Underearth/Book 5/Chapter 10

</span

The knocks on the great metal door to the Hotlands Laboratory sounded empty... hollow. When an answer was not received, Frisk summoned a narrow rod and jammed it into the slit between the sliding doors, wrenching them apart. The doors open, Frisk walked inside.

"Alphys?" he croaked. Clearing his throat, Frisk called out again, though there was no answer. "I have a letter for you from Undyne."

A scraping sound told him that Alphys was slowly emerging from wherever she was hiding. Riding down the escalator, Alphys soon appeared, shoveling her own sorrow from her face.

"Y-you said you h-had a letter?" she asked meekly.

Frisk walked over to her, letter in hand, and presented it to her. Taking it, Alphys tore open the envelope without much thought and read it over, slowly turning more and more red as she read. Upon finishing, she looked back up at Frisk.

"W-w-who d-did you s-say wrote this l-letter?" she asked.

"Undyne. You know, one of the people you have a crush on."

Alphys turned even more red, moving her hands in front of her face in a feeble attempt to hide.

"Don't do that. Face your feelings with pride, Alphys."

"B-but..." Alphys sputtered out. "I mean... Undyne is way out of my league."

"Don't say that. You shouldn't impose on others feeling of contempt that you hold for yourself. Undyne likes you. That letter should be more than enough proof of that. So, what are you going to do about it?"

"I... I..."

"Let's start with something simple." Frisk guided. "Go get dressed. You're going on a date."

"B-b-b-but—"

"I don't wanna hear it. Go upstairs and put on your best dress." Frisk guided Alphys back to the up escalator. "Come back down when you're ready."

Boarding the escalator, Alphys rose to the upper floor, out of sight. A few minutes later, she emerged again, riding down the escalator.

"H-how do I look?" she asked, now wearing an aqua blue dress with red polka dots.

"Brilliant. Undyne is going to blow her mind when she sees you in that."

"You... really think so?"

"Absolutely. Let's go. She's probably waiting at the garbage dump near the Quiet Village."

Alphys took a deep breath. "Okay."

Frisk and Alphys exited the lab, going down the stairs to the Acheron, where Charon was waiting.

"Tra la la. Care for a ride?" he asked.

"Yes. Take us to Waterfall, would you?"

Charon gestured to the back of the boat, which Frisk helped Alphys onto, before climbing aboard himself. A few minutes later, through the musical hums of Charon, they arrived at the port just outside the Quiet Village.

"Come again some time. Tra la la."

Frisk and Alphys continued forward, through the village, to the garbage dump nearby.

As they neared the waterfall that hid away the garbage dump, Alphys started jabbering about it all being a bad idea, but Frisk snapped her back into focus. Arriving at the waterfall, it turns out it had already been split. Undyne stood beyond, near one of the heaps of trash. Seeing her standing there, Alphys began quietly freaking out.

"I can't do this." she said, trying to get past Frisk and run back up to the Quiet Village. "The only reason she likes me is because she things I'm a lot cooler than I actually am. If she gets close to me, she'll... she'll find out the truth about me."

Alphys finally got past Frisk and started running up the ramp. Frisk, however, simply released an annoyed sigh and snatched her with gravity magic, pulling her back.

"Alphys!" he said sternly. "Shut up!"

Alphys stopped murmuring and struggling.

"You don't know a damn thing. Go. Tell Undyne the truth about yourself."

"The truth...?" Alphys squeaked. "but if I tell her that, she'll hate me."

"You don't know that. You'll never know that unless you get out there and get your feet wet." Frisk shot Alphys out into the garbage dump at Undyne, splashing her into the knee-deep water.

Undyne looked over at the sudden commotion that had happened nearby. Seeing Alphys, a grin expanded across her face.

"Hey Alphys," she said, seemingly unconcerned that she just suddenly appeared, splashing into the water. "your outfit's really cute! What's the occasion?"

"I... I..."

Frisk strolled out onto the scene. Seeing him, Undyne's grin faded slightly.

"Wait a second. Are you two... on a date?"

"No." Frisk said firmly before Alphys could speak. "I was simply helping Miss Alphys here not miss her date with you." Helping Alphys out of the water, Frisk looked back at Undyne. "I believe Alphys actually has something extremely important to tell you."

