Chapter One: Fallen Down


A red headed teenager hiked along the worn path of Mount Ebott, humming along to the music from his headphones. He wore blue jeans and a red t-shirt with a green jacket over it. Brown hiking boots, a worn beige backpack, and a walking stick to allow him to easily cross the terrain as he moved up towards the cave at the top. After another few minutes, he stopped and took a sip of water from his water bottle, before continuing to the entrance of the cave. He gazed inside the darkness, pulling out his phone to use for a flashlight.

"Alright, let's see…" He scanned the cave, spotting the baseball cap lying on the other side of a massive hole. Setting down the walking stick against the cave wall, he began to carefully edge around the hole to snag the cap, crouching and reaching for it. As his fingers brushed against it, he felt the ground under his boots shift and threw himself toward the hat, hoping it was on more solid ground. It wasn't. As he hit the ground he felt it crumble beneath him as he fell into darkness.


Slowly, he awoke, groaning in pain, head throbbing. "What… happened…" He tried to think back, but his memories seemed hazy. He remembered jumping for the hat, then falling. After that… a bright yellow shape rushed towards him. Slowly sitting up, he looked around, seeing himself in a small field of bright yellow flowers. Light existed high above, a minuscule circle. Around him stood tall pillars, eroded with age. He blinked, surprised to see any sign of civilization at the core of a mountain.

"I guess these flowers… cushioned my fall?" He said as he stood up, brushing himself off. He pulled off his backpack before taking another long sip of water from his now dented water bottle. He stayed there for a few minutes, waiting for the world to clear up before walking around the room. It was a barren cavern apart from a lone hallway that led off into darkness. After a moment's hesitation, he entered into the void, the light behind him fading away.


After a short walk, a circle of light sat ahead. Within it sat a small golden flower, gently bobbing up and down, the small face on the center of it smiling.

"Howdy! I'm Flowey! Flowey the Flower!"

"Uh… I'm Braedan?"

"Well Braedan, you seem pretty new to the underground. Golly, you must be so confused."

"... Honestly, yeah. I have a huge headache." The teen said, rubbing his temple with one hand. The flower gave a big smile.

"Someone ought to teach ya how things work around here! I guess little old me will have to do." Before Braedan's eyes, a crimson heart formed in front of him, a few inches from his chest, gently glowing. "That there is your soul! The culmination of your being. Your soul starts off weak, but grow strong if you gain lots of LOVE!"

"Love?"

"Yeah! Down here it's shared through friendliness pellets!"

"..." Braedan looked uneasy as spinning pellets formed around Flowey. Flowey continued.

"Go ahead! Collect as many as you can!" Braedan cautiously touched one and gasped as pain exploded through him, causing him to stumble back, coughing up blood.

"What… the hell... was that…" He froze, seeing that Flowey's kind face was replaced by one filled with cruelty.

"You idiot. In this world, it's kiłł ør bē kīłłēd." The flower laughed, sounding almost demonic. More pellets materialized around Braedan and he looked around nervously, realizing what he was dealing with. "As if anyone would let such an easy kill get away." As the pellets approached, the man defensively raised his hands, and the pellets stopped, hitting a barrier of red light. "What?!" The flower growled. "How?!"

"Huh?" Braedan looked up and realized there was a sort of energy wall between him and the pellets. "The hell is this?"

"Get rid of it so I can kill you!" Flowey yelled as more pellets materialized and slammed against the wall.

"... On second thought, I don't care, it can stay." Braedan then noticed small cracks forming where the pellets strained to pierce it. "Great. Just great."

"Looks like you're not strong enough!" Flowey laughed. "I wonder how long you can ke-" A blast of fire suddenly hit him, sending him flying, the pellets evaporating as he did. Braedan lowered his arms, the barrier fading away. Moments later, a tall fluffy figure, looking somewhat goatlike, yet regal, walked forward in a purple robe.

"Such a horrible creature, tormenting someone who doesn't know enough to protect themselves." The womanly monster said, obviously displeased. Her face then softened as she took in the figure before her. "Are you alright?" Braedan blinked, after his last social encounter, he had no idea if he could trust the woman before him.

"Uh… Yeah. I'll be fine." He stood, on guard in case she attacked him. Instead, she smiled.

"That's good. My name is Toriel, and I am the caretaker of the Ruins. I come by a few times a day to see if anyone's fallen down. It's been a long time."

"Oh… Uh, I'm Braedan." He offered his hand to her. "Braedan Steel. Nice to meet a friendly face." She accepted the hand, shaking it.

"Come with me. I'm sure you have a lot of questions, but it will be easier to answer them from my home." She explained, letting go and motioning for him to follow. Without any hesitation he moved close, listening as she talked and walked.

"In the underground, puzzles are commonplace. Ancient fusions between diversions and door keys. You often must solve them to progress and move from place to place."

"Any reason why?"

"Tradition I suppose. No other real reason for them."

"How big is the underground?"

