Chapter 4: Genocide

"Why am I back here? Did something happen?"

"How is this possible? Is something unstable?"

Copi and Italic were asking questions to themselves as they paced around the buttercups, each trying to find out what exactly was going on.

"Italic, can you please help me find out what this is?" Copi begged him.

Italic used two of his blocky fingers to tilt his hat. "I don't think you'd believe me if I told you, Copi. Just...Just wait here for a second, perhaps I can find some way to-"

He was cut off as the monsters arm extended and grabbed onto the back of his suit. "Please, Italic...I need an answer of some kind."

italic took a deep breath and exhaled heavily (via his hat, of course) before speaking. "Okay. Let's start off easy. Have you ever thought of a multiverse theory, Copi?"

"No memory, remember?" Copi indicated.

"Ah, right...well it dictates that every decision made creates a new universe from the alternate action." Italic explained. "Now, let's say that instead of multiverses, we have timelines. Timelines created from different choices, different actions...different personalities..."

"Are you saying there are multiple timelines that differ from each other?" Copi asked.

"Yes. But in this case, timelines are constantly stopping and starting, ending abruptly, only to be redone or continued in a new timeline." Italic turned to the other monster. "Copi...somehow, you have been pulled out of your own timeline, and thrust into this one."

"So...I'm in a different timeline?" Copi guessed.

"Oui." Italic confirmed in French. "This one is...different to the one you are used to. Thankfully the locations and general personalities of the monsters here are the same...except for one..."

Copi paced back and forth, using the rythm of his flat feet to absorb this new information...that he was just in one timeline when there were hundreds, possibly thousands of others. "Wait, then, Italic, how are you here?"

Italic coughed awkwardly. "W-Well, Copi...I'm not your average magician. I am capable of wandering between timelines, and beyond. Whilst there are countless versions of other monsters in the timelines...there is only one me."

"...Is it possible there's another version of me, too?" Copi thought aloud.

Italic looked at him. "I will admit, I have never seen another version of you. You did quite surprise me when I found you there...and perhaps I've been looking for other versions of you after that...but to no avail."

Italic sighed. "Copi...you do not belong here. You belong in your own timeline...and I cannot help but feel that it is somehow my fault you are here, and now I do not know what to do to correct it..."

"Hey, it's okay, Italic!" Copi assured him. "I'm really grateful your here! Heh, guess it is kinda lucky I somehow made it to this timeline with you in it out of a one hundred chance or something, right?"

Italic couldn't help but chuckle lightly. "That's a magicians luck for you." He then spun his hat around, giving himself a 360 view. "I do not think we shall be able to achieve much simply standing here. Let us move forward."

"Makes sense." Copi nodded, as the two of them began walking. A question had been plagueing the flat monsters mind for some time now, and they felt like they should ask it. "Italic...what kind of timeline is this?"

Italic briefly slowed his pace, then tilted his hat down to shadow his squiggled on face. "It's...not pleasant, Copi." He admitted. "For the sake of example, let's call the timeline your from, 'Pacifist'. If that is the case, then..." He paused for a few disturbing moments, until he could speak again.

"This timeline is...'Genocide'."

Copi stopped as the word fell from Italic's displaced mouth. "G-Genocide...?"

Italic nodded solemnly. "...Here...you may understand if you see this. I warn you though, your not going to like it. So you can refuse if you want."

"I'm sure." Copi said, though slightly fearfully.

Italic led Copi into one of the corridors, which had a different feel to when they were in there before. It was silent, it felt...wrong. There was no safe feeling whatsoever, not even distant, and it just gave off a disturbing aura. Scattered around were piles of grey dust, with strewn across the ground, or dumped in small mounds.

"Where...where is everybody?" Copi asked, walking around as Italic stood still.

"Dead, Copi...they're all dead." Italic sighed. "Murdered."

Copi fell to their folded knees at the revelation, scooping their hand through a dust pile and lifting it up, watching the grain fall through their fingers. "What is this?...Dust?"

"Monsters are made up of more magic then physical matter." Italic said. "When they die...they turn to dust."

