Story based on the episode "Cyborg, the barbarian" from "Teen Titans (2003)" wrote by Simon Racioppa and Richard Elliott.
Happy eight anniversary, Undertale. Almost ten years later, I still love this game with same intensity as if it was the first time.
Multiverse.
Undertale.
One-Shot.
"A star across time"
.
.
.
-[Prologue: Where are we gonna end up?]-
"Huh..."
Raising up his view to look at his phone with a slow and heavy motion, Sans looked at the hour. 3PM with 3 minutes, it wasn't so common on him to arrive so early, but Alphys had been insisting on them to have a small reunion in front of Mettaton's teather where he, usually, presented his plays for both humans and monsters every single night.
He only accepted to join because, despite being Ebott City's number one lazy bones, both his father and younger brother made him choose between going or being dragged against his will.
"HUMAN! HELLOOOO!"
Yelled Papyrus, raising up his left arm and moving it as he got closer to the Dreemur family. Gaster crossed his arms, smiling slightly as he saw the faces of both his king and queen. Frisk walked slowly behind the older goats, apparently entirely lost in a conversation with Asriel and the brat herself.
After listening Papyrus's voice, he ran towards him with all his strength: his younger brother knelt down, surrounding the child's neck with his arms at the same time he extended his hand to caress his skull.
"Hey kiddo. What's up?"
He greeted, and the boy simply nodded back. The only one left was Undyne, obvious she ended up being the first to arrive out of all of them the moment she heard her lover's call. Toriel winked back at her best friend, and the older of the skeleton brothers repeated the gesture in a friendly manner.
Chara, not wanting to see the filthy bum flirting with her mother, put herself right in the middle of their gaze, imposing herself as her red eyes fell on the ex-royal scientist.
"SO, what does the scrap metal wants?"
"I wish I knew"
A sigh came out of Gaster's mouth as the three royal children looked at each other, the black-haired robot simply asked for their presence with a stupid text filled to no end with Emojis on their group chat, seeing that Alphys wasn't being successful at first. He had hoped Mettaton would share some details with the ones who arrived first, but he didn't in the slightest.
Papyrus, obviously, was excited at the mystery.
"SINCE NO ONE LIKES SUSPENSE, I SAY WE GET IN ALREADY!"
Being both the first one in stepping up and turning himself into the leader of the group because of his initiative, Snowdin's former guard walked towards the building's entrance, pushing the door open and keeping it like that so his friends could walk in. Asgore noticed how every single light was turned off, which was strange.
Generally during Sunday, even if it was the only day where Mettaton didn't played another of his stories, he kept practicing until Monday's sun came out.
"Allow me"
Puffing his chest out pridefully, he extended his right palm to manifest a small fireball. Listening the "Good thinking" that came out of his son's mouth made him happy... his ex-wife, however, didn't say a single thing. Knowing the way perfectly, they all kept going until they entered the main hall.
The biggest room, far more than what Asgore could light up.
"LIIIIIGHTS!~"
The unmistakable voice of the artist echoed around every corner, not allowing anyone else from his friends group to talk. The lights turned on and focused on his shape, Mettaton had a microphone on his left hand, squeezing it as hardly as he could, he extended his right one towards them, as he raised a leg, jumping into the air as his entire body did pirouette.
"CAAAMERA!"
Behind him, a screen turned on; his entire face being reflected on it, shinning slightly as many more sparkles fell from the rooftop. Alphys, who was sitting inside the director's room, turned up her fingers, adjusting the volume alongside the intensity of the effects surrounding her friend.
That was his signal.
"AND ACTIOOOOON!"
Dropping the microphone he was holding, confetti, the sound of an explosion and finally, flames, came out behind him. Mettaton jumped once again, spinning around himself as his legs flew from his hip; now only a chest with arms, he ended up landing on the tip of his legs that had landed one above the other, like an acrobat.
That's when he blinked and pulled his tongue off, his eyes looking into theirs.
"How was it, dears? What do you think! Alphys, Blooky, me and Undyne have been working on these upgrades all morning!~"
...
The silence ruled for a few moments; only a couple of seconds passed before the entire mood changed from one of uncertainty to one of awkwardness. A small drop of sweat fell from Alphys's nape as she got out of the director's room, looking at the faces of her besties. Gaster had his arms crossed again, Sans kept his hands inside his pockets, as Toriel, Asgore and Asriel seemed to be lost in thought.
Chara's fingers were caressing her nose bridge to try and calm down her anger, do anything else but let out the scream stuck inside her throat. How could he call them to test his stupid and ridiculous visual effects? not even a single one of them cared about his functions. Yes, Mettaton was a great artist, she consented that.
But neither of them-
CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP~
"WOWIE! TRULY MAGNIFICENT!"
Yelled the smallest skeleton, clapping alongside the eight fallen. Of course, those two ended up being the only ones who truly invested their interest on the little show. A small "Hmm" came out of the prince's mouth as the robot walked towards them, an aura of disappointment clearly surrounding him with each step.
"Oh come on dears, you really have such long faces? show some enthusiasm like Frisk and Papyrus! if you ask me, every single human and monster working here do their very best to create and strengthen up relationships and trust between our races."
He answered, truth be told, he had quite the valid point. Maybe they weren't as interested in his stuff, but nothing took away the fact that he indeed was everyone's favorite star, both men, women and children from both races and all ages loved his acting. Asriel finally nodded, rising up his thumb.
That was more than enough to convince him and his parents.
"Well, as long as nothing bad occurs, I don't see why not? almost everyone loves your shows."
A strong laugh came out of the robot's throat, alongside a loud "right?" that wasn't waiting any sort of reply. His head turned around to look at the royal scientist, at the same time he took out a small script out of a compartment in his chest, approximately ten pages long.
Alphys adjusted her glasses.
"I-I produced this one... I might not be that good writing scripts, but... I also received some help from Mettaton with this new project, he's interested in. Would you guys like to watch what little we have? Undyne accepted to play the villain, her personality fits... quite a well with the character."
The first one in running towards first class seats was Papyrus, under the gaze of both his older brother and his father. Sans looked up seeking Gaster's approval, who saw his watch in silence, sighing soon after, he ended up saying yes.
Frisk was going to stay too, ending up dragging his family with himself. The infant with red eyes put a leg above the other as she pulled out a chocolate bar from her left pocket, the least the could've done was offering her and the others some popcorn. Mettaton went to the scenario once again, as the lights focused on him.
The music, loud and clear, similar to a suspense song from a 70's comedy started to sound as Alphys pressed a button. This was the introduction scene of both the antagonist and protagonist, and, after a while, Undyne had already memorized perfectly when she would have to come out.
Right... no-
TROOOOOOOOMP~
In just one second, the body of the black-haired man was surrounded by electricity, disappearing as if he had turned into dust, no trace left behind. Papyrus spit all his soda at the view, almost at the same time the red-haired girl came out, wearing an outfit similar to a comic villain.
Upon not seeing her "rival", alongside the shocked faced of her friends, made her lose her motivation entirely. What the heck was wrong with them?j
"HEY! THE HECK IS WRONG WITH YOU GUYS?!... and where's Microwave?!"
Everyone was wondering the same.
.
.
-[Fragment 1: Not "when" but...]-
TROOOOOMP~
The night was split in half due to the lightning that fell from the skies. Mettaton let out a surprised yell when he didn't felt the floor under his feet; instead, he saw the ground getting closer and closer, realizing he was falling. A drop of sweat descended from his artificial nape.
"YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING MEEEEEEEEE!"
He screamed, sending power to the propellers on his legs to try and ease up his fall. The fire came out, helping him achieve a slightly safer landing despite him still hitting up his face. A small, painful groan came out of his metallic lips, he had popped up and he had no momentum to try and make a perfect landing.
"Ugh... where... the hell am-?"
Before even being able to keep talking, the ground started shaking. The monster looked up slightly to watch small rocks bouncing; from the horizon some meters up ahead, running towards him, a small group of humans ran at full speed, singing what seemed to be a war anthem.
The most interesting part, were their weapons; metal, alongside armors and pelts under them.
Dragging himself as quickly as he could to hide in a nearby bush, Alphys's pride managed to let his body fall at the side of the road, slightly scared that he was the one they were looking for, but he was wrong; the sound of swords, shields and hammers clashing alongside more angry screams made him re-evaluate his position. His gaze popped up from the leaves, finally both seeing and understanding.
Hapstablook never had been that good nor remotely interested in the history of his kind, his passion was always related to art, dancing and teather, but just like any monster, he knew a thing or two, at least since the time the recording started. That's why seeing those men fight against what seemed to be greenish spider-like creatures made his soul shiver.
SLASH~
A sword cut the head of one of the creatures, they weren't knights despite using metal-made weapons. His theory was proved correct when the body, rather than turning to dust, crumbled on itself as if it was liquid, no soul present. Those things weren't of his kind in the slightest.
Mettaton: Where the hell am I?! -he finally said, his phone going towards his face; a small cable connected itself from his finger to the screen. Alphys and Gaster upgraded him quite a lot after they all got out of the Underground, and even if he was a monster mostly focused on entertainment on a 70%, nothing changed the fact that he would always be made for battle and war, at least a little bit.
