Chapter Twenty 8
"Hopefully, you give us a good show... before we break you and the stage apart!" In unison the Corruptions' voices spoke from within the dark mist that radiated from them.
The mist then dispersed in various shades of colors and a dark light that made everyone else block their eyes from the intensity of it. When the intensity ceased, they uncovered their eyes and were shocked by the large, horrifying creature before them, and less aware of the grim grayness that infected the area around all of them.
Three dragon heads with long necks sprung forth from a fourth head that acted as the body, which was a large mass of dark energy around the head, and from the darkness formed clawed dragon paws and two tails made of iron. The three heads hovered proudly over the core, with the middle having two black horns that curved as a band on it's head, one spiked horn protruding from its forehead, and red shining fire blazing from the top of the head and nostrils. The right dragon head had multiple spiked horns of various colors on the tips that melted into the darkness of it's head, and scales of black with red flecks all over it's face and neck. The left head had red markings around it's head in a crown form, and two multicolored curved horns on it's head with fire ignited on the tips that pointed upward. The fourth head that was the body had red eyes with burgundy tears pouring down and forming the bottom jaw, while the rest of the face was black scaled and had barbed horns that were dark green with yellow spikes.
The group was mostly disturbed and horrified by this monstrous form as it brought feelings of dread, despair, and terror that weighed so heavily on their souls that they fell on their knees. Some were more resilient like Blaze, though she only touched the ground from being in the air, as they all regained their composure after a while.
"Come now! Are we too much for you to deal with?! Weren't you all soooo determined?! Didn't you read this far ahead to see a fight? Come on then! Bring it! Feel our spite! Feel our pain! Feel our hell! Dive! Dive into the madness and know hopelessness! Know that only despair awaits you, forever! Welcome to our Insanity!" The four heads screeched out in various pitches and tones as they cackled and even the environment seemed rattled.
"… It's scary to see what you really look like... It's despicable..." Curtain said, as she stood up while her bangs covered over her eyes.
The middle head extended forth before her with its sharp toothy grin and swirling red eyes of hell.
"You're a true demon, Corruption. I mean, obviously you are, but seeing it in it's entirety is still... disheartening..." Curtain said in a lowering tone, as the others slowly standing up gave concerned glances towards her.
"Huehuehue. Could it really be that just from showing my true form, you have been broken?" Corruption asked as she narrowed her swirling eyes and widened her grin more.
From the speed of motion upon her temple and the strike that punctured her forehead shortly after, Corruption's eyes instantly changed from amusement to shock, though her grin had no time to change from how quick she froze up from the attack. Curtain stared into one of her eyes as she held onto her blade that she used to pierce her skull while her foot was planted so that she didn't fall on her face. The blazing determination that ignited within Curtain was so bright that her eyes glowed purple, which seemed to affect Corruption's eyes since the swirling calmed into her natural red eyes, though larger.
"Do you believe even this form could ever hope to extinguish the FIRE in my SOUL from finally having the opportunity to DEFEAT you?" Curtain stated as her eyes seemed to blaze brighter in Corruption's eyes, while the other heads of the beast glared.
"Don't ever disrespect our DETERMINATION," Curtain almost whispered, as she tore out her sword while the wound bled out in black and ash.
The other heads hissed and bared their fangs, and the others drew their weapons up with even more determination as they all gained a glow in their eyes. Curtain and Corruption stood in place, even as the others began to battle, with blasters, swords, fire, blasts of rage, darkness, light, hopes, dreams, nightmares, and despair. A shining glow appeared for a moment and then disappeared within the depths of Corruption's eyes, as Curtain noticed it, and then she spoke in a low voice for only Curtain and the one who waited below for her friend to hear,
"... I have fought many battles over time, in different states and in alternate forms, but I have yet to battle a warrior like you... I must see this through to the end. Even though I want to win... I must fight your true form!" Corruption pulled back and opened her mouth wide as Curtain was about to be clamped between her jaws.
