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Frisk woke up on a soft bed of yellow flowers. She had no idea where she was, but her head was aching and her back felt terribly sore. As she lifted her head from the soft golden mound, her heart sank. A foreboding darkness surrounded her, and the only light source came from a gaping hole looming far above her head. Was she dreaming? After rubbing her sore legs and shoulders for a bit, Frisk rose steadily from the ground and examined the walls around her. She seemed to be in an oval-shaped cavern with a narrow hallway that extended further into the darkness. Frisk decided to stay put for now, hesitant to walk blindly through foreign terrain.Suddenly, a small golden flower sprang up in front of her. Unlike the flowers she had woken up on, this one had a face and didn’t look very happy to see her.“Dammit!” The flower hissed angrily, “not another one!”Frisk’s jaw dropped in surprise at the talking flower, and she quickly reached into her pants pocket for her can of pepper spray. Her hand came out empty, and she realized that it must have fallen out when she entered this strange place.The talking flower continued to stare her down, and Frisk hurriedly closed her mouth and adopted a cheery face.“What’s wrong flower?” She asked carefully.“MY NAME IS NOT FLOWER!” The plant screeched, his mood getting worse and worse by the second.After huffing angrily for a minute, the flower locked eyes with Frisk once more.“What’s wrong you ask?” He snapped, venom lacing his words, “What’s wrong is that another filthy human soul has fallen into the Ruins. Do me a favor and get out before Mom finds you.”Frisk flinched, surprised that a pretty flower like this one could be filled with such hatred and malice. The flower stared at her expectantly before a door slammed open across the room, causing him to wilt in defeat.“Flowey!” A female voice rang out, echoing through the corridor. “Is that a human child? Are you harassing them?”A large goat monster slowly emerged from the now-visible doorway across the room. A small fireball hovered over her palm, illuminating the room and revealing her kind face.Before Flowey could get away, she gently snatched him from the ground and placed him in the flowerpot she was carrying.“Greetings young one,” she began, addressing Frisk sweetly, “I am Toriel, caretaker of the Ruins. What is your name?”Frisk studied the motherly goat monster, quickly deciding that she seemed harmless. She stepped forward, holding out her hand in a friendly manner.“My name is Frisk,” she replied, still slightly shook by the fact that she was in a cavern with a goat monster and a talking flower. Maybe she was dreaming after all.Instead of giving her a handshake like Frisk anticipated, Toriel firmly grabbed Frisk’s hand, smiling before leading her toward the door she had appeared from. The small ball of fire now hovered in front of them, as both of Toriel’s hands were now full.“Come now child,” Toriel declared cheerfully, “you are safe now, we can head back home so you can get some rest. You have had a long fall and some sleep would do you good.Frisk nodded along, not seeing any reason to argue with Toriel. She glanced over at Flowey who was still glaring daggers in her direction and mumbling curses under his breath. Did flowers have breath?Either way, he was clearly upset by her presence. Frisk felt lucky to have Toriel in-between herself and the malevolent plant.As they crossed through the doorway, faint lights began to appear around them and Toriel extinguished her fireball, no longer in need of its light. Frisk observed that this new chamber was much more welcoming than the last. A long purple hallway stretched out before them, and she couldn’t help but stare in awe at the rough brick walls surrounding her. Before, it had seemed as if she was in a dark and lonely hole, but now Frisk felt as if she might be inside a castle. Her thoughts of royal pleasantries were cut short however as Toriel pulled her around one last corner, leading her and Flowey to what looked like a cozy house that fit in well with the regal atmosphere around it.“Here we are Frisk,” Toriel announced, “this is our home!”Flowey rolled his eyes and Frisk smirked at the gesture. Though he wasn’t exactly friendly, the little flower had begun to amuse her with his attitude.Toriel approached the door to the cute little house, releasing Frisk’s hand to open the entrance. Once they made it inside, Toriel released Flower onto the dirt floor where he disappeared into the soil, sticking his tongue out at Frisk before he vanished completely. Frisk realized that the dirt floor must’ve been made specifically for Flowey’s needs.“Well Frisk, what do you think?” Toriel asked hopefully. “It isn’t much, but it’s home.”Frisk smiled happily at the motherly goat monster.“You have a really amazing house Toriel! I love it!”Toriel beamed, clearly pleased by Frisk’s answer. Frisk really did like the house. As Toriel showed her around she noticed a warm fireplace, a clean kitchen, and even a room that she could stay in all on her own. Frisk had never had any of these things before and she decided that she was going to find a way to pay Toriel back for her hospitality.Toriel showed Frisk the room she would be staying in then left her to get settled in. Frisk appreciated the space because her mind was still on overdrive from all the questions and chaos granted by her circumstances. She settled down on her twin-sized bed and let her aching muscles finally relax.“Getting comfy now are we?” Asked a harsh voice from the doorway.Frisk glanced up to see Flowey glaring at her, clearly still irritated.“What’s your deal Flowey?” She asked, careful to use his name this time. She was curious as to why he was so angry at her, and maybe he could enlighten her. Flowey huffed before disappearing back into the dirt floor, leaving Frisk with yet another unanswered question.She sighed in resignation, realizing that all problems were not so easily solved. At least Toriel was nice. Frisk was happy to be staying in a nice safe home, which was much better than the dark hole of a cavern she had woken up in. She still wasn’t sure how she fell into this mysterious world of talking flowers and nice goat ladies, but Frisk knew that everything would eventually figure itself out.Frisk yawned quietly, feeling a sudden wave of tiredness wash over her. She laid her head down and let her eyes close for a moment before she lost consciousness and fell into the dark abyss of sleep.
