Kit - Enjoy!
Chapter Fifteen
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Frisk whined, feeling like she was bruised all over as she sat up. The last thing she remembered, Undyne was chasing her, and then the dock... Looking around, she was able to see that she'd landed on a bed of golden flowers. The girl squealed, leaping away as best she could, and onto one of the dock pieces floating nearby.
"Oh! You've fallen down, haven't you... ArE yOU okAy?" At hearing the voice, Frisk froze, unwilling to look up to see the yellow flower she knew would be there he was always there and why was he there. "HeLlO ChaRA." There was a sound behind her, like that of something moving under the earth. "Shall we play again, Chara? After all, there's still so much I want to know about you..."
Toriel and Sans whipped around when they heard a scream as though someone were being murdered. Toriel's eyes widened, and her heart dropped. "Frisk." A panicked look to Sans showed that he was already gone from her sight.
In the Dump, a root was wrapped around Frisk's ankle, jerking her up into the air upside down, the aged and worn, dusty tutu falling off at the rough treatment. "Chaaaara. You're so tiny! Remember when you used to be taller than me?" Frisk was wriggling as much as she could, trying to unwrap the vine, or kick it off, or something. "Now, now, Chara, what's wrong? Here, let me help you...lay down." With that, the vine was whipping back and letting her go so she would end up crashing into the stone cliff at full force. Before she could even touch it, blue energy was wrapping around her and stopping her mid-flight. "...What." Frisk slowly opened her eyes to see the blue energy, and gave a shuddering sigh of relief.
"Ooh, little flower...you're not gonna like what you just did..." Sans was looking to be beaming, left eye glowing an assortment of colors as blue energy swirled around him.
Behind him, Frisk sobbed, "Daddy." It was around then that Undyne stumbled onto the scene, eyes widening at the amount of power that was radiating out of Sans and just what...was happening- Did that human just call Sans-
"Little flower, I don't think I like you hurting my daughter..." Behind Sans, large, beast like skulls flickered into existence, eyes glowing with the same energy that was in San's left eye. "Little flower...you're going to regret hurting my family... A strange thing, aren't you? A monster without a soul...what a disgusting thing."
"Like you aren't?! Poor little skeleton has to remember every single thing. I feel bad for you. Really, I do." Frisk was oh so gently set down behind Sans, the girl clinging tightly to him at her first chance, the blue energy this time wrapping around Flowey and plucking him straight out of the dirt.
"You're right. I do remember every single thing that happens in this world. All Saves, all Loads, all Resets." A wicked look and laugh. "Shall I tell you how many times I've killed you?! How many Resets have you used because you've fought me?! Well?! How many times have you lost as I ripped you apart?!" There was a small tug to his shirt, Frisk looking at him with tears still streaming down her face. Sans only glanced down at her before tugging her a bit closer, shifting so her head was buried in his shirt. "Frisk, I need you to close your eyes, and cover your ears for a minute. Can you do that for me?"
"Don't kill him." A long moment of pause, and then a quiet sigh.
"I won't." Nodding, Frisk did as he asked, burying her face in his shirt, and covering her ears. It was a minute or two before Sans was picking her up, looking to be completely back to his normal self. "See, what did I tell ya, kid? Always here for trouble." Behind them, Undyne was looking terrified.
"Sa-...Sans...what...how..." The real question she wanted to ask was what was he. Frisk gave a sniff, clinging tightly to Sans and half-hiding from Undyne. The monster seemed to notice since she raised her palms up defensively. "No, no, nonono, no, no harm. You're now the human exception. I won't hurt you one bit. Not at all. Promise. No hurting from me. At all. Ever."
Remaining curled up to Sans, Frisk gave a tug to his shirt. "...Where's Mommy?" Sans hummed, tucking her closer and curling around her a bit.
"Hm? Oh...right." A blink of an eye and Toriel was suddenly in front of them, Sans grinning a bit and looking only a touch exhausted. "Find another shortcut, Tori?"
Toriel gave a sigh of relief, wrapping the two up in a hug. "What happened?" Sans blinked at the hug before relaxing and giving a smile.
"Ah, nothing much. Frisk just ran into a spot of trouble, here, we're all good, now."
Shaking a tiny bit, Frisk curled up even more, whispering. "He ke-keeps calling me Chara." There was a sudden quiet from Sans, blue in his eyes again while Toriel went still, eyes widening.