"Curtain!" Frisk yelled out as she jumped forth and wrapped her arms around Curtain to tackle her out of the way.
"Frisk!" Curtain instinctively grabbed Frisk, and Corruption's jaws quickly clamped down upon both of them once they made contact.
The others saw this and were bewildered.
'... Never would I have done this... I would have let the game last a bit more… Never would I have let them get close enough to risk my win...' Corruption thought, as the others screamed out in a rage when witnessing two of their own be swallowed by the dragon-headed demon.
Her thoughts continued as the others fought much more aggressively beyond their own power, as the corrupted ones kept up the fight.
'Never would I have been so... what would this be called? ... Fair? No I have been fair at times to prove my power... Reasonable? But no one gave me the idea... Kind? No, this isn't like that. I wanted to fight... To fight a true rival? Was that my intention?'
The intensity of every attack would have destroyed most of the world if not for the dimensional rift that the Corruptions tore for the battlefield to keep the world intact.
'Those two, no matter the terrible things they learned and the truths they had to face, still stood determined... and alive… This feeling in my very core... why do I even feel anything there… nothing is there… right?'
For each attack crossed by a corrupted and a pure form, the middle head that is Corruption would gain insight of the two in small patches of memory.
'What is this… What changed in me...? Why are my feelings nostalgic? Did they... No, that's impossible. Anyone who knew would no longer be able to tell… even when they sealed the monsters away, that only helped me since the humans would eventually die naturally, and the monsters would fade… To know of her would be impossible… wouldn't it…?'
Corruption's contemplation continued, though she participated in the battle now.
Within:
Frisk slowly opened her eyes as she noticed she was laying on Curtain, who was sitting up from being in a temporary daze as herself. Curtain rubbed her head to wake herself, as Frisk sat up on her knees and rubbed her eyes.
"C-Curtain? Where... are we?" Frisk asked, as she looked around to see that they were in a circular room where the only light came from a small round doorway in the middle of the wall.
"I'm not sure... but if I were to guess... it seems like Corruption bit down on us, so I guess we're in her stomach or something?" Curtain guessed as she stood up, realizing from touching the floor to stand that the pale grey ground was oddly softer then normal.
"Mayb- Wha... What is this floor? And these walls? I can't see very good but... it looks like... veins," Frisk said, as she approached the wall where the light from the doorway shined on and noticed branching protrusions that seemed to pulse with a small light flashing through them.
"... Ugh," they said in unison.
"W-Well, let's get out of here and see what we're dealing with," Curtain suggested and Frisk nodded.
The two gathered to the doorway and nodded towards one another before climbing through the opening.
"What the...?"
"Nani?!"
The two were surprised to see that the lights were shining diamonds lined on the ceiling through the large hall they entered. The floors were pale grey with dark flecks embedded in them, and the walls were black and misty with the vein-looking branches still protruding from the walls and the ceiling. They noticed the halls extended out to multiple passages, as they could hear voices and sounds that were inaudible and fading in and out.
Curtain and Frisk looked towards one another.
"A maze."
"Yup."
"So... Corruption is a maze?"
"Well if this is inside, then yeah. But I don't think we're in the belly exactly..." Curtain remarked, after realizing something.
"You mean... how I can see your soul and you can see mine?" Frisk asked, noticing that although they weren't in a battle as she was used to, they were both glowing with aura of their respectful soul colors while their souls were transparent upon their chests.
"Yeah. If our souls are reacting then we could probably be..."
"In Corruption's soul?" Frisk finished her sentence, and Curtain nodded.
"... I've dived into Asriel's soul and was able to find my friends and all… but she brought us here intentionally so… it might be a trap," Frisk reasoned.
"Yeah... we gotta be careful. Though this gives us the advantage to beat her from the inside... But it's strange that she would almost endanger herself. Well, "her win" as she said… " Curtain wondered.
"Yeah, why risk the advantage? To just fight us? It's a little extreme, especially if we are really in her soul and all..." Frisk said.
