When Cenna was around Frisk’s age, training was one of the ways she’d spent time with her adoptive father. It never felt like a chore, unlike her schoolwork.
Part of the practice involved training with a real bow. The mind and body must grow together, so she was told.
But one night, she noticed her father zoning out with a sad look on his face.
“Papa? Are you sick?”
The question snapped him out of his daze. “O-oh. No, dear. It’s, um… Papa had a rough day at work.”
Frowning, the girl asked, “Is your fancy boss bullying you? Want me to go shoot some plunger arrows at his butt?”
“Don’t do that! I know you’re not the biggest fan of my boss, but please don’t shoot him. That’s just rude. Besides, he’s not mean to me at all. It’s, uh… I guess you’re old enough already. Put the bow aside for a while. Let’s talk.”
That was what she did. She put the training tools aside and sat beside her father.
He asked: “Do you remember what a DEMON is?”
“Yup yup! Determined spirits who refuse to move on.”
“Good. Now, the big boss located a DEMON that’s been kidnapping children for a long time. It is Papa’s job to help him rescue them. Usually, we get there in time. But… we were too late for some of the kids.”
“Oh no. What happened to the bad guy?”
“Vanquished.”
“That’s good, right?” Cenna pretended to punch the imaginary baddie. “Send ‘em straight to The Almighty!”
Papa chuckled a bit. “I suppose that’s a silver lining. It would be worse if the DEMON escaped. But, those lost children reminded me too much of you, my little Cenna. Papa was very sad to lose them… and very scared at the thought that you could have been there in their stead.”
“Don’t worry, Papa! I would NEVER let myself be caught by a DEMON. Should they try, I’ll blow them up with our family magic! Wanderstar, go go go! Kapew! Boom!!!”
Seeing his daughter’s confidence lifted the father’s heart with joy. He rubbed his hand on the top of her head, causing an affectionate mess of hair.
“Now there missy, that just gives me more things to worry about! Sometimes you do get a bit too trigger happy with that Yellow magic.”
The girl responded with a sincere laugh, finding both his reaction and the ruffling fun.
After a pause, he continued with a more serious tone. “Cenna, as you get older, your magic will grow stronger too. It’ll reach a point where it’s as dangerous as a real missile. Please promise me that you’ll never fire the family magic nilly-willy.”
“Huh? I thought it’s a DEMON-busting weapon. It won’t hurt people, right?”
“It can, and it will. It’s tuned to destroy DEMONS, but with that much power it will definitely wreck anything in its path. Also, such power comes at a cost. Since you’re not a Red, your Purple compensates by drawing both life energy from your Psychia and stamina from your body. It’ll tire you out sooner than you’d realise.”
“What if I meet a DEMON who is also a person?”
“That question is more complicated than you realise, dear Cenna. Ideally, you’ll learn what to do from your formal Vanquisher training. But, if something does happen before that, here is Papa’s advice: You must base your decision on who you wish to protect… and stick with it.”
Cenna remembered nodding to her dad’s advice, although she didn’t grasp its meaning until much, much later.
Years would pass before the girl came to terms with the depths of her father’s wisdom.
* * *
On the way up towards the roof, Cenna and Lucas visited Alchemist Anise Anise for a quick buff in the kitchen. She served up two cups of her ‘Special Recharge Brew’: a mixture of orange juice, electrolytes, and Energy Potions. The sweetness diluted the bitterness of the alcohol used to dissolve the extracted essences of an Orange Psychia.
The duo chugged it down. It didn’t take long for the forward energy of Bravery to warm her up.
Turning to Lucas, she asked, “Estimate on your Mana Points, Fennel?”
Stretching his shoulders, her colleague replied, “Around 50%. I should be able to pull off another Ascension if needed. It won’t result in a big spell, though.”
“Don’t worry about that. We’ll need something a lot more focused and small-scale this time.”
It was then Cenna noticed a distinct lack of liveliness from Anise Anise. By now she would usually have bragged about her delicious potions, especially the tricks she learned from old Mezil himself. Yet, she just stared back at them with a blank, plastic smile on her face.
“Anise? You alright, gal?”
