Chapter Text
When monsters were born, they were given a name by someone who loves them so much. If they happened to be parents of the monster, then they both agree to one name to give the child. If the child had no one to name them, they live without a name until the time someone (who loves them so much) names them.
Once the name is chosen, they are brought to the current Monarch and the Judge. The Monarch and the Judge will be the witness of a naming, with the Monarch to learn the name of their newest subject. The Judge will learn the magic that resides within the child, and will know if the child is fully loved within their family.
The Monarch will give the new family an amount of gold to start preparing for their child's continued growth, and the Judge would be the one to tell the monster parents what special qualities the child may have in order to prepare the monster parents.
If the Monarch is with a child, the Judge will act as witness and continue to give their observations to the Monarch.
There are little rules changed with each Monarch. When Toriel had been born, her Monarch parents named her and agreed to one name. The Judge witnessed, and then shared their wisdom. Afterwards, the Judge procured the amount of gold for Toriel.
When Asgore had been born, his grandmother had named him. His two mothers loved him very much, but his grandmother thought of him the whole world and cherished each of his little shy smiles.
When Toriel proposed to Asgore, the Judge acted as witness to their wedding, and the Monarchs appointed them as acting Monarchs when they were away with the human leaders. The Judge had been there for the ceremony and watched them under a dark hood.
Asgore remembered it so clearly.
The Judge had worn a simple dark cloak over their normal attire, along with a smooth, ivory mask with holes for eyes and a permanent grin etched thinly on the lower part of its face. It had glowing lines of Justice magic that started from the top of their mask, cut by the holes and continuing down towards the tips of the grin, ending towards the bottom edge of the mask.
The Judge had worn their normal pair of elbow-length gloves (the one they said they favoured because of the multiple straps that held it close to their clothes) over the sleeves of their coat-sleeves. Along with his gloves came the matching pair of strapped boots, also worn over the pants-sleeves. Every piece of clothing hid everything but the Judge's magic... the two circular yellow magic coming from the dark holes of their mask.
The Judge had dressed nearly symmetrically.
(Asgore had found it profoundly relieving, because there had been one day that the Judge visited the gardens, and they had been dressed in a completely mismatched pattern of green-cyan-blue and red-orange-yellow colorations of their normal attire. The lights on the ivory mask had cyan and orange on each side. The Judge had made their eyes glow cyan and orange for the rest of their stay and the rest of their time of judgement. Their cloak had been dark and starry, completed with a large nebula with a cyan-blue center and surrounded by wisps of orange-yellow.
Toriel had found it complementary and adorable. Asgore could not tear his eyes from the Judge the moment he visited because their clothes were unbelievably eye-catching. The dog-monster guards, however, found it very useful. The yellow and blue from the Judge's clothes made them easier to find.)
When the Judge had congratulated them for their new status, Asgore had to ask.
He thought of what to start with. He needed to start innocently, then slyly input the knowledge he wanted to know. Toriel had him practicing for weeks. The Judge would not know until they were trapped.
"Our mysterious Judge... for so long, you have been serving as a symbol of reconciliation and redemption in the kingdom. I have been extremely curious... were you the one to witness my naming?"
The Judge's eyes glowed a mirthful, knowing yellow. "Oh, little Asgore. I remembered your little horns just peeking from little tufts of fur. You grabbed the neckline of your gran's clothes and nearly ripped her poor dress from your excitement for yellow. Luckily, your mothers stopped you right on time."
Asgore had flushed with mortification as Toriel, who had appeared by his side, giggled shamelessly. "Asgore's mothers had said so, too! I remember them telling me that Asgore liked grabbing all the buttercups from their garden. Sometimes, even just a hint of yellow would be enough for him to starts grabbing."
The Judge had nodded at Toriel. "I remember," the Judge had then turned to him. Asgore had paled under his fur at the whiteness of their magic. "When you were handed to me, I'd been so scared that I'd support your small body in the wrong way, but you only nearly ripped my mask when I had my Justice magic working, and after that little mishap, I had to use a different nuance of green magic to continue with the proceedings. Your mothers and gran were a little... embarrassed. I told them it was fine, that it wasn't that difficult to change my magic, but they gifted me a whole pie of butterscotch-cinnamon the next day, one that I shared with the current Monarchs."
Asgore had cleared his throat, flushing red with inescapable embarrassment. "Ah... I have heard of it, but I thought my mothers were kidding."
Toriel had burst into giggles suddenly, and the Judge chuckled. They had done so in unison. It had left him alone in confusion.
Asgore had smiled sheepishly. "What is it, this time?"
The Judge had seemed to glow with mirth, and they clasped their gloved hands under their mask. "Was that a pun, Asgore?"
