Being Human

by Alan Smithee 001

According to Legend, Monster souls are Made out of Love and Magic. Human Souls are far more powerful, therefore they do not require these things. This is the Story of a Monster who Fell Underground and Learns what it means to be Human.

11. Chapter 11: Batty Business

Being Human - Act I - Chapter 11

A Happy Birthday to my Friend, Nicole, on October 26.

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"Don't care what anyone says, I'll take raining cats-umm... dogs and more dogs any day." Frisk says in between deep heavy breaths after evading a snowy avalanche. Frisk braces his arms and legs against the hard, rocky floor. It takes one moment and a scan of his pitch-black surroundings for the gravity of the situation to shock him like a kick to his shins.

"Oh, no!" Frisk staggers to his feet, his hands cover his mouth to contain sorrowful murmurs. Darkness leaves the space and size of this chasm a complete mystery within his mind and terror on his face. Frisk flies to the cave opening, where he tries to claw his way through the snow.

"No! I don't want to be here! Get me out of here!" Frisk cries, but his hands are little more than spoons against the frozen barrier. The abundance of frost burns his hands as he tries to dig an exit with no end in sight. A chunk of snow drops onto his head, forcing Frisk into the scratch he's made against an impregnable wall of snow and ice. He punches and kicks the barrier to no avail, letting out a wail of disappointment at his failure.

"…Okay, Frisk." He takes a deep gulp as his fingers jitter together. "This is no big deal. You were already trapped underground. This is no different. Everything is just… ju-just… trapped-!" He resumes punching and kicking the wall of ice and snow.

"Dogs! Please come save me! I don't want to be trapped here! I'll go with you to Undyne! Just please get me out of here!" His efforts remain in vain and his hopes for escape plummet along himself, as he sinks to the ground, heavy with despair and defeat. He is reduced to a whimpering mess on the ground, until a strange sensation pulls on his leg.

"Yeah, there's a joke I can get behind." Frisk mumbles into the snow, the darkness and peril of being trapped weighs down on him like a mountain on his back. Yet the sensation refuses to give up, growing in strength until it becomes something familiar. Frisk grabs the ground and returns to his feet, finding the strength to enter the darkness.

Frisk is Filled with Determination.

"Alright Frisk. You're trapped again. Big deal. All you gotta do is find the way out. Easy peasy. There has to be a way out, and you're gonna find it. After all, Mom wouldn't be scared, so I won't be scared either," Frisk takes a deep gulp before moving on carefully into the unknown.

The darkness diminishes as his eyes adjust, but everything beyond a handful of steps stubbornly refuses to make itself known. Despite having room to walk, there is little more than that, and the limited space leaves him as fragile as a melting ice sculpture. His one fleeting delight is that the chasm keeps the cold of Snowdin at bay, allowing Frisk to hang his arms freely.

"At least the worst thing about tunnels is they're boring... Please be boring!" Frisk says with an awkward smile and fist pump in a vain attempt to raise his courage, searching for the light at the end of this tunnel with quiet desperation.

The tunnel slithers and winds like the inside of a stone snake. Frisk finds the trek through the tunnel as easy as his passage but as hard as the stone floor. To his everlasting relief, this tunnel does not have any dead ends, monsters, or puzzles, leaving him safe for the time being.

However, Frisk could not decide which is worse, being trapped alone in the dark or trapped with monsters in the Underground.

His sole companion is the cave's total silence, broken by his whimpers and the faint distant echo of dripping drops. Leaving him unnerved at what could be crawling in this chasm, concealed by this veil of shadows. If undead skeletons, mad dogs, and talking snowmen could all be monsters, than what couldn't be a monster. What will come next, waiting for him in these tunnels?

The answers to these questions leave him in a state of dread, just as darkness leaves in him in a never-ending quandary of where to go next. He is trapped with no idea of where he was, where he is, or where he will go next. The entrapping walls follow his every step; shrinking closer to him the deeper he goes. Whether it's reality or a cruel trick of his mind, he cannot tell.

Whenever a twist or fork comes across his path, Frisk follows his gut. But Frisk cannot help but wonder if his gut is getting its long-awaited revenge for eating the monster candy and spaghetti. The tunnels are a virtual labyrinth and it takes every fiber of Frisk's being to remain calm. Not that screams of distress will help in a place where no one could hear him and those that could would be bent on capturing him.

Nevertheless, he continues, trapped within this prison buried beneath a mountain.

C'mon Frisk. Just keep on going. Don't stop. Stopping will keep you trapped alone-! An ear-piercing screech slices through the air. The echo carries it in all directions, leaving no way to trace the source. The screech leaves Frisk stunned and motionless, his mind crashes with the realization that he is no longer alone.

Calm down, calm down! Okay, I'm not alone. But this place is huge! There's no way they'll be able to find me. Heck, I can barely find myself. So everything is going to be-! Another screech sends Frisk on a frantic charge down the tunnels, following wherever it takes him, no longer caring where they lead or for any hazards that could be concealed by darkness.

Every few moments, another screech cries out in the chasm. The screech drowns out the cries of his limbs begging him to relax. Yet no matter how fast he flees or how far he travels, he cannot escape. He is unable to tell where the screeches are coming from or if he is running around in circles.

Where is it coming from! It's everywhere! How do I get away-! There it is! Frisk's heart almost stops, spotting a glowing blue light ahead of him. Without a second or thought to spare, Frisk stampedes his way towards the light.

Finally the exit! No more monsters! Now I can go outside where... okay, never mind, but at least I won't be trapped any... Wait, why isn't it getting brighter? As Frisk approaches the blue light, he notices it remains the same size, and upon closer inspection, is mobile. Before Frisk can process the situation, he receives an answer to his question. Another screech fills the air, far louder and nearer than any of the previous ones.

There is no echo to amplify the sound. Frisk has found the source of the screeches, and there is not enough distance or footing for him to stop.

Oh no! Please don't be bad! Please don't be bad! Please don't be... a Bat! Frisk thought as the lighting briefly exposes the head of a fruit bat. A black, rugged, hairy head with empty black eyes, twisted fangs, and long, sharp ears. Frisk cannot glean any more details as he collides into the monster.

Everything goes dark and glass shatters upon the ground. Frisk staggers to the floor and sits paralyzed with fear. Unable to see anything, but knowing beyond the shadow of a doubt the monster is mere inches before him. As if to announce themselves, there is one final screech. The strongest and loudest one of them all as it descends upon Frisk. Every second of silence stretches until it becomes a small eternity for Frisk, helpless against this monster and whatever they plan to do, now that he is in their clutches.

"Owie! Who the heck are you and where did you-?!" The monster says and Frisk remains still as the scene plays out in the darkness. There is a gasp of shock. "My crystals! You big klutz! I needed them for Dad and now they're broken! These are useless now. I spent all night getting them and now I have to start all over again!"

An ounce of guilt blends with Frisk's fear, the frustration in their voice impossible to ignore. "Well, aren't you going to say something or are you gonna sit there till you grow roots?"

"I-I do-don't know what-to-say," Frisk trips over his tongue in haste.

"Really? That's it? Do you have any idea how much work it took for me to get them all? And you just run down the tunnel and crash into me like that!"

"It was an accident," Frisk pleads.

"Well, your little 'accident' cost me today's entire haul! What are you even doing down here?"

"I was just trying to find a way out of here. When I saw the lights, I thought I found the exit and it turned out to be you instead. I didn't mean to ruin your stuff. If I could go back and change it, I would. But I can't." Tense moments pass until the monster sighs.

"…Fine. Here, let me get ya up." A hairy hand grasps Frisk's arm and makes his skin crawl. The scant images of her monstrous appearance flashing in his mind do not help. Yet Frisk finds the warmth coming from the monster's hair preferable to the cold hard stone ground.

"The name's Maribel."

"My name is Frisk, sadly." With reluctance, Frisk takes her hand and they pull each other to their feet.

"I'll admit you got some guts for coming down here Frisk. Guess that makes you good company. Sorry for biting at ya like that. I didn't think anyone else would be down here. No one comes down here anymore, besides dad and me of course! Man, do we have some stories going down these caves!" Maribel says with pride in her voice.

Wait— she thinks I'm a monster? That's perfect! Frisk thought as Maribel keeps talking.

"There was this one time we were climbing the side of a cave. It was the biggest cave you can imagine. Just one look down and you'd swear that it was the bottom of the world! But I wasn't scared. Then the rope broke and I was falling to the ground like a rock. But Dad! He flew down and caught me before the ground could. He thought it was dangerous, but it was the coolest thing ever! I wanted to do it again! He said maybe when I was older, but I still climb it every time I come here."

"Wait a second, you're a kid?" Frisk asks, not expecting to find a child in this cavern.

"I'm not a kid! I'm a big girl and I can handle this! That's why dad sent me here alone to get the crystals. He knows I'm old enough to take care of myself now!" Maribel says with the snap of a mouse trap and stomps on the ground.

Jeez, you sure sound like a kid to me, Frisk thought.

"Well, sounds like you're busy to me. Good luck with that; I'll be going now so I don't get in your way." Frisk steps away, eager to get away from Maribel. If anything else, her presence is proof there is an exit. But her claw digging into his sweater's neckline tells him she has other plans.

