The smell of stale air lingers with slight fragrances of yellow dandelions assaulting my nostrils. I don't remember the fall or why I fell. I did know that this place was very empty. Only the tweet of the birds above the hole that I must have fallen through catch my ears. It sounds like a far off echo of another world. Where am I? I remember wandering for an hour at best until this nice monster finds me. That day I remember best. She lets me call her Mom. My goat mom. It's nice having a home. I was 9 then.

Waking slowly, I find myself looking around my room. I see the sheets of music on the wall too dark to read with several picks and my wooden guitar on my desk. The drifting tell of drowsiness drags me back into my comforter to relax under a soft cover. I hear my mom open the door, but then the world fades to another dream.

I wake again with a start, hearing Mom talking to someone. Sneaking down the platform staircase in a square spiral that leads to the basement, the corridor seems to quietly echo Mom's laughter to me. She sounds happier than I hear her laugh usually. Sure, I know I make her laugh, but whoever she's talking to makes her really happy. Getting closer, I stop at the corner to see her talking through the door I'm not allowed through.

"I got one. Knock Knock," the deeper male voice says.

She seems to anticipate something with a smile, "Whose there?"

"Etch."

She seems to smile wider, "Etch who?"

"Bless you," he says and pauses.

He is waiting, but not long. Mom bursts into a small fit of laughter.

Regrettably, I do too. I stifle my laughter through my hands but watch Mom. She isn't looking at the door upset, but rather with a fond smile meaning I am not caught.

Without a second thought, I move out of cover from around the corner. Each step is a purposeful mission. Mom notices me with a stunned expression. I merely smile to her and push the door open.

"Wow… You never opened the- Wow… You have a kid in the-" he seems to stumble back a bit, "Or a human…"

I just offer a hand to him, "We have tea and pie left over. It'll warm you up. It's 'deadfully' cold outside."

Mom just laughs at me along with the blue sweat-shirted stranger, "Hope is right. Come in for tea and some pie." I look up to see her blushing.

With a smile, he accepts. He's blushing too. Internally I think I did a skip and a jump with a click of my heels. For now, I merely suffice with a smile, "Pie! But with whip cream this time."

We all begin the walk down the hallway and towards the stairs, "You know you're lucky we're not near the ocean."

"Why's that?" I ask curiously.

He grins and winks at me, "Sharks have a taste for octo-pie."

I laugh as he continues to tell jokes and talk to us for a long time. Eventually Mom made me go to bed again, though I knew they were up late talking. I was 10 then. Life is so simple and eventually he let me call him Dad. I am glad to have met them both. Who cares where I came from if it means I can live with them forever?

I feel a surge of air pass me by, forcing my eyes open. The sudden stop jars me to the point I get dizzy. Shaking my head a bit, I look around, "Wow! Wait, I'm awake. I promise. I'm sorry I slept through my alarm again."

"Hope, you can't sleep in through your Mom's cooking. Now break a leg, we gotta get moving before she gets mad we both slept in," Dad says, his body vanishing from my doorway as I fall back onto my bed with a thud.

Instantly, I throw the covers off to rush down the hallway. There is a sizzle of fresh bacon and eggs coming from the hallway beside the dining and living room area. I sigh with a feeling of relief until I realize that I am still in my green pajamas and my hair is probably a mess.

Mom comes out of the kitchen hallway to see Dad at the table where I follow her gaze. He is reading some newspaper or something. Knowing Dad, there is probably a joke book out of view behind it. She clears her throat, making me catch her made gaze at me, "Hope… You slept in again. Maybe it was a mistake to let you start writing all that music so late if it means you never go to bed at a decent time." She sets the plate of bacon and eggs on the center of the table. She points down the hall towards my bedroom, "Change. And don't come back till your hair is presentable."

