Chapter Text
The events in TV World had turned from a minor inconvenience to a nightmare in a matter of minutes. Everything went wrong at such high speeds that Kris and Susie could have suffered from whiplash.
As they were getting ready to leave, as Tenna had finally seen the error of his ways and looked to the future for the first time in many years, as he had finally allowed them permission to take Toriel and seal the Fountain, he had been fatally wounded by the Roaring Knight. Despite the best efforts of the Fun Gang to intervene, they couldn't defeat it. The shadow escaped with Undyne and fled to the Bunker. They couldn't unlock the door, they couldn't help Undyne.
Susie hurried back into the crumbling Dark World. They may have failed, but there was still something she could do right. She found Tenna and both his detached arms partially buried in the snow. The crew that had turned their backs on Tenna quickly rallied together when they heard her pleas for help. They worked to repair the host as best as they could with the limited supplies that they had on hand. Ralsei used his healing magic frequently to try and help keep Tenna's awareness present.
It worked. The Dark World was stable in the final moments before the Dark Fountain was sealed. They did it. Everything was fixed just in time, except that Tenna didn't stir.
Susie felt the bitter sting of regret. She hated how Tenna had lied to them and how he had kidnapped Toriel, but he was scared and acted out in the only way he knew how. He was only doing what he could to save his life. He wasn't that bad of an individual - she had even found a little soft spot for the eccentric host. She wanted to help him embrace that hope that he had rediscovered. He deserved a second chance, just like she did. He couldn't be gone. It wasn't fair!
In the morning, the exhausted teenagers trudged out of the house behind Toriel to attend the service. Tenna was already outside, and neither of them knew when - or how - that happened.
Susie crouched down to lift him up, only to stop and look up at the clouds lazily rolling overhead. Sitting outside helped her when she wasn't feeling like herself. Maybe it would help wake Tenna up. They wouldn't be long.
By the time they returned from the Chapel, Tenna was gone.
Someone else spied an opportunity. The TV couldn't be fixed without putting a lot of money into it. It would be thrown out - what a waste! But the chassis was in perfect condition. Once it was hollowed out and mended, it would be perfect to hold something else.
Only the ends of a few stubborn wires remained inside the television by the time the work of removing all the electronics was finished. The inside walls were covered in a protective layer to ensure nothing would be damaged. A combination of tiny stones and dirt sat on the bottom to anchor the fresh strands of aquatic grass.
Then, late that evening, the shell of the television was placed on the floor beneath the bottom shelf in the school's supply closet: the safest place in town to hide something that wasn't yours.
For the final test, a jug of water was poured in. The water stayed in the case. Not a drop spilled out. The strands of grass slowly perked up as they registered the nourishment around them. A toy fish was dropped in as well, for good measure.
Once the festival was over, and if the water hadn't leaked through the screen, the broken TV would begin its new life as a little fish tank.
When Tenna stirred, he was alone, surrounded by muted mauve rocks. The rocks continued out toward walls that rose high above him. He was trapped at the bottom of a pit, but why?
Three words crossed his mind:
- Alone.
- White.
- Dead.
'Alone' made sense. He couldn't see anyone around him. He was by himself, so that was correct.
The colour white didn't apply. In fact, nothing around him resembled the colour at all.
Dead… Was he dead?
No, that didn't make sense. Something in his chest kept a slow beat. That meant he was alive… Or at least, that's what he believed was the case.
However, he was struggling to move. Everything below his neck felt heavy, like dead weights.
Huh. Maybe that's why he thought of the word 'dead'.
None of this explained why he was alone at the bottom of a pit. Maybe someone else would know, and there was only one way to find out!
He called out for help. A vocalisation came out, but it wasn't a word. It was a noise.
That wasn't right. He definitely should be able to speak. Right now, however, it was like his body didn't know how to articulate what was in his mind.
Maybe his fall in here was the reason for that?
Yes. That made sense.
Content with that logic, he shouted once more and ignored whatever not-word came out of his mouth.
