Underdepth

Chapter 20: DETERMINATION

They all went up the stairs.

They were in the Judgment Hall. Nothing was seen but the pillars, the bright lights shining out the windows, the nicely tiled floors. And their shadows. Mia gasped. "The stairs led to dad's hallway.... How!?" Mindy was still using Julius as a support "I dunno. Probably magic." snoring was heard. Light, peaceful snoring. Zachary knew that snoring was familiar. He traced it to a dark corner. An MTT brand box was there. Wait a minute. That was the MTT brand box in Zachary's house. "CHILLER!?!?" a skeleton with no bottom jaw, but a squiggly upper mandible, a green scarf, black sweat pants and black jacket, zipped down halfway to reveal a shirt that says "Bad to The Bone" popped his head out the box "Oh hey bro. What's up- OOF" Zachary tackle hugged him inside the box. "HOWDYOUGETHEREIWANNAKNOWIWASWORRYINGABOUTYOU-" "Hey, don't worry, Lil bro. I'm fine. I'm... Chill.... Get it? HONK!" Chiller really enjoys honking at his puns. Zachary just hid his face in his palm. "Yes. Yes, I get it. Dear god why." "huh huh huh. Ah, I crack me up sometimes. Hey, who's your friends?" "Oh! There's Queen Mindy, Noila, Peppi, Julius, E.C.H.O, Recluse, Regita, Mia, and Marie!" Chiller looked at her for a moment. "A human..." He got out the box. "You guys go on ahead, kings probably out there in his throne room. I just need to borrow her for a moment." everyone went up ahead. Zachary stayed behind for a few seconds and squealed like a girl, since he's seeing Chiller again. Chiller faced towards Marie "So, human. You've come an awful long way. Huh huh.... Surprised you didn't kill anyone... But why? Not that I'm against it." "because I gave them a chance! At first they some of them didn't like me, but now, I got them to be my friends!" "Huh. Must be that determination." "I've been hearing that all day. What does it really mean?" "So. You really wanna know what it means. It means you won't give up. No matter how tough things may seem. I have a little secret. I've been watching you this whole time. Your encounters. Your friendships. Including your struggles. You remember when your soul lit up in that dark forest? That was your determination." "Wow!" her soul lit up again. "I promise I'll stay determined! Not even if what I'm doing is impossible!" "I always knew you had it in you, Marie." she ran over and hugged him. Chiller held her close "So, your friends are up ahead, right?" "Mm hmm! Lets catch up to them!" Marie ran with him to the end of the 'barrier' room. To the monsters surprise, they found out the barrier that had been keeping them underground had been broken. "Who coulda done this...? There's no way that fluffy pushover got 7 souls..." Regita stepped back. "The barrier is just.... Gone."

They all lined up near the exit, holding hands. Except for E.C.H.O. he just held Mia's hand with his tail. Peppi deeply inhaled. "Well. This is it. The moment we step through this exit, we're finally free. Before we go, does anybody need to get anything? I already have my amount of G." Everyone all had their belongings... Magically. "Alright, here goes."

The moment they took a step, everyone except Marie was impaled by a giant pillar. The moment She saw them all get impaled, all that ran through her mind was instant panic. She saw them struggling to get free, on their last string of HP. Mumbo you pile of- you mother trucker you. "Did you really think this was over!? You thought wrong! Now look at this.. Your friends are all suffering because of you. It was all because 'you love them' or 'muh friendship!!!!!' But in the end, it results in their untimely death." Marie was petrified. "But why!? Why are you hurting them!?" "I figured... If I we're a genocidal maniac, what would I do to a six year old first. The answer: KILL HER FRIENDS. But hey, if it makes you feel any better..." he casts a magic spell that pins her to a wall. She couldn't move at all. Her friends souls went inside the lamp. "YOU'LL DIE WITH THEM" Mumbo took a pillar, and impaled Marie with it. Her soul broke in half.

Everyone inside the lamp yelled in fear "NO!!!" "Come on kid! You can do this!" "But she's already dead!!! IT'S ALL OVER!"

Suddenly, her soul slowly inched back together. Something about this is slowly bringing her back to life. "C'mon, Marie... You got this..." Peppi gasped "her soul it's coming back together!" Marie's soul snapped back together. She heard an uplifting voice

"B u t i t r e f u s e d..." The magic spell was broken. Her soul started glowing. Everyone was cheering inside the lamp. Marie heard the cheering and felt something so incredible. So powerful that it burned in her with a passion.

