The barrier was so close. You could stare out into the bright light of the rising sun through the pastelic colors of the magic shield, but unable to ever touch it's rays. She had done everything she felt was right. When judged, she was let right through, never having a bad time. When faced against the king of the monsters, she still could not fight back. She fought tooth and nail to get her to listen to him. She would find another way to open the barrier someday. She didn't want to have to take a monster's soul to go home to a surface she wasn't sure she really wanted to return to. Asgore came out her, full force, showing no signs of taking her mercy. She had no choice but to fight back and protect herself. She felt her life slowly leave her body, but her determination remained strong. The great goat was brought down onto one knee. He stared down at the small human girl, smiling. "I had heard of the human with the kind soul. I am sorry, but we both know what must happen. IF you wish to cross the barrier, you will have to take my soul." "I can't! I don't even..I don't even want to go anymore!" Frisk walked over, hands rested on the large goat hands that clenched the trident tightly. "I wish you could all see the surface someday, but I don't want anyone to die for it. Someone put the barrier up way back then right? I read the stories on the walls. I bet there is someone somewhere who can take it down again." Asgore laughed. "Your idealism is infectious. There is no other way. The only way is with the power of a human and a monster soul." "I know but.."
Frisk had spent months in the underground. She awoke in a bed of golden flowers. Their bright color was almost small captures of sunlight. The large and wise Toriel had saved her from the darkness of the ruins, the cackling laughter of a demonic, taunting flower. She was scared to leave the ruins at first and stayed as long as the goat would allow her. She learned how to make a butterscotch pie, that always fell apart when pulled from the pie tin. She was taught about the lava filled Hotlands and the beautiful snowy Snowdin. She was told stories about the magical echo flowers who often whispered secrets. But her fondest memory of the ruins was talking to Toriel's friend. A mysterious voice on the other side of the large ruin doors. The first words they ever said to Frisk was a horrible knock knock joke about how Toriel must have adored the child. Everyday she would sneak down to the end of the ruins, the goat mother's diary in hand full of puns she was working on. Every time she was down there, she wasn't..bonley. The day she finally gained the courage to leave the ruins, was the day time seemed to continue again. With a forgiving hug from her adoptive mother, she left the doors that locked behind her, not to be opened again. Her journey began. She meet the face behind the voice, hand full of, whoopee cushion causing her to burst into laughter. Soon after, she met her new puzzle loving, spaghetti eating friend, Papayrus the Great. The tall skeleton wouldn't harm a fly, despite his desire to be part of the royal guard. His best friend on the other hand, disagreed. The powerful Undyne, a heroine of the monsters. Through angry smiles and and pushing from the younger skeleton, Frisk and the hero had become 'best friends'. The skeleton brothers house became packed with the two ladies after they burnt down the the woman's house making pasta. She spent so much time with these great monsters that she almost forgot.
She had grown particularity close to the short skeleton, who still stood a head taller then her. He was big in her eyes and it would make him smile. It was nice to have someone look up to him instead of looking down at him and his slippers. She became addicted to his puns, his smile. She was a child, but she had a huge crush on the older skeleton. Undyne always tried to push her determination to win the skelly's heart, but she was still a child herself. A child with a mission. With help, she was lead to the hotlands and met the royal scientist and her' human destroying' robot. She was guided through the lava and puzzles safely, reaching the awesome resort of the ever so famous, Mettaton. Undyne had tried so hard to help Frisk confess her love, that she stopped at nothing to help Alphys, the cute little scientist of the Hotlands to confess her love to the knight herself. Happiness grew in the Underground. People began to have hope and forget about the depression that had hung over the kingdom for years. She had her last words to Sans when he surprised her with dinner. He wouldn't admit it himself, but he was fond of the kid and wanted her to make it at least to Asgore safely. And here she was, standing in front of the man. "Please Asgore. I want to find another way. Undyne said you have souls already. Do..do you really need 8 souls to break the barrier. You have human and monster soul already. I..I don't want to disappoint anyone. They need you. Your their king..I'm..I'm just a human and I manged to help I think. You could do so much more." The man smiled, lifting his hand and placed it on her head. "You would have made a great knight in my army. But there is no other way. The legend says what it does. Even I do not know who placed them there. If I could I wo..." Frisk watched the blood splatter across her face as magic tore through the king. He smiled, clenching his chest. 'I guess. You will get your soul after all. Go home Frisk. You deserve it."
