Prologue: Falling Down (And Where He Landed)

Everyone in the village knew to keep away from Mt. Ebott. Its name had long since become a ward, a barrier to keep the residents from stepping foot upon its blackened slopes. But more importantly, it represented two things to the villagers.

First and foremost, it represented the all-too-recent war that had occurred between humans and monsters. It represented the prison that kept the victors and the losers separate. To the world at large, it was something to be avoided, to be feared, and to be untouched by time and man.

But to the villagers, it was the opposite. Mt. Ebott still remained an object of fear, yes, but it was also something they were thankful for each and every day. To the villagers, it was something to cling to. Few people went near it, so they could live at its foot without having to worry that anyone would come to take them away.

For that reason – and for that reason alone –, the villagers remained at the foot of Mt. Ebott. They could have fled any day, but they were too thankful to leave. So long as they never climbed the mountain, as the foolish had done before, they would continue to live in peace and harmony. They would not vanish, as five of them had over the past fourteen years, and the mountain's inhabitants would give them no trouble.

It was the perfect situation, and that was why Grandt had to climb the mountain.

Of course, his reasons were far more complex than that, but he could still not help but think as though his childish curiosity was a small part of it. Even for a man of sixty-one years, Grandt had been prone to acting in that way. Perhaps it was because he was that old, he'd reasoned before, and he felt he had the right to act childish.

That wasn't his only reason, however, and it was certainly not the reason that drove him to climb the mountain. But it was still a reason, regardless, and it was a reason that said, "I want to climb the mountain because it's there."

Grandt smiled a bit to himself at the thought. The other villagers often called him "straitlaced" or "docile." Well, he'd certainly show them. If he were fast enough, he could climb Mt. Ebott, watch the sunrise, and return just in time to wake his granddaughter up with some eggs and bacon. She always stayed up late on weekends, anyway, so she'd probably sleep in a bit later than usual. And in case he took a bit more time to get back, he had left her enough food to make it a few days – just in case.

Well, it seemed he would not be making it back tomorrow morning, at least.

Grandt stood in a cave on the mountain, watching as rain poured down just outside the opening. The sky had gone black with clouds, and the rocks just outside were slick enough that he'd no doubt he would fall if he were to try to climb back down.

He leaned back against the wall, running a hand over his bald head both out of frustration and a desire to wipe away the water that now dripped down his wrinkled face, accumulating at his grayed beard. What a fool he'd been, trying to scale a mountain on his own! Rather, trying to scale the mountain – a mountain considered so dangerous that only five villagers had climbed it in the time since the village was first founded, and all of them had disappeared. What a fool he'd been.

"Still," he muttered to himself, "there's no point in getting so frustrated over it. I can climb back down tomorrow when it's dry, and then I'll..."

Grandt paused for a moment, suddenly worrying for the granddaughter whom he'd left alone. What if he couldn't climb down? he thought with a start. What if the trail proved too difficult?

What a fool he'd been! What an old, senile fool! What had possessed him to climb Mt. Ebott, really, beyond his own narcissistic overestimation of his abilities? He was an old man – too old, really, to do something so strenuous. Grandt should have asked one of the villagers to go with him. No, better yet, he should not have gone at all.

"Do you want to come watch the sunrise with me?"

No, that was gone. Those days were gone. It'd been so long since he'd the sun come up in the morning. Now there was nothing but the side of the mountain and the sun setting at twilight.

"Damn me," he swore under his breath, suddenly grabbing at his left shoulder as pain lanced through it. "Damn me!"

His anger was suddenly cut short as he noticed something else standing out in the rain. It appeared to be a person about his height, but the darkness kept it as little more than a silhouette, with something metallic clutched in its left hand.

Lightning flashed, and for a moment Grandt thought he could see the person outside the cave. Then the silhouette vanished.

Grandt suddenly felt very frightened. Had a villager followed him up the mountain after all? And if one did, why were they holding a gun?

Grandt's heart – it was as old as he was, he'd often joked – beat faster in his chest. Pain once again ran through his shoulder, but he was too busy watching the cave's entrance to pay attention. He stepped back, further and further, not once taking his eyes away from the darkness outside.

He should've been watching the area behind him. His lack of doing so caused him to ignore the very large, very deep pit at the back of the cave.

Grandt's foot caught on the edge. Before he could realize what was going on, it was already too late. He fell back backwards, without time to even scream, into another kind of darkness.

