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"A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials heavy and sudden fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends desert us; when trouble thickens around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts."
― Washington Irving
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My hand was small. Intellectually, I knew that. After all, I had the body of a ten-year old child. However, it only hit me now that my hand was small. Miss Toriel's paw dwarfed my hand in size and, for once, I actually felt like the child I was. The warmth that emitted from her hand made me feel safe. I idly wondered if this was what a mother's hand felt like.
"Welcome to the entrance of the Ruins, my child."
Miss Toriel waved to the majestic looking twin staircases with leaves as red as blood surrounding them. The picture it painted was like the entrance to a royal castle, with all the gold and red surrounding it. In-between the twin staircases, however, was a brightly shining star. It glowed brightly as though it was welcoming me to the Underground. I was about to step forward and touch the star but Miss Toriel's voice made me pause.
"Come, my child. We must continue on." She said while pulling me to the stairs.
Touch the star.
Hearing the Narrator tell me to touch the star, I press my hand on it before Miss Toriel and I pass it on our way to the stairs. The star glowed a bright cyan and a voice, different from the Narrator's, sounded out.
*FILE SAVED. You PATIENTLY await for your return home, knowing that when the time is right you will leave the Ruins. But, for now, enjoy the eccentrics' of a new world.
I blinked and the voice was gone, along with the cyan glow. The star looked the same as before, as if nothing happened at all.
Miss Toriel pulled me into a new room. The new room had six stones sticking out from the floor. In front of the stones was a yellow lever.
"The Ruins are riddled with dangerous traps and puzzles, put in by my ancestors to protect the monsters living in here at that time. However, many monsters left, with only me and a few others staying. The traps and puzzles are still active, let me show you how to disable them and proceed safely forward." Miss Toriel explained.
She let go of my hand and went forward to solve the puzzles. After stepping on four of the six rising stones on the floor, she went and pulled down the yellow lever from its former position. This caused the closed door to rumble open.
"So cool!" Intellectually, I knew that I was in a game. But to see it in real life was a different experience altogether. Miss Toriel chuckled at my excitement.
"It's very interesting, isn't it? Now come, my child. Into the next room." Miss Toriel once again grabbed my hand and pulled me into the next room.
The next room had canal systems with bridges that went over them. On the walls, near the canals, were more yellow levers. At the very end of the room was a hallway. But it was blocked with steel spikes. Some of the yellow levers were probably connected with the spikes, causing them to open or close the room.
"Here, my child. Try and solve this trap. It would be good for you to know how to solve traps in case you ever leave my side. Know, however, that I will try my best to help you if you need it." Miss Toriel let go of my hand and pushed me forward. When I looked back, she gave me an encouraging smile.
Seeing her encouragement fills you with DETERMINATION.
I went to the levers and saw that some of the levers have yellow arrows pointing at them. I pull all the levers with arrows down. Suddenly a rumbling noise shook the room. When I checked the hallway, the steel spikes were gone.
"Good! Very good, my child. Now come, onto the next room." Miss Toriel pulled me into the next room. Her praise felt nice. It was as if a mother was congratulating their child on an achievement.
In the next room was a toy dummy. Next to the toy dummy was an open door. As far as I can see there were no traps or puzzles here, which seemed odd to me. Miss Toriel must have caught the queer expression on my face because she soon explained why we were here.
"As a human living in the underground there will be many monsters who would attack you to gain possession of your soul. Because of this, you will need to learn how to defend yourself from them. However, many of these monsters will try to gain your soul out of belief that if they do, they would be able to leave the underground.
Most of them do not mean any malice or evil when they try and fight you. So I would suggest that you try and peacefully resolve any engagement you get into. Many of the monsters seeing that will leave you alone. It might be hard to be peaceful but I believe in you." She smiled at me again with encouragement. The fact that she believed that I could peacefully resolve every fight that comes my way . . . really warmed my soul.
Mom's belief in you fills you with DETERMINATION.
