Me: ...I'm not too sure about how this chapter turned out, honestly. I might have mucked something up somewhere with descriptions, and portrayals may be unsatisfactory due to the direction I'm taking this.
Asriel: Surely it can't be THAT bad, Ben.
Frisk: I thought we were working on the whole confidence thing.
Me: It doesn't hurt to be cautious.
Frisk: No, it doesn't. But these flowers sure are beginning to hurt. They're just growing on me at a slow but noticeable pace...I don't think they mean good things.
Me: *Softly pats Frisk's shoulder* For this arc, the time you shall have will be quite bad. Via flowers on your body.
Frisk: But why...?
Me: We:ll figure it out. Oh, and folks. This is a Fell verse...the language grows slightltly harsher. Just a heads up.
Chapter Start!
{Classic Universe}
Chara was still speaking with Geno about what happened during his rather terrible experience that resulted in the loss of his Geno Frisk. It seriously frustrated the boy that the glitched skeleton was being so secretive about the entire thing. Then again, he was never able to see through his poker face without an intense amount of effort. And even then, the poker face never fails to stay up even if he's on the verge of breaking down. Sans was a terrible manager of his physical attributes, but Chara gives respect to his mental willpower. He just wished that it wasn't so frustrating to get answers from him when he really needed it.
He needed all of the info he could get about the situation. He'd rather not have whatever happened to Geno Frisk happen to either of his brothers. Speaking of brothers...why did he suddenly have a bad feeling?
Chara suddenly stands up, dusting off his poncho. "Thanks for at least telling me something, Geno. It beats having you say absolutely nothing at all. I gotta take off and check on my brothers. Though I do expect more information out of you when I come back to try again."
"are ya really gonna come back, kid? because your question session has left me a bit bone-tired." Geno shrugged. "but yeah. i'm not goin' nowhere."
"So you're free to come back when you need to, Chara. Just...be more sensible about it. Knock on the basement door before bursting in, alright? I do important stuff down here." Geno Alphys said wifh a small wave of her paw. Chara rolled his eyes at her.
"Yeah, I know. I'll leave you all alone now. I have something important to tend to." Chara said. "I hope that you all don't feel awkward that Geno is pretty much the only guy living here?"
"my choices are pretty limited. down here, I'm able to know who's coming before they came to the house. this still beats confronting papy...p..." Geno scratched his skull, chuckling nervously. "anyway, this beats being seen by papyrus. compared to that, living to the girls will be a piece of cake. i just gotta be cautious."
"If you say so, man. No one is going to make you see Papyrus against your wishes." Chara waved as he stepped out of the basement and up the stares. He does yet another wave to Alphys and Undyne, before exiting out of their house and closing the door behind him.
Chara took out his phone and called Frisk.
Ringing...
...
But nobody answered.
Chara blinked as he stared at the phone in confusion. Frisk isn't answering...? That was admittedly a bit worrying. But it didn't mean that he was in trouble. He decided to try again, this time with Asriel.
Ringing...
...
But Nobody Answered.
"Okay...that's certainly not unsettling." Chara muttered sarcastically, though his soul was emitting the opposite emotion. No feedback from Frisk or Asriel? And he couldn't expect Red to anseer, she doesn't have a phone. At least not yet. Now he was growing concerned. "Why aren't they answering? All they did was go to Sans and Papyrus's house, it shouldn't take so long to have a simple debriefing about what they saw." It took him a couple moments to process the thoughts he just had, and he sighed. "Of course. They go to Sans' house and now I have no contact with them. The house of Sans the skeleton full of stupid puns and massive secrets regarding the concepts of time-space. Sans, the Stupid Smiley Trashbag who-"
"Are you going to be a while, Chara Dearie?"
"H-Huh?!" Chara jumped as he turned and saw Muffet standing behind him, watching her as a sly amused giggle left her lips. "M-Muffet?!"
"Oh, don't mind me, Chara-Dearie. I find your monologue to be quite intriguing. Please, do continue." She was being playful as always. Luckily she actually managed to at least bring his mood up at least a little bit. Muffet was able to see the troubled look in his eyes, and she stopped her teasing. She placed her upper two arms on his shoulders as her expression shifted to one of concern. "Is everything alright?"
