Book 1: The First Fallen Human

Meaning of Life

The goddess of life sat quietly in her grassy clearing, her golden flute settled on her lap. Her green gown covered her and her golden crown was rustling in the wind. A bright blue sky was above her, the flora flourishing around her. 

Next to her, Reaper sat in a darkened version of her meadow, the sky grey and the grass dead. He had a flute as well. It was black, like someone had removed its shape entirely. He kept his eyes closed for the moment. The god of death was quiet. 

They both looked up as someone entered their area. Two people, actually. Toriel, the goddess of life, gave a warm smile. "Hello, boys." Ink and Error settled on the grass, the painted hole dripping shut behind them. As Toriel stood, Ink knelt on a knee, dipping his head. Error yelped after a second of looking confused, as Ink yanked him down into the same position. Toriel giggled. "There's no need for that. You may rise." Ink grinned as he stood up, Error immediately snapping at him. 

Finally, Reaper opened his eyes and let out a deep breath, blue mist billowing from skeletal jaws. He finally spoke. "Heya... what're yøu twø døing here?" He gave a smile as his flute swirled and disappeared in a puff of smoke. Ink blinked before sighing. 

"Which day are you playing for?" Ink's question was quiet and vague, but Reaper knew exactly what he meant. Reaper sighed and drifted over to them. He drifted next to Toriel's side. 

"Tøday's the day she fell tø her, well, me." Reaper said calmly. Ink nodded, seeming to understand. "Tøri's gønna play the tale øf her life. As in, Scøøter's Life." He settled on the ground, the grass dying immediately upon contact with him. "It's Scøøter's Millennium Anniversary, sø she prømised tø shøw me høw Scøøter was beføre." Ink was wide-eyed and he turned to look up at Toriel. 

"Her life?? As in, how she was BEFORE she fell?!" He cried in shock. Toriel blinked before chuckling and nodding. 

"I keep records of everyone's lives, Ink. Seeing as I'm the Goddess of Life, I figured you would expect that." She said gently, her voice soft with amusement. She turned and reached up. Immediately, golden bubbles began to form, collecting together in her hands. Finally, she held a large, golden sphere. "Here she is..." 

Toriel knelt down next to Reaper. "Do you mind if they see?" She asked quietly, gesturing to Error and Ink. Reaper shook his head. He didn't care. He wanted to see what kind of life she'd had before this one. He desperately hoped, even though he knew it wasn't true, that her old life had been worse than this one. That, by some tragic reasoning, this was better. What he'd done to her. His eye sockets went dark until Toriel snapped her fingers, getting his attention. She settled in front of him, sitting across from him while Ink and Error settled on either side of them. 

Toriel raised her furry hands over the glowing orb and her eyes lit up gold. She spoke in a story-telling fashion. 

"She was brought into the world on a stormy night in October. She was brought into the world on a pile of newspapers in an alley. Her name was Ryan Rose Monroe. She grew up in a foster care system, her mother dying after her birth, and her father having abandoned both of them years prior. She ran from every foster home until she ended up in a large city. There, she met an aging man by the name of Cobra James. He was about to be arrested by police and she was able to talk him out of conviction. He was the leader of a human gang/drug cartel known as Poison's Pack. He took a liking to the stubborn, violent little girl, taking her into his own home and teaching her useful little tricks. He even bought her first gun, discovering her to be a gifted shooter.

"She was quickly adopted into the pack, raised by all the members consecutively until she was old enough to participate in their dealings. She was gifted the nickname of Scooter, for her ability to avoid police detection at all costs. She grew up to be a feared, strong young woman, until Cobra James died and she was sworn in as the new leader. A fantastic leader she was, known for her brutality and lack of mercy but also known for her caring for those who held a difficult existence, followed by her presence at multiple clubs. Rumors flew around, claiming her to be a bisexual predator. Many of the pack, who were new, were not happy with her position and overthrew her by ratting her out to the police. She was on the run from authorities on Mount. Ebbott until her untimely demise. She died at the age of 21." 

Toriel sighed and her eyes slowly faded back to normal. She blinked and lowered her hands, blinking at Reaper. Reaper's eyesockets were dark once again. "Reaper?" Toriel's voice was soft and concerned. Reaper was quiet before the light slowly returned to his eyes. 

"She... was pretty cøøl, wasn't she?" His voice was strained and Toriel felt immediate dismay. She reached out to him and he drifted back, standing. "I... This life... is it better? Is it better than her last øne?" He was shaking. He sounded desperate. He wanted to know if this life, that he'd accidently cursed her with, was better than what she would've had to deal with, had she been caught in her old one. Toriel stared at him and shared glances with both Error and Ink.

Ink was looking away, clearly convinced that this life was worse. Error seemed unsure and unwilling to give an answer. Toriel blinked and looked up at Reaper. "I... cannot lie to you, Reaper. But I can say this... her death, was not your fault. She fell by herself. Whatever happened afterwards, was out of your hands. You were just there to do your job." She came over and knelt in front of him. Reaper had bright blue tears in his eyesockets. 

"But I did this tø her-" He began to protest. Toriel shook her head, sounding firm as she spoke.  

"You did no such thing. You simply attempted to reap her and her soul refused. This, was of her doing, not yours. Do you understand me?" Reaper was quiet for a moment as he stared at her. Finally, he sighed and looked down, closing his eyes as he nodded. Toriel stood and sighed as the golden orb burst back into multiple bubbles, drifting up and disappearing into the sky. . "Now, we can only hope she will find peace. But... she has to find it herself."