Underfates

Chapter 1

Falling, falling was the last thing a young child who began to stir upon the golden flowers they lay upon remembered. The child groaned as they lifted their head up to see only a glimmer of light shining above them. They were confused until they heard a strange humming echoing throughout the darkness. Deciding to investigate, the child stood up and stared into the dark abyss that lay before them. Gathering their courage, the child walked into darkness, following the sounds of the humming. Eventually he reached another spot where light shined down above to see a little girl with short brown hair, wearing a large sunhat hiding away most of her face, a white coat with a long tail that fanned out like a dress and rolled up sleeves, white gloves, green pants, and finally black boots happily humming to herself as she gathered up golden flowers into the brown basket she carried on her arm.

The girl only ceased her actions when she noticed the young child staring at her in confusion. She lifted up her head, revealing that the sunhat kept her eyes hidden away in darkness. She formed a sweet smile on her face as she began twirling one of her golden flowers between her index finger and thumb.

"Why I never knew a monster was this far back in the ruins. Normally only humans pop up here." she commented.

The girl could easily see the child was a young goat-like monster with red eyes and white fur, wearing a green and yellow striped sweater and black pants.

"So tell me, what's your name little monster?" the girl asked, adding a happy hum to the end of her sentence.

The monster child blinked his eyes in shock before replying "Everyone should know who I am, I'm Asriel Dreemur."

Asriel noticed that the girl almost stiffened when she heard this and he could have almost sworn that a red glow had emit from her eyes. But he didn't get to study her long enough because the girl formed a sweet smile on her face; a smile that made him feel uneasy and sent a wave of dread down his spine.

"Well I think someone should still teach you the rules of the Underground." the girl said.

Before Asriel could even react, the girl's hand glowed in a red aura and he felt his soul be ripped out of his body. His red eyes widened when he saw a small red heart floating in front of his chest. He knew that couldn't be his soul because monster souls were white and the heart should had been in an upside position. Unfortunately the monster child didn't have time to question his strange development because the girl's hand glowed red once more as she summoned small white bullets that encircled her body.

"I call these my little 'friendliness pellets' try to get them all. I'm dying to see you succeed." she laughed before shooting the pellets at top speeds at the monster before her.

Asriel gasped as he tried to jump out of the way of the pellets but unfortunately every single one of them managing to hit his body. The monster child cried out in pain as he collapsed on his hands and knees, unaware of the small cracks forming in the red heart hovering over his chest. He glanced up to see the girl's smile had turned into a twisted and psychotic one as she continued twirling her golden flower in her hand.

"What a crying shame, to be killed by me, the Flower Child. Oh well, I guess you were never meant to live in the first place since in this world it's..." the girl started before letting a dark and sinister laugh rise from her throat as she finished, "Killed or be killed."

With a psychotic laugh, the Flower Child moved her pellets where they encircled Asriel and trapped him, granting him no escape. She continued to laugh as she made the bullets slowly approach the young monster. But before she could even harm the monster even further a blast of fire zipped by the girl's face, causing her to cry out in fear. Because of this she lost focus over her command and the pellets fell to the ground.
Asriel blinked in confusion, wondering who save him until he heard the sound of someone running to toward him. He turned his head toward the direction of the sound and his heart nearly stopped when he saw a female goat-like monster with two short horns and red eyes, wearing a long purple dress with long white sleeves.

"Oh poor child being tormented by such a horrible creature." the female monster said with a concerned frown as she kneeled down in front of Asriel.

Her hands were engulfed in a blue aura and she laid her hands firmly on the sides of his head, healing his injuries and making the cracks in the red heart vanish.
Asirel was in shock, he couldn't believe after all that time he had finally been reunited with his mother Toriel. He could feel tears forming in the corner of his eyes, both from relief that his mother had saved him in time and from the fact he finally got to see his mother's face again.

"Mom, I'm so happy you're here!" he cried out before hugging Toriel tightly.

But unfortunately the young monster wasn't greeted with the kind motherly nature he had expected from a woman that had been reunited with her long-lost child. Instead he glanced up to see a stunned and confused expression painted on her face and her cheeks were bright red.