Chara rubbed his neck. "It's my brothers. They seem to have gone missing, or something. I called them on their cells, I didn't get an answer from either of them. I find this very troubling."
"Oh Dear. And what of Red? Surely she could find them?"
"Not likely. Wherever they went, she's gone with them. So that way of tracking is out the door." He narrowed his eyes. "And I may not be as good as sensor as those two, but I still know things. And now that I've taken a moment to try and sense for their magic...I can't pinpoint them in the neighborhood."
"Nuuuu! Your brothers and my Ribbon Buddy have disappeared?!" She gasped. "Did you tell your parents?"
"Hahahaha...no. Toriel is gonna freak out if she finds out too soon that they're missing." Chara shook his head.
"Haaa...I do not know, Chara Dearie. A Mother's Intuition is a pretty powerful thing. But if you wish to keep this quiet...I won't stop you." Muffet lightly talked her lip for a couple moments, trying to think. "...Do you have anything that they've held before they vanished?"
"Oh, scent? Well if you need a scent from either of them, just use me. Those two annoying buggers are always cuddling the heck out of me."
"I doubt I'll be able to get a clear one from you alone. You smell like chocolate more than anything else."
"Then you should probably stop making your chocolate-styled pastries so delicious."
"Ahuhuhu! Oh Chara~" Muffet giggled. "Okay, enough of that. Serious Muffet, engaged!" Muffet suddenly clenched all of her hands and puffed her cheeks, and her eyes squinted. Chara snorted at how ridiculous she looked...and he blushed a bit brightly because she somehow made it look adorable, simultaneously.
"...er...no need for that. Keep doing what you usually do."
"Okay~" Muffet smiled as she resumed her former posture. "So the last place they went to was Sans' House? Then we shall look there."
"I guess. If anything, it'll at least provide us a clue, or anything useful really."
The two nodded to one another as they made their way to Sans and Papyrus's house, intending to find some trace of Chara's brothers. As they were making there way over, Chara stopped them both. "Wait a moment...I'm sensing some residue energy somewhere...and...it feels very familiar." That type of energy was from...his eyes widened at first, then they narrowed dangerously as he remembered a certain secret that Sans kept hidden. A secret Asriel wasn't aware of and Frisk can only barely remember...but Chara knows enough.
Oh...oh hell no. HELL no! Sans, what did you just allow to happen?!
Chara suddenly dashed forth, rushing to the back of the house. Muffet gasped slightly and followed him. The rose-cheeked boy stopped short as he saw Sans standing in the entrance of his shed. Chara walked up to him and turned him around so he could face him. His eye sockets were dark and his grin gave the impression that he was utterly terrified of something, and he was sweating profusely. He looked inside the she'd to see the machine, then back to Sans as he let him go.
"Sans! What the hell happened?!"
"i...i don't know. one minue i'm napping on my couchthe next moment, i feel quantum energy flaring outside. and the next thing i knew, i saw my shed was open and the machine has been used." He sighed. "it wasn't ready yet...they could be anywhere."
Chara sighed as he pinched his nose. "Ooooohhhh...oh my god. You are so lucky that I've bcome a better person..." He looked at Muffet, who was looking confused, and was providing a supportive wave with all of her hands.
Though secretly, a spider hitched on her shoulder, and she whispering his thoughts to her. She giggled. I know! This IS pretty interesting! Though the communication was lost on Chara and Sans.
The former shook his head. "Can you figure out where they ended up?"
"...well, i can certainly try. but it'll take a while before i find something concrete." Sans sighed. "but until i do...not a single breath of this to tori, ya got me?"
"Got it."
Muffet tilted her head. "Pardon me...but what could have the two of you so terrified of Toriel finding out about this before you find them?"
SAAAAAAAAANS! YOUR BLASTED CONTRAPTION TRANSPORTED MY YOUNGER CHIDLREN SOMEWHERE ACROSS SPACE-TIME?! AND CHARA, HOW COULD YOU ALLOW YOUR BROTHERS TO END UP THERE?!
Sans began sweating more bullets as his eye sockets remained dark. Chara shivered while hugging his shoulders.
The terrifying sight of Omega Flowey is completely outclassed in the fear-inducing category by the anger of a furious Goat Mom.
