UNDERTALE
Chapter 1: Back to the Past
I purge the filth from the land. The battle is short but brutal. None survives the assault. All that remains is dust.
"Good riddance."
I wake up at the bottom of a hole. My head is spinning, and I ache all over. Nothing's broken, but much is bruised. I'm on a bed of flowers in a large cavern with a single stream of light coming from above.
Well, here we are again. It seems the timeline didn't crash from the reset.
*(Looks like it.)
Oh, good. You retained your memories too.
*(Yep.)
That's a relief. Now I'll at least know that I'm not crazy and didn't just imagine the last—well, next—ten years.
*(Right, because hearing a voice in your head means that you're not crazy.)
Oh hush, you!
Anyway, let's get started then. First stop, your homicidal goat bro.
I pick up a nearby stick and go through the only exit available into a room with a little yellow smiling flower in the middle.
"Howdy! I'm FLOWEY. FLOWEY the FLOWER! Hee hee hee… Why'd you make me introduce myself?"
What?
"It's rude to act like you don't know who I am."
Does he remember too?!
"Someone ought to teach your some proper manners."
*(I don't think so. He's not acting quite the same. Even without a soul again, he wouldn't be like this.)
The radiation corrupted my save file; I'm not surprised that it wasn't a perfect RESET. We should be careful.
*(Right. Anyway, I think he's about up to the part where he attacks.)
Ugh. This is gonna suck.
*(Actually, you can probably just dodge his attacks. That should stall him long enough for Toriel to get here.)
Yeah, but if she doesn't see him attacking me, she might not intervene.
*(It's worth a try.)
I guess so.
"Move around! Get as many as you can!"
I dodge the incoming pellets.
"Hey buddy, you missed them. Let's try again, okay?"
I dodge the pellets again.
"Is this a joke? Are you braindead? RUN. INTO. THE. BULLETS!"
*(He never was very good at hiding things.)
"Pellets! I meant 'friendliness pellets'."
So I see.
I dodge the bullets a third time. Flowey's face morphs from a happy smile into an evil-looking visage.
"You know what's going on here, don't you? You just wanted to see me suffer."
Um, shouldn't Toriel have been here by now?
Pellets appear all around my soul. I'm trapped.
"Die."
Crap. I haven't even saved yet! I don't want to risk another reset; there's no telling what will happen if I have to do that again!
Flowey makes a horrible laughing sound as the pellets close in on me. Just as they are about to hit me, Toriel's magic neutralizes the attack and launches a fireball at Flowey.
*(She certainly has a dramatic sense of timing.)
More like a traumatic sense of timing…
"What a terrible creature, torturing such a poor, innocent youth. Ah, do not be afraid, my child. I am TORIEL, caretaker of the RUINS. I pass through this place every day to see if anyone has fallen down. You are the first human to come here in a long time. Come! I will guide you through the catacombs."
My soul returns to my body as I leave the FIGHT.
"This way."
I guess that all worked out, but I still want to reach a SAVE point as soon as I can.
*(I think there's one just ahead.)
I follow Toriel into the next room and, to my relief, there is indeed a save point near the base of the steps. I touch the glowing yellow star.
*(The shadow of the ruins looms above, filling you with determination.)
"Welcome to your new home, innocent one."
*(Right, "innocent".)
Hey! I was just defending my country from an invasion!
*(That wasn't an invading army, Frisk; they were a marching band.)
All I know is that they were in foreign uniforms and marching in the street. They should've known better.
"Allow me to educate you in the operation of the RUINS."
Toriel steps on the four plates most to the left and right in a counterclockwise pattern.
"The RUINS are full of puzzles,"
That are so simple a child could figure them out…
"ancient fusions between diversions and door keys. One must solve them to move from room to room. Please adjust yourself to the sight of them."
Wee… puzzles…
*(I thought you liked puzzles?)
I do, but not if they're this easy, and Toriel even solves them for us!
*(I suppose that's true.)
Oh well. It's not like I RESET for fun anyway.
"To make progress here, you will need to trigger several switches. Do not worry; I have labeled the ones that you need to flip."
She walks ahead while I linger a moment to read the nearby sign.
*"Press [Z] to read signs!"
What the heck is this sign even talking about?!
*(I don't know. Maybe the writer was crazy?)