His sensors started to charged themselves at the same time he kept watching the combat. A man with a metal-made hammer let out a roar as he protected a boy with red hair, that didn't seemed to be older than 20 years old; the leg of a spider rose up trying to stab the shoulder of the warrior, but the young one cut it just in time, preventing it.
The head of the monster got crushed in one hit.
[Analysis complete]
Watching the date reflected on the screen made him drop the device, as he lost any sign of hope. He hadn't been taken to another part of the world, it wasn't a "where" but a "when".
Three thousand... before christ... ?
The year in which the first civilizations of humanity and monsterkind appeared, alongside the invetion of the concept of writing. Long before Ebott realm even existed as one, the fundation of his homeland, his people, would happen in around 500 years at minimum.
Definitely a dream, or more like a nightmare.
"AAAAGHHHHH!"
The painful scream nearby his current position pulled him from his mind. One of the warriors had been hit with so much strength that his body ended up landing some meters behind him, in the nearby trees. His eyebrows raised up, concerned at the small trace of blood his trajectory left behind.
However, the trees and leaves crumbled and sounded as the man with golden hair ran, once again trying to rejoin the battlefield, if it wasn't because of him. His black gaze found Mettaton's pink one, looking at his figure with a curious expression.
"Hmngh... ?"
Mettaton: Ah... I... -He didn't knew what could be said. A part of him hoped he wasn't causing any problem at all; monsters and humans never had been in good relationships, but this also wasn't the Human/Monster war time, so he hoped he wasn't speeding things up either. The idea of him being the cause of a paradox was terrifying- I ain't looking for trou-
He hoped many things from a gaze like that. The human was taller than him for a couple of centimeters, alongside a naturally mean looking expression. But, definitely, one of disappointment alongside a small punch to his elbow wasn't something he expected. The man pointed his sword to the battlefield, seemingly angry.
"What are you doing hiding yourself, warrior?!"
Shouted the man with a tone that, more than anger, seemed to be annoyed at what he perceived to be cowardice. Mettaton's soul "clicked" alongside his brain when he realized his own appearance could very well be confused with an armor, with some pelts and make up he could very well pretend to be human.
"FIGHT FOR YOUR PEOPLE, LIKE ALL OF US!"
Finishing, he threw himself back to the battlefield with another scream, as the robot kept looking at him. Inspiring words, he had to admit it, but... even if he wanted to help, could and should he really do it? maybe it was stupid to think that way, but he had seen multiple movies with Alphys and Undyne where changing the smallest bit of history in the past could change the future entirely.
And of course, he wasn't supposed to be there.
"YAAAAARGHHHH!"
Another painful scream; but not one of defeat. Multiple warriors had joined themselves to try and fend off the attack, as Mettaton started to run protecting himself from any stray throwable, using the dust as a way to cover and hide his shape. He needed a plan; being stranded thousands of years in the past... now his main goal was to try and remain unnoticed while finding a way to return to the 21st century.
"I gotta get out of here..."
Throwing himself into the wild once again as he avoided another group, the sound of swords cutting flesh and sighs made him stop, mostly out of curiosity. This is where he saw it; a warrior, different from all the others he had seen until that moment.
.
.
"HYAH!"
Moving their hand in a descending slash, the blade clashed and cut the legs of the monster that attacked them effortlessly. Seeing itself surpassed, the spider let out a squeak at the same time their eyes shone in a red scarlet light: from it's mouth, a greenish liquid came out, making the human do a backflip to avoid the damage.
After landing, he turned around hearing the sound of footsteps getting closer to him; indeed, two bipedal spiders ran towards him trying to catch him by surprise. Wielding both swords at the same time, he ran towards their shapes, who swung their legs at him as if they were scythes, the human however ended up rolling on the floor to avoid the attack, as he rose up, the blades touched and penetrated their necks in two simple movements.
Pulling out both weapons from the now fallen corpses, he managed to block an incoming dash just on time. They might've been bipedal creatures, but they also could go in eight legs to increase their speed.
"GHHHKKK... damn you, demon!"
They grumbled, a purple light coming from their eyes in response. Both had a small "tug-of-war" between their blades and it's legs. As if it could understand them, it let out another roar as the green liquid started to fell from their mouth, preparing itself to spit right in their mask.
"You won't win!"
Giving it a head-butt to try and disorient it, the warrior managed to blind it temporarily, taking advantage of the small chance to move their body to the left as his sword sunk itself in the spidere's chest, coming out of it's back. As the body turned into that greenish liquid, he took it off to avoid any sort of lasting damage to the blade and the armor, turning around to face the battlefield.
Things weren't looking good for the tribe, but at least no one had died... yet.
"EVERYONE TOGETH-!"
They were careless.
A powerful onslaught hit their back, sending him flying with so much strength that their body landed on it's face, cracking the helmet and mask they were wearing. His whole world was spinning, but even so, they remained conscious; taking their hand to the helmet, the surprising feeling of a warm, red liquid sent shivers down his spine.
Their vision was blurry.
"Keguegue gue gue~"
A hiss that sounded like a laugh, the one that had hit him started to walk slowly towards them, raising it's legs wanting to stab their chest. The eight red eyes shone menacingly with the moonlight behind him, giving him the aura and aspect of a demon in the night.
.
.
That made him act up instinctively. Yes, Mettaton wasn't as good neither a saint like Frisk, but his moral compass was on the right direction, good enough to know this wasn't good. Closing his eyelids slightly, he came out of his hiding spot ready to give some help; at the very least that was his plan before the tall figure of the blonde human that had found him in the first place put himself in front of his body.
"It's mine!"
He interjected, and the star of monsterkind let his chin rest against his right hand, letting out a "go ahead"; the human with black eyes let out a war cry as he ran towards the spider, rising his arm and the blade on his hand. As if it had a sixth sense however, the dark being turned around just on time to block the attack.
The man's arms trembled, trying to surpass the strength of his enemy, until it let out a squeak, kicking his ribs so hard it sent him flying backwards. The robot moved to the left slightly, avoiding the human projectile, letting out a small sigh as he caressed his nasal bridge.
No matter the consequences... he wouldn't let this continue.
SLASH
Before the legs could penetrate armor and flesh, the wrist of the black-haired man put itself between the spider and the human effortlessly. Mettaton let out a small laugh, it was a real sham he had no cameras to record himself, but beggars couldn't be choosers. This still was his chance to prove himself by doing a good thing, and if there was something he loved dearly were chances when his hobbies were mixed up with good, noble actions, his ambassador was a good influence at the end of the day.
"I'm sorry darling, but I ain't letting this become a tragedy"
No sooner said than done, the robot raised up his left leg, giving the spider a kick so powerful that, surprisingly, made it explode into pieces. No trace was left behind, spinning on himself to face the fallen warrior, Alphys creation knelt down like a savior, extending his hand to this possible new admirer.
"Do you need help? because you seem like you do, darling."
He said, the blue eyes looked at him silently for a couple of seconds. He expected them to reject the offer or just take his hand, but not that two blades came out of his wrist. He had never seen a warrior like that one, with such a weird armor, but anyone with enough brain would accept-
"Screeeeghhh~"
He had been a fool. Slapping the friendly hand away, the human jumped into the air as he clenched his fists, the metal blades sunk themselves on the skull of a spider he landed in, the creature had managed to silently crawl towards him, trying to cut his head.
That human saved him by the skin of his teeth.
"O-oh my... thanks darling, I owe-"
The right hand of his now savior rose up, stopping him at that very moment. Then, he waved his hands to try and clean up the green blood, staining the blades, preparing himself to keep fighting without even turning back to look at him.
"Then pay your debt in the battle."
He replied coldly. Mettaton changed his expression into a slight grin; jumping slightly to the left he avoided the legs of another monster that ran towards him, extending his left arm to punch him with such strength it's head blew off.
It was time to give these humans a good show~
Back to back, both the black-haired robot and the armored human started to wreak havoc, first and foremost they needed to try and diminish the pressure the rest of the tribe was going through. Mettaton knelt down just in time to avoid a spider throwing itself against him, kicking it on it's ribcage so hard he sent it back into the air, raising both of his arms to block two attacks from each side.
Neither of their legs were able to cut the metal of his body; stopping two at the same time wasn't hard at all, neither exploding their heads once again with just one punch from both of his fists.
At the same time, now being surrounded by three enemies, the leader threw itself against the first enemy he came across, sinking both blades in it's thorax, standing and managing to pull the weigh, he started to run, using the body as a weapon by hitting anything he could see, like a wrecking ball..
"It's Zer!"
One of the multiple combatants yelled, noticing the body and actions of their leader, who now grabbed the spider by the legs and started to spin, before throwing it against another group. With that, a small portion of their village had been freed, being able to fight and defend themselves with less pressure; one of their comrades threw an axe just above their shoulder.
It sank perfectly into the head of another monster behind him.
"Now we have some help, everyone fight together!"
They shouted, and everyone who managed to listen it's demand rose their swords, shields, lances and axes as they screamed back, filled with motivation and energy. The black-haired robot kicked the floor, breaking part of the earth as he now kicked the rocks to use them as projectiles, it wasn't his favorite tactic and very unconventional...
But without his bombs and the rest of his equipment, improvising was key.
