Pre-Chaper notes: Hey everyone! Here we are with yet another chapter. Starting to get up there at this point. Things have been getting better lately. We're now fully settled into our new home, which is a definite boon.
Hopefully you all are remaining safe out there, since this COVID thing doesn't look to be ending any time soon. If reading this gives you a little respite from the stresses of the world, then we'll have done our jobs :). Stay strong everyone. We're right there with you.
With that, please enjoy the chapter.
Chapter 25: Moments of Illumination
The following day was largely dedicated to study. This may have seemed somewhat odd in a household whose inhabitants now included two children, one visually and one corporeally challenged, a boisterous warrior who preferred action to knowledge, and an exuberant superhero and his slacker of an older sibling. That Sans' actual competence and fondness for knowledge was something of an open secret to most of the others was besides the point.
It had actually been Undyne's suggestion to divide the braille lessons and those of the, as Papyrus had called it, handsy language that Sans had offered to teach Lily into structured time-frames once she found out about them. As little interest as she personally had in learning such things, the strong fish was rather good at coming up with a schedule for their classes, even if she insisted on calling it a 'training regiment'. Lily had made some improvements on both fronts. Though she was still far from being able to communicate with them after only a day's worth of study, she now understood the basics. In that way, the skeleton household was transformed into something of an impromptu school. Well, at least, that had been the intent.
Currently the couch was butted up against the small table in the corner with all of its cushions having vanished. The larger table on the other side of the room was piled with a thin shroud of disorganized papers containing various combinations of dots aligned in two-by-eight patterns, alongside illustrations of step-by-step hand motions. The open floor meanwhile was strewn with a number of sheets and pillows, scattered about in a most haphazard fashion. The latter, along with the missing couch cushions were piled together with some degree of purpose.
A small pillow hurled across the room from one of those mounds, missing the other entirely and instead setting the pile of study materials on the table into a flurry.
"Whoops." Lily said, watching the snow of knowledge flutter down over the battlefield. "I… think you missed them, Frisk!"
"Fufufu! Nice try, Punks!" Undyne shouted from behind her own bunker. "Papyrus, get ready to return fire!"
"YES, MA'AM!" Papyrus declared, doing as his captain commanded and taking his own shot.
Lily was forced to twist her weightless body in an arc to avoid the projectile. Of course, she didn't need to but it was more fun to play along. The truth of it was that in spite of all the progress they'd made, the monotony had developed into a desperate need for entertainment. It had started with a few silly 'arguments' and playful ribbing mostly from the spectral girl and Undyne. It had only devolved further from there into its current state: that being the great pillow war that had entered into its final battle and currently took up the entirety of the lower floor.
Sans smirked as he contemplated this from his safe perch on the second floor walkway where he watched all this happen. "huh. so that's why it's called a throw pillow." He joked.
That comment earned him one in his direction, which due to the angle, simply soared over his head. He looked down to see Papyrus glaring daggers at him from below, which of course only made his grin wider.
"HEY! DON'T WASTE AMMUNITION!" Undyne berated him. "The enemy is before us, keep focused, Soldier!"
"O-OH, RIGHT! SORRY ABOUT THAT CAPTAIN, I'LL JUST-" He stopped. "UM…"
"Huh? What is it?" The warrior pressed. "Spit it out. Don't tell me you're getting cold feet now!"
"NO, IT'S NOT THAT…" Papyrus stammered. "WE SEEM TO BE… OUT OF AMMUNITION…"
"WHAT?!" She shouted. "Ngaahh! I won't be defeated like this!"
"Muahahaha!" Frisk laughed from his side of the battlefield.
The following seconds were a comical display of the small boy attempting to climb his way to the top of the pillow bunker. Since his SOUL wasn't capable of perceiving the cushions in the same way it could monsters and magic, he had to fumble for purchase on the plush surface of the hill. Lily, who shared the shelter with him, had to help steady him for the last couple of feet to stop him from tumbling off the other side. In the end, he stood like a tiny emperor upon a mountain of cotton.
"Behold! I am the Legendary Hero, Frisk the Lionhearted!" The boy declared in his most dramatic voice possible. "Lily, the Goddess of Spirits stands at my side! Surrender now, or face our combined power!"
Lily grinned at her friend's expression of grandeur, though she felt that she might have chosen a different epithet for herself if she could have spoken in this state. Nevertheless, she made a show of floating in circles around Frisk, as if guided by the winds of a small tornado with him as its eye, before settling to a hover next to him.
"Ha! You're a worthy opponent, 'Legendary Hero'." Undyne declared, stepping boldly out from the protection of her shelter. "But your opponent is me, Undyne the Undying!"
"NYEH HEH HEH! AND WITH HER STANDS THE ESTEEMED TROUSLER OF BONES, THE GREAT PAPYRUS!" Papyrus bellowed, stepping from the other side.
"You may have exhausted our supplies, but we won't be defeated that easily!"
"They still want to fight, huh?" Frisk said with feigned thoughtfulness. "What do you think we should do about that?"
"Hmm… I admire their strength of will!" Lily said, getting into the act as well. "I think the two of them would be worthy additions to our cause, don't you agree?"
"Very well." Frisk replied, raising his hands before his face in a dramatic flourish. The movement made him stumble a little, making it look more comical than imposing. "Then let's see if you still think that way… after tasting my mind control powers!"
"Hngh…" Undyne acted like she was struggling. "Is that the best you've got? BRING IT ON!"
"OH NO!" Papyrus suddenly froze in place as those words left his lips. "THE HUMAN'S MIND IS TOO POWERFUL, UNDYNE! I HAVE BEEN RENDERED COMPLETELY IMMOBILE!"
"Papyrus?!" Undyne gasped, glancing back toward her companion for a moment. "Ngaah! You won't get away with this!"
Undyne glared fiercely at her opponents, though it was hard to take seriously from the massive grin on her scaly face. Frisk made his way down from the pillow fort, a task that was a bit easier than getting up there to begin with. Lily drifted at his side, ready to catch him if he fell, but fortunately, it didn't end up being necessary. Once he reached the bottom, the boy grinned triumphantly at their two 'defeated' opponents.
"Foolish monsters, your resistance is futile!" The boy laughed.
"I think it's about time we use that." Lily said conspiratorially. "What'cha think, Frisk the Lionhearted?"
"Good idea." Frisk said, picking up on what she was suggesting. "Prepare yourselves, because we're about to unleash… our Special Attack!"
The little hero and his spectral companion slowly approached the immobile monsters, each one having chosen a different 'target'. Frisk's slow, ominous steps brought him ever closer to Undyne, the red of his SOUL casting a glow over his form. Lily meanwhile drifted languidly toward Papyrus, letting her body curve about to increase the drama. As one they extended their arms, slowly bringing them outward in a show of gathering power.
Then, they closed, wrapping around the midsections of Undyne, and Papyrus respectively.
The pair of hugs was as funny to look at as it was heartwarming. Frisk's small arms were not nearly long enough to encircle Undyne completely, stopping just around her back. Lily meanwhile had to adjust her position multiple times to compensate for Papyrus' lanky physique and her own incorporeality. Undyne looked down at the much smaller boy as he turned his gaze up to her, a huge smile spread across his face. A few feet away, Lily giggled as Papyrus made a show of 'resistance' before finally giving in and returning the gesture.
"Well, I guess I can give you this one…" Undyne sighed, patting the boy on the head.
It was at that moment that the distinctive jingle of a ringing cell phone filled the room. Frisk was about to answer before realizing that the tone playing, as well as the direction of the sound didn't match his own. He stepped back, releasing his grip on Undyne as she drew her own phone from her pocket and moved the receiver to her ear.
"Hello? Oh, hey Alphys! Huh? No, I'm not busy, what's up? Okay slow down, I can't understand you if you keep stuttering like that." Undyne's half of the conversation reached them quite clearly, though even Frisk's ears weren't sharp enough to hear the words from the other end. "WHAT?!"
The sudden exclamation echoed through the house, causing the other inhabitants to cringe slightly from the sudden spike in volume. Undyne's casual expression quickly turned to shock as whatever Alphys had said seemed to catch her completely off guard. Noticing the state of the room she gave the children and the brothers a brief, apologetic glance before returning to the conversation at hand.
