I grabbed the stone brick ledge under the window as I fell from being tossed upward by gravity. I scrambled to get a firm grip on it and nearly fell off, back down the nearly mile high cliff I just flew up. I was finally able to pull myself up and got my back against the window to catch my breath.
Phase one complete.
I carefully turned around and faced the window to find a way in. When I didn't find any latches, I pressed my face against the window to see inside. The stained glass was a bit dense and hard to see through, but I could see the light coming in from other windows across the room through it. What looked like chairs and tables sat in the middle of the room. I took another good look around the window itself and concluded there was no way to open it, and busting it out would alert everyone nearby. Maybe I can take it out?
I summoned a thin, but sharp bone and found a gap between the window frame and brick. I stuck the bone in the gap and began prying the window out, little by little. I went along the entire edge of the frame and eventually got it loose enough to pick it up out of its place. I picked it up and maneuvered it around to set it sideways in the opening. I had just enough room to slip through inside.
Once in, I jumped down onto the top of a book case under the window. The room had an upper floor that lined the walls of the room with more shelves, so I was still pretty high. I got down onto the walkway and began my search for a soul. The shelves were bare, having been robbed of their books long ago it looked like. I managed to find one that had been left behind and opened it out of curiosity.
Never mind. I can't read whatever language that is..
I kept looking around and found nothing on the upper walkway, so I found the way down to the ground floor and searched there.
All the tables and chairs were haphazardly sitting or lying around, making it clear a battle had been fought in this room at one time. They were signs of magic having been used around the room as well. Along with..
Humans lived here..?
A long long time ago it looked like. I'd almost think they were skeleton monsters with the way they looked now. Guess it's true they don't turn to dust like monsters do. I found one of their shields and examined the crest on it. A golden dragon wearing a crown. Interesting choice. I took a quick glance around and found the same crest on some ripped banners that still hung along the walls. This was the defending army was it?
Odd. I seem to recall hearing it was the humans who attacked monsters, not the other way around.
Something didn't feel right about this place..
Focus Semi. Find the soul first.
I looked everywhere and didn't find any clues as to where the soul was. But it was here. I could sense it. I stood in the middle of the room and tried to sense the soul. All I got was the faint feeling that it was nearby. But where was it if not in this room..?
I heard a gasp behind me and quickly summoned my magic in attack, shooting it off without thinking, purely out of fear. I waited for the dust to clear and someone came walking out of it towards me. I summoned my magic again- And a frying pan came flying at me and knocked me out..
"Ah splinters.." I groaned as I got up from the hit.
Someone picked up the pan and I heard it slap against bone. I looked up at them in fear..
"Is that any way to greet me Semi? With a wall of magic?!" she shouted angrily at me. "Don't answer that!" she cut me off. "You are such an impulsive person.." she complained.
It was really her.. It was Calibri..! She.. She was alive! She stood tall as ever over me, with her weapon of choice in her hands. I thought of Arial as I looked at her. They were a lot alike, heh.
I got up, but she whacked the pan down on my head to stop my movement.
"Before you say anything; yes it is really me, and yes.." she sighed, moving the pan away to look at me. "It is.. really you.." she said with some shock at me. "A.. much older.. you.." she realized.
She looked exactly like she did when she left me. Same age, same look, same expression, heh. How is it she's been gone for so long, yet.. nothing changed?
I started having flashbacks to the last time we spoke. It was a huge argument, and we both said things we didn't mean. Well, she may have meant most of her words, because she was right. But still, it wasn't the best moment between us. I held tears back, unable to speak to her as I thought about that day. Hate tore us apart, and it was all my fault.
Despite all that though, I was glad to see her alright.
"Oh don't give me that look Semi." she folded her arms at me. "You do not seem to have changed any in attitude." she huffed.
"N-no! Calibri! I-I have changed! Really!" I quickly told her.
"Oh yes?" she asked, looking down at me with disappointment.
"Yeah, heh, I.. I uh.." I was lost for words. Because their were none to say to prove I had changed. "I'm just glad to see you alive!" I cried out.
She huffed at that and looked away from me. I wanted to say something, but I didn't know what was worth saying.. Expect that I was sorry for what happened.. But she didn't seem especially willing to listen to me. And I wouldn't blame her..
