A/N: BIG ANNOUNCEMENT SECTION TODAY -
Okay, so do you ever have one of those chapters where you're like "...This is one for the edits."
Well, this is it!
This chapter could be so much better, but I'm rolling with it for now. It was so hard to write, because I wanted to get different information out to you all reading it, and I just can't figure out how to organize it better. That being said, think of this like a...chapter 'sketch,' if you will. I just need to post it, because otherwise I'd sit on this chapter for weeks and lose my motivation. So, as always, tell me what you liked and didn't like, etc! There will be a short wrap up of the events in the next chapter.
In other news...It's my birthday! 23 years of writing and musicking and learning and living. Gosh. I can't believe I'm 23 already. It feels like I should still be in High School. I have one semester of college left and then...I'm an adult D: But I'll be ready! :D
CHAPTER 25 WHOA officially the longest story I've ever written. Ever. It is here. In this place. Existing. I hope it's been a happy 25 chapters for you all! I THINK we're a little more than halfway, but there is a sequel, so don't be saddened (if you even were!) I'm so happy to have you all on this journey with me, and I hope I keep providing quality material for you wonderful readers!
That being said, I do have another story that I only update in the summer, because of the research that goes into it (TES Lore is insane!) so, continue to be patient! Updates will still be slow, but I still love this story! If you're interested, check out my TES story "The Last Snow Elf"
FINAL ANNOUNCEMENT: And a bit of a stupid one. I am in love with some AU's for this fandom, and I'm going to start a more...adult friendly (but still also lore friendly, imo) mini story for Mobtale. It'll update once in a blue moon, but it will exist, so that will be coming up within the next week or two (the intro chapter has been in my head for months) and it'll just be a tiny side-thing and a writing challenge for me (it's not my normal style, anyway.) SO YES! I will let you all know when that comes out. Follow my Tumblr for update notifications!
I'm starting a SONG OF THE DAY per update, as well. So here you are: We'll start easy. This song is what I listened to while I wrote the first half of this chapter. It isssss - Battle Against A True Hero - Toby Fox. GO LISTEN TO THE THING
ENJOY! ^.^
Evelynne sucked in a deep breath, looking down at the child beside her. Frisk returned her stare, holding her hand with a strength to match her gaze. Her determination could be contagious, sometimes. It almost felt like they could do anything together. But no. She knew that was wrong. It wasn't she that could do anything. It was Frisk. Evelynne nodded at her, a small but tense smile on her lips. They could get out of this, and if she couldn't, Frisk would.
They had six human souls. Evelynne didn't want to think about who killed them, how they were collected, or who the victims were. She didn't want to think about how far they made it, or if they were worthy of death or mercy.
They only needed one more.
"We're ready!" She called up, glaring at the monster above the cave entrance with a surprising amount of intensity for how violently her heart was beating. Her limbs felt like jelly, and she briefly wondered if she would faint. Undyne grinned down at them, revealing her razor sharp teeth. Her helmet had been discarded mere moments ago, revealing a blue scaley face and long crimson hair. One eye was covered by an eyepatch, the other yellow and intense with a vertical black pupil, and both were shaded with red makeup. On the sides of her head were two wide fins stretching thin pink flesh, partially hidden by her thick hair. From atop the cave, she truly looked terrifying, still clad in her heavy armor and holding a glowing blue spear. Her posture screamed confidence.
"That's it, then!" She called down, excitement evident in her tone. Was she excited to collect the last human soul, to be the hero of her kind? Or was she excited to fight? "No more running away! Here I come!" Evelynne and Frisk took large steps back to avoid the spear as Undyne jumped from the top of the cave to the ground, landing crouched in front of them. She immediately straightened, waving her spear menacingly in front of her to point at them. "En guarde!" Evelynne barely felt the pulling sensation with how fast her soul was summoned from her. She looked down briefly, taking note of her soul. Was it the last time she'd see it?
Had the crack in her soul grown?
Undyne quickly waved her spear above her, and suddenly they were surrounded by what looked to be some sort of green barrier. Brows furrowed in confusion, Evelynne resisted the urge to turn and check behind her, assuming that it would be there as well.
