Chapter 8: Krillin and Codin
Zack sits in the hospital wing at his father's bedside. The police have already taken his gun. It isn't loaded at least he doesn't think it is.
No one talks to him. The nurse drops by occasionally and they tell him that his father is in critical condition.
One of the first times his mother had dropped by, the woman had lashed out at him.
"It's your fault he's dead. You know how many times your father said not to touch that gun."
"You're upsetting the patient. You have to leave," the doctor has said.
He had no memory of the events and couldn't even say anything. According to the doctors, he had been in shock.
Bit by bit the memory was slowly coming back.
Some men had broke into their home while his mother was out shopping. He had been alone and frightened for his life.
What if those men tried to kill him?
He had carefully and quietly made his way to his parent's bedroom and took the gun from his father's bedside table before hiding in his parent's closet. Eventually the men had made their way to the bedroom.
"So what kind of riches do you think these folks have?"
"There was some gold jewelry downstairs and I heard there might be a safe in the bedroom."
He had wondered who they were as they seemed to be awfully familiar with the place. Perhaps one of them had been a coworker of his father's. His father after all did work for the local bank.
The position he had been kneeling had him feeling a burn in the back of his knees. He slowly moved not even thinking about the consequences should this plan wind up a failure.
Cautiously as if his life depended on it, he slowly moved his feet out inch by inch. Just then there was the sound of a large crash as papers stacked on a shelf at the top of the closet came hurling down.
"What was that?"
"It came from the closet."
Zack had heard one of the men creeping towards the closet.
"Who's there? Show yourself."
He had been silent.
"If you don't come out, I'll shoot."
With the threat of a gun, Zack had pocketed the gun and covered it with his shirt before he slowly opened the door.
As he was slowly opening the door he could faintly hear the sound of the front door of his house opening.
Had his father arrived home early?
Suddenly one of the men yanked him out from the closet door. Zack had heard the footsteps from outside grow louder and more frantic.
Then the door opened. His father stood there in a panting mess.
"Let him go."
His father took a half step towards them. Zack had remembered the man had pressed the gun harder to his face.
"Move another step and he dies."
Zack would never forget the look of utter helplessness on his father's face. His father was pale and his eyes wide. He didn't want his father to make that expression again.
Zack eased his hands into his pocket. His hand around the gun then everything went blank.
The last thing he remembered was his gun pointed in the direction of the door and glancing at his father's body strewn on the floor with a bullet wound in his chest. When the police had arrived he was in the same position.
He was under so much shock that the police had been able to extract the gun with no problems.
Zack isn't sure if he's the one responsible for shooting his father and he has a feeling he doesn't want to know.
It takes weeks before he recovers. He discovers during this time that there are two bullets missing from his gun and that he's a prime suspect in his father's murder. It isn't attempted murder, his father died at the hospital right after Zack had left.
He doesn't know what to think. Zack knows for certain he can't stick around so he runs away from home.
He wanders for quite some time until he discovers a cave in the mountains and falls down in a crater to the underground.
Zack is determined to forget his life on the surface and move on.
He is frightened by the sight of a large frog in the underground and backs away slowly.
"Don't look so frightened."
"W-Who're you?"
"You look a little pale. Don't tell me you've never seen a monster before?"
"You're not going to hurt me are you?"
"No, though I would be a little careful. You see most monsters aren't very receptive to humans after one of them killed two monsters from the royal guard."
It's evening and the castle is dark by the time, Gerson drags Tony's corpse to the king's castle. He's heading to the throne room intent on telling the king his progress but is taken unaware by the sight of the queen.
"Gerson, what are you doing here at the castle at this hour?" Toriel asked.
"I'm supposed to report to the king," He said.
Something was different about him, was it the colour of his skin? Toriel could have sworn he had grown pale.
"This late?"
"Yes, even this late," He muttered in exasperation.
Toriel glanced at the black pools of liquid on the floor.
"Well, you're leaving quite a mess."
