Fun fact: according to Word, it has been 645 pages since we last saw sans.
Before anything else, it should be noted that before this chapter went up I posted another little tidbit story along the same vine as While He's Gone. Just another short aside that doesn't technically warrant being in the main story. Basically, why I do that is because, when this thing started to show signs of becoming as big as it was going to be, I started mentally breaking it up into parts, and I kind of wanted to supplant that idea with other people as well. So, I have a lot of those trilogy-in-one volumes of books, and in a lot of them, what they'll do is separate the main books with brief short stories that help tie them together. I figured I'd do that too. So as While He's Gone marks the end of 'part one', the new one, A Choice, marks the end of 'part two'. I'd recommend giving that a read first, if you haven't already, but, like its cousin, it is not something that is required before going on.
With that out of the way, there's one more thing I wanted to point out. While not part of the chapter title this time around, there is another song for the fight you can imagine is coming up quite soon by what the title is, if you've looked at it. I didn't put this there because it just felt… wrong. But, the song in question is Sandstorm, once again by Mick Gordon. It is also the second of the three songs I really hope you listen to alongside their respected chapters.
Essay concluded.
Begin Part 3.
The house was the same, a perfect replica. Ryan could tell the second he walked through the door. It had been easy enough to find, far easier than he had expected. The castle was enormous, but an elevator from the lab led directly to its upper floors, the part he had been told the king made his home. He had crossed an outer wall on his way from the elevator that looked out over the entirety of New Home. He had paused a moment, looking down at it almost reverently. It was a city he never even thought he would get to see, least of all like that. But that was not what consumed his thoughts now.
From the top of the wall, he had only needed to cross a single hallway to reach it. And its familiarity struck him deeply and at once. The stone wall that made up its front had the words New Home carved over the doorway. Stone walls turned to wood within and Ryan instantly felt like was somewhere else.
Inside, the first room was relatively empty. The majority of it was taken up by a staircase. It about-faced halfway down and disappeared into darkness below. A few cabinets and bookshelves hugged the wall besides. Empty picture frames were hung on the wall, as did sconces with lit candles. It was almost exactly how he remembered. He almost expected to be able to hear Toriel in the kitchen, humming to herself as she cooked. But it was silent. More so than that, it felt… empty.
From the book shelves, to the dressers, to the stairs leading to the unknown, there were only two other differences: The first was all of the vases filled with golden flowers. There was one on every surface. They practically suffused the room with their presence. The sight no longer sent shivers down Ryan's spine. He was slightly surprised by that fact, and even more satisfied by it.
The second difference was a note stuck to the banister. Ryan walked over to it and lifted it so he could see.
Howdy! It read. I'm in the back if you need me. Make yourself at home.
With a breath, he let the note fall and went towards the kitchen. In the dining room, a familiar chair sat next to the fireplace, not too far from the bookshelf. It looked less used yet more worn than he remembered. Then again, it was not the same chair. It was hard to remember that, seeing everything as it was.
The fireplace was dark, and somehow that seemed to lend more to the feeling of emptiness than anything else. Ryan lit his own flame in the space. It did not help as much as he hoped. The new light drank in the room, but something still looked off. The shadows danced in the flame the wrong way, making the place even more foreign that it had been. He tried to figure out what the problem was so he could fix it, and then realized he was only wasting his time.
He went over to the bookshelf and picked a book out at random. The shelves were not very filled, and the book he picked was sitting at an angle to keep others from falling. Weaving a spell to do that job in its place, he took the book and sat down at the table, noting, briefly, that four chairs surrounded it.
The cover was unmarked and made of a thick paper that had been dyed purple. He opened it to find most of the pages blank, all but the first, which simply read,
To my child,
Perhaps you will be able to find in writing what you cannot in words.
Love, Toriel.
He smiled and returned the book to the shelf, righting it and the others around it.
In the kitchen, he helped himself to some food in the fridge. He could not remember the last time he had eaten anything. It wasn't really necessary anymore, and so it was easy to forget to. But, he still like to eat. He like food, if it was good. And plus, it had been offered to him.
He was not sure why he had to see that the kitchen was empty to believe it, but it did not make him feel as he had hoped.
He left the kitchen and went back to the hall, footsteps echoing on the wooden floor, and went down to the other end of the house, past the doors and to the mirror on the far wall. He looked into it.
His hair had gotten long again; a sign of how much time had passed. It was nowhere near as long as he had once let it get, but longer than he would have liked. He ran his hand through it, and it became as though he had just had it freshly buzzed. No hair fell to the floor, it was simply shorter.
He examined the rest of himself. His eyes were slightly brighter, and more brown than green than he remembered, but other than that, he looked the same. He almost could not believe it. "Despite everything," he said to himself, "I'm still me."
He turned away from the mirror, to the door that would have led to his own room in the ruins. He held his hand out for a moment to open it, but ultimately decided to leave it be.
He passed by what would have been Toriel's room, roped off with a sign that said 'under renovation' on it, and went into the third. He turned on the lamp near the back corner and took it in.
He had not spent much time in this room in the ruins, but he knew everything was in the same place. The dresser, the bin of toys, the pattern on the rug; all the same.
There were two beds instead of one. Each had a box sitting on in, wrapped in white paper and tied with a bow. He went over to the first and opened it. Inside the box was a necklace; a small, heart shaped gem hanging from a gold chain. As he picked it up, the gem started to glow. He turned it over. Engraved on the back were the words, Best Friends Forever.
He put it on, the stone resting in the center of the light from his soul, and went to open the other box. He pulled out the knife and placed the box on the floor. He lay down on the bed as he examined it. It was plain, but well-made, the blade slightly corroded from age. It was well-balanced and it was still razor sharp. He stayed there for a stretch, turning the weapon over in his hand.
After a few minutes, he flicked his wrist and the knife was imbedded in the wall in front of him. Then he got up and went towards the stairs in the entrance, filled with determination. The knife, he left in the wall.
Below, the house turned back into the unfamiliar castle. A doorway opened up to another parapet that overlooked city. Cloud cover in the world above made everything look grey and hazy. Mist seemed to cover the buildings. It was hardly the weather for a day like that one, but he had put it off long enough already.
Monsters milled about, just as he remembered when he had visited last. There was no sign of the damage he had caused, he was thankful for that. As he looked down, he realized just how far he had come. Over the course of the last year, this moment had always seemed so far away, even during the times he had been so close to where he now stood.
He had been through so much, made so many memories. All of them he would have once thought impossible. But now, there he stood, at the top of the castle. Now it was time to see where everything would lead.
As he made his way on, he thought back on all of those memories, and the people he shared them with; the struggles they went through, and the happiness that came from it all. He had been so quick to reject that, once upon a time. But now, now he knew better. He had learned what he had needed to learn, remembered what he needed to remember. Now he was ready.
