!— Az: You have all the determination in the world, and this is the world you decide to create? -
!— Frisk: I wanted to give them the happy ending they deserved. That's what you suggested, right? -
!- Az: I never said they deserved a happy ending. I told you to make a better game. One with more bloodshed and less…whatever it is you do. -
! – Frisk: It's my game. I make the rules. -
! – Az: Whatever. What about those human friends of yours? -
! – Frisk: I don't know. I thought they would have Reset with the rest of the world. -
! – Az: Are you going to try again? -
!—Frisk: …No, let's leave it. It doesn't matter if they remember the other timelines. They're probably happier this way, anyway. -
It was too dark for Coraline to make anything out at first. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she was even less sure of what she was looking at. It looked like the Underground, with heavy stone walls and echoing caverns. But it was too dark to be the Underground, too lifeless.
As she pulled herself onto her feet, she realized she had changed. She had her raincoat again, but more striking was the breastplate under it. It was light enough to be her t-shirt, but clearly as strong as metal. A large bow sat on the back of her head. Sheathed to her leg was a sword, about as long as her forearm and glowing with a faint light.
"Hello?" said Coraline. "Norman? Susie? Anyone?"
Her voice echoed off the cavern walls.
Summoning her bravery, she pressed forward. The caverns were quiet, too quiet, so she hummed along to herself to break the silence.
The further she went, the darker it became. The darker it became, the more Coraline began to worry. It became harder to stay brave, and just as her song was about to turn into a cry, she saw a light.
It was a lantern, but Coraline cared more about the person holding it. Wirt stood behind the lantern, and behind him were the others. They had changed outfits as well. Each one of them had different parts of armor; Norman wore a breastplate like hers, Dipper had armor covering his entire right arm, and Mabel her left, and Wirt and Greg wore random bits of greaves and cuisses that covered about half their legs. Between the six of them, they could probably make one complete suit of armor. Beneath that, their clothes had also changed. Greg now had an apron that was two sizes too big around his torso, Wirt had a bandana wrapped around his neck, and Dipper had a pair of goggles resting above the brim of his hat. Mabel had changed completely, now wearing a purple sweater with the symbol of the Underground in white that looked too much like Toriel's robes, with a matching purple skirt. The only one who looked like he had not changed clothes was Norman, but maybe Coraline just could not tell what was different in the darkness.
"There you are," said Wirt, breathing a sigh. "We were getting worried."
"I'm still worried," said Coraline. "This place is even weirder."
"Maybe," said Greg, "But at least it's honest with how scary it is, unlike that other place."
The others started to debate with Greg, but Coraline tuned them out. Her attention turned to the giant dust piles behind them. One was moving.
Coraline inched closer and closer, as slowly as she dared lest she get spotted. Using her sword, she poked at the cloud of dust. It collapsed.
"H-hey! Back off! C-come any closer and I'll…"
Susie had only become more vibrant in the darkness, her dark purple skin and darker hair now looking more magenta. She had a costume change as well, clothes that were more deliberately punk and less disheveled, but she lacked the armor the humans had gained.
"Phew, it's just you," said Susie. "D-don't scare me like that, dumbass! Unless you want to get clocked in the face!"
Coraline rolled her eyes, d̶e̶t̵e̸r̸m̷i̵n̴e̸d̵ to make sure Susie knew she was not scared of her.
"Do you know what this place is?" She asked.
"Are you joking?" said Susie. "You got us into this mess, you get us out!"
"We're just as in the dark as you are, Susie," said Wirt.
"Yeah, right," said Susie. "And am I just supposed to assume that six humans just showed up out of nowhere and have nothing to do with all this weird shit going on?"
"Hey guys?" said Greg.
"Not now, Greg," said Wirt. "So you mean you've never seen us before?"
"Of course not!" said Susie. "There's never been any humans in Hometown!"
"Guys," said Greg.
"But that doesn't make sense," said Dipper. "Alphys recognized us, and Toriel recognized you guys, and no one else in class acted like there was anything wrong…"
"Guys!" said Greg. "Someone up there is waving at us!"
Their gaze drifted upwards. There was someone standing at the edge of the cliff above them, too hidden in the shadows to make out properly. Wirt raised the lantern, but was met with two spade-shaped monster bullets.
"Run!" said Dipper.
It was not a regular monster fight. Even as she ran away, the spade bullets followed her, brushing up against the Soul that had burst from her chest. It seemed the storm of bullets was endless, even when the road they were running on wasn't.
"Quick, this way!" said Susie as she jumped into the darkness.
It was not like she had much choice. Coraline followed her.
It took Wirt a second to get back up to his feet after that fall. He had fallen for so long, he was surprised that he did not take any damage.
"Oh, you're not dead. Sweet," said Susie. She sounded a little disappointed. "Any idea what this place is?"
They no longer had to rely on his lantern for light. The street in front of them was illuminated by blue-flame torches. The buildings looked like someone out of a fairy tale, untouched by time. And perhaps they were untouched by anyone, because the streets were absolutely empty. At the end of the road, a castle loomed before the empty town. A black geyser emerged from it, piercing endlessly into the sky.
"Why the hell is there a castle inside a supply closet?" said Susie, once they had all recovered from the fall and started to press forward.
"I don't think we're in the supply closet anymore…" said Coraline.
"Greetings, heroes…"
"Who's there?" said Wirt.
"Do not be alarmed," said the voice. "I am not your enemy. Please come forward, all of you…"
The figure waited for them at the steps of the castle. Even with Wirt's lantern, they were completely shrouded in the darkness.
