Chapter 27- An Ending

"...At least Asgore had a backup plan?" Frisk offers as Alphys leaves with the Amalgamates. "I mean, his plan of slowly collecting human souls may have… not been the most effective, so I'm glad that Alphys was helping him… Even if it led to so much trouble," Frisk shrugs. "Does that make any sense?"

"...A little. But it's probably things like this that led to Toriel leaving, right? And if Alphys was doing this while Toriel was around, then maybe it wasn't too long ago that I died?" I suggest.

"...Well… I don't know. It seems more like Asgore started working with Alphys a while after all that, because he could see that what he was doing wasn't working. You know, I could always just ask someone…" Frisk says.

"No, you're not supposed to know about any of this, remember?" I say hurriedly. "Don't do that, you might even get Alphys fired!" I mean, it could happen. But I don't think that I want to know the answer yet, anyway. And Frisk asking about it would provoke questions, and I really don't want anyone to know that I'm still around. It'd be… Awkward.

Frisk frowns, but doesn't try further. We leave that room, and go back into the hallway with the black screens. As we pass one, it turns on with a buzz. I jump in surprise, and turn to look at it.

"Ohh, that's not good…" I mumble. A red smiley face has appeared, glowing through the dim light of the lab. Frisk turns, too, but in my opinion they don't need to know. "It's nothing, continue on," I say, waving a hand.

"Wait, does it say anything?" Frisk asks, poking the screen. Weirdly enough, the image turns into words.

"Oh. Yeah, it does. Ahem. 'Entry number 8. I've chosen a candidate. I haven't told Asgore yet, because I want to surprise him with it… In the center of his garden, there's something special. The first golden flower, that grew before all the others. The flower from the outside world. It appeared just before the queen left. I wonder… What happens when something without a Soul gains the will to live?'" I read.

"...What? What did she do!?" Frisk asks, worried. Their gaze turns suspicious, and they look at me with narrowed eyes. At least, more narrowed than normal. "A… a golden flower. I've heard that before. Actually, I've heard that a lot of places before."

"Well, yeah. But come to think of it, haven't we met a golden flower with the will to live?" I hint.

"...Yeah, we have." The second screen shows the same image, and I shudder at it and debate moving on. But Frisk hears the hum of electricity and pokes it, revealing what it says.

I sigh. "'Entry number 18. the flower's gone.'" I blink at the screen.

"That's it?" Frisk asks, eyebrows raised in surprise.

"Yeah. And you and I both know where the flower went."

We hop into the elevator and press the button. Frisk jumps when the phone starts ringing in their pocket. The pull it out, and hesitantly put to their ear.

"Chara… Are you there?" A voice asks. Frisk turns to me, and hold the phone between us.

"...What?" I ask flatly. The voice chuckles. It's familiar, but I can't quite place it.

"It's been a long time, hasn't it…?" Oh, great, it can actually hear my voice. "But you've done well. Thanks to you, everything has fallen into place. Chara… See you soon." The caller hangs up.

"The fuck?" I ask. I'm not sure, but that kind of sounded like Flowey…? And it would… Kind of make sense. And the more I think about it, the more I'm pretty sure that it was indeed Flowey, trying to disguise his voice. But last time I saw him, I was in Frisk's body. How could he possibly know my name? ...And yet, I'm about 80% sure that it was Flowey. Besides, I don't have any other ideas.

"Who was that!?" Frisk asks worriedly. "Who else actually knows you're there? Well, there's Sans, but… He doesn't know your name, does he?"

"No… The only other things that seemed to know I was there were the Amalgamates. But it couldn't have been them, could it…?" I ask hesitantly. I decide not to tell them that I think it was Flowey.

"Wait, what? The Amalgamates could see you?" Frisk asks in confusion.

"Yeah, I think so. I'm not positive, though, it just seemed like they were attacking me sometimes instead of you," I explain.

The elevator starts shaking, preventing Frisk from responding as they fall to their knees. It crashes hard on the ground, and some vines force their way inside. They shove Frisk, who goes tumbling out and I after them. The vines then seal the door shut. We find ourselves back in New Home. The SAVE point's gone.

"What was that?" Frisk asks shakily.

"...Not sure. Let's keep moving, though," I suggest, helping Frisk to their feet while keeping an eye on the vines.

We walk up, and find the elevator straight to the castle. Luckily, it still works. Frisk and I glance at each other.

"What is going on?" They ask. I shrug. We go through the judgement hall in silence, still trying to figure out what happened. I, for one, am pretty sure I'd have noticed an elevator from Alphys's lab to New Home, so the mystery of how we even ended up here is a mystery. There's still no SAVE points anywhere to be seen, and that really worries me. We wander around for a bit, heading to Asgore's castle since there's nothing else we could possibly do.

Finally, there's a SAVE point outside the entrance to the Barrier. We save in relief, then turn our attention to the looming barrier.

"Asgore's in there, huh?" I ask. Frisk nods.

"Like I said, we can't avoid him forever. Though, I'll admit, the lab was a pretty good detour," Frisk says. I nod, lost in thought. What will be different this time? Flowey had said that… Well, he hinted that Alphys held the key to my 'happy ending.' But how had I actually changed anything?

Frisk pokes me. "What?" I ask, jolted from my thoughts.

"You there?" Frisk asks. I hum in response. They nod, satisfied. "Alright, then, let's go." They round the corner and walk the few feet until they're standing behind Asgore. They step their feet loudly, to let him know they're there. Asgore shifts, but doesn't turn around.

"This is the barrier," Asgore says as the barrier pulses with the power it contains. "This is what keeps us all trapped underground. ...If… If by chance you have any unfinished business… Please do what you must." Frisk doesn't move, and shakes their head. "...I see… This is it, then." Asgore slowly turns around. "Ready?" The seven human souls rise from the ground, and we're pulled into battle again.

"...I'll repeat myself, why not?" I mutter. "A strange light fills the room. Twilight is shining through the barrier. It seems your journey is finally over. You're filled with… Determination."

"Human…" Asgore says. "It was nice to meet you. Goodbye." He looks down, and prepares to wield his weapon. I place myself protectively in front of Frisk, because I don't need a repeat of last time.

As it turns out, I didn't need to worry so much. A fireball appears before he draws his trident. He looks up at it in confusion and shock, and then it flies at him and knocks him over. Smoke obscures my vision for a moment, and when it parts…

"Toriel!" Frisk says, a grin spreading quickly across their face.

"Mom?" I ask in disbelief. She steps out of the smoke, and smiles gently.

