Crushed after the Anon-a-Miss incident, Sunset Shimmer leaves CHS and ends up falling underground
Convinced she'll never find peace after the Anon-a-Miss incident, Sunset Shimmer decides to leave Canterlot High for good. When her friends go after her, they wind up getting lost and falling underground. And when Sunset falls in after them, she's left with a choice.
Escape to the surface and keep her sanity or risk losing herself in the darkness.
I'm really sorry for what I'm about to do, but I just can't take it anymore. Sure, I knew people would have a hard time getting over what I did at the Fall Formal; but at the very least, you all forgave me. Gave me one lifeline to hold onto to keep from being swept away, and that was enough. Sure, it wasn't easy; there were more than a few times during those six months that I thought about giving up. But after we defeated the Sirens, I thought I could put the past behind me forever.
Wishful thinking huh?
Tear stains blotted the rest of the paper, making the letter difficult to read.
I just...don't understand. It took so little for everyone to turn on me again. Even the five of you only needed a few more posts from Anon-a-Miss to do the same. Was helping to save the school not enough to earn your trust? Was I just wasting my time? Or is forgiveness just not an option for someone like me? Maybe Twilight was right after all; maybe I am just destined to be alone.
But I can't do that. Not again. After you all showed me the love and hope that comes with friendship, I can't just go numb. If I do that, then I might as well have not changed at all. But, I can't live with this pain either, spending every day of my life knowing those treasures are there but unable to reach them. That's suffering far worse than death.
Don't try and find me. You won't. Even I don't know where I'm going. I only know one thing:
I am never coming back.
Your friend Signed,
Sunset Shimmer.
P.S. Twilight, I'm sorry I let everybody down.
With shaking hands, Twilight Sparkle finished reading the letter. The other five girls stood around her and winced at the words. No one said anything. Earlier that morning, they'd found the letter taped to Sunset's locker, and the horrified girls had immediately called the Princess for help. All they'd said was that it was an emergency; something like this was too serious to be said over the journal. Upon arrival, the panicking girls had given her a hasty explanation about Anon-A-Miss. An explanation she'd found utterly inconceivable. That the Crusaders, of all people, had launched a smear campaign against Sunset out of petulant jealousy was bad enough. But to make matters worse, everyone had fallen for it, even the other Elements. Unbelievable.
Feeling nauseous, Twilight forced back a wave of comforting denial. That would do no good now. Instead, she pocketed the message and turned to face her friends.
"Is this true?" Her voice was carefully neutral. "Is she correct about what you did?"
Rainbow Dash stepped forward, her eyes downcast. "Yes. It's true. We thought she was Anon-a-Miss and trying to drive us apart again."
"I see." Twilight turned around, her back toward the girls. "I have a some questions for you all."
"Okay."
She faced them again and looked straight at Applejack. "What evidence did you have that she posted your information?"
"Well," AJ scratched her head. "We thought that since she'd been the only one there when we all shared our secrets, that it couldn't be anyone but her."
"I see." Twilight kept her tone flat but allowed her eyes to narrow. "So I assume you checked her phone to see if she posted the info, then? Or maybe you checked her profile to see if it matched Anon-a-miss? Or even checked among yourselves how it could have gotten leaked before blaming anyone?"
"N-not exactly." Applejack brought the rim of her hat down over her eyes.
"I see." Came the reply again. Now, she set her sights on Rarity. "Question two: Did she have any sort of motive for being Anon-A-Miss?"
Rarity avoided her gaze. "Well, like Applejack said, we thought she was trying to drive us apart again."
"And what would she have to gain by doing so? Why would she want to reopen old wounds after finally gaining the school's acceptance? It doesn't make sense." Twilight began drumming her fingers on her arm. "The only way that would make sense is if she wasn't really reformed at all. Do you still have doubts after all this time?"
The girl stepped back, silenced by the words.
At last, Twilight turned to Pinkie and Fluttershy.
"One more question. After this whole conflict was resolved, did any of you even apologize to Sunset for your false accusations?"
Frightened, they both shook their heads.
"I see." She muttered a third time. "That's all I needed to know." Taking a few steps forward, she faced the group as a whole.
"I'm very disappointed in you. When I left Sunset in your care after the Fall Formal, I thought that you five could help her reform herself. But you didn't. One would think you'd give her the benefit of the doubt after saving us during the band competition. But you didn't. One would think you'd try to make amends after realizing you were wrong about her. But you didn't. Instead, you abandoned her like she was nothing. You're no better than the Dazzlings.
"Now come on." She turned to leave. "We have to find her before she does something drastic. Assuming you still care about her at all and weren't just helping her for my sake."
Though she couldn't see it, each of the girls had tears in their eyes. Shame weighed heavily on all of them.
"Twilight we--"
"You have a lot to think about."
They searched in silence; no one had anything to say. The school was their first stop. While some of the students had seen her there earlier, most of them didn't have a clue where she'd gone afterwards. Those who did could only offer vague statements which contradicted each other and gave the girls no help. Trying not to panic, the girls split up, each checking a different area of the school.
Back in the main foyer, Twilight decided to talk to the Principals. Perhaps they could offer more help.
Thunk! Thunk!
"It's open." Came a voice inside.
Twilight slowly opened the door. "Hello Principal Celestia."
"Good afternoon, Twilight. I didn't know you were coming back today." Celestia smiled and stood up. "What brings you here?"
"I'm looking for Sunset Shimmer. Have you seen her?"
The smile vanished as quickly as it had appeared. "Y-yes. She was in my office just this morning."
This doesn't bode well.
"How was she feeling?" Twilight once more choked down panic.
Celestia put an arm behind her head. "She was...devastated. Sobbing like she'd just found out a loved one had died. I tried to calm her down, but she was inconsolable. She told me she knew the girls would never accept her now, she was completely alone without them, and she couldn't live like that again. That without their support, she had nothing to live for."
Oh no. Twilight's heart sank. It's even worse than I thought.
"Principal Celestia, do you know where she went?"
"I can't say exactly." The woman frowned. "She left the school before I could stop her. But judging by the security cameras, she was heading for the Everfree Forest." Seeing the look on Twilight's face, she kept going. "The Everfree forest is a patch of woods on the outskirts of Canterlot that divides the city from Everton County. Reportedly, a lot of strange stuff happens in there. Just leave the school and head west. There's nothing else in that direction."
"Thank you." Twilight turned to leave. "We'll find her as soon as we can." Wasting no more time, she collected the rest of the girls, and they headed out once again.
Sunset please, just hang on.
Rain.
That was the first change they noticed. Even though in Canterlot the sun still shone brightly in a clear sky, the Everfree Forest somehow had a surplus of storm clouds. The second was the trees. They were gnarled, bony, and strangest of all, black instead of brown. What few leaves there were had an odd blue tint. Third was the darkness. Even though it was still the middle of the afternoon, the area before them looked completely pitch-black; they could barely see a few feet beyond the entrance. All in all, only one word could accurately describe the place.
Unnerving.
The girls looked each other, uncertain.
"Maybe this isn't a good idea, Twilight. Maybe we should come back later."
"Absolutely not." Twilight brushed it off right away. "You saw the letter. Sunset could be in there right now about to do who-knows-what. We can't wait any longer. Come on. We're going in."
Without hesitation, she walked into the woods. The others waited less than a second before going in after her.
Inside the forest, the rain was even worse, coming down in sheets and pushing against them. Gusts of wind flared up at random, buffeting them into trees. Despite that, they kept moving forward, crashing into branches and stumbling over roots as they went. Unable to see each other, they held hands, not wanting to lose each other too. And as they trekked forward, they called for their friend.
"Sunset!"
"Where are you, Sunny?"
"Sunset darling, can you hear me?"
"Please don't do anything you'll regret!"
"We're sorry about Anon-a-Miss!"
There was no reply. They didn't know if the rain was deafening their voices or if she just wasn't there to hear them, but they kept going regardless. Even if Twilight wasn't pushing them forward, they all know what might happen if they didn't find her. The search went on for what felt like hours. But eventually, they had to rest.
"Girls." Rarity took in a breath. "I don't want to alarm you, but I think we're lost."
"Nonsense." Pinkie gritted her teeth. We're not lost. We're still moving forward."
"But forward where? This forest is huge. And we have no idea where Sunset is in it."
"Well, we can't stop now even if we wanted to. Turning around now will just get us MORE lost."
"Ah know, Twilight. But we got to find our bearings. Won't do Sunset any good if we don't know where we are."
With a sigh, Twilight came to a stop. She knew Applejack was right. Squinting hard, she stared into the darkness, looking for something, anything they could use to orient themselves. Thankfully, her eyes had adjusted enough to see better; but other than the trees, there wasn't much else to see save for some vines on the ground. Upon closer inspection though, one of them stood out. While the rest were black and stringy, that one was thick, green and covered in flowers. With that new knowledge came an idea, and she started tugging it.
"Whatcha doing, Twi?"
"This vine's different from the other ones; so if we follow it, we'll at least be able to keep moving in one direction." And they did. The vine stretched onward leading them deeper into the forest. Quiet fell once again as they focused on moving forward, filled with determination. To add to their good fortune, the rain finally stopped, the warm rays of the sun poking through the clouds. The light lifted the curtain of blackness around their eyes; its harsh glare forced them to squint.
And then Twilight's foot touched nothing but air.
Unable to stop herself, she lurched forward and downward into a giant sinkhole. Flailing her arms, she managed to grab one of the slides, flipping herself over in the process. Her other hand still held the vine; and to her surprise, it seemed to be jutting right out of the hole.
"Are ya all right, sugar-cube?"
"F-fine. Just a little shaken." Twilight gave a nervous laugh. "Can you help me out of here please?"
"Sure thing." Rubbing their eyes clear, the girls reached down to help.
The vine however, had other ideas. In an instant, it had yanked itself out of her grasp and wrapped tightly around her legs.
"AAH, This thing is ALIVE!" And it was pulling her down.
"Twilight!" Applejack grabbed Twilight's arm and tried to haul her back up only for the vine to overpower her grip and drag her down too. "WHOA!"
This didn't go unnoticed by Rainbow Dash who quickly grabbed AJ's legs; but once again, the vine proved stronger and she went down after them. "AAAAH!"
Not to be deterred, Rarity wrapped her arms around Rainbow's torso while Fluttershy kept her steady. But again, the vine was too strong. "Oh my GOODNESS!"/"HAAAAH!"
And finally Pinkie Pie, completely oblivious to the danger, cannonballed herself down the hole after them. "WHEEE!" They fell and screamed. Once more, the darkness had taken away their sight. After what seemed like ages, they finally hit bottom. All of them blacked out from the impact.
"Wake up."
Twilight had to wonder why her EVERYTHING hurt: her head felt like someone had dropped a dumbbell on it, her chest felt like she'd been hit by a truck, and her limbs felt like jelly when she tried to move them.
"Hey buddy. Are you all right?"
Yet, all of this pain told her that she was still alive, so she slowly opened her eyes. Forcing herself to stand, she looked around for the others but couldn't see them.
"Who said that?"
"Down here, Missy." replied the voice. She looked down to see something strange.
Let it be known that sleeping in the Everfree forest in the middle of a downpour was one of the worst ideas Sunset Shimmer had ever had. The hard bark of a cluster of tree roots had been amazingly uncomfortable, but the mosquitoes were a nice distraction. Yet as she felt each ache and pain tear through her soaked body, she thought to herself that at least it couldn't get any worse.
"Haah-CHOOO!"
Correction: Now, it's couldn't get any worse.
With a weary sigh, she forced herself to stand, cracking her spine into alignment. The weather around her had improved; the storm giving way to sunshine, but her spirits had not. Although a night of sleep had calmed her down, she was just as broken as she'd been the day before. Despite the Crusaders confessing that they were Anon-A-Miss, the students were determined not to be fooled twice. Dealing with scorn after the Fall Formal was bad before; getting the silent treatment from EVERYONE was even worse. They treated her like she was invisible. No one spoke to her, looked at her, or even acknowledged her presence at all. And the fact that this had all happened AFTER she helped stop the Sirens and regained everyone's trust was the last straw.
The Everfree Forest had been her best bet. Finding someone in there would be difficult at best. What she hadn't counted on though, was the darkness. The storm had caught her by surprise, going from slightly overcast to raging squall in mere minutes. Unable to see in all the rain, she'd desperately sought out what little shelter she could find and waited out the weather. Though falling asleep in the middle of it hadn't been part of the plan.
"Aaah-CHOOO!"
Neither had getting sick. But since she could see again, that no longer mattered. Dripping and shivering, Sunset trudged through the forest anew, continuing her bridge to nowhere.
Someone else had been there. Fresh footprints lined the muddy ground. Bending down close to the ground, she counted the pairs.
"One, two, three, four, five.....six." Six pairs of prints. Did that mean that--?
NO! It wasn't them. It couldn't be them. Those could be anyone's footprints. They weren't looking for her. They lied to her. They betrayed her. They hated her. They abandoned her. They didn't care. They didn't care. They didn't care.
"Someone else just got lost in the forest like I did. They're probably wandering around trying to find their way out." The justification was weak, but it worked. And it was better than getting her hopes dashed again. Besides, she didn't want to see them anyway, not after what they did. She could go the rest of her life without seeing them again and it wouldn't bother her at all. In fact, she dared to say she was better off without them. That way, they wouldn't hurt her anymore, and she would...
She would...
S-s-she'd...
"Be alone again." She nearly choked holding back her tears. "Just like Twilight said. Forever alone." Crying wasn't an option. Not anymore. If the waterworks started now, she wouldn't be able to stop them. Instead of relieving her, that would just make her feel worse. There was no one to comfort her, no silver lining to cling to, and no way to climb out of the pit she was in.
While those thoughts ravaged her mind, her body moved on its own. Mechanically, it followed the footprints, maneuvering her feet to step within them. With each step, her heart quickened, urging her to stop before her thoughts became facts. Delusion and focus blurred together as she walked, bringing her ever close to the inevitable breakdown.
Far too soon for her liking, the trail came to an end. Before her stretched a giant sinkhole, wide enough to have swallowed several trees. Perhaps the rain had weakened the ground and caused it to fall out. She chucked a few rocks into its mouth but didn't hear them hit bottom. The foliage around it was brown and withered, the trees dead or dying. Scuffle marks surrounded it; a struggle had clearly ensued.
Did they fall down here looking for me?
If that was true, then she really did have nothing left. Staring into the yawning abyss, she took a deep breath. This wasn't the first time she'd thought about ending it; in fact, the idea had occurred to her a few times between the Fall Formal and Band Competition. But back then, she had always had someone to stop her before her thoughts got too dark. And lost in grief and pain, she had no comfort now.
She took a step forward, feet halfway over the edge. There was no turning back now.
Celestia...Twilight...Goodbye.
Then she closed her eyes, spread out her arms, and let gravity do the rest.
Long ago, two races ruled over Earth: Humans and Monsters. One day, war broke out between the two races. After a long battle, the humans were victorious. They sealed the monsters underground behind a powerful barrier.
Many years later...
The Everfree Forest.
Rumors say that those who enter the forest never return. But some say the monsters still dwell within. They search for something, or someone and wait for the day they can be free.
Welcome to Undertale.
She wasn't dead.
She had a black eye, a twisted ankle, cuts and bruises all over her, a bloody head wound, a dislocated arm, a broken wrist, and what seemed to be a fever. But she was still alive. A bed of golden flowers had cushioned her fall. And as tempting as it was to just lie there and let her wounds finish her off, she wasn't willing to wait that long. So instead, she forced herself to stand and hobbled towards the next room.
More flowers were there to greet her. Including a bigger one with a face on it. At first, she mistook it for decoration, but found herself mistaken when it spoke.
"Howdy. I'm Flowey. Flowey the Flower."
"A flower with a face on it? Did I hit my head on the way down?"
"Nope. Sorry to disappoint, but I'm just as real as real can be." It gave her an adorable smile. "You're new to the Underground, aren't you?"
Not knowing what to say, she nodded.
"Well lucky for you, I can teach you how things work around here. Good thing you found me before the old goat found you."
She had no idea what he was talking about but kept nodding anyway.
"Ready? Here we go." There was a quick flash of light like someone had taken her picture. Looking down at herself, she noticed a slight change.
She could see her heart. But rather than the gross, pulsating mass of muscle it was supposed to be, the organ instead resembled the traditional depiction commonly found on Valentine's Day cards. It glowed bright red.
"That heart right there is your SOUL, the culmination of your very being. Your soul starts off weak but can grow strong if you get lots of LV."
"LV?" She tilted her head. "What's LV?"
"Why LOVE of course." It smiled again. Four little white pellets appeared in the air above it. "Down here LOVE is shared through little, white...uhhhhh," its eyes shifted a bit, "'Friendliness Pellets.' Yeah, that's it. 'Friendliness Pellets.'"
If the awkward name wasn't suspicious enough, the pause certainly was. She was instantly on edge but didn't say anything.
"You want some LOVE, don't you? Well, here you go."
With a tiny flick, it sent the pellets in her direction. She waited until they got close before turning aside just enough for them to skirt by.
It paused for a moment before continuing, sounding a bit less adorable this time. "Um, hey buddy. You missed them." More pellets appeared. "Let's try this again." They moved towards her again, a little faster.
And once again, she avoided them.
It looked at first her, then the scattered pellets. Then before she could react, a third set of pellets slammed into her backside. Each strike sent bolts of agony racing through her body. And that coupled with the rest of her injuries made her drop to her knees.
Flowey was grinning again, but this one didn't show a smile, only teeth. "You IDIOT. In this world, it's KILL OR BE KILLED. Time for you to learn the same lesson as all the others."
A giant ring of those pellets bullets surrounded her on all sides. She tried to crawl away but there wasn't anywhere to go.
"DIE."
"N-no. no. s-someone help me." She barely managed to croak it out. Flowey was the only one who heard, and he just laughed while the ring slowly contracted. She closed her eyes.
But right before his attack struck flesh, a second set of projectiles appeared around her, intercepting the bullets and making them explode like popcorn kernels. Opening her eyes, Sunset stared at Flowey who was equally surprised.
"Huh?" Then a tiny fireball appeared next to him. "Uh-oh." The tiny fireball then slammed into him and sent him flying to kingdom come. "WAAAH!"
With that, Sunset's body finally gave out. The last thing she saw before she fell unconscious was a pair of feet moving towards her.
An endless void stretched out in all directions. There were no structures, no people, and no colors to be seen. It wasn't even black or white. The best way Sunset could describe it was looking at the inside of her closed eyes. Her other senses had abandoned her. There was no sound to hear, no air to breathe, no surface to feel, nothing to taste, and nothing to see. She found it hard to even think. Was this real? Was she real? She could still see herself. So she had to be real.
But...she wasn't all there. The void was affecting her too . The color of her hair was the first to go, changing from its trademark red and gold to a dull, gray hue. Her skin was next as orange became gray. Her clothes followed suit. And it didn't stop with just her color. Holding her hand in front of her face, she gave a small gasp it turned transparent. She tried to grab it with her other arm, but it too was fading. In just a few seconds, she went from fully formed to almost ghost-like. The smallest of breezes would blow her away. Soon, she'd be gone forever.
But...was that such a bad thing?
Wasn't that what she'd been looking for all along? The end? And now it was here to welcome her into its sweet release. That meant no more attacks, no more betrayal, no more dashed hopes, no more suffering. This was the natural path for her to take. The debt that all would pay. She didn't know what would come next, but she wasn't afraid. She was ready.
Her body was completely gone now; only her SOUL remained. Unlike the rest of her, it had kept its color and shape. The small red heart stood in defiance of the eternal void. Would it remain once the last of her consciousness faded? Or would it shatter and vanish without someone to inhabit? She didn't know, and she honestly didn't care anymore. All that awaited was nothing.
Nothing.
Nothing.
"You cannot give up."
Despite not having a body anymore, the words startled her back into alertness.
"Huh? W-What?"
"You cannot give up." The voice was a whisper that echoed all around her. "Stay DETERMINED."
Her SOUL jolted at the word. An onslaught of emotion interrupted the void's pull. "What are you talking about? I'm not determined. Far from it."
"That is untrue," came the gentle reprimand. "Your DETERMINATION was what led you here."
Another jolt. She could see again. And now, there was something to see. A tiny flicker of yellow light had appeared in front of her, defying the void alongside her SOUL. "What of it? I fell down the hole just like my friends did. Are you going to tell me they're determined too?"
"Yes. I heard one of them say that she had to find her lost friend no matter what it took."
Her heart ached at the words, but she just as quickly shoved them aside. "So WHAT?! I don't CARE! I HATE them! They tossed me aside like Thursday's trash. Why should I care if they fell down here?"
"But they don't know their way around the Underground anymore than you do. They might get hurt."
"I don't care."
"Flowey might attack them."
"I don't care."
"They could get killed." It gave a slight tremor.
"I don't...I don't care."
"People don't just fall down here by accident, you know. Most people who venture into the Everfree Forest tend to disappear."
Her SOUL began to shudder in place, losing the battle against her repressed emotions. "What's your point?"
"You didn't just fall down here by accident. If you don't care, then why are you here?"
"I wanted to get away from them."
After the way they'd treated her, who could blame her for running away? DETERMINATION in that case was a strength she did not have.
"False," the voice changed to a growl. "They fell down this hole before you did. If you really wanted to get away, you wouldn't have followed them down. Why are you here?"
If she had still had her hands, she would have clenched them into fists. Again, her true feelings fought to be free; and again, she repressed them.
"I was looking for someone who got lost in the forest."
"False!" Its growl turned to a shout. Her SOUL jumped again. "There hasn't been a human here for hundreds of years. If you were looking for someone, they'd be long dead. Why are you here?"
The pool of options was drying up fast. The inevitable breakdown loomed ever closer. She could either keep staving it off in the hopes that the voice would back off or just admit the truth.
"Because...b-because..." She couldn't. She had to. It would hurt too much. It would help her heal.
"Because what?"
"Because...I wanted to kill myself." The truth won out. "Because even after everything they did, even after how much they hurt me, even though they broke my heart, I just couldn't stop caring. I couldn't live with myself if they weren't with me, so I jumped down this hole to end it all."
At last, she had said it. Her soul lay bare to the world. And as she'd expected, the pain was there. Tiny water droplets began to trickle from her SOUL.
