The ebbing cold that pricked at your fingertips had your eyes fluttering open. Shivering a bit, you looked around in an attempt to figure out where you were. It was still dark and your body felt heavy from the strong attack from earlier. You were no longer in the back seat of the van but in the very back part that had several cameras and other media equipment crammed into the small space. A rather scratchy blanket was wrapped around your lightly shivering form. How had you gotten back here? When had you moved? What time is it? The sound of strong winds outside confirmed that the snowstorm was still doing it's thing. That wasn't all you heard. There was also.... Humming?
You turned your head in the direction of the melodic sound. Mettaton had his arms holding you close to his chest. The fans under the pink chest plate whirring at a much faster rate than normal. He was looking absently out the van window on the other side humming something to himself. You recognized the tune but couldn't place what it was. What was he humming? After a couple minutes of thinking, it hits you. He was humming your song! Still?! You vaguely remember asking him to sing it again before passing out but he was still doing it? Why?
Turning your body a little bit, you wiggled your arm out from under the blanket, rubbing the sleep from your eyes. The cold air of the van hitting your warm arm, making you shiver even more.
"Cold, sweetheart?"
The humming abruptly stopped when Mettaton noticed your movement. He readjusted how he held you so that you were sitting up more instead of laying in his arms. Your head gently laying on his chest plate that was.... Warm? How? Mettaton was made of metal. Only the places you had been, previously, laying should be warm. Choosing to ignore those questions, you move towards the heat. Nodding your head as you do. The robot chuckling at your reaction.
"What time is it?" You manage to sign to him after freeing your other hand from the blanket.
Mettaton laid his head back against the van wall behind him. Closing his eyes in thought. "I would have to say it's 7 am. At least that's what the internal clock that Alphys installed says."
"You have an internal clock?"
"Yep and it changes automatically depending on where in the world I am." He gave you a playful wink before looking back out the van window. "The winds aren't nearly as bad as earlier. That awful snowstorm seems to be finally letting up."
Readjusting the blanket so that it covered as much of your body as it could with your hands still out, you noticed a slight sluggish hint in Mettaton's voice. "Are you okay? Were you hurt in the crash?"
"This fabulous body with a scratch? I don't think so, darling!" A long yawn escaped him just as he finished his sentence. "Just a little tired from staying up all night."
He didn't shut down at all? Was his battery okay? You were there when he got his new one but would it last with him being online for 24+ hours? Wait... Why did he stay up all night? Your hands asked him that last question with worry furrowing your brow.
"Well....Songbird. To be honest, that heart attack rather scared me. I wanted to keep watch to make sure nothing happened while you slept...." He trailed off for a moment before looking away. "Also the engine is shot due to hitting the tree, so I've been heating my core up to keep you warm throughout the night."
So that's why the fans were going faster than normal. You looked at his chest plate to see if the light was flashing like it had before but it wasn't. Then again, Alphys could have uninstalled it with the update. You didn't know what she did. "So is your battery low from using all that extra energy to keep me warm?"
"Yes, honey. But that's not why I'm tired." You gave him a confused look as he said this. Why wouldn't he be tired if his battery was low? He was a robot wasn't he? Mettaton let out an amused chuckle at the blatantly confused expression on your face. "Oh my, darling! You think that because my battery is low I would be tired? No no no!"
"Then why are you tired, Mettaton?" your hands picked up speed as the heaviness started to fade away and your curiosity peeked.
A smile spread across his features. "I'm more than just a robot, dearie! You mean you haven't figured it out yet? Even after meeting my cousin, Blooky?"
Napstablook was Mettaton's cousin? Since when? In the few conversations that you have had with the ghost, that was something that never came up. You shook you head at him even more confused. "It never came up.... How are you two relat-...." Your eyes grew wide as the realization hit you. Mettaton wasn't a robot. He was a ghost monster INSIDE a robot! "You're a ghost?! How did...? When did..?" Your hands signed the incomplete questions in your head as they came to you while pausing a few times to gesture at his body making Mettaton laugh.
"Well, I've always been a ghost. I'm not going to bore you with the details on how ghost monsters are born but this all happened when I met Alphys." His eyes seemed to go off into the distant memory as he trailed off.