"What a miserable creature, torturing such a poor, innocent youth…" Toriel opens, the same line as when she fended off… Flowey. Right, that guy. He's probably still an issue, right? "Do not be afraid, my child. It is I, your friend and guardian. At first, I thought I would let you make your journey alone… But I could not stop worrying about you. Your adventure must have been so treacherous. ...And ultimately, it would burden you with a horrible choice. To leave this place, you would have to take the life of another person. You would have to defeat Asgore. However… I realized… I cannot allow that. It is not right to sacrifice someone simply to let someone leave here. Is that not what I have been trying to prevent this whole time? So, for now, let us suspend this battle. As terrible as Asgore is… He deserves mercy, too."

Asgore picks himself off the ground with some effort due to his imposing form. "Tori… You came back…!"

"Do not 'Tori' me, Dreemurr!" Toriel's eyes go cold immediately. I tilt my head in confusion. Was there something I missed? ...I mean, probably. "You pathetic whelp. If you really wanted to free our kind… You could have gone through the barrier when you had ONE Soul… taken six Souls from the humans, then come back and freed everyone peacefully."

"...Hey, that was my plan!" I huff. At least mom and I agree on one thing, then. Frisk gives me a half smile, but they seem more concerned about the two monsters fighting.

"But instead, you let everyone live in despair…" Toriel continues. "Because you would rather wait here, meekly hoping another human never comes."

"...Tori…" Asgore closes his eyes in sadness. "You're right… I am a miserable creature… but, do you think we can at least be friends again?" He asks hopefully. Toriel sighs.

"NO, Asgore," Toriel says forcefully. Asgore starts crying softly.

Then Undyne shows up with a yell. I am delighted, always a pleasure to see her. "Ngahhhhhh! Asgore! Human! Nobody fight each other! Everyone's gonna make friends, or else I'll…! I'll…" She seems to notice Toriel for the first time.

"Hello, I am Toriel. Are you the human's friend?" Toriel asks. "It is nice to meet you."

"Uh, yeah…?" Undyne says uncertainly. But she ends up greeting her with a sharp-toothed smile. "Nice to meet you!" She slides over to Asgore. "Hey, Asgore, is that your ex? Jeez. That's rough, buddy." Frisk snickers at that, for some reason.

And then Alphys shows up, to make this party bigger. "H-hey! Nobody hurt each other! …" She glances at Toriel nervously, presumably not recognizing her.

"Oh! Are you another friend?" Toriel asks. "I am Toriel. Hello!"

"Uh, h-h-hi! …" She turns her head down, eyes wide, and stage whispers, "There's two of them?" While blushing so much her face turns red. She nervously goes over to stand with Undyne, who looks down in sympathy.

Now it's Papyrus's turn to arrive. "HEY! NOBODY FIGHT ANYONE! IF ANYONE FIGHTS ANYONE…! THEN I'LL! BE FORCED! TO ASK UNDYNE FOR HELP!"

"Hello!" Toriel greets. I can't tell if she's nervous, or excited by all of the new people. She's been living by herself for a long time, right?

"OH! HELLO, YOUR MAJESTY!" Papyrus says. I blink. Did he know that Toriel was queen? He looks at Frisk, and lowers his voice the slightest notch. "PSST. HUMAN. DID ASGORE SHAVE…? AND CLONE HIMSELF?" Oh, well that clears that up. For a second I thought that he knew… things…

Sans is next, and as far as I can tell, the last to arrive. "hey guys… what's up?" Toriel gasps, her eyes widening.

"That voice…! Hello, I think we may… Know each other?" Toriel asks, walking to stand by Papyrus.

"oh hey… i recognize your voice, too," Sans smiles. You know, as always.

"I am Toriel. So nice to meet you," Toriel says.

"the name's sans. and, uh, same," Sans winks.

"Oh! Wait, then…!" She turns to get a better view of Papyrus. "This must be your brother, Papyrus! Greetings, Papyrus! It is so nice to finally meet you! Your brother has told me so much about you."

"WOWIE…" Papyrus blushes. "I CAN'T BELIEVE ASGORE'S CLONE KNOWS WHO I AM! THIS IS THE BEST DAY OF MY LIFE!"

"Hey, Papyrus..." Toriel says. A strange light enters her eyes. "What does a skeleton tile his roof with?"

"HMMM… SNOW-PROOF ROOF TILES?" Papyrus guesses.

"No, silly!" Toriel laughs. "A skeleton tiles his roof with… SHIN-gles!" Toriel snickers. Papyrus grows angry and I groan.

"I'VE CHANGED MY MIND! THIS IS THE WORST DAY OF MY LIFE!" He yells in anguish.

Undyne pipes up. "Come on, Asgore! It's gonna be okay!" When I return my attention to Asgore it seems that he has not stopped crying since he started. Undyne pats him awkwardly. "There are plenty of fish in the sea…"

"Y-yeah, Asgore!" Alphys says. "Undyne's totally right about that fish thing! S-sometimes you've just got to, uh… S-stop going after furry boss monsters and, uh… J-just get to know a really cute fish...? … It's a metaphor."

"Well," Undyne says slowly. "I think it's a good analogy." From somewhere in the not-so-distant distance, a voice calls.

"OH MY GOD! WILL YOU TWO JUST SMOOCH ALREADY!?" A leg points at Undyne and Alphys from somewhere vaguely to the right. "THE AUDIENCE IS DYING FOR SOME ROMANTIC ACTION!" And then it disappears as quick as it came.

"HEY, SHUT UP!" Undyne yells at who we all know to be Mettaton. "Man, the nerve of that guy! Right, Alphys!?" Alphys doesn't respond for a second, looking around nervously. "...Uh, Alphys?"

"...No," Alphys says. "He's right. LET'S DO IT!" My heart leaps. Finally! I float closer, grinning wildly.

Undyne looks confused for a moment. "Well? Uh? I guess? If you want to? Then? Don't hold anything back!" She decides, blushing. She leans down as Alphys reaches up, and I hold my unnecessary breath.

"W-wait!" Toriel shouts, dashing between the two. "Not in front of the human!" She looks scandalized.

"...You're kidding, right!?" I say in annoyance. "They can't even see! But I can, and it's not like I have a problem with it!" I rant. Sans winks at me and I glare back, blushing a little. Forgot he was there, again. Frisk giggles.

"Uhh, right! S-sorry, I got a little carried away there," Alphys blushes. I snap my fingers in annoyance.

Toriel giggles. "Hee hee hee. My child, it seems as if you must stay here a while. But looking at all of the great friends you have made… I think… I think that you will be happy."

"See? That's what I've been saying!" I complain, turning to Frisk. "We can be happy here, right?" They tilt their head towards me, and nod with a smile. Toriel smiles warmly back.

"H-hey, that reminds me," Alphys says. "Papyrus… YOU called everyone here, right? Well, besides, uh, her."

