Call for Help

"I see. Some very, very strong feelings from a child. I am . . . going to take note of that." King Asgore said. "Hmm. Old enough to understand things. Six years old is usually the right age." He rubbed his beard. "Hmm . . . twelve months." 

"Twelve months?!" Papyrus shouted. "But, but, they don't even know each other that well!" 

"Interruption? Nine months." 

"Ni-!" 

"Pap, don't!" Sans tried to stop him as he tugged on him. King Asgore was probably frustrated enough with Frisky's interruptions. He really wasn't too bad of a King, but he could only stand so many interruptions. And he was getting- 

"Six months." 

Mad. 

"Asgore," Toriel scolded him. "That is not nice. I know it is six years old, but they need some time to get to know each other. Forget the interruptions. Give them the standard year, and maybe another half." 

"It is based by how many Monsters are in the Underground," King Asgore reminded her. "There are still only two. Two, in the entire Underground, there are only two." 

"Um? Well, uh, the kid'll be becoming one too very soon?" Sans added. "That's why he's hurting." 

"Well. Considering the circumstances, and perhaps that there are almost three, maybe I could stick with a year." 

"Can't you extend more? Give them time?" Toriel asked. "Sans should get more time. This is all a very big change for him and his brother, Papyrus." 

"Change?" Asgore came over closer. "What do you mean a 'change'? You knew the bride. You're here for her." 

"I am here for him too. He is my friend," Toriel insisted. "A good friend, who will make a much more excellent husband than you ever did." 

King Asgore turned his attention to Sans. "How did you know my wife?" 

Sans looked to Toriel and back to him. He felt something wrong. "Through a knock-knock door, Majesty." 

"Yes, Grumpy. Don't get so mean." Toriel rolled her eyes. "I met him some time ago through my door. He was knocking and before you know it, we were telling jokes." 

"Jokes?" King Asgore bent down to Sans level so fast, Sans moved back involuntarily. "You have been telling knock-knock jokes with Toriel?" 

"Some?" Sans said, really picking up that this wasn't good. "Something wrong, Majesty?" 

"He stopped by almost every day to share a joke. It was nice." 

"You told my queen, my queen . . . knock-knock jokes every single day?" 

"Sometimes?" Sans didn't get it. He'd seen King Asgore fine with him during the ending right before they hit the surface timelines. What was wrong? Okay, what is different. Let's see. Okay, Toriel fought Asgore. Asriel. Quick chatting. Wait, did he not hear our chat? No, he had to have. But, he was . . . Sans realized he'd never looked back to see the King. But what, what was it? Something, something, something . . . 

"Don't worry Asgore, there's more fish in the sea."  

Sans suddenly remembered Undyne said that! He didn't even think or care what that meant at the time, but as the King was staring him down, he was getting the hint. Quick.  This wasn't good. 

King Asgore moved over toward Frisky. "Knock. Knock." 

"Um. Who's there?" Frisky asked. 

"Three months." 

"Three months who?" 

"I don't know yet. That is up to you to name it." Asgore pointed at her stomach and patted her head. 

"Three months? That is completely ridiculous!" Toriel complained. "You had better change that back." 

"Are you coming home?" 

"No." 

"You have been gone, left me, without a word for so long. And now I find that you've been joking around with another Monster this whole time?" 

"Sans jokes around with everyone!" Papyrus tried to recover. 

"Majesty, really?" Sans held up his hands. "Sir, I-I joke. I like to joke. I joke with everyone! Um, this is not really the way to go?  

"In three months, your lovely wife should have a small Skeleton ready to add to our wonderful population. If you want an extension, Toriel will have to convince me. Personally. Except, she won't. She hasn't even bothered to come and see me in so many, many years. And, she is only here, now because . . ." 

"Big baby," Toriel complained.  

"Not. Helping. Tori," Sans warned her. King Asgore clearly wasn't happy that Toriel just stepped into his life because of them, not for himself. Yeah, that's it! It was one thing when she did it for FRISK, a cute little kid, but he thinks she's here because of me too. And then he probably thinks I'm like the guy that kept her happy? Like, keeping her happy kept her away from him?  

And without feeling the shame of the calling out of Toriel about the human souls and trying to take FRISK's life . . . and especially being watched by his own people in his own element of ruling . . . 

