Chapter 24
The self-proclaimed queen and her lover sat on the floor, playing cards laid out before them.
"Do you have any sevens?"
"Yes."
"How about threes?"
"Yes, again."
"Fours?"
"Go fish."
Drawing a card, the petite monster peeked at her lover through her half-closed eyes. He caught her looking and smiled. In return, she winked.
"So," he said, tone indicating he wanted to talk business.
"So," she replied likewise, setting her cards down to give him her full attention.
"This whole human thing has me thinking," was how he opened.
"Dangerous things happen when you think, my love."
"Truly such a dreadful pastime, but alas, it's the only way to obtain ideas."
The queen rested her chin on her palms. "Share."
"What if we don't kill the human immediately after finding it?" he suggested. "What if we use it for . . . purposes?"
"Hmmm." The queen drew circles on the floor. "What kinds of purposes?"
"Display it, make a show that we have the seventh and final human soul, the last piece to the puzzle, to break the barrier in our possession. Create hype. Make a spectacle of it. Make every monster want to tune in as we take its soul."
"Won't Asgore be displeased?"
"He hired us to kill the human. He didn't give us a time limit, nor said we couldn't play with our food first."
Giggling, the queen said, "Oh, you and your performances. Unless every monster Underground is watching, it didn't happen."
"Don't exaggerate, precious."
"I'm not exaggerating, dear."
As they continued their exchange, both queen and lover leaned closer. Soon their faces were mere inches apart. Their breaths mingled in the air.
"Since you insist on your show, I want to see you make the human dance," the queen said. "Make it your marionette, your dancing doll. Make it think it can save itself, then viciously pull that hope away at the last second. I want to see suffering in its eyes."
"You sadist," he rasped.
"I love it when you talk in your husky voice."
"And I love it when you respond in your husky voice."
"Like this?" she said, the words ragged in her throat. She leaned closer, and so did he.
"Exactly like that."
"Make the human suffer. Turn pain into an artform."
"As you desire, My Heart."
"I lo— Look! You had a four after all, you liar!"
"Cheater!" He made a show of pushing her away just as one of her servants entered the room, not that she was fooled. All the queen's people knew just how devoted lovers she and he were. Nonetheless, that didn't change how the queen wanted nobody else to see her acting in such a way.
"I hope the news you carry was worth interrupting our game." The queen sniffed. As the servant delivered her message, however, the queen slowly smirked. "The human is in Waterfall, huh? Know exactly where? Ugh, an island?! How unoriginal."
"My Queen, if I may," her lover began, "Waterfall is an excellent place to start promoting our show. With your eyes and my followers, it would only be a matter of time before that human is in our grasp. Once the news goes viral, everything else should fall into place."
Considering this, the queen replied, "Fine. Do what you want. You know a lot more about this than I do, anyway."
As he took his queen's hand and kissed it, he promised, "I will get you your dancing doll."
"Make sure it's dressed pretty," the queen said. "I want it to look absolutely beautiful before we mangle it in a pool of its own blood."
Since Frisk had given Sans the locket the day before – well, she didn't technically give Sans the locket, but since she had no interest in keeping it anymore, that was basically the same thing – the skeleton monster wondered what to do with the old child's toy.
If this were a useless piece of junk, he would simply throw it away. Except it wasn't just a piece of junk. A human soul was tied to it. Not just any human soul either. It was the soul of the lost prince.
The fate of Prince Chara Dreemurr's soul had been debated over the last century. There were as many theories as there were many different species of monsters. All with no way of knowing which was close to the truth.
Now Sans knew the answer. Not that he was ever intrigued by the mystery, but he still couldn't pretend this wasn't a big deal. Sans was keenly aware of all the possibilities having this human soul gave him.
Yet it wasn't deciding what to do with the soul that had him wondering what his next step would be. If it were just a soul, that would be easy. Only this soul, when the locket was worn, manifested as a person who was there but not at the same time.
Putting on the locket after waking that morning for some reason possibly related to curiosity, Sans silently observed Chara throughout the day. The human went from stone cold and distant to deflated as the day progressed. All Chara did was follow behind Sans, not commenting on anything about the world around them as they walked along the edge of The Island. Sans somehow got the impression that Chara wasn't this quiet when Frisk was the one who wore the locket.
"I suppose I'm not the only one who messed up things with Frisk," Sans said, unsure why he was trying to start a conversation. When Chara didn't reply, Sans turned around to the see the unresponsive human dragging his feet. Sans didn't doubt that Chara would be kicking the rocks if he could.
"Why did you do it?" Sans asked, changing the subject.
Chara still didn't look up. "Do what?"
"You know what I'm talking about."
"No, I really do not."
"Why did you kill Prince Asriel?"
Wincing, Chara answered, "It was all a mistake. I did not mean for it to happen."
In just twelve words, Chara immediately disproved what historical documents claimed to have went on that tragic day.
