Down the Rabbit Hole

Chapter 2

Ash's P.O.V.

The goat lady--Toriel I remember her saying--lead me to and through another purple corridor. Wow, what is their deal with purple? Or is it natural? Hmm.

The next room was--you guessed it--purple, but this time had two staircases on either side of a landing, and red flowers below that. Though none of this caught my eye as much as the gold star piece, that seemingly floated in the air. I walked up to the gold star piece, as Toriel ascended the stairs waiting for me. I reached out and grabbed the gold, before words floated into my head like last time.

'The shadow of the ruins looms above, filling you with DETERMINATION.' A kind of pleasant numbing resonated from my chest, which I believed was being caused by my soul, though I decided to ignore it.

Determination? Isn't that just practically stubbornness? I finally followed Toriel up the stairs, and into the next room.

"Welcome to your new home, innocent one. Allow me to educate you in the operation of the RUINS," Toriel said, gesturing towards six stone pressure plates. A plaque was on the left side of a closed door and a yellow lever on the right.

Toriel went and walked on four of the six pressure plates before pressing the yellow lever, and making the door open. "The RUINS are full of puzzles. Ancient fusions between diversions and doorkeys. One must solve them to move from room to room. Please adjust yourself to the sight of them," she stated, smiling and walking through the now open door. Did she really expect me to stay in the RUINS? Whoever my family may be will probably want to see me.

I walked up to the plaque the monster runes not making any sense, as I stared at them, though I knew what was said. Why? Because a voice told me what it said, just as I realised was someone who said the "DETERMINATION" quote. 'Only the fearless may proceed. Brave ones, foolish ones. Both walk not the middle road.' I looked around for the voice, a faint glimmer standing near me, though can be seen just slightly.

What did the plaque mean? Nobody walks the middle road, but it could just be simple and talk about the actual road itself.

I finally followed Toriel a feeling of motherly love filling me when I did, just the posture of how she held herself. Though, for one to be so motherly, did she have kids? It made me wonder so much about her and how she acted.

The next room was the same colour as the rooms before, but there were two sources of water with bridges to cross them. A sign and multiple plaques decorated it, and Toriel standing not too far away from the entrance.

"To make progress here, you will need to trigger several switches," she started. I peered around the room a bit more, my eyes barely making out the levers further on. I nodded as she waited for me to finish looking around the room. "Do not worry, I have labeled the ones that you need to flip," she walked further off as I walked to the sign. Before I reached it though, the voice came back, 'To answer one of your questions, yes, she did have children.' I stopped, looking around as the glimmer seemed brighter. They motioned me toward the sign, the features not easy to make out, but looking similar to me, gender wise that is.

Solve puzzles to get into the next room. I rolled my eyes at that one, before saying out loud, "Really, I would have never noticed," my voice dripping sarcasm. The glimmer made some sort of laugh and I smiled. At least I have a companion in this place. "So, who would this mysterious person be?" I asked, walking to the plaque on the back wall. My curiosity was too great to contain at times, and in a new place like this. Whelp, I'm having a field day.

I pushed my red hair into a ponytail, it becoming a slight bother at this point. At times I dislike having long hair, but otherwise, I love it.

'I don't have a name, but the first human called me Becki. I'm someone to actually guide you through the UNDERGROUND... Of course if I reach you first that is...' I was about to ask what she meant, before she "spoke" again. 'By the way, the sign reads "Stay on the path."'

I snorted at that, "Those are such useful signs." My mom used to say that I got more talkative as time went on and when I become comfortable around a place or person.

Becki didn't respond, but I wandered back to the path and across the river, the air getting a bit misty. There was a lever marked with yellow paint around it, and Toriel was waiting. I pulled it down as a satisfying click echoed through. Toriel walked over the next bridge, two levers present now, but only one marked. I went over to the one that wasn't marked and pulled it, but it wouldn't budge. I went to the one on the left reluctantly and pulled that one.

"Splendid!" Toriel exclaimed, "I am proud of you, little one. Let us move to the next room." As she said that, she went down the corridor that had spikes on the floor before. How does that even work? The spikes and all. How's it connected? I swear, I'm going to take apart these rooms some day to figure it out.

Following, Toriel, I still stepped over the area where the spikes were, being careful in case something turned the switch again.

The next room was simple, and only held a dummy, Toriel, and I.

"As a human living in the UNDERGROUND, monsters may attack you," tu-Toriel said. Wow, I need a bit of help. But having monsters attack me, well, that sounds so reassuring. "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, strike up a friendly conversation. Stall for time. I will come to resolve the conflict. Practice talking to the dummy."

Talk to a dummy? Seriously? Why would you do that? Nonetheless, I walked up to him, the screen for the earlier fight scene coming. Everything going black and my opponent on the opposite side. I smiled slightly at this. This is going to be the stupidest thing I have ever done. Talk to a dummy. Wow.

I waved at it and was feeling like an idiot. "Uhh, hello? How are you today?" Of course, I got no answer. Before I got to subject myself to the embarrassment even more though Toriel came to the rescue, looking proud.

"Ah, very good! You are very good." And she walked to the next room. I sighed, though proud that I made her happy. This was going to be a long trip down in the UNDERGROUND, isn't it?

A/N: Whelp... After a year, I have updated... and I like it. I swear though, I will update sooner. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and thank you! 1218 words!