#everfell

[the-river-person]

The Tour Part 1

From a certain cliffside path just to the south of Everfall Town, you could see past the forested plateaus and over the fields of Everfall Cavern. Undyne had apparently planned to have them hike all the way to the other end of the Cavern, but the monster who had accompanied her vetoed that plan almost as soon as the words came out of Undyne’s mouth. The monster in question was a short, bespectacled bear. From what Fang could gather, the monster was named Dov and was Undyne’s personal secretary within the Royal Guard. Apparently that entailed deliberately preventing Undyne from making “Fucking stupid decisions on the fly,” as Dov so eloquently phrased it. It also seemed to mean that he had to endure Undyne’s fury when he informed her that it was an awful decision to go hiking all the way to the end of the cavern just to see a locked door and a wall when they could see both of those things from a nearby cliff and save time. “ALRIGHT!” Undyne was saying. “BECAUSE THIS ASS-HAT DOESN’T WANT TO WALK TO THE OTHER END OF THE CAVE, WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO SEE A GLIMPSE OF THE OLD CITY FROM HERE.” Dov, for his part, seemed to be ignoring Undyne’s continued insults with a practiced ease. “Your file mentions you suffered from memory loss, among other things. Then to address the gaping holes in your knowledge of Monster History-” “IT’S NOT A HOLE IF HE DOESN’T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IT AT ALL.” “-It is important for you to be aware that the old city was once the capital of the Underground before it was abandoned in favor of more practical locations.” Dov continued speaking, now aggressively ignoring Undyne altogether. “The Shining City of Elam was the refuge monsters built in the early days after the war. Sadly the city fell into disrepair after the Royal Family moved, and eventually became so dangerous that the last few monsters were ordered to move out and the gate was sealed shut to prevent accidents by nosy idiots poking about where they don’t belong.” With a pointed look at them he walked back up the path. Undyne laughed and turned to follow. “HAH! HE’S A NERD, BUT HE’S RIGHT! THE OLD CITY IS OFF LIMITS. NOW COME ON! WE’RE GONNA HAVE TO MAKE TRACKS IF WE WANNA SEE THE COOL STUFF!” Not sure he wanted to know what sort of thing Undyne might think was cool, Fang peered off into the distance, trying to see the old city. It was very far, but the wall was visible even from here. It must have been absolutely massive because it towered over the highest reaching trees and just beyond the tops of domes and towers were visible. Elam, the City of Monsters. “HURRY UP, YOU DORK!” Barked Undyne impatiently and Fang scrambled to catch up, falling into step beside MK as they set out back through Everfall Town towards the tunnels leading to Gan’Eden. As they passed by, Fang took the opportunity to get a better look at the town, noting the Ice Cream Parlor that had clearly once been a bar and the Library, whose sign was misspelled as Librarby. Past some of the houses he could see the edge of the river. Waiting there at the dock was a ferryboat and a cloaked figure. The figure was far away, and it was difficult to tell what they looked like with the cloak hiding their face; but Fang felt the fur on his neck rise slightly and quickened his pace to walk alongside MK.

[the-river-person]