"...So...we don't breathe a word of this to Mom, until AFTER we've found them...right?" He could possibly find an excuse for their absence, but sooner or later she'll find out. And he prefers it be later.
"ohhhhh yeah. i don't wanna become ghost rider. i admit he's pretty badass, but i'm cool just being sans. and unlike him, my skull catching fire will actually hurt."
"And also...are you going to tell me why do you still have this machine here?"
Sans shook his head. "if i'm gonna spill the beans on this, i'll need everyone in attendence for it. until i can pinpoint asriel, frisk, and red, and they make it back safely...confessing time is gonna have to wait."
Chara turned to Muffet. She smiled as her top left hand made a 'My Lips are Sealed' gesture. He smiled back at her, then turned to help Sans with the machine.
Give him time...Muffet thought to herself. Let HIM tell YOU the whole story, Muffet. Not the other way around...
{Flowerfell Universe}
"I do believe we've packed everything we need, children?" Toriel said with renewed vigor and cheer in her voice.
"Definitely, Mom! We're just about ready to take off." Asriel smiled as he adjusted his jacket to better fit around his shoulders. Frisk nodded happily, blissfully unaware that a couple more flowers grew on his leg, and he puts a bookbag on, which had some of the pie Toriel prepared before wrapped him tightly. Red gently dusted off any leftover soot on her skirt and cloak, berfore nodding in agreement. Flowey was still resting in her pink hair, looking more and more nervous by the moment.
"I can't believe we're actually doing this."
"Better believe it, Flower Boy." Red said as she adjusted her hair a little so he could be a bit more comfortable. "There. Easy camouflage. Just hide in my hair and you'll be somewhat safe. Easy decoration disguise." Red pushed her hair a bit more as she turned to Asriel, who was looking at her a bit blankly. "What?"
Asriel smiled sheepishly. "A flower in your hair...it kinda makes your hair prettier." Red blinked owlishly at his observation. Then she turned away and placed her cowl over her head, a faint blush spreading over her face. Flowey could see this for himself, and looked between the two with surprise.
Wait...WHAAAAAAT?!
Toriel didn't say a word, but she was definitely reacting to the interaction with a soft smile. She still didn't understand what was going on, but she understood enough that a cute moment was shared between the two. Also, she had a feeling that this Asriel would only be with her for a limited time, so she had to savor the moments while they lasted.
"Alright, children. We'll be heading out soon." Toriel said as she grabbed a nearby black cowl for herself and pulled it over her head, a majority of her face being hidden. "It is vastly important that we stay together. Frisk is human, the monsters will want his soul, as it is the last one needed in order to break the Barrier. It is absolutely imperative that we protect him from those that mean him harm."
"Got it!" Red saluted.
"You don't have to worry about that." Asriel said as he gently patted Frisk's hair. He's been growing more buttercups on his body at a very slow but very noticeable rate. The thought of what exactly those flowers were doing to Frisk worried him, because there was no way that they were a good sign. But there wasn't a high chance he could do anything about it because the cause of it hasn't been made certain. If he couldn't find the cause, he couldn't do much but watch. The thought troubled him, but Frisk tried to assure him that he was fine. He really hoped that this was the case.
Toriel took a deep breath. "Okay, we are all prepared to brave the outside of the Ruins. I'm ready...oh dear it's been so long. I don't know how we intend to get through the entire Underground on our own. There are just so many monsters that will want to hurt me and my children. Me, I understand. My children..." She narrows her eyes as her fists caught on fire.
I must protect the children at all costs. Anyone who tries to get in the way of that, will surely suffer. I'll maim them in horrid, despicable ways. They'll be incinerated by the firey inferno of my maternal rage! I'll scatter their useless and pathetic dust across the kingdom and-
"Mom?"
"Yes Sweetie?" She immediately cut off her violent thoughts and turned to Asriel with a very warm and bright smile, her paws gently clasped. "Oh, my apologies. We were supposed to be leaving by now. It's just that...I'm admittedly a bit nervous, because the outside is so dangerous."
"You've seen us in action, Toriel. I think you can relax a little bit by knowing that we can take care of ourselves." Red said with a confident huff. "There's nothing rhe Underground can throw at us that we can't handle!"
