Mosaic [Undertale AUs]

Ch3 - Changes

Pyrite's POV

You frowned at the note, having reread it a few times to really let the words sink in. It was definitely Sans' handwriting, that same neat calligraphy you remembered from when you were little, but the mention of a new timeline had you a little conflicted.

The multiverse theory was something that seemed plausible, and you did recall Gaster mentioning that the secondary royal scientist Undyne was working on some theories about it. Didn't she pass away, though? You weren't sure. You had only heard snippets of gossip from scientists as they worked, so your knowledge on how things were outside of the facility was... extremely limited.

You considered the possibility with a moment of thought. Suddenly waking up on the surface was one thing, but an entirely new universe? It was... hard to believe. Having come from an underground with a 'deceive or be deceived' mentality, you wanted to be sceptical, but even after all these years, you couldn't help but put your full trust in Sans. He was your brother and nothing was going to change that. If he said you were in a new timeline, you would trust his note. You just hoped his handwriting wasn't forged or something.

Standing up and brushing the dirt and leaves from your clothing, you noticed something glinting in the grass, something silver. It was directly where you had been laying. Had it fallen out from your pocket when you took out the note? It seemed too coincidental to be there for no reason.

The moment you picked it up, you recognised Sans'magic imbued into it, buzzing against your phalanges. It was an old silver ring with an engraving on the inside in Wingdings, a language that was only ever used by skeletons (though that unfortunately included Gaster). 'I have not forgotten you, my brother'. The message was clearly about you, and it made your soul warm. The ring looked worn, too. Had Sans made this to remember you by? You were happy he had never forgotten you even after so long spent apart.

Unsure of what to do with it, as the size was too large to fit on your own fingers, you attempted to open your inventory. It was a sort of autopilot action, not one you did consciously. Your sockets widened at the realisation it worked. You could access your inventory!??

Reactively, your hand flew to your neck. It met nothing. No metal suppression collar that dug into your bones. Nothing to restrict your magic. That was why you could access your inventory now! Even better, you could probably start using your magic in general! A grin stretched across your features, a small bubble of excitement building in your chest.

In your inventory was also a familiar scarf. You pulled it out, the tattered red fabric bringing tears to your eyes. You had been wearing it the day you were taken, and it had brought you so much comfort whilst trapped in The Nexus Facility... at least, it did for the first year or two, but when the magic suppressors became a thing, you couldn't access your inventory to take it out. That was probably for the best, admittedly, since it meant it never got snatched away from you.

You wrapped the scarf around your neck, already feeling comforted. The charm would just have to stay in your inventory until you had a necklace or something to connect it to, but the scarf was staying out. You checked how much gold you had, too, since the note mentioned it briefly. 150G. You couldn't tell if that was a lot. It sounded like it was, but it could have been practically worthless for all you knew. A problem for future you, you supposed.

Since you could access your inventory without issue, you decided it was worth trying to see if you could use your defensive and offensive magics. Experimentally, you tried to summon a bone - just a small one to see if it worked.

Instantly, pain shot through your soul, causing you to fall to your knees. It was intense, but only lasted a few seconds before dissipating. You did successfully summon a bone, but the magic was weak and fell apart the moment the pain passed, spluttering as though your magic was much too low to sustain it.

...Maybe you were overdoing it. You had only just got your magic back. You probably needed to rest, to get your HP up and all that. It was disappointing, but understandable. You had no idea what kind of effects suppressants had when in use for more than a century, but it couldn't be anything good, so you probably had to keep an eye on that.

You began to walk in the opposite direction to the sun. It would make sure you wouldn't get turned around, but really, you just didn't want that big ball of light constantly in your face. You kept thinking, though, taking the time to understand your predicament.

This was a new timeline. Did that mean you were the only monster on the surface? You grimaced at that, deciding to adjust your scarf over your skull and ensure your hood was properly up. If you kept your head down, you were confident you would pass as human.

But timelines could be different. What if monsters had escaped from the underground? What would they be like? Would things be peaceful, or would there be another war? What if there were no other monsters at all in this version of reality? So many different possibilities... It felt frightening, not knowing the rules of this place, not knowing anything at all. But, for now, things seemed peaceful, so you would hope for the best. 

You walked for hours, just travelling that same direction, unsure of whether or not you were anywhere close to civilization. Thankfully, you happened to come across a road. It was empty, so you followed it for a while.

It was a while later that you found yourself standing before a giant sign. it was a little old, worn by weather, but the text was perfectly legible. 'Welcome To Ebbot City - Home Of Monsters And Humans Alike!'

You let out a sigh of relief. So monsters were clearly topside, and it didn't seem like there was a monster-human war. At least, if the sign was to be trusted, that was. "...This is a good place to start," you let out softly. It had been a long time since you had used your voice. "I can always come hide out here again if it ends up being too dangerous..."