Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Renne opened her eyes. She stared up at the sunshine shining through the hole in the earth above her. She blinked a few times, trying to gather her bearing. “Where am I?” She whispered to herself. She felt the back of her head, half expecting a ton of blood, but she just felt her hair. Did the flowers break my fall? How did I even get here?

She stood up and took a look around. She was in a somewhat large cave with what seemed like a narrow passage not too far off. Renne retraced her steps in her memory. I was on Mt. Ebott on the edge of Crossbell. I needed a place to test my magic with no one else around. I saw a hole in the ground, and got curious. I went to get a closer look, lost my bearings and… fell down here into this dungeon?

Renne blushed to herself. Assuredly, I’m not that clumsy. Renne shook her head, trying to get rid of her embarrassment. She cupped her hands to her mouth. “Pater-Mater, can you hear me?! I need your help getting out of here!”

A minute passed. No reply was heard. She suddenly felt anxious. She was deeply connected to her mech, and she was only now realizing that connection was gone. “Pater-Mater! Pater-Mater!!”

Ok, Pater-Mater can’t hear me, and I can’t sense it. Stay calm. Panicking will just make things worse. What can I do in this situation?

She observed her surroundings carefully. How hard is this rock exactly? Renne brought out her scythe, and swung it against the rock. It did make a decent hole in the rock wall, but that was more from Renne’s strength than what the weapon was typically suited for. She looked it at with annoyance. I could theoretically dig out of here, but who knows how deep this goes.

Ok, plan B. Let’s try an orbal art. Renne began charging up an art. Her hand radiated as a massive flame grew in her hand. At least, it began to. She quickly put it out upon reassessing the situation. Wouldn’t this just cause a cave-in? I could protect myself with Earth Wall, but if I’m stuck under rubble…

Ok, what about this? She casted Sylphid to increase her movement. She jumped as high as she could, but she was still well out of reach of the hole above her. And with all her strengths, she wasn’t some expert rock climber. 

She looked back at the long passage behind her. She sighed. I don’t know what could be blocking my connection to Pater-Mater, but this is ridiculous. Is there something about this mountain interfering with it?

As grumpy as Renne now was, her rational side knew the only way forward was through that passage. She sadistically looked at her favorite weapon of choice. Well, it’s not like anything down here should be an actual threat.

~~~~

After walking some time, Renne found herself nearing some massive open doors. She was about to go through, but she sensed a presence approaching, and hid behind the door. Even with her strength, she was more suited to a sneak attack than a frontal assault. Out came a massive humanoid creature. She couldn’t get a view of the front, but it seemed almost goat-like? She didn’t hesitate. Before the monster even knew what was happening, Renne had slashed clean through it, leaving a massive gash upon its back.

Renne was about to finish it off when it looked back at her. The face made her freeze. It was uncanny, almost human-like. The goat monster seemed in shock and bewilderment. “W-why would you…” Before it could finish, it turned into dust and scattered away, only leaving behind a heart-shaped object. No, was it a real heart? It pulsed for a few seconds before shattering into numerous pieces. 

Renne nearly dropped her scythe at the bizarre sight before her. It wasn’t shock over killing something human-like. To be blunt, she had killed both numerous humans and monsters. But this was very different from what she knew. “What… was that?” She whispered to herself.

Meanwhile, a certain flower had been observing Renne since she had fallen and was completely freaking out. This is bad. This is really bad! Who the hell is this girl?!

~~~~

Outside the Ruins, snow was coming down as gently as ever. Sans was also sleeping as per usual. His brother, Papyrus, would undoubtedly yell at him later, but that was then and not now. He would’ve slept most of the day away, if it wasn’t for a vine tapping him on the shoulder.

He opened one eye socket, and spotted a flower with a face. To say it was distressed would be an understatement.

" Need help, bud?” Sans nonchalantly asked.

The response only seemed to aggravate the flower. “I can’t believe I’m having to resort to asking for help from you, of all people, but things are bad.”

Despite Flowey’s urgent tone, Sans slowly got up and stretched. “Have we met before? Can’t say I’ve seen a talking flower around here.”

Flowey gritted his teeth. “Hurry it up, you trash bag! A human has fallen down!”

Sans eyes lit up a bit. “Really? Thanks for letting me know, but that’s more my bro’s thing. You’re better off letting him know. Also, could do without the insults, but I’ll be nice and overlook it.” He said, winking at Flowey.

Of course, he was unamused. “Sans, she killed the old lady you talk to regularly in the ruins! In one slash! Before the lady could even realize she was there!”

At that, Sans stopped moving, and his eyes went dark. He then sighed. “Yeah, that’s pretty awful.”

“Ok, so you get it, right? I need YOUR help!” 

Sans didn’t reply, but rather stood in silence, staring at the snow.

“Helllloooooooo, she could be here any second!”

“Sorry, bud. I just needed to take a moment. I suppose I’m one of the unlucky ones.” He turned to face Flowey. “Welp, I’d say my brother or Undyne is more suited to this. I’m pretty weak, after all.”

Flowey looked annoyed. “What the - … Don’t be a coward!”

“Hey, I’m not trying to be. And besides, I have my reasons. I promised that old lady I wouldn’t hurt any humans that came here to Snowdin.”

Flowey was utterly baffled. “She was just killed! Don’t you want to avenge her?!”

Sans shrugged. “Ehh, I don’t think she’d want me to hurt her, even after… this. She’d probably want me to guide the human, if nothing else.”

“And if she charges you on sight, and tries to kill you?”

“Ey, I’d be careful. I wouldn’t directly approach her. At least, not at first. Maybe spook her a bit, and do the old ‘whooping cushion in hand’ prank,” Sans said, winking.

“Sans, she had a GIANT SCYTHE!! Bigger than you, maybe. She’s clearly dangerous!”

“Huh, sounds like a character out of those shows Alphys likes.”

“And also magic! Big, explode-y magic! Just like the humans who sealed us in here so long ago! I don’t think that bodes well for us! She could be here to finish us off!”

“... Wouldn’t they send an adult for that? It’s not like any of the previous six kids that fell down here had the ability to use magic. If the humans were wanting revenge, they sure have taken their time. That kid five years ago had a gun, and they didn’t kill anyone.”

Flowey was outright gritting his teeth in frustration now. “You weren’t even here for that! Are you going to stop her or not?!”

Sans put his fingers to his chin. He pretended to be in deep thought. “Y’know what? Get back to me in a day. I’ll sleep on it, and have an answer for you then.”

Flowey was about to burst. “Hey, relax. I’ll watch her from the forest. Introduce myself all polite like. Should I ask her if it’s ‘scythe to meet her’?"

Flowey didn’t even dignify the awful pun with a response. Damn you, trash bag. I didn’t want to reveal this, but I don’t exactly have a choice at this point.

“Fine!! Since you’re a lazy dumbass and don’t take anything seriously, let me tell you something. I’m the ANOMALY! You know, the thing that has been messing up timelines left and right? Is that enough to get you serious, huh?!"

Sans’s eye sockets darkened. The snow falling around them began to slow till it fully stopped. It was as if time itself had been stopped. One could even say it actually had. Sans quietly laughed to himself. “I’ll be damned. That’s probably a new one.”

