A/N: Greetings, my readers! Or maybe just 'Howdy'?

Anyway, I'm really excited to be writing this. I've dabbled before, but this is my first 'serious' fanfiction, or so I like to tell myself. Like so many, The true pacifist ending and Asriels fate, really got to me. I just couldn't let it end that way. More so, I am determined to continue the story in my own unique way, while staying faithful to its spirit and characters. I have big plans already, but I mostly just write as I go. Many fanmde works Inspired me to do this, among them the Dreamer Reborn blog. A great thank you to everyone that made this possible.

Disclaimer: Undertale and all its characters belong to Annoy- er, I mean Toby Fox. Cover image by unknown. (please PM me if you know)

Hope you enjoy!

Chapter 1: To save and to live

Frisk's footsteps echoed off the ancient purple walls. Only the vines were there to line her path. The Froggits, Moldsmals, and most of the other inhabitants of the Ruins were already on their way to meet with the monsters of Snowdin. Together, they would begin their journey to the surface. Everyone was so excited to see the surface, to see the sky, to feel the sun, and to smell the fresh air that meant a kind of freedom they hadn't known in a long, long time. Even though most were not ready to leave the Underground for good yet, and some were still afraid of the humans, they were eager to get a taste of their bright new future.

Frisks thoughts were interupted by someone singing "Mmh, cha cha cha" to themselves. She looked up just in time to see a lone Migosp dance around the corner. It seemed to enjoy all the space it had to itsself now. The human briefly wondered how these insectoids would do on the surface, but her thoughts quickly returned to the reason she came here. "Asriel..."

Thats right, there was still one more friend to save. Ever since their final battle, Frisk couldn't get the lost Dreemurr child off her mind. As harrowing of an ordeal as it was, the human felt attatched to the boy already, and couldn't bear to turn her back on him, to leave him to the terrible empty fate that awaited him. No, that will NOT happen. There must be a way. There has to be.

*(The thought of saving Asriel fills you with DETERMINATION.)

Her step quickened as she neared the entrance of the Ruins, and the caverns she first fell ito all that time ago.

As the cone of Light came ito view, brighter than ever now that the Barrier was down, her intuiton proved true. There he was, standing at the bed of golden flowers, an old watering can in his paw. His expression was hidden from her by his long fuzzy ears, but it couldnt have been a happy one, seeing as he was just biding his time until... Frisk brushed the thought aside, glad to have found him again, at last. She aproached the goatlike child, making her presence known.

He turned around, his expression somewhere between tired and stunned "F- Frisk? Wha... what are you still doing here?" A wistful smile joined the mix of emotions on his features "Shouldn't you be on your way with the others?" The human gave him a long look that said she wasnt leaving just yet. "Frisk, please... I dont want you to see me... like that again, much less everyone else. I dont have much time-"

"Asriel!" She grasped his Shoulder firmly. "Please, just let me be there for you." The monster opened his mouth to object, but from her tone, and the look in her eye, he knew it was futile. "Haha, I guess should know better than to challenge your determination... thank you for keeping me company Frisk." The two shared a genuine smile. They shared memories and asked eachother questions about their journeys, consoling eachother when it got heavy, and exchanging heartfelt hugs. They settled into the bed of flowers, side by side, occasionally leaning on eachother, lying down, playing around. Frisk was still thinking about what to do, And Asriel knew his time was running out, but for just a while, they could forget everything around them, and just be kids. After such a Long time of struggling with the thousand twists and turns of fate, and also against eachother in a way, this was simply wonderful.

That is, until reality caught up to them, as Asriel collapsed to the ground in pain, clutching at his chest. The human was by his side immediately "Frisk... please go now... it was nice.." He rasped between breaths. Tears welled up in Frisk's eyes. She knew what she had to do. No, what she wanted to do. It had been clear to her for a while now, it had to be ether A or B.

Asriel recovered, sitting up, still holding his chest, as if to close a gaping hole. Even now he put on a brave smile, but it was hollow. He was just about to say something more, when Frisk knelt in front of him, holding out her hands. "Frisk, what are you...?" The boy couldn't believe his eyes, between her hands floated a glowing heart, radiating warmth and compassion, basking them in red, and she was... offering it to him?

Frisk nodded assuringly, with a smile to match the radiance of her soul, as if to answer the unspoken question. Asriel was taken aback, and despite his best efforts, started tearing up as well. "Frisk I- I can't take your soul! You would... I couldn't live with myself! Not after everything thats... and then you would..." He choked on his words, but the human stayed determined. "Asriel, I will not be gone, Ill always be there with you... I just want you to live..."

