Flowey: Do I really got to do this disclaimer again? I mean, they obviously know you don't own any of this...Sigh. Neither Undertale or Earthbound belong to this jerk. They belong to other jerks.
{Toby Fox and Shigesato Itoi}
crazy dragon ninja: Nice to know I'm doing somethign right! Hopefully that keeps being a thing.
Chapter 3: Some Splaining to do
LOAD?
…
{Yes}
…
You're filled with DETERMINATION.
I blink, the light of the room blinding, the gurgling of the water deafening, and the air choking. I stumble as my senses are assaulted. And-
And you can't see anymore, you feel a dud thud and you realized you're on the ground. You can't move your arms.
You heard laughter. Laughter that sends chills down your body, and you whimper. It comes out a gurgly mess.
And-
I stumble back, clutching my chest and trying to calm myself.
This doesn't go unnoticed, unfortunately.
"Frisk?"
Ninten's face looms in front of me, concerned.
"Hey, you okay?"
I nod, trying to back away. I needed spa-
"Don't lie to me," Ninten's voice was firmer.
I shake my head and try to think of an excuse to get to somewhere quieter, safer.
'I said don't li-'
-You're SOUL throbbed feebly, and you look up at the MONSTER looming above you.
"Ribbit"
And the Final Froggit leaps, and your body shatters-
Darkness falls.
Eyes blink in the shadows, and your body refuses to move, hypnotized by Astigmatism's glare.
"You dare defy me? Hehehe. Then take your last look!"
Astigmatism closes its eye and grins. Magic buzzes and-
Darkness falls.
"Hissssss!"
You can't breathe. You try to struggle. The snakes coil tighter. Tighter and tighter. And closer and closer to Parsnik's fangs.
"Hisssss!"
Darkness falls.
"Honk. HOOONK!"
Darkness falls-
-I jerk back, the psychic connection snapping. My body trembles and I can't stop gasping.
I got the better end of the deal.
Frisk was on the floor, curled up into a ball. They were quiet. No silent sobs, no muffled screams. No sound at all. The only reason I didn't panic was because I could still feel strands of their mind.
Barely, though. Frisk had closed themselves tighter than a prison. It would've taken effort to reconnect.
Not that I wanted to. Those images-
I force them away and start thinking furiously. I had to do something.
Toriel.
She'd know what to do. But-
I looked helplessly at Frisk. I couldn't leave them alone. Especially not with those monsters-
I came to a patented Ninten decision.
"Frisk, wait here. I'll get Toriel."
I make for the door. But before I do, I turn around and nod.
"Don't worry. Nothing's gonna hurt you anymore."
And I run out the door, and whirl around so I face the door. I thrust my hands out and concentrate.
Each fallen leaf in the room shuddered. Before flying into the air and coalescing. I faintly heard a startled "Ribbit!" but frankly couldn't care. The leaves swirled faster and faster. Until falling in front of the door, blocking it with a huge pile of leaves.
'Not the best barricade but hopefully it'll do.'
And with that, I turned around and started running as fast as I could. And then with a cross of my arms-
"4-D Slip!"
I don't know how long it is until I force myself to move. When I do, it's only sitting up. I look at my palms and frown. Angry red marks where my nails almost cut skin greeted me. And I feel the wetness of tears on my cheeks. I quickly wipe them away and start breathing. One breath. Two breaths.
I reach ten before I look around. That had been...Unpleasant.
Every SAVE. Every LOAD.
Every death.
I shuddered again and forced myself not to think about them anymore, pulling the collar of my sweater closer to my mouth.
That's when I noticed the lack of Ninten. At first, I panicked. And then I remembered where he had gone. I try to smile. Toriel would be nice right about now…
I tried to stop shaking and ball my hands into tight fists.
"Shh…"
I blink and look around. Nothing else was in the room. And for some reason, the doorway was buried under a huge wall of leaves.
"Hsh…"
There it was again. I narrow my eyes. I hadn't imagined it. And it was louder.
"Krr…!"
My eyes widened and I turned just in time to see something ooze out of the pile of leaves.
I back up as the slime pulls itself together.
It's a Moldessa. A confused looking Moldessa, with fallen leaves in its ears.
The Moldessa makes slime sounds, before suddenly noticing me. I brace myself-
And the world turns black and white, and with a familiar tug, your SOUL appears once more, shining with bright red light.
