Chapter Text
Prologue - The Fall
You were running through the thick forest of Mt. Ebott, doing your best to bob and weave through the foliage and trees. The moon was suspended in the pitch black sky with stars dancing through the air. Though the dark clouds tried their best to block out everything, slivers of silver light were still able to brighten a bit of the path. The downpour of rain was horrendous yet you forced yourself to continue forward. Booming thunder drowned out the cries of the poor soul who had been forced to try and bring you back to the hell you were running from. Every once in a while, a strike of lightning would temporarily let you see what was before you with more clarity. You probably could have chosen to run away on a night with better weather. However, there was no turning back now.
Taking another step in your mad dash to freedom, you stepped into a rather slick mound of mud. You yanked your foot away in hopes of breaking free yet lost one of your sneakers in the process. While the attempt had been successful, the amount of force behind the action caused you to stumble with your next step. Catching your foot on a vine hidden in the dark, your body pitched forward. Instinct kicked in as you tossed your hands out to catch yourself before face planting against the ground. Instead of feeling the moist ground beneath your hands, the only thing there was air.
Before your brain could process anything, you were falling. Cold rain pelted your back as you desperately flailed around in the dark pit. Trying to find something to grab hold of, your hands grasped at thin air as you continued your descent. It wasn’t long before your limbs were crying out in pain for everything to just stop. You had overexerted yourself enough from running and all this flailing was getting you nowhere. Finally giving in, you went limp as you fell. It felt as if the fall would never end. However, the moment soon came where you smashed your head onto the ground.
It was no surprise that the impact knocked you unconscious.
Practically prying your eyes open, the first thing you saw was the gaping hole above you. Morning came while you’d been asleep and the sunlight revealed just how far you’d falled. You should have died from such a drop yet you only felt sore. It seemed that fate had decided to be merciful enough to let you live longer. Perhaps that was your reward for finally escaping the place you’d once been forced to call home.
You weren’t naive even though you were 13 years old. Forced to grow up quickly in the presence of adversity, the world had revealed just how cruel it really was. People often sugarcoated things instead of telling the truth to those they thought couldn’t handle it. The world was not a kind and loving place like many tried to make you believe. If you were dealt a bad hand of circumstances, everything could fall apart at the drop of a pin. There was nothing that could stop the world from falling apart. Despite all that, you had never given up hope for a brighter tomorrow. The world was terrible yet there was still good on Earth. Everything had an opposite, two sides of the same coin. You knew that. All you had to do was wait for your moment to finally taste a piece of happiness.
The sound of rustling stirred you from your thoughts. Hearing a small gasp, you finally forced yourself to move. Every muscle in your body screeched to stop as you sat up. Feeling the ground beneath you, it took a moment before you realized that you had fallen into a bed of yellow buttercups. Your hands grazed the flower petals and you took a moment to appreciate the soft feeling of their touch against your skin. Ripping your eyes away from the flowers, you soon caught sight of the being before you. You couldn't help the squeak of surprise that left your mouth.
Before you stood a creature who resembled a white-furred goat. Your eyes quickly caught sight of the small set of sharp horns on her head that curled inwards. Two floppy ears hung down, making it a little past the creature's shoulders. A pair of fangs were visible due to the fact that the creature's mouth was open slightly - probably from the shock of seeing you. Long eyelashes surrounded their soft eyes which were a surprisingly pretty dark red. The monster’s eyes made you feel as if you were gazing into a glass of red wine. The figure wore a long purple robe that displayed some strange symbol. The symbol was a striking white that made it pop out on the robe. Finally dropping your eyes to the paws that the monster had for hands, you wondered if this was some weird dream or perhaps the drop had killed you.
"Another child...?" the creature finally whispered, their voice sounding rather feminine to your ears. You carefully pushed yourself onto your feet even though your body continued to protest. Although you were a bit wobbly, you were still able to stay standing. The monster rushed to your side before you had a moment to speak. Kneeling before you, their eyes met yours as they spoke, "I am sorry, it has just been a while since I have seen a human child. There is no reason to be afraid. My name is Toriel, caretaker of the Ruins which you have fallen into. Could you perhaps tell me your name?"
Taking a moment to get your bearings, you stared for just a moment longer. The woman before you seemed rather kind and you saw no reason to distrust her. Perhaps it was a bad idea but the world you knew followed the 'innocent until proven guilty' mentality. Realizing that you were taking a bit long to reply, your voice finally broke through the silence, "My name is _____."
"_____? What a lovely name. Are you hurt, my dear?" Toriel questioned. Her paw never left your shoulder as she looked you over for injuries. While the weight of the paw was heavy, it felt comforting instead of unnerving. With a small nod, you replied, "My head really hurts and I feel sore. I'm a bit surprised that I'm not worse..."
"Do not fear, my child, I will take care of you. We can head to my home and I will patch you up there.” Toriel stood up and removed her hand from your shoulder only to scoop you up in her arms. Surprised by the action, it took you some time to find comfort in her soft fur and warm embrace. The slight sway in her walk made you feel like were being rocked back and forth. Perhaps it was the comfort that her presence brought or the fact that you were still tired from last night but you fell asleep in her arms.
For the first time in a long time, you finally felt safe. It was absolutely lovely.