His hand faded from her hand, leaving behind dust over her body. The strange flower that had attacked her back in the beginning. He was the lost prince Asriel. How did she know? She had been here before. Frisk had spent months in the Underground. But only she and Flowery, this monster in front of her ever remembered. When she first fell down here, she was scared and fought her way to get home. This flower stopped her, only to be betrayed by the human souls he tried to steal but...she died. Over and over again, she had to taste death, wake up in the small garden, and start it over again. And each time..she grew closer to her friends..she grew closer to Sans, even if he only saw her as a small child. Here she was again, staring down at this flower. "We've been through this already. What will you do now?! I am bored. I am so bored of this. I can't kill you cause you'll just keep coming back. The souls will keep betraying me." "I want to start over. One more time. One more time. If I don't do it this time, I will leave forever. Even if I am trapped down here." The flower cackled manically. "We will just end up here again." "No." The flower frowned and Frisk held her chest. "I will do it differently. Take me back one more time. If I can't find a way..I will give you my soul willingly, and you can leave and do whatever you wish." "How do I know that you won't just turn and kill me again?" She held her head. One time, she had died one to many times, and lost her body to a dark and angry soul. The former human prince child. Asriel's brother. He was stopped by his own sins. Frisk had to watch Sans basically kill her..them..however it was explained. But she had no hatred in her heart this time. She was in control of her own body, because she couldn't watch San's cry again. The look on his face when he confronted them, chastising them for the death of Papayrus. "No..I will not. He doesn't control me. I am Frisk. I will find a way to free everyone. Even you Flowery." "Free? I am free! I am outside space and time! I can do whatever I want. I'm intrigued. Go back one more time. We will see how it ends."
Frisk awoke in the garden. She repeated everything from the last run through. But she spent every moment learning. She stayed longer with goat mom to learn everything the former Queen knew. She studied with Alphys to learn about monster history and the Underground. She trained with Undyne to try and become strong. She played with Papayrus, keeping her mind sharp and remembering how to enjoy life. She preformed with Mettaton, wowing and feeling more of the love the monsters had to share. She spent time with Sans. She spent more time with the skeleton then anyone. She explained to him her strange gift. Her form of magic that only she as a human had. He seemed unsurprising by the concept, but intrigued that it revolved around her. He taught her what he knew. What little he understood about how time magic worked. The power of a soul. His real power in anyway it would help her. He gave her his phone number, should anything happen. After about a year, she awoke one morning, what was morning according to the clocks. There was no day or night time here. There was no sky or clouds..she found herself..not missing them. Frisk had become so involved in these monsters lives. "what's with the bag? planning on running away?" She turned back, looking up at Sans. "Yes." "what. wait kid. i was joking. Why would you do that?" "The answer I'm looking for isn't here. It's out there, beyond the city. I've been told that many monsters went out further into the underground, down many dark tunnels, looking for adventure, answers, themselves. I wish to find it as well." "well kid, the answer might be closer then you think. you could almost say it was right here." "What?" He flicked her in the forehead, causing her to tear up. "don't cry now. i will have enough of that when Paps finds you missing." "Sans...you like me right?" "what? sure kid. your pretty cool." "I like you too Sans." She started forward, adjusting her backpack when he grabbed her arm. "hey..Frisk." She looked back at him. "call me if you need anything. " "I will, but I don't think I can yell that loud." They both laughed as she disappeared from his view.
Her journey through the underground was hard and she loved it. She saw things down here she never would have found in her life on the surface. Beautiful singing mushrooms and colonies of monsters unseen back at Home. Every night, she called her friends, often in a group conversation. The longer her journey went, the less the calls became. She made sure to every day call Sans. At first, he wouldn't pick it half the time and would replay with a half assed text. For months he hadn't heard anything from her, barley getting a text through to her cell. He was at his hot dog stand when he watched the phone vibrate on the counter. "Sans phone." "That sounds awfully phony." He sat up quickly. "ki kiddo? Is that you?" "I'm sorry it's been a while. It's hard to find signal out here." "hey, you can't see a signal. how did you plan on finding one? they are invisible." The skeleton chuckled then blushed slightly at the laugh on the other end. "you sound different." "I do? I've talked to myself a lot, so I guess I haven't noticed. Happens when you get older I guess. I just...wanted to hear you again. I'm going somewhere where..I don't know if I will be able to talk to you again." "hey kid. Promise me something." "Yeah? I promise you a something." He grinned as she snickered. "come back home. Papayrus and Undyne wouldn't ever forgive you if you don't." "Oh. I suppose not huh?" There was silence and he lowered his head, staring down into a ketchup bottle. "come home safely Frisk...i wouldn't forgive myself if you don't." "I promise. I have to go Sans. I lo...I'll talk to you later." "i..like you kiddo. these years of just phone conversation...i think i really like you. you better come home." The phone was already silent on the other end as she had hung up..and remained silent for years.
