Chapter 3 – At the Castle
Author Note : I hope you enjoy the chapter!
Note : Techniques have been typed like [This].
After arrival to the Snowdin and quick exchange with Muffet, Papyrus would escort Frisk to his and Sans' house, near the edge of the Snowdin. "Here we are!" He announces, smiling. Frisk looks at the house a moment, surprised – it would not be too different from ones from her own village. Papyrus meanwhile makes his way to the door and unlocks it, smiling to Human. "Please, come in!" He says. Frisk inclines her head to Papyrus as she makes her way inside, only to see Sans sleeping on the a... Bed at the living room? "Sans! Why are you on the couch and not in your room?" Papyrus would ask, looking at his brother who shrugs. "Sorry 'bout this Paps, this is just more comfortable, and teleporting up there would been tiring", Sans says. "Besides, the dog was sleeping there." Papyrus sighs. "Well, I guess that is a good reason", the taller skeleton says, sighing. "Sorry about this, he is sort of a lazy bones", Papyrus apologizes from Frisk, who shakes her head. "No, it's alright, I am just bit surprised..." She says. Papyrus blinks. "Surprised by what?" Papyrus asks, while Frisk points at the couch. "I don't think I have ever seen anything like that..." Papyrus blinks, looking at Frisk and then at the couch. "Wait, you mean you have never even seen couch outside?" Papyrus asks, looking surprised. Sans also looks at Frisk a bit, surprised by this revelation, but smiles, before patting at a seat next to him. "Well, think it as a bed shaped like a wide bench with a backrest", Skeleton says. "You really have to give it a try." Frisk would hesitate for a moment, but makes her way to the skeleton, sitting down and closing her eyes as she leans back. "See, isn't it relaxin-" Sans says, before noticing that the girl would had already fallen asleep. He then smiles. "Welp, I take that as a "yes", he says with more quiet voice to avoid waking her up. Papyrus blinks, before thinking. "Well then, I go buy some ingredients for diner", he then says before heading out.
Meanwhile, at Capital, Chara and Asriel would be middle of the mock battle. "Come on Azzy, is that really best you can do?" girl with red outfit asks, grinning as she keeps weaving herself out of the goat boy's attacks. "I am trying my best, you are just too fast!" Asriel simply responds, wearing a green long coat, stopping his attack as he uses a moment to catch his breath. "Come on prince, I know you can do better", an armored knight watching the match would say. Asriel looks at the knight before sighing a bit, and re-taking the stance. "If you say so Captain Undyne!" he says before dashing at Chara once more. "Again, the frontal assault?" Chara would ask, smiling. "You should try to sometimes try sneak behind your opponent", Chara says, before jumping in air, and landing behind Asriel, who then smiles. "Well, I got you where I wanted..." he then says, as vines suddenly burst from ground and wrap around Chara's legs. "What a-!?" girl asks as Asriel turns to face her. "Binding Ivy", he then says. "I know you are faster than I am, so I set up a trap beforehand", he says, pointing wooden sword at Chara. "Do you admit defeat?" he asks.
Chara, however, just smiles. "Did you already forget what was my magical power?" she asks, smiling, as the wooden sword in her hands suddenly is surrounded by fire, which she uses to burn the vines to free herself. "See! My magical power could-" she says, smiling. "Uh, Chara..." Asriel says, before motioning at Chara's sword. She would look at the wooden sword on her hand, which would be still burning and not show any sign of stopping. She then let's go of the handle before flames can spread at the handle, letting out a yelp. Knight would sigh, sending a blast of water at the wooden sword to extinguish it. "Alright, I think this one is a tie", she then says, before opening the metal mask of her helmet, revealing face of blue-skinned female merman with an eye-patch. She then looks at the two. "Allright, punks" Undyne begins. "I think you both know what I am about to tell you." She then turns at Asriel. "Prince Asriel. I understand that you are well versed in art of magic, but this was supposed to be a mock battle without any magic", she reminds, with goat monster scratching back of his head awkwardly. Undyne then looks at Chara. "Princess, you still need to learn control your Magical Power. You might be physically superior to Asriel, but that does not mean you can't slack with magic training", she points out, with Chara sighing. "Well, I for one think they did well", elderly male voice with slight hissing tone would say, drawing attention of the group.
