What's it Called? Chap 4

Chapter 4

Something shook my shoulder and I caught myself from falling out of the chair. My machete fell with a dull clang of the metal hitting the ground through the sheath.

"Wake up, child."

I blinked several times and rubbed the grit from my eyes. My back protested the position I had slept in and I arched my spine, eliciting a great many pops from it.

"Toriel?" I asked, opening one eye against the light that was peeking above the horizon.

"Yes, David. Sans got me and took me through one of his shortcuts. They said not to wake you up, but I thought you might want to see the sun rise.

"Sunrise!" I exclaimed and went for my seabag, which someone had set next to me.

"What's wrong, child?"

"I need my gear!"

I ripped open the bag and grabbed what I needed before running along the ledge and sitting down at the edge, in between several others that had leapt out of my way. I was an artist possessed.

I ignored their questions and comments, instead setting the drawing pad on my lap and staring intently out at the area lit by the rising star.

Then I began to draw. It wouldn't be the same as drawing a sunset, but it worked.

I drew the mountains in the back first, worried about capturing the outline effect of the rising sun as it rose over time.

Then the rolling landscape and the shadows the hills caused.

It snowballed from there.

"HUMAN?"

I held up a finger, carefully added one final detail, then let my pencil fall to the ground. My hands were numb and my lips were dry. I had to lick them and swallow to clear my throat before responding.

"Yes?"

"ARE YOU OKAY? YOU HAVEN'T MOVED FOR ABOUT THREE HOURS STRAIGHT. I'VE ONLY KNOWN SANS TO NOT MOVE FOR SO LONG AND BE OKAY."

"I'm fine, Papyrus. What time-ah, never mind." I waited for my phone to turn on and saw that it was only 9:49.

"IS THAT A PHONE?"

"It is. Where is everyone?"

"RIGHT OVER THERE," I looked up from my bag, where I was carefully storing my new drawing. I would give it a name and write my signature on it later.

A great many Monsters, somewhere around thirty or so, were milling around. I heard the rumbling sound of Asgore in the middle and pushed my way through with some apologies.

"-speaking with this town's leader so we can begin the process of re-introducing Monsters back into the world."

"Who are you planning on sending?" I heard a robot ask.

I was questioning why the rectangular robot was wearing an apron and held a spatula, but somehow kept from mentioning it.

"OH, I VOLUNTEER!" Papyrus said quickly.

I, just as quickly, said, "That would probably not be a good idea." The crowd's attention turned to me and most of them were Monsters that I had not met. I was suddenly aware that I didn't have my machete.

"Maybe someone a little less enthusiastic? Humans are already going to have a hard time getting used to Monsterkind. You don't want to set the wrong impression right off the bat."

"Who would you suggest, then, David?"

I ran through a quick list of all the Monsters I knew.

The list was painfully short.

Toriel wasn't an option simply because she was large and, frankly, a bit imposing to the average sized Human. Absolutely lovely once you take a moment to get to know her. But before then, not so much.

Papyrus...no...just no.

I'm pretty sure Undyne would try to make all the Humans in Ebott submit to her and cause all of Monsterkind to be declared dangerous.

Asgore wasn't an option because he had the size and appearance that would freak most out.

Grillby? Yes, of course a man made of fire would go over well.

Those dogs? No one would believe me that they were Monsters. Even if they wore giant armor.

Royal Guards 01 and 02? Yeah, that would go as well as sending a regular Human with someone's severed head on a platter, I bet.

My list, having been narrowed down to one, I decided.

"Sans is probably the best choice. He's relaxed and isn't physically imposing. He'll also not raise a fuss if he keeps his hood up and people don't realize he's a skeleton immediately."

There was an outburst from Undyne and Papyrus, as well as a few other Monsters that I did not recognize.

I just watched Asgore and waited for his verdict.

"Very well. Will you escort him to whoever is in charge?"

