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THE PRIEST
DELTARUNE Fan story
PROLOGUE
How everything starts.
Prologue: Welcome
It was a cold night. The air was crisp and invigorating, with a wonderful aroma of woods just awakening, or it would have been for someone not set off on an urgent, private mission. And the darkness was frightening. Of all people, she would know how dangerous the darkness could be.
It wasn't quite spring yet, just mid-March as the Humans called it, as she remembered in her childhood, before she reached the age that people would consider her beautiful. Eventually, someone would, someone who wasn't Human. Nor a Monster. And her life would become wonderful, and a nightmare, at the same time. In many ways, she loathed what she had become, but she couldn't do anything about it, and she couldn't stop loving her husband. But she also couldn't let them do to her boy what they tried to do with her.
The village of the Monsters wasn't much farther. Hopefully some little hamlet off by itself wouldn't attract attention from those she wanted her treasure to remain hidden. Even if it held one of the largest monasteries in the region on its outskirts. And there in the dark, like little beacons of Hope, she saw the glimmer of the Church lights through splendid stained glass windows, just peeking through the darkness of the forest. She clutched her boy more tightly to her bosom, wrapped in a blanket, and hurried on her way.
It was an imposing sight, just a bit frightening, as she approached the Church building. She said a silent prayer as she sneaked furtively around the side of it, oblivious to the beauty of the Church grounds, as she made her way to the opulent home in back of it, where the priest and his family lived, Asgore and Toriel, with their little boy. He was a rare one, a priest who had already married before he joined the clergy, and a true Believer. A good Monster, who adhered strongly to the faiths of the religion, and she could feel the eyes of God upon her as she approached the place. That would be good for her son, if they took him in, and she couldn't believe they would do otherwise.
Prologue: About
She crept up to the door lay her son down on the porch and drew back the blanket over his face to give him a goodbye kiss. She had made a sleeping potion for him so he wouldn't wake up, even if they found her and killed her for her betrayal. This was a betrayal too, and it tore at her SOUL to abandon her son like this, but his life would be so much better for it. "Be good, little one. You will have a new mother soon, someone who will surely give you a better life and the kind of love you need." She wiped away a tear, gathered her will to go through with her plan, and gave the large ring on the door a couple of raps.
Inside, a large male Monster sighed, rising from his chair where he had been doing his reading before bed. His wife said as he went to the door, "I was about to go see to it."
"No, that's all right, dear," he replied as he made his way through the rooms to the front door. There were no gated barriers around the place, and very few guards, as he trusted God to watch out for them, and He had been faithful to their people over the centuries. He had to wonder about such a late night calling as this. But he wasn't prepared for what he saw when he opened the front door.
At first he saw nothing, and thought perhaps one of the village children were pranking him. But then he caught sight of the small bundle at his feet and gathered it up. As he expected, it was a child, a small Human one, and he gaped at it in wonder. From behind him, his wife called, "Gorey, what is it?"
"Ohh..." he began as he closed the doors, "we have a late night guest."
She came up to him, asking, "Whatever do you mean--? Ohh, my heavens..."
He held up a note on the blanket, which read: Take good care of my boy, Kris, and treat him as your own.
And they did. There wasn't much discussion about it, although the monastery folk were a bit taken aback by the sudden appearance and adoption of the child.
Prologue: About
He was an adorable little thing, probably not yet four, and a bit of a runt. And curiously, he had vivid violet eyes, with flecks of gold in the irises, hidden by a mop of hair. He was a pretty good boy, as children went, but he had a mischievous streak in him that was irrepressible, and was routinely in trouble for something. Their own son, Asriel, was delighted to have a baby brother, and they became inseparable. This tarnished his reputation as a proper son of a priest, but he just couldn't keep Kris from causing some sort of havoc from time to time. Even as he entered school, and proved to be a good student, if a bit lazy about doing his homework, he couldn't keep himself from pulling pranks on other students, or even teachers.
One day, their family inadvertently grew again.
Prologue: About
Asriel and Kris were out playing in the fields and forests, and as usual, Kris pulled them far away from the monastery where they were told not to go. But the world was such a fascinating place for both of them, and the allure of the unknown and unseen was just too great, and so off they went on one of their hikes.
Asriel became aware of buzzards circling in the sky, which was usually the sign of a corpse. Perhaps a deer killed by wolves, or a cow that strayed from a farm. Curious about it, he led Kris in that direction. On the way, he barked in alarm as he heard a sound in a bush. "Ohh... it's probably just a rabbit, or some animal cub," he joked. Being curious, he crept towards it, trying not to spook whatever it was. But as he pulled a branch aside to peek, he was stunned to see a frightened little girl hiding in it, and she was bleeding. "Oh, golly!" he exclaimed. "Hey... are you all right?" The girl shied away from him in fear, and he tried to coax her out, but she was too afraid of him, tears rolling down her cheeks.
Kris, normally so reserved and cautious, and not very talkative, pushed his way past and gasped in sympathy from her plight. He held his hand out, saying, "Hi... I'm Kris. Let's be friends."
It took a few moments to overcome her fear, but she gradually took it, and then clutched herself to him, crying piteously.
Asriel was afraid himself, and lost all interest in whatever the buzzards were scavenging. "Ohh, jeepers! She looks really hurt... Kris, stay with her! I'm gonna go get mom and dad!" He bolted off, running as fast as his legs could get him through the grass.
Kris couldn't get her to talk, and was too young to know how to soothed a troubled child like her, so he rocked her back and forth like his mother would do for him. She drenched his shirt with her tears and her blood, and he ached in his heart for something to do for her.
It seemed to take forever for anyone to arrive, but finally he heard voices approaching. She squeezed her grip around his neck tightly in fear, but he told her in as soothing a voice as he could manage, "It's okay, it's mom and dad. We'll help you."
Prologue: About
The two adults peered into the shadowy bush, gasping in shock at what they saw, and they were heartbroken at how terrified she was of them. Toriel edged forward, thinking a motherly tone would soothe her. "Dear child, don't worry. We are your friends. And... oh, my Lord..." she exclaimed when she saw the blood on both of them. "You poor thing! Kris, help me get her out of there."
It took a bit of doing as she wanted to stay hidden, but gradually they were able to urge her out of the shrub. Asriel watched grimly as Toriel tried to work a sheet around the girl protectively, though she refused to let go of Kris. "That wound in her side... a bullet, I'm afraid. It doesn't seem like a knife, and it looks like they tried to club her too. It's not all that bad, but she's suffering terribly from it." He looked off to where the buzzards were gathering. "And I have a bad feeling about that. You get the girl home. Asriel, go with them. I'll look this over."
Prologue: About
They had to pry the two children apart, and the girl began to cry as Toriel gathered her up in her arms. It was difficult to remain calm, as the whole situation looked dire, and she had enough sense to know that they might have another orphan on their hands. The thought broke her heart, but she managed to keep a cheerful facade in place. "You have nothing to fear, little one," she said with a smile as she cuddled the miserable girl. "Why don't you tell me your name?"
