FINALLY, the fourth chapter is done.
It took me forever to write this one. Part of the reason is procrastination and the other part is I was conflicted on whether to keep the fight with Papyrus or not. In the end, I decided to keep it.
I will try to post the fifth chapter as soon as possible.
As soon as she stepped out of the Ruins, Homura wished she could go back.
The place they had stepped into was a forest. Snow had fallen down. It was terrible cold and Homura's frock wasn't doing her any favours. She now wished she hadn't ditched her school uniform. At least that thing was nice and warm. She even thought of transforming again just to protect herself from the cold, because her Magical Girl outfit covered her whole body.
Kyubey had no problem with the cold as his fur protected him from it. Ever since she met Kyubey, Homura had vague suspicions about him but she kept that to herself.
Homura hadn't told Toriel but the main reason she wanted to leave the Underground wasn't because of her Magical Girl duties, but because of her memories. She figured if she got to the surface, something familiar would refresh her memories faster. Most of all, she kept thinking about the girl in her dream. She wanted to meet her. Yet, something told her that wasn't possible- a vague memory, she couldn't place.
A sudden noise jolted her from her thoughts. She turned back.
"Did you hear that?" she asked Kyubey.
"Yes" replied Kyubey. "We're being followed."
Homura looked around and couldn't see anyone. She decided to keep walking. She took a few steps further and heard another noise- the sound of footsteps.
"I saw someone!" exclaimed Kyubey. "Homura, you'd better be ready to ransform."
Homura nodded. She summoned her Soul Gem.
"Whoever you are, show yourself!" she exclaimed.
"Heh heh. You got me" said a deep voice. A figure emerged from the shadows.
Th figure didn't look very threatening, but Homura had learned not to underestimate. It was just a skeleton wearing a blue hooded jacked with a permanent grin plastered on his face. He was shorter than Homura.
"At least shake my hand" he said. He held out his bony hand. Homura was suspicious. Very carefully, she put her hand on his. His hand didn't feel bony at all. It felt like something was there- something like a balloon. And then it deflated, making an unpleasant sound.
"Heh heh, the whoopee cushion in hand trick" the skeleton said, its grin becoming wider. "Its ALWAYS funny."
Homura tilted her head, obviously unimpressed at this prank.
"What, you don't find it funny?" The skeleton shrugged. "Humans. They're hard to impress. Anyway, I'm Sans. Sans the skeleton."
"Homura Akemi. And this is Kyubey."
"Oh, you have a pet too?" said Sans. "That's unexpected."
He looked at her from head to toe, as if he was expecting something else.
"Well, I'm supposed to be on a lookout for humans right now, but you know, I don't feel like capturing anybody. Now my brother Papyrus, he's a human hunting FANATIC. Oh, there he comes right now. I have an idea, go through this bridge."
Sans led Homura through a bridge with bars that was obviously supposed to stop humans from coming through but were made too wide to stop anyone.
"Quick, behind that con- oh. You're too tall for that lamp, aren'y you? No prob. You can hide behind one of those trees."
Homura took Kyubey and hid behind a pine tree.
Another skeleton appeared just then. He was about as tall as Homura and ore a weird outfit with an orange cape. Homura suspected that was the thing making him taller.
"'sup, bro" said Sans.
"You know what's 'sup, brother" said Papyrus. Whether he was yelling or not it was hard to make out. "Its been eight days and you haven't re calibrated. your. puzzles. You hang around outside your station. What are you even doing?"
"Just checking out those trees. You want to join me?"
"No, I don't have time" said Papyrus, stomping his foot. "What if a human comes through here? I want to be ready! I will be the one! I must be the one! I will capture a human! Then I, the great Papyrus, will get all the things I utterly deserve! Respect...recognition... I will finally be able to join the Royal Guard! People will ask, to be my, friend. I will bathe in a shower of kisses every morning!"
"Hmm...maybe those tees will help you."
"Sans! You are not helping!"
From behind the trees, Homura and Kyubey were watching.
"I don't see the point of this" said Kyubey. "I'll tell you what. I'll distract those two whole you go on ahead."
"Sounds good to me."
Kyubey came out of the hiding spot. He went up to the two brothers.
"Sans! Look at that!" said Papyrus, pointing at Kyubey. "Its so cute! Look at its fluffy tail! I've never seen anything like it! Where did you come from, little guy? Are you lost?"
"My name is Kyubey. I come from the surface."
"THE SURFACE?! Wow, what's it like?"
"Its very vibrant" said Kyubey. His eyes bore into Homura. She nodded. She came out from her hiding spot, then ran away as fast as possible.
Homura brushed the pine needles out of her hair. Kyubey had proven useful providing a distraction, but she still didn't trust him completely. Homura saw another golden point, just like the ones in the Ruins. Naturally, she went towards it and touched it. The voice spoke again:
Having a cute companion that can provide a distraction fills you with determination Homura LV 1
Snowdin - Box Road
"Just what are these golden points?" Homura thought aloud.
They're SAVE points, the voice said, much to Homura's shock. So in case you die, you can come back here.
