Chapter 9: Heartache

"Prove yourself... Prove to me you are strong enough to survive."

As Toriel spoke these words, I prepared myself for the fight I could see was about to go down. Toriel was blocking the path into the rest of the Underground, hoping to collapse the entrance, to keep me and my guidee from harm by trapping us here.

Meanwhile, here I was, facing the monster woman that I knew as my adoptive mother. But I remembered that she wouldn't know who I was, thanks to my prior nonexistence. She wouldn't know I was her daughter, nor that she was my first teacher, before the then young Gaster took up my education. She also wouldn't remember that she was the one who started my magic training.

Consider that last point, this was going to be a surprise to her.

Still...

"Listen, Toriel, you don't need to do this," I told her.

"...Yes, I do," she replied, and then she raised her hands. They alit with orange fire, and she summoned numerous fireballs of the same color, flying towards me going back and forth. I could've tried to dodge them, but I wasn't planning on messing around.

I raised my own hands, and made a motion of pushing away, as if I was swimming. With this, using my magic, I pulled the fireballs away from me and to the sides, all of them flying harmlessly past me.

Toriel was surprised by this, which I kind of expected. "You can use magic?"

"Yeah, you- someone important to me gave the spark I needed, so I could use magic," I told her, catching myself from accidentally telling her she was the one who gave me that spark.

Toriel just took a deep breath. "Very well, show me what you are capable of."

Seeing the challenge she was presenting me, I summoned my own fireballs, spheres of crimson-red flames floating around me, prepared to strike. Toriel didn't move much, but I knew she was ready to defend. Those who used fire magic were resistant to other flames, but not immune, so my magic could harm her, but not by much, and the same goes for me. Still, no matter the element, strong magic could still hurt, a lot.

I launched my fireballs at Toriel, and while she moved to push them aside, the same way I had, she wasn't prepared what they were going to actually do. I made a clenched fist, and that motion caused my fireballs to explode and knock her Toriel off her feet.

I smiled in satisfaction. Now there's a fire magic technique you don't see every day. Condensed fire magic, ready to burst at a moment's notice, I thought. But as Toriel got back up, I saw the pain on her face, and immediately felt guilty. No... I won't do this.

Toriel launched another wave fireballs at me, and I dodge underneath them. This continued for while, me dodging her fireballs, or using my magic to push them aside.

Eventually, Toriel got a frustrated, but questioning look. "What are you doing?"

"I... I won't fight you!" I told her.

Toriel became angry at this. "Attack or run away!"

As she seemed to look straight through me, she waved her hands horizontally across each other, summoning two lines of fireballs at my sides. In response, I made a circle of my own fireballs around me, and then spun around my body as a shield. As Toriel's fireballs flew towards me, I forced them to merge with my own.

Once I had control of all the fireballs, I looked towards Toriel. I could see in her expression that she expected me to launch them at her. Instead, I clenched my fist again, causing the fireballs around me to explode harmlessly. I couldn't hurt myself with my own magic after all.

"Why...?" Toriel responded to this action, "What are you proving this way? Fight me or leave!"

I simply told her, "no! I won't let you do this! This isn't right!"

As I stared her down, she looked away uncomfortably. "Stop looking at me that way."

"Toriel... what are YOU trying to prove?" I asked, turning Toriel's previous back to her.

Toriel did not answer, but her expression became saddened. She sent another fire attack towards me... but I didn't have to do anything. The fireballs flew away from me on their own.

I gritted my teeth, and closed my eyes, thinking back to the encounter with Napstablook. Dang it, alright! I thought. It's time to be honest with her.

"Mom... do you know who gave me my magic spark?" I told her. "It was you!"

Toriel was shocked by this. "How-"

"I know you won't remember this, but you did. I'm mostly self-taught, but you where the one who started my magic training!"

Toriel's eyes started to tear up. "Please, don't- Just... go away!" She then sent a wall of flames my way. I quickly split the flame wall into two and pushed them aside. And as they began to sputter out, I switched my magic to my blue magic, using it on Toriel. Her soul popped, the upside-down heart that all monsters had, now encased in a blue glow, and I increased gravity on her, forcing her on her knees.

"Chara... what are you doing...?" Toriel asked in distress.

