Chapter Text

          The ebony night that once stole the forest had begun to die under the sharp, golden rays of the sun. Clouds, now various shades of pink, scuttled across the gently lightening sky. Trees, swaying in the gentle autumn breeze, provided a perch in which to house the hundreds of forest critters that dwelled within. Birds shook off the night’s chill and began to greet the morning with their sweet morning songs. Serenity lay upon the forest animals on the mountain that humans had dubbed “Mount Ebott”.

          The tranquility of the forest, however, was not to last. As is the nature of things, peace was not often left alone. This time, the peace was not broken by a prowling cat, a hungry wolf pack, or a patrolling hunting party. This time, leaves were thrown into the air by the frightened feet of a young human and the far-off thumping of the human’s fear.

          The young one crashed through the trees, trampled brush, and rushed through grass. Their blind, fast stumble was heavy and uncoordinated. Some distance away, heavy thumping shattered branches and disturbed the leaves. The young one raced through the forest for what seemed like centuries. Finally, however, the young one’s bound was ceased. They stumbled to a stop and looked ahead. A cave’s mouth gaped ahead of them. The child’s fluttering heart pumped oxygen to their scrambled brain in an intense attempt to decide what to do. If they ran into the cave, they’d surely run into a dead end- or worse. They might become injured. The last thing they needed was an injury. Yet, if they kept running, they’d eventually get too tired to keep moving. Then they’d be caught by–

          The young one squealed in terror as a hardy branch behind them shattered under a heavy boot. They darted forward. Ahead of them, just inside the cave, was a wide, jagged hole. Vines crept and slithered through the underbrush and over the stone. The young one looked about, breath coming in gasps. On either side of the hole were small footpaths. They were just wide enough for small feet to cross, but too small for wide boots to cross without breaking them. Without a look back, they attempted to get to the left side, which looked a bit more stable. Unfortunately, the vines that snaked over the ground wouldn’t have it.

          The young one’s foot was caught on a vine. With a shrill squeal, the child staggered and fell forward. They heard the heavy footsteps trample forward before stopping. The chase was over. The young one’s terrified scramble was over. They realized this fact as they fell deeper and deeper into the traitorous cavern they attempted to find shelter within.

*          *          *          *          *

          A shaky breath escaped the little chest of the fallen child. Their glistening brown eyes slowly opened. Their left eye was completely clouded and unusable. Their right one was blurry to the point of legal blindness, though they could still see blurry shapes and most colors. Before they could take in their surroundings, a golden flower tickled their nose. They let out a small sneeze and sat up. They rubbed their eyes and looked about. Ancient pillars rose from the ground around the small cavern. Most of the ground on the cavern was dirt with scruffy grass yearning to soak in the meager sunlight that filtered in through the hole in the ceiling. The edges of the cavern untouched by sunlight were a consistent brown as stone-flecked dirt made the ground around them. However, most of the grass was overshadowed by the large patch of blossoming golden flowers.

          They looked about in confusion. Flowers…? Suddenly, a monotonous, soft voice breathed into their ears, “It’s a bed of golden flowers. They must have broken your fall.” The young one jumped and looked about. However, not one living thing was in the vicinity- human or otherwise. There was a hole in the wall where a tunnel started. Yet nothing was in it.

          They shook their head and got up. Some seeds stubbornly stuck to their blue-and-pink striped shirt. They sighed and brushed off the seeds as best they could before they stepped onto the dirt and stone. It was then they noticed a branch had fallen with them. It hadn’t shattered as it, too, fell on the flowers. It was just light and small enough for them to hold.

          The young one took the branch and slowly turned and walked into the tunnel. The tunnel itself was short. Just out of sight of the golden flowers, it took a sharp turn. A pair of purple, cracked pillars created a doorway. There might have been a door there, at one point in time. However, the ruined pillars had cracks and holes were the fixtures could have been. Broken stone lay on the other side. It was so old, it nearly blended into the ground.

          The young one continued forward. Just before them, a broken beam of sunlight filtered through the stone above. Green grass tentatively poked out of the ground under it. In the center of the beam was as single golden flower, bent as if wilted. They tipped their head in confusion. Usually, a flower was not found alone unless it was planted alone. Yet, what could’ve planted it? Were there people? The young one’s heart fluttered. Oh! Maybe there were people! Maybe there were people that could help them! After all, soreness from the fall and the run through the forest still stung their muscles.

          Their curious steps continued a bit farther before halting. The flower, despite the cave having no form of wind, moved. It straightened its little green stem and its flower head turned until the face of the tattered flower faced them. The young one gasped and took a step back. Two wide eyes popped out of the little flower’s face. A concerned expression of shock dressed its features. When the young one didn’t make another move, the flower’s look of shock evaporated. It instead put on a friendly smile. “Howdy! I’m Flowey. Flowey the Flower!” When the young human didn’t respond, the flower’s smile faltered. “Uh… You’re new to the underground, arent’cha?”

          The young human nodded. Somehow, a flower was talking to them. Was this a dream? Had they died in that fall? Was a flower named Flowey the gate keeper of the afterlife? No, no usually skeletons or cats were considered gatekeepers. Maybe the stories they read were wrong? They very well could be. After all, no one died and lived to tell the tale.

          Flowey’s small smile widened into a happier grin at their participation. However, it quickly began to fall. “Golly! You must be pretty worried.”

          The young human nodded.

          The flower looked back at the darkness behind him and then forward. “Y-you’d better leave! Go back home!” A sudden urgency spiked his voice. “Th-they’re coming! They always come. I-If you don’t leave, they, Toriel, will find you!”

          The young human’s eyes grew round. Was there a demon there? Were they not allowed to be in the afterlife? Or was there a soul-stealing demon nearby?

           “C-can you even speak? Can you hear me?” Flowey inquired. After a short pause, Flowey prompted, “What’s your name?”

          The young human hesitated and choked, “F-Frisk.”

          Flowey hesitated and then nodded. “Frisk? Oh. W-well good! You can understand me, then, Frisk. Now, you have to leave!”

          Frisk shook their head. “I can’t! I fell and there is no way back up!”

          Flowey grimaced and took a deep breath. “Oh no. This is not good. W-well, you’ll have to find some other way out, then! Can you climb?”

          They shook their head. “No! I can’t climb. I came here for a way out! Can you help me, Flowey?”

          Flowey closed his eyes and nodded. “Yes. I-I think I can. You’re not the first human to fall down here. You probably won’t be the last. Toriel has found every one of them. But maybe, maybe I can help you. Yes! Now, she should be here any moment. We should–” Flowey’s words were cut off in a gasp.

          A fuzzy white form stepped from the shadows. A scarlet and deep pink dress imprinted with an insignia of triangles interrupted the white fur of the creature’s torso, waist, and legs. A head, angular like a goat’s but rounded like a human, was bowed so that her sharp red eyes trained on the flower and the human. Two small horns glinted in the light. After inspecting the young one to confirm their presence and checking the flower to confirm her suspicions of his interaction with them, she bared her fanged teeth in a threatening snarl. Her fingers sparked and now glowed in the fire that now twirled around her furry fingers. “What is such a terrible little weed doing here, tormenting such a small, innocent youth?”

          Flowey cowered beneath Toriel, eyes round in shock and fear. “H-human! Run! Now!”

          The young one jumped, eyes round in fear. The beast was at least twice Frisk’s height. The creature’s blood red eyes flicked to them. Her snarl vanished in a moment. “Oh, my child! Don’t fear! This horrible little weed is trying to scare you!” The young one took a step back. The beast’s eyes flicked to the flower and then to the human. Her voice softened into a sweet coo, “Ah, do not be afraid, my child. I am Toriel, caretaker of the Ruins. I pass through this place every day to see if anyone has fallen down. You are the first human to come down here in a long time. Come! I will guide you through the catacombs!”