So I just resumed my search for the soul in this room. I'll probably end up searching the whole castle for it I'm sure.
"Wait, you are not going to ask me anything?" she said with surprise.
I shrugged in reply and kept on.
"What are you even here for..?" she asked.
"A human soul." I sighed. "There's a human kid in town that wanted me to get it back for them, so I came looking for it." I answered.
She didn't say anything.
I stopped and sighed. I can't try and ignore her like this.
"Calibri I.." I stuttered. "I'm sorry.." I said softly.
"Pardon? I.. did not hear you." she said, trying not to laugh at me.
"I'm sorry." I said a little louder, turning to her.
"Come again?" she smiled.
"I. AM. SORRY." I said louder.
"Sorry, you say?" she walked over to me with a smug on her face. "Since when is the Royal Knight Semi Gaster ever sorry?" she mocked me.
"I deserve this." I whimpered.
"Indeed you do." she huffed. "But, you do not deserve.. whatever it is that has happened to you." she stated with concern.
"Age? No I deserve that too." I replied.
She knelt down and looked me over with worry in her expression.
"How long have I been gone?" she asked.
"30 years." I told her.
She winced in surprise.
"No. That.. That can't be right at all!" she said in shock.
"Looking at you I can hardly believe it myself." I told her. "But it's the truth." I stated.
She put her hand to her mouth and looked at the floor in disbelief.
"That's why I'm glad to see you alive Cally.." I sighed. "I never found you after you left so I could.. apologize.. I thought you'd.." I strained to get out.
"Semi I-.." she hesitated. "I had no idea I would be here for that long, and yet, it has not been that long for me.." she shivered.
Didn't think that huh? No. Hold your temper Semi old boy. This is no time to get mad. You have no reason to. Whatever happened to her was probably not her fault.
"Could he have known..?" she asked herself.
"Who?" I asked her.
She didn't answer as she looked at me with worry.
"Who Cally? The one who got you stuck here?" I asked, my temper starting to sound in my voice as my anger turned on this unknown suspect.
"N-no, well.. yes. Yes, it is." she told me nervously.
"How did you get here?" I asked her calmly. "And what are you doing in this death trap of a castle anyway?" I glanced around for guards.
"I'm not exactly sure myself. Your brother did not explain things to me." she told me.
"My brother? W.D?" I asked with shock
She sighed and looked at me with concern.
"W-When I left you that day I.. I went to your brother for help. I asked him what to do, about what was happening between you two, and how to stop it." she explained. "But instead of addressing it, he.." she paused. I stepped closer to pressure her to continue. "He gave me the Star Blade, and told me to wait here, in the Void." she said.
Why..? Why did he-
"Wait! The Star Blade is here?! Where is it?" I asked her in a panic.
I had been lookin' for that thing for years! No wonder I never found it! It's been in a completely different dimension this whole time!
She quickly covered my mouth and looked around, then pushed me over to the wall out of the light from the windows.
"It is up ahead, just before the throne room where the Rift is." she told me quietly as she kept my mouth shut. "When W.D sent me here, I came out of the Rift at this castle." she stated with another glance around. "The human here, the other part of the monster, is guarding the Star Blade along with the Rift. He has forced me to work on repairing the Rift ever since it suddenly appeared in this world so he can escape back to our world." she explained.
Forcing her to repair the Rift? Why that dirty no good lazy head human-! They think they can capture someone and use them to escape? Worst yet my former best friend? I don't think so!
Calibri kept me quiet as I got worked up over this.
"I know where the soul is that you are looking for as well; it is at the Rift." she explained. "If you take it, the Rift will not have a power source-" she stopped.
Strange sounds suddenly came from one of the halls leading into the library.
"You trust me still, yes?" she quickly asked me.
I hummed and nodded affirmatively. She took her hand off my mouth and quickly pulled me away from the wall.
The sounds were getting closer.
"DO NOT go on the roof." she stated in a hushed tone. "Get to the throne room, across the land bridge at the back of the castle, and get the soul and sword." she told me.
"W-what about you?" I asked quietly.
She tapped her face to the top of my skull.
"Don't worry about me. I will keep the way clear for you." she stated.