Finally she spoke up while doing her best to hide away the nervousness in her voice "Well you're a very strange human, calling me 'Mom' the moment you see me. But if you feel comfortable calling me that then I'm fine with that. But if you need a name to call me by, my name is Toriel."

Asriel's eyes widened upon hearing these words; he couldn't believe that his mother couldn't see who he was. Quickly he glanced down at his body but much to his confusion, his appearance hadn't changed one bit, leaving him to wonder why his mother saw him as a human child. It was then he remembered his encounter with the Flower Child and when she had summoned his soul, it wasn't normally like a Monster Soul. At that moment, he remembered where that soul had came from.

"Chara, I don't like this plan anymore! Please you can't die on us just to break the barrier!" Asriel sobbed as he kneeled down at the foot of the bed that contained a girl with short brown hair, brown eyes, pink-rosy cheeks, and wearing a green and yellow striped sweater, brown shorts, and black boots lying ill with her life slipping away.

The girl only smiled, one that seemed innocent on the surface but to Asriel sent a wave of uneasiness through him. She closed her eyes and within a few seconds a glowing red heart appeared before her chest.

"You want to free everyone, don't you, Asriel? Then take my soul and together we'll do what's right." she said with the smile never leaving her face.

"I-I-I..." the young monster stuttered nervously as sweat began to drip down his forehead, unsure what to do.

Finally with a sigh Asriel, reached his hands out and clasped his hands onto the red heart and at that moment he felt a surge of great power course throughout his entire body, transforming him into a being with unimaginable power.

Asriel couldn't prevent the raspy and shaky breaths that escaped his mouth and prompted his entire body to shake with fear. He now remembered that he had taken Chara's soul upon her death and crossed the barrier. But unfortunately as much as he tried to remember; he couldn't remember what had happened once he crossed the barrier. Deciding to push that thought to the side, Asriel decided that what was more important was the realization that with Chara's soul still in his body and how it seemed to make him appear as a human in the eyes of monsters.

The young monster was awakened from his thoughts when he heard his mother speak up "Well it seems that dreadful child has fled for now. It is so strange, I have never seen her around here before. But you must be hungry and very tired after falling down here, allow me to take you back to my home."

Asriel did not object as his mother helped him up and guided him through the ruins. As he walked with his mother, many thoughts were coursing through his mind such as why his mother had chosen to live so far away from the castle and where his father Asgore could possibly be. Eventually after a while the two approached a small little house at the end of the ruins. Asriel's mouth slightly opened in surprise because the house looked exactly like his old house before he crossed the barrier. The young monster chose to not say anything as his mother guided him inside and lead down the hallway to a single door.

"Here's your room. Please make yourself comfortable child." Toriel said with a smile.

Without a word she lifted her hand and began gently stroking Asriel's head. She didn't know why, but something felt familiar to her about the child she had brought to her home. While it was true that she had cared for other children that had fallen into the Underground, this particular child seemed to stand out to her, almost as if he were one of her own. Shocked at the thoughts forming about a child she had just met, Toriel immediately made up an excuse and quickly dashed down the hallway, leaving the child alone.

Asriel frowned in sadness as he watched his mother leave; his heart aching at the fact she wasn't able to recognize him for what he is and believes him to be a total stranger. With a sigh he glanced at the door to his room, figuring that he might as well get some rest. He grapsed ahold of the doorknob and opened the door, entering the room. Once inside, Asriel frowned when he saw his mother had made it look exactly like his hold room except for the fact in his old room there was a second bed that Chara use to occupy. Unconsciously the monster child clutched at his sweater where Chara's soul was located, remembering the reason why the human child fell ill and died.

Deciding to banish his guilt filled memories, Asriel climbed into his bed and pulled the covers over himself. He let out a shaky sigh, partially wishing that when he wakes up that Chara would still be alive and the crossing of the barrier and the Flower Child were nothing more than a bad dream. Finally his eyes drooped closed and Asriel found himself slipping into a slumber.

"That monster he killed that poor child!" a women shrieked.

"You'll pay for what you've done monster!" an angry man's voice shouted.

