THE LAST HOPE
Undyne threw the last bit of water on the dying fire, finally putting it out. In the meantime, the humans had left accusing the Monsters of setting their tents on fire. She couldn't believe how dense they were. Why would the Monsters do such a thing, especially as their own tents caught fire?
"Undyne, is the fire all out?" Asgore asked.
"Yes, that was the last of it," she confirmed.
"Who would do a thing like this?" Toriel questioned.
"Well, I can take a wild guess," Undyne said. "The humans did it."
"This seems a bit… extreme for them," Toriel said. "And why would they set their own tents on fire as well?"
"To keep us at war," Asgore answered. "This is Volos' doing. He must have told the guards to do this to keep both factions at war and further wreck the peace."
"But why would he do that?" Toriel questioned.
Asgore glanced at Undyne, who shared his look. "Because he wants a war," she said. "He's given himself over to killing and he's just using the war as an excuse to justify his dustlust."
Toriel gasped, seemingly unable to believe such a thing.
Just then, Gerson returned, MK just barely managing to stay awake.
"Captain, where did you go?" Asgore asked.
"The humans took Frisk," Gerson answered. "MK tried to go after them, but failed. I saw him running."
Asgore walked over and laid a hand on MK in sympathy. "You did your best," he said.
"No, I didn't," MK said ruefully. "I could have done it. I could have."
"He needs healing. Kid took a hit to the head," Gerson said.
"I can heal him," Toriel offered. "I am very skilled."
MK leapt down, almost collapsing. Toriel helped steady him. "Goodness, are you okay?"
"I tried to catch up to them but I was unable to run as fast," MK answered.
Toriel saw the patch of red on his head. "Did you manage to get a hit on them? You have some blood on your head." She tried wiping it off. "Let us get a look at the… damage?" She wiped it off, but it somehow came back. She did it again and got a glimpse of MK's cut and this time saw the blood come out of his wound.
"I tried, but he was too skilled," MK answered.
"Wait… is this… coming out of you?" Toriel questioned, which got the attention of Gerson and Asgore. She sniffed the substance on her paw pads, and sure enough, it was blood. "It is… blood. But… Monsters do not bleed, how…?"
"Hey, can you heal him?" Undyne butted in. "I'd prefer one of my best fighters to not get an infection."
That jolted Toriel out of her stupor for the moment. She channeled her magic to her hands, a soft green glow coming from them which she used to heal the gash on MK's forehead. Once done, MK walked away.
"How about you rest in the carriage for now?" Undyne suggested to the lizard. "Get your strength back. We're leaving as soon as we can."
"Yes, Undyne," MK agreed, walking to the carriage.
"We should get back to the castle," Undyne suggested. "We need to implement our contingency as well as stage a rescue for Frisk."
"I don't think we can do that," Asgore said. "Frisk might be in the heart of human territory."
"We have to try," Undyne insisted. "Let's get everything we have left and go. Who knows, the humans might send their soldiers after us."
"I'll round everyone up," Gerson said, dismounting from the horse.
"I will see what possessions are left," Toriel said.
"I will check on my people," Asgore decided, walking off.
An hour later, they were off. Undyne, MK, Gerson, and Asgore were in the lead carriage. They all felt Frisk's absence. MK was leaning on the side, a hand to his head, moping.
"When we get back you should probably send word to all the Monster villages," Undyne told Asgore. "We need to prepare."
"I will do what I can," Asgore said.
"What about Frisk?" MK asked. "We can't leave them."
"We won't," Undyne assured. "When we get back, I want to know where they might be keeping Frisk. Then I'll start organizing a rescue plan."
"That's suicide," Gerson said.
"Frisk's done more for us. We can't abandon them," Undyne insisted.
"I can't sanction such a mission, nor will I let you take any of my guards," Gerson denied.
"Then I'll take my people," Undyne decided. "We'll rescue Frisk ourselves."
"It's too dangerous," Asgore said. "A single hit from one of their guards could kill you."
MK sat up. "No, it won't," he said. "I got struck and I survived. We can do it."
"How did you do that, laddie, and why were you bleeding blood?" Gerson asked. "No Monster bleeds."
MK and Undyne shared a glance. "Think we should tell them?" he asked.