          The young one swallowed and looked between the beast, who’d quenched the flames in her hands and relaxed considerably, and Flowey, who still cowered in her shadow. “But he isn’t doing anything wrong!”

          Toriel replied in the same gentle coo she’d adopted earlier, “No, my child. He’s an evil creature. He was trying to deceive and scare you. He told you I did bad things. He was telling you that it was awful down here, didn’t he?”

          Flowey squeaked but otherwise didn’t defend himself.

          The human took a deep breath and nodded. “Yes. Maybe he’s scared! Like me! Maybe someone hurt him, too. Please don’t hurt him.”

          Toriel’s sharp maroon eyes met Flowey’s. The flower averted his gaze. “You do not understand young one… ah. But I understand. You think he is a friend, do you not?”

          Frisk gave her a small nod. “He’s scared. Maybe he could be a friend!”

           “Very well, my child.” Toriel bared her teeth in a smile. Somehow, her teeth looked much less sharp and threatening now. “He did not hurt you, after all. But you look hurt. Come! Let me heal you.” She knelt and held out her hand.

          The young one took a few tentative steps forward. Toriel set a large, furry hand over their heart. A few green flickers, like sparks from a 4^th of July sparkler, lit up the air around her fingers. Suddenly, the soreness that stole the human had vanished. Before Frisk could react to this healing magic, the goat mother stood up and gave them another patient smile. “Feel better? Good. This way.” With that, Toriel turned and walked toward the other end of the spacious room where another ancient doorway stood, again without a door.

          The young human looked down at Flowey. The flower looked up at the young one. “Um… go ahead. I’ll follow.”

          The child nodded and followed Toriel out of the room and into another. The flower vanished. This room was made up of brilliant purple bricks. Brick walls with a stone floor and a stone ceiling made up the small room. Two pillars held stable the sides. At the very end, two staircases flowed from the floor up to a raised platform at the end of the room. Another empty doorway, this time flanked by vines, stood vigil over the room. Before that, though, was a bright pile of scarlet, crunchy leaves.

          A sparkle, star-shaped and glowing in soft, golden light, hovered above the red-leafed ground. Frisk perked up as they followed Toriel to the end of the room. However, upon approaching the yellow light, they stuck their hand out. Their fingers brushed the edges of the light. Although there was no matter there, which was surprising as it looked solid, heat flowed through them. A feeling that Frisk had never felt before coursed through their veins. It gave them confidence and happiness. The familiar, soft voice beside them piped up again, “The shadow of the ruins looms above, filling you with determination.”

          A short tap of Toriel’s foot reminded them that the monster was still guiding them. Frisk skittered up the stairs and followed her into the next room. This one was small enough to be a bedroom. However, it was definitely not a bedroom. It, like the previous room, was purple-bricked and purple-floored. A lighter purple pathway led from the door to the exact other side of the room where there was another doorway. This time, there was a door blocking the way. To the right side of the room was a strip of lighter purple ground flanked by two buttons on either side and two buttons in the middle.

           “Welcome to your new home, young one,” Toriel greeted, hands over her abdomen and smile broad. “Allow me to educate you in the operation of the ruins.” She promptly turned and walked over the buttons on the ground. She pressed down all four buttons that flanked the light strip of ground. Then, she approached the wall on the opposite side of the room. Her large fingers flicked down a golden switch that the child hadn’t noticed before. The door beside her, flanked by a large grey sign, opened. Toriel turned and walked back to the human. “The ruins are full of puzzles. Ancient fusions between diversions and door keys. One must solve them to move from room to room. Please adjust yourself to the sight of them.” Toriel glanced back at the floor puzzle before she turned and moved through the newly opened door.

          Frisk hesitated and walked through the door. They looked about in surprise. The room before them was not a room at all. It was a wide hallway that ran quite a long way to the right. Two small creeks covered by two bridges broke the stone. The human looked about and walked further into the lighter stone path.

          Toriel smiled at their approach. “To make progress here, you will need to pull several switches.” With that, the monster turned and walked across one of the bridges. The human hurried to follow suit. However, it was not long before Toriel stopped, this time in front of the bridge. The young human stopped behind her. When Toriel didn’t move any farther, the human looked about. There, they found a golden switch, just like the one in the other room, between the two bridges. A light strip of purple diverged from the path and to the switch. Confident, the human tromped over to the switch. After a short time of feeling for it, they found the handle and activated it. A small click rewarded them. Toriel nodded and continued. Frisk was very quick to heel.

          Again, Toriel stopped. This time, it was in front of the doorway that led out. A large number of spikes raised from the ground under the doorway. The human looked over to the wall on the left. There were two switches. However, the light purple path only led to the one on the left, not the right. The human looked back at Toriel and cautiously activated the one on the left. A thick, heavy thud came in answer. Frisk jumped and spun around. The spikes were gone.

           “Splendid!” Toriel purred. “Let us move to the next room.” The human followed without question. This time, they ended up in another small room. There was no puzzle here. Instead, the only thing that occupied the small space was a dummy. Toriel went on, “As a human living in the Underground, monsters may attack you. You will need to be prepared for this situation. However, worry not! The process is simple. When you encounter a monster, you will enter a fight. While you are in a fight, your soul will be exposed. That will make you weak to an enemy’s attack. So, you must hit them before they hit you! Practice fighting with the dummy.” Toriel waved her hand to the stuffed dummy.

          The human looked back at Toriel in shock before approaching the dummy. Toriel trotted to their side and held up her hand. Frisk gasped and took a step backward as a brilliant red heart phased through their chest. For some reason, they could see their soul in complete clarity while everything else was but a blur. It gave off a gentle heat that warmed their chest. Toriel explained in a calm, patient tone, “This is your soul, the very culmination of your being! If a monster tries to attack you, it will aim here. So, you must protect yourself at all costs. Now, give the dummy a good hit!”

          Frisk looked at Toriel and then the dummy. They picked up their stick in both hands. The dummy did not react. Of course it wouldn’t react; it wasn’t real. The human smacked it. It shuttered, but otherwise did not move. Toriel’s patient smile dissolved into a disappointed frown. She sighed, “Well, we can work on it later. Come now, we have more to explore.” Frisk looked up at her with round eyes before following her. Frisk disappointed her. For some reason, that simple frown made them feel more horrible than seeing her anger.

Chapter Text

          The next room in which they encountered was another wide hallway. This one wasn’t too long. The lighter purple path in it was different, however. It snaked back and forth as it progressed down the hallway. “There is another puzzle in this room… you should be able to solve it.” Toriel continued down the path. Frisk was quick to her heel.

          At the end, they went through another small hallway. This one had a gray sign at the edge. The human jumped in fright as a snowy white frog crossed their path. The horned frog creature shook itself in indignance as the human nearly stepped on it. The human’s soul appeared before them. They were in a fight.

          Frisk looked at their stick and then the frog.

          A soft voice piped up, “Froggit- Attack 4, Defense 5. HP 30. Life is difficult for this enemy.”

          The human’s eyes went soft. Oh, the poor thing! The young one jumped upon hearing Toriel’s snarl. The froggit croaked and fled. The human’s soul vanished. Toriel turned and kept walking.

          When they exited this small hallway, they encountered another. A long, thick path of spikes led from the entrance to the exit. The spikes were flanked by deep water. Toriel took a step back. “Well, you should be able to solve this one.”

          Frisk looked at her in surprise and then around. “Er- I don’t know how.”

