A/N: I was listening to Asgore's theme, when it crossed my mind to write a ficlet (is this even the proper term) about the battle between Asgore and Frisk. Especially because my heart is wrenching whenever I hear the Heartache part in Asgore's theme…

And so that's how this was born.

Me: It feels a little horrible.

Asgore: …*cries*

Frisk: Shock, that's…

Toriel: Oh goodness...

Shamir: What am I doing here? Oh. Oh boy…bad time for Dad and Frisk it seems. *covers face as he tries not to cry*

FALTERING

His gaze descended upon the small human in front of him, tension rising in the air with each breath he took. The sight before him changed, with each child the monsters brought to the castle – a ballerina dancer, a cowboy, a smart child – and now, the child before him was eerily similar to his first adopted human child.

But there was a difference.

This human carried nothing else but a stick, which looked like it was chewed upon – probably by the dogs – and around their neck, a locket that was similar to Chara's. Or maybe it was hers? His mind was full of confusing thoughts, and his heart was wrenching at the thought this might be the first child he had to kill.

But the human simply stood there, their expression neutral, as if their mind was set on something…

"Human." he said with a tender voice. "It was nice to meet you."

"What am I doing?"

"Goodbye."

He then called out his trident, his gaze lowered, unwilling to watch the horrible deed he was about to commit.

Frisk was silently watching as the large king just summoned a red trident out of thin air – or maybe he just kept it under his large cape – and lowered his eyes, betraying sadness both in his demeanour and his voice. But he didn't come this far just to abandon monsterkind, not after everything he did, every friendship he forged on this journey, every kind gesture he showed them.

Frisk was set on showing the king that he's a Pacifist, but when the large goat monster brutally shattered the MERCY button, the child's eyes widened and filled with tears. He couldn't understand why such a gentle monster on the outside would refuse his MERCY.

"What is he doing?"

"Why did you do this?" Frisk asked, as they stood apart. "What are you afraid of?"

But the king remained silent as he took a swipe at the small child, forcing Frisk to dodge out of the way. Whatever was going on with him, the human could feel that the white goat wasn't feeling well at all, as if he almost….resented, perhaps, the idea of fighting with a child.

"They cannot live. They are the last soul we need!"

He took yet another swipe at the child, who seemed to almost – or so it seemed – know every move he was doing. It was strange, seeing the child just dodge their way out of his attacks, and refusing to lay even a single hit upon him, as if…

…FIGHTing was never an option for them.

But he didn't care.

All he wanted was to bring hope to his subjects, to bring back his beloved wife, to see his children once more, as if he was certain that all of them must've been dead. He didn't want this ordeal to continue anymore, he carried this burden for far too long.

He then started shooting fireballs at the child, and also increased the tenacity of his trident attacks, hoping to finish this fight once and for all. The resistance they posed was useless, in his eyes.

"I'm not going to fight him."

"K-King Asgore!" Frisk said to the large king, after dodging another fireball attack. "King Asgore, I don't want to fight you!"

But the child's plea landed on deaf ears.

All he wanted was to bring peace to monsterkind, to give them the ending they all strived for, to SAVE everyone that could be SAVED. And above all else, he wanted to see both Toriel and Asgore happy once more – Frisk was certain she missed him, even if she claimed that there was no such thing anymore.

No. He would keep dodging. He would keep ignoring the pleading gazes the king would often bestow upon him – the pleas to fight, to give in, to show his strength. But the goat king didn't know that Frisk's strength was his Determination to SAVE them all.

"With your soul, the barrier will break!"

His attacks increased, with each minute that passed, and he was certain that the human will give up, will falter, will do something that would end all this suffering. And yet, each trident strike, each fireball was expertly dodged by the child, who seemed to speak to him again, and again, hoping that striking up a friendly conversation would end the battle.

Whoever could've taught them that…? No, it couldn't possibly be her, could it? After so much time alone, he was convinced that the mere thought was an illusion. She wouldn't return to him, not after what he did, no, she would keep on rejecting him, letting him suffer once more.

Death was preferable to him right now, and the child before him didn't seem to understand.

"Don't you see? You can be SAVED too!"

Frisk eventually understood that talking wouldn't help, and reluctantly raised his poorly holding stick as he tried to put on a warrior's face in front of adversity. But he couldn't help but feel sorry for the old king before him – he understood, with the tale that monsters in New Home told him, that he suffered for too long – and that made him even more determined to save King Asgore.