This wasn't going to end half as spiffy. 

Sans looked over at Frisky to see how she was taking the news. He didn't know the exact reason, but whatever the situation was, the King and Queen needed to sort it out themselves because three months couldn't happen! He needed much . . . wait.  

Wait. 

Frisky had to have understood that. But, she was just doing the same light fidgeting as before. Nothing more. Nothing less. That news should have sparked a gasp, another talking out of term, or something. At least, a different tremor or reaction. 

"This matter is over," King Asgore announced. "Frisky, Sans the Skeleton, and I will reconvene to the privacy of the castle for the soul bearing and shall return shortly." 

"I wish to go too," Toriel said nodding to Alphys. "My friend will watch my Conduits a moment." 

"Fine. You are still the Queen, after all. We shall all four go to the privacy of the castle," the King reiterated. 

 ----------------

Frisky moved her feet up and down. Toriel had her hand on her shoulder while King Asgore was over in a corner with Sans. I can't do this. This is sooo dangerous. I can't tell him though. Damn it, I need my Frisks. I know they would come, if they were still here. Small little miracle? Please, please, please. Maybe if they get tired of pushing? Maybe it's like a mindwipe. If it is, maybe I can hold them off long enough that they'll give up because I can't. I just can't. 

"Frisky. My dear?" Toriel whispered. "I can tell that something is very wrong, which is why I want to be here. It's going to be okay! Now, um, truth magic can be hard to take. Very innermost feelings do come out, and it doesn't always come out perfectly right. So if Sans says anything that seems out of character or rude, please dismiss it. And, and don't worry. All Monsters go through this. Considering what happened, remember, they are his unhinged feelings. He himself is very hinged, and . . . and a good fellow." 

Frisky touched her paw. First, Refuse. Second, Dilemma. Third, call out for help. Fourth, song that sticks in the head. "That bad, Toriel?" Refuse. Dilemma. Help. Song Stick. While Toriel did her little explanation she would work between, training her mind. Refuse. Dilemma. Help. Song Stick.  Refuse. Dilemma. Help. Song Stick. 

"Well, you see, when Monsters who have no reason to have to get married go through this, sometimes they discover that they . . . they don't really want to go through with it after a soul bearing. This process saves a lot of Monsters grief. From love to secrets that they just can't handle. But, you can do this. It won't take long. Okay?" 

Frisky held her paw tighter. "Toriel. I'm . . .  not good with this."  Refuse. Dilemma. Help. Song Stick. 

"It's okay. Here they come. Don't worry either, it's not like endless secrets. The questions need to be more direct. Okay?" She gave her a quick pat on the shoulder before watching her meet Sans in the middle of the room. 

"It feels like a tickle in the ear," Sans chuckled. "Okay, let's get this thing over with." 

"Name?" King Asgore asked. 

"Sans the Skeleton." 

"Alright, Sans the Skeleton. Do you have anyone you've ever loved before?" 

Sans looked up almost twitching. "I don't think so." 

"That's a weird answer," King Asgore said. "He is fully beneath it." 

"Love is a tricky thing," Toriel insisted. "Go on." 

"What is it you want out of life?" King Asgore asked him. 

"I just want to live. I just want to live with Papyrus and just go on with my life like nothing bad ever happened inside of it." 

Yeah.  Refuse. Dilemma. Help. Song Stick. Frisky could see what Toriel meant about the honesty. 

"And what would you consider was bad?" King Asgore asked him. 

"Finding out humanity has been doing nothing but playing around with me and my family for starters. Not only did they hide the sky from us, but I mean, how would anyone feel about suddenly finding out they had a kid too? A kid?! I mean, a six-year-old kid, out of the blue. Just found it waiting on an MP." He shook his head and shoved his hands in his pockets. "And this kid was okay. Not evil or bad, just okay. Not the greatest thing Underground. Just okay. It's not like we had this real close connection or I thought he was somehow special. Just a kid, just a regular kid. Fun little kid. But then, this regular kid turns out to be my kid. So now, it ain't so regular anymore. Is it? I mean, it's still the same kid. I still get along with it the same way. But, it's just that, I am going to suck as a dad. I don't remember anything about even my own dad. I do get along great with kids. I'd be a good Uncle, I know that, but dad? Man, I am going to screw that poor kid up. But, Papyrus. Papyrus can help out though. He would have made a way better dad. I wish Papyrus had been the dad, and I could have been the Uncle. Because my brother, Pap. Best guy ever. He never hides secrets. He's always honest. Always shares his feelings. A really emotional but awesome guy who's always there. He would have been much better." 

