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Behind the studio, in the snow, the Fun Gang had barely time to hide behind the giant gatcha ball where Toriel was snoring lightly, sprawled in her golden throne that Tenna appeared seemingly from thin air.
This time, when Tenna grabbed the gatcha ball – covering with his hands only some of the air holes the Soul had had the green Pippins (his name is Battat. The Soul would like to meet him instead of talking/yelling at him at the phone) punch in the plastic ball - lifting it in the air like it weighted nothing, in-between the time it took for Tenna to notice the Fun Gang was not in the Green Room and to teleport them all back into the Studio, the Soul gave a command:
* Call for help?
* Yes ❤️ NO!
* Yes❤️ NO!
Out of Kris’ throat came a wail, a child’s cry for their mother to come and comfort them after a nightmare, that made Susie jump a meter in the air and Ralsei fall side-way in the snow.
Tenna froze, mouth slightly parted, claws digging in the gatcha ball, screen going slightly off-colored as his antennae slammed back against his case.
Kris coughed in their fist, feeling his throat burning slightly from the exertion. Casually, they got a Dark Candy and ate it.
* You called for help.
Toriel’s eyes snapped open and she went from slumbered in her throne to sitting ramrod straight in a second, her head already turning towards where Kris was standing behind her. Their eyes met and Kris could see the raw, unconcealed worry in her expression. From where they stood, it almost looked like she wasn’t breathing.
For a moment, everything was quiet. Susie gave a weak oh, shit!, sounding like she was trying and failing to suppress a laugher.
In the next, all hell broke loose.
“Oh! SHIT!” yelled Susie, but Kris’ eyes were fixated on the scene in front of them, their sword hanging limply at their side.
The next line that appeared mid-air sounded almost smug.
* Help is coming.
The gatcha ball burst into flames and Tenna dropped it in the snow with a loud yelp, stumbling back, claws ripping his now-burned-through white gloves, his size jumping from 15 feet to 19.
The fireball hit the snow and a strong smell of burning … something! filled the air, paired with a loud sizzling noise, like cold oil hitting boiling water.
The ice and snow underneath it evaporated in seconds, and soon the rock started bubbling and melting. The fire seemed to glow brighter and brighter, going from a cheerful red to a white blaze in moments.
Kris felt a hand tugging him back and turned slightly his head, eyes never leaving the scene in front of him, to see Ralsei’s fur dancing away from the heat, eyes wide behind his green glasses, the [Dealmaker] perched on top of his horns reflecting the fire, giving the impression it was shaking from laugher.
From between the flames, a figures emerged, engulfed by white-hot flames like an avenging angel. It ran towards Kris who didn’t even have the time to react, before a hand engulfed by flames cupped their face gently.
They flinched away from the heat, the tears in their eyes evaporating as soon as they formed, but the flames didn’t burn them. Among the living flame, kneeling in front of them, Kris could see their mother’s eyes. Her clothes danced, untouched by the flames, her clawed hand traced their frightened frown.
“My Child,” - she breathed, sending tongues of fire licking their face - “are you hurt?”
They shook their head, feeling on their face the heat from her relived exhale. The flames shrunk, going from a fiery inferno to a gentle crackle. Toriel’s eyes and horns were now clearly visible, her fur gently swaying in the heat gave off the impression there was no distinction between the fire and Toriel, her hand, still flaming, was warm and gentle, and, hesitantly, Kris leaned into it a bit.
“And you, Susie? Are you ok?”
“I’m fine, Mrs. Dreemur” came Susie’s surprised voice.
“Oh, none of that now. I told you already to just call me Torie- Asriel?”
“No no. My name is Ralsei. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Mrs. Toriel!” came from behind them Ralsei’s pleasant voice.
“The pleasure is all mine.
Now.”
Toriel got back on her feet and turned around, eyes locking on a cowering Tenna, who seemed to flinch and shrink in size.
Ralsei slowly pulled both Kris and Susie back as the flames went from a gentle crackle to a subtle hiss, rising in height.
Tenna seemed to know what was going to happen a moment before it did as he threw himself flat to the ground, hands rising to protect his chassis as a fireball roared past his head and disappeared in the sky.
“It’s been some time since I’ve had this kind of power at claw-point.” - Toriel said, sounding almost conversional as she flexed her clawed hand, summoning another attack. -“But I think I still remember what to do.”
“Waitwaitwait! I surrender! I am sorry!” screamed Tenna, waving in the air a white handkerchief. Toriel hesitated, torn between her protective, motherly instincts and the obvious fear on the monster in front of her.
The fact that she went to sleep in her living room and woke up in the middle of nowhere wasn’t helping his case.