HP: 20
Check:Moldessa. Can't decide on a face. Can't see friend from foe. MAX HP 52. AT 27, DF 23.
The Moldessa still seems confused. You approach it slowly, encouraging it so switch its face. It tries to mimic a movie star. But it fails. The Moldessa makes a sad sound and you quickly dodge to the side to avoid the burst of magic it releases.
The entire Mold Family are known for throwing their magic around willy nilly. Guess that's what happens when you don't have a brain.
You manage to get into arms reach and start fixing Moldessa's face. It quivers but doesn't do anything else.
You stick your tongue out in concentration...There!
You step back and admire your work. Moldessa makes a curious sound. You motion towards the water.
Moldessa oozes their way towards the water to see their reflection. A moment later, they're making happy slurpy sounds. It seems happy with its new look.
Spare?
Yes.
Color floods back into the world, and I fall back onto the ground with a sigh. I don't think I'll ever get used to that.
There's a sudden splashy sound, and I open my eyes to see Moldessa hovering over me. It starts falling over me, and I cry out-
-As Moldessa places a mossy-blanket over me, gurgling happily. I smile and start to laugh. The Moldessa tries to laugh too.
That's when the pile of leaves exploded.
"They're over here, quick!"
"Slow down, my child-!"
I didn't slow down, funnily enough.
In fact, I kept running, leading Toriel to the room where I had left Frisk in. I had to hand it to her, she was quick on her feet. And quicker to react.
The pile of leaves came into focus and I let go of Toriel and ran forwards, parting my hands. The leaves followed suit violently, flying into the air and falling.
And letting me see Frisk being attacked by some sort of blue slime creature.
I reacted on instinct and threw out my arms.
"PK Pulse!"
PK Pulse was something I had created on my own, one of my only attack PSI. Just take a PK Flash and concentrate it, before watching the resulting explosion. I didn't use it often due to it's less than quick speed, but it'd work in a pinch.
The blast of turquoise light flew through the air and towards the creature. I kept a lid on the sparking orb, waiting for it to hit its target. The slime-thing jerked away from Frisk as the Pulse flew towards it.
And then everything went wrong as Frisk leapt in front of the slime, arms stretched out as if to protect it.
I widened my eyes and started to panic, trying to stop the Pulse. The Pulse wobbled and started to oscillate wildly. I closed my eyes and threw it towards the wall just as it exploded. I stumbled as the shockwave hit me. And a moment later Toriel shoved past me, running towards the cloud of dust and sending me to the ground.
I groaned. Looks like she was pretty strong…
I looked up and saw-
I saw Toriel cradling Frisk, the slime creature hovering to the side.
My stomach plummetted and I stood up shakily, cradling an arm.
"I-Is Frisk-?"
I was about to say OK. But the words were lodged in my throat as Toriel turned around.
Calling it a glare would've been an insult. Glares wished they could be the look of pure rage Toriel sent me. It hit me like a sledgehammer to the chest, and I stumbled back heart hammering.
A moment later Toriel looked away and back at the limp body of Frisk.
I...I…
I clenched my fists and whispered.
"4-D Slip…"
I woke up to Toriel hovering over me, her hands glowing green. There was dull throb in my head, and I groaned.
"My child!"
Can't...breath…
I tried to struggle against Toriel's embrace until I noticed her muffled sobs. I stopped struggling. And after a moment I leaned into the embrace and hugged her back.
We stayed that way for a while before Toriel sniffled and disengaged.
"Do not every worry me like that again!" Toriel scolded.
I nodded meekly. I doubt I could even if I wanted to.
That's when I noticed the lack of baseball caps.
"...Ninten…?"
Toriel blinks and for a moment her expression becomes unreadable. I tug on her sleeve.
"Mom…?"
Toriel sighs heavily and stands to her full height. She looked...sad.
I didn't like it when Toriel looked sad.
Toriel put her paws on her cheeks in worry.
"Oh dear. I fear I might have...Snapped at him."
I grasp Toriel's large paw with my own small hands and smile up at her. Toriel gives a small smile in return before her face creased in worry.
"I'm afraid I didn't see where he had gone. We must find him quickly."
There were some burbling sounds and they turned around to see the Moldessa approach them. I smiled at the Moldessa and asked if it was okay. You get a happy bloop in response before the Moldessa turned to Toriel.
