:-"Don't Forget..."-:
When the sun rises, so does Frisk. It's Wednesday, April 5th, 2045
Today they get to run around with Katsuro! Frisk is so excited, that they can barely keep a straight face.
They do, of course, but it's hard.
They think back to what Bernard always told them, 'it is important for a warrior to not let their emotions show on their face when in battle, or the enemy could use it against them. A calm mind, a clear face, and a heart full of Determination can change the world…'
Frisk gets ready for the day by putting on their normal shorts and striped shirt, and brushing their teeth; they are extra happy now that they are clean.
Unsure, Frisk tries to decide what to do with the pendant…
'I don't really need it, but… I should bring it just in case, right?'
Deciding to bring it with, Frisk puts it on.
Knocking at the door gets them excited, "I'll get it!"
Marceline reminds them,
"no playing until after breakfast, Frisk! If it is Katsuro, invite him in so he can join us for breakfast."
Frisk decides to take the pendant off, before running to answer the door, just in case Katsuro holds them upside down; they wouldn't want it falling out from under their shirt and being noticed…
Exasperated, and not really caring about eating right now, Frisk replies, "yes mother…"
As soon as Frisk opens the door, Katsuro rushes in and lifts them up, then pretends to be a giant evil monster. "Uraawwwr! I will eat you, because I am a big bad guy and I eat people! RUAAAOUR!"
Exaggerating, and giggling, Frisk responds,
"noOOO! Don't eat me I am too small! You would choke on one of my bones and die!"
Not relenting, Katsuro pretends to start eating Frisk, and blows a raspberry on their stomach.
Kicking lightly in the air, because they want down, and giggling uncontrollably from the tickling sensation, Frisk barely manages to say, "ahhh! Nooooe! Hahahahahah! S-stop! I'm too- Hahahahah! I'm too young to be a proper meal!"
Marceline walks out from the kitchen and clears her throat, smirking.
"all done children? Breakfast is ready, please come eat."
:-:
Sans wakes up on a tangled web of wires. 'c'mon, stupid brain, stop needing sleep.'
Slowly, groggily, Sans gets up and starts working again. 'no rest for the wicked, no peace for the righteous…'
Morning comes and goes, but at this point Sans doesn't particularly notice. He isn't even sure what day it is any more, since he hasn't bothered to keep track.
His device is nearing completion, all that is left is enough Determination to power it up.
Sans is certain Frisk would be more than willing to oblige, but he doesn't even need to ask; his jacket acts like a sort of magnet for Determination, and stores as much as it can. If Frisk ever feels less Determined, the Jacket saves it. It could also capture excess DT that escapes when Frisk can't contain it all, but Sans isn't sure that'll happen. With Frisk keeping the Jacket, Sans is hoping that it helps them feel Determined so that when they inevitably lose their Determination, from some horrible situation, it will feed into the Jacket.
…Not that Sans wishes harm on Frisk, but he is well acquainted with the disappointments and horrors that reality throws around.
He isn't, after all, what or where he should be. He's an anomaly in this timeline, kidnapped from another timeline.
Looking over the huge machine as he attaches a few data cables, Sans thinks back to when he and Gaster built the first one in Hotland. It was then that they found out that their timeline designations had been purposefully altered. They had used a stolen Inter-Timeline Chronograph to hone in on what they thought were their timelines, and had a special display to compare their data with the timelines. The display returned unfavourable results; namely, instant death if they had tried to go back without checking.
Despite not knowing what timeline they were from, he and Sans were going to try for as long as they could in order to find them; but while they were testing the time machine the first time, Gaster tripped and fell into it…
If they warmed it up with a slower timeline, before beginning the test, things would have been very different… Instead, they punched in the numbers for the theoretical maximum the time machine could handle, in an attempt to stress test it before continuing. The differences in relative particle speeds between the timelines resulted in Gaster's very essence being shred apart across all of time and space, and it simultaneously set off a chain reaction that rocked the CORE and destroyed the time machine.
The sight was horrible beyond description, and fills Sans with dread to this day.
He couldn't even bear to be near the CORE during the repair work, so he took Papyrus to Snowden.
Sans begins to hesitate, and lets out a sigh, "there's no going back, sans."
Determined, Sans continues working on his "Temporal Manipulation Device"… aka his time machine.
Many of the parts are from the DT extractor in the True lab, but are being used in such a way that you would have to look closely in order to see it. Even then, many pieces are altered to the point where they are now unidentifiable.
There is one significant difference, between it and the time machine he and Gaster built; his time machine can travel to the past on the current timeline, and not just to other timelines.
He and Papyrus had tried to make one before, in order to save Gaster, but it didn't work… As it turns out, in order to "go to the past," there are two major requirements.
Firstly, you have to have enough power to revert the state of all matter in your desired area, because reverting on a universal scale is impossible with current technology, and secondly you have to reconstruct yourself in the past. Needless to say, that is basically impossible… but Sans has access to the void.
In terms of a game, that would be akin to copying the data of a particular user, pasting it outside of the game, loading a system/manual backup of the game, and then pasting that previously saved user data back into the game.
When Sans finishes with the cables, he takes a shortcut to his room and grabs a roughly made powered suit that looks impossible to wear.
The helmet seems just slightly too small for him, and has a complex net of sensors and wires connected to a few microcontrollers that are connected to small motors that seem to imply that it can make facial expressions.
The chest looks… uncomfortable. It's very clear that the intent is for only a Skeleton to be able to wear it, as there is no room for any flesh. Every possible spot has been used for various types of material, empty tubes, wires, and motors attached to heavy duty cables… The legs and arms look about the same; which is to say, they are filled to the brim with various bits of haphazardly constructed tech.
Sans looks at the door to make sure it's locked, then takes off his costume head.
Riddled with cracks and cuts, Sans' skull has seen better days… He ponders the events that lead up to now, and wonders… 'will I be able to come back…? or… will everyone forget me?'
Another sigh… Sans takes the padding and the animatronics out of the fake head, so it will fit over the helmet, then makes sure the face sits properly and emotes correctly.
With the task complete… Sans strips and puts the suit on. Then puts his clothes on the suit.
Fortunately, the suit was made to fit snugly on him, and he wears rather baggy clothes, so all he needs is his jacket and hardly anyone will be able to notice a difference. For now, he decides to pull out one of Gaster's old turtle necks he managed to save and keep with him secretly. He didn't think about it before, but the turtle neck is actually perfect since he also needs to cover his neck…
His gloves are the final touch.
He briefly considers wearing a lab coat, but then decides against it; it would be silly to wear his jacket and a lab coat at the same time.
Sans decides to write a note for Frisk, just in case they forget about him; the note contains a description of who he is, his interactions with them, and what they meant to him… which he sums up on a sticky note:
hey frisk, i'm sans. sans the skeleton.
i'm your humerus big bro. you
probably forgot who i am, but that's
ok. just means I get to prank you all
over again.
stay safe, and don't trust soap…
it lyes.
-sans
With the note done, and not caring that his shorts don't match his top at all, Sans gets the devices needed to set up the dimensional-bridge door for Frisk and leaves the room.
He is a bit clumsier and slow, thanks to the suit hampering his movements, but he can wave it off as him just being tired; he will eventually become more familiar with the suit.
Besides, it isn't like he'll be here for much longer anyway; once he steps into the time machine, all bets are off as to what will happen… His closest calculations and guesses usually have him landing on another planet, thanks to time having the funny effect of not caring where you are in the universe at any given point. He could go to the right time but end up in a sea of darkness, on another planet, or in the middle of the Sun.