When Grandt finally awoke in the dark cavern, his entire body ached. His spine felt as though it had been crushed beneath his weight, while his arms and legs seemed to have twisted with the force of the drop. His mouth was dry and his eyesight was dim, but whether that was the result of the fall or simply because of the natural darkness was something he couldn't quite say. Mostly because his brain was swimming in agony.

He forced himself upright, noticing that none of his bones appeared to be broken. There were small cuts and bruises on his legs and forearms, but nothing too bad.

After sitting still for several minutes and trying to piece together what had happened, Grandt forced himself to stand upright. His bones cracked from the effort, and the sudden looseness was more than welcome. The aches went away quickly, leaving only his parched throat and his still-injured spine for him to contend with. However, all things considered, Grandt was hardly going to complain about a minor injury such as that. He had endured far worse in his life, after all, so a mere bruise here or there meant nothing.

He ran a hand over his beard. It was clear that he had fallen after climbing Mt. Ebott. That much he knew. But where was he now?

It was too dark for him to see – save for the vague light flitting through the hole above him, which served only to remind him of how far he had fallen –, so Grandt took some time to grope around the area in search of landmarks. Or rather, in search of his belongings.

He came upon his rucksack quickly and tore it open. He shoved his hand inside, hoping to find something that he could use. All his food items had been crushed beyond recognition and his flashlight was shattered, but his bottle of water had miraculously survived the fall. With the frenzy of a wild animal, Grandt ripped the cap off and drank deep, letting the cool water run down his throat and ease its dryness. He simply stood there for a time, drinking down every drop, and then he lowered the bottle from his lips with a gasping breath.

Now that he was almost completely placated, Grandt went back to fulfilling his original plan of searching for landmarks. His search, however, proved fruitless, as he found nothing but a bed of soft golden flowers like the kind that grew in the village square, and the walls around him were too smooth and circular to have any major outcroppings.

Grandt took a long moment to realize his position, feeling over his face with his non-bottle-holding hand. What have I done? he thought to himself. I can't have gotten into a situation like this – not now! What if she needs me? What if she–?

His thoughts were interrupted when he noticed a small tunnel to his right. Grandt paused for a moment, then shook his head. No, he could worry about his granddaughter later. She was resourceful enough to take care of herself. All that mattered for now was that he had to make his way back to the village on his own.

Grandt stepped down the tunnel cautiously, making sure to check for holes or other traps along the way. He found none, though, and came to the realization that the ground was surprisingly smooth, as though some other creature had cut it, rather than it being a natural cave. Peculiar indeed.

After a few short steps, Grandt found something else peculiar: an archway, once again a sign that this strange cave was manmade. But why, and for what purpose? He found himself thinking about that as he entered through the arch, and very nearly stepped passed the odd new face without noticing it.

However, he did notice it, much to his confusion. There, sitting in the middle of a well-lit patch of dirt, was a golden flower with a widely smiling face.

"Howdy!" it said, in a voice that was much a bit too cheery for Grandt's liking. A bit too fake. "I'm Flowey! Flowey the Flower!"

Grandt wasn't a complete fool. He'd been stupid enough to climb the mountain, but he knew a thing or two about the world. Sixty-one years of living did that for a person.

Maybe it was because of the legends surrounding the monsters, or maybe it was just because he knew the flower was faking its enthusiasm, Grandt didn't trust it one bit.

"Hmm? What's with that look, old man?" Flowey asked, not once losing that cheery grin. "Are you lost? Well, don't you worry! Your good friend Flowey will give you a hand!"

"I don't think I need any help, thank you," Grandt said quickly. "I'll be fine on my own."

Flowey's smile seemed to change a bit. "Oh, reeaaaaally?" he asked. "Well, I'm sure you will be, but the Underground's a pretty scary place for people who don't know how to get around!"

"I'm sure I've seen worse." Grandt slowly ran a hand over his forehead. "Thank you for your offer, but I really can't accept it."

Flowey's grin seemed to shift. "Of course, of course! I mean, an old guy like you must've seen some really bad stuff in his life, right? Golly, I can't even begin to imagine it!"

There was a twinge of sarcasm to his words. No, definitely a bit more than a twinge. He sounded like Dyse after a particularly bad night of drinking. Or maybe like Relef after being ordered to do… to do anything, really.

Relef.

