Undertale: Long Road

By: Nathan Weaver

Warning: The following fanfiction contains spoilers for the Pacifist Ending of Undertale. If you have any interest in playing Undertale please play the game before reading this short story

Part 1

Every week it was the same thing, and it had been now for months. Frisk would wake up early, wash, comb her straight brown hair, put on her favorite purple and pink striped shirt, and would prepare her houseguest for his weekly check up with Alphys, it was like clockwork. Like clockwork that same house guest would throw a fit.

"Please," said Frisk in the sweetest voice she could manage, "take your medicine Flowey."

"Screw you, Frisk!" The talking flower cursed, "we both know that crap's poison!"

Frisk took a deep breath. The windows of her bedroom were wide open, but whenever her roommate got this upset Frisk always felt like she was in a closed box. She knew she couldn't look upset, letting that show would cause problems. So Frisk channeled that frustration, down her arms, through the table and down beneath the floor. Wherever it ended up didn't matter, all that mattered was dealing with the irate yellow flower.

"Fine," she deadpanned, "take your poison, Flowey."

To her credit, Frisk never backed down, the syringe was never more than a few inches from the indignant flower's face, despite the frantic thrashing of his petals. Despite only being nine Frisk had tremendous patience, some might even call her determined. But she couldn't really force Flowey to do something he didn't want to.

"Come on, it's for your own good," Frisk said.

"Says you!" the flower shot back, turning his face from the syringe like an angry, well-spoken toddler.

"And Dr. Alphys," Frisk shot back with a sigh.

"Oh, like I can trust her," Flowey spat back.

"That's enough, Asriel," Frisk explained with finality. The flower froze, instantly going silent.

"Frisk," the flower hissed quietly, "Don't. Call me. Asriel!"

"Then take. The stupid. Medicine," Frisk said slowly, the barest edge of a threat creeping into her expression. The flower seethed for several moments before sighing and hanging his head in defeat.

"Fine, fine. You win, you little dictator," Flowey said, "let's just get this over with."

The yellow flower forced his mouth open and squeezed his eyes shut, clearly dreading the moment. For her part Frisk shoved the tip of the syringe and squeezed the glowing liquid into Floweys mouth before he could change his mind. The medicine was down his throat in an instant, but Flowey still loudly gagged like he was choking, despite the fact that not a single green drop came back up. Frisk honestly suspected that Flowey was just a big baby when it came to medicine. She briefly considered asking Toriel if Asriel was like that as well, but quickly dismissed the idea, it would dredge up painful memories.

"I'm sorry Flowey," Frisk said with a sigh, "I just don't get why we always have to do it this way. The medicine helps, doesn't it?"

"It does," Flowey coughed as he dropped limp to the bed of his flower pot. He even managed to turn green somehow. "By tonight the urge to destroy you all will almost be controllable. Until then, I'm going to feel like puking my guts out. And I don't even have guts!"

"Well, you've been good," Frisk said cheerfully, stretching the truth only a little, "so, how about I surprise you a little after the checkup?"

"A surprise, really?" Flowey asked, perking up slightly, "what is it?"

"Wouldn't be a surprise if I told you"

"Well, you've got me there," the yellow flower sighed loudly and started looking around the room. Frisk had seen this behavior enough to know that Flowey was making a decision. Flowey couldn't move much inside his garden pot so this was his way of pacing. "Alright, let's go get it over with."

Frisk nodded and stood from her chair, reaching for the flowerpot that held her bad friend.

A lot can change in a year. You can find a new family, entire civilizations can be freed from captivity, the rediscovery of magic can turn science on its head the world over. For all of that, it struck Frisk just how normal her new life felt to her.

She held Flowey on her lap in silence, neither feeling the need to talk, and just watched things as each bus-stop rolled by. A few monsters got on or off here and there, but either there weren't many or Frisk didn't notice them at all. The latter was a real possibility, Frisk saw monsters as people just fine, she hardly even noticed her friend's species by now. Even back when she fell into the underground and met monsters for the first time, it just didn't seem that hard for her to see past their unusual appearance.

It wasn't until Frisk had returned to the surface, and brought all her new friends along that she realized other humans struggled to see monsters the same way. The stares Flowey was getting were not nearly as discreet as people thought.

"Frisk, this is our stop."

"Oh, right."

Her train of thought derailed, Frisk stood from her seat and walked to the exit, eyes following her and Flowey every step of the way.

Alphys' new lab was actually really nice, as far as repurposed office buildings went. It was a tan colored stucco building shaped like a strip mall, right off the edge of the university campus. Frisk thought it seemed a bit modest for the supposed global expert on magic, souls, and monsters, but Alphys didn't seem to mind.

Humming to herself Frisk walked up to the front door and buzzed the intercom. There was a waiting room, but Alphys never hired a receptionist.

"Yes hello, is that you Frisk?" Alphys asked, her voice came out tinnily on the cheap speaker.

