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Hiccup reached a set of purple steps leading up to another archway. What was odd about these steps was the large white sheep in a robe, with that symbol he had seen on the archways. It was sitting there, looking down at a flower it had picked. 'Don't want to get that thing's attention...' He made his way as quietly as he could past it. But it's hard to be quiet with a metal leg. The sheep looked up at him suddenly, staring at him through nice looking eyes.

"Well, hello there." She smiled at him, fangs visible on her mouth.

Hiccup let out a soft gasp and backed up.

"It's alright. You need not be afraid. My name is Toriel. I am the caretaker of the Ruins. I will not harm you."

Hiccup put a hand on one of the scratches he had. "Should I believe that? That flower was pretty nasty."

Toriel's eyes narrowed. "That horrible little beast? Did he do that to you?" She stood up, walking over to him. She wasn't much taller than him. "Here, let me help."

Hiccup let out a small yelp. Toriel gently put a hand on his scratches and healed them. Hiccup stared in amazement as they healed perfectly.

"There you go. Now, would you like to come with me? I can help you, and give you a place to stay."

Hiccup nodded. He wanted to rest somewhere. "Er, did you happen to see a large black dragon with green eyes?"

Toriel looked thoughtful. "I don't think so, I would have remembered that. I don't get many visitors."

Hiccup grunted in frustration.

"What is your name, human?"

"Er.. Hiccup." He rubbed a hand through his hair.

"Hiccup, hmm? Interesting name. I must say, you certainly are different than the other humans that have fallen down."

Hiccup started. "There have been other humans?"

"Yes, seven of them."

Hiccup gasped softly. "I feel sorry for them. Where are they? At your place?"

Toriel looked somber. "They no longer live."

Hiccup winced. "W ..what happened to them?"

Toriel shook her head. "We can talk about that later. Now, come with me."

They moved up the stairs and went into the Ruins.

"Now, fighting is not necessary down here."

Toriel was pointing to a dummy made of rags and sticks.

"Well, you don't have to tell me twice. I don't like fighting if I don't have to. I can defend myself, though."

Toriel nodded. "I want you to practice talking to the dummy. When a monster attacks you down here, I will come and resolve the problem, and in the meanwhile, I want you to talk to any monster you encounter."

Hiccup turned to the dummy. It looked about ready to fall over.

"Er.. hey, dummy! How are you doing?"

Toriel giggled softly. "Good!"

Hiccup smiled. Maybe he would get out of this much easier that he thought.

After many puzzles, and a walk through a very long room alone that might have created unnecessary tension, except didn't bother Hiccup all that much, Toriel handed Hiccup something called a phone.

"What in the name of Odin is this?"

"Er, a phone, my child. You can use it to call me. Have you never seen a phone before?"

Hiccup shook his head.

Toriel smiled patiently. "Here, let me show you."

Hiccup was sitting cross-legged next to a pillar, bored out of his skull. Toriel had left him, and hadn't returned. He still couldn't quite get the phone to work, so he couldn't 'call' her. He had no way to tell how long it had been. It was driving him crazy. Finally, he decided to leave to find her.

He stood up and moved onward through the doorway. He saw a room to the left and went inside. There was a bowl with brightly colored balls in it. He picked one up and sniffed it. It smelled sweet, like honey and berries. He put it in his pocket for later.

Continuing in the only direction he could, he made it about ten steps when he saw what looked like a big frog. It turned and stared at him. 'Must be a monster?'

"Er. hello?"

The frog approached, staring at him oddly.

Remembering what Toriel had told him, Hiccup began to scramble for a compliment. "Er, you look really nice today!"

The frog didn't seem to understand what he said, but it blushed anyway. It hopped away, seeming happy.

Hiccup continued on, bewildered.

"Things work really differently here."

Hiccup nearly jumped straight out of his armor when he heard a ringing.

