Core Issues: Season 5
by Nicolle
Special Disclaimer: PhylacteryTale is one of my AUs. Greyhawk specific references are still, as far as I can tell, copyright TSR.
Notes:
1. PhylacteryTale is the AU name behind Necromancer Sans' world. The one shot 'Red Star' is where the characters we start with come from. You don't need to read it to jump in here, but it will give you some background as to who our D&D-esque narrator and his friends are.
2. To the guest commenter: Rajur appeared in Season 3, Episode 2 'Osiris' Which is Chara Provost's first appearance as well. He's the lion monster head of Exploration on the Delta.
3. I've been on an every two weeks kind of schedule because of conferences and various summer fun, but it's been a huge boon to writing episodes. So I'm going to stick with the once every two weeks schedule.
Episode 4: Make New Friends
(PhylacteryTale!Chara is our narrator!)
Gaster, the Travesty Maker, loomed tall and menacing over Asriel, Astelle, and I, the pinprick eyes of the world's most powerful lich giving us his full attention. We'd managed to interrupt the ritual he'd been performing over Frisk's unconscious form, still laying on the table behind him, her cleric robes lovingly tucked underneath her. A rather decadent looking quilt had been laid over her to keep her warm in the deathly cold of the lich's underground laboratory.
The air around the lich glowed the awful violet of necromantic power. He snapped two boney fingers and a group of floating animal skulls appeared around him, each glowing the same awful violet as their master.
It's times like this when anyone else would be regretting their life choices. Asriel, for as powerful a wizard as he was, Astelle, for as swift a swordswoman, and myself were no match for the Travesty Maker. Especially when he was so physically close to Frisk, his living phylactery. A piss poor rescue party to be sure. Which was okay since we were just the distraction.
The lich pointed at us and the floating skulls let off energy blasts in our direction, the three of us diving out of the way. I kicked over one the lich's many tables, using it as barrier. Being that the table had been treated for the lich's magical work, it was more than able to take the repeated energy blasts. It was only a matter of time before the tactic changed and a few of the skulls flanked us, but that still meant drawing Gaster's attention away from Frisk.
Can you tell we've done this before?
Astelle and I hefted the large, work table, and used it to rush the lich, leaving Asriel free to spellcast. The floating animal skulls dashed to the sides, flying out to surround us with our backs so open to attack. A barrier of purple glowing bones came up in front of Gaster, blocking our assault. Astelle and I both turned to the left at the same time, throwing the table into the floating skulls on the left flank and smashing them. Asriel's spell went off, shattering the rest of the floating skulls.
Gaster's eye sockets widened appreciatively, humming to himself in a satisfied way. He waved his hand and the skeletal servators we'd smashed on our way in reformed and marched on us. The bone barrier extended, cutting us off from the other half of the lab.
"I'm not quite done with Frisk, Children of Dreemurr. Keep yourselves entertained."
He turned to Frisk and found the table she'd lain on empty.
"Well then. It seems I need to stop treating the lot of you as children."
Oh hell.
I collared my elder siblings, pulling them back toward the door we'd come in through, hoping that MK and Nacarat had managed to get Frisk to the surface from the laboratory's back door. We rushed up the narrow stairway beyond the door and into the remains of a dilapidated house in the river quarter. In the rotting living room, MK was helping Frisk find her feet after waking her with a smelling salt. The mass of skeletons didn't follow. Instead, Gaster teleported directly into the room with us, his dark green robes swirling around him as he advanced; floating animal skulls forming in the air.
The only intact window in the entire house shattered as a skeleton in a black and gold military uniform on a skeletal horse jumped through it. Sans, Undyne, a man as tall as Undyne with dark hair, and a man with brown hair, came rushing in behind.
For a moment, everything was completely and utterly still. And Gaster's floating skulls attacked the skeleton on the horse. The skeleton dodged the blasts, heading for my siblings and I. Sans and the tall man teleported to stand in front of Astelle and I. Up close, he appeared to have scars on his face similar to Gaster.
"Bones?" Frisk, still unsteady, was blinking up at the tall man, who gave her a wink before turning his full attention on the skeleton.
Huh. Someone Frisk knew that I didn't? That's a rarity.
The skeleton's horse reared, dangerous hooves kicking at the air to scatter opponents. MK and Nacarat, still in her black, undertaker's suit, half carried Frisk out the front door of the house. Astelle had my arm, pulling me back. I shook her off to grab Asriel, who was too busy watching the fight to notice that we were making our escape. As soon as Asriel ran for the door, the horse made a full leap over Sans' head, following us out of the house and into the streets.
What the hell was going on? Who was this undead? Why wasn't Sans or Gaster just taking control of him?
I risked a look back at the horse running us down and noticed that the skeleton looked tougher than your typical undead. In fact, it looked a lot like Sans' friend Thomas, a Sans from another dimension… Oh hell. It was another Sans!
The second unknown man came out of nowhere, pulling the skeletal horse's reigns hard enough that it lost its footing and slid to the ground. The skeleton went rolling across the ground and came up on his feet. A red, glowing sword appeared in one boney hand as he advanced on us. No. It wasn't us. His eyes were on Asriel.
I took up position in front of my brother. "Astelle, take Frisk and get back! MK! Nacarat! To me!" Without taking my eyes off of the skeleton, I waved at Asriel. "Go! Teleport!"
The man who'd pulled the horse down, ran up behind the skeleton, slashing at him from the back with a sword. "Don't teleport! Dragoon can track it! It'll just isolate you! Stay together!"
The skeleton turned on the man as Sans, the tall man Frisk called 'Bones,' and Undyne appeared. Where was Gaster? No time to worry about that.
"New plan! Astelle, stay with Frisk. Everyone else, overwhelm!"
The mass rush took the skeleton by surprise and he quickly teleported out of the fray toward Astelle and Frisk. Astelle, always ready, slashed at him while Frisk, still unsteady, cast something, her holy symbol glowing. Her knees gave out and her butt hit the cobblestone street as the skeleton screamed in pain. The rest of us swarmed him.
