Chapter Text
“Child… Please… Go to your room…” She made sure that her tone became much more stern for the child, trying to put more emphasis into how dangerous of a game they were playing. She didn’t want to scare the child by mentioning the gorier details of the world beyond the ruins that she tended to. However, she saw the child still trying to walk by her. She was forced to walk farther ahead. Only to stop to try to block the way. Shaking her head as she decided on what to say. “I will destroy the only way out of the ruins… If I do not... Then…” She paused as memories flashed before her. All of those poor humans, her children. They were lost. Because- “My- Him… Asgore… He will kill you.” She turned and started rushing ahead now.
The child ran after her, now they knew there was something going on. Something that their motherly guardian was hiding from them. They followed the cracked and old hall. As they got closer to the end, they could see a few braziers lit with fire lighting the way and a large open room that had no obstructions. At the far back wall was a pair of large doors with an odd winged symbol and blocking the way was their mother. Lifting a hand outstretched towards her they would try to speak up. With a small whimper they gathered enough courage to say, “Ma..?”
There was a noticeable wince from Toriel. She had one clawed hand on the cold stone door and she was stopped by one simple child. Curling her claws against the smooth surface of the door, she exhaled the breath she was holding. Not pleased about this situation, she spoke up. “I have seen the same thing happen… I have found the fallen humans… Some of them have been children, some adults. I tend to their wounds, care for their needs, listen to their fears…” She choked back her tears. She needed to stand tall. “They left me because they miss home or worry about the war above… Its all the same story. They come. They leave. They die. Because of this… It leaves me no choice.”
She turned around to face the child. Her red eyes were watery, her fur raised on end and she had both of her hands up. It looked like small sparks flew around her as she was staring down at the child that was stubbornly remaining there. She furrowed her brows, trying to be angry at this child. Even though, to her, they did nothing wrong. “You must prove to me that you are strong enough to survive. Show me your strength!”
Within a blink of an eye the child saw their red soul hovering before them. The golden strands seemed to be more prominent this time. The human shifted their stance, allowing them to try to dodge the incoming flames that Toriel was summoning. The child wasn’t expecting plumes of flames erupt from below them. Their health dwindled, but they were staying determined to live. They called out to their mother, she seemed to flinch and refuse eye contact. The child attempts to approach, only to be hit by a stray fireball. There was searing pain as they screamed. Their skin boiling while the fat beneath the skin melts like butter. Through the agony, they could see the horrified look on Toriel’s face before they were back beside the black tree. They were confused. Trying to find Toriel, they explored the house for her. The Livingroom was empty, so was the kitchen and the hall.
Then they went to the stairs, followed the aging hall and found Toriel. Staring at the scorched spot in the room. “Ma!” was all they needed to say to see her look up with a worried look. They stood tall as they watched her carefully. Ready for her, she seemed to shake her head and hesitate to start her magic again. The child checked her stats this time to see how she was doing.
“Toriel
LV 2
ATK 92
DEF 92
She knows what is best for you.”
The child was somewhat distracted and was almost hit by the plumes of fire. They flailed as they moved to avoid being hit by the scorching flames. She looked up to her, trying to call out for their mother, refusing to strike her. They received a surprising response from her.
“Fight me or flee!” Toriel snapped at the child who was defying her. She was trying so hard to show that they are not ready for the adventure that was past the doors behind her. Slamming a fist into the ground, the room shook. Due to that action, the child seem to lose their footing. She took that opportunity to allow a wave of flames bellow out from her maw. The child rolled away to one side and recovered their footing. She responded with a low sweep at them with one of her massive arms. Toriel’s movements were beginning to be more sluggish as her attacks were slowing. Either it was her age or it was the fight. She could feel that her form was starting to grow and transform. She always knew what she was doing was dangerous, but she still cared for those who couldn’t or didn’t know how to. Though, right now, she had to fight herself to continue this fight. However, the child’s silence wasn’t helping her. It was allowing her more time to think. “Fight. Me.” She growled at them, slamming a fist towards them. The human child nimbly evaded the attack. A hiss from her and she summoned more fireballs to fling at the child, who was now weaving between them. She was growing tired of this.
“Please…” She begged. Her attacked were now becoming slower, shorter. The child was finding it easy to avoid them. However, Toriel could noticed that the golden strands that was emanating from the red soul of the child were not becoming much more solid. It would seem that this child is talented somehow. Her doubts about this child were now starting to be shoved aside as she watched this child read her movement and ready themselves accordingly. Attempting to laugh softly turned into a wheeze as she clutched a clawed hand to her chest. This pain was getting unbearable. Closing her eyes, she continued to avoid the gaze of the child. “I… I understand now.”
She fell onto her knuckles as the remaining fires from her attacks faded from the sight of both of them. Silence overtook the room almost as there was distance crackling from the braziers in the hall. The heat of the room was noticeable since it was filled with fire for several minutes and maybe almost an hour. The two beings in the room were calming down from the intense fight that had happened. Out of the two, it was still the motherly monster who spoke up with a shanking voice. “You would not be happy here… I would not be able to always be there for you and these ruins do feel small when you grow.” She sighed and closed her eyes to calm herself from crying. Only when she opened her eyes did she spoke up again. “The world outside is cruel beyond these doors… And I cannot be by your side to guide you…”
Toriel got up and walked past the child, refusing to even look at them. So she didn’t see the hurt expression they had. Instead, she stopped beside one of the first braziers that she ran into on the way back home. She lowered her head, staring at the floor. “I… Please… Stay safe.” She closed her red eyes and walked away, each fire extinguished as she passed them. As she vanished into the darkness, the child was left in the only light that was left in the room. Sniffling, trying to pull themselves together, they walked to the doors. With all their might, they pushed against them to open them.
The doors roared, announcing to the darkness that there was another person stirring and that they were on the way to the next place. Shuffling through the hall of nothing. Well, what they thought was nothing. They were soon proven wrong when something tripped them. The child was tossed forward onto their belly. It felt like all the air was force out of their lungs from the force of the fall. Inhaling deeply to get their breathing even, the child coughed and looked up to see the two-faced flower from earlier. They laughed at the child’s pain.
“Heh… Clever… Realll clever. You don’t think we know what’s really going on? We know you’re gonna give in…” The main face with the playful grin as they seem to be narrowing their eyes at the human. For the first time the ‘sleeping’ face was now speaking. Almost with a more hurtful tone than the playful face’s. “Besides, monsters can’t even stand to be near you. They’ll all know what true agony is.”
The child stared as them as the two seemed to be giggling happily at the expression they gave them. Pushing themselves up onto their feet, the child brushed themselves off and continued to go further into the darkness. It took them a few minutes of blindly stumbling around before they found a wall that gave way into light. That is when a blast of air hit them. It was so cold.