A hero should always pay heed whenever he encounters an elderly woman. She could be a person in great need, a dangerous witch, or a treasure trove of wisdom. Always an important quest marker either way.
From what Papyrus understood, Frisk had an encounter with another him: an unexplained double. Sans, having realised what was going on, insisted on leaving with the Seraph System right away.
The way he looked was serious. Dead serious. It was enough for Papyrus to let him leave without any objections.
Anya commented, “Perhaps you should have told him to stay. You would have been better off using the machine on the patient. Or so this little old woman thinks.”
“I…” Papyrus glanced aside. “I TRUST HIS JUDGEMENT. HE MUST HAVE A GOOD REASON IF HE CHOSE TO DEAL WITH THE HANDLER FIRST.”
Still, he felt a strange chill on his sleeves… a nagging feeling that something was about to go horribly wrong.
“UHM, FAIRY GRANDMOTHER?” he asked, “WHAT IF LADY LUCIDIA RUNS OUT OF STAMINA? WHAT IF MY BROTHER DOESN’T COME BACK IN TIME? AND WHAT IF HIS SUPER SECRET MACHINE GETS DAMAGED IN THE FIGHTING?”
“That is where I step in. I’ll use my magic to contain Rosemary’s spirit in a safe, stable, and pacified state.”
“OH? COME TO THINK OF IT, I DON’T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT YOUR SPECIAL POWERS.”
“Hmmm… Since you’ve volunteered to be my assistant, I suppose it’s best that I brief you.”
When the old woman showed her hand, she conjured her Mark in what seemed to be a Gyftmas delight.
“OOOOOH! IT’S A CANDY CANE WITHOUT THE STRIPES!”
“Actually, my Mark represents a shepherd’s hook. Think of it as a type of staff. It’s not for eating, chewing, or chomping, I might add.”
“OH… THAT WAS QUITE AN EMBARRASSING OOPSIE. MY BAD. COME TO THINK OF IT… I ALWAYS SEE THIS THING IN SLEEPY SHEEP COUNTING BOOKS, BUT I DON’T REALLY KNOW WHAT IT IS AND HOW IT WORKS.”
“That ‘thing’ is quite a multi-purpose tool. It allows the sheep’s caretaker to guide the flock’s movements, keeping them on track. Should any wander too far, this hooked end would be used to pull the creature back to safety. Troublemaking thieves will get a good thwack on the head, of course.”
“DOES THAT MEAN YOU OWN A FARM LIKE AIDEN?”
“No. The flock I keep is very, very different.”
She withdrew her hand and placed it on her chest, making it glow red. Right after that, many colourful human-shaped wisps began emerging from her body. They circulated over her head at a slow but steady pace.
Papyrus was stunned by the display. Perhaps even a little afraid. “A-A-ARE THOSE HUMANS?”
“Former humans from my village. They’re remnant spirits who pledged to follow me to the end of my days.”
“ARE YOU A… A… UH… WHAT DO THEY CALL THOSE WHO DEAL IN SPOOKY? NEKO-MANCER, I THINK? EXCEPT IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH CATS. I LEARNED ABOUT IT FROM HALLOWEEN. THEY USE UNSANITARY ARC-ANYA-GRAMS TO RAISE THE DEAD.”
“Yes, that would be what I am. A necromancer. As you noted, the term carries a sordid stigma that’s not historically unfounded, so I would rather introduce myself as a Magus with a dual Vanquisher-Artificer background.”
“I SEE!” Understanding the situation relieved his fears. Waving to the spirits, Papyrus introduced himself like he would to any other person. “HELLO! I’M THE GREAT PAPYRUS. NICE TO MEET YOU, NYEH HEH HEH!”
“Please forgive their suspicions. They have seen much over the decades, both in life and in death.” She looked up to her flock. “Papyrus is a fine lad, is he not? …Yes, he’s the complete opposite of his brother. Rest assured, I’ll be safe with him.”
Satisfied from the friendly introduction, the spirits returned to their host’s body.
“Now, allow me to explain the rules.”
With a pen in hand, Anya grabbed a used scrap of paper and flipped it around to illustrate her lesson on the back. Drawing many cute sheep all around, she elaborated: “My Mark allows me to contain lost souls by linking their essences to my Psychia. This sustains their existence and prevents them from decaying.”
“I SEE! I SEE! I SEE!”
“However, there is a caveat: their individual levels of Determination cannot exceed mine. While Lucidia has eased up the restrictions on my Claim, I’m still not the strongest Living Victory in existence. I therefore prefer to take only voluntary spirits into my care, and very few Reds. Should any of them rebel…”
On the remaining blank parts of the paper, she began drawing a big, gaunt, angry wolf.