Flowey felt slightly nervous. I always hate when he does his time space crap. “While I’m at it, you’ve given me more resets than anyone, so I full well know what you’re capable of. That human is over level 100!! Nothing poses a threat to her other than you, or possibly me if I got lucky. And let’s just say, I’ve not been able to save or reset since she arrived here.”

Sans looked up at the falling snow, now doubly frozen from temperature and time. “So, let’s see. You want me to kill this human until they stop resetting, so you can get your powers back and put us back in the same hell loop you’ve had us in.”

Flowey replied with a smug grin. “Hey now, I’ve not done anything for a while now. You could say I ran out of stuff to do. Killing everyone around here is only entertaining so many times.”

There was a smile stuck on Sans’s face, but there was no joy to be found there. “You are one freaky little flower.” 

The snow finally seemed to begin moving again. Before Flowey knew it, it was like nothing had changed. “So, are you up to the task? Don’t tell me your useless brother will save us all.”

Sans didn’t reply at first, and eventually shrugged. “Eh, nothing is truly at stake here, right? I’m… aware of what can happen, but I still have that promise to keep. She’ll just reset like you. And besides…“ Sans’s grin seemed to widen a bit. “It’s pretty satisfying seeing you not have control anymore.”

Flowey wanted to roar back, but a thought occurred to him. Something that might change Sans’s mind. “Are you sure she will reset? What if she just kills the king, and leaves us for dead. Maybe even takes the human souls with her? None of the previous children were strong enough to beat Asgore, but this one is VERY different.”

A slight drip of sweat formed on Sans’s skull. “... Huh, that could happen. Here’s the thing. I don’t feel comfortable trying to murder a kid just because of that. You’re acting like there’s no room for communication here.”

Flowey sighed. “Let me put it this way. As much as I despise you, I’m willing to set aside our differences to deal with this girl. I’ll even let you know when she resets, and what happened.”

Sans held back a chuckle. “Damn, you really are desperate. Alright, I’ll see what this human is all about. Just relax for now, bud.”