"Your friends are still trapped in the lamp. But You know that you'll save them. You'll end Mumbo's demented crusade. It seems like you know exactly where this is going.

You are filled....

With.... DETERMINATION" She held her head up. Her whole body was glowing. She walked towards Mumbo. He panicked and kept throwing pillars at her. Including a barrage of dark energy. She walked through the attacks talking loads of damage, but kept holding on. Her determination was keeping her alive. "NO!!!! STAY AWAY FROM ME!! I MEAN IT-" her soul glimmered. She made her hands form a heart around her soul. Mumbo lost all power. His determination turned out to be his downfall. A giant heart formed in front of Marie. It shot a beam so deadly, it vaporized Mumbo to ashes. Everyone poured out the lamp. Noila hoisted her up "LET'S GIVE A HAND FOR OUR HERO, MARIE!" Marie blushed "I just wanted to save you guys!" Julius chuckled weakly. "Well, ya did... And that's what matters." her soul lit up one more time. Everyone was healed by her determination. Recluse looked at her soul "Your determination is different.... Your soul gives off some strange energy, not even I know what it is." Cassia chuckled. "Well whatever it was, it saved us all!

..... I think I need a new makeup kit...." "I think I need a new box to sleep in. I'm already tired...." he passed out and fell in Zachary's arms, snoring. "This is just fantabulous! Now we can REALLY go to the surface!" Peppi went to Marie. "Do you mind leading us out?" Marie went in front of everyone. She walked out the exit.

It was beautiful. The sunset gleaming as bright as ever. Mindy was continuing to use Julius as a support. "Wow.... So this is the sun... Its so amazing..." "huh huh huh. I actually wanna stay in this spot forever now..." "The air feels so fresh and fantabulous!" Peppi stuck close to Marie and Julius "Ehehe. Is this what the humans have been trying to hide from us...? I'm so glad some one decided to break the barrier. And you led us out here." Regita was close to Noila. "So what are we gonna do now big bro?" "I think what is more important is what Marie is going to do." "Yeah, Marie. you've come a long way." Peppi thought for a bit. "Marie... You have a lot of choices. You can either keep going on your path, and look for another family... Or you can-" Marie hugged Peppi tightly. "I wanna stay with you guys! We can be like... A family...." "well that's fantabulous! And it looks like the afternoon is almost over!" Mia gasped "MOM! I almost forgot! Um... Hey, why don't you follow me? I'll take you to my mom! She'd like to see you guys!" Mindy had Julius walk over to Marie "first things first..." she took off a star from her hair. "Marie. Your brave acts and determination saved us all from the genie. My only request now.... Is that you take my place as queen. What do you say?" They stayed silent for her answer. Marie thought for a bit. "Yes... I'll do it!" Recluse looked at E.C.H.O. "look at that not everyday you get to see such a young person become ruler." "or an ambassador. Oh well!" Mia took them down the mountain, leading them to Toriel's house.

Marie however was stopped by something. It was Void Prime again. "So. You managed to get the happy ending you wanted. My, aren't we determined. But let's cut to the chase. You have an ending I want. An ending where instead of becoming their friends.... You murder them." Marie stared in horror. The thought of killing the only family she has... She couldn't do it. "no.... I'll never do it! I'm not doing it so you can be happy! This is the only family I have! So no thanks. I'm never resetting.... NEVER!" She ran away and caught up with the group. "Hehe... She'll be back."

Mia knocked on the door. Toriel opened it. "My child! You have returned so soon!" "Hi mom! Look! I brought new friends!" Marie nervously waved. "Hi. M-my name is Marie. And um... I'm the queen of my friends here..." Toriel was delighted. Another human friend for Frisk. "Hello there Marie! You look like you had quite the journey." Mia nervously twiddled her fingers. "Its a bit of a long story, Actually..." "Well come on inside! I had just finished making a batch of pie." Peppi held Marie's hand "I think you should tell the story, huh?" "I think we ALL should tell it."

Determination. The will not to give up. To strive for what you are working for without giving up. Frisk's determination freed all monsters... Marie's determination gave her a family. It seems like her journey was finally over.

[T H E E N D]