History and Old Rumors

Papyrus hadn’t been thrilled to discover that Sans had simply let Fang wander out and about in the Underground with only MK for protection, though he had looked thoughtful when Fang had mentioned making friends with the kid via Papyrus’ cookies. Had MK not already parted from them to head home, Fang was almost certain the skeleton would have offered him more. It wasn’t quiet at the table with Undyne there. The sheer volume of her voice as she animatedly described both the tournament and her meeting with the boys after getting a tip from Onionsama. Fang was surprised to discover that Onionsama was, in fact, the strange tentacled Monster they’d seen picking fruit from the orchard trees in Gan’Eden. When Undyne mentioned the thugs who’d attacked them in the tunnels, Papyrus’ expression soured. “They’re getting bolder. I still think we should take the guard and clear out all the caves and tunnels back there.” “BELIEVE ME,” said Undyne, shaking her head. “I’D LOVE TO. BUT ROYAL ORDERS STILL STAND. YOU KNOW AS WELL AS I DO THAT ALL I’M ALLOWED TO DO IS KEEP THE SUPPLY LINES OPEN AND SET GUARDS TO CROP FIELDS. THE ONLY WAY I COULD BREAK THOSE ORDERS IS IF I WERE AFTER-” “A human.” Papyrus finished, nodding. Fang looked from face to face, trying to put the pieces of the human puzzle together. Nobody seemed to like them much, their garbage washed away down into the Underground where it was gathered as a resource by the Monsters, and everybody seemed to want to be on this Surface but nobody seemed to be trying to actually get there. “Are humans dangerous?” he asked at last. Undyne shared a disbelieving look with the two skeleton brothers. “SERIOUSLY?” She said. “YOU DON’T EVEN REMEMBER THAT? JEEZ KID, YOU MUSTA HAD SOME REALLY NASTY BLOW TO THE HEAD.” Shifting her weight so that she was facing him more directly, Undyne took a swig of her drink before going on. “LET’S SEE. THE BASICS. UM... MONSTERS AND HUMANS USED TO LIVE ON THE SURFACE TOGETHER. THERE WAS THIS REALLY BIG WAR AND MONSTERS WERE DRIVEN UNDERGROUND AND SEALED IN WITH MAGIC. TO BREAK THAT BARRIER WE NEED HUMAN SOUL POWER. BUT WE NEED A LOT OF SOULS TO PUNCH THROUGH, AND HUMANS ONLY EVER FALL DOWN HERE BY ACCIDENT, IF AT ALL.” Oof. That was... a lot. Fang was starting to get why everyone was so bitter, as nice as this place was, it was basically a prison for them. There were still some mysteries though. Like why Monsters were so eager to turn on each other at the slightest sign of weakness. “And then...” Said Papyrus, drawing Fang’s attention to him instead. “Well... nobody is quite sure what it was that happened. There was a human who fell into the Underground. But they were just a child, and it was said that the Royal Family took them in instead of killing them. Nobody ever saw them, not even at important ceremonies or big celebrations. Then word got out that the prince had murdered them.” And it got worse. Of course. Why wouldn’t it get worse? Kids murdering other kids. This place was a wreck. Fang glanced at Sans, but the Skeleton had returned to the sofa and was watching the tv again. “Guards rushed to stop Prince Asriel, himself only a child, but he’d already crossed the barrier, and without a human soul they were unable to follow. It was only a few hours later that the quakes started. The entire Underground shook, and the roof of the Everfall Caverns fell in, and massive portions of Gan’Eden were submerged in floodwaters. The damage was immense, but nobody could escape the devastation because the barrier was still in place.” Fang opened his mouth to ask about the damages, but changed his mind before the question had left his mouth and instead asked something else. “What about Prince Asriel?” He could find out more about how the Underground had been before and what had changed from MK, but both Undyne and Papyrus were in the Royal Guard, if they were in the mood for answering questions he’d better ask all the right ones. Undyne frowned. “WE DON’T KNOW. SOME SAY HE RETURNED AND FELL TO DUST IN FRONT OF THE KING AND QUEEN. OTHERS SAY HE NEVER CAME BACK AT ALL. A FEW SAY HE CAME BACK AND LOCKED HIMSELF IN THE TOWER, NEVER COMING OUT BUT STILL THERE. ALL WE KNOW IS THAT THE KING AND QUEEN HAVEN’T SAID A THING ABOUT THEIR CHILDREN, ONLY DEALT WITH THE DAMAGES AND LET THE UNDERGROUND GET EVEN NASTIER OVER THE YEARS SINCE.” Scoffing, Papyrus stood up to clear the plates. “Stuff and nonsense. Nobody knows what happened, they just like making up rumors and causing trouble. And you shouldn’t be encouraging such...” he trailed off, as if looking for some suitable word to describe the foolishness of gossip. “Shit?” Supplied Sans helpfully. Papyrus frowned but didn’t deny it. Conversation turned from there towards discussions about the guard, work schedules, and supply trains. It was as his attention began to stray that Fang realized he’d lost track of the bottle of Mustard. Silently cursing himself he tried to remember where he’d last had it and was forced to conclude that it had been lost in the tunnels somewhere after they’d been attacked. It wasn’t safe to go looking alone, especially not now that it was getting late. He’d have to hope that it was still there later or he was going to have to find another way to appease the skeleton. Predictably Sans was still not looking at him, though when Fang actively turned to stare at him all Sans did was put up his middle finger in the boy’s direction without even turning around. It was clear that Sans was still watching, even if he didn’t look like he was paying attention. Fang might have been comforted by this were it not for the fact that Sans still seemed pissed off. In the end, Papyrus had no objection to Fang training in the Guard, though he reminded Undyne that they had no real knowledge of Fang’s background. Waving him off, Undyne declared that they’d keep looking even while he trained up, if he actually accepted. Fang was surprised, he hadn’t been sure he still had a choice. The way the conversation had been going it seemed all decided. It wasn’t as if he was going to say no, after all he needed to survive in this place, even if he had no plans to kill anyone. But still it was nice to be given the choice. Having happily obtained her answer, Undyne left for her own home. And Fang retired to the room he’d been given to sleep in. As he was closing the window he spotted a shadow dart through the streets near the door. Quietly he trod back downstairs and opened the door. Sitting on the doorstep was the mustard bottle, and a little note attached to it read “You forgot this. -A Friend.” A friend? Really? And why not actually knock? His mind reeling with questions he had no answers for he shut the door and made his way up the stairs. He removed the little note and put the mustard bottle right at the bottom of San’s door where the skeleton was certain to find it. No reason to pass up the opportunity, even if it was weird. He’d figure out who had returned the bottle later, and why.

[the-river-person]

I found @aureolus7​‘s Undertale Skeleton Creator and used it to try and make Everfell Sans. I think it was rather successful to be honest. The jacket might not be quite as tattered and worn as I imagined, but it works pretty well. I can’t draw well (and skeletons not at all), but if I could I think I’d make him more tired and worn down looking, and possibly more annoyed looking. Still I’m very pleased with it.