Damn. The pure honesty.  Refuse. Dilemma. Help. Song Stick. Frisky knew it, of course, but Sans was never that direct about it. 

"Okay. Well, is there any big secret you are hiding from Frisky?" King Asgore asked. "You said earlier you didn't have anything." 

"Nope, not a thing. How could I? I mean, heck, I couldn't even be in my own house without being viewed by some human in my life. She remembers more of my life than I even do. I don't even know when we first met except for a couple of glimpses in her head. Nope, she knew everything." He rocked back on his heel bone. "Everything, everything, everything. I used to hide the whole committing thing from her, but that's yesterdays news anyhow thanks to the other damn parts of FRISK that screwed the whole thing up. I mean, it would have been much better. Like I said, I'd be a better Uncle than a dad. We could have all just been good roommates, you know? It would have been fine, but oh no. FRISK just had to mess around with my life again. They were good at that. Whole or parts. Frisk just can't stay out of my life." 

"Do you want the conduit FRISK out of your life?" King Asgore asked directly. 

"I sure as hell want the whole FRISK thing out of my life! It just brought up reset after reset after reset! Life stopped even mattering. I mean, it was okay sometimes. It was fine. I even helped it out when I could, but, that thing was always half evil too. I mean, I didn't know if I was going to be meeting an okay kid that day, or a killer that had already taken out everything in its path. But whether it was good or bad, it just kept resetting my life. Nothing new. No way to escape. And I tried to escape, I did everything I could to escape, but it was always the same thing over and over again." 

"Well, what about all of the Frisks?" King Asgore asked. 

 All of the Frisks? Not all of them. I don't mind the good parts of Frisk. I sure as hell downplayed it when I took out PERSEVERANCE. That little piece of nothing killed my Brother and all my friends so many times! And then when it mattered, when the resets stopped, he had the gall to come back and try to finish him! No, I enjoyed watching it get shish kabobbed and finally just staying there completely lifeless. I don't know about everyone though. I met one Frisk on board a ship and I didn't even see her live long enough to know her. But the others, I am not happy with them. At all! I mean, at least one of them was supposed to be an okay friend. Right? But, here they come. They took away so much, and they just had to try and take away the last of my own flesh and blood! Mine! I lost a whole lot, so much, so so much, and they try to take the very last thing that I had! So, yeah! Not much love there.  It sounds like there was one that was actually on my side. Don't know him for him, but I'd probably give him the benefit of the doubt. Frisky is okay. Frisky is great actually. Frisky is really great actually. I don't know why she's so great. It bugs me too 'cause I hardly know her. She's not the other Frisks that I know. There wasn't a single Frisk I know that would have come back after being 'rescued'. They would consider that not winning, but she did it. She put me first even above herself. Really, really hard to believe, but it was true. So, I'm still working out how I feel about that. But, there's something to her too. I keep sensing something that I don't understand about her. I don't know what it is, and it kind of drives me crazy."  

Toriel bent down to her. "That is . . . actually not half bad of a reaction underneath truth magic, believe it or not. He might remember some of what he said, but most of it will be more like a dream or a dim memory." 

"Well. I would say that's pretty good for you," King Asgore answered. "The truth will fade away after a few minutes. And then." King Asgore looked toward Frisky. "We'll do you." 

No way, I am not speaking the truth. I refuse. No way. I'm not.  

King Asgore placed his hands on her. "What is your name?" 

I won't even trust myself to open my mouth. Not even for that. Nothing. Refuse. Dilemma. Help. Song Stick. Ready.  I refuse. I refuse! 

Sans hung out in the corner by Toriel. "She's fighting it hard, Tori. Really, really hard." 

"She won't even say her name," Toriel agreed. "She is on six doses already. I fear she has some very dark secrets. You should prepare yourself for anything." 