"They mean so much to me." She continued. "They cared for me when no one else would. They helped me through a very hard time in my life. So when trouble reared its ugly head again and swept them up too, I just couldn't take it anymore." The trickle turned to a gush. "There, are you satisfied now?"
If it was, it didn't say so. In fact, it didn't say anything. She couldn't feel its presence anymore. Once again, she was alone, with only the yellow flicker to keep her company. If it wasn't still there, she would have sworn she'd hallucinated the whole thing. But there was no time to think about that now. The void was calling to her again. With no body and her SOUL in turmoil, it wouldn't take much. She just had to let go. It would finish what she'd started. Just let go. The flicker before her faded to a mere wisp. It was over for her now. Just let go.
It wasn't the most original thing to say when waking up in unfamiliar surroundings, but Sunset couldn't think of anything better. Sitting up with a loud yawn, she rubbed her eyes clean and took a better look around. The bed she was lying on was propped up against the wall with a lamp directly behind it. Beyond the bed's foot was a box of toys that didn't really interest her. A clothes closet sat next to the bed, and a bookshelf sat next to that. To her left were a pair of teddy bears, both so cute and fluffy. And on the floor next to the bed sat a dinner plate holding two slices of pie.
Leaning down, she picked up the plate and placed it beside her on the bed. She could still see tiny wisps of steam rising from the pastry. The outer golden-brown pie crust made a nice contrast to the darker pallet of the slice and dollops of whipped cream on top. Moving her face closer, she felt her mouth begin to water. Her stomach, deprived of sustenance for days, grumbled in anticipation of the food. She took a whiff to confirm the flavor and found her nose's attention divided.
"Is that butterscotch? No wait, cinnamon. A butterscotch-cinnamon pie?" Whichever it was, it looked delicious. She couldn't wait any longer. Carefully, so it wouldn't fall apart, she picked up one of the pieces, slowly slide it into her mouth, and bit down.
It tasted just...just like....
Sunset stood in an empty washroom, rubbing streaks of mud off of her face while unsuccessfully trying not to cry. If she'd known that becoming the Princess's protege meant dealing with prejudiced unicorns, she would have had second thoughts about applying. Every insult, prank, or punch they threw at her sank into her spirit and soiled her day. She wished she wasn't so weak, wanting more than anything to see them made humble. Oftentimes, she'd construct fantasies of paying them back fourfold for every moment of her suffering. But for now, all she could do was seek solstice in her mentor's presence.
Speaking of the Princess, the low hum of the kitchen's oven indicated that she was preparing something scrumptious. Yes, despite the insistence of the palace cooks on doing everything themselves, Equestria's ruler had secretly learned how to cook for herself. It had taken some time and several bunt dishes; but at last, she had mastered that skill as she had with her others. It was there she stood now, waiting for Sunset to join her. Once the latter had finished cleaning herself, she walked to the kitchen and opened the door.
Celestia smiled upon seeing her and beckoned Sunset closer. On the table before her sat a delicious looking pie. One whiff and a smile told Sunset all she needed to know.
"Apple-cinnamon. You remembered."
"Of course I remembered." Celestia carefully cut a slice for Sunset and one for herself. "The last time we had it was when we opened presents on Hearth's Warming Day. It was right after you passed your first test as my pupil."
"Uh-huh." Sunset mumbled, her mouth full of pie. Sweet cinnamon and crisp apple slices slide across her tongue. How good it felt. Warm, sweet, and comforting. Moments like these made the hardships worth it. Just her, Celestia, and a nice meal at--
After finishing the first piece, she decided to save the second one for later. Something that special couldn't be eaten all at once. Besides, she wasn't hungry anymore anyway. More than that, all of her injuries were gone too. How one slice of pie was able to heal her completely, she didn't know, but she still needed to figure out where she was. Taking the plate with her, she pushed down the covers and stood up.
The bedroom door creaked at her touch, complaining loudly as it struck its hinges. She paid it no mind as she moved through its mouth. To the left of her room was another one, and a third door sat at the end of the hall. She thought about tiptoeing, but the lights being on kinda made stealth pointless.
Her first stop was the second room. In contrast to the orange hue of hers, this one was blue. The bed was bigger too, possibly queen-sized. A bookshelf sat in the back full of encyclopedias.
I'll bet Twilight would love those. She thought with a sigh. On the desk next to her was an open book. One quick skim later, she groaned from an onslaught of incredibly lame puns. A dresser stood next to the shelf. And on top of that-
"Aaaaah-CHOO!" was another gold flower.
So my injuries are gone, but now I'm allergic. Just great. Though I suppose sneezing beats getting killed. Perhaps falling onto the flowerbed before had been the catalyst. Maybe it was Flowey, she didn't know. With nothing else to see there, she left the room.
The last room in the hall was closed for renovations, and the only other object of note was a mirror at the very end of the hall. Upon seeing her reflection, she become uncomfortably aware of her lack of recent hygiene. Her hair was unkempt, her clothes were blood-stained, and her mouth felt like a slug had taken up residence within it. Leaning closer to the mirror, she examined herself in more detail.
It's me. Chara.
"Huh?" A shake of her head brought her back to her senses. For a moment, she'd seen herself with red eyes and brown hair. Was she hallucinating thanks to her near-death experience? Well if that was the case, then maybe it was time for a little more sleep. Without another word, she returned to her room and slipped back under the covers.
"Wake up, my child."
The bothersome intrusion into slumberland only elicited a grunt of annoyance.
"Wake up please." This one came with a small shake.
A few rays of light filtered into her field of vision. Groaning, she tried to turn away. "Gluuuugh. Comeonmom. Idon'twannagotoschool. Justfivemoreminutes."
"'Mom'? Uh yes 'Mom.' Come on little one. Wake up for 'Mom.'"
"Noooooo," she moaned. "Idon'twanna."
"All right then, you leave me no choice." The cozy warmth of the covers gave way to a cool rush of air as Sunset's feet were exposed.
Her eyes snapped open. "Oh no."
"Tickle tickle tickle."
"Wait stop! AH-HA HA HA HA HA! PLEASE! HAH HAH HAH HAH! MERCY! HA HA HA HA! I CAN'T TAKE IT!"
After thirty agonizing seconds of torment, whoever it was let her go. "Are you awake now?"
"YES! Uh, yes I'm awake." Sunset sat up, curling her knees up, and looked into the eyes of her caretaker.
Or rather caregoat. Although her appearance was mostly humanoid, she had a pair of horns atop her head. Her ears too were long and droopy, stretching all the way to her chin. Her nose also extended slightly out of her face.
Sunset was about to comment on such an oddity; but then, she remembered that a pony-turned-human that could grow pony ears and a tail probably looked just as weird. So instead, she decided to go for a simple--
"Who are you?"
The goat-woman smiled. "I am Toriel, the caretaker of the Ruins."
"The Ruins?" Sunset scratched her head. "Is that where I landed?"
"Yes, it is. And it is also where you are now."
"Did you save me from that Flower?"
Toriel nodded. "I did. And might I just say, what a horrible creature to torment such an innocent youth."
She didn't know why, but for some reason, Sunset felt warmth spread through her chest at those words. "Thank you. So was the butterscotch pie you too?"
This time her smile held a trace of sadness. "It was. Butterscotch was my son's favorite flavor while he was growing up. Cinnamon was his best friend's. So, I decided to combine them together. Did you like it?"
"'Like it'? That's a massive understatement. It was delicious. It was so good, I couldn't bring myself to eat the second piece."
Then came a chuckle. "Well, food doesn't go stale down here, so feel free to eat it whenever you want. Is there anything else you need?"
"Um, yes actually." Sunset stared down at her dirty outfit. "Do you have a change of clothes I could borrow?"
"As a matter of fact, I do." Toriel opened the dresser and pulled out an outfit. There was a blue shirt with pink stripes and a black pair of pants. "These belonged to my son's closest friend; hopefully, they should fit you too."
"Huh. Out of curiosity, what was this friend's name?"
The new clothes Toriel had given Sunset were a little snug, but they fit nonetheless. The red and pink stripes on the shirt highlighted the red glow of her SOUL very nicely. She felt much better after Toriel let her use her shower. All of her aches and pains slipped right down the drain with the water.
Okay, so I'm clean, rested, and full. What do I do now?"
The answer to that question came when she exited her room once again. Since she'd already seen everything to the left, she headed right instead. The next room appeared to be some kind of foyer. To her left was a door that presumably led outside of the house. To her right was a stairwell that went downwards into a yawning darkness. Something about it gave her second thoughts about going down there; but even if she wanted to, two giant padlocks sat in front of the steps and barred her entry. After a moment of hesitation, she walked straight ahead into the next room.
Toriel was there, sitting in a comfy rocking chair in front of a roaring fireplace while reading a book. A table sat towards the rear of the room with three plates set. Another bookshelf was next to the fireplace. Taking it all in, Sunset smiled and walked towards Toriel.
The goat glanced up from her book at Sunset, smiled, turned back to her book, scrunched up her face, paused for a few seconds, and looked at Sunset again. Her eyes took in every inch of the girl in front of her.
"Is there something wrong?"
"I'm sorry." Toriel put a hand over her eyes. "I didn't mean to gawk. You just look so much like them."
"Uh...thanks?" Sunset wasn't sure how to respond to that.
"Do you need anything, little one?"
"Well, now that I'm fed and clothed, I actually had some questions I wanted to ask you. Do you mind?"
"Ask until your curiosity is sated, my child. We don't get many newcomers to the Underground."
"All right then," Sunset held up a finger. "First question. What exactly are you?"
"If you're referring to my species, then I am a monster."
"Monster? But that can't be right. You're so nice."
"When I say 'monster', I don't mean a wicked and cruel person. Every being in the underground is a non-human creature that fits the secondary definition. Very few of them fit the first one."
"Unless you're a flower named Flowey apparently." She winced at the memory.
Seeing her distress, Toriel wrapped her arms around Sunset. "There there, my child. I won't let anyone hurt you now."
"That reminds me. I never thanked you for saving my life."
"No thanks are necessary. I merely aided someone in need. Anyone else would have done the same."
Sunset opened her mouth, then bit her tongue. "I suppose that's true. But how did you know I was in danger to begin with?"
"I didn't know exactly. I pass through that area every day to see if someone has fallen down. It just so happens that yesterday, someone had."
"Every day? Have you seen anyone else besides me?"
"Only that flower, I'm afraid. Why? Are you searching for someone?"
"Huh? Uh, nonotatalljustcurious." Sunset rubbed a hand behind her head. "I think I'm going to go for a walk if that's okay."
"You may as long as you're careful." Toriel reached into her pocket. "Just in case, take this cellphone with you. I have some errands of my own to run later, so that way you'll be able to contact me if something goes wrong."
Sunset took the phone, put it in her pocket, and walked towards the front door. "All right. See you later."
"Have fun."
Outside the house, Sunset got her first real look at the Underground. The garden in front of Toriel's house contained a bunch of red flowers, all of them wilted. A little further away stood an equally dead tree, leaves scattered around the center. Walking closer to it, she touched her hand to the rotted oak.
"Guess Toriel's not as good with plants as she is with pastries." The next room contained a fork in the road with one path going left and the other going right. She went left. One thing the old goat hadn't told her was the the Ruins were full of puzzles. One area had her finding switches to hit in order to proceed. Another room had her moving rocks over switches. And a third one had her precariously proceeding over a series of spikes. She had no idea why the rooms were set up in such a manner to begin with. Perhaps they were supposed to be a precaution against intruders? Or maybe some kind of training course for younger monsters?
One room stood out though. Inside stood a simple practice Dummy. She looked around it but couldn't see anything else, no boxing gloves, no practice weapons, no instructions for how to use it, and no indication that it had even been used. Out of sheer curiosity, she moved closer. Part of her wondered if it was alive. After all, she'd already seen a goat and a flower so why not a living Dummy?
Should I hit it?
On one hand, it wasn't moving, so it didn't seem to be alive. But on the other, maybe it was just sleeping. Carefully, she moved her finger towards it, ready to jerk it to safety at a moment's notice.
"Afternoon."
"WAAAUGH!" The unexpected voice sent her reeling backwards where she promptly tripped over her own two feet and sprawled all over the floor.
"Terribly sorry for startling you, milady."
"T-the Dummy? You talk?"
"I have the ability, yes. Though I admit, I'm not usually much for conversation. Though for you, I shall make an exception. You're the first Human I've seen in eons."
Sunset didn't know whether to blush or blanch at that. "Well thank you. Though now that I know you're alive, I'm not sure what to do now."
"How does me being alive change anything? I am still a Dummy after all; and like all other Monsters, I am at your mercy. Or lack thereof."
"What do you mean?"
"You don't know?" If it had had eyebrows, she was sure it'd be raising one. "Monsters and Humans are mortal enemies. It's been that way for as long as I can remember." It rotated so that its arm was pointed at Sunset. "Yes, one whiff of that SOUL of yours is all it will take. Why, I am quite surprised you have not been attacked already."
"Attacked? W-what are you talking about?" Was she about to get another dose of "Friendliness Pellets"?
"Don't worry about me. I have no interest in bloodshed and no use for your SOUL if you die. But you should probably arm yourself before going any further." It turned around completely, showing her its back. Embedded in it was the long handle of a knife.
"Oh my goodness. Where did that come from?" Gripping one of the Dummy's arms in one hand and the handle in another, Sunset tried to jiggle it free.
"That knife is merely a souvenir left by the first human I met a long time ago. She was not much for conversation either."
It took a few tugs to remove; but at last, she freed the blade. To her surprise, it seemed unaffected by years of disuse. Experimentally, she took a few swings for practice and flicked off a layer of dust.
" It feels smooth." She ran her finger over the tip. "Smooth and kind of familiar."
"Does it?" The Dummy turned back around. "That was not the expected reaction. I suppose I really am at your mercy now."
Sunset barely heard it. Her eyes were still locked on the knife. It gleamed brightly in the light. She gave a small grin and kept rubbing the tip. It shifted a bit in her hand and pricked her finger ever so slightly. Moving her hand up to her eyes, she stared it the wound. It was a small trickle of blood, barely visible. Out of instinct, she moved the finger into her mouth to suck it dry, but the pain didn't come. The blood felt warm, soft even. And it was oddly calming.
I wonder if Monsters can bleed?
She imagined what she'd do if she saw Flowey again. What would it be like to give Mr. "Kill or be Killed" a taste of his own medicine? First she'd uproot him to make sure he couldn't get away. Then she'd cut off all his petals. Then maybe she'd drive the knife into his face again and again until there was nothing left. Yes, yes that would show him. That would show ALL of them. She'd make them all cower and beg for their miserable lives. She'd--
Wait. WHAT?
She shook herself back to reality. The knife was still there, along with the Dummy. And she was standing right in front of it.
"Are you going to kill me?"
"What?" She spluttered and leaped backwards. "N-No! No. Of course not." Holding her hands in front of her, she blushed crimson. "I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me. I'll just take a step back, put this away, and I'll um...uh."
Spare him.
"Spare you, yeah. I'll do that instead."
"That's certainly nice to hear. Being slashed to pieces is hardly my idea of entertainment."
"Again, I'm really sorry."
"You're forgiven, milady. A little scare now and then keeps the heart pumping a little longer. I wish you luck in your travels."
"Um, thanks." Sunset turned and began to walk away. "See you later I guess."
On her way back to Toriel's house, her mind was racing. That was the second time she'd zoned out and the second time she'd felt such violent tendencies. First, the mirror had triggered it, and now the knife. She definitely needed to ask Toriel about that. Perhaps exposure to the Underground was making her sick, or something. Or maybe Flowey's pellets had infected her somehow, as a way to twist her into accepting his wretched mindset. Well, whatever happened, she was NOT going to prove him right. Even if she ended up killing herself first.
The return trip was a lot faster than the outgoing. As she walked around the gnarled oak once again, she noticed that the side facing the house had a few carvings whittled into it. The first one read "T+A." The second one was crossed out and read "A+C." Next to that one was a third that read "A+F." So feeling a little left out, Sunset drew the knife and carved "T+S" with a dorky heart around it. Yes, now that she thought of it, no one word could describe her new goat-mom any better than love.
"Oof!" She'd been so distracted that she hadn't seen her foot catch on one of the roots, and she found herself kissing the floor once again. Inwardly groaning, she rolled over on her back and hoped this wouldn't become a habit. Staring at the sky, she caught sight of the tree's branches for the first time. They pointed towards the sky, leafless and dead, seemingly in defiance of the lively house behind it. The only color she could see was a tiny gem on one of the branches.
Wait a minute.
Righting herself, she rubbed her eyes and looked again.
That can't be right. Gems don't grow on trees. Not even in Equestria.
To resolve this contradiction, she climbed the tree for a better look. The gem hung from the very top of the tree. Fortunately, curiosity overrode any sort of fear. Once she got close enough she grabbed for her new treasure. It took a few pulls to pry loose, but she eventually succeeded. Turning it over in her hands, she got a good look at it, and her eyes nearly popped out of her head!
With whirling mind and racing heart, Sunset turned over the crown in her hands. It was definitely Twilight's, she of all people would know more than anyone. Though from first glance, no one else would. The crown was caked in a thin layer of dirt.
She must have fallen down like I did.
It was highly unlikely that Toriel had simply found it on patrol. It wouldn't have been in the tree, for starters. So either Twilight had climbed it, or she'd left the crown there for Sunset to find it.
But why do either of those when she could have just gone inside the clearly marked house instead?
She didn't have an exact answer. But if Twilight had had no idea who Toriel was, she wouldn't be very eager to knock on a stranger's door. Sunset sniffed the crown and retched at the odor of sweat.
She was scared. Panicking?
It wasn't an unreasonable deduction. Encountering a certain Rabid Rhododendron would leave anyone rattled. And unlike Sunset, Twilight didn't have the protection of another Monster to fall back on. If she'd made it this far, that meant Flowey hadn't killed her, but even so.
"Time for you to learn the same lesson as all the others."
Did that mean he'd seen her too? Well even if he had, Sunset doubted the flower would be very helpful. So she turned her mind back to the mystery. Assuming that Twilight had climbed the tree out of fear, that meant someone or something had been after her, and she'd left the crown behind in her haste.
But if that's true, that why was she attacked and not me?
That particular conundrum would have to be resolved later when she had more information. And if Twilight wasn't here nor in the Ruins, then that meant she'd somehow gotten out. But how? Sunset hadn't seen any exits behind the house, and all the other paths she'd found had led back towards the entrance instead of further beyond. Perhaps Toriel knew the way out.
But do I really want to ask her that?
Sunset hadn't been around the Toriel very long, but there was something about the goat that captivated her all the same. If what the Dummy had said was true, then Toriel had had no reason to save her life in the first place. She could have very easily have just let Flowey kill her and be done with it. What's more, if Humans and Monsters were really at odds, then how would the other Monsters react to find out Toriel had saved one of their mortal enemies? She might very well have doomed herself to save a human she'd only just met.
Why would she do something like that? Maybe she's related to Celestia?
If nothing else, she was certainly as motherly. But that only added to the conundrum. If Monsters were really as dangerous as the Dummy had indicated, then she was sure Toriel wouldn't want her going outside of the Ruins at all. But she couldn't just forget about Twilight.
You were the only one who didn't blame me for Anon-a-Miss. I'll bet the others called you as soon as they found my letter. And now you've gotten yourself attacked by Monsters because of me. I can't let that happen. I won't let that happen. That settled it. She was not going to just stay here and be coddled while her first and final friend was in danger. She had to find her. With that in mind, she headed by inside the house.
The crackling of a roaring fire told her that Toriel had returned, so Sunset turned left from the entrance and into the living room. Just like before, Toriel was sitting in the rocking chair with another book in hand, while the hazy odor of smoke mingled with the aroma of cooking food. Sunset felt her stomach twist as she moved closer and Toriel noticed her.
"Hello again, my child. How was your walk through the Ruins?"
"Great great," Sunset avoided making eye contact. "They're really pretty. I saw a practice Dummy that talked, rocks that could move on their own, and a room full of spikes."
"Oh my goodness." Toriel bolted upright. "I forgot to tell you about that room. Are you all right? Are you hurt?"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, it's all right. I'm okay." Sunset held her hands up.
"Oh good." Toriel sighed. "I don't think I'd be able to forgive myself if something happened to you too."
"Well, you don't have to worry about that now." Sunset gave the biggest grin she could. "I'm perfectly peachy." The goat looked a little confused by that statement but didn't say anything. Maybe now was a good a time as any. "Um hey, Toriel? There was something I wanted to ask you."
Toriel's eyes darted to the side ever so slightly. "Before you do, I have something I want to say first."
"What is it?"
"I just wanted you to know how happy I am to have someone here. There are so many old books I want to share. I want to show you my favorite bug-hunting spot. I've even prepared a curriculum for your education."
"Education?" Sunset spluttered. "N-n-now wait a second--"
"This may come as a surprise to you," Toriel didn't react to the interruption at all, "but I have always wanted to be a teacher. Well actually...maybe that isn't so surprising. Well regardless, I am glad to have you living here."
By now, Sunset's stomach had twisted so badly that she was having trouble breathing. Her breath came in short spurts. Her hands felt clammy. Her hands were shaking.
"Oh, I'm sorry." Toriel leaned down closer. "Was there something you wanted to ask me?"
"Um yeah." She had to force the words out. "How do I exit the Ruins?"
With those words, everything in the room came to a halt. The fire beside them fizzled into ashes. The food on the stove stopped bubbling. Even the lights dimmed.
Toriel stared at the girl, her expression unreadable. "'Leave the Ruins'? Why on Earth would you want to do that? It's dangerous out there. Don't you like it here?"
"Yes I do," Sunset bored a hole into the ground with her eyes. "You've been so wonderful to save my life and take care of me. And were the circumstances different, I'd like nothing more than to stay here. But I can't." Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out the crown. "See this? This crown belongs to a friend of mine. I found it hanging off of the tree outside. I didn't see her anywhere in the Ruins or your house today, so that means she must have made it out somehow. I have to find her. Which means I have to leave. Can you please help me?"
