Brightclaw237: Here there everybody, here is chapter one of A Soul's True Power. This chapter is in Frisk's point of view, it won't focus on Shade that much until the end. I only own the angel-hounds.
My eyes slowly open up as I wake up. I soon see Shade underneath me, her eyes are closed. "Shade?" I ask, slowly shaking my friend. I become scared when she doesn't respond right away. I keep trying for about five minutes until she finally barks something.
"…You okay…Frisk?" Shade weakly barks, smiling at me.
"Yes, but what about you?!" I exclaim. "You were the one to hit the ground!" I cry, tears forming in my eyes.
"Frisk, please don't cry." Shade barks, wiping away my tears with the tip of her tail. "I'm fine, my shoulder may be slightly bruised is all. It'll take a lot more than just a fall like that to kill me." She barks. My eyes still well up with more tears that cascade down the sides of my face. "…Frisk, what's wrong?" Shade asks.
"Shade, you were right! We should have never have come here!" I cry, burying my face into her fur. "If I hadn't wanted to try to find the entrance to this place, you wouldn't have gotten hurt!" I cry as my friend's fur is soaked by my tears.
Shade frowns at me, rubbing her paw against my back in a soothing manner. "Take it easy, Frisk. None of this is your fault at all." She barks. I pull away from Shade as she looks me in the eye. "It couldn't be helped that you fell down here. I could have just left you to die, but I didn't." Shade barks.
"You could have? Then why did you save me?" I ask.
"I didn't want to lose the only other friend I had. I don't exactly fit in that much back home in my world." Shade barks.
"Why don't you fit in there?" I ask.
Shade looks at me for a moment. "Well, we have some time to talk, so I'll tell you a bit about the world of fossils and warriors." She barks. "Back at home, fighting is a bit of a sport. Nothing brutal of course, but I am not one to fight back." Shade barks. "You don't like fighting either, right?" Shade asks me.
"Yeah, that's why I had you promise never to hurt anyone no matter what." I say.
"Yeah, and that is a small challenge when you're an angel-hound." Shade barks.
"What do you mean, Shade?" I ask.
"Like I told you a bit ago, angel-hounds have special powers. Those powers are to protect their partners." Shade explains. "Instinctively, when an angel-hound's partner is in danger, the angel-hound would do almost whatever it takes to defend said partner." She barks.
"Almost whatever it takes?" I ask, confused by what Shade said.
Shade soon lets out a sigh. "It is physically and emotionally impossible for an angel-hound to kill anything. Yet an angel-hound would fight to its dying breath just to save their partner." She barks.
"Shade, are you saying that…" I ask, tears forming in my eyes. Shade gently wipes away the new tears with her right paw.
"Yeah, I would give my own life to save your's, Frisk." Shade barks. "You are like a little sister to me, and I already have a little brother back in my old world. So I would do whatever it takes to save your life, Frisk." She barks.
"Why would you do that though? If you still have your real family, why save me at all and not stay with them?" I ask. "Don't you care about your family at all, Shade?" I ask.
Shade lets out a saddened sigh. "Yes, I miss them all very much, Frisk. I miss my big sister and my little brother, as well as my mom and dad." She barks. "I know that they miss me too, but they know why I am doing this. My sister and brother have their own partners to protect as well." Shade barks.
"How do you know that?" I ask.
"Thanks to my powers, and my special charm." Shade barks, holding her necklace. At the end of the necklace is a moon-shaped locket. "This locket is very useful to me in many ways. It can act as a type of inter-dimensional cellphone." She barks. I give Shade a confused look, and her ears fold back in embarrassment. "Right, you are still too young to understand what that means. I can use my necklace to talk to my family from another world." She explains.
"Oh, but can you actually see them?" I ask.
"Yeah, I talk to my family whenever I can. Mostly to my big sister and little brother." Shade barks.
"Why mostly them?" I ask.