"Cal-"
She grabbed me and tossed me with her magic up to the walkway. I flopped onto it and got up to head back down, but the strange sounds were here now. I got closer to the edge and glanced down at Calibri as she faced whatever it was. I could hear her, but whoever she was talking to was speaking too low for me to hear from here.
"Yes I know." she told them. "N-no, of course not." she replied to them. "Tell him this takes time. I don't know nearly as much as W.D about how the thing works!" she shouted angrily. "Alright alright!" she shouted as she stepped back nervously. "I swear, this will not go as he thinks it will. Someone will put a stop to his plan." she stated angrily.
I could tell she wanted to look up at me, but she kept her eyes on who she was talking to to protect me, and herself.
I stepped back from the edge as quietly as I could, and waited..
When I didn't hear anything, I quietly walked towards the open window I had come in through, and tossed myself up to the top of the bookshelf to climb back out onto the ledge at the window.
I held my hand up and saw it shaking. I had no idea what was going on, how this had happened, or what exactly I was going to do. One thing's for certain though..
They're not keeping you here Calibri. I swear I'll save you.
Stars its been too long since I've scaled stone brick walls. And these weren't exactly the best ones to climb.
I stopped as I heard movement above me along the wall. I was hanging under the battlement outcropping of the wall, so I would be unseen as long as they didn't look too far over the edge. I could their footsteps, so I knew someone was there, but I didn't sense anything from them. No soul, no life, no emotions. They passed by, whoever they were, making the same strange noise I had earlier when they came for Calibri. When I didn't hear them anymore I continued climbing sideways across the crumbling brick wall.
I wanted to stay outside as much as possible, but I was running out of wall, and there was only one way across to the other cliff. The land bridge. I was at the back of the castle now, so I had to be close to a door that led to it from inside.
I soon found an opening in the wall, a large hole created by powerful magic that had been fired from inside, and made my way over to it to climb into the castle. I had to watch where I put me hands as I climbed in, as dark magic had been used to create this gap, leaving it scarred with a black char that was as dark as the void sky above. Last thing I wanted on my hands was that.
I glanced around the room before moving inside any further, and found more fallen soldiers from the ancient past. The targets of the magic attack no doubt. One of the soldiers was different from the rest I noticed. I walked up to them and lifted up what was a cloak they had been wearing. It had the Delta Rune on it. But this was clearly not a monster. It was a Human; wearing the crest of the Monster Kingdom.
Stars I wish I had time to investigate this.
I spotted a shield across the room, next to another human solider. It had the Delta Rune on it as well. I walked over and let the poor sap know I would be borrowing it. A little extra defense never hurt, and being a small shield it didn't weigh me down by much. I got it strapped on my arm and I swear I felt my hero level raise. I felt I bit more confident with some real gear on me; I knew it wouldn't disappear the moment I lost my focus like my magic.
I quietly exited the room to a large hallway. The signs of battle were more intense here. Arrows were caught between some of the bricks, there was a broken sword, and marks left by dark magic attacks covered the walls. The attacking forces, who ever they were, must have charged through here towards the throne room, merciless to the defending party. So I'm going to the right way I guess.
I slowly but steadily walked down the open hallway, keeping my focus straight ahead of me. On my left were windows with the soft light of the Void coming through them. On my right, torn banners and paintings. I glanced at some of the paintings as I passed them, finding them all of humans; royalty it look like. I almost stopped when I passed a suit of armor that was still together.
It won't fit you old boy. Just keep walking.
Strange sounds came from up ahead suddenly. I quickly looked around and found a doorway that led out of the hall and darted through it. I found and hid in a shadowy spot behind a bookcase, and listened to the sounds pass by..
I still sensed nothing from them, and I took the risk of getting a peek at them. As I looked around the bookshelf all I saw was the tail end of them as they passed by. Dark magic for sure it looked like. No sounds of armor rattling, or even footsteps from them.
Were they even really there..?
As I waited a bit to be safe, the sound of a stiff breeze from the other end of the room caught my attention. I walked up to the door it was coming from and slowly opened it enough for me to fit through. Once on the other side, I realized I was outside on a stone walkway. Pillars lined its edge and held up a roof over the walkway that had gray vines hanging from it and the railing, creeping through every crack.
