Good afternoon, readers! I hope you all had a happy new year! I have a small chapter whipped up for you, and I want to take a moment to thank you all so far for your support so far! Please enjoy as always!
Once inside the library, Alice went over to the bookshelves, scanning the titles. She selected a few books, reading through them fairly quickly. "Monster souls… magic… turns to dust… 'new home…' again with the lack of originality, goodness gracious…" She sighed, closing the last book and returning it to its place on the shelf. "Well, at least it gave me somewhat of an insight to this place… but I need to apply that to my next course of action. It's a shame everyone evacuated, some personal testimony would have been a greater help. I suppose I could seek out the bone brothers again." She exited the library, continuing past a large house with two mailboxes out front; one was overflowing, and the other was completely empty. As she continued east, she saw Papyrus standing in the distance, slowing to a stop as he stood perfectly still.
"Human… I can see that you desire to be friends with I, the great Papyrus. I don't understand your aversion to puzzles, but… human, I must confess… another human friend of mine has started to go down a dark path. Perhaps I didn't tutor her well enough… but maybe I can do that for you. I think everyone can be a good person if they try hard enough. If I, the great Papyrus, can make a difference for the better… it would be worth everything I had worked for."
Alice's expression softened, taking a step closer. She paused when she heard snow shifting a bit behind a rock, glancing towards it for a moment. She looked up at Papyrus, maintaining a smile, but she could see unsureness in his features. "Allow me to assure you of one thing." She said, looking at Papyrus… but as Sans hid behind the rock, he knew she was addressing him also, his calmness slowly dissipating as one eye began to glow, clenching a fist. "I have slaughtered many, I have gutted creatures standing in my way dry. I have watched my enemies writhe until their rightful death." Papyrus furrowed his brow bone as Alice paused for a moment. "I have been lied to and betrayed… my mind has been used for a toy by those who sought my downfall. Climbing back up from those points is like climbing a mountain. It is a rough, dangerous journey… but when you reach the top, what do you find?"
"Uh… Spaghetti?" Papyrus chuckled nervously.
Alice huffed with slight annoyance. "No. You find clarity. Freedom." With each phrase, she took a step closer. "The truth of yourself and those around you. All the masks disappear. There is not one reality, but many, and they are all connected. There are very few who have the ability to see these connections… and though they are all enriching in their own right… the truth can sometimes be a terrible thing." She was now right in front of Papyrus, suddenly smirking lightly. "You know… if I were to give you a top hat to wear, you would remind me very much of a friend I know. You obsess over cooked pasta as he does over tea." She turned as Sans emerged, the glow in his left eye diminishing. He gave her a silent nod, Alice returning the gesture.
"Wait a minute… yes, the truth can be painful… wait. Are you saying that you… want to date me?!" Papyrus beamed. "Boy, I must be a human magnet! Nyeh heh heh! Fear not, my lovely dame, I shall take you under my wing and make sure you stay sweet and loveable!"
Sans actually snickered as Alice stared at him with a bewildered expression. "Are you suggesting… that you wish to court me?" She asked flatly.
"Alas, I have once again fallen victim to the charms of a human! So easily drawn into the friend zone, perhaps I really am that irresistible! I'll never hear the end of it from Undyne! These feelings inside are so complex… the want to be in the royal guard… I am so conflicted!" Papyrus exclaimed.
Alice groaned inwardly, deciding to pull some teeth and play along. "You poor thing. Your struggle is of my doing, it was unconsciously done. Perhaps you should take some time to sort out your thoughts."
"What a truly wonderful human you are, feeling concern for me! Yes, that is a splendid idea! And while I do that, I will feed the pet rock! Sans forgot to, AGAIN." Papyrus grumbled as he headed towards the house, leaving Alice and Sans to themselves. Hands still in his pockets, he stepped up to her as she turned a bit to glance at him with hint of wariness.
"Thanks, kid." Sans said.
"I know you would have certainly tried to take off my head if I would have done anything malicious, rightfully so." Alice said.
"Damn straight." He said, glancing in the direction his brother went.
"Fortunately for you…" Alice said as she straightened the creases in her dress. "… I know the inconsolable pain of what losing a sibling is like. So, what right to I have to inflict that upon someone else? Besides… I know we'll enough that neither one of you are responsible for this world's imminent doom." Alice exhaled sharply. "Well, apparently I now have a date to attend to, so I should get to it so I can resume my primary business." She said as she moved past Sans.
Sans stared after her for a moment, his turn now to soften a bit. "Hey, kid…"
"I will only reply to that term so many times before I tire completely of it." Alice said as she crossed her arms. "Yes?"
Sans hesitated for a moment, closing his eyes briefly. "… maybe you aren't as bad as you come off."
Alice actually smiled a bit at this, the two finally breaking down the first layer of their wall as she made her way back towards the house. Once she was out of Sans' sight, she stopped when she heard rustling in the trees. She became alert, deciding to investigate this repetitive phenomenon. She ventured into the trees, seeing nothing at first. She heard a quiet giggle followed by more footsteps, snow crunching as she whirled around in an attempt to find its source. Sensing something suspicious, she withdrew her vorpal blade, remaining vigilant. She stopped, sensing a presence behind her. Before she could turn fast enough, she felt a sharp pain in her leg, crying out as she fell forward. As she tried to get up, she felt something hard hit her head, dropping her blade. Her assailant grunted, about to bash her head in repeatedly before she heard a voice in the distance. Pausing, she growled, snatching Alice's blade before running off quickly.
