For the rest of the afternoon, Sans – still impeded by Kris’ Mark – observed the motions of the world around him. Observing. Watching. Taking mental notes here and there…
He noted that the rest of the Ebott crew was preparing to bunk down for the night. The Royal Guard secured the perimeters, while Alphys and Mettaton worked out the logistics together with King Asgore.
After a brief discussion between Aratet, Magi, and the human police, King Asgore decided to turn Doctor Alphys’ Lab into a temporary bunker. Foreign delegates would relocate from the inn to The Lab, while The Dreemurrs themselves would spend the night in the same building. A joint security force of humans and monsters would then protect the place around the clock.
Sans was glad to see Papyrus’ hard work finally paying off. Former enemies had become allies, working together to keep Ebott Town safe. Though he was not so naive to think that it was all fuzzy feelings. The Aratet were practical people, after all.
As for the citizens of Ebott Town, they were required to be back in their homes by 10PM, giving enough time for them to get dinner and supplies. Those who had lost their residence to the riot fires are to seek refuge at the local church with the old Hammer of Justice serving as their guardian.
Then, as the clock struck 6PM, Sans witnessed Little Miss Lucy walk right past him.
Hm? She came down from the rooftop shortcut portal connecting to The Spire.
A tense sense of hurry resonated in every step, not greeting anyone except her husband. The two then headed towards a particular direction: the same impromptu medical bay that serviced him and his brother in their darkest hour.
Sans remembered Lucas, Jacob, and Rosemary rushed there earlier. Frisk may have been too busy playing with the other guests at the time, but Sans noticed that something was terribly wrong. Rosemary’s chest glowed bright with magic. If it weren’t being suppressed by Papyrus’ scarf, it surely would have gone out of control.
…Something serious is going down there, and I can feel it in my bones.
About ten minutes later, Mezil tossed the door wide open and strode out. His actions screamed of a man who wanted to leave as soon as possible.
But Jacob managed to outrun Mezil, catching him by his arm. “Wait!”
Not even attempting to shake or brush it off, the Magus instead said: “Please let me go. It’s my fault that Rosemary got dragged into her current misfortune. A guilty man should take no further part in her life.”
“What do you mean? Rose has nothing to do with you--”
Jacob cut his own words short, letting his grip on Mezil slip. “Hang on… If you had that kind of power… Then… twenty something years ago... I still remember that night. More so in your current youthful form. Everyone had their eyes glued to the television, patrons and staff alike. We saw you stumble out of that burning banquet hall before the medics took you away.”
“…Emelline told me that there had been a last minute change in the schedule. Someone paid them to have a girls’ night out. I had always found that to be strange. But now, after that Crimson Hall craziness, it all started making sense. You were the one who sent your sister to the bar, weren’t you? You knew that she would have been killed in that disaster.”
Huh. So Mezil used his time-travelling power to save his sister. I thought their relationship was too cold for him to care. Their distance was a front to protect her all along.
Gee. We’re more alike than we’d like to admit.
Mezil let out a long-drawn sigh of reluctance. “I hoped that no one would ever figure that out.”
Jacob then offered: “Let me tell Rosemary you’re the reason she exists at all. If she knew that, she might thank you.”
“Or she will resent me for all eternity,” said Mezil, “My actions indirectly brought her into this world, only for her to suffer under her mother’s dreams. From the moment I heard that Emelline named your son ‘Basil Benedict’ and your daughter ‘Rosemary Rosaline’, I knew she was caught up with the glory of the Crimson Keepers.”
“Mez…” said Jacob, “We’ve had our ups and downs over the years, but I do think we’ve been generally happy. Our first meeting at the bar was a life-changing moment. Left to my own devices, I would have remained a lonely single man, and she might have been stuck as an escort forever. You saved us both! I could tell Rosemary about that too.”
“I don’t believe that girl is in the right emotional state to hear of such. At the moment, she’s cursing life itself.” Before Jacob could say anything else, Mezil continued: “Be her father, not my advocate. I’m leaving her to you, Lucas, and Lucidia.”
Yeah. Both of us are the same. Doing all sorts of things secretly for our siblings and hiding all the credit. Main difference being that I took the lazy bum comedian route, whereas Mezil here embraced the edgy dark lord persona instead.
The tensed grip of hunger pangs suddenly clutched at Sans’ skeletal stomach. Right there and then, he realised that he was very, very hungry. He had completely skipped lunch thanks to the earlier chaos.
I think I should leave Thymer alone for the time being. Gotta take care of myself first. Perhaps I should check home and see if there’s anything left to eat?
To make things quick, Sans used a bunch of teleports and shortcuts to reach his home, before landing in his room. He would never teleport straight to the front door for safety reasons. Can’t have a random monster know he’s capable of that, after all.