“…They become DEMONs. Wolves in sheep’s clothing. Once the spirits transform into this state, their condition is irreversible, and extermination becomes the only course of action. Otherwise, they will devour me, my flock, and anyone else in the way.”
Papyrus frowned. “T-THAT’S TOO TRAGIC. I WOULD DO ANYTHING IN MY POWER TO PREVENT THAT FROM HAPPENING. I’D EVEN TRAVEL BACK IN TIME IF I HAVE TO! MY EYE WILL SHOW ME THE WAY.”
Anya put the pen down and faced Papyrus. “You have seen the ‘golden path’, haven’t you? I’ve heard this plenty from Lucidia, but she never told me the details. Are the current events necessary steps toward the goal?”
“MAYBE YES, MAYBE NOT.”
“Hmm? How curious. Do you not use your clairvoyance to keep us on the straight and narrow?”
Shaking his head, Papyrus answered with confidence. “NOT AT ALL! NYEH HEH HEH HEH!”
The old woman’s voice deepened down a notch. “You refuse to see, young man. Fear prevents you.”
Every bone within the young Seer shuddered and rattled. It was as though someone took Judge Thyme’s bluntest moments and put them in the freezer.
Right after that, the masked woman switched back to a warm grandmotherly kindness. “That’s why only those with courage are allowed to peer into the future. Anyone with a fainter heart will fall into terror or despair.”
Rubbing his chin, Papyrus mentioned, “COME TO THINK OF IT, MISTER MAGUS – JUDGE THYME – HE NEVER ASKED ME TO LOOK AT THE STEP BY STEP PROCESS OF ACHIEVING THE GOLDEN PATH. NEITHER DID LADY LUCIDIA.”
“Oh? Not even once?”
“NOPE!”
The old woman frowned. “This willing blindness is not at all like them, especially Lucidia. Have they lost so much hope that they’d settle for anything?”
Papyrus blinked a few times. “WHAT WOULD THEY NORMALLY DO?”
Anya answered: “They would have critically analysed the proposal, assessed the requirements, and concluded the desirability of the outcome.”
Hearing that, he clenched his hands, nervous. “…HOW MUCH DO YOU ALREADY KNOW ABOUT MY BROTHER’S MACHINE?”
“Everything Lucidia had included in her report. If you’re wondering, that includes his attempt to ascend using nothing but Determination. An impressive feat… albeit one limited to the void between dimensions. Only within a dreamworld of one’s own creation can the whims of imagination become a transient existence.”
“THEN YOU ALSO KNOW WHAT HE TRIED TO DO.”
“Indeed. Yet, even searching the timestream as a pseudo Seven Soul, he was unable to see your ‘golden path’. Why?”
“THAT IS BECAUSE HE LOOKED AT IT FROM ALL THE WRONG ANGLES. IF YOU CAN’T ACCEPT THE IMMEDIATE MOMENTARY NEGATIVES, OF COURSE YOU’RE NEVER GOING TO SEE THE PERMANENT POSITIVES THAT LIE BEYOND, NYEH!”
“Does that mean that any situation will have to get worse before it gets better? That’s a risky gamble. What if you lose someone you can’t afford to lose?”
“NO ONE WILL PERISH UNDER MY WATCH. WE’RE PREPARING HARD TO MAKE SURE WE’LL HAVE A HUNDRED PERCENT SURVIVAL RATE DURING THE OCEAN BATTLE.”
“O’ sweet Seer, I’m afraid that train of thought may be a grave mistake. There is only one constant in your brother’s visions of The End: Frisk and King Asgore. Between now and then, everyone else is fair game to the Grim Reaper.”
“B-B-B-BUT…!” Papyrus frantically waved his arms, “I’VE SEEN THEM ALIVE AND WELL! IN A FUTURE AFTER THE RIOTS, AFTER THE OCEAN BATTLE! METTATON PERFORMED ON STAGE, ALPHYS TUNED HIM UP, UNDYNE WAS INVITED TO A WRESTLING EVENT, TORIEL PREVENTED HER FROM SUPLEXING ANYONE, AND FLOWERY WAS MANNING A STORE WITH ASGORE. I EVEN HAD HOT DOGS WITH SANS AND FRISK!”
“Have you shared this with anyone?”
“YES, I TOLD JUDGE THYME EVERYTHING I SAW! COME TO THINK OF IT, THAT WAS OUR FIRST MEETING TOO. HE SAID THAT HE ALWAYS TAKES A SEER’S VISIONS VERY SERIOUSLY. I THINK HE WAS THE FIRST PERSON TO REALLY BELIEVE ME. OTHER THAN MY BROTHER, THAT IS…”
That moment completely changed the course of Papyrus’ life. Under Mezil’s tutelage, he transformed from an awkward fame-chasing youth into a genuine hero.
