A/N: Well, on the downside, I'm a week late. On the upside, I'm not FIVE MONTHS late. So I guess you could say I'm mildly happy with the situation right now. I do apologise for it nonetheless.
I actually had a chapter done in the first week, but while I was editing I did the fight sequence over about four times which is the ONLY reason this took so long. I don't think I've barely edited the other scenes.
Anyway, not much else to say here, so on with the show~
"No… no…. no… Magic fingers? What is… oh. OH. Umm… That's very nice, but that's... not actually magic."
Alphys took in a patient breath and paused her search through the human files. She was talking to herself again, a sure sign that she was stressed out. She leaned back on her chair, stretching her stiff shoulders and back just for a moment. Her vertebrae bent with a series of satisfying pops, sending shivers down from the base of her neck down to the tip of her tail.
With a half yawn, she tapped at her keyboard and watched the number pop up at the corner.
Three thousand two hundred and fifty three. The need to slam her forehead against the keyboard hit her like a hot summer gust.
The search for a human with any magic potential was far more... arduous than she first anticipated. The human database wasn't as organised as she thought, at least not in terms of their magical prowess. If she'd been looking for informations on their SOUL it would have been a different story, but as it stood now, here she was, stuck with manually reading through the human entries one by one. She did her best to narrow the list down but the numbers only went down to about three thousand and seven hundred. That's three thousand and seven hundred massive essays that she had to read through, and without any accompanying artwork (preferably japanese including high school girls and zany superpowers) this task was proving to be a grueling grind equivalent to training a MMORPG character to level 100 by only killing level 1 rabbits.
Nevertheless, she was obligated to do her job, and jobs often came as a mixed bag of things you enjoy and things you don't. She was just going to have to bite her lips and push through.
Okay. Entry #140: Pond, Margaret. Kind. Faint hearted... No magic potential.
Of course even without looking through the entries, it was a given that humans did have magic at some point in their history, but that was almost a millennia ago now. From what they understood, humans have become so heavily reliant on technology that they now believe that magic is a myth, an ability believed only in fantasies of children and the deranged. Though a sad state of affair in her opinion, it was precisely this fact that was pushing her to look into this matter. Because as mind numbing grind of a task this was, Alphys understood why Sans wanted her to do this: That human -the one named Chara- was an anomaly.
Entry #167: Smith, Victor. Tall. Odd accent. Friendly…. No magic potential.
How did that kid have magic? How could that one human be so in tuned with themselves that they could cast coloured combat spells, fire spells and healing spells back to back? There's only few monsters in the world that can learn so many types of magic and they spent years to master it all. Was it a human thing? Did it have something to do with their magic being able to move about on its own?
Alphys didn't like it. There was something primal that surged in her every time thought of the kid. She got the chills down her spine every time she looked at those blood red eyes, staring at everything with cold logic and calculation. But what choice did she have? She promised Sans that she would look into it, and that's what she was going to do, even if she wasn't entirely sure what he was planning at this point. She was being a good friend. It had nothing to do with her being scared of angering him at all. No siree.
Entry #198: undefined, Vanessa. Singer… "Magical voice", but no actual magic potential.
She did wonder why he asked her not to tell anyone, though. He seemed to want things done under the table for some reason, and she couldn't imagine why. A pair of humans was in Underground, the final pieces of the puzzle. It was a historical event. Everyone should be getting in on it so that they can all get back to the surface, combine their power to… to kill the children as quickly as they could. Beat, cut and burn them until the life snuffed out of their wide, hopeful eyes. They've already done it six times. What was two more?
Alphys sagged, her eyes suddenly becoming harrowed at the thought. The memories.
The bodies were always brought to her first so that she could extract the dying soul before it disappeared. She threw up the first time she saw it: the red, purple and blue form of a human on a cold metal bed, their eyes closed, little hands and feet unmoving. A child. A dead child. It was the most horrifying thing she'd seen in her life. It got easier with each one, but never enough that she didn't feel sick for days after.
And now she'll have to do it again, to two of them at once, a pair of friends no less.
She just hoped that the two would die together.
At least that way, they'll have someone to hold in their dying moment.
Stop. She scolded herself, taking in a shuddering breath. Don't pity them. They're the enemy. We have to do this. It's not like you're going to find the solution to the barrier without their SOULs anytime soon, right?
Right.
It didn't matter in the end. The kids were going to… to die. And the monsters were going to be free. It was a joyous event. It was happy. It was glorious. It was... inevitable.
Alphys tore her gaze from her screen and sighed, her motivation drained. She didn't think she could look at another human report.
I should just fudge something up. Does Sans really care? They're gonna die anyway, right?
Leaning back she tapped the page down button on the keyboard several times with extra force in frustration.
Entry #198: Smith, John. Teacher… No magic potential.
Tap.
Entry #200: Chang, undefined... Miner… No magic potential.
TAP.
Entry #210: Jenner, Luke… No magic potential.
TAP.
Entry #502: undefined, Charlotte…
AuthError?
Her fingers stopped just over the keyboard.
Alphys gazed at the screen, her eyes lingering on the last entry, brows furrowing as she skimmed line over and over. She quickly pulled off her glasses, rubbed it for grimes and put it back on. The entry remained the same.
She blinked.
It... was an authorization error.
For her?
She pulled her chair closer to the desk and drummed at the keyboard. She pressed the return key, then blinked at the message that appeared.
- human_magic_reports[current_index]._dict_
Uncaught Exception: AuthError
You do not have the correct permission to access this entry!
Please log in as a correct user type or contact the database manager for more information.
Don't have the correct permission?
Contact the database manager?
She WAS the database manager. She had all of the permissions. If she didn't, who the hell would? The previous owner? Well good luck with that, the previous owner was… Umm...
What happened to the previous owner?
She shook her head. That wasn't important right now.
She began furiously typing out a command.
- which_permission(human_magic_reports[current_index])
Uncaught Exception: AuthError
- get_permission(human_magic_reports[current_index])
Uncaught Exception: AuthError
- change_permission(human_magic_reports[current_index], 'admin')
Uncaught Exception: AuthError
Alphys tapped her chin, and soon began typing once more. It took her ten minutes or so to come up with, but eventually she managed to pull out a different response.
- sudo accessHumanEntry human_magic_reports -json -index=502 -apply= -f
WARNING: You are about to access the Royal Archive. Be aware that accessing these data without permission is a treason and can be punishable by imprisonment of up to ten years.
Continue?
Yes/No:
Alphys paused again, even more confused.
Why would a human report be locked behind the Royal Archives?
The warning on the screen weren't just words either. She knew for a fact that the act of treason acquires one the most severe of punishment the King was willing to give. She technically didn't have the correct permissions, so if she ever continued on here, she would be eligible for the said punishment.