Flowey forced a grin. “I’ll… try that.”

~~~~

Renne had been traversing through the ruins. The deep purple of the walls were full of cracks and small holes. She couldn’t tell quite how old they were, but they were certainly some centuries old, at the minimum. She had killed a few monsters attacking her, but they soon seemed to begin hiding from her more than anything. 

What is going on with this place? Monsters are able to use human speech, and turn into dust? And what’s with these symbols? None of these are similar to what ancient Zemurians used.

Renne found herself becoming more and more puzzled. Ironically, the puzzles themselves weren’t that uncommon for dungeon standards. If albeit, surprisingly simple. Renne searched her memory for anything about Mt. Ebott she could remember. All she could remember was something about how monsters had been sealed there.

But that doesn’t make any sense. These monsters are not remotely a threat. Even that first one I killed with ease. Have they just gotten weaker over the centuries?

As she continued through, she saw out of the corner of her eye a stand with a bowl on it. She entered the room only to see it was a bowl of candy. Fresh ones at that. Renne picked up one and observed it. Are there people living down here?

You took one piece of candy.

Renne whirled around with her scythe. Surprisingly, no one was there. She quickly searched all around the room she was in, and even the previous one. Not a soul was there. Only a few small frog-looking creatures that observed her in the corner in fear. 

Renne had no clue what to make of it. She returned to the room with the bowl. “Who are you?!” No response. Who or what was that? Did I just imagine that? It was then she noticed she still had the candy in hand. Not particularly trusting the quality of it, she put it back in the bowl.

You put the candy back in the bowl.

Renne froze. The voice didn’t seem to be upset, so she picked up the candy again.

You picked up the candy. Again.

Renne wore a scowl. She held her scythe ready. “Keep this up, and you’re going to regret it!” Silence. Nothing but silence. Renne was beginning to wonder if she was going insane. In her nervousness, she accidentally bumped into the stand, causing the bowl to spill over.

Due to your paranoia and carelessness, you dropped the bowl of candy. How unfortunate.

Renne didn’t say anything. She just side-eyed a Whimsum she had spotted in the corner. “Did you hear that voice just now?” 

The poor monster was shaking like a leaf. “N-no…”

That confirmed it. Whoever this was, they were in Renne’s head only. I… I don’t get it, but I suppose if they’re just narrating my actions, it’s fine. Yet another weird thing to add to the list.

With that, she exited the room and continued onwards. Ok Unnamed Narrator, you can stick around if you must. Just don’t get in my way.

Chara.

Renne stopped. Is that your name?

No reply. Renne frowned. I’m calling you Chara then, ok. Whoever or whatever you are. Not that I expect a reply, but where are you?

Silence, yet again. Renne was about to begin walking again, when a reply came. Within you, and not by choice.

Renne was perplexed. Did Weissman do this? There’s no way, you’ve been in my subconscious this whole time!  

I do not know who that is. All I know is that I should not be of this world anymore, and yet here I am.

Renne felt a slight chill. Horrid memories of kids she used to know flooded her memories. Her heart beat intensified, and she felt nauseous. 

I’m not someone you’d know. Just…

The voice cut itself off. Renne felt some relief, but she was still curious. “Just… what?” She whispered to herself.

Just remnants of a memory.

Chapter Text

Through the ruins, Renne continued to explore. On some level, the puzzles were starting to annoy her. She began to just slash away the spikes blocking her path. Chara would sarcastically say she “completed” the puzzle each time. Renne ignored them. She was progressing through the ruins well, when she suddenly encountered a “roadblock”. 

There was a large white… thing blocking her path. 

You stare at the ghost in confusion.

Ghost?! 

Renne panicked a bit. She wasn’t as skittish about ghosts as a certain someone she knew, but she wasn’t exactly fond of the idea. Wait, maybe it’s not a literal ghoul. Monsters here seem to act… differently. She wasn’t sure if it was asleep or not, but she decided to strike before it could attack. Her scythe slashed through the ghost’s right side, and just as quickly out the left side, nearly throwing her off balance. She thought maybe she had somehow missed, and slashed again. Sure enough, it went straight through.

The ghostly figure had stood up and was hovering over the ground. Renne braced herself for battle. “Um… you know you can’t kill ghosts, right?”

Renne nearly dropped her scythe. “Wh… what?”

“We’re kinda dead already. I don’t think we can die again.”

Silence filled the air. “Oh, no… I’ve made it awkward now. Um, I’m sorry… I’ll just go now. Please pretend this never happened.” Sure enough, the ghost floated up and through a nearby wall. Renne was left silent at the utter absurdity of the situation. 

You feel… something. Mostly embarrassment. 

Renne found herself blushing. Shut it. Let’s just move on.

And so Renne did. More and more annoying puzzles. More and more sprawling hallways and ruins. Finally, Renne found herself at two pathways. She took the one in front of her and was greeted with a balcony view of the rest of the ruins. She couldn’t see too far due to the darkness, but she got the sense these ruins were much bigger than she realized. Renne then spotted in the corner of the balcony a knife. Upon further inspection, it turned out to be a toy knife.

Made of plastic. A rarity nowadays.

Why would this be here? And what do you mean, a rarity?

No answer. Renne sighed and went back the other way. In front of her was a barren tree, and behind that was a… house? Wait, this looks different from the other ruins. She slowly approached the house. The door was wide open, and it seemed genuinely welcoming. Something felt deeply off, however.

Her scythe at the ready, she peeked inside. The lights were on, and it looked like someone definitely lived there. In front of her she saw a staircase, a living room to her left, and a hallway to the right. “H-hello?” She cautiously called out. 

But nobody came.

The way Chara said it sent a slight chill down her spine. Don’t phrase it so ominously! 

She entered into the living room and then the kitchen accompanying it. There were a handful of ingredients out and a recipe to make “Butterscotch Pie”. There was a fridge and oven/stove. She took a closer look. The technology is definitely different, but it seems to be about the same as how the orbal equivalents work. 

No one will use this anymore…

Renne paused at hearing that. Who was using it before?

Probably that lady you mercilessly killed near the beginning.

Well… yeah. She was a mon- … something like a monster, and she seemed like a powerful one at that. I killed her first, before she could attack me. What’s wrong with that?

Chara didn’t reply at first. Nothing really, you’re just another human.

Renne’s expression darkened. And just what is that supposed to mean? Aren't you a human, too?

Yet again, no reply. Renne begin to explore the house. She found chocolate in the fridge, and some other food in the cabinets. She went back to the living room and explored the bookshelf she had spotted. One book in particular stood out to her. It was a history book. It had a picture of both a human and a monster on it. She flipped to a random page and was about to start reading it, if Chara didn’t suddenly start to narrate it. 

“Trapped behind the barrier and fearful of further human attacks, we retreated. Far, far into the earth we walked, until we reached the cavern’s end. This was our new home, which we named … ‘Home.’ As great as our king is, he is pretty lousy at names.”

Renne froze and dropped the book. She hadn’t wanted to admit it, but these weren’t just monsters. They were creatures with human intelligence and capabilities. Would it even be right to call them “monsters”? 

She picked up the book, and sat down in the nearby chair, which she looked almost comically small in. Reading through it, it contained many stories about the battles between the humans and the monsters. Some of it was stuff she had heard of, but this was from a completely different perspective. She was a researcher herself to a degree, so it was all incredibly fascinating.

You are utterly captivated by the records of their misery.

Renne stopped as she was about to turn a page. I’m not “captivated by their misery”. It’s history. It’s the records of an entire species I’ve never heard of. Of course, I’m going to read up on it. And anyway, why do you always sound so judgmental? You came into my head uninvited, and you’ve been a nuisance since then. Quite frankly, I wish you would leave.

Silence. On some level, Renne understood that this “Chara” and her were both stuck together, regardless of whether they wanted to be or not. You could at least attempt to be a little nicer. Still silence. She rolled her eyes and put the book aside. Renne decided to go explore the hallway and rooms.

