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Chapter Text

Papyrus awoke in an endless white void. He scanned the area frantically, but the only thing in view was a large stone slab with a strange symbol painted on it.

WELL, THAT COULD HAVE GONE BETTER, Papyrus thought of his encounter with the human. Remembering just how he had died, he instinctively checked to make sure his head was on his shoulders. It was, fortunately.

NO MATTER. THE HUMAN SHALL REALIZE THAT VIOLENCE IS NOT THE ANSWER! I AM SURE OF I-

His train of thought was derailed by the sudden emergence of a massive figure from the void below. A massive grey head, face hidden by a black veil and adorned with a pitch black crown, rose, followed by a large white and red cloak wrapped in chains. Two massive, black, gnarled arms began to rise from the void as well but were stopped from rising above the creature’s head by even more chains. Someone clearly didn’t want this thing to be free.

Neither of them spoke for an uncomfortable while.

“...H-HELLO!” Papyrus finally spoke. “WHO MIGHT YOU BE?”

The figure spoke from everywhere and nowhere at once. “My name does not matter to you. Your name does not matter to me.”

THAT’S A BIT RUDE, Papyrus thought to himself.

“I need a prophet to spread my will across this land and slay the bishops keeping me trapped within this realm. You will be that prophet.”

“HM. AND WHAT WILL THIS ‘PROPHETING’ ENTAIL?”

“I have already told you.”

“I SUPPOSE YOU HAVE. BUT I HAVE QUALMS ABOUT KILLING.”

The beast loomed closer. “That does not matter. You will kill the bishops.”

Papyrus crossed his arms and furrowed his brow. “I DON’T HAVE TO HELP YOU, YOU KNOW.”

“The alternative is death.”

“…OH. WELL, I’M STILL NOT SURE…”

The figure moved away from Papyrus and sighed. “All right. Why do you not want to kill?”

“BECAUSE KILLING IS BAD.”

“Is killing still bad if you are killing someone who has killed many others?”

Papyrus thought for a moment before answering “…MAYBE?” That was Undyne’s stance on the matter, anyways.

“So if you kill a killer, is killing still bad?”

“IS IT?”

“No.”

“…ALL RIGHT. I’LL ACCEPT YOUR BARGAIN, BUT ONLY IF YOU TELL ME YOUR NAME.” Papyrus at least wanted to know who was giving him this job.

“You are not in a position to be negotiating.”

“PLEASE?”

It sighed again. “…Refer to me as ‘The One Who Waits’.”

“ALL RIGHTY! WHAT NOW?”

The One Who Waits’s crown rose off its head and flew to Papyrus. Now that it was closer, Papyrus could see that it had a moving, blinking red eye imbued in it. The eye looked at him with what could only be slight disdain.

“The Red Crown shall be your weapon and your guide. Now go.”

Before Papyrus could place the crown on his head, the symbol beneath him lit up and began to distort his surroundings. When they undistorted, he was in a forest clearing. Ruins of a structure littered the plain, and there were three small, cloaked figures combing the grass.

Papyrus recalled his tasks: kill the ‘bishops’, and something about spreading. The fellows in front of him looked nice, perhaps they could tell him where to find the bishops.

He placed the crown atop his head and walked confidently up to one of the cloaks, tapping them on the shoulder. “EXCUSE ME, BUT COULD YOU DIRECT ME TO-”

They turned to face Papyrus, revealing one beady red eye. Once they noticed Papyrus’s crown, the eyes widened and they reached for the dagger at their side.

Papyrus narrowly dodged the slice. “The Red Crown!” The figure shouted, and the other two cloaks turned to face Papyrus, both drawing daggers.

“NOW, NOW. IT’S NOT POLITE TO ATTACK MONSTERS YOU’VE JUST MET.” Papyrus scolded. “HAVE YOU NO MANNERS?”

Another swipe, and the two others were closing in.

Papyrus gulped. “MAYBE I SHOULD HAVE INTRODUCED MYSELF. MY NAME IS…” He reached out a hand, only for the crown on his head to suddenly dematerialize and reappear in his hand in the form of a sword, still bearing their uncanny eye.

The cloaks jumped back, startled by the sudden appearance of the weapon. They glanced at each other with nervous looks.

Papyrus was just as surprised, but he didn’t want to let his attackers know that. “…NOT IMPORTANT. HOW ABOUT WE ALL SIT DOWN AND TALK THIS OUT?”

The fearful looks turned to angered stares as the three cloaks pointed their daggers to meet Papyrus’s sword. “We’d sooner die than negotiate with you, inhuman beast!”

“WELL, IT SEEMS WE HAVE COME TO AN IMPASSE.” Papyrus stroked his chin with his free hand. “I WARN YOU, I WILL FIGHT IF I MUST.”

Yet another swing, and now Papyrus’s battle body’s chest plate was scratched. “I don’t believe you.” A different cloak proclaimed.

“VERY WELL. YOU HAVE FORCED MY HAND! OR RATHER, MY BLADE!” Papyrus reached his arm back and struck the three with the side of his sword, so as not to seriously hurt them. They were sent backwards, and the last of their courage dissipated as they picked themselves up and ran away.

Papyrus let go of his sword and it flew back to his head. He rubbed at his chest plate with his hand, trying to buff out the scratch. THIS MAKES TWO TIMES I’VE FAILED TO PREVENT A VIOLENCE TODAY, he thought. I’M GETTING RUSTY!

