Chapter nine
The child at first felt frightened, but that fear was quickly replaced with the image of Theodan. Walking towards the lady with determination, she stood her ground, prepared for battle and for answers. The creature smiled.
"I'm certain this won't take too long… but I hope not," She said with a malicious glint in her eyes.
The child asked, "Who are you? Why are you doing this?!"
"…" The creature attacked with a swift flick of the wrist that sent strands of fire towards the child.
The child was able to survive the first wave without harm.
"… You may refer to me as Corruption, because that is what I am in simple terms for you to understand," Corruption replied.
"Why are you attacking me though? What did I or anyone do to you here?" The child asked.
"…" With a slightly widened smile, Corruption sent a wave of shadows at the child to lower her visibility.
Unfortunately the child couldn't avoid it, but she was able to avoid the fire attacks sent her way since the fire was bright enough for her to dodge in time.
"I believe you are someone familiar to me… and that soul of yours… also I don't like anyone, obviously," Corruption replied with a simple shrug of her shoulders.
"Who… do you think I am?" The child asked.
"…" Corruption threw a few attacks at the child with a few hand movements.
The child was hit with one as she heard the flesh on her right upper arm be sliced, while also noticing what hit her was a black blade with a white sharp end.
"… Ah I see. So not only your appearance, but your mind… interesting, but annoying considering how kind you've been behaving lately…" Corruption said as her head lowered enough to put a shadow over her eyes.
"What do you mean? You know me from before? But why would being kind annoy you?" The child asked.
"… So that's it. Cold and lifeless for as long as you have must have done this to you huh? Interesting, very interesting," Corruption said, and sent a barrage of electric blades at the child.
The blades spun in a cluster and, after reaching a certain distance close to the child, would combust outward and then drop. The child avoided the clusters, but the combustion surprised her as she was hit on her left side with it, taking some damage but not enough for the child to yet worry.
"… But I just came here… I just fell… or… was that me?" the child said, thinking to herself out loud.
"Obviously that's a part of YOUR memory, but the holes seem to be filling up with compassion," Corruption said as she sent a wave of shadows to make the child's visibility worse to her attacks but not herself.
The child was hit with an attack that burned her leg, so she ate a food to restore half her health.
"How pitiful that you have to heal yourself and we just begun. Are you really allowing yourself to be this weak and still think you can reach the end of the underground and escape? Do you think it will be THAT easy? Hehehe. You seem to not realize that leaving for you means you'll HAVE to hurt someone," Corruption said, as she shot more attacks.
The child was hit by a slice on her left arm, but not enough damage to need a heal.
"But… Papyrus, Undyne… Alphys… they said it shouldn't be a problem if I talk to the k-"
"Considering they all haven't seen a human before, who do you think acquired the other six souls if he was soooo nice?" Corruption interrupted as the child's eyes widened.
"Such a foolish, trusting child… you shouldn't trust so easy," Corruption said shaking her head slowly.
"… And what about you? You killed Theodan! Why should I even trust what YOU say is true?!" The child rebutted.
"… Child, if I wanted to kill you, I would have done so when you were alone. The only reason I didn't was because I was giving you a chance to do SOMETHING. But my patience has worn very thin, as the loose ends I needed to CUT! Besides, lying to you won't hurt you… and I WANT you to suffer…" Corruption said as her right eye began to darken in a spiral of red and darkness.
A shining red fire emitted from her hand as she shot waves at the child, who wasn't able to dodge one wave and was hit on her shin. The child's eyes widened to see that her shin was scratched at multiple times instead of burned, just as her hand was earlier but worse this time. She took another food to heal herself fully, and became distressed when the scratches on her shin didn't heal fully and carried over to cause one damage.
"Hehehe. Yes, you deserve that suffering… for what you've done…" Corruption said as she sent more waves and a few blades.
The child was able to dodge better, and avoid any hit.
"But I don't understand why you want me to suffer… and loose ends… so you did attack the Aecan monsters before? But why? What suffering do they and I deserve?!" The child asked.
"…" Corruption sent more attacks between the fires and the electric, as the child was able to survive with just a singe of electricity.
"The Aecans have just gotten in my way before, at least twice. But you… you on the other hand have disappointed me at least twice before, and right now… Three strikes and I've had enough of waiting. I've waited too long to have you come back and not repay the debt you owe me… I. Let. You. LIVE. And this is how you repay me? These monsters… this hope, this compassion, this love… it's gotten in your head… you're like them now… and I've had enough," Corruption crossed arms as her face held a glare that grew as intense as the flames behind her did.
"But I don't remember! I'm still trying to figure out who I am! And why would I even help you anyway?! You killed someone close to my friend and I can't let that slide! What? Did you want ME to kill too? To kill the monsters here? For what?!" The child asked.
