[CONTINUE + 4] INTRO

[foundationmods]

[After so long a trip, you're all finally here. Taken through a hidden passage inside of the very mountain itself, you find yourself standing in front of a field of flowers, growing well due to the open roof above it. If you look up, you can just make out the shimmering colors off of the barrier - looking almost like the shine off of a soap bubble.

Try not to trample on the flowers as you approach the open, purple gate. And remember to wear your masks, now that you're here!

...Still, the sight of the yellow flowers waving in the wind....such a cheery sight fills you with determination for what's to come.

Welcome to the Underground.

...Again. The loop happened again, and you're here. Everything is the same.

Someone who was dead is alive again.

The trial...it was...you remember only up until Gilgamesh was FOUGHT against, and then...nothing.

You feel you shouldn't try to remember anything beyond that.

Not only that, But more monster names have faded from your memory.

...When will this end?]

Comments

[backspacing]

Isn't that what it did at the trial, with that gate?

[improbablenotimpossible]

...mimic or use what it stole?

[a beat]

By gate... you mean, Gilgamesh's gate...?

[finalring]

....??

[ well that was after the cutoff for their memory, so she's getting a blank stare for a moment. ]

I apologize. I do not remember that. But gates...you mean the Gates of Babylon?

[backspacing]

...yes. yes, that is exactly what I mean.

[WORKING AROUND MEMORY LOSS SUCKS.]

At one point, it used a grey copy of the Gates of Babylon. So it's no stretch to think that it used a copy of my powers to erase everyone's memories.

[finalring]

But you said you could undo it. Does this mean that you have access to your powers?

[backspacing]

I wouldn't say it has access to my powers specifically, because as far as I know it has never possessed me before. But due to things from my home world, I am particularly resilient to that.

But it does appear to be copying my powers, yes. That may be why it has taken several loops of observing me to recreate the same effects I can: it can't just possess me and test out the powers for itself.

[finalring]

I asked if you are able to use your powers. We find ourselves unable to use ours.

So the question is why it would have gone after our powers? Or is it simply because our cover was not good enough and it spotted us first?

[backspacing]

Yes, I can still use mine. And for the same reason too: I think he used a effect similar to my powers to turn off yours.

Which is also why I could, in theory, turn them back on. But if you have your powers back, it will know. So doing it at just the right moment is critical.

[finalring]

You have quite an interesting arsenal of abilities, Agent Red.

[ if only they weren't being copied tO TURN OFF THEIRS ]

This brings me to another question, though. Why is it observing you this closely?

[backspacing]

I don't know for certain, but I have a guess.

When I came here, I didn't have the masks that you have. But that is fine, because I can use my powers to alter my appearance anyway. So I just hacked the world to change my appearance to be more monster-like, and I integrated myself in with the monsters of the Underground.

The monster I have been posing as was deleted long ago. I met her once, during my first week here. But she was deleted quickly, and the only reason her name and identity persisted was because I borrowed it. I didn't just wear a mask of her appearance, I hacked my identity to be hers. So, her identity persisted. But the real version of her is another one of those lingering spirits, and has been for some time now.

These disappearances, these grey beings, they were happening long before I was here. And I think my arrival and use of powers to 'borrow an identity' caught the attention of whoever has been deleting monsters. Ever since then, it's been watching the Underground carefully. Every time I do something, it watches. After I use a power, it copies it.

the first instance of time rewinding, that was my doing. Every other subsequent time has been that thing's doing.

[le_mat]

...you were trying to undo what happened to that person.

Hey Red, what color is your SOUL? Do you know?

[backspacing]

I don't, actually. I don't know how to check it.

[le_mat]

Hmmm, you're a 6350 too, so it should work like the rest of us. Just think about it and kinda... will it out. Like a projection.

[finalring]

[ that...is a lot of information to take in, but solomon seems to take it all in with a poker face. ]

I suppose I should expect no less from a Thaumiel. You did your job so well, that it took interest in you? No wonder you do your best to stay hidden-- if it catches you, it would mean terrible news for all of us.

[ the last thing he wants is this semi-omnipotent being learning anything else from red. ]

You do not need to explain in detail, but how many other abilities are you keeping hidden? Or are your powers closer to a typical reality bender's? And do you have any idea on why it is trying to rewind time?

[backspacing]

I'm not actually hiding anything else, it's just that my powers cover a wide range of things. Being able to hack the world is very versatile.

As for why it's rewinding time, I'm not sure. Part of it might be because it saw me do it and now it has a new toy to play with. Part of it might be seeing all of you suffer again and again.

[lovecolored]

[ because I have to ask ICly-- ]

You been posin' as a monster the whole time? Which one?

[backspacing]

Undyne.

She was a strong leader, and I knew the Underground would suffer without her presence. So when she was deleted, I took up pretending to be her. I needed to pretend to be a monster anyway, and pretending to be one that had a history like hers made it easy to get around the Underground without having to use my powers.

[sageking]

...How dare it?

[ Here we go again. He's going to explode from that anger rising. ]

Landing it's filthy fingers on my treasury and going further to make a copy?!

[backspacing]

It is certainly an egomaniac.

[sageking]

An egomaniac that deserves nothing but to be destroyed.

[backspacing]

[She won't say anything, but that's pretty rich coming from Gil.]

Agreed. Once we find the way to do it.

[sageking]

[ Irony was sure...something. ]

Hmph. The day that comes shouldn't be too far off...

[oceanicbutterfly]

...what gate?

[Some of us aren't big enough Gilgamesh fans to immediately guess the right one.]

[sageking]

[ He'll suddenly feel more awake at hearing this, and he's about to exclaim himself but Solomon and Sherlock actually got that covered for him.

He didn't look pretty pleased though at the idea. ]

[homeecspacecop]

[Chuuta. If it has Drew's powers.]

No.

[If it can have an update like Drew can, or if it has the powers we have right now, that's bad.]

That's-- that's really bad!