Hello again! Been a while since I got back in the writing game. I've decided to take a different approach to how I'm gonna write this one. An Undertale story may seem a bit... late but who cares? Imma write what I want. Just a bit of what to expect here, this is a bit of an alternate reality but I'm gonna stay relatively true to the story if that makes sense. Without further adieu, let us begin!
Post edit note: Just changed the character's shirt color a bit and added a line at the end that will make more sense in context later
I have a tale I wish to tell you. This is a tale about many things. About a lost child, about monsters, about a skeleton. But perhaps most importantly, this is an Undertale.
A legend was told, most had forgotten it by now. But I remembered it.
Long ago, two races ruled over Earth: Humans and Monsters.
One day, war broke out between the two races.
After a long battle, the humans were victorious.
They sealed the monsters underground with a magic spell.
Legends say those who climb the mountain never return.
It all seemed like a child's ghost story to me. Pretty much everyone thought the same. Something to keep the kids away from the mountain so they wouldn't hurt themselves. But, at the age of 15, I decided to climb the mountain. I'm not sure what drove me to it. Curiosity? Or maybe just a blatant disregard for the rules.
I'm not sure what happened when I climbed the mountain. I remember being around a lot of trees, the smell of pine still ripe in the air in the early spring as the wind rustled through the dark green above. Some gold colored flowers were around my feet, kinda like daisies but prettier.
Then I fell.
Everything was dark, I don't know how long I was unconscious. But when I woke, I was laying on a bed of those same gold flowers. They must have cushioned my fall. A still cold giving the air around me a rather unsettling feeling. A single light far above me dotted the otherwise black sky-like shell of the mountain, illuminating the ground just well enough to see.
It was then I realized that Mt Ebbot was hollow. But how?
I slowly got to my feet and looked around, my eyes slowly adjusting to the blackness around me. Soon I could make out rocks that extended upwards, leaving me in a clearing-like spot on the ground with the flowers. I looked around to see a flat wall, clearly carved from stone. Kinda like an old ruin. I could just barely make out a doorway in the wall built out of the same stone only carved into columns and a curved archway.
I had nowhere else to go, but forward. So I did.
My footsteps echoed off of the floor once I stepped out of the flowerbed. Rather interesting to see just that small bed of flowers surviving underground. Maybe the occasional rain and sunlight from the hole would sustain it? I'm not sure.
As I walked through the doorway, I came to another somewhat open area. A clearly visible light in the middle lighting up the ground. I walked forward to continue on, when suddenly a flower popped up from the illuminated spot! Even more strange, this flower had a face! It was the same kind of golden flower, only the face was white as snow with two black eyes and a thin mouth.
I nearly jumped out of my skin! But I kept my composure. I didn't want this...flower to attack me. Then what happened next was even more unbelievable... it spoke!
"Howdy!" it said in a light, pleasant voice. Kind of like the perfect character in those old Saturday cartoons. A friendly smile on his face showing a row of white teeth. Judging from that voice, it sounded male. "I'm Flowey. Flowey the Flower!"
Original name... I wondered what his parents were called?
"Hmm..." he said as he looked me up and down. As if inspecting me. Sizing me up almost. "You're new to the Underground, aren'tcha?" he asked in that friendly voice. "Golly, you must be confused." Realizing that Flowey understood that I was lost.
"Well someone ought to teach you how things work around here!" he said in an almost excited tone, bouncing up and down a bit on his stem. His little head bobbing playfully from side to side. "I guess little old me will have to do."
I didn't understand what he meant by that, but I wasn't given much time to really think about it. "Ready? Here we go!"
I felt something strange happen, feeling something in the pit of my chest react to his words. It was then I looked down to see a bright red heart shape on my chest! As if sensing my confusion, Flowey spoke up.
"See that heart? That is your SOUL, the very culmination of your being!" he said, keeping that childlike, yet oddly informative tone.
'Culmination of my being?' I thought to myself, sliding my hand over the heart shape. It didn't really feel like anything to my hand, but I felt something as my hand went over it. It was like how Flowey described it, like my soul itself was reacting to it.
I moved around to see if my movement was inhibited at all, to my relief I could still move freely. Flowey spoke again. "Your SOUL starts off weak, but can grow strong if you gain a lot of LV."
Again sensing my confusion, he was quick to respond. "What's LV stand for? Why, LOVE of course!" he said in an almost gleeful delight.
What kind of fairy tail storybook did I fall into...
"You want some love, don't you?" asked Flowey. "Don't worry, I'll share some with you!"
Flowey then winked his eye, a little shining, spinning light coming out of it. Followed by about four more. Forming an arc above his little head. I stared at them in wonder, and intrigue.
"Down here, Love is shared through..." he said, his eyes drifting to the side a bit as if struggling to find the words. "Little white... 'friendliness pellets.'" he said slowly. His eyes still staring to the side before looking back to me. "Are you ready?"
Well it wasn't like I had much of a choice. The little 'friendliness pellets came flying towards me. "Move around! Get as many as you can!" he said excitedly. And like a child catching snowflakes, I ran and grabbed the nearest one I could.
The pain was unbelievable. It felt as if my soul itself was hit by a truck. I let out a pained scream and fell to my knees, clutching my aching soul on my chest. I looked up, tears in my eyes to see Flowey smiling at me... only it was much different.
