Alright. This quarter is going to be super busy, but I'll try to keep my chapter's quality up! Anyway, in the writing world, I've got lots of stuff happening.
I had created an account on AO3, but have decided against posting anything there. It's just a little too much work! And for those of you who have been here long enough I changed my name to SophisticatedBlurb instead of UndertaleGurl, which was my old username,
Alright, confusion done with, enjoy this chapter! If you have any questions let me know! I really like this chapter *Cheesy grin*
The sun was shining directly through the window by the time Frisk woke up. It was extremely bright outside, and the sudden light burned her vision. In an attempt to block it out she threw her hands over her eyes. The underground wasn't a very luminous place, and it had been dark when she reached the surface.
It was safe to say she hadn't seen the light of day for a while.
It took a few moments for her to get used to the sudden change, and eventually she realized that her eyes no longer stung, and that she was just hiding in her bed. That dragged a sigh out of her. She managed to sit up, squinting slightly, and scan her room. She wondered how she got there.
Chara? She called as she dragged her legs over the side of her bed. Her feet just touched the well-worn rug, and she dug her toes into whatever fluff it had left. Her whole room was chilly, and she wanted to return to the warm toasty bed behind her, but it was too late for that. The cold air was beginning to drag her brain out of the muck, and it would be impossible to fall asleep again.
There was no response to Chara's summoning, and Frisk briefly wondered what happened to her friend before noticing the wrinkled papers set gently on her desk. She went to grab them, but paused as another realization hit her waking mind. The log book was missing.
Her eyes widened, and she jumped up from her position. It resulted in a painful wince. Her legs had cramped as soon as she used them, and instead of hurrying around the room to look for the book, she ended up limping. It was nowhere to be seen, and she halted her search, closing her eyes in frustration.
Last night, or morning, Chara had been warning her not to pass out, but that had to be what happened. Frisk couldn't remember anything past Undyne's strong arms holding her. Chances were, one of her friends had the logbook, and somehow she needed to get it back.
With a sigh, the girl opened her eyes, taking a deep breath in to calm herself, though it was quickly released in the form of a shriek. Her hand flew to cover her mouth and dull the sound as she tried to pull herself together.
Chara was trying to hold back a smile, taking pride in her ability to scare her friend. Soon, once she realized her sudden appearance had been processed, her eyes narrowed. "Frisk you are fInally awake!" Her mouth straightened to a thin line, though amusement shone behind her eyes. "I've been bored for HOURS! It's after noon already!" She was floating in front of Frisk, waving her arm around and trying her best to look annoyed and angry.
Frisk couldn't help her smile.
For hours? How long have I been asleep? And good to see you too! She asked, genuinely curious. When Chara responded, it was pretty surprising.
"Well...we got home at around 2 in the morning I think… And it's about 1 or 2 right now, so almost 12 hours."
Only 12 hours? Frisk pondered to her friend, trying to get over the bookworm side of her. Usually after long adventures the characters would be passed out for days! Then again, authors tended to exaggerate things like that.
"Only twelve hours!?" Chara exclaimed. She had thrown her hands in the air, and looked startled at her friends reaction. "A lot can happen in 12 hours! A lot HAS happened! I mean sure everybody went to bed not long after you...and then slept for about 9 hours...but that still means they were awake for like three or four hours. A lot can happen then too!"
Frisk was now more confused than ever. Her friend was actually freaking out now, not faking it, and seemed frantic about something. She dug her feet into the carpet, hugging her shoulders.
Okay. Calm down! Why are you freaking out so bad? What happened while I was asleep? The human was more determined than ever to get the whole story out of her friend, but she didn't have to wait for an answer.
Without even hesitating, Chara delivered probably the most important information first without trying to sugarcoat it. "Alphys almost found us out, Frisk. She is really close. Like...extremely close. If she didn't go to sleep when she did, we might have been discovered."
What? How? The response came quickly from the girl, who found herself lightheaded at the prospect.