… But then again, this was a bit of an emergency situation, what with there being a human around the Kingdom and all. She was sure if she spoke to Asgore about it nicely, he'll let her go.
Probabily.
She peered over to her left, to her right, making sure that there wasn't anyone watching her over her shoulders.
Then, with a slow, butterfly flutter of a movement, she carefully pressed on the keyboards to type a quick answer.
"Yes"
She pressed the return key.
Accessing...
- Welcome to the Royal Archives -
Entry #502: Gardner, Charlotte. Landed in 1954…
Her eyes ran through the data, and slowly, they began to widen in shock.
Chapter 11
Chara landed on their feet, their arms trembling from the unexpected strength behind the puppy's attack.
They didn't understand how they kept on getting into these situations: these battles with monsters whom they should be allies with, their own people whom they will be ruling over in the future. It was only last week for them that they were out and about Waterfall with Asriel, sharing easy hellos with the people who were all so overjoyed to see them they couldn't stop providing compliments and gifts. Now here they were, in yet another fight with a monster, a royal guard no less. It was such a jarring change in reception, they couldn't help but laugh. They supposed it was their fault for being a member of the Kingdom's sworn enemy themselves. It was an unusual circumstance after all.
Actually, I'm in a knife fight with a bloody dog right now. So that's probably weirder.
They raised their blades above their head, grunting when Lessie's sword crashed down upon them with a loud clang. They tried to kick in an attempt to trip their opponent, but Lessie threw a shield bash from the side first. They jumped back, avoiding the wall of steel that would have left them with a nasty broken bone had it met its mark.
Their feet touched the ground and they immediately blocked another sword strike from the side, a backwards strike this time, and grunted as their feet slid a bit across the snow. Lessie had used the momentum of his missed shield bash to spin around and give his next attack extra strength. Now he followed it up by smashing his shield into his own blocked sword, slamming enough force to throw Chara completely off balance.
They stumbled to the side, then trip over, landing flat on their stomach.
Lessie hugged his sword and shield close to his chest and marched towards them without a moment's pause, his armour clanking in a steady beat with each step.
Chara growled and tried to push themselves up, but heard the clanking stop right behind them, followed by a sound of sword whipping through the air.
They gripped a handful of snow and dirt and threw it at Lessie's face. He blocked it by hiding behind his massive shield, but it caused a long enough distraction. Chara used the momentum of their throw to roll away and stand up at the same time.
When all was said and done, the two parties stood a good distance away from each other, Chara with their breath heavy and glaring while Lessie stood with his shield held high up, his long tongue still flopped out in a doggy smile as if he was expecting a snack to be thrown his way any second. Chara didn't know if they were impressed or furious.
On one side, the pup -despite his dumb little smile and earlier playful behaviour- was an incredibly efficient soldier. His attack routines were on a bit on a stiff side perhaps, but there was skill behind that stupid face. He was indeed worthy of being called a Royal Guard.
On the other hand, they were fighting a bloody mutt. And they were actually getting pushed back. It felt insulting, even if it was a Royal Guard they were fighting.
Ha. The Royal Guard. Chara might have smirked. This was the first time they were fighting a full blown Guard instead of a trainee, something they'd been begging their mother to do for weeks. Yet right now, they didn't feel the excitement that they'd expected from this battle. All they could think of was the little one who out there waiting for them, cold and alone. They didn't have the leisure to indulge in a fight. They needed to finish this right now.
They bent their knee, raised their blades up to their face height, and in response Lessie beat his sword against his shield twice in quick succession.
"Arf!" He squeaked, then prepared himself in an offensive pose, despite clearly seeing that Chara prepared for an offensive first.
It was an insult, Chara recognised with a sneer. He was saying that he could take them on, no matter what strategy they took.
Such insolence. Chara hissed in their mind. This dog was going to learn a valuable lesson in humility.
"WHOA, OKAY! TIMEOUT! EVERYBODY TIMEOUT!"
Chara nearly fell over with start, their magic blade shattering away as their concentration was shot. They looked up and frowned when they saw Papyrus standing between them and Lessie with barely any way of protecting himself besides his words.
It was a suicidal move if Chara ever saw one. One never placed oneself between two warriors in midst of combat unless they expected to brave a strike from both sides at once. To his credit, Papyrus did appear rightfully pissed. With his hands on his hips and his tall frame standing up with back straight, he looked like a chastising mother. "WHAT HAS GOTTEN INTO YOU TWO? PUT THOSE THINGS AWAY, YOU CAN SERIOUSLY HURT SOMEONE!"
Oh yeah, definitely a chastising mother. "Papyrus, if I may-"
"A MOMENT, MY COMPANION!" He silenced them with a raised palm. "I WILL HANDLE THIS!" He turned to the pup first. "BAD LESSIE! BAD DOG!" He scolded, causing Lessie to let out a piteous whine. The transition from a professional soldier to an ordinary household pet was so quick that it gave Chara a mental whiplash. "CHARA HERE IS A CITIZEN! YOU CAN'T ATTACK A CITIZEN!"
Lessie tilted his head, his confusion as clear as day.
Papyrus sighed and tried again. "THIS," He began slowly, gesturing to them, "IS CHARA. CHARA IS A FRIEND. NO ATTACKING CHARA. NO. ATTACK. CHARA."
"Aroo?" Lessie said and Papyrus nodded.
"THAT'S RIGHT. CHARA IS FRIEND. ATTACKING IS NOT FOR FRIENDS. NOT FOR FRIENDS."
The pup barked and yipped, his gaze bouncing back and forth between the human and Papyrus several times. Then, surprisingly enough, he began lowering his shield, albeit with movement filled with uncertainty.
Chara lowered their blades too. Though they still wanted to punish the mutt, they were certain the fight between them will be a bit more challenging than they were imagining. Papyrus' intervention was a chance they couldn't afford to miss if they wished to get out of this unscathed. They just hoped that their own show of pacifism will entice the pup to do the same.
It did. And Lessie lowered his weapons a bit faster, almost to a point of completely dropping them.
"YES!" Papyrus smiled, unknowingly echoing Chara's own thoughts. "GOOD DOG, LESSIE!" -Lessie's tail began wagging at the compliment and Chara couldn't help but smirk.- "REMEMBER: ATTACKING IS NOT FOR FRIENDS; ATTACKING IS FOR HUMANS! WE ATTACK HUMANS! OKAY?"
Chara's smirk vanished.
Lessie tilted his head then barked as his tail wagged faster. "Arf!" He held his weapons up, ready for battle.
Chara slapped a hand over their face.