"Ha...well...if you say so." She shook her head. "Alright children. No more stalling." She took a deep breath as she placed a paw on the door. "I'm truly ready now." She gently pushes the door open, as the cold breeze of Snowdin began sweeping inside. Undeterred, she pushes it all the way open and gestured for the children to pass through the door before her. After Frisk safely passes through, she closes the door behind her, and picks him up by the sides with no effort. "I won't be taking too many chances, so you're not leaving my sight."
Frisk had no problems with being carried, he snuggled comfortably in her hold. "Okay Mom~"
Toriel giggled. "You're such an adorable child." She squealed while kissing his forehead. She pulled back and frowned a bit in worry as she caressed his cheek, which was covered by a few flowers. "However, these flowers are worrying me..." She then glared at Flowey, who tucked himself deeper in Red's hair fearfully.
"W-What are you looking at me for!? I didn't do that!"
"For your sake, those words best be true."
"Oh boy, this is gonna be quite a long trek, ain't it?" Red sighed. Frisk and Asriel could only shrug as they were getting closer to the bridge ahead.
...the large, tough-looking branch they passed over suddenly snapped into pieces.
Toriel immediately tucked Frisk in one arm, and swung her other arm out as three flaming spears struck the stick and turning it to ashes, as well as melting some of the snow. The presence was very close by, she could sense it. Thus, she allowed her paw to stay flaming, as she know looked around for their pursuer.
"I know you're out there! Show yourself, swine!"
Her demand was met with silence at first, but she refused to lower her guard.
"...welp...this is certainly different." Frisk could hear the voice up ahead, sounding genuinely surprised, yet amused at the same time The group hears crunches in the snow, indicating footsteps moving towards them. "the old hag from behind the door has finally decided to step out of her personal hell hole and take in the outdoors. heh."
Asriel could see the owner of the voice come out of the shadows. And it's exactly who he expected/didn't expect.
Sans...
Just like with Toriel, Sans was drastically different. Both in looks, and the magic emanating around him being significantly darker and more ominous than the Sans they were used to. Given that his jacket was pitch black, the fur on it was spiky instead of smooth, he wore a red shirt as well as red sneakers, black basketball shorts with yellow lines instead of white, a black scarf with thin red stripes, and a yellow necklace that looked a lot like a Save Point. That struck Frisk as slightly intriguing more than surprising. Because this Sans must have his reasons for having it look like that, but he can't tell over the veil of darkness he had around him.
That veil, however...feels surprisingly thin. I wonder...
Toriel looked at him cautious, then lowered her flame as she allowed his voice to echo through her head for a minute. "I recognize that voice...you're that young ruffian that keeps coming by the Ruins door!"
"and you're the old hag that's been answerin' me, and also the one who sent over those six human souls without leavin' the joint." Sans shrugged. "i gotta be honest. i didn't think you'd ever muster up the guts to walk outta there. you must have been scared of somethin' if you needed someone else ta send your 'gifts'."
"I've been...persuaded to give the outside world another chance. I've been secluded long enough. My cowering days have officially Toriel said after relaxing her guard, but not entirely. "So...?" She didn't want to admit that she sort of forgot his name. He didn't seem bothered by it though.
"name's sans. sans the skeleton."
"Obviously. So...Sans the Skeleton. We finally meet in person."
"yep. luckily our face-to-face meeting didn't start with me gettin' torched."
Toriel nodded. "It's also fortunate that you were able to dodge it the way you did."
Sans shrugged. "that sorta agility is pretty handy when you constantly have to watch your own back." He cocked his head to the side, catching sight of Frisk in Toriel's arms. A wave of emotions passed by him internally. Feelings of grief, rage, confusion, and happiness all at once. He didn't completely understand it, so he pushed it away for the time being. "ey...that wouldn't happen to be the seventh human...would it?"
"Indeed. My seventh human." Toriel said sternly as she hugged Frisk closer.
Sans sighed as he scratched his skull. "your human...? didn't you...oh boy. it's gonna be like that, huh?" He shook his head. "of course when it comes to the lucky number seven, something like this happens. "ya had no problem killin' those other kids, what's so special about this one?"
Toriel smiled, kissing Frisk's cheek. "It is as you said. Lucky number seven. Hmhm~"
Sans cocked his head to the side. "...ya do realize that the whole rest of the underground isn't gonna care that you're keeping him or not, right? once they catch sight of him...they'll kill him."
