Madotsuki proceeded carefully into the marsh, knife at the ready, Mary at her side and Ib safely behind them as they all looked for any shadows or movement, any signs of another tentacle like the one that attacked them before. Not that tentacles were the only thing to worry about in the marsh, but at least those creatures could be heard and seen before they strike.

Mary’s doll followed along by Ib, looking more for anything interesting to pick up the others might miss. It was also very much appreciating that Ib pet it on occasion. And of course they all were looking for reeds, which they got to collecting as a group as soon as they confirmed the spot was safe. The ever-present spider nests had to be avoided, and after a while they became used to seeing the piles of tempting items and meat around the tentacle spots.

However, they weren’t quite sure what to make of the houses. They looked run down and abandoned, but they soon spotted a solitary creature standing outside it- a hunchbacked scaled being with bulging eyes and fins.

“We’d best avoid that creature. Odds are there are more of them inside.” Madotsuki said.

“Umm, actually...” Ib interjected, “It looks kind of like these pig things I saw before. They lived in houses too, and they could talk.” That certain grabbed the others’ attention. “It didn’t attack me or anything, until The Batter hit it. It wasn’t very nice, but...”

Mary smiled. “Then this one might be friendly! Let’s go see.”

Madotsuki opened her mouth to say something, but stopped herself with a sigh. “Try if you must. Just be careful, Mary.”

“I will!” Mary walked closer to the house, putting on her best smile. “Umm, hello!”

The fish-man turned and looked at her in alarm, letting out a guttural growl, but remaining still. It didn’t seem interested in talking, simply staring at Mary. She frowned a little at this, but continued- as soon as she got close to the house, however, the Merm suddenly screeched and charged at her.

Mary yelped and ran back, narrowly dodging a swipe of its claw. Thankfully, it ceased following as soon as she got far enough away, letting out a warning howl.

“I-I’m sorry! You didn’t get hurt did you?” Ib moved to check her for wounds, but Mary waved her off.

“I’m fine, it’s fine… I guess they aren’t as friendly as the ones you found. Or maybe I just don’t look as nice…?”

Madotsuki shook her head. “They just aren’t welcoming. But at least they are only territorial. Now we know they won’t bother us as long as we stay away.”

The doll let out a little squeak, grabbing their attention- it showed off some reeds that it collected while they were busy.

Mary smiled and gave it a pat on the head. “Good job! Do you think we have enough now, Mado?”

Madotsuki checked their collection so far, then nodded. “This will do. Let’s head home.”

                                                       ______
 

As they resumed their travel, The Batter noticed something odd. They seem to have arrived in a new area with more glowing mushrooms, but it felt oddly familiar. Frisk seemed to be leading The Batter in a different direction now, he thought, perhaps back the way he had come. “Where are you taking me?”

Frisk paused and looks back at him. “Surface.” Before the Batter could object, they continued, “Shadows are everywhere. But they strike less up there. You have no reason to be here.” A slight bit of anger seemed to escape from them, and The Batter frowns, staring.

“No. There must be something here, because you want me gone.”

Frisk said nothing for a moment, the two staring at each other, before The Batter brandished his bat threateningly, starting to move forward.

Frisk, despite what The Batter had thought, didn’t seem scared of this threat at all. Instead, they simply seemed resigned to it. As The Batter moved closer, the rock beast let out a shriek as it moved to protect them, moving in front of Frisk.

“You can’t-” Frisk was cut off as The Batter threw himself at the monster, smashing it in the waist, making it hiss and back up a little before swinging its giant claw in retaliation. The Batter deftly avoided the strike before moving in closer and cracking the beast in the face, making it stumble back, before withdrawing into a rock-like shape. The Batter continued attacking it, but now his strikes seemed far less effective.

“Enough!” He stopped at Frisk’s shout, turning as the child walked closer, clearly angry. Their eyes seemed to almost be glowing with it, for a moment, before they calm down. “I’ll tell you what you want.”

“Start talking then.” The Batter’s stance relaxed, but he didn’t put away his weapon.

Frisk points off to the north. “There are some large cracks in the ground that way. Shadow lights come out of them. It’s what you are looking for.”

The Batter nods, and puts away his bat. “Take me to them.”

                                                   ______

Frisk lead the way, after making sure his rock lobster friend was well fed and would be fine. They were certainly hardy monsters, but they didn’t want to take any chances. There was something wrong about this Batter. He seemed human, but not. Like some creature only inhabiting a human’s shape.

“Kind of like me.”

Frisk shook their head. “No, not like you.” they whispered.

“Well anyway, you’re doing the right thing, getting rid of him like this. Those lights will destroy him for sure.” Frisk frowns, doubts surfacing once again. “Hey, I wanted to kill him in his sleep, and you said no. But you can see the truth now, right? You can’t spare this one.”

Frisk still seemed unsure, and the apparition sighed. “Do what you want. You’ll see. He’s just as bad as I was. There’s only one way to end this.”

Frisk paused in their walk, turning to the Batter. “Why do you want to find the shadows?”

The Batter seemed unhappy to stop moving. “Because they must be destroyed.”

Given how the shadows act, that didn’t seem too bad, but… “Is that why you attack everything else?”

“Yes.”

Frisk frowns. “Why?”

“This world must be purified of things like that. It is my mission.”

Frisk pauses, thinking of the many creatures they had seen that The Batter would have no doubt attacked on sight. “They aren’t all bad. They can be friendly, if you try to be nice.”

“Whatever. Keep moving.”

Frisk stared at him for a moment, anger seething beneath the surface, before turning and walking again, faster no. “See? What did I tell you? Just. Like. Me.”