CRASH CRASH CRASH~
The rocks stuck themselves into the spiders bodies with so much strength and speed that, wherever they landed, they generated a massive amount of damage alongside a small burst, destroying and breaking parts of their legs, arms and heads. The actor let out a small laugh, interrupted soon after by a big cut on his back.
"SCREEEEEEEEGHHHH"
Clearly annoyed, the black-haired man sunk his feet into the ground to try and stop himself, starting a contest of strength with his current assailant. Blocking only two legs, the other four tried to penetrate the metal in his body, having no effect whatsoever. Blessed Undyne's girlfriend, truth be told.
The earth started to shatter itself, as the former ghost kept pushing back.
"HEY! do you have any idea of how much I like this body?!"
Obfuscated, he gave the enemy a head-butt, stunning him and then giving him a guillotine kick that landed on the back of it's head, crushing the skull until it was nothing but green mush, only to realize that a massive group had appeared from the forest. The screams of surprise and fear on the humans came shortly after.
The spiders had lost so much terrain during the humans comeback that they decided to multiply their numbers.
"THERE'S TOO MANY!"
And they were like cockroaches. Moving his head to where he had seen Zer go, he noticed that both them and the rest of the fighters were on equal conditions, him included. Surrounded by all sides. Looking at his right hand, the monster let out another sigh, a heavier one this time. This was the situation he was looking for, but what he would do would let his power totally dry.
Yet it was better than do nothing and allowing innocents die screaming for help.
"I'm sorry dears; these people are under my protection now."
The actor rose his left hand into the air as a pink light with white tints surrounded it; the palm alongside it's fingers sank inside the arm, before a small cannon, the one from his NEO form, came out. The eyes of the monster shone menacingly as a burst of power came out of it.
FWASHHHHH~
Like an angelical light, wherever he pointed, the bodies of the creatures turned into ashes. Mettaton started to walk slowly towards where his system could tell there was determination, that's how he was finding the humans and exterminating everyone around them, managing to free them. With screams and squeaks, every spider died off.
After one minute, the voices, formerly filled with fear and hopeless, were now bursting with joy and victory.
Almost everyone.
"UNGH!"
Standing up, the man with golden hair took his sword once again, throwing himself to the first enemy he could fin, but he was too slow. Just before he could reach it, the body of the insect blew into pieces thanks to a shot from the stranger's cannon. There was still one small group left, who tried to get closer to him and the rest of the village in a last ditch effort of a futile resistance.
SWASH~
All of them were vaporized as well. Mettaton ended up standing between the last remaining spider and the humans, like a guardian angel. The monster prepared one last shot, before the hand of the warrior stopped him.
The black-haired man let out an understanding nod, alongside a smile.
"All yours darling."
He threw himself again, both hands up to kill the last remaining spider in a descending slash. The spider used two of it's legs to block the attack, as a drop of sweat came out of the blonde's face, noticing the big gap in strength between them.
"God damn mons-!"
SLASH~
The two set of legs that got inside his chest shut him up. Mettaton acted immediately, blowing up it's head as the human's injured body fell on it's back. The screams of joy and pride sounded immediately, alongside a man with brown hair that knelt down by his side.
"Step aside, savior. We need to stop the bleeding until we arrive to the village."
He said, making a tourniquet on his wounds. Mettaton quickly got surrounded by the men, who started to move their right arm as a sing of respect. The pink eyed monster let out a small laugh as he noticed how "Zer" was starting to walk in his direction.
The horays and cheers only increased themselves even more after their leader rose their arm into the sky.
"Ohohoho~ not bad for a foreigner, don't you think so Mon ami?~"
The arms of the warrior went to his helmet, pulling it off. Mettaton opened up his mouth in disbelief upon seeing it's face, the long brown hair and the blue eyes looking at him, it wasn't a man as he had thought...
It was a woman.
"My name is Zeresta, leader of this humble tribe... and wh is this Monami you speak of?"
...
Now THIS was awkward.
.
.
-[Fragment 2: There's no home like yours...]-
"METTA-TON! METTA-TON! METTA-TON!"
Like a mob, ecstatic, during almost thirty minutes non-stop they had been shouting his name every single moment. If Alphys was here to see such scene, either she would've fainted out of embarrassment or her pride would be sent into the moon. The star of monsterkind kept being praised and receiving pats on his back and shoulders, with open arms.
This was just what he was looking for.
The warriors stopped themselves in front of what seemed to be a stone fort; it's tall gates opened up after Zeresta let out a shout, asking for the entrance. Various men clearly not suited for combat, women, children and elders came out to greet and join in the happy anthem.
So this is their home...
He thought, being taken to what seemed to be the town's square. It was a big place, but nowhere big enough to be a city, just as Zeresta had said, it was just a small, humble tribe that had discovered metal, using it alongside stone and pelts.
This was a good opportunity to be sincere, even if just a little bit.
"Alright darlings, I'm quite grateful, this is a nice gesture but... do you have any idea of where am I?"
Zerasta was the first one in speaking, for obvious reasons.
"You appearing in our darkest hours must've been a gift from the gods, savior. As such, the least we could do is offer you a place to sleep, our village would've been doomed to failure if it wasn't for your intervention."
Certainly... thinking about it, she was right. Almost all the military force, if not everyone, had been sent into the battlefield. Realizing just now that, if it wasn't for him not only their leader but countless men and a vast majority of the workers would've died that night.
He basically saved them from total annihilation.
Zerasta rose her right hand, turning around to look at the man with golden hair; Yurn, who looked straight into his leader's eyes, squeezed the blade on his belt protectively.
He knew what she meant.
"Give me your sword, Yurn."
She demanded, proving his fears to be true. Looking up to see the gazes of his peers and coleagues, that obvious supported and agreed with her, obliterated the pride of the human with black eyes.
"I've fought valiantly, my mistress! I've been champion of the tribe for three years, giving this title and honor to a foreigner it's not-"
Hearing him insult the achievements of their guest was more than enough to anger her and the rest of his people. Letting out a sigh noticing how their faces turned into expressions of disapproval, he finally relented.
Against his will, that is.
Zeresta quickly took the sword out of it's sheath; the blade reflecting both her and Mettaton's faces.
"Due to your value in the battlefield, having saved our people and your pure heart that fights against evil, alongside your heroism... I name you, Mettaton, the new champion of Muruk village!"
A small "Oh?" filled with surprise came out of his lips, he had many titles and nicknames already, both given to him by humans and monster through all his career as actor, director and writer... but he had never thought "champion" would end up being one of them. The leader winked at him as she put the sword back inside it's sheath, offering it to him.
The man's left hand doubted and trembled for a couple of seconds, before he finally accepted with a smile, squeezing the hilt as tightly as he could; his new trophy got raised into the air, just as everyone had been doing so far. Their voices, filled with pride and joy, returned, louder than before.
"Bring in the food, come on everyone! we must celebrate another successful campaign!"
Yelled the second, tallest men in the village, Mettaton immediately recognized him as the one who had been using a hammer during the battlefield, it was nostalgic because he reminded him of Gerson. Sure, he wasn't able to eat human food due to being 100% made of metal, but he could teach these nice people a thing or two about entertainment, which would elevate his name even higher.
He was enjoying this, and quite a lot.
"Sevirik is right! let's all honor the champion!"
Everyone departed towards the dining table. Once again, Mettaton started laughing, waving around the sword in every direction as a way to show himself, going as far as to even make some slashes to the air with just one hand. He wasn't very good in the art of the sword, but he had seen Papyrus and Undyne training in multiple occasions, so he knew his fair share of stuff.
The only one who was left behind was Yurn, who's eyes were fixated on the floor.
His fist were trembling the entire time.
.
.
Tap... tap... tap~
His steps echoed. The smell of water, moss and specifically, the dark aura surrounding that cave had always been one of the things he hated the most about it. His body, covered by a hoodie to hide his identity, stopped right in the middle as the former champion pulled the hood off, still angry at the humiliation he had gone through hours before.
The failure and those gazes, he couldn't stop seeing them.
"Sorcerer!"
Shouted Yurn, starting to walk towards the deepest parts of the cave, not feeling the weight of his sword on his belt was hurting his pride even more, because it made him feel as if he was naked, as if he was nothing but a weakling, as if he had lost every single one of his rights, he couldn't stand it. His ego, his confidence, everything had been destroyed when he saw their smiling faces looking at that man with black hair.
He was saved... by a foreigner...
"GOD DAMN IT SORCERER! COME OUT ALREADY!"
A pair of dark, green eyes looked back at him from the shadows right in front of him, moments before he could increase his anger. Wearing a red outfit with golden patterns all around it alongside a scarf, a man with black hair and beard knelt down in front of his master, smiling slightly with clear malice in his lips.
"Here I am, my lord... the plan worked?"
He asked, the wall next to Yurn receiving a punch as a reply. The now ex-champion let out a furious roar int the sky when he remembered the wounds the last spider caused him, Mettaton now had his sword and title as gifts for his triumph in the battle, while he had received humiliation as a reward for his failures.
Wounds that would leave scars in his name forever.
"NO! How did it all turn out so bad you useless old man?! I freed you from that seal for you to serve me, SO YOU COULD TURN ME INTO A LEGEND, INTO A HERO!"
Still kneeling, the face of the bearded man turned into one of disappointment, not only on himself but also in his friend. Letting out a small sigh, the smaller human took his fingers to his chin, lost in though. That gesture only enraged and frustrated Yurn even more, who barely managed to kept his cool down.