"Are you sure?! That's awesome! Of course I'll be there. Nope, I'm all done for the day and even if I wasn't there's no way in hell I would miss this!" The rest of the housemates felt a bit of relief as they watched her initial shocked aspect faded into one of unmistakable delight. "Hmm? Are you sure? I know you still haven't met them yet but… No, that's fine. If everyone's okay with it, I can bring 'em with. Alright cool. Couple of hours from now, right? Got it. See ya then, Alphy!"
Undyne pressed the button to end the call, returning the phone to her pocket with a huge smile spread across her blue-scaled face.
"What was that about?" Lily asked, and Frisk mirrored the question.
"THAT WAS DR. ALPHYS, WASN'T IT?" Papyrus added. "YOU SEEM QUITE EXCITED ABOUT SOMETHING, UNDYNE. DID SHE INVENT A NEW PUZZLE? IF SO, I WOULD BE VERY PLEASED TO SEE IT!"
"Not puzzles, Papyrus, but something just as good. It was about her cousin, living in Twinrocks." Undyne's grin grew even wider. "She's having a baby!"
"Remind me again: what's this all about?" Lily asked from her place within Frisk's SOUL.
They'd departed Snowdin about half an hour ago and were currently marching along through Waterfall. The twists and turns through the maze-like passages were just as confusing as ever, especially since this was yet another path that the children had never been down. The scenery was unfamiliar, though just as breathtakingly beautiful as the rest of the region. The faint light from the everpresent starstones lining the walls and ceiling was joined by a few faint shafts of natural light that had, through some miracle managed to get through both the Barrier and the mountain itself. This ultimately resulted in the usual exhibits like Bridge Seeds and glowing mushrooms growing alongside other kinds of flora not seen elsewhere. A few small trees of dark wood, with thin drooping leaves peeked out from the marshes, drinking in the sunlight while also shading the clumps of burgundy moss that clung to their trunks. Among the Echo Flowers grew a number of smaller blossoms, their bell-like petals of pure white with yellow stamens shimmering with captured light.
"I already told you." Undyne met the single red-tinged eye with her own yellow one. "Alphys' cousin is having a kid. She invited us to watch the Burgeoning, so that's where we're going."
"Yeah, I get that." Frisk's eyes rolled behind their lids in time with Lily's response. "What I mean is why did she invite Frisk and I? We've never met Alphys, so it seems kinda weird to ask us come see her cousin's baby being born."
"I mean, I've talked about you guys. Maybe she just wants to meet you herself?" Undyne suggested.
"Kind of a weird way to do that, isn't it?" The girl pointed out.
"What about Sans and Papyrus?" Frisk chimed in. "Especially Papyrus. This seems like the kind of thing he'd like to be part of."
"Well, you know Papyrus… lots of energy, no filter. Alphys is kinda delicate so he makes her a little nervous sometimes." Undyne explained. "As for Sans… I don't know. I know they know each other but…"
Lily giggled slightly at that explanation. "You know, that description could easily apply to you, too."
"Hey!" Undyne protested, thought for a minute and then rubbed the back of her head. "Well, I guess you aren't wrong… I'm not sure why she asked for you guys specifically. Sometimes I don't really know what goes on in that big brain of hers. Whatever the reason though, this is a pretty big deal."
"It is?" Frisk's curiosity was piqued. "Why's that?"
"Well… you guys know by now about the Underground's situation. Monsters have been falling down quite a bit in recent years." Undyne's tone became somewhat somber. "At the same time, the birth rate around here has been dropping too. Some people say it's because of overpopulation. I dunno, that's not something I keep up with. But children aren't being born as often as they used to and people have been getting pretty worried."
"Oh." the boy replied, nodding in understanding. "So any time a new monster is born, it evens things out a little. That makes sense."
"Yeah. It's safe to say that the village is pretty hyped over it." Undyne nodded. "People deserve to have a bit of good news for a change."
"Well, in that case, I guess I'm glad she invited us." Lily smiled. "I'll give all the support I can if it'll help."
"Me too." Frisk agreed.
Undyne grinned at her new friends' resolve. "Thanks, Punks. I bet Alphy's gonna be really happy you came."
"You said we were going to… what was it called? Twinrocks?" Lily asked, feeling slightly irritated for some reason at yet another uncreative name.
"I don't think we've ever been there before." Frisk stated. "What's it like?"
"It's a place that sits on the border of Waterfall and Hotland." the warrior explained. "A little bit like the place we fought, but, you know… less cliffy."
"Um… H-Hotland?" Frisk's voice quivered a little bit.
"Oh, uhh… sorry." the captain of the guard apologized as she realized what she'd said. "Yeah, it's quite a bit warmer than Waterfall, but it's not so close to Hotland that you'll need to dodge lava pools or anything." She angled her arm upward and pointed in a direction. "It's up there. Once we pass this area we'll need to head upwards a ways. Twinrocks is closer to the side of the mountain rather than the middle where Hotland is."
The boy let out a sigh of relief, Undyne's explanation managing to still his nerves somewhat. The fog of memories that now roiled in his mind recalled a bit about Hotland as a location and though he couldn't make out specifics, the feelings he got from them were anything but pleasant. This combined with his recent - if brief - visit to the place meant he wasn't exactly looking forward to going back there. In his heart, he knew he would have to face his fear eventually and brave that treacherous landscape. Right now though, he was content to let that particular beast lie.
Frisk nodded in understanding and the trio continued on, making small talk along the way. Undyne led the children through the picturesque marsh, the white flowers closing their buds protectively around their lit stamens the moment they sensed the approach. Lily found herself fascinated by their behavior, and made a note to find out more about them in the library when they got back. Eventually, they came to the edge of the subterranean woodland and stepped up onto a relatively dry piece of land. Within the towering wall of stone that awaited them there was the mouth of a remarkably uniform looking cave.
Undyne led them inside and Frisk instinctively reached a hand out as the ground began to slope upward. His fingers came to rest upon the cool stone surface of the tunnel wall. It was smooth: much smoother than most of the other caverns and winding corridors scattered around Waterfall. However it formed, it wasn't through the usual erosion process that most of the rest went through.
"Wow. It's so pretty…" Lily spoke up.
With her working eyes, she was able to perceive a little more than Frisk. All along the tunnel, the starstones that glittered throughout the Underground were even more pronounced. Veins of multicolored crystals trailed along the walls, ceiling, and even the floor, creating shimmering veins that refracted the light like an aurora.
"It's like a hundred streams flowing in one direction, all around us." She described the sight to Frisk, all the while drinking in the majesty of the tunnel.
As he listened to her, Frisk's fingers found one of the veins and he traced it curiously, feeling how different the glassy surface of the gems was compared to the earthy touch of the stone. It was all he needed to confirm his suspicions that this particular tunnel wasn't natural. From touch alone, he could gauge on some level the eccentricities that went into this place. The cultivated stone seemed random at first, but here and there he found hints of a clear pattern within them. If only he could observe them with his own eyes...
He was paying so much attention to the walls, trying to imagine what Lily must have been seeing, that he forgot about his feet for the moment. His boot caught on a loose rock on the path, and he stumbled forward briefly before the angle of their ascent caused gravity to begin pulling him backwards. By the time his hand involuntarily left the stone, he knew he was falling.
"Whoa!" Before either of the children even had a chance to call out, Frisk's arm was immediately caught in Undyne's strong grasp. The captain easily pulled the boy and his spectral passenger back to their feet.
"Phew…" Lily sighed, turning her red glow in the captain's direction. "Thanks Undyne."
"Careful. You fall here, and you're gonna end up tumbling all the way back to the bottom." She responded. "And as good a workout as the hike is, we sort've got somewhere to be."
"Sorry." The children replied through Frisk's mouth. Undyne simply gave them a smirk before sweeping her arm around in a gesture to follow as she continued on the path.
Frisk followed behind, a little more carefully this time. That little mistake served to put a bit of a damper on his mood. It might have been an unfamiliar location, but normally something like that wouldn't have caught him off guard. It only served to remind him that even with the help of his SOUL, his perception was still severely crippled.
"I miss my stick…" He murmured quietly enough so Undyne wouldn't hear.
