Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The dreary gray skies were replaced with a beautiful blue one, with autumn coloured leaves framing it and blocking out most of the view.

It was a shame that my glasses had broken and I hadn’t been able to replace them. I would've loved to see the view properly with 20/20 vision.

I hum, blinking slowly as I take in the breezy cool air and continue to watch the blurry white clouds drift over the trees. My abdomen and thigh were throbbing, but the pain was surprisingly dull and not nearly as bad as it was before I was knocked out.

I continue to soak in the atmosphere for several minutes before deciding I should probably get my butt moving. Just laying here wouldn’t do shit to figure out how I got here.

But first, I need to look at my wounds to check them and make sure everything is okay. My thigh was wrapped and when I pushed up my hoodie and undershirt, my wound there was also wrapped.

Both had small blood spots starting to form on them though, I’d need a change soon.

I took several deep breaths before I forced myself to my feet, while also being careful as to not jostle my wounds more than I should. I didn’t know where I was or how I got here, but I did know that I was ALIVE.

And that was a fucking miracle.

Leaning against a tree, I try and figure out what might’ve happened, but nothing comes to mind. The last thing I remember before fading away was my friend and that stranger trying to stem the bleeding.

I sigh and take a look around. I don’t know what I got myself into this time. Another look reveals nothing identifying I might be able to use to pinpoint my location.

But in the second look, I see movement and when I turn to face the movement, I have to squint to make sure I was actually seeing what I thought I was seeing.

With a slightly clearer view, it turns out to be the movement of a human child. My heart plummets. What’s a kid doing out here in what’s probably the middle of a forest?

After a moment's hesitation, I called out, “Hey!” Which turns out to be a mistake when they snap their head towards me and they stumble back, tripping over an exposed root.

And panic grips me when they fall out of sight. A burst of adrenaline numbs my pain and I follow after the kid. My heart constricts when I see a hole in the ground and the falling form of the child.

Without a second thought, I throw myself after them, arms outstretched to try and catch them. They were screaming and I grabbed them, managing to twist in the air to put my back to the ground. Maybe if I take the brunt of the fall, they’ll be able to survive.

My back collides with the ground and my head bounces and I groan. Great, another pain to add to the collection.

But I was still alive. Somehow. We shouldn’t have survived the fall, if the distance between here and the lip of the hole was anything to go by. Or at least, we shouldn’t have been almost completely unharmed.

A sharp sweet scent enters my nose and I sneeze. The scent permeates the air around us and I continue to sneeze violently, scrambling up despite the knocked out child in my arms and throbbing-in-pain wounds.

I sniffle as I look back at the ground we landed on to see golden flowers, I turn away from the child's face and let out a final sneeze.

That flowerbed was probably the prettiest part of the area, considering everything else around it was a total dump. Trash and other things have been thrown down here by humans.

I scowl, humans really sucked.

I feel movement from the kid in my arms and I look down in time to see red eyes open and I smile at them, “Hey, kid, sorry about the scare. I didn’t mean to make you fall. I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”

The kid looked at me, and though still very blurry, I could tell they were confused, “Wha-?” The start.

“A flower bed broke our fall, but I had to move us cause they caused my allergies to act up.” I nod towards the flower bed. They twist their head to look at our landing pad, and promptly curses and I let out a surprised laugh.

“Gah!” They let out a frustrated yell and I raised an eyebrow, “Kid?”

“Ugh, well this is just perfect.” They wiggle in my arms and I set them down gently, careful of the wound I see wrapped on their leg.

“Sans is gonna…” They hiss under their breath.

They frown as they take another look, “That trash is new though.”

I raised both eyebrows, “Kid?” I called again.

They turn to me, “And so are you.”

“You wanna explain?”

“No.” They say, before grabbing my hand and jerking me along, casually picking up an old boot before we pass a doorway.

“Letting you know now, I’m really blind. Like, can barely see an inch in front of my face. I had glasses, but they broke a year or so ago and with everything that's happened, I haven’t been able to get new ones.”