I shrugged and said, "Sure, why not."

I jumped when everyone around me cheered. They were weirdly excited, but I didn't begrudge them too much for it.

I say 'too much' because I knew, even if they didn't, that their freedom came at the cost of Ben's life. Hearing them so happy after the loss of my best friend was...

Painful.

To get away, I pushed through and grabbed the machete I had dropped three hours prior.

"Ready to go, David?" Sans asked, appearing from nowhere.

"Yeah, sure." I steadied my seabag and we were off. The sound of the Monster's cheers and laughter had me grit my teeth a little.

"Thanks," Sans suddenly said, a few minutes into the climb back down.

"For what?"

"Specifically, for being so cool about everything. Most, well most probably wouldn't be so darn calm about all of this."

"I drank to calm down, remember. That wasn't exactly a sound decision."

"Trust me, pal, when I say that drinking to make a problem go away is one of the calmer things someone can do when they get in a crappy situation."

I glanced over to the skeleton and saw that his head was angled down and his sockets were empty.

"Right. Centuries...do you think we'll run into her at some point?"

"That, or she'll Reset."

"Isn't there some way we can stop her?" I said, frustrated.

"If you've got an idea, I'm all ears."

I shook my head after a minute and we walked in silence for a bit.

"Have you ever been up here in a different timeline?"

"A few times. Before she turned insane and started calling herself something else."

"What did she call herself?"

"Doesn't matter," Sans said dismissively. "She calls herself Chara now. The old, nice, one doesn't exist any more."

I noted the name for later.

"Well if you've been here before, why don't you just take us through a shortcut so we don't have to walk all the way? That'll save us a few hours."

"Because I saw that you were not all there and I thought a walk might make you feel better."

"Well now all I feel is hot, so shortcut central sounds great, if you please?"

Sans chuckled before grabbing my arm and the world returned from black.

"Where are we?"

"Behind town hall. It should be opening up soon or is already open."

I gestured for him to wait.

"What's the plan? Do we just stroll in there, tell him that Monsters are back, then shortcut our way out of there? Maybe light a few firecrackers right before we go?"

"Nah. Just be polite and tell him that Monsters are back. This guy is pretty laid back."

"It's weird to remember that you've already met these people." A thought then occurred to me.

"Have you ever met me before?"

"Nope. This is the first timeline I remember meeting you. You're an anomaly."

I wasn't sure whether to be complimented or insulted. I didn't think on it for too long.

"Let's head in." I said before leading the way. Sans put up his hood and I put my machete in my seabag.

The building was respectable for a town hall. Large columns stood proudly at the front and ornate doors waited for us to open them. I didn't take too long in walking through and asking a secretary directions to the mayor's office.

"Do you have an appointment set up?"

"No ma'am, but it won't take too long," I said, probably lying. This was going to take the rest of the day, most likely.

The secretary, Diana was her name, thought for a moment before nodding.

"Three doors down that hallway on the right. Don't tell him I sent you."

"Got it," I gave her a small salute as I went past her towards the hallway she pointed towards.

Sans, with his hood still up, followed behind me quietly. I knocked on the door labeled Mayor's room (how handy) and walked in when I heard, "Come in."

Inside was an older man with brown skin that looked almost bronze in the sunlight that streamed in behind him. His chair looked comfortable. It was brown leather and was on wheels behind his desk. He wore reading glasses that he set on his desk, along with the paper he had been reading, when we walked in. He wore a basic suit and had plenty of other paperwork adorning his desk.

Poor bastard. We were about to put plenty more on there.

"Good morning, sir."

"Good morning. I can't say we have met, Mister?"

"David is fine. This is Sans."

"Like the font?"

I grinned and nodded.

"Yes. May we sit?" I gestured at the two seats pulled in front of his desk and he gave his consent, his face showing some interest.

"Now what have you come to see me about? I hope it's something for Halloween because that mask is pretty well done." He studied Sans' face and I snorted.

