to address his people, informing them of his acquisition of a sixth human Soul. He would also have to formally present to them his new child.

That last task filled him with dread. He didn’t know how the other monsters would react to his daughter. He dearly hoped that they would accept her, as he had, and that they would come to love her, as he did, but even so... he would have to prepare for the worst. Precautions would have to be taken, as Wingdings would put it. He couldn’t take any chances, not when it concerned the safety and well-being of his precious child.

But just for now, Asgore allowed himself to savour this peaceful moment, and bask in the joy of fatherhood, a blessing he’d believed, deep down, that he’d never get to experience again. Temporarily banishing his worries from his mind, the goat monster looked down at his newborn daughter, feeling a smile automatically blooming across his face. Frisk yawned sleepily at him.

“Howdy, Frisk,” he told her softly, his voice as gentle as his heart and just as full of paternal love. “Welcome to your new home. It may not seem like much, but it’s full of good people. I hope you’ll come to like it here! And I pray you’ll make many good friends.” He very carefully stroked a finger along the top of her head, and felt his Soul squeeze almost painfully with adoration as the baby let out another wide yawn, her little, pink tongue sticking out at him. “I swear to you, on my very Soul, that I’ll do my absolute best to be a good father to you. I may not have been expecting you, and you may have only just been born, but I already love you above all else in this world, and will continue to love you with all my Soul, for the rest of my life, my dear child.”

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As I said before, I really love Asgore, and I think he'd be the best dad if given the chance, so I'm giving him that chance! Even if my attention is split between my various WIPs, I'll definitely write more for this AU in the future.

This AU is going to centre around Asgore raising Frisk Underground, and will heavily feature W. D. Gaster and his kids, Sans and Papyrus. Frisk and the skelebros are going to grow up together, and just to let you know in advance, later on (much later on) there'll be some Frans (Frisk x Sans), although it'll just be puppy love and childish crushes until they're a lot older. There will also be some KingDings (Asgore x Gaster), because it fits the story, and because it has rapidly risen to become my second favourite Undertale ship, all within a couple of days! I don't know how it happened, but I love this pairing so much, I can't explain it!

My goal is to give my favourite Goat Dad the happiness he sorely deserves, and I will unashamedly shove as much fluff into my Goat Dad fics as I possibly can! No shame, no hesitation, only love! Because I love him! Also, Happy Father's Day to everyone!

[advocatewrites-blog]

Into the Unknown Part 1 Chapter 2

Into the Unknown

Fandom: Undertale, Coraline (book), Over the Garden Wall, Paranorman, Gravity Falls (season 2)

Characters: Frisk, Norman B., Dipper P., Mabel P., Coraline J., Wirt, Greg, the Cat, the Frog; Sans, Toriel, Papyrus, Undyne, Alphys, Asgore,; the Other Mother, the Beast, Agatha P., Bill Cipher, Asriel D., Chara D.,

Pairings: Not the focus. Alphys/Undyne, with mentions of Papyrus/Mettaton, sans/Toriel/Asgore, and Wirt/Sara. Due to the nature of Undertale and the dating segments, there is also interpretable Papyrus/Wirt, Undyne/Mabel, Alphys/Dipper, Napstablook/Norman, Mettaton/Norman, Mettaton/Mabel, Sans/Dipper, Sans/Norman, and Sans/Greg.

Rated a high +K for violence, mild language, horrific elements that may be disturbing to younger readers,  mentions of child abuse and bullying, character death that is sometimes permanent, and mentions of suicide that may be triggering. These elements remain relatively unchanged from their source material, which most all are for children, but discretion is advised nonetheless.

Disclaimer: Undertale was created and owned by Toby Fox. Coraline was created by Neil Gaiman and owned by Bloomsbury and Laika. Over the Garden Wall was created by Patrick McHale and owned by Cartoon Network. Paranorman was created by Sam Fell and Chris Butler and owned by Laika. Gravity Falls was created by Alex Hirsch and owned by Disney. Any other work mentioned or homage are property of their respective owners. This is a fan-made, nonprofit work that only seeks to entertain. Please support the original franchises.

Start from the beginning / Next Chapter

Chapter 2

It took Coraline a moment to realize what lay outside the Ruins as the door closed behind her. The air was thick and cold, and as she stepped forward, her rainboots filled with snow. How did it snow underground?

She would have to go through the Underground alone, she realized, and at some point she would have to face whoever ASGORE was. It was going to be a lot more dangerous here on out. The adventure was over.

She tried to turn her attention to somewhere else.