           “There are plenty of clues,” Toriel prompted and tipped her head to a gray sign on the wall.

           “I… can’t read,” Frisk muttered and shifted from foot to foot. “I’m blind.”

           “You can’t… hmm… Take my hand.” Toriel gently took Frisk’s hand in hers. Her hand was so soft and furry but it was big enough to envelop their whole hand!

          Toriel stepped forward. The spikes before her slid harmlessly into the ground. Encouraged, Frisk mimicked her movements until they were at the end.

          Once they got into the next room, which was another long hallway, Toriel stopped. “You have done well thus far. However, I have a request to ask of you. I would like you to walk to the end of the room by yourself.” With that, Toriel turned and rushed down the hallway. Within moments, Toriel was gone. The human gasped and hurried down the hallway. Their heart began to race. What if another monster appeared? What if something wanted to attack them? Would Toriel see it? Would she make it in time?

          Frisk yelped in terror as they tripped over a rock and fell flat on their face. There was a short shuffle of feet as if Toriel had come back and immediately retreated again. The young human whimpered in the pain of their injured leg. This time, when Frisk got up, they walked a bit slower to make sure that they made it to the end of the hallway without further injury. Their thoughts were quickly put to rest as Toriel stepped out of the shadow of one of the pillars.

           “Greetings, my child. Do not worry, I did not leave you. I was merely behind this pillar the whole time. Thank you for trusting me.” Toriel’s calm smile easily put the human at ease almost as much as her words. She knelt and hovered her hand over Frisk’s chest. They were healed immediately. “However, there was an important reason for this exercise. …to test your independence. I must attend to some business and so you will be alone for a while. Please remain here. It’s dangerous to explore by yourself.” A sudden gasp interrupted her words. “I have an idea. I will give you a cell phone. If you have a need for anything, just call. Be good, alright?”

          Frisk nodded and took the cell phone that Toriel provided. “Yes, Toriel.”

          Toriel smiled and walked out of the room.

          The human jumped as a squeaky voice piped up behind her, “Good! She’s gone!”

          The human spun around. Flowey had sprouted out of the ground behind them. The human sighed. “Oh, Flowey. You came back?”

          Flowey dipped his head in a nod. “Of course! I told you I’d help you! Now, we must be very careful. Toriel seems to be acting very nice to you… but it won’t last. We have to get out of here.”

           “If we get out,” the human inquired, “where will we be?”

           “W-we’ll be in the forest near Snowdin- outside of the ruins. She won’t follow us there,” Flowey answered immediately. “We should hurry, though- we don’t want to run into anymore monsters.”

           “Snowdin?” Frisk echoed. “Is it cold there?”

          Flowey nodded. “Yes, very cold. It’s snowy. But it’s better than here.”

           “Um… why would she stop being nice to me?” Frisk prompted. “She’s been very helpful so far.”

           “Didn’t you see?” Flowey prompted. “When you didn’t hit the dummy hard enough, she was very displeased. When she found out that you couldn’t read, she was even more disappointed. You didn’t do well traversing the room by yourself. She will think you’re too weak to survive.”

           “But she’d just train me,” Frisk shrugged. “Right?”

          Flowey shook his head. “Don’t you understand? She seems to like you. She’s helping you. But Toriel isn’t a nice person. She… let’s just focus on getting out of here, alright?”

           “But… alright,” Frisk mumbled. “Let’s get out of here as quickly as we can. I-I don’t want to be attacked again.” Frisk walked into the next room. It was relatively small with a few patches of red leaves on the purple ground. A door was to the north and, on the wall opposite of their own and in the southern corner, there was another door. Frisk looked about and gasped. The froggit that had attacked them sat before Frisk. However, Frisk’s soul didn’t appear before them. The froggit tipped its head and croaked. Frisk gave him a small wave. The froggit straightened up and hopped away.

          Flowey appeared beside them. “It… ran away?”

          Frisk nodded. “Yeah. Well, I didn’t attack it before. Toriel just intimidated it. Maybe the froggit knew I wouldn’t hurt it! Then it wasn’t so mean anymore!”

          The plant shook his head. “I wouldn’t say that… maybe it just thought that Toriel would come back to kill it. No one here is very nice at all.”

          Frisk knelt and squinted at him. She couldn’t see Flowey as anything but a blur of white ringed yellow with a green string attaching him to the ground. “Are you hurt?”

           “Oh no! I’m not hurt.” Flowey shook his head and hesitated. “I’m just a bit… battered is all. Um… let’s get moving before any more monsters find us.”

          Frisk nodded and got up. “Okay. I think we’ll need it. Just in case.” Frisk turned and walked to the closest door- the one on the north wall. A bowl of candy stood atop a pedestal. Only two were left. Immediately, Frisk took both candies. They put one in their pocket and presented the other to Flowey. “I found some candy! Want it?”

          Flowey shook his head. “You don’t either. What if it’s poisonous?”

           “This is a very big bowl. Lots of people must have eaten out of it,” Frisk pointed out. “But… I guess we can save it for later.”

           “I still wouldn’t eat it,” Flowey denied. “I’m sure that many other monsters fell for it, too. After all, it’s much easier poisoning someone than fighting them.”

           “What do you mean?” Frisk prompted. “Not all monsters fight each other, do they?”

          Flowey looked up at them with round eyes. “I’m sorry, Frisk. But this place isn’t like the surface. Here, it’s kill or be killed.”

          Frisk gasped. “Oh, that’s horrible! …well, I didn’t kill that froggit and it didn’t attack me. Maybe other monsters are like that.”

          Flowey sighed. “Maybe. But just don’t get your hopes up. Let’s keep going.” Flowey vanished into the ground and reappeared near the second door.

          Frisk gasped and looked about. He was way out of their line of sight. Red blurs interrupted the purple ground. A clear yellow shimmer floated above a red blur. Maybe there was a piece of yellow and green but it was impossible to detect. “Where’d you go?”

           “Here!” Flowey called. “Don’t yell, okay? I’m by the door at the end of the room.”

          Frisk nodded and walked down the room. They hesitated beside a bright yellow sparkle. With a slight smile, they touched the glimmering yellow thing. Their fingers passed right through it, just like the first. A warmth seeped through them. Quite suddenly, they didn’t feel so scared. They felt courageous, optimistic, determined.

           “Playfully crinkling through the leaves fills you with determination.” The soft voice spoke to them again. Frisk looked about. There was a flash of color again but it quickly faded. Frisk walked to the door. The small room was split by a dark stripe. A door flanked either end of the stripe. Frisk continued to walk forward. Unfortunately, that was a bad idea. The darker part of the floor gave in under their weight. Frisk gasped and collapsed through the ground.

           “Frisk! Oh no. Frisk! Can you hear me?” Flowey called.

           “Yeah,” Frisk replied tightly. They stood up and looked about. The small room they were in now was split by red leaves. They were crunchy but not hard like stone. So, although falling such a distance hurt, it wasn’t as bad as it could’ve been. Two doors flanked the strip of red leaves. Frisk walked up to the door on the right and crawled through the small space provided.

          When Flowey spotted them landing with a huff on the other side of the frail floor, he sighed in relief and popped up beside them. “You scared me! Okay, no more of that. Let’s get going.”

          Frisk nodded and walked into the next room. It was occupied by a single rock on a light strip of purple floor. A button was on the end. Just past it was a line of spikes separating them from the door on the other side. Before Frisk could comment, their phone rang. They immediately picked up. Toriel’s sweet voice came from the other end of the receiver, “Hello? This is Toriel. For no reason in particular… which do you prefer? Cinnamon or butterscotch?”

