I just want to start this off by saying that I know I've apologized so many times for the gaps in time between updates to this story... I wish it wasn't that way. So much. Depression is a wicked mistress, and I myself suffer from it, sadly. The holidays are also not a good time for me as well... With the loss of my Father in law on Christmas Day last year... a man who took me in and made me his daughter without reservation... Who I could lean on when I needed a shoulder... I miss him. Very much..
That said, this Christmas hasn't been filled with much joy or cheer, and my will to write, along with my self worth, slipped away from me for a long while. I'm getting better, and I know it's hard to continue following a story when you don't get an update for months at a time, but... I still want to again thank all of you who have still stood by me. Supported me, regardless. You've no idea what it means to me to have such incredible people such as you in my life. You've become like family to me, and I hold you all dear.
So... I suppose now is the time where I begin talking about how happy I am that I finally found the will to crack open my laptop and begin this new chapter. I doubt I'll be able to finish it all in one night, but I'm hoping to have it to you as soon as possible. I do hope you'll enjoy it, as we are now traveling into unknown territory. It's here where we will be straying from the idea of an AU and blurring the lines between that and a Fanfic because Stormcity, along with a few original characters (all but one will be small and won't really effect your ability to keep focus on who is essential and who is not.) will all be unlike anything from the original Underground within the original Undertale. These are all new areas, and I will do my best to describe them so it'll be as though the image is right there within your mind as you go along. At least, that's the goal anyway.
Also, I have a wonderful artist working on concept art for my characters. Her name is Natalie, and she drew this amazing early draft of Strife, who is an original character. This is her basic concept, as she'll be in this chapter if you're interested in physically seeing her.
http://i65.tinypic.com/34qvedu.jpg
Thank you SO much for drawing her for me, Natalie. I appreciate it more than you know. <3
Now, for the song. This song... I have been saving it for this. Before I give you the link, however, I need you to know that within the header is a tribute to the story with a LOT of INCREDIBLE artwork from many of the seriously awesome people on the Novatale Community on G+. I have Mary. <3 to thank for putting them all together as she did. Please give it a watch either before or after. She's wonderful for making it, and certainly deserves the praise for it. It was unfortunately super glitchy for me when I tried to put it on repeat, and it seemed to slow down the speed of the song for some reason (Not sure if that was you or ListenOnRepeat) so I unfortunately couldn't use it to listen to while writing this. (I still loves you. <3<3 :( )
That said, here is the version of the song that I ended up using, so you may as well do the same. Believe me, it will only heighten the experience and make it that much better because really, it's kind of, as I've said before, and integral part of the story itself. I've come to think of the theme music as a character in and of itself, really. Anyway, my babbling aside, here is the link!
Artist: Digital Daggers
Song: Still here (Original Sans and Frisk fanmade video version)
Link: http://listenonrepeat.com/?v=XhzNIX4vL90#%7CUndertale%7C_AMV_%7C%7CSTILL_HERE%7C%7C_Sans_x_Frisk
And as always, I seriously hope you enjoy it, and I love you all SO much. <3
"And ever has it been known
that love knows not its own depth until the hour of separation." -Khalil Gibran
Bark scattered across the forest floor while Sans' blasters slammed his magic into them one after another in frustration. "She was right there... I should have done somethin'. Should've fought harder." Another tree splintered as a blaster flung angered magic into it, sending branches flying in all directions. Leaves fluttered like delicate wings, following the lure of wind that carried them along. He'd already brought down three trees, trunks cracked in half like pretzels that now lay atop one another in haphazard heaps with fractured chunks spread out in all directions. They'd crashed so hard, the sound could likely be heard for miles. Even with that, it still didn't quell the anger, longing and sorrow churning within his bones.
"You're a moron if you really think there was anything you could've done." came the voice of Strife from a short distance away, steering clear of the debris and needless destruction. "You remind me of a five year old throwing a temper tantrum because he just lost his blankie. If it's that serious, why the hell are you here, destroying innocent trees instead of taking your dumb ass out there to look for her?"
