Multiverse Saga/Taken!Altertale/Chapter 8

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"Is that it?" Chara asked. "Did we beat him?"

"Looks like it." Ink answered.

Rhosaith stepped towards where Infected's body disappeared. Nothing remained.

Despite the seemingly easy victory, 404 didn't look pleased. As the other Mercenaries gathered to pat one-another on the back, he stepped away, up towards the nearby river.

"Where are you going?" Rhosaith asked him.

"To continue my hunt." 404 answered.

"Your hunt?"

"Yes. Stay out of my way. All of you were more of a hindrance than an actual help."

As 404 finished speaking, a white slit cut through the air, opening up and bending light around it. Upon reaching its greatest width, 404 stepped through, and the rift closed.

"He's real quick to leave upon victory, isn't he." Sans said, looking contemptibly in the direction where 404 had left.

"He does seem to have a stick firmly wedge up there, if you get my meaning." Papyrus added.

With everyone's attention either on Toriel or on 404's leaving, nobody took notice of S.T and Swap heading back to the Citadel.

After a few moments, Rhosaith walked back over to where Toriel lay.

"So what do we do about her?" she asked.

"We take her back to the Nexus, where she starts a new life." Dream answered.

"You don't have to answer so fast, you know."

Dream shook his head. "It's basic Alliance policy. Anybody who survives having their universe irreparably damaged by a Destroyer is to be relocated to the Nexus, and the universe is to be relocated for Alliance purposes."

"Basic policy? How... how often does this happen?"

Dream shook his head again. "Too often."

"What happens to universes that have been relocated?"

Dream shrugged. "They're with the Alliance, and that's all that matters to me."

Rhosaith stepped away from the group as they talked among themselves.

"Hamlet," Rhosaith said, "same question."

"One moment, my lady.

"It seems that the Alliance has made a deal with the local 'Keeper' League to harvest such pre-rift universes for raw material. Once the universe has been emptied, the local 'Keepers' siphon the Void for new material, and everything begins anew as the universe is given a new designation and continues as a 'newly formed' universe."

"That's awful."

"That's politics. The Multiverse Alliance is a K4 civilization that's well on its way to becoming a K5 within the next few billion years. At that point, it's impossible to progress further without working with the local 'Keeper' forces."

"What would happen if I... disrupt this agreement?" Rhosaith asked.

"Well, you'd likely upset the Alliance, but I doubt the local League would care much."

"Then that is what I'll do."

Rhosaith stepped back towards the group.

"I'm not letting the Alliance get their hands on this universe." she declared.

Everyone looked at her, dumb-struck.

"What?" Dream asked. "Why?"

"Do I need to state my reasons to those who don't trust me anyway?" Rho asked.

"As if you could stop the Alliance from bringing this universe under its full protection." Ink said.

"She could." Blue said.

Everyone looked over at Blue.

"What do you mean 'she could'?" Ink asked.

"She works with the Keepers." Dream answered.

Everyone else stepped back, stunned by this revelation.

After a few seconds, Chara finally spoke up.

"What do you plan to do to the survivors of this universe?" he asked.

Rhosaith looked thoughtfully at Chara.

"Hamlet," Rhosaith spoke into her helmet, "how many survivors are there in this universe?"

"Just one, Madam. Toriel here is the only survivor."

"What happened to her?"

"She was brutally tortured by Infected for nearly every waking moment for the past six months. If she's still sane, it would be miraculous."

"Well?" Chara said. "What are you going to do to the survivors?"

"*Survivor*. Singular." Rhosaith said. "And to answer your question, with what Toriel has been through, it is best that we kill her here and now, and end her misery."

Chara's eyes widened.

"What!? No!" he said. "I can't let you do that!"

Rhosaith ignored Chara's objections and approached Toriel, drawing another blade from her skirt. As she approached, golden vines erupted from the ground, covering Toriel up in a protective cocoon.

Rhosaith stopped approaching and, after a moment, turned to face Chara.

"Do you have any idea what she's been through?" Rhosaith asked him.

"Judging by the horrible wounds covering most of her body, I think I got a pretty good idea."

"Then why? Even if her body isn't broken, her mind most certainly is."

"We don't know that for certain."

Rhosaith and Chara just stood there, each standing defiantly against the other.

"Listen," Chara said after a minute, "l... let us take her. See if we can help her. If you do, we'll go quietly, no further objections to... anything you've said."

Rhosaith's eyes narrowed.

"And what if you can't help her recover? What if she continues to suffer from her torture? What will you do then?"

"Then..." Chara's voice quieted. "Then I'll do what must be done..."

"Say the words. What must be done?"

Chara's jaw tightened.

"I'll... end her suffering."

Rhosaith stepped away, replacing the blade.

"Then it is enough. If you think you can help her, then do what you can. If not, then do what you must."

Chara turned towards Toriel, dispelling the vines. Once the cocoon was gone, Sans, Papyrus, and Chara picked her up, opened a rift like the one 404 had left through, and stepped through.

Rhosaith then turned to the Star Sanses.

"And what of you three?" she asked.

"What about us?" Ink asked.

"You're still here. That means there isn't something more important for you to do elsewhere."

"I want to make sure this universe is protected from any further harm."

"Well in that case, you have nothing to worry about. I don't plan on seeing this universe destroyed."

"And how can I be sure of that?"

Rhosaith looked right at Ink.

"You can't. You'll simply have to trust me."

"How can I trust you? I barely even know you."

"Ink." Dream chimed in. "Come on, there's other places we should be. We can check up on this place later."

"And what if it doesn't exist later?" Ink asked.

"Then we'll know for certain that Rhosaith can't be trusted."

Ink looked back at Rho. After a minute, he turned around and opened a rift.

"Fine." he said. "Let's go."

Dream and Blue stepped towards the rift and hopped through.

"And Rho!" Ink said, turning back from the rift. "I'll be back."

"I'll be waiting."

Ink!Sans then walked through the rift, and it closing behind him.

Rhosaith turned around to face the rest of the universe.

"Now," she said, "what to do with all this stuff..."