His room was as barren and empty as he remembered it. He stood there for a little while, basking in nostalgia. The light of sunset painted the interiors a tint of soft orange.
From beyond his bedroom door, he heard a loud slam followed by the jingle of keys. Had Papyrus swung by for a moment? Sans peeked out of the bedroom window, looking into their backyard where a red car was parked. He saw Papyrus load a bunch of filled grocery bags into the back seat. Soon, the younger brother took to the skies, heading towards The Lab.
Phew. I’m glad he didn’t notice me. That would have been trouble, what with the Prince’s ban on communication.
He stepped out of his room and went down the stairs. A sense of alienation grew with every step.
The past two weeks were insane. Changed the town. Changed Papyrus. Changed me. Can’t help but to feel like a stranger in my own home.
In the kitchen, he first checked the pantry for food. Alas, it had been completely cleaned out. Not even a half-used bottle of curry spice had been left behind.
Ah. I see Papyrus got to them first. That’s a relief actually. I thought we’d be stuck cleaning out all the gross rotten food by the time we returned from the Ocean Battle.
After that, he checked the fridge. There too all the edibles had vanished except for the numerous bottles of ketchup of Sans’ private stash. The old him would’ve chugged down a whole bottle and called it a meal. Sadly, he couldn’t do that anymore.
A container of Papyrus’ old badghetti sat at the back end, forgotten. Sans reached out for it, thinking that he could ignore the awful taste for the nutrition. Lacking proper human organs, the skeleton race was immune to a vast majority of food poisoning. That alone was how he could tolerate his brother’s terrible cooking over the years.
…However, Sans also knew his physiology had changed. If he fell sick by some twist of cosmic gamble, it was a one-way ticket back to the impostor prince. So, he withdrew his hand and closed the fridge.
Nope. Not taking the risk.
Maybe I should just order takeaway. Since I won’t be directly interacting with anyone, it might work.
He thus tried to order some food delivery through his phone, but Kris’ authority prevented him. His thumb refused to touch any letters and numbers on the keyboard.
Right. Writing is a form of communication. Even if I can bullshit my way to the page through shortcut buttons and select the items that I want, I won’t be able to confirm any payment details. Dammit. I’m fucked, aren’t I? I’ll really end up as the fluffy prince’s patient if this keeps up.
Mezil may have saved me once, but what about tomorrow or the day after?
While he mulled over his predicament, a message popped up in his phone. The unnamed number read the following: ‘This is Mezil Thyme. Meet me on the rooftop of The Lab’.
From Thymer, huh? Impostor or not, the only way to find out is to head over to the designated location.
With the memory of The Lab’s rooftops still fresh in his mind, Sans teleported straight there. But, the moment he landed, his Seer’s Eye started to burn unprompted. A heavy haze of red hung over town, drowning the buildings in a dark silhouette. The objects closer to his feet, such as the rooftop’s railings, had a faint prismatic outline.
W-what’s happening?
He tried to hide the flame underneath his hand, however futile it may be. His palm had too many holes to effectively do anything.
My Eye… It’s burning purple. No. It’s cyan mixed with too much red. The Eye of Dreams is going into overdrive.
…The sun is setting. As night grows darker, Determination grows stronger. This affects the Red Aspect of my eye too.
In between the gaps of his metacarpal bones, he then saw the shadow of a human monster. Grandiose butterfly wings spread wide open from his masculine yet elegant frame, and a dense red fog trailed behind his every step, whispering the prayers of imprisoned souls.
The man pushed Sans’ hand aside. Then, he tapped the lip of his eye socket with the tip of his cane, creating a flash of red light.
Sans soon felt a gradual shift in the flow of his Determination. The haze faded. The lines vanished.
With his vision returned to normal, he saw that the human butterfly monster was none other than Mezil Thyme himself. The Living Victory’s crimson eyes glowed ever so slightly in the dark of night. Combined with his unnatural time-altered youth, it was little wonder why the vampire rumours never left.
“Communications online,” Mezil transmitted his thoughts. “I’ve refined the telepathy command to turn you into a transmitter and a receiver. Whatever you hear shall be sent back to me, should you so wish. In addition, I’ve stabilised the output of Determination on your Seer’s Eye to prevent Overburn. It seems that you’re not used to the boost of night just yet.”
Sans replied, “Thanks for the help, Thymer. Say, mind getting a bite for me? I’m starving here.”
Mezil then passed a bottle of water and a bar encased in plain foil. “Emergency rations. Be careful, they’re quite dry.”
Sans took the provisions and started chowing down on them as soon as possible. The bar tasted of milky shortbread. “Damn, aren’t you a bit too prepared?”
“Preparation is the key to success. Though, I will not comment on that any further. There are more urgent matters to address. Scout for signs of an Amalgamate Seer. I’ll adjust the output of your Eye to perceive Determination should you need it.”
