Chapter 3: Toriel

Battle Music: 'Heartache'

As Kopi walked back into the room, they noticed Frisk walking in, rubbing the sleep out of their eyes.

"Ah, up already I see." Toriel smiled. "Um, I want you to know how glad I am to have someone here. There are so many old books I want to share, I want to show you my favourite bug-hunting spot, I've also prepared a curriculum for your education. This may come as a surprise to you but...I have always wanted to be a teacher."

Both Kopi and Frisk smiled at that, it was nice to know a bit more about Toriel...but it also made them think about their own aspirations, which made them slightly sad.

"Actually, perhaps that isn't very surprising." She thought aloud. "STILL. I am glad to have you living here."

There was a comfortable silence...or so it seemed, until Frisk nervously spoke up. "Um...mom?"

"Oh, did you want something? What is it?" Toriel asked, making Kopi fold forward.

Frisk looked unsure whether to ask their question or not, and swallowed a lump in their throat before speaking. "Wh...When can I go home?"

"What?" Toriel asked in surprise, whilst Kopi just folded back normally. "This...this IS your home now."

"Huh?" The human asked, confused.

"Um...would you like to hear about this book I am reading?" She tried to change the subject. "It is called '72 Uses for Snails'. How about it?"

"Uh..." Frisk looked uncomfortable.

Before they could answer, Toriel began reading. "Here is an interesting snail fact, did you know that snails sometimes flip their digestive systems as they mature? Isn't that interesting?"

"Yeah..." Frisk practically whispered.

"Toriel." Kopi interrupted the awkward conversation. "Is there any way to leave The Ruins?"

Toriel paused, and looked at Frisk, who had a half relieved, half nervous expression. "...I have to do something. Both of you stay here." She then hurriedly left the room.

Upon which, Frisk breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks, Kopi."

"It was obvious that was what you were trying to ask." Kopi sighed. "So, you want to go home?"

A sense of hesitation, but then Frisk responded. "Yes...and you want to see if you can find your memories, right?"

"That's the plan." The thinny nodded. "It is nice here...but, we can't get anywhere if we stay."

Frisk nodded. "C'mon, we have to follow her!" They then hurried off.

"Hey! When did you lead?" Kopi called after them before hurrying to catch up.

The duo ran down the stairs in the middle of Toriel's house, coming into a long purple stone wall corridor, where the kind monster could be seen.

"Toriel!" Kopi called after her, making her turn towards the two of them.

"...Frisk. You wish to know how to return 'home' do you not?" She asked.

"Yes." They stated.

"And Kopi, you need to search for clues to your memories, yes?"

"I have to."

She sighed. "Ahead of us lies the end of The Ruins. A one-way exit to the rest of the Underground. I am going to destroy it."

"What!?" Both of them gasped.

"No one will ever be able to leave again." She continued. "Now be good and go upstairs." She then continued forward.

"Wait! Don't!" Frisk called out to them, before they went after her. "If our only chance to leave is gone, then we won't be able to help each other, Kopi!"

"Help each other?" They echoed. 'When did they start worrying about my problems?'

"Of course!" The human looked at them. "Your my friend. Friends help each other."

Kopi stared at them in surprise, but smiled soon afterwards. "Thanks, Frisk."

As they ran behind Toriel, they heard her talking. "Every human that falls down here meets the same fate. I have seen it again and again. They come. They leave. They die."

Kopi and Frisk slowed their paces at that last second, and looked at each other as Toriel continued to speak. "You naive child...If you leave The Ruins...they...Asgore...will kill you." It wasn't unnoticed by the two how she spat the name with such...bitterness. "I am only protecting you, do you understand?...Go to your room."

They continued to follow her, and when they reached a right angle turn, she spoke again. "Do not try to stop me. This is your final warning."

They continued to follow.

And finally, they reached a large set of doors with some strange markings on them...the same markings that were on Toriel's dress.

"You want to leave so badly?" She asked.

Frisk looked down guiltily, and Kopi patted them on the shoulder assuringly, making the human look up with determination. "Yes...we do."

"Hmph. You are just like the others. I was a fool to think another monster could talk you out of it." Kopi winced, knowing that was directed at them. "There is only one solution to this. Prove yourself...prove to me you are strong enough to survive."

Kopi's eyes widened in realisation. "Hold on...Toriel, you don't mean...?"

She turned towards the two of them, and Frisk's red heart-shaped Soul appeared, indicating what the both of them feared.

