Archive of Our Own ^beta

  Fourteen year old Frisk poked their head out the doorway and into the kitchen. They heard the adults talking in the living room.

  Seeing a chance to swipe some food, Frisk slipped quickly and quietly to the counter, where a plate of chocolate chip cookies sat, and grabbed one.

  But when they turned to escape, their elbow collided with the plate, knocking it to the ground with a loud shatter.

  Everything went silent. The only thing Frisk could hear was their own breathing, which had become uneven from fear.

  Steady footsteps came from the adjoining hall, growing louder and louder. Frisk's entire body was shaking.

  A woman stepped into the room, her brown eyes dark in anger. "Frisk," she said coldly.

  The woman walked over and grabbed her child's hand roughly, dragging them upstairs and into their room.

  "I'll deal with you later." The woman locked the door behind her, so they couldn't escape easily.

  Frisk's shaking had grown intense. They had a feeling that they were about to receive a horrid beating.

  They were scared of the pain. Their mother wouldn't kill them, but she would definitely hurt them.

  Frisk took a deep breath and stood. They would not be around when she came back.

  They would run away. Run far away, where no one could find them.

  And then they'd kill themself. There was no use living, if they would never find a family.

  Frisk opened the window and slipped out, scraping their elbow on the way down.

  No one would ever see them again. They were okay with that.

And they were filled with Determination.

  They groaned in pain. Am... I dead..?

  More pain shot through them. No, they most definitely were not dead.

  Frisk lifted their head and looked around. They had fallen into some kind of ruins.

  They didn't know this place existed. Maybe they had fallen into some sort of secret village under the mountain.

  Somehow, they had survived the fall. Which was weird, since they must had fallen at least 100 feet.

  Frisk attempted to lift themself off the ground, but gasped when a hot jolt of pain shot through their right arm.

  They let out a soft sob. A quick death was out of the question. It was more likely that they'd starve than anything.

  Still, curiosity got the best of Frisk and they carefully sat up, clutching their broken wrist.

  They had landed on a small patch of golden flowers. It was unlikely that the flowers had broken their fall, so how did they survive?

  Frisk shook their head to clear their thoughts. No matter how it happened, they were still alive.

  If they didn't want a painful and slow death, they would have to find a way out.

  It never occurred to them to try and kill themself again. Obviously the universe thought they were too important to die.

  They didn't know it yet, but that was exactly what happened.

  A hallway was nearby, so Frisk carefully stood up and walked down it, coming across a door.

  They went through it, and came across a single golden flower, which, for some weird reason, had a face on it.

  They flinched back in shock when the flower moved, looking up at them with beady black eyes.

  "Howdy! I'm Flowey, Flowey the Flower!"

  Frisk's eyes widened. They wondered if they had hit their head on the way down.

  "Hm.. You're new to the underground, aren't cha? Golly, you must be so confused!"

  He smiled up at Frisk, who immediately saw through it.

  "Someone will have to teach you how things work around here. I guess little ol' me will have to do!"

  The flower smiled widely. Frisk gasped as a strange feeling washed over them. A small, red heart appeared.

  "You see that? That's your SOUL. The culmination of your very being!" Flowey explained.

  "Your SOUL starts out weak, but if you gain LV, it'll become stronger!"

  Frisk was suspicious. "LV?"

  "What's LV? LOVE." Flowey grinned. "It makes your SOUL grow much more powerful. Now, SOULs are weak at first, but with LOVE, they get stronger."

  "You want some LOVE, don't cha? Don't worry, I'll share some with you!"

  Frisk stepped back once, shaking their head.

  Flowey ignored them. "Down here in the underground, we spread LOVE through white... friendliness pellets." He formed five white pellets on front of him.

  "Are you ready? Move around and catch as many as you can!" He shot the 'friendliness pellets' at Frisk, who dodged them.

  "Hey, buddy, you missed them. Let's try this again, okay?" Flowey shot more pellets at them.

  This time, one hit Frisk in their SOUL. They cried out in pain and stumbled to the ground.

  Flowey's smiled turned demonic. "You IDIOT. In this world, its KILL OR BE KILLED. Why would anyone pass up an opportunity like this?"

  He surrounded them in a huge ring of pellets, rendering them completely helpless. "DIE"

  Frisk let out a terrified sob, praying to whatever god was out there.

