UnderAsriel

22 - Hope of Monsters

Kel immediately saw the reason for Muffet's warning. The palace foyer was full of books. They were everywhere, thrown haphazardly across the floor, slumped on the little wooden table, piled in towers around the three dark exits looming on each wall. Kel looked at the arching doorways and could only imagine that the foyer was only the start of the book-tastrophe. What where they all about, she wondered? And who could possibly need so many books??

But she made sure to be mindful of the books, as mindful as she could be, anyway, and tried her best not to step on any as Muffet led her gingerly over to the table, though it was awfully hard because the volumes practically carpeted the place.

"I'll be right back, dearie," Muffet assured her, pulling out a chair and removing the two or three books stacked on top so Kel could sit.

Kel didn't sit down. "Thanks, Muffet."

"Of course!" sang the spider-girl in a gleefully happy voice. Kel watched as she wove her way gracefully through the books and disappeared through one of the dark doorways.

The Leader...

Part of her was surprised to even be here. Surprised that the Resistance was not only a full-blown thing, but was also determined to help her. And Miss Shopkeeper had told her they were planning something, something that would help her even more than they'd helped already. 

Was she about to find out what that something was?

"That symbol," Flowey muttered unexpectedly.

Kel blinked, looking around. The foyer was dim, lit only by a single red lamp hung above the table, but even Kel could make out the giant golden symbol blazing on the wall. The Resistance was obviously very proud of its symbol and liked to stamp it everywhere.

"The Symbol of the Resistance?"

"It is... strange." The flower shook itself slightly, peering at the wall. "I feel like I have seen it before."

No, what was strange was that in the magical underground revolutionary bunker filled with unexpected allies determined to help Kel achieve everything she wanted to, the symbol was what Flowey chose to concentrate on.

"Well, it's the inversion of Asriel's symbol, right?" Kel pointed out, hoping to have a second brain on the matter. She thought she remembered Sans's tapestries well enough, but maybe she was confused...

"Yes, it is- which is clever; nothing serves to show so perfectly how against him they are," - which was exactly what Kel had thought. "But I feel like it is more than that, too. Like I have seen it before, long, long before..." 

The flower scrunched up its face in irritation. "I cannot seem to remember..."

Kel blinked, not really knowing what to say. She figured it was best to stay silent at times like these. She'd done that often with her dad, when he'd forgotten the names of books or obscure scrawny trees. Hope Flowey's brain clicked...

But after a moment of concentration, Flowey shook its head.

"It is lost cargo, I'm afraid. Hidden deep in the fog." It tapped a vine against its brain in an almost comical gesture.

"It's probably not that important, anyways," Kel said helpfully. "If you don't remember it, I mean."

Though she, too, was interested in hearing the story behind both symbols - Asriel's and the Resistance's. Maybe they could ask the Leader, once they were done discussing... well, whatever the Leader wanted to discuss with them. Plans of attack?

She was about to ask Flowey what it thought about the Leader and the Resistance in general when an old, creaky voice shot out of the righthand doorway.

"Whadya mean, it's not important??"