With the departure of those who had elected to harbor and protect the humans, an excited giggle echoed somewhere unseen.
The culprit in question, observed the situation as it unfolded. Gazing from the shadows, with excited, abyssal eyes. Everything was going as the creature hoped.
The collective consciousness that held sway over this grey-child noted it would need to thank it's dear friend Temmie. After all these years, it would finally get what it wanted. The dull creature, wearing the guise of a girl in ragged cloth couldn't help but smile. Not just in the city, but through its vessels laying in wait.
It moved. It was finally time, and the creature was well prepared. All night, it had worked. All night, new playmates created. And now, it moved to secure the object of its attention.
The less grey, and significantly more soul-filled children began their walk around the city.
Wandering out in front of the apartment complex first. Noticing that the city appeared to be abuzz with activity. At least, far more than the day before. Which was fairly impressive, in normal circumstances. But these were not normal circumstances.
"It's like...back home." Aliza muttered, feeling small, and lost for a moment.
There was a lot of talking, and raised voices. So much anxiety in the air. It made even thinking all the more difficult. And frankly, it was soo noisy for comfort.
Chara tugged her counterpart. "C'mon let's...get away from the crowd."
Despite the commotion, escaping the crowd was rather simple. Given that most individuals appeared too distracted to interfere with them, or pay them any real mind. Some people were gathering, and heading towards the gate. Others rushing around confused looking guards, demanding things.
They passed by someone speaking to another. "If they come this way-"
The other panicked. "T-they're not active in the day. Why are they active in the day?"
Chara paused when they passed. Briefly watching them. Listening to the faint traces of their words. Too drowned out by the noise to be fully discernable. It sounded like they were talking about-
Aliza spoke up. "C-chara. It's too loud."
"Eh?" Chara laughed nervously. "C'mon, down the side street."
The children continued past the cluster of people. Continuing on, they passed by the restaurant, and a closed down couple stores. As they went, someone was speaking to a guard.
"You're not listening." The monster made of crystals noted. "He's just gone. Just gone...you have to help-"
The guard seemed annoyed. "Ma'am, he's...probably just playing around somewhere."
Purple eyes scanned them, as the children passed. Someone was missing now? Maybe they were trying to hide? Maybe it was just a parents overreaction? The duo did their best not to focus on that.
It took a little while, retracting their steps, wandering off the main street, before they got away from all the noise. It was still semi-audible in the distance. But, the city wasn't specifically 'small' in and of itself, so there was less of it. Aliza appeared to let out a long sigh of relief. Finally uncovering her ears.
"So loud." She muttered.
"Yeah-" Chara noted, glancing back. "there's...well, they seem real riled up today."
"It's...the same reason, isn't it?" Aliza inquired.
Chara could guess what she meant. The same reason that Papyrus, and Metta had headed off. Venturing to...whatever dangerous thing they were going to do. And, into this, she agreed. There was no way it wasn't at least connected, if not the very same thing.
"I uh-" Chara began to reply.
They had curved off the side street, and arrived on the same one as a certain tailor. The comments from one being cut off, as they found someone blocking their path. An adult, wearing worn down looking clothing. He was a deer-monster of some variety. And wore an irritated expression.
"Hey, you two." He spoke, grabbing their attention.
Aliza hesitated. "Y-yes?"
"You seen my brat runnin round?" He asked, with a mild slur. "Deer, like me?"
Chara asked. "Your...kid?"
"Only one left." He chuckled darkly, looking...depressed at the sentiment, before coughing some. "Anywho, you seen her runnin round here?"
"No. Sorry." Chara apologized.
"Fuck. Means she's probably with that refugee kid." He reasoned, mostly to himself. "You two keep an eye out fer me, alright?"
It was, peculiar, to be given an order by a stranger. But not altogether uncommon as an experience for the duo. The two exchanged looks. The monster seemed...poorly put together. And he walked, and even stood with a half-stagger, like it was difficult. Smelling like eggnog, or whiskey, maybe both.
Aliza responded. "Okay, what's...her name?"
"Good." He wandered around the side of them, not providing them the name in the process.
Chara rolled her eyes, and felt distinct irritation. "You didn't tell us her name!" She meant to simply say, but a twitch and a glare, resulted in it becoming a shout. "Jerk."
The deer-monster glanced back. "Mouthy little shit, ain't ya?" He sighed. "Her names Noelle."
He gave a 'formal' bow. With a tired, and unenthusiastic expression. Like a sarcastic display of friendly cordiality. Before digging something out of his pocket, drinking from it, and wandering off.
Aliza examined him. "He seems sad."
"He seems like a fuck-face." Chara muttered, gaining a look from the other girl. "What?"
"Metta asked us...not to swear." Aliza recalled.
"Y-yeah, I remember." Chara sighed. "But...whatever. We're...trying to like, do something fun right?" She sighed. "I didn't even think what it'd be."
"Just exploring, I thought." Aliza replied, adding. "Me and Frisk, we...well, we go exploring all the time." She said, wandering a bit more. "W-well, she does...but uhm, I follow along. So..."
