Underearth/Book 5/Chapter 4

</span

The remainder of the trip through the Citadel was quiet for the most part, especially between Frisk and Chara, who didn't speak a word to one-another whatsoever. Along the way, Frisk had Toriel stop at the spider bake sale and get him a donut. Once claimed, they progressed onward through the last of the area, arriving at Toriel's house.

"Do you smell that?" Toriel asked soon after they entered. "Surprise! It's a butterscotch-cinnamon pie."

Chara's interests were perked at these words, though Frisk was too busy taking in the aroma to notice.

"I thought we could celebrate your arrival. I want you to have a nice time living here. So I will hold off on snail pie for tonight. Here, I have another surprise for you."

Toriel led Frisk into a nearby hallway off the foyer, stopping at the first door. "Here it is." she said. "A room of your own. I hope you like it!"

Frisk reached down and opened the door. Immediately, Chara flew through.

"Thank you." Frisk said.

"You are most certainly welcome. If you need me, I will be in the living room." Toriel then walked off.

Chara fluttered around the room, taking everything in, before coming to a stop in front of a drawing of a flower.

Frisk simply walked over to the bed and took a seat on it. The two remained that way, in silence, for a few minutes, before Frisk finally decided to break the ice.

"Lovely place, huh?" he asked.

Chara looked over at him, her eyes appearing disinterested.

*Nice going, moron.*

"Yes... It is." she eventually said before looking back to the drawing. "My first clear memories of Hades happened here, in this very room. Right on that bed you now sit on."

Frisk looked down at the bed, his memories shifting to that... dream? he had some time ago.

"Chrysanthe..." Frisk mumbled, still looking at the bed.

Chara's gaze shot straight at Frisk. "Where did you hear that word?" she demanded.

Frisk looked up, shocked at her sudden tone. "I, er, I remember hearing it in a... a dream I had when I slept here a few Worlds back. Chrysanthe was a word spoken, alongside..."

"Charaktiras." Chara finished.

"Yeah."

Chara floated over to the lamp in the corner. "I'm sorry I snapped like I did... It's just that, it's been a long time since I... since I heard my name spoken."

"Your... your name?"

"Yes. 'Chara' was a nickname given to me by Asriel. My *real* name is Chrysanthe. Named after my mother's favorite flower." she then gestured to the drawing.

Frisk stood up and looked at the drawing. It was of a golden flower; like those Frisk had fallen on, and those in various places within the Underground.

"It's beautiful..." Frisk said.

"Yes... yes it is."

Another few minutes of silence passed them by.

"So, was this your room while you lived down here?" Frisk asked.

"Yes. I shared it with Asriel. Though when we left Home for New Home, a great palace was built, and that was where I dwelled after."

"I see."

Frisk walked back over to the bed and removed his boots. Chara looked over at him curiously.

"Aren't you going to continue to Snowdin?" she asked.

"Nah. Not right now, at least." Frisk slipped under the bed covers and closed his eyes, quickly falling asleep.

Chara watched as Frisk quickly fell under Hypnos's spell. Once he was asleep, Chara left the room, heading off to explore the house. Within the kitchen, Toriel prepared the butterscotch-cinnamon pie for eating, cutting a slice for Frisk and setting it on a plate that she took and placed on the nightstand beside his bed.

With that task complete, Toriel turned off the lamp and went to the living room.

"And so here we are..." a soft, slow, deep voice echoed throughout the room.

Chara looked around. Nothing, the room was far too dark to see anything clearly.

"Frisk!" she hissed.

No response.

"There you lie, blissfully unaware of what you have done on the greater stage. The horrors unleashed by your determination. You blindly think yourself free from the consequences of your actions; as another I have watched. Despite this, the gluttonous Eaters of Pain and the arrogant beasts of Chaos make plans because of you. The great moths entranced by the flame you have lit."

A pencil scratching against a paper took the scene as the darkness finished speaking.

"Sleep well, young Frisk. Your peace is soon at an end."

The greater darkness lifted, and Chara could once again see her surroundings.

"FRISK!!!" she shouted.

Frisk bolted upright, alert by Chara's distressful voice.

"What!?" he said, somewhat slurred with sleep. Looking around, he found Chara floating near the door, a deeply frightened look on her face. "What is it? What's wrong?"

"Do you normally have Skias speak to you when you sleep?" she asked.

"Skias?"

Something catching her eye, Chara pointed to the nightstand. Looking over, Frisk saw a paper sitting beside the pie. Scribbled on the paper were two words, both large and sketchy.

**SLEEP WELL**

"Wh-Who wrote this?" Frisk asked, a cold chill rising through his spine. "It was Toriel, right?"

"Toriel only brought in the pie. After she left, a great darkness; perhaps Erebus himself, appeared and spoke at you."