"Oh? Mind telling me the origins of the famous Mettaton?" You kind of wanted to know how ghost monsters were born but you really wanted to know how meeting Alphys brought all of this on.
"Alright, sweetheart. It all started on a snail farm. I see that look on your face, darling. Yes. A snail farm." He smirked at the skeptical look you had given him the moment he had said the words 'snail farm'. "It was me, Blooky, and 2 others. The snail farm was the family business but I always wanted more."
"One day the other two went on to get corporeal bodies in training dummies. Leaving just Blooky and I to take care of the snail farm. Blooky asked if I was going to leave too. I told him no. Mainly because there wouldn't be a body that I would like anyway. But I always wanted to be on stage. I wanted to entertain everyone in the underground! That was impossible for me, who was currently a ghost." Mettaton paused for a moment to readjust how he was sitting. "But that didn't stop me from dreaming. One day I decided to host a humans fan club and made a page for it on the Undernet. That was the internet of the underground. I loved humans. Their fabulousness. Their idols! I so longed to be up there with them..."
"So I went about setting up the get together at my house. Expecting a bunch of monsters to show up.... But that didn't happen. Only one person showed up.... Alphys. She was rather shy about it too. At first, she didn't say anything at all!" He chuckled at the memory. "Yet, when I started talking about how great humans were she went off! I couldn't get her to shut up, once that was unleashed. To be honest, I wasn't sure of her. But despite knowing she was kind of a dork I wanted to see her again and I did."
"We visited several times after that. I told her everything. My hopes. My dreams. Why they would never come to be.... Alphys was my first friend that wasn't a family member. I love her dearly. Then one day she called me over to her lab saying she had something to show me." His eyes were lit up with excitement as he remembered the feelings of the memory. "I didn't know what she was going to show me but I knew it was going to be interesting. She always had interesting things to show me. When I got to the lab she led me into a separate room. There were two robots in it. One that was rectangular and rolled around on a wheel. The other was the torso of this..." He stopped to gesture down his body with a sexy wink.
"There were two robots? What happened to the other one?" Your hands signed quickly. You were entirely enthralled with the story.
Mettaton put his hand on yours to stop your signing. "Hang on I'm getting to it, sweetie. Now. This body was incomplete but the rectangle one was all ready to go. She designed it to be an entertainment robot. Just like I always wanted to be.... Alphys had made a corporeal body for me without me ever asking her too. The rectangle body would just be a temporary form until the new one was integrated into it. So I can switch between the two at will. Without her making me that body, there wouldn't be a Mettaton. I would be just working the snail farm still."
Tears started to form in your eyes. He knew. Mettaton knew what it felt like to be trapped by the physical limitations of your body. If Alphys hadn't given him that chance, he wouldn't be here. Just like if Mettaton hadn't given you a chance, you wouldn't be where you were. Who would have thought that the famous monster had struggled with something that you struggle with everyday? "That's amazing..." you signed to him as a few teardrops ran down your cheek.
Mettaton wiped the tears from your eyes. A look of concern on his face. "Sweetheart, Are you alright?"
"Yes! I'm fine! So what was it like being the only star in the underground?" You changed the subject back to Mettaton. Despite working with him for a decent amount of time, you didn't really know anything about the robot. He knew more about you than you did about him!
The concerned look turned into a happy one at your reassurance. Immediately, answering your question. "Oh, it was wonderful! Everyone adored me. They supported almost everything that I did. From the horrible food to my 27 odd movies but in doing so I let the fame get to my head. I abandoned Blooky. I even ignored Alphys... unless I came in for an upgrade or for her to work on this form... If Frisk hadn't knocked my ego down a notch I never would have realized at how horrible of a person and friend I was being..."
You looked down at your hands somberly. Though you have never ignored a friend, you have been on the receiving end. You have been for a long time. Thankfully, Mettaton had figured it out before it was to late. "It can happen to the best of us. Hundreds of human idols have done the same thing but have never realized it."