Undyne turned back to Alphys.

"Undyne..." Alphys began. Looking to Frisk for help, Frisk simply gestured for her to face Undyne. "I... I've been lying to you!"

*Mmm... Smooth.*

"WHAT???" Undyne screamed. "ABOUT WHAT???"

"About... well... everything!" Looking straight up at Undyne, Alphys started gushing. "I told you that seaweed was like... scientifically important. Really, I just... I just use it to make ice cream!" Alphys stepped closer to Undyne. "And those Human history books I keep reading... those are just dorky comic books!" another step closer. "And the history movies... those are just, uh, anime! They aren't real! And that time I told you I was busy with work on the phone... I... was just eating frozen yogurt in my pajamas! That time I..." Alphys stood directly beside Undyne now.

"Alphys." Undyne interrupted.

"I... I just wanted to impress you!" Alphys continued. "I just wanted you to think I was smart and cool. That I wasn't some... nerdy loser."

"Alphys." Undyne said, crouching down, rubbing Alphys's head in an attempt to console her.

"Undyne, I... I really think you're neat, okay..."

Undyne bent over completely and embraced Alphys. "Alphys." she said. "Shhhh. Shhhhhh."

Grabbing Alphys tightly, Undyne heaved her up into the air and threw her into a nearby garbage can.

*What in the hell!?* Frisk thought.

"Alphys!" Undyne said. "I... think you're neat, too, I guess. But, you've gotta realize... Most of what you said really doesn't matter to me. I don't care if you're watching kid cartoons or reading history books. To me, *all* of that stuff is just *nerdy crap*! What I like about you is that you're *passionate*! You're *analytical*!! It doesn't matter what it is! YOU CARE ABOUT IT!! 100–PERCENT!! AT MAXIMUM POWER!!! So, you don't have to lie to me. I don't want you to have to lie to anyone anymore. Alphys... I want to help you become happy with who you are! And I know just the training you need to do that!"

Alphys peaked up out of the garbage can. "Undyne... You... y-you're gonna train me...?"

Undyne pulled out her phone and typed something in. "Pffft, what? *Me*?" she said.

In the next moment, Papyrus ran into the garbage dump from the ramp nearby.

"Nah, I'm gonna get Papyrus to do it."

"GET THOSE BONES SHAKIN'!!!" Papyrus said as he approached the place everyone was standing around. "IT'S TIME TO JOG 100 LAPS, HOOTING ABOUT HOW GREAT WE ARE!!!"

"Ready?" Undyne asked. "I'm about to start the timer!"

"U-Undyne..." Alphys whimpered. "I'll do my best...!"

Crawling out of the garbage can, Alphys and Papyrus ran off, hooting about how great they were.

"OH MY GOD!!!" Undyne spurted out as soon as they disappeared from sight. "She was kidding, right!? Those cartoons... those comics... those are still *real*, right!?" Undyne ran up to Frisk and grabbed him by the shoulders. "ANIME'S REAL, RIGHT?!?!" she demanded him to answer, shaking him back and forth.

"Sorry to say," Frisk said, now a bit shaken, "but if I told you anime was real just to make you feel better after I *just* convinced Alphys to tell you the truth, that would only make me a hypocrite. No. Anime is *not real*."

"No... NO!!!!" Undyne screamed to the chamber ceiling. "I CAN FEEL MY HEART BREAKING INTO PIECES!!!" Undyne collapsed into the water. "... no, I can survive this... I have to be strong. For Alphys." Undyne stood back up and faced Frisk. "Thank you, Human, for telling me the truth. I'll try my best to live in this world... See you later!"

Undyne, too, then ran off.

Looking around the chamber after the dramatic sequence that just took place, Frisk noticed Chara hovering off in the distance. Upon seeing her, he looked away, the memories of her yelling pouring back to him. Wading through the water, Frisk, too, left the garbage dump behind.

Watching the lone Human walk away, Chara sighed and phased through the rock beside her.

*He'll be going to that dark laboratory next.* she thought as her vision was dark through the blackened rock, occasionally flashing brightly due to passing through a piece of uranium. Reaching the light of the aqueduct, Chara continued through to the Hotlands, carefully waiting for Frisk to catch up so she could progress some more herself.