I also wanted to make Mistral Sans, but unfortunately there was nothing at all like the silvery white crystalline formations and spikes growing from his soul and bones, which honestly doesn’t surprise me since its a fairly odd idea and would probably be pretty hard to pull off in Picrew.. However I did end up making another cool skeleton while having fun with it. I’m not sure whats going on with him or who he is, but he’s pretty cool looking. Maybe I’ll find a use for him somewhere in stories ahead. I’d love to hear any suggestions or ideas people might have for him though.

Anyway. You should go check out @aureolus7​‘s Skeleton Maker, AND their blog because its got some amazing artwork they’ve done.

[the-river-person]

Wash u Soul

What surprised Fang most about the dump was how well ordered everything was. He’d been expecting mounds of rotting wet trash that collected in piles from the flow, washed into the underground from above. Instead, there were platforms of wood and stone where trash had been collected and sorted into all kinds of piles and packed into crates. Monsters that looked like a strange cross between turtle and bucket could be seen trundling up and down paths between all the piles and carefully washing and sorting items. By this point Fang was beginning to expect a sour or angry mood from just about everybody, or at the very least the pretense of toughness. These monsters, on the other hand, seemed to be genuinely content as they went about their work, occasionally muttering things like “Wash u face” or “scrub a dub dub!” Another monster met them where the walkway they were on opened up onto the massive platforms of the dump. It was a sort of dog/cat-like monster with white fur who was wearing a small maroon suit that had clearly been tailored just for them. It was hard to tell if they simply had two sets of ears or whether the floppy parts that hung down on either side of their head were just tufts of fur. The creature smiled up at them pleasantly. “Hello, Welcome to the Waste Collection and Redistribution Center. I’m Temmie, let me know if there’s anything you need.” With their little golden monocle they gazed up at the pair of monsters, taking them in. “I recognize you,” they said to Monster Kid. “But you, first time coming?” Fang nodded, “As far as I know, yeah.” “Ah, it’s always nice to have new customers. As this is your first time here, you are entitled to one free item of medium size. Bring it up to the desk with your other purchases.” With a paw the monster gestured over towards a wooden desk to the far left beyond the piles of sorted trash. The person sitting there was... Temmie? The monster looked exactly the same, down to the suit, the monocle, and even the same pleasant and slightly amused smile. Fang glanced back at the monster in front of him, only to find that they were no longer there. How...? Noting that Monster Kid was looking just as perplexed and confused as he was, Fang decided they probably weren’t going to get any answers. Some Monsters seemed to just be weirder than others. As they began picking through the piles, Fang pelted his friend with more questions. “I thought this was a dump. Why are they selling it? Isn’t it just trash?” Monster Kid snorted. “Well yeah, dude. Its human trash. And it used to just be free for any scavengers who got to it first. But the Tems made a deal with the Royal Family. If they cleaned it all up and stopped people from killing each other over scraps then they could sell the junk for profit. But its not too bad, their prices aren’t high, and they do everything they promised to do. You shouldn’t make deals with Tems if you can help it, but if you do, they keep their word no matter what.” Fang opened his mouth to ask why he shouldn’t make deals with the Tems if they kept their word when he accidentally ran right into one of the Woshuas. It stumbled back, grumbling angrily, before looking up at him in surprise. “Wash u face?” it inquired suspiciously. Fang had no idea how to answer that, but it seemed the little monster didn’t really want an answer as it continued on anyway. “Your soul is....... Clean?” Though he had no idea what it was talking about, the little monster’s expression was so startled that Fang wondered if it was alright. “Sorry,” he said offering a hand to help the creature, but it recoiled from his touch and trundled away as quickly as it could. “No thanks no thanks no thanks. Green means clean. Wash you hand. Wash you hand!” Mystified, Fang glanced at Monster Kid for an explanation, but the other only shrugged and went back to looking through the piles for something to buy. The Woshua returned to its cleaning and sorting with the others, but every so often Fang would catch it staring at him from a far off pile, wearing an unreadable expression. But whenever it saw him looking it turned away.

[the-river-person]