"I don't even know if she's here!" He said, lowering his head slightly in defeat.
Despite knowing she was right, it still didn't sit well with his pride to acknowledge it, so he didn't give her the satisfaction. He merely turned, looking her way with browbones raised. He did feel bad for the earlier incident where he just let loose with his magic and accidentally frayed one of the white bandages she kept wrapped around the scales on her forearms just below the sleeves, rolled to the elbows of her tattered green bomber jacket. The woodelf in her couldn't be helped, what with the long, pointed ears and all. The fish however, she hid as well as she could. Strife had a rough look to her. Rugged, almost. Long, wavy black hair in the back hung down to her shoulders, just barely covering the white fur lined hood. Oddly, her bangs were stark white, shaggy like the rest of her hair, but shorter; framing a pointed face. They also served to cover the tiny blue scales lining the area just near her ears. The reddish hue of her eyes, which basically matched the highly worn bandanna she had wrapped around her neck like a scarf, was also another one of her eccentric features. Still.... it wasn't as though he could really be one to say anything about eyes... being that he merely had nothing but sockets. Her tall, brown combat boots, laced tightly halfway up her legs covered the webbing in her feet, but she was still a bit sloppy with the holes in the black leggings she wore above them.
The only thing that bothered him was the curiosity, nagging and almost lusting for answers as to why she would go so far to cover up half of her heritage. He supposed having Undyne for a half sister could be rough at times, but they hadn't so much as spoken to one another in years. Yet another set of uncovered knowledge that drizzled his mind with thoughts. It at least distracted him long enough to calm down before finally turning to her. "Fuck it. I gotta find her." slightly glancing at his soul, Sans felt resolved. Knowing that if she was here and he didn't do anything at all to get to her before someone else did... His wrath would wipe out the entire Underground if anyone harmed her. Or worse, somehow did anything that would take her away for keeps...
"I'm goin' to check the rest of the woods. Maybe she showed up at another Save Star and got lost... I dunno."
Strife leaned off to one side, putting all her weight on one hip and crossed her arms over her chest with a smirk. "And you're not even gonna think to ask me if I wanna come?" she said with a slight lift of one brow. Sans didn't answer at first, wondering why she'd be so interested in his endeavors. It wasn't like this really had anything to do with her. "Why? What's in it for you?" he finally said, still questioning her motives.
"Are you kidding? It's not every day a human comes to the Underground. Why the hell wouldn't I wanna meet the human that caused you to do all this?" she said, pointing out all the damage he'd done to this part of the forest. Scratching the back of his skull, he relented. "Yeah... I'm uh.. Sorry about that. I'm sure somebody could use the lumber. This just makes their job a little easier."
Strife only stared ahead, continuing to grin. "Probably. I'm sure I could find a few people who would be happy to take this mess off my hands."
As Sans began walking, traipsing through branches that he kicked aside to get through, Strife quickly turned and followed in tow, gaining the same pace until they were side by side. Silence was a welcomed friend at the moment as it gave him time to think. When they finally reached the dirt path that would lead them deeper into the forest, Sans hardly noticed how much darker it had become until he received an elbow to the arm. Sinuous limbs of dark trees appeared like claws, protruding through the crowded rows of enormous trunks with gaping black holes that seemed to stare at them like eyes, ominously watching them in silence. This was the part of the forest even Strife didn't enter unless it was absolutely necessary. There was something about this place that set her teeth on edge and made her recoil from even the prospect. Not that she'd never explored the area, but it definitely wasn't something she made a habit of.
Sans was also noticing how the encroaching limbs almost appeared as though they were poised to lash out and grab him.... simply waiting for the right moment. Even the leaves, so large they created a roof of sorts over this part of the forest, condemning anyone below from ever knowing what lie above. A small clearing finally came into view a short distance away, a hooded figure seemingly guarding his raft that bobbed gently with the movement of the water raising a hand in greeting. Strife took off in a sprint toward him, Sans quickly in tow.
