Chapter 6: A Marshmallow – No Bones About It

After scrubbing my tears away, I met back up with Toriel. She gave me a side bag with the wrapped up pie inside. I had also placed my candy and glass bottle in there as well. It was filled with water. I gave her a small tired smile and my thanks. I followed her down the stairs. Through the dark purple halls, we came to the large stone door.

"This is the exit of the Ruins."

I nodded and rested my hand on the door. I turned back to Toriel. She fidgeted with her claws before sighing.

"I cannot express how much sorrow and regret I have for this situation. I wish you good travels, and please convey how sorry I am to Frisk."

I nodded and shook her paw. I noticed she didn't let go. I looked back up to her.

"May I know your name before you leave?"

I never introduced myself in this run. I firmed my hand in her paw and shook it once more.

"My name is Kia. Thank you."

We let go. I pushed through the heavy door. A furry white sad smile was the last I saw inside of the Ruins. I passed through a dark corridor with a spot of green moss on the ground. I had a bad feeling coming from it, so I continued on through the other door. Frigid wind whipped at my face and hands. I trudged on, closing the door behind me. I looked on at the bright white snow and gray frozen tree trunks. I looked up at the blurred cavern ceiling. The snow was coming from that blur above. I focused back on the path before me. I wrapped my arms around myself to preserve some of my body heat and walked.

I passed by a shattered branch. I glanced around warily. I had and uncomfortable, familiar feeling. The feeling of being watched, being evaluated, being STUDIED. I suddenly I felt someone in the forest. As soon as I glared in their direction, I felt something coming from under me. I side jumped to avoid … protruding femurs? They came up from the ground like the spikes in the underground. This person intends to kill me.

"Come out so I can see my attacker!"

I glared ferociously at the direction I believe them to be. I whipped my head back to the path. There they are. The bones disappeared to show me a skeleton. He wore a heavy blue jacket with fluff trimming his hood; his hands were tucked into the pockets. His right eye socket glowing a fiery cyan/yellow. He stared me down with that eye.

"Heh, tell me, what brings a thing like you here to the Underground?"

His voice was deep and dark. Shivers chased each other along my spine. They weren't from the cold. These shivers are from knowing that did something horrible, and a harsh judge is evaluating you … and he doesn't have mercy.

My surroundings turned dark. The battle area was made. My soul flouted out. It … looked different. It looked bigger, bleeding faster and the cracks looked longer reached, if possible. I looked below it to a HP bar. Health points? It was four-thirds full. It seems my max health would be three hundred and one. To the right of the bar showed my name in blocky pixels. Next to my name was a LV 40. Was LV meant to be Level? Below the bar, I see four boxed words: FIGHT, ACT, ITEM, and MERCY. The fight button looked a vibrant orange along with the mercy button. The other two looked so dim.

I stared at the Skeleton. He began to sweat. I pressed for ACTION. A chime came from my wrist. I looked at my choices: Check, Talk, Joke, Taunt. I go for Check. He had one HP and one Attack point. He just needed my SOUL to free the Underground. Too bad, Marshmallow, I need to find Frisk.

"You know, it's rude to not answer the question. Do you got something to hide?"

Bones emerged from the ground is rapid session. Some of them were blue. I dodged to the best of my ability. I was able to avoid most of them, but a couple of blue bones got to me. Apparently, if I don't move, they don't hurt me. I didn't get that until I was hurting too much to move after the first one that got me. Now, my soul turned blue with red bleeding out of it. The red dripping off of my soul looked off, almost orange. Then the attack ended. It seems there's a 'you-turn-my-turn' kind of rule here. I spat the dark ash pooling in my mouth off to the side. I checked my health bar. I think my sweat froze on the side of my temple. It only took one point off my health. I pressed Talk. My throat was released of a pressure I didn't notice.

"I'm looking for my child."

His eye sockets went dark. A description box popped up.

'Sans the Skeleton is too confused to fight.'

He has a font type for a name. I'm still going to call him a Marshmallow. I pressed Joke. Where is this confidence coming from?

"What's wrong Marshmallow? Got so caught up in the heat of battle that you made a sticky mess before cooling off?"

Marshmallow, Sans the Skeleton, looked shocked before giving a chuckle. His eyes turned into white pricks of light. Marshmallow and I stared at each other, the battle area still in effect. Then he closed his eye sockets and shrugged. The battle ended. A description box popped up.

'You won!'

Color came back, and I shivered. It's still freaking cold here. Some of my back crumbled. I looked back at the still skeleton. I pursed my lips.

"i wouldn't be able to beat you anyway. just know that if you go around dusting everybody, you'll be getting a bad time."

