Ugh… your head hurts. Your ears hurt even more. Did a lightning storm just happen indoors?
You tried to shake off the haze in your head. Your senses soon readjusted, allowing you to see and hear again.
Yep. A lightning storm did indeed happen indoors. Goodness, what’s the world coming to? Your classroom looked like a warzone. The sheer force of the lightning had created a few craters in the floor and lit several fires. Poor Arts and Crafts display: consigned as food for the flames.
You heard something heavy slam. What was that? Tsunderjudge’s sword lay on the ground, separated from its sheath and kicked to the far side.
That’s… never a good sign.
You crawled out from safety and witnessed the commotion with your own two eyes. You gasped at what you saw.
Aiden had managed to wrestle Mezil to the corner of your classroom. He slammed the Tsunderjudge against the wall. The old man groaned in pain.
WHAM! That’s a straight punch to the face.
“Give back my son!” Aiden shouted.
WHAM! That’s another one.
“Give back my father!”
WHAM!
“Give back my people’s hopes and dreams!”
Hopes and dreams…?
Yet another WHAM to the face followed. That had to hurt.
“Call forth The Beast! Call your Vanquishers! Don’t just take my blows! DO SOMETHING!!!”
WHAM!
There seems to be a misunderstanding of massively messy proportions.
Exhausted both in mind and body, the great warrior’s voice cracked. “Why? Why aren’t you rewinding time? You’re already half-dead! There’s NO reason for you to proceed!”
Tsunderjudge coughed and hacked. Despite everything, he gripped Aiden’s arm and clawed his nails into it.
“Listen, whelp.” He said, “I’m here today because I pick my poisons. I ask again, Aratet. Your freedom, or your son’s life. Choose!”
Aiden’s chest glowed yellow, his SOUL working up another storm. Tiny sparks popped around him. His electricity levels had started to rise.
STOP! You yelled at him. The Tsunderjudge doesn’t even HAVE the Keys of Fate!
“…What?!”
Slapping your own chest, you told him that you’re the true wielder in this scenario. You bet that the Tsunderjudge kept quiet for your safety. But, that’s not necessary anymore.
Aiden tossed Mezil to the side, discarding him like a piece of trash. Ouch! You ran over to check.
…He doesn’t look good. You noticed a nasty electrical burn behind his neck. His clothes smelled charred and the edges of his necktie-thingy had frayed.
“Cease your worrying,” said Aiden. “The Vampire’s defenses against my father’s power still exist. He would already have been dead otherwise.”
That doesn’t change the fact that you don’t know if he’s injured on the inside. Organ failure’s no joke! And that’s not even counting Aiden’s punches yet!
You told Aiden that you’ll rewind time under the condition that he stops bullying the Tsunderjudge. Whatever debt remains will be handled later. That would be true for both sides.
“What’s your guarantee?”
Accept a ‘Proxy Mark’ on his SOUL. Otherwise, he won’t even remember this exchange.
“No,” replied Aiden, pulling out his phone. “Your blessing here is proof enough.”
Playing it safe, huh? Sure. No problem.
You reached out your hand and planted your Mark. The star shone bright red.
Done. You asked Aiden if he’s ready.
“Hurry before we burn to death.”
Good point there. By now, the fires ignited by Aiden had grown pretty dang big. It sure didn’t help that the classroom was full of flammable materials.
You have to make a judgement call. Right. Now.
Opening the MENU…
Time to LOAD this SAVE! Goodbye Bad End!
Except… a warm gust of wind interrupted the moment of RESET.
Winds? Here? In the classroom? Did the lightning bust a window or something?
You looked around. There’s ribbons of fire trailing everywhere! Some flew over your head. Others crawled on the classroom floor. And they all gathered to a single point…
Grillby.
That bartender stood at the entrance of the classroom, looking pretty angry.
The fire elemental warned: “…Stop whatever you’re doing… Both of you…”
Soon after that, Papyrus popped into view. He’s a sight for sore eyes and music to the ears.
On the top of his lungs, he yelled: “HALT THIS VIOLENCE IMMEDIATELY!!!”
Rescue has arrived! You called for him to help the Tsunderjudge.
Seeing his chance for a certain RESET slipping away, Aiden drew out his knife. He charged towards Papyrus to prevent the skeleton from helping you or the old Magus.
