Greetings, readers! I have a special Christmas gift for you! Lately as I continue to work diligently on my TLC series, I have also been dabbling in Undertale; I love this game and think it's great, so I have some fanfictions planned for it for you all to enjoy! As I have watched through the LPs, I have noticed some symbolic connections and similarities to certain Alice in Wonderland characters and aspects. Being I have enjoyed writing fanfictions before for American McGee's Alice, I am going to give this crossover a shot because I feel it has the potential to work well. I hope you all do also, and that you enjoy!
Since the untimely death of a certain doctor- untimely in that he should have perished much sooner, good riddance to the twisted bastard- I have found myself able to concentrate on expanding my fervent mind, reach out to other minds which posess great gifts. It's been an exhilerating adventure, speaking to all sorts of people and seeing worlds outside my own. However, as of late, I can no longer deny that there has been some unknown power reaching out towards me, like fingers extended and ready to grasp. Though I had been increasingly vigilant, as I allowed my guard to slip just the once, so did my footing...
I found myself falling once again. Hadn't I climbed up the mountain enough times already simply to fall from grace again? But something seemed... different. This was not the rabbit hole I was accustomed to- in fact, by the look of it, it wasn't a rabbit hole at all. When I finally landed, I immediately checked my surroundings to see I had landed on a soft bed of golden flowers. This place certainly is interesting... but I could tell immediately that this is not my Wonderland. As I stand to my feet, I am overwhelmed by a certain feeling. Curiosity? Well, yes, but this is not the primary. Fear? Certainly not, fear is not something that cripples me anymore. Besides, it feels like something along the lines of empowerment, but that's not quite hitting the nail on the head- oh dear, where is the carpenter when I need him?
My thoughts become distracted when I hear a voice. I turn, a low light illuminating something small, close to the ground. Upon closer inspection, I see that it is a flower. It doesn't shock me... I've spoken to flowers before. But as I came to discover... this flower was far different than the ones I encountered in Wonderland, because this was not Wonderland.
This, ladies and gentleman, is where the chapter of this tale begins.
"Howdy! I'm Flowey. Flowey the Flower!" The creature spoke, Alice raising a brow.
"How original. Well, being that you seem to be sentient, would you be able to tell me where I am, exactly?" Alice replied.
"Hmm... you're new to the Underground, aren'tcha? Golly, you must be so confused. Someone ought to teach you how things work around here. I guess little old me will have to do." Flowey piped.
"That would be much appreciated." Alice replied.
"You know, you don't seem all that surprised... flowers don't talk where humans are from." Flowey said.
"I've encountered my fair share of plants that talk... mistook me for a weed the first time around if I recall." Alice said. "Curious, though... you seem to know something about the human world... you can't very well have gone there yourself, not unless you can sprout up and use your roots to walk around with. Otherwise, I will assume that I'm not the first human to have come here, am I?"
"Huh." Flowey said, his smile fading ever so slightly. "You're pretty smart, aren't you... what's your name?"
"Oh, where are my manners? Alice Liddell is the name." She replied.
"Well, Alice... down here in the Underground, it's okay to be smart... it could be a good or a bad thing. But what really matters down here is your soul." Flowey said.
"My soul? How do you mean?" Alice asked warily.
"Souls are the only way to get anywhere around here. Why, everything you do involves your soul." Flowey says.
"Well, In a literal sense I suppose that's true... but there shouldn't be any reason to place a particular emphasis upon it." Alice raised a brow.
"But there is! Here, let me show you what happens with one of my friendliness pellets!" Flowey beamed, producing a seed shaped object that floated in the air. Before Alice could inspect it further, it shot right at her, making her gasp as she felt as if something pierced her heart. She whipped her head up to see the flower was now smirking evilly, cackling.
"What is the meaning of this?!" Alice shouted.
"You idiot! Don't you see?! In this world, it's kill or be killed!" Flowey growled.
"Why is it that I always encounter those who use politeness and sincerity as a facade?" Alice asked herself, about to wield her vorpal blade when Flowey sent more of his pellets flying at her in a circle, forcing her to use her umbrella to deflect them. Flowey became angry then, his smile curling into something more sinister as he increased his attack. "Who knew that such a small flower could cause this much havoc; at this rate I'll have some work ahead of me if this is the general pattern of things!" At that point, pellets surrounded her in a circle, Flowey thinking he had Alice then. To his shock and anger, as they all shot towards her at once, she burst into butterflies, evading them before rematerializing. She narrowed her eyes at Flowey as he sputtered with rage.
"You rotten cheat! You're not supposed to win! You think you can just come here with all your fancy powers and mess up everything! Don't worry... the bigger you are, the harder you fall..." Flowey chuckled lowly.
"Please, if you're expecting me to endure inconsistent size changes again, I'd rather avoid that. You, however, are going to get a time out for being deceitful." Alice said.
