Frisk held her chest, gasping for air and sat up. She looked around, seeing the bright white snow surrounding her. "How am I? I'm back in Snowdin. How is this possible?" She pulled herself to her feet, feeling lighter then ever. Was she a ghost now? She remembered dying. She couldn't find her cell or any of her items. She gripped her jacket tightly, sighing in relief. Sans had gave her one of his jackets, which was once too large for her, she slowly grew into it, but found it felt lose and hung on her like a blanket. "I somehow returned home. Did..did my strange power do it?..was it..him? It doesn't matter. I have to tell them what I learned." She made her way as fast as she could through the snow trenches. It never felt as deep as it used to, and she could feel like she basically walked atop of the snow. The people in the village stared at her as she hurried through. "Why does everyone keep staring at me..I guess it's been a long time but..it doesn't matter..I can keep my promise. I can tell Sans I came home. Frisk made her way to the skeletons house. She looked over, seeing that there was a cute sign on their shed that said, guest house, or human holding cell, whenever Undyne hasn't burn her house down. Frisk laughed and knocked on the door. There was no replay. She knocked again, realizing the door was unlocked. "Hello? Anyone. Who leaves their house unlocked when they go out. Expectully someone of the royal not royal guard." She noticed a pot of sauce half burnt, half cooking on the stove. "I am so hungry. I'm sure they won't mind." She began rummaging through the fridge, confused why half of it was filled with ketchup. There was a jingling at the door and it creaked open more. "SANS. WHY IS THE FRONT DOOR OPEN?! WERE YOU TO LAZY TO EVEN LOCK THE DOOR?! YOUR SUCH A LAZY BONES." Papayrus pushed the door open, frowning, seeing someone in the kitchen fridge. "SANS. GET OUT OF THE KITCHEN AND HELP ME WITH THESE BAGS. YOU CAN EAT WHEN THE SPAGHETTI IS DONE!" "how can i be in the kitchen if i'm beh..." San's face possibly turned more white as he dropped the bag he was carrying. The cans rolled about the floor as Frisk stood there, fridge wide open with a can of whipped cream in her hand, smeared on her face. "Uh. I was hungry."
The tall one came over, putting his bags on the counter, grabbing her hands. "WOWIE! A NEW FACE AND A FELLOW SKELETON. THE GREAT PAPAYRUS WELCOMES YOU TO SNOWDIN. SANS! COME AND SAY HELLO. I SHOULD ARREST YOU FOR BREAKING INTO MY HOUSE, BUT BEING AS SANS LEFT THE DOOR WIDE OPEN, I CAN"T PROVE IT. PLEASE! STAY FOR DINNER. DO YOU LIKE SPAGHETTI?!" "Eh? skeleton?" Sans clenched his chest. "my..you other jacket..i gave her." His eyes turned black and empty as his eye started to glow blue. "why do you have Frisk's jacket?! what did you do to her?!" Frisk stared at Sans. "SANS DON'T BE RUDE." "Sans? Yo..you gave me the jacket. It's me Frisk. I know it's been a while. I'm not a kid anymore but, it is me. I'm..i'm alive. I don't know how." His eye faded. "alive huh? he." He walked back out the door, slamming it shut. "SANS. DON'T SLAM THE DOOR. YOU WILL HURT IT'S FEELINGS." Frisk ran out into the snow after him. She could see his footprints in the snow. Why didn't he just teleport, did he want her to chase after him. Was he to shocked? She knew that she had told him she was dying last time she called..then her feet slowed down, catching her reflection in the library window. Frisk walked over slowly, placing her hand on the window. "I..I did die..but how am I?" A skeleton stared back at her. The skull painted in beautiful yellow petals and a red heart on her forehead. She recognized some of the markings as the delta symbol that the old turtle shop keep had told her about. She looked just like one of the sugar skulls of her culture. It was then she took the time to look down at her body. Her clothes hung lose on her skeleton frame. She could tell it was an adult skeleton still, despite none of her human body being left. For a split second, she watched her eye flash red before disappearing. "Is this my..afterlife? I think..I'm ok with that. I feel like this is where I belong." She continued following the footsteps, becoming more awkward by the moment, realizing that she was in a new body. She couldn't understand why if suddenly felt foreign to her. It was a matter of the mind she supposed.