Toriel had waved a gloved paw excitedly. "I never knew this punny side of you, Asgore!"
The Judge had laughed that time, shoulders shaking with each breath. Asgore had startled, but then realized that if the Judge had recognized a pun, then they must have a... punny sense of humor.
"I was not, but I suppose I have to be... punnier, to bring out laughter from the two of you."
Toriel and the Judge had shared their mirth with breathless laughs. After a while, Toriel had stopped, beaming gently at the Judge.
"I hope you do not mind, but my curiosity is piqued! I am very curious about your stats, our Judge."
The Judge had stopped laughing. Asgore had seen a small flash of white in the Judge's yellow magic. They had tilted their head to a side, and then their magic-infused eyes glowed an overpowering yellow of Justice. Asgore and Toriel had winced at the brightness.
Just as it had glowed powerfully enough to light a small village, the yellow settled into white.
"So many Monarchs shied away from knowing my stats." Toriel had smiled sadly. Asgore had released a pensive breath. "It made me feel a little bo – ah, um, lonely when they asked others for their permission... nevertheless, I'll give the two of you permission. Maybe just this once."
Toriel and Asgore had engaged the Judge, together.
CHECK.
The name and stats that Asgore had wanted to find out... well. He had not exactly found out.
THE JUDGE OF SOULS
UNNAMED/UNKNOWN
LV UNKNOWN
HP UNKNOWN
ATK UNKNOWN
DEF UNKNOWN
EXP UNKNOWN
* IT IS THE MYSTERIOUS JUDGE OF SOULS
* APPOINTED BY [A SYMBOL OF A CIRCLE WITH TWO WINGS].
* THE JUDGE SEEMS TO RECOGNIZE TORIEL AND ASGORE FROM THEIR NAMING CEREMONY.
MERCY. SPARE.
"Oh, my," Toriel had exclaimed in a whisper. Then she continued to say what Asgore had wanted to point out. "Our Judge, you... you are unnamed?"
The Judge had lifted a shoulder, nodding. "I was told that someone else would name me," they added quietly with a hint of deep adoration. "I was told something else, but I'd rather not say what had been said."
"That is quite..." Asgore had to search for words. He had glanced helplessly at Toriel, who offered him a reassuring smile.
"That is quite a mysterious tale!" Toriel had said in excitement. "Very fitting for our mysterious Judge!"
The Judge had seemed to brighten from her words alone. "I just have to wait." A flash of cyan had blinked in their glowing eyes and settled back to yellow. "Sooner or later, I'll be named. I just need to wait for them. I'm known to be patient... I know I'll be named."
The Judge had murmured similar words under their breath and excused themselves. They had been absent throughout the ceremony, only coming back a day later to apologize for their disappearance.
The Judge's eyes had been dim with knowledge, had been empty of magic. It had reminded Asgore of a deep abyss that consumed light as it continued further into the darkness.
"There's something wrong with the magic in the air. Something important will happen. A large change." Just then, the Judge's eyes had glowed a weak white. "I just don't understand why it has to happen. It's really bad. It's going to shake foundations!"
"Then," Asgore had held his chin high. He had gripped Toriel's trembling hand and gazed at the fire in her eyes. "We will face them. Together."
The Judge had still remained pensive, but they nodded nonetheless. "Be careful. Stay strong and united. Don't allow yourselves to be separated by circumstance or heavy decisions. The monsterkind will need to see the Monarchs united."
"We will do our best," Toriel had firmly said.
•••
After the birth of their newborn, who Tori had decided to name Asriel, they went to the Judge and they saw the way the Judge stiffened in pleasant surprise.
"The little one's SOUL has the potential for Determination and Justice magic," the Judge had mused, though still tense. "And this link... hmm. Queen Toriel shall name the child," the Judge had said.
Asgore had felt the sweat at the back of his nape when Tori stared at him with searching eyes. He had thought that his love for his child consumed him, but Asgore had also noticed that he mostly heard the voice of his people more than he could give his attention to his beloved child. He had never felt so ashamed and proud at the same time.
Tori had smiled gently in understanding, squeezing her paw in his gloved ones. "I'll love him four times more for the both of us." She had turned to the Judge and beamed. "I want to name the child Asriel," she had replied in delight. "A little of both of the Monarchs to remind Asriel that they are loved."
The Judge's eyes had glowed a bright yellow. "Let him be free of the opinions of others. Try not letting anyone to make him hear one voice. Make him hear all, make him learn with the monsterkind and humankind. Trust may be his greatest strength, but a seed of doubt may lead him to follow a path not his to travel."
"Oh, he's a boy!" Tori had gasped, completely disregarding the ominous words the Judge had said about their child.