Even if he was insane and thought there was a "Z button", putting the instructions detailing how to read a sign on a sign is ridiculous! You wouldn't be able to read it unless you already knew how!
*(Maybe it's supposed to be a joke?)
It'd have to be. It's like putting "DO NOT READ" on a sign.
*(Or "see back" on a billboard)
I should totally do that when we get out of here! How much do billboards cost to rent?
*(Stay focused, Frisk.)
Fine, fine. I'll look it up later.
Moving on, I walk up to the switch near Toriel and press it. The bridge to the next area appears.
We could've easily jumped over that water. Or swam.
*(It's actually not very deep, so you wouldn't have been able to swim in it.)
So who's this supposed to stop? A blind person in a wheelchair that disintegrates when it touches water?
After I cross the bridge, I see the next two switches on the nearby wall. The switch on the left has many arrows pointing drawn on the wall to it.
"Go on; press the switch on the left."
I wonder what the other switch does.
*(Either it summons a horrible monster that eats you, or it doesn't do anything at all.)
Ooh, sounds like fun!
*(Oodles.)
I try to pull the switch on the right.
"No, no, no! You want to press the other switch. I even labeled it for you…"
I don't know, Toriel. That left one seems a little too obvious.
*(Just pull the lever, Frisk…)
Fine.
I pull the correct switch this time, and the spikes blocking the exit lower into the floor.
"Splendid! I am proud of you, little one."
Your mom is easily impressed.
*(I know, right?)
"Let us move to the next room."
The next room has a training dummy in it but not much else.
"As a human living in the UNDERGROUND, monsters may attack you. You will need to be prepared for this situation. However, worry not! The process is simple. When you encounter a monster, you will enter a FIGHT. While you are in a FIGHT, strike up a friendly conversation. Stall for time. I will come to resolve the conflict."
She's really bad at teaching kids independence. "Stall until someone else comes to save you" isn't very good advice for resolving a fight in the UNDERGROUND… or anywhere else for that matter.
*(Yeah, her idea of testing independence is making you walk down an empty hallway by yourself.)
"Practice talking to the dummy."
I walk up to the training dummy.
"What's up dummy? How's your crazy cousin doing?"
"…"
*(It doesn't seem much for conversation.)
I don't know why. His cousins were all pretty talkative.
*(TORIEL seems happy with you.)
*(YOU WON!)
*(You earned 0 XP and 0 gold.)
"Ah, very good! You are very good."
Yeah, I can hold a one-sided conversation with a dummy.
*(At least he's good at listening.)
Actually, I have a feeling he would float away if I talked too much. Besides, I prefer your company over his.
*(So, I'm better to have around than an inanimate stick figure? Wow, Frisk, you sure know how to make a girl feel special.)
Aw, you don't need my help for that.
After that aside, I walk into the next room where Toriel is waiting.
"There is another puzzle in this room… I wonder if you can solve it."
Maybe if you actually let me…
On our way to the puzzle, a Froggit appears and starts a FIGHT.
*(Froggit attacks you!)
CHECK
*(FROGGIT – ATK 4 DEF 5)
*(Life is difficult for this enemy.)
How is its life difficult?
*(I'm not at liberty to say…)
If you say so.
Toriel noticed that we entered a fight. Rather than throwing fireballs at it, Toriel just gives the froggit an intimidating look. The froggit looks down in shame and ends the fight.
*(YOU WON!)
*(You earned 0 XP and 0 gold.)
After the Froggit leaves, Toriel and I continue to a room with spikes all over a floor with water flanking both of its sides.
"This is the puzzle, but… Here, take my hand for a moment."
Toriel leads me through the spike floor while holding onto my hand.
Normally I'd be upset for her just solving the puzzle for us, but I have to agree with her on this one. Those spikes look rather dangerous.
*(You probably would've just cheated and gone around anyway.)
True, but I wouldn't call it "cheating". There are no rules that say you have to go through the deadly spike maze.
*(Technicality.)
That's my favorite way to win!
"Puzzles seem a little too dangerous for now."
We enter the next room, a very long hallway with pillar supports every few yards.
"You have done excellently thus far, my child."
I've done nothing but flip two switches and follow you around.
"However… I have a difficult request to ask of you. …I would like you to walk to the end of the room by yourself. Forgive me for this."