"I'm sorry your majesty."
Before Gerson could even spill a warning to her, she walks past him curious as to what he's holding.
"What's that you're dragging anyway?"
Her eyes widen at the sight of the human corpse and realises that the black liquid she had thought was coming from Gerson was in fact blood pouring from the wounds of the human corpse.
She shrieked.
"Tori, Tori what is it?" Asgore asked as he stepped out from the shadows.
"What is that?"
Asgore paled.
"Oh it's a human."
"Why is he bleeding like that? He's severely wounded. Did he die in pain?"
Her eyes widen in horror and she could almost feel the endless agony that the human must have went through.
It's with reluctance that Gerson finally speaks.
"I had no idea of the pain I was inflicting on them. I am sorry."
"You mean he didn't attack you and you still killed him?" Toriel asked coolly.
"The king asked me to."
Toriel glared at Asgore.
"Why?"
"With a human soul we could finally break the barrier trapping us monsters down here," Asgore said happily.
"Yes and what do you think they'd think of you killing one of their kind?"
Asgore frowned.
"It's not the best of ideas but with time maybe they'll forget about it."
Toriel was no longer angry but her brows were contorted in a way that made her look upset.
"You'll have Dr Aster build another coffin for him, won't you?"
"Yes," He said gravely.
Days later there are rumors going around that a human had killed two members of the royal guard. The owner of the shop in Snowdin who was also known as Periwinkle by the townsfolk had known them rather well.
Codin and Krillin often talked of their daughter, Undyne.
"She's a rather flighty girl. Our Undyne. Can you believe she can bench press five monsters?"
"Really?" She asked chuckling nervously. Periwinkle hoped Undyne hadn't tried to lift any one of her kids.
"She's always been interested in sword fighting but I haven't managed to convince her to join the royal guard," Codin said.
"She don't like killing," Krillin explained.
When that human arrived though, there was dust all over their clothes and that's when she knew.
That human had killed Codin and Krillin. Who would take care of little Undyne now? She had no parents. That human probably had a living mother and father at home and she dared to kill them.
Some temmie had traded some weapons from their stock for her to sell. She had managed to acquire a knife from this stock and donned her apron before heading to the corner of town.
When the human had finally left town, Periwinkle stood with her knife in hand.
"That's enough. You've hurt too many souls."
Terri cries from guilt. Not from killing the monsters but from imagining that those monsters were human.
She doesn't fight back and closes her eyes as she lunges for her. Terri doesn't see the raw horror in her eyes as she collapses to her knees and clings to her bloody wound.
It's only a matter of time before there is news of another child's death.
King Asgore calls Gerson in the moment he hears the news.
"They've found another human body."
"I assume you want me to retrieve it, yes?" Gerson asked. He frowns visibly as if the idea is unsettling.
"Yes," Asgore replied, his voice hollow.
"How did they die? Did someone from the guard stab them?"
"From what I heard they were the ones who stabbed the guards. Codin and Krillin, you know them?"
"Yes, they were great warriors."
"Apparently they were also good friends of the shopkeeper in Snowdin. She was the one who killed him."
"You know we can't do this anymore. We're becoming just like the humans. You remember that they also attacked us unprovoked. We're not any better than they are."
"I know."
"So then why don't you do something. You have enough souls you could go to the human world and retrieve five more human souls to break the barrier."
"Who would stop them from attacking us though?"
Gerson sighed.
"Look I can't do this anymore. I can't live like this. The amount of money I'm given for this isn't worth the murder on our hands. We're monsters."
"I understand, Gerson but thank you for working for me as long as you have. Can you retrieve Sans for me though? I need someone to retrieve the human body."
He does this as it's a last request of the king before he heads back to Waterfall.
Gerson knocks on the front door of Dr Aster's laboratory.
Much to his surprise there is a skeleton with hallow black eyes wearing a black sweater.