Cookies

People really didn’t linger in the streets. Sure there were a lot of people out and about, going about their days, but everyone was always rushing to finish an errand or to reach their destination. It was like they didn’t dare be caught out, not without having a reason for being there, a purpose. It made for an incredibly boring view from the window. Fang was contemplating just banging his head against the glass repeatedly. At least it would give him something to do. Papyrus had told him he could watch TV or find some other way to amuse himself, and then had rushed off to work. He’d tried to do just that, but Sans had somehow just... appeared on the couch, remote already in hand, and had told him to scram. Not about to argue, Fang had settled himself by the window to try and get a sense of what life was like in this... place. They were all in some sort of cavern, he could see that much. But at some point in the past, the roof had caved in, leaving an open sky free to pour itself down into the place. The town itself was sitting up on a cliff edge that overlooked huge valleys, and a river flowed round the valley’s edge on the upper slopes and then sped past the town and into tunnels beyond. Down in the valley there were fields and orchards where monsters were hard at work gathering up the harvest, and at the edge of the fields a thick autumn forest crowded in, the colors of golds and reds like fire. Just beyond the town was a series of flat topped peaks that led over to the other end of the cavern, far above the valleys. It really did seem like a nice place to live. So why did the people seem so unhappy with everything? Hardly anyone smiled, and when they did it was just so... tired. Other than that they just snapped at each other and seemed suspicious and wary of everything. More than once as he’d watched had someone spotted him and gave him a blistering stare of suspicion before hurrying off faster than before. Hours ticked onward. Sans showed no desire to get up or move at all from the couch. Somehow he’d pulled a bottle of mustard from who knew where and was happily drinking it as he kept his eyes glued on some kind of television program that involved a gigantic bear with blue fur, some miniature pirates, and some kind of flying dinosaur that Fang couldn’t quite put a name to. It had been quite some time since the breakfast that Papyrus had made him, and Fang’s stomach was beginning to complain fairly loudly, so he took the risk and poked his head into the other room to ask Sans what he could eat. “The fuck if I know. Grab some cookies or something. As long as you eat whatever shit Papyrus makes for dinner, he won’t care what you eat during the day.” Not once did Sans even take his eyes off the screen, and Fang decided it was better not to bother the skeleton anymore. Really Sans confused him. The skeleton had saved his life, and thought the whole thing funny. But ever since he’d just been acting coldly, as if Fang were something really nasty he’d stepped in and just wanted to toss out. What could he do to make Sans like him? Well first he had to figure out why Sans didn’t like him in the first place and fix that. But to do it he had to get Sans to talk to him, which he wasn’t going to do unless he liked him. Fang helped himself to some cookies while he pondered the problem. Maybe if he could find something that Sans really liked, he’d warm up a little? Mustard maybe. If he could figure out where to find the stuff. Back at his spot near the window he watched a figure making their way down the street. They wore stripes, like he did, so he knew they were a kid. A lizard-like monster with yellow scales and spines that ran up and down his back from the top of his head to the end of his tail. At first Fang was convinced the kid had his arms tucked into the sweater he was wearing, but when the Monster tripped and still didn’t pull his arms out to stop himself from face planting right in the leaves, Fang realized that the other didn’t have any arms at all. He opened the window, thinking to ask if the other wanted help, but the lizard was already pushing himself back up as if this was a routine thing, scowling at anyone who happened to be nearby. Fang knew it was coming before it happened, and sure enough the other’s eyes met his own, and the monster’s scowl just deepened. “What are you looking at?” he snapped. There was really no good answer to the question. Clearly the other was just looking to cause some kind of trouble already, so Fang just gave the honest answer, “you.” For a moment the monster kid seemed thrown entirely off guard. As if that had been an answer he’d never even anticipated and didn’t know how to respond to. Fang used the moment of confused silence to offer one of his cookies. “Want one?” he asked. Looking more bewildered than ever, the monster paused for a long moment, before just nodding and taking the cookie carefully with his teeth. They spent another moment in silence as they each devoured their own treats. “Thanks,” said the monster after a bit, still looking confused, but less angry than before. “Yo, I’m headed to see Undyne fight in the tournaments. You wanna come?” “Um,” said Fang lamely, not sure if he was even allowed to leave the house. “Let me ask.” He popped his head back into the other room where Sans was still watching tv. “Can I-” he began, but Sans just waved him into silence. “Yeah yeah, I don’t give a shit. Go wherever you like. Just don’t do anything stupid, like dying. Stick to MK. He’s dumb as a box of rocks, but he’s tougher than he looks.” That was that. Shrugging, Fang ran back to the window where the monster, who he guessed was named MK, was waiting for him looking impatient. “I’m coming,” he said and grabbed the jacket Sans had gotten him yesterday from its hook before slipping out the front door.

[the-river-person]