Toriel then rushes down the long hallway and "hides" behind a pillar. I follow after her until I near the end of the hallway. I poke Toriel's side when I get to the pillar she thinks she's hiding behind.
"Oh, greetings, my child. Do not worry; I did not leave you. I was merely behind this pillar the whole time."
"Yeah, I know. I could see you from the other end of the hallway. You weren't even hiding on the right side."
*(Mom's a bit weird.)
It's like the switch puzzle all over again. Did the people who built this not realize that we can just look on the other sides of pillars?
"Thank you for trusting me."
Not that you gave me a choice in the matter.
"However, there was an important reason for this exercise. It was to test your independence. I must attend to some business, and you must stay alone for a while. Please remain here."
She's leaving a child unattended in a hall surrounded by hostile monsters just so she can surprise me with a pie.
*(To be fair, the monsters never entered this hallway last time. Maybe she told the Froggit out there to keep other monsters from entering?)
That's a bit of a stretch, but I suppose it's possible.
"It's dangerous to explore by yourself. I have an idea. I will give you a CELL PHONE."
It's dangerous to go alone! Take this.
*(Nerd.)
"If you have a need for anything, just call. Be good, alright?"
Toriel leaves me alone to go shopping for pie ingredients.
So, should we wait around until the dog steals her phone again or just continue on right away?
*(She did tell you to stay put, but it'd be boring to just wait here for an hour. Maybe the cellphone has some games on it?)
I doubt it, but Toriel didn't give us a manual, so I don't know. I'll call and ask her.
I dial the only number saved on the phone. It rings once before Toriel answers.
"Hello? This is TORIEL."
"Toriel, I'm bored. Does this phone have any games on it or anything?"
"I'm afraid not. I should have given a book to you. My apologies. Why not use your imagination to divert yourself? Pretend you are… a monarch! Rule over the leaf pile with a fist of iron. Can you do that for me?"
"Sure, Toriel. Thanks, I'll see you later!"
I hang up the phone.
Well, the leave pile is in the next room, so the only way to begin my reign is to go there.
*(You're just using that as an excuse.)
Indeed, I am.
Immediately after leaving the hall, my phone rings.
"Yes?"
"You have not left the room, have you? There are a few puzzles ahead that I have yet to explain. It would be dangerous to try to solve them yourself."
Huh. Last time, she only called after she got her phone back from the dog.
*(It's like she can just feel when you leave the room.)
Weird.
"Don't worry, Toriel. I've only done what you told me to do."
*(Liar.)
It's technically true!
*(It's still lying.)
"Oh, good. Well, stay safe, my child. I will be back in no time."
In the next room, I walk by a Froggit that seems content to leave me alone to get to my new kingdom.
"Tremble before me, peons! I have come to subjugate you and your lands into my dominion! Surrender now or face my wrath!"
Some of the leaves on the pile dare to oppose my rule, but I quickly quash the rebellion and capture their leaders. I then arrange the defiant leaves in front of the pile and crush them into powder for all to see. Nothing but the veins and midribs remain of the dissidents.
That should serve as an example to the remaining leaves. No one will dare to question my rule!
*(I'm so glad you never gained political power beyond an ambassador.)
What? I have brought peace, freedom, justice, and security to my new empire!
*(Your new empire?!)
Fine, our new empire. You can be my beautiful queen of darkness.
*(That's better.)
Now we may go subjugate the vile oak leaves that live in the other parts of the RUINS. Onward!
*(Beginning your campaign of terror fills you with determination.)
As I continue through the RUINS, most monsters seem to leave me alone.
I think I might have scared the other monsters with my war crimes and cruelty.
*(War crimes?)
My crimes against botany.
*(Ah. I'm sure they'll be fine.)
I continue to the next room. There's a small line of cracked floor across the middle of the room. I get a running start and jump from one side of the floor…
…and fall onto the cracked floor which then crumbles and sends me down into the bottom of the pit.
Ow. I forgot how short my legs were.
*(How about you just do the puzzles the right way for now?)
Agreed.
I climb up into the hole in the wall that has a stairway leading back up to the other side of the room I had fallen from.
Monsters really don't understand the concept of a "trap". Having a convenient exit door sort of negates its usefulness.