Suddenly, the ground beneath him began to shake and a brown rat’s head popped out. “I’m surprised they ran away. They must not have been too devoted.”

“YIPE!” Papyrus jumped back.

The rat dug himself further out of the hole, revealing a rather short body wearing a green cloak and red scarf. He also held a tall stick, perhaps for defense. “Did I startle you? I didn’t mean to.”

Papyrus straightened himself up and cleared his throat. “IT’S QUITE ALL RIGHT. WHO ARE YOU?”

“I am Ratau, and I used to wear that crown you have there.”

“…YOU’RE NOT HERE TO TAKE IT BACK, ARE YOU?”

Ratau chuckled. “I wouldn’t take that crown back if you paid me! But I do need your help.”

“WITH WHAT?”

“I’ll tell you on the way. I’ll also tell you what you need to know about your new role.” He began to walk, and Papyrus followed him into the forest…

Chapter Text

Despite having his sword-crown, Papyrus was still unnerved as he walked behind Ratau, who was leading him through the trees etched with strange markings.

“There was this prophecy,” Ratau began, “And it declared that The One Who Waits would be freed by a lamb.”

“So the bishops of the Old Faith declared that all lambs would be executed. I never saw any of these mass executions, but I’ve heard they were bloodbaths. And I suppose this method worked, because there’s certainly no lambs running about anymore.”

“SO IS THAT WHY THE ONE WHO WAITS CONTACTED ME? BECAUSE HE COULDN’T FIND A LAMB?” Papyrus wondered aloud.

“It would seem that way. Assuming you have the same tasks as I did, you’ll need to slay the bishops if you want out of your contact alive. Stop.” Ratau suddenly stopped, and Papyrus instinctively did the same, and a blur of green barely avoided him.

“The monsters around here aren’t too strong, so don’t worry about them.” He began walking again.

“AH, MONSTERS? GOOD TO KNOW THERE ARE SOME FRIENDLY FACES AROUND HERE.”

Ratau gave a curious glance at the skeleton but decided not to press that comment. “Perhaps I should tell you about the Red Crown. It can become anything you wish it to be, whether it be a weapon, tool, or whatever. It also allows you to cast dark magic.”

“WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DARK MAGIC AND REGULAR MAGIC?”

“Dark magic is less… reputable.”

“THEN PERHAPS I SHOULD STICK TO MY OWN MAGIC.”

“I will need you to use a bit of dark magic for something, however.”

“FOR WHAT? YOU STILL HAVEN’T TOLD ME.”

Papyrus then realized that he was standing in another clearing, having walked there while talking to the rat. There was a stone slab much like the one he had spoken to The One Who Waits on. But his attention was mostly on the lifeless figure lying on the slab.

“WHO IS THAT?”

“That would be the last lamb. They were killed yesterday.”

The two stood over the body, but Ratau broke the silence by unveiling a strange tablet. “This is a commandment stone. The Red Crown should be able to absorb its power.”

Papyrus thought for a moment, then decided to trust Ratau. “SAY NO MORE!” He proclaimed, taking the tablet and staring at it. It then began to dissolve into a red mist, which went into the crown.

“You should be able to perform the Ritual of Resurrection now.”

“OH, YOU WANT ME TO BRING THIS LAMB BACK TO LIFE! I UNDERSTAND.”

Ratau gave Papyrus a small sack. “This should be everything you need for the ritual.”

Papyrus took the sack, and it vaporized just like the tablet. “WHAT WAS IN THAT SACK?”

“Bones.”

“YEESH. SO HOW DO I… PERFORM THE RITUAL?”

“Just raise your arms up and say some nonsense. That’s what I did.”

Papyrus made a motion akin to rolling up sleeves and rose his arms. “ERM… MEATBALL, VACCUM, EXOTIC SPICE! BRING THIS LAMB BACK TO LIFE!”

The body of the lamb began to rise into the air, causing Papyrus to jump back. A black bubbling liquid ejected itself from the lamb’s mouth and two black pupils reformed in their formerly blank eyes. They then fell back down with a thud.

There was an uncomfortable pause, then the lamb’s head shot up. “Whuzzat? Where am I?”

Papyrus held out a hand to the newly-revived lamb. “HELLO! I’M THE GREAT PAPYRUS, AND THIS IS RATAU.” Ratau gave a friendly wave.

The lamb grabbed Papyrus’s hand and tentatively stood up. “Nice to meet you both. I’m… uh… Well, I don’t think I have a name.”

“WELL, I’D BE WILLING TO NAME YOU!”

“Sure, why not.”

Papyrus observed the lamb. It was about the same size as Ratau, had big black eyes, and mostly looked like an ordinary lamb. Papyrus was sure he could think of a good name for this lamb; his naming skills rivaled the king’s!

“I’LL CALL YOU… LAMB!”

Then again, his naming skills were just a little better.

Ratau cleared his throat, drawing the attention of Papyrus and Lamb. “Well, that’s all I needed from you. Perhaps our paths will meet again.” And with that, he turned and walked off into the forest.

Lamb turned to Papyrus. “Well, what now?”

“…I SUPPOSE YOU COULD JOIN ME ON MY QUEST TO RETURN HOME. I HAVE TO FIGHT SOME BISHOPS!”

“Well, I don’t have any other plans. Where to?”

“I’LL TAKE YOU BACK TO THE PLACE I MET RATAU. MAYBE THERE’S SOMETHING THAT COULD HELP US THERE!”

And so the two began their trek back through the forest.

