Hey! I just wanted to say that I appreacite anyone taking the time to read this story and I'm happy to hear anything you have to say!

I hope that shop does well. A Temmie could be seen organizing the items that I just helped her move into her new store. They must be planning to celebrate the opening using all of that confetti.

I stifled a yawn. It had been a long day and I wanted to head home. I heard a splash. Scanning the area, nobody came into view. I must be imagining things.

Looking down, I noticed that my tutu was in desperate need of a wash. It's weird to keep wearing this, but it makes me feel comfortable.

When was the last time I took this off? Memories of smiles and apologizes raced by, laced with feelings of fear and grief and terror. I pushed them down and kept walking.

I heard a rustle in the grass. I searched the terrain again. I spotted a flash of red. Oh, it's her. I smiled and kept walking.

I was almost home when she pounced from the grass. I stepped to the side and she fell head over heels. Her name is Undyne. She is a hot-headed child that likes to start fights with anyone nearby. Although, her small stature and red ponytail weren't very threatening.

She hastily got to her feet, her face blushing.

I chuckled. "Nice try, but not today." This had become our routine. Her trying to sneak up on me, and me avoiding her surprise attacks.

She stomped her foot. "I almost had you! You were just lucky. I'll get you tomorrow!"

"I can't wait."

I walked on with her at my side.

"Hey, can I ask you something?" Undyne asked.

"What is it?"

"Why do you do it?"

"Do what?" I asked puzzled.

"Help other monsters and be nice to them," Undyne said. "I've always heard that humans are mean, but you aren't. Why do you help us?"

I smiled. "Because it shows I'm strong," I replied.

"What?" She piped confused. "That doesn't make any sense! Being nice doesn't let you suplex a boulder or give you an edge in a fight!"

"That's not what I mean."

"Then what do you mean?"

"It shows I have a strong will and SOUL."

"…What?" Undyne was completely lost.

"Feats of strength like jumping high, winning fights, or suplexing boulders don't mean anything," I said. "What really matters is your will, your SOUL. If you can stand by what you believe in, your strong. If you can keep your ethnic code from being shaken, your incredible. If you can do the right thing and stand by others when everyone else is against you, you're invincible. That's where real strength comes from, your integrity."

Undyne tilted her head to one side. "I don't understand."

"You will. One day."

"Who told you all that gibberish?"

My heart twisted in my chest. "My mom. She wanted me to always remember that."

"Mom… Oh!" She skidded to a halt. "I'm late for dinner! I have to go! See you tomorrow!"

"See ya later." I waved as she took off.

I walked on until I reached the waterfall. After leaving the Ruins, I spent several days looking for shelter. I found the hidden cave when I slipped in the water and my head went behind the falls. The only thing in here were a couple bundles of glowing mushrooms. I took of my tutu and placed it gently on the ground. I leaned against the wall and slowly slid down to the ground.

I stretched out my hand, flicked my wrist, and my SOUL appeared with a flash. It was blue, a dark blue like the sea before a storm or an everyday crayon. I had been able to summon my SOUL since I could walk. Magic, actual magic, is rarely practiced on the Surface anymore. My mother came from a family that believed in remembering its roots, so she always kept those now rare magical moments in the house as much as possible. I know about DETERMINATION and Integrity and almost everything involving the SOUL. Weird, I know, but it was what brought my mother and I close together. I miss her so much.

Yawning, I laid on the ground and closed my eyes for a bit of sleep.

I was sitting outside the principal's office. My mother was talking to my teacher about my behavior at recess. My mom came out, her face a mix of anger and disappointment. I got up and followed her out to the car. She said nothing as we drove out of town. Finally, we stopped at this little flower garden that we would come out and see once a week.

We got out of the car and sat on a bench by a patch of marigolds. My mother wouldn't speak a word to me, so we watched the marigolds sway gently in the breeze. The sun began to set as we waited for the other one to break the silence. It was me.

"I'm sorry," I said flatly.

My mother inhaled deeply and then exhaled. Her anger from before was gone, making her face unreadable. When she spoke, her voice was steady and calm. "Why would you do something like that?"

She was talking about what I did to the kid on the playground. "It was his fault."

My mother shook her head. "Be honest."

"It was!" I was starting to get mad.

"You grabbed his SOUL!"

"He started it!" I dug my nails into the wood.

"I told you to never do anything like that!" She said with the know-it-all parent tone. "You are far too inexperienced!"

"He's fine!"

"You broke his nose!"

My retort died on my lips. "What?" I asked softly.

"When you threw him," My mom calmed down, too. "His nose broke when he you threw him against the monkey bars."

"I-I I didn't… it wasn't…" I stuttered desperately. Guilt weighed heavily on my shoulders.

