#special thread

Lan Xichen, heir to the Dragons of Lan, stood amongst the rubbles of the most horrific and prolonged war he ever fought in. His left arm hung limply as blood droplets fell to the ground. His once clean and pristine robes were torn and stained with dirt and blood, as the fire began to die,  no longer feeding off the remains of his home he closed his eyes. He could not bare to watch what was once a sanctuary for dragons and other creatures alike, the cool mountainous air giving a magical element to The Cloud Recesses to be reduced to cider and ash.

“....Brother.” 

He forced his eyes to open as he turned to his younger brother, seeing him as equal state of disarray and injured made his heart break further and he quickly hid his anguish behind a calm façade, he couldn’t worry his sibling more than he already was. This wasn’t want he wanted his younger brother to deal with, to fight and watch as their family fell apart. They almost lost it all if it wasn’t for some unlikely allies, friends of old who he believed had perished in their own misfortune. 

“Wangji what is it?” He asked, his voice laced with worry. 

“Uncle is being seen, he is gravely injured but he is strong...Father didn’t make it.” How was it that the younger sibling seemed so put together while he was fighting a raging storm. Although news of their uncle was worrisome he knew the older dragon was not someone to succumb to their injuries, as for their father? it wasn’t a complete shock, he refused to leave his seclusion and would rather die in solitude. 

A dark part of him almost thanked the heavens, the brothers only had themselves to rely on once their mother passed and his father was not going to get a single tear out of him. “..I see, I will visit uncle soon. What about Master Wei?” 

It was a shock in all of itself when the young vampire emperor along with his most fierce fighters appeared to assist in the war. Most of them gave the creatures of the night permission to ride on them as the battles took to the sky, not even their own shadowy friends could reach that high. 

“They are fine, feeding on those willing...” If he noticed his ears hint a shade of red then it would be between them, “He lost a few of his own as well.. but, brother is it over?” 

A sigh escaped his lips as Xichen looked forward towards the main pavilion which now laid in ruins, “Yes, Master Wei and his friends allowed us to secure a small victory. We have lost a lot in this war but finally peace will fall upon us, What we have to do now is to recover and rebuild. Our numbers are faint I’m afraid, almost to the point of extinction but we are strong and we will rise again. Hope is not entirely lost for our kind. Now go, tend to your wounds and rest.” 

He could feel his brother’s stare burn into him as he turned to look back at him, they were always the one that could read the other especially in times like these, “You should tend to your wounds too, Wei Ying’s friend...the blind Fae is healing those injured. You shouldn’t shoulder this burden by yourself.” 

» My character takes a fatal blow intended for your character. How does your character react?

Undyne knew this was going to be the last hit; the one that would without out a doubt end the fight, because one of them would be eliminated. The magic charge in the air was that powerful, she could sense it.

And she knew she was going to loose.

The warrior wouldn’t accept death just by giving up, no. With her final move, she threw a line of spears in the direction of her attacker, even when she would never see if it made impact. The other’s attack was already hurtling towards her. She closes her eyes.

“NO!”

He stands between her and the brilliant arch of light that makes it’s impact on the wrong body; his body… The thing he sacrificed everything for, he sacrificed now to protect her from that blast. Shards of metal and bits of wire surrounded by thick pink droplets fly in every direction. Undyne’s mouth opens in a silent scream, but nothing can come out. He lost his consciousness, and his body falls towards her, meeting her shaking embrace that catches him from falling heavily to the ground.

“Mettaton?!”

Grasping him tightly, she cradles the back of his head with her hand, tucking his head into the crook of her neck like a scared mother does with her child. Her chest tightened in fear when she noticed he wasn’t as heavy as he normally was. Much of his back had been gouged out, and like blood, the pale pink fluid that sustained him streamed down the length of his body, pooling onto the pavement. She slowly lowers herself to sit on the ground in order to rest his limp body over her legs. Her right hand is placed on the back of his neck, supporting it so his head doesn’t roll back while the other softly presses against his cheek, caressing it with her thumb. 

“Hey… Hey, It’s okay… You’re okay…”

With a trembling lower lip, her voice cracks in the last syllable because she knows it isn’t true. It’s a blatant lie, one that hurts to tell because she knows well what the truth really is. Her eye was already glassy, but now a single tear fell past her cheek, landing with the tiniest splash onto Mettaton’s chestplate. Everything else was so quiet, and time was so still. Undyne was barely even aware of her own unsteady breathing until she realized she was loosing the battle against herself to stay calm. Squeezing her eye shut, her body shook with a soft sob and more tears came.

“Stay with me…”

Trembling, the hand cupping his face moves through his hair, and through her tear blurred vision, she see’s the light coming from his core flicker before beginning to fade noticeably.

“No, please!… Please! Not this… not now!…”

Her last bit of composure snaps at this, knowing all too well what it means. She cries for a long time with her forehead pressed to his, holding him close as tightly as possible, as if it could keep his very soul from leaving this world. 

“I cant do this without you… I love you…”

So just like that, in his last act to fulfill his promise to protect her, he was taken away so quickly. After pressing a soft kiss to his forehead, she buries her face in his neck, whispering the last phrase she said over and over again, rocking back and forth where she sat. 

“I… We never even got to say goodbye…”

@righteous-remorse

It all happened so fast.

All in his mind was to protect Undyne, was to protect that figure, that soul, that life. And he did, but he couldnt see the consequences of his acts until it was too late. Not the first time this happened to him.

But probably the last one. 

The blow of magic has no trouble onhitting his back and destroy part of his body. Wires and joints getting exposed. The upper part of his spine and the back of his neck was exposed along with his right shoulder. The impact went through his right arm until reaching his hand. The energy concentrated there breaking the palm of his hand with a little but powerful explosion. Sparks of electricity could be seen.