Grillby cut Aiden’s advances short with an intense wall of fire. Whoa. You didn’t know he could do that.
Your skeleton friend hurried to your side. Kneeling down, he exclaimed: “MISTER MAGUS!!! ARE YOU ALRIGHT???”
“I’ve had worse,” the old man replied.
You grumbled, asking if the Tsunderjudge had to be so tsundere about everything.
All you got was a ‘Hmph’.
As the strong skeleton ran out -- carrying the old Magus in his arms -- Grillby dispelled the blockade.
To Aiden he said: “…We meet again… As adversaries…”
Aiden narrowed a glare. “You…! Was the humiliation at the Spire not enough for you?”
Humiliation? Spire? Wait, there’s more to the story?
You recalled that Grillby recognized Aiden as the Big Boss of Gungnir right away. There was no explanation on the ‘how’ or ‘why’. You had presumed that Grillby was briefed about this man’s identity.
What if it was more than just hearsay?
The fire monster huffed, unimpressed. “…Still using underhanded methods, I see… You’re trying to pressure the Ambassador… into making rash, unwise decisions…”
“Quit acting noble. You’re the one with the unrealistic ideals. No deaths on both sides? Hah! You robbed the face and sight of one of my warriors! Or is that ‘good enough’ because she’s still alive?”
You’re starting to understand the full picture. Somewhere, sometime, Grillby fought Aiden and his army. And one of them suffered quite a casualty.
“…I don’t wish for that either…” Grillby explained. “…All the more reason why I stand here… To prevent any more needless suffering…”
Aiden pointed his hooked knife at Grillby. “Enough speeches! Let your ambassador turn back time. We’ve already made an agreement. My son’s life for that of The Vampire!”
“…No…” Grillby insisted. “…They are an ambassador… not a king… They shall do nothing without consulting their father… I will not let them gamble this timeline on your whim… Do you even have a plan?…”
That’s right! You didn’t think about that at all! You squinted hard at Aiden.
Annoyed, Mister Warrior responded: “Plans are always limited by knowledge. But I agree that I don’t know enough about our enemy to guarantee victory. What about you monsters?”
“…We don’t have anything either… All the more why I deny… Haste makes waste… A second chance may not succeed…”
Tension lingered in the air, hotter than fire and more suffocating than smoke. You stood as still as possible, afraid that a single wrong motion might set off a chain reaction.
At last, Aiden sheathed his blade, announcing a temporary ceasefire. “Fine. You want intel? You’ll get intel. Trade your number with mine, Crimson Keeper.”
Uh, right. Good point. Otherwise, you won’t be able to contact each other. So, you traded numbers with Aiden.
He said: “Your side better be prepared by tomorrow.” And then hobbled his way out to… wherever he wanted to go. Phew. Another crisis averted.
“…Frisk…” said Grillby, “…For better or worse… This is not the Underground… You’re not alone anymore… ”
You thanked Grillby for his intervention. If he didn’t jump in when he did, you might have made a major mistake.
“…My pleasure… Let’s leave this place… There’s nothing for us here…”
Sure. But first, you gotta retrieve Tsunderjudge’s cane sword. It’s not safe to leave it behind unattended.
You thus assembled sword and sheath together.
ITEM obtained: ‘CaneSwrd’. The other gentleman’s weapon. Sharpness in disguise.
Afterward, Grillby escorted you through your Mom’s ruined school.
Damn. The temptation to rewind time rose. Hmm. Grillby won’t remember anything, will he? If you sneakily used your powers, he--
No. You don’t want to break his trust again. Even if he doesn’t remember, you would. And your odd behaviour will get noticed.
You put your MENU aside. Shoved it to the back of your mind.
Along the way, you asked him about the incident with Aiden at the Spire.
“…Hm?… I suppose you have not heard… Not directly from me, at least… I could give you a short summary…”
“…Back then… during the attack on The Spire… I was in charge of consuming and expelling flames… At one point I reached my limit… and almost exploded in a library… Lady Lucidia saved me from that calamity…”
“…From that, she came up with an idea… To use me to collect the building’s flames… and launch them into the sky…”
That does sound like a Lucy plan alright. And then, what happened?