He couldn't forget that, no matter how angry he was... that man was a great ally.
"It is my greatest wish for your will to be fulfilled, my lord... weren't the creatures that I sent defeated by you? how is it that you didn't became the hero of your people?"
Yurn denied, moving his head from left to right, as his arms crossed while his hands squeezed his own body. The wounds he had on his torso still hurt; something his friend noticed. Extending his hand slightly towards him, applying a quick healing spell, they closed up fully... well, that was something he was grateful for.
"No, it wasn't me; you've sent me monsters too strong that almost decimated every single one of us, I've asked for your help because I thought you would enhance my power... but your spell brought in a foreigner from another land, he was turned into champion, and I got degraded into a buffoon!"
The caster's right eyebrow rose up due to curiosity... someone else had come? that wasn't part of their plans, it was certainly going to complicate things way more than they could afford. Yurn turned around, raising his arm and waving it as a goodbye gesture, he needed to return to the village, it was late already and didn't wanted to raise suspicions.
"You must fix your mistake, sorcerer. Don't forget it."
Once he saw him vanish under the moonlight, his green eyes started to shine as his hands channeled magic. A small smirk appeared on his lips as he turned around, facing the wall: it's shape changed slowly, now that he was alone. The rock formed eyes, a mouth, teeth and a tongue.
The unmistakable face of a dragon; the tomb he had been sealed in centuries ago, now turned into nothing but a tool to harness his power in a more effective way.
"As you wish, my lord..."
He muttered, pouring his magic as he started to prepare a summoning ritual. If his friend wished to be a hero, then he would keep fulfilling his wishes. After all, Cun Lung the mage never broke his promises, even if his methods ended up harming his comrades to a greater or lesser extent.
.
.
Scrench scrench scrench~
Next morning, making sure of securing both the windows and the door of his new, temporary home in case something went wrong, Mettaton moved his left hand up and down in a rolling motion. He had spent the entire night building and planning an extremely rudimentary pulley system to generate electricity, that was not directly connected to his soul and body.
"Come on... don't die on me darling... "
He muttered, observing his system. Shooting all those lasers the night before indeed dried his batteries entirely, alongside the fact that he had made this small project, the percentage was on a alarming 20%, that went up slightly, making the actor smile.
"OHHH YES!~ eureka! now everyone shall know me as "Mettaton lord of thunder"!~"
He shouted at the top of his lungs, just on time for his hopes to be vanquished; the materials couldn't withstand the potency of the electricity, small lightings came out of it, forcing the man to cover his face in order to protect it as the small mechanism exploded, a small cloud of some covered everything.
It had been a total failure.
"Oh come on! you gotta be kidding me!"
Just as he complained, he noticed steps behind him. Waving his head to try and make the smoke go away, while also opening the windows, Zeresta wearing some pelts instead of her classic armor tilted her head slightly as a way of greeting him, before her arms crossed upon seeing the pieces of stone, wood and other materials on the floor.
"Your strange gadgets and magic are scaring my people, Mettaton. And that's no easy task, mind you, we may be warriors but we take our armors off once in a while, as you can see. Why haven't you done the same?"
Said the leader, as Napstablook's cousin rose his eyebrows slightly doubtful as his body fell on the chair he had been using before, not only his mood completely killed because of how little time he had left, but also because of her question. Monsters, if they existed around this time, wouldn't establish contact with the homo sapiens for a while.
So how could he explain her he was once a ghost?
"I'm sorry darling, my armor can't be taken off. It's... part of me, of what I am."
He replied, making the brown-haired woman put her hand above the shoulder of her new friend, nodding with a saddened expression.
"Must be hard for you; being a warrior every single moment of your day; a heavy load on your spirit, I presume."
A long side came out of the actor's metallic lips. The mood had turned into a depressing one in just a matter of seconds. Zeresta, however, noticed how the champion put his hand above his chest, taking a pose of gallantry and admiration, denying her.
"I ain't just a warrior, dearie. My main work is bringing happiness and joy to people wherever I go, give them hope and a reason to relax. You could say I'm... in charge of making sure warriors like you remember their humanity. It's what I love; like my armor, it's part of me. Part of who I am, as I said before."
Truthful to his words, to his reason of being, Zeresta ended up completely shocked and entranced by his small speech. She really had the wrong impression, but she was happy to see he didn't lived a sad life in the slightest. The woman with blue eyes knelt down, observing carefully the plans and rests of the now destroyed invent.
"What was the purpose of this thing? you seemed quite invested in drawing these last night."
"It was supposed to feed my batteries. Shooting up all those beams to help you guys during the battle has left me in quite the situation."
Obviously she didn't understood a single thing in the slightest. The only word her mind could make sense of were "feed", taking her hand to his own, she gently intertwined their fingers, pointing towards the door.
"If food is what you wish, we would be happy to give you all you can eat, why don't you come and enjoy lunch with-"
Seeing his head moving in a negative as his eyebrows curved into an expression of sadness made her mouth stop. Mettaton pointed at the place where his soul was, his stomach. The inverted heart wasn't shinning as strongly as it did back when they were fighting side by side.
"It's not the type of food I require... I'm really sorry, dear, you and everyone else have been so nice to me, but I can't survive here, it's too... primitive... "
As he kept talking, he split himself from her. Whether it was because of Frisk, Alphys and the rest had influenced his way of thinking greatly, or because he missed his people, he wanted to tell her the truth. The man reached the wall, holding the sword he had received the night before, Mettaton looked straight into the sheath, admiring the beautiful moon painted on it as he offered it back.
Her pain filled expression broke his heart in two.
"Please, don't think poorly of me Zeresta, but I have my own home, my own battles. I can't accept this..."
The brown-haired girl, however, surprised him once again as her hands rested on the hilt, pushing it against his body with a slight smile.
"The sword is yours now, please accept it. I understand you must search your own place... however, would you allow me to formerly introduce you to my own?"
She asked, with a clearly begging tone. The pink eyes of the robot fixated themselves on the blue ones of the female, noticing the hope, sadness and defeat behind her gaze. Those eyes reminded him a lot of his cousin, the day he left Waterfall to join Alphys and accomplish his dream.
This time... he wouldn't be selfish.
How could I say no to a face like that?
Smiling back to his new friend, he ended up nodding, starting to walk towards the door of his temporary home. It was time to know that small village, in-depth.
.
.
"How's your wound, my son?"
Teresis moved his shoulder from left to right, letting out a small pain-filled groan under the gaze of his father, who had stopped his hammering against the metal. The blacksmith shop opened up later that day, precisely because Sevirik had been worried about his child.
The red-haired youngster, trying to calm his father down, waved his hand, trying to downplaying the situation with a happy smile, it did nothing to ease up the bald one however.
"Don't worry father, thanks to you it was only a scratch."
A sigh came out of his mouth as he crossed his arms, resuming his work shortly after, he had to make sure the weapons were both in perfect condition, sturdy and extremely sharp. The night had turned itself into a symbol of fear and uncertainty ever since those beings showed up, no doubt this had been his busiest year in the forty years he had been working and forging weapons for Muruk village.
"You shouldn't thank me but the champion. If it wasn't for him, neither of us would be here."
He spoke, with a heavy tone, turning around to look at the red-haired young man with a stern look. His son was imitating the movements Mettaton had shown them last night during the feast, he had never seen a technique like that one, fencing, was it? in his own words, it meant giving slashes to vital points with the least amount of energy possible.
Maybe that could interest the swordsmanship teacher.
"Certainly! I definitely wanna be like him, I can't wait for the day I see him again"
Was his reply, kicking the air at the same time he spun around himself to give a descending cut. Sevirik let out a long and strong laugh as he looked at the street, noticing the shapes of his leader and the savior himself getting closer towards his shop. The man caressed his long, black beard before he ended up giving a pat to his child's shoulders.
"Well, it seems you won't have to wait much longer for that. Hey! Savior, my mistress! good morning!"
He shouted at full strength, coming out alongside his son. Mettaton and Zeresta greeted the pair, each in their own way; the robot hug the young adult, bowing towards the blacksmith as Teresis and his father bowed their heads towards their ruler.
"Good morning for you too, Sevirik. Teresis, how's your wound?"
Teresis moved his shoulder slightly, holding back his urges to groan. The Monster however, noticed how his pulse sped up slightly thanks to his sensors.
"I'm improving, at least father isn't trying to convince me to go back to the fields with my younger brother and my mother. What about you, my mistress?"
Seeing herself being asked, the woman with blue eyes gently gave a punch to Mettaton's shoulder, before pointing her thumb at him.
"I was just showing the champion what kind of lifestyle we live. You should've seen him, people at the market loved him."
That just made Sevirik laugh once again, alongside a "I'm sure they do"; as Mettaton and the woman said their goodbyes shortly after, the man and his son returned to the establishment.
.
.
"Come on, keep fighting! I don't want you guys to slow up your pace! the next rest is stll thirty minutes away!"
Shouted an old man with his arms crossed, a scar on his shoulder while he kept looking at three groups of six men each, all of them fighting against themselves, motivated by their terrible output the night before.