During this hell of free-floating, Chara had discovered that she couldn't stray too far from her SOUL—from Frisk.

Reaching the Hotlands, Chara floated into the laboratory, waiting near the door. When Frisk entered, she spoke.

"Frisk..." she said meekly.

Frisk looked over at the wall beside the door. Chara stood there, her gaze directed at the floor. Seeing her there, Frisk simply took a deep breath.

Chara closed her eyes, expecting the end of that breath to be shouting. *After what I said...* she thought, *I deserve this...*

"Come on. Let's go." Frisk said, walking towards the elevator near the back.

Chara opened her eyes. "Wh... what?"

"Come on. We got a lab to clear."

Gazing back towards the ground, Chara followed, though at a marginal distance.

Entering the elevator, Frisk pressed the button to go down to the hidden laboratory beneath.

"Frisk..." Chara said as the elevator started downward.

"Don't." Frisk said. "I don't want to hear an apology, at least right now... Right now, I just... want to finish destroying the Barrier." he looked over at Chara. "I'm glad you're back."

Chara felt tears forming in her eyes. Wiping them away, she breathed a sigh of relief.

As the elevator continued downwards, it suddenly lost power, just as it had in Frisk's second World. Expecting this, Frisk shot off the emergency exit at the top of the elevator with gravity magic, and shot himself upward, holding himself still within the shaft as the elevator plummeted down, exploding upon hitting the bottom.

Floating back down, Frisk landed in the elevator and exited into the hallway beyond. Everything was dark.

Walking through the halls, Frisk first went to the infirmary. Being attacked by a vicious creature shaped like a melting skull, Frisk summoned a shield around it and trapped it inside. He then grabbed the red cylinder from the nearby sink and slotted it into the machine further inside.

Wandering the rest of the laboratory, using magic to protect himself from the amalgamates that appeared from time to time, Frisk eventually made it to a large workroom. The left corner of the workroom featured a desk with a large tube-monitor sitting on it. To the right of the desk was a bookshelf filled with VHS tapes. Next to that, in the center of the room, stood a short table with a massive tube-television sitting upon it, in front sitting five VHS tapes caked in dust. Next to that was another bookshelf filled with VHS tapes, and beyond that was another machine that required a cylinder to be slotted into it.

Slotting the yellow cylinder Frisk had retrieved into the slot in the machine, all the screens lit up.

Chara floated over to the computer. "Necrotic SOUL persistence project." she read off the screen. "Was Uncle Wing trying to circumvent Monster SOULs disappearing once the body turns to dust?"

"Sounds that way." Frisk said. "Not just that, but also trying to use this circumvention to destroy the Barrier, or 'kill Cerberus', as the entries say."

Chara looked to the television set. "And what about this?" she asked.

Frisk looked over at it. "I'm... not too sure." he said. "I never got the chance to investigate it when I was here last."

Looking down at the small stack of VHS tapes in front of the television, Frisk grabbed the first one and slotted it into the space at the base of the set.

The television screen slowly scratched into focus. The screen was dark, but Frisk swore if he looked hard enough, he could make out shadowy shapes in the darkness.

"Psssst." sound came through the speakers. "Gorey, wake up."

"That sounds like mom..." Chara lamented.

"Mmm? What is it, dear?" a deeper voice sounded next. "... err, and why do you have that video camera?"

"Shush! I want to get your reaction. Gorey, dearest. What is my favorite vegetable?"

"Hmmm... Carrots, right?"

"No no no! My *favorite* vegetable is... eda—*mom*—e." silence sounded for a few seconds. "... get it???"

"Go back to bed, dear." the deeper voice said after a few more seconds of silence.

"No no!! Not yet! Hee hee hee. Now, if I were a dog, what breed of dog would I be?"

"Hmmm... I don't know, honey. What kind of dog would you be?"

"I would be... a *momeranian*."

"Hohoho! You sure are excited to have this child. You know, if you keep making jokes like this, one day, you could be a famous *mom*edian."

Silence struck the room again.

"Well, I am going to bed." the higher voice said.

"Hey! Come on, Tori! That one was funny!"

"Hahaha, I know. I am just teasing you. Goodnight, dear."

"Goodnight, honey."