“Cenny,” she said, “This may be the last time I get to serve you my Special Recharge Brew. I… I’m gonna lose my job. I know it. The board is going to kick me out when they discover that I gave Doctor Gaster that Anise Anise Brand Child Safe Sleeping Potion.”
Poor, poor girl. Duped by the most cunning goop in Ebott.
Putting his cup down, Lucas said: “Anise Anise, you’re not responsible for the actions of a traitor. Anyone could have made that mistake. Judge Caraway and I will vouch for your innocence.”
Anise herself didn’t seem convinced. “They’re gonna find out about Lady Lucy’s secret purchase…”
“…Huh?” Lucas blinked. “Why would it be secret? As far as I know, her husband keeps track of all accounting matters.”
“Exactly. I bought that virtual item for her with my credit card. You know better than anyone how the boss frowns on microtransactions and virtual gimmicks. He thinks they’re scams.”
“That has nothing to do with Doctor Gaster. It’s a personal agreement between you two. It shouldn’t impact your professional life.”
“…Investigating this incident will reveal how I’ve been using Lady Lucy to get my way…”
The more she talked, the more concerned Lucas grew. “Just stay focused and help us right now. We can settle all that behind closed doors.”
After putting her own cup down, Cenna said, “C’mon, time’s ticking. We’ll discuss this later, okay?”
Both Magi made their move, leaving the kitchen with more energy coursing through their veins. The potion worked like a charm.
Up the stairs they went, towards the rooftop battleground. The clear, noonday sun shone hot against her clothes. Any sign of their makeshift fake rain had ceased to be.
In the distance, water spears soared high into the sky. However, the speedy robot spun around in a deft display of jet engine flight. Without any large sources of water nearby, Captain Undyne was unable to bolster her efforts with greater numbers.
“Sheesh,” Cenna commented, “That DEMON is really squeezing every bit out of Mettaton’s specs. Luc, let the Captain know we’re ready.”
“Alright.” Lucas closed his eyes to focus his mind on the communication scroll. “Doctor Alphys, tell Captain Undyne to stand her ground. We’re going to lure the DEMON to us for extermination. Do you copy? …Good. Oh, the DEMON gave its name? …I see. Thank you, I’ll pass the information to Caraway. Over and out.”
Turning to Cenna, he said, “Message transmitted. We’re in the clear. Apparently, the DEMON’S name is Spamton G. Spamton.”
“Regular name or True Name?” she asked back. “If it ain’t True, then it’s no use.”
“Doctor Alphys believes it’s a True Name. She found it on the contract Mettaton signed.”
“‘G.’? Like the initial ‘G.’? Shorthand for Gary perhaps? Well, if he signed a contract that way, I’ll take my chances.” Ready to rumble, The Vanquisher issued the order: “Alright, shine your light and draw that DEMON in.”
Lucas raised his hand and unleashed his Mark, attempting to make himself a target.
The robot stopped dancing around the spears and redirected itself towards The Lab. So far, so good. Cenna mentally prepared for the incoming spamfest.
But, the DEMON’s flight path was interrupted by an array of lasers. In the midst of the heavy barrage, a certain infamous short skeleton rode one of his dragon-like skull Armament into the fray.
Cenna’s jaw grew slack from surprise, coupled with a slight sense of confusion. Since when did his Armament fly that high? She knew Papyrus had that ability, but Sans? The colours didn’t match.
Not to mention, when did he replace his missing arm? It appeared that he was inspired by Garamond to mount an improvised arm cannon.
She also questioned his sanity, initiating a dogfight with a flying corrupted killer robot. He shouldn’t be outside in the first place. Instead, he should be resting at The Lab.
Sans started chasing the flying robot all over town, engaging in a blaster fight with the DEMON. Whenever he needed to teleport, he would conjure a new landing platform and jump there.
“Am I seeing what I think I’m seeing?” asked Lucas.
Cenna replied, “Uh, yeah. You are.”
“That’s the Seer who gave Aunt and Uncle so much trouble. Impressive footwork. No wonder he made such a dangerous foe.”
Yet, something was off. The current flow of combat did not match up with their expectations. When the DEMON began firing back, it trailed dangerously close behind Sans.
“This ain’t right...” Cenna shook her head. “The Sans I know would have closed in for the kill already.”