He might be retired and too old to use a weapon, but Vamado used to be the best warrior of the village, that's why he was promoted to instructor and retired with honors twenty years ago after he lost his right arm due to a rumble. His tired eyes shone with excitement once he saw both Mettaton and Zeresta coming his way, both of them interested in his regime.
"Ah, the champion and the mistress. Good morning! Have you come to practice with the new recruits?"
He asked, filled to the brim with curiosity, Zeresta denied with her head as a "hi" came out of Mettaton's lips, who bowed his head as a sign of respect and a way to introduce himself.
"I don't think we've been formally introduced to each other, yes? I certainly don't remember seeing you on yesterday's party."
Vamado indeed confirmed his thoughts as he looked to his leader. The constant clash of blades and fists, as kicks were blocked, kept going while Zeresta cleared out her throat, before she pointed with both of her arms towards the instructor of her people.
"Mettaton, this man is responsible for training our armies. His name is Vamado, former champion and the best fighter from four generations ago, his grandfather was one of my predecessors."
"And proudly, eh! HA HA HA!"
His raspy and friendly voice came out very strongly, before he shouted angrily at one of the men, noticing how his attacks were both too bland and slow alongside his technique. Mettaton observed the regime with a little bit of nostalgia, because it reminded him of the few times he saw Undyne training the canine unit on Waterfall.
That's how they practiced their tracking skills, after all.
"By the way, champion, I must admit that way of using one hand to wield a blade while also giving small but precise cuts in someone's body sounds quite interesting. Maybe I could do something with it on my spare time, it could increase the effectiveness of our warriors."
Spoke the old man, putting his only hand on the shoulder of the actor as a sign of both respect and as a way to thank him. Mettaton nodded with a "it was nothing", teaching these people the concept of fence was proving to be useful, they seemed to like it so much that it was the first thing that reached out this man's ears the moment he woke up.
That fact made him happy.
.
.
"Ahahahaha!~"
The laughs coming out of the children running in the fields after finishing their duties alongside their mothers and sisters echoed, they were beautiful. Sitting himself on the wall, Mettaton kept looking at the scene with admiration; that beautiful, walled town, understanding and admiring it's self-sufficiency.
Everyone had a role; they were a self-sustainable warrior tribe thanks to agriculture and hunting, alongside fishing and the fact that it was literally built next to a waterfall, that's how they managed to keep their fields in perfect condition. It almost seemed like a small utopia.
"Do you enjoy the view?"
Zeresta asked, arms crossed as she stood up by his side with a grin. Napstabloook's cousin nodded immediately without a second thought, taking his hand to his chest. This reminded him of Frisk's efforts and their own, all of them contributed towards peace, it wasn't easy to reach but the result was always beautiful to witness.
"Yes, it reminds me of my people. You lot all have something worth fighting for, just like us, from a certain point of view we're the same."
That catched her attention, she turned around to look straight into his eyes with clear interest.
"There's also invaders threatening the peace of your homeland?"
The monster meditated the human's question for a long period of time. It was complicated to explain, at least to her... but she was right. There would always be humans that wouldn't be happy with them coming out of the Underground, protestants and worst case scenario, terrorists with terrible beliefs, that both Frisk, Asgore and the military police did their best to try and calm down as peacefully as possible..
They had peace, but it was nowhere near perfect.
"I guess you could say that we indeed have peace, but there's also troublemakers here and there, just like in here."
Zeresta nodded slightly, resting her body against the outpost as she turned around to face the sun alongside him. Seeing so much nature was truly beautiful, just like Mount Ebott; the world before civilization was charming on it's own.
"The night only brings us fear, Mettaton... the invaders will return and will make it through our defenses, despite my people not showing it, we all fear the idea of this being our last night..."
"It must be hard... having the weight of so many on your shoulders."
But as their leader, it was her duty. To carry the weight of both their hopes, dreams, fears, triumphs and failures. No matter what happened, she would be there for her people. From his point of view, that woman was way too similar to his ruler, Asgore spent a lot of time in a similar position after Chara and Asriel died.
That's precisely why he understood her.
"We're warriors, Mettaton... fear is our enemy as well, we all fight against it every single moment, even if it has consumed us entirely... until you arrived to help us."
She pressed her hand against his shoulder once again, with a happy smile. The black-haired man smiled back at her, a gesture she reciprocated shortly after. The night had already fallen upon them, the moon and her daughters, the stars, were already present. That's why spotting the massive ball of light falling from the sky was easy and abnormal for both of them.
SWASH~
The earth rose up and part of the fields went up in flames once it hit the floor, soon followed by more. The few villagers that were still working ran away at full speed, grabbing the children to secure themselves inside their homes.
They had arrived, and this time, directly into the village.
"GRAB YOUR WEAPONS! EVERYONE, PREPARE YOURSELVES FOR BATTLE!"
Zeresta shouted, grabbing a spear at the same time one of the fighters started to sound a horn as a sign of war. From the fallen asteroids, the spiders started to come out once again, with a slightly bigger size. Mettaton closed his eyelids, worried at the thought of one of his new friends being hurt when he noticed most of them had time to put on their armors.
"No darling! what about your equipment? all of you are lacking your-!"
"A TRUE WARRIOR NEEDS NO ARMOR, SAVIOR! ATTACK!"
Yelled Sevirik, looking at his leader who nodded back at him. All the military force prepared themselves with a war cry, Mettaton also kept going, noticing his remaining power; only 18% left. Using his cannon would be an extremely bad idea.
He would have to do this in the classic way.
CLASH~
Rising his leg, the black-haired monster managed to block the legs of a spider that used the fields to try and ambush him, hitting it trying to explode it's head. Much to his surprise, he simply stunned it enough for them to split.
They had become stronger.
God damn it!
Quickly kicking it again, he threw it far away from his current position; Sevirik who was fighting alongside Teresis in order to keep him safe moved his hammer, blocking an assailant, as the red-haired adult jumped with his blade on his hand, cutting the head of his father's adversary, an idea popped up in his mind.
"Champion! use this weapon!"
He yelled, throwing his sword as he picked up a replacement for himself. Mettaton turned around, extending his arm in the sky just on time to catch it, as a smile drew across his face at that very moment; jumping and landing in the middle of a small group, he started to give slashes as he also blocked using his arms and legs.
"Nice thinking son"
Spoke the blacksmith, winking back at his little boy, making him smile. Teresis nodded as he saw his father grabbing a knife from his belt, throwing it against the head of a spider that was attacking some of their partners, killing it effortlessly due to the strength he used.
Zeresta, who was fighting using the lance rather than her swords, noticed how the fire was spreading itself at top speed through the fields. A drop of sweat fell from her nape as she used her sword to block the legs of her current enemy, before she turned around to hit him with it's back and stab it's chest.
Not only they were being attacked in their own village, now they also needed to put out the fire.
"BRING SOME WATER! WE NEED TO PUT OUT THE FIRE OR ELSE WE WON'T BE ABLE TO SURVIVE WINTER!"
Said the leader as multiple men shouted back, the fight continued as Yurn, who was using a mace with a chain, blocked the onslaught of a spider using only his strength, before his new weapon hit it's head, destroying it entirely.
God damn it sorcerer, you've gone too far!
And he truly had.
Attacking their home directly? let this small portion of enemies fall in their crops? it was absolute insanity! Mettaton did a descending slash to block the six legs of a spider that was fighting him, as he jumped to try and avoid the acid spit of one behind him.
A large quantity got closer to him, trying to hit him in order to make him fall. However, using his agility, the black-haired robot managed to avoid and spin around them, even managing to jump on their bodies, sinking his blade in what he thought were vital spots to either kill or incapacitate them.
The archers started to act shortly after, shooting their arrows from far away to try and kill any enemy that wasn't dead already. Mettaton knelt down just in time to avoid a couple of stabs that went into his direction.
"AGH"
A painful groan escaped from his lips as a hit finally landed on his back, his heavy body went flying away, landing on the floor. The actor quickly got up, noticing how the situation was taking a turn for the worse; the spider's shell was getting even stronger and harder to penetrate right in the middle of the fight.
No matter how much they cut, how much arrows and hits fell on them, while it was working, they weren't as effective as they were yesterday. Sure, they had the numbers advantage... but the monsters were much harder to kill.
That, the fact that the fire was still spreading itself even more, a third of the field had already turned into ashes, and if things didn't take a turn, soon the entire village would end up the same way.
"There has to be a way..."
He muttered, looking far away how Zeresta rose up her lance, letting out a war cry to motivate her people despite being clearly overwhelmed. The fist of the black-haired man hit the floor, until he hear the sound of water falling from the waterfall right into the damp. His eyelids opened up in surprise, as a smile appeared on his face once again.
THAT'S IT!
Running towards it at full speed, he jumped and evaded as many spiders as he could, not giving a damn about killing them anymore. Yurn, that thought of it an act of cowardice, couldn't help but smile slightly as he fought side by side with his leader and colleagues.
"Do you see your new champion, my mistress? he simply runs away, like the coward he truly is!"
Mettaton, however, stopped himself. His fists and legs started to mercilessly destroy the damp; creating multiple holes from which the water started to leak out. Zeresta soon realized what he was trying to do, ordering the archers to help him as they all got into higher points.
CRASH~ CRASH~
The spiders kept advancing through the fields with the fire, the robot with pink eyes let out one last scream before completely destroying the damp; jumping just on time to avoid all the water and the pressure of the waterfall, that came out, covering a big part of the village in it's path, soaking and drowning every single enemy.