His lips were curled back into a devilish, crazed grin. His eyes glaring and white as his face. "You idiot." he said, his voice now cruel, cold, and frightening. My heart leaping out of my chest in fright. "In this world, it's kill or BE killed. Why would ANYONE pass up an opportunity like this!?" he said in devilish delight.
Before I could run, more of the pellets surrounded me, spinning in a fast circle and cutting off any chance of me escaping. "DIE." barked Flowey in a commanding tone. The pellets beginning to move in closer and closer, Flowey cackling in delight. He was enjoying this?! He was going to laugh like a giddy child while I died right in front of him... after I trusted him...
Then the pellets vanished, as did the pain in my soul.
Flowey's face hardened, a clear look of confusion on his face. "What was..."
He was interrupted as a ball of fire struck him, sending him flying off out of the ground and into the distance with a little yelp. The fire quickly fading out after a few moments. From the side, someone new walked into my vision.
A caprine, clearly female. Caprine being something that resembles a goat. Fur white as snow, eyes gentle and inviting with a warm red color to them. Two small horns on the top of her head and two long floppy white ears draped over her cheeks. Having a bit of weight to her, the outline of her hips just barely visible on the loose fitting dress. Wearing a long, purple dress with white sleeves. A crest etched on the breast of the dress. A circle with wings, and three triangles below it. Two on the sides facing up, the other facing down.
"What a terrible creature, torturing such a poor, innocent youth..." she said. Her voice was warm, caring, and welcoming. Like a concerned love one gently calming down a troubled child... which was basically what happened here.
"Ah, do not be afraid, my child." she said as she looked over at me as I got to my feet. "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 down here in a long time."
First human in a long time? There were others? Then again... the legends did say that those who went to the mountain didn't return. People have to go missing before that legend is written. Did they all fall down here in Underground?
"Come! I will guide you through the catacombs." she said becomingly, walking over to another archway leading deeper into the ruins The archway was similar to the one I walked through earlier, only the same symbol on Toriel's chest was etched above the archway.
Toriel walked right through without hesitation. And though I just got through this frightening experience with a flower... I felt like I could trust her a lot more. But I would have to be careful. I walked through the archway, and was met with a very different sight.
A large entrance to some kind of old large ruined building, red leaves laid in a square in the middle of the room where a light shined overhead from the opening in the ruins ceiling. A large bed of red leaves behind it. I stood in front of it and looked up at the shadows of the ruins overhead. Toriel standing at the top of a stairway that snaked up the sides of the room on both sides, meeting to a second floor where a doorway stood. Green vines draped along the sides giving the otherwise mostly magenta colored stone walls a bit more vibrancy.
This was certainly a strange situation I found myself in. But I needed to push forward if I had any hope of getting home. Filled with determination, I moved on and followed Toriel up the stairs. She quietly walked into the next room, her fuzzy paws folded over her front in an almost regal, polite manner.
The room had six switches on the floor, and a lever in the back. Toriel standing in the middle of the room. She smiled warmly at me as I walked in. "Welcome to your new home, innocent one. Allow me to educate you in the operation of the ruins."
She would then proceed to walk over four of the switches. Deliberately leaving two of the ones on the floor untouched, then pulling the little lever on the wall. Almost instantly, the stone wall slid up. Revealing a doorway to travel through. "The ruins are full of puzzles. Ancient fusions between diversions and doorkeys. One must solve then to move from room to room."
Silly of whoever built this place to design it that way... but okay.
"Please adjust yourself to the sight of them." said Toriel before moving on through the newly opened doorway. Giving me a moment to ponder in thought.
My new home? Was there no way out of here? I had to find out. As I walked forward, I noticed a plaque on the wall. Surprisingly enough it was written in English.
Only the fearless may proceed
Brave ones, foolish ones.
Both walk not the middle road
A riddle maybe? I would find out as I pressed on through the doorway. A familiar sound touched my ear in the next room. The steady flow of water splashing and flowing against stone. I walked into the room to notice a carved out aqueduct in the floor. A wooden bridge over it to allow passage through. Toriel waiting patiently for me, her welcoming smile never leaving.
"To make progress here, you will need to trigger several switches. Do not worry, I have labeled the ones that you need to flip." informed the friendly caprine. Well that sure was nice of her to do, though maybe she did it for herself too? Living down here I imagine I would label switches if I had to hit them every time I went from room to room...
Toriel then walked down the hall to continue on. I noticed more vines hanging from the walls in thin, straight lines. It was hard to tell if it was intentional... but the change in color from the still magenta walls and floor was welcoming. I followed behind, and crossed over the wooden bridge. Another aqueduct was visible, Toriel standing on the bridge for it as she looked at me expectantly.
I noticed a switch on the wall with several yellow arrows drawn on it. Clearly marked to flip, so I walked over and flipped it. The moment I did, Toriel moved on. Standing next to a spiked floor that blocked our progress.
Clearly this place was built in medieval times if it had spiked floors...
Two switches were on the wall close to a large patch of vines thicker than the rest. One of them was marked clearly. I walked over and flipped it, the wooden lever easily pulling down, which caused the spiked floor to drop into thin slits below. Allowing passage.