Chapter Text

Fortunately, very few wild animals attacked the two travelers during their journey. They were mostly just trying to get to know each other better, as they could be spending a lot of time together in the future.

“SO YOU DON’T KNOW YOUR NAME.” Papyrus was examining the sword form of the crown, which was examining him right back. “IS THERE ANYTHING YOU DO KNOW?”

“Hmm.” Lamb pondered. “Not really. The most I can recall before meeting you and Ratau is a brief, sharp pain in the back of my head. What about you?”

“WHAT?”

“You said you were trying to get home. How did you get here, then?”

Papyrus took that time to reminisce on his death. Although it had only been about thirty minutes before, it felt like days since he had been enveloped in the fierce blizzard separating Snowdin from Waterfall.

The human that he was attempting to capture was infallible. They had bypassed every single obstacle in their path, and now they were standing before him. “HALT, HUMAN!” He announced.

As if to spite him, the human took a step forward. “HEY, QUIT MOVING WHILE I’M TALKING TO YOU!” They were gripping a dull knife in their hands. Despite its dullness, it still looked as if it could kill a monster. Papyrus tried to push that thought out of his mind and continued.

“I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, HAVE SOME THINGS TO SAY. FIRST: YOU’RE A FREAKING WEIRDO! NOT ONLY DO YOU NOT LIKE PUZZLES, BUT THE WAY YOU SHAMBLE ABOUT FROM PLACE TWO PLACE…” He paused. “THE WAY YOUR HANDS ARE ALWAYS COVERED IN DUSTY POWDER.”

“IT FEELS… LIKE YOUR LIFE IS GOING DOWN A DANGEROUS PATH.” The human stood deathly still, betraying no emotions.

“HOWEVER!” Papyrus kept pushing the doubts out of his mind. “I, PAPYRUS, SEE GREAT POTENTIAL WITHIN YOU! EVERYONE CAN BE A GREAT PERSON IF THEY TRY!”

“AND ME, I HARDLY HAVE TO TRY AT ALL!” He gave a hearty laugh, masking the quiet footsteps of the human. When he looked back at the human, they were another step closer.

“HEY, QUIT MOVING! THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT!”

This wouldn’t do at all. He was losing the human’s interest. He needed to get to the point, and fast. “HUMAN! I THINK YOU ARE IN NEED OF GUIDANCE! SOMEONE NEEDS TO KEEP YOU ON THE STRAIGHT AND NARROW!”

“BUT WORRY NOT! I, PAPYRUS, WILL GLADLY BE YOUR FRIEND AND TUTOR! I WILL TURN YOUR LIFE RIGHT AROUND!”

The human appeared to tense up for a moment, then took another step forward. Was Papyrus getting through to them? “I SEE YOU ARE APPROACHING. ARE YOU OFFERING A HUG OF ACCEPTANCE?”

In response, the human raised their arms, not dropping their weapon. “WOWIE! MY LESSONS ARE ALREADY WORKING! I, PAPYRUS, WELCOME YOU WITH OPEN ARMS!” He ran toward the human, preparing to accept their hug.

But he did not receive a hug. He received a deep gash in his neck, causing his head to detach and drop into the snow, watching as the rest of his body turned to the same dusty powder that followed the human around.

“W-WELL, THAT’S NOT WHAT I EXPECTED…” What had happened? He was running to accept the human’s peace offering… He must have made them nervous.

“BUT… STILL!” Papyrus kept smiling, even as his vision grew dim and the human loomed over him. “I BELIEVE IN YOU! YOU CAN DO A LITTLE BETTER, EVEN IF YOU DON’T THINK SO!”

“I…” As everything began to fade away, he looked up at the human, hoping for some display of emotion. Remorse, questioning, even satisfaction. But all he saw was the same emotionless stare.

“I PROMISE…”

And then everything went black.

“Papyrus?”

Suddenly, Papyrus was pulled back into the woods, bathed in the yellow light of day. “Are you okay? You went silent for, like, ten minutes.”

Papyrus looked back at Lamb, meeting their massive eyes. “I’M ALRIGHT. W-WHAT WERE WE TALKING ABOUT?”

“I asked you how you got here.”

“AH, YES. I… MADE A POOR DECISION, MET THIS ‘ONE WHO WAITS’ CHARACTER, AND NOW I HAVE A CROWN-” He realized he was still holding his sword, and let it return to his head- “-AND A HIT LIST.”

“Got it.” Lamb turned their head to look at the trees on their right, then turned back. “Do you have any friends back home?”

Papyrus scoffed. “OF COURSE I HAVE FRIENDS! THERE’S UNDYNE, CAPTAIN O THE ROYAL GUARD AND EXPERT CHEF- TAUGHT ME EVERYTHING I KNOW!”

“THERE’S MY BROTHER, SANS. HE’S LAZY, BUT HE’S ALRIGHT. AT LEAST, WHEN HE’S NOT SPOUNTING A NEVER-ENDING STREAM OF PUNS.”

“AND OF COURSE, THERE’S MY UNDERNET FRIENDS! IN FACT, I’M ALMOST AT A DOUBLE DIGIT FRIEND COUNT!”

“That sounds like a lot of friends.”

“DO YOU HAVE FRIENDS?”

“Papyrus, I don’t know my name. How would I be able to remember any friends I may have?”

“PERHAPS WE COULD BE FRIENDS.”

Papyrus extended a gloved hand to Lamb, who cautiously returned the gesture with a handshake. “Might as well be.”