"So you didn't kill the crown prince so you could be king?"
"I never wanted to be king. Why would you think I did? Is that the story that has been told since my execution?"
Sans didn't respond, or at least not outwardly. "What does Frisk know?"
"Nothing."
"Yet you're telling me?"
"I am not telling you what happened. I am only telling you that I never meant for things to go the way they did."
"But they did, and you can't undo it." To this, Chara didn't reply. Sans wasn't sure what to make of the human. "You're depressed."
"I have no emotions," Chara claimed, but he didn't sound convincing.
"Trust me, kid, I know what depressed looks like, and you look just like it."
"Why do you even care?"
"I don't," Sans found himself saying, "but I am very uncomfortable with how much you remind me of me."
"Do not compare me to yourself."
"It's not like I'm a fan of it either. Though let's be honest, you don't often meet people dragged down by the weight of their sins and burdened by their guilt just like you are."
Chara snorted. "You know the things I have done while I lived. Almost every monster in the Underground knows my greatest crimes. What have you done so awful that you believe you and I are on the same level?"
"Let's just say the main difference between you and me is your sins are public knowledge while mine are secrets tucked away in the darkest corners of the darkest rooms." Sans stopped walking and looked out towards the water. Even if he didn't personally kill a lot of people just as Chara had done, that didn't mean he was innocent in comparison.
"What are you going to do with the locket?" Chara asked, moving to stand beside Sans.
"What do you want me to do with it?"
"Does it even matter?"
"I suppose that depends who you ask," Sans answered. He sighed. "She doesn't know anything, does she?"
Shaking his head, Chara said, "Hardly anything. Toriel sheltered Frisk her whole life Underground. She's ignorant to a lot of things."
"And you never bothered to fill her in?"
"I resented her too much to even care."
Silence stretched for minutes, hours, and eternity.
"Your Toriel's friend," Chara said suddenly, bringing Sans back to the moment. When Sans didn't respond, Chara added, "The last joke she never got to tell you was 'What do you get when you cross a goat, a sheep dog, and a frying pan?'"
Startled, Sans asked, "I don't know. What?"
"I don't know either," Chara answered. "She was never a great joke teller, that's for sure."
"Still not hard to respect someone with a genuine love for bad jokes," Sans muttered, connecting yet another dot.
Frisk grew up in the Ruins, the adopted daughter of the exiled Queen Toriel. Every day until shortly before Frisk left the Ruins, Sans would spend his afternoons talking and sharing jokes with a woman on the other side of the door that blocked off the Ruins. The woman disappeared the same day Queen Toriel died. His secret friend was the queen. Toriel also made him promise to protect any human that ever came through the door. That "any human" was her daughter. Sans unwittily promised his friend that he would protect her daughter, and he ultimately broke that promise.
What was worse, Frisk had to be connected to the resets. One way or another, she had something to do with them. All Sans needed was proof.
"Hey, kid," Sans said, unable to look Chara in the eyes as he questioned, "what can you tell me about Frisk's ability to reset the day?"
"I do not know what you are talking about," Chara replied, but he was a split second too late. Now there was only one thing left to do.
"This has to be the best thing I have ever eaten in my entire life," Frisk said as she sank her teeth back into the cinnamon bunny she and Alice helped Honey make.
"I'm so glad you like it!" Alice's Aunt Honey exclaimed. "It's my own special recipe."
"Aunt Honey and I used to bake all the time before she moved to The Island," Alice told Frisk as she put the second batch into the oven. "She taught me everything I know."
"Nonsense, Beatrix is a great cook as well."
"She's a great cook, but you're the real baker in this family." Alice sat beside Frisk on the stool and took a cinnamon bunny for herself. "When I open my own bakery in the capital, I'm going to be naming the special – whatever that ends up being – after you."
"That's so sweet," Honey said, "but I doubt it would be hardly noticed since honey is an actual ingredient."
"Everyone who matters will know," Alice said. "Plus, I'll make sure that pastry has no honey in it whatsoever. It's going to be so much fun seeing the confusion on everyone's faces when I tell them my Honey Special has no honey in it!"
Frisk had to cover her mouth since there was still food in it when she started laughing. After she swallowed, she said, "Don't ever make the story public knowledge. That's too good a mystery to give away so easily."
"Trust me, I plan on keeping my secrets." It was Alice bit into her cinnamon bunny that Papyrus and Undyne entered. "Papyrus!" Alice exclaimed over her stuffed mouth.
"Alice! Human!" Papyrus exclaimed back. Undyne was right behind, meaning it was Papyrus's turn to watch her. Her arms were crossed, and she stayed quiet.
"The human has a name," Frisk said, rolling her eyes. Then she broke out into a grin. "How are you doing this fine evening?"
As Papyrus and the others exchanged pleasantries and Honey told Papyrus about her cinnamon bunnies, Frisk didn't hide how she watched Undyne. In turn, Undyne also focused her attention on Frisk. The staring contest lasted until Honey called Undyne's name.