I walked up to the railing and gazed out around the area. Straight ahead I saw the cliff I was heading for. A stone wall blocked my view of the building beyond it. I scanned the wall and found the archway that led through it at the end of land bridge. I followed the bridge over to this side and found where I needed to go to reach it. It wasn't far thankfully, and this path led right to it. I took a glance down and saw the river passing under the bridge far below. That had to be at least a mile long drop. Try not to fall Semi, heh.
I kept glancing at the bridge as I walked towards it under the cover of the walkway. It had no railing, no walls, no bushes; nothing but grass and a dirt path spotted with stone bricks. I didn't like it. There was a wall at that end, and no doubt a wall at the castle's back back here. If I walked out there, in the open, anyone could see me from the walls. Or from the roof, which Calibri warned me about.
I made sure the shield was on me tight. It's going to get some use.
I came to a stop at the main path to the bridge. A detailed archway hung over me, along with moss and vines that had grown on it. The stone brick of the walkway I was on broke up along the bridge as the path turned to mostly dirt. The shimmering gray tones of the Void were almost beautiful here, but a broken lantern that once hung here, now laying shattered nearby, reminded me that I was in a post war zone.
I peered at the wall on the other side for any movement, but it was quiet.
For now.
I wonder if Calibri is back over there by now? I hope she is. Something tells me I won't be able to come back across for her if she's in the castle. This is going to be a one way trip from here out..
I glanced around for one of the star like anomalies I could use to SAVE myself, but, none were around that I could find. Guess the Void is in better shape than my world and probably has never had one of those.
With a nervous breath, I walked forward onto the defenseless land bridge.
The constant Void breeze came across the bridge stronger then it did at ground level. It was really more of a wind up here with nothing to block it. The grass shimmered as the wind blew it to one side, creating a sort of dazzling effect. Up ahead of me, past the wall through the archway in it, I saw something else shimmering. It was out in the middle of a clearing that came after the wall. Was that.. the Star Blade?
I picked up my pace.
A black arrow immediately struck the ground in front of me, stopping me in my tracks.
I looked up and found the attacker; an all black monster made of magic along the wall. It had no definite form, and no soul that I could sense. Its bright white eyes locked onto me as it summoned a new arrow and loaded it into the bow.
More of them appeared along the wall.
An arrow suddenly came from behind me and grazed my cheek bone. I turned around and saw more dark magic monsters lined along the wall of the castle.
Guess that's why Cally said not to take the roof..
I was right smack dab in the middle of the bridge, so I was within both their firing ranges. I looked between them as they stood staring at me, now of them showing any sort of emotion with their white eyes. Are they waiting for me to have my turn?
They all drew up their bows at once.
"Come on fellas! Can't we talk this out?" I shouted at them. "We're all civilized monsters here aren't we?" I asked them.
They drew back their arrows and took aim at me.
"Alright than." I shrugged.
They all let their arrows loose at once.
I dashed forward to dodge the arrows coming right me, and had to quickly raised my shield for it to take its first hit for me. Larger dark magic monsters had appeared in front of me, and they wasted not time ramming into me straight on, knocking me back to the middle of the bridge.
I heard more of them coming from behind me, and managed to turn in time to block a sword from one of them. I dodged their swings, then dodged an attack from the larger ones, then got hit face first by a sword and knocked clean off the bridge.
I got gravity magic, remember? Heh.
Changing my gravitational pull, I was able to walk along the bottom of the rocky bridge. Once I reached the other side, I tossed my self back over to the top, where plenty of those monsters were waiting for me.
One of the bigger ones slammed its fist into me and knocked me straight back like a rocket into the clearing beyond the wall. I hit the stone brick floor and went skidding across it almost fast enough to catch fire from the friction.
I definitely got some stone burn from that..
I got myself up as they walked towards me and looked behind me to see I was just a few feet away from the Star blade, sparkling in the ambient light as it sat alone, struck into the stone.
Needless to say, I ran for it.
I heard the monsters roar and begin running towards me as I made a mad dash for the blade. Arrows came down on me on both sides, and one hit me but I ignored it to get to the blade.
I made a leap for it and reached out to grab its hilt-!