Fangs, Tupperware, and Canines

Snip... snip... snip. Not one single stray bud or dying leaf would escape his shears. Papyrus, the Great and Terrible Papyrus, Lieutenant Captain of the Royal Guard, scowled in concentration as he trimmed the rose bush before him. It was a captain’s duty to maintain the flowerbeds around the station, for though they did not produce any actual sustenance, the roses were a symbol of loyalty to the Royal Family, and thus must be maintained with as much care as any plant in the fields or orchards. The sharp blade cut away at any offending sign of decay or hasty growth, mercilessly silencing them as brutally as the Lieutenant Captain would any lawbreaker. His hands were steady, showing no sign of the inner rage he was struggling to contain. Sans was late, again. If that no good, lazy, shit piece of-... no. Sans would have some reason, he was sure of it. There was always some reason, after all. Not always a good one, but good enough to scrape him by. Hmph. He glared at the rosebush as if it were at fault for his brother’s idiocy. Predictably, the rose bush showed no reaction, nor had Papyrus expected it to. He caught the sound of familiar footsteps approaching, that was Sans at last. But... not alone? Sans had no friends... who? Hand at his side, ready to summon a weapon of bone at the slightest instant, he stood and turned to await the arrival of his brother and whoever was with him. Upon seeing who it was, he relaxed. Doggo, a member of the Canine Unite. Loyal as any dog, though stupid and vicious as one. Papyrus smirked slightly. Stupid was good when it came to the dogs. They didn’t get any funny ideas. Unfortunately, Doggo himself smelled very strongly of smoke and dog biscuits as well as the very faint scent of whisky. One more person was with them. Funnily enough this Monster was being dragged by Sans, presumably against their will, and did not look even remotely happy about their circumstances. Papyrus noted that Doggo was looking equally annoyed and was also being forced along against his will. How very odd, Sans didn’t usually exert his will unless he really felt he needed to, and considering how damned lazy he was, that hardly ever happened. The other Monster was a cat monster, much like that radio host from Nebelheim, though this one was smaller and very clearly a child. Their fur was lighter grey marked by darker grey streaks. “I expect you have a very good reason for all of...this?” said Papyrus shortly, unable to find a suitable word to describe the ludicrous scene in front of him as he gestured to the three monsters before him. Somehow, Sans’ grin was almost gleeful, something that Papyrus wanted to smack him for, but as tempting as it was he managed to resist the impulse. “Sorry Boss, I was on my way to find ya. And I ran into these idiots near the orchards.” And saying this he gave both cat monster and Doggo a little shake, causing both to bare their teeth at him, which only made him snicker. It was absolute bullshit, to use the common phrase. Sans didn’t walk anywhere if he could help it. Papyrus’ interest in this was growing with each moment. “Doggo here found a little free experience and thought he’d have some fun. Normally I wouldn’t care, but Doggo is in the Guard, ain’t he? I seem’ ta remember some kinda rule against that. Can’t have anyone under your command breakin’ the rules, can we?” Sans was definitely up to something. He didn’t care a bit about rules or regulations. But technically, he was correct. There was a rule about members of the guard taking advantage of their position to prey on the weak for XP. After all, someone needed to keep some kind of order. For a long moment, Papyrus was silent, trying to decide what to do with the lot of them. Because Sans had actively saved this child, he couldn’t simply be thrown out or imprisoned, there was procedure to think of. And of course, Doggo couldn’t be let off easy, though his punishment would be light since he was a valuable asset to the guard. Just enough to make an example. “You, child. Who are you? Where is your family? Parental authorities? Striped shirt? Well?” The cat-monster stared up at him, clearly bewildered, and after a moment where Papyrus’s impatience was beginning to boil, he finally shrugged and shook his head. With a snort, and reaching the very end of his patience, Papyrus simply used his magic to Check the child’s stats. “?????” * HP: 14/20 * AT: 0   DEF: 0 * Weapon: Teeth & Claws * Doesn’t know where or who he is, but is determined to survive. A resilient soul, despite the lack of parents or a home. * Has been hungry for a while. Oh. Papyrus paused, his scowl deepening as he thought hard. That changed things. He tapped the side of his skull thoughtfully as he pondered out loud. “Well then, we’ll of course have to inform Captain Undyne as per regulation. And figure out what to do with you until some more permanent solution can be found.” “I could eat him?” offered Doggo. It was only a joke, even Papyrus could tell that, though perhaps a poorly timed one considering how much trouble the stupid monster was already in. But in the few seconds that it took for the comment to register, the cat monster had already broken free from Sans’ grip and leapt upon Doggo, biting him hard with his sharp fangs. “OWOWOHOW!!!” screeched the guard dog as he tried to shake off his would-be assailant. Sans was laughing, doubling over as his belly and shoulders shook from the force of his amusement. “Well shit, Doggo. Looks like you’re the one who’s gonna get eaten! Little kitten here has fangs after all!” With a growl of feigned annoyance, though he too was resisting the urge to laugh, Papyrus reached forward and grabbed the nameless monster by the scruff of his neck and pulled him away from Doggo, forcing him to release his toothy hold in order to turn around and bite Papyrus instead. “Stop that,” ordered the Lieutenant Captain sharply and his captive stilled in fear. “It won’t help anyway, I’m as resilient as bone.” He smirked in San’s direction as his brother’s face went blank with surprise before breaking into an even wider grin. “We’ll have to call you something, and since you seem to be well equipped with them, we’ll call you Fang. Don’t bite any more guards unless you have no other choice, its against the law.” Thrusting Fang down into a chair he made his way over to a little refrigerator sitting in the corner, from this he removed a tupperware of his famous lasagna. It was still hot, as the fridge was one of the custom made ones from Nebelheim labs and kept anything inside well heated. This he placed down firmly in front of Fang, adding a fork and a napkin for good measure. Injuries and lost identities were no excuse for bad manners. Doggo was scowling at the kid, “You’re feeding him?” He said with a sort of plaintive and complaining whine in his voice. “But he bit me.” “Yes he did, and well deserved too. Besides, he’s hungry and the best remedy is my famous-” he paused as there was a tug on his sleeve. Turning to look he found the boy offering him the now empty tupperware with a hopeful expression. Wordlessly Papyrus retrieved another from the fridge and that too was quickly devoured. Honestly he wasn’t at all certain what to make of the expression the child was giving him now, something kind of like adoration. He wasn’t sure he liked it, but he found it difficult to fault anyone who had such refined taste enough for his lasagna. “Ahem,” he cleared his throat, it was time to get back on track. “He can stay in the spare bedroom for a week or so, until things are sorted out and some other arrangement can be made. Papyrus took great pleasure in the fact that both Doggo and Sans had sour expressions now. Doggo still nursing the bite marks from the kid’s teeth, and Sans looking like he wished he’d dumped the kid in a ditch before sharing the house with someone else. “Now,” he said, addressing the pair. “I seem to recall that both of you are still on duty, and the day isn’t nearly over. Get back to your patrols or I’ll be sending reports to Undyne containing your death certificates.” With a click of his teeth in a wide grin and a mocking salute, Sans disappeared with a final “Aye Boss, whatever you say.” Doggo sullenly gave a more proper salute and slunk off out the door. Papyrus noted that the canine’s uniform was wrinkled and the shirt wasn’t tucked in, not to mention that it also had several small tears where the material had worn thin. Humph. It was a travesty. He’d have to order an official inspection one of these days.