"...What? ...Nice!" I say in almost disbelief. It was Papyrus? ...Well, I guess that's awesome then, even if it doesn't quite make sense.

"Uh, anyway…" Alphys continues. "If I got here before you… How did you know to call everybody?"

"LET'S JUST SAY…" Papyrus says smugly, "A TINY FLOWER HELPED ME." Frisk, Alphys and I all gasp simultaneously.

"A tiny… flower?" Alphys asks shakily. All of the color drains from Frisk's face.

It seems I'm the only one to notice a small green vine off to the side of the room. I watch in horror as it grows to be as thick as my head, and dashes in coils and loops around all of our friends. It tightens, and suspends everyone in the air, the thorns slowly draining them of HP. Only Frisk and I are spared.

Asgore hangs his head in defeat and acceptance while Undyne glares and struggles as much as she can, to no avail. Toriel closes her eyes in pain, clenching her fists. Sans's eyes go black, and his smile almost falls. Almost. Alphys looks terrified, knowing that it's her own creation that's causing this. And Papyrus frowns in concern, his face visibly strained.

And that's definitely Flowey. Thinking back to the phone call- if that was really Flowey, which it probably was,- I remember that he can hear me, and probably see me too. I dart behind Frisk, using them to block myself from sight. I'm still hesitant to possess them again with the worry that they'll see some memories that they shouldn't.

Frisk stares blankly forward in horror, and Flowey himself rises from the ground. "You IDIOTS," Flowey says. "While you guys were having your little pow-wow… I took the human Souls! And now, not only are THOSE under my power… But all of your FRIEND'S Souls are going to be mine, too!"

He pauses for a second, and leans to the side in an attempt to see around Frisk. I wince, and realize that he'll see me sooner or later, so I might as well just possess Frisk before that happens. I take a breath and step forward, and blink Frisk's eyes a few times. They gasp in actually seeing the situation for the first time.

Pretty sure he can see me, I explain. Frisk gives a subtle nod. Flowey frowns in confusion, but soon replaces it with his usual smile.

"Hee hee hee! And you know what the best part is? It's all your fault. It's all because you MADE THEM love you. All the time you spent listening to them… Encouraging them… Caring about them… Without that, they wouldn't have come here."

...Is that true? Frisk asks hesitantly.

Well… I mean… He's twisting it up, Frisk. You didn't force them to do anything, you just… were yourself. And that's not a bad thing, so screw Flowey, he's awful. I don't think I helped very much, but Frisk seems a little less worried.

"And now, with their souls and the humans' together… I will achieve my REAL FORM."

Oh no. No, no, no. That's not good. I think in a panic. If that last thing that I fought wasn't his 'real form', then what was? "But why…" I end up asking before catching myself. I can't let anything slip!

Chara? Right, I can't tell them. But they can probably read my thoughts, so… I try to distract myself by listening to Flowey's next words carefully.

"Hee hee… Huh? WHY am I still doing this?" Flowey echoes, laughing. "Don't you get it? This is all just a GAME. If you leave the underground satisfied, you'll 'win' the game. If you 'win', you won't want to 'play' with me anymore. And what would I do then? But this game between us will NEVER end. I'll hold victory in front of you, just within your reach… And then tear it away just before you grasp it. Over, and over, and over… Hee hee hee."

...Yeesh. This flower has problems. Frisk nods in agreement.

Besides, this isn't a game, this is real! Life and death matter, even when you can reset! Frisk protests. I'm… not sure I totally agree, but I do know that this isn't a problem that can be solved by turning off a screen. This is… much bigger than that.

"Listen. If you DO defeat me, I'll give you your 'happy ending.' I'll bring your friends back. I'll destroy the barrier. Everyone will finally be satisfied. But that WON'T happen. You…! I'll keep you here no matter what!"

Frisk's Soul springs out, and is trapped within a tiny box. 'Friendliness pellets' surround it. Frisk tries to move, or break out of the boundaries, but find they can't. "Even if it means killing you 1,000,000 times!" The seed bullets close in, and shave off 7 HP. More and more appear, until we're down to only 1 HP. One more circle closes in, and I close my/Frisk's eyes and just accept it. There's nothing either of us can do.

A light appears from beyond their eyelids, and I open our eyes. A ring of fire stands around our Soul. Normally this would be a bad thing, but it blocks the seed bullets, then fades away. "Toriel…? Frisk whispers.

"What?" Flowey asks.

"Do not be afraid, my child…" Toriel says weakly. "No matter what happens… We will always be there to protect you!" More pellets appear, and a bone blocks the ones on the right while a spear blocks the one on the left.

"THAT'S RIGHT, HUMAN! YOU CAN WIN!" Papyrus says confidently. "JUST DO WHAT I, WOULD DO… BELIEVE IN YOU!"

"Hey! Human! If you got past ME, you can do ANYTHING!" Undyne cheers. "So don't worry! We're with you all the way! "

Sans's pupils come back, and it looks like he's brought his attention back to the present instead of wherever it went. "huh? you haven't beaten this guy yet? come on, this weirdo's got nothin' on you." Another small barrage of seeds is blocked by some fire, courtesy of Asgore, and lightning bolts, presumably from Alphys.

"Technically, it's impossible for you to beat him…" Alphys starts. "B-but… Somehow, I know you can do it!"

"Human…" Asgore says, "for the future of humans and monsters…! You have to stay determined…!" Frisk smiles warmly at their friends.

More monsters show up, like Snowdrake (ugh), Shyren, Vulkin, Monster Kid, Muffet, the Royal Guards, a Froggit, all of the dogs from Snowdin, etc, until the room is filled with words of encouragement. More voices are cheering us on from outside, where they couldn't fit in the barrier room.

Flowey seems concerned. "Urrrgh… NO!" He complains. "Unbelieveable! This can't be happening…! You… YOU…!" Suddenly he drops the act and grins wickedly. "I can't believe you're all so STUPID. ALL OF YOUR SOULS ARE MINE!" He screams unsettlingly, and the room shakes and spins. The monsters all fall to the ground, and that's the last thing we see before it all goes white.

When I blink open my eyes I let out a choked gasp. Asriel is standing right there, with his back turned to me. He rolls his head, stretching his neck, and flexes his fingers. His shoulders shake, and I can't tell if he's laughing or crying from where I'm lying on the ground. I can sense Frisk groggily waking up as well, and the confusion that comes with it.

I watch Asriel motionless with bated breath, until he finally speaks. "Finally," He says. My eyes well up and all I want to do is hug him, but something holds me back for now. "I was so tired of being a flower." My eyes widen in surprise.

