Words of note
Hello everyone. Author here, and before I get on to the chapter, I wanted to elaborate on some bits and pieces behind the scenes.
Think of this as a bit of an explanation to context, and some appropriate disclaimers. This fanfic is nothing short of late to the party, and as I've said before - a lot of the ideas and concepts I wanted to use have already been taken.
The concepts in question that I wanted to use have already been used by the OverTale (or HumanTale, as it's also called), UnderWar, UnderKeep, GlitchTale, SoulsTale (a crossover between DarkSouls and Undertale) AUs along with who-knows how many other ideas.
This phenomenon is what I like to call "Simpsons did it first" – it doesn't matter how original you try to be. Chances are, someone else has already done it, and it's going to be used long after we're all gone.
However, this conundrum does raise an interesting question;
Does it matter how original something is - be it a story, a game, or in my case - a fanfic - as long as it's actually good?
Perhaps that question isn't really important at the moment, but I think I've said more than enough.
Undertale and all respective characters Belong to Toby Fox.
Kings' tale/KingsTale is a non-canon work that I've created.
Thank you for your time. Enjoy the story!
CHAPTER 3
- The Surface -
Green Gold Castle – an almost colossal fortress built short of what seemed like a few hundred feet into the upper mountainside of Mount Ebbot's neighbors. Four walls divided the Castle into four easily defensible vantage points. Two inner walls and two outer walls. Five gatehouses stood sturdy and vigilant for any potential attacker – loaded to the brim with pure unpleasantness for any uninvited guest.
The sun shone overhead – a harsh light emitting from its barely yellow flames…
...
The monsters have - with permission - built a campsite within the fourth wall of Green Gold's massive space. Even with all the monsters from the underground, there was still a lot of room within the fourth wall. From the outermost gatehouse, Toriel gazed outward at the almost colorless skyline with hurt on her face.
The landscape was a thousand different shades of colorless grey with hints of faded variants of what the surface was in memory – dull grey greens for grass, dark colorless brown was the bark for trees, the mountainsides barely retained any form of tan, blue or lush grey as the stone varied rock by rock. The only exception being Mount Ebbot, far to the east.
The most colorful thing any of the monsters have seen were the castle walls, and the stone itself was as black as Hotland's obsidian.
Toriel never remembered the surface being like this - drained of hope and tainted by something darker than anyone could fathom...
...
Frisk - back from the meeting with King Adrian, gently walking up to grab Toriel by her hand. Frisk - guiding Toriel back to the monsters' area - as Toriel did for Frisk what felt like mere hours ago...
"The Royal Guard is back in business then?"
A familiar fish-looking individual blurted into the crowd of monsters.
"Yes" a tall, familiar, purple-caped goat with a small crown replied.
Dogamy, Dogaressa, and the entire guard let out a loud sigh of relief.
"For a moment, I thought we lost our jobs forever."
"King Fluffybu-" *SMACK* "Oof!"
"Not in front of the humans, you dolt!"
"... Okay. As I was saying, the King's not done speaking yet. Also, did you really need to hit me?"
Awkward silence among the monster crowd...
"Yes."
Frisk and Toriel maintained their pace. With Asgore and Undyne at the center of the mass gathering, Toriel took initiative and moved further into the crowd - trying to get closer to Asgore while holding Frisk's hand. Frisk noticed her grip. It was tighter than it was whenever Toriel guided her through the ruins and the long spike puzzle.
She's concerned about something… But what?
"The Human king has made it apparent in our terms - Ambassador Frisk as my witness, that the safety of monsters is not in his interests." The King in Purple resumed.
"To quote him exactly - 'You protect your people, I protect my people'. Another one of his terms is that we are also not to bring harm to any human here for the duration of our stay. In return…"
Asgore looked down again… He knew what he needed to tell his subjects, but his strength to do so refused to come easily. Undyne, knowing Asgore – having sparred with him, having Asgore take her on as a student when she was just a little punk almost knew that what Asgore was about to tell them was not something he wanted to tell them.
"In return… We share with King Adrian our knowledge and technology."
For a people whose entire existence was on the line, the crowd took the news surprisingly well… Save a few of the guards, some scientists, and a specific few monsters that knew what Asgore was talking about when he said "Technology". Thankfully, those specific monsters present were few - Undyne, Alphys, Sans, anyone that's heard of a Gaster Blaster, and…
"YOU PROMISED HIM WHAT?!"
Toriel stepped forward – Frisk held close by the hand until they were finally at Asgore's side. Upon seeing Frisk again, Undyne took a sigh of relief that her friend was present, if only for the moment.
"We need to talk later on a different subject still!"
Toriel whispered into Asgore's floppy goat-ear before backing off.
Seeing their former queen distressed, it didn't take much brains for the crowd to realize that the technology the monsters were using, and the knowledge available to them wasn't as short of harmless as they had initially hoped. It didn't take long for concerns to be voiced among themselves.
"Oh, that's why Asgore needs the guard back."
"Duration of stay? Are we going to be kicked out?"
"Can we even trust the humans? How good even is the word of a human? I'm not talking about Frisk, I mean THESE humans!"
"Where would we even go, or run to? Everything in this barely colored world looks the same!"
"Barely colored? Everything I see is GREY!"
"Because everything IS grey, Doggo! That's not your eyes.
"EVERYTHING IN THIS WORLD IS COLORLESS AND GREY!"
More guards arose their concerns.
"There was more color back in the Underground than here, and it HURTS me to say that!"