I was slapped aside by a sword from an enemy I didn't see and got slammed to the ground hard enough to crack bones. I was paralyzed by the impact for a moment, a long enough moment for the dark monsters to grab me and stand me up as they held me tight in their cold formless hands. Their dark magic swords crossed my neck from both sides.
"My my.. What an attempt." someone laughed.
Walking towards me was a tall cloaked being, wielding a curved blade that had a dark gray ribbon tied around its hilt. As they got closer, I realized they were human. It was the black soul human..!
He grinned down at me as he straightened his wide brimmed hat. His red hued eyes were covered by his pitch black hair, but I could see his intentions in them.
"Much more exciting than Calibri's attempt." he smiled.
"Semi!" I heard Calibri yell.
I glanced her way and saw her get caught by monsters at the entrance to the throne room as she rushed to try and help me. They held her back despite her struggles to get free using her magic. They dodged her attacks and thrashes and soon had her subdued.
I turned my gaze back to the human who was looking at me with amusement.
"Ah, so you ARE Semi Gaster, monster soul of Pride." he said.
"And you must be the missing piece to the monster's soul." I replied.
"I AM our soul." he stated. "But alas, Mastic has all our collective resolve, our actual power." he explained.
"WP?" I wondered out loud. "That would explain why it- he, can't hold his form." I said.
"Indeed." he muffled a laugh. "He is but power. And I am but form." he stated. "You though, seem to be both." he peered at me with interest. "A monster with the power of a human-! I did not think it possible without the soul being absorbed." he smiled and stood back from me. "How I do wish I had time to study it." he said.
"Keep wishin' pal." I told him.
"I sense your fear monster." he smiled at me. "And such hate. It almost rivals Mastic's!" he laughed.
I tried to clam myself down in an effort to make it go away. Deep breaths Semi. Deep bre-
The dark swords pressed in closer.
"You cannot run from yourself Semi." the human said. "You may be able to control your other feelings, but your pride cannot be removed." he walked up beside me. "It is still there, is it not?" he leaned down and whispered.
"No." I answered.
"No.." he snickered. "We shall see." he said, walking away and around towards the Star Blade. "You say that with such confidence." he turned to me. "But I know how the monster soul works." he stated. "Do you?" he asked.
"Go ahead and tell me regardless. It will give me more time to think of an escape plan." I told him.
"I do like you monster.." he smiled. "You are not like most monsters I have encountered and studied. You have.. resolve, not just in your soul but in your very being. Your stubborn pride has been the motivating force in all your thoughts and actions, and has ultimately been the cause of your downfall." he explained.
He stopped and looked at me for a moment.
"You want to kill me." he stated plain faced.
Gosh darn it-! Calm down Semi!
"Oh, please, do not hide that feeling from me monster." he walked up to me smiling. "It is refreshing to sense such hate and dread from a monster. Break free from your weakness. Break away from the love, the compassion.." he closed in on me, leaning over to look me right in the face." The hope." he finished.
"Semi! No!" Calibri cried out.
I kept quiet.
"What will you do monster?" he asked.
I just stared back at him, forcing my feelings down.
He grinned, then snapped his finger at the monsters holding Calibri. I didn't look that way, and kept fighting myself. He won't kill her. He needs her. Splints. He needs me more.
"My, not a care at all." he said amused.
I fought my fear, my hate, my sadness, even my pride.
The Star Blade is here, with it I can stop him. He's the type that toys with his enemies it seems, so he won't kill either of us. I don't have to fight him, not in a prolonged battle anyway.
You got nothing but these monsters with their swords at your throat to worry about Semi.
"How fascinating.." he said surprised. "You think you can purify your own soul?!" he swung his sword at me laughing.
The monsters let go of me as he attacked me, and I fell back to the stone floor. I rolled to the side and hopped up to my feet. I wiped some dust off my coat as he approached me.
"Such resolve." he smiled. "Such a waste." he then growled as he charged at me with his sword.
I stood ready and dodged his charge with a simple sidestep, quickly countering with a wave of sharp bone attacks at him.
He was knocked back by them, but stood smiling at me as he threw them off like they were nothing.
"Yes! That is what I want to see from you monster!" he laughed. "Show me just what your soul is capable of!" he held a fist up at me.