Frisk's mind flowed back a few Worlds, when a great darkness had enveloped him and spoke to him.

"What did it say?" he asked.

Chara recounted what the darkness said. Frisk shuttered when she finished.

"Do you know who the 'Eaters of Pain' and the 'beasts of Chaos' are?" he then asked.

Chara shook her head.

"I see..."

Frisk grabbed the pie from the table and began eating it. Once finished, he put his boots back on and got off the bed.

"So, shall we continue to Snowdin?"

"Sure."

Frisk turned to the wardrobe and opened it, grabbing the jacket and the bag from within. Stashing the donut in the bag, Frisk exited the room and walked to the foyer.

Approaching the stairs, Chara spoke up once again.

"What about the wooden knife nearby?" she asked.

Frisk gave her an odd look. "What about it?"

"Shouldn't you go grab it?"

"Why?"

"Non-warriors are less likely to attack when they're attacking someone who is armed. You wouldn't have to draw it, but just having the knife would keep attackers at bay."

Frisk chuckled a bit. "Yeah sure, why not."

Backtracking out of Toriel's home, Frisk walked to the balcony with the great cityscape view. The Helian Photon Gates had opened, and the light of Helios Station poured out upon the entire Underground.

"Over here." Chara called, pointing out the wooden knife.

"Thanks." Frisk grabbed the knife and stored it on the side of the bag. He then returned to Toriel's home.

"Welcome back, my child." Toriel said, walking through the foyer, when Frisk returned.

"Oh, hey mom." Frisk said. "Would you mind too heavily if I headed off to Snowdin?"

Toriel stopped walking.

"I'd just really like to get home, is all."

"This *is* your home now." Toriel said.

"It can't be *that* hard to leave, right? I'm sure I could find my way out if I left the Citadel. Could you point me to the exit?"

Toriel stood there, silent, for a few more seconds. "I have to do something. Stay here." she said, now walking down the stairs at the back of the foyer.

"Now you have done it." Chara said.

"Relax. All part of the plan." Frisk said, climbing down the stairs himself.

The hallway below was of the same purple as the majority of the Citadel. Toriel walked down it, making haste towards an unseen destination.

"Mom, wait up!" Frisk called.

Toriel turned a corner up ahead. Frisk quickly turned it soon after, finding Toriel had halted in front of a door.

"You wish to know how to return 'home', do you not?" she asked.

"Yes, that is what I asked."

Toriel gestured to the door. "Beyond this door is the end of the Citadel. The one way exit to the rest of the Underground." Toriel paused for a breath. "I am going to destroy it. No one will ever be able to leave again. Now be a good child and go upstairs."

"Not a chance. I can't let you destroy the way out."

"Every Human that falls down here meets the same fate. I have seen it again and again. They come. They leave. They die. You naive child... if you leave the Citadel, they... Asgore... will kill you. I am only protecting you, do you understand? Now go to your room."

"Asgore wouldn't stand a chance against me. Let me through."

"Do not try to stop me. This if your final warning."

"Let me through."

Toriel turned to face Frisk. "You want to leave so badly? Hmph. You are just like the others. There is only one solution to this. Prove yourself... Prove to me you are strong enough to survive."

Orange sparks flew around Frisk as a torrent of flame shot from him, engulfing the walls in flame.

Toriel stepped backwards, impressed by the spell cast and his level of control. She then ignited her own arms, launching a great wall of flame at Frisk, who simply summoned a shield and blocked the flame.

"You have great skill with magic, despite your tender age." Toriel said. "I... I believe you are indeed strong enough to survive."

*Whoa, that was fast.*

"You sure?"

Toriel frowned, extinguishing her arms. "I know you want to go home, but... must you go? We can have a good life here."

"I have no doubt, but I'm sorry... being trapped down here, it's claustrophobic. I'm... sure you understand."

Toriel slowly nodded.

Frisk extinguished the flames that coated the walls and approached Toriel, offering a hug. Toriel knelt down and accepted it.

"When you leave..." Toriel said as they embraced. "Please do not come back. I hope you understand. Goodbye, my child." she then let go of Frisk, stood up, and walked back up the hallway.

Frisk continued through the door ahead. Looking at the hallway beyond as he walked, small slits in the walls and holes in the ceiling caught his attention once more.

"Hey Chara." he said.

"What?"

"What are these holes?"

Chara looked at the holes within the hall. "Oh, those are fonosisme," she pointed to the holes in the wall, "and those are fonope." she pointed to the holes in the ceiling.

"Alright, what are they for?"

"Killing those within this hall. They're defensive features. This hallway itself is what is called a fonozone."

"Why?"

Chara looked aghast. "To prevent incursion." she said. "The Citadel is a great curtain that was built by Monsters absolutely consumed by terror. Its entire purpose is to protect those within, like Mount Teichos."