With all of his reminiscence, he remembered a story. It was a story he knew by heart; a story that, without, he would have never even began his journey, and things would have gone much differently for him and for everyone else.
As he walked the castle wall, looking up at the towers that loomed over him, he whispered it to himself.
"A long time ago, a human fell into the ruins. Injured by its fall, the human called out for help. Asriel, the king's son, heard the human's call, and he brought the human back to his home."
He could almost see it play out in his head, imagine the young prince going to that place where Ryan himself had once fallen as well. He could hear his voice, trying to comfort them.
"Over time, Asriel and the human became like siblings. The king and queen treated the human child as their own, and the Underground was full of hope."
A pair of figures ran past him, startling him slightly. It was Asriel, and the child he had seen from the tapes. They laughed silently as they chased each other along the wall. It took him a moment to recognize his own illusion magic. It had been doing that more and more lately, if he let his thoughts wander. This time he let it go on as he continued the story.
"Then, one day, the human became very ill, and though everything in their power was tried, nothing could save them."
The child vanished, leaving Asriel on his own. The paIn in his eyes made Ryan's throat tighten. He let the prince's image fall away.
"The human had only one request: to see the flowers from their village. But there was nothing they could do."
Ryan entered a tower. Within, spiral stairs ascended up the inside wall. He took them slowly and emerged on another wall.
"The next day, the human died. Asriel, wracked with grief, absorbed the human's soul. He transformed into a being with incredible power. With the human's soul, Asriel crossed through the barrier. He carried the human's body into the sunset. Back to the village of the humans."
Suddenly, the wall was filled with figures. Monsters by the hundred were crammed into the narrow space. They filled the walls below him as well, and those above. They all looked the same way: to the top of the castle. They were waiting. Waiting for their prince to return.
"Asriel reached the center of the village. There, he found a bed of golden flowers. He carried the human onto it."
He walked through the monsters, recognizing them for the illusion that they were. Often he caught his gaze following theirs. There was something up there, he could feel it; he was close now.
"Suddenly, screams rang out. The villagers saw Asriel holding the human's body. They thought that he had killed the child. The humans attacked him with everything they had. He was struck with blow after blow. Asriel had the power to destroy them all. But, Asriel did not fight back. Clutching the human, Asriel smiled and walked away."
Ryan came upon a place where the wall came to an outcropping of rock nearly twice its width. Grass covered it around a set of stairs that lead up to what minded him of a cathedral. He ascended the steps.
"Wounded, Asriel stumbled home. He entered the castle and collapsed. His dust spread across the throne room. The kingdom fell into despair. The king and queen had lost two children in one night."
Within was an empty space. The stone walls were painted white. The only things inside rested against the back wall. There was a tapestry sewn with the image of the Delta Rune. Unlike the one he was used to seeing, though, this once was red. Candles sat beneath them. There were several dozen. Many were burned down to almost nothing. Only one was lit. Ryan went over and lit another, and then left through the doorway tucked into the back corner.
"The humans had once again taken everything from them. The king had decided it was time to end their suffering. Every human who falls down must die. With enough souls the barrier could be shattered forever."
The barrier. Every monster in the Underground felt its weight. And now, more than ever the days where they were trapped behind it felt as though they were coming to an end. Ryan could remember seeing the hope in their eyes as they talked about it.
"It's not long now," they would say.
"King Asgore will give us hope."
"King Asgore will let us go."
"King Asgore will save us all."
Once more, monsters had a reason to smile, and it pained him to see it be for such a horrible reason, almost as much as it pained them to deny them their hope.
"You should be smiling too," they would tell him when they saw his expression, before they knew what he was and looked at him differently.
"Aren't you excited? Aren't you happy?" they said.
"You're going to be free."
Ryan's fists tightened. "That's right," he said to himself. "I'm going to be free." He came to another doorway. Ornately carved with vines, it looked to be made of solid gold. The walls beyond seemed to glow with light. "Everyone will be free," he said as he reached it. He stopped, not out of hesitation, but as if to affirm the moment in his mind. He looked up at the arch that led into the room filled with golden light. From where he stood, he could see columns rising up to the ceiling. He stepped forward.
"Everyone." He vowed.
.
Ryan entered the hallway. Light filtered in from the large, arched windows giving everything in the room a golden hew. Thick columns cast shadows across the hall, making stripes of darkness across the warmly lit space. He crossed about a third of the way into the room, and then stopped.
"Hello, Sans." He said to the air.
The skeleton stepped out from the shadows of one of the columns. The monster looked oddly serious as he stepped into the light, but it did not last long. He smiled up at Ryan in his usual manner, like he could not wait to tell you a joke he had on his mind. "so, you finally made it" he said.
Ryan nodded. "I have." He smiled back at his old friend. "Sorry I took so long."
The monster chuckled lightly. "that's my line, you know?"
Ryan shrugged. "To be fair, I figured you would have come back at some point."
"oh, i've been around" The skeleton told him. "keeping an eye out for humans IS my job, after all"
"Good. Then you already know what I've been up to."
He nodded. "i do. quite the adventure you had. and now you're here: the end of your journey, finally at hand. in a few moments you will meet the king. and together, you will determine the future of this world. but that's then. this is now"
Ryan's smile slipped. "You're not seriously going to try to stop me, are you Sans? If you've been watching, then you know that I've kept my promise."
The skeleton chuckled again. "i wonder about that sometimes" He stared into Ryan's eyes, smile suddenly seeming a lot less pleasant. "you see, i've had a lot of time to think, as of late. and i've found that there are a lot of questions surrounding you. but, i know better than anyone that just because you keep a few secrets doesn't mean you're a bad person. this goes deeper than that though
"you're strong, kid. too strong; strong enough to make me nervous; strong enough to make me doubt. and i've learned to listen to that doubt. kid, i know you have the best intentions at heart, but i can't let you go on. i'm sorry"
Before sans could even move a finger, Ryan disappeared before his eyes. sans looked around, but the room was empty. He braced himself, ready for anything. Then, just as suddenly as he vanished, Ryan appeared in front of him with his arm pulled back and his hand curled into a fist. His face showed no emotion at all; no joy, no anger, no regret, just a look of knowing that he was doing what had to be done. In the instant sans had to register what was happening, he knew there was nothing he could to stop it. As Ryan's arm swung towards sans, he readied himself for what would happen next.
But Ryan's swing never landed, instead stopping just shy of sans' face. Around him the wind howled with the power of Ryan's pulled blow. The ground shook and was torn away in places, flying to the far wall as the concussive force of the air drove it into its cyclone. Surprisingly, sans was spared from the destruction surrounding him. The walls were cracked, the windows were shattered, all in a cone pointing away from where Ryan stood with sans at the center completely unharmed.
After a moment, the skeleton let out another chuckle. "you've gotten pretty good at that" he said. "what was it? illusion, plus the air?"
