A Tale of Consequences

Reset?

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Chapter 10

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"WHY."

Alphys winced. Peeking around the door frame.

"WON'T."

Energy sheared down. The roiling edges flared, tainting the outer ridge of the construct a cool mint green. It tore through the first layer of vines with single slice. Even as the spear was coming back for a second swing, more thorny vines squirmed out of growing cracks in the wall, throwing themselves up to block the way again.

"YOU."

More vines shot out, wrapping around Undyne's armored gauntlet. But the darksteel blunted the thorns, a second slice of the spear and it was severed, just to have another take its place. Alphys took one look at her furious face, yellow eyes almost pupiless in rage, and then ducked out again.

"DIIIIIIE!"

She was blushing wasn't she. Her face felt hot as she hid it in her claws.

Metal screeched.

"RAAAAGH!"

Throaty and raw and so full of frustration. And fury. Magic crackled, and it sent shivers through her hide. Alphys could feel the charge even all the way out here, sparking the air. Protection magic, sharpened and honed to an edge that could cut nearly anything. The pure will and focus required to twist a magic type that traditionally produced barriers and healing...

Oh dang it. She loved her. Her passion. Her strength. Everything.

Something—many things—seemed to explode. Alphys was halfway into a protective curl as it was, so she braced herself as the buildup exploded outward, both physically and mystically shaking the entire lab. Oh god she'd need to check the monitoring equipment after this. The lab was insulated, but bleed over could be catastrophic to her data—she had backed it up right? And the samples should be safe in the fridges—

"HAH! Take THAT you possessed pansy!" The triumphant crow grabbed her by the spine and pulled, jerking her out of the downward spiral her thoughts had taken. She scrambled to her feet just as a battered, but overtly smug looking Undyne poked her head through the door. "HEY ALPHYS!" The shout washed over her. Undyne seemed to have a few scuffs and nicks in her armor, and she looked more than a little disheveled, but that just served to make her look even more beautiful. "I found the thing powering those vines. Want it?"

A box of faintly green magic shimmered above Undyne's gauntleted hand, an oblong white seed pulsing in its confines. It glowed faintly, a fairly strong magic signature pulsing off the construct. It almost seemed familiar as Alphys pulled herself together long enough to form the rudimentary shape of her scanner, the yellow magic carrying basic statistics back to her. Having been removed from the vines, the seed was fading fast.

"N-no. I-it's about spent anyway—" Alphys stuttered, cutting off as Undyne's triumphant grin turned downwards, "I—I mean—I just don't t-think—constructs don't last long o-once removed—"

"Che, that's fine. You know the nerd stuff." An ear shattering crack, and Undyne crushed the seed in her fist. Alphys winced, watching the motes of magic dust trailing from her gauntlet'd fingers "You said there isn't any way out other than that elevator?"

Alphys shook her head.

Well. Other than teleporting.

Undyne flashed an uneven toothy grin that made her heart flutter pleasantly. Until Alphys processed just what she said.

"It'll be a long fall then! Hang on tight!"

"H-hang o—" She was barely able to repeat the first word before undyne was grabbing her by the labcoat, unconcernedly throwing Alphys' much smaller body over her shoulder and striding back into the small side room. "U-Undyne—wait—I—"

And the Alphys froze.

The elevator was gone. Completely torn to shreds. Gashes littered the walls, most were the right size and shape to be from Undyne's spear. A few were much smaller, the scraping of thorns. The entire room was littered with dust. It made Alphys sneeze uncomfortably. From the vines?

"The annoying bullet was bunkered down inside, and I think I hit the cable." Undyne shrugged in response to Alphys' choke, "Hey! If the punk who set this up is still down there at least he won't be able to escape!"

"B—but I can't get down!" Alphys struggled, but she felt oddly helpless. If she shifted too much—what if she tumbled off? "I—you—I—"

Oh god.

Undyne in the Lab.

No.

No-nonono

She had to—

"Uh-huh. Super-secret scientist stuff. I got that much when you called me here." A metal clad finger flicked her snout. Alphys flinched. Blinking. Undyne took a step toward the broken elevator shaft. Alphys forced her eyes away from the yawning blackness and the shadows of the mangled elevator car meters below them. She instead focused on the strong silhouette of Undyne's face, the gleam of her teeth in the lights filtering in from the main lab. "I'm the captain of the Royal Guard! It's my calling to hunt down rule-breaking punks like this! You don't want to tangle with the criminal responsible for this mess, do you?"

Well. The source of half of it was currently holding her with a terrifying grin.

"...no…" Alphys squeaked. "B-but—"

"Great! It's settled then!"

Metal clanking as Undyne took another step. Alphys could feel the metal and muscle shifting beneath her. Darksteel gauntlets tightened.

