Me: No shit...
Shamir: This surely came out faster than I thought.
Me: Welp.
Shamir: Still, you seem to be quite upset with me.
Me: ...Tch, no. Sorry if this looks so short. This particular chapter IS intended to be in two parts.
Descending into...Amorality!
CHAPTER TWELVE: NO MORAL STANCES (I)
[Waterfall]
It was her turn now.
The chances of her survival were low, and while she didn't have the full training the others had, she wanted to make Shamir proud of her actions, while the latter was concerned with a rather startling feeling - he was feeling a bit more empty than before - that must've meant someone from the Guard died. The former, however, didn't know just what exactly was in store or how long will she be able to resist in front of the spreading darkness that didn't seem to have a point of stopping.
Generally, monsterkind was now a lot more fearful than before, and Gerson thought that this was the moment the prophecy predicted, 'The angel will come and free us...from this mortal realm...Tis' much is true, the bleaker outlook has started to catch upon me as well.' and he packed everything up, slowly heading towards the capital, where the Dreemurrs were. He was rejoicing at the thought he will see his old friends, but he wished the circumstance was slightly different than this, until the old tortoise bumped into Shyren, the siren-like monster, who sang a sorrowful tune.
"...Eh? Where am I going?" the tortoise squinted his healthy eye towards the monster.
"Ye-ye-yes, Gerson." Shyren sang a little in her speech.
"Things are looking bleak, and...I am headed for the capital." Gerson said as he coughed a little.
"I see, hum-hu-hu." the shy monster hummed. "May I join you?"
"Of course."
[Meanwhile, in the Void...]
Gaster and Chara were having a rather heated argument as they looked at the events playing through the timeline, while also keeping score of the others - the Classic timeline was still going okay, with its' happy time, as well as the Altertale one - but there was something they didn't look like they had a point on.
How to warn the Classic Universe stuff will go down in a matter of - probably - hours, how impending doom will be at their door, and the tall, black-dressed skeleton scientist looked at the small, spirit-like child before him, whose expression barely changed during their talks - and couldn't do much more than leaving out a long sigh, taking this argument - how many times have they run over this subject again?
"...Look, Chara, as far as we can see, there's nothing we can do right now. Their extermination has just begun, and be honest with yourself - do you have any plan against the possessed Frisk?"
"...No." Chara said as he huffed in annoyance. "But you know how much I hate being an idle watcher."
"Yes, yes. And your opinion of Sans begins to change, doesn't it?" the tall scientist said as he looked towards the Classic timeline.
"...How's any of this remotely-" the spirit child's eyes widened in surprise.
"You are watching, just like he did when you did Genocide once."
"I-He must've felt pretty pissed..."
Realization started to slowly kick in within Chara's mind, as he watched the temporal rifts of the three timelines, 'So that's...how it is to watch everyone around you die. I think Classic me went through a lot of this genocide stuff and...his brothers are helping him out. Just...look at how cute they can be together. Tch. When did I become such a softy...to quote Shamir's words.' and then folded back his arms as he looked at the rift showing Waterfall.
He could only hope that the jaguar monster will do the right thing, and find a way to free the monsters from this ordeal.
[Anti-Void]
"no no no no no nO! this genocide goes far too long...gah! i really wish genocides were going faster than this...i just hope that monochrome pipsqueak hasn't yet managed to reach this timeline...cause it will be very bad for him if he does!"Error Sans said as his eyes were filled with ERRORS and blue threads were dancing around him. 'and i hope none of the idiots in the void dare to mingle in my affair...cause...if they do...i'll make sure W.D. Gaster ends up dead'n'gone forever.'
As the glitchy Error Sans was watching the whole deal going on, Altershift!Gaster was silently looking at the strange skeleton before him, pondering just how worse can someone end up. If Classic Gaster's theory was correct, any version of his would get revived...and he wanted to get back to Sans. Sans was his proud son, a result of one intricate experiment he performed long, long time ago...while Papyrus was adopted, being one of the younger assistants of his at the CORE - he was orphan since his existence, so Gaster saved him off the streets.
He just waited to see how the timeline's life will end, yet he wanted to place his chances on a positive outcome.
[New Home]
The two Boss Monsters were blinking with disbelief at the scene before them.
They were sure fate was playing a cruel prank on them, because they didn't expect to see this, while Sans and Alphys were unflinching as they were willing to explain just what exactly happened - the first because he knew everything, the latter because she found out from Shamir's confession - yet still, Toriel and Asgore's gazes towards one another spelled a bit of anger and questioning, wondering just what did even get in their adopted son's mind to do such a thing.