"Forgot it was September. Heh. But that's not what we're here for. Maybe another time. You know the legends surrounding Mt Ebott?"

Mr. Daniel, the mayor, turned back to me.

"Of course. I've lived here my entire life. What about them?"

"What if I told you that the Monsters held under the mountain had been released and Sans here wasn't wearing a mask? How, precisely, would you react?"

He blinked, then began chuckling.

"I would more than likely react accordingly."

"And what would that entail?"

"If they were attacking or threatening, I would call the National Guard or Homeland Security or someone to fight off the threat. If they were friendly, then I would certainly enjoy the tourism they would bring to Ebott."

"Good enough," I judged and motioned for Sans to pull off his hood.

The mayor stared in silence. His face did not change. That was one hell of a poker face and I couldn't tell anything he was feeling.

I couldn't have that.

I motioned for Sans to pull up his sleeve and he waved his arm around. The mayor looked through the space in between the bones.

After a minute, he laid back and gave a deep sigh.

"Are you a Monster too?"

"Nope. Plain Human. I live in Florida. I was just passing through when, well, that's a long story. The point is that there is an entire race living underground that is more than delighted to rejoin the surface."

"Are they all, ah..."

"Handsome? Charismatic? Funny?" Sans suggested, obviously teasing the man.

"Skeletons. Are they all skeletons?"

"No. The only skeletons I've met are Sans and his brother. The rest are, well, I can't say normal, can I? There are all sorts of different kinds of Monsters and most are peaceful."

"Most?"

"I do admit that a few are violent. But they're alright once you've set a few ground rules down. Their leader, King Asgore, is a pretty nice guy. Pacifist at heart."

"A king?" the mayor groaned. I didn't blame him. The United States would not enjoy someone calling themself a king in their borders. I would have to speak to him about that.

"Monsters are willing to make concessions in exchange for living peacefully on the surface," Sans said. I felt a sudden shift in who was in control of the conversation at that point.

I gave it away eagerly.

In that office, I saw my very first instance of hard-core politics.

"We can construct our own buildings in very little time. Any supplies we need we can afford to purchase. Our currency is based on gold. We have crystals with different abilities. Flowers that have never been touched by Human hands." Sans spoke with authority and didn't waste time.

I found it funny that he kept his lazy drawl all throughout it.

"Yes, yes. You have made your point," the mayor finally said. "Just let me contact certain parties. The world needs to know. But first, I'm going to send up a deputy to see if this is all real."

I sat up in my chair, feeling some indignation. Mr. Daniel spoke before I could.

"I believe you, I really do. I just want someone to go and confirm with their own eyes before I put my career and reputation on the line. Is this understood?"

I relaxed once again as Sans gave an okay.

Mr. Daniel picked up a phone and called down to the police station.

We waited as Deputy Baxter drove to the town hall. It wasn't a long drive and the uniformed man was walking into the office in no time. The man was about five and a half feet tall, but had broad enough shoulders to not be mistaken as 'small.' If I was to guess his age, I would guess more along the forties. He wore an officer's suit with the usual decorations on the blue and grey material.

"You called?" His voice was deep and he looked at us after speaking. Sans had his hood back up for the upcoming conversation.

"Damn," Deputy Baxter muttered while rubbing his face. The man looked tired after he received the same explanation that the mayor had gotten.

"You should have seen my reaction after falling down there," I said, giving him a grim smile.

"How long should this take? How far up the mountain are they located?"

"About at the top. But it should only take an hour, at most," Sans answered.

"An hour? It usually takes five or so hours for an experienced hiker to get to the top. I may be fit for my age, but I'm no hiker."

"I know a shortcut."

"He means he's got some magic that is just plain too complicated to try and explain," I added before standing. "Now we might want to go ahead and get this over with. I want to get this done and eat me some breakfast."

The other two Humans in the room wondered if I was serious while Sans rolled his eyes and stood.