He slashed wildly at us, catching the unknown man in one arm, before teleporting out of the mess. A vicious frown caught the skeleton's mouth. As we rushed for him, he threw his sword faster than I thought possible. And even knowing it's target, I was too slow to intercept it. The sword caught my brother in the stomach, sinking deep. The skeleton disappeared, and with him the sword, causing a gush of blood. My brother hit the ground in a heap, coughing blood.
"Asriel!" Frisk scrambled over to him, lifting her holy symbol high. It glowed brightly, the light sliding down her arm to the hand she rested on the wound. Nothing happened. "I can't heal it?!"
MK and I dove in, quickly binding the wound.
The tall man with the Gaster-like scars on his face knelt next to us, pulling out a kit of bandages. "Dragoon's sword negates magical healing." He looked up at Sans and Undyne. "He's going to need a surgeon and Cross will need stitches."
Sans waved us aside. "I'll take care of Asriel-"
"No. Asriel is the target and this wound makes him an immobile one, easier to collect." Undyne's tone had all of us looking at her as she knelt next to Asriel, frowning deeply. "I'm making a call as the Captain of the Guard. Frisk and Chara will take Asriel to Epsilon for treatment and Asriel's body double will be our decoy here." She looked to the tall man. "Your home is better equipped to protect Asriel while he recovers and Chara needs experience with a modern dimension." Her yellow eyes turned to me. "You'll find friends there. Use the opportunity well."
I nodded as I lifted my brother, cradling him against my chest.
Astelle grasped Undyne's arm, tears in her eyes. "Send me with them!"
Undyne took a breath and sighed looking away for a moment. "No. I have doubles for Asriel and Chara. I don't have anyone to stand in for you. And should the worst happen, you must stand in Asriel's place."
The man, Cross?, stepped up to me, arm still bleeding. He helped Frisk find her feet before helping me stand. "Hold onto Asriel tightly. The way we're traveling isn't easy on the stomach your first couple times."
Bones looked at him. "You good?"
"Yeah. I'll get them home, get some stitches, and meet you back at the Boneweaver mansion."
His voice sunk low, repeating a string of numbers and letters; a very long mathematical equation. When the numbers stopped, the world swirled black around us and we stood in a great void filled with brightly glowing stars. Everything stopped and we hung there.
Something had gone very, very wrong with the teleport.
"Frisk?" I blinked and looked over at my beloved. She'd been the one to speak and she was looking up at the man. And now that I really looked at him, I realized that I was looking at a male version of her.
He groaned. "This is so not the time for this." He pulled a device from his pocket.
"Oh hell. More stuck people. Heading back to Epsilon?"
I looked around for the source of the voice and only saw the outline of a form in the dark. I had the distinct feeling that it's eyes were closed and it was keeping them closed on purpose.
Cross looked to the outline. "I'd love a hand."
"Got it. Star! You have incoming!"
The figure pushed me from behind. Light and color came together again like a puzzle in the hallway of a building with white walls. I held tightly to Asriel even as I went down on one knee, gulping air so as to keep from vomiting. Cross reached down, helping me back to my feet. Frisk was sitting on the floor, gasping.
A woman I was sure was also Frisk, grasped my arm, pulling me into a very brightly lit laboratory of metal and tile. "In here! Put him on the bed!"
The bed was long, flat, slightly padded, and didn't look comfortable in the least. I laid my brother down, carefully resting his head on the slight pillow. He was watching me, concentrating on my face. He grasped my hand, holding it tightly as he blinked.
The woman pulled her long, black hair into a ponytail before washing her hands and putting on a pair of gloves. She looked to Cross. "What happened?"
"Dragoon speared him through."
She groaned as she slipped a strange device on my brother's arm. "Oh hell. Freaking Dragoon! And you look like you need stitches."
Cross nodded.
"Go down the hall to lab four for that." She looked over her shoulder. "Alphys, I need a stent kit! Larry, find out his blood type! C, tell Asriel to get down here! Tell him we have a human version of himself with damage to internal organs." She looked at me. "There are chairs just outside the door. Please wait there. I promise he'll be fine, but you need to stay out of the way while we operate."
I squeezed Asriel's hand and stepped back. His eyes only left me when they closed. The woman began undressing my brother, cutting his clothing off of him piece by piece as she worked on hooking him up to several machines. Like this, the wound looked much, much worse.
Cross took my arm and pulled me back into the hall. "It helps if you don't watch. They know what they're doing."
A tall, goat monster I instantly recognized as a version of my brother, rushed past, quickly washing and gloving his hands before leaning over Asriel. Cross angled me into a chair before helping Frisk up from the floor and sitting her next to me.
A large, golden lizard who looked less like our version of Alphys, and more like a dinosaur, came out of the laboratory. She hissed at Cross. "That looks awful and it's same arm you already have issues with! Get down to lab four! I'll be here with them."
Cross held up both arms in surrender. "Yes, Alphys." He headed away, cradling the injured arm.
Alphys sighed. "It'll be awhile until you can see him." She sat down next to Frisk. "He'll be in surgery for a while and then he'll need to remain here for a few days at least."
I nodded. "We'll be staying with him."
She nodded, head bobbing a bit like a bird's. "That's not a problem."
She knocked on the door across the hall before opening it revealing an office painted in a soft, baby blue with warmly stained, wooden furniture. "Frisk? We have some newcomers who need lodging while their Asriel is in recovery."
A woman with the same chocolate brown hair as my fiance's, in a sky blue dress accented all over with white lace, looked up from a large desk. In a sling tied to her chest was an infant nursing quietly at her breast. A Frisk to be sure. And one that I immediately felt was very, very dangerous. Like a viper that was simply resting.
Sitting in the other chair in the room was a mean looking skeleton sporting a blood red sweater and golden fang of a tooth. A Sans, and one who was likely to be lethal in the wrong mood. A man I recognized as being another version of me leaned against the wall, arms crossed over his chest. His red eyes looked over Frisk and I curiously before looking into the laboratory behind us and sighing deeply.
