...Yeah. I keep telling myself 'this will be a light and comedic chapter for sure!' or 'this will surely be a shorter chapter!' And then sometimes my brain's like 'Nope! We're doin' this instead!' And then I end hp with a chapter like this and I'm like 'crud!'
It's really making me think that I shouldn't impose these kinds of restraining prerequisites on myself and instead just write what feels...well, right. I feel like I'm more efficient with these things when I give myself more room to breathe and take things in. Not always, but once in a while.
Do you know what I mean?
Anyway, looks like this one's another long one. Slight worldbuilding details. Hopefully I didn't mess any of it up, even I got lost a few times. Heh...ah boy.
Chapter Start!
"Oi, Sans. When are they supposed to get here?" Undyne asked while taking another sip of coffee. The human representatives of the other Kingdoms should be here soon, as they were to attend a small conference of sorts later in the evening. Nothing too serious, just building a bit of familiarity between them so they can build a stronger connection and understanding, getting a better feel for Ebott as a meeting place.
"eh? i dunno, around...three minutes or so? four, give or take."
"You don't even remember...ngah...you suck."
"what? why?"
"For being a lazy sack of potatoes."
"that reason's kinda lame. and unfair."
"Doesn't make it untrue." Alphys raised a paw.
"AND IT DOES TEND TO BE TRUE SOMETIMES, BROTHER." Papyrus added.
"...you're all breakin' my heart here..."
"Not a fault of ours." Undyne said casually, with a amusing smirk. "It also would help if you didn't look like a trashbag."
"Or was easily torn like a trashbag." Alphys points out.
"OR SMELLED LIKE A TRASHBAG." Papyrus raised a hand.
"It would also serve you best to become stronger, Sans." Asgore hummed.
"Indeed it would. You don't want to be made of brittle bones, do you Sans?" Toriel giggled.
"...et tu, tori...?" Sans sighed. "this is sad..."
"IT IS ALSO A TINY BIT HILARIOUS." Papyrus chuckled.
"It's gotten far too easy to make fun of you, Sans. Sorry..." Alphys apologized, genuinely trying to hide her laughter. "But also, it's no skin off our bones...!~"
"I'm soooo not sorry.~" Undyne laughed. "Dont think of it as having a bone to pick with you, Sans. Fuhuhu!~"
"Have we gotten inside your skull, Sans? Tehehe!~" Toriel giggled once again.
"Your ribs not feeling very tickled, Sans? Bahahaha!~" Asgore laughed.
"ARE YOU FEELING A BIT BLUE SANS? NYEHEHEHE!~" Papyrus chuckled.
i feel like i've become the biggest pun punching bag and everyone's just okay with it. Sans lamented with comical tears running from his eye sockets. None of it with malevolence, of course. But it feels like out of everyone when it came to teasing, he's become the biggest target.
Ironic, given his lack height. Even Alphys was slightly taller by now.
While the adult gang was busy playfully tormenting Sans, they eventually stopped when they sensed the representatives arrive. Adam and Alvina were already within Ebott, so the only ones needed to come were Augustine and Zola. Though for having partners, Elbio, Jack O'Frost, and Elvira arrived as well. Elbio and Jack O'Frost were very casual, and Elvira...was lazily drinking from a wine bottle with her witch hat tilted back a bit.
"We're heeeerrre!" Elvira cheered while waving cheerfully. "Heya there, Ebottites! We're a bit early, hope you don't mine!"
"I really should have stopped her from taking that with her..." Jack O'Frost sighed.
"Oooh boy, this is gonna end nicely, isn't it?" Augustine says with a mild smile.
"So this is Ebott. I'll admit, for looking like such a small city from afar, actually visiting the place, it feels..." Zola began, looking around towards the numerous buildings ahead, to the group ahead of her. She recognized Asgore easily enough as he waved to her in a friendly manner. And she noticed Undyne, greeting them with a wide, welcoming, yet scary smile of her own. Zola smiled a bit...then looks a little bit downwards. "...huge." She then looked towards Toriel, who smiled warmly herself. Zola smiles back, while still unconsciously looking down. "...very huge..."
"Ya see? I wouldn't lie about these subjects.~" Elvira whispered playfully next to Zola's ear. "High Queen-Sized, just like I said.~"
"You're impossible." Jack O'Frost sighed.
"Greetings, new friends. Indeed, the city does feel much bigger when you're actually living in it." Toriel smiles, and Zola found herself glad that Toriel either ignored the implications accompanied with her staring at something slightly bouncing, or she was genuinely oblivious. The latter somehow seemed more likely despite how smart she was. "My name is Toriel Dreemurr, High Queen of the Ebott Alliance...I don't think I'll quickly get used to referring to myself as 'High Queen'..." Toriel muttered towards the end.
"And I am Asgore Dreemurr, High King of the Ebott Alliance...golly that does feel very strange to say..." Asgore mumbled while gingerly scratching the back of his head.
That's the King?! He's a lot bigger in person! Jack O'Frost thought in surprise. Granted, so was Toriel, but more in a statuesque kind of way that befitted her Queen status. As for Asgore, he definitely fits into the King side of things for how his size reflected upon his regal status. Though what surprised him most was how awkward they felt for being regarded as High King and Queen. He would have figured they'd be more than willing to take up the position, but Elvira said that they couldn't have looked more surprised when it was announced to them. The fact that it was of their own decision to make them High King and Queen pushed it even further.