"Oh no..." Frisk whispered.

Toriel held her hands out, as two fireballs appeared in her palms, which she tossed at the two of them.

"Look out!" Kopi cried before flattening themselves against the ground, whilst Frisk hit the deck. Kopi folded their head up. "Toriel! You can't be serious about this!"

A ring of fireballs curving behind her head was all the answer Kopi needed before they were launched rapid fire. The flat monster quickly hopped back and spun 90 degrees so that they were just a thin line to the goat like monster, the fireballs passing by them harmlessly, whilst Frisk rolled out of the way, making their Soul fly around to avoid them.

"Please, stop!" Frisk begged. "Maybe...maybe..." They looked like they were trying to think of something to say. But Toriel quickly launched more fireballs.

"Frisk!" Kopi stretched their arms to their full length and grabbed Frisk before pulling the human over to them, narrowly avoiding the fireballs. "She's deadly serious about this...if we need to get past her, we need to try and-"

"Wait!" Frisk stopped them. "Don't fight! Let me just try and talk to her. Please, Kopi!"

Kopi looked at Frisk, then at Toriel, who was creating more fireballs. "...Okay, we'll keep this up as long as we can!" The both of them then jumped in opposite directions to avoid a particularly large fireball.

"Uh...um..." Frisk still looked like they were trying to think of something.

"Any time now, Frisk!" Kopi coaxed before curling up into a cylinder to roll away from a stream of fireballs.

Toriel crossed and uncrossed her arms, sending two seeping waves of fireballs at the two of them. Frisk's Soul glowed and they were lifted up by the heart alone to avoid it, whilst Kopi jumped up high and flapped their arms to stay aloft.

"I...I can't think of anything!" Frisk admitted.

"Well then, what do we do?" Kopi said.

More fireballs were launched up at them, and they quickly dropped to the ground, only to face another wave of them. "Ah!" Thinking quickly, Frisk grabbed Kopi. "Sorry about this!"

"H-Hey! What are you doing!?" Kopi panicked as Frisk waved them up and down, fanning away the fireballs before they could hit them. "L-Little bit of warning next time!"

"Sorryyyyy." They apologised again.

"So...any other ideas?" Kopi asked, still facing the battle ready Toriel.

"...I do." Just then, a black slab floated in front of Frisk, with the word 'MERCY' on it, with their soul hovering over it.

"Isn't that...what you used on some of those monsters?" Kopi asked.

Frisk nodded. "My MERCY button...I use it to show...um...I guess what it says."

"A manifestation of mercy...your really something, Frisk." Kopi chuckled.

Frisk placed their palm over the button, making a warm light briefly flood the room. Toriel remained silent.

"I'll keep doing this, until you talk to us!" Frisk declared.

"I'm up for that." Kopi decided.

So the two of them continued to dodge wave after wave of fireballs, as Frisk continued to use their MERCY button, sending out pulse after pulse of gentle light, a plea of kindness with every press.

"What are you doing?" Toriel finally asked, making the two of them look at her.

'She said something...it must be working!' Kopi thought. 'In that case...I have to let Frisk use their MERCY button more!'

They jumped up and quickly folded themselves into an airplane, before looping around Toriel's head, making her redirect her fireballs towards him as Frisk pressed the MERCY button again.

"Attack or run away!" Toriel told them as she launched fireballs at the both of them, making Kopi unfold back to normal as Frisk jumped out of the way, once again dodging the attack. "What are you proving this way?"

Kopi panted heavily after the strain of flying around. "I don't know how much longer we can do this..."

"We have to!" Frisk said.

They braced themselves as more fireballs were laubched towards them, but stopped as they flew way off their targets, hitting the wall behind them instead.

"Toriel..." Kopi whispered as Frisk used the MERCY button again.

"Fight me or leave!" She said that, but her attacks were clearly deviating from their intended targets, leaving Frisk safe to continue using MERCY. "I know you want to go home, but...but please, go upstairs now."

The 'battle' had slowed to a halt, neither side doing anything, except for Frisk, who continued to fill the room with pulses of warm light.

"I promise, I will take good care of you here." She tried to convince them, but to no avail. "I know we do not have much but...we can have a good life here." Her eyes turned down sadly. "Why are you making this so difficult? Please, go upstairs."

Kopi and Frisk looked at each other sadly, but Frisk continued to show MERCY. "...Ha ha..." They both looked up at her. "Pathetic, is it not? I cannot save even a single child."