"The log book! She found the log book! Her and Undyne were even fighting over it, and the latter decided to take a break. They both needed some time to think, and Alphys was really close."
There was a pause, and they locked gazes, both realizing the weight of the situation. When Frisk didn't speak, Chara continued. She explained what had happened with each of the monsters and how she witnessed their different revelations.
"If everybody gets together to talk about what they know...they will surely find us out. And Sans could blow your cover any minute! He is bound to know the others are close, and there is nothing stopping him."
I'm sorry… The apology came as soon as Chara took a moment to breathe, and left both glancing away from one another nervously.
"Sorry for….what…?" Her friend questioned.
I guess….I guess for passing out. Alphys got the log book, and she would never be this close. And….then I'm not sure how we can stop them from figuring out now! I don't think I can get out of this! It was obvious that the child was once again beginning to panic. She had turned pale and was staring at nothing with wide eyes.
Chara quickly stopped Frisk in her tracks. "Hey, it's okay. You couldn't help it. The human body, and even monster body, has physical needs that our minds just can't prevent!" She paused, and then smiled warmly. "I'll come and be the little voice in your head, why don't you head downstairs? A few monsters are talking down there."
Frisk, letting out a sigh, agreed. She quickly brushed her hair and washed her face before doing as the ghost suggested.
It didn't take long for her to look presentable, thought it wasn't like her parents would care, but the whole process woke her up. She had fully come out of the fog that clouds the minds of those who have recently awoken.
This time, when she opened the door to her room, it wasn't in a frenzied panic. She simply walked out and snuck down the stairs, keeping quiet. The house was relatively abandoned as well. The only sounds she heard were low voices beyond the kitchen walls.
They were probably trying to prevent waking her up. Or hide something from her, Frisk realized with a start. Fear gripped her soul, and she suddenly started down the stairs, not really caring about silence, and hurried across the living room. Once near the dining hall she could hear what the monsters were conversing about.
It was nothing important, and Chara scoffed. Jeez girl. You could relax a little, you know.
This isn't the time for relaxing! Frisk snapped at her friend, her expression morphing into a glare. My entire life might be at stake! I don't know what they will think!
When there was no response, she stepped forward in frustration. Chara quickly snapped back after that, however. Your life? Imagine what THEY are going to feel when they find out!
Frisk didn't move, she just stood there, the only sign of movement her breathing and the occasional twitch of her frown. I'm sorry, okay? Just…
It's alright. Let's just go. It's not like they will mind your interrupting of a conversation about pies.
Okay….She could feel Chara's presence tuck back into the corners of her mind, and tried to hide her regret. She was starting to be selfish, and that wasn't the right way to go. Honestly there was probably no correct path for whatever her future held, but she needed to scope out the one that would end with less hurt.
If she wasn't in her right mind, things would not end anywhere close to okay. And so far the best option looked like Alphys. She needed to talk to the dinosaur, who might just be the most likely to understand, as well as someone who could help them.
It would be tough convincing her, and even more lies would need to be woven in order to protect the truth.
It was as Frisk stalked into the kitchen, seeing her parents and friends standing there, that she realized she would go to great lengths to protect her life with them. It might have seemed selfish, and was partially, but there was some honor to it.
Honor in the fact that by keeping the truth from everybody, she would be preserving their happiness. The poor kid was completely traumatized by everything that had happened, and the monsters couldn't be any less scarred by it. They were also the victims, Frisk couldn't take that title, no matter what she claimed about LOVE.
There were some things Frisk didn't even know about herself, and most of them Chara had realized a long time into the past. Her friend was completely emotionally unstable, and when tragedy struck, there would be no going back. That was why this whole returning memory phenomenon would have to stop.
Chara feared what Frisk would do.
Frisk was powerful. Even with little determination she was strong. And if her friends found out, her determination might completely fail, or run even more than before.
The outcome could be anywhere in between those options.
