True Pacifist

II: Toriel

18 I reached out her hand. I got up.

I threw my tiny arms to her and hugged her.

She caresses my back, comforting me.

I feel safety. I feel harmony. I feel determination.

19 I grabbed her hand and got through.

Walking through the leaves, sighting monsters.

The Froggits seemed to be reluctant of me,

I came back with a cheerful smile.

20 "Welcome to the Ruins.

There are lots of puzzles here, my child.

One must solve them to go to the next room.

It's too dangerous to solve by yourself by now." She said.

21 I saw her triggering several switches,

several buttons, opening a door.

I began to look interested.

We proceed to the next puzzle room.

22 "My child, I want you to flip switches for this.

You will not find a hard time for it.

I labelled the ones you need to switch.

Go, my child." She said.

23 I walked with my wobbly legs.

I flipped one switch. I continued.

I flipped the second. The lock opened.

"Good. Let's move to the next room." She said.

24 "As a human being in the underground, monsters may attack.

You need to be prepared for this situation." She said.

At the corner, I noticed something, lifeless.

I saw a dummy, a lifeless training dummy!

25 "However, the process is simple!

When you encounter a fight, strike up a friendly conversation!

Practice talking to the dummy." She said.

And so, I did.

26 I came near to the dummy. I grinned.

I started talking to it.

"Hello there." I said.

I couldn't think of conversation topics. She seemed to be happy.

27 "Excellent, my child. The next room awaits." She said.

Slowly, my condition's getting better.

I got stamina. I recovered energy.

I followed Toriel going to the next room.

28 I followed her. But there was a little problem.

The setting became dark, a Froggit blocks the way!

I started talking to the Froggit.

Toriel came. She looks so scary scaring the Froggit away!

29 The environment grew to its purple hue again.

Toriel showed me the puzzle.

The puzzle was full of spikes! It freaked me out.

But she won't do that. I trusted her.

30 "Here, take my hand for a moment." She said.

I grabbed her hand. We walked through.

I liked how we walked in the middle of the puzzle.

I liked how she protected me from dangers.

31 "Puzzles might seem dangerous for now." She said.

We walked to the next room.

Toriel seems to be readying something.

Is it a reward for passing puzzles? Or a big challenge?

32 "You've done excellently thus far, my child.

However, there is an important challenge for you.

I want you to walk by yourself to the end of this room.

Forgive me for this." She said.

33 The woman left quickly, without me.

I followed her. I ran, but I couldn't reach her.

I prayed, hoping there would be no dangers upcoming.

Bravely, I walked through.

34 The room was long. I walked in a corridor.

I tried to focus on her. I saw her getting farther, and farther.

And she was gone. She was gone from my sight.

I hope she will come whenever it will be my last breaths.

35 I reached the end of the cavern. She was hiding behind a pillar.

I sighed. A sigh of relief.

"Excellent, my child. Thank you for your patience."

She said.

36 "However, there is an important reason for this exercise.

To test your independence. You must be independent my child.

Learn to face danger by yourself." She said.

She is handling me something.

37 "Here, I will give you a cell phone. Use it when you need it."

She added. "Be good, alright?"

I showed regrets to my biological mother. I really miss her.

Toriel is the best mother of the underground!