Sans grabbed my shoulder and held out a hand for Deputy Baxter to take. I felt my respect for the man rise a bit when he took only a moment to grab on. Hardly any hesitation.

The world went black and I blinked furiously when a hard wind blew straight in my eyes.

"They're right ahead," Sans said, dropping his grips on us and walking forward. His hands relocated themselves in their usual spots in his jacket pockets and his habitual slouch was once more obvious.

I turned to Deputy Baxter and found him looking around and down at the town below.

"Right this way, sir," I prompted him.

"I'm not even sure I have to see the others after that display," the deputy declared, beginning to walk despite this.

I snorted and he followed behind me as we made our way up the path. I heard noise up ahead and we went around a boulder to see a bunch of tents of various sizes set up on the ledge I had drawn from before.

Here and there stood Monsters doing various activities. Most were obviously excited and laughter was heard often.

"Asgore'll be in that tent," Sans nodded at a larger tent with the Dreemurr crest adorning the sides.

Deputy Baxter followed us as we made our way through the camp. Sans waved and generally set Monsters at ease when they saw us.

"Is that man on fire?" Baxter whispered to me and I looked to where he indicated.

"That's Grillby. He's got a restaurant down below. Makes some great burgers."

Deputy Baxter didn't respond to that and we arrived at the royal tent moments after. Royal Guards 01 and 02 stood in front.

It was weird to see them see me and step aside with a nod. I guess that's what it felt like to have some serious respect from someone.

It was weird.

We walked in, Sans leading the way, and found something I hadn't expected.

"Dinosaur?" I muttered to myself upon noticing the hunched over figure tinkering with some machine. The Monster wore a lab coat and glasses and flinched at every loud sound.

"Ah, you're back," Toriel, who was one of the other occupants of the tent, said with a smile.

Asgore, the final member of the tent, turned to us and looked straight at the other Human in the room.

I felt Deputy Baxter stiffen when the two large Monsters in the room looked at him and patted him on the arm while saying, "This is Deputy Baxter. He's an important member of the town below. Any idea where I can grab some breakfast?"

Once again, the room (or tent in that case) stared at me in confusion or exasperation.

"Mmm," I hummed in appreciation of the burger that Grillby had hooked me up with. He had set up a little area where he was selling food and I had found a nice flat rock to sit and eat.

What? You think I care that I was having a burger for breakfast? I was hungry.

And I needed something to do while the people in charge did their thing.

"E-excuse me," a timid voice had me turn to the right. It was the hunched over dinosaur Monster in the lab coat.

"Yes?" I answered after swallowing the last bite of that delicious burger.

I understood why Sans loved going to Grillby's.

"They a-asked me t-to come a-and get you."

"Oh, alright." I was surprised by how short of a time it had been. Ten, fifteen minutes, tops.

The dinosaur Monster fiddled with her hands and nodded her head a few times before turning and quickly walking the way to the royal tent.

I met up with Deputy Baxter and Sans outside of it.

"Time to head back down?"

Deputy Baxter is the one who piped up and said, "Yes, I've gotten more than enough proof. We can return now."

Sans brought us back to Ebott. Right in front of the mayor's desk.

Poor guy was drinking some coffee at the time and did one hell of a spit-take. I narrowly avoided getting hit and I saw the mist glow a faint blue before hitting Sans. The blue slowed the liquid and let it fall to the ground.

Huh. His eye turned blue when he did that. Cool.

"Either they are telling the truth, or they have made the most elaborate prank ever conceived," Deputy Baxter said, wiping a little of the coffee off of his face. He had gotten the worst of us three.

"Eh, sorry about that," the mayor apologized before getting back down to business. "If this isn't fake, then let's get started."

I blinked and had to ask, "Started with what, exactly?"

Mister Daniel looked at me and smiled.

"Well the reintegration of Monsterkind on the surface, of course."

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