“…Aiden charged in with his troops… With the intent of killing Lady Lucidia… I defended her with my life… Because I believed battles can be won without killing… That’s what King Asgore would have wanted… And…”
He stopped walking, looking away as if to hide his face. “…That’s what I thought you wanted…”
……………………
No wonder Grillby was so sore about your ‘Genocide Run’. To him, he had risked his life over a lie.
You told him that you still want your ‘True Pacifist’ ideals to stay true. For that, you’d need all the help you can get.
“…Is it even possible at this point?…” he questioned. “…Despite my best intentions… I have blinded and disfigured a person… a fate worse than death…”
Morose, he added: “…I… need time to think…”
Sure thing, Grillby. You don’t hold his thoughts against him.
* * *
Grillby took you to your house. Dad was just about to come back to school with his freshly washed and blow-dried fluffy coat. Alas, the worst had happened in their absence.
They were distraught to hear the news, especially Mom; it was her school after all.
You were encouraged to take a bath. Wash away the stress and worries. Everything else will be handled by your parents and the Royal Guard.
Ah, breaks. Glorious breaks. You’ll take as many as you can get, so you grabbed your towel and headed towards the bathroom.
You had a nice hot shower. Begone, dirt, soot, and unwanted smokiness. Banished into the sewers below.
Aaah… that felt great.
After changing into a fresh set of clothes, you looked out through the window of your room. How does time fly. The sky had gone dark. You estimate that it had been an hour or two since ‘dinner’ was supposed to happen.
Sigh. You should have been having a fun time with good food, not dealing with the blues.
Downstairs in the living room, Garamond updated your parents on the latest news from the Magus Association.
Saluting to you, he said: “Crimson Keeper Frisk. Judge Thyme informed me to tell you that he and Princess Cenna are resting in Doctor Alphys’ Laboratory.”
Huh? That’s weird. You asked him if the mobile clinic was enough to treat their wounds.
Garamond replied, “Just the immediate care. The nearest Magus hospital is quite a distance away. They didn’t want to travel in this state.”
True. You recalled that the journey took at least an hour.
Dad asked, “What about the nearest town? Don’t they have a hospital too?”
“That was where all the Gungnir victims were sent to. I don’t imagine they would appreciate his presence.”
Yep. Awkward levels: Maximum. If that’s the case, you understand why they went to Alphys’ place; the school did suffer an electrical meltdown of massive proportions after all.
So off to the Lab you went…
When you arrived there, you were greeted by the sounds of anime. Was Alphys watching a show to de-stress? You thought of joining too.
Oh. It appears that Alphys had company! Cenna AND Anise joined her for a session.
Alerted of your presence, Alphys paused the video and rushed up to you. “Oh! Frisk! You’re all okay. T-thank goodness you’re alright. I-I thought you might be hurt too.”
Come to think of it, why was it Alphys and not your sister who greeted or fussed over you. …That’s so OOC, and OOC is Serious Business.
Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.
You scurried over to the sofa. Oh no. She’s looking flat-out exhausted.
Cenna fanned her hand across her face, trying to dismiss the problem. “Eh, Frisky. It’s just the meds making me real tired. Don’t worry too much, yeah?”
You squinted in suspicion. She sounded down. Lethargic. Maybe even depressed.
Anise Anise, her Vanquisher partner, pouted at her action. “Cenny. You got hit by actual lightning. Were this The Holy Grail War, you’d have been summoned as an Archer with F-Rank Luck.”
“Isn’t the lowest E, Anise?…”
“Yep. And you’re below E. Bad luck even in your genetics! Nobody in the actual classic topped that kind of bad rolls.”
Cenna replied: “I must definitely rank F in Luck to have a friend like you kicking me when I’m down.”
Anise flashed the most dramatic thumbs-up imaginable. “That’s rrrrrrrrrrright! Also you know I’m just ribbing on you… right? I’m trying to make you laugh.”
“Yeah, yeah.” The tone of her voice was distant and dispirited.
The Alchemist turned towards you in comical distress, mouthing the words ‘nothing is working’. ‘What do I do???’
…Even you could tell that your sister ain’t in her usual spunky mood. You ask her if there’s something on her mind.
“Sorry, Frisky. I don’t feel like it yet.”
