Pre-Chapter Notes: 20 Chapters… starting to get up there, aren't we? As stated In the previous chapter, we're trying to get releases out a bit more regularly. Hopefully given this one, we'll be able to keep that going. Thanks to everyone who's been patient with us. The support has been really encouraging.
Not much else to say on the matter so let's get right into it, shall we?
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Chapter 20: Ghosts of the Past
Frisk shifted within the warmth of the sleeping bag, his mind lingering somewhere between the realms of sleep and wakefulness. He let out a sleepy groan as he laid on his back trying to return to the former. He didn't know how long he'd slept… didn't really care either. All he knew was that he was still tired and he wasn't ready to get up yet.
It was about that moment that he felt something soft and light touching his head.
The boy's nose wrinkled and he grumbled something in the language of the half-conscious. Again he was touched. It wouldn't have been so bad if there was a little more pressure behind it but it was so light that it tickled. He groaned again, shaking his head to try to shoo away the annoyance. Attempting to turn onto his side, he found that his body refused to move the way he wanted it too. His efforts were simply met with more of the light prodding against his forehead, pulling him ever further from sleep's embrace.
"Lily…?" He asked groggily, his head raising as much as it could from this position.
His eyes struggled to open even the slight amount they were normally allowed to. She wasn't there. His sight was as blank as it had always been before they'd met. Yet, he knew 'something' was. He could feel the strange weight against his chest to prove it. It wasn't heavy by any means, and wasn't disrupting his breathing… but it was still there. He felt another of those same light touches… this one on the bridge of his nose.
That was enough to make him take notice. Something was amiss…
On instinct, the boy reached into the core of his being and drew his carnelian SOUL to the surface. At once, his eyes were flooded with a shock of white against the darkness and he recoiled slightly, his more magical sight temporarily becoming as impaired as its physical counterpart. Finally, his gaze at last fell upon the one responsible.
The culprit stared back at him through a vaguely feline face covered in short, fluffy fur. Longer strands spilled from the top of its head, giving the appearance of hair from which a pair of pointed ears emerged. Another pair, floppy like those of certain dogs, hung from the sides. The monster's eyes rapidly shifted this way and that but never truly took their attention off of him, as if somehow both distracted and hyper-focused at the same time.
When it realized the boy had noticed it, its eyes stopped their wandering and focused wholly upon him. It blinked once… then twice.
Then it started vibrating.
"hOI! i'm tEMMIE!" Shouted the monster.
"Ah!" Frisk, shocked into full wakefulness by the creature's voice, flung himself upward, sending the small creature flying from his chest in the process.
"WOA!" It cried, soaring through the air before bouncing like an inflated ball across the ground only to land back on its feet and scamper back over to the boy. "hOI! I'm tEMMIE!"
"Y- You're… Temmie?" Frisk asked, still somewhat shaken from having woken up to the monster shouting in his face.
By this point Lily, who had heard the commotion from the other side of the island came rushing back in response to her friend's shout.
"Wha- what's going on?!" She called. Seeing the strange monster standing near her friend's side only made her move faster. "Are you okay, Frisk? What happened?"
"I… I just woke up and this monster was laying on me." The boy explained.
"Did it hurt you?" She asked.
"No… just startled me a little is all." The boy reassured her. "I… think its name is Temmie."
"hOI! i'm tEMMIE!" The creature said, seemingly in confirmation.
"I swear, I was only gone a couple of minutes to look around…" The girl said, lifting a brow. "Where did it even come from?"
Lily studied the monster carefully. It certainly didn't look threatening. It was far smaller than Frisk himself, garbed in a light blue shirt. It's body was vibrating as if it had just swallowed a tuning fork, and it had a look of… something. Wonder maybe? Or adoration? She couldn't tell. Whatever its fixation on the boy was, it didn't seem hostile.
"Hey…" The girl said, suddenly remembering something. "Is this that monster I saw before? Back when we were leaving that cave?"
"AwWawa…" The little monster vocalized, and one could swear its eyes sparkled. "uz… CUTE! uza… human?"
"H-huh?" Frisk tilted his head, too perplexed by the strange encounter to answer with anything but the truth. "Um… yes?"
The creature made an unintelligible noise and seemed to vibrate even more intensely. One of its paws reached out toward the boy and Lily let out a surprised gasp as the limb suddenly began to elongate, stretching out like a rubber band as it coiled forward. Frisk instinctively moved back but the appendage followed at last coming to a stop above him…
…And proceeded to gently pat him on the head.
"UawAWA… tem likesa… CUTE humans!" Temmie gushed.
Lily made a noise at the boy's side and he turned to see her rosy cheeks puffing outward. A snicker escaped her pursed lips as she watched the scene unfolding before her. Her body trembled from the sight, not wanting to actually let it out for fear of missing anything. It was a battle she was quickly losing.
"This monster is petting Frisk. This adorable little monster… is actually petting an equally adorable Frisk." Lily spoke as tonelessly as possible to avoid cackling her head off., Her pale face was steadily reddening from the barely contained laughter. "That. Is. Just. Perfect!"
"Sh-shut up…" Frisk said under his breath, while enduring Temmie's relentless petting. "This is so weird."
"No, this is hilarious!" Lily retorted and finally burst out into a fit of laughter. "Pfff… oh my god, even the monsters agree that you're cute! Hahaha!"
Frisk made a face that was probably meant to show his displeasure. In the wake of the diminutive monster petting him though, it simply looked ridiculous, causing the girl to laugh even harder. With no other recourse, the boy was forced to endure it until Temmie had her fill. A few moments later saw a calmed down Lily settling herself down beside her friend, with the little monster rolled onto her back at their feet.
Despite the rather strange awakening, they had been lucky to find this place. It had taken them the better part of two hours to find a location suitable enough for a camp. This island had proved a perfect fit for that purpose. It was small, but the hollow within the glowing tree that dominated it provided a place both dry and large enough to lay down in as well as being sheltered from prying gazes.
At least… that's what they'd thought before Temmie had showed up. Now they weren't so sure.
"How long was I down for?" Frisk asked his spectral companion.
"A few hours at least… I was planning to wake you up myself but…" Lily grinned, and pointed a finger at the small monster who was now rolling back and forth along the ground.
"Yeeeah…" Frisk drew out the word, giving her a slight glare. "I still can't believe you laughed at me."
"I couldn't help it!" Lily defended herself, though she didn't sound all that apologetic as her smile widened. "What was I supposed to do after seeing you tormented by the embodiment of all things fluffy? You'd have done the same thing if it was me."
"I dunno, let's find out." Frisk retorted, and without waiting for a response turned to the little cat-dog. "Hey Temmie, do you want to meet another cute human?"
