Well howdy there folks and welcome to the first Undertale story I've decided to publish!

I...don't have much else to say?

Uh...

I will try to update once a week, but there is no set schedule since I suck at these types of things. I will post when I get around to writing le chaptah

I'm still working on a cover

Trigger warnings...let's see...hmm...I guess a little bit of blood, maybe death mentioned, but I'm trying to keep this as more of a hurt/comfort fic so ye

ENjoy!

The weather had changed so drastically and suddenly it was impossible to tell there had been any sunshine in the day so far at all. I sighed and began looking for somewhere along the mountain trail to take shelter. Of course. Nothing. I sighed again and decided to press onwards. This was a rocky place, surely there'd be a cave somewhere along here? Well, hopefully, that was, because I was pretty sure by that point my striped teal sweater had become another layer of skin. Sodden, sticking, uncomfortable skin. My hair too, plastered against my scalp.

Don't get me started on the leggings either.

At least my boots were doing okay. They ran halfway up to my knees, and were a bit waterlogged but mostly fine. My socks had that awful feeling of being wet though. But most of me was too, so no big deal.

Thunder rumbled overhead. Did lightning strike? I can't remember. I doubt I saw it. But if it was and this was a thunderstorm, I needed to find shelter and fast. Preferably not under a tree either. I quickened my pace, trying to see through the thick grey sheets of icy rain. The lack of sunlight then didn't help either. I knew there was none behind me, and the walk down was too far and risky. I knew I should never have come up this cursed mountain, I should have listened to everyone, but my curiosity got the better of me. What happened to the other children? Are they alive? Are they okay? Or what happened?

Stupid, stupid, stupid. They all went over the span of a century, even if they did survive what makes you think they'd survive for that long?

...the average human lifespan is 79 years. And there's news of people that are living to like, over a hundred. Even if they died to old age somewhere up here, there must be at least one or two left. The last disappearance was only two or three years ago.

…

I shook my head in frustration, hair immediately slapping me across the face and having to be pushed back into position.

I'm literally having an argument with myself.

Then, suddenly, as I rounded a corner, I saw it. The cave. A wide, gaping entrance in the mountain like the damned tall rocky thing had a mouth. I let out yet another sigh, but this one of relief, and hurried inside.

To say it was dark would be an understatement. It was practically pitch black due to the lack of light. But I'd take the darkness over the soaking I was getting by staying outside. I couldn't see the end of it, so I didn't know how deep or wide it was, but I decided that I didn't need to know if I just sat near the entrance to wait it out.

So I did. I waited.

And I waited.

And I waited.

And I waited.

For what seemed like hours but was probably only about a maximum of two, slipping in and out of sleep as my tired, stiff joints were relaxed. It was clear that the storm wasn't passing anytime soon, and so I decided to explore the cave a little more, to see if there was anything I could make a makeshift bed with. So I got up, my limbs screaming in protest, to try and find anything that would make a more comfortable resting place than the hard, rocky and sharp ground.

Maybe I would have been spared a lot of terror if I didn't.

One minute I was fumbling about blindly for any kind of wall, and the next my foot, instead of meeting the floor, had stepped out into nothingness. I tried to pull back, but it was too late. I'd already put forwards my weight and was falling. I let out a piercing shriek as I tried to twist around and grab onto an edge, but I was already too far down. My heart felt as though it had been plunged into icy water as the horrific feeling of falling overwhelmed me alongside sharp fear, and I screamed and screamed for help until my throat was hoarse, even though I knew no one could save me.

I felt cold and numb as I realised I was going to die.

Alone and scared.

Just like they said.