His stomach started rumbling in the middle of battle, and he searched for something to eat. It was a Cinnamon Bunny, and he felt slightly miserable knowing that Toriel wasn't with him to stop this fight. It also meant that she would probably maul the poor king before him, saying that King Asgore meant to kill him.

But there was a slight glimpse of recollection in the king's eyes as the scent of cinnamon filled the battlefield. It wasn't Toriel's unique recipe for cinnamon, but it was enough to stir something within the king's SOUL.

"Don't talk to me anymore, Dreemurr!"

His paws shook for a moment, as he took in the scent of cinnamon. It was the only scent that would remind him of her, of every smile she bestowed upon him, her cheery tone of voice when they were together, and the child seemed to share the same feeling as he did…

….He longed for Toriel.

But there was no turning back, no taking back the declaration of war, no wiping of tears from her beautiful, red eyes. No, there wasn't anything like that. Now, there was nothing but himself against a small child, a child whose SOUL also longed for Toriel.

It wasn't right, what was he doing? Aiming to kill a child just to bring down a puny barrier? Was that the choice, the best choice that he had…? He would rather take Toriel in his burly arms, he would rather bask in the glorious scent of cinnamon and lavender that was her own, he would rather…

….He would rather settle down. He would rather throw the crown away for her.

"They…ASGORE…will kill you."

Frisk didn't know what Toriel's words meant, but now he understood. The king would kill to fulfill the prophecy written in the glyphs, would kill to see his race free from this torment, this prison that was Mt. Ebott, would kill...

….But King Asgore didn't seem to genuinely want to kill him. In fact, his actions seemed to be more and more hesitant with each hour that passed, as they fought for the future of humans and monsters alike.

Why was he even hesitating?

Frisk didn't know, but he noticed the king's reaction as he ate the Cinnamon Bunny. If cinnamon alone could stir his emotions, what would happen if he were to eat Toriel's Butterscotch Pie…? Maybe he would give up on this fight.

Yes, indeed, that would be the best course of action.

Frisk started nibbling on the Pie, enjoying the scent and the delicious taste of butterscotch and cinnamon, when he noticed something happened to King Asgore.

"T-Tori…Please…"

His paws were trembling, his breath was hitching. There was no mistake in the scent, it was her butterscotch-cinnamon pie, it was her scent, her mesmerizing scent that he wouldn't forget, no matter if entire centuries, entire millennia would've washed over them.

He couldn't take this anymore.

He summoned back his trident, and started breaking into tears, as he kneeled before the child. He didn't want to hurt them anymore. He didn't want to see anyone suffer anymore…

…And he wanted to be back with her. Above everything else, he wanted to get back to his one and only.

He hoped that the child before him would do something. Something that would save them, his people, not him…He was past the point of redemption. At least, that was what his mind told him.

"Ribbit. Show some Mercy, human."

"No." Frisk said, as he put his palm forward.

His eyes, now opened, revealed a calm blue as the king's eyes. It seemed like indeed, two pacifists were reunited after a long, long time, and Frisk felt grateful that King Asgore gave up on fighting…

….Until somebody else took that moment of relief away.

"Hee hee hee. You thought that he will survive?" Flowey's childish, yet malevolent voice bellowed in the darkness. "No matter if he would wobbly fall to his knees before you, no matter if he would stay proud and defeat you…"

"He would never win against me."

"He was faltering because of his own sins," Frisk said, as he narrowed his eyes. "he was faltering because he cares too much about his family."

"No! He doesn't—"

"He misses Mom as much as I do," Frisk sighed. "and he regrets not being able to defend his children. But she's mostly the reason his furious attacks came to a halt…Her pie woke him to a cruel reality, that he will never be happy."

Frisk hit his left palm with the right hand, the latter curled into a fist. "But I'm going to free them all, including you. And I'll make sure he gets back to her!"

"Frisk, we were worried about you, my child!"

"Frisk, would you like a cup of tea?"

"Dreemurr."

"Howdy, T-Toriel."

"Mom, stop treating him like some sort of doormat, please?"

"Frisk…she will never forgive me."

All the thoughts were now running in his head, as the bitter recollection of that battle against his father brought to life misery, agony, and willfully accepting that he will be "freed" from the Underground. And now, here he was, living with his adorable goat mother Toriel, but the child felt that it wasn't enough.

That Asgore had to be their father.

And one day, it happened.

"T-Tori…"

"Gorey…"

He didn't falter anymore.