To be fair, how else were they supposed to react when faced with the fact that they were suddenly in charge of a whole continent?
In the meanwhile, Undyne chose to step up to Elbio and give him a lookover. He did the same for her, with both of them looking quite curious about one another.
"Let's see...big-ass mammoth monster who was Ratoveros second in-command. You Elbio?" Undyne asked with folded arms.
"That is correct. And if I'm not mistaken, you must have been the one to kill my old superior. A fish like monster with crimson hair and an eyepatch. You are Undyne the Undying."
"Yep. That's me."
"You...have beautiful hair."
"Hey, thanks! Ya like it?" Undyne chuckled as she lightly pushed some of it to the back of her head she was admittedly surprised that he didn't say anything along the lines of 'You're not what I expected.' No, simply a compliment about her hair. "I've been letting it grow a bit, ya see. If I let it all down it reaches down to my waist."
"Hm. Your youngest student Asriel Dreemurr, Prince of All Monsters, has defeated me in our encounter."
"Yeah, I heard. He's become such a fluffy badass under my tuteluge! Fuhuhu!" She cackled. Then she tilted her head a bit while unfolding her arms. "Hey. Take a swing at me."
"...Oh dear." Asgore sighed.
"undyne, is now really the time for this?" Sans sighed as well.
"I'LL HAVE TO AGREE WITH SANS, IT DOESN'T SEEM VERY PROPER TO DO THIS RIGHT THIS MOMENT .." Papyrus said a bit nervously.
"Don't be sour sports! Asriel said he had a seriously hard time against this guy, and I wanna get a feel for it." She turned back to Elbio and grinned. "Come on then. Gimme your best shot!"
"We might want to step back. We're not stopping her." Asgore smiled awkwardly while having the others step back.
"W-Wait! Is she seriously going to do this now!?" Augustine sputtered.
"Afraid so." Toriel sighed while also making room for what's to come.
"Doesn't it seem like a bit much?! They just met and she's basically challenging him to a short punch parry! That's ridiculous!" Zola shouted.
"that's a part of undyne." Sans shrugged.
To his credit, Elbio didn't question Undyne's desire at all. Instead, he simply took a deep breath and took a stance as he clenched his fist. Undyne grinned in anticipation as she braced herself. Momentum and power build into the fist, and throws it towards her as expected. Undyne tensed up as her own fist clenched up and she throws it as well, connecting it with his. It was simple enough for the two of them to do and endure.
The area around them, however, was quite a different story.
The resulting winds were quite intense. Not enough to damage anything around them due to how controlled the punches were, but certainly enough for clothes to flutter slightly from them, as well as slightly messing with hair and floppy ears. Alphys and Toriel swiftly held down their skirts, Papyrus's scarf and Sans' jacket fluttered a bit, and Elvira was mostly unbothered. The human women, however, ducked for cover.
When the gust finally stooped, Undyne and Elbio pulled away, their fists mostly undamaged. After surveying the area a bit, Undyne came to her conclusion.
"Well...after that little exchange, I've gotta give it to ya, you're pretty strong." Undyne yawned as she clasped her hands behind her neck, her hair a bit messier than before. "Mhm. Yeah, I can see how Asriel had a bit of a hard time with you. He doesn't have the physical power that I have, you see. So he likely had to improvise with his magic, and the fact that despite being a heavy hitter you're just a little bit slow. Am I on the right track?"
"Indeed. He was smaller and faster, yet still also managed to hit hard. I never focused on making my movements faster, which proved to be my achilles heel in the long run of the battle." Elbio hummed. "You've taught him well."
"Damn right I did, and he's only gonna get better. So will I." Undyne grinned. "But in all honesty, thanks for taking care of my student. He's gotten a lot stronger and more experienced from the battle, I'm sure."
...What an interesting woman. Elbio thought quietly. Really, who thanks the person who gave their student a tough time, because he was stronger from it, learned from it? Undyne, apparently. Though he could tell that she was definitely glad that Asriel was safe; he sensed a great 'big sister' vibe from her when she says his name, even if her tone doesn't change. It was in her praise of him. In another sense, she doesn't seem to mind that there might be more enemies for them to fight in the future. And just like Asriel, she doesn't seem that bothered either. Accepting the possible consequences, but not allowing them to bring them down. If anything, it seemed to push them onward.
Strange, the both of them.
"...I must clarify something with you. The path that you walk has many enemies in front of you. You realize this, do you not?"
"Course I do. Doesn't really matter that much, I knew something like that would happen with our current momentum." Undyne tilted her head. "Something like this isn't gonna stop us from fighting for what we believe in. We gotta push against and surpass anything that's thrown as us in order to reach our goals. They're not gonna stop us. We're too persistent for that. Too determined. We've gotta keep moving forward, no matter what happens?"
"Despite the risk?"
"What we do is worth risking ourselves for." Undyne narrowed her eye. "You wanna know fhe difference between myself and Ratoveros? I wouldn't put my subordinates/students through anything I wouldn't out myself through. Anywhere they go, I go. Whatever they stand for, I stand for. Whenever they fight, I fight as well. Because they, along with my friends, mean that much to me. I never let any of my loved ones take the risks alone."
"Despite the sizable odds against you?"
Undyne smirked. "I guess you could say that I'm bold like that. I'll take the challenges. And I'm gonna win for me, AND for them."
Undyne is...one of the most reckless people...that I know...she really rubbed off on me...