"What is this?" She asked quietly, eyes never leaving Undyne. She had expected Frisk to answer, and was surprised when Undyne did so instead.
"As long as you're green, you can't escape!" Evelynne raised an eyebrow at this, confused for only a moment before looking down with a gasp. Her soul had a bright green sheen over it, matching the color of the barrier. Looking over at Frisk, she noted with panic that she had it as well.
Well, so much for Plan B.
"Unless you learn to face danger head-on, you won't last a second against me!" Another wave of her spear, and suddenly smaller spears were flying toward them. With a gasp, Evelynne drug Frisk into her body and pushed to the left, narrowly escaping the flying magical objects. Dodging was becoming more natural, now. She kept her eyes on the next wave of incoming spears, feeling as if time was slowing down just enough for her to make her move, dipping to the right and down, her body covering Frisk's protectively. Her heart continued to hammer against her ribcage.
"Undyne! Please, listen to me!" She began, straightening and watching warily for more spears. "We don't want to fight you!" Undyne growled, throwing an arm out without a response. It was by mere luck that Evelynne saw the blue magic flashing to her left, and she pushed Frisk to the ground as spears flew over their heads. Intuition told her to move immediately, and she quickly rolled away with Frisk in her arms before standing quickly. Spears slammed into the ground from above. They were coming from everywhere.
"For years, we've dreamed of a happy ending." Undyne muttered quietly, glaring with an intensity that nearly left Evelynne breathless. Did she really hate them that much? She didn't know them at all...Opening her mouth to respond, she was cut off as the monster continued. "Now, sunlight is just within our reach! I won't let you snatch it away from us!" A tug on Evelynne's arm had her bending forward, spears flying over her head. In her shock she froze, watching as pieces of her hair fell around her, removed by the magic.
It was suddenly harder to breathe.
"Enough warming up!" Evelynne looked up and yelped, moving to the side with just enough speed to escape several spears aimed toward her chest. In her panic, she didn't expect the spear to appear to her right, and Frisk was far too busy dodging to warn her.
It didn't feel like the soul-crushing pain she had felt the first time she'd been hit. This time, the attack hit her side, making contact and slicing through her skin before almost immediately disappearing. It was like a hot, electrified knife cut into her like she was soft butter, leaving her to collapse onto her knees and gasp out in pain. Her hands shakily shot up to her side as she panted and coughed, tears gathering quickly in her eyes. She pulled her hands away shakily, expecting blood to coat her skin. Instead, only tiny droplets slowly escaped the wound, tinging her pale skin pink. Had the magic cauterized the wound? Evelynne looked up in her confusion at the monster, but was alarmed to find Undyne no longer in front of her. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up as she felt a presence behind her, and she was almost frozen in her fear and pain before Frisk yelled out somewhere to her right, telling her to move. Her body responded automatically, her legs pushing forward and propelling her away from the spear which had been aimed to come straight down over her. Falling forward and rolling, Evelynne cried out as her side screamed in protest, sending a searing sensation through her and throbbing.
Evelynne wasn't the best at dodging. Not like Frisk. Frisk hadn't even acquired a scratch. But regardless of her poor abilities, there was one thing Evelynne could do. She'd hurt herself so many times over the years, her magic searing her, cutting her, causing harm and leaving scars, that she could deal with this pain. She pushed through the throbbing and searing, focusing on her surroundings. There was Frisk, just a bit in front of her. Undyne was currently focusing on her, sending waves of quick moving spears from all sides. Frisk maneouvered through them with relative ease, only slightly out of breath and working to protect her soul. Undyne didn't look tired at all, only angry. If they could only…
Frisk's soul was red.
Evelynne pushed up, looking at the nearby cave with wide eyes. The green barrier was gone. Was Undyne too distracted to hold it up? How long would it take for her to realize? Evelynne looked back at the fight, quickly formulating a plan.
"Undyne!" Evelynne called, wincing at her own movements as she pointed behind the startled monster. "Look out!" Confusion and panic flashed onto the monster's face as she turned, looking around as if expecting someone to leap from the shadows. Pushing away the disbelief and relief that Undyne was so gullible, Evelynne sprang forward and grabbed Frisk's arm, shooting toward the cave entrance.