“When I was a little girl,” Coraline started. “When we lived in our old house, my dad took me for a walk in the wastelands between the houses and shops. It wasn’t the best place to go for a walk, really. There were all these things that people had thrown away back there—old cookers and broken dishes and dolls with no arms and legs. Mom and Dad made me promise not to go exploring back there, because there were so many sharp things, and tetanus and such.”

A branch snapped behind her. Coraline continued anyway.

“But I kept telling them I really wanted to explore it. So my dad pulled on his big brown boots and gloves and put on my boots on me, and we went for a walk. We must have walked for about twenty minutes. We went down the hill, down the bottom of a gully where the stream was, when my dad said ‘Coraline, you have to get out of here. Right now!’ He said it in a tight urgent way, so I did. I ran up to the top of the hill when I heard him thundering behind me. He scooped me up into his arms and swept me over the hill.”

“really? what did he do then?”

Coraline nearly jumped as she heard the voice. Seeing who was addressing her didn’t exactly help. A human skeleton her size, looking at her with empty eye sockets.

“woah. you okay there, kid?” The skeleton asked. “i mean, i can’t say i know what ‘jumping out of your skin’ looks like…”

“You’re a skeleton!” Coraline managed to exclaim.

“and you’re not who I was looking for,” said the skeleton. “the name’s sans. sans the skeleton. you're a human, aren’t ya?”

Coraline watched the skeleton carefully. The human skeleton in any form looked more than a little intimidating on principle, yet curiosity quickly overcame that feeling. He was dressed peculiarly; blue sweatshirt and turtleneck to fight off the cold, yet shorts and slippers to make him comfortable. His mouth was stretched thin in a smile, but it hardly moved as he spoke. A thin layer of sweat formed on his brow, impressive considering he didn’t have any skin cells. He looked harmless enough, Coraline decided.

“I’m Coraline.”

“hilarious,” said sans. “listen, kid, we’re on the lookout for humans right now, so you better—”

“SANS!”

“oh geeze…hey, why don’t hide behind that lamp over there?”

Coraline barely had time to process that there was just a lamp on the outskirts of the forest before she dove behind it. Whoever that voice belong to, it did not sound friendly.

“relax, it’ll be fine, just let me—“

Sans stopped. Coraline heard the sound of snow crunching under boots as someone approached.

“sup bro?” sans asked.

“YOU KNOW WHAT’S SUP BROTHER!” The newcomer said. “IT’S BEEN EIGHT DAYS AND YOU STILL HAVEN’T RECALIBRATED YOUR PUZZLES! WHAT DO YOU EVEN DO OUT HERE?”

“look at this lamp,” said sans. “pretty cool, ain’t it?”

“YES, IT IS VERY…SANS, WHAT IS THAT?”

Coraline froze.

“what? it’s just a lamp, isn’t it?”

“SOMETHING WAS MOVING BEHIND THAT LAMP! “  said the newcomer. “SANS, ARE YOU HIDING A HUMAN FROM ME?”

“uh…yeah.”

“GREAT!” The other person cleared their throat before continuing. “ATTENTION, HUMAN! YOU SHALL NOT PASS THIS AREA! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL STOP YOU! I WILL THEN CAPTURE YOU! YOU WILL BE DELIVERED TO THE CAPITAL! AFTER THAT! I’M NOT SURE WHAT HAPPENS! IN ANY CASE, CONTINUE…ONLY IF YOU DARE! NYEH HEH HEH!”

The sounds of crunching snow grew fainter and fainter. Coraline only removed herself once it stopped completely.

“sorry about that,” sans said. “my brother can get a bit excited.”

“He said he was going to kidnap me!” said Coraline.

“relax. my bro won’t hurt anyone,” said sans. “i'll keep an eyesocket out for you.”

“You promise?” Coraline asked.

“cross my heart and hope to die,” said sans. “c’mon kid, if i were lying, you’d see right through me.”

Coraline made a face.

“what? no good? c’mon kid, you gotta work with me. i’ve been working hard to make up some puns. you could say I’ve been working myself…

Frisk woke up in the room in Toriel’s house again. They did not remember spending as much time in her house. Once they had tried to crawl back into bed and sleep everything off, but they were never able to fall asleep with Toriel’s dust on their hands.

But this wasn’t the same Toriel. It was the Other Toriel. It was a whole other world they could start to explore. Maybe this could be the start of a whole other Frisk.

At the thought, they jumped out of bed and raced into the living room. The Other Toriel was in the kitchen again, this time making a breakfast as extravagant as dinner was the night before.

“Good morning my child,” said the Other Toriel. “Did you sleep well?”