"Again?" He groaned.
The skeleton chuckled. "*you're off tonight and tomorrow, prick. you have lots of time to hang."
"Yeah, yeah."
Frisk gave us a warm smile and while it didn't melt the feeling of danger, it did impart a full welcome. And a promise of protection.
My fiancee was immediately on her feet. "Frisk!"
She stumbled and I stood quickly to catch her. Helping Frisk keep her feet, I helped her walk into the office. She broke away from me as soon the desk was close enough to support her, leaning on it to get to the nursing woman. Using the chair the woman was in for support, Frisk hugged her fiercely.
"I've missed you! Congratulations on Marigold."
The woman smiled. "And look at you! Since when were you this big? Congratulations on your engagement."
"Thank you!"
The woman raised an eyebrow. "And why are you having trouble walking?"
She sighed. "Gaster. Same as always."
I walked over to Frisk, helping her remain standing while she cooed over the baby.
The woman looked to me. "Where is Sans? He never goes anywhere without Frisk." Her eyes went wide. "Who's in surgery?"
What appeared to be a very small, red glowing ghost appeared on her shoulder. "Dragoon happened. Their Asriel is a match for his and that's who's in surgery. Sans is talking to Fase right now. He'll want to hear from you in a little bit."
She nodded, but didn't look relieved. She was still worried for my brother. "Thanks, C."
Frisk leaned over a bit toward the ghostly image. "C! You look really strange without wings. Or a body. Do you really prefer this?"
"Oh God, yes."
I looked the woman over. "You've obviously been to my world."
"Sans Boneweaver is a very good friend of mine."
The red wearing skeleton and the young man both snickered.
The woman rolled her eyes at them. "Can it. Both of you." When neither stopped, she sighed. "Fine. Laugh it up." She turned, her nose tapping against Frisk's. "Will the two of you want a kitchen or will the cafeteria do?"
I frowned. "The cafeteria will be fine. But..."
She shook her head, her long braid twisting on her shoulder. "You don't need to worry about payment. Sans Boneweaver is a Seraph agent and that covers anyone from his world needing services."
"I meant that Frisk and I can't be housed together."
She gave Frisk a rather devious smile. "Even separate rooms aren't enough?"
Frisk blushed brightly, lips pressed straight, and nodded. Huh. She'd never been embarrassed about the fact before. Even when her father would interrupt us having a moment, she never blushed. I'd have to ask her what was different here later.
The man leaning against the wall spoke up. "Star's guest room is empty. And you know she'll offer."
She nodded. "That will do then. We'll put you in suite fourteen. There's plenty of room in the suite and it will be comfortable for your brother during recovery." She looked over to the man leaning against the wall. "Please take them to suite. The keys are in the cabinet."
He pushed off from the wall. "Sure." One of his hands gently brushed the hair on the nursing infant's head before opening the cabinet, and retrieving a set of keys.
I bowed my head to the woman. "Thank you."
"You're very welcome, Chara." The woman looked up at Frisk. "Slow down. You're recovering too. Go check out the suite and then head to the cafeteria for something to eat."
Frisk nodded and leaned in to kiss her cheek. Once she stood again, I helped her out the office door.
The man followed us only to stop just outside the door and pointed down a hallway filled with doors and other rooms that also appeared to be laboratories. "The cafeteria is that way, on the left. The doors are glass with the day's menu posted on it so you can't miss it."
He held out his hand as we stood. "I'm Chara Dreemurr, though that may have been obvious."
I took his hand. "Chara. You're not from here."
Chara smiled as he shook my hand. "No. But I am an agent for this site." He paused for a moment, before his hand reached up to his right eye, covering it for a moment before coming away with a black liquid dripping down his hand. He snapped his fingers, and the liquid disappeared. So did the filth from Frisk's and my clothing. "That's much better."
He gestured for us to follow him down the other end of the hall. "The suites are this way and only on the ground floor. They consist of a living room, bathroom, and between two and three bedrooms. I'm pretty sure fourteen has three bedrooms."
Noonday sunlight filled the hall, making long rectangles of warmth across the tile. Photos and awards of all sorts lined the walls in between the occasional painting. The first three doors, eighteen through twenty, were closed. The door to suite seventeen was open. Inside, a skeletal Sans and what appeared to be a very pretty, living, porcelain doll with rather lustrous brown curls, were having tea. The next two doors, fifteen and sixteen, were closed as well.
The door labeled fourteen swung open easily. We stepped into a living room with a lovely, hardwood floor. A dark wood couch with pale cushions stood on top of a muted brown rug. It faced the windows that looked out on a garden heavy with mid autumn's bloom. The coffee table was stained the same dark brown as the couch. Two chairs that matched the couch sat on either side of the room, one near an empty, slate fireplace. Three bedrooms lined the wall with a bathroom very much like the modern one in the Boneweaver home at the end of the line. Well, modern for my world, I suppose.
"There's a linen closet in the bathroom and you'll find sheets for the beds and towels for the bath in there. Knowing Church, she'll send someone around to take you both shopping for toiletries and the like." He huffed. "Probably Star."
"That would be the Frisk we saw in the laboratory?" I asked.
Chara nodded. "Yeah."
Interesting. She wasn't in charge, but the entity in the void had called to her specifically. Maybe, like my Frisk, she was important in a different way. Or maybe I'm overthinking it and the thing in the void was simply calling to someone it knew would hear.
Frisk sat down on the couch. "Why does that upset you?"
I smiled. "She's his Frisk. And you know what I'm like when I don't get to spend time with mine."
She gave me a bright smile and it eased the trouble in my heart a little.
Chara chuckled. "That is the short of it." He sat down on the couch next to Frisk, leaning forward to rest his arms on his legs.
I frowned. "Why the laughter about our world?"
Frisk giggled. Oh? She knew, huh?
Chara snorted. "It's not about your world. It's about something that happened on your world. The woman you were talking to is Frisk Church. Her eldest child was conceived on your timeline. There's a bit more to the story than that, but it requires way too much in explanation." He gestured for me to sit.