"GOOD! I'M GLAD YOU UNDERSTAND. NOW, LET'S GO OVER THERE AND APOLOGISE FOR-"
Lessie was off in an instant, going around Papyrus in two easy hops and charging for Chara without hesitation.
"WHAT THE-? LESSIE!"
"Oh for the love of-"
Chara skipped to the side to avoid the shield charge and immediately parried Lessie's sword away by swinging their dagger right into the slash. With a loud clang, the two's arm flung back from one another, forcing both wielders to jerk back and regain control of their trembling weapons.
Chara growled. Of course this was how it ended up. It was just their luck.
Suddenly Lessie yelped, stumbling forward.
"GOTCHA!" Papyrus exclaimed as he caught the pup's torso in a hug and landed flat on his stomach, holding him in place.
Chara blinked in surprise but shook it away quickly.
Now! They thought.
They focused, eyes flashing in red. A patch of red weeds rose from the soil below and wrapped around Lessie's hind legs, binding it tight. He fell over with a yelp, tried to use his sword and shield as support, and failed. He landed in the cold snow with a heavy clunk of metal, and Chara continued their spell by binding his forelegs to the ground as well. Within seconds the knots were complete, and Lessie was secured struggling in the snow, letting out pitiful whine after whine as he flailed about with no way out.
Chara let out a sigh of relief.
Damn. That was a close one.
Papyrus stood up, took a look at the bindings and mimicked the action. "PHEW! THAT WAS A CLOSE CALL! ARE YOU ALRIGHT?"
"I'm fine, sir." Chara flexed the shoulder that they used to parry Lessie's attack and winced at the dull ache that traveled down. "Well, better than I could have been, anyhow. I thank you for that. I was hoping to avoid a fight if I could."
"YEAH, I KNOW WHAT YOU MEAN. I AM VERY SORRY ABOUT THIS. I KNOW LESSIE CAN BE A BIT HYPER MOST OF THE TIME BUT HE'S NEVER ATTACKED ANYONE LIKE THIS BEFORE. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY HE'D DO SOMETHING LIKE… UHH..."
"Oh no, it's no problem." Chara waved their hand dismissively, not wanting Papyrus to dwell too much on why Lessie had attacked, lest he found out their true identity. "I'm sure he had a very good reasons for doing what he did. But let's not get ourselves caught on such trivial matters. What's important is that we-"
They flew backwards, the wind knocked out of them as Papyrus suddenly swooped down, picked them up by the waist and ran forward, all in a single motion.
In the sudden, flailing movement, Chara's mind took a few seconds to catch up, but once they did, they clutched onto the skeleton's shoulder and growled.
"What the hell are you-?!" They started in a breathless wheeze, only to freeze up when they saw Lessie's face right in front of their own, his big slobbering tongue flopped out in a wide doggy smile. They scowled, not knowing what other expression to make.
Then the smile was gone, replaced by an angry snarl that bared his sharp teeth and ugly gum. The pup struck out, his mouth opening and shooting out with every intention of biting their face off.
This time, Chara knew exactly what expression to make: horror. "SWEET CHRIST!"
"WHOA NELLY!" Papyrus echoed.
He threw the human to one side like a common basketball, and leapt into the other, making them both crash into the snow but also allowing Lessie's head to fly past them without causing much harm.
The snow did little to cushion the landing for Chara and they grunted out loud as their shoulder took the brunt of the landing. They fell to the hard ground in a roll, and after three or four tumbles (it was hard to count so quickly after you've literally been thrown by someone to the ground), they came to a lazy stop, their face down and buried in the cold.
They let out a long, tired groan, wondering what the hell happened to their life.
Chara Dreemurr: Crowned Princess of the Underground, thrown around like a sack of potatoes. Join us next week where she will be strung up on a tree as a substitute piñata. Sticks will be provided.
They rolled over to their back and strained to sit up as fast as they could. They didn't know how, but Lessie had freed himself of their plants and had chased them down like a hound. The threat was still out there and they couldn't remain off guard any longer than they have already.
"BLEH! ARE YOU ALRIGHT?" Papyrus asked as he stood up too, spitting a wad of snow out of his mouth.
"I will manage." They growled. They picked up their dropped dagger with one hand and summoned a magic one on the other. "Where is he?"
"LESSIE?" Papyrus asked.
"Who else?"
"UHH, RIGHT WHERE YOU LEFT HIM… SORT OF."
"What?" They turned around, and true enough, the puppy's armoured body was still in the snow behind them, all four of his legs bound with knots of red weed they'd conjured up. But there was one thing that caught their eyes, something that made them do a double take and take a moment to process. Their eyes told them one thing, but their brain refused to believe, because it was… Well, it was ridiculous.
Lessie's head…
It was missing.
The whole head was missing, and in its stead was a long pillar of white fur that seemed grow out of his neck. They trailed the pillar with their gaze, up and up and higher and higher, until they reached the top where they found…
"Oh my lord…"
Papyrus chuckled nervously. "YEP, THAT'S UHH… THAT'S WHAT HE DOES."
Chara's eyes were wide, unable to turn away from the horrible sight that was displayed before them as though it was a four vehicle car crash that's occurring right before their eyes. Indeed Lessie's body was where it'd been since the start, but as established, the head was nowhere near where they'd last seen it.
It was now, in fact, floating in the air.
Though 'floating' might not have been the correct term (because the idea of a telekinetic, self amputating dog was weird even for a monster standard). No, the head was technically 'hanging' in the air, hung there by the end of an enormous length of thick white… column that seemed to snake about in the sky looking like a crayon drawing done by a one year old, twisted and curled in a large bundle that could rival a small cloud.
It took them more than a few seconds, but they soon realised that the long, slithering pipe like fur, was Lessie's neck. 'Bizarre' was the term they wanted to use, but it seemed woefully inadequate.
"Arf!" Lessie's happy bark echoed down from the sky like a distant call, but Chara didn't know what to say to that.
The good thing was, they didn't need to.
Lessie's head flew down, swooping towards them like a hawk on a baby rabbit.
Chara leapt to the side and heard the loud clicking of jaw as Lessie swept past. His head did an instant U-turn mid-air, and came for them again with his fangs bared like a cobra, which was fitting given how his current appearance resembled that of a serpent more than it did a canine.
They leapt back, then leapt back again, only to do it once more as the zig-zag attack kept up, relentless in its pattern and unending much like his own neck seemed to be.
They were going to have to come up with a plan other than to dodge and fast. Otherwise, they were going to end up meeting the child sporting a series of dog bite that would no doubt frighten the little one to death. Then where will they be?
Probably back in time, but that was besides the point.