The words hung in the air for a while as neither one of them said anything. Toriel looked at the girl, then where the fire used to be, then back at Sunset. "I have to do something. Please stay here." Then she got up and practically sprinted out of the room. Sunset waited only a few seconds before heading after her.
Returning to the foyer, Sunset saw that the locks on the stairs had been opened. One quick glance into the opposing hallway told her everything there was normal, so she headed downstairs into the basement. Unlike the rest of the house, the room downstairs was cold, drafty, and dull. There were no decorations, no lights, nothing remotely resembling architectural flourishes, just a long empty hallway.
Listen to me, I sound like Rarity.
Toriel stood at the end of the hall, her back to Sunset.
"You want to leave the Ruins to find your friend? Foolish child, if your friend has left the Ruins, then she's no doubt been killed already. Every human who falls underground is to be killed."
"K-killed? But why?"
"It is the law set down by the King of all Monsters. If a human falls underground, they are to be killed and their SOUL harvested. If you leave the Ruins, you will be no different. Don't you understand? I am trying to protect you." She walked off further into the underground.
Sunset kept following her. "You need to understand. If you're protecting me, then who's protecting her? If we hurry, we can save her before she gets attacked. She doesn't have to die and neither do I."
Toriel shook her head. "Do not try and stop me. This is your final warning." She walked ahead further. Sunset waited a moment, wrapped her fingers carefully around the handle of the knife, then walked on.
A giant door stood at the end of the next room. It was large, elaborate, and foreboding. Toriel moved in front of it, and finally turned to face Sunset.
"You want to leave so badly? Hmph. You are just like him." She gave a loud sigh before continuing. "If you leave the Ruins, you might find a way to survive. You might even be able to find your way home. But if there is even a chance that you might die, as a mother, I cannot allow it."
"What are you doing?"
"If the exit is destroyed, then no one else will be able to leave. And then the King's law will have to be repealed. All of this senseless bloodshed will end, and both monsters and humans will be safe."
Somehow, Sunset didn't think Toriel was talking to her anymore. But she still moved forward. "I'm sorry, Toriel. But I can't let you do that. If you destroy the exit, then my friends will be trapped on the other side. And I won't allow them to die just so I can be safe. So please, just let me pass."
"Then it appears we are at an impasse. And there is only one option. Prove yourself. Prove to me you are strong enough to survive."
"Prove myself?" Sunset took a step back. "What do you mean?"
Toriel lifted her hands and pointed them at Sunset. Overtaken by instinct, Sunset jumped to the side just in time to avoid a blast of fire.
"Hey! What do you think you're doing?!"
Toriel gave no reply and instead aimed her arms upward. Torrents of fire shot into the sky and rained down on Sunset.
"Stop please." Her body moved with a will of its own, back-flipping away from one flame, rolling under another, and finally batting away a third one with the blade of the knife. Running sideways, she maneuvered around the edge of the room, feeling the heat at her back.
The goat seemed to look straight through her as another wave raced towards Sunset. Dodging and weaving was getting her nowhere as every second brought them closer. One struck the ground in front of her, flinging her into the air. Landing on her stomach, she felt the air leave her lungs from the impact. Again, she tried to roll away. But this time, she wasn't fast enough.
"AAH!" Her whole body went white-hot. It felt like someone was trying to tear her skin clean off. Plumes of smoke rose from her scorched clothes. The knife fell from her hands and skittered across the floor. The remaining orbs struck the ground all around her, peppering it with dents. She struggled to stand but gasped as her legs gave out beneath her.
Toriel ceased her assault and lowered her shaking arms.
"Now do you understand? You are not strong enough to leave the Ruins. So please...just go upstairs where it's safe."
Sunset managed to get one leg up. She noticed for the first time that her SOUL had been damaged too. A long, jagged crack lay across the giant heart. Moving her hand to inspect it, she gave a loud hiss when more pain reverberated through her body. With labored breaths, she hobbled forward to pick up the knife and managed to stand up all the way.
"I ca-can't. I have to help them. One way..." she clutched her chest to keep the air moving, "or another."
"You can't even help yourself. One more hit like that and you'll die." Toriel's clenched fist began to shake. "Is that what you want, to DIE?"
"No I don't." Sunset moved forward again. "But I don't want them to die either. So I'm not afraid of what you or anyone else do to me as long as they're okay."
"Then you're a fool." By now, Toriel's back was directly against the exit while Sunset was on the other side of the room. The goat raised her arms once more while Sunset desperately tried to think.
I can't just stand here and take it, but I can't run away either. There has to be something. Her gaze shifted down to the knife. Maybe I can just incapacitate her. One hit should stop her from being able to chase me. But in order to do that, she'd have to charge directly through the line of fire and would need to time it perfectly.
A new wave of fireballs rained down once again. Sunset gritted her teeth and charged straight towards Toriel, knife in hand.
Five steps.
Sunset batted away one flame and sidestepped another. A third struck her SOUL and formed another crack.
Four steps.
Ducking underneath the next barrage, she picked her target. A simple wound across the shoulder would do it.
Three steps.
A larger fireball shot out point-blank. Pushing her arms out forward, she plowed right into it, slashing wildly with the knife.
"RAAAHHH!"
Two steps.
A glowing red aura emanated from her SOUL and spread to the rest of her body. With a final cut, the sphere exploded into pieces.
One step.
Now within range, she raised the knife high.. Toriel, too busy charging up another attack, couldn't move fast enough. Her eyes widened as the knife came down.
Toriel slumped down to her knees, clutching her wounded shoulder. Flushed from exertion, Sunset stepped back and took a few deep breaths. The knife in her hand was now covered in a thick layer of dust. Along with her cracked SOUL and scorched clothes, she felt like she'd just crawled out of Hell itself. But she had survived. And now there was nothing Toriel could do to stop her from leaving.
Toriel wasn't trying to stop her. In fact, she wasn't doing anything. She just stood there, hunched over and still holding herself. Wary of another attack, Sunset brandished the knife, but the goat didn't seem to even notice.
"Urgh... You are stronger than I thought."
"Uh, thanks, I think." Not knowing what else to say, Sunset shrugged.
Even as she continued speaking, Toriel's eyes glazed over. Tiny little flecks of dust began billowing off of her body. "Listen to me, small one. If you go beyond this door, keep walking as far as you can. Eventually, you will reach an exit. Don't stop for anyone. Don't even pause. Because they'll all be coming for you now that I can no longer protect you."
"'No longer protect me'?" Sunset did a double-take. "What are you talking about? I only hit you once."
Toriel kept going as if the interruption hadn't happened. Already, her voice was so soft that Sunset could barely hear her. "Asgore.... Do not let Asgore take your SOUL. His plan...must not....succeed."
"Toriel!" Sunset ran forward and tried to grab the goat, only for her hands to pass right through her. More and more dust kept billowing off of her. "What's happening to you? I only hit you once!"
"Be good won't you?" Toriel gave one final smile.
"My...child....."
And before Sunset's very eyes, Toriel turned to dust. Her SOUL, a small white heart like Sunset's, lasted a few seconds longer before shattering into pieces.
Sunset stared at Toriel's dust as if somehow expecting it to reform before her eyes. It didn't. Her hands began to tremble, and the rest of her body soon followed.
"No. Nononononono. N-n-no. Please."
A few drops of blood trickled down her arm and plopped down into the dust, turning it red. She tried to scream, but she couldn't. She tried to cry, but she couldn't. She tried to move, but she couldn't. She just stood there, rooted to the ground, while the world swam before her eyes.
"Toriel."
There was no denying it. Toriel was dead, her life ended by just one attack. And some of the dust that had billowed from her body now clung to the blade of the knife. With that new knowledge came a cold realization.
It's blood. Monster dust is blood.
The previous child hadn't just left the knife in the Dummy; she'd tried to kill it. And the fact that there'd already been dust on the knife meant she'd already succeeded before. How many other monsters had died on her blade?
Is that why every human has to die? Are monsters simply so fragile that even a single human is a dangerous threat?
More cracks appeared on her SOUL. Their weight pushed down on her shoulders like an overloaded backpack. Her legs grew weak and buckled beneath her.
I didn't...I didn't mean to.
That didn't change anything. Intent or no intent, The poor goat was still dead. Because of her.
They're not the monsters.
Her body gave out once more.
I am.
And just like Toriel before her, Sunset's SOUL shattered. Her eyes glazed over, her skin turned cold, and she slumped to the ground.
Dead.
She'd been here before. No sights, no sounds, no feeling, not even any air. Just nothing. The eternal void stood before her once more. And once again, it was calling to her. Its grasp on her body was stronger this time; escape would not come as easily. The tranquil calm was now a raging whirlpool, and it was trying to pull her down.
She did not fight back. The dusty knife had embedded itself in her SOUL, eclipsing all other thoughts and feelings, and it was prying her apart. Long, shadowy tendrils wrapped around her while she could only muster slight resistance.
"I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry."
It was almost over. She was fading fast. There was no coming back this time. So, she closed her eyes and let herself--
"Stop your whining, you big baby."
"H-huh? What?" The words startled her awake. Before her eyes, a giant hand reached down into the muck, grabbed her SOUL, and wrenched her to the surface. "OW!"
"That's it, huh? One little mistake and you just roll over and die? You're pathetic." The flicker from before was back; but this time, it blazed brightly, emitting little wisps of fire the same color as her SOUL.
Sunset gave a small huff as the knife in her heart shuddered. "I'd hardly call accidental murder a little mistake. Now leave me alone so I don't kill anyone else."
"Again pathetic." More flames sparkled from the flicker and spun around the two. "What, are you gonna have a funeral if you step on an ant? It was an accident, so there's no reason for you to feel guilty. You barely even knew her anyway."
"That doesn't matter." Tiny water droplets ran down Sunset's SOUL. "She saved my life and I took hers in response. I'm a horrible person."
The flicker stopped blazing for a moment and gave a slow, heaving hiss.
"She was right. You are so much like him. So sentimental. But I can't let that sentiment go to waste, so I think I'll help you out."
"Help me? How are you gonna do that?"
"What if I told you, there's a way you can go back?"
If she'd still had her body, her skin would be crawling. "What do you mean 'go back'?"
"Exactly what I said, idiot. I can help you go back so you can spare Toriel instead of killing her."
The dripping stopped. "You can do that?"
"You've already spat in death's face once, and you're still skeptical? Yes I can."
"And what's in it for you?"
The flicker gave off a few wisps of smoke. "Short term, I don't have to listen to your bawling. Long term, I want to see what happens next. And how far your DETERMINATION will take you. So do we have a deal or not?"
"W-wait a minute. I need more information. How do you--"
"Going once."
"I have to know wh--"
"Going twice."
"All right, all right. I'll do it. I'LL DO IT!"
"Sold to the SOUL in red."
Sunset felt herself rising as her SOUL broke free from the void's pull. The flicker rose with her, its glow filling her field of vision. "Who are you, to have this kind of power?"
"My name? My name is...."
Sunset woke up.
She was back in Toriel's basement, surrounded by purple walls and empty halls. The goat stood before her, blocking the exit once again. The knife was there too, still covered in dust. It was just like it had been before.
I really am back in time. But that also meant....
"Then it appears we are at an impasse. And there is only one option. Prove yourself. Prove to me you are strong enough to survive."
"Prove myself?" Sunset remembered what came next and took a step back. "What do you mean?"
Expression unreadable, Toriel lifted her hands and pointed them both at Sunset. A large blast of fire shot from her hands and hurled straight towards Sunset. Feeling the heat in front of her, Sunset shut her eyes and did the only thing she could do.
She didn't move.
"AAH!"
Toriel stopped her attack and put a hand to her gaping mouth.
"What do you think you're doing? You didn't even try to dodge."
To her surprise, when the smoke cleared, Sunset was still standing. Ignoring the pain, she quickly sheathed the knife and spread her arms out wide.
"I'm not going to fight you, Toriel."
"You don't have a choice. Either you fight me or you die." At the word die, she fired another blast; and just like before, Sunset didn't move.
Searing agony tore through her skin, but she kept moving forwards, closing the gap between them.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm not going to fight you. Even if you kill me."
"Attack me or run away!" More fire. More pain.
Five steps.
"I won't."
"Stop it." Toriel moved back. "Stop looking at me like that."
This time, as the blast moved forward, it weaved around Sunset at the last second. The goat kept shooting more and more, but her will to fight was draining quickly.
"I won't fight." Four steps.
"I know you want to-t-to go home," tears came to Toriel's eyes, "But please, go upstairs. I know we don't have much. I know the Ruins could never replace the surface world. B-b-but we could still have a good life here." Three steps.
"Toriel please." Sunset had to force the words out through her quivering voice. "I can't stay. You've been so wonderful to me, especially since monsters and humans are supposed to hate each other. But I can't stay here knowing that Twilight and the others are in danger. If there's even a one percent chance that they're still alive, then I have to find them." Two Steps.
"Why?" Toriel's hands fell to her sides. "Why are you making this...so difficult?"
"Because," Sunset took one last step, placing herself right in front of Toriel. "Because I love them."
That did it for both of them. The two of them wrapped their arms around each other and cried their eyes out.
"I'm sorry, my child. I didn't meant to hurt you." Toriel held Sunset tightly as if she might disappear. "But after the losses I've already endured, I didn't want anyone else to die."
"I'm sorry too." Sunset held her just as tightly. "I'm sorry that I ki--that this had to happen. I promise I'll be safe."
Through her tears, Toriel smiled. "Pathetic, is it not? I cannot save even a single child. But, I understand. It would not be right for you to grow up in a place like this. My expectations...my loneliness...my fear. For you, my child, I will set them all aside."
Far too soon for either of them, Toriel let her go. After a final parting glance, she headed back upstairs to her home. Sunset waited a few minutes to reorient herself before heading out of the exit.
The next room had another long hallway which led to a pair of large double doors which opened with a loud creak. Sunset carefully stepped through.
She found Flowey on the other side.
"Clever, very clever."
"You again?" Quickly whipping out the knife, she brandished it at him. "Don't even think about trying those Friendliness Pellets again, buddy. I'm armed."
He ignored her. "I bet you think you're pretty smart don't you." Giving a small chuckle, his face shifted into a sneer. "You spared the life of a single person."
"Yes, I did." She grinned in spite of herself. "How do you feel about that Mr. Kill-or-Be-Killed?"
He continued to sneer. "But don't act so cocky. I know what you did."
"Know what I did? What are you talking ab--"
"You murdered her."
Everything slammed to a halt as dread seized her body in its grip. She couldn't move. She couldn't talk. She couldn't even breathe.
"And then you went back, because you regretted it." His face shifted once more into a menacing grin. "You naive idiot. Do you think you're the only one with that power? The ability to shape the world to your own desires? The ability to play god? The ability to SAVE?"
He knows? Was he stalking me the whole time? She hadn't been safe after all. He could have killed her at any moment. The thought made her entire body tremble.
"I thought I was the only one with that power." Flowey continued. "But, I can't SAVE anymore. Apparently, your desires for this world override mine. Don't worry, my little monarch, I'm not going to kill you. This is so much more interesting. I can't wait to see what happens next." And with a final laugh, he was gone.
Sunset stared at where he had been for a few seconds before finally inhaling. How could a little flower be so terrifying? But it didn't matter in the end. Flowey or no Flowey, she still had to find her friends.
"If he is watching, then I'll just give him a show."
As Sunset kept moving, the dry warmth of the Ruins gave way to a chilly breeze. Little patches of snow ran together on either side of the path. Sadly for her, Frisk's clothes, while soft and comfortable, provided little insulation from the growing cold. So she kept walking, trying hard not to think about it, as the path stretched into another forest. Just like the Everfree, the trees were barren and naked, stretching themselves toward the surface.
This would be really peaceful if I wasn't freezing. Toriel's fur probably keeps her warm, so she wouldn't have thought to give me better clothes. Sheesh, Frisk, would it kill you to have dressed a little warmer? But instead I'm left trudging through snow and trees in shorts. Wonderful. How do trees grow underground anyway? Don't they need sunlight? I'm pretty sure there's no sun under--
"Whoa--OOF!" An unseen tree root caught her unsuspecting legs and introduced her face to the snow. Before she could recover, more clumps of snow, knocked loose by her fall, fell on top of her and buried all but her head. After a few tugs and a lot of grunting, she managed to pull herself free but not before drenching herself. The result? A sniffling, sopping, shivering mess.
Is it too late to go back?
Sadly, the door to the Ruins had locked behind her, so she could only go forward. She kept moving forward, listening to the crunch of her shoes on the ground, the whistle of the winter wind, the pitter-pat of falling snow--
SNAP!
--and the sound of a twig breaking behind her.
"Who's there?" She whirred around, her eyes sweeping in all directions, but saw no one. No other sounds rang out to verify her suspicions, but the snapped stick itself lay on the ground behind her. She shivered and moved forward once more, exchanging her slow trudge for a brisk jog.
"One whiff of that SOUL of yours is all it will take."
Water droplets trickled down her face, but whether it was sweat, snow, or tears, she didn't know. Only her grip on the knife kept the panic at bay. Eventually, the forest path led to a bridge over a pond. Large wooden slats barred the way in front of it, and she had to stop running to try and squeeze through. Close to the ground, she carefully inched herself under the lowest bar.
DONK!
"OW-HA-HA-HA-HOW!"
Unfortunately, she made a slight miscalculation and banged her head instead. With shut eyes and throbbing head, it took two more attempts for her to get through.
Great job, Sunset. Just announce your presence to every monster nearby.
She could already hear footsteps. They weren't moving very quickly; but judging by the sound, they were less than 100 feet away. She stood up, took a step, slipped on snow, and planted her face in the ground once again. Stumbling on her hands and knees, she frantically scrambled forward.
She crawled straight into a pair of legs.
"Hey."
Her eyes still shut, she forced herself up, nearly slipped again, steadied herself, and turned her back to the newcomer.
"Hey. Human. Don't you know how to greet a new friend?"
She thought about running, but the cold, wet clothes, and injuries had all taken their tole. She couldn't do anything.
Here we go again. More "Friendliness Pellets."
"Turn around." She obeyed. The figure in front of her was cloaked in black.
"Who are you?"
He held out a hand. "Just a guy passin' by."
She just stared at his outstretched arm.
"What, they don't shake hands where you're from?"
I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die.
Trembling all the while, she slowly raised her hand until at was at the same level as his. Then, really to pull back at any moment, she moved it forward.
"Come on. I don't bite. Just shake it."
On impulse, she grabbed it.
BZZZZZZZZZZZZZT!
"AAAAH!" She jumped backwards, arms outstretched, in a futile attempt to save herself from the encroaching oblivion that was surely...on the cusp of...consuming...her?
"Heh heh heh." The figure, which she now saw was a skeleton, turned his hand towards her, exposing the joy buzzer within. "They always fall for that one."
She looked at him first, than the buzzer, than back at him again. It took a few seconds, but then the realization finally hit.
A prank. This was just one big prank.
"the name's sans. sans the skeleton. what's your name?"
Sunset started to answer...but only managed to get out a couple of incoherent babbles before falling to the ground in a faint.
The first thing Sunset noticed was that she wasn't cold anymore. The wetness of her clothes and the chill of the winter breeze no longer pulled her down. And yet, she was still face-down in the snow. The skeleton from before was still there too, looking down at her with an expression that was both concerned and amused.
"so kid. how long do ya plan on sleeping here?"
"How long was I out...again?"
Sans shrugged. "eh, six minutes, six hours, six days, six months. i wasn't really keepin' track."
At that, Sunset scowled. "But you apparently had it in you to just stand there and watch me? What if I froze to death or something?"
Sans shrugged again. "something tells me that really wouldn't be much of an issue for you. right?"
The scowl turned into a stare as Sunset hoisted herself up again. "Guess you're just hoping for another skeleton to play with or something. Whatever. If you're gonna stand there, could you at least help me out and tell me where I am?"
"sure," the two of them started walking while they talked. "this is snowdin forest. our king named it that because it has--get this--snow, in the forest. yeah, as great as the king is, he's pretty lousy at names."
Sunset was about to ask him how there could possibly be snow underground but then thought better of it, lest he reveal that the stuff they were walking in was something other than snow. "So what were you doing here anyway?"
Sans scratched his head. "i'm a sentry here. it's my job to watch for humans and capture them along with my brother."
Sunset chuckled and held up her hands in mock surrender. "Well congratulations. You caught me."
"nah. don't worry about it. hunting for humans is boring. i'd rather just practice my jokes. my brother's the one you want to worry about. he's a human hunting fanatic. anyway, so i'm out here practicing and decide to take a stroll. and who should i find but a brown-haired human in a striped shirt walking through the snow?"
Sunset jerked straight up. "Wait a minute. BROWN-haired?" The skeleton kept rambling on about introductory pranks, but she wasn't listening anymore. She needed a mirror. Or a reflective surface, anything. By now, the two had come to a fork in the road; her ears caught the sound of flowing water. "Would you excuse me a moment, please?"
"all right." Sans sat down to wait. "hurry back." Sure enough, the path to the north led to a rushing river. Getting as close as she could without falling in, Sunset examined her reflection.
"No. N-no, it can't be." But it was. Her hair had changed color and length. The formerly red and yellow locks were now straight brown and the wavy strands that had once reached her shoulders now barely touched her neck. That combined with her new clothes made her look like a completely different person.
What's...happening...to me?
Thankfully, her eyes were still their same green. But how long would that last? What had changed her in the first place? What came after hair and clothes?
"And why does the Underground give me three new questions for every one I get answered?!" Before the constant questions made her brain explode, she decided to return to Sans.
"hey. find what you were looking for?"
She put her hand behind her head. "You could say that."
He kept smiling. "good to hear. hey, we'll be meeting my brother soon. i'll put in a good word for you."
"Wonderful." The next area held more trees and a wooden shack a few yards ahead. Sunset started to move forward but was stopped by San's arm on her shoulder.
"hold on, kiddo. do me a favor and stand next to that rock over there."
"The rock?" She tensed up in spite of herself. "Why?"
"just trust me." With no other choice, she did so. Sans moved in front of her right as another skeleton entered the area. "hey bro."