“Hmmmm,” Anya pondered. “Well, that puts everything into perspective. Now I’m beginning to understand why the Berendin couple acts the way they do. Let’s prod further into this ideal scenario. Did you see Sir Grillenn anywhere?”
“I--” Papyrus thought long and hard. “NO… I DIDN’T SEE HIM. I THOUGHT HE STAYED IN TOWN.”
“What of Mezil and Lucidia?”
“I DIDN’T KNOW THEM YET AT THAT POINT IN TIME, SO MY EYES DIDN’T TRY TO SEARCH FOR THEIR PRESENCE.”
“What about your parents?”
Cold dread descended upon his shoulders, making him shudder. Many silent seconds passed between the two. Papyrus turned his head aside and said: “I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU’RE TRYING TO TELL ME. I’M SKIMMING TOO MUCH. EVERYONE IS TRYING THEIR BEST… SO… I THOUGHT I SHOULDN’T NITPICK THE FINE DETAILS.”
“Aha. Nevertheless, your words prove your courageous soul. A coward would have become accusatory or dismissive. Oftentimes both at once.” Anya read the time on her phone. “Hmm it’s been a while since we started our chit-chat. This little old woman is starting to grow concerned. We should check on Lucidia to make sure everything is alright.”
“I AGREE! THE GREAT PAPYRUS WILL DO HIS BEST TO ESCORT YOU THERE. NYEH HEH--”
Without a single warning, his Seer’s Eye began to burn wildly out of control.
Images of Undyne’s duel against Malaya faded in and out. Sections of the lab’s walls were replaced with the iridescent rocks of Waterfall.
Even with a broken helmet, The Captain’s overwhelming might was far beyond what the girl could handle. Victory was within her grasp. She just needed to pin the girl down, restrain her, and then carry her out.
Undyne almost had it. Almost, was the key word. Alas, the weakened walls of Waterfall could no longer bear their own weight. The rocks snapped, the earth shifted, and the floor crumbled.
In the midst of chaos, Malaya fell into a rushing river of boiling water. Her screams of agony lasted only for a moment until they were no more.
Meanwhile, steam began to fill the unstable caves. Undyne covered her face on instinct.
Realising there was nowhere to escape to, she tried to break her way out. However, every attempted NGAAH and NGYAAAAAH made her gasp for air.
As the steam thickened, Papyrus’ best friend burst into pained, dust-filled coughing. The numbers of her HP dropped at a rapid pace.
The vision wrote out the armour’s ongoing warnings for the Seer to read.
‘WARNING: HIGH TEMPERATURE.’
‘WARNING: LOW VISIBILITY.’
‘WARNING: TOXIC FUMES.’
‘WARNING: CORROSIVE COMPOUNDS.’
The choking fumes consumed the remaining HP. Refusing to die, her Determination levels rose beyond safe tolerance. Her body began to melt into white goo from the sheer will to survive.
Even then… that was not enough to save her.
Her legs turned into mush. Undyne slumped against the rubble, the pieces of her armour falling off.
“…S-someone’s watching, Luc…” she mumbled. “…I feel it…”
“UNDYNE…?” Papyrus called out. “UNDYNE, IT’S ME! I-I’M USING MY AWESOME POWERS!”
She could not hear him.
“...It must be… that scummy Eyeball… He’s probably… laughing at me… gloating… That sick bastard…”
“...Well, let him… I deserve it…”
“…Lucas… Tell the next me… to not be an idiot… Otherwise… tell Alphys… I love her…”
The moment she let out her last breath, Undyne dissolved into dust.
“NOOOOO!!!” Papyrus reached out. His hands passed through the illusionary image, a reminder of their distance.
The vision ended there. The Seer dropped on his knees to weep for his friend, filled with the grief and terror of witnessing her horrible death.
“What happened?” asked Anya.
“SHE’S DEAD…” Papyrus sobbed. “MY BEST FRIEND, UNDYNE… SHE…”
“My condolences,” She then helped him stand up again. “Are you still being blinded by visions?”
“YES. IT’S SHIFTING AROUND, SO I CAN’T SEE MUCH YET.”
“Keep your eyes open, young Seer. Witness what must be witnessed. I’ll help you walk. After all, it’s a shepherdess’ job to lead.”
“R-RIGHT. THANK YOU, FAIRY GRANDMOTHER.”
The next vision solidified at last. This time, it focused on Mezil and Grillby. Both stood in front of a familiar door of a familiar building. It was the back end of Papyrus’ very own house.
The entrance to Sans’ secret basement was wide open.
Mezil sighed. “We’re too late. What’s worse, our target is sure to have stolen confidential technology and information.”
