I grabbed the stone brick ledge under a window as I fell from being tossed upward by gravity. I scrambled to get a firm grip on it and nearly fell off, back down the nearly mile high cliff I just flew up. I was finally able to pull myself up and got my back against the window to catch my breath...
Phase one complete.
Now I just had to get in this place. Carefully, I turned around on the ledge to the window, but this thing had no latches or anything to open it, it was a solid pane of glass stunk in the brick wall. I pressed my face against it to try and see inside, but the stained-glass was pretty dense. I could make out light coming from other windows across the room, and that this was the second floor of it. I checked around the edges of the window, finding sealed pretty tight all around. Except for one spot. I summoned a thin bone and wedged it into the gap, slowly prying the window loose from its seal. After loosening it about half-way around, it began to come loose enough to move out of place. I carefully moved it, setting it sideways in the frame, and had my way in.
I slipped inside and hopped down onto the top of a bookshelf that was under the window. A quick glance around confirmed this was the library, as the walls were lined with book shelves. Empty bookshelves to my surprise. I got down to the floor, which was more of a balcony over the ground floor, and began my search for Chara's soul. While looking around, I found a book that had been left behind, and out of curiosity, I gave its contents a glance over. And uh, hm, yeah, I can't read whatever language this is. Shame.
I got down to the ground floor and began searching it, but all I found were overturned tables and chairs, in such a way that I got the impression they had been used as a defense. The more I looked around, the more signs of battle I found, confirming that idea. Something had happened here, and these tables were used—
I flinched at what I found behind one of the tables.
A human...
From a long, long time ago it looked like. I'd almost think they were a skeleton monster with the way they looked now. Guess it's true they don't turn to dust like monsters do… Their shield was nearby, and it had a crest on it, a golden dragon wearing a crown. Interesting choice. I found the same crest on some old banners around the room, telling me this human was on the defending party of the battle, against attacking monsters it seemed by the magical marks left on the stone. I thought it was the humans who attacked the monsters, not the other way around...
Something doesn't feel right about this place… What happened here…?
Focus Semi. Find the soul first.
I searched the entire room and found no clues to the soul's whereabouts, but it was here, I could sense it. I stood in the middle of the room trying to pinpoint it, but what I was sensing was too faint for it to be in this room. It was in this castle, but where at exactly I couldn't tell.
A gasp came from behind me suddenly, and I acted out of instinct, firing off magic attacks as I turned around. Someone came walking up through the dust my attacks had stirred up, so I prepared another round of attacks-
I was knocked in the head with what looked like… a frying pan…?
"Ah splinters.." I groaned, struggling to get back up.
Someone picked up the pan from beside me, and I heard it slap against bone. I looked up in fear...
"Is that any way to greet me Semi? With a wall of magic?!" she shouted angrily at me. "Don't answer that!" she cut me off. "You are such an impulsive person..." she complained.
It... There was no— It couldn't be—! She... She was alive! She was standing over me, angry, with her weapon of choice in hand; a cast iron skillet. She looked so much like Arial, or Arial looked like her I mean, heh.
I stepped towards her, and she was quick to pin me under the skillet to halt me.
"Before you say anything; yes it is really me, and yes..." she moved the pan away to look at me. "It is... really you..." she said with some shock at me. "A... much older you..." she realized.
She looked no different then the last time I saw her. She had no signs of age on her, not like I did now. How is it she's been gone for so long, yet nothing's changed? She was exactly how she was when she… left me… We had stupid big argument, mostly over me and my attitude, which she was right about all along, and she just… left… and rightly so… I didn't mean the horrible things I said to her that night, but I'm sure she did, because she was right, and I knew it but didn't listen. If I had maybe she wouldn't have disappeared, and I could have apologized…
This is hard to relive after all these years...
"Oh don't give me that look Semi." she folded her arms. "You do not seem to have changed any in attitude." she huffed.
"Calibri..." I hesitated to say anything "I-I have changed, not as much as you'd like I'm sure, but—"
"Oh?" she cut me off, looking at me with disappointment.
"Yeah, heh, I.. .I uh..." I was lost for words, because their were none to say to prove I had changed in any amount. "I'm just glad to see you alive!" I cried out.
She huffed at that and looked away from me. I wanted to say something, but I didn't know what was worth saying... expect that I was sorry for what happened. But she didn't seem especially willing to listen to me. And I don't blame her. So I left her and kept looking for the soul. I'll probably end up searching the whole castle for it.
"Wait, you're not going to ask me anything?" she said surprised. I shrugged in reply and kept on. "What are you even here for...?" she asked.
