Undertale: Of Man and Monster
Chapter Nine: Treason Runs Deep Underground
Dirt stained my paws and knees. My robes were damp with dew. An enormous smile turned my face into the beaming sun. Skipping down hallway after hallway within Asgore's castle, my SOUL felt light and warm. I was giddy, my magic causing me to glow a bright red. Marigold wanted to see me again! The date was a roaring success! I expected my feet to touch the stone floor, but they never did.
"Oh!" I widened my eyes in shock. Heh. Such joy filled my heart that I was kept floating aloft after that last skip. Weightless, I decided to just roll with it. Feet dangling, I let my will carry me back home and by extension, to a calming bath and some of my favorite snickerdoodles.
Setting myself down in front of my door, I shivered at the cool touch of stone against my footpads. Twisting the door knob, I entered my dark home and reached to flip on the lights when I heard it. My sofa was creaking. Somebody was here, in my home, waiting for me in the dark… Fear sent a chill down my spine, gripped my heart in its dreadful vice. Was it them? Did those murderers come here to ply their luck? I snarled, all my joy evaporating in an instant. Rage exploded within my SOUL, causing it to thrum violently deep within.
"NOT THIS TIME!" I roared, my voice a beast's. I didn't bother getting a read on their SOULs. Not like evaluating their LOVE would do me any good. Sensing their power, their startled magic, I threw my paws forward. Raw power exploded from my SOUL, the invisible radiance painting my living room. Gesturing down with a finger, my will compressed space itself. Blue magic filled the air, forcing reality itself to become solid as it bent beneath my will. Fear quickened the pulse of my enemy's SOULs, all two of them. Just… two? Wait a second.
I made space itself inflexible and stalwart as stone. Practice Blue magic long enough and it became a part of you, like any arm or leg. I could feel my prisoners' SOULs as if they were in the palm of my paw. Getting a read on them, I recognized one as familiar. He was analytic, possessed of a sharp intellect, vast creativity and a genius bordering on insanity.
"Shit! Shit, shit…" I cursed, feeling sick for attacking a friend. My left eye flashed blue and the aura vanished. Space resumed its fluidity and the SOULs went free. Quickly switching on the lights, I saw a disheveled Gaster and some stranger sitting on my couch. They were breathless, eyes wide with fright.
"Holy fuck dad." The unfamiliar skeleton breathed. His skull was rounder than Gaster's, wider and bearing a huge toothy grin. Actually, his whole body was far sturdier than Gaster's. He was short and stocky, big-boned some would call it. It was apparent even under his lab coat. "You weren't kidding. The goat's a badass."
"Yes." Gaster finally spoke, the grim edge to his tone raising my hackles.
"Please forgive me." I pleaded, running over to their side. Anxiety and fear at what I could have done rocked me to the core. My body was shaking so hard I couldn't keep my knees from knocking together. "I'm so, so sorry! Are you hurt? I thought you were someone else…" Tears started spilling from the corners of my eyes. "I should have been more careful. I could have k-k…" I couldn't bring myself to say the word.
"I take it back." Gaster's son said blankly, his eye sockets going dark. "The guy's a pansy." Gaster summoned a pale hand and slapped his son on the side of his skull.
"Sans…" He growled quietly to the skeleton rubbing his head. "Behave yourself or I'll throw you off the balcony." Sans rolled his eyes but zipped his fingers across his mouth. Watching the small dispute with watery eyes, I decided to interject.
"Would you two like anything? A d-drink or a snack? I've been saving some of Toriel's snickerdoodles if you'd like some." I offered weakly, eliciting a soft look from Gaster.
"No, we don't require anything Aster." He turned his eyes to Sans and gave him a hard glare, as if showing up unannounced and waiting in the dark was all his son's idea. Sweat beaded on Sans' forehead and he looked nervous. "It was contemptuous of us to surprise you like this, especially after… After you were murdered." Shock numbed my whole system. They knew. It really happened then. The dirk, piercing my heart…
"I died." I whispered, feeling light headed. "There was so much blood, the smell was everywhere…" My legs buckled from underneath and I fell. Everything went black.