(Well, it'd probably at least keep an adult trapped down here with how small the exit is.)
Yeah, but an adult would at best just get his foot stuck in the hole momentarily, and at worst just walk over it. It'd also make him more aware of the suspicious foliage covering the floors in other areas.)
The next room has a line of floor spikes going through the middle, along with a rock and a pressure plate on the side I'm on.
How did Toriel get past this without pushing the rock on the pressure plate? How is anyone supposed to set this trap without being stuck on the other side?
*(You're overthinking things again, Frisk.)
*sigh* You're right. You know, sometimes I think that, without you, I'd spend all day obsessing over the ambient light in the UNDERGROUND that seems to come from nowhere.
*(Well, someone needs to keep you focused.)
As I enter the room, Toriel calls me again.
"Hello? This is TORIEL. For no reason in particular, which do you prefer, cinnamon or butterscotch? …wait. Do not tell me. Is it Cinnamon?"
"Um, yeah."
"Hee hee hee. I had a feeling. When humans fall down here, strangely I often feel like I already know them. Truthfully, when I first saw you, I felt like I was seeing an old friend for the first time. Strange, is it not? Well, thank you for your selection."
That was weird. I'm starting to get worried about how much the timeline has been corrupted. Some things seem to have leaked through from the future.
*(At least it hasn't been anything too major yet.)
I guess we just have to hope it stays that way.
I barely make two more steps forward before Toriel calls again.
"Hello? This is TORIEL."
I think I can recognize your voice by now, Toriel, even if we weren't the only two people in the RUINS with a cellphone.
"You do not dislike butterscotch, do you? I know what your preference is, but would you turn up your nose if you found it on your plate?"
"No, it's fine. Also, for no reason in particular, I wanted to mention that I don't have any allergies."
Might as well get that call out of the way too.
"Right, right, I understand. Thank you for being patient, by the way."
I push the rock onto the switch pad to lower the spikes and move onward to the next room.
The next room's floor is all cracked past the first fourth of the room. As I make my way there, a Moldsmal appears in front of me.
*(Moldsmal blocked the way!)
ACT→Moldsmal→Check
*(MOLDSMAL – ATK 6 DEF 0)
*(Stereotypical: Curvaceously attractive, but no brains…)
ACT→Moldsmal→Flirt
"Hey, girl! Those are some sexy curves you have there! How about you come down to my place and we can jiggle all night long." ~.0
*(…)
ACT→Moldsmal→Flirt
I wiggle my hips at the moldsmal who then wiggles back. Chara is less than pleased.
*(What a meaningful conversation…)
"*Sexy wiggle*"
ACT→Moldsmal→Fl—
*(Frisk, don't make me hurt you.)
You're incorporeal. How are you going to hurt me?
*(I will find a way.)
Hah, okay, sorry, sorry. You're cute when you're jealous.
–more like, "gelatinous".
Sans, get out of here! You're not even in the story yet!
"Squorch…"
In response to my flirting, the moldsmal shoots spores into the air above me which then float down towards me. I dodge the somehow deadly spores.
Okay, that's enough messing around.
MERCY→Spare
*(YOU WON!)
*(You earned 0 XP and 1 gold.)
Back out of the fight, I am once again confronted by the cracked floor.
Okay, I don't remember exactly where the pathway is, but I'd rather not fall down to find out.
I take out my stick and poke the ground in front of me as I move forward. The stick sometimes brakes through, but when it doesn't, I know I can safely travel on that space. I eventually manage to get near the other side of the room, until I see it. There's a pile of vile oak leaves under a sign on the wall.
"OAK LEAVES."
I purge the filth from the land. The battle is short but brutal. None survives the assault. All that remains is dust.
"Good riddance."
I glance up at the sign above the remains of my foes.
*"Didn't you read the sign downstairs?"
What did that sign say again?
*(I think it said, "Please don't step on the leaves.")
Clearly, this was just a piece of oak propaganda intended to delay their inevitable demise. Still, I wonder how they managed to gain such a strong foothold this far into the RUINS. Someone must have been supplying them…
After my bloodlust (chlorophyll-lust?) is satiated, I head into the next room. This room is almost identical to the room before the last one, but there are now three rocks and switches instead of just one.
Oh, now there are three rocks! How challenging! Please, a blind idiot could solve either of those puzzles.