They both tried to shake the thoughts from their minds when warm, comforting arms wrapped around Frisk. She quickly hugged the beast back, unable to hold back the grin that broke out on her face.
There was a light chuckle that comforted the child to the very core, and she gripped Toriel even tighter. "Good afternoon, my child." The mother stood, her paws resting on Frisk's shoulders gently. "I was worried you would never wake! You seemed exhausted when you walked in. Would you like some tea?"
At the mention of tea, Frisk suddenly became aware of the entrancing aroma that filled the kitchen. Her attention was drawn to her father, Asgore, who stood by the stove with a welcoming smile. She soon had her face buried in his fur, which smelled like lavender.
She giggle at the warmth he provided while Chara was rolling her eyes in the background. It was silly really what could make Frisk forget about the reality of their situation.
Oh Frisk. All it takes is a hug for you to unwind? She sighed, and Frisk only smiled wider into Asgore's fur before opening her senses for Chara. Immediately the ghosts demeanor changed, and her sigh was full of contentment. I guess I take it back, she admitted reluctantly, enjoying the warm feeling of fur and comforting smell of lavender and tea.
Frisk, feeling rather triumphant, only responded with another small giggle before letting go of her father. She smiled up at him, meeting the warm gaze, before she noticed the teapot on the stove. Asgore followed her line of sight and quickly grabbed a coffee cup for her before carefully pouring her tea.
A few minutes later Frisk was seated at the counter, sipping the warm, golden liquid. Sans was also in the kitchen, he had been talking with Tori and Asgore when the kid entered. Now, as she looked around, she noticed that Papyrus was there as well. He was wearing his bright orange apron that had "Cool dude" printed across the chest.
It was his favorite to wear when making spaghetti, and was covered in stains because of it.
And speaking of cooking, he appeared to be making something upon the stove, right next to the tea. It's aroma was faint, and she had't noticed it above the Golden Flower tea, but now it was becoming more powerful as he continued.
Papyrus was actually getting good at cooking other things besides spaghetti. He was the messiest chef ever, thanks to Undyne's guidance. Luckily Toriel enjoyed cleaning.
Frisk sniffed the air, a smile breaking out on her face. "Are you making eggs Papyrus?!"
The tall skeleton turned to her, his permanent grin almost radiating light. He let out a few grand, rolling 'nyehehehe's before explaining. "YES, DEAR HUMAN! I DECIDED THAT EVEN THOUGH IT WAS LATE, IT SHOULD STILL TECHNICALLY BE MORNING BECAUSE EVERYBODY SLEPT IN! IT IS THE WEEKEND AFTER ALL!" He seemed proud of his deduction, and then paused. His smile seemed to falter, and he tilted his head to the side.
"DID YOU JUST…?" There was a moment of hesitation, and Toriel filled in.
"Speak? You...never speak? Is everything alright my child?" Sudden her mother was by her side, worry filling her features. Her gaze was scanning and searching for any hint of illness or emotional stress.
Frisk shied away from her mom, coughing awkwardly. She then lifted her hands from the warm coffee cup and began to sign, covering up her mistake well. 'Nobody was really paying attention to me. So I decided to ask I guess….sorry.' The apology was well accepted, and Asgore patted her head.
"No worries dear. You can speak if you like."
Papyrus nodded. "OF COURSE! THE EGGS ARE ALMOST DONE AS WELL. WOULD YOU LIKE SOME?!" Now that he was looking at Frisk, she nodded happily.
The speaking was just a simple slip up, though she still felt awkwards afterwards. Chara poked out from her corner a little bit to comfort her friend, and soon the nervousness was gone.
Until Toriel began acting weird. She started hesitating, and avoiding Frisk's gaze, and as soon as the others noticed they began to act off as well. The child was getting irritated, and eventually clapped her hands together to gain their attention. Asgore nearly dropped the plate of eggs Papyrus had served.
"Y-yes, my child?" He cooed, though his voice was strained.