Before she could decide, behind her came Susie’s worried voice: “Mrs. Toriel, wait one second!”
The monster’s antennae perked up at the voice, head-screen lighting up again, showing a mouth and a long nose. He seemed to lean forward, trying to look past Toriel, but her protective growl sent him to shrink back.
Two hands reached for her into the fire, grabbing the back of her dress.
Eyes never leaving the monster in front of her, Toriel let the fire die fully out. Soon, both her arms were full of children. Kris’ face – why were they blue? What were they wearing? – was smushed against her side, hands grabbing her and refusing to let her go. Susie looked vaguely alarmed – and spiky-er than she remembered her to be – but didn’t protest the arm around her shoulder, instead, she seemed to scooch a little closer when Toriel wasn’t looking her.
Feeling calmer, she turned her attention to the unknown monster.
“What do you have to say for yourself, young man?” she demanded, voice as stern as she could without letting the children go.
The monster seemed to brighten at her question.
“Oh! I know this! I’ve been rehearsing what to say for years!“ he chirped, before his face crumbled in shock.
“No! Wait! I didn’t mean to say THAT!?
Mike? Mike! Can we take a second shot? That was terrible!” he cried out, waving his arms in the air.
Susie, As-Ralsei, and Kris chuckled good-naturedly at that and Toriel sighted softly. If all three of the kids could laugh, then she supposed it would be ok for her to listen to the stranger too, instead of burning him to a crisp.
Inside her, the fire was still lit and she closed her paw around the sparks dancing at her claw-tips. She hasn’t felt her magic respond so readily to her since- She cut the thought off before it could take roots, focussing back on the present. It wasn’t worth the heartache of remembering what could have been, if things had gone differently.
“Maybe I can explain.” Said the monster that oh-so resembled her darling Asriel and launched into an explanation about Darkners, Dark Fountains, knights - which her darling Kris looked like very much, she noticed - and who the stranger in front of them was. Or better: What he was.
Their TV. It was alive and “staring” at her with apprehension, screen going dark yet darker with every new mention of his name.
Ant Tenna.
It was… a lot to wrap her mind around, but neither Kris nor Susie objected to Ralsei’s explanation, so she supposed she wouldn’t too.
Now that she knew what was happening - what had happened in the last week - there was only one thing remaining.
She turned to Tenna, who flinched back, antennae drooping sadly.
“Why did you kidnap me?” she asked, tone less harsh, but feeling not any less displeased with him.
He looked at her, mouth moving without saying anything, before he fell on his knees, grabbing the hem of her dress, shoulders shaking.
“I-! I-! ...Please. I don’t want to die. Please, I can- I can be good. I can still be useful! I can- please?” wailed the TV, shrinking in size until he was barely taller than Kris. Static tears were running down from the middle of his black screen.
Toriel felt her heart crack in her chest at the sound, and before she knew it, she was kneeling in front of him, both arms wrapped around his shoulders.
Knowing she was talking to a living personification of her TV was… a lot. But this. She could do this.
Caring for others was easy like breathing for her and she leaned into the familiar motions with an intensity bordering on desperation.
From the way Tenna’s arms shook beneath her hands, he needed it.
“I don’t understand why everything had to change!” he whined, claws digging in her dress.
“Why did everyone go away? Why no one is watching me anymore? What did I do wrong? I can fix it! I promise I can fix it!” he whispered, sounding more and more frantic.
“Don’t you like me anymore? Is Asgore coming back? Where did he go? Where are the Holidays, why aren't they come to see me anymore?” he pleaded, looking up at Toriel.
Toriel stalled for a moment, thinking what to say to explain her separation with Asgore, before deciding to start from the very start. The point of no-return.
“Dess is missing. She’s been missing for years.” She told him gently, running a hand on his case - it was dusty. She’d have to schedule a service when they go back home. No, they were already home. When they go back to the Light World. Did she knew someone who still serviced CRTs? - feeling him shudder and push slightly against her hand, silently begging for pets, before her words seemed to register.
He pulled away from her, his screen displaying a bright-red question mark in the middle. His hands intertwined with hers as if he couldn't stand not to touch her, as if he feared she'd disappeared the moment he let her go.
“Wha-what do you mean?” he asked, tilting his screen slightly.
“[CRT]! [Wait for it]!” She heard ...someone yell behind her, but before she could turn around, Tenna’s screen brightened as he straightened his back. He smiled.
“Oh! But Dess is right he-“
His screen went black as his voice cut out, a red line appearing across it. A soft crrrrrr filled the sudden silence, like the sound of a knife being sharpened.
The lifeless body of Tenna fell on the side, cut screen splitting open upon impact with the ground.
Standing behind him, towering over Toriel, the Roaring Knight raised its blades.