[the-river-person]

Dalphon in Stone

“I can’t believe you chose THAT for your free item, Dude.” Fang shrugged. The jumbo sized bottle of mustard in his arms ought to be more than enough to make Sans happy, or at least get the skeleton to be more amiable instead of glaring at him every time he entered a room. He still had a mountain of questions yet to be answered about this whole place. Why everyone was so nasty, what was this “Surface” that everyone talked about and why was everybody down here instead of up there if they liked it so much better. Most of all, he wanted to know about the humans that Monster Kid had mentioned. What was a human, anyway? The way MK had mentioned them, it didn’t seem as if they were very popular, and their garbage somehow ended up down here, so clearly they weren’t very careful and didn’t care about wasting resources much. From the moment he had woken up in the Underground he’d seen how carefully the Monsters protected their resources. Fields and orchards, electricity, even common household objects. The blankets that Papyrus had given him had been warm and well made, but had patches carefully sewn over any holes or even thin places, as if the very idea of throwing it away was unthinkable unless it was truly unusable. They were making their way back through Gan’Eden. Though Sans hadn’t mentioned that he had to be back by a specific time, or at all, it was getting late and Fang was sure that Papyrus would be back home soon. And if the comment Sans had made about being sure to eat dinner or risk the ire of Papyrus was any indication, Fang was sure that the taller skeleton would be upset at someone if they came home late. Either at him, which wouldn’t be the best ending to his second day, or at Sans, who he was already trying to get to be more amiable to him and getting him in trouble wouldn’t help at all. It was also possible that Papyrus could direct his anger towards MK given that it had been his idea in the first place, and Fang wasn’t about to let that happen either. When they passed by an old stone statue with small rivulets of water falling from its eyes as if the face were crying, Fang knew they’d gone down the wrong path. It was a huge carving, set into the very wall. It was odd, not quite like any monster he’d seen. Most of its features were hard to discern, as the carver had decided to obscure them beneath some kind of hood or head covering robe. But there were some kind of horns sticking out and up, its eyes only visible in the shadows where light from crystals in the ceiling glinted off the flowing water. “Are you,” he said slowly, “are you sure this is the right way? It’s not the way we came.” MK looked around and cursed. “Damn it! I got distracted. We’ll have to go back, this road used to go all the way through, but there was a cave in somewhere along it about a year ago and nobody bothered to clear it out.“ As one they turned to head back up the tunnel where they’d made the wrong turn, and found their way blocked by Monsters they hadn’t even heard behind them. Fang knew they were in trouble the moment he saw them, and he felt MK tense up beside him. The malicious grins the Monsters were giving them left little room for doubt. There were only three of them, one with dragon-like features but tattered useless looking wings on its back and claws far too long and wicked looking for comfort. Another appeared to be a body with a fish tail and a different sort of chest and arms up top and a series of scales down its spine, and most notably of all, it had no head on its shoulders at all. It wasn’t too hard to guess that the third gang member didn’t even want to be there. The monster was bug-like in appearance and his antenna were twitching in agitation along with his pincers. Fang tried to meet his eyes, but the monster wouldn’t look at him, just slightly off above his shoulder. “Well well. Gotten lost?” The dragon-like monster, who seemed to be the leader of the three. “We can show you the way back, right boys?” Both of the other monsters nodded. Or rather, the Mygosp clicked his pincers and waggled his antenna in agreement while the one without a head merely bowed slightly, dipping its chest lower towards the leader as it didn’t have a proper head to nod with. MK was having none of it. “We can find the way ourselves. Just move, asshole.” Shaking his head, the Monster tutted at them. “So rude, and here we were, just trying to do you a favor.” None of them showed any sign of moving out of the way. He knew what was going to happen before it happened. Fang’s ears flattened against his skull and the fur on the back of his neck was tickling as it rose and stood on end. While his tail was lashing in irritation he was moving his hind paws were shifting on the wet stone paths, readying for something, testing and adjusting his own balance. The very moment one of the monsters, the one without a head, raised its arm and began to create a little white bullet in the air to attack them with, Fang leapt. Nobody had taught him how to do magic, there hadn’t really been a chance. But he’d seen the monsters fighting in the arena using their bullets. Some, like Undyne, had more impressive weapons they could summon that flashed or glowed with colors. But most of the ones he’d seen were whitish or grey, sometimes a grey-orange in color. They had interesting shapes, but they were smaller. Something in him had gone off every time a monster had summoned one of these bullets, like a little warning light in his head. If he wasn’t paying attention he could miss it, but watching the fights in the arena had been good practice, and he was already in the air before the Monster’s bullet had actually had the time to form. Maybe he couldn’t do magic, but Papyrus had given him the name Fang for a reason. He had teeth, he had claws. He didn’t want to hurt these Monsters, or anyone. But he wasn’t going to let them kill him either, nor would he let them kill MK. His claws stretched and extended as he reached his target, and he latched on with them before immediately biting down. The full weight and momentum of his attack knocked the Monster back into the cave wall and they both went flailing down as the creature screeched in shock and pain, a mouth filled with horrific circular rows of teeth opening up somewhere in the space between its shoulders. Fang was back on his own feet in seconds, knowing that the one he’d attacked wasn’t going to be moving for at least a good 30 seconds, he glanced at the other two out of the corner of his eye. They hadn’t moved, their mouths hanging comically open with shock. Obviously they hadn’t expected their intended victims to attack like that, or maybe they were hoping intimidation would keep them from fighting back at all. Down on the floor, the other Monster pushed themselves up. While it didn’t have a face to give expression, the way it was moving conveyed something like confusion. It spoke, its deep graveling voice a surprise as they hadn’t heard it talking before, “...Zero... damage? But...” Anything else it meant to say was cut off as its fellow gang member, the dragonish one, gave out a yelp of pain and crashed to the ground. Taking advantage of their distraction, MK had made an attack of his own, spinning his entire body so his heavy tail crashed hard into the other monster’s legs, the spikes along it digging into the scaled flesh of his opponent while the weight of the tail and force of the blow undermined the Monster’s balance. Hardly anyone had the time to do anything else because another figure leapt into the middle of the road. Undyne, Captain of the Royal Guard, straightened from her landing, a glowing spear already in her hand. One look from her sent the bug-like Monster scrambling away down the tunnel, the other two paused for a few brief seconds before deciding that the fight wasn’t worth continuing, especially not if Undyne was a part of it. Then they hurriedly retreated after their fleeing friend, casting murderous looks at the boys as they went.

