Underfell- Undertale AU Chronicles 1

Heartache

You sat up with a start, cold sweat dripping from your face. You didn't want to think about your mother anymore. You would never have to again. You had fallen down. You did, however, want to exit the ruins. No doubt that there was a lot more of the Underground to explore.

You swung your legs off your bed and sat up. You yawned as you stretched your arms out, and left to find Toriel.

"Ah, there you are, my child." Toriel grinned deviously as you entered the dining room. She was seated at her usual spot at the fire.

You felt an urge to take your sweater off because the room was so warm, but ignored it. The sweater was nice and cozy.

"I left out a piece of snail pie for you. It is cooled, so you won't burn yourself." Toriel pointed to a slimy green slice of pie resting on a plate on the table. A small fork was lain on the plate.

"Well, go on. Eat." Toriel once again grinned.

You forced yourself to sit down at the table and take a bite. Your face made a grimace that you tried to conceal. You swallowed hard, feeling the snail slide down your throat. It was burnt and crunchy in the outside, slimy on the inside. You held back a shudder, turned and smiled as big as you could at Toriel.

"It's good!" You lied.

Toriel seemed pleased.

"Well that's good." Toriel replied. "We have a whole pie to share."

Your mind reeled. Now you wanted to leave more than ever.

"Um, Toriel? How do I leave the Ruins?" You asked carefully.

Toriel's face fell. Then it contorted into rage.

"You little brat!" She screamed. "You could have anything here! Food and shelter and family! Yet you still wish to leave?! No. You will stay right here. Even if I have to lock you in your room until the end of time." Toriel grinned evilly.

Your eyes widened with fear, and you turned and ran towards the only place in the house you hadn't explored yet: the staircase downwards. If there wasn't an exit anywhere else, it had to be down there.

You dashed down the stairs, and sprinted as fast as you could down a long, dark hallway, but to no avail. Toriel was quickly catching up with you. In a couple seconds she would overtake you.

She came close enough to grab you, then... didn't. She instead moved to pass you. You realized she was trying to block your way out and you ran faster, ignoring your shortness of breath and the stitch in your side. You turned a corner, and came upon a large, black door. There were red markings on it, a circle with wings at the side, and 3 triangles below, one upside-down.

Toriel blocked the way.

"I-I don't want to fight." You stutter out nervously, shaking your head.

Toriel sneered. "You won't last a second outside these walls. No. If you want to leave, your must prove your strength. Defeat me in combat, turn me to dust, and you may pass." Toriel chuckled. "Of course, if I'm dust, I can't stop you anyway, can I?"

Your SOUL appeared in front of you. You stepped back nervously. You didn't want to fight Toriel! She had been nicer  to you than some of the other monsters, aside from when you tried to leave. You chose to spare her.

Toriel said nothing. She then sent out spirals of fire from her hands, many of which hit your SOUL. You fell to the ground. It was excruciating. You realized you had no food items to heal yourself, and you were already at half health. You hit spare again and waited for her next turn.

"Kill me or leave! Just go. You can have more pie!" Toriel said hopefully, not knowing how revolting snail pie was.

You weren't gonna take that deal. You shook your head. Toriel once again shot off fireballs, and this time, you managed to dodge a couple. Their heat singed your clothing as it brushed by you.

You kept sparing her on every turn, her responses being roughly the same each time, until you couldn't catch your breath, and you bent over, wheezing. Toriel, seeing a chance, sent a large fireball barreling towards you, and you didn't have a chance to dodge. You screamed in agony as your body burned and your soul split.

Darkness. You must stay determined.

You woke up outside Toriel's house at the glittery star. You still felt pinpricks of pain from when your body had been incinerated, and you realized that you had been set all the way to before you had even entered the house. You would have to remember to come back here right before the fight so you wouldn't do everything again over and over.

You again changed your outfit, and slept. However, this time, you didn't dream of your mother and how you fell. You dreamt of the feeling of your body burning away, over and over, until the horror of it sunk in and you were left with nothing but fear.

When you woke up, you immediately went for the star. You again had to force yourself to eat the pie, and again were chased downstairs to a fight.

When the fight began, you considered trying to talk to Toriel, but realized that there were no real conversation topics besides the fact that she had killed you. You had a feeling that it wouldn't go over too well.

You died over and over. You got used to the taste of snail pie. You got used to the feeling of agony when you were incinerated.

Eventually you got to the giant fireball again, and instead of being bent over, wheezing, you ducked down and rolled out of the way.

"Even after that attack, you still wish to leave?" Toriel questioned. Her voice began to rise. "I will not lose another child to a stranger. I will not worry in the night, not knowing if you are alive or dead. You will stay with me, or you will die by my hand."

You spared Toriel.

Toriel said nothing.

You spared Toriel.

Toriel seemed like she wanted to talk, but didn't.

You spared Toriel.

Toriel looked like she might cry.

You spared Toriel.

Toriel gave in and broke down.
"I just... I can't... Ha... Ha..." Toriel whimpered. "I can't prevent even a single child from leaving. You don't even understand what you want to walk into." She grabbed you roughly by the shoulders, her red eyes haunting you. You knew you would be freaking about her look for a while to come. "Not everyone is as weak or nice as me!" She shouted, shaking you. Toriel sighed. "I suppose, if you are that set on death... I will have to let you go." Toriel dropped her hands. "Take whatever you need for your journey. I have no use for children's things." Toriel turned and started to walk away.

Suddenly she stopped, and rushed back, squeezing you into a hug. You felt her tears dampening your sweater. "When you leave the Ruins... please... do not come back. Goodbye, my child."

She turned to walk away again. You had an idea of what to say, something to brighten her spirits.

"See you later, Mom!"

Toriel looked at you, a weak smile on her face.

"Don't make promises you can't keep, my child."