Miss Toriel then waved to the dummy, "Please practice on the Dummy." I stared at the dummy, then took a few steps closer. Once I was close enough my soul popped out.
However, right under my [LV 0] and [HP 20/20] was a black board. On the board were four little boxes: [FIGHT], [ACT], [ITEM], and [MERCY]. The [MERCY] button was grayed out indicating that I haven't reached any of the requirements to leave the battle yet. All the other buttons were glowing, however.
Remembering what Miss Toriel told me, I decided to press [ACT]. In [ACT] were two options: [CHECK] and [TALK]. I chose [TALK]. "Please don't hurt me. I just want to walk to the next room peacefully. That's all. I wish you no harm."
The Dummy stared at me and said nothing. When I looked back at Miss Toriel to see if I was doing okay, I saw her smiling at me. Despite the fact that I was talking to an inanimate object and humiliating myself in order to appease Miss Toriel's desire for peace, I have never felt as happy as I did when I saw the proud expression on Miss Toriel's face.
When I turned back to the Dummy, it spoke. "Ok. I won't hurt you." I jumped in shock. I-It spoke! What the heck?! Miss Toriel's giggling made me focus on her again.
"Ah, my child. You didn't think I would have you practice on an ordinary dummy, did you?" Miss Toriel said, smiling. The expression on my face must have told her 'Yes. Yes, I did.'
She giggled again. "Ah, seeing you so baffled has made me feel ten years younger. Please, though, you should focus back on your fight."
Miss Toriel then pointed at my board. When I looked at the board the [MERCY] button was glowing. To spare myself the embarrassment of being spooked by the Dummy again, I quickly pressed [MERCY]. This opened two options to me: [SPARE] and [FLEE]. After pressing [SPARE] the fight ended and I gained [0 LV] and [0 GOLD].
"Now come, my child. The next room, I fear, might be too difficult for you. Please hold my hand. I will guide you to safety." Miss Toriel took me into the next room. The next room didn't look too dangerous. In fact, there was nothing in it. The only interesting thing about the room was the weird brick pattern on the floor.
I was about to ask Miss Toriel why the room was dangerous until she pulled me into the room up ahead. While the room from before seemed harmless, the one in front of me screamed 'Danger'. The whole room seemed to be a giant canal with a bridge that reached the other side. However, what screamed 'Danger' to me was the giant spikes that covered the entire bridge.
Miss Toriel didn't seem fazed from the giant spikes and ,instead, headed straight for them. I almost screamed, if it wasn't for the Narrator piping in.
Mom seems to know what to do.
After hearing that, I decided to trust Miss Toriel. My trust was not misplaced. When Miss Toriel came close to the spikes, they were retracted, leaving an empty space for us to walk on. We walked in a zig-zag pattern and soon reached the other end of the bridge. I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding in and clutched Miss Toriel's paw closer to me in relief.
It was in the next room that Miss Toriel let go of my hand.
"Now, my child, I would like you to wait in this room for a while. I have some errands to do to make the Ruins much safer for you. Many of the puzzles and traps in the other rooms might be too dangerous for you to handle, so I implore you to wait. Here, take this cell phone. If you need me for anything just call. I will come to you. Be good, alright?" Miss Toriel said, a melancholy expression on her face. I clutched the phone tightly as I watched her leave the room. Once she left, the Narrator popped in.
Do you want to explore the Ruins? [Yes/No]
. . .
. . .
. . .
. . .
. . .
. . .
Yes.
Toriel hummed in happiness as she took a secret passage in the Ruins that led directly to her home. It's been some time since a human child fell into the Underground. Seeing the child's wide-eyed wonder at the Ruins healed some of the scars that she still held in her heart from the other children.
Thinking about the others brought tears to her eyes. God, they were so young. And for Asgore to just kill them in cold blood . . . ! It made her incredibly angry. She was determined that this child, Frisk, won't be the seventh victim of his tyranny.
