Warning. Viewer Discretion is advised. The following content may be graphic in nature. - TW in effect
The children stood before a creature that resembled a child, if only barely. Its head tilting, watching them, as the projection known as the menu shined before them. The purple eyed girl feeling unnerved, the sense of familiarity hadn't gone away.
The projection that occurred in every fight they'd gotten into. Providing information, their thoughts manifested, to assist in their survival. Things they could do, that they could try.
The ground shook, hands made of dark liquid, attached to writhing bony arms rose. Grasping at the edges of the projection, as they staggered back. Dragging the menu down, until it was consumed, lost to the inky abyss. Their enemy snickering at their confusion.
"What's wrong?" The Goner Kid asked. "You've memorized the information, haven't you?" They glared. "Let's switch it up this time. Try a more...active system."
Left without their menu, the duo hesitated. It was like scratching in their heads, blocking the thoughts. The snap from one of the liquid hands, prompting motion. The two phantom ones at the creatures side pushing out, moving about the arena. Nagging deja vu prompting to girl to glance to her counterpart. Who started running towards their enemy.
Snatching him by the arm, she stopped his movement. The boy staggering, confused by her grasp. Turning to face her.
"What are you doi-" He began, cut off by a massive blue wave, firing out from a phantom hand.
When the light faded, the space below them began to gurgle. Noticing this, he pushed her back. A liquid hand having burst out, grasping at where she had been. He glanced, noticing dozens beginning to breach from the dark, some extending high. Swaying, with their long arms, like some disturbed tree in a phantom breeze.
One swung at him, the boy leaning back, narrowly avoiding it. The girl hurrying over, giving him a light shove, to save him from the grasp of another. He turned on his heel running, as she did the same. Starting, stopping, weaving through the twisted forest. Trying to concentrate on what to do.
Getting near each other, the girl came a half. Focusing her willpower, her desire to survive this. To persevere.
Chara-P cast |Intangible|
Timing it well, a hand erupted at her. Grasping for her throat. The sloshing inky thing passing through. The girl turning, and moving on from the space, her counterpart focusing his intention on the enemy. Initially confused by the spell, shimmering inside of him before seeing what happened with her. He pushed past the surprise and moved on to seize the moment.
Dashing out, the boy slashed at the creature. Yet, despite being so close, he missed somehow. The hard-plastic knife cleaving through one of the inky arms instead, which promptly fall apart like a tower made of dark water.
Turning, he saw splashing in the void, the Goner Kid rising from the depths. Looking rather amused at the attempt, if nothing else.
The girl motioned to cast her offensive spell but proved unable. Recalling a lesson, as she focused, and |DEFEND|ed - A purple aura erupted from her soul, washing across them both. Like a thin barrier, of resolve. Her soul shining some in the aftermath, a sensation of power building.
The Goner Kid turning towards her. The dark bubbling around her. Her counterpart noticed this, a sense of alarm ringing through him.
The boy whistled loudly, and |Taunt|-ed. "Was that the best you could do?" He gained the creatures attention. "Come on you evil jerk. Give it your best shot."
"If you insist." The Goner Kid chuckled.
Two hands spun around the room, one shining orange, the other blue. The ground beginning to squirm some. Once more, it felt familiar to the girl.
"Move, and stop!" She called out instinctively.
The orange eyed youth noticed one of the phantom hands bore an orange tint around the punched hole in the center. Giving her a glance of hesitation, he listened, deciding to be brave and trust her. Rushing forward, the wave consumed him. Dimming and fading, his feet came to a halt, with a slide. A blue beam consuming the space as he managed to. Washing over him, thankfully doing nothing.
When it faded, he attacked again, slashing at the nearby enemy. The Goner laughing smugly, while falling into a watery sludge, before he could be hit. Reforming a short distance away, revealing how the creature had avoided the hit before. It was abundantly clear to the boy that hitting him was going to be difficult, his attention instead turning to the hands.
"Hands." He called out to her.
The girl nodded, and cast |S-Butterfly| creating five of the magical bullets. They fluttered out, pausing briefly before firing off at the blue hand. Its constant movement resulting in all but one missing. Much to her dismay.