"Quite large. Large enough for all of the monsters in it to live comfortably. There are several areas, most notably the Ruins, Snowdin, Waterfall, Hotlands, and the Capital."

"Okay…" He sidestepped a small frog, which paid him no mind. "And these are all monsters? They can all speak?"

"Yes, although within the ruins most prefer to avoid conflict or interaction."

"And outside, the opposite?"

"With some yes, but not all. Many monsters will avoid you if possible, but others will challenge you. Being a human means that many monsters will seek to end your life and claim your soul."

"Claim my soul? Why?"

"... We should continue this later." Toriel said before continuing at a brisk pace in silence, the man alongside her occasionally jogged to keep up. After a time, they reached a quaint home, seemingly deep in the ruins. Toriel led him inside, closing the door. "If you'd like, you could rest a bit before we continue our conversation." He nodded, agreeing.

"I could definitely do with a nap. Might help my headache to rest a bit."

"First door on the left down the hall." She said with a smile. He gave a small nod in return before entering into what appeared to be a child's bedroom. He looked around before dropping his backpack beside the bed and sitting on it. His head was still pounding, and as he rested his head in his hands, he spoke softly.

"Guess I'm lucky things seem as safe as they are." Braedan sighed before dropping back onto the bed, quickly drifting to sleep. Hours later he awoke, stretching before slipping back out into the house proper. He walked into the warm and cozy living room, seeing Toriel lost in a book.

"Excuse me?" Braedan asked, rubbing the back of his head. Toriel looked up, smiling cheerfully.

"Oh! You're awake! Did you sleep well?"

"Slept alright." He replied. "Headache's better, so it's a start. So uh… mind finishing our chat from before?"

"Ah yes. I'm sure you have questions. Where were we?" She asked as she shut her book.

"So… we were talking about souls right? Why do they want mine?" Braedan asked as he casually sat by the fire, staring into it.

"Because it is immensely powerful. Human souls are so powerful in fact, that the human soul remains even after death."

She said as she stood and put the book back on the shelf before returning to her seat.

"Which is how they can take it?" He asked as he pulled up a chair.

"Precisely. With the power of seven human souls, the king of the underground, King Asgore Dreamurr will have the power needed to break the barrier that has trapped us here for so long."

"And how many does he have?"

"Currently, the king has six human souls. Yours makes seven."

"Wonderful. Well, point me in the right direction towards home."

"... I think you should get used to living here in the ruins. It's the only place you'll be safe." She said softly. "If you face Asgore, he will kill you."

"Then I'll find a way past him." He said, sounding… determined. "I can't stay here. I have a life I need to get back to. My Parents are waiting for me."

"... Then follow me." She stood and walked to a flight of stairs descending into the stone. Cautiously, Braedan followed her down, walking along a simple stone hallway when he paused, feeling safe. Blinking and looking around, he rushed to keep up with Toriel, having fallen behind. After a short while, they reached a massive door. Toriel turned to face him. "This is the exit to the rest of the underground. If you wish to go through it, then defeat me."

"Defeat you?" Braedab said, as he took an unconscious step back.

"Yes. Prove to me you can survive the underground. Prove you can face Asgore."

She held out her hands and a fireball materialized above each palm. Braedan looked at her for a moment before sighing.

"... If I have to fight, then bring it on!" He said stubbornly, facing her with a glint in his eyes as he tossed his backpack aside. She launched the flaming orbs at him in quick succession, causing him to dive into a roll to get out of the way. As he came up out of the roll, another fireball shot towards him. As it did, he instinctively brought his hands up to protect himself, a weak crimson barrier forming around him as he did. The fireball blasted into his chest, causing the shield to shatter apart. Blasted backwards, Braedan hit the ground, groaning before rolling over and standing up again. He glanced at Toriel, trying to figure out how to get past her.

"Focus." He thought as another fireball launched at him. He held out his hands and once again the barrier of crimson light materialized in front him, stronger and more solid this time. Toriel froze, staring in surprise as the attack harmlessly dispersed against the simple shield.

"How are you doing that?!" She said in shock as she approached him.

"Doing what?" He asked, unsure of what she meant, as he lowered his hands, the wall of light dispersing.

"The shield! It's defensive magic!" Toriel explained as she stood in front of him.

"I can do magic? I thought this was just how it worked down here!" He replied, brushing himself off.

"No, you're the first human with magic to have fallen down." Toriel trailed off.

"... And that means…" Braedan asked as he gestured for her to continue.

"... That means, I can help you much more. I believe I can teach you some magic, and possibly help you strengthen what you already have."

"... So you're saying… I get to be a magician? Nice." He grinned. "So does that mean the fight is off?"

"Yes, the fight is off." Toriel said, sounding relieved.

"Great... So now what?"

"We learn what you can do. The strength that you have."

"So let's start that fight back up again!"


Two Weeks Later.