"DO NOT 'hey bro' ME, SANS." The new arrival was much taller than Sans and a lot more lanky. "IT'S BEEN EIGHT DAYS AND YOU STILL HAVE NOT RECALIBRATED YOUR PUZZLES. WHAT IF A HUMAN COMES THROUGH HERE?" He gestured to himself. "HOW WILL I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, CAPTURE A HUMAN FOR UNDYNE WITHOUT PERFECTLY PLACED PUZZLES?" He paused for a moment before finally looking at Sunset. "EGAD. WHAT ON EARTH IS THAT?"
"um, i think that's a rock."
"OH." For a moment, the taller skeleton looked crestfallen.
"hey, what's that in front of the rock?"
Exposed, Sunset gave a tiny smile and wave. "Hiiii."
"OH MY GOODNESS." Papyrus put his hands on his cheeks. "A HUMAN! AT LAST, A REAL, LIVE HUMAN. NOW, I CAN CAPTURE IT AND FINALLY OBTAIN THE PROSPERITY THAT IS RIGHTFULLY MINE." He turned to address Sunset. "ATTENTION HUMAN! YOU SHALL NOT PASS THIS AREA. I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL STOP YOU. I WILL THEN SEND YOU TO UNDYNE WHO WILL THEN...." He paused. "WELL, I'M NOT ACTUALLY SURE WHAT COMES AFTER THAT, BUT YOU STILL WILL NOT PASS."
She sized him up. The goofball looked harmless enough, but so had Flowey. Out of habit, her hands went to the knife. But that proved unnecessary as he continued.
"YES, ON THIS DAY, A HUMAN WILL BE MINE. CONTINUE ONLY IF YOU DARE. NYEH HEH HEH HEH HEH!" He then ran ahead of them. Sunset felt compelled to shake her head and grin.
"Soooo, that's your brother?" She turned back to Sans.
This time his smile stretched across his whole face. "yep. isn't he awesome?"
Before she could answer, Sans ran off after Papyrus. Sunset watched him go, waited a few minutes, and then walked after him. The next area had another shack. She moved closer to examine it and froze when something popped out. The creature looked like a bipedal dog. It sniffed the air and stared right at her.
"Did something move?" It asked with a growl. "I can only see moving things. If something was moving, say for example, a human," it jumped in front of where Sunset was standing. "I'll make sure it NEVER moves again!"
She had just enough time to pull out the knife before the dog attacked, swinging a pair of blue swords directly at her. She tried to block, but his weapons simply passed through her own. A stinging pain raced through her body as a crack appeared on her SOUL.
"Ah-ha! Something WAS moving. Now to confirm my suspicions." He swung his swords again; but this time, her body locked up before she could dodge. To her surprise, the swords passed through her harmlessly. "Wait. Now it's not moving. I can't see it. Where'd it go?" As he tried a third attack, Sunset waited until he'd passed again before reaching up and petting him on the head. "What? I've been pet. Pet, pot, put, pat, pit." He tried one more time but still found nothing. So he returned to his shack. "Something pet me. Something that isn't moving. I'm gonna need some treats for this." After a moment, he sank back down.
Sunset waited a few seconds after he'd gone before walking off.
"First a goat, then two skeletons, now a dog? What's next, a walking fish?"
After escaping Doggo, Sunset continued her way through the forest. Sans was waiting for her in the next area.
"heya." He glanced at the crack on her SOUL. "i see you met the locals."
"Yeah. There was a dog with a couple of blue swords. They passed right through me."
"right. forgot to mention that earlier." Sans scratched his head. "blue attacks won't hurt you as long as you don't move. and orange attacks won't hurt you as long as you are moving."
"I'll make a note of it." Sunset replied before walking onward. She came to a sign. "Let's see. To the north is ice. To the west is ice. To the south is ice." She chuckled to herself. "To the east is Snowdin Town...and more ice." Well if it meant getting out of the cold, then Snowdin town it was. But first, she decided to check the north path.
The north path led to a small grove of trees surrounding a smiling snowman. Somewhat wary after her encounter with the dummy, Sunset took a few steps closer. "Hello?"
"Hello." Even though the snowman's mouth never moved, she could still hear it speaking plain as day. Yet another oddity to add to the ever-growing list. "I've never seen you before. Are you a traveler?"
"Traveler? Well, I guess you could say that."
"That's nice." The snowman's smile changed to a frown. Sometimes I wish I could be a traveler. But my creator forgot to give me legs when she made me."
"Creator?" Sunset scratched her head. "So you're not a monster?"
"Actually, I am." Its face changed to a neutral expression. "All it takes to make a monster is a little bit of magic. Once my creator made my body, the Underground's magic gave me life, and here I am."
"Wow. And who was your creator?"
"Let's see." If it had had arms, she was sure it would be tapping its forehead. "I don't remember her name. All I remember is that she was wearing a striped shirt, kind of like the one you're wearing. And she had brown hair like yours."
Sunset reached up and touched her hair at the reminder of her unexpected makeover. She still didn't know why that had happened or what it meant. Were other monsters going to start mistaking her for--
Her train of thought screeched to a halt as her lips moved of their own accord. "So why do you want to become a traveler?"
It was frowning again. "Since I don't have legs, I cannot move. My creator placed me here because she thought I would be safe. I am. But I really wish to see the rest of the world."
"Do you want someone to carry you?"
She could have sworn it was either sweating or melting. "That will not be necessary. I don't want to risk falling apart. So would you be willing to take a piece of me with you in your journey?"
"Sure thing." She carefully scooped a piece of the snowman out of the center of his middle segment and added it to her inventory alongside the knife, the pie, and a stick she'd found after meeting Sans.
"Where does all this stuff go anyway?" She muttered under her breath.
The snowman looked a little lighter without its piece, but it was still smiling. "Thank you Miss. I can't wait to hear of your adventures with me. See you later."
Sunset started walking away but called back over her shoulder. "See you later, Mr. Smiley." She made it all the way back down to the sign before realizing what she'd said.
Wait a minute. How did I know his name? He never told me. And yet, the name was there in her mind as if it had been there for ages. She took out the snowman piece and examined it. I...remember.
She'd been wearing a nice pair of mittens to go with her shirt. ****** had wanted to do something special for Papyrus's birthday. So they'd decided to make him a new friend. Someone who would be more appreciative of his unique personality. So they'd made Mr. Smiley and Papyrus had loved it. Unfortunately, Mr. Smiley's lack of transportation meant that he couldn't accompany Papyrus on his royal guard duties, and the scatterbrained skeleton had eventually forgotten about the snowman. The fact that they'd built him off the beaten path hadn't helped either. But the last time she'd checked, Mr. Smiley was still smiling, so it had worked out anyway.
As the memory concluded, Sunset started trembling. "How do I know this? I've never even seen him before. What's happening to me?" Putting the snowman piece back in her inventory, she practically dashed into the next room.
Sans and Papyrus were there, standing across from her next to a giant square carved out of the snow. But they were too busy talking to each other to notice her.
"YOU'RE SO LAZY." Papyrus was saying. "YOU WERE NAPPING ALL NIGHT!"
"um, i think that's called sleeping."
"EXCUSES, EXCUSES." He turned and noticed Sunset. "OH-HO. THE HUMAN ARRIVES." He gestured to the square. "IN ORDER TO STOP YOU, MY BROTHER AND I HAVE CREATED SOME PUZZLES FOR YOU. I THINK YOU'LL FIND THIS ONE," he paused for dramatic effect, "QUITE SHOCKING!" After pausing to let the joke sink in and taking great pride in Sunset's involuntary chuckle, he continued. "FOR YOU SEE, THIS IS THE INVISIBLE, ELECTRICITY MAZE! WHEN YOU TOUCH THE WALLS OF THIS MAZE," he held out an orb in his hand. "THIS ORB WILL ADMINISTER A HEARTY ZAP. DOES THAT SOUND LIKE FUN? BECAUSE IN ACTUALITY, THE FUN YOU WILL HAVE IS ACTUALLY RATHER SMALL. I THINK." He gestured to Sunset. "OKAY, YOU CAN GO AHEAD NOW."
Sunset looked down at the crack on her SOUL. The easy thing to do would just be to walk around the square and avoid the maze entirely. But looking at Papyrus's excited expression made her think twice about it. Eh, what the heck? She took a step forward into the maze and did a double take when Papyrus got zapped instead of her.
"NYAAAAH!" He stomped on the ground a couple of times. "SANS, WHAT DID YOU DO?"
"i think the human has to hold the orb. not you." His brother replied.
The jubilant mood returned instantly. "OH, OKAY." He then proceeded to walk through the maze and over to her, leaving a trail of snowy footprints behind. "HOLD THIS PLEASE."
"Um, sure." Just what was it about the skeleton that made her keep smiling even as he threatened her life? He was like a combination of Trixie and Spike. Anyway, making sure to follow the footprints, she walked through the maze without getting zapped once.
"INCREDIBLE, YOU SLIPPERY SNAIL! YOU SOLVED IT SO EASILY. MAYBE TOO EASILY. HOWEVER, THE NEXT PUZZLE WILL NOT BE EASY. FOR IT WAS DESIGNED BY MY BROTHER SANS. YOU WILL SURELY BE CONFOUNDED JUST LIKE I AM. NYEH HEH HEH HEH HEH!" Papyrus ran off leaving Sans behind.
"hey thanks." He took the orb back. "my brother seems like he's having fun. by the way, did you see that weird outfit he's wearing? we made that a few weeks ago for a costume party. he hasn't worn anything else since. he keeps calling it his 'battle body.'"
And I thought only Rarity loved clothes that much. I'll bet she'd love making clothes for him.
"man." Sans continued. "isn't my brother cool?"
Sunset smile turned into a chuckle, then a giggle, then a guffaw, before finally spilling out into a full on laugh. "Yes he is. He most certainly is."
In the next area, Sunset saw a small bridge connecting two cliffs together. And directly to her left was...a vendor's stand?
What's a vendor's stand doing in the middle of the woods? There's no one here to buy anything.
Well, no one except her. She walked towards the vendor, a light-blue rabbit-like creature, who turned in her direction when he heard her footsteps and perked up upon seeing her.
"Wow! A customer at last." He sighed with relief. "I was worried I'd never get a chance to sell these. I don't understand why no one's buying anything. It's the perfect weather for something cold."
"Something cold?" Sunset cocked her head. "What are you selling?"
He gestured to the wares. "I'm selling Nice Cream. It's the frozen treat that warms your heart. Now just 15g. Would you like one?"
Sunset checked her inventory. She had enough for at least two.
"'Nice Cream'? Is that any different from Ice Cream?"
"Oh yes." The vendor nodded. "For one thing, instead of a joke, the wrapper says something nice. For another thing, it's cold in your mouth but warm in your stomach. Delicious."
"Wait a second." Sunset held up a finger. "If it's cold in your mouth, wouldn't it be a better idea to sell the ice cream somewhere warmer? I mean, I don't know how it works down here; but where I come from, people want something cold when the weather is hot and something hot where the weather is cold. The contrast makes the food appealing."
He stared at her for a couple of seconds, then at the snow around them, then at the Nice Cream. "That's incredible. Why didn't I think of that? I'll have to move my stand to a better locale after you're finished here."
Her curiosity piqued, Sunset pulled out 15g. "One please."
After taking her money, he slipped two into her hands. "Take an extra on me for your help."
"Thanks." She put the second one away and opened the first one, glancing at the wrapper once she'd finished. "Let's see. It says 'Love yourself! I love you!'" The words put a smile on her face and a blush on her cheeks. "Thank you for this. Thank you so much."
At first, the chilly treat combined with the snow around her made her skin turn blue and start growing icicles. But a few moments after swallowing it, a warm glow spread through her body and defrosted her, even melting the snow where she was standing. Almost like she'd slurped down some hot cocoa. Sunset blinked a couple of times.
"Wow. That was delicious."
"Glad you liked it. Hope to see you again soon." He waved after her.
Reinvigorated, she walked forward across the bridge. Sans stood a few yards away next to a cluster of trees. To her right was a strange looking snowball game. She approached the skeleton first.
"heya. i've been thinking of getting into the selling business too. you want some fried snow?"
She put a hand on her hip. "Fried snow? Isn't that just water?"
"yeah. want some?"
She jerked a thumb at the Nice Cream guy and smirked. "Sorry, I just ate. Maybe later."
"kay. just watch out for the dog marriage."
"Wait. Did you say Dog MARRIAGE?"
"yeah, you heard that correctly." He vanished before she could ask him to clarify.
She turned towards the snowball game again.
Is this some kind of sport? Or another puzzle?
Sadly, she lacked the patience to get the ball in the hole and walked onward instead. Sans and Papyrus were in the next room along with a piece of paper on the floor. They turned towards her as she drew closer.
"HUMAN! I HOPE YOU'RE READY FOR..." Papyrus glanced at her. "SANS, WHERE'S THE YOU-KNOW-WHAT?"
Sans pointed at the paper. "it's right there on the ground. trust me. there's no way they'll get past it."
Sunset approached the paper and picked it up off the ground. The words were in a goofy font, but she could just manage to make them out.
You're invited! To a super awesomely spectacular party palooza in Snowdin Town! Enjoy food, cake, and presents with the best monsters around. See you there! Hee hee.
Her hands trembled as she recognized the handwriting. "Pinkie Pie?" The word was merely a whisper. She turned to the two skeletons. "Hey! Where'd you get this?"
"huh?" Sans scratched his head. "the card? oh yeah. that pink girl gave it to us. remember bro?"
"HMM." Papyrus tapped his foot for a moment before jolting up. "AH YES. NOW I REMEMBER. SHE CAME THROUGH HERE BEFORE YOU DID. SHE LOOKED JUST LIKE A HUMAN; BUT WITH THAT MASSIVE PINK MARSHMALLOW ON HER HEAD, I WASN'T SURE."
"Do you know where she is now?" Sunset put the paper on her pocket and ran up to them.
"I CAN'T SAY FOR SURE." Papyrus frowned for the first time she'd seen him. "SHE RAN OFF AS SOON AS WE MET HER. SAYING SOMETHING ABOUT 'DOING SOMETHING SPECIAL FOR ALL HER NEW FRIENDS'."
Yep. That's Pinkie Pie all right. Sunset remembered the girl had thrown her a welcome party when she'd first started attending Canterlot High. No doubt, she was doing the same thing here even though SHE was the new one. To her, befriending monsters would be no different than befriending humans. Unfortunately, that would make her the most vulnerable to Flowey's manipulations.
"i wouldn't worry too much about it, bucko." Sans stepped forward. "if you keep going, you're bound to run into her eventually."
Sunset had stopped listening. Her eyes were glued to the paper even as she walked past the skeletons.
"uh. right then. see yah."
"SANS. THAT DIDN'T WORK EITHER! SHE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE ENRAPTURED BY THE POSSIBILITY OF A PARTY! I KNEW WE SHOULD HAVE USED JUNIOR JUMBLE INSTEAD."
Her mind was racing. First Twilight. Now Pinkie Pie. I guess the girls really did fall down here before me. But where are they now? She clutched the letter to her chest. I have to find them before the monsters do.
Calling out for her wasn't an option. It would only lead the other monsters right to her. And as nice as Sans and Papyrus seemed, she doubted they'd defend her from their own kind like Toriel. No. She'd just have to find her way to Snowdin Town. The sign from before had sent her in the right direction, so now she just had to keep going.
The next room had a tiny mouse hole in the wall to her left and a microwave and table in front of her. There was another note, this one with Papyrus's handwriting.
"HUMAN! PLEASE ENJOY THIS SPAGHETTI. LITTLE DO YOU KNOW THAT THIS SPAGHETTI IS A TRAP DESIGNED TO ENTICE YOU. YOU'LL BE SO BUSY EATING IT THAT YOU WON'T REALIZE YOU AREN'T PROGRESSING. THOROUGHLY JAPED BY THE GREAT PAPYRUS. NYEH! HEH! HEH!"
She moved closer to the spaghetti. It was completely frozen; but with a nearby fork, she just managed to pry a clump loose and pop it into her mouth. Her face scrunched up reflexively then softened as she started chewing.
After tinkering a bit with the nearby microwave, Sunset wolfed down the rest of the spaghetti and headed into the next area. She was greeted by a fork in the path where one route led to a dead end straight ahead and the other veered off to the right. She walked straight first and examined the dead end. Between a pair of evergreen trees, she found a patch of ground uncovered by the snow. Kneeling down, moved her hands over the ground.
It feels like some kind of switch. Looks like it's already been hit. But what's this stuff around it? Cords? Ropes? No wait. These are--
"Vines!" The knife was in her hand as soon as the word left her mouth, as she spun around in all directions. Vines meant Flowey, and Flowey meant death. Several agonizing minutes scraped by into eternity. But nobody came. She imagined him looking at her from afar and laughing while she stewed in paranoia, and the thought made her grit the knife until her already cold knuckles turned white. But since nothing was happening, all she could do was keep going.
Calm down, Sunset. If he wanted you dead, he wouldn't be this subtle about it. He's just trying to get under your skin.
On the opposite path, the pressed switch had apparently disabled a barrier of spikes blocking the path. She walked beyond it and across another bridge, but before she could go any further, a pair of hooded figures came into view. All she could see beneath their garb was a single long nose sticking out. Each one was wielding a giant axe that made her knife look like a mere toothpick. The two of them circled around her, making weird sniffing noises as they did so.
"What's that smell?" A male voice asked.
"Where's that smell?" A female voice replied.
The two spoke together. "If you're a smell, identify yoursmelf!"
The two circled around her a couple of times before stopping in front of her. Sunset took a step forward only to be stopped by their axes crossing each other with a loud CLANG.
"Here's that weird smell." The female pointed at her.
"It makes me want to eliminate." The male replied.
They spoke together again. "Eliminate YOU!" They both threw back their hoods, revealing themselves as a pair of canines. Spinning their axes, they advanced on Sunset. "We are Dogamy and Dogaressa of the Underground's Royal Guard. Prepare yourself for a painful soul extraction. Before today is over, Monsterkind shall be free!"
Announcing their names and titles? Loudly declaring their intentions? Prepare myself? Methinks the Royal Guard's been watching a little too much anime.
Still, if they were going to do this, she might as well play along. So holding up her arms, she brandished the knife.
"And I, a human from the realms above, shall accept your challenge. I desire no harm upon you, but I wish my own freedom the same as you do. Our clash of spirits shall decide whose will holds true."
With that, the dogs attacked, swinging their axes in perfect synchronization towards Sunset. Jumping backwards, she caught both weapons with the edge of the knife and shoved forwards, throwing the dogs off balance. She followed that up with a slash of the knife, making doubly sure to only hit robe and not flesh. A tuft of Dogaressa's cloak tore away, but another ax swipe stopped her pursuit. The Dogi quickly regrouped and switched positions. This time, Dogamy swung in for another ax attack while Dogaressa stood back. Cupping her hands around her mouth, she shot a cluster of blue hearts at her target. Sunset found herself having to rapidly switch back and forth between dodging the axe blows and stopping for the blue hearts. The two were so connected that their attacks came within seconds of each other. Something had to give, and that something was Sunset.
KLSHUK!
"Auugh!" A slash from the axe cut right through her SOUL, adding a second crack alongside Doggo's. She fell to the ground from the force and the blow and rolled a good distance before stopping at the edge of the bridge. The two dogs approached from either side and raised their axes. Sunset barely had time to roll to the side before their weapons struck the ground where her head used to be. She checked her SOUL. Weapons like that were far stronger than Toriel's fire or Doggo's spears. Another strike would send her back to the Void. And she didn't know if she'd be able to come back a third time.
Once more, they struck in unison. Sunset managed to block the initial strike, but the dogs forced her back with their combined strength. Her heel reached the edge of the bridge.
"Victory is ours." One swung for her head, the other for her legs.
"Not YET!" Right as the axes drew near, she jumped, propelling herself forward with all the strength she had left. Her aim was straight and true, just barely slipping in between the massive blades. Just like with Toriel, a red aura shone from her soul and engulfed her within it. But this time, she knew what to do. Before they could reacted, she attacked, battering at their weapons with the knife. Dogamy shot off another blast of hearts; but rather than stop, Sunset vaulted over them and kept up her attack, weaving in and out of rage of their axes in a deadly dance of death. The dogi became more and more frantic as her attacks continued, desperately trying to retake the upper hand. Sunset hissed in pain as an errant white heart brushed against her SOUL, forming a slight dent alongside the new cracks. Even so, she kept going, filled with DETERMINATION, and continued attacking their weapons.
At last, with a final strike to the handle, Dogamy's split in two like a pretzel stick. Dogaressa immediately stepped forward to shield her husband from harm only for her own blade to break as well. With no other means of attack they, both threw up their paws and knelt to the ground, panting.
"Victory is yours, Human from the realms above. We shall grant you passage and ask only for our lives."
Sunset sheathed the knife. "You don't have to worry about that. As stated before, I desire no harm upon you. I merely wish to pass through the area. Your lives are yours to do as you please."
Needing no further encouragement, they ran off, leaving the broken axes behind. Sunset watched them vanish into the distance and then shook her head.
From nose-nuzzling, to stick-fetching, to human-catching, those two always took everything too seriously.
She was too concerned about her damaged SOUL to recognize her unfamiliar memories. So instead, she walked onward.
The next room had another puzzle preemptively completed. A second wall of spikes was already down. Papyrus stood at the end of the room and turned towards her as she walked up.
"WHAT? HOW DID YOU AVOID MY TRAP? AND MORE IMPORTANTLY? IS THERE ANY SPAGHETTI LEFT FOR ME?"
"Um sorry." Sunset patted her stomach. "It was so good, I ate the whole thing."
He just stared at her a couple of seconds, mouth agape, before putting on the biggest smile she'd ever seen. "WOWEE! NO ONE'S EVER ENJOYED MY COOKING BEFORE. WELL FRET NOT HUMAN! I, THE GREAT AND MASTER CHEF PAPYRUS, SHALL MAKE YOU ALL THE PASTA YOU COULD EVER WANT. NYEH HEH HEH HEH HEH!"
He ran off into the next room while she followed close behind. As he walked, he talked.
"ALAS, THINGS ARE NOT ALL SUNSHINE AND RAINBOWS HERE, HUMAN. MY BROTHER STARTED A SOCK COLLECTION RECENTLY."
"A sock collection?"
"I KNOW. HOW SADDENING. SOMETIMES I WONDER WHAT HE WOULD DO WITHOUT SUCH A COOL GUY TAKING CARE OF HIM. NYEH HEH HEH!"