His shadow deepens unnaturally as he steps into the empty hallway…
"I think it is about time for us to talk, would you not agree?"
:-:
Alphys is frantically packing, while Undyne claims she is already done.
Looking over everything Undyne has "packed," Alphys sighs. "Undyne, you need more than a few pre-summoned magical spears!"
Undyne grins wide and summons some more magical spears, "how about that?!"
Alphys gently applies her palm to her forehead, and sighs again, "what about clothes? Toothpaste? Scale polish?"
Nervously, Undyne rubs the back of her head, "uh… well… remember when my house caught on fire? Yea… I've been uh, wearing the same clothes ever since. Not that they aren't clean though! I wash them before bathing, then leave them to dry while I soak in the nice cool water."
An awkward silence dominates the room as Alphys appears to be preoccupied with something, causing her to stare blankly at nothing in particular; her list slips out from her hands and onto the floor.
Curious, Undyne waves her hand in front of Alphys," Uh… Firma to Alphys! Are you there?"
With her face going red, Alphys briskly walks out of the room.
Undyne thinks for a moment, then shrugs. She kneels down and picks up Alphys' list and begins grabbing everything on it.
A knock on the door is followed by Sans entering the room, "why'd alphys run off all embarrassed?"
Undyne shrugs. "I dunno, but we need to focus on packing or it'll take forever to leave. Ever since I heard that sound yesterday I've had this really bad feeling, and I want to make sure Frisk is OK."
Sans doesn't reply.
Expecting him to make some sort of pun, Undyne glances back at Sans questioningly before returning to her task.
Sans replies to her questioning face, "sorry, i don't have any good puns right now. just tear-able ones."
Shrugging, he continues, "besides, i'm not really in the mood. just got some news from a new-old acquaintance, and it turns out we've gotta leave in ten minutes; tops."
Undyne turns around, confused and worried, "Wait, but… we haven't even tested the thing yet! Why the sudden rush?!"
Taking on a more serious demeanour, Sans replies, "that sound yesterday came from the direction of the barrier. My… acquaintance says that is the first sign that it's about to break. We have a few days, at most, before whatever is inside comes out."
Glad that Alphys is not in the room to see her reaction, Undyne has become several tones lighter and has a terrified look on her face. She speaks quietly, since she is worried Alphys may come back soon, "not even Asgore, aided by all the monsters in the Underground, could break the barrier! What kind of… thing is in there…?!"
Lying, Sans replies, "I don't know, but whatever is trying to break out is really Determined."
A moment of silence passes and Sans tosses an empty bag at Undyne,
"Here's my stuff. I'm gonna be going with. I'll go get Alphys."
Undyne takes in a deep breath to center herself, and stops him. "No, let me. There's something I want to do one last time before we leave. Conrad said the manor has a piano, and… I want to play a song for Alphys."
Sans shrugs, and replies, "alright, don't take too long; i'll finish packing alphys' stuff. someone should also let mettaton know the change in plans."
Curiously frustrated, Undyne asks, "what happened to your phone? Did you lose it again?"
Sans shrugs.
With a sigh, Undyne pulls out her cellphone, types a brief message, and hands Alphys' list to Sans before leaving.
Undyne spots Alphys leaving the bathroom.
When Alphys sees Undyne, she blushes lightly,
"s-sorry about running out like that, I just… needed to cool down… uh… well… I… (am a-actually always cold but …) S-still!"
Patting Alphys on the head, Undyne grins wide and says, "no worries!"
Bashfully, Undyne continues quietly, "I uh… wanted… to show you… something."
Desperately trying to pull her mind out of the gutter, Alphys nods, "Mm! Uh… wh-what did you want to… show me?"
With a large grin, Undyne replies,
"Well, not show you; it's something I've been practising, when I'm not humouring Paps with his lessons on being gentle."
Letting out a slight sigh of relief, since her nerves were getting to her, Alphys replies,
"O-okay! Well, lets… see?"
With gusto, and a grin, Undyne picks up Alphys and runs through the manor to the ball room.
Alphys' first thought was that they were going to dance… but Undyne goes over to a large cloth covered piano shaped thing and pulls the cloth off… to reveal a piano. Alphys isn't sure why she expected it to be anything else… Maybe her habit of turning things into boxes, and cylinders, for convenience is getting out of hand?
After playing a few notes, Undyne sits down and pats the bench for Alphys to join.
Undyne sits up straight, shakes her hands in an attempt to get rid of pre-performance jitters, and begins playing a soft, simple melody… then begins singing gently:
- - -
When the light is running low,
and the shadows start to grow,
and the places that you know,
seem like fantasy.
There's a light inside your soul,
that's still shining in the cold,
with the truth…,
the promise in our hearts.
Don't forget…,
I'm with you in the dark…
…
When the pain inside controls,
and the suffering takes hold,
and the truth that we must know,
seems all just a lie.
There's a light inside your soul,
where the hurt can't make a home,
there we keep…,
this promise in our hearts…
Don't… forget…,
I'm with you in the dark.
- - -
With the end of the song, Alphys lays her head against Undyne's shoulder.
Undyne gently leans her head on top of Alphys'.
The two sit there in the silent, dimly lit emptiness of the ballroom.
Alphys softly comments, "you surprise me sometimes, Undyne. As soon as I think I have you all figured out, you do something I didn't expect. It makes me remember… everyone has a side they don't show others…"
Undyne doesn't reply, instead she appreciates the silence of the room a little longer.
After a few minutes, Undyne starts to sit up and says, "Sans came in after you left, saying that something came up and that we need to leave soon. We should go finish packing and get ready to go."
Surprised, Alphys asks, "but we haven't even tested the aircraft yet, what happened?"
Undyne shrugs, "I don't remember exactly, but he said something about some 'new-old contact' and about how…"
She trails off, deciding not to ruin the moment. News that the barrier is about to break open might just make Alphys panic…
Instead, she says, "well, I guess he's just really worried about Frisk."
Alphys is still worried though, since Sans has never shown to care about much beyond him and his brother. Not to mention… Alphys can tell that Undyne is hiding something from her, and that it must be pretty bad.
Sighing, Alphys says, "well, let's go then. I… trust Sans, for better or for worse, and I trust you. If you both think we need to leave immediately, then we should."
The two hesitate, but eventually they get up and go to the lab to finish packing.
:-:
Much to Alphys' surprise, Sans finished all of the packing for both of them. Even going so far as to pack things that are not on her or Undyne's lists…
It makes Alphys even more worried.
Sans pulls them out of the lab and they step out into the backyard. Undyne is thoroughly confused with the sudden transition, but she puts the pieces together and finally realizes how Sans gets around so fast…
Upset, but also impressed, Undyne says, "Sans, I know you're lazy… but to be so lazy that you ignore the laws of physics to get around faster… that's just… AWESOME! ! ! CAN YOU SHOW ME HOW?! OH MAN, THAT WOULD MAKE EVERYTHING, LIKE, A BAZILLION TIMES EASIER! !"
Sans chuckles, but shakes his head, "nah, sorry, you aren't nearly lazy enough.
Alphys notices Sans' attire, and asks, "s-since when did you have a turtle neck sweater?! OMG! All you need is a nice pair of slacks and you'd look really refined!"
Mettaton suddenly comments, "I ALREADY OFFERED, DARLING, HE DECLINED. NOW, SHALL WE GET THIS SHOW ON THE ROAD? I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG BURGERPANTS CAN HOLD HIS BREATH FOR. HE BEGGED TO GO WITH FOR MY BIG DEBUT, SO I PUT HIM IN A CUTE DRESS AND STUFFED HIM IN MY LUGGAGE~."
