Before we begin with the tale, I want to be clear on a few things.

This is not following Altertale's canon rules, nor Storyshift's (even if the partial shift I put down here might be similar to a Storyshift variant).

I know OC & Frisk stories exist, but I want to see how would they fare on a first Pacifist route (at least for Roger, as he's almost an adult and already works in a field).

The other side of the story will contain some links with Ben10's story, especially because after Frisk and Roger's adventure, Chara will follow.

Please, do bear with me as I try to keep description and dialogue in key - I'm not usually that good at describing stuff or making good dialogue.

In any case...let's get this story started.

Entry six, June 11th, 1984.

I've been wandering the road for three days to reach Ebotton, Kansas, despite the fact people have told me the town doesn't exist on a map.

People have branded me as insane when I told them I'm going for this journey, said that a researcher does not venture on mere legends!

Said legend reached my ears first time in the beautiful lands of Bavaria, where an old man told the children about a town that exists somewhere in the New World.

A town where a giant mountain loomed in the distance, and it was said to be housing mythical creatures of ages-lost, and that only those with pure hearts could see it.

Of course, at first I noted it as a small children's tale, but something kept nagging at me for a time - did the old man went to America and saw something we didn't?

Because I can remember his eyes glistening with a mixture of hope...and sadness?

P.S. Don't forget to find more gas. This is going to be exhausting...

PROLOGUE: A HUMAN'S JOURNEY TO NOWHERE

The sun was rising slowly, basking the dusty road with ember-like rays, and the sky began to shift from the night's darkened blanket to the smooth azure of the day. The desert was as always, empty of any life, except for a few cactuses down the road, and up in the sky, vultures loved to scour for any carcass that was all left by a lost wanderer in these parts. The sunrise revealed a red Cadillac pulled over, next to a dusty and worn sign that didn't keep the full markings of what road was that supposed to be. Inside the Cadillac, a young adult, with brown hair and tanned skin slept peacefully in the backseat, covered by a green fluffy blanket, and he seemed to dream something, as grunts of pain and fear were heard out of him. Next to him laid a torn notebook and a blue pen, no doubt used a night before.

The screech of a nearby vulture awoke the tossing adult, sweat bedding over his forehead from the nightmare he had and he took a few moments to adjust to his surroundings. The sun was now half-risen from the horizon, and light was more than enough to uncover the land before him, and while at times the journey seemed disheartening, he convinced himself the tale had to have some grain of truth in it. Placing the notebook and pen in his blue long-sleeved shirt, he descended from the Cadillac and rolled the blanket gently, while debating in his mind just how long will it be until something, anything, will show itself before him.

To be honest, his rations were more than enough for at least a month, but should the journey prove unfruitious, he very much feared that he will end up a lone carcass for the vultures. He placed the blanket in the trunk and reached for a bottle of water, opening the cap with ease, and drank half of the bottle, while the other half was used for a gentle wash of his face. Closing the trunk, he then hopped behind the steering wheel, and gave the car a start, but even the car was refusing to go on the first key.

"Come on, you piece of-!" he gritted until the third key managed to produce a loud whirr from the car's engine. The wind began to ruffle the man's hair as he sped down the road, aiming to get somewhere - the car needed gas, and the closest gas station was a mile from where he slept last night. "Hoping this wreck will keep me until there..." he mumbled under his breath as he shifted a gear more, and took the time to admire the lonely road leading to an unknown destination, while listening to an old tape filled with 80's music, like Queen's 'Another One Bites The Dust' or even John Lennon's '(Just Like) Starting Over'.

[After a few hours of driving...]

He could see that, in the horizon, shapes of houses and towerblocks were rising, making him breathe with relief, and he changed another gear as the Cadillac got a bit more speed, the purr of the engine thrilling the young man as he extended dangerously his hands, while yelling with joy. "Finally, I'm reaching somewhere!" he told himself as he approached a gas station. What puzzled him though, was that it looked very much...abandoned? Trying to dismiss the thought on the fact that many gas stations loved to keep the old-yet-not-old aspect of theirs, he began filling the tank of the Cadillac while looking around himself, only to see a few damaged houses in near view and a few fir trees, their green a little faded than the usual.

