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"Alphys, could you help me with something?"
Alphys turned to look at Toriel, who was holding her cell phone in her hand.
"O-of course, w-what do you need help with?"
Toriel furrowed her brows. "Well, it's just that my cell phone has the number 13 stuck at the top. I always thought it meant how many monsters were near me, but the number has not changed since leaving the underground."
Alphys took the phone from Toriel and glanced at the top of the screen. Her claws clicked at the buttons before she released an "Ah hah!"
She showed the screen to Toriel, "It's the amount of messages in your voicemail box. J-judging from the dates on all of these, they're from when we were all still in the underground."
Toriel shook her head at that. "No one else had my number in the underground. I only gave it to—" She paused. Suddenly, it clicked. Her eyes widened in realization. "Frisk. I only gave it to Frisk. I..."
She took the phone from Alphys carefully. "I didn't realize they— I didn't—"
She cleared her throat, heart already hurting. There were 13 messages. The fact that Frisk had left so many messages, and most likely called her many more times than that...Her child was brave, strong, but she knew that they went through a lot to free monsterkind – far too much for a 10-year-old child. The fact that she didn't help them, protect them, will always be a regret that will continue to haunt her.
She took a breath and looked back at Alphys. Alphys looked uncomfortable, not knowing how to comfort the ex-queen. She had a sympathetic look on her face however and that made Toriel smile in appreciation.
"Could you show me how to check all of these messages?"
Alphys nodded vigorously, "Of course."
A few moments passed with Alphys showing Toriel how to play and go through messages.
Toriel stared at the phone screen for a moment before turning to look at Alphys, "I apologize, Alphys, but I'd like to—"
Alphys waved her hands wildly, "Oh, no, it's no trouble. Tell me how Frisk likes their new computer. U-um, and to also call me if their confused by all the buttons."
"Thank you, Alphys."
Alphys left and Toriel sat herself down on the large, tan couch - needed for the assortment of friends and visitors she had. She stared at the word "MESSAGE ONE" on the screen, her digit hovering over the play button. She glanced around the room, at the beautiful golden flowers Asgore had brought over, at the pile of anime beside the large TV screen, at the couch she sat upon that was so large it even allowed Asgore to sit comfortably on it (with extra people), and at the sun shining brilliantly outside the window. Details like these helped ground her, helped remind her of where and when she was. The past was still in the past, and she was no longer suffering with it.
Finally, she looked at the time. Frisk would be coming home from school in a bit less than an hour. She pressed play.
"Hi, Mom," a child's voice said hesitantly. Then, there was a rush of words, "I know you probably don't want me to call you since you told me to not come back, but I had to say thank you. Thank you for being really nice to me and giving me cinnamon-butterscotch pie and trying to protect me and just --" an intake of breath "-- just treating me like your own child. I want to say sorry, too. I'm sorry for leaving you. We'll meet again, I'm sure of it." A shaky breath. "Bye, Mom."
"End of message. Press 1 to hear next message."
Toriel resolved to tell Frisk how much she loved them as soon as they got home. She never wanted them to say bye to her ever again. She pressed 1.
"..."
"End of message. Press 1 to hear the next message."
"Sorry. I was just checking if my phone still worked. I accidentally hit an Invisible Electricity Maze wall and..." They drifted off. There were sounds of shuffling. "I guess you really don't want to talk." There was a sniffle, then, "Bye, Mom."
"End of message. Press 1 to hear the next message."
Toriel didn't know how to respond. She looked at the picture of Frisk smiling on the mantle above the fireplace and continued on.
"Ow, ow, ow..." was accompanied by a hiss of pain.
There was the sound of ice and snow crunching beneath feet. The message was filled with a lot of silences and sounds of movement before the message time reached its limit and automatically ended the call.
She realized that they probably accidentally called her.
"End of message. Press—"
"M-Mom, there are cameras in the weirdest places. I'm scared." There was heavy breathing and the sound of sloshing through water. Then—
"End of message. Press 1 to hear the next message."
She frowned knowingly. Alphys had told her about watching the human child, but for the cameras to instill fear in Frisk? It was something to talk to her about the next time she saw her. She pressed 1.
"Mom, Undyne's coming for me, I...I don't want to leave this tall grass..." There was a shaky intake of breath. The other side got quieter. She was barely able to make out the, "We don’t need to fight," before the message ended.
"End of message. Press 1 to hear the next message."
"Undyne..." Toriel growled lowly. Her own guilt clutching at her made her stop. She pressed 1.
"I-I think I hurt my ankle. Undyne...I fell down. Mom, please, I don't know what to do."