"He'll be fine, but his parents are furious. I don't blame them."

I felt tears welling up. "Mom, I'm so sorry." I buried my face in my hands.

My mother wrapped her arms around me. "Just tell me what happened."

I waited a minute, trying to find my voice. "I was showing some of the kids what I could do when this boy walked up." I tried to keep my voice steady. "He called me a freak. He called you a freak." I was trying to hold back tears. "He said that our family should be under the barrier with all the other Monsters. Then he pushed me." Tears were streaming down my cheeks. " I-I was so mad. I j-just d-did it. It just h-happened. I d-didn't m-mean it. I'm so sorry."

I started to bawl. My mom held me close and let me cry. After awhile, I sat, hiccupping, in her embrace. She stroked my hair as I caught my breath.

"It's okay, my little dancer." She always called me that because I love to dance, even those clumsy, ridiculous dances as a toddler. "I'm sorry that happened. Some people are scared by unusual things, without even trying to understand it."

"Is that why the boy did that?"

"It's probably one of the reasons."

"One?" I asked puzzled.

"You know how you acted out of anger and hurt him?" I nodded. "People also do things when they have problems they can't fix or part of their life is challenged."

"What do you mean?"

"Did you know that boy's parents are getting divorced?"

I shook my head. "I had no idea."

"You have to be able tell when people are being mean, or acting mean when they are confused. People, kids and adults make bad decisions when confronted with a problem like that. They make decisions that they wouldn't usually make."

"How can I tell?"

She held out her hand. Her SOUL, the same color as mine, hummed softly. "With us, we can tell when someone's SOUL is acting strange or different. However, sometimes you can just see it on someone's face."

I sat there absorbing what she said. The sun was almost down, casting an orange glow over the sky. The marigold seemed to shine in the light, and the breeze made them dance. I would never forget this. Being here with my mother, learning from her, sitting and watching the sunset, it was beautiful.

"We'll be back soon, my little dancer," my mother promised.

"Just don't be gone long, okay?"

My parents were meeting some friends at a restaurant the next city over. I was staying home by myself, but our neighbor said I could call if I needed anything. When they got back, we were heading to my ballet class.

"Of course not. We'll be back in a couple hours. See you soon."

"See ya later." My parents walked out the door. I heard the car back out and drive away.

About a half hour later, I slipped on my tutu and ballet shoes and just started spinning and goofing around. I heard the phone ringing. It was my mom's number. I picked up immediately. "I'm okay, mom, no need to check up."

It wasn't my mom. "Hello? Who may I be speaking too?

I was confused. "Who is this? Why do you have my mom's phone?"

The speaker fell silent. When he spoke again his voice was gently. "Is anyone else home with you?"

"No, now who are you?" A sick feeling was crawling in my gut.

The mystery man said, "I'm an emergency responder. Your parents… their was an incident as they were driving… I'm sorry."

I couldn't breathe. I grabbed onto the table to keep myself upright. "Are they… are they…"

The man's voice was thick with emotion. "Your father… died on impact."

I felt like I was going to be sick. "What about my mother."

A moment passed. "She's in critical condition. She's strong, but I don't think she'll make it."

I stumbled to the bathroom and emptied my stomach. I hurled until I was completely empty. I flushed the toilet. After a time, I lifted the phone to my ear again. "Is there any chance she'll make it?"

I could hear him breathing deeply on the other end. "A slim one, but only a miracle can save her."

I didn't respond.

"Is there anyone to stay with you?"

"Yeah, my neighbor."

"Good. Head to them immediately and tell them what happened. We will have a car at your place in a bit"

"Thanks." I hung up. Only a miracle can save them. An idea came to mind, a crazy one, but the only one I could think of.

One night, my mother told me a story of how Monsters didn't need technology to heal people. They had green magic. This type of magic could mend wounds and purge the body of diseases. A strong enough Monster could use green magic to heal even the most serious of injuries.

I ran from the house to the place I was told never to climb, the place that was long since forbidden.

I ran to Mount Ebott.

The next day, I awoke with a start. I was crying, the tears flowing like rivers down my face. I ground my teeth. I can't give up now. I have to find something to heal her. I won't give up.

I started to get up when it happened. Something felt off. Dangerous. Slowly, I got up and peered through the torrent of water. A hulking figure was waiting outside. I passed through the waterfall and saw him. A Monster wearing purple robes, golden armor, and carried a red trident with a longer middle prong. It dawned on me that he looked like a male version of Toriel.

"Hello?" I said. "Can I help you?"

"Human," His deep voice resonated throughout the cavern. "My name is Asgore, King of the Monsters. War has been declared against your kind and I cannot allow your existence here to continue."