"Oh dear, perhaps it is too dark in here for the video to come out..." the higher voice said after a few seconds.

The video cut out, rewinding the tape before ejecting it.

"Sounded like a recording of mom and dad from before Asriel was born." Chara said.

"Sounds it." Frisk said, pulling the tape out.

Chara looked over at him. "You understood what was being said?" she asked.

"... yeah? I mean, was I not supposed to?"

"Milas Anenthika?" Chara asked.

"What?"

"How did you understand what was being said in the tape? They were speaking Anendotan."

Frisk looked down at the tape in his hand.

"It... sounded like they were speaking English just fine..." he said.

"They weren't. That was Anendotan, through and through."

Engulfed in silent contemplation, Frisk placed the first tape back on the table and plugged the second one in.

As the screen flickered to life, Toriel's home, specifically the dining area of the living room, came into view. Toriel and Asgore sat across from one-another, a red ethereal stream extending from both their chests, congregating into a bulging orb perfectly between them, just above a table.

The scene shifted a bit as the camera was rearranged.

"Alright, camera's rolling." an unfamiliar voice came through the speakers.

"Thank you, Wing." Toriel said.

"Steady now." a reserved voice said as its speaker, a flaming humanoid Frisk recognized as Grillby, walked up behind Asgore. "The body formation is almost complete."

"I still say you should have gone to a more defensible location." another voice, one Frisk recognized to belong to Gerson, though not as old, said. "You're birthing the future of all Monster-kind. If somebody were to attack..."

"I appreciate your concern, Gerson, but I will remain with Tori on this one." Asgore said.

"Honestly, I wish you boys would stop going on about surprise attacks for once." Toriel said. "You always sound as though we could be attacked without warning at any second."

"Sorry, my queen."

At that moment, the ethereal stream boldened, and both Asgore and Toriel stiffened up slightly.

"Easy now, it should just be a few more minutes." Grillby said.

"It feels..." Toriel breathed. "like my very core is being torn from me."

"Well," a more whimsical voice chimed in, one Frisk recognized to belong to Charon. "you *are* using magic to create the body for another living creature."

"Speaking of them using magic, shouldn't we be more worried?" another new voice said, one Frisk somewhat recognized, but couldn't place.

"What do you mean?" Charon asked.

"I mean, based on what Wing has figured out about this Curse, the more we Monsters use our magic, the closer we bring ourselves to death. Since the king and queen are using their magic to form a new living creature, shouldn't we be far more worried? I've heard of birth-related deaths in the villages below."

"You have a fair point, Serif," the voice earlier labeled 'Wing' said, "but you shouldn't worry. Based on what we know of this 'Curse' that Tephra so kindly granted us, it has affected Monsters differently. Everyone here is what I've started calling a 'Boss Monster'. We all regenerate our magic faster than our bodies can burn it. While the others burn through their magic, fall down, and die, we would simply fall down, then return to normal sometime later."

"And what if you're wrong, Wing?" Serif asked.

"Well, that's why I implored us all to be here. We're all 'Boss Monsters', after all. If something were to go wrong, we could reverse whatever happens with the magical techniques Toriel taught us."

As Wing finished speaking, the orb between Asgore and Toriel took shape into a small goat-like creature and lowered itself to the table. Nearing the surface, the ethereal tether that connected the orb to Asgore and Toriel disappeared. As it vanished, both the Monsters relaxed, breathing roughly.

In front of the camera, a tall figure in a flowing white coat stepped out towards the small goat-Monster. Bringing its hands up, the tall figure lifted the small goat-Monster with gravity magic, carefully delivering the baby to its mother, Toriel.

"It's a boy." the figure—Wing—said. He then turned to Asgore. "So, Asgore, what will you name him?"

"Hmm..." Asgore contemplated. "How about... As... Asriel?"

Laugher engulfed the room.

"W-What!? It's a good name!" Asgore said.

"Yes..." Toriel said, which slowly silenced the laughter. "Yes, it is. Asriel. Asriel Dreemurr." Toriel then looked up at Wing. "Thank you, Wing, for setting up the camera. You can turn it off now."

Wing stepped back towards the camera, turning around the time his head cut out of frame. The picture was then quickly cut off. Rewinding the tape, it was then ejected.

Frisk pulled the tape from the slot, placing it down on the table, next to the first.

