I LIIIVVVE! *cough* Anyways, yeah, story's not dead yet. Got a bit caught up with life shit, got a new job, the works. Thanks as always go to XWolf26 for writing DoubleTale & DoubleScramble, and providing feedback. Thanks for editing goes to my wonderful friend TheEhGatsby, who's input is responsible for some of my favorite moments to write in this story. Now, review time! Wingah: I'm glad the swap between Frisk & Sans went as well as it did. I've got stuff cooking up for later regarding those two and the nature of their partnership. XWolf26: With Cter gone, Marian's got big shoes to fill, and there's more time to explore the other characters in DoubleScramble alongside our protagonist. Thank y'all for sticking around, apologies for the wait, and I hope it was worth it. With that all out of the way, let's get on with the show!
I'm not certain how long I stood there in the snow, just...staring into the distance. Once the adrenaline wore off and the urge to break the kid in two wasn't beating my thought process with a hammer I just felt empty inside. A man had died today, one who might not have had I just listened and stayed inside.
*Move.
I ignored the text being repeatedly typed out on the box in front of me, the same way I'd been ignoring how sore my knuckles were feeling after holding my sword in a death grip for who knows how long? The crunch of snow beneath someone's boots stirred me from my thoughts as Chara brushed past me, Cter's hoodie clutched in their hands.
"I-I-" I choked out past the lump in my throat while reaching out to them.
They silenced me with a piercing red glare over their shoulder, shaking their head before continuing onwards. I swallowed hard, and looked down at my text box.
*Quit ignoring me you little shit.
I frowned down at it, not bothering to reply.
*You gonna stand here feeling sorry for yourself, or are you gonna get going?
I shrugged, my grip on Tournesol relaxing a little as I sneezed.
*He wasn't the first, and he's not gonna be the last. The longer you wait, the worse things are getting up ahead.
I tucked my weapon away in my inventory before stuffing my hands into my hoodie pockets. Taking a deep breath, I glanced back at the consequences of my fuck-up. He was already starting to be buried under the growing layer of snow...shit, how long was I out of it for?
*Long enough to catch a cold, idiot.
Chapter Three: Cold Shoulder
"If I died, you would'a known. Because the whole world would'a stopped turnin'."
I shook my head and looked back towards the path ahead. Mustering up what little determination I could, I began to make my way out of the blizzard. The river to my left split off from the path as the crunch of snow beneath my boots was slowly replaced with gravel and dirt. I glanced over at the empty station nestled off in a corner of a little alcove before the item box, grimacing as I touched the Save point.
*The thought of fixing your mistakes fills you with Determination. HP fully restored.
The heat in my chest chased away the burgeoning cold, leaving my outfit clean & dry and my head a little less foggy than it'd been moments prior. I checked the item box out of curiosity as I passed by, and wasn't very surprised to find it empty.
*So much for snatching up all the good gear.
"Most of the stuff was lying around in presents anyways. It was a stupid plan, they already know exactly where to get what they need." I mumbled, grimacing as water soaked into my boots as I trudged through the runoff of one of Waterfall's namesakes.
"Besides, you said it yourself. I still suck." I noted, not bothering with the Save Point past the first patch of tall grass as I marched onwards.
*Your powers of observation astound us all. Now what're we gonna do about it?
I shrugged again, only briefly hesitating as I walked across those weird flower bridges.
*We're gonna have to come up with something eventually.
My reply was cut off as I bumped into something, nearly falling on my ass before a large, fuzzy hand caught me. Following the hand up the cardigan-clad arm it was attached to revealed the mildly shocked visage of...Toriel? Wasn't she already dead? I didn't have much time to ponder this screwy world as my train of thought was interrupted by the realization that she'd said something.
"I-I'm sorry, what was that?" I mumbled, shaking my head to clear my thoughts before looking back up at Toriel, her expression now one of concern.
"I said are you alright, my child?" Toriel repeated, her hand resting on my shoulder as she stared down at me.
"...I-I'm fine, thanks…" I replied after a moment's hesitation. I refused to meet her gaze as I brushed her hand off and awkwardly stepped around her.
Toriel looked back the way I'd come, her face looking crestfallen as she considered her next words.
"...I've heard about what happened…" she began, causing me to freeze mid-step.
Whatever I was going to say was caught in my throat as I stood there, silently praying she'd just drop it and let me leave.
"For what little my word might be worth these days...I do not believe Cter would have blamed you for anything." Toriel assured, looking back at me with an expression torn between comfort and heartache.
"...p-please…" I choked out, taking a deep breath before continuing. "...c-can we just...not talk about what happened?" I pleaded, running a hand through my hair.
"...Of course, my child. My name is Toriel, might I ask yours?" Toriel relented, her expression settling on a smile that looked a little strained.
"I-It's Marian…" I replied, glancing back down the path that led deeper into Waterfall.