Unfortunately, there wasn’t much to see. Some potted plants and a mirror at the end. It’s you! Yes, I’m well aware it’s me. She glanced at the nearby door. A sign was fastened to it. “Room Under Rennevations”. Renne frowned. Don’t you dare start making puns, too. Even with the silence, she just knew Chara was smirking at her.

To the left was another door, and a bedroom. Presumably belonging to the monster that lived here. She explored around. A sock drawer, a book collection, a… bucket of snails. She then spotted a diary. She flipped open to a random page. “Why did the skeleton want a friend? Because she was feeling BONELY!” Renne dug through the rest of the diary, but the vast majority were infuriatingly bad puns. She chucked the diary back on the desk, and walked out.

The final room in the hallway seemed to be a kid’s bedroom. Toys were strewn across the walls, and a collection of shoes similar to the size Renne wore lined a shelf. Some seemingly dustier than others. Something seemed “off” about this room compared to the rest of the house. She left quickly, and closed the door behind her. With that, she had explored everything, but the central stairway.

She took one last look in the kitchen to stock up on any food left, and cautiously went down the stairs. It led to a dimly lit, long hallway. She walked for a few minutes before she reached a set of doors. And beyond that, seemed to be the end of the ruins. The mountain walls surrounded her on all sides outside of a sparse patch of light in the middle shining through, and a considerably larger set of doors in front of her.

She hesitated slightly before opening the door. You get the feeling you’ve messed up badly. Renne frowned. “What’s done is done. I can’t change that.” She pushed against the doors with strength rarely found in a girl her age. They seemed rusty and hadn’t been opened in a long time. They resisted a bit at first, but soon gave way to a blinding light. Renne had to close her eyes. She slowly opened them as her eyes adjusted. The sight in front of her made her gasp.

It was a scene right out of winter. A snowy forest seemed to stretch as wide as the eye could see. She shivered a little at the unexpected change in temperature. I am still in the mountain, right?! She looked up, and sure enough, there was a ceiling above her. Though, it was far higher than in the ruins. She wasn’t entirely sure, but luminous crystals and fungi seemed to cover the top. It made for an unconventional light source. 

You are amazed at the sight before you. No kidding, I know some caves can form climates of their own, but this is… strange. She walked away from the door and down the white path. She kept glancing between the trees, but the forest was too thick to really see anything. Renne was almost positive someone was watching her, and it put her on high alert. I really wish I had a stealth quartz right now. 

She didn’t see any footsteps in the snow, nor any other traces of life. As many monsters were in the ruins though, there had to be something here. It was pure silence. Then suddenly, she heard the sound of a stick breaking behind her. She whirled around and threw her scythe like a boomerang. Nothing. There was nothing there. She looked flabbergasted, as she caught the scythe in her hand. Am I going crazy? I definitely heard something.

Not too far away, Sans was behind a tree. His eyes were darkened, and he had a few drops of sweat on his skull. Flowey was gritting his teeth. “What did I tell you?!” He whispered harshly. “That kid is insane!”

Sans wiped his brow with his gloves. “Well, she’s more trigger-happy than I had expected.”

“Please tell me you’re convinced now.”

“A bit. Let’s see what she does next.”

“You’d better intervene soon. You know Papyrus will be here eventually. And I don’t think you want to-”

Flowey cut himself off after Sans sent him a glare. He smirked. “My mistake. You already have an idea.”

Renne tightly grasped her scythe. She even applied a few orbal arts to buff herself. She slowly walked through the snow. You feel-  Not now! I have to focus. Shutting up her partner, Renne had made it a good distance from the door now. Suddenly, the ruins were looking a lot friendlier now.

“Heya, kiddo!” A slash. Nothing was there again. “Woah, that’s not very nice of ya.” Renne turned to face the source of the voice. It belonged to something she hadn’t expected. You see a skeleton. He’s short, shorter than you even. He seems a bit wide, possibly big-boned. He has a wide grin on his face. “Or should I say that’s not very scythe of ya,” he said, winking. He also has good taste in jokes.

Renne grimaced. Just shut up, and let me take care of this. “Who are you?!” She aggressively asked. 

“Oh, me?” He asked, pointing at himself. “I’m Sans. Sans the skeleton.”

“Are you… a monster?”

“Yea.”

A tense silence occurred between the two. The tension was palpable. Sans figured he’d best break the ice. “You’re a human, right? That’s hilarious. Haven’t had one of you down here in a long time.”

Renne didn’t answer him. “You’re using magic to hold me in me place, aren’t you?”

Sans could tell this was going south quickly. “Yeah, sorry about that, but can you blame me? You came out swinging with that thing, when I was trying to introduce myself. If that big old scythe hit me, I’d be pretty boned, I’d say.”

“Quit using your magic, and I’ll be nice and not kill you.”

She tried to move, but the effects of Sans’s magic seemed to grow stronger. “Woah, I don’t know the social norms of wherever you come from, but monsters here are mostly friendly. Maybe the monsters you’re used to are different, but here you don’t have to go killing them. Just talk to them a bit, and they’ll let ya go.”

He decided to take the opportunity to check her stats. LVL. 106. LOVE 50. AT 99. DF 99. He froze, and his eyes hollowed. Yeesh, and I thought 20 LOVE was the max. He shrugged his shoulders. “Or maybe killing people you meet for the first time is normal for you.” He stared at Renne with two abysses for eyes.

Renne felt a slight chill down her spine. Sans’s pupils returned, and he put his hands in his pockets. “But uh, yeah. Just converse with us monsters, and you’ll win…” Sans was unable to finish that sentence, as he narrowly dodged a scythe thrown at him. He teleported a safe distance away behind her. “... Like I was saying, we can just talk it… out…”

A massive fireball was building in Renne’s hand. Sans held out his arm, and slammed Renne against a nearby tree. It hadn’t hurt as much as she thought, perhaps because Sans was still holding back. “Kid, calm down. I don’t actually want to fight you. I’m just tryna introduce ya to how things work around here. You’ll have a real bad time otherwise. Can’t ya just take my offer to help ya out.”

Renne stared at him defiantly. Maybe it was her pride as an ex-Enforcer. Maybe it was her bad habit of throwing her power around to get what she wanted. Maybe it was because she was still an immature kid at the end of the day. Regardless, she hated the idea of being ordered around by this skeleton man smaller than even her. “Mr. Skeleton, I don’t really care what you have to say. Just don’t get in my way again, and I’ll forget this ever happened.”

Sans sighed. “So, you’re just gonna kill us if we do?”

Renne stood up and proudly held her scythe. “Don’t worry. It only took a few monsters in those ruins to make an example. Just tell all your friends to stay clear. It’s really not that hard.”

Sans remained silent for a few seconds. Flowey’s words rang in his head. “Could I at least guide you? Show you some shortcuts? Get you out of here ASAP? Preferably, keeping casualties to a minimum.”

Renne scowled. “I don’t need you or anyone else!”

“Could you at least not do the whole ‘killing us’ thing?” 

Renne’s patience was about to run out. “Shut up, and get out of my way, before I sever your skull from your spine!”

Sans glanced at Flowey out of the corner of his eye. He was smug, as if saying, “I told you so.” Sans shrugged again, and put his hands back in his pockets. Sorry, old lady. I did genuinely try this time. Renne found herself suddenly slammed to the ground and dragged into the air in front of three Gaster Blasters. She went wide-eyed, realizing she was defenseless. She quickly tried to cast Adamantine Guard, but it was too late. The blasters shot out their beams, and there was… nothing left of her.

Both Sans and Flowey were taken off guard. What the? I definitely read her stats right. Is KR just that effective? Flowey popped up right next to Sans. “What the hell did you do?! I’ve never seen you do that much damage!” Sans rubbed the back of his skull, unsure of the reason himself. “Maybe it was cuz her LOVE was extremely high?”

Sans suddenly became solemn. “Never mind, make sure you recap what’s happened to the next Sans.”

“Sure, assuming she doesn’t reset, and I have to convince you all over again.”

Sans’s grin was a little wider than usual. “Sucks, doesn’t it?”

“Shut it, trash bag.”