Not enough water to flood Muruk Village, but enough to annihilate the invaders completely alongside the fire. The former ghost, who was resting in an outpost, smiled at his own intelligence, noticing how the black creatures turned into that greenish goo again, he rose his fist as a sign of victory.
"YOU DID IT, CHAMPION"
One of the multiple warriors shouted, noticing the gesture he was doing towards them, he raised his sword as well, followed shortly after by almost the entire village. A small smile appeared on their leader's face, filled with pride and gratitude. Their crops were mostly ruiend and burnt, but nothing they couldn't plant again.
At least no house was damaged, and no one died either.
.
.
"You are injured, my friend?"
Various minutes later, once the joy had finally ended, it was time to rebuilt everything that had been lost. Right now a small feast was being prepared once again to celebrate the victory, but also they were counting how much food was left for the winter and rebuilding both the damp and the fields themselves.
Mettaton, however, disappeared just after the battle was over. The black-haired monster let out a sigh, his back turned as he hid his left hand from her view. Having hit the damp with so much strength over and over again had damaged it slightly, and he wouldn't have any hope of fixing it in that era.
Zeresta's sympathy was very well appreciated, but also hurt quite a lot.
"I'll be fine, dear... it's nothing serious."
He answered, trying to keep his distance. The leader mumbled slightly, noticing his efforts in keeping his hand away from her gaze. Getting closer, she put her own on his shoulder once again, caressing him in a friendly way as she pointed at the door, repeating the same gesture, and having the same intentions. Solitude was no place neither a reward for a hero like him.
"The village wishes to honor your victory once again, why don't you join us?"
Alphys creation denied with his head, looking at his palm again, knowing full well he was going to hurt not only her but also everyone that tried to showcase him appreciation and affection. This was like spitting in their faces, something Mettaton knew perfectly, because that same ego had hurt Alphys and his cousin in a distant past he would rather forget.
But it wasn't about Ego anymore.
"I would love to, but the more I stay here, the harder it will be for me to leave. I could never survive here."
It was as if the situation they went through in the morning repeated itself, but this time, his own words were going to be used against him. Zeresta, retired her hand from his body, clearly hurt.
"I understand... we're too simple; primitive, wasn't it?"
Hearing her speak with that defeated tone was what made him stand up, ashamed of himself. Who could've predicted his own mouth would put him in this situation once again? after that call back in the Core, and how every single monster begged him to not go to the surface on his final battle against Frisk, he promised himself he would change for the better.
That he would stop being so imprudent... yet he had clearly failed.
"No, darling! no, don't think that way, it's just that... look at me."
Rising his hand for her to see, she finally witnessed his exoskeleton. Alphys was a brilliant woman, that's why Gaster took her under his wing, but she was inspired by human anatomy, that's how she based his body and what was inside of it, under layers and layers of metal, what worked as "bones" on his body had been discovered due to his actions.
Having hit the damp so many times made him lose the shell of his left hand. Zeresta, even if she couldn't understand that good what she was seeing, did have something in her mind. Putting her hand in front of his own again, she closed her fingers, once twice, three times to make her point as clear as possible. Seeing her friend's eyebrows moving in confusion made her laugh slightly.
"Don't you get it, Mettaton? we're not so different. Under your armor, you're the same as me. You're the same as all of us."
...
How could she be so cruel yet at the same time so firm and stern with her words?, it was funny, to a certain extent. The human waited for any sort of reaction, yet, instead, he denied her plea one last time. This was wrong, everything, not only he was a monster, a former ghost, living inside a robotic body...
But it was impossible for him to stay with these people. These bonds, these friendships, everything had to end and that's what hurt him the most. Saying goodbye was part of life, something he still didn't grew accustomed to precisely because he hated his former attitude; the ghost that left Waterfall was different from the being he was nowadays.
"I'm sorry darling... I truly do..."
He said, his right hand caressing her shoulder as he finally crossed the door, alone. Hearing the singing far away as the rest of the townsfolk celebrated made his emotional burden even bigger and heavier, he couldn't stop comparing this place with his own, his people, his friends... yet he also cared about them as well. Was this how Frisk felt during his travel through the Underground? he had no way of knowing if he would see them again, or if he could survive Asgore at all.
Yet he simply kept going forward.
How could he? wasn't it painful? having to say goodbye to so many people?
"Hero."
Yurn's voice pulled him from his thoughts. The blonde, who's body was once again covered by a hoodie, moved his head slightly as a greeting. Mettaton tilted his own as a reply, noticing how the human pointed his finger towards the gate.
"Come with me if you wanna go back to your home, but make it quick."
Ok... that was unexpected.
.
.
Calling that cave "uncanny" would be a severe understatement. Mettaton, who's arms were crossed, had been following his guide for at least thirty minutes before he ended up taking him to that scary site. What was this place to begin with? curiosity or just his instinct, he couldn't help but voice his doubts and thoughts.
Yurn and him weren't precisely friends after everything that had happened, Mettaton wasn't stupid nor blind.
"Why are you helping me, darling? ever since I arrived, things haven't gone good for you."
The former champion stopped himself, the new one did so as well. At first, he got no answer. A small "hmph" mixed up with an annoyed sigh were clear signs that, even if he didn't tried to, had touched quite a nerve. His right hand went to his nasal bridge, caressing it to try and calm down his anger.
Just a few more steps...
"You said so yourself; you don't belong here."
Was his reply, continuing to walk until he stopped himself right in front of the stone dragon that Cun Lung had been using to channel his magic. The star of the Underground looked straight into the figure in the wall, as the sorcerer emerged from the shadows, kneeling down before the man that had freed him as a greeting.
"Take him back to his home, sorcerer."
He ordered, and Cun lung nodded as he stood up, getting closer to Mettaton, looking at his soul closely with his green eyes. The monster detected and saw the magic surrounding the mage's body alongside the dark greenish, it reminded him of kindness but in a wicked, different way that he couldn't quite explain.
The sorcerer nodded to his own thoughts as his hands pointed towards the mouth of the dragon, bathing it's figure with his power until it finally appeared; Ebott City on the 21st century, Mettaton was utterly shocked. What kind of spell was this? magic able to travel through time? not even the mages from the war were able to achieve such thing.
"This is your home, isn't that right?"
The bearded man asked, and Mettaton nodded with a slight smile. It was as if fate itself listened to his plea. Walking towards the portal, the moment his arm went through it, he closed his eyes, preparing his mind and body to leave... until everything clicked as if a truck ran over him.
"WAIT A MOMENT! It's your fault that I had ended up here, and I'm sure you've been using this man to cause the attacks! why else would you even know him to begin with?!"
Yurn squeezed his fists once again, as rage took over his face. It was useless to deny his claims, not with an expression so filled with determination and disappointment like the one Mettaton had right now. He should've just forced him to enter that damn thing, he still could, he would leave by force if necessary.
"You'll be back to where you belong, you damn foreigner!"
Once he finished, both me threw themselves into combat. Taking the common sword that he had on his belt, the man with black eyes threw a descending slash towards Mettaton that he stopped with his palm; for the first time noticing how much strength he had despite being a human, no matter, he wouldn't underestimate him.
That man was a warrior, after all.
But he was one as well.
Raising his leg, he kicked him right into his stomach, just as Yurn knelt down grabbing his injury, he felt saliva escaping from his mouth alongside the air from his lungs, Mettaton grabbed his neck, throwing him against the wall as if he was a sack of potatoes.
Even so, he refused to give up. Spitting some blood as he stood up, the traitor cleaned his lips using his wrist, throwing a kick at the robot that he blocked almost immediately without any effort at all.
"Damn you!... if it wasn't for you, I would've been a hero by now!"
He shouted, trying to punch the monster; he grabbed his fist in mid air, now having an angry expression on his face.
"You, a Hero?... please... I know a real hero; and compared with that child, you're not even the shadow of one"
Pouring salt into the wound with his words, Mettaton finally turned Yurn's hand around entirely, making him scream in pain as he knelt down due to the pressure and the agony his bones were in. Seeing himself far too surpassed, the former champion of Muruk village turned around to look at his ally, as his healthy arm extended towards him.
"Sorcerer! lend me some of your strength! please!"
A small laugh came out of the bearded man's mouth as his right hand went behind his back, the left one pointed towards his master. Seeing him in such situation filled him with Cruelty, certainly, he would always serve him faithfully just as he ordered... but he would do it on his own terms, in his own way.
SWASH~
The green aura surrounding his entire body alongside the scream of agony he shouted made the monster jump back, mostly due to precaution. Yurn, who's skin started to be covered by a black shell turned around to look at his ally, who had a smirk on his face as he saw his spell doing most of the work.
"W-WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"
Cun Lung simply nodded, at the same time he observed his transformation.
"I'm just fulfilling your request, my lord..."
The human grew up substantially. His skin, now blackened and covered by a strong shell, two extra pair of sharp legs came out of his back. Yurn's face, while still remaining a human form and all his features, gained another pair of eyes right beneath the ones he already had; as each of his ten fingers turned themselves into pincers. He had turned into some kind of arachnid hybrid.
"This... is... WONDERFUL, SORCERER!"
