Royal Blue

The Eye of the Storm (Chapter Forty Six)

Zero and Asgore split with them immediately from the Core. Bidding them safe travels. Moving quickly toward the castle to draft the address.

And with time of the essence, they get a move on.

The River Person is back from helping ferry the refugees, and the use of their boat expedites their trip exponentially...

Somewhere, a hollow clock ticks onward. A ticking timer. A reminder.

Before they know it though, they're in snowdin. Papyrus shifts the sizable bag of medical supplies he had slung over his shoulder. A couple of things that Alphys had them help her grab from the Core before they left.

And yet, she seemed to have forgotten the simplest of things.

Papyrus looks over, sighing to himself as the small lizard clutches the thin cotton of her lab coat closely. As if trying to fold herself inside of it.

Of course, he'd given Alphys his scarf a while ago. But even that seemed to be doing little to protect her.

Papyrus looks up. Another harsh gust of wind and flurry of snow bites into their group, and even Papyrus shivers slightly.

It feels weird. Has it... gotten colder? Papyrus doesn't know. He's not even sure its possible for Snowdin to get colder-

"Look!" Undyne points through the thick snowdrifts that fog their vision. Papyrus squints, but he can see the familiar outline of- home!! Haloed by the slightly more noticeable twinkling of their bright green and red Giftmas lights.

"Oh wonderful. We must be nearing the ruins then," Toriel, who had taken to carrying Frisk a little while ago, says with great cheer. Frisk just buries themselves deeper into their mother's fur, cuddling into it; which Toriel does not seem to mind in the slightest.

Alphys beside him lets out an audible sigh through chattering teeth. Her claws becoming pale with how tight she was holding onto the bare drifts of warmth she could clutch. She stumbles slightly as they all pick up pace.

"SHALL WE STOP INSIDE TO LET THE STORM DIE DOWN?" Papyrus offers.

"Though," Toriel says loudly, "it would certainly be nice," her voice nearing a shout if only to be heard above the howl of the wind. "I am not sure we have enough time!"

"Not much good we can do if we get sick or freeze though," Undyne exclaims. Toriel nods.

Both of their eyes shifting to Alphys as she chatters and stumbles against the winds.

"Not much good anyone can do," Toriel says, her expression softer.

Undyne groans harshly. She'd taken to standing as close as she could to Alphys, hoping to at least block the buffeting wind. Her armor retained heat well enough that she doesn't feel it more than a hearty chill. The conflict is evident even without her face visible.

"N-No," Alphys says, her stutter exacerbated by the chatter of her teeth and the sway of her body, exhaustion leering in her slumped and shaking shoulders. "T-Time is of t-the essence. W-We.. I-I can s-stand it... u-until w-we, w-we get t-t-to- AGH!" She trips, falling face first into the snow.

"I-I'm okay!!!" Alphys exclaims, her head popping out from the snow puff before anyone can so much as help her up.

"Jesus Al, you sure you don't want-"

"I-I'm f-f-f-fine!!" Alphys chatters. "Just... d-d-damp," she scowls at the front of Papyrus's scarf, which is now clumped with snow and quickly becoming soaked.

"S-Sorry Papyrus-"

"NONSENSE!!" Papyrus says immediately, watching as Undyne carefully examines her quivering girlfriend.

"THE WEATHER IS NOT YOUR FAULT," Papyrus kneels down to her.

Alphys twists, her shoulders shaking.

"Y-Y-You r-r-really don't- don't ha-have to-"

"MY HOME IS NEAR. I WILL, AT THE VERY LEAST, GRAB YOU A COAT," he exclaims, kneeling closer to fold his scarf tighter around her.

"I-i'm f-f-fine-" Alphys shivers, her body betraying her words, her head bobbing to rest on his shoulder in exhaustion-

And Undyne takes her chance.

"Up we go!" Undyne exclaims, swooping in and picking her girlfriend up, tucking her under her arm, and giving Papyrus a toothy smile and a thumbs up.

"U-U-Undyne!!! I-I-I-! P-P-Put me d-d-down!!" Alphys exclaims, her voice shaking even heavier. Papyrus pulls the keys to the front door out-

But Undyne is already sprinting toward the door.

Alphys continues her protests, sluggishly thudding her fists against her girlfriend's armored back as they disappear into the whipping winter wind-

"It's for your own good!!!" Undyne yells-

The door is thrown open and they march inside.

Papyrus blinks.

He was sure he locked it when he last left.

"Some tea for the road as well may help," Toriel offers at his side.

"Lizards cold-blooded nature will put them right to sleep. A terrible thing to do in these harsh kinds of of conditions." she hums.

"Sadly, they especially are not made for this sort of weather."

Papyrus nods.

"Nor are little humans, for that matter," Toriel says gently.

Frisk lifts their head to speak, to make their protest known-

A gust of heavy snow buffets at them. And Frisk dives head first back into the shelter of their mother's warm fur and comforting embrace.

Toriel lets out a sweet laugh, and Papyrus smiles a little.

It feels good to hear real laughter. To see genuine warmth.

Something in his soul feels a little sour, a little rotten, like milk left to curdle.

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Yeah,,,, cold blooded critters and cold environments really do NOT mesh well, do they? xD

ALSO an update on the comic: 

The first page is out now on my tumblr!

It's called "The Road Not Traveled" and you can read it here:

https://ninathenope.tumblr.com/post/668484101909725184/the-road-not-traveled-prologue-part-1-next

(I'll be posting a link in the comments as well so people can check it out easier)

[ I was also thinking about making Deviantart to post it on as well?? But the website wont cooperate, so idk when i'll be able too :/.
That said, if there's anywhere that you think might be better suited for me to post the comic, please feel free to suggest it!!!! <3 <3]