At this point, Frisk reached the end of the hallway, and entered the final chamber. Before he could continue his conversation with Chara, however, a familiar voice called to him.

"Howdy!" Flowey said. "Tell me something, Human. When did you get chummy with Calibri?"

Frisk looked down at Flowey with contempt, ignoring the question asked.

"Alright, well here's a better question. How many times have we 'first' met?"

"Oh, just a few times."

Flowey laughed a bit. "It always seems like just a few times."

"What do you want?"

"Oh, I'm sure you already know the answer to that question. I'd better not repeat myself. Be seeing you around, Human." Flowey retreated into the ground.

Frisk heaved a heavy sigh, then heaved the Citadel door open, exiting into Snowdin.

"Hey Chara," Frisk said, stepping through the snow that now surrounded him. "if the Citadel is supposed to be a protective fortress for all Monster-kind, why is the door to leave so small?"

"That door you just came through is the back-door, is why. The main gate is on the other side, and is much larger."

"The other side?"

"Over near New Home, at least the section the Palace was in."

"I see. Why have a back-door in the first place?"

"So castle inhabitants could flee in the event of invasion. An invading army would have great difficulty breaking through here, and would have a harder time inside. This tower is isolated from the rest of the Citadel, and all doorways to the City are hidden. You saw the fonozone within as well. That long hallway would act as a serious obstacle to bypass. The sharp turns and tight spaces within also make perfect positions to hold off attackers. Every part of the Citadel, especially the Royal Watchtower, was built in such a way to make invasion nigh impossible. And that's just in case an attacking force even finds it."

"Alright. I think I understand."

"Understand what?" Sans said from behind Frisk.

Frisk jumped upon hearing Sans's voice.

"What's the matter kiddo, it looks like you've seen a ghost. Sounds like you're talking to one, too."

"Can you not?" Frisk asked.

"Not what? Be absolutely hilarious? Sorry bud, no-can-do."

"Nevermind."

Calibri, who'd jumped from one of the many tall, thin trees around them, landed in some snow nearby. "Sup Frisk." he said upon regaining his posture.

"Not much. Just learning stuff about the Citadel from Chara before Sans popped by."

"Oh? Have you gotten to the part about how it's strikingly similar in design and defensive capability to that of a medieval European castle, or how the Monsters somehow managed to find all the stone to build it in less than a week?"

"Um, no. Why?"

"No reason. Just some strange stuff regarding it that I found interesting."

"I see."

Calibri slapped his hands together. "So," he said, "I'm going to Grillby's. Anybody wanna come with?"

"Sounds like fun." Sans said. "Whaddya say, kiddo?"

"Yeah sure."

A shrill, unintelligible noise sounded from further in the forest.

"Ah, right on time. Let's go get Papyrus and bring him with." Calibri said.

"You sure that's a good idea?" Sans asked.

"I don't see why it wouldn't be. Once he shows up just up here, we tell him that a Human has been located, and then the five of us can have a jolly good time before reaching Snowdin."

"Sounds great, let's go."

Calibri, Frisk, and Sans all crossed the bridge. Ahead, Papyrus walked full speed towards them.

"Sup bro?" Sans asked. "We were just taking the Human to Grillby's. Wanna come?"

"NO SANS, I DON'T HAVE TIME TO SLA— WAIT, DID YOU JUST SAY YOU FOUND A HUMAN!?!"

"Yup."

"REALLY!?!? WOWIE!!! GUESS I SHALL!!"

The four then started making their way deeper into the forest, Chara following close behind. The trip was short, especially with Sans telling the Canine Unit to go on break when their warriors were encountered. The trip would occasionally be somewhat elongated, however, when passing over a few of puzzle, which Papyrus insisted on putting Frisk through. When the group finally did reach Grillby's, Frisk hurried inside and flopped onto the booth near the entrance.

"H-h-h-hiya!" a rabbit in the opposite booth said before planting her face back onto the table.

"I'm sure she won't mind us joining her." Calibri said as Sans used gravity magic to move her to the wall-side of the booth. Those two then took a seat in the booth, with Papyrus sitting down next to Frisk.

"HOW CAN YOU TOLERATE ALL THIS GREASE, HUMAN?" Papyrus asked.

"Very carefully."

Grillby approached the booth table.

"Hey Grillby." Sans said. "Give us just a minute."

"We'll take three orders of fries." Calibri said. "That's it."

Grillby wrote on a notebook then walked off, into the back room.

"Fries?" Sans asked.

"Yeah, it's what Frisk ordered with you in the first few Runs. It's also what I'd've gotten, and you'd eat anything from here. Papyrus isn't getting anything."

"Wow, stalker much." Frisk said.