"We'll have to investigate more to see," Curtain said, as they started walking around.
"... Hmm, considering this is a maze, could Corruption be using this place, "her Soul," as a trap to buy time or something?" Frisk asked as Curtain's eyes widened.
"Well she did separate us from everyone else, and… lower the offense and defense of our team… and now were trapped here alone… Frisk let's book it! We may not have time to think! Let's just find a way out of here!" Curtain said, as her tone and pace grew louder and quicker.
"Right! Let's hurry up!" Frisk said in the same way, and the two started running together through the maze finding traps, darkness, blobby shadow enemies, and lots of knives.
Outer:
"Open those jaws and release our friends, demon!" Papyrus commanded as he pointed his bone sword towards the center head.
"Why would I bother to catch them just to release them because you asked?" Corruption replied.
"Uh well... though you make a very valid point, I still insist you release them immediately!" Papyrus demanded with a single stomp of his foot on the last word.
"… snickers I refuse, and I also cannot. For they are trapped in a place so horrid, so terrible, so devious... that anyone who has ever been there has never returned thus far," Corruption said with her head held up high in defiance.
"where is that? your soul?" Sans asked, though more jokingly intended.
Corruption's grin sharpened to a wicked smirk as she said, "Precisely, Comedian."
His eye sockets widened, as everyone was stunned for a moment by the news.
"Her… soul," Other Frisk whispered, reminiscing of jumping to Asriel's soul, but feeling more fearful of what terror could be awaiting Curtain and Frisk.
"Wh-Why?! How did you even do that?! There's a place in a soul?!" Marisol asked from besides Papyrus which startled him since he didn't realize she was there.
"…" Asriel stood silent to further hear Corruption's response if she was being truthful or not.
"Ahhh, did you not know? If the world can inhabit Souls, then surely the Soul can inhabit a world. Though its fortitude and likeness would depend on the Soul. Its similar to how Asriel had places in his Soul housing the other Souls he had in separate compartments. Though... not all of you know or remember this... I know from the more Corrupted me and Chara," Corruption replied eagerly since their expressions of surprise were entertaining, while Asriel's glare was also amusing to her.
"To send them into the bowels of your own madness... you vile fiend! Why not send us as well?! Or are you afraid to stand against us together?!" Sur shouted, stomping his foot twice as the floor cracked beneath it.
"My way of battle may seem odd, but it's the most effective to my desires, and besides… why would I want weaker people who could be consumed in a moments notice wandering my Soul world? That wouldn't be fun. Too easy," Corruption taunted as the two other heads laughed.
"Weak huh? I doubt that," Marisol said.
"Oh? Why's that?" Corruption turned towards her.
"Because we wouldn't all be here if you really thought that. You wouldn't waste your time like that… you may even be giving us a chance in order to fight us at our full potentials, that's why I'm certain now that Curtain and Frisk are actually okay but would have to fight to get out, wouldn't they?" Marisol deducted.
"…. Heh Heh, very good. You are right. Quite a perceptive youth, aren't you?" Corruption said, as Marisol's brows furrowed more.
"Though… that seems to stem from something else about you, doesn't it, Marisol?" The left head asked.
"…" Marisol gave no reply, not wanting to indulge in the creature's games.
"…" Papyrus realized what she was trying to imply since the beast seemed to make comments to each of them about things only they should know during their exchanges in combat. He glanced towards Marisol, remembering a time he and her had spent on their second date a little while after meeting each other for the first time:
"Marisol, I-I'm glad you decided to join me for a second date. That first one was indeed nice but also a bit… awkward since we were used to being more friendly then dately… At least this time it was more relaxing! And exciting! You have quite an arm there, Marisol! Like Undyne!" Papyrus complimented, as the two stood looking over a bridge at a view over a waterfall scape, while the town was a little ways behind them.
"Heehee. Thank you, Papyrus, and yeah this is much better. Though honestly… even awkward, spending time with you is always fun," Marisol said with a soft bright smile, as Papyrus' cheekbones glowed orange.