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Frisk’s eyes fluttered open, but all she could see was darkness and the faint glowing outline of a doorframe. Confused, she sat up and brushed her hands around her, hoping to find a sign of where she was. She felt the softness of a blanket underneath her fingers and remembered her encounter with Flowey and Toriel. Frisk sighed in relief. She was in her new room.Carefully, Frisk stepped out of her bed and approached the doorway. Behind the door was a faint light, and Frisk was curious as to where it might be coming from. She quietly turned the doorknob and pulled it open, doing her best to remain silent. The light was further away than she first thought, and Frisk realized that it must’ve been coming from the living room.A thought suddenly occurred to Frisk. Since waking up, she had assumed that it was night time, but if she was underground then what was the difference between day and night?The sight of the softly burning fireplace reminded Frisk of her mission. Upon approaching the living room, she noticed a sharp contrast of atmosphere. The warm and welcoming fireplace sat invitingly before Flowey, who looked sullen and depressed. Frisk watched for a moment, wondering why the small flower was gazing into the depths of the flames, but Flowey soon noticed her presence and sneered.“What do you want human?” He asked, refusing to turn toward her.Frisk stepped closer to Flowey, letting the fire warm her fingers.“Is everything alright?” She asked warily, half expecting him to disappear into the floor again. Flowey stiffened and sat quietly for a while before answering.“Yes.”Frisk waited patiently for him to elaborate, but it seemed she wasn’t going to get any further answers on the subject.“How do day and night work down here?” She asked instead, hoping to calm the mood.Flowey laughed dryly. “We have ‘day’ and ‘night’ but it’s not the same as what you’re used to. Most monsters stay on a similar sleep schedule, but the amount of light down here never changes. A lot of things down here never change.”Frisk stared into the fireplace thoughtfully. Though his answer seemed a bit depressing, Frisk was happy that Flowey had answered her at all. Maybe he would warm up to her eventually and they could even be friends.Frisk smiled at the thought and decided to sit with Flowey for a little longer. Before long, her fatigue returned, and she found herself laying comfortably on the floor. Flowey rolled his eyes at her but said nothing. Frisk hummed in contentment before drifting off to sleep once again.Frisk woke to an angry Toriel yelling followed by a snickering Flowey. She sat up from the dirt floor, noticing that all the lamps in the house had been relit. Confusion filled her as she wondered what all the fuss was about. Toriel, realizing that Frisk was awake, quickly calmed down and greeted the young human.“Goodmorning Frisk, I apologize for waking you. Did you sleep alright?”Frisk smiled and yawned. “I slept really well thank you! I feel much better now that I’ve had some rest.”Toriel seemed delighted by Frisk’s response but adopted a weird expression when she glanced her way. Frisk became even more puzzled and wondered what she was missing.“What is it?” She asked, cocking her head to the side in confusion.Toriel laughed nervously. “Well you see…”Flowey interrupted her with a hearty laugh, clearly proud of whatever he had done.Suddenly, Frisk noticed a black marker laying beside her foot. Realization struck her and she rushed through the hallway to see how much damage had been done. She gazed into the mirror to find a collage of Flowey-esque graffiti drawn on her face. She wasn’t sure how he was able to hold a marker, but despite everything, she held back a laugh.Toriel, who followed Frisk through the hallway, gave her a half-hearted smile.“I’m sorry child, Flowey is grumpy when it comes to new friends. Please do not take this personally.”Flowey snorted in the corner, clearly still proud of his penmanship.Frisk giggled and shook her head. This was nothing compared to things she had dealt with… at least Flowey’s drawings weren’t vulgar and rude. As far as she could see, the worst thing he had done was write “humans stink!” across her left cheek."It’s okay,” she assured Toriel, “It’s understandable really. If I had to suddenly share my house and family with a stranger, then I might be a little bothered too.”Toriel scratched her head, still slightly worried by Flowey’s behavior, but decided to let it go for the moment.“If you’d like,” she suggested, “I can help you clean your face up in the bathroom?”Frisk gladly accepted Toriel’s proposal, knowing that it might take a while to get the marker off by herself.The two ladies made their way over to the bathroom as Flowey watched from a distance. He wondered why Frisk hadn’t been angry at him. The last few humans had declared him an enemy after he pulled a few stunts similar to this one.Frisk felt Toriel’s soft hands working at the lines and shapes drawn across her forehead. She wondered if this was what it was like to be under a mother’s care. Frisk’s own mother had passed away when she was young, and though she had just met the goat monster, Toriel was the closest thing to a mom she’d ever had.When they finished, only a few smudges and a light shadow of “Flowey was here” remained on Frisk’s face. It hadn’t taken long to remove the other marks, but these had stained. Frisk assured Toriel that it was fine, and the goat monster insisted that the remaining marks would fade out within a couple of days.Flowey’s prank really hadn’t bothered Frisk but scrubbing off all the marker had left her feeling quite hungry.