"I see. Well said." Elbio nodded.
"Graaagh!" Zola rushed up and slapped his leg. It's not very effective...the mammoth simply turned towards her with a raised eyebrow. "Why the heck did you agree to that?! For many factors, you should be the more reasonable of the two!"
"I will admit to being curious as well."
"WHY?!"
"To see the strength of Asriel's teacher. And I've concluded that their praise of each other is very well-founded."
"And you couldn't gauge it any other way?!"
"It's more personal this way." Undyne shrugged. Zola twitched her eyebrow.
"...You're both insane."
"Am not." Undyne pouted. "Oh, by the way, Elbio?" She pointed at Sans. "Mind doing me a favor and punch Sans in the face?"
"what?! why?!"
"You're gonna have to take heavier blows sooner or later. Might as well start now." Pause. "Also because I wanna see it."
"that's ridiculous..." Sans grumbled. The lights disappeared from his sockets as Elbio shrugged and stepped forward with a clenched fist. waitwaitwaitwait he's actually gonna do it?!
"Whew! Sorry I'm late everyone!" Alvina eventually pushed the doors open, and Sans immediately teleported to her legs, clinging to them.
"helphelphelphelphelp!"
"...Did I miss something...?"
"Nothing at all." Everyone except for Sans said in unison.
"...Ooookay..."
"Alright! Everyone is here!" Alvina cheered a bit as she and the others were gathered in her conference room once again, which has been swiftly cleaned up by Woshua, who was wearing a strange yet cute looking janitor uniform. She greatly appreciated his assistance before, there was no way she'd not request it again on a more constant basis. It's also a reason why Temmie's day off was paid as well. They were also joined in by Lunar, Tempest, and Darkness, for reasons Alvina wasn't revealing at the moment because it was of a lower priority.
"Yes, we are all here. All prepared for a little friendly chat." Elvira purred, lightly swigging from her bottle before licking her muzzle, whiskers twitching a bit. "Let's get right to that, shall we?"
"You couldn't bother to dress a little bit more conservatively for this...?" Jack O'Frost groaned.
"I didn't see any of the human men I passed here complaining.~"
"This is such a relevant conversation subject." Tempest muttered.
"Sorry for the slight tardiness." Gaster appeared instantly, shocking the others in the room. Gerson was alongside him, waving.
"A slightly dizzying method of transportation, but an effective one! Wahaha!~"
"By the elements...!" Tempest gasped, holding his chest.
"SOMEONE NEEDS TO PUT A MAGICAL BELL ON YOU, FATHER!" Papyrus exclaimed in exasperation.
"A magic bell?" Gaster tilted his head. "You suggest for me to where one of those magic cat bells seen in Alphys' animes? They do seem to make quite a resonating sound..." He didn't let the fact that he was joking around show on his face.
"There's nothing wrong with cat girls!" Alphys sputtered, pulling the catgirl hoodie she was currently wearing over her head. "They're super cute..."
"so you're saying that gaster wearing a cat bell would make him cuter?" Sans wondered, and was rewarded with a tail slap from Alphys, knocking him to the ground. "owww..."
"Don't put words in my mouth! Stupid Sans!"
"Oh boy, you've got her worked up." Undyne chuckled.
"Calm yourself, Alphys. I was jesting." Gaster smiled as one of his levitating hands snapped it's fingers. A cup of coffee appeared in Alphys's paws, slightly surprising her. In fact, one appeared in everyone's hands. "I prepared them all ahead of time, so here you go."
"Wow, thanks." Undyne hummed while taking a casual sip.
"This is a good cup of joe.~" Gerson smiled and nodded in approval.
"Waaah..Coffee is the best~" Alphys sighed dreamily with slight sparkles and glitter around her head as she takes a gentle sip. "Always so cozy and warm...unlike Sans."
"ouch."
"Are we roasting Sans again?" Alvina raised a hand. "Ooh ooh! I wanna see what the Dragon Trio says!"
"how about we don't...?"
"Midget Skeleton." Lunar lazily pointed.
"Clown Skeleton." Tempest smugly pointed.
"Lazy Skeleton." Darkness casually pointed.
"this is an injustice..."
"Nah, I'm pretty sure justice is taking it's course." Undyne smirked.
"Back to import-snrk-ant matters..." Toriel steered the conversation back on course, even if she was giggling in the process.
"Finally." Adam sighed while scratching the back of his head. "To start, things have been relatively light in Fortuna. Eloise and Elvira have already been doing their best to get Fortuna back into shape before they met you, so worrying about that is unncessary. Elvira, Jack O'Frost and I will have it covered for the most part."
"That is good..."
"Astus will likely have a bit more difficulty to it. Not unmanageable, but something worth checking out." Zola said while pushing her hair back. "Things have quieted down a bit ever since you defeated me, Silas, and Elbio. For the most part, our forces have submitted because if it. And of course, Silas refuses to try and change his ways. There's unfortunately no convincing him."
"That is indeed unfortunate..." Asgore sighed.
"In any case, Tamotsu wants you to know that things really have gotten better over at Astus." Zola continied. "The people are finding a bit of levity as they let citizens from Fortuna and Surripio inside. It's a slow and gradual process, but it's progress nonetheless."
"Ah, good. Very good." Asgore nodded. "Does Tamotsu need help with anything?"