"What? There's no..-Hey!" Heavy metal footsteps sounded behind them as they ran, Frisk dragged behind Evelynne as they entered the cave. A wave of hot air hit them almost immediately, mixing with the moist air behind them and becoming humid and heavy. It was hard to breath, and the humidity irritated her wound farther, her pace quickly decreasing as her slight limp became worse. It wasn't long before Undyne caught up, a spear shooting up from the ground in front of them. The two humans skidded to a stop, looking behind them to find Undyne walking menacingly toward them. Her eye was twitching and she was breathing heavily, growling at them in her impatience. "Stop running away!" Bringing her spear up, she slashed at them, missing by mere inches as they stumbled backward. A sharp pain shot down Evelynne's side and down her leg as she turned to escape, causing her to collapse with a shout. Frisk cried out, pulling on her hand in panic, encouraging her to get up. Wheezing, Evelynne pushed Frisk away, shaking her head. She wouldn't be able to outrun Undyne.
"Frisk, go!" She shouted, voice rough and breaking. Frisk shook her head, her panicked expression dissolving into fear as tears rolled down her cheeks. Evelynne pushed Frisk's had away, pulling back before she could grab on again. "Hurry!" She pushed herself onto her back, groaning as her side stung in protest at the movement. Her chest was burning, entire body aching. Undyne stood over her, scowling with her raised spear.
She was going to die.
"You're pathetic. I've heard stories of you humans. You're supposed to be strong, and huge! With a giant sword, or a laser gun!" Evelynne stared up at her as she ranted, barely listening to her words. Giant swords? Laser guns? She dug the palms of her hands into the dirt, pushing herself backward slowly and carefully. If she could just get a little bit of distance, she could distract Undyne long enough for Frisk to get away! "But you're pathetic! Alphys was wrong...how disappointing." Undyne focused back on her, narrowing her eye and lifting the spear higher. Evelynne brought her arms up instinctively, speaking before she knew what was happening.
"Wait!" She closed her eyes, expecting to feel the sharp spear tearing through her. Instead, there was silence. She brought her arms down slowly, looking up into Undyne's impatient stare.
"What is it?" She growled, looking down at Evelynne's exposed soul.
"I, uh...What about….my powers?" Undyne raised a thin black eyebrow, as if telling her to continue. She took a moment, eyes wide and chest heaving as her mind worked. "W-well, you know...some of us have big swords, or-or laser guns. Some of us have powers!" A moment of silence passed before Undyne lowered her spear, only slightly.
"Like...what?" Evelynne bit her lip, trying her hardest to control the fear that was beginning to seep in. Where was she going with this? Why couldn't she think? She couldn't even control her magic!
"Well, like, uhm…" Evelynne looked around, but there was nothing to help her. "L-like…." A growl from Undyne startled her, and she looked up to see Undyne looking more enraged than before.
"Enough stalling! Time to die!" She raised the spear and brought it down, aimed right at Evelynne's chest. She shrieked, bringing her arms up once again and squeezing her eyes closed tight. Her magic flared at the sudden panic, a flash of electricity pulsing in her chest. The darkness behind her eyes became lighter, as if a bright light was shining in her face, and suddenly she felt a sudden, slightly painful pulsing in her chest. But…
Evelynne opened her eyes, taking in the sight of her brightly glowing soul before noticing the transparent silver wall in front of her. Undyne slammed her spear down against it several more times, each moment of contact causing more pulses in the center of her chest. Shocked, she sat frozen, listening to Undyne yell and continue to attempt attacking her. She was alive! Her magic had, once again, saved her life. But she couldn't celebrate for long. It was only a few moments until a particularly hard stab to the wall, a magical shield, Evelynne realized, sent a sharp pain through her chest. A crack appeared in the shield, and Evelynne was suddenly pushing herself up onto her feet and backing away, holding her hands out in front of her as if she had control. But as she stepped away, Undyne gave another sharp stab, causing her to gasp out in surprise. Another crack. The shield wasn't going to last, and she couldn't outrun Undyne.