  Suddenly, flames appeared from seemingly nowhere, knocking Flowey away from the injured child and making the pellets disappear.

  "What a terrible creature, torturing such a poor innocent youth."

  Frisk looked up at their savior and gasped. It was a tall goat woman with kind red eyes and a purple dress with a strange symbol.

  "Greetings. Do not be afraid, my child. I am Toriel, caretaker of the ruins." The goat monster said gently, holding out her hand.

  Frisk lifted their left hand and put it in Toriel's, feeling much calmer than they had only a few minutes ago.

  They could tell that Toriel only wanted to help. It was a strange gift of theirs.

  "Oh, you poor thing. That flower must've given you such a fright! Come, let me heal you." Green magic enveloped Frisk, healing their injuries.

  "T-Thank you..." they whispered, feeling much better.

  "You're very welcome, my child. Come, let me guide you through these ruins."

  Toriel lead the child through a pretty bright purple room and up a set of stone stairs. She went through a door, and into a room with strange stumps of the floor.

  The goat woman stepped across the second and fourth rows, then flipped a switch.

  "The ruins are full of puzzles as a security measure. They're ancient fusions between diversions and door keys, and you need to solve them to get from room to room." Toriel explained.

  The next room had several switches. Toriel showed Frisk which ones needed to be flipped so they could proceed. There were marks on which switches to use so no one got confused.

  Toriel entered the next room, then paused. She gestured towards a training dummy.

  "Now, despite what that horrible, horrible flower told you, violence is NOT the best way to handle a fight, little one. Sometimes talking will calm everything down, and kind actions will help ease a conflict. Sometimes monsters will attack if they're angry or afraid, but stay calm and be gentle. There's always a way to end a fight peacefully with no bloodshed."

  She smiled when the child nodded in agreement. They really were like them...

  Toriel sighed softly. If that really was the case, then this child would need to be treated with extra care.

--

  "Child, would you be alright alone for a little bit? I need to pick up some groceries." Toriel paused. "The ruins are much too dangerous to explore alone. Here, I will give you this cell phone. If you need me, just call."

  The child nodded and sat down on the ground, holding their new phone with both hands.

  They waited for seven minutes before starting to worry.

  Despite the fact that they trusted Toriel, they were afraid that she had abandoned them.

  Or, at the very least, forgot about them. It wouldn't have been the first time.

  Frisk stood up, making a decision. They were going to find the nice goat lady and ask her to be their mom.

  Hopefully she would say yes. Hopefully she wouldn't make them go back to their old home, where food wasn't guaranteed and they received beatings at least three times a week.

  Maybe Frisk could live down here, and have a better life than they could ever have on the Surface.

  They took a deep breath, and left the room.

  And they were filled with Determination.

  Frisk accidentally bumped into a strange frog-like monster, making it fire flies at them.

  "S-Sorry! I didn't mean to run into you..!" they said hurriedly, hoping it wasn't too hurt.

  "Froggit doesn't understand what you're saying, but is comforted by your voice."

  Frisk's eyes widened as they looked around for whoever had said that.

  But nobody was around. Instead, a small yellow star was flashing nearby. They touched it and a little screen popped up, asking if they wanted go SAVE.

  The voice spoke again, saying something about being filled with Determination. Whatever that meant.

  They 'SAVED' and journeyed into the next room, solving more puzzles.

--

"Why is this so difficult..!?" they muttered to themself, rubbing their sore backside.

  "Maybe try not falling through the floor." The voice giggled.

  Frisk turned around, expecting to not see anything. They jumped in surprise when they saw a ghost, which was still laughing.

  They stopped though, and looked at Frisk in surprise.

  "You can see me now?"

  Not trusting themself to speak, Frisk nodded. "Huh..."

They paused, then spoke once more. "Um... Greetings? I'm Chara. What's your name?"

  "Uhm... I-I'm Frisk...." They shuffled their feet awkwardly.

  "Frisk..." Chara narrowed their eyes and studied the human.

  Then they grinned. "So, Frisk, do you need any help with that?"

  "Yes, please.." they sighed in relief.

  "Thought so."

--

  Frisk reached a room with a large tree and saw Toriel standing there. "Oh dear, that took longer than I thought it would..." she muttered, taking out her phone.