"Hold your horses. You ain't getting away that easily. You broke the crystals I already got."

"I said that it was an accident."

"I know, but it doesn't change what happened. I need those crystals. If I go back empty handed, this whole day will be a waste!" She shouts like he is ten feet away from her.

"So what do you want from me?" Frisk asks, hoping to appease her. She remains silent for a few moments of pondering, leaving Frisk in suspense at what she will demand from him.

"Let's make a deal. There are some special crystals I can't get on my own, and that's saying a lot. You help me get them and make up for the ones you broke. In return, I'll take you straight to the exit. Sound fair? Unless being lost is your kind of fun."

Uhh... Frisk thought, Do I really want to get involved with this? Pretty sure she's harmless, but the last thing I need now is a wild goose chase. Then again you aren't doing any favors in that department Mom. But she's probably my best chance at getting out of here as soon as possible. Plus, she doesn't know I'm human. Best keep it that way; I don't want to fight her. Once she shows me the exit, we'll have to go our separate ways.

"Alright, I'll help you." Frisk shakes her hand to seal the deal. Meanwhile she gives his other arm a gentle punch.

"Good to hear. Now let's get going!" She says as she tries to run off carrying Frisk in hand.

"Wait, aren't you scared of getting lost or anything?"

"Nope. I ain't scared of anything. Besides, you got me on your side, so we're never gonna get lost. So let's get moving!" She releases a screech that deafens Frisk's ears before being pulled along with her for a wild chase. He can keep up with her but does have to push himself to not slow her down.

Well, now I know what AAA batteries sound like, Frisk thought as Maribel drags him to whatever destination she has planned. It does not take long until they arrive at a fork in the tunnel. Maribel approaches one and releases a powerful screech into the air. Frisk shields the inside of his ear as Maribel stands there, listening with her twitching ears.

"Okay, this is a dead end, so we have to go right," Maribel declares with confidence.

"Huh!? How do you know that?" Maribel pulls Frisk's fingers to her long, hairy, and pointed ear.

"With these. All I have to do is scream and my ears tell me everything that I need to know about where I am and where I'm going. Little trick I picked up from Mom. Little screwy outside, but perfect for tight places like these. I can even tell where you are when you're loud enough. If you weren't charging at me like that I could have totally stopped you. So don't you worry, I couldn't get lost even if I tired." She pulls Frisk along for another sprint down the tunnel.

"Wow. That's really cool, like having real ear-buds." They share a quick chuckle.

"Oh yeah, I forgot to ask. What were you even doing here anyway? No one comes here unless they have to." Maribel asks. It makes Frisk wonder; he cannot tell her the full truth, but needs a good reason to be here to start with. Too much silence will make her suspicious, and so he decides to give her an abridged version of the truth.

"It was honestly a big mix-up. I was walking back to Snowdin when I went into the caves to get warm and got lost. I need to get out of here so I can get back to my Mom." Frisk loses his hold on Maribel's hand as she comes to an immediate halt. Frisk is carried by his momentum until he stops a few steps away from her.

"Hey, something wrong?! I can't see you in the dark. Where are you?" Frisk asks as he drifts around in the darkness, retracing his steps and waves his arms around to find Maribel.

"I'm right here. And don't worry, everything's okay. Let's do this so we can get you back to your Mom. I'm sure she's worried sick about you." They rejoin hands, but there is no force or pull this time. She takes him with a tender gentle hold and walks as opposed to charges. The change in her demeanor helps put him at ease.

They navigate the tunnels and caves of this labyrinth. With every twist and turn, all it takes one is one scream from Maribel to know the right way. It will take some getting used to for Frisk, although any anxiety Maribel gives him is overshadowed by the darkness and encroaching walls of the tunnels. No matter how twisted or shrouded the tunnels become, she never loses her confidence or drive in their mutual pursuit.

Ironically, Frisk finds Maribel's energy encouraging and is able to travel faster than a snail's pace to remain at her side. But all it takes is a touch of her hairy monstrous hand for his unease to return, and he hopes this diversion will not last long.

Some Time Later

"Here we are!" Maribel says, Frisk trips ahead a few steps since he did not expect her to stop. Even in the darkness, some details barely manage to stand out. The natural walls of the chasm give way to an artificial corridor that digs deep and long into rock, stopping at a locked door. There are small blue crystals embedded into the wall at regular intervals to provide light, but against this darkness they are night lights.

Frisk tries to get back to his feet, but discovers he is shrinking or the world is falling down. A rocky mechanical sound cranks follows a rising stone pedestal out of the ground. In panic, Frisk crawls to Maribel's side. The ground returns to its former elevation and the pedestal disappears beneath the ground.

"Okay. That's new!" Maribel shields her ears, startled but composed. Frisk reaches her feet as he gasps for breath.

"Oh come on, stop being such a scaredy-cat." The bat girl helps Frisk back to his feet as they rejoin hands. "Here, let's go together this time."

They move hand in hand and side by side as they walk ahead. Like before, the ground sinks and a loud mechanical sound cranks in the air. A stone pedestal rises from the ground and stands in front of them as it glistens with another small blue light.

"Feel better now?" Frisk nods in approval and tension fades away. "Weird, this never happened before with me and dad. What's different now?" Maribel asks as Frisk puts two and two together inside his head.

"I have an idea." Frisk separates from Maribel and walks to the edge of this small square that surrounds them and the standing centerpiece pedestal. As he steps off it, he can feel the ground trying to rise and return to its former state. "It's a pressure plate. You have to put enough weight to keep the puzzle active, otherwise it won't turn on."

"This is great, we haven't even done anything and we're already off to a perfect start! We'll get the crystals in no time." She smacks her fists together, eager and ready to move on. Meanwhile, Frisk walks to the pedestal and notices an inscription with letterings engraved on a small mural that point towards an image of a locked door on the other side.

"Not great." Frisk adds with a sigh, knowing that she will not like his answer.

"And why is that?"

"This puzzle can't be solved alone. There's some kind of message here and we got the puzzle in the corridor, we need this pedestal if we want the answers. One of us stays behind and the other moves ahead to solve it."

"Dibs on solving the puzzle! You can read the answers to me, right?"

"Actually, I think it would be better if you stayed and I moved on ahead." Besides, there's no way I'll be able to read monster words, Frisk thought.

"That's not an option. I need you to do the reading part," Maribel says like someone was holding ice to her back. It makes Frisk uneasy. "I really need you to do this for me," she adds.

"I know this sounds boring, but I can barely see these things so it would really be better if-." A whisper from Maribel cuts Frisk off.

"What was that?" Frisk can hear her speaking, but in a voice so low and soft an elephant would struggle to hear her. "My hearing isn't as good as yours, what are you-"

"I can't read, okay?! Is that what you wanted to hear?! That's why you have to stay here and I have to go out there! Can you hear me now? Is there anything wrong with that!?" She shouts in a fit.

"Oh, is that all? There's nothing wrong with that." He says with a nervous sweat, not expecting to have blown her fuse.

"Do you really mean that?" Maribel asks.

"Yeah, it's fine. I'll just figure this out. No problem."

"You mean it. Thank you so much Frisk!" Maribel charges her way to the corridor beyond the square as Frisk stays behind.

Yeah, I hope I can figure this out, but how am I supposed to read... wait a second, this isn't a monster language. Anyone can read this. Frisk reads the inscriptions on the pedestal. The mural is a slab of incoherent letters that stretch to the image of the locked door. Along the sides are small colored circles from bottom to top: Red, Blue, and Yellow.

Finally, there were four sentences...

What is a Monster's Favorite Pastime?

Where does a Monster Live?

Who are the Great Enemy?

Tread carefully or not at all

Can't believe it. It's a Word Search! Oh my gosh that's so much fun! But what does the last one… "Mean!?" Frisk raises his head and spots Maribel running towards the answer at the edge of the corridor.

"Maribel Stop!" She does not and Frisk's heart races as he runs out to reach her before it's too late.

"What's the big deal, I'm already here...!" Her foot sinks through the paper thin rock. Before the rest of her body can join her foot, Frisk returns her to safety.

"Whoa, that was a close one!" Frisk says.

"You can say that again. What the heck was that?!"

"The Puzzle is a word search; there's only one safe way across. Step on the wrong letter, and, well, you already know what happens." Frisk spots trios of small lights scattered at random intervals along the side of the wall. There are three of them: Red, Blue, and Yellow, all in the same order.

"The door is locked. I think we have to push these buttons in the right order. Otherwise we're not going anywhere."

"Jeez this is smarter than I thought it would be. So what we do next?" She returns to her feet while Frisk approaches the edge. Knowing there's a bottomless pit beneath, he does so with caution. He notices letters engraved upon the ground.

"I think I figured it out. All we have to do is solve the riddles to find the right words to solve the word search. Match it with the same letters on the floor and that will take us straight to the door." Frisk spots a P on the floor.

"Here let me try something." Frisk steps onto the P and the ground remains stable.

"How did you do that?"

"A monster's favorite pastime. P for Puzzles." Frisk could not resist the urge to bow.

"Wow, I would have never thought of that. You're really smart, Frisk."