Ryan smirked and pulled his hand back. As he did, the cracks seemed to recede from the room, the damage repairing itself. "Something like that," he confirmed.
sans nodded. "it's a good trick, but if I could see through it, you can be sure asgore will see through-" the monster cut off as a sword leveled with his neck.
"I can assure you that is real." Ryan told him.
sans lowered his eyes. "alright, you got me"
Ryan let the sword fall away. He stepped up to his friend. "I'm not going to hurt him sans, I'm not going to hurt anyone. Hell, I'm not even going to fight him, if I can avoid it."
"i know"
"Then why try to stop me?"
The skeleton shrugged. "i guess that's just the kind of guy i am. when it comes down to it, i'm not very good at the whole trusting thing"
That time it was Ryan's turn to chuckle. "I guess I'm not really helping with that, am I? Especially after out last conversation." He waited to see if the skeleton would comment on that, but his friend remained silent. "I am sorry about that, by the way. You're someone I should be able to trust more than most, but I couldn't risk it. I guess even at that point I was already having doubts about making it this far…" He trailed off as he fished into his pocket. He pulled out a small rectangle and handed it to the monster. "Here," he said. "This should answer a lot of your questions. Even the ones you aren't asking." Without another word, Ryan walked past sans toward the end of the hall.
"wait" Ryan stopped. "i've been denying it" sans said, "i denied it even when we were at the restaurant, but i know that look: the look like you've seen too much; like you've been through everything a thousand times over and know exactly what comes next. i know that look all too well… i'm not usually one to be so direct, but i need to know. can you-"
Ryan started walking again before the skeleton finished, cutting him short. When he reached the end of the hall, he raised his hand. It was not a wave goodbye, it was something else. And then, he disappeared into the shadows beyond, leaving sans alone.
.
Asgore stood before his throne, as he did every afternoon, tending to each of the golden flowers that had seemingly grown out of nothing in turn. He did so in the same melancholy that always enveloped him during this time.
He did not know why he cared for them as much as he did. They only brought him pain, but he could not make himself stop. His own strange penance for his mistakes.
His rhythmic watering and trimming was interrupted as he heard someone enter. That was a surprise. He took a moment to try to push down his grief and put on a smile. "I'll be with you in just a moment," he told whoever it was without turning around. "I just need to finish watering the flowers."
The king took his time with his work, something like this could not be rushed, and he hoped he was not insulting his guest. They said nothing, but Asgore could tell they were still there, waiting patiently. "There," he said, tilting up the watering can as he finally finished. He turned to the newcomer and smiled his best smile. He opened his mouth to greet them, but the words never left his lips. The watering can fell from his hand as he stared down at his guest. It clattered to the floor, the sound slightly dampened by the blossoms, but it seemed to ring in Asgore's ears louder than a bell. It was like the toll of death himself, and it made him want to weep.
"Howdy, Your Majesty," the newcomer said to the king. He took a bow, and smiled as he straightened. "It's nice to finally meet you."
Asgore continued to stand there, aghast. He did not want to believe his eyes. He had hoped this day would never come, and yet, there it was, his fate, standing in front of him. "You are… a human." He said slowly.
He nodded; the smile did not fall from his lips. "I am," he said. "You can call me Ryan. Or whatever else you'd like, I suppose. The list of monsters who actually call me that is pretty short now that I think about. I either get called 'kid' or 'child' or 'human' so often that I've kind of gotten used to it."
Asgore looked the human up and down, as if to search for some evidence that he was wrong, but there was none to be found. He wore a striped shirt of blue and purple beneath a black shirt that was open at the front. A red light, vaguely in the shape of a heart, sat in the center of his chest. And that was proof enough of what he was. Asgore also noticed that the human wore an amulet around his neck. The red stone on the end hung over his soul. He could not help but feel it was familiar.
"Why are you here?" The king said as he finally seemed find some of his locomotion. His hands rose sluggishly, as if realizing at last that they had dropped the can. He thought about picking it up, but he did not dare take his eyes off of the human.
"Several reasons, actually," the human told him, stepping in from the doorway. He picked his path over to the king carefully, not stepping on any of the flowers. The king fought the urge to move back, to strike now and be done with it. But this human had not come to him like the rest, and that made him curious. More than that, though, he would not do himself the injustice of breaking even more of his vows by killing the human in the garden. It was only an ancient instinct that made him nervous, but this human was no more threat to him than the rest were. He could tell just by looking at him. "But first I would like to apologize." The human finished.
The human now stood before Asgore, who blinked as he was pulled from his thoughts. "Apologize?" The king said. "For what?"
"For taking so long to get here," the human answered. "I didn't mean to, but," he trailed off as he looked up at Asgore, and his eyes widened slightly. "God, you are the size of a Space Marine…"
"What do you mean, 'for taking so long to get here'?" The king said, drawing the human from his digression.
The surprise left the human's eyes, and it was replaced by a calm resolve that made Asgore want to weep again. He knew that look, and it made him think that this would end up like the last time. He hopped that it would not. He could not take that again.
The human looked around, at the flowers covered nearly every inch of the floor in the long room. Vines wound their way up the throne next to them and crawled up the walls and onto the ceiling. Light shined in from widows on the wall behind the king and in the ceiling. Asgore remembered that someone had once described it like a scene from a fairy tale. He believed this human must have been thinking the same thing. "I've been down here a long time now," he said, "and once, I had almost made it here before, but I turned back. There were a lot of things I needed to learn first."
Asgore nodded, though he did not truly understand. The humans had been down here a while. Where? And how long exactly? Had he been hiding from his sentries this whole time? Why had he not been told of this? He knew the answer to at least one of those questions. The rest did not matter. Or, at least, they would not. Not for much longer. "If that is how you feel," he told the human, "then there is no need to apologize for it."
"I did, and I have," the human said, turning back to him. "Now I can go into this with a clear head."
The human's words worked to increase Asgore's sorrow and suspicion. This human sounded like he knew what he was walking into, and that only made him think even more that history was about to repeat itself. Asgore let out a deep rumble of laughter. It was brief, and not at all humorous. "Would you, perhaps, like a cup of tea?" he offered.
The human nodded. "I would be honored," he said. "I was actually hoping we would get a chance to talk."
The king nodded in turn. "Of course. I suppose you have questions." He said as he moved away from his throne. Tucked into the back corner was small table and chairs along with one of his tea sets. He went to go grab them.
"Not as many as you'd think." The human said to his back. The king turned to regard him. "I already know just about everything." He explained. "Your history, the barrier, the souls."
"Then what is it you wish to talk about?" Asgore asked.
"Still that, I suppose."
He said no more than that, so Asgore continued to gather the things for tea.
He set up the table next to the windows along the one wall with a chair to either side then set the saucers and the cups. He finished by lighting a small flame beneath the kettle and gesturing for the human to sit.
