Undertale - A Second Chance

A Time to Talk

Frisk awoke the next day, running out of her tent, searching for Asriel. She was surprised to see that everyone else was up as well. All the others were gathered around Asriel and Ray's tent. Everyone was seated around the tent, anxious for the two sleepers inside to awake, but reluctant, all the same, to wake them from an apparently much needed slumber. Everyone, that is, except Sans. He was not present. He was probably still sleeping, Frisk decided.

Frisk, after some hushed "Good Mornings" to her friends, sat down with them and joined the vigil. No noise came from the tent.

Everyone was wanting to speak to the two travelers and had questions for both. Where had Asriel been? How was he alive (or how was he not a flower?)? Who was Ray? How long had he and Asriel know each other? Did Ray know the other monsters? And, most importantly, why were they both wounded and crazed last night?

Almost half an hour had passed, before a familiar voice spoke up, none too quiet.

"watcha waiting for?"

Frisk shushed Sans without turning her head. "We're waiting for Asriel and Ray to wake up."

A short silence followed this until a snicker was heard behind the backs of the monsters. Frisk looked back to shush what she thought was San's laughter but she was instead met with Ray, Asriel and Sans all standing there. They all looked tired, as if they had used up a large amount of emotional energy but all three seemed much more relaxed than Frisk had seen them. Asriel stood with his arms at his sides with a kind smile on his face. Ray had his arms crossed and had an odd look in his eyes. Sans stood with his hands in his pockets with a big amused grin.

Frisk squealed in surprised and all the other monsters turned and saw the three missing persons and instantly began to question them.

"SANS! WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!"

"Asriel, my child, did you sleep well?"

Sans looked at the two wanderers and said. "I think they should be able to answer your questions. You want answers? Ask them."

Both Ray and Asriel looked at each other and, sighing with acceptance, Ray stated, "Frisk, Toriel and Asgore, please follow us to the river. We have to talk to ya'll in private..." Asriel nodded.

The three named persons looked at each other questioningly and walked up to the two. The other three would've protested why they couldn't come, but Sans stated, "you other three...are gonna have to talk to me." Papyrus, Undyne and Alphys looked at Sans but accepted it and the two groups separated.

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As the Dreemurrs and the Humans walked to the river, Asriel found himself hand-in-hand with his parents, with Frisk walking right by his side. He was surprised by this but accepted it happily enough so long as Ray enjoyed it too. Ray, however, had apparently not noticed the arrangement and walked alone in front of the group, his head refusing to look back. Most of the others thought that Ray was just focused on the small trail, but Asriel knew Ray better. He knew that Ray was doing his best to keep from crying and, if his face were turned towards the others, they would see his reddened eyes...

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Suddenly there came a spot where Ray stopped and breathed deep and said finally, "We're here."

The group had been led to a shallow creek that babbled over smooth stones. The others sat down in the short grass while Asriel walked up to Ray and whispered in his ear. Ray looked at Asriel and nodded as if answering a question. Asriel took him by the arm and led him to the group and sat him down and sat down next to him.

A short, awkward silence followed until Frisk asked, "So...you two are brothers?"

Asriel and Ray both nodded and both stated it was true.

Toriel asked, "How long have you two known each other?"

Ray scrunched up his eyebrows and looked like he wasn't sure but Asriel stated fairly quickly, "About 11 years."

The three interrogators breathed in in surprise. "Eleven years??" Toriel asked. "But we lost you so, so long ago, Asriel..." Asgore spoke up, "How-how are you alive, son?"

Asriel looked at Ray as if cueing him and the human brother took a deep breath before stating, "We-uhh....We aren't from here."

Silence. The three questioners waited for an explanation to this.

Ray stumbled on. "We are not from this timeline."

At this, Frisk seemed to understand better but she was still surprised at how Asriel was still himself and how he had been siblings with this person.

Ray and Asriel could both see that their explanation hadn't quite made sense so Ray said, "Maybe it would help if I told you how we met."