           “Um… cinnamon. Why?” Frisk prompted. Flowey stared at them for a few seconds before vanishing into the floor. He appeared beside the rock and started pushing it with his vines.

           “Oh, no reason. Thank you for your choice. Oh! Actually, you do not dislike butterscotch, do you?” Toriel inquired.

           “Oh no! I love butterscotch, too,” Frisk purred. “Thank you!”

           “Oh good! You don’t happen to have any allergies do you?”

           “Allergies? Um… no. I don’t.” Frisk shook their head even though they knew they couldn’t be seen by Toriel. “Why are you asking?”

           “Oh good. I just don’t want you to get hurt is all. Thank you for being patient, by the way,” Toriel purred. Click. The phone hung up.

          Frisk set the phone back into their pocket and looked up. Flowey had already pushed the rock to the button and the spikes withdrew into the ground. Flowey looked back at them. “Come one! We need to hurry.” Frisk trotted over the withdrawn spikes and into the next room. Flowey lifted up a vine to stop them before they could continue on. “Alright. This is not good. Most of this room is unstable… I don’t want you falling again. Okay, let me scout ahead. Stay here.” The flower vanished into the ground. A few moments later, Flowey came back. “Okay! I think I have an idea. Go step over to that piece of floor.” He waved a leaf to the cracked floor by the wall.

          Frisk nodded, “A-alright. But what if I fall?”

           “I’ll catch you,” Flowey reassured them.

          Most of the floor was unstable. However, as Frisk crossed in a zig-zag pattern, they didn’t fall in. Some of the floor was cracked but very stable. When they got to the other side, they sighed happily and continued into the next room.

          The newest room that Flowey and Frisk entered had three rocks on three light purple lines that ended in three buttons. A stream broke the room in two. A bridge bristling with spikes was their only way across. Frisk pushed the first two rocks onto their buttons with ease. However, when they attempted to push the third rock, it growled at them. “Hey! What do ya think yer doin’?”

          Frisk gasped and raised their hands. “I-I, um, was trying to push you onto the button. I didn’t mean to disturb you. We need to get across, sir. Could you please help us?”

          The rock scoffed, “Yeah, right. I ain’t movin’. Find yer own way across. Humans can swim, can’t they?”

          Frisk shook their head. “Most humans can, but I can’t. Please help us, sir. We really need your help.”

           “I ain’t movin’. This ain’t my problem, kid.” The rock fell silent.

          Flowey groaned and glowered at the rock. “Move over before I push you!”

          The rock snorted, “Oh what are ya goin’ ta do, little plant? Tap me?”

          Half a dozen little white pellets popped into existence behind Flowey. All six rammed into the rock. All six shattered and dissipated. The rock laughed. Flowey grumbled and sighed. “Fine. I’ll do it.” Flowey vanished and popped up beside the button. A few vines compressed the button. The spikes vanished. Flowey vanished and appeared on the other side of the bridge. Frisk happily followed. The next room, which was merely a hallway, held a small table and a piece of cheese. A little glittering yellow light floated beside the table.

          Frisk trotted over to the yellow thing on the table and poked it. “This cheese has been here quite a long time. It’s stuck to the table…”

           “Oh, right.” Flowey looked back at the cheese on the table. “There’s a mouse that lives here. It’s too scared to attempt to get the cheese.”

           “Oh. Poor thing,” Frisk sighed. “Well, maybe one day it will summon the courage to get the cheese!”

          Frisk tapped the yellow light. “Knowing that one day the mouse might get the cheese, it fills you with determination.” The same warmth and strong feeling of courage and determination flowed through them.

           “Come on! We must hurry. Other monsters might be waiting,” Flowey pointed out. “…what are you looking at anyway?”

          Frisk looked back at him. “This light.”

           “What light?”

           “Um… nothing. What’s up ahead?” Frisk followed Flowey into the next room.

          Flowey took a deep breath. “Oh no. It’s a problem, that’s what it is.”

          Frisk tipped their head. The room was small but made smaller as it was split in half by a wall. The only way through was a small section of wall that had been cut off. A pile of scarlet leaves blanketed the ground. On top of the leaves was a white blur just about Frisk’s size.

           “Zzzzz…” the ghost mumbled. “Zzzz…”

           “The ghost’s just pretending to sleep,” Flowey encouraged them.

           “So, we shouldn’t disturb him,” Frisk agreed.

           “Ah, well, we need to get through here,” Flowey pointed out. “I think force is the only option.”

           “What about if we move around him?” Frisk prompted.

           “That won’t work. Napstablook’s blocking the whole doorway,” Flowey informed them and popped up beside the ghost. Vines crept out of the ground and touched the ghost. Immediately, Napstablook jumped and spun around to face the two of them. Frisk’s soul appeared before them.

           “Napstablook- Attack 10, Defense 10. HP ???. This ghost doesn’t seem to have a sense of humor…” The soft voice murmured.

          The ghost growled, “What do you think you’re doing here?”

           “We’re just trying to pass through!” Frisk answered before Flowey could open his mouth. “We didn’t want to disturb you.”

           “Yeah, well, too late. Piss off before I make you!” the ghost retaliated. Tears ringed the ghost’s eyes and shimmered on his cheeks. The tears turned and shot at Frisk like bullets. They cried out in surprise and flattened themselves to the ground. The bullet-tears missed them.

           “A-are you crying?” Frisk breathed and stood up. “Oh dear!”

           “Wh-what? No!” the ghost snapped. “Do I have to tell you again?!”

           “What’s wrong?” Frisk persisted and then yelped as yet another barrage was shot at them.

           “Leave me alone!” Napstablook snarled.

          Flowey looked between them. “Yes! We should! Just let us run past you.”

          Napstablook hissed at him. Frisk piped up, “We won’t hurt you. Is something wrong?”

           “Humph. No,” the ghost growled. “I just want to be left alone. Why do you even care?”

           “I don’t like it when people are alone,” Frisk informed him. “I know how it feels. It feels horrible, doesn’t it?”

          Napstablook’s snarl wavered and started to fade. “Y-yeah. So? I want to be left alone.”

           “Are you sure?” the young human prompted. “You don’t have to be alone, you know. Why do you choose to be? Don’t you have someone you like to be with?”

           “Pfft. I thought I did,” the ghost growled. “But apparently not. I have a few ‘cousins’ but I guess family only goes so far. Apparently, having talent means you can leave everyone else behind.” His tear-shining eyes narrowed. “But what do you care?”

           “I care because I don’t like people being hurt,” Frisk replied. “You really shouldn’t leave others behind just because you have talent- especially family.”

           “I know!” Napstablook huffed. “But my stupid cousins disagreed. Two of them went off to become training dummies and the other one a ‘star’. Humph. Star. Most he’ll do is humiliate himself on TV- if he makes it that far.”

           “Your cousin is a celebrity?”

           “Yeah. I guess,” Napstablook grumbled and then narrowed his eyes at them. “Why do you want to know?”

           “Oh. I was curious is all. I’ve never known someone whose cousin was a celebrity. You know, maybe he’s super busy and can’t come over. Why don’t you go and try to visit him?” Frisk suggested.

           “Go to him?” Napstablook echoed and then rolled his eyes. “Yeah, right! He wronged me, not the other way around. That stupid robot is too narcissistic and blind to see anything but himself. Besides, he wouldn’t want some cousin who can’t do party tricks anywhere near him.”

           “I’m sure you have talent, too, Napstablook! I’m sure that you’re good at something.”

          Napstablook hesitated, glowered at them and them mumbled something. Tears dripped from his eyes again. However, instead of falling down or attacking them, they flowed up and collected above his head. A cute top hat appeared on their head. “I call it ‘dapper blook’.”