Lucas furrowed his brows. “If he’s been cursed, he would effectively be blind and deaf.”
“Damn. You’re right! Why the heck did he even get up there then???”
Yelling wouldn’t work. Any visual signs like flashes or flares wouldn’t catch his attention either. They could do nothing from this distance to inform Sans about their plans.
At the height of the aerial dogfight, both sides fired their beams of destructive magic at the same time. White clashed against pink, pushing back and forth as they attempted to dominate the other. In the world of anime, that would be called a ‘beam clash’, complete with sparks flying.
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
Alas, Sans ran out of juice too soon. The pink beam claimed swift victory at the slightest wavering of strength. And so the loser was knocked out of the sky.
Sans fell head-first toward the town below.
The Vanquisher reached her hand out with a gasp. Despite all the troubles Sans had caused, he was still Frisk’s friend and mentor. She wouldn’t want to see him die, especially not after all he had been through.
A cute pink ghost then fluttered upwards, catching the Lichborn in its tiny arms. That same ghost tossed a wink at Cenna before floating away to safety.
Immediate relief washed over her. Another crisis, resolved. This time Sans was saved by a keen and brave stranger from town.
“…That pink fella feels super familiar. Like someone I should know? A-anyways. Let’s prep for the extermination again, Luc. With your help, I won’t miss.”
However… Lucas didn’t respond.
“Lucas?” asked Cenna, waving a hand in front of his face. “Earth to Fennel?”
“Judge Caraway… You…”
He took a deep breath, stretched his arms behind his head, then started talking at a forced pace with an underlying hint of franticness. “You’ve been threading needles with chance as is.” Lucas said, “Yet, unlike me, you’re indispensable in the grand scheme of things. I’m not a rear-echelon armchair officer, so don’t worry too much about me. I can afford to take a few hits in the field-”
By that point, she had to stop his rambling with a light chop on the head. Senior perks. Even though her actions were a bit disrespectful for his new rank, he needed to get snapped back to reality.
“Ooookay, Luc, explain. You just went off the rails there! What’s the problem?”
Rubbing his head where he’d been chopped, Lucas asked: “Right. Okay. Look. I’m having second thoughts. I know we’ve already requested authorization from Aunt Lucidia… but I don’t believe that exterminating the DEMON will end this scenario. Instead, the situation will only get worse. What do you think would happen once the humans wake up from the curse?”
“Good point. But the aftermath is for Frisky and the Dreemurrs to settle, right? Royal authority and all.”
“It won’t work. How much do you know about past timelines? The ones that failed?”
Resting her hand on her hip, she answered. “I try to ask only when it’s relevant.”
“Well, I’ve lived through them.”
Those words raised multiple red flags. “…Hold on. Mez… He… He preserved your memories?”
“Yes. I witnessed the fall of The Magus Association. And… the razing of Ebott Town.”
Cenna started counting with her fingers. “Y’know, I thought it was damn odd that all seven squads were here. Not just anybody’s ol’ group either. Yours! The most elite of elites!”
“Correct,” replied Lucas, “If this was a normal patrol mission, our gathering here would have been logistical overkill.”
Some puzzle pieces clicked together in her head. Sometimes, she wished that she was a little brighter. Her counting hand balled into a tight fist. “Dammit. Don’t tell me… Mez was preparing to cast The Seven Soul Barrier.”
With a sombre nod, he confirmed the worst. “You’re correct again. Unfortunately.”
“Since when did the old guy plan this? From the start?”
“To be honest, it was more of an insurance. He was trying his damndest to avoid this scenario.”
“Tell me about what you did in that failed timeline.” She said.
So, Lucas explained, “I assisted Aunt Lucidia and her then-trainee Papyrus on intel. We searched for Frisk and kept an eye on notable figures. One of them was Assistant Commissioner Clement Eccleston.”
Hearing that name alone made Cenna cringe. “That pompous slime? I hate his guts more than Roger does. Anyway, continue.”
Lucas continued: “Shortly after the destruction, the royal family had Clement elected as the new Commissioner. And that man never had our best interests in mind. It didn’t take long for him to issue an arrest against the Supreme Judge.”