Channeling one’s inner Napstablook, you see.
“Napstablook?”
Mettaton’s cousin, and the studio’s soundfellow. They’re an adorable but shy white ghost. ‘…Not feeling up to it…’ is one of their trademark phrases.
“Aah.” She flashed a smile. “I think I saw the fella for a moment. Like you said, real shy. If that’s the case then… yeah. I’m bein’ a Napstablook.”
Understandable. Not everyone can have Papyrus-level energy all the time. You tell her that you’re gonna go meet the Tsunderjudge. Hang in there, okay? Ganbatte Blookie-chan!
“Sure. Sure. Seeya, Frisky.”
So you let Alphys, Anise, and Cenna watch their anime. You don’t see Undyne’s shadow anywhere nearby.
…Come to think, you haven’t seen Papyrus around either. You wondered if he’s alright.
You and your parents entered the room where the latest makeshift ward was made.
Wow. The Tsunderjudge had seen better days. His face had become bruised and mildly swollen from the beating. And that was ‘with’ the wonders of modern medicine. Without, you may not have been able to recognize him at all.
Chara and Flowey played the role of nurses. Kinda. You’re not sure if they’re treating the old man, or if they’re just annoying each other.
Flowey huffed as he put aside the used ice pack. “Are you an idiot, old man? You think by playing hero, you get to stick yourself straight into danger? Or maybe you think you're INVINCIBLE?”
The rosy-cheeked one rolled their eyes. “Why not? He’s a ‘Living Victory’. A title like that gotta give him some plot armour, no?”
“Except it clearly doesn’t work!”
“Foiled by reality.”
“Boo-hoo.”
Mom frowned at the flower’s careless words. “Goodness, let the man rest! Scolding can wait.”
You nodded. Flowey. Chara. You have some very important things to discuss with the Tsunderjudge.
“Fine,” Flowey huffed. “Do whatever. I don’t care anymore.”
“Neither do I,” Chara added. “We’re just gonna hang back and watch the dramatics. Yep.”
You didn’t voice it out, but you know that they’re scared deep down. They’re just being bratty to protect themselves. You’re more than acquainted with such behavior.
The Tsunderjudge grunted as he pushed himself up the bed. “Why are you all here?”
Dad said, “We heard everything from Sir Garamond. So, we thought it’s best to visit you as soon as possible.”
Also…
You placed the cane sword beside his bed, then glared hard at the Tsunderjudge.
You really, REALLY want to know why he demanded Aiden to ‘bend the knee’ no matter what. What gives?
He sighed out loud. “Seems like you didn’t understand the stakes after all. I’ll get straight to the point: the moment Aiden obtains his father’s spirit and Determination, he will become a true Living Victory. His Split Aspect is already at the tipping point… as evident with his ability to make a Mark. I won’t let the Keys of Fate be contested by yet another third party. Let alone a Gungnir! My goodness, those pests.”
But, is Aiden more powerful than Frisk Wanderstar, the Legendary Triple Red?
The veteran Vampire replied: “Don’t count on it. Judge Pashowar was in the same position as you once: magically inclined, uncontested, and fit to serve well into his seventies. Yet… he remained human. Mortal. One permanent defeat was all it took for the stronghold to collapse. That's how that dreaded calamity began.”
In hindsight, you don’t know much about Mezil’s predecessor. You didn’t think it would ever become relevant. Perhaps you were being a bit shortsighted?
Dad pulled a chair over to sit down by the bed. “Judge Thyme, I hope you don’t mind… but may I know more about this ‘Split Aspect’? Didn’t you say you The Association once had a special student?”
“King Asgore, you know her as the ‘Purple Child’. I heard that she had the ability to enchant ink to persist through time. However, I have never met her in person; Judge Pashowar handled her case.”
Mezil then pondered out loud: “If she hadn’t perished… she would be in her thirties today. Perhaps the late Supreme Judge would have promoted her to Crimson Keeper -- despite not being a Red -- hoping that she could be a temporary custodian for his Determination network.”
How did she die? Does anyone know the exact cause?
“According to the autopsy and Lucidia’s Chronographer Records, the Purple Child died in the Underground from an untreated disease: a fatal strain of E.coli bacteria.”
But how?… Wouldn’t she have time-travelling powers?
