A/N: Hi everyone, you may have noticed that chapter is a little short. I have a feeling that this will be the normal length from now on. Thank you fishy7073 and Daughter of Ares 74 77 for following and favoriting not only this fic but me as well. I am really flattered. You, my readers, are the reason I continue. Without further ado, here's the next chapter.
Searifa slowed down her pace lacking the energy to continue at the break neck speed. She put a hand on her chest as it heaved, fighting for each breath. Her burning lungs didn't stop their frantic cry for oxygen. "Hey, are you okay?" Kendall asked as she stopped a couple of paces in front of the reptile. Her face was clearly concerned.
"I have to pause momentarily. You don't have to wait," the reptilian replied she waved one hand to inforce her words. Her voice was so soft she was surprised that the girl heard it.
"pft, why would I do that? Undyne would win the race. There isn't any point in continuing," the girl said with a shrug. Kendall waited till the monster caught up with her. The two continued side by side at a leisarely pace. " You really need to work out more if that short run got you winded," Kendall commented, her tone teasing.
"Very amusing," Searifa huffed giving the girl a glare. The reptilian monster put her hands on her head to relief some of the tightness in her chest. The teen's blue eyes lit up amused that she received a response.
"I'm just teasing you, Seari. You don't have to exercise more. You just have to eat less," Kendall added with an evil grin.
"Did you just call me fat?" Searifa asked overdramatically. She showed off her sharp teeth as if to threaten the teen. "You offend me," she snarled crossing her arms now that she had finally caught her breath. Kendall laughed realizing that the reptilian monster was playing along. Searifa laughed as well. "Do you think they have realized that we slowed down?" the chef asked the teen squinting to see if she could spot the guard and guard-in- training which proved to be futile in the dim light.
"Nah, they are probably focused on winning," Kendall responded as she relaxed her posture. Searifa nodded in agreement. The two grew quiet as they walked through the darkened cavern.
"Excuse me," a childish voice sounded a couple feet in front of the pair. Kendall seemed to stiffen at the intrusion while Searifa looked down where the voice came from after a small jump of surprise. The chef was glad that she could see in the dim lighting so the newcomer was clear to her.
A small yellow flower monster looked up at the chef with a small smile. His stem was craned to look into her eyes the best he could. Searifa kneeled so she was standing a bit closer to the flower's level, this seemed to make the flower happier as his smile grew. "Salutations, may I help you?" she asked as kindly as she could.
"Howdy, I just wanted to say hi," the flower answered as he bobbed side to side on his stem. His tone seemed almost sheepish.
Searifa smiled at the cute sentence. "I see. It has been a pleasure to meet you." She began to offer her hand to shake.
"Yeah, we should be going, Searifa," Kendall interrupted, her tone seemed a bit off. Searifa couldn't describe what the girl's tone was, but she wouldn't stand for what she said.
"Kendall, it would be rude to leave," the reptilian monster whispered to the girl which sounded more like a hiss. Searifa turned around to see the flower who didn't seem phased by the teen.
"Oh, it's alright, Miss. I am sure someone else will help me," the flower said tilting his head down. His small wilting stem looked so sad it broke Searifa's heart.
"You-" Kendall started before Searifa interrupted.
"It is quite alright, we have a little time to spare. I'll be more than happy to help you. Kendall, you can catch up with Papyrus while I help Mr.-"
"Flowey, Flowey the Flower," the flower answered perking up. His head full of yellow petals looking up at her with so much hope.
"Seari, we really shouldn't be staying here," Kendall repeated her voice coming closer and more worried.
"Kendall, you might find it hard to understand, but it isn't in my nature to turn my back to someone in need," Searifa said looking over her shoulder to the teen who stood right behind her. The human's blue eyes were glaring at the flower in front of her knees. "Kendall? It will only take a moment," Searifa added in a softer tone.
"Yeah, don't worry nothing bad will happen," Flowey added his grin widening. "I just need to find my parents before the human comes by." His beady eyes looked up at the girl. "I don't want them to hurt me."
Searifa smiled softly, "I'm sure they are not far. They are probably worried sick. Here, I can carry you." She held out an arm and waited for the flower monster to uproot himself.
"Seari," Kendall started again as the flower wrapped vines around the chef's outstretched arm. They were loose enough just barely scrunching the red material of her shirt.
"Kendall, I honestly don't have time right now. Please catch up with Papyrus. He will protect you while I'm not there," Searifa said turning away from the plant for a moment. He seemed to have paused his movements.
The teen frowned, "No, you know, I was trying to be nice, but I'm just going to say it. You need to get away from that creep right now." The human's voice was quite loud now and her blue eyes almost looked afraid. She had waved her arms as if to put more emphasis into her words.