Alphys screwed her eyes shut as Undyne threw them both into the abyss.

Later, Alphys would admit she couldn't remember anything from those terrifying moments of freefall, but somehow she ended up moved from Undyne's shoulder into her arms between jumping and landing against the broken remains of the elevator car. Alphys shivered, her heart racing as she clung to the scuffed plates of Undyne's armor. Her claws clenching so tight she had to be adding to the visible scratches in the darksteel.

"See? Piece of cake!"

Alphys couldn't breathe.

Undyne.

The Lab.

What would Undyne say? What would Alphys do?

Undyne tried to settle her down on her feet. Alphys wanted to collapse into a pile of quivering jelly. She wouldn't let herself. She just—needed to keep going. By some miracle she kept standing, barely processing as Undyne grunted and cursed, working to clear the debris blocking the exit by hand.

After a few moments she lost patience, slicing the thing to tiny metal ribbons in a furious flash of white and green magic. Darksteel gauntlets closed tight around the shaft, reflecting the mint-green glow. That glow was really the only concentrated source of light as they stepped out into the long hallway. Alphys fretted, bustling ahead to check the first display. Normally it would flare on at a touch, but instead it stayed dark.

"Y-you might have t-tripped the s-surge p-protection." Alphys didn't know whether to feel apologetic or relieved. On the one hand, it meant she'd need to flip the back-up power, to get more than just the emergency lights working properly, but on the other…

At least Undyne wouldn't see her notes. It's not like she could easily fix it without unlocking the elevator.

"This is freaking creepy." Undyne sniffed, stamping the butt of her spear against the ground once before striding forward, "You stay behind me, got it? I'm gonna find that punk and make them APOLOGIZE for that mess. Freaking VINES. I mean REALLY? You know this place, Alphys, where do you think they would have gone?"

"I—I—" She stopped, "I—don't know?"

Undyne stopped, turning to give her a mild look. Alphys Eep'ed.

It was very undignified.

"Well. Do you have any anti-human death lasers stashed out down here?"

"Uh...n-no?"

"Killer robots?"

"I—I might have some of Mettaton's prototypes lying around…"

"What the HELL do you do down here?!"

Alphys flinched.

"M-mostly medical...research?"

Undyne hrumphed, mumbling something that sounded suspiciously like 'boring.' "Okay then. I'LL lead and you yell at me if you think of anything."

Alphys shuffled after her as Undyne stomped down the hall, worrying at her coat. Where would they have gone? What did she have that was of use to an intruder? Or even of any value? The equipment was too big to transport easily, and she didn't have the human souls anymore. She'd sent them back to Asgore after...it was clear the DT treatments weren't working. She didn't even think she had anything lef—

Determination.

Oh god. She still had some of the DT she'd gathered from Sans.

"Undyne!"

Her screech echoed down the hall. The royal guard turned with a rough, "What?"

"I—samples. T-there's—samples of a substance that's fairly dangerous if handled wrong. I keep them—in the cold room. Waaaay in the back! Past the elevator—"

"There's another elevator!?" Undyne cut her off. "Then they could have escaped!"

"I—yes—I mean no! I mean—it's locked. I—keep it locked down since it leads right to the king's castle. I—privacy, you know?"

Privacy, and unethical secret research on human souls and monster souls.

Oh god what was she going to do—

"Oh WHATEVER. We've got some ass to kick. C'mon, keep up!"

Alphys kept jumping at shadows, but nothing seemed amiss as they navigated the halls. Although undyne did give a dirty look to the heavily reinforced door blocking the path to the elevator. But the locks still glowed faintly, showing they remained untouched so the fish-woman ended up leaving it be for now. Alphys had all four keys in her pocket.

She definitely understood Undyne's paranoia. Those vines had done a number on her darksteel armor. That strength...well, even if the doors were reinforced, Alphys was suddenly doubting they could hold up to a determined assault.

At least the intruder had to still be here. That seemed to mollify Undyne somewhat. If mollify meant had the captain was rambling loudly about what she was going to do with the unfortunate soul when she caught them as Alphys directed her to the door leading into the main diagnostic room. It was just through here, and then to the left—passed the DT Extractor—

"A-AND then I'm gonna string 'em up by their toes—or roots—or claws—and get my neighbor to blast that spook wave trash at—"

Alphys coughed. "Uhm. U-undyne?"

"WHAT?" The captain turned, her question delivered...er...forcefully enough to echo tellingly down the hallway.

"E-er—um—shouldn't we be—y-you know—trying to—uh—sneak up on them?"

And the less noise they made, the less a chance for drawing the amalgamates. At least she'd fed them this morning so they wouldn't be too forceful. The last thing she wanted was to try and explain why undyne shouldn't immediately skewer the—admittedly terrifying looking—poor creatures

"Sneaking is for wimps." Undyne huffed, "But I guess if they hear us coming they can set up another of those ANNOYING vine traps."

