//------------------------------// // Welcome to Snowdin // Story: To Save a Life // by Infernity Zero //------------------------------// As Sunset kept moving, the dry warmth of the Ruins gave way to a chilly breeze. Little patches of snow ran together on either side of the path. Sadly for her, Frisk's clothes, while soft and comfortable, provided little insulation from the growing cold. So she kept walking, trying hard not to think about it, as the path stretched into another forest. Just like the Everfree, the trees were barren and naked, stretching themselves toward the surface. This would be really peaceful if I wasn't freezing. Toriel's fur probably keeps her warm, so she wouldn't have thought to give me better clothes. Sheesh, Frisk, would it kill you to have dressed a little warmer? But instead I'm left trudging through snow and trees in shorts. Wonderful. How do trees grow underground anyway? Don't they need sunlight? I'm pretty sure there's no sun under-- "Whoa--OOF!" An unseen tree root caught her unsuspecting legs and introduced her face to the snow. Before she could recover, more clumps of snow, knocked loose by her fall, fell on top of her and buried all but her head. After a few tugs and a lot of grunting, she managed to pull herself free but not before drenching herself. The result? A sniffling, sopping, shivering mess. Is it too late to go back? Sadly, the door to the Ruins had locked behind her, so she could only go forward. She kept moving forward, listening to the crunch of her shoes on the ground, the whistle of the winter wind, the pitter-pat of falling snow-- SNAP! --and the sound of a twig breaking behind her. "Who's there?" She whirred around, her eyes sweeping in all directions, but saw no one. No other sounds rang out to verify her suspicions, but the snapped stick itself lay on the ground behind her. She shivered and moved forward once more, exchanging her slow trudge for a brisk jog. "One whiff of that SOUL of yours is all it will take." Water droplets trickled down her face, but whether it was sweat, snow, or tears, she didn't know. Only her grip on the knife kept the panic at bay. Eventually, the forest path led to a bridge over a pond. Large wooden slats barred the way in front of it, and she had to stop running to try and squeeze through. Close to the ground, she carefully inched herself under the lowest bar. DONK! "OW-HA-HA-HA-HOW!" Unfortunately, she made a slight miscalculation and banged her head instead. With shut eyes and throbbing head, it took two more attempts for her to get through. Great job, Sunset. Just announce your presence to every monster nearby. She could already hear footsteps. They weren't moving very quickly; but judging by the sound, they were less than 100 feet away. She stood up, took a step, slipped on snow, and planted her face in the ground once again. Stumbling on her hands and knees, she frantically scrambled forward. She crawled straight into a pair of legs. "Hey." Her eyes still shut, she forced herself up, nearly slipped again, steadied herself, and turned her back to the newcomer. "Hey. Human. Don't you know how to greet a new friend?" She thought about running, but the cold, wet clothes, and injuries had all taken their tole. She couldn't do anything. Here we go again. More "Friendliness Pellets." "Turn around." She obeyed. The figure in front of her was cloaked in black. "Who are you?" He held out a hand. "Just a guy passin' by." She just stared at his outstretched arm. "What, they don't shake hands where you're from?" I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. Trembling all the while, she slowly raised her hand until at was at the same level as his. Then, really to pull back at any moment, she moved it forward. "Come on. I don't bite. Just shake it." On impulse, she grabbed it. BZZZZZZZZZZZZZT! "AAAAH!" She jumped backwards, arms outstretched, in a futile attempt to save herself from the encroaching oblivion that was surely...on the cusp of...consuming...her? "Heh heh heh." The figure, which she now saw was a skeleton, turned his hand towards her, exposing the joy buzzer within. "They always fall for that one." She looked at him first, than the buzzer, than back at him again. It took a few seconds, but then the realization finally hit. A prank. This was just one big prank. "the name's sans. sans the skeleton. what's your name?" Sunset started to answer...but only managed to get out a couple of incoherent babbles before falling to the ground in a faint. "huh. guess she really fell for me."