           “Oh! That’s so cool!” Frisk gasped.

           “Oh…” Napstablook hesitated and shook his head. Frisk’s soul returned to their body. “Well… yeah, it is. I see that you’re not going to leave so… bye.” The ghost turned and phased through the wall.

          Flowey watched him go with a look of pure shock on his features. “I… didn’t expect that!”

          Frisk watched him go. “I didn’t, either. Poor guy. I hope he makes it up to his cousins.”

          Flowey nodded. “Yeah well… let’s keep going.”

          Frisk nodded and walked straight through that room into the next. This one was smaller with two spider webs on the wall. A sign was posted before them. Flowey looked up at them. “Spider bake sale. All proceeds go to real spiders,” Flowey read aloud. “7g for a donut and 18g for some cider.”

           “Oh.” Frisk checked their pockets. “I don’t have any gold.”

           “Then we should go, right?” Flowey vanished and appeared back in the room where they found Napstablook. Another door led up. Frisk followed without another word.

          The flower vanished and reappeared farther down the hall. By the time they got to the next one, Flowey held up a vine to stop them. “There is a lot of unstable ground here. Wait here.” The flower vanished. Frisk attempted to look about. A door was at the very end of the hall. Six places in the room had a cracked and unstable floor. Flowey appeared before a sign. “Okay, so there’s a switch in one of the rooms under here,” Flowey informed them. “But since it’s dangerous to let you do this… I’ll see if I can find the switch.”

           “Okay. Be careful!” Frisk called.

           “I’ll be right back!” Flowey vanished again.

Chapter Text

          A hissing, clicking sound behind them made Frisk jump and spin around. A large bug flanked by a large gelatin stood before them. They were just about Frisk’s height, too. The bug glared at her and twitched its fingers. The gelatin creature jiggled absentmindedly. “Um… I don’t have to fight you?” the blob, satisfied, rolled and jiggled away.

          The bug relaxed and chuckled, “Mm… alone again!”

          Frisk chuckled as the bug tapped his feet on the ground in a little dance. Soon he, too, turned and buzzed away.

          Frisk took a few steps forward. Unfortunately, they did not pay attention to where they were moving. They fell with a gasp of fear. Another pile of red leaves caught them to prevent any damage. Frisk shook their head and looked about. A cute little ribbon was on the ground nearby. Frisk took it and crawled back out. Flowey still wasn’t there. So, Frisk sat down and fiddled with the faded ribbon. Since they couldn’t see what they were doing, they eventually decided to tie it around their head.

          Eventually, the spikes in front of the door sank into the ground. Flowey came back. His breath was a bit heavy, but he was otherwise alright. “I found the switch! Let’s go. Oh. Did you find a ribbon?”

          Frisk nodded. “It’s cute!”

           “Ohh! That’s armor! You’ll need it.” Flowey nodded and appeared beside the door. Frisk, eyebrows contracted in slight confusion, followed him. The next puzzle wasn’t too bad. They had to click mushroom shaped, colored buttons in the right order before proceeding. The room in which they visited next was just a hallway with branching hallway. Frisk skipped over the vines that covered strips of the ground. The far end of the hallway held a small room. The door led to a small balcony. “A knife!” Flowey exclaimed. “You’ll need this.”

           “A knife?” Frisk echoed and shook their head. “I don’t need it. I’m not going to hurt anyone. Besides, it’s not like I know how to use it.”

          Flowey hesitated and then prompted, “Well, what if you get in a trap? You can use it to cut yourself free!”

          Frisk nodded. “Oh. That makes sense. Okay. But I’m not using it on anyone.” They picked up the toy knife from the ground and put it in one of their pockets.

          Flowey gave them a slight smile before vanishing and reappearing in the hallway. Frisk followed the flower very closely. The branching hallway had a large cluster of red leaves in the middle. It opened into a large room with a thick, dead tree in the middle. Red leaves covered the ground around it. Behind the tree was a large brick wall. A large door cut through the middle of the wall as well as a few windows. Red leaves scattered about the front of the house, though a trail without leaves was left exposed. A little glimmering yellow light shimmered beside the door.

           “Good,” Flowey sighed. “We’re here before her. Let’s see if we can sneak through her house.”

           “Are you sure? Why not just ask?” Frisk prompted as they walked.

           “She’s not a nice person, Frisk. She- we just need to keep moving.”

           “Keep moving?” Frisk jumped and looked up. Flowey shut his mouth and recoiled. Toriel stood just outside of her house, hands in front of her abdomen and deep maroon eyes on Frisk. “What- oh! Well, you don’t have to keep moving any longer!” Toriel purred. “This is my house! I’m so glad you made it here all on your own!”

          Frisk puffed up in reaction to the praise. “Th-thank you! It took a while, but Flowey helped me get here!”

           “Flowey…? Is that what you named it?” Toriel looked down at the flower. Flowey attempted to puff up and look bigger. Unfortunately, he failed. After all, he was a cute, if tattered, flower.

           “Him,” Frisk corrected. “I didn’t name him. He told me his name. He’s super nice, Toriel! He helped me all this way and even helped me out when other monsters tried to attack us!”

           “He did, did he?” Toriel’s eyes narrowed at the Flower. “Hmm… well, I guess that’s a good sign of friendship, right?” Her smile returned, though it was slightly more forced and showed a few teeth too many.

          Frisk nodded. “He’s my friend! But, um, we made it here!”

          Toriel relaxed and chuckled. “That you did, my child. Oh! Would you look at that. What a cute little ribbon you found!”

          Frisk chuckled, “Thank you! I found it out in the Ruins. Is it yours?”

          Toriel shook her head. “No, my child. Here, let me fix it for you. It’s a bit crooked.” She leaned down and fixed the little bow on Frisk’s head. She smoothed out the young one’s hair and fluffed up the ribbon. Her smile wavered. For the slightest second, sadness fell through her gaze. She was quick to shake it off. “Oh, you’re adorable, my child. Come in! I have a surprise for you!”

          Frisk smiled and attempted to move forward. However, Toriel hesitated and held out her hand. “Oh. Wait. I’m sorry, little one. Your… flower friend can’t come in. He’ll break the floor!”

          Frisk’s smile vanished. They looked between Toriel and Flowey. “Oh. Um…”

           “I’ll stay here,” Flowey stated. “You go on ahead. I’m not welcome anyway.”

           “Are you sure?” Frisk prompted. “I could carry you!”

          Flowey hesitated but shook his head. “No. You go on ahead.” The flower vanished into the ground.

          Toriel smiled. “Oh good. Come now, young one!” The woman turned and trotted into the house. Frisk gave her a small smile and looked to the shimmering yellow light.

           “Seeing such a cute, tidy house in the Ruins fills you with determination,” the mysterious, soft voice breathed. Frisk puffed up at the added courage and warmth that tailed the action. She quickly followed Toriel inside. They entered a small, quaint room. A door was to either side on the left and right. Before them was a winding staircase flanked by small, flower-decorated tables.

          Toriel waved her hands. “Do you smell that? Surprise! It’s a cinnamon-butterscotch pie! I thought we might celebrate your arrival.” She purred. “So, I’ll hold off the snail pie for tonight.”

           “It- It smells delicious!” Frisk purred. “Thank you!”

          Toriel beamed. “Oh, I’m glad you like it. Here, I have another surprise for you. Come on!” Toriel led them to the hallway to the right. “This is it… A room of your own. I hope you like it.” She set her hand on Frisk’s head. Frisk giggled and looked up at her. Toriel’s smile quite suddenly turned sad. She gasped, “Is something burning…? Um, make yourself at home.” Toriel turned and rushed out of the hallway.