"HOLD ON CHARA, I'M COMING TO HELP!" Papyrus announced with a brave and boisterous voice that unfortunately told Chara he was about to do something stupid.
And do something stupid he did, because in the instant that followed, when Lessie's head came at them for another hawk strike, Papyrus decided the best idea was to leap into the air, and cling onto the flying head by his stretching neck like he was hugging a full body pillow.
"GOT-" was about the only thing he had the time to say before he was launched off, holding desperately onto the ever stretching neck. "-CHAAAAAAAHHHH!"
"Papyrus!" Chara yelled after him, but he was in no position to answer.
Lessie made a series of sharp turns, flailing the skeleton about until he lost his grip and was flung into a nearby bush.
Chara winced at the loud thud, and took a step forward in concern. "Papyrus?!"
A moment later, an orange gloved hand popped out of the bush. "IiiI'Mm OokAYY!" Papyrus said, then flopped back in a dead faint, groaning as no doubt his world spun around him.
Chara sighed, both in relief as well as exasperation.
They ducked as Lessie resumed his attack, his head coming to take a chunk out of their face as though it was made of his favourite dog treat. He made noise that was a mix between a growl and a snarl, probably frustrated that his attacks hadn't connected even once. It was a sentiment that Chara shared wholeheartedly for a completely different reason.
Lessie came at them head on, and Chara made their move.
Their body ignited in flames, white, hot and angry.
Lessie yelped, and changed his course in panic, flying far to the side, well away from them.
They smirked, but only for a moment. They could only keep the fire at this volume continuously for so long, and constant defense didn't win battles either. Unless they were intending to kill the pup, fire was only buying them time until he figures out how to get around it.
Out of options, they turned and ran, straight into the forest where they will be able to decrease the angle of attack for Lessie. The guard had already turned his head around and was chasing after them from afar.
Eyeing the dog for his movements, Chara began running through their options of escape.
Binding through weeds? That they've already tried. One on one combat didn't really work when their opponent was literally a flying head with a really long neck like a damned Chinese dragon. They knew what their instinct was telling them: Cut him. Burn him. Beat him to an inch of his life. But this was one of the situations where they couldn't listen to their instinct. Though an enemy now, Lessie was still one of their people and they weren't going to do anything that will cause harm.
They had to stop him without killing him.
How annoying was that?
"You have to pet Lesser Dog! He'll become instant friends with you!"
They vaguely remembered the child telling them that, quite excitedly too. Was it really that simple? They didn't believe it. Even if they did, it was a bit difficult to pet a dog whose head is literally a few storeys up in the air and flailing about.
Unless I can stop him somehow.
Cut him. The voices suggested. Hurt him enough and he'll stop moving.
They ignored it in its entirety and tried to find an alternative.
Lessie suddenly came from the side, slapping a branch just above them and making the pile of snow on it plop down on them like a thick white turd.
"Gah!" They yelled as the snow hit them squarely in the face. They doubled the fire around them, melting it away. They got their vision back, but the melted snow had soaked into their clothes which -while not exactly bad- wasn't very comfortable, and didn't help with their mood one bit. They used their flames to dry out their clothes in an instant and toned it down before the fabric caught on fire.
Lessie performed the same trick again, again and again, each time, forcing Chara to heat up and melt the snow away to keep their vision as clear as possible.
What the hell was he doing? Was he trying to douse the fire away so that he could take a bite out of them? Did dogs know to put water on fire? Or did Lessie know because he was a dog monster and not just a normal dog? Monster intellects were difficult to grasp sometimes.
Chara shook their head. Now's really not the time to dwell on this.
Lessie came down at the ground, a meter away from their feet, and flicked the soil with his head.
"Shit!" They cursed as they covered their face from the flying dirt and snow.
They took a sharp turn to the left and raised their fire levels again, trying to melt the snow away like the last upteenth times.
Then, it happened.
Like a candle light under a sharp gust, the fire around their body began to flicker on and off. Chara didn't even have the time to question it when, with a last sputter, the flames vanished completely, puffed away into the wind.
Realisation struck and Chara's eyes widened in horror, at the terrible, rookie mistake that they've made.
"Shit."They cursed, but it was too late.
Without warning, a sudden weight crashed on their shoulders, making their entire body feel like it's been coated in lead, making each step heavier than the last.
They had exhausted their magic much too quickly, causing the fatigue to hit them like a caffeine crash. It was one of the most basic things a monster learned about their magic: If you keep your magic usage on a level, you will always be able to recharge faster than you can use it and keep the physical toll to a minimum; but spend it all too fast, the fatigue doubled, the recharge time tripled. It was a mistake many younglings made when they first obtain their magic, and now they've done it too. This was what Lessie was aiming for.
Clever little shit. Chara growled, even though their anger was mostly directed at themselves for falling for it.
Without their magic as protection and with their run now half the speed of what it was, Lessie gained on them fast.
They forced their heavy legs to push through, each step noticeably delayed as their tired muscles refused to listen to their commands. Their world began to spin, their balance becoming wobbled as though they were trying to run through a ship caught in a storm. They were running out of time, and fast.
Chara cursed again as a shot of fear pierced through their heart. They'd seen what happens when one gets caught by attack hounds. They'd seen children get torn to pieces, their jugular ripped apart when the beastly canines bit into their neck to 'secure' them in place. They always told themselves that it was not the way they were going to die, and it sure as hell wasn't going to be today.
There was one plan that they'd thought of in their mind, and it was one which they hadn't entirely thought through, one which they weren't sure if it was even going to work. But they weren't exactly swimming in options right then, and if there was even a grain of chance for success, they sure as hell was going to follow it.
It was now or never.
They struggled towards the nearest, largest tree that they could find, and paused there for half a second, to make sure that Lessie will follow their back instead of cut them off by going around the other side of the tree. A second away from impact, they dashed around it.
They looped around the trunk for a full two rotation, ducking under the length of Lessie's neck that was left behind each time.
Then, as Lessie followed them under for the second time, they turned around, opened their arms wide, and met his head in a bear hug.
The crash made them slide back several feet, which they honestly hadn't been expecting and now had to think of a solution for. And while they had their mind distracted, Lessie clamped his mouth over their shoulder and sunk his teeth into their flesh.
They let out a gut wrenching scream.
The pain was a lot different than they had expected. It wasn't like getting cut with a knife. They could barely feel the teeth pierce their flesh save for the little 'pop!' that it made as it broke through the skin. The blow of the bite was what hurt more, the sheer strength behind the dog's jaw clamping down on them. It was like someone had placed a vice around their shoulder and was tightening it as hard as they could, as though trying to flatten them until their sides popped out like a dumpling. With an angry growl, Lessie began shaking his head side to side, digging his teeth and jaw harder, deeper. There was not a grain of doubt in their mind: He was trying to take a chunk of flesh with him.