Maybe he noticed something they didn't about themselves?
Toriel sensed the signature magic of the Dreemurr family within the small goat monster, but she was still doubtful over it, mainly because it's been ever so long since she had the chance to hug her son. And where was Chara? Why only one of her sons was back, why not all of them? she could wonder silently as a few tears were flowing off her eyes, while Asgore tried to play support and be as strong as he could for Toriel, slowly placing one of his large paws over one of her smaller ones.
"Tori...take your time." he could utter as he shifted his gaze from Asriel, and then back to Toriel.
"After all this time... I-ASRIEL!" Toriel rushed towards the small goat monster and hugged him, tears falling from her eyes. "You're real..."
"Mom...I am as real as it gets," he laughed softly through his own tears. "I'm here, and I won't leave you two alone."
"Shamir took a really, really risky decision. But, all in all, it looks like it's for the best." the king said as he walked towards Asriel.
"...my buddy and his decisions, right?" Sans plastered a small grin on his face, while Alphys softly nodded.
[Waterfall]
She felt the shift in the wind as much as everyone else did.
The two guards were most likely dead, and it would probably be her turn, but then again, she wanted to prove Shamir she was very good at this. That all the training with her wasn't wasted at all - she could only think about all the moments when they sparred.
["Very well, Undyne!" Shamir told her as she just landed a very good blow on him.
"Tch. Are you sure you're not letting me to win?" she scoffed as she summoned a new spear.
"...No, I don't." the jaguar said as he gripped tightly his Dual Sabers. "I have told you before, I want to see you fit enough for the Guard. What good would it do if I'd be fighting with less than half of my power?"
"What?...You're using the same force against me?! Dad, I thought we went through this..." she blushed as she realised her call out.
"Really, I-want to avoid as much as possible the idea of turning you into dust from such a simple practice spar."
"Please, I'm not a young fish monster anymore. I can take whatever's thrown at me." she reinforced as she lunged to attack him again.]
'Ugh, sometimes he goes so protective over me...but he's like the dad I've never had, he cares for me and Alphy.' she could only muse as ahead of her laid the vast area between Snowdin and Waterfall, and she squinted her eyes in expectation. Her battle armor was shining brilliantly in the daylight, and while she didn't fight any human before, she wasn't going to fall down so easily - standing in front of danger was one of the things a Guard's life came with - and while a part of her was scared, the other side of her, the prideful Undyne, was glad to be a part of the team that kept the Underground safe. She could feel the fiery determination within her boiling, as well as the burden Shamir must've carried for so long - the burden to ensure everyone's hopes are fulfilled - and the fish monster sighed at the thought.
He tried so hard to paint himself as the best warrior in the Underground, and when she defeated him so casually - well, technically he wasn't even defending himself, it was just her uncontrolled rage that pinned him to the wall - he must've felt his pride lost for a moment. But he was sensible enough to figure Undyne's potential and train her to be better - he forgot to teach her a lesson. A lesson, well, that she learnt on her own, while training.
Toning down one's pride.
Really, she saw just how much of that was stemming out of him, and it made her want to almost write a book for him "How to Keep Pride to a Minimum 101" - but that was probably because everyone looked at him and he had to keep the appearance of being a hero. Underneath, she could see the real Shamir, the jaguar monster with a heart that knew how to be gentle, and how to protect without being ever zealous - she could only shake her head in confusion. Was he really that afraid to show himself, afraid folks will take him for a softy feline monster?
'Tch. I'll have to teach my Dad this lesson someday,' she laughed in her mind, but she stopped the moment a dark figure approached.
[New Home]
After a very, very long walk through Hotlands, CORE and Papyrus' Resort, Gerson was finally in the capital, at Asgore and Toriel's doors.
While the old tortoise wasn't a huge fan of Papyrus, he had to appreciate that the tall skeleton went out of his way for the fabled "Hammer of Justice", and ensured his short-stay at the Resort would be good - but then again, a pressing matter was in the old hero's mind - if everyone else was alright up to this point, and if any of his knowledge would help out the monsters in figuring out this crisis.
The few monsters that resided at Resort - that included Bratty, Catty and Burgerpants - were, in all honesty, afraid of what the future beheld for them, and they couldn't stop talking about it, no matter how hard they tried to encourage one another that things might be better. Gerson had to remind, albeit reluctantly, all that chatter going on in there - mainly because he couldn't avoid it, no matter how hard Papyrus wanted to convince these monsters to drop their negative talk.
["Do you really think the Guard will do something, anything, to see that we don't end up dead?" one monster was talking to another.