"You wanna lead the way this time?" Chara suggested.
"Eh, me?" Aliza raised a brow.
"Sure, why not?" The purple-eyed girl asked, straightening her oversized jacket. "I mean...I've sort of been doing it for like...the most part. So, maybe I'll follow you instead for a bit?"
The orange-eyed girl blinked, and felt anxious. "B-but I don't...know where to go." Running her fingers across the scarf. "And..."
"Don't overthink it, dork." Chara suggested. "Just, pick a path. Here, there, anywhere. It's fine. Just, ya know, it's up to you."
"Hmm...well...okay." Aliza reluctantly agreed. "Uhm..." She looked around. "Well...uh...we could visit...Baylor again?"
"If you wanna." Chara agreed.
"W-wait, n-no...uhm. W-we don't...really need anything there." Aliza then noted. "And...don't have..uh, money, right?"
"Uhhh." Chara blanked for a second. "I mean...I think I have 20G in my pocket?" She thought back. "But...I left the rest at the apartment."
"Okay. uhm." Aliza looked flustered.
"Just...pick a direction. Okay?" Chara offered. "Just look around, point, and we'll go there."
Aliza pouted some. "W-well...I guess...uhm, that way?"
She pointed off to the side. Towards an edge of town they had not been. And a side they had not explored. Taking this as the newfound direction for their exploration, Chara started off. Even as Aliza began trying to rethink, and debate her options. Terrified of picking a bad path.
After all, it was easy to follow along with someone else. If something went wrong, it wasn't her fault. But if she was the one choosing, and something bad happened. Then it would be. And that thought filled her with fear.
But, she steeled her resolve, and tried to be brave.
Elsewhere, a twisted set of hands shot out. Reaching for the frog knight. Who leapt back, and motioned, creating bullets that surged forth. And collided with a thing not unlike a twisted rotting tree.
The creature lumbered back from the damage, and then roared in fury. Another surging out, attempting to grasp the monster. A sound seeing bones tear through the earth. Punching up, and tearing through the creatures as they approached, like a wall.
A motion seeing a bone, in the style of an axe, with a large sharp cleaver like edge swing out. Tearing off the heads of the things. Geysers of black ink blood, like sap pouring from them, as they crumbled.
"Croak, ribbit?" The Froggit Knight glanced back. "What took you so long?"
Papyrus shrugged, motioning, while creating another bone axe. "I just couldn't tree you not being able to handle it." He punned, as the golden trees were broken by more creatures. "And hey, I knew you wouldn't croak."
The Froggit let out a sound like a chuckle. Before a sound like static filled the air. Prompting a glance, as another tree creature rushed forth. With, what appeared to be another creature of the night tangled up in the center. One of the TV screens playing static. The skeleton glancing away, as his counterpart failed too.
The Froggit stared at the screen. As the static seemed to become images. Images of cells. Of horrors, as the fealing of absolute fear crept in. Freezing the monster in place. The limb of the tree creature swinging out. Only for it to become blue, around one half, and orange around the other. One side slamming down, while the other was force to propel upwards.
Resulting in the tree and the screen tearing in half with a violent shower of ink. The Knight now free from the trance leapt back. Finding shelter alongside the skeleton, heart racing hard enough that it was almost hard to stay upright for a moment.
"Robbit, Ribbit." The Froggit grunted. "Since when do they do that?"
"Today I guess." Papyrus said.
A sound like a whir filled the air, as something blasted at the duo. Forcing the skeleton to push them both apart. A sickly beam of energy erupting out. Consuming a section of the road in the process.
Something resembling a fleshy butterfly was moving through the brush. The center of its being, being something not unlike a mouth, with rows of teeth. Energy building in it.
The skeletons eye flashed blue, the creature doing the same. As it was violently smashed into the ground, while the beam ignited. Resulting in a burst, as the force backfired, and exploded into it. Popping it, like a horrifying balloon.
A noise came to his attention, as he was snatched from the ground. Yanked up, by a furious ent-like creature. The noise of a revved chainsaw following, shredding through the arms of the creature. Before small box like robotic drones began firing out little blasts peppering it, and others. Pink and black flashing by, as steam surged from the body of the arriving monster.
Dragging the chainsaw down, ripping through the weakened creature. Metta wearing a frown, as it struggled to attack even then. Kicking it hard, as it split proper.
"Are you alright darling?" Metta inquired.
"Whenever you're around, love." Papyrus replied.
"Flattery will get you everywhere, dear." Metta helped him up.
A couple other monsters having gathered to help stave off all that was coming. But, while they could see trees being broken. Plants being torn up. The scale was something they were not aware of.
And if examined from a birds eye view. The woods seemed to be alive with motion. As ravenous beings, weaker in the light, charge into it all the same. Spurned to action by another creatures call.
A cat-dog creature watching from a distance. Taking note of the two. It was all too easy. And soon...everything would fall into place. Temmie began trekking off, heading away from Golden Grove. It was preparing for the end of all living things, after all.
As long as the children didn't both things. All would be...'right' in the world. Not that Temmie didn't have a plan, just in case.
Regardless, there was still so much to do.