"I'm sorry, I don't want to do this to you," I said, tears now in my eyes as I could feel my heart aching. "But I need you to stop and listen! Over three decades ago, I fell here, in the Ruins, before any other human. Your son found me, he took me to you and Asgore, and you adopted me as your daughter. You gave me my education... you taught me magic... you gave me something I never had. A family. And then... when Asriel died... I ran away, and then you disappeared as well. I can't forgive Asgore for what he did, threatening my life, and essentially abandoning me, but you... I missed you every day."

Toriel was quiet, but her eyes looked up at me in sadness.

"Please... mom... I need you to remember me... please..." I started crying.

There a long silence, but then Toriel said softly, "Chara... there is no need to cry..."

I fell on my knees, my magic hold on Toriel breaking. Free of my grip, Toriel got up, walked over, and hugged me.

"It's okay... I missed you, too, my child..."

"You remember?" I responded.

"Yes, bits and pieces are coming back to me. You used to love playing the piano. And gardening with your father. And you'd also join me whenever I was cooking. You even recorded my recipes in you're little notebook, right?"

I smiled, pulling said notebook, a small red notebook.

Toriel smiled in return, before her expression hardened. "Chara, where did you go all those years ago? Before I came here, I looked everywhere for you, but I couldn't find you. And why... why you look much younger then... well, the age I'd expect you to be. Didn't you say you were 20 now? That alone is less than three decades, as you mentioned before."

"I... have a lot I need to talk to you about. Let's go back upstairs, and I'll tell you what happened to me," I replied.

Maybe half an hour later, the two of us were back in the dining room. I had finished telling her my story from when I had ran away, to when I fell into the CORE, and then how I was able to escape.

The minutes following were filled with silence, as Toriel thought of what her first response should be. Finally, she took a deep breath and said, "so, you feel into this... Void. You didn't age until you got out, and everyone forgot about you?"

"Yes... yes... and according to Wingding, as well as excluding him, yes they did," I told her, answer each question individually. "And you know I have proof of that, considering neither you nor Blooky recognized me," I explained.

"You're talking about... Napstablook, right? I occasionally see him around the Ruins at times, but he never wants to talk." Toriel's gaze drifted. "Probably for the best, since he lives outside the Ruins, and comes here phasing through the walls. I don't want anyone outside knowing I am here. But I digress, I'd never would have guessed you two knew each other, memory loss or not."

"Yeah, I met him thanks to his cousin, Hapi. She and I used to be best friends before... well, you know. Along with a skeleton named Pristina, but... I hear she died while I was trapped in the Void."

"I'm sorry, Chara. I wish I could've met her..." Toriel said. "So this... CORE project of yours... Between you and this 'Wingding' fellow... it seemed to be quite the reckless plan you made."

"Well, that just seems to be my fate," I reply sadly. "I try to come up a way to free the monsters from the Underground, and it always backfires in some horrible. First time I tried, I lose my brother. Second time, I literally cease to exist for twenty years, and everybody loses their memories of me. Maybe I shouldn't even bother..."

"Don't think like that Chara!" Toriel exclaimed. "Isn't your Soul trait the red of Determination? That means you'll never give up, even in the face of terrible odds."

"But what can I do!?"

"That is... a very difficult question indeed. But I know you're resourceful. And you've grown into a fine young adult. I know you can accomplish anything you put your mind to."

I smiled, but now it was my turn to ask her something. "Toriel, you said you looked for me. I... I wanted to know where you were, too. What happened exactly?"

"Well... to be honest, while I did look for you, I never would have guessed you made it all the way Waterfall so quickly," Toriel answered. "I figured you might've escaped New Home, but for one to make it through Hotland, then to into Waterfall, it's not a quick journey."

"At the time, no," I said. I knew Gaster had made an effort in Hotland to improve the traversal of the area.

"I did try looking in Waterfall on my way here, but I didn't find anything leading to where you might've been."

I looked off to the side. "Well, the Serif family's home was pretty secluded and out-of-way. It'd be difficult to find."

"A perfect place to hide, I suppose, as long as you were safe."

"I guess... Toriel, is that why you are here? Was this a good place to hide?" I asked her.

Toriel took a second to consider her response. "Yes... Do you remember the history of monsters?"

I nodded, but I still remained silent so she could explain anyways.

"...When the Barrier was first put up and we were trapped down here, we were still fearful of further human attacks. So we retreated deep into the mountain, until we reached the cavern's end. And here, we made our new home."