He stopped eating for a moment. “Oy, oy, oy, you’re not fucking with me are you? An Amalgamate Seer? Sounds like some abomination Gaster would conjure.”
“He is Malaya’s former master. Nameless. Your brother fought him during his attempt to rescue Rosemary. He described him as a skeleton with at least six types of Pure Eyes, swirling around in a liquid skull. Whenever he searched for the enemy’s return with his clairvoyance, it was always met with a dead end.”
“Alright. Bump it up. Take off the controls if you need to. I’ll get the hang of it.”
Mezil’s butterfly ceased its drain, and the Eye of Dreams returned to near-full power. The fog of red returned, as did the distorted prismatic outlines. At the moment, Sans couldn’t see anything beyond a few feet away.
“…I think I know the reason why there’s this huge impenetrable fog over the town right now. You Determinators are mixing and muddling your auras with each other. It’s like trying to see stars in the big city, y’know. The light pollution drowns everything out. You standing here sure ain’t helping either, Mister Million Souls.”
Hearing the news troubled Mezil. “An apt comparison. I apologise for the interference.”
Sans resumed his snack while scouting over town, chugging down some water to wash the cookie down. “Welp, I can see a bit better once I activate my Truesight. I’m reading names amidst the mist. And I’m not spotting any that I don’t recognise. So, how about setting me free from goat boy’s Mark? It’ll make both our jobs easier.”
“Unfortunately, I’m unable to do so for sociopolitical reasons. Will you allow me to clarify?”
“Go ahead. Listening is all I can do anyway.”
So the explanation began: “One of Prince Ralsei’s posse, Noelle Holiday, is my wife’s close friend from university times. She’s one of the few connections who approved our controversial marriage. As the owner and lead Artificer of Delta Labs, she serves as a mediator between Lucidia and the wider magitek community. Research regarding the Seer’s Curse rests heavily on this access to medical technology.”
Mezil looked out across town and drew a big sigh. “…I thought that Noelle would come to the human lands alone. She had always done so in the past. The fact that she’s here under Prince Ralsei’s banner concerns me.”
Narrowing his eyes, Sans transmitted, “Only one friend? Is her social standing really that bad? I mean, your weird wedding aside, Lil’ Miss Lucy could always build new connections based on her own merits. What about all the people she helped?”
“She has gained friends and allies over the years, of course. However, the Twin Princes are part of Lemurian’s founding royalty. Opposing Prince Ralsei could lead to all those bonds breaking at once.”
“Hold on for a moment. You’re speaking as though Lady Lucy is a random civilian adopted by House Berendin. Both of us know she’s Montagu, which means ties to human royalty.”
Mezil furrowed his brow. “On its own, the name of human nobility has no objective power on that island nation. Shrouded in secrecy from the human world, no army will ever be sent there to protect her legacy.”
“That still doesn’t make sense to me. From a quick search in my angel mode, I noticed that Seers dominate much of the Lemurian administration. Especially in military matters. Worst case scenario, antagonising them results in a coup.”
“Tsk. If you already knew that much, why are we briefing each other?”
“Hey, hey, hey. I could only see parts of the big picture, y’know. I didn’t have time to check every single person’s personal lives. Plus, I think this is the first timeline where our fluffy Prince decided to play the Asriel impostor card.”
“In other words…” sighed Mezil, “It’s possible that The Twin Princes may be necessary for success.”
Sans wanted to shrug, but the Prince’s Mark denied his actions. “Eh, their involvement presents a risk of derailment too. Point being, we’re in uncharted territory.”
“Well then,” Mezil said, “Since we’re in uncharted territory, I request prudence in handling this matter. We cannot give anyone an excuse to complicate our standing with Lemuria any further.”
“Another dead end, huh? Sounds like we’re in a pretty hopeless situation yet again. Guess it’s time to sit back and surrender.”
“Hmph. Your taste in comedy is as poor as your reputation. I do have a wildcard. But… it’s one that cannot be played by my hands. I won’t know when or how it will be deployed. Nevertheless, I trust that you will take advantage of the opportunity when it presents itself.”
“Heh. That’s more like the Mezil I know. You’re scary, y’know that?” Sans looked towards the stairway back down. “…But not always. You sure you don’t wanna check up on your niece Rosemary? From what I observed, you’re mightily concerned about her.”
That seemingly innocent question struck deep in Sir Vampire’s heart. From the lack of answers, desire and duty wrestled deep within.
His answer was this: “…All the more why I must remain vigilant. My friends and family are being drawn into this conflict. Their safety is my top priority.”
The reply was something Sans expected. “Well said. I thought of the same. No point explaining if they’re not gonna come out of this nonsense in one piece. So, what else do you wanna tell me?”