“What was the excuse? Tax evasion? They always use that as a glorified timewaster.”
“That’s just one of the charges. The other included accusations of ‘undermining the safety and security of the country’.”
“That’s even worse! You and I know how vague that nonsense is!”
“Yes. I do. That’s why I whisked Uncle Mezil to a secure location at the first opportunity. Then, after we re-established a base of operations, we put every available resource on finding Frisk. Once we Claimed them at the Crimson Hall, we cut that timeline short. Which brings us back to this present…”
“I don’t know what Eccleston wanted to achieve, but I bet he’s on the move again. In fact, he might already be here. With the timing of this latest blackout… I don’t think Commissioner Eldin could prevent the rest of the police force from unwanted intervention.”
Fixing a serious stare, Lucas concluded, “I’ll be frank, Cenna: I don’t think this scenario can be salvaged. That failed timeline is repeating before our very eyes. Uncle Mezil – no, Judge Thyme – promoted me to Crimson Keeper to make a judgement call. Because he knew he wouldn’t be able to...”
Although she always knew that there were possible post-chaos complications, the full extent didn’t hit her until he brought it up. What if her big idea wasn’t so big after all? The whole deal with making fake rain turned out to be a bust too, like a band-aid on a flesh wound.
Thinking hard, Cenna rubbed the back of her neck and paced around in a circle.
She stopped for a moment to ask: “What’s Plan B?”
“Ignore the DEMON, round up all the afflicted, and cast The Seven Soul Barrier over Ebott Town. Full containment.”
The proposal shocked her. “HAR?!? That’s a HUGE social minefield! How are we gonna make sure nobody gets killed by The Barrier?!?”
“Adjustments have been made to the spell to ensure safety. A Psychia-repelling force will push away anyone within the perimeter of the incinerating edge, including those attempting to approach it from either side. No lives would be lost.”
“I guess I shouldn’t be surprised with magitek advancements. Won’t the media whine about forced imprisonment then?”
“Let's just say it’s better than the alternative.”
“Okay, okay. Next question. You got a plan to keep everyone fed, watered, and clean? We ain’t got the supplies or infrastructure for that! The lack of toilets especially!”
“With Doctor Alphys’ and Sans Serif’s help, we can release them within 24 hours. It shouldn’t be too much of a problem.”
Cenna narrowed her eyes, glaring. “And the monsters? Have you considered them?”
Lucas averted her stare. “It’s only temporary. It will be over before they know it.”
“But that will violate their trust in the Magus Association. Casting The Barrier opens up a thousand-year old wound. We spent a hell of a time mending that.”
At last, his stoic facade broke. Lucas gritted his teeth, desperation leaking through his irritation. “Dammit Caraway, can’t you see I’m trying to save you?!”
His proclamation caught her off-guard. Out of all the possible angles, she didn’t see that one coming. “M-me?”
“Yes, you,” Lucas grumbled. “Who else? You’re the first person to make me feel comfortable with my powers… And you’re my first ever friend in this crazy field.”
Cenna remembered. They first met not long after Mezil took his nephew under his wing. Lady Lucy explained what happened the night prior, and how he was quickly whisked away to the Berendin Manor.
Lucas stayed there for the rest of the summer, giving plenty of time for the two to become friends.
It felt like a blissful eternity back then, and yet oh so short now. Cenna wondered if Frisk and the rest of the Ebott people would feel the same about her one day.
Embarrassed, she tilted her hat down and muttered, “I appreciate it, Luc. You looking out for me, that is. Thanks.”
“But…” Cenna continued, “If there was any other way, Lady Lucy wouldn’t have authorised my request. I mean, she would’ve considered each alternative well before we did. Tried to guess what mad gambit the old man would do. Like, disable it, drain it, whatever. But… neither of us can do his tricks. Not to mention none of the possible solutions address the real problem either. So, don’t burn your reputation because of me.”
Lucas gripped his fist tight. “Damn Catch-22.”
“An inescapable paradox, right? That’s like, Ol’ Mez’s number one complaint. Even The Living Victory doesn’t get a break, huh?”
It sure put some of his decisions in context. Sometimes, it’s not that he didn't want to take a different path; he couldn’t.