"Splendid! I am proud of you, little one." said Toriel as if congratulating her own child. "Let us move to the next room." she said as she walked through. I was quick to follow, as nothing else was in this room.
The next room had just a dummy sitting in the middle of it... a few scratches and cuts on it showing it had been struck before. It looked like it was about to fall over. Toriel standing by it. "As a human living in the underground, monsters may attack you. You will need to be prepared for this situation..." A hint of worry in her voice.
As a human? Do the monsters down here not like humans? Well if the legend is true, that makes sense... then why was Toriel helping me so much? Was it a trap? I had no reason to distrust her... then again I didn't have a reason to distrust Flowey either. But I had to press on.
"But worry not! The process is simple. When you encounter a monster, you will enter a FIGHT." she said, putting emphasis on the word as if it meant something more. "While you are in a fight, strike up a friendly conversation. Stall for time. I will come to resolve the conflict. Try to strike up a conversation... Maybe start with a simple 'how do you do...' or talk about your favorite books. Jokes can be a good way too, like this one. What do skeletons tile their roofs with. SHIN-gles!" She said, giggling softly at the joke.
Talk my way out of it... with monsters? I mean I guess I could try... But luckily I did manage to pick up a stick before I fell into Underground. If I had to, I could use it as a weapon. I walked up to the dummy. Instantly that strange sensation of my Soul being exposed struck me. The red heart visible on my chest again. Then I understood, FIGHT here in Underground is when my Soul is exposed.
The dummy stood in front of me, not doing anything. I did try talking to it... but it didn't seem much for conversation. It started to lean a bit as the stand under it was beginning to give out. It felt silly to talk to this inanimate object... So I walked over to it and gave it a light tap on the side of the head. It fell over onto the ground and shattered into pieces. The stuffing spilling out all over the place as dust kicked up.
"Ahh, the dummies are not for fighting!" said Toriel in an almost disappointed tone. "We do not want to hurt anybody, do we...?" she asked questioningly. All I could do was just look at her, unable to muster up any kind of words. Toriel turned and left the room, and I followed her shortly after.
Toriel and I came to another long hallway with vines along the walls. The floor was a magenta color but there was also a lighter purple color along the floor that zigzagged a few directions. Toriel smiled at me. "There is another puzzle in this room. I wonder if you can solve it on your own?" she asked, looking down the hall and walking at a brisk pace, leaving me behind.
I stood silently for a moment, glancing around the room before moving on. Toriel well out of sight. However, I heard something come towards me! A large frog-like creature hopped in front of me, and croaked loudly.
I felt a fight begin.
The large frog-like creature stood in front of me, Its skin a clear white, and under its two front legs was a face. Two white eyes and a frowning mouth. It was difficult to tell if the frog face was the real one, or if the one below was the real one.
Following Toriel's advice, I said hello and gave it a compliment. It didn't seem to understand, but it did seem flattered. For the sake of it, I learned later it was called a Froggit. Before the Froggit could do anything, Toriel appeared and glared hard at it. Without a word, it shuffled away. Toriel smiling warmly at me after. "Let's go." she said as she walked down the hall again.
Along the way, I noticed a plaque on the wall. It read 'The western room is the eastern room's blueprint.' I didn't quite get it, but I moved on, following Toriel. She would ward off anything that tried to attack me, which was almost always Froggits.
The room in the east was a large open area with a lot of water in it. I could see the bottom of it through the crystal clear surface. Along the way was a bridge of the same spike floors as before, only there was no switch this time.
Toriel paused for a long time, then smiled at me. "Here, take my hand." she said as she reached out to me. I hesitated for a moment, then grabbed her hand. Her touch was very warm, and she had small, leather-like pads on her fingers and palms. Kinda like that of a cat, only without the claws. It was only slight though, and not as bulbous. The fur surrounding it tickling my fingers a bit.
She gently guided me along the floors, the spikes dropping every time she took a step closer, taking a turn here and there. I understood the plaque now. The lighter color would be the solution to the path in this room. I'm glad she guided me through it.
We safely reached the other side and Toriel let go of my hand. "Puzzles seem a little too dangerous for now..." she said as we walked into the next room. Another seemingly long hallway awaiting us. Toriel stood in front of me with a proud smile. "You have done excellently this far, my child. However... I have a difficult request to ask of you."
Toriel seemed worried as she mustered up her next words. "I would like you to walk to the other side of this room by yourself." Before I could reply, she darted down the hall. "I'm sorry." she said as she vanished from sight. It was still kinda dark.
I walked down the hall, a feeling of impending dread hanging over me. My steps echoing off of the stone walls as I kept on moving. I felt the isolation of my situation at hand, making me fearful. Skittish. Antsy. Like something could jump out at any time at me! I hated it... But I had a feeling I would experience this a lot down here. So I kept pushing forward.
I spotted a column about halfway down made of gray stone much like outside of the ruins. Nothing seemed off about it, and the doorway to the next room was clear in sight! But right as I passed the column, Toriel walked out from behind it. I nearly leapt out of my skin!
"Greetings, my child. Do not worry, I did not leave you. I was merely behind this pillar the whole time." she said reassuringly, calming my nerves a bit. "Thank you for trusting me. However, there was an important reason for this exercise... to test your independence."