Chara bit their lips hard, and slapped their free hand over Lessie's head, clutching it tight to minimise the shaking.
"There. There." They hissed out through grit teeth, as they pet the pup with all the gentleness of smashing a rock against a wall. They had intended to sound reassuring, but they supposed they had to be in a position of comfort themselves before they could start comforting anyone else.
As expected, the pup didn't even flinch at the 'pet' and continued his vicious attack.
Okay. That's not working. Time for plan B.
They growled and roared out loud as they milked all the strength they had into forcing their legs a step forward, pushing Lessie along with them. They took another step, then another and another, all towards the tree they'd looped around earlier.
Each step was met with resistance from Lessie, who continued to move his head side to side and dig at their flesh more and more. Chara was trembling at this point, could barely keep their eyes open. They couldn't raise their one arm, and there was a wetness on their shoulder that was slowly travelling down to a point where they could feel it on their breast. The blood felt warm at first, but it quickly cooled against Snowdin's subzero temperature, making them shiver at the freezing sensation. Simply put, they weren't feeling too well.
Just... a few step... more. They ragged even in their mind as their half hooded eyes glared at the tree ahead. The magic exhaustion was hitting them hard now. They weren't supposed to move around so much in these scenarios, nevermind get bitten by a dog.
They took one more step. Two. Three. And suddenly they were there.
They grunted when they hit the soft log of fur that was Lessie's neck, looped tightly around the wide tree trunk.
They took a few steps to the side, followed the neck which they had ducked under earlier and created a gap between the neck and the tree until it was wide enough for them to jump through.
Then, with a wide grin, they fell forward.
The world spun as they tumbled over the length of furry neck as though it was a railing. They heard Lessie's confused whine as he followed them through, and they snorted a laugh.
Before they even hit the ground, Lessie let out a loud yelp, released the bite on their shoulder, and they landed flat on their back with a thud.
They screamed.
They didn't know how long they'd been lying there, but when they realised where they were, they had crawled their way away from the tree somewhat. Or at least that's what the trail of blood in the snow told them was what they did. With a loud groan they pulled themselves to a sitting position, barely conscious of the freezing snow melting into their pants. They looked up at their handy work.
Lessie was struggling, yelping and barking as he tried to pull his head back, only succeeding in hurting himself as his head pushed roughly into the coarse tree bark. His head was currently looped around the large tree, tied into a half knot that, despite being very simple, was apparently still much too complex for Lessie's doggy brain to undo. It was something Chara had been banking on. If Lessie had been even a little bit smarter, he would have been able to get out of the knot himself easily and they would be in quite the trouble.
To simply put: Lessie was now trapped, his own neck tying him up onto a tree.
From the distance, a panicked scurrying accompanied Lessie's continuing struggles.
Chara barely had enough energy to tense up, and sighed in relief when Lessie's body came stumbling into view, bumping into trees and tripping over the roots and rocks every other step as it tried to follow the stretch of neck towards his head. Without their magic the binding must have come off.
Eventually, the body came as close to its head as it could: stuck by the knot on the opposite end as the head, kicking and pulling in its attempt to escape only to make the situation worse. Lessie's barks became choked, and he eventually stopped struggling all together. Both the head and body hung limp, and Lessie whined sadly at his predicament.
Chara sighed, slouching over as all the adrenaline drained out of them.
The fight was over.
They'd won.
But not completely.
"We have to make friends with all the monsters! It's the only way to break the barrier." The child's voice echoed from the past.
They groaned like a kid being told to wake up for the first day of school after the new years break.
They took a minute to stand then stumbled over to the pup with heavy steps, wincing at their shoulder which now felt like it was on fire for each puncture wound. When Lessie noticed them approach, he bared his teeth and growled, a sight that surely would have been more intimidating had he could look up at their face and not just their feet. They knelt down in front of him and raised their hand in a sign of peace.
"It's alright, boy. I'm not going to hurt you. I do not wish to fight, you see?" They said.
Lessie continued to growl, their words completely lost in his doggy mind.
"Shhh, my dear. Shh.." They hushed gently. "It's alright. I know I put you in this situation but I can help you out. I don't mean you harm. I'm a friend. I can be your friend. Please, let me help."
For a moment, Lessie stopped his growls and tried to pull his head back into his body. He failed. He looked up at them and whimpered, a sign that Chara took as one of submission. They exhaled.
"Right. Thank you. Now if I can just check what direction I should untie you towards…" They examined the knot's structure so that they can easily tell Lessie what he needs to do to get him out.
They leaned forward, closing in on Lessie who looked at them with his beady eyes that seems to glisten with sad tears.
Then, as soon as they were in range, he bit their hand. Hard.
Chara let out a scream, their eyes slowly filling with tears.
Are you fucking kidding me?! They thought as they clenched their teeth, roaring loudly at the same time.
The dog's teeth dug into their hand and fingers, crushing the bones between his powerful jaw. He shook his head again, clearly intent on ripping out the flesh from their hand, maybe even a finger if he was lucky. Chara clenched their other hand into a fist, the urge to punch the dog in the face as powerful as the waves of pain travelling up their arm.
Their mind was an orchestra of voices and commands, all telling them to several different things.
Pull out!
Don't pull out!
Conjure up fire!
Punch the dog!
Break his jaw!
Cut off his fucking head!
It was wrong, but inside them a fire of rage built up, each wave of pain fueling it like a shovel full of coal.
They had decided to follow Frisk's instructions, refrained from using any kind of lethal moves against this mutt. They'd shown him mercy, they'd shown him compassion and offered their help and friendship despite his violent attitude, and this was how he repaid them? How dare he?
How fucking dare he?
The fire reached its peak, and before either of them could blink, Chara shot their hand towards the dog's eyes, fingers arched in a makeshift claw. Lessie winced with a frightened whimper, and it made their lips curl into a cruel smile.
"You can't get angry at every little thing that you find 'not up to your standard' Chara. That's not how it works!"
Their hand came to an abrupt halt.
"All I'm seeing right now is just a 'selfish brat', as you might call it, getting full of themselves and doing whatever they want to do and threaten anyone who they don't like!"
Their hand twitched, their cruel smile turning into a wide eyed scowl.
"That's not what a good ruler does, Chara. That's what bullies do! That's what tyrants do! You're being a bully! You're being a ty-!"
A slap, echoing from the recess of their mind. Sad and hurt eyes looked up at them, boring into their soul, haunting them like a ghost.
Lessie opened his eyes again, blinking in confusion. He whisked his eyes left and right, then looked up at them.