"A human soul. There's a human kid in town that wanted me to get it back for them, so I came looking for it." I answered. She didn't say anything, so I stopped. I can't ignore her like this… "Calibri I… I'm sorry..." I said softly.
She didn't reply right away, but I heard her snicker.
"Pardon? I did not hear you." she held back from laughing.
"I'm sorry." I said a little louder.
"Come again?" she said, her tone sarcastic.
"I. AM. SORRY." I turned to her.
"Sorry, you say?" she walked over to me with a smug look on her face. "Since when is the Royal Knight Semi Gaster ever sorry?" she mocked me.
"I deserve this." I whimpered.
"Indeed you do. But, you do not deserve... whatever it is that has happened to you." she stated with concern.
"Age? No I deserve that too." I replied.
She knelt down and looked me over with worry in her expression.
"How long have I been gone?" she asked.
"30 odd years." I told her.
She winced in surprise.
"No. That... That cannot be right at all!" she said in shock.
"Looking at you, I can hardly believe it myself, but it's the truth." I stated. She looked at the floor in disbelief. "That's why I'm glad to see you alive Calibri..." I sighed, hesitating to reach out to her. "I never found you after you left so I could... apologize... I thought you'd..." I strained to get out.
"Semi I—" she hesitated. "I had no idea I would be here for that long, and yet, it has not been that long for me..." she shivered.
Didn't think of that, huh? You should have before you— No. Hold your temper Semi old boy. This is no time to get mad, you have no reason to. Whatever happened to her was probably not her fault.
"Could he have known...?" she asked herself.
"Who?" I asked her. She quickly looked away. "Who Calibri? The one who got you stuck here?" I my temper started to sound in my voice.
"N-no, well... yes. Yes, it is." she told me nervously.
"How did you get here anyway? And what are you doing in this death trap of a castle?" I glanced around for those monsters the human had mentioned.
"I'm not exactly sure myself. Your brother did not explain things to me." she told me.
"My brother? W.D?" I asked in shock.
She didn't readily answer me, she seem greatly disturbed. I gave her the time she needed to answer.
"W-When I... left you... I went to your brother for help." she began to explain. "I asked him what to do, about what was happening between you two, and how to stop it. But instead of addressing it, he..." she paused. I stepped closer to pressure her to continue. "He gave me the Star Blade, and told me to wait here, in the Void." she stated.
Why...? Why did he—
"Wait! The Star Blade is here?! Where is it?" I asked in a panic.
I had been lookin' for that thing for years! No wonder I never found it! It's been in a completely different dimension this whole time!
She quickly covered my mouth and looked around, then pushed me over to the wall out of the light from the windows.
"It's up ahead, just before the throne room where the Rift is." she told me quietly as she kept my mouth shut. "When W.D sent me here, I came out of the Rift at this castle." she made another cautious glance around. "The human here, the other part of the monster, is guarding the Star Blade along with the Rift. He has forced me to work on repairing it ever since it suddenly appeared in this world, so he can escape back to our world." she explained.
Forcing her to repair the Rift? Why that dirty no good lazy head human—! They think they can capture someone and use them to escape? Worst yet, my former best friend? I don't think so!
Calibri thankfully kept me quiet as I got worked up over this.
"I know where the soul is too; it's at the Rift." she explained. "If you take it, the Rift will not have a power source—" Strange sounds from one of the hallways leading here cut her off. "You trust me still, yes?" she quickly asked me. I nodded to her with an affirmative hum, and she quickly moved us away from the wall, as the strange sounds drew closer. "DO NOT go on the roof." she warned in a hushed tone. "Get to the throne room, across the land bridge at the back of the castle, and get the soul and sword." she told me.
"W-what about you?" I whispered.
She tapped her face to the top of my skull.
"Don't worry about me. I will keep the way clear for you." she stated.
"Cal—"
She grabbed me and tossed me with her magic up to the second floor balcony. I flopped onto it and got up to head back down, but the strange sounds were here now. I edged over to glance down at Calibri as she faced whatever it was that was here. I could hear her speaking, but whoever she was talking to was speaking too low for me to hear from here.
"Yes I know." she told them. "N-no, of course not." she replied to them. "Tell him this takes time, I don't know nearly as much as W.D about how the thing works!" she shouted angrily. "Alright alright!" she shouted as she stepped back nervously. "I swear, this will not go as he thinks it will. Someone will put a stop to his plan." she stated angrily.