Can't be worse than Rainbow Dash stuffing her room with pictures of herself. Though come to think of it, the Great Papyrus does act a lot like her. At least he's not the Great and Powerful Papyrus.
She walked onward and quickly came to another puzzle. Just like before, it had already been solved. Unlike before, there were no vines in sight. She glanced at Papyrus.
"WORRY NOT HUMAN. I CAN EXPLAIN. YOU WERE TAKING SO LONG TO REACH THIS PUZZLE, THAT I DECIDED TO RUN THROUGH IT MYSELF TO MAKE SURE IT WAS WORKING PROPERLY. UNFORTUNATELY, I FORGOT HOW TO RESET IT BEFORE YOU ARRIVED. SO IN LIGHT OF THE SITUATION, YOU MAY PASS."
Sans was waiting for her on the other side of the spike wall. "nice job so far. you're really great at puzzles." He winked at her before running after Papyrus. By the time she reached the next room, they were already waiting for her. A series of tiles stretched before her, all of them grey.
"HEY! IT'S THE HUMAN." He gestured to the tiles. "YOU'RE GOING TO LOVE THIS PUZZLE. IT WAS DESIGNED BY THE BRILLIANT DR. ALPHYS. YOU SEE THESE TILES? ONCE I THROW THIS SWITCH, THEY WILL BEGIN TO CHANGE COLORS. EACH COLOR HAS A DIFFERENT FUNCTION. RED TILES..."
He continued describing the different functions in detail; but there were so many, she could barely keep up. By the time he was finished, she was completely lost but still nodded when he asked if she understood.
"GREAT. ONE LAST THING. THIS PUZZLE IS COMPLETELY RANDOM. WHEN I PULL THIS SWITCH, IT WILL MAKE A PUZZLE THAT HAS NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE! NOT EVEN I WILL KNOW THE SOLUTION. ARE YOU READY? HERE WE GO!"
He flipped the switch, causing the tiles to circulate randomly through a whole bunch of different colors. They went through so many that the sheer number of blinking lights hurt her eyes. Unfortunately, he had apparently pulled the lever too hard and the machine spazzed out a couple of times before finally exploding, covering the three of them in soot. The tiles reverted to a solid pink, making them easy to walk across. Papyrus, rather mortified, simply walked off into the next room while Sans lingered behind.
"actually, that spaghetti from before? it wasn't too bad for my brother. since he started cooking, he's been improving a lot. and apparently, a lot more than i thought if you actually managed to hork it down."
"Maybe I've just got a strong stomach."
"i'll bet." he looked at her heart. "too bad the same can't be said for your soul."
"Ooh, right." She winced again. "Do you know any way to heal it?"
"once you get to snowdin town, you can sleep in the inn, and you'll heal right up."
"Thanks." She started heading into the next room.
"one last thing." His words made her stop. "papyrus has been happier today than I'd ever seen him. he really likes seeing humans."
"Uh-huh." She nodded.
"so i'd really appreciate it." his pupils vanished into a black vacuum . "So long as you manage to stay one."
"'So long as I manage to stay human?'" Sunset gaped at Sans. "What do you mean by that? Am I going to turn into a monster?"
San's eyes reappeared and he shrugged. "i dunno. that's up to you, not me." He took a few steps back. "but what i do know is that being a human in a world full of monsters makes you pretty important. i'd try to keep that in mind if i were you."
Before she could reply, he vanished in the blink of an eye. She didn't move. His words wouldn't let her. They lingered in her mind, replaying over and over again as she stood rooted in the snow. It was just like when she'd encountered Flowey before. Somehow the skeleton knew more than everyone else. But just what was it he knew? And what did it mean?
"Stay human? How can I not stay human? It's what I am." She looked down at herself. Sure, she'd died a couple of times and she had a big red SOUL now. But that didn't make her any less human. The monsters had said so themselves. Sure, her hair was a different color and length now, and she'd brought herself back from dead of a couple of times, and...and she'd started remembering things she hadn't been present for... and...and she'd been able to go back in time and undo Toriel's death. As far as she knew, ordinary humans couldn't do any of that. So what did that make her? Was the Underground changing her? Or was she changing the Underground? And how did Sans and Flowey seemingly know what was happening to her more than everyone else did?
"UUUGH! So many questions! Not enough answers! What am I going to do?"
She took a step forward and walked into the next room. It was all she'd been doing before, and it was still all she could do now. The Ruins had closed behind her, so she couldn't go back to Toriel. And she wasn't ready to face Flowey again. So she kept moving.
The next area held nothing of interest save for a single dog making snow sculptures. Sunset amused herself for a few minutes by petting it and struggled to contain herself when its neck sprouted to the size of a giraffe. The next room held another puzzle like the one Papyrus had shown her before. And just like before, it had already been solved. That was a good thing since sliding across the ice to even get to the end of the puzzle was another puzzle in of itself. For the third time since she'd arrived in the forest, she found herself falling head over heels to land flat on her stomach. Pushing herself forward, she made it to the other side and to the next room. There, ice returned to snow once again, and a series of snowpoffs marked the path in front of her. One of them held thirty G. And inside the last one lay a surprise.
"Aww. What a cute little doggie." She crooned at the face of a dog that poked its head out of the snowpoff. "Are you related to the one I saw before? Aren't you just the cutest little...." Her sentence ground to a halt as the dog emerged fully, revealing that it not only stood a full head and shoulders taller than her, but it was also wearing an enormous suit of armor. "C-c-cutest little...c-cutest little...t-t-thing?"
She had just enough time to let out a gasp before a swipe of a spear nearly ripped her in half. Her knife was in her hands at once, grinding against the spear's backswing before the canine thrust her backward. He swiped again, this time, with a blue spear. But her fight against Doggo before let her remember just what to do. Right before impact, she went still as a statue, causing the spear to pass harmlessly over her body. At that moment, she attacked, slashing her knife across the dog's armor and barely leaving a dent. Sheathing its weapon, the dog changed tactics. Jumping a few feet backward, it opened its mouth and unleashed a loud bark. Or rather, it unleashed the word bark. Two speech bubbles exited from its mouth and sped right towards Sunset. She gaped.
"Great. Something else that doesn't any SENSE!" Bending down at the last word, she managed to duck underneath them and move forward to close the gap, but that only brought forth more spear attacks. Straining knife against spear once again, she landed another slash to his armor with the same result. The dog paid her attack no heed. Drawing both spears at once, it charged, forcing her to stop and go to avoid getting hit. A glancing blow struck her SOUL, adding another gash to her previous injuries and dropping the girl to her knees. Seeing her fall, the dog backed away, waiting for her to rise.
This wasn't working. Whatever its armor was made of, it was a lot stronger than the dog couple's weapons. She looked down at her SOUL. With how much damage she'd already taken, it would likely kill her three times over before she even put a crack in the suit. Fleeing was out of the question. With her injuries, it'd be on her in seconds, and it was too big to simply outmaneuver. She had to survive. But how?
"Come on, stupid brain! You keep giving me memories I shouldn't have, how about giving me some of this guy!"
At hearing her shout, the Greater Dog barked once again, sending Sunset rolling sideways to avoid them. The snow on the ground sopped against her clothes, and a pair of sticks pressed into her back. Crying out from the pain, she lost her grip on the knife, sending it clattering out of hands and spinning across the snow. Dropping down on all fours and baring his teeth, the Greater Dog charged, barreling toward her like a cannonball. Dazed, she felt around for the knife but only managed to wrap her hands around the two sticks. Whipping them in front of her, she squeezed her eyes shut in a futile attempt to protect herself. The Dog's mouth opened and bit down.
CHOMP!
An eternity ticked by in seconds. Then Sunset's eyes snapped open. She wasn't dead. The Greater Dog's maw was inches away from her SOUL. But instead of the glowing heart, his teeth had bitten down firmly on the sticks. Fortunately, her arms were still intact. But even so, she had to act fast. Leaving one in his mouth, she pulled the second one free.
"Hey there, buddy. Y-you like this?"
The dog stared at the stick transfixed, letting his tongue roll out of his mouth. She moved it left and right. His eyes followed it.
"You--You want this?"
He nodded.
"Then FETCH!" She threw it behind her as hard as she could, and he bounded after it. The stick struck the ground and rolled a good distance, but Sunset was already gone in a mad dash past the poff he'd popped out of. The last glimpse she saw of her furry foe was the Greater Dog happily chowing down on the stick.
Once she'd entered the next room and gotten far enough way, Sunset checked herself. Her SOUL was covered in cracks and dents. Each beat of the heart sent a throb of pain through her body, dampening her hearing and straining her vision. Even a sneeze in its direction would shatter it, sending her back to the void once again. Sans had mentioned an inn in Snowdin Town, so she didn't want to waste her inventory before she got there. But she didn't know how close she was. Still, she moved onward from the snow onto a wooden rope bridge. Unlike the Daring Do books that Twilight and Rainbow Dash were always gushing about, this bridge was completely solid if somewhat damp. Sans and Papyrus were waiting for her on the other side and noticed her when she was halfway across.
Papyrus perked up. "HUMAN. THIS IS YOUR FINAL CHALLENGE. BEHOLD, THE GAUNTLET OF DEADLY TERROR!" With a gesture, six deadly weapons appeared on both sides of the bridge. There was a flamethrower, a mace, two spears, a cannon, and a dog on a rope. Sunset didn't even bother asking about that last one.
"That looks dangerous."
"IT IS." He continued. "AND WHEN I SAY THAT WORD, IT WILL FULLY ACTIVATE. CANNONS WILL FIRE. SPIKES WILL SWING. BLADES WILL SLICE. EACH PART WILL SWING VIOLENTLY UP AND DOWN. ONLY THE TINIEST CHANCE OF VICTORY WILL REMAIN. ARE YOU READY?"
Considering his previous attempts to hinder her, she wasn't concerned at all. "Yep."
"BECAUSE. I. AM. ABOUT. TO DO IT!"
But despite his proclamation, the weapons didn't move. Ten seconds passed each one more awkward than the last.
"well?" Sans chimed in. "what's the hold-up?"
"HOLD-UP?" Papyrus shot back. "WHAT HOLD-UP? I AM ABOUT TO ACTIVATE IT."
But yet again, nothing happened.
"that, uh, doesn't look very activated."
"WELL...THIS CHALLENGE. IT SEEMS TOO EASY TO DEFEAT THE HUMAN WITH. Y-YEAH. WE CAN'T USE THIS ONE. I AM A SKELETON WITH STANDARDS, AND MY PUZZLES ARE VERY FAIR. MY TRAPS ARE EXPERTLY COOKED. BUT THIS IS TOO DIRECT. NO CLASS AT ALL." At those words, the weapons withdrew. Papyrus dashed off into the distance. "I SHALL CAPTURE YOU YET, HUMAN. YOU'LL SEE!"
Once he was gone, Sunset finished crossing the bridge and stood next to the amused Sans. "Heh, what do you think he'd going to do next?"
He shrugged. "your guess is as good as mine. but if i were you, i'd make sure you understand blue attacks." She nodded. Rather than run ahead of her again, Sans walked alongside her as they headed into the next area. "oh, and kid?"
Sans and Sunset kept walking through the snow and out of the forest. Or rather, Sans walked and Sunset hobbled. Before them lay a large banner unrolled across the ground that read Welcome to Snowdin Town. Next to the banner lay two buildings. The sign atop the first building marked it as a shop, and the second one was marked as an inn. Sans pointed at the latter.
"heya. so before we keep going, you took a bit of a beating from the royal guards. so i'd suggest heading to the inn before you do anything else. you might feel better."
Sunset wanted to ask how exactly a good night's sleep could heal severe injuries to her SOUL; but based on everything she'd already seen, the Underground clearly operated on its own logic and physics that put even Equestria to shame.
No wonder the entrance was in the Everfree Forest.
She turned back to Sans to ask for more information, but the blue skeleton had already vanished. Shrugging, she entered the inn. The instant she crossed over the building's threshold, a soothing blanket of warm air gently lifted cold off of her body. The relief was so great that her legs nearly gave out from under her, and she almost missed the receptionist waving her over.
"Hey there." The bunny woman smiled at her. "Welcome to Snowed Inn. Snowdin's premier hotel."
"Thanks." Sunset gave a weak smile. "How much for one night?"
"One night is 80 g."
She checked her inventory. 80g was a little pricey, but if it could heal her, she needed it. "Here you go."
The bunny took her money. "Here's your room key. Don't forget to bundle up."
Without a word, she took the key and headed upstairs, collapsing onto the bed immediately. Everything went black.
Sunset was so exhausted that she didn't even have the energy to dream. But eventually, she opened her eyes once more. With the underground constantly changing and no source of sunlight to speak of, her internal clock had long stopped working. Still, she made the bed back up as she'd found it and headed back downstairs.
"Heya," the bunny woman was sitting at the desk. "You look like you had a great sleep."
A look down at her SOUL told her that statement was accurate. Not only was her heart fully intact but there was also a yellow barrier in front of it. She wasn't just healed; she was MORE than okay.
"Wow. Sans was right. One night here did patch me up."
The woman shook her head. "One night? I'm afraid you're mistaken. You were only up there for a couple of minutes."
The only response Sunset could muster to a revelation like this was an utterly numb. "Wait...what?" This was followed by something being shoved into her palm.
"Here's your money back. You can pay me if you're going to sleep overnight."
Sunset returned the money to her inventory and exited the inn.
Now that she was healed, she could take in the town at her leisure. There were several houses scattered through the area ahead of her along with several monsters gathered around a decorated tree. Some were eating cake while others held presents.
Funny. I didn't know the Underground celebrated Christmas.
As she approached the three, one of the monsters turned to her. "Hey there. Welcome to the town."
"Thanks." She stared at the tree. "What have we here?"
"Some awful teens tormented a local monster by decorating its tree-like horns."
She shook her head. "Oh, that's terrible."
"Yeah." He nodded. "That's why we started giving that monster presents to make it feel better. And now, it's something of a tradition to put presents under a decorated tree."
Somehow, she wondered if it would have been a better idea to just take the decorations off of the monster. As she moved closer, she saw a little dinosaur monster without any arms standing in front of the tree. And standing next to him holding a sack full of presents was another monster in a Santa Claus outfit. With a large, red hat and a big, golden beard, she had a hard time figuring out where the costume ended and his face began, but the two giant horns on his head meant he was definitely a monster, As she watched, he took a present out of his sack and handed it to the monster kid. "Here you are."
The Monster Kid grinned and picked up the present in his mouth. "Wow! Thanks, Mr. Claus!" He ran off with the gift but not without tripping over his own two feet.
Sunset watched him go before turning toward Kris Kringle. "So, did you put all these presents here?"
He knelt down so he could meet her at eye level. "Not all of them. But the monsters around here love the tradition we started, so I like to give them presents sometimes."
She didn't know if it was the cold or the sweetness of the act, but she felt her cheeks get warm. "That's really sweet."
Reaching into his sack, he pulled out another one. "Don't forget yours, little Human."
She stopped dead in her tracks. "A present for me? But...but I didn't do anything."
He pointed a finger behind him at the building labeled Grillby's. "That's not what the royal guards told me. They talked about how you encountered each of them and showed them mercy even when they tried to attack you. That was a very kind thing to do. So, you deserve it."
Sunset stared at the box she'd been given before slowly opening it. Inside was an enormous sandwich in the shape of a sword, filled with lettuce, tomatoes, roast beef, bacon, ham, and a giant slab of steak. "Oh wow. This is nice. Wonder how long it took to make."
"It's a Legendary Hero," Santa replied. "One of the best sandwiches in the entire Underground. I'm sure you'll love it."
Sunset added it to her inventory. "I'm sure it's delicious, but I'm still stuffed from Papyrus's spaghetti and the Nice Cream I ate earlier. If the sandwich is as good as you say, I think I should wait until my tank is empty." She looked at Santa. "Speaking of food, I'm looking for a friend of mine who loves to make pastries and cupcakes. Her name is Pinkie Pie. Have you seen her?"
Santa nodded. "As a matter of fact, I have. You just missed her. She was here earlier, sharing a bunch of cupcakes. But when little Monster Kid talked to her about Undyne, she ran off. I think she mentioned something about throwing another party." He pointed past Grillby's
Sunset shook her head. "Yep, that sounds like Pinkie Pie all right. But who's Undyne?"
"She's the captain of the Royal Guard. She doesn't like humans very much. So I'd avoid her if I were you."
"I see. Well, I'll keep a lookout for her. Thanks for the present."
"You're welcome." Santa turned away to talk to another monster and handed him a new present.
Sunset headed onward in the direction he'd pointed at a brisk walk. If what he said was true, then she was within shouting distance of Pinkie Pie right this minute. Though the pink-haired party planner could grind her last nerve at times, her neverending optimism was something Sunset could really use right now. But at the same time, she couldn't just charge forward without a plan. She'd be useless to Pinkie Pie if she got hurt herself. And with how different the Underground was compared to the surface world, she could really use some more information. Fortunately, the next building ahead of her appeared to be a library, albeit with the sign misspelled as 'librarb.' More monsters were inside, reading newspapers or doing word searches. She also noted that each one had a cupcake nearby like the ones Pinkie would make. Grabbing one of the newspapers, she began to read.
Love, hope, and compassion. This is what people say monster souls are made of. But the absolute nature of SOUL is unknown. After all, humans have proven they don't need these things to exist.
"Ouch." She muttered to herself. Then again, most monsters probably didn't have much experience with humans besides her. She kept reading.
While monsters are mostly made up of magic, humans are mostly made of water. Humans, with their physical forms, are far stronger than us. But they will never know the joy of expressing themselves through magic. They'll never get a bullet-patterned birthday card. Because they are made of magic, monster bodies are attuned to their SOUL. If a monster doesn't want to fight, its defenses will weaken. And the crueler the intentions of their enemies, the more their attacks will hurt us. Therefore, if a being with a powerful SOUL struck with the desire to kill...
The sentence petered out after that. Sunset frowned. Well, that would explain why she'd been able to beat Toriel so easily. The goat clearly hadn't wanted to fight her, so her single attack had done much more damage than she'd anticipated. She'd have to remember that for the future. After finishing the rest of the articles, she got up and left the library, continuing to head East. The only other building in town was a well-decorated house. She tried the door only to find it locked, as was the shed next to it. So she kept on.
Upon leaving the town, the first thing she noticed was that she could barely see herself. A thick layer of fog had formed before her in the blink of an eye. But while she still couldn't see her hand in front of her face, it wasn't actually pushing against her or slowing her down. As she moved further in, she caught sight of a silhouette before her and moved closer.
"HUMAN." Papyrus's voice reached her ears. "ALLOW ME TO TELL YOU ABOUT SOME COMPLEX FEELINGS."
Yours or mine?
"FEELINGS LIKE...THE JOY OF FINDING ANOTHER PASTA LOVER. THE FIRST PERSON WHO ACTUALLY ENJOYS MY COOKING." He laughed. "THE ADMIRATION OF ANOTHER'S PUZZLE-SOLVING SKILLS, EVEN IF YOU DID USE SOME VINES TO DO SO."
She couldn't bring herself to correct him with how happy he seemed.
"THE DESIRE TO HAVE A COOL, SMART PERSON THINK YOU ARE COOL. THESE FEELINGS. THEY MUST BE WHAT YOU ARE FEELING RIGHT NOW!"
Only a Herculean effort kept her from bursting out laughing right then and there.
"I CAN HARDLY IMAGINE WHAT IT MUST BE LIKE TO FEEL THAT WAY. AFTER ALL, I AM VERY GREAT. I DON'T EVER WONDER WHAT HAVING LOTS OF FRIENDS IS LIKE." Papyrus leaned toward her. "I PITY YOU, LONELY HUMAN. BUT WORRY NOT. YOU SHALL BE LONELY NO LONGER. I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL BE YOUR..."
He left his sentence unfinished and turned away from her. She took another step forward only for him to whirl on her.
"NO. NO! THIS IS ALL WRONG! I CAN'T BE YOUR FRIEND. YOU ARE A HUMAN. I MUST CAPTURE YOU. THEN I CAN FULFILL MY LIFELONG DREAM. POWERFUL! POPULAR! PRESTIGIOUS! THAT'S PAPYRUS. THE NEWEST MEMBER OF THE ROYAL GUARD!"
With the snap of his fingers, a bone appeared in his hands, and he twirled it like a staff. She drew her knife in response. "I don't want to fight you, Papyrus. But I don't want to get captured either. So bring it on! Show me what a royal guard is worth!"
Blade locked against bone as the two of them pressed against each other, their wielders grinning madly.
After pushing against Papyrus's bone for several seconds, Sunset found the upper hand and sent him sliding back across the snow. A snap of his fingers had three more bones at the ready, which he hurled at her like ninja stars. She braced herself to dodge; but to her surprise, the bones moved so slowly that she easily avoided them just by walking around them. He summoned three more bones, and she walked around them easily.
"Are you trying to psyche me out or something?" She snickered at him. "Clever boy."
Unexpectedly, he blushed. "WHAT?! FLIRTING? SO YOU FINALLY REVEAL YOUR ULTIMATE FEELINGS! W-WELL, I'M A SKELETON WITH VERY HIGH STANDARDS."
She shrugged and kept playing along. "Well, since you were nice enough to make that spaghetti for me, maybe I can make some for you later."
If it was even possible, his blush got even deeper. "OH NO! YOU'RE MEETING ALL MY STANDARDS! I GUESS THIS MEANS I HAVE TO GO ON A DATE WITH YOU. AFTER I CAPTURE YOU AT LEAST."
Huh, didn't know he was into that sort of thing.
She held her hands outward. "Well, we don't have to fight. Why not go back and have that date instead?"
Pausing for a moment, he thought this statement over before summoning more bones. "SO, YOU WON'T FIGHT. WELL THEN, LET'S SEE IF YOU CAN HANDLE MY FABLED BLUE ATTACK."
Remembering her skirmish with Doggo, she braced herself. "I'm ready."
The bones changed color from with to blue, and they bombarded her. She stood perfectly still and watched as they passed over her harmlessly. Twenty whole bones struck her in this way, not even scratching her SOUL. Sunset snickered.
"So much for your special attack."