He didn't exactly blame her for its loss: she hadn't known how important it was to him at the time and besides, that was before they became friends. It didn't make coping with its absence any easier though.
Lily frowned from her place inside, sensing her friend's discontent more acutely in this state. He seemed fine enough without it in Snowdin, having become more familiar with the area than anywhere else in the Underground. Out here though, the difference was quite clear. It gave her a renewed appreciation of just how important it was to him and she wished more and more that there was something she could do to make it right. Guiding him around was nice and all, but she understood his desire for some level of independence.
Nevertheless, the boy's sour mood was short-lived, and he managed to mostly recover by the time the ground started to level out again. That there were no more mishaps the rest of the way up certainly helped matters, with both Undyne and Lily making it a point to keep watch for anything else that might have caused him trouble. The cave eventually began to widen, as they neared the exit, the area beyond appearing significantly darker compared to the radiance they'd just traveled through..
At last the cave's yawning mouth deposited them in a new location and the change of atmosphere was almost immediate. The air could have been described in a single word: humid. Mere seconds after stepping out of the tunnel, Frisk could feel his brow soaked by the amount of water vapor floating around. As for Lily, she quickly noticed that it was much more evenly lit than Waterfall, without the blinding glare of Hotland.
A mineral-like scent filled the area, reminding Frisk faintly of the smell of eggs, but not enough to be overpowering. The source, noted again by Lily, turned out to be a few natural hot springs scattered about the area. Steam drifted upward from their surfaces, likely the culprit for the humidity as well. As jarring as the change was however, it was no Hotland just as Undyne said, and neither of them could sense any fire or magma of any kind.
"Phew… man, I love this place!" Undyne grinned.
The captain didn't seem at all bothered by the change in temperature, especially compared to Hotland. The children figured that must have been because of the moisture in the air here managing to keep her skin hydrated.
"This is Twinrocks?" Frisk asked, trying his best to gather as much information as his working senses would allow, while ignoring the unpleasant stickiness his clothes had begun to develop.
"Yup. We're almost to the village." Undyne announced. "Everyone should already be gathered by now. Just watch your step around the springs."
"Are they dangerous?" Lily asked
"Nah. Heck, people even soak in 'em sometimes to relax." She punctuated her answer with a wave of the hand. "But… we probably don't want to waltz into the village sopping wet, you know?"
That made more sense, of course, though the children were admittedly curious. Neither one of them had ever tried a natural hot spring before, at least insofar as they could remember. Frisk had read about the medicinal properties they held and had been keen on experiencing one for himself for a while. However, Undyne was right… this wasn't exactly the right time to indulge in those curiosities. Therefore, it was simply added to the list of things they vowed to do at a later time, along with visiting the village Temmie had told them about, and asking Kidd if he knew anything about the strange girl they'd met in Waterfall. That didn't exactly put it high on the priority list, but that shouldn't be a problem.
They picked their way through the sandy, steam-filled landscape for about fifteen minutes before Lily finally noticed a change on the horizon. The reason for the region's name quickly became apparent as she beheld the crowns of two massive stone pillars in the distance. Apart from their sheer size, there was little remarkable about them. They were oblong as most stones are, and colored a simple earthen brown. However, their size alone was enough to make them impressive and easily distinguishable between the rest of the area. As they drew closer, she was able to make out what looked to be a village scattered out around their bases, lights twinkling from what must have been windows of some kind. There was definitely movement there too, but it was impossible to tell anything about the inhabitants from this distance.
"There it is." Undyne said, pointing out what was obvious to Lily, but not to Frisk. "Alphys should already be there. Can't wait to see that little nerd again."
"What's she like?" Lily asked the captain.
"Well… She's really smart. I guess you have to be to become Royal Scientist. A little awkward, and not much of a fighter but her little stutter is freakin' adorable…" Undyne trailed off seemingly lost in her own thoughts. It was only for a moment however, and she cleared her throat when she realized the children were still listening. "Anyway, you should see all the cool stuff she can do. Remember that big sword in my house? We made it together, after she showed me some of her human research videos. Though I… guess it's probably just a hunk of metal by now."
"She sounds nice." Frisk said. "You seem like really close friends."
"Seems to me like Undyne would rather be more than friends…" Lily muttered with a knowing giggle.
"Huh? You're gonna have to speak up, Punk." Undyne replied, having missed the girl's observation.
"Don't worry about it." she deflected casually. "Hey, look. We're getting close to the village."
It was clear, at least from Frisk's perspective, what his friend was getting at. They'd both speculated that Undyne had a secret crush ever since they'd spent time at her house. Now, they had a pretty good idea who it was. What was also clear to him was how blatantly obvious her attempt to derail the conversation was. Therefore, he found himself guiltily amused when it actually worked.
"Oh hey, you're right." Undyne said, having turned her attention ahead of her again and noticed that, indeed, they were getting close.
The village was a somewhat small place, about two thirds the size of Snowdin if one didn't include the enormous pillars looming behind the town. The streets were smooth, greyish stone packed into soft grains of white sand. The buildings were also stone, but these seemed much more artistic in nature. Some of them were angular, others carved into spiral shapes, and still others dome-like in a way that was similar to Undyne's old abode. Various colors made up their outer walls, most of them earthen with a few black or white ones mixed in.
Each and every one of them were possessed of the same smooth texture as the tunnel they'd traversed to get here. What Lily had originally figured to be window lights instead turned out to be more of the same starstone adornments like those they'd witnessed in the tunnel. Here, they were spread out over a much wider area, but that made them no less breathtaking to behold. Instead, their individual patterns could be easily identified. It was like an art gallery, where each individual artist lived within their own creation.
"Wow…" Lily sighed. "I… guess we know who's responsible for that cave now."
The town was, for lack of a better term, bustling… or at least it seemed that way from Frisk and Lily's perspective. Having never been here before, they didn't exactly have a good point of comparison to the usual levels of activity, but it felt fitting. Frisk's SOULsight was flooded with a number of colorless gatherings of magic hurrying through the surrounding darkness. Occasionally one would pass near enough or slow long enough that he could make out a few details, but their specific characteristics eluded him.
Fortunately, Lily was there to fill in the blanks. Apparently an overwhelming majority of the citizens living here were of the reptilian variety. Their bodies, what weren't covered by a layer of clothing, were either comprised of leathery scales or smooth membranes. A few had side-set eyes placed on either side of elongated snouts while others were forward facing, set within flat, crested skulls. One of them, tall with a back lined with rigid spines was followed closely by a much shorter companion with a flared tail. The varieties between them were almost too many to name.
Quite a few seemed to be gathering in a specific location toward the southern edge of town, near the base of the two monolithic stones. A few youngsters excitedly clung to their parents arms as their family moved in the direction of the steadily growing crowd. Some of them stopped to give regard to the new arrivals, most of them immediately recognizing Undyne either by acquaintance or reputation. It was during a few of these pleasantries that Frisk and Lily came to learn the name of the town: Artisan Village.
"They sure got things together fast… we better get moving if we want to find Alphys before it starts." Undyne remarked as they fell in step with the other villagers.
As one, Frisk and Lily picked up the pace in order to keep up with the clearly excited Undyne. The blue scaled fish lady wore a grin that could have rivaled Sans in its perpetuity as they made their way toward the two great pillars that gave the region its name. Eventually, the crowd began to thicken, making it difficult to move forward. The number of conversations blended together into an incomprehensible buzz as they found themselves in the middle of it all.
After a moment of looking around, Undyne's gaze seemed to zero in on something that caught her notice amidst the others. The children, due to having a much lower perspective, couldn't see it, but they still had a pretty good idea what had grabbed the attention of their guide.
"HEY, OVER THERE!" She bellowed above the hum of conversation, teeth bared in a good natured smile. "HOW'S IT GOING, STRANGER?!"
A high pitched squeak, quite a bit lower in volume than Undyne's booming voice, somehow managed to cut through the noise and reach the two humans' ears. Undyne carefully squeezed her way toward the one she'd called out to, stopping occasionally to make sure Frisk and Lily were still following. Eventually the crowd thinned enough that they were able to close the distance and reach them.