I took the chair next to the fireplace, looking to Frisk. "Have you been here before?"
Frisk shook her head. "No. I just know some of the people here from their visits with Dad."
I thought that over and looked to Chara. "So visiting other dimensions is a common occurrence for you?"
"I'm an agent for Seraph and that does require travel, though I've been lots of places with my Frisk before that." He relaxed on the couch. "I should clarify that I have two Frisks, one from my own timeline and Star, who adopted me as her Chara since she lacks one of her own." He looked between us. "First time off world?"
Frisk shook her head. "It's more that it's the first time in a place where the technology is so advanced. Usually, the level of advancement is similar to our own so it didn't really feel like we were that far from home."
Chara nodded. "Will the suite suit you and your brother?"
I nodded once. "Of course."
Chara stood. "Good." He looked down at Frisk. "Because you are under orders to get something to eat."
I offered Frisk my arm and we followed Chara down the sun lit hall, the shadows in it growing longer as evening set in. I paused for a moment and looked outside. The world was a glow of reds, oranges, and yellows. Autumn had taken hold of this world and filled it with outstanding beauty. When I moved to continue, I found Chara stopped as well, waiting patiently.
Passing the laboratory, curtains had been drawn, blocking any view of my brother, and I could hear the steady beeping of some machine. I shivered and Frisk hugged my arm. Chara patted my shoulder and nodded for me to come along.
As stated earlier, it was hard to miss the cafeteria. I expected a utilitarian place filled with simple tables and chairs. Instead, a large, open room painted a soft cream color with a vaulted ceiling and wood floor greeted us. Small tables, large tables, booths, and a large assortment of comfortable seating in dark colors filled the area, situated around a central fireplace with the roaring fire inside visible from all sides. A mezzanine with even more seating wrapped around the top of the room. Big windows let in copious amounts of light.
Leading us toward the far end of the room, Chara took us into the area with the actual buffets. And I've seen quite a few buffets in my time, but this? This was insanity. I didn't even have words, let alone names, for half the foods I saw on the long tables.
Frisk's jaw dropped. "I don't even know where to start."
"Ditto."
Chara chuckled. "How about something familiar? Fruit, vegetables, roast beef, and some bread. Cake for dessert. The cake is pretty decent for not being Muffet's."
"I heard that!" came a voice from behind one of the doors into the kitchen.
Chara's smile turned just a tad maniacal. "Are you sure?!" His volume ratched up. "Maybe I should say it louder! And I can add that Church's chiffon is better than yours will ever be!""
"That's fair. Her chiffon is better." A rabbit monster came out from the back and the only thing I could think was that I was seeing a rabbit version of Chiko, the head chef in my father's castle. She caught sight of Frisk and I, and smiled. "Newcomers!" Her smile fell. "And you both look exhausted. Go on out and find a place to sit. Chara and I will be by with plates."
Frisk and I returned to the great room that called itself a cafeteria, finding an empty table near the fire. As soon as I was sure Frisk was comfortable, I rested my head in one hand, eyes closed, listening to the crackle and pop of the fire. Frisk reached over, rubbing my back.
"It'll be all right, Chara."
I shook my head. "My brother and future king is seriously injured. It's my job to take that hit, to protect him."
Frisk took the hand covering my face in hers, kissing the palm. "Things happen. There will come days where we will be far from each other and no one will be sure of anyone's safety." She sighed. "It's important to remember that this is a fluke. A stranger came and interrupted our world's story." She gestured to the room as a whole. "These people? It's their job to solve the problems caused by interruptions to the story. And that's what they're doing now on multiple levels, back home with my father and here with Asriel."
The rabbit monster and Chara set several plates in front of us, a full meal for four.
Chara leaned over, kissing the rabbit monster on the cheek before he sat down. "Thank you, Chiko."
Frisk and I looked up at her. "Thank you."
She smiled, nodded, and walked away.
I frowned. "Who's the fourth meal for?"
Chara paused for a moment, eyes closed, his right hand over his heart. He blinked his eyes opened. "Star."
The Frisk with the long, black hair came in the cafeteria a few minutes later, her blue clothing having been changed for green. Likely because the blue was covered in dark stains the origins of which I didn't want to think about. I shivered as she sat down next to Chara, laying her head on her arm, sprawling across that end of the table. She was so still for so long, I'd thought she'd fallen asleep. Chara's fork speared a strawberry off his plate and he held it out toward her. She turned her head to take the bite and sat up to chew.
Frisk grabbed my hand, squeezing it tightly before asking the question I couldn't manage. "How is he?"
Star pushed her hair back from her face with one hand while picking up her fork with the other. "Asriel is out of surgery and resting comfortably in the lab. He'll be out for the rest of the night. I put a chair that reclines into a bed in the room so you can stay with him. Word of warning, when he wakes up in the morning, we're going to make him get up and walk around, which will seem insane and be incredibly painful to watch. But doing it will kick start his natural healing and prevent blood clots."
She picked up her knife and cut into the roast beef on her plate. "When we're done eating, I'll take you in to see him and introduce you to the night staff."
Chara elbowed her. "Frisk is bunking with you while she's here."
Star nodded. "Okay. I'll put some sheets on the spare bed." She held out her hand to Frisk and I. I'm Frisk Ossein, specifically the younger one. My mom's the older one. My official nickname is 'Shooting Star,' but everyone just calls me 'Star' for short."
Frisk took her hand, but only held it, staring in rapt fascination. "You're a healer too."
She shrugged a little, eyes filled with the same fascination. "I guess. I never really thought of it that way."
They stared at each other, hands still clasped, smiling softly. I pointed at the both of them.
Chara nodded and finished the bite in his mouth before speaking. "That's a thing. All Frisks find all other Frisks fascinating, sometimes to an almost obsessive level. Give it about fifteen minutes and they'll start acting like siblings or long time best friends." He smiled when he said it, like it pleased him immensely.
