Trek to Tem Village
This fall was worse than the drop zone at the local fair. The ride would shoot riders up and down a few times, but they'd be strapped in and there were clear brake mechanisms and stuff. Riders could see and feel when they were near the top and bottom. They might still feel sick, but it was all controlled and fun.
This was a free fall in the dark. There was nothing to hold onto, nothing to grab as they fell, and nothing to see but the shadows above. They briefly heard a cheer and the sound of falling water before they were deafened by the wind and the slap of their hair on their face.
Moments of their life came to them as they fell. Their first day of kindergarten, where they met other kids their age for the first time. Their fifth birthday with their parents and a cake that they faceplanted in for fun. Their first time riding a skateboard with the boy who lived down the street. Their dad teaching them to ride a bike. Their mom taking them shopping and letting them pick their own clothes for the first time. The first time they got their hair cut short. Learning to bake cookies, even if they were burnt on the bottom. The faces of their classmates and teachers. The faces of their parents. Toriel.
They'd never see them again. They hadn't even grown up yet, and now they were going to die. They screamed.
With a thump, they landed on something. It hurt, but didn't feel like it would be anything worse than a bruise. Was this the afterlife for real this time? Were they just feeling phantoms pains on the body that didn't exist anymore?
They opened their eyes. They hadn't realized that they had closed them. They looked at their body to make sure it was real, then looked at their surroundings. Around them were trash piles in what looked like shallow water. Under them were golden flowers, growing on the planks of the bridge that had fallen beneath them.
How did flowers manage to grow on wood that had just fallen in a pool of water? Better question, how did flowers break their fall for what might be the second time?
Right. Magic. This whole Underground place doesn't follow the rules or the universe because magic.
Now they were stuck in a trash pit somewhere with no way to get back to where they were before. As lost as they might be now, they knew that they couldn't stay put. Undyne would know Waterfall well since this is her patrol area. If nothing else, she should be diligent enough to check that they had actually died. They needed to run away before she came to find them again.
They took a quick look through some of the trash piles as they waded through the water. They found another star and an old pack of instant ramen noodles. How nostalgic. There was a waterfall in the dump that seemed to fall into nowhere. They couldn't hear the crash of water at the bottom. They didn't think magic flowers would save them if they fell there, so they made sure to walk a wide circle around it.
As they approached the edge of the dump, they felt a small relief. Wading through the water took energy and the cool water was starting to steal their body heat. Once they got to dry land, they could at least wring out their clothes and inspect the damage that Undyne's spears had done. With any luck, their clothes would dry quickly. They didn't hold on to too much hope though. Waterfall was a humid place, which meant that their clothes would probably dry slowly. But this place was magic, so maybe the humidity in the air would attract the water or something. They didn't pretend to understand the rules of this place.
They climbed out of the water and sat down for a moment to remove the excess water. Their clothes were torn in a few places, but they were still wearable. If their shirt took much more damage, it would need replacing. It was missing a sleeve, had a long tear across the front, and a few small holes in the back. It was stained and dirty and smelled a little, but could still function as a shirt. Their shorts were just wet and roughed up. Luckily they were still fine. Shirts could be replaced with a lot of things, but pants and shorts were more difficult.
As they sat and took a breather, a training dummy floated over from one of the trash piles. It started yelling at them about avenging its cousin. Was it related to the dummy that Toriel showed them? They had thought that it was just a ghost in the dummy that got bored and flew away. They never actually did anything to it.
But maybe this dummy was talking about something else. Who said that their cousin had to be a training dummy just because it was one? Maybe its cousin was someone or something else. On the other hand, maybe it was just attacking the wrong person. They hadn't done anything to anyone the whole time they'd been stuck down here. This training dummy must be confused.
Unfortunately being in the wrong place at the wrong time didn't change the fact that they were being attacked again. This training dummy was nothing like the one in the Ruins. That one stayed still and silent. This one was yelling, throwing a knife, and targeting them with stuffing and motion-tracking missiles. They couldn't even run away because they needed to go forward to escape Undyne.