It took a moment for her to reply, seemingly so shocked, she forgot even her own name, but at last she mumbled out, "S... Susie."
"What a pretty name!" she beamed at her. "Well, we shall take good care of you, Susie."
She tried to look around, most likely for Kris, Toriel thought, but she forgot something. "W-where's mommy and daddy?"
"Oh, dear..." she murmured before she caught herself, but then put that happy smile back in place. "We'll have some of our friends go looking for them. Now... let's get you home and make you feel much better."
Asgore arrived as they were putting her to bed, a doctor summoned to tend to her wounds. She drew Toriel aside, murmuring guardedly as the two siblings were rather close and full of morbid curiosity. "They were gone... nothing left but two piles of dust. It must've been Humans."
"Oh... why do some of them have to be so cruel!" Toriel fretted. "And why don't their police patrol this area! They take our money in taxes, too!"
"They do, Torey," he reminded her, "but... we're Monsters, and most of 'em don't think of us as equals. And this is a large prefecture, out in the middle of nowhere." He heaved a weary sigh as he stroked her arm. "Maybe... we should buy more of their weapons."
"But... we would need a small army to patrol this entire area, and we aren't as organized as Humans are," she murmured. "They never seem to be brave enough to attack our villages and towns, at least, but... to hunt us like this? What do we do?"
"What we always do in the face of situations like this," he told her with a thin smile. "Help the afflicted, and pray harder for His protection."
Kris had gone over to sit with Susie at the side of their bed when she began to whimper, and they both had latched onto each other. He asked them as they came back in, "Mom, can we adopt her?" Asriel was beside him, both of them giving their parents pitiful looks, and she peered at them uncertainly with golden eyes under a mop of purple-brown hair.
As Toriel rested her head on her husband's shoulder, he nuzzled her cheekfur. "Well... who else would love her like you would?"
"I know," she said quietly with a bittersweet smile. "And I cannot bear the thought of letting her go, the poor thing. I just wish... our family wouldn't grow from such misfortunes."
He grinned to her. "I have a feeling, that is just why the Father put us on this Earth. To help those who need it most."
And so, their family grew one larger. To the community, this was not a surprise after their quick adoption of Kris.
Susie got over the loss of her parents fairly well, all things considered, her mind blocking off that terrible memory of the attack on them, though she did occasionally have nightmares about it for many months. But she seemed as glum most of the time as did Kris, with a mop of hair hiding her eyes, so if she was curious, unhappy or irritated, it took her mouth to convey those emotions, and it wasn't often she did.
She got along well with everyone, and took to the life of a priest's family with relish of the peace it afforded her, and the touch of God on her SOUL helped greatly to soothe away her trauma. However, Kris was a bad influence on her, and she became much too enamored of his prankster habits. The troubles the monastic folk had to watch out for quickly doubled, and the mischievous pair often found themselves with extra chores to keep them busy, as well as punish them. Because of Kris' attitudes about it, they both looked at their penalties as part of the game. At least it was all done with fun in mind. Then, as they aged a year or so, Kris began to include Susie as one of his targets, as she seemed to be fully over the pain of her loss. Finally, the little community had a small measure of peace, though they would occasionally have to pull Kris out of a tussle with his adopted sister, as some of his pranks became rather mean. And she could cause serious harm, though she never did, but often, the band-aids and ointments had to be handy.
Their little village of Sanctuary would grow from the occasional wandering Monster looking for a new home, and the name of the village proved quite appropriate as it was a safe haven for whoever came there. No Humans went there except to do business, though they would have been welcomed as equals. But one day, a strange looking fellow appeared at the Church doors. Asgore was doing some work in the building, and came to see who was knocking. It was a strange sight to be sure, of a very short, dumpy looking fellow, dressed in medieval garb, and with what looked like a black spade for a face. Asgore gazed at him in silence for a moment, for even with all of the Monsters he had seen, this was... different.
Prologue: About
"Hello, I'm pleased to meet you," he declared, taking the initiative. "The name's Lancer."
"Uhh... howdy," Asgore replied, still not sure what to make of this sudden appearance.
"I understand you're looking for new monks and servants," Lancer said brightly.
"Uhh..." He couldn't think of anything to reply.
"You said that."
"Yeeaahh..." he drawled out. "So, what makes you think we're looking for more servants and what not?"
"Oh, Churches are always looking for more servants and what not!" he said as if he totally knew all about it. "You guys are so boring, people leave to do more exciting things, like watch crops grow! Right? So, here I am to liven things up around here. And hey, maybe more people will show up!"
Prologue: About
Asgore thought that with the antics of Kris and Susie to deal with, things really didn't need livening up around there. "How old are you, son?"
"Old enough," he replied promptly.
"For what?"
"Whatever!"
Asgore had to laugh at the youth's exuberance. "Well, can't argue with that. Let's gave a talk with the friar about this."
Kris showed up with Susie, and jumped to a conclusion. "Hey dad, are you going to adopt--?"
"Uh, no," he said definitely. Susie watched them go a bit dejectedly, because something about the lad appealed to her. Perhaps because he looked good to cuddle, like a living doll.
And it was Susie who befriended him, and they became quite close as she found a foil for Kris' pranks on her. Lancer proved quite inventive himself, coming up with new ways to get back at her brother, and it became something of a contest to see who could upstage the other. In spite of their occasional squabbles, and what siblings didn't fight at times, they became good friends.
Asriel appeared to age more quickly than the others, though that was just how it seemed, and ended up being a bit more distant from his younger siblings over time as he became caught up in more adult pursuits of greater spiritual Truths and fascination with science. But he never stopped loving his brother and sister, and both of them practically worshipped him.
But the peace of Sanctuary couldn't last forever, and one dark night, a whole series of troubles befell them. It began with another person wandering in.
It was a new moon, and on top of that, storm clouds were gathering as if conjured up by some malevolent spirit. Outside the village, a demon stood, right at the boundary prescribed by Heaven, and regarded the chapel in disdain. He disliked how closely they had to watch their rules, for the Lord took seriously this detente with the Kingdom of Darkness. No devil with the possible exception of their lord could cross it. But Shatan and his followers were clever at twisting the rules to their favor. They would pay for it later, but that was later, and so he summoned the spirit of a girl to him. "Chara."
She manifested at his side like a cloud, saying as she took on form, "What do you wish, father?"
He savored this moment, for his adopted daughter was a gifted mischief maker and tormentor. "We have been searching long for my son. But we have not looked within here. Go, see what you can find. And if you happen to find him, have some fun with your brother."
She could barely contain her glee. "If you think he might be in here, then by all means, let's have a peek." With that, she drifted like smoke towards the cathedral, and the little home behind it, making sure to become unseen along the way.