“What kind of food do monsters eat?” She asked Toriel, hoping she might get the hint that she was hungry.“Our food is very similar to human food,” Toriel explained, “but it contains small doses of magic. Most monsters don’t have stomachs like humans do and the magic digests the food for us.”Frisk’s eyes widened in amazement. So monsters didn’t need bathrooms?“If that’s the case then why do you have a toilet in your house?” She asked curiously, hoping that wasn’t too weird of a question.Toriel laughed. “Well, you aren’t exactly the first human to fall into this world… and while magic can digest food for humans in a similar way that it does in monsters, a few human children in the past needed a bathroom when they first fell.”Frisk smiled, impressed by Toriel’s willingness to provide for the needs of humans. She was a really sweet monster and Frisk knew she was lucky to have met her.Her stomach growled suddenly, causing Toriel to chuckle.“Perhaps it is time for breakfast!” She exclaimed, and Frisk nodded excitedly.
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The last few days with Toriel had been interesting to say the least. Toriel had shown Frisk around the Ruins, explaining the simple puzzles and leaving Frisk a bit annoyed that she wasn’t allowed to try them on her own without Toriel ruining them first. Toriel was getting to be a tad overprotective, and Frisk was starting to get cabin fever. She had fallen into this amazing world of magic, and she wasn’t allowed to walk out of sight of the house by herself. As frustrating as it was, she had managed to deal with these ludicrous rules for at least a week now.Frisk rolled her eyes at her predicament. There probably wasn’t anyone missing her up on the surface, but part of her still wanted to find a way out of this strange place. Even if she decided to stay, she’d like to know how to get home if she ever needed to. She currently sat in the middle of her floor, trying to decide what to do about Toriel’s hovering and fussing over her. She didn’t want to hurt Toriel’s feelings, but Frisk was technically an adult and was capable of solving a few puzzles on her own. Even if a monster did approach her, Toriel had told Frisk that there was a way to end potential fights by talking them out with the other monsters. That didn’t sound too complicated, and Frisk was confident that she could figure it out.“Why do you look so annoyed?” Flowey asked neutrally from one of Frisk’s shelves. “That’s my job, job thief.”Frisk smiled apologetically. Lately, Flowey had seemed to be warming up to her, if only a little. One night she had even found that an empty flowerpot had mysteriously appeared in her bedroom. From then on Flowey started paying her random visits throughout the day, hanging out in the flowerpot and giving her some interesting company.“I guess I just feel like Toriel is babying me,” Frisk admitted. “I’m eighteen years old but she still won’t let me solve a stupid puzzle by myself.”Flowey took a minute to respond and Frisk caught a short look of bitter remorse crossing his face before he turned away.Frisk froze up. Had she said something wrong? She was still getting used to the cultural differences between monsters and humans and she had probably crossed a boundary without realizing it.Eventually, Flowey turned back toward her with his usual disinterested expression and gave her a look of boredom.“All I can say is, be careful what you wish for human. Being treated like a kid isn’t so bad compared to some of the alternatives. Also,” he added, “suck it up cause you’re whining like a baby.”Frisk cracked a smile at his insult and nodded. “Whatever you say Flowey.”Despite the unsociable flower’s advice, Frisk knew she would have to say something to Toriel before she went completely crazy. Feeling brave, she decided to check out the basement later, as she had never been there before, and it seemed like a good place to start her exploration. Before she could get up from her bed, Flowey stretched a leafy tendril toward the ground and disappeared smoothly through the dirt. Frisk blinked, guessing that he must’ve known she was about to leave. Either that or he was still mad at her, but Frisk didn’t want to dwell on that because she wasn’t sure how to fix it yet.Making her way to the living room, Frisk spotted Toriel reading in her rocking chair.“Hey Toriel,” she asked politely, “may I go exploring a bit later?”Toriel narrowed her eyes but kept a pleasant tone in her voice. “Dear Frisk, I have already shown you around the Ruins, haven’t I? Why don’t you go play inside with Flowey instead?”Frisk shuffled her feet but refused to back down. “Actually, I was hoping that I could go exploring by myself for once. I haven’t seen the basement yet, what’s down there anyways?”A look of fear crossed Toriel’s face and she visibly stiffened.