~~~~

You see nothing. Hear nothing. Smell nothing. Taste nothing. Sense and touch nothing. You are nothing. Pure nothingness stuck in a black, endless void. You do, however, have two options. LOAD and RESET. Choose one, or stay here for eternity. Your choice.

…

…

…

Renne slowly opened her eyes. She was in the snow a few feet from the door. She stood up instantly, and scanned her surroundings. The skeleton was nowhere in sight. She quickly opened the door to the ruins, and slammed it behind her. She used Stone Spike repeatedly to create a rock barrier between her, and whatever could come through behind that door. By the end, she was gasping for breath. She leaned against her rock wall, dropping her scythe, and crumpled to the ground.

Chara, what just happened?! I was in… something and I heard your voice and…

You died.

Renne was motionless. She wasn’t sure if she actually had, but there was the confirmation. And I’m alive, again?!

Yes, you picked “LOAD.”

You’re not making any sense! What do you mean “LOAD”?!

Chara didn’t reply at first. Your survival instinct chose to LOAD, rather. 

That doesn’t explain anything! What is “LOAD?!” What is “RESET?!”

Silence. Please! For once, don’t leave me in the dark on this!

Renne then heard what sounded like a first from Chara. She wasn’t sure if it was grumbling or just them talking to themselves quietly. She couldn’t decipher it, but shortly after Chara spoke up. You “loaded” back to your previous “save point.” Save points are the yellow… sparkly things you completely dismissed.

Renne had 100 different questions, but she at least recognized what Chara was talking about by the save points. Do you mean something like a video game?

Yes, if that perspective helps. No, you’re not in a video game before you ask.

… I didn’t think I was, but good to know. Did you save for me then, because I never interacted with them directly?

Yes.

… And resetting does…

Resets you back to the very beginning, undoing everything you’ve done. Presumably, you’ll be back where you landed on the flowers.

Was that… the only chance I had to do that?

No, you can LOAD and RESET as much as you want. Good luck doing it in battle, though.

Renne gathered everything in her head. There was still the fact that skeleton was waiting for her outside. She was heavily considering taking him up on that offer he initially gave. He seemed quite reasonable… for a monster. She felt embarrassed at how cocky she acted. What the hell was I thinking?!

You weren’t.

“I… I know,” she whispered to herself. Why do I even have these powers? Nothing has made sense, since I dropped into this cave!

No reply. Perhaps Chara didn’t know either. Renne took a deep breath. She got rid of her rock barricade, and slowly opened the door again to exit. Sure enough, the same snowy forest was still there. Though, there was no trace of the skeleton. She walked timidly through the snow. Her scythe was sheathed, lest she make a bad first impression this time.

“Oh heya, you’re back.”

Renne jumped away. Sans had suddenly appeared leaning against a tree near her. She was as pale as a ghost. She wanted to reach for her scythe desperately, but she dared not risk dying again. Orbal arts would also take too long. 

Meanwhile, Sans was somewhat surprised. I know I supposedly disintegrated her last time, but wow. She’s seen better days. Sans folded his arms, and looked a little smug. “So we going for round 2, or we can pretend this never happened?”

“Y-you remember what happened?”