"Yes it's me," Frisk answered, "I'm here for the checkup."

"Ah yes," Alphys said before pausing, "I uh, presume you brought the uh, the patient with you?"

"I'm right here doc," said Flowey grumpily, "buzz us in already so we can get this over with!"

"Ah, right,"said Alphys as a familiar click signaled that the door was open.

"You don't have to be so rude, Flowey," Frisk said, chiding the flower as she carried him through the door.

"You're right, I don't! But I'm gonna do it anyway!" Flowey answered sarcastically and grinned up at the girl carrying him.

Despite her eccentricities, Frisk adored Dr Alphys, just as she adored all her friends. Alphys was just such a bundle of nerves and anxiety, it was hard not root for her as she awkwardly went through life. Despite that, there were things about Alphys that Frisk couldn't understand. Take the examination room she was in. On one hand it felt a lot like a typical medical exam room, on the other hand it was just full of all sorts of weird devices that looked both hand-made, and like they belonged on the set of old sci-fi films. Honestly the room should have felt cluttered, but somehow Alphys had arranged everything in such a way that it all felt like it was in its proper place. It made the room feel oddly neat and tidy, which was especially odd considering how cluttered the rest of the Lab felt.

"Mm, Just one more moment," Alphys said quickly as she returned to scribbling notes onto her clipboard and muttering indistinctly. Frisk couldn't really make out what she was saying, but it sounded kinda mathy to her. She knew she couldn't keep up with the short yellow dinosaur-like monster when it came to sciencey stuff, not yet anyway. For visits like these she mostly had to nod her head and take Alphys word for it. Actually, thinking about it further, Frisk realized that probably described a lot of her interactions with Alphys; she was incredibly passionate whenever she started talking about anime too.

"Well, I think it's mostly good news," Alphys chirped happily as she looked up from behind her clipboard, "Asriel's soul has re-fused to about seven percent of what it should be since we started traditional dusting-injury treatment."

"That's good," Frisk chimed in happily and leaned forward in her seat, "...right?"

"It's one percent, Frisk," Flowey groaned from the equipment he was still sitting on, which resembled a large bathroom scale covered in LEDs and neon glow rings. "Months of taking that vile crap every week, and I'm barely any better off than when I started." He turned and glared at Alphys, "and don't call me Asriel!"

"Oh, um, I'm," Alphys apologized, "I keep forgetting." Alphys looked around the room quickly and adjusted her glasses with one hand, a gesture Frisk recognized as the doctor's way of collecting her thoughts. "To answer your question, yes it's good news. This proves that the patient can be treated with the same methods used to help other monsters that have had part of their bodies or souls shattered. Though, I really must stress that I've never heard of a case this dramatic before." Alphys stopped and stared at Flowey for a moment, her face struggling back and forth between awe and guilt. Frisk had seen Alphys make this face many times since she started working with Flowey. "The fact that you're sitting here at all is just- well, it's a miracle. A soul just shouldn't be able to hold itself together after taking so much damage."

"Trust me doc, it was a shock to me, too." said Flowey, "I figured I just didn't have a soul anymore!"

"I- I can understand why you'd think that," Alphys said quietly, her claws digging into the clipboard. "Not being able to feel anything for anyone must have been so terrible. If I had just known what I had done to you I could've..."

"It's all right, Dr. Alphys," Frisk interjected intentionally using Alphys full title, "You couldn't have known."

"I suppose you're right," Alphys said while adjusting her glasses again. "In either case we'll be continuing the current treatment for another week. Then I think I'll have something new to try."

"Something new," Flowey repeated with a tilt of his head, "So you've been holding out then?"

"Of course not," Alphys said defensively, hiding behind her clipboard like a shield. "I just needed to know traditional treatments would work first. Besides it's mostly just the same thing, just more concentrated."

"Oh, lovely," said Flowey with a groan, "more liquid vomit."

"Ah Alphys," Frisk quickly added now that her memory was jogged, "Flowey has been complaining about the treatment making him feel sick, is there anything that could be done about that?"

"Maybe," Alphys said thoughtfully and flipped back a few pages on her clipboard. "Do you think you can handle some capsules, Flowey? They'll be pretty big, and your equivalent for throat muscles seemed a bit weak when I examined you."

"I... I think I can manage that," Flowey replied politely, standing a bit straighter in his pot. Frisk grinned for a moment, it wasn't often when Flowey was caught off his guard like this. The little guy always seemed convinced that things wouldn't go his way, especially when other people were concerned. Frisk loved these little moments when he was proven wrong.

"Alright then," Alphys said cheerfully as she stood up for her seat, "I guess I'll see you next week then, same time. Do you need me to call Toriel for you, Frisk?"

"Nah, that's okay," Frisk said as she stood up from her own seat and walked to fetch Flowey. "Mom's busy with negotiations again today. Then she has to go get her homework assignments, she's really busy trying to get her teaching license."

"Oh, wow," Alphys said as her eyes bugged out a bit, "She's really still going through with all that, right now?"