She was a Hollow, a strange corruption of a Human spirit imbued with demonic essence. Legally, not a devil, not a demon, and so she crossed the boundary. She always hated it when she did, as the sacred metaphysics empowering the area was very uncomfortable, and she had to choke down her reaction. "Gah... this one is particularly strong! Damn, that nasty Fish God and his pious minions! What business does he have with Monsters anyway? He's not satisfied with his damned hairless chimps? Him and His stupid luuuv... it disgusts me. But... who gives a crap? If he is in here, I'll find him.... and damn, if I don't smell his scent already!"
She followed the trace aroma of her adopted father around to the small but lavish home behind the Church building, and stifled curses as she passed within it, for the Holy Spirit was strong within it too. "Oh, of course it would be, with such devout little Monsters sucking up to their heavenly Fishy. But I'm gonna see that their faith gets seriously rocked tonight! Now... where is he?" She peeked in on Asgore and Toriel, and snorted. "They sleep in separate beds? How quaint. And dorky."
She proceeded upstairs where the essence seemed stronger. She drifted through Asriel's room, grinning as he moaned, tossing in his sleep. "Dreaming about me, are you? My but aren't you a sensitive one. It's a shame I can't strangle you in your sleep, but your damned Fish Gawd would probably shred my SOUL for it. Would be fun though, and to hear the lamentations of your idiot parents to lose their only real kid like that."
She floated along, coming to Susie's room, and hovered above her bed, eyeing her lustily. "Hmm... this one has potential. And you suffered, didn't you? Lost your mom 'n dad in a really bad way, huh? I wonder if you have any issues from your traumatic day... nasty temper? Addictions? Any gay tendencies?" She drew close, sniffing her over. "No? Well... lemme see if I can swing you that way just a scouche." She took her mouth in a spicy kiss, trying to work her tongue between the girl's lips, but she moaned in protest and shook Chara off. "The hell? Am I not pretty enough for you? Listen, sister, I was hot stuff when I was alive, and I'm even sexier dead! Ohh... never mind!" she scoffed, slapping her on the forehead. "There! Have some bad dreams, on me." She smiled wickedly as the lizard girl began twisting under her covers. She couldn't watch, unfortunately, having bigger Fish worshippers to fry.
She could barely contain her glee. "If you think he might be in here, then by all means, let's have a peek." With that, she drifted like smoke towards the cathedral, and the little home behind it, making sure to become unseen along the way.
She was a Hollow, a strange corruption of a Human spirit imbued with demonic essence. Legally, not a devil, not a demon, and so she crossed the boundary. She always hated it when she did, as the sacred metaphysics empowering the area was very uncomfortable, and she had to choke down her reaction. "Gah... this one is particularly strong! Damn, that nasty Fish God and his pious minions! What business does he have with Monsters anyway? He's not satisfied with his damned hairless chimps? Him and His stupid luuuv... it disgusts me. But... who gives a crap? If he is in here, I'll find him.... and damn, if I don't smell his scent already!"
She followed the trace aroma of her adopted father around to the small but lavish home behind the Church building, and stifled curses as she passed within it, for the Holy Spirit was strong within it too. "Oh, of course it would be, with such devout little Monsters sucking up to their heavenly Fishy. But I'm gonna see that their faith gets seriously rocked tonight! Now... where is he?" She peeked in on Asgore and Toriel, and snorted. "They sleep in separate beds? How quaint. And dorky."
She proceeded upstairs where the essence seemed stronger. She drifted through Asriel's room, grinning as he moaned, tossing in his sleep. "Dreaming about me, are you? My but aren't you a sensitive one. It's a shame I can't strangle you in your sleep, but your damned Fish Gawd would probably shred my SOUL for it. Would be fun though, and to hear the lamentations of your idiot parents to lose their only real kid like that."
She floated along, coming to Susie's room, and hovered above her bed, eyeing her lustily. "Hmm... this one has potential. And you suffered, didn't you? Lost your mom 'n dad in a really bad way, huh? I wonder if you have any issues from your traumatic day... nasty temper? Addictions? Any gay tendencies?" She drew close, sniffing her over. "No? Well... lemme see if I can swing you that way just a scouche." She took her mouth in a spicy kiss, trying to work her tongue between the girl's lips, but she moaned in protest and shook Chara off. "The hell? Am I not pretty enough for you? Listen, sister, I was hot stuff when I was alive, and I'm even sexier dead! Ohh... never mind!" she scoffed, slapping her on the forehead. "There! Have some bad dreams, on me." She smiled wickedly as the lizard girl began twisting under her covers. She couldn't watch, unfortunately, having bigger Fish worshippers to fry.
Prologue: About
She giggled with delight when she came to Kris' room, orbiting his bed like a shark eyeing its prey. "Bingo... and there you are, bro. My, but aren't you a handsome young man. I had a few of you for breakfast when I was alive. Wonder... what you taste like." She descended on him, forsaking all covering, and she preferred it that way, nudity. But the other devils found her much too alluring to do that around them, so she rarely got the chance to expose herself. But with special Humans, like this one, or more properly, Nephilim, she could hardly resist.
She threw the covers back and practically tore his shorts from him, yanking them down his legs, and settled on top of him as he began moaning in protest. "Sue... knock it off, will ya? Wanna sleep--" Then his eyes bugged open in stunned disbelief when he felt the fullness of a girl's anatomy against his belly. "W - what's goin' on?"
Prologue: About
She clamped her hand over his mouth, seizing his wrist with her other hand, and held him down easily as he was in shock. "Heey, cutie," she practically drooled, gazing hard and lustily into his eyes, just visible under his mop of hair. "Let's just say, we're gonna have a little family union tonight." She grabbed his other wrist and planted her mouth onto his, taking it in hard, deep, urgent kisses, as she hadn't been able to really enjoy herself like this for some time. But she quickly realized that something was wrong, and drew back. "What the... you haven't even been through puberty yet? Good grief... I have half a mind to bugger out of here till your next birthday! Whatta waste of my desires! But... hey, business before pleasure, right?"
"What do you--?" he began, then learned just what she intended as she took his mouth with hers in a ravenous kiss, sliding her tongue between his lips and into his mouth. And deeper, into his throat... deeper, yet deeper, down the channel of his throat and into his belly. He tried to fight her, choking and gasping desperately for air, wanting to throw up at the awful sensation of her flesh forcing itself into him like that. But what was worse, was the awareness that her spirit was invading his, infiltrating him... merging with him. Or trying to.
She heard a gasp of alarm, glancing over, to see Asriel watching all this in horror. She lifted up just enough to smile at him, giving him a look at her tongue plunging deep into Kris' mouth, and then as he cried out, her body growing indistinct, she poured herself into him like smoke. "Kris!" he exclaimed, beginning to run to his side, but something stopped him. He could feel a dreadful presence fill the room, which he had only been dimly aware of in his frightened state. He crept back to the door, watching in fear as his brother sat up, looking around as if bewildered.
