Chapter 17
"I am the other prince."
Frisk couldn't sleep that night. She could barely eat. All she could do was think about was what Chara had said.
"I am the other prince."
Pieces Frisk didn't know she had began clicking into place. Chara was the other prince. Toriel was Chara's mother.
If Chara was a prince, then King Asgore was his father. If Toriel was Chara's mother, then Toriel must have once been the queen.
Toriel once said she lived in exile. Now that Frisk knew, she tried to see the monster from that angle. Her mother, an exiled queen.
Wanting to keep her word, Frisk asked no questions nor said anything in response to all Chara had revealed to her. If he was surprised she kept her thoughts to herself, he didn't show it. Not that such was new when he hardly showed any emotion in the first place.
It had been two days since that night. Snowdin Road was coming to its end. Undyne would likely be in Waterfall, and it was there Frisk would confront her. She would keep trying to overcome the monster who craved her blood, even if it killed Frisk again and again and again.
"You are awfully quiet," Chara pointed out. Frisk hadn't spoken since they set off that morning. There was nothing she wanted to say that wouldn't break her promise.
"I am the other prince."
"Nothing to talk about," she simply replied. Chara said nothing else.
Eventually, the snow disappeared little by little. The world around them grew darker and darker. Little gems sparkled above like stars in the sky. Frisk sucked in a breath. She had forgotten all about stars until this moment.
Chara must have had a similar feeling. He looked above as well, studying the "sky" just as intently. For the first time, it seemed Chara was struck speechless.
"I think this would be a good place to rest," Frisk decided aloud.
Finding a small corner in the cavern, Frisk wrapped up in her blanket and lied down. She didn't sleep for hours. Instead she stared at the gems and tried to find make believe constellations in them. Chara sat a few feet from her, and he seemed to be doing the same.
It was the most peaceful the two had ever been together.
Frisk had forgotten how many times she had lived through this afternoon. At first, she tried to keep count, but she lost her place after twenty. Or was it thirty? She didn't know anymore, and neither did Chara. All they did know was they could now recite Undyne's lines by heart.
It was the same every time. Frisk and Chara would enter an area with flower bridges. After crossing the river, something that scared Frisk no matter how many times she and Chara walked across the flowers safely, a blue spear would fall from the sky and stop them where they were. Looking from where the spear had fallen revealed a monster in armor, grinning wickedly at the human.
Undyne's armor was not like the ones from storybooks and fairytales. A legging-like material hugged her body from her neck to her wrists to her ankles, and previous fights had proven the clothing to be stronger than of any metal Frisk could think. Undyne wore blood red metallic gloves and boots that ran up to her elbows and knees, respectively. Her chest plate, shaped like a heart, covered up to her collarbone and down to her hips. The skirt she wore was made up of red and white metal leaves. It may not have been the armor Frisk anticipated, but it was still a fashionable armor that did its job.
Then Undyne would give her speech, the very one Frisk mouthed along with her right then.
"Seven. Seven human souls, and King Asgore will become a god. Six. That's how many we have collected thus far. Understand? Through your seventh and final soul, this world will be transformed. First, however, as is customary for those who make it this far . . . I shall tell you the tragic tale of our people. It all started, long ago . . .
"No, you know what? SCREW IT! WHY SHOULD I TELL THAT STORY WHEN YOU'RE ABOUT TO DIE!? NGAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! YOU! You're standing in the way of everybody's hopes and dreams! Alphys's history books made me think humans were cool . . . with their giant robots and flowery swordswomen. BUT YOU? You're just a coward!
"And let's not forget your wimpy goody-two-shoes-shtick! 'Oooh! I'm making such a difference by hugging random strangers!' You know what would be more valuable to everyone? IF YOU WERE DEAD! That's right, human! Your continued existence is a crime! Your life is all that stands between us and our freedom! Right now, I can feel everyone's hearts pounding together! Everyone's been waiting their whole lives for this moment! But we're not nervous at all. When everyone puts their hearts together, they can't lose! Now, human! Let's end this, right here, right now. I'll show you how determined monsters can be! Step forward when you're ready!"
"She really likes to talk," Chara muttered the first time this happened. Now Frisk recalled that every time they went through this.
