You confuse me.
You were the one to destroy this world. And now you want it back.
Why?
… Very well then. I am sure we can work out a compromise.
You will give me your SOUL in exchange for bringing this world back.
Excellent. Then let us see why you wished to return.
Partner.
The flowers underneath me. The sunlight above. This body. It is all so familiar. Yet this time I am in complete control from the beginning.
Excellent.
I got up off of the flowerbed, a bandaid on my knee and a stick in my hand. This would do for now. Having made sure everything was in place, I nodded, and headed off to meet "my best friend." Perhaps he had remembered this reset.
"Hi! I'm Flowey! Flowey the Flower!" The buttercup greeted. A cheery, false smile was on his face. It seemed he didn't remember. Oh well. The encounter played out as it did every other time, with this weed growing more and more frustrated with my every effortless dodge until he summoned his ring of pellets. I was not afraid. I knew Mother would be here soon to stop him.
And she was. The magical fireball slammed into Flowey's side, tossing the plant away. Good riddance. Toriel went through her usual motions on greeting me. Assuming I knew nothing. She would learn soon enough. After I had coated the Ruins in a fresh layer of dust and gotten my LOVE up. I believe I was at level three by the time it came for matricide.
Time to reach the appropriate level.
Nothing here was a threat. Every monster fell before me within a single strike of this stick. Weak. Pathetic. I will accumulate power, and none of these monsters can hide from me.
The last cowering Loox died with a yelp as my stick came down on it, my LOVE increasing. That was all of them. Now, onto Mother. Her fussing over me at the entrance to our old home was pointless. Nothing could stop me. If only she knew I was going to strike her down as she showed me to the old room I had shared with…
Never mind.
The pie was there when I awoke. Still warm. I took it with me. It would be invaluable against that damned comedian. Now it was time to trigger the battle. I had the toy knife with me.
"Oh, you are awake? Wonderful! Do stay here my child, I must go prepare something, then we can spend some time together." Toriel said with a gentle smile as I walked up, setting her glasses and book down to rush off downstairs.
That wasn't right. That was too fast. Where was all the talk of a life down here? Something had changed. Is this why you brought this world back? Regardless, I followed Toriel downstairs.
She was not waiting for me to interact with her. The air was hot. This was all wrong.
I finally reached her before the large stone doors. She was facing me, as if she expected this to happen.
"My child, what are you doing down here? Please go upstairs." She was concerned, but her face held something more. She was hiding something. Very well then. My grip tightened on the toy knife.
If she could go off the script, so could I.
My toy knife bounced off of something beneath her dress. I do not understand. That was the same place I always slashed her. Why was she still standing? Why did she take no damage?
"Do you think I am blind, child? Do you think I did not notice what you had done?"
I frowned. This was not according to the script. Not at all. Toriel was looking through me. At my very SOUL. I rushed in again, bringing another slash down only to have a wave of magical flame shove me backwards. Toriel's robes had burned away, revealing golden armor adorning her form. This was not good.
"I had intended to make it quick, after assuring you could not leave the Ruins, as you are a child... But if you would rather battle, then so be it." Toriel said, hands coming together in front of her. A blade of flames rose up from them. I Checked her.
*Toriel the Gatekeeper
ATK 80
DEF 80
You're grounded.
I shook my head, withdrawing a bit further to dodge the arcing flames headed my way. They were moving much faster than when she had fought before. Regardless, she stuck with the patterns she knew, drawing lines of fire to wash over me. A few burns were nothing I could not handle, as long as I did not take the full brunt of her attacks.
I opened my mouth to speak, perhaps convince her that I truly was an innocent child. She was having none of it. "Save your words, child. I will not relent." Toriel spoke softly, firmly. Her tone was almost frigid enough to chill the searing heat of the room. Moments later she swung her sword, a line of flames moving with the slash at me that I had to dive to avoid. Slash after flaming slash was thrown my way, and I had to dodge each and every one of them.
Unfortunately, I could not. The one that hit me burned straight through my sweater to strike me in the stomach horizontally, nearly wiping out all of my HP in a single blow. I fell to my hands and knees, nearly losing the grip I had on the toy knife. Thankfully I was not losing any blood, the heat of the slash had cauterized the wound immediately.
I could not let that happen again. I quickly ate the pie as Toriel approached. It seemed she hadn't tampered with it, as I felt all my HP returning. Excellent. I rolled out of the way of Toriel's stab with her fiery greatsword, slashing at her as soon as I had righted myself. The armor was strong, for sure, but it could not protect her against me. She took damage.
I had to throw myself backwards as she retaliated with a wide sweep of her blade, the edge cutting some of my body's bangs. Like one of those old movies we used to watch. I stood quickly, jumping over a wave of flames that she swept low, before dodging to the left to avoid her bringing that sword down on my head. I threw a few more small slices at her side before having to jump back from another burst of fire.
This was going nowhere. I had barely harmed her and she had the capacity to instantaneously end me. Perhaps the unarmored part of her would be easier.
I rushed in, weaving through patterns and lines of fire, hardly touched in my charge. Toriel swung low and I leaped into the air, knife aimed for her shocked face.
I did not see the blade coming.
Toriel recovered from her swing remarkably fast, bringing her sword back up in a diagonal slash across my torso that flung me backwards to slam against the far wall. The toy knife had fallen out of my hand when she struck me. Damn it, this was not right. I was dazed, and by the time I had recovered she was already standing over me. I reached into my pocket for a monster candy. She swung.
I will admit that that was a new one. I had never been beheaded before. I frowned as I went back inside, laying down in the bed and taking a short rest to collect myself. The pie was there when I awoke. Again.
Very well then. If she could change the rules, so could I.
I gripped the toy knife tightly in my hand as I approached Toriel in the living room. She looked up with a smile when I got close enough.
Her smile turned to a look of shock and horror as I shoved the knife into her throat.
The damage was undoubtedly fatal.
Dust poured from her as I tore the blade out. She couldn't even form any last words, simply coughing and sputtering as she fell out of the chair. I simply watched as my LOVE increased.
I enjoyed a fight. But that was one that I could not win. Therefore, I did not fight fair.
I grew stronger still.
It was quiet and cold as I walked down the corridor, headed towards the exit to the Ruins. There was no one in my way. The Gatekeeper was dead. But if Toriel had changed so much, then what else was waiting for me?
I suppose it didn't matter in the end.
After all, together, we will eradicate these new enemies. Together, we will become stronger than them all.
Flowey popped up. He picked me out for who I was. He talked on about his plan. Meaningless. I knew he would get cold feet at the finish. Just like he did last time. Just like he did all that time ago.
It didn't matter. I didn't need him.
He would be gone by the end. Again. He would betray me again. And I had to strike the traitor down when he showed his true face.
That was what he deserved.
… Right?