"Toriel..." "Mom..." The pair sighed, as the MERCY button disappeared.

"No, I understand. You would just be unhappy trapped down here." She spoke. "The Ruins are very small once you get used to them. It would not be right for you to grow up in a place like this."

"My expectations, my loneliness, my fear...for you, my child, I will put them aside."

And with that it was over. Frisk's soul returned to the safety of their self, as the heavy air lifted.

"If you truly wish to leave The Ruins...I will not stop you." Toriel said. "However, when you leave...please do not come back. I hope you understand."

Frisk sniffed sadly, before walking over to her, and the two of them hugging. For a moment, Kopi just stood there awkwardly, but then, the human and the mother gestured them in, and it became a group hug.

For Kopi, it felt warm...it felt kind...and that's what made it so heartbreaking.

They wanted to stay like that forever, but all too soon, they had to let go. "Goodbye...my children." She said, as she slowly walked away.

Kopi clutched their chest as they felt a deep, deep sadness they couldn't describe watching her walk away...it was too painful.

"Kopi..." Frisk sobbed.

"I know, Frisk...I know." The thin monster huffed.

"...Are you ready?" The human asked.

"...Yeah...let's go."

The two of them walked through the doors, then down a long hallway, giving them time to think about everything so far...what was to come...what they were leaving behind.

They soon came into a little room, where a flower with a face was planted in the center.

"Flowey..." Frisk said, hesitantly.

"Your Flowey?" Kopi asked.

"Nice to meet you too, paperscrap." Flowey chuckled. "Clever. Verrrrrrrry clever. You think your real smart, don't you? In this world, it's kill or be killed. So you were able to play by your own rules." His face distorted into a more creepy look. "You spared the life of a single person. Hee hee hee...I bet you feel really great."

"I do!" Frisk shouted. "I won't follow a rule like that!"

"The heck is your problem, weed?" Kopi muttered.

"Oh, you have NO idea. And don't think you can pull the strings amnesia monster." Flowey mocked them. "You didn't kill anybody this time. But what will you do if you meet a relentless killer? You'll die and you'll die and you'll die...until your tire of trying. What will you do then? Will you kill out of frustration? Or will you give up entirely on this world...and let ME inherit the power to control it?"

"Power to control it? What are you talking about!?" Kopi demanded.

"Trust me, its none of your business." Flowey dismissed them. "I am the prince of this worlds future. Don't worry, my little monarch, my plan isn't regicide. This is SO much more interesting!" Flowey's face morphed into a laughing demonic smile, before he plopped back into the ground.

"What a creepy plant..." Kopi said. "What the heck was he talking about? Frisk?"

The human seemed in thought for a moment, but quickly snapped out of it. "I-I don't know...hey, Kopi, look."

The two of them walked towards a giant set of ancient looking doors, standing both triumphantly and menacingly in front of them.

"...Ready?" Frisk asked.

"Uh-huh." Kopi nodded.

The two of them then pushed with all their might, and the door slowky opened, blinding them as light filled the room.

And then...it stopped.

It stuttered, stammered, glitched, everything jarred.

Then it was black.

Then Kopi woke up.

On a patch of buttercups.

"...What?" He sat up and looked around, noticing he was in a very familiar place. "Is this...am I...why am I...?" He looked behind him, and saw a familiar figure. "Italic?"

The figure stood there, and whilst his scribbled on face gave no emotion, his top hat had a look of dread.

"Copi...what are you doing here?" He asked, gravely.

NEW CHAPTER! Ohhhhh sorry this took so long! But know that I am so pumped to continue writing!

First thing, thank you to everybody who has reviewed so far, your all awesome. Secondly, no, that last sentence was not a name misspelling, it'll become more relevant later on. Thirdly, that battle music at the beginning is just there in certain chapters to let you know what music you should listen to when reading it. Y'know, for added effect.

Fourthly...you may notice the new cover page. It's our protagonist, Kopi/Copi! Yeah...um...the thing is...he...was actually drawn by...myself.

Yes, I really love Undertale, and I was so motivated I decided to draw my OC, and then use it as a cover page. Yes, its pencil, yes, it counts as linework, yes, it probably sucks, sorry about all that. I, um...hope it at leadt gives you a better picture, though? If you want a larger version, check out Shroob509, my Deviantart account, for the big deal.

ANYWAY. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Thank you so much for reading, and I shall see you next time!