“The details of your mission.” So said The Supreme Judge. “Observe Prince Ralsei for any suspicious activity. In the meantime, watch out for signs of the Amalgamate Seer. King Asgore has gone into town, taking his flower children and the Lemurian Delegates on a tour before the sun fully sets and curfew starts. Though heavily guarded, his public presence will boost the kingdom’s morale and prepare the candidates for tomorrow’s election.”
“No surprise there. Fluffybuns is big on the whole fair fight deal, even if it puts him at a disadvantage.”
Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
Sans figured that he should be able to at least see the Twin Princes’ Determination within the haze. First, he needed to first get away from The Lab’s concentrated aura. There was one good spot in the distance: one of the telecommunication towers. The personnel platform was within view.
“Alright, I’m gonna get going. Wish me luck.”
“Godspeed… Sans Serif.” Mezil replied.
Unintentional pun or not, his ability does equate to a god’s speed. One jump later, and he was already on the tower’s platform. He activated his Eye of Dreams to scout the place.
From here, the haze of red was not as thick as at his old location. The Lab was engulfed in a crimson cloud, likely due to the whole bunch of Reds there rendering it almost opaque.
Putting more fuel into his Yellow showed him names of the Determination’s owners. Most of the residue around town belonged to Spamton G. Spamton, still lingering from his afternoon antics.
…Mezil Winston of House Berendin… Lucas William Johann Moriarty… Frisk Nokluirvanoic Wanderstar… Uh… Nadamalamyaniyura Baktiherawatiruja Te Odin, Sweet Song of the Moonlit Night, Blessed by Clouds and Rain. Damn, that’s a bloody long name. Must be that Niton kid.
Roughly at the direction of the Town Hall, Sans found the names of his current targets: ‘Kris Leemurr’, ‘Ralsei Leemurr’, and ‘Asgore Dreemurr’.
He hopped across the rooftops, keeping a constant track of their location, making sure to stay out of sight even within hearing distance. Undyne and The Royal Guard soon came into vision, following behind King Asgore’s group.
Carrying his two flower children in his arms, The King re-introduced the current location: “Here is the Town Hall. We were here earlier today. The setting sun gives a different atmosphere, does it not?”
Prince Ralsei smiled and said, “It does. It is almost like a completely new location.”
On the other hand, Flowey grumbled. “Do we really need to come back here?”
“I just want to make sure that everything is alright,” said King Asgore. “Also, do not worry. This will be our last stop.”
The purple dinosaur lady sniffed the air. “Man. The wind smells so… fresh. It’s not salty at all. Wonder why.”
The blue bird adjusted his fancy scouter doodad and commented. “Elementary, my dear Susan! It’s because of that fabled mountain air! We’re far, far away from the nearest ocean, after all.”
“See?” The deer lady giggled. “The mainland really is different.”
“So Thymer, any idea who’s the buff dino lady and the smarty ass bird?”
“The woman is Susie. She befriended the Twin Princes through a series of island-hopping misadventures. The man is Sir Berdly, Noelle Holiday’s key assistant in Delta Labs. Noelle included, the three of them grew up together, being classmates throughout their primary and secondary schooling years.”
Those were a bunch of strangely familiar names. “Mind clarifying the spellings for me?” Sans asked.
In his usual professional tone, Mezil replied, “S-U-S-I-E. B-E-R-D-L-Y. Is there an issue?”
“Huh. No issue. Just a curiosity. Any chance that either of them are involved in the Asriel conspiracy?”
“Unlikely. Susie’s rude honesty and Sir Berdly’s inflexible thinking could put the plan at risk. I suspect that Prince Ralsei and Prince Kris kept their plan entirely to themselves.”
“Welp, looks like those two are playing their friends like a fiddle.”
“Blergh!” Susie gagged a little bit. “What the fuck?! Suddenly it stinks of burnt shit!”
In which Berdly replied, “Elementary yet again, my dear Susan! It’s because the winds changed! You’re now breathing in the fumes of a nasty aftermath.”
Noelle frowned in worry. “I saw the burning pyres earlier today. Those rioters sure did a number on this town…”
“Gah, I hate burnt rubber and plastic. That crap sticks in your nostrils forever, and it makes chalk taste weird for days!”
Around the Town Hall and the surrounding streets, the garbage collectors worked hard to clean up the trash left behind from the riots. And there was a lot of it. Luckily, citizens volunteered to lighten the load with their own brooms, tongs, and trash bags.
Prince Ralsei looked around with nods of approval. “My, my, my! This certainly takes me back. Father, I’m so glad to see that the kingdom has kept its sense of community.”
“Oh?” Hearing that statement made Asgore glow in happiness. “You remembered, my son?”
“Yes, I did. Although back then I was certainly too naive to appreciate such scenes.”
Flowey huffed, “Yeah, yeah. You can praise their ‘community’ all you want until you discover what huge gossipers they really are. I’ve heard what they talk about behind each other’s backs.”