"Well my parents always know how I'm doing because of the locket, and they would never forget me so easily. My little brother is a different matter though." Shade sighs. "Sol was very young when I left, so I always call him every week to let him know that I will always care about him. Angel keeps supporting me no matter what, that's what big sisters are for." She barks, smiling when she mentions her sister. "Though I was worried for a time." Shade barks.
"What happened to make you worry, Shade?" I ask.
"One day, Angel and Sol disappeared. As well as my sister's partner, I couldn't sleep well for weeks until I knew that they were okay." Shade barks. "My mom kept telling me not to worry, but I couldn't help but do that." She sighs.
"Wait, was that the reason why you kept pacing and whining around the house eight years ago?" I ask.
"Yeah, it's a nervous habit when I worry for my friends and family. Dad told me that mom did it all the time when a friend of her's was hurt real bad." Shade barks. "Said that she wouldn't sleep until she knew for sure that everything was okay." She barks. "Well, I guess that I kinda took on the same trait as her." Shade laughs. We stay silent for a moment or two before Shade finally speaks again. "So, do you want to let me up, partner?" She barks.
I then realize that Shade is still on the ground and can't get up because of me. "Oh, sorry about that, Shade!" I exclaim in embarrassment as I get up.
"No problem at all Fri…OUCH!" Shade snarls in pain as soon as her front left paw touches the ground. She tries to place the paw down once more, but winces in pain as soon as pressure is added to the injured paw.
"Shade, did you break your paw?" I ask, worried for my friend. Shade has the ability to walk on her hind legs, but she usually walks on all fours. If her paw is broken, she may not be able to fly us out of this place.
"No, it isn't broken at all, but it is slightly twisted. I won't be able to carry you for awhile, Frisk." Shade barks. "It'll probably take a day or so, but I have a feeling that we can't go back the way we came." She barks, sounding worried about something. "Let's continue on a straight path, we may find someone that can help us." She barks.
I nod my head in agreement, knowing that Shade the better judgement. "Okay, but how are you going to walk with your injury?" I ask.
"I'd rather stay on all fours, Frisk. I don't want to stand out as a bipedal canine." Shade barks.
"Okay, I just am worried about you." I say.
"I know, but don't worry too much. You know how tough I am, nothing can break me that easily!" Shade smiles, limping with her left paw in the air.
Shade and I make our way to a small patch of grass in a large empty cavern. "Hello, is anyone there?" I ask, my voice echoing around the room. I almost feel scared, afraid that no one can hear me. That is until I hear a cheerful voice from in front of me. I look down and see a small buttercup with a face.
"Howdy, I'm Flowey. Flowey, the flower." Flowey says with a smile on 'his' face. "You two must be new to the underground." It says. Shade soon tenses up, glaring at the flower. Her fur stands on end, and her tail lashes from side to side. Shade winces in pain as she puts pressure on her injured paw, not wanting to show any weakness. I have never seen Shade act like this ever before. She pushes me away from the flower, baring her sharp teeth at it. "Whoa, what's with the little fluffy doggy barring its sharp teeth at me?" Flowey asks. "Don't you want to be friends?" It asks.
"Shade, knock it off! He just wants to help us!" I snap, lightly hitting the bridge of her muzzle. She immediately shakes her head in annoyance and rubs her sore muzzle with her uninjured paw after she sits down.
"I don't trust this guy, something isn't right about him." Shade growls, struggling to keep her claws sheathed. "Frisk, we need to leave." She growls.
"Oh, but I just want to be your friend." Flowey smiles. "Don't you want to be my friend, doggy?" It asks.
"Yeah right, I'd rather have Frisk put a collar on me and drag me along the ground by a leash! Also, the name's Shade, not 'doggy'!" Shade snaps. I soon begin to worry about her behavior. Shade has never been mean to anyone, not even the bullies that kick dirt and throw rocks at her. She has always been so calm and friendly. She even made a promise to me, not to harm anyone.