I looked to Frisk and found her talking with Star, the two giggling softly over their meals and the exhaustion of the day sloughing off. And her embarrassment with the older Frisk earlier suddenly made sense. She'd be impertinent to her father all day long, but she wouldn't act like that with someone she saw as an older sister.
"Is it just Frisks? Or do other doubles from differing worlds do the same?"
He shrugged. "For a Frisk, it's always a definite. For everyone else, it's kind of hit or miss. This world's Asriel, the Asriel from an advanced science timeline, and my brother spend copious amounts of time together. They like to test each other's strengths, bounce ideas about important decisions off of each other, and, since my brother is the most soft hearted of the three, provide understanding for situations that others just don't get."
"You say that like being soft hearted is not to his advantage."
Chara sighed, staring at his plate. "My brother is a good father, a good husband, and a good king." He looked up at me. "And he is those things in a world that has done everything in its power to make him a cruel tyrant." He snorted and continued eating.
"Snowball's chance in hell, right?" I chuckled.
He smiled, proudly. "Snowball's chance in hell."
We finished eating and followed Star back to the laboratory, Frisk much steadier on her feet now that she'd eaten. The place was quiet, the bed I'd laid my brother on clean and empty. Now that the rush was over, I could see the place clearly. Several windowed rooms lined the right wall. Clean, metal countertops lined the other walls with cabinets. Machinery I didn't recognize in the least hummed softly around the room.
Walking us past a few of the rooms, I spotted an older man who resembled me reading a book, his door marked with a quarantine sign. In another room I spotted a brown haired woman, with the tiniest waist I'd ever seen, sitting with a merwoman with the most intense red hair I'd ever seen. And my Undyne had some insanely red hair.
We went past an empty room and came to the one Asriel slept in. The curtains were drawn and the room was only dimly lit with an orange glow. My brother slept peacefully in a large, comfortable looking bed that propped him up. Several tubes dripping different liquids attached to one of his arms. There was color in his face and the blankets covering him looked warm and soft. I took the hand that wasn't attached to the strange tubes in mine. His fingers curled around mine.
Frisk put an arm around me and looked to Star. "What should we expect?"
"He'll wake up in the morning after having had the best sleep ever. But he will also be in a lot of pain. Like I said before, we'll make him get up and walk as soon as he's awake and before he eats. So long as nothing comes up, he'll be in this room for about two days. We'll teach all three of you how to care for the wound and move him in with you. After the wound is healed enough for it, we remove the stitches and start physical therapy. He's suffered some internal organ damage, but nothing we haven't seen before."
Chara frowned viciously.
Star held up both hands. "Sorry! Sorry! I didn't mean it like that!" She hugged him swiftly. "See? I'm still here and all good. Nothing to worry about. And remember that while I was gone, you were doing your best impression of hypothermia via curse."
He sighed. "If I ever see the monster that got you…"
Star patted his shoulder. "Yes. Yes. I know." She went over to a plush chair next to the bed. She tapped a small lever on the side. "Pulling this back will lay the chair back into a bed and you'll be able to stay with him tonight." She pointed to a door across from the bed. "There's a bathroom in there." She looked to the window. "Wow! You really resemble your mom."
I spun to the door just as my mother, on this world's Asriel's arm, came in. She hugged me quickly before leaning over my brother and kissing his forehead. She stayed there for a moment, resting her forehead against his. She shuddered deeply before standing up, the queen coming back into place. Astelle rushed in afterwards, practically leaping into my arms. I hugged her tightly, even as her eyes were on Asriel.
This world's Asriel looked to us and I shivered a little. "Star, Chara, Chara, and Frisk. Go to my sister's office."
I gave Astelle one more squeeze before extricating myself from her. Frisk and I followed Star out of the laboratory and into Church's office. My Sans waited inside, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. The red sweatered skeleton still sat across from the desk. Church had changed out of the dress and was wearing a uniform similar to the one Chara wore, only in a dark blue rather than green. A tall skeleton bearing cracks in his skull similar to Gaster's stood behind Church, cradling the baby. And I had the distinct feeling that this was the tall man I'd seen earlier. The skin he'd worn was an illusion.
Frisk hugged her father before coming around the desk to go up on tiptoe to give the skeleton a kiss on the side of his skull. "Hello, Bones. So weird to see you like this."
He smirked. "Hey there, kiddo." The single, glowing pinprick eye moved to look at me. "Is your brother resting comfortably?"
I nodded.
Church looked between Frisk and I. "Cross reported that your teleport stopped in the void, leaving you hanging in nothing."
Frisk nodded vigorously. "Yes."
Church frowned deeply. "That's the tenth report."
Chara grimaced. "Please say total."
She shook her head. "Just today."
I lifted my hands, using them to indicate a human-ish form. "There was a figure in the void, more outline than anything. It spoke to us and then sent us here after calling to Star."
Star smiled. "That was E.C.! He's a Chara that calls the void his home."
"And he likes to hang off of Star whenever he sees her," Chara grumbled.
The red sweatered skeleton chuckled darkly. "*jealous?"
Chara snorted, lifting his nose. "Hardly."
Very jealous.
"*what's it like out there, bones?"
Bones shook his skull, gently cradling the baby. "Bad. I have no idea what's going on and Blue's stumped as well. He's here right now, so go bump skulls with him. In fact, call your sister and get her working on it too."
The red skeleton stood and sauntered out the door.
Star stretched, yawning. "Why'd you call us in? It wasn't about the teleport."
Sans frowned. "*dragoon figured out that we'd switched asriel with his body double. he's disappeared from our world and has been spotted on other worlds asriel could have potentially been taken for treatment."
I thought about that. "Why not come here first?" I looked at Bones. "You're from here, right? Wouldn't it make sense to look here first?"
"It would, but there are several reasons not too," Church answered. "It would make sense to him for us to put Asriel somewhere else, or take him to a place much closer in appearance to your timeline. He would also look other places first simply because Epsilon is the absolute last place he'd want to be." She frowned. "I do expect him to make an attempt."
Chara stood up straight. "So Star and I are on for the night."