The fluffy Prince leaned closer to the flower. “I certainly prefer that compared to a fragmented society of detached apathy. I heard it’s a big problem, especially in human cities.” Turning his attention to Chara, he added: “Could you confirm that?”
The rosy cheeked plant smiled murderously. “Buzz off.”
Susie glared down on the rosy-cheeked one. “How about YOU buzz off first???”
“Now, now,” Asgore broke up the tension. “Let us not argue in front of everyone. Anyhow, The Town Hall plaza is where we will hold tomorrow’s election. If you need any assistance in preparing your speeches, you can always ask me for advice.”
While the group was distracted, a little purple dinosaur girl accidentally ran straight into a Royal Guardsman: the one with the bunny ears. She spilled her bag of collected trash in the process.
“Watch it, kiddo!”
Aggravated about her little accident, the girl snapped back, “Watch it??? YOU were the one in the way with your STUPID big muscle bodies!”
His dragon-y partner replied: “…But our big muscles aren’t stupid…”
The Lemurians gasped at the girl, and then the girl gasped at the Lemurians.
Pointing at the child, Susie exclaimed: “She… she LOOKS just like me when I was a little kid!!!”
Pointing at the adult, the little girl returned: “She… she TALKS just like me but as an old auntie!!!”
“OY, WHO ARE YOU CALLING OLD?!? I can still skateboard like a pro! Heck, I bet I could outskate your punk ass!!!”
“HA! Just because I’m a kid doesn’t mean I suck! I’ll beat you flat like a pancake!!!”
Even Sans squinted at the two purple dinosaurs, who shared the same species, same hair colour, same everything, down to the same pattern of freckles. “Uh, Thymer? Remember I asked you about spelling? Well… it became kinda relevant now. See, there’s this little girl in town named Suzy. Spelled S-U-Z-Y. She just bumped into the Lemurian Susie, and they’re causing quite a scene.”
The incident attracted the attention of every monster in the vicinity. That included young Noelle the deer, who had joined the cleanup volunteers.
King Asgore introduced her to the other deer lady, saying: “Noelle Holiday, meet… Noelle Holiday.”
The Ebottian stared at her Lemurian counterpart with her eyes wide open. “Wh…wha…? She… looks like me. But… daintier? We even have the same name???”
“Oh, it shocked me too,” King Asgore nodded. “I thought it was a prank at first. However, as you have noted, the other Noelle does look a little different.”
With a gentle smile, the Lemurian Noelle commented, “No wonder His Majesty was so confused. You remind me very much of my own youth.”
Susie grabbed Ralsei by the shoulders and started shaking him like a standing macara.
“Uwaaaaaa my head is spinning!”
“KRIS!!!” She cried out, “Where the FUCK are we!? Nobody told us that we were going to Doppelgänger Land!!!”
“Susan!” The blue bird tried to halt the purple dinosaur, but he ended up being shaken along with his prince. “Please calm down! I am sure there’s a p-p-p-p-perfectly elementary explanation for any of this.”
Awkwardly standing by the side, the Lemurian Noelle said, “C-could you guys stop? Behave?? Aren’t we on official business???”
Realising where they were, Susie stopped her antics and apologised. “Uh, yeah. That’s right. Sorry about that. This doppelgänger bullshit is just way too spooky, y’know.”
It was then Sans heard someone rapidly approaching him from behind. Looking back, he stood face to face with Hajikami Hua. As far as Sans could tell, he was in good graces with that man. There should be no grudge between them.
However, Hajikami glared at Sans in utter disgust. Seconds of awkwardness passed without a single word.
Please don’t talk to me… I can’t answer you.
“How dare they?” said the Oriental man. “I expected more from that youngling.”
Crystalline fire formed around his forearm, taking the shape of a clawed talon.
“Stay.”
An overpowering aura of Determination rooted Sans in place, preventing him from dodging. The next thing he knew, Hajikami dug his ethereal claw deep into his ribcage. The magic passed through the bones and aimed straight for the SOUL.
Kris’ Mark shattered in an instant. Its destruction set off a blaring alarm, made out of toy-like sirens and jingle bells.
With the same power, Hajikami issued another command: “Yield thyself.”
Yield, Sans did. His vision flickered while the man scooped up his limp body. What followed were huge leaping motions, boosted by small blasts of heat.
He mustered what little Determination he had left to send a message through the butterfly. “Thymer??? Thymer! I’m getting kidnapped by that Hua guy!”
“Do not worry. You are safe.” Mezil transmitted back. “Focus, Seraph. Your turn will arrive soon.”
During Sans’ occasional glimpses, the city’s lights faded from view, replaced by the shadowed foliage of the forest. His nostrils were filled with the smell of fresh woodlands and damp earth. Startled birds flew past as the woodland creatures fled thumping.