          Frisk watched her leave for a few seconds before entering the quaint little bedroom. They gasped and looked about. Pink was the dominant color scheme in this room. There was just a single bed pushed up to the right wall with two large stuffed animals preventing it from touching the wall. A large lamp was in the corner, blocked from touch by the bed and the wardrobe beside the bed. A trunk full of old, dusty toys sat at the foot of the bed. A dresser with an empty, dusty picture frame and a few papers atop it was between the wardrobe and a box of kids’ shoes in a disparity of sizes. The little lamp that sat beside it sent light over the shoes and the old flower drawing on the wall above it.

          Frisk looked about and then sat down on the bed. They sighed and shut their eyes. They needed Flowey. Flowey helped them so much… Toriel was very sweet to them, but she had gotten aggravated at their disability. What if she wouldn’t accept them? If she kicked them out, they’d be in that cold place… alone… with dangers that they couldn’t even think of…

           “Frisk.”

          Frisk jumped and looked about, as if that would do them any good. “What? Who said that?”

           “It’s me, Chara,” the voice replied. “I’ve given you courage and advice through the Ruins. Those yellow lights? That’s a bit of my power being lent to you.”

           “Really? Wow. Why haven’t I see you before?”

           “I don’t… well, Flowey. He can’t know I’m here. After all, I’m an incorporeal spirit only known by you. I don’t want to give him the wrong impression. But, anyway, you woke me up after a long sleep. I died a long, long time ago. But you fell here and woke me. Flowey can’t see me. But if he knows that I’m here, then he will begin to act strangely. After all, he doesn’t know I exist. If he wonders about me when you talk, just tell him a human spirit helps you.”

           “Okay. But, why are you helping me, again? I woke you up, but can’t you go somewhere? If you want?” Frisk prompted.

          Chara shook their head. “I can, but will not. You will need aid. So, I will aid you. I will tell you about monsters, give you my power when you need it, and be there when you need to speak with me. Perhaps… perhaps I could even help you physically.”

           “Physically?” Frisk echoed. “But you’re a spirit.”

           “I know. I can’t physically interact with the world. But I can with you.” Chara touched their hand to Frisk’s shoulder. They could feel its warmth, but not their touch. “I can feel it. As I am a soulless spirit, I can only interact with you. Spirits with souls can be seen by all. Anyway, that means I can take over you physically.”

           “Like… possession?”

           “Yes, something like that.”

           “But isn’t that bad?” Frisk prompted.

          Chara shook their head. “No, Frisk. It can be, if the spirit is malevolent. But since I am not, I will not harm you. In fact, if we do it correctly, I lend my senses and physical aid to you. Our differences could be made into one to balance each other out. It’s very easy since we’re both to same age- or, when I was alive, that is. For example: you are blind but I am not. I, if I concentrate, might be able to bring you some sight for a limited time.”

           “R-really?” Frisk perked up. “You can do that?”

           “In theory, yes. Do you wish to try? It will not hurt either of us, I assure you.”

          Frisk hesitated and then nodded. “Okay. What do I do?”

           “Nothing. I do the work. Don’t be so jumpy. I won’t hurt you.” With that, Chara touched their hand to their chest and vanished. Frisk’s eyes turned a bright scarlet. Frisk couldn’t move. Chara could, though. So, they turned around and looked about. They were still completely blind. Chara turned her focus to the shoe box. Quite suddenly, it changed. Most of their sight was still blurry, but they could see the shoebox, and its limited contents, in perfect clarity.

          Frisk gasped, “You can do that?!”

           “Yes,” Chara agreed with a nod of their head. “I can. But… not for too long. I have to concentrate and put energy into it. Kind of like when you attempt to hold something light. You can hold it, but not forever. Get it?”

           “Yeah. What else can we do?”

           “I… do not know, yet,” Chara replied. “Maybe nothing else. Maybe something. Since this is the first time I’ve ever done this, I’m only going by theories that I know of.” Chara appeared before them. Their eyes dulled back into shades of dark, cloudy brown. “Merging our senses together is one as well as being able to control your movements. …that will become very useful later on in case we get in a fight with something big.”

           “We won’t be fighting anything, though,” Frisk pointed out.

           “Things will fight us, Frisk,” Chara pointed out. “Whether we want them to or not. But don’t worry, I won’t talk you into killing anything or make you do so. In fact, I’ll only take over if you need me to, okay?”

           “Okay. …we should probably find Flowey and bring him back.”

           “That sounds like a good idea.”

          Frisk tromped to the blurry chest she knew as the shoe box. They hooked a small boot out of it. The old thing could have fit them if they tried. Still, their own tennis shoes felt better and safer.

          Frisk stood up and trotted out of the bedroom and outside. They knelt and began collecting dirt inside of the boot. Flowey popped up beside them. “What are you doing?”

           “Do you want to come with me?” Frisk prompted.

          Flowey’s eyes grew round in shock and he huffed, “Well, yes! I said I could help you! But if you think I’m going in an old boot, then, well… I’m not going in a boot. That old thing has probably been worn a lot.”

          Frisk frowned. “But… it’s small and sturdy so it won’t break if you fall. And you don’t have to move around her floor. That way she’ll be happy, too!” Frisk’s smile faded. “…and, um, Flowey… I can’t move around that well on my own.”

          Flowey hesitated and groaned. “Fine. Just… just be careful, Frisk.”

          Frisk smiled and held out her hands. Flowey’s roots slowly came out of the ground and into her hands. She set him on the boot, where he sank into the dirt within. “Thank you!” Frisk purred and hugged him.

          Flowey hesitated. “Um… yeah… you’re welcome. Let’s, um, go inside.”

          Frisk nodded, gently picked up Flowey, and walked back inside. This time, they moved into the living room. It was slightly larger than the bedroom, though it was still small. A table with three chairs was beneath the window to the outside. A fireplace alive with soft red flames crackled happily beside a large bookshelf. Gardening and fireplace tools were hung in a rack beside the bookcase. Toriel, eyes down on a book, happily read. Her reading glasses nearly touched her nose so she’d push them up every once in a while.

           “What are you doing?” Flowey breathed as Frisk approached Toriel.

           “H-hello.”

          Toriel looked away from her book and smiled again. “Oh hello, my child! I see that you’ve found your friend again.”

          Frisk nodded. “He’s nice.”

           “That’s good. Say, you’ve been running around a lot lately,” Toriel pointed out. “You look a bit tired. Do you want to take a nap?”

          Frisk nodded. “Yes. I am feeling a bit tired.”

           “Well then sweet dreams! A growing young child like you needs their rest.” Toriel purred.

          Frisk smiled and trotted out of the living room. Flowey looked back at Toriel and then Frisk. “What was that about?”

           “I’m sort of tired,” Frisk admitted. “But, um… I was also curious about the place. I want to see if there’s anything that might tell us how to leave.”

          Flowey smiled. “Oh! That’s a really good idea! There’s a door next to this big flower. I think it might be hers.”

          Frisk nodded and quietly walked into the room. The color scheme here was a variety of light blues rather than the tans of the house and pinks of their room. A desk was immediately in front of the door with a diary and lamp on top of it. A small bucket of snails hid between it and the wall. A queen-sized bed dominated the top-left part of the room with a squat dresser and bookcase beside it. A tall cactus stood on the other side of the door.

          Flowey looked to the diary. “Come on. Let’s see if she’s written anything good here…”

           “What does it say?” Frisk prompted. “One of them is circled.”