"N-no, you can't-" My words don't work as Frisk cautiously rises to their feet. Asriel finally turns around, and nothing about him has changed. Frisk is more careful than I am, while I want to run to him they firmly root their feet to the spot.

"Howdy!" Asriel says. "Chara, are you there?" He asks. I open my mouth but Frisk closes it.

Careful. This is still Flowey, and I don't trust him.

Frisk, that's Asriel! Not Flowey! I pull, but it looks like Frisk's determination is winning this fight.

...I'm not so sure. Flowey's not above tricks. And if this is your brother… He's not the same person you once knew, I can feel it. Can't you sense something's off?

"It's me, your best friend," Asriel says. He then changes, in a flash of light. When we see him again, he's taken on a new form. He's taller, almost as tall as Mom, and he's wearing a long black robe that also resembles her's. The delta run is emblazoned on the front, and his horns have grown. There's black patterns in his fur, and… He's wearing a heart locket. I put my hand over the matching one, concealed under Frisk's shirt. "ASRIEL DREEMURR." Even his voice has changed.

That's what he looked like when he died, when he had my Soul. That's what a monster looks like with a human Soul, I explain in shock. Except now he has six human Souls, and countless monster Souls.

...It's the end.

We're pulled into battle, and Frisk goes for the 'check' option automatically.

I shrug. Infinite attack, infinite defense. A legendary being made of every Soul in the underground. Asriel attacks with fire, which we manage to dodge. It's strikingly similar to Toriel and Asgore's attacks, which is no surprise. This shouldn't be that hard.

I can… hope! I'll hold on to hope, and that'll see us through!

That's the worst idea you've had yet. The black void around us turns to flashing colors, which reminds me that I have no clue where we are. Frisk, Asriel and I all seem to be floating in a black void, similar to the one I fought Flowey in. Er, that is to say, a place I've never been before. Shoot. Can't think about that!

Somehow Frisk's hope idea works. Asriel raises his hands, and huge stars shoot down from above. They explode into smaller stars, and we miraculously don't get hit at all!

And now I can… Dream! Think about why we're here now. We have to do this, and then we can start our life, finally! We can feel the empty space in our inventory grow smaller and smaller.

"You know," Asriel says. "I don't care about destroying this world anymore." He raises his hands again and lightning made of pure neon energy shoot down, several at a time, giving us only a small space to dodge between them. Near the end of his turn they get much bigger, and harder to dodge. We lose 8 HP.

Might want to eat…

Later.

"After I defeat you and gain total control of the timeline… I just want to reset everything." Asriel forms two swords of magical energy and swings them one at a time. Frisk jumps to the left, then to the right, and nearly trips when they maneuver away from the third swing. He swings both, but they dissolve into tiny stars at the last minute. "All your progress… Everyone's memories. I'll bring them all back to zero." He uses the lightning bolt attack again.

But I've come so far! Chara, no offense, but your brother is kind of a jerk. Is any of this really necessary!? Frisk thinks as they dodge between the lightning.

Hey, I promise he wasn't like this before! I was the jerk that got us both killed! … And you're at 4 HP. Eat something.

Frisk eats the second Glamburger as Asriel charges star blazer.

"Then we can do everything ALL over again." We dodge the stars raining down on us, and Asriel readies 'Chaos Buster.' "And you know what the best part of all this is?" Asriel asks. "You'll DO it."

...I mean, yeah, I would. I have to save everyone, right? Frisk thinks to themselves. Asriel weilds a huge gun, with four lasers of light the only warning we have for the lines of magical energy that come shooting out. It fills with neon rainbow energy, and shoots a huge blast of light for a final attack.

"And then you'll lose to me again," Asriel says, shaking his head in mock despair.

Haven't lost yet, buddy! Frisk thinks determinedly as they dodge swords.

"And again…" Asriel taunts. "And again! Because you want a 'happy ending.' Because you 'love your friends.' Because you 'never give up.' Isn't that delicious? Your 'Determination.' The power that let you get this far… It's gonna be your downfall." Asriel readies Hyper Goner.

So um… We're almost out of food, aren't we? I question. We've eaten the only glamburger we had, and the pie. And we aren't going to ever eat the Snowman Piece.

Yeah, but look! There's other things in the inventory! Frisk says, looking down at the list on their phone. Last Dream. They use that, and the dream becomes real! It restores their HP fully.

...Weird. Let's not have to use many more of those, though, okay? Frisk nods.

"Now, ENOUGH messing around!" Asriel says. "It's time to purge this timeline once and for all!" He shakes his head, winks, and a huge, magical goat skull appears before him. It begins to absorb everything, not that there's much in the void. But Frisk and I both feel the pull, and we struggle to stay out of it. Stray used attacks from Asriel fly past us into the miniature black hole. We get hit by several.

Uh oh, we are dying. I check the status floating in front of us, and see that there's only 1 HP left.

"...even after that attack, you're still standing in my way…?" Asriel says in wonder. "Wow… You really ARE something special. But don't get cocky. Up until now, I've only been using a fraction of my REAL power! Let's see what good your DETERMINATION is against THIS!"

...Hoo boy, here we go! Frisk thinks as all sources of light fade from the void. It's pitch black for a moment, then Asriel's second (third?) form is revealed.

...Hey, I recognize that! I drew that! I think indignantly. Asriel now has huge wings that have multi colored, moving patterns on them. He doesn't have legs, his torso ends in a sharp point. He has oversized gauntlets with extruding spikes, and the shoulders of his clothes extend to look reminiscent to black flames. His ears curl forward into points, his horns are long and spindly, and he's still wearing the heart locket.

I don't think that's what we should be focusing on right now! Frisk thinks in a hurry as they struggle, and find that they can't move.

"Urah ha ha ha… Behold my TRUE power!" Out of Asriel's gauntlets come many streams of magic, one of which…

Kills us. Frisk gasps, and then glares at nothing in particular. NO.

Asriel isn't allowed to kill us!

I won't let him win! Frisk's Soul breaks in half…

But it refused. We hop right back into the battle, but this time with full health. We still can't move, though.

"I can feel it…" Asriel says. "Every time you die, your grip on this world slips away. Every time you die, your friends forget you a little more. Your life will end here, in a world where no one remembers you…"

"No, it won't!" We say. I can't even tell if it was Frisk or me now. We dodge more of his attacks, almost completely successfully. Dying isn't so much of an issue, now, since we've discovered that we don't actually have to die anymore. If only we'd done that sooner!

"Still, you're hanging on…?" Asriel asks in confusion. "That's fine. In a few moments, you'll forget everything, too. That attitude will serve you well in your next life!"

...Would I actually forget everything if we reset? Frisk thinks with a trace of fear as they dodge more magic.

We've reset before, right? I reply.

