After the barrier had been broken and harmony between monsters and humans had returned, a new sinister force arises after peace returned to the land. When the darkness threatens to destroy a pair of brothers and the very society they rescued and fre...
The expanse is all black, and no sound emits for a while. But, with a flash, a serene symphony passes through the expanse, and a phone awakens, shifting the expanse in a new direction.
"H-hello...Asgore?" A goat woman speaks on the other side of the line, voice trembling. "It's Toriel. I have to talk to you about something...it's important, yes!"
From the other side of the line comes a soothing, deep voice that flows like a tranquil river. "Howdy and good afternoon, you're speaking to Flower King Floral Supplies. How may I help you?"
The darkness in the scene clears as Toriel chuckles. "There's no need to be formal."
A cough of apprehension expels from Asgore's mouth. "I have to be serious, Toriel. It's business protocol for me to say that every time I answer the phone." He smiles. "Granted, I own this flower shop, so I can say whatever I wish. However, I practice always saying it so I receive good customer service reviews."
Toriel sighs, and Asgore continues. "In any event, we're here now, so what would you like to discuss?"
"It's our son, Asriel," Toriel softly says.
"What happened?!" Asgore yells in a panic.
Toriel jerks her ear from the phone and gulps. "Oh...my apologies, Asgore — I didn't mean to startle you. Asriel...he's alive and well!"
A deep sigh expels from Asgore's lungs. "I'm relieved. However, what happened? Your voice sounds downtrodden."
Toriel clicks her tongue. "No, I'm just...a bit at a loss. Asriel achieved this form. It was terrifying, yet beautiful." Toriel's voice shudders. "I can't believe how strong he was."
Asgore takes many moments to breathe, then replies. "Did he get...turned into a flower again? Or injured?"
Toriel chuckles. Both of their attentions focus on their respective phones. "No, not at all. I told you 'alive and well' for a reason. If either of those things happened, I would've said 'alive but not well.'"
"Phew. I'm relieved that my boy is alright!" Asgore says.
Toriel explains, with her voice trembling slightly. "You see...I came into Undyne's house to find our son, our other child, and Susie all preparing to fight some battle."
Asgore's voice lowers. "Hmmm...are they preparing to defend themselves from the attacker going around town recently?"
"...Yes," Toriel confirms. "And, to make sure they were ready, I even had the daunting privilege of sparring with our son, like a practice boxing match."
Silence. A minute passes, the only sound the ticking of a grandfather clock in the living room. "...Toriel."
"Yes?" the goat mother asks.
"What happened during that sparring session of yours?" Asgore inquires.
...
Mother and son stare at each other. After a few seconds, Asriel sighs and points towards the open expanse of the front door. "Mom, I'm sorry to rush you, but I can't keep my hyperdeath form for long. And I don't wanna damage anything in here. We'll have to spar outside if you want to see how strong I've become."
Toriel nods and holds her hands in front of her. "Very well, my child."
The group moves outside. Undyne follows mother and son and stands on the porch while Frisk and Susie take a spot on the grass.
As the goats position themselves on opposite sides of the yard, Undyne ties a black and white bandana around her arm, along with pulling a whistle out of her pocket. "Remember the rules, people! Only go for body, hands, and feet; if your opponent is left completely defenseless and you're about to strike, hold back! We don't need any more ER visits, right?"
Undyne laughs, pulling out a whistle from her back pocket and placing it around her neck. "Alright...Toriel, Asriel, prepare to spar!"
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Toriel ignites small fireballs in her hands. She stares at her son, mixed feelings covering her face. "My child...I do love you very much. But don't expect me to go easy on you. I need to make certain that you'll be able to resist Kris' attacks."
Asriel rigidly nods his head and slashes his chaos sabers into an "X" shape over his body. "It's okay, Mom. I wouldn't expect anything less."
Toriel takes a step backward and begins hurling fireballs at Asriel. The fire shoots like a cannon, but he blocks each one. With each one he stops, the flame dissipates, and his swords glow red-hot. He swings the blades gracefully, a mesmerizing dance that would catch anyone's eye.
After Toriel throws 20 fireballs, she stops moving and breathes. She rubs the back of her neck, and Asriel stands calmly, each saber firmly gripped. "What's wrong, Mom?" he asks. "Don't tell me you're giving up already."
Toriel shakes her head. "No, my son. I just have very complicated feelings about this."
The goat child buries his heels into the earth, and his mother responds. She then throws 10 more fireballs, and Asriel blocks each one with relative ease. Toriel shakes her head; as she holds her hands in the air, five larger balls of flame form. Asriel nods and hurls the sabers into the ground. "Now it's time for me to step it up, too," he whispers.
Toriel hurls the inferno at Asriel, aiming for his feet. Asriel dodges the first one easily, jumps over the second fireball, then twists his body around the third and fourth. With the fifth and most enormous fireball, he jumps up in the air and backflips as it flings toward him. He lands gracefully, hand on the ground. The flames catch on the grass around him, and Undyne douses the flames with a hose.
Toriel holds her hand over her mouth, and her hands tremble like autumn leaves. "My child...I..."
Asriel slowly picks himself up from the ground and sighs, smiling. After another second, he looks at his right hand and sees it trembling. Asriel laughs and shrugs. "Sorry, Mom, I guess sparring is over for now."
Asriel shrinks back to his standard form, his royal purple robes disappearing into thin air and his classic green and yellow sweater, blue jeans, and necklace returning to vision. His blue scarf also returns, which he loosens from his neck and holds in his hand. Toriel looks at Asriel, smiles widely, then tears up. "Mom, are you okay?" Asriel asks while frowning. "I'm sorry if I hurt you."
"No, my child. I'm just...I'm not sure even how to describe what I'm feeling," Toriel explains.
Asriel frowns, a sorrowful blue aura filling his face. "Oh...is it bad?"