“Never go into the basement child. If you wish to explore the Ruins then at least take Flowey with you, but please stay away from the basement.”Frisk cocked her head to the side curiously. What was so dangerous that was in the basement? She began to ask Toriel, but the goat monster cut her off with a look before she could say a word. Defeated, Frisk walked outside and sat beneath a dark tree in front of the house. Beneath the tree, Frisk’s determination began to grow. She realized with a start that the basement likely contained a passageway out of the Ruins, as she had seen no other exits and the hole she had fallen in through was too steep to ascend. Surely there was a way out of here, and Toriel was keeping her from it.With a sharp pang of regret, Frisk remembered the wonderful week she had spent with Flowey and Toriel. She felt ashamed for wanting to leave them; they had done so much for her. They were almost like a family to her, but deep down, Frisk knew she wouldn’t be happy if she was locked up in one place for the rest of her life. She wasn’t sure if she would return to the surface immediately if given the chance, but she couldn’t stand being cooped up in the Ruins for much longer. Something pulled her soul towards the unknown, and Frisk was filled with determination.She walked back inside, sneaking past the living room, but was surprised to see that Toriel was nowhere to be found. Proceeding with caution, Frisk slowly descended the basement stairs into the darkness.Once at the bottom, she discovered a long, twisting hallway. The walls were a bare purple and dimly lit torches ran along each side of Frisk. Following the path, she eventually came to the end, where she found Toriel standing in front of an ancient-looking stone door.The goat monster whirled around to face her, and Frisk could see a bitter passion flaring in her eyes.“I told you not to come down here child,” Toriel stated grimly.Frisk stepped forward, realizing with horror what Toriel intended to do.“Look,” she begged, “I know you want me to stay, but you can’t just destroy my only way out! You never even asked me if this was what I wanted!”Toriel’s eyes continued to burn. “I am only doing what is best for you Frisk. You do not understand how dangerous this world can be for a kid like you.”Frisk slapped her forehead in annoyance. “I’m not a kid! I’m eighteen! Just let me go and I’ll even come back tonight, I just want to explore for a little while! You can’t keep me locked up here forever Toriel!”Suddenly, something changed in Toriel’s gaze and a fireball appeared above her palm. Frisk took a step back, uncertain if Toriel would actually cross that line and harm her, but she knew that she had to face her. If she didn’t now, then Toriel would never respect her desire to leave.“If you truly wish to leave the Ruins,” Toriel snapped impatiently, “then prove to me you are strong enough to survive.”Frisk wasn’t sure what she was expecting, but a small red heart was suddenly pulled from her chest as Toriel threw her first attack. For a moment, Frisk stood immobilized by shock at seeing her own soul and nearly got hit by one of Toriel’s fireballs. At the last second, she regained her sense of survival and dove to the side, narrowly avoiding the attack.“Stop it Toriel!” She pleaded uselessly, “I don’t want to fight you!”Toriel turned her head from Frisk and shot another wave of fireballs her way. Frisk attempted to dodge again, but one flame managed to hit her, burning into her deep crimson soul.Frisk flinched, unaccustomed to the pain of having her soul attacked directly. If things kept going the way they were, Toriel was going to defeat her without a problem.As she glanced around her, Frisk noticed Flowey sitting in the corner with his eyes to the ground. He didn’t look very happy with the fight, so Frisk decided to try her luck with him.“Flowey!” She called urgently, “How can I defeat Toriel without attacking her? She won’t listen to me when I try to reason with her!”Flowey slowly raised his head, eyes darting between Frisk and Toriel. Finally, he sighed in defeat. “Try showing some mercy human,” he suggested, then quickly disappeared into the basement floor.Frisk shook her head in confusion as she managed to avoid another volley of Toriel’s blasts. How was she supposed to show mercy when Toriel wouldn’t even speak to her? It just didn’t make sense.“Focus…” A crackly voice hummed within her.Frisk jumped, wondering if she’d imagined it, but the voice spoke again.“Focus on your soul Frisk.”Spooked but willing to give it a try, Frisk directed her concentration toward her soul, revealing a fuzzy concept held deep within her being. As she fixated on it, her mind became filled with a single question.“Spare Toriel?”Frisk consented, and her soul became surrounded by a bright golden light.Seeing this, Toriel frowned. “Stop it,” she demanded, “fight or run away!”Frisk refused, and again compelled her soul to spare Toriel. By now, the goat monster’s attacks were starting to avoid her, creating a continual circle of flame around the young girl.To Frisk’s surprise, Toriel’s soul soon began glowing a faint gold around the edges.“Please go upstairs,” Toriel pleaded, “I can make you happy here, we can have a good life.”Frisk shook her head sadly. “I have to go Toriel. I can’t live here forever. I’m sorry I couldn’t be everything you wanted me to.”Toriel’s soul became overcome with golden light, finally matching the intensity of Frisk’s. Without warning, Frisk’s own soul returned to her body and she knew that the fight was over. Slowly, she approached the kneeling Toriel and hesitantly wrapped her arms around her sweet goat-mom.“Thank you for showing me what it’s like to have a mother,” Frisk mumbled into her shoulder.Toriel smiled as a tear rolled down her cheek. “Thank you child, for being a friend to me and to Flowey. I understand now that you must go, but please do not forget us. We will not forget you.”Frisk hugged Toriel tighter, assuring her that she would never forget either of them and that she would return often to check how they were doing. Flowey was nowhere to be seen, but Frisk had a feeling that he would turn up soon. If he wasn’t ready to say goodbye yet, then she didn’t have a problem with it; she intended on seeing both Toriel and Flowey again very soon.After Toriel packed her a small backpack full of essentials and some pie (which was also essential), Frisk made her way to the ancient stone door that held a world of mystery beyond it. She assured Toriel that she would be back before she knew it, but for now, her real adventure had just begun.