"I must attend to some business, and I must leave you alone for a while." said Toriel, that same motherly worry in her voice as earlier. "Please remain here. It's too dangerous to explore by yourself. I have an idea. I will give you a cell phone!" she said as she dug a paw into her pocket.
A cell phone? Down here? How does that work... how did they get one? Maybe from someone who fell down here before?
Toriel pulled out a small flip phone, like something from the early 2000's. No apps or touchscreen or anything like that. Ghetto, but functional. "If you have a need for anything, just call." she said as she handed me the phone.
I flipped it open and checked the contacts... sure enough Toriel's name was listed. "Be good, alright?" said Toriel as she gave a friendly wave, and moved on out of the hallway. Leaving me in solitude again.
I stood there with the phone in my hand, folding it closed then putting it in my pocket. Brushing some dust and dead leaves off of my blue and purple stripped shirt that matched my blue jeans. At least I dressed warm enough down here... I looked around the hall, hearing a wind echo through it. Sending a chill up my spine as my sense of isolation grew.
Staying still just wasn't an option... I would have a panic attack if I didn't keep moving! And so I did. Moving to the next room. As I stepped in, the phone immediately rang, seeing Toriel's name on the small screen on the front. I flipped it open and held it up to my ear, Toriel immediately talking.
"Hello? This is Toriel." she said in that same warm tone. Though sounding much different through the old phone speaker. "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 and solve them yourself. Be good, alright?" she asked before hanging up the phone in a hurry.
The room was a bit wider, a hall that lead opposite directions of the previous hall. A doorway to the north (or what I assumed to be north), and another to the southeast. Several piles of red leaves along the walkway made a clear path to walk through. I stepped on one of the leaves along the way, hearing the playful crinkling of the leaf as it was crushed under my foot.
It reminded me of the outside world... of home... It filled me with determination to keep on going!
It was only then that I noticed another Froggit sitting to the north of the room staring at me. The top head bobbing up and down while the other below stared at me.
"Ribbit. Ribbit." it croaked. But somehow I think I understood what it was saying. It gave me advice about battling monsters. That if I act a certain way or just fight them a bit, that I could spare them. I mean... I could try but if the monster kept attacking... Once I got the message, I moved on to the north. To my sheer delight, there was a bowl of candy sitting on a pedestal, and a note that said 'take one.' It must've been left by Toriel at some point. What a nice caprine monster-woman! I took a bright red piece, and stuffed it in my pocket. Then moving on to the south-east exit.
The next room was a short hallway with two openings on the walls on each end. I walked through the hall, only the floor began to crumble under me. I had no time to react as I fell through down underneath, falling on top of a large bed of leaves. Cushioning my fall, saving me from any kind of damage. I stood up and brushed the leaves and twigs off, spotting two stairwells. One leading up closer to the entrance of the hall I fell from, and another leading to the end. Obviously, I chose the end. The stairway leading up to the opening, letting me safely go to the other side of the hall without having to walk through it.
I went to the next room, then my phone immediately rang. It was Toriel again, and I picked up the phone. "Hello? This is Toriel again. For no reason in particular... which do you prefer? Butterscotch or cinnamon?"
Butterscotch or cinnamon? I mean both are good... but cinnamon makes my stomach hurt. So I told her Butterscotch. "Oh I see, thank you very much!" she said as she hung up... only to call back again immediately. "Hello, this is Toriel. You don't... dislike cinnamon do you? I know what your preference is, but... would you turn up your nose if you had it on your plate? Right, right I understand. Thank you for being patient, by the way." she said as she hung up in another hurry. What a busy monster-woman...
This room had a switch, and a large rock. A row of spikes on the floor blocking me from moving on. A few scrape marks on the ground showed I had to push the rock on the switch, which lowered the spikes. Allowing me to move on.
A few rather uneventful rooms later and I found myself in another puzzle room with three switches, and three rocks. Another large aqueduct with a spike bridge in the middle signaling what I had to do. I moved two of those switches without problem, but when I got to the last one I was in for a surprise.
"WHOA there, pardner! Who said you could push me around?" barked the rock in an almost comedic southern accent. I stepped back and looked at the switch beside it. "HMM? So you're ASKIN' me to move over?" it said as if slightly offended.
But its tone changed almost immediately. "Alright, I can do it for you pumpkin." the rock then scooted just a few inches. But not landing on the switch. There was a long pause before it spoke up again. "HMM? You want me to move some more? How's this then?" it said as it scooted up.
Another long pause then it spoke again. "That was the wrong way? Alright I think I get it now." it said as it scooted onto the switch, the spikes dropping. I nodded gratefully at it and moved towards the bridge, only for the spikes to shoot back up with a loud SHING!
I looked over at the rock and narrowed my eyes. "Oh, you wanted me to stay there? Sorry pardner!" it said as it scooted over onto the switch again. Without wasting a second, I ran over the bridge.
The next room was... odd. Just a small room with a table and a wedge of cheese. Looked like cheddar. I noticed there was a little mouse hole to the side, looks like someone left the cheese for the mouse. Probably Toriel. That was nice of her! It filled me with enough determination to keep going!