Frisk nodded as they grabbed a Spider Donut off the table. It didn’t heal and it was more crunchy than usual, but it was good all the same.

“I was thinking today you might like to explore around the house,” said the other Toriel. “Or maybe you could help your father in the garden.”

Frisk did not know how to sign explore, so they gestured for the first one.

“I thought so,” said the Other Toriel. “Make sure to eat enough, my child. I’ve invited someone special to show you around.”

The second Frisk finished their meal, there was a knock on the door. The other Toriel excused herself for just a minute to let them in.  Frisk froze as they saw the white skull and blue hoodie. Their sins crawled along their back.

“hey, relax kid, it’s just me.”

The voice was sans’, but not. It did not have that…thing, that sans’ voice always had even at his scariest. Frisk allowed themselves to look up, and saw two black buttons where eye sockets should be.

“sans has offered to show you around,” said the other Toriel.

“yeah. my bro’s got some cool puzzles he wants to show ya,” said the sans.

It took Frisk a moment to get their heart or soul or whatever to stop racing. It was the other sans. Not that sans. Even if it were that sans, he wasn’t the one they should be afraid of.

Frisk decided to follow the other sans.

ABSOLUTELY NO MOVING

Coraline continued anyway.

“Did somebody move?” A voice asked.

Coraline froze.

A figure popped out from behind the station. It was as much dog as Toriel was goat, with a dog treat dangling out of its mouth. It moved closer to Coraline on hind legs, and looked closely. Its eyes were dull with age, the same way Miss Spink and Miss Forcible’s were, and when it looked, it looked through Coraline.

Doggo blocks the way. Coraline didn’t move.

“Could’ve sworn I saw something move,” said the dog. It grabbed one of the swords off its back and spun it in its hands experimentally.

Coraline didn’t dare to move. Even as the sword glowed a light blue and the dog monster ran it through her.

She didn’t move even as she realized she wasn’t hurt after that. The dog monster removed his gaze from her, and instead looked at his sword.

“Guess it’s just my imagination,” said the dog. “Swear I don’t get paid enough for this…”

It turned, and Coraline found it in herself to move. She reached out for it, barely scratching its thick fur.

“WHAT!” It exclaimed. “I’VE BEEN PET! BY SOMETHING THAT ISN’T MOVING! …I’M GONNA NEED MORE DOG TREATS FOR THIS!”

It scrambled back into the sentry station, and as soon as Coraline knew she was alone, she let herself laugh.

“heya kiddo.”

sans stood in front of her. Coraline knew for a fact he was not there a second ago.

“here’s something important to remember,” said sans. “next time you see someone attack with a blue attack, don’t move and it won’t hurt you.”

“I think I’ve figured that out,” said Coraline.

“oh? Doggo give you a bad time?” sans asked.

“To be honest, I probably gave him a worse time,” said Coraline.

“yeah. Doggo’s great, but his eyes aren’t what they used to be,” said sans. “thinking of getting him a seeing eye dog.”

Coraline laughed at the idea, before realizing sans was serious. Or at least, he was as serious as he usually was.

“Say, why didn’t you try and tell me this before I got to Doggo?” She asked.

“oh?”

Sans looked her way. The lights in his eyes flickered.

“i wanted to see what you would do,” he said.

Coraline didn’t know what to say to that. This time, she really could not tell whether he was joking or not.

“don’t let it get to your head, kid,” said sans. “just think blue stop signs. it’ll come in handy if you ever try to fight my brother. though, uh, let me give you a word of advice about fighting my brother…Don’t.”

Sans left as quickly as he arrived, and Coraline didn’t know what to think.

The division between the other world’s Ruins and the other world’s Snowdin was firm and sudden, as purple floor tiles and flowers divided with snow and puzzle tiles in an even line. Frisk tried not to pay it any mind. It was much like that in the real Underground, anyway.

What Frisk was more curious about were the puzzle tiles. They lay across the snow haphazardly, as if whoever was setting them up had no idea how puzzles were supposed to work. At the center of it stood a skeleton with a bright orange scarf and black button eyes.

“sup bro?”

“YOU KNOW WHAT’S SUP BROTHER! I CAN’T SEEM TO RECALIBRATE THESE PUZZLES PROPERLY.” The other Papyrus’ attention turned to Frisk. “HELLO SMALL HUMAN. PERHAPS YOU HAVE SOME ADVICE ON WHAT TO DO WITH THESE PUZZLES?”

Frisk had not read Advanced Puzzle Construction for Developing Minds, so they shrugged.

