Disclaimer: The Author does not own Undertale.

Undertale: Reflection

by

CelfwrDderwydd

Chapter One: Lost & Found

There is a legend, of a great power. A power so great, it could wreak unfathomable havoc if misused. For this very reason, it was hidden away, in hopes it never be found or used. It was said this awesome power was held in a Magic Mirror . . .

He gave a soft groan as he came back to consciousness. Soft light caressed his face. The smell of flowers and plants greeted his nose. With a soft moan, he opened his eyes. The forms were hazy and blurred at first, but came back to focus quickly. He stared up at the roof of the cave, and the hole at the very top, hundreds of feet above. Great stalactites hung from the ceiling. His eyes drifted down, and he saw huge pillars of carved stone surrounding him. Ivy and vines wound around many of them. He took a deep breath, the scent of flowers heavy as his hands moved, caressing the soft bed of flowers he laid in. Carefully and softly at first, he sat up. His back didn't hurt, or his neck. He moved his arms, and then his legs. He wasn't paralyzed, or hurt in any way, it seemed. He got to his feet and looked around.

Other than the light from the hole far above his head, the cave was dark. He brushed a strand of brown hair from his eyes. While the cave was dark, it was not so much so he could not see at all. That was good. He carefully stepped away from the bed of flowers, and glanced around. A path seemed to lead away. With no other options, he followed it. He gave the hole one last glance. There were no foot or handholds to speak of, so climbing out was not an option. He frowned softly, thinking for a moment before he turned and followed the path.

He was surprised when he came to stop in front of a large door. Carved pillars were on either side, and above the door was a crest. It was a circle with wings, above three triangles. If he had any doubts about this place being the result of some design, they were erased now. He leaned forward, careful and watchful for any traps. When no blades tried to chop his head off, or fires flared up, he carefully moved through the door. The next room was dark, to the point he could barely see. He moved slowly, carefully and quietly.

"Howdy!" He jumped at the sound of a voice. It was a little high and squeaky. A beam of light suddenly lit up the middle of the room, where a yellow flower was. The flower, of all things, had a face, and was smiling at him. "I'm Flowey, Flowey the Flower!" it giggled. He just stared and blinked at this strange being. "Gosh, you're new to the Underground, aren't ya?" He carefully nodded. "You must be really confused. Somebody should teach you how things work down here," said the flower. He blinked at that. Before he could speak, the flower tilted its "head" as it spoke further. "Well, ha ha, I guess little ol' me will have to do!" This made him tense up. "Ready? Here we go!" There was a shimmer in the air, and he knew this was not going to end well.

Flowey's grin widened, its petals twitching. "Alrighty, now! Let's get started, shall we?. You look like you have a strong Soul, so that's good! Souls start out weak, but can get stronger. They get stronger with love. You want some love, don't you? Don't worry! I'll share some with you," said the flower as small objects materialized in the air. He looked around, every sense telling him this was very bad. "Down here, love is shared through "friendliness pellets". Are you ready?" Those pellets looked anything but friendly. "Try and catch as many as you can! Catch!"

The pellets flew at him with surprising speed. He dove to the side, avoiding the pellets, but his arm brushed against the invisible barrier, proving his earlier guess. He was trapped. Flowey frowned as he dodged the pellets. "Hey, buddy. You missed them. Let's try again, 'kay?" Again, the flower launched a wave of pellets at him, and again he dodged. Again, the flower looked miffed. "Is this a joke? Are you braindead? Run. Into. The. Bullets!" The flower's eyes widened at the gaff. He glared at the flower. "Uh, "friendliness pellets"! Here's some more!" He ducked as they flew right through where his head had been a millisecond ago. The flower growled and began to hiss as its face began to contort with anger. "You know what's going on here, don't you?" the flower asked in a hissing voice that reminded him of dried out leaves and the husks of cicadas.

"You're trying to kill me," the boy answered back. The flower grinned darkly.

"Aw, ya got me! You're pretty sharp, there!" Flowey winked at him, but the gleam in that flower's eye was anything but playful. A huge cloud of bullets appeared, surrounding him in all sides. He glanced around, but looked fairly calm. He looked at the flower flatly as it grinned. "Die!" the flower cackled, sharp teeth showing as it watched the pellets begin to fly.

Suddenly, the pellets all acted like bugs that had been swatted away. Flowey showed shock, just before a fireball flew and smashed into the flower with great force. Flowey growled as he faced something in the darkness. More fireballs lit up the dark, illuminating a powerful form as it launched a volley of fire at the flower, finishing with a blue ball of fire that moved like a plasma bolt. Flowey yelped as it was sent flying into the dark. There was a sigh from the dark as something moved.