"Get back here and let me kill you!" Another crack. Evelynne felt as if she was about to hyperventilate, gasping for air and choking on it as she waited. It was inevitable. At least Frisk was gone. Sans would find her, he had to! Would he help her? He had so far. Another crack. A loud battle cry. Panic. This was it.
Evelynne's magic had never been very active. Even when losing control, it would cause an explosion, or set something on fire. Following, she would feel tired enough to sleep for days, drained of all her energy. But now, as she watched the instinctively-created shield shatter in front of her, it was as if she had an endless pool of magic sitting right in her chest. Her hands opened up on instinct, and she pushed out toward Undyne as if she could stop the shield from shattering. Electricity shot through her body, spreading through and around her, and suddenly a pressure was building in the air around her until it burst, sending Undyne and Evelynne flying in opposite directions.
Her body connected painfully with the ground, leaving her groaning and coughing, dust entering her lungs and irritating her further. She pushed against the ground shakily, spitting dirt and blood out next to her and groaning as her spine popped as her back arched. She looked behind her, ready to prepare herself for another attack, but stopped as she took in Undyne's still form, sprawled out at the cave entrance. It took determination to push herself up onto her feet, turning to fully face the monster.
Had she just killed Undyne? The monster hadn't turned to dust. Regardless, fear and panic blossomed in her chest. She hadn't wanted to kill her! She hadn't wanted to attack at all! Fear of harm kept her rooted to the spot, staring and waiting for any sign of life or death with bated breath. What would she do? Should she call Papyrus? Undyne was his friend...would he attack her? She couldn't bear the thought of Papyrus hating her.
A groan ripped Evelynne from her thoughts, and she watched as Undyne coughed and twisted, attempted to get up. Relief rushed through her, only for a moment, before crushing fear returned. She was still the enemy.
Before she knew what was happening, her feet were carrying her away from Undyne. She limped heavily, breathing erratic and frequently disrupted by hacking and soft cries of pain. The wound in her side was bleeding, having opened when she connected with the ground. The path was straight. There were no hallways or divots in which Frisk could have hidden. It was getting hotter and dryer, and as Evelynne ran, she caught sight of something that would have been interesting, if she wasn't running for her life. A huge, long sign with scrolling letters.
Welcome to Hotland.
The light at the end of the tunnel was getting brighter, and the air hotter. She heaved in air and coughed it back out, her exhalations vocalized as she strained herself. Every muscle in her body screamed at her to stop. She was too tired to go on. She should just let Undyne kill her. She was going to die, eventually…
The next sight Evelynne saw caused relief to flood through her so fast that a sob left her forcefully, her face warming and tears immediately pouring from her eyes. There, at the end of the tunnel, sat Sans. He seemed to be sitting on a chair behind another one those stands, his feet propped up on the counter and his hands buried deep in the pockets of his black jacket. Had he seen Frisk? Was he hiding her? Evelynne pushed forward, feeling slightly more determined as she approached.
Finally, he looked up in her direction, lazy expression falling as he took in her state. He waited for her to finally reach his stand before speaking, his grin small and his eyes taking in her dirty, bloodied form.
"You okay there, pal?" Evelynne placed her free hand on the wooden counter to steady herself, tossing a look over her shoulder as she ignored his question. Where was Undyne? Had she stood up, yet?
"Have you seen Frisk? She asked, her voice rough, low and frantic. Sans raised a brow at her, his eyes quickly trailing down to the hand covering her side before snapping back up to her face.
"Nope. Haven't seen 'er. Just got here." If she had more time, she would have questioned that statement. For now, though, there was a faint sound she had become all too familiar with. Undyne had most definitely gotten up, and had pursued. The heavy footsteps were faint, but each one echoed off the cave walls. She was running. Evelynne whimpered softly through the urge to cough and choke, a lump rising in her throat as she removed her hand, looking down to confirm that, yes, it was still bleeding. She wouldn't be able to get away. And...looking to her right, there was another bridge. She'd probably die trying, anyway. She'd have to stand her ground. Either way, she was going to die, right? But where was Frisk! "Hey." Evelynne looked back up to see Sans standing a little farther back, looking at her with an unreadable expression on his face. "Hide under here." Was that an offer? It didn't sound like an offer. It sounded like a demand. Evelynne wasn't sure what to think about it, but as the heavy footsteps drew closer, she had trouble caring.