Alphys replies, "yes! We just need to get the antenn-"
In an unusual hurry, Sans interrupts by tossing Alphys the keys to the Aircraft and saying,
"already done, let's go."
Alphys is in shock. Whatever they aren't telling her must be pretty bad… 'Could this have anything to do with that sound we… heard… oh god… did that thing BREAK the barrier?!'
Quickly, in a slight panic, Alphys gets into the aircraft and starts it up.
'No time to do pre-flight checks, "Creator protect us," I guess…'
Hopes and prayers done, Alphys waits for the all clear before starting up the aircraft.
Sans hops into the co-pilot's seat and gives her a thumbs up, then puts on the po-pilot headset.
Alphys begins flipping light switches to start the steam engine, the four pivoting thrusters for VTOL and normal flight, air circulation, and the Cell connection that was added at the last minute.
The Cell connection will only work for a portion of the trip, but better safe than sorry.
The magic fire under the steam engine lights up and glows white briefly, before turning orange and heating up. A few parts start to whine with electricity until the frequency ramps up to inaudible levels, and the thrusters begin to hum as electricity and magic work together to spin the more advanced propellers. The top of the aircraft heats up, while the bottom cools to freezing temperatures, and the air going through the thrusters is heated rapidly.
Sans flicks a switch to notify the people in the back to wear their seat belts, then Alphys slowly pushes the throttle up.
Surprised shouting from humans in the village is too muffled by the roar of the thrusters for any of the occupants to hear.
Alphys' SOUL quivers, and her mind is racing with all the possible outcomes, as they slowly begin to ascend.
But, to her great relief, they do not immediately explode.
Now moderately safely afloat, Alphys disengages the landing gear, pushes the old 3-D gaming joystick forward slightly, and increases thrust; the thrusters turn to obey her command, and push the aircraft forward.
Eventually, she feels more at ease with her handy work and pushes the aircraft to go faster.
A problem is immediately noticed as she pushes the aircraft to go at top speed… that problem being that the glass for the cockpit cannot handle the pressure, and is cracking.
It isn't a problem for Sans, but since Alphys depends on oxygen she starts to slow the ship down.
The cracks start to faintly glow blue, and Alphys looks at Sans and sees that he is using gravity magic to reinforce the glass.
He replies to her questioning face, "we've gotta go fast. i've got the window, so go fast."
Worried, Alphys hesitantly speeds the aircraft back up to top speed.
The trees begin zipping past again, and the Sanctum gets closer rapidly.
It appears they will get to the sanctum in just a few minutes.
The glowing barrier can be seen below.
'It looks fairly stable… No visible cracks anywhere, at least; but it is magic, so who knows?'
Cracks in the glass continue to get longer, but are slowed significantly… Looking over to Sans, she sees that he is putting everything he has into keeping the window from shattering.
Her thoughts are then altered immediately as they approach the Sanctum…
'how will they react to monsters in a flying vehicle?! I really don't want to be shot at again!'
Too little too late to worry about that, Alphys starts to slow down in order to land outside of the defensive walls.
It seems a lot of people have taken notice, however… and a small crowd has started to form behind the defensive walls.
As they get closer to the ground, they can see what appears to be guards and common folk gathering.
They are looking at the aircraft with awe… it makes Alphys blush with shy pride.
She is still on edge, despite that, but seeing the guards not immediately point weapons at them really helps relax her.
Once landed, Alphys hesitates to get out…
Mettaton, however, bursts out (though doing no damage to the aircraft) and greets the humans.
"HELLO BEAUTIES AND GENTLE BEAUTIES! I AM THE ONE AND ONLY, THE MOST FABULOUS ROBOT EVER, METTATON! ! AND I AM HERE NOW TO FILL YOUR LIVES WITH GLORIOUS ENTERTAINMENT! YOU WANT A SHOW FULL OF DRAMA, BLOODSHED, AND ROMANCE?! WELL, LOOK NO FURTHER DARLINGS!"
None of the humans respond, they are awestruck.
Then Burgerpants tumbles out of the aircraft, gasping for breath, as he manages to get out of the suitcase he was forgotten in.
The crowd's attention immediately shifts to Burgerpants.
"A monster?! So… It's true! The barrier really got taken down?! Yes! PRAISE THE SUN THAT KEEPS THE ABERRANT CREATURES AT BAY! YOUR DEADLY RAYS HAVE FINALLY MANAGED TO DESTROY THE ABOMINABLE BARRIER! PRAISE THE SUN! PRAISE THE SUUUUUN!"
The person shouting gets dragged off by one of the guards as the others begin muttering similar questions, albeit with more sane reactions…
A few walk up and ask if they can feel Burgerpants' fur, and he replies, "uh, well, we don't really know each other yet so… Hi, my name is Lenny… You can pet me now."
Mettaton is very jealous, but capitalizes on the situation, "WHY YES! THIS… CUTE CAT/BEAR/AND OR DOG MONSTER IS ONE OF MY EMPLOYEES! WE ALL AFFECTIONATELY CALL HIM 'BURGERPANTS,' WHICH INVOLVES A HILARIOUS STORY; A STORY THAT I WILL BE AIRING AS A ONE SHOT FILLER EPISODE OF THE SHOW I PLAN TO RUN HERE, 'METTATON IN ACTION!'"
Now more curious about the robot, someone asks, "so wait, are you… a sentient robot or somethin'?"
Glad to be in the spotlight again, Mettaton replies, "NO NO NO, DARLING, I AM FAR MORE THAN JUST A ROBOT! I AM A ROBOT WITH A SOUL! YES, THE STRONG AND BEAUTIFUL BOXY BODY YOU SEE HOUSES A DELICATE SOUL WITHIN!"
While Mettaton and Burgerpants distract the human crowd, Alphys attempts to sneak around…
Her attempt fails, however.
The crowd begins asking her all sorts of questions that Burgerpants wasn't able to answer, and making all sorts of comments, like "how did the barrier get taken down," "why is there a new barrier in the distance," and "omg you are so cute, you look like a scientist! I bet you're really smart!"
:-:
All the people who had been looking out of their windows, at the time the group was landing, rush through the Sanctum to be there in person; while also notifying people on the way of what is going on.
By the time Frisk and Marceline catch wind of it, having been preoccupied with cleaning and sorting their things after a morning of rough housing and goofing off, nearly half of the Sanctum is outside.
Frisk and Marceline try to push through the thousands of people, to no avail.
It seems the guards are also having a hard time keeping people from flooding the monsters…
The crowd is rather tightly packed as well, causing Frisk to feel very uncomfortable.
An idea enters Frisk's mind, and, though it could be dangerous, seems to be the only way through.
They thoughtlessly touch their pendant, having put it on before leaving just in case; they are glad they did.
Focusing within themself, Frisk lets go of their mother's hand and begins to weave a string of magic…
With preparations complete, Frisk gathers a second bit of magic and uses it to make a short burst of wind forward, while yelling, "Give me space!"
It immediately catches the attention of the people around them, and they get extra breathing room… but the crowd's focus almost immediately shifts back to the monsters.
So Frisk ignites the string of magic to shroud themself in fire, before the people can move back and crowd them.
It's mostly for looks, however, and those who are too close are just made to feel uncomfortably warm.
Intent, after all, is an important part of using magic.
The people around Frisk are surprised at first and yell out, aggravated, expecting it to be some tactic from the guards to try to disperse the crowd.
When they see Frisk, however, they fall silent.
Pointing forward, Frisk politely demands, "my monster friends are waiting for me, please move."