I could tell she wanted to look up at me, but she kept her eyes on who she was talking to, to protect me, and herself. As she left the room under the walkway, I stepped back from the edge as quietly as I could. Then waited… When I didn't hear anything, I quietly walked towards the open window I had come in through, and tossed myself up to the top of the bookshelf to climb back out onto the ledge. I leaned against the window frame for a moment, noticing my hand shaking as I held it up. I had no idea what was going on, how this had happened, or what exactly I was going to do. One thing was for certain though...
They're not keeping you here Calibri. I swear I'll get you out of here.
Stars, it's been too long since I've scaled stone brick walls, and these weren't exactly the best ones to climb either, a lot of them were loose and made for risky handholds.
I heard movement above me at one point, along the top of the wall, so I paused and kept quiet as I listen to them pass. I was under the battlement outcropping of the wall, so I would remain unseen as long as they didn't look too far over the edge. I didn't sense anything from them; no soul, no life, no emotion. Just dark magic it felt like. The only way I knew they were there was the sound of their footsteps, which were pretty quiet. They soon passed by, whoever and whatever they were, making the same strange noise I had heard earlier when they came for Calibri. Once I was sure they were past me, I continued climbing the crumbling brick wall towards the back of the castle.
I wanted to stay on the outside of this place, but I was running out of wall, and to reach the Star Blade I'd have to walk the land bridge to the other cliff-side. As I came to the back wall of the castle I searched for a way inside, finding a way through a large opening, one created by a powerful blast of magic from the inside it looked like. I navigated through it, dodging leftover black magic on the stone, and got myself inside. Inside, it was clear a conflict had taken place here; a black magic user against a group of humans.
These fallen human soldiers were different from the last I had seen. Upon further inspection, I found they wore the Delta Rune in its old form, but, these were humans for sure, not monsters, all wearing the crest of the Monster Kingdom...
I wish I had time to investigate this.
One of the fallen humans had a shied with them, also bearing the Delta Rune on it. I walked over to the poor guy and asked to borrow it, he had no objections, so I got it equipped, strapped tight to my arm. I felt I bit more confident with some real gear on me; I knew it wouldn't disappear the moment I lost my focus like my magic would. And I admit, it did make me feel more heroic, heh. With it being a small shield it didn't weigh me down much, but gave me some extra defense, which I was glad to have.
I quietly left the room into a large hallway, the signs of battle more intense here; weapons broken and scattered, black magic scarring the stone… The attacking forces, whoever they were, must have charged through here towards the throne room, merciless to the defending party. So I'm going the right way I guess, just follow the trail od destruction… I kept my focus ahead of me, walking through the soft light from the windows past torn paintings and banners. The only thing that distracted me was a suit of armor that was still together.
It won't fit you old boy, just keep walking...
The same strange sounds echoed down the hallway, and I raced to find someplace to hide. I found a doorway leading out of the hallway and quickly darted through it, finding a spot to hide behind a bookcase. I listened to the sounds passing by, and tried to catch a peek at the source, but all I saw was the tail end of them; a dark fuzzy magic. I heard nothing but the soft airy sounds that emanated from them, and still sensed nothing. Were they even really there I wonder? How can something exist, yet... not seem to be alive…
As I waited to be sure they were gone, I heard the sound of a breeze from the other end of the room. I walked over to a door and felt the breeze coming under it from the other side. I snuck through the door, opening it only enough for me to squeeze through, and found myself outside on a stone walkway. Pillars held up an old roof over the walkway, covered in gray toned vines and moss, and beyond them I could see the other cliff side. Straight ahead out over the walkway was my target. A stone wall lining the cliff's edge blocked my view of the building beyond it. I scanned the wall and found the archway that led through it at the end of land bridge, the bridge's other end reaching this side not far from here, just down the walkway. I made the mistake of glancing down below, seeing the river passing under the land bridge at least a mile below. Try not to fall Semi, heh.
I kept my eyes on the bridge as I walked down the walkway, seeing it had no railings, no walls, no bushes; nothing I could use for cover. It was a simple dirt and brick path, right out in the wide open space. As I came to the end of the walkway I glanced up at the back of the castle. It looked like there was a walkway at the top of the wall, meaning I would probably be spotted the moment I walked out on the barren land bridge. Cally had warned me about the roof, so I had no doubt someone was up there. I made sure the shield was on me tight. It was about to get some use.
A detailed archway marked the beginning of the land bridge as I came off the stone walkway, all covered in vines and moss like the rest of the stonework out here. The shimmering gray tones of the Void were almost beautiful here, but a broken lantern that once hung here, now laying shattered nearby, reminded me that I was in a post-war zone. I peered at the wall at the other end of the bridge for movement, but it was quiet.
For now.