Yeah, but what if we reset… To the beginning? What if Asriel resets? Would I remember?

...I don't see a reason why you wouldn't.

Because I don't have Determination? I mean, the world-resetting kind. That's all you, right?

I guess so. Well, we just have to make sure that nobody resets, then, won't we?

"Ura ha ha… Still!? Come on… Show me what good your Determination is now!" Asriel taunts. Frisk reaches for their cell phone to get to the inventory, but they find that they still can't move their arm. Looks like we can't do anything, besides struggle and use our Soul to dodge.

What if we reset to before this happened? I suggest. Frisk nods, and I try to reach the SAVE file. Nothing happened. I try again, but nothing happens. It seems that SAVING really is impossible. But… maybe, with what little power we have… We can SAVE something else? I smirk. I think I know how to beat him.

...What are you planning, Chara? Frisk asks in concern.

Go on. Try it. SAVE some...one…

We can SAVE our friends!? Frisk asks, and smiles. I nod.

Who first?

I guess Toriel and Asgore! Frisk thinks enthusiastically. They reach out to Asriel's Soul and call out to their friends. They're in there somewhere, aren't they? "...Toriel, Asgore! Are you in there!? Please don't forget me!" They call. … Within the depths of Asriel's Soul, something's resonating…!

We turn to the right, and see Toriel and Asgore standing there. Both of their faces are obscured by a strange, seemingly pixelated mess of light.

The Lost Souls appear. But, you know them as Toriel and Asgore.

What do I do!? Frisk panics.

It looks like they want to fight, I hint.

"...Toriel, I don't want to fight you! I refuse!" Frisk says, focusing their attention on Toriel for now. Something about this is so familiar to her…

"This is for your own good." Toriel says.

"Forgive me for this," Says Asgore. Large paws swoop over, leaving arcs of fire that Frisk easily dodges.

"But Toriel, I have to leave if I'm going to free everyone!" Frisk protests. Something is stirring within her.

"No one will leave again," She says firmly.

"This is my duty," Asgore says. Frisk looks at him in concern, then goes over to Asgore and hugs him. It seems like his aggression is melting away…

"Asgore, I won't hurt you, no matter what!" Frisk says. Suddenly, the memories are flooding back! The light disappears, revealing their faces to us.

"Your fate is up to you now!" Toriel says.

"You are our future!" Asgore says. Frisk smiles, and turns back to Asriel.

Now what?

We save everyone else! We'll start with… How about the skeletons?

Sure.

We turn to our right and see Sans and Papyrus, their faces covered similarly to how Asgore and Toriel's were. Well, how are you going to get them to remember you? I ask.

… I know! Frisk turns to Papyrus first. "Papyrus, will you cook something for me!?" They say hopefully. He tries to hide his joy.

"I MUST CAPTURE A HUMAN!" Papyrus says.

"just give up. i did," Sans says. Frisk's Soul turns blue, and bones rise from the ground. Frisk jumps over them, and skillfully dodges them, just like when they fought Papyrus so long ago.

"...Um, Papyrus! Why didn't the skeleton go to the party? ...Because he had no BODY to go with!" Frisk says, and snickers. Papyrus seems to hate it, but Sans seems to like it.

Hey, you can't steal things from my brain! That's cheating!

Do you want Papyrus back or not?

...Continue.

"THEN EVERYONE WILL…" Papyrus says, then trails off in confusion.

"why even try?" Sans asks. Frisk dodges the bones that the two summon, and then considers what to say next. They seem to be a little stumped, but then it's as if a lightbulb flashes over their head.

"Papyrus! Will you help me with a puzzle?" They ask triumphantly. He doesn't know why, but he really wants to help them.

"..." Papyrus considers.

"you'll never see 'em again," Sans says, pessimistic as always.

...Maybe try talking to Sans? I suggest. Frisk hums, thinking of what to say.

"Sans. I think that junior jumble is harder than crosswords!" Frisk says. Sans nods his head, like he knew this without question. … Both skeletons seem to snap out of it! The white distortion clears, and they both grin at Frisk.

"NO, WAIT! YOU ARE MY FRIEND!" Papyrus says. "I COULD NEVER CAPTURE YOU!"

"nah. i'm rootin' for ya, kid," Sans says. The two vanish, but now we know that they won't forget. We turn back to Asriel. We can feel something resonating faintly within him!

Now they're saved! And last but not least, let's SAVE Alphys and Undyne! I cheer.

Alphys first, Frisk nods stubbornly. We turn to behind us, where we see Alphys waiting in her black and white polka dot dress. The white distortion hangs over her face.

"...Hey, Alphys, what's your favorite cartoon?" Frisk asks. We can tell that she can barely hold back from giving us an enormous answer.

"You hate me, don't you…?" Alphys asks. Her attacks are Mettaton's attacks, with the small robots raining down. Our Soul is yellow, and we shoot away the robots before they can get too close.

"Alphys, I'll always continue to support you!" Frisk encourages. Something about the way they said it is familiar to her.

"I've got to keep lying…" Alphys says. Frisk thinks for a moment while they shoot some bombs and dodge the blasts. Then they pull out their phone, and call Alphys. She hears her phone ring and starts to sweat. Suddenly, the memories come flooding back! "No, that's not true! My friends like me! And I like you, too!"

Now Undyne's turn! I demand. Frisk turns again, and finds Undyne waiting for them, her face covered.

Fake hit! Frisk thinks. They dart forward, and tap Undyne on the shoulder, the same way they did when we were at her house. Something about the way they fight is familiar to her…

"All humans will die!" Undyne says. She tosses us a spear and turns our Soul almost get hit, but I remember her fight as fun and manage to make it out okay.

"Undyne, teach me how to cook!" Frisk asks. She doesn't know why, but she kind of wants to teach them how…

"You're our real enemy," She says. Frisk thinks and then decides to give her a big smile, like they remember she likes to do. Suddenly, her memories are flooding back! "Well, some humans are OK, I guess!" She grins.

We go back to Asriel happily, and feel something resonating within him.

Strangely, as your friends remembered you… Something else began resonating in the Soul, stronger and stronger. It seems that there's still one last person that needs to be saved.

But who…? Suddenly, they realize. I smile and we say it together.

"Asriel!" We call.

"Huh? What are you doing...!?" He asks.

I'm talking now.

Alright.

"Long ago, a human fell into the underground," I start. "The human, fallen and injured, called out. Eventually they were found by a monster child. The monster child helped the human, and brought them home. The monsters welcomed and accepted the human, for they were their hopes and dreams. The monster had given the human a family."