Over the line, Gaelic reported: “His stench remains. Ah can still track that cur and catch up.”
“Good. Continue your pursuit with Investigator Blanc. Pay special attention to his pathing history.”
If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.
“Aye,” A moment later, the Seer reported back: “W-what in tarnation? The smells be splitting? Dispersing? Moving?? They be heading back to ye. M’lord, ‘tis a trap!”
Eyeball slugs began emerging from all sides. They peeked from the roof, scaled over the fences, and slid out from the grasses. And within each and every one of them burned a colourful Seer’s Eye…
The creatures fused together, growing taller and stronger into full skeletons in armour, wielding a wide variety of osseous weapons.
By the end of their transformation, their assault began. Femurs and tibia spun through the air, waves of sharp tusks roiled across the ground, all while the attackers – armed with clubs and hammers – charged forward. What they lacked in power was compensated by sheer numbers.
“JUDGE THYME… HE’S UNDER ATTACK!”
Mezil touched Grillby on the shoulder and commanded: “I impose my will to give you strength.”
Empowered by the Supreme Judge’s Determination, Grillby swiftly mounted his counterattack. A swing of his arm sent out an incinerating wall of flame, reducing the enemy projectiles to ash.
Then, he mopped up the melee, breaking the enemy skeletons apart with punching strikes and sweeping kicks. Whenever opportunity allowed, he threw them into each other. They rolled, tumbled, and glued together into globs, halting their onslaught.
Any downed Amalgamate was Marked by Mezil before they could get back up. Batch by batch, Mezil would activate his personal magic and drain them dry of their energy. His victims hardened into stone and crumbled into gravel.
Back at the lab, Papyrus heard gunshots coming from outside. In his midst of confusion, he felt Anya push the top of his skull down, forcing him to duck.
A large, solid, and fast projectile smashed through the glass, whizzing right over his head.
“WHAT WAS THAT?” he asked.
The old lady replied, “A stray femur. Oh my, it’s stuck inside the wall.”
“W-WOWIE,” Papyrus wiped away the cold sweat forming on his face. “THANK YOU FOR PROTECTING ME.”
Patting him on the back, she said, “Bodyguard duties were once part of my military training.”
“YOU MUST HAVE BEEN A GREAT BODYGUARD, BECAUSE MY EYE DIDN’T WARN ME TO DODGE THAT AT ALL. IT KNEW THAT YOU WOULD KEEP ME SAFE, NYEH HEH HEH!!!”
“You really are a sweetheart. But, we need to keep going. Remain focused on your visions.”
“YES, MA’AM!”
Using his Seer’s Eye, Papyrus continued observing the chaos behind his house.
“Report from Fennel,” Mezil’s eyes widened for a brief moment. “…The Lab has been compromised.”
Taking initiative, Grillby offered: “…Go if you need to… I’ll fend them off…”
“No, I must stay. Lucidia is counting on my presence in the field. She can’t complete her Chronography otherwise.”
Enemy reinforcements soon arrived. More eyeball slugs oozed out of the woodwork. They slurped up the rocky remains, reinvigorating them with deadlier weapons and badder suits of bone armour.
Mezil reloaded his gun in preparation for round two. About then, a figure from above gave the last remaining rooftop skeleton a magnificent kick, sending it hurling off the edge.
“Begone, you unnatural fiends!”, the newcomer’s voice boomed, followed from above by a mighty leap. Upon landing, a shockwave rippled through the opposing army, shoving them aside.
Papyrus recognised the man as Hajikami Hua. From what he had heard from Alphys, he was one of Mezil’s friends from the Far East. He was supposed to be some kind of a lute teacher-musician. Nobody told him that Hua was also an awesome martial artist!
Anyone left standing to try and challenge Hajikami was met with a swift and brutal end. His clawed talons of crystalline fire ripped them apart with little effort. The sheer heat of the flame caused the Amalgamates to boil alive.
That sight made Papyrus cringe. He felt empathy for the Amalgamates, even though he wasn’t even sure they were conscious or sentient.
Turning towards Grillby, the Eastern man said: “Knight, consume their wills. They’re ripe for the harvest.”
“…Excuse me?…”
“Listen. Feel. But do not be subdued. That’s how you become their lord and master. You’re a Fire Eater, are you not?”
“… I am…”
Grillby straightened his back and stretched out an arm, his absorbing magic reaching out towards his suffering foes. The flame pattern on the jet-black armour shone so bright, Papyrus’ vision began to tear and flicker from the built-in anti-Seer components.
By the time it stabilised, it showed the aftermath. The skeleton Amalgamates had become blobs of monster material, shapeless and mindless. They lazed around under the warmth of the sun.
