One World: Many Souls

Chapter 53: A Drastic Dream

Arial's Point of View:

"Ugg!" Flopping backwards into the bed of my room, I angrily cursed before yelling into my pillow. "She's so frustrating!"

I could feel a hand instantly on my back at that. It didn't take a genius to figure out it was my twin giving me some silent comfort.

"I'm sure your sister didn't mean anything bad by what she said." Lexi was the one to verbally say the words. She was curled up on the floor by the edge of my bed, leaning against it. "She's about ten years younger than you, so of course there's a bit of a struggle when you guys talk."

"But I didn't do anything!" Rolling over and upward, landing right up against Eras as I snarled that fact, my twin could I felt use an arm to hold me to him. He prevented me from surging forward in my anger, which I was happy for later on when I'd calmed down. I'd thank him later. "What did she have to get so mad about? All I did was say the new garden she and Mom were working on was pretty and she went ballistic?!"

"Calm down, Ari." Impact tried to sooth me that time. He was relaxing on the floor with Zakhar while the two looked. "Look, I know why she was mad, but you can't tell her told you. Okay?"

"You actually understood what that little brat was saying through her screams and tears?" Leaning my head back, Eras prevented me from falling over, along with Hannah watching curiously on the other side of him.

After the little screaming match Pristina and I had out in the yard, I'd retreated to my room to catch my breath. I was incredibly angry, especially over something that seemed incredibly stupid. The rest of the family and friends over at the time were enjoying a barbeque downstairs. Our uncle manned all the food with our aunt helping him to keep everything lively and fun.

But Pristina had to ruin it when she got mad. All of us older teens escaped to the upper floors to relax and make sure I didn't lose my temper anymore than I already had. It didn't help that Mom sent us up, granted calmly, while she and Dad took care of Pristina.

"Okay then... what in the hell was the reason she was so mad at me for?"

"The garden was going to be a present to you."

"...Huh?"

"A present, you idiot," my brother repeated for me.

I wiped on him in a second, yanking his arm off of me. "I heard him the first time, let go of me you ass."

"Please don't be mad, Ari..." The ever gentle Hannah looked from past Eras with her worried gem-like eyes. "Pristi was really trying to make a pretty garden with flowers of your favorite color. It was... supposed to be a secret... and I bet she got mad because you saw it early and it wasn't blooming yet. Your birthday is later in the year. Pristi asked your Mom to help her find a flower that would still bloom around your birthday so you could enjoy it. She planted it a few months ago with your mother's help."

I looked at her in disbelief before looking at the calm faces of everyone else. "Did you all fucking know about this?"

"Pristi has been talking about it for a while. I was honestly really surprised you didn't know about it since she talks about it all the time." Zahkar raised an eyebrow before looking between the others then back to me. "Pristi wasn't exactly quiet about it."

"Mom will take care of it and she'll apologize to you." Eras sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "I'm sure she was just upset that the surprise was ruined. You know how much she loves surprises."

"Why?!" I couldn't help but be dramatic as I fell back over, grabbing a pillow and screaming into it one more time. "Why does she have to be such a pain?!"

"She's your little sister." Zahkar snickered at me. "I got one too, remember? They're supposed to be the biggest pain in your ass ever. Val is always getting into my stuff and almost getting crushed when she messes with my weights and shit. Do you know how many times I have to dive for her to make sure she doesn't get crushed? Or just generally is annoying?"

"Why don't we change the subject to make things easier on Ari and we don't have to keep up with doom and gloom?" Lexi was quick to propose a change of topic to bring the heat away from me. I was thankful for that, and with us coming closer to our graduating day, these ideas needed to be figured out.

"It's not like we don't talk about this often..." Eras sighed, seemingly annoyed by this fact. "Do we really have to do that?"

"Why not, E?" Hannah tried to keep being positive and happy during it all. "It sounds fun, and maybe you know what everyone is doing, but I don't. I'd love to hear it!"