Alphys let out a sigh of relief as they made it through the ward without further comment. Undyne's clanking was rather...uh...regrettable, but small victories. Movement out of the corner of her eye—a flash of white? Tall and thin fading into existence behind them nearly gave her a heart attack.

"U—uh, it's to the left!" Alphys quickly motioned toward the correct path before the guardswoman decided to take another quick look around. So far so good—you can do this Alphys. Just keep it together. Maybe we won't run into one of them? Maybe the intruder just trashed the elevator and left? Maybe—

"What the HECK is THAT?!"

Alphys peered nervously around Undyne's armored bulk as she settled into a wary stance. Maybe she'd just seen the DT extractor? Even Alphys had to admit the skull-like shapegave her the creeps and she'd built the thi—

That smell. And that white puddle—white and twitching against the dark-tiled floor—

"Oh god! LEMON!" She didn't think, just sprinted passed, only to get plucked into the air by the back of her coat, "Let me go Undyne! I need to make sure they are okay!"

"You—know that thing?"

"I—I—it's—YES! NOW PUT ME DOWN!"

She was dropped like a sack of potatoes. Alphys barely registered the shock because she was too busy scrambling to the amalgamate's side. The tangy smell of citrus overwhelmed her, but she was used to it. Yellow magic responded sluggishly. The presence of multiple souls melted together always scrambled the HP numbers, but the bar was faintly visible amongst the noise. It blinked in the corner of her vision, a dull red. More than a sliver, but definitely low enough to worry. She—she hadn't thought they could be hurt. They—really—

"It's okay, Lemon." Alphys knelt next to the amalgamate. Hovering, but not touching. She had lived with her mistakes so long that she knew their quirks. The Endogeny loved petting and playing. Lemon Bread...didn't. Lemon Bread hated being touched. Instead she hummed a soft tune, the—oh god it was nearly formless. She hadn't seen it this bad since they'd first began to...melt. It had taken a while for them to settle. It had been terrifying, watching as her patients slowly collapsed together. "I p-promise. It's okay. Y-you're okay."

Alphys continued humming, the puddle of melted monster shuddered, a garbled croon escaping the twitching mass. It inched closer. She heard the clank of armor behind her. But she didn't flinch. Didn't flinch even as the white and grey goop congealed, pulling itself closer. Climbling. Clinging to Alphys' labcoat. Undyne's sharp intake of breath didn't matter as Lemon Bread's wicked looking teeth began to become distinct. Forming head, neck and even the hint of a well-muscled arm.

They crawled onto Alphys' small lap. Nearly dwarfing her in a puddle of still mostly indistinct monster goop. They mewled pitifully at her in that garbled echoing voice. Shuddering even as they shoved their head under her hand. Quivering.

"I—It's okay…" She nearly couldn't breathe. She gently lowered her quivering claws onto the firm—but still not quite solid spine that made up the amalgamate's head. The faint red bar blinked at her. She—couldn't heal. And the stabilizer chamber was too far and—and would need to be set up a-and—"U-undyne?"

"Yeah, Alphys?"

She...sounded off. Alphys didn't look up from the amalgamate. It wouldn't let her move to turn anyway.

"C-could you do me a favor? T-there's a vending machine. C-could you g-get a few packets of chisps for me?"

Monster food would help. The magic woven into it would help. It was something that could help. Lemon didn't deserve this.

Undyne didn't respond. But Alphys hoped the echoing sound of her boots down the hall meant yes.

Waiting for Undyne to return felt like an eternity. Alphys tried to keep humming. Singing. It was one of the few ways to keep Lemon Bread calm. If it was distressed enough to want contact, she winced at the mere thought of how much pain it was in. This—it was weird. Wrong. They—she'd never tried to hurt them of course, but the amalgamates never seemed to feel pain. She'd seen the endogeny rocket straight into a wall and bounce off, dazed but utterly unharmed. They even got in fights with Lemon Bread occasionally. Endogeny was super affectionate, while Lemon hated it. Normally.

Normally.

"Oh this is just adorable! The NERD and her failure."

The voice giggled. Alphys flinched, tightening her grip around the suddenly even MORE distressed Lemon Bread. She frantically looked for the source. Dang it Alphys. Did you forget why you are even down here?!

She'd even sent away their only protector without thinking. Okay. So she had been thinking, but she'd been thinking about Lemon Bread and their pain and the best way to help—

Something emerged from behind the DT extractor, suspended in the center of the room. Something green and coiling with a familiar white face and bright yellow petals.

Oh no.

The world went dark. A jolt ran through her as her weak magic hummed in response.

Oh no. Oh no no no.