"Too mobile." She replied. "We need-"
"Got it." He agreed without hearing her, knowing well what the plan was.
The Goner hummed. "I've always been a fan of co-operation. Mind if I borrow that trick?"
The two hands shining, rapidly moving around the battlefield. It seemed they would attack in unison. Meaning they'd have to time their actions properly. The two beams fired at the same time, creating sections that moved as they did. The girl near enough to grab the boy, swinging them both over into the orange. He ran to keep along with it, her hand still in his, as she stumbled.
Keeping her up, he pulled her along with him. The unbearable light making it difficult to see much of anything. Beyond a wave of orange.
As it vanished, he noticed flickering in the center of the hand, the color seeming to change. His counterpart still moving for a moment, before he stepped in the way, stopping her. The originally blue hand suddenly shifting, erupting energy at them.
It moved through them painlessly, the boy glancing back to see the other hand was firing orange in their direction. A sound snagging his attention, dark bursting up at them in the form of a massive hand. In the split second, he pushed her back, knocking her out of the beam, as it hit. The hand grabbing his legs, holding him still in the beam.
The boy let out a cry of pain, the attack coming to an end. He staggered, panting beneath his bandana, wincing in pain. The hand having let him go. Fear echoed in his mind, if only for a moment. It was painful...it was a little scary, but he straightened himself out anyways. He wasn't afraid. He refused to be.
The girl started towards him. "A-are you okay?"
"I'm fine. Just...we have to focus." He requested.
Guilt rushed into her, for some reason. A feeling, despair creeping at the edges of her mind. But seeing his brave face, she pushed it back. They would persevere, they had to.
Giving a nod the boy rushed out again, moving, monitoring one of the hands. The girl summoning forth her spell once more. Feeling the light dim from her soul once it was cast. Out of TP, it seemed.
Chara-P casted |S-Butterfly|
They fired out, and raced alongside her counterpart, pausing as he jumped. Pushing off the inky wall, a streak of orange coming from his eyes. The blue hand drawing near, while he slashed out with the hard plastic knife. The edge catching, tearing down, creating cracks throughout it.
It staggered from the impact, the various butterflies firing at it, while he fell. Slamming into it, as it attempted to move. Only managing to evade one, with most of it critically damaged.
"What a marvelous display." The Goner kid replied. "Friendship, what a 'magical' power." The creatures voice full of mockery. "I wonder, what will happen to Toriel when you never come home?"
The ground began to ooze, rising, and falling in some places. Liquid hands began to burst up, at the pair, attempting to grasp them. The orange beam firing out, as they tried to keep moving.
A sensation gripped the girl, as she ran. Noticing her counterpart moving into a gurgling bit of the void. A foul hand surging up at him, nearly catching him again, before he was tackled out of the way. Pulled into a swing by his counterpart. The duo avoiding the dark grasp, and the searing beam.
However, this attack didn't end, it kept going. Some of the hands rising, growing tall as they had before. Others swinging out at them, the duo stepping, and sliding to avoid this. Their movements jagged, and strained, as they struggled through this twisted forest. Things like eyes sometimes appearing in the dark to watch them.
The boy noticed the palm of one flash blue. Unable to reach his peer in time, as the tall inky arm swung down at her. She noticed at the last second, unable to slow down, while the blue palm slammed into, and passed through her.
The sensation burned at her, her eyes widening, letting out a cry of pain. She whimpered some. It felt like...it had seared every cell in her body. The Goner Kid laughing at the display.
"Maybe I'll leave your corpse at her doorstep." The creature suggested. "Wouldn't that be fun?"
The boy elected to |Taunt| - "Coward...you have to lure us in, and fight with cheap tricks." He growled. "Are you that afraid?"
"I used to be afraid of many things. You would be too, if you understood." The Goner Kid replied, the poncho seeming to drip. "But, very well. Since you're so eager to die."
The girl noticed the focus falling on her companion. A terrible feeling filling her. She decided to |Defend| them. The purple aura glowing around them both.