Dark monsters blocked off the Star Blade behind me. So I kept my focus on the human and summoned a bone sword.
He grinned with excitement.
I dodged his attacks as he made them, trying to find a pattern in them, but there wasn't one. He was mindlessly striking at me with all his strength. I kept a step ahead of him using gravity magic and waited for an opening within the madness he was throwing out. But I didn't find that either, he was moving too fast, and I was spending all my time dodging and blocking.
How can anyone move this fast..?
He flashed a smile at me and made one last hard hitting attack. His sword slammed against my shield and sent me flying backwards off my feet, landing in a skid across the stonework ground on my side from the force of the attack. Once I stopped I got up and faced him, gasping for breath.
He knocked the wind out of me with that one.
He adjusted his hat and looked at me from under the shadow it cast on his face. We faced each other for a moment. I was going to let him have the first move again. Maybe this time I can get past him..
He frowned with disappointment of me not attacking, and went ahead and did what I expected. Another charge.
I ducked under his swing at the last possible moment and threw myself forward under his feet to trip him over me. As soon as he was over me I tossed myself upward and let loose a stream of blasters at the dark monsters.
As they were wiped out, the archers at the wall out of the air. I got turned right side up and landed without injury back on the ground. Well, I had an arrow jabbed between my shoulder blade, but other than that I was fine. I tore the arrow out and tossed it aside, leaving a trial of sparkling dust on the ground with it.
All reality flickered for a brief moment. My WP was wanting me to reset.
I'm not that bad off just yet.
I hopped into a sprint towards the Star Blade.
"Semi-!" Calibri gasped as I felt her magic toss me up.
Black magic flew by under me and burst as it hit the ground a few feet away. I landed and quickly fired back with a blaster at the monsters who had let her go. And not a second after, the human was back and hit me form the side. I flowed with the force from the hit and got turned back around in time to lock my sword with his.
"Still alive are you?" he smiled at me past our swords.
"You said so yourself.. that I have.. a lot of resolve.." I chuckled under his weight as he pressed down on me.
"And yet I have yet to see it, monster." he stated.
With a quick movement, he knocked my sword clean out of my hand and attacked me while I was defenseless.
I tumbled to the ground, but got back up before he reached me and dodged his attack, and the next, and the next one. He kept at it. So did I in dodging him.
More arrows came at me at one point and I was quick to fire a blaster along the wall at the archers. I was even quicker to dodge the human's attack while I was summoning it.
"You cannot dodge forever Semi!" he shouted at me at one point.
"You can't keep swinging like that forever Human!" I shouted back as I threw myself at his feet.
He leapt over me and struck his sword in the ground behind himself to try and pin me with it. I was thankfully out of the way by that time.
We stood panting as we faced each other once again.
"Your army's pretty much gone now I think." I panted.
"Oh no." he laughed. "There are plenty more!" he charged at me.
I tossed myself up and summoned blue bones up into him. I landed behind him and dashed for the blade again.
He tore free from the bones and came after me.
Calibri threw me with magic towards the blade and I grabbed its hilt as I flew by it. The sword stayed put sadly, and I was pulled back to it, slamming into its blade and hitting the floor.
Calibri shot attacks at the human and slowed them down for me.
Come on sword, work with me here! I know I'm not a human, but you can at least weaken this guy with my soul. Right?
I jerked it out of the stone and fell over from its weight. It was a lot heavier than I remembered it being.
"Semi!" Claibri warned me.
I hopped to the side to dodge the human's sword and lifted the blade up into him. He shouted as it hit him and was quick to counter attack me, knocking me for a loop and causing me to drop the sword.
CONSARN IT.
He wasted no time following up with another attack, knocking me further.
I got up and blocked his next attack, but still got knocked back.
There was nothing under one of my feet I realized. I hurried a few steps forward and looked back to see I was at the edge of the clearing. It dropped off to the river below.
SPLINTS.
I ducked under the human's next attack and shoved him back using the shield. He shoved back and his sword ran clear across me.
I was somehow still kicking even after a hit like that..
I was falling though.
Literally.
His hit had knocked me back off the ledge and I was falling off into the open air. As I fell past the ledge, I saw the human wince in shock at something I couldn't see.
Then I suddenly stopped falling.