"Long time, no see." said Strife as the Ferryman seemed to nod. "Yes, my lady. Mine eyes hath not set upon thee for quite some time. I did wonder if I should ever hear thy lovely voice again."
The shadowed figure turned to Sans then, holding out a fist. Sans smirked, curling his fingers into his palm and giving the ferryman a Bro Fist. (XD) "Been a while here too. I'd love t' catch up, but I gotta ask. Did'ja happen to see a woman in here recently? Wavy Brown hair, wearing my usual orange hoodie, black sweatpants?" He would have gone on more, but the Ferryman began to nod slowly. "Aye. I did indeed, Sir Sans. Just this morning, in fact." Sans felt the relief swelling within him like an inflating balloon. "You dunno how glad I am to hear ya say that. Do'ya know where she went?" The Ferryman nodded again, chainmail beneath the robe rustling slightly. "Aye, Sir Sans. I did take the fair maiden to Stormcity. Mine ears haven't spoken to such polite and lovely company in quite some time too. Such a pure, well intentioned Soul she was. Its a shame such souls are so rare these days." said the Ferryman, almost sounding Nostalgic before he stammered to correct himself. "I- I mean, this is not to say that thou are not well intentioned souls. It is just..." he trailed off a moment. "There was simply something different about her."
To this, Sans nodded in agreement. "Yeah, there is. And I gotta find her before those well intentions of hers get her ass hurt...." Or worse... he thought. Before Sans could even ask, the Ferryman was already motioning for Sans to step aboard. "Please, thou art most welcome aboard this vessel." Turning back, Sans looked at Strife questioningly. "Y'know you don't gotta come. Last chance to go back to your normal, hermit lifestyle." he said, sporting a rather rueful grin. She practically shoved him off the raft with a scoff before stepping aboard herself. "And miss this? You're outta your tree."
Sans smirked. "Actually, you're outta your tree, but... y'know." She tried to mock scowl, but the raise of her brow and twitch of her lip gave her away. "I live in a tree, you halfwit." Shaking his head and lowering it in the process, he finally looked to her again. "That was the point, dumbass." he said with a smirk. She shoved him. "Shut up, ass."
The Ferryman too shook his head as they set themselves off for Stormcity, and hopefully, Frisk....
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(Earlier that day.....)
Moving slowly along, the water shimmered beneath Frisk as she and the Ferryman traveled through a cavern that would lead them to Stormcity. Gorgeous crystals of all colors, shapes and sizes protruded from the walls of the rounded tunnel with a glowing globe floating just above the Ferryman's staff, bathing everything in a rainbow like kaleidoscope. Reaching out, gentle fingers scooped at the ground that ran along the sides of the thin stream here. Granules that must have chipped away from the walls over time now slipped through her fingers like grains of glittering sand. Tiny little lights hovered all throughout the tunnel, and when one landed on Frisk's finger, she realized that they were, in fact, some sort of creatures with delicate wings that gave off a golden, and highly vivid luminescence for such tiny bodies. After raising her fingers, a few short moments later, the creature fluttered off to rejoin it's kin that all danced through the air like fairy flies. It was stunning, with such a delicate beauty that it took her breath away. It also wrought it's own bout of sorrow, wishing Sans could be here to share this moment with her, but the Determination she had to find him overrode and shoved all the anguish back into a small corner of her mind. It was all she could do to keep from breaking down. There were far too many horrible things she now knew that, if forced to think about, would have her in a sobbing heap at the bottom of the raft. So instead, she chose to revel in the beauty around her, letting out a hushed sigh...
"It's so..." she started, trying to find the right word to describe it. Why wasn't any of this within her memories?
"Magical?" answered the Ferryman for her, to which Frisk quickly nodded. "Yeah. It's unlike anything I've ever seen before."
