Posted some fanart for this chapter! You can see it on my deviantart iHateFridays or other sites lol
~Faye~
"You want to leave so badly?" Toriel asked.
She wasn't facing the group. Instead, she was facing a purple door with the familiar winged symbol on it. It was surrounded by purple walls.
"Hmph," Toriel scoffed. "This is foolish. There is only one solution to this… prove yourself… prove to me you are strong enough to survive."
She turned around, the lights going out. Faye wanted to crawl into a ball and hide.
"I… we don't wanna fight!" Cody held out his pan.
"Hey, I won't argue with the cowgirl or Melody again, I promise!" Brayden added.
He… doesn't want to fight? Faye stared at him.
"Toriel, we really don't have to fight," Melody spoke up. "You yourself said it's not right."
But Toriel wasn't listening. She stared at the kids with intense, red eyes.
Frisk said nothing. They stood there, stick in grip.
"ATK - 80, DF - 80," Percy said, peeking up from his notebook. "The strongest monster we've encountered so far."
"She knows what's best for us…" Faye muttered.
Toriel was a great mom, Faye wouldn't lie. But right now, Faye didn't want to be scared by Toriel. She wasn't going to argue or fight back like the others. No.
She had a different plan. She was going to stop Toriel from fighting by doing nothing at all... except wait.
Toriel took a deep breath. She made fireballs like the one that hit Flowey rain from everywhere. Everyone scrambled to avoid them. But Faye didn't. She stood still, letting them hit her. Her HP went down to 13. She tried not to flinch.
"Faye!" Brayden shouted. "'Move or you'll get hit!"
But Faye didn't move. She kept standing still in the same place.
"Look ma'am, I don't wanna hurtcha," Clover told Toriel, holding out her gun. "But if you don't stop now I'll have ta."
"Hold on," Frisk grabbed her gun.
"You really don't killin' monsters, do ya?" Clover asked them.
Frisk glowered at her.
"Toriel!" Cody whimpered. "If we made you upset, then I'm sorry! I don't want to fight you anymore!"
Frisk showed Toriel mercy by sparing her. Toriel brought down another wave of flames. They were shaped like an hourglass. Percy was figuring out a strategy to avoid them. Frisk just barely managed to help him avoid a few of them hitting him.
Faye still didn't move. Her HP dropped to 7. She didn't say anything. She just held onto her toy knife and faded ribbon.
The kids (even a hesitant Clover) spared Toriel again, causing the goat lady to look confused. Faye stayed still as Toriel unleashed her next attack. Her HP was 3. Everyone stared at her.
"Faye, ya need to move." Clover told her.
"You'll get hurt!" Cody agreed.
Faye didn't say anything. She just stayed still. Toriel unleashed another attack. Faye still didn't move.
"Faye, come on!" Melody ordered. "This is ridiculous!"
Frisk stood in front of Faye.
"Why don't you want to move?" they asked her, gently.
"Sometimes, it's just easy to wait things out," Faye replied.
Frisk just stared at her. The two connected gazes. Frisk smiled.
"You're right," they chuckled. "You're a smart cookie, huh?"
Faye hid her face, smiling as well.
"What are you doing?" Toriel demanded.
Frisk stayed in front of Faye, nodding at her. "Don't worry, I got this."
"Faye, move!" Brayden shouted. "Please!"
Faye ignored him. She kept staring at Toriel, holding her knife with a thousand yard stare. It was almost… disturbing. Even Toriel was fazed for a moment.
"Attack or run away!" the goat woman commanded, bringing down more fire.
Clover was protecting people as well, gun in hand.
"Don't you get it, Toriel?!" Cody got out. "We don't wanna fight!"
Percy was avoiding Toriel's attacks by hiding at the back. Melody was jumping out of the way, sweating bullets. Brayden was running all over the place, chest heaving.
"What are you proving this way?" Toriel asked, twitching. She stared at Faye. "What are you doing?"
Faye kept staring at her. Frisk batted away more fire.
"Fight me or leave!" Toriel commanded.
No one fought her. Faye didn't move.
