Chapter Text
Prologue - The Fall
You were running through the thick forest of Mt. Ebott, doing your best to bob and weave through the foliage and trees. The moon was suspended in the pitch black sky, stars dancing through the air. Though the dark clouds tried their best to block out everything, slivers of silver light were still able to brighten a bit of the path before you. Although the downpour of rain was horrendous, you forced yourself to continue forward. Booming thunder drowned out the cries of the poor soul who had been forced to try and bring you back to the hell you were finally escaping from. Every once in a while, a strike of lightning would temporarily let you see what was before you with more clarity. All in all, you probably could have chosen to run away on a night with better weather. However, there was no turning back now.
Taking another step in your mad dash to freedom, you stepped into a rather slick mound of mud. Losing one of your sneakers, you yanked your foot away in hopes of breaking free from the mud pile. While the attempt had been successful, the amount of force behind the action caused you to stumble with your next step. Catching your foot on a vine hidden in the dark, your body pitched forward. Instinct kicked in as you tossed your hands out to catch yourself before faceplanting against the ground. Instead of feeling the moist ground beneath your hands, the only thing there was air.
Before your brain could process anything, you were falling. Cold rain pelted your back as you desperately flailed around in the dark pit. Trying to find something to grab hold of, your hands grasped at thin air as you continued your descent. Before long, your limbs were crying out in pain for everything to just stop. You had overexerted yourself enough from running and all this flailing was getting you nowhere. Finally giving in, you went limp as you fell. For a moment, it felt as if the fall would seemingly never end. However, the moment soon came where you smashed your head onto the ground.
Of course, it was no surprise that you had blacked out from the impact.
After what felt like an eternity, your consciousness finally came back to you. Practically prying your eyes open, the first thing before your face was the gaping hole that you must have fallen down. Staring up at the sunny sky in wonder, the first thing that came to mind was the fact that morning had come while you were out cold. The next thing to hit you was the fact that you should have died from such a drop. Despite the fact that fate never seemed to be on your side, it seemed as if it had decided to be merciful enough to let you live longer. Perhaps that was your reward for finally escaping the hell hole you had once been forced to call home despite the fact that it had never truly held a place in your heart.
Despite your 13-year-old age, you were not a naive child. Forced to grow up quickly in the presence of adversity, the world had revealed just how cruel it really was. Even if people tried to sugar coat things, you already knew the truth behind it all. The world was not a kind and loving place like many tried to make you believe. If you were dealt a bad hand of circumstances, everything could fall apart at the drop of a pin. There was nothing that could stop the world from falling apart, yet you had never given up hope in a brighter tomorrow. Although the world was terrible, there was still good on the Earth. Everything had an opposite, two sides of the same coin. You knew that. All you had to do was wait for your moment to finally taste a piece of happiness.
The sound of rustling stirred you from your thoughts. Hearing a small gasp, you finally forced yourself to move. Pushing yourself into a sitting position, every muscle in your body screeched for the movement to stop. Feeling the ground beneath you, it took a moment before you glanced down and realized that you had fallen into a bed of yellow buttercups. Letting your hands graze the flower petals, you simply took a moment to appreciate the soft feeling of their touch against your palms. Ripping your eyes away from the flowers, you soon caught sight of the being before you. To be honest, you couldn't help the tiny squeak of surprise that left your mouth.
Before you stood a creature who resembled a white-furred goat. As you continued to stare, your eyes quickly caught sight of the small set of sharp horns that curled inwards slightly. Two floppy ears hung down, making it a little past the creature's shoulders. Besides that, a pair of fangs were visible due to the fact that the creature's mouth was open slightly - probably from the shock of seeing you. Long eyelashes seemed to surround her soft eyes, which were a surprisingly pretty dark red. In fact, her eyes made you feel as if you were gazing into a dark glass of red wine. The figure wore a long purple robe that displayed some strange symbol you had never seen before. The symbol was a striking white that seemed to make it pop out on the robe. Finally dropping your eyes to the paws that she had for hands, you silently wondered if this was some weird dream you were having or perhaps the drop really had killed you.
"Another child...?" the creature finally whispered, their voice sounding rather feminine to your ears. Drawing your eyes back up to their face, you carefully pushed yourself onto your feet. Although you were a bit wobbly, it seemed as if you were still able to stay standing. Before you were able to speak, the monster finally rushed to your side. Kneeling before you, their eyes met yours as they spoke, "I am sorry, it has just been a while since I have seen a human child. Please, there is no reason to be afraid. My name is Toriel, caretaker of the Ruins which you have fallen into. Could you perhaps tell me your name?"
Taking a moment to get your bearings, you stared for just a moment longer. The woman before you seemed rather kind and you saw no reason to distrust her. Perhaps it was a bad idea but you always had lived by the 'innocent until proven guilty' mentality. Realizing that you were taking a bit long to reply, your voice finally broke through the silence that had started to settle around you two, "My name is _____."
"_____? What a lovely name. Are you hurt, my dear?" Toriel questioned, her eyes taking you in. Her paw never left your shoulder as she knelt before you. While the weight of the paw was definitely something you could feel, it felt comforting instead of unnerving. With a small nod, you replied, "My head really hurts and I think I have a few bruises. I'm a bit surprised that I'm not worse..."
"Do not fear, my child, I will take care of you. We can head to my home and I will patch you up there," the woman hummed, a small smile gracing her features. After a hesitant moment, you returned her smile with one of your own. As Toriel stood up, she removed her hand from your shoulder only to scoop you up in her arms. A bit shocked at first, it didn't take long for you to find comfort in her soft fur and warm embrace. The slight sway in her walk made you feel as if you were being rocked back and forth. Before long, the comfort that her presence brought you was enough to help you fall asleep.
For the first time in a long time, you finally felt safe. It was absolutely lovely.