Something rumbled above him. But instead of it bringing another to help him, a droplet of water landed on his screen. A second followed, then a third. Something about this wasn't right. Why was he outside? Why was he in the rain?
Overhead, the pit had one section that stretched a little further toward the middle. Tenna watched in horror as water began to fall over that edge and into the pit.
He shouldn't be in the water. If he didn't move, he would die.
(Why was he so sure about that??)
Both arms were moved beneath him to try and push himself up, but they trembled at the action. The fall must have hurt them too. He couldn't move, and he was forced to fearfully watch the water gather on the pit floor and edge slowly toward him.
This was it. He was going to die.
The body uselessly flailed as Tenna desperately tried to will strength into it. He couldn't even vocalise his pleas for movement. They were incoherent whimpers and gasps.
The water was getting closer with every passing second.
Nothing worked! He needed to move! Get out! Climb up! Get far away from the water before the bad thing he didn't understand happened and he died!
Slowly, the water had gathered all around him. It lapped against his arm, as though trying to test boundaries.
The fear that gripped his mind was countered by the relief felt by his body.
Why was his body relieved?? Something bad was supposed to happen if all that water touched him!
Perhaps the relief came from how the rising water took pressure off his aching body. When he put his hands under him a second time, he could successfully hold himself up to rest on his hips, swivel to sit, and -
His body tapered into a fish tail.
That wasn't supposed to be there.
He didn't know why he knew something was wrong, but it was definitely wrong!
The long tail that was-his-but-wasn't-his flicked when he thought about it. It was connected to him. It really was his.
Sitting, the water had reached his shoulders. No wonder he couldn't stand! No one could stand on a tail!
He cried for help one more time just as the water submerged his head. The bubbles in the water made his vision go white.
Tenna was scared. He was alone and he was going to die. That must be why he thought of those words when he woke up.
Yet, the body did not mirror the turmoil of the mind. Somehow, he could still breathe and see underwater. As the water rose higher, his tail began to twitch.
Tenna didn't understand. His body wanted to move now? He didn't know how to move with a tail! All he could do was roll onto his stomach and feel even more useless.
The tail flicked again and began to wave up and down in the water. It was building momentum, and Tenna used the opportunity to push down with his arms and lift himself off the ground.
This was a mistake. He took off like a bullet and crashed head-first into a nearby wall.
Even if he was dazed, he didn't fall down. He leaned against the wall, head lowered as he watched how he 'stood' underwater.
The tail that was-his-but-wasn't-his connected seamlessly to his torso, as though it had always been there. The muscles were strong, and his body looked like it had sufficient fat to keep himself warm. Not only that, the fins on both hips and tail were sturdy. If these weren't his, then he considered himself lucky to have a healthy body.
Why had he been he so scared about this? He didn't know what he was supposed to have, but this body was his now. That should be embraced!
That change of perspective helped him set off once more, slower this time, as he listened to what his body wanted to do. Every movement felt natural, even if the skills were new. He figured out how to lift himself higher and lower in the water, how to turn, and even how to break above it and see the sky.
The pit was still rather high, but it was closer than it was before. That was good. He needed more room to swim.
And not just him…
Tenna dipped back under the water, letting his body guide him down toward a small cave. A small blue egg waited for him there.
His baby.
This egg was carefully lifted so he could nuzzle it against his screen. Little bubbles appeared around her in response. She would need room to swim once she hatched! Right now, she needed to save her energy to grow. As her Pop, he would keep her from having to fight against the water.
In the little cave there was some dirt rather than just hard rock. A webbed hand scratched away at this to create a hole that was large enough for half the egg to snugly sit in.
Content with this, he stalled to watch her settle into the makeshift nest before deciding to lie protectively around her.
He wasn't alone. He had his daughter.
There was no white. Only muted purples and blues.
He wasn't dead. He was alive.
There was no need to be scared. Things were okay now.
The most important thing he wanted to do was sleep. A lot had happened in the short time since he regained consciousness. His body wasn't used to exerting this much energy.
He may barely remember anything before today, but he could try and focus on that later.