"Trust me, Alice... everything I've said is the truth. You'll learn that the easy way or the hard way!" Flowey shouted before conjuring another attack. Just as he was about to unleash it upon Alice, something hit Flowey from behind, causing him to retreat under the ground. Alice whirled around, seeing someone approach as she wielded her vorpal blade.
"Don't come any closer! I may not be able to gut a flower but I can certainly try with you!" She shouted.
"N- No, please... that's what it wants." A soft-spoken voice said, approaching Alice in a cautious manner. "Unfortunately you learned the first lesson of the Underground, my dear."
"And what would that be, that anything that moves here is hostile?" Alice asked curtly.
"No... never trust any of the flowers here." She replied.
Alice took note of the creature, looking as if she were some sort of goat, but not quite. She pursed her lip, taking a step closer. "What is your name?"
"I am Toriel. I heard the commotion out here and realized that there was trouble again. You've come at a very dangerous time. Please come... I will explain what I can at home. You've much to learn, Alice."
"It would seem so." Alice replied. After what she just experienced, she was wary about the creatures here; she supposed that she shouldn't base everything on first impressions... but more important than having just encountered a maniacal flower, she could not deny that she felt different here, she was experiencing feelings that she deduced that was a result of this place. So she followed Toriel despite a degree of distrust, hoping she could at least get some answers.
They soon entered a small cottage, Alice taking note of the normalcy of its atmosphere. Upon immediate observation, she also noted that Toriel seemed to live alone. Settling her nerves a bit more, she decided to let her guard down slightly as Toriel poured some tea.
"Would you like some snail pie?" She asked, Alice clearing her throat.
"No, thank you... I had a rather large breakfast." Alice replied. "Some tea will do nicely though."
Toriel nodded, Alice sitting at a quaint little table across from Toriel as she took a sip. After a few moments, she finally broke the silence between them. "You're not like the other humans who have fallen here... you seem to have a special gift."
"I suppose you could say that." Alice replied, taking another sip. "It wasn't easily acquired. However, I don't think it would be productive to discuss me... I need to know why I was called here."
"Called?" Toriel blinked. "I don't understand."
Alice sighed lightly. "Perhaps I may have to delve into myself a bit after all." She placed her tea cup down. "Where to begin... I have always been... different, I suppose. I had the ability to see things others do not. First, it began in my dreams, just inside my mind. But then, that visionary ability began to expand. I saw things in my waking life that others could not. Soon my other senses became attune to it as well... I would spend hours in a world that existed only for me. It was wonderful, until the tragedy of course."
"Tragedy?" Toriel frowned lightly.
"My entire family roasted alive in their beds." Alice said with a serious air, taking a sip of tea.
"That's awful... I'm very sorry. I know... what it's like to lose loved ones." Toriel replied.
"Anyhow... I spent the next decade fighting endlessly through my ruined Wonderland to overcome my greatest obstacles to redeeming my freedom. My mind may be broken, but he jagged edges make me all the sharper, I suppose." Alice said.
"So how is it you were called to us, exactly?" Toriel asked.
"After the downfall of my greatest enemy, my freedom allowed me to branch out into other worlds, other minds, to assist others in acheiving that same freedom, mental clarity, inspiring creativity and morality. At first, I would seek out those in need of aid; but after some time, I would sense presences of mind without seeking them out. As of late, I felt something reaching out to me... it instigated a certain feeling, the same I am suddenly feeling now since I entered this world." Alice explained.
"Feeling? Can you... describe this feeling?" Toriel asked.
"Hm... well, it's not a bad feeling... I suppose it's good, but that's not what I would use to determine it. It's somewhat of a... feeling of empowerment." Alice said.
Toriel lifted her head, her eyes widening slightly as she spoke one word. "Determination."
"Ah..." Alice smiled and nodded. "... yes, you hit it right on the head; perhaps I don't need the carpenter after all."
"All humans have determination. It is what gives their soul the will to persist, even after it has left the body. Us monsters do not have this... so when we die, we become dust." Toriel said.
Alice furrowed a brow at this. "That's quite upsetting."
"There isn't much time to explain everything... you must stay hidden, Alice. You can stay here for the night, and then I will escort you to a safer place in the morning." Toriel said.
"Now hold on... what exactly is so dangerous that we are being forced into hiding?" Alice asked.
"There is an evil in our midst, Alice. An evil that threatens to completely destroy all Monsterkind and Humankind alike. We must be wary, for if she finds us, she will show us no mercy." Toriel said.
"She? Who is this she?" Alice asked.
Toriel stopped for a moment, closing her eyes as she sighed. "At first... I thought she was the hope for a better and brighter future... but something went wrong... something happened that I have a feeling was not supposed to happen... rather than helping to free the monsters, she began killing. We had to evacuate the population to save them from death."
"Perhaps it was not who you were expecting." Alice said.