She was reptilian, much like the rest of the inhabitants of the village. Her scales were colored a soft yellow hue while the asymmetrical crest on her head swept to the left, ending in three pointed spikes. A slight overbite resulted in a pair of teeth sticking out from the top half of her angular snout. Her stout body was covered by a blue dress interspersed with white polka dots which stood in contrast to the thick lensed, armless glasses that sat above her nose. Her hands were clasped before her belly, their fidgeting going unnoticed by their owner, who's black and white eyes instead shifted nervously between the new arrivals.
"H-hey… Undyne." She stuttered. "I'm… I'm glad you could make it…!"
"Alphys!" The captain laughed, clapping the timid lizard girl on the back hard enough to cause her to stagger forward. "I told you I wouldn't miss this! And look, I even brought these punks with me!"
She gestured at the little boy, body lit by the crimson wisp of his SOUL, and right eye flaring with the glow of his companion's presence. A polite smile spread across his face.
"It's nice to meet you." Frisk said gently. "I'm Frisk."
"And my name's Lily!" the same voice spoke again, but the tone was somehow distinct. "We've been hearing a lot about you lately."
"O-Oh… Oh...Oh my…" The nervous girl stammered. "I-i-it's n-nice… to m-meet you… t-too…"
Frisk tilted his head slightly, his pleasant expression shifting to one of slight confusion… a sentiment that Lily shared. Alphys' nervousness was clear to see, that much was true, but there was also something else there. A sort of… awe; as if there was a famous celebrity standing just behind them, and she was trying her hardest not to make a fool of herself.
"Um… are you okay?" Frisk asked, feeling slightly uncomfortable being stared at like this. It wasn't that he sensed any ill will in it, just… it somehow felt undeserved.
"I'm… I'm sorry…" Alphys replied quickly, blinking rapidly as if she'd just woken from a dream. "I'm… I'm just really glad you came."
"About that…" Lily began. "What made you decide to invite us anyway?"
"Well, I…" Alphys hesitated for a moment to form her response. "U-Undyne told me a little about you… a-after you guys became friends, I kind of… w-wanted to meet you two myself? I've been following you for a while now, and..."
"Uhh, you've been 'following' us?" Lily gave a somewhat disturbed expression. Was Undyne introducing them to a stalker now?
"Err, I mean… I've heard about you guys, and… and what you've been doing around here." Alphys waved her hands nervously, hastily attempting to clarify. "P-people have been talking... on the Undernet. There's more hope around the Underground than t-there has been in a while. I-it's not like I've been spying on you or anything, eheheheh…"
"Ohhh… I think I get it." Frisk began to put two and two together. "I think she means 'following' like on social media. I told you a little about the internet on the surface. I think it's something like that.
"Oh. You mean that thing Papyrus talked about once that I couldn't make any sense of?" The boy could practically smell Lily's resigned frustration as she muttered a response. "Why does the future have to be so confusing…"
"I didn't know we were trending though." Frisk remarked, feeling a bit at odds about that. "It feels like more people would be talking about it in the real world."
"Oh, y-you know it's still uhh, kind of a niche topic." Alphys spoke up. "It h-hasn't really gone mainstream or anything yet."
Alphys' responses seemed kind of strange to the boy, but it was more her tone than her words that made him feel that way. The explanation itself made enough sense, especially since he couldn't imagine that the so-called 'Undernet' was nearly as saturated with information as its counterpart on the surface. At the same time, the Royal Scientist seemed to be a bundle of nerves on the best of days, so that likely explained her shaky behavior.
"Well, I guess we haven't exactly done that much worth talking about." Lily, understanding at least that much, chimed in.
"Hey! You guys managed to get through me! That's not 'nothing', you know!" Undyne protested. "But uhh… I guess I haven't really talked about that on there."
"Alright, fair enough." Lily's expression softened. "Sorry for jumping to conclusions, Alphys. It's just… you know."
"You're just being careful… I get it. You can't just reveal your secret to everyone." Alphys nodded thoughtfully. "People could get hurt… o-or they might judge you. Sometimes… you just have to lie."
"Yeah…" Frisk agreed. "I really hate having to do it though."
"Hey, come on, don't be like that!" Undyne grinned, draping one arm over Frisk and Lily and the other over Alphys. "Let's just enjoy ourselves right now. We can figure out the complicated crap later."
The two children giggled, and Lily's presence in Frisk's right eye softened to a more warm glow as she turned to Alphys. "She's right... start over?"
"I'd… really like that." Alphys said, her lips curling up into a shy grin of her own.
She felt glad that her explanation seemed sufficient. It probably didn't hurt that it was, at least in part, truthful. She really had wanted to meet the two humans personally and this seemed like a good way to do so, especially since it didn't seem like they would be visiting Hotland again any time soon, though that wasn't the only reason. The part about the Undernet had been largely true as well, though she'd left out the real reason the topic hadn't caught on as much as it might have otherwise.
"A-anyway…" She moved to change the subject. "They should be finishing the preparations soon. Should we… sit down for a bit? You guys must be kind of tired after walking here."
"Aw… we don't get to meet the parents?" Lily seemed disappointed. "I wanted to say congrats…"
"D-don't worry…!" Alphys quickly spoke up. "You'll get to later, a-after the Burgeoning. The first part's kind of, um… solitary, so no one can really see them right now anyway."
"Are they okay?" Frisk asked.
"They're fine… I checked myself and nothing seems wrong." The scientist replied. "It's just… well…"
"Ya know how I told you guys about the birthrate thing on the way here?" Undyne picked up for her nervous friend. Frisk and Lily nodded. "Well, that's why everyone's waiting. Keep the stress low and all that. We just want to make sure it goes right."
"Oh, okay." Lily said with a nod. "I can understand that."
"Don't worry. You aren't really missing much." Undyne continued with a grin.
With that the four of them began to make their way to the edge of the crowd to find somewhere to rest. Lily didn't need to walk, and Undyne could have probably gone days on end without being so much as winded. Frisk on the other hand was feeling a bit of the strain from the mostly uphill journey. It wasn't so bad that he felt like he could collapse at any moment - his treks through the Underground thus far had built his endurance such that it would take a little more than that - but his feet were somewhat sore from the hike.
There, they chatted with Alphys for a bit, getting acquainted with one another while they waited to be allowed to witness the new arrival. Inevitably, the question of the Burgeoning came up. Alphys and Undyne were initially reluctant to go into the topic as it really fell under the section of 'birds and bees' discussions that were always awkward for adults to discuss with children. However, they eventually managed to explain the basics.
"See, f-for monsters the SOUL is born first, but it needs time to grow and absorb magic before it can do so. The SOUL-seed protects the child's SOUL until it becomes strong enough to... exist in the outside world without dissipating." Alphys explained. "The p-parents will usually focus their own magic into the SOUL-seed and once it has enough, it'll use that magic to quickly f-form a body around itself."
"That first part's what's going on now. Depending on the monster, it can take a bit of time." Undyne chimed in. "In this case, I think they've been at it for… what, a couple of months?"
"Months?!" Lily was flabbergasted. "It takes that long?"
"W-well, not all at once." Alphys clarified. "Obviously the parents need to take time to eat and sleep in order to give them enough magic to feed the SOUL-seed, but yeah… it can be a pretty time consuming process."
"What we're gonna be seeing is the second part though, and that's usually pretty quick." Undyne said.
"I guess that's why they call it a 'Burgeoning' then." Lily, knowing a bit about the namesake process that plants go through, picked up on it quickly.
"How do they know when it's time?" Frisk asked.
"Well, again. It kind of depends." Undyne answered. "These two are reptilians, so the signs are kind of obvious. It's more complicated for other monsters though."
"Wait, you mean it isn't the same for every monster?" Lily asked.
"Nope." Alphys said. "Depending on the type of monster, it can vary. Like Undyne said, reptilians like me have their SOUL-seeds grow separate from their parents. Fur-folk usually house their own within the SOUL of one of the parents until it's time, and Boss Monsters have an e-entirely different process unique to them. It can get somewhat complicated when it comes to a p-pair of monsters of, umm… different types."