"What about-"
"The kid will be fine." He assured her, his gaze unmoving from hers. A second of uncertainty passed, and Evelynne limped forward behind the stall, giving him one last look before she dropped down onto her hands and knees, painfully crawling under the tiny shelf. She noted that this stand lacked in condiments. Did he not sell hotdogs here? She curled in on herself, hissing in pain as her side protested. "Try to stay quiet," he muttered, sitting on the seat in front of her and hiding her, while at the same time blocking her escape. A sudden fear of betrayal crossed her mind before she shook her head frantically. Sans and Papyrus were their friends. She trusted them. They wouldn't hurt her or Frisk.
Right?
It seemed to take forever for Undyne to get there, and her comfort decreased by the second. She reflected briefly on the fact that Sans' hoodie, tied around her waist, was ruined. It was saturated in her blood and sweat, and she could only hope that he wouldn't be upset with her. She quickly untied it from her waist. If she got out of this, it would only slow her down, now.
The tunnel echoed Undyne's footsteps from far back in the cave. Perhaps it really had taken her that long to get off the floor in the first place. It was a good thing, however, that Evelynne had enough time to calm her breathing, no longer forced to cough or hiss in pain. She sat perfectly still under the counter, sweating and trembling as Undyne's steps grew closer.
"Sans!" The call was still a little far away, but Sans didn't respond. Evelynne furrowed her brows. What was he doing? "Sans! Wake up!" Soon, a heavy fist slammed down against the countertop, and Evelynne slapped a hand over her mouth to avoid yelling out. Sans didn't even jump. If he had been sleeping, and she was fairly certain he hadn't been, then he had completely expected this behaviour.
"Oh. Hey, Undyne." Sans yawned, sounding completely unphased by the growling guard in front of him.
"Don't 'hey, Undyne' me! Where's the human?" She was practically yelling, and Evelynne sat tense as she waited. Did he have some sort of plan?
"Dunno." Another growl, another fist slammed against the counter. So, no plan.
"If you weren't so lazy, you would have seen her!" She screamed out in frustration. "I was so close! Sans, these humans are dangerous. One of them has magic."
"Cool." Undyne groaned out her extreme frustration, stomping her foot so hard that it made the stand vibrate. Evelynne tried her best to not breathe. If she kept hitting the stand, or started kicking it, the damn wood would fall apart. Then what?
"We need to kill her before she hurts anyone!"
"Ok. Hey, isn't that the kid?" Evelynne froze, jaw slack as Undyne yelled out and immediately left Sans' station to chase after whatever it was Sans had pointed out. Panicked, Evelynne scooted forward and leaned, bracing a hand against his legs as she tried to see around the corner.
"Sans!" She hissed. It was nothing, right? He had been joking...right? She couldn't quite see from her angle, but she could hear Undyne's heavy footsteps connect with what sounded like the wood from the bridge.
"Wait." His voice was calm, but that didn't matter. What if it really was Frisk? A child couldn't fight Undyne! What was he thinking?
"Sans, Frisk-"
"The kid knows that she's doing." No! Evelynne pushed against his leg, forcing her way painfully out of the safety of his stand. She groaned on the ground, forcing herself to look up to find that Frisk really was there, standing across the bridge with a blank expression on her face. Undyne was slowing as she approached, and Evelynne almost called out, if it weren't for a hand falling onto her shoulder. Looking back with large, panicked eyes, Evelynne found Sans. "Wait. Trust me," he said calmly, his default grin back on his face. Evelynne looked at him incredulously, about to protest, when a loud thump from the bridge interrupted her forming argument. Looking over, Undyne had fallen on the bridge, and Frisk stood in front of the monster with a saddened Frisk done something? If only she had been watching...Frisk looked up from her spot, eyes locking with Evelynne's. It was enough to push the woman into action. Evelynne pulled away from Sans and approached the bridge, pushing away her fear. She could cross the bridge. Never mind the fall into nothingness-
Oh. That wasn't a never-ending pit, beneath her. Evelynne closed her eyes as a whimper escaped her, but she steeled her resolve. Frisk was waiting for her. The bridge was wide. She could do this.
