Polly's Eternal Adventure (P.E.A)

Part 1 | Segment 0.6 | The Gauntlet Of... What?

As I crossed the long bridge leading to the next area, which appeared to be a town, I spotted both skeleton brothers standing guard, brimming with enthusiasm and readiness for what they had in store for me. However...

Papyrus: "Human! You must not take another step forward, because this is your final and most dangerous challenge! Behold! THE GAUNTLET OF DEADLY TERROR!"

At his declaration, a flurry of weapons emerged from hidden compartments along the bridge, all aimed directly at me. A mace ball swung ominously, a dog, spears jutted from either side, and there was even a cannon — one spitting fire, the other ominously silent.

Polly: "Wait, a dog!?"

Papyrus: "His sacrifice won't be in vain!"

Polly: "Sure..."

Papyrus: "When I say the word, it will activate! Cannons will fire! Spikes will swing! Blades will slice! A dog will— Wait! What are you doing, human?!"

I stepped forward, ignoring his threats. Each step was confident, solid, a testament to my resolve. I decided it was time to explain my reasoning.

Polly: "It doesn't matter."

Papyrus: "Nyeh?!"

Polly: "You can do it, and heck, you might even succeed; but it just doesn't make sense to."

Papyrus: "S-stay back, human! I will do it!"

Polly: "If you do it, what happens to the bridge? Last time I checked, I'm not the only one who crosses it."

Papyrus: "And??? It's a trap!"

Polly: "If you destroy this bridge with your crazy and sadistic challenge, people won't be able to cross it. They'll just have to wait for someone else to fix it. It's a dumb plan to go through. This trap is so flawed it puts everything else you've done considered decent."

I reached the other side of the bridge, standing squarely in front of Papyrus.

Polly: "Checkmate, Papyrus."

Papyrus: "T-ta-ta-tactical retreat..."

Polly: "What?"

Papyrus: "Tactical retreat!"

Polly: "What."

Papyrus: "Yes, a tactical retreat! This trap is far below me — too direct, lacking any class at all! Besides, I was merely testing your will!"

Polly: "My will?"

Papyrus: "Now that I've seen your determination to continue, I can put this away! Away it goes!"

With that, the traps vanished as he dashed off. "Seriously, if I run into any more of these lame traps, I might just lose it," I muttered, shaking my head.

Sans: "To be honest, I don't know what he's going to do next. But if I were you, I'd really try to understand 'Blue Attacks.'"

Polly: "... Is that a threat?"

I walked ahead and finally entered the town. A large sign greeted me: "Welcome to Snowdin."

Polly: "Finally, a town."

Mani: "You really outdid Papyrus for a moment there! Did you see the look on his face? He looked defeated!"

Polly: "For a sentry, he's pretty bad at his job. Or maybe I'm just a tough opponent for him... Either way, his traps no longer work on me. And I think we should move on—"

Mani: "No!"

Polly: "Um... why?"

Mani: "Don't you want to... stay for a while and explore?"

Polly: "Are you serious? I have a family to get back to. I'm not staying here. I'll be fine; no rest is needed."

Mani: "I know, but what if there are items here that you can buy?"

Polly: "Look—"

Mani: "And—would you look at that? It's a save point. You can't miss THAT..."

Polly: "Aren't there just going to be more saves as I move on? You said the system saves based on how I'm feeling, right? So, I'll just wait for the next one."

Suddenly, Mani flew up to me, tugging on my hair with the most pleading puppy-dog eyes.

Polly: "No. Way."

Mani: "Pwease?"

Polly: "I'm not falling for that—"

A flash of a forgotten memory flickered in my mind. Mani's face resembled that of a girl I had seen in the past. She wore a polka-dot dress — black and white patterned — with bouncy, spiral-tipped grayish-purple hair, lacking my silver streaks. Her light-brown eyes sparkled with the same pleading shine. She was shorter than me, probably around 149 cm, and that expression was eerily familiar. It was as if I were replaying the same events...

Polly... Polly? Polly!

Polly: "W-what?"

Mani: "... 'No rest is needed,' you said?"

Polly: "Fine, we'll explore and then... probably a little bit more rest?"

Mani: "Sounds like a plan! Thank you, kindly!"

Polly: "... No problem."

"How annoying," I thought as I approached the sign that read, "Welcome to Snowdin!" The lively chatter of the town full of monsters ahead was oddly nostalgic, filling me with a mix of determination and nervousness.

The sight of such a friendly town fills you with DETERMINATION.

Polly LV 1 FL 2
Snowdin - Dog House
[Save or Return?]

Polly LV 1 FL 2
Snowdin - Town
[File Saved]