A bright light startled her out from her thoughts. Ahead of her was her home. Small, wooden, but homely. She quickly entered her home and went into her kitchen.
The child was probably hungry and, given the state of their clothes, hasn't eaten for a while. Perhaps making her famous cinnamon-butterscotch pie for the child might help. She started to take out ingredients left and right. Soon, she was half-way done with the pie.
It was then the thought that Frisk might not want cinnamon or butterscotch came to her. Some of the children that fell down here didn't like cinnamon, others didn't like butterscotch. Then there were a few children who couldn't eat either due to allergies.
If she gave the pie to Frisk, would they eat it? Or perhaps they might die from allergies. Toriel quickly grabbed her home phone from the side table and dialed Frisk. The phone gave a click and Frisk's voice sounded out.
"Yes, Miss Toriel? Is something wrong?" Their voice sounded a little breathless.
Toriel twisted the phone cord and answered. "My child, I must ask. Do you like cinnamon? Do you like butterscotch? If it's on your plate, will you turn your nose up on it?" The other end of the phone was quiet for some time.
"I like cinnamon and butterscotch."
Toriel sighed quietly in relief and smiled. "I am glad. Thank you for waiting patiently my child. I will come back soon to get you." Toriel was glad that Frisk was waiting for her back in the safe room. Knowing that, she could relax enough to finish the pie in peace.
". . . Yeah. Um, yes. I am. Waiting for you that is. Bye." The phone clicked, signaling the end of the conversation.
Toriel stared in puzzlement at the phone. Frisk sounded strained. Toriel wondered if Frisk was in trouble but soon banished the thought to the dark corners of her mind. Toriel knew that if Frisk was in trouble they would call for help. Frisk was an intelligent child, as shown with them solving the puzzles and traps. They were probably just hungry.
Toriel continued on with baking the pie, humming a little tune. Its been years since her home has had someone else, other than her, living in it. The thought of hearing the pitter-patter of feet in the, otherwise, lonely home made her ridiculously happy.
The oven alarm rang out, signaling that the pie was ready. Toriel put on her baking mitts and pulled the pie out from the oven. She put the pie on the cooling rack, waiting for it to cool down. Once it was cool down, she wrapped it with tin foil so that it would still have a little warmth when she brought Frisk home.
Toriel soon approached the door. But, before she could open it, a knock sounded out. Toriel blinked in surprise. Who could that be? Many of the monsters in the Ruins don't approach her home, so who could be knocking? Toriel opened the door.
Right in front of her was Frisk, a little bruised and dirty with a familiar faded ribbon in their hair. "Oh, my child! Are you okay? Why are you here? I thought I told you to wait for me?" She fussed over Frisk, looking over them for any injuries.
"Sorry, Miss Toriel. I couldn't wait very long. I'm okay. I wasn't very . . . Ahha . . . hurt." Frisk said with a sheepish grin. Toriel sighed in relief. Hearing the yawn she smiled.
"Why, my child, you must be very exhausted from traveling here. I'm sorry I left you down there. I sometimes forget that children are restless. For now, let us go to bed. Tomorrow you can tell me the story of how you came here." She carried Frisk into her home and up the stairs.
Frisk protested, "Please, Miss Toriel, I can . . . Ahha . . . walk on my own!"
Toriel regarded Frisk with amused eyes. "Yes, I can see that from all your yawning." Toriel opened the child's room that she prepared, just in case any children fell down, and walked in to settle Frisk in the room, tucking them in.
"Now, my child. When you wake up, I will have something for you to eat but, for now, goodnight." Toriel whispered. I promise nothing will hurt you as long as I'm there, Toriel thought.
Toriel was about to leave the room when she heard Frisk mutter, "Goodnight, Mom." Hearing that, tears were brought to her eyes. Toriel slowly closed the door to the room and replied to the sleeping child across the door.
"Goodnight, my child."
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Frisk: Well, danger is my middle name!
Toriel: That's a lie. Your middle name is Cutie Pie.
-incorrectundertalequotes
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