"Wait… wha-" Lily never got to finish her question.
Temmie's mouth shot open in a gasp that lasted a good few seconds too long as her shifting eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. "dfhgdsjkdjk! u gos NOTHER cute humins?!"
The sound was like a million syllables spoken at the exact same time. Frisk grinned, feeling his revenge taking root. "Yup. She's right here beside me. You can't talk to her normally though because we have to do something special. Want to meet her?"
"YaYa! tem… wAN PEt da human!" The little monster was practically bouncing at the idea.
"Okay, Frisk… I get it." Lily begged reluctantly. "I'm sorry okay, I didn't mean to-"
"hnnn!" Temmie pouted, looking expectantly at the boy. "wHERES da OTHER HUMAN!?"
"Oh, fine…" Lily sighed, placing her hand over Frisk's SOUL and concentrating. As the red glow flared from Frisk's right eye and his expression subtly changed. "G- greetings, Temmie… I'm Lily."
"And I'm Frisk." The boy chimed in with the same voice.
"hOI, i'm TEMMIE!" came the predictable response. The cute little cat-dog really seemed to enjoy introducing itself.
It then reached up another extendable paw and proceeded to pat the child's head once again. Lily simply sighed and placed a hand on her chin, as Frisk allowed her to 'move ahead' and accept the torment from the, as she put it 'embodiment of all things fluffy'.
"I deserved this, didn't I?" The girl spoke inwardly to her friend.
"Yup!" Frisk affirmed, throwing her the mental equivalent of a triumphant grin. "Doesn't seem like you mind much though."
"Oh, like you really did…" Lily countered with weak indignation.
"I guess not, but you were right about one thing…" The red child began. "This IS hilarious!"
Temmie continued to pet the two children for a time. She didn't seem to really care about the particulars of how they manifested in a single body. No, the only thing that really seemed to matter to her was that she was able to meet two cute humans. That was fortunate enough for Frisk and Lily as it spared them from another lengthy explanation. Eventually, the little monster found her way into Frisk's lap and made herself comfortable while staring at the glowing-eyed human with utmost adoration.
Frisk leaned back against the base of the tree that had served as their resting place and stared up towards the distant ceiling. Of course, he couldn't see anything but he imagined the glittering 'stars' shining down on them from above.
"Are you feeling better?" Lily asked with concern.
Frisk closed his eyes and focused for a moment, calling the bands of light that represented his and Lily's lifeforces to his mind.
* Frisk: HP - 20/20
* Lily: HP - 17/17
"Looks like it." The boy said rotating his arm to test his muscles. Apart from a little stiffness from where he'd slept, the ache from before had long faded. "We should probably get out of this marsh as soon as we can, though.."
"Yeah. I… don't wanna run into Undyne around here." Lily said. The last time they'd run into the captain hadn't been a very fun time.
"humans shud com… TEM VILLAGE!" Temmie exclaimed, bouncing to her feet in the boy's lap.
"You have a village?" Lily asked.
"yaYA! tem vill-egg… nice!" She replied exuberantly. "tem want humans meet… TEM FRIENDS!"
The children thought about this for a moment. It might have been nice to take Temmie up her offer and both of them were curious about just what kind of village such strange little creatures could make. However, they still had to worry about Undyne. They'd already spent quite a lot of time in one place, and there was no telling what might happen if the dogged captain found them there.
"I want to, but…" Frisk began hesitantly.
"It's too dangerous right now." Lily said. "I doubt Undyne would hurt them… she seems like she only really wants to get us. But if she found out we were there, it would be really hard for us to leave without her noticing."
"Yeah… we only just avoided her in Snowdin. Papyrus is doing what he can, but I know he hates misleading her since they seem to be friends. I don't want to get Temmie and her friends wrapped up in this too." Frisk turned his attention to the vibrating cat-dog and frowned regretfully. "I'm sorry, Temmie. I don't think we can visit your village right now."
Temmie's vibrating seemed to grow less intense, and her grinning face shifted to a look of sadness. "U don… wan com to da village?"
"It's not that we don't want to." Lily said, feeling bad to see such a normally happy monster looking so sad. "We just can't right now. We still have some things to take care of."
"p….. but… tEM want humans to meat frens." She lamented.
"How about this?" Frisk said, hoping to cheer her up at least a little. "How do we find your village? Once we finish what we need to, we can come and visit. Then, we might be able to stay longer too!"
"u pROMISS?!" the little monster asked hopefully.
"Of course." Lily said in agreement, mentally applauding the boy's quick thinking. "Just tell us where to go, and we can visit you whenever we want."
"OK!" That seemed to do the trick, as Temmie's vibrating returned to its normal level. "tEM tell… villag… VERY CLOSE! Look for place… wiv lot of TASTY MOONS!"
"Tasty… moons?" Frisk cocked his head in confusion.
"yaYA! tASTY muns… glowy! color like… tem shirt!" She tried to explain, before pointing at something with one elastic paw. "tHERE! tASTY MOON!"
The boy's head followed the direction Temmie pointed to.
"One of those mushrooms?" Lily suggested, not really seeing anything else that it could be. "You think that's what she means?"
"So we just have to look for a place around here with a lot of those… and they'll lead us to your village?" Frisk asked.
"YaYa! lots tasti moon aroun tem village!" Temmie said, seemingly in confirmation.
"Alright…" Lily said, scratching the little monster behind one of her cat ears. "We'll find it."
"I guess the sooner we get done, the sooner we'll be able to come visit you." Frisk said.
"OK! tEM go hom an waits!" Temmie responded, hopping down from the boy's lap.
"It… might take a little longer than that, but okay!" Lily said with a giggle.
Frisk steadily pushed himself to his feet. His legs felt a little numb after Temmie had used them for a cushion, and he spent a few seconds rubbing a little feeling back into them. By the time his attention returned ahead, the quick little monster had already managed to get several yards away on another island.
"Bye! We'll see you soon, okay?" Frisk called after her.
"bOI!" Temmie called, waving to the two children. "don FORGETS!"
She gave a little wave before dashing off through the marsh, leaping from island to island until she was little more than a speck on the vacant canvas of Frisk's sight. The boy stretched his arms overhead and rolled his neck a little. He'd slept well enough, but the ground in front of that tree wasn't exactly comfortable in the long term. The plushness of the sleeping bag mitigated it to some degree, but he still found himself longing for something a little softer.
Nevertheless, he felt well enough to start moving again, and so with Lily removing herself from his SOUL and resuming her role as guide, the two children made their way deeper into the shimmering marsh. It wasn't so hard to move about in this section, as the number of small islets clustered together ensured there was more land than water. The biggest struggle here was the somewhat uneven footing, and the occasional root of one of the many glowing trees waiting to trip the boy up. It was easy enough to get used to though, and Lily soon found herself able to identify the best places to step.