Grandt grabbed his arm slowly. Unthinkingly.

Don't. Don't think about it. It's too much.

"Yes, right," he murmured. "Now then, ah… If you'll excuse me, I must be going."

"Alright, then! Bye, old man! Have fun."

Flowey pulled himself underground, disappearing from sight. With his exit, the room had suddenly become deathly quiet. It had gone from bright but unnerving to looking as dark as the Underground's entrance. The large beam of light in the room's center still kept the corners hidden, and Grandt feared that anything could be hiding in them, just waiting to pounce and kill him and take his SOUL.

Grandt sighed to himself, moving his hand up to slowly stroke his beard. What had he gotten himself into? Falling down like this, trapped within the place so many were told to avoid, with no way out in sight, and all for what? So that he could enjoy a sunrise?

So that he could fulfill a promise?

He should have been smarter. He should have thought, not acted. But he hadn't, and now he was certain he would be trapped within the mountain forever. The monsters would pick him apart, and he would die.

Mt. Ebott would be his tomb.

Grandt cursed himself under his breath. What would happen to his granddaughter if he did not return? Even if Dyse and Kira and everyone else pitched in to help her, so what? They still struggled to survive themselves, and making them all take care of a child on top of that…

No, he had to return, even if it required him to dig his way out of the mountain by hand. He would live on his own if he had to, he would…

Don't be stupid, he interrupted himself bitterly. You don't have that kind of time. Not anymore.

Shoulders slumped, eyes downcast, Grandt stepped forward. His hiking boots thumped against the rocky floor as he walked and kicked up dirt when he went over Flowey's former perch. Every step felt like lead, as though he were weighed down by his own hubris.

Finally he stopped, taking a moment to breathe. It'll be fine, he tried to tell himself. She's resourceful. She doesn't need me around now. She's almost eleven, she can… She can manage for herself.

Grandt ran a hand through his beard again, stretching out his lower jaw. He knew she could be fine, but at the same time, he couldn't help but worry. Even so, he–

"Just kidding!"

Grandt whirled around quickly as Flowey emerged from the dirt again, his expression significantly changed. Wide, empty eyes and a nightmarish grin now replaced that fake, friendly smile.

"Wh-what the hell?!" Grandt gasped as he stumbled back.

"What's wrong, old man?" Flowey said. "Didn't you know? Why, here in the Underground, it's kill or be killed!"

A row of white, bullet-shaped objects materialized around Flowey. Without any warning, they flew forward and crashed into Grandt's chest. He let out a choked gasp and fell back on the stony ground.

"Now, then… Let's take a peek at your SOUL, shall we?" Grandt heard as a new ring of bullets appeared around him.

He watched in horror as his SOUL – his core, his self – emerged from his chest, as was typical in a dangerous or magically infused situation. It hung overtop him, radiating a dull light as the bullets began to slowly close in.

"Green, eh? Never seen that color before," Flowey said. Then he giggled. "Well, not like it matters, anyway."

The bullets smashed into Grandt's SOUL. He let out a choked gasp and threw his head back as a wave of pain rushed over him. His vision blurred, but he still held on to his consciousness as best as he was able, even as the world shifted from black to red to white to red again.

"Oh? You're still hanging in there?" Flowey asked in a bored tone. "Wow, you're really something, aren't'cha? Too bad you're also dead," he added as a new ring of bullets surrounded Grandt's SOUL.

Grandt struggled to stand up. To do something. To do anything. But his body wouldn't respond. It was locked in place by pain and exhaustion. Even his thoughts were becoming messy and incoherent, marred by the sharp stings in his skull and chest.

All he could do was watch helplessly as the ring came closer, faster than before and without any sort of mercy or pause. It became smaller as it reached his SOUL. There was nothing he could do, no act he could take to slow its arrival. He simply snapped his eyes shut and prayed that it would be quick.

But much to his surprise, there was no sudden burst of agony followed by endless darkness. Instead, he felt much the opposite; the pain slowly decreased until it became nil, and a feeling of refreshment washed over him.

Healing magic? No… No, that doesn't exist…

Grandt slowly opened his eyes, now aware that something very odd had just occurred. He slowly forced his way to his feet, keeping his eyes on Flowey all the while. Flowey seemed just as surprised as Grandt. His expression had returned to normal, but his cheery grin was now replaced by a deep frown.

