...
All due credit is given in the Epilogue
...
In your dreams, magical thoughts
All things are real, unless you dream they're not
In your dreams, love is the plot
Carried on wings of hope
Each of our souls
Intertwine, when we do
Instantly we see it, the time to grow and be it
When everything is pinned on a hope
...
"Let's see what good your DETERMINATION is against THIS!"
Asriel Dreemurr, the true persona of Flowey, the deceased son of Toriel and Asgore, had only minutes earlier stolen the SOULS of all her friends and every monster in the Underground, restoring his original form and granting him unimaginable power. Asriel had intended to use the SOULs of every monster in the Underground to reset the timeline so that everything could start over, so he could be with his old friend Chara again. Asriel took on the form of a terrifying being, a Hypergod of Death, with massive wings of ever changing colors, spanning his width at least tenfold.
"HAHAHA! BEHOLD MY TRUE POWER!"
Asriel unleashes volley after volley of fireballs at Frisk. Frisk is unable to move. HP reduced to 12/20
Intent on removing the last threat that stood between him and his plans coming to fruition, Frisk was powerless against him, and couldn't even move a muscle. She couldn't reach her save file. She couldn't do anything.
"You'll die here. You'll die alone, and everyone will forget you. Everything you've done, everything you've strived for can be erased. It means NOTHING!"
Asriel unleashes volley after volley of fireballs at Frisk. Frisk is unable to move. HP reduced to 08/20)
But...
Maybe with what little power she had left...she could save something else
Frisk had befriended many monsters on this journey, and had formed a powerful bond with each of them.
Sans.
Papyrus.
Undyne.
Alphys.
Toriel.
Asgore.
And so many more. She could still feel their SOULS within Asriel, reaching out to her.
Asriel unleashes fireballs again. Frisk is unable to move. HP reduced to 05/20
Through sheer DETERMINATION and force of will, Frisk was able to call out to and reach the SOULS of all her friends trapped within Asriel. One by one, she called out to each of them and broke Asriels bind on their will.
Papyrus...
"NO WAIT, YOU'RE MY FRIEND! I COULD NEVER CAPTURE YOU!"
Sans...
"nah, i'm rootin for ya, kid."
Alphys...
"No, that's not true! My friends like me! And I like you too!"
Undyne...
"Well, some humans are okay, I guess!"
Toriel...
"Your fate is up to you now, my child!"
Asgore...
"You are our hope for the future!"
Frisk is filled with DETERMINATION. HP FULLY RESTORED. 20/20
"You're STILL ALIVE!? Come on, GIVE UP! What good is your DETERMINATION NOW!?"
But the SOULS now resonating within Asriel had awoken one more person deep within. Someone who was thought to have been lost long ago.
And with that hope and DETERMINATION, she was able to reach out to that one person.
Asriel himself.
Asriel...can you hear me?
"W-what is this feeling? What did you...NO! I DON'T NEED ANYONE! GET AWAY FROM ME!"
Asriel unleashes an enormous torrent of fireballs. Frisk is unable to move. HP reduced to 8/20
I know you're still in there, Asriel. I know there's still good in you.
"DO YOU HEAR ME! I'LL RIP YOU TO PIECES!"
Asriel unleashes another barrage of fireballs. Frisk is unable to move. HP reduced to 05/20
Please, Asriel. You can't give up on everyone. Remember what it was like, to feel love? To feel compassion?
"Chara...don't you know why I keep doing this? Why I'm fighting so hard to keep you around?"
Asriel unleashes more fireballs but they fall away without direction. Frisk refuses to move. HP 05/20
It's okay, Asriel. You don't have to fight anymore.
"I'm doing this...because you're special, Chara. You're the only one who understands me. You're the only one who is any fun to play with anymore."
Asriel unleashes more fireballs but does not have the will to direct them. Frisk refuses to move. HP 05/20
Come back to us Asriel. Please...
"...no, that's not the real reason. I'm doing this because...because you're my friend, Chara. Because I care about you, more than anybody in the world."
Asriel lacks the will to attack. Frisk refuses to move. HP 05/20
Don't do this, Asriel...
"...I'm not ready for this to end. I'm not ready for you to leave. I'm not ready to say goodbye to a friend like you again."
Asriel begins channeling the full extent of his power
It's okay, Asriel...
"...So please...STOP doing this..."
Asriel raises his arms, ready to attack
It's okay...
"...AND JUST LET ME WIN!"
Asriel focuses all of his power into a prismatic beam of light that engulfs the entire room, centered on Frisk. Frisk is helpless against his onslaught and can only endure. HP reduced to 01/20
It's okay...
HP reduced to 00.90/20
I won't fight back.
HP reduced to 00.50/20. Frisk refuses to give up
"STOP IT!"