"Anything? Well, there's nothing overly major at the moment since life in the Kingdom has been very strong. A bit too cautious, but it didn't affect their overall way of life aside from rarely interacting with the other Kingdoms." Zola lightly scratched her cheek. "If I were to guess, I'd say that he'd appreciate some of you making another appearance in Astus so you could better understand his citizens point of view. How they see Fortuna and Surripio." She clicked her tongue and scratched her head. "Tamotsu did show me around the whole place, and from what I gathered, they're not too trusting, but are willing to give the others a chance since things have mostly smoothed over."
"I see." Asgore hummed while stroking his beard. "...During my first visit there, I have sensed many of the people there are decently powerful, enough to protect themselves from danger, while the stronger warriors are sent to deal with the source of those problems. And of course fhe Royal Guard there does the protecting for those very citizens. And Princess Faryn, according to Frisk, has proved that she can indeed fight on her own. In accordance, Astus is the strongest because they have been prepared to face trouble from the outside, but were too cautious to actually go out and deal with them because of their previous traumas. They've only recently begun to attempt trusting others again, so it is understandable it might take some time."
It was true. Even the children of Astus knew how to defend themselves at the very least, so they were indeed a powerful Kingdom in terms of sheer fighting power. Zola definitely saw a bit of that for herself. Though growing that fighting power came as a reaction from attacks on their lands. Trust would indeed be difficult to build with them.
"In any case, if they are willing to allow visitors, that's definitely a step in the right direction. Now the rest of us can prove ourselves to them." Augustine sighed while scratching her head. "Can I take a turn?"
"By all means." Toriel gestured to her.
Augustine nodded as she went over her own experiences and the others. "Because of all of the neglect that Surripio has been through due to their neglectors, many of them have become dissonant with most things around them. After such a long time of pleading for help and close to none coming for them, they mostly gave up trying for the most part, and simply kept their heads down. At that point they were more interested in being told what to do, instead of doing what's right on their own. They've accepted that tradegy and injustice as a way of life, and not something they could change. Levi, Cleo, and Valerie have done their best to help people from their position, but they can only manage so much on their own..."
"Hm. Then perhaps a major problem in regards of Surripio is...apathy." Toriel deduced. "People in Surripio found it easier to stay out of the way, or even contribute to the atrocities that went on within because it was seemingly easier than trying to oppose those in charge. It preventing them from thinking for themselves and challenging the status quo that allows them to get away with these things. Most may HAVE the power to change things but choose not to because they believe that trying to do so is pointless..." Once more, Faust has many traits that reminded her of herself once upon a time, hence her intensely venemous clash with him. Many were sure that she hated Faust more than the latter feared the former. She was that angry.
wasn't apathy the twisted vice of the soul of patience...? Sans recollected. one is patient, so you keep waiting for things to get better..nothing changes. after a certain point, that patience becomes apathy. no longer caring about the problems because of the eventual acceptance that they'll never be resolved...wow. that really hits close to home.
"Queen Toriel does make an interesting point." Gaster hummed. Before the others could question this, they suddenly saw his expression turn completely neutral. All aspect of emotion left him, and they could feel it from where they settled. It was...highly unsettling.
"F-FATHER...WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU?" Papyrus muttered.
"This, Papyrus, is apathy." Gaster said stoically. "My Void Magic is essentially manipulating nothingness to a certain degree. I can either bring certain things from nothingness, or bringing certain things to nothingness...and I can apply these things to myself. My presence, my physical body, my magical signature...my emotions." He tilted his head. "One could say that with this, I think with a clear mind unconstrained by any and all/or emotions and feelings. Such as applying nothingness to a lack of fear, or a suppression to pain, for example. It allows me to operate more efficiently."
"T...That's crazy." Alvina shook her head.
"And slightly fascinating." Darkness rubbed his chin. "You could quite possibly induce a limited form of sociopathy on yourself."
"Yes. Another factor for my immense dislike of this magic, despite it now being a permanent part of myself. Regardless of what many may claim, I quite like having emotional connections." Gaster nodded. "Of course my dislike of it does not mean I will discount it's usefulness in certain equations, just that I would prefer not to resort to it if I could help it, as it is not easily controlled, either. I could very easily harm someone with this power as much as I may try to help."
"G-Gaster Sensei...is there a reason for this demonstration...?" Alphys sturred nervously.
Gaster turned toward her, and the sheer lack of emotion made her jump a bit, and Undyne instinctively held her in response. "Apathy can be a devastating thing. For a lack of action can be just as dangerous, perhaps even more so, than malevolent actions. Because it is a lack of care for these problems that allows them to fester and worsen. Choosing to do nothing as others in front of you suffer. It's choosing to do nothing when good people suffer and you have the power to help. That is apathy. And to me, it is a far greater danger than even the likes of fear, hatred, and cowardice. That, my apprentice, is what our current era suffers from the most, and a great cause of it's moral and structual imbalance and erosion. Apathy brings both death and destruction to entire civilizations...while the world simply watches." Emotion returned to Gaster's eyes, and he sighed regretfully as he caressed his head. "I...I apologize. That might have been too much..."
"...So we can sum up, that Surripio is one big mess." Augustine sighed. Everyone agreed. "That's not gonna be easy to turn around..."