She trailed off, and Lily couldn't help but notice that both she and Undyne were sporting a slight blush, while avoiding each other's gazes. If it wasn't obvious before that those two were totally into each other, this conversation removed all doubt. She kept her mouth shut, not wanting to ruin their moment for a bit of humor and contented herself with a knowing smirk for now. She would most certainly have something to tease Undyne about later on though…
Frisk found himself quite interested in the conversation. It was different from how it worked with humans from what little he knew about that - he wasn't exactly well learned on that particular subject. He knew enough to realize that the stories about storks and vegetable gardens were probably not quite accurate. However, he wasn't entirely clear on how the process actually worked, apart from it involving two adults and a swollen belly. Whoever the person was who'd sent him all of those books, they apparently hadn't seen fit to educate him on that particular subject.
As they spoke, Alphys gradually became a little more comfortable with their company, though her timid nature never vanished entirely. They learned that her lab was in Hotland, only a short distance from where their flight from Undyne had ended in fact. Lily noted with interest that she'd actually seen it briefly through the heat haze of that region.
Alphys' intelligence was practically on par with Sans, perhaps even exceeding his own in some areas. However, though the elder of the two skeleton brothers was more keen on keeping his knowledge to himself, Alphys by contrast spoke freely of her own. Many of the topics flew right over the children's heads but she seemed passionate about them so they gave her the moment.
"So, uhh…" She began after a lull in the conversation. "Do you guys, umm… like anime?"
"Anime?" Lily asked. "Uhh, I think Undyne might have said something like that before. What is it?"
"Oh yeah, I guess you might not know about it with your missing memories…" They'd told her about that part, but the scientist still sounded a little disappointed.
"Some kids on the surface were into that kind of thing." Frisk said. "I listened to a couple of episodes, but not really enough to know what was going on."
"There's this one I really like. It's called, umm… Mew Mew Kissy Cutie?" She began.
"I don't think I've ever heard of that one. Sorry." Frisk replied.
"N-no way! It's so good!" Alphys suddenly perked up considerably. "It's all about this human girl named Mew Mew! She has cat ears… b-but is real sensitive about them because no else in her school does. Shealsohasaspecialpowerthatletshercontrolpeoplebykissingthem and… and…" She stopped suddenly, sensing a number of eyes trained on her by some of the surrounding villagers. "O-oh… s-sorry. I get… kind of, uhh… e-excited. When I talk about anime…"
Lily giggled a little as Alphys seemed to be trying to disappear into her dress. Undyne was right. She was kind of adorable.
"Meh, I prefer Redemption of the Spear Warrior myself." Undyne chimed in. "It's about this awesome spear woman who travels across the land protecting a little kid. The fight scenes are really cool!"
"I'm kinda interested now." Lily admitted. "Maybe we can watch them some time. What do you think, Frisk?"
"It sounds like fun." The boy agreed. "Though, I guess for me it would be more 'listening' than watching."
"Um, I have a question about that…!" Alphys spoke up, seizing the opportunity. "You're blind but… you've talked about seeing stuff with your SOUL?"
"Oh, uhh. Yeah. I mean, I call it 'seeing'." Frisk clarified. "But I'm… actually not really sure what it is."
"Can you tell me more about it?" The scientist asked. "M-maybe I can help figure it out?"
"Hey, that's a good idea. I've been kinda curious about this thing too." Undyne said.
It really was. The children had managed to get some ideas about Frisk's 'SOULsight' simply through using it, but neither of them were exactly learned in the subject. Sans had provided some insight of his own, but it didn't fall within his area of expertise either. So up until now all they really had were theories. An accomplished scientist like Dr. Alphys may be able to provide some real answers. Thus Frisk filled her in on everything they knew about the phenomenon and how it functioned, Lily filling in the gaps as need be.
"I see. Well… it sounds like it isn't really 'sight' in the usual sense." The stout lizard scratched her chin with a claw as she thought. "If it was, you could do it whenever, n-not just while your SOUL's roused. It's more like your SOUL is sensing concentrations of magic and your mind is manifesting those as 'images'... p-probably in an attempt to compensate for lacking the real thing. That would also explain why… why almost everything shows up white for you. That's the color magic usually takes until it's infused with an element."
"I've seen cyan, blue and green magic before." The boy said, starting to catch on. "Is that what you mean by 'elements'"
"Right! Patience, Integrity, and Kindness respectively." Alphys said, sounding proud that he'd picked up on it so quickly.
"And my SOUL…" he continued, looking down at the heart-shaped light hovering before him, its true color displayed prominently before him. "It's red. Is that an element too?"
"Oh, um… yes." Alphys stammered. "T-that one's c-called… uhh."
"Determination?" Lily offered.
"Y-yeah… that's… that's right." The yellow reptilian said quietly.
The children, and even Undyne gave her a concerned look. Frisk couldn't be certain, but for some reason it seemed like the mention of Determination had her really flustered for some reason. Having spent more time with her, the boy was able to recall a few memories of having known the scientist in the past. Even without them, the fact that she'd been part of the photograph with everyone else proved it. However, none of that gave him any clues as to why she was acting this way. An itch in his mind told him that the information was there somewhere, but attempting to reach it only caused his head to hurt.
"Well… what about me, then?" Lily asked, changing the subject while Frisk massaged the ache out of his temples. "He can see me 'normally'. If it has to do with sensing magic, shouldn't I be showing up white or some other color too?"
"W-well, um… yeah, that's a good point." Alphys spoke up, seemingly grateful to not be pursuing that topic further. "Y-you're a special case… I think. It's hard to say because I've never seen anything quite like what you guys do. The idea of 'sharing' a SOUL… it pretty much defies everything we've come to learn about how they work."
"Really?" The girl asked.
"Yeah. SOULS a-are pretty much like fingerprints. They're unique to each person." The scientist explained. "SOULS can be removed from one person and absorbed by another, depending on a few factors, but two independent beings sharing one is… well it just doesn't happen."
"That's cool and confusing, Alphy but what's it got to do with the sight thing?" Undyne spoke up.
"Well it's only a theory, but… if you're attached to Frisk's SOUL that strongly, it's possible that it just 'knows' you inherently and that's why your appearance is so accurate in his mind." Alphys hesitated. "If all of this is true then… it might be possible to expand what you're able to sense."
"Whoa, for real?!" Undyne's single yellow eye widened. She hadn't exactly expected something like this to come out of the conversation.
"You mean… Frisk might be able to actually see?" Lily asked hopefully.
Frisk was silent, completely taken aback by the reptilian doctor's diagnosis. He'd assumed already that the images presented to him were related to magic. He could see monsters, their 'attacks' and his own SOUL. All of these things had a basis in magic, so it wasn't hard to reach that conclusion. However, he'd simply assumed that's where it stopped: he could see things that had a sufficient amount of magic, but that was it. The idea that he might be able to take it further never even occurred to him. That also begged the question, just how far could he take it? Would he be able to see everyone as he did Lily, or get to look at everything in Sans and Papyrus' house or Grilby's. What about the glittering stones within the mountain, or… or the real stars on the surface?
"Well… no. Not in the usual sense… s-sorry." Alphys apologized.
Her words caused the boy to visibly deflate. "Oh…"
"B-but!" She hastily added. "There still might be something you can do. If I'm right, and you're able to sense magic of a certain density, then if you could increase the amount of magic in the things around you, you could theoretically sense them. I-it would take quite a bit of magic, and the area would be limited… but maybe it could be useful?"
"Sans said that I could use magic… Lily too." Frisk said thoughtfully. "He said we were 'sorcerers'."
"That's not all." Lily chimed in. "He also said that I might have learned it before… from a monster."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold on." Undyne spoke up. "How does that work? Of the six SOULs we have, not one of them could use magic like us. Asgore would have mentioned it if they could."
"Right. Which means… you can't be one of the six." Alphys agreed. Frisk and Lily nodded, having figured that much out on their own. "I guess the simplest answer would be that not every monster was sealed away like our kingdom but…"
She hesitated, feeling a little bad for what she intended to ask. Something told her that this was going to delve into pretty sensitive territory and she really didn't want to ruin her relationship with the humans before it even got started. Still, her curiosity had been gnawing at her ever since her discussion with Sans. Everything she'd learned about this mysterious girl pointed to only one conclusion and it was one that both excited and terrified her if it proved true. She couldn't deny that this was the result she'd been hoping for… that the conversation had simply flowed here naturally had been something of a coincidence however. Now that it had though, that same curiosity was stronger than ever. She needed to know.