Red light glimmered in the void. Bright crimson, my inverted SOUL floated amidst endless possibility. I couldn't move my arms or legs, couldn't see with my eyes, but I was not afraid. This serenity calmed my nerves, and I possessed sight that came from within. In this realm, no being required a corporeal presence. Our bodies were like reflections in a mirror, false. Our SOULs were true, the abject reality casting its shadow. Here, I could cast off my pretenses, exist as the culmination of all that I am. My light filled the void. Illuminated, the relentless scope of time appeared in the form of tiny threads. So many strands… all splitting even further. Each thread was a world, each split the point of divergence. Focusing my light into a beam, I found the nearest timeline and caught it within my gaze. Aster's past, present and future unwound before me. I saw grandfather Lorne sitting in his chair, reading one of his most treasured books. He dropped it rather clumsily. Grumbling about old paws and aching joints, he bent down to retrieve the tome. As he did so, a flash. Glass shattered. A crossbow bolt lay embedded in the head of his recliner. Old though he may be, grandfather was a powerful mage. Electricity arced around his paws. Outside, Golden lightning danced around the cabin, thunder crashing in a deafening roar. Grandfather did not die. I did not fall to the Underground. Life went on as it had. Time is a capricious lord, but surely, all things are endowed with reason?
"Wake up." Chara whispered in a small voice.
"We're waiting for you…" Asriel told me, voice cracking from worry.
"Come on flowerchild, don't keep us all day." Marigold encouraged quietly. I opened my eyes, watching as relief flooded the faces of my friends. They were gathered around my bed, where Gaster and Sans must have stuffed me after my collapse.
"Five more minutes…" I gave a fake yawn and covered my eyes with those droopy ears of mine. The kids could barely stifle their giggles.
"No can do." Marigold teased. Electricity sparked in the air. A lick of static stung my nose. I gave a yelp and bolted upright. Rubbing my nose, I scowled at Marigold who was feigning ignorance. The way her fur stood on end, 'electrified', did nothing to absolve her. She looked at me with a hurt expression. Her eyes held barely concealed laughter.
"What?" She scoffed, trying and failing to sound innocent. "You think I did that? Frankly, I'm shocked!"
"You didn't…" My paws flew to my snout to hold in my spluttering laughter.
"Didn't do watt?" Marigold giggled, losing her composure. I did too. It wasn't pretty. I laughed so hard tears started to fall from my eyes. Soon enough, the chuckles devolved into a series of snorts. Chara looked at us, their face devoid of emotion.
"You guys are terrible. I'm going to volt." And she left, dragging a complete mess of an Asriel with them. I could hear the prince's laughter bounce off the walls.
Before long, Marigold and I were gasping for breath. My side was sore, the stitch irritated by constant shenanigans.
"I didn't know Chara appreciated puns." I had to admit. Marigold shrugged.
"Neither did I, but I never see them around. She's always off on grand adventures with her brother." I smiled, my heart melting at the thought.
"How adorable." Pictures of Asriel and Chara, crusading around the Underground with smiles as their shields and laughter as their swords filled me with DETERMINATION. Gaster and sans were nowhere to be found, now that I thought about it. "Marigold, was the royal scientist and his son here?" She nodded.
"They had to leave a few minutes before you woke. Something urgent regarding the Core."
"Oh." My face fell. "I ask because Gaster and I had something to discuss." I remembered myself die; the Monsters responsible after my Human SOUL. My eyes widened. Marigold picked up on my stress right away.
"What's wrong? Do you need a doctor? Gaster said you were going to be fine, but if you feel ill…" I shook my head.
"Do the prince and princess have a dedicated guard? I fear for their safety." Marigold's eyes sparked with worry at my words. She sat on the edge of my bed.
"I don't believe so." She said quietly. My heart sank. "Aster, do you know something?" She asked, fearing the answer. "The royal family is practically defenseless. Despite having the word 'royal' in the name, the Royal Guard are gilded peacekeepers. Believe it or not, but their primary function is not to protect the King and his family." My frown deepened.
"Before we met at the Selkie, an attempt was made on my life." Marigold gasped. She got up from the edge of my bed and started to pace.
"Did they say why?" She asked, anger lending her voice an edge. A scowl twisted her snout into a snarl. I nodded.
"I heard them talking in an alley. If I wasn't so curious, they would've had me by surprise." Marigold shuddered. I did too. The mere memory of that blade piercing my heart brought a phantom pain to my chest. I could still remember the stench of my own blood. "The fiends were after my SOUL. I forced them away, but if they knew where to set the ambush…" Marigold stopped her pacing. Shock widened her green eyes.
