Disclaimer: I don't own undertale. Toby does. If I did you'd be able to buy spaghetti from Papyrus.
-Chapter 9: Snowdin for a while-
The first thing I noticed on waking was how completely drained I still felt. That and a splitting headache which reminded me of how I read a hangover felt like. The second thing I noticed was how much my eyes stung from the light. Shielding my eyes a bit, I found that I was inside... and on a rather fancy sports car shaped bed?
It was pretty rad, with the headboard even being the spoiler. If I'd been a bit younger, I'd probably have considered this bed the coolest thing ever. Not that it wasn't pretty cool. It was, and probably would cost a pretty penny on the surface. Nowadays I'd probably want the car itself instead.
As my eyes adjusted a bit, I got a glimpse at the rest of the unfamiliar room I was in. A table full of super hero and anime action figures, some of them familiar, some of them clearly monster invented. A slightly dated looking computer sat on a table in the corner. A terribly outdated looking flame pattern rug covered a sizeable portion of the floor.
A full book case sat firm against a wall, though most of it's contents seemed to be old car magazines and a game guide or three. A load of books on the royal guard as well. A full on legit pirate flag hung on the wall next to the book case. Not even a replica, but the real deal if the aged and worn appearance was anything to go by... and a box of bones in one corner it would seem.
It took me a moment to realize I wasn't alone either. Sans was sound asleep sitting on a chair next to the bed, Frisk asleep against them as well. Had they... been keeping watch over me this whole time? I moved to get up only to find It quite impossible. I just didn't have the strength to support myself right now.
A disturbing feeling of deja vu crept into me at this situation, as if harkening back to a nightmare that haunted me years ago... before I fell down. At least my throat didn't burn like acid. My movement must have been enough to wake Frisk since they stirred a bit, then rubbed their eyes.
"Hey, kid... Sorry for the scare." I managed to say, with not as much strength as I would have liked. "C-chara... don't go away...!" They threw their small arms around me, pressing their head against my shoulder. "Big sis is my friend. Please don't go..." I ruffled their hair weakly. "No way I'm gonna die yet, Frisk. I'm too damn stubborn. Still too much to do."
"Been meaning to ask you about that y'know. What you're plannin' to do." Ah. Sans was up now as well. Frisk looked up from my shoulder to them, still a bit worried. "Frisk said you were both going to the capital, but was a bit reluctant to go into more detail. Don't suppose you'd like to share?"
I took a few deep breaths, to work up the strength to speak at length. "Well... There's a lot to that. All started when 'scholar' here" I gestured to Frisk, "insisted on leaving the ruins. I was gonna actually just stay there and live with mom but it sounded to me like the kid might have some idea how to break the barrier. They haven't really given me any details, but I figured I should keep them safe at the least."
I took a moment to take a few breaths before continuing. "But that's not the only reason. I... also decided it might be the only way I get a few answers about myself. It feels like the longer I'm down here, the less I feel like I know myself. A lot of questions have been popping up, and the ruins didn't give me much to work off of."
No jokes or japes this time. Sans listened silently and patiently. "That and..." I shuffled around, taking out the locket. "I feel like I should take this back where it belongs. I'm not sure where that is exactly, but my gut tells me I'll know it when I see it." It glinted softly in the room's light. I wasn't sure yet if I should tell them about my dreams about Asriel. I didn't know how anyone would react. I didn't know how I was supposed to react to them yet.
"Wow kid. That's... quite the thing. You two really got a lot on your plate. Don't know if you'll find who that locket belongs to..." Sans winked. "But for answers? I'm sure you'll get what you're looking for on the way to the capital. I can feel it in my bones!" Oh god Sans, I'd laugh if I didn't feel so weak.
"Urgh... that was a bad one, Sans." But I was smiling. It faded a bit after a moment though. "So. How bad is it?" Sans shifted a bit uncomfortably. "You know, kid... not a lot of people get to know this, but before my royal guard schtic...among other side jobs, I used to be quite the scientist. Seen a lot of real crazy stuff. Nothing quite like what's up with you though."
Sans? An egg head? Huh. Shocking given his apparently atrocious work ethic. "The moment you fainted I felt some sort of disturbance in your... 'aura' for lack of a better term. The fact you even have an aura is something in itself. Those are usually only for monsters since it's created by ambient magic radiating from them."
I managed a weak smile. "What if I told you I can use magic?" Sans shrugged. "Normally I'd say you're pulling my funnybone, but then I haven't even gotten to the weirdest part. Your soul. Now, I was freaking out by this point, not something I do often, because you fell into a state very similar to what monsters call 'fallen down'. Ever heard of it?"
I stared at Sans a bit wide eyed. I had definitely read about it from one of mom's old books. "It's a monster illness of some sort. Usually caused by advanced age, or a critical lack of hope as far as anyone can tell. They just collapse into a vegetative state, before eventually turning to dust." My voice cracked a bit at the end there. I was very shaken now. Could I have... died? Frisk held my hand comfortingly with their smaller one, though they weren't much better it seemed.