"...He who, Frisk." No...it couldn't be- It couldn't be possible.
"Fl- Flowey." A shudder went down her spine as she said the name. Toriel had a dark look in her eyes, gently ruffling the girl's hair as she glanced up to Undyne.
"Undyne, I believe we will take that escort you mentioned, only instead, we need to see Alphys." It shouldn't be possible... Flowey was supposed to have been just a flower injected with DETERMINATION. That was what she had been told. That was what she had thought...but the comments she heard when passing through that area when she had first met him. The way Frisk had reacted when she had first met her...him calling her Chara...
Undyne blinked, glancing to the other two before she gave a nod. "Yes, Your Majesty." She noticed Sans was already walking ahead, pausing and nuding Frisk to reach her hand down over...empty space? "Uh...Sans? What are you...doing?"
"Hm? Nothing, nothing, don't worry about it." As they walked, a dummy twitched beside them, and Frisk curled up against Sans at seeing the motion. A rather pissed off glare from Sans to the dummy and there was suddenly no movement. "So, ah, do we have to go see Alphys?" At talking about the Royal Scientist, Sans looked a bit like he was walking to the gallows.
Toriel only gave a nod, looking determined. "Yes." She paused, gently taking Frisk from Sans, and putting the girl in Undyne's arms. "Hold her. Sans, you and I are going to talk. Now."
"Uh...we are?" There was a squeak of utter terror as Sans was dragged off, Undyne only blinking down to the child now in her arms. Frisk only blinked back, looking just as startled. In the next room, well out of sight and hearing range of anything else, Sans was trying to subtly escape. "Aw, come on, Tori, what is there to talk about, really?"
"Everything you've been hiding? Start by explaining how you know about Flowey." There was a bit of silence, Sans scratching at his cheek.
"If it's all the same to you...I'd rather not..."
"And if it's all the same to you, I'd rather rip your spine out."
"...Ah... Well, that's a bit dark, don't you think?" Sans looked a touch more panicked. "Really, Tori, it's nothing to worry about. Like you saw, I have a lot of sentry stations, I'm bound to pick up a lot of things here and there."
"Sans." She fixed him with a glare, arms crossed and foot tapping. It was hardly a moment before he broke.
"It's not like you'd believe me even if I told you! Who would ever believe that I've seen my friends and family die over and over and over again?! Who would even try to believe that?! Who would believe that these humans, that Flowey has the power of gods! They can Save, Load, and Reset the timelines! Frisk's been jumping back minutes at a time for the past two days! The other humans did even worse! Why do you think I'm so fucking useless?! I'm the only one who has to fucking deal with this all the time and I cracked, okay?! I can't do anything because I don't have that power but I still know of it!"
Toriel sighed, sitting him down on a piece of dock, a hand on his shoulder. "Explain. From the beginning. Calmly." Sans was staring at her seriously, no trace of amusement on his face, and voice no longer holding it's joking, easy-going tone.
"There was a Royal Scientist before Alphys. He went by the name of W.D. Gaster."
::
It was about twenty minutes later when the two of them came back to Undyne and Frisk, the human and monster looking as though they'd barely moved. Toriel looked like her usual calm, wise self, whereas Sans... Sans was blushing horribly and had his hood pulled over his head as far as he could manage. And maybe clinging to the fur lining to try and hide more. "Oooh," Frisk said before she could stop herself. "Sans and Tori sittin' in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-G! First comes love, then comes marriage-" Undyne quickly covered the human's mouth, trying not to burst out laughing.
"Aha, right, yes, so, escort. To Alphys. She's not too far away from here. At all." That was probably not the best subject to bring up around those two. At all. Specifically the marriage bit.
"Well, that should save some time, at least." Toriel hummed, looking vindicated as she followed the path. Sans only followed quietly, looking terribly unlike himself and ookay those were some things that had happened today then.
Undyne just glanced back down at Frisk, raising an eyebrow. "So...do you have a name?"
"Do you?"
"Of course! But do you."
"Of course."
"What is it."
"Nonya."
"...I have...never heard a name like that. What does Nonya mean?"
"Nonya business." There was a horrible snort of laughter from Sans, Undyne's eyes narrowing as she appraised the child seriously, finally nodding.
"Yes. You will be a strong warrior upon growing up, human child."