"HELLO? DID YOU WISH TO SEE MY PARENTS OR WERE YOU HOPING TO MEET MY BROTHER?"
Gerson frowned. What was the king going to tell their daughter? She'd be about the same age as this skeleton.
"Can I speak with Sans please?"
"OH CERTAINLY. SANS, SANS, SOMEONE WISHES TO SPEAK TO YOU."
In a matter of minutes, Sans finally appears downstairs.
"You wished to see me."
"The king has a request to make. He wants you to retrieve a body of a dead human in Snowdin."
"Alright, I'll get on it."
He turned to glance behind him.
"I'm heading out, I'll see you later, mom, Papyrus."
Then he headed out walking alongside Gerson.
"So what's this about? Why is there a dead human in Snowdin?"
"According to the king, the shopkeeper was the one responsible for killing them after they killed Codin and Krillin."
The skeleton's eyes widened.
"Those are Undyne's parents," he said.
Sans recalled Papyrus speaking about her one day.
He had instantly been able to tell from his brother's frown that Papyrus had been upset about something. Every time he came home, Papyrus wasn't exactly happy but he'd always wear a smile even if it the day was just tolerable.
"What's got you so upset, Papyrus?"
"SOME KIDS AT SCHOOL WERE PICKING ON ME."
"Do you want me to beat them up for ya?"
"NO SANS, YOU WANT ME TO GET IN TROUBLE?"
Sans sighed.
"I guess not."
"IT'S ALRIGHT. THERE'S THIS GIRL IN MY CLASS WHO THREATENED TO BEAT THEM UP. SHE BENCHPRESSED SIX STUDENTS IN GYM."
"She sounds like a tough cookie."
"SHE'D BE AWESOME IF SHE DIDN'T THINK I WAS THE BIGGEST NERD IN CLASS."
Papyrus sighed.
"First time you meet and you're already crushing on her."
His face turned blue.
"NOT TRUE. I, PAPYRUS MOST DEFINITELY DON'T HAVE FEELINGS FOR THAT FISHY CREATURE."
"So she's a fish huh? I recall seeing a couple of monsters like that working for the royal guard. Do you think her parents are a part of the royal guard?"
"THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE. UNDYNE IS AN INNOCENT SOUL THERE'S NO WAY HER PARENTS WORK FOR THE ROYAL GUARD."
The next day, Papyrus had come back he was even more upset.
He let out a gloomy sigh.
"I WISH I HADN'T LEFT HER LIKE THAT."
"What are you talking about, Papyrus?"
"UNDYNE. I SAW HER AFTER SCHOOL BEING BEAT UP BY THOSE BULLIES. I COULD HAVE STEPPED IN TO SAVE HER, BUT I WAS SO SCARED."
"What did they look like? The bullies I mean?"
Papyrus had described the bullies.
"YOU'RE NOT INTENDING TO BEAT THEM UP ARE YOU?"
"Why shouldn't I? Didn't they just try to beat up your friend? You don't want her to get hurt again do you?"
Papyrus frowned regarding him suspiciously.
"PROMISE ME YOU WON'T DO ANYTHING RASH. I DON'T NEED HER HATING ME MORE THAN SHE ALREADY DOES."
It was really a pity that he had learned to master careful control over his expressions.
After he had beat up those kids, Undyne had confronted Papyrus the next day. Sans had overheard her talking to him.
"You didn't have to save me you know?"
"I DIDN'T SAVE YOU."
"I could have beat those kids up do you understand? I'm not weak."
"I KNOW."
"I didn't want to beat them up that's all. I don't like violence."
Papyrus sighed.
"I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING."
"Then why did your brother drop by the school to beat those kids up?"
The skeleton's eyes bulged out of his sockets.
"YOU MEAN SANS CAME TO MY SCHOOL?"
Undyne's yellow eyes widened.
"You're serious? You mean you didn't ask your brother to beat those kids up?"
"OF COURSE NOT."
"Your brother must really care about you. I'm kinda jealous."