"Yeah. Probably should let them know," Undyne decided. She faced the two Monsters across from her. "Okay, there's another thing we haven't mentioned about ourselves. In our time, Monsters have more matter in their bodies than they used to." She let that sink in before continuing. "It's why you saw MK bleed and why we can take such hits without dying. We're more physical now than we used to be. Though this happened only recently, sometime within the last three years."
"How?" Gerson asked. "Monsters have always been made of magic."
"We're not sure though Alphys has a theory," Undyne said. "For centuries we've always eaten food made of magic, which is converted straight into energy once consumed. But we've been on the Surface for a long time eating food produced by the humans. Human food is different from Monster food in many ways, the biggest being that it goes all the way through you. Which led to some… adjustments on our end." She blushed as she said that.
"But because of that, we took it into our bodies," MK continued for Undyne. "As we ate their food, some of it was left behind, which we, I think the word she used was 'metabolize', which gave us a more physical form."
"Which is why we can bleed," Undyne finished. "It also allows us to withstand strikes from humans better than you would. We still turn to dust when we die, but now killing us requires a bit more effort on the attacker's part."
Asgore and Gerson were both astonished by that.
"If you guys aren't willing to help us rescue Frisk, we'll do it ourselves since we're the ones most likely to survive," Undyne said.
Asgore sighed. "I suppose there is no stopping you so I won't bother trying to talk either of you out of this. I just urge caution. They might be expecting rescue."
"We'll be ready," MK assured.
Frisk sat on the floor of the cage, meditating. They knew MK was alright. They saw him get back up, so he would be fine. They just wished he could have rescued them. They weren't sure where they were going but other carts and carriages were around them now, the human's convoy.
"Where's your Monster family now, traitor," the purple wizard mocked from his carriage. "Looks like they abandoned you."
Frisk didn't respond, remaining in their meditative pose.
Some of the humans were questioning why a child was in a cage so Volos was doing his best to explain the recent development.
One human walked up. "This doesn't seem right," they said, and Frisk recognized the voice as Haward. "They're a child. They shouldn't be locked up."
"It's a traitor, Haward," Volos scolded. "Siding against its own kind."
"I can't believe a human would side with their people's enemy," the yellow wizard said.
"They said the Monsters rescued them," the teal wizard said.
"That's ridiculous. Why would the Monsters show concern for something not their own," the orange one rebuffed. "If you ask me, they lied to this child and planned to kill it one day for its Soul."
"Hear that, traitor?" the purple said to them. "Your so-called friends were just keeping you as a sacrifice. How does that make you feel?"
Frisk did respond by setting his cloak on fire. The wizard quickly ripped it off, tossing it out of the carriage and to the ground, where it was quickly stamped out.
"How did they do that?" the green wizard, Dobromil, asked. "They have nothing on them that could have channeled that."
Volos stepped toward the cage. "I don't know, but I intend to find out," he said. "There's a lot we need to ask them. They've been in enemy territory and I intend to find out what they know."
"How, father?" Haward asked.
"By doing whatever it takes," Volos said darkly, and Frisk could hear the menace in his voice, and knew that it didn't bode well for them.
They traveled for a while longer, until Frisk felt a shadow fall upon them. They opened their eyes and saw a stone wall before them. They looked up and saw towers stretching up. They were heading to a wood gate which opened for them.
"Take the traitor to the prison," Volos said. "We'll set up an interrogation room."
Frisk's cart was taken to a stone structure with metal bars in the windows. They were able to guess it was an old-fashioned prison. At least, compared to the few Frisk saw in their time. The cage was dragged to a cell and they were roughly shoved in. The door was locked behind them. As their escort left, they took in their prison. The bars weren't in the best shape with rust visible on the top and bottom. Despite that it looked strong enough to resist any attempt Frisk could make to break them.
They sat down, crossing their legs and resuming their meditative pose. They needed to break out. They knew their friends would come for them. They'd rather try to bust out so no one else had to risk their lives. Frisk also knew that they would be enacting their contingency plan, as negotiations had obviously failed, which meant Frisk had a deadline. They weren't sure how long it would be, but eventually the Monsters would start sailing away and they would hope their friends were smart enough to not wait for them.
If that did happen, Frisk wasn't sure what they would do. They couldn't stay here so they'd have to try and follow their friends. They knew where to go. The problem was getting there. They didn't know how to operate a boat, but they imagined they could figure it out. Regardless, it was smarter to escape and reach their friends first. They just needed to figure out how.