"So I've seen. Several of the actors and musicians I have worked with seemed to walk the same path I once did. Once that fight with Frisk was over and I was back online, I went back to see Blooky. When were freed, I brought Blooky and Shyren into my show. I was no longer leaving them behind. Though Shyren finally gained her confidence and now is doing her own thing. We still work closely together." Mettaton laid his head back against the van wall again. "Getting beat by Frisk was the second best thing to ever happen to me..."
"Everyone talks so highly of Frisk. Hopefully, I'll get to see the monster ambassador someday." You signed with a shy smile.
"Oh you will. You hang out with so many of their friends that it'll happen sooner than you think." Mettaton shot you a reassuring smile as he said this. His eyes wandered back over to the window. "Finally. It's about time that snowstorm went away."
Turning your head, you followed his gaze and sure enough the wall of white that had enveloped the van was gone. The high winds disappearing with it. You could now see the woods beyond the metal walls. Relief filling the two of you. "So have you heard from Sans?"
Mettaton shook his head. "No and to be honest I doubt he has had a chance to get to us until now. He won't be here until he drags help back with him." Another yawn escaped his synthetic lips. "At this rate I won't be able to stay awake for much longer."
"Do you mind if I ask you some more questions?" you asked, hoping the use of his brain would stave off sleep for him a little bit longer. It's not like him being asleep would be a bad thing. You just weren't sure when you were going to have another chance to do this.
"Ask away, beautiful."
"Okay! So how does possessing a body work?"
The monster thought about it for a moment. "Well... In normal cases, like my two cousins, One would simply meld their form into whatever they want as their body and it just becomes a part of them. That way, if you get sick of it, you can always leave."
"Have you possessed anything other than this body?"
"Nope," Mettaton flicked a few stray black locks from his one visible eye. "and I couldn't possess another one even if I wanted too."
You cocked your head at him confused. "But you just said-"
"I said 'in normal cases' that is what happens. Mine is not normal in anyway." At this he gave you a playful smoldering look. "Since when am I ever 'normal', darling?"
Silently giggling, you push him away a little bit. "Okay. How so?"
He mockingly moped at your denial. "Well.... In order for me to function it fully, It had to become truly a part of me. At all times. So to skip all the complicated sciencey terms that I know nothing about, she extracted my soul from my ghost form and put it into the robot." At this, he maneuvered you away from his body so there was a gap between the two of you. "See that encased heart floating in my belt?"
"Yes." You signed to him after looking down to where he instructed.
"That's my SOUL."
Your eyes grew wide. Mettaton had his SOUL on display for everyone to see? "Wait! I thought to have your SOUL out outside of battle was something for more intimate reasons?"
"It is. But I don't want people to think I have something to hide. So I show it all. This is all I am. This is WHO I am and if they don't like me then so be it." He said this rather confidently with a shrug.
"Soooooo..... You're an exhibitionist?"
Mettaton gave you such an incredulous look that you couldn't help but start silently laughing. "Darling, PLEASE! You know that's not what I meant."
"This gives those inside look interviews, I've seen with you, a whole new perspective." You managed to sign during your laughing fit.
" Oh, Songbird. Just no." Mettaton hid his lightly blushing face in his hand. "Please tell me that is not the only thing you have gotten out of this conversation."
"Sorry, sorry! I couldn't help it!" You smiled up at him after you had calmed down to light giggling. "But in all seriousness, I envy you."
The robot monster removed his hand from his face and cocked his eyebrow at you. "Normally I would say something along the lines of 'It's only natural too, beautiful.' but I have to ask... Why?"
"Hm... How do I put this?" You closed your eyes and thought for a moment on how to word this correctly. "It's just... Despite all of life's challenges that are thrown at you.... Despite all of the haters and critics.... You don't let any of it get to you. Instead you throw your whole self at it all confidently and proudly. I wish I had even a small fraction of the confidence you have in yourself and in knowing who you are."
"Oh, sweetheart, you will! I had to figure all that stuff out and it wasn't until I got certain people in my life that I was able to do it." He brought you back to his warm chest making sure to give your shoulder a comforting squeeze. "Papyrus, Sans, BP, Alphys, Undyne,.... And Me... We've all got your back in case you stumble while on that journ- Oh my!" You wrapped your arms around the robot as best you could. Hugging him tightly.