Soon a young child's voice cried out "No please sto..."

But the child did not finish their sentence and was cut off by the sound of a gunshot filling the air.

Asriel sat up in his bed in a cold sweat, taking in frantic breathes and his heart rapidly pounded in his chest. His red eyes darted all over the room, taking in his blurry surroundings. When he saw he was in the same room he had fallen asleep in, the young monster released of sigh of relief before dropping his head onto his knees. The voices in his nightmare terrified him and confused him deeply. He felt like he should recognize the voices, but unfortunately the dream was very much a blur and he could not remember the faces nor the surroundings of the dream.

Just then a sweet smell reached his nose, prompting him to sniff to get a good whiff of the scent. He lifted up his head to see none other than a slice of butterscotch and cinnamon pie on the floor. Asriel couldn't help but smile before climbing out of the bed and picking up the plate. He remembered before Chara's death that his mother use to leave them slices of her pie for them to discover once they awoken. With a grin Asriel took a bite of the pie; a huge smile forming on his face when he discovered the taste was just as good as he remembered.

Once his plate was clean, Asriel left the room, fortunate that his mother had designed her new home to look as much like the old made his way to the living room where he saw his mother sitting in a large chair reading a book with reading glasses on.

"Hey m... I mean Toriel, I finished the pie you gave me." he said, stopping himself when he remembered that his mom thought he was a human.

Toriel lifted her head up and replied "Oh, did you enjoy it? I wanted to make Snail Pie, but I figured you would like my Butterscotch and Cinnamon pie more."

Asriel nodded his head before entering the kitchen to placed the plate in the sink before returning to the living room to sit down in front of his mother. He couldn't help but smile at getting to sit with his mother once more but something kept bothering him and that was his absence of his father. He remembered that his parents were very close and so much in love that it made other people gag at the sight in annoyance.

Deciding to investigate, Asriel asked "So where's Asgore?"

When Toriel heard that name she dropped her book in shock as her face went pale. She stared at the child sitting before him, wondering how he knew the name of her ex-husband. The other humans she had taken care of had never heard of the King of Monsters until she spoke of him as a warning when they left the ruins to begin their journey to try to return home. Toriel raised a brow at the air of mystery that seemed to surround the child she had taken into her custody but then she remembered how Asriel was attacked by the Flower Child.

"Could it be that strange girl spoke of Asgore to him and told him of the barrier? If so that would mean... no... no I can't lose another one!" she thought to herself.

Wasting no time she immediately got out of her chair and left the room.
Asriel frowned in concern, wondering why his mother had left when he asked about his father. Unsure what else to do, the young monster followed after his mother to see the tip of her horns disappear behind a staircase that lead down into a dark tunnel. A wave of dread washed over Asriel once again as he made his way down the stairs, fearing what was running through his mother's mind. He kept following the tunnel until he finally found Toriel standing in front of a large stone door.

"So you followed me? It seems my fears were right. Child please go back to your room, I won't let you leave just so you can be slain by Asgore. Once I destroy this exit, you will be safe." she stated in a shaky tone.

Asriel gasped in horror at this; he wasn't shocked at the fact she claimed his own father would try to kill him since he remembered in her eyes he looks like a human child, no the thing that horrified him was that his father was killing humans. He remembered that his father was so kind to Chara before she died and treated her like his own daughter.

Without thinking he blurted out "Mom, I have to go see dad and find out why he's killing the humans!"

Toriel instantly spun around; her face unable to hide the horror and confusion on it. She was now convinced that the child might had hit his head when he fell into the underground since he was talking like he was hers and Asgore's child. She couldn't let another child leave the ruins when the previous six all lost their lives as a result of traversing the underground. With her mind set, Toriel stood firmly in front of the stone door and created magic fire in her hands.

"If you want to leave so badly and face Asgore, then prove to me you can survive!" she said as her voice was chocking back a sob.