The human did so. While they waited for the water, the human investigated the cup before him. Asgore admitted that it was one of his more ornate sets. It was given to him by an old friend, and its use seemed appropriate in that moment. It was made up of white porcelain and was covered in a geometric pattern of yellow and green. The edges of each piece were gilded. An appropriate gift, from one royalty to another, many would have once said.
The kettle began to whistle, and Asgore prepared the tea for both of them. The human took a sip and looked out the window at the city below them. "It's quite the kingdom you've got here." the human said quietly.
"'Kingdom'" Asgore said like he had a bad taste in his mouth. "I never did like that word." The last was meant more for himself.
"Why's that?"
Asgore looked up at the human and tried to hide the disdain from his voice. It was not directed at him, nor should it be. "It is a human concept," he explained. "It stems from the belief that the many needs to be ruled by the few. I have never agreed with that way of thinking."
"Then why adhere to it?"
"We do not, not really. But the concept had already taken root among monsters long before I took the tile of King. It is a bad habit at this point, more than anything. I have even tried to do away with it, but it never seems to sink in their minds. Monsters do not need a king. They never have, and I've never truly been one. They look to me for guidance, true, but that is all. I do not make laws, nor do I require my people to follow any. They are perfectly capable of managing on their own." Asgore looked out to the city himself. He was still amazed by its size. He would have never imagined it would grow so much. Though, whether that was because he had doubts monsters would ever accept life in this place, or because he feared they would grow to accept it too much, he was uncertain. "They have proven that better than ever, as of late."
"A lot of monsters would disagree with you, I'd say."
Asgore nodded. "I know, which is why I still keep this silly title, regardless of how undeserving it is."
The human was silent for a long moment, taking another sip of his tea. "They miss you, you know." He said after the pause.
Asgore gave a grunt. "I suppose I have been gone a while." He looked up at the human once again. He had not looked away from the widow since their conversation began. He thought the human looked… nostalgic. "How long have you been here?" he asked.
"Long enough," he answered, his gaze still not leaving the window.
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"It means that, unlike the others, I did not come here looking for escape." The human explained. "I have been part of this world for almost a year now, and I would like to remain a part of it. So many monsters have shown me a kindness that few humans have ever shown me. They have become a part of my life, and I a part of theirs. And so I come here, on behalf of them and on behalf of myself, to ask that you remove the mandate on humans."
Asgore felt his body cold. So, it was not the same as last time, but it was not any better either. This was not the first human to ask that of them, but he was the first to do it in such a way. He had known this sort of air in very few humans: an understanding that the world does not simply bend to their will. It was… refreshing to see, but it changed nothing.
"I am sorry," the king said solemnly. "To let you walk free would be to deny my people the freedom we are so close to achieving. I cannot condone them to one more day than necessary in this place."
The human gave a faint smile. "I knew you would say that." he said softly. "What do monsters hate so much about this place?"
"You mean, aside from the fact that we are trapped in it?" Asgore let a tinge of his annoyance through with that.
The human looked up from the window at last. "Yes." His expression was genuine; he was not simply trying to rile him. "I've walked through every part of the Underground, and every day I find new wonders within it. You call this place a prison, I would call it paradise.
"Monsters have built a near perfect society. There is no crime, no strife. Everyone walks around with a smile on their face." He looked Asgore up and down. "Almost everyone."
"Monsters are very good at not focusing on the negatives at all times," Asgore argued, "but that does not mean that those negatives don't exist. You say that we have no problems, but we are on the verge of overcrowding. Because of that, all of the problems you listed are just over the horizon for us if we stay here. Who's to say when it will happen? It could be years from now, it could be tomorrow. And if it is not you, it will just be some other human whose soul will be needed to break the barrier. And who's to say when they will come? No, I will not risk the suffering of my people on this.
"Beyond that, what reason do I have to trust you? Humans have proven to my kind time and time again that they are not deserving of it. They have crushed our hopes and dreams over and over again, and now it sounds like you seek to do it again. So if you have only come to try to convince me differently, you will be disappointed."
The human continued to look in Asgore's eyes. His expression had turned blank. At first Asgore thought that was because his plan did not work, but now he was not so sure.
"No," the human began. "I did not come here to try to change your mind. But you do bring up a valid point." The human's eyes turned back to the window again. "Human beings are cruel." He said. "It makes me wonder, why would you want to return to a world that you were nearly exterminated from because of them?"
"Because if we were to stay here we would die. And because we deserve to be a part of that world just as much as you do."
The human nodded, as if in agreement, then said, "But is it one that you are ready to live in?"
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"Humans do not work the same way as monsters." He explained. "They would not simply accept you just because you are able to break free. There is only one thing that gets humans to accept any claim: if there is power to back it up. If you cannot hold on to what is yours, then it may as well not be yours in the first place." Asgore remained silent as the human paused, watching him closely. "You were driven out by the humans once already. They have only grown worse in the thousand years since. You would need power indeed to try to make it now. So I ask again, are you ready to try to live in a world like that?"
"Of course we will try," Asgore said immediately.
"And what measures have you taken to ensure your survival? What steps have you taken? What defenses have you built?"
He was not as quick that time. "The power of seven human souls-" but the human cut him off.
"You're going to rely solely on that? What if destroying the barrier destroys the power of the souls as well? I know your plan, Asgore. It's been told to me by enough monsters. You planned to use the power of the souls to wipe out humanity. You've put all of your eggs into one basket, and it will only work to bring monsters to extinction."
Asgore fought to remain calm, and not only because he was having all of his own doubts spit back in his face, but also because he was letting himself be lectured by one who was little more than a child. He had already chosen his path and affirmed his reasons why. "You speak of a matter of chance just as much as I do." He told him. "Unless you have evidence to suggest otherwise, then there is an equal chance for either."
"And are you really willing to take that gamble?"
"If it means the chance to give my people a better life than this, yes."
"And do you really think that all monsters would feel the same way, if they knew the truth of what might wait for them?"
"I do."
"Really?" the human continued to argue. "Or is your mind simply clouded by the idea of revenge?"
Asgore was caught short. His eyes narrowed in rage that he fought to contain. He would not let this human rile him so. He would not commit even more sins. "Even if that were true," he said, trying to keep his voice level, "it would change nothing. We would die here, if we were to stay. Taking a chance is the only way."
"And what if I told you that there was another way?"
"There is not. We have already tried everything."
The human raised an eyebrow. "Have you?"
Asgore stood up, nearly knocking over his chair as he did. He leaned over the table and locked his gaze with the human. "Enough talk." He said. "Nothing you say will change my mind. It was made long before you came here." The human said nothing, his face remained passive. "You know what must come next."
The human nodded. "I hope you do not expect me to just sit still and die." He said.
Asgore shook his head. "Of course not. You will have your chance to defend yourself, though it is more than any of your kind deserve."
"Shall we do it here then?"
"No." Asgore said flatly, turning away from the table. "Come. First, I will show you exactly what it is that you kind has done to mine."