"I take it you understood everything in that one, too?" Chara asked.

"Yeah. Was it also in Anendotan?"

"Yes."

"Hmm..."

Frisk pulled the third one from the stack and slotted it into the TV. A few seconds later, the screen was absorbed in static, blaring harsh screams of nothing as black and white lines streaked across the screen. Ejecting the tape, Frisk placed it next to the first two.

"Geez, I forgot how much I hated corrupted tapes." Frisk said. "How long have these been here, anyway?"

"A few hundred years is my guess..." Chara said.

"Wow, I'm surprised the first two are in the good shape they're in, then..."

Grabbing the fourth tape, Frisk slotted it into the TV. Darkness dominated the screen.

"Okay, Chara, are you ready?" a high voice said. Upon hearing this voice, Chara's attention peaked, drawing her undivided attention to the TV. "Do your creepy face!" A few seconds later, the high voice let out a scream, then some laughter. "Oh! Wait! I had the lens cap on..."

"Oh, that is such a shame." Chara said from beside Frisk, her voice solemn. Her voice then quieted to below that of a whisper as she continued mouthing words.

"What!?" the TV continued. "You're not gonna do it again...? Come on, quit tricking me! Haha!"

The TV went completely silent for a few seconds before continuing.

"Howdy, Chara! Smile for the camera! Ha, this time I got *you*! I left the cap on... *on purpose*! Now you're smiling for noooo reason! Hee hee hee!"

"No..." Frisk heard Chara whisper. Looking over at her, he saw her eyes were wide with terror, tears pooling at their base.

"What?" the recording continued. "Oh, yeah, I remember. When we tried to make butterscotch pie for dad, right? The recipe asked for cups of butter, but we accidentally put in buttercups instead."

*Oh... oh no...!* Frisk thought.

"Yeah! Those flowers got him really sick. I felt so bad. We made mom really upset. I should have laughed it off, like you did..."

Frisk looked back at Chara, who's jaw was quivering now as a few tear-streaks decorated her cheeks.

"Um, anyway, where are you going with this? Huh? Turn off the camera...? Okay."

The TV went completely silent again. Chara closed her eyes, releasing a few more tears, as she lowered her head. When sound sparked back through the speakers, Frisk and Chara shot their focus back to the TV.

"I... I don't like this idea, Chara." the high voice said. "Wh... what? N-no, I'm not... big kids don't cry. Yeah, you're right. No! I'd never doubt you, Chara... Never! Y... yeah! We'll be strong! We'll free everyone. I'll go get the flowers." the recording went silent again.

Frisk didn't look back at Chara, he simply stared at the black screen in utter horror. A few seconds later, sound sparked through again.

"Chara... Can you hear me?" a higher voice—Toriel's—sounded through the speaker. "We want you to wake up..."

"Chara!" a deeper voice—Asgore's—sounded next. "You have to stay determined! You can't give up... you are the future of Humans and Monsters..."

After a few seconds, a high voice, the one from earlier in this tape, sounded.

"Psst... Chara..." the high voice said. "Please... wake up... I don't like this plan anymore. I... I... no, I said... I said I'd never doubt you. Six, right? We just have to get six... And we'll do it together, right?"

The recording finally stopped, rewinding itself before ejecting.

Frisk looked over at Chara. She was no longer looking at the screen. Instead, she was hunched over, her hair obscuring her face. Silently, Frisk pulled the fourth tape from the slot, and inserted the fifth and final one.

The picture opened to a granite-white room. Asgore was standing in front of a mirror, wearing his kingly apparel.

"The crowd is gathered, sir." Wing said from nearby.

"Is it composed?" Asgore asked, working carefully on the crest holding his cape.

"Yes sir. I finished it only a few hours ago."

"Excellent." Asgore stepped away from the mirror, towards a skeleton with a fracture rising from his right eye, and another connecting his left eye to his mouth. The skeleton presented some papers to Asgore, which he took before approaching a nearby balcony. After about a minute, he stepped out onto the balcony, where a roar of voices celebrated him. Asgore raised his hand, which told the crowd to quiet down.

"I have heard some rumors among you," he started, "stating that the heirs to the Kingdom of Monsters—the last bastion of safety for Monster-kind—have been slain by Human hands. I wish to... confirm these rumors. They are true."