The light hit several large crystals, washing the walls in blue, then in pink and finally a lavish purple That she could only stare at in awestruck wonder. In such a small space, she felt as though she were sitting in front of her own private viewing of the Aurora Borealis. "This is the Cavern Of Dreams. It is said that if one doth hold a dream so deeply within their soul, traveling through this cavern will ensure that dream comes true." At that, Frisk felt a nagging tear stray from the corner of her eye and roll down her cheek with a smile. "I really hope that's true..." she said softly. "I hath known it to be so. Many times, M'lady." That filled her with more hope than she'd had in what felt like years.
Much to her dismay, it didn't take long before they were through the Cavern Of Dreams and into a wide open space with a ceiling that looked like a giant blanket of marshmallows, stuck together and having been placed over a fire for mere moments. Gray, yet still full and in tact. A loud crack resounded, followed by a thunderous bolt of lightening that shot from the marshmallow sky and hit a large metal pole not too far in the distance. The zap wrapped around the coils on the pole and surged through another snaking rod on the ground that was there one minute, but then simply disappeared. "It went underground, Madam." said the Ferryman, apparently following her gaze and noticing the stark confusion riddled across the furrow of her brow.
"Stormcity, M'lady, is the source of all power within the Underground. We know not where the lightning comes from, but we rely on it just the same." He finished when Frisk recoiled toward the back of the raft. "Thou worry for nothing, Madam. The lightning will only strike the poles. Thou art safe so long as you refrain from touching them."
Despite the lightning, Stormcity appeared to be a rather large town. There were businesses of sorts on one side of the stream, which she now noticed had widened considerably, and houses that lined the other. They were connected by a bridge that arched and spanned the entire width of the stream from one end to the other.. She could also see all sorts of Monsters in the distance. A swarm of them stood out from the rest. They were funny little creatures, only about a foot tall with stubby little legs, half covered by black vests that came down past their knees with small purple shoes that curled in the front. They all wore purple, cone-like hats that reminded her of a gnome, and each sported a scruffy beard, all in a variety of colors from gray to green with tiny turned up noses.
"Who are they?" Frisk pointed toward the small group of little men and asked the Ferryman as they slowly traveled along. "They are called the Grounders, Madam. They harvest the energy from the lightning and spread it throughout the Underground. Many revere them for their work, but there are none who hath ever been so fortunate as to converse with them. They speak to no one outside their race."
"How strange." she started. "I wonder why."
"No one knows, M'lady. We merely respect them enough to leave them alone and allow them to work." came the Ferryman's response. Frisk rubbed at her neck. Her throat still felt raw, and since it was apparent that her companion knew seemingly everything about this place, she turned to him. "Do you know where I could get something to drink in this town?" The hooded figure gave a slight nod and pointed past the Grounders, who were hard at work and avoided them entirely as they passed. "Bob's World would be the closest, if thou art in dire need of refreshments. I shalt dock you right beside the shore where thou wilt need to go." She smiled. "You've been so kind and helpful, Sir. I thank you kindly for your generosity in bringing me this far." He merely nodded again before reaching out with his cowled palm. "Here, M'lady. I do believe you will require the necessary funds to purchase such items, and I hath thoroughly enjoyed thy company enough that I should like to aid you again. Please, allow me this kindness." he stated, continuing to hold out a hand, fingers curled under and into his palm. "I... I couldn't take money from you. I only wish there was some way I could repay you for the kindness you've already shown me just by getting me here."
"Then please, take this. That is the only payment I require." he said, continuing to hold his arm extended after Frisk stepped from the raft to the shore. She looked to it for a moment and smiled. "You are far too kind. Thank you for everything, Ferryman. You have been wonderful yourself, and I truly do appreciate this." she said, holding her hand out as he dropped ten coins into her palm. "Ferryman...." he started. "I rather like that. It has a lovely ring to it."