Unexpectedly, his grin got bigger. "THAT WASN'T THE ATTACK."
Another bone moved towards her at the same slow speed. But as she moved to avoid it, she suddenly found herself moving in slow motion, her bolt of a run downgrading into a floundering walk. The bone glanced off her shoulder, forming a single dent in the golden barrier over her SOUL. But even stranger, her SOUL itself had changed colors. She looked at it, then at Papyrus, and her eyes widened.
"YOU'RE BLUE NOW. THAT'S MY ATTACK. NYEH HEH HEH HEH HEH HEH HEH HEH HEH!"
With her movement hampered, she had to block his next two attacks with her knife. But right as she'd deflected the second, a third one came on from the other side. Since it was at a lower angle, she tried to jump over it and found herself launching several feet in a single bound. Papyrus noticed her new height and tossed another bone that smacked into her on the way down.
"YES, I CAN SEE IT NOW. PAPYRUS, CAPTAIN OF THE ROYAL GUARD. A HEDGE TRIMMED IN THE SHAPE OF MY SMILE. UNDYNE WILL BE SO PROUD OF ME. THE KING WILL SHOWER ME WITH PRAISES AND HONOR. AND MY BROTHER..." He paused. "WELL, HE WON'T CHANGE VERY MUCH, BUT EVERYTHING ELSE WILL BE GREAT. AND IT ALL STARTS WITH YOUR CAPTURE, HUMAN."
Sunset deflected another bone. "Careful there, Papy. Don't count your victory just yet."
Running forward, the two clashed their weapons once more. Papyrus locked eyes with her. "AND YET, I WONDER... WILL ANYONE LIKE ME AS SINCERELY AS YOU?"
"Not if I'm hauled away in irons."
"DON'T TAKE IT PERSONALLY. IT'S JUST MY JOB." Papyrus threw more bones. "I WOULDN'T BE DOING THIS OTHERWISE. SOMEONE LIKE YOU IS VERY RARE."
Blocking two more attacks, she slid under a third and leaped over a fourth. "Well, you could always not capture me and wait for a different human instead."
Although he didn't have skin, she noticed he seemed to be sweating. "UGH. WHO CARES?! JUST GIVE UP ALREADY! BEFORE I HAVE TO USE MY 'SPECIAL ATTACK.'"
"Special attack? But you already used it, didn't you?"
"THAT WAS MY BLUE ATTACK. THIS IS MY SPECIAL ATTACK. THERE'S A DIFFERENCE."
"Well, whatever it's called, I'm not backing down now." Jumping over three more bones, she threw the knife at him, which missed his head by a few feet.
"ALAS, YOUR EXCESS OF CHARM HIDES A POOR AIM."
"I wasn't aiming at you."
Spinning around like a boomerang, the knife came whirling back, slicing through a branch above him and burying him in a mountain of snow.
"NYAAH! I'M A SKELE-CICLE!" His muffled voice came from beneath the tundra.
Sunset noted that if Pinkie had seen that, she probably would have made some kind of bad pun. Oh well. "You're not the only one who can change tactics. Why don't you give up instead?"
As soon as she said that, he punched his way out of the snow with a loud roar. "NEVER! THE GREAT PAPYRUS NEVER GIVES UP UNTIL THE BITTER END. AND THIS IS THE BITTER END FOR YOU HUMAN. OR AT LEAST YOUR FREEDOM. NOW BEHOLD MY SPECIAL ATTACK!" Another bone appeared next to him, but this one had an unexpected addition. A dog was chewing on it! Papyrus gaped at it. "HEY, YOU STUPID DOG. STOP MUNCHING ON THAT BONE! THAT'S MY SPECIAL ATTACK."
The dog paid him no heed and simply ran off with the bone. Papyrus slumped his shoulders and groaned. Sunset shook her head.
"Um, sorry about that."
Papyrus groaned again. "I'LL JUST USE A REGULAR ATTACK INSTEAD."
Twenty bones appeared all around her, barreling toward her from every direction. Some were big. Some were small. Some were high. Some were low. And all of them were streaking toward her. The next few seconds became a mad dash of blocks and parries as she tried to stay alive. Several dents and cracks appeared in the barrier over her SOUL before it shattered to pieces completely. Something struck her legs, knocking her feet out from under her and sending her plunging into the snow. Despite that, she still managed to bat another bone back at Papyrus, sending him back into the bank as well. Both of them clawed their way to the surface. She had just managed to re-draw her knife right as he summoned a new bone. The two of them stared each other down for a moment. Then, Papyrus exhaled.
"WELL. IT'S CLEAR THAT YOU CAN'T--" He stopped for some more air. "--DEFEAT ME. YEAH, I CAN SEE YOU SHAKING IN YOUR BOOTS."
She was shaking, but she didn't know if that was because of him or the cold. "So are you."
After another long pause, he put the bone away. "THEREFORE, I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, ELECT TO GRANT YOU PITY. I WILL SPARE YOU, HUMAN. NOW'S YOUR CHANCE TO ACCEPT MY MERCY."
In response, she sheathed her knife once more. "I accept your mercy, oh Great Papyrus."
The fog had already started clearing up during their fight; but now, it lifted completely. Papyrus frowned then smiled. "WELL, UNDYNE WILL BE DISAPPOINTED THAT I WASN'T ABLE TO CAPTURE YOU, AND I JUST LOST MY CHANCE OF JOINING THE ROYAL GUARD. BUT AT LEAST I HAVE A NEW FRIEND IN YOU, DEAR HUMAN. YES, I SHALL MAKE AN ALLOWANCE FOR YOU." He laughed to himself. "WOW. WHO KNEW ALL I NEEDED TO DO IN ORDER TO MAKE PALS WAS TO GIVE PEOPLE MY SPAGHETTI AND THEN FIGHT WITH THEM? I SHALL REMEMBER THAT AS YOU PASS THROUGH. KEEP GOING THROUGH THE CAVERN UNTIL REACH THE CAPITAL, THEN CROSS THE BARRIER. THAT'S THE MAGICAL SEAL TRAPPING US UNDERGROUND. NORMALLY, NOTHING CAN EXIT THROUGH IT, BUT A SOUL AS POWERFUL AS YOURS MIGHT DO THE TRICK."
"You think so?"
"I KNOW SO. YOU BESTED THE GREAT PAPYRUS, DID YOU NOT? ANYWAY, OUR ILLUSTRIOUS KING, MR. DREEMURR, WANTS TO OPEN THE WANTS TO OPEN THE BARRIER WITH SOUL POWER. WITH YOUR POWER AND HIS WISDOM, I'M POSITIVE YOU CAN DO IT. BUT THAT'S ENOUGH TALKING. I'LL BE AT MY HOUSE IF YOU WANT TO COME TO HAVE THAT DATE LATER. GOOD LUCK ON YOUR JOURNEY HUMAN."
"Thanks, Papyrus." Sunset waved at him. "See you later."
"NYEH HEH HEH!" Papyrus headed back toward the town.
Sunset glanced down at her SOUL. While the golden barrier was gone, the heart itself was perfectly intact. She hadn't taken any actual damage from the fight. Compared to fighting Toriel, matching wits with Papyrus had actually been kind of fun. She wondered if he'd give her a rematch later. If he said no, maybe she could ask Sans. But with how lazy he was, he probably wouldn't put up that much of a fight.
But as much as she wanted to spend more time with Papyrus, she still needed to find Pinkie Pie and the others. So walked toward the next room. But out of the corner of her eye, she thought she saw something behind her. Jerking her head around, she tried to check but whatever it was had already vanished. The next room seemed to have several waterfalls on her right and the river continuing on her left, but there wasn't anything else of note.
The room after that had a blue flower in it along with the Monster Kid she'd seen earlier. There was also a booth with snow on top of it but no one was manning it. She approached Monster Kid.
"Hello again."
"Yo!" He nodded at her. "Are you sneaking out to see her too?"
"'Her'? Who are you talking about?"
"The Captain of the Royal Guard. She's just the coolest monster ever. I want to be just like her when I grow up."
"Okaaaay." Sunset shrugged. "I'll take your word for it." As the Kid ran off, she inspected the blue flower.
Huh. Wonder what this is?
As she touched the flower, she heard a passing conversation.
"Help me! Somebody help me, please! All those monsters in town were really sweet, but now I'm being chased by a crazy flower with big, scary vines! And he doesn't even like my--Urk!"
Sunset heard something hit the ground next to the flower, followed by...ropes tightening? Pinkie screamed again.
"No no no no! Let me go. Let me GO! I'll give you anything you want. Cupcakes, apple pie, something with butterscotch. Please!"
Another voice, all too familiar, cut her off in an instant. "Quiet, you Idiot! I don't want your food, and I don't want your whining. I just want your SOUL!
Pinkie's next scream got cut off by another tightening of the ropes. Sunset heard a bunch of squelching noises followed by several seconds of silence. Then...
"Heh. Not how I expected to have a body again but even one SOUL is better than nothing. " It moved closer to the Flower. "And if any of her little friends are listening to this; if you want to see this precious little party girl alive again, I suggest you make a beeline for the capital as fast you as can! Because I'm getting tired of waiting!"
Sunset stood there, completely numb, and listened to Flowey's laugh echoing in her ears. After taking a few seconds to breathe, she steeled herself as best she could. Panicking wouldn't help Pinkie. Only she could. Marching onward, she clenched her fist around the handle of the knife.
Flowey, I swear by Celestia's name. If you harm a single hair on Pinkie Pie's head, I'll. KILL. You.
She could only panic for so long. Getting pulled into a sinkhole in the middle of the Everfree Forest, meeting a talking flower, and finding out she was trapped in an underground labyrinth full of deadly monsters had left Fluttershy with plenty to panic about. But after she'd screamed herself into a sore throat and cowered in the nearest corner of the ruins for thirty minutes, her paralyzing terror eventually downgraded into on-edge apprehension.
This isn't happening. It can't be happening. Not really. There's not really a giant monster-infested sinkhole underneath our creepy forest. I probably just hit my head when I hit the bottom, and I'm dreaming all this. Just like that movie about the white rabbit. Or that other movie about the creepy buttons. Whenever a girl like me ends up in a strange new world, she realizes she's dreaming, gasps, and suddenly wakes up.
Closing her eyes, she waited a couple of seconds, and then snapped them open.
"Gasp!"
A few more seconds passed. She closed her eyes again.
"Gasp!"
More time passed.
"Gasp! Gasp! Gasp! Gasp! Gasp! Gasp!"
Somewhere around gasp number 15, she realized this wasn't working and stood up with a groan.
Okay, I'm not dreaming. And I don't seem to be under attack this very instant. That means I need to find a way out of here.
That proved easier said than done. The monsters of the Underground were a lot different from the animals she was familiar with on the surface. One monster ran off in tears as soon as she said a single word to it. Another tried to get her to eat him, claiming he was healthy for her. A third paid her no attention at all, too focused on dancing. It was all just too much.
Just stay still, Flutters. Stay perfectly still. You're not in a hurry. Keep going as slowly as possible so they don't see you. Just don't move.
Putting her back to the wall, she slowly slid her back along it toward the proceeding rooms. Take a step, then stay still. If a monster came into view, she would freeze completely, not moving so much as a single muscle until it left. She noted a family of snails starting at the door she'd entered, crossing the entire length of the floor, and exiting out the other side long before she'd even made it halfway through the room. But as embarrassing as it was to be outrun by snails, it was necessary. If she angered these monsters, she just knew they'd hold her down and take turns nibbling on her innards. Then, they'd eat her brain and leave her body for the buzzards!
They can't do this to me. I'm too young to be eaten. And I don't taste good. Noooo!
Her already hoarse throat was the only thing keeping her screams internal instead of external. Still, she was making progress. After what felt like hours, she arrived at a clearing with another monster in it. But this one seemed to be blocking the path she needed to move through. She waited several more minutes, but he didn't budge an inch. Instead, he seemed to be saying the letter "Z" over and over again. Seeing that he wasn't moving, she approached him.
"Um...excuse me." Her voice only just qualified as a whisper.
"Yes?" The ghost opened one eye, his voice was only barely louder than hers.
"Well...um...you see...." She hesitated. "I was just wondering if you could move ever so slightly so I could get past you...please?"
The ghost opened his other eye. "Well, I would move, but I'm just too sad. Really not feeling up to it right now. Sorry." He then proceeded to cry, sending a river of tears flowing in every direction.
Fluttershy looked upon the weeping ghost, and her usual timidity abandoned her. "Oh, you poor thing." She sat down next to him. "Tell me all about it."
"Well, my name's Napstablook." The ghost said through his sobs. "And since I just ate lunch. I was just doing my favorite activity. Lying on the ground and feeling like trash."
She grimaced. "That's your favorite activity?"
"Yeah. Ever since my cousin left home to possess a training dummy. And my other cousin left home to get a cool robot body, I've been floating all over the place. All alone. With no one to talk to. And no one who wants to be my friend." His tears had nearly flooded the entire room. "And since I'm a ghost and can't die, I think I'll just stay that way. Forever."
Fluttershy tried to give the ghost a hug only for her body to pass right through him. "Well, I'm not a ghost. I'm a human. And I'm not going anywhere. You can talk to me as long as you want." She scooched over closer to him and lay down next to him. "Let's feel like garbage together."
Blooky looked at her and stopped crying. "Thanks. I usually come to the ruins, because there's nobody around. But today, I met somebody nice."
Sighing with relief as his tears drained out of the room, Flutters just laid there next to him and let him talk. He was a lot like her, very timid and always fearing the worst, but he kept trudging on anyway. She could relate. As she stayed there on the ground, she felt the world around her blur away until she was staring into the starry void of space. She suddenly understood how the darkness of the underground connected them all. Human or Monster, they were all the same. Blooky didn't seem to be willing to move anytime soon, but it didn't matter. So, she remained on the ground next to him, ignoring the leaves piling up on the ground around her and the loud growls of her stomach.
This is nice. Just stay here where it's safe, and everything will be fine.
Two beady eyes looked at her from the distance before disappearing into the darkness.
Everything is NOT FINE!
Several blue spears whistled past Rainbow Dash's head, one of them shaving off a chunk of her hair, and embedded themselves in the wall behind her. Pulling one of them out, she used it to deflect a follow-up spear that would have nailed her brain. The spear's thrower approached her, a blade in each hand, and leered at her with a menacing grin.
"Not bad, Human. Not bad at all. But you'll have to try a little harder than that if you want to defeat the Captain of the Royal Guard!" She did a dramatic pose before summoning two more spears. "Undyne the hero shall vanquish you this day, oh Human of multicolored hair!"
Dashie looked down at herself. There were several cracks in her orange Heart, several rips and tears in her clothes, her back was to the wall, and her chest was on fire. This crazy fish girl had been chasing her for miles and didn't seem to be even the slightest bit tired. Still, no one on Earth would dare call Rainbow Dash a coward and live to tell about it. As Undyne moved closer, Rainbow removed another spear from the wall and pointed it at her. "We'll just see about that. I'm having fish sticks tonight."
Spear raised, she attacked. Undyne rained down blows on her as she slashed madly with her stolen spears. The battle raged fiercely for what felt like hours until both were panting and covered with sweat. A glancing blow from Rainbow bounced off Undyne's armor. The hot metal hissed and steamed. Undyne grimaced and clenched her spears.
"Armor...so...hot." She glared at Dash, who looked just as exhausted. "But I can't...I can't give up." She took another step towards her opponent, swayed on her feet, tried to save herself by planting her spear, and then fell to the ground unconscious.
Rainbow grinned in triumph and nearly lost her balance herself. "How'd you like...that? No fish...is as awesome...as me." Her spears clattered to the ground, and her body followed right after. It struck the ground and slid a short distance before coming to rest against a pair of comfy vines.
After taking her hat off, Applejack wiped the sweat from her head and returned it to its usual spot. This place wasn't called Hotland for nothing. But it would take more than a little heat to bring Abagail Jacquline Apple to her knees. And that was good, because every monster she'd encountered seemed determined to make her sweat. First, she'd been attacked by two Pyropes that had nearly burned her alive. Then, a Vulkain had nearly cooked her by trying to heal her. Finally, a crazy plane creature had nearly blown her up. But somehow, she'd survived everything they thrown at her. Now, after finding and drinking an entire pitcher of water, she noted that her surroundings were changing from bright orange to a darker purple. Still, anything that got her away from the lava was a relief.
The first thing she noticed in that next room was that there were a ton of spider webs on the wall and floor. But none of them were occupied. She kept walking until her ears caught the sound of someone laughing.
"Did you hear what they just said?" Came a voice from above. "They said a human would be coming through here."
Applejack gulped and clenched her fist.
"I heard that they hate spiders." Came the voice again.
That wasn't true. She didn't have any strong feelings about spiders one way or the other. But somehow, she didn't think saying that would make a difference.
"I heard that they love to stomp on them."
She had stepped on the occasional spider, but she never went out of her way to do so.
"I heard they like to tear their legs off."
That was a bald-headed lie. A full-time farmgirl didn't have time to torture arachnids on a whim. Nor did she want to. But by this point, the spider webs had grown more numerous, making it a slog to even walk. Her body ground to a halt in the center of the room.
"But most importantly, I heard--"
The area next to her lit up, revealing a giant humanoid spider. She had six eyes, six arms, and a pair of fangs poking out of her mouth.
"--that they're awfully stingy with their money."
Her guard was up in an instant. "I don't know who told you I'd be coming through here, but they need to get their facts straight." She checked her pockets. "I just didn't have enough money for how pricey your food was. Miss Spider."
The spider simply chuckled. "Miss Muffet to you. You think your taste is too refined for our pastries, dearie? I disagree with that notion. I think your taste is exactly what this next batch needs."
A giant cluster of spiders surrounded her from all sides, and two of them charged her from each side. Trying to outrun them just got her bitten by the first one, but she was able to avoid the second by moving vertically on the web instead. She'd just regained her bearings before she looked over to see Muffet twirling a pair of doughnuts on her two upper arms. "I told you, I'm not hungry!"
"Oh no, I insist." Muffet grinned. It's on the house. Or at the very least, it's all over you!"
While two more spiders attacked her from the sides, Applejack found herself dodging pastries as well and groaned in pain when one of them glanced off of her arm. To her surprise and horror, she was bleeding, the doughnut sticking out of her arm like a throwing star. "What's in these things?! Needles?"
"Don't be ridiculous." The spider girl held a pair of croissants in her lower two arms. "The needles go in the cookies. Stingy customers don't deserve the best I have to offer. So you get my worst instead."
The croissants spun through the air like boomerangs, spinning past Applejack in one direction before spinning back in the other to nearly impale her back. While she managed to dodge them, two more spiders managed to strike her legs. A wave of dizziness washed over her as she put her hand to her head.
"Uh-oh." Muffet put a hand to her mouth. "Looks like someone's been poisoned." She licked her lips and leered at Applejack. "You really should have gotten a taste when you had the chance, dearie. Because once that venom knocks you out, we'd just love to have you for dinner."
More spiders attacked. AJ weaved in and out of their strikes as best she could, only to get clunked on the head by a croissant. Although, it felt more like she'd been struck with a lead pipe. "I didn't come this far to be breakfast. I gotta find my friends." She grimaced again, though from the poison or emotions she wasn't sure. "Specially, Sunset Shimmer. Got to apologize."
Muffet cocked her head. "Oh, how rude of me. I almost forget to introduce you to my pet. It's breakfast time, isn't it? Have fun, you two."
Without any warning, the floor dropped out from under Applejack. She found herself falling several feet only to crash into the bottom of a pit of spider webs. The spiders descended on her in mass, forcing her to dodge their attacks once more. Then without warning, a loud roar rang across the room as an enormous spider appeared underneath her!
"AAAAHHH!"
As Muffet's pet chomped at her feet, AJ shimmied her way up the spider-web. The other spiders swarmed her anew, clinging to her legs and arms and dragging her down. Muffet's pet lurched toward her. Only pulling up her legs at the last second saved them from being chomped clean off. By some miracle she managed to make it back to the top and fling the spiders off of her, only to collapse in a heap in front of Muffet. Her legs had turned purple from the venom. Her hands were swollen to twice their normal size. The spider web stuck to her body once again, but she lacked the strength to pull herself free. All she could do was reach into her inventory, pull out a spider doughnut, and attempt to eat it.
Muffet leaned down toward her, all six of her eyes widening. "Huh? Where did you get that? Did you steal it?" She gestured to her pet. "Oh my pet. It's time to show her what we do with thieves."
The giant spider climbed up to the same level as its master and roared at Applejack. But right as it leaned in to bite her head off, another spider crawled up to Muffet holding a piece of paper.
"Huh?" She picked it up. "A telegram from the spiders in the ruins?" Her eyes swept over the paper. "They're saying that they saw you and...you helped donate to their cause!" She waved her pet back. "Stand down. It seems this has been a big misunderstanding. I thought you were someone that hated spiders. Sorry for all the trouble."
"Th-Thanks." Applejack slurred. Eating the doughnut had healed her a bit, but some of the poison still lingered in her body.
"No problem. You can come back anytime, and I'll wrap you up and let you play with my pet again." Muffet laughed. "I'm just kidding. I'll spare you now."
All out of items, Applejack hobbled her way out of the spider den. She had just brushed off the last of the webs from her clothes when Flowey's face popped up in front of her.
"Howdy."
"Oh no."
"OH YESSSS!"
As a blue spotlight shined down upon her, Rarity froze in place in the middle of a dramatic pose. When the light moved away and she could move again, she finished the pose with a grandiose flourish that drove the audience wild. "Look upon me, citizens of the Underground. For I. AM. RARITY!" As the crowd erupted into applause, she dropped into a split to avoid a blast from her opponent, the equally fabulous Mettaton EX.
"That's all well and good, darling. But I'm the start of the show around here. So, I suggest you fall in line."
Rarity scoffed and pointed at him. "How can I fall in line when I haven't even fallen down yet? In fact, your next attack shan't leave a scratch on me."
Mettaton smirked and gesture to the crowd. "Hear that, Hotland? We've got ourselves a challenge." His heart popped out of his body. "We've grown so distant. How about another Heart-to-Heart?"