Corruption chuckled and replied, "Of course I wanted you to kill them. How are you supposed to be stronger like me if you don't? You're just a child, so killing humans is too hard to do for you. Only I could."
The child was frozen as she let Corruption's words sink in for a moment, realizing that the creature before her knew who she was before, wanted her to kill monsters not only to get stronger but strong enough to kill humans too, and was able to do so and probably has.
"… How… Why are you like this? Why?!" The child asked.
"Why should I have to explain myself to you again? Oh right, you can't remember a thing… such a pathetic creature you've become. Well, might as well… I hate everyone, and I want them all to die only because I want the power I gain from killing them. I want the LOVE that I gain from them so that I can make everyone suffer. It makes me happy… it makes me feel something… Though surely you don't understand corruption well enough because you aren't like me… But anyway, I think we've talked enough. I'm impatient after all…" Corruption said as she stretched her arms.
"Let's end this already," Corruption said as her hands ignited in the red shining flames with sparks of electric emitting from her body.
The child took a step back, as Corruption lifted her arms in fist up and the swirling red and darkness in one eye swirled even worse and made red shining liquid pour from the eye while the other began to swirl.
"This time I'm going all in. Prepare to die multiple times, because I know you'll try to come back… that little light you grab at helps you, doesn't it? Let's see how it works… I'll be sooo thrilled to know that I can kill you over and over again if it does what I think… Hehehehe!"
Corruption sent waves of attacks at the child, searing her arm and slicing her legs while electrocuting her body on occasion between attacks. The child tried to talk to her and ask more questions, but Corruption wouldn't respond except once,
"… I'm tired of your voice."
Corruption sliced towards the child as the Act button was damaged.
"Come on, child. Face me now," She said with a smirk.
The child had healed previous turn and wasn't damaged much, so she decided to try to fight this creature to see if she could weaken her to escape, realizing the fire behind Corruption reacted to her power. As she tried to hit Corruption with her stick, the electric sparks emitted from the child's body backfired as the Fight button and the child were both damaged.
"Hehehehe. Oops, did I accidentally deceive you into thinking you could FIGHT me? Pain will only make me stronger, so trying to inflict it on me only works against you, especially since I already hit you. I'm corrupted, remember?" Corruption cackled.
The child wasn't sure what to do at this point as she held her side. Corruption damaged the Act and Fight buttons, leaving Items and Spare. The child attempted to Spare Corruption even if it didn't work the first time as she suspected.
"What makes you think Sparing will work just because it helped you before? You can't Spare me because unlike most monsters here I am too determined to let you go, you can't Run because this area is locked up, and no one can get in through the doors to Save you. So what can you really do besides die and come back to this exact point over and over again? I mean, you could try to run backwards at that light, but at that point I'd know you can come back and kill you right there again," Corruption said, as the child felt her body shaking from the pain and the truth in her words that she tried so desperately to not believe.
"And whether you believe me or not is not the issue when the fact of the matter is… You can't escape, even from yourself, because you'll come back and come back and come back by your OWN determination. You'll come back thinking if you keep coming, I'll get tired… but remember that being corrupted won't allow me to be tired at all from causing suffering. So this… is actually the end for you. Until I grow bored… and with all the power I'd have gained from killing you over and over that will remain since I'm corrupted… I'll use it to destroy everyone along with you. Hehehehehe," Corruption said as she raised both of her arms up with a grin and narrowed eyes of victory.
"Goodnight, you dirty traitor," Corruption let out her parting words, as the child's eyes watered when Corruption slammed her arms down and sent a wave of shining red fire across the whole ground.
However, Corruption's grin faltered as her eyes widened to see that the child was gone just as she striked the ground. She looked around and saw the child wasn't there, but a certain feeling in her gut made her look up as the beam of her red eyes dimmed to see Curtain climbing up the wall with the child holding onto her. Curtain looked down at Corruption as she stood in front of a hole in the ceiling she made near the entrance of the old Spider house. With furrowed brows and a rageful determination, Curtain sneered at Corruption and quickly jumped in the hole as she sealed it with her magic behind her. Corruption stood still for a moment, since her attack drained her for a moment because of how much she put in it to reach a large range. A twisted smile of frustration overcame Corruption as she slowly and weakly laughed about her situation as the flames from behind her engulfed her in it's fury.
Curtain jumped down in front of the shining light with the child as she set her down and started healing her wounds.
"I'm so sorry kid… I wish I came faster to you. I saw spiders all running away and when I knew you were in there when the Spider saleswoman told me… I was terrified that you were de-" Curtain stopped short when the child hugged her tightly.
"Thank you… thank you so much Curtain. I'm sorry I left without you, I wanted to keep you safe but then Corruption came."