"Ew. No. I'm never gonna be a warrior."
"...Sans, this child is broken or obviously damaged. You might want to repair her." It wasn't hard to tell that Undyne was hiding amusement at the matter, and, hm...she was a little upset to learn that the human wasn't all that bad to be around.
"She's not really one for fighting," Toriel said, waving off Undyne's comment. "It's fine. Now, which way to the lab?"
"Ah, just up ahead." As the adults talked and discussed the best way to get there, Frisk looked up at Undyne. She...wasn't so bad. But she still smelled like fish. But the thought of having Undyne as a friend, rather than...anything else, filled her with DETERMINATION.
"Why do you hate humans?" Undyne seemed startled, looking down at the child she was still holding.
"What? I don't hate humans! It's just a necessary evil that they're needed! You see, as you may know, there is a Barrier that keeps us trapped here. Seven human souls-" There was a sudden grunt of pain, Undyne cutting herself off, Sans making a noise of surprise.
"Oh, are you okay, Undyne? Sorry about that, my elbow must have slipped into your gut. My bad."
"You're really noisy. You should take off your armor." Frisk was wrinkling her nose, looking unpleased by the armor Undyne was wearing.
"What? Take off my armor? Never! While on duty, my armor shows me as Captain of the Royal Guard! To take it off would be-"
"To prove that you're not stubborn?" Sans finished, grinning at the nasty glare he was given. "We're going to Hotland. You are a fish in a tin can. Really?" Something was being nudged into his side, and whatever it was smelled divine. And, oh, look at that, Sans was now distracted by his new snack of a Cinnamon Bunny. Frisk saw the Cinnamon Bunny, whining.
"I'm hungry, too." Before she could whine more her mouth was stuffed with a torn off piece, Sans looking rather amused.
"As I was saying, my armor is a part of me! It must be worn when on grave matters such as these!"
"Grave matters like a skeleton, a goat, a fish, and a human walking into a lab run by a lizard?" Frisk gave a giggle, looking amused before her expression changed to one of innocence at Undyne's look. "Yes. Very grave. Dire, in fact. Terribly important and serious."
"...If I didn't know you better, I might be tempted to throw you all the way back to Snowdin," Undyne muttered, Sans only beaming at her. Ugh...terrifying creepy skeleton. "Remind me why you aren't in the Royal Guard, again?"
"Eh, too much responsibility, not enough breaks," he said, waving it off. "Speaking of breaks, sounds like you need one."
"What? Of course not! My body is trained to withstand the most brutal of environments!" They were already a good deal into Hotland, Undyne looking dry and pale and a bit pathetic. "This is nothing to me!" A triumphant laugh. Frisk huffed, squirming out of Undyne's arms and running over to the water cooler. She rocked the jug on top, trying to dislodge it before frowning and kicking the machine. Sans was only reaching for a cup and handing it to the child, looking rather amused. He also may have heard Undyne collapse behind them.
"Brutal environments, huh?" Welp, screw the cup, then. A flick of blue energy and the jug of water was lifting off the stand, Sans floating it over to Undyne before pouring it out over her. "If the armor rusts, bill Papyrus." Frisk giggled, looking incredibly amused as the jug dropped to the ground, and rolled off the cliff. There was a tiny groan from Undyne, who blinked her eyes open, Toriel helping her up.
"Perhaps you should return home, Undyne. We know the way from here, well enough." Toriel supposed Hotland was a little too much for the guard at the moment.
"No! No, it's fine, I can handle it! Besides, Alphys' lab is air conditioned, anyway. It's just up ahead."
"If you insist," Toriel nodded, the group starting on their way again. Although she was careful to stay by the other in case she got a bit too weak again. Sans, at seeing the laboratory up ahead, was looking a bit shaky and...very unwell. Frisk was walking beside him, looking up at him with a frown. She tugged on his sleeve, clinging to his hand.
"What's wrong?" Sans only clung back, staying quiet for a moment before giving the girl a weak smile.
"Just...some bad memories, I guess. I used to work here, a really long time ago, and I didn't...leave on the best of terms..."
"You're gonna be okay, though," she said sounding certain. "You're you. And you have us with you. It'll all be fine." Sans smiled, ruffling the girl's hair and tugging her closer.
"Yeah, you're right. 'Sides, what's the worst that could happen?"
"You jinxed it."
"I know."