"BUT IT CAN BE DONE." Papyrus said strongly. "EVEN IF IT IS DIFFICULT, WE AT LEAST NEED TO TRY. THAT IS WHAT THAT KINGDOM GREATLY SUFFERS FROM. THAT THEY BELIEVE THERE IS NO MERIT OR HOPE IN TRYING TO HELP THEM. LEVI AND CLEO AND VALERIE SEEM TO BE THE ONLY ONES IN THE MAJOR SPOTLIGHT THAT GENUINELY WANTS TO TRY."
"And we can't quite allow that, now can we?" Asgore hummed, clasping his paws. "In any case, it is very good that we all decided to assign human representatives. I'm sure I'm not the only one who realized the implications that most of the Kings/Queens of the three Kingdoms of the Scelus Continent are monsters. We have no desire to have them make the mistake that this means humans do not have any say in our decisions. We must do our best to reassure them that we do indeed hear their voices. They do indeed have a voice that can be heard."
"...Huh. Strange. That's almost exactly what Tamotsu said." Zola pointed out, in which Elbio nodded in confirmation.
"Levi and Cleo as well. They said something like that to me." Augustine nodded.
"My sis and I had a similar thought process going in regards to that, hence why we are grateful to have Adam's support." Elvira smiled slyly. "It helps that we actually listen, and try to work things out the best we can. Of course we can't please every single citizen-that's a quick ticket to madness-but we can at least prove that we're listening and trying."
"Precisely." Alphys agreed. "So...I guess this first official meeting of representatives is like...an experiment of sorts? Testing this setup and see what needs improving for better efficiency?"
"That's definitely one way of seeing this, yeah." Alvina nodded. "That's probably the best thing about this. It doesn't have to be all-around perfect. We can keep improving this as we go so we can operate better and so on."
"You can build a perfect machine out of imperfect parts." Gaster hummed.
"Yeah. We gotta understand, we've spent a lot of time at each others throats because the ones in charge we either power-hungry or apathetic. Now that they're gone or subdued, we can think a bit more clearly." Adam nodded while scratching his head. "In any case, I'm really glad that this hopefully won't end up as those cases in which a council keeps bickering and bickering instead of actually trying to come to a solution."
"Oh yeah, that would suck." Zola shook her head. "Let's do everyone a favor and avoid that at all costs."
"ya mean avoid bickering about what to do, and just do something? i can get behind that." Sans nodded.
"Nobody has time for that." Undyne agreed the fastest. "And in regards to the other thing, it's called the 'Ebott Alliance', and Alvina, a human, is in charge of it's namesake. I think it's safe to say that the humans don't have too much to worry about."
"That's pretty true..." Alvina blushed slightly.
Lunar elbowed Darkness a bit, and he nodded as he cleared his throat to get everyone's attention. "We have been reminded that the Dreemurr Faction will be heading to the Potestas continent whenever they're ready. We would like to divulge a bit of info on them."
"Truly?" Asgore blinked. "Well, if you believe you must. Anything would be helpful."
"That's fine." Lunar nodded. "Remember we haven't been there in a while, so our information on some specific stuff on the continent might be off. Things might be different when you actually do eventually set foot there."
"Understood."
"Right." Tempest nodded. "On the continent of Potestas, there were five Kingdoms: Legatum, Solitas, Animus, Gustus, and Libertas. They're all fairly large, and half of them are rather prosperous. Me, Lunar, and Darkness hail from Libertas, before we traveled all over the continent, enslaved by others, killing for others, stealing from others...it was very arduous until we got to the Seloms Archipelago, ending up in the hands of Augustine, and eventually meeting you all."
"I'm...I'm so sorry for all of that. I mean it, I..." Augustine said genuinely towards the dragons.
"Forget it. You've turned yourself around by quite a large amount, no need to hold our grudge anymore."
"I'm over it. Got better things to do." Lunar shrugged. "Anyway, Legatum seems to have a thing for creating/upholding/succeeding/defying legacies, Solita's monarchs almost never have lasting emotional connections for differenting reasons, Animus used to be a very bright and peaceful place, Gustus is a Kingdom that really supports the idea of adventure and discovery, and Libertas, where we are from, has a very strong passion for free will. That's the basic rundown for them."
Alphys didn't miss a very key word in Tempest's listing, nor Lunar's description of Animus. "...You said there were five total Kingdoms in Potestas...does that mean there isn't that many anymore...?"
Darkness nodded reluctantly. "The Kingdom of Animus has unfortunately been destroyed, a long time ago."
"D-Destroyed?! What happened to it?!"
"Complacency happened." Lunar said darkly. "Thought that, while things weren't perfect, that everything would work out cleanly, without needing to fight at all. That ended up destroying them when half of Libertas took advantage of their weakness and they were both too weak AND too unwilling to fight. It was a kingdom-wide extermination. No one was spared. No one."
"A true tragedy..." Darkness quietly shook his head.
"Another example of how twisted this world has become." Tempest depondently sighed.
Both Gaster and Sans noticed the very brief flash of sheer anguish in Darkness and Tempest's eyes, and the uncomfortable glare within Lunar's. They just said that they were from Libertas...they will remember these details for later.
There is more to this story than they feel comfortable telling us.
you three were personally involved in that mess, weren't you...?
"...In any case, this does remind me of something I have forgotten to do." Darkness said as he quickly approached a surprised Alphys, and gets down on one knee, bowing his head. "You have done something that I was too afraid to do myself...destroying my terrible invention and all the blueprints connected to it, and the factories that hold them. Now they lie only in my mind, which I am willing to bear." Darkness lightly takes her by her paw and lightly kisses the top of it. "Thank you. From the sheer sincerity of my Dragon Soul...thank you."