I wonder if Calibri is back over there by now... I hope she is. Something tells me I won't be able to come back across for her if she's in the castle. This is going to be a one way trip from here out. I glanced around for one of the star like anomalies I could use to SAVE myself, but, none were around that I could find. Guess the Void wasn't as torn on a dimensional level as my own. I'll have to do this on the one and only try I get I guess. No pressure. Relax Semi, you can handle whatever comes...
I walked out onto the defenseless land bridge. The constant Void breeze came across the bridge stronger than it did at ground level, it was really more of a wind up here with nothing to block it. The grass shimmered as the wind blew it to one side, creating a sort of dazzling effect. I glanced ahead across the bridge, through the archway in wall, and saw something else shimmering in the Void's ambient light. It was out in the middle of a clearing that came after the wall. Was it... the Star Blade? I picked up my pace on seeing it, my hope raising.
A black arrow immediately struck the ground in front of me, stopping me in my tracks. Glancing up, I saw the attacker, a dark magical monster; tons of them lined across the wall. They had no definite form, no soul I could sense, and seemed to just be made of magic, like the monster of hate himself. One of them locked their white eyed sights on me as they summoned a new arrow into their bow. The others did the same. An arrow came from behind me, grazing my cheek bone before striking the ground. I glanced back to see more of these monsters on the castle wall. There was a whole army up there it looked like. Guess that's why Cally said not to take the roof. I was right smack dab in the middle of the land bridge, so I was within both their firing ranges. I looked between them as they stood staring at me, none of them showing any sort of emotion with their white eyes. Are they waiting for me to have my turn or something? They all looked ready to fire their arrows on me. Maybe I could...
"Come on fellas! Can we talk this out?" I shouted at them, my tone friendly as I could make it. "We're all civilized monsters here aren't we?" I asked. They took aim at me. "Alright then." I shrugged.
They let all their arrows loose at once, something I was hoping they would not do. I hurried forward to dodge the arrows, using the shield to deflect some of them away. While I was distracted by the arrows, some sword wielding monsters got the jump on me. A group of larger monsters rammed me, knocking me back across the bridge. I was back in the center of the bridge now, and as I recovered, more came from behind me. I turned around in time to block an attack from them, dodging the next few swings as I got myself equipped with a bone sword. I countered a few attacks with it before I was attacked from the back. I narrowly dodged the attack from behind, but the next swing got me and I was slapped in the face, and knocked clear off the land bridge. The breeze of the Void surrounded me as I fell...
What are you worried about? I got gravity magic, remember? Heh.
Changing my gravitational pull, I was able to land on the underside of the land bridge. I heard the monsters roar, so I figured they knew what I was doing and hurried across the bridge towards the far end. Once there, I tossed myself back around topside, the monsters of course waiting for me.
One of the bigger ones slammed its fist into me and knocked me straight back like a rocket through the archway into the clearing. I hit the stone brick pavement and went skidding across it almost fast enough to catch fire from the friction. I definitely got some stone burn from that, but at least I was where I needed to be. The monsters didn't give me time to recover, I could hear their arrows being launched as I got back on my feet. I made a quick glance behind me, and as I had hoped, the Star Blade was just a few feet away. It really was here, just sittin' there sparkling in the ambient light, struck into the stone brick ground. I can't believe it was here all this time. Needless to say, I ran for it. So did the monsters behind me. Arrows came down all around me, one hitting me, but I ignored it and made a giant leap for the Star Blade, reaching out to grab its hilt—!
A sword cut me off and knocked me aside, slamming me to the ground hard enough to crack bones. I was paralyzed from the impact for a moment, a long enough moment for the dark monsters to grab me and stand me up as they held me tight in their cold formless hands. Their dark magic swords crossed my neck from both sides, and I was caught. This situation sure changed quick...
"My my… What an attempt." I heard someone laugh.
Walking towards me was a tall, cloaked being, wielding a curved blade that had a dark gray ribbon tied around its hilt. As they got closer, I realized they were human. It was the dark soul human...! He stared down at me with a wide grin, straightening his wide brimmed hat. His red hued eyes were covered by his messy black hair, but I could see his intentions in them. And they're weren't good.
"Much more exciting then Calibri's." he smiled with a soft chuckle.
"Semi!" I heard Calibri yell out.
I glanced to the side and saw her get caught by monsters at the entrance to the throne room across the clearing. They held her back despite her struggles to get free using her magic, dodging her attacks and thrashes. They got her subdued, and she looked my way with great worry. Looking back at the human, I noticed him seem amused at me.
"Ah, so youareSemi Gaster, monster soul of Pride." he narrowed his eyes at me.