Frisk stuck the coins into the pocket of her sweatpants and thanked him again before turning away. She finally looked down at the ground as it squished beneath her feet. It was neon blue and looked like... was that Astro Turf? She knelt down to glide her hands across the stubby blades, confirming her suspicions. There were lines marking the squares, which were laid down with exact precision, making it appear to the naked eye as though the lines didn't exist. The Ferryman had said something about the Grounders making sure that electricity ran through the entire underground. Maybe they needed to be able to lift the grass to get to underground rods and wiring if and when necessary. It made the most logical sense. Rising, she finally started to walk towards a small shack of a building with "Bob's World" scribbled across a sign on the front of the store in big, black writing. The building itself appeared to have once been a giant, cardboard box that now had different colored bricks glued to the sides that were stacked one on top of the other to keep the store from toppling over. This was made more apparent by the large cardboard flap that was glued to the front of the shop, likely kept dry by the the giant umbrella wedged between two bricks on the roof. It was so large, it covered the entire store, and was held up by slabs of wood all leaning on a slant from the ceiling to the large poll in a sloppy circle. The front of the store had the same type of bricks, only there was an opening off to the right side for a medium sized window, and then another opening on the left side where a cardboard door was propped open by a paint can.
Tentatively, she stepped a foot inside the store, glancing around in awe at the piles of random things stacked literally everywhere.. Soon after, there was a lower pitched voice coming from behind a small row of boxes with a slab of wood over the top , apparently used as the counter. "Duuuude. When you walked in just now, I could totally tell you were all like'Woah', and then I was like Woah', and now we're both just 'Wooooooah', y'know? Radical clothes, by the way. Welcome to Bob's World, 'cuz Bob's always got what you need!"
Frisk had to stifle a laugh as she stared at the sight before her. She vaguely remembered Tem talking about having a brother named Bob, and now staring at the sight before her, she was positive this was definitely him. A white face with round, black coin like eyes and a cute little muzzle framed by a head of straight black hair at either side of his face. It was partially covered by the black baseball cap he wore, that too had a white front with "Bob's World" written on it. His white furry ears poked from the sides with dangling white puffs that hung from them. He wore a normal black t-shirt, but the rest was hidden by the counter he stood behind.
"I just need a bottle of water if you have it." she said politely, wondering why he wasn't scrutinizing her more. From the way Sans had made it seem, everyone in the Underground was petrified of Humans... but then again, maybe it had been far too long since they'd set eyes on one for them to remember exactly what they looked like. Or, that's what she hoped was the case. "Dude! You're in luck! I totally just scored a whole box. Hang on, I'll get'cha one."
While Bob went for the water, Frisk took the chance to get a better look at the store, spotting dusty magazines with guitars pinned to the cardboard surface of the walls, tools, toys... and then there were all the random boxes of items, and loose ones as well that were stacked everywhere and anywhere. Then, oddly enough from the corner of her eye, she spotted a shelf full of "Bob's World" hats just like the one he was wearing. She walked over to them and took one down just to look at it. "Tubular! You like my hat! Dude, if'ya want one, I'll only charge ya two G for it!" came Bob's apparently ecstatic voice. With that, Frisk couldn't possibly say no for fear she'd break his heart. "Of course! I'd love one! And... how much is the water?"
"Seriously?! EXCELLENT! Dude, if you're buying and gonna be wearing one of my hats, you'll be spreading the word for by business, so the water's free. Go on! Put it on! I wanna see how awesome you look!" he stated excitedly. Frisk complied, taking her hood down and putting the hat on with the bill facing forward. "RIGHTEOUS! Dude, you don't even know how awesome you look right now! Thanks for sporting my goods! Oh! Before I forget..." He then handed the water bottle over the counter and smiled up at Frisk. "Be sure and wear it everywhere, okay? Thanks for shoppin' at Bob's World, dude. Have a totally radical day!" Frisk then set the two gold coins on the counter. "Thank's, Bob. I will. You do the same!" She said with a wave.
Once outside, she pulled her hood back up. After having thought about being spotted by someone who might recognize her as a human, wearing both might help disguise her better... at least for a little while anyway.
Now... to guzzle this water like it was nobody's business and then look for Sans.... Wherever he was....