Turning around, I walk back down the hallway with a frustrated huff. He got me again. I'll get him back somehow. Just need to think it through. For now, I go to my room. Walking down the hallway to the first door on the left, I quickly dig through my dresser. I get my white t-shirt, pink sweat shirt, blue jeans, and the pink knee-high lace-up sneakers Mom got me earlier this year. I pick up the shoulder bag and put several sheets of music inside it. Then I grab the guitar I got last year for my birthday and strap it around my back. The bag fills easily as I barely fit the drawing and music notebook inside it. Moving to the mirror, I comb my shoulder-length blond hair out and comb my bangs behind my ears. I leave my room, heading down the hallway with a deeper huff of thought; breakfast is probably cold now.

Once I return, Mom looks me up and down with an agreeable nod. I sit down to eat the breakfast she set on my plate. Homemade eggs and bacon are just the best! Still warm too, thanks to Mom. Fire magic was the best. Breakfast goes slowly, but it is peaceful. I tune out bad Dad jokes while my brain plans how to work on my project in secret for their anniversary. I told them I would give it to them tomorrow. It's almost done. Maybe Froggit or Final Froggit might know a good place to work in seclusion.

A familiar blunt bone knocks me on the head, making me see that Mom and Dad are staring at me. My plate is empty, and I'm lost in thought with my hand on my chin again. I take my hand off my chin, noticing Dad grin and shakes his head.

Mom puts a hand on my shoulder, "We wanted to give you your present today since it is your birthday." She held a box out towards me wrapped in pink wrapping paper and a blue ribbon.

I take it with a sad look, "I'm not done with yours yet. Your anniversary is the same day as my birthday…"

"Kiddo, we can wait till tomorrow. Your Mom and I are patient. We know your pouring your heart into it for how late your staying up to make it. Just open what we got for you," Dad smiles to me with a look to Mom. They share this genuine joy between them, that I guess means it's okay for them to get their gift tomorrow.

Carefully opening their gift to me, I see these brand new pink headphones with a cord and a folded note. I unfold the note. It says: Look up.

Once I do, I realize there is a new electric guitar in place of where my empty plate once was. I stare in awe while Dad explains, "This thing is self-powered thanks to someone I know. They helped me make this for you. This way you can play music whenever and wherever you want without disturbing others. OR waking up your Mom and me."

Without a moment of hesitation, I held it in my arms with a smile, "This is awesome. It's the same weight and the back strap has a rubber grip stop. You guys are awesome!"

Thinking back to my present to them, I smile with anticipation now. Laughing, they seem glad that I like it. I smile, "I have to go work on your presents now. Thank you." I rotate the new guitar onto my back after taking the old wooden one and setting it in my room. I put the shoulder bag on my left shoulder and take off with the headphones around my neck, cord tied in a bow so that it doesn't trip me up.

I hear something about lunch, but I might miss that now. Moving towards the hallways right before the flower patch below the hole, I call out, "Froggit! Final Froggit! Come on guys, I need your help. Today is the last day to get your help with the song for Mom and Dad." I walk around with a few cautious steps until I recognize a familiar froggit's croak. I move to the room full of piles of leaves and smile when I see them waiting by one pile. They seem to turn to look at me.

"Ready to listen and help," Final Froggit says with a cheery tone. Most people hear Froggit, but I understand them.

With a nod, I jump on a pile to which I fall through into a hidden room below, "Sweet! Thanks guys. I owe you."

A familiar root caught me. The root let me land softly. The vegetoid laughs at me, "If I wasn't here, you'd be hurtin' kid."

"True. That's what a cool friend is for though," I smile to him.

The froggits follow and land without help. They all look at me until Final Froggit speaks, "Today's the final practice. From what we have heard, you have this down pretty well."

The other two nod while I sigh, "I know, but they got me this awesome guitar and headphones… I feel like a song isn't-"

"Nope! Don't say good enough. It is. It means you love them both enough to write them a song. It's a nutritious hug for the heart to hear you sing that for them. I think you'll be great," the vegetoid says to me.