"And you must be the missing piece to the monster's soul." I replied.
"I AM our soul." he stated, almost angrily. "But alas, Mastic has all our collective resolve; our actual power." he explained.
"WP...?" I wondered out loud. "That would explain why it— he, can't hold his form." I understood from W.D's experiments in the past.
"Indeed." he muffled a laugh. "He is but power. And I am but form. You though, seem to be both." he peered at me with interest. "A monster with the power of a human—! I did not think it possible without the soul being absorbed." he smiled and stood back from me. "How I do wish I had time to study it." he grinned.
"Keep wishin' pal." I replied as a warning.
"I sense your fear monster." he smiled at me. "And such hate— It almost rivals Mastic's!" he laughed.
I tried to clam myself down in an effort to make it go away. Any negative feelings I had would be a weakness against this guy. Deep breaths Semi. Deep bre— The dark swords instantly pressed in closer on me, to hinder my efforts no doubt.
"You cannot run from yourself Semi. You may be able to control your other feelings, but your pride cannot be removed." he walked up beside me. "It is still there, is it not?" he leaned down and whispered.
"No." I answered.
"No..." he snickered. "We shall see." he walked around me on towards the Star Blade. "You say that with such confidence." he turned to me. "But I know how the monster soul works. Do you?" he asked.
"Go ahead and tell me regardless, it will give me more time to think of an escape plan." I invited him.
"I do like you monster..." he grinned. "You are not like most monsters I have encountered and studied. You have... resolve, not just in your soul but in your very being. Your stubborn pride has been the motivating force in all your thoughts and actions, and has ultimately been the cause of your downfall." he explained, then stopped, looking right at me for a moment. "You want to kill me." he stated plain faced.
I shivered. How could he sense that? I wasn't even thinking—!
"Oh, please, do not hide that feeling from me. It is refreshing to sense such hate and dread from a monster." he walked up to me smiling. "Break free from your weakness. Break away from the love, the compassion..." he closed in on me, leaning over to look me right in the face." The hope." he finished.
"Semi! No!" Calibri cried out.
I kept quiet and focused on the human.
"What will you do monster?" he asked.
I stared back at him, forcing my feelings down. As long as I could keep calm, I could focus on a way out of this without acting on pride or fear, or hate. The human grinned at me, then snapped his finger at the monsters holding Calibri. I heard her yelped, but didn't turn my gaze that direction. He won't kill her, he needs her for the Rift, and I won't let his tricks distract me. Splints, he needs me more though. He could easily get me to work on it instead if he claims my soul.
"My, not a care at all." he said amused.
I fought my fear, my hate, my sadness, even my pride— all of it! I had to stay calm. Focus on your options Semi. The Star Blade was here, and with it, I could stop him. I just had to get past him to it. As I thought about him, I found a possible weakness; he seemed the type to toy with his enemies, so he wouldn't kill me or Calibri, not right away anyway. This meant I had a chance to overpower him before that point, so the only thing left to worry about are the monsters with their swords at my throat.
"How fascinating..." he stepped back surprised.
He turned his back to me, gently sliding his sword across his open hand as he softly laughed, then he looked back at me. He turned, grinning, and locked his sights on me, with clear intentions. I felt dread like never before, but kept myself calm...
"You think you can purify your own soul?!" he charged at me in attack while laughing.
The monsters let go of me and scattered as he charged at me. I let myself fall backwards to the ground to dodge his attack, then rolled to the side as his sword came down on me. I got on my feet and wiped some dirt off the sleeve of my coat as we faced each other.
"Such resolve." he said impressed as he stepped towards me. "Such a waste." he then angrily charged at me with his sword.
I stood my ground, and at the last second, sidestepped his charge and made an immediate counter attack with a wave of bones from behind him. He took the attack, but didn't get knocked over by it. He turned to me smiling, as if the attack meant nothing to him.
"Yes! That is what I want to see from you monster! Show me just what your soul is capable of!" he held a fist up at me.
Dark monsters blocked off the Star Blade, so I kept my focus on the human and summoned a bone sword. I stood ready with it and my shield in anticipation of his next attack.
He grinned with excitement.
He rushed at me, making attack after attack with his sword. I dodged each one as he made them, trying to find a pattern in them, but there wasn't one, he was mindlessly striking at me with all his strength. I struggled to dodge them, even while using my gravity magic, but I kept waiting, hoping, for an opening, hopefully before he hit me. But he was too fast, our speed was matched, and I spent every moment dodging and blocking his attacks.
How can anyone move this fast without magic...?