*(Well, it still would've taken the theoretical blind idiot longer to figure this one out than the other one.)
After I push the first rock into place, a pair of froggits attacks!
*(A pair of Froggits hops towards you.)
ACT→Froggit A→Compliment
"I love how your skeletal structure is on the inside of your body!"
*(Froggit didn't understand what you said, but was flattered anyway.)
*(Frisk, monsters don't have internal body parts; they're made out of magic.)
I know, but it doesn't really matter what I say since they can't understand me anyway.
The first froggit blushes deeply, while the other froggit… meows?
I'm not even going to question that.
I dodge their simple attacks and spare the first froggit, which I have lovingly named, "Froggit A".
"Hop. Hop."
*(You are intimidated by Froggit's raw strength.)
ACT→Froggit B→Threaten
"Listen here, buddy. If I find out that you've been secretly aiding the oaks in that last room, I'll—I'll reset your UnderTube favorites library!"
*(Froggit didn't understand what you said, but was scared anyway.)
*(It's always weird to hear what you consider to be a threat.)
You were always better at that than me.
*(Coming from anyone else, I'd consider that an insult, but from you, I know it's a genuine compliment.)
"Shiver, shiver."
*(Froggit seems reluctant to fight you.)
MERCY→Spare
*(YOU WON!)
*(You earned 0 XP and 4 gold.)
After the FIGHT, I push the second rock onto its pad. My threat to the Froggit was so intimidating, it seems even the third rock didn't give any fuss about moving onto the pad, though that might just be because I asked it to move nicely instead of attempting to push it myself.
"Excuse me, Mr. Rock, but would you mind moving onto that pad over there and staying there until I cross to the other side of the bridge?"
"Well, since you asked so nicely, sure!"
*(You're not going to question the sentient rock?)
Nah, it might be like a hermit crab and have something living inside the rock or something. That was my theory for the rock family in Snowdin.
The next room is rather small. There's just a mouse hole in the wall, a SAVE point, and a table with some stale cheese on it.
Hm, is stale food dangerous?
*(Why? Are you really that hungry?)
No, I'm just worried that the mouse might get sick from it.
*(Don't worry, it just tastes bad. As long as it doesn't have mold or anything like that on it, it should be safe—if unpleasant—to eat.)
Oh, good!
I touch the SAVE star.
*(Knowing that the mouse's health is secure fills you with determination.)
Down the hallway to the next room, I see a familiar ghost not sleeping on a pile of leaves.
"zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz…"
"zzzzzzzzzzzzzz…"
"zzzzzzzzzz…"
"(Are they gone yet?)"
"zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz…"
*(This ghost keeps saying 'z' out loud repeatedly, pretending to sleep.)
I could easily walk around him. I could probably also walk through him, being incorporeal and everything.
*(We need to make friends.)
I guess. Okay, into battle we go. To the mattresses!
*(…)
Get it? Cause we're going into battle, and he's pretending to be asle—
*(I get it, Frisk; it just wasn't funny.)
Party-pooper.
I try moving the ghost by force, and the FIGHT begins.
*(Here comes Napstablook.)
ACT→Napstablook→Check
*(NAPSTABLOOK - ATK 10 DEF 10)
*(This monster doesn't seem to have a sense of humor…)
"Oh, I'm REAL funny."
*(Oh yeah, he can hear me even without a body.)
Is that because you're both kind of ghosts?
*(I guess.)
It's a good thing he can. Last time around, it was a huge relief to know I wasn't just imagining your voice, or if I was, then at least someone else down here was crazy too.
I dodge Napstablook's tears.
Do all ghosts cry acid, or is it just Napstablook?
*(I think he and a few others did when I was around, but there weren't as many crying monsters back then…)
I know where this is going.
Sweetie, we talked about this. That wasn't your fault. You had far too much pressure and responsibility imposed on you at such a young age. No child could fulfill such high expectations as freeing an entire race.
*(You did.)
Yeah, but I had help. ^.^
*(Aww.)
Sans had my back the whole time! ; )
*(Heh, shut up, you dork.)
"Uh, hey."
I realized that I had forgotten about the fight while I was talking (thinking?) with Chara.
