Chapter 4
The chill of the area of Snowdin immediately got to me as I then asked Chara a question, but only in thought. "So, Chara? How does a mountain have snow underneath it?"
"Heck if I know. The monsters have been trying to find an explanation for years, and none can find one. My best guess is that the snow that comes onto the mountain during the winter melts, and then, the remnants of it go into Snowdin through some cracks in the wall? Because the snow does end up melting sometimes during the year, but then it accumulates back up without a single snow shower. Also, we're under only one part of the mountain right now. The other part is a second mountain altogether, which is a dormant volcano," she explained in my mind, me thinking about that.
"Huh... multiple mountains as a prison? It makes sense, since I saw that, in your past, it was in the Rocky Mountains... shame it's the other side of the nation where I live," I frowned.
"Yeah, I've been meaning to ask, where do you live?" Chara asked me.
"I live in New York, but in a small city on the southwest. I never want to move to New York City, because it's filled with crime and corruption," I frowned.
"The world sounds like it's gotten worse since the monsters have been sent underground. Are you sure that-" Chara was about to finish before we heard the footsteps behind us, me then looking back behind me, and I saw nothing but footmarks in the form of slippers.
"Someone's following us. Someone that can teleport," I said with my mouth as we then moved forward towards the gate... and then I gasped as I felt my body feel incredibly heavy! I then noted that it was because my gravity had been increased in my feet only! I then heard the footsteps of Sans behind me before I could feel his breath on my neck.
"Human... don't you know how to greet a new pal? Turn around and shake my hand," Sans said with his deep voice. I then felt the gravity effect leave my feet and I looked at the skeleton, him holding his hand out and me then simply putting my hand in a fist. "Uh..." he said in confusion.
"I know the trick. The whoopee cushion in the hand trick. How about a fist-bump instead? It's uh... more customary in human culture," I said, Sans shrugging his shoulder blades and giving me a fist bump... and I gawked at how I felt a bit of a tingle from the raw power that Sans had in his bones!
"you really know the tricks of the trade, huh? lemme guess, a time traveler? inter-dimensional variety? or is it because of someone else bringing you here?" Sans asked, me seeing that our time was completely stopped as I looked to the nearby trees and saw a piece of snow was halfway in the air and stuck there.
"I do, and the latter three's answer is I have no idea. I think someone named Gaster said he'd answer those questions, but I don't know if I should trust him," I said, Sans smirking at me.
"you should. he's helped a lot... so, you must be confused at how everything looks 'realistic', for lack of a better term, huh?" he asked.
"Uh, yeah... I'm more used to pixels," I said.
"What the hell are pixels?" Chara asked in my head. "And what are you two talking about?"
"i'll give it to ya straight, both you and the princess," Sans said, which made Chara gasp. "the adventure that miss Malory is used to is a video game, something you've never seen before. an interactive machine that has its own universe within... but little did ya know, the whole plot was based on a dream the creator had, all given to him by Gaster, even if accidental," Sans said, me being surprised at that. I was about to speak before he spoke further. "'course, some things were embellished, and the timeline was way different. No time loops happened, but we were scared that Flowey was going to make one, but i stopped that from happening. everything else, though? we are stuck in the real world... or at least, a world that's real and very similar to your own, just with slight tweaks," Sans said, me looking at him in surprise.
"A world that's similar but with tweaks?... Does that mean I really am from another universe?" I asked him.
"well, yes and no. everything in your world that was there is the exact same in this one, but with one exception, and that being that the characters of that game and its' general story are all in this world. and that includes the fox guy making the game and you sending him the 'hard mode' fan game. when you did that, it ended with Gaster bringing you here from the other reality you used to live in. and the only reason was because humans in your universe have amazing magic, but due to something in that world, it's locked out from your souls," Sans explained.
"I see... so that means that everyone in my old life is still the same in this one?" I asked.
"pretty much. just make sure you make it to the end in one piece, or none of us will get a happy ending, especially the humans... okay, time to let time flow again. pretend that i didn't say anything and play along, the flower is watching," he said, me nodding as I then simply smiled at him. "so, you're a human, huh?" he asked as I saw the snow finally fall from the tree.
"Yeah, I am," I said, playing along with the situation so Flowey didn't get wise.