“WHAT? YOU DON’T KNOW EITHER?” said the other Papyrus. “THEN WHO IS GOING TO SET UP THESE PUZZLES?”

“don’t sweat it, bro,” The other sans said. “not like we need to set these puzzles for humans anymore.”

“YOU’RE RIGHT! THE HUMAN IS RIGHT HERE!” said the other Papyrus. “AND THERE’S NO REASON TO HOLD THEM AGAINST THEIR WILL. ANYMORE.”

“right. thinking bout taking the kid to Undyne’s for lunch,” said the other sans. “could you get to work on that project we were talking about?”

“OH. YES. THAT THING,” said the other Papyrus. “I WILL GET RIGHT TO WORK ON THAT, WHILE THE HUMAN IS AWAY. WINK.”

The black button eyesocket of the Other Papyrus twitched, as if he were actually trying to wink. He ruffled Frisk’s hair before he ran through the snow in the other direction.

“so, ready to go meet Undyne kid?” the other sans asked.

Frisk made a face. No matter what they did, they never recalled Undyne being friendly with them. At a point where she wouldn’t throw a spear at them, maybe, but never friendly.

“hey, relax kid. this is the Other Undyne,” said the other sans. “she won’t hurt ya if she knows what’s good for her. she was actually looking forward to teaching you how to cook.”

Frisk gave the other sans a curious look.

“what, you didn’t know that?” the other sans asked. “Undyne’s taught my brother nearly everything he knows, even in this world.”

That didn’t exactly comfort Frisk.

“if you want, we can just drop in and play it by ear,” said the other sans. “i imagine you know how to do that better than me.”

Frisk giggled at the pun, and allowed the other sans to lead them.

The trip through the other Snowdin Town was as easy and abrupt as the trip through the Ruins. Before Frisk knew it, they were standing in front of a house from Waterfall that they recognized but never stepped in. Piano music poured from the open windows. Frisk didn’t remember that. sans gave a few raps on the door. It swung open before he could finish the third.

The Undyne that stood in the doorway looked a lot different than what Frisk remembered. Even beyond the button eye, they couldn’t recall ever seeing Undyne outside of her heavy armor.

“Heya punks! Ready for your cooking lesson?” The other Undyne asked, her button eye narrowed down at the child in a way that looked more intimidating than it felt.

“nah. think i’ll sit this one out. kid's raring to go, though,” said the other sans. “is Alphys around?”

“She headed out with Mettaton and his cousin,” said the other Undyne. “They’re trying to find out the perfect scientific strategy to playing Thundersnail so they can play it with the human later.”

For a house that supposedly belonged to Undyne, it was rather cozy. It was well kept, with only a table full of tea pots and cups a sign that it had been used at all. The piano continued to play itself, two mechanical hands reaching around to hit the keys.

“Now then, let’s start with your warrior training!”

It’s the Greater Dog.

Sure, with the suit of armor, the Greater Dog towered over Coraline and was nearly double her width. Without it, however, it was just a dog. Dogs were easy to handle, Coraline realized.

“Come here boy!” She beckoned.

The Greater Dog raced towards her, flicking slobber into her face. Coraline reached down to make a snowball. She tossed it as far as she could. It splattered on the ground. The Greater Dog responded by bringing all of the snow he could catch in his mouth and bringing it to her.

Now dog is tired…the Greater Dog jumped from its armor and rested its head on her. Coraline reached out to pet it. Unlike the other dogs, the Greater Dog relaxed under Coraline’s hand, and sunk its weight into her. It fired a few magic bullets into the air as it flopped on its back.

The Greater Dog is contented. It jumped back to its feet and gave Coraline a long lick across her face before jumping back into its armor. It walked away, its tail sticking out through the headhole.

It took Coraline a minute to stop laughing. As she did, she saw what lay ahead. A small town, visible only through house lights, connected to her with a bridge. Awaiting on the other side were two familiar skeletons.

“BEHOLD, HUMAN!” said Papyrus. “THE GAUNTLET OF DEADLY TERROR!”

A series of traps suddenly surrounded Coraline as the gauntlet activated.

“WHEN I SAY THE WORD,” said Papyrus “IT WILL FULLY ACTIVATE!!! CANNONS WILL FIRE! SPIKES WILL SWING! BLADES WILL SLICE! EACH PART WILL SWING VIOLENTLY UP AND DOWN!”

“What will the dog do?” Coraline asked.

“YOU KNOW??  I’M NOT SURE! !” said Papyrus. “BUT ONLY THE TINIEST CHANCE OF VICTORY WILL REMAIN!! NOW BRACE YOURSELF HUMAN!!! BECAUSE I!”