For Grillby, however, there was not a moment to rest. He clutched his body, shivering. Flames seeped out between the gaps of his helmet with every strained breath.
Reaching for the back of his neck, he muttered. “…I… I have to control… them…”
The seal there was supposed to contain the Seer’s Eye fire he absorbed. But the wills of many were more difficult to control than one lone girl. Even with the seal’s help, he struggled.
Concerned, Mezil asked: “Are you experiencing any negative side effects?”
“…I’m… seeing strange shapes and colours… Hearing voices… Flashes of strange symbols… Lingering nightmares… This pain… It’s nothing like I know… It’s worse than what I had absorbed from the girl…”
“Noted. We’ll discuss this later. It’s more important now that I reduce the strain on your mind.”
Mezil cast his butterfly on the seal to reinforce it. The relief was immediate, but the experience had left Grillby exhausted.
With a nod of gratitude, The Supreme Judge thanked the Eastern man. “Your assistance was most appreciated, Lord Hua.”
“My pleasure. However, you may not want to celebrate just yet. I come to you as an omen bearing bad news. Captain Undyne has perished under the mountain. She underestimated the dangers of a volcanic domain.”
“Fennel, status update on Captain Undyne, please.” Mezil paused while he listened. “Understood. May she rest in peace.”
Grillby lifted his head, unable to believe what he had just heard. “…W-what…?!”
“Judge Thyme, Sir Grillenn, give me what I seek. Perhaps then I might consider improving her chances of survival.”
The vision cut off, jumping to another time and place.
Smoke filled the night sky. Fields of grass burned ablaze. Every unfortunate tree and bush in the vicinity had been reduced to lumps of charred embers.
A knight in beat-up black armour knelt in the middle of it all. He clutched his head, fighting terrible pain. His HP numbers did not go down. Instead, it went up, and up, and up, and up.
A disembodied voice spoke to the knight:
“Your body is of the finest ruby, but your spirit is cracked and flawed. What a pity.”
“I shall put it to better use.”
“GRILLBY? I-IT’S STILL DAY OUTSIDE. OH NO… FUTURE GRILLBY IS GOING TO BE IN SOME KIND OF BIG TROUBLE COME NIGHT TIME!”
Anya commented, “Perhaps that may be the reason why you didn’t see him in the golden path.”
He heard an ear-piercing wail from the lower floors. Yet another vision imposed itself into his mind.
Lady Lucidia lay on the floor, clutching a neck wound. Dust flowed out between her fingers at a rapid rate.
An alarmed Edmund propped her up against his body. Victor jumped in with some cloth, using his palms to apply pressure to the cut. While they were busy trying to save her life, a gooey eyeball slid into the vents.
Papyrus gasped. “OH NO!! LACY LUCIDIA IS SERIOUSLY INJURED!!!”
And without Lady Lucidia’s active upkeep, the delicate control over Rosemary’s condition was destroyed. The last line of defence -- Papyrus’ family heirloom -- struggled to contain the growing power. No longer able to bear the strain, the scarf lost its grip and the SOUL slipped out of its confinement.
Rising high above Rosemary’s physical body, the SOUL rumbled. Cracked. Ominous red lights shone between the gaps as the balance of Aspects faltered. Then, the SOUL shattered and her inner Determination burst out in full.
The wisp-like disembodied aura began to cannibalise its own shards. Red absorbed Blue and Yellow, forming a chaotic swirl of colours. Out from her DT grew a twisted, malicious, hate-filled DEMON version of the girl. Instead of generic modern wear, she now donned a laced gothic dress, exuding a mix of classy taste and sassy confidence. Her teeth became fangs, as sharp and biting as her words. Bat wings sprouted from her back to show her defiance, and her nails became claws ready to fight anything and anyone.
At the end of the vision, Papyrus remarked: “MY GOD ROSEMARY IS LITERALLY TURNING INTO A VAMPIRE.”
“I must attend to Lucidia ASAP. We’re at the stairs now, Papyrus. Can you see properly?”
“YES, I CAN. BUT I DON’T KNOW WHEN THE VISIONS WILL STRIKE AGAIN.”
They descended to the ground floor, emerging at the lobby. More Amalgamated skeleton soldiers had crashed through the front entrance and crowded the area.
The hero readied his baton. Many thoughts formulated through his mind. He had to protect the Fairy Grandmother and progress to Rosemary at the same time. Should he keep on the defensive? Play it safe? Or trust the spirits to cover the gaps?
While he strategised, Susie the purple dinosaur ambushed the ambushers with a great ferocity, battleaxe at the ready.
“FREEZE BUSTER!!!”
A slash of icy magic cleaved through the band of intruders. Not only did the force cut the skeletons in half, it also froze the separated pieces solid.