Determination leaking through her like sweat from pores, Frisk reached out and picked the spear up. What happened next was as good as muscle memory. Put up the spear horizontally to block Undyne's first attack. Put it behind her as a shield to block a bullet coming from behind. Jump out of the way to avoid the spear coming from the ground.
Undyne had killed Frisk multiple times. Each time, Frisk learned. Not that she always did a good job of remembering her lessons.
"You tend to get stabbed in the sides," Chara told her as they again walked towards the fight with Undyne. They had taken this walk more than they could count. It possibly wouldn't have been an exaggeration at this point to think they did this at least a hundred times by now. "It's good you are watching your front and back, but your sides are important, too."
Frisk rolled her eyes. "Aren't you the one who told me to move to my left just for a spear to shoot from the ground and skewer me?"
"That was when your dying was still funny. Now I am just ready to move forward."
"You make this sound like a game, Chara."
"If it is, Stripes, I am cursed to watch you fight the same boss over and over because you cannot get good and fight her like most people would at this point."
"I'm not resorting to violence," Frisk reminded him. "If I so much as hurt Undyne, that will be all the confirmation she needs to justify killing me."
"She believes she is justified already. After all, you did kill her dog soldiers."
Frisk's heart skipped a beat. "Why did Sans have to find me? I should have just died right there in the snow so I could have had the chance to do it all over."
At the mention of Sans's name, Frisk felt an aching in her chest. She missed believing they were friends, but it was for the better she knew how he really felt.
"That's how life should be," Chara said casually. "No retries. No do overs. You are left to deal with the consequences of your actions, good and bad. It is probably for the better you do not get the chance to redo everything you regret. That way, there is no opportunity for you to stop believing you are above reproach."
"I suppose you're right." Frisk frowned. "You can be really helpful when you're not being a real pain."
"I have to mix it up every now and again, Stripes. Keep you on your toes."
"Am I nothing more than a plaything for you?"
"If that is what you want to call it, then yes."
Not having a response, Frisk said nothing. After solving the flower bridge puzzle, she braced herself for the spear about to shoot from the sky and stop her in her tracks. Right on cue, it happened. Undyne gave her speech, then patiently waited for Frisk to move forward and pick up the weapon.
"You know," Chara said before Frisk moved an inch, "if you do not want to fight, there must be a way around."
"This is the quickest route," Frisk answered, "and I'll have to face Undyne eventually, so might as well get it out of the way now."
She gave Chara no opportunity to respond before she took hold of the spear.
After having lost the human before, Undyne never hesitated to use her green attack on Frisk. With nowhere to go, Frisk had to rely on the spear Undyne gave her to protect her against the bullets.
At least, Frisk never failed to think, she gave me a weapon to keep this a fair fight.
Occasionally Undyne would let go of her green attack, and Frisk was free to move about.
"Why does she not just hold you in her green attack and have a spear shoot up from the ground?" Chara questioned after they learned Undyne's attacked patterns. "There is nothing you can do to protect yourself from that."
"She wants to kill me in a real fight. No advantages whatsoever," Frisk replied after thinking it through.
Little did Undyne know Frisk had the greatest advantage of all.
As with all the fights before, Frisk pleaded with Undyne. Frisk said she didn't want to hurt anyone. Insisted they could be friends. Undyne either scoffed at the idea or laughed altogether. Talking and pleading were useless.
Finally, after dodging spear after bullet after spear, the two stood across from each other, panting. Frisk had never made it this far before. This was new. From here on out, Frisk couldn't predict any of Undyne's actions.
"What the hell are humans made out of?!" Undyne exclaimed, wiping sweat from her brow.
Instead of replying, Frisk observed her surroundings. The exit didn't escape her notice. Despite all her talk to Alice of challenging Undyne, Frisk turned around and ran.
"Get back here, you little punk!" Undyne shouted and gave chase.
"What are you doing?" Chara asked, forced to run alongside Frisk.
"I don't know," Frisk answered, breathing heavily. "I'm making this up as I go."
"Incoming right!"
Not taking the time to decide whether or not she should trust Chara, Frisk moved to the left just in time to see a spear whiz past her head. Frisk cursed under her breath. "Any more attacks I need to be warned about?"