"H-H-Hey! There's no need for that!" Alphys blushed brightly, her other arm waving about and her tail wagging nervously. "I-I wouldn't go so far as say it was nothing, but I would have done so anyway! There's no need to thank me!"
"Oi. Just remember. That's MY wife." Undyne said half firmly, half playfully.
"HMM...THAT DOES REMIND ME OF SOMETHING AS WELL." Papyrus raised a hand. Darkness nodded to him. "THE MOMENT YOU SAID DRAGON SOUL...I JUST REALIZED THAT YOUR SOULS ARE SOMEWHAT DIFFERENT TO BOTH HUMANS AND MONSTERS. WHY IS THAT?"
"Because there are more soul types than just that of Human Souls and Monster Souls. Dragon Souls are one of those soul types, which of course, every Dragon has." Darkness informed kindly. "Two more examples: A Hybrid Soul, which applies to Astus Princess Faryn due to being born from a human/monster union, which means she has the potency of a human soul, and the near-instinctual magical prowess coming with a monster soul, and almost none of either species' more severe weaknessness. And then there's the Fusion Soul of Prince Asriel Dreemurr, who's, I believe you call Rainbow Soul, is a fusion of other pieces of human souls, with his monster soul serving as a vessel, merging into one functional, extremely powerful soul of different essences."
"...Oh my god. You've done Soul research as well." Alphys muttered, her eyes sparkling. "Why didn't you tell me?! The nature of Souls was still mostly unknown to the Underground, but you have some insight on them! You HAVE to share more with me! Pretty Please? Oh, wait! I gotta get my notepad from the Dimensional Box, I need you to start from the beginning-"
"Hoo boy! Watch out everyone, her nerd button's been pressed." Undyne chuckled as she affectionaly patted her head. "Sorry babe, but that'll have to wait another day. Our meeting's almost over."
"Awww..." The pout of disappointment on Alphys' face was far too adorable for others to keep a straight face, so they laughed a little.
"You are indeed a fine scientist, Dr. Alphys." Gaster smiled.
"It is true, though. Humans and Monsters once ruled this world side by side. There was nothing saying that there weren't other kinds of creatures living in it. Variety is interesting." Gerson said cryptically.
Jack O'Frost sighed while rubbing his neck. "By the way, since the meeting's almost over, let's end it with something a bit lighter: Levi and Cleo have invited the Dreemurr Faction to a dinner party later next week. I think your friend Mettaton would like to take the opportunity to meet another star of sorts. Cleo thinks they might get along well."
"A dinner party? How unexpected." Toriel blinked. "We wouldn't want to be rude and deny their invitation. Though I suppose there's a bit more to this than it seems."
"A little bit." Augustine waved her hand. "Sure you'll have to meet a few major figures in the Kingdom, shake some hands, share a few stories, but nothing more than that. This is purely a fun event so they can get to know you better. No agendas."
"Hm...alright."
"Astus is also inviting you to a party of sorts. Or a bit more specifically, a festival." Elbio hummed deeply. "Tamotsu wants you to come. Faryn REALLY wants you to come. This festival is very important to them, and since things have smoothed over, they'd truly appreciate it if you came to attend."
"THEY'RE HAVING A PARTY TOO? WOWIE...HOW ARE WE SUPPOSED TO CHOOSE?" Papyrus shook his head.
"There is no need to worry. The festival in Astus will be held a week from now as well, and it's four days earlier than the dinner party Levi and Cleo are hosting. Plenty of space." Zola explained.
"Does this festival have a name?" Gerson asked curiously.
Zola hesitated, then turned to Elbio, who nodded calmly. Taking a breath, she turned to Asgore and Gerson in particular, moved closer to them, and whispered in their ears. Their eyes widened considerably, as they also showed a certain understanding of why they were invited to come. When she pulled back, both monsters nodded.
"We understand."
"We will definitely attend this event."
"Thank you. They'll be really happy to hear this." Elbio nodded.
"All righty then! So we're all just about done!" Alvina clapped. "Guess we're all done for today! Good first meeting everyone! It ain't perfect, but it's a step in the right direction! Let's hope that things can progress as smoothly as they did today!"
"I guess if you consider this a success...I can too. It's still a bit strange." Zola hummed while turning to Toriel. "In any case, it was good meeting you in person, Toriel."
"Likewise, Miss Zola." Toriel nodded while the human moved towards her for a handshake.
"...Whoops.~" Elvira cooed mischievously as her tail tripped Zola, who gasped and waved her arms to try and balance herself in vain, before she eventually fell over-
Whomp.
"Oh my goodness!" Toriel exclaimed worriedly as Zola fell facefirst into her generous bosom, cushioning her fall. She gently took her by the shoulders. "Zola, are you alright? Are you hurt?"
"N-No. I'm fine. Not hurt or anything." They're so warm and cozy, just like her aura... Zola immediately turned towards Elvira with an aggravated glare, while Elvira feigned innocence. "Elvira! What'd you go and do that for?!"
"Who? Me? Why dear Zola, I know not of what you're talking ahout. You're the one who tripped over my tail, which was just leisurely minding it's own business, leaving it a bit bruised. And judging by how you landed, I appear to be the only unfortunate one.~" Elvira purred tauntingly, which caused Zola to twitch her eye and blush simultaneously.