Kris, or Kris' body, lifted his hand and gazed at it in wonder, as if seeing it for the first time, turning it about and flexing the fingers. Then he licked the back of his hand, smacking his lips as if savoring the taste. "Meat... it's been a while since I wore skin. I didn't think I would miss it so bad."
Asriel stifled a gasp drawing back into the darkness of the hallway. His voice was wrong, all wrong. The inflections, the manner of speaking, his wording... it wasn't him anymore. It was that girl, that... thing... Kris had been possessed! He watched in horror as it made his brother's body get up and walk around, pulling his shorts up, his head hanging down a bit as if groggy. "Where's... something dangerous? Oh, wait... silly me. Where are dangerous things always kept where you can get to them easy?"
It shuffled to the doorway, and proceeded down the hall to the stairs leading to the first floor. Asriel watched in mortal fear for his brother's life, concealed in shadow, as his body wandered down the steps, looking a bit more steady with each footfall. He went to his room, grabbing his cross and Bible, and followed as discreetly as he could, knowing by habit which steps were the noisy ones.
As he feared, the thing was rummaging in the kitchen drawers for a knife, a large butchers knife in particular. It held it up, admiring it as lightning flashed outside, glinting off the steel of the blade, and whipped it around in deadly cuts through the air as thunder rattled the windows. He seized that moment, with the thunder's racket, to confront the devil. He hoped no one would hear this, and shouted, bradishing the items of their faith, "Ulsu maue, ni conn aen tye bime Ezurel sina hilde firen! Ho nah a henya o i an tan Ezurel!"
Evil force, I command you by God to depart this human. He is a child of the most high God.
It whipped around, glaring at him with a dreadful, hateful, wicked look on his brother's face, brandishing that knife at him. Its voice was laced with venom as it spoke. "Don't you say that nasty name to me, you Monster! You sure as Hell aren't a damn Elf!"
"Release him in the name of Ezurel! I command you!" he shouted again.
It began twitching and stood up straight, glaring down at him with an awful image, of blazing red eyes buried in black pools, and a mouth curled into a jester's grin. But that evil grin began to twist, curl down, and he looked sorrowful. "Ass... Asriel..." he stammered out, "p-please... go to bed. I - I'll deal with this... m-menace inside me."
That was the brother he knew, though he sounded as if he was in terrible distress. "No! Wait, please... I don't know if I can drive it out, but you can't--!"
"Go... now!" he cried, twitching some more as lightning blazed through the house and thunder crashed loudly, and it was awful to look at, as if some puppet master was fighting for control of its toy. And when it spoke again, it was in that other voice. "You'd better listen... if you don't want Krissy-poo to slaughter the Dreemurr's only child. It'd be such a shame... to have them sprinkle your dust."
He gaped at this monstrosity in anguish. He couldn't leave his brother in this state, he loved him too dearly. "You let him go, you damned--!"
He froze as it held the knife by the tip of its blade, and it shouted, "Shut up! And leave me alone, Fishy boy!" It flicked the blade, and it flew past his head, just missing him, to impale itself in the wall behind him. It licked Kris' fingers, evidently cutting him and drawing blood. As he stood there, frozen and quivering in mortal fear, the creature before him began to wither, crying, "What... the Hell are you doing...?" It grabbed its head in its hands and began writhing as if in pain, and Asriel watched helplessly as it groaned in agony, blood dripping from its mouth, and even its eyes. As he began to approach it, it put out a bloodstained hand to stop him. But this time, it seemed that Kris was finally in control of himself. "Asriel... please, go to bed. Forget what you saw... you can't help me. Not with this."
He was aghast, unable to comprehend fully what was going on. This didn't line up with anything he knew about demonic behavior. "Kris... why--!"
Prologue: About
"Boys..." came an irritated call from their parents' bedroom. "Please... be quiet or go to bed."
Kris backed away from his brother, not wanting him to be too close in case something went badly wrong. "Asriel... I'm not Human... I'm different... from everyone. I have... devil blood in my veins. I learned that from Chaaarr..." He shook his head as if fighting for control. "Let me talk, you freak!" Leaning against the wall for support, he said in rushed sentences, "Chara's not normal either... not a demon... a haunted spirit... a really evil girl... my blood... it's like an antenna... wire, conducting bad spirit stuff... don't tell mom 'n dad... I have to work this out... my own way... find help from God. Right now... I have her. Just leave. It'll be okay."
The distraught youth gaped at his brother in anguish. There was no way he could obey that! "Kris... I can't leave you! Not like this!"
Prologue: About
"Shut up," he ordered tersely. "You're too loud... emotional, you always were. You'll wake mom 'n dad. I love you, brother. If you love me... you'll go away. All you'll end up doing... is making her mad. And then..." He shook his head in distress. "Just... don't. Don't talk. Not till tomorrow. Dawn will make her sleep. I'll stay up... make sure I control her." When Asriel hesitated, he practically wept, "Darn it, for once, listen to me and just go. Please... you have to."
Every instinct urged him to stay, to tend to his baby brother, to make sure he was all right. But, as much as he hated it, something in the boy's words convince him. Tears blurred his vision as he mumbled out brokenly, "Oh... G-God... Kris... I - I love you... why? Why, you? I hate this."
"I know," he replied simply. "Pray. Pray for me, for all of us. A lot. Never stop. Now... go to bed. I have to clean up." Lightning flashed as Kris gazed sadly upon his brother, his eyes still a firey red. He almost fell over in relief when Asriel pased him by, leaving a trail of tears on the floor.
He trudged up the stairs to his room, but he needed company, and there was only one other person he could turn to. He pushed open Susie's door and knelt beside her bed, clasping her hand as he began bawling incoherently. She jerked awake, gaping at him through bleary eyes. "Asreel... the heck's goin' on?" she mumbled out. She was bewildered. While she knew he loved her, Kris was the one he was truly close to, so it was very strange for him to be clinging to her, crying like this in the middle of the night. She jumped as a lightning bolt crashed nearby, shaking the house, and squeezed his hand in reaction. "Crud... how'd I sleep through this?"
"A nightmare," he cried, "Just... awful!"
She wrapped him up in her arms, as she had grown to be almost as big as he was. She was actually grateful for his intrusion, as she had been suffering through a dreadful nightmare herself. "I know... had one too. Kris was... in trouble."
He clung to her, quaking with sorrow, so torn inside over his brother's fate, it was agony. He couldn't understand why... why his baby brother? It was cruel! "Oh, Susie... oh, God... if only you knew..."
After struggling to clean up, barely able to function, Kris went outside, standing in the storm as it raged all around him. It was terrifying, but it wasn't as bad as what had invaded him that night. Chara didn't like it, but he held on to control of his body and made her face it, gratified that she could feel fear too. Fear of Hell. That was one bit of leverage he held over her. He would figure out if there were others. He decided that either God would strike him dead right there from a bolt from Heaven, or there was a reason for him to keep living.
