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Larry walked around as the sun set, organizing his day of work, talking to Teddy and Sacagewea, taking his keys back from dexter, but a deafening crash startled him into investigating. It came from the diorama room, he rolled his eyes and walked in anyway, ‘probably the Mayans getting out again somehow’ he reasoned…
That was not the case, he came into a little…boy? Girl? Child. A child trying to help up a human-sized Octavius off the ground “What. HAPPENED?!” the nightgaurd shouted, causing Octavius to fall once again “i am…unaware, my liege” the westeners started yelling incomprehensibly, something about Jedediah? While the kid frantically shook their head, trying to communicate with their hands.
Ahkmenrah, having heard the chaos and having something to
add
to this chaos, poked their head in, tablet in hand. “OKAY OKAY!” larry said, holding his hands up “one at a time, one at a time, please!” everyone settled just a bit, Ahkmenrah walking into the room fully “you guys, what happened?”
“We dont know, hoss! All’s we know is ol ‘diah being gone and this punk being in his place!” the nightgaurd raised an eyebrow, taking a look at the kid, an androgynous looking child, but wearing Jedediah’s clothing somehow “you, whats your name? How did you get here? Where are your parents??” the child looked around, opening and closing their mouth to no avail and tried once again to speak in hands.
“Are you deaf?” they shook their head, no “mute?” that one got a yes. “Okay uh Octavius? Do you know anything?” Octaivus shook his head “alright, Ahk, what do you need?” Larry asked, Ahkmenrah holding up their tablet “something is wrong” he stated bluntly “yeah, ive noticed”
….
Jedediah woke up, not like came-to-life wake up like what usually happens but woke up like he slept, his head hurt bad. Looking around he noticed that he wasnt in his diorama, not even in the museum for that case. “What in the world?” he noticed his clothing was also different not sporting the western-cowboy style he had grown used to, but instead a striped sweater and shorts that reached down to his knees
“This…isnt right” Jedediah hoisted himself up, feeling much bigger than he was used to, the flowers under his feet actually being smaller than him for a change. “Gigantor!” he yelled, uncertain, cringing at the echo. “Anyone?! Oct- Octavius! OCT!” but nobody responded.
Instead of staying put, despite Larry’s many many warnings, the cowboy started forward, soon coming across a large open space, sunlight beaming down through one of the cracks, wait- “sunlight?” Jedediah questioned, stepping forward to confirm it, only for a flower to appear in the bedding of grass, but this wasnt an ordinary flower oh no it-
“Howdy! Im FLOWEY! FLOWEY the FLOWER! ” -it talked “SWEET JESUS CHRIST!” Jedediah yelled, falling backwards “well that isnt a nice way to treat a new friend, now is it, pal?” the flower asked “i finally lost it, didnt think anything could phase me since i first woke up” the cowboy chuckled before standing up, standing his ground
“I could say the same! Anyways, you’re new to the UNDERGROUND, aintcha?” Jed nodded, sticking his hands in the pockets at his sides “you…could say that” the flower- Flowey, laughed “golly! You must be so confused! Someone ought to teach you how things work around here! I guess little ol’ me will have to do, ready?”
“Ready for wha-” something burned in Jedediah’s chest, a heart glowed before him “what the-”
“Here we go!” Flowey’s smile seemed friendly at first but slowly grew into something Jedediah knew he couldnt trust. “See that heart? Thats your SOUL, the very culmination of your being!” the cowboy hummed, ‘i was wondering if i had one of those’ he thought, he tried to take a step back only for the heart to move instead, confusing him beyond belief. “Your SOUL starts off weak, but can grow strong if you gain lots of LV”
“Whats that? An acro-whatis or somethin’?” Jedediah asked, the flower responded in stride, like he’s done this a million times “whats LV stand for? Why, LOVE, of course! You want some LOVE dont you?”