When Sans regained full consciousness, he found himself dangling from the back of his clothes. It was as though he was a helpless little kitten held by the scruff of his neck.
They’re on the peak of Mount Ebott. Trace glitters of the incoming night sky blended against the orange sunset horizon. Meanwhile this Hua fellow perched on bare rock with perfect balance, his bejewelled robes fluttering in the high winds.
Prince Ralsei in his winged Merged God form was flying not very far behind. A stowaway dangled from the Prince’s leg. To Sans’ astonishment, that person was the least rowdy one of the bunch: the Lemurian Noelle Holiday.
When he caught up with the chase, his white glowing fur illuminated the otherwise dim peak. His initial expression was blank, bland, yet intense at the same time. That had to be ‘Prince Kris’ controlling the body. Then, his face muscles relaxed when the controls were returned to the body’s true owner, ‘Prince Ralsei’. Only thereupon he realised the extra weight.
“Noelle?!” He exclaimed, “Why are you here?! That was dangerous! What if your grip slipped???”
The deer girl grinned with a tinge of nervousness. “You excused yourself in such a hurry. I figured something had happened, so… I grabbed hold. But i-it’s okay! I have strong core muscles! You know I do cross-island triathlons! Though, I didn’t expect you to fly all the way to the mountaintop…”
“Here, let me help you up.” Ralsei lifted Noelle up from her precarious position and carried her in one arm. The raw physical strength of a Merged Being was no joke.
It’s back to serious business. For once, the smiling prince frowned in displeasure. While maintaining a polite tone, he asked: “Lord Hua, what are you doing? It is not like you to kidnap someone. An injured soul, nonetheless.”
“Me?” Hajikami scoffed. He dangled Sans before Ralsei like a worn doll. “Rich words coming from the prince who imprisoned a man in his own body. State your purpose. Lest I call upon the earth to swallow your islands whole!”
Ralsei’s expression changed to one of terror. “W-wait! I don’t understand, where have I crossed you? Do you know Mister Sans?”
“He’s a fond acquaintance. But, my wrath burns brighter at you for shaking the resolve of my champion. Do you seek to rob what’s mine?”
“You mean… Sir Grillenn?! Lord Hua, please accept my sincere apologies! I didn’t realise you’ve already set your sights on him!”
“A bold-faced lie.”
Red strings, the imagery of concentrated willpower, burst out of Hajikami Hua and burrowed deep into Mount Ebott.
A rumble stirred from depths below. Bits of sand and gravel shook loose, causing them to roll down the slopes. Then, as the rumbling escalated into a full-blown tremor, the rocks on the peaks cracked and split. An intense orange light shone through the gaps.
The town’s lights flickered in the distance, some parts completely losing electricity. Sans’ first thought of was the magma-filled Hotland. His second thought was of the tragic Core Incident: an explosion so great that it changed the course of history.
Mezil commented over the transmission. “The quake has even reached my location. Power is unstable as well.”
“Thymer, what the heck is this man?”
In which he answered, “You will have to see for yourself.”
Panicking, Ralsei did everything in his power to defuse the situation. “Lord Hua, you’re eternally thoughtful and magnanimous. Please don’t let my slip of tongue ruin the precious bond you have with House Berendin and the Nation of Lemuria. I admit that I have lied, even if it was unintentional. In truth, I was deeply grateful that Sir Grillenn saved me from what would have been a terrible accident. I meant to praise him, and nothing more. Who would have thought that my words had the opposite effect?”
Hajikami asked: “Is that so? Was it not part of your scheme to lead him astray, to make him yet another lesser king with a paper crown?”
“I had no intention to steal your champion ruby. Spare my people, I beg of you. This is my -- our – responsibility alone.”
“If such is what you claim,” Hajikami pointed his finger downwards and ordered: “Then, set down your own paper crown and kneel before me. Perhaps with a show of humility, I shall grant you and your kingdom mercy.”
“O-of course, it was our fault to begin with--”
Noelle instead responded with: “No. Please keep your dignity as the Prince of Lemuria. Don’t bow over a meagre threat.”
“Meagre?! This is anything but! Remember what Lord Hua truly is!”
“Even so, you must stand tall in the face of evil. Never yield to tyrants: that’s the Prince you promised yourself to be.”
“Woman,” said Hajikami. “When a volcano erupts, is it evil?”
“Nature can be evil when it is destructive and chaotic. Those of science need to learn how to fight back against the natural world, if not through prediction and prevention, then through subjugation.”
She crossed her hands over her chest, bringing out her SOUL to the front, and from deep within the whiteness a teardrop crystal talisman emerged.
“Lord Hua! Withdraw your threat and apologise to my Prince! If you refuse, I shall treat you as a dangerous entity that needs to be contained!”