Chara was stared back with wide, unblinking eyes, their hand stopped just above his face.
They pulled it back, and clenched it into a fist.
And just like that, their face melted into a smile, their fingers relaxed. They gently caressed and pet the pup like a kind friend.
"There there." They said in a hushed, hoarse whisper. "There's no need to be scared now. It's going to be alright."
The pup pause his biting and made a sound. He was confused.
"Yes, that's right. I want to help you. I don't want to fight. I know you're hurting, but if you'll just let me, I can-"
Lessie bit down again, forcing Chara to cut off with a roar of pain.
They suppressed it down quickly though, and soon they were smiling again. "I-I can.. I can help you, my dear. I'll get you out of this, okay? I promise you. It's going to be okay. I want to be your friend. I want to be your friend, please."
The guard stopped his thrashing and whisked his eyes at them again.
They smiled, showing their perfect white teeth despite their entire face clenched in agony. It was an awfully forced expression, but the intent was genuine nonetheless.
Lessie stared into their eyes a moment longer, the working of his animal brain a mystery.
Then, in a single decision, he released his jaw.
Chara recoiled their hand the moment it was free, and winced as the pain of fangs exiting their flesh burned through them. They panted short and hard, holding the wounded hand close to their chest. They took in one long breath and groaned out loud.
They looked down to the pup, who tilted his head at them, and smiled. "Good dog." They said. "You're a good dog, Lessie. Very good dog, indeed."
Lessie didn't say anything. He just stared at them, studying them.
"Now, to free you, you must do exactly as I tell you now. I'm going to put my hand on your neck, and when I tell you, I want you to extend just that section of the neck, okay?"
Lessie tilted his head, then barked.
"Okay." With a long sigh, Chara placed their uninjured hand on Lessie's neck, specifically the part that made the half knot. They tucked their hand between the folds and petted the section. "Here. Stretch here."
Lessie did so without question, and the knot immediately loosened up as though it was never there. Chara held the loose neck out and away from the tree, widening the gap.
"Now, pull your head back and you should be all back to normal."
Lessie's head retracted, snaking back through the gap, around and around the tree and back to his torso. He immediately stood up on fours and looked down at his paws. He did a circle, checking on all four of them, then looked back at his tail. He looked up at Chara and stopped.
Chara stopped too, feeling the pup's eyes gauging something of them. They tried to smile but it only came out half way. They didn't know how he was going to react, and now that they thought about it, it seemed like a foolish release him so quickly after getting him caught.
Shit. I should have waited for Papyrus to find me first.
It was too late now though, and Chara didn't even have the energy left in them to regret. They just wanted to fall and recharge their magic.
Suddenly, Lessie made his move.
He strolled over to them in a casual four legged walk until he was standing right next to them. Chara tensed up and looked down, meeting his gaze head on. He tilted his head, looked down at their bloody hand, and began gently licking the wound.
Chara half relaxed and allowed him to clean their wound. "D… does this mean that we're friends?" They asked after a minute.
Lessie barked, his tail tall and stiff. They had no idea what that meant.
"I… suppose I'll take that as a yes, then."
Lessie ignored them and continued licking.
Chara nodded, not exactly sure if they'd succeeded in their endeavor. At least they weren't fighting a Royal Guard now. They were happy about that.
"AH HA! THERE YOU TWO ARE!" Chara and Lessie both turned to find the tall skeleton walking out of a bush nearby. "I HAVE BEEN LOOKING EVERYWHERE FOR THE TWO OF YOU! I TRIED FOLLOWING LESSIE'S NECK BUT HIS BODY CAME OUT OF NOWHERE AND MADE THE PATH GO AWAY AND-" He blinked. "GREAT DANCING DOO-DAH! WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU?! YOU'RE SPILLING KETCHUP AGAIN!"
Chara chuckled. "Hello to you too, Papyrus. There has been some development but…" They looked down at Lessie and pet his head which he received by flopping out his tongue in a smile. "I think we can talk about that later. For now... I could definitely use a can of soda."
They rested for twenty or so minutes for Chara to recharge before they were off again on their journey.
Chara wobbled slightly on their legs, the effect of the magic exhaustion still lingering even when replenished by the earlier can of soda. They examined their exposed shoulder as they followed the young pup sniffing through the white snow. He had done a number on them, leaving clear puncture marks that were large enough for them to shove the tip of their pinky in. They ran their hand over the wound, casting the healing spell they've been using a far more times that day than they had thought they ever would in their life. The wound slowly started mending itself, not as fast they would have liked, but enough to notice the flesh closing up bit by bit.
"ARE YOU SURE YOU DON'T WANT ANOTHER SODA?" Papyrus asked, walking besides them. He'd been fretting over them like a concerned mother since the beginning and though it was starting to get on their nerve, Chara smiled reassuringly.
"I'll be alright. I got my magic back from the first can, I can take care of the rest. I do wish to get more practice in for my healing spells. My mother always told me I'm overdue for one and now I'm finally agreeing with her."
Papyrus let out an audible sigh. "I'M REALLY SORRY ABOUT THIS. I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOTTEN INTO HIM. HE'S USUALLY SO FRIENDLY WITH EVERYONE, I'VE NEVER SEEN HIM ACT SO VIOLENT."
Chara shrugged, "It's nothing to apologise for. He was only doing his job."
"HIS JOB IS TO CAPTURE HUMANS AND HELP CIVILIANS! NOT MAUL PEOPLE TILL THEY START SPILLING KETCHUP!"
"Mistakes were made. I'm sure he is sorry. You are sorry yes?"
Lessie looked up from the ground and barked.
"There. You see?"
Papyrus grumbled much to their amusement. "THERE IS SUCH THING AS BEING TOO FORGIVING YOU KNOW?"
"I'm hardly forgiving."
"YOU'RE BEING NICE TO SOMEONE WHO JUST BIT YOU TWICE. ISN'T THAT FORGIVING?"
Chara did wonder that. They supposed what they did was somewhat forgiving, but it didn't seem like they deserved the title. It was Frisk's little voice in their head that prompted them to act in such manner. The credit should be going to the little one, not them.
"I suppose. He's been a good dog so far, however." They said, and it was true. Lessie still didn't wag his tails at them but he's been a thorough companion so far, even going far as to rest his head on their lap while they were recharging their magic. They didn't know if he was doing it out of friendliness, regret or gratitude, but he was helping them now, and that was all that mattered.
"NYEH! STOP COMPLEMENTING HIM NOW! YOUR EASY FORGIVENESS WILL MAKE HIM GROW A BAD HABIT!"