"You know where he went?" Toriel asked. The Moldessa made a motion that looked like nodding if you squinted correctly, gurgling.
"Mhm. I see. Thank you," Toriel said with a bow. I quickly bowed too. The Moldessa gurgled and oozed away, leaving me and Toriel alone. You turn towards Toriel, awaiting her response. Toriel sighs.
"I'm afraid that it won't be so easy to find him."
"...?"
"Frisk, how much do you know about Ninten's capabilities?"
"PSI…?"
Toriel nods and I think for a moment.
"Lots."
Toriel nodded absentmindedly.
"Indeed. Well, did you know that he could teleport?"
I looked at Toriel in surprise, and she chuckled.
"I know. I was quite shocked as well when he suddenly appeared in the living room, yelling about you."
Toriel gave a worried glance.
"Are you sure you are fine? Please don't overdo it."
I shook my head and gave a big smile. Toriel's returning smile was smaller, but still there.
"Very well. We shall just have to search the RUINS for him."
You nod and take a big breath.
"Ninten!"
I walked through the RUINS silently. I didn't look up. I avoided anything that came too close. I-
"Grgh! Corncobs!" I yelled. The wall next to me exploded in sympathy. I was gasping for breath and thoughts and emotions swirled around in my head. The ground started to crack.
"ooohhh…"
I paused and turned my head. A ghost was hovering uncertainly nearby.
It had to be a ghost. It had the look and everything. The transparency, the hovering, the white bedsheet, the two terrified eyeholes-
I took a moment to calm myself down.
'1,2,3,4,5…'
Slowly I exhaled and I felt the pressure die down. Only then did I fully turn towards the ghost.
"H-Hey there!" I started. The ghost shrank back and I shot an arm out.
"Wait! I won't hurt you, I swear!"
Oh, a swear now? Where was that a couple minutes ago?
I ignored that little part of me and gave a patient smile. The ghost hovered there for a moment before speaking.
"...hello. I'm...Napstablook…"
I started to smile for real now.
"Well hello there, Napstablook!"
"ooohhh…"
I scrunched my eyebrows as Napstablook quivered for a moment.
"Uh, you okay there bud?"
"yes...I'm sorry…"
I raised an eyebrow before waving a hand.
"Sorry for what? Anyways, what's a ghost doing in a place like this?"
"oohhh...I was coming here to meet a friend…but they aren't here...maybe they don't want to talk to me anymore...ooohhh…"
I was alarmed to find tears at the corners of the ghosts eyes.
"Hey, don't be like that! I'm sure they still want to talk to you! Heck, I bet a lot of people want to talk to you!"
"ooohhh...nobody talks to me…."
Napstablook started to disappear.
"Hey, I'm talking to you, right? And I'm definitely not nobody!"
Napstablook paused.
"...maybe you shouldn't be talking to me...ooohhh…"
I narrowed my eyes.
"Nonsense. What's with the headphones?"
Smooth subject change Ninten.
"oh...i make music...sometimes…"
"So you're a DJ?" I asked excitedly.
"ooohhh...not a very good one-"
"You got any cassettes on you right now?" I interrupted.
"...cassettes?"
"Uh-huh! Like what you put in a walkman!"
"walkman…?"
Napstablook seemed confused. Which was better than sad at least.
"Yeah! Here, I'll show you."
I rooted in my pockets before finding what I was looking for.
"This is a walkman."
I handed the device to Napstablook.
The device fell through the ghost and hit the ground.
"ooohhh! i-i'm sorry-!"
"It's fine."
I levitated the walkman off the ground and smiled sardonically.
"It was already broken. I've tried to find people to fix it, but nobody could."
I looked sadly at the walkman.
"...i…"
"Hmm?"
"...I can try to fix it…"
Napstablook's voice was barely a whisper.
"Really!"
Mine wasn't.
I got right in Napstablook's face eagerly.
"Could you really fix it?"
"ooohhh…maybe...I can't promise-"
"Thank you!"
I gave the ghost a hug. My entire body felt like it was doused in ice cold jello, but I couldn't care less.
"ooohhh…!"
I let go of Napstablook and was rewarded by a squirming ghost with a slight blush.
"...I-I'll take the walkman with me home tonight…" Napstablook stuttered.
"Here you go!"
This time the walkman didn't fall to the ground, instead it disappearing into the ghost's body.