"Geez." Sans shook his head. "I still can't believe I said all that. Did I really just say my own kid was just an okay kid and that I'd suck at being a dad to King Asgore?" 

"It's alright. It's your innermost feelings," Toriel answered. "That's why it's so important to have a soul bearing though. The truth is always exposed. It's too bad humanity does not have this. It would stop so many bad things, reveal the darkness hiding inside. Of course, it's still not perfect," she muttered. She sighed. "When she hits her limit, oh . . . there is a phrase once used on the surface. Sorry. Habit. I mean used beyond the barrier. It was . . . aw, yes. When she hits her limit, she is going to 'sing like a canary'. Unbridled. I wish I knew what haunted her so." 

I refuse! I refuse! I refuse! I refuse! 

"Name?" King Asgore asked directly again. 

I refuse! I refuse! I refuse! I refuse! 

King Asgore forced more magic on her. "Honestly, human. Give in. By this rate, you won't even remember a thing you share. You'll just go off. You need to stop. This is a part of the marriage ceremony and it will happen. Name." 

I refuse! I refuse! I refuse! I refuse! 

"Name." 

I refuse! I refuse! I refuse! I refuse! 

"Name! I want your name!" King Asgore pressed even more magic into her. "By everything the crown stands for, what are you hiding?" He pushed more magic into her. 

"Asgore, settle down." Toriel came over to him. "Be gentle, she is human." 

"I understand, Tori," Asgore said slowly. "But, I've already put in fifteen rounds of magic. Most would be ready by three. Sans was done by two. I could understand the Conduit taking so much, but a mere human?" He rubbed his head. "Name?" 

"I don't know . . ." 

"We might be ready." King Asgore smiled. "What is the name that you are using for your wedding?" 

"I don't know . . . how . . ." 

"How to what?" King Asgore asked again. 

"I don't know . . . how . . . to do it. Like this. In this condition . . ." 

"How to do what in what condition?" King Asgore asked again. 

"She is leading the questioning," Toriel warned him. "Very smart." 

"Ah, yes, I see." King Asgore stroked his beard. "I ask again. What is the name that you are using for your wedding?" 

"I don't know how to do it. Like this. In this condition . . . how will they . . ." 

Another five minutes into it and King Asgore just had his head sunk. "This is getting us nowhere." Each time he asked something, she would continue with the same phrasing, almost like he asked for it. It was just a little added at a time, with the repetition faster in the front.  

"She will eventually run out of whatever she's trying to say," Toriel insisted. "My, she is a smart one. She must have been prethinking these thoughts before the magic." 

"Told you, she's got DETERMINATION to spare," Sans joked. "Seriously, Frisky. This is getting a little . . . annoying?" 

"Alright, let's continue. We will eventually reach this end." King Asgore sighed. "Name?" 

"I don't know how to do it. Like this. In this condition. How will they find each other like this? Undyne should send the letter. She came after me during the pretend date timelines and always said she should have delivered the letter. Why didn't Undyne give her the letter without me? How am I supposed to . . . get them . . . back . . . together." 

"Is that it?" Toriel asked.  

"I hope so," King Asgore sighed. "Name?" 

"36320. 36320. 36320. 36320. 36320. 36320. 36320. 36320. 36320. 36320 . . ." Her chanting continued of the same rolling numbers over and over.  

Sans just closed his eye sockets. This was getting ridiculous. She may have secrets to hide, but she couldn't keep it up forever. 

"Told you not to hug the- huh?" Right in front of King Asgore, Sans, and Toriel stood someone about Frisky and Sans' size. The strange human looked behind her at Frisky still chanting her number. "Oh, hell no!" She pulled out her MP and . . . 

Engaged an encounter. 

King Asgore, Queen Toriel and Sans just stared at her. Did a human really just engage all three of them at once? 

Right beside her, a guy showed up. Same size. 

"What the . . ." He stared at the strange human woman. "You did not just force an encounter with freaking royalty and Sans, Friskay!" 

"Look at her, Farrisk!" Friskay shouted gesturing to Frisky in the chair. 

Kay. Wedding day not going so well now. Sans just . . . tried to stay relaxed. "It's the Frisks. In person. Great. Say, um? Could you just go now?" 

"You wish, dweeb," Friskay spoke back. "What are you doing to our Frisky?" 