"welp, i guess our stuff is done here. we'd better take our leave." Sans stretched a bit and began walking forward...before tripping over seemingly nothing, much to his shock. Unlike Zola, nothing prevented his fall; he faceplanted the relentless hard floor, painfully. "oowww..."
"Whoops. Someone else tripped, and no airbags to cushion his fall. How unlucky, meowhoho~" Elvira smirked.
"I knew you'd pull something like this, I just knew it." Jack O'Frost groaned.
"Fuhuhuhu! That pratfall was excellent!" Undyne cackled while slapping her knee. She then turned towards Elbio. "Hey, mammoth guy! You still up for punching Sans in the face?"
today just isn't a good day for me, is it...?
"Perhaps another time. I must be off with Zola to report our first meeting's success." Elbio chuckled while rolling his eyes and making his way out. "Inform Asriel that I said hello. I look forward to seeing him again."
"Heh. You got it."
"WELLL! THIS WENT SMOOTHLY! BUT NOW I MUST RETURN HOME! I HAVE MUCH TO MENTALLY PREPARE FOR! SANS, GET UP YOU LAZYBONES! THIS IS NO TIME FOR FLOOR NAPPING! I LET YOU DO THAT THIS MORNING!" Papyrus exclaimed as he picked up Sans and hoisted him over his shoulder. "BYE EVERYONE!"
"yeah...just carry me like this...after surviving today...i kinda sorta don't feel like walkin'..."
"WELL, AT LEAST YOU OWN UP TO IT!"
"Wuss." Undyne clicked as she turned to Alphys as she picked her up and hoisted her over her shoulder, much to her surprise "We'd better go too. We'll get a bit more info from Mettadork about this dinner party thing." She says while lovingly patting Alphys' rear. "Let's go, Al."
"O-Okay!" Alphys blushed brightly while covering her eyes in utter embarrassment as Undyne carried her off with a wide grin.
"Such happy faces all around." Elvira purred. She then leaned down and patted Jack O'Frost's head. "Come along, my best snowball friend, we've preparations to make."
"...Why not." Jack O'Frost sighed with his arms up as he followed his feline partner out.
One after another, they all left, with only Asgore, Toriel, and Gerson remaining. The latter turned to the both of them and tilted her head. "Asgore, Gerson...what did Zola say to you? What is the name of the festival...?"
While their parents and adult friends were taking care of business, Asriel and his brothers had business of their own to take care of. It was something that was held off for a very long time due to hesitation and uncertainty from both parties. But after the most recent events, they've decided that they would finally do what should have been done much, MUCH sooner.
Frisk smiled warmly while holding his arm out. "Come on, guys. Don't be shy."
"Take your time." Asriel nodded.
"It's alright to be nervous. This is a big day for you." Chara agreed.
"Will you brats just step up and get this over with already...?" Flowey grumbled.
Justin, the human soul of Justice took a deep breath, and stepped forward. "My name is Justin. I'm 17 years old, and I wield Gun Magic. I hope that's not discouraging."
Verena, human soul of Integrity, confidently struts forward with a hand on her hip "Hiya, I'm Verena! I'm 16 years old and Gravity Magic helps me soar!~"
Richard, human soul of Kindness, stepped forward with clasped hands and a bow. "My name is Richard. I am 16 years old and wield Barrier Magic. Pleased to meet you."
Lizzie, human soul of Patience, calmly steps forward with her hands in her pockets. "Yo. Name's Lizzie. 15 years old and a wielder of Blade Magic. Don't let it scare you, blah blah blah."
Ace, human soul of Bravery, strongly steps forward with a puffed chest. "The name's Ace! 15 years old and a wielder of Strength Magic! I'm...actually really nervous right now..."
At last, Lisa, human soul of Perseverance, gently steps forward while closing her notebook and pushing up her glasses. "Hello, all. My name is Lisa. I am 17 years old and a wielder of Inscription Magic. I hope today ends with all of us happy."
Frisk smiled while turning to another direction. "Here they are! All here, front and center, just like I promised!"
Bratty and Catty, along with Burgerpants and Nice Cream Guy, looked at all six children. Catty quickly clapped her paws and points towards Lizzie while patting Burgerpants' shoulder. "Ooh ooh! Burgy! Lizzie! Lizzie's the way to go!~"
"Really? She looks like she'd rather be anywhere else but where she is...since I feel like that all the time, it kinda fits a little." Burgerpants rubbed his chin. "...What the hell. We'll take her."
"Oh my god, truly? Because I was totally thinking of adopting this little cutie here!" Bratty beamed while patting Ace's head. "He seems to have quite a spirit."
"Like me?"
"Totally like you!"
"That's so cool!"
"I know!~"
Nice Cream Guy smiled. "Alrighty. I guess we're taking on a brave one."
"Funny how the first ones picked out are the youngest. Dunno how I feel about that." Burgerpants shrugged. "In any rate, we'll be taking these two."
"Yaaaaaay!~" Bratty and Catty beamed as they turned towards their respective boyfriends and rapidly kissed their cheeks multiple times, bringing a big-genuine in Burgerpants' case-smile on their facesz before dashing to the duo.
"We're your mommies now!"
"We're gonna take like, SUCH good care of you!"
"So much good care of you that you'll probably freak!"
"Heck, I'm freaking out right now!"
"So am I!"
"Sweet!~"
"I'm being adopted by these guys. Sounds fun." Lizzie smirked while cracking her neck. "Bring it on."