"… Corruption… aw kid," Curtain hugged the child back.
"She can see the lights too… she knew me before I came here and wanted me to be bad and kill for her, but when I didn't she wanted to kill me instead so that she can gain power… power to kill anyone… she called me a traitor for not helping her three times, but I can't remember the first… Curtain… what kind of person was I…?" The child asked in fear.
"… If you made that witch angry because of those reasons, then I'd say you weren't so bad. And that now, you are a good kid," Curtain said as they separated from their hug and exchanged a smile.
The smashing sound of the door made the two jump as they looked towards it wide eyed. With shocked expressions hastily appearing from each of their faces, the door slammed again as it cracked partially open, revealing a large red eye from within the darkness radiating from the inside.
"You DARE RUN?! ROOOAR!" A deep voice mixed with Corruption's own voice roared and shook the ground.
"Come on, kid!" Curtain said, turning her back to the child as the child jumped on her back and held on.
Curtain hastily ran on all fours away, as Corruption swiped a mighty claw at her but missed from the door. As Curtain sprinted on all fours with the child holding on, Corruption smashed her way out of the room. Her body was all black in the form of a wingless dragon, horns and claws of marble and teeth and claws of pearl, along with fiery red eyes that were fully red and smoking along with her mouth but instead having a dark smoke emitting downward from it. Her iron-tipped tail followed behind as she ran after the two in a body that was triple her size and easily carried herself over the puzzles. Curtain used her gliding to make traveling over puzzles easier, but still had to run along the trail.
"Muffet run!" The child called out when she saw ahead that Muffet was tending to her spiders.
"Oh my! Upward, dearies!" Muffet commanded, as the spiders and herself took to the ceiling with their webs, and any monsters nearby.
Curtain and the child sped passed them, as Corruption's focus was solely on them.
"She's fast! I didn't know she could just change her freaking form!" Curtain said as she kept running along and gliding down the edges to the lower levels to escape.
"I didn't know either… ah!" The child said as she steered Curtain away from a fire ball that was coming from behind as they glided down.
"Thanks kid! Keep a watch out! It's hard to run fast, glide, and dodge while I'm freaked out!" Curtain said, and the child agreed.
Corruption jumped along and although seemed to fall in the fiery water, would rise up like it was just regular water and continue the pursuit. She would throw fireballs and rocks she would grab, as the child would lead Curtain to dodge and kick a rock back. One rock actually hit Corruption in the eye.
"YEOW! You'll pay for that one!" She screeched and shook her head, then continued pursuing them.
Running passed the sign that says Welcome to Hotland, Curtain and the child turned over to keep running back into Waterfall, while Corruption almost fell off the cliff and had to climb up to continue after them. Alphys tried to contact the child when she noticed the chase, but then changed tactics to call on someone else except her nervous fingers made it hard for her to call them fast.
"She just won't stop! She's too determined to kill us! We might get cornered in Snowdin if this keeps up!" Curtain said.
"True! And someone will get hurt if she finishes us! We have to do something!" The child said.
"I don't know what we can do! She's not weak and I don't know if I'm strong enough to face her! I can't even fly!" Curtain said.
Monsters were at first hiding as the child called out for them to hide, but after a while there weren't any monsters along the way.
"… Is someone warning them?" Curtain inquired.
Corruption roared as she was getting back on track to chase them from almost falling. Curtain and the child kept going until Curtain stopped when they reached the end of a bridge.
"This… This was where Undyne cut the bridge to get me… we have to go another way," The child said, but the rumbling of Corruption made them realize they couldn't turn around.
"We can't go back or she'll get us… but staying here will only delay…" Curtain trailed off as her mind raced to find a solution.
The child, with enough simplicity and determination, said in a voice of unshaken resolve,
"Curtain, you have to fly!"
"Wh… What?! But I can't-" Curtain was cut off by the child,
"You HAVE to Curtain! If you don't we'll die! If you do, we can try to escape! Even go to the Ruins to try to escape! You HAVE to Curtain! And if you can't, then we'll fall and die at least trying! And even if… even if we're stuck doing that over and over or just dying here and now… we HAVE to STAY DETERMINED! DETERMINED TO TRY! DETERMINED TO LIVE!"
Tears poured from the child's eyes as she screamed this with all her might, and Curtain, feeling the immense power of this child's determination, also felt her own heart and the child's beating as one.
"WAAAHH!" Curtain screamed as she jumped forward off the cliff into the darkness below with the child.
Corruption finally ran in hearing a scream, and she looked to see no one there as peered into the dark abyss below, a chuckle escaping her snouted mouth.
"It's done then… they did the job for me. Hehehe. How sad…" She turned and started heading back where she came from to go down to find ther bodies.