An uproar formed within the crowd. Asgore raised his hand for silence once again.

"Not long after my Human daughter, Chrysanthe, had been claimed by a ravenous illness that left her bloody and in agonizing pain, she died. Grieved, my son, Asriel, claimed her SOUL, and—with his awesome new power—left for the Surface. He returned some time ago, beaten and scarred. He would not survive long." Asgore paused for a few seconds. "When he returned, Asriel... my son relayed what had happened to me. He simply wished to fulfill Chrysanthe's final request—to see the flowers of Ochyro, the flowers of her name. Taking her SOUL, Asriel carried her body to this dreaded place. Upon reaching the flowerbed within Ochyro, the vile Humans attacked. They attacked with everything they had. He could have destroyed them *all*, but he was not there for war. He was there to fulfill the request of a dying friend—a dying sister.

"Thus we see the *true* nature of Humanity. They think themselves to be the civilized ones, yet will attack a mere *child* simply for not being a Human. Those of you who have lost children in the past must know that, despite appearing calm from without, I burn with an unyielding hatred within. However, as your king—the King of all Monsters—I must set aside my own feelings and think of you. I do not want to drag us into a war with the Humans for my own personal vendetta, so if you—the Monsters I am king over—do not wish to go to war, it will be so. If you wish to balance the scales of Dike and go to war, it will be so."

"JUSTICE!!!" a voice from the crowd shouted.

"DEATH TO HUMANITY!!!!" another voice.

The rest of the crowd started shouting various things until, after about a minute, the entire crowd was chanting "Justice".

Asgore raised his hand to silence the crowd again.

"I have heard your pleas for justice, and so it shall be done. We must break free of this dark prison the Humans had built for us." Asgore's voice adopted a tone of bitterness and hate that Frisk had never heard before. "From now on, every Human that falls down here shall be hunted and killed, their SOUL preserved for the day we shall kill Cerberus. When the Human-made beast lay dead, we shall turn the war to the surface, and we shall *not* stop until every Human in the world lay dead."

Cheers rang from the crowd below. Satisfied, Asgore stepped back into the room.

"It is done." he said. "Our freedom awaits."

Asgore handed back the papers he'd taken from the skeleton.

"Asgore..." Grillby said. "Are... are you sure it was a good idea to lie to the people like that? We don't actually know what happened up there."

"I didn't care what I had to say," Asgore replied, "just so long as the people agreed to carry out another war."

"I understand." Grillby said. "I stand with you, Asgore."

"I, as well." Gerson echoed.

Wing, Serif, and Charon echoed these words as well.

"I shall stand by you too." Toriel said from behind the camera.

"Thank you. All of you. I could never ask for greater friends, or a greater wife." Asgore gestured to the entity holding the camera.

The screen then flickered and stopped, rewinding the tape before ejecting it.

Silently, Frisk pulled out the final tape and placed it back where it was, carefully rebuilding the stack he'd originally found.

"Frisk...?" Chara whimpered. "Could you... go on ahead? I... I need a few minutes..."

Frisk didn't speak. Instead, he simply nodded, which he wasn't even sure Chara saw, and ascended the staircase from the workroom.

From the workroom, Frisk continued back through the laboratory as he had the last time he was here, eventually slotting the last of the cylinders into the slots, activating the reactor elevator. Riding it down, Chara joined back with him as he approached a strange machine with many wires and cables located at the back of the reactor room. Like before, Frisk felt this extreme unease, like somebody was watching him.

"You ready to get out of here?" Frisk asked.

Chara nodded.

Approaching the machine, a keyboard extended out to him. Pressing the big red button in the middle, the keyboard retracted, with the heart-shaped crystal in the middle glowing. Light in the room flickered to life.

With the light flashing back on, a few more amalgamates dropped from the ceiling. As they approached Frisk, Alphys appeared at the entrance, calling them to stop. Like in the second World, Alphys explained what had happened down in this laboratory, what she had done, before walking off herself.

Holding behind in the reactor room for a few minutes, Frisk too then exited, entering the elevator as he received a cryptic phone call. Within, after the line dropped dead, the elevator suddenly fell, teleporting itself from the laboratory to Elysium.