It was only deeper in that the struggle came. The small, clustered islands became few and farther between as they traveled into the swamp, and eventually they had to slow their pace and proceed more carefully. The murky surface of the water made it difficult to tell where the shallows ended, forcing Lily to keep a sharp eye open for the tell tale sign of reeds peeking out from the surface. At times, there was not even that much, leaving Frisk to slowly feel his way along the path with his feet in order to avoid a sudden plunge.
It was slow going, but they were making progress. Eventually, they reached another section of the swamp that seemed different from the rest. The ground was more stable here but it was darker… a lot darker. There weren't as many of the the glowing trees or mushrooms which illuminated the rest of the place, and even the light shining from the stones above seemed to have trouble reaching here. It was almost as if something somewhere was casting a massive shadow over the entire area. The only light to be had seemed to come from a number of crystals scattered about the area which gave off a faint, purple luminescence.
"Well, now we know what that purple glow I saw before was… but what's with this place?" Lily mused. "I can barely see anything here."
"Wasn't it brighter back that way?" Frisk asked. Obviously it looked no different to him here than anywhere else.
"Yeah but… I dunno. It's like something's blocking the light around here." his spectral companion explained.
"You think we should find another way around?" The boy suggested. "Might be trouble if you can't see either."
"If there was one… this darkness seems to go all the way across. The crystals help a little but… there just isn't enough light." She said, hanging back her head as she tried to think of what to do. "Hold on… what's that?"
The girl's eyes fell upon something strange near one of the crystals and she drifted over to investigate. It was some kind of metal contraption, pulsing with a bluish glow so faint that the light from the crystal nearby had almost overtaken it completely. At a glance it almost looked like a lantern, but there was something different about it.
"Hey Frisk, come over here." She beckoned the boy. He did so, moving carefully through the shallow water to where his friend waited. "It looks like some sort of lantern but, I don't know. There's no glass or paper, just the frame. I don't see anywhere to light the fire either."
How do you think it works?" Frisk asked, feeling out with his right hand for the thing in question.
The moment his fingers brushed across the cool metal, a pulse of light spilled forth from the lantern. Lily recoiled slightly, more surprised by the rapid change than assaulted by it.
"What happened?" Frisk asked, seeing his friend raising an arm to shield her eyes.
Blinking a few times, Lily looked around and noticed almost instantly that the area around them had changed. The lantern-like object was now glowing brightly, softly illuminating the area immediately around them.
"It's… brighter now. Touching that thing must have done something." the girl said. "Hold on… I think I see something else."
With more light to go by, the spectral girl approached the object she'd noticed behind the crystal. It was a jagged stone set within the ground, with some kind of writing etched into it. It was passingly similar to the plaques they'd seen in Gerson's home, but didn't really seem like it belonged with them.
"Something's written here… 'Without candles or magic to guide them Home, the monsters used crystals to navigate.'" She read the words.
"Sounds like it's a hint." Frisk observed.
"Probably. So all we- h- hey!" Lily's response was suddenly cut off as the area around them began to dim. "It's getting dark again!"
The light that had briefly illuminated their surroundings slowly began to fade along with the lantern's glow. Nearby, the violet crystal seemed to pulse, growing brighter as everything around it darkened, as if devouring the newly freed light. At the sound of Lily's voice, Frisk reached out and touched the lantern like object again. Sure enough, the moment his fingers, made contact. the light source flared to life, banishing the darkness that had begun to creep back in.
"Well… I'm not sure about everything else here, Frisk but if this isn't a puzzle, I don't know what is." Lily announced as she drifted her way back to the boy. "Looks like we have to use these to light the area so we can get through."
"This one's by a crystal, right?" Frisk asked. "You think the rest are too?"
"It's hard to tell, but it sounds like it." the specter nodded. "So if we follow those, we should be okay."
With that in mind, Frisk refreshed the light one more time for good measure and the two set off for the next crystal. The boy followed close behind his ghostly companion and they soon reached the next crystal. As they'd thought… there was another of the lantern-like objects near this one as well and he laid his hand on it to release the light held within. Like this, they continued on making their way steadily through the darkening swamp, guided by the violet glow.
However, even with the aid of the luminescent guideposts it was still quite dim, especially on the outer edges of the light where its glow struggled to reach. A tangle of creeping vines, obscured by the even deeper shadows cast by what might have once been another of the glowing trees caught on Frisk's feet. The boy gasped and stumbled slightly but Lily was at his side in an instant, managing to catch him before he fell.
"Thanks." He sighed with relief.
"No problem." Lily replied. "Don't want you to get dirty again after you just got clean."
"Sorry." The boy apologized, adjusting the position of his stick. "I'll be more careful."
"Aw, come on… you know I was just joking, Frisky. It's fi-"
The girl's words caught in her throat as she caught sight of something behind the tree. It might have been a monster, but it was difficult to tell through the dim surroundings. It wasn't approaching them at all, simply standing there in the shadow of the lightless tree… watching.
Flowey was the first person that came to her mind but no… it's body was devoid of all color save a bleached grey - completely different from the malicious flower. It was almost impossible to see anything identifying through the gloom. In fact, she may not have noticed it at all if not for the strange sort of non-light it gave off all on its own. The faint rays from the lantern almost seemed to bend subtly around it, as if repulsed by its presence.
Lily stared at it for a while, and the figure almost seemed to stare back. Everything about it seemed strange. And yet… the girl couldn't shake the feeling that it was familiar somehow.
"What is it?" Frisk asked, drawing Lily's attention to him.
"There's someone back there." She said. "They're watching us."
"Really? I didn't hear anything…" The boy replied. "Where are they?"
"Back there, just behind the-" she began, turning only to realize that the figure had vanished. "They're gone…"
Her eyes rested on the exact spot she'd seen the watcher, but there was nothing there. Straining her eyes against the gloom of the swamp, she focused, hoping to perhaps catch some glimmer of mysterious person, but it was a fruitless effort. The figure was nowhere to be found.
"You think it was just Sans?" Frisk offered. "Maybe he used a shortcut to come check on us again."
Lily thought about that for a moment. Popping in and out at random was certainly a very 'Sans' thing to do, but…
"No… it wasn't him." She said after a moment. "I thought it might have been Flowey, but it didn't look like him either. They were completely grey… and the light was acting all funny around them. I couldn't really make anything out besides that."
"Maybe you were just seeing things?" the boy asked.