I went into the next room to end up in a small room with a narrow passage leading to the other side. A pile of red leaves in that narrow passage as well as... a sheet? I walked closer and noticed something strange. It had eyes!
"Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz." it said... though it wasn't sleeping. It was just repeating the letter 'z.' After a moment, I gave it a light tap with my stick.
I felt a fight happen.
The ghost stood up, later learning his name was Napstablook. He looked a little down. I remembered the Froggit's advice, and gave the ghost a little cheer.
"Heh..." he said quietly, a little smile on his face. But tears began to fall from his eyes, white and shining. Much like the pellets from earlier with Flowey!
I jumped out of the way as they snaked along the floors and roof, falling towards me. I managed to dodge most of them, but one did manage to hit my Soul. It looks like if it hits any other part of my body, I don't get hurt from it. So I cant let these pellets hit my Soul. It didn't hurt as bad as when Flowey hit me, so I kept going.
I felt fearful that Napstablook was gonna keep hurting me... but I could see he looked a bit better. So I told him a little joke. The same one Toriel told me earlier.
"Heh heh..." he chuckled a little more enthusiasm. But tears fell from his eyes still. This time much larger tears fell from his eyes. They were much harder to dodge, and quite a few of them hit me. I felt weak, and knew that I couldn't hold out much longer.
So I cheered for him again. He seemed like he was getting in a better mood so maybe he'd stop crying? "Let me try..." he said as he seemed like he wanted to show me something. This time his tears went upwards, and little by little a top hat appeared on his white head. Still white in color, the hat was. A black stripe along the base. "Do you like it? I call it a 'Dapper Blook.'"
I nodded at him with an intrigued smile. "Oh my..." he replied, and stood up slowly. Or would it be floating? "I usually come to the ruins because there's nobody around... but today I met somebody nice." he said with a long pause as if contemplating the situation. Seemed he didn't have many friends. "Oh, I'm rambling again. Let me get out of your way." he said as he just... slowly faded away as ghosts do.
I noticed a little stack of gold coins in the leaves. Counting up roughly about 30 in the stack. Napstablook must've left it behind for me... that was nice! I moved on, noticing a room to the north and the east. I could see the wall of the east room so I went there. Upon walking in, I noticed a sign on the floor reading:
Spider Bake Sale!
Spider Donuts: 7G Spider Cider: 18G
Well... I had the gold. Why not? I left 7 gold and 18 gold respectively close to some rather large spiderwebs. As if on que, a doughnut slid out of one of the webs on a little plate wrapped in a baggy to keep it fresh, and a closed bottle of the light brown liquid out of the other. Noticing little spiders crawl down and grab the gold coins I laid on the webbing. I put the food and bottle in my pockets and moved on. Going to the northern door in the previous room.
As I walked along, I noticed three Froggits arguing with each other. Something about pressing X to ignore them? I wasn't sure so I just moved on. Right as I reached the end, the phone rang again. Already knowing who it was, I picked it up to hear Toriel speaking.
"Hello? I just realized that it has been a while since I have cleaned up." she said in a guilty tone. As if warning me about what kind of mess I would see. "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. You don't want to take up too much room in your pockets for something you might like!" then proceeded to hang up the phone.
I put the phone back in my pocket and went into the next room. Immediately spotting a sign on the wall that read 'There is only one switch.' I looked around the rather open room, not seeing anything on the walls. But I did notice cracks on the floor. There were also familiar ledges above on the walls. There were six cracks in the floor, oddly placed to seem intentional. I walked over to the closest one and pushed my foot down on it. The fragile stone gave way and dropped below onto a bed of leaves. From my elevated position, I could see six rooms in the same places above the cracks. One of them next to me had a switch on the wall, a staircase leading back up presumably to the ledges. Seemed easy enough, fall in the room, flip the switch, go back up the stairs.
But as I stood up, my foot slipped on the loose rocks, causing me to fall forward into the hole I was standing above. Though the pile of leaves cushioned my fall, I had to collect myself from the shock of landing on the floor so suddenly. I stood up and brushed the dust off of my shirt, noticing a root growing out of the ground nearby the stairs. It looked a lot like a turnip. Figuring it would be a good idea to have more food for this journey, I grabbed the turnip by the leaf and pulled hard.
Immediately, it screamed loudly and polled out of the ground. The turnip bounced off of the ground for a moment before sitting upright and turning to me. Showing a face on it glaring at me with a strange, permanent grin. A vegetoid!
I felt a fight begin.
Thinking of what I could do, I decided to talk to it. Compliment it kinda like I did earlier. The Vegitoid replied to me in a shrill voice. "Eat your veggies kids!" Then white vegetable shaped pellets flew towards me. It was difficult to dodge them, one of them hitting me squarely on my Soul.
From my fight with Napstablook, I was close to the end. That hit from the Vegetoid making my vision go dark till my vision was just two specks of light before I was able to catch my breath. If he hit me again, that would be it.
I don't like to admit what I did next... but I must tell it for the purpose of this story. I panicked. I remembered Flowey said to me before.
Kill or be killed.
Do it! Turn that turnip into paste! Screamed a cruel voice inside me. And I just... reacted. I took that stick in my hand and smashed it down against the Vegetoid as hard as I could. Instantly its face split in half with a somewhat sickening sound. Like stepping on a rotten apple. The vegetoid let out a loud scream, then its body began to crackle as it turned into dust. Some gold splattered on the ground nearby.