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The ancient door slowly creaked open. Cautiously sticking her head out from the safety of the Ruins, Frisk felt the touch of a soft snowflake brush past her cheek. The road in front of her was surrounded by a cold and frosty terrain, and a thick layer of trees barred each side of the pathway, preventing passersby from straying too far. Driven on by the feeling of excitement within her, Frisk began her journey down the narrow path.After a few minutes of walking silently, Frisk noticed a small wooden bridge coming into view. It looked as if someone had tried to block it off with a set of bars, but as Frisk got closer, she realized that she would easily be able to slip between them. Upon reaching the bridge, she stepped across with no problem.“Well this has been easy so far,” She said happily to no one in particular.As snow continued to fall from the dark expanse above her, Frisk followed the path to a small clearing. Oddly enough, the clearing contained only a weird-looking lamp and a wooden outpost of some sort. Frisk cautiously approached the outpost, surprised to find a few empty bottles of ketchup and a sleeping skeleton behind it. A diagonal line of blue Z’s floated comically above his head.Deciding that it might be rude to wake him up, Frisk turned back to the road to continue on her way.“Hey human,” a deep voice spoke behind her. “Don’t you know how to greet a new pal?”Frisk froze, internally panicking. What if the skeleton decided to attack her?Plastering a smile on her face, Frisk turned back toward the outpost only to find that the skeleton had appeared directly in front of her. He was slightly shorter than she had first assumed, but he was still a good inch or two above Frisk’s own height. Two glowing white pinpricks flashed within his eye sockets.The skeleton stuck out his hand in greeting, and Frisk hesitantly reached out to shake it.Pfffffffffffffffffffttt.Frisk’s eyes widened in shock before a large grin broke across her face. The sleepy skeleton had a whoopee cushion in his hand. She couldn’t help but laugh at his weird gesture.Obviously pleased by her reaction, the skeleton’s seemingly-permanent smile grew even wider.“I’m Sans. Sans the skeleton.” He winked, a humorous look in his eyes.Frisk laughed again and winked back. “I’m Frisk! Frisk the human.”Sans released her hand and stuffed both of his own into his jacket pockets.“You know, I’m actually supposed to be on the lookout for humans right now,” he stated matter-of-factly, “but I’m not really interested in capturing anybody.”Frisk’s eyes widened. “Then what do you do here all day?”Sans shrugged. “I’m not always at this station specifically,” he explained, “but wherever I am, I make sure to take lots of breaks. Being this far underground sure puts a lot of pressure on a guy.” At this, he winked again.Frisk giggled at his pun and decided to try her own. “It’s a good thing you don’t work for a calendar factory,” she observed.Sans’ eyes lit up curiously. “And why’s that?”Frisk smiled. “Because if you took a day off, you’d probably get fired.”Sans exploded with laughter, clearly appreciating Frisk’s joke. She beamed proudly.“Wow kid,” he laughed, “I thought the door-lady was good, but that was something else.”Frisk wasn’t sure what he meant by “the door lady”, but it sounded like a compliment to her.“Thanks,” she smiled, glad to have met a monster with a good sense of humor.Sans nodded and turned his pinpricks toward a spot further down the road. Frisk followed his gaze, noticing small turns in the pathway and what looked like a large box off in the distance. Sans’ eyes blinked thoughtfully, his smile unwavering.“Roads are by definition meant to be followed,” he said quietly, “but if you’d like, you don’t have to follow the road today. I can take you through my shortcut to Snowdin Town if you want. I can even bring you back here later.”Surprised, Frisk thought about the skeleton’s offer, and wondered what he meant by “today”. The statement itself was harmless enough, but the way he said it sounded kind of off. Regardless of that, she wanted to explore, but it wouldn’t hurt to skip over a little bit of road right? As she contemplated her options, the strange voice inside her head returned.“There is an order for everything,” it rumbled in a fragmented, offbeat way. “Do not upset the balance, Frisk.”Frisk shook her head, attempting to clear her mind. She hadn’t heard the voice since her battle with Toriel, but now it seemed louder and clearer than before. There was no way she was imagining it.She realized with a jolt that Sans was still waiting for her to answer.“Oh! Y-yeah, that sounds great, thank you,” she stuttered, embarrassed about zoning out for so long. “Lead the way!”“Alright,” Sans grinned nonchalantly and stepped closer to her. “Just hold your breath.”“Wait why do I have to-“Frisk was cut off as a strange blue light surrounded them, causing the area around them to blur and fade. She hurriedly shut her mouth, worried by Sans’ warning about not breathing. The thick forest around them slowly vanished, and within a few seconds it was replaced by a small snowy town.As soon as the glowing aura around them disappeared, Frisk took in a huge gulp of air, glad that she hadn’t suffocated. Sans seemed to find her struggles humorous, so she glared at him suspiciously.“Look, it’s not like I want you to have a bone to pick with me,” he chuckled, “but I was totally joking about the whole ‘hold your breath’ thing.”Frisk rolled her eyes but smiled anyway. A cute Christmas tree stood to their left, where a variety of monsters were depositing gifts and conversing with each other cheerfully. A building labelled “GRILLBY’S” loomed in front of them, and Frisk would be lying to herself if she said she wasn’t intrigued by the delicious smells coming from inside.“Hungry?” Sans asked.“Yeah, I am hungry.” Frisk replied.“I thought you were Frisk.”