Coraline looked around wildly for anything she could use to save herself. Even sans looked like he wasn’t sure what to do. Perhaps she could grab onto the other side of the bridge and swing to safety…

“AM! ABOUT!”

But if she did that, she would have to scale the rest of the mountain…

“TO DO IT!”

Nothing happened.

“well?” asked sans. “what’s the holdup?”

“HOLDUP!? WHAT HOLDUP!? I’M…”

Papyrus looked unsure.

“WELL, IT SEEMS THIS CHALLENGE MAY BE TOO EASY TO DEFEAT THE HUMAN WITH,” said Papyrus. “YEAH!!! I AM A SKELETON WITH VERY HIGH STANDARDS, AND MY PUZZLES ARE ALWAYS EXPERTLY COOKED! THIS ONE SIMPLY WON’T DO!”

The Gauntlet of Deadly Terror was removed.

“WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT?” Papyrus asked. “ANOTHER DECISIVE VICTORY FOR PAPYRUS! NYEH! HEH! …Heh?”

He was gone before Coraline could ask any more questions.

Undye’s cooking, surprisingly, turned out to be edible. In fact, much like everything Frisk had found in the otherworld, it was the most delicious thing they had ever tasted. What made it even better was that Frisk got to make it themselves. Undyne had been surprisingly patient with teaching them how to cook. Though her method involved throwing a lot of spears, far less things caught on fire than Frisk had anticipated.

The other sans lead them back to the Snowdin area, where the snow had grown so high that the other sans had to pick them up so they wouldn’t sink right through. He helped carry them up one of the taller snow poffs, where the Other Papyrus awaited with his racecar bed.

“SO THE HUMAN ARRIVES,” said the other Papyrus. “ARE YOU READY FOR YOUR TOTALLY COOL TOUR PRESENTED BY YOURS TRULY?”

Frisk jumped in the bed as fast as they could. The bed shook under the added weight, and dipped down the hill.

The wind kicked up around Frisk’s face as the racecar bed cruised down the hillside. The bed jumped into the air after hitting a snow poff, and a sail mechanism sprung up by their feet to keep the bed hovering. They sailed over luminescent flowers and tranquil waters of the Waterfall. They sailed over the lava pools in the Hotlands and the mechanics of the Core. The racecar kept sailing.

Frisk’s interested piqued. They had never seen what lay beyond the hallways connecting Hotlands to New Home. They could make out a few buildings against the backdrop and the golden tiles of the Judgement Hall.

The sled fell, and there was nothing. The world that was began to fade away, as if someone had taken an eraser to a drawing. Gold floor panels faded into yellow flecks, and then into dots on a screen, and then nothing.

And Frisk was alone.

They called for help.

“Hush! And shush! Say nothing, for the Beldam may be listening…”

The fog grew deep. Coraline swallowed hard and fought through it. Even as her vision got covered in white, she could make something out in the distance.

Something blocks the way.

“HUMAN. ALLOW ME TO TELL YOU ABOUT SOME COMPLEX FEELINGS.”

Author’s Note:  Fun fact: I actually went through the trouble of marking all of sans’ and Papyrus’ dialogue in their respective fonts. The reason the other sans is weird is because he doesn’t speak in sans’ font. Obviously, it didn’t come through. I’m not even mad; I still hate comic sans with a passion.

[pollenprince]

EVERYONE LIVES- No one has to die in my muse’s story, be it for Better or for worse.

// okay I maaaay have gone just a liiiiiitle bit overboard with this so sorry for thatalso sorry if you wanted it to be a perfect piece of fluff because i went and made it sad and now i feel sad myself please save me

"...Ma! Ma-a-a! Unkie Tom is being weird again!"

"How interesting. What did he do now?"

"He's crying over that - ugh - that stupid dolphin! An' I tell him, she's alright, she got a tail - but! Ugh! He don' listen! An' he says she still lost her tail first, she's poor this an' poor that, an'..."

There is a loud, hearty laugh, and a large fluffy paw rests on the kid's messy hair.

"First things first, it is 'he doesn't', not 'he don't'. Remember? Now, dear", Toriel says with just a hint of irony in her honeylike voice. "As far as I remember, you shed a few tears over that story as well".

"Am a kid, Ma! An' he's a grown up." Frisk squints at her, furious at Uncle Tom's sensitivity. "An' it was an hour ago - no cryin' now!"

"Fine, fine, my child. I understand you. Yet I believe you are too hard on him. Show a little Kindness to your poor old Uncle, will you not?"