Undyne was piled up on the skeleton's couch, Alphys curled up in her lap as they were watching one of Mettaton's cooking shows. "YOU KNOW WHAT. I COULD TOTALLY OUT COOK METTATON." "Hahah! Hell yeah Papayrus. You should have a competition cooking show. And I'll be your co-host!" "YEAH. COOKING WITH THE GREAT PAPAYRUS." "so you'd call it how to burn the house down?" Sans laughed, scrolling through his undernet page. Undyne's eye gleamed. "You just can't handle the passion that comes with cooking!" "I would watch it." Alphys said blushing as the knight nuzzled her head. "And I would blow you a kiss at the camera every night. "Ah jeeze." She turned more red. "YOU KNOW WHO LOVED OUR COOKING?" Everyone's phones suddenly buzzed at the same time, many different ringtones filling the room. Everyone stared at Papayrus as his ring tone was the tune he was always singing. His self, proclaimed theme song. "Really?" Undyne raised an eye. "MY MUSICAL GENIUS IS CATCHY AND YOU KNOW IT. ITS THE HUMAN!" He picked up the phone, grinning. "HUMAN! IT HAS BEEN FOREVER." Everyone picked up their phone, the same voice going through the receiver. "Hey everyone. I did it. I..I figured out how to open the barrier without a sacrifice." "HUMAN! YOU SOUND VERY STRANGE. HAVE YOU FALLEN ILL?!" A woman's laugh filled the air. Sans' thumb shook over the answer button. His phone still vibrated her number. "Papayrus, Frisk is probabley an adult by now. Humans do grow up." Alphys said, writing down notes as she spoke. "The former prince crossed the barrier after absorbing a human soul right? So you need a human soul and a monster soul to cross, but not to open I..I have a way to open the barrier. I'll be coming home soon and we will all go to the surface right?" "Hell yeah! I'm itching to finally see these things in your drawings!" Undyne stood up, looking over at the pictures on the fridge that Frisk had drawn. "Yeah. It'll be great huh. I will see you later everyone. I love you all!" "WE LOVE YOU TOO HUMAN!"
All the phones went silent as Sans stood up from his chair and headed outside. He made his way to the back of the house and sunk down, staring up at the sky. His phone was still ringing. He finally pushed the receiver, putting it up to his ear holes. "i told you never to call me here." He chuckled causing her to laugh. "Cause it's a cellphone right? Why didn't you pick up?" "...i was scared." "Yeah..I am too. I did do it though Sans. I learned the secret but..I'm sorry. It looks like I'm gonna break my promise." "i don't.." "But hey. I believe it was you that said this is why we don't keep promises huh?" "Frisk...no.." "This sucks huh. I guess I waited too long to tell you. Over these years. Our phone calls was my favorite part of the day..I wish I could have seen you agian. I wish I had said so so much earlier and not on my death bed. I did what I said I would. There is a way. Your outside the timeline like me so you understand. I can't reset anymore, I can't tell you why but..I hope my soul will find it's way back to you..Good bye Sans. I regret nothing. Don't give up again..please.." He heard the phone thud against the ground and grow static. He held his chest, fighting tears from his eyes. "you stupid kid. i should have done more. i'm the only one that could. this is what happens when people like me are lazy. you actually had me believing this time around would be different. He went into the house, walking past everyone and up to his room. He sat on his bed, fighting back the tears. He had only cared about this human because Toriel had begged him to watch the human. He broke his promise as well to keep her safe. Sans looked over, seeing a tiny misshapen skull on his dresser. He walked over, grabbing it. It was tiny in his hands. He had to keep himself from gripping it so tightly that he'd shatter it.
"HUMAN. WHAT IS THAT YOU ARE MAKING?" Frisk looked up from her project. "IS THAT A SKULL?! IS THIS YOUR OMAGE TO THE GREAT PAPARUS?!" "It's called a sugar skull." "A SKELETON MADE OF FOOD. SANS! IS THIS HOW SKELETONS ARE MADE?!" The shorter one came in, hands in his pocket. "i thought you said humans descended from skeletons." "No no. My culture believes that when you die, you go to the underworld and your soul goes on a journey to find it's deserved resting place. Their soul is judged at the end and it is then when they find where their final home shall be. We celebrate those that died with a festival called Day of the Dead. We make skulls for them in celebration of their journeys. I don't know how to tell time very well down here, but I made awesome skeleton friends and want them to have awesome skeleton skulls." "WOWIE! A HUMAN FESTIVAL THAT CELEBRATES SKELETONS! BRILLIANT! MAKE ME A SUGARY HEAD AS WELL PLEASE HUMAN?!" Frisk laughed. "Ok. I have one here, if you wanna help paint?" "YES! IT WILL BE THE MOST BEAUTIFUL! BECAUSE IT WILL LOOK LIKE MY. THE HANDSOME PAPAYRUS!" Sans had watched the human go on about this holiday, but was having more fun watching his little brother enjoy the idea of war shipping skeletons. The little skull she made just for Sans. It was blue with flames and flowers on it. He was a bit disturbed by it at first, but after she explained the strange power she had to him, she knew of his powers. She specifically said, his blue soul reminded her of the open skies. He couldn't stop the tears. "you lived a good life right kid? you always did the right thing. everyone was happier when you came around..i..was happier..you must have felt alone while out there..but you weren't alone..you sh shouldn't break promises damn it." He sunk onto the floor, grasping the skull tightly. "stay determined Frisk. help her soul find it's freedom. the barrier isn't worth it."