Chapter Text
It was dark, and you were falling. Okay, maybe dark wasn't the right word. It felt like this...darkness was trying to blind you, trying to claw into your skull and remove your ability to see, to understand, where you were. You couldn't even tell how fast you were falling, or if you were at all. For all you know, you were hovering in this...void.
Void. The word clicked in your head like a key turning inside a lock, and the darkness seemed to leak out of your head like water until your mind was clear. In front of you, symbols floated, forming sentences you couldn't understand. The confusion must have been evident on your face, as a pair of floating, white hands with holes in the palms appeared and waved to get your attention. They floated closer and closer until the palms fit over your eyes like an odd pair of glasses, and just like that, the symbols shifted into slightly blurry, quivering words.
"Traveling alone; truly a victim of chance. Who are you?"
--
The door to the only unused bedroom in the Serif mansion had closed, and everyone was losing their collective minds over it. Now mind you, it wasn't just the fact that the door was closed; it was usually closed unless someone went in there to clean. No, it was the fact that it was now locked, and completely impenetrable. Nobody could open the door, or break it down, or even teleport inside the room itself. That, mixed with the anxious phone call from the former royal scientist herself, detailing magic readings not unlike the ones gathered the day the barrier fell and a handful of alternate timelines snapped together, dumping a bunch of very confused monsters onto the surface.
Trying to integrate not only themselves, but monsters from timelines that ranged from benign to downright horrific had been enough of a challenge. It had been years since the event, and the Monster Council wasn't ready for another headache like that, so they'd sent various members of the Royal Guard to patrol the Underground in a weak attempt at damage control, should anyone appear.
You were not what they expected.
--
You woke up on the ground of all places, body aching and head groggy. Had you passed out on the way home from work? No, you weren't wearing your uniform. Shit, okay, you're lucid dreaming. No, that can't be right, you're never in pain in your dreams.
You reach up to rub the sleep from your eyes while adjusting to a sitting position and nearly knock your glasses off your face. Damn it, definitely not dreaming. You inhale shakily and glance around at your surroundings, trying to figure out where you were. Based on the floor, you'd say a basement, but who the fuck builds a basement out of giant stone bricks? You can see how crumbly and old they are, with vines poking through here and there, and jesus are you in a dungeon? You pause and just stare ahead at the long hallway in front of you, trying to parse where the actual fuck in town a DUNGEON would be. It doesn't make sense, and you sigh, feeling oddly...calm. That's a first for you, Ms 'Living Embodiment of Anxiety'. You still jump awake when you hear the front door opening, but sitting in a dungeon has you calm as can be. You clench your fists and scowl at the floor, heaving out a frustrated sigh. Ah, there's an emotion! Better than nothing, you suppose. Time to make good of that feeling and explore.
--
The entire Royal Guard has been stretched out across the underground, with Blue and Edge situated in the Ruins. It was fine, really. It wasn't like Blue was excited to meet the new monsters or anything. They definitely weren't as far as physically possible from the spot where everyone else had appeared. And he definitely wasn't annoying Edge with his constant complaining about it!
"I SWEAR TO GOD, IF YOU OPEN YOUR MOUTH ONE MORE TIME I'M GOING TO GAG YOU." Edge narrowed his sockets at the smaller skeleton, daring him to try anything, and Blue sighed dramatically. He couldn't win.
"FINE, BUT YOU'LL HAVE TO CATCH ME FIRST, BECAUSE I'M GOING TO PATROL AT THE EXIT TO THE RUINS. THIS SUCKS!" He darted away from Edge's grasp and sprinted around the corner, out of sight. Edge huffed, but let himself relax slightly. He could see the council's reasoning for it, but he agreed with Blue; this assignment sucks. His phone buzzed from inside his belt pouch, and it was most likely an update from Blue on his location. The quiet sound of bare feet shuffling on stone stopped him from responding, however. He whirled around, weapon summoned and at the ready, more out of reflex than any real sense of danger. In front of him, leaning heavily on a viney pillar, was a small human. Edge squinted, inspecting them further.
They were short; shorter than any of the Sanses, which would put them at barely 5ft. They had a soft, round face that belied a heavier-set build, but he couldn't see much beyond the baggy, black hoodie they wore paired with a set of black leggings. He tilted his head in slight confusion, noticing a lack of footwear, and they shuffled awkwardly, adjusting their round glasses before speaking up.
"Are you, uh….are you gonna attack me? I promise I'm not armed, I'm just…..lost. And tired, god I'm so fucking tired. Can you help me? Please?" Their voice is soft, and a little rough, and it's at odds with their youthful face. It puts Edge at ease, and he dismisses his sword and spreads his fingers out placatingly. The human relaxes a bit, looking hopeful before carefully shuffling forward a few steps, stopping almost as fast with a pained expression. They gasp and brace themselves on their knees, trying to even out their breathing with a whimper. Edge startles before recovering, striding forward.