His answer came with the tempest dwindling, until it gradually faded to nothing. Drenched and shivering, he went resignedly to bed, almost disappointed that God hadn't seen fit to take him Home that night.
The next day wasn't very good for anyone. Asriel barely slept. But who could have, after a night like that? He could scarcely believe that Kris seemed to have rested, though he apparently caught a cold. He chuckled ruefully at the thought that evil spirits might really be the root cause of illness after all.
When their mother wasn't doting over him, he came to his bedside, asking him, "How are you doing?" He reached down to brush his hair back.
"What're you - hey, quit that!" Kris ordered, but Asriel shivered at what he saw. His eyes were still red. He sighed, murmuring, "Bro... please, forget all about it. It didn't happen."
"The heck it didn't!" He was ready to begin crying again. "Kris... please, let's talk to mom and dad about this."
The lad tugged his mouth to one side pensively. "Tell 'em... what? Their kid's a half-demon? Joined inside by a demon? Azzy..." He clasped his hand over his brother's. "Just pray, okay? Mom 'n dad always said that things happen for a reason. There's gotta be a reason for this. One thing is... I feel a little older now, a little smarter." Except, he thought to himself, that just meant that now he could come up with more devious pranks to play on everyone. He had a feeling Chara would enjoy that, even dormant in the daytime. "One thing, though... lock your door at night. Tell everyone... you heard that a Human was creeping around at night. Just don't say it's me, okay?" He flashed his brother a smile, though he felt sorry the moment he saw his brother's eyes grow moist.
"How can you... joke like that! Ohh, Kris..." He lay his head on his brother's chest and wept. "I'm supposed to watch over you. What kind of brother... let's this happen!"
"A brother I'd do anything to have," he murmured fondly, stroking his hand lightly over Asriel's head as he cried. "It's not your fault.... it's nobody's fault, but her's. And it's not so bad. Like a disease that's under control."
"This isn't like a cold o-or a cancer!" he blubbered, but then he fell silent, his heart torn in two over his brother's plight. How could this be meant to be? How could they hide this from their parents for very long? Those horrible red eyes? He didn't even smell right. And if that demon gained control every night... what would eventually happen? Some murder? A murder of someone in their family? Their sister, who had already faced death once, and by the grace of God escaped it? Himself, his parents? What good could posibly come from this? A dreadful thought came to him.
Maybe he isn't meant to be your brother, after all.
"The heck he isn't," he muttered bitterly. He refused to believe that, that any of them didn't belong together. There had been troubles, and Kris had been a bit too full of mischief, but there were much worse kids in Sanctuary. No, he loved Kris with all his heart. This had to be a twisted thought planted by a devil, maybe Chara.
A brother I'd do anything for...
Wouldn't he do anything for Kris? For anyone in his family? Of course he would, he was devoted to all of them. But... if Kris couldn't be exorcized, what was the answer? Then a Bible verse came to him.
What greater love hath a man, than to lay down his life for his friend?
Or his brother? That was a rather dire thought, though, and it frightened him. But... what if in a sense, he could lay down his life for his brother? Give up some of his free time, maybe all of it, so that he could study the Scriptures, the histories of possessions, see if there was some way to deal with this particular "special" demon.
Filled with determination to begin his quest right away, he rose up and rubbed Kris' shoulder. "You get to feeling better, okay?"
"Well... I'm glad you're feeling better, but what's with the changer of mood all of a sudden?" He had to wonder about it.
Asriel closed his eyes and smiled. "I'm gonna go study those diseases."
He had no idea what he was in for. Friar Alvin allowed Asriel in to see whatever of the Church library he wanted, save for one section of books locked away. And there were thousands upon thousands of books! It would take a lifetime to read them all. Finding the ones he wanted was a tedious process. Nothing was computerized, everything was in a card file, and some of the cards were out of order. But, fretting about it wasn't getting anything accomplished.
And so he read. And read. And read...
He became a recluse. The usual fun he had with Kris had been abandoned. He had no time for hikes out in the woods, no time for video games which he used to love, no time for just hanging out. He missed meals. He skipped school, and his homework wasn't finished. At first, everyone admired his study of the Church library, sure that he had changed his mind about becoming a priest. But the way this had absorbed his life began to concern the family, especially when his health began to suffer from all his late night reading, and he lost weight. And he made sure to keep a cross and pocket Bible with him at all times as Kris had been lurking out at night, behaving in a strange, frightening way.
Asgore asked his son about it all one day, but he brushed his father off with a smile. "Heh... I had no idea how deep Christianity is. And, you know... the good shepherd lays down his life for his flock."
"Well... that's true, son," he said hesitantly. "But, there's laying it down, and there's throwing it away. Are you keeping up with your homework?"
They both knew he hadn't. He tried to joke his way around that, too. "Ehh, if I'm gonna be a priest, science isn't that important."
"Now, son," Asgore said to him, "you're one of the smartest Dreemurrs who ever lived. I have high hopes for you, we all do. And God is the greatest scientist ever, remember? A fellow Who makes universes? So, don't shirk your schoolwork."
He nodded somberly at that. "O - okay, dad, I'll... try to do better."
Kris eventually confronted him too, along with Susie. "Bro, we never hang out anymore. What's the deal?"
"Yeah," Susie chimed in. "You love those dumb books more than us?"
"No!" he cried, though he had to admit that he had grown to love reading around the demonic subjects to other matters that had always fascinated him, and the Church fathers, both Human and Monster, had gleaned a lot of wisdom from both life and the Scriptures over the millennia. And then there were writings attributed to the Elves, which were fascinating, and extremely challenging at times to understand. And studying the demonic all the time was taking a toll on his very SOUL. He had to put that aside on occasion for the sake of his sanity, but that meant more time spent reading. "It's just... dad always wanted me to be a priest like him, and... wow, it takes a lot of study, that's all." He gave them a smile. "I'll take a break around summertime, and we can hang out then, alright?"
"Sure," Susie muttered, "if you can stay out of summer school. Everyone knows your grades suck." Kris folded his arms dourly, often letting his attitude speak for him.
He didn't know what to say to them. He missed them, badly, missed all the fun they used to have together. He wanted to cry from frustration, sorrow and anger. Why had life gone so utterly, stupidly wrong! He had to get away from them or he would start crying, so he said to them with an effort to be lighthearted, "I know. I'm in the middle of something right now, but when that's out of the way, I'll spend all weekend with you guys? How's that?" He flashed them a smile and wandered off, not waiting for a reply which he was afraid would just upset him.
"You're always in the middle of something," Susie muttered as they watched him trudge off. "Well, see ya never, bookworm."
He was feeling quite miserable from that little talk, so he didn't catch sight of Kris until he almost walked into him on the way to the monastery. He wasn't about to let things go at that, and confronted him. "Susie's right, you're always in the middle of something. Why are you avoiding us? Avoiding me?" He pushed his big brother against a stone wall and lifted his mop of bangs, exposing his red eyes. "Does this bother you that much, you don't even want to talk to me?"