Their enemy stepped, and fell into the void. The boy letting out a breath, hearing a sound. He turned to find the Goner Kin bursting out behind him. His counterpart rushing towards him. Before he could respond, a hand erupted from the Goner Kids throat, his jaw unhinged to permit the arm escape. Grasping, and slamming the boy hard against the ground.
The sound produced was wet, and loud. Sending a wave through the abyss. The hand lifted him, his soul cracking. The boy gasping for air, as blood pooled in his throat, dripping from his mouth. The arm suddenly beginning to retract, releasing the human from the hands grasp. Vanishing back beyond the creatures mouth. The boy falling with a wet thud.
"So many broken bones." The Goner Kid whispered. "Guess it's...your turn, right?"
The monochrome monster turned his attention to her. A foul grin on the creatures face. It filled her mind with images of angels, grey inching across her soul, as despair seeped further into her.
The girl looked past the monster to the phantom hands still moving around the arena. Timing them, before running at the strange creature. The Goner Kid snickering as she got near, falling apart into liquid. The girl dashing past, jumping up.
She punched the cracked blue hand, following that up with a brief flurry of blows. And a final strong hit, shattering it. A bit of hope rising, as she landed. Vanishing, as she saw the face in the corner of her eyes. Letting out a scream of panic, as she stumbled back.
She swung her fist as she did. But the enemy merely fell apart again, moving a short distance away. Her heart racing from the image, the dead eyes so close. Realizing, in tandem with the growing melted grin of her opponent...it was just toying with them That it could have killed her.
A sound pierced her eyes, her heart racing so fast she could hardly process anything else. A slight turn revealing the remaining hand firing out at her, with n orange beam. Her soul shone some, as she forced herself up. Stumbling, and running forward as it blasted. Letting the light wash over her.
The girl had barely made out a hand rising from the ink before her. Turning on her heel, avoiding it as the beam ended. Several inky hands rising, bursting from the void. Splashing, glowing blue and orange.
One swung at her with blue, her movement stopping. Another coming right after, bright orange. The sound rushing back, as she stepped through it. Her soul shining some as her attention fell on her other self.
The girl cast |Intangible| while rushing over to him. The beam washing over her again, as various arms grasped and swiped at her. Doing nothing. Getting close, she slid to him, and started to pick him up. His soul shining some in response, his breathing seeming to calm.
"I-I'm s-sorry." He apologized. "I-"
"It's...okay." She assured him. "You'll be okay."
The Goner Kid examined them. "Don't you know that angels don't like it when you lie?"
Shadows swirled below them, the duo quickly moving apart. Dark liquid hands bursting out at them as they did so. The flurry of hands began to burst. Both pained, struggling to maintain the pace.
The girl cast |S-Butterfly|
The boy chose to attack.
Once more the purple butterflies were cast. Nearly resulting in her getting grasped by a hand. The girl having to jerk back at the last second to avoid it. Her spell firing out, rushing along with her counterparts' movements.
Getting the pacing down, he brandished his knife. Bravery driving him, the hand lowering near enough he could reach it. Timed perfectly.
Slashing out, he slashed across the remaining hand as it blasted him. The momentum seeing him uninjured. A sudden feeling like something behind him flooded the child, The Goner Kid having risen there. The hellish arm tearing forward to grab him again. Abruptly stopped, by a barrage of butterfly bullets, exploding against the creature.
It hissed and withdrew, permitting the boy to escape the attack. Anxiety rushing into him. Patting his pockets, as the girl did the same. Neither of them had their items with him. The boy didn't have his satchel, and she didn't have her backpack.
The creature rose in-between them, mouth melting. It let out a garbled scream. The phantom hand began to randomly fire the orange wave, rapidly moving around the room as it did so. The duo forced to remain mobile. Various inky hands bursting from the void, extending high, flashing blue.
The eldritch hands swinging out, pausing them. The beam coming by right after, forcing a sudden movement right as the hands passed. This process repeating. The pair getting used to the pattern, only for the inky hands to suddenly change to orange. Swinging at them as they had before. A glimpse of the attack flashing in her mind, moments before it happened.
"K-keep moving!" She yelled, prompting him to do so, as she did the same. Avoiding a series of swipes that may have otherwise killed them.