"Not really, puzzles are just really fun and I never had anything else to do at home. But you can't read and I can't be in two places at once, so that leaves us at a dead-end. Guess we have to move on." Frisk says, hoping the exit is their next stop.

"That's quitter talk, that's not gonna fly with me! I may not be able to read, but I know my letters. Dad taught me all about them." Maribel walks to the edge and rubs the ground. She takes care to not add excess weight, as her fingers drag across the letters engraved upon the ground.

"This is an H, that one is B, and here's your precious P!" Maribel leaps onto the P tile with glee and confidence and now it is Frisk's turn to be impressed.

"Alright, just wait right there until I find them." Frisk runs back to the pedestal where he scans through the scrambled letters, thankfully his weight alone is sufficient to satisfy the pressure plate and keep the pedestal. Searching for the P, he finds it in the lower left corner and it does not take long before he finds the U and Zs. It is not a straight line, but there is a clear chain that ties the letters together.

"Okay U should be in front of you. The Zs go in a Zig-Zig to the right, L and E Zig-Zig to the Left, and S should be in front of you after that." She follows Frisk's instructions, grabbing the ground as Maribel finds the letters and slowly makes her way across the corridor with feet of feathers. It does not take long until she arrives at S and makes a triumphant cheerful hop into the air.

"Okay Maribel you have to push the Red Button to start unlocking the door. Did you hear me?"

"Oh no I can't hear a thing, you're gonna have to come here and rescue me now." Maribel shouts as Frisk mentally slaps his own head.

"Alright. Just push the red button and let's move on." Frisk says, and yet seconds go by as not a thing occurs. It takes a near solid half minute, before Frisk wonders if something is wrong with the puzzle. His thoughts are broken by a distant BEEP and sigh of relief.

"Okay I got the red button, what's next?" Maribel speaks with relief as Frisk intensely studies the next riddle.

Where do monsters live? What do they mean by that? A house, a town, something else? I don't know and I have to know. A monster would know for sure and if I stay quiet for too long, she'll start to wonder. I have to take a guess. What words are around here that'll help? Frisk scans through the letters, to his regret and relief finds not one but two possible solutions: SNOWDIN & UNDERGROUND.

One is the true path and the other is a one-way ticket to the bottom of the world. And it is not his life on the line. Frisk scans both options with a paralyzing intensity and flips a coin inside his mind, but cannot bring himself to look upon the results. "Stuck on a brain fart Frisk?! What's the next word?"

Frisk makes his choice. "The answer is Snowdin. There should be an S going across to the right where you're standing right now."

"Okay I'll just- Oh my gosh!" She shouts accompanied by the sounds of crumbling rock, nearly throwing Frisk back from shock. "That wasn't it at all Frisk! Holy cow that was way too close!"

Alright. Let's try this one instead. Frisk thought as a giant invisible heat lamp shines upon him, knowing there are false positives. Without thought and with one option remaining, he gives his second answer with heavy breath.

"There is a U to lower right where you are and the answer is underground."

"Are you sure about that, Frisk?"

"The riddle is 'where do monsters live' it has to be the answer." He says with as little confidence as he can muster.

"Okay, I trust you." A long period of silence follows, far longer than it would take to solve any kind of puzzle.

"Maribel? Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, everything is fine," Maribel speaks in a disgruntled voice.

"What's wrong?" Frisk asks, wanting and not wanting to know what happened.

"Is this some kind of game Frisk? C'mon, we can't be playing games right now. Especially with me on this side of the Puzzle!"

"Well like I said, I'm not that smart. What happened?" Frisk asks, eager to learn without exposing his human identity.

"Seriously? Everyone knows monsters live at New Home now. Sure, we're stuck underground, but that's not where a monster lives. Is your head screwed on right?"

Darn it! Have to think of something fast before she starts to think too hard. Frisk thought as he slaps himself after finding NEW HOME in a literal straight line to the right side of the corridor spelled backwards as EMOH WEN.

"I never lived in New Home, so I never really thought of it as a place to live in. My mistake." A few moments of suspenseful silence pass until she speaks to him.

"Fine. Since you gave me the riddle, I figured it out on my own. So I'll let this slide, but no more screw ups! You got me?"

"No more screw ups. Are you there now?" Frisk rubs his forehead in relief.

"Yeah, I found the N, and my head just hit the Wall. The crowd goes wild!"

"Okay, hit the blue button; there's only one button and riddle left. We won't need the pedestal anymore, so I'll join you on the other side." Frisk waits as another prolonged period of silence passes between them. It's a difficult experience for Frisk as the distance between them gets larger with every step she takes. Aside from a distant dark figure, he can hardly see her now.

"What was the color again? I didn't hear ya right." The response raises an eyebrow from Frisk.

"It's Blue. I'm looking at it right now." Frisk says with clarity and confidence.

"Are you sure about that? Your track record is a little shaky right now."

"Yes, I'm sure. Is there a problem or something?"

"There's no problem with me! Everything is fine and I know exactly what I'm doing! Here, I'll prove it if you don't believe in me!" If her first response left Frisk confused, this one leaves him a penniless naked man a thousand miles away from home. Frisk does not have to wait long until he gets his response. The air screams with the sounds of crumbling earth and Maribel's desperate cries.

"Okay, you can help me this time for real!" Maribel shouts as Frisk leaves the pressure plate and runs into the corridor. He hesitates at the edge, vaguely remembering the position of the first word and knowing one wrong step will have him fall and fail.

"C'mon Frisk! I can't hold much longer!" Frisk clenches his fist with a tight face. He throws caution to the wind and charges across the corridor, leaving holes in the ground as he charges towards Maribel's voice. Not easy as the ground tries to swallow him whole with every step he takes. Frisk leaps and skips his way to reach Maribel, destroying the path behind him as he goes.

"Don't worry, I'm almost there. Just hold on!" Frisk spots a single empty solid slot stuck to the side of the wall. How did this happen? Did I give her the wrong instructions again!?

A hairy clawed hand holds for its dear life against a pitfall trap. With little time and even smaller space left Frisk throws himself to the slot. He lands on EN tiles and his finger tips reach the edge of the pitfall trap to grasp cold stone.

I'm too late! No, I can't be too late! No, she can't be-!

"Frisk, I can't fly for much longer, get me up back up there!" With his mind free from concern, his ears register the flapping of wings. He reaches into the pitfall trap to find Maribel hovering beneath the floor in panic. With both hands he grabs onto her arms and pulls her back with all of his might, not easy as Maribel and gravity pull back from the other side. Like the abyss wanted to drag them into eternal darkness.

Frisk is Filled with Determination.

Strength courses through Frisk's arms as he lifts Maribel through the pitfall's opening, fighting against her weight and the pull of the ground to bring Maribel to safety on the surface. When that is done, the slot closes and gives them the solid footing they needed to stand side by side. Relief showers over Frisk as they both gasp for breath.

"Holy cow! That was even worse than the last one! These things gotta be rigged or something! Thanks for coming to get me like that!"

"No-problem... Just-glad... you're-okay... I just want to know one thing," Frisk gasps.

"What is it!?" Maribel asks, her voice fraught with anxiety and nerves.

"What am I holding?" Frisk's hands grab what he assumes to be a leather purse bag. It is smooth and leathery to the touch, warm and fine in feeling, but rubbery in its consistency.

"Oh, those are my wings. That's really all you wanted to know?"

"You have wings!?"

"Of course I have wings. I'm a bat. Why wouldn't I have wings?" Frisk is hit by small gusts of cold air as she flaps them.

"So you can fly?"

"Yeah! I mean kind of, not really. My wings aren't big enough for that kind of stuff yet. It wears me out fast whenever I do it. I'm just-."

"Too S-kid-ttish." Frisk could not help but smirk.

"Frisk, don't make me do something I'll regret." Her voice rises along with her temper.

"Just trying to lighten up the mood. What even happened here?" Frisk examines the trio of buttons in vain. They are off and he can no longer make out the colors, but one of them was pushed by Maribel.

"The puzzle must be rigged or something. I pushed the blue button but this happened instead. Maybe the info was wrong."

"It can't be. The pattern was Red, Blue and Yellow. But buttons are off and I can't… Oh no!" Frisk throws his gaze down the corridor. The pedestal is gone, and thanks to his rescue effort, so is most of the floor. "We can't go back! Without the last riddle and word search we can't reach the door! One wrong move and it's all over!" Frisk shouts and grabs his head with a tight grip.

"Calm down Frisk, we made it this far. We're not gonna give up now. Just think, what was the last riddle? That'll give us the word we need to reach the door. Come on, I know you're smart enough to do this." Her words bring him some reassurance; he contemplates on the riddle and searches for the answer.

"Okay. I found it," he says with a lowly voice but with no doubts in his mind.

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely, there's no way I'm wrong. Here, follow my steps and I'll take us there."

"Okay I trust you Frisk." Frisk arrives at the first letter, S, and to his relief, the ground is solid and hard. He turns his attention back to Maribel, where she pushes another button against the wall before joining him. He gives the action little thought as Maribel returns and he directs them across the final word: SNAMUH

They take a final step and arrive in front of the door, and to their shared relief they are greeted by a solid stone platform.