Asriel looks down, eyes closed. "Wh… what did you do...? What's this feeling...? What's happening to me? No! NO! I don't need ANYONE!" His expression turns to anger, and he unleashes a volley of magic attacks, too many to ever hope of dodging.

"Asriel, we can be a family again!" I try.

"STOP IT! Get away from me! Do you hear me!? I'll tear you apart!" Asriel yells, and sends more magic. They've dwindled considerably, and are easily avoided this time.

"Asriel, you don't have to destroy anything!" I say firmly.

"..." Asriel's quiet for a little bit. "... Chara… Do you know why I'm doing this…? Why I keep fighting to keep you around…?" His voice breaks. He throws some fire, but, similar to Toriel's, they actively avoid hurting us.

"I'm doing this… Because you're special, Chara. You're the only one that understands me. You're the only one that's any fun to play with anymore. … No… That's not JUST it. I… I… I'm doing this because I care about you, Chara!"

A tear streams down Frisk's face, but I can't tell who's it is. It's probably both of us. I try to speak, but my throat feels stuffed.

"I care about you more than anybody else! … I'm not ready for this to end. I'm not ready for you to leave. I'm not ready to say goodbye to someone like you again… So please… STOP doing this! AND JUST LET ME WIN!" Asriel throws his head back and cries into the void,and I collapse onto my knees. He fires an inescapable laser from his hands, but we can't die. Not when we've come this far! Our HP starts going into decimals, refusing to hit zero.

"STOP IT!" Asriel screams. "STOP IT NOW!" He stops attacking. "... Chara… I'm so alone, Chara… I'm so afraid, Chara… Chara, I… I…" There's a flash of bright light, and the Asriel I knew stands in front of us.

"Asriel…" I sniff, voice breaking. I… can't do this anymore. I turn control over to Frisk, who stumbles as they recieve control. Asriel unabashedly cries into the sleeve of his sweater, trying to hide his face.

"I'm so sorry," He whimpers, wiping his face. "I always was a crybaby, wasn't I, Chara?"

"Um, I…" Frisk says, uncertain how to continue.

"... I know," Asriel says. "You're not really Chara, are you? Chara's been gone for a long time. … Um… what… What IS your name?" Asriel asks.

"Frisk," Frisk answers. I hide in the back of their mind, just there enough to listen to what he says.

"... 'Frisk'? That's… A nice name. … Frisk. I haven't felt like this for a long time. As a flower, I was soulless. I lacked the power to love other people. However, with everyone's Souls inside me… I not only have my own compassion back… But I can feel every other monsters' as well. They all care about each other so much. And… They care about you, too, Frisk. … I wish I could tell you how everyone feels about you… Papyrus… Sans… Alphys… Undyne… … Toriel. Monsters are weird. Even though they barely know you… It feels like they all really love you. Haha. … Frisk… I… I understand if you can't forgive me. I understand if you hate me.I acted so strange and horrible. I hurt you. I hurt so many people. Friends, family, bystanders… There's no excuse for what I've done."

"... Asriel, of course I forgive you!" Frisk says.

"Wh… what?" Asriel asks. "... Frisk, come on. You're… You're gonna make me cry again."

You and me both, buddy.

"... besides…" Asriel starts, looking down, "even if you do forgive me… I can't keep these souls inside of me. The least I can do is return them. But first… There's something I have to do. Right now, I can feel everyone's hearts beating as one. They're all burning with the same desire. With everyone's power… With everyone's determination… It's time for monsters… To finally go free." I smile warmly at him, and nod. He rises into the air, feet hanging down and arms outstretched. All of the Souls, monster and human, fan out before him and overwhelm the void with a bright light.

… The barrier was destroyed.

Asriel lands gently on the ground and turns to us slowly. "Frisk… I have to go now. Without the power of everyone's Souls… I can't keep maintaining this form. In a little while… I'll turn back into a flower. I'll stop being 'myself.' I'll stop being able to feel love again. So... Frisk. It's best if you just forget about me, OK?"

"No, absolutely not!" I say in shock. Frisk takes the backseat again.

"Just go be with the people who love you!" Asriel urges. I sigh in exasperation and make a… probably rash decision.

… I didn't want to have to do this, but… I step away from Frisk and stand next to them, smiling shakily. "...Um… Surprise?" I say, holding out my arms.

"... I… Chara?" Asriel squeaks in disbelief. His eyes grow huge. "H-how are you alive!?" A smile slowly spreading on his face, he takes a hesitant step towards me.

"I'm… not alive," I wince. This isn't going according to plan. Asriel's face falls.

"B-but, you're here, and-" He stammers.

"I'm a ghost. I've, uh, been possessing Frisk," I explain, looking away.

"...Oh. So you're…"

"Yeah. Dead," I say bluntly. His eyes widen at the bluntness, so I try to amend. "I mean, it's not the worst thing, it's kind of cool, I can float, see!?" I float above him in a small circle.

"But that's my fault!" Asriel blurts out. I stop, taken aback.

"... What? How is it your fault? I'm the one who made the plan!" I protest.

"No, I'm the one who didn't follow through! Neither of us would have died if I had just gotten over myself!" Asriel argues.

"Um, may I give an opinion?" Frisk asks, raising a hand. Asriel and I turn toward them in surprise, having almost forgot they were there. "...I think it was both of your faults."

"What?" I ask in surprise.

"Let me explain!" Frisk hurriedly says. "I mean, both of you made some questionable decisions, but… I mean, you were both just kids. People make mistakes, and neither of you were immune to that. And sure, it had some larger consequences, but… I mean… I may not know the full story, but… I don't think either of you should tear yourselves up about it!" They say, their face scrunching up.

"Frisk has a valid point…" Asriel says after a moment.

"Yeah, they tend to do that…" I mutter.

"Frisk… Thanks for beating me," Asriel says, his face brightening up a little. "Thanks for not letting Flowey win."

"Of course! What else was I supposed to do?" Frisk says, blinking in confusion.

"I don't know, but… Just, thanks. Without you, I don't think either of us would be here now." Asriel pauses. "But that doesn't change the fact that… I have to go soon," Asriel says, not looking at me or Frisk. "I'm still going to turn back into Flowey."

"But… you can't leave," I frown. "I just got you back!"

"And I just started getting to know you!" Frisk says, backing me up. Asriel takes a step back, holding up his hands.

"But I can't stay!" He says. "I can't! I have to go!"

"But what will I do without you?" I ask, pleading with my eyes.

"Please, don't make this harder! You know I don't have a choice!" His eyes well up again, and there's a crack in his voice. And… he may be a crybaby, but… He's still my brother.