"They'll try." Toriel's voice lowered to dangerous levels. "Anyone who tries to take this child from me...will BURN." A feral, savage growl escaped her lips at the last word, followed ring of fire appeared around her feet and lightly levitated the bottom of her dress upward to prove her point.
"huh. so you're not bluffin'?"
"Do I look like I'm bluffing, you imbecile?" She narrowed her eyes at him, her eyes burning with anger. "Unless you would like to try and take my child from me." The skeleton raised his hands and backed up a bit.
"hey. i'm just stating the facts. never said i was gonna try and capture him. i could...but that would require more effort. effort and i don't get along well." Sans shrugged. He then turned his head towards Red and Flowey, the latter resting in her hair. The latter made him tilt his head and reach for the flower. Red immediately smacks it away. "ack! stupid dog!"
"Hands off! The flower is with us. Plus...don't touch my hair." Red said with a huff. Flowey seemed horrified/impressed with Red's lack of fear of the skeleton. If anything, she looked more irritated by him than anything else. The scent she smelled from this Sans was foul and twisted in a way she incredibly disliked. She didn't like this Sans much at all.
"woah. this girlie is a bit of a fighter, isn't she?" Sans leaned in and tauntingly flicked at her hair. "seems like ya don't know your place, pinky."
"Pinky...PINKY?! Why I have a good mind to...!" Red growled, flashing her fangs. Sans smirked, flashing his gold tooth as he spread his arms in a challenging manner.
"Red, don't." Asriel shook his head, placing a paw on her shoulder to keep her from rushing him."The last thing we need is a ruckus to bring more monsters to us. Let's not take that kind of risk when we can take the easier path. That path has the least amount of violence, I would prefer we take that one, as much as we can, anyway."
"Grrrrr..." Red growled angrily. Though she relented, stepping back but still glaring at Sans, who looked to be frowning in disappointment.
"damn. was lookin' forward to a little scrap..."
Toriel smiled. "Sans. What did one casket say to the sick casket?"
Sans blinked. "uhh..."
"Is that you coughin'?"
"ha! that was lame, lady!" Sans and Toriel snickered, while Asriel and Frisk were a bit confused. "alright alright...what's black, crisp, smoking, and stuck to the ceiling?"
"Ummm..."
"a pretty cruddy electrician."
"Hehe!" The two of them chuckled a bit, Toriel snorting slightly, as they both held their sides. A bit difficult for the latter because she still had Frisk in her arm. Asriel and Red sweatdropped. The latter scratched her head nervously.
That type of humour is pretty morbid...
Sans wiped a bit of tears away from his eye-socket as the last of their laughter died down. Though their moment of relief wouldn't last long.
"SANS!"
The skeleton groaned, facepalming. "and i just started feeling better, too..."
"What is it? Is that your troublesome younger brother you've murmured to me about countless times?" Toriel asked.
"yep. he's the one. and lemme tell ya this. that kid." He pointed at Frisk. "really shouldn't be seen by him. out of all the monsters sniffin' around for the final human soup, he's one of the most persistent. one of the most determined. now normally, i really wouldn't give a shit about the human, and just cart him off to pap just to get him off my back. but!" He said quickly when he saw Toriel's gaze filled with fire. "but...since you three brats...and parasite..." Flowey hissed dangerously at him. He was ignored. "are under the old hag's care...and i actually really respect her...i'll cut ya a break and help ya out."
"Why do you respect her?" Asriel asked.
"she's the only one who's never dissed my jokes once, and we didn't even meet face-to-face until now." He shrugged. "anyway, my bros comin', and he can't see the kid. go hide behind the trees or somethin'. while he's still short, that conveniently-shaped lamp won't cut it."
Frisk never thought he'd see the day that the conveniently shaped lamp be regarded as useless. It's been so convenient up to now! Nonetheless, Toriel hugged him closer to her and ran behind a tree that was suitable enough to hide her. Asriel and Red did the same, hiding behind other trees while Flowey his himself back in Red's hair.
Sans sighed as he turned around to meet his brother, who was just now coming into view. Frisk took a couple seconds into get a good look at him through his visible eye.
It wasn't surprising to see that Papyrus also looked different.
