Chapter 19: Calm before the Storm
The visually unlikely family of two passed the maze of lanterns and dimming crystals in silence. From reading the last of those History Tablets, they were not in the mood for anything cheery. Frisk was slowly becoming scared as they entered an area with almost no light to see by. Frisk had scrambled onto their mom's back in reassurance and fright as the Lady Skeleton with a human heart and SOUL walked on through the water until they came to dry land and a single echo flower.
After listening to the flower's warning, they came two faces to one helmet with Undyne. Kia dropped into her stance, prepared to defend her treasure, who dropped to stand and stayed silent behind her. Then Undyne spoke. It was most certainly female, but it sounded gruff and muffed by the helmet and probably a mouth full of teeth to speak around. Her voice was proud and resigned as well as venomous.
"… Seven … Seven human souls. With the power of seven human souls, our king … King Asgore Dreemurr … will become a god. With that power, Asgore can finally shatter the barrier. He will finally take the surface back from humanity … and give them back the suffering and pain that we have endured."
Some foreign feeling welled up within Kia's mind: indignation. How dare she. How dare she say those words to us! They betrayed us first! They belong it this miserable pit! What are you talking about?! Come out into the open and screech your injustices at her if you want them to suffer so much. Don't lash out on an unrelated party.
As IF you are unrelated …
What do you m-!
Kia was attacked internally with a massive migraine. It was the intruder. Kia's vision blurred and her hearing went out as Undyne continued her accusations of forcing the skeleton to do the human's dirty work and of past grievances from a war humans have long forgotten, and pressed her justice upon Frisk, for Undyne doesn't know that Kia is a human with unfortunate circumstances. Kia lifted her slowly bowing head when the first wreck of a beginning sob shook through a tiny hand and through Kia's boney frame. This rattle scattered the last bit of gray flesh dust, besides her slowly beating disconnect heart, to fall and land on the ground.
Kia instantly became pissed off.
Garnet slit eye lights glowed with fury at the Captain Gaurdswoman. Undyne met Kia's gaze with her own blazing yellow eye as she prepared to set up the battle field. Glowing neon light blue spear appeared in the knight's hands as she started to charge at Kia. Suddenly, MonsterKid rushed out of the bushes between the tense females about to battle. Tension released its grip on Kia as if it was on recoil. Eventually, MonsterKid recognized the situation, and Undyne stomped away with MK's cheek in her pincer grip from the high strung mother and her frightened child.
When Kia finally calmed down enough to collapse in a heap of ratty clothes and dry-ish bones, her mind was going haywire. Kia closed her eye sockets to try and regain some amount of focus. Within the darkness of the back of her eye lids, something stood out in a gentle glow. It was her SOUL. Bleeding less fiercely but no less cracked and scarred; it was almost completely introverted. It just needed an inch more to go.
It also looked sick. The usual red coloration of her SOUL didn't seem quite the same shade as it was before. Sudden various color flares from within her SOUL's cracks seem to be fighting against a sinister red film tainting and weakening her SOUL. She wondered at the various colors battling for dominance and freedom. A sudden sharp wave of trembling helplessness of no strength overcame her senses for she could already feel the effects of the intruder.
She didn't have much time.
She wasn't able to focus on this revelation when Frisk plastered themselves to her front sobbing and muttering apologies so soft Kia could barely hear them. Frisk apologized over and over for their mom's current physical state, for a friend they apparently had some time ago, and for climbing up this stupid mountain in the first place. Kia hugged them back fiercely, protectively, and lovingly. She whispered to them her truthful reassurances. It wasn't their fault. It was never their fault. It was nobody's fault. Things happen outside of their control, and it couldn't be helped. Tears slid down her cheek bones and she actually felt the remorse and the guilt and overall sorrow of their situation. She could feel again.
Stop this incessant crying! Move on already! This is just a waste of time. You should be avenging yourself, the others, and ME. Make them pay for making me suffer!