"If you two are having a moment, I can go…"
"Oh, sorry, Blooky, I didn't mean to get distracted like that. We're done now, if you want to continue."
"That's okay; I wasn't really feeling up to fighting right now anyway."
"Oh, okay."
"I usually come to the RUINS because there's nobody around, but today I met somebody nice… Oh, I'm rambling again. I'll get out of your way."
Nabstablook vanishes, and the partially obstructed way forward clears. I carefully step through my noble birch allies and turn left at the crossroads.
*(Shouldn't we buy a donut? I know you don't want to eat it, but Muffet might not end your FIGHT with her if she doesn't see you have one.)
Yeah, but with how the monsters have been avoiding us, I haven't collected enough gold to buy anything. I'll ask Toriel to lend me two gold later if it's needed.
The next room is another hallway with a sign and three froggits.
Last time, I was too afraid of these things to talk to them, so I just walked around them. I wonder if they have anything to say.
*(If not, then they'll FIGHT us, and we can get the last two gold we need.)
Ignoring the ad sign for the bake sale, I walk to the first froggit. He doesn't FIGHT me, but he does have something interesting to say.
"Ribbit, ribbit."
…or at least I hope it's something interesting. I can't understand him myself.
Chara? Translation?
*(My Frogese is a little rusty, but I'll try.)
*(Sigh… My friend never listens to me. Whenever I talk, they skip through my words by pressing [X].)
I think we found the madman that wrote that sign at the beginning of the RUINS.
"Pressing [X]?"
"Ribbit, ribbit."
*(That's right... Pressing [X]... ...Well, at least you listen to me.)
"Believe me, buddy, I know what it's like for no one to listen to anything you say, though I suppose you can't understand me either. The universal monster translator I call a girlfriend only goes one way."
*(I'm going to punch you so hard when I get a body again!)
Worth it.
The first froggit seems a little happier now. I smile and go to the next froggit.
"Ribbit, ribbit."
*(I heard using "F4" can make you have a "full screen." But what does "F4" stand for? "Four frogs"? I have only seen a maximum of three frogs in this room…)"
I think the crazy froggit was the one that told him that. That's probably why no one listens to him.
*(He's right though. There is an ant-sized froggit in the wall back there.)
"Ribbit."
*(This is troubling, to say the least.)
I leave the second froggit to ponder the mysteries of a madman's (madfroggit's?) musing, and go to the final normal-sized froggit in the room.
"Ribbit."
*(I have heard you are quite merciful, for a human…)
Quite the backhanded compliment…
*(I think he was actually trying to be nice. He's just not very good at it.)
I know; I won't hold it against him.
*(You don't even hold people trying to kill you against them.)
True.
"Ribbit, ribbit."
*(Surely you know by now a monster wears a YELLOW name when you can SPARE it.)
No, it actually took me until Waterfall the first time to realize that. I really wish this information wasn't given exclusively by things that were trying to kill me ten minutes ago.
"Ribbit."
*(What do you think of that?)
I just give the Froggit a thumbs up, as the last time I tried to speak Frogese, I ended up insulting a froggit's mother, face, and taste in music.
"Ribbit, ribbit."
*(It is rather helpful. Remember, sparing is just saying you won't fight. Maybe one day, you'll have to do it even if their name isn't yellow.)
On my way out of the room, Toriel calls.
"Hello? I just realized that it has been a while since I have cleaned up. I was not expecting to have company so soon. There are probably a lot of things lying about here and there. You can pick them up, but do not carry more than you need. Someday, you might see something you really like. You will want to leave room in your pockets for that."
"Don't worry; I have surprisingly deep and spacious pockets."
I hang up and enter the next room. It is a large room with six evenly spaced cracked spots on the floor. I step on the closest crack on the right and fall through the floor. I find a ribbon on the floor and pick it up.
*(You found a Faded Ribbon. Was that here last time?)
I don't know, we only went into the first two holes on the left last time. Does this do anything?
*(It will help protect you from harm if you wear it.)
How does that work?
*(If you're cuter, monsters won't hit you as hard.)
Right… I'll pass.
I leave the item in my inventory and head towards the hole in the wall that leads back up. On my way there, a mygosp and vegetoid attack.
*(Vegetoid came out of the earth!)
Act→Check→Vegetoid
*(VEGETOID - ATK 6 DEF 6)
*(Serving Size: 1 Monster)
*(Not monitored by the USDA.)