Seeing his new self as he let out a laugh, Yurn jumped into the air, giving Mettaton a devastating hit that made him groan un pain as his body crashed against the wall of the cave, part of his back being damaged in the process. Mettaton tried to stand up, but he was stopped by Yurn's piercers that treated him as if he was a ragdoll.
CRASH CRASH CRASH~
His body started to hit the floor from left to right, like a toy. Mettaton felt the electricity around his soul and body, causing small spasms against it and damaging his system due to the damage. Cun Lung moved his hands slightly, bathing him in green magic so he could stand up again, just in time for Yurn to hit him in his face so hard his body sank itself into the wall this time.
"Pathetic! You decided to stay, so now you'll be destroyed!"
Anther hit landed, this time on his chest. Briefly, Mettaton felt as if his entire system turned off due to the damage, restarting itself immediately. Yurn's strength was so mighty that he managed to punch him through the wall; Cun Lung helped his lord again, forcing the monster to float as the two legs on the hybrid's back went straight into what he thought, was his weak spot.
That heart-shaped thing, Mettaton's soul.
ZRAAAAAAAAP~
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
At the same time he started to scream in pain, the sorcerer and his master laughed with malice. After a couple of minutes, the Underground's dweller stopped moving entirely. Cun lung's finger rose itself slightly, pointing towards the cave's ravine, Yurn nodded as he dragged Mettaton's body through the floor.
This was his end.
"Farewell... champion"
He spoke, throwing the monster's body for it to be lost into the dark depths of the water. Mettaton, who was barely conscious, noticed his systems telling him the severe damage he was victim of, alongside the fact that he had lost almost his entire power. The last thing he could see before darkness swallowed him alive, was Yurn's silhouette watching him from above.
.
.
-[Fragment 3: United we stand]-
[Systems recharging themselves... initiating... initiating... initiating...]
"Huh?"
His entire being was hurting, yes. His first instinct was taking his hand to the place his soul was resting in, happy that it managed to withstand all the damage it suffered the night before. The sunlight wasn't the only thing that greeted him however, the faces of Sevirik, Zeresta, Teresis and other members of the village did so as well.
The brown-haired leader was the first one in touching his shoulder, as a way to properly greet him.
"Good morning. It's a pleasure seeing you awake once again, it's a miracle we found you, Champion."
Said the human girl, backing away slightly so the red haired could hug his hero. Mettaton hugged him back with a small smile, as he realized a check-up of his entire being. His batteries were being charged slowly, somehow... but the damage on his body was beyond any hope of repair in this time period.
"How did you do it?... my prototype didn't even worked"
The blacksmith let out a strong laugh, as he pointed towards the newly re-built damp. He had built, based on the plans he left in his house, a bigger system than the one he did, that gave him energy using the water itself.
"It was all thanks to Sevirik's genius and the instructions you left behind."
Said the brown-haired, at that very moment history repeated itself; just as it happened with Mettaton's small mechanism, the materials were unable to resist the electricity, and a small explosion occurred between the stone and the wood, destroying it completely... well, at least no one got hurt.
Mettaton observed his system; only had a 7% left before turning off again.
Enough for him to stay awake one last day, no matter what happened. The Actor rose his arm as he called them all, the entire tribe surrounded him, he needed for them to start preparing for the seemingly, final battle that would occur that night.
"Everyone, listen to me please. Yurn took me out of the village yesterday, saying he could take me back to my home, and he didn't lied. He and a magician are at fault for everything; the attacks, and my arrival."
The indignation came shortly after, of course they weren't doubting him, it was kind of obvious considering Yurn's personality. The robot's eyes fixated themselves on Sevirik, Zeresta and Vamado, it was time to act up.
"Our scouts have seen a big army from afar getting closer. They will be here by nightfall, even if they're slow due to their numbers, it's just a matter of time... tonight is the final battle indeed."
The mood turned dark almost immediately after her words. A small village against an army of creatures, a mage and their former champion, now turned into an abomination? absolute insanity, things weren't looking good for them... but there was nothing they could do about it, their village had already fought against a lot of winters and different hardships already.
Giving up wasn't an option in the slightest.
"We need to prepare ourselves then."
Said the instructor, pointing at the gates of the village.
"Built defenses, we'll cut down some trees and put the logs against the gates so they can only get inside by jumping through the walls. The rest, prepare your weapons! Sevirik, prepare your forge; it's time to make your ancestors proud."
Using the leadership he had in his blood, Vamado took a little bit of control just as Mettaton stood up. In his current state, fighting without an armor on his shoulders would be absolute suicide, as weird as it was for him to ask this, despite being made of metal, it was for the better...
"Sevirik, darling... ? I have a favor to ask of you and your talents."
.
.
SLASH SLASH SLASH~
Giving some slashes to the air to test both his sword and technique, Mettaton was wearing his own set of armor, modified and recently made to him with the best materials Sevirik could find in record time. A small helmet similar to the one the japanese warriors had, alongside a pair of boots, a glove on his left, damaged hand to protect it's exoskeleton from more injuries, and even a breastplate, he ended up liking it quite a lot.
It gave his confidence a huge boost.
"Nervous?"
Spoke the red-haired human. Both the man with black hair and the rest of the tribe were sitting themselves, preparing their minds and bodies, each in their own unique way. Sevirik, who had finally turned his forge and furnace down some hours ago, drank a little bit of alcohol, sitting in the same table as his son, the champion himself, and of course, their leader. The rest of the civilians, women and non-combatants were hiding themselves inside their homes.
Mettaton looked at Teresis eyes. He asked that question for himself, he could feel and see the pulse of his heart. Alphys creation nodded, as his hand caressed his shoulder under the gazes of his father and the leader herself.
"Of course I am, darling. But that's part of being a warrior, and an actor. This is our time to shine; and we gotta live through it. All we can do when we find ourselves in situations like this, is give our best to overcome them."
He replied, and that small speech managed to inspire some bravery in the son of the blacksmith. Zeresta shouted a small "hey" once she saw the moon and the stars in the sky, with it, a small greenish fog alongside an echoing laugh came. The woman rose her sword, looking at it with a rage-filled expression.
"TONIGHT THIS WAR COMES TO AN END! DO YOU HEAR US YURN?! YOU AND THAT SORCERER WILL FALL!"
Just as she expected, her voice inspired determination and courage in her people. They weren't going to submit neither fall. Yurn, who was looking at the walls of his former home, smiled as he transformed himself into his new form once again, happy at the fact that they would indeed try to resist his conquest.
It had begun.
Cun Lung rose his hands slightly, creating a small explosion that destroyed the gate itself, allowing him and his master and the spiders to finally leak inside the village. The battle began at that very moment. The vast majority of the less experienced fighters went to fight back against the minions, as Sevirik and Zeresta concentrated themselves on the sorcerer, Mettaton's eyes clashed against Yurn's.
"So you're still alive, huh... this time I'll make sure to turn you into pieces"
Mettaton held the sword Zeresta had given him, pointing it towards his direction. As an actor, despite being an absolute beast when it came to it, he knew a thing or two about one of the key rules that being one carried. The ability to improvise, something he was pretty good at.
"Then come at me, darling! You may be tall, but you're still just an insect; all I have to do is crush you even harder!"
Clearly annoyed by his reply, Yurn threw himself towards Mettaton with his fists at the ready, starting to punch the shield his left hand carried, just as the monster with black hair let out a descending slash, trying to cut his wrists, he stopped the blade with the legs on his back in the middle of the swing.
Then they dropped themselves, attacking Mettaton from above, making the Robot spin around him thanks to his superior speed and ability with his legs, evading the attack just on time to try and cut one of his extra limbs. Yurn let out a pain-filled scream as he used the remaining one to hit him in his face.
Mettaton's blade sank into the floor to stop his body, looking up again; Yurn's feet kicked the earth to destroy it, grabbing a rock and throwing it at him just as he did when he arrived, although this one was way bigger.
His eyes shone in a pink light as he propelled himself towards the massive sized projectile, his arm cutting it in two with a descending slash, Yurn's fist went backwards as he prepared to clash against Mettaton's shield a second time, both the Hybrid and the Monster hit each other, as his robotic legs sank into the earth, starting to try and overcome the other with sheer strength.
.
.
At the same time, Cun Lung, who's soul had manifested in his chest, had his body surrounded by a green light alongside his eyes, rose both of his arms, shooting an explosive skull towards the blacksmith and the warrior. Sevirik took some knives from his belt as he avoided the projectile, pointing at the man.
Cun Lung, seeing how his attack kicked up a lot of dust upon impact, ran inside it as his fists got bathed with magic; much to his surprise before he could keep advancing, a shower of knives was what found him first, forcing him to stop himself he could cast a shield.
"I got you!"
Said the brown-haired girl, wielding both a lance and a sword at the same time, the female let her blade fall to try and claim his head, but another dome of green energy stopped it midway. Cun Lung, now extending both arms at his side, had managed to reject the attacks at the same time, covering Sevirik's weapons in magic shortly after.
Zeresta, who realized what his plan was, covered herself with her arms, managing to protect herself from Sevirik's blades. Cun Lung took advantage of those small seconds to give her a magic kick right in her chest, throwing her body far away just as he turned around to see the blacksmith running towards him, hammer in hand.