He flashed a smile at me and made one last hard hitting attack, his sword slamming against my shield as I blocked it, and I was sent flying backwards off my feet, landing in a skid across the stone ground from the force of the attack. I struggled to get up from that one, he knocked the wind right out of me with it. I stood gasping for breath as he walked towards me, adjusting his hat as he looked at me from under the shadow it cast on his face. We faced each other for a moment as a strong breeze passed by over the clearing. I was going to let him have the first move again. Maybe this time I could find a way past him… I just have to the Blade…!
He frowned with disappointment of me not attacking, first and went ahead and did what I expected; another charge. I ducked under his swing at the last possible moment and threw myself forward under his feet to trip him over me. As soon as he was over me, I tossed myself upward and let loose a stream of blasters at the dark monsters blocking off the Star Blade. The Blasters went off one by one, taking each monster out. The monsters along the wall attacked me in the same moment, letting loose a barrage of arrows. One hit me right in the shoulder, and I let the force of the impact turn me in the air to face them, summoning a Blaster to fire along the wall. Its beam raked across the wall, taking out all the monsters there. I managed to land right side up back on the ground, staggering a bit as I grabbed hold of the arrow stuck between the bones of my shoulder blade. I held my breath and quickly tore it out and tossed it aside. It left a trail of sparkling dust across the ground, as well as some spots of WP. But I was okay. I was okay...
As I turned to face the human now across from the Star Blade, all of reality flickered around me. My WP was wanting me to reset time. I wasn't that bad off just yet I felt, and resetting time would just put me in a worse condition with this amount of damage. I wasn't even sure a reset was doable in this world either. I caught my breath and hopped into a sprint towards the Star Blade.
"Look out—!" Calibri gasped as I felt her magic toss me up.
I was thrown up into air, and dark magic flew by under me from her direction, hitting the ground a few feet away. I landed in a roll and fired off Blasters at the monsters who had been holding her, now standing far enough away for me to blast without hitting her. My two Blasters knocked each one of them out, leaving Calibri unharmed in between, and not a second later, the human attacked me from the side. I flowed with the the force of the hit and got myself turned around in time to lock my sword with his on his next strike.
"Still alive are you?" he smiled at me past our swords.
"You said so yourself... that I have... a lot of resolve..." I chuckled under his weight as he pressed down on me.
"And yet, I have failed to see it put to use, monster." he stated.
With a quick movement, he knocked my sword clean out of my hand and attacked me while I was defenseless. I tumbled to the ground, but got back up before he reached me and dodged his attack, and the next, and the next one. He kept at it, but so did I in dodging him. Arrows fired on me in the middle of this, more of the monsters appearing along the wall I noticed. I dodged the human's next attack as I summoned a Blaster to take them out.
"You cannot dodge forever, Semi!" he shouted at me at one point.
"You can't keep swinging like that forever, Human!" I shouted back as I threw myself with magic at his feet to try and trip him again.
He leapt over me, and quickly turned and struck his sword in the ground to pin me with it, I was thankfully a bit out of his reach by that time. I got some more distance between us as he pulled his sword out of the stone brick.
We stood panting as we faced each other once again.
"Your army's pretty much gone now I think." I panted.
"Oh no." he laughed. "There are plenty more!" he charged at me.
I tossed myself over him and quickly summoned up blue bones to hold him. As soon as I hit the ground behind him I dashed for the Star Blade. I winced from magcial feedback as he tore free from the blue bones and chased after me. Calibri threw me with magic towards the Blade and I grabbed its hilt as I flew by it. The sword stayed put sadly, and I was pulled back to it, slamming into its blade and hitting the ground. Calibri fried attacks past me at the human to slow him down while I got up.
Come on sword, work with me here! I know I'm not a human, but you can at least weaken this guy with my soul. Right?
I got a firm hold on its hilt, and managed to jerk it out of the stone ground. I fell over from the weight of the Blade as I got it out, it was a lot heavier than I remembered it being.
"Semi!" Calibri warned me.
I hopped to the side to dodge an attack from the human, and made a counter with the Star Blade straight onto him. He shouted as it hit him, and he wasted no time making his own counter attack. He knocked me for a loop with an upper cut slash of his sword, causing me to drop the Blade.
CONSARN IT.
He followed up with another attack, knocking me back further. I held my shield up to block his next strike, but still got knocked back. I saw the glimmer of the Star Blade near me, but he kept up his attacks to keep me from going for it. I blocked another attack with my shield, but the impact knocked me off my feet and sent me skidding backwards across the ground. Before I could get up he made the same attack again, knocking me further back. I felt the ground disappear from under me, and realized I was at the edge of the clearing, about to fall off. I scrambled to get back on solid ground, glancing back to see nothing behind me.
