The story of Underdrop ~Complete~

Chapter 18

I reached out for the SOUL as it stuttered and shook, memories racing each other through my skull until they found his face. A serine smile playing across his features as we snuggle close. My hand stopped and a black veil rose around me. I could see the Fallen King before me, but directly at my fingertips were two buttons.

FIGHT

MERCY

Memories. The swirling river threatening to drown me. Mixed in were the horrifying images of the humans in his world. Closing my eyelights firmly, taking deep breaths.

FIGHT

The effect was instant. With a roar of rage, the Fallen King pulled up his weapons. Horrible, cruel things they were. All dripping spikes with murderous intent. I pulled what magic I could towards me. Fire magic was the way to go this time. His fur would burn and cause more damage. Whatever it took, I would never let him past this door to the innocents beyond.

-200

The attack hit him square in the chest, but he didn't even flinch. He tilted his head and Papyrus' SOUL glowed brighter as its essence started to trickle to the golden clip at his throat. He grinned and opened his mouth.

"Sans, stop fighting. Come home. We could be happy again. I miss you, brother." A twisted, dirty trick, using my brother's voice, but effective all the same.

"P-Pap? Can... can you hear me in there?" The question sounded silly even as I asked it.

"Of course, brother. I'm right here." His voice responded.

"F-forgive me for this. Won't ya?"

-200

The Fallen King roared in rage as the HP was dropped again. The voice was left immediately and the SOUL visibly sagged as the power stopped draining from it. His HP was hardly scratched. Even after 200 damage the bar hadn't moved.

"You hurt my brother."

"Don't be s~illy, I only took what belonged to me."

"You want to use me."

"It's~ better than being with the s~ilenc~e."

"Is it?"

"We could find out"

Stop talking

"We could rule forever."

Stop talking.

"S~how them their plac~e."

"STOP TALKING!"

The power burst forth. Uncontrollable and deadly. An orange explosion of magic brought the world to a screeching halt. I heard the scream, saw the shock-wave going through the trees around as if they were no more than twigs. The clearing was bright, just for a moment, before the immense amount of stamina that attack took caught up to me and I passed out on the snow.

The world had stopped. Surely that had to be it. Why else would everything hurt so bad? The ringing was too loud, a high pitched scream in the silence. My voice, hacking through the sound like an ax as I knelt in the snow, coughing up dust.

The world too bright, a white wasteland. Crawling brought me nowhere. Desperately clutching at the rim that was way too far to reach. A crater, that's where I was. My hand knocked something solid that skittered away, me grasping desperately after it. It... it was his crown?

Turning nimbly, I hacked up a long forgotten breakfast of warm oats into the pristine white. The red gems glittered happily at me from the gold, mocking my situation. Turning on my knees again brings me to the golden clip half buried in the fresh snow.

Clutching it tight, pulling it free, only to slump in despair as the clip was the only thing left of the cape. None of the glittering void remained nor a single SOUL. Looking around the crater brought no sight of the Fallen King. The book! It was there in the snow. Golden emblem glittering dully. Reaching, desperation, only to have it crumble to ashes the moment I touched it.

Fear, envy, anger, joy, regret, more fear. Each racing in turn through my mind as I process what I had done. The humans on the other side were safe from an unimaginable danger and they weren't even aware. Where did it leave me? Stuck underground. Alone. Without a single noise uttered through the white nothing.

"I... I... I..."

The crushing guilt surrounds me. Shoving me to the floor as sob after SOUL-wrenching sob tore itself from me. I cried for hours on end, not even bothering to leave the hole my explosion had made. Choking on my own fear and on his dust.

It was a relief to finally pass out again.