“In the Underground, yes. She did indeed. However, the Keys of Fate were useless to her. The infection had already set in by then; she was doomed the moment she stepped foot in the Dreemurr’s kingdom.”
You felt your stomach twist and your bowels cringe. From what you had heard about E.coli, they’re immense bad times waiting to happen.
“Do you see it now? Even the strongest Living Victory can be taken down if they’re not careful. I’m trying to minimize that risk.”
…That’s a sobering thought.
Mom then asked: “Does anyone know where Aiden is?”
Other than the fact he left to gather information, nope. He did say that he’ll return by tomorrow. Does the Tsunderjudge know?
“Hmph,” he huffed. “That man’s whereabouts do not concern me.”
Mom’s face contorted in disbelief. “What do you mean by that?! Will you not worry that he would attempt to take your life again?”
“He’s free to decide such. Whether to attack or to flee, or to return here to surrender: I will respond according to his choices.”
You heard some knocks on the door. Dad went to answer.
Several Royal Guard barks later, he came back with an envelope. What’s in it, Dad? It seemed serious.
“Judge Thyme…” He said, handing it over to the Magus. “This is for you.”
You watched the Tsun open it up. Inside there’s a folded letter written on a thin and slightly aged letterpad.
“Hmm. This mail is from the Commissioner in my city. The police officer wishes to have my cooperation for the investigation of the attempted assassination on Asachulra Bhuntiri. That’s Aiden’s registered name, by the way.”
That’s good… right?
“Depends. This could also be a roundabout way to say I’m under arrest.”
You dropped your jaw.
What happened to connections?! Didn’t the Tsunderjudge keep a firm grasp on the police or something? The Vanquishers are part of their force!
“They’re just doing their job. Requesting for my cooperation is proof of those good terms. Otherwise, they would have already arrived in your town with a squad of police cars. You have to understand that in the eyes of the police, I have plausible motives to eliminate the Gungnir by any means. And they can’t very well overlook a crime broadcast live for all to see.”
He resumed, “Hmm. Apparently I have until eight in the morning. That’s plenty of time… at least, for me. Though, I won’t be surprised if a new annoying incident tosses yet another wrench in the gears.”
Is there anything the Dreemurrs could do to help?
The tsun then went on to read the post scriptum. Judging from the back of the thin paper, it was a short extra message.
“The Commissioner offers to have breakfast with the King and Queen. Should you so wish. He’s making a personal request to meet the Royal Family. Not as a police, but as a regular human. He seems curious about your dynamic.”
That’s surprisingly normal. Here you thought Mom and Dad had to dish out their lifetime of political knowledge to fish the Tsunderjudge out of legal trouble.
“They may still have to. I’ll save you the surprise. The Commissioner was a friend of the Purple Child’s mother. I think he’s trying to get some answers.”
……………………
You clasped your hands together. Tsunderjudge! Most fabulous Vampire! Please RESET to the last sane SAVE point! You’re begging him to do so!
The flower children couldn’t help but break their silence and laugh at your reaction. Still, you are determined to keep a straight face.
Mezil meanwhile narrowed a glare. Classic.
He asked: “Are you going to use the Keys whenever things don’t go your way?… I thought you had more patience than this.”
And Chara just had to open their big mouth to boot: “Old man, you have no idea. Frisk was SUCH a perfectionist! They would reload over and over until they got things just right. They only started experimenting with ‘alternate endings’ after they gave up on the Surface.”
“Ooooooh!” Flowey exclaimed. “I get it! Frisky Frisk was too caught up with getting THE BEST results to properly analyze the situation. THAT’S why they started crying to that Smiley Trashbag for help!”
You tried to grab those pesky tattling flowers, but they keep evading your capture. Darn!
Mom being Mom, immediately stepped in to get the situation back under control. “Children! Children! Please! This is no time to quarrel.”
…But the flowers escaped through the air vents.
Ugh. You feel like you want to die from embarrassment…
“I see,” said the Tsunderjudge. “Your mistake is a common one.”
If that’s the case, what is the ‘right’ way?
“Observe and remember. Take note of the reactions of those you will meet. The world is made up of many people. Many players, so to speak. One decision could butterfly into a result beyond your imagination.”