They did their best to dodge and run around, but they were still hit a few times. Luckily, the knife missed, but the stuffing and missiles put a few more holes in their shirt. Eventually, the dummy hit itself with enough of its own missiles to knock it away. They took their chance and bolted forward. They ran into a weird horse monster with huge muscles and a singing monster. They ran away from both and continued their trek away from the dump.
They came to a crossroads with some of the nice glowing blue water. There was another star in the middle of the crossroads and the area seemed safe enough for now. When nothing seemed to be coming after them, they took the chance to sit down again and eat some of their food. They finished their cinnabunnies, leaving them with the pie, the donut, and the instant noodles for later. They felt itchy feeling of all the small scrapes on the body healing as they ate. They weren't sure that they'd ever get used to the feeling, but magic food was convenient.
With a sigh, they checked on the state of their wet, smelly shirt. It was wrecked. At this point, they were only wearing it because wearing a shredded shirt was still better than not wearing a shirt at all. They didn't want to show off their body if they could help it, especially if it could be easily identified as female. They hadn't had any of the puberty changes yet, but they didn't want to risk it. If monsters started calling them a girl instead of a human, that would just be the icing on the crap cake that was this situation.
They were cold and damp, but felt they had rested long enough. They checked the different paths one by one, starting on the left. The first path led to a bird that stood next to a wide pool of the glowing blue water. It was a pretty room, but there wasn't anything important or useful there, so they moved on.
The next room had a house that looked like a sea monster and a training dummy in the front yard. They didn't stick around to see what this training dummy would do. The last one was vicious.
The next room had two houses leaning away form each other. One was blue and one was pink. Curious, they tried the door to the blue house. It opened. Inside was the ghost they had met before they started living with Toriel. The ghost, Napstablook if they remembered correctly, invited them to stay and listen to music. They seemed to like composing and were pretty good at it. Napstablook then invited them to lay on the floor and feel like garbage. Napstablook felt safe, so they let themselves lay down and just feel.
It was a meditative experience. Laying on the ground, in a safe place for the first time since living with Toriel, they were able to let the emotions they'd been holding back wash over them and crush them. They pain they felt when Toriel had abandoned them and blocked their calls hit hard. It felt as fresh as it did when they were walking through the snow, before they had met Sans. They felt the hurt, took several deep breaths, and then let it go.
They let themselves feel the loneliness and helplessness of being trapped in a magic world with no one to help them or guide them or protect them. They let themselves feel fear for what would happen if they were caught and captured. They let themselves feel relief for still being alive. They let themselves feel angry at the bad luck that had led them here in the first place. They let themselves feel betrayed again, by Toriel for kicking them out of the place that had begun to feel like home. They let themselves feel hurt and angry at their parents for never listening and trying to send them to a conversion camp to fix them because they were just so weird and unnatural.
They let themselves feel the weight of their existence as they lay on the floor. They weren't sure how long it had been, but the catharsis of laying down and just feeling was exhausting. When the emotions had run their course, they felt empty and heavy at the same time. They didn't want to move, so they stayed on the floor with Napstablook. They seemed to be okay with laying down for extended periods of time, so they let the ghost be.
Eventually they rolled over and slowly got up. Their limbs were stiff and they felt a bit off balance. They made their way to the door and waved goodbye to Napstablook. Their house seemed safe enough, but they didn't want to be a bother by overstaying their welcome. Napstablook didn't have a bed or anything to sleep on besides the floor, and they were already feeling chilled because of their damp clothes. They decided to get moving to try to warm themselves up. They still needed to find somewhere safe to hide out overnight.
They were starting to feel tired on top of their exhaustion, so they needed to find somewhere soon. The house beside Napstablook's was locked. They moved on. They passed an empty boat station and waded through a couple more waterfalls when they came across a dark room with only a few glowing mushrooms for light.
