And the Dream Goes On: Sequel to Underfantasy (if this prologue confuses you, please read Chapter Fifteen: Reunited)
Prologue
The camera shook while it was being adjusted, focusing on a young girl sitting in a chair in front of the tripod. She hunched a bit, adjusting the hood on her sweatshirt as she asked of someone, "Do we really have to do this? I thought this kind of thing was what the notes were for."
From behind the camera came another girl's voice. "Totally! Think of it as interview practice once you're a big-time author."
Brown eyes were skeptical behind their spectacles as the girl in the chair said, "I don't think big-time authors record their story notes on camera."
"You don't know that!" At the seated girl's unamused expression, her friend began to wheedle. "Just humor me, puh-leeeeease, Frisk? With a cherry on top? I'll be your best friend!"
"Manuela, you're already my best friend. And my name is Francine."
"I mean an even better best friend! And it's called a nickname. I mean, Francine Isabella Kane? It's perfect! I still think you should use it in the story."
Francine laughed at her friend's antics, but shook her head. "I'm still not sure about making Frisk one gender or another. I'm still thinking about it. If I use my name, I should probably use yours, somewhere. But where am I going to fit Manuela Carmelita Sanchez-Alzamirano?"
The camera finally stopped moving around, perfectly steady as it focused on Francine. Manuela said, "I don't know, but you don't have to. I mean, this is originally your idea, after all."
"Maybe, but we're cooperating on this. It's just as much your story as it is mine, now. Especially Sans' parts."
There was an almost evil giggle from behind the camera, and a sing-song taunt. "Yoo-oou lii-iike Saaa-aaaans~!"
"Sh-shut up!" Francine was blushing miserably. "You like him, too!"
"Yeah, but I ship Soriel. Frans fangirl, thy name is Francine."
Still blushing, Francine said, "At least I'm trying to build as strong a foundation for their relationship as I can, which is going to take time. Besides, there's going to be a point before then where the timeline will diverge, letting both our ships become a possibility."
"I know, I know. But before you get too deeply into that, why don't we start recording the real interview?" There was a sound as Manuela moved behind the camera, and a soft tapping of paper as notecards were organized. Manuela cleared her throat and said, "To you, what is 'determination'?"
With no hesitation, Francine said, "Purpose. It's the reasons you keep in the back of your mind as you make your choices in life, and the drive to see them through to the end. No matter what."
"So it's more than 'the will to live'?"
Francine nodded. "Much more. Where it comes from is important. Wanting to live is fine, but why do you want to live? Is there something that you still have to do? Is there something, or someone, you have to protect?
"I think this is how Undyne defies death when monsters supposedly can't handle high amounts of DT. She literally pulls herself together as her body threatens to turn to dust. I think it's because she believes in her purpose of protecting everyone from the human that allows her to keep fighting. Because she loves her friends, her king and her people, her determination combines with theirs and transforms her into a true hero."
She couldn't watch any more. Manuela stopped the DVD, sniffling. They had recorded more than that but hearing her late, dearly lamented friend's voice speaking from the past like that… It was a bit much, for having buried Francine just a week prior.
The two of them had made this before the story had taken its darker tone. Before Francine started projecting her deepest, darkest fears onto her story. She had finally decided to use her name in there, by then. It was probably the first sign that things weren't going well for her but, like everyone else, Manuela missed them. She'd done nothing for her precious friend…
Manuela scolded herself. *Stop that! Remember what you saw the day Frisk died. Remember the vision, what you felt! She doesn't blame you, so stop blaming yourself.
Wiping away more tears, she took the DVD out of her laptop. She opened the writing program on it and got to work.
She had promised her friend that she'd keep working on their dream, their fantasy-made-real. She was determined to keep it.