The people around Frisk begin telling those ahead of them, but no one really moves. The crowd is over stimulated with all the new information, and people near the front decide that the people behind them are lying so they can get closer.
It's the first display of magic from a human, at the Sanctum, since the Barrier incident; but it is going mostly unnoticed.
Rumbling begins behind the crowd, however, and the people who look back notice that the statues at the front gate have started moving.
They walk, slowly, with heavy footsteps, to Frisk… and wait.
Stunned, the crowd looks back in awe; then starts to slowly split in half to allow the burning child and huge statues through.
Frisk looks up to their mother, pleading, and Marceline nods.
They extinguish the magic fire around them, and run through the gap to see their friends; the statues follow slowly.
Marceline walks forward in a slow, dignified manner, with the statues.
Some guards, and a few official looking people, also take advantage of the wide gap in the crowd.
Waving, Mettaton, Lenny, Alphys, Undyne, and Sans greet their small friend.
Frisk runs to, and hugs, Sans first. Then goes around to hug everyone else, even Lenny.
When Frisk gets to Alphys, she hugs Frisk tightly, saying, "thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou! ! You saved us! Uhhg. Everyone was asking a whole bunch of questions, and I was superoverwhelmdandomgnoneofthemevenknowaboutmewmewkissycutie-!"
Undyne nudges Alphys with her elbow.
Embarrassed, Alphys stops her hyper-rambling and tries again, "they all… stopped asking questions when they looked back and saw you. They said huge statues started moving and that you were on fire?"
Frisk nods.
After looking up and seeing the statues, that are indeed moving, Alphys laughs nervously and replies, "well, that's a thing now I guess…"
Undyne adds in, "Oh man, that's so AWESOME punk! Talk about being FIRED UP! FUHUHUHU! !"
Sans looks at his note for Frisk briefly, and comments, "hey, that's my line. did we get the wrong scripts?"
Alphys speaks again, "Okay… Well, let's get going. We need to find somewhere to set up the antenna. Preferably high up, and outside."
Frisk nods again, then waves for their friends to follow; but they stop when they see the approaching people and guards.
Marceline finally arrives, followed by three elderly men in intricate robes, six guards, and the two huge statues.
The first man in the middle speaks, "Young one, you must be the Red child we have heard of in prophecies older than the war… I am Elder Julian, to my right is Elder Adrian, and on my left is Elder Corin."
After a brief bow of respect, Adrian begins to speak, "your arrival, and the re-appearance of monsters, is not only a blessing… but also a warning. I fear you have no time to rest just yet."
Corin concurs, "No, no time. It has been foretold that when the child bearing a Red SOUL enters the Sanctum, they must stop a great calamity."
Chuckling, Julian continues, "of course, these prophecies never give us a time table… Seeing as you arrived yesterday, I think it is safe to say that we have a bit of time to prepare."
The other two nod in agreement.
Alphys steps forward shyly, and asks, "we h-have an antenna to allow c-communication between the Sanctum a-and Staghill… Is… is there a-anywhere we can put it up?"
Julian thinks, and the others look to him. "I think it would be best to speak with our technology specialists on that. We were alive back when technology was thriving during the war, but we were only young children at the time."
Corin looks to Alphys and adds, "you may keep it with the technology department until it is decided what to do with it, but your aircraft will have to be left outside. I don't think we have a way to take it into the Sanctum."
Adrian shakes his head, "we do not."
Julian adds, "You may be able to land it on the side of the main gate, however. Also, if you wouldn't mind, I am sure our technology department would be very happy to speak with the one who made this wonderful vehicle."
Alphys blushes at the praise, and replies, "t-that would be me… I-I made it."
Corin simply nods in reply.
The Elders turn and shout, "back to your tasks! There is much to be done! Give us space!"
The crowd goes quiet for a moment, before starting to talk among themselves again.
Eventually the crowd slowly begins to go back to the Sanctum. The statues follow the crowd, their job fulfilled.
The Elders turn back to the group, and Julian says, "now that the crowd has been taken care of, I would suggest landing the Aircraft near the gate… and… If you would not mind-"
Corin interrupts enthusiastically, "we would really really like a ride!"
Julian clears his throat, and Corin recollects his composure, "what Elder Corin means is that we would greatly appreciate a ride in the Aircraft, as it would not only save us old folk from having to walk, but would also be more efficient. There is something we need to show you, young one."
Corin and Adrian nod in agreement.
Frisk turns to Alphys with a questioning face, and Alphys replies, "w-we can do that, yes! Uh… We won't b-be able to fit everyone… though. Mettaton, would you mind… uh… walking?"
Mettaton replies, "WHAT, YOU MEAN WOULD I MIND STRUTTING DOWN THIS LONG AND GLORIOUS PATH SO THAT ALL MY FUTURE FANS CAN GET A GOOD LOOK AT ME? HOW COULD I RESIST!"
Alphys continues, "well, there is that then. We will be able to f-fit you three, plus Frisk and Marceline… Oh, and I guess… one guard? Uhhm… Yes."
Lenny, mutters, "(I guess I'll just walk then. That's totally fine, thanks for asking. 'No problem Lenny, and thanks for taking one for the team.')"
By the time he is done muttering to himself and mimicking Alphys, the thrusters on the ship begin to roar to life once again and the Aircraft is taking off.
:-:
The trip is very short, but the Elders are impressed none-the-less.
With the Aircraft parked neatly outside the gate, the group enters the Sanctum proper.
Conversations with excited, worried, and indifferent participants can be heard echoing through the Sanctum halls.
Elder Julian flags down a nearby assistant and speaks to her.
Once done, the assistant goes over to Alphys, introduces herself, and offers to guide the monsters to the Technology department.
The assistant is very clearly excited to be speaking with a Monster… And Alphys is very excited to have the chance to look at more human technology, and, hopefully, learn more; based on their reactions and the lack of technology everywhere, however, it is unlikely that any of them know more than she does.
Still, every small bit of information Alphys can learn is a victory.
The shadows flicker for a moment, but no one, other than Sans, seems to notice.
Sans decides to "explore" the Sanctum, while Alphys and Mettaton go off to the technology department. Undyne decides to size up the guards in the Sanctum to see how they compare to the royal guards.
Frisk and Marceline follow the Elders through the Sanctum to a room overlooking the large field within the walls.
The room itself is empty, but on the walls, floor, and ceiling there are intricate patterns. There is even a stone pedestal looking thing that is glowing with magic.
Looking down through a window at the field, Frisk can see that some of the field is used for gardening, some of it is used for animals, and a small portion is used for playing games.
Elder Julian beacons for Frisk, "come, young one, place your hand upon the runes here, in the center."
Frisk approaches the pedestal thing, and looks at it. It's obviously some sort of magical interface.
Doing as instructed, Frisk places their hand in the center and the magical device changes colour to red.
Suddenly, Frisk starts to feel a strange sensation. It's similar to the teleporter in the CORE, but noticeably different… or rather, it is less noticeable of a feeling.
The feeling fades after a moment, and Frisk asks, "what happened? That felt weird…"
Elder Corin chuckles, and says, "it is quite the strange sensation, isn't it? We are now in the Red tower that is floating above the Sanctum."
Elder Adrian adds, "It has been a long time since we have been in the Red tower, since the pedestal only teleports you, and guests, to the tower that matches the SOUL of the one who activates it."
Gesturing for the door, Elder Julian says, "come, someone has been waiting to meet you for a long time."
Nodding, Frisk begins to follow the Elders. Marceline follows too.
