An Underswap AU: A Tale of Seven Book 1

Entry # 21: Heartbreak

"The basement we are all prohibited to enter." Alice commented dourly as they stared at the staircase leading to the area beneath the Ruins. "Why haven't we thought of that before?"

"To think that we're this dense." Saturn played along, imitating her bored tone. "It's quite embarrassing, really."

"Quit dawdling and let's get going!" Gerard declared impatiently, dashing down the steps ahead of his siblings.

"Hey! Wait for us!" Chara called out, bolting right after him. Justin muttered a colorful word under his breath before grabbing his sister's hand and running downstairs with her. Saturn chased them, followed shortly by Alice and then Viorel.

The clickety clack of their footwear filled the deafening silence of the underground passageway. The group ran across the long, winding corridor until they spotted two figures that stand out of the darkness quite strikingly. One purple and white, the other orange and brown.

The children skidded to a halt next to Gerard, who is staring up at Asgore with a grim expression. Their father figure stared back somberly.

"You wish to know how to return to the Surface, do you not?" He spoke, his voice grave and gloomy. "Ahead of us lies the end of the RUINS. The exit to the rest of the underground." His next sentence greatly alarmed the fallen humans, even Chara who heard this dialogue numerous times before. "I am going to destroy it. No one will ever be able to leave again."

"Dad. . . you can't be serious." Gerard breathed shakily.

"This is for the best, my son." Asgore knelt and cupped his cheek with a furry hand. "Please, be a good child and herd your siblings upstairs." He stood up and resumed walking down the dark hallway, leaving the children perplexed. Chara instantly pursued Asgore with unfaltering determination, the rest of the children right behind him.

They saw him standing still in the middle of the corridor, the air growing colder and colder each passing second.

"Humans that fall down here will meet the same fate." Asgore continued. "You naive children. . . If you leave the Ruins. . . They. . . Toriel. . . will kill you." He gazed at the children over his shoulder, his once warm azure irises now stormy grey. "I am only protecting you, do you understand? Go to your rooms." He commanded and proceeded to walk once more.

Jaede gripped Justin's hand tighter; her older twin reciprocated her action. Viorel doesn't know whether he quivered because of the chilly temperature or out of fear towards the one he called father. Saturn noticed this and squeezed his shoulder comfortingly. With a decisive nod from Chara, the group chased Asgore once more.

They saw him immobile again, his white fur a stark contrast to the calignous atmosphere of the corridor.

"Do not try to stop me. This is your final warning!" Then he walked away, more briskly this time. The threat caused most of the children to flinch. Justin's eyes narrowed, a hand moving to the holster housing his revolver. Gerard saw this and swatted the brunette's digits. Once brilliant yellow met fiery orange, Gerard shook his head. Justin begrudgingly shoved his free hand into his pocket. Satisfied, the group continued to run after Asgore.

When they caught up to their father, they found him facing a pair of huge ornate doors emblazoned with the Delta Rune; the symbol also marking Asgore's robes.

"You want to leave so badly?" Their parent figure turned around. He no longer looked kind or endearing. In the place of the person they called Dad is a Boss Monster towering over the seven fallen humans with a menacing glare. "Hmph. I see that I have been an old fool all these years in thinking you lost the inclination to leave the Ruins. There is only one solution to this." Bright blue flames ignited on his open palms. "Prove yourself. Prove to me that you are strong enough to survive!"