Papyrus had a jagged scar running down his right eye, sharp teeth, and red eyes. His battle body consists of a faded red and black color scheme, with broad, spiked shoulder armor, red gloves, heeled boots, and black, tight pants. His red scarf is the highlight of his armor, obviously. And just like their Papyrus, it also served as a very impressive cape. He looked like a true soldier. What through Asriel and Frisk for a loop was that even this Papyrus's magic felt dark and sinister...possibly the darkest so far.
"SANS! YOU WORTHLESS GOOD-FOR-NOTHING BROTHER!"
Sans turned and stared up at his younger sibling with a bored look on his face. "sup, boss?"
"YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT IS UP! I COME BY FROM PATROL, AND I SEE THAT NONE OF YOUR TRAPS HAVE BEEN RECALIBRATED!"
"yeah...didn't feel like it."
"...WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DIDN'T FEEL LIKE IT?!"
"boss. those traps are meant for humans. a human hasn't fallen down here in years. what makes ys think one will fall today?" No matter the timeline, Sans was a skilled lier. But whether or not Sans is proud of this skill, that would be the major difference. "why manage traps for something that's never gonna come? big waste of time, if ya ask me."
"BUT I DIDN'T ASK YOU!"
"fair point. though now you know why i don't feel like doing any recalibrating." Sans picked at a couple of his teeth with a finger, even as Papyrus was fuming at him.
"YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY IMPOSSIBLE! THOUGH I SHOULDN'T BE SURPRISED, GIVEN YOU'RE A LAZY PILE OF TRASH!"
Sans yawned. "got anythin' original, boss?"
Papyrus got into Sans' face, scowling. "DO NOT TEST ME, SANS. I AM NOT IN THE MOOD FOR YOUR INSUBORDINATION TODAY."
"really? well that's just too damn bad, ain't it?" Sans scowled back, both of his eyes glowing blood red. "i'll recalibrate my traps when i'm good and ready. so piss off."
They both stared each other down. Sans' eyes glowed and Papyrus simply glared at him harshly. The latter broke the eye contact and turned his back on his brother. "WHATEVER. I DON'T CARE. I'D RATHER NOT WASTE MY TIME AMSUING YOUR FOOLISHNESS. JUST DON'T DO ANYTHING STUPID THAT WILL TARNISH OUR REPUTATION. THE CONSEQUENCES WILL BE SEVERE." With those words of warning, Papyrus went forward, leaving his brother behind. Sans simply huffed.
"'the consequences will be severe.' pfft. asshole..." He then turned back towards the trees. "you can come out now."
Toriel sneaked out first, then Red and Flowey, then finally Asriel and Frisk. The latter was in complete disbelief at what just transpired. Asriel seemed shaken up by the ordeal. Toriel simply nodded in acknowledgement, and Flowey was simply hiding in Red's hair.
"I see. So that was your brother Papyrus. You and he definitely seem to be at odds with one another." Toriel noted.
"gee, what gave ya that idea?" Sans muttered. "he's my little brother, and we used to be tight. but a couple years after he became second-in-command of the royal guard, he thinks he's all that. thinks he's a big-shot. and he thinks it'll be best if he keeps me in line." Sans snarled. "at first, i just took it without resisting much. but recently it's beginnin' to piss me off, and i do my best to let him know this."
"And yet, he ceases to heed those signals."
"he just keeps tryin' harder. so i started tryin' less. figured it be suitable daily payback." He shook his head. "what am i doin'...my personal life isn't important right now. we gotta get that human kid outta here."
Toriel blinked. "I thought you weren't one for effort?"
"i'm not. but like i said, this is the first time i'm seein' your face and i appreciated you before that. you're the only other monster besides grillby who actually sticks around and patiently listens to me bitch about my day and not make fun of me for it. i figured that i might as well return the favor by helpin' ya out."
Flowey blinked owlishly at what was transpiring before him. He just couldn't believe it. Sans was helping them.Voluntarily. What's gotten into him? Sure he's still rude and slightly hostile...but why is it so toned down? What else changed? Does it have something to do with Frisk...?
Sans turned around. "brace yourselves."
With a red flash of light, the group vanished from Snowdin Forest.
