Notes: This chapter was a tough one to write. It's mostly a setup chapter for things to come, and it can be hard to know what to add and what to take away. In fact, I wrote a few extra paragraphs while editing ^_^'

Chapter 12

Flock Together

Snowdin

Amber was nervous as she approached the unfamiliar house. It didn't take too much asking around to find this place. She was thankful for that, since time was of the essence. She couldn't let Sans find her. She just hoped this new plan worked. Outside of dying, Amber didn't really know how to reset at will.

She approached the large wooden house, one of the best constructed in Snowdin, and knocked softly on the door. No one answered, so she knocked a little louder. She really hoped someone was home…

It took a few minutes of waiting but finally that blue bird, Martlett, came to the door. She was wearing her tool belt and had sawdust in her feathers. Clearly she had been working.

"Oh, you're the new Snowdin sentry," Martlett smiled, "Amble, right?"

"Amber."

"Right. Sorry. Amber," Martlett apologized, "What brings you by?"

"Um, Martlett? This is a really awkward request, but, um…" Amber gulped down her fear and steeled herself for what was to come, "I need to come inside to talk to you. About humans."

"Oh…" Martlett's tone grew quieter then, "Did you…find one?"

"Please, may I come in?" Amber asked again.

"Oh, sure! Sure!" Martlett replied, flustered, "I'm sorry! I should've already invited you in."

Martlett then quickly stepped aside so Amber could walk inside. Martlett slammed the door behind her, but Amber had to open the door again for a second because her sheet got stuck. The sooner she had this conversation, the better.

Martlett hurried into the kitchen, but Amber wasn't sure if she should follow her. Was she supposed to sit on the couch? Maybe go into the kitchen or a dining room? She didn't know, so she settled for sitting on the nearest piece of furniture, a blonde wood bench.

Most of the house was made of wood, with some of it intricately carved into cheerful scenes of animals, monster children playing, and for some reason cowboys on horses. Amber had never seen so many pictures carved into furniture before. It was as if all the furniture in an antique store was polished until it looked like new.

After admiring the living room for a few minutes, Amber's impromptu host returned, carrying a wooden tray with novelty coffee mugs. One resembled a fox's head, and the other looked like the blossom of a pink tulip.

"Would you like some coffee?" Martlett offered.

"Yes, thank you," Amber replied as politely as she could, "I don't want to take up too much of your time, but, um, I…need your help."

"Right. You wanted to talk about humans," Martlett recalled as she poured the coffee, "Did you find one? Oh, I already asked that! What I mean is, did you turn one in to the Royal Guard?"

"No. It's, um…worse than that," Amber took a deep breath before continuing, "You see ma'am, I, um…there's someone after me."

"Someone after you?" Martlett repeated, concerned, "Do you know who it is?"

"Yeah," Amber nodded, "It's someone who wants me dead, and they know my name and, my, um…disguise."

"Disguise?" Martlett asked in confusion.

"I haven't been completely honest with you, or anyone really," Amber explained contritely, "You see…"

Amber then pulled off her sheet, and Martlett gasped and spilled some coffee on her feathers.

"I'm a human," Amber said unnecessarily, "I've been hiding here in Snowdin because I can't go home, and I don't want to die, obviously. You said you didn't believe humans were bad, so I think you're someone I can trust not to hurt me just because I exist."

"Have you killed anyone?" Martlett asked right away.

"No, and I wouldn't," Amber assured her, "That's why I'm hiding, so I don't have to fight. The problem is, a monster has discovered my secret identity. This disguise, my name, they both have to go. I need a new look, and I was wondering if you would be willing to help me."

"Well…perhaps," Martlett replied uncertainly, "It's a big request, and I don't even know you. To be fair, I didn't know Clover very long either, and I helped them. Amber, if you are a human, then why did you take a job hunting humans?"

"Well, I mean, did you suspect anything?" Amber asked rhetorically, "People don't look for things in plain sight."

"I suppose that's fair," Martlett conceded, "Well, what kind of disguise are you looking for?"

"I dunno," Amber shrugged, "Just something that makes me look more like a monster. I also need to change my name. Maybe you can help me there too. I don't know what kind of names sound normal here."