Glancing back at MK to see if he was alright, Fang found the lizard Monster looking absolutely starry-eyed as he gazed at Undyne. Forcing back a smile that was trying to creep up on his face, Fang nodded at the Captain. “Thank you,” he said. “For jumping in to help.” “OF COURSE!” said Undyne, her voice booming as she faced them, her grin like a shark’s and bright red lipstick lining her mouth in an unsettling way. “I GOT WORD FROM ONIONSAMA THAT YOU PASSED THAT WAY EARLIER AND THAT THERE HAD BEEN REPORTS OF THESE ASSHOLES ABOUT.” Something in her face darkened slightly. “SLAVERS AND XP FARMING GANGS. I’VE BEEN WANTING TO ROOT THEM ALL OUT FOR YEARS, BUT THEY’RE ESPECIALLY HARD TO FIND IN WATERFALL’S MAZE LIKE TUNNELS.” Onionsama? Fang didn’t know the name, but he felt a rush of gratitude towards whoever that was who had seen them and sent word to the Captain about the possible danger. Maybe not everyone in this place was entirely insane. After a second, Undyne’s expression cleared as she grinned down at them. “SO! YOU TWO ARE PRETTY STRONG! AND QUICK! THAT’S GREAT FOR WHEN YOU GET IN A NASTY CORNER.“ She glanced at Fang. “IT’S RARE THAT SOMEONE CAN BE THAT PHYSICALLY STRONG BUT STILL DEAL ZERO DAMAGE DURING AN ATTACK. SINCE MONSTERS ARE MOSTLY MADE OF MAGIC IT TAKES INTENT OR DESIRE TO HURT IN ORDER TO DO ANY DAMAGE. BUT CLEARLY THAT DOESN’T MAKE YOU WEAK, YOU TOOK YOUR OPPONENT DOWN AND WERE UP AND READY FOR MORE! AND YOU,” turning to MK who blinked in surprise at being addressed directly. “YOU’RE GOOD ON THE UPTAKE. ONCE YOU SAW AN OPENING, YOU TOOK ADVANTAGE OF IT AND KNEW RIGHT WHERE TO STRIKE.” The fish-monster paused, thinking. “I’D LIKE TO RECRUIT YOU BOTH OF YOU FOR THE GUARD. IF YOU’RE WILLING. YOU’D BE GREAT OFFICERS, THOUGH YOU’D HAVE TO START OFF AT THE BOTTOM FIRST AND WORK YOUR WAY UP THROUGH THE RANKS.” “Yes!“ Spluttered out MK before she could say anymore. Undyne’s grin widened. Fang hesitated, “I’m not sure...” he began. “I don’t know if-” But she waved him into silence with a flap of her hand. “NAH, IT’S OKAY, KID. YOU DON’T NEED TO ANSWER RIGHT AWAY. IT’S A PRETTY BIG DECISION, SO TAKE YOUR TIME AND THINK ABOUT IT. JUST DON’T TAKE TOO LONG, THERE’S LOTS OF TRAINING TO GET THROUGH. ALRIGHT?” He nodded hurriedly, feeling relief at not having to answer right away. Glancing round at the area they were in, and her eyes alighting briefly on the stone statue of a strange hooded monster who’s upper torso was carved from the very stone wall and whose eyes were acting as drainpipes for some upper waterfall. “HELL, THIS ISN’T THE NICEST PLACE TO GO TROMPING THROUGH. TELL YOU WHAT, I’LL SEE YOU BOTH HOME TO BE SURE THOSE IDIOTS DON’T COME RUSHING BACK WITH MORE FRIENDS TO FIGHT WITH. WHERE DO YOU LIVE?” “Everfall Town,” said MK promptly, giving his address. But it was when Fang told her Papyrus’s address that her eyes widened. “WHAT? THAT’S PAPYRUS’ HOUSE! WAIT A MINUTE...” you could almost see the click in her eyes as the puzzle pieces snapped together. “YOU’RE THAT KID! WOW! PAPYRUS SAID YOU WERE SCRAPPY, BUT DAMN!” She threw back her head and laughed, a full-throated roar of amusement and glee. MK and Fang shared a look of bemusement as the captain wiped away at tears of mirth. “THAT’S GREAT,” she said, still chuckling. “I’LL STICK AROUND AND JOIN YOU FOR DINNER SO I CAN TELL HIM ALL ABOUT THIS. PLUS I’LL GET SOME OF HIS LASAGNA. HE MAY BE AN ASSHOLE SOMETIMES, BUT DAMN IS HE A GOOD COOK.” And, grabbing both boys heartily around the shoulders, she half led half dragged them along the tunnels, waxing poetic about pasta based foods.