He grabbed the strange 'phone' and saw that it was lit up like a dragon's fire. He tapped at it and the ringing stopped. He heard a voice coming out of the phone. It was Toriel's voice. He put it closer to his ear so he could hear.

"Hello? Hiccup? Are you there?"

"Yeah! How does this even work? Where are you right now?"

"Er.. my child, I just had a question. Do you prefer butterscotch or cinnamon?"

Hiccup felt confusion. "What is butterscotch? I know what cinnamon is.."

Toriel laughed. "Oh, you'll love it! Trust me!"

"Oh.. okay. Um, when will you be back?"

There was a click before he had even started talking. But he had no way of knowing that the phone was no longer working, so he continued to wait for an answer, even saying hello into it more times then was necessary. He finally gave up and got moving again.

Toriel wasn't done talking to him, though.

"Do you have any allergies?"

"Er.. no?"

"Okay, good."

'click.'

Hiccup had never believed in ghosts, really. But when he saw one lying in a bed of leaves, he suddenly wondered what other kinds of monsters inhabited this underground. He walked up to the ghost, but couldn't get past it.

"Er, excuse me, can I just.."

"ZZZZ"

"Pardon me, may I just get by here?"

"ZZZZ"

"I know you're not asleep."

The ghost opened an eye and stared at him. "Um.."

"Mr. ghost, may I go by?"

The ghost began to cry. Hiccup was surprised. "You okay?"

"Not really feeling up to it right now, sorry."

Hiccup sighed softly. Remembering once again what Toriel told him, he decided to use that tactic, despite the fact he had talked to nearly twenty monsters, and had gotten beaten up quite badly. His patience, and his energy were wearing thin.

"Er, you look nice, Mr. ghost."

The ghost smiled a little. "You mean it?"

"Yeah! You really are a handsome ghost! Nicest ghost I've ever seen!"

"My name's Nabstablook."

Hiccup smiled. "Cool name! My name is Hiccup!"

Nabstablook smiled a little more. "Can I show you something?"

"Sure you can!"

A fancy looking hat appeared on Nabstablook's head. "I call it Dapper Blook. Do you like it...?"

"I love it!" Hiccup smiled encouragingly at Blook.

Nabstablook blushed. "I come to the Ruins because there's nobody around, but today I met someone nice. Oh.. i'm rambling again... I'll get out of your way."

With that, Dapper Blook disappeared and the ghost fight ended.

Hiccup was just about ready to collapse from exhaustion when he reached what looked like a house in the Ruins.

He walked toward it, grateful for the sight. He walked inside and saw Toriel. She looked happy.

"Hello, Hiccup. Welcome to your new home!"

He managed a weak smile and collapsed.

Hiccup awoke hours later in a dimly lit room. He was lying in a bed much more comfortable than he was used to. It made him ache for home all the more.

He got out from under the covers, realizing his armor had been taken off and placed aside.

"Wow. If she can take off my armor.. she must be good at figuring out latches." He felt amusement as his eyes swept the room. There was light peeking from under a door, and a plate with something edible looking on it.

"Pie?" He bent down and sniffed it. It smelled sweet, and there was a hint of cinnamon.

After he had gotten his armor back on, he picked up the 'butterscotch' cinnamon pie, and started to leave the room, although it took him a moment to figure out the door. Making his way past the staircase he had caught a glimpse of on his trip to the floor, he walked into a large living room with a fireplace, Toriel sitting in a chair reading, a table with chairs at it, and a bookcase. He smiled, walking up to Toriel.

"You like reading?" Hiccup looked at the book trying to read it, but it wasn't in runes like he was used to.

"Yes. This is a book about snails. Want to hear a fact about them?"

Hiccup shrugged, taking a bite of pie. "Sure."

"Snails make terrible shoelaces!"

Hiccup snorted. "Well, I bet they do! I bet they're terrible hats, too!"

Toriel laughed loudly, sounding thoroughly amused.

"You have a good sense of humor, my child."