The first story is rather dim, lit only by strange pools of multi-coloured glowing liquid, in several fancy glass containers; Frisk feels as though they recognize what the liquid is, but can't quite put their finger on it.
Going up a spiral staircase in the center, they enter the second story, which is well lit and contains a variety of interesting, but seemingly useless, objects.
For one reason or another, Frisk doesn't feel particularly inclined to investigate them closer.
The third, fourth, and fifth stories all contain an excessively generous selection of books; and almost add up to be a large, multi-story maze.
Marceline finds them particularly enticing, but opts to continue following the Elders with Frisk.
The sixth story appears to be a workshop, which includes many large and complicated machines. Some look like they are for cutting, others… Frisk isn't sure. There are a bunch of flasks and bottles with weird liquids in them, some pieces of jewellery, what appear to be staves, and some fancy clothing.
As they approach the stairs for the seventh floor, the Elders stop.
Julian stops the party and announces, "we cannot go further. The level beyond this is restricted to only those with a Red SOUL. All others will find ascending… difficult."
Muttering, Adrian adds, "(Right, 'difficult…' falling to the first story is definitely not anything more than 'difficult.')"
Corin nudges Adrian playfully, "of course that makes it difficult you old coot! You'd have to walk all the way back up! I don't know about you, but I'm too old for that!"
Clearing his throat, Elder Julian continues, "Marceline, I am not sure about you, but we are going to go down to the library. If you would like, you can join us… or you can wait here. None of the machines are powered, so you won't really be able to do anything."
Not particularly wanting to let Frisk go alone, but having no choice, Marceline comments, "well, I suppose a bit of light reading wouldn't hurt. Are there any books on magic?"
The Elders laugh in unison, thinking that she was joking… Upon realizing that she wasn't, Corin advises, "yes, the entire library is dedicated to the study of magic. In fact, we can help you determine your Aspects; then you can focus on studying magic your SOUL is compatible with."
Marceline gives Frisk a kiss on the forehead, and says, "be good my angel, I will be down stairs if you need me."
Frisk, smiles subtly and nods.
When the Elders, and their mother, depart, Frisk looks to the stairs.
For the briefest of moments, Frisk feels… intimidated.
The feeling fades as soon as it appears, however, and they begin to walk up the steps.
:-:
After arriving at the top, the stairwell closes behind Frisk.
The room is entirely dark, and Frisk can't even see their own hands; but a fire begins to flicker in the distance, held by what appears to be an impossibly ancient hand. Details are hard for Frisk to make out, though.
Carefully, Frisk walks towards the small flame; but it doesn't seem to ever get any closer.
Frisk, being slightly annoyed at the seeming spacetime jape, decides to outdo the flickering light by producing their own.
Focusing inward, Frisk draws out a bit of magic and sets it ablaze with Bravery…
The hand in the distance quickly makes a glowing rune of fire in the air, then seems to beckon for Frisk; who realizes that the mystery person actually wants Frisk to copy them.
Doing their best, Frisk tries to draw the rune out of fire.
It's a bit sloppy, and parts of it don't stay intact for long, but Frisk tries again a few times and eventually gets it to a point where they are happy with it.
The hand snaps their fingers and the runes go out.
Frisk feels magic being pulled from them, and the room lights up.
Wispy motes of fire float and give light to the room.
The walls, floor, and ceiling are all sterile white.
The room is completely empty except in front of Frisk, where a Skeleton, in a seemingly plain red robe, is sitting on the floor; Frisk can't quite see their face.
Frisk is confused, 'how is a monster here? I thought they were all trapped under the barrier?'
The skeleton speaks in a vaguely familiar voice, "I am the Red Sage. Please, forgive my wordless borrowing of your magic; I do not like speaking in the darkness any more."
Frisk is very confused, and simply shrugs in response. They are glad that it's brighter now, but they have a lot of questions.
The two wait in silence for a moment before the Red Sage speaks again,
"I am going to teach you what it means to be a Red SOUL. Please, sit."
The Red Sage gestures to the floor.
Frisk sits, and the Red Sage makes a few purple and yellow bullet runes and says,
"I will need to draw upon some of your magic again, if that is OK."
Frisk nods, and repeats the patterns; these ones are pretty simple.
The Red Sage snaps their fingers when Frisk is done, and the room fades away; They can feel their magic being pulled out of them slowly, and they see a story start to unfold in front of them.
The Red Sage speaks, "Firma is quite old, but… did you know it was once called something else? 'Earth,' it was called. A great tragedy, however, destroyed a majority of the planet."
Frisk's view suddenly shifts into the darkness… They see a round thing floating in a sea of black, blue all over, speckled with green, and scarred with jagged grey marks…
Continuing, the Red Sage says,
"This is the planet as it used to be, this is what we now know as 'Firma.'"
Their view zooms closer to the planet, to the grey area… Frisk can see now that the grey area is actually a city… and in the center, an impossibly large structure sits. It looks like it reaches further than all the mountains…
Frisk is mesmerized by the sight of something so large.
The Red Sage continues, "this large structure that you see was called the 'SOUL Forge,' and it is what caused the planet to be torn apart. You see, before all of what we know, before the SOUL Forge, no creature had a SOUL. If you died back then, you were dead forever; lost to oblivion. Eventually, society advanced to a point where they could create SOULs; vessels that would let them reincarnate and live for ever, or rest but still speak with loved ones. But… this caused a lot of problems."
As the Red Sage pauses briefly, the view zooms even closer. There are impossibly large groups of people, and they all look angry.
"People believed that SOULs were abominations, perversions of nature; but the largest issue was that people were worried they would be used to keep the rich and powerful in place indefinitely… They were right, of course, but things got out of hand. A group of people sabotaged the SOUL Forge, causing an explosion. They… couldn't have known what the consequences would be."
Suddenly, everything turns white instantaneously. When the flash subsides, Frisk sees a colossal crystal structure where the SOUL Forge used to be. No… The SOUL Forge is still there, kinda, but it's entirely encased in crystal.
The view zooms out, and Frisk sees what is left of the planet… The crystal structure is far more massive than they thought… It spikes out all over the place. The half of the planet that the SOUL Forge is on is completely covered, and the other half is floating in chunks in the inky blackness around the planet; as the water on the planet pours into the other half and evaporates, clouds start to build up.
Everything starts going faster… The chunks start to fall back to the planet, and the crystal structure grows too. Part of the continent that wasn't encased begins to drift and spin slightly and, after the chunks fall back, Terra is formed on the other half of the planet; Frisk can barely make out that large growths of the crystal are pointed at Terra, one to where that big city Frisk saw on the map would be, another to Mt. Ebott, and a third to the main Japanese island; but before they can be sure about it, they are covered with land.
Around the colossal crystal on the other side of the planet, the sea begins glowing white… and small bits of white start floating everywhere.
"They thought that they could stop the SOUL Forge by sabotaging the power, and they could have, but what they actually sabotaged was the dimensional system used to grow and store massive quantities of diamond. The SOUL Forge continued to operate, despite everything, and pieces of the diamond structure were used to create SOULs; just like it was made to do. With no life, however, it could not grant these SOULs to anything… So, it created Living SOULs; it created what you call Monsters. As you may or may not know, 'monster' is defined as a creature that comes into existence due to a tragedy."
Large sections of the diamond structure turn into snake-like creatures, and smaller sections are turned into flying creatures, until eventually the entire glowing sea is filled with them. The creatures seem to refuse to go outside of the glowing sea.
As sections of the diamond are used to make creatures, new, more refined structures take their place.