"Welcome," said the stranger. "I am the Prince of this Kingdom, the Kingdom of Darkness. There is a legend in this land. A legend that one day heroes of light will arrive, and fulfill the ancient prophecy foretold by time and space. Please, heroes, listen to my tale."
The seven heroes shared a glance with each other.
"Uh…no thanks," said Wirt. "We're kind of already on our own quest, we don't need anyone else's."
"Umm r-really? Are you sure?" said the stranger. "It's fairly important. And... um, in my opinion, it's a really nice prophecy! I think you'd quite like it!"
"I wanna hear it," said Greg.
"Fine, whatever," said Wirt.
"Phew!" said the stranger. "Um, very well then…
Once upon a time, a legend was whispered among shadows.
It was a legend of HOPE. It was a legend of DREAMS.
It was a legend of LIGHT. It was a legend of DARK.
This is the legend of DELTARUNE.
For millennia, light and darkness have lived in balance, bringing peace to the WORLD. But if this harmony were to shatter…a terrible calamity would occur.
The sky will run black with terror, and the land will crack with fear. Then, her heart pounding, the EARTH will draw her final breath. Only then, shining with h̸͔̅ǒ̷̱p̶̱̎e̷̹̕, three HEROES appear at WORLD's edge. Only they can seal the fountains and banish the ANGEL'S HEAVEN. Only then will balance be restored, and the WORLD saved from destruction.
Today, the FOUNTAIN OF DARKNESS—the geyser that gives this land form—stands tall at the center of the kingdom. But recently, another fountain has appeared on the horizon. And with it, the balance of LIGHT and DARK begins to shift…
I truly believe that you are the Heroes of the Legend. That despite whatever enemies you may face…you have the courage to save the world. Please, won't you accept your destiny?"
"Can we…" said Wirt. "Talk about this first?"
He turned around and pulled the others close, trying his best to prevent this Prince of Darkness from overhearing them.
"So, is any of this familiar to anyone?" said Wirt.
The others shook their heads.
"It can't be the Underground," said Dipper. "We saw the monsters on the surface!"
"We did fall underground, though," said Mabel.
"We still don't know what was going on up there, anyway," said Coraline. "We should be focusing on that before we get involved in any more prophecies."
"But we're gonna be down here anyway," said Norman. "So why not try and help some people out?"
"It's none of my business," said Susie. "The end of the world might even be kind of fun."
"You live in this world—" said Coraline.
She was cut off by the sound of an explosion behind her.
Where the stranger once sat was now another monster on a bicycle. The monster was obviously young, but unlike other monsters they had run in to, he did not seem to be made from anything. He was somewhat humanoid and just slightly shorter than Greg, with paper-white skin and black and blue clothing that seemed to blend in with each other. His face was obscured by a blue hood, casting a spade-shaped shadow.
"Ho ho ho," said the monster. "The heroes are already running away…and they didn't even know I was here. My dad's gonna make me Son of the Month!"
"Who the hell are you?" said Susie.
"I'm…" the monster did wheelies on his bike, as if to emphasize his point. "The bad guy! So you clowns want to seal our Dark Fountain, huh? And—still picturing you guys as clowns—save the world from eternal darkness?"
"Well…" said Wirt.
"Don't try to deny it!" said the bad guy. "We both know you'll head East! It's your only way home! But I, Lancer, won't let you get there! I've got a flawless plan to ensure it! One: I thrash you. Two: you lose!"
"Hmm…" said Susie. "Nice plan."
"R-really?" said Lancer.
"Yeah. Mind if we use it on you instead?"
Lancer busts in!
WIRT HP 90/90
*FIGHT *ACT *ITEM *DEFEND *SPARE
TP 0%
What was that? The image was gone just as quickly as it had appeared, and the fight began.
The others looked just as uncertain as he felt. They exchanged looks at one another, wondering who would act, and how.
"Uh," said Mabel. "I'm not sure where your body ends and your clothes begin?"
Lancer preened at the compliment.
Susie, on the other hand, had no qualms about fighting. She lunged towards Lancer, axe at the ready.
"Lancer, look out!" said Greg.
Lancer wheelied out of the way of Susie's attack.
"Thanks, clowns!" said Lancer.
Whatever good will Wirt felt in protecting Lancer soon faded as Lancer's turn began. He blazed towards them, ready to run their Souls over. Wirt barely had enough time to jump out of the way. Instead of crashing into the wall like he had h̸͔̅ ǒ̷̱p̶̱̎e̷̹̕d, Lancer kept charging forward. His bike scaled the castle walls. Lancer threw out more spade-shaped bullets as he flipped onto the ceiling.
TP 2%
"Wait, wait a second!" said Lancer. "My bike's running out of fuel. Alright you punk-a-roos! You had the luck of the draw this time, but next time the losers will be you! See you later, losers! I gotta get home before dinner!"
You won!
Got 0 EXP and 35D$!
"Are you all alright?" said the Prince of the dark.
The prince had been knocked to his feet in the scuffle, his hood discarded, but that hardly mattered. His body was still covered in thick robes, minty green and hand-stitched, and his face was still covered by a wizard-like hat. But it was enough for them to see wild tuffs of hair sticking out of from where his head was supposed to be, a pair of glasses and the light it reflected giving him some sense of a face, and a berry-red scarf wrapped around his neck.
"Um…perhaps I should introduce myself…" said the Prince. "I'm Ralsei. It's ever so wonderful to meet you! I'm sure we're going to become great friends and—"
"Best way out of here is East, right?" said Susie.
"Yes! That's where we'll—"
"Got it," said Susie. "See you at school. Or, you know, maybe not."
She was gone before anyone could stop her. Although, Wirt was not sure if any of them wanted to make the attempt.
"Well," said Ralsei. "Guess it's just us, then."