Unbeknownst to you, Mettaton's eyes softened. He returned your hug with a gentle smile gracing his face. "It'll all be okay, songbird. I promise."
"I brought these coats thinking you two would be cold but it looks pretty hot in here already."
The both of you quickly pulled away to look in the direction of the deep voice. Sans was looking at the two of you from the backseat. A coat in each hand and a smug smile on his face. You wiggled out of Mettaton's arms, and the blanket, to crawl over to the stout skeleton, pulling him into a hug.
Mettaton crawled up behind you as you released Sans "Hello, darling! I was wondering when you were going to pop in."
"Well, there was snow-thing I could do until now." Sans handed you a coat then patted your head while letting out a relieved sigh. "Heya, kid. You look a lot ice-r than you did earlier."
You silently giggled at the puns while you put on the warm coat and with Mettaton groaning behind you. "Are you going to teleport us back to the hotel, Sans?" You signed to him once you were all snug in the coat.
Sans shook his head while Mettaton put on the other coat. "Nope. I'm not riskin you having another attack."
"Then what are you going to..." you trailed off when you heard several voices and loud crunching sounds outside of the van.
"I brought along some cool friends." Sans said with a wink.
Just then, huge metal jaws cut deep into the backdoor of the van, cutting through the metal like butter. With a loud bang, the doors were pulled off and the early morning sun filtered in, making your eyes squint. You felt metal arms pick you up and hold you out to a couple of the firemen waiting just outside. They tried speaking to you but it was in German so you couldn't respond. But it sounded comforting. They took you from Mettaton and carried you over to one of their trucks. The lights going full blast. Making the snow around you change colors.
Once safely inside the truck and one of the paramedics gave you a look over, you watched as Mettaton and Sans hop out of the destroyed van. Your eyes grew wide. The wreck was really bad. The entire front of the car was folded up into itself. You were lucky that no one got seriously injured.
The next hour was a blur. Mettaton and Sans had gotten into the same truck as you. Sans sitting to your right and Mettaton on the left. No one said anything while the truck carried you to your destination. Which you were praying wasn't the hospital. It wasn't long until you started to recognize some of your surroundings. The firemen weren't taking you to a hospital. They were taking you back to the hotel. You let out a sigh of relief that didn't go unnoticed.
"Look, kiddo. If I had my way, We would be heading to the hospital right now." Sans tone was serious as he said it.
"Then why are we at the hotel instead?" You asked as the truck pulled into the front of the hotel.
Sans opened his door and hopped out."Because the paramedics gave you a clean bill of health and you weren't the only ones caught out in the storm. They probably need every able hand they can get right now." He offered his hand to you.
You didn't get a chance to take it. Mettaton lifted you up under your arms and placed you gently outside the truck with him following immediately after. The moment your feet hit the ground cries of relief filled the morning air. You looked up only to be caught into a spinning hug with Papyrus only to be pulled away into a more crushing one from Undyne.
"(Y/N)! IT IS WONDERFUL TO SEE THAT YOU ARE ALRIGHT!"
"You had us worried, PUNK!" At that Undyne released you onto your shaky legs, only for you to be hugged by Alphys.
"I-I'm so glad you are okay!"
The firetruck pulled away to save someone else. Hopefully, no one was hurt. Mettaton let the heartwarming reunion drag on for a moment before he clapped his hands to get everyone's attention. "All right, Beauties! I think everyone would agree that songbird here needs to get some proper rest after that ordeal. So do I for that matter. Let's get inside and out of this cold!"
Everyone nodded their heads in agreement. You were then ushered into the hotel and up to your room. Once again, everyone gave you a hug before you walked into your room. The bed seemed to call out to you. Not bothering to change out of any of the clothes, including your coat, you just jumped onto the bed and you were out.
When your eyes flickered open, you weren't sure if you had actually opened them or not. Your hotel room was pitch black. Turning your head, you glanced at the clock that was on the nightstand.
12:34 am
Great. You had slept the whole entire day away. Then again that was to be expected. It had been a very long time since you had had such a strong attack and sleeping in the back of a van probably hadn't helped. Silently groaning, you shamble out of bed to turn on the light. The bright light blinding you temporarily. Despite being wide awake, a yawn escapes you.