There would be a lizard monster making his way to group, smiling, using a cane as his support. "Lord Rod!" Undyne calls out, kneeling down, Asriel and Chara soon following. "What brings King's Royal Advisor to here?" Rod would simply wave his hand dismissively. "Just taking a short break, that's all", he simply says, smiling. "Don't be too rough to the young ones, they are still growing and learning, Captain, like you were on their age", he then reminds with a smile. "Right sir!" Undyne would say, before coughing a bit as she stands back up. "Well, I should return to my patrol!" She then says, before making her way away from the courtyard. "My, she always has been such a fiery soul. Gerson must be proud to have someone like her to follow in his footsteps", Rod would say, smiling, before looking at the two. "Well, I should get going... I still have a lot paperwork to finish today", lizard monster would say, making his way away. "Have a pleasant day Lord Rod!" Both Asriel and Chara says, to which Rod would wave to them while walking away.
After the training, Chara and Asriel would had headed to the Royal Library. "So, what you think of Lord Rod?" Chara asks, looking at Asriel, who blinks at the question. "I mean, he has been the Royal Advisor as long as I can remember", Asriel says, tilting his head. "And has always been so kind to everyone. Why you ask?" Asriel asks, looking at Chara, who shrugs. "Was just curious. I mean, he has been helping us to learn our magical powers. Still..." Chara sighs. "I just have hard time of getting a read of him sometimes, you know?" Chara says. "To guess what he is thinking." Asriel blinks at this, before smiling. "Well, that is just how he is", Asriel says, smiling to his adopted sibling.
As two walk past a window, they could see a massive, cupcake-shaped spider make its way towards the castle. "Wait, isn't that..." Asriel begins, pausing to look at the window. "It is! It's Cupcake!" He then says, looking at Chara, who looks surprised. "You mean miss Muffet is here?" Chara asks, to which Asriel nods. "Let's go meet her!" Chara nods in agreement as two make their way outside.
Outside, at the courtyard, two guards would be speaking with Muffet. "I keep telling you, this is urgent, I need to speak with Queen Toriel!" Muffet would try to explain, but guards would simply shake their heads. "Even if you are friend of the Queen, you should request meeting beforehand... Lord Rod's orders", Guard explains. "What is going on here?" Chara would ask, looking at the guards, who quickly move to salute. "Princess? Why are you here?" One of the guards asks, to which Chara shrugs. "Just came to meet a friend", she then says, looking at the guards. "You can let her in. We explain things to Lord Rod." "R-right!" Guards say, moving their halberds out of the doorway. "Thank you dearies..." Muffet says, looking relieved. "You wanted to speak with mother right? Best not to keep her waiting!" Asriel says, smiling, as two royalties would lead Muffet inside the castle, with Cupcake shrinking itself so it could sit on Muffet's head.
"So, what brings you to the capital? I thought you were guarding the entrance of the Underground?" Chara would ask, looking at Muffet as they walk in castle halls. "I was, but it has collapsed after that earthquake", Muffet explains. Chara blinks in surprise. "Wait, that would leave the only entrance to Underground be the one where Barrier is!" Asriel says, looking shocked and surprised by this. Muffet nods. "Indeed. It also means that no more new humans will fall to the ruins", she explains. "Not after the last one, at least." Chara and Asriel pause for a moment. "Wait, last one?" Both ask in unison. Muffet nods as the trio reach the entrance of the throne room, pausing for a moment before entering.
Inside, only Toriel would be present, looking thoughtful. "Mother?" Asriel would call out, catching Queen's attention as she turns to face the group, smiling to them as she notices Muffet. "Muffet, did you bring any news?" She asks, to which spider monster nods. "Yes. Another human fell, only hours before the earthquake sealed the entrance", she would report. "She goes by name Frisk and is currently under protection of Sans and Papyrus at Snowdin", she reports. Toriel would incline her head, looking thoughtful, while shocking Chara as she brings up the name. "Wait, did you say Frisk?" Chara asks, to which Muffet nods. "Yes." "She... Did not happen to have teal eyes?" Muffet nods. "Chara, you know her?" Toriel asks, looking surprised. "She's my younger sister..." She says, catching everyone around off-guard with this. "You had a sister?" Asriel asks, looking surprised. "She did mention that she was your sister", Muffet would remember. Toriel nods to this. "Well, this is a pleasant surprise", She says, smiling. "Is she with you?" She then asks. Muffet shakes her head. "She is back at Snowdin, with reliable people", Muffet says. Toriel smiles. "Sans and Papyrus then? If those two are something, it is reliable indeed", queen says, smiling. Muffet nods, looking thoughtful before speaking again. "...But... She was already attacked once", she then says, shocking Chara, Asriel and Toriel. "Attacked? By who?" Toriel asks. "I don't know. I had just left Sans in guard and headed towards Snowdin, but once I reached Snowdin, Sans and Papyrus were already there with her", she begins to explain. "They said it was a hooded figure, with a Scythe..." Description would seem to raise bad memories with Chara, who clenches her chest. "Are you sure that Frisk was only one who fell?" She then asks, sounding worried. Muffet nods. "I am sure. My webs did not sense anyone else to enter the ruins. This would ease Chara a bit, while Asriel and Toriel looking at her a bit. "What is it dear?" Toriel asks, looking at Chara. "Nothing, just... Just a bad memory", Chara assures. Toriel and Asriel don't seem to buy this, but neither they decide to ask further questions. "Well, you should rest a bit Muffet", Toriel says, smiling. "You have earned it." "Thank you my Queen", Muffet would say, bowing a bit. "By to way, how's Shard?" She then asks. Muffet smiles. "She is doing fine from what I have heard, she visited me at the ruins every week", Muffet says. "Glad to hear", Toriel says, smiling back as spider monster leaves.