After Undyne asked what Honey wanted, the rabbit monster answered, "I heard a scary announcement on the radio today."
The radio was the only source of news and entertainment the monsters on The Island had as the radio waves traveled well over the water, and it was too much to ever get televisions installed.
"The Core is overheating," Honey began, repeating the news, "but not from a lack of ice being sent there to keep it cool. Nobody can figure out what's going on from the inside."
"And you think I know anything about it?" Undyne didn't sound rude. She actually got closer to Honey and leaned forward, as if this was an important conversation in which she did not want to miss a word.
"You were stationed there in the Uprising two years ago," Honey supplied. "You know the inner workings better than anyone here. If ice is being sent to the Core but the Core is not receiving it, then what could possibly be going on?"
Humming, Undyne tapped her finger on the counter as she suggested, "Someone has somehow gotten inside the Core and taken over. Why they would want to do that is anyone's guess. If the Core overheats, that spells trouble for all of the Underground. What's worse, it can't be a system error. The way the Core functions is like clockwork – it would take an outside force to stop it or disrupt its flow."
"What do you think we should do?" Alice asked, brows furrowed. Frisk didn't say anything, but she wanted to know as well.
"Someone needs to investigate," Undyne answered, and that was all she said. Nothing more needed to be spoken.
Whoever that someone to investigate was, it wasn't anyone on The Island. The only person who Frisk thought would do it was Undyne, but there was no way the monsters were letting her go. All anyone could hope was someone outside of The Island would look into the Core to figure out why it was gradually heating up beyond what it should have been.
Suddenly forgetting about her cinnamon bunny, Frisk blinked. All everyone needed was someone to check what was going on and bring back a report. That was all to it.
"I have to go!" Frisk exclaimed, running out the door and ignoring Alice's and Papyrus's calls after her.
If Frisk was to pull through with this, however, she knew she couldn't go alone. For one, she didn't know where the Core was or even had the slightest idea where to begin looking. Another thing, she had no way of knowing what to expect once out there.
"Sans!" she cried in relief at the sight of the skeleton monster.
Had Sans possessed eyebrows, Frisk was sure they would have shot up. The way his posture straightened up and the step back he took – Sans was clearly surprised to see her. After how distant she had been, she couldn't blame him for being more than a little thrown off by her calling for him.
"Frisk," he greeted once he had recovered, "I was just looking for you."
Pinching her brows, Frisk questioned, "You were?"
"Yes. I have a problem, and you're the only person who can help me solve it."
"Well, I can say the same." Frisk crossed her arms. "I need help with something, and you're the only person I know who might lend me a hand."
"Then let's make a deal then," Sans suggested. "You help me, then I'll help you. Deal?"
Now Frisk rose an eyebrow. "Shake on it?"
"Shake on it."
"No whoopie cushion in the hand trick."
"Oh, you're no fun."
After they had shaken hands, Sans said, "Let's go someplace private, if you don't mind. This thing I need help with . . . isn't exactly a well-known fact."
"So a secret then?" Noticing something, Frisk asked, "Why are you still wearing that locket?"
"I think it looks great on me," Sans answered. "Besides, its package deal is a plus."
Had they not been in public, Frisk would have asked if Sans was joking. He actually enjoys Chara's company? Then again, Frisk also kept Chara around when she shouldn't have. It must have been some charm Chara possessed to have those exposed to his toxicity want to be around him. Frisk didn't want to see any other possibility.
When they finally were alone, Frisk opened her mouth to ask about Chara. However, Sans spoke first.
"There's something going on Underground that can't be explained," was how he opened. "Some . . . anomaly causing disturbances in the timeline. Most people are blissfully unaware, and those who know still don't know all that much."
"Is that the plot of an anime or something?"
When Sans didn't respond, Frisk found herself looking for Chara. She knew it was futile since she couldn't see him, but she wanted him to tell her what Sans was going on about. Really, she just wanted him to be there even if he didn't know what Sans was saying. Chara was far better at reading people – he openly distrusted Sans while Frisk was too naïve to see the writing on the wall way back when – and as horrible a person he was, Chara never left Frisk to fend for herself in situations such as this.
"Sans," Frisk said slowly, "what do you need my help with?"
"Something big," was his only reply.
Heartrate skyrocketing, Frisk tried with no success to swallow her anxiety. She unconsciously rubbed her palms against her shorts. Breathing was no longer automatic.
"What's going on?" Frisk didn't want to know the answer. She hoped to never find out the answer.
Before Frisk could even begin to process what might have been going on, she felt an excruciating pain in her abdomen. Looking down, she saw a giant bone penetrating through her skin. She returned her gaze to Sans to see him staring in the opposite direction from her.
When Sans spoke, it was soft and just barely audible. "If I'm wrong, Frisk . . . Please, forgive me."
Frisk died before she could think of a response.