"See, Frisk? I told you that you could do it. What was the last riddle anyway?" Frisk remains in painful silence. "Frisk, are you okay?" She grabs his shoulder and it breaks him out of his spell.

"Yeah, everything is fine. I just don't like this puzzle very much." He says with a strained voice. "Let's finish this, but I don't know how we're going to unlock the door now without knowing what button to push. Just a guessing game now." The colors on the buttons lie black. He raises his hand towards one only to be smacked away by Maribel.

"No, don't do it."

"Why?" Frisk asks with surprise.

"I think if we hit the wrong button, we can kiss this ground under our feet goodbye. We only get one shot to hit the yellow button."

"But the colors are all gone. I got no idea which is which and I can't go back to turn on the pedestal again! How are we gonna figure it out?"

"Simple. We cheat." Frisk could almost see the smirk on her face.

Maribel turns around to face the entrance to the corridor. She lets loose a loud and powerful screech that fills the entire corridor to every single square inch. Frisk covers his ears to protect himself and wonders what she is doing. When she stops, she becomes still and pays attention to the echo of her screams as they return to her ears. "Okay. I know which the yellow button is." Maribel faces the door and reaches for the buttons only for Frisk to restrain her arm.

"Are you sure, Maribel? We only get one chance!"

"I know that, but my ears can't lie to me. You have to let me do this. So do you trust me, Frisk, or do you want to do it for me like- oh, never mind. Just go ahead and push the-." Frisk lets loose of Maribel's arm.

"You're right, nerves got the better of me. Go ahead and do it." Frisk says, fighting back against the piece of him that wanted to take control of the situation. Maribel turns towards him and Frisk finds surprise spread across her face.

"You really mean that? You'll let me do it myself?"

"You trusted me. It's only fair I trust you, too."

"Thank you." Maribel says with a quiet but sweet voice, and she pushes the button. This triggers a loud mechanical sound and the stone door lowers itself beneath the ground to expose the way ahead. The sight brings an enormous sigh of relief to Frisk.

"Okay, I was still a little nervous, but hey we finally did- Ow!" Frisk says as Maribel punches him in the side of his arm.

"You're right we did do it! See, Frisk, told you didn't have to worry. When we get out of here, we gotta toughen you up. I'll give you a few pointers myself." Maribel says with a laugh. Despite rubbing his arm and tense from his nerves, hearing her laugh raises his spirits and he shares her laugh. Yet as they walk away, Frisk cannot shake off a lingering doubt that plaques his mind.

Our Greatest Enemy. The riddle and answer repeat inside his mind ad nauseam.

Compared to the puzzle, the path ahead of them is trivial. They do not need Maribel's scream to navigate their journey. Not that it stops her from shouting, desperate to escape boredom and to learn what else the caves have in store for them. In contrast, Frisk could not be any happier to have this break from the chase of the Underground. This continues until the darkness is replaced by a light blue aura. Not enough to banish the darkness, but enough for Frisk to marvel at the sight above them.

"Whoa!" They glisten like stars in a night sky. High above them, from what he presumes to be the ceiling, hang countless blue lights. They sparkle and shine with a powerful radiance, although diminished by distance, it cannot take away from the grandeur of the scene. For a few seconds, Frisk is not underground, but back on the surface and stargazing at a night sky unlike any from his home. The missing moon isn't enough to break his trance, until an arm yanks him back.

"Hey! Watch your step, Frisk!"

"What are you talking about—Ohh!" Frisk spots the massive hole in the ground that breaks the chasm into two halves that he was going to walk into. "Yikes! Talk about a Black hole, almost sucked me into it! Thanks for saving me."

"Glad to do it, but what happened? You doze off or something?"

"The ceiling, I don't even know where to start. Like something out of a dream, and to think it takes thousands of years to make something like this with no hands! Just feel lucky that I got to see it." Frisk says with a bewitched face.

"Yeah, I can see what you mean. It looks so pretty." She says with half-hearted disinterest, but Frisk gives her words no mind. They stand and gaze upon the ceiling and now that he knows about the hole, he would not have minded staying for hours. Content to fall under their spell and to admire their beauty.

"AAAHHH!" Maribel screams, almost throwing Frisk into the chasm from shock. "Okay, that's enough. We got no time for waiting Frisk, we gots to be moving on." She walks away from the edge of the chasm to Frisk's surprise.

"What? You want to leave now?! How can you say that when we get to have something like this all to ourselves? Those crystals aren't going anywhere. We can afford a few minutes," Frisk pleads, hoping to convince her to stay awhile longer and bask in the sight of the ceiling.

"No offense, Frisk, but when you got one ceiling over your head your whole life, you kind of get bored with them. Don't know why you find this thing super cool." Her words bring a frown to Frisk's face.

Oh, that's right! They all live underground, this is probably nothing to her and- Oh no! Frisk thought in frenzy, as all monsters should be unimpressed with ceilings.

"Well… I've never seen one like this one before. Anyway, what did your ears tell you?" Frisk asks, wanting to change the conversation as fast as possible. She points to the other side of the chasm.

"That's where we have to go, but there's no way around. Hoping there'd be a bridge or something, but nope! All we get is a giant, dumb hole." Maribel plops herself down on the ground. Frisk opens his mouth to speak, but stops when he notices her downbeat demeanor. With all the energy and spirit she's given him so far, seeing her downbeaten like this seems wrong.

"Hey, look on the bright side, it could be a hole filled with water."

"And how is that worse?"

"Hey, you know I mean well."

A moment of silence passes until Maribel chuckles. "Appreciate it, but jokes aren't going to get us across this hole."

"Wait a second, can't you fly us across?"

"Oh sure I can, and maybe while I'm at it I'll fly us to the surface and back too. Trust me Frisk, if I could, I would have done it by now."

"Why can't you?"

"My wings are weak. I can hold my own weight, but there's no way I can carry both of us across. Maybe a little creek, but not something this huge. Don't get me wrong, I don't want to give up. But I ain't gonna get us killed either. Wish dad was here, he could do it." Her words leave Frisk down, but they also gave him an idea.

"What if we used these?" Frisk digs into his pocket and takes out a handful of monster candy Toriel slipped into his pockets. He hands them to Maribel, and she grasps them with great attention.

"Whoa! Real monster candy! These might be just what we needed! Where did you get these? They're super-duper rare."

"Someone at-! Near the Ruins gave them to me." Frisk figured half the truth is better than a complete lie.

"Wow! You gotta take me there later. Handful of these and everyone in Snowdin will be after us."

"Oh, you have no idea." Frisk says and Maribel devours one of the candy pieces.

"These are so good, I love them so much."

"Well, I'm glad that one of us does." Frisk says as his stomach gives him a bitter reminder of the last time he ate Monster Candy.

With their plan settled, they find a vantage point overlooking the chasm. The healing property of the candy grants them an advantage, but they want as much distance between themselves and the floor as possible. Not only for the obvious reason, but because her wings need height to safely soar across. Luckily, they find what they need, and thanks to light from the crystals above, he can make out details, to his regret.

The chasm's floor is not too deep, but it does not need to be to inflict injury or worse on them. The ground on the opposing side is higher than their side. It raises the stakes for their transit, almost as sharp as the stalagmites covering the chasm floor. In his mind, Frisk finds himself at the top of a skyscraper, the entire horizon in front of him as far as his eyes can reach. Meanwhile, the other even taller skyscraper they have to land on is a tiny speck in the distance.

The sight is almost enough for Frisk to toss the candy away. "You know, on second thought, maybe this isn't a good idea anymore. Let's go back, I'm sure we can find-."

"No, I ain't going to hear any of that quitter talk. We made it this far and we're not gonna stop now, Frisk. Besides, I got this." She says with a confidence Frisk could only have in his dreams.

"Are you sure? I mean can you see this? One teeny tiny little mistake and those crystals will be the last of our worries." Maribel replies by letting out another scream, with the increased lighting Frisk sees her twitching ears.

"Doesn't look so bad to me. With your monster candy, I can handle this. Now this might hurt a bit." Maribel says as she flaps and stretches her wings to climb onto his back.

Before he can give the choice more thought, he can feel her claws grasping around his waistline and she stands over him with her wings spread apart. Her claws dig into him to get a secure grip, but not deep enough to hurt him. Not that it stops Frisk from holding onto Maribel like the last life preserver on a sinking ship.

"Hey, take it a little easy. Pull on me too hard and we'll both go sinking. You gotta relax or you're gonna throw me off when we fly."

"I'm not ready for this!? We shouldn't be doing-!" Her fingers reach down to close his eyelids and the chasm disappears from his sight and mind.

"Keep your eyes close and your arm ready for when I need candy. I know this will be hard for ya, but don't think too much. No puzzles, no falling, and no giving up. Just think about me." Her efforts do calm him and untangle his nerves. In time, he forgets everything: the Underground, the monsters in pursuit, and even his mother.

Leaving only him and Maribel.

"Okay, I'm ready." Frisk steadies his hand with the monster candy. It hangs loose so he can reach her mouth and stuff a piece of candy into her whenever she needs them.

"Good. Now this is my first time flying this high, wish me luck!"

Wait, WHAT!? Frisk thought, but he does not dare open his eyes as his feet no longer have a ground to stand on.

