Content warning for graphic violence, language (thanks Undyne), character death, and mentions of suicidal thoughts.
Toriel watched from the doorway as Frisk, Sans, and Papyrus played poker together on a table that was actually a cardboard box. They all threw down their cards, and Sans grinned and drew a pile of chips into his arms.
"THIS IS THE FIFTH TIME, SANS." Papyrus pointed at his brother. "THERE IS NO WAY YOU CAN BEAT BOTH FRISK AND THE GREAT PAPYRUS FIVE TIMES IN A ROW. YOU ARE CHEATING, THERE IS SIMPLY NO OTHER OPTION."
"beatin any of one of you isn't really a feat," Sans said. "considering frisk is ten and you emote so much the lesser dog could win against you."
"THAT IS NOT TRUE. FRISK, TELL SANS THAT HE MUST BE CHEATING."
Frisk looked at Sans, smiled, and said, "You're right. Papyrus is bad."
"HUMAN! YOU HAVE HEREBY LOST YOUR COOKING WITH PAPYRUS PRIVILEGES."
Toriel approached them. "Frisk, it is getting late. Perhaps it is time to turn into bed."
Frisk looked at the clock and saw that it was really late, but still they said with an exaggerated pout, "Aw, one more game, Toriel?"
"nah, you should listen to toriel, kid," Sans interjected, getting up. "besides, losing so much isn't good for your self-esteem."
Papyrus rose to his feet also and marched to his brother. "YOU'RE JUST TOO GOOD, SANS. IT'S IMPOSSIBLE."
"i know that, bro," Sans replied. "but i have no need to cheat."
"So, Sans." Frisk tried to hide their smile. "Should Papyrus realize that he's wrong and just know when to fold them?"
Sans chuckled and patted Frisk on the head. "you'll get there someday, kiddo."
"Thank you, Sans and Papyrus, for helping Frisk and I settle in," Toriel said.
"no prob. see ya, frisk."
When the brothers finally opened the door to leave, chilly fresh air Frisk still hadn't gotten used to after being underground blew in.
"FAREWELL TILL TOMORROW, FRISK AND TORIEL," Papyrus said as he shut the door.
Toriel put a hand on Frisk's shoulder. "You worked hard too, Frisk. It will still be a while before we can say that we are completely moved in, but, thanks to you and the brothers, we have made more progress than I would have thought possible."
"Thanks, Toriel," Frisk said. They wrapped their arms around her and buried their face into her robe. "I'm really glad that we're living together up here."
Toriel hugged Frisk back. "Me too, dear."
In bed, Frisk tossed and turned. No matter how hard they tried, they couldn't shut down their mind. They sat up in bed and looked around, only the dim light of the stars and moon allowing them to make anything out in the room. Frisk's new room was mostly empty except for their bed and a dresser Sans and Papyrus hauled in earlier today. Boxes littered all the other rooms, but Frisk had only needed one small one to hold all of their possessions from both under and above ground.
Something seemed to gnaw on Frisk's stomach. They lied back down and drew their blanket up to their chin. I'm just unused to being in a new room, Frisk told themself before realizing how stupid that sounded after everything they had been through. Or maybe I'm sick. Curling onto their side, they squeezed their eyes shut and demanded that they go to sleep.
Frisk heard the door open and the footsteps grow closer but didn't move. Toriel sat on the side of their bed and placed a hand on their shoulder. Frisk's body relaxed as Toriel gently rubbed their back and sang softly to them as if she knew they were awake. After a few minutes Toriel stood up and left the room, but she returned again soon, this time leaving the scent of butterscotch-cinnamon pie behind as she closed the door one last time.
Frisk shifted in bed and finally began to drift off…
And their soul grew cold.
They jerked fully awake. (No!)
Frisk's lips stretched into a grin. Though Frisk struggled, their body sat up of its own accord and their hands tossed away their blankets.
(No, no, no, no, no!)
Frisk's head cocked to the side. (Did you think that I had left you?) Chara asked curiously in Frisk's head.