"Well then, we should start preparing the quest room", Toriel says, smiling a bit. "It has been ages we had visitors outside the barrier, after all". Chara nods. "It will be good to see sis again... It has been so long", she says, smiling. Asriel thinks this a bit. "Does this mean I got a another little sister?" Asriel asks, surprising Chara and Toriel, who can't help but a laugh a bit. "What? I was serious!" Asriel says, pouting a bit. "Well, we see if she wishes to be part of the family", Toriel says, smiling, though she would pause to look at the doorway as it creaks slowly open. "Hm? I wasn't expecting more visitors..." She wonders, as she notices Cupcake wandering around. "Cupcake? Why is he here?" Asriel asks, as he walks to the spider and picks him gently up. "Shouldn't you be with Muffet?" he asks, looking at the hallway, blinking in shock. "Chara, call the guards!", Asriel speaks, after getting over the initial shock. "Asriel? What is it?" Chara asks, making his way to the doorway, only to be shocked herself by the sight.
Muffet would be laying in the ground, barely alive, but unconscious. Hallway would look like a whirlwind would had gone through it. But strangely, the group had not heard anything before actually checking the room. "Mom! Miss Muffet, she's injured!" Chara calls. Toriel would look shocked by this and hurry to the entrance as well, inspecting injuries, noticing both cuts and blunt injuries on her. "How did we not hear anything?!" Chara asks, looking around, making her way to the entrance. In there, she would find guards, unconscious. "Damn it..." She swears, making her way back to the others where Toriel would be healing Muffet, green flames mending the injuries. "Healing Flame... It is always as amazing magic", Asriel would say, as the injuries are mended, before looking at Chara. "Did the guards see anything?" he asks, though Chara just shakes her head. "They were out of cold... Whoever did this must have knocked them out before attacking Miss muffet, and gotten out before we noticed... But how did we not hear this?" Chara asks, thinking this. "A magical power of the attacker could been Silence?" Asriel asks. "It is possible, but I don't know anyone with that magic..." Chara says, thinking. Toriel looks at Muffet, worried. "In any case, we should let Muffet rest", she then speaks. "I will tell Asgore to send guard to make sure that Frisk makes it safely here", she then assures. "As for Muffet, I will personally see her healing and guards." "I go tell father what happened", Asriel says, before going to search for Asgore. Chara meanwhile would notice that Muffet would be holding something her hand, kneeling to inspect it – a piece of black cloth.
Back at Snowdin, Frisk and Sans would be sleeping at the couch still, as Papyrus would return, looking at the couch a bit. "Still asleep I see", Skeleton says, smiling. "Does this mean I dropped by at the bad time? I was going to go check on mom at the Ruins..." female voice would speak behind Papyrus, skeleton turning around. "Oh, Shard!" Papyrus greets, looking at the cat-like monster with brown fur with black stripes. "Actually, Muffet has gone to Capital, after entrance of the ruins collapsed..." Shard blinks. "She is alright right?" she then asks, sounding worried. "She is, don't worry", Papyrus assures, with Shard sighing in relief. "Thank the stars..." She then looks around. She then peeks through the door, noticing Frisk. "Is that a..." She asks, looking suddenly interested. "A human, yes", Papyrus confirms. Shard thinks this. "Well, I should then get going", she says, before searching her bag. "But when human wakes up, can you give this to her?" she says, offering an object wrapped in cloth. "I've been holding onto it for five years, but I think it will be more use to her than it is to me", she explains. "What is it?" Papyrus asks, looking at the package. Shard smiles. "Just something to help her protect herself", cat says, turning around. "Tell Sans he still owes me a favor, when he wakes up" Shard then reminds, before starting to make her way back to the Waterfall. "Will do!" Papyrus calls out. He then pauses to look the package, leaving it to the table, writing to it "To Human from Shard – Papyrus". After Papyrus vanishes to the kitchen, package would emit a faint, deep blue glow...
Afterword : If you wonder the name of the monster, Rod is type of a font. Also introducing my OC for the story, Shard! (Don't worry, not shipping her with Papyrus).