A/N: this is going to be the first of my Undertale series following my oc through her life before The Barrier, during, and After the Barrier falls! I've also posted my first poll please go vote! It would make my day XD
Anyway onwards to the story, and tell me what you think.
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The child giggled in delight at having escaped the village unnoticed. Despite the many stumbles before even reaching the center of the forest the girl was delighting in her victory. Her first real act of rebellion.
Her Mama was feeling a little down today so the girl wanted to surprise her with some of the pretty flowers near the river, but the little girl knew that if anyone caught her sneaking out they would take her right back home, so the trip had to be done secretly.
The little blonde got louder as the flowers came in sight. Breaking through the last cluster of trees, breathless from running, the child tripped into the puddle of flora.
In the village, there are only yellow flowers and while pretty they had long since lost their charm to the girl. The forest flowers had a variety of colors that dazzled her who spent her life surrounded by gold. The blonde child was sure they would cheer her dear Mama. The patch of flowers swayed in the wind causing a white blossom to tickle the girl's nose and laughter broke free once more. Sitting up the pale headed girl looked the flowers over so that she could pick the very best for her Mama. There was whites and pinks and blues and purples, oh there was just so many choices she couldn't decide. She wanted to give her dear Mama the best cause she was the best in her eyes. "I have to pick the very best flower and all the flowers are pretty!" the child cried in dismay. The pale haired child sat there puzzling her choices when she felt something rub against her arm. She turned to see another flower like the one that tickled her nose. The white ones seemed to be the friendliest she decided and so plucked a few.
With her prize clutched in her fist the girl could leave accomplished, but she didn't really want to leave. The adults never let anyone out of the village due to the war with the monsters – not that the girl truly understood what a war was – "Why not?" she asked herself and sat back down. Of course her Mama had been warning the girl of monsters lurking in the woods, but there was no monsters that she could see. With one last look around to make sure she was alone the girl hid herself in the flowers.
She lay there enjoying the outside without worry; after all, to the girl's mind monsters lurked in the dark and gobbled up all the naughty children. It never even crossed her mind that sneaking out of the village might be considered naughty.
The girl like all children enjoys playing, but for this child, it is the quiet moments that she loved most. She especially loved to watch the clouds. Her Mama always took her out to watch the sky when the chores were done. The chores had been growing lately, due to the visiting Mages keeping the village busy, and not allowing the girl and her Mother to relax. The girl missed it sometimes.
The pale haired child was watching the clouds pass when the earth shook. The girl's heart rate jumped as her body tensed. The vibrations matched the soft thump, thump sound of heavy footsteps, but instead of the forest going quiet at the intrusion as it had for the girl, the bird songs grew louder and the earlier stillness disappeared. The girl waited for silence patiently hoping the creature would pass quickly and without noticing her. The child was in tears by the time the creature dropped itself to the ground with a thud, shaking the ground and causing the girl to cry out in surprise.
When no other movement was made by the creature the whimpering girl slowly rose turning her wide hazel eyes toward what had settled in the flowers beside her. Next to the girl was a giant rock, she decided, a very pretty rock she thought wiping her tears. The girl stood and found the rock to be just as tall if not a bit taller. The girl moved closer wondering – her earlier fear completely gone – placing a hand on its surface the rock groaned and settled leaning away from the girl. This new position allowed the girl to see what the flowers had been hiding which just happened to be a head and limbs. The girl crouched before the head, and after looking at the entire picture this time the girl came to understand that the rock was not a rock at all, it was a giant turtle! It wasn't a rock it was a turtle! The child was so excited she simply could not stop herself from patting the creature on the head a few times. She must have been a bit rough in her attention, for the turtle began pushing itself to a sitting position in an action much like a human.
If the girl had been older, or if she had any idea what kind of situation she was in perhaps this meeting would have ended differently.
This child – still so young, still learning about the world, and still learning about herself - waited patiently for her companion to decide.