"No, not ye- Stop!"
Frisk halted just as a wall of spears came up from the ground. Thinking fast, Frisk prayed for safety as she jumped into the river. Her hydrophobia seized her, but only for a moment. Dying by the hand of Undyne scared her more. Despite her panicked state, Frisk didn't forget that she still didn't know how to swim.
She clung to a giant ice cube, held it down the current for a ways, then reached out for dry ground when it was arm's length away.
Taking hold of the edge, Frisk pulled herself out of the water. As Undyne got closer, she brought down the spear wall. Chara cried out, "Duck!"
Frisk did just that, but it wasn't a spear she was dodging.
Three femurs came from behind and nearly hit Undyne. She used her spear to destroy them before they hit her, but her movements were still slow. Undyne was tiring out, and now a new, fresh opponent entered the ring.
"I change my mind," Sans said, suddenly appearing in front of Frisk. "I think I am a traitor after all."
"You," Undyne snarled. "I'll rip you apart bone by bone!"
"You and what army?" Sans chuckled. "Does Undyne the Conqueror really think she can handle us?"
"Us?" Undyne questioned, and as if the word was a magic spell, more monsters began appearing from the shadows.
Beatrix and Peter moved to stand by Sans's side. A dozen or so fluffy white monsters stood around the edge, forming a circle. Papyrus teleporting to stand besides Sans. There were too many of them, and Undyne was already worn from fighting Frisk. She was surrounded, totally at their mercy.
"Frisk!"
"Alice!" Frisk pushed herself to her wobbly feet so she could hug her approaching friends. "And Mon!"
"Glad you ain't dead," was how Mon greeted Frisk while Alice hugged the human. Turning towards Undyne, Mon shouted, "Yo! If you want to hurt our friend, you'll have to go through each and every one of us first. Starting with me."
Mon stepped forward, and the other monsters let her pass through.
"What is she doing?" Frisk asked in a hushed whisper.
Speaking softly, Alice answered, "She just found out her hero isn't the person she thought she was. That would upset anyone, but Mon now thinks she has a bone to pick with Undyne because of it."
"Is it really a good idea to let her get so close to Undyne?"
"Undyne won't hurt her, or any of us. It's you she wants. However, she can't take you if we're here to be your shield."
"You are all making a big mistake," Undyne growled. "We need that human's soul to get to the surface! Do you really want to spend the rest of your lives trapped in this hell?"
"I'd rather live Underground than kill an innocent to see the sun," Mon spat. "You're no hero. You're the villain!"
Gritting her teeth, Undyne looked around. There was no way of knowing for certain if the monsters would actually fight her if she attacked. Even if she was well rested, there were still too many of them. No matter how hard she fought, no matter what strategy she used, she couldn't defeat them all. Not if she didn't want to kill every monster standing before her just to get to the human.
"You will regret this," Undyne snarled as she faded into the darkness.
For a while, nobody moved. It was as if everyone held their breaths, testing to see if Undyne had truly fled. Mon was the first to speak.
"Let's go home!" she declared.
The spell broken, the other monsters began moving. Chatter erupted from the crowd. It was hard to hear any single conversation, but Frisk picked up a couple comments.
"Need to prepare for what?" she asked Alice as Mon returned to their side.
Chara answered first. "The Reds are going to attack."
Unknowingly confirming Chara's guess, Alice said, "There is no way all of us left Snowdin Two entirely undetected. If King Asgore knows about us, it's only a matter of time before he orders our village to be found and destroyed again. We have to flee, just to be safe."
"But why did you leave the safety of your town?" Frisk hugged herself. "What were you all thinking?"
"We were thinking we weren't going to let you shoulder this on your own, human or monster," Mon said. Frisk wondered how Mon knew what Frisk was. "No more hiding for us. From here on out, we're going to fight for our freedom. We won't bow down to a tyrannical king anymore."
Before either Frisk or Alice could say anything to that, Papyrus ran up and gave Frisk a hug. "I'm so glad you're safe!"
"So am I." Frisk smiled, but it fell when she saw Sans approach. Pretending she didn't see him, she took Papyrus by the wrist and dragged him along as she said, "Let's go. I could really use something to eat."