When they touched the small patches of mushrooms on the ground, the teal grass below them lit up in a path. The glow faded quickly, so they had to run from patch to patch. Outside a side cave, they ran into a strange cat-dog thing in a blue shirt. It spoke strangely but didn't seem hostile. In fact, it seemed to have entered into the battle mode completely by accident and its bullets flew in random directions away from them.
The creature called itself Tem. It (she?) tried to pet them, then ended the battle due to excitement. They followed it into the side cave to find that it was populated with several more of the Tem creatures. A sign called this place Tem village.
The Tems were strange and were difficult to understand, but they seemed nice enough. There was another glowing star here that they touched. Touching this star filled them with a small warmth. The dampness of their clothes was really starting to get to them, and this small warmth brought a temporary relief.
They walked around and listened to the Tems. They shopkeeper was saving up to go to cooleg, One of the Tems outside was raising a hardboiled egg, another was walking to a dancing mushroom, another explained that Tem village had a rich history. Oddly enough, there was one Tem watching them through the wall. That Tem intrigued them the most.
If this Tem was an example, then they could assume that the Tems had homes and slept in the walls. If they could hide and rest in the walls overnight, they'd surely be safe from Undyne. When they walked over to the wall Tem, she shuffled to the side, inviting them to climb in.
They didn't know what they had done to deserve this kindness, but they were just glad to be safe. Inside the wall was a reasonably spacious cavern. It wasn't huge, but there was plenty of room for several Tems to comfortably stay inside. The ground was covered in what they assumed was Tem fur, probably shed during their shedding season. The fur was soft, comfortable enough to rest on.
Before they could think twice about trying to dry their clothes or whether resting was a good idea, they closed their eyes. The hole in the wall was warm with Tem bodies and insulated by old fur. The floor was soft and they were completely drained of energy. They were so tired and exhausted that sleep came quickly.
They woke up several hours later feeling sticky with sweat. Their head hurt a bit and their nose was blocked. Of course. Even though they were trapped Underground and being hunted just for existing, they couldn't catch a break. Of course they'd get sick.
At least their clothes were mostly dry. Right now, they were only sticky with sweats. They were probably running a slight fever. They only positive was that they didn't have an appetite. If they didn't feel hungry, then their food supply would last a little longer.
Slowly, they crawled over to the nearest wall and leaned against it. Despite being able to sleep for a good amount of time, they were still exhausted. They decided to stay here and see if they could wait out the sickness. If nothing else, the Tems didn't seem to mind their presence. Every so often, one of the Tems would walk up to them and either try to pet them or ask for pets. They obliged. If giving and receiving pets were the only thing that the Tems wanted in exchange for temporary sanctuary, then they would happily pay that price.
The couple of days were miserable and boring. There was no relief for their headache since monsters didn't seem to have Tylenol or anything like that. Monster food also seemed to do nothing for illness. After a few of the nastier sneezing and coughing fits, some Tems would come over to keep them company. They appreciated the kind gesture, and hoped that monsters couldn't catch human sickness. A couple of times per day, one of the Tems would bring them a bowl of colourful paper. Apparently these were Tem flakes. They weren't sure if the Tem flakes were edible, but tried to eat them anyways. They weren't in a position to turn down free food. The Tem flakes seemed to go down okay, probably because they were some kind of magic food, but they didn't restore any energy.
They spent their time dozing, napping, and petting Tems while hoping to start feeling better. They had considered trying to call Toriel again but thought better of it. They didn't want to be sick and sad when they heard the dial tone. They even briefly considered calling Papyrus. It was a moment of desperation, but they withheld. Papyrus would probably just ask for information about where they were and give it to Undyne. They didn't want to be caught. Doubly so while they were sick and exhausted.
A few days later, they started to get their energy back. When their nose cleared up, they noticed how bad they smelled. Dry sweat on an already torn and dirty shirt smelled horrible. The best they could do is try to wash it in a pool of water somewhere and hide out of sight until it dried. That was something that they'd have to figure out on their way through Waterfall.
They were very lucky that they were able to sustain themselves with Tem flakes too. Otherwise they would have run out of food well before this. The Tems were great. Finding them was lucky. It was the best thing to happen to them since the ruins.
