Long ago, when the world had just been born, the Humans and Monsters were watched over by the Gods, who tended to the suns and moons, and helped the crops grow. Nothing seemed like it could go wrong. But over time, the humans began to argue over which God was the most important; Abris, the God of The Sun, who would bring light and energy to the earth to grow crops; Iona, Goddess of the Moon, who would bring peaceful slumber to the people; Gaea, Goddess of the Earth, who created all life; Uldona, God of the Weather, who created the conditions of living during the seasons; and finally, Sombus, the Guardian Deity of Monsters. The lesser Gods, Typhos, God of Peace, and Miphos, God of Law, began to worry that the future of the two bickering races would create new Gods; Gods of Death, Destruction, Disease, and War. These Gods would end up destroying the very world they had created. Sombus was especially worried, as his people were made up entirely of Magical Energy. If war was to break out between the Humans and Monsters, the Monsters would surely be the first to die, and then who would remember him? Sombus was not a violent god, and was considered by many as a pacifist. This was what ultimately led to his downfall. In an attempt to quell the fighting, he crossed over into the Mortal Realm, disguised as an old prophet in an attempt to reason with the people on Earth. But none would listen. They called Sombus crazy, and beat his body down with stones and clubs. Having taken the form of a human and renouncing his powers, Sombus was killed. This angered the Gods, and many of the Humans and Monsters suffered or died at the hands of their wrath. Those that survived felt guilt and remorse for what had happened to Sombus and buried his body at the heart of a great mountain. With the power of magic, seven wizards from each race crafted a staff that contained Sombus' power and authority over Monsters. The Monsters worried that, if put into the wrong hands, the staff would bring ruin to the Monster Race. So, they placed an enchantment upon the mountain and the surrounding forest, barring the way to the Staff from anyone who dared to seek after it. The forest consumed many victims with its ensnaring fog; one wrong turn, and you'd return to the beginning, with no memory of any previous attempts. If one managed to pass the fog, a door would appear at the base of the mountain, bathed in a blue light. Legends hold that only a worthy successor of Sombus would be able to open the door and take the staff for their own. But none have succeeded.
"I aim to be the first, Chara!" said Asriel, closing the book and placing it upon the shelf over his bed. Chara laughed, and rolled over to face her adopted brother.
"Asriel, you know that's just a story, right? That stuff happened, like, a couple millennia ago? If something like that did exist, it's probably crumbled to dust by now." She joked, before Asriel jumped over to his sister's bed.
"What if it is real, though! That staff could be there! Do you know how much power is in that thing?!" gawked Asriel. "A power fit for a god! Right in the palm of my hand!"
"Yeah, your tiny, little paws wouldn't even be able to lift that thing, let alone find it. I bet you don't even know what mountain its hidden in." chided Chara, pushing Asriel off of her.
"I'm going to find it, Chara! Someday, when we get out of this Underground jail, I'm going to go on an adventure with you, and we'll-" started Asriel, before the door to their bedroom opened. Toriel's head poked in, her face confused, but not quite angry.
"My children, you're both supposed to be sleeping." She said.
"I was sleeping… until Fluffbutt over here got excited over some silly story." Grunted Chara, pulling the covers over her head and flipping Asriel to the floor. Asriel rubbed his head and began scrambling back to his bed. Toriel stepped into the room and tucked Asriel into his covers.
"What story were you reading, my child?" asked Toriel, looking now to the shelf.
"The Fate of Sombus." Replied Asriel. "Dad said I should learn about some history, and he suggested I start with this one."
"Of course, he would. That was his favorite story when he was your age. Back when… Grandpa Jorin was still around." Smiled Toriel, just barely stopping herself from mentioning Aberon.
"Mom…? Do you think the staff exists?" asked Asriel.
"I know it does! My Father managed to traverse the fog and made it to the mountain… but the door wouldn't open for him. When he told the people in Monstrum, our old Capital City on the surface about his discovery, everyone called him a fake. A liar. A loony." Said Toriel. "But I believed him. He'd found so many artifacts before that I had to believe him. But when you find something like that, even when no one believes you, there's always the one person who does and stabs them in the back."
"No…! He didn't…!" moaned Asriel.
"Yes… he was approached by a monster who told him to lead him through the fog. But my father refused, and… well, he knifed him." Sighed Toriel. "I was only five years old."
"Mom… You never told me that happened to Grandpa Rayburn!" whimpered Asriel.
"Oh, my child, don't cry! Oh… c-come here, Azzy." Smiled Toriel comfortingly, wrapping her son in a hug. "I think that's enough story time for tonight."
"Ya' think?" Grunted Chara under her covers, causing Toriel to turn.
"Yes, I do, Chara." She said, hiding behind her smile a slight twinge of annoyance. "Good night, my children."
"Good night, Mom!" echoed the children, as Toriel left the room. After a few minutes, Chara rolled over and groaned. Asriel heard it, and cracked an eye open.
"I know that groan. What's wrong, Chara?" asked Asriel.
"How long are we going to be stuck down here, Azzy? It feels like years since I fell down here!" exclaimed Chara. "I've done literally everything I could think of!"
"Chara, it's only been a few months! Trust me, we'll find a way to the surface! And when we do, we're going to find that staff and clear Grandpa Rayburn's name." grinned Asriel, a determined look upon his face.
"Yeah, well, unless you got a few Human Souls lying around, we're not budging." Said Chara.
"Chara? What are you implying?"
"Never mind it, Azzy. I'll see you in the morning, okay?" beamed Chara.
"A-Alright, Chara… g'night, ya weirdo." Chuckled Asriel, rolling over.