Lucky was expecting either to splatter or bounce, but they stuck the landing. The next time they opened their eyes, they found themself planted face-down in a bed of golden flowers, dirt and blood mixing in their mouth. They chipped a tooth in the fall [their tongue is drawn to the broken edge], but they'd take that over chipping any of their more important bones. They rolled over - grunting from the pain shooting through their right shoulder - and stared into the dim, empty space, light from outside trickling in from above.
I'm alive.
It's more than they could've hoped for.
They sucked in a deep breath, and it came back out as a laugh. Once they got going, they couldn't stop. It was all just so fucking funny! The brawl in the alley, breaking out of the police station, getting kidnapped, getting shot…to think they literally took the fall for that random kid, that total stranger!
What was I thinking? How did I manage to not die?
The first one was easy: they weren't. Thinking had never been one of Lucky's strengths. Their instincts were strong, but their sense of self preservation left a lot to be desired.
As for not dying, well...they'd always been Lucky.
When their laughter finally died, they rolled their head to look at their right arm, which had fallen over their stomach when rolling over and hadn't moved since. When they tried to wiggle her fingers, they only twitched. Attempting to make a fist resulted in trembling, but the fingers stayed pathetically loose.
Dread rising in their gut, Lucky tried moving the rest of her arm, hoping for better results. It lifted, and they could shift it around, but it was obvious that they weren't in full control of it. It drooped and swung around haphazardly, as if it were numb. They quickly found that the arm's range of motion was pretty limited.
They sat up, letting the arm slump beside them, and looked at the bullet wound in their shoulder. It had punched right through something pretty important, but there wasn't as much blood as Lucky had expected. In fact, it had stopped bleeding completely.
Just how long was I out? It was probably best not to dwell on it. They may not have been in any danger of bleeding out, but they still needed to heal.
Lucky placed their left hand on the space just below their ribcage and drew out the magic within their SOUL. [Healing had been one of the first things their parents had taught them when Lucky had first developed their magic at around five years old] The soothing energy transferred easily to their hand, which they then pressed to their wounded shoulder. The relief was immediate, and Lucky let out a contented sigh.
Magic might be bad for the SOUL, but it works wonders for the body.
It wasn't long before Lucky started to get impatient. Surely they'd healed it enough - or at least to the point where it wouldn't open back up. She wanted to get a move on, already. A way out of their current predicament wasn't going to find itself.
But there was still their arm to worry about. They didn't like the idea of it dangling along beside them, so they took off their flannel and used it to make a sling [more difficult than it sounds, with only one hand at their disposal]. With that taken care of, they started off in the only direction available: forward.
There was a path, and an archway. The next room was lit by a single light from above, though Lucky couldn't seem to find its source. Taking advantage of the sunlight is a patch of grass and a single yellow flower, not unlike the ones they landed on.
It must take a pretty determined plant to grow in a place like this.
"Howdy!"
Lucky stops in their tracks, and looks around. Their eyes settle back on the flower, and panic pulses through them. It wasn't because the flower had a face, or that it was talking to Lucky. No, they'd heard plenty of stories from their parents about the creatures trapped below Mt. Ebott. Monsters of all shapes and sizes. They'd come to expect the unexpected. But monsters, like humans and magicians, had SOULs.
Whatever this thing was, it didn't have one. It was empty.
"I'm Flowey! Flowey the Flower!" It continued it's jovial greeting. When Lucky didn't respond, it put on a concerned expression [without a SOUL there's no way to tell if it's genuine]. "Gee, you look kinda spooked...I didn't mean to scare you!"
Lucky tries to stifle their unease and responds cordially. "No, I'm fine. Ya just...surprised me, is all. Nice to meet you. Call me Lucky." They offer their name, and almost offer their hand, before realizing that the flower - Flowey, apparently - doesn't even have a hand to shake.
"Lucky, huh?" Flowey laughs. It seems to find their name way funnier than it is. "You sure are! Especially since you ran into me! You're new to the Underground, right?"
"Yup. Fell down here just a bit ago."
Flowey appears to notice Lucky's injury for the first time. "Golly, are you alright? You sure do look pretty banged up...Don't worry! With the way things work around here, you'll be better in no time!" It pauses when Lucky raises an eyebrow at it. "Oh...you don't know how things work down here, do you?"
What a suspicious thing to say.
"Nope."
"I guess little old me will have to show you!"
"OK, sure," Lucky says, tucking their good hand into their jeans pocket, trying to act casual.
"Great! Here we go!"
There's a tug on Lucky's SOUL, and their body lurches forward. They know that feeling - it's their SOUL being pulled from their body. It happened pretty frequently in Lucky's youth, what with all the fights they picked with their fellow Magicians.
Before they can do anything to stop it, their SOUL is flung into the open air in front of them, casting an eerie red glow over the cave walls. It's heart-shaped, and beats in time with their physical heart.
"See that heart? That's your SOUL, the very culmination of your being!" the words are as familiar to Lucky as the feeling of magic in their hands. "Your SOUL starts off weak, but can grow strong if you gain a lot of LV." Flowey pauses, and his next words carry a weight to them, "Do you know what LV stands for?"
Of course they do. It was the first - and most important - of the lessons their parents taught them about the nature of the SOUL. It was vital to understand that, once earned, it could not be taken back. So they answer: "Level of Violence."