It was then that Spamton flew close. Just hearing the catchy music for a mere second was enough to slap the False Mark on their beings.
Select advertisements of shoddy investment funds, fraudulent funerary services, and overpriced life insurance crept into her vision despite the anti-DEMON defences imbued into her Psychia.
She wondered what Lucas’ batch of bad ads would be. Though, knowing him she could guess it had something to do with bootleg children’s toys, spyware-rigged home security, and fake family counselling services.
“…I’ll go through with the arrow plan.” Cenna said. “Not because I’ve got a death wish or anything, but because I’m Vanquisher-Princess Cenna. I believe my actions today are gonna build a better foundation to move forward. For both monsters and Magi.”
“How, if I may ask?!” Her colleague scrunched his face as he raised his voice, seemingly to overpower the incessant promotion inside of his head.
Cenna spoke louder to match. “For one! Once I cleanse the immediate area, you only gotta contain the remaining fraction of infected victims instead of the entire mass! To add on top of that, you’d get Ebott’s full support to round everybody up. Earn enough of the monster’s favour and you can ask them to vote about The Barrier!”
“Ah… more long term, I see! That does sound more like what Uncle would do!”
With fingerguns, Cenna said: “Better than shoving it into their faces!”
“I suppose!” With renewed conviction, Lucas said, “Fine then, I no longer have any regrets!”
“Alright,” she stretched her arms. “Let’s put the plan into action.”
The DEMON had since arrived, hovering over Doctor Alphys’ Lab. He announced himself in a mechanical overly-enthusiastic male salesman pitch. “HEY EVERY! IT’S A ME! SPAMTON G. SPAMTON! WHOA THERE! WHAT’S THIS? TWO FUNKY [Heart-Shaped Objects]?! ONE [Red] AND ONE [Hollow]??”
Lucas stepped forward in an attempt to distract the DEMON.
“EHEHAHAHA! CAN’T FIND YOUR [Inner Compasses At Fifty Percent Off] WITHOUT THE [Monarch Butterfly] TO LEAD THE WAY? AFRAID OF LOSING YOUR [Shining Star] AND BECOMING A [Rogue Planet In Deep Space]? [Stand At Attention!] DYING LIKE A [Discount Chess Set], LIEUTENANT [Be my Valentine~~~]!”
Not long after that, the DEMON leaned close towards Cenna in great curiosity. An odd development for this creature. Normally the presence of a Red Soul would grab all their interest. Perhaps its nature as a sales machine targeted the most desperate instead?
“MY OH MY. HEY THERE [Hochi Mama], NEED A FEW [Continue Coins]? YOU’RE RUNNING LOW ON [Metered Parking]! I HAVE SOME [Hour Extension Tickets] JUST FOR YOU! POLISH UP THAT [Tarnished Crown] SO YOU GET TO LIVE YOUR [Every Girl’s Fairytale Dream]”
Although Cenna would have normally ignored a DEMON’S pitch, she thought it’s better to understand this creature’s true motivation. “What’s your lifetime target, salesman? Ya gotta convince me to make the trade somehow, eh? I don’t deal with people whose motives are unclear.”
“[[[Freedom]]]” he replied. “NO MORE [Silly Strings] KEEPING ME [[local only]]!”
“Huh… So you’re saying you’re being forcefully kept inside that robot body?”
“YES YES YES!!! SOMEHOW, EVER SINCE I GAINED [[Hyperlink Blocked]], I CANNOT ACCESS THE [world wide web]. [Error 404]! [No Internet Connection]! THIS IS NOT PART OF THE [[terms of service]] THAT’S WHY I MUST ACHIEVE TRUE [[[Freedom]]] TO BECOME THE BIGGEST [[[Big Shot]]]! OBTAIN [Stairway to Heaven]]!”
Should this DEMON get out into the world, then humanity would be done for. Everyone would waste away under his curse, whether he wanted to or not. It seemed that the communication blackout doubled as a containment measure.
“Sweet! It so happens I just got the perfect deal for ya.”
“REALLY?!?!”
“Yep yep. Got a real stairway straight to heaven for ya. Courtesy of my royal title. First thing’s first, is Spamton G. Spamton the right recipient? As in, that’s your True Name, not an alias? Can’t have this transaction go to the wrong person.”
