Wholehearted Saga: Origins

First Day: 2.1

Chapter 2: Remembrance

As Frisk gobbles up his plate, humans stare at Asriel. He clenches the fabric of his jeans and sweats. "Oh boy, here it comes..."

One of the older women in the group walks up to Asriel and begins petting him on the head. Asriel starts to think she might have a problem, especially as she opens her mouth and spills her saccharine voice. "Aw, another goat monster! Aren't you the cutest little thing?!"

Asriel chuckles and taps his fingers on the table. "Uh, howdy. I'm Asriel, Frisk's older brother."

The woman continues. "Your wooly fur is so soft, yet dense! It reminds me of my dogs' coats; does it get hot in the summer?!"

Unfortunately, Frisk is too busy talking to Mayor Ebott to bail his goat brother out. Asriel bites his lip as the crowd increases. "Eh, kinda. That's why my favorite season is winter! It's cool then, and I get to celebrate Christmas with my family."

Another woman, younger and taller in stature, begins massaging his ear, and Asriel's fake smile widens. (I feel really uncomfy with them doing this. But...I don't want to run out because I don't want to make Frisk look bad, but I really hate this!)

A younger man wearing a sharp suit and glasses walks closer to him, inspecting the goat child. "Are you related to Asgore and Toriel Dreemurr, by any chance?"

Asriel nods. "Yup! Well...my Mom doesn't have that last name anymore. My parents are divorced."

The older lady chimes in again. "Oh no, I'm so sorry! How does that feel?"

Asriel leans his head on his hand and pokes at his scrambled eggs. "I hate it. I love my Mom and Dad and don't want to see them fight anymore. I still have the 'Dreemurr' name, at least."

The sharp-dressed man clears his throat. "You know, I've heard some details about your family, thanks to Frisk and I being on the city council. The royals of the Underground? Powerful fire magic? Very interesting." He leans in while holding his chin. "What's your story?"

Clanging bells scream in Asriel's brain. He nervously chuckles as memories of his unsavory past flow back to him. "I...I dunno what you mean! No special story with me. I'm just Azzy, an 11-year-old kid. And we're not the royal family anymore." The volume in Asriel's voice spikes. "No special story to tell here, mister! Hehe, yeah, nothing special with me! Nothing to see here, heh..."

The human tilts his head. "Are you feeling ok, buddy?"

The chiming ceases. Asriel blinks, then shakes his head. "Um...what do you mean?"

The man lowers his gaze slightly. "I just wanted to know a little more about your story. I apologize if I asked too many questions. Did I make you nervous?"

Asriel gets misty-eyed and half-sprints away from the table. The human man reaches out to him. "Wait, kid! I apologize if we said anything offensive to you."

"No...it's ok...I just need to go home," Asriel says, rushing out the door.

The man shakes his head and glares at the elderly woman. "Nice going, Mom. You should know better than patronizing monsters like that. And now, things got worse."

The woman scoffs. "That's no way to speak to your elders! And you're the reason why he ran away, seems to me."

"That doesn't matter when you didn't apologize for how you acted toward him," he replies.

The conversation between the ambassador and mayor finally ceases, and Frisk looks at the small group. Noticing the empty chair, he raises an eyebrow. "Wait, where is he?" Looking toward the exit of the dinner hall, he notices Asriel running out of the building. Frisk shakes his head and begins running toward his brother.

Mayor Ebott holds out his hand and yells, "Ambassador Dreemurr! You haven't given your speech yet!"

Frisk looks back at Mr. Ebott, yelling, "I need to take care of my brother right now! You can lead the speech for me."

Mr. Ebott grumbles. Frisk makes his way to the front of the town hall, seeing Asriel slam the doors open and run out. He nods and whispers, "I didn't see what caused him to run out, but if I had one guess..."

As Asriel reaches the bus stop, Frisk catches up to him. "Azzy! Azzy...wait...."

Asriel looks behind him and stops marching. He clenches his chest, with his soul pounding and twisting in pain. He sinks his head. "I'm sorry."

Frisk pants and recollects himself. "What are you...sorry for? You didn't have to stay if you...didn't want to."

Dullness stabs Asriel in the check, the spotlight blaring on him. "I didn't want to embarrass you, but now I think I just did! You ran out just to check on me, and now you will miss doing your breakfast speech." He bows his head. "I'm burdening you."

Frisk folds his arms. "You're apologizing too much. Besides, you never have been a burden. We're friends, right?"

Asriel looks up at Frisk through watery eyes. "F...friends?"

"Yeah, of course," Frisk confirms. "We've been friends since you broke the barrier. You didn't forget that, did you?"

Asriel sinks his head again and clenches his stomach, hunching over. Frisk raises an eyebrow and holds Asriel's shoulder. "Aren't you feeling well?"

"No...I'm not," Asriel admits.

"Where does it hurt, bud?" Frisk asks.

"Everywhere," Asriel complains. "And my soul hurts the most."

Frisk clenches his chest, thinking. (Wow...my soul feels a little painful, too. That's weird...). He says, "were you feeling alright before the breakfast party?"

Asriel nods. "Yeah, I was. I was still nervous, but I felt ok. Then, things got worse, and I had to just...escape."

Frisk nods. "I was busy talking to Mayor Ebott, so I didn't hear what happened. What made you run out?"

Asriel rubs his neck. "A bunch of humans walked up to me and started asking me questions. Then, I started thinking about my past and..." His eyes light up, and he straightens his posture. "Right. A man said he knew our family a little bit and asked more about my story...my history. My story." The goat child's stomach grows queasier. "That's when the memories of my past and all the wrong came back."

Frisk hugs Asriel gently as Asriel's eyes water again. "We'll head home, and you can rest. I know you've been through a lot, but I have your back. We're brothers, after all."

Asriel half-smiles. "Thanks. I hope Mom can help me, too. I wish my first day in my real body was happier, though."

Frisk looks forward, and the bus pulls up to the bench. Neither brother look at the other as they quietly enter the bus.