Sans looked surprised. She should be using the buttons. "You really shouldn't do that. You can't break board rules." 

"Until someone actually fights, that rule doesn't exist in the encounter area Friskay sat up," Farrisk said back. "So, let's just talk, huh? It's obvious you are trying some kind of memory thing to Frisky, but you can't." 

"It is part of the ceremony," King Asgore said. "It's tradition and it must be done." 

"Yeah, um." Sans couldn't deal with it much longer. "Look, little Frisk's. Not so happy with any of you right now. Really should just leave already." 

"Sure, why not? Then after the fact when you find her brain damaged, you going to blame us, Skullhead?" Friskay asked. "Frisky called to me, meaning she's in trouble!" 

And great, another Frisk showed up. Same size, along with another . . . well, a taller Frisk. 

"In the Summer. In the Springtime. In the Winter or the Fall!" The big one shouted loudly in a bad piercing sound to the skull.  

"Keep going and that's what's going to happen," Friskay pointed to the singing girl. "Go ahead. Try and interact with her. That's Friskeye, otherwise known as HONESTY. She used to be just like us. Now look at her. She's what Frisky will be if you keep going." 

"Now, now." The other guy tried to pat Friskay's arm. "Let's all settle down." 

"Fuck you, Friskarino! You're the one that lost track of Frisky and Frisk!" Friskay shouted. "Grab her and let's go. We'll find the kid later." 

"No."  

It wasn't a scream or a yell, but the Frisk's could easily tell Sans wasn't kidding around. His eye sockets went devoid of any light. 

"Beat. It. Now." 

"Would if we could, but we can't. I know you're not happy with us taking Frisky before," Friskarino began. "She deserved to make a choice without chains though. And, when she made that choice, it was better? Yeah? We aren't here to destroy your marriage. Frisky made her decision and it's cool. But, you don't know what's hiding in her mind. Now, I know you can't get married without knowing, but you don't want brain damage either? Right?" 

"This is a simple magic truth telling," King Asgore spoke up. "Everyone handles it just fine. Even children." 

"Yeah, but, Frisky's head. It ain't right no more because of what happened to her." Friskarino looked straight at Sans. "Honestly, if she's asking for our help, she is falling into a bad place fast. And trust me, if you care about her, you won't do it. Let us help you." 

"She's freaking getting married to a Skeleton," Friskay complained. 

"It's her choice," Friskarino told her. "She made the decision. We aren't taking her anywhere. We just need to help Sans know the truth. That's what it's about, right?" 

Well. Maybe that Frisk was okay then. Sans adjusted his eye sockets again to a more peaceful level. "What's wrong with Frisky?" 

Friskay, Friskarino and Farrisk all looked at each other. 

"I don't like it," Friskay said.  

"Frisky needs to get married. There has to be a soul bearing and . . ." Friskarino looked toward Sans. "I really think it'd be good for him to know everything." Friskarino sighed. "If you let us do this a little differently, then . . . we'll help. You've got to do a couple of things though." He looked to Asgore and Toriel. "Just me and Sans." 

"What?" King Asgore didn't like that. 

"Look, I know." Friskarino held his hands up in defense. "But this marriage isn't about Royalty knowing anyhow. And, there's no magic involved. It really should just be Frisky and Sans, but they do need the one who knows the secrets. I was a part of FRISK. I know everything about her. Friskay and Farrisk knows too, but . . . I don't think Friskay would cooperate." 

"Hell no!" 

"Farrisk could I mean-" 

"Nah, you." Sans remembered what Frisky said about the teleporting alert. "This better not be a trick." 

"I understand," Toriel answered. She looked toward Asgore. "It is a new situation. She is human in a Monster marriage." 

"Fine." King Asgore sighed. "Hurry it up, and then we can continue." 

"Great. Now, Frisky probably has a lot more magic jammed in her than she should because she wasn't falling for the truth, right?" Friskarino started. "Yeah, that's not good. So, we need to make her feel safe. Do you know where there is a closet? Preferably big enough for three people. She'll be better off in a dark, enclosed space." 

Sans thought back to when he told her about the committing. She crawled under the bed. Yeah, he'd have to play the Frisk's game if he was going to get this done. "Papyrus has a closet."