Kia shoved away the little nuisance she had gained in her mind. It had just proved to herself that she officially went insane. She focused on getting Frisk to calm down and repair their confidence as much as she could. Kia hummed the lullaby they heard from the statue before this mess befell them. Frisk settled against her chest as they closed their eyes to feel the vibrations of her humming. They fell unconscious.
Kia was tired. Her bones creaked as she moved slowly to stand. Her joints hurt and she waded back into the water and up the newly revealed path before Undyne could come back to find them. Kia ignored the echo flowers brushing her hips as they whispered a passing conversation. A wish passed through her mind. She smirked at the hilarity of it. She had the same wish about a random American-chinses restaurant on the rare few times she talked to K4 as DT, not to Kai as Kia. It was on first day they saw each other before … everything.
Kia paused to read another tablet on the wall.
'However … There is a prophecy. The Angel … The One Who Has Seen the Surface … They will return. And the underground will go empty.'
Kia blinked and walked away. She walking cautiously, more like fearfully, across a wooden bridge without safety rails. Kia didn't even like heights on even ground. She was about to be given the relief of stable ground soon enough, but was stopped by MonsterKid.
"Yo!"
This woke up Frisk in a start as they looked around frantically before calming down. They wanted down, but Kia was skeptical at minimum, but their insistent tugging had her sighing and carefully balancing Frisk on the narrow bridge. MK had moved closer to them to speak to them easier. Kia was worried he might trip again as fall into the chasm below. He looked nervous and a bit sad.
"Yo, I know I'm not supposed to be here, but … I wanna ask you something.
"… Man. I've never had to ask anyone this before… Um… Yo … you're human, right?"
Both Kia and Frisk nodded. Kia gave a sad smile when MK gave her a confused look. She just shrugged and lifted a phalange to her teeth with a wink. MK smiled ruefully and returned his attention to Frisk.
"Man, I knew it!
"… well, I know it now, I mean … Undyne told me, um, 'stay away from that human.'
"So, like, um … I guess that makes us enemies or something."
Kia frowned. MK continued, not noticing.
"But I kinda stink at that, haha. Yo, say something mean so I can hate you? Please?"
Frisk shook their head vigorously and smiled at MK. Frisk signed to MK. The bell on their wrist chimed a comforting ring.
'I'm sorry, but I don't want to be your enemy MK! I'm sure that mom would think the same.'
"That is true. We don't have to be enemies just because other people dictate it. It's important for you to make your own choices in situations like this."
MK contemplated a moment before nodding in surety.
"I'll think on it. I'm, I'm going to go home now. Bye!"
Kia waved with a small smile. Frisk did the same.
"Stay safe, you hear," Kia called after the little reptile.
MK tripped. Kia gasped and lifted a foot to come to his aid, heights be damned, but Frisk had beaten her to his rescue. Undyne decided to make reappearance on the other side of the bridge. Kia bared her teeth in her fierce smile in fury and annoyance. WHEN WILL SHE LEAVE THEM ALONE! Kia was just about to lunge at the knight in pure frustration when MK started to nervously tell Undyne to back off. The knight left in reluctance and a bit of shock.
Kia was tired.
MK had decided that him and Frisk, and by extension Kia, were going to be friends. After the goodbyes, MK ran off ithout tripping this time towards home as Frisk approached their wary mother. Kia gave Frisk a tired smirk and weak thumbs up. They moved on.
They encountered Undyne again. Kia was confused. Was there another way for the knight to get past them without them noticing to get here first; because, Kia was pretty sure she didn't see another path coming here. Kia was too tired to care anymore.
Undyne was speaking but the wind was howling, so Kia couldn't make out what Undyne was saying. Then Undyne took off her helmet in a flash of magic light to show her fishy face, her red hair, and sharp crooked teeth. Then she went on shouting nonsense before bellowing about the suffering of her people and her justice and her complaints about how Kia and Frisk had acted up until this point of their journey. Kia just didn't care anymore. They weren't doing anything wrong. There was no way Kia was going to roll over without a fight.
Kia was exhausted, but she was DETERMINED to see this through.