"This… What is–?" Flowey started, only to be distracted as a ball of fire materialized nearby.

Grandt stared at it for a moment, mesmerized by its fluidity and its suddenness. The strange will-o-wisp flickered in and out of existence for several seconds before fully forming in a large sphere of blue. His legs still shook, though.

Suddenly and without warning, the fire shot forward. It crashed into Flowey and sent him flying back. He let out a loud cry before fleeing underground, hopefully for good, this time.

Grandt let out a sigh of relief and pressed his fingers against the side of his neck. His heartbeat was slower now, but it was still faster than he would have liked. At least his SOUL was no longer out in the open. It had sunken back into his chest as soon as Flowey ran off.

But still, he thought, is this truly how dangerous the Underground is? I'd heard it wasn't safe, but for something so small to pose such a large threat, I–

"Excuse me?" called a distinctly feminine voice. It echoed off the walls, letting Grandt know that the speaker was nearby, but unseen.

He ducked down into the darkness. There was no need to put himself in danger's way again, after all, and he had no idea whether the speaker was friend or foe.

Flowey's words echoed in his head: "Why, here in the Underground, it's kill or be killed!" No doubt this new creature would follow the same philosophy, and if it was the one that had attacked the flower, then he would have quite the fight on his hands.

Grandt clenched his fist. More pain lanced through his left shoulder. He needed to watch his heartbeat, but he was too focused on the new arrival to pay attention. It didn't matter how soon his heart chose to kill him if this creature killed him now.

A figure stepped through the darkness towards the center, tall, foreboding. It – she? – was at least a head taller than him, and Grandt did not like that one bit. In battle, having any sort of advantage was crucial, and he clearly had none. This creature had him in height. She certainly had him bested in magic.

Teeth pressed against teeth, nails against palm. Now or never, never or now. Heart beating fast.

Too fast.

"What a terrible creature, torturing such a poor, innocent–"

Now.

Grandt stood up quickly in the darkness and charged toward his latest assailant. His legs were still shaking from the fall, but hopefully they would be enough.

They weren't. He caught a slight glimpse of the creature before his right leg gave way. It collapsed beneath him and splayed out to the side.

He looked up and saw the creature standing nearby. The light from above illuminated her features a bit more. Curse his luck, she was a Boss Monster! He had heard of them before, but he had never seen one in person. And now he sat on the ground before her, a lamb to the slaughter, leg-splayed and injured and soon to be dead.

Damned fool! Old, idiotic, stupid, damned fool! He should have known from the start there was no chance of escape, but no, he still kept on hoping!

Too fast. Too fast!

It didn't matter how fast it was. He was soon to die, regardless, and he would never have the chance to apologize to her. To any of them.

Traitors… don't deserve to live.

No, no, no! That was wrong it was wrong he was wrong! There was no treachery. There was no treachery. There was no–

Grandt's breath quickened, and his heartbeat soared.

Everything was aflame no stop stop don't I–

Grandt's chest seemed to cave in on itself, and the Boss Monster stared at him as his heart exploded in agony. He couldn't breathe anymore. Bile rose in his mouth, consuming his lungs. His pain and panic merged into one unstoppable force.

Don't do it leave them alone leave them alone stop it STOP IT he never betrayed you–

Grandt fell forward, head crashing against the dirt. The world shifted and curved and turned and wasn't, fading from his sight and becoming nothing but a wall of pure blackness.

And then, as he heard the monster cry out, even that blackness disappeared.

Author's Note: It's certainly been a while since I last wrote anything, especially for this site. It's almost nostalgic, coming back here. Anyway, this story is obviously going to diverge quite a bit from canon, especially where our protagonist is concerned. Grandt is my answer to the Undertale fandom's love of inserting young, powerful people into the Underground, and he is an absolute joy to write. Believe me when I say that this story will be a lot of fun for me, so I hope you all can enjoy it just as much, if not more.

For the curious, this story takes place several years before Undertale proper, with Grandt serving as the fifth human SOUL that would be captured by the monsters in the game itself.

Please feel free to offer me any suggestions in regard to characterization or anything else that seems off. Any sort of feedback at all will be highly appreciated!

EDIT: As of October 21, 2016, this chapter has undergone some major revisions. I've rewritten a few sentences so that it flows better, and I've added a few lines of foreshadowing. Hopefully it's a bit more enjoyable this way! I plan to do the same to the next few chapters if I get the chance.