.
There was a noticeable drop in the pressure of the air, as if they had just climbed to a great height. With it, came a drop in the temperature. It was neatly cold enough for Asgore to see his breath. The air was still and stale and he walked up to the embodiment of his greatest nightmare. "This is the barrier." he said as they emerged from the rock tunnel connecting the castle to the vast chamber where they now stood. The ceiling rose high above both their heads, and its length seemed to go on forever. Light pulsed down the chamber until it was little more than a dot and then it was consumed by the next.
He thought he could feel something pull at him whenever the light pulsed, drawing him to reach out to it. It pulled at the magic around it to feed its insatiable appetite. At the same time, this place felt more charged than any in the Underground. It was dangerous, to fight in such a place, but that did not matter.
Asgore turned to the human. He still stood just inside the doorway, looking around him with a mixture of fear and awe, as he should. He wanted to say more. This is what your kind left us with: hope, always just out of reach, and therein lies true despair. But this place spoke for itself. So, instead, he asked, "Is there anything you would like me to tell your friends, after this is done?"
The human was drawn back into the present. He shook his head.
"Is there anything you would like to say, before we begin?"
The human smiled up at him. That calm resolve was back. "It was nice to meet you, Asgore." He said. Then he took a breath and added, "I'm sorry."
The king stepped out to the side, widening his stance. He threw his cape back over his shoulder and held his hand open and out to the side, he dropped his gaze, unable to look at the human's expression anymore. "As am I," he said softly.
Red light flashed before Asgore's hand. It grew and expanded itself into his weapon, a trident that looked to be made purely of red crystal. Without hesitation, he charged at the human, barely seeming to take a step. The king's trust was met with a clang of metal. He looked up to see that his attack had been blocked by a sWord that the human held in his hand. Surprise coursed through him for a moment before another sword appeared in the human's empty hand. Asgore stepped back, blocking the human's return strike, and attempted to throw him off balance before he could make another.
The attempt proved inefficient. The human took a single step and then struck again. Asgore caught the blade between the prongs of his trident and twisted the weapon to hold him there. The king looked down at him consideringly. "It seems you have some skill." He commented.
"I may have picked up a few things," the human said with a smirk.
"It will not be enough."
"We'll see."
The human released his sword and it vanished. The sudden lack of resistance made the king's arm fall forward. The human thrust his other weapon into the opening he had created, but Asgore was too fast. He spun his trident to block the blow with the haft. But the block did nothing to stop the attack. Asgore's arms were forced back at the strength of the impact, knocking him in the chest and pushing him across the room.
He skidded to a halt and looked back up at the human. The other sword was back in his hand and he looked ready for anything that came next. Asgore saw now that there was a familiarity to his stance; he held it with the poise of one who had spent great many hours fighting. And not only that, but he knew magic as well. That was new. It seemed this would not be as simple as he had hoped. But the king was prepared.
The king took a step to the side, and the human mirrored his action. They began to circle one another, waiting for the other to strike first. The human moved fluidly, without jerkiness or awkwardness, and he did not seem to be growing nervous from the tension. Asgore began to spin his weapon in his hand, but the human did not rise to the bait. His eyes never left Asgore's own. Yes, this one was very good. But still not good enough.
Asgore leapt toward the human, closing the distance in the time it took to blink. Had he been anywhere else, the force of his movement would have shattered the ground beneath his feet, but the unreality of the barrier only lent additional force to it. He swung down at the human with the full force of his enhancement magic behind it. If this man thought he could defeat him with a spell he had spent centuries perfecting, he was wrong.
But, the human stopped him as if they were still fighting with their bare strength. The only thing that gave it away was the air as it rushed away from them. Asgore gave him no pause. They exchanged blow after blow. The ring of their weapons clashing and the crack of air pressure that accompanied it did not echo through the room as it should. It lent their bout an otherworldly quality as it dragged on from seconds to minutes. They matched each other nearly move for move, falling into a rhythm of strike and counterstrike, baiting out openings and then taking advantage of them. Their deadlock seemed like it would go on forever, and then, suddenly, the human was gone.
Asgore felt the air stir at his back. Instinct took over, and fire sprouted from the ground creating a wave out from around him. It gave him the time to turn. The human had hesitated, but the fire had not stopped him. He kept coming; Asgore gathered the flame with a thought and sent the ball at the human. It seemed to bend around him, almost without the human noticing. Then the human leapt, and swung at Asgore's head.
For the first time, the king could see into the man's eyes since they began, and what he found surprised him. There was a furious passion to his expression. Not one of anger, but of something else: determination. He had seen that look before, and to see it again after so long was a shock.
The other thing he noticed was that his eyes had changed color. They were now the same red as the glow that shined beneath his shirt. And, for a moment, he remembered something.
The king hesitated, and so when he blocked the human's strike he was not ready. It forced him back a few feet and the human landed on the ground. He waited, taking up stance again as Asgore regained his footing. As the human looked up at him, his eyes were no longer red. Had it been his imagination? No, he could not take that chance. He would have to be more careful from here on out.
"I have to say, I'm a little disappointed." The human began. "I would have figured the King of Monsters would be a bit tougher than this. Right now I'd say you barely hold a candle to Undyne."
Asgore made the connection almost immediately, and cursed himself for not seeing it sooner. He knew the patterns to his movements but had written it off as a product of inexperience, but now he knew the truth.
"So, it was Undyne that taught you all of this," he said dully.
The human nodded. "It was. She was one of the friends I was able to make while I was down here."
"That is a surprise. I assume she did not know what you were?"
"No," the human said. "She did. She helped me because she agreed with me. She sees that the way you are doing things is wrong, and she wanted you to see it too. So she trained me, because she wanted you back."
"Then I hope she can forgive me for not listening to her." Asgore reached out to the magic around him. It was a dangerous thing, in this place, but he had trained for this. Great orbs of fire grew into being around him. They hovered above his head and circled the human. Their heat warped the air. The human had made a mistake: he knew how Undyne fougHt better than anyone.
The human did nothing as the fire came at him. Asgore waited, expecting this, and, just as he thought, the human moved once they were within about a dozen feet of him. That is when he truly struck. Several of the balls of flame shot up, becoming pillars. They turned and shot back down at the human while the rest spread into a wall around him, giving him no escape route.
What happened next, Asgore watched with acuity. The human let his swords drop away and brought his hand up. The fire collided with a wall of ice. The two spells canceled each other out and a cloud of steam surrounded the human. He blew it away with another spell and brought the swords back to his hand.
Asgore smirked. The human was not as strong as he thought, and he had just proven it. The human may know his fair share of magic, but he was limited. He could only use two spells at once. Asgore now knew that he need only overwhelm him, and this would finally be over.