Frisk frowned and began signing. The easy atmosphere from before hadn't taken long to shift into an uncomfortable one. 'What's wrong?' She inquired, thought right after her hands finished creating the words her mind figured it out.
Toriel replied. Her demeanor once again changed, and she stood a bit taller, her jaw firmly set. "Frisk…" she began, meeting her gaze. The child looked away, now starting to take the place of the nervous one, and picked at her eggs.
"Why were you in the underground last night? And why did you have Alphys' log book?! You were down there for two days! I was so worried! You lied to Sans! And Monster Kid! And you didn't tell me! The amalgamates are down there and...and you could have been hurt...and we wouldn't know! And…" She was stopped by her husband, who rested his paw on her shoulder. Toriel had begun to rant, and was starting to let her anger and confusion show.
Frisk had frozen in place, unsure of what to say.
Or, rather, sign. Even Chara, who she called on for help, couldn't think of anything. So, in her own bout of confusion, the first thing she signed was 'monster kid?'
Everyone paused.
Wait! That must have been Sans' excuse! Take it back! Chara suddenly lashed out, her realization hitting Frisk like a wall. Just as Papyrus was about to ask something, she began signing again.
'I'll have to apologize to them,' she lied. It made sense. Not just her excuse, but Sans'. He had probably threatened monster kid, or woven an even greater lie to keep Toriel at bay.
Of course there was no excuse for disappearing to the underground for two days.
'I was really down there two days?' The eggs were forgotten now, and she fully turned on the tall stool to face her friends.
"well we don't know when ya left, kiddo." Sans finally said something, carelessly shrugging in the process. It was ironic that he was the only one who knew. 'so two days is just average."
"But you basically were," Asgore sighed. "After the first day we figured out Monster Kid had been hiding a secret, and then he finally confessed that you were leaving to the underground." There was a moment of hesitation where Frisk was about to take the opportunity to sign when Asgore continued. "I feared you had run away from us. If we had done something wrong…"
Frisk couldn't help but smile. She did somehow manage to make it look more sad than triumphant, however. It was the perfect opportunity to change the subject. 'You haven't done anything wrong!' she protested. That was the truth. 'I would never run away, I love you all.'
Everyone smiled even wider at that, except Sans, whose grin faltered a tad. The subject change didn't go unnoticed by her mother though.
"Frisk….That still doesn't answer my...erm...first few questions. Why did you go there? And without telling anyone!?" She stopped herself this time before getting carried away.
Because a smiley trashbag dragged me down there, Frisk thought while glancing at Sans, who gave her that cheeky grin.
We were planning on going down there anyways, you know. And he did save us lots of time, of course. She tried to talk at least a little sense into her friend. Of course Sans didn't deserve any thanks for it, but he did save them time.
I guess that's true. Though who knows how long we had that 'talk' for.
That's also true. Good point, Chara responded.
Frisk glanced around, then began to sign a response to her mother. 'I don't know, I guess. I was thinking about the core, and who made it, and how it worked….and then I began thinking about the Underground...and the lab...and I guess something just inspired me to go down there. I didn't mean to be gone so long, and I had food and I know how to protect myself.' By the end of that her hands were sore and she rested them once again around her warm mug.
Toriel sighed. Asgore, whose paw was still on her shoulder, gave it a squeeze and smiled. "I suppose that makes sense, but why didn't you tell us? And why did you bring up Alphys' lab book? It is very personal to her, you know."
Frisk took a sip of her tea, letting the warm liquid sooth her sore throat. As she set the cup down, it was hard to hide the fact that her hands were starting to shake. Chara...what do I say?
That you didn't think it would take that long? Chara suggested. Frisk could picture her friend shrugging, and she managed a smile before beginning to relay the idea.
Thanks. I appreciate the help. Once again she owed her friend, and an excuse was formed. 'I didn't think it would take that long I guess. And I brought up the lab book for her. I had found it and got lots of answers on the core in the beginning before I had to stop reading.'