"Look, I kinda need to get going...the kid's not gonna stop themselves, you know?" I turned and began to walk away, only to be joined moments later by the motherly goat person.
"I shall accompany you. I know of some rather old pathways that will help us get around faster, and help us keep out of Monster Kid's way." She insisted, giving me a stern look. "What kind of person would I be if I let a child go to war on my people's behalf again?"
"A-Again?" I asked, deciding to just roll with it for now.
Toriel grimly nodded, taking the lead as we traipsed through the dusty, damp chambers. Shimmering blue flowers echoed screams of terror and anger as we passed them by, which didn't exactly help the mood any.
"Many years ago, tragedy struck our kingdom, much like it is now. A human from the surface saw fit to take their pain and anger out on our people, leaving dust in their wake." she explained, making a turn that I couldn't recall from the game and taking us down a rather narrow tunnel.
"Not long after, another human fell. A boy who sought to put a stop to the senseless slaughter. That boy was Cter." The woman's voice echoed off the walls of the cavern that we stepped out into, the only thing standing between us and a yawning abyss being the pillars of rock that stretched up to the ceiling at even intervals.
"...what was he like?" I asked, stuffing my hands into the pocket of my hoodie and tuning out the sound of wood splintering into pieces further ahead.
"He was a rather strange child. He'd say the most unusual things, seemingly just to get a reaction or laugh out of the people around him...he was a very kind young man." Toriel remarked, seemingly lost in memories before shaking it off and continuing to lead us onwards.
Neither of us had anything to say for a while, and after ducking through another strange, cramped little tunnel we found ourselves coming up on the "rainy" portion of Waterfall. We stopped to grab an umbrella before continuing on.
"...do you think this Monster Kid person will be enough to stop the kid?" I asked, despite knowing he wouldn't be. Not with how many times Frisk and Sans must have done this already.
"He'll have to be. He's the underground's only hero now." Toriel replied, offering a smile that I'm sure was supposed to be reassuring.
"...and what if he isn't?" I found the words tumbling out of my mouth as we walked along a cliff, a great castle looming in the distance as gemstones in the roof glimmered like frail stars.
"...do you think I'll be enough?" I asked, though whether I was asking my text box, Toriel, or whatever force brought me here was a mystery even to me. Toriel sighed, looking down at me before turning to stare out at the castle with an expression I couldn't read.
"I cannot say one way or the other. Things aren't the same now as they were back then. That young ones such as yourself and Cter are forced to bear the weight of Monsterkind's inability to defend ourselves is disgraceful...and yet we have little choice, it would seem." Toriel's tone commanded my attention, sounding more like the monarch she was supposed to be than the cardigan-clad guide she'd been thus far.
"Cter wasn't always a hero, Marian, but when we needed him most, he gave all that he had. That was more than any of us could have asked of him...that's all anyone can ask of you. Whether or not that will be enough...only time will tell. For now, let us pray for Monster Kid's victory." The goat woman finished, resting a hand on my shoulder and smiling down at me.
I fidgeted a little under her gaze, the weight of what I was setting out to do feeling like it was pressing down a little harder than it'd been before Toriel's speech. It didn't take us long to reach the other end of the cliff once we got going again, Toriel depositing our umbrella before turning to me as we came up on a steep wall.
"Here, my child, I'll help you up." She offered, holding a hand out.
"What about you? I'm not really sure I can pull you up…" I trailed off, rubbing the back of my neck as I glanced between her hand and the wall...honestly, I doubted I could pull myself up, let alone the goat woman that was damn near twice my size.
"Do not worry, my child, I know of a few alternate ways to get around. I have some choice words for the other child. Even if I am no longer queen, I still have a duty to my people." Toriel reassured, lifting me up with ease as I relented.
"...th-thanks, Toriel. For the talk and stuff…" I mumbled after getting to my feet, shyly smiling down at her.
"Think nothing of it, Marian. It's a difficult burden to bear, but you don't have to shoulder it alone. Please remember that."
I simply nodded, watching as she walked back the way we came and disappeared around a corner I must have missed. Sighing, I turned back to the path ahead.
*We don't have much time left before the big finale.
"I know."
"What do you know?" A familiar voice interrupted as I nearly repeated my clumsy greeting to Toriel.
Chara's tone was as dull and lifeless as the expression on their face as they stood in my path. They'd swapped their coat for Cter's hoodie, not seeming to mind the fist-sized hole in the torso, and were using their jacket as some form of make-shift sack.
"Chara...I…" I choked out, my words failing me as I floundered under the weight of their gaze.
"You clearly don't know what you're doing, nor what consequences your actions might have."
I grit my teeth, frustration beginning to bubble up to the surface as their words cut through me.
"Gaster has a plan. One that might make sure he didn't leave us for nothing. Get to the lab in Hotland, and whatever you do, stay out of the other human's way." Chara warned, shouldering their mysterious cargo and marching down the way I'd come from.