Wasting no time, Asgore charged back in again, weapon poised to run through the human's heart. He felt a brief instant of resistance, as if something invisible tried to hold him back, but it was gone almost as soon as he registered it. The human looked surprised for a moment and crossed his swords to block. Their weapons collided and the human was forced back, but he still managed to keep the strike at bay. The human's arms began to shake after a moment. He had been right; the human had not had the chance to fully reform his enhancement spell.
Asgore readied his next spell, certain it would be the end. Then, the human's arms went steady. "Gotcha," he said.
The space around them exploded with swords. They materialized almost simultaneously with a loud pop. There were dozens of them, all pointed at Asgore. The king tried to break away, but he felt a wall at his back.
The human spun, swords becoming wreathed in flame as he did so. His strike descended on Asgore as the swords hovering in the air did as well. But the king would not be caught by something like this. One of Undyne's favorite tactics was luring her opponent in and surrounding them. He released a wall of flame out from himself. It knocked the human back and shattered many of the swords instantly, the rest were blown away where they shattered as they hit the ground.
"An interesting ruse," the king began, "making me think your magic was limited. But you will have to do much better than that."
"Oh, don't worry. I've still got plenty of tricks up my sleeve." The human said confidently.
As do I. The king thought.
The two combatants came at one another again. Once more, the human's blades became enveloped by flame. He struck at Asgore with even more strength than before. Heat singed his fur as they traded back and forth, but he ignored it. The king let centuries of training take over as they clashed. Block, parry, counter; search for openings and adjust your attack pattern to throw off your opponent. But the human was just as quick. He adapted with the speed of someone who had been doing this their whole life, and much better than any of Undyne's other pupils. Once more, that look of determination was back in the human's eyes. And this time, Asgore was sure they were red. Yes, this one was definitely strong.
Asgore began to notice his movements slowing. He wondered why. He let an opening in the human's pattern go in order to look down at himself. He saw ice, forming along the joints of his armor. He did not have long enough to question why as the human stuck again. This time, Asgore watched the flAmes as they danced away from his sword. They seemed to morph into something else just before they touched him. Water, he realized. It froze at it made contact with him, trying to inhibit him.
The human seemed to realize his strategy had been found out. His next strike came with more force than the rest, knocking the king back. The next was not meant to hit. It sent out an arc of fire. Asgore spun his trident to try to dissolve the flames, but burning him was not the human's intention.
Like the attacks before it, the fire morphed and then froze as it reached him. His weapon became stuck and then his arms, soon the rest of him would be as well. He was trapped! Asgore tried to think of a way to escape imprisonment. A solution formed in his mind, but dare he use it?
It seemed freezing him solid was not the human's intention either, however. Before Asgore could think, he saw the human's distorted form through the ice charge again. Something else consumed his blade this time. Not fire, but light. It flew from the weapon in a complex zigzag pattern, almost like lightning. The realization came to Asgore a moment too late.
The human's sword hit the ice and it shattered as the light cascaded over it. The light reached the king and he felt his body tense as the electricity coursed through him. It was only for a brief moment, but it felt like an eternity. Then, he fell to his knees. His trident was the only thing that stopped him from falling on his face instead.
He looked up at the human who stared back down at him with calm consideration. He looked no worse for wear than when they had started. Considering how much energy the human had just used, that was impossible.
Asgore was losing, he realized. He had to. To reject that idea would bring it about as surely as if he ran himself through. And he realized why: he was trying to simply overpower the human, thinking he was weak and untrained. It had been so long since anything else was the case that he had let himself forget. But humans will always be stronger than monsters, and he would never be able to beat one who knew what they were doing by meeting them blow for blow. It had not worked in the past, it would not work now.
But there were ways for monsters to beat humans. He would simply need to change tactics.
Asgore inhaled, taking in the concentrated energy of being neat the barrier as he did so, and got to his feet. He picked up his trident. Sending a spike of energy through the magic wrought weapon, it began to reform itself. The haft bent subtly, a grip grew out of it as Asgore reached for it. The prongs came together and then shot out to the side, becoming a curved blade longer than his arm.
It was time to stop fighting like a king. With the forming of his ancient weapon, the title fell off of him like a mask, and he became the warrior he once was. And, like a warrior, he was good at one thing: war. And he had excelled at that like none before him.
The human seemed to regard Asgore's change with indifference. He would pay for that mistake.
Asgore did not move quickly. He lopped like a predator, circling around his prey. The human's gaze remained where he had stood. Asgore came closer, weapon poised at the human's neck. The child still did not notice him.
It was an underhanded trick, one he had learned to use on accident. In battle, feints are one of the most important tactics to employ. Fooling your enemy into thinking they knew what you were going to do was one of the ways to seize victory. This spell worked close to that idea. It invaded the mind, made them see something other than what he was really doing. Striking right while he was really striking left, pulling back when he was really charging in. He hated it, but he would use whatever he needed to here.
He brought the blade of his scythe through the human, but he met no resistance. The human faded away like he was made of mist.
"Two can play that game," The human's voice came from behind him. Asgore brought his scythe up at the very last moment. He threw the human's sword away and spun for a return strike, but the human was already gone. Asgore looked around himself warily. The space was empty; he was the only one there. Had the human run away? No, he could still feel him nearby, somewhere.
"Come on Asgore." The human's voice seemed to whisper in his ear. Asgore fought the urge to swing wildly around him. "Where's that confidence?" The voice jumped to his other side and then seemed to fill the room. "Where's that strength that's going to keep your people safe?"
Asgore saw through the trick easily enough. It was a simple matter to throw one's voice around. It was primarily used to rile your enemies, but it would not work on him. Unfortunately, that did not solve the problem of where the human was hiding.
How had been able to use illusion on him? He took measures to not be deceived by it in fights. Had he been able to overcome those? No, he would have felt if someone were trying to invade his mind. He had not, that meant this was something else.
"If you can't defeat one human," the voice continued to taunt, "What hope do you have against the rest of them?"
The human was suddenly right in front of him, his fist upraised. Before Asgore could react, the blow connected with his mid and sent him spiraling back. He flipped in the air and landed on his stomach. He got back to his feet just as fast as he had been knocked down and winced in pain. He looked down at the armor covering his chest; it had been caved in. Pushing back the pain, he made the armor vanish and then summoned it anew, tying it off before turning his atTention back to the human.
The human still stood where he had reappeared. "Stop holding back, Asgore." He said. "If you don't, then you'll never be able to win."
The human's words worked to anger him this time. He was beginning to think this battle had been going on long enough. He wanted him to use everything he had? So be it.
Asgore charged at the human with a roar. The human raised his hand and Asgore saw the air shimmer for a moment ahead of him. He swung his scythe at the invisible barrier and it fell away. He kept running. The human sent out bolts of lightning next; they sputtered out as they got close to him. Then came a wash of fire that seemed to bend around him.
Asgore reached the human, weapon held high. The human summoned a sword, but it fell to dust as he raised it to block, as did the next, and the next.