After the handshake, the two brought their attentions to the path ahead. “ARE WE NEARLY THERE YET?” Papyrus asked no one in particular.

“I hope so. I’ve run out of conversation topics.”

Chapter Text

“This place is… kind of a dump.”

Lamb was not impressed by the overgrown ruins that Papyrus had brought them to. “I AGREE. BUT IT SEEMED LIKE THE SAFEST PLACE TO GO!” Papyrus defended. “WELL, PUTTING ASIDE THE FACT THAT I WAS ATTACKED HERE EARLIER.”

“…well, have you checked out that path over there?” Lamb pointed at a worn stone path leading… somewhere.

“GOOD EYE! I’M SURPRISED I DIDN’T NOTICE THAT EARLIER.” Papyrus marched to the gap between trees, and Lamb followed suit. They passed over a stone slab (bearing the same symbol as the one that had taken him out of the white void) before arriving in a strange area.

There were five doors spread across the far side of the room. The farthest left door was slightly submerged in water. The next door was nothing special, and the closest door on the right had dead grass beneath it. The far right door was covered with cobwebs.

Directly in front of the duo was a stone statue with a bonfire within, greatly resembling the Red Crown. This statue would have blocked their view of the fifth door, but the fifth door was large enough to be seen over the statue. Four chains kept the door firmly locked.

Lamb stepped forward and observed the statue’s base, which appeared to have writing on it. “Hey, it says something down here. Should I read it?”

“I DON’T SEE WHY NOT.”

“Alright.” Lamb observed the carvings carefully. “It says… ‘Praise the Lamb, conduit to great power…’”

“‘…promised liberator of The One Who Waits below.’” A familiar voice interrupted. “‘Yet sacrificial beast, take heed; for a Crown cannot sit upon two brows.’ This was the prophecy I spoke of earlier.”

Papyrus and Lamb turned to see Ratau, holding a small red card. “WHY HELLO AGAIN, RATAU!” Papyrus greeted.

“Hello again, Papyrus. I see you’ve found the crossroads.” Ratau walked to the closest left door and examined the image above it. It looked similar to the Red Crown, only taller and with a green eye.

“I SEE. AND WHAT ARE THESE ‘CROSSROADS’ USED FOR?”

“Well, each of these doors lead to a bishop’s realm. This door here-” Ratau pointed at the door with his walking stick. “-leads to Darkwood, where the youngest bishop, Leshy, reins.”

“What should we expect from Darkwood?” This time, Lamb spoke up.

“As Darkwood is a dense forest, you will likely be attacked by many wild beasts. And while Leshy is powerful, his subjects are some of the weakest. If you wish to survive your first days here, I recommend you hunt down Leshy first.”

“GOT IT. LET’S GET GOING, LAMB!” Papyrus dashed to the door, then looked back to see that Lamb hadn’t followed, and seemed to be lost in thought.

“Ratau, can I ask you a few questions?” They requested.

“I can’t say I’ll have all the answers but ask away.”

“Alright… What exactly happened to me? I wake up with no memories and now apparently there’s a prophecy about me?”

“…There was a prophecy about you. But this prophecy will likely never come to fruition.”

“Why not?”

“Because every last lamb was executed by the bishops.”

“Wh… but then wouldn’t I be dead too?”

“You were dead. Papyrus brought you back to life.”

There was a silence as the weight of these revelations hit Lamb like an axe in the head. “So… I should be…”

“Dead, yes.”

“A-and I was…”

“Dead, yes.”

“And anyone I might have known is…”

“Dead, most likely.”

“…huh.”

Only the crackling of the bonfire within the statue could be heard for a long time.

Eventually, Lamb stood up and staggered toward the door to Darkwood. “Well… What are we waiting for? Let’s go… kill those…” They trailed off, walked past Papyrus, and disappeared behind the door.

There was one last uncomfortable silence before Ratau walked up to Papyrus. “I nearly forgot, but I wanted to give you this.” He handed the skeleton the card he’d been holding. “This is a tarot card. Its arcane abilities synergize well with your crown.”

The card read “Shield of Faith: Take refuge in your devotion.”

“BUT WHAT DOES IT DO?” Papyrus questioned.

“Void if I know. You’ll need to speak with the one I got it from. Large, pitch-black bird. He’s got a whole book of cards like that one.”

“ALL RIGHT, I’LL KEEP AN EYE… SOCKET OUT FOR HIM.” Papyrus turned to face the door, preparing himself for whatever may lie beyond. But before entering, he glanced back at Ratou one last time. “DO YOU THINK LAMB WILL BE OKAY?”

Ratau nodded. “I think so.”

Papyrus smiled, then stepped through the threshold.

Deep within Darkwood, Leshy felt a presence.

A presence that he thought he’d felt the last of a long time ago.

This would not do.

He had to warn the others.

Chapter Text

Papyrus found himself in a small clearing of trees, a stone floor beneath him and a statue ahead. The statue depicted a tall creature wearing some kind of cloak, exposing only its head. Their head consisted of a large bush with small, thin branches sticking out of it. There appeared to be small cross-shaped sticks stuck in their head as well, and a bandage wrapped around most their face.

Adorning the statue was a crown, nearly identical to Papyrus’s. I WONDER WHO THAT COULD BE, wondered Papyrus.

Strangely enough, Lamb was nowhere to be seen. Papyrus assumed they had just wandered ahead. He took one last look at the door they had come through and took a sharp right turn onto the nearby path.