His heart rained down laser beams from above while the spotlights swerved across the battlefield. But Rarity simply smiled. Dodging underneath the blasts, she swept Mettaton up in a passionate pas de deux. She led and he followed, timing their movements to avoid the attacks as well. Whenever he tried to counter or evade, she turned his movements into another step of the dance. At long last, Mettaton's heart returned to his body, but the force of their passion was so violent and hot that his very arms were flung from his body. He went in for a kick only for her to dip him and drop him to the floor. And with her opponent already downed, she pinned his body under her shoe. As she pressed down on his heart, Mettaton's legs flew off of his body as well.
"So much for the star of the show. You've been disarmed AND upstaged, Darling." She jabbed a thumb at the screen. "But on the bright side, your ratings have never been higher."
Once she removed her foot, Mettaton popped upright. "Oh, look at those ratings! This is the most viewers I've ever had!"
As if to drive that home, the phones starting ringing off the hook. Monster after monster called into the show to gush about how spectacular the show had been, how much they loved Mettaton, or how much of an impression Rarity had made. All the while, the two of them simply sat on the stage and took everything in. When it finally died down, Mettaton gave Rarity his blessing to keep going onward to the capital. After gaining the reassurance that he could be repaired, she went off towards the capital.
"Well, that was exciting. Now, I'm the star of two worlds. I wonder what will happen next."
She got her answer as soon as the elevator reached its final stop.
"Howdy, Rarity."
"P-Pinkie Pie? What in the world happened to you? Is that some kind of nature costume you're wearing? I thought it was Fluttershy who wanted to be a tree."
Pinkie coughed a couple of times, spitting up a few leaves in the process. "It's not a costume. I got...roughed up by a tree monster."
Rarity scratched her head. "I see. Well never fear. I'm sure there's an inn somewhere at the capital. Just one little nap there, and you'll be right as rain. You haven't seen Sunset Shimmer by any chance. I hope she made it as far as we did."
"Haven't seen her."
Rarity's face fell. "Oh phooey. Well, might as well press onward regardless. We'll find her sooner or later."
Pinkie nodded and gestured for Rarity to walk past her. "After you." She waited until Rarity had walked far enough ahead before muttering under her breath. "You Idiot."
Twilight Sparkle had been through many adventures in her short life. She'd faced down crazy chaos spirits, armies of changelings, shadow monsters without much personality, magic-draining centaurs, and a whole bunch of other crazy creatures that had nearly killed or enslaved her countless times. But even among all of that, the Underground stood out as the strangest experience of her life.
After escaping Flowey and regaining her bearings, the first thing she noticed was the Barrier. It was always there at the edge of her senses pushing the Underground's magic back in on itself. She could still sense it no matter how deep she went, like an itch she couldn't scratch. Magic wasn't supposed to be restrained and limited. It was to be supposed to be as free, flowing, and available to everybody. No wonder the monsters wanted to be free so badly.
Hard to believe that the Human World did have magic after all. Or at least it used to. I wonder if there's a connection between this place and Equestria.
But her analysis would have to wait until she found her friends. Fortunately, after making her way through Snowdin, she'd gotten a ride from a friendly riverman. Or was it a riverwoman? Well, regardless, she'd taken a sail to Hotland, snuck her way through, and made it to the capital. Ideally, she'd find Sunset and the others waiting for her, or at least a way through the barrier. But for now, she just needed to keep moving.
Oh girls. I hope you're all okay.
The streets of the capital were strangely empty. She moved through them without a word until she arrived at a house that looked strangely familiar. After knocking and waiting for several minutes, she found that the door was unlocked. So, she headed inside.
The foyer of the house had a stairwell in front of her as well as two hallways that led off to the side. She headed right first. The first door in the hallway led to a room with two twin beds, each one with a book atop it.
Huh. I didn't know Mr. Dreemurr had kids.
She glanced at the first journal, which was labeled with the letters A. D.
Day 1:
I saw something strange today when I went for a walk in the Ruins. There was a human there! She was barely conscious from the fall. So I brought her to Mom, who fixed her right up. She took a shine to us monsters right away. I guess humans aren't so bad after all.
Day 3:
The human's name is Chara. I asked her about her life before she fell under the Underground, but she didn't want to talk about it. She doesn't seem to like humans very much. I don't understand how someone can hate something they are themselves.
Day 33:
I told Chara about the barrier. The power of seven human souls is required to break it. As much as we want to break it naturally, that's not possible. Every monster in the Underground combined is only as strong as a single human soul. We'd be able to get through the barrier with one soul, but we'd still have to kill six humans to free everyone else. Chara seemed a little too eager to help out with that, but I don't know. Even if the humans were mean to Chara, does that really justify killing them? But if we don't do anything, we'll be trapped down here forever. What a dilemma. But as the prince of this world's future, it's my duty to find a way to set us all free. Even if it kills me.
Twilight put the book down with a heavy sigh, unable to read more. What a dilemma indeed. She turned to the other book which was marked with the letters C.D.
Entry 1:
Met a cute family of goats today. They saved my life when I fell and healed me. Part of me wishes they hadn't. From what I read in school, the monsters lost the war with the humans all those years ago.. And I'm sure some of them would just love to get a little payback.
Entry 2:
Despite my best efforts to keep him away, Prince Asriel's grown rather attached to me. He told me all about the barrier trapping everyone underground. In order to pass through, the barrier needs a human soul and a monster soul. If I wanted to absorb a monster soul, I'd have to kill the king, the queen, or their son. Regicide wouldn't end well for humans or monsters, especially since they already hate me anyway. But...what if it was me?
Entry 3:
You know something? I really hate people. They're selfish, arrogant, greedy, lazy, obnoxious jerks that only care about getting ahead, no matter what. Why can't people be more like monsters? Sure, one or two of them attacked me at first, but most of them treat me like I'm family. But...I'm not. And I never will be. No matter how nice they are to me, I'll never be anything but a human. The cause of all their pain and grief even though they won't say it. Why can't I be a monster like them?
Twilight stopped reading for a moment. Were those tear stains on the paper?
Entry 4:
I can't do this! I can't live like this anymore! It doesn't matter how nice the Underground is. A golden cage is still a cage. Every single monster down here, no matter how old or young, just wants to be free. And now, they have the means to do it. So I'm going to help them, one way or another. And if a few humans have to die, then so be it. They probably deserve it anyway. Don't worry, Asriel. I promise that one day very soon, I'll help you set everyone free. Even if it kills me.
Twilight closed the book without reading any more entries. She felt her heart ache. Considering she hadn't met either of those two on her journey and the Barrier was still there, it was safe to assume that their plan hadn't worked. And something told her that she didn't want to know why. After returning the books to their original places, she exited the room.
Instead of going further down the hall, she returned to the foyer and headed down the stairwell. The instant she reached the bottom step, she had to stop and brace herself as a wave of emotion washed over her. Only the largest amount of willpower she could muster kept her from bursting into tears on the spot. But before she could do anything, the wave subsided as quickly as it had come, leaving her back to normal. She just stood there for a moment.
What was that just now?
She kept walking, going from the basement to a brightly lit cathedral. But it was empty too. Although, it was a little odd that it had so much light underground. It didn't feel like sunlight. Maybe it was light from the core. But either way, she continued, arriving in front of a door marked Throne Room. Instead of going inside, she walked past it and headed down the stairwell.
A room full of coffins lay in wait at the bottom floor. Knealing down, she examined the closest one.
Chara.
Another wave of grief nearly knocked her all the way down as her heart sank into her throat.
I knew it. I knew it. Poor Chara. I'm sure the King and Queen were heartbroken. Not to mention the Prince.
The coffin's lid slowly slid open as she jolted in surprise. Apparently, she'd been leaning against it. She was fully prepared to see a dead body in front of her but some bandages were all that remained inside.
"Wait, where's the body? Why go through all the trouble of making a coffin without putting anything insi--Ouch!"
Something slammed into her back, catapulting her head-over-heels into the coffin. Then as she tried to right herself, another blow struck her exposed legs, knocking them into the coffin as well. Then, the lid began to close!
"Stop! Who are you? What are you doing?"
A face appeared in the small gap between the lid and side of her tomb. Twilight froze as she recognized its owner.
"Pinkie?! What in the world are you--"
Instead of answering, Pinkie pulled the lid closed, sealing it shut. "Don't worry. There's just enough space between those slats for you to keep breathing. I just need all of you in one place long enough to get my ultimate prize. Until then, sweet dreams."
Twilight banged her fists on the coffin lid, but she didn't have enough leverage to push it open. "Let me out! LET ME OUT!"
Pinkie walked away with a grin on her face. "Six down. And one to go."
Despite the thought of her friend in danger, she forced herself to stay calm. The party planner was way too eager to make friends, overly excited, and compassionate to a fault. Flowey was cruel, deceptive, and preyed on every insecurity he found. Pinkie never had a chance. And assuming he hadn't killed her already, that meant every second counted.
"heya kiddo." The formerly empty booth she'd noticed before was now manned by Sans. "saw my brother earlier. he told me about how you two had a bit of a fight. and how he spared you." He paused for a moment. "thanks for that."
She glanced off to the side. "You're welcome."
Her pain must have shown on her face because he leaned closer. "everything all right, kid?"
She shook her head. "No. No, it isn't. I think one of my friends might be in danger. So I need to get to the capital fast."
Sans's eyes vanished into blackness again. He didn't say anything for several seconds. Instead, he walked around the booth and stood in front of her. "Do you remember when I told you about your brown hair?"
Brushing it at the mention, she nodded her head. "Yes. What about it?"
He jabbed a finger at her face. "You've changed again. Your eyes are red now."
Walking back over to the Echo Flower, she examined her face in its reflection. Her eyes had changed from their usual green to a deep, blood-red. "Not again. I keep having random spikes of adrenaline. I recognize people I shouldn't. I'm remembering things I wasn't here for. And now, my body's changing before my eyes. What's happening to me?"
She turned back to Sans only to start in surprise. Sans stood there, eye glowing bright blue, with two face-looking creatures floating above him. As she watched, the face creatures opened their mouths, each one charging a blue beam of energy within.
"Sans? W-what are you...doing?"
"That depends on what happens next. You kept my brother happy, but you're getting too close for comfort." He stepped closer. "Be straight with me. What. Is. Your. Name?"
She put her hands on her hips. "Wow, Chuckles. You're still spewing that cryptic mumbo jumbo even after everything. You know who I am. I'm [Chara]." She slapped a hand over her mouth. "Wait, that's not right. I'm [Chara]. [Chara]. Why can't I say [Chara]?"
"I knew it." He moved the faces closer. "How about this? I'll stop being cryptic if you'll stop hiding behind that girl. Come out. Now."
She gave a shudder of her own and a slight groan; then in the blink of an eye, I was in her place. "All right. You got me. Just calm down."
Sans glared at me. "Don't tell me to calm down. I want answers. What's your plan? How did you get her body? How are you even here?"
"Easy. That determination she's been using since she got here? It was mine. She would have been dead before she even met you if it wasn't for me. The more determination she used, the more control I gained." I gestured down at myself. "And now, I'm here."
"And what happens now?"
I shrugged. "That's up to her not me. I know you don't trust me as far as you can throw me, Chuckles. But I haven't done anything wrong." I put my hands on my hips. "Of course, you never did trust me, did you? Even before all of this."
He nodded. "I don't trust any human. Not since I found out that nothing I do matters. You can just reset everything that I do. Me and everyone else." His eyes narrowed. "Do you have any idea what that's like? Knowing that any progress you make in life can be snatched away in an instant? Knowing that a world where the barrier finally breaks and everyone goes free can be replaced by one where everyone dies? That we're all just toys meant to be played with until we break." He pointed a finger at me. "You don't care about any of us. Not even Asriel!"
The wave of grief that swept over me was so great that I fell to my knees. Inky black tears leaked out of my eyes. "Don't bring Azzy into this. I loved him more than anyone else in the Underground. Why do you think I set up that plan in the first place? I just wanted him to be free and happy."
Sans crossed his arms. "And so you could get revenge on all the humans on the surface at the same time."
I nodded. "I won't deny it. I hate people. They trapped all the monsters down here. They didn't treat me that much better. As far as I'm concerned, they can all burn." Crossing my arms in return, I set my jaw resolutely. But after a few seconds, I looked down at the ground. "Or at least...that's what I used to think."
He didn't say anything.
"So what happens now? Are you going to kill me because of something I might do? Or are you going to use your shortcuts to help her save her friend? Because if you're trying to avoid having a 'bad time', I don't think stalling her here will do you any favors."
He growled and clenched his fist. The Gaster Blasters next to him charged to full power. But after hesitating a moment longer, he put them away. "All right. Fine. But let me be very clear." He held up his other hand, and my heart turned blue, jerking me downward to smack into the floor. "I even think you're pulling another stunt, and I make you a new skeleton out of bones that aren't yours. Got it?"
"Crystal clear."
"Then let's get going." He started walking into the next room, and I followed him.
Sunset's eyes snapped open. She was standing in front of a house that looked a lot like Toriel's. She scratched her head.
What just happened?
Everything was a blur. The last thing she remembered was hearing Flowey's threat and meeting Sans. After that, nothing. Now, she was in a completely different location. But a nearby sign told her that this was indeed the capital, so she was in the right place. She headed inside the house.
The house matched Toriel's on the inside as well. She headed to the right at first and walked forward until she came to the mirror and caught sight of her reflection.
Wait, when did my shirt change colors?
Instead of the blue shirt that Toriel had originally given her, she was now wearing a green one. Combining that with her red eyes and brown hair, there was no trace of Sunset Shimmer left. Just...whoever this was.
"Who are you?" She leaned closer.
Her reflection crossed its arms. "I'm surprised you don't already know. I've been here the whole time."
Her eyes widened. "That voice. I know that voice. You're the person that helped me go back to Toriel when I was in the void. Chara, right?"
"In the flesh. Or I should say, in your flesh."
"Why do I look like you now?"
I sneered at her. "Remember way back at Toriel's house when you looked into the mirror at her house?"
"Yes. What about it?"
"I was already with you way back then." I shrugged my shoulders. "In fact, since you landed in the Underground in the first place. You're very determined, Sunset Shimmer. Although, for the life of me, I don't know why. Trying to save a bunch of friends that abandoned you twice over. Going out of your way to spare every last monster you've met, even the ones that tried to kill you. What are you trying to prove by doing this? That you won't stain your hands even to save your life? That you're a coward to your last whimper? That you won't sink to their level?" My eyes turned from red to black as ink began to leak out of them. "What is it? Why won't you fight?"
Sunset didn't respond at first. She just looked at me with a pained frown. Then, she put her hand on the mirror. "If these are your memories I've been recollecting, then you know why. Let's say I do kill every monster. What do I get out of it? That won't help me get home. Because a human soul and a monster soul are needed to break the barrier. You were the one who wrote that down, remember? Attacking the monsters will either lead to them teaming up to kill me or just fleeing. And if my friends are down here, the monsters might kill them to harness their souls or out of fear of being attacked. So that's two reasons right there. But more than that...." Her voice trailed off.
"More than that?"
She turned to me. "Why do you WANT to kill? I understand the humans after what they did to you, but why the other monsters? They showed you nothing but kindness despite you technically being their enemy."
"That's the problem." I retorted. "Because they're too kind. The one thing all these monsters want more than anything else is to be free from the Underground. They should have killed me. They should have killed you. And all your other friends. Every moment they don't is a moment you or one of your friends could kill them. And the surface? Please." I shook my head. "You have my memories, so you know what happened."
"Asriel." With her frown deepening, she nodded. "You tried to save everyone."
The mirror flickered a couple of times, showing small images with each split-second flash. There was Asriel approaching a village with my body. Then, a group of humans were obstructing his path, all of them armed. The next picture was nothing but a red splatter all over the mirror. Then, my face reappeared. "We didn't do anything wrong. We didn't even say anything! But that didn't matter to them in the slightest. They killed us, without hesitation or mercy. The humans took everything from the monsters. Again." I glared at her. "Even if the barrier breaks and all of monsterkind goes free, they'll still be slaughtered anyway. Every monster is fated to die at the hands of humans. Humans on the Surface. Humans like me. And humans. Like. You."
"What's that supposed to mean?" She returned my glare. "I haven't killed anyone intentionally."
I clicked my teeth. "Sooner or later, you will. It's inevitable." With that, I disappeared once again to leave her alone with her thoughts.
Sunset wondered onward in silence, barely able to think, save for a brief twinge of fear when she walked through the brightly lit judgement hall. After passing through it, she headed to the throne room. And as expected, there was someone waiting for her.
"Dum dee dum," sang a deep yet soft voice. "Is someone there? Just a moment. I have almost finished watering these flowers." The shaking of a watering can reached her ears before he slowly turned around. "Howdy, how can I--"
Both of them froze in place. Two sets of eyes widened. The can crashed to the ground. She took a step back.
"Asgore? You were Santa Claus?"
After several seconds, he nodded. "And you're that girl from Snowdin Town. Hello again."
"Hi." She moved to the side until she was standing on the opposite end of the throne. "I still have that sandwich you gave me."
He walked over and sat down on the throne with a sigh. "That's nice."
She sat down on some grass, noticing that the golden flowers weren't bother her as much as they were at Toriel's. She pulled the knife out, and used it to cut a few blades of grass. "You know, if I had my way, this would be the only thing I'd ever use this knife on."
He nodded sadly. "I know that feeling."
She looked up at him. "Is this the part where you kill me?"
He had to pause to rub his eyes before he responded. "I don't want to kill you. I don't want to kill anyone. The only reason we're in this situation is because I wanted to avenge the deaths of my son and daughter from the humans that took everything from us. But you didn't hurt anyone, did you, Human?"
She shook her head. "No, I didn't."
"It would be easier if you had." He sighed again. "I must now punish the innocent along with the guilty."
She held up her hands. "Does it have to be like this? Can't you just take back what you said? Make a new law?"
"It's not that simple." He shook his head. "That vow gave the Underground hope for our freedom. That our suffering from the humans would finally end. And it still gives them hope even now. To undo it at this time would crush their hopes and dreams all over again, and possibly incite rebellion as well." Tears ran down his face. "There's no way out."
Sunset found herself struggling not to cry as well. Was this what Princess Celestia had felt all those years ago when casting her out? Trapped in an unwinnable situation no matter what? It was enough to make her heart break. She wondered how her friends would react to such a sadistic choice.
Her...friends?
Her head snapped up. Her face shown. Her eyes sparkled. "Wait a minute. That's it. That's IT!"
Asgore started in surprise. "What? What's it?"
"My friends." She gestured to herself. "My six friends fell down here before I did. A-A-And two of us are trained in magic!"
"Y-you are?" He glanced at her. "That's amazing. I didn't know there were any wizards left among humankind." Just then, his head snapped up too. "Wait a minute. The Barrier is magical too. So are you saying--" He froze. "I...I don't want to get my hopes up. But if what you're saying is true, then that means...."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah!" She pumped her fist. "Since you need seven souls and there are seven of us, then we might just be able to break the barrier without killing anyone!"
The same glow that was in her eyes now transferred to the King's. Slowly, he reached up and wiped his tears away, replacing them with a beautiful smile. "So. No one has to die." He leaped to his feet. "NO ONE HAS TO DIE!"
The two of them were so excited that both of them had to take several minutes to regain their composure.
"I don't have to change the vow." Asgore punched his fist into his hand. "I'll just modify it a bit. Decree that all humans found should be captured and brought to the capital to await the King's judgement instead of being executed immediately. The monsters will think I'm doing it to watch them squirm--"
"--when you're really trying to keep the humans alive and break the barrier faster in one fell swoop." Sunset finished. "That's brilliant!"
He turned back toward her, his smile growing even bigger. "Human. Thank you. You may have saved both human and monsterkind this day. If this works, I--no--we will be in your debt for eternity."
She gave the best curtsy she could. "It was my pleasure, Your Highness." Holding out her hand, she walked forward, ready to offer hers in friendship.
Stepping forward himself, he offered his own in return. But an instant before their limbs touched, Asgore suddenly gasped. "Look out!"
Strong hands clamped onto her shoulders. Strong hands lifted her into the air. Strong hands flung her to the side. The instant she hit the ground, her head turned back to see three gigantic vines piercing though the spot she'd been standing in two seconds ago before shooting forward to impale the King though his shoulders and stomach.
"NO!"
Asgore only had time for a single, pained breath before the vines pulled him apart, his body dissolving into dust before he'd even hit the ground.
"You IDIOT." Two voices spoke in unison.
Sunset whirled towards the throne room doorway. "Pinkie?!"
Pinkie Pie was indeed there. Her entire body was wrapped in vines, jerking her limbs up and down like a puppet on strings as blood leaked out of her eyes. And rooted on top of her head, directing the performance, was her old friend, Flowey the Flower.
Sunset drew her knife in an instant and pointed it at him. "YOU!"
"You haven't learned a thing." More vines clusters appeared around the tainted Pinkie, each one wrapped around something. Or rather someone.
"Applejack? Rarity? Twilight? Flutters? Dashie?" Sunset's entire body trembled. "Let them go. NOW!"
Flowey leered at her, forcing Pinkie to do the same. "In this world, It's KILL or BE KILLED! And you're about to find out why! All of their souls are MINE!"
Raising her knife, she'd just launched herself into an attack when everything suddenly went dark.
Sunset recognized the emptiness around her right away. It was the same dark void she'd ended up in after her first encounter with Flowey and after accidentally killing Toriel. Had Flowey killed her again? Or had he done something with her friends' souls? Well unlike before, she wasn't intending on dying this time. So, she clenched her fists, gritted her teeth, and summoned her determination.
Nothing happened.
She tried again, pulling harder this time, but the result was the same. She tried one more time, drawing upon all of the power she could muster. Still nothing. The determination was still there, but she wasn't waking up. It was almost like...
Something's...blocking me?
A loud CRACK broke her concentration. A second CRACK knocked her to her knees. And a third CRACK flung her backward as Flowey's gigantic face appeared in the sky above her.
"Howdy! It's me, Flowey. Flowey the Flower." He stuck out his tongue at her. "I owe you a huge debt. From what that pink girl told me, they wouldn't have fallen down here If it wasn't for you." His face morphed to look like Pinkie's. "But now, with YOUR help, they're DEAD! And I'VE got their SOULS!" His face warped again into a nightmarish grin.