"Well Shade, down here us monsters share something called 'LOVE' through 'friendliness pellets'." Flowey smiles, yet the way he says love sends a shiver down my spine. White bullet shaped objects form above Flowey. Shade notices this, and stands in front of me once more.
"With how you said LOVE, we don't want any! I trust my instincts, and I can see past that façade of your's, weed!" Shade snarls.
"Oh, what about you, kid?" Flowey smiles as the pellets fly straight at me. I try to move, but I am frozen in place. My eyes widen in shock as I see a red heart glowing in my chest. The pellets head straight for the heart. When one hits the heart, pain washes over my entire body. I let out a scream of pain as a burning sensation envelopes my body. Shade stands in front of me as the other pellets circle around me. "You idiot, how can anyone pass up an opportunity like this?" Flowey cackles, his voice becoming deep and unfriendly. I then realize that those pellets are his attack. "Down here, it's kill or be killed!" Flowey cackles, sending the rest of his attacks at me. "Should have listened to your pet, kid." Flowey snickers. His friendliness pellets form in a circle around me. Shade snarls at the white seeds and prepares to shield me from them. I brace for the attack, but it never comes. I look over to Flowey and see that he is confused. "Hey, what gives?!" He snaps.
A small fireball appears right next to Flowey and sends him flying out of the ground out of my vision. Shade relaxes once Flowey is gone, but I soon fall back on the ground, quaking with fear at what could have sent that evil flower away. Shade comforts me by resting her head on my lap. I pet her head, despite how much she dislikes the action. She doesn't stop me, knowing that this helps me. Shade perks up when she hears footsteps approaching us. "Oh my, what a terrible creature, harming a young child like you." A soft and kind voice says. The voice sounds as if it belongs to a woman, an almost motherly voice. I am still afraid, hugging Shade tightly. Yet Shade does not seem threatened by the new presence. A goat-like creature steps out of the shadows. She towers over Shade and I, probably being five or six feet tall. The goat-like creature is wearing a long purple robe with some sort of rune or crest symbol on the front. She is covered in white fur, with long floppy ears and small horns protruding from the top of her head. She has dark red eyes, with long eyelashes. "Greetings, I am Toriel, caretaker of the ruins." Toriel says, smiling at me. She reaches her hand…err paw out to me.
I still cower in fear, wishing that I had stayed home with my grandparents. I didn't think that the stories would be all that true about monsters being trapped under Mount Ebott. "You can trust her, Frisk." A soft voice whispers in my ear, which causes me to flinch. When Shade presses against me, I relax a bit and take Toriel's paw. "Good, now just follow mom." The voice whispers once more, calling Toriel mom.
I follow Toriel as she walks me through the ruins, Shade staying close to my side. She is still limping with her injured paw. Toriel notices Shade limping and stops walking forward. "Shade, may I see your paw?" She asks. Shade does not hesitate to show Toriel the injury. When Toriel places her paws over the injury, a soft green glow forms around her paws and flows into Shade's paw. "Now your paw should be completely healed." Toriel smiles as Shade places her paw on the ground.
"Thanks, can you also heal my shoulder as well, please?" Shade barks, showing a small gash over her shoulder.
"Shade, how did that happen to you?!" I gasp, shocked that Shade would hide her wound from me.
Shade looks away from me in shame. "Several moments before we hit the ground, my power gave out and my wings disappeared. Though we were closer to the ground, my shoulder took most of the brunt of the impact." Shade barks. "I didn't have enough energy to heal myself, and I didn't want to worry you, Frisk." Shade barks as Toriel heals Shade's shoulder.
"Just promise me that you will be more careful from now on, Shade." I say.
"I can't keep that promise, Frisk. You know too well that I can't." Shade barks.
"I know, but at least try." I sigh, and we continue to walk through the ruins.