I felt a strange sickness in my stomach, making me feel a bit woozy. I just killed that Vegetoid... I don't even know if it was actually going to let me spare it. Could I have run away? Am I a murderer?!
That felt great! Do it more... KILL EVERYTHING! Said a strange voice in my head. I shook it off, glaring and running off. Leaving the mess I made behind.
I lost track of where I was at this point. I kinda blacked out. I know I somehow managed to solve those puzzles. I think my memory just kinda shut itself off for a while. But when I came to, I was on a strange ledge. And it was here that I got a view that I don't think I'll ever forget.
I was inside of the mountain, for sure. A large array of crystals along the 'roof' of the cave dotting like stars. Almost like that of the night sky. Also illuminating the ground below. Leaving Underground in a perpetual state of twilight.
What I saw was a vast kingdom. A large variety of medieval stone buildings and houses with a large palace against the wall of the mountain. The buildings were white in color mostly. Some were aged yellow as well. Something was telling me this was where I needed to go.
A little glint caught my eye, and I looked over to see what looked like a knife on the ground on this elevated ledge overlooking Underground. I walked over had picked it up. Once it was in my hand, I knew it was fake. But still, it was sharp and very sturdy. It would probably do better than my stick. So I tossed the stick down the rocky ledge and moved on.
I heard a Froggit nearby talking as I walked along. Saying something about Toriel walking through with a bag of groceries. There was a grocery store around here? Anyway I went along and followed the path up to find a tree with no leaves on it. I looked up and noticed a large bed of red leaves under it. This must be the tree that Toriel used to make all those soft leaf beds.
Almost on que, my phone rang. I picked it up to hear Toriel again. "Oh dear, that took longer than I thought it would." Only I could hear her voice in the distance too. She soon walked into my field of view. Our eyes met right and she rushed over to me. Hanging up the phone and standing in front of me. Looking me up and down with a very concerned look on her face.
"How did you get here, my child? Are you hurt?" She asked, noticing that I had a few scuff marks on my clothes from the fights, and falling on leaves again and again. She dusted me off lightly with soft pats with her fuzzy hand. "There there, I will heal you. I shouldn't have left you alone for so long... It was irresponsible to try and surprise you like this." she said with a pang of guilt in her voice.
A surprise? What kind of surprise? Toriel paused for a moment with an awkward expression as she realized she gave herself away. "Oh... well I suppose I cannot hide it any longer. Come, little one!" she said excitedly and rushed off passed the tree.
Almost literally behind it was a small house built into a tall wall. The windows were nice and clean, and the leaves made a nice colorful aesthetic to simulate a flowerbed leading up to the house. Seeing such a cute, tidy house in the ruins made me feel determined to get back to my own home. Maybe I can see a house like this outside again! I never really looked outside of the orphanage.
I walked into the house and was instantly met with the smell of butterscotch and cinnamon, as well as a pastry. The house was made with a light yellow wood, a darker colored staircase leading down into what appeared to be some kind of basement. A hallway to the right leading to some rooms, and to the left leading to a living room.
"Surprise! I made you a butterscotch-cinnamon pie!" Cheered Toriel proudly, but the lack of pie telling me that it was still likely being baked. It smelled fantastic though! "I made it to celebrate you living here with me. I thought it would be a nice surprise that you would enjoy. So I will hold off on snail pie for tonight."
Snail pie? That sounded very unappealing... But if it was what caprine's liked to eat who am I to judge? I bet a lot of people's pets think funny things when they eat something they don't like.
"Here, I have another surprise for you!" said Toriel as she quickly guided me down the hall. Her warm, fuzzy hand clasped over mine gently. She stopped in front of the first door. "Here we are! A room of your own. I hope you like it!"
Toriel then placed her hand on my head, ruffling my hair like a mother would to a child. It was a comforting feeling... Toriel was definitely someone I could trust down here. She seemed more than happy to take care of me... Could I live with her down here if there was really no way out? I mean... she had a room picked out for me. So I doubt she would've said no.
"Uhh..." said Toriel worriedly as she sniffed the air. "Is something burning? Um, make yourself at home!" she said as she ran off in a hurry towards the living room area, the kitchen just out of sight behind it.
I reached out to the door when something caught my eye. A mirror. I walked over towards it, passing the two other doors down the hall. I stared at my reflection in the mirror. Its me!
My memory shifted to the Vegetoid... and my stomach tied itself in a knot. I felt guilty about what I did... but I had to. It was going to kill me! But did that make it right? Was it the right thing to do? I stared at myself a while longer... was I staring at a murderer?
No... despite that, it was still me. I turned away from the mirror and walked down the hall. I paused in front of the first door, a sign on it that read 'Under Renovations.' I decided not to look in. But I then passed what I assumed to be Toriel's room. The door was cracked open, so I peeked inside.
The room was a bit dark, but I could notice quite a few things. A large bed about the size of a queen bed in the corner, a bookshelf, dresser, and a desk with a book on it. There was even a little rug with some fuzzy bunny slippers at the foot of the bed. I walked closer to the book and noticed it was Toriel's diary. There was a noticeably red circle on it.