(Snowdin Town)
They flashed into Sans and Papyrus's house a moment later. Toriel meeped as she gently sets Frisk down and slaps Sans upside his skull, making him yelp in pain.
"That was far too vague a warning for teleportation!"
"i DID say brace yourselves! sheesh." He tucked his hands in his pockets. "anyway, we gotta think about how we're gonna get this kid past the royal guard."
"Well obviously reason won't do. Monsters have been waiting years for another human soul to show itself. They won't simply let Frisk go." Flowey said.
"We could try sneaking him past them." Asriel suggested. Of course he had the energy for teleportation, but he wanted to save as much as he could incase of a worst-case scenario, which is highly likely in a world such as this one. Plus, he didn't want to simply leave the monsters like this. Everyone's magical presence was significantly darker. He refused to accept it as pure evil taking over. But he also wasn't willing to put Frisk in danger to try and prove it.
"maybe. because i don't have the magic reserves to be constantly teleporting him to different sections of the underground without rest."
"And I doubt they'll pay heed to the words of a banished Queen. This might be more difficult than we anticipated." Toriel sighed. "Nevertheless, we shall find a way."
Sans sighed. "this is gonna be tough. and it's gonna take a lotta work. and i hate work." He rose and shook his head. "screw it. we don't have to constantly hide. because sooner or later, they're gonna find the kid and try to kill him."
"Like I said before, anyone who tries, BURNS."
Red sighed as she crossed her arms and shook her head. "This is going to be much harder than we thought..." Red stood up and turned to Asriel. "We don't have to get moving right now. We can stay here and rest. We didn't really rest much since our 'trip' here and our fight with Toriel. It'd be best if we let our reserves build back up instead of pushing ourselves too hard. Might as well save our food."
Asriel thought about the idea for a bit, thinking about all the risks. Then they remember that this was an entirely different timeline. All they were doing was taking risks. So there was no use in overthinking these things. It'd be best if they just take a short rest and further think about how to progress the next day. With a sigh, he rubbed his neck.
"I guess it won't hurt to take a breather. We've been through so much in such little time...we should slow down a bit."
Toriel nodded. "Then it is settled. I suppose we shall have to reside in this...ugh...until we are well rested and prepared."
"ugh...this ain't a hotel..." Sans groaned. "alright, fine. the brats can hide in my room. papyrus never bothers tryin' to go in there. he thinks it's below him to step into a room that's less magnificent than my own, or some crap like that." Sans looked towards Toriel. "what about you?"
"I shall not leave the children alone. I shall rest with them."
"fine. as long as ya stay quiet and stay outta sight, no one's gonna barge down the door."
"Very well. Come along, children." Toriel asked as she held Asriel's paw and Frisk's hand, walking up the stairs with them. Another buttercup slowly grows on his arm...
...Sans took notice immediately. His eyes glow blood crimson with silent fury at the sight if the flowers. But he chose not to say a word for the moment, allowing his guests to sleep while his brother was out. The Sans of this timeline was even lazier than his classic counterpart.
...but that didn't mean he was ignorant.
(Hotlands)
"Oh what the hell! What kind of an ending is that?!" Alphys slammed her fists on her desk, staring highly offended at her smaller computer, which is still quite large. "You can't just kill off the main character out of the blue like that! You didn't even make the death meaningful! Who even writes this shit?! Ugh!"
This version of Alphys had a more sadistic vibe to her, as well as a 'Mad Scientist' wore spiral shaped glasses, a red and black striped sweater under her white tattered lab coat, and a black skirt. She was clearly aggravated by her latest anime binge, sincd it resulted in tradegy that was almost entirely unnecessary. If there was to be death, the least they can do is make it worth something if it's the main character, right at the end.
Tasteless.
"Dammit...time for the next wave..." Alphys switched screens, before she looked up towards the larger monitors and saw something that really caught her attention. She zoomed in on the camera near the end of the Ruins, and was shocked to see Toriel step out of it first, with a human jn her arms. She narrowed her eyes behind her glasses. "The Banished Queen...she has some nerve showing her face outside the Ruins...and with the last human we need. Not to mention she brought some cloaked dog. But she can't possibly be in the Royal Guard, Undyne would have seen her. Not to mention Asriel...Asriel...?" Alphys zooms a bit more to make sure she wasn't seeing things. But Asriel was clearly there, alive and well. She didn't know what to think of this. But one thing is for sure, she definitely had a well-thought out, dignified, and intellectual initial response to this shocking sight.