"that's hilarious. i'm supposed to be looking out for humans, but, truth be told, i don't feel up to it. but my bro? he's a human hunting fanatic... oop, i think i see him coming. through the bars, he made them too wide to stop anyone," Sans said as he moved me through the bars and I saw that the lamp was there, but it wasn't shaped like me. And it was shorter.
"uh, hide behind the kiosk," Sans said, me nodding as I did that and stayed there as Papyrus then arrived and started to talk. And yes, just as before, everyone we'd met so far sounded like their Man on the Internet voices.
"SANS! THERE YOU ARE!" Papyrus said with his boistorous personality.
"hey, bro. 'sup?"
"YOU KNOW WHAT'S 'SUP', SANS! IT'S BEEN EIGHT DAYS AND YOU STILL HAVEN'T RECALIBRATED YOUR PUZZLES! WHAT ARE YOU EVEN DOING?!" Papyrus asked in annoyance.
"starin' at this lamp. it's really cool. you want in?" Sans asked, Papyrus then stomping his foot into the snow.
"NO! I DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THAT! WHAT IF A HUMAN COMES THROUGH HERE?! I NEED TO CAPTURE THEM! I MUST BE THE ONE!" Papyrus shouted as I then decided to do something different and move my way out from behind the kiosk and scoop some snow into my hand.
"What are you up to?" Chara asked in my head.
"Having some fun," I smirked as Papyrus was in the middle of his speech and I then shouted two words.
"SNOWBALL FIGHT!" I shouted, getting Papyrus's attention as I then started to playfully throw a couple snowballs at his face, me smirking at how, much as expected, it didn't hurt him at all, it just made him look puzzled at me.
"WAIT... WHAT ARE YOU AND WHAT IS A SNOWBALL FIGHT? AND WHY ARE YOU THROWING SNOW AT ME?" Papyrus asked as I rolled my eyes.
"I am Malory Wares, a snowball fight is where you have a contest to throw snow at your friends for fun, and the third question's answer is because it's fun!" I smirked, Papyrus then looking at me even further in detail before then looking at Sans.
"SANS! OH MY GOD! IS THAT... IS THAT A HUMAN?!" Papyrus asked, me smirking at his response.
"yup."
"OH MY GOD! SANS! I FINALLY DID IT! UNDYNE WILL.. THE KING WILL... I'LL BE SO... POPULAR! POPULAR! POPU-" he was about to finish his joyful shout before I tossed another handful of snow at him, which got in his jaw, him then spitting it out after. "A-Ahem... HUMAN! YOU WILL STOP YOUR PELTING ME WITH SNOWBALLS AND LISTEN UP!" Papyrus said, me smiling and simply leaning against the watch post. "YOUR JOURNEY THROUGH THE UNDERGROUND ENDS HERE! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS WILL STOP YOU! I WILL THEN CAPTURE YOU! YOU WILL BE DELIVERED TO THE CAPITAL! AND THEN!... THEN... I AM NOT ENTIRELY SURE WHAT HAPPENS NEXT... IN ANY CASE! CONTINUE, ONLY IF YOU DARE! NYEHEHEHEHEHE! ! !" Papyrus sneared as he then rushed ahead and Sans smirked at me.
"welp, that went well. don't sweat it, malware, i'll keep an eyesocket out for ya," Sans said, me tilting my head at what he called me.
"Malware? Is that supposed to be a nickname, a joke, or an insult?" I asked. Sans had already teleported away by the time I finished the question.
"I think it might have been all three," Chara said in my head as I then sensed Flowey was close, so I simply kept moving. "So... you knew everything before you came here?"
"Yes."
"And you knew our history before-"
"Most of it."
"And you knew about me and Asriel?... Is he-"
"Yes, he is still in the form of Flowey."
"I was going to ask if he would be able to have a happy ending," Chara pouted.
"Oh... um... well, if we want to do that, we need to find some way to get him to look like his original self... sadly, there's only one way I know to get him to look like he used to in his old monster body... and you won't like it," I said as I thought of the instance, which made Chara gawk before then thinking long and hard.
"I-Isn't there... another way?" she asked... and before we could move any further, my phone rang and it was Toriel calling!