Splints that was close...
I leaned back to dodge a swing from the human, then shoved him back with my shield, but he shoved back, and ran his sword right across me.
Reality flickered again, and I fell backwards. Somehow, I was still alive after a hit like that...
I was falling though.
Literally.
His attack had knocked me off the edge, but just before I was completely over it, I saw the human wince in shock at something I couldn't see. Then I suddenly stopped falling.
Calibri—!
Her magic tossed me up and over back to solid ground past the human. I got up in time to see her kick him from behind right off the ledge without hesitation. She stood panting with the Star Blade in hand, she must have surprised him with it just then. Then kicked him right off a cliff…
"Good god Cally—! Your merciless!" I said with both shock and admiration.
"You are not really that surprised are you?" she smiled menacingly at me.
"NOPE!" I stepped back out of fear of her.
She began walking towards me with the Star Blade at the ready.
"Whoa whoa wait! What are you doing?!" I asked in a panic.
"The Star Blade destroys dark magic, yes?" she asked.
"In the hands of a human!" I informed her.
"Oh, well… Let's see what is does with me than." she grinned with dark eyes.
"L-Let's not please." I shivered. "I've been whacked enough as is." I said.
She curiously looked at the Blade faintly glowing in her hand for a moment, then looked back at me with a determined look about her.
"We should hurry." she began walking towards the throne room.
"Hurry?" I asked confused.
"The Rift, Semi." she reminded me. "We need to get out of here before he gets back, or the rest of his monsters." she looked at the ledge, then out towards the castle.
"Oh yeah, right right." I nervously followed after her.
She led me on into the throne room through the large open archway that stood tall over shallow steps that lead up inside. Once up them and under the broken roof, I was surprised to see that the entire Rift system was here. It filled the room, looking like it had been dropped into it through the broken ceiling above. The Void's light flooded in from above and reflected off the scuffed metal of the Rift, the conductors at the ceiling, the broken railing around the generator below that dug into the ground, and off the bits of metal wall that dotted the room. Calibri walked over to a torn console and flipped a switch, causing the console to activate. She then looked back at me as I stared at the sight. I glanced over at her and she looked at me with a concerned expression.
"Does it... work?" I asked her with worry.
"I'm not entirely sure..." she looked at the Rift itself. "But if you could lo—"
I jumped the gun so to say, and got to work looking over the metallic system that had amalgamated with the stone room. Calibri joined and explained to me everything she had done so far, which was pretty impressive really, she had accomplished a lot her own, and with so little resources to work with. As we worked through the system, she began asking how I knew so much about how it worked. I didn't have the nerve to tell her how I knew... Not right now...
"I seem to recall hearing you say you didn't know much about this stuff." I laughed at her as we finished up.
"I have learned quite a lot while working on it." she replied. "W.D also told me some things about it before sending me here." she looked at the controls. "Things that were exactly what I needed to know to repair it." she stated.
"You really don't have a clue why he sent you here with the Star Blade?" I asked her.
She looked over at the Star Blade propped against the console.
"No. Just to wait." she answered somberly.
"For what?" I asked.
"I don't know Semi!" she shouted. "I don't know..." she almost cried.
"Easy easy..." I gestured my hands at her. "It doesn't matter now. We're about to get out of here." I told her. She looked at me with tears in her eyes. "Okay, maybe it's 30 years late for YOU to be going back, but, Arial is sure going to be glad to see you!" I smiled. "Oh! And your new grand-kids!" I laughed.
"That is not helping Semi!" she shouted at me.
"I'm just preparin'ya Cally! A lot has happened since you... well..." I trailed off.
"I should not have accepted the idea of coming here." she shook her head. "I should have just gone back home." she stated.
"And get in a yelling contest with me again?" I tried to laugh.
She smiled and muffled a laugh through a few tears, then fell to her knees and hugged me.
"I'm so sorry Semi..." she sobbed.
"I'm sorry Calibri..." I quickly hugged her. "This is all my fault..." I cried with her.
We held each other tight as we cried on the other's shoulder. I began to realize just how much I had missed her... And I was so glad to find her alive…
"Was it Tahoma?" she suddenly asked.
I assumed she was referring to the grand-kids I mentioned.
"Who else?" I laughed.
She softly laughed and let go of me, wiping away tears.
"Now I'm thinking like you dear… I wish I could go back and prevent everything that happened, to change history..." she stated somberly.
"It might still be possi—" She stopped me with a glaring look. "B-But of course you would still be running a pretty big risk so ya'know..." I quickly retracted the idea.