The duo once more got near each other. The girls soul shining faintly. She gave a nod, and cast |Intangible| while the Boy rushed at the hand again. Moving through a variety of attacks that might overwise have impaired him. Diving out, he managed to slice it once more. The force shattering the hand, their respective morale briefly rising.
It didn't last, however. Dropping, as they heard the Goner Kid laugh. A low, little laugh. The creature drawing their attention completely. Liquid hands rising from the void, to clap against one another in front of him. Slow, steady claps.
"You two just keep improving, don't you?" The creature noted, causing a chill to run down their spines. "This is the farthest you both have gotten, by far. Oh...what's with that look?" He turned his focus to the girl. "At least one of you has realized it by now."
The boy glanced to his counterpart. "What's he talking about?"
The girl hesitated, swallowing her fear. "We...I've been feeling deja vu this whole fight." She noted quietly. "Like...we've done this before."
"That...but-" He turned his focus to the Goner Kid. "that means-"
The creatures head tilted, bones cracking. "That's right. There it is. The realization." He laughed darkly. "Oh, I love that expression. So much emotion in it."
The boy tried to find his bravery. "T-then we'll keep going. Until we finally beat you."
"Oh, of course you would." The creature replied sarcastically. "Unfortunately, that isn't an option. I mean, c'mon, you were never going to win." He said calmly. "Sadly, I think our game, has come to an end."
There was a sound, like splashing and rushing water. Hands, each bearing a hole in them, pushing our from the dark. Dozens of them. Orange, and light blue in color, like the first two. Liquid hands bursting from the dark, to fill much of the space they had to navigate. The pair realizing in that moment. All they'd done, the entire fight, it was...all pointless. Their hearts pounding, fear spreading through their souls.
The phantom hands began to light up, facing the pair. They couldn't dodge them all. They weren't fast enough. And, even if they were, they had only barely hit him. It didn't even seem to do enough damage to matter. Bravery began to falter. How were they meant to persevere?
The boy looked to his counterpart. They were going to die. But maybe...swallowing his dread. One last action. Maybe...just one more chance? It was futile, utterly pointless, perhaps. But he tried to stay brave.
He decided to |Taunt| their enemy. "Do you hate us so much, because we exist in so many worlds?" He asked, gaining the creatures attention. "While you don't exist in any anymore?" The Goner Kid tilted his head. "Evil, unwanted. Watching everything go by without you. I bet you never even fought for it, just gave up. A coward in life. Forgotten in death."
The Goner Kids smile shifted, becoming a scowl. "Heh...I've enjoying killing her first. Your reactions have been amazing. But I'll make an exception, just for you."
The various hands turned to focus on him. The girl gasping, moving to cast her |Intangible| spell. Only for the boy to push her to the side. Turning to face the light, as it erupted. Rushing towards the enemy, as it consumed him. A scream of pain seeing it tear through him.
He dug in his heels, as it intensified. Taking another step, as his soul cracked. Trying to keep going, his legs giving out, as the light faded. Staggering, he fell to his knees. It was...too much.
Chara struggled back up, turning to witness the Monster Kid manifesting before her counterpart. His soul cracked badly. One more death and...
Before the thought could continue, a dark hand burst from the abyss. Pulling the boy into the air, bringing him eye to eye with the creature. She tried to muster the will to move, to cast a spell, to do...anything. But she failed to cast the spell. She didn't have any more TP. Her soul fading, turning grey, despair overtaking her thoughts.
A motion seeing something like a phantom hand tear forward, grasping her counterpart by the mouth. Muffled screams following, her eyes shutting as the arm grew from the creatures throat again. A sound, wet, noisy, splashing, was all she could hear for a moment. Then, something like tearing leather, more splashing, and muffled cries. Her eyes opening to see the last desperate kicks of his legs getting slower.
A low thud echoing in the empty space, his body dropping in front of her. Her eyes focusing on it, on the twitching hand trying to reach out to her. On the blood, spreading so fast. Her heart racing. Clear tears rolling from his eyes. She pulled herself over to grasp his hand, shaking violently.