A small white frog-like monster hops over to me. It doesn't seem to be mean, but it keeps its distance from me. My soul glows red in my chest as four buttons appear in front of me. [FIGHT] [ACT] [ITEM] [MERCY]. Shade looks at the buttons in confusion as I look to her for an answer. "What do I do, Shade?" I ask.
'Frisk, you must press the [ACT] button and compliment Froggit.' The voice says.
'Who are you?' I ask.
'I will tell you when we get home. You need to spare Froggit first.' The voice says.
"Okay!" I exclaim, pressing the [ACT] button. I then press compliment and try to think of one to give. "You look very lovely today, Froggit." I say, smiling at the small monster.
"Uh…thanks…I guess." Froggit looks at me confused, but blushes at the compliment. Shade looks at me and shrugs at my actions. "Uh-oh, not her!" Froggit gasps as Toriel turns around and glares at the monster. "Goodbye…human!" Froggit says as it hops away in fear.
'Why was that monster afraid of Toriel?' I think as I notice other monsters clearing a path as Toriel and I continue forward.
'Mom can be very scary if you make her angry, but she is very kind. So you won't have to worry, Frisk.' The voice says, as we walk across a floor of spikes.
"Puzzles seem to be a bit dangerous at the moment, so let's head home now." Toriel says. I nod my head yes, and Toriel smiles. "I just remembered, I must get a few things to prepare something. Here is a cellphone for you to stay in contact with me, but please wait here for the time being." Toriel says as he hands me a small yellow flip phone.
It is quite outdated compared to the phones back on the surface. Shade has a regular iPhone 6 with her, but she doesn't use it for calling that much. Mostly just to listen to music as she draws pictures. She says that it helps remind her of home a little more. "How long will you be gone?" Shade asks, concerned for our safety.
"Not very long, young ones." Toriel says as she exits the room.
I open up the cellphone and call Toriel. "Hello, this is Toriel. How may I help you?" She asks.
"May I call you…mom?" I ask.
Shade looks at me and sighs. "You would ask that, not knowing the feeling of having one around." She mutters, only worried about my feelings.
"Mom, would that make you feel better calling me your mother?" Toriel asks.
"Y-yes, it would help a bit." I say, wiping away the tears that have formed.
"Then you may call me mother, my child." Toriel says, and I end the call.
I walk into the next room, and I get a phone call. "My child, did you leave the room?" Toriel asks.
"Yes, but Shade is here to protect me, mom." I say, smiling at calling Toriel mother.
"Alright, but make sure not to hurt yourself, or anyone else for that matter." Toriel says as she ends the call.
After making our way through monsters, various puzzles involving switches and pitfalls, Shade and I finally reach a black tree with orange leaves around it. The voice that had been whispering in my mind has been quiet up to this point, but I can't figure out why. The entire way, I kept sparring the monsters, while Shade kept me safe from their attacks. Though Shade does not like fighting, she is always willing to put herself in harm's way to keep me safe. We soon meet up with Toriel, who is surprised to see us. "My child, are you okay?!" Toriel gasps, running to my side to inspect me for injuries.
"Yeah, Shade kept me safe while I made friends with the other monsters." I smile, hugging Toriel.
"Your pet?" Toriel asks, confused.
Shade frowns and growls at being called a pet. "I am not a pet, and I am most definitely not a monster either." She barks.
"She did not harm any of the others, did she?" Toriel asks.
"No, Shade would never hurt anyone. Shade only protects me, even if she is the one who gets hurt in the end." I explain. "It's because of Shade that I am even alive today. My grandparents told me how Shade drove off a pack of wild dogs that had tried to kill us." I say.
"Yeah, I really hurt myself that day. Had to stay off my back paw for three days since I twisted it in that fight." Shade laughs.