"No!" Asriel cried, grabbing Kris by the uper arms, his eyes beginning to water. "Don't you ever think you don't mean the world to me! Or Susie! I'm trying so hard... to fins an answer... ohh, Kris..." He seized his brother in a tight embrace, crying in earnest now, his tears dampening his brother's shoulder. "I want to help you... but I can't, not yet... and it's killing me..."
Kris hugged his brother back, ashamed of himself for misunderstanding. "Asriel, I... I didn't know... I'm sorry..." He grabbed this brother's shirt in his fists, frustrated himself at how horribly everyone's lives had gone and all because of him. And then those dark feelings began to creep in, from Chara. Wishing he had a knife just then, so he could stab his brother in the back--
He pushed himself out of Asriel's embrace, startling him, tears running down his own cheeks now. "Hey... listen, just... drop it for a while. Okay? It's... fine, really. Just live your life, like always. Be a brother. I... I miss you so bad..."
Asriel sniffled, wiping his sleeve across his nose. "I know... I miss you too. But... Chara isn't just going to... walk away, is she?" Kris hung his head, as that answer was self-evident. "Do you still have control, at night?"
"Yeah..." he replied vacantly, but he felt he had to be completely honest. "Mostly." They had asked for a key lock to be put on Kris' door, but that had only lasted long enough for her to figure out how to pick it. They didn't want to push her too far.
He cupped his hand around his brother's neck. "Listen... this is getting hard on me too. Dark stuff... it begins to mess with your head after a while. And if that wasn't bad enough, I think my eyes are starting to go bad from reading too much. I need time with you guys too. This weekend... if I can wrap up one bit of study, we'll all have some fun then. Okay?"
Kris looked up, a gleam of affection in his crimson eye. "That would be awesome." But as his brother walked away, neither one of them believed it would happen. And as usual, the weekend passed with Asriel cooped up in the library.
Asriel grew supremely frustrated one day, throwing a stack of books to the floor. "This is stupid! None of these books have an answer! Not one of them describes Chara, unless I'm missing something. I'm wasting my time!" But one thing consistently came up in his readings: devils loved making bargains with mortals. Though they preferred Human victims, they were plenty happy to deal with Monsters too. And they particularly prized clergy, or their family, and that would be where he came in. But there were certain rituals that needed to be observed if you wanted a guaranteed visitation from a devil. It was very rare that one would manifest from simply asking for one to appear. And he had happened across a few volumes recently which stated the Church had certain black books which clergy had used to negotiate with devils. Would that explain the sealed off section? Wouldn't it, though...
Abruptly, he found himself with an unannounced visitor. Ralsei, the choir leader, picking up the tomes he had so roughly thrown to the floor. He smiled up at Asriel, saying politely, "It seems someone was careless with your books. I'll pick them up."
Prologue: About
"Oh! Uhm... that's okay," he said to the lad, but the young choir leader insisted on helping.
He lingered there as Asriel sat back down, looking sheepish. He clearly wanted to talk, and finally worked up the courage. "Uhhm... you know... everyone has been a little... concerned about you. Is there... anything I could do to help? Anything you'd... want to talk about?"
"Not unless you can summon a demon, no," he said offhandedly, then choked in shock at how blatantly he had spoken.
Ralsei looked taken aback too. "Oh, uhm, well, I... don't suppose you'd want to... talk about that, would you?"
Asriel gazed at the little fellow fondly for a moment, as the youth was friendly with everyone there, always as cheerful and innocent as a puppy. And he really needed cheering up just then. "Ralsei... can you keep a deep, dark secret? I do need to talk with someone... it's driving me crazy."
Prologue: About
He blinked in surprise. "W-well, how... deep dark are we talking about?"
Asriel gave him a melancholy chuckle. "The deepest darkest. But you have to promise."
He mulled it over for a moment, then smiled up innoccently as always. "Oh, I think God put me here for things like this. I so swear," he said, putting up his hand.
He motioned to a chair at the table. "You might want to sit down. This is kind of involved."
Asriel explained everything, leaving nothing out. At the end of it, Ralsei looked rather ill, his eyes downcast. "I think... you should let me break my promise."
He gaped at the boy in dismay. "Are you crazy? This isn't the kind of thing you bring up at dinner, ya know." He affected a deeper voice, saying whimsically, "Hey, dad, the funniest thing happened the other day. Some murderous succubus possessed my brother! And he's a half-demon to start with! Imagine that!"
"But... Asriel, adults are over us kids because they have wisdom and experience," he insisted. "You took on a task that would probably challenge a sage!"
"Tell me about it," the youth muttered bitterly. "Reading all this stuff for years... for years! It hurts my SOUL. But dad doesn't have a clue about any of this stuff. He's an earthy guy, solving domestic disputes and family squabbles, laying the dead to rest and consoling families, guarding against Human raiders. He's never had to deal with anything like this... no one has for centuries! I know darn well devils are still around, but they've pretty much left us alone. Till now."
Ralsei nodded thoughtfully. "I bet they want their Nephilim boy back."
Asriel fixed him in a suspicious gaze. "So? They can't have him!"
"Hey, I'm just thinking out loud," he said defensively, putting up his hands. "I don't want to give in to them either."
"Sorry," Asriel murmured, "it's just... a really touchy subject. He's my brother. I can't just let this go on. I don't suppose you know anyone with the spiritual aptitude who could help with this problem, do you?"
"I... might know someone," he said discreetly, raising his hand.
Asriel gaped at him in surprise. "You? You know magic, or some sort of ritual which would help with this?"
He chuckled, looking sly. "I happen to be the highest ranking student in metaphysical studies in ages. I sure have the aptitude for it, even if I don't know any details. Buuut... I happen to be good friends with the one who holds the keyring to the monastery..."
Asriel looked impressed. "You have pull with Friar Alvin?"
"Yes," the boy said proudly. "And you're the priest's son! Why didn't you use some of that pull yourself?"
He looked aside timidly. "Gee... it hadn't occurred to me. Besides, demonology and occult stuff always creeped me out."
"Well, you'll never know until you find out," he suggested, beckoning for the door. "Let's go see."
To his surprise, Friar Alvin seemed quite accommodating to Ralsei's request when it involved Asriel. "Why, he has been goobling knowledge from this library like one of the sages of old! I suppose he has good reason to be wanting a peek at the... darker arts, as we put it."
They looked to each other, saying together, "Oh yeah sure totally."
But the world they found themselves in when they crossed that threshhold was alien and frightening. Saying that it was dark was an understatement of the highest order. It was a blackness that made Asriel's study of the scholarly aspects of the demonic seem like a comic in comparison. Ralsei gave his friend a still hopeful look. "Let's... pray up and dig in, and see if there's a solution to Kris' dilemma."