"What do you…" I stopped when I saw his eyes. They were like the bully's: mean and vicious. Undyne had told me the story of the king's son. How he was killed by humans when he passed through the barrier. And how that they needed human SOULS to break the Barrier. A cold weight settled in my stomach.

"Your Highness…"

He charged, trident glowing light blue. I stood still as the trident passed through me harmlessly. He swung again, trident glowing orange this time. I jumped out of the way before I was cut down.

With a wave of his hand, Asgore summoned a volley of fireballs. They flew through the air with tails of smoke. Memories of my lessons passed through my head. Staying on my toes, I ducked, spun and jumped out of the path of the fire.

Rushing forward, I delivered a kick to his midsection and he doubled over. He grabbed my leg. The king thrust out his other hand to throw a fireball at my face. I twisted and my free foot connected with his forearm and my leg came free, but he tore off my shoe and it was washed down another waterfall. Now free, I put as much distance between us as possible.

Asgore held out his hand again. Great chains of fire flickered into existence. They coiled and slithered as they advanced. I maneuvered through the onslaught, but one of them snared my left side.

I gasped in pain, stars dancing in my vision, but I held myself together. Asgore was barring down on me. Orange, blue, orange, orange, blue. Swing after swing rained down on me. Cuts and gashes appeared on my body when I was too slow.

Tears of pain blurred my vision as he swung again. I dodged to the left. With all my remaining strength, I spun with my leg outstretched. My shoe covered foot connected with his jaw. He stumbled. I took the opportunity. I kicked out again and again as fast and as hard as I could. His body shook with each strike. I lashed out again, but he blocked it with his trident. Asgore pushed against me. I skidded back, but stayed on my feet.

Asgore lifted his hand above his head. A gigantic fireball formed in his palm. It was easily twice my size. He closed his hand into a fist. The ball exploded into almost a hundred of fiery projectiles.

I spun and dodged, but it was too much. One, two, three, dozens landed. My entire body burned as if it was being reduced to ashes. I spun last second to avoid another fireball.

I held out my hand, SOUL glowing bright. I saw his SOUL, gray and upside down. I just have to grab his SOUL and throw him off the waterfall. Before I could, however, I saw his face. He was crying. In his eyes I saw something else: grief.

"You have to tell when people are being mean, or acting mean when they are confused. People, kids and adults make bad decisions when confronted with a problem like that. They make decisions that they wouldn't usually make."

"How can I tell?"

"Sometimes you can just see it on someone's face."

Asgore held his trident high above his head, glowing orange. With a mighty grunt, he threw the weapon. I saw it in slow motion, flying threw the air and burying itself in my gut.

I fell backwards into the water. My other shoe had fell off and was swept away. Everything was numb. My arms and legs felt like soaked woolen bundles. The water was quickly stained red before being swept away.

Hands pulled me out of the water. The king held me in his arms as my vision started to ebb.

"I am sorry, child. I am so sorry." His eyes had cleared, leaving only his sadness.

I smiled weakly. "It's okay," I whispered. "I forgive you." I meant it too. I couldn't help my mother, and that is a regret I'll carry with me beyond my grave. However, if this can help all the Monsters down here, then I'll accept my fate. Who knows? Maybe one of them will be able to help my mother.

Everything turned hazy. I saw my SOUL hovering over us, waiting.

"Can you do something for me?"

"Of course." His voice sounded far away.

"Watch over Undyne."

"I will. I promise.

I breathed a sigh. Everything fell away, except for my SOUL. It gave one final, warming glow before fading away.

Two days later..

Undyne was creeping through the grass again. Her target was standing by a stream. With a yell, she charged from her cover.

"King Asgore, I challenge you!" She declared at the top of her lungs.

The King stepped to the side and the hot-headed child fell thrashing into the water. She sat in the shallows, the blood rushing to her cheeks.

"I-I a-am so so-" She stuttered.

"I'm sorry for getting you wet," The king said gently.

"O-okay. I'll be leaving now." She made off to leave, until…

"Excuse me, do you want to know how to beat me?"

I opened my eyes to darkness. Everything hurt, even my bones. It felt like I was drifting along a current. It was soothing. I closed my eyes again.

Something reached out and grabbed my arm. I pulled away, but the thing had an iron grip. It grabbed my other arm. I kicked out, but I was thrashing in absolute nothingness. The current became stronger, pulling me under. The thing grabbed my leg and shoulder. I tried to scream, but no sound came out. I willed my SOUL to appear, but nothing happened. The thing pulled harder. I began to cry, pointlessly trying to call out for my mother. The thing gave one final pull and I was swallowed by the abyss.

That's all for chapter one. If anyone has questions, comments, or suggestions, I would like to hear them!

Please enjoy the remainder of the story.

P.S. This chapter was proof-read by Eccentric Axolotl. Please check out their profile