"This goes deeper than some thugs." Her voice wavered. "Those were mere hitmen. Whoever orchestrated the assassination attempt knew where to find you. They had to have overheard our conversation with Toriel. I was the one to suggest the Selkie. The mastermind was close enough to overhear…" The blood drained from my face. My whole body was stiff and cold, as if carved from ice.
"They were there, when I fought with Dobo. The bastard has access to the castle, maybe even to Asgore and Toriel." My voice was deadpan. The serious nature of this situation caused the air to become thick with tension and dread. "If they tried killing me first, it's because they must fear humans. Now that their agents failed, Chara's next." Throwing off my blanket, I leapt to my feet. Adrenaline filled my muscles with power. Anxiety clawed at my heart. Was Chara's life resting on my shoulders?
"We need to catch up with them. Hopefully the children are still here." Marigold's eyes glinted like cold steel. "Aster. We can't tell anyone but the King and Queen. There's no telling who we can trust." I nodded, feeling my stomach squirm. Bile rose at the back of my throat. The thought that my closest friends could have been conspiring my death, the death of Chara… I felt sick.
"Asriel! Chara!" I shouted as we jogged down the hall.
"We're here!" Asriel called from my balcony. The royal siblings were gazing at A New Home painted white by the noon 'sun'. Standing by the sliding glass door leading to the balcony, I gestured for the two to come back inside with shaking paws. Before coming back inside, they gave each other a worried look. Wasting not an ounce of time, I rushed to seal the door behind them. Pulling pine green curtains over the sliding door, I ensured no conspirator could spy through the glass.
Turning back to face the children, I knelt down and put on my best fake smile.
"We need to see your parents right now kiddos, do you know where they might be?"
"What's going on?" Chara asked calmly, red eyes cautious. Of course Chara would catch on. Sharp kid, possessed the intuition of a fortune teller. Not that Marigold and I were being subtle at the moment. I told them the truth. We might be safer if the kids knew to be wary.
"Some bad guys want to hurt us." I told them gravely. Asriel tugged on his ears. He looked fit to break down in tears. I could tell Chara was scared from the glint in her eyes, but she did remarkably to keep herself collected.
"Mom and dad are in the throne room at this time of day." Chara answered when Asriel started shaking.
"W-wha-t do t-they want-t?" Asriel stuttered from fear, tears brimming in his green eyes. I pursed my lips. The truth here would only give Asriel a panic attack.
"I don't know." I tried to reassure. "Whatever it is, we can't let them have it." I turned my gaze to Marigold. "Stay close to me. I'm going to cast a ward around us. If you get too far from me, I can't sustain it."
Breathing slow controlled breaths, I focused the magic flowing through my veins. Not just any ward would do. These shields had to hold, their failure meant peril to those under my watch. Shaping the streaming energy showering from my paws, I formed a series of cyan bubbles and contoured them to our forms. Cutting off the spell from my SOUL, I could feel the drain. My muscles were sore. Sweat ran down my arms and forehead. I was panting lightly.
"Come on." I offered the kids my arms. "Let me carry you." Chara wanted to refuse by their stubborn grimace, but she accepted despite her pride. I was glad they were still so small. I could hold them both without a problem. Making sure they wouldn't fall, I felt their tiny hands grab fistfuls of my dirty robe.
"Let's go." Marigold advised. I nodded in agreement.
The walk to the throne room was tense. Passerby gave us odd looks, wondering just what in the world we were up to. I saw the enemy in their faces. My paranoia lent a shadow to their features; a malicious glint to everyone's eyes, imagined whispers behind our backs. I for one, was relieved when we arrived at the King and Queen's house without incident. Marigold didn't bother knocking, she just flung the door open and let herself in.
Light beams, golden rays of sunlight filtered down from holes far above. Flowers of all kinds and colors grew in abundance on the floor, blessing the throne with a wonderful fragrance. From far above the pockmarked ceiling echoed the faint song of chipper birds. Asgore and Toriel were near the room's end, seated on gilded thrones lined with purple upholstery. They were not alone, and we were yet to be noticed. Standing before our noble monarchs was an unfamiliar Boss Monster. He was tall and thin, clad in loose red regalia. The hem of his robe was short, stopping above the knees. Black trousers completed the look, a uniform practical for any surprise battle. His fur was silver and scraggly. An ugly scar wrapped around the left side of his head, half of the corresponding ear was missing completely. The man's horns were wickedly sharp and black like the ocean depths. He seemed angry.