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“I hate to break it to you kid,” the cheery skeleton yawned, “but going in there wouldn’t be the best idea in your… condition.”To Frisk’s dismay, Sans had shut down her hopes of obtaining a hot burger from the wonderful-smelling bar in front of her.“What do you mean ‘in my condition’?” She asked, her eyes narrowing.Sans shrugged. “You’ve got a bad case of being human. You’ll likely be detained for catching such a plague.”Frisk rolled her eyes in amusement. “Then why don’t you capture me? That is your job isn’t it?”Sans winked. “I’m a lazybones. Ask my brother, he can help you out.”This was the first Frisk had heard Sans say about having a brother, but Frisk decided to ask more about it later.“Do monsters here even know what a human looks like?” She asked. “We’re standing in the middle of a town and no one seems to be paying much attention to me.”“Most monsters don’t know what a human looks like, so you have that part right. But Royal Guardsmen definitely know a human from a monster, and Grillby’s is one of their main hangouts. I’d steer clear of it for now if I were you.”Frisk’s face fell. She was really looking forward to trying some new monster food. The pie Toriel had given her was delicious, and it made her feel warm and tingly inside. She wondered if all monster food was like that.Suddenly, a familiar voice called out to her from behind the restaurant.“Frisk! Over here!”Frisk curiously followed the voice, happiness filling her face when she caught sight of Flowey near a stack of boxes behind the building.Flowey didn’t look too happy, but Frisk was overjoyed to see him. She hadn’t gotten to say goodbye to him after her scuffle with Toriel, and she had really been hoping that he would show up to see her soon.“Flowey! I’m really glad you’re here!” She exclaimed happily, embracing him in a hug before he could escape.“Stop that, knock it off!” Flowey flicked her in the head with a small vine, but she could tell he wasn’t really mad.Releasing him, Frisk remembered that she wasn’t alone. Turning around to introduce her new friend to Flowey, she realized with surprise that Sans was gone. She quickly surveyed the area, but the humorous skeleton was nowhere to be seen.“Smiley trashbag didn’t want to stick around huh?” Flowey asked, sarcasm lacing his tone.“You know Sans?” Frisk asked curiously, slightly perturbed by Flowey’s nickname for him.Flowey just rolled his eyes, ignoring the question completely.“Come back to the Ruins Frisk. Sans may have gotten you past the pack of dogs, but there are plenty more monsters just waiting to kill you and take your soul. On that note, I would suggest that you be careful around that skeleton too. He isn’t exactly what he seems, and I can’t vouch for his intentions.”“What do you mean ‘his intentions’?“I mean that he might just decide to sell you off to the king. Sans wants monsters to be free just as much as anyone else.”“What does that even mean? You and Toriel never said anything about the king needing a human soul to set monsters free!”“Well I’m saying it now!”Frisk shook her head, finding it increasingly difficult to process all of this new information.“I just want to go on an adventure. No one has attacked me yet and I’ve made it this far. Maybe other monsters aren’t as dangerous as you think Flowey.”Flowey smacked his forehead (do flowers even have foreheads?) on the wall dramatically and sighed.“You’re so naïve Frisk! I’m surprised it isn’t your soul trait! I know you were determined before, but you’re just being ignorant and stupid now!”Frisk’s eyes scrunched up in confusion. “What do you mean by ‘before’? Like when we were in the Ruins? You aren’t making any sense Flowey.”Shooting Frisk a frustrated glare, the irritated flower glanced around to make sure no one was listening.“Just know,” he began warily, “that if you get attacked and die, there is no coming back. I know what I’m saying is difficult to understand, but you have no more resets and what happens happens for good.”For some reason, the word “reset” sent a chill of discomfort down Frisk’s spine. “Why would I think there was a way to come back if I died?” She asked, growing more and more puzzled by the second. “I’m not stupid, I know what death is Flowey.”“I know that!” Flowey retorted, a hint of panic rising in his voice. “Just be careful alright? You aren’t invincible, and you have a pretty big target on your back.”Without warning, a bony hand landed smoothly on Frisk’s shoulder. She jumped in surprise, turning her head to see Sans’ signature smile on his face. His eyes were wary.Frisk turned back to Flowey to see if he was going to say anything to Sans, but the flower was gone. “Hey kid,” Sans chuckled halfheartedly, “I finally understand why your face looks like an autograph.”Frisk’s puzzled expression changed to one of dread as she realized that she still had one or two markings on her face.“Um… yeah, that was just a prank,” she admitted sheepishly.Sans chuckled again, the look of caution slowly leaving his face.“So you’ve joined the Flowey Fan Club too huh? My brother is quite a fan himself, but I can’t say that I really trust the flower.”Frisk was about to ask why, but she decided to stop asking questions that were going to leave her more baffled than she was before she asked them. Clearly, no one around here liked giving straightforward answers.