"Well then, let us go home. I have baked a butterscotch cinnamon pie for us." Toriel smiles, holding out her paw to me. I grab her paw and follow Toriel into her home. Shade follows behind me, and touches a strange gold star object. A box appears in front of me. I see the word SAVE and CANCEL. I press the SAVE button, and I feel stronger and more determined. In the back, I hear Shade mutter the words "fills her with DETERMINATION". I ignore her and follow Toriel into the house.
I follow Toriel into the house and she takes me to a small living room with a large chair by a fireplace, and a dining table sitting in the corner of the room. The table has room for about four people. I look up at Toriel as she hands me a book with a cat on the front of it. "Here my child, this is for you to read while I bake you and your friend that pie. I needed to gather a few more ingredients to bake a large enough pie." Toriel says as she heads off to what may be a kitchen.
I walk over to the fireplace and open the book. The voice from before comes back to talk to me, but now I can see the owner of the voice. I look up to see a girl around my age. She almost looks just like me, except she has light brown hair, rosy cheeks, and bright red eyes. Her clothing consists of a light green and yellow striped sweater and green pants. Around her neck is a golden heart-shaped locket. "So, what do you think of mom, Frisk?" She asks me.
"Are you the person who keeps talking inside my head?" I ask.
"Yeah, but you and your friend are the only ones that can see or hear me. My name is Chara by the way." Chara says.
"My name is Frisk." I say, holding out my hand. Chara frowns at me.
"Frisk, I'm a spirit, I can't really shake your hand." She says.
"Oh, sorry about that." I say, letting my hand fall back to my side. "So why do you call Toreil mom?" I ask.
Chara frowns again. "It's a very long story, Frisk. I'd rather not talk about it." She says, grabbing at the locket around her neck. Shade does the same whenever she gets nervous, says it helps to keep her calm.
"Okay, well I hope we can be friends." I say, smiling at Chara. I lie down on the floor, and Chara floats above me as I read the book. It is about a regular housecat that joins a bunch of wildcats after leaving its owner. I read for several minutes before looking up at a broken clock, wondering how long Shade has been outside.
Chara notices me spacing out and floats in front of my face. "Frisk, what's wrong?" She asks me.
"Why hasn't Shade come back? She usually stays by my side to protect me." I say.
"I have no idea, but can you tell me what she is. Shade doesn't seem like a monster, but she isn't a regular animal either." Chara says.
"Shade is something called an angel-hound." I say.
"An angel-hound, I have never heard of something like that before. Did they fight in the war alongside the monsters or humans?" Chara asks.
"No, Shade is the only angel-hound in this world. Shade said that she came from another universe entirely." I say.
"Another universe, is that even possible?" Chara asks.
"I don't know, but Shade has always protected me since the day we met. Well, more like since the day Shade saved my grandparents and I." I say.
"Your grandparents, what about your mother and father, Frisk?" Chara asks.
"They disappeared a few days before I turned one. It was several days after being taken in by my grandma and grandpa that Shade drove off a pack of wild dogs to save me." I explain.
"Why did Shade save you?" Chara asks.
"She saved me because it was part of her job to keep me safe." I smile, remembering what my grandpa told me the day Shade showed up. "He said that Shade showed up and drove off a pack of wild dogs with some strange power. Shade eventually told me that I helped her gain that power." I explain. "Things got better when Shade came into our lives. She makes me feel safe, even when things are very scary." I say. I slowly get up and head outside of the house. I see Shade on a rock surrounded by monsters. She is not in any danger though, because I hear her singing. Shade rarely sings in front of anyone apart from me as a lullaby. Even from the top of the steps, I can faintly hear Shade's voice. It is very calming and begins to lull me to sleep. I feel myself being picked up by Toriel as Shade continues to sing. Soon, everything turns black as sleep takes over.
Brightclaw237: Well, that was chapter one. Hope you enjoy Chara being a pacifist with Frisk. For those who want a genocide route in this fanfiction, there will not be one. There's a reason why I call my angel-hounds what they are, and they don't kill. I hope that this fanfiction will still get attention. Please read and review.