"Stop it," Toriel spoke. She stared at Faye. "Move, child!"
"I get it," Melody gasped, eyes widening. "She's resisting her…"
Clover grimaced. "She'd be dead if it weren't for Frisk."
Brayden gazed at Faye, giving her a shaky thumbs up. "Faye! You got this!"
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Toriel asked Faye. "Why will you not move?"
Faye didn't answer.
Toriel attacked again, a solemn expression on her face. "I do not understand. What are you doing?"
Her attacks continued coming, but Faye still refused to move.
"Oh, Faye, be careful!" Melody shrieked, a fireball nearly hitting Faye.
"This better be worth it," Clover huffed, "or I'll kill that goat."
"Clover," Cody grumbled.
Toriel continued bringing down fire. Faye didn't move, yet her eyes were tearful. Frisk grabbed her hand. They gazed at each other.
"You'll get through this, Faye," Frisk told her. "I'm here for you."
Brayden gritted his teeth. "FAYE! DON'T GIVE IN!"
Faye clenched her fists, breathing in. They're counting on me.
Toriel frowned.
"My child…" she said sadly, looking at Faye. "Frisk cannot defend you forever, do you understand? You must move." Faye didn't say anything. She didn't move.
"I do not understand what you are trying to prove," Toriel spoke.
Faye thought about her parents. Brayden was right. Who was going to wait for them if she stayed here? What would her aunt do? What would her friends do?
She knew deep down she really couldn't stay here. It wouldn't help anyone. And at the end of the day, that's all Faye wanted to do.
"I…" Toriel looked upset. "Is there something wrong…?"
Her fireballs came down again, but they didn't hit anyone. Faye still didn't move, though she began to sniffle.
"Are you waiting for something?" Toriel whimpered. "Do you really dislike movement? I do not understand. What is it that you want, child?"
Everyone was staring at Faye now. Faye felt relief wash over her. Toriel had stopped fighting and had slumped over. She'd done it. She'd waited her out.
"I don't want anything, really," Faye finally spoke. "I just want to go home."
No one else spoke.
Toriel replied, "I know you want to go home, but... please, go upstairs now. I promise I will take good care of you."
"I want to stay so much, Toriel, but…" Faye sighed. "But you can't always get what you want."
She stared at her friends. Her eyes watered once again. She missed her parents, her old home, everything. Then she came to a reminiscence of those things - and now she had to abandon them all.
She didn't want to, of course - but there were more important things. She had to return home. Her friends were counting on it. They were a group, after all.
"I know we do not have much, but…" Toriel had a sad smile. "We can have a good life here. All of you."
Faye just stared at her.
Toriel laughed. "Ha ha… pathetic, is it not? I cannot save even one of you." She frowned, turning away. "No, you are right. You cannot always get what you want. You would just be unhappy trapped down here, anyway. The RUINS are very small once you get used to them. It would not be right for you to grow up in a place like this. My expectations… my loneliness… my fear… for you, my children… I will put them aside."
The battle concluded.
"If you children truly wish to leave the RUINS, I will not stop you," Toriel spoke, facing them. "However, when you leave… please do not come back. I hope you understand."
"Awww, what?!" Brayden asked. "Why?!"
Melody bonked him on the head. "Be respectful."
Toriel kneeled down and spread her hugs, giving the kids a big hug. "My children…"
Faye and Cody sobbed into her arms. Even Melody was shaking. Frisk joined in, grinning at Faye. Clover and Brayden joined in on the sides. Percy stayed out of the hug, clutching his notebook to his chest.
Toriel stood back up, smiling at all the kids.
"Goodbye, my children." she told them, walking away. She looked back and smiled at Faye. Faye smiled back. Then Toriel left them at last. Cody sobbed into his sister's arms.
"I'm sorry." Faye said quietly. "I… I was just waiting her out…"
"Hey, Faye," Brayden walked up to Faye. He grabbed her shoulder. "DON'T DO THAT AGAIN OR I'LL BEAT THE HECK OUT OF YOU!" He grinned and hugged her. "That was actually pretty brave though - nice one! You're pretty tough after all."