“I’m still hungry,” she announced instead. “Where can I go that isn’t infested with Royal Guardsmen?”Sans looked thoughtfully into the inky blackness above them.“You know, my brother is a pretty good cook. He used to only make spaghetti, but it’s been three or four years now and he’s gotten a lot better.”Frisk’s eyes lit up in interest. “Oh yeah, you did mention that you had a brother. Do you think he might let me try his food?”Sans laughed. “Well, normally I’d say yes, but Papyrus is a bit of a human-hunting fanatic. He’d probably capture you first then feed you spaghetti.”Frisk’s expression revealed her sense of defeat, causing Sans’ eyes to light up in curiosity. Frisk noticed this but decided that the skeleton was just weird and would reveal his thoughts if he chose to.“Excuse me for asking,” Sans said suddenly, “but aren’t you determined? To go into Grillby’s and to meet my brother?”Frisk shrugged off the strangeness of the question but couldn’t help but notice the repetition of one word that stuck out in both Sans’ and Flowey’s dialogue.“I want to,” she replied, “but I don’t feel like I have to. If I can’t then it’ll be alright, I didn’t have a specific goal set for this adventure anyway.”She watched Sans’ eyes carefully before she said the next part.“And I’m determined, but I’m not that determined.”As Frisk expected, Sans stiffened slightly at her use of the word. She wasn’t sure what it was yet, but something very odd was going on with him and Flowey. It was as if they knew something that she didn’t.“Either way,” Sans murmured nonchalantly, “I think Papyrus will like you a lot. Maybe too much.”Frisk’s eyes widened at this.“And if you’d like, I have an idea that might make it possible for you to meet him without fighting,” Sans finished.Frisk nodded hesitantly. She really wanted some spaghetti. But how was Sans going to pull this meeting off?“How do you plan on convincing him not to attack me?” She asked, slightly worried after Flowey’s speech about dying and not doing so.Sans grin widened and he winked mischievously. “Your buddy Flowey’s artistic display gave me an idea.”Frisk groaned. Not this again.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
"Hold still."Frisk stiffened nervously as Sans' left eye socket began to glow a soft blue color. His magic was unlike Toriel's, as Frisk had never seen Toriel teleport, but she wasn't sure what the extent of Sans' magical ability was yet. His eye had never looked this intense before.A few minutes earlier, Frisk had suggested that they move to a less populated area to avoid any Royal Guardsmen that might have been lurking around Snowdin. Sans had heartily agreed, creating a shortcut and bringing them to this floating heap of garbage. He now stood in front of her, eye blazing and hands tucked loosely in his jacket.Frisk's soul floated lightly in front of her, called forth by Sans' magic. After a moment, she felt a weightiness inside of her, and her soul turned a dark blue color. Her feet felt abnormally heavy, and she wondered what would happen if she tried to move.Sans blinked thoughtfully, clearly hoping for a different result from his efforts.As Frisk's fingers twitched nervously, she noticed the focused grin on Sans' face begin to shift. His teeth clenched in concentration, and his hands tightened in his jacket pockets.Unexpectedly, Frisk's soul returned to its normal red color and she felt a weight lift from her shoulders. She was back to normal.It was Sans that changed.His eye, once a fiery blue, became a brilliant shade of green. Sans smiled victoriously, and Frisk felt her soul being affected once more. This time it felt different, although she wasn't sure how."Don't worry," Sans reassured her as a thin green veil began to envelop her soul. "This is green magic, and its main purpose is to act as a shield. It can be used to prevent someone from moving or escaping, but I'm aiming for a different purpose."As the green color faded from his eye, Frisk's soul returned to her body. It remained green, though she could tell that it was merely covered by a thin sheet of magic rather than being physically altered like it had been with Sans' blue magic. She wondered what the green magic was supposed to do.It wasn't long before she figured it out. Glancing into the murky waters surrounding her, Frisk gasped at the sight of her now boney form. Her whole body had been transformed, and she looked like a real skeleton. Her hair was gone, leaving only the stark white roundness of her skull, and her once-brown eyes glowed the same brilliant green as her soul.Luckily, her ice-blue t-shirt and faded jeans remained unchanged."Guess I'm a bone-afide monster now huh?" Frisk joked nervously.Sans winked. "Don't let the magic get under your skin, kid. The shield I created provides a temporary illusion, but its far from permanent. The next time you get hit by an attack it will disappear, and it might even fade before then."Frisk sighed in relief before raising a non-existent eyebrow at Sans."I'm not a kid ya know. I'm eighteen, almost nineteen.""Yeah? I guess you're right," he answered. "Things sure have changed."Frisk's eyes narrowed. "What's that supposed to mean?""What's what supposed to mean?""You just said 'things have changed'! You act like you've known me before or something.""Heh. I just meant now that you've told me how old you are, I'm legally forbidden from calling you a kid. Life-changing stuff, that is."Frisk tilted her head in surprise. "Really? That's a thing?"Sans chuckled. "Sure kid."Frisk rolled her glowing green eyes."Well how old are you?" She asked. Sans didn't seem much older than her, but who was she to guess the age of a monster?"Just turned twenty-two."Frisk nodded thoughtfully. So he was