"Right. And I got a peek at your soul while you where out. You, uhh... might wanna look at it when you get the chance. I'd also recommend not using anymore magic anytime soon unless you have to since I'm worried it might tie into that. Too much we don't understand. Not exactly normal for humans to be using magic either..." I shook my head a bit.
"Not using magic's gonna be a bit tough, Sans. Did Frisk tell you about the 'demon' I ran into in the ruins? Kinda another reason to reach the capital. Someone's gotta get the word out." Sans froze up, his white dots for pupils winking out, and his tone going from friendly and concerned to deadly serious. "Tell me everything. Don't hold anything back." He... actually looked pretty intimidating now.
Taking a breath, I told him everything I could recall from the fight. It still didn't make a load of sense to me, but Sans must have discerned some greater meaning from it the further I went on, given how his expression shifted. When I finished his hands were clenched so tight the bones creaked.
"...You're sure that's what it said? Without question?" I nodded quietly, my voice tired. This set him on edge even more. "And you didn't get any EXP at all for defeating it? You're absolutely sure?" I looked at him questioningly for a moment before nodding again. Not that I was sure what EXP was. He seemed a bit more relieved when I answered the second question. Must not have been a good thing to have.
After a moment, his eyes came back. "Looks like I truly can't afford not to care this time after all. You stay here and rest, Chara. I've gotta BONE up on these 'demons'. If what you said pans out, I think we're gonna have our hands full. I'll make sure some people I trust get you some good food while I'm out. Paps is my best bro, but I don't exactly trust his cooking to help with your health."
I managed a dry chuckle. "Ah, but how can I possibly resist the cooking of the greatest chef of our time." A warm chuckle from Sans. "See ya around, Kid. You get some good rest. We're gonna need it. Hey Frisk. How about you and Papyrus hang out. Someone's gotta keep an eye on my bro." With that, Sans was off. Frisk hung out a bit longer, before leaving as well.
With just myself and my thoughts now, I carefully brought my soul out. Still bright red as ever, but a pale white fracture of sorts spread out from the center, glowing and pulsing softly. I wasn't sure what to make of it. It seemed with each pulse the red part of my soul was slowly overtaking the white cracks.
Was it healing? Getting worse? I couldn't be sure. I figured the white was probably not a good sign since it wasn't there before, so it going away was a good thing, but I still knew jack shit about souls. I returned my soul softly, done dwelling on that thought.
After a good 10 minutes or so, the door to the room burst open, causing my heart to jump. A prodigiously large dog-monster in bulky armor stood at the door, a slightly greasy paper bag in one hand with an unfamiliar label on it. Despite their intimidating size, they were incredibly adorable. Even their armor was adorable, with adorable little dog faces all over it.
They were like the pudgiest fluffiest white dog I'd ever seen. The delta rune lay on their armor so it was a good chance they were with the royal guard. One of the people Sans trusted as well, judging by the bag of food. They walked over, sabatons clanking against the floor, tongue lolled out happily, and hefted the bag my way.
'Grillby's' was scrawled across it in stylish letters with a nice flame motif to it. "Heh... thanks, big guy." I took it, and gestured for them to come closer. They bent down, panting excitedly. I gave them a gentle pat on the head as thanks. They leaned into it, quite happily. After a bit of petting I let up, and they leaned away and gave a... rather squeaky bark that I would expect from a small dog in thanks.
"Yeah. You're welcome to more any time." Another disarming bark from them. "Say... can you do me a favor?" They tilted their head slightly, like you might expect a dog to when they hear something that gets their curiosity. " Can you maybe see if you can get me some books on souls?" They tilted their head a bit further, before giving a cheerful bark and hurrying off.
Interesting friend. I liked them. I wondered if dog monsters were common as royal guard for Snowdin? It did make a bit of sense with the cold weather. My stomach grumbled slightly, drawing my focus back to the warm paper bag in my hands. Opening it gently, I found a nice juicy burger and what seemed to be home made fries.
God, it had been ages since I'd had anything like that. I dug into it with gusto. As much as my current condition would allow at least. It felt good eating real meat, a uncommonality when I was living with Toriel since it was a bit expensive to acquire in the ruins.
It was incredibly good. Meaty, cheesy, and greasy. Everything you'd want from a burger. The fries were nice, crispy, and salty with some sort of mystery seasoning as well, possibly the best of the two. I'd have to get the recipe for those if I could.
At the bottom of the bag was a slightly greasy note among the napkins. I read it as I wiped my hands. 'Heya, kid. Hope you liked Greater Dog. They're a real great person, big ol' bundle of love really. Anyways, figured you might get bored cooped up in that bed so I left you a bunch of my hilarious jokes. Some real bone rattlers here. Hopefully see you soon, kid.' And sure enough, there was a plethora of puns on it of varying quality.
Some of them were real knee slappers, a few were groans, and the majority of them were bone related. A few of them were science related as well. Raised my spirits a good bit, though I was still bed ridden. Would probably be for a few more days.
Feeling a bit more energized from the food, I sat up to a somewhat more comfortable position and finally had a chance to reflect on that dream I had. Asriel... this was another dream involving him. I'd been having more and more dreams involving the young boss monster since I'd fallen down.