Being the nosy little kid I was, I decided to read it.
Why did the skeleton want a friend? Because she was feeling BONELY...
The rest of the page was filled with jokes like that. Most of them skeleton puns. Why did Toriel have a thing for skeletons? I took one last look around the room, and noticed a flowerpot on top of the dresser. It had the same bright yellow flower from earlier when I fell into the Underground. Did that flower have some kind of meaning here?
I went into my new room to look around. There was a small bed in a corner next to the lamp, an empty dresser, and a cupboard as well. Two large stuffed caprine animals sat on the bed waiting for me. They looked hand stitched with little black buttons for eyes. Pretty close to my size.
The bed looked inviting, and I found myself falling on top of it face down. Taking a moment to relax, hardly even noticing as my eyes drifted closed as I fell asleep. I woke up some time later, turning on the lamp next to my bed. I spotted something on the floor. A plate with a slice of pie!
I walked over and picked it up. Looking over the desert treat. The crust was nice and crispy golden, a thin line of steam still coming off of the top of it. The center was layered with a dark brown color that smelled of cinnamon, and the other layers were a more golden paste-like with a butterscotch flavor.
Well, better dig in! I thought as I started to chow down. The pie was fantastic! A perfect blend of the two flavors. Not burnt or overcooked in the slightest! Maybe I could get the recipe to bring home? Once my plate was clean, I set it on the bed and left my room. I walked down the hall, coming into the foyer again with the staircase leading down.
My curiosity overtook me as I went down the steps. Coming to a long hallway made of that same magenta stone as the ruins. I walked down slowly, my footsteps echoing off the wall.
"Oh, you're awake!" said a familiar voice. Toriel rushing to stand in front of me in a haste. As if to block my way. She gave me a small smile and took my hand. "I think you should play upstairs..." she said as she lead me upstairs. Her hand gripping mine a bit more tightly this time as she lead me back to the foyer. She let go of my hand after and went into the living room.
Seeing as how she would just chase after me again, I followed her into the living room. The room was built the same as the house with the yellow wood. Save for the large stone fireplace in the back. Toriel sitting on a large comfy lazy boy chair with a book in hand. A large dining table with a tablecloth over it sat in the corner. The kitchen was visible, appearing very clean. Maybe Toriel used her magic to cook the pie instead of the stove? A large bookshelf stood next to the fireplace, intriguing me to walk over.
I just reached for the first book I could find, seeing it was a history book. I opened it up, reading a random passage from it without even really starting from the beginning.
Trapped behind the barrier and fearful of human attacks, we retreated. Far, far into the earth we walked, until we reached the cavern's end. This was our new home, which we named 'Home.' As great as our king is, he is pretty lousy at names.
A lousy name indeed... but welcoming I guess. I put the book away and looked over at Toriel sitting on the chair. She looked up at me and lowered her half-circle reading glasses, a smile touching her lips. "Up already, I see?" she said. "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 favorite bug-hunting spot. I've also prepared a curriculum for your education."
She seemed oddly prepared for this situation... was this the first time a human fell near her home? "This may come as a surprise to you, but I've always wanted to be a teacher." There was a long pause in her words as her eyes drifted a bit in thought. "Actually, perhaps that isn't very surprising."
I think she'd be a wonderful grade-school teacher. Children would love her kind and caring nature... not to mention she was a fluffy goat lady. "STILL." said Toriel punctually. "I am glad to have you living here."
She paused for a moment as I didn't say anything for a bit. She seemed really happy that I was here... But I wanted to go home. Toriel was a nice woman, but I had my own home I wanted to get back to. "Oh, is there something else? What is it?" she asked me.
I just blurted it out and asked her when can I go home?
"What? This... this IS your home now." she said with an almost sad tone in her voice... but something else. She seemed afraid. "Um, would you like to hear about this book I'm reading? Its called '72 Uses for snails.'" she said as if frantically trying to change the subject.
I asked her how to leave the ruins. I didn't want to make this any harder or more awkward than it had to be. "Um... How about an exciting snail fact? Did you know that snails talk...really...slowly? Just kidding, snails don't talk." she said as she tried to get a smile out of me. But I couldn't bring myself to do it.
So I asked again, how do I exit the ruins?
Toriel's face hardened much more this time, and she closed the book. "I have to do something. Stay here." she said as she stood up, folding her glasses down and tucking them inside her dress. Then taking off in a hurry. It didn't take long for me to follow her.
Toriel quickly went down the foyer steps into the tunnel under the house. I followed her to see her standing in the hallway. "You wish to know how to return 'home' do you not?" she asked, knowing I was right behind her. "Ahead of us lies the end of the ruins. A one-way exit to the rest of the Underground."
There was a long pause before she spoke again. "I'm going to destroy it. No one will ever be able to leave here again. Now be a good child and go upstairs." Her tone was still kind, but a bit shaky before she walked away.
Destroy it? Why was she going to destroy it? Did she want to trap me here against my will? I followed after her, she was stopped further down the hall again. I couldn't see her face, but her voice had changed a bit. "Every human that falls down here meets the same fate. I have seen it again and again. They come. They leave..." her voice was much more serious. Stern and forceful. She looked over her shoulder at me, eyes narrowed as if in warning glare. "They die."