With her vigorous chopping and slashing, she made quick work of the skeleton army.
Putting her battleaxe down with a heavy thud, Susie wiped the sweat off her forehead. “Damn. No wonder Ralsei told me to stay behind. I ain’t letting any of these freaks touch Noelle.”
Before long, though, the shards of ice cracked and rattled. The prisoners began bursting out of their cold jails. Susie muttered curses under her breath as she picked up her battleaxe again.
Noticing Papyrus and Anya, Susie said: “Hey, you two, go hide somewhere! It's too dangerous to snoop around here!”
“LADY LUCIDIA NEEDS OUR HELP,” Papyrus replied.
“Backup, huh? That’s great, ‘cause the med bay is cooking up a full blown exorcism. Judge Caraway needs all hands on deck.”
Hearing the word ‘exorcism’ stunned Papyrus. From what he learned from his first encounter with Chara, it meant the indiscriminate elimination of a DEMON.
Rosemary was about to suffer the same fate.
“Get moving then!” Susie said, “I’m gonna hold these guys back. Don’t waste time thanking me either!”
“THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MY PURPLE DINOSAUR EGG OATMEAL FRIEND!”
“Excuse me WHAT the fark did you call me???? And what the fark did I just say?!??!? GET OUT ALREADY!!!”
“YES SIR, YES MA’AM!”
A little japing lifts the soul. Confident of his new friend’s abilities, Papyrus left with a cheeky grin on his face.
When he arrived at the makeshift ward, the situation had deteriorated. Top Vanquisher Cenna Caraway and her Alchemist partner Anise Anise contained the DEMON Rosemary within a shining dodecagram.
Twelve points. One for every hour. The setup was exactly the same as Chara’s exorcism, though the professional Magi tools were much more advanced than Team Ebott’s ad-hoc list of repurposed grocery ingredients. Each point of the gram held a parchment of pre-programmed spells nailed to the ground by stakes of iron, which simultaneously provided much needed catalysts to generate the magic chains that held her down.
Cenna had her bow at the ready, charging the Wanderstar arrow with her own special brand of Justice magic. Judging from the smaller build, she chose not to activate her Ascension for the shot.
As if the situation couldn’t get any worse, a struggle was going on in the other corner of the ward. Victor wrestled with Jacob to keep him from jumping into the fray.
Old Anya rushed to inspect her former student, watched over by Mezil’s uncle Edmund. The good news, Lady Lucidia was conscious and alive. The bad news, she had become too weak to act from the loss of dust.
“I’m sorry, Teacher…” Lucidia muttered.
“There’s nothing to be sorry about, my dear. Rest.” And so she began casting green magic over the wound.
Another vision activated. There, Jacob executed a sharp elbow jab against Victor’s stomach, hard enough to make him reel. Against logic, against any safety precautions, the desperate father stood right in the middle of Cenna’s line of fire while he tried to reach out for his daughter.
“What the hell, Jacob?!?” Cenna yelled, “I can’t fire like this! Get out of the way!!!”
Ignoring the Vanquisher, he pleaded: “Rose!!! Rose, please stop!!!”
The pleas fell on deaf ears. Rosemary lashed out against her dad, gripping his neck with telekinesis. She then proceeded to smash him against the wall with the weight of a lifetime’s worth of resentment.
HP: 0. It was instant death.
Papyrus gasped, “NO…!”
With great regret, Cenna fired a fatal shot toward Rosemary. Her Determination dispersed, exorcising the DEMON.
Cenna tipped her hat towards Rosemary’s physical remains, saying a little funerary prayer: “Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. Rest in peace, gal. Sorry it had to be this way.”
The visions ended. Back in the present, Papyrus saw that Jacob’s fight with Victor intensified, getting closer to the worst outcome.
In times like these, he remembered his past trials and tribulations. His dear eccentric and controversial Uncle Gaster would always say that the future was not set in stone. The Golden Path is his to make.
So Papyrus did what only The Great Papyrus would do: capture the humans for their own protection. In a split second decision, he built a bone cage to trap both Victor and Jacob at where they quarrelled.
“What’s this?!” Jacob exclaimed.
“Why me???” Poor Victor, he was just trying to help.
“I APOLOGISE, GENTLEMEN. THERE’S NO TIME TO EXPLAIN. EXCUSE ME WHILE I SEARCH THIS NEW FUTURE!”
And search, he did. Confining Jacob had prevented one bad end from happening.
In this scenario where Jacob did not intervene, the DEMON’s power continued to grow.
Retaliating in indignant fury, Rosemary let out a wailing shriek. The force of her boosted Blue rattled the iron stakes, slowly loosening them.