The Judge had stared at her with widened eyes of magic, and then they had turned to him, a judging of a different kind.
"Asriel is born from magic." Asgore had chuckled nervously. The Judge's shoulders started to tremble. "We didn't want to know until we named him."
The Judge's brilliant yellow magic had bloomed across the walls of the Hall of Judgement, and the Judge burst with laughter. Tori and Asgore had stared in surprise. Never had they seen the Judge used their magic for any purpose... it had also been the first time they saw the intricate runes glowing on the wall.
"Asriel would have been great with any gender," the Judge had agreed.
Tori had walked towards a wall with Asriel in her arms, tracing a paw over one symbol with dazed eyes. "What are these?" Tori had inquired politely.
The Judge had stilled with tension, and then relaxed when they turned to Tori. Asgore had narrowed his eyes at the actions and noted that it had been... odd.
"Oh, the runes. That. Ah... How to place in this language..." The Judge had trailed off, and then mumbled words that made the walls light up with different shades of magic.
Tori had taken a step back, eyes bright with awe at the multitudes of colour blooming from each unknown word said.
"It's beautiful... Oh, Judge, it's so beautiful!"
The Judge had hummed and twisted a glove hand in a circle. The magic had trickled to the floor and the ceiling, across the pillars and the gems lit up with various shades of magic.
"The Castle was built by the First Winged Monarch to honour the three stations of hierarchy. The different magic glowing in this room is a result from various magical nuances that helped create everything that is the castle. It's what also helps me change quickly the shades of my magic in the first place. The first Monarch is the Monarch of Power, the one that leads all. To battle, to change, to bring their subjects to learn or simply be productive. If they notice their subjects need hope, they plan an action that would lead them to higher hopes."
The Judge had glanced at him in a pointed manner. Asgore had thought that it was surprising that it was not Toriel that was a symbol of power, but then the Judge continued.
"The second is the Monarch of Heart, the one that may soothe the hearts of the subjects and listen to their voices opinions. They are the ones that have a natural magic that feels warm, and... tender with unconditional love." The Judge had looked away, their voice changing to a lighter, airy tone. "And the third is the Monarch of Judgement."
Asgore's eyes had widened in shock. Tori had gasped and covered her mouth from the revelation. The Judge continued on as if they heard nothing, their eyes of magic focuses up at the ceiling, where symbols from his attire mimicked the symbols of the ceiling.
"They allow all SOULs, monster or otherwise, to be judge in order to keep the balance of the world. Too much death and the world will burn; too much life and the world will overflow. They may weigh the SOULs filled with Level Of ViolencE and EXecution Points, and only they have the ability to... read SOULs so uniquely in a way that they know which SOUL needs mercy, or which needs karmic retribution. They may also be called the Monarch of Secrets, the one that keeps close all judgements made, all voices heard, all secrets revealed."
Secrets... what secrets do you keep? Asgore had thought to himself. He had not known any of this history of the monsterkind. Tori's parents had barely known anything relating to the Judge being a third Monarch, or anything regarding Monarchs of Power or Heart.
Then the Judge had said a word that came out as magic seeping from their glowing eyes. "The Monarch of Judgement and Secrets, that's kind of my role. Sometimes, they use my powers of karmic retribution to make a list of high LOVE humans, back when they hunted us. Because I can know what no one wants to know, what everyone wants to keep away, and I know that there's trouble coming, but only whispers come, and those whispers die after they revealed their secrets."
•••
A tragedy had happened. Dust had been everywhere, all over towns, all over the forests and the wind. Monsters had been dusted when sighted by a human. If a human had helped them escape, the monster and human were murdered. Any human that could help were saved, but some of them had been killed by a binding magic from a human mage.
Seven human mages murdered monsterkind for power, and then they drove them all into a mountain and created a powerful barrier with their own SOULs. They had died with the highest LOVE and EXP. They had used the Monarch SOULs for that, Asgore had suspected.
The monsterkind had been trapped underground. Many monsters cried out in grief. Their families had been ruthlessly murdered. Their hands had been forced to protect. Their magic felt tainted by the twisted cruelty of the humans.
As new Monarchs, Tori and Asgore fought all fears with words of reassurance, action and positivity. They fought anger with cool logic, fought hatred with love and hope, and fought grief with time to mourn.
Asriel had been a little neglected, but then Tori had brought him everywhere, and people saw him as a symbol of new life. A new change. A new reason for living. Asriel filled them with determination.
The Judge had also become a saving grace. They offered an ear to the voices of the monsterkind that had to kill to defend their families that had to suffer under their bloodstained hands. They offered their judgements. They offered their wisdom.
Then, years later... a human had fallen.