Royal Blue

The Past is Gone and Done (Chapter Forty Two)

"Why was Sans at the Core with you?" Alphys' entire form is startlingly strong. Solid in a way the anxious young scientist rarely brings herself up to be.

Asgore's eyes twitch to Zero. His eyes, tiny flicking grey lights within the depth of his helmet, are the only thing that move. And yet still, nothing can be garnered from them.

One of the monitors behind him momentarily seems to loose its connection, spitting quite grey and static, distorting the image of the human souls of the army approaching, for less than a second.

Then it's back like nothing happened.

The room feels cold, and something smells like cigarette smoke.

It brings a solemn sense of nostalgia, but a heavy feeling in his chest as well... like dread.

"The same reason I did, I presume," Zero finally answers. Twisting on his toes, his steel-toed boots scraping on the floor as he looks over toward the entrance, toward a series of panels and lights, still humming.
It feels like he's caught in a memory.

"He came to the Core because it was seconds away from exploding... and we worked to make it, ya know... not."

There's a small pause.

 "So... " Undyne asks slowly, "you and do Sans know each other."

It's not technically a question. A statement looking for confirmation.

He doesn't have to answer it... But it's not like he had to answer any of them. He's not being threatened. Just asked.

This is an exercise in trust, after all. And this feels like a precipice.

Zero gives a stiff chuckle; it sounds more like he's trying not to fall.

"It would be hard not to know 'im," Zero says with a shrug.

"He basically created me."

"What do you mean?" Frisk asks. Their eyes are wide and curious; a look they'd all gotten quite used to during their traipse across the underground... but one that they seemed to have lost in recent days.

"You using your question?" Zero asks cooly, not even really twisting to look toward them. Still and steady.

Without a second thought, Frisk nods.

Zero hums.

He clasps his hands behind his back, posture straight, silhouetted in the burning glow of the monitors behind him. Asgore feels his breath catch.

It's a familiar scene. A familiar monster, standing there.

A flash brings memories- the wave of a clean-pressed lab-coat, a skeletal hand holding a purple-inked pen, rolls of blueprints and schematics. A friend in a bright world filled with excitement and motion, muttering gibberish tech-words that mesh with static.

Then-

The sun is bright in the sky, they're in the castle serving tea.
Asriel bounces in his booster-seat, he's just a baby; his yellow bib is smeared with snail goo from the pie.

A skeletal hand cleans the smears off the baby's fur with a napkin. Asriel fusses, and tries to eat it.

Toriel laughs from the kitchen where she's cleaning up, the sound is sweet and warm; filled with love. The world smells like cinnamon and mint and butterscotch, and-

Asgore momentarily feels like his mind has been swallowed by a fog. He blinks and lifts a hand to rub at his eyes. It clears.

"I..." Zero pauses. Asgore grips his forehead, wincing as it aches.