Alphys was working on the maps when she heard the horn. That meant the king's convoy had returned. She ran out to greet them, Papyrus showing up with her. First out was Gerson, followed by Asgore, then Undyne, then MK. She waited, but Frisk never appeared. She looked around, but her human friend was nowhere to be seen.
Alphys walked up to MK. "Where's Frisk?" she asked.
"Captured," MK said ruefully.
"BY WHO?" Papyrus asked.
"The humans," Undyne answered. "We didn't have a chance at the summit. One of their own is provoking them into war."
"Frisk is… captured?" Alphys asked.
"Yeah, but we're going to get them back," Undyne said. "We're gonna rest first, then get a map from the King and we'll stage a rescue."
"I still advise against it," Gerson cautioned. "Plus, don't we need you to escape?"
"Well, Sans can't go on the rescue," Alphys informed. "And he's just as informed on the plan as all of us. He can fill in."
"Let's get unpacked, then we can discuss rescue," Undyne advised.
MK didn't help. He just went to their room.
Flowey was sitting in the window, staring out at the village below. So many Monsters. He wondered if they knew what was happening.
He jumped when the door slammed. He turned around to see MK stomp in before faceplanting into his bed.
"I take it the summit didn't go as planned?" Flowey asked. MK glared at him from the bed. "Well, there's some things you can't change. But, hey, we might still be able to escape. So long as we don't wind up beneath a mountain."
MK went back to pressing his face into his bed.
"Things on that end are going rather well, I should say," Flowey said. "Alphys has managed to draw up enough maps so we can chart a course. We've made preparations to move the supplies to the ships when they get here. All da… Asgore has to do is send word to the other villages, they come here, we get them on the fleet, then we set sail."
MK didn't respond to that, just continued breathing into the mattress.
"Can you at least talk to me? It's annoying that out of everyone, you're the only one who doesn't talk to me," Flowey requested. "If you don't want to talk, then get Frisk. I'm sure they'd be more willing to speak to me."
MK seemed to sink into the mattress further with that. Immediately, Flowey realized something was wrong.
"MK, where's Frisk?" the flower asked. "Why aren't they here?"
MK raised his head to speak. "Captured," he said bluntly.
"What? By who?" Flowey demanded.
"The humans," he answered. "Their 'leader' hates Monsters."
"The king?"
"No. A wizard," MK answered. "He's… evil."
Flowey lowered his head. "Tell me we're going to rescue them."
"Undyne is. Asgore won't. Says it's too dangerous."
"Well, in that he's right, for his people," Flowey pointed out. "Not stopping Undyne from making a rescue plan, though."
MK sat up, keeping his back to the flower. "We're going to get them back."
"I know. And I'll help," Flowey said. MK shot him a skeptical glance. "Hey, I'm not a Monster, so I'm not in as much danger as someone from this time and I have the advantage of being small. Plus, I know Frisk would do the same. Would you really deny me this?"
MK shook his head. "No."
"So, just let me know when we start planning. I'll try to be there."
"You're in a pot," MK pointed out.
"So? I'll have someone carry me. I'll find a way."
It was the next day. Frisk had not gotten much sleep. There was no cot for them to sleep on, just a hard stone floor. They wished they could use magic to make it easier, but without their trident, they were limited in the spells they could cast.
They heard the door to the prison opened and in walked Volos and a couple guards. "Turn around and face the wall," Volos said.
Frisk did as they were told, deciding to not resist for the moment. Someone walked in and bound their hands in rope. They escorted Frisk out to another building, this one with metal braces suspended from the ceiling. Frisk was bound to those, their wrists clasped in the shackles.
"What is this?" they asked.
"We have questions and you need to answer them," Volos explained. Behind him, three other wizards stepped in, one wielding a strange staff.
"What makes you think I'll say anything?" Frisk shot at them.
"They're simple questions," Volos said. "Answer them, and we will let you free."
Dobromil stepped forward. "How are you able to cast spells?" was his first question.
"Same way you can," Frisk answered.
"Not like us," the purple wizard said. "That fire spell. You used your bare hands. Every wizard needs a talisman or artifact to cast. How can you do without?"
"What do you mean 'need'? Sure, it makes some spells easier but I've never needed anything to cast spells."