"No, I swear I saw someone." She began but quickly grew hesitant. "At least… I think I did."
The conversation tapered off as Lily fell into her own thoughts. There was no way she could have imagined that… was there? It wasn't just something out of the corner of her eye, she'd looked right at it. And yet, there was just enough missing to make her question if she really had. Could the magical darkness around them create mirages too? If so, why did it only do so now? And why weren't there any others?
"Come on." She said, feeling somewhat unnerved by what she'd seen… or thought she'd seen. "Let's… let's keep going."
"O- okay." Frisk stammered, catching the faint scent of smoke in her apprehension.
The two children quickened their pace through the tenebrous mire, waving their way through the crystals. Lily wasn't sure now if what she'd seen was real, but it was disturbing enough that she wanted to get out of this place as soon as possible. They stopped only long enough for Frisk to touch each light source to illuminate their path forward.
Neither of them could tell how long they were in there. It was hard to get an accurate sense of time in the Underground to begin with and the strange gloom in this section of Waterfall only made it more so. The coruscating light released from the 'cages' had begun to give Lily a headache about the time they reached the center of this strange wall-less labyrinth. The rapid brightening and darkening wreaked havoc on her sense of direction, as she tried - with mixed results - to keep them moving forward.
This was one of the rare times that Frisk's lack of sight was more of an asset than a hindrance. The strobing lights did not affect him, and he'd grown used to walking around with only his other senses to guide the way. For a moment, they considered abandoning the light-cages entirely in favor of using the crystals themselves to get a general sense of direction. However, as conspicuous and uncomfortable as the light was for the spectral girl, it also illuminated the area enough that she would easily be able to spot any ambushes.
At last, they stood next to the final crystal on their path. Already, Lily could see the area was visibly brighter with the more natural light of Waterfall proper. A few more Echo Flowers could be seen in the distance, a welcome herald after what they'd been through.
"We're finally out…" Lily exhaled, rubbing the side of her head a little. "I do not want to go through that again."
She didn't feel the need to bring up the other reason. She hadn't seen the strange monster again, but the disturbing experience was still fresh in her mind.
"I agree." Frisk nodded. "Maybe we should look for another way when we head back…"
"Please…" The girl replied earnestly. "Puzzles are fine and all but ow, my head…"
Frisk took her hand and gave it a light squeeze, causing the girl to give him a thankful smile. She used the gesture to lead him onward out of the gloom encompassing the swamp and into the still dim, but far less compromising shade of the area beyond. The incline was a lot shallower than the one leading from Gerson's cave, leading to a number of tunnels weathered into the stone.
"Now which way do we go?" The girl wondered, studying the half-dozen cave mouths that opened before them.
"Hmm…" Frisk thought for a moment, taking a breath through his nose. "How about that one? The air smells a little cleaner."
"Works for me." Lily shrugged, glad to not have to spend too much time considering it with the current pain in her head.
It was still rather dark in the chamber where the tunnel released them. The bio-luminescent plants and fungi seemed a lot less numerous here, perhaps due to how close it was to the shadowed swamp. The burble of water sounded ahead of them, created by a number of small cascades that flooded the center of the room. Lily blinked a few times as her eyes adjusted to the low light. It wasn't nearly as bad as that swamp, but compared to the rest of Waterfall that wasn't saying much.
"I don't think it goes very far…" She informed the boy. "Looks like it slopes up onto dry land again passed here. Do you think we can get across?"
"Hold on…" The boy crouched in front of the pool and reached forward with his stick. The short branch didn't even go a third of its length before being stopped. He tried in a few other places and got the same result. "It's shallow. We can probably just walk through."
"Okay, just be careful." Lily warned with some apprehension. She really didn't like not being able to see clearly. "You never know if it could drop off somewhere else."
The red child nodded in agreement, stepping gingerly into the water. It reached almost entirely up the length of his boots, and he found himself grimacing as he felt the ripples dampening the ends of his pants again. There were none of the glowing plankton here, much to Lily's chagrin. She'd hoped the shimmer they gave off might have at least given them something to go by, but sadly it seemed the scant light around was the most she would get.
Either way, it was enough to get them through, and before long the two children found themselves stepping out onto dry land once more.
"Man… I just can't stay dry around here." Frisk complained, kicking some of the mud off of his boots. In truth, they did keep most of the water out, but he could still feel some dampness.
"Aw, come on Frisk…" Lily grinned as she helped her solid companion up the slope. "Now's not the time to be getting cold feet."
"Pff… okay, what?" Frisk snickered. "That was really badly timed. It isn't even that cold!"
"Well, it worked didn't it?" She countered with a very Sans-like shrug.
"I knew I heard someone around here!" A distant voice called out.
Both children jumped in response to the declaration. Frisk's SOUL was out in an instant as both he and Lily searched for the speaker. Their momentary fear was eased when they at last caught sight of a familiar armless yellow monster, running toward them.
"Frisk! Lily! Yo!" Kidd called out happily.
A smile spread across Frisk's lips and he raised a hand to wave the monster child over. He stopped mid-gesture as Kidd's lack of balance got the better of him, his foot catching on something and causing him to tumble forward. The two humans cringed as his yellow face met the greyish earth beneath him. Sharing a quick glance, Frisk allowed Lily into his SOUL as the two made their way over to the fallen monster.
"You really need to watch where you're going a little more, Kidd…" Lily giggled, as the two helped him back to his feet.
"I know, I know… my parents tell me that all the time." Kidd said, shaking some of the dirt from his scales. "Nevermind about that though. What's up with you guys?! I haven't seen you around Snowdin in a couple of days."
"Oh yeah…" Frisk said, scratching his nose. "We… kind of haven't been back since we saw you before."
The yellow monster's grin faded a a little. "What's wrong? Didja get in a fight with those two Skeletons or something? Gee, you know if you guys need a place to stay you can always-"
"No, that's not it." Lily cut him off. "We're still good… well, at least with Papyrus. Can't ever really tell with Sans but I think it's okay."
"I never did find him to ask about that teleport thing he did…" Kidd responded. "By the way, have you guys gotten to meet Undyne yet?"
"Well we… we've seen her a few times." Frisk said cautiously. "We haven't actually met her yet but…"
"Aw, really? Well I bet you'll be able to meet her soon, especially if you're out here." Kidd said, practically bouncing on his heels. "People have been saying she's going around hunting for humans! Oh man, I'd give anything to see that!"
Frisk's face paled at his friend's words, and within his SOUL he could tell Lily was feeling much the same way. Kidd still didn't know the truth: that the humans the captain was hunting were in fact standing right in front of him. That the 'villains' his hero sought were the very same children who had played him and his friends that day in Snowdin. They had resolved to tell everyone the truth, so they no longer had to hide from what they were. If they did enough good, then maybe… maybe the monsters would understand. Maybe they wouldn't have to fight.