As soon as he said that Copi flicked the dust away from their hand and backed away in horror, looking at the dust covered room. "How could...how could this happen? How could somebody..." They turned to Italic. "They were such kind monsters! Why did they have to die!?"

Italic took off his hat in remembrance, though his happy drawn on face didn't match the situation. "Somebody came to the Underground...and killed them all without thought or hesitation. This is the kind of timeline this is, Copi. It is cruel...it is horrid."

Copi's entire body crumpled, like they were trying to scrunch up into a ball and toss themselves away. "Which is why I will do everything in my power to return you to your own timeline. This is not your problem, Copi. Do not let it get to you."

"But...still..." They sobbed.

He placed his hat back on his head. "Let's keep moving, you shouldn't have to stay here." Italic kept moving, whilst Copi looked down at the dust with wet eyes, before following.

As they entered more corridors, also filled with dust, Italic stopped.

"Italic?" Copi asked.

"Something is wrong..." Italic mumbled. "Can't you feel it?"

Copi stood completely still for a moment, and didn't move. There was a certain sense of...foreboding in this room.

Then, they heard a strang noise...it sounded like...scratching...like scribbling.

Copi looked down at their feet, and gasped as they saw some dust rising up from the ground. "Italic!" The magician whipped around as the dust continued to rise.

Then, the dust began to change, distorting in smalk bursts into black scribbled lines that spun erratically in the air. The scribbles then binded together, like yarn, except much more violent, taking a certain shape...that of a black and white frog. Then, a black and white mask appeared over its face, except the mask was cracked, broken, black lines streaming from its eyes, like a sorrowful drama.

"It...It looks like a Froggit..." Copi said, as the creature gave out a pained croak, one of sadness and despair, as its scribbled body twitched and jerked violently.

"That's not a Froggit." Italic said.

Suddenly, the rest of the dust began to distort into black scribbles, which twisted together into other monsters...Looxs, Whimsuns, Migosps, all wearing broken masks.

"Wh-What are they, Italic?" Copi asked, fearfully.

"With no offense to Napstablook...GHOSTS." Italic told him, as they began to advance on them. "Copi...these cannot be reasoned with, they are devoid of all emotions except that of hatred and grief."

"Well, then, what do we do?" Copi panicked.

Italic looked behind them, only to find their way blocked by Moldsmal GHOSTS. "I don't see any other option...Copi! It's time to fight!"

"Fight!?" Copi cried. "Italic, I-I can't-"

"These are not things you can SPARE, Copi!" Italic told him. "They are nothing but vengeful spirits! In all honesty, returning them back to dust is a kindness!"

Copi looked at the GHOSTS, their erratic movements, their broken masks, their horrid groans...they sounded like they were in so much pain. They couldn't stand to see these monsters like this...constantly suffering...it was too awful.

"...Alright...for their sakes, I'll fight!" Copi declared.

"Be careful. Attack from a distance!" Italic advised them.

"How do I do that?" Copi asked.

"You have those arms, don't you?" Italic suggested.

Copi looked down at their right hand and got an idea. They began compressing their arm more and more, like pulling in a catapult, until their arm was just a stump. As a Froggit GHOST jumped at them, they launched their fist like a powerful spring, stretching their arm to its full length to deliver a powerful punch to its face, sending it flying back. Thinking quickly, Copi retracted their other arm and launched a follow-up punch, hitting the froggy GHOST again.

The second punch shattered the mask, and it burst apart into black lines, like exploding yarns, which quickly disintegrated back into dust.

"Look out!" Copi leaned out of the way as a Whimsun swooped down on them. They then stretched their arm and punched it in the back, smashing it into the ceiling and making it disintegrate.

As a Loox appeared in front of them, Copi looked down at their hand again, trying to think up a new strategy. Then, a thought popped into their mind. They didn't know how it got their, but they took it nonetheless, and folded their fingers together into a sharp point.

Like a knife.

Using their new dagger hand, Copi sliced the Looxs mask in two, making it disintegrate as well. They then folded their other hand into a spike, and began slashing through the remaining GHOSTS with sharp speed and precision, until only dust remained.

Copi took several deep breaths from the fatigue of the fight, as their fingers unfolded from daggers into hands again. They then fell back, folding into a right angle as they landed on their backside.