           “Um… ‘How do you make a one-armed man fall out of tree? You cut his arm… off…’” Flowey stared at the page for a few moments.

           “That’s not how the joke goes,” Frisk muttered. “I thought it was ‘You wave’. What else is there?”

           “Um… just jokes of a similar caliber,” Flowey stated and looked at the book shelf. “Why type of books are there?” Frisk nodded and trotted over to the bookcase. Flowey sighed. “Nothing useful. Just plants and snails. Well… try that drawer.”

          Frisk nodded and opened the top drawer next to the bookshelf. Chara gasped, “Scandalous! …it’s Toriel’s sock drawer.”

          Flowey’s small voice brought them back. “Um… nothing here. Let’s go.” Frisk shut the drawer, nodded, and trotted out of the bedroom. Unfortunately, the door at the end was locked. “Room under Renovations?” Flowey read aloud.

           “Let’s take a nap,” Frisk decided. “I-I mean, I told her I would. And I am kind of tired.”

           “What? Do you know what she could do?” Flowey hissed. “She- she could kill you in your sleep and you wouldn’t even know it!”

           “No. She wouldn’t do that.” Frisk shook their head. “Besides, I said we would. If I’m up and running around, wouldn’t she think I was lying to her?”

           “…that’s true…” Flowey muttered. “Still. I don’t like this. You go to sleep. Put me on the dresser. I’ll wake you up if she tries anything suspicious, alright?”

          Frisk smiled and nodded. “Thank you, Flowey!” They turned and carefully walked into their bedroom. Flowey was set on the dresser and the lights were turned off. Frisk went to sleep almost as soon as their head hit the pillow.

Chapter Text

          Frisk yawned and stretched. Flowey looked up at them. “Awake? Good.”

           “Did she come in here?” Frisk inquired.

          The flower gave her a short nod. “Yes. She did. But she only dropped off a slice of pie.”

          Frisk smiled. “Pie? Oh! That’s so nice of her.” The young human clambered to their feet, made the bed, and picked up the pie. The pie was wrapped in something soft but thick to keep away insects or weather. It carefully went onto the dresser.

           “I think there are some coats in there,” Flowey pointed out. “You’ll need it. Snowdin is really cold.”

           “Oh. Okay. That’s a good idea.” Frisk opened the wardrobe and pawed through its contents. There were plenty of cozy clothes. However, there were only a few coats. “Um… which one should I take?”

           “The one at the end,” Flowey advised. “And, um, tell her you got a bit chilly if she asks. You’ll warm up soon enough.”

           “Okay.” Frisk gently pulled out the coat and put it on. It was fuzzy on the inside and warm. No fur popped out of the top, bottom, or sleeves. The red and black striped coat looked almost exactly like a sweater- save for the zipper in the front. Frisk about closed the doors to the wardrobe when something swung and hit the recently disturbed clothes. A small bag with a long strap was inside it. With a brilliant smile, Frisk unzipped the coat and put on the bag so that it was hidden under her new coat. The slice of pie went into the bag as well as some candy. The coat was zipped up, the doors closed, and Flowey plucked from dresser.

          Frisk happily walked out of the room and into the living room. Toriel looked up. She had just set down some food on the table. “Oh! Awake already, I see? Good!” she purred and smiled. “Do you want some breakfast? You look a bit hungry.”

           “Yes, Ma’am! Thank you!” Frisk purred and sat down in one of the chairs next to Toriel. It was just about their size. Toriel’s chair was much larger. The chair beside that was larger than that. Flowey was set down beside Frisk on the table.

          Toriel glared at the flower before turning to Frisk. “Did you have a nice nap?”

          Frisk nodded. “Yes. Thank you so much!”

          Toriel chuckled. “Oh, you are so welcome, my child. You know, I just wanted to tell you how glad I am to have you here. There are so many old books I want to share. I want to show my favorite bug-hunting spot. I’ve also prepared a curriculum for your education! This may come as a surprise to you… but I’ve always wanted to be a teacher. …actually, perhaps that isn’t too surprising. STILL.” She pursed her lips and smiled again. “I am glad to have you living here.”

          Frisk smiled, though they could hardly keep it. Here Frisk was conspiring with Flowey to leave when Toriel had done so much! “That is so nice of you. You have such a lovely house.” Frisk went on to eat their breakfast. The taste surprised them and almost made them gag on it.

           “Is something wrong?” Toriel inquired.

          Frisk shook their head. “Oh no! I’ve just never had food like this before. What is it?” It didn’t taste very good. It was like a mix between egg and dirt.

           “Oh, it’s just some eggs,” Toriel informed them. “I didn’t have enough seasoning to make a proper breakfast. I’ll be getting some more this afternoon. So, I just used monster dust instead.”

          Flowey’s eyes went round in horror. He hid his face before Toriel could look at them. Frisk looked at the food and nodded. Whatever monster dust was, it didn’t taste that good. Still, they finished off their breakfast without further complaint.

           “You cleaned your plate! Hungry, were you?” Toriel chuckled once they’d finished their breakfast. She gathered up the plates and stood up. “You can go play outside if you would like, Chara-” Toriel cut herself off. Her smile vanished immediately.

           “Chara?” Frisk inquired.

           “Go outside and play.” Toriel stalked into her kitchen. Chara watched her go with a sad look in their gaze.

          Frisk jumped to their feet and picked up Flowey. “Why did she just call me that?” Frisk breathed as they walked.

           “She… it’s nothing,” Flowey denied. “It’s probably another kid or whatever. Now come on! Now’s our chance! We can get out of here!”

          Frisk stopped before the door that lead outside. “What?”

           “We can leave,” Flowey insisted. “Now, while she’s distracted!”

          Frisk shook their head. “But she’s been so nice to me! She can’t really be mean… can she…?”

          Flowey shook his head. “You don’t understand. Six children, Frisk. They have collected six human souls. Every time a human falls down here, I see the same thing again and again. They come. They leave. They die. Don’t you understand? I’m only trying to help you! If you don’t get out of the Ruins as fast as possible, she, Toriel, will kill you.”

           “But Flowey…” Frisk turned to the door again. Faintly, they could hear muffled sobs. “Oh no!”

          Frisk turned and nearly ran into kitchen when Flowey hissed, “Stop!”

           “I have to help her, Flowey. She’s sad,” Frisk denied.

           “Frisk, please trust me. You have to leave. Don’t you want to go home?”

          Frisk hesitated. “Home?”

          Flowey nodded. “Yes. Home. You want to go back to the surface, right? To your family?”

          Frisk nodded. “Yes. I… I want to go back to my sister…”

           “You can’t do that here, Frisk,” Flowey pointed out in a gentle voice. “Leave her be. She’s just going to lash out at you. She was terse with you just then when you did nothing wrong. Imagine how she’ll act if you start asking her about the kid o-or if you do something that humans do that she thinks is bad! You saw the look on her face when she looked at me back when you first fell. Have I done anything wrong?”

          Frisk shook their head. “No. But… but she’s just… lonely. Maybe we could go outside together.”

          Flowey shook his head. “No, Frisk. She’ll never agree to that. Come on. This is your chance.”

          The young human sighed and nodded. “A-alright.” Frisk stare at the blur of shapes that was the doorway. They couldn’t move. They couldn’t force themselves to move forward. So, they moved back. Frisk opened the door to Toriel’s house and found the shimmering golden light. A feeling of warmth, of determination, flowed through them. But it was not enough. It was as if the magical light did not agree to their leave, either. Still, Frisk closed the door and made their way to the stairs and carefully stepped down each one. A chilled draft wafted through the corridor that they landed in. Frisk continued forward without another word.