With the flapping of her wings, Frisk knows he is flying midair through an underground cave towards their final destination. With Maribel's body as his only rock, all he can feel is a bubble of air surrounding him. Every second is an unending, nerve-racking experience, like a rubber band that could snap at any moment. He desperately wants to squirm and release the tension, but knows any stray movements could detour Maribel's sinking flight pattern.

"Candy please!" Maribel shouts, even behind his shut eyes he can feel her losing momentum and altitude. Frisk reaches for her mouth to shove a monster candy inside, but is unable to find her. Not helping is that she loses her grip on him. With time short, Frisk opens his eyes and gives her the monster candy she needs to receive her second wind. Even without eating it, Frisk can feel its potent effect as Maribel brings them back into the air and regains her hold on him.

Despite that piece of good news, there is no going back for Frisk. He can see everything around them in midair. Like Sans' joy buzzer, a tingling static shock flows across his body as he gazes at the floor far below them and the distance they still need to cross to reach safety. While they are a hundred feet from the ground, it becomes several thousand in his mind. The sensation of being suspended leaves him a bubble that can pop at any second.

Oh my gosh we're going to die! This is a horrible idea! We have to-! Frisk slides from Maribel's grip. He does not wait for her command to give her another piece of monster candy.

"Thanks! Jeez, why are you so heavy!?" Despite the precarious situation, the look on Maribel's face steals his breath away. The anguish is as clear as day on her painfully cringed and strained face, as if her skin is stretched over her head and nailed in place. He knows he is her burden and cause of her pain. There's no doubt it's far worse than a handful of monster candies can heal.

The many bright sides of gazing at her is getting to marvel at the glistening shine of the countless blue crystals embedded in the ceiling. Closer to them, they peer into his eyes and encase Maribel in an aura of gorgeous blue light. The sight leaves him blinded in awe and grants him a hope that banishes the darkness and dread. One he wishes to share with her as she plummets again.

"Come on Maribel! I know can do it! You can do it! You can do it!" Frisk cheers her on as he hands her another piece of candy. As he feeds her another piece, his hand collides with her chin and she drops a few feet. The collision sends the pieces of candy falling to the ground, to Frisk's horror. While he can see the floor as opposed to a bottomless pit, it provides no comfort as they are halfway to safety.

"You can do it Maribel! Come on we're almost there! I know you can do it!" Frisk says with a smile.

We're gonna die! We're gonna die! Oh my gosh we're going to die! I can't believe this is actually happening! Frisk thought and like she could read his mind, she speaks.

"More candy, Frisk!" Frisk was hoping she would remain quiet, but he will not have that luxury.

"We don't have anymore!" Frisk shouts.

"What!? You're telling me this now!?"

"I didn't want to worry you!"

"Darn it! Fine. Wings, don't fail me now." She doubles her efforts in a desperate bid to cover the remaining distance and save their lives. The drop in altitude comes with a mixed blessing as they become more level with the opposing side. They continue to drop until it becomes a knife's edge between them and safety. The platform comes closer to Frisk like an approaching but sinking wall.

With seconds to spare between life and death, Frisk takes a leap of faith to grab the edge and to relieve Maribel of her burden. Against all odds, Frisk grasps the edge of the platform, hitting it like the back of a moving truck. He nearly loses his hold, but keeps himself stationed to the side of the cliff with a death grip, until Maribel collides into his back. Wasting no time, Frisk grabs Maribel's arm and craves monster candy for the first time.

Frisk performs the most intense pull up in the world, desperate to pull himself and takes Maribel with him. In panic, Maribel screeches in every direction as she hangs from Frisk. He understands her alarm, but her screams are not doing his concentration any favors. Frisk pours every ounce of strength his little body can muster into keeping them alive. He fears it could not be enough. To come so far and to fall so short, he closes his eyes and dreads what comes next.

Frisk is Filled with Determination.

His arm loses all its weariness, in its place is a newfound strength beyond his own. He takes full advantage of this gift and pulls Maribel to the edge of the cliff. Releasing her once she finds her own grip on the side of the cliff. No longer having to carry her, Frisk focuses all of his attention and strength on keeping himself attached. With their safety secure, they collapse into a barrage of deep breathes and relief.

"Oh my gosh Frisk, that was..." Oh here it comes. Well I guess I deserve this. Frisk thought, ready for her anger.

"…the most amazingly, cool, and dangerous thing I've ever done!"

"Uhh... Really?" Frisk says, not expecting that reaction.

"Yeah! I mean how many people can say they flew across a giant hole, got tired halfway there, and still made it through across? Just you and me!"

"Oh, well, no problem. Glad to know that-"

"Now don't get me wrong, I ain't interested in having a round 2 anytime soon and you owe me big for the number you've done to my wings. Jeez why are you so heavy anyway?"

"Umm... Mom always said I had a big appetite."

"At least, you got some nice muscles on those arms. You could probably take on Dad in an arm wrestle contest. But then again so can I." She pinches his arms.

"I just got us to the finish line. You did all the real hard work. I mean I can't fly, that's the cool part if you're asking me."

"Yes. Yes, that is all so true. I am the best. Consider yourself lucky that I'm beat now, because you wouldn't stand a chance against me."

"Hey, I did pretty good saving you, didn't I?"

"Excellent point, you're right. We need a tie breaker. First one on their feet is the winner." Her words leave Frisk in the clouds as he ponders their meaning while Maribel lifts herself to the platform. By the time Frisk realizes what she is doing, she's already on her knees and Frisk follows her.

"Yeah I win. I win! I... Oh there goes my wings... and my legs... and there goes everything else." Maribel says as her body gives out and she collapses onto the ground. Frisk reaches the platform and stands over her as she lies on the ground.

"Please, don't make me hear any jokes. One laugh and I'll shatter into a million pieces." Frisk looks at the exhausted and weary bat girl monster lying upon the ground with a mild smirk. He grabs her side and lifts her off the ground to hoist her upon his back. There is some weight to her body, but strangely he does not find her excessively heavy.

"Frisk what do you think you're doing?" Frisk walks across the rocky platform towards an opening in the stone wall. He does not expect it to be easy, but he does not expect her to squirm and make it more difficult.

"Frisk, you don't have to do this. All I need is a breather. You can let me go." She tries to break free of his grip. And Frisk does not doubt that she could, had it not been for her demanding and exhausting flight.

"It's fine Maribel, you carried me and now I'll carry you. It's the least I can do."

"You don't have to do this for me Frisk. I can do it myself. Really, I just need five minutes and I'll be as good as new." Her words do not deter Frisk from his commitment.

"Then I'll carry you for five minutes. No big deal."

"I'm not some little kid Frisk, I can take care of myself. So please-" Her voice is tired and somber.

"I know you don't have to prove anything to me. Trust me, if I had any choice, I'd never be down here in the first place. But you do this stuff for kicks. There's no way I would have made it this far without you. So let me help you out, till you can stand on your feet. After that, you can take the lead again, sound alright to you?" There is silence, and for a while, Frisk wonders if he said something wrong.

"Thank you." Those are her only words, without any energy and force Frisk grown accustomed to. Instead, she is soft and amiable, like when he mentioned his mother. No matter what happens, Maribel always finds a way to surprise him. His thoughts are broken when she elbows him in the back.

"Alright Frisk, if you really insist. I'll take a nice long nap on your comfy back. Just don't forget to wake me up." Maribel says in her normal voice as she relaxes against his back. He appreciates the fact she stopped struggling, but swallows a groan as she gets comfortable on his back.

"Looking forward to it already." Frisk says along with a roll of his eyes, carrying the two of them into the corridor.

Some Time Later

Frisk carries them through the tunnels with Maribel on his back. As he believed, she did require more than five minutes to recover and he let her have them. Whenever a choice had to be made, all he needed to do is turn around and ask her for a scream. To his surprise, her screams no longer bother him. They're loud for sure, but no longer instill any fear within him. Instead, they give him peace of mind, knowing where to go next without any doubt.

Fortunately, there are no more puzzles or obstacles to overcome, just a lengthy trek through the darkness. Until at long last, Frisk finds the lights at the end of the tunnel.

"Hey Maribel, what do these special crystals look like?"

"Oh, they glow rainbow colors. Most crystals glow blue, but these are extra special and hard to find." She murmurs, having grown comfortable on Frisk's back.

"I think we found them," Frisk says as a bright, beautiful collage of colors lies in the distance ahead of him.

True to her description, wide assortments of colors from across the spectrum shine in a collective haze. The image is never the same. Colors fade and reappear at random in a continuous brilliant barrage of splendor that leaves Frisk awe-stunned. Considering the scenery until this point consisted of black, black, and more black, the lights stick out like a sore thumb on a hand with four missing fingers.

Oh, no, I didn't expect them to be that bright! If I go down there, she'll know for sure that I'm human. They look really pretty, but I can't go down there. Frisk thought and considers his options.

"Really, you have!" Maribel hops off his back and steps to his side. Frisk plugs his ears as she releases another scream and her ears twitch after getting her confirmation. She punches Frisk's arm and rubs her claws together with eager anticipation.

"We finally made it. About time, too!" Maribel charges away while Frisk follows her at a steady pace.