It was hard to remember a time without Hannah around, but thinking back on it, we'd only known her for a couple of years. She'd been dating my brother for about one at the time in secret. Not like we haven't known about it, he knew we did. But he just wasn't ready to talk about it.

"Well, we can start with the easy ones." Impact was quick to turn the attention on himself. "Eras and I have the same dream. We've always felt drawn to Dad's restaurant, and we want to help expand it. Dad's been working hard at that one restaurant for just over a decade since he had it built, and we want to help him expand to areas on the edge of Terians Territory, or even beyond that. So we plan to go to the same college, Coralstien Culinary School, to learn what he did, and expand on it. We'll also have to take business classes unless we can find capable friends and family like Mom."

"That sounds just like you two." Lexi laughed from her spot. "You two have been helping out in that restaurant and another couple that Uncle Pap has been on good terms with, right? For experience?"

"That's right." Eras didn't say much, but he did nod to her, showing the attention she showed for knowing that. "We've been working hard for a while... and we're not done."

"Not by a long shot." Impact agreed happily before bumping shoulders with Zahkar. "Your turn, muscle man."

"Cool." Zahkar shrugged, but showed a big grin to the rest of us. "I'm getting trained for the guard. Mom got me a spot."

"Wait what?!"

Everyone was rather surprised by that information since it had been almost two decades since the old king, Asgore let anyone into the guard. When he first came to the surface, he had to let a lot of people go so that they could explore the world above from their underground prison as well as not seem as threatening to the humans above.

"But they haven't had openings for years?" It was Hannah who noted that softly when most of us had calmed down. "What changed?"

"A good number of guards are getting older, close to retirement age. You can only be in there for so many years before it's hard for the muscles to keep up, so they need new blood." Zahkar shrugged before pulling out his phone. "Since Uncle Azz is retiring some members soon, while they still have some energy in them, and Mom's in charge, they're trying to get some new blood, and are really encouraging those of mixed blood, like half monsters and what not. I think Max is gonna follow along a similar path as Momma, but not the same field of study. He's always been smart, even if his muscles are insane. He's big on the environment and what not. And Val... she's a pain, but I got no clue what she wants to do. I mean, she's barely ten right now, but she's determined. She just got into trying on makeup with Momma recently, and she likes it a bit too much for my liking... and clothes..."

"That sounds like your siblings!" Lexi giggled after giving a gentle pat to the leg of mine that she was able to reach. "Cali and Connie are already working toward a goal with that band they met in becoming singers, but Joker and Pristi are so young that we don't know how their likes and dislikes may be connected to what they want to do one day."

"I guess so..." I muttered.

"What do you plan to do then?" Hannah looked around Eras to face my close friend. Lexi hardly seemed surprised to answer the girl, but she did show a nervous look to her.

"Well... I've always been driven to help the public." Lexi looked over at me for a moment, our eyes locking before she turned back to the others. "When Arial saved that family five years back, it gave me an amazing feeling that I wanted to be involved to help people like that. So... I decided I wanted to join up with the Terians' Territory Army, especially when there's been so many issues recently with that man who escaped, and the others issues going on in the country."

I was surprised at that. "That's what made you decide that?"

Lexi grinned at me, wrapping her hands around her legs. "Well, that was the biggest reason."

"And the other?" Hannah eagerly asked, her arm wrapped around Eras' in anticipation.

A finger settled before Lexi's lips. "Secret..."

"No fair!"

"Easy Hannah." Impact could only nervously chuckle at the change in atmosphere. "Why don't you tell us about what you're going to do?"

"Me?" Hannah blinked a bit in shock before a wide grin came on her face. "I'm gonna be a dancer! I've always felt free when moving, and Eras can attest to how I'm always practicing. It was my comfort after... you know... my mom. I'm actually working on a scholarship for it right now so it won't be so hard on my dad."

"That's fair." Zahkar nodded before he turned to me and grinned. "Your last, Ari."

Ah shit...

"Fine fine..." Looking at Lexi for a moment and seeing her nod eagerly, I sighed one final time before letting it out. "Same as Lexi. Terians Army. I wanna help people, save them from danger."