After he finished filling the tank of the Cadillac, he went inside the shop, only to find it completely deserted. "What the hell happened here?" he asked himself, while leaving money for the gas and a few supplies he took - chips, juice, sweet batons with chocolate, 25 cans of food, and 25 bottles of water - and placing them in the trunk of his car, while holding for himself a sweet baton with chocolate.

"This thing is strange...looks like nobody is here," he noted as he drove by the homes he noticed a few moments earlier and finally entering the town, looking at the few modest shops here and there. The only place that looked like it wasn't completely abandoned was the library, and he thought luck was finally in his favor so he parked his car close by and descended, determined to see what happened in here.

The library looked like it had seen better days - paint was starting to peel off the walls, while the wooden door had a lot of markings on it and the windows were quite stained - for a moment, he feared it was the hideout of some dangerous lurking criminal that the police had never caught - hesitation was replaced by curiosity, and he placed his hand on the rusted handle, opening the door, only to be greeted by mountains - literally - of books, that stood close to collapsing due to the immense number and his eyes widended in surprise. "What kind of wacky librarian was working here?" he mumbled under his breath as he tried to reach the counter, cautiously, and he rang the small bell laying there.

The chime of the bell rang softly through the small room, and a voice in the back responded "Just a moment, please! I will come to serve you right away!", making him exhale with relief - someone was still here in this God-forsaken place - and took the time to look at a few of the titles in the piles that towered threateningly. He could recognize "War and Peace" of Leo Tolstoy, Fyodor Dostoievski's "Crime and Punishment", Oscar Wilde's "Portrait of Dorian Grey", but there were no new books as he was used to see back home, like Stephen King's "Talisman" or Frank Herbert's "Heretics of Dune". It looked like the librarian was fond of selling old books to the residents that were living here, yet he couldn't help wonder - if they were gone, to whom was this one selling their books?

He then heard some distinct pitter-patter approaching the position he was in, and he steeled his nerves in anticipation as the long hours of driving can have such and effect. After a few moments, behind the counter came someone dressed in a goat-like costume, that had decorations like lavender robes and some glasses, and he couldn't help staring at it with wide eyes.

"Oh my, a human!" the goat monster said in surprise, her voice betraying both fear and curiosity.

"Is this some kind of joke?" he retorted, eyes widened as he examined her head to feet. "Why are you wearing this costume, madam?"

"Costume? I'm sorry, I do not understand what you mean, good human." Toriel retorted.

"Could you just remove the head of the costume, please? I would like to see who you are," he said calmly.

"How can you suggest such an atrocious thing, human?" Toriel's eyes glared in rage.

"Wait. Why do you keep calling me 'human'? Does that mean you're not a human?" he tried to say, blinking rapidly.

"Yes, I am not a human, as you so mistakenly believed. I am a monster." Toriel said, as her rage seemed to tone down.

"I'm sorry for my rather rude speech, I thought you were a human dressed in a costume," he sheepishly said as sweat beaded on his forehead and scratched the back of his head.

"Do not fret, human. Most of your kind have always thought this here," Toriel said as her eyes shifted towards the window, where a rather deserted view presented itself to her.

"Can we start on better terms?" he asked, genuine sincerity stemming from his voice. "I dislike the idea of making enemies with someone," he added as he extended his hand. "My name is Roger, and I'm close to reaching adulthood. I'm currently a part-time researcher because of my genius, but I'm still considered a mere child."

"My name is Toriel, and I'm, as you can see, currently looking for this human library." she said as a soft smile graced her snout, surprised by the rather goofy description Roger gave himself, and gently shook his hand.