"When life, so stubbornly, began to reform on Terra, the first living creature was granted a Red SOUL. It did not know that it had a SOUL, but it was there none-the-less. When that creature died, the SOUL persisted… but since the creature was not aware of itself, it did not come back to life. Now, normally, SOULs shatter and return to the colossal diamond structure… but Red SOULs persist for as long as they have Determination, so the SOUL moved on. Yes, even SOULs granted to living creatures were made to be alive themselves."
The scene shifts again, to green fields full of strange creatures Frisk has never seen before. They make Frisk feel… scared. Occasionally, a small red shape flashes across the screen to a creature, but the creature doesn't notice.
"Your SOUL is a creature with its own will and desires. It is what grants you the ability to use magic. The SOUL Forge was based around the discovery of magic, in fact. Anyhow… Where was I? Ah, right, the Red SOUL. This SOUL continued to live on, and it passed from creature to creature; until, eventually, one was able to recognize that something was there."
A weird looking person is hunched over in the vision, investigating their chest.
The vision begins to fade.
"Now, as time went on, more SOULs were created and granted to living creatures; but, eventually, the SOUL Forge ceased to function. From that time on, new SOULs were only created… uh… manually. I will not go into the specifics as to how… That is a… complicated subject. It is also not important to matters at hand."
The Red Sage clears his non-existent throat, and continues, "anyway. Only one pure Red SOUL is supposed to exist at a time. So, I am sure you can see how curious it is for not only two, but four red SOULs to exist now."
Frisk nods, still blown away by the sheer awesomeness of that whole vision sequence.
Explaining, the Red Sage goes on, "I am not from this timeline. And neither is the one trapped in that barrier, but that still leaves you and your friend. I am sure you might be able to guess how it happened?"
Thinking for a moment, Frisk shakes their head.
Red Sage answers, "Your friend, Chara, had the first Red SOUL, but they are not whole. And, because of that, a new Red SOUL was created. For the first time since it was created, the SOUL Forge was activated manually. We don't know who, or how, but we know that the SOUL Forge was activated just long enough for a new Red SOUL to be created the instant the previous one ceased to be recognized as a Red SOUL."
Frisk thinks back to their time with Sans, and how the teleporter had to be set in a way that would prevent them from going to the wrong timeline. They ask, "So… did someone travel through time?"
The Red Sage nods, "that may be the case. There is evidence that someone has been orchestrating many of the events that have taken place… but we cannot find them."
Curious, Frisk asks, "what does a Red SOUL really do? I know I can use all the types of magic, and I can't die, but… what else? What makes it so special?"
Taking on a more serious tone, the Red Sage answers, "everything… I am sure you are aware of that silly Ball Game in the Underground. It describes every colour, except Red… or so it would seem. The truth is, a Red SOUL turns everything into a game. When you approach someone, or something, you can tailor the encounter to be how you desire it to be. Want to take turns in a shoot-em-up style game? Done. Want it to be like a Real Time Strategy game? Done. I just now realized that you probably have no clue what I am talking about…"
After a sigh, the Red Sage continues, "A shoot-em-up is like… when the enemy launches a lot of bullets at you and you have to dodge them, and a real time strategy game is where you try to outsmart the enemy without taking turns. Anyway… When you die, you can try again or restart. You change reality into a game, or as much of a game as you are able to. You can even leave the bounds of reality and reverse time… It is only limited by your Intent, perception of reality, and your Determination. However, for as long as an encounter is active, you have to follow the rules as they were set in that instant. Knowing the rules of your own game inside and out is crucial, because otherwise those within could make alterations. There are some Rules, however, that already exist and can only be changed by exceptionally powerful creatures."
Frisk thinks back to their fight with Asgore… and how his red trident broke their MERCY button…
They ask, "I have a question… I have reset a couple times, and before one of those resets I fought a monster who was able to summon a red… pointed thingy, and they destroyed one of my buttons. Is that what you mean? I don't actually remember setting up any of those rules… I just sorta walked through the Underground and reacted as things approached me."
Curious, the Red Sage asks,
"what do you mean, child? A monster from this timeline cannot use… Who was this monster?"
Frisk doesn't want the Red Sage to be mad at Asgore for attacking them… but they also want to know… So they make a stipulation, "if I tell you, will you promise not to be mad at them? It didn't happen this time."
The Red Sage nods.
Frisk hesitantly says, "it was Asgore, he had a Red Trident and he broke the Mercy button."
Contemplatively, the Red Sage says, "curious… well, I suppose that makes sense; Asgore has been alive longer than almost every other human or monster. Perhaps… he was reinforced somehow? (has his SOUL been able to do this the whole time…?)"
After some unintelligible muttering, the Red sage looks back up and asks,
"tell me, child, why did Asgore fight you? What was his goal?"
Frisk is sure that it will be OK to say that, so they do,
"he was fighting to get seven human SOULs in order to break the barrier and free the monsters."
More muttering… "(I see, well, obviously, after so long down there, the strong would be Determined… but to be able to wield red magic… it is unheard of. This potentially changes everything if accurate.)"
After yet more muttering about technical sounding things that Frisk can't understand, the Red Sage looks up to Frisk and says, "pardon, I got caught in thought. It would seem that either there is more to this world than I thought, or the Rules were changed significantly, at some point in time, by a very powerful creature. I would prefer it if I just missed something, as the latter is quite bad."
Frisk looks subtly worried, so the Red Sage says, "perhaps we should move on… There is one more thing that happens with a Red SOUL. It is the result of failure. Well, not really… They call themselves Failures, because that is how they tend to come into existence more often than not. When a timeline comes to an end, the Red SOUL persists. This usually happens when the owner of the SOUL 'QUIT's, but it can happen naturally as well when their universe dies."
Frisk is having a hard time keeping all the information in their head… They are starting to feel a little overwhelmed…
The Red Sage notices. "Perhaps that is all we should discuss today. There is more to it all, but I have enough time left for us to be able to take some breaks. The staircase should be opened now, please, come back tomorrow."
Frisk nods, and starts to leave the empty room; but they hesitate and ask,
"why do the elders not tell anyone all of that?"
Placing a finger over his mouth, the Red Sage says nothing.
It makes Frisk more curious, so they decide to ask tomorrow.
Frisk's mind is buzzing with activity over all the things they have learned today… it's going to be hard to sleep.
:-:
After arriving at the bottom of the stairs, Frisk notices that the machines in the room have started humming and some lights are blinking. It seems someone turned them on.
Deciding to hurry to their mother, Frisk opts to investigate them closer tomorrow.
Frisk, Marceline, and the three Elders arrive back in the Sanctum proper.
It seems that things have gotten a lot rowdier than they were before…
People are running all over the place, talking about monsters being released from the barrier, about the return of magic, and about how a lot of old devices have started to turn on thanks to some loud rectangular robot. A few people have also started talking about how a second robot that looks more humanoid showed up, but oddly enough it seems to act similar to the rectangular one.
Frisk looks at their cell phone, and remembers that they need to get it and the SOCDev fixed by Alphys… then remembers that the SOCDev and Chara are missing still.
Yelling erupts from somewhere, and Frisk is just barely able to make out that someone is upset over monsters returning… They wonder, momentarily, how there are people who dislike monsters here, of all places, but they realize that any survivors of the anti-monster kingdoms of old would have sought refuge here too.
The Elders excuse themselves, muttering something about having to make an official announcement now, and Frisk asks their mother, "can we go to the techknowlodgy department?"
Marceline smirks, "it is pronounced, 'technology' dearest child of mine… I think that would be fine."
Frisk sticks their tongue out, and Marceline quickly grabs the end of it.
Surprised, Frisk exclaims, "Eeehn!"