"That doesn't make sense," Volos said. "The only ones who can cast spells without aid are Monsters. Unless, of course, you're a Monster who's pretending to be human."
"Nope. Pretty sure I'm human," Frisk said. "I've got blood and Monsters don't have that."
"Then how can you cast spells without anything?" Dobromil asked. "Even the most powerful wizards, who spend years practicing, can't do what you do."
"Have you tried?" Frisk questioned. "Sure, it took me a while, but I manage."
That retort seemed to catch many wizards off guard, and they shared a glance as they silently pondered that.
"Next question," Volos decided. "You've been in the enemy's castle. I want to know what you know."
"And what makes you think I'll tell you that?" Frisk retorted.
"You're one of us," Volos said.
"And that means I'm automatically on your side?" Frisk sarcastically shot. "Forget it. I know your type. You'll use what I tell you to attack the Monsters."
"They are our enemies," Volos insisted. "Yours, too. Why protect them?"
"They are my friends," Frisk retorted. "They're my family. They've shown me more compassion than you people. Plus, they didn't do this when they brought me into their home." They shook the chains to emphasize that.
"I suggest you reconsider your allegiance or I'll be forced to use less… civilized methods to get the answers I need," Volos threatened. He gestured to the one behind him, who brandished the staff.
"Never," Frisk insisted.
"Very well." Volos motioned to Frisk, and the wizard behind him jabbed the staff into Frisk's gut and they were promptly shocked. "That was only a taste. I suggest you tell me what I want to know or you will be struck again."
Frisk panted from the electrocution. "No," they spat.
"Hit it again," Volos said.
The wizard prepared, but Dobromil stopped him. "Wait, Volos, this is a bit much," he said. "Surely there are other ways to get them to talk?"
"Nothing works faster," Volos retorted. "Now, hit it again."
Frisk was jabbed in the gut and current passed through their body, which hurt like hell. They screamed in pain from the shock.
"Changed your mind?" Volos asked.
"Answer's still no," Frisk panted.
"Very well. Again."
The wizard with the staff appeared hesitant. Enraged, Volos grabbed the staff and did it himself. Frisk screamed as the current that passed through was more painful than last time.
Volos pulled the staff back. "I will ask one more time. I want to know if there are any weaknesses in the Delta Keep."
"No," Frisk panted.
"Why are you protecting them?" Volos demanded angrily. "Why side with those things over your own kind?"
"Those 'things' as you call them are people and they've shown me more care than my own kind," Frisk answered. "They're not demons. They're not evil. They are love, hope, and compassion, things you don't understand because you gave that all up a long time ago. I would rather die than betray my family."
Volos glared. He raised the staff and jammed it into Frisk's gut and kept it there. Frisk screamed as the voltage ran through their body. It hurt. It hurt like hell. They wished it would stop but Volos wasn't pulling back. The pain got worse, and Frisk was pretty sure he was trying to kill them.
"That's enough." Dobromil ripped the staff from Volos' grasp, the electrocution ending when he did.
"What are you doing?" Volos demanded of his fellow wizard.
"I get why you are doing this, but this is too much," Dobromil responded. "If you keep this up, you will kill them."
"They're willing to betray us and die for those things. Why would that be a bad thing?" Volos questioned.
"They are still a child. They may not know any better," Dobromil retorted.
"You can't seriously still believe they are innocent after all that. If they were, they wouldn't be keeping quiet," Volos said.
"Still, there are other ways to get information," Dobromil said, tossing the staff back to wizard who owned it. "Let me talk to them."
"And risk you being corrupted by their lies? I think not," Volos denied. "If they won't talk, then there's no use keeping them around. And I will not have them try and spread their deception to everyone."
"What are you saying?" Dobromil asked.
"If they won't tell us what we need, then we'll silence them for good," Volos answered.
"You're not suggesting… execution?"
"That's exactly what I'm suggesting."
"No, wait. Give me time. I'll get answers out of them," Dobromil pleaded.
Volos looked between the green wizard and Frisk. "Fine. You have two days. After that, I'm ending them." The red-black wizard left.
"Get them down. Take them back to their cell," Dobromil said to the guards, who took the clasps off Frisk's wrists then dragged them back to their cell where they were roughly thrown in.
Frisk lay there, panting and curled in on themself. Their whole body hurt from the electrocution. They hoped their friends got here soon. They weren't sure they could hold out.
End of Chapter 7