Here’s what it came up with: **Title: The Lost Melody** In the world of *Undertale*, where monsters once lived peacefully beneath the surface of the Earth, the lines between friend and foe were blurred, and fate itself seemed to be up for negotiation. But the story I want to tell begins not with a fallen human, but with a monster—a monster with a dream. Her name was Melody, a small, scrappy creature with a mop of wild hair and a perpetual grin. Melody wasn’t like most monsters in the Underground. She didn’t want to fight. She wasn’t after power or revenge. All she wanted was to create—create something beautiful. She dreamed of becoming a musician, a composer whose songs would bring joy and harmony to the world, something the Underground desperately needed. Unfortunately, there weren’t many opportunities for a monster like her to make music. The monsters lived in a fractured, gloomy world. The music of their old kingdom was lost, and the very idea of creation seemed to have faded with time. Melody’s small music box—one of her few treasures—was broken, its melody a jumbled mess of distorted notes. But that didn’t stop her. She continued to compose in the air, humming melodies, tapping her feet in rhythm. She believed that one day, her music would be heard. One day, Melody wandered into the Ruins, the first area that any fallen human would enter. She’d heard rumors that a human had come to the Underground, and curiosity gnawed at her. If anyone could change the course of the future, it would be that human—maybe even give her a chance to play her songs for someone. When she reached the entrance to the Ruins, she found a figure sitting on a rock. The human. They were small, wearing a worn sweater and looking more lost than anything else. Melody’s heart thudded. *Should I speak to them? Should I help them?* She had never met a human before, but she had heard stories. Some were kind, some were cruel, but one thing was certain: they were powerful. Without thinking, Melody approached the human cautiously, holding out a hand. “Hey there,” she said, her voice small but cheerful. “Are you lost?” The human looked up at her, their face pale but not frightened. For a moment, there was silence between them. “…Yes,” the human finally replied. “I don’t know where I am. Or what to do.” Melody smiled brightly. “Don’t worry! I know this place like the back of my hand. I can show you around. But, um…” She hesitated. “I’ve got something to ask you first. Do you like music?”
(The story continues here because Scratch said the instructions were too long.) The human blinked, their expression softening. “I guess… I mean, I’ve heard music before. I like it.” Melody’s eyes lit up. “Perfect! So, here’s the deal. You help me find some parts to fix my music box, and I’ll teach you some songs. I know them all—old ones, new ones, happy ones, sad ones. Whatever you want.” The human seemed unsure for a moment but then gave a tentative nod. “Okay. I’ll help.” And so, together, they set off deeper into the Ruins, exploring its empty halls and eerie chambers. Melody kept up a constant stream of chatter as she shared her dream of becoming a great composer. The human listened, not speaking much but clearly intrigued by the monster’s passion. As they ventured further into the Ruins, they encountered the usual puzzles—switches to flip, traps to dodge, and monsters to befriend. Melody’s bright, carefree attitude seemed to lighten the atmosphere, and even the most hostile creatures couldn’t help but smile at her infectious enthusiasm. There was a monster who had once been a fearsome figure, known as the Dummy, but under Melody’s encouragement, it danced and hummed along to her music. Even Flowey, that twisted flower who hid in plain sight, found himself momentarily disarmed by her joy, though he kept his distance. But then, deeper into the Ruins, they reached the first real challenge—a puzzle too complicated for Melody to solve alone. She stood in front of it, tapping her chin in frustration. “Hm. I’ve been trying to figure this out for ages,” she muttered, pacing back and forth. “I think I need to play this part in the song, but…” The human stepped forward, studying the puzzle carefully. “What if we try… this?” They pushed a few stones into place, and with a click, the path opened. Melody blinked. “Wait, you solved it?” The human shrugged, a small grin forming. “I guess so.” For the first time, Melody stopped and stared at the human. They weren’t just helping her—they were challenging her, inspiring her, pushing her to think beyond the music she already knew. She had always thought of music as a personal expression, a solo pursuit, but maybe there was something bigger at play. Maybe… they could create something together. The rest of the journey through the Ruins was filled with moments like that—puzzles, monsters, and a growing bond between Melody and the human. They began to work as a team, their connection deepening with every note they played, every challenge they overcame. But eventually, they came to a crossroads. Melody could feel it—a change in the air. The human’s eyes, once uncertain, had started to take on a hard glint. They seemed less lost, more determined, and yet, there was a quiet sadness to them now. She knew something was wrong. It was like the music had stopped. “Hey…” Melody began, her voice trembling. “What’s going on? You’re not… you’re not going to hurt anyone, are you?” The human didn’t answer right away, but when they spoke, their voice was steady. “I’m not sure anymore. I’ve been given a choice, haven’t I? To end this. To make it all stop.” Melody’s heart sank. The music box that had once seemed like the answer to everything now felt heavy in her hands, the broken melody clashing with the silence between them. “I don’t want to fight,” she whispered. “I just want to create. I want to share something good.” The human turned toward her, their eyes softening, but there was a flicker of something darker in their gaze. “But… what if creation means change? What if change means hurting?” Melody took a step forward, reaching out. “Then we change together. Not alone. You don’t have to do this.” For a moment, everything went still, as if the world itself were holding its breath. And then, the human smiled. It wasn’t a grin of malice or victory. It was a smile of understanding. “I’m not sure what comes next,” they said softly, “but maybe… maybe we can try to create something beautiful together, after all.” And so, the music began to play again—softly at first, fragile, like the first notes of a song just beginning. The melody that Melody had dreamed of was no longer just hers. It was theirs. A new song for a new world, one where creation and destruction, light and dark, could coexist. And somewhere, deep in the heart of the Underground, a music box that had once been broken began to sing. All credit to ChatGPT for the story and to @jtime12 for the request.