Church shook her head. "No. It's late and I want you both helping Frisk and Chara acclimate." She smiled sadly. "I don't think your mother or sister will be leaving tonight and Asriel will not allow more than two visitors in the room at a shot so the staff can get in and out to care for your brother. Go with Star and Chara for a tour. In the morning we'll take you shopping for things you'll need for your stay."
I took a deep breath to argue and sighed deeply instead. I had to do what was best for my brother and being able to help him navigate the world he'll wake up to was more important than being physically near him. I put an arm around Frisk and nodded. She looked up at me with a sad smile and hugged me.
"Anything else?" Chara asked.
Church smiled wryly. "No. But I am sorry to cut in on your buddy time."
Star put an arm around Chara. "He'll live!" She waved Frisk and I out the door. "Come on. We'll do a tour and then get you settled in."
Frisk gave her father another hug before following Star and Chara. I paused for a second, giving Church a bow with my hand over my heart.
"Thank you for taking us in and seeing to our needs."
Church stood, returning my bow. "You're very welcome, Prince Chara."
Sans gave me a wave as I turned and left, pushing off the wall to settle into a chair. Chara waited for me just outside the office and I followed him back down the hall toward the suites.
Frisk held Star's hand. "Is it really okay for me to stay with you? You don't have to keep me."
Star shook her head. "I'm happy to have you! I would have even offered!"
I smiled at her. "Just like that? It doesn't seem odd that we'd be separated?"
Star turned around, regarding me as she held up her fingers to count them off. "Medieval fantasy timeline, conservative standards of male-female interaction, unrelated by blood, and," she pointed at me, "you two being unchaperoned is an occasion for bad ideas." She giggled at my shock. "It's okay. My fiance and I are bad like that too."
Frisk and I looked at each other before looking at her. "Fiance?" We both looked at Chara.
He snorted. "Don't look at me. I'm not that crazy."
"Hey!" Star glared at him, but it was half hearted at best. She huffed and lifted her nose. "Well, he is the better Chara."
Frisk giggled.
"Whatever." Chara smiled, deviously. "I'm getting real tired of all the Charas you're collecting. Your fiance can stay but I'm shoving the rest off. E.C. can be the first to go."
She spun on him, hands on her hips. "Oh really? This from the man who has two Frisks."
I smiled. "Well, if the other Frisk is anything like you, two is probably all he can handle."
Star sputtered for a moment and then bent over laughing.
Chara chuckled. "That's hitting the nail on the head."
Star stood up straight and held out her arms. "Tour time! This is Seraph Foundation Site Epsilon. It's primary purpose is to resolve anomalous occurrences on other timelines. It's secondary purpose is medical research. King Asriel is the site director and his adopted sister, Frisk Church, is his second in command. Several of Epsilon's agents live on premises."
Chara gestured down the toward the apparent entrance. "That's the main entrance and leads out to the parking lot and the nature trails in the forest surrounding the main facility. There are two internal garages, one belonging to Bones, who is this world's Sans, and the other just general parking for people who live here. Your suite is the last in the line, so the next two rooms are the staff equipment room and Papyrus' workshop."
I raised an eyebrow. "So where are suites one through thirteen?"
Chara nodded toward the entrance. "Just around the corner down there. For the most part, the only suites with permanent residents are seventeen and eighteen. Nineteen is a communal kitchen for the suites if you feel the need to cook. Twenty is a communal living room for the suites and in the winter, you can find lots of people just hanging around in there."
He paused for a moment and pointed toward the equipment room. "If the equipment room is ever open, it means an agent is getting ready for a mission. Church and Star will just get dressed in there without caring if someone is watching, so keep that in mind, and avert your eyes."
I smiled at Star. "Is that a thing? Frisks and the lack of shame?"
Frisk pinched my arm while Star gave me a half hearted glare before heading toward the stairs.
She continued the tour. "Suite seventeen belongs to 'Straight Man' Sans. We call him that because he is literally the only normal person from his timeline, relatively speaking. The living doll with him is his girlfriend Demali. Suite eighteen belongs to this world's Papyrus."
Heading up the stairs, Chara pointed to the right. "The first door is King Asriel's apartment. The next one after that is Star's place. The two apartments after that one are empty at current.
Chara pointed to the left. "The first door this way is the Gaster family apartment."
"Gaster?"
He jumped at the sudden, dark tone in my voice. "Oooooh, you've got one of the bad ones, huh? On this timeline, Wing Dings Gaster was a scientist who was split into two different people in an accident. Papyrus is one of those people and Bones is the other. On my timeline, Dr. Gaster is Sans, Papyrus, and Frisk's father."
"Ooooh…" Star smiled sheepishly. "I should mention then that I my exemplar, Crow, is a Gaster."
Frisk tilted her head to the side. "Exemplar?"
"An exemplar is a summonable companion who lives within you. In a fight, Crow looks like a big, bulky ninja! But otherwise looks like your average Gaster: tall, skinny, cracked skull."
I paused for a moment, processing the information. "I suppose the story would be different in different places."
Star nodded. "Oh, a confusing point. 'Church' is this world's Frisk's maiden name. It is officially Frisk Gaster, and this is her home. Most people just refer to her as Church."
Chara motioned us along to the next apartment, the door of which was open. "This is Frisk Cross and his skelebros' place."
Just inside the door, you could see young girl, wearing a loose shirt and dark leggings, and what appeared to be noise blockers over her ears while she worked on problems out of a math textbook at the table. She noticed us and gave us a wave before returning to her work. A young skeleton monster in a striped sweater and pants, sat at the other end of the table with a much older skeleton talking about something in the textbook in front of him.
"The children are Sophia and Brandon Gaster. Sophia is King Asriel's heir. The skeleton with Brandon is a Sans, and we all call him D, which is short for Dragon Sans. And yes, he can turn into a huge skeletal dragon."
We moved along to the next apartment, the door of which was open though I didn't see anyone inside.
Star pointed. "This is the Ossein apartment, my parents' place. They don't seem to be in, and I don't see the Tarsus brothers, so they're probably down in the garden by now."