"Pays to have all the information."

Grillby returned from the back room with a small platter holding three bags of fries.

"Here comes the grub." Sans said, pulling a bottle of ketchup from an internal pocket. "Anybody want some ketchup?"

"I'll pass." Calibri said.

"Nah."

"More for me." Sans said, unscrewing the cap and chugging the bottle. Once finished, he replaced the cap and stashed the bottle back in his jacket.

Frisk ate a few fries before looking up at Calibri.

"So Calibri," he said, "I think I know the answer, but what's a 'Run'?"

"A Run through the Underground in a single continuous setting. It's the span of time between each RESET."

"Ah, okay. I know those better as Worlds."

"Worlds?"

"Yeah, it's what the Timepiece calls them."

"Interesting. May we... *see* the Timepiece?"

Frisk looked thoughtfully down at his pocket.

"GO AHEAD. THEY CANNOT DO ANYTHING." the Timepiece said.

Frisk reached down and pulled the pocketwatch from his pocket, placing it down on the table.

"Fascinating..." Calibri said, picking it up and looking at it. "Sans, have you ever seen this decal before?"

Sans looked at the front. "Hmm... it... it *seems* familiar, but I can't place why."

"I'm getting the same feeling..."

"What's going on?" Frisk asked.

Calibri looked from the pocketwatch to Frisk. "It's probably nothing." he said, handing it back. "So that's the device Flowey used, huh."

"Seems that way."

"WHO'S FLOWEY?" Papyrus asked.

"Talking flower, you've probably met him, Papyrus. Charming fellow." Calibri answered.

"OH, I KNOW OF A TALKING FLOWER! HE'S MY BEST FRIEND!"

"Yup, so I've heard."

The group went back to eating for the most part for a minute.

"I, ER, HATE TO BE THE ONE TO ASK THIS," Papyrus said, "BUT ARE WE EVER GOING TO, YOU KNOW, ACTUALLY *CAPTURE* THE HUMAN?"

"What? We already did." Calibri said.

"WE DID?"

"Yeah, he's right here, isn't he? All you need to do now is take him to Undyne so she can kill him and take his SOUL."

"BUT, UH, I KNOW WE NEED THEIR SOUL, BUT ISN'T THERE A WAY TO GET IT THAT'S LESS... MURDERY?"

"Nope, sorry. Can't make an omelet without breaking a few eggs and all that."

"Actually—"

"Sans, please don't open wormholes inside the eggs again. You know what happened last time, we don't need a repeat."

Sans laughed nervously. "Yeah, alright."

"Why, what happened?" Frisk asked.

"Nothing." both Calibri and Sans said at the same time.

"Alright then, keep your secrets."

Frisk finished off the last of his fries.

"Say, Papyrus. Since you seem to be great friends with the Human now, why not take him to see Undyne?" Calibri suggested.

"WHEN DID I BECOME GREAT FRIENDS WITH THE HUMAN?"

"Right now. We're all hanging out, aren't we?"

"THAT IS TRUE, BUT ISN'T 'HANGING OUT' SUPPOSED TO BE ONE-ON-ONE, LIKE TRAINING?"

"It can be, but it can also be just like this."

"I SEE. AHEM. HUMAN!" Papyrus said. "WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO MEET MY BOSS, UNDYNE?"

"Sure. Sounds like a party."

"WOWIE! THEN LET'S GO!!"

Frisk and Papyrus slid out of the booth and, unceremoniously, exited Grillby's.

"THIS WAY, HUMAN." Papyrus led.

Frisk and Papyrus continued through Snowdin, approaching the Waterfall Caves. Within, the light of Helios grew dim, and the glowing crystals within the walls took over the heavy lifting in guiding entities through the darkness.

"Good luck, you two." Sans said from his station when they reached it.

"THANKS, SANS. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!"

The two advanced deeper in. Ahead, one of the strange boxes came into view near a river.

"Oh, Frisk. The gauntlets." Chara said.

*That's right.* "Hey Papyrus, gimme just a second, would you?"

"OF COURSE."

Frisk opened the box and pulled the gauntlets, which still stood the test of time, from it. Immediately, Frisk put them on.

"WOWIE, UNDYNE WOULD LIKE SOMETHING LIKE THAT. YOU CERTAINLY KNOW HOW TO PREPARE YOURSELF."

Frisk and Papyrus then crossed the river, Papyrus wading through it, with Frisk just freezing pillars of ice through to the bottom, walking on the surface.

"AHEAD IS WHERE I NORMALLY MEET UP WITH UNDYNE. IF, UH, YOU COULD JUST WAIT HERE, I'LL TRY AND... TALK TO HER."

Papyrus then went on ahead. Frisk, already knowing how it all was going to turn out, waited just a bit before advancing himself.