Searifa narrowed her eyes at the teen, the reproach on her tongue. "Aww, you're no fun, Kendall," Flowey replied before the vine around Searifa's arm tightened. A loud low snap sounded followed by a scream. Burning pain shot up the monster's arm as she screamed. The sound was shocking to the chef. She leaned back to get away from the small flower who now smirked with a fanged smile, but her arm was trapped within the coils of his vines. She tried not to look at the way it bent.
"I don't understand. Don't you need help?" Searifa asked trying to ignore the waves of pain that traveled up her arm. It was making her stomach churn.
"You're helping plenty, thank you," Flowey answered his tone still sickly sweet. The vines tightened more around the chef's broken appendage. Searifa ground her teeth to prevent another scream. She could literally feel the bones shifting under her skin.
"What do you mean?" Kendall asked cautiously. The human looked like she wanted to reach out, but was afraid of what the small flower had in mind.
"HEY YOU PUNKS BETTER BE ALRIGHT," Undyne's loud voice boomed down the cavern. Both Searifa and Kendall gave each other a shocked look. Without words they knew their deception was at an end unless the chef could maintain the magic she casted.
"If you are planning to expose Kendall, I ensure you I can keep up an illusion," Searifa bluffed keeping her concentration on the pocket of magic around the girl.
"I wouldn't take another step, Kendall," the flower said his face morphing into a horrifying smile. "Or we'll see if lizard monsters can regrow limbs," the flower added pulling the reptilian monster's arm. Searifa put her other hand to her mouth to muffle the scream. Searifa could see spots fill her vision as her head started to spin.
"Seari," Kendall called, her voice raising as if the monster's name was a question.
The chef looked back at the teen. She pulled the corners of her mouth up into a smile. It didn't quite reach her eyes. "I'm quite alright, Kendall." Searifa checked her stats to be sure; a sizable chunk of HP was gone but she could handle it. The sound of crackling energy filled the air as blue spears lit up the darkness. Flowey released his hold of the reptile disappearing into the ground as a blue spear stabbed the dirt. The magic was unbearably warm near her face.
Kendall gasped and Searifa turned to face the girl who was surrounded by blue spears. "HALT, HUMAN," Undyne's strong voice called out as the spears fizzled away. "GET AWAY FROM HER."
Searifa watched as the human dropped to her knees beside her. "Are you okay?" she asked her blue eyes full of fear. It made the monster's eyes water. She had failed the girl; she couldn't manage a single illusion.
"I'm so sorry," Searifa whispered her eyes beginning to burn with tears. "I failed you."
UT~UT~UT
Kendall laughed at the words the monster whispered. "You're awesome. I wouldn't have gotten this far without you," she responded her tone sincere. Green eyes met hers with an emotion she didn't recognize. A clawed hand dug itself into her shoulder tearing through the fabric of her shirt. Kendall didn't even had a chance to yelp in surprise as the monster pushed her to the ground to get to her own feet.
Kendall opened her mouth to shout at the monster but she was already running back the way they came clutching her arm against her body. The human watched as her former guide's form started to disappear from the dim light. She tried not to feel betrayed as the monster didn't look back once, but she failed. It stung looking at the empty space in front of her. "HUMAN," Undyne's voice shouted closer now.
Kendall turned to the source and her breath caught in her throat. The fish monster was feet away her long strides bringing her closer and closer. Papyrus was on her heels trying to say something, but the teen and fish monster couldn't hear over the echoing steps.
Kendall held her head high as the captain neared her. If she was going to die, she wasn't going to cower. The monster flew by her leaving the girl in shock. Her blonde hair flipped into her face. "Papyrus, look after Searifa," the guard called back to the skeleton who reached the teen. Undyne didn't look back as she continued her sprint.
"SEARIFA ARE YOU OKAY? WE HEARD YOU SCREAM," the skeleton began as he put his hands on Kendall's shoulders. "KENDALL?" His dark eyesockets widened and he looked up to where the fish monster had run to.
The stunned teen opened her mouth. "Papyrus," she uttered now realizing what the reptilian monster had done. The skeleton must have realized the significance of the sight before him.
"WE HAVE TO CATCH UP WITH UNDYNE," he said as he pulled the girl to her feet.
"Can you carry me? I'm not fast on my own, but you are," Kendall asked thinking about their little race. It only reminded her that Searifa wouldn't be able to outrun Undyne for long. The skeleton didn't say anything but picked her up so quickly. On his back she tightened her fingers around the red scarf around his neck.
"HOLD ON, HUMAN," the skeleton warned before running full speed. Kendall shut her eyes as the walls zipped by.