"An interesting tactic," Percy commented.
"Kinda scary pardner, I'm with Brayden here." Clover admitted.
The sobbing Cody nodded. He shook his head.
"Seriously, never again," he got out.
"You're a funny girl, Faye," Melody sighed. "You know how to scare someone."
"You did it, Faye," Frisk gave her an applause and a sweet smile. "I knew you could."
Faye blushed. She wrapped Frisk in a tight hug. It felt good to hug someone who cared for her so dearly. Frisk's arms wrapped around her as well. They both beamed at each other.
Brayden's arms began shaking. "That stick-carrying little… FAYE!"
He charged between Faye and Frisk, shocking the both of them. He clutched onto Faye, who gasped in surprise. She really did not know why he got so angry whenever Frisk was nice to her.
"Brayden…" Melody sighed, shaking her head. She reached over and gently patted her friend's shoulder.
"Alright, y'all," Clover clapped her hands. "I think it's time to go."
The crew pushed the purple door open and proceeded through a long, purple hall. At the end of the hall was a black room like the one they first met Flowey in. A patch of grass was in the center, and behind it, a purple gate with the symbol.
Speak of the devil - Flowey was there.
"You." Clover growled, giving Flowey a death-stare with her gun. Brayden put his fist in his palm. Faye stood behind Frisk and Brayden, shaking.
"Clever," Flowey said darkly, grinning sadistically. "Verrryyy clever. You all think you're so smart, don't you? In this world, it's kill or BE killed."
"N-no it's not!" Faye squeaked. "It's, uh, m-more than that!"
"Ooh, the cyan baby is growing some backbone!" Flowey teased. "You IDIOT. What can you say when you were the only one who was stupid enough to take my bullets?!"
"Hey, don't talk to her like that!" Brayden yelled, taking a step forward.
"Yeah," Clover held up her gun. "She ain't a coward like you."
Frisk nodded in agreement, arms crossed.
"Wow, aren't you all such great friends?" Flowey asked. "Hee hee hee. You're all IDIOTS. So you were able to play by your own rules." His expression twisted. "You spared the life of a single person. I bet you feel really great. You didn't kill anybody this time… well, almost. But what will you do if you meet a relentless killer? You'll all die and you'll die and you'll die! Until you tire of trying. What will you do then?"
"We keep trying!" Brayden yelled at him. "No one's gonna stop us!"
The others nodded.
"Oh, really?" Flowey asked, making another face. "You can't say anything, you IDIOT! You're not the one with the power here!" He gazed at Frisk. "In fact… what if you all ran into someone far worse than me? A liar, a coward, a murderer. Someone who's using you all as tools for their own entertainment. Because I can tell you right now, someone like that is standing right here."
Frisk's stare pierced Flowey.
"Don't be stupid," they told him. "If there's anyone like that around… then we'll be able to deal with them!"
"... yeah, you don't know what you're talking about…" Faye whimpered, clinging onto Frisk. "There's no one like that here...!"
"Yeah!" Cody agreed. "No murderers here!"
Frisk beamed proudly at their friends.
"Lemme at him!" Brayden begged his friends. "I'll stuff his stupid, uh, leaves or whatever into the ground!"
Flowey disappeared.
Brayden ran over to the green patch where he had been standing. "HEY! GET BACK HERE SO I CAN BEAT YOU UP, COWARD!"
"I'll have a go at him myself," Clover agreed, narrowing her eyes. "Stupid weed."
"Let's go on, shall we?" Melody asked, sighing. "We don't want him in our hair."
The kids proceeded towards the gate. This time, Faye walked next to her best friend - Brayden.
"You're pretty brave, too, Brayden," she said quietly. "Thanks for never giving up on me."
He gave her a thumbs up and a big grin.
"What're friends for, Faye?!" he asked, giving her a noogie. She blushed.
Percy adjusted his glasses in satisfaction and began aggressively writing fanfic- uh, notes.
"This is it, guys," Frisk walked ahead of the group. "Are you ready?"
The group nodded.
"Then let's go!" Frisk clapped.
And so, they entered the gate.