Now that he thought about it, Sans usually took him to school.
'WELL HE DID SAY THAT TURTLE WANTED HIM FOR SOMETHING.'
At around the same time Sans and Gerson were walking to Snowdin when Gerson stopped.
"We're here, Sans," Gerson said
Sans glanced at the dead human's body on the ground. He knelt down before the human and wrapped it's arms around his shoulders.
"Well, I guess I'll be leaving that to you."
"What do you mean?" Sans asked.
"I've quit. You can ask Asgore for the details in case your curious but this is goodbye from here on out."
When Sans returns with the human body, Asgore pales.
"I see you've brought the human. I hope they didn't suffer. Tori would be very upset if it was a painful demise."
The skeleton's eye sockets contort into a frown.
"You mean she's seen all this?" Sans asked.
"Yes, sadly."
"How long is it going to go on? How much of this pointless bloodshed is needed?"
"I don't know, Sans. I don't know."
"What are you going to tell their daughter? You do know that the human killed two monsters."
It's while they are having their conversation that Toriel comes in. Her face is flush and she has a sly grin on her face.
"Gorey, are you heading to bed?"
"Not now Tori."
She notices Sans standing beside him with a light blue flush on his cheeks.
Toriel frowns. Something about his appearance is unsettling but she can't put her finger on it.
"Gorey, what's going on?"
Asgore grows paler in the moonlight.
Toriel conjures a flame that lights up a small part of the room. That's when she sees two sets of human hands around the skeleton's shoulders.
"AH!"
Sans drops the human in his panic. He's never seen or heard Toriel scream before.
"Heh, heh," Sans chuckled nervously, his bony hands stroking the back of his skull.
"Is he-"
"Dead? Yes, he's 'bone' dead for a while."
Toriel glared sternly at him.
"You didn't kill him did you?"
The white pupils in Sans' eyesockets vanished.
"Of course not."
"Why do they keep dying? They can travel back in time so why do they continue to die?"
Sans frowned.
"I don't know."
"And then you," Toriel said, glancing at her husband with tears in her eyes. "You already acquired a human soul. If you had gone to the surface there would have been no need for this senseless violence."
"But Tori," Asgore pleaded.
"Don't 'Tori' me. I'm leaving."
She huffed taking a brisk walk out of the room.
"Tori, wait."
She had left before either monster could go after her.
"I'll talk to her," Sans said.
He quickly headed out to follow her. She was in her room packing a large suit case.
"Hey!"
Toriel looked up from what she was doing. He thought it was a good sign that she didn't immediately kick him out of her room.
"Oh hi Sans."
"You're not mad at me are you?"
"No I'm not mad at you."
"Do you think you'll ever forgive him?"
"Did he ask you say that? I'd rather not have you vouching for him. He could apologise himself but I doubt he'd even swallow his pride."
"Well he did tell everyone that he'd shatter the barrier."
"He had his guards kill that human.
"There was nothing that could have prevented the death of that other human though. You shouldn't be so harsh on him. Just forgive him, Tori."
"I'm not."
Sans sighed and shrugged.
"Welp, I guess there's no convincing you."
"Do you support my decision?"
"You know it's not in my authority to change your mind."
Toriel sighed.
"I see. Can you help me? There's some luggage I want to take with me."
"Alright."
She hands him a vase of yellow flowers, some books and her suitcase.
Sans meets her outside the castle.
"So where are we taking this stuff, Tori?"
"We're heading to the direction of the ruins. The only way I could prevent something like this happening again is if I guard the ruins."
Once they are in the ruins, Sans looks around. It's the first time he's caught a glimpse of Home. His father and mother had often told him about it when he was young but he never imagined that the castle where the king had resided had the same interior decoration.
Sans helped Toriel unpack her luggage.
"You sure you'll be alright here. It could get rather lonely?"
"It's not as if this place is completely abandoned. I should still be able to get food down here in the ruins."
"Well, good luck."
"You too."