BEN Drowned | Hopes And Dreams

N O W

The trip to Mt. Ebott isn't necessarily a 'walk in the park' as one might day.

It took them five days to even get there. There were a lot of arguments between Mika and Jeff, Jeff and Gaster, Slenderman and Jeff, Gaster and Slenderman, and on the rarest occasion, Mika and Slenderman.

Thankfully, it didn't went too far as to claw each other's throats out. It all ended in a civil manner—or some were forced to end it in a civil manner. *cough* Jeffrey *cough*

To be quite frank, it took them an entire day to get to the mountain, and a full four days to hike it. And that's where all the arguments spring into action. Mika had perfected a skill on how to make them look like civilians of the Underground.

A lot of researching and playing made her adapt to the appearances of everyone in the Underground. Gaster had never felt so proud. Atop Mt. Ebott was a view never before seen.

Apart from the pollution seen from the busy cities and everything else that humanity had destroyed, the sky managed to provide a breathtaking view. The sun had just merely risen, lighting up the sky with its rays, making the clouds stand out.

"Earth is astounding." Mika acknowledged underneath her breath, and the guys behind her agreed without a doubt.

Earth is beautiful.

Even though it is broken, dirtied, burnt, or whatever it is that humans have done to it, Earth can never just give up on being beautiful.

"Mika, can you please stop being so sentimental and let's get on with everything?" Jeff snarked from behind, earning a glare from the Proxy.

"How bout getting on to a Barber Shop cause your hair's about to give up on you." Mika murmured loud enough for Jeff to hear. They both gasped at the context as Mika's hand instinctively clasps her mouth.

"Oh, baby, I didn't mean it." Another phrase had slipped from her mouth, exposing their relationship to the two senior at the back.

"Wh—Senior?" Gaster gasped. They had better stop breaking the Fourth Wall, the author can't afford anymore detours in the story.

"I thought you liked my hair." Jeff whined like the pouty baby he is, "I'm sensitive, you know." Is what he would all say if he weren't such a rude bi—

"Okay, can we just please get on with the story?" Jeff had rudely interrupted the narrator in such a The Emperor's New Groove tactic where he had the AUDACITY to pause the entire chapter to focus on him.

"I AM NOT—"

Moving on, forgetting the rest of the thing that happened prior; Mika had successfully transformed themselves into what is fitting in the Underground.

Slenderman was his old faceless self, only this time, he was wearing a black turtle neck, and is tie-less.

Jeff was the embodiment of both Date Masamune who just looked a lot like a merman, just imagine the Dragon King, Ryuo Sukuna from Kamisama Hajimemashita, but with black hair and red line marks on his cheek.

Mika was feeling lazy she copied the appearance of Mettaton and made it look like her own aura.

As they were now set to embark to the Underground, it was now Gaster's turn as he revealed the Gaster Blasters, hopping onto its head and soon creating a portal that lead them inside Mt. Ebott.

—

The air was humid. An eerie feeling hung as low as the spikes of the cavern in the Underground. Distant sound of water dripping from the walls resonates from where they were. The darkness itself seems to have embodied a presence.

"This is.. different from the game." Mika mistakenly compared, "I-I'm sorry I know it isn't supposed to resemble the game, I just—" Gaster held a hand close to Mika's face before she could ramble on and take every inch of oxygen she had in her body.

"I understand, child. Even I feel the same. Something is different. It is too.. quiet." Gaster acknowledged as the place grew darker the further they went.

The cracks on the rocks above were no help as the sunlight seemed to have been blocked by another entity they cannot see. Mika walked close to Jeff as he had instructed, and Jeff walked close to Slenderman is precaution was needed.

All three of them were following each step that came from Gaster, with whom was as confused as they were, but was more familiar with the place than the rest. "We're almost there. Benjamin's house is just within the Ruins."

"Within the Ruins?" Mika questioned, suddenly recalling a location from the game as she said, "Isn't that where Toriel—" the realization hit her like the droplet of water dripping on her scalp from the rocky ceiling.

"Benjamin is.." she couldn't even finish her sentence. Somehow, an invisible puzzle set they didn't even know existed was slowly solving itself as they went deeper into the Ruins.

The more they passed through different puzzles and colored buttons, the more dustier the place had gotten. There was even a pile of gray ash in one corner of the Ruins, Gaster had never looked so pale when he saw it, and it made the others think that maybe Gaster didn't like dust.

As they went across an intersection of pillars, all of them felt chills running down their spine. It was as if someone was breathing down their necks as they stood in front of an entrance where an old oak tree, dried off its leaves stood in front of a house.

"Home." Gaster murmured out, his eyes glimmered of nostalgia, as if the presence of another entity breathing down their neck isn't at all present. "Let's go." He called out to the other tree.

"Yes, let's." Mika echoed as she shivered off the presence behind her. The other two followed suit. As the four of them stood by the door of the house, a crash rang from inside the house and everyone immediately abandoned whatever code they had left.

Mika was first to turn the knob and rush inside, Jeff followed suit and went before everyone else into the kitchen. He stopped just by the frame, his eyes wide and body tensed, as the other three finally crowded behind Jeff, they all simultaneously called out.

"A DOG?"

The poor white dog, startled, ran pass them in such a panicked phase and left some residue behind it. Footsteps echoed within the walls of the tiny Home afterwards.

"Ben..?" Jeff murmured mostly to himself, "I.. I know this footstep. It's Ben's!" He told the others confidently this time. The footsteps were odd, slow and paced. Timed, even.

tap.. tap.. tap..

It sounded on the floor, and true enough, as the echoes of the footsteps came to a sudden halt, a boy with blonde hair stood by the hallway of where they came from, his head down and shoulders slouched.

"Ben, what're you doing here?" Jeff was first to speak as the rest simultaneously shared concerned looks.

"Jeff, I don't think that's Ben." Mika whispered close so Jeff could only hear.

"I know my friend, Mika. I know my Ben. And he's Ben, he's.. he's my best friend." Jeff said, mostly convincing himself more than Mika. All the Proxy could do was nod along and watch her Host as he approached the friend he had spoken highly off for so many occasions he could never tell.

"Ben? It's me.. Jeff. Let's go home, buddy."

The boy didn't move, he remained standing by the hallway; head down, shoulders slouched.

"Ben? Look at me." Jeff told the boy, his eyebrows furrowed as he looked back at his companions, their faces immediately switched from concerned to horror.

Curious, Jeff look back at his friend, Ben, standing an inch from him to see what had made them change their expression.

And for him, it was still Ben. His wingman. His buddy. His best friend..

Just without a face.