The tunnel broadens and widens to a large spherical empty space, it ends at a small opening on the other side where the crystals shine inside a separate room. Frisk sighs as the large room's openness and the crystals' lights give him reprieve from the dark claustrophobic tunnels and alleviate his pain. Maribel screams to familiarize herself within this new area.

"C'mon Frisk, don't be a slowpoke we're finally here!" She waves her wing to invite him to join her.

"No thanks, I'm fine right here. I can wait until you're done." Frisk says behind a chuckle to conceal his nerves.

"Okay, more for me. But you're missing out Frisk. You won't find these crystals anywhere else in the whole Underground." Maribel declares and sprints towards the opening, her wings swaying from side to side.

Fine by me, hopefully we can get a move on and get out of place now. I just hope that... that-! Why is that rock alive! Frisk thought as a large object silently lifts itself into the air. As it does so more of their features come into view. The creature resembles a sleek flying shark, but with wide circular wings instead of fins, a long tail, and an enormous sparkling white grin and two white eyes.

How is she not seeing this thing!? I have to save her, but if I get too close to the light, she'll know my secret! What am I supposed to-! Frisk is shocked when he notices a ball of magical material forming within a small circular fin at the end of the monster's tail. Frisk stares at Maribel who has not stopped her pursuit to the crystal room.

Without a second to spare, Frisk runs after Maribel as fast as he can. He reaches her in seconds and throws himself at her as the monster fires the ball material at her location.

"Maribel! Get out of the way!" Frisk pushes both of them down to the ground as they evade the magical attack with inches to spare.

"What the heck was that for Frisk?!"

"How do you not know why I- Incoming!" Frisk shouts as the monster fires another barrage of attacks at them. Frisk leads them through a rain storm of magical material raining upon them. It's not easy as the monster does not stop in their attacks and dragging Maribel limits his mobility and speed.

"What's going on Frisk?! Who's attacking us?"

"I got no idea, what is this guy even doing here?"

"You dare to ask these presumptuous questions, children? You are the ones who disturbed my slumber with your sacrilegious screams, and now you intend to invade my home. I will not allow these transgressions to pass. Now leave this place!" He fires off another barrage at Frisk and Maribel. They evade the blasts by hiding behind a pile of boulders.

"Jeez, does this guy have a way with words. Can you hear where he's coming from here? I'd rather keep my head here."

"Not unless he's talking. The way he moves around is way too quiet for my ears to pickup. Let me try this." Maribel screams at the wall behind them, allowing the sound waves to bounce off of them and spread throughout the area. She pokes her ears over the top of the rocks and listens to hear what comes next.

"Move now!" She shouts.

"Are you two speaking about me, children? I sincerely hope so," he says, hovering over their heads. After getting over their shock, they charge off in opposite directions.

"Ahh, I can see that you seek to divide and conquer, children. Do whatever you please, for it will do you no good in my home until you leave." He takes turns firing blasts at both of them. These blasts break into pieces before hitting their mark, turning one blast into five without a moment's notice. Frisk does what he can to evade the monster's attacks from flips, cartwheels, and turns. This continues until his actions become a bizarre evasive dance, moving from side to side to miss the monster's attacks.

"You have an impressive lightness to your feet, child. You can compete with me if you desire, but you cannot defeat me. For I am Glyde the Magnificent." Frisk feels unease at having Glyde's approval. He stops when Glyde halt his attacks to perform an elaborate dance in midair. Glyde uses his wings and tail to twist and turn like a spinning top while shooting material at the ceiling, where they explode into a cascade of raining confetti.

Is this guy for real!? He gives Papyrus a run for his money, Frisk thought as Glyde performs. His attention is broken when Maribel screams, turning his attention to her. Unfortunately, Glyde does the same.

"You!" He bellows, "You were the one who woke me, and now you possess the audacity to interrupt my performance! Well, if you wish to compete, I am all too happy to accommodate you, loud child." The monster fires off blasts of material at Maribel that split into smaller pieces. Frisk is horrified as Maribel finds far less success in evading the monster's attacks. He stops his attack once Maribel falls to the ground.

"Maribel!" Frisk takes advantage of Glyde's pause to run over to Maribel and inspect her.

"Maribel, are you okay?!"

"Yeah, I'm fine. But man do those things pack a punch. What are we gonna do about this guy! I got no clue!" She rubs her aching torso and Frisk stands to face the monster as Glyde hovers over them with his tail pointed at them.

"So will you leave my home, children? Or do you require another demonstration of one of my many delectable talents?"

"Stop calling me a kid, and we can't leave! Not when we've come this far and not to a big jerk like you!"

"Not now, Maribel!" Frisk says as his mind races to find any solution to deal with Glyde. Even if he is willing to fight, Glyde's hovering ability makes it borderline impossible. For reasons he doesn't know, Maribel cannot respond to his attacks. Time runs short as Glyde waits for Frisk's response. One he hopes will satisfy the monster as things come together in his mind.

Performances… Compete… Talent. Okay, this is a huge risk, but I'm out of ideas. I really hope this works.

"I am so sorry; Mr. Glyde, my partner and I didn't realize it was you until you announced yourself. We were actually searching for you this entire time."

"You were?!" Glyde says, his words bursting with excitement.

"We are?" Maribel asks in confusion.

"Just play along and we might get out of this." Frisk whispers to her. "Ah, yes, Mr. Glyde, you see, my partner and I here are talent scouts looking for stars like you to perform in our show. It's called- called…"

"Mettaton's Variety Hour! It's the biggest show in the whole Underground. You'd be perfect guest star for it," Maribel adds in.

"Mettaton… I know this name… and talent scouts! Oh my goodness, why did you not say so to begin with? I am honored that you would consider me for this magnificnet show."

"Yes, we sure were! We didn't mean to wake you like this and we are sorry-"

"I shall hear nothing of the sort. I can only hope that I have not damaged my chances for considerations on your show."

"An apology would still be nice," Maribel says before being shut down with a sharp stare from Frisk as he mouths "not now," to her.

"An honest mistake, Mr. Glyde. Now, if you do not mind, please show us your best performance and we will report back to Mettaton," Frisk says with his best front.

"I am honored."

Glyde soars into the air and spreads his fins like he is a majestic eagle taking off to pierce the sky. While not as impressive, the fact such a massive and bloated creature could move so eloquently and swiftly cannot be scoff at either. Glyde flies straight towards the ceiling, spinning like a drill that could break into the solid rock. Yet with mere feet remaining, Glyde manages to bank and evade the ceiling, surfing across the rocky ceiling.

Frisk wishes he could have strapped himself to Glyde's back to get a firsthand experience; instead he settles for applause.

Glyde returns to the ground, hovering by a few feet as he flies and fires several balls of debris towards them. Frisk tries to run out of the way but Maribel grabs to hold him still. Taking hold of her confidence and torso, Frisk shuts his eyes. He misses the balls exploding on the ground in showers of harmless confetti and sparks, but sees Glyde soaring above them like a whale leaping out of a pool at a sea show.

Frisk wants to reach and touch his belly, but stops himself and brings his hands together for another round of thunderous applause. Maribel joins him with her claws, albeit with far less enthusiasm. Glyde's grin could not have been any bigger from their applause, yet he dares to go bigger. Glyde takes a position far and away from them on the opposite side of the room. Halting all momentum to float motionless in midair, leaving Frisk in anticipation to see what he would do next.

Glyde fires many balls of debris at different angles and positions. They soar far and away until they become a ring of magic. Despite their speed and head start, Glyde does not allow that to stop him from charging towards the ring. Within seconds he reaches and flies through the ring with perfect aim and with perfect accuracy the balls explode into a rainstorm of colors that bath Glyde in a sparkling cloud.

With the maneuver complete, Frisk and Maribel applaud to Glyde's endless ego and satisfaction as his performance comes to an end.

"10/10! We are beyond impressed!" Frisk exclaims.

"Yeah, I've never seen a better show in my life." Maribel speaks.

"Thank you for your praise and applause. Truly, there are none greater than I; be certain to tell Mettaton that once you return to him. He will never find a more perfect guest star than Glyde. Now, if you require me, I must return to my rest." Glyde flies away and Frisk and Maribel both breathe sigh of relief.

"When will I learn about the outcome of your considerations?" His words throw both children for a turn as they hope he did not hear their sighs.

"Oh, very soon, Mr. Glyde. You will hear from us very soon," Frisk says to abide him before any suspicion can enter his mind.

"I eagerly await my victory already." Glyde returns to his pile of rocks and closes his eyes to sleep. They wait until they are secure that Glyde is asleep.

"Yes we did-!" Frisk shushes Maribel. "Oh sorry. We did it. Hooray…" She whispers.

"Yeah we did. Now get the crystals and get out of here." Frisk says.

They approach the opening to the cave which contains the crystals. Frisk keeps his distance but wants to stay close to Maribel in case Glyde wakes up for an encore. He also finds the allure of the multi-color light difficult to resist after enduring a marathon of darkness. He stops at the edge where the light from the crystals blends with the darkness of the cave.

"Something wrong Frisk?"

"Nope. Just want to take a second to admire the sight. Can't believe we finally made it."

"Well let's cross the finish line already!" Maribel punches his arm once again and by now the punches no longer hurt him and Frisk decides to return the favor in her way.