  She looked up and saw the child standing there, looking slightly relieved. She ran up to them.

  "My child, what are you doing here? Are you hurt?" Toriel sent green magic into them, healing their bruises. "There there... You shouldn't have been wandering around alone."

  Toriel sighed. "I shouldn't have left you alone for so long... But I wanted to surprise you. Erm.. Well, I suppose I can't hide it any longer... Come, my child!"

  Frisk followed Toriel into a cozy looking home. A delicious smell wafted through, making them realize how hungry they were.

  "Surprise! I made you a butterscotch-cinnamon pie! To celebrate your arrival!"

  Frisk was caught off guard by this sudden gesture. Nobody had ever done something for them, especially not bake them a pie...

  "R-Really...? For... Me?" they said softly, still shocked. Toriel's heart broke at the child's voice.

  It was obvious that they were at least neglected, though they had signs of abuse as well.

  "Of course, my child. Now, let me get you some dinner, and then you can have a slice of that pie. How does that sound?"

  Frisk finally smiled. "Thank you..."

  Once they were finished eating, Toriel lead the human to another room.

  "A room of your very own! I hope you like it.."

  The child looked up at Toriel, barely believing it. This 'monster' was treating them better than any human ever had.

  They threw their arms around her. "Thank you so much..."

  Toriel smiled sadly and ruffled their hair. "Of course."

--

  Frisk stared at the bed. They were deciding whether or not it was safe enough to fall asleep.

  "It's safe."

  They jumped slightly, for they had temporarily forgotten about their ghostly companion.

  "Did I scare you?" Chara had a wiry grin on their face. "I tend to do that. Sorry."

  "...Its okay..." Frisk took a deep breath, calming themself down.

  They let out an involuntary yawn. They really were tired. If Chara said it was safe, maybe it really was...

  Deciding that they could sleep safely, Frisk climbed into the bed and closed their eyes, thinking about the extremely eventful day they had.

--

  Chara watched the sleeping human, wondering if they could be trusted.

  I mean, they were nice and merciful to the monsters of the ruins....

  They shook their head and sighed. All of it was too much to take in at once.

  All they knew was that this human was filled with Determination.

  They yawned and slowly opened their eyes, momentarily forgetting where they were.

  Then the events of the day before came rushing back, and Frisk sat up quickly, looking around.

  Chara was still there, watching the door with a confused and upset expression.

  "Um... Chara? Are you okay...?" Frisk asked tentatively.

  "Oh, you're awake." They said, ignoring Frisk's question. Chara put up a fake smile, making the human worry.

  They stood up and peeked out the door wondering where Toriel was. They could still smell the yummy butterscotch-cinnamon pie.

  Their stomach rumbled. They were hungry.

  "Hey, Frisk. There's a slice of pie on the floor. She brought it in last night." Chara pointed to the ground, rolling their eyes slightly.

  "Oh. Thanks.." Frisk sat on the floor beside the pie and started eating it with their hands.

  Chara's eyebrow went up. "Uh, you know she left you a fork, right?"

"Yea." They replied through bites.

  "Okay, you're officially the weirdest person I've ever met."

  "Thanks."

--

  Once the pie was finished, Frisk entered the living room, searching for Toriel.

  She was sitting in a chair beside a warm, crackling fire.

  "Ah, you're already awake!" Toriel smiled. "Oh, I want you to know how glad I am to have someone here. There are so many old books I want to share. I want to show you my favorite bug hunting spot. I've also prepared a curriculum for your education. This may come to you as a surprise, but I have always wanted to be a teacher. Actually, it may not be all that surprising to you."

  The child's face lit up as they smiled. They didn't notice Chara's upset expression or their sigh.

  "I'd love that. Thank you, Toriel."

--

  "You know... Frisk, the monsters have been trapped down here for hundreds of years."

Frisk turned and looked at Chara in surprise. "Really?"

  They nodded. "Yeah. There's a barrier trapping them down here."

"Oh.. That's sad."

  "Yeah, it is. But..."

"But...?"

  Chara smiled. "I know how to break it."

  Frisk looked up in shock. "You do? How?"

  "Yep. All we need to do is get you to the capital. I'll tell you what you need to do from there."

  A smile spread across Frisk's face. They could free the monsters that had been so kind to them!

  Chara tried to ignore the guilt that spread through them at the thought of what they were doing.