"I can't thank you enough."
"I haven't fixed it yet…"
"I have faith in you."
I flashed a thumbs up. Napstablook looked away with a ghostly blush.
"...why…?"
I tilted my head.
"why do you want it to be fixed...ooohhh...I'm sorry if that was-"
"It's fine."
I thought wistfully for a moment.
"It's just that that walkman is the only thing I have left from my-"
Take a melody…
"Ninten!"
Toriel and I had been scouring the RUINS for a long time now. And there was still no sign of him anywhere.
I was starting to get worried. As if sensing my worry, Toriel squeezed my hand and gave me a small smile.
"I'm sure he will be fine, my child."
I pursed my lips but nodded.
"...ooohhh…"
I paused. Toriel looked at me curiously.
"My child? What is it?"
"ooohhh...someone...help…"
I let go of Toriel's hand and ran towards the sound.
"Wait for me, my child!"
"someone...help…"
I ran into the next room- The Button Maze- and ran right into Napstablook.
"ooohhh...Frisk…"
"My child, please do not run away like that," Toriel scolded.
I asked Napstablook what was wrong. There were tears in the ghost's eyes.
"...ooohhh...Ninten…"
I traded a surprised glance with Toriel. Ninten was here?
"Napstablook, do you know Ninten?" Toriel asked gently.
"ooohhh...he was nice…"
I smiled.
"Where is he now, Napstablook?"
"ooohhh…"
There was a trace of worry in the ghost's tone.
"Napstablook?" Toriel repeated firmly.
Napstablook wilted under her gaze, and I patted him on the back.
"...we were talking...and suddenly he started to walk away without speaking...but...something seemed wrong…"
I bit the bottom of my lip.
"Wrong how?" Toriel asked.
"ooohhh...he seemed hypnotized...and then he fell through the trap in this room…"
"He did what?" Toriel gasped.
"ooohhh…! I tried to help him, but…"
I gave Napstablook a short hug before running to the blue button.
"Frisk!"
I turned towards Toriel.
She was biting the bottom of her lips and looking at me. I looked back imploringly.
Toriel sighed and smiled.
"Please, just be safe?"
I nodded and flashed a Ninten thumbs up. Toriel waved quietly.
I turned around and stared at the blue button. And then pressed it with a flourish. And the ground disappeared under me and I fell into the darkness.
…
Oof!
I picked myself up from the ground thankful for the leaves that cushioned my fall.
And then I found Ninten not too far from me.
"Ninten…!"
I ran up to him and started to shake him.
He didn't even make a sound. He was out cold, no matter how much I shook him.
"Ninten…?"
He was still alive, at least.
What should I-?
…
I narrowed my eyes and rolled up my sleeves. And then I lifted Ninten into my arms. Or tried to at least. I couldn't even get him off the ground. In the end, I just dragged him to the exit of the room.
"My child, are you-Oh!"
I grunted in relief as Toriel picked up Ninten, holding him in her arms.
"...We need to take him back home. Now."
I nodded.
"ooohhh...okay...he's okay right…?"
I bit the bottom of my lip and looked up at Toriel.
She smiled.
"He will be fine."
I smiled in relief and Napstablook sighed.
"good...ooohhh...tell him that I'll try to fix his walkman…"
And with that, Napstablook faded away.
"Come, my child."
I nodded and started to follow Toriel. But then I noticed-
"Oh? What is this in his hands?"
I pried, with some difficulty, whatever Ninten held tightly in his hand.
And it was a…
Pretty Hairband: An old pink hairband
"Ni...Can you hear me? Ni…?"
"Know your place, foolish human!"
*cflpuvpobbz*
"Ni…!"
I woke up with a startled scream, taking heaving breaths. My headache returned with a nasty vengeance and I hunched over, massaging my temples and closing my eyes.
That had been...unpleasant.
"Ah, you are awake."
I looked up to see Toriel by the doorway. I was back in the rosy room.
"Are you well? I had heard a scream, so I rushed over."
I mumbled something close to 'fine' and winced. Toriel was soon by the bedside and placed an enormous paw on my head. A moment later I felt a soothing buzz and I sighed in relief.
Then I remembered and I gulped nervously.
"I-Is Frisk-?"
"Frisk is fine, Ninten. They are currently in the kitchen."
I sighed audibly.