"What is it?" Frisk prompted.
"Well, err… Lily…" The scientist began awkwardly. "Have you-"
Before she was able to ask the question, activity from the surrounding villagers interrupted the conversation. Distracted, the four of them turned their attention to the throng of people who now seemed to be making their way toward the structure beneath the two pillars. The light hum of voices swelled to an excited pitch as the largely reptilian population moved past where the four of them were sitting. Alphys, her mind caught in an odd mixture of disappointment for having been interrupted and anticipation for what was to come, pushed herself to her feet before smoothing out her dress.
"S-sorry. It'll have to wait." She said, fixing her glasses where they'd gone askew. "It's starting."
The trio of Frisk, Lily, and Undyne watched her go, varying levels of confusion and concern maring their expressions.
"Uhh, okay." Undyne said slowly. "That was weird."
"Didn't you say she's like that a lot?" Lily asked while helping Frisk return to his feet.
They walked somewhat behind the rest of the village, out of earshot of anyone who might be interested in their conversation. They'd been sitting far enough away that the only interest they'd drawn was from Alphys' brief outburst about her favorite show. Now though they had to be a bit more careful. This wasn't Snowdin, and they had no idea what the sentiment for humans was in this town. Undyne had informed them ahead of time that the monsters here weren't really keen on fighting and with the name of the town such as it was, it didn't take a genius to know where their specialties lay. Still, it was better to be safe than to cause an uproar, especially with what they were heading towards.
"Well, yeah but… there's awkward, and then there's… awkward." The redheaded knight said.
"Okay, somehow you both summed it up perfectly, and totally failed at explaining in a single sentence." The girl pointed out.
"Right, uhh… how do I put it?" Undyne thought for a moment. "I've known Alphys for years now, but that was weird even for her. Usually when she meets new people, she'll completely clam up until she's comfortable with them, and then she'll start talking up a storm like she's trying to make up for the silence. This time though… I dunno, she was all over the place."
"She got really nervous a couple of times." Frisk observed. "And she seemed really quick to change the subject. Does she do that a lot?"
"Nope. That's what stuck out to me the most." Undyne said. "When she finds a topic she's interested in, she could stick with it for hours, analyzing everything about it. Hell, she barely even talked about anime. Didn't even mention Mew Mew Kissy Cutie 2. And then there was all that heavy stuff with the SOULs and the magic and all..."
"Undyne, you were working with her when you tried to capture us." Lily said. "You don't think she's trying to go after us now, do you?"
"Hey, don't even joke about that!" Undyne countered defensively. "Alphys wouldn't hurt a fly, let alone a person no matter how she felt about them. Besides, we've talked and she knows what's going on now. I trust her."
"Yeah, but you also thought humans could control people's minds." Lily pointed out.
Undyne opened her mouth to protest again, thought for a moment, and then sighed. "...which I learned from doing research with her… damn it."
"I don't know… she didn't seem like she wanted to hurt us." Frisk said. "Why would she have brought up that stuff about how my SOUL works? Us knowing about that doesn't help her at all. It only helps us."
"Y-yeah!" Undyne swiftly agreed. "That's right!"
"I think…" The boy began. "I think she was trying to figure something out."
"Figure out what, though?" Lily replied.
That was the million gold question, and unfortunately it was one that neither Frisk nor Undyne could provide an answer to. She'd started to ask a question to Lily, shortly before being interrupted by the start of the Burgeoning. Whatever she'd meant to say would have probably gone a long way in figuring out the Royal Scientist's intent but unfortunately, as Alphys had said, it would have to wait.
"I guess we'll have to ask her later." Frisk said.
"Yeah. I'm worried about her, but it can't really be helped right now." Undyne said. "Let's go. We don't want to miss anything."
With their concerns for Alphys still weighing on their minds, the children, together with Undyne, quickened their pace to catch up with the rest of the village. The two great stone columns loomed larger than ever as they moved forward, passing through the various homes and structures shimmering with the glow of the starstones. The village truly lived up to its name, with a number of currently unmanned stalls freely displaying a plethora of crafted works, all of them with the stones that seemingly served as the village's trademark incorporated in various ways.
With the artistic expression shown throughout the village it came as a mild surprise that their destination itself turned out to be rather plain. The building was large - it had to be if it was to comfortably hold an assemblage of the entire town - but that was about the only impressive thing about it. Even then, when compared with the two monoliths that flanked it on either side, even this aspect felt underwhelming. It was a simple dome, smoothed on all sides with a circular hole carved out of the top. The starstone filigree that was so common throughout the rest of the town was absent here, leaving it a muted reddish brown. The only other notable feature was the arched entryway, covered by a simple cloth flap.
"Not very impressive, is it?" Lily commented quietly to avoid potentially offending anyone. After hearing her description, Frisk had to agree.
"That's what I said when I first saw this place..." Undyne nodded. "Alphy says there's some kind of tradition surrounding it, but I didn't really get it when she tried to explain."
They followed the rest of the villagers inside, being some of the last to arrive. The interior of the domed structure was just as nondescript as its outer walls. The outer edges were leveled out into simple tiers that encircled the entirety of the cavernous room, where many of the villagers were currently seated. Frisk, Lily, and Undyne followed their example, taking seats of their own on the edges of the highest tier. The latter two scanned the area, searching for any sign of Alphys amidst the crowd, however, as the only source of light was the shaft streaming in from the opening at the top, the dimness quickly thwarted those efforts.
What was clearly visible however, was the pair of monsters in the center of the chamber. Sand covered the bulk of that area, cushioning the two as they knelt there, eyes closed and hands outstretched, completely unaware of the crowd that had gathered around them. They were reptilian, like most of the populous. One was tall, bearing a lanky physique. The blue membrane covering their body a few shades lighter than Undyne, was contrasted by the yellow frilled collar that extended from the neck. The other was shorter and stockier, bearing yellow-green scales and a head-crest that made them look remarkably similar to Alphys.
Between the two of them sat an orb of brilliant white, resting within the warm sand. That had to be the SOUL seed that Undyne and Alphys had told them about. A soft glow clung to its surface despite casting no light on the surroundings. It was connected to the two monsters via thin streams of colorless magic, like a pair of rivers pooling at a single point. Or at least, that's what it looked like to most of those present.
Frisk saw something a little different. To him, the monochrome display might have been blinding were it not for the problems obviously associated with using such a term. The massive gathering of magic seared itself into whatever sense allowed him to observe this phenomenon. He winced a little, his instincts telling him that it should have been painful only to realize after a few seconds that it wasn't. He watched as the magic slowly drifted from the two parents, wrapping around the radiant orb before slowly seeping inside. Within its brilliance, the boy could just vaguely make out another shape, indistinct but growing steadily clearer, within.
Just as he had about identified what it was, the moment changed. The calm gathering was shaken as the orb began to lift higher into the open air. The silence gave way to a steady hum of amazed voices.
"This is it..." Undyne spoke with an uncharacteristic hush to her voice. With how she'd spoken earlier of the Underground's population issue, this moment seemed to be particularly important to her.
The streams of magic slowly unraveled themselves, returning to their sources, but the radiance of the SOUL-seed only grew more intense. What was once a faintly translucent sphere became a lightless sun pulsing with magic to the point that it looked like it may burst open at any moment. What happened instead, was the exact opposite. The perfect orb began to shrink, folding in toward a single point within it: that very same point that Frisk had vaguely observed mere seconds before. A few more, and he was at last able to identify what it was.
Floating there where the orb once was, sat an embodiment of pure magic and life. The fist sized, heart-like shape was so very similar to Frisk's own. The only differences being their color and orientation. Its point was angled upward, rather than down and while his shone a brilliant carnelian, this SOUL radiated a white purer than any magic or monster he had witnessed.
'It's… like snow." Lily spoke within the boy's mind, reluctant to do so out loud for fear of somehow shattering the mesmerizing thing happening before them.
It wasn't the first time they'd seen a monster's SOUL, though that was a moment better forgotten. It seemed funny, in a bit of a morbid way, that in the two instances that they'd seen one, the first was through a monster's death, while the second was through one's birth. Even still, the way they appeared was quite different. So different that the correlation probably wouldn't have registered were it not for just how opposed the two events were.
