Shadowtale (Undertale AU)

Chapter Six || They're here

(Note: My pal Nox helped a lot with the idea and motivation for this chapter. Shoutout to them!)

(Frisk's POV)

I sat by the fire with the other monsters in calm content. Little did I know that would be the last peaceful moment for a long while. Everyone sat, warming up - well, except Grillby, who I'd known the fire monster to be called. I doubted he ever needed to warm up. Anyway, I was glad to be filed with something again, especially if it wasn't slimy snail pie.

But that's when I noticed it. A BANG sounded, near the stronghold's southern wall. It shook, and several wooden boards splintered. Everyone's head turned to stare at it, frozen. After a few seconds, another BANG shook the wooden wall as it broke even more.

Then, all-out panic ensued.

Everyone jumped up from their places, running this way and that. Some people went directly to the wall, some to the boxes full of weapons and armor, and some up ladders to look over the wall. I saw shadow leap up from his place by several crates, only to yelp and fall back to his knees. He tried to stand again, but barely made it to one knee before falling again. Thunder ran to him, checking if he was okay. Then, he shouted,

"DON'T try and fight!" And ran toward the growing hole in the wall to help. 

I didn't know what I was supposed to do. This was all happening too fast. Several people were clambering over the wall from outside, armored and far more prepared than we were. I recognized some as the dogs that had attacked Shadow and I, but others I didn't remember. 

By now, people had started to take action against the imminent invasion. Grillby was throwing balls of flame at the people climbing the wall, either pushing them off or causing them to let go. Muffet was spinning web traps, slowing down the armored assailants. Mettaton - the robot man - kicked higher than my head like some kind of ninja and sent little square robots raining down on out opponents, which each flung another projectile out toward them. Thunder dragged bones up from the ground, hitting the guards with the sheer power of blunt force trauma and brought showers of raindrops out of nowhere, turning the ground to slippery slush. The wall was still breaking now, and the nose of what looked like a very large stone pillar was smashing through the wooden fortification like it was paper. There was no way we could stop it.

A loud, intense laughter rang from in the crowd of the Undying. I glanced around some crates at whoever was laughing. The wall was completely broken now, a massive hole now gaping in it. A tall, armored woman stood on top of the pillar, clearly the one laughing. She had blue, fishlike scales and a long red ponytail. Her jagged yellow teeth were turned up in a grin of nothing but malevolence. She threw her hand out to the side, forming a long blue spear, crackling with energy like fizzing, boiling power condensed into physical form. Several people flung bullets at her, but she simply cast them away with her spear and laughed, forming more spears around her and flinging them at the surrounding Rebels.

"You idiots think you can stop ME!? Undyne the Undying!? I WILL MURDER YOU ALL!" She yelled, sending more spears in every direction. 

Shadow glared, nothing but pure fury on his face. He tried standing up again, his legs shaking and teeth gritted in pain. No no no no no, he can't try to fight her! He's still healing! But there's nothing I can do! It's me Undyne wants, and everyone's trying to protect me! So I watched as Shadow dragged himself up, forming knives in his hands. Undyne hadn't noticed him yet, as she was still easily warding off the other Rebels. He ran at her, leaping into the air and screaming,

"YOU KILLED MY BROTHER YOU BITCH!!!" He came down above her, but all she needed to do to deflect his attack was raise her spear in line with his knives, and they bounced off, one possibly shattering. She grinned evilly, enjoying the sight of Shadow's face turning so quickly to surprise and fear, as she kicked him in the chest and sent him flying backwards into a wall. He slammed against it and slid down into a limp heap on the ground. 

"NO!" Thunder shrieked, sprinting as fast as he could to Shadow's side, eye sockets filling with tears. I wanted to scream too, to cry, to run to Shadow, but I couldn't. If I did, I would give myself away. I have to hide.

(Thunder's POV)

I heard Shadow's yell, and stopped throwing bones for a second to see what was going on. I saw him flying towards Undyne, knives out. She simply raised a spear and sneered, deflecting his blades easily. I saw his face change, going from anger to just fear. She kicked him in the chest with a metal-plated boot and he flew backwards into a wall, sliding down it onto the ground.

No no no NO NO!

I slid down the ladder from the platform overlooking the wall as fast as I could, rushing to Shadow.

His face was blank, and blood beaded from scratches covering his face. He wasn't dust yet, but would be soon if I couldn't do anything. I was shaking, tears streaming down my face. I tried forming healing magic in my hands, but the light just flickered out like a broken lamp. Damnit! Healing magic takes a lot of energy, and I had used up a lot of it attacking the Undying already.

That's when panic really set in.

I knew if I didn't heal him, Shadow would probably die. I'm the only one here with healing magic, but I can't do it because I'm too DAMN TIRED! What kind of a stupid reason is that!? I'm just lazy and I'm going to let him DIE!?

I tried desperately to create the faintest amount of magic in my hands, but nothing. Not a wisp of magic left my palm.

"No, no, no...please, please don't...please don't die. I-it's all my fault. I should've b-been there, should've st-stopped you, o-o-or been able t-to...to..." My words faded away, descending into shaky sobs. Shadow was going to die.

(1,055)