"HHHHRAGH"
His motivation were his people, his leader, his wife and two children; the man clashed his weapon against the Sorcerer's right arm, covered in green magic to block the attack. Sweat came from their skin, it wasn't just Sevirik using all his strength but also Cun Lung, greatly weakened due to him using all his magic to create this army during the day.
"Damn you, persistent and annoying worm!"
He shouted as his green fists kept clashing against his hammer over and over again, green particles escaping from his knuckles every single time it happened, he couldn't create another projectile. Almost all his mind was entirely focused on keeping the spiders alive. Zeresta, who finally managed to stand up, threw herself into combat to try and help her friend.
Using the lance in both of her hands, she tried to pierce the sorcerer's chest, who jumped into the air after channeling some magic in his legs to increase the distance; his hair waved in the wind as it turned itself into snakes; they casted small fireballs against the villagers, much to their surprise.
Sevirik and Zeresta started to run, fully knowing they couldn't use the buildings and houses where the rest of the tribe was hiding themselves. The archers, noticing their opportunity, started to threw arrows at him, who's sight was still focused on their leader and her partner.
They sank effortlessly in his back, making him scream in pain. Furious, the sorcerer casted another explosive skull, throwing it against the towers, making them explode into oblivion as he landed, trying to heal himself with a quick incantation.
His body was completely covered in sweat and his breathing was heavier.
But he wouldn't give up, and it seemed like these people wouldn't do so either. No matter, if his master wished to create a dynasty, he would make sure his wishes came true.
.
.
Yurn, who's body had been cut repeatedly, finally managed to shatter Mettaton's shield. Rising both of his hands, he let out an animalistic roar to communicate himself with the creatures, that stopped their fights to surround and protect his leader as he tried to catch his breath. The robot saw the support and aid, as his hand squeezed the hilt of his blade.
He wasn't alone either.
"Don't worry, Savior! we're here all with you!"
Teresis came to his side, accompanied by multiple other humans and warriors of the tribe. Much to his surprise, even Vamado himself had come out of his retirement, using a blade with his only arm. All the entire village against the leftovers of the traitor's army, a beautiful scene that he made sure to save in the deepest parts of his memory.
Undyne would've loved to be here, no doubt.
Letting out a war cry one last time, the humans, now being commanded by their champion, threw themselves against the army of the spider-like human. Yurn shouted back what seemed to be a screech as his minions joined him for the last assault. Mettaton cut, hit and kicked anyone he could find, just so he could get close to him.
"WHEN THE HELL ARE YOU SUPPOSED TO DIE?!"
He shouted, angry with every fiber of his body, trying to hit the star of the Underground once again, another cut appeared on his arm. He was too agile, but his skin was far more powerful and stronger. Mettaton, who's robotic pupils shone, pointed his sword towards the sky as a way to showcase his ego, bravery and honor.
"Darling, stars like me never fail!"
Yurn agitated his hands, as they spit a green substance at his enemy, the acid put the monster in a bad situation immediately as he tried to evade it, this wasn't how it was supposed to be. He should be the hero, he should be leading these people, he was supposed to be their champion and who inspired them hope!
Because of him...
It was all his fault!
"ALL OF THIS IS YOUR FAULT, YOU BASTARD! IF I CAN'T BE A HERO, THEN I'LL BE THEIR CONQUEROR!"
As if his rage and hate gave him a power boost to both him and his army, Yurn's speed increased way more than what Mettaton could've predicted, as his shoulder hit him right into his chest, his body hit a wall just as the spiders started to gain an advantage against the humans, his face looked up, seeing the Sorcerer having captured both Zeresta and Sevirik.
"No..."
The worst part was that his batteries were running out; he had only one chance, just one.
He wouldn't let their tale end up in tragedy.
Grabbing a lance that was close to him, he used his system and internal computer to calculate both the strength and distance he would need; his objective wasn't Yurn however, but rather, that disgusting dark green soul the sorcerer had on his chest. If his theory was correct, all he would need to do to weaken them would be killing the sorcerer.
Then, he would let out a blast from his cannon to eradicate the former champion.
"TAKE THI- UGH!"
Before he could continue, a gigantic sized skeleton hand grabbed him. Mettaton recognized it; it was one of Gaster's hands. Looking back at him, he also noticed the black portal that had came out of nowhere, seemingly trying to pull him back into his time. They had found him, but their timing was terrible.
Not now, he couldn't leave, not yet.
"ZERESTA! SEVIRIK! TERESIS!"
Nothing would stop Gaster however, he wasn't even seeing him, let alone hearing him. Dragging him back towards his time period, Mettaton used his last moments there to threw the spear right towards Cun Lung's back, not even being able to witness the end or if he had succeeded, because his vision became black, as the village disappeared in front of his eyes.
.
.
"I got him!"
The royal scientist screamed, having both arms stuck inside the portal, after having been scanning his magical signature for almost two days non-stop, Sans, him and Alphys finally managed to fix that god damn machine in the basement of their house back in Snowdin. Slowly, as Gaster pulled, his shape came out of the portal.
The body of the actor fell right into the lab, just as his best friend got closer to him.
"Y-you did it sir! he's ba-!"
Mettaton, however, stood up immediately, taking by surprise both the pair of skeletons and the royal scientist herself. Without a second thought, he ran towards the machine at full speed, trying to get inside before it closed, but he was too slow. It disappeared into a small black particle, leaving no trace behind
"NO! YOU GOTTA SENT ME BACK! THE VILLAGE IS UNDER ATTACK!"
Even when they understood him, the yelllowish reptile, Undyne and the father of the skeleton brothers looked at each other. Gaster moved his head in denial, sighing as Sans put his hands inside the pockets of his hoodie. The lack of a reply made him shiver, Alphys girlfriend was the one who confirmed him what he already thought.
"Microwave... I'm sorry to say this but... we can't. That portal was one-directional, we used older pieces to track down your soul and pull you back."
...
His legs gave up at that very moment. He only had a couple of minutes left before shutting off, but he didn't care about that, nor all the failures his body was going through. The only thing he could think of was the horrible, horrible feeling of uncertainty filling every corner of his being.
"I couldn't even... say goodbye... "
.
.
-[Epilogue: Once upon a time...]-
There weren't many times where Mettaton ended up angry enough for him to end up wanting to be alone. This was one of them for sure; it had been almost five days since his miraculous return to the present, and for obvious reasons, he was still mourning after losing his new friends so quickly and abruptly. It's not like didn't valued his career, life, home and all his friends...
It's just that...
Even with all of that in mind, he couldn't let go off that feeling, of not being able to help and protect that small village of innocent humans. That's why he ended up cancelling all his shows until he felt ready to return, now in his original, square-like form as he kept looking at his new gift.
His studio had received a new modification the same day he arrived; inside a small box of glass, rested both the armor Sevirik made him that day and the Sword of the champion Zeresta gave him after saving her people the night he arrived.
TOC TOC TOC~
Letting out a small annoyed sigh, the monster waved his hand slightly from left to right, not giving much thought to whoever was behind that door.
"I don't want any visitors..."
He replied, with a depressed tone in his voice. From the other side, the captain of the royal guard insisted once again, this time harder. She hadn't destroyed the entire wall precisely because she knew she couldn't afford to be herself at a time like that.
"It's me, Microwave. Open up the door or I'll kick it down."
Obviously she was capable of doing so if she wanted to, and would do so if he forced her to. Mettaton, wanting to avoid any kind of trouble neither wanting to change the entire wall for a new one, extended his arm and opened up the door, allowing the red-haired girl to enter. Her eyebrows curved themselves as she noticed the depressing aura surrounding him.
This was a good moment.
"There's something you need to see."
She said, walking towards his table. Mettaton observed the book being dropped in front of him, as two of Undyne's fingers went inside it's pages, she opened one that had been marked beforehand; it was a drawing of a woman with long brown hair, sword in hand, surrounded by humans. At her feet, the body of a man with black hair and a lance going through his back, next to a dead man with golden hair.
It was the people of Muruk.
"Imposible!, how is this-"
The blue girl smiled, before her hand hit his head when she noticed the exclamation mark appearing on the screen that he used as a face.
"It seems like your little adventure changed the fate of these people. They managed to survive and their legend was recorded in this book that speaks of older civilizations, they had some help; look at this."
Moving on to the next page, Mettaton saw with surprise how one of the illustrations that accompanied the recordings showcased a group of people fighting against the minions of Yurn and Cun Lung, but what catched his eye was a man with black hair, pink eyes and some scars in his face, similar to the black zone in his EX form; wearing only a couple of boots and pants made with pelts.
He carried a sword and a shield, with a smile.
"This must be you. It's quite interesting, you're the only one who is fighting without armor."
...
Seeing that picture and reading those words as a sign of his triumph, alongside the fact that indeed, his last shot managed to land right where it should've, made him laugh slightly. As Mettaton transformed himself into his EX form, he removed a small tear that fell from his right eye, looking back at Undyne with a clearly better mood than before.
"I didn't need it... Thank you for this, darling. Could you leave?... I need some time on my own."
He spoke, and Undyne nodded. Mettaton observed for a brief moments the book she had brought him, as he took some pen and paper from his desktop, smiling once again as the glass reflected his face in that helmet.
Every story needed a title.
"I think I'll title this script... "A star across time"..."
The end.