Chara felt her tears swell, inky black slipping out. Falling, as his eyes glassed over. The twitching, writhing coming to a stop. A long ringing sound echoing in her ears. It was so loud...so impossibly loud, her bloody hands grasping them, trying to stop it She she hugged the body, crying loudly. Unsure what to do.
The Monster Kid crouched down. "Bravery has its limits, you know. It's hard to mend a wound, when your spine is torn in half." She slowly turned to stare at him. "That's...a wonderful expression...I should have killed him first more often."
Phantom hands, moved to the creatures side. One of them covered in blood, bearing a faint, ever-dimming orange soul, floating above it. Seeing it, little veins of black began spreading in her greyed one.
"N-no you..how-" Chara tried to ask. "g-give that back!"
"Crying is such an ugly sound. Why am I not surprised you'd do it." The Goner Kid replied, examining the soul. "I never get tired of these bravery souls. So stupid, so rash. But this one takes the cake." He chuckled, as she got up. "Risking everything, so you could take one final shot." He smiled, avoiding her attempt to take it. "He believed in you, and you let him down. You really do fail everyone you meet, don't you?"
The hand began to squeeze. Some part of her roaring, screaming. Dark spreading around the edges of her eyes, as she tried to grab it. Her enemy moving back some.
"S-stop!" She staggered forward. "You'll...y-you'll break it."
"Oh, you sweet little thing. The test is over." The monochrome monster smiled. "That's the point."
The hand grasped harder, squeezing, shattering it. She let out a cry of protest, grasping for the shards. Managing to catch a few, as she muttered little pleas. The broken soul darkening. Fading into nothingness, in her hands.
"What did you do?" She asked, sobbing hard. "I-It's...g-gone?" The edges of her soul getting blacker, faster, and faster. "Y-you..."
"I'l never understand what the Doctor sees in you little freak accidents." The Goner Kid moved a few hands near him. "But don't worry. Even if you are forgotten...I'll treasure your pain forever."
Chara looked at the deceased version of herself. Her thoughts were screaming at her. Her mind playing over her countless failures. Everything she'd done wrong, ever single mistake. She couldn't persevere, she couldn't endure. Her soul pounded, the dark spreading.
Liquid hands rose, grasping, dragging the body into the floor. She tried to grab for the hand, but no matter how hard she held on, it didn't seem to matter. The body dragged away from her.
Her fingers digging at the void, scraping black against them. Shaking, coming together, to be hold her soul against her chest, while she cried. Her hood shading her face, out of sight from the enemy.
Her bright eyes fading in color. Her blood and abyssal dark staining her soul. Spreading through it, consuming it. Making it something...dark, darker, yet darker still. She didn't want to continue...she didn't want to keep trying. But...something was screaming to her. A sensation she couldn't shake. Hearing the attack charging. The ringing noise growing utterly, completely silent, her thoughts falling into an odd...calm.
"Any last words?" The creature asked. "I'll give them to your family, as a memento."
"I...I hate you." She growled.
"Sure you do." He chuckled. "I'm sure you 'really' mean it, too."
The beam went to fire at her. The bright illumination of orange flashing. Burning at the child, still, unmoving in the center. After a moment, however, something appeared in the light. Dark enough to be visible despite it. Abyssal, and grim.
Before the attack even ended, a motion blurred out at the creature. Tearing through and exploding the phantom hand in one swift motion. Before colliding with him, sending him sliding back across the floor, confused.
The sensation was like an eruption, tearing across the creatures being. Shredding through part of his body. A glance revealed motion, as he quickly vanished down, and moved back again. Rising a distance away, to examine the girl, confusion on his face.
Chara stood, staring forward at him. Her once brilliant purple eyes, now abyssal and dark. Her soul shaking, clearly meant to be breaking apart. Bound together with sticky dark ink, smothering the light from it.
"Hate?" He asked in confusion. "You things aren't meant to feel...anything?" He noted. "You aren't...you can't be capable of hatred."
In response, the girls body twitched some. Her mouth opening, spreading to a wide toothy grin. Ink spilling, rushing past her lips, and through her teeth like a waterfall. Pouring down across her bloodied poncho, and into the void. The contact causing it to glitch, and distort some. Her body writhing.
The demon whispered. "I...hate...you."