• Published 16th Dec 2015
  • 7,662 Views, 331 Comments

To Save a Life - Infernity Zero



Crushed after the Anon-a-Miss incident, Sunset Shimmer leaves CHS and ends up falling underground

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Let Me Out

Sunset stared at Toriel's dust as if somehow expecting it to reform before her eyes. It didn't. Her hands began to tremble, and the rest of her body soon followed.

"No. Nononononono. N-n-no. Please."

A few drops of blood trickled down her arm and plopped down into the dust, turning it red. She tried to scream, but she couldn't. She tried to cry, but she couldn't. She tried to move, but she couldn't. She just stood there, rooted to the ground, while the world swam before her eyes.

"Toriel."

There was no denying it. Toriel was dead, her life ended by just one attack. And some of the dust that had billowed from her body now clung to the blade of the knife. With that new knowledge came a cold realization.

It's blood. Monster dust is blood.

The previous child hadn't just left the knife in the Dummy; she'd tried to kill it. And the fact that there'd already been dust on the knife meant she'd already succeeded before. How many other monsters had died on her blade?

Is that why every human has to die? Are monsters simply so fragile that even a single human is a dangerous threat?

More cracks appeared on her SOUL. Their weight pushed down on her shoulders like an overloaded backpack. Her legs grew weak and buckled beneath her.

I didn't...I didn't mean to.

That didn't change anything. Intent or no intent, The poor goat was still dead. Because of her.

They're not the monsters.

Her body gave out once more.

I am.

And just like Toriel before her, Sunset's SOUL shattered. Her eyes glazed over, her skin turned cold, and she slumped to the ground.

Dead.


She'd been here before. No sights, no sounds, no feeling, not even any air. Just nothing. The eternal void stood before her once more. And once again, it was calling to her. Its grasp on her body was stronger this time; escape would not come as easily. The tranquil calm was now a raging whirlpool, and it was trying to pull her down.

She did not fight back. The dusty knife had embedded itself in her SOUL, eclipsing all other thoughts and feelings, and it was prying her apart. Long, shadowy tendrils wrapped around her while she could only muster slight resistance.

"I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry."

It was almost over. She was fading fast. There was no coming back this time. So, she closed her eyes and let herself--

"Stop your whining, you big baby."

"H-huh? What?" The words startled her awake. Before her eyes, a giant hand reached down into the muck, grabbed her SOUL, and wrenched her to the surface. "OW!"

"That's it, huh? One little mistake and you just roll over and die? You're pathetic." The flicker from before was back; but this time, it blazed brightly, emitting little wisps of fire the same color as her SOUL.

Sunset gave a small huff as the knife in her heart shuddered. "I'd hardly call accidental murder a little mistake. Now leave me alone so I don't kill anyone else."

"Again pathetic." More flames sparkled from the flicker and spun around the two. "What, are you gonna have a funeral if you step on an ant? It was an accident, so there's no reason for you to feel guilty. You barely even knew her anyway."

"That doesn't matter." Tiny water droplets ran down Sunset's SOUL. "She saved my life and I took hers in response. I'm a horrible person."

The flicker stopped blazing for a moment and gave a slow, heaving hiss.

"She was right. You are so much like him. So sentimental. But I can't let that sentiment go to waste, so I think I'll help you out."

"Help me? How are you gonna do that?"

"What if I told you, there's a way you can go back?"

If she'd still had her body, her skin would be crawling. "What do you mean 'go back'?"

"Exactly what I said, idiot. I can help you go back so you can spare Toriel instead of killing her."

The dripping stopped. "You can do that?"

"You've already spat in death's face once, and you're still skeptical? Yes I can."

"And what's in it for you?"

The flicker gave off a few wisps of smoke. "Short term, I don't have to listen to your bawling. Long term, I want to see what happens next. And how far your DETERMINATION will take you. So do we have a deal or not?"

"W-wait a minute. I need more information. How do you--"

"Going once."

"I have to know wh--"

"Going twice."

"All right, all right. I'll do it. I'LL DO IT!"

"Sold to the SOUL in red."

Sunset felt herself rising as her SOUL broke free from the void's pull. The flicker rose with her, its glow filling her field of vision. "Who are you, to have this kind of power?"

"My name? My name is...."

Sunset woke up.


She was back in Toriel's basement, surrounded by purple walls and empty halls. The goat stood before her, blocking the exit once again. The knife was there too, still covered in dust. It was just like it had been before.

I really am back in time. But that also meant....

"Then it appears we are at an impasse. And there is only one option. Prove yourself. Prove to me you are strong enough to survive."

"Prove myself?" Sunset remembered what came next and took a step back. "What do you mean?"

Expression unreadable, Toriel lifted her hands and pointed them both at Sunset. A large blast of fire shot from her hands and hurled straight towards Sunset. Feeling the heat in front of her, Sunset shut her eyes and did the only thing she could do.