Deciding that they had imposed on the Tems long enough, they crawled over to the hole and climbed out. They touched the star again for good luck and were about to leave the village when they were stopped by Bob.
"Leaving already kid? You know you can stay if you want to. It's been nice, having someone new around here." Bob told them. They liked Tem village well enough, but they didn't think that they could survive on Tem flakes forever. They tasted like paper and didn't seem healthy. Besides, they still needed to escape the Underground. The only thing they could do was try to find the King and escape.
Once again, they couldn't stay. This time though, they were making the choice to leave. For the first time, no one was making them leave their safe space. This was something they had to do.
Bob must have seen something on their face because he spoke as if they had responded, "I see. There's something you have to do. Before you go, us Tems made this for you." Bob held out a new striped shirt. This one was two shades of blue, to match the different shades of blue shirts that the Tems wore.
It was so kind that they started to tear up a little.
"No need to cry, kid. All kids need proper clothes to wear, and your shirt looks like it's been worn too long." Bob said. He said that like it was just a fact. Their parents always got them new clothes when theirs got too small or torn up, but the Tems were strangers. They didn't need to do this for them, so why did they? "Just come back and visit us sometime, okay?"
They nodded and drew a cross over their heart. If nothing else, they could promise to try to come back and thank them properly. Right now, they were too choked up to make a sound.
"Alright. Have a good trip kid. Stay safe out there." Bob said, and walked back into the village.
In the darkness of the mushroom room, they changed into their new shirt. It was a little big, but they had always preferred baggy clothing. It was roomy and comfortable and didn't show off what their body looked like. They adored it. They left their old shirt to the side of the grassy path leading into the village. Maybe Undyne would see it and assume that the Tems had eaten them or something. Maybe then she'd forget about capturing them and leave them alone.
They could only hope.
Slowly, they navigated the glowing mushroom room. The mushroom patches lit up paths, but some were dead ends, like a maze. When they found their way through the maze, they came upon a dark corridor with an echo flower and a patch of grass at the far end.
Curious, they walked over to the flower to listen.
"Behind you" it whispered.
Their stomach clenched with dread. They heard heavy bootsteps behind them. They had only just left their safe haven and they'd been caught.
Undyne walked closer. She held up her spear in a threatening way. It was almost as if she was daring them to try to attack or escape. They were cornered. Undyne approached and there was nothing they could do.
Then that monster kid popped out of the grass and started freaking out about meeting Undyne in person. Miraculously, Undyne lowered her weapon, pinched the kid's cheek, and started dragging him away. She prioritized taking the kid away over capturing them.
Maybe she figured that they weren't a threat? Maybe her position as a Royal Guard meant that she had to guarantee civilian safety over everything else? Whatever the reason, they could escape for now.
Now that their eyes had adjusted, they could see a grassy path off to the side. There was a plaque on the wall describing a prophecy. A human would fall and the Underground would go empty. What was that supposed to mean?
They were crossing another bridge when they heard the monster kid run up behind them.
"Yo! Wait up!" He called as he ran, "Undyne just told me that you're a human. And that humans are dangerous. She said that… we can't be friends." The kid told them. Did the kid consider them friends before? They'd barely done anything together. They hadn't ever said a word to this kid, and he still thought that they were friends?
Maybe monster children were especially naïve.
The kid continued talking to them, "So, like, if we can't be friends, then I guess that means that… we're enemies now? And… and if we're enemies then that means that I've gotta fight you." The kid walked closer to them, intending to start a fight. As he approached, the tripped and fell over the side of the bridge that they were standing on. He managed to get his legs around one of the wooden pillars to stop himself from falling down, but he wouldn't be able to keep himself up for long.
"Help me!" The kid called.
Undyne appeared at the opposite end of the bridge. Despite the danger, they couldn't just let the kid fall. If they got captured, then they'd just have to find a way to escape. IF they were brought to the King, then maybe that would just take them closer to their goals. Or maybe they'd die.