Chara turned around to the singular door on the opposite wall. "And this is the library."
Star opened the door to a huge room two stories tall and filled with rows and rows of books. A mezzanine with low desks and comfortable seating ringed the the second floor where windows let in the last of the fading, evening light and a view of the area surrounding the building. A few humans and monsters sat here or there, reading quietly next to warm, glowing lamps.
"There's plenty to read here." Chara nodded for us to follow him through the rows of shelves to a set of bookcases filled with large containers, each filled to the brim with craft supplies of all sorts.
He gave me a smile. "You'll find plenty of yarn and lots of needles to choose from."
I chuckled. "That's a thing, isn't it?"
Star nodded. "I've only met one Chara who didn't knit. She crocheted."
"Crochet?"
"It's a similar principle, but instead of using two needles, you use a hook and looping action to create fabric."
Chara indicated back the way we came. "There's a clipboard just inside the door, so if you take anything from the room, note your name, suite number, title and author of the books, and/or numbers from the sides of the containers." He knocked on one of the containers, just over the number.
And got a knock back. He blinked at the case for a minute before hearing a very feminine chuckle. Going around the other side of case, we found a female Chara. It was the woman from earlier with the tiny waist. Her dark brown hair had one bright red streak in it, though it appeared as if she'd been trying to hide it by the way her hair was pulled up in many braids. She wore a long brown skirt, brown blouse, and a red vest, with a strange pair of goggles hanging around her neck. On the table in front of her was a stack of books.
Hiding behind that stack was the merwoman, a Frisk with intensely red hair and patches of tiny, sparkling scales on her face. Her eyes watched us furtively, yarn and hooked implement gripped tightly in her hands. She wore a very simple, silver shirt and a pair of very tight, silver slacks.
The female Chara giggled. "Sorry! I heard you talking about me, so I couldn't resist."
I blinked at bit at her bright smile.
Chara snorted. "I bet you couldn't. You're as bad as Star!"
She waved that off. "Oh please. I've never managed to scare the living daylights out of you." She turned a bit in her chair. "You'll pardon me if I don't stand to greet you." She tapped the wheelchair she sat in, a bag with a solution of some sort dripping away at the device attached to her hand from where it hung over just over her head. "I'm still not steady on my feet. I'm Charlotte Featherstone, though most people just call me Chara."
I stepped forward to take her hand. "Think nothing of it." I kissed her knuckles. "I am Prince Chara Dreemurr, though I suppose that isn't very surprising. You're like me and yet you aren't. How is that so? Is it because you are female?"
She shook her head. "I'm from a 'swap' world where everyone has sort of of switched roles. My Frisk would be more analogous to you in temperment, I'd bet. Though my Asriel seems to be similar to most other Asriel's I've met thus far."
Charlotte motioned to her companion. "This is Frisk Tamanna."
Miss Tamanna ducked down a little, attempting to make herself smaller.
Charlotte reached over gently petting the woman's red, red hair. "It's all right, Frisk. You already know Chara and Star. Two new people aren't that difficult."
She dropped the crochet hook to grasp Charlotte's hand and hold it tightly.
Charlotte gave her a patient smile. "Please forgive her. She's been in isolation for so long that being around people is a bit more than she can handle most days."
Frisk came around the other side of table, that fascination she had before with Star glittering in her eyes again. She held out a hand to Miss Tamanna. "Hello!"
Miss Tamanna blinked at her for a moment before the ghost of a smile caught her lips. She reached out, gently touching Frisk's hand. "Hello." The word was spoken so softly, I wasn't sure I'd actually heard it.
Frisk knelt next to her, the two continuing to gaze at each other.
Charlotte smiled at them. "Getting a tour?"
I nodded.
"In the evenings, so long as it isn't raining, the residents will gather around the fire pit in the garden. There will be everything from music, to storytelling, to D reading aloud from this or that book. If you'll be here a while, it's worth it to join in. If you ever get lost, just talk out loud, and ask C for help. He's this world's Chara and he'll answer." She looked up. "Hey, C. What time is it?"
A young, male voice I recognized as being the voice of the red ghost filled the room from some hidden place. "It is 20:00 hours on the dot. And everyone is down at the firepit if you're interested. Mrs. Ossein says to let you all know that smores and hot chocolate are happening."
Charlotte chuckled. "Thank you, C!"
"Anytime."
Star tapped on Charlotte's shoulder. "Feeling hydrated?"
Charlotte rolled her eyes and tapped the bag attached to her. "Whether I want to or not."
A thought occurred to me. "You seem to be, despite far from home, very comfortable here."
Charlotte gestured to the air in a vague fashion. "The level of technology here is very similar to my timeline on the surface of the planet. But the hollow interior, a place we call Agartha, is a completely different story. I grew up with all of the things you see here, but after falling down a hole in the ground, have been living in the hollow earth since."
Chara motioned to Frisk and I. "Is there anything they should know about that a standard tour wouldn't mention?"
Star immediately waved her hands at us. "Oh! Yes! Have you seen the living doll?"
I nodded.
"That's Demali. During the day, she acts as a normal person, but at night she will stalk the halls and chase anyone she finds. Since it's just her and not a group of her kind, that she won't actually harm anyone. If you see her, don't run. Just walk. She'll only move as fast as you do. And if she gets close enough to you, she will break off, and disappear."
Chara let out a low whistle. "I wasn't aware that she still switched into her hunting phase off timeline."
Star nodded. "Demali is from a horror timeline, a legitimately terrifying place where monsters are nothing to laugh at. Her kind only hunt in packs so she won't attempt to hurt anyone alone. Other than that, there is a vampire Frisk here. She's only out once the sun starts to set and will not attempt to drink your blood. She's with child, and here to give birth. Her husband is a Chara and he watches over her like a hawk." She looked to the now inky blue sky beyond the window. "They might actually be down at the fire pit right now."
Charlotte pulled on Miss Tamanna's sleeve. "Come on. I'm not missing chocolate in any form."
My jaw dropped. "That's a thing too, isn't it?"