"WHERE ARE YOU HURT?" His tone makes them flinch, and he winces, trying again. "Are You Injured, Human? The Ruins Are Not Exactly Safe For Your Kind." They suck in a breath and shake their head.
"No, it's….chronic. I'm okay. I didn't get hurt down here." They straighten up slowly, running a hand through their short, shaggy, dirty blonde hair with another pained sigh. From up close, Edge can see that they're definitely older than he thought, with streaks of gray in their hair and the beginnings of crows feet hidden in a sea of freckles on their face. The glint of silver piercings in their nose and lip only serve to confuse him further. Do younger humans get piercings? Okay, maybe he doesn't really understand human age as well as he thought. He's brought out of his musings when they tilt their head at him, a puzzled expression on their face. His cheekbones flush a light red, and he clears his throat.
"I Think, Perhaps, You're The One We've Been Patrolling For. Hm…" He trails off, scowling for a moment before closing the gap and lifting them up into a bridal carry. They squeak in protest, clinging to his shoulders. "Apologies, But This Will Be Faster, And You Are Clearly In Pain."
They're just….staring at him, lips parted and eyes wide. They blink once, twice, before their expression turns shy, glancing away. He blushes bright crimson, starting a brisk march through the Ruins. "D-DO NOT MISTAKE THIS KINDNESS FOR WEAKNESS, SMALL ONE! THE GREAT AND TERRIBLE EDGE IS MERELY DOING HIS JOB!"
They snort quietly, settling in against his shoulder. "Redding."
His eyelights dart down to their form. "WHAT?"
"You can call me Redding."
--
You're being carried by a talking skeleton. A…. talking…. skeleton. If you're being honest, you were already in a bit of a daze from waking up in a weird place, so running into this guy wasn't helping much. You can't really complain, though. He's kind of handsome? In a spooky way, you guess. The black leather jacket, paired with black skinny jeans, red leather gloves and boots and a tattered red scarf tied around the neck of a dark red turtleneck were really doing it for you. Plus the deep scarring across his eye was super cool. Alright, you can't fawn over the dude carrying you, that's just weird.
A sudden, insistent buzzing draws you from your thoughts, and Edge sighs dramatically above you. "I SWEAR HE DOESN'T HAVE A PATIENT BONE IN HIS FUCKING BODY. UGH. WE'RE ABOUT TO RUN DIRECTLY INTO HIM FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!"
He stomps up a set of stone stairs and through a doorway to a quaint little house, not bothering to knock. "BLUE!! GET OFF THE DAMN PHONE, MY HANDS ARE FULL!"
There's the rapid thumping of someone running up a set of wooden stairs, and then you're face to hip with a much shorter skeleton. He stops dead in his tracks, clearly not expecting you. "EDGE, WHO THE HELL IS THIS??"
Edge adjusts his hold on you slightly, and maybe if you knew him better, you'd be aware of how protective he's being. Blue notices, and his eyelights turn into stars for just a moment.
"THE PERSON WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR, I WOULD PRESUME." He scowls at Blue. "HOW ELSE WOULD A HUMAN HAVE GOTTEN DOWN HERE?"
Blue smirks, crossing his arms across his chest. "DON'T KNOW. MAYBE YOU'VE JUST BEEN HIDING THIS LOVELY MAIDEN FROM THE REST OF US."
His comment has you blushing and hiding your face against Edge's scarf, and Edge sighs. "DOWN, BOY. IF YOU EMBARRASS HER FURTHER SHE'S GOING TO CRAWL INSIDE MY SWEATER AND IT'LL BE IMPOSSIBLE TO GET HER TO ALPHYS."
Blue stands at attention at the mention of their original assignment with an eager nod. "I'LL CALL CLASSIC AND GIVE HIM OUR LOCATION!" Edge huffs again, but you feel him nod, and from your ‘hidden’ position you hear an odd clacking. Chancing a glance, you see it’s his bony fingers tapping on the touch screen of a phone. You adjust yourself further in his hold so you can take in more of the smaller skeleton. A simple white t-shirt, faded jeans with what look to be unintentional tears near the knees, and a pair of dirty, blue tennis shoes. A very faded, tattered blue scarf around his neck completes the look, and you’re starting to wonder if that’s a cultural thing. You’re startled out of your inspection by the appearance of a third skeleton, this one almost identical to Blue, with the exception of his outfit, which is a simple blue hoodie and black shorts combo, tied together with…..fuzzy pink slippers. You know you’re staring, but so is he, face slack with shock.
“SURPRISE! SHE’S NOT ONE OF US!” Blue is giving the group jazz hands, and you snort out a surprised laugh. Who you’re assuming is Classic just blinks at you for a few more moments before running his hands down his face with a tired sigh.