Sans had to muffle a laugh. Nope, but even without the flower, your expression tells me everything. Sans faked a proud look. “Yep, I'm the only monster that can down here.”

Renne gulped. She was overwhelmingly out of her element. She could feel the humiliation coursing through her, and she hated it. But what could she do? Die multiple times in hopes she could maybe beat this monster? 

I would not recommend that. 

Yeah, let’s not do that.

Renne swallowed her pride, and said something she almost never did. “I-I’m sorry. I… think we got on the wrong footing there.”

Sans shrugged. “Hey, you tried to kill me a few times. I actually killed you once. We’re even steven. Happens to the best of us. That being said, let’s try to avoid that killing monsters thing, if we can. Capiche?” 

“C-capiche!” She shouted, near shaking.

Sans looked away. Ok, I definitely overdid it last time. He faced Renne. “Can I ask your name? Don’t think I ever got that.”

“R-Renne… Renne Hayworth.”

“One syllable name, just like me. I like it. And I’m sure you know me.”

“S-Sans? Sans the… skeleton?”

“In the non-existent flesh,” he said, winking. “For the record, I’m sorry. Might have gone overboard last time.”

“It’s fine… Things… happen like you said.” She forced out a smile.

A sweat drop appeared on Sans. Oh boy. Might have to apologize to the next Sans too, at this rate. Hope she doesn’t tell the old lady about this. A thought then occurred to him. “Hey, Renne. Could I ask you a favor?”

“S-Sure!” She answered, standing as stiff as a board.

“First off, try to relax. You look like you’re about to jump out of your skin, and I don’t need a little skelly sister.”

Renne nodded, and tried to stop shaking.

“It was partially in self-defense, but I didn’t actually expect to just… pulp ya. I don’t see myself fighting you again, nor do either of us seem to want to. Only reason I interacted with you to begin with is to talk about your powers. You’re a time traveler, ain’t ya.”

Renne was still attempting to relax. “... Yes? But not until just recently. Everything has gotten crazy since I fell down here. I… I just want to get out of here.”

She looked like she was about to cry. At this point, Sans couldn’t help but feel bad for her. “Tell ya what, Renne. I might have a solution for ya. It’ll require your cooperation, though.”

“... If it’s within my capacity, I’ll do what I can.”

“It’s pretty simple. I just need ya to reset and, uh, don’t kill anyone. At least, as long as you’re here.”

“That’s… it? But what if other monsters try to attack me?”

“You’re asking me that with those stats? If you were just some kid, then sure. You’re hardly ‘just a kid’, though. Seriously, what girl your age drags around a scythe bigger than themselves?”

“Ok, but you killed me with ease! What if meet an… unfriendly monster that can do the same.”

Sans pondered how much of the truth he should reveal. “Eh, take it from me. You’ll be fine. There will probably be some monsters you can’t reason with, but you can always just run away.”

The idea irked her on many levels, but it might be for the best. “F-fine. I can do that.”

“So I got a promise?”

“... Yes. I don’t really like making promises, but yes.”

“Ey another thing we have in common, kid. One last thing, I can’t actually remember resets, so you’ll have to tell the next Sans a secret passcode.”

Renne was stunned. “You… can’t?”

“Nope, I just have a knack for reading expressions. Now come here, I need to stay quiet. Can’t let this secret get out.”

Renne cautiously approached Sans. “C’mon, Renne. I don’t bite. I’m all grin, anyway.”

Renne swallowed her fear, and got close. Sans whispered the passcode into her ear. Her look went from anxious to a look of disgust. “Are you 12?!”

“You aren’t?”

“I turned 13 recently, thank you very much.”

“Oh, my bad. Didn’t realize there was such a huge difference there,” he said sarcastically.

“No way, I refuse to repeat that.”

Sans shrugged. “Sorry, kid. That’s the passcode. You could literally tell me you’re a time traveler, and it won’t work on other Sanses… Sansi? Sanss? You get the idea.” Of course, he was lying. It was just a gift from himself to another Sans.

“You’re totally lying. Can’t you just tell by my expression or mannerisms?”

“Sorta? I may have an idea, but I can’t actually confirm anything without the passcode. Dems the rules.”

Renne facepalmed. I really got killed by this guy? You contemplate how the other Enforcers would never let you live this down if they heard about it. Shut it! I don’t need your commentary, right now.

“Also, one more thing.” He leaned in close to whisper to Renne again. “Don’t trust the talking flower, no matter what. He had those powers before you. He will try to get them back no matter what it takes. He’s watching us right now, so don’t say a word. Just nod.”

Renne felt confused, but nodded as he said to. “Um, thank you. I don’t know why you’re being so nice to me, but I won’t waste your kindness.”

“Eh, I’m a lover, not a fighter. A lover of sleep that is,” he said, winking. “I feel bone tired right now, personally.”

Renne flinched. “You can… you can quit with the puns.”

“Hey, I’m a part-time comedian. Gotta pay the bills somehow.”

Renne fidgeted a little. “By the way, … how do you reset?”

For the first time, Sans himself felt lost. “You can’t just… do that?”

“I don’t think so.”

Sans paced a bit trying to think of something. “Uh, just out of curiosity. On a scale of 1-10, how bad did it hurt last time? Hypothetically.”

Renne’s blood curdled. “Assuredly, that’s not the only way?!”

Sans put his hands in his pockets and looked down at the snowy ground. “I’m stumped, pal. I figured you could do it willy-nilly, but guess not. It’s not like I want to do it this way, but you got any better ideas?”

In truth, she didn’t. “It… it was pretty instantaneous. I don’t remember feeling a thing.”

“Alright then, let’s get to it.” Sans snapped his fingers, and three blasters appeared ready to fire. 

Renne immediately panicked. “Woah! Hang on! Can’t you treat a lady gentler?!”

Sans just stared back. “They’re blasters. They blast and go kaboom. Nothing very gentle about that.”

“I know! I know. Just… let me close my eyes, and please don’t tell me when you’re going to fire.” Indeed, Renne shut her eyes tightly, not daring to open them.

Sans looked away as well. Even if it was on someone who could reset, he hated this sort of thing. “Sure, Renne. It was nice knowing you for… 15 minutes. Make sure to say hi to the next Sans.”

“I… I will! I pro-” She couldn’t finish as the blasters went off. Once again, nothing was left but some ashes. Sans now stared at Flowey. “And see you next loop, ya freaky flower.”

Flowey gave an evil grin. “Don’t think I didn’t hear you, trash bag! I’ve been playing this game far longer than her, and she’s going to regret taking what’s mine.”

“Don’t think she intended to do that, but sure. You do you. Don’t blame me, if you get yourself killed.”