The monster watched panic build in the human's eyes as his blade closed in. He tried one more explosive burst of air, but it was useless.
The blade of his scythe bit deep into the human's shoulder. He cried in pain, and then Asgore pulled the blade towards him, ripping through the human's torso. He collapsed at his feet with a wet smack as blood began to pool around him.
Asgore let out a breath as silence settled on the barrier.
It was done.
He knelt down before the human, waiting for what would come next.
This one had truly been strong, as strong as those he remembered from his past. The king felt a pang of guilt. This human had said he wanted to help him. Perhaps, with his strength, he may have been able to…
Asgore pushed his guilt to the back of his mind, burying it deep with all the rest. The human had helped him. By giving him his soul, he would help him do what needed to be done. There was no other option.
A light began to radiate from the human's corpse. It was the light of his soul, as expected, but something was… wrong. Asgore watched as the light began to fill where he had run the human through; he watched as the human's wound began to mend itself.
He jumped back. The light grew, and Asgore heard the human couch. Then, he started to get to his feet. As he rose, for a moment his arm hung awkwardly at his side, having been severed at the shoulder. But, as Asgore watched, the arm rose back into position. Bone mended, then muscle, until there was nothing left of the wound but a cut in the skin, and then that closed as well. The human reached up and rolled his mended shoulder. When he brought his hand away again, his clothing was restored as well. There was nothing left to prove that he had been injured at all but for the blood on his clothes.
Asgore stood frozen in shock. How could this be? Was it another illusion? No, it would have fallen away just like the rest of his magic had. There was no denying the truth. He had killed the human, yet here he stood before him.
"Come on, Asgore. Are you really that shocked? You should remember that humans have a habit of cheating death."
Of course, that was what that was. He had nearly forgotten.
This human was strong indeed.
"Are you ready to give up?" The human asked. "Or are you going to insist that you were still holding back after that last bout?"
Asgore growled and brought his trident back to his hand. "You have not won yet, human." He said. Fire enveloped him with a thought. It snaked across the floor, covering nearly half of the room. Tridents, like the one in his hand again, materialized in the air above him. As he stared down the human, he brought all of the magic he could to bear. It pained him, but he pushed it back. He meant what he had said. He still knew of one weakness in humans that he could exploit: they used magic differently than monsters, and it tired them out more quickly. "You may be strong," the king said, "but you cannot keep this up forever."
The human looked at the ground somberly, and then the determination was back in his eyes, stronger than ever. He brought his hands up to the top of his back. As he pulled them down, his swords sprung into existence once more. Lightning cascaded off of the blades; fire began to envelope him as well. It shifted in color until it was a bright red. He looked up at the king and said, "That, Asgore, is where you are wrong."
They charged at each other once again.
.
sans looked down at what Ryan had given him. It was his phone. He turned it over consideringly, wondering if he should ignore what his friend had said and just go after him. Finally, though, curiosity won out. He pressed the button near the bottom of the screen and it unlocked. He had not needed a passcode. He could have sworn he had always seen Ryan type one in. The majority of the screen was black. There were two icons near the top, one was a folder labeled 'Not for sans'. The other icon was labeled Voice Memos beneath it. The picture on the icon looked like a sound wave. He tapped it open. There were numerous files listed in it. sans scrolled to the bottom and played the first one, noting that it was dated a couple years back. sans heard Ryan's voice come from the phone's speaker. It flatly said, "Where the hell is the mic on this thing?" and then ended. sans chuckled and skipped up a bit. Many of the files were named in such a way that they made no sense to him, and likely the recordings would not either. He found one titled 'Day 1.' It was from about a year ago. He played it, and again Ryan's voice echoed through the hall.
"…This is going to sound crazy," he said. "It sounds crazy to me just thinking about it. And, likely, no one would ever believe me if I told them. But I swear this isn't dream, and this isn't some figment of my imagination or the result of any form of drug. It is very, very real…
"I'm getting ahead of myself. Okay, form the beginning." There was a pause. sans thought he heard him take a breath. "So, this morning, I was coming back from paintball, and now I'm… I don't know where I am really. For some reason, during my drive home, I decided to stop and go for a hike. It had been awhile, you know? And it didn't seem like there was anyone else there, so I thought 'why not take some time to think?' One second, I was staring out over the edge of the lookout, next thing I knew I was in some cave.
"This is the weird part, though, and I will swear up and down that it is true: everything that has happened to me since I woke up in that cave is exactly like the video game Undertale."
sans stopped the recording and rewound. The words repeated, "-exactly like the video game Undertale."
He stopped it again, staring blankly at the screen. "so, the kid wasn't making stuff up" He sat down against one of the pillars and pressed play again. "-exactly like the video game Undertale… If that's true, then I know what's waiting for me. To be honest, I don't want to do it. I don't want to leave. Toriel won't let me anyway, but…
"First, let's see if this actually is the same world. I have to wait a few weeks for my arm to heal anyway." The recording ended. sans skipped a few and pressed another.
"Bone's healing nicely. A lot faster than I thought it would, honestly. It's most likely the food. I haven't eaten this well since-" sans ended the recording and skipped to another.
It began with a long stretch of silence. sans began to wonder if the whole thing was blank. He almost went to the next one when, "I have to do it," it started. "I have to leave. I couldn't live with myself if I did nothing. I'm scared. But I'm going to try. No, I'm going to do better than try: I'm going to do what couldn't be done before. I'm going to save him." There was another pause. "I'm going to save Asriel."
The name made sans start. The prince? That was who he was trying to save? What made him think he could do that?
The prince was dead, nothing more than dust. There was nothing to save. Surely his friend knew that. sans looked to where Ryan stood before he vanished. "What are you doing?" he said to the empty hall.
.
Asgore's breath heaved as their weapons clashed again. He had lost track of how long he and the human had been fighTing. It felt like days, but could not have been more than just an hour or two.
He felt more exhausted tHan he ever had in his life; meanwhile the human looked no worse for wear than when they started. Still, he refused to admit defeat; he would keep fighting until his last breath – the human had to hiding his fatigue just as he was. He would not give up. Not now.
The two separated, jumping back and resetting their stances. The king looked through the human trying to find some opening in his defense. The human just held hImself ready. "I will admit," Asgore said as they stared to circle each other again, "you are one of the strongest humans I have fought in my long life."
He nodded. "Much stronger than the other humans whoSe lives you took, I imagine. Killing them must have been much easier."
"What do you mean?"
"The other sIx humans whose souls you took in order to tear down the barrier."
Asgore shook his head. "No. You are the first human I have fought since we were trapped down here. Of the other six, two died in their fall, two more were brought to me as souls already, their deaths a mystery. One died by accident as we attempted to capture them and the last…" He pauSed looking away. He could feel tears welling up in his eyes. "The last took their own life at my feet. They said, 'I hope this will help make up for the sins of my fathers.'"