"okay, yeah….when you said 'unexpected' i should have known this whole thing was gonna throw us for a loop." He pauses to look at you again, eye sockets devoid of the little white lights. "so, how did you get down here?"
You freeze, and a chill runs down your spine. Your chest feels heavy, and you're subconsciously clinging to Edge's scarf again, as if the feeling will ground you, but all you can feel is your sins crawling on your back.
A sharp clack breaks the tension, and Classic is clutching the back of his skull, a pained frown on his face. Behind him, Blue is standing with his hands on his hips, glaring a hole through Classic. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING? WE'RE NOT IN THE JUDGEMENT HALL, AND EVEN IF WE WERE, YOU'RE JUST BEING AN ASS. I JUST TOLD YOU OVER THE PHONE THAT WE FOUND THE SOURCE OF THE READINGS!! CAN YOU USE YOUR BRAIN FOR ONE SECOND WITHOUT JUMPING TO RUDE CONCLUSIONS? OR SHOULD I TELL VANILLA ABOUT YOUR BEHAVIOR?"
Classic winces at the threat, shuffling awkwardly. "i uh...i…" He sweats, eye lights darting between the two skeletal figures before, faster than you can blink, he's got a hand on your shoulder and the three of you are just...gone. Blue throws his hands up in exasperation before scuffing his shoe on the wooden floor. He fishes his phone out of his pocket once more, grumbling under his breath.
"Whatever...Telling Vanilla For Sure Now….Ugh…"
--
The world twists, shifting to black for a moment before settling to a blinding white. A clinical, disinfectant smell hits your nose and your anxiety spikes. You don't have a mask on! You fumble, trying to pull your collar over your mouth and nose in a panic, and Edge squeezes you to get your attention.
"Are You Ill, Human? Or Have You Found A New Hiding Place?" He's frowning down at you, and you shake your head frantically in response.
“I don’t wanna get sick! Are there any more humans here? Anyone that’s sick?” Your voice is muffled, but the question is heard clearly enough to startle and confuse your present company, now including a small, yellow, lizard in a lab coat. She adjusts her cartoonishly large, round glasses and peers at you with something akin to anxious horror on her face.
“W-why would a-anyone be sick? And you’re the only human here, p-promise! A-are you afraid of g-getting sick? M-monsters don’t c-carry illnesses like humans d-do. W-well...t-that’s n-n-not entirely t-true causesometimeswefalldownbutit’snotcontagiousoranything!!!” She gains confidence, only to lose it part way again, falling into a stuttery ramble. Classic grimaces and gently clasps her shoulder, and she relaxes slightly.
“what Alphys means to say is that you’re okay here. there aren’t any germs to worry about. Edge said you’re injured, and we need to check out your stats for any anomalies anyway. i get the feeling your timeline is...different…” Classic looks away, expression unreadable as he shrugs and stuffs his hands into his hoodie pockets.
Alphys demeanor shifts, and she straightens up slightly. “R-right! I’m Doctor Alphys, f-former Royal Scientist of this t-timeline, and I’ll b-be conducting the research o-on your s-sudden appearance!” She motions for your group to follow her, and Edge continues to carry you, while Classic follows at a distance. As you get closer, you can more easily distinguish the multiple stainless steel examination tables and the cloth dividers between them. She opens a curtain with a metallic ‘swish’ and ushers Edge inside, where he then pries you away from him and gently sets you down. You try, but obviously fail, to school your expression into something less worried, and Alphys sets a clawed hand on top of yours comfortingly. You manage a tight smile in response, hoping it’s not a grimace.
To your right, along the wall, she flips on what you’d assumed was a heart monitor, but the screen reads ‘NO SUBJECT INPUT’ and you’re unsure just what it does. Alphys adjusts her glasses again before continuing. “T-this is a SOUL monitor. It’s going to r-read your STATS to me so I c-can check for abnormalities. This s-sort of information is usually reserved f-for a FIGHT, but this is significantly less i-intrusive. It’s also considered p-private in this setting, so I’ll need the two of you t-to step out now.” Edge steps out with a tilt of his head toward you, and Classic simply disappears. Alphys reaches above you to adjust an oddly colored lamp so it sits aimed at your chest, and gives you a nervous smile. “It’s similar t-to your X-Ray m-machines, b-but with n-no r-r-risk to a-anyone!”
Her cheerful, nervous chatter is enough to make you crack a shaky smile and a nod, and she nods with you before pressing a green button on the machine. It sounds almost like a computer powering up, but the light doesn’t come on, and at first you think it must be broken. The screen shortly lights up with various text, and Alphys lets out a small noise of triumph.
*REDDING
*LV 1
*HP 3/5
*AT 3 DF 3