"H-Heh. Oh Marisol, you really flatter me. Though as great as I am, your praise still feels so… undeserving of me," Papyrus said.
"… Papyrus, don't say something so silly. You indeed deserve praise. I think you're brilliant," Marisol brushed her hand delicately on his cheekbone, which made his blush glow brighter.
"You're loyal, funny, kind, chivalrous, and such a purely good person. I… I am the one who is undeserving of your presence," Marisol said, as her eyes lowered along with her hand, as a haze of guilt shadowed her bright eyes.
"Marisol! What do you mean by this? That is an even more sillier thing to say! You light up my life as the sun lights the world!" Papyrus said with much vigor as he took Marisol's hand in his own, which made her look up at him in surprise and a tint of a blush on her cheeks.
"P-Pap… that's so kind of you to say. I just… can't find the words to express how happy I am to hear that… but at the same time…" Marisol's eyes grew watery as she tried to blink away the tears but instead a lone tear escaped.
"Marisol! Why do you cry if you are happy?! What pains you so much that you… can't even be… happy?" Papyrus asked, as he slowly pieced together what could be causing Marisol such grief.
"… I wasn't always who I am now, Papyrus. When I was young, from the moment I was born, I... was a mean person, and cruel to anyone who got in my way… I hurt people… and although the ones who carry the scars have forgiven me… I just… can't forgive myself, once I realized how terrible I really was," Marisol admitted, as her tears came down more.
"… Mari," Papyrus softly spoke, as to not interrupt her but to let her know he was listening intently.
"It wasn't until I met Curtain that I had decided to change since she… was the only person who stood up and believed in me… I began to see the light, and although it helped empower what little light I had, it also revealed my darkness… and as I extinguished that darkness, I was left with guilt. So much so that it still hurts me… that is why, even though I enjoy being with you, I feel guilty about being so happy…" Marisol said, as she continued to weep.
"… If we deserved happiness, then everyone should be happy, just as if we deserved sadness, then everyone should be sad… Marisol, your guilt… is more of a reward then you know. Don't you think… it proves how much you have changed? Surely, not many people born like you, changed like you too. Nor are people who were born nice could ever say they dealt with this struggle, and fought as hard as you have, and beared as much guilt as you have to be the person you are today," Papyrus said with a kind smile, as he placed his hands on her shoulders so that she would look up at him.
"… Pap," Marisol murmured as her eyes widened from his words.
"Mari, you are strong now because of all that you have endured, and are a better person because of it. So don't feel guilty anymore! It's now in the past, where it will remind of you of how far you have come! So cheer up, Marisol! And come along with me on our date! We still haven't eaten dinner yet, and I'm sure letting out emotions can work up an appetite!" Papyrus said cheerily.
Marisol blinked a few times, and then wiped her tears from her eyes. She sniffled a little and smiled brightly towards Papyrus, which made his heart flip in joy to see her lovely smile return.
"Thank you, Papyrus… very much," Marisol said, and then she planted a small kiss on his cheek.
Papyrus' eyes bulged widely as his blush grew in intensity, though Marisol just smiled sweetly as he Nyeh'd in bashfulness.
"Eh hem! Hem! You're welcome, Marisol," Papyrus said, as he offered his arm and she took it, and then the two headed back to the town.
:End Memory
"Such an interesting creature you are, and quite powerful for a nice person..." The third head said, as it looked more keenly at Marisol, who glared at her.
"Hey! That's MY girlfriend you are looking at with your evil eyeballs! Away, beast!" Papyrus said, as he dashed forth and stabbed the head in the eye.
The head let out a shriek as the other heads went back into battle mode, besides the main one that was surprised, while everyone else did the same.
"hehehehe. that's my bro," Sans said with a proud grin.
"Papy… thank you," Marisol smiled at him, and he gave her a wink.
Little flashback moment for Mari and Papy as a battle ensues. :)