Everyone seemed surprised by that decision, but it was only Zahkar who spoke back. "You're going in too?"

"Like Lexi, saving that family hit me hard. I could feel the bad energy and emotions off the woman before she hurt them." I sighed, thinking back to that day as clear as yesterday. "She felt so... poisonous... and she needed help so badly, but no one was helping her until she hurt someone else. And with people going missing... I want to help bring them back."

"Y-you..."

When the new voice popped up behind us, we all darted around to look at the little face that stood in my doorway. Pristina stood there with tears down her face. Her face was all red and her eyes almost closed as she weeped. Eras bolted upward the second he saw her just before she screeched, startling everyone in the house and outside every open window who heard her.

"Pristina!"

Our mother came barreling up the stairs while the little girl latched onto her older brother. Our father teleported himself up into the hallway as well while our mother rushed toward her youngest daughter. Pristina continued to wail uncontrollably, and refused to go to our mother when she tried to take her.
"I-I-I-I sorwy!" Through tears we could barely understand her. "D-do-don't go-away A-ari...! I-I s-sorwy!"

"Go away?" My mother instantly looked into the room to see all of us gathered. Her eyes narrowed on me and I slowly walked out of the room. As soon as I came out of the room, Pristina reached over for me. I eagerly took her into my arms and let her cry. "Arial, what is she talking about?"

"Come on Pristi... calm down." I tried to shush her in my arms while her crying settled a bit, but then looked to my waiting mother and father who stood there. "We were talking about our future plans after we got out of school."

"Okay... and why would that make her upset?" Already seeing the wheels turning in my mother's brain, she narrowed her eyes at me. "What is your goal, I don't think you've ever mentioned it to us."

"I've wanted to do this for years, it's not your fault Pristi. I'm not mad anymore." My sister sniffled while she held onto me, but I held her close while she calmed down. "The army. Wanna help people like that family I did years ago. Help out with the current issues."

My mother stood up a bit more straight at that. "You do know what that involves, don't you?"

"It won't be easy, and I'll be gone for a long while." I looked her right in the eyes when explaining it. "I knew you wouldn't be happy about it, so I was waiting until I became of age to go in. You would have found out anyway, but I didn't want you stopping me."

She narrowed her eyes at me. "Did you think I would?"

"I'd be lying if I said no."

"Kiddo..." It was strange to see such a sad look on my father's face. Normally he was much more jolly or didn't let things bother him. It was very rare to see, and something that made me feel sick. "Baby bone, ya know we wouldn't stop ya, but we'd be concerned 'n wanna talk ta ya about it."

I narrowed my eyes. "Talk me out of it?" I clarified.

"No, just simply talk." My mother emphasized again. Shaking her head, she came in to give the two of us a hug while Pristina still clung to me. "Arial, if that's what you want to do, baby bone, then we understand. We'll always worry for you no matter what. It's a parent's job to worry. We only ask that you keep in touch with us."

"She won't be going alone!" My mother pulled back just enough for Lexi to step forward quickly. "I'm planning on signing up with her. I'm hoping we'll be together to watch each other's backs. Arial inspired me to join up. It's a dream we have together to help people like she did that day! Just... please don't tell my parents, Mrs. Terians... Mr. Terians..."

"We told you a long time ago to not call us that, Lexi. It's Angel and Sans to you." My mother did pause for a moment to sigh before she smiled at her though. "Thank you for sticking by her side and going with her. While we'll still be worried, it does put us at least a bit at ease to know you two will be together."

"O-of course..." Lexi turned a bit more shy in those moments while watching on. "Ari is my best friend. I'd do anything for her. We've been together for years."

Oh how true that was.

I couldn't help but look at her while I held my sister in my arms. Lexi had been there for me, ever since that fateful day where we worked together for that special assignment that turned into such a crazy day. She stuck to my side like glue, and we became the closest of friends.

I really hoped she'd stay with me forever...