It seemed that was sufficient, for Asgore nodded. "Alright dear. We trust you, just don't do it again, and this won't go without punishment, I hate to say."
"WHY DON'T YOU FINISH YOUR EGGS AND THEN GO VISIT ALPHYS? I THINK SHE WANTED TO TALK TO YOU," Papyrus interjected. He offered Frisk a wink, and she smiled in response.
The punishment would be avoided for a while, at least!
Soon, with a full belly, Frisk was on her way to Alphys'. She had grabbed the papers with Gaster's logs and tucked them neatly in her pocket before saying goodbye and heading out. Chara didn't fail to notice, as she emerged to float beside Frisk, that Toriel was carefully watching her from the window.
Her and Asgore were talking, but Frisk wasn't sure where Papyrus and Sans went.
Not that it mattered, of course. Her thoughts were focused on Alphys, and what was to come. As she approached the house, her footsteps seemed to slow. They got heavier with each step, and Frisk couldn't help the feeling of dread that dragged her to a halt.
They needed Alphys' help, but she would have to confess most of her sins. And Alphys might not help and go along to reveal it to everybody else.
Chara I can't.
"You have to, Frisk." The ghost floated around in front of her friend, smiling warmly. "Just think of it this way, if we don't ask her help, everybody will figure out anyways. At least we'll have a chance if we tell!"
But why now. Why now? I...can't I wait longer...Saying it will make it...come true. And if she does tell then it will come faster. The child was beginning to panic once again. The corner of her vision blurred, and she shut her eyes tight, which sadly blocked out Chara's warm smile.
"We won't have a chance if you don't do this. I'll be there, okay?" She comforted.
Frisk really needed a hug, but Chara couldn't provide those. Her fists were clenched and shaking, so she tried to picture warm arms wrapping around her frail body and protecting her. Asgore or Toriel. Papyrus or Undyne. Maybe even Mettaton or Alphys.
She pictured arms grasping her shoulders, and it felt so surprisingly real that her eyes shot open. She jumped back, surprised.
Alphys was standing there, a crooked grin on her face, and was pulling her hands back awkwardly. "H-hey...Frisk. You o-okay?" The stuttered phrase was even more nervous than usual for the dinosaur.
Chara was chuckling to herself, knowing that Frisk was trying not to glare at her. The shock of the scientist's sudden appearance had snapped her out of her fear. There was no going back now.
Instead of signing, Frisk managed a simple wave and a nervous, crooked smile that mirrored Alphys', who waved back. "D-did you...sleep well?"
Now her smile faded into a frown, and she stared down at the ground, her hands moving. 'We need to talk, Alphys.'
The reaction was as expected. No more nervous, stuttery monster. Just a serious one, who's maw was set in a firm line. She nodded and then turned on her heel and stalked inside, Frisk following behind.
Soon, without another word shared between the two, not even Chara and Frisk traded thoughts, they were seated in the living room, or anime dungeon as it had been dubbed. Alphys had some popcorn on the low coffee table, but Frisk wasn't relatively hungry at all.
There was a long silence before anyone spoke, and the first one to say anything was Frisk, which surprised Alphys.
"How much do you know?" she asked. Her voice was hoarse and not well-trained, but the question was easily understandable. Alphy's response was quick to come after she got over her initial bewilderment.
"I know enough." It was simple, and informed the human child that she wouldn't leave the house without relaying everything. The truth, not any more lies.
Despite her calm appearance on the outside, her heart was racing. She felt like dying inside, but it had to be done. "Is Undyne home?"
There was a moment of hesitation and nervousness. If Alphys knew as much as she claimed she did, then that question might be scary. A possible threat, even, but the dinosaur took a breath and shook her head. "No." Then she gestured to various papers, as well as the log book, that were set on the couch beside her. "I have plenty of questions."
"Ask away." The smile crept out of nowhere, and Frisk felt a sudden boost of determination.