Calibri-!
Her magic tossed me up and over back to solid ground past the human. I got up in time to see her kick him from behind off the ledge without hesitation. She held the Star Blade tight in her hand, and I realized she must have used it against him, catching him off guard from behind. That explained his expression of shock I saw.
"Good god Cally-!" I laughed. "Your merciless!" I said with both shock and admiration.
"You are not really that surprised are you?" she grin menacingly at me.
"NOPE!" I stepped back out of fear of her.
She began walking towards me with the Star Blade.
"Whoa whoa wait! What are you doing?!" I asked in a panic.
"This blade destroys dark magic, yes?" she asked.
"In the hands of a human!" I informed her.
"Oh. Well.." she stopped and looked aside. "Let's see what it does with me than." she grinned with dark eyes straight at me.
"L-Let's not please." I shivered. "I've been whacked enough as is." I said.
She curiously looked at the blade faintly glowing in her hand for a moment, then looked back at me with a determined look about her.
"We should hurry than." she began walking towards the throne room.
"Hurry?" I asked confused.
"The Rift Semi." she stopped and looked back at me. "We need to get out of here before he gets back, or the rest of his monsters." she looked at the ledge, than out towards the castle.
"Oh yeah, right right." I said nervously.
She nodded to me and led on into the throne room. The entrance was an open archway and stood tall over shallow steps that lead up inside. Once up them and under the broken roof, I was surprised to see the entire Rift system here. It filled the room, looking like it had been dropped into it through the broken ceiling above. The Void's light flooded in from above and reflected off the scuffed metal of the Rift, off the conductors at the ceiling, off the broken railing around the generator below that dug into the ground, and off the bits of wall that dotted the room.
Calibri walked over to the torn console and flipped a switch, causing the console to activate. She then looked back at me as I stared at the sight. I glanced over at her and she looked at me with a serious expression.
"Does it.. work?" I asked her with worry.
"I'm not entirely sure.." she looked at the Rift itself. "If you could quickly lo-"
I jumped the gun so to say and got to work looking over the metallic system that had amalgamated with the stone room. Calibri joined me and explained to me everything she had done so far. It was pretty impressive really, what she had accomplished on her own with so little resources to work with. As we worked through the system, she began asking how I knew so much about how it worked. I didn't have the nerve to tell her how I knew.. Not right now..
"I seem to recall hearing you say you didn't know much about this stuff." I chuckled at her as we finished up.
"I have learned quite a lot while working on it." she replied. "W.D also told me some things about it before sending me here." she said as she looked at the controls. "Things that were exactly what I needed to know to repair it." she stated.
"You really don't have a clue why he sent you here with the Star Blade?" I asked her.
She looked over at the Star Blade propped against the console.
"No." she answered. "Just to wait." she said.
"For what?" I asked.
"I don't know Semi!" she shouted. "I don't know.." she almost cried.
"Easy easy.." I gestured my hands at her. "It doesn't matter now. We're about to get out of here." I told her.
She looked at me with tears in her eyes.
"OKAY. Maybe it's a little late for YOU to be going back, but, Arial is sure going to be glad to see you!" I smiled. "Oh! And your new grandkids!" I laughed.
"That is not helping Semi!" she shouted at me.
"I'm just preparin'ya Cally!" I told her. "A lot has happened since you.. well.." I trailed off.
"I should not have accepted the idea of coming here." she shook her head. "I should have just gone back home." she stated.
"And get in a yelling contest with me again?" I tried to laugh.
She smiled and muffled a laugh.
Then she held back tears as she dropped to her knees and hugged me.
"I'm so sorry Semi.." she sobbed.
"I'm sorry Cally." I quickly hugged her back. "This is all my fault-" I began to cry.
We held each other tight as we cried on the other's shoulder.. After a few moments, we began to ease up.
"Was it Tahoma?" she asked.
"Who else?" I chuckled.
"Now I'm thinking like you dear.." she leaned back from me. "I wish I could go back and prevent everything that happened." she stated while looking at the floor.
"It might still be possible-" She stopped me with a glaring look. "B-But of course, you would still be running a pretty big risk." I quickly said.
"I do not think it is possible anyway." she sighed.