The tremors grew stronger, reflecting Hajikami’s increasing wrath. “You dare entomb me? Just as that vile Champion of Light had done? Do your worst, I say! I shall generously reward you for your insolence!”
Sans tried to read the deer woman’s stats… but he was obstructed by the opacity of cloudy ice. The only data he received was ‘???’.
“I can’t read her at all!?”
Mezil responded with: “You won’t be able to do so, perhaps even with the Eye of Dreams. Noelle is the current vessel for a legendary artifact called The Heart of Ice: a talisman that converts emotions into amplified ice magic.”
“Whose bright idea is it to give a powerful legendary relic to a regular citizen?!”
“That’s irrelevant to your current predicament.”
At the height of the accelerating seismic disturbance, the mountain itself erupted into a live volcano. A fountain of red hot lava roared out from the rocks underneath his feet, engulfing him and his captor whole. The sheer blinding glow of his molten surroundings smothered his Seer’s Eye.
In a near panic, Sans struggled to free himself. But Hajikami reassured: “Fear not. My presence protects you.”
It was the truth. Under normal circumstances, his bones should’ve turned to cinder from proximity alone. Yet, Sans noticed, he did not burn despite the omnipresent stream of heat.
By Hajikami’s authority, the fountain then split apart, opening a safe path forward. Makeshift steps of stone formed wherever the enigma walked. And those that outlived their usefulness were swept back up in the molten mass, discarded.
When the two arrived at the edge of a freshly-made crater – the remnants of Mount Ebott’s peak – the fountain continued to roar behind them. Not far from there, Sans found Noelle floating by her own power, with crimson swords circling around. The Prince’s face was blank and stoic: a clear sign that Kris had taken over, ready to defend their friend from any form of harm and interference.
Eyes closed and her head lowered, the deer monster had held her hands clasped together as if in a prayer. However, that prayer was nothing sweet or kind. It instead whispered a hymn of frozen death. A singular cord of Determination connected her killing intent towards Hajikami Hua.
Seeing this, Hajikami recited an ancient poem in response:
“Their spear of lightning ran the sky black with terror.
Their blade of fire cracked the earth with fear.
Their shield of wind repelled torrents of magic.
And their heart of ice knew not of mercy.”
“The Heart of Ice… How fitting that the relic’s current owner would also choose to reject what she cannot comprehend.”
Not wanting to get caught in the crossfire, Sans tried to diffuse the tension with his silver tongue. “Guys? Hello? Let’s talk things out, okay?”
“Save your breath.” Mezil transmitted, “The synergy with the artifact has put her in a trance. You cannot stop the spell once it has begun. My apologies, I’m afraid you’re going to get iced.”
‘Getting iced’ was human slang for ‘getting murdered’. “You’re making a pun out of me?!?! That’s way too morbid! Your sense of humour is as terrible as mine!”
“Despite that, I trust that you’ll survive. You’ve outwitted far worse situations.”
It wasn’t a dead end. If it was, Mezil wouldn’t have said those words with confidence.
Sans’ mind raced through his thoughts for a way to solve his current predicament.
Strings. Determination. Red.
He shifted his attention towards the line of killing intent. Since it had stretched beyond the protection of The Heart of Ice, he could read the details.
SPELL: SNOWGRAVE
TARGET: LORD HUA OF MOMOJIMA
I know what to do now. Here goes nothing!
On the palm of his hand, Sans built the same Arcanagram that he had used to counter Spamton’s cursed glitches. With that, he grabbed the cord.
However, the bitter cold repelled his touch.
Dammit! The caster is still alive, so I can’t just slap the program on like what I did against that spammy Mark.
What if… I borrow one of Thymer’s tricks again? Despite everything, Noelle is still a monster. Frisk’s Claim might have put a hard cap on my output, but nothing is preventing me from using what little I do have.
Her charge had reached its zenith. Noelle opened her eyes, shining in pure icy white. With the spell nearing completion, the caster lifted her palms to offer her victim as a sacrifice.
A few white sparkles later, a dense blizzard descended upon the newly born volcano.
Sans forced his Determination to create the tiniest Seraph Mark within the Gram. It was frail and fragile, and he felt so weak that his world was spinning. Yet, it was sufficient to do or to die.
I impose my will!
He grabbed the cord again. This time, he resisted the force, and his Arcanagram successfully connected and began its work.
INITIATING OVERRIDE
5%… 15%… 47%… 70%… 90%…
OVERRIDING OLD TARGET
NEW TARGET ACQUIRED
The string that wrapped around Hajikami Hua unfurled. Instead, it flew behind him and pierced deep into the cataclysmic flows. An avalanche of snowflakes crashed against the gushing lava in a deadly dance of fire and ice.
By the end of the clash, Snowgrave engulfed the solidified rock, turning it into a giant pillar of thick frozen water.
