Chapter 4

Home sweet home

We go inside the house. There is a pie scent flowing through the air.

"Do you smell that?"

"Is that's what I think it is?" I playfully asked.

"Surprise! It's a butterscotch-cinnamon pie!" She exclaimed "I thought we might celebrate your arrival"

"It's so nice from you Toriel. It was not necessary" I said.

"Nonsense! I want you two to have a nice time living here"

"I will hold on a snail pie for tonight" She continued "Here, I have another surprise for you. Follow me"

We followed her. She led us to a door.

"Tada! A room of your own! There are two bed inside, I hope you will like it"

I hugged her.

"Thank you very much Toriel. It was really not necessary to give you all this trouble for us" I thanked her.

Frisk hugged her too.

"Yeah, thanks a lot mom" He thanked.

The goat monster blushed.

"Huh…? Did you just call me…«mom»? " She asked, taken by surprise.

"You are like a mother to us" Said Frisk "So I don't see what's wrong with calling you «mom»"

"Well…I suppose…would that make you happy…to call me «Mother»?"

"Of course it would!" He replied enthusiastically.

"Well then, call me whatever you like, you too Marie-Jeanne"

I sniff the air.

"Um…Is something burning?" I asked.

"Oh dear, the pie!" Toriel panicked.

She rushed towards the kitchen.

"Make yourself at home!" She yelled to us.

We laughed and then, we enter the room. The room is nothing special, it looks like a room like those on the surface: two bed, a wardrobe, a dresser, a toy box and a lamp.

"Hey Frisk, how about going to sleep?" I asked softly "It was a big day today…"

"Okay"

I tuck him in bed, like our mom used to. I kiss him on the forehead.

"Goodnight little brother"

I shut the light and I'll sleep in the second bed.

-Time skip next morning-

When I wake up, I find a piece of pie at the foot of my bed. There is also one at the foot of Frisk's bed. It's surely Toriel who brought them. I get up and I eat my slice of pie silently before going to wake up Frisk.

"It's time to wake up~" I hummed

*They do not want to wake up

"Frisk, wake up…" I said a little more harshly.

*They still do not want to wake up

Shook him awake?

Yes No

I smiled mischievously and I shake him until he wakes up.

"Wakey, wakey Frisky!"

He woke up completely panicked. When he saw that it was only me, he glared at me.

"Good morning~" I snickered.

"Why did you wake me up like that!?" He glared.

"Hey! You're the one who did not want to get up!" I protested.

I hold out the piece of pie left by Toriel.

"Here, Toriel gave us pie for breakfast. Come join me when you have finished eating"

I leave the room and I start looking for Toriel. I find her in the living room, reading a book. She raises her head and saw me.

"Oh! Good morning my child" She greeted me.

"Good morning Toriel" I greeted back.

"You know, I want you and your brother to know how glad I am to have people here. There are so many book I want to share. I want to show you my favorite bug-hunting spot. I also prepared a curriculum for your education"

"A curriculum? Really?" I asked.

"I always wanted to become a teacher" She admitted.

"That's sweet. But I have already completed my education…however, I'm sure you could be teaching Frisk, since he's still in primary school"

"Anyway, I glad to have you two living here"

I smiled at her. That's when Frisk arrived.

"Hello Frisk, do you need anything my child?" She asked.

"No, nothing for now" He answered.

"Well, talk to me if you two need anything"

"Okay" We said.

We stayed a few days with Toriel. As she said, she showed us a lot of books, we hunted snail together, she taught me how to makes pies and she even teach Frisk! She has also made a loooot of jokes. Who know she loved puns? I love being with her, and Frisk love it too. It's like as if we have a family again.

Anyways. I was in the living room with Toriel and we were reading a book on 72 uses for a snail when Frisk appeared.

"Hello Frisk, did you want to hear about the book we were reading? It is called «72 Uses for Snails» How about it?" She asked my brother.

"Mom can I ask you a question?" He asked.

"What is it my child?"

"How we exit the RUINS?"

Toriel, frowned. She closed the book and she stood up.

"…I have something to do. Stay here"

And she leaves. I looked at Frisk.

"Frisk…" I scolded.

"What? I was just asking!" He protested. "Don't you want to explore the rest of the UNDERGROUND?"

"Well…yes, but…"

He took my hand.

"Come on let's follow her!"