How long was the fall? I didn't know. But I did know that if I was going to die, I didn't want it to last for ages. I didn't want to drown in my fear and sadness and longing more than I already was, and I closed my eyes. But it seemed like the feeling lasted forever. The fall never stopped. Until...until…

I hit something soft. Something feeling softer and safer than anything I'd ever imagined. Was I alive? Or was this some form of afterlife I'd already reached? I was glad I didn't experience any pain, if that was the case. Sure, I did feel a little breathless, but…

Wanting to test my theory, I opened my eyes and immediately knew I was wrong. Sure, above me there was light streaming down, but I was surrounded by shadowed grey rock walls, some purplish pillars and most unusually of all, I was lying on a bed of golden flowers. They were quite tall, and just about covered me as I stared upwards. I felt very much alive, and so decided that that was for the best. If there was sunlight shining down, it meant that I had passed out for a little while unlike originally thought. I was glad I didn't ache or have any broken bones or cuts or the like, but more importantly I needed to know where I was and how to get out of there.

I rolled onto my front and then pushed myself onto my knees, then upwards onto my feet. I went to dust myself off, but decided to look at the damage to my clothes first. Huh. They were now only slightly damp, and my striped teal sweater appeared to have fluffed itself back out. My hair was mostly dry too, and I dragged my fingers through it painfully for a second or so as a makeshift comb before leaving it. I guess that lying in the sunlight for a little bit dried me off. I brushed the dirt off them.

Squinting back upwards, it was clear to tell that there was no way I was climbing out. Like the fall suggested, it was an extremely long hole, and even if I could find enough safe and jutting-out patches to climb up with, I'd fall back down from exhaustion or pain barely a quarter of the way up, and maybe even actually die this time around. So instead I began searching around the room as my eyes adjusted to the less-lit areas. I was rewarded with the finding of a corridor, and along that a cracked and faded but also extremely detailed purple doorway. I entered after checking. It led to another room with a matching doorway opposite.

"Hello?" I called around, voice restored after the rest and echoing in the smallish cave, "Hello? Is anyone there?"

Suddenly I heard footsteps, quite heavy yet quiet, almost leathery like a canine or feline's pads. Coming hurriedly towards me. I wasn't sure whether to be braced for threat or making more noise for them to find me, so I just kind-of stood about considering the pros and cons until they emerged from the far doorway.

At first I had no idea what they were, but they were most certainly not a human.

They were around six to seven foot tall, humanoid but with the qualities of a white goat. A lot of thick white fur, small horns atop their head, short fangs and long floppy ears as well as cinnamon-coloured eyes. They were wearing a long purple robe with a strange white symbol on the breast. I guessed they were female, and the soft voice confirmed so.

"Oh! My child, are you okay?"

She hurried towards me, and I took a step backwards in fear, looking up with wide eyes. She towered over me, and though there was only kindness and motherly love emanating from her, I felt threatened. She looked like one of the monsters described in the old myths and legends books in the library and school, but...those were just stories and folklore, right? So why...how was the living image of one of their leaders standing in front of me?

She seemed to immediately detect I was scared, and let out a low chuckle.

"Ah, do not be afraid, my child. I am Toriel, caretaker of the Ruins. Might I ask for your name?"

Toriel...Toriel...I ran the name back through my memories, trying to remember if it featured in the books. Though I had read them many times, they were old and worn with age, names often lost in translations from our ancient language. It often came out with misinterpreted and misspelled things like 'Ashore' and 'Thorn real', which sounded too strange to be a name, even if it was for these monsters. 'Thorn real' sounds like it could have originally been written as Toriel though...I don't know.

Back to her question.

I was still too scared to talk, no matter how I tried, so it was by sheer luck I managed to stammer out "A-am I d-dreaming?"

Toriel chuckled again. "No, we are very much awake, my child. I understand that it may be hard to believe the fact that you have fallen into the world of us monsters, but please be reassured that you are safe here with me. I shall not let any harm come to you."

She reached out a furry hand. After a few hesitant moments of staring at it, I slowly reached out and then took it, immediately feeling its warmth and her love spreading throughout me. I immediately knew that I could trust her, and she would do nothing but the best, for me. She smiled.

"What is your name, young one?"

"My name is Kiva."

And I smiled back.

Kiva is a name. It is of Irish origin, and it means kind! So, uh, yeah

XD

I hope you enjoyed this first chapter of Another One! Thoughts? Constructive criticism? :3

Alright, enjoy the rest of your day or night, hope you enjoyed reading, and stay safe!

~KT