The path led to another clearing, this one much less well-kept than the other. He took note of two caterpillar-like creatures in the corner, eating… something. THAT COULDN’T BE… NO, IT’S PROBABLY NOT LAMB.

Papyrus saw another path right past the caterpillars, so he carefully tiptoed past the caterpillars when-

Crunch.

Papyrus looked down. He had stepped on a stick. He then looked at the caterpillars. They were charging toward him.

Reacting fast, he summoned his weapon and struck the assailants, knocking them back. This didn’t stop them, however. The caterpillars split up and attempted to catch Papyrus in between them. Papyrus was preparing to try and swing the sword to hit both enemies at the same time, but he was struck by a realization: WAIT A MINUTE, I HAVE MAGIC!

Papyrus dropped his sword, stepped away, and clapped his hands. The caterpillars were unable to change their trajectories fast enough, and they rammed into each other. A wall of bones then materialized beneath them and launched them far away.

After a moment, Papyrus walked to see what the creatures were feasting on. It was a pile of bones, including a skull with one horn. This confirmed that it wasn’t Lamb, as they had two horns. THESE COULD BE USEFUL LATER, Papyrus thought as he picked up the bones.

When he entered the next clearing, Lamb was still nowhere to be found. What could be found was another cloaked figure, almost double the height of the ones he had seen outside Darkwood. The figure also had two red eyes, as opposed to the singular ones of the smaller cloaks.

Papyrus sighed and drew his weapon, and his opponent did the same. “I ASSUME YOU’RE HERE TO-”

“Silence, fiend!” Papyrus quickly blocked two swipes.

“YOU KNOW, THAT’S NO WAY TO GREET SOMEONE.” Papyrus pushed the cloak away. “CAN’T I AT LEAST GET YOUR NAME BEFORE WE BATTLE?”

Papyrus got his answer in the form of a sword thrown at his skull. “I shall not diverge that information to the likes of you!”

The sword didn’t get quite enough force to do anything but tumble and stop in front of Papyrus’s boots. Papyrus picked up the sword and chucked it into the forest. “ALL RIGHT. CAN YOU AT LEAST DIRECT ME TO THE BISHOP OF THIS FOREST?”

The cloak scowled. “You shall never meet him. The Cult of Leshy shall ensure that your traitorous god will stay buried for all eternity!” It then turned tail and ran off, leaving behind a small pile of golden coins.

Papyrus walked up to the coins and took them, then looked for a way forward. There were two paths, one to the left and one to the right. Papyrus decided to… decide on a coin flip.

TAILS… GUESS IT’S THE LEFT PATH.

Papyrus found- surprise surprise- another clearing. This one, however, did have Lamb in it!

…stuck to a web, being fastened there by a giant purple spider creature. The creature halted wrapping Lamb to the web and turned to face Papyrus. “My my, a visitor?” the spider spoke in a soft, yet raspy voice. “You wish to share in this meal with me?”

“WHAT? NO!” Papyrus shook his head as the spider crept up to him. “THAT’S MY FRIEND, LAMB, AND YOU CANNOT EAT THEM!”

Lamb tried to confirm this, but the webbing over their mouth meant it came out as “Mmmmm mmmm mm!”

“What?” The spider seemed genuinely surprised. “You don’t want to eat?”

“NO! I WANT YOU TO GIVE ME MY FRIEND BACK.”

“Hmmmmmm. I supposssssssse I could give you some of them.”

“…SOME?”

The spider turned and moved back to his meal. “Helob has to eat sssssomething, you know. Perhaps just a leg. Will that please you?”

Lamb started flailing wildly, “MMMMM! MMMMMMMMMM!”

“Yes, that issssssss what I will say as I eat you.”

“WAIT!” “Helob” paused at Papyrus’s exclamation. “WHAT IF… I GAVE YOU MONEY IN EXCHANGE?”

Helob slowly turned around. “How much?”

Papyrus looked around for the coins he had just picked up when they suddenly materialized in his hand. THIS CROWN IS COMING IN HANDY, he thought as he counted the coins.

“I CAN DO SEVENTEEN.”

Helob thought for a moment, then nodded. “I can give you the full lamb for that.”

Papyrus approached the spider and handed him the coins. In return, Helob reached into his messy purple fur and produced a fang of some sort. He then slashed the webs holding Lamb up, dropping them to the ground.

Lamb quickly stood up and put a large distance between themselves and Helob, tearing at the webbing covering their mouth.

“Pleasure to do business, bearer.” Helob packed up his web and scurried into the forest. A loud gasp of air startled Papyrus, who turned to face Lamb.

Lamb was taking deep breaths. “I step into this forest for one minute, and immediately I get kidnapped by a cannibal. Here I was thinking today couldn’t get much worse…”

They sat down on the grass. Papyrus took a step towards them. “…YOU SEEM UPSET.”

“…”

“WHAT ARE YOU UPSET ABOUT?”

“…I shouldn’t be alive, Papyrus.” Lamb buried their head in their lap. “You heard Ratau. Everyone I might have known is probably dead, and even if they weren’t, I still wouldn’t remember them…”

“…MAY I SUGGEST SOMETHING?”

Lamb was still for a moment, then nodded slowly.

“YOU ARE VIEWING YOUR REVIVAL AS A CURSE. BUT PERHAPS… YOU COULD VIEW IT AS A SECOND CHANCE?”

Lamb’s head shifted slightly. “…what do you mean?”