Witch's Note:

(With most of the crew finally gathered and set about, Halloween was able to breathe as things settled for the most part, though she still watched her screens for any sign of River who'd been missing since just after the attack. The timer still counting down to when they and the reinforcements would be charging back in to deal with those against them.)

(A while ago she checked on the pair of three in the medical bay. Mystic Boy was resting soundly with Mystic Girl and Chaos actively looking after her. While perhaps she still had a lot of explaining to do for what she'd done, it could wait for another time. She still was a dear member of the group. Her companion Sunset at the ready, then fully recovered, to assist in anyway possible.)

(Looking past them, she saw Shady still sleeping in another bed by himself. He'd been put through the ringer. He needed much rest after being chased for weeks by those opposing them all. She would let him have the rest he needed, and later on would find out just what he knew.)

(She then traveled through the base, seeing Dasansi and his men working in their different areas. Oliver seemed rather enthusiastic to work with the weapons on the line, testing them and upgrading where he was able. Halloween mostly let him be other than to check in after a while to see how things were coming. Oscar and Dasansi had almost taken up her command center, using most monitors to do their assigned tasks of keeping the communication lines safe and connecting with others for additional help.)

(Everything would be needed.)

(Shadow was the only one that waiting for further instructions at the time after having a week to recover. The desert had not been kind to him as he raced in to save that of Mystic Boy and Sunset. Halloween decided a private audience with him would be best while Mystic Girl was spending her attention entirely on Mystic Boy. She led the male down to her personal quarters inside the base with guards outside to alert if anyone came by, even Mystic Girl.)

Halloween Witch: Thank you for meeting me like this. I'm sorry for the secrecy, what we're about to talk about is nothing that not supposed to be talked of, but with Mystic Girl and Chaos stressed about Mystic Boy and her recovery, I thought it best for us to keep our conversation away from them.

I'm not opposed to you going out into the field and doing reconnaissance like that to gather more information. From the limited reports I've been getting, this long project of the doctor's appears to be that of a breeding soldier project. Using human mothers to carry different varieties of hybrid children that both carry human and monster DNA almost puts them at a level as strong as a house member. To be perfectly honest, Angel confessed to me that in ancient times, house families originally got their power from political marriages from monsters and humans. If you remember back to the historical chapter Sans and Frisk shared together in the previous side story, it proves there were relations between them from far long ago. The houses were the only ones to keep that magic still flowing in their veins, even when other humans segregated and abandoned the very possibility of mixed races.

With that in mind, that doctor plans to make as large of an army as possible. Having so many varieties of mixed breeds cover many bases in aspects of magical power, offensive and defensive forces, and even buffing themselves or healing. We need to know what they have thus far, current power level, and the varieties of children currently in their possession. We also need to know if they are being possessed by that of Luke yet or if they're being allowed to grow naturally. I'm assuming that could affect his results. So do take note of that.

Anything else you can find or do would be helpful. The countdown is getting closer... and we don't have much time left...

(The remains of their conversation were lost to the walls as Shadow made his decision… only in time to hear the alarm go off. Halloween and Shadow jump at the sound before one of her few remaining guards come to alert her.

Guard: Ma'am! River is at the rendezvous! He's alive! He appeared out of thin air!

(Taking a moment to dart back to the command center where Oscar and Dasansi were, Halloween was able to see River just as he mumbled a few words before passing out face first into the sands.)

Halloween Witch: Oh no! We need to go get him! Shadow! Help me before you head out on your mission please!

(The two of them worked together, using the sub to bring River down to the medical wing to tend to his wounds. It was once he was tended to and in the hands of the medical team did she bring Shadow to the supply room.

Halloween Witch: Take whatever you need. Don't hesitate to get anything. Its all for you to use. Roland is making more things for us, so hopefully new things too.

Everyone has finally come, with much time to spare…

Now… the times to prepare have come.

The time to explore… The time to gather knowledge is here…

Finally… As the clock still counts down…

Let us begin making those choices…

There is still much to do…