"What a terrible, wretched creature, torturing such a poor, innocent child . . ." said a soft voice. He turned at the sound of footsteps, and stared at the being that stepped into the light.

It looked like a fusion of a white goat and a human. Long ears draped down on its shoulders like hair almost. Two horns stood up from the head. While it had small fangs, the air it projected was anything but aggressive. It wore a violet dress with the same crest he has seen above the door earlier. If the voice he had heard was anything to go by, it as a female. Red eyes fixed on him, and he tensed anew. "Don't be afraid, my child. My name is Toriel. I am the caretaker of the Ruins. I come here every day, to see if anyone has fallen down." She looked at him with those red eyes, as if gauging him. "You're the first human to come here in a long time. Come, I will guide you through the Ruins." She stepped back, and walked towards a door on the other side of the room. "This way," she said as she looked back, and then vanished through the door. He hesitated. After that flower, he was on guard. Then again, wasn't he always? Doubt swirled through his mind. What choice did he have? He could not just go back and climb out of the cave.

Come to that, why was he down there? He couldn't remember. It was fuzzy. He remembered everything else just fine, no matter how much he would wish that was not so. If only he had forgotten everything else. He sighed and looked at the doorway. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and walked through the door. Toriel was waiting for him on the other side.

This room was much brighter, and built of a purple stone he had not seen before. It looked more like a castle mezzanine than ruins. It also looked in fairly good shape, as the stones were a little cracked here and there, but otherwise undamaged. There were red leaves and plants growing here and there, and in a large patch below the stairs that led up to the door. Toriel was silent as she led the way. In the next room, she stopped and turned to him with a smile. "Welcome to your new home, innocent one. Allow me to educate you in the operation of the Ruins," she said as she walked over to a set of raised stones, stepping on them and pushing them down, revealing them to be pressure plates. She then threw a lever that opened the door. She stepped back and smiled at him. "The Ruins are full of puzzles. Ancient fusions of diversions and doorkeys," she explained. He nodded.

"Yes. That would make it harder for intruders, who could not simply steal the key," he mused. She smiled and nodded, seeming pleased.

"Exactly. You have a very keen mind, young one." She led him to the next room. "To open the door in this room, you must throw levers. I have painted which ones to use, as I tend to forget," she looked sheepish at that. He felt his lips twitch in a tiny smile at that. Sure enough, the levers in the walls had bright yellow paint around them and arrows. He couldn't help a soft chuckle. Two levers, and they were through. He had noticed spikes retract into the floor as the door opened. He made a note to keep an eye out for any holes in the floor, sealed or otherwise. In the next room, she stopped and turned to him. "As a human living in the Underground, monsters may attack you. You need to be prepared for that situation," she warned. He tensed up again.

He didn't think she would attack him, but he stayed on guard. She smiled at him, seeming pleased he was ready and aware. "But worry not! Most monsters do not want to fight, and the few here that do are small, and you can easily avoid them if you are careful and cautious. If you are nice, you can even avoid fights." The boy gave a soft smile, but there was a sadness there. If Toriel noticed it, she said nothing. "If you do get into a fight, try talking to them. At the very least you can stall for time. You may convince them to not fight. Or even make a friend," she giggled. She smiled and motioned to the next door. He followed. For some reason, his tension had eased. Toriel stopped and turned to him. "There's another puzzle in this room. I wonder if you can solve it?" she had a sing-song tone to her voice, and amusement as she walked ahead.

She was challenging him, he knew. He followed her, noticing a few frogs that, while similar to frogs on the surface, where clearly not normal frogs. One stopped and looked at him, tilting its head. He tried to smile and gave a small wave. To his surprise, the Froggit smiled back, gave a "ribbet" and hopped away. He almost collided with Toriel as she stood in front of what looked like a drawbridge over water. It was covered with huge spikes, as big as his leg. "This is the puzzle, but . . ." She looked at him. The look in her eyes looked familiar, but from where? It wasn't aggressive. She looked back at the field of spikes. "Here, take my hand for a moment," she said as she offered her hand.

He stared and the offered hand, as if the gesture was alien to him. She watched him as he raised his arm. His whole body was trembling. "Don't be afraid, young one," she comforted. He was wavering, his breathing uneven. Inside, he struggled. Could he? Could he do it? Could he trust again? His hand shook heavily as he placed it in hers. Her fur was soft and warm, her touch gentle, tender. The image of her hand began to blur, his eyes stinging. Why? Why was this happening? He looked up at her, and she looked worried. "Don't cry, child. You're safe," she said as she gently wiped his tears with her white sleeve.