*...well that was a fine 'How do you do?'.
"...just shut up." I groaned, rubbing my aching temples to try and relieve the migraine that was beginning to set in as I got back to walking. The humidity seemed to pick up the further I went, the path getting narrower and darker as it turned into another tunnel.
*Don't drag your feet. We don't have the luxury of time, remember?
I didn't bother replying as I picked up my pace, awkwardly power walking through the tunnel which at this point was almost uncomfortably narrow. Eventually, a dim blue light caught my attention, and moments later I stepped out onto what looked like the main path. The area was filled with echo flowers and motes of golden light. The sight would've been nice to take in...if my attention wasn't pulled away by the faint sounds of conversation coming from up ahead.
Alarm bells began to blare in my head as I recognized the voices. My pace slowed to a crawl, before halting entirely as memories of cruel laughter and unwarranted violence echoed inside my mind in time with the very real sound of a murderer laughing in Toriel's face as she tried to give them the benefit of the doubt.
*Don't even think about it.
I glanced down at the text box, taking a shaky breath and looking back between the box and the corner I'd just been about to turn.
"...I...I can't just…"
*...get someone else killed by trying to play hero?
My breath hitched as I read that, my eyes narrowing in a withering glare.
*Oh don't give me that look. I'm only acknowledging what you won't.
My chest ached as my gaze fell to my boots, once again unable to find the words to explain myself.
*Tell me I'm wrong.
The ache was joined by embers which stirred to life as my text box continued.
*Tell me that Chara didn't have the right idea when they told us to stay out of the way.
"Shut up…" The embers grew hotter, the ache fading as I grit my teeth. I could hear the conversation in the distance winding down.
*Tell me that going out there isn't going to end in more people getting hurt. Tell me that
"Shut up!" I took a step forward, casting my text box aside as I took another, and another, spurred on by the growing heat in my core.
As I whirled around the corner I knew I didn't have any more time to hesitate. So I didn't. I broke into a dead sprint, kicking up gravel which turned to snow in my mind's eye. The hazy shape of a man standing in a blizzard overlapped with the goat woman standing between me and them.
They stood out clear as day against the blurry scenery as I ran. Their hollow smirk mocked me as they crouched down and lined up their attack. Dust flaked off the blades attached to the ballet shoes they'd swapped their boots with.
I wasn't going to make it in time. The burning sensation intensified as Frisk leapt into the air. I had wasted too much time and now someone else was going to die. That thought only made my teeth grit harder as I pushed my body to its limit in a desperate attempt to close the distance between us.
My heart hammered in my chest as time seemed to slow to a crawl, Frisk turning and bringing their foot around for an axe kick that would surely spell Toriel's end. Not again.
"MOVE!"
The silence was broken as I dived in front of Toriel, pulling Tournesol from my inventory and raising it to meet Frisk's foot. The cheap metal crumpled and snapped with a metallic screech as Frisk's bladed shoe proceeded on it's warpath. The burning sensation that had flooded my chest was replaced by a sharp, lancing pain as the squinty menace's kick tore my chest open.
"Oh my goodness! My child, are you alright!?" Toriel cried out as I clutched at my ruined torso and fell to my knees.
"R...Run…" I coughed out, ignoring my text box's no doubt furious typing as my vision began to swim.
"I cannot leave you to this vile creature." Toriel shook her head and stepped between Frisk and I as we glared at each other.
"You're really determined to make a nuisance of yourself, aren't you? Don't you get it yet?" they bent at the knees, a savage grin splitting their face as they prepared to strike again.
"THE GAME WAS OVER A LONG TIME AGO!" they cried out, leaping straight at Toriel and pulling back a leg to deliver a killing blow. My body refused to listen as I desperately tried to get it to move, having to grit my teeth and cling to what little remained of the heat from before just to keep my eyes open.
The sound of metal tearing through metal again filled the air as a large, hulking figure swooped in to take the blow. Standing between Toriel and oblivion was an armored, draconic looking monster, covered in yellow scales. An eyepatch covered his left eye, and flames seeped through his grit teeth as he glanced back at Toriel and I.
"Take the kid and get to the lab! I can handle this little punk!" Monster Kid ordered, grinning through what I know had to be excruciating pain.
Toriel looked like she maybe wanted to argue, but it was kind of hard to tell, what with my senses fading in and out and all. I felt myself be hoisted up, flashes of the dark ceiling slurring together as a piercing roar echoed throughout the cavern and lit up the sky in an orange inferno.
"...ple...ng...ld..." Toriel's voice sounded like it was miles away as I began to lose the fight to keep my eyes open. My whole body felt numb, my thoughts muddied and unfocused as I slipped into a dreamless slumber.
Consider favoriting, following, and/or reviewing if you enjoyed the chapter. Gonna start working on the next one ASAP rocky, cause I don't want another month long break in-between chapters.
I'm TiredWhiteMayge, and I need to go get some damn sleep.