"In case I die? I don't understand anything about this world. Just what is going on? And...where are you?"
Wherever you are, that's where I am, said the voice. Don't worry, you'll soon get used to the rules of this world. You have a power I thought no one else had.
Homura was as confused as ever. She now wished she hadn't stepped out of the Ruins. Things seemed simpler back there. Plus, at least the Ruins were warm. But at the same time, she knew she needed to get back to the surface.
She looked at her ring. She had her doubts about this whole Magical Girl thing. Something told her things were not what they seemed. She remembered what Flowey said when she stepped out of the Ruins.
Mark my words, by the time your memory returns, you'll wish you still had amnesia. You'll regret ever knowing the truth.Did he know something about her life? Homura shook that thought away. No, there was no way he could have known.
She had walked a short way when she heard a familiar voice.
"Human!" it yelled. "Do not take a step further!"
Homura turned back. Sure enough, she saw Sans, Papyrus and Kyubey.
"So you thought you could trick me by having your cute pet distract me" said Papyrus. "But I am not fooled that easily. I figured you plan quickly and had your pet guide me to you! I, the great Papyrus, have foiled your plan! Now, I will capture you! You will be delivered to the capital. Then...I'm not sure what's next. In any case, continue only if you dare. Nyeheheheh!"
Papyrus went away laughing.
"You really surprised me" said Sans. "Using your pet to distract us like that"
"It was his idea", said Homura, looking at Kyubey.
Homura and Kyubey went on their way. On the way, they started talking.
"Kyubey, why did you choose me to become a Magical Girl?" asked Homura. "What did I have that was special?"
"I saw magical potential in you" said Kyubey.
"I see. Am I the only Magical Girl or are there others?"
"In Mitakihara? There are two others. All over the world, there are thousands of Magical Girls."
"And how do they become Magical Girls?"
"They make a contract. Basically, when I meet a girl I think has potential, I grant her a wish- any wish. In exchange for that wish, the girl must fight Wraiths. Its a dangerous job, but they do save many people."
"I see."
Homura looked up and wondered what her wish was.
They continued walking in silence. Homura couldn't shake off the feeling that Kyubey wasn't telling her everything. After her encounter with Flowey, she was more wary than ever.
Eventually, they ran into the skeleton brothers again. They were standing at the other end of a square dug into the snow.
"You're so lazy" Papyrus was saying. "You were napping all night!"
"I think that's called sleeping" said Sans.
"Excuses, excuses!"
Papyrus took notice of Homura.
"Oh ho! The human arrives" he said. "In order to stop you, my brother and I have created some puzzles! I think you will find this one quite shocking! For you see this is the invisible electricity maze! When you touch the walls of this maze, the orb will administer a hearty zap! Sounds like fun? Because the amount of fun you will have is actually rather small, I think. Okay, you an go ahead."
"I don't see the point of doing this" said Kyubey. The puzzle doesn't even cover the entire area. You can just walk around it."
Saying this, Kyubey did just that. Homura followed him.
"WHAT?! That's not fair!" said Papyrus. "Next time you pet won't be allowed to help you!"
Saying this, Papyrus went away.
"That was real clever of you" said Sans. "Going around the puzzle like that. You're full of surprises, Homura Akemi."
Homura just smiled.
"Your brother does try really hard" said Homura.
"I know" said Sans. "He's not real threatening but at least he tries. By the way, you see that weird outfit he's wearing? We made that a few weeks ago for a costume party. He hasn't worn anything else since. Keeps calling it his battle body. Man, isn't my brother cool?"
"He sure is" said Homura.
"Hey" said Sans. "Are you sure you're..."
"What?"
"Oh, nothing" said Sans.
Homura and Kyubey continued their journey.
"Sans was hiding something" said Homura. "I'm not sure what it is, but he knows something we don't."
They encountered monsters, but Homura managed to get them to leave her alone. She didn't kill anyone, at least not yet.
After a couple of minutes, they encountered the skeleton brothers again.
"Human! I hope you're ready for.." began Papyrus. "Sans! Where's the puzzle!"
"Right there. On the ground" said Sans. "Trust me, there's no way she can get past this one."
The puzzle was merely a piece of paper. Homura picked it out. It was a wordsearch.
"Mmm hmm" said Homura. "Am I supposed to complete this crossword to get through?"
"What? Crossword!" said Papyrus. "I can't believe you said that! In my opinion, junior jumble is easily the hardest!"
"What? Really dude?" said Sans. "That easy-peasy word scramble? That's for baby bones!"
"Un. Believable" said Papyrus. "Human! Solve this dispute!"
"Honestly, I don't know" said Homura.
"What? Haven't you done a puzzle before? Or do you have...uh, what's it called? Do you have anmesia?"
"Amnesia. And yes, I do have amnesia. When I fell down here, I couldn't remember anything, except my name."
"Oh...Oh I see. That's...truly saddening. You don't remember how many puzzles you've done. You don't remember how great you were. I have a lot to think about now."
Saying this, Papyrus went away.
"Amnesia, huh?" said Sans. "That's a new one."