She couldn't fight. Lemon Bread was in no shape for this, trying to vain to pull themselves together, hissing and sensing the change in atmosphere. But they were too hurt. Too weak.

What could she do to protect them? Herself?

"Howdy!" The face peered down at her. Bright and cheerful. Everything suddenly seemed perfectly clear and crisp. "Golly, it's been aaaaages hasn't it, doctor?"

Alphys quivered. Her mind blanked. She—

The flower is gone.

What happens when you give something without a soul, the will to live?

"I thought something was off when you were watching the cameras so soon. Some things aren't supposed to change." A vine uncurled from the main mass. Alphys felt her heart run cold. The reinforced glass was frosted, but she could see the glowing color through the semi-opaque container. "I found some...interesting things while poking around. I mean really."

"The King never had a red soul. So where did you find this?" That innocent smile morphed, laughter bubbling free like an undammed river, "That IDIOT told you didn't he? After this long, I thought he had a shred of sense! If you already know—I already have what I came for, so let's have a bit of fun while the shark is away!I never did get to play properly with you, and this is too great to pass up."

Something shattered, raining red drenched shards from above. The amalgamate howled as gravity drew the razor shards into its amorphous body. Multiple voices echoing and blending with pain and fury. Alphys was shielded by most of it's bulk, but the impact had thrown them in a wide spray, a few small shards knifing through coat and hide. Blood trickled down her back, staining the white coat. Was it blood? Burning with magic that wasn't magic. Distantly, over the many-voiced scream, she could still hear him. Cackling like a hyena.

Magic burned. The amalgamate surged, dragging her with it. They were hurt. They were weak. But they weren't backing down. Not to the one who hurt them. And somehow Alphys knew it had been the flower to hurt them. Hurt them with white seeds and vines backed with determination that exceeded their own.

They...had to protect. It pushed them forward, even while they were falling apart.

It was...so sticky.

She didn't...

...didn't want to die.

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Frisk shivered. Their soul pulsing rapidly. Something had shifted. Something was wrong.

"Kid?"

The distant question prodded at them. Frisk shrunk, trying to curl in on themselves. They didn't mean to let it bleed through. Didn't want to be a bother.

The dark-red of Frisk's headspace shifted as they felt themselves being drawn out into their shared soul. Shapes began to press themselves into the darkness, shadows of trees and snow and the door and blurry and distant numb chill seeping into their very being. All as if seen through a red-glass lens.

"Che."

Frisk heard Sans tsk, felt him—them pull the furred hood up around his—their face-skull. Frisk flinched back from the ghostly brush of fur against his-their cheek. They tried to pull away, back into the isolation of their soul alone, but Sans wouldn't let go. He seemed to be getting better at that.

"C'mon kid. Talk to me."

The words hung in the chill air. Frisk felt them vibrate in his—their bones. They felt a bit like—them when they did this. They never wanted to be like them.

But Sans was waiting, and the aching hole in their heart was hurting.

It wasn't anything.

Just their imagination.

You feel like you just lost something.

He didn't respond, but Frisk felt his—their shoulders deflate. They just—couldn't. They wanted to curl in on themselves. Wanted to vanish—wanted to—

But the faint warmth of Sans' fragile hope wrapped around them instead. Broken, over and over. Clinging to life by a single mismatched thread. But it was hope.

Pap believed in you until the end, you know.

It was just a memory. Lost through time and space. One time-line of many. Just like this one will be.

Do you think even the worst person can change?

Blood and dust. Everything was blood and dust. They could taste it. Ashes and iron.

It made them sick.

Frisk always remembered.

Skeletal fingers dug into fabric, right above their pulsing soul. Was that them? Or him? They couldn't tell. In the end did it matter?

"Keep your chin up, kiddo." Sans' voice was low. Hushed. Just a whisper in the cold night air. "I'm here."

His determination was an ember next to the inferno Frisk was used to.

I'm here.

I'm here.

I'm here.

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Tag. You're it!

The door was glowing a faint cyan as forces from outside tried to force it open. I couldn't help the giggle, retreating further in. Stone scraped against stone. The chill winter air blasting through the passageway, kicking up mother's dust around me.

Patience was so predictable. Always waiting. Never acting.

So what if he'd changed from waiting in the Judgement Hall to outside the Ruins.

I still had the advantage.

I had the first move, and it was. Just. About. Time.

I've done this run so many times, I'd know the ruins blindfolded.

I had to get him right where I wanted.

"Catch me if you can~"

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A/N: Sorry, I've been sitting on this chapter for a few days. Some…things weren't supposed to happen. So I wanted to mull over whether I wanted them to happen or not. It has been mulled, and I'm okay with it.

Also you get a glimpse of Frisk's existence. Hopefully it makes a little sense? It's an…odd position to be in, that's for sure.

Reviews and comments are always appreciated!