Spent of her power, Noelle began to lose her ability to float. Kris swooped in to catch her from going splat.
Noelle’s eyes returned to normal, and her consciousness returned. “W-what…” she muttered in exhaustion, “Why…? I… I thought… I was aiming for Lord Hua.”
The icy structure proved to be unstable. Residual heat from the rocks thawed the ice from inside out, causing it to lose integrity. Unable to take its own weight, the whole piece began to snap.
In a hellish series of groaning screeches, the structure collapsed into a slushy pile of half-melted ice and steaming igneous rock.
And then… only the howls of winds remained. The lights in Ebott Town remained lit, indicating that The Core was still intact.
Hajikami Hua mentioned: “You chose to use your wits to save me. Interesting.”
Mustering a slight shrug, Sans responded in the manner he knew best: “Hey, my life was on the line too, y’know.”
“Jeez, Thymer, I think you’re scarier than me. That was the best worst wildcard ever. What the heck were you thinking?”
“You’re a pot calling the kettle black, Sans Serif. I’ve already told you: it was not up to me to play that hand.”
“Eh. All’s well that ends well. At least I can talk again. But… there’s one fellow here who’s not too happy about that fact.”
Kris’ expression had changed, fixing a hateful glare at Sans. The DEMON then withdrew, returning control of the body to their brother.
Ralsei stared at the destruction in complete shock. “Oh goodness gracious, what a mess. Noelle? Are you alright?”
“Just tired,” she replied. “I-I’ll be okay…”
With the gift of gab returned, Sans took the opportunity to confront his former captors. “Alright you peeps, it’s high time you explain why you came here. Otherwise, I’m gonna let my pal here wreak all the havoc he wants on your island. Capiche?”
Although reluctant at first, Prince Ralsei finally gave in. He said: “The Council of Royals wishes to see your country gone… but I do not. I intend to unite the Dreemurr Nation under my crown to protect her fair citizens from the envy of my peers.”
“Huh. So you’re telling me that you’re not the one who sicced that genetically modified kaiju girl on us?”
“Correct. I would never resort to genocide. However, I couldn’t just absorb your kingdom out of the blue either. I needed a reason for your people to accept me. That is where you came in, Sans Serif.”
“Me?” He pointed to himself. “Not Frisk? Not Papyrus? Not Mettaton? Not Toriel either?”
“Yes, you. I apologise for our rough introduction, but I knew in advance how much sway you have over the population. If you had told everyone that I’m not Prince Asriel before I could give my explanation, then no one would ever believe me. I had to silence you in order to claim my birthright uncontested.”
“Okay, let’s say I believe you. What is this ‘Council of Royals’ you mentioned?”
“The Council of Royals is the gathering of all the Kings and Queens of Lemuria. The same system existed for Atlantis and Mu as well. As you know from history, monsterkind was pushed onto hidden islands to flee persecution. This forced the rulers of many kingdoms into one small confined space, causing a great many disputes. In the end, a collective solution was agreed upon: instead of stripping every monarch of his or her crown, they’re each given jurisdiction over a territory of their choosing.”
“Choosing. Heh, sure. Looks like you’re another one of those big shots who like to give nice names to crappy things. You and I know there’s a thin line between annexation and abdication.”
“Ah, nothing gets past you. You’re as sharp as they say. Could I be so bold to ask you to become my councillor? Assist me in winning tomorrow’s election, and I will do my best to retain your people’s autonomy as much as possible.”
“Nope,” Sans replied without a single hesitation.
Thrown off-guard by the speed of the response, Ralsei asked: “Why, if I may question?”
“Simple. I don’t trust you yet. Gotta earn that first, Princy. No shortcuts.”
Ralsei turned towards the direction of Ebott Town. It wouldn’t surprise Sans if he focused in the general direction of The Lab where Mezil was.
“I see…” he sighed, “It appears that my plan had failed. I’ll have to start over from a different angle.”
After a courteous bow towards Hajikami and Sans, the One Soul God said: “Goodnight, and good luck. I mean what I say.”
With that, Ralsei flew back to Ebott Town.
“Finally…” Sans thought he had seen enough near cataclysms for one day. “Um, mind putting me down now, Mister Hua? I can teleport back to town on my own.”
“No,” Hajikami replied. “You lack the means to maintain balance with only one arm.”
“Fair point.”
Hajikami slung Sans over the shoulder and held him firmly. “Hold on tight, the way down is rougher than the way up. Try not to sully my clothes with your putrid bile.”
“What what do you mean--”
Before he could finish his question, Hajikami took one massive leap from the mountaintop.
The way down was indeed worse than the way up. It reminded Sans of the time when Lucidia threw him down from the stratosphere. He found himself screaming his ribs out of their cage.
“Thymer! Thymer??? Save me from this walking catastrophe!!!”
Alas, his plea fell on deaf ears.