I sniff, but slowly try to accept that this will be the last time I see him. "I'll miss you…"

He laughs pitifully, and turns around. "I'll miss you too, Chara," He says, taking a step forward. "...Bye…"

"Wait! One last thing!" I say, grabbing his shoulder. He turns in surprise, and I roughly pull him into a hug. He's stiff at first, taken by surprise, but then he wraps his arms around me. He lets out a sob, and holds me tighter, burying his face in my shoulder. I do the same, tears streaming down my face.

I hear a sniff behind us, and remember Frisk. I extract one of my arms to pull them into the hug, too. "... ha… I don't want to let go…" I whisper. We hug for a long time. At some point we fall over and continue holding each other on the ground, tears coming freely from all ends. Asriel ends up letting go first, having to slowly untangle himself.

"Frisk… You're… You're going to do a great job, okay?" Asriel says, wiping his face with his sleeve again. "No matter what you do… Everyone will be there for you, okay?" He pauses for a moment, looking at us with a mixture of emotions displayed on his face. "Well… My time's running out. Goodbye."

"Please don't go…" I whimper. He pauses, his back to Frisk and I. He takes a deep, shaking breath.

"By the way… Chara. Take care of Frisk, okay?" And just like that, Asriel's gone. Forever. I collapse onto the ground. There's nothing else to do now, after all. There's nothing… at all… Frisk lays down next to me, and I roll over into them, combining myself.

Frisk, overcome by the combined strength of our emotional exhaustion, falls asleep. Blissful, silent, dreamless sleep.

"Frisk!" A voice calls."This is all just a bad dream…! Please…! Wake up!"

… Toriel… Frisk thinks groggily. I open their eyes to find we're laying on the ground in Asgore's castle, surrounded by friendly faces. They sit up.

"Oh! You are awake!" The same voice says. Frisk turns to see Toriel standing by with a smile. "Thank goodness!"

"W-we were so worried...!" Frisk turns to find Alphys. "It felt like you were out forever!"

Next to Alphys stands Undyne. "Yeah! Any longer and I would have freaked out! Tell us next time you decide to take a nap, okay!?"

"yeah. you made papyrus cry like a baby." Sans says.

"WHAT! I DIDN'T CRY! I DON'T CRY!" Papyrus protests. "I JUST… CAUGHT SOMETHING IN MY EYE."

"what did you catch?" Sans asks.

"TEARS!" Papyrus says, almost crying again.

"Now, now," Asgore says from Frisk's right. "The important part is that Frisk is alright. Here, Frisk. Why not drink some tea? It'll make you feel better."

"Errr… Why not give them some space first?" Toriel suggests. "They must be very exhausted. Though, from what, I am not certain. Frisk… we do not remember exactly what happened. There was a flower... and then, everything went white. But now the barrier is gone. When you are ready, we will all return to the surface. It seems the door to the east will lead us there now. But before then… Perhaps you might want to… Take a walk? You can say goodbye to all of your wonderful friends. Do as you wish. We will all wait for you here."

"I'd rather talk to you!" Frisk tells Toriel. She laughs.

"Hello, Frisk!" Toriel greets good-naturedly. "Alphys upgraded my phone. I am having a lot of fun with the 'texting' feature. Sans, 'check out' this one."

Sans looks down at his phone. "oh man, tori… that's brutal." Frisk resists the urge to look at the phone, and respects their privacy.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE THE QUEEN HAS RETURNED…" Papyrus says in wonder. "AND ALSO THAT SHE'S A HUGE DORK! YOU TWO ARE TWO FEET AWAY FROM EACH OTHER! WHY ARE YOU TEXTING!"

"Worry not, Papyrus," Toriel says. "We are texting for a good reason."

"WHY IS THAT," Papyrus asks.

"well. cause we're huge dorks," Sans winks.

"Sans, please, do not say that," Toriel says. "You are not a dork. You are more of a bonehead!"

"HAHAHA, WOW! THOSE PUNS ARE EVEN LESS FUNNY COMING FROM HER!" Papyrus laughs in disbelief.

"then why are you smiling?" Sans asks.

"IT'S A PITY SMILE!" Papyrus says fiercely. Frisk smiles at them all, and finds Sans trying to catch their eye.

"frisk, tori was telling me how she made b'scotch pie for you," Sans says when Frisk steps towards him.

"Oh, I should make it for everyone sometime!" Toriel suggests happily. Asgore looks up from thinking and smiles, probably remembering what the pie tasted like. That's what I'm doing, anyway.

"O-oh, that sounds really good!" Alphys says quietly.

"COOKING?" Papyrus asks. "CAN I HELP?"

"Wait a second!" Undyne demands. "Can I help too!?"

"Certainly! It would be fun to cook together!" Toriel smiles.

"On second thought, maybe I'll o-order a pizza…" Alphys mumbles. Frisk giggles.

"SO, ASGORE… HOW ABOUT MAKING ME A MEMBER OF THE ROYAL GUARD?" Papyrus asks.

"Well, Papyrus, now that the war is over… We might not need the royal guard anymore," Asgore explains gently.

"WHAT!?" Papyrus asks in surprise. "THEN WHAT WAS THE POINT OF THE HUMAN'S QUEST!? THEY JOURNEYED ALL THAT WAY… AND I'M STILL NOT A MEMBER OF THE ROYAL GUARD!? TRULY, THIS IS THE WORST POSSIBLE ENDING."

While Papyrus laments, Undyne starts up a conversation with Alphys. "So, Alphys. What do you want to do now that we're all free? We have the whole world to explore now."

"W-well, of course I'm going to go out and…" Alphys hesitates. "Um… No, I should be honest! I'm gonna stay inside and watch anime like a total loser!"

"THAT'S THE SPIRIT!" Papyrus cheers. "EVERYONE! A CELEBRATION! TO BEING LOSERS!"

"Heh," Undyne laughs. "Papyrus has the right idea. Losing to Frisk is the best thing to ever happen to me. So I'm glad that we…" Asgore looks at her pointedly. "Huh? What is it, Asgore?"

"Um… what's an… anime?" Asgore asks hesitantly, as if he's not sure whether he wants to know the answer.

"Oh My God?" Alphys whispers under her breath. "Frisk. Please. Help me explain what anime is to Asgore." Frisk looks at her blankly. She sighs, and stops whispering so that Asgore can hear. "Y-you see, it's like a cartoon, but…"

"With swords!" Frisk adds helpfully.

"So it's like a cartoon… But with swords?" Asgore clarifies. Frisk nods wisely, Alphys nods embarrassedly. "Golly! That sounds neato! Where is this? Where can I see the Anime."

"H-hold on, uh…" Alphys says, fumbling around with her phone. "I think I have some on my phone. Here, l-look at this!" She holds out her phone, and Asgore looks at it with wide eyes. "... Oh, uh… Um… That's the… That's the wrong… Uh, nevermind!" She says, quickly stowing the phone back in her pocket.