Asriel was speechless as the red heart appeared above his chest once again. He didn't want to fight his mother even though he had the power to do so. Feeling determination course through him thanks to Chara's soul, he refused to fight his mother.
Upset that the child chose to neither fight or flee, Toriel blasted fire at the child, her heart aching when she heard his frightened yells as he barely dodged the fire. She didn't want to fight him but she wanted to do everything that she could to prevent the child from leaving. But despite the many fire attacks she blasted at him, the child refused to fight. Tears began streaking down her face as she shot her fire magic more frequently, ignoring the fact that none of the fire attacks were hitting the child.

Asriel stood completely still, his heart aching in pain as he watched his mother sobbed before him. He understood that his mother only wanted to protect him like the other children but he knew he needed to go to his father to find out why he is killing possibly innocent humans.
When Toriel saw the child refused to fight, she fell to her knees sobbing. She didn't have the heart to continue attacking the child out of her love for him.

"Pathetic is it not, I can't even save one child. I don't want you to leave, but I cannot bring myself to hurt you." she said as her tears dripped upon the cold stone floor.

Asriel frowned before he kneeled down and pulled his mother into a hug in an attempt to comfort her.

"I could never fight you, Mom, or anyone as a matter of fact. You taught me better than that." he whispered in her ear.

Toriel blinked in surprise, wondering why the child claimed she had taught him when supposedly she still barely knew him. But when she pulled away her head to look at she child, she gasped and clasped her hand over her mouth. She no longer saw a small human child but rather her own child staring at her with an innocent smile.

"As-As-Asriel, it can't be can it?" she uttered in a shaky tone.

"Hey you can finally see me as me!" Asriel shouted happily, glad that his mother now saw him as himself.

Many emotions ran through Toriel's mind at the sight of seeing her son who had supposedly died a few years ago. Unable to comprehend all her feelings clashing together, she cried as she pulled her son into a tight hug, constantly whispering over and over how he was alive.
Asreil snuggled his head against his mother's chest as he insured her how he was real.

"Oh, Asriel..." Toriel began as she pulled out of the hug to wipe away her tears, "Your father and I both thought you were killed by the humans. Your father was so consumed by grief that he had decreed that every human who falls into the Underground must die and he would use their souls to break the barrier and demolish mankind."

"Then I have to show him I'm alive, come on Mom, we can go together." Asriel exclaimed.

But much to the young monster's disappointment, his mother frowned as she slowly stood up.

"I'm sorry, my child but I think I shall stay here. I can't stand the sight of what your father has become." she said.

"Mom?" Asriel spoke up in confusion, but sadness filled him as his mother suggested that he better leave if he wanted to see Asgore soon before walking back through the tunnels.

He couldn't believe his own mother didn't want to see his father and even talked about him as if even mentioning him disgusted her. With a small sigh, Asriel pushed open the stone door and left, figuring it would be better to try to confront his father as soon as possible rather than trying to get answers from Toriel. But as he exited the ruins, the young monster froze when a familiar giggling reached his ears. He turned around to see the Flower Child he had met earlier.

"So you didn't even have the heart to attack you own mother even though she tried to trap you within these ruins?" the girl taunted, "You instead chose to open your heart to her, breaking the spell caused by the human soul you carry and allowed her to see who you truly are. You know even if you had chosen to kill her instead, before her last moments of death, she would had seen who you really are."

Asriel clenched his fists in anger before demanding "Why are you like this, why are you so desperate to see things die?"

The girl chuckled as she took a sniff out of the golden flower she held before answering "It's like I said, Asriel. In this world it's kill or be killed. I can't wait to see how you will treat your fellow monsters since much like your mother, they will all think you're a human and will be out to kill you. Will you continue this pathetic act of mercy or will you do what's right and slay them all? I can't wait to see how this turns out."

With that said, the Flower Child released a psychotic laugh before backing into the darkness and vanishing from sight.
Asriel couldn't help but shudder when hearing the girl's words. As much as he hated to admit it, the Flower Child was right when she told him that the other monsters would kill him thanks to both Chara's soul and his father's law. Taking in a deep breath, the young monster turned toward the stone archway that led out of the ruins, determination coursing through the soul he carried.

Silently he left the ruins, unsure on how he would deal with the monsters that would try to kill him but also hoping at the same time that he would still be able to find it in his heart to be merciful and not to give into any dark urges that may start lurking within him.