  Its the only way... They told themself, inwardly sighing.

--

The next morning, Frisk walked to into the living room, where Toriel was once again reading a book.

  "Ah, child, you're awake! You must be hungry. Here, let me get you some food."

  Toriel stood up and hurried into the kitchen, soon coming out with a plate of pancakes.

  "There we go! While you eat, let us talk about today's plans." She smiled widely, which only made Frisk feel guilty about what they were about to ask.

  "Uhm.... Toriel? I have a question.." they mumbled, looking down.

  "Oh? What is your question, my child?"

  "How do you get out of the ruins?" They blurted out. Toriel froze.

  "...Oh. Will you give me a moment, child? I have something I need to do first...."

  Frisk ran after her, down the stairs and into a dusty basement.

  "Toriel! What are you doing?..!"

  They gasped. If she destroyed the only way out, how would they break the barrier?

  "W-Wait! Toriel!" They cried out.

  "I'm not letting you out of here! Every human that has fallen down here has met the same fate! I have seen it again and again! They come. They leave. They die. You naive child; if you leave the ruins... they... Asgore... will kill you! I am only trying to protect you! Why don't you understand?!"

  Chara flinched. No.. Dad wouldn't... He couldn't...

  "Go... Go to your room." Toriel sighed, holding back tears.

  "T-Toriel, please!" Frisk sobbed, not understanding what was happening.

  "So you wish to leave that badly. Hmph." Toriel said, her voice void of emotion. "You are just like the others. There is only one solution for this. Prove yourself to me. Prove that you have what it takes to survive!"

  Frisk gasped as the strange feeling washed over them once more. Their soul appeared in front them, glowing a bright red.

  "Toriel blocks the way..." Chara breathed out, shocked.

  Fireballs were shot at Frisk, who brought their mind back in time to dodge them.

  Internally, they were freaking out. They never expected Toriel, of all people, to attack them.

  Frisk tried to think of what they could do to convince Toriel to let them go. They couldn't just stand there and-

  An idea came to their mind. Toriel didn't want to actually hurt them. They could use that to their advantage.

  "Frisk, what are you doing?!"

  Nothing, they thought, covering their soul with their arms. I'm doing nothing.

  Toriel's hand wavered once she realized that Frisk had stopped trying to dodge her attacks.

  "Child.... What are you doing...?"

  They didn't respond. Chara's eyes widened once they saw what Frisk's plan was.

  "Oh. I see."

  "Fight me or run away!" Toriel cried out, her voice shaking.

  Frisk's legs shook with their weight. They were covered with burns. But yet... They refused to give up.

  "I.... How pathetic.  I...I can't even protect a single child..." She let out a sad laugh.

  The fire dissipated. Toriel started shaking, her eyes filled with tears.

  "Oh... My child... I.. I understand. The ruins are quite small once you get used to them.."

  Frisk put their arms down. They sensed that the battle was over.

  "Please...please be careful. And if you want to come back, you will always have a home here.. Remember that..." Toriel smiled sadly.

  "I.. Thank you, Toriel. I promise I'll come back." They wrapped their arms around her, sobbing softly.

--

  Frisk dried their tears and stepped through the door of the ruins. They came across a patch of grass, similar to the one where they met Flowey.

  As if on cue, the flower popped out of the ground on front of them.

  "Clever. Veeerry clever. You think you're so smart, don't you?! But in this world, it's kill or be killed. So you played by your own rules. You spared the life of a single person. I bet you feel really great. You didn't kill anybody this time. But what will you do if you meet a relentless killer? You'll die and you'll die and you'll die. Until you're tired of trying. What will you do then? Will you kill out of frustration?"

  "No!"

"I can very clearly see the fear in your eyes... You know you'll never make it through without killing orbeing killed. Now, will you rule this world...or give it up entirely and let ME inherit it." Flowey gave them an evil smirk. "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. Will you kill? Or will you fall? Let's see what you do."

  He laughed, his face contorted into a demonic grin. He then disappeared into the ground, leaving a terrified Frisk and a pissed off Chara.

  "Who the hell does that guy think he is, scaring you like that?!"

  "I'm fine, Chara... Let's just go..." Frisk took a deep, wavering breath and stepped outside.

  Despite what had just happened... They were filled with Determination.