HP reduced to 00.10/20
It's okay...
HP reduced to 00.01/20
"STOP IT NOW!"
HP reduced to 00.001/20
I'll never give up on you...
HP reduced to 00.0001/20. Frisk barely clings to life
Even if it kills me...
HP reduced to 00.000001/20
I'm not letting go...
HP reduced to 00.0000000001/20
"Chara..."
Asriel finally ceases his attack
"I'm so alone, Chara..."
You're not alone anymore Asriel..."
"I'm so afraid, Chara..."
I'm right here with you Asriel...
"Chara, I..."
Asriel...
"I..."
And in the end, Frisks unwavering compassion and refusal to give up finally broke through to Asriel.
"I'm...I'm sorry. I'm so sorry..."
In a flash of light, Asriel returned to his original form, the young boss monster whose life had been cut tragically short by the most unfair of circumstances. He looked very similar to Toriel and Asgore, albeit not as defined in his features. He had white fur, big floppy ears, a long snout and a short, fluffy tail. He was almost like a cute goat in some ways, save for his feet which were more like paws, with three furry toes and small claws at the end of each one. He was wearing a long sleeved green and yellow striped shirt and black pants. Unlike his parents, he had no horns on his head. Maybe he would have grown them if he had not died so young all those years ago.
All the anger, all the hate, the rage...there wasn't a trace of any of it on his face anymore. Instead, it was replaced by something much stronger, something wonderful to behold.
Truth.
He finally raised his head, wiping the tears with one of his sleeves, his shining green eyes now staring directly into hers, and he spoke to Frisk.
"I was always a crybaby, wasn't I, Chara?"
Frisk was still weak from Asriel's previous assault, barely able to even stand. It was amazing she was even still alive, let alone conscious. She was bloody, battered, torn, and beaten, as if she had just returned home from a long campaign of endless battle. She could think of nothing to say, because she wasn't the person that Asriel thought she was. She felt awful that he had confused her for someone else this whole time.
And he seemed to realize it now.
"...No, I know. You're not Chara, are you? Chara has been gone for a long time..."
Frisk was finally able to speak.
"Asriel..."
He wiped the remaining tears from his eyes, trying to regain his composure.
"Um, if I may ask...what IS your name?"
Frisk could slowly feel her strength returning, and was happy to be able to tell him.
"It's Frisk."
"Frisk? That's...that's a nice name."
Frisk smiled at Asriel. She always thought it was a weird name, a boys name even. It never felt right to her. To hear someone else appreciate it...well, it meant a lot to her.
"Frisk, I...I haven't felt like this in so long."
Now the smile turned to confusion.
"As a flower, I was soulless. I lacked the ability to feel love or compassion. I couldn't feel anything at all, and the only way I knew how to cope was to pretend there was no such thing. Somehow I even convinced myself of that."
The confusion became sadness, and was soon followed by tears of her own.
"...But, with everyones SOULS inside me, I can feel love again. I have my compassion back, because of you."
Frisk raised her head to look at Asriel again.
"And not only that, I can feel every other monsters emotions as well. They all care about each other so much. And most of all, they care about you."
Frisk began calling out to their names.
"Papyrus. Sans. Alphys. Undyne."
And Asriel joined her in doing so.
"...Mom and Dad."
Now THAT was a real heartwarming moment, hearing Asriel call them (Toriel and Asgore) Mom and Dad again. It was wonderful to hear that from him, and she knew, deep down, he really was a kind, loving person at his core.
"...they all really love you. They barely know you too. Monsters are so weird."
Frisk nodded in agreement, hoping not to upset the young prince, who WAS a monster, by all technical aspects of the term. That wasn't true in the slightest of his good nature, though.
"...yeah, they're all special, for lack of a better word, in their own way, and I love them all too. You're special too, Asriel..."
Asriel seemed to perk up at that comment.
"Haha...s-stop, you're making me blush."
It was all she wanted, to see him be happy. There was a truth on his face that nothing could tarnish, and she saw that same truth on all her friends faces before she bonded with them. They were monsters, but they weren't really monsters to her. None of them. And this was so much stronger.
But the happy look on Asriels face was replaced with one of shame and regret. It was painful for Frisk to see, all the more so because it was genuine.
"Frisk, I...I understand if you hate me. I understand if you can't forgive me for what I've done. I've caused so much pain. I've hurt so many people. Friends, family, innocent bystanders..."
Frisk simply stood and waited, letting Asriel get it all out.
"...but most of all, I hurt you, Frisk. I almost killed you in my anger. You were only trying to help everyone...only trying to help me. There's no excuse for what I've done."
He looked down at his feet and started crying again, ashamed of himself. He couldn't blame Frisk for being angry, for hating him...but Frisk didn't hate him. She moved closer to him and took his furry hands into her own. They were still damp with his tears.