It was both an illuminating and disheartening journey they found themselves on. There was only one commodity devils prized, and that was SOULs. And only the life essence of the sentient would do. Animals were only good for sacrifice for certain things. But to get a devil to do something substantial, particularly to work against their own agenda, they insisted that a SOUL be offered as payment.
As Ralsei closed the final grimorum they consulted, he chuckled sourly, "Well... I learned something new today. Devils really hate us. And if you want them to leave you alone, all it requires is your SOUL." He coughed out a laugh, muttering, "That's... kind of a sucky bargain..."
"Yeah... isn't it," Asriel said quietly, clutching his notes to his chest, a disturbed look on his face.
Ralsei looked to his new friend worriedly. He didn't like the teen's expression, and couldn't quite read him. "So... what do you think we should do now?"
"Maybe we should... forget all about this," he murmured, feeling as if his SOUL was already being clutched at by unseen sinister beings, lurking just the other side of the curtains of Reality. He rose to leave.
The youth trailed alongside and asked leadingly, eyeing the pages of profane knowledge scribbled in haste, "What are you gonna do with those?"
"Ohh... burn 'em," he replied. "Or... somethin'..."He began walking faster, and Ralsei started to follow him, but Asriel clearly wanted to be alone. And surely it was to think, nothing else. He was too level headed to do anything crazy...
Asriel hid his notes in his room, then went to the Church to pray. He gazed up at the cross overlooking the sanctuary, with the carving of the Christ upon it, flanked by stained glass windows of Him risen, making the signs of Peace and Judgment in either hand. Along with Him, the sign of the Delta Rune, the mysterious symbol of their Angel. It seemed so cruel, that he could find no way to remove or destroy the demon afflicting his brother, except by offering his SOUL in trade.
He said up to the silent wooden figure representing their God, "I know you suffered and died for Men, and we're lucky to be included as Your children. Maybe whatever happens to us is... just stuff we have to deal with. But... Jesus... surely you knew this would happen. You knew this would happen to Kris. You knew that a really special Nephilim boy would come here and ask for Your salvation. Lord... he's my brother! But he's Your son! Don't You have something for him?"
You lack patience, and understanding
That seemed much too clear, and he said back, "Then help me understand! This is killing both of us... and it has been years."
The fullness of this is not for you to know, but having the blood of devils within him does have consequences
"But... it's not fair!" Asriel insisted. "He didn't choose to be a half-devil!"
Has it occurred to you what world he was rescued from, and what life he would have had there, and what his rescuer risked so he could have that chance for a new life?
That gave him pause, and he couldn't answer that right off. "Uhm... n-no, I hadn't... but, to be tortured here... isn't there something we can do?"
You will not wait to find out... I know the end and the beginning of all things... just know that you must be prepared to face the consequences of what you intend to do... though, through it all, I will be with you, My wayward, impetuous, stubborn child
He bowed his head and wept...
...And dipped the communion wafer in the blood of a mourning dove, poured into one of the golden gobblets from the Church, and ate the disgusting thing. After he swallowed it down, he spoke words in a strange language:
"Vino la mine, fiind din intuneric, pentru ca eu caut sa fac o afaschere!"
Come to me, being of the dark, for I seek to make a bargain.
He wore black robes, and knelt in the grass of sacred ground. He threw the blood into the air over a magic circle he had made in the middle of one of their cemeteries, and within it appeared a striking, handsome figure, dressed in silver-white robes, with eyes of blazing red. "Well, son of Asgore, high priest of Sanctuary. Why have you summoned me so?" He wasn't prepared for that greeting, and looked to the notes set beside him for the proper response. The Human-like devil chuckled, a strangely musical laugh. "Asriel, do not bother with the diplomatic niceties. This is a dialog between consenting beings desiring a certain outcome. Simply tell me what you want."
He was intimidated by this entity, as it radiated incredible power which the magic circle scarcely contained. What was this devil, a prince? And he knew that dallying wouldn't be taken well by this infernal fiend. "You know what I want, don't you?"
He gave the youth a haughty smile. "You want the SOUL of your brother, your Nephilim brother, to be saved. Is that correct?"
He nodded, trying to sound authoritative, confident. "Yes it is."
He drew his mouth to one side in a disturbing smirk. "You do realize, do you not, that Salvation is the prerogative of the Most Holy God you believe you serve." He spread his hands almost dismissively. "That power is not mine to grant, nor any devil. Nor is it meant for those of us who share our blood. Have you thought this through, boy?"
Prologue: About
His blood ran cold in his veins. This devil was more powerful than he had imagined, and had usurped this ritual from him. He had no idea what to do, and he was now in mortal danger...
Wake up!
Kris jerked awake, sweat pouring down his body as he lay in his bed. He clasped his hands over his eyes, shaking. What a horrible nightmare...
Get up... it's not a dream! You have to see this!
"Shut up--" he began, but then the words of Chara finally struck a chord in his mind. Not a dream? He scrambled out of bed, shouting, "Asriel, you idiot...!"
Asriel scrambled for something to use as an avenue of defense. "I command you in the name of Ezurel to give me your True Name!"
Prologue: About
That clearly vexed the devil, and he glared down at the kneeling Caryna with a deadly look. "Do not overstep your bounds, Monster boy. That is not for your kind to know. All you may ask me is my given name, even under threat of the Elven Name of God. Understood? And that is Gemaliel. Now... have you come to bargain? Or simply to waste my time at the risk of your eternal SOUL?"
He swallowed hard, feeling as if his life could be torn from his body at the slightest whim from this demonic foe. "You summoned Chara here, to infest my brother, didn't you? I demand that you summon her back!"
"You demand?" he chuckled, folding his arms. "Well now... she has her own will. I can only ask her nicely, but it's up to her to obey. Unless you surrender your SOUL from ownership by your Fish God, Monster boy! Now, what is your response?"
He squeezed his eyes shut, terrified of what he was about to do. What seemed like such a simple thing, suddenly became a danger to his eternal Life. He had no idea how horrifying this could be... what should he do, what should he say!
You lack patience, and understanding
"I know... I know," he whimpered piteously, tears rolling down his cheekfur.
Just know that you must be prepared to face the consequences of what you intend to do.
He quivered in the grip of terror, realizing that he wasn't prepared for this dreadful moment at all.
Kris ran as if his life depended on it, though some one else's definitely did. He knew that place from his dream. It was a cemetery, though they never buried anyone there, Monster bodies crumbling to dust upon death. But monuments to the deceased were erected for them there. And occasionally, dark rituals would be held in them, and devils would dance on the graves. If he wasn't in time... he would die, he would just die...
"WELL?" the devil exclaimed, the demand striking him like a bat to the chest.
"No! Don't!" Kris screamed as he ran madly for the cemetery. "Don't do it!"
Asriel looked over his shoulder to see his brother running through the darkness towards him, lightning flashing over his head. The brother he loved as much as his own life. But who he would never see again if he threw his eternal life away like a damned shortsighted fool. "I won't! I won't!"