"So, let me get this straight," Martlett said, her straight face slowly giving way to excitement, "You mean I get to give you a makeover!?"

Amber's face fell when she realized this was about to be a whole ordeal.

"Oh, this is going to be so great!" Martlett exclaimed, flapping her wings, "I'm going to make you into the most convincing monster ever! It'll be like a construction project, but with a human instead of wood!"

"Oi…" Amber sighed.

Martlett ran up the stairs to see what clothes and other accessories she could find for Amber, and Amber stayed downstairs to finish her coffee. She didn't want to interrupt the genius at work.

A few moments later, Martlett came downstairs with wood, tools, and for some reason, a large pair of googly eyes.

"So much for instead of wood," Amber groused, "What is all that for?"

"Your new outfit," Martlett announced, "Turns out I don't have a lot of clothes or anything useful for making you look like a monster, but then I remembered: Some monsters look like objects, especially around areas near the dump and Hotland. So, we just need to make you look convincingly alive. Then we can figure out your name based on your appearance. Oh! I almost forgot, I need your standing measurements so you don't have to bend down in the disguise all the time!"

"Just make sure there's a crease so I can sit down if I want to," Amber advised.

"Oh, good idea! I would've forgotten," Martlett blushed sheepishly, "I'm not used to working on living structures, so to speak. Haha…"

The next few hours were spent with Martlett hard at work on Amber's new shell, and Amber's time was spent on the undernet looking up names that she could potentially use. She needed something easy to remember, yet convincing for however she was going to look.

"Hm…Luna, Fantasia, Silkie…there are some good options here," Amber nodded as she searched.

"Do you want your disguise painted?" Martlett asked, bent over the box sawing off the excess.

"Uh, yeah, sure," Amber agreed, "What color did you have in mind?"

"Well, what is your favorite color?" Martlett asked.

"Green," Amber replied, "Though I also like cyan and sky blue. Just, you know, calming colors."

"I have some green paint," Martlett said as she got up, "I'll be right back. Tell me when you narrow down a name."

"Will do!" Amber called up the stairs as Martlett ran up them, "Hm…I wonder if I could call myself something stupid, like Box Face or something? Hah!"

It took another hour due to painting the disguise, but soon Martlett's hard work and Amber's patience paid off…sort of.

It was a tall rectangular wooden structure that had a springy substance in the middle to allow Amber to (somewhat) sit down. It was painted a grassy green color and had two googly eyes sticking out, and just below those were the slits where Amber was actually supposed to see out of. There was also a slight hole for the mouth so Amber could eat.

"It looks like a Veggietales reject mixed with a concertina," Amber commented, but then realized that might offend Martlett and added, "It's beautiful! Thank you so much for helping me. This will help me start my life over again."

"Have you thought of a name?" Martlett inquired.

Amber looked at the green contraption, and snickered to herself as a name popped into her head.

"Okra Winfrey," Amber chuckled, "Seriously though, just Okra for short."

"Okra. Yes, that sounds like…an interesting name," Martlett replied noncommittally, "The color does kind of remind me of a green Vegetoid."

Amber, knowing she would have to face her new life sooner or later, left her sheet on the computer chair and slipped into the new suit of wooden armor. There was a door in the side where she could slide in and out of it. This new body was less comfortable than her sheet, but as long as it fooled the monsters she would keep using it. She would also have to get used to introducing herself to people as Okra. Yeah, not the prettiest name on her list, but at least she would be able to remember it.

"You should probably leave Snowdin soon," Martlett advised, "This is a small town. Everybody knows everybody, and you might not be able to blend in. You could move to New Home or Hotland if you want. Both of those places have large populations, so you can just slip into the fray without anyone noticing you."

"How do I get there?" Amber asked.

"You go past Waterfall to get to Hotland, and from Hotland you travel to The Core, and from there you can get to New Home. It's not the most convenient, especially if you can't fly, but I think it would be the best place to hide you. If you're looking for a job, I have connections with the Royal Scientist."

"Yeah, I don't think you want me near technology. That's how I got into this mess," Amber smirked, "Don't worry. I'll find work. I just…I don't want to ask anyone else for a job. The last monster I asked to help me get a job, well…let's just say they can't be trusted anymore."