But if they left the kid there, he'd definitely die. The ran over and grabbed onto the kid's shirt. Heavy footsteps hurried over, and an armoured arm wrapped around the kid's chest. They pulled and Undyne lifted. The kid was safe.
"Woah, both of you were so cool!" The kid exclaimed. Undyne pinched his cheek and started to drag the kid off again, "I'm so glad you saved me! This means we can be friends again! Which is a relief. I was never good at being enemies anyways." The kid continued chattering as he was taken away. Hopefully Undyne was bringing him home so his parents could watch over him.
A short ways ahead, there was a large passageway into one of the cave walls. Hot dry air was blowing through it. It felt like a hairdryer being blown in their face. It wasn't bad, but it was strange after the lack of wind and weather so far in the Underground.
This must be the end of Waterfall. Beyond this point, Undyne could no longer chase them. They'd be free of her. Filled with renewed determination, they made their way towards the passage.
They were stopped when they heard a voice from above. Undyne was speaking to them from atop the wall that the passage bore into. How did she manage to get there when just a minute ago she was dragging the monster kid away?
Magic was the only explanation they had. It was physically impossible for her to have gotten up there before they had made it to the passage and without them noticing. There weren't any side tunnels or extra space that they could see that would have allowed her to get there.
Maybe she had teleportation magic or something? Did all monsters?
They froze and Undyne began her monologue.
"Seven. With the power of seven human souls, King Asgore will become a god. Six. That's how many we've collected thus far. Understand? Through your seventh and final soul, this world will be transformed. First, however, as is customary for those who make it this far, I shall tell you the tragic tale of our people." Undyne glared at them.
They were so close to escaping from her. They just needed to sprint through the tunnel before she could catch them. She was wearing heavy armour. There was no way that she'd be able to keep up with them. They tensed their muscles and prepared to run. As soon as she looked away or blinked long enough, they'd make a break for it. She seemed to be preparing for a long speech, so they knew they'd get a chance.
"It all started long ago…" Undyne trailed off before she started yelling, "SCREW IT! WHY SHOULD I TELL YOU THAT STORY WHEN YOU'RE ABOUT TO DIE?! You! You are standing in the way of everyone's hopes and dreams! Alphys's history books make me think humans were cool, but you? You're just a coward!"
Undyne's accusation hurt more than they expected. She wasn't wrong.
"Hiding behind that kid so you could run away form me again?" Undyne continued. It was like being scolded by their mom, only ten times worse since Undyne's goal was to kill them, rather than try to fix what was wrong with them, "You abandoned your friend just so you could run away! You know what would be more valuable to everyone? IF YOU WERE DEAD!"
They couldn't handle it. She was right. They were a coward. They ran away from their home, they ran away from their life, they ran away from Toriel instead of trying to convince her to let them stay, they ran away from all monsters in Snowdin and most of the monsters around Waterfall. All they've done was run away from everything.
When she told them they would be more useful dead than alive, they couldn't help but believe her. It wasn't as if they had much to go back to. Even if their parents missed them and wanted them to come home, it would only be a matter of time before they tried to send them away again to fix them. Worst of all, it wasn't the first time they'd been told that they were worthless and a waste of resources. They heard it from their classmates on a semi-regular basis. They couldn't deny anything that she was saying.
Against their will, they started to cry, silently.
"That's right human, your continued existence is a crime!" Why are you still here when nobody likes you? "Your life is all that stands between us and our freedom!" Why are you making our lives so difficult? Just grow up and accept that you're a girl! "Right now, I can feel everyone's hearts pounding together! Everyone's been waiting their whole lives for this moment!" Everyone knows it, everyone agrees. You're just a freak that doesn't belong here. "And we're not nervous at all. What are you waiting for, human? Let's end this, right here, right now." What are you waiting for freak, just do it! We've waited long enough for you to get out of our lives. "I'll show you how determined monsters can be!"
They didn't notice when Undyne dropped down in front of them and started the battle.