"Let me guess," I interjected, "Asgore called it 'Home?'"

"Yes, he did. He was always lousy with naming things. But indeed, this used to be our home, long before you fell in here... Once we left, the 'Ruins' became mostly abandoned. Yes, there are a few monsters still living here, but this became a place that most monsters won't come to visit. So I came here, to my old home, to separate myself from the rest of the Underground, sealing the entrance so no one else can come in."

"Unless they can phase through the walls," I noted, referring back to Napstablook.

"Well, it isn't perfect."

I looked away, scared to say what I needed to say, but I did regardless. "Mom... I would... I would love to stay here with you. But I promised that I would help Frisk go home, take her to the Barrier and get her back to the Surface."

Toriel had a hard look on her face. "I... understand. But Chara, I must ask, do you understand what you must do to accomplish this task?"

"I... I know. And I'll deal with that when the time comes," I told her.

"But if you do this, you can never come back from it. You know this, right?"

"I know! I know!" I exclaimed. "I know what I'll lose. But I have to do this!"

Toriel was quiet. She looked worried, scared, and unsure about what I was claiming. Neither of us said anything for a while, until we heard the tapping of footsteps approaching us.

Looking over, we found Frisk entering the room, probably having just woken up. In her hands, she held her plate of pie, along with a fork. She wandered over to the table, placed her plate down, and then turning to me, she signed, I heard yelling. Are you okay, mommy?

I closed my eyes, and took a deep breath. "We're okay," I told her, signing the words as well. "We were just having a discussion."

"Chara," Toriel spoke up. I turned to her, and she continued, "You... the two of you of my blessing to leave the Ruins. I don't know about you, but Frisk... she would just be unhappy trapped down here. The Ruins are very small once you get used to them. It would not be right for her to grow up in a place like this...

"Mom..." I said softly.

"My expectations... My loneliness... My fear... For the sake of you two, I will put them aside." Her expression saddened. "If you truly wish to leave the Ruins... I will not stop you."

I slowly got up, and hugged her. "I promise, I will see you again," I told her quietly. "I will be back."

Toriel smiled, and returned the hug. "I wish I could prepare you two for the journey ahead, but unfortunately, I don't have much to give you that could help. Especially for the cold of Snowdin."

"That's okay," I said, "my fire magic can cover that, and we already have sweaters on. For now... let's enjoy some more pie, and maybe we can wrap up some extra slices for the road."

Toriel thought about it, and then nodded in agreement. So, for the next half-hour, we all had a slice of pie. While that was happening, Frisk asked what had happened while she was asleep. I simply said that we had a disagreement, but it was resolved. I then told her stories about my time with the Dreemurr's, hoping to make Frisk feel more comfortable around my monster mother (while being careful about any subject relating to Asriel. Those memories were still very painful for me).

Once we were ready, having three extra slices of pie added to my inventory, the three of us gathered back at the exit.

"I wish good luck, my children," Toriel told us. "Please, be safe."

"I... of course we will, mom," I replied, and then I gave her one last hug. When she returned it, I said, "I love you."

"I love you, too, Chara."

Once we let go of each other, Toriel then knelt down by Frisk and hugged her, too. Frisk at first, seemed unsure about this, but then she grew more comfortable and returned. This made me smile, as this meant Frisk was becoming more comfortable with not just Toriel, but monsters in general.

Once they let go, I grabbed Frisk's hand, and told Toriel, "so, I guess this is goodbye."

"I suppose it is," Toriel said, "goodbye, Chara, Frisk."

I nodded to her in acknowledgment, and then we turned and left, walking through the door that led out into the Underground.

As Toriel watched the two humans walk away, she couldn't help but wonder... Did she make the right choice?

First of all, there was Frisk. She was such a young child, perhaps unable to protect herself whenever danger came for her. And at her age, she should still be impressionable, too. What if the experience was not good for her.

And then there was Chara. Toriel only just reunited with her daughter, and even if her memories of Chara were still fuzzy, she couldn't help but worry about her. Sure, she had grown into a strong, young woman, and with her magic, she could protect the both of them...

...But what if something still went wrong?

What if Chara was unable to do what was needed in order to return Frisk to the surface?

These questions swam around in Toriel's mind, as she turned around, heading back upstairs.

