Underearth/Book 4/Chapter 3

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"This world will live on...!" Undyne gasped out before losing the last of her strength and falling off the cliff she stood against into the abyss below.

*So long, Undyne.* Frisk thought solemnly as she tumbled to her death.

"Wow." Chara announced from behind him. "*That* was dramatic." she then said before sucking down more of the drink inside the skull she held.

Frisk flipped around violently to face her. She was sitting on a bolder that he didn't remember being there before.

"Too bad I missed the fight. I am certain it was spectacular." Chara continued, seemingly aloof of Frisk's demeanor.

"When'd you get here?" Frisk forced out through his clenched teeth.

"Oh, around the time Undyne was bragging about how great her friends were. So not *too* long ago."

Frisk grimaced at her as she took another sip. As he stared, the aroma of the drink finally made its way to Frisk. He recognized the scent but couldn't place it. It smelled of flowers and honey.

"What is that?" he asked, distracted by the scent.

Chara looked down at the skull.

"You would know it from the fish you just murdered as 'golden flower tea'." she jabbed. "I, however, know it by a different name."

"And what would that be?" Frisk asked.

Chara looked back up at him. After a few seconds of careful consideration, she simply smiled and said "Afto einai mystiko!" She then jumped off the bolder and began walking back towards the caves. "Well, I am off for more tea." she said. "See you later, Partner."

Frisk watched as Chara once again vanished into the darkness of the caves. Once she was out of sight, Frisk shook his head violently and walked through the crag towards the Hotlands. Upon entering the Hotlands, something seemed off. In both Worlds before, he had to fight those Royal Guards out in front of Alphys's laboratory. This time, however, they were nowhere to be found.

As he continued forward towards the lab, he looked around cautiously.

*Perhaps they got a warning that I was coming...* he thought.

Just then, a sudden pain pierced into his right shoulder, quickly followed by a brief clap of sound which was followed by total silence, save a sudden high-pitched whistle that encapsulated both his ears, the pain of which so great that Frisk shut his eyes.

Upon trying to reopen them, he found it extremely difficult, as though he was waking up from a long night. When he finally opened them enough to see, he found that he was lying on the ground. His head was splitting, only outdone by the horrible stinging sensation in his right shoulder. Frisk, with great difficulty, moved his left hand over to try and rub at his shoulder in an attempt to alleviate the pain. When it reached it, Frisk felt a weird warm liquid sort of spraying at his hand. Opening his eyes further and looking to his shoulder, he found nothing. Only a horribly blood-stained hand and a dark shadow a little distance away. Focusing on the shadow, he saw that it was an arm. *His* arm. A few seconds later and Frisk found himself standing back in the caves, looking out at the Hotlands.

"What the hell was that?" Frisk mumbled to himself. "What just happened?"

Cautiously, he stepped back out into the Hotlands, crossed the bridge, and back to where he had collapsed, lacking an arm. Upon reaching this point, he turned around to look back at the way he came.

Nothing.

Grabbing onto his shoulders, Frisk entered the laboratory.