Chara giggled. They had to admit, it was a different experience, being called 'Forgiving'. 'Vengeful', 'insane', and 'evil bitch' were more to their taste. 'Forgiving' was not the word they've ever been described as before.
And I have you to blame for it. They said, reaching out to their mind. Do you hear me, darling? This is all your fault. You need to come back and take responsibility.
The void in their mind responded with silence.
They sighed. Of course if you come back now without my help, I'll get really mad at you. So you better sit tight and wait for me.
Silence.
They huffed and distracted their sullen heart by focusing on their healing.
"YOU KNOW YOU'RE REALLY GOOD AT THAT." Papyrus commented, nodding at their nearly closed bite wound where only bits of scars were left.
"I would be better if I paid more attention to in class." Chara muttered, remembering all the times they'd snored off during their mother's healing art lessons. They much preferred father's combat lessons more, though if they'd know how much they'd get hurt in an actual fight, they would have seen the benefits of the healing spells. It was a mistake of an impatient youth, which they still were, but they hoped they were slowly growing out of it.
"I THINK YOU'RE PLENTY GOOD AS IS. I'VE BEEN MEANING TO ASK, ACTUALLY. HOW COME YOU KNOW ALL THOSE SPELLS? MOST PEOPLE I KNOW ARE EITHER HEALERS OR FIGHTERS, BUT RARELY EVER BOTH."
Chara frowned, wondering if they should explain how their magic worked. Copying someone's magic and turning it against them was something that they liked to do in mid battle to catch them off guard, but in truth those situations were far and between. Their fight with the flower creature had been one of the exceptions given how vicious he was. They shrugged, not seeing the harm in telling.
"It's my core ability" They said simply. "I'm a copycat. I learn spell from others, though it takes time for me to master it fully. My coloured blades, the flames and my healing spells, I've learned them all through by facing them in combat."
"HEY THAT'S NEAT! CAN YOU COPY MY BONE MAGIC THEN?" Papyrus' eyes flashed blue and a single pillar of bone, no taller than his knee height, stuck out of the ground and began making circle around the snow like a shark around a baby seal. The moment it did so however, Lessie turned around and began chasing it about with salivating mouth. "GAH! BAD DOG! STOP THAT! BACK TO WORK!"
The bone disappeared into the ground, and Chara giggled as Lessie whined sadly only for a moment before skipping back over to continue his work as though nothing had happened. "Not exactly. It's not so simple to copy a spell. I especially won't be able to copy a spell like yours too easily. It's too… blunt."
"'BLUNT'?"
"It doesn't break my skin." Chara elaborated. "It doesn't touch my flesh underneath, so I cannot even begin to copy the outline of the spell."
Papyrus's pale skull seemed to turn blue with horror. "YOU MEAN YOU HAVE TO GET HURT BY THE SPELL TO COPY IT?"
"Not… necessarily. But it does need to get under my skin in a large quantity so I suppose hurting me is the best way to go about it. That or go deep beneath my skin. The more often or deeper it gets, the quicker I can copy. If it touches my bone marrow directly, I can begin copying a crude version of it immediately. The knowledge simply gets ingrained to my instinct." They recalled the time when they took a brunt of Flowey's pellets for the child. It had shredded their back, cutting through their skin, muscle and scraping their shoulder bones. In the ocean of pain that followed, their magic had swallowed up the information it needed and ingrained it into their bloodstream.
"SO… IN ORDER TO LEARN MY SPELL, YOU'LL NEED TO…"
"I'll need cut myself open first to a point where your bones can brush against my flesh. But even then, once will not be enough. You'll have to do it in new parts of my body over and over. Cutting magic is easier for me to learn since it can go in and out relatively quickly multiple times, or spells that can envelop my wound, like a healing spell or fire spell."
Papyrus visibly shuddered and Chara laughed.
"I have no intentions of learning your spells, sir. You need not worry."
"NO, IT'S NOT THAT." He shook his head, then turned to look at them with piteous eyes. "I WAS JUST THINKING OF HOW MUCH YOU WOULD HAVE HAVE BEEN HURT TO LEARN YOUR CURRENT SPELLS."
Chara smiled and shrugged. "I thank you for your concern, but these spells were taught to me under my own request." In fact they kind of begged Asriel to cut them and burn the wound over to learn their spells. The healing came naturally when their mother found out and patched their wounds up. They got into so much trouble for that and Asriel cried for so long, but the fact that they could use the same spell as their new brother, to have that similarity between them, made him smile so brightly afterwards. That moment meant the world to them. It still warmed their insides just remembering it.
"IT STILL MUST HAVE HURT THOUGH. LIKE A LOT." Papyrus grumbled.
"Nothing is without its price. Pain was mine, and it was one I was happy to pay."
"I ALMOST FEEL SORRY THAT I ASKED AT ALL." The skeleton hummed, his face still pressed into a miffed frown.
They finished their healing and flexed their shoulder around a bit. There were no sign of the wound on the surface but their muscles were still sore from the brutal pressing it received. Such subtle internal injuries were outside of their healing powers. They were just going to have to wait it out.
"WELL, ENOUGH ABOUT ALL THIS PAIN TALK. WE SHOULD FOCUS ON THE JOB FOR NOW. WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO FIND SOME IMPORTANT FACTS IF WE KEEP OUR EYES OUT."
Chara pulled up their shirt over their shoulder again, trying not to mind the cold crustiness left behind by their dried blood. "Well, let us hope my shirt had enough of the child's scent for Lessie to track."
"YEAH, ABOUT THAT." Papyrus lifted his brow. "ARE YOU SURE YOU'VE ONLY KNOWN YOUR FRIEND FOR TWO DAYS? I MEAN, IF YOU HAVE THEIR SCENT ON YOUR SHIRT, THAT SEEMS A BIT… I DON'T KNOW. THAT SEEMS STRANGE."
Chara felt their cheek redden. "W-well, I didn't say I do have their scent, I just said I might."
"AND YOU DID." Papyrus deadpanned.
"Because the child sticks to me like they need me to breathe or something! Of course I ended up with their scent on me."
"UH HUH." Papyrus gave them a knowing smile which they could only sputter at. "WELL, WHATEVER THE REASON, LESSIE HERE IS A GOOD SNIFFER I'M SURE HE CAN DO THE JOB. AND IF NOT, WE CAN ALWAYS GO AND SEE THE OTHER CANINES! DOGAMY AND DOGARESSA ARE EXCELLENT SNIFFERS AS WELL! WE HAVE MYRIAD OF OPTIONS! MYRIADS!"
Chara swallowed and tried their best to smile, but they couldn't help their brows from furrowing at the suggestion.