"You should be more careful in the future, young man," Toriel scolded. I nodded meekly. Toriel sighed and smiled.
"I do however know that you didn't do it on purpose. You were only trying to help Frisk. Just remember that most MONSTERS prefer words to violence."
I nodded. None of the monsters he'd met so far had even tried to attack him. Which was a refreshing change really?
"Now then, if there is anything you need just call out. We'll be in the living room-"
"Actually," I interrupted, "There is one thing."
"Yes?"
"...It's time I explain some things."
"Now you guys probably have some questions."
I took a sip of Toriel's hot chocolate. It was delicious.
"I mean, I definitely got some questions of my own- Wow, this is really good hot chocolate."
Toriel smiled.
"You flatter an old lady so."
"I'm serious. This stuff is better than the chocolate in Snowman."
I glanced at Toriel. Another place Ninten had been too?
Ninten took another sip before shaking his head.
"Anyway, moving on. Now then...Where was I?"
"You were telling us about PSI," Toriel said. Ninten nodded.
"Right. I'm guessing neither of you have heard of psychic powers?"
Toriel shook her head. I...shrugged. I knew what they were, but everything I had heard was nothing like Ninten had done.
"Right. Now, I don't know what magic is-"
"Magic is the power of the SOUL. Of expression and emotion. Magic comes in many different shapes and forms."
Toriel stopped when she realized we were staring at her, and blushed.
"Ahem. Anyway!" Toriel said quickly. Ninten smiled.
"Well, PSI is different. PSI is the power of the mind. There are very specific powers that come under PSI, and not every psychic can use them. For instance-" Ninten tapped a finger, "-I'm not that good at offensive PSI. That was more Ana's specialty, you should've seen her PK Freeze's. I'm better at defensive PSI and Telepathy. Not to mention Telekinesis," Ninten said smugly.
I tilted your head.
"Ana…?"
Ninten blinked before facepalming.
"Right, you wouldn't know. Ana is a friend of mine. A teammate you could say. Llyod and I met her in Snowman."
"Llyod is another friend of yours?" Toriel asked. Ninten nodded.
"Yeah. I met him at Thanksgiving."
I raised a hand and pointed at Ninten himself.
"Me?"
Nod.
"Oh, I'm from Mother's Day."
"And are those towns close to each other?" Toriel asked, puzzled.
Ninten shook his head.
"No. Thanksgiving might be the next town over, but Snowman is way far away. You need to take a train to get there."
"Then why did you go?" Toriel asked.
Ninten was silent for a moment.
"How much do you guys know about things above ground?" Ninten finally asked.
"You mean the Surface? I'm afraid that we don't know anything about what happens on it," Toriel said sadly.
"I thought so," Ninten sighed, "Which means you probably never heard about the war."
I blinked in surprise.
"War?" Toriel asked in surprise.
"There was a war?"
"Well, not really a war," Ninten admitted, "How should I put it…?"
Toriel and I were silent for a moment while Ninten thought.
"...Might as well get to the point of it. A year ago the Earth was invaded by aliens," Ninten said bluntly.
...Eeehhh?
"'Aliens'?" Toriel asked, clearly confused.
"Y'know, aliens? Beings not of this world?"
Toriel still looked confused, so I tugged on her sleeve and whispered-
"From space…"
"Oh! Oh dear! Beings like that exist?"
"Yup! Space is a big place. Like, really really big."
"Aliens?" I asked skeptically.
Ninten nodded.
"I know it's hard to believe. But I'm telling the truth...Maybe I should start from the beginning."
Ninten cleared his throat. As he did the silverware they had been eating with started to levitate in the air.
"Okay. I ain't that good at telling stories, so I'll give you the basics. Er…"
"Once upon a time…?" I suggested.
"Yeah! Once upon a time- Well it wasn't that long ago- there was a boy. He was normal, though he had a pretty special talent. He had a normal family too. But one day that changed. The day that the alien known as Giygas entered the Solar System with the intent to conquer the Earth."
One of the plates hovered off the table and hung menacingly in the air, spinning lazily.
"Giygas was incredibly powerful, and with his army, he would surely have won. But!"
Ninten raised a finger and a spork started to bounce on the table.
"My great-grandfather had foreseen this happening and left his journal for your's truly. And that's when I left Mother's Day to go defeat Giygas!"