“YOUR OLD LIFE WAS CUT SHORT. BUT NOW, YOU HAVE ANOTHER CHANCE. AND SURELY, WITH THE GREAT PAPYRUS BY YOUR SIDE-” Papyrus caught himself. “-WELL. THE POINT IS, THERE’S A WHOLE WORLD OF POSSIBILITIES OUT THERE NOW! YOU JUST HAVE TO FIND THEM.”

Once Papyrus had finished, there was a silence between him and Lamb. Lamb sniffled, then stood up. “You know what? You’re right. Let’s keep moving.”

Papyrus’s smile beamed brighter than ever. “OF COURSE!”

And so, the two unlikely friends set off further into Darkwood, refreshed and ready for whatever this strange world could throw at them.

Chapter Text

“IMPOSSIBLE!”

The woods shook at the thunderous screech of the Bishop of Anchordeep. Leshy had brought his siblings to his domain to break the news and provide proof if they would not believe him.

Heket’s brow furrowed. “Narinder means to mock us. Bringing back the subject of his prophecy, only to give the role to a mere revenant? This cannot be the extent of his plan.”

“Surely there is more, yes.” Leshy nodded. “But the skeleton wears the crown. If we strike now, I could smash them all to bits before he could react!”

“Do not be so rash, brother. We must be patient, strike when they are vulnerable. When they have grown complacent.”

Kallamar was glancing between the two. “S-surely you don’t believe these LIES and FALSEHOODS, Heket?!”

“The alternative is being caught off guard when the lies turn out true.” Heket turned to the squid.

“But… but we wiped them all out! E-every last lamb was accounted for!”

“Do you forget what our brother was capable of? His goals? What he seeks to defy?”

Kallamar shifted uncomfortably. Seeing this, Heket continued to press him. “And just what will you do once they show up in your domain, carving through your followers and tearing down your precious ruins?”

“Bah! As if they could even make it there!” Kallamar denied. “My followers are stronger than you could ever imagine, sister!”

“We will see.” Heket hissed, before turning back to Leshy. “You will take care of this.”

“Indeed.” Leshy agreed. “This forest shall be their tomb.”

Papyrus and Lamb were catching their breath by a campfire, abandoned after Papyrus scared off its old inhabitants. “GOODNESS, THIS JOURNEY HAS BEEN EXHAUSTING!” Papyrus remarked, wiping some beads of sweat from his brow.

Lamb plucked a massive splinter from their leg. “At least you’ve got something to defend yourself with.” They mumbled.

“…YOU’RE RIGHT!” Papyrus snapped his fingers and glanced inside a nearby tent. “THEN WE SHOULD GET YOU SOMETHING!”

Inside the tent was a ragged sleeping bag, an unlit torch, a small book with a flower engraved on it, and-

“AH, THIS SHOULD DO THE TRICK!”

Papyrus reached inside and retrieved a small dagger and placed it at Lamb’s hooves.

“…well, it’s something…” Lamb reached down and picked up their weapon, before storing it away in their wool. “Thanks, Papyrus.”

“ANY TIME!” Papyrus nodded. “WELL, I’M GETTING A BIT ANTSY. SHALL WE MOVE ON?”

Lamb stood up and the two prepared to set out again. They saw two potential paths, one unmarked and the other adorned with hanging stars and moons.

“…which way are you thinking we should go?” Lamb asked.

Papyrus scratched his chin. “…WELL, MAYBE THE PATH WITH ALL THE DECORATIONS WILL LEAD US SOMEWHERE SPECIAL!”

“Or a trap.”

“OH, DON’T THINK LIKE THAT!” Papyrus was already marching to the path. “SOMETIMES YOU JUST NEED TO TRUST ME, LAMB.”

Lamb frowned but decided to follow Papyrus. He was the one that had the magic crown, after all.

As they walked along the path, the hanging stars began to decrease in number. Small rocks with patterns carved into them held red candles, all melted into each other. Someone had either been here for a while or just never bothered to put them out.

Just when Lamb was beginning to get claustrophobic did the passage open into a small clearing, where a large bird in a red cloak was sitting in front of a tent. Laid out before them were a set of five cards, each marked with an odd insignia.

Lamb was lost as to what was going on. Papyrus, however, seemed happy. “WHY, YOU MUST BE THAT FELLOW RATAU TOLD ME ABOUT!”

The bird’s head slowly tilted up to face the travelers. “…the second liberator approaches, with the first in tow.” He spoke, an aged and gravelly voice. “At first, I believed the Fates to be toying with me. But now… I see new paths for you both.”

He paused to let his words sink in.

“…Papyrus, I think we should leave.” Lamb tugged on the skeleton’s scarf.

Papyrus carefully brushed the lamb’s hoof away. “SO, YOU’RE ONE OF THOSE MYSTICS THAT CAN SEE THE FUTURE?” He wondered aloud, before suddenly getting an idea. “CAN YOU SEE MINE?”

“Patience, newborn conduit. Destiny shall call in due time. But let us look into what that destiny holds.” The bird responded, before turning their attention back to their cards.

“OH, THE CARDS! OF COURSE!” Papyrus mimicked rolling up his sleeves and sat down, patting the grass beside him to invite Lamb to do the same.

“Before you are the cards that will shape your future.” The bird explained. “The both of you will each draw one. They shall grant you power.”

Once he went silent, Papyrus began looking over the cards. His eye sockets settled on the second card to the left, which he carefully drew.