"Farmed Locally, Very Locally"
"HEED THE SWARM"
Migosp really likes the Zerg.
I dodge most of their attacks, but I get hit once and take a little damage.
*(Sloppy.)
I'm just not used to using this tiny body again yet.
*(Excuses.)
*(Vegetoid cackles softly.)
Act→Vegetoid→Talk
"Plants can't talk, dummy."
"FILTHY SINGLE MINDER…"
Tell that to Flowey. Oh, wait, you can't, because plants can't talk!
This time, I manage to avoid all of their attacks, though there were a few close calls.
*(Migosp is knitting its brow.)
Act→Vegetoid→Dinner
*(You pat your stomach. Vegetoid offers a healthy meal.)
"Eat your greens."
"OBEY THE OVERMIND!"
Wait, do they have StarCraft in the Underground?
*(Considering how old that game is, it wouldn't surprise me if at least one copy ended up down here.)
I touch a green attack that heals me slightly while avoiding the rest.
*(Vegetoid is here for your health.)
MERCY→Spare
The vegetoid exits the battle. The migosp seems more passive after this. Instead of attacking me on the next turn, it simply does a little dance.
*(Migosp doesn't have a care in the world.)
ACT→Migosp→Check
*(MIGOSP - ATK 7 DEF 5)
*(It seems evil, but it's just with the wrong crowd…)
That vegetoid was a really bad influence.
"Swing your arms, baby."
I spare the migosp once it finishes dancing again and the FIGHT ends.
*(YOU WON!)
*(You earned 0 XP and 6 gold.)
I guess we won't need to borrow that gold from Toriel after all.
After exiting the hole, I move to the second cracked spot on the right and fall in. At the bottom, Napstablook is lying on the floor.
"I fell down a hole. Now I can't get up. Go on without me."
"How did you fall down a hole? Can't you fly?"
"Oh… right… oh well…"
Napstablook disappears once he realizes he was never trapped to begin with.
I'm surprised a ghost even has any concept of being trapped. There are literally no bounds for them. Well, other than the barrier.
*(Frisk, before you jump into any more holes, you should probably find a SAVE point. There might not be an exit at the bottom of all of these holes.)
I know, I just knew those two had exits because their exits connect to the other two we fell in the first time around. I'll avoid the last two holes.
Back up top, I step on the second cracked floor to the left, as the first hole to the left just had a vegetoid in it last time. At the bottom of this hole is a switch which I then pull. I hear the spikes in the room above go down and exit the pit. The way forward is clear, and I march onward.
While solving the annoying switch puzzle in the next room, I run into a loox.
*(Loox drew near!)
ACT→Loox→Check
*(LOOX - ATK 6 DEF 6)
*(Don't pick on him. Family name: Eyewalker.)
Loox Eyewalker? Someone's certainly a Star Wars fan.
"Please don't pick on me."
After dodging the loox's attacks, I don't pick on it, because I'm not an idiot and can take a hint.
"Finally, someone gets it."
With more dodging, I'm now able to spare the loox.
*(YOU WON!)
*(You earned 0 XP and 5 gold.)
I finish the switch puzzle and move to the next area. It appears to be a hallway with a three‑way intersection in the middle, one path going strait, the other going left. There's a small patch of vines on the floor ahead of me, another patch of vines on the strait path after the intersection, and a pile of leaves in the shape of a cross on the left path. I decide to go forward to talk to the froggit I remember is up ahead.
"Ribbit, ribbit."
*(Just between you and me, I saw TORIEL come out of here just a little while ago. She was carrying some groceries. I didn't ask what they were for; we're all too intimidated to talk to her.)
Why do you suppose the froggits in the RUINS don't speak English? All the other monsters appear to be able to, even the final froggits.
*(They're probably incapable of speaking in such a manner.)
Through the archway next to the froggit, there's a balcony overlooking a large portion of the RUINS. The buildings are in remarkably good condition.
*(Whoever built these ruins obviously built them to last.)
Didn't the monsters build the RUINS?
*(No, the RUINS were already there when the monsters first went underground; they just founded a city in it. They weren't sure what this place was originally called, but Dad named it the RUINS.)