Ninten said it so easily. As if he wasn't saying something absurd.
But then again, who was I to say what was absurd?
"You left all by yourself? To defeat this 'Giygas'?" Toriel asked carefully.
Ninten didn't seem to notice.
"Well at first I was all alone, yeah! But then I met Llyod, and Ana, and Teddy!"
A spoon, a fork, and a knife joined the spork in front of the saucer.
"And the four of us took the fight to Giygas himself!"
"Wow…" I said, looking at Ninten in admiration.
Toriel was quiet.
"Well…" Ninten said a bit softer, "It wasn't that easy."
I tilted my head.
"...Giygas was powerful. Very powerful."
The saucer started to spin rapidly and one by one the silverware fell until the spork remained standing. Toriel gasped.
"Heck, he was unbeatable," Ninten chuckled.
"...you beat him?" I said.
Ninten nodded.
"Yup! In the end, Giygas was defeated by a song!"
"A song?" Toriel asked.
Ninten nodded. And his face became cloudy suddenly.
"And that's what all this boils down too."
Toriel and I exchanged confused glances.
"Hey? You guys found me passed out right?"
"Yes. You worried us," Toriel said.
"Sorry 'bout that...Was...Was there anything out of the ordinary near me?"
Out of the ordinary?
I nod slowly and Ninten looks at me.
"Can I see it?"
I hesitated for a moment, before giving Ninten the Pretty Headband.
Ninten took it silently and stared at it.
"...Ninten?" Toriel asked hesitantly.
There was a sudden pressure and Ninten's eyes started to glow. The effect was immediate. The Headband suddenly started to glow and Ninten's eyes became an intense blue-
That rolled into the back of his head as the first notes started to ring out. Toriel's chair fell to the ground as she leaped to grasp Ninten before he fell to the floor. Meanwhile, the Headband glowed with soft rainbow light as music played from seemingly nowhere. It was only a second later that I realized that the music was literally playing in my mind.
A women's voice started to sing softly and melodiously.
'Take a melody, simple as can be~'
You learned part of the melody!
"Ninten!"
I jumped off the chair and ran towards Toriel's side.
Ninten groaned.
"Yeah...Was afraid of that…" Ninten mumbled.
"What happened?" Toriel asked, helping him stand up.
"...I don't know for sure, but…" Ninten sighed and stared at the headband. The melody started to play again, though this time Ninten remained standing.
'Take a melody~'
"Hear that? That's one of the Eight Melodies. A powerful song that we used to defeat Giygas. But why is it here...?" Ninten said with a wince. Toriel lead Ninten to a chair.
"Sit down," Toriel said firmly, "I shall go get some water."
Toriel left for the kitchen and you take a seat next to Ninten. He massages his temples and grumbles a bit.
"...Okay?"
Ninten glances at me in surprise.
"Huh? Yeah, I'm fine. It's just...I don't remember the Melodies anymore."
Ninten's voice was a soft whisper.
"Why…?" I ask. Ninten narrows his eyes.
"I can't be certain, but...I'm afraid I do have an answer."
Toriel reappeared and placed a glass of water in front of Ninten before taking a seat. Ninten immediately drank the glass, taking a moment to speak.
"...The Eight Melodies are powerful. Really powerful. They're the only thing that can defeat Giygas. And we did beat him," Ninten said with a smile. The smile turned grim.
"But before he left, he promised he would return one day. And that's why I'm here."
"What do you mean?" Toriel asked. I also wanted to know.
Ninten started to fiddle with the badge on his handkerchief.
"I gotta call from my Dad a while ago. He said that there was evidence that Giygas had returned. So I left home again to finish this battle. But when I tried to teleport to Mt Itoi...Well, the last thing I remembered was falling down here."
"Your father sent you off again?" Toriel asked with narrowed eyes.
"Since I'm the only one who could face Giygas, yeah," Ninten said firmly.
"...Your friends?" I asked.
Ninten and Toriel glanced at me. I repeated the question. Ninten looked down at the ground.
"I...I don't know," he said finally.
Toriel gave him a sad look.
"Anyway, the point I'm trying to make here is...I think Giygas might have left a psychic block in my head before he left."
"Psychic block?" Toriel asked.
"Er, how to explain...He might've left some sort of like wall in my mind that prevent me from remembering or doing things."
"How…?" I asked. Wouldn't that be tough?