Frisk makes a sound of distress, shrugs and walks away, throwing their hands in the air in capitulation. Wind plays with their hair, and tall dry grass strokes their knees, covered in colorful patches of mismatched bandaids.

Toriel laughs again, but her laugh turns into a surprised little squeak as two hands hug her from behind rather tightly.

"What was that about?"

"Tom has been crying again", she answers, leaning back so she can briefly nuzzle noses with Asgore. Her tone is more playful than concerned, as if Tom crying is a bit of a family anecdote, which it is.

"Oh, is that really so?" Asgore says, raising his brows, and Toriel giggles in his arms. "Well, I suppose he will need a double portion of chamomilla tea today. Now, could you give me a hand with that blanket?"

"I guess you could say that would certainly come in hand-y", Toriel says solemnly, and they both smile while they lay the blanket under the tree.

***

Frisk walks across the field, hands flying up now and then in an attempt to regain their balance when their feet get tangled in the grass. The sun touches the back of their head, and it becomes burning hot very soon. They muffle their hair and snuff with a serious face.

Behind them, their friends settle down for a picnic. Asgore and Toriel busy themselves with food; Snowy, his father, mother and little sister work together to keep the drinks cold; the skeleton family is tinkering with the fireworks; the dogs are in charge of the barbeque, and Gerson watches them so they don't drop too much fur on the meat; Shyren sings along with her sister and two small shy ghosts; Undyne shouts something motivational while Alphys laughs herself breathless, long given up on attempts to stop her girlfriend, and the sound of her happy laugh rings far across the field.

Frisk keeps walking.

They climb a hill, stubbornly clenching their fists when the cheerful hum behind them becomes especially clear and loud. Their goal is there, on top of the hill, and they are determined to get there.

They get there.

"Unkie Tom?" they call out hesitantly. "Am sorry. For, uh. For saying you are weird. Cause, uh. It was a real sad story. I guess".

There is a rustle, a low drone, as if somebody has blown into a fire. Then-

"Oh, okay", a deep voice says, and it is both watery and warm. "I don't mind, really. I am a crybaby, right? I am and I know that and I am proud".

"You not - not mad at me?"

"How could I be? Now - come 'ere".

Frisk smiles uneasily and comes a step closer, and then - then a giant horned head descends to them to carefully press its nose to the top of the child's head.

"We are good?" asks the head with the same warm voice, and its green eyes watch Frisk with concern.

"Yeah". They touch the nose; it is warm and covered in soft fur. "Thanks, Unkie. Can I - can I talk to Asriel, pretty please?"

"Oh. Sure".

The beast in front of Frisk, an enormous dragon covered in white fur, shakes its head - wind whistles in its vicious horns, in its seven pairs of wings. All his fourteen eyes blink before one pair of them flies open and the others shut completely. Two mighty front paws dig into the ground a little deeper, each talon is as big as Frisk's head.

Then, the beast lowers its stare and says, "Howdy".

"Howdy", Frisk says.

"It's a nice day for a picnic", Asriel says. "I like the sun. Everybody does".

"How're they doing?"

"Oh, everything is quite well". The beast scratches its head. "Ana is mad at Terry. Again. She says they rush in too much".

"Yeah, I know", Frisk says. They pick a grass leaf and start tearing it to small pieces.

"Dina wants a grilled tomato", Asriel says thoughtfully. "I guess we will eat some, later".

"Okay".

"..." There is a momentary pause, before another familiar voice muses: "Nancy has been sleeping more and more lately. You could say it is a disturbing occurence".

"Hi, Chara".

"Greetings, Frisk". Neither their voice nor their eyes (deep, royal red) are filled with warmth. Chara doesn't like humans too much; they have grown to somewhat tolerate six people they share a body with, and now they are growing to tolerate Frisk, but it is a lengthy process. Frisk didn't have a chance to meet them in person, because Chara died in their forties from some human illness a century before Frisk fell, but they think that maybe even if Chara had lived twice and thrice their age, it wouldn't have changed much.

"I got you chocolate". They dig into their pockets, pull out a bar, get rid of the wrapper and hold it up on their palms as if feeding a horse. "Ma don' know about it".

"How interesting". Chara sounds a bit surprised, as always; but excessive treats is one (and probably only) way to get their benevolence. They bend down and take the treat with soft lips, pretty much like a horse. "It has melted".

"Kept it in ma' pocket. It's hot".

"The weather has been quite warm lately", Chara says most fashionably, and Frisk rolls their eyes at the prospect of smalltalk.