Figures that he named this place…
*(He named the city itself "Home", so yeah, he's never been good with names.)
I pick up the nearby toy knife and go back to the intersection. I take the path with the pile of overused jokes and end up in a room with a large, seemingly dead tree. Toriel is on the other side of the tree, apparently just back from putting the pie in the oven.
It's strange that we only got here at just the moment that she finished baking again.
"Oh dear, that took longer than I thought it would."
Toriel walks past the tree just as she's calling me on her CELLPHONE. When my phone rings, she looks up and notices me standing there. I wave at her.
"How did you get here, my child? Are you hurt?"
She inspects me to see if I'm wounded.
"Not a scratch… Impressive! But still, I should not have left you alone for so long.
It was irresponsible to try to surprise you like this. Err… Well, I suppose I cannot hide it any longer. Come, small one!"
She walks to her house. Before I go inside, I finish my empire by annexing the last of the leaves under my rule. This is truly a glorious day!
*(Subjugating all the leaves in the RUINS into your kingdom fills you with determination.)
I follow Toriel inside after saving.
"Do you smell that? Surprise! It is a butterscotch-cinnamon pie."
*(ButtsPie!)
You're such a child.
*(I'm not the one that still sleeps with his stuff toy animal.)
I don't sleep with him! Monkey just sits on the nightstand.
*(Sure he does.)
What? Are you jealous? *wink*
*(Yes, I'm jealous of an inanimate object from your childhood. That's exactly what's going on.)
Aw, don't worry, he just likes to watch.
*(You're such a perv, Frisk.)
You know you love it!
"I thought we might celebrate your arrival. I want you to have a nice time living here, so I will hold off on snail pie for tonight. Here, I have another surprise for you."
Toriel leads me down a hallway to the right. She stops at the first door on the left.
"This is it, a room of your own. I hope you like it!"
She pats my head for a few seconds before her face scrunches up, smelling the air.
"Is something burning…? Um, make yourself at home!"
I wonder how her stove works. I doubt it's powered by her own fire magic if she can accidentally leave it on and not remotely turn it off.
*(Maybe she can, but she still wanted to get it out of the oven faster?)
That's another thing; how does a magic pie burn? What's it made out of? Real ingredients would've expired ages ago down here, so it must be made out of magic. Do you really need to combine magic eggs, magic flour, and magic milk in an oven with heat to make a magic pie? Where do magic ingredients come from? Do they have magic chickens and magic cows down here? Why is it they can make magic ingredients but not the actual pie directly? Who runs a store that sells those ingredients down here? Argh! I'm getting a headache.
Shaking my head, I head into the room Toriel gave me. It's a small room with a large rug in the middle of the floor. There's a lamp on a table in the far left corner, a picture of a flower on the wall, a box of kid's shoes next to a shelf, a cabinet or wardrobe of some sort on the center of the far wall, a toy box, a bed, and a floor lamp in the far right. I take a closer look at the toy box in front of the bed.
*(Look at these cool toys! They don't interest you at all.)
Wait, one of them does.
I reach inside the toy box and grab one object in particular.
*(Hm? What are you going to do with that?)
Payback for Sans.
*(Ooo. I like that idea.)
I notice a picture frame on the shelf and take a closer look. Unfortunately, unlike Asgore's picture frame, this one doesn't have a photo of Chara's family.
*(It's an empty photo frame. It's really dusty…)
Chara, are you okay?
*(Yeah, I'm fine…)
I don't buy that for a second.
She's just afraid of facing her past. She only removed the picture to help her hide from it. Besides, she comes around eventually.
*(I know; it just stinks that things got like this with them.)
The "because of me" added to the end of that couldn't be any clearer if she said it directly. There's no use trying to convince her otherwise right now; she knows it isn't really her fault her parents separated, but she still feels like it is.
Is there anything I can do?
*(Can I just have some time to think by myself?)
I'm saddened by this, but there's not much more I can do for her. Sleeping is the only time Chara and I can completely block out each other's "verbal" thoughts, at least until she gets her own body. For now, this will have to do.
Okay. I hope you feel better, sweetie.
*(Sweet dreams, Frisk.)
I climb onto the bed and go to sleep.
How'd you like that extremely misleading chapter preview quote? The others will probably be more serious, but it was too good of an opportunity to take it out of context here.