As if reading my mind- which he could do I realized- Ninten answered.
"I'm a pretty powerful psychic. But Giygas is a league of his own," Ninten started to nod, "Heck, it makes sense. Right before he leaves, he puts a block on me. And when he comes back with reinforcements after licking his wounds- I won't be able to use the Eight Melodies."
Ninten looked worried by the time he finished. Not that I could blame him.
"Which means I gotta get out of here quickly, before Giygas attacks!" Ninten stood up.
"I'm afraid that won't be possible," Toriel said quietly.
Both Ninten and I looked at her.
"...What do you mean?" Ninten asked after a moment.
Toriel was silent for a moment, her eyes staring off into space. And then they focused on Ninten and me and when she spoke next, Toriel's voice lacked the warmth it usually had.
"Because escaping the Underground is impossible."
"What?"
I just sat in my seat, waiting for Toriel to tell the story.
"You have told us your story, Ninten. Now let me tell you the story of Monsterkind. The story of our defeat. Of our imprisonment. Of our punishment."
Long ago, two races ruled over Earth: HUMANS and MONSTERS…
We listened as Toriel told us the tale of Monsters. Of their war with the Humans. Of their defeat. Of their imprisonment.
"...Ever since we've been trapped under Mt. Ebott," Toriel finished.
Both Frisk and I were silent. Me cause I was digesting what Toriel had just dropped. And Frisk...didn't seem surprised at all.
"...Can't you guys just break through this barrier?" I asked. Hey, maybe it was a stupid question. But it was worth a try, wasn't it?
Toriel was silent for a long moment. When she spoke again, her tone was grim.
"There is a way to undo the spell the Humans had placed on us and break the Barrier. Seven human wizards pooled their power to create the Barrier. As such, in order to break the Barrier-"
Suddenly I had a bad feeling that I knew where this was going.
"-We required seven human SOULS."
The was a grave silence, the only sound in the background the fireplace crackling.
I stared at Toriel and she stared back unflinchingly. In the corner of my eyes, i could see Frisk fidgeting a bit.
"...Is that why monsters attacked Frisk?"
Toriel didn't say anything for a long time.
"...I've had some strong words with the Monsters in the RUINS. But outside the RUINS...The decree of the Monster King still reigns. Any Human that falls into the Underground will be punished...by death."
Jeez, what had I just walked into?
I remembered the shoes.
"How many Humans have already died?" I asked quietly. Frisk sat up at this.
"...Six," Toriel said quietly.
There was grief in her words. I wondered how many children she's cradled in her hand, never to wake up.
It was horrible to think about.
Toriel stood up.
"I think that is enough talk about such grave matters. Now Ninten, return to bed. You must be exhausted."
I would argue, but there was a pleading tone to Toriel's words. I glanced back at Frisk, who appeared lost in thought. And honestly, I could use some rest. Especially if there was a psychic block in my head…
"Sure," I gave a small grin," I could use some time to rest."
Toriel smiled.
"Excellent. Now then, what should I make for dinner? Cinnamon-Butterscotch Pie? Or Snail Pie?"
A few days had passed. They were simple days. Ninten had rested while Toriel made sure he was okay. And then after Ninten had proclaimed himself better, we explored the RUINS together. Every nook and cranny. We had gone back to the place where I found the Tiara. I had shown him the best places to find secrets in the RUINS. And I had introduced Ninten to all the Monsters of the Underground.
Happily, Ninten seemed to get along pretty well with the Monsters. Pretty soon he started to talk to them without me tagging along.
And while I showed him the RUINS, Ninten showed me the extent of his PSI. The tricks that he could perform! And he would also talk about his adventures with his friends.
Llyod, the anxious boy who could build a rocket in a minute.
Ana, the shy girl who could control Ice and Fire at whim.
And Teddy, a young man with crazy blade skill who ran a gang of thugs.
All of them seemed so lively and real. And I always paid rapt attention to Ninten when he spoke about his past adventures.
Toriel sometimes joined us when she wasn't busy. And she'd show her favorite places in the RUINS. The best places to find Snails for Snail Pie. And she's show off her impressive fire magic, much to Ninten's admiration.
And we laughed and played for these few days.
But at night, Ninten would be quiet. He'd just sit in front of the house and stare off at the dead tree.
I think I knew why.
"What's the Sun like? Is it warm? It is dangerous?"