“That’s fine, I’ll protect you.” They said, determination in their voice.

“Okay.” I agree easily, giving in to let the child have their way. Not that I couldn’t protect myself, but still, they were determined.

They pass a stick to me and I shrug as I take it, keeping it gripped in one hand.

“I want to get through all of this as fast as humanly possible…” They laugh under their breath, “Oh he’s gonna be so mad, how did this happen?”

I don’t bother trying to question what they meant. They probably wouldn’t answer anyway.

They continue to grumble as they drag me along.

A puzzle piece clicks into place as a flower greets us in the next room, “H-Howdy! I-I’m Flowey! Flowey the F-Flower!”

Except the weed wasn’t speaking confidently. If anything, he seemed afraid.

“S-say… You’re… N-n-new to the… uh... Underground here…” His stuttering was getting worse the closer the kid stomped to him, “A-aren’t… cha…?”

I frown at the poor thing, immediately feeling pity for it as the kid releases my hand and stomps up to the flower angrily, “Flowey, what did you do?”

“What? Me? I-I didn’t do anything!”

“Ha! That’s a laugh.” They mock the thing, I quickly approach ready to intervene with the clearly pissed child.

“I-Im serious! W-what are you talking about?”

“Asriel, I’m serious! This, however, you did this, is a huge step in the wrong direction.” Another puzzle piece clicks.

The flower whispered something I didn’t catch because the kid -Frisk, maybe?- talked over him, “Sans is gonna kill me for this!”

“Who in the world is sans?” The flower manages to speak over them for a second.

“Don’t you play dumb with me!” Frisk snaps angrily.

“You are in so much-” They start reaching for the flower and I start to step in, this clearly wasn’t the Flowey they knew. I grab their shoulder and pull them back as Flowey recoils with a startled, “Hey!”

I see white pellets start hovering around him as he yells, “Don’t touch me!”

“Kid, I don’t think that’s whoever you think it is.” 

They shake off my hand roughly and my eye twitches in annoyance as they ignore me, still speaking to Flowey, “Flowey, that's enough messing around.”

They then wave their dismissively, “Alright, you know what? Let's just get on with-” They’re sentence is interrupted when Flowey sends the bullets at us with a harsh yell, “SHUT UP!”

I jerk the kid back and shield them with my body.

When several seconds pass and the child clings to me but nothing hits us, I peek open my eyes to see the bullets stopped in front of us. Green and Red hearts now circling us.

“I just need one soul. A-And I can get my revenge… Just one…” He cries, “Qu-quick and easy… like squishing a b-bug…”

The bullets stay hovering around us, “I-I can do it, I have to… I have t-to…”

He sounded like he was about to cry and I called out to him, voice soft and gentle, “Flowey?”

He yells with frustration and the bullets shoot to the ground around our feet. Our souls fade away now that the threat is gone.

“I can’t do it! I can’t kill!” He cries out, “Not even a total weirdo like you!”

I see a bright light heading straight for Flowey and on instinct I dive forward and there is a boom. The bright light blinded me even as the only thought on my mind was [Protect] .

“FLOWEY! LADY!” I hear the kid cry out. I’m huffing and puffing and the green shield that surrounded the two of us fades away and my green heart fades away again.

“Tsk tsk tsk… Look what we have here…”

“Humans! It's too late! She found you! Run!” Flowey cried out.

“What a miserable creature…”

Chapter Text

“Trying to steal the human souls all for himself. And one being a Mage soul at that.”

The monster steps out into the light and the final piece clicks into place. But this sure as hell wasn’t classic.

A shiver shoots down my spine as I look at the much much darker version of Toriel. Pity wells inside me as I think of what might’ve caused what was once a kind soul into such a hateful creature.

“Well well well… Lookie what we have here…” I couldn’t really see the semi-familiar monster's face but I knew it couldn’t be anything pleasant going by Frisks frozen form.

“The last soul we need to set everyone in the underground free.” I feel her gaze flicker back to me, “And a bonus one too!”