"True. W.D never did actually build the time traveling part of the Rift." I replied, looking at the Rift.
"Do you think she will forgive me..?" she quietly asked.
"Who? Arial? Yeah. She'll understand." I told her. "I mean, she's already forgiven me for FAR worse!" I laughed.
She hung her head low. I lifted it back up and looked right at her.
"She will Calibri." I assured her. "I already have." I stated.
She held her hand next to my face, then pulled me in for a skeleton tap kiss.
"I forgive you too Semi." she told me.
I grabbed both her hands and held them together with mine.
"Let's blow this bland'ol gray joint Cally." I told her with some excitement in my voice.
"Let's." she nodded heartily, with a genuine smile.
She tapped her skull to mine again.
"Word of caution Cally.." I chuckled. "I'm 30 years older than you now." I stated.
"That.. will complicate some things.." she tried not to laugh.
"So will the fact that you're a grandmother." I nudged my elbow at her.
She stared off in shock.
We got everything primed and ready to go to get us out of here, and my thoughts quickly went to Chara's soul already in the system. What would happen to it I wonder? And could the human use the Rift after we were through? Was there a way to prevent that?
"Semi?" Calibri broke my thoughts.
"What do you think are the chances of Chara's soul surviving?" I asked.
"Probably not high.." she said.
"If it's still here once we're through, Mister Stabby will have a way back." I told her.
"I'm not sure anything can be done about that." she shivered.
"Unless.." I began to think.
"I will take care of it." Chara said out of nowhere, stopping my thoughts before they could start.
They walked up the steps into the room and stared at me for a moment through their messy hair.
"I just have to bust some circuitry right?" they said plainly.
"Pretty much." I replied, surprised to see them here.
"How did you-?" Calibri said confused.
Chara walked right up to me and looked at me eye to eye.
"Take these." they offered their hand.
I held my hand out and they dropped their knife, and a heart shaped locket, into it.
"I thought I had this hidden from you." I chuckled at the sight of the knife.
"Find Frisk." they said without anger. "They may be a mushy loser, but they are the only human with enough determination to destroy the monster. Find them and tell them they will have to fight!" they explained with a tinge of anger in their tone.
"Will do kiddo." I replied. "But uh, are you sure you're okay with this?" I asked them with concern.
"I get to blow this place to dust." they said. "I'm fine with that." they grinned.
"That's true." I laughed.
"You are willing to give up your soul for us?" Calibri asked.
"No." they answered. "I'm doing this.. for him." they stated solemnly.
I slipped the knife between my belt and looked at the locket they gave me. Engraved on the front were the words; Best Friends Forever.
"Best friend?" I asked them.
"Once upon a time." they replied. "Now hurry up and go, before you get your butt kicked by that idiot again." they told me.
"Wait, have you been wa-"
The Rift began to activate.
"And hey." they got my attention. "Thanks, I guess." they said.
"Nah, thank you kid." I winked. "Chara."
"Be careful where you say that name back home." they grinned.
I ruffled their hair, making their grin disappear.
"You are definitely related to Sans." they said aggravated.
"Oh yeah, you wanted me to tell him something, right?" I asked them. Because I had forgotten what it was.
"Just say that Chara says they are sorry." they told me.
"No details or..?" I replied.
They shook their head.
"He will know what I mean by that." they said.
Ah, poor kid. Wish I had time to hear your full story.
"Semi.." Calibri called me as the Rift sparked to life.
I quickly hugged Chara.
"Have a blast Chara." I said.
"I freaking hate you.." they replied. "And you better not die!" they shoved me off.
"What? Me?" I stepped back and laughed.
"Don't be an idiot!" they shouted.
"Language kiddo language." I replied. "Oh, and hey.." I picked my shield up from leaning against the console. "Just in case you DO survive." I winked as I handed it to them.
"If I do survive this, I'm getting my soul back, and tracking you down." they looked at me with a murderous expression.
"Thanks for building some suspense!" I told them while hiding my fear.
I grasp the locket I still had in my hand.
"I'll never forget you kid." I told them.
They smiled a soft genuine smile.
I turned to the Rift and stood next to Calibri as it tore open a portal between worlds. The magic ignited with the power of a human soul and the portal stabilized.
We were getting back home.