This body…

He understood what happened when the pain started invading his body, overwhelming his soul with intense signals, leaving him without words. He could se a strong pulse inside his ears and then an annoying ring that ended in deep silence. Not being able to help it, he falls down on the ground like a heavy doll. Fortunately, Undyne helps him and his body doesnt hit the ground. His vision is completely blur at first, not being able to focus on everything. The right side of his body doesnt respond at all and he cant speak either. There is when panic starts invading his mind. 

This body he sacrificed everything for…

Destroyed, in just a couple of seconds.

Destroyed.

Little by little, his senses start coming back, just barely. He can focus on her figure and can hear the steps of the enemy while they run away. He cant feel his right hand and his right leg feels numb and weak.  The left side of his body is invaded by pulses that go through them now and then.The pain makes it everything less real, like he didnt believe someone could feel so much pain at once. It had to be a joke. 

With that thought in mind, he smiles softly, knowing this is far of being a joke. He only has to look at Undyne to understand this is no joke at all. She looks so sad, like she didnt want to be alive at all, like she would have gladly died in his place. Oh, look at this, he is already thinking like he was about to die. But where is the lie? He is pretty sure thats the case this time. There is no salvation for him. Not this time.

He went too far.

“You are okay…”

What a beautiful lie, just like life itself. His grin widens a little more. They both know this is not okay, at least not for him because otherwise, she wouldnt be so sad and desperate. Ah Undyne, so transparent. He can see his own death on her eye. 

He can see… 

Some will be so happy. Like Burgerpants probably, and more people that suffered under his powerful hand. Heh, now they will be able to celebrate properly. And he doesnt really notices, but his mind slowly starts drifting away, his eyes slowly closing, his mind begging for a rest, just for a little. 

Just a couple of minutes… But then.

“I love you.”

His tired uncovered eye widens just a little as a response to such words. Ah… they make the pain go away for a moment, or at least decrease like some sedative. Ah… 

Then, and just then, he tries to gather all the energy his body has left to open his mouth and speak. His voice comes out harsh and a little distorted, but at least it can be understood easily. Its just more low, slow and electric than it usually is. 

So…..rry…..

He mutters slowly, like each letter is a terrible effort for him. A single tear falls down from the corner of his eye, pale pink sticky fluid. Really, this is the most sad moment of his life. This mortality he accepted in return of his body is finally chasing him, its finally taking him away, its finally… forcing him to pay up all his sins. 

I….. ve….you…..to…..

…. I….

…sta…..ith….you…

….ways….

Freedom doesnt really sound so good if he cant be with her anymore. He want to be tied to her even if that makes him unable to be completely free, but truth is freedom is death in this world, thats the only way you can be completely free, right Mettaton? 

And you, unfortunately, die alone.

Its true the light coming from his soul, inside his core decreases a little, but the real pain comes when it starts lighting up again. Thin bright lines start appearing across his soul, like cracks, spreading all over it little by little. He opens his mouth as his expression contorts into one of a pain impossible to describe. Impossible to compare. Bright pink powder starts rising from his core, going through the crystal and going up. Up. Up. As far as it can get, getting through any kind of obstacle, because it doesnt belong to this world anymore.

He can see it, disappearing into the distance, his own soul, his own life, little by little it fades away and in a last burst of despair, some other tears fall down from his eyes. His left hand tries to rise, in an attempt to catch the powder, to reach onto his own life to keep it, but its impossible and he knows it better than anyone else.

He would have liked to apologize to some people, to sing a last song, to perform a last time, to say thanks to everyone that supported him, to say so many things. To share a paceful time with Undyne somewhere, to enjoy the beats of the music at one of his parties, to tell his fans without them he wouldnt have been the one he is, to tell Napstablook about his true identity, to tell Alphys he is sorry for not being what he was looking for, to tell Asgore he wishes him the best ruling Underground, to tell Muffet everything is going to be okay, to tell Burgerpants he is free as well and even when he did bad to him, he was thankful for his help, to tell Bratty and Catty they are the most loyal and charismatic fans he has, to tell Frisk they will accomplish everything they want. 

So many unfinished business…

Now he understands but… he cant stop what is happening.

His soul is turning into dust.

Does that mean he is a monster in the end? 

His left hand doesnt rise, before of that his soul ends up leaving his body completely. By that moment, his body is just a shell with no life inside it. His mouth half open and his eyes widen. The dust made by his soul flating slowly and going up, as to reach the stars. 

As to reach the stars…

His body, left behind, the body he sacrificed everything for, the body he loved that much, that body… is just a lifeless and destroyed doll. The pink fluid keeps pooling on the ground, slowly. 

That voice suddenly coming from closer than he would like it to come. Oh holy frickle frackle Undyne is there and knowing her, she would be kicking his ass before he could explain anything and that would mean exchanging bodies with her. No no no he has to hide somewhere.

DONT COME UNDYNE DONT COME 

Why everyone decided to visit him when he cant SEE ANYONE GODDAMMIT! He gets in front of the door with a guilty expression and rubs the back of his neck. He would love to open the door and give Frisk the biggest hug, but no, he cant risk them.

What the hell was behind the door? Why all the weird people comes to see him when he is TRYING to stay away from everyone? He gulps and blinks a couple of times, stepping back.

He jumps at the sudden presence behind him and steps back until pressing his body against the wall, completely shocked and terrified. Oh god, another robot? no no no not even that way he wants to share his body. No!

A knock, on the door, oh lord no, no n o no no no no. He jumps and remains against the wall like he is about to be killed or something worse. Ugh, maybe if he doesnt say anything they will go away, he thinks. So he remains silent, sweating internally, because he cant sweat externally, of course.

....................holy shit--