The SOUL remained in that state of alabaster radiance for only a second or two before another flare of magic forced the two children to avert their eyes. It was only with effort that they managed to force their attention back to the continuing spectacle. The magic contained within that small shape flowed out from it like a dozen streams of dust. The particles swirled about the SOUL before drawing inward, enclosing it within yet another steadily forming shape. The silvery particles began to coalesce and solidify even as whatever power kept the mass suspended slowly began lowering it to the ground.
A small torso, two arms, a pair of legs, a crested head with a frilled collar, turquoise scales and a tail nearly as long as its body…
The small figure settled within the warm sand between its parents who, in an exhausted manner, crawled the few feet to reach its side. The monster that looked like Alphys, carefully reached forward, drawing the child from the sand and into her arms. Tiny eyes fluttered open, as the newborn looked first into the faces of its parents, and then to the world around it.
A soft coo echoed through the chamber.
"They did it. Good job, you guys." Undyne said quietly with a content smile, before gently clapping a hand over Frisk's shoulder. "Come on. Let's give the new parents some time to recover. We can congratulate 'em after."
Frisk and Lily looked around to the rest of the gathered onlookers who were already rising from their seats and making their way quietly out. It seemed that the time for well wishes from loved ones and guests, or meeting the baby would have to come later. Lily felt a bit chagrined by this, having found the newborn monster absolutely adorable and wanting to meet them as soon as possible. However, both children understood the need to give them all space for a little while and followed Undyne's example.
"I sort of expected more crying." Frisk commented, taking another bite of his Nice Cream. How the salesmonster managed to set up his cart almost anywhere didn't feel all that important right now.
It hadn't taken as long for the parent monsters to recover as Lily and Frisk had expected. The moment they'd emerged from the chamber, they and their newborn daughter - as the children and Undyne had come to learn - had been beset with a village's worth of adulations from all who had witnessed the moment, along with apologies from the few who could not make it. It had been so hectic that there hadn't really been time for any more than a few words of congratulations from the three before they'd had to move on and make way for the others. That seemed to have been enough though, as the parents had expressed their gratitude for the three having traveled all the way from Snowdin to be there.
"Why would there be crying?" Undyne questioned.
"Well… when human babies are born they usually cry a lot." The boy replied. "I don't really know why. Probably a lot of reasons."
Undyne blinked at him a few times. "That sounds… stressful."
"She was so cute though!" Lily gushed for the third time. "I wish we could have stayed and talked more…"
"Yeeeah, but everyone else is probably thinking the same thing." Undyne said, leaning back in her seat. "If we all did that, those two probably wouldn't get away until the kid's first birthday."
"O-oh! There you all are." A voice spoke from somewhere up ahead. "I… was wondering where you went."
The three looked up only to see Alphys approaching them, wiping a bit of sweat from her brow. She looked frazzled but content - at least as content as a yellow scaled ball of nerves could be - like she'd just finished with something and hadn't had any issues. Undyne grinned as she noticed her and waved her over.
"Hey Alphy!" She called. "I could say the same thing. Where were you in there?"
"Yeah, sorry… I was toward the middle. I had to stay close in case anything started going wrong." The scientist explained. "I s-saw you guys come in, but…"
"Damn… wish we could've sat together." Undyne sighed.
Frisk and Lily watched silently as the two monsters chatted. Alphys seemed more composed at this point, which was good, considering how the earlier discussion had ended. Even when her eyes turned from Undyne to acknowledge them, the only nervousness they could see was her usual shyness. They both felt a little hesitant to speak up after their conversation from earlier. Alphys seemed to have something pretty major on her mind when they'd last left off and they weren't entirely sure if it was a good idea to bring it up. Fortunately, Undyne solved that dilemma for them.
"So uhh, what was the deal earlier?" She asked. "You seemed weirder than usual. Not that there's anything wrong with weird but… well, is everything okay?"
"Oh… yeah… that. Sorry..." Alphys apologized, staring down at her feet. "I've never talked to a human before… uhh, obviously. So… I got… sort've nervous."
The humans in question weren't entirely convinced by that explanation. After having spoken with her, they knew that Alphys was the definition of a socially awkward individual. However, even Undyne admitted that the way she acted was outside the norm even for her. The problem came from the fact that they only had Frisk's spotty memories to go on for personal interactions with the Royal Scientist and those were unreliable at best. Therefore, it was impossible for them to get any insight of what was really going on inside her head.
"U-umm… so…" She stammered, the questioning gazes prickling at her somewhat. "I-I'm glad you came. Shevra really appreciated it."
Shevra being the name of Alphys' cousin and the mother of the newborn. Frisk couldn't help but let a little smile break through his expression.
"I'm glad we did, too." He said politely. "It was interesting to see how monster children are born."
"Yeah… Thanks for inviting us." Lily added, a bit of her unease escaping with her words. A few seconds of silence passed between the group before the girl spoke up again. "You… had something you wanted to ask me earlier, right?"
"Oh! Th-that's right!" the lizard woman piped up at the reminder. "It's not anything that important. I-it's just, well… you said you know a little about gardening, right?"
"Oh." Lily felt a little caught off guard by the question. "Is that all? Well… yeah, I know a little bit. It's more like an interest… I haven't done it in a long time."
Honestly, despite her interest in the subject she wasn't really certain how much experience she had. The only memory she currently possessed of actually doing any sort of gardening had been that vision she'd had in Snowdin shortly after she and Frisk had arrived there. It had been vague, and she had a sense that she'd been physically younger than she appeared now. Rather that had been the only time or simply one of many, she couldn't be sure.
"Well… the king… Asgore, that is. He really enjoys gardening too." The scientist explained. "A couple of days ago, he gave me some of the flowers he'd raised as a gift and I wanted to use them to decorate the Lab a little."
"Really? You never told me about that!" Undyne grinned toothily. "You'll have to show them to me next time I come by or something."
"Err, yeah… I will!" Alphys stammered out an answer to Undyne before continuing. "The thing is… I'm not really good at taking care of plants. I meant to ask him for some advice but he's been really busy lately. I-I was wondering if you knew what I should do with them. He said they were called… buttercups, I think."
Lily suddenly froze, feeling her spirit shudder in spite of the warmth within Frisk's SOUL. "B-butter… cups?"
It was so strange… it was such a simple question and yet she found herself… oddly affected by it. Emotions she couldn't identify bubbled beneath the surface of conscious thought. For some reason, the simple mention of that word had triggered something inside her… an aversion that seemed almost instinctive, though she had no idea why. Frisk could sense her unease like an icy chill against his own nose mingling with the scent of that very same flower.
"Lily…?" The boy spoke quietly to his friend. "What's wrong?"
"I…" She stammered, the shock of whatever she was experiencing momentarily stilling her tongue. "N- nothing?"
Undyne studied the girl for a moment, noticing her hesitance. "You asking us or telling us?"
Frisk's head shook as the girl attempted to clear the fog from her mind. "Sorry… I don't know why that happened."
"Oh, umm…" Alphys began awkwardly. "I think I… might have said something I shouldn't?"
"No, it's… it's fine. I think." Lily dismissed, still seeming somewhat confused. "I think… I don't like buttercups."
"Really?" Frisk asked quizzically. "I didn't think there was any flower you didn't like."
"I know… it's weird to me too." The girl said, unconsciously moving one of Frank's hands to his neck and rubbing it gently. "But that's the impression I get."
"I'm sorry…" Alphys hung her head. "I didn't know."
"It's okay… I didn't either until now." Lily replied. "I'm sorry I can't help."
"D- don't worry about it! Just so long as you're okay… heheh." The scientist waved her hands in front of her in a gesture that was quickly becoming common. "Anyways, I should… probably get back to Shevra and check on her. I guess you guys are heading back to Snowdin?"
"Yeah… probably shouldn't leave Papyrus alone for too long." Undyne said.
"It was nice to meet you." Frisk spoke up with a little smile. "Thanks for inviting us."
"O-oh, it's… no problem." Alphys replied diving right back into her own self-consciousness. "I liked talking to you guys…"
"Me too." Lily admitted, chuckling a little before adding. "You're a little weird… but I like weird."