"Oh. I think I understand," Martlett hung her head, "They're the one who is hunting you."

"Yeah, but I'm not angry with them. Not really," Amber told her, "They have their reasons, even if they're wrong. I just have to avoid them."

"I hope you stay safe, Okra," Martlett sounded sad, but Amber couldn't help but laugh, "It's not funny! You could be in serious danger!"

"Sorry…hahaha…I guess I'm just not used to that stupid name yet," Amber laughed guiltily, "Thank you for everything. I'll keep in touch."

Martlett then bid goodbye to Amber, and Amber walked out of the house in her new wooden shell. Well, technically Amber as she knew herself stayed behind, and Okra walked out of that house. She had to remind herself that she was going to be Okra from now on. Looking at her situation, part of her wished she had taken naming herself more seriously.

Waterfall

Amber made it as far as the dump before she had to rest. She was kind of proud of herself for walking that far while wearing what was essentially her own coffin.

The dump was quiet, and the water was still and stank of old garbage. The dismal nature of this place felt like a sharp contrast to the rest of Waterfall. Even in this strange Wonderland no one could escape the consequences of pollution. That was a little depressing the more Amber thought about it.

As she sat alone with her thoughts, wondering what life held for her now, she heard her cellphone ring. It was clipped to the inside of her costume so she could get to it easier, but maneuvering her arms to answer was still an ordeal. That was when she realized her costume, just like the last one, didn't have proper arm holes. Why was this constantly a thing she had to deal with?

"H-Hello?" Amber answered cautiously, "This is Okra. Who is calling?"

"Sorry! I have the wrong number!" She heard Papyrus's voice on the other end, "Now allow me to sing a rendition of The Wrong Number Song!"

"Huh?" Amber asked flatly.

"Oh, it's the wrong number! The wrong number song~!" Papyrus caterwauled on the other end, hurting Amber's ears, "We're very very sorry that we got it wrong! Oh, it's the wrong number, the wrong number song~!"

"Dang it Papyrus, shut up!" Amber screamed into her phone.

"Eh? How do you know my name?" Papyrus asked, confused, "Wait a minute! This isn't the wrong number, is it? You're Amber, aren't you?"

"Uh…" Amber wanted to deny it, but she was too shocked that he actually figured it out that quickly.

"Oh, this is the right number! The right number song~!" Papyrus began to sing.

"OMG, stop!" Amber shrieked, "Your brother's attacks aren't this painful!"

"We're very very happy that we weren't wrong~!" Papyrus kept singing, "Oh, it's the right number, the right number song~!"

"…Are you done now?" Amber asked wearily.

"Yes," Papyrus simply replied.

"Good. Can I hang up now?" Amber whined.

"No! Don't hang up!" Papyrus shouted quickly, "I need to talk to you, Amber! It's important!"

"Um…okay," Amber conceded, "What's up, buddy?"

"Amber, are we friends?" Papyrus asked seriously, "Before we keep talking I really really need to know if we're friends!"

"Yes, we're friends," Amber told him, "Does this mean you forgive me for what I said about Flowey? Because I never really apologized for that, and, um, I'm doing it now. I'm sorry for what I said about your friend Flowey. Please forgive me. Okay?"

"Of course I forgive you!" Papyrus exclaimed, "I know sometimes when people are stressed they say things they don't mean. We are still very good friends!"

"Glad to hear it, buddy," Amber said to humor him, "So, um, was that all you wanted? Can I, um…?"

"Are you a good person, Amber?" Papyrus asked point blank, "If we're friends you'll tell me the truth. I need to hear it from you that you're a good person!"

"Uh…that's a pretty vague question to ask someone," Amber wavered, "I mean, I think I'm a good person, but everyone has a different definition of what that means for them. Like, I stole stuff when I was a kid, but it was just so my brother and I could eat. I sometimes snap at people, but I don't actually want to hurt them. When you say "good person", what exactly do you mean?"

"Are you going to…kill us?" Papyrus asked, his voice breaking for a moment, "Amber, I believe you when you say you are a good person, and good people don't kill others just because they can. We can all be friends, Amber. I can teach you how to be friends with everyone. I, The Great Papyrus, will guide you through life here in the underground! All you have to do is accept my aid!"