After what they'd just been through with Lessie, they were skeptical of meeting with the other guards. If all the Canine units were so well trained, they were going to be facing a lot more challenges than they had hoped. They had planned on lying their way through the meetings, but if the Canines were anything like Lessie, they'll catch on to their nature so fast, Chara wouldn't even get the chance to lie. In fact, they weren't even sure lying would even work anymore. It certainly wouldn't have worked on Lessie, what with his half comprehension of basic english. On top of that, if they continued to get attacked by the guards, they worried how long it'll be before Papyrus figures out that they were human. As thick as he may be, even he would get suspicious if they were attacked by his comrades one after the other. And if he ever decides to turn against them, their search for the child would be over. They could strike out on their own for the search but without help or resources they were bound to get lost in this vast forest. They wouldn't know where to even begin.
So let us hope that Lessie here will be enough for the search. They said to themselves. I am not going to be able look the child in the face ever again otherwise.
"HM, LOOKS LIKE WE'RE GETTING CLOSER TO THE TOWN NOW." Papyrus said before snapping his finger with a wide smile. "HEY! THAT MEANS WE'RE GETTING CLOSER TO ONE OF MY PUZZLES!"
Chara turned to him with a quizzical look. "Your puzzles?"
"THAT'S RIGHT! I, THE EVER DILIGENT PAPYRUS, HAVE SPENT MOST OF MY WORK TIME SETTING UP MULTITUDE OF PUZZLES AND TRAPS AROUND THIS FOREST! THEY ARE MY PRIDE AND JOY, EACH DESIGNED WITH METICULOUS PRECISION TO CAPTURE ANY AND ALL HUMANS THAT MAY COME ACROSS IT! WITH A MODERATE AMOUNT OF DISCOMFORT TOO!"
Chara's brow twitched at that last bit of information. "O-oh. Is that so?" They said with a crooked smile. "You haven't… actually caught a human with them before, have you?"
"NOT YET!" Papyrus said without a hint of shame. "YOU SEE, NO HUMANS HAVE EVER TURNED UP AROUND HERE, AND TRUTH BE TOLD I DON'T THINK THEY WILL FOR A VERY LONG TIME. BUT A GUARD MUST NEVER SLACK OFF IN HIS TASK! I KEEP EVERY ONE OF MY PUZZLES RECALIBRATED SO THAT THEY ARE ALWAYS IN THEIR TOP CONDITION! SHOULD THAT DAY COME, I WILL BE PREPARED!"
Chara didn't know whether to smile or scowl. Papyrus was the stellar example of a Guard whom they were immensely grateful that he was working for the Kingdom. And he was also the stellar example of a Guard who could become their greatest obstacles in finding the child should the truth ever be spilt.
They knew from the start that they couldn't keep their human nature a secret forever, but the time of truth seemed to be approaching them faster than they'd hoped. They just needed to hold on till they rescued the child. After that they could figure things out one by one. They just needed to play it cool until then.
"Arf!"
They looked up, finding Lessie paused in the middle of his search and looking off to his side.
"WHAT'S WRONG BOY? DID YOU FIND SOMETHING?" Papyrus asked with a hint of excitement.
"Arf!" The puppy barked again then suddenly took off towards whatever he was looking at, entering a fully sprint without a single glance back.
"WHAT IN THE-? DANG IT LESSIE!" He turned to them and shouted. "QUICK, AFTER HIM!"
Chara followed the skeleton without a word, their mind still catching up even as their body moved. But once they understood that Lessie might have just found a lead, their heart began pumping with excitement. They didn't want to get their hopes up but the prospect of finding the child again was too attractive to ignore.
"NYEH! HE'S GETTING CLOSER TO MY ELECTRICITY MAZE! LESSIE, STOP! YOU'LL HURT YOURSELF IF YOU'RE NOT CAREFUL!"
Chara winced. Okay that was not something they wanted to hear. They had hoped they could find a way to convince Papyrus of avoiding the puzzles if they could. The name 'Electricity maze' didn't exactly sound pleasant and the fact that it was designed to specifically catch humans didn't bode well either.
Suck it up, you coward. If you want to find the child then you'll have to endure.
They grit their teeth and pushed on ahead.
They soon came to a clearing, one of the many wide, white plains that Snowdin was so abundant of. This one, however, had a feature unique compared to the others: a perfect square pavement that encompassed almost the entirety of the field. And unlike the others around the forest, this field had no woods surrounding it, but a cliff edge. The only entrance to it was from the woods and road behind them, and the small road that was on the other side.
Chara realised that this was the perfect scenario to trap someone to engage in the puzzle, which is probably what the paved square was. It was also why they got a sinking feeling in their gut when they couldn't find Lessie on the field, or on the road beyond. If the only entrance was the woods behind them and the road beyond, there was no way that both they and Papyrus would have miss the pup, right?
Unless they've just been given the slip.
"GYEH! WHAT IN THE-?!" Papyrus yelled, and Chara turned around to find him stepping back from the woods they just exited out of. Or, more specifically, the giant wall of blue electricity that was blocking their way back. "HEY! THAT'S NOT SUPPOSED TO ACTIVATE WITHOUT MY PERMISSION!"
Chara backed up too, the sinking feeling in their gut now a blood curdling shriek of their instincts warning them of an incoming danger, of a recently sprung trap. A trap that they fell for, hook line and sinker.
"well, to be precise, it can't turn on without our permission right?"
Chara froze.
"and by that i mean: it can be turn on as long as one of us is here. does that make sense?"
"Arf! Arf!"
"oh, good. cuz i wouldn't want to explain that again. too much of a hassle, you know?"
They turned around, slow and tentative, despite knowing who was going to be there when they looked back.
They narrowed their eyes to a glare and sneered at the newcomer.
"Mr Sans."
The skeleton pet the puppy besides him and grinned wide.
"sup kid. fancy meeting you here again."
A/N: Aaaand I'm ending it there. I was actually planning on continuing with the chapter after this, but that bit was such a perfect cliffhanger for the next part, I could not resist :D
I took a bit of liberty with Lessie's neck stretching thing and incorporated into the fight. I personally think it's a bit creepy that he can do that and if someone did that in the middle of a fight, I sure as hell be freaking out (I'm looking at you Dhalsim). Do let me know what you guys thought of it.
I'll setting myself up for another deadline of two weeks so I'll do my best post up a new chapter by then (or maybe I'll be a bit late like this time :P)
Ciao!
P.S: I hate FFN's editor for not allowing special text formatting.
Ideas abandoned for this chapter: Chara being held hostage by Lessie's neck. Papyrus doing the macarena to distract Lessie. Chara acting like a dog to make friends with Lessie. A full length Chara flashback.
Up next: Sans starts stirring things up.