Chapter Text
The sun felt warm on your face, a heat matched by the joy flooding your heart. You never considered how much you had taken it for granted until it was taken away. Further down the mountain, you heard excited footsteps and rattling bones, followed soon after by equally fervent, yet somewhat slowed, steps.
“Um… Undyne, could you slow down a little, p-p-please?” a nervous voice
echoed.
“Sorry, Alphys! The future waits for no one!” another, more gruff tone replied.
“Actually, I have to agree with the good Doctor,” a far deeper voice announced.
“Huh, I haven’t run like, huh, this in years.”
“OUT OF BREATH ALREADY, YOUR MAJESTY?” asked a higher, scratchier
voice. “NEVER FEAR, SIR! ALLOW THE GREAT PAPYRUS TO INSPIRE YOU!
OBSERVE! NYEH HEH HEH HEH!” In the distance, you swore you saw a red and
white speck leaving behind a massive, billowing cloud of dirt, as well as harsh coughs
from all the others. “OOPS. UH, SORRY FRIENDS!”
“wow bro,” said yet another voice, almost nonchalantly. “looks like you’re in a
real papy-rush.” The former’s pained screams reverberated through the mountainside.
Seeing your friends enjoying themselves so much filled you with Determination. You felt
a Save form.
“I suppose we should follow, too,” a warm voice said. You turned to your right,
looking up at Toriel’s amused smile. Her towering, goat-like visage, though foreign to all
you had known until today, was comforting. “Before that, however, I have a question.”
You looked at her intently, a nonverbal sign that she had your attention.
“Those few short hours we had together in the Ruins were some of the happiest
I’ve had in a long time. It felt good to be a mother again, even if only for a short while.”
Her eyes glazed over slightly, memories running through her mind. You knew who she
was thinking about, but didn’t have the heart to interrupt. “I was wondering if you would
care to let that last a bit longer. You know, stay with me, here on the surface.”
The warmth in your heart spread through your entire body. You remembered how
much fun it had been in the Ruins (encounters with a certain flower aside.) Being
welcomed into her home, reading with her, the delicious butterscotch-cinnamon pie she
gave you. You remembered the pain in her gaze when you asked how to leave, her
stern declaration that she wanted to protect you, the tears in her eyes as you refused to
be held there.
You remembered the hug she gave you before returning to her home deeper in
the Underground and the hollowness that followed, one that was almost filled (ironically)
by a pair of skeletons. Almost. That feeling of guilt persisted throughout your journey,
haunting you even more viciously than that small voice whispering uncertainties about
those you met in your ear. Her sorrow tore you up inside, and now she was giving you
the chance to patch it up. You were so focused on your thoughts that you didn’t realize
that you were just staring at her, looking kind of silly the whole time. Her expression
became somber as the seconds passed.
“I understand if you do not, of course. You must have somewhere else to be. I
mean, this is your world after all…” Your eyes shot open, realizing your mistake, as you
quickly grasped her hand. You gave the most sincere smile you could as you spoke.
“I’d like that,” you said softly. Her sadness was replaced by glee, pulling you once
more into a hug. You did your best to return the favor, though your diminutive size made
it difficult. It seemed to last for hours, though you knew it was more like a few minutes.
“I promise to protect you, and this time I will keep it,” she said, pulling away to
reveal she had teared up anyway. You reached out, wiping them away with the baggy
sleeve of your oversized sweater. “Let us see if we can catch up to the others.”
She moved for the path down the mountain, guiding you by the hand. You spared
one more glance at the setting sun, thinking about all that was to come, for good and for
ill. Either way, you didn’t have to face the future alone. You knew your family would
stand by you as you would stand by them.
Yes, that sounded like a wonderful idea.
-
A cold wind blew through the palace. The halls whistled, empty of all life. Flowers
stirred, somewhat wilted from months without proper care. Upon them lied an old cloak
and crown, stained by a dark grey dust. Another, larger flower was almost completely
withered, its stem cleanly cut from the ground.
“Ah, good times,” I said, my voice rough. The sight of the king’s garb returned
such beautiful, fulfilling memories. The surprise on his face when I cut him down, the
further betrayal by that weed, finally ridding myself of the troublesome little kill stealer.
Still though, I felt empty. Nothing else gave me any challenge after that. The
cheating little skeleton was the last notable hurdle. Everyone else from that point on fell
like dominoes. The LOVE was glorious, power coursing through my veins, and yet I had
nothing left to use it on. This world, I realized, was useless to me now.
Suddenly, I felt a spark elsewhere. Through my determination, I found another
set of saves. Another world I had yet to touch. The thought made me chortle. I just
needed a way to get there.
That Sans guy seemed to know quite a bit about what I had been doing to time.
Maybe he would have the answer for me. Yes, a way to reach that new, untapped world.
A new populace to terrorize. Even more EXP I hadn't yet claimed. Maybe I should go rectify
that.
“That’s a wonderful idea!”