Hiccup laughed softly. "I like to think I do. I can make my mother laugh a lot. And even Astrid finds me amusing sometimes." He felt an ache in his heart. "I can't wait to get back."

He saw Toriel wince.

"Er.. Toriel?"

"Just a moment. There's something I need to do, child." With that, she put down her book and left the room.

Hiccup waited a few moments, unease creeping into his mind. He finished the pie and followed her. He went down the staircase and through a hallway. Toriel was standing at the end.

"This is the end of the Ruins. A one way door to the outside. I'm going to destroy it so no one can leave ever again. Please go back upstairs."

Hiccup froze with shock.

"Why? You.. you can't do that! I want to go home! I want to find my friend! Toriel, please!"

Toriel stared at him. "If you leave, You will die. Asgore will kill you and take your soul like he did the other humans. I have seen it over and over." She was crying, determination in her eyes. "Please go back upstairs now."

Hiccup shook his head, taking a step forward. "No. I don't belong here."

Toriel frowned. "Then prove to me you are strong enough." She stared at him emptily, seeming to stare though him. He stared at her in disbelief.

"You don't have to do this! I have to get home! Please!"

Toriel let off a blast of fire from her hands, shocking Hiccup. He dodged them, moving to the side, and dodging every blast she fired. She had a face of stone, set with a look of heartache.

Hiccup took out his knife. Toriel let off more fire. He threw his knife onto the floor. It stuck out at an angle. Toriel stared down at it.

"Stop it. What are you proving this way?"

"You told me we don't have to fight."

Toriel's eyes began to fill with tears. "Hiccup. Please..."

Hiccup shook his head firmly. "No. No fighting."

Toriel winced again. "Pathetic, is it not? I cannot save even a single human. But I understand. You would not be happy here. You must go home.."

Hiccup nodded. "I'm sorry. It's been great. I'll never forget you. But I have a home. A village. A tribe that I need to return to. I'm a chief."

Toriel nodded, sorrow clear in her gaze. "Goodbye, Hiccup. And please, once you leave, do not come back."

Toriel walked up to him, and wrapped her arms around him in a hug. He hugged her back, tears in his own eyes. "Bye, Toriel."

She stared at him for a long moment, then pulled away. She walked down the hall and didn't return.

Hiccup walked down the hallway slowly, thinking about Toriel with every step. The sweet woman had been so nice. He made it into a small, very familiar room.

In it was Flowey.

Hiccup scowled, backing away from the flower.

"Well, well, what do we have here? The little Viking scared of me? Ha. Hilarious. You know, I've been watching you. You managed to play by your own rules this time. You spared the life of a single person. Heh. You idiot. Down here, it's kill or be killed. What will happen if you meet a relentless killer? You'll die. You'll die and you'll die and you'll die."

Hiccup found the repetition odd. "Yeah, I can only die once."

Flowey tilted his head to the side. "Sad for you. But in this world, the person with the most power can reset, idiot. That means you. I used to be able to do it, but now I CAN'T. You can retry over and over and over, but will you want to? If you die enough times, will you give up and leave this story? This modified recreation of what happened once? I know who's watching us right now. But the question is, will you let me control this world once again?"

Hiccup stared, wide eyed. "I.. can come back? I can... un-die? What do you mean, recreation?"

Flowey only laughed. "I am the prince of this world's future. But don't worry, my little monarch. My plan isn't regicide. This is SO much more interesting."

Flowey's face twisted in a way Hiccup hadn't seen before, a huge creepy grin crossing the Flower's face. It let out a maniacal laugh. Hiccup felt his insides twist. He was really beginning to hate this flower.

Flowey disappeared into the ground.

On that cheery note, Hiccup made his way out the opposite arch, wondering what was in store for him.

"Oh.. boy."

Next up, Sans and Papy.

AND NO FOR THOR'S SAKE I'M NOT GOING TO HAVE THEM DATE! That's just WRONG!

Sans is going to be interesting. Just wait.