"Ever since we got here, everything about this land just feels WRONG!"
"Why are we even here?"
"We spent DECADES wishing at the echo flowers to see the surface, and this is it? This colorless world that feels like it can turn on us at any moment?"
"The barrier wasn't keeping us in, it was keeping the humans out!"
"I don't want to die here because I wanted to be free!"
"If I knew the surface sucked, I would've stayed underground where I feel safe!"
"SHUT IT!"
Undyne, with her commanding presence yelled at the top of her lungs – ceasing the crowd's noise – her voice reverberating off the sides of the mountain. A passing crowd of humans – soldiers, serfs, and citizens paused to Undyne's call as well.
After a brief silence, Undyne mustered herself together.
I need to raise morale… I'm not letting anyone give up on Asgore yet!
I can't let anyone give up yet! Everyone's hopes and dreams…
I can't let them stop yet! I can't let them give up hope!
I need… To keep them together! Keep hope alive!
"We were sealed under that oversized rock known as Mount Ebbot for TWO THOUSAND YEARS!"
Undyne continued.
"Not a single one of us could've known that the surface would look like this. Not even Frisk!
"And now, we're finally free… We're finally HERE, above ground. Free from our prison! Isn't that what all of us wanted?
"Isn't that what we spent centuries underneath that mountain, wishing to the echo flowers for? Hoping for? DREAMING for?!
"To see the stars under a night sky? To breathe the surface air as the wind blows into our faces?"
Undyne spoke of the wind, and just then a wind from the north made itself present to the audience. Journeying south into everyone's sense of touch, the wind gently caressed Undyne's hair unto itself as the southbound wind passed them by.
... Moment of silence, then Undyne Resumed.
"What matters is that we're free. Our prophecy of the Angel is fulfilled! The underground will go empty, it IS empty! Every one of monster kind is free!"
Frisk clutched her heart locket. Her soul aching – aware that the underground still had someone in it. Someone she had to leave behind.
No… Asriel's still in there… As… That emotionless flower… Suffering…
And I can't do anything about it…
Undyne resumed.
"Don't you remember your struggles trapped under that rock?
"The hopelessness we faced?
"Our battles with despair - both shared and personal?
"Despite that powerful enemy, we lived - no, we THRIVED underground - Dreaming and hoping for a life on the surface REGARDLESS of the new challenges that awaited us up here - in absolute defiance of a force that despises us for no reason save we have the audacity not to lay down and die!
"Now you punks want to 'go back' because we still have to deal with those same forces of despair that we've been fighting and winning against for two thousand years?
"You're going to just 'give up' like those two thousand years meant nothing to you?!"
... No response from the crowd of monsters, but from the humans who were paying attention - a soldier from the wall above them took off his helmet, and yelled down.
"Hey... Life hasn't really been sunshine and rainbows for us up here either... But... If we haven't given up yet...Then..."
He paused. Something was forming around his eyes. Wiping it away with his fist, the wall guard took another deep breath.
"Then... THEN NEITHER SHOULD ANY OF YOU!"
Frisk's grip on her locket only tightened.
Those were the same words Undyne told me whenever I failed to save them... Those words of encouragement...
Another soldier from the wall walked beside the man, took off his helmet and gave his own two cents.
"Fish lady!"
Undyne rolled her eyes instead of chucking a spear at him - entertaining her personal moment of déjà vu.
"We don't really live as long as you guys, but... But your hope for a better future... If you're gonna keep hoping for that future, then...
"Then... We'll hope for that with you - alongside you!"
Another soldier - this time from ground level raised his spear and yelled to Undyne.
"You haven't given up hope, we won't loose it either!"
More humans gathered around from the wall and the ground - the monsters feeling the ache of hopelessness, hollowness, and loneliness from the humans' souls as hope slowly returned to the humans.
Undyne looked down - humbled by their words, she was unable to meet any of their gaze.
I wanted to give everyone hope. Instead I gave everyone hope... Heh... Ironic.
Undyne managed to equip a smile, then silence.
...The wind gently howled as the harbinger of more silence. The humans eventually started returning to their duties as the silence carried on - tears of solace on some of their faces from Undyne's speech.
* The silence has finally been interrupted.
"WAIT, SO DOES THAT MEAN I GET TO BE A ROYAL GUARD NOW?" Announced a familiar tall skeleton with a red scarf and no concept of an indoor voice.
Undyne tried to conceal it, but a surprised giggle still wheezed it's way out. Others from among the gathering were having similar fits - the human members were already trying to fight back tears. Undyne took another breath.
"Yes Papyrus. The war with humans is SUPPOSE to be over, but with the surface not really being as great as we originally hoped - the royal guard is indeed back, which means monsters can enlist for it again".
"BUT CAN I JOIN IT THOUGH? WHEN ASGORE TOLD ME IT DISBANDED I THOUGHT-"
"That was the Old Guard. We're establishing a new one."
Undyne interrupted Papyrus - still showing respect to her closest friend, she signaled the tall skeleton.
"Just get over here you!"
Papyrus, in his battle body made at a costume party obliged while making one request.
"PLEASE DON'T NOOGIE THE SKELETON!"
"We're just going to have you recite the Guard's Oath Papyrus. You're going to be fine."
"WOWIE! HUMAN FRISK. I TAKE BACK WHAT I SAID - THIS IS THE BEST POSSIBLE ENDING EVER!"
Papyrus took a knee, and in the presence of the monsters and some by-standing humans - Asgore, Undyne and Papyrus went over the New Royal Guard's Oath.