Though Anise tried her best to push them back down, she was but one Alchemist. The stakes were ripped off the ground with great prejudice. Without them, the spell’s parchments flew around and the chains shattered.
The DEMON was free. Rosemary conjured long, deadly spikes. The projectiles floated around her, circling in a defensive position.
Cenna fired in order to eliminate the twisted spirit before more damage could be done. In response, Rosemary smashed every spike she had created onto the arrow.
The impact unleashed a massive explosion, shattering the ceiling lights and other equipment. Glass flew everywhere at high speeds. The vision version of Papyrus may be able to defend himself using his Green, but he couldn’t cover anyone else.
Blood of her innocent victims splattered around. Even the mighty Cenna Caraway was left on the ground bleeding.
HP: 3 out of 11.
Only Anya -- whose many wisp friends had protected her and Lady Lucidia from harm -- was able to escape the onslaught free of injuries. The necromancer thus stepped up to the plate.
She raised her hand, making the shepherd’s hook shone bright upon Rosemary.
O’ Restless Dead, I banish thee into the beyond. Be delivered to thy final judgement!
Again, Rosemary was gone from this world. Disintegrated on the spot. That was another ending the Great Papyrus must prevent.
The moment his visions ended, he started to think. He couldn’t let her act. And he couldn’t let Cenna retaliate. For Rosemary to stay safe, he needed to prevent everyone from doing anything at all.
Readying his baton, Papyrus announced: “CENNA, RELEASE HER CHAINS ON MY SIGNAL! I’M GOING TO TRY SOMETHING CRAZY.”
“You sure???” The Vanquisher was just as confused as everyone else. “I guess I’m open to anything at this point.”
Papyrus turned his baton a bright cyan and tossed it at the DEMON. The magic passed right through her because she couldn’t move… and that was exactly what he wanted.
PING! The chime rang.
“YOU’RE THE BLUE ONE NOW, NYEH HEH HEH HEEEEEHHHH!!!! CENNA, THAT WAS THE SIGNAL!”
“Alright then,” The Vanquisher complied and set Rosemary free. “Go get her, Cinnamon Roll!”
Upset at his jape, yet very appreciative of her newfound freedom, Rosemary tried to cast her Yellow magic against the skeleton. But before she could do anything, Papyrus shoved her with his Blue and interrupted her power. The disruption caused a small malformed bullet to fly harmlessly onto a blank spot on the ceiling.
Cenna tilted her head a little. “Well, that’s one way to deal with a Yellow Minor. Watch out though, she’s a Blue Major. She might counteract you soon.”
“SIMPLE!” Papyrus proclaimed, “WE JUST DON’T GIVE HER TIME TO DO THAT. DOES ANYONE HERE KNOW HOW TO SEAL A DEMON WITHOUT KILLING THEM??? JUDGE THYME DID IT WITH CHARA.”
“I’d normally say Lucy, but she’s down for the count. Your next best bet is Ol’ Mez himself. He’s rigged with codes for all sorts of living containment. We’re talking about stuff tailor-fit to his power set.”
“JUDGE THYME IS TOO BUSY DOING IMPORTANT INVESTIGATING THINGS ELSEWHERE! DRATS! WHAT DO I DO NOW???”
“Heck if I know? I ain’t the brains of this operation. I only know I still got an arrow with her name on it!”
Rosemary’s own Blue Integrity had begun to push back, resisting Papyrus’ influence. He struggled. Wrestled. Sweat drenched the inside of his clothes.
He recalled his experiences with Chara. That kid always managed to get him or themselves killed in increasingly brutal ways. It hurt the SOUL just thinking about it.
A fate so terrible should never happen to Rosemary. Violence was just a temporary measure. It didn’t solve anything more than the immediate emergency.
So how could he get through this girl’s heart? How could he reach out to someone who refuses to communicate? Trying to mimic Frisk’s success was harder than he had anticipated.
With a serious tone, he told Cenna: “I THINK… I THINK I HAVE TO TRY SOMETHING EVEN CRAZIER. WHATEVER HAPPENS, DON’T SHOOT HER. PLEASE.”
“…I’ll try. But your safety is my top priority, hun. No hard feelings.”
“YOUR WILLINGNESS IS GOOD ENOUGH.”
Papyrus used all of his might to pull Rosemary towards himself, leaving his guard open. The skeleton then wrapped his boney arms around the floating vampiric DEMON and hugged her tight. Kindness filled his SOUL, so much so that it turned green.
The confused ghost shrieked. Screeched. Pushed. Clawed. She tried to sink her teeth into his bony neck, however futile it was. Despite the pain she inflicted upon him, he refused to let her go.