“…‘FORTUNE’S BLESSING.’” He read aloud, and watched as the card dissolved into thin air.

The bird hummed for a moment. “‘O, blessed vessel, Fortune bestows her gift upon thee.’” He recited. “This card shall grant you a swift recovery from any injury that befalls you.”

Papyrus beamed at his… well, fortune. “WOWIE! I CAN ONLY IMAGINE WHAT GREATNESS AWAITS YOU, LAMB!”

As eyes turned to them, Lamb took a look at the cards. “…I’ll take the one in the middle.” They stated, pointing to it.

Papyrus passed the card to Lamb, who read it… and shuddered. “…what does ‘Diseased Heart’ mean?”

The card dissolved, and the bird looked into the distance. “‘A heart rife with vicious corruption.’ Do not be alarmed by the card’s description, for this heart does not belong to you… yet. But it will remain within you, lying in wait until your next plight.”

Once he had finished speaking, the unchosen cards vanished too. “Fate has been shaken with your arrival, newborn conduit, and your death, failed prophet.” The bird concluded. “But I trust you will find your way with the guidance of the cards.”

With that, the bird went silent. “…alright, thanks a lot.” Lamb mumbled, a hint of worry in their tone as they stood. “Papyrus, should we get going?”

“YES, I THINK THAT’S FOR THE BEST.” The skeleton stood. “…AH, BUT FIRST! WHAT IS YOUR NAME, FINE FEATHERED FRIEND?”

The bird glanced up for one moment more. “…my name? Clauneck.”

“WELL MET, CLAUNECK!” Papyrus tipped his crown and started out of the clearing, Lamb close on his tail.

Chapter Text

As it turned out, having a diseased organ grow inside you was a very unpleasant experience.

Lamb got to experience this firsthand, lying in pain beside a campfire Papyrus had relit for the night. “…IS THERE ANYTHING I CAN DO TO HELP YOU?” He asked, distraught at his friend’s plight.

In response, he received a pained bleat.

“…IS THAT A NO?”

The lamb nodded.

“AH.” Papyrus went quiet for a moment, patting his knees. “…PERHAPS THE MASTER CHEF PAPYRUS COULD COOK YOU A-”

“Papyrus, please lower your voice…” Lamb pleaded, punctuating their request with another groan.

“…PERHAPS THE MASTER CHEF PAPYRUS COULD COOK YOU A MEAL TO STAVE OFF THAT PAIN!”

“…do you have ingredients?”

“WELL-” Papyrus’s face fell. “-NO. BUT I COULD SEARCH FOR SOME! WILL YOU BE ALRIGHT BY YOURSELF?”

Lamb honestly didn’t think they would be, but at the same time… they’d try just about anything for this pain to go away. “…go.” They grunted.

Papyrus nodded in understanding and prepared to leave… before pausing. “…YOU SHOULD HOLD ONTO THIS.” He said, removing his crown and placing it beside Lamb. “IT COULD SLIP OFF MY HEAD IN THE DARK!”

As he trotted into the wilderness, Lamb closed their eyes, hoping to get some sleep while the skeleton was away.

Lamb awoke to the smell of smoke.

They slowly blinked awake, seeing that the fire they had slept by was now extinguished. So where was that smell coming from?

They’d investigate, but they still felt-

…fine?

Lamb sat up and patted the place on their stomach that had been troubling them, and apart from the slightest twinge, their pain had seemingly dissipated overnight.

They would have questioned their recovery further, but the smoke beckoned them once again. Patting the dagger concealed just beneath their cloth shirt, their attention briefly turned to the crown beside them.

The red glow of the crown’s eye had shrunk to a small downward curve, and it was making a sound akin to snoring. Lamb knew they couldn’t just leave it unguarded while they made their hopefully very short trip. So, they carefully picked it up and placed it upon their h-

-for a crown cannot sit upon two brows.

…stored it adjacent to their dagger.

With that, Lamb pushed their way into the thick vegetation. The night air was freezing, and the dark wasn’t helping them navigate in the slightest. They just had to follow their nose and hope that they were going in the right direction.

After what felt like hours of trudging through Darkwood’s bushes, they heard voices.

“Alright, so I just tie ‘em up on this rock right here?” Asked a high pitched, slightly muffled voice.

“It’s an ‘altar.’” Responded another, much deeper voice, one that caught Lamb off their guard. “And yeah, as soon as they show up.”

“I don’t trust Braxton not to lose them.”

“Well then you should’ve joined ‘im.”

“And get gnawed on by a bunch of filthy beasts? I’d rather take my chances upsetting Leshy.”

The conversation was interrupted by a third voice, this one much clearer. “Let go of me, you freaks!”

“We got the sacrifice, boss.” A fourth voice stated.

Lamb’s breath hitched. They were listening in on a sacrifice. They… they couldn’t let this happen! But they couldn’t stop it either, could they? There were at least three others that they’d have to fight, maybe more…

“Great.” The deep voice spoke again. “Hoist them up on the altar and we’ll get that head off in no time.”

Time was running out. Lamb had to act soon, but they needed to know what they were up against. They carefully parted the leaves to view a small clearing.

The first thing they saw was what they assumed was the sacrifice being rolled onto a small stone pedestal. It was a purple rabbit garbed in a shirt identical to the lamb’s own, bound by rope. Pushing her around was a cloaked cultist with a sword in a sheath.

