A/N: Inspired by slyboyseth's deviantart post, that you can find in here! h/t/t/p:/slyboyseth dot deviantart dot com/art/Undertale-Motivational-Poster-596856628

They have suggested that this particular scene doesn't get so much covering in the Undertale stories.

This will remain a drabble, so even if it might end on an open note, I will not continue it.

Hopefully, this will be an enjoyable read.

Our Heartache

"Prove to me you're strong enough to survive!" Toriel's voice echoed in the hallway, with maternal authority. It was enough for me to ready myself for this battle — I was not filled with determination, though — and stand against her, as red, fiery eyes were looking through me. I could swear a cold breeze was flowing with my clothes and her robes, as she took a deep breath and started calling out some flames in her white, majestic paws.

A part of me — or maybe it wasn't me — was asking to fight against her. Didn't she say I have to fight her if I wanted to prove myself? But...another part of me called out to remembering what she taught me in the first place.

"Strike up a friendly conversation!"

My hand then hovered above the ACT button, and I gently pressed it, a soft feeling of warmth and hope filling my SOUL, before the battle truly started — time seemed to stop for a moment.

"Mom... I..."

It seemed like my mind couldn't find anything to speak about, and then she unleashed a series of fireballs that I managed to dodge with great difficulty, my clothes immediately caught fire and I tried to stop them by strongly beating them off — burning my own hands in the process — and for a moment, it seemed like her eyes were watering.

She was in pain.

"Th-they are hurt...My child..." Toriel thought for a moment as she looked with wide eyes, tears threatening to spill. "No, they must prove their worth. They have to show me that they can defend themselves!"

She narrowed her eyes and launched a second attack, the fireballs growing more and more violent and faster. But I wasn't going to give up on what I've been taught by her during my short voyage in the Ruins...

"Only the fearless may proceed.
Brave ones, foolish ones.
Both not walk the middle road."

"Fearless..." I thought for a moment, while ducking under another volley of fireballs. It seemed like she was taking this battle seriously, and I didn't know how to end it faster, so I pressed once more on the ACT button, trying to reason with her. But it seemed to me like words were hitting empty walls, like they didn't matter at all.

"Mom, please, I don't want to fight!"

I was filled with pain.

"Why do they try to talk to me? Why won't they attack...?" Toriel's thoughts were going wild, as she couldn't understand why I didn't raise a single hand — or stick — towards her, why my eyes were filling with tears as I looked towards her. Even with the tears that threatened to spill, I could see it in her eyes.

Heartache.

"Attack or run away!" Toriel then roared, as if trying to cast away the very notion of her heart breaking into pieces seeing me getting hurt, with each and every volley of her fireballs. And then it happened.

I found myself covered in flames — I swear I didn't see them — and yelled in pain as the magical fire was slowly burning my clothes and skin. Even if I tried hard to roll off and extinguish them somehow, they weren't fading at all, in fact they were growing bigger and bigger. The last thing I remember was her horrified expression as her paws were covering her muzzle.

And then, nothing.

GAME OVER
Frisk...! You have to stay determined!

Time stood still for a moment, and then I felt something, akin to a gentle push and a soft rustle of wind. A small yellow star appeared in front of me, and I placed my hand in it, as usual, but what surprised me was the prompt that was written under it.

CONTINUE
Toriel's Boss Fight.
You can win this...

"Mama...I'm coming back to save you." I thought, feeling tears running down on my face and held my hand close to my SOUL, and then, minutes later, I was back before her. It seemed like she didn't even notice that I had just —

"M-my child?" her voice was small, "What were you proving this way?"

"Wait—" I looked at her with wide eyes, "—you know I..."

"Yes," she replied, and I noticed a stream of tears running down her face.

"M-Mom..." I then rushed to hug her, catching her off guard, "I-I never wanted to fight you!"

She was still crying, as I could feel her tears dropping on my hair, and then leveled to me as she took me in her arms. We must've stood like this for a long time, as there was nothing but the echo of our sobs, trying to seek comfort in the presence of each other.

"My child..." Toriel eventually broke the hug, "what did you feel, seeing me —" her gaze averted me for a while, "— like this, willing to fight you no matter what?"

I placed my hand close to my SOUL, and simply said, with a sad voice, "Heartache. I —"

A sad smile formed on her face as she replied, "I could feel it too, my child. I never really wanted to fight you, either."

"And you taught me MERCY is the best way to solve a conflict!" I said to her, smiling through my sadness.

"Indeed, this is the best way to solve a conflict."

Her lesson was going to stay with me throughout the adventure before me...
You are the future of humans and monsters!