“It’s important to know who triggers what and why. Otherwise, you won’t know what to change. Pressing the RESET button blindly won’t always help you progress.”
Can’t you just brute-force through things, though?
“Even so, you need to identify what you want to smash through in the first place. Everything matters, Frisk. The Keys of Fate will not render you immune from consequences.”
The thought of all that mental work already made you exhausted…
Another knock on the door followed. This time, the person didn’t wait for anyone to answer. The door opened just enough for a head to peek in.
Anise Anise?
“Uh, sorry.” She said, “I received a message from Lady Lucy. And she… she gave me the all clear to update you folks on Sans.”
Uhh… What about Sans?
“I’m afraid it’s all bad news, Crimson Keeper. You might wanna sit down for this one, cause it’s a doozy. Seems like everyone’s luck is F-Rank today. Boo!”
* * *
It’s midnight.
You’re supposed to sleep, but… you can’t. There were far too many things on your mind.
Today you learned that all the cool and powerful Seers were affected by a condition Lucidia called ‘Overburn’. Sans and Mezil both described it as a ‘Curse’. Only Garamond was lucky enough to escape.
You’re told that the effects of Overburn depend heavily on the Aspects a Seer lacks. Since those are weak compared to their main colours, they vaporize first.
Papyrus lacks Cyan, Purple, and Yellow. They’re memory-related. Without them, he suffered amnesia.
Snakedog lacks four colours: Green, Cyan, Yellow, and Blue. While he kept his memories, he can’t make use of them coherently. As a result, he lost his sense of self and became an actual ‘snakedog’.
Sans lacks Orange, Green, and Blue. Fuelled by leaking Determination, he became MORE of an unstoppable dangerous genius. Full-blown mad scientist assassin with an addiction to LOVE: life force absorbed from his enemies.
…The thought terrified you at a deep level. You regretted ever wishing for a less lazy Sans.
And that was just ONE issue in a laundry list of bigger problems.
Sleep? What is sleep?
You tried rolling on your right. It didn’t feel good.
You tried rolling on your left. It didn’t feel good either.
You tried rolling on your back. That still didn’t work.
You thought maybe it’s best to do something else in the meantime. You pondered about it. Reading a book won’t cut it. Your current life is anime enough.
Y’know, a shmup sounds nice about now. They demand so much concentration, you can stop thinking about complicated politics.
You booted the PC and plugged in your gaming tools. Played a few stages. Did… okay-ish. Not your best run. Not terrible either. You’re a bit out of practice.
Despite your session, it still felt unsatisfactory.
You then heard a knock on the door. Gentle, yet it still packed a bit of a sharp kick. That had to be Dad. Mom would use less force. If it’s ‘tik’ it’s Mom. If it’s ‘tok’ it’s Dad.
You took off your headphones, turned on the lights and opened the door.
“Oh, Frisk,” said Dad. “I heard the tippy-tappings of your controller. I don’t think you should be playing video games so late at night. I hear that electronic lights will keep you awake.”
You told him that you wanted to bleach your brain from all of today’s crazy.
“I see. Um… but I’m not sure if that will help.”
What does he mean?
“For a very long time, I too hid behind a hobby. It is quite a honey-lined trap. That is why I thought that playing a game at this hour might not be the best idea. Perhaps we could have a chat? Of course, I will respect your decision. If you want to play some more, then I could allow another half hour.”
You scrunched your brows and let out a loud ‘HMMM’. You then invited Dad to come in.
“Thank you, Frisk.”
While you sat down on the edge of the bed, Dad chose to sit on the ground. Your bed wasn't king size enough for King Asgore’s king size.
To be honest, you wanted his advice. Grillby did say that you should have consulted with the King first. You… completely forgot about that when you saw Mezil Thyme’s tsun tsun dere dere face.
Instant nervousness slapped Dad on the back of his golden noggin. “G-Grillby said that?”
You nodded three times in rapid succession.
“Oh dear. He… he thinks too highly of me. If he knew the truth, I think he might blow a fuse.”
Yeeeeep. So, let’s make this a secret between dad and child!
“Cheeky, are you not? I’m fine with that.”
The both of you chuckled together. This light moment didn’t last long, however. It’s back to business soon after.
You asked Dad on how would he handle these kinds of situations.
