Skeleton Ghost

To Understand Dragons

((Yes, they actually watch HTTYD. Yes, lore is revealed through watching said movie. Yes, there are spoilers for the entire movie. I'd either watch the movie first if you haven't or take the risk and skip this chapter. I was sleep deprived writing it. At least it's 11289 words!))

"But we made pancakes!"
Everyone glanced in the kitchen, seeing plates stacked with pancakes, Triton attending to the still cooking ones with Charqui's help, the avian standing on a diy stool made of bones stacked atop each other to reach the stovetop. Both waved as the group passed by.

Candara excitedly snagged a plate, grinning at the smell. "They look good!"
Gaster lightly patted Papyrus before taking Sans into the living room. The tallest regarded the stacks as Thomas blinked.
"Is that the whole bag of pancake mix?"
"It is! Why?"
"Uh. I gotta text Mom real quick."

Triton then silently hopped away, sliding a plate with more pancakes than the rest towards Nigel.
"We put more on yours." He said softly.
"Oh, uh, thanks?"
"Humans need more food than we do, especially when it's of our own make." Charqui explained, flipping a pancake.
"But it's regular- I mean man-made ingredients?" He asked.
"Doesn't change the fact that we cooked them. It's a process to be explained at a later time." She clacked her beak, tail feathers flicking.

Essence awkwardly walked around the other side of the island, opening the fridge and gasping.
"Dear God, a skeleton did this?!"
"Yeah." Thomas sighed, following.
"I was going to get some strawberry jam, but.." She explained half-heartedly, stepping back to let him root through the mostly empty appliance.

"Do you have honey?" Asriel asked, lifting himself up higher on the island counter.
"..You want pancakes. With honey." Nigel deadpanned.
"It's good!" Asriel argued, tucking his chin in embarrassment.
"Oh honey I thought you'd want chocolate syrup, not.." Essence trailed, holding a bottle with the top completely missing. Thomas stared, then turned around. "He probably didn't find the unopened one. Hopefully." "You probably just jinxed it." She muttered.

Opening a cabinet above the stove, Thomas plucked out a bottle triumphantly.
"Ahah! I didn't!"
"..We can have that, right?" Asriel asked tensely, eyes glowing red.
"Uh. On pancakes." He asserted nervously while approaching a random plate.

Essence slathered a layer of strawberry jam on top before taking the bottle from Thomas, who had just taken the lid off. She tore off the seal and poured it over the pancakes, Thomas gaping as she retrieved a fork and ferried it over to Asriel, his eyes widening at the sight.

As he scurried off to the living room, Thomas shuddered. "The red eyes are kinda freaky."
"He told us he used to have green eyes before he died." Triton spoke up softly, holding a fresh plate close to himself as he cut out some butter from the tub and smeared it on top.
"It's weird to think about." It was a slight struggle to hear him over the sizzling.

"How does that even happen?" Essence asked, smearing more strawberry jam on the pancakes Charqui had given her. "Bringing someone back to life."
"Modern technology is making it possible to transcend death." The avian explained.

"But it still comes at a cost. Asriel is technically lucky. Chara was a perfect candidate and circumstances allowed them to return entirely, though in an altered, singular body. Chara will never again be human, but fortunately they did not like to view themself as such."
"Wait, is Chara actually nonbinary? I'm confused." Nigel asked.

Charqui regarded him. "Chara identifies as they/them."
"I was wondering that, but afraid to ask." Essence pointed her fork. "I've never actually known anyone nonbinary before."
"Among monsters, there are no definitive labels. Only pronouns and genders."