"I can...get used to this. I can face this with a smile, because I'll soon have a home!" Ace said strongly.
"Yeah yeah, sign the adoption papers already." Flowey grumbled as he and a nearby Temmie stretched vine/limb to hand the documents to them.
In the mean time, Grillby, in casual clothes, was standing alongside Fuku, and both were looking towards Richard. Grillby looked towards Fuku, who nodded readily. Grillby nods back, then turns and points to Richard. He looked overjoyed. "R-Really...?"
"Yeah really, ya dork. Come on. Having a little brother might open up some new opportunities." Fuku smiles while extending her hand. Richard reached out and grabbed it, and was surprised to find that it didn't burn. It was simply really warm.
"...We'll take good care of you." Grillby said simply. The words brought a bright smile to Richard's face. Temmie and Flowey handed him adoption papers as well. The latter was surprised that Grillby managed to hold it without setting it aflame, which spells wonders for control over his own flame body.
Lisa, Verena, and Justin, the children that can shift from human form to monster form due to the circumstances of rheir revival, were left. And there were four humans willing to take them in.
Linda, Helen, Diana, and Gloria.
Diana smiled softly as she reached out to Justin. "Come along, Justin. You've just got yourself a new mommy."
"I-I'm glad. I'm truly glad. Thank you." Justin nods as he gives Diana a hug.
"Your name is Verena, right? I think I'll be taking you off their hands." Gloria smiles softly while reaching for her.
"Whoo! Glory to glory, for she has picked wisely!~" Verena said playfully. "Be good, Azzy! I'll see you soon!" She cooed while briefly nuzzling Asriel's fluffy ear, before skipping towards Gloria and taking her hand.
That left Lisa. She stared gently at Linda and Helen, who were both gazing at her calmly, even though they were a bit hesitant.
"...A lot has happened." Linda said softly. "So much. To the point where I almost don't recognize myself. To think, I used to complain quite a bit about small things about PTA meetings and lemon bars...but now that I lived through the city being nearly destroyed up to at least three times, I might have mellowed out...like...a lot."
"Yeah, I've noticed." Helen said sheepishly while scratching the back of her head. "Some of it seems quite unbelievable. And then the unbelievable keeps escalating. And now this whole Ebott Alliance thing...I can't really bring myself to say 'surely it can't get bigger than this' anymore, because it clearly can. I just...learn to adapt to it."
"Yeah...so do I." Linda sighed while turning to Lisa, who had her head curiously tilted. "I just...I don't know if I'm ready for this. Can I truly handle something like this...am I ready...? Can I really just...move on from...our losses...?"
"...Hey." Frisk smiled, opening his eyes. "Don't think of it as replacing your lost child for another simply to fill in the gap. Think of it...as honoring your previous child by granting your newest one the sanctuary and love that they need. I know you and Mom didn't really hit it off well at first...but you're not a bad person. We all know this. The decision rests on you."
Linda looked towards Frisk, then towards the curious Lisa, then towards Helen. "We both wanted to recapture that family feeling. We both want her. But...we're both...should we...wouldn't it mean..."
"Linda." Helen smiles as she gently holds her hand and pats it. "It's okay. We can support each other, and we can support her. We can all keep supporting one another, that doesn't have to stop. Whatever you need...we'll do our best."
"...Alright." Linda nodded as she turned to Lisa, holding out her hand. Lisa smiled slowly as she reaches out and takes it.
Frisk, Asriel, and Chara watched on as the new parents signed the adoption papers and the children gushed over their newest change in their lives. Chara sighed while scratching his head in irritation and slight exhaustion. "Geez. It took far too long to set this up..."
"But we managed to do it, that's what counts. Now many more people are happy." Asriel smiles. "Given how most of our community has become tight-knit, I don't think there's much to worry about."
"Neither do I." Frisk agreed. He blinked as his phone beeped. He pulls it out his pocket and checks his text, sent by Asgore. Reading over it quickly, his mouth parted in surprise, before he nodded and pockets it again. "Asriel...Chara...we've been invited to both a festival in Astus and a dinner party in Surripio. And since the festival is closest in terms of date, we'll be attending that first. It's...it's very important that we go. I don't know the specifics, but judging by the name, it really, REALLY doesn't sound like something we can afford to miss."
"Why, Frisk? Is something wrong?" Asriel asked worriedly, placing a hand on his shoulder. Frisk slowly turned towards he and Chara while slowly opening his eyes.
"Tamotsu and Faryn want us to attend a memorial festival...The Corliss Festival."
Plenty of different info given here. Plenty indeed...
Yeah, so our Dragon Trio has given out the names of the Five Kingdoms of Potestas this time from Latin to English:
Legatum-Legacy, Bequest, Heritage
Solitas-Solitude, Loneliness, Isolation
Animus-Heart, Soul, Mind
Gustus-Zest, Appetizer, Partaking
Libertas-Freedom, Ease, Unconstraint
And given that Potestas is Latin for 'Strength', they essentially stand for strength of Legacy, strength of Solitude, strength of Heart, strength of Zest, and strength of Freedom.
Sounds like quite a handful, doesn't it? Yeah, I do agree!
...But then Darkness said that the Animus Kingdom was destroyed long ago, by half of Libertas, all the while refusing to retaliate...
...What does the Dragon Trio know...?
A thread to be picked up another day.
Until next time!