Flowey's smile freezes in place. "...What?"
"Did I stutter?" They'd cross their arms if they were able, but instead they settle for placing their good hand on their hip. "LV stands for 'Level of Violence.'"
"...How...how could you possibly know that…You've never even been here before...have you...?"
They shrug with their good shoulder. "A mage has to know how the SOUL works in order to use magic properly."
"A...mage?"
"Yeah. Y'know, like, short for Magician?"
"There are no more Magicians," Flowey says matter-of-factly.
"'Course there are. Not tons, but we're still around. 'Specially around Mt. Ebott."
It seems to consider this information for a while. Then, it sighs, defeated. "I see. So there's no point in trying to decieve you, then. You already know what magic attacks look like." Suddenly, Lucky's SOUL is surround on all sides by magic. Flowey's magic takes the form of pellets - or maybe seeds? Not that the difference matters much when they're closing in. "Just die."
Panic floods their senses again, and they shout, "The fuck!? Stop!" They reach out, trying to pull their SOUL back into their body where it belongs - where it will be safe - but it won't come back. Instead, they cast some magic of their own, their favorite spell: Barrier.
A shimmering black-and-white bubble forms around their SOUL, and the pellets bounce harmlessly off of it. Only then are they able to recall their SOUL.
Once it's safely tucked away, Lucky fixes Flowey with a glare and stomps towards it. "What's the big idea, asshole? Ya tryin' to finish me off? Is that it?" they come to a stop right in front of the flower, looming over its tiny, smiling form.
His face splits into a gruesome grin. "Of course! In this world it's KILL or BE killed. Besides, you already know what's going on...and it's no fun if I can't mess with-"
Lucky steps on its freaky little face, grinding their heel into its teeth. "Well I ain't goin' down easy, ya soulless psycho. If it's a fight ya want, then I'll give ya one." They cast their attack, and the cave lights up with white heart-shaped magic. But Flowey's gone before they get the chance to strike, slipping out from under their boot and disappearing into the ground.
"Coward," Lucky grumbles. A quick glance at their bullets, however, makes them think it might've been for the best. The pattern is disorganized, and they're shaking as if they might vanish at any moment. Figures that controlling magic with their non-dominant hand would be more difficult. Lucky lets them fade away.
On another note, would it have even been worth it? Was something without a SOUL capable of holding up against a magic attack? Or would it have been a one-hit-kill? Would you have earned EXP...?
The more Lucky considers it, the more they realize they'd rather not know the answers.
"Hello? Is someone there…?" A light voice calls from deeper within the cavern.
Lucky answers tentatively, "Yeah...over here."
There's another archway on the other side of the patch of grass. Through it, a large bipedal goat in a purple dress appears, huge furry hands clasped at their chest. They look utterly shocked to see Lucky.
"Oh! Oh, my goodness, you're...you're alive!"
"More or less," Lucky responds, motioning to their injured shoulder.
Now this creature was more along the lines of what Lucky had been expecting. Really big, a few human characteristics, and - most importantly - a SOUL. This was a Monster, just like the ones in the ancient stories. Lucky knew right away they had nothing to fear.
The Monster wastes no time in walking over to Lucky. "Here, let me heal you," they offer.
"Uh...thanks…"
In seconds, the monster had pushed aside Lucky's ruined shirt and was healing the wound. "You poor thing…" They whispered. Their healing magic was far stronger than Lucky's, to the point where it was almost overwhelming. What little pain had been left over from their own healing magic was gone for good.
While the Monster's hands were pressed to the wound, the creature awkwardly close, Lucky offered their name. "I'm Lucky."
They blink down at Lucky. "Forgive me, I seem to have forgotten my manners! I am Toriel."
"Nice to meet you."
"It is nice to meet you, too, Lucky. It's not often that I find a human here. At least...not a living one." Lucky sees a glimmer of sadness in the monster's eyes.
They realize, suddenly, that Toriel must be the reason there were no other bodies at the bottom of that pit, despite how often Mages were 'disposed of' that way. Lucky suppresses a feeling of disgust and changes the subject. "Where is 'here' exactly?"
"This place is called the Ruins. It is all that is left of Monster kind's first home here in the Underground."
"You mean...the monsters are gone?"
"Yes, they left to seek a more...uplifting place to live." She removes her hands from the no-longer-existing wound and takes a step back. "I am the only one who still lives here...aside from a few stragglers and those who dare not brave the elements."
"Sheesh...sounds lonely."
"It can be...but now that you're here, there is much to do!"
"Oh…?"
"Certainly! Just taking a look at you, I can tell you'll need a new set of clothes. You're probably hungry, as well, aren't you?"
"A bit."
"Do not worry! I am an excellent cook. Perhaps, for your first meal here in the Underground, I'll make something special. How do you feel about pie?"
"Who doesn't love pie?"
"Wonderful! It's settled then. You'll be staying with me. Allow me to lead you through the catacombs, dear Lucky. My home is not far from here, but there are many puzzles, and I would not want you to get stuck."
That's just as well. Lucky's not really feeling up to puzzles after everything they've already been through. They could use some good food, kind company, and a place to rest. They decide to worry about getting back to the surface after a good night's sleep.