Smirking, Marceline replies, "well, don't stick it out if you don't want someone to grab it."
Marceline lets go of Frisk's tongue and the two look for someone who can direct them to the Technology department.
Fortunately for them, a certain fire-y individual just so happens to be fawning over Mettaton not far from where they were.
With awe, and… some sort of perverse desire, Kathryn admires Mettaton's EX form, "Oh. My. Fucking GOD! Your servos, they are… exquisite! Your gyroscopes, so precise… That voice synthesizer… Those legs… Hnng… I know they said you were fabulous, but holy shit they were not even fucking close!"
Proudly, Mettaton responds,
"my my my, your compliments, though peppered with profanity, flatter me darling!"
Marceline clears her throat, prompting Mettaton to look past Kathryn. "Oh, it appears we have an audience! Hello there Frisk, you seem lost, were you distracted by my fabulous body too?"
Frisk gives a thumbs up to Mettaton despite not actually being distracted, since Mettaton is fabulous.
Kathryn slowly turns around, embarrassed, "aw hell, sorry about all that kiddo…"
Marceline replies, "no worries… We are looking for the technology department. Frisk here is missing some things, and we think someone there may have an idea as to where they are."
Back to their previous gusto, Kathryn says, "oh! I can take you there, I need to go back anyway… I, uh… just got a little distracted…" and briefly turns around to look at Mettaton again.
"See ya around you gorgeous machine!"
Mettaton comments, "catch me on the television darling, you wont be disappointed."
Clearing their throat so as to keep themselves on track, Kathryn turns, points off to the left, and starts walking.
Frisk and Marceline follow.
The Technology department isn't far from where they were, and it is full of all sorts of old technology. Some of it is working, but most of it seems broken beyond repair.
Alphys is hunched over some device on the counter, muttering.
Frisk approaches and tugs on her lab coat to get her attention…
It startles her a little. "Uwaaa! O-oh… It's just you. Sorry about that. Uh… I found the SOCDev laying in a bunch of other tech here, did you… leave it here? Where is the SOUL? It seems some pretty bad shock got to it and fried all the internals…"
Frisk puts on a slightly visible worried look and shrugs, then holds their cell phone out for Alphys.
"I used some magic to… scare something away, and I accidentally broke it… and my cell phone."
Alphys adjusts her glasses and looks at the cell phone, "oh, no it isn't broken at all! I made it resistant to electricity, you just have to flip this switch, remove this hidden panel, undo the battery, put the battery back, put the panel back, and then flip the switch back."
Demonstrating, Alphys performs the instructions… but the phone doesn't turn back on. "Huh, must also have a dead battery… hold on I can fix this…"
A few minutes later and Frisk has an entirely new cell phone.
Huffing, Alphys says, "I can't believe I forgot about all of that… A-anyway, this new one is much better! I transferred all your old contacts over and everything. I also put a bigger screen on it so you can watch TV through the UnderNet. We haven't set up the CELL tower yet, but when it is hooked up and running you should be able to talk with everyone in Staghill."
Frisk looks around briefly, "where's Sans?"
Sighing, Alphys says, "probably got lost somewhere. He said he needed to do something, rushed off without a guide, and hasn't been back since."
Disappointed, Frisk takes their new cell phone,
"thanks for fixing my phone, Alphys. Mind if we hang out with you here for a bit?"
Surprised, Alphys says, "You want to watch me work? I guess uhh… Y-yea! I think that could be fun, and I could show you all sorts of neat things! It would be nice to have another helper too. O-oh! Uh.. Kathryn is going to be joining us, they want to show me the stuff they are working with and wants some advice."
Frisk gives a thumbs up.
:-:
The Sanctum is buzzing with activity, more so than usual.
Some people are panicking and preparing for the end of the world, others have taken to praying to various gods for protection and guidance, a few continue on as if nothing has changed, and the rest speak excitedly and wonder about what is to come.
A large group of people receive instructions and begin running through the sanctum shouting.
"Every one! The Elders are going to make an announcement, gather in the center field!"
In a disorganized, clumsy, and inefficient manner, almost everyone starts to go to the center field in the Sanctum.
The Elders are already there, standing at a podium. They wait patiently for everyone to arrive.
Someone from the technology department runs over to them and sets up a conical device at the podium, and instructs them on its usage.
Once enough people have arrived, the Elders begin to speak.
Together they shout, "The rumours are true! Monsters have been released from behind the Barrier!"
Corin shouts, "But wait, there's more!"
Adrian adds, "Yes, more! With the release of the monsters, the Red child has also appeared!"
Grimly the three shout together again, "Now is the time to prepare, for the prophecies are holding true! Now more than ever it is important to prepare, study, and advance! We must aid the Red child in stopping the calamity!"
Elder Julian notes, "But do so in a calm and orderly manner! Many mistakes will arise if you lose focus on your surroundings! And remember, these old prophecies never give us a time frame… So we must be ever vigilant! It could be in the next hour, the next day, week, month or even year! It could be a decade from now! So we must be ever vigilant. With the Red child, however, we can finally unlock the secrets of the Sanctum. They may be able to get an estimate for when we must defend against the creature behind the barrier!"
Corin adds on, "Now… a request from me. The Red child is rather shy, so please do not bother them! We do not need to add on more issues to their already monumental task! If they open up to you, that is fine… but, please, do not put more pressure on them!"
Frisk, being in the crowd with Marceline, thanks Elder Corin in their head.
They reach down to grab hold of their pendant, but find that it is missing…
Briefly looking around, Frisk tries to see if anyone has it… but doesn't see anything. They decide that they probably left it in their room this morning, when they couldn't decide to take it or not, though they swear they remember putting it on before they met with their monster friends today…
The Elders continue talking to the people about plans that need to be made, and actions that must be taken, for several more minutes… Frisk finds it very boring, so they tune it out and think about other stuff… like finding Chara, what game to play with Katsuro next, and planning pranks with Sans.
After a while, they feel a tug on their hand and see that everyone is leaving.
Frisk is starting to feel overwhelmed again… There is so much depending on them, and they don't have a say in it. They don't even know what they are supposed to do.
When Frisk and Marceline get to their living quarters, Sans pops out from around a corner and waves.
Frisk excitedly runs up to Sans and gives him a hug, while Marceline goes to the kitchen to prepare lunch.
Jokingly, Sans responds, "heh, kid you sure are frisky today. i'm surprised you didn't run on top of the crowd, to be honest… anyhow, i got that dimensional-bridge door set up for ya on your front door."
With that comment, Sans holds out a glowing cylinder with a handle on it and says, "this'll hold enough power to charge up the doors, so take it to the underground after using one of the doors three times, then leave it next to the door for a few days before using the door again."
Frisk nods and takes the, surprisingly heavy, magic battery.
Sans puts a hand on Frisk's shoulder and looks like he's going to say something, but decides not to.
Frisk is subtly confused, and so Sans winks in response and says, "i was gonna say something, but I've already used up all my words for this encounter. i need to go do something important though, so i'll see ya around kiddo."
Disappointed, Frisk nods dejectedly and says, "see ya around…"
Sans begins to leave, but Frisk remembers the news about Katsuro, "oh! I just remembered! Katsuro is alive! He didn't die after all… and I feel bad for not noticing who really did… but Katsuro is alive!"
Using the announcement as an opportunity, though also being genuinely happy that everything turned out OK, Sans asks, "oh? that's good, does that mean i can get my favourite jacket back?"
Frisk wraps their arms around themself and playfully says, "nope! It's mine now, no takesy backsies!"