"End of message. Press—"
"Mom, Mom, please, Mom..."
The sobs coming from the past made Toriel's heart hurt.
"Mom, please, I can't do this alone. I'm so scared."
Cries filled the Toriel's ears. She then realized her own eyes burning with tears. "Oh, my child..."
"End of message. Press—"
"Hi, Mom. I think...I think I met a friend of yours?"
A lengthy pause.
"Knock knock?" a mere whisper.
"Who's there?" Toriel murmured back, even though she knew she could not reach a voice so far.
"Miss," Frisk's voice said anyway, as if expecting a reply.
"Miss who?" Toriel laughed mirthlessly.
Another lengthy pause.
"End of message. Press—"
Toriel pressed the button.
Silence. Then, "Miss you," they whispered.
"End of message. Press 1 to hear the next message."
The golden flowers seemed to droop in their vase at the sound of one trying not to cry, but then failing in a way that makes crying much more painful. The sunlight reflected off the vase’s surface and the pain subsided enough for the next message from the past to be played.
"I-I'm so sorry about what happened to your children, M—... I'm so sorry." Sounds of crying could be heard.
"End of message. Press 1 to hear the next message."
Toriel put a hand over her mouth. Frisk was forever the sympathetic crier. Monsters had been kind to them on their adventure, but the majority had entered a fight with them first. There was no real reason for them to be crying in sympathy. She couldn't help but think Frisk would've been good friends with Asriel and Chara, and the thought made her put the phone down for a couple of moments. She closed her eyes and remembered.
She was eventually pulled back by the present and she lifted the phone to her ear. She was near the end already. She pressed the button.
"M-Mom?" A sniffle then—
"End of—”
"Just in case you call and I d-don't answer, it's not because I'm ignoring you. I'm about to go fight Mr. Dreemurr."
She felt old hatred for Asgore cling to her throat, but pushed it down. She was partly to blame. She should've stopped Frisk from ever going alone. All of the children she had cared for had died. All but one died alone. How could she have ever thought it was a good idea? Thank goodness Frisk was so determined and that she had decided to chase after them before it was too late.
"I really, really, really want to thank you for everything. B-but if this works in your favour, you're going to be free! So don't be sad. I mean, you probably wouldn't be sad, because I left you but..."
Toriel felt tears fall down her face. "No, my child, no!" she whispered hoarsely.
"It'd be really nice to have some cinnamon-butterscotch pie."
Toriel froze, recollection flashing in her eyes.
"It'd be really nice to have some butterscotch pie." Chara whispered softly. Then, harsh coughs filled the room.
She gripped the phone as close as she could to her ear.
"I'm sorry..."
She held her breath as Frisk's voice got quieter.
"...I don't think we'll be able to—be able to meet again. Goodbye—"
"Mom!"
Toriel dropped her phone in surprise as Frisk wrapped their arms around her. She hadn’t even realized they had come in. They turned their eyes up to meet hers, "Mom, are you okay? Why are you crying?"
Toriel took in her child – their eyes shining in worry, their messy brown hair, their t-shirt with a silly pun on it, their unbruised arms, their lack of stained apron, their lack of injuries. She pulled them onto her lap and hugged them fiercely. They were okay, they were safe, they were with her.
"I love you very much, my child," said a mother who had lost too much and will never let go. She felt Frisk's arms wrap around her tightly.
"I love you too, Mom," they responded, confusion colouring their tone, but still as heartfelt as ever.
They stayed in a warm embrace for a long time before Toriel felt her expectations, her loneliness, her fear, melt away like the evening sun.
Message 14 – A Message That Doesn’t Exist
"Hi, Mom. Thank you for taking care of me when I fell. Thank you for being the mom that I've always wanted. Thank you for everything. I love you, both you and Dad. Goodbye."
They put their phone away. Frisk paused in their movements, "Reload my SAVE file? But—"
Frisk stopped talking. Then, "Okay, I understand."
Frisk closed their eyes then opened them. They were standing in a different area than before.
"Are you sure you don't want to tell her—"
Frisk flinched. A few seconds later, "No, it's okay. I know everyone's waiting for me but I just want to make sure you're happy...You are happy, right?"
Frisk smiled after a couple of seconds. Their eyes then widened. They put their arms around themself, as if trying to hug themself as much as possible. Tears started gathering in their eyes.
They whispered, "I promise. Despite anything, I'll continue being a paci-Frisk."
They laughed sadly, tears overflowing down their cheeks. "I'll miss you, too."
Their soul glowed brightly, filled with love, not LOVE. The birds were singing, flowers were blooming, the past was ready to be let go.
"Goodbye, Chara."