"Hey Bratty, did you hear that guy? He surely has a reaaally grey notion on the whole thing." Catty said as she scratched her right ear with one of her purple paws.
"Yeah Catty, but you can't deny his greyness is what keeps us goin'," the crocodile monster retorted as she yawned.
"I just-WANT-to get out of this-DAMNED-job!" Burgerpants complained, as he fiddled with his paws, and sometimes glancing at Catty.
"Sheesh, brother, you really look like-" Catty began to say, and that was Bratty's cue to join in.
"YOU NEED TO LAY IT TO REST FOR A LITTLE!" the two female monsters laughed as Burgerpants' gaze shifted to the elevator that led to the Castle.
"Uh... take it from me, little sisters. I haven't laid my job to rest in a long time..." the creamed cat said as he started smoking a cigar.]
'All that talk...it didn't look so cheery as it used to be. And now we're just toys at the hand of a criminal child...' Gerson could muse as he pushed the door of the Castle, wandering around in the all familiar building, until he reached the Throne Room, where Sans, Alphys, Toriel and Asgore...and Asriel...were standing, looking like they were discussing serious business. He had to blink at least thrice to make sure the Asriel he saw wasn't an illusion, and that the four monsters haven't gone completely mad, and cleared his throat to announce his presence.
"Ahem. King Asgore, Queen Toriel..." he bowed as respectfully as he could, due to his old age, and then he shifted his eye towards the other three monsters,
"Sans, Alphys, and", he paused, "am I seeing right with this ol' eye? The Prince of Monsters himself, Asriel Dreemurr?"
"Yes, Gerson, you are looking at Asriel. We have had much doubt as you did at first, but it's him." Toriel said as she clasped her paws.
"Wa ha ha! And through what amazing miracle this has happened?" the old tortoise asked, squinting a bit his healthy eye.
"through shamir's idea and my genius," Sans said as he scratched his skull, a few drops of sweat barely visible.
"Eh? The jaguar came up with the idea of bringing back the Prince? Hmph, perhaps he's not a sore loser as I thought him to be." Gerson said as he adjusted his explorer hat.
"Gerson, with all due respect, you're talking about our adopted son." Asgore caved in, as he folded his burly arms. "He is trying, that much can be seen, he wants to be the hero everyone will look up to."
"Hmph. Still, that doesn't diminish my disrespect towards him. He is a good warrior, yes, but in some matters he lacks proper training." Gerson added as he folded his own arms.
"So. Let us get back to the matter at...er, paw. The human is near Waterfall, as we speak. I came down as fast as my old bones could carry me, if you needed assistance."
[Waterfall]
Shamir's mind was idly dawdling on a very, very important matter - if everything was going down, will he still remember these things?
While he was a grown monster, he couldn't deny that Toriel and Asgore were such an amazing influence over him, especially when it came to showing kindness towards those who really deserved it - and when it was about serious decisions that could have a dangerous effect.
At that point in his life, the two monsters were more focused on showing him the first part of their experience.
["Hey, give me back that sword!" he mewed slightly louder, as two Looxes were bullying him.
"Hahaha, you're never getting it back, dwarf!" one of the Looxes said threateningly.
"Oh yeah? I will get it over your scratched faces!" the little jaguar said as his paws clenched fiercely.
"SHAMIR, STOP." Toriel's voice bellowed, and instantly, all of his rage just went away. "What did I tell you about showing kindness, little one?"
"But they-!" little Shamir was trying to protest, when Toriel gently shushed him.
"They are the dwarves, in comparison to you." she said as the small jaguar looked at her with a questioning face.
"They have no idea just what a great gift you did to them. You gave them one of your toys, that they don't have."
"But, it-it wasn't like-" little Shamir tried to justify their bullying, when Toriel looked at him with fiery eyes.
"Are we clear on today's lesson, dearest?" Toriel said in a tone that was akin to tough love.
"Yes, Mother. We...we're clear."]
And somewhere nearer, danger was closing in, never to turn back. "This is going to be such, such a delicious run..." Napstablook sang as he entered Waterfall. "Domination over this land is cloose at hand...and my silly brother wanted to do this together...well, too bad he can't possess humans!" he laughed maniacally as the monsters that came in his way were rapidly turning to dust, posing so little threat to him, until he reached the first sentry station of Waterfall.
There stood Undyne.
And what was about to befall her was going to chance Shamir...
...Forever.
Shamir: What is going-
Me: Shut up, ok.
Shamir: Please, just one-
Me: Shut up, man. No details at all.
Shamir: *sweatdrops* Fine, you're the boss.
Me: Thanks, furend.
Until we see one another again, readers.