“Well, I would first read all the reports submitted by the relevant parties. Do you have anything written down, Frisk?”
…Nope.
“Perhaps we could start a list? I will help you make it.”
So, you dug into your school bag to get a notebook. You’ll use the back side for the note taking as not to overlap with your homework.
Speaking of school, you asked Dad about Mom. Will she teach tomorrow?
“About that…” He paused and closed his eyes. “Tuesday’s lessons will be postponed to Saturday. She will set up some tents with the townsfolk so that the children can continue to study while the school gets fixed.”
You wrote that detail down.
-School, completely busted. Mom heartbroken… Repairs will take a while.
“That is good. Carry on.”
Don’t you need to sort your thoughts first?
“No. Just put everything down in one go. Sorting can wait for later.”
You thus started working with Dad to dump all the information. He had long, long, long-term memory. Anything that you forgot, he helped fill in.
Your notes ended up looking like this:
- You can’t consult with Sans the Tactician, because he’s loopy. Crazy writings on the wall. Weapon to stop the Abomination? Will it remain on RESET?
- What will happen to Sans if he suddenly loses his LV but remains ill?
- Consult Papyrus instead? Who has amnesia? He’s still 100% himself, but his Eye is borked. Can the Seraph System help him and his brother? What about Snakeface?
- Won’t Sans need to have an amputation no matter what?
- Ugh! Mezil being WAY too insistent in trying to Claim Aiden. Baka Tsundere!
- If Tsunderjudge and HotAndSpicy are injured now, how will they ever participate in the Ocean Battle? Why even bother keeping this timeline?
- Mezil’s also in trouble with the police. Seriously, he might as well RESET now!
- BAKA BAKA BAKA BAKA!
- Poor MTT… His darling livestream ruined forever by an assassination. =(
- Talk with the Commissioner? Good or bad? Doesn’t matter. What happens in Ebott Town probably won’t affect that city anyway.
- Aiden called Niton the Aratet’s hopes and dreams. Considering Aiden blew up the WHOLE school to get his ways, those two Determinators will never see eye to eye.
- Calling it now! Mezil and Aiden would rather kill each other first! They do not believe in friendship power.
- The Sniper was defeated by a loopy Sans. Can it be repeated?
- Sniper is Orange/Cyan/Yellow, capable of shooting through portals. Very deadly.
- Her Philosopher’s Stone is very deadly too. What other powers does she have? Her Levels of Violence are super disconcerting. Level 18? Like WTH??? The most you had was 20 after killing the whole Underground!
- Need a plan. Gaelic, Papyrus, and Sans can’t fight the sniper: Overburn. No Seer can. Could Aiden? Tsunderjudge? Undyne? Gote? Can Cenna snipe the sniper? If yes, is it worth risking her?
Phew. That’s quite a list!
It’s amazing how you didn’t curl up and cry yet. Come to think of it, HOW are you still feeling fine? You’ve carried on as if it’s just another schoolday.
It’s almost surreal. Like a movie.
Maybe it’s because you haven’t felt the results of your consequences yet?
Or maybe… it’s because you’ve already accepted that nothing that happened today will remain permanent.
“Gote?” asked Dad. “I don’t think that’s the right spelling for ‘goat’.”
That’s your cutesy nickname for Dad’s species.
“I see, I see.” He stroked his beard while he read your list. “Hmmm… You didn’t mention anything about Doctor Gaster here.”
…Heh. You had completely forgotten about that old coot. He was Dad’s advisor, right?
“Yes, he was. He was, indeed…”
You noticed Dad had become crestfallen. Head lowered, eyes on the ground.
“Doctor Gaster was the one who proposed the plan to raise Sans as our Tactician. He knew I struggled with certain decisions.”
Yep. That’s one topic mired in controversy. It stirred your curiosity though. Who called the shots during the Sealing War? Were there other Tacticians before Sans?
“By then, the Seven Sages were already in human territory. Had the Red Sage still been on our side, without doubt he would have been the brains of the operation. Instead, your mother became the closest person we had to a Tactician. She arranged the plans, and I approved the final draft. Then-Captain Gerson Boom managed the front lines."
You see. In dire times, one just needs to improvise.
Let’s start the planning phase. You looked at your notes again, looking for pointers to hatch a reasonable plan.