But… how could they tell him now in a way that wouldn't alienate their hero-worshiping friend?
"Listen, Kidd… we have something we need to-" Lily began, but a gasp stole away the end of her sentence as a glint of blue flashed across the corner of her eye. "G- get back!"
She reached forward and shoved Kidd away, at the same time throwing Frisk's body in reverse to avoid the spear that crashed into the ground where he stood seconds before. Frisk's SOUL-sight locked onto the alabaster silhouette of the deadly projectile, watching as it dissipated into motes of raw magic. The clattering of metal on stone drew the shocked boy's attention to the attacker.
Undyne stood before them, her dark armor bleached white as death upon the darkness of his vision. She rose from her crouched position, the metal plates and the single eye beneath the fearsome visage of her helm glinting within the shadows of the room. Flinging a gauntlet-clad fist to her side another spear manifested within her grasp. Twirling the weapon in a flourish, she brandished its honed tip toward the boy… or more specifically, toward the carnelian SOUL that glowed before his chest.
"Get… away… from him…!" A voice echoed from beneath the metal plates.
Frisk held up his hands, not wishing to do anything to provoke the Captain with Kidd so close by. Even that act was seemingly perceived as a threat as Undyne's grip on the magical spear tightened.
"What do we do…" Frisk asked internally.
"I don't know…" Lily admitted. "Should we run? It doesn't seem like she's willing to talk."
"But… Kidd is-"
"Yo! How awesome is this?!" The aforementioned monster child exclaimed, running up to the two children. "I told you, didn't I?! Undyne's RIGHT there in front of you! Now you have front row seats to her fight!"
A gasp could be heard beneath the Captain's helmet and she sprang forward. With a singular instinct, Frisk and Lily staggered back as the spear was thrust toward his small body, missing by mere inches. In the blink of an eye, Undyne was between them, one hand held protectively in front of Kidd, while the other brandished the deadly weapon before her.
For a brief moment their eyes left Undyne and rested upon their friend, seeing mixture of confusion and worry written upon his face.
"Kidd…" Frisk stammered.
"We're sorry..." Lily finished for him.
"W-what for…? Come on, guys… what's going on?" He asked, either too naive or too unwilling to accept what he was seeing.
Undyne just stood between them like a fortress. She didn't move, but it was clear she didn't intend to let them get anywhere near the child. Frisk and Lily stared back, afraid to even stand up as if the slightest twitch might provoke her. Her head shifted glancing back and forth between them as if weighing her options.
At last, she took a step back, nudging Kidd away gently while keeping the weapon trained on the two humans as she gradually made her way back in the direction she'd come from. Kidd offered only weak resistance, staring into the guilt-ridden face of one friend, and the faded crimson light of the other as he was ushered away. He didn't break eye-contact, even as Undyne took one of his horns and dragged him from the room.
The two humans said nothing… didn't even move. They merely watched, helplessly as their friend was dragged away.
Undyne's long strides made it difficult for the small monster to keep up with her. With his poor balance, he found himself stumbling a number of times as he tried to follow along behind. Normally, this would have been his dream: out on patrol with his hero, tracking down and beating up bad guys. For years he'd longed for this day.
But… why them? What would make Undyne want to attack Frisk and Lily? They hadn't done anything wrong… had they? No… that wasn't possible. They were his friends. They'd never do anything like that. It had to be a misunderstanding, that's all.
Eventually, Undyne rounded a corner and ducked into another chamber. Her helm panned slowly to the left, then quickly to the right. When it seemed certain that they weren't followed she turned to the young monster under her charge.
"Listen to me, child…" She said in a calm but weighty voice. "You need to stay away from those humans."
"W-what humans?" Kidd asked, honestly confused. "What are you talking about?"
"The ones you were with just now. The two that shared a body." Undyne clarified. "They're humans..."
"Yo… you mean Frisk and Lily?" Kidd said with a strained grin. "Haha… that's a good joke. They aren't humans, they're monsters! Just 'cause they're a little different doesn't mean…"
"Don't be fooled." Undyne claimed. "Isn't it strange how they just appeared, and suddenly the Guard is out hunting for them?"
"But… humans are bad right? Frisk and Lily are really nice. They've been helping people and everything!" Kidd argued.
"They're just deceiving you." Undyne said. "Humans are cunning… they're dangerous. They're just trying to make us drop our guard. Then they'll strike."
"They wouldn't do that!" Kidd shouted.
"Really? How can you know for sure? How much do you really know about them?" Undyne countered. "Don't forget, It's because of humans that we're forced to live down here… those two are no different. "
"You… you're wrong…" Kidd stammered, his eyes welling up with tears. "You have to be…"
The yellow monster strained to hold back his tears. How could Undyne even consider such horrible things about his two friends? It had to be a lie, or a misunderstanding, or something. Even if it was the truth, he simply couldn't accept that Frisk and Lily could be capable of what she was accusing them of. To hear someone he'd looked up to so much telling him to give up on them… he could fall on his face a million times and it would hurt less.
"It's alright… they won't be able to hurt you here. I'll finish this once and for all." The armored figure's voice was surprisingly gentle as she knelt down and reached for the child's shoulder. "With that SOUL, all of this will-"
"Don't touch me! You're the one who doesn't know them! Maybe if you tried, you'd understand!" The yellow monster shouted, recoiling from her hand. "So what if they're humans?! They're my friends! I'm not gonna just throw that away!"
"Wait!" Undyne called out as he turned and ran for the cavern's entrance. "Where are you going?!"
Kidd stopped, tears falling from his eyes as his body trembled in both sadness and anger. He didn't turn around… he couldn't bare to look at the person he once considered a 'hero'.
"I'm gonna find them and ask them myself." He said, sniffling a little. "Yo… I really thought you were cool, Undyne. I guess I was wrong."
He didn't wait for a response, instead scampering off through the tunnel as fast as his small legs could carry him. Undyne simply sat there, dumbstruck for a moment. That didn't sound like someone who'd been brainwashed… or did it? She really couldn't be sure. No matter what he thought about them, humans could not be trusted. It was a simple proven fact. It was foolish to think that there was any redemption for them… right?
Even still… she couldn't just leave this as it was. The humans couldn't have gotten far. If she found them first, she could end this for good. The key to their freedom was at hand… and it was up to her to secure it, whatever the cost.
"Ngaahh… damn it." She muttered, exiting the cavern herself.
She paused at its mouth, taking a moment to gaze up at the stones glittering above. Steeling herself, she made her way back in the direction she'd last encountered the humans. One way or another… it was time to finish this.