          Frisk and Flowey turned a corner in the small corridor leading out of the Ruins to see a door. A large, furry hand was set on their shoulder. Frisk jumped and spun around. Toriel, features grim and eyes narrowed, stood before them. “You wish to return ‘home’, do you not? Ahead of us, right there, lies the end of the Ruins. A one-way exit to the rest of the underground. I am going to destroy it.” Toriel walked past them to stand between them and the door. Toriel turned so that they faced them. “No one will ever be able to leave again.” Her maroon eyes grew wet. Toriel growled and hid her pain under a snarl. “Do not try and stop me. This is your final warning. Go to your room!”

          Frisk stood up straight. “No. I-I won’t. I–”

           “Humph,” Toriel interrupted them with a huff. “You want to leave so badly? You are just like all the others. No. No I won’t let you leave. The others out there, they’re going to kill you. If they ever catch sight of you, they will murder you! Don’t you understand?!”

           “B-but-”

           “No! I’m not letting you leave!” Every one of Toriel’s teeth were bared now. “All I want is for you to be happy, young one. All I want is to never see you suffer. Don’t you see? If you leave, they will make you suffer! I just want to give you a painless end!”

          Frisk’s soul appeared before their chest.

           “Toriel- Attack 80, Defense 80. HP 1600. Gatekeeper of the Ruins. She just wants what’s best for you.” For once, the soft voice that spoke to Frisk made them feel sick. All Toriel wanted to keep them happy.

          Frisk shut their eyes and set Flowey down in the corner. “Toriel, I am not going to fight.”

           “Just as I expected.” Toriel growled. “You would never make it out there with that attitude.” Fire blazed a brilliant blue-white within her hands. Quite suddenly, the room was warm and it was light. Frisk yelped in fright as they barely dodged each attack. Fire was everywhere. How were they going to dodge all of this?

           “I’m not fighting you!” Frisk repeated. “Please!”

           “No! You will!” Toriel hissed. “Prove to me that you won’t die!”

          Frisk attempted to dodge again and again. However, fire got too close. Their soul, their chest, began to heart. Burns caused fissures and cracks to appear on their soul. “Please! Stop!”

           “I won’t let another be murdered!”

           “You don’t have to, Toriel! Please! You don’t have to let me die!”

           “If I let you out you will!” Toriel snarled. Frisk dodged the next barrage of fire, but just barely.

          Shaky on their feet, the blind child stared into Toriel’s molten gaze. Tears glimmered on the young human’s cheeks. “Please. I don’t want to die.”

          Toriel whined and barked, “You will if you leave!”

          Frisk tensed and threw their arms in front of themselves. However, the fire brushed harmlessly past. Frisk looked up. Toriel’s fire avoided her. The ground and walls were singed and charred. Yet Frisk was still alive. “I… I don’t want you to kill me. I don’t want to leave.”

          Toriel’s voice was choked. “How can you say that when you tried to sneak out? You- you liar! You’re trying to slip your way out, aren’t you?” Toriel snarled and threw another fireball at Frisk. Although her muscles tensed under the force she put behind her spell, the fire did not feel hot. The fire rushed past Frisk and hit the wall opposite.

          Frisk took a few tentative steps forward. “You don’t have to let another one die.”

          Toriel slumped to her knees. Tears dripped down her snout and onto the floor as she bowed her head. Her face was buried in her hands, now. “I just want you to be happy… I just want my children…” she whimpered. “I just want my husband… I just want my family again…”

          Frisk bit their tongue and looked at Flowey. The flower was slumped forward as if wilted. The young human turned back to Toriel. They put their hand on Toriel’s shoulder. The old mother raised her great head to look Frisk in the eyes. At this short distance, Frisk could make out the colors of her eyes more distinctly than her snowy fur. “You don’t have to fight.”

          Toriel gasped and bared her teeth in a grimace. “Then why are you trying so hard to leave?”

           “I don’t want to,” Frisk stated and shook their head. “You are so sad and alone. I just… I want you to be happy. I… I have a home at the surface. I don’t have much, but we could be happy. We all could be happy!”

          For a few long moments, Toriel didn’t move. Eventually, the old mother shut her eyes. “I… I…” Then, her snarl came back and her eyes flashed open. Frisk took a few steps back. “You dirty cheater!”

           “Wh-what?”

           “You’re trying to trick me!” Toriel hissed and stood up. “You think that you can offer me something you know I cannot take? You think that I will let you go with my blessing because I’d be too guilty to do otherwise?”

          Frisk shook their head. “N-no! No! It’s nothing like that. I don’t want to hurt you!”

          Toriel stepped aside and shoved the doors open. “Go die, then. Just get out of my sight before you do.”

          Frisk gasped, “Wh-what? No! No, you–”

           “LEAVE!” Toriel snarled and raised her hands. Again, they were alight in flame.

          Frisk yelped, picked up Flowey, and raced out of the room. The door slammed shut behind them. There was a thunk and eventually, muffled sobs could be heard clearly though the door. Frisk, holding Flowey close to their chest, raced through the small space of a tunnel. It eventually gave way to a cavern of natural rock instead of brick. Sunlight filtered through the ceiling and into a circle of grass. A stone doorway was at the end.

          Frisk staggered to a stop and sat down on top of the little circle of grass. A little golden sparkle danced before them. Frisk’s fingers brushed the little light. Although their wounds vanished and heat flowed through them, no emotion was stirred from the action. Chara raised their hand to touch Frisk’s. They could nearly feel the spirit’s touch as if they were a physical human. Frisk set their hand back on their lap.

          Flowey sighed. “I… know this is tough. But we have to keep going.”

          Frisk sniffled and nodded. “I know. I know. Just… give me a second.”

           “I’m sorry,” Flowey mumbled and bowed his head.

          Frisk sat down in a more comfortable position and crossed their legs. “Flowey? Do you know anything about Chara? Or Toriel?”

          The tattered golden flower looked up at them. “Yes. Toriel had two children. One of them was a human child named Chara. You… you look a lot like them.”

           “Then why did she try to kill me?”

           “Because she’s scared of the other monsters, Frisk. Chara died a painful death of sickness. The monsters have become more… sadistic and fierce as time has gone on. Hopelessness and despair have twisted this world into a savage place. I guess she thought that if she killed you now, you wouldn’t face the suffering that the monsters outside would give you. Just like they gave to the others.” Flowey sighed and shook his head. “Truthfully, she’s a very kind woman. But you needed to get out of there for that reason. She’s kind, but pain has twisted her morals.”

           “What if I give them hope?” Frisk inquired.

           “Give them hope?” Flowey echoed.

           “Yeah. Why is everyone in despair?”

           “We’re trapped down here,” Flowey informed them. “The barrier keeps all monsters trapped underground. Anything can come in, but nothing can come out. We’ve been here for so long that most of the people here don’t know what sunlight feels like. Those that have felt it have long since forgotten it. So, most people just think that this is what life is. It’s kill or be killed.”

           “I’ll have to prove them wrong.” Frisk got up, Flowey in their arms. “I’m going to show everyone what kindness can do. I don’t care how long it takes, I will make sure that no one else has to die.” The feeling that the light gave them coursed through their veins. This time, though, the light didn’t cause it. It was their own thoughts, their own desires that caused it. It was their own determination. “Come on. It’s pretty chilly outside.” Frisk zipped down their jacket, held Flowey’s boot close to their chest, and zipped it up again. Flowey’s head popped up next to their head. Frisk pressed their jacket just under Flowey’s boot with their left hand and opened the door with their right one. A chilly blast of snow-flecked air crashed into them as they walked outside.