The human lowered his sword, confusion writ on his face. "You're lying," he said.
"It is the truth," Asgore maintained. "I do not do this because I eNjoy it. I do it because I must. Their death, and all of the rest, will haunt me until the day I die."
The human seemed to consider something, and then raised his weapon again. "It changes nothing," he said. "The burden still lies at your feet. Tell me, Asgore, why are you not using the strength you waited so lOng to gather? You will not be able to win this fight without it."
Asgore's eyes narrowed in anger. "I do not need that power to defeat you." He mainTained.
The human sighed, "Why do you refuse to see the truth?" he said. "Fine. I will show you just how hopeless this is." The human's swords fell away; the spells that manifested aRound him did as well. He stood little better than naked against Asgore's armored might. To the king, he suddenly looked much more fragile than he had a moment ago. The human spread his arms wide. "Come, King of Monsters, do your worst."
With a roar, Asgore did just that. His mind was clouded by hate, anger, sorrow and exhaustion. He did not question the opening, sImply took it. He wanted this to be over, as it should have been long before now.
He lunged with his trident poised in front of him. He knew it would hit home. And this time, he would make sure there was too little left for the human to recover from.
Just before his weapon touched him, the human's eyes flashed, and AsGore was stopped. A torrent of wind was thrown around him, pushing him back. He tried to erase it, but more came at him too fast. Finally he was blown back, struggling just to stay on his feet. When he looked up at the human again he was gone. The moment that thought registered, something collided with his back, knocking him forward. Then the human was in front of him. His fist collided with the side of Asgore's face. The force of the blow sent him reeling. His vision blacked out for a moment. When it returned, he could see light in the corner of his eye where he had been cut.
Asgore fought just to keep standing. He barely moved one foot before the next blow came, this time to his side. The attack rigHted him again. He swung with his trident, merely guessing at where the human could be and hit nothing but air. A kick hit him in the back of the leg and he stumbled. He swung his weapon behind him. It hit a sword, but no one was carrying it. Another punch hit him in the head, then the shoulder, then his back; blow after blow came. Asgore felt his armor buckle, his skin break. He felt his little remaining strength pour out of him.
The human appeared in the air before him once more. The back of his foot collided with his head, and the king was sent flying. He collided wiTh a wall. Stone cracked in the impact. Asgore could feel consciousness try to slip from him and he fought back against the darkness. He willed his body to move. It did so, sluggishly.
His weight crashed to the ground, and he sTruggled to rise. He looked up at the human. The pulse of the barrier flew into the infinite behind him. He seemed to stand like the heroic figures of ancient legends. THere was not a scratch on him, he was completely unfazed by their battle.
"How?" Asgore asked. "How do you not tIre? How do you keep going? I have fought with humans before, and none of them came close to your strength. How?"
The human did not answer. He raiSed his hands to the necklace that rested over the light of his soul. The heart shaped gem began to glow. First red, then white. Then, light exploded inside of the barrier.
.
All throughout the Underground it was felt, and though they did not know it yet, the moment would go down in history forever. Each would tell it differently, but at the center the story was the same. That day something happened, they could feel it, though none truly understood what it was. But they knew that it was the beginning of something. Something momentous.
In New Home, monsters stopped in the streets and looked up in awe as a pillar of light exploded from the castle. Many had to turn away from it for it shone with such intensity. Others found themselves unable. They stared up at the light. None knew what the light meant, except that it called to them, and so they went to it.
Below the city, the Town of Hotland shook as if the molten earth around them had suddenly decided it was done with its millennium of calm. Monsters left their homes to investigate what was going on. One fire monster looked up above as the rest mumbled about what to do. As they all decided to go to the city to investigate, she stayed behind.
Beyond Hotland, the metal box that served as the lab blared with sirens. Doctor Alphys typed furiously on the keyboard at her desk, trying to regain some sense of control and figure out just what was going on. Then, the readings began to pour in. They scrolled up her monitor at a speed that would have been difficult for any but her to follow. Her eyes went wide, glasses falling down her nose. She quickly pushed them back in place and ran to her elevator. She had been warned about this, and she knew what she had to do.
Past the maze of caves in Waterfall, the town of Snowdin felt nothing more than a light tremor in the earth, but still they took notice, for it ran deeper than that. Undyne looked in the direction of the town's exit. She stood with Papyrus in the middle of the street. They had just left Grillby's to return home for the night. Snowy and MK laughed at their feet, but their laughter stopped as the ground began to shake. Undyne looked to Papyrus. They nodded at one another. Whimsalot and Froggit bounded over to join them, and Ayame appeared as if she had always been there. They too were drawn by it. They all looked to the mouth of the cave in the distance. As one, they started to run.
Deep within the forest, a lone monster looked up over the trees. She held a hand to her chest as she felt the tremor pass over her. Then she continued to trudge through the snow, hoping she was not too late.
.
As the whOle mountain stirred, Asgore blinked away the light that blinded him. Slowly, the room resolved itself around him once more. Before him, a pillar of wHite light rose from floor to ceiling. As the light began to fade, the human stepped from its midst.
He had changed. The light of his soul had grown, tendrils of it spread over his chest like rooTs from a tree, or cracks in tHe ground. Those crAcks rose up his neck, almost coming to his eyes. His eyes glowed red for certain now, and as Asgore looked into them, the whiTes behind grew black. The stone around his neck stIll rested at the center of his cheSt. The heart sHaped gem shOne a luminous White against the red of his soul.
As the human stepped from the column of light, the color of the barrIer around them shifted from white to red. It seemed to pulse fasTer as he approached Asgore. "Y-you… you…" he stammered.
The human nodded to his unasked question. "Do you understand noW?" he said.
Asgore's arms slumped dOwn to his sides. He felt hope flee from him. He had lost. He could not win this fight. FoR a moment, the human's image seemed to change into someone else. It was just like then, he thought; he was helpless.
"What now?" He asKed with bitter resentment. "Are you going to kill me like you did my son? Or are you juSt going to leave? Nothing is stopping you."
"I did not come here to kill you, Asgore, nor to leave." The human said.
He knelt down, and pulled up Asgore's head. The king looked into those black and red eyes and saw only benevolence. He smiled, "I came here to help you."
Asgore felt his hope return. Looking to the human's eyes, he found that he believed that he could help them. He did not know how yet, but he felt like he would understand, soon. "Do you really think there's another way?" he asked.
The human's smile slipped. "No, actually. At least, not yet. That talk before was only meant to keep you busy; to buy time."
His confusion grew. "Buy time for what?" The king asked.
The human rose once more and looked past Asgore. "With any luck," he said, "what comes next."
The king tried to rise to his feet as well. "I don't understand."
The look of determination had returned to the human. "And, unfortunately, I can't explain everything right now." The human turned away from him and then turned back. An air of desperation hung about him suddenly. "The next few steps are crucial, Asgore. I need the 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Interesting…