Heartache

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We wondered through the Ruins until we found a small house by an old dead tree. We watched as Toriel walked out of the door. "Oh dear, that took longer than I thought it would." Her voice sounded. She rang our phone and saw that we were stood behind the tree. "How did you get here my child? Are you hurt?" She fussed. I waved my hand and she saw I was fine. She turned to Katie and tilted her head. "Oh, hello. My name is Toriel, who are you?" She asked Katie. "I'm Katie." She replied. "Are you hurt, my child?" She questioned. Katie scuffed her foot on the ground, her eyes looked down. "There, there, I will heal you." She said. Katie brightened a bit at this. She turned back to me and Charlotte. "I should not have left you alone for so long. Come small ones." She said. We followed her. I saw another glowing light and put my hand into it. "Seeing such a cute, tidy house in the Ruins gives you determination." Charlotte said. I saved again. We entered the small house.

Toriel surprised me and Katie with a butterscotch and cinnamon pie. We agreed to keep it safe for future consumption. Toriel also showed us to a little room. She ruffled both mine and Katie's hair and left to check on something. We walked into the room and explored it. There was a box with toys in, a box of shoes and a closet with striped shirts in. There was only one bed though. "You have the bed. I'll sleep on the floor. I don't mind." I told Katie. She must of had it rough, staying in the Ruins all the time. She deserved a soft bed. We fell asleep, exhausted after making our way through the Ruins. My sleep was restless, nightmares of the surface world haunting me. Constant trips to the hospital after being beaten within an inch of my life, the world turning its back on me, my life before climbing the mountain. I never expected to survive my fall, and I never expected to find these kind people.
We awoke to a slice of pie each. We kept them safe, both of us deciding to eat it later. We sat and talked for a while in the room. "We can't stay here." I said to my friends. "I know we can't. We have to keep going." Charlotte said. Katie looked down. "But we could have a nice life here." She replied. "We need to free these people. They need to see the sun and the stars and the world above. Humanity doesn't deserve the surface!!" I argued. She was about to retort when she thought about it. "You're right." She conceded. After finalising our decision, we went to talk with Toriel. She was sat in her chair by the fireplace reading a book. "Hello there little ones. I have just finished compiling a list of subjects to teach you. It may come as a surprise but, I would love to become a teacher. But enough to about me, is there something the matter?" She asked, looking up from her book with a motherly smile. "When can we go home?" I asked innocently. Her smile twitched, her eyes widened. "What? This... This is your home now." She said, a reminiscent tone in her voice. "Here, I've been reading this book. It's called '72 facts about snails.' Would you like to hear a fact?" She asked. I shook my head and politely asked "how to leave the Ruins." She looked at us sadly and rose from her chair. "...I have to do something. Stay here." She told us. Me, Katie and Charlotte all looked at each other. We followed after her hurriedly. We went down the stairs to her basement. She stood facing forwards. "You wish to return 'home', do you not?" She said, voice full of hurt and bitterness. "Ahead of us lies the end of the Ruins. A one way exit to the rest of the Underground. I am going to destroy it." She said. "No, please! Toriel!" Katie pleaded. "No one will be able to leave again. Now be a good child and go upstairs." She ordered. I grabbed Katie's and Charlotte's hand and followed after her. She stopped as she heard our calls and footsteps. "Every human that falls down here will meet the same fate. I have seen it. They come, they leave, they disappear." She said in a dark tone. "You naive children...if you leave the Ruins... They... Asgore will kill you. I am only protecting you, understand?" She said. We reached our hands forwards but she clenched hers into fists. "Go to your room." She ordered once more. We kept following her. We had to stop her from herself. "Do not try to stop me." She cried out. We all begged and pleaded for her to stop. She continued to the door. When we had caught up, she gave a heavy sigh. "You want to leave so badly? Hmph. You are just like the others. Prove to me you can survive. Only then can you leave." She said. The world became darker, until it was completely monochrome. I heard a faint voice in my ear. "Toriel blocks the way." It said.

I press the MERCY box and press Spare. Toriel is silent. Her attack of fire rains down at me as I shift to dodge. "Toriel prepares a magic attack." I hear beside me. I press Spare again. She remains silent. Her hands sweep across the box containing my soul, producing a line of flames. I move out of their way. "Toriel looks through you." Charlotte says sadly. I keep sparing her. She makes no sound. My friend warns me of the next attack. I dodge. "...?" I finally get from Toriel. I spare. "What are you doing?" Toriel asked as I dodged her attacks. I keep sparing. She keeps talking now. "Attack or run away!" She yelled at me. I jumped but continued to spare her. "What are you proving this away?" She asks. "That I don't want to hurt you." I whisper. "Fight me or leave!" She yells. I flinch but press spare. My eyes meet hers. My expressions begs her to let me and my friends leave. "Stop it. Stop looking at me that way." She demanded. She fell silent again as I continue to spare her. "I know you want to go home, but..." She starts. "But please... Go upstairs now. I promise I will take good care of you here." I look to Katie. Katie takes my hand and we continue to press spare. "I know we do not have much but...we could have a good life here. Why are you making this difficult? Please go upstairs." She asks us. I sigh but press spare. She ignores us. My friend is silent. "Ha ha... Pathetic is it not? I cannot save even a single child." Toriel sighed. I feel so bad for her. She just wanted to help us. "No. I understand." She starts. Her eyes fill with tears. "You would be unhappy here. The Ruins are quite small once you get used to them. It would not be right for you to grow up in a place like this." She says. The battle ends. The world returns to colour. "My expectations... My loneliness... My fear...for you two, my children... I will put them aside." She finished. She wrapped both me and Katie up in a hug. "When you leave this place, please, do not come back. I hope you understand." She asked us. We nodded and left the Ruins. We turned to see Toriel give one last glance at us. Her eyes flickered as she caught sight of Charlotte and the tears she had held back throughout our battle cascaded down her cheeks and into her soft, white fur. She ran back to the house as we turned away and headed up the path towards the exit.

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