The human children's hearts were heavy. They'd spoken little since they left that chamber, but every time they did it all lead back to the same thing. Undyne's sudden arrival could not have come at a worse time. They had already been struggling for a way to tell Kidd the truth. The last thing they wanted was for him to get directly involved in their burdens. But now… now it was probably too late. Undyne had probably already told him everything. It was very likely that he would feel betrayed that they'd lied to him.
Perhaps they could load… go through the marsh again and find him sooner. Then they could be the ones to reveal the truth, perhaps make him understand that they weren't like the humans that imprisoned the kingdom so long ago. Silently, Frisk wonder if the person he was before all of this would have done so. He'd certainly jumped through time quite a bit and the results of his abuse of this power were clear to see on the computer in Sans' workshop.
He understood the temptation, probably because they were the same person. Even now, he felt the urge to do so. But what would be the point? All they would be doing was replacing one lie with another, manipulating Kidd's feelings until they got what they wanted. Frisk didn't want to be like that… not when he knew what it might lead to. Yet, as noble a sentiment as that was, it didn't do them any favors here. Indeed, he couldn't even be sure if that conviction wasn't just another form of that same manipulation, just of himself rather than someone else.
Lily felt just as bad but for other reasons. The sight of Undyne before them had brought back memories of their other encounters with her. In each one, she'd found herself unable to do much of anything to help. All she could do was guide Frisk's way, and even then it wasn't enough most of the time. This time, she hadn't even been able to say a few simple words to another friend before everything came crashing down. Just like with Flowey, she always seemed to fall short when it mattered the most.
The two of them stood on the precipice of a shear chasm. Columns, over a hundred feet tall stretched from top to bottom, and dozens of falls flowed down the weathered stone surfaces into a large lake beneath them. They couldn't tell if it was the same one they'd crossed before, shortly after coming here. The flimsy wooden bridge ahead of them provided the only means to cross. They didn't know what lay beyond it and at this point, neither of them really cared. All they could do was walk, and hope that something better lay on the other side.
A strong wind howled mournfully through the cavern, causing Frisk's clothes to flutter in its wake. It wasn't strong enough to push them off if they were careful, but it was enough to make footing uncertain.
"Be careful…" Lily said. She sounded as weary as he felt. "I don't want you to fall."
Frisk nodded, as they proceeded slowly across the bridge, following Lily's guidance to avoid the places where the wood had worn down. Eventually, they found themselves nearing the other side of the chasm.
"We're almost there." Lily told him. "Just a few more steps, okay?"
"Alright." the boy said, focusing on his feet as he moved onward.
"Frisk! Lily!" A familiar voice called. "Wait up!"
The two children nearly jumped out of their skin at the sound. It was a voice that hadn't expected to hear again, let alone so soon. Frisk barely managed to remember his own caution as he turned around, the glow of Lily in his right eye flickered in a mixture of anticipation and anxiousness. It felt like too much to hope for, and both of them half-expected that the voice was simply the result of the wind combined with their fragile emotions clinging to a false hope.
And yet, there he was… a small, armless yellow lizard, stepping carefully onto the bridge from the other side. He made his way over to them, apparently unbothered by the buffering wind.
"K-Kidd…" Frisk muttered.
"He… Hey you guys…" He said hesitantly.
"Um… greetings, Kidd." Lily's replied, her usual salutation marred by awkwardness.
"Yo, I know I'm not supposed to be here, but…" He began, hesitating for a moment. "I wanna ask you something."
"Okay… sure." Frisk replied in the only way he could think to, though both he and Lily had a good idea what the question would be.
"Err… man, I've never had to ask anyone this before." He said. "Umm… yo… you guys. You're humans, right?"
"...Yeah." Lily answered after a moment. "We both are."
"Haha! Man! I knew it!" Kidd said with an awkward smile. "Well, I know it now. I mean… Undyne told me, um, 'stay away from those humans'."
Frisk hung his head, and the glow in his right eye representing Lily faded to a point where it just barely illuminated the boy's face. Neither one of them could think of an appropriate response to that.
"So, like, ummm…" Kidd stammered, turning his head awkwardly to the side. "I guess that makes us enemies or something… but, I kinda stink at that so... Yo, say something mean so I can hate you? Please?"
The two children recoiled at his words. The monster child stared at them in desperation. It was clear he was struggling and hoping for a way out… anything to make it easier. Yet, how could they possibly even consider complying with such a request?
"Um, I…" Lily struggled, stomach turning at the very notion of it. "I… I can't."
"Then… Frisk?" The monster asked.
The boy could say nothing as he felt tears welling in his lidded eyes. With a wounded heart, the only thing he could manage was a vigorous shake of the head.
"Sheesh, you guys aren't making this easy… guess I have to do it. Well, here goes nothing." Kidd said, taking a deep breath to prepare himself. "Yo, I… I hate your guts."
It was such a pitiful attempt that even the most sensitive and naïve person wouldn't fall for it. Even with the way the two humans felt, the insincerity in his voice made it impossible for them to take it seriously.
"Man, I… I'm such a turd. I'm sorry." It only took a few seconds for his flimsy façade to break.
"I… it's okay." Frisk choked out.
"Yeah… we… we should have told you the truth sooner." Lily said regretfully.
"Nah… it's fine. I get it, haha." the yellow monster said. "I… I should probably go home. My parents'll kill me if I stay out too long."
"Are you mad at us?" Frisk asked, fearing the answer.
Kidd took a moment to think about it, and finally shook his head. "No. I just… I always heard humans were bad, but… you guys've been so nice to everyone. It's just weird, you know? I guess I just need a little bit to wrap my head around it."
"O-of course…" Lily replied, understandingly.
"Will we… will we see you back in Snowdin?" Frisk asked, wiping his eyes free of tears.
"Well, sure! I mean, we still need to play Monsters and Humans again. Uh, I mean… Maybe that one would be a little awkward but… we can always make up a new game!" Kidd said, surprisingly upbeat. "Anyway, see you guys later, okay?"
Those words, combined with that typical wobbly smile were all the reassurance the two humans needed. Even if things were a bit strange, it truly seemed like he did not bare them any ill will. Frisk gave a relieved sigh, a faint smile from Lily spread across his lips, and as one the two of them lifted a hand to wave goodbye.
The momentary calm was short-lived.
A loud snap resounded about half way across the bridge as one of the weak planks gave in under the yellow monster's weight. With a cry of fear and confusion, Kidd tumbled from the relative safety of the bridge, toward the murky abyss below. Frisk's mouth parted in a horror shared by both himself and Lily.