A chill ran up my spine as pieces I'd been ignoring fell into place. Toriel. The abandoned bedroom. The pictures. The toys... and the locket. Perhaps my dreams were my mind still trying to work all the pieces together in some strange way.
Looking at the shimmering red pendant, I found myself feeling much more glad that I'd hung onto it. If Asriel was real, it belonged to them... and they deserved to have it back. Perhaps I could find them in the capital?
That assumed of course I could believe the dreams. That lingering uncertainty had me questioning them. The more I thought about it, the more and more it sounded like the kind of crazy talk you'd expect from a person claiming to remember a past life. All the more reason for a healthy dose of skepticism.
Then again... souls existed, so there was that as well. Really, trying to think about it too hard was having my head do screwy things, so I just stopped thinking for a bit. I let myself sink into a daydream about me, Frisk, and Asriel all growing up under Toriel's care. Damn, was I already getting homesick for her again?
My moment of reverie was cut short by the door opening again. Papyrus stood there, proud as ever, yet worried it seemed. Frisk was close by, looking moderately uncomfortable with a rather lackluster looking plate of spaghetti in their hands.
"Chara. Are you quite comfortable? When I heard you had collapsed outside of town it filled me with much worry. " Papyrus sat at the side of the bed, clearly beyond worried. "This is not... my fault is it? I, the great Papyrus, do not know what I would do if you or the small human were hurt because of me. The least I can do is let you rest in my glorious room however if I have wronged you."
Oh Papyrus... "Hey. Don't worry about it, Papyrus. It's not your fault, alright? So don't go blaming yourself. I'll be up and on my feet in no time." At my words the tension from his shoulders deflated entirely, some of his usual energy flooding back. " It warms my bones to hear that from you, my dear rival! Ah, but you must be famished! Perhaps some of my magnificent spaghetti will do the trick!"
Frisk, who stood a fair bit behind Papyrus still, was now gesturing furiously, a touch of panic washing over them. Despite how frantic they were, I got the message loud and clear. 'Don't eat the spaghetti'. Given that Frisk still seemed in good shape, it was a safe bet it wasn't because it was poisonous. Not wanting to be rude instead I politely declined. "Ah. That's a fantastic offer Papyrus. However I've already eaten."
I presented him with the Grillby's bag as proof in case he didn't believe me. He stared confused a moment before his expression shifted to one of mortification. "Gah! You ate from that... that... grease bucket?! It hardly holds a candle to my wholesome spaghetti! This must be Sans' doing. When he returns I will have WORDS with him! Multiple of them!"
Completely lost in his rant, Papyrus wandered off, venting harder than an overheated kettle at no one in particular. Frisk stuck close, keeping an eye on me. At least I thought they were, not like I could see their eyes. After a bit I broke the silence. "Hey. Maybe someone should make sure he doesn't get into too much trouble." I managed a small smirk.
Frisk shook their head, then pointed to me. "Someone... needs to take care of you." They managed a small smile. "Heh... right... I forgot. The scholar watches out for the knight..." I fully slumped back.
Frisk nodded, before reaching over and handing me a few bulky books. I looked to them in surprise before looking back at the books. A few of them were on the physiological differences between humans and monsters, two were on soul properties, and one of them morbidly was on monster burial rites.
"Heh. Living up to your name already I see. How did you know that I wanted these books though?" I looked to Frisk questioningly. They replied with a simple answer. "Good dog." Huh. Funny how things work out. "Oh. Well... I guess I should get into reading then."
Taking the dark green book on properties of the soul, I cracked it open. Most of it was long winded and dry foreword, but one paragraph caught my notice as I skimmed through it. 'Love, hope, compassion... This is what some say monster souls are made of. But the absolute nature of the "soul" is unknown. After all, humans have proven time and again that their souls don't need these things to exist. '
Oof. Right for the throat, with that one. Could feel the venom from that comment. I felt I had to kinda agree though, given my personal experience with humanity. It continued on however. 'Because of this, monsters are able to feel more deeply than humans, and have far greater difficulty closing ourselves off from our own emotions. However, there are seven distinct traits that are shared in common between monster and human souls.'
'First and foremost is patience, often characterized by light blue. Next we have bravery, characterized by orange. Integrity is distinguished as a dark blue when depicted. Perseverance is shown with the color purple. Kindness for green. Justice for yellow. Lastly we have red, which embodies the attribute said to be most intrinsic to the soul's survival. This is called determination.' Feeling a bit light headed after reading that, I set the book down.
I wondered if my soul being red meant anything with this new information? Was it being red a sign that I had a lot of determination? Having gained a valuable piece of information, I was filled with determination to keep going in any case. Too tired to think, I drifted back into a nap. I felt Frisk pull up my blanket some as I faded into sleep. For once my sleep was dreamless, and I was ok with that.
MsYakumo: Annnd a huge divergence from the canon plot now. Looks like the party has a lot on their plate as well. And I'm not just talking about Papyrus's spaghetti. Not really much to say here, except that pieces are starting to fall into place. With that said, I do hope this chapter proved to be enjoyable, even with it all being entirely in a single room.