"Human! I am ready for our date now, so you can come inside my luxurious abode now!" Papyrus called out loudly. He stopped when he noticed footprints leading into the trees. "Oh, I remember your fascination with trees, did you perhaps wish to dine here instead-" He stopped when he came upon Alice, his smile completely fading for the first time when he realized she had been badly hurt. Shocked, he gasped as he quickly inspected the general damage, neglecting to search for smaller details as he scooped her up, bounding out of the woods quickly. "Sans! Sans, the human, she's hurt! Sans!" He cried in a panic as he held an unconscious Alice.
Alice groaned as she came to sometime later, hissing as she nursed the back of her head. "What in the bloody hell..." Alice growled lowly as her vision cleared, looking around to find herself in some sort of shed. A rope was tied loosely around her, and she easily shrugged out of it as she shakily stood to her feet. Not knowing where she was, she went to get her vorpal blade when she realized she was groping at empty space. She glanced down, searching through the sash of her dress and around her, swearing under her breath when she noticed it was missing. She also noticed what seemed to be a small amount of dust sprinkled a bit on her shoulders, brushing it off with her hand. Everything came back to her then, remembering that she had been knocked out before she could identify her assailant. "Well, isn't this lovely..." She exhaled sharply, noticing wide gaps in the bars of this- what was this, anyway? Was this supposed to be a prison? A very ineffective one, if it was. As she was about to make her way out, Papyrus unlocked the door, hurrying in to see Alice awake.
"Human, you have recovered! I was so worried, I thought perhaps you wanted to have our date in the woods, but I saw you had gotten hurt and I, the great Papyrus, rescued you! Also, I took the liberty of capturing you, because I have quite obviously already captured your heart! Human, I would never wish any harm on someone who cared about me so much. After all, friends look out for one another, right?"
Alice blinked, still a bit woozy and could not fully process his rambling as Sans entered. Hoping he would shed some clarity on the situation, she was about to ask him a question when Sans extended a hand, taking some of the powder left on her dress in his hand, feeling it in his fingers.
"Sans... what is that, exactly? I found it on me when I came to. Also... my blade seems to have gone missing." Alice said.
The shorter skeleton was silent for a moment, his eyes darkening. "This is monster dust. This is what happens when a monster dies... they turn into this." Sans said. "Someone is trying to frame you, kid."
"Would not be the first time. I do sincerely apologize, but I must find whomever is behind this." Alice said.
"But, our date…" Papyrus frowned.
"Here bro, give her your phone number. You can talk to her while she runs around the joint." Sans said, handing Alice a cellphone.
"Where did you get that from?" Papyrus asked.
"Eh, around." Sans replied.
Alice blinked, holding the device in her hand. "Do forgive me, I am not familiar with this contraption." She tilted her head.
"Fear not! I, the great Papyrus, will show you!"
As Alice listened to the taller skeleton chatter as he showed her how to use the device, Sans glanced back when he heard a low growl from within the trees, gritting his teeth as his eye sockets narrowed. When Alice seemed to get the hang of it- she was a quick learner after all- she gave him a nod.
"Thank you for your enlightening demonstration… I do wish you the best, but I must away." Alice said, about to head off before she was stopped by Papyrus hugging her.
"Thank you for being our friend, Alice. I believe you will succeed so we can cook Spaghetti together sometime!" Papyrus smiled.
Alice cleared her throat, hugging him back awkwardly. She gave him a wave, passing Sans a few yards ahead.
"Hey." He said quietly. "Just… keep an eye out. Or don't… after all, kind of hard to pop it back in, right?" He chuckled lightly, Alice rolling her eyes. "But jokes aside… there's some dangerous stuff out there."
"Thank you for your concern. As soon as I find my blade I'll be right as rain." She took a few steps forward before Sans gave her one final warning.
"Alice… if you find her… do not engage her. Whatever you do, do not provoke her to fight you. She will kill you at whatever cost." He said. "I'm rooting for you, kid."
Alice gave him a nod, wishing he was more specific but chose to heed his advice nonetheless. She continued along the snowy path, stopping when she saw something glowing in midair. Narrowing her eyes a bit, she approached it warily, extending a finger to touch it. When she did, it's glow enveloped her for a moment, the small, star like object trembling for a moment before a small, folded piece of paper fell from it. It was charred on the edges, Alice unfolding it to read the words. 'Saving someone from enduring the pain you feel of losing a beloved sibling.' She tilted her head, blinking as she suddenly felt that feeling again. "… determination…" Alice said as the paper dissolved from her hands. She continued along, a vast darkness up ahead contrasting the light she was leaving behind. As she made her way through the reeds, she suddenly heard rustling. Realizing she was not alone, Alice gritted her teeth, wielding her pepper gun as she kept vigilant. As she heard the sound of the rustling coming closer, faster, she braced herself for whatever was coming her way as it threatened to emerge in mere moments.
Well, I hope Alice has prepared herself! Will she find her vorpal blade? Who will be the one to emerge in the reeds? Who exactly did Sans warn her of, and does this correlate to who attacked her in the woods? This was a bit of a shorter chapter, but I thought this was a good cliffhanger to end on. Please leave your thoughts in a review and stay tuned for more updates!