We followed discreetly Toriel. We descended the stairs to the basement. There is a long corridor ahead. We walked a few meters before meeting Toriel again.

"You wish to know how to return «home», do you not?" She asked sadly

"…"

"Ahead of us lies the ends of the RUINS. A one way exits to the rest of the UNDERGROUND. I am going to destroy it"

"WHAT!? WHY!?" I exclaimed in shock.

She ignored my question.

"No one will be able to leave again. Now be good children and go upstairs"

She continued to walk and we continued to follow. She stopped again after twenty meters.

"Every human that falls down here meets the same fate. I seen it again and again: they come, they leave, they die"

She must surely speak about the 6 person who where missing. So they died…

"You naive children…if you leave the RUINS…They…ASGORE…will kill you"

"Who's Asgore?" Asked Frisk

She ignored the question again.

"I'm only protecting you two, do you understand?"

"Toriel…I understand and I know it must have been difficult to see all these people die, but please, don't do that" I said.

"…go to your room"

She continued to walk, we continued to follow. She stopped again.

"Please do not try to stop me. This is your final warnings"

She continued to walk, we continued to follow again. We finally stopped in front of the doors. Toriel was between us and the doors.

"You two want to leave so badly?"

We nodded.

"Humph…you are just like the others. There is only one solution to this"

"And what is it?" I asked.

"Prove yourselves…prove me that you are strong to survive"

Our souls appeared.

*Toriel blocks the way

FIGHT ACT ITEMS MERCY

Our eyes widened. She wants us to fight her!? She began to throw fireball at us. We tried to ACT and talk to her, but we couldn't think of any conversation topics. So we ended choosing the MERCY options.

-MERCY

Flee Spare

We start spamming the spare option

"Toriel we don't want to fight you!" I cried while dodging another fireball.

"What are you doing!?" She cried at us.

I tried to avoid her attacks as best as I can, but sometimes I was forced to get hit to protect Frisk. My HP tumbled slowly. But I continue to spare her.

M-J LV 1 HP 14/20

Frisk LV 1 HP 18/20

"Attack or run away" Yelled Toriel.

"We can't do that! We need to get outside the RUINS!" Cried Frisk!

We dodge another series of fireballs.

"What are you proving this way!? Fight me or leave!"

"We are not obligated to FIGHT you Toriel! We can ACT instead and talks. It's you who teach us that when we meet for the first time!" I yelled to her.

A fireball hit my shoulder. I cried in pain.

M-J LV 1 HP 10/20

Frisk LV 1 HP 18/20

But we still continue to spare Toriel.

"Stop it"

"No! YOU stop it! We will never fight you!" Shouted Frisk.

"Go away!"

We looked at her right in the eyes.

"Please mom…let us spare you" We pleaded.

Her eyes widened and then, they became filled with sorrow and regret. She stopped attacking us. I keep pressing the spare option. Frisk did the same thing.

"I know you want to go home, but…please…go upstairs now"

We shook our head and press spare.

"I promise I will take a good care of you two here"

I spared her again.

"I know we do not have much but…"

And again.

"We can have a good life here"

And again.

"Why are you making this so difficult?"

And again.

"Please, go upstairs"

And again.

"…"

And again.

"Ha ha…pathetic is not it?"

I stopped sparing and look at her with a confused look.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"I cannot save even a single child"

I was about to say something but Frisk beat me to it. He run towards Toriel and he hug her.

"That's not true mom. If you really were pathetic, you would not have saved us from Flowey"

She hugged him back and she started to cry a little bit.

"Mom, we are very grateful to you for what you did to us, but we are young and there is so much to discover" I explained.

"You're right, you would be unhappy trapped down here, and the RUINS are very small once you get used to them. It would be not right for Frisk to grow up in a place like this. My expectations…my loneliness…my fear… for you, my children, I will put them aside.

"Thank you Mom" I said.

She let go of Frisk and stood up.

"If you two truly want to leave the RUINS, I will not stop you. However, when you leave…please do not come back. I hope you understand"

We made a last group hug.

"Goodbye my children" Said Toriel.

"Goodbye Mom" Frisk said sadly.

"Goodbye Mom, we will meet again, I promise" I said.

And she went away for the last time. We face the doors leading out of the RUINS. I look at my brother.

"Are you ready?"

He nodded and we opened the doors.