"Oh? This is surprising..." I said as I then answered it. "Hello, you've reached Malory's pizza service, how can I take your order?" I asked, Toriel giggling on the other end before then speaking seriously.
"Ahem... I uh, don't know how to say this, but... shortly after you left, I went back to the beginning of the Ruins and I found another human!" she said, me then being surprised as I stopped in place by a storage box.
"A meat lover's supreme, huh? And uh... what are the 'toppings'? Wink, wink," I asked, her groaning.
"They said their name was Frisk... but they aren't much of a talker... they just said they came to find something important and they fell down, but it's hard to get them to talk... but they have a red soul," she said, me gulping at that.
"Hmm... would you like to have it delivery or take out?" I asked, Toriel sighing.
"Why are you talking like that?"
"Rivals in the pizza business, of the floral kind," I whispered the last part.
"Oooooh... right, I forgot about that miserable creature! He's nearby, then?"
"Yes, the rivals are always listening into the calls to learn our secrets, but they'll never get 'em," I smirked.
"Okay, I guess I could do 'delivery'. You should be outside in the Snowdin woods by now, right?" she asked.
"Yes, can you smell the cheese?"
"Yes, I know where you are... okay, Frisk, hold still for a minute," Toriel said as the call then got hung up and, immediately after, Frisk then appeared right next to me and Chara, them looking very shy as I saw that they were also different than in the game. They looked to be female as they were 13 with a small, supple chest, a bit of a longer hairdo, and they had on longer pants that went into their shoes. Everything else was the same, except that they were apparently white as opposed to yellow and they had eyeballs with red irises.
And when they were warped next to me, they looked spooked and immediately hid inside of the storage box, me sighing as I then knocked on the box.
"Knock knock," I said.
"n-no..." she said, me seeing that she sounded a lot like the Undertale Musical version as well! meaning they were a shy girl.
"You're supposed to say, 'who's there?', missy. We'll try again. Knock knock," I smirked.
"w-who's there?" she shivered.
"Owls."
"Owls... who?"
"Yes, they certainly do," I smirked, that earning a couple giggles from the storage box as I simply spoke to her. "I know it might be a bit... scary right now... and to be honest, I'm just as scared as you are, miss. Just know that, if we want to go back home, we need to stick together. Four eyes are better than two," I smirked, her then finally emerging from the box with concern.
"s-sorry... i'm n-n-not good with... t-talking... to strangers..." she admitted.
"I used to be the same way. Had to go to special classes to learn how to do so... I'm the patient type, but also intelligent and determined. So I'm going to try my best to help you out," I said, her smirking at me.
"O-Okay... what... what grade are you in?" she asked.
"College," I smiled, her looking surprised.
"B-But you're... you're the same size as me!" she gawked in surprise.
"I was given the shortest genes of my family, gaining them from my mother, who got them from her mother, who got it from her father, and so on and so forth. It's multiple generations of short people in my family with flat chests," I smirked.
"I see... I feel sorry for you," she admitted.
"Aw, don't be. A famous anime girl once told me that a flat chest is a status, a precious rarity," I smirked.
"What's anime?" Chara asked. But Frisk giggled at me.
"Konata Izumi... I thought I was the only one that... liked Lucky Star," Frisk admitted.
"Yeah, it's a niche one for sure... what's your name? I'm Malory," I smirked.
"Frisk... Frisk Tisk..." she said, me now knowing the reason she was shy. "And... I don't really have a home to go back to... I uh... I ran away from an orphanage... it shut down... and they wanted to take us to a worse one... I ran off to the mountains... and I fell down the hole in my panic..." Frisk said with concern, me smirking as she had a few tears on her face as I touched her cheeks with my hand.
"Dry those tears, little Frisk. I'm weak when it comes to crying... and I already had to deal with the nice lady crying a lot today," I smirked.
"Wait... d-did you fall down today too?" she asked.
"Yeah, I did," I smirked... I'd have to wait until we were indoors before I could tell Frisk about me being from another reality. Lest Flowey be listening in.
"Here, I found these in the box..." Frisk said as she then handed me the bandana and the gloves... and when I touched them, of course, I got a flash of the final memories of the owner of the Orange Soul of Bravery!