Braedan stood, wearing a simple T-Shirt and cutoff shorts, drenched in sweat. Before him stood Toriel, obviously exhausted as well.

"Well… I think that's enough practice for now. Why don't we go have some pie?" Toriel said between breaths.

"Sounds… Wonderful…" The man said, his breathing ragged. "I hate this… stupid… shield…" Toriel smiled as they headed back upstairs into her home, heading to the kitchen to get them some water. Braedan proceeded to chug two glasses, leaning against the counter.

"... You should appreciate your gift. As far as I can tell, you have a powerful aptitude for magic. Enough that you could effectively be taught any kind."

"Just cause I got some special bloodlines right? That's why I can use magic?"

"I believe so. All magic originated with monsters, so you must be descended from one. And the strength you possess seems to indicate a very strong line, most likely one of the seven mages who sealed the barrier."

"Woo. Congrats to him."

"At least the fire magic seemed to come along quickly." Toriel offered, receiving a sigh from the teen.

"Yeah, and the shield can block a couple attacks now. Which is good. But even with those, how will I be able to get stronger safely once I've left the ruins? I don't really want to hurt people, and I'm kinda exotic around here. Plus, you know, everyone wants me dead." Toriel looked down, thinking in silence.

"How long could I pull off just hiding my identity with gloves and a hood?"

"Not long at all… but I may have a solution. One moment." Toriel stood and slipped from the room. Braedan waited, sipping at another glass of water. After a few minutes, she returned, carrying with her a battered book.

"Whatcha got there?"

"A very old spellbook. One I haven't read in years. It details a very complex form of magic known as transformation magic. Powerful, but limiting."

"Limiting?" He asked.

"Yes. As a human, you are durable. You are even able to use more magic. However, it seems to be more difficult for you to learn magic. Taking on a monster form will help you to learn magic in an easier fashion, along with keeping you hidden." Toriel explained casually.

"So makes it so I can't access as much magic, but it should be easier? Like a built-in limiter."

"Yes. That's an excellent description. However, you should improve with time."

"Any limits to what I can transform into?"

"Something you're familiar with. You need an understanding of what you are becoming. And there are limitations."

"Like, I can't become a ghost, cause it's too different?"

"I'm not sure. The change seems too great for the spell to achieve, at least, as far as the book details."

"So what would I be able to do easily?"

"I would say that a skeleton would be the easiest."

"Cause it's the closest to me in shape and size?"

"And form as well. After all, you already have a skeleton. It should be an easy change."

"Okay… So how do I do this?"

"Let me reread this and refresh. It's been a while since I read it." Toriel said with an awkward smile.

"Take your time." He said before taking another sip of water. "I can do some more training in the meantime."

"Thank you." Toriel sat down and began reading, quickly getting lost in the old text. Braedan stretched before walking outside, walking down the path to get a pitcher of spider cider from the spider bake sale. As he walked, his eyes scanned the walls of the ruins, occasionally making out worn writing on the walls. Nothing legible, but signs that this once was a busy, lively place. He sighed as he sidestepped a froggit before turning the corner and setting down a small pile of coins on a spiderweb. He then sat down to wait for the pitcher to arrive. He pulled out a pair of headphones and closed his eyes, listening to music on his phone. He'd checked before, and it had no service. However, he was able to charge it at Toriel's home, something that had surprised him. After a time, he drifted off to sleep against the wall, slipping into a dream.


The world slowly came into focus, revealing a long hallway, with sunlight shining in through stained glass windows. Pillars lined the walls, and a door stood at either end. Braedan stood about forty feet from one door, and a figure stood in the opposite doorway. He wasn't sure why, or what caused the feeling, but he was instantly on edge. He stood and grinned, before speaking.

"Like clockwork. You ready for the bell to toll?"

The figure made no movements or sounds in return. Braedan chuckled. "Not even a laugh? I thought you'd like that kind of dark humor. Well, I tried." He raised his hand towards the figure. "Let's start this dance of death." The figure moves

forwards, but before entering the light the world dissolved into darkness.


Braedan jerked awake, breathing hard.

"What… oh…" He pulled out the headphones, turning to see the pitcher sitting beside him. Picking it up, he started back towards the house, deep in thought.

"What was that all about? Who was that? And where even was I?" He had no answers, and he shrugged off the dream by the time he got back to Toriel's, figuring it was just a dream, nothing more. Opening the door, he silently slipped through the house, seeing it dark, and headed to the kitchen. Upon entering, he saw a slice of pie sitting on a plate, with a note beside it. Picking up the note, he glanced over it. It read:

"Braedan, I left out some pie for you. I should be ready to try the spell with you tomorrow. Sleep well, and rest for what tomorrow holds. - Toriel." He simply nodded to himself before picking up the pie and sitting down to eat. Pouring himself a glass of cider with it. After eating the rather unusual (but not entirely unpleasant) snail pie, he cleaned up and headed to bed.


Hey. So, I've planned out a lot of this story now, so get ready for a long story in a short time.