As much as the children had their questions about Alphys, that much was true. They couldn't exactly expect her to trust them with her innermost thoughts after a single meeting, no matter how much Undyne vouched for them. And given her personality, it was even more understandable that she'd keep some things closer to her chest. Even if her invite had simply been a vehicle for a first meeting, they appreciated it all the same. Given time, she would hopefully open up a little more.
The trio bid the Royal Scientist farewell before making their way back through the village toward Waterfall. Undyne had a grin on her face the whole way, clearly glad to have had the opportunity to spend some time with Alphys. It always seemed like she learned something when she was with her. She glanced briefly down at the children walking at her side, a thought crossing her mind.
'"Sorcerers', huh?" She considered, "Wonder what they're made of..."
A heavy guilt weighed upon Alphys' thoughts as her crush guided the two humans back toward the tunnel which would return them to Waterfall. She had expected some kind of reaction. In fact, it's what she'd been hoping for. Still, the idea of deceiving not only them, but also Undyne left a sour feeling in the pit of her stomach. What's more, she felt terrible for having used so underhanded a method as referencing something so horrific in order to achieve the results she sought.
There was a very real possibility that doing so could have brought that trauma to the surface. She hated having to take that risk, especially because she genuinely enjoyed her time getting to know the two humans. Frisk was a kind boy and had been incredibly patient with her despite her obvious shortcomings, while Lily's energy and outspoken behavior was endearing, reminding her much of Undyne. She dearly wanted to get to know them better, to perhaps to include herself in their growing circle of friends and playing with their psyches like this was certainly not the way to reach that goal.
The silver lining was that Alphys had now confirmed her suspicions absolutely. Those video tapes stored in the deepest part of her lab had given her a lot of useful information. Now, there was no longer any doubt in her mind as to the identity of the girl.
She made her own way through the footpaths of Artisan village, ignoring the villagers that passed her by. Her thoughts were consumed by the ramifications of what she'd discovered. Knowledge, it seemed, was a heavy burden no matter where it came from… now she had to figure out what to do with it. First things first though… she had to make a call. Fishing her phone out of the pocket of her dress, the scientist scrolled through her contacts and tapped the name of the intended recipient.
"well, wasn't expectin' to hear from you today, alph." A voice spoke. "how's the kid?"
The Royal Scientist hadn't bothered to raise the phone to her ear. The voice was spoken from behind her. She turned around, and sure enough, there he was standing just a little shorter than herself. Sans' perpetual grin stared back at her, completely shrouding his true emotions. She furrowed a brow at him, unsure if his comment was in reference to the Burgeoning or the conversation following it.
"She's fine." Alphys gave an equally vague response.
"aww, don't be like that." Sans said with a wink. "i came all the way here. least you can do is throw me a bone."
"Y-you know this isn't the time for jokes." Alphys sighed.
"guess not." The stout skeleton shrugged, though he didn't seem all that apologetic. "so? whaddaya got?"
"It's Lily." Alphys responded. "I… I know who she is."
Sans lifted a brow ridge. That she was able to provoke even that reaction from him told her how interested he was. "i'm listening."
"Do you remember that story? Asgore and the queen had two children: their own son... and a human daughter who they adopted into their family." The scientist spoke. She could already see the gears turning within Sans' skull. "Lily… she was that human. S-she's the princess, Sans."
Sans remained silent, considering what his associate had just said. Truthfully, it didn't strike him as all that surprising. He'd reached a similar theory himself, between his interactions with her along with what Alphys had told him the last time they met. Her ability to use magic in a way similar to monsters, how she could communicate with those who couldn't speak the standard way, her insight on the workings of the Underground in general despite her lack of memories. Even her mannerisms spoke to that answer… the fact that she reminded him so much of Toriel should have made it obvious from the start.
Still, having it spelled out like that was a lot to take in, even for him.
"The only thing I don't understand is why…" Alphys continued when it became obvious that Sans wasn't going to say anything. "That h-happened over twelve hundred years ago. Her SOUL was lost after the prince was killed… so her spirit shouldn't even be here. E-even if her regrets were strong enough to keep her here for that long, she would have appeared a long time ago, and probably wouldn't have been as, umm… stable. Instead, she only appears now, attached to a completely different person? The only reason I can think of-"
"...is that something is keeping her here." Sans suddenly spoke up, finishing her thought. "or… was keeping her here."
"T-that's right, but…" Alphys stammered, wondering at the skeleton's thoughtful expression. "...how did you know?"
"just somethin' from the other day." Sans responded, rooting around in his pocket for a moment before drawing out a notepad. "have a look."
Alphys took the notepad and adjusted her glasses before looking at the illustration taking up the page. It was a strange sigil, circular and filled with a number of complex patterns and symbols. It was both intricate and chaotic in its construction, to the point that it was almost dizzying to look at unless she focused on each part individually.
"What is this…?" Alphys muttered, as amazed by the glyph itself as how Sans was seemingly able to replicate it so clearly. "It's magic, clearly… b-but its not monster magic, or what we normally expect from humans. The closest thing I can think of is the Barrier but… but even that's only because its complexity is similar. The composition itself is completely different. What am I e-even looking at, here?"
"that little work of art is burned onto the poor kid's chest, right over where the SOUL should be." The skeleton informed her. "maybe that's your 'why'."
Alphys continued to stare pensively at the illustration, trying to get some insight as to what its purpose could possibly be. Without a reference point though, there was little she could do without translating the characters which would take time and wasn't even guaranteed to yield anything useful. One thing that was clear however was the ominous feeling she got from it. Instinct, rather than intellect told her that whatever it was meant to do couldn't have been good. Either way, it was the best explanation she had for Lily's current situation.
"Should I… ask Asgore?" She inquired. "She was his daughter so he's probably seen it before."
"i wouldn't…" Sans shook his head. "we dunno how he'd react to hearing his daughter's back but she's floating around as a ghost attached to that human who's been running around."
"Then it's still just us…" Alphys sighed. "Alright… I-I'll see what I can find out on my end."
"ditto. guess it ain't break time yet." Sans stretched his arms over his head before taking back his notepad as the scientist turned to leave. "hey, alph…" He called, causing her to stop and look back at him. "nice job."
"D-Don't mention it." Alphys frowned, rubbing her eyes. The burden of all the lies and deceptions she kept having to juggle was clear in her weariness. "Seriously, Sans… don't."
Author's Notes: This was a bit of a different chapter. We've had a few references to them in the past, but this is the first time a chapter has taken place largely in a location unique to this story. Hopefully Twinrocks proved a fitting addition to the Undertale setting. We have some other unique locations in mind, so this is a nice way to see how well the ideas mesh with the canon.
Artisan Village is something of a parallel to Snowdin. The latter is a cold area with a lot of furry monsters while the former is in a warmer location mainly populated by reptilians. Alphys hailing from there works pretty well too. A brilliant mind coupled with the upbringing of a craftsman is a good recipe to produce a genius inventor.
Speaking of Alphys, the kids are meeting her a little 'earlier' than normal. We'll see how this affects things once we officially reach the Hotland arc. Also, the anime that Undyne brought up is a reference to Seirei no Moribito, aka Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit. It seems like the kind of thing she'd like.
Monster births are pretty showy affairs, aren't they? The concept of the Burgeoning stemmed from the idea that monsters are made from magic and strongly attuned to their SOULs. It makes sense that things would work a little different for them. So if anyone had ever wondered where little monsters come from… there you go.
The conversation after the Burgeoning was quite a bit different initially. Originally, Lily was meant to have a much more overt reaction to the buttercup question than she did here. Ultimately, we decided to tone it back, since her having such a violent response might complicate their future interactions with Alphys. Besides, these poor kids have dealt with a lot already and there's still more to come. We can go easy on them now and then…
Also regarding 'Lily'... Alphys knows, and now Sans does too. Things are starting to fall into place now...
This was an interesting one. We got to explore a new part of the underground, got some lore, and even progressed a few plot elements. Hope you guys enjoyed the read, and we'll try to get the next one out soon as we can.
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Anyways, stay safe and stay strong. Do what you gotta do to get through this. We love you guys and we'll see you next chapter.