“Oh, look at them, this weak child…” She laughs, “They’re paralyzed with fear! Humans are so weak! Taking their soul would be doing them a favor.”

She turns back to Flowey and I. I tense up, ready to turn and grab Flowey to book it.

“But first…” She takes slow and careful steps towards me and Flowey and an instinctive snarl curls my lips as I lower my center of gravity in preparation to fight.

I see Frisk turning and running out of the corner of my eye and the thought of, Good, they’re being smart. Flutters through my mind as Toriel cackles in glee, “Ha! Look at them, running away. You idiots, your kindness won’t get you anywhere. The only thing it’ll get you is killed .”

I didn’t move an inch as she raised her hand and her claws glinted in the light as they’re brought down across my face. I flinched back, minimizing the damage but I still didn't move, “I refuse to allow you to harm him.”

“Oh? And who says I’m giving you a choice. The child abandoned you-” I interrupt her, “As they should! They are a child! They have no place on the battlefield!”

She snarls at me, “Let me have the flower and I’ll give you a headstart.”

“Are you insulting me? Absolutely not!”

“Don’t you understand?” She raises a hand and a fireball appears, “In this world, it’s kill or be killed!”

However, before she could hurl the fireball at us, a rock flies out of nowhere and strikes the goat monster in the head, knocking her out.

“Huh?” I whirl to look in the direction the rock came from to see Frisk sprinting back to us, arm out reaching to grab Flowey and shoving him in the boot.

“Get in the boot, flower boy! C’mon lady!”

“Ow! Hey! What are you-” Flowey is interrupted by Frisk yelling over their shoulder, “I’m sorry mom that I threw a rock at you but you were acting crazy!! I’m sorry!”

“Human? What are you doing?” Flowey questions as we sprint through the next doorway.

My question of, “You bloody idiot, why’d you come back?” overlaps with Floweys, “What? You came back? For us?”

“Flowey, Lady, now is not the time for talking!”

We stop at the base of some stairs and something fills me.

[The ache you feel for Toriel fills you with Kindness]

“New friends?” Frisk wonders aloud. Flowey looks up at them, confused, “Who are you talking to?”

Suddenly a fireball flies over our heads and we all duck with a startled yell.

“You little pests. You thought you could get away from-” Our screechs kick up a notch and we bolt up the stairs. She continues to hurl fireballs at us as she yells, “At least let me finish!”

Frisk quickly runs over the pressure plates and I don’t hesitate to pull the switch the moment they’re done, only leaving the room once they pass first.

One by one puzzles are completed until we reach the room with the dummy in it. Now, It’s not as strong as it was when I was a child, but I could feel the ghost within the thing. It was passive, though. Not very present and not very angry. Which was a shock considering Toriel.

“Hey, why are you slowing down?”

“You okay?” I ask, worry coating my words. I sure as hell wasn’t. My leg and abdomen was throbbing and the new one on my face was bleeding. But it wasn’t like we could stop to check on them.

Frisk was heaving breaths as they gasped out, “Sorry, not used to running this much.”

“Well, don’t stop now! Or Toriel’s gonna- Um, human?” Flowey stops mid-sentence. As he follows our gaze to a rather angry froggit.

“Come on huma, we need to get past this froggit!” Frisk doesn’t respond and on a whim I step forward, the thought crossing my mind maybe it’ll still work?

[You compliment the Froggit.]

[Froggit didn’t understand what you said, but knew it was nice and was flattered anyway]

The froggit gets down on all fours and whimpers, “Aww…” I coo, kneeling down in front of it and patting its head, “You’re okay sweetie, I know you’re just doing what you feel you have to.”

It sniffles before letting us pass and we move on, I end up following Frisk through the path of spikes, since I never memorized it as Flowey looks between the both of us, “You're both very strange.”

I giggle, “Awe, thank you, darling.”

“So, uh, human… I’ve been meaning to ask you… How did you know my name? My real name?” Flowey asks, Frisk doesn’t answer at first and Flowey probes them again, “Human?”