“I’M SORRY,” he said. “IF I HAD WAITED FOR A LITTLE LONGER, YOU COULD HAVE STARTED OVER WITH A CLEAN SLATE AS A MEMBER OF MY KIND. BUT… I KEPT YOU HUMAN, ONLY FOR YOU TO TURN INTO A DEMON. I NEVER STOPPED TO THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU REALLY WANTED, CREATING MORE MAGICAL BURDENS ON TOP OF YOUR ALREADY QUITE OVERWHELMING REGULAR BURDENS. MY INVOLVEMENT MADE YOUR LIFE WORSE.”
“Har?!?” Cenna exclaimed, “Paps, you didn’t do anything wrong! This brat here is--”
Her objections were cut short. Although Papyrus couldn’t see it, he was sure that someone in the room requested her to give him and Rosemary some space.
“YOUR PAST MAY BE STRESSFUL AND ANNOYING. YOU MAY BE SAD, ANGRY, AND LONELY. BUT, THE FUTURE IS NOT SET IN STONE. I CAN HELP YOU TURN AROUND. IF I’M NOT GOOD ENOUGH, THEN I’LL INTRODUCE YOU TO SOMEONE WHO IS. YOU STILL HAVE SO MUCH TO LIVE FOR. I KNOW IT.”
“ROSEMARY, WILL YOU LET ME BE YOUR FRIEND?”
Her nails dug into the back of his skull, rejecting out of fearful disbelief. Many people may have offered to be her friend only to walk away. She just couldn’t fit in, and they would never follow through on their words.
Papyrus knew what it was like to be in that position.
“I’M HONEST WITH MY OFFER. BEING A DEMON IS NOT THE END. IN FACT, I HAVE MANY DEMON FRIENDS! THEY’RE ALL JUST AS PRICKLY AS YOU ARE, AT LEAST IN THE BEGINNING.”
“SO AGAIN I ASK: WILL YOU LET ME BE YOUR FRIEND? IT’S YOUR CHOICE. I WILL RESPECT YOUR DECISION, WHATEVER IT MAY BE.”
The DEMON stopped struggling. Instead, she began to weep. Perhaps this was the first time that anyone had acknowledged her in a long while.
As her corruptive Determination faded, so did her ferocious form.
Her femme fatale gothic clothes…
Her vampiric bat wings…
Her sharp biting fangs…
Her clawed nails…
She returned into a pacified spirit. In this form, she resembled a regular human girl with regular human features in regular human girl clothes: the Rosemary who always desperately tried to find her way through her regular human life.
“THANK YOU,” said Papyrus. “YOU CAN CHOOSE TO BE GOOD, ROSEMARY. I BELIEVE IN YOU.”
He let her go. Looking towards Anya, he asked: “CAN YOU HELP HER NOW?”
The old woman replied: “Why yes. You’ve successfully turned a wolf back into a sheep. I shall add her to my flock for safekeeping.”
She raised her palm towards the girl’s spirit. The Mark of the Shepherdess shone with a gentle warmth.
“O’ Restless Dead, hush thy spirit and lay your tired head.”
Rosemary accepted the call, turning into a wisp and drifting towards Anya. She seeped peacefully into the old lady’s body and joined the others.
Then, all was quiet once more. Papyrus breathed a huge sigh of relief.
“Papyrus?” asked Anya, “Why did you go through the trouble? It’s not likely that Judge Thyme or Crimson Keeper Wanderstar will keep this outcome.”
He replied: “EVEN IF TIME REWINDS, SOMEONE SOMEWHERE WILL REMEMBER SOMETHING. THE SAME GOES FOR ROSEMARY. HER DEJAVU WAS WHAT STARTED THIS MESS IN THE FIRST PLACE. SO… BY GIVING HER PEACE IN THE HERE AND NOW, SHE WILL HAVE A BETTER CHANCE AT MAKING A BETTER FUTURE IN THE NEXT TIMELINE.”
Showing his Frisk-proxied SOUL to Anya, he added: “TO BE LIKE FRISK, I CAN’T PASSIVELY RELY ON CHANCE OR LUCK. I MUST TRY MY BEST TO TAKE INITIATIVE WHENEVER I CAN.”
“That’s indeed the proper way. Live well, and live as though everything will last: you’ll never know whose heart you can reach.”
Papyrus glowed in delight, feeling that he had succeeded in taking another step toward maturity.
“I’M GRATEFUL FOR EVERYTHING YOU’VE TAUGHT ME, FAIRY GRANDMOTHER.”
A hero should always pay heed whenever he encounters an elderly woman. She could be a person in great need, a dangerous witch, or a treasure trove of wisdom. Meet a sagely one, and her experienced lessons will be worth more than a thousand books.
“You’re welcome, young lad.”