"Golly," Asgore says in wonder. "Were those two robots…"

"... Kissing?" Undyne asks, having looked over Alphys's shoulder.

"Boy! Technology sure is something, isn't it?" Asgore says wistfully.

"Eheheh... yeah! It sure is!" Alphys laughs nervously. She beckons Frisk closer with her hand. "Psst, Frisk! Um, you've gotta tell me! D… do you think Asgore and Toriel are…? Uh, ever gonna get back together?"

Frisk thinks for a second. Chara, what do you think? They ask.

...I hope they do, but I feel like they won't.

That's not helpful! "Um…" Frisk hesitates. "Yeah?"

Alphys blushes. "Y-yeah! Yeah, that's what I hope, too. Just think about how cute they must have been together. It's quickly becoming my number one ship of all time."

No, I'd say you and Undyne are the number one ship of all time, I think. Frisk snorts and puts a hand over their mouth.

"Tori and Gorey…" Alphys says dreamily, not noticing a thing. "My… My old boss and his ex-wife. ...Uh, that sounds a lot less cool all of a sudden." Frisk smiles, and ends up sitting down next to Asgore.

"Howdy, Frisk," Asgore greets. "Sorry about almost trying to take your Soul. I feel very bad about it. I hope we can still be pals."

"Hey, don't worry about it, Asgore!" Undyne cuts in. "I think everybody's tried to kill Frisk at least once."

"Oh… I see!" Asgore says. "In that case, I'm not sorry, Frisk."

"Asgore! That's not what I meant!" Undyne chides.

...The only ones here who haven't tried to kill me are Sans and Alphys.

...Debateable. Alphys set traps and puzzles and killer robots, didn't she?

I guess so…

Papyrus, on the other hand… I get the feeling that he couldn't kill you even if you let him. He just locked us up in the garage.

Yeah, I guess you're right! So Papyrus and Sans are now my favorites.

Hey, what about Mom and Dad?

...They're not my mom and dad.

Not yet, anyway. Just you wait! … Unless… You have parents on the surface?

… Well… No, I don't.

Really?

Yeah, I'll tell you the full story sometime. Not now, though. Let's just go to the surface for now. Frisk beckons Asgore with their hand, standing from the ground. Asgore takes the hint and leads everyone out of the caverns.

Frisk ends up being last in the procession. They pause before going through the exit.

If you leave here, your adventure will really be over. Your friends will meet you out of the underground.

...I'm ready. Frisk takes a deep breath, and steps through. They blink in the morning sunlight, as the sun is just rising.

The sun… How long has it been since I've seen the sun? … There's no way to know. I had been in the underground for nearly a year before I died… and who knows how long I've been dead? Either way, it's been forever since I've seen the sun. It's… nice. And warm, and golden across the trees and dirt that make up the surface world.

"Oh my…" Toriel says, voicing my thoughts.

"Isn't it beautiful, everyone?" Asgore asks.

"Wow... it's e-even better than on TV," Alphys says in wonder. "WAY better! Better than I ever imagined!"

"Frisk, you LIVE with this!?" Undyne asks in disbelief. "The sunlight is so nice! And the air is so fresh! I really feel alive!"

"HEY SANS?" Papyrus asks. "WHAT'S THAT GIANT BALL?"

"we call that 'the sun,' my friend," Sans explains.

"THAT'S THE SUN!? WOWIE! I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M FINALLY MEETING THE SUN!" Papyrus exclaims.

"I could stand here and watch this for hours…" Asgore says.

"Yes, it is beautiful, is it not?" Toriel asks. "But we should really think about what comes next."

"Oh, right. Everyone… This is the beginning of a bright new future. An era of peace between humans and monsters," Asgore says. "Frisk. I have something to ask of you. Will you act as our ambassador to the humans?"

Woah. Should I!?

I mean. I can't think of anyone better suited, so…

"...Yeah!" Frisk says with enthusiasm.

"YEAH!" Papyrus echoes. "FRISK WILL BE THE BEST AMBASSADOR! AND I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS… WILL BE THE BEST MASCOT! I'LL GO MAKE A GOOD FIRST IMPRESSION!" Papyrus says, and runs down the hill towards civilization. I wince.

"welp," Sans says. "someone's gotta keep him from getting into trouble. see you guys." Sans then walks back into the tunnel we just emerged from, continuing to defy all laws of physics and logic. I scowl after him. But… He's not that bad, to be honest. Given time we could be almost… Friends? It's not really something to think about right now, but later…

Undyne watches him go with dismay. "Man, do I have to do EVERYTHING?" She says in exasperation. "Papyrus, WAIT!" She then sprints off after him.

"Hey, Undyne! Wait up!" Alphys says, then hurriedly follows. And then it was just us, Toriel, and Asgore. We stand in silence for a moment.

"Whoops," Asgore finally says. He then doesn't do anything else for a little while longer. "Uh, should I do something?" He asks. Toriel just scowls at him. "Well, gotta go!" He says, and rushes off.

Toriel turns to watch him leave. "It seems that everyone is quite eager to set off." She looks down at us, and we end up looking up at her. "Frisk… You came from this world, right…?" Frisk nods. "So you must have a place to return to, do you not? What will you do now?" She asks.

Frisk frowns, thinking. "I… want to stay with you!"

"What?" Toriel asks in surprise. "Frisk… You really are a funny child. If you had said that earlier, none of this would have happened. It is a good thing you took so long to change your mind. Hee hee hee… Well… I suppose. If you really do not have any other place to go… I will do my best to take care of you, for as long as you need. All right?" Frisk nods. "Now, come along. Everyone is waiting for us!"

She takes our hand, and we smile as she leads us down the mountain and to our new beginning.

The End …?

A/N: Here it is! The last chapter! I mean, there'll be an epilogue. Sometime soon. Not too soon though... But yeah! It's done!

Now's normally the time where people write really sappy things, but... I'm not really the type? So... Just, thanks soo much for reading!

I'm going to edit this pretty hardcore within the next couple days, because I feel like this was rushed (I wrote almost all of it last night) and I don't feel like it was... satisfying. Which sucks. Anyways, I'd loooovvveee it if you could tell me what you would want to see/ what I should change, and I'll probably add it in, or put it in the epilogue.

Critique, tips, advice, general feedback, it's all really really appreciated!

EDIT: Bam, it's edited! And it didn't take forever! If you need to, reread the section right after Asriel's fight, when he becomes a kid again. So yeah, it's better now! HUGE shoutout to ShadowOfOrder for pointing out what was wrong with it, and giving me advice on how to fix it! I hope this actually improved it, hehe!