What the fuck?!
Not only did Queen Toriel defy her banishment, she brought a human child with her, alive, Asriel is somehow also alive and not a flower. And as she continues to watch the video feed, she sees Sans making jokes with the former Queen and teleporting the group to his house. She processed all of this, then rewound it a bit in order to stop at a specific time frame. Taking a moment to memorize the scene before her, she picked up her phone immediately.
Ringing...
"Undyne."
"Alphys? Babe, I haven't heard from you in a while! What's goin' on?"
"You're always rambling on about how you've gotten bored recently. Well, prepare for that period of time to end." Alphys said in a professional manner as she began pacing in front of her monitor. "From what I can see, Queen Toriel has decided to ignore the fact that she's been banished. On top of that, Sans has decided to take treacherous actions that would leave his brother very unhappy."
"Sans? A traitor? Heh, I thought he'd be too smart or too lazy to attempt something so stupid. Either he's gone nuts, or this must be really important to him if he's willing to risk pissing his brother off. So...how do you want me to deal with it?"
"Toriel has three children with her. Some canine I can't identify, someone that looks like the deceased Prince Asriel, and a human adolescent covered in buttercups. And they seem to be continuously sprouting on it's body...that's definitely not normal."
"The banished Queen, some new mutt, someone impersonating the deceased Prince, and a human?! This IS sounding like a pretty interesting day!" Alphys could literally feel Undyne grinning fin-to-fin. "So how do you wanna spoil Sans' little secret?"
Alphys grinned. "Papyrus can figure it out on his own. Let him discipline his own brother. And as for Queen Toriel...I do believe King Asgore can figure something out for her. Once those personal issues are out of the way, they can focus on the primary objective."
"Freeing ourselves from this shithole."
"Exactly. This might be our big chance, Undyne. We'll seize it before it slips away completely."
"Yeah. And once we're done with that...I'll look forward to 'seizing' YOU. Fuhuhuhu..."
A bright crimson blush spread across her face and she repressed a shudder at Undyne's signature laugh sounding more predatory than usual. Oh how she missed her, and vice-versa. But heavy amounts of work on both sides have kept them apart, which is yet another reason why she's hoping this was their chance. They would have much more time together once their jobs were done. And she would make sure they were accomplished, no matter the cost.
"...Anyway, if that's all for now, I'll be waiting for Papyrus to do his job. The bonehead is too prideful to let me interfere no matter what cause it's for. If he succeeds, that's less work for me. If he fails...more fun for me. Fuhuhuhu! Later!"
"Indeed. Goodbye."
Click...
Alphys set her phone down as she stared back at the screen in deep thought. Her eyes were locked on Sans' image. She folded her arms, genuinely curious as to why Sans would take such a dangerous course of actions. He knows the severe consequences, yet it appears he could care less about them now. What she knew was that Sans NEVER helps anyone else out of the goodness of his heart. There was always an ulterior motive. Whether the person he's helping owes him, or he stabs them in the back later. She was sure that Sans the Skeleton was not one who helps other monsters, especially without getting something in return. But he has nothing to gain from this treachery, except Papyrus's rage.
So...why? Why betray everyone? A change this significant can't happen overnight.
Is there something you're keeping from everyone, Sans?
Me: Is it bad for me to think that I find Fell!Toriel to be just as adorable as Classic Toriel due to how much less restraint she uses snd the violence she's willing to go when it comes to her children? And I also like to think that she's possibly the only monster, besides maybe Grillby, who has Fell!Sans genuine respect without the need for force. The fact that they've never met face-to-face matters little to him at this point.
Asriel: I personally don't think there's anything wrong with it. Seeing a different version of Mom sent me for a loop, but I might be adjusting to her. Sans and Papyrus, however...they definitely caught me off guard. And those flowers are still growing on Frisk. *concern* Why is this happening...?
Fell!Sans: i might know why. and the weed doesn't fully remember yet. but let's not get to that until later.
Fell!Toriel: Later better become soon. I must know if Frisk will be alright!
Me: Frisk WILL be alright...maybe. Probably. Who knows? The next chapter does. Stick around for it~
