I waited ten minutes.
Twenty.
Thirty.
Nearly forty minutes passed but there was still no sign of Mom. I sighed and looked at the drawings I had made in the dust on the floor. Dust? Wait a second, this place was immaculate before!
I raised my head from my drawings, and looked around. The hallway had gotten longer, if that was possible. Before I realized there was dust everywhere, the Ruins were full of sounds. Laughing, talking, creatures moving around. But now…
I sat back down, and waited. Something had happened. Something bad. I shivered involuntarily. With shaky hooves I opened up my cell phone and called Mom. Thankfully someone picked up.
“Mom?!” I nearly shouted into the receiver.
But instead of a single voice, I heard two. Two voices, interlaced into one. Toriel’s and the buttery smooth one. “D-do you really hate us…. that much….?”
“Mom, what are you talking about. It’s me Frisk!”
“Now I know who I was protecting by keeping you here…. Not you… but them!” Shaky laughter followed, and the sound of the cell phone hitting the floor and dust being blown away was the response.
“M-mom!” I actually did shout this time, hoping somebody, anybody would pick up the phone and reassure me.
But nobody came.
“It’s a real shame.” A voice came from behind me, it’s tone mocking. I whipped around, only to find somepony that looked exactly like me, except for a few minute details, like this pony was filthy! He was covered in… dust…
I sat up, screaming, my heart pounding away like there was no tomorrow. I quickly whipped out my phone and immediately called Mom. “Mom?!” I demanded into the receiver.
“Oh hello Frisk!” She cheerily sang. I was so relieved I didn’t respond. I only breathed deeply in and out for several seconds. “Frisk? Are you alright?”
“Y-yeah. I just had a… a nightmare. That’s all.” I forced out a laugh.
“You did? Oh Frisk! I’ll be there in just a second.”
I really wanted her to be there, but… well… “No!” I was surprised at how forceful that was. “No, it’s fine. Really! It’s fine. I’m fine.”
“Well, if you’re sure…”
“Yes, Mom. I am absolutely 100% positive that you shouldn’t get ne- I mean get backtracked. Or anything.” I chuckled awkwardly. She shouldn’t get anywhere near this room. “Just, uh, just stay safe, okay?”
“Alright, Frisk. Stay there. Be good!” The call ended with a click, and I breathed out a sigh of relief.
I groaned as I stood up. Contrary to popular belief, stone floors make for painful napping areas. Stretching, I walked into the next room without hesitation. I was not staying another second in that hallway.
In the next room there was three piles of leaves, a sleeping Froggit, and two doors. Of course, the item to do on my priorities list was to play in the leaves. I didn’t know where the leaves came from as there was no trees down here, but it was fun none the less, and definitely helped to relieve some stress left over from that nightmare.
When I stepped out of the leaf pile, I felt something I hadn’t felt for a while.
I felt DETERMINED.
I confidently walked up towards the the doorway where the path didn’t lead. Inside, there was a bowl of candy on a pedestal. There was a note that said to take one. I took one of course. I love candy! But then, I looked towards the candy bowl again.
With slight apprehension, I quickly snatched another one.
Wow.
I felt disgusting.
I stepped out before I could have second thoughts about what a terrible pony I was. I then hurried down towards the second door.
A few more puzzles came after this, including one with talking rocks and one where I fell through the floor. Multiple times. To say my bum was in pain was an extreme understatement. I hobbled towards another leaf-pile with what looked to be a ghost laying on it.
“Um. Hi?” I ventured towards the ghost.
“ZZZZZZZZ.”
“Hello?”
“ZZZZZZZ.”
“I can tell you’re awake.” I said in my most deadpan voice.
“ZZZZ (is he gone yet?) ZZZZ.”
I sighed and put a hoof to the bridge of my nose. I decided to try and move him by force. I walked forward with determination until I was almost on top of him. He flew away, and faced me, looking extremely down.
I decided to try and cheer him up. “I really like your, um, your… shape! Your shape. Yes. It’s very… shapely.”
I got a small laugh in response. But he was crying! My heart went out to him. I reached up a hoof, and-
“Yow!” I yelled in shock and pain. A burn mark was on my hoof, from presumably a tear that had fallen on it. “Your tears are acid!”
That got another small laugh, though I’m not quite sure why. I puffed out my lip in anger. “That really hurt!” I stomped my hoof on the ground, and a resounding thud reverberated through the room. I pricked up an ear and stomped again. Then twice in a row. The ghost seemed to be humming a tune and together we both made some impromptu music!
“....Let me show you something….” He began crying again, and I instinctively jumped back, but instead of falling down, they flew up! A fabulous looking top hat adorned the ghost’s head, made completely from his tears. “What do you think…..? I call it Dapperblook.”
“It’s amazing!” I grinned at him.
“....Do you really think so?” He asked, hopeful.
“Of course! Look at it! You really do look dapper with it!”
“....Oh nooo….” He leaned back from me. “Usually I go to the Ruins because nobody’s around…. but today I met somebody nice…. Oh, I’m rambling again…. I’ll get out of your way….”
“Wait!” I called out. He turned before disappearing. “What’s your name?”
“.....Oh? My name is Napstablook.”
“My name is Frisk.”
I got a small smile in return.
I made a new friend.
That filled me with DETERMINATION.