"Kidd!" The two humans cried in unison.
The monster child's descent was halted as a large splinter from the broken wood caught on his shirt. There he hung, dangling like a puppet on the most flimsy of strings.
"H- help!" He cried desperately, instinct and fear causing him to struggle as gravity tried to pull him down.
"Don't! You'll fall!" Lily cried. "Frisk, we have to-"
Her words were cut short as right at that moment, another familiar figure appeared.
Dark armor gleamed in the light of the 'stars' as Undyne stood on the other side of the chasm. Her form was ominous and terrifying, veiled beneath the shadowed crags beyond the expanse. The fearsome captain's yellow eye rested on the two humans for only a moment before shifting to the monster child hanging precariously from the flimsy, broken planks.
And yet, as imposing as she was, the humans' fear of their armored reaper was tempered by something far more troubling.
"Why… why isn't she moving?!" Frisk observed.
Undyne simply stood there, her eye locked on the dangling Kidd. She made no move to save him… in fact, she made no move at all. Frozen, even as a life hung in the balance before her. Why… why wasn't she helping him?
Frisk and Lily were terrified. If something wasn't done soon, Kidd would fall. Should they go to him themselves? They knew by now how aggressive Undyne could be. What if they tried, and she attacked them like before? There was no way the planks of the bridge would survive a barrage of her spears.
What should they do?
What could they do?
It was then that Frisk felt a tug on the sleeve of his jacket. His mind already in overdrive, he whipped his head away from the situation to the one responsible…
Except, there was nothing there.
Well, not quite nothing. A strange distortion warped around the blankness he knew so well, shifting and reshaping itself, like a roiling fog. Only one thing was certain: it was not white like a typical monster, nor was it colored like Lily. It was a pale, unknowable shade of grey… colorlessness somehow made manifest on his SOUL-sight. It was almost impossible for him to make out, and yet at the same time felt almost familiar in its close nature to the blindness he had always known.
Lily however, saw it clearly…
"You're…" She began.
Though she hadn't gotten a good look back then, she felt sure this was the same monster she'd seen before in that tenebrous marsh. That wasn't the most surprising thing about it however.
Its resemblance to Kidd was uncanny…
"Please… save him…" The figure spoke. Its voice reverberated strangely, but it sounded like a girl's voice.
A million questions took root in the children's minds. A million questions that, in that moment, did not matter in the slightest.
They turned back to the weathered bridge, and set off across.
Forcing her fear and worry aside, Lily guided the boy onward, pointing out where to step while subtly guiding his footfalls through their connection. The unstable bridge rocked and jostled as Frisk moved swiftly onward, fighting against the spiteful wind that threatened to cast them into the depths below. On the other side, Undyne loomed still as a statue as they drew closer to Kidd's position. Her single eye was fixed upon the child that hung from the broken planks by only the flimsy threads of his shirt. It was like she hadn't even noticed them. Even if she did, it wouldn't have mattered. No, the only thing that mattered was Kidd. They were determined to save him.
The next few seconds passed with agonizing slowness, but all of that changed as soon as they reached him.
"Come on!" Frisk shouted, leaning over the side and stretching out his hand.
"He's too far down!" Lily cried, when they came up short.
Kidd had noticed them by this point and was desperately struggling to bring himself within reach. Yet his lack of arms proved a great hindrance toward toward that goal. His teeth snapped out, trying to grab hold while the boy forced himself to ignore his reflexes and keep his arm steady.
"Ugh… Egh!" Kidd grunted in his struggle to reach his path to safety.
It didn't work… it wasn't even close. In desperation, Frisk found himself cursing his small body.
An ominous tearing sound somehow reached the children's ears over the commotion and the howling of the wind. All Kidd's struggle had managed to do was weaken the fragile threads of his shirt. The sharp splinter that was currently keeping him from falling was now slowly boring a hole into the fabric. At once, his momentary safety net had become the blade to sever it.
"I'm… I'm slipping!" Kidd cried desperately.
"I can't reach him…" Frisk lamented.
"There has to be something…" Lily began, just as the solution clicked in her mind. "Wait, Frisk… your jacket!"
Of course… that was it! Frisk wasted no time, pulling back his arm and throwing the jacket from his shoulders. The cold wind battered against his bare arms, now having been shed of the protection it provided. Frisk didn't mind this at all as he wrapped one of the sleeves around his wrist and threw the other down toward Kidd.
"Grab on, hurry!" He shouted.
Kidd's eyes locked onto the blue denim sleeve as it swayed before him like a rope to salvation. He bit for it, once again coming up short as a gust of wind blew it away. Frisk and Lily swung it back toward him, trying to get it as close as they could. The next two attempts failed as well, only causing the hole in his collar to grow larger. Still, it was close. If they could just time it right…
One final swing.
One final desperate grasp for safety.
Kidd's collar snapped under the strain of its burden, just as his jaws snapped onto the sleeve of the jacket. The small monster's body swung forward, nearly pulling the two of them off the side as well but they maintained control. Frisk felt his arms straining as he and Lily gripped the other end of the makeshift rope tightly in both hands.
Without a moment of pause they began to haul Kidd back up. Hand over hand, they gathered up the jacket until at last they could reach the monster boy himself. Grabbing one of his headspikes, they hauled him up to the relative safety of the bridge.
He was safe.
With the crisis averted, Kidd could do little besides stare at his two rescuers as the body that housed both of them gasped for breath from the effort.
"Frisk… Lily…" He said after finally finding his words. "You guys, you… you saved me."
"Of… of course we did…" The human's voice panted in Lily's tone.
"You're our friend…" That same voice finished as Frisk.
Kidd could think of no response to give. Somehow a 'thank you' didn't seem nearly adequate enough for what they'd just done.
Fortunately, he didn't need to think about it for long. The familiar sound of a metal-clad footfall drew their attention to the other side of the bridge. Undyne hadn't moved at all during the whole time the two humans had rushed to save the monster child, but that seemed to be over now. She took another slow step forward but still remained as silent as she always seemed. Kidd responded instantly, stepping in front of the exhausted humans. He was trembling, both from his ordeal and the looming form of the captain before him but he stood firm.
"Y… y… yo… dude… If… y-you wanna hurt my friends…" He stammered, fixing Undyne with a glare. "…you're gonna have to get through me first."
"Kidd… are you protecting us?" Frisk questioned.
The monster child did not respond. Did not even take his eyes off Undyne as he held his ground between her and his friends. The dark knight paused in the wake of that glare, and that single eye stared back. It was impossible to know what was going through the mind of the one beneath that fearsome helm.