"The sky sounds scary…"
"Ribbit (A Swamp...What's that?)"
"What's the Surface like?"
What was the Surface like?
The question boggled my mind at first. What was the Surface like? Well...It was the Surface.
This explanation wasn't enough, and as I got better and better at describing the Surface, I saw the light in the Monsters eyes get brighter and brighter.
The more I talked about the Surface, the more the Monster's hoped. Hoping for a dream...That would never come true.
For some reason, I absolutely hated the idea of that. The idea of the Monsters just being trapped here forever. I should've been afraid. The Monsters only needed one more Human SOUL. I should've been scared for my life.
I wanted to free the Monsters.
I wanted to help them.
I wanted to break the Barrier.
…
I looked at everything I had. It wasn't much. Just some Monster Candies, a Faded Ribbon, a Pretty Headband. And a toy knife.
I put the knife away and looked at the ribbon. Monsters wouldn't hurt as much if you were cute...I quickly tied the ribbon in my hair and on a whim added the headband. I admired myself in the mirror with a little twirl. Perfect.
I stuffed the candies in my pockets and tiptoed into the dark hallway. Everybody seemed asleep…
I walked towards the basement, pausing for a moment and looking at the house.
This might be the last time I see it...I blinked away tears and stared resolutely down into the darkness of the basement.
"Heyo, what're you doing here?"
I did not shriek and flail. Instead I just calmly turned around, ignoring my thundering heart.
Ninten looked at my with a raised eyebrow, fully dressed in his clothes and an old backpack slung over his shoulder.
"...?"
"What, this?" Ninten said, patting the bag.
"Found it in the closet. Along with this little beauty!"
Ninten took out a small baseball bat with a smile. As he did, I noticed that the knapsack was filled to the brim with things. Ninten noticed my gaze.
"Ah, well…" Ninten seemed embarrassed for a moment.
"I'm going."
"You too?"
Ninten blinked in surprise.
"Uh, yeah?"
We were both silent for a moment before Ninten cleared his throat and motioned towards the basement.
"Uh, you first?"
"I think you already know why I'm going. But why are you?"
The only source of light in the tunnels were scant torches. It was times like these where you remembered that the Underground, as bright as it was sometimes, was actually underneath the earth and very, very dark.
"...I'm going to save the Monsters," I said quietly, aware of how ridiculous it sounded.
Ninten just looked at me and I resisted the urge to fidget.
"You don't have a plan do you?" Ninten asked at last.
I shake my head, face flushing. This was a stupid idea-
"You're lucky that I'm helping you."
I blink and look at Ninten. He smiles.
"Hey, Our goals are parallel. You want to free the Monsters. I need to get outta here and take Giygas down once and for all. And we'll need to break this Barrier to do it."
Ninten looked at me and grinned.
"Besides, I don't need a reason to help a friend, do I?"
Ninten and I stared at each other for a good moment. Ninten grinning.
And then I gave a wide smile and hugged him.
'Thank you!'
"Hey, easy there!" Ninten struggles for a bit, before laughing. I start to giggle too.
Ninten joined your party!
"Well now that it's official, let's get going shall we?"
"I'm afraid I can't allow that."
Both of our eyes widened and Toriel stepped out of the shadows. She stared at us without any emotion, standing over us with red eyes.
"T-Toriel?" Ninten asked. I shrink a bit under Toriel's gaze.
"My children…" Toriel said calmly, "I'm afraid...I can't let you leave the RUINS."
And she raised her arms and the air buzzed with magic- and fire erupted across the hallway.
Toriel stands in your way!
Flowey: Oh this is too rich. There's no way they can beat the hag. Not without a little...LOVE. Hehehe!
Don't underestimate them too much, Flowey. So yeah, Toriel's battle is unavoidable it seems.
The enemies that killed Frisk are from Undertale Hard Mode, whcih you can access if you type the name Frisk at the beginning of the game.
PK Pulse isn't an actual PSI in the game. Instead it is a result of Ness saying "PK Pulse!" in Smash Bros Brawl has been mondegreened into PK Pulse and PK Cross.
Yes I'm using Giygas.
And the weird garbled word? Translate it using rot13.
So, what'll be the result of the battle with the RUINS Keeper Toriel? Who's fire is stronger, Ninten or Toriel? Will Frisk's will remain? Tune in next time!