Crying? He was crying? His mind swirled as she gently led him towards the bridge. With metallic clicks, the spikes lowered as they passed. It moved in a hazy blur, as if in a dream. "Perhaps puzzles are too dangerous for now," said Toriel as they reached the end. When she released his hand, he wanted to keep hold. Why? What was happening to him? Why was he falling apart? Why? Toriel smiled as she led him to the next room. "You have done excellently thus far, my child." She stopped and turned to him. "However, I have a difficult request to ask of you," she said, sounding a bit sad. "I would like you to walk to the end of the room by yourself. Forgive me for this." She then hurried off into the shadows. He gave a shuddering breath as he made his way through the long hall. All the while, his mind was racing, questioning.

Why was he falling apart like this? He had been so cold and detached for so long, so why was he suddenly losing that? What was going on? He didn't notice anything around him as he walked, almost automatically, his mind so deep in thought, he would hardly have noticed if someone spoke. He passed by a large pillar. "Greetings, my child," said Toriel. He whirled, eyes wide. She was startled at his reaction. Had she startled him that much? She looked worried. "Do not worry. I didn't leave you. I didn't mean to-" He shook his head, stopping her.

"No! No, it's not that. I . . ." he shook head his again, and looked at the ground. He ran a hand over his face. He looked at her, and saw her concern. He tried his best to smile. "It's nothing." She watched him for a moment, and smiled back.

"Thank you for trusting me. However, there was an important reason for this exercise. To test your independence." He sighed gently. That was one thing he didn't need to be tested on. Goodness knows. She looked fretful. "I have some business I must attend to, so you will be on your own for a while." He smiled at her. "Please remain here, as it's dangerous to explore on your own." Her ears perked up and she snapped her fingers. "I have an idea. Here, take this cell phone." She reached into a pocket, and pulled out a cell phone. It was of the older kind, the ones now called "Bricks". It was large, and had basic functions, but it would help a lot. "If you have a need for anything, just call. My number is in the memory." He took the phone, and noticed that warm feeling when his fingers touched hers. He looked at the phone, then back up at her. "Be good, and stay safe, all right?" With that, she left.

XXX

He lost track of time as he sat there and stared at the phone, thinking on everything that had happened. He still, for the life of him, not recall how he had gotten there, how he had entered the Underworld. He recalled everything else perfectly, but how he had ended up there was all blank. Had he been kidnapped? Did he go there himself? If so, why? Why could he recall everything else? He looked at his hand, clenched it into a fist. He felt a tiny spark, but nothing more. He sighed and dropped his hand. Why had he expected anything else? He looked back at the phone, and he couldn't help a tiny smile. As he looked at the phone, he could smell her scent. It was a soft scent of flowers, mixed with something else, a sweet smell. He nodded and stood. He had never been one to stand around, and he was not about to start now. He turned to the door and headed through.

He was surprised when the phone rang. He brought it out and pressed the "send" button to answer. "Hello? This is Toriel." He felt a wonderful sense of peace at hearing her voice. "You haven't left the room, have you? There are some puzzles ahead I have not yet explained. It would be dangerous to try to solve them yourself. Be good and stay safe, all right?" She then hung up. He looked at the phone. She was worried and fretful, but something about what she said made his mind click. He gave a soft smile, and wondered if she was testing him again. He glanced around, and saw a few Froggits here and there, and more of the patches of red leaves, but other than that, nothing. He carefully avoided a cracked floor in the next hall.

As he entered the next room, Toriel called him again. "Hello? This is Toriel." She sounded pleased. "For no particular reason . . . which do you prefer: Cinnamon or Butterscotch?" He blinked. Come to think of it, when was the last time he ate? He was a bit hungry. "Wait . . . don't tell me. Is it Butterscotch?" He couldn't help a grin as he told her she was right. She giggled. "I had a feeling." He smiled softly. He had seen and heard far stranger things than that. "Thank you for your selection." She then hung up. He looked at the phone, and smelled it again. He smiled when he confirmed the scent of butterscotch. He had only gone a few steps when the phone rang again. He answered. "Um, you don't dislike cinnamon, do you?" she asked, sounding fretful. It made his heart feel warm.

"No, not at all. I rather like it," he replied truthfully. He had fond memories of the taste of cinnamon in many pleasant meals. Toriel sounded relieved at this.

"Thank you. That's good to hear. Thank you for telling me." Again she hung up, and he was left with more of a smile than before.

There was a large gate that halted him, but a pressure switch and a rock quickly solved that problem. He noticed a few little fairy-like creatures fluttering around, but when he waved at them, they smiled and chattered happily. His smile grew, and he continued on. He was not too surprised when the phone rang again. "You do not have any allergies, do you?" He raised an eyebrow, and couldn't help a grin. She was not good at surprises.

"Not really. Why do you ask?" He had to fight to hide his mirth, lest she know he was onto her.