"But you would still be giving up your life for me, and... and I can't let you do this after everything thats happened! I'm... sorry for being ungrateful Frisk... I just wish we could both live, and see everyone, and be friends forever, but.." His sentence died in his mouth, completely at a loss with the situation. Loneliness and apathy were already creeping over his face again, just waiting for the vines to follow. Frisk sighed. Plan B it was.

"Maybe we can."

Asriel looked at her with big eyes, fearful of hoping. "What do you mean?"

He watched as she carefully took hold of the heart with her hands. Thats what it looked like anyway, nether of them were sure how solid or etherial it really was.

She looked at him intensely, but it was hard to read. "What if... I share my soul with you?"

"What?! F-Frisk... youre crazy!" the monster exclaimed in a mix of exasperation and affection. "How do you even know that would work?"

Truthfully, Frisk was terrified of what she was about to to. She had no idea what would happen, or if it would even be possible, but all the times she had stared death in the face during her journey through the Underground steeled her for this moment, and her determination hadn't brought her this far to give out now. Somewhere in her mind, she knew it wouldn't be easy or simple, even if it succeded, but...

"I don't..." she admitted. "But I want to try." And with that she focused on the the manifestation of her soul in her hands.

"Please be careful, Frisk..." Asriel was scared. Scared of becoming a flower again, and scared of loosing Frisk. But stronger still was a newfound hope. After everything they went through, he wanted this to work out too, He wished for it so badly. For both of them. So he mustered his courage, and for the first time in an eternity, dared to trust in hope.

The young prince wiped his eyes, and rested a paw on his friend's shoulder.

"Thank you."

Those two words couldn't begin to describe how he felt, but they seemed to carry the essence of it anyway, as Frisk smiled brightly, confidence steadying her hands.

The human braced herself. She tugged at at the sides of the of the ethereal manifestation, tentively at first, then with more and more vigor. The human grit her teeth. She pulled with all her might, visualizing it splitting in two. But it was not the physical force that finally managed to stretch the halves apart a bit, it was a feeling, a feeling she couldn't quite describe, but it was not unlike determination. The air crackled with power, and as the tension approached a breaking point, it was becoming harder for Asriel to watch the ordeal.

"Frisk? Are you-" The Dreemurr's worry was cut short as soon as he reached out, when there was a flash of white, and something impacted him at high speed. He was sent flying, tumbling out of the flowers. For a minute, all he could do was to cling to conciousness. Then he dug his claws into the dirt and pushed himself up, looking for the cone of light. He found that easily enough, but not his dear new friend.

"Ugh... What happened...? Frisk! ... Where are you?"

he scrambled to his feet, full of concern. He stumbled a few steps, feeling... different. That hollow pain in his chest was now a burning pain, but there was no more time to dwell on it, as he caught sight of a familiar purple-pink shirt. It wasn't moving. "Frisk!" He was with her in a dash, shaking her before carefully turning her over onto her Back. The human seemed lifeless, save for a faint glow that came from her chest. He gasped when he saw the jagged edge of what used to be a full heart. It looked to be shaking, trying to keep itsseld together. It was holding for now, but it was having difficulty reentering her body, which was growing colder by the minute.

"Hang on Frisk! I'll.." I have to do something!

Breathing fear and determination, he gingerly reached out to the soul he didn't dare to touch earlier. Then without warning, several long blue things errupted from the ground between them, making him recoil.

They were bones.

"heh, I'd normally give an intro first, or at least say 'heya'..."

Asriel felt his fur stand on end. The voice coming from the ruins entrance seemed casual, but carried an undertone that chilled him to the core. He knew who this was, he'd faced him many a time when he was toying with the Underground as Flowey. Now, it was entirely different. Now he had compassion... and real fear. The distraught child turned his head to the shadowy figure, and it's flaring eye.

"...but I see you didn't wait for me ether, before taking my friend's soul."

Pain and rage reveberated in the caverns. Asriel knew, he was not going to have a good time.

A/N: One chapter in and I'm already emotionally winded. Oh boy. This will be quite a write. I hope I can make it a good read too. So I decided to have Frisk be female, but I wont make her girly, or overly attatched to her gender. I would be loathed to spoil what I have in mind for this fic, but I will say I will do my best to give it a good variety and pacing. I will update as often as I can, but I have only so much time and energy, so I'd rather put my all into every chapter, I'll see how it goes. Feedback is always very much appreciated, as I seek to develop my style, and being able to create something enjoyable means a lot to me.

Thanks for reading, and have a great Day!

~Lonesome Sage