With a confident nod, I stand up and set the guitar to 7 out of 10 after tooling with it, "Alrght…" The words slowly form to the lulls of a soft set of low bars that create a basic melody to sing to:

I never thought that a home would be so full of life,

The love that I found here is a gift.

I don't remember my past life anymore.

Was it sad or full of strife, I don't know.

There was this wind that drew me here to define,

You both make up the heart of my very core.

So let the movement time just pass us by,

I know where my family lies.

Keep that smile and bad puns,

We will be a happy home.

Happy anni-ver-sa-ry.

They all clap while I blush with a feeling of accomplishment. No pauses or stops. I find the notes so easy to play without hesitation. I feel exhilarated.

Final Froggit lets out a loud cheer as do the others. Final Froggit jumps over to me, "Go. You're ready. Don't wait. We all believe you're ready for this. Just go for it. Don't think, act."

They all nudge me towards the door while I fidget, "I don't know…"

"Go!" they all say in unison, nudging me out of the hiding place.

If my feet were listening anymore, I didn't know. They simply carry me towards home with a fire to my step. I feel more confident and positive than ever before. I knew I could do it this time. It is only a matter of trying now.

Getting closer to home, I heard something I don't think I've ever heard before: yelling. I was gone for a few hours searching for those three, at least, but yelling… that never happened at my home. They never argued. Sneaking into the house, the argument seems to clarify into words once I get inside.

"Tor, we can't keep staying here. Pap and the others think we both just up and vanished. This method won't work forever. Hope is happy here, but for how long until she questions why we don't let her through that door downstairs? How long until the inevitable happens and she does leave without our notice? She is a free-spirited kid and deserves to know there are more monsters than those in the ruins," Dad tries to sound calm but ends up just sounding frustrated.

Mom just calls back, actually scaring me with how upset she is, "Sans, we can't do that. Those monsters will kill her. HE will kill her. They don't need many souls left. I won't let her become part of their crusade to take children's souls to open the barrier."

Dad sounds mad when he says, "Toriel! I'm telling her. She has to know. Her music and art will only keep her distracted for so long until she picks up that we're not the only ones here. We can protect her like we always have. The others will understand and so will Asgore. They'll accept her as we did. You can't let your personal experiences affect how you made decisions about Hope. Come on, T-"

"He killed them. All five of those kids fell to him. I'm scared she'll be taken from me like how the others lost their souls. Those monsters are not kind. They believe Asgore's quest to take human souls. I won't let Hope leave the ruins," Mom yells back at him.

Dad turns his back with a sigh, "Tor, I'm going back to talk to Pap before he gets too curious to come look again. Just think what I said over."

"Walking away, again? Those children died and you didn't do anything. Yet here you are, your own daughter, and you still fail to see my side," Mom follows him towards the stairs without seeing me.

Dad is shaking for once. I've never seen him this mad or upset, but now he is shaking mad, "Toriel, I wouldn't let anything happen to her. She's our family, our life together. Just let her live it and stop trying to keep her in a cage. You're running away from these things more than I am… And I'm tired of running and lying."

Mom shakes her head, "Fine then. Leave. You don't need to come back through that door."

Dad actually starts down the stairs while I stand in the doorway at a loss for words or anything. He's leaving and this fight is because of me. Surging past Mom and ignoring her words calling me back, I can't find him in the corridor. I know where he is headed, though I have to break a rule to get there. Forgetting the rule for not passing through the door, I rush down the hall to the stone door. It opens with much more ease now that I'm older. The long lost memory of snow reminds me of when I first met Dad and Mom. I hate to see them fight. I have to fix this. Rushing off into the snowy forest path, I ignore the calls from the hallway fading away. Dad left, but maybe I can find him. I know I can. I have to. This can't be the end of our family. I just want to stay here with my family and be happy. I don't know what's out here, but I'll face it head on if I can find Dad again.