Most people would probably be scared by an admission like that. But all Sunset felt was her nostrils flaring, her teeth grinding, and her fists shaking. Drawing her knife, she slashed it at him, but nothing happened. He was too far away.
"Boy! I've been empty for so long. It feels great to have a SOUL inside me again. I can feel them all wriggling inside me. Trapped FOREVER." His face got even bigger. "But don't worry. I won't leave you out of all the fun. After all, I only have six souls. I still need one more." His face warped once more. "Before I become GOD."
Unable to attack, she just glared at him.
"And then, with my newfound power...." He laughed. "Monsters. Humans! EVERYONE! I'll show them all the REAL meaning of this world. But before that, I still owe you some payback from our first meeting in the ruins." The nightmarish grin reappeared. "I'll use your precious determination and tear you to bloody pieces. Over and over and OVER!"
Body still shaking, she pointed her knife at his face. "Not if I have anything to say about it!"
He stuck his tongue out at her again. "What? Do you really think you can stop ME? You really are an IDIOT."
Sunset was thrust into darkness once more. As she watched, a shadowy silhouette appeared, lowering itself from the sky to her level. After a few moments, Flowey's new form became visible, and Sunset found herself face-to-face with a gigantic, disgusting ABOMINATION! Her brain lacked the means to describe what she was even looking at. It had length, width, height, and a few other things. It had mouths, tentacles, eyes, faces, and even teeth. And it laughed, with a loud unbearable noise that assaulted her ears with pain.
Before she even had time to process what had happened, Flowey attacked, sending ten vines shooting in her direction. Leaping out of the way, she tried to counterattack; but while she managed to hit him this time, he didn't react to her blow. The creature's mouth opened up, firing a blue beam that narrowly missed incinerating her on the spot. Giant versions of the bullets Flowey had used on her before now flew towards her like rounds from a machine gun. One of them struck her, flinging her down. She leaped to her feet, only to be blasted by a plume of fire. The flames swept over her, licking her clothes and scorching her skin.
"AAUGH!"
After smothering the blaze, she had to dive to the floor as giant hands shot at her from her left and right. Then, several explosions went off around her, hurling her to the ground. She'd just managed to lift her head off the ground before another vine wrapped around her right wrist.
"Hey, let go!"
Before she could cut herself free, another vine caught her left arm. Both her legs were ensnared right after, and another wrapped around her torso. And then, Flowey began to squeeze.
"OWWW!" The air rushed from her lungs as his grip tightened. Her body swelled and turned red. Her ribs strained from the pressure.
"Don't worry, kiddo. This is all just a bad dream." Flowey's nightmarish grin returned. "And you're NEVER waking up!"
There was a final scream followed by a loud splatter. Everything went dark again.
Sunset had only barely taken her last breath before the found herself back in front of Flowey again, her entire body wracking with agonizing pain. "What...what just happened?"
His grin was still there. "Did you really think I was going to be satisfied? Killing you only ONE time? Your determination belongs to me now. Which means you don't get to die until I say so." His face disappeared only to be replaced by a heart. "Your friends are all just DYING to see you again! Wanna see?"
WARNING!
WARNING!
WARNING!
The void had shifted around her. Flowey was gone. And in his place was...a light blue SOUL? A few pink flowers revolved around it.
"Fluttershy?" Sunset waved at her. "Is that you? Thank goodness you're--"
A pair of red leaves shot in her direction. When they struck her SOUL, she jerked back with a scream as they sliced through her skin like razors.
"Ouch!"
More leaves clustered around the light-blue SOUL. A silhouette of her body appeared behind it; and like Pinkie Pie before her, Fluttershy's body was wrapped in vines. But unlike Pinkie, she wasn't being puppeted. Her eyes were lime green, and the pupils were gone entirely.
"Flutters, snap out of it!"
"There's no point.." She readied another attack. "This is Flowey's world now. All we can do is die in it."
Sunset cocked her head. "You're one of the kindest people I know. Doesn't Flowey killing everything BOTHER you at all?"
"Why should I care? Nothing matters anymore. Nothing but Flowey."
Without warning, Sunset was suddenly wrapped in a cocoon of flower petals that lifted her high off the ground, ready to slam her back down.
"Don't." She struggled as best she could. "Don't do it."
Fluttershy paused. Her SOUL trembled. "It's easier like this. Don't look at me like that. It's better this way. If I don't kill you, Flowey will tear you apart. This is an act of mercy."
Sunset stretched her hand toward her attacker. "Fluttershy...help."
The cocoon squeezed her even tighter as it reached its highest point. Then, it shot downward toward the ground. But an instant before she would have hit, it suddenly screeched to a halt. The leaves changed color from red to green, and she felt her wounds healing over.
"Huh?"
Fluttershy's silhouette changed back to normal as the vines vanished from her body. Her eyes changed back to their usual aqua and began leaking warm tears. "Sunset, I'm sorry. So sorry. For driving you away and for everything with Anon-a-Miss. Even when I fell down here, I worried more about myself than you. I've been a horrible person, and I don't deserve to be your friend."
Sunset started in surprise. After everything in the Underground, she'd almost forgotten about Anon-a-Miss. Sure, Fluttershy had been one of her tormenters during that time, but that hardly meant she deserved to be killed by Flowey and turned into a battery. Sunset wouldn't wish that on her worst enemy. So moving closer to Fluttershy's SOUL, she put her hand on it. "Flutters, it's okay. It's okay. You've been more than punished enough. So I...I forgive you."
The light-blue soul moved towards hers and vanished into her body, filling it with warmth and calm. "Thank you, Sunset. Thank you."
The void shifted around Sunset again. Now, she was standing in the middle of a boxing ring. The stands around her were empty, and no one else was there beside her and an orange SOUl. It glowed brightly, illuminating another silhouette that had the same vine-wrapped body and lime-green eyes that Fluttershy had had before her.
"Dashie." Sunset managed to take a stance just in time to block a right haymaker from her opponent. Dash fired a downward shot to break her guard before slamming her with a kick to her side. "Stop it!"
"I won't stop." Rainbow kicked her again. "But it wouldn't matter if I did. Whether you moved like I did or stayed still as Fluttershy did, the result was the same. We all died. Flowey had us pegged from the start." "
Sunset blocked another attack and grabbed both of the girl's arms. "I can't imagine what you went through or what you're going through now. But I'm still here. I can still beat Flowey. And I will."
"I thought the same thing." Rainbow droned. " I fought with everything I had. First against the fish and then again against Flowey. But, it didn't matter. And neither do you. So stop fighting the inevitable and just die."
"Listen to yourself!" Sunset forced her backward. "When have you ever let someone tell you what to do? When have you ever just accepted what's in front of you? You've always been loyal to your friends since day one, so don't stop now!"
Dashie wrenched herself free from Sunset's grasp and stopped to refocus. Her eyes flickered between green and magenta. "Loyalty. Loyalty...m-m-meansnothing." The flower's control reasserted itself. "Under Flowey's rule, Loyalty means nothing. No more than our lives do."
Sunset decided to put that to the test, sheathing her knife and dropping to the floor with open arms. "Then if my life really means so little, then take it right now."
Once again, Rainbow hesitated. "You...you're not going to fight back?"
"I don't need to. If I'm going to beat Flowey, then I'll need your help. Without it, I'm already dead."
Closing her eyes, Sunset felt the air in front of her shift as Dash's fist shot toward her head. An eternity ticked by in seconds, but nothing happened. Opening her eyes, she found her friend's hand inches away from her skull, and she looked up toward the other girl's face.
Rainbow Dash's eyes had changed back to magenta, her body was vine-free, and her legs were shaking as shuddering sobs wracked her person. "Sunny. Forgive me. But, it was so horrible. It hurt so much. I just...I didn't think the pain would ever end."
Her eyes widened. "Oh, Dashie. Don't worry, I'll make sure he won't hurt anyone else. And I do forgive you."
The orange soul moved towards hers and vanished into her body, filling it with warmth and calm. "Thank you, Sunset. Thank you."
Everything had changed again. Now Sunset was standing in an orchard in the middle of a farm. The hot sun bore down upon her, making her sweat and pant.
No points for guessing who this is. Where are you, Jackie?
"Up here, Shimmer." The sun morphed into a yellow SOUL. Without warning, its rays shot downward to strike the ground around her, setting everything on fire! The inferno spread to the trees around her in an instant, surrounding her with flames from all sides.
"Applejack, what are you doing?"
"What the others can't. You can't beat Flowey, Sugarcube. That's just the honest truth. No more than you can stop the sun from shining. So just accept--"
"No. I. Won't." Sunset cut her off. "Jackie, I know you're all about truth and facts. But the fact of the matter is that you don't know whether or not I'll be able to beat Flowey, because I haven't tried yet. Or rather we haven't tried yet. Don't you remember how we beat the Sirens?"
Applejack's SOUL paused, freezing the fire below in mid-burn. "Yeah. Together."
"They seemed completely unbeatable even after we all came together. But we triumphed anyway. Friendship beat the odds every time, and Flowey's no different. So instead of talking about how hopeless it is, why not help me put that truth to the test?"
The question hung in the air for a minute. Then, the fire around her vanished, replaced by a cool breeze. The yellow SOUL descended from its height, moved toward her, and vanished into her body, filling it with warmth and calm. "All right, Sunset. I'll do just that."
After the next shift, Sunset was now standing on a large stage decked in lights. A spotlight shone down in the center, illuminating a dark-blue SOUL. Rarity's silhouette stood beneath it, singing a mournful song. Just like with the dog couple she'd faced before, the noise turned into several musical notes that fired off at Sunset like bullets.
"Oh, Sunny." Tiny water droplets tricked down Rarity's SOUL. "I hoped I'd never see you again. I messed up so badly. Even down here, I spent more time basking in the spotlight than actually searching for you. I'm a despicable human being. Just like the ones on the Surface."
One of the notes struck her soul. In an instant, she dropped to her knees as painful memories flashed through her head.
Twilight stood over her after the Fall Formal as she lay broken and humiliated at the bottom of a crater.
Her and the girls trapped underneath the stage at the Battle of the Bands while everyone succumbed to the Dazzlings' spell.
And all five of her closest friends abandoning her once again thanks to Anon-a-Miss.
Her eyes leaked of their own accord as she began to sob.
"See?" Rarity moved closer. "Is that what you want to go back to? More rejection and pain? The monsters all love you down here, so why don't you just stay here where you belong?"
It wasn't entirely unreasonable. She'd had to ask herself that same question about leaving Toriel. But her answer remained the same now as it had been then. "Because no matter how great it is, this world will never be a paradise if you and the others aren't in it, Rarity. I left the Ruins for you. I traveled across the Underground for you. I'm even fighting Flowey for you. So instead of crying, dry your eyes and help me. And let's make things better for everyone."
The stage lights above them all went out, to be replaced with sunlight from outside bathing them in warmth. Rarity moved back and stopped singing. Her SOUL stopped leaking. And it bobbed up and down. "Very well, Sunset Shimmer. I shall aid you in this fight. Feeling sorry for myself wasn't helping anyone anyway." She added herself to Sunset's collection. "Let's go do some pruning."
Sunset nodded. "Agreed."
The next place the void brought her to wasn't a place at all. There was nothing. No land, no air, no ground, no sky, no colors, she couldn't see anything at all. The only thing she could hear was the sound of someone crying.
"Hello? Who's there?"
A giant crater opened up in the ground in front of her, someone was lying down at the bottom of it. She moved closer.
"Is that...Pinkie Pie?"
Unlike the other girls, Pinkie still had her body and not just her soul. But she was in the sorriest state yet. Her hair was flat, stringy, and filthy instead of its usual frizzy bun. Her eyes were still bloodshot from Flowey's vines. Her clothes were red and soaking wet in the torso area. One arm and one leg each were broken and bent the wrong way. She didn't even look in Sunset's direction as the girl reached her. She just sat there, crying her eyes out.
"Pinkie. What happened to you?"
"He shattered my bones. He fractured my limbs. He wrung me dry. He made me his puppet." Pinkie sobbed. "Why did I have to listen to him? He said he wanted to be my friend. I just wanted to be his friend. I just wanted to be his friend!" Her face pressed into Sunset's chest as she continued to weep.
Sunset didn't say anything. No amount of words could possibly suffice. So she just wrapped her arms around the party planner and let her cry. After several minutes, Pinkie ran out of tears and simply sank to the ground. The color drained from her face, her hair turned white, and her body crumbled into dust. Only her SOUL was left, and it joined the others inside her companion without a word. Sunset simply steeled herself with a shuddering sigh and waited for the next change.
"Oh Pinkie."
Now, she was standing in the hallways of Canterlot High. But as she opened the door to the gymnasium, she found several stained-glass windows placed along the walls where the lockers were supposed to be. Each one had a picture of one of her friends in it. And the biggest one on the center wall had all of them standing together. All except one, that is.
"Sunset Shimmer," came a voice that she'd thought she'd never hear again. "You're alive and well."
Despite the danger of her circumstances, she felt a grin leap into her face as she turned around. "Princess Twilight?"
"Yes, it's me."
Twilight was indeed there. Her silhouette was untouched by Flowey's vines, and her eyes were still their usual purple. Sunset looked her in the eyes for a moment before nodding.
"You're not under Flowey's control. Why's that?"
Twilight took a moment to rub her head before responding. "It's not for a lack of trying, I'll give him that. He's been battering away at the walls of my psyche like a wrecking ball. But unlike the rest of our friends, I've studied magic since I was a filly. And while his power might be several times greater than mine, my mind is skilled and disciplined. His is raw and unfocused. That allowed me to endure his assaults just long enough for you to arrive."
Sunset wrapped her arms around her mentor's SOUL and pulled her into a warm hug. "I'm so glad to see you again." Then, she frowned. "But, I'm sorry I got you into this. I shouldn't have just left a letter behind and run off. I should have stayed and spoken to you. Can you forgive me, Twilight?"
Twilight nodded. "Were I in your situation, I probably would have done the same thing. So of course, I can forgive you."
"Thank you." Sunset held out her hand. "Are you ready? Because after this, either we're all going home, or none of us are."
Twilight's SOUL added itself to the collection. "Ready as I'll ever be, Sunset."
Sunset felt herself healing once again before clenching her fists. "Hey, Flowey! In case you haven't noticed, I'm still alive! So why don't you stop playing with your food, and let's finish this!"
"Still so defiant. Still so brave." Flowey's voice echoed all around her. "Still so STUPID! I'M in control here. I can kill you a hundred times over, and you can't do anything about it. But if you're in such a hurry to die why not speed it up a bit?"
The void returned her to her original location; and out of the darkness, Flowey reappeared. She slashed her knife at him again; and once again, he just laughed it off. A swarm of flies emerged from his eyes and surrounded her, stripping her body down to a skeleton instantly. Another reset found one of Flowey's bombs going off right next to her, incinerating her in an instant. A giant Venus-fly-trap ate her alive at reset number three. Number four found her impaled by vines. This went on for hours on end. She lost track after the one-thousandth death. Finally, she collapsed to the floor, unable to even stand anymore as the damage piled on her all at once.
"Do you really think you can beat me? I am the GOD of this world! And you? You're hopeless. Hopeless and alone!" He laughed again. "Golly, that's right! Your WORTHLESS friends can't save you now. Call for help. I dare you. Cry out into the void. 'Mommy! Daddy! Somebody help!' See what good it does you!"
She called for help. Several seconds passed, but nobody came.
"Boy, what a shame." Flowey licked his lips in anticipation. "Nobody else is gonna get to see you DIE!"
As he opened his mouth, another blue beam fired right at her. But as she braced herself for impact, a giant shield of radiant diamonds appeared in front of her, blocking the attack and forcing the beam around her instead.
"Huh?!"
Rarity's silhouette appeared in front of Sunset projecting the shield. Once the beam had dissipated, she hurled it right at Flowey, who had to duck underneath it. More friendliness pellets rained down on Sunset only to be halted in mid-air by a telekinetic field. Twilight's silhouette appeared next to Rarity as the latter threw more gems to meet each bullet, the projectiles cancelling each other out in a spectacular explosion of fireworks.
"That STILL won't save you!"
Flowey hurled another bomb downward, three times bigger than the previous one. Now, it was Pinkie Pie's turn. She whirled on Sunset. "Quick! I need something sweet!"
Sunset gave her her extra Nice Cream from earlier. "Here!"
In Pinkie's hands, the Nice Cream became a sugary explosive that she used to counter Flowey's bomb. The abomination glared at her.
"UURGH! You're wasting your time here. I'll never let you win!"
More bullets appeared in the air next to him. But before he could actually fire them, Rainbow Dash's silhouette raced by at super speed, collecting all of the bullets into one giant sphere that Applejack's silhouette rolled back at him like a bowling ball. He blew it to pieces with another beam and ground his teeth together.
"Stop DOING that! You're supposed to obey ME! Not her!"
Fluttershy's silhouette added itself to the rest of the group. "It doesn't matter what you say. SHE's our best friend. Not you."
At that affirmation, Sunset felt their magic flow over her, healing her injuries and restoring her body. "I say we show him what real friendship is all about."
As the seven of them linked arms, a rainbow flowed between them, mixing all of their colors together into a single supercharged beam.
"Take this, Flowey! RAINBOW POWER CANNON!"
"Oh no you DON'T!" Flowey met their blast with another beam from his mouth and strengthened it with his other attacks. "I am the GOD of this WORLD! And I will not be defied by some worthless humans!"
The two beams pushed against each other, their wielders straining for an edge. But gradually, the SOULS of the Seven began to gain the upper hand, their attack forcing Flowey's back little by little.
"NO!" Flowey poured all he had into repelling their power, but nothing seemed to be working. "You can't do this. It's not fair! I am your god! I am your ruler! I am your--"
"Just SHUT UP!" Sunset cut him off. "You're no god. You're just a whiny, little brat throwing a tantrum now that you can't hide behind your stolen power. It's time to give it back!"
With one final push, their beam overpowered Flowey's, striking him dead-on.
"AAAAAUGH!" He screamed as the rainbow engulfed him. "STOP!!!STOP IT!!!!! STOOOOPPPP!!!!!"
Before all their eyes, the abomination began to shrink. The void around them flickered and cracked. Flowey's screams echoed around them. And everything faded to white.
Sunset jerked awake as her senses returned to her. She was back in the throne room once again, the handle of the knife pressing into her hand. Asgore's dust still lay on the ground nearby. And directly in front of her was a weakened Flowey. She quickly looked around. No one else was there, not her friends, not the other monsters, not even Sans. She and Flowey were all alone.
The ghostly appearance of a child in a blue striped shirt appeared next to her. Even though she'd never seen him before, a name worked its way to her lips anyway. "Frisk."
Frisk gestured at Flowey. "He is beaten. Let your devotion to friendship and harmony temper your rage."
Her eyes widened. "I know that voice. You talked to me in the void the first time. You tried to get me to stay determined."
He nodded. "Yes. Both Chara and I ended up in that void long ago. She was there after what happened to Asriel, and I was there because of Sans. But that's not important right now. Flowey's life is in your hands."
Sunset looked at the knife, then at Flowey, who still hadn't said anything. Her fist clenched. But before she could say anything, I appeared on her left.
"Are you really going to spare someone like him? He tried to kill you from the second you met him. He killed your friends. He killed Asgore. What do you think he's going to do if you spare him? Go right back to killing again."
She turned to Flowey. "What do you have to say for yourself?"
The flower didn't even look at her. "Do you really think I've learned anything from this? No."
"See? There's your answer. Just kill him and save everyone else a lot of trouble."
Sunset swung the knife experimentally a couple of times. "She's not wrong, Flowey. I can't think of a single redeeming character trait that you have."
Frisk shook his head. "But does his behavior justify yours? Will you be the one to strike him down after everything you've been through? What will your friends think?"
Sunset hesitated. The whole reason she'd ran away in the first place was because she'd thought she'd let everyone down. After pulling herself out of the mire a second time and finally reconciling with her friends, was she really going to just throw that all away? She looked at both Frisk and Chara before turning to Flowey. "You don't deserve forgiveness after everything you did, and there's nothing you can do to make up for it. My decision is made."
She raised the knife high and plunged it down. Flowey gasped as the blade struck--
--the ground next to him, embedding itself all the way to the handle.
Frisk gasped. I put my hands to my mouth. "But why?"
Sunset shook her head. "I was forgiven when I didn't deserve it. And it would be hypocritical of me to forgive my friends and not Flowey. So keep your life, little Flower. I'll just keep stopping you no matter how many times you try to get more SOULS."
Flowey looked up at her. It was hard to tell since his eyes were so small, but she could have sworn she saw tears in them. "Why? Why are you being so nice to me? I don't understand."
"You don't need to understand. Just take it."
"I just... I just don't understand!" Flowey ran away.
Sunset watched him leave without a word before giving a huge sigh and walking through the door to the back of the throne room. Everything went white again.
EPILOGUE
With Asgore's death, Queen Toriel became the next in line to the throne. She instated a new policy that all humans that fell down into the Underground were to be treated not as enemies but as friends. Thanks to the Humane Six's time in the Underground, its citizens were surprisingly accepting of the idea. As it turned out, not all humans were as cruel and bloodthirsty as the ones that had taken the life of the Prince. The royal scientist immediately set to work creating new robot bodies for the humans that Flowey had slain, until a way to bring them back could be found. Pinkie Pie and Rarity took to theirs quite nicely, with Rarity accessorizing hers to put Mettaton to shame. In fact, the two seemed to spend more time with each other than anyone else, keeping everyone's spirits up with their dazzling performances. Pinkie Pie's exuberant energy seemed to be amplified tenfold with a body that never got tired, so she soon found herself with the status of the Undergrounds premiere party planner. Fluttershy contented herself to remain in the RUINS with Napstablook, spending most of her time with him while Applejack became the royal gardener. Rainbow Dash found herself a new friend and rival in Undyne as the newest member of the Royal Guard. With their experience in magic, Twilight and Sunset were put to work analyzing the Barrier entrapping the monsters in the Underground to follow up on the late king's last decree. While Equestrian magic and Underground magic weren't exactly the same thing, the two were confident that they could find a way through eventually. Life in the Underground was never easy for the Seven. But after all their trials and tribulations, they were together once more. And one day, they would be free again.