"Yeah," Frisk said looking a bit uncomfortable, "She's really busy, but she seems pretty determined. I think she's trying to make up for lost time."

"Well, those years in those ruins I suppose," Alphys looked outside and trailed off. "But still, are you sure there isn't anyone I could call? Undyne is just out running a few errands, I sure she wouldn't mind."

"She has to use the bus just like me," Frisk said. "Besides, Mom knows where I am, she and I keep up with texts. And anyway, it's not like I'll be alone." Frisk hoisted up Flowey just a fraction of an inch and smiled, "I'm sure between the two of us we can handle getting home okay."

"Well," said Alphys with a bit of uncertainty, "If you think so. Still, don't hesitate to call me if you run into anything."

"Don't worry Alphys," said Frisk with a smile as she turned and grabbed the door handle. "I'll call if anything happens."

Frisk's plan was to take the bus, but it was such a nice cool day out that it seemed a shame not to just walk. Besides, if the map on her phone was right it wouldn't be a long walk. The old Uptown Cinema was supposed to only be a fifteen minutes walk away, and the area they had to go through was mostly high end store-fronts, hardly a dangerous neighborhood.

Flowey, for his part, only bugged Frisk about their destination every other minute or so, at least until he got bored.

"Help! Help!" Flowey hollered left and right to an imaginary audience, "I'm being flower-napped!"

"I'm sure you are," said Frisk impassively.

"Call the police," he continued dramatically, "Call a gardener!"

"You know everyone's ignoring you right?," said Frisk in that same vacant tone. Truth be told the few other people on the sidewalk were indeed ignoring Flowey, in fact they were ignoring him quite intensely.

"Oh woe, for now surely marks the noble prince's demise," Flowey exclaimed melodramatically, "May his tender spirit find rest, among the sweet blue skies!"

"Wait," said Frisk sounding puzzled, "When in the world did you learn Shakespear?"

"Who the heck is Shakespeare" said Flowey incredulously!

"Oh, okay," Frisk said, momentarily taken aback, "Where did you learn to act then?"

"What do you mean by act?" Flowey said in a confused tone.

"You know," said Frisk as she motioned around to her surroundings with her head, "Like you're on a stage? I mean, it's not like Mom lets us watch television, and I doubt you picked that up from just reading books"

"Oh," said Flowey as he comprehended, "It's not interesting."

"Well, tell me anyway," Frisk urged and she continues walking down the sidewalk, "It's not as if we have anything better to do."

"Well," Flowey said uneasily, "Mo- Toriel, she used to take Asriel out to see all these plays when he was young. Real high brow stuff you've never heard of, The Cobbler's Daughter, The Skeletons Blue, oh and The Outcast! I-, Asriel loved that one."

Flowey stared off into the streets at a passing cars, a faint smile visible from the corner of his mouth.

"Eventually I-" Flowey paused, "Eventually Asriel started imitating the scenes from those plays. At first it was just a line or two here and there, but eventually he had whole scenes down. For the longest time he only ever did this in front of Toriel and Asgore, at least until Chara came along; then he performed for her too.

*I remember that.

"Once Chara knew the plays she got into the act too," Flowey grinned at the thought. "That's when we first performed for people other than our- than Asriel's parents. Chara got all the palace staff together one day, and we just went at it."

*You were terrified.

"Asriel was terrified," Flowey rolled his eyes. "He was always so timid, but once the performance began all that disappeared. He'd pretended to be somebody else, a noble hero, the bumbling fool, the wise mentor, Chara and I both had to do multiple roles. All the while, no matter the part, Asriel didn't have to be afraid."

*Yea, it was awesome!

"Of course," Flowey said slowly as he stared into the traffic, "I don't really feel fear anymore. Not that kind of fear, anyway. I guess that means I just don't have to try so hard."

"It sounds like you had fun though," Frisk said softly as her pace came to a standstill, "I wish I could've seen it."

"Yeah," Flowey said sounding distant, "Hey, why did we stop anyway?" said Flowey as his mind snapped back to the present. The flower looked around frantically as he realized just how many people were around. There was a small crowd of people in front of them, each waiting to reach an old woman sitting in an odd glass booth. "What exactly is going on here, Frisk?"

"Well, we arrived," said Frisk with a grin. She was rather amused by just how distracted Flowey had become.

"Arrived where?" said Flowey annoyed, "Where did you take us?"

"Oh, the theatre," Frisk added quickly, "I thought I'd treat you since Mom doesn't let us watch television."

"The theatre," Flowey repeated slowly as he looked up at the bright neon lights of building in front of him, "That's like a play right? Except on one of those big flat screens?"

"Yeah," Frisk said with a smile, "I guess you could put it like that."

"Sooo," Flowey said uneasily "what are we seeing exactly?"

"Oh, a real low brow piece that's popular on the surface right now." Frisk said with a grin, "I don't think you've heard of it before. It's called Star Wars."