"What do you mean?"
"Oh, nothing."
"Homura, lets move on" said Kyubey. Homura nodded and followed him.
In the next place was a table with a plate of spaghetti. A microwave was on another table. Next to the spaghetti was a note that read:
Human, please enjoy this spaghetti.
(Little do you know, this spaghetti is a trap designed to entice you. You'll be so busy eating it that you won't notice you aren't progressing. Thoroughly japed again by the great Papyrus.
Nyeh heh heh
Papyrus)
"Papyrus isn't really a smart one" said Kyubey.
"He does try very hard though" said Homura.
Even if she wanted to eat the spaghetti, she couldn't because it was pretty much stuck to the table.
They soon encountered Papyrus again.
"What? How did you avoid my trap?" he asked. "And more importantly, is there any left for me?"
"I didn't eat it" said Homura.
"What? You resisted the flavour of my home cooked pasta just so you could share it with me? Fret not human. I, master chef Papyrus, will make you all the pasta you could want."
In the next place, there was another puzzle. There was a maze with blue X's on the snow. Homura knew she had to turn them into O's.
"Human...hmm, how do I say this?" said Papyrus. "You were taking a long time to arrive so I decided to improve this puzzle. By arranging the snow to look more like my face. Unfortunately, the snow froze to the ground. Now, the solution is different and as usual, my lazy brother is nowhere around. I suppose what I'm saying is, worry not, human. I, the great Papyrus, will solve this conundrum. In the meantime, you can try the puzzle yourself."
"Alright" said Homura.
The voice spoke again.
Don't do the puzzle, it said. There's a switch behind one of those trees. Press it and the puzzle will take care of itself.
Homura looked behind a tree. Sure enough, there was a switch there. She pressed the switch. At once, all the X's became O's.
"Wowie, you solved it without my help!" said Papyrus.
"It was nothing" said Homura.
Across the maze, she found Sans.
"Good job solving the puzzle" he said. "You didn't even need my help. Which is great because I love doing absolutely nothing."
"Sans...I know you're hiding something" said Homura. "The way you talk to me, I can tell there's something you know that I don't."
Sans' grin faded.
"Oh, you're a clever one" said Sans. "Umm...how do I explain this? You ever heard of timelines?"
"I'm...vaguely familiar with that term" said Homura.
"And, you know you're the eighth human to fall down here."
"I am aware of the fact that other humans have fallen down here."
"Well, there are many different timelines. In all of them, the eighth human was a kid about half your age. They had a power called DETERMINATION that allowed them to do things like save and reset."
"You mean those golden points?"
"Yes. It seems you have that power too. You see, at first everything worked out okay. The kid befriended inhabitants and even got us all to the surface. That had been a hope we had for a long time. Everything was perfect, but the kid failed to save one person. So they started resetting over and over, in hopes of changing this outcome and saving that person"
"But...this kid only wants to save their friend" said Homura, surprised she was defending someone she hadn't even met. "It can't be wrong if they're not hurting anyone, right?"
"They did hurt people" said Sans. "After a hundred runs, they finally snapped. They started killing inhabitants. Even my brother Papyrus. I tried to stop them, but I could never truly kill them. All I could do was delay them. In the end, I realized it was hopeless. Even if we get to the surface, the kid will reset again and we'd all be back to square one with all our memories wiped clean. Only I would be aware. And I couldn't tell anyone. They would never believe me. So I pretend I know nothing about these various timelines. No one can understand that feeling. To be the only one to know about those timelines. To try to change he outcome but to no avail. And to know you can't do anything about it. Truthfully when I saw you, I was a bit happy. I thought this meant the timelines had stopped and I could relax."
"I do have the power to save" said Homura. "But I will never abuse my power. I promise that."
"Really?" said Sans. "Wow, thanks Homura. You're the first person I ever told about this. I guess because I feel I can trust you."
"You can" said Homura.
"Hmmm...most intriguing" said Kyubey. "Did this person happen to be a Magical Girl?"
"No. They were just an ordinary kid."
"Hmmm...but only Magical Girls can use magic. I'd like to meet this person myself. I sense a lot of potential in them."
"Well, we'd better get going" said Homura. "The faster we get to the surface, the better."
"Bye, Homura" said Sans. "Remember your promise."
"I will."
It was strange. When Sans described those timelines, Homura felt as if she understood. She had a feeling she had more in common with Sans than she thought.
They continued till they reached a little town. It seemed like a nice place to live if you liked the cold. She continued till she was at a bridge. There, she met Papyrus again.
"Human" he said. "I've been doing a lot of thinking. Its sad that you don't remember anything about your life. I can't imagine how that must be like. Why, if I had anmesia, I would give anything to regain my memories too. So, I the great Papyrus will...no, no. This is all wrong. You are a human! Anmesia or no anmesia, I must capture you! Then, I can fulfill my lifelong dream. Powerful! Prestigious! Popular! That's Papyrus! The newest member of the Royal Guard!"
The next thing she knew, Homura's SOUL was pulled out of her ring. She had now entered a fight with Papyrus.