Chara nodded and gave me a devious look. "I know where Chiko hides it in the kitchen."
"Chocolate is very hard to come by on my world."
Frisk finally looked up at me, giggling. "You'll need twice the exercise everyday if you can just have it whenever you want."
I thought of the hours of grueling training I put in with Undyne everyday. "Worth it."
Frisk looked back to Miss Tamanna. "You'll come, right? Please?"
She nodded, causing Frisk, Star, and Charlotte to smile at the same time. She stood with Frisk. Charlotte pulled on a pair of gloves before spinning the wheels attached to her chair and backing away from the table.
Star came up behind her. "I've got you."
Charlotte looked up. "Thank you."
"You're welcome."
Star lead the way, pushing Charlotte back to the stairs. And before I had a moment to really think about how a chair with wheels was going to traverse stairs, Star stepped back as a set of metal, crab-like legs uncurled from under the chair, carrying Miss Charlotte down.
My jaw dropped. "That is amazing."
Chara nodded. "That's all her too. She modified the chair just so she could get to the library. And that's actually indicative of her world.
We stepped into the hall at the bottom of the stairs to the sound of a scream being quickly cut off. Star rushed to the front of the group, listening quietly for a moment. A scuffling sound came from the right and she dashed down the hall, toward the entrance.
Chara turned to the rest of us. "Wait here while Star and I check it out." He ran after his partner.
Miss Tamanna grabbed ahold of Charlotte's hand, but Frisk dashed after them. I followed, fast on her heels. We went out through the glass doors and onto the path beyond.
"I swear! I don't know what you're talking about!"
Star skidded to a halt before a decorative iron gate that was filled with yellowing leaves. She ducked down, carefully looking through the foliage into the grassy area beyond. She frowned deeply, her eyes changing from brown to a dark, inky blue, that glittered with stars. Chara rounded us to the otherside of the gate, looked in quickly, and nodded to Star as a red, glowing sword appeared in his hand.
Star nodded and Chara went through, rolling to one side. Star moved in the opposite direction, coming up with a sword so black it seemed to suck in the light around it. Dragoon had two humans and a demonic looking monster backed into a grove of trees, huddling together fearfully. Dragoon turned to look at Chara, only to suddenly zero in on me.
"There you are." Dragoon pointed his sword at the three huddled together in the corner. "Hand over your brother, and no one need get hurt."
I stiffened.
Chara disappeared, reappearing with the three huddled together. All four suddenly disappeared and Star jumped at Dragoon, her sword coming down fast. He brought his sword up to parry only to have it cleaved in half. He quickly jumped back to avoid her strike. His sword reformed, the blade glowing red. He turned fully with his swing, using the force to slam into Star and sent her skidding backwards and into a tree. She hit it with a smack and sat there for a moment, dazed. Frisk ran to her.
I came at Dragoon from the side as he advanced on Star, slamming into him hard enough to knock him off his feet. He hit the floor with a roll and came up with one eye glowing. A floating animal skull appeared next to him. He snapped his fingers and it let loose a blast of white energy at me. I dove to the side, found my feet, and dove again to avoid another blast.
At the next blast, I rolled under it, coming up to grab the floating skull and bang it off the ground as hard as I could. The skull shattered and Dragoon slashed at me with his sword. It came a hair's breadth from my nose as I leaned out of the sword's path.
The ground underneath Dragoon began to glow red and he jumped out of the light, only to have a barrage of red bones rain on him from above. He swung his sword quickly to knock the bones away, leaving him open to attack from the side. I moved to knock him off balance only to have him completely disappear. I froze and only had the time to curse under my breath before the force of a blast sent me right into a nearby tree.
I put my arms up to take the brunt of the impact only to stop mid air, Frisk huffing at the hastily cast spell to keep me safe. Chara reappeared, his sword making quick work of the new floating animal skull. A strange sound filled the air, like the 'shing' of my Sans' magic, and Dragoon's eye sockets went wide. Chara's hand moved up and Dragoon was thrown into the air, another barrage of red bones flying after him. Dragoon summoned another floating skull, riding it this time to dodge the bones.
Star watched for a moment, letting Frisk heal her, before yelling, "Crow!"
A bulky, black clothed man appeared out of nowhere like a summoned creature. It grabbed Dragoon's coat as he flew by and pulled him down to the grass hard enough the skeleton bounced off of the ground.
"I said you were both off duty."
The area suddenly went still, ominously so. Church stood in the gateway. I wasn't sure how a skeleton could look frightened, but Dragoon suddenly looked very, very scared. He scrambled to his feet and snapped his fingers.
Nothing happened.
I looked to Church and behind her stood the red sweatered skeleton, his left eye glowing an awful red.
Shivering, Dragoon fell into stance, laughing nervously before he dashed for her. Church pulled a weapon from a holster under her arm; a smaller, sleeker version of the prototype firearms my Alphys has long worked on. She fired multiple times as she walked toward him, and Dragoon held his sword up to block. Each impact coated the sword in a gray substance that hardened around it.
He got to her, swinging the coated sword and she dodged easily from side to side before her arm came up to block the sword and she fired at his skull, coating the left half of it in the substance. He rounded on her angrily, his fist connecting with the firearm and knocking it from her hand. He swung again and she jumped, flipping to the side. When her feet touched the ground, a self extending staff slid into her hand from under her sleeve and she brought it down on him, striking him hard and fast.
Dragoon stumbled backwards from the continual beating before she turned with a jump and kicked him hard enough in the chest to knock him flat. Pulling another firearm from some hidden place on her person, she fired at him multiple times, coating him completely in the gray substance. He screamed impotently from his prison before suddenly going silent.
The foam broke apart in a blast and Dragoon was gone.
The bulky man in black disappeared as Star ran up to Church. "Thanks for the save." She looked to Chara. "Are the other's all right?"
He nodded.
I looked to the broken pieces of the gray substance. "How soon do you think he'll be back?"
Church holstered her weapon. "He won't. He'll simply find a new target."
And knowing that teleporting between worlds was becoming an issue, it was an ominous thought.