"If only I had been the on-" Corruption slowly lifted her head as a sound reached her ears that she hadn't heard in a long time while a few set of eyes flashed in her mind.
She turned around and had to close her eyes as a gust of wind passed, and when she opened her eyes they widened and dimmed to see the wings of an Aecan fly off far ahead.
The child's eyes were wide open as she was ascending up and over the bridge she had recently ran across. She looked and noticed wings that were more full looking flapping and staying a float, as she held onto Curtain of whom the wings belonged to. Curtain's hair seemed to change by an addition of purple feathers and fur marks of dark blue on her cheeks like cuts that reached down the sides of her neck, while a second fang poked out from her mouth with longer claws on her hands. The child was surprised by this change, and even noticed a magic translucent form of a tail was also trailing behind them of purple feathers and blue fur.
"Curtain… you almost look like… you're actually… YOU'RE FLYING!" The child exclaimed when too many words were jumbled in her mind at once.
"… Oh. Oh my gosh! I'm actually flying, dude! I'm soaring!" Curtain said, a big smile on her face that only lasted a few seconds when she realized Corruption may be still around.
"Hey kid, are we still being foll-" Curtain was interrupted by a roar that came from behind them in the same direction they were coming from.
"… No…" Curtain said as she turned her head to look as well as the child.
They both let out small screeches as they saw Corruption with a full set of dragon wings with fur and a mist of shadowy hellfire around them gaining speed towards them.
"Run as far as you WANT! Fly as far as you CAN! I took out that Aecan from before! And I'll get you too, hybrid! I'll get BOTH OF YOU! I WON'T LET YOU TWO ESCAPE LIKE THIS! NOT LIKE THIIIIS!" Corruption hollered as she sent a barrage of attacks that the two dodged and parried against.
"Oh come on! I just learned to fly! I'm not an expert yet!" Curtain said in aggravation.
"Just keep going! We might make it if we get to Snowdin! It's colder there and she uses heat so maybe that will slow her down!" The child said as she tried to call Toriel to see if she was able to get in contact.
They kept flying straight out as a gust of cold hit them, although Toriel still did not pick up her phone.
Upon approaching Snowdin, the Monsters there were told to stay indoors as Undyne and Papyrus stood ready while Sans was on the balcony of his house.
"DO YOU SEE ANYTHING, BROTHER?! ALPHYS DID TELL YOU THEY WERE HEADED THIS WAY!" Papyrus called out.
"Yeah! Where is that punk who's been messing with the human and Curtain?!" Undyne called out, her spears drawn.
"it's hard to tell with the blizzard and…" Sans stopped talking when he heard an odd sound that was low and then raise a little higher as Curtain and the child emerged from the icy winds and kept flying forward in haste and fear induced adrenaline.
For only a moment they made eye contact, but the two looked forward as they passed by. However, right on their trail, Corruption emerged with her rage in full force, but she was able to send a passing glance towards Sans as she noticed his concern for the two who passed by. This only made Corruption instinctively smirk at the skeleton as his eyesockets widened to see her intent of pain in her eyes.
"NOW UNDYNE!" Papyrus yelled out as he threw a few bone attacks at the beast.
"NGYAAH!" Undyne yelled as she threw her spears as well.
Some of the bones missed, but the spears hit Corruption as she felt the sharp points dig into her scales.
"DIRECT HIT!" Undyne yelled out.
However, the rage and determination in Corruption as she saw the two about to escape her grasp made her so fiery that she sucked in so much air to almost burst. She breathed out in a rageful yell as her dragon body burned away in ashes while from her mouth shot out a ball of darkness towards the two. Undyne and Papyrus were surprised to see their attacks fall to the ground as the dragon body disappeared before them, but what took priority from the three of them which included Sans was the dark ball that was shot at the two.
Curtain and the child kept flying as the child saw the ball and tried to deter Curtain away only to see it follow them. She gasped, as Curtain heard it and turned her head around. The ball gained at them, and from within the ball formed Corruption in her lady form with swirling eyes and a clawed hand filled with the shining red fire that was raised up.
Curtain's eyes widened as she flipped over around to grab the child, "KID!"
Corruption slashed her clawed hand as the two were hit directly and launched downward into the Snowdin forest as they could barely scream from the hit being so impactful.
"HUMAN! CURTAIN!" Undyne and Papyrus called out in unison.
"Heh… heheheheh. I said you wouldn't escape me like this, unharmed at least… darn, now I'm damaged. Stupid rocks, bones and spears… but this can help me for now…" Corruption said as she choked and also fell into the forest in a different area from where the two were launched.
The three seeing all this occur hurried into the forest, one in particular.
Ouch...