only four years older than her. Turning back toward her reflection in the trash-filled water, she realized that parts of her new body acted much like Sans'. For one thing, her mouth didn't move when she talked, and she found herself with a never-ending grin plastered on her face. She ran her hand along the top of her head, confirming that her soft hair had not disappeared, but had been covered up by the illusionary magic. Sans had not transformed her; he had hidden her."Hey Sans?" Frisk asked softly."What's up kid?""Thanks for helping me out so much. I understand that monsters need a human soul to escape the Underground, and I appreciate that you haven't…"Sans cut her off with a dark expression."Don't finish that sentence," he warned, a grin tight on his face. "You don't need to worry about that okay? I have no interest in hurting you, and I need you to trust me on that. You may not understand that now, but your life kinda depends on it."Frisk felt her soul sink. She wanted to trust Sans, but Flowey's warning still rang deep in her head. Regardless of that, she couldn't shed the feeling that he was hiding something crucial about the Underground from her."Why?" She asked, hoping for a real answer.Sans paused for a moment, and Frisk could see the gears turning in his head. He was probably going to brush her off again and leave her in the dark."Don't worry about it Frisk," He began, but flinched when he saw the glare in the frustrated girl's eyes. He sighed."Don't worry about the monsters that want to hurt you. I'll protect you."Sans' words echoed in Frisk's mind, refusing to leave her alone. They were now walking along the cold pathways of Snowdin, quickly approaching a cute two-story house in the middle of town, and she couldn't help but feel as if she was forgetting something.I'll protect you.The intenseness of Sans' promise made her feel… wrong. Something was off, and she felt a huge sense of déjà vu. If she didn't know any better, she'd swear she'd heard someone say that to her before.But who? And why did Sans care so much? They had just met, after all."SANS!" A huge voice boomed from the doorway of the house."YOU'RE LATE FOR SPAGHETTI BROTHER!"Frisk gazed up at a very tall skeleton, feeling slightly intimidated by his height. He had to be over six feet tall, which towered over her meager 5'6" frame. He wore a red scarf and some sort of soldier costume, which made Frisk glad that she was donning her skeleton disguise. When the tall skeleton caught sight of her, he almost jumped in surprise."SANS! IS THAT ANOTHER SKELETON?"Sans shrugged nonchalantly. "I think that's a tree bro.""OH.""Hey look! What's that in front of the tree?""SANS LOOK! THERE'S ANOTHER SKELETON! I'VE NEVER SEEN ONE OF THOSE!"Sans' smile grew as he introduced Frisk to his enthusiastic brother."This is Frisk. She's new to Snowdin Town, and I'm sure she'd appreciate an impastably warm welcome from you.""SANS! IF YOU CONTINUE ON WITH YOUR PUNS THEN I WILL ONLY GIVE SPAGHETTI TO THE FEMALE SKELETON!""That would be horrible bro. I love your cooking a skele-ton.""SANS!""Heh. Okay I'm done. These jokes have left worn down to the bone."Frisk stifled a laugh as she listened to the two brothers acting like… well, brothers. She had an older brother back on the surface, and she felt a sudden pang of desire to see him again. He had gone off to war a few years back, and it had been a while since she had seen his face.Her mind was quickly distracted by other matters as Sans' brother ushered them into the cozy house. Frisk soon learned that his name was Papyrus, which seemed oddly fitting for the eccentric skeleton. The brothers' house gave her a warm feeling of nostalgia, and Frisk wondered if it was because it reminded her of one of her many homes in the past. She had moved around a lot as a kid, and she couldn't remember a specific place that stood out to her, but the feeling must have been from that. She'd never been here before; of that she was sure."SO FRISK," Papyrus exclaimed, "HAVE YOU EVER HAD SPAGHETTI?"Frisk laughed softly. Spaghetti was a weekly thing at her house above ground."Of course! Its only the second-best pasta dish in existence!"Papyrus raised his brow bone at this."OH REALLY? I THOUGHT SPAGHETTI WAS THE BEST PASTA EVER! YOU MUST BE CONFUSED, NEW SKELETON!"Frisk laughed again. "Well, spaghetti is pretty great, but I'm a ramen-noodle lover above all else.""OH! IS THAT SO?" Papyrus asked curiously. "IF THAT'S THE CASE, THEN I BET YOU'D GET ALONG GREAT WITH SANS' FRIEND ALPHYS!"Frisk blinked. Alphys?"Does Alphys like anime?" She asked, words spilling from her mouth.Sans turned toward her, eyes glinting in curiosity.Before Papyrus could reply, Frisk felt a dull throbbing pain began to invade her head. She reached a hand out toward the coffee table to steady herself but tripped as her vision shifted in a sudden wave of dizziness."FRISK! ARE YOU OKAY?"Frisk felt strong boney arms catch her as she fell, and her vision began to blur. Papyrus had caught her at the last second, and Sans was standing over her, eyes full of concern."Frisk…? What's going on?"The blurry forms of the two skeleton brothers became too cloudy for her to discern, and she soon could see nothing at all. A black haze formed around her, filling her eyes, her ears, and her thoughts. It was sickeningly thick."Frisk."Her eyes jerked open as she heard the familiar voice. The darkness was swallowing her up, and the mind-numbing fog refused to leave her head."What did I tell you?"A strike of panic cut through her chest."There is an order to be followed.""Stay.""Away.""FROM THEM."In the middle of the inky blackness, a figure appeared.Frisk shrieked and struggled as she felt the creature's intentions. It wanted to hurt her. It wanted to use her.It wanted to steal her soul.And she couldn't stop it.