"Perhaps you can help me out, given the fact you've seen the books around here," Roger hesitated as he didn't want to provoke the rage of Toriel, "is there any chance you have anything about a town called Ebotton?"

"I can look for it, but I must ask that you are patient. I believe you can see how busy I am currently," Toriel said as she pointed towards the threatening piles of books.

[After two hours of search...]

"There you are, little one!" Toriel said in the distance, joyous she found what Roger needed, while the latter was slumped on the floor, sleeping. The gentle goat-monster approached the sleeping human and softly placed a paw over him, shaking him a bit. Roger, groggily but reluctantly, gave in to the soft touch that awakened him, and he looked at Toriel with funny eyes.

"How long have I been sleeping..."Roger said as he yawned and lifted himself off the floor, dusting his shirt and pants. "I'm sorry, I kinda fell down here while you were looking for-" he paused, noticing the book in Toriel's hands. "Oh, so there's a book about Ebotton...and people kept telling me it doesn't exist." Roger said as he picked up the book and started reading it, while Toriel looked at him with awe.

"The town of Ebotton is located somewhere in Kansas, just go on Route 76 and you're good to see it. Legend has it that monsters roam that place at night, so nobody ever dares to live in it during the day. Be sure to visit Mount Ebott, the view from there is lovely!" a few lines of the book said, and Roger lifted his head from the book, eyes glistening with determination and happiness.

"Thank you so much, Toriel!" he said as he couldn't resist hugging the gentle goat-monster, and noticed her fur was so soft, as if she must've used some sort of conditioner to keep it like that. "I have to take a look on the map and then I'm good to find Ebotton. Maybe we'll meet one another again, I hope..." Roger said as he hesitated to leave the old library, but his goal was more important than staying here with Toriel.

"I hope that we see one another again too, Roger," she added smiling with a bit of sadness, watching Roger go. "I wish you good luck to find what you're looking for!"

Roger dashed to the red Cadillac, and hastily searched for the roadmap of America, placing it on top of the Caddie's hood. "Let's see...I left from San Francisco, via Road 80...and that book said something about Road 76...wait, that leads to Denver. So I must head to Road 76, but I see no road markings anywhere in the town. Hmph..." Roger thought as he folded the map and sat himself atop of the hood, rubbing his hand across the chin. "Damnit, I should've asked Toriel if she knows anything," Roger facepalmed as he shoved the map back in the torpedo and headed back to the old library, hoping that Toriel was still there.

When he entered back in the old library, he noticed the books were gone and the light was off. Arching an eyebrow in disbelief, he looked at the bell that was on the counter, only to see it was dusty. "I could've sworn the bell was shiny just a few moments ago," he uttered under his breath. "Toriel! Toriel, you in there?" he asked, only to hear echoes coming back at him. He then began looking at the shelves that kept a few books, but he didn't recognize any of them, nor could he read their titles, and shook his head in bitterness, biting his lip. "Shit. How could I be so dumb," Roger said to himself as he plopped on the floor, in the empty library, "maybe I'm just hunting something that doesn't really exist, and people were right to make a fool of me."

After a few minutes of lingering in the old, dusty library, Roger shrugged, dusted himself up and walked out the damaged building, hands shoved deep in his pants' pockets. The Cadillac stood there, at the end of the road, shining beautifully in the afternoon light, and he smiled at such a nice sight. That didn't stop the sad sigh leaving his breath, confused and bitter about finding a new friend and then losing said friend in a matter of seconds, and for once, the Cadillac started at first key and drove away from the abandoned town.

He didn't know that he was closer to Ebotton than he originally thought, as behind him, a giant mountain was looming over the abandoned town and on top of him a mysterious shadow was looking at the red Cadillac driving away in the distance, a faint blue light emitting out of it.

"tch. and there goes another chance at breaking this barrier." the shadow told himself, "asgore will just tell me to keep waiting."