"Copi! Are you alright!?" Italic asked.

"Just...shocked..." They admitted. "I didn't realise I could do that."

"Your full of surprises." Italic looked at Copi, and an unrecognisable emotion crossed their hat. "You've gained some LOVE."

"LOVE?" Copi echoed. "How do I gain love from something like that?"

Italic turned away and mumbled something to himself as Copi stood back up. "It's...it's nothing." Italic dismissed it.

"Okay then..." Copi kept their eyes fixated on the dust. "Those...things...the GHOSTS...do you know what they are?"

"...GHOSTS is an acronym." Italic said. "It stands for Grieving Hosts. They are nothing but empty shells of monsters that seek revenge against the one that killed them." He huffed. "For some reason...they only appear in this timeline. I came here to study them, and find out why thry appeared, but so far...nothing."

Copi stared at the dead GHOSTS, before turning to Italic. "Can we go...please?"

"That probably is for the best." Italic agreed as they left the room.

They continued walking through the darker Ruins, more GHOSTS appearing to stand in their way, only for Copi to return them to dust with punches and slices. It wasn't a pleasant experience for them, and by the time they reached the entrance to Toriel's home, their body was crumpled forward in sadness.

Italic obviously noticed this, and exhaled heavily. "...Copi." They folded up to look at them. "Come with me. I want to show you something." They then walked in the other direction, and Copi followed behind them.

The two of them walked on a balcony, and Copi's eyes widened at what they saw. Stretched out in front of them was a grand, ancient looking city, its buildings looked slightly run down, but other then that, it stood proudly as an archaic location for a civilisation.

"This...is HOME." Italic said.

"The original home of monsters before they left..." Copi breathed.

"Oh? I'm glad you have such knowledge." Italic chuckled, gazing wistfully at HOME. "It's a shame, really...how its been abandoned...but I also believe that it has given HOME the feeling of...a fond memory. It's poignant, really...but that's what I like about it..."

As Italic stared at HOME, Copi, for some reason, looked to their left, directly at two objects on the ground. They were a toy knife and a ribbon, its bright blue colour faded with age.

Copi walked over and held the ribbon delicately, whilst clutching the toy knife. 'These...what are these...?'

Without thinking, they held the objects close to their chest...as if they were precious trinkets...and closed their eyes.

They could see something...it felt faded...

A figure, staring out across HOME...they looked like a girl...

The ribbon was tied up neatly in her hair...she held the toy knife close to their chest...

She stared and stared and stared at HOME...ever waiting...ever patient...

She was sad...she was scared...she didn't know what to do.

She fell to her knees, and began to sob.

A group of figures appeared behind her, leaving her trapped on the balcony.

But she couldn't see them, drowning in her own sorrow.

She didn't see them swing their blades.

But she felt herself die.

The ribbon fluttered gracefully from her hair, the toy knife clattered to the ground.

Her dead body fell to the floor.

She just wanted to go home...

Why did she have to die?

Why...?

"Copi!" Their eyes snapped open as Italic shook them. "Are you okay?"

"...Y-Yes..." Copi stammered.

"Your crying." He pointed out.

"I am?" They wiped their eyes and was surprised to find tears there. "Why am I...?"

"Perhaps its time for us to leave The Ruins." Italic thought aloud. "Let us hurry."

As Italic began walking, Copi continued to hold the two items, feeling the soft silk of the ribbon and clutching the handle of the toy knife. 'What was that?...That feeling...that memory...? Who...died...?'

Copi tied the ribbon into a bow around their head, and slipped the toy knife into their pocket, before following behind, looking back at HOME as they did.

Another new chapter! Man, I am spoiling you guys!

So yeah, this chapter highlights how this story if gonna differ from a standard Toss-an-OC-in story. More about Kopi/Copi (That IS significant BTW), Italic and the GHOSTS will be revealed as the story continues.

Also, starting next chapter, I'm gonna be putting little bonuses in these A/N's, such as alternate designs of Copi, questions for you guys to answer, and maybe even some lyrics of two.

But in any case, thank you as always for reading, and I shall see you all next chapter!