[the-river-person]

Who is Undyne?

“So uh... who is Undyne?” Fang had followed MK along the tunnels and out into an area filled with the distant roar of the waterfalls. He’d learned that the town nestled up among the high cliffs of the cave wall was called Everfall. It became a rather grim name as the locals had given it as they joked about the danger of falling to their deaths from the cliffs. But the name was really shared with the larger cavern as well, and had an entirely different origin.

The Cavern of Everfall was locked by the King’s magic in a near perpetual autumn, the perfect growing season for the crops they’d chosen. Its open roof provided all the sunlight and rain they could need, and the river Parat flowed through it from the old abandoned ruins. Now they made their way into the territory of Gan’Eden, a place of perpetual waterfalls, lakes, and deep pools.

MK, who thus far had been grumpily answering Fang’s questions, now turned to look at him aghast. “Undyne is the Captain of the Royal Guard. She’s the strongest monster in the whole Underground! I heard you had some kind of brain damage or whatever, but you gotta know who Undyne is!” Ignoring the jab about his missing memory, Fang considered this. “And so the Captain is fighting in these tournaments? And its... entertainment?” “Yup,” said MK nodding. “Anyone who thinks they can beat her is allowed to sign up. Except... you know. Kids. The King and Queen’s laws.” The lizard monster looked annoyed, more than usual. “You wanted to sign up?” With a wicked grin MK nodded. “Sure! I’ve always wanted to fight her! If I was the one to bring her down, I’d be the best! And no one would challenge me outside the tournaments!” For a moment Fang was slightly confused. He’d gotten the idea that the monsters here weren’t averse to attacking one another. Doggo had made that abundantly clear. And even the Skeleton Brothers had only said that killing someone weak for experience was illegal... as long as the person you were killing was a child. Adults were fair game. But... nobody was willing to challenge the Captain of the Guard? The strongest monster? His tail curled in and out as he thought about it. “Why don’t they? Wouldn’t that get them more Experience that way?” “Dude, it’s illegal. The Captain of the Guard still has to do her job. If everyone is mobbing her all the time she can’t protect the supply chains or stop the worst of the crime. And she already has to fight all the time when she’s working anyway.” Fang frowned as they made their way along the mostly dry passages and into a set of open bridges and paths set over dark pools of water. It was all so... complicated. He wondered why anyone would want to mess with supply chains, wouldn’t people starve without them? They heard the tournament before they saw it. A sort of distant roar, like many voices screaming and shouting and cheering that echoed off the walls of the larger caverns and drifted faintly into the tunnels. On a rocky ledge, overlooking a deep abyss that the waterfalls flowed endlessly down into, stood a huge building. Built almost like a tower it was bigger than the entire town of Everfall and was clearly the source for all the noise. MK was getting more excited the closer they got and he did all but dragged Fang forward as quick as they could go. Exactly how he managed to be so pushy without the use of arms was a mystery, but Fang let himself be led in through the gates and through a massive hysterical crowd of monsters. It was his least favorite experience thus far, out of the few he could remember. Since the first waking moment in the Autumn Forests he’d been hunted and chased and attacked by any other monster he’d met. And now here he was, making his way through a crowd of the loudest and most bloodthirsty he’d met so far. Fortunately their hungry gaze was focused down on the pit below, where a monster in armor was holding their own against no less than three opponents. A few empty seats near a few dog monsters was where they ended up sitting. Fang recognized some of them from the past day staring out the window of the Skeleton Brother’s house. Apparently some of the dogs recognized him too, either by smell or having heard from Doggo about him, because a few of them turned and growled softly at him. They stopped when MK returned this with a scowl of his own, but they kept shooting nasty looks over in their direction every once in a while.