"Yeah. Um - can I get Asriel back?"

"Perhaps, if he is feeling up to it", Chara replies, and it is a clear sign they don't mind Frisk that much nowadays; a year ago they would say something like 'Don't you have anything better to do than to pester him?' Frisk shrugs and waits, and in a few seconds Asriel shakes his head and looks down at them.

"Hi again. What do you want?"

Frisk doesn't answer. Instead, they stare at the sad remains of a grass leaf in their hands.

"You're a hero", they say finally. It isn't meant to be a question or an attempt at flattering - just a calm recognition of the fact.

Asriel bends his head to one side, and his wings shiver. "Am I?"

Frisk shrugs. "They say so".

"Oh".

The last pieces of the grass leaf are dropped down. "I think I like it. That I'm not a hero. If being hero is like this".

Asriel jerks. "...Oh. Well. Okay. Well, you never had to make a choice to be one, so".

"Yeah". Frisk never had to become a hero, a savior, an angel, a last soul; that role had already been filled. When they fell down (on a large, soft heap of hay), a couple of welcoming monsters greeted them and led safely all the way to New Home. They caught a glimpse of Dina in her last days: she was very old already and didn't see much, but her cold fingers managed to curl once around Frisk's small, warm palm. A little later, she was gone, and then the Star of the Underground took her soul like he did with all the others.

Frisk has heard this story countless times. Eight human children fell into the Underground. They came, they died, but they never left, because no one could leave from under the Barrier. The very first human kid, Chara, died so soon, and there was no plan, back then - when their sibling took their soul, it was a gesture of anguish and grief, not a step towards the monsters' liberation; but in the end, the first step it was. Then the second kid came, small and sickly, who passed away the youngest; then came the children who stayed till their heads went grey and their fingers shaky, but their souls never wavered. They all lived in New Home with the royal family, until they died as well, one by one, and the Star, the Hero, the Angel, the Savior took their souls, one by one. Frisk was never meant to save anyone. But they were the first human kid to ever leave the Underground alive. The rest of them...

The rest of them are right here, all together, trapped and tied and tangled in the giant prison of a monster's body.

Frisk toys with the hem of their shirt.

"I like not being a hero", they say again. "I don' think I can be, even. Too hard. Does it hurt?"

Asriel blinks with his fourteen eyes, and it looks like a glimpse of a rainbow.

"...No. Maybe just a little. I got used to it".

"When will you - let go?"

"What?.."

"You have to let go", Frisk says. It is something they heard a lot lately and had thought about long before. "Miss Deborah said so. She said all souls have to move on. To heaven. Heaven has a lot of nice things", they add with an authoritative air. "You have to let them go there".

"No". Asriel shakes his head. "No, no, Frisk. You don't - you don't understand. You are too small".

"Am not small. Know a lot of stuff", Frisk mumbles. "See a lot, too. See how Ma and Pa look at you. I think they want that too".

"No". The beast becomes agitated; its wings shiver uncontrollably, its eight voices combine into one. "No, that won't do. That won't do. You just imagine things. It is better for us. For them".

"Chara, tell 'im!"

One voice rises over the others. "Tell him what? I think keeping this form is the best course of action. First of all, it gives the monsterkind an ultimate weapon against the humans. What is an army to a god? Second, this way Asgore and Toriel do not age. All in all, I just do not agree with your logic".

Frisk huffs and stomps. Chara often acts as a voice of reason for Asriel, but sometimes they are even more delusional than he is.

"Cannot stay like this, forever", they say stubbornly and helplessly. "Cannot".

"No. No, no, no". One final shake of the mighty head. Eight voices like bells, fourteen wings flap above. "No one has to leave. No one has to die. Isn't it better, like this? Isn't it the happy ending?"

"Are you happy, Asriel?" Frisk asks suddenly, and their voice is small and sad.

The beast falls still and silent. It stares down; its eyes open and close, as if looking at each other, and it repeats "Am I happy?" in eight echoing, reverberating voices, all at once and one by one.

"Are you?"

"Yes", eight voices say. "We are happy".

"Am speaking to Asriel".

The beast falls silent.

"What's - your favorite color?" Frisk says. No one answers. "Used ta be pink, last year. You spoke a lot more, too. Before you spoke so much. Before you took Dina, and a bit after. Now you only talk about them. About your human souls. Like you are - fading. Going away". They look up and hold their hands up, and the beast, tamed, lowers its head enough for them to touch its chin. "I don' want you to go. I don' want you to go at all".