“Bite me, bonehead.”

~~~~

Renne’s eyes slowly opened. She shook her head, trying to wake up. Sure enough, she was back at the very beginning. The bed of golden flowers she was laying on, the sun shining through above her, and the once ominous hallway leading further into the mountain. They were all there.

There was one thing she wanted to check, just in case. Hey annoying child in my thoughts. Are you still here? 

Silence. Then, a familiar voice. You question if the wonderful child is still stuck with your annoying self. Renne was unamused. Yep, there you are.

She got up and wiped the petals off her dress, and walked down the hallway. Once again, there was that first room with the light shining through in the middle. She didn’t pay much attention to anything, till she stopped upon seeing something. There was a golden flower right in the middle of that light, and it was… smiling back at her.

“Hey, this is the first time we’re meeting. I would’ve introduced myself last time, but I wasn’t so sure if that was the best idea after seeing what you could do. The name is Flowey. Flowey the flower,” He stated, winking creepily.

Renne was about to whip out her scythe and slice it in half, but she paused. Would this thing be considered a monster?

“What’s wrong? You were totally fine killing us before.” He made an evil expression. It almost seemed to resemble a jack-o-lantern. “Don’t tell me you suddenly grew a sense of remorse.”

Renne was unsure how to reply. This creature seemed to hate her for things out of her control. It seemed vile, that same vileness she felt from Weissman. “I’m sorry for ruining your ‘fun’, but it doesn’t seem like you deserved those powers to begin with. What even are you?”

Flowey thought for a few seconds. “Depends on what actions you take going forward, but I’d say I've been downgraded to being an observer. No one deserves powers like that, but who cares? You have the power of a god now, and can play with these dolls here in any way you like. Even that garbage skeleton can be beaten eventually, if you practice enough.” He made an evil grin. “Death is nothing but a temporary setback for you! You’re free to do what you want in this world!”

Renne felt disgusted. “I-I don’t know what you did with those powers, but I don’t want to do anything like that. I just want to go home.”

Flowey wore a sarcastic expression. “Sure, I was the same way at first, … Renne.”

Renne felt a chill. “Don’t say my name like you know anything about me.”

“Oh, but I do. I know what you are. You’re a killer!” 

The words impaled her in a way she was completely unprepared for. Flowey continued. “You don’t get stats that high without a few massacres. Tell me how many monsters or humans did it take to get there? 100? 1,000? 10,000? You think you can suddenly function in your life without violence?! Do you have any idea what you’ve gotten into?!”

“Don’t act like you don’t know the rules, you stupid girl! It's kill or be killed down here!!”

The flower maniacally laughed, and Renne just sat there, unable to reply. It was perhaps the first time in her life someone had truly confronted her on the severity of her actions. I… that’s not… 

Flowey deescelated and returned to a smirk. “Of course, you can do what you want. You have the power to. Who knows? Maybe you can actually become something resembling a human.” His eyes hollowed, and his face molded into a terrifying smile. “But once you get a true taste of that power, you’ll come crawling back to your old instincts. And when you finally drop your guard and mess it all up, I’ll be there to claim back what’s rightfully mine!”

His expression returned to the default smile he had greeted her with. “Anyway, welcome to the Underground. I hope you enjoy your stay. See you later, Renne!” Flowey winked, and disappeared into the ground.

A few moments later, Renne collapsed on her rear. She was shaking, far worse than she had with Sans. She began to cry, and looked at her hands. Images of them and her whole body being covered in blood flashed through her head. Corpses of multiple humans were strewn all around her. Many had been decapitated, or their chests slashed open from her scythe. One in the corner had her innards out, crying for her mother. The same cries that were ringing in her head right now.

Renne remembered.  It was something she had removed from her memories. She had deemed it not important, perhaps as a coping mechanism. And yet, it and so many more scenes like it filled her mind. She desperately tried to stand up, and put the visions out of her head. Before she knew it, she was dry heaving and vomited on the ground. She nearly collapsed again, but barely held herself up with a hand on a rock.

“Please, someone… help… me.”

Focus. There’s someone else here now.

Chara’s words woke Renne up. She was still shaking, but she gathered her strength and walked away from the mess she had created. What… what do you mean there’s someone here?

Someone else dropped into here. And they weren’t here the first time.

Renne didn’t reply. She weakly walked back to where she had landed. Who she saw, though, broke her completely out of her stupor. There was a girl in her late-teens, who was lying face first on the ground. It was someone Renne knew well, and one of the few people she cared about. “Estelle!”

Chapter Text

Renne ran over to Estelle on the ground. She flipped her over on to her back. She quickly examined Estelle’s body to see if there was any damage. Outside some ruffled clothes and perhaps a few bruises, Estelle seemed fine. She wasn’t bleeding, and it more seemed like she had gotten knocked out. “Estelle! Are you ok?!”

No response. She shook Estelle a bit. “Estelle, please say something!” Estelle mumbled something, half-asleep. She barely opened her eyes. “Estelle!” Renne cried out again.

A soft smile appeared on Estelle’s face. “Oh, Renne? I must be dreaming. I finally get to see you after searching for you for so long. I wish this was real.” Her eyes closed again. “Joshua, give me five more minutes, please. I just need a little more sleep.”

She slumped back into Renne’s arms, causing her to panic. “Estelle, please wake up! You took a nasty fall and-”

Renne was interrupted by Estelle’s surprisingly loud snoring. The anxiety and despair on Renne’s face quickly changed to annoyance. She set down Estelle not so gently, and sat on a nearby rock. “You’re such a nuisance,” she said, pouting. 

You know this person?

Renne went to say something, but realized she didn’t have the words for it. She’s… an… ally.

Chara was silent. Possibly judgmental as well. You don’t seem to be sure yourself.

Renne scowled. Shut it! It’s… it’s complicated. She’s the last person I wanted to see right now.

… And who’s the person you would want to see most right now?

No reply. It was Renne’s turn to not reply for once. She didn’t want to think about it. 

“Hello? Is anyone there?”

Renne whirled her head around. The voice had come from the two doors leading further into the Underground. It was the goat monster lady from before. Renne went pale. She… she shouldn’t remember what happened last time, right?

“Please do not be afraid, my child. I welcome all children that come here.” Her eyes shifted to Estelle lying down. She put her hands over her mouth and gasped. “Oh my goodness!” She dashed over to Estelle. Renne instinctually got between the monster and Estelle.

The lady stopped in her tracks. She hadn’t expected this young girl to confront her, much less have such an intense glare in her eyes. “What do you think you’re doing?” Renne questioned.

“I… wanted to heal your friend. Are they ok?”

The tension in Renne died down a little. She remembered Sans’s words about monsters. I know what he said, but this lady is far stronger than any other monster I encountered in these ruins. Renne hesitated to reply, but she calmed herself down, remembering it did only take one hit to kill her. Not that she wanted to do that, if she could avoid it. 

“She’s… fine. She’s just sleeping. I can heal her with magic, if need be.”

Now Toriel seemed a bit wary. “What’s your name, child?”

“… Renne, the sleepyhead here, is Estelle. And yours?”

“Toriel, my child. I am the caretaker of these ruins. I promise I intend no harm to you or your friend. Even if you can use magic, you must be tired. Please allow me to care for her.”

Renne avoided eye contact. She shuffled her feet, unsure what to do. 

You can trust her.

Renne paused. I… can? How would you know?

Chara didn’t answer, leaving Renne to make the decision. Renne sighed. Screw it, I can handle her, if she attempts something. She slowly moved back towards the rock she was sitting on. “Fine, just make it quick.”

Toriel breathed a sigh of relief, and slowly approached Estelle. “Thank you, my child. I promise I’ll heal any wounds she has.” Toriel squatted down, and put her hands out. A green colored aura emanated from them, as the few bruises Estelle had begun to fade away. 

Renne was surprised to see how well it worked. Monsters using magic isn’t uncommon, but she seems to be able to do better healing magic than myself.

“You’re the first human to come down here in a long time. Well, humans. This is the first time two of you have dropped at once.”

“When was the last time?” Renne inquired.

Toriel stood up, and stretched her back. “Oh, I wonder. It’s been at least five years by now.”

“… What happened to them?”

Toriel’s eyes lost some sparkle. “It’s… a long story. Perhaps we can talk about it later.” Toriel faked a smile. Renne sensed it was best not to push on the matter. 

“Anyway, Renne. Please follow me. I’ll guide you through these catacombs. And as for your friend-”

Toriel’s voice trailed off as she saw Renne’s expression sour. “She’s NOT my friend.”

Toriel was taken aback. “Your… associate?”

Renne’s cheeks went red a bit. She hadn’t meant to make it an outburst. “S-sure, let’s go with that.”

“I’ll carry her as we travel.”

“It’s fine. I can do it.” Renne picked up Estelle and put her over her shoulder. Almost like she was carrying a sandbag. “Someone has to take care of this idiot, and I’m stuck with her for right now.”

Now Toriel was outright shocked. “You are quite… strong, Renne.”

Renne raised an eyebrow, forgetting that she wasn’t surrounded by superhuman freaks of nature for once. “She’s not that heavy. I can carry her just fine.”

“W-whatever you say, my child.”

Renne followed Toriel through the doors. They both glanced at the mess Renne had made earlier. Renne blushed at the very unfeminine sight. “S-sorry, I ate something bad earlier.” Renne didn’t need to lie, but she didn’t want to think about that flower if she could avoid it.

“It’s fine, Renne. I’m sure the fall didn’t help.”

They entered into the ruins. Two staircases adorned the entrance. Just like before. Except this time, there was a shining star in the middle of the room. Toriel had gone up ahead, as Renne was distracted with this new phenomenon. Were these here before? What even is this?

This is a SAVE Point. 

Renne’s eyes lit up. Wait, is this what you were talking about earlier? … If so, then I must be able to “SAVE” my progress so far. Renne reached out to touch the golden star in front of her. It felt warm and… not entirely solid?

The shadow of the ruins looms above, filling you with determination.

Renne was perplexed. Determination? Determination to do what? Get out of here?

“Are you alright, my child?”

“Oh, I was just interacting with this… ‘SAVE Point.’ Is that what they’re called?”

Toriel tilted her head. “There’s… nothing there. Are you sure you didn’t hit your head when you landed?”

You are the only one that can see it.

Renne went red and fumbled her words trying to come up with something. “I… I thought I saw something. My mistake!” She nervously laughed. Dammit! You could have said that sooner. She couldn’t see it, but she just knew Chara was smirking.

They progressed into the next room. “Welcome to your new home, Renne! I’ll educate you on how things work around here.” Toriel walked over four of a set of six panels in a specific order. The door then opened. “These Ruins are full of puzzles.”

“Yeah, I was going to ask why there were so man- … what you were doing specifically.” Crap, almost talked about my last time here.