Keeping her eyes forward and her breathing calm, she stepped forward onto the creaky wood, limping her way slowly across. Undyne had almost made it across, and Evelynne was thankful for the width of the bridge as she stepped around the groaning monster, fearful of an attack but unwilling to leave Frisk alone any longer. She made it to the end, where Frisk immediately grabbed onto her like a child to their favorite toy. Evelynne collapsed onto the solid earth, ignoring the heat of the rock beneath her as she embraced Frisk tightly. She felt hot tears roll down her face as she held the child, burying her face into Frisk's shoulder. She was safe. That was all that mattered.
They stayed in eachother's arms for a few minutes before Frisk began pulling away, giving Evelynne a happy, sweet smile. Another groan from behind them stole their attention, and they looked back to see Undyne panting on the bridge."So...hot…" she muttered brokenly, eyes closed and hands grasping at nothing. Frisk moved, leaving Evelynne watching in confusion as she pointed toward what seemed to be a water jug. She understood what Frisk wanted, but every fiber of her being was telling her not to. Don't help the monster who has been chasing you for days. Don't revive the dangerous being who nearly killed you. But, looking into Frisk's eyes….
"Ok," she breathed, almost in utter disbelief of herself. Frisk turned without hesitation and picked something up, turning and revealing it to be a plastic cup of water. She'd already filled it? When? Evelynne watched with furrowed brows as Frisk slowly approached Undyne. There was no way Frisk could have known that would happen, right? She stood shakily, watching as Frisk tipped the cup over, pouring its contents onto the monster.
So, Undyne really was a fish monster. The water seemed to bring her back to life, prompting her to stand and stare at Frisk. Evelynne stood and watched, her muscles tense, ready to run and push Undyne into the lava. But Frisk didn't move away, and Undyne never attacked. It was like she knew that Undyne would take a step back, her stare blank and eyes glazed over, before turning completely and leaving. Both humans stayed still, watching their attacker suddenly abandon the chase...
Sans was no longer at his stand.
So Fanfiction does this ridiculous thing where, sometimes, if I try to paste too much text, the thing won't load and it won't be saved, so I need to update by copying and pasting little chunks at a time, and sometimes I miss breaks in the text or I'll miss a paragraph or something...anyway, if it seems really weird, let me know. I probably missed something. It's very frustrating.
OKAY! I have some catching up to do! If I miss your UN in the shout-outs, let me know and I'll fix it asap!
So a HUGE thank you to these people for their continued love and support, and leaving me lovely comments to read: Angel of Randomosity, GaleForceSinger, skylaeatpie, Kajimei, AmbiguousTardigrade, ScarkitTheMadaNeko, StargladesTime1, dwayiam, LainaFantasyGirl, Ellaspen Frost, MistressofDawn1990, longagonever, NightFuryHunter, silent roja, MisstyxTB, Kagayaku Hoshi-chan, madmalitiangamer, Trinity Stark, and bubbadude6463!
Oh my goodness. Sorry I missed shout-outs last time, but you should all be here now! If not, let me know, I'll add you in :D
RESPONSES!
-hOI! Kira wants TEMS! but i gota finis colleg!...but really, there will be Temmie's. It will happen. Just not yet. :) bOI!
-ahhhhhhh sorry, I hope the main fight was at least what you were looking for! It was so hard to write this chapter, ugh. But when I go back to edit (eventually...some time in my life...) I'll put some more of the good stuff in. This is pretty much the "and then this happened. And then this happened." Stage that all my chapters go through. I just...ugh. I hope it was okay!
-Hey, I would NEVER blow up at anyone for a fair review, unless it was a comment about Mary-Jane's or offensive toward other people. But, other than that, it's free game! I want to get better, and keep my individuality, but I also want to give you guys the best experience I can, because you're all lovely people :) It's your story too!
-Thanks for the review biscuit.
OKAY! Short replies. I'm thinking I should keep it short on here, but we'll see what happens. Anyway, THANK YOU ALL FOR READING, and reviewing ;) and everything else. ILYA! SYANU!