"No, it was exactly who we all expected... but something was off about her... it was if she already knew everything, as if she had traveled this path before. At first, she was kind, a gentle child is what I saw when she passed through the ruins. But something changed, something along the lines began to awaken within her. The murderous fiend that emerged was not the child I first saw."
"What happened to cause such a drastic change?" Alice asked.
"I do not know... all I do know I learned from... well, I suppose I can call him a friend. I do not know how he has such a vast knowledge of this... honestly, it shocked me." Toriel replied.
"Perhaps if you are unwilling, I can seek him out. What is his name? What does he look like?" Alice asked.
"I have never seen him... we speak through the door that leads out of the ruins. He seems to know far more than I, however." Toriel said.
"Well, that doesn't help much..." Alice pursed her lip. "I shall have to do a blind search, then."
"No!" Toriel insisted. "I must escort you to safety. If you are seen, you will be killed. All humans who pass through here do not return." Toriel warned.
"I appreciate your concern, but I feel I am more than likely a bit more able than those who have passed here. This feeling of determination you described... I'm certainly feeling it now." Alice said, about to make her way out of the ruins when she was halted by Toriel blocking the way.
"I will not let you pass through here. I'm sorry, but I have seen far too much death in my lifetime. I refuse to endure its pain again." Toriel said in a calm, but firm tone.
A breath was drawn from Alice's lips, feeling a bit frustrated. "Toriel... think rationally for a moment. What good will keeping me here do, hindering progress, not able to move forward?"
"At least I can save one life... just one; is that so hard to ask?" Toriel's voice shook.
"If you let me go, perhaps I can save more." Alice responded.
Toriel closed her eyes, exhaling slowly. "I did not want to have to do this..." She said, opening her palms so that fire illuminated them. "But if you wish so badly to leave... you must prove to me you have what it takes to survive."
"I'm not going to fight you, Toriel; I only fight the heartless and traitorous, and you are neither." Alice said. "That I have clearly sensed."
Toriel shook her head; no, Alice's words would not sway her. She would not allow it. She began to unleash her fireballs at Alice, who clenched her jaw with internal conflict as She opened her umbrella, deflecting the attacks. Toriel had to dodge some as they ricocheted back at her, but didn't miss a beat as she fired more. Alice, trying to avoid harming Toriel because of her intent, began to dodge the attacks when she burst into butterflies, genuinely shocking Toriel as she had never witnessed a human display such powers before. She tried not to let it get to her however, focusing on her goal.
"Running away from a fight is not always the answer, Alice! There are murderous fiends out there who will pursue you!" Toriel cried.
When Alice materialized, she snapped back at her. "And are you not doing just that by hiding away here in these ruins?!"
Toriel froze, her hands raised but conjured no fire now. Her words of truth had struck her worse than any attack could have, furrowing her brows deeply. "Why... are you making this so difficult...?" Her voice shook as her hands began to do the same, about to conjure another attack. She inhaled sharply when Alice took her hands, lowering them.
"Because this is not who you are, Toriel." Alice said, maintaining a gentle hold on the former Queen's hands. "Not all royalty rules with an iron fist, but with gentleness and care. You have endured much loss, I can see that... it has worn on you."
Toriel's head snapped up. "How did you know I was... I am a-"
"The way you hold yourself... your mannerisms. Also, violet is a royal color, is it not?"Alice smiled lightly. "Toriel, I have encountered the ruthless in my lifetime. I refuse to follow their standards. I will not harm you just to prove a point."
Toriel nodded slowly, opening her eyes. "All I want is to protect, Alice... and when I failed, again and again... I ran away. I left it all behind except my guilt. That I cannot run away from."
"I know that feeling. The hardest lesson I learned was that you cannot control the world... or its malicious intent. But you can make a difference. Let me pass through this door... I will find your friend and I can help you save your people before it's too late." Alice offered.
"Yes... alright." Toriel agreed. "I am sorry... I just..."
"No need to explain. I do hope we meet again, Toriel. I thank you for your hospitality." Alice smiled lightly, nodding as Toriel turned to unlock the door.
"I wish you luck on your journey." Toriel said after opening the door.
"Thank you. I will be alright, I've got nothing to lose." Alice replied.
"Oh... but you do. You have the most precious thing of all to lose... your soul." Toriel said as she stepped back. "Please remember to always be good, Alice Liddell."
Alice gave her one final nod, bidding her farewell as she passed through the door. Toriel watched her go with much heaviness in her heart, shutting her eyes tightly as she slowly shut the heavy stone door, shrouding the ruins in darkness once again.
Going to end this here for now... I will try to update as much as possible; it's been a bit tough because I have a few projects going on, but I will continue to work diligently! In the meantime, I hope you all liked this first chapter and anticipate more to come. I wish everyone a Merry Christmas and hope Santa brings you lots of gifts! See you next time! :)