"You know what, sure why not." Frisk swings the palm of his hand towards Maribel's turning face at a mild speed. His hand slaps her face.

"Ow! What was that for?! Frisk, you jerk!" Frisk is shocked by what he has done and confused by how it could happen at all. The light from the crystals are bright enough to alleviate their vision. His hand did not move at an especially high speed, and strangest of all, she was staring directly at him.

"I was trying to give you a high five. How did you not see me coming? I'm right here! I mean, what, are you blind or something?" Maribel becomes deathly silent and limp on the ground as she does not react. She stares at the ground, unable or unwilling to bring herself to look at him.

"Oh…Oh my gosh, I… I didn't know that you were…" Frisk is afraid to say the word, not knowing what kind of reaction it will trigger within Maribel.

"Go ahead and say it. No point in hiding it anymore." Maribel stands and lifts her face towards Frisk. He can see her eyes in clear detail thanks to the crystals' light. While they are black, it is impossible to ignore the grey haze that covers them like glasses in thick fog.

"Yeah, I'm blind. Can we get a move on now?" Her words and his realization leave him stunned, deciding to table the conversation for a less awkward moment.

"Sure, let's just go on." They enter the cave, now that Frisk has no issues with entering a room filled with light. The crystals stick out of the ground in clusters and towers of shards that point in every direction. They embed themselves within the walls and floor creating a stunning mural and collage of shining rainbow crystals. Frisk almost wanted to call it blinding, but it seems the worst word to use right now.

"Dad is gonna love these so much! I know we got the CORE now, but I'll take these crystals any day of the week." Maribel approaches one of the crystals and yanks off pieces to carry in her arms. Frisk follows her actions, not knowing her intentions, but wanting to appease her. To his surprise, the crystals are not difficult to remove. All it takes is a few powerful pulls to plunder a piece.

They continue their harvest until their arms are full and Maribel departs without uttering another word to Frisk. Frisk finds her silence and stillness so alien and strange, a complete opposite to her usual demeanor. While he has no use for the crystals himself, he hopes they will restore Maribel to her former self.

On his way out, Frisk notices a small crystal embedded at the top of a stalagmite. It also shines with a rainbow color, but the red manages to overpower the other colors to give it a distinctive glow of its own. Frisk closes his mouth to keep a trail of drool from leaking from his lips. He places his crystals on the ground and with great care removes the crystal and puts it inside his back pocket, padding it for good luck.

"Safe and sound." Frisk picks up Maribel's crystals and leaves to rejoin Maribel as they depart from the room. They tread carefully to avoid an encore with Glyde and leave the glowing room for darker pastures. Frisk can only hope they do not stay in this newfound darkness forever.

Some Time Later

The travel through the tunnels is uneventful aside from Maribel's screams. The silence grows stale between them and leaves Frisk uneasy. He wants to address whatever issue exists between them but has absolutely no idea of how to proceed, luckily he doesn't.

"Betcha wanna know why I didn't tell you that I was blind." Maribel breaks the strange silence between them. Frisk finds brief relief, since it's impossible to not notice the nervousness of her words. The crystals shake in her arms and she rubs her claws close to her chest.

"Yeah, I gotta say, I did not see that coming." Frisk says, not wanting to force the issue but unable to deny his curiosity. The fact she is blind changed everything he knows about Maribel, it's hard for him to ignore situations where that information could have been invaluable. At the same time, he cannot muster any anger or frustration towards her, lest he become a hypocrite. "You know, you don't have to tell me if you-"

"Do you want to help me now?" The question takes Frisk off-guard, in addition to her coming to a complete stop. "You want to carry my crystals for me? Maybe you want to take me to the exit? Heck, you can take my wing and lead the way." Her questions leave Frisk confused, knowing the answer he wants to give but not knowing the right thing to say.

"I don't know what to say."

"Because I'm some helpless little blind kid? Do you feel sorry for me? Is that why you want to help me?" She says in a broken but firm voice, like a shattered fine vase glued back together with school paste.

What?! Where is this coming from? Oh, no, I better say something before this get worse. Frisk tries to speak, but Maribel cuts him off.

"Hey, when we get back home, there's lots of things you can help me with. This little adventure probably did a number on me; you're gonna have to clean me and change my clothes. Oh, and don't forget, you always gotta be ahead of me to open doors; but not too far ahead because I might get lost or hurt on the way to the kitchen." Frisk finds himself in stunned silence, not sure if she is talking to him or someone else.

"After all, that's Maribel! She's a little blind kid, you know. We all gotta pitch in to help and we have to help her with everything. She can't help herself. She can't do anything. She just has to stand around and be blind..." Her voice trails off into the dying distance.

"It's not like she doesn't already know that; just keep reminding her on how useless that makes her. And if she says, 'no, please stop, I can do it alone'; people will leave her and never come back," she says in between sniffs and by now Frisk has heard enough, he eases his arm from his crystals to grab her fumbling claws.

"Maribel, I'm not going to lie. I didn't want to help you in the beginning. Not because you're blind, I did it... Well, to be honest, I wanted to get out of this place. But after everything, I can tell you that you're not helpless or useless. You did more than half of the work it took to get us here and there's no way I could have done any of this without you. You can fly, you can read without seeing, and heck you can see with your ears.

"That's the coolest stuff I've ever heard of! And yeah, you needed me here and there for some parts, but no one can do everything. Not even me. And sure, I don't know what it's like to be blind, but there's more to you then just your eyes. So yeah, I wanna help you, but because I like you and I know you can help yourself too. You'd have to be blind not to see that," Frisk says, hoping his words will do more good than harm.

His mind wanders towards the second as the silence grows longer.

"Wow… that has to be the second nicest thing anyone has ever said to me," Maribel says.

"Well, at least I get the silver medal," Frisk says in a mixture of glee and disappointment. The latter feelings vanish when Maribel gives him a playful punch to his arm and shakes his other hand. Her hair and claws no longer bring him any discomfort or unease, finding a warm pleasant sensation deep within him. Like a gentle flame finding its second wind as it grows stronger and glows brighter between them.

"Sorry, Frisk, no one's gonna top Mom. But seriously, I can't even begin to describe how much I needed to hear something like that. Sorry if I got melodramatic; guess I needed to get something off my chest and couldn't stop myself."

"Yeah, I got that feeling you were talking to someone else. Do I even want to know what's going on?" Maribel lets out a long sigh.

"I'm not sure; I mean, I don't want to be a brat or anything, because then I really will be alone and I don't want that either. I get everyone wants to be nice and care about me. And when I was little, I really couldn't do anything so they had to help me. But I'm not so little anymore and there are things that I can't do that other kids can do. It's like I'm not good enough, and I know they don't mean it that way. But it really bothers me a lot and I don't know what to do. I guess I just really wanted to start doing some things on my own. And the worse thing is Dad is the biggest one of them all."

"Your father," Frisk is unable to hide his disgust when speaking the word.

"Yeah, Dad, but you can call him my second shadow. No matter what I do or where I go, he's always got to help me with everything. And fine, that's his job, that's what Dads and Moms are supposed to do, I get it. But I swear Dad still thinks I'm 5 years old or something, and that was 6 years ago! I don't want to be mean, but he makes me go 'Ahhh' sometimes! Do you know what I'm talking about?"

"I really wish I did know." Frisk says with a heavy heart and voice, almost green with envy at her words. Yeah Frisk you wouldn't do anything like that. Would ya you big jerk.

"Well, it's nice and bad at the same time; just wish I could keep the good without the bad. That's why I really like ya, Frisk. You get me, you really do. And I want to say sorry for keeping this a secret. I really shouldn't have done that when you needed to know." Her uplifting words bring him shame.

"You don't have to apologize." Frisk stands as tides of guilt smash into him like a beach during high tide.

"No, I do. I was scared that if you knew, you would have been like everyone else, but you're not. I should have given you more credit. So how about it?" She extends her wing towards him as Frisk looks on at her with quivering eyes, unable to speak. When silence threatens to become awkward again, Frisk makes a decision.

"No, you really don't have to apologize. Maribel, I... I haven't been entirely honest with you." Frisk sighs, wishing he could take back his words but knows there's no going back now. "You deserve to know the truth."

"Uhh... What do you mean Frisk? What truth? I'm sure it can't be that bad, and-!"

"I'm not a monster." Frisk can tell his words surprise her, with the mixture of confusion and mounting dread on her face. As difficult as the next few words are, he knows that he must say them.

"I am not a Monster. I am a human being from the Surface. I fell down here by accident and I am trying to escape back to surface. I am not a monster, I'm Human!" Frisk says in the most clear and concise way to avoid any ambiguity. The effect of his words is immediate as she staggers away from him.

"You... You're a Human being!" Frisk is shocked by how Maribel acts. The monster bat girl who displayed no fear the entire time he has known her, cowers away from him like a mouse facing a mountain lion.

"Maribel, let me just explain and... Hey, wait, come back!" Frisk says as Maribel flees away from him.

While the sight of a monster running away from as opposed to fighting him would normally be a welcome one, in this case he cannot help but pursue her. He drops his own crystals to the ground where they shatter, never having any strong attachment to them. With the baggage gone, Frisk charges after Maribel.