Sans chuckles as Frisk sticks out their tongue, but thinks 'well, this is going to be a problem…'
Mischievously, Frisk says, "if you really want it back, you're gonna have to catch me!"
Smirking, Sans replies, "well, that won't be hard…"
Frisk runs out of the front door suddenly, and begins randomly going around all the corners.
Letting out a sigh, Sans walks around a corner, "Too eas-… Frisk?"
Coming from behind him, he can hear Frisk making noise while sticking their tongue out.
"Haha! You're too slow!"
Sans tries again, but gets the same result… it's not good. Something is interfering with his ability to shortcut properly; specifically when trying to shortcut to Frisk…
Pondering that for a moment, Sans decides that the Sanctum must have protections in place to keep people from being snuck up on by monsters. Based on what that person said, all the rest of the Skeletons have been here in hiding since it was constructed… so making sure none of the crazy ones can easily kidnap people was probably a priority.
Sighing, Sans shortcuts again and starts chasing Frisk.
Not long after starting, however, he's too tired to continue.
He sits against the wall to rest up a bit… the suit is still too cumbersome for him to move around in easily, and he is going to have to adjust it later so it doesn't fight him as much when moving.
Frisk walks up to him, concerned. "You ok?"
Sans smirks and grabs their arm, "gotcha."
Frisk reluctantly tosses Sans' jacket over his head in a playful manner, "here ya go mr. fart master. Maybe I can borrow it again some time?"
Masking his fear that he may not see them again, Sans pats Frisk's head and says, "sure, kiddo."
Sans puts his jacket on, and the two walk back to the apartment.
At the door, though, Sans says, "i… need to go do something pretty important, and… it's really dangerous. i'm not sure you'll remember me, buddy. i don't really know if i'll remember you either…"
Frisk looks quizzically at Sans, "what do you have to do that could make us forget about each other?"
Looking to the side, Sans replies, "it's complicated…"
Frisk opens the door to their apartment and tugs at Sans' jacket to come inside,
"well, then let me make you something so you won't forget!"
Smirking, Sans enters.
Frisk finds a piece of old paper laying around, and something to draw with…
After a few minutes, they've drawn a crude picture of three people; a short pudgy one standing next to a tall and incredibly thin one, with a crude anime girl sitting on the tall one's shoulders.
The tall one, presumably Papyrus, has what Sans can only assume is spaghetti on his head, and the short pudgy one has what are labelled as "hot cats" laying all around him.
A flock of winged ketchup bottles is also flying over their heads.
Sans looks over the picture, chuckles, and pats Frisk on the head, "thanks, buddy, i'll keep it with me."
Visibly smiling, Frisk replies, "yea! You won't forget as long as you have that!"
Contemplatively, Sans says, "hmm… it looks like it's missing something. here, gimmie that pencil."
With a short nod, Frisk hands Sans the pencil and he writes "don't forget" at the bottom…
Sans feels like he has seen this picture before, but can't quite put his finger on it.
Frisk smiles again, this time with subtle sadness, and Sans pats their head one last time,
"see ya around kiddo, i should get going."
Masking their sadness as best as they can, Frisk waves while Sans turns the dial on the door and walks through to the manor.
Frisk almost follows with, since they could… but they hesitate and the door closes before they can.
They think about using the door to go to the manor, but they hesitate again.
Marceline, however, calls Frisk to the kitchen for lunch, thereby deciding their actions for them.
:-:
In a dark room, many skeletons are working on various bits of technology and magic items.
They all seem to be working at different speeds, with some moving significantly slower than others, and a few barely even visible because of how fast they are moving.
Regardless of their speed, their shadows deepen unnaturally in unison.
:-:
"Lucy, how goes your work?"
"Preparations are almost complete CU-270. Pre-Time-Jump-Sans got the Last Dreams from Frisk's room just a few moments ago. All we need to do is lure Asriel in and everything will be in place. Once Sans steps into the past, we can monitor the situation here and give him instructions."
:-:
"And you are sure this is the right path?"
"I am a Seer, of course it is. The margin for error is minimal. As long as you do your part, everything will work out properly."
:-:
"The trap has been set, the bait is in place, and all that is left is for him to show his decrepit face."
Lucy sighs. "It will only get harder from here, since my sight can only go so far in this timeline."
:-:
"Your sight is invaluable. There is literally no way to quantify all the times I failed without it."
Without missing a beat, Lucy replies, "You have failed (2.1e+39)+2,382,888,522,764 times without me."
:-:
"… Thanks Lucy…"
"If you do not mind, this task requires my full attention. Telling you how many times you failed is amusing, but pointless. Anything else?"
:-:
"Any word on the pendant?"
"Pendant? This is the first time I have heard anything about a pendant."
Their shadows return to normal abruptly, as soon as she utters the first word with a questioning tone.
:-:
Sans steps up to the large time machine and starts typing on a screen in wingdings, 'let's see… need to set the "Forced variation" to include me, the "Universal constants" to be present-(present/2), and… well, I guess I can just fill "Natural variation" with a bunch of random numbers… So the F.U.N. values should combine and resolve to… yes… that seems about right. -242.'
With the final bit of data entered into the computer, the time machine begins to power up; just as Papyrus enters the room.
Concerned, Papyrus reaches out and places a hand on Sans' shoulder, "SANS… ARE YOU SURE YOU SHOULD DO THIS? WHAT IF-"
Sans shrugs Papyrus' hand away and steps closer to the time machine, "there isn't another way. i got that confirmed today by cu-270. i have to go to give us the advantage we need to finally stop him, to get the answers we need…"
Proud of his brother's resolve, but saddened, Papyrus remarks, "SANS… I WAS WONDERING SOMETHING… IF, WHEN THIS IS ALL DONE, WE CAN GO BACK… WHAT WILL THAT MEAN FOR ALL OF OUR NEW FRIENDS HERE?"
Sans pulls out the picture Frisk drew for him… it still feels familiar for some reason.
Looking away, and tucking the picture into one of his pockets, Sans says, "we could always visit…"
Turning back to the computer console, Sans types in some more information, and the time machine begins to whine sharply for a moment before turning to a dull hum. The manor shakes lightly as time and space are manipulated in a haphazard and imprecise manner.
Watching from the side, Papyrus hopes that his brother will change his mind; or at least ask him to go with.
As the time machine nears completion of its task, however, it is more and more apparent that Sans will not stop; nor will he ask for help.
The time machine finalizes, and the human-like skull's mouth fills with shifting light.
Sans stands in front of it, hesitating.
"it's ready… all i have to do is step through and I'll go to the past."
Papyrus' resolve boils over as he watches his brother hesitate for the first time in a long time… and he declares, "I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, CANNOT LET YOU GO THROUGH THIS ENDEAVOUR ON YOUR OWN, BROTHER! I WILL GO WITH YOU! !"
Recklessly, Papyrus runs over, grabs Sans, and jumps towards the event horizon of the time machine.
Sans tries to stop him, but his movement is hampered too much by his suit to be effective, and his magic is in the time machine. "Papyrus, n-!"
* FILE 10 CREATED
:-:
The room goes dark as light is drawn to the event horizon.
The time machine causes the manor to quake again, as the two skeleton brothers are atomized, and the event horizon increases in size.
The shaking causes the time machine to slowly tear itself apart, but not before the event horizon collapses in on itself rapidly, causing a secondary quake, followed by an explosion that tears apart reality.
* FILE 0 ERASED
* FILE 10 LOADED
NOTES:
The song Undyne sings is this one: Deltarune - Don't Forget (Full Ver./Cover) - Caleb Hyles
I suggest giving it a listen if you haven't heard it already!