…What if you do this?… Or maybe that…
AHA! That’s it! You can’t believe it’s that simple! It should work on the virtue of you being a human Magus. Do it right, and the risks should be minimal too.
You just gotta give it a shot.
Okay! First we solve this crisis, then after we save the world from the Ocean Abomination, we can finally get the monsters recognized as citizens.
If we all give it our best, everything should work out. Just let the science guys do their science things and the battle guys do their battle things.
Once your sister merges with Dad, victory is guaranteed!
……………………
You suddenly wondered: must a human be killed for their SOUL to be taken?
An uncomfortable silence hung in the air for a long, long while.
The answer had to be a ‘yes’. It had to be! Dad wouldn’t have gone silent otherwise.
You eyes watered. Tears dripped down your cheeks and onto your notebook.
You’re Determined not to cry, but you’ve started to sob and sniffle.
“Frisk?” asked Dad. He stood up from the floor. “Frisk, my child, what’s wrong?”
Then the dam broke.
You don’t want Cenna to die! You bawled.
Worse yet, in one of the timelines where Cenna did survive the Ocean Battle, she became stuck in a wheelchair with leg braces. Slowly yet surely, she was transforming into a human vegetable. Dead but breathing. The depressed, injured Cenna from the Lab looked just like that.
You don’t want that! You don’t want any of that!
You want to get to know her better!
You want to catch up on lost time!
You want to be with her for years and years to come!
But… Dad needs her SOUL for us to have any hope of winning the Ocean Battle! Cenna will die no matter what decisions you make.
You don’t know what to do. Nothing seems to work. This whole quest is just one problem after another! The bad ends never end!
Your gote father wrapped his arms around you for a big hug. His sheer fluff allowed you to muffle your ugly wailing.
Patting you on the head, he soothed you. “There, there. I understand how you feel. I, too, would not want Cenna to die.”
“Truth is… I am not sure if a human must die to use their SOUL. Us monsters thought so, however the Magi have made great strides in their technology. What I know may be outdated.”
You pulled your tear-dampened face out of the wet fur.
Does that mean there’s a way to keep her alive? E-everyone was convinced that it's impossible.
Dad tried to smile, though it was rather weak and uncertain. “Strangely so, some of our knowledge is further ahead than theirs. Perhaps our combined minds are the answer to the puzzle… I do not want to give you false hope, though. Do you understand?”
…You understand that all too well. Hopes and Dreams are important, but only if they're realistic.
“Either way, we won’t know unless we press forward. So, Frisk, it’s not that your decisions lead only to bad ends. They are just ‘ends’. They can also be good. And sometimes they are both.”
“Be brave, be determined. That’s how you make a future.”
Be Determined…
You confess to Dad that you’ve been limiting your Determination since the Crimson Hall. You really, really, really don’t want to repeat your mistakes.
“I understand,” he said. “And I appreciate that you’re taking steps to become a better person. Just remember that your own will matters too. It’s fine to disagree with Judge Thyme. If you think you have a better idea, you can give it a try. Frisk… I will support you no matter what.”
Suddenly your spirits lifted. Truly, he is the Best Dad. Even Chara agrees! The sweater was the proof.
“Ha ha ha… I wouldn’t dare call myself such. But, thank you for the gratitude.”
Does he want a Proxy Mark? That way, he won’t lose his memories in the RESET.
Dad hummed out loud. “That’s not a bad idea. My, my… this would be my first proper experience with time travel.”
Okay! Then let’s do it! First, Dad needs to bring his SOUL as close to his chest as possible. You explained that you have to put it on directly.
“Is that so? Please give me a moment.”
There it is: Dad’s shining SOUL. Now, all you need to do is plant a Proxy Mark.
You touched the surface with your hand. It felt warm and fuzzy, just like the owner.
Focus…
Your symbol tried to write itself on Dad’s SOUL, and… SUCCESS! The right kind of Determination painted on that white monster sheen.
Well. This is it. You’re going to LOAD your SAVE. It’s from after court, before the shooting. It’s that border mayhem.
“Yes. Let us try that. See you soon, Frisk. I’ll do my best to help.”
You hugged Dad one last time. Once you go back there -- then -- you’re going to be busy.