"Maribel! Please come back. I just want to talk." While she had a head start, thanks to the crystals in her wings he is easily able to keep track of her position in the darkness of the tunnel. He can also tell that he is faster than her, since she's likely weighted down by her armful of crystals. Even when the lights disappear into the darkness, it does not deter Frisk from his relentless pursuit as he hears the echo of her foot prints.

Why is she running away from me?! It must be that monster law. She probably thinks she's supposed to do this. Okay, all I have to do is reach her and talk her down so I can— Frisk's thoughts disappear along with the ground beneath his feet. He grabs onto the edge of the stone cliff to keep himself suspended with tremendous strain.

"Darn it... I should have seen this coming... Come on, gotta pull myself up..." Even without a second body to carry, the pain and strain on his arms is great. The events of the day have taken their toll, reduced his arm to noodles and with no monster candy to revitalize himself. Frisk pulls with all his strength to return to safety, but every effort adds to the burning burden on his arms. Meanwhile, from the corner of his eyes he sees the light of Maribel's crystals flee further away from him.

"Oh, come on... Give me a break!" Frisk shouts as the rocky ledge he is holding onto shatters into pieces from his intense grip.

"Not that kind of break!" Frisk desperately tries to reassert his hold on the rocky platform's edge. The act almost tears his nails off as they dig into the side of the hole. The burn from the friction forces him away and into the center of the hole where he descends into a free fall towards the bottom of the hole. Frisk screams in midair, unable to do anything to stop his descent and he does not believe there will be any beds of flowers to break his fall this time.

No, this can't be happening! I can't die! I have so much left to do! Mom! Toriel! Sans! Heck, I'll take Flowey if that's what it takes! Please, someone, help me! Frisk thought as he falls deeper into the black abyss of this hole. Yet there is not a soul to be found and no way to avoid this fate. Submerged in silence and fear, Frisk is alone in his thoughts as he nears the end.

I can't believe this! I'm actually going to die. I'll hit the ground, go splat, and that its forever! I never got a chance and no one is going to remember me. Mom, I just wish that I could say-! His thoughts are broken when Maribel's screams reach his ears. The echo from the hole bounces it in every direction and the darkness ensures that he cannot determine her location. Yet he knows that she is here with him somewhere.

Frisk yelps as a swift shadow soars towards him, claws latch onto his arms. The sudden loss of acceleration jerks him, but he takes the force. While he is still falling, his speed is far slower and grows ever slower. The rapid and desperate flapping of wings fills the air and his ears.

"Jeez... Why do you have to be so heavy, Frisk?" Maribel struggles to hold him, there is no way she can bring them back to their former place. But she uses his weight and momentum to bring them to the ground in a controlled descent. She cannot prevent their fall, but she can ensure the fall will not hurt them. Frisk goes as motionless as possible, not wanting to make her struggle worse.

Blinding rainbow lights fall past his eyes and collide on the ground where they shatter. Frisk is shocked as there is one thing those lights could have been. The fear within him is banished, replaced by gratitude and admiration for what she did for him.

Why can't all monsters be like you and Toriel?

It takes moments for them to reach the bottom. Thanks to her efforts they hit the ground with the force of a tree fall. It's not pleasant, but preferable to the alternative. Frisk takes the blunt of the force and Maribel collapses from exhaustion as she falls off of Frisk to the ground. Frisk ignores the mild pain in his body and rushes to Maribel's side.

"Maribel, are you alright?!" He visually and physically inspects her for any damage, afraid the fall hurt her more it did him.

"No, ask me tomorrow when I can say yes," She moans as she lies on the ground in visible pain. Frisk is lost on what to do next. He wants to help her but does not want to move her and risk causing her more harm.

"Hey, do you know how to fall down a staircase?"

"No, but I'm sure you'll tell me."

"It's simple. You do it step by step till you hit rock bottom." Maribel lets out a chuckle and Frisk releases a sigh of relief.

"Oh Frisk, that one was so bad that it actually made me laugh. What am I going to do with you?"

"I'm sure we'll come up with something. But seriously, what happened back there? Why did you do that?" Frisk helps Maribel up, but she elects to sit for the time being. Due to her silence and stillness, he can tell she does not want to answer the question.

"Will you take half an answer for now? I promise to tell you the other half later."

"Sure, go ahead." Frisk does not even consider arguing after what she did for him.

"I'm sorry for running off like that. It was dumb. Even if you're a human, I had to come back to save you. Because I know that's what Mom would have done." Her words put a smile in his heart and bring tears to his eyes. For the first time since Toriel, he has found a monster he's not afraid of and it feels good.

"You know, I just realized something. I never apologized for breaking your crystals. I'm sorry, and I'm sorry for not telling you that I was a human. You should have known that I-."

"Frisk you breaking my crystals was the best thing that happened to me today. You don't have to say sorry." Maribel takes Frisk's hand into her wing.

"Well, I'm going to anyway. Because I know that's what my Mom would have done too. So, I'm real sorry."

"Wow, your Mom sounds awesome. Even if she's human, I'd love to meet her." Maribel says and she brings an enormous smile to his face.

"Well, that's not going to happen if we stay here. You good to travel?"

"Nope, do you mind helping me out a bit?" Frisk smiles as he helps Maribel to her feet and loops her hairy arm and leathery wing over his shoulder.

"Not at all, you can lead the way and I'll follow."

"Sounds great to me." Maribel screams and Frisk stumbles their way from out of this hole.

15 Minutes Later

It takes time, effort, and many screams, but they reach an exit and the darkness of the caves passes into the slightly less darkness of Snowdin Forest. They are welcomed with open freezing hands as bursts of cold air punch them.

"Wow, never thought I would have missed this place," Frisk says as his hands return to warm his shivering sides.

"What are you going to do now Frisk? I mean, humans… aren't welcome in the Underground."

"There are two monsters I need to find, one of them is kind of helping me out. At least, I think he is. I hope you don't mind if I keep his name a secret."

"What, you think I'm gonna go tattle tale on him? Frisk, I thought you knew me better than that. I think I can keep a secret." Frisk remains silent on the matter, not comfortable with revealing his deal to Sans. "Alright fine, go protect your real friend, Human. I'll just be chopped liver over here."

"Maribel it's not like that, you have to understand that I can't take any- Ow." He is interrupted by a punch from Maribel.

"I'm just messing with ya Frisk. If my dad caught me with a human, he'd probably go ballistic. I really need to fix that one day."

"Oh yeah, your dad told you to get crystals and now you have to go back empty handed. What are you going to-?"

"That was another fib. There's no way Dad would have let me go down here without him being there. I waited for him to take a nap and I ran off in secret on my own. Although after everything that's happened, I guess he kind of has a point."

"So why did you need those crystals?"

"I wanted proof. Proof that I could show him that I'm not some helpless blind girl. That way he and everyone can trust me to look after myself… without leaving me. Guess I kind of went over my head." Her head turns to the ground for a few moments before returning back to Frisk.

"But you know what, Frisk? I don't need those crystals. Because I got to meet you and I don't care that you're a human. I'm glad we got to be friends." They smile at each other and under the better lighting of the Underground, Frisk takes a good look at Maribel.

Yes, it is impossible to deny that she is a fruit bat monster. But her brown hair is smooth and clean, her black eyes pure and inviting despite their fogged lens, and her ears long and fine, with an adorable sleeveless purple and yellow striped sweater vest covering her torso.

Guess she is a kid after all. Frisk thought until a light bulb turned on in his head and his hand reaches into his back pocket.

"Well I was wondering what I'm going to do with this thing." Frisk pulls out a small rainbow crystal from his back pocket that managed to survive the whole ordeal. It shines and glistens in between them like a red dwarf star in the midst of this darkness.

"Wow, that's amazing! It only took you an hour to forget I can't see anything. I think that's a new record." Frisk slaps himself.

"It's a crystal piece I took from the caves!"

"Whoa, you had that with you the whole time!" Maribel says and shakes with anticipation and excitement.

"Yup, and I don't really need it. If only there was someone here who did want it?" Frisk hands are emptied as she snatches the crystal without another thought.

"Oh my gosh! Frisk, you're the greatest! Dad's gonna love this so much. I'll take this to him right away." Maribel runs off a bit, leaving Frisk behind until she stops.

"Hey Frisk, if you ever need a favor, feel free to hit me in Snowdin Town."

"I'll consider it."

"Are you sure you'll be alright? Promise me Frisk, I don't wanna lose my new friend." Frisk chuckles at her sing-song words. A piece of him doesn't believe what happened but cannot deny any of it.

"I promise I'll be fine Maribel, go take care of your dad." With that Maribel runs off to go and return to her home without a worry in the world. Something Frisk wishes he could say as he turns away from the caves and towards Snowdin Forest. Knowing there are still monsters, puzzles, and flowers for him to overcome if he's going to reach the Surface in one piece.

But for the first time, he faces the peril with a small but strong smile. "Wow, Miss Toriel, you were right. All I had to do is make friends. I really hope I don't break my promises." Frisk walks away from the caves and enters Snowdin, leaving the dark and silent abyss of the caves behind him.

From the cave's opening emerges a human girl dressed in a red and orange striped sweater. "So you don't like breaking promises."