"Oh, uh, no reason! No reason at all . . ." He smiled at her cute antics as she hung up. He chuckled and shook his head. She was acting very much like a worried . . . The thought hit him like a bolt out of the blue. It was a thought, a person he had not thought about in a long time:

"Mother . . ." he whispered. It had been so long, he hardly could recall. It was almost as hazy as his memories of how he got there.

He was so lost in thought, he almost stepped on someone. Were it not for the sound of snoring, he would have. It looked like a ghost. As he looked, he realized it was pretending to snore, for some odd reason. "Um, excuse me?" he said. The ghost floated up and looked at him. He smiled patiently at it, trying to avoid a fight.

"What do you want?" it asked, sounding depressed. He smiled and shrugged.

"Not much, I just want to ghost this place," he joked. The ghost chuckled a tiny bit.

"Well, what do you think of this, wot?" the ghost asked as it turned the top of its head into a top hat, and grew a monocle and mustache. He couldn't help a laugh. The ghost looked happy at this. "I usually come to the Ruins because there's nobody around." The ghost smiled at him. "But today, I met somebody nice. Oh, but I'm rambling again. I'll get out of your way." The boy smiled at the ghost.

"Oh, that's fine. Just let me get by, and you can go back to sleep." The ghost smiled again.

"I found this. I don't need it, so why not keep it?" The ghost dropped a bag of coins that clinked. When the boy looked up, the ghost was gone. He picked up the bag, opened it, and was surprised to find it had several gold coins. A good twenty or so. He smiled and put the bag in his pocket and headed on. He stopped when he saw a sign. He carefully read it.

"Spider bake sale?" Would wonders never cease? Well, why not? He took out seven gold coins, and dropped them into the web. Several spiders crawled out, took the coins, and returned with a doughnut with spiderweb-shaped icing and blue frosting.

"Thank you! Enjoy!" they called out in tiny voices. He smiled and waved to them as he took his purchase and left. As he was heading out of the room, Toriel called again.

"Hello? I just realized that it's been a while since I cleaned up. I was not expecting to have company so soon. I'm sorry, please watch your step." He chuckled and told her it was fine. She giggled and hung up. He headed onward into the ruins.

After a few more gates and puzzles, he came at last to a tree without leaves, with Toriel waiting at the bottom. She looked surprised, but not entirely. "How did you get here, my child?" she asked as she came up to him. "You're not hurt, are you?" He smiled and shook his head. She looked relieved. "I should not have left you alone for so long. It was irresponsible to try to surprise you like this." She stopped and realized she let the cat out of the bag. She smiled and shook her head. "Well, I suppose I cannot hide it any longer. Please, come inside!" she said as she headed inside.

It was such a cute, tidy little house. It made him feel happy. Fore some reason, it made him feel calm, and as if it was familiar. He walked inside and closed the door behind him. Toriel looked excited, bouncing on her feet. The wonderful smell of butterscotch was heavy in the air, and the scent of baking goods tickled his nose. "Surprise! It's a butterscotch-cinnamon pie! I thought we might celebrate your arrival. I want you to have a nice time living here. Here, I have another surprise for you!" She motioned for him to follow her. She led him down a hallway to a door. She looked even more excited than before. "Here it is! A room of your very own! I hope you like it."

He stared at the door in surprise. She gently stroked his hair as he seemed unable to believe what he was seeing. Toriel sniffed the air. "Is something burning . . .?" She looked alarmed. "Um, make yourself at home!" She then hurried down the hall. He watched her go, and then turned back to the door, warily opening it. He stared in amazement at the inside.

It was a room like any child's. A comfy-looking bed sat against one wall, a chest of toys at the foot of it, and two large stuffed monsters sat nearby. A large wardrobe closet sat with the doors closed, the wood ornately carved, but also humble and gentle. A desk held several books and a picture frame. A pair of lamps provided a soft, gentle golden light to the room, making it seem cozy, homey and familiar. He moved as if in a dream. He ran his fingers over the soft bedding, freshly washed. He swayed as he sat on the bed. How long had it been since he slept in a real bed? He had not noticed how tired he was. No sooner had his head hit the pillow, he was asleep.

Toriel came in a few minutes later, and smiled. She carefully set the plate of pie down, and gently tucked the boy into bed. With a soft, tender kiss to his hair, she closed the door and turned out the lights.

Author's note: We finally got a high-speed Internet connection, and I was finally able to watch videos and other things impossible over Dial-Up. I had heard about Undertale, and watched some videos, and was awed. I was particularly inspired by the Youtube video Underfilm: Shadow of the Fallen Child by Grubbo. So, if you liked this, be sure to watch his video, and give him kudos. I have tinkered with animation, and I know for a fact it's not easy!