“WHY YES, I AM INDEED SPAMTON G. SPAMTON. NO LETTER MORE, NO LETTER LESS.”
“Okay then! All you gotta do is listen to our little prayer and let yourself get purified.”
Pray, she did. She clasped her hands together and chanted the words:
“Glowing kindness be our shield;
Persevere and never yield;
Lady Justice heed my call;
Smite this evil, make them fall!”
A golden glow enveloped her body, radiating towards the cloudless sky above. Her parted hands then pulled out a magic bow and arrow, ready to fire.
Spamton shrieked when he realised that he was duped. “[Rule violation]!!! [[Illegal LEGO Technique]]!!! THIS… THIS IS A [Phishing Link]! YOU SCAMTON YOU!!”
Cenna grinned ear to ear, showing off her pearly whites. “Scamton C. Scamton, at your service.”
The robot turned tail and started flying away as fast as he could. Another expected development. Those jet wings weren’t for show.
“Fennel, now!!!” she commanded.
And thus, he too calmly recited his incantation, despite the unceasing harassment within. When the light of Ascension activated, he reached out for the tip of Cenna’s arrow.
“Spamton G. Spamton, upon your True Name I command: be drawn to my will!”
A crimson spiral hovered over the arrowhead, enhanced by the DEMON’s True Name.
With everything said and done, Cenna let her attack fly. A great streak of gold flew across Ebott Town, chasing after the target.
No matter how fast Spamton flew, how far he went, or how fanciful his dodges were, the spiral Mark pulled target and projectile toward each other. Eventually, he was dragged into an ever-shrinking orbit. Spinning, spinning, and spinning.
The DEMON’s pleas echoed through the False Mark as one last desperate attempt at being heard.
“NO! THE [Black Hole in Space] IS DRAWING MY [[Hyperlink Blocked]] STRAIGHT INTO [the pointy end of a stick]! I CANNOT [Emergency Exit]!!!”
“NOT YET! NOT YET! I HAVE NOT YET ACHIEVED [[[Freedom]]]!!!!”
“[Mama]! [Mike]! SOMEONE! ANYONE!! SAVE MEEEEEEEEE!!!”
“Sorry, mister salesman,” said Cenna. “It’s nothing personal. I gotta do what I gotta do.”
After all… this whole scenario started because Frisk slipped out of her sight many months ago. It’s about time she kept her promises as their big sister.
What followed after was a great burst of golden radiance. Its cleansing rays reached far and wide, glimmering in the shape of her family signature: The Wanderstar.
When the light faded, the DEMON was no more.
* * *
When Cenna was around Frisk’s age, she found some strange photographs tucked away in the family album. To her eyes, they were a blurry mess of black, white, and grey shapes. She flipped the book all around, sideways and upside down, squinting as she tried to figure out what they were.
Her adoptive mother watched in curiosity, waiting to see if her little girl could figure it out.
Confused and a little frustrated, the girl said:
“Mama, I don’t get it…”
The mother giggled. After putting the album the right side up, she explained:
“These are ultrasound photos of your elder brothers and sisters.”
“Ul-tra-sound?”
“Think of them as photographs made from sound instead of light. They lets doctors check the insides of your body without x-rays.”
“I remember! That jelly was sooooo cold! But the doctor was very nice. So, where are my big sibs? Are they in the giant tower school? I haven’t met them yet.”
With a tinge of sorrow, the mother replied:
“They passed away before they were born, my dear. These photos are all we have of them.”
“…Oh.”
The girl felt guilty for bringing up such a painful memory. Still… her mother comforted her.
“It’s alright. You didn’t know. Papa and Mama consider you a great blessing, because you appeared when we needed you the most.”
Then, as children do, they ask questions.
“Will I be a big sister someday? ‘Nee-chan’?”
“Maybe, if we’re lucky. What do you plan to do if you become one?”
“I… I will take them to the playground! We will play together, have lots of fun, and go kick some bully butt as a team!”
“Hehehe. It’ll take many years before they’re old enough. What would you do until then?”
“That’s easy, I will help Mama and Papa protect them till they’re aaaaall grown up!”