What were you going to do now? Everyone else was bound to be asleep at this point. It was then that you noticed that you were still in the costume from when you were on set the other day and in the coat. Not really caring but it was something to do, you began to change. Just as you put on the last piece of clothing, you realized that your hotel room wasn't all that quiet. A familiar humming sound could be heard faintly from the outside balcony.
Grabbing the coat you had just taken off, you put it on again as you walk out onto the balcony to investigate. The sound was coming from the balcony to your right and was on the floor above yours. There in the other balcony was Mettaton. He was leaning over it with his elbow on the railing and his chin in his hand. It appeared as though he was in his own world. Your presence having not been noticed.
"My little song bird,
To protect your fragile heart.
My dear, I'm here!
Even when it all goes dark!"
He sang the lyrics to your song slowly as if he was serenading the starry night sky. You watched him without making any sounds. Not wanting to break his concentration. He continued singing unhindered. Just a personal moment between him and the night. It wasn't until he trailed off the last note of the song did he look down and notice you out of the corner of his eye.
"Oh my! Songbird!" Your presence making him jump in surprise. "I'm sorry, darling. Did I wake you?"
You shook you head. "No...I woke up on my own.... Why were you singing my song?"
A blush spread across his face and he suavely looked away. "Well... It seemed to help you the first time so I figured I would sing it once I was charged up..."
"So you got some sleep?"
"Yes, I did, sweetheart. Ugh, I don't like talking down to you like this." With pure elegance and grace, Mettaton climbed over the railing of his balcony and down to yours. Making sure to land in one of his famous poses. He then joins you at the railing of your balcony. The two of you looking up at the night sky.
"Whatever happened to the driver?" You signed to the robot monster without looking at him.
"Sans got him help in time. He'll be out of the hospital in a few days."
"That's wonderful." A sigh of relief left you. That was a huge burden off your mind. "So did I miss anything while I was out?"
Mettaton shook his head. "Nothing more than the usual craziness. Everyone is just glad you are okay. But I think I'm speaking for everyone when I say that the first moment we get you are getting a check up."
"But I'm fine!" It was true that the attack had been rather bad but you were fine now. You didn't want to have to go to the hospital if you didn't have too.
"I would rather be safe than sorry, (y/n)."
You looked him straight in the eye when he said your name. His was full of caring and concern. So much so that there was no way you could say no. "Okay....fine. But I'm not going by myself."
The robot looked shocked at your words "Of course not! Why would you ever go to something like that by yourself?"
Now it was your turn to avoid his gaze. You looked at the ground below you not saying anything. Not talking about the friend and family that all had seemed to move on in their lives without you. Even when Mettaton asked again, you denied to say anything.
A stray wind blew around the two of you making you shiver. "I'm getting cold... I think I'll head inside." Just as you were about to turn and head back inside, Mettaton grabbed your shoulder.
"Hang on, my little songbird! Wait right here a moment!" He was already pulling himself back onto his balcony when he was sure you wouldn't ditch him. You watched him disappear into his suite and then turned your attention to the beautiful starry sky above you. There was no way you could see a sky this beautiful where you lived. You were glad that you got a chance to see it this way. "Uh, beautiful?"
Tearing your eyes from the sky, you turned back to the robot. He stood a couple feet away from you with both hands behind his back. You cocked your head curiously at him only to earn yourself a big smile on his face. "What's up?"
He brought out a decent sized, odd shaped, wrapped package out from behind him, holding it out to you. "Happy Birthday, my darling little Songbird."
Your eyes grew wide as you took the gift from Mettaton. It was a little heavy too. You looked at the robot and then back to the present. "Mettaton.... You didn't have to do this...." You signed while holding the gift to your chest so that your hands were free.
"To late. I already did. Now open it!"
You playfully rolled your eyes at him. He seemed more excited about the present than you were. Knowing that Mettaton wasn't going to take no as an answer, you tear into the wrapping paper to reveal.... An instrument case. Your eyes quickly dart to Mettaton. His ecstatic smile pretty much confirming what the gift was. Just to be sure you sat on your knees on the balcony and set the case in front of you. With trembling hands, you opened the latches that held it closed.
Inside was a brand new violin.