"I do not think it is possible anyway." she sighed.
"True. W.D never did actually build the time traveling part of the Rift." I replied thoughtfully.
"Do you think she will forgive me...?" she whispered.
"Arial you mean?" I asked, to which she nodded. "Yeah. She'll understand." I assured her. "I mean, she's already forgiven me for FAR worse!" I laughed.
She hung her head low, showing her disbelief. I lifted it back up and looked right at her.
"She will Calibri. I already have." I stated. "I just hope you both can forgive me..." I sighed.
She held her hand next to my face, then pulled me in for a skeleton tap kiss. I shivered at the feeling, I never liked the mushy part of our relationship.
"I forgive you Semi." she told me.
I grabbed both her hands and held them together with mine.
"Let's blow this bland'ol gray joint Cally." I told her with some excitement in my voice.
"Let's." she nodded with determination, then tapped her skull to mine again.
"Word of caution Cally..." I chuckled embarrassed. "I'm 30 years older than you now." I warned her.
"That... will complicate some things." she tried not to laugh.
"So will the fact that you're a grandmother." I nudged my elbow at her.
She stared off in shock.
We got to work getting everything primed and ready to go to get us out of here, and my thoughts went to Chara's soul. It was already in the system powering the Rift I found. What would happen to it I wonder? And could that human use the Rift after we were through? Was there a way to prevent that?
"Semi?" Calibri broke my thoughts.
"What do you think the chances are of Chara's soul surviving?" I asked.
"Probably not high..." she replied.
"If it's still here once we're through, Mister Stabby will have a way back." I stated.
"I'm not sure anything can be done about that." she shivered.
"Unless..." I began to think.
Unless we can rig this thing to self-destruct once we're through, but, that will take more of our time.
"I will take care of it." Chara's voice answered. They walked up the steps into the room and stared at me for a moment. "I just have to bust some circuitry, right?" they asked.
"Pretty much." I replied, surprised to see them here.
"How did you—?" Calibri said confused.
Chara walked right up, and looked at me through their hair.
"Take these." they offered their hand.
I held my hand out, and they dropped their knife, and a heart shaped locket, into it.
"I thought I had this hidden from you." I laughed at the sight of the knife.
"Find Frisk." they told me. "They may be a mushy loser, but they are the only human with enough determination to destroy the monster. Find them and tell them they will have to fight!" they explained with a tinge of anger in their tone.
"Will do kiddo." I replied. "But uh, are you sure you're okay with this?" I asked them with concern.
"I get to blow this place to dust. I'm fine with that." they grinned.
"That's true." I laughed.
"You are willing to give up your soul for us?" Calibri asked.
"No." they answered. "I'm doing this... for him." they stated solemnly.
I slipped the knife between my belt at my back, and looked at the locket they gave me. Engraved on the front were the words 'Best Friends Forever'. Along with the Delta Rune symbol.
"Your best friend?" I asked them.
"Once upon a time." they replied. "Now hurry up and go, before you get your butt kicked by that idiot again." they told me.
"Wait, have you been wa—"
The Rift began to activate.
"And hey." they got my attention. "Thanks, I guess." they said.
"Nah, thank you kid." I winked. "Chara." I used their name.
"Be careful where you say that name back home." they grinned. I ruffled their hair, making their grin disappear. "You are definitely related to Sans." they said aggravated.
"Oh yeah, you wanted me to tell him something, right?" I asked them, because I had plum forgotten what it was.
"Just say that Chara says they are... sorry." they told me.
"No details, or...?" I replied.
"He will know what I mean by that." they shook their head.
Ah, poor kid. Wish I had time to hear your full story...
"Semi..." Calibri called me as the Rift sparked to life.
I quickly hugged Chara.
"Have a blast Chara." I said.
"I freaking hate you." they replied. "And you better not die!" they shoved me off.
"What? Me?" I stepped back and laughed.
"Don't be an idiot!" they shouted.
"Language kiddo language." I replied. "Oh, and hey.." I picked my shield up from against the console. "Just in case you DO survive." I winked as I tossed it to them.
They caught it and stared at ti for a moment.
"If I do survive this, I'm getting my soul back, and tracking you down." they looked at me with a murderous expression.
"Thanks for building some suspense!" I hid my fear behind a big smile.
I grasp the locket I still had in my hand, given by a best friend. To me, this proved they weren't all bad.
"I'll never forget you kid." I told them.
They smiled a small genuine smile.
I turned to the Rift and stood next to Calibri as it tore open a portal between worlds. The magic ignited with the power of a human soul and the portal stabilized.
We were getting back home. Together.