Looming just over the rabbit’s head, however…

It was wearing a cloak, similar in color to the swordsman’s, with a few splatters of blood speckling it. In its right hand was a massive axe, the blade coated in yet more blood. Anyone else might have struggled to hold it up, but its wielder towered at double the height of the altar, even with a sacrifice atop.

And whereas the other cultist’s hood did the job of obscuring their face, this giant wore a cloth mask, two slits cut to show bright red eyes within.

Those eyes… Lamb had seen them before. They didn’t know where, but… they were familiar. All too familiar.

Once the shorter cultist stepped away, another came into view, holding a book of some sort. “Here’s the scripture.” They said, raising the book over their head.

The giant grabbed it and began flipping through it one-handed. “Ah, here we are. ‘The worm, it’s hungry. It feeds-’”

“It is hungry.”

It turned to glare at the shorter cultist. “…right. Cause Leshy’s really gonna care about using one word instead of two.”

“Ya never know.”

“…‘it feeds. It partakes of our flesh. But that’s the price we-’”

“That is.”

“Alright, you wanna read this? Cause I’m getting pretty sick of your interruptions.”

“I’d probably do a better job than you.”

“OH YOU WOULD, WOULD YA?”

As the two began to bicker, the third cultist sighed and picked up the book. “‘But that is the price for safety. For that we gladly give it all we have.’ For you, Leshy, we offer up this heretic. May you defend us until our service ends.”

Once the prayer was finished, they shut the book and unsheathed their sword, preparing to finish the ritual… only to lay eyes on a particularly unbelievable scene.

Wielding a dagger, a lamb was trying to sever the ropes binding their intended offering.

As the lamb’s eyes rose to see they’d been discovered, they bleated in fear and turned the dagger on the cultist, swinging towards their neck.

The swipe connected, and the cultist stumbled back with a nick in the neck. “I-INTRUDER!” They screamed, and the fighting cultists turned their attention towards the enemy.

The swordsman silently drew their blade, while the giant chuckled—an utterly inhuman noise—as it placed another hand on the axe. “Well, well, well. You’re the one that got away, eh?”

Lamb didn’t answer and instead slashed the ropes binding the sacrifice. After struggling to throw off the scraps, she quickly bolted into the woods, leaving Lamb completely alone.

“…well, don’t worry. I’ll make sure that doesn’t happen again.”

The cloth of the giant’s mask shifted to vaguely form a smile, and they suddenly jumped forward, bringing the axe down onto their target.

Lamb barely jumped out of the way as steel lodged into dirt, shaking the ground and causing the lamb to miss their landing.

They had a second to dodge the strike of the nearby swordsman, before swiping them too with the dagger.

The swordsman turned to slash again at the lamb, but was met with another quick swipe, this time across the face. As they blindly stumbled backwards, Lamb put distance between themselves and their attackers.

The giant’s axe was now out of the dirt, and the swordsman with the tear in their cloak’s neck was charging at Lamb. As they brought down their sword, Lamb met their blade with the dagger.

Though nowhere near as strong as the giant, Lamb was still struggling to keep the sword away from their fragile body. It certainly didn’t help that the cultist’s weapon was twice the size of-

Crack.

Lamb’s heart sunk as they heard their weapon snap in half from the weight of the sword, and a surge of pain shot through them as their stomach was swiped at.

The cultist let out a quick laugh. “Some ‘liberator’ you are!”

That was the last thing the cultist got to say before the wound began spraying a sickly black acid at them. They shrieked in pain, dropping their weapon trying to wipe it off their face.

Lamb, meanwhile, suddenly felt lighter. Was… was that their diseased organ? Did it just spray out of their cut? Why did that not kill them?

Strike.

A word echoed in their mind. They glanced around before laid eyes on the sword before them, and they knew exactly what to do.

In just a second, Lamb had picked up the sword and swung it hard at its former wielder, coloring the blade of the weapon crimson.

Again.

The cultist was still standing. One more blow to the chest fixed that.

As the body hit the ground, Lamb took in a few shaky breaths. It was just two against one now, no matter how big one of… the…

…where were the other cultists?

Duck.

Lamb dropped to the grass, watching as a massive axe streaked over their head. “Lucky one, aren’t you?” The giant grumbled.

Rolling out of the way of another slam, Lamb reached for their dropped sword and dug it into the beast’s hide, sinking the blade as far as they-

Suddenly, their neck was being gripped by a claw of coarse fur. The giant laughed, but that laugh turned to a roar of pain as a row of teeth sunk into their flesh, and they tossed the lamb into the side of the stone altar.

Stand.

Lamb’s head was ringing. The sounds of the forest felt muffled, and the cut on their stomach was beginning to bleed again. They tried to lift themselves up, but their legs kept collapsing.

Stand.

The cold was getting worse. Lamb pushed themselves as far from the beast as they could, but their back quickly hit the altar.

The sword lodged in the giant’s side forced them to walk in a strange gait, but they walked quickly, closing in on the lamb with axe in tow.

Fight.

“This is familiar, huh?” The giant chuckled again, causing a drip of blood to stain his mask. “I’m surprised you didn’t run away by now. You’ve got no self-preservation, I take it?”

Lamb’s breathing went funny again. They weren’t going to cry now, were they?

The giant was getting closer and closer now. “…still not one for conversation, are ya?”

“…I don’t…” Lamb breathed in. “…you know me?”

At that, the giant stopped approaching. “…know you?”

There was a silence, before another horrible laugh escaped the beast. “…of course I know you.” They growled.

“I’m the one who killed you.”