FIGHT or ACT.
His choice would make the girl's decision.
The turtle towered over the girl, and where she had been frightened earlier, the girl was now enthralled. It had a beard with silver streaks she noticed and yellow brown eyes. Her wide hazel eyes widened further as she craned her head back to meet the turtle's eyes, and patiently waited for the creature to do something, though she had no idea what.
The staring match began to irritate the girl as the silence stretched. Silence is filled with discontent stifled feelings, and while the girl may use these words in the future at this time she only knows silence to be uncomfortable. However the girl's patients was rewarded with a grumbling, "What?" breaking the tension heavy silence and making way for a quiet filled with possibility.
The girl smiled, reasoned to herself that more flowers could be picked for her Mama, and carefully presented the plants to the turtle with a gentle determination. The creature's eyes flickered to the white blossoms and to her wide hazel eyes twice before the quiet broke. Gently, the flowers transferred to claws.
Gift safely in its grasp the turtle snorted before throwing its head back in a loud belly laugh. The girl startled, gasped in amazed surprise "You laugh!" she cheered with a clap. This only caused the creature to laugh harder dragging the girl into giggling along.
"Of course I laugh! Why would I not?" the turtle chortled through gasps of air.
The girl muffled her giggles behind her hands and took several deep breaths before answering. "No turtle laughed before!" she replied before becoming disgruntled at her next thought, "Or was I not funny then?" she asked, "But none talked either!" she continued scandalized at the realization which sent the big reptile back to laughing.
When he – for he was definitely a male – calmed enough to speak again he saw the child's face and realized she might actually be hurt at the thought. "Only monster turtles laugh and talk, not those tiny things." He offered.
This caused the girl to wrinkle her nose and lean back trying to see the whole turtle. "You do not look like a monster?" she asked unsure of the truth behind this as she had never seen a monster before.
Raising a bushy brow and combing his claws through his beard the turtle asked, "And what should a monster look like?" The girl thought on this for a moment.
"Mean and scary." She answered meeting his gaze once again.
The monster shook his head with a smile and waved his claw as if to remove that way of thinking. "Anything can be mean and scary if you give it reason to." He said. The pale haired child mulled over this and nodded that she understood. "Are you going to be mean and scary?" she asked with a tilt of her head still meeting his eyes. She didn't think so but it was better to ask anyway.
The monster let out a short bark of laughter then reached over to ruffle the girl's hair, "What reason would I have to do that, huh?" he chuckled, "I like you kid!"
The child decided she shared the feeling in seconds of hearing the admission. "I like you too! My name is Kuria!" the girl chirped in her excitement.
This time the turtle's surprise did not bring him to laughter, but actually caused the monster's entire demeanor to soften. "Kuria, I am Gerson." The monster replied smiling.
Kuria only then seemed to notice how late in the day it was. Gasping the girl lurched to her feet. "I have to go home now. Can I see you here tomorrow?" she asked in a rush. The old turtle nodded his head in agreement and the child smiled as she turned for home running.
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The day before, the girl had been excited to do something for her Mama but now the girl was eager to talk with Gerson. Stories made turtles out to be wise and the child was eager to find out in person. He had seemed wise when he spoke last time, but was he really? Kuria was so excited!
In her rush to get back home the day before, Kuria, had not picked more flowers for her Mama and while the woman said she appreciated the thought she had also been very angry at the girl. Kuria had been stuck under her Mama's eye making it difficult to go meet Gerson, but she had finally snuck away and was currently running. Mama had to help a young mother that had fallen ill – and not wanting to get her daughter sick - had to leave Kuria at home. The pale haired child had taken the chance and ran – despite the unfinished chores she was leaving behind.
Once again the girl rushed into the clearing with the blooming flowers. And there he was laying in the flowers just as she had left him. "Gerson!" she called waving wildly.
The monster rose smiling and laughed heartily when she once again tripped into the flower bed.