I didn't really understand by what he meant by dusting, but I nodded in understanding. I started walking until I stood in front of him. He knows something. I can feel it. He stared right back at me. He stuck out his hand. I blinked. I guess he wanted a confirmation on my side. I held out my hand to his and gripped his phalanges, feeling a strange rubber thing in his grip. A loud fart ripped through the silence. My face flushed bright red. A whoopee cushion, of course. I cracked a small humorous smile as I tried to hide it with my other hand. This is just too much. First he wanted to kill me, now he is pranking me. I heard him laughing, a deep chuckle full of amusement.

"the whoopee cushion in the hand trick, it never gets old. so what's your kid look like?"

I squeezed his phalanges harder, making him wince and stare at me warily. A screech and crack broke through the air making him wince. Dark ash passed through my lips, slipping down my chin. He stared in horror at something over my shoulder. A red and faint yellow glow was on my shoulder. I could only assume that my soul cracked more and turned on its side further.

I yanked his arm to make him face me. I looked up at him darkly and full of warning with my chin tilted down and copied his grin mockingly. Crimson washed over his face as I glared at him darkly. I could feel my hand's muscle starting to crumble in his phalanges, making me squeeze harder for a better grip.

"You really think I'm going to trust you after you tried to kill me, Marshmallow? You need to earn that trust before I give you any details. I'm going to need proof that you won't harm my child if I am going to let you anywhere near them."

Marshmallow's eyes went back to battle mode as he sweated in trepidation. I leaned forward a bit more to glare into his eye sockets more to get my point across.

"I also heard from the other side of that door that the creatures here are killing off children. I want to know why, and who is in charge of these murders. Any chance you can help me, Marshmallow?"

His eye suddenly darkened. I was staring into dark recesses of his sockets. I pursed my lips and leaned back to regard him. I let go of his hand when he was unresponsive. I was going to walk past him when he spoke in that deep threatening voice again.

"And what are you gonna do if I don't?"

I glanced back at him. We were shoulder to shoulder, facing the opposite ways. He kept looking forward. I sighed. Despite how threating I was, I don't think I could harm anyone again without killing them. I'm at a breaking point. My mind couldn't take anymore. I've harmed more than I would have liked in spite of the short years of peace I've had. I don't want to turn into the MONSTER the MageScientists wanted out of me, but I did. I just need to see that Frisk is alright and cared for before I go and disappear.

"Continue on without you," I whispered, staring at the path ahead of me.

He tilted his head down in thought. He straightened and stuffed his hands in his pocket. He turned towards me with his lazy grin and white dotted eye. I turned to stare into those tired eyes.

"i made a promise to the lady on the other side of the door to protect the latest kid that came through. i don't know about how you are about promises, but i don't make them often."

I slumped in relief. I released the shaky breath I was holding. I felt so drained. I wobbled on noodle legs before they collapsed under me. I shivered in the snow. I looked back at Marshmallow. He was staring at me oddly. I clenched my hand/phalanges and turn my stare to the bell on my wrist.

"can I ask a question?"

I smirked.

"You just did, but go on."

He laughed for a second before sobering. He seemed to start asking me something before changing his mind. He looked back me as I stood up.

"why do you call me marshmallow?"

I blinked. I smirked. I held up my flesh hand to count two fingers as I started to walk. He followed after me, and we came to a small bridge with large wood pillars.

"Well, One: I didn't get a proper introduction. Two: Quite honestly you look as soft as a marshmallow."

"huh, well, i'm sans, sans the skeleton. another question: what is a marshmallow?"

We passed by a ratty lamp and a roofed stand. I looked at him oddly. I rummaged through my bag to pull out the Monster Candy I had. I show it to him before eating it. I winced at the blurred flavor. It wasn't made very well. At least my hand is back to normal – ish.

"It's a type of confection made of sugar and gelatin."

We came upon two pathways. Nearest to me was a star, I hesitated and stopped walking. Marshmallow stopped with me. I turned to him with a serious frown. He raised a brow bone. How is that possible?

"While I am walking through here, I'm going to ask again. Will you help me?"

He sighed and smirked tiredly. He was probably hoping I would forget that he didn't answer me directly.

"i'm sorry. sugar going to need to be more specific."

I gave him a bland look before rolling my eyes and crossing my arms. I faced him more firmly. I might as well roll with it.

"I don't know anything about the Underground or its rules other than what I have heard about earlier. I want to find my child before they, I, or we get attacked again. I don't want to die before seeing them with my own eyes that they are alright and in good hands. So I repeat: will you help me?"

He stood there staring at me. I glared at him. He shrugged.

"No promises, but i'll help when I can."

I smiled and reached behind me. I grasped the star as I said, "Thank you."

I'm coming Frisk. Stay Determined.