We exit the Long Corridor and the sensation from before fills me,

[The encounter with Froggit fills you with Kindness]

The child sighs before they start to speak, “Flowey, I-”

“Hey!” A shout interrupts them, “Thought you could ignore me, huh? Is that it, punks?” A little whimsun yells, “Well well. No one’s gonna ignore Whimsun! No sir-ee! Not a snowman's chance in Hotland! So you better-”

The little fairy creature is interrupted by a fireball zooming past all our heads, the thing squeaks out, “Welp! Gotta go!” before fleeing.

“We forgot about Toriel.” I sigh, glancing back at the lady with fire in her hands, “You brats are making this so much harder than it needs to-” She hurls a fireball, “BE!”

I lunge out of the way as Flowey yells, “Ahh! HUmans! We need to-” Frisk breaks his sentence with, “Hang on, Flowey!” Before tossing him in the air. He, understandably, screams.

But we were both too busy dodging Toriels, yanking and pushing each other out of the way of the fireballs. Soon enough, thankfully the former queen is worn out and just in time for Frisk to catch Flowey, “Are you okay?”

“I hate you.” He states.

“Good. Let’s go while mmm- Toriels tired out.” Frisk corrects theirself.

“But seriously. NEVER do that again…” His face distorts enough for me to pick up on it.

“Oh hush, At least I caught you.” Frisk says playfully.

I let out a breathless giggle as I continued to follow along. These two were a riot, I could tell.

~

“But sir, we need to pass!”

“I ain’t gonna let no grimey hands touch me!”

“But sir-” Frisk tries to plead again but the boulder interrupts them, “The answer is no!”

“What are we gonna do?” Frisk looks between me and Flowey, fear causing their voice to waver.

“Toriels gonna kill us!”

My brows furrowed as I looked down at the stubborn rock. I kneel and reach into my pocket where gold had mysteriously appeared after dealing with the froggit, “It’s not much, but I have some gold to give you if you’re willing to move to the plate and stay there.”

I was not above bribery. As the gold mysteriously vanishes from my hand and the boulder begins to move, I hear a startled scream and look up in time to see both Frisk and Flowey flying over the spikes. Flowey was spouting obscenities at the child as they landed in a heap on the other side just as the spikes retracted down.

I sigh and thank the boulder as I pass it and get a, “You know how things work down here.”

The moment I step past the spikes the boulder moves back to its initial spot and the spikes go back up. I turn to the troublesome duo after waving at the boulder with a smile to see them both staring at me.

I cough and ask, “You two okay?”

The flower nods and Frisk hums a positive note, “That’s good. Next time, try bribing. As much as I hate to say it, sometimes bribing is the best way to go.”

“If that rock gives Toriel as hard a time as it gave us is anything to go by, we might actually be safe for a little while!” Flowey says hopefully, “We’re gonna wh=ant to get some headway though, but at the moment we are safe.”

“Which is good-” He stares down Frisk, “Because you gotta lot of explaining to do.”

He backs off and looks to me as well, “So, I know your name probably isn’t ‘human’ so unless you want me to keep calling you that, you think you can tell me what I should be calling you two?”

“Oh!” Frisk seemed happy he asked, “Well, my name is Frisk! Frisk Dree-” They break off, slouching a little, “J-just Frisk. I guess.”

I frown down at them before introducing myself, “I’m Ostara, a pleasure to formally meet you. And, please, for future reference, I’m agender. Not Lady or Lord or Mister or any of those things.”

~

Oh come on! Move it you big creep! Ghosts don’t even need sleep!” Flowey yells, face distorting again.

“Hey!” Frisk tries to stop him, “Be quiet!”

An echoing voice comes from the ghost, “Who's bothering me?” it growls.

“Here they come,” Flower sighs.

“Oh… A human?” It looks intrigued, “Figures only a human would be dumb enough to pick a fight with me…”

It laughs lightly, “Oh well…”

It floats up and glares down at us, music notes surrounded by fire surrounds it, “Let’s get this over with.”