Something terrible happened. The magic circle, poured of silver dust, began flaking away, the bits of it rising into the air and blowing away in the stormwind. Kris flung himself forward as fast as he could, but he was afraid he wouldn't make it. And even if he did, then what!
Gemaliel began to laugh, a sickening, terrible sound full of evil worse than mere rape or murder. Asriel gaped up at the demonic fiend in horror, unable to move a muscle. "Well, this is classic. All this effort and time wasted. But I will claim my booty! Come, booty! Wave goodbye to your brother and Chara!"
Somehow, Kris could hear this all clearly over the brewing storm and his own panting breath. It had to be Chara, tormenting him. It couldn't be happening... it couldn't be real! "No, no, God no, please NO!" he wailed. But just as he reached the stone fence surrounding the cemetery, the devil raised his hand commandingly, and Asriel, crying, was lifted into the air, his form twisted as if in agony. Kris just managed to glimpse the terrible sight as there was a blinding flash, and a deafening thunderclap as a lightning bolt shot through Asriel's body, and then... he wasn't there anymore. He was thrown back by the blast of thunder, like a stick of dynamite going off in his face.
Hauling himself to his feet, the only one there was Gemaliel, leering at him in triumph. "What a lovely night this was. You are still under the thumb of my beloved Chara, and I have a priest's son, alive, to play with as I see fit. I would call this a good outing to your nasty little world."
"No!" he screamed, picking up a stone to throw at him. "You give him back! Give him back to us! Take me instead, you bastard!"
He threw it with all his might, the rock bounced off of the devil's sturdy form as if rubber, leaving not so much as a speck of dust on him. "Mind your manners, half-blood. You will know what to do when the time comes. Chara will lead you. And you will obey like a good little boy... my son."
He felt as if another bolt of lightning had shot him through. No, it couldn't be... this cruel spawn of Hell was his father? And he had taken his brother from him? "No... you... liar! You filthy lying bastard!"
"Am I now." Kris backed away in alarm as the devil jumped nimbly over the wall, marched right up to him and seized his wrist before he could get away. It felt as if the fiend's body was charged with lightning; it jangled painfully through his nerves, and he was impossibly strong. He could do nothing to break free. He cradled the struggling boy in his arms, smiling maliciously. "Now... is that any way to address your father?" He pulled the terrified boy against him and gave him a disgusting kiss, forcing his tongue into his mouth. He threw the boy down, spitting. "You half-bloods taste funny. Half chimpanzee, half Angel. I should have picked a proper bride, and killed your mother sooner. What a mockery you are. Still, the kind of mockery which is a joy to fling into the face of that bully of a Fish God you misguidedly want to serve. But you will come around, in time. All the Fallen do." Then, as he gazed at Kris triumphantly, a cloud of darkness gathered around him, and slowly dissipated. And he was gone.
He lay back in the grass and cried as rain began to pelt him with large cold drops, and the storm began to rage around him. He didn't care. What was the point of living now? The devils had won, and he had lost his dearest friend in all the universe. He couldn't bear it. His body seemed to move on its own, going into the Church and scaling the passageway to the spire. He climbed on top of it, hugging himself to the lightning rod at its pinnacle and screamed, begging a stray bolt to shoot him through and kill him. He couldn't deal with the pain, couldn't handle the anguish, couldn't grapple with thoughts of the horrible day to come, when his adopted father learned that his only true child had been taken by a devil to some hellish realm they couldn't reach.
Please, God... kill me. Take me Home... send me to Hell with Chara... anything but another minute of this horror of an existence...
He looked up in a daze, his mind a fog of delirium, as his mother and father tried to coax him back to consciousness. It was dark... he was lying in wet grass... how had he gotten there? He hurt all over... why, what had happened?
And then he remembered, and began bawling. He cried so hard, his stomach hurt from it. His poor parents were almost frantic, afraid that he had been seriously injured, and to be sure, he didn't know for certain he hadn't. He must have lost his grip on the Church spire and tumbled down the roof to land on the ground. He was lucky to still be alive. But then, what was lucky about that? Now he had to live with the memory of what happened to his dear, loving, wonderful brother. When they asked him what was the matter, all he could do was cry out in agony, "Asriel's gone!"
* * * * * * * *
Prologue: About
They tried to pick up the pieces of their lives afterward, for it had definitely shattered. For some, it went better than others.
Toriel mourned her son's loss, bearing it as best she could, and somehow her faith was a pillar they all could find a measure of strength in. She managed to function, if a bit haphazardly at times, and there were moments she had to be alone to weep.
Susie took it almost as badly as Kris had. When they managed to explain to her that Asriel was gone, her eyes popped open, and she began walking away, trailing tears. Then she ran to the farthest corner of the Churtch grounds, curled up in it and practically sscreamed in anguish. When she finally calmed down, she looked fearfully like she had when they first found her, pressed against the wall, looking terrified.
Prologue: About
Kris went to bed his tears dampening his pillow as he quietly wept. All his energy had been spent earlier. Now all he could do was mourn, a withered shell of his former self, or yearn for death.
Asgore was devastated. He wandered, blubbering and babbling, between his liquor cabinet and the Church, where he sought for some sort of answer or solace, though he could find no trace of either. Finally, he curled up near his flower beds in a drunken stupor. Though most of the monks and nuns understood, a few thought he was behaving abysmally.
Toriel, being the dutiful mother, tried to gather her wounded flock and bring a semblance of peace to them. She went to where Susie lay in the grass and half carried her inside, as she had grown quite tall and stout for her age. She took the girl to her room and put her to bed. She looked up to her as she began to draw away, asking, "Mama... what're we gonna do now? When will this get better?"
She gave her daughter a bittersweet smile. "We're going to go on with our lives, and know that Asriel awaits us in Heaven. As for when this will get better... in time, darling, in time. Time and the love of the Father heals all wounds. Remember when you first came to us, it was very difficult for a while. But we gave you a new family to love, and you have returned that love sweetly. We must help each other for a while, but the light of the Son will shine in our hearts again, you will see."
A tear rolled down her cheek, and she mumbled, "But I miss him, a lot."
She sighed, managing not to cry herself. "I know, angel... just imagine my heartache, for I bore him. But I have two wonderful children to love, and I will. Now, I am afraid I must tend to my poor broken husband. When I am done tending to him, if you need me, just call."
She nodded, watching her depart. But when she was gone, she came to Kris' room, knocking quietly. "Hey... can I... rest with you?" She didn't bother to wait for an answer, curling up in bed with him, and hugged him to her tightly. He was actually glad for her company, and her feminie warmth was soothing. As he wrapped his arms around her in response, she asked, "What... happened to him?"
"I dunno," he lied. He couldn't tell her the truth, couldn't tell anyone the truth. It was too horrible. But one day, he promised them all silently, he would find a way to bring him back. He would, or die trying.
-Prologue END-
Prologue: About
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