The Mountain East (An Undertale Fanfiction)

Chapter 48

And so toppled the crown. Surrounded by nothing but death, so vulnerable in capacity, so few in number, so limited in capability. Bound, without security, denied a route southbound. Lost, without boundless adventure, without the pertinence of power and power of pertinence; jurisdiction destroyed, sovereignty challenged at even the most miniscule of errors, after all, a flawed leader was no leader at all. But although perfection was a far cry for most, they need not fulfill its wishes. Only an image, a mirage of sorts, are needed. Deception to your own is even more delicate than espionage towards your enemies, for a single foot that tread off the pavement – a single misplaced, unwelcome piece of cobble amongst pebbles – the slightest of mistakes, announced, would grant you the quickest path to helplessness.

Like a paper airplane, so carefree and unfettered, the sky posing as less of a limit and more as a playground – and yet, at a moment's notice, it could be sent, spiraling downward, wings folded and point crooked, sent into the watery depths below. There was no sustainability in power. There was only now. Carpe Diem. There was only now.

Everyone falls. Eventually.

And so, as the king fell to his side, so toppled the crown. And all the queen could do was sit on the sidelines, unmoving, power negated by loss. And try as she might, that was destiny. Played forever and ever. Being together is but the birthing of being alone. Value and place no longer are a privilege. It turns into a prison, where you are denied access to oblivion, a spot reserved for your begging.

But hopefully, everyone falls. Eventually.

"Checkmate."

Chara's finger gingerly toppled the king, who crashed into its array of pawns that stood guard in front of it, who, inadvertently, hemmed it in with a parapet of misguided preservation, an ironic end, really. Had they been allowed into the first rank, a reservation only for their superiors, a reserved route could have come in clutch. A single queen stared the lone ruler down, and with his own pieces either out of play or simply could not walk down the middle road, Asriel, who admittedly was not really paying attention, admitted defeat, or rather acknowledged it, by a nod of his head.

Asriel sighed, but not at his loss. He stared out the window, his tail swaying whimsically as a response to the rays of light meeting his face. His thoughts were distant, and as he looked out of the window with a tired expression, it appeared that he was scavenging for them. Like searching for the last piece of a puzzle. It was puzzling, how elation can be so quickly replaced by frustration.

"Azzy?" Chara asked, though she really did not need too.

"Mhm?" He replied, not tearing his eyes away from the pane of glass. His hand supporting his chin moved slightly, but that was the only conscious movement thus far. His free hand still caressed a bishop, as if it wasn't tied down by the king who lay, crippled.

His minimal response was not met by a look of askance, rather one of worry. Chara's response was a mixture of fake exasperation, an implication of a plead, and genuine worry for his quiet disquiet. "Asriel?"

This time, he did not even respond. Whether it was out of deliberate ignorance, implied dissonance or just a lack of an attention span, she would never know.

"Asriel!" She banged her fist on the table, her frustration clear, and for once, she did not laugh at the comedy his ears performed.

"Wh - huh?" He was still oblivious.

Chara sighed. "This is exactly why I wanted to play a game. So we can take that off your mind, for now."

"I know, Chara. It's just – how can I not think about it? The silence really isn't helping either."