Chapter 3: Hope In Us
The royal children could tell something was really wrong as they noticed everyone seemed tense and sad. "Aunt Rebecca's really stressed out," said Frisk softly.
Chara agreed with her brother. "I think she had a bad night last night," she said.
Rebecca had gone to the castle with River Person, Asgore, and Toriel, the goat woman's motherly nature helping to calm the girl down and the dark-haired mage explained the girl was a best friend, the very one that was trying to help her to gain enough support for when the barrier broke.
Toriel had broken down in tears, hugging Hannah and telling her they'd protect her. None of them knew the children had overheard everything and were now talking amonst themselves.
"Maybe there's a way we can help Aunt Rebecca," Julie said.
"Well, Dad did tell us that the seven traits can break the barrier," Carmen said. "And Esther has all seven traits."
"But she's scared of using them and I can't blame her," Asriel said.
"But what if we could help Aunt Rebecca break the barrier?" David said. "Esther wouldn't have to do it. We could do it."
"I don't think Mom and Dad would agree and Aunt Rebecca wouldn't agree either," Nathan said.
"But what if there's no other way?" Sarah asked softly.
Thomas had been quiet but now he looked up. "Let's go talk to Aunt Rebecca," he said. "Maybe if she sees that we are ready to help out, she'll agree."
"Well, we can certainly try," Frisk said.
Nodding, the children headed to the garden where Rebecca was sitting among the golden flowers as the insistence of Asgore. "Just sit and let you mind clear," he suggested. "You'll feel better."
She decided it couldn't hurt and so sat down cross-legged and closed her eyes, letting the aroma of the flowers come to her and she felt a bit better, though her nightmare and the fact that it was a vision and that Hannah's father had died still stuck with her. Hannah's father had been the one to lead the others, but now, someone else would have to lead them.
But how could a leader be picked properly when the good mages were scrambling to make sure the monster the evil mages released was kept at bay and were trying to help the villages around the mountain to be ready for another attack, each town hosting a few mages. Hannah would naturally rise to take her father's place, but she had been badly injured in the battle, and was thus stuck in the Underground until she recovered.
Sighing, Rebecca opened her eyes, tears running down her face as she remembered when her own teachers had died. Though it had been a while, the pain never went away. She then heard something and turned to see her nieces and nephews coming towards her, looking at her worriedly. Even Hope and Ida were with them, being carried by Carmen, which told the mage that Papyrus must have arrived too. "Hello, little ones," she said with a tired smile.
"Aunty, are you okay?" Chara asked.
"Mostly, yes," the mage replied. "I'm just worried."
"That the plan won't work?" Sarah asked curiously.
"Yes," Rebecca said. "With your aunt Hannah's father passing, our advantage has been cut rather deeply."
"Aunt Hannah?"
"The girl River Person was carrying," the mage replied. "She's a mage like me and believes that monsters and humans can coexist together, but the evil mages have created a monster that is causing a lot of damage."
"Why?" Julie asked.
"Are they trying to stop the barrier from breaking?" Carmen asked.
"I wish that was the case, Carmen," Rebecca said. "They're trying to gain support from the villages around the mountain so that the townspeople will turn on the mountain, break the barrier, storm in, and restart the human-monster war once again."
David looked afraid. "Which would mean...," he trailed off.
"Mom and Dad and everyone...," Thomas began, but faltered.
"Would have to fight for their lives or...become dust," Frisk said, recalling what her parents had told her about monsters dying.
The dark-haired mage nodded. "Yes," she said. "If my vision is indeed correct...very few of us, if any, will survive if this monster comes and the evil mages do break down the barrier and ambush us."
"Is there a way we can enforce the barrier to not break?" Thomas asked.
"Your cousin Esther and myself have strengthened it as much as we can, but if we should falter too much or become too exhausted and the evil mages hit just the right point...I dread the outcome."
"What if we helped out with you, Aunty?" Julie said. "We could stand with you in battle."
"She's right," Nathan said.
"No," Rebecca said, her voice firm, but also soft. "I can't ask you kids to do that. You are the future and hope for everyone and I'm not going to let any of you get hurt under my watch."
Hope, thinking her mother had called her, reached for her mother and Carmen carefully brought the little one over to her aunt. Smiling, the mage accepted her daughter from her niece and hugged her before Ida whimpered and Rebecca accepted her in the hug too, though she was worried about what would happen.
Asgore and Toriel came out with River Person and Hannah and the kids hugged them. "Daddy, we're scared," Chara said softly.
"Are...Are we going to be okay, Dad?" Asriel asked.
The king kneeled down and hugged all his children. "Shh, my little ones," he soothed. "I know you're all scared, but we will get through this and be free one day. The evil mages will not succeed."
Rebecca looked at Hannah. "Who's going to stand in for you with the good mages, since you are their leader now?" She asked.
"The elder mages that helped my father when he first became the leader," the girl said, a few tears escaping her eyes. "They'll keep an eye on things until I can return. Or at least, until we win."
Toriel looked up and her face hardened. "We have to win," she said. "Our very futures depend on it."
Alphys came up to them with Mettaton beside her and she looked nervous. "I t-think you all sh-sh-should s-see th-this," she stammered out as she held out her phone. "T-The d-drone found th-this."
They all watched as the evil mages had released their monster and it was destroying the towns, but Rebecca saw something in the video. "The good mages are helping the people escape," she said. "The video doesn't really show it and no doubt the evil mages couldn't see it, but there's like an invisible wall between some of these people." She pointed to one and there was a spot that shimmered. "There. See that?"
"What is that?" Asgore asked curiously.
"There's a trick some mages learned called Aqua Time, which is a very unique power that allows one to control the water around them to form an invisible bubble that is practically impenetrable."
"Only the elders of the good mages can do that," Hannah said. "I've only just begun to learn it myself."
"Can all mages do that?" David asked.
"No, not all," Rebecca said. "A mage in training works on all elements that are known, but some mages will tap into some elements more than others and that becomes their main power. Like in my case, the element I can tap into and use best is electricity, hence the lightning bolt that almost hit Dogressa when we first met."
"My element is more with plants," Hannah replied. "The elders say that is most likely why I'm able to start training on using the Aqua Time."
"Rebecca, could you learn this new power from Hannah?" Toriel asked.
"Unfortunately, no," the dark-haired mage said regretfully. "And that's mostly due to the fact that lightning is my main power, but also because when I worked on the elements, water seemed to be my weakest element. I asked my master at the time why that was, and he said it was because I'm not meant to water and watch someone grow. I'm meant to lead."
"Which you have done," Asgore said. "You led us to victory twice."
"Maybe third time will be the charm?" Asriel said.
"Maybe," Rebecca said, gripping her staff a bit tighter .
Elsewhere, the evil mages had just finished their plans of destroying towns and were confident people would side with them.
But little did they know, the townspeople weren't all that they seemed.
Getting curious, yes? Stay tuned! :)
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