A few moments of tense silence passed before the iron-clad warrior turned back the way she came. Within seconds she was beyond sight, vanishing into the gloom of Waterfall's twisting caverns.
"...she's gone." Kidd sighed, turning back to the two of them.
"Never mind about her." Lily said, staring at the yellow monster with a worried expression. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah… that was really close. If we were just a second later…" Frisk's voice trailed off, not even wanting to entertain the thought.
"Seriously…" Kidd agreed, nervously. "Yo, you guys really saved my skin."
"Well, we weren't gonna just let you fall." The girl said, giving a slight smile through Frisk
"I guess being enemies was just a nice thought, haha…" Kidd joked. "We'll just have to stay friends instead, huh?"
"Yeah… I guess so." Frisk said, before his face fell a little. "Sorry we didn't tell you about us before. If we were honest from the start then maybe…"
"Aw, come on dude… I already said it was okay, right?" Kidd lightly admonished him. "Besides, I think you saving me is a pretty big way to make up for it."
"You know, you stood up for us too…" Lily giggled a little, the crimson eye signifying her presence brightening slightly. "Call it even?"
"Sounds good to me!" the yellow monster agreed, before his eyes fell down to his now thoroughly ruined shirt. "…man, I should REALLY get home now. I dunno how I'm gonna explain this to my parents."
"Alright. Just… be careful on the way back okay?" the boy warned.
"Yeah… you guys too. Undyne might still be around after all." Kidd said, turning to head back across the bridge, albeit more carefully this time. "See ya later!"
Frisk and Lily waved to their friend. Their hearts felt a lot fuller knowing that they could still call him that, even now. If anything, that friendship actually seemed stronger now despite what it took to get there. The past between monsters and humans was certainly not a happy one. Yet from their interactions with Kidd, Napstablook, Sans and Papyrus, Toriel and all the other people they've met, maybe the future could be different.
And then there was Undyne… could even she be made to understand?
"Hold on…" Lily began as a thought popped into her head. "Shoot, we forgot to tell him about that monster back there!"
"Monster?" Frisk asked. "That was a monster?"
"Yeah, you saw her…" Lily said, confused. "She looked just like Kidd?"
"They… she did? To me, it just looked like a grey cloud." Frisk explained, confused.
"Huh… that's weird." the girl responded, cocking Frisk's head to the side thoughtfully. "Well, we should probably thank her anyway right? We might have been too late if she didn't say anything."
Frisk nodded and turned around to head back over the bridge to where the monster waited. Only…
"What…? Where'd she go?" Lily wondered as she stared at the now very empty cliff where the monster once stood.
Frisk raised a questioning brow. The odd grey-ish cloud that he had seen was gone too. Carefully, they made their way over to the place where she'd spoken to them, Lily keeping an eye out for any sign of where she might have gone. A few of the large stones may have been a good place to hide, but no one was there. A crack in the rockface to their left might have been large enough to squeeze through, but there was no trace. With some worry, they feared she might have fallen from the cliff in their rush to save Kidd, but the waters below were still.
There was nothing.
"It's like she just… vanished." Lily said, at a complete loss. "I don't even see any footprints besides ours."
"Did we imagine it?" Frisk wondered for a brief moment before shaking his head. "No, that wouldn't make sense. We both saw - and heard - someone."
"Yeah… and I know it was her I saw before too." the girl added. "Maybe she really is using shortcuts like Sans… but wouldn't there still be something here even if she did?"
"Unless she did, there's really only one way she could go." Frisk said. "Maybe we'll find her up ahead?"
"Maybe… and we should probably keep going anyway." Lily agreed. "Let's go."
The two of them continued on, grateful to put some distance between themselves and that bridge. The cliff widened as they moved onward, to the point that after a while it was more of a mesa or small plateau than anything. Still, they found no other sign of the monster they'd seen, even when they came to another ravine, spanned by a shorter and (thankfully), far more stable bridge.
"I still don't see anyone…" Lily sighed, as they stepped over to the other side. "I guess she really is gone."
"And I was really hoping to talk to her too…" the boy frowned.
"Me too… It's okay though, I mean we're sure to run into her… again…?" Lily trailed off, noticing something peculiar before her. "Um… Frisk?"
"Huh? What is it?" The boy asked. "Do you see her?"
"No, um… it's…" She stammered, staring at the oddly shaped shadow before them. "L- look up…"
Confusion spread across the red child's face at his friend's sudden apprehension, but he did as she asked. He almost wished he hadn't when at last he beheld what had the girl so frightened.
The two children stared as one at the figure perched upon the large stone spikes jutting from the mouth of a particularly large cave. Iron plate gleamed in the faint light cast by the strange machinery that loomed far off in the distance. A plume of bright red blew freely in the powerful wind that did nothing to disturb the unnerving stillness of the figure.
"Finally…" The armored figure said, her voice echoing ominously. "With that child gone, there will be no more distractions."
"How… how did she…?" Frisk muttered, the phantom pain in his chest aching faintly in remembrance.
"Undyne…" Lily breathed.
That word, that name… it was like a dirge on her lips. Here she was, once again. That armored assassin who had pursued them since they had first stepped foot in Waterfall. The one who had given them their first experience with death. The one who, for all their attempts to stay one step ahead, always seemed to be waiting for them.
The Captain of the Royal Guard…
Undyne.
Authors' Notes: Aaaaaaand… cliffhanger! Sorry about that, but the chapter would just be far too long if we included Undyne's fight too. Don't worry, it'll be worth the wait.
We'd been hinting at Temmie showing up for a few chapters. Hopefully her scene brought a bit of a smile to you guys. We thought about doing Temmie Village here, but decided it would break up the story progression a little. Better to come back to it once this arc is resolved.
The dark room was an interesting part. Perfect to foreshadow what was coming while also being one of those unique times that Frisk's lack of sight helps him. Light based puzzles aren't really an issue when you can't see the light to begin with. Lily on the otherhand…
Given how things have been going, we decided to change up scene after the dark room. Having Kidd already be there allowed for a bit more character development. Also we wanted to actually show the conversation where he learned about them being humans. Gives the little guy a bit more spotlight.
Expansion of the bridge scene! Probably one of the most iconic in the game. Goner Kid's appearance here has been planned for at least a few chapters. If it wasn't already clear, she was also the one Lily saw in the dark swamp. We considered a few different ways that could play out, including having the SOULmates talk to her some after Kidd left but decided this was the best way. There's still more to her, but for now we wanted to keep the air of mystery.
Onward to the climax (of this arc at least)! Hopefully the upcoming fight with Undyne proves just as epic as it is in the game. Look forward to it!
As always, we're happy to hear what you guys think and don't forget to join our Discord server if you want to chat directly.