“Well yeah, but not from just anyone, that’s kinda odd, doncha think?” Flowey shook his head, if that was even possible “no, no, i dont think so! Everyone wants LOVE! Here ill share some with you!” a semi-circle of white, almost bullet looking objects surrounded the flower, pointed at Jedediah “down here, LOVE is shared through….little white…”friendliness pellets”....are you ready? Move around! Get as many as you can!”
Jedediah went on instinct, trying to dodge to the side, the heart moving there in his place, missing the “pellet” by mere centimeters, completely shattering without pain on Jedediah’s body. “What in the sam hill?” Flowey slowed for a beat “hey…you missed them…”
But he perked back up “thats alright! Lets try again!” another semi-circle of bullets appeared “go on! Catch them!” he encouraged, Jedediah dodges them once again, not trusting him even more “okay well thats just a bit rude, im trying to help you!” the flowers smile becomes forced as another round of bullets show up “just come on!...friend” the cowboy dodges again while trying to run away.
Flowey stopped, smile fading “oh come on! You dont even know whats happening! You dont belong here! So why wont you DO AS YOU'RE TOLD?!” a complete circle surrounds Jedediah, soul and all, with bullets, not a single way to escape
“Die”
Flowey begins to laugh maniacally, closing the circle in slowly as Jedediah tries to brace himself. Before a fire starts to flicker, hitting the flower, sending him flying to the left. A creature walks in, a tall goat-like figure in a purple dress, looking at the flower with a sort of distaste “what a horrible creature, torturing such a poor, innocent youth.” Jedediah finally finally could move again, taking a wide step back with a breath before it registered what the woman said
“What did ya call me?” Jed asked, but the figure did not answer, she looked at him with affection. “oh, dont be afraid, my child. I am TORIEL caretaker of the RUINS . I pass through this place every day to see if someone has fallen down. You are the first human to come here in a long time. Come! I will guide you through the catacombs!” Toriel walked in front, Jedediah fell behind her “i dont know if i can be qualified as ‘human’ lady, im just wire and plastic, y’know?” She laughed loudly
“And a trickster as well!” she jests, it didnt make…a whole lot of sense but Jed shook it off, walking into a room that was decorating monochromatically purple a yellow star sat in the middle, flickering almost as his soul did. As Toriel climbed the stairs the cowboy reached out his hand, touching the star, feeling any pain from his still-lingering headache dissipate instantly. A soft voice whispered distantly, “ The shadows of the ruins loom above, filling you with determination ”
Any turn Jedediah made showed no sign of where the voice came from “are you coming?” Toriel asks, concern making way to her face, Jed nodded, climbing the stairs as well. The next room showed a sign and a stone pathway that obviously wasnt built correctly as it didnt connect at all. Jedediah, preparing to make a joke about Rome that Octavius would have most certainly scolded him for, looked to see that Toriel was standing, almost like a teacher, facing him.
“Welcome to your new home, innocent one” the cowboy cringed, the memories that crossed from his life before the museum dug their way out every now and then, he was most definitely not innocent “could ya…not call me that?” he asked, surprising the goat-woman, “o-oh! Yes, my apologies, my child” Jed laughed at that “im probably older than you, miss” he said, she shook her head
“Thats impossible, humans dont live that long. Every human is my child in my heart anyways…to live here you should know how we operate in the RUINS .” Toriel stepped on four of the six stones, creating a square. “The RUINS are filled of puzzles. Ancient fusions between diversions and doorkeys. You will have to solve them to move from room to room, please adjust to seeing them.” she informed before leaving the room.
Jedediah gazed at the two stones in the middle before turning his attention to the sign, the same voice that whispered in the room before said what he read on the sign “ Only the fearless may proceed, brave ones, foolish ones, both dare walk not the middle road”
‘It must be a reference to the puzzle, it sounds like something Octy would have in his diorama’ Jedediah scoffed a laugh before looking down ‘i miss Oct, it would be so much easier with him here, he was always the brave one’ he thought
Looking at the sign again he smiled ‘guess im the foolish one huh?’ the cowboy thought, before exiting the room.