Amber felt cold chills going down her back. Flowey told her that Sans would know what she was, but he never mentioned Papyrus also knowing. She didn't even fight Papyrus! How did he know? Did Sans talk to him? Were they going to hunt her down together? This offer of friendship was clearly a trap. No one was naive enough to see a potentially homicidal enemy and treat them as a friend. No, she couldn't go back to Snowdin, and she couldn't trust Papyrus.

"Okay Papyrus," Amber said in what she hoped was a convincing tone, "I'll meet you at your house tonight. We can be great friends."

"Wowie! I knew you would do the right thing!" Papyrus cheered, "Well, I mean, I didn't know for sure, but I was really hoping for it, and you did! We can finally hang out and become best friends! See you tonight!"

"See you tonight…" Amber repeated before she hung up, "…in your dreams, you human hunting freak."

Amber then spent the next few minutes reattaching the phone to the inside of her costume before she started walking again. This cumbersome thing was somehow worse than the sheet!

As she started walking again, Amber wondered what kind of jobs were in Hotland and New Home. She wasn't sure which one she would settle in, but whichever one had the best career opportunities was probably what she would select. She just had to get used to her new turtle shell of an outfit on the way there. She had to be able to move proficiently so no one would suspect her of being a fraud.

Snowdin

Sans noticed that Papyrus had been watching out the window all night. It was now the wee hours of the morning, and Papyrus hadn't moved from that spot. Considering how energetic Papyrus normally was, this was a little concerning.

"Hey, uh, bro?" Sans called out worriedly, "You, uh, want some coffee?"

"Is it still today or is it tomorrow?" Papyrus asked, his voice quiet and surprisingly tired.

"Uh…it's tomorrow," Sans shrugged, "Why? Were you waiting for something?"

"Nobody came," Papyrus said, disappointment clear in his tone, "She lied to me."

"Who lied?" Sans asked.

"Amber."

Sans perked up at that.

"You found Amber? Where is she?" Sans interrogated.

"I figured out her cellphone number by dialing everyone sequentially," Papyrus explained, "She said she was a good person, and she would come over tonight so I can teach her how to be friends with everyone. Tonight is gone though. It is now tomorrow, and she never came."

"That's probably the best case scenario," Sans told him, "If she did come over, she could've killed you. Remember, Amber has something to do with the resets. She's too dangerous to handle alone."

"I just wanted to give her a chance," Papyrus said sadly, "Everyone can be a good person, if they just try. I just wanted to resolve this peacefully, so you wouldn't get hurt. I thought Amber would want to be good if she knew a cool guy like me wanted to be her friend."

"We both know the anomaly doesn't work that way, so there's no reason to believe Amber would either."

"Well, the call wasn't a total waste," Papyrus informed Sans, "I did get one useful thing out of it."

"Yeah? What's that?" Sans asked intently.

"A name," Papyrus replied, his features hardening, "She doesn't go by Amber anymore. Her new name is Okra."

"So, she changed identities," Sans nodded stiffly, "Can't say I'm surprised. She seems to be the type to leave without a ghost of a trace."

"Not the time for puns," Papyrus chided him.

"Heh heh heh heh. Guess we have no body to blame but ourselves," Sans chuckled, "But hey, at least this new information puts us in high spirits."

"Sans, enough!" Papyrus snapped irritably.

Sans continued to laugh and Papyrus huffed irritably. Sans sat down on the couch, and Papyrus, having stood by the window all night, decided he needed to sit down as well.

"Don't worry bro, we'll find her," Sans assured Papyrus, "Whatever happens, we won't let whatever that thing is harm our friends. We just have to figure out how to get her and her genocidal brother out of our lives for good."

"Or we can rehabilitate them," Papyrus suggested, "This was a setback, but maybe there's still a chance."

"Yeah, maybe bro," Sans humored Papyrus.

Sans hugged his brother, pretending to fall asleep just to annoy him. He didn't want Papyrus involved, but what could he do? Two potential anomalies and The Absolute creeping upon them…he needed help. He just knew though, in the pit of his soul, that if this Amber/Okra thing started killing monsters then Papyrus would definitely die. Sans wanted to protect his brother, but deep down, he knew it wasn't up to him anymore.