“Think of it as an ancient mix of diversions and doorways. It’s a monster tradition.”

Renne nodded. Into the next room, there were three switches. “You’ll have to use these switches to unlock-”

Renne was already over at the first switch, pulling on it. Toriel’s eyes lit up. “Oh, you’re a quick learner, Renne! Well done!”

“It’s pretty easy when you have them labelled, Miss.”

“Of course! You’re obviously smart for your age, so this next bit should be easy.”

Renne tilted her head. Wow, she’s really committed to being a guide down here.

Yeah, it’s like she’s the tutoriel in a game.

Renne flinched, not daring to dignify the pun with a response. 

The next room was barren, aside from a training dummy in the corner. “As you are both humans, monsters may attack you down here. While I’m sure you can both handle yourselves, it is best to be prepared for situations like this. Do not worry, though! The process is simple.”

Yeah, you just kill it. … Or, normally I would. 

“The monsters will force you to enter a FIGHT. Everything will be fine as long as you just talk to them. Strike up a friendly conversation. Compliment them. Just be nice. If nothing else, stall for time. And I will come get you. Practice talking to this dummy, please.”

Renne sat down Estelle against a nearby wall. She approached the dummy, and cleared her throat. There was a slightly awkward tension in the air. Renne could fake it to make it with humans well enough, but with something that’s not even alive was… tricky. Oh gosh, what do I even say to this thing?

She went over different phrases in her head, but nothing seemed to sound right. She soon became flustered. “Do I really have to do this, Ms. Toriel? I think I’ll be fine.”

“Conversing with others is an important skill. You may find yourself in front of a monster, and not be able to find the right words. And then what would you do, my child?”

Renne got the point, and turned back to the dummy. She grumbled under her breath, and went with something generic in a higher pitched voice. “Hello, Dummy! I hope you’re doing well today!”

“…”

You talked to the Dummy. It doesn’t seem much for conversation. 

Of course, it isn’t! This is so stupid. 

Renne turned to face Toriel, who seemed pleased with the results. “Well done! Very good!”

Renne faced back and rolled her eyes. It was the most generic thing I could have said. She hoisted Estelle over her should once more, and followed Toriel. As they entered, Toriel spoke up. “There is a puzzle in this room. Can you figure it out, Renne?”

“I don’t see why not.” Now where was it again?

As Renne looked around, she entered a FIGHT. A small frog monster named a Froggit approached her. Oh yeah, this thing. Did I kill this one? Probably, what should I do here?

The Froggit blankly looked back at Renne. It seemed… scared? Upset, perhaps? I… I could compliment it, maybe? “Your skin is looking… lovely, today!”

Froggit didn’t understand what you said, but it was flattered anyway. 

The frog glanced to its right to see Toriel giving it the stink eye. It slowly slunk away, ending the FIGHT.  Renne stifled a laugh. If I were a weak little monster, I wouldn’t want to get on her bad side, either.

“Two things about FIGHTs before we continue, Renne. If you talk to enemies enough, they will become friendly with you and you can SPARE them. I don’t need to worry about this, most likely since you’re such a kind child. That being said, please always go with the merciful option if you can.”

A small sweat drop slithered down the back of Renne’s neck. “I… I wouldn’t consider myself that kind, but sure. I can do that.”

Toriel nodded. “The second thing is that monsters will attack by trying to damage your soul with their magic.”

Renne’s eyes widened. “My soul?”

“Yes, if you really focus, you can see it outside of battle. It should be heart shaped.”

Heart shaped, huh… Did I somehow never notice this before? Or perhaps I just killed the monsters too quickly before they could even attack themselves.

Renne closed her eyes, and focused, trying to peer into her own soul. An image appeared in her mind. It was heart shaped. However, the color was… disturbing. It was a deep, deep, purple. Almost black. There was barely anything in it that could be considered a proper soul, and yet there it was. 

Renne quickly opened her eyes, not wanting to see it again, if possible. “Are you ok, Renne? It is probably disorienting, if that’s your first time.”

“I’m ok, I just feel a bit dizzy. Let’s continue, though.”

Toriel waited a few seconds, staring at Renne with worry, before walking towards the next room.

They soon approached a bridge full of spikes. “This is the puzzle, Renne. However… how about you just take my hand. I’ll guide us through.”

Toriel went to reach for Renne’s hand, but she immediately shrunk back. “P-please… please don’t touch me. I’ll just follow from behind.”

Toriel was unsure how to react. This child… what has she been through? Whatever it is, I must make sure I’m gentle, patient, and understanding with her. “My apologies, Renne. I did not mean to offend you. Feel free to follow from a safe distance, if you prefer that.”

“I-it’s fine. I’ll just be a few feet behind you. Please lead the way.”

And so Toriel did, as the two silently walked through the spike maze. They entered an incredibly long hallway. “You have done incredibly well so far, Renne. However, I must test something. You must walk alone. Forgive me.” She then scurried off down the hallway.

Renne was left by herself, more confused than anything else. Wuh… what the hell is she doing? She’s just hiding behind that pillar over there? She’s joking, right? She HAS to be joking.

Toriel stood still behind the pillar. No response. Renne felt like she was on some bizarre prank show. She sighed, and walked to the end of the hallway. Toriel appeared from behind the pillar, full of glee. “Excellent job, Renne! I did not actually leave you.”

Renne was unamused. “Ms. Toriel, I’ll have you know I’m 13. And this loser is an adult, technically.” She said, pointing at Estelle. “I don’t need to be babied. Please be serious.”

“I… I’m sorry, my child. I just wanted to make sure you were ready for what’s to come.”

“I get it, and I do appreciate the thought. It’s just… I don’t REALLY NEED any of this. I can take care of myself. Both of us can.”

“Very well, Renne. That’s nice to hear. However, I did that test for a reason. I was testing your independence and while you passed with flying colors, I have some business to attend to. Would you please wait right here for now? It’s too dangerous to go ahead alone. I’ll be back shortly.”

Renne grimaced. “Can I not just go with you?”

“I’m sorry, Renne. I must ask that you stay here for now. Here! I’ll give you a cell phone.”

Renne perked up. “You have phones down here?”

“They’re human made, but yes. Sometimes, things will fall down here, presumably from humans climbing the mountain above us. I found that a few years ago, and a friend fixed it for me. He’s a lovely person. Can’t say I’ve ever met him face to face, but he has a lovely voice and several hilarious jokes.”

Putting 2 and 2 together, Renne quickly understood, who she was talking about. She sighed internally. Of course, the skeleton would be responsible for all those lame jokes in that journal.

Toriel handed Renne the phone. Sure enough, it was an earlier model of the Orbments that had been selling like hotcakes in Crossbell within the last two years. “If you need anything, please give me a call. Though, you should be fine if you stay here. I’ll be leaving now. Stay safe, please.”

And with that, Toriel walked away. Renne was alone again, except for the burden she’d been carrying for the last 20 minutes. She sat Estelle down, and leaned her against the pillar. Renne joined her. 

Five minutes passed. Nothing of note had happened other than Estelle snoring occasionally. Renne was not happy. I swear, I am going to slap her awake, if she doesn’t stop soon.

Suddenly, the phone rang. It startled Renne, but she picked it up quickly. “Hello? Ms. Toriel?”

“Hello, Renne. You have not left the room, have you.”

“No, not yet.”

“Ok, that’s all I needed to know. Be good, alright.”

And with that, she hung up just as quickly as she had called. Renne shrugged her shoulders and put the phone away. Not even a minute later, it rang again. Renne picked it up with a slightly more annoyed hello.

“Hello, this is Toriel.”

Renne tapped her foot impatiently. “I know, you just called.”

“Haha, of course. For no particular reason, which do you prefer? Cinnamon or butterscotch?”

Renne furrowed her brow. “Um, cinnamon?” She stated, not quite sure herself. Have I ever even tried butterscotch?

“I see, thank you very much!”

The phone hung up, and Renne put it down. Or at least she would have, if another call didn’t immediately come through. Renne grumbled, and answered. “What?”

“Sorry, I just wanted to clarify you don’t DISLIKE butterscotch, do you? I know what your preference is, but would you be upset if you found it on your plate?”

“I do not know. I have never tried it. I don’t think I’d mind?”

“Understood, thank you for being patient.”

“Sure, bye.”

“Goodbye Renne.”

Renne sighed and leaned back against the wall. She figured she’d close her eyes to pass the time, only to be awoken by Estelle’s snores. She side eyed her, and put her arms around her legs with a sigh. This sucks. Why the hell am I doing this? If it wasn’t for that damn skeleton, I could just get out of here quickly. 

She looked at Estelle now with concern. And what am I going to say to her when she wakes up? I can’t just leave her here by herself, but I… She turned her gaze to the wall opposite her. I don’t know what to say to her. I don’t WANT to even be here with her, but… 

She didn’t finish the thought as she spotted Estelle waking up. She panicked and quickly got up. C-crap! What do I do?! Your heart rate suddenly increases as you ponder what to do. I know that, shut up!

Estelle stretched her arms and yawned. She blinked a few times, still half asleep. What happened? Joshua and I were searching the mountain. I… fell asleep? That was a wonderful dream, but what’s… going on?

As her eyes adjusted, she quickly realized she didn’t know where she was. But none of that mattered. In front of her was Renne, the girl she had so desperately been searching for. “RENNE!” Estelle shouted, jumping to her feet. 

Renne didn’t know what to do. She equally wanted to run away and stay. No, she had to stay. Where could she run too? What are you so afraid of? Chara directly asked for once. She’s clearly happy to see you.

Renne had been avoiding eye contact, but faced Estelle now. She was tearing up, as happy as anyone could be. “Renne!” She ran up and embraced Renne. Renne froze. She was expecting something harsh, but it was warm and calming. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you. I don’t care what’s happening right now, I’m just… sob so happy to see you,” she said through tears and sniffling.

Renne began to panic. This was something she desired, but couldn’t accept at the same time. She finally forced her body to act, and forcefully shoved Estelle away. Estelle lost her balance and fell on her rear.

When she looked back at Renne, her being ‘scared’ would be an understatement. “P-please don’t do that again! Just… just please sit there for now.”

Estelle looked a bit hurt, but closes her eyes, nodding. What’s wrong with me? I should know better than that. She opened her eyes, and looked at Renne with a sheepish smile. “I’m sorry, Renne. I don’t know what came over me. My emotions acted faster than my brain. I’ll give you as much space as you want.”

Estelle then peered around, noticing they were in some ruins. “I feel like I’m missing something. Where are we? What happened?”

Renne put one hand on the wall, and the other on her head. “Just… shut up, please.”

Estelle nodded, and crossed here legs, sitting upright. She put her chin in her hands and gave a patient smile. After a few minutes, Renne caught her bearings. Dammit, why did this have to happen? She took a deep breath in and out. “It’s a long story, but just um, just listen for now. Please.”