She didn't move.

"AAH!"

Toriel stopped her attack and put a hand to her gaping mouth.

"What do you think you're doing? You didn't even try to dodge."

To her surprise, when the smoke cleared, Sunset was still standing. Ignoring the pain, she quickly sheathed the knife and spread her arms out wide.

"I'm not going to fight you, Toriel."

"You don't have a choice. Either you fight me or you die." At the word die, she fired another blast; and just like before, Sunset didn't move.

Searing agony tore through her skin, but she kept moving forwards, closing the gap between them.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm not going to fight you. Even if you kill me."

"Attack me or run away!" More fire. More pain.

Five steps.

"I won't."

"Stop it." Toriel moved back. "Stop looking at me like that."

This time, as the blast moved forward, it weaved around Sunset at the last second. The goat kept shooting more and more, but her will to fight was draining quickly.

"I won't fight." Four steps.

"I know you want to-t-to go home," tears came to Toriel's eyes, "But please, go upstairs. I know we don't have much. I know the Ruins could never replace the surface world. B-b-but we could still have a good life here." Three steps.

"Toriel please." Sunset had to force the words out through her quivering voice. "I can't stay. You've been so wonderful to me, especially since monsters and humans are supposed to hate each other. But I can't stay here knowing that Twilight and the others are in danger. If there's even a one percent chance that they're still alive, then I have to find them." Two Steps.

"Why?" Toriel's hands fell to her sides. "Why are you making this...so difficult?"

"Because," Sunset took one last step, placing herself right in front of Toriel. "Because I love them."

That did it for both of them. The two of them wrapped their arms around each other and cried their eyes out.

"I'm sorry, my child. I didn't meant to hurt you." Toriel held Sunset tightly as if she might disappear. "But after the losses I've already endured, I didn't want anyone else to die."

"I'm sorry too." Sunset held her just as tightly. "I'm sorry that I ki--that this had to happen. I promise I'll be safe."

Through her tears, Toriel smiled. "Pathetic, is it not? I cannot save even a single child. But, I understand. It would not be right for you to grow up in a place like this. My expectations...my loneliness...my fear. For you, my child, I will set them all aside."

Far too soon for either of them, Toriel let her go. After a final parting glance, she headed back upstairs to her home. Sunset waited a few minutes to reorient herself before heading out of the exit.


The next room had another long hallway which led to a pair of large double doors which opened with a loud creak. Sunset carefully stepped through.

She found Flowey on the other side.

"Clever, very clever."

"You again?" Quickly whipping out the knife, she brandished it at him. "Don't even think about trying those Friendliness Pellets again, buddy. I'm armed."

He ignored her. "I bet you think you're pretty smart don't you." Giving a small chuckle, his face shifted into a sneer. "You spared the life of a single person."

"Yes, I did." She grinned in spite of herself. "How do you feel about that Mr. Kill-or-Be-Killed?"

He continued to sneer. "But don't act so cocky. I know what you did."

"Know what I did? What are you talking ab--"

"You murdered her."

Everything slammed to a halt as dread seized her body in its grip. She couldn't move. She couldn't talk. She couldn't even breathe.

"And then you went back, because you regretted it." His face shifted once more into a menacing grin. "You naive idiot. Do you think you're the only one with that power? The ability to shape the world to your own desires? The ability to play god? The ability to SAVE?"

He knows? Was he stalking me the whole time? She hadn't been safe after all. He could have killed her at any moment. The thought made her entire body tremble.

"I thought I was the only one with that power." Flowey continued. "But, I can't SAVE anymore. Apparently, your desires for this world override mine. Don't worry, my little monarch, I'm not going to kill you. This is so much more interesting. I can't wait to see what happens next." And with a final laugh, he was gone.

Sunset stared at where he had been for a few seconds before finally inhaling. How could a little flower be so terrifying? But it didn't matter in the end. Flowey or no Flowey, she still had to find her friends.

"If he is watching, then I'll just give him a show."

Setting herself resolutely, she exited the Ruins.


TO SAVE A LIFE: by Infernity Zero

Author's Note:

Okay, so I kinda got bogged down here. My commissioner wanted Sunset to reset and SPARE Toriel, but I had a hard time with how to do so. Just undoing everything would cheapen the death in the first place as well as remove all tension from the story. See, resetting EVERY time she dies is great for a game, but bad for a story. So I changed the mechanics a bit. Returning from death is one thing, rewinding time is another.

I'll admit, this chapter has rather poor pacing, but that's because I wrote most of it while sick and the rest of it while undernourished.

Rose: When he's on a roll, he doesn't eat until he's done.

If it bothers me too much, I'll change it.

Question of the Day: Did you SPARE or KILL Toriel the first time you played?