There is a minute's silence. Then the beast closes all its eyes, and one pair of them slowly blinks open. Their color is brilliant green.

"The kiddo is right", Tom says, deep and warm and kind. "It was a nice time. I was happy to see the sun once again. But it is time for us to move on. It is time for us to let you live your life".

Green eyes close, and another pair flies open, the one of radiant yellow. "That would only be fair", Dina says. "We had our shot and we lived our lives, and we can't say those lives were too bad. We have to pay that debt now".

A spark of cyan. "I want to join my mom and dad", Nancy whispers in a thin, sleepy voice. "They have been waiting for me for too long. I don't want to try their patience too much".

Dark blue eyes shine next. "True", Moby says solemnly. "I always tried to help people around me. Being selfish would mean not being true to myself. I cannot afford it".

"Hey, I'm not that much of a coward to cover behind a kid's back!" Terry cries out, and their eyes are a blast of orange. "I want to see what is out there, after all! I bet Betsy was really off about the afterlife".

"You are a cabbagehead, but you are right", Ana says, and their eyes glow deep purple. "We have reached the end. The only thing we can do is leave. I hope my sins will still be absolved..."

"NO!" Asriel screams, and all the eyes are squeezed shut. "No, no, no! We will stay together, we have to, no one has to die, no one has to die, no one, no one, I cannot lose you, cannot lose you all, cannot, cannot..."

A large light drop falls close to Frisk's feet. Another one gets their hands wet. They sigh and press themselves to the white soft fur and let Asriel cry - a broken, remorseful, unconsollable sound.

"Why, Tom", Asgore says, walking closer with a teapot in his hand. "Are you still upset over the dolphin?.."

***

The picnic goes just fine.

After the sun sets and the monsters are done packing, Asgore, Toriel and Frisk go to say goodbye to Asriel - he is too big to fit into any house, so he lives in the country in large comfy barn, and he isn't coming to the city with them. It has been a few years after the Barrier broke down, so they had plenty of time to make the barn as glamorous as possible.

"Goodbye, everyone", says Toriel after mentioning every one of her kids personally. "Be good, will you, my children? Sleep tight".

"You are always welcome in our house", Asgore adds as he does every time. "Day and night, whenever you would need us".

Seven voices echo "Bye, mom, dad", "Goodbye, Toriel and Asgore" and every variation of the two. Frisk waits a few steps aside, and they - as well as the seven pairs of watchful eyes - see the quick, uncomfortable look Asgore and Toriel share just a moment before parting with what became of their son.

"I still think what I said", Frisk whispers in the large white ear when the beast bends down to them. "An' I will never allow you to take my soul. Never".

"Oh", Asriel says in a desperate voice. "But maybe, later you will change your mind..."

"Never. Am determined". They press their palm to their chest, looking like maybe, in another time, in another story, they could very well be a hero. "Am never gonna change".

"...Don't", Asriel says. He nuzzles the top of their head. "Don't change. Please. Don't grow". He lets out a shivery sigh. "Everyone grows. Everyone has to change, and to age, and to die, and I don't understand why".

"Okay. I won't change", Frisk says as if this is the easiest promise to keep. They press their hands to the sides of his head. "Good night, Asriel".

"Good night, Frisk", Asriel says as they walk downhill, and their shadow stretches far, far across the quiet field.

***

It is night.

The beast sits alone (and yet never truly alone) on top of the hill. It should go, it knows that, but for some reason it doesn't want to.

The stars start appearing.

Did you want to see the stars, ask seven voices in the beast's head.

No one answers, but the beast perks up, listening.

Did you use to like stars? ask the voices. Did you dream of them? Did you call upon them? Did you ever want to touch them?

The beast grows restless. It stares up and digs its talons in the grass with a whimper.

Do you like the stars? Do you want to see them? Do you want to reach them? Do you want to be a star?

The beast's wings shiver and rise, as if it is preparing to jump, to fly, to touch the stars for real -but it doesn't. After a moment, the wings are still again, and the beast sits upright, watching the night sky.

You will have to let go one day, echo the voices quietly. You will have to, or it will hold you down forever. Or you will never be able to fly.

I don't want to fly, Asriel says. His voice is weak, weak, as if it is fading away - somewhere too far to call him anymore. I don't want to fly if that is what will keep you safe.

You are not meant to stay safe. You are meant to fall into the sky and lose yourself among the stardust. You are meant to risk. You are meant to live. You are meant to move on.

There is no answer. The beast sits there all night long, looking up at the stars.

"I am happy", it whispers, watching the constellations circle."I am happy. I am. I am".

The night is the darkest night ever.