Why? Who was killing them? I couldn't bring myself to ask these questions. "You naive child... if you leave the ruins... They... Asgore... will kill you. I am only protecting you, do you understand? Now go to your room." she said in that warning motherly tone of 'I wont tell you again.' kind of meaning before she went down the hall more.
Asgore... The name itself seemed to command authority. Who was he? I followed behind Toriel after a moment's contemplation. Toriel had made a turn down the hall, coming to a large door. The door had the same symbol etched on it before, the same on Toriel's dress. She stood in front of it, glaring over her shoulder at me. "This is your last warning. Go back upstairs." her voice very threatening now.
I refused to go back up. I wanted to go back home.
"You want to leave so badly?" asked Toriel, a hint of hurt in her voice. "Hmph. You are just like the others. There is only one solution to this."
Toriel turned to face me, her hands glowing red with fire before opening her palms up. Several orbs of fire hovering around her. "Prove yourself. Prove to me that you can protect yourself."
I felt a fight start. With Toriel.
She stood in my way. I had to do something. I told Toriel I wouldn't fight her, Toriel silent as well as she threw her hands outward to me. Fire flowing out of them and making serpentine patterns towards me. I did what I could to dodge them, but a good bit of them hit my Soul. I felt the heat of it burn me... she was serious. She wouldn't hesitate to kill me!
Kill her! Cut her into pieces! Turn her to dust! shouted a voice inside me. I panicked again and grabbed hold of the toy knife, rushing towards Toriel and managing to get a deep cut with it across her cheek. She stumbled back with eyes wide as if in shock, pressing her paw against her cheek and seeing the blood on her fingers. She glared and gritted her teeth, waving both of her hands outward in front of her to create several fireballs that flew towards me.
I ducked under them as best as I could, one managing to hit me and hurting a bit more than the last... But I was okay to keep fighting. I rushed forward again with the knife, this time slashing it towards her hip. Despite it being a toy, the hardness and sharpness of the plastic proved effective enough. I managed to land an effective cut across her hip to just below her belly. Making her groan out.
KILL HER! MAKE HER HURT!
Toriel started to throw fireball after fireball towards me now. I just barely managed to avoid all of them and ran at her again... I wanted to end this now... I ran at her as fast as I could and stabbed that knife blindly. I felt it sink into something, followed by a pained grunt from Toriel.
I let go of the knife and stepped back, seeing that it was protruding from her chest, just below the emblem. She fell down to her knee, clutching at the hilt of it. Looking at me with a pained, hurt expression. Not hurt from the wounds, but hurt emotionally. Tears welling up in her eyes.
"Do you... really hate me... that much?" she asked in a shaky voice. She started to weep quietly, red blood beginning to drip out from around the corners of her chin. "You are stronger... than I thought. Listen to me, small one..." she said, eyes lifting to look at me. Bloodshot and soaked with saddened tears. "If you go beyond this door behind me, keep walking as far as you can. And you will eventually reach the exit..."
She hesitated for a moment, and coughed up a bit of blood, splattered a bit on the floor as well as her chin and chest. "Asgore... do not let Asgore take your soul... His plan... cannot be allowed to succeed..."
Toriel looked up at me, her eyes closing softly as that soft, motherly smile touched her lips. "Be...good...my...child."
Her body began to crack and whither like dried ground in a wasteland. Dust falling off of her as she slowly began to fade away. Crumbling into dust onto the ground, then eventually into nothingness. The toy knife clattering on the ground. In the place where she stood was a Soul. Only this was different. It was upside down, and gray. It hesitated for a moment, than began to tremble and shake. As if it was fighting something.
Then it split down the middle, and broke in half. Fading away into nothingness.
I stood there dumbfounded at what I had just done... the realization hit me that I had just beaten her... No I didn't beat her. I KILLED her... murdered her... What was I thinking? Why did I do it? Why did she get in my way? Could I have stopped it? Should I have?
It felt good, didn't it? Seeing her face when you cut her! It broke her poor old heart. Said a cruel, inward voice.
NO! I didn't feel good at all! I felt guilty... filthy...wrong. My hands trembled before I buried my face in them and fell to my knees. I couldn't help but just weep uncontrollably. What had I done? She was so kind... she didn't want to hurt me. She wanted to protect me! I could've at least tried to reason with her but I didn't!
You went for the Soul! You're a killer, and you know it! You killed that turnip too!
I didn't want to be... Both Toriel and the Vegetoid from earlier... why did I attack them? Other monsters let me spare them... so why didn't I do it with them too? Why didn't I give them the chance?!
She would never smile again... bake another pie or make a bad skeleton joke.
I couldn't bring myself to accept it.
Was it even possible for me to change anything I did?
Could I spare everyone else I came across or would I kill them again?
I don't want to go on with this...
I killed her and I can't take that back...
I couldn't accept this.
I want to go back!
I just wanted everything to...
RESET
Let's go again! Leave no one alive this time!
Then I woke up in the bed of flowers, the light of the hole I fell through in the mountain shining on my face.
"Clever, very clever." said a familiar voice behind me.
And here is where I will end chapter one. To those who haven't read stuff from me before, I like feedback a lot! So if you wanna leave a review, good or bad, feel free. Just don't troll, leave constructive criticism.