"It's okay, Asriel. I forgive you."
A second later the smile came back on Asriel.
"I...t-t-thank you Frisk. T-that means the world to me, coming from you."
But Asriel knew he there was still one thing left to be done.
"But...I can't keep these SOULS inside of me. Your friends deserve to be happy, and so do you. I can feel them all inside me right now. They're all burning with the same desire. They all have the same dream, and right now it's resonating as one."
Asriel closed his eyes and slowly rose into the air. Frisk backed away slowly, not knowing what he was about to do.
"It's time for monsters...to finally go free."
And not even a second later, the SOULS of every monster in the Underground gathered around the young prince and shone with light. The light grew brighter and brighter, and Frisk had to put her hands up to shield her eyes from being blinded.
And in an instant, the blinding light was replaced with a sound akin to something large and powerful being shattered. And she knew.
The Barrier was destroyed
The light faded, and Asriel slowly descended, his furry white paws finally touching down on solid ground. He opened his eyes, looking content, as if he had at long last made peace with himself for setting things right.
"It's done."
He said.
He looked into Frisks eyes. Frisk was ready to bring him back with her, to be with their friends, to be his friend and go to the surface together.
But Asriels selfless act of atonement came at a high price.
"I...I have to go, Frisk."
Her joyful expression melted in an instant and was replaced with a look of utter heartbreak.
"W...why?"
Asriel was looking down again. He looked ashamed again, but not the same kind of shame, not for regret over his actions. This time, because he knew it would crush her to find out the truth, and he had to tell her anyway.
"Without a SOUL of my own, I can't maintain this form..."
Frisk didn't know what to say. The feeling of despair sank in just a little more.
"...In a little while, I'll go back to being a flower again. I won't be able to feel love or compassion again."
"Asriel..."
Asriel looked at Frisk again, and the pain in his eyes said everything to her.
"...It's best if you just forget about me, okay? You should go and be with your friends."
Frisk's gazed turned downward now too. She felt terrible, completely dejected, and began to walk away...
...and then stopped herself.
"...I won't forget you, Asriel."
She said as she turned around and ran up to Asriel, hugging him as tight as she could.
"ACK!"
"You're my friend too, and you always will be."
Asriel responded by returning the hug, gripping the back of her shirt so tightly that his claws ripped into the fabric. After everything he had done to her, to hear her call him a friend...now he knew why the others loved her so much. And that's exactly what he was feeling for her in this moment.
"I...I don't want to let go, Frisk."
But he knew he had to. It was an indeterminable amount of time, perhaps hours, perhaps only minutes. But he knew it would happen eventually, and he didn't want Frisk, or anyone else to be there to see it. He couldn't bear to put anyone through that kind of pain, least of all his parents, or the new friend he had just made.
They maintained the embrace for a few more seconds before letting go, Asriel now taking Frisks hands into his own. They were warm, and gave her great comfort.
"You're wonderful, Frisk. You're going to do a great job out there. No matter what happens, your friends will always be there for you."
Frisk gave him one more smile and nodded in acknowledgement.
Asriel started walking away. And turned around after a few steps.
"Take care of Mom and Dad for me, okay?"
Asriel gave her one last smile, and a few seconds later, he was walking again.
Asriel...
Frisk wanted to reach out and stop him, but she heard a voice call out to her.
"FRISK!"
And it was so familiar.
"FRISK! WAKE UP, CHILD! PLEASE!"
Toriel?
And then Frisk was walking too. Towards the sound of Toriels voice.
...
"FRISK! WAKE UP! PLEASE!"
It seemed like an eternity had passed before consciousness finally returned to Frisk, though in reality it had only been a few minutes. Relativity can have that effect on people, a pleasant experience can make an hour seem like a minute, while an unpleasant one can make a minute seem like a year. Sans probably knew more about it then most, knowing some of the books he possessed on the subject of physics. Frisk would have to remind herself to ask him about that in the future.
She finally opened her eyes, still a little weak from her encounter with Asriel, though sporting none of her physical injuries from the battle. Her exhaustion now was almost purely mental. She struggled to pull herself to her feet.
And to her surprise, she was surrounded by all of her dear friends.
Sans, Papyrus, Undyne, Alphys, Toriel, and even Asgore were all there, all with smiles and relief that their friend had finally regained consciousness.
Frisk smiled and renounced her joy at seeing everyone.
"You're all here! I missed you all so much!"
In an instant, Toriel dropped to her knees and gave Frisk the biggest hug she could muster. Frisk buried her face into the fabric of Toriels robes.
"Oh, Frisk! We were so worried. We thought you were..."
Wait, how did they know my name? Asriel...?
Alphys was the next one to respond.
"Yeah! You had us all so concerned!"
Undyne was next.
