The stories of "The Underground" seemed surreal. Monsters ruled by a queen? Guardians that kept order? All in a mountain the child stood on, looking down at a hole that seemed to have no end. Curiosity spurred a single child to take a step forward...
The stories of "The Underground" seemed surreal. Monsters ruled by a queen? Guardians that kept order? All in a mountain the child stood on, looking down at a hole that seemed to have no end. Curiosity spurred the child to take a step forward, and that step was all it took for them to learn the truth of a world they heard in stories mothers told their children and rumours they'd hear at the local playground.
"The sound came from over here, I believe..." they heard a faint, soft purr that made them look up at their surroundings.
A saturated purple painted the colour scheme of the world this child fell into. The only thing not close to neon in the area was the water around the island-like ground. It was a paler, more pastel version of the same colour. Purple seemed to be the focus in this area. The purr they heard soon after the first caused the fallen human to regain their focus toward the figure padding closer to them.
"A... human... child?" The voice came from a rather large Cheshire-like cat, the first thing they notice being his vibrant yellow eyes that seemed to clearly complement the bright magenta scenery, as the colour stood out from his otherwise grey monochrome colour scheme. The feline also seemed to have an accent. A pretty distinct French accent, to be exact. The cat looked at the child in rapt fascination, his grin faltering and falling slightly in what seemed to be concern. "What is your name, young human? How did you even get here?"
The child pauses for a moment, thinking whether or not they should speak. They become extremely shy and huddle up slightly, and the Cheshire cat looks on in sympathy. "Take your time. No need to hurt yourself over it."
The child seems a bit more comforted by the expression of care from the cat. They decide to stay quiet, and resort to sign language. They spell their name out. "Frisk" is their name. "I was curious, and fell. I'm surprised I'm still alive."
"Ah. Frisk, eh? I myself am very glad you survived. I wouldn't wish death on anyone like you." The cat purrs, the grin on his face growing at the response. More of a happy one than a malicious one, which was also comforting. "My name is The Judge, and this is Zone 0, or as most call it here, the Ruins." The confusion and curiosity of the child caught on to The Judge, and he chuckled a growly laugh. "Yes, I know sign language. A friend of mine used to use it, as his native tongue was nonsense to just about everyone down here."
Frisk nodded in understanding. "So, the stories were true..." they signed.
The Judge seemed to be confused by the child's response. "Stories? You mean old wive's tales to keep children in line?"
Frisk smiled slightly, finding the cat's witty correction to be amusing. "Y'all have this queen and king? And you all have these guardians that help control the Underground? And everyone here has this sorta magic that keeps them alive???" They seem extremely interested in knowing the answers to these questions.
The Judge pauses, taking in the slew of question-like explanations. "That...is the most accurate story I've heard in quite a long while. Intriguing, I must say. Follow me, and I'll answer those questions on your way out of this deserted landscape."
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