"Your majesties…" He growled in a voice like claws on a chalkboard. "Please allow me to take the abomination's SOUL! With it, a warrior of your choosing can cross the barrier. We do not have to remain in this prison! With a single SOUL, six can easily be attained. You can become a god and strike down humanity once and for all. That blighted race will no longer threaten our people." Wow. He was talking about having me executed, and I was right here. Asriel and Chara were shuddering in my arms. Marigold put a paw on my shoulder, hoping to lend a calming presence.
Toriel was snarling. She did not look happy at all to listen to this man's drivel. Asgore's eyes were filled with sorrow, probably because one of his subjects had fallen so far. His face remained firm.
"Alistare." Toriel hissed, that infamous temper of hers' flaring. "Aster, the Monster you are referring, has committed no crime. He is a trusted friend of the crown and will soon be asked to join the court. I will hear nothing more on this disgusting notion you forward." Join the court? I was shocked, and from the man's flinch, he was too.
"Your highness, that thing cannot be allowed on the court. His very existence is heresy of the highest level!"
"Enough." Asgore commanded, his voice demanding respect befit for the crown. "No harm will come to Aster, and you will cease petitioning the bureaucracy for matters such as this. Aster is a friend, and possesses knowledge on magic that could benefit our institutions beyond measure. Yes, he will be offered a position in the court, but also the vacant seat remaining on the Council of Mystics." We were all blown away. I gave a sharp gasp and blew our cover. Asgore and Toriel were very surprised to see us.
"Surprise." Marigold said weakly. The scarred Boss Monster turned on his heels to glower.
"What is the meaning of this!?" He screeched. His grey eyes were bloodshot. Setting down the prince and princess, I faced him with hard eyes.
"No one has time for this." I muttered, whipping up a localized whirlwind around the offending Monster. "Get out." I commanded, ordering the gale to show him the door. He was carried unceremoniously from the throne room, spitting profanities and ridiculous threats. When he was gone, I let the vortex slam shut the door and forced it to dissipate. Whispering a mantra to aid my concentration, I peeled the wards from around our bodies and sent them to protect the entrance. Stacked upon each other, a sheet of opaque blue reinforced the elegant double doors. At this point I was panting and sweating up a storm. Everything ached. So much magic for such a stretch of time was taking its toll.
Toriel and Asgore just stared. Asriel and Chara ran to their parents' side and leaped into their laps. The sight of the two kids nuzzling the King and Queen warmed my heart. Marigold bowed.
"Please forgive our intrusion my lord and lady, but a most urgent matter has surfaced. We are all in grave danger." Asgore narrowed his eyes. Taking a stand from his throne, the King of all Monsters appeared menacing with his cape waving in the slight breeze. Catching my breath, I bowed and took a knee.
"My liege. I believe a rogue faction of Monsters are plotting to have Chara and myself killed." Toriel stood as well.
"I pray you have evidence Aster." Toriel growled. "Such claims require validation." I nodded.
"An attempt was made on my life." The room went dead silent. Asriel and even Chara's eyes went wide. "However, before the delinquents began their assault, I managed to overhear snippets of their conversation. They were after my Human SOUL." Unease hung over our hearts. "I fear princess Chara is marked as well." Jets of fire vented from Toriel's nostrils. Her auburn eyes flared crimson from anger. Asgore was quiet, but a seething rage roiled the air around him.
"We believe the castle, and perhaps even the Royal Guard have been compromised. The assailants planned their ambush around the Selkie Skedaddle, knowing when Aster would arrive. A conspirator must have overheard our conversation Toriel." Marigold explained, her tone grim. Asgore and Toriel were horrified.
"I trust Dobo and Dr. Gaster with my life. They must be informed of this development immediately." Asgore stated, his eyes determined. He took his leave after I dispelled my wards. I sighed in relief as the constant strain on my SOUL disappeared.
"While Asgore gathers allies, we must see to your safety." Toriel said, hugging her children in a tight embrace.
"I'll gladly die for Chara and Asriel, Toriel. I can help keep them safe." Toriel smiled.
"Thank you dear, but you're endangered as well. Promise me you will only act as a last defense." Concern twinkled in Toriel's eyes. I returned the smile and gave a slow nod.
"I promise."