After the door, we continued down a dark corridor, slowly lighting up as we reached the end and entered an open dark room. In the back was another door, probably the proper exit into Snowdin.

And between us and the door, was a familiar face that I didn't want to see.

"Clever... Very clever," he said.

"Flowey..." I growled.

There he was, the buttercup that attempted to kill us before, giving us a wide grin. "You think you're really smart, don't you?"

Without waiting for him to make a move on us, I summoned several fireballs around, and, as an extra precaution in case he tried using his vines again, I created a thin field of fire around my feet and along the ground. The flames freaked Frisk out, though I had manipulated the magic energy so it couldn't harm her specifically. I didn't mean to scare her, but had to be ready in case Flowey tried pulling something.

Flowey's grin widened. "You seem ready to burn me down... That's good. In this world, it's kill... or be killed."

"That's pretty terrible advice," I noted.

Flowey chuckled in response. "Are you sure about that? Sure, you were able to play by your own rules. You spared the life of a single person." His face contorted into the freaky, blacked-eye face we saw before when we first met. "Hee hee hee... I bet you feel really great. You didn't kill anybody this time."

As his face returned to normal, I thought, does he know about the resets? How? Why?

"...But what will you do if you meet a relentless killer? You'll die... and you'll die... and you'll DIE! Until you tire of trying. What will you do then?" A new face appeared on him, with a massive, angry, toothy grin. "Will you kill out of frustration?" he continued in a somewhat deeper voice, "or will you give up entirely on this world... And let me ME inherit the power to control it!?"

Staring right into our eyes, Flowey continued, "I am the prince of this world's future! Don't worry, my little monarch, my plan isn't regicide. This... is SO much more interesting!" Suddenly, his face bloated outwards, and he released a shrill, high-pitched laugh, before disappearing into the ground.

"That... d***... flower!" I growled. I dispelled my flames, and turned to Frisk. "Sorry about that, Frisk. I didn't want to let Flowey trap us again."

Frisk, trying to calm down, patted her clothes (even though they were not on fire), and turned to me, signing, it's okay, mommy. That flower is mean!

"I agree, but now..." I sighed. "He seems to know what's going here, about the Resets. Do you know why?"

Frisk shook her head. He's always making fun of me, every time I Reset.

"So, he's just... there. And you don't know why...?" What he said really bothered me. It hit too many points in Frisk's past experiences with the timelines. She met a relentless killer (the new Captain of the Royal Guard, among several other monsters, I was sure), and she died, countless times. If I hadn't chosen to intervene and come back with her this time... would she have given in? She was already killing monsters before. Proving him right...

No, I couldn't let that happen. I WOULD prove that evil, talking buttercup wrong. I would help Frisk spare the monsters, get past them without harming any of them, and we would reach the Barrier, and...

I stopped myself. No need to worry about that need. I looked at Frisk and said, "listen, if you feel that I might accidentally harm you with my magic, please keep in mind, I have complete control of it. It will only hurt what I want it to hurt, and to you, it will harmless. Watch!"

I summoned some of my red flames in my hand, holding it out, and motioned to Frisk to let stretch her arm over it. At first, she was too nervous to move, but slowly, she meekly held her arm out.

My flames touched the bottom of her warm, but they only coated it. Her sleeve didn't even catch fire, much less her arm burning.

Frisk pulled her arm back, and signed, it felt so warm.

"I know, and it'll keep us warm as we head into the Snowdin Forest," I explained. "So, are you ready to go?"

Frisk gave a big nod, and the two of us the door. We both placed our hands on the large gate, and we pushed it open, a cold wind blowing through and right past us.

Author's Note: Finally! The Ruins arc is finished! I've been wanting to get to Snowdin for a while now! And to start the next chapter off, there is a joke I've WAITING to write in this story. You don't know it, but it's already been set up the last book.

Anyways, back to this chapter, the fight with Toriel. I felt that the way I wrote this fight, it flowed very well, I'd say. And of course, now Toriel remembers Chara. But she still has a long way to go.

And I want to say, the last scene with Flowey... I really enjoyed that! First of all, I didn't realize his original dialogue fit so well with my story until I started writing it. Second, it was just so fun to write for whatever reason! It was just an enjoyable moment in writing

So anyways, now Chara and Frisk are ready to continue their journey. Next time... Snowdin!