"Warn us next time you decide to take a nap, okay?"
Sans chimed in next, and couldn't resist the urge to take a cheap shot at his brother, who was clearly the most emotionally devastated of the group.
"yeah, you even made papyrus cry."
Papyrus slammed his foot down in anger and shot his brother a dirty look.
"I'M NOT CRYING! I DON'T CRY! I JUST CAUGHT SOMETHING IN MY EYE!"
"oh, really? what did you catch, exactly?"
"TEARS!"
Everyone laughed, even Frisk. Papyrus seemed antagonized at first but eventually started laughing with everyone.
Asgore finally spoke up, annoyed by everyones nonsense.
"That's enough, everyone. The important thing is that Frisk is okay."
"Yes, that is all that matters."
Toriel responded.
"And it seems the barrier is gone as well. I don't know how or why, but...we can leave for the outside world whenever we like."
Frisk gave a cheerful smile, her eyes still in narrow slits as they always were.
"I'm just so glad to see you all again!"
It was the only response Frisk could think of, still bound in Toriels loving embrace.
Toriel finally let go and stood, suddenly seeming confused.
"What exactly DID happen though? All I remember is a flower, and then everything went white. And then...you were unconscious on the floor."
Undyne shook her head in agreement.
"Yeah, that's all I remember too. That's one hell of a coincidence."
Sans shrugged, and turned to Frisk.
"do you know anything about it?"
Frisk was unsure how to respond. What she really wanted to do at that moment was tell them everything that had happened, but she knew it would only cause more pain if she did. It was a difficult thing to do, but she knew that, at least for now, she had to keep it to herself.
"...No, I have no idea."
Everyone looked around at each other, not sure of what to make of the situation, shaking their heads. Toriel spoke up once more.
"Well, let it be a mystery then. I think we're all just about ready to leave this place and see what the world above is like."
"are we all ready to go then?"
Sans inquired. Frisk looked around and shook her head, seeming worried. She knew she couldn't leave yet. Not until...
"Frisk? Are you okay?"
Toriel put a gentle hand of Frisks shoulder.
"Y...yeah. I guess I'm just surprised that it's almost over..."
Frisk was never any good at hiding her feelings and she was sure everyone could tell how uncomfortable she was. It made it all the more difficult to deal with because she couldn't tell everyone WHY she was feeling this way, even though saying nothing might worry everyone more.
Toriel noticed this and spoke up for her, although she was not aware of what Frisk was REALLY worried about, and did not attempt to press the matter any further, to Frisks relief.
"We don't have to leave right away. There's still time. Perhaps you would like to spend a little time with each of the wonderful friends you've made on this journey before we go."
Sans was quick with the sarcasm, as usual.
"hard to imagine she considers us all 'friends' after what we've done."
Undyne nodded at Sans.
"Yeah, I think we've all tried to kill her at least once today."
Alphys objected to their assertions.
"I-I never tried to hurt her!"
Surprisingly, Papyrus had an immediate response to that.
"YOUR DUMB ROBOT DID! NYEH, GUILT BY ASSOCIATION!"
That was actually sarcasm on Papyrus part. For whatever reason, Papyrus had a deep infatuation with Mettaton, even calling him a 'sexy rectangle' at some point. Alphys took his statement literally though, probably as intended.
Alphys angrily snapped at him for that remark.
"METTATON IS NOT DUMB YOU BONEHEAD!"
Sans smirked at that comment.
"hah, the puns sound better coming from her."
Papyrus slammed his foot down again.
"BOTH OF YOU, SHUT UP!"
Frisk gave a genuine laugh and smile, and everyone immediately ceased their bickering in response. They were all still themselves, in every sense of the word. Nothing had changed with them, and Frisk wouldn't have it any other way. She spoke up for everyone at that moment.
"It's okay, everyone. You're all wonderful."
And everyone smiled at Frisk as well.
"I just wish that..."
Frisk knew she shouldn't have said anything more. She wasn't any good at lying, and she wasn't good at keeping secrets or controlling her emotions either. Not that anyone would really expect that from a child, even one as unique as Frisk, or that one should even HAVE to in normal circumstances, but circumstances were obviously not anything even remotely normal.
Toriel picked up on this and looked down at Frisk, concerned.
"Hmm? What is it Frisk?"
Frisk shook her head, feeling silly for even bringing it up.
"It's nothing."
Toriel still looked concerned, but thankfully didn't press the matter.
"Well...if you're sure."
Asgore spoke up once more.
"We're all here for you, Frisk. Spend some time with your friends and take care of whatever else needs to be done. When you're ready, we will all be here."
Frisk nodded and waved to everyone before walking off, Asgores last words weighing heavy in her mind as she walked past the throne room.
Whatever else needs to be done...
If only it were that simple.