(Please, please give me back my body, Chara.)
Chara shook Frisk's head. (You made your choice long ago.)
(Please, please, please! Don't make me. I'll do anything just don't make me,) Frisk pleaded. They wanted to scream, they wanted to collapse into tears until Toriel heard and came to help them, but their body still held that wide, cheerful grin.
(You'll change your mind once we get started,) Chara said. (Just like before.)
(Please…)
Chara shrugged. (You're the one who decided to do this.)
(I'm sorry. I'm sorry,) Frisk sobbed, but only in their head.
That was many resets ago.
Things got boring after everyone was dead, after all.
"Undyne… you're… you're hurt…"
Undyne heard the words but couldn't move. A lightning strike of pain ripped open her chest and froze solid her blood. The sound of glass breaking crackled in her ears. Numbness crawled up her fingers and toes. She was…
Out of the corner of her vision she saw Kid. The young monster had taken several steps back in horror, tears forming in the corners of their eyes. Undyne leaned on her spear and made herself smile. "Hurt? This is nothing. Next time –" A bolt of pain wracked her body. "- listen when I tell you to leave, okay?"
"Undyne… I…" A tear fell from Kid's chin to the damp stone floor.
Agony wrenched Undyne's body and she bit back a scream. "I'll take care of this! Get out of here!" she growled through gritted teeth. Her body shuddered involuntarily. The glass cracked again in her ears. "Go!"
Tears streaming, Kid backed away and finally turned and ran. The Human watched, holding a plastic knife in their tiny hand. This puny human sliced through her armor and scales and watched Kid run with a blank expression on their face. Somehow with one hit, she was already…already…
"D-Damn it!" she hissed. The sound of shattering glass intensified and cracks snaked and spider-webbed over her body. Something broke and she fell to her hands and knees. Several of her fingers snapped off when they hit the ground, but she couldn't feel her arms or legs. She could only watch as the fingers dissolved into dust next to a fragment of her ear while she listened to the sounds of her body falling apart.
"Papyrus... Alphys… Asgore…" she croaked. Black specks floated in front of her eye. "Just like that I've failed you… no…"
A small brown hand took the spear that had fallen along with Undyne. The Human picked it up and twirled it experimentally.
"I've failed you..."
Undyne collapsed to the ground, and her face splintered into a thousand fragments. Though her vision was gone and her body was an unfeeling pile of dust and shards on the floor, she wasn't dead. She only floated in a void as her thoughts began to disintegrate as well.
I failed. Alphys, I'm so sorry. I thought I could – no. I'm dead. Alphys, Papyrus, I…
The Human will kill them all. They won't content themself with just slaughtering Monsters. They kill humans too. They'll kill everyone… Alphys.
No.
Undyne's body wasn't gone yet. She tried to move. She shrieked at herself to get up and fight. She thrashed and screamed against the numbness and the blanket of nothing that had begun to smother her.
I. Will not. Die here.
She felt her body lying uselessly on the ground in a pile of dust. She writhed, urging herself to reform.
You. Can't. Kill. Me.
A whispering shivered in her ear. She fought against that too. Do you hear me, Human? You. Can't. Kill. Me. The dust blew together and began build itself up.
The whispering became an unintelligible roar, drowning Undyne out. Undyne struggled and twisted and screamed against it. I cannot die! I will not die! Give up already!
It pulled her back gently, easing her into blackness. Still screaming, Undyne pulled herself away, but it only gripped her more tightly. It held her until she grew exhausted, until she could only weakly gasp, No, I won't let them kill everyone. It whispered reassuringly and carried her into unconsciousness.
Frisk frowned as the spear fell apart in their hands. Its icy blue dust glittered on the gray rest of Undyne. Frisk waited, but nothing happened. The wind tossed the dust across the cavern. No Undyne the Undying. Eventually, the human child walked away. So Undyne didn't reform. Frisk had come across several small alterations during their runs, albeit not this particular one. Maybe something new would happen.
Probably not, but maybe.