Mystery

Calling All Souls

Life continued as normal for them after having eaten and returned to the lab to see Gaster had Undyne un an arm hold. Nobody asked what happened to make pin Undyne to the wall like that. Alphys didn't say anything either. She probably didn't want the same to happen to her. "Have you talked to dad about the you know what, yet? The child ought to be in New Home by now." Sans rubbed his tired sockets as Avery set down a cup of water for her brother. It was another late night, and she hadn't been able to fall asleep when Sans had come down from one of his nightmares. They both knew what it was about. "tomorrow..." Sans grumbled tiredly and downed the cup. "i'll tell him tomorrow..." Avery nodded and went to sit across from him. "Wanna talk about it?" Sans hesitated and shook his skull. "ain't anything i hadn't dreamed of before... everyone dies. their ghosts blame me for doing nothing, and when i do something, i die too." He growled out bitterly. Avery sympathized, but it's not like she knew first hand what he went through. She wasn't sure how else to comfort him other than being there.

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She stayed with him until Sans insisted she go to work. Only then did she put on her cloak and head off to provide transportation. She got there in time for the 'morning rush', when everyone was headed to work, their father included, of course. "Sans said you stayed up with him all night. What happened?" Gaster asked worriedly. "I couldn't fall asleep, and he-" Avery felt... something in her soul. It was like something was calling it out. Gaster's too, because his hand went to his chest with an uncomfortable grunt. "Here we go..." She knew what this was, but had never gone through it personally. Not tied to the C.O.R.E. Asriel was absorbing all the souls of the Underground. "What do you mean? Avery, what's happening?!" Before she could try to explain what Sans clearly hadn't, Gaster's soul took off, his body scattering to dust as it had that day so long ago. Avery made a choked, horrified noise before her soul left her body as well, following the call. She tried to shortcut after it, keep it tethered to her body. She wasn't sure how far she got before the tether snapped.

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Frisk yelped when a body crumbled beside them, covered in an all too familiar cloak. It was Avery, the Riverperson! But something was wrong... Frisk tried to shake them awake. "Avery? Avery! Please, wake up!" There was a small 'chink' sound before a magenta chain came out of nowhere from above, wrapping around the Riverperson's body. Frisk looked up in surprise to see a faded white and magenta human soul attached to the other end.

You feel the calling of ASRIEL DREEMURR

But you refuse

You are filled with DEDICATION

The soul seemed to absorb the chain all the way to the Riverperson's body before it phased into her. Frisk backed up as Avery's sucked in a haggard breath and tried to force herself to sit up. "Avery?" Frisk went to help her as Avery tried to make sense of where she was. "Frisk? Is this... is that..." She looked at Asriel with wide, surprised eyes. Frisk nodded quickly. "Asriel Dreemurr, the God of Hyperdeath." Avery chuckled disbelievingly. "My had he grown since his passing..." She pushed herself up to her feet. "I suppose this is the part where we stop him?" Frisk nodded again with a determined smile.