The snowy landscape turned into the dark and sparkling caverns of Waterfall. The rushing water was always calming and she missed it. She knelt down, petting one of the echo flowers. "I'm sorry Sans." She heard her voice echo throughout the small area as the flowers began to repeat her. "No please, be quiet." "Be quiet, be quiet shuu, no please." "you called me..you had died. how are you here now and like that." She looked around seeing no one but hearing his voice. Their conversation echoing throughout the flowers. "In my culture. Our souls never die. Kinda like down here, the human souls still trapped in the castle for anyone's use. I don't know how I got here though, or why I'm like this but..I was still happy cause I got to see everyone again. I got to see you again." The whispers echoed throughout the air. "you lost what made you human." "Sans..why won't you look at me..am..I ugly? I i don't know whats attractive in a skeleton." Her eye sockets teared up, reminding her even though she was now a monster too, she wasn't emotionless. Sans couldn't stand to hear the kid cry and his footsteps approached closer, seeing the skeleton girl standing there, holding her face, trying to wipe tears away. "I can leave again if f it's easier. We had grown so close I thought maybe you'd be glad to see me as more then just a voice on the phone. I thought maybe you'd..lov..ve ..e I'm sorry Sans." "no Frisk, the opposite. please don't cry kid." She felt a pair of hands on her hands, pulling them from her face. His hand reached up and wiped away her tears. She knew he was shorter, but he had always been huge to her. To see her stand a whole head over him, skeleton hand in his skeleton hand, she began to wonder if she had already died. "i guess i hadn't realized how much time had past. your not an ugly skelly. "She started snorting. "Sans. Puns already? You can't exactly, laugh me to death anymore." ''touche'." He tensed up as she hugged him tightly. "I kept my promise right?" "heh, yeah, i guess you did kid."
They sat down by the water for a long while. She avoided conversation about her trip and about how she had died. It was like she was hiding something from him. "I'm sorry that I died before I came back." "yeah, kinda puts a damper on things." He stood up, holding out his hand. "come. Papayrus will be worried where we ran off too." Frisk blushed slightly and took his hand, pulled to her feet. He stuck his hands in his pocket as they headed back to Snowdin. "so you found a way to beat the barrier huh kid?" "Yes. But..I will tell everyone later. I am really hungry. I don't know how, do I have a stomach?" Frisk laughed. Sans found it hard to keep his eyes off her. They entered the front door with the lights all off and dark. "Sans." He grinned. "Sans what did you do?" His grin got wider. "Sans." "are you surprised?" "SURPRISE!" The lights flew on and her friends all jumped up then their smiles faded into ghostly stares. "Uh Sans. Yeah buddy. I thought you said Frisk had come home." Undyne said, walking over, frowning slightly, head titled. "If you lied to me. I might have to break a few bones." She grinned, cracking her fingers. "Undyne." Frisk teared up and hugged the giant fish woman. "Whoa hey. Hands off the merchandise. Who is this chick anyway?" "Is. is, that Frisk?" Alphys adjusted her glasses, walking over as Undyne's face turned pale, her arms holding further back. "Alphys my sweet, my love. That is a skeleton. Frisk is a human." "No no it has to be." She moved Undyne back some, holding Frisk's skeleton hand, and turning it over. "If there was a new monster in town, my glasses are like tiny magical scanners..there is human determination in this monster soul. It is you isn't it Frisk." "I'm sorry I died." Frisk said, kneeling down and hugging the scientist. "Wow. How is this possible?" "I'll explain my belief later." "IS THAT REALLY THE HUMAN!?" They stared at Papayrus in the kitchen way, a kiss the handsome cook apron wrapped over his armor. "Paps. I'm sorry. I." He engulfed her up, hugging her tightly. "FRISK IS ALIVE! AND SUCH A CUTE LITTLE SKELETON. YOU HAVE ALSO GOTTEN TALLER. BUT STILL SO SHORT." Papayrus smile was infectious.
"Is that our darling Frisk~?" Mettaton emerged from the kitchen as well, holding a giant cake. "I figured this party needed a bit of beautiful color then just pasta. Oh darling, what are you wearing? It's like a blanket on you. No no, this won't do for your big debut. Come along into the kitchen, I will fix you up." Before she could argue back, she was dragged away by the robot, going on and almost singing little robot noises in content. "Alphys. Give it to us straight. Is this actually possible?" "Well..monsters are usually born from a male and female monster. It's possible that somehow her determination lived after her body's death and brought her back as that? Humans do have skeletons inside them." Sans started to blush as Frisk came back from the room. "Sigh. I'm sorry darling. I did what I could with a needle." "It's OK. At least things are less, torn looking huh?" She laughed. "Oh, that adorable smile could still bring up my ratings." The party was wonderful. For a night, Frisk completely forgot what had happened to her, how long had she been dead? What even happened to her cellphone. It had been such an important part of her life and now it was gone. The party died down and people were all piled around on the floor, passed out from either other eating or partying too hard. Papayrus had to drag them all into the shed with plenty of blankets and pillows, thinking they would be safer in there. Frisk stood in front of the large, living room mirror. She hesitantly dropped the large jacket, seeing her smaller skeleton frame underneath. Her skin and fat was gone. Her hair had died long ago. She couldn't even tell if she was actually bleeding or not. Tears formed in her face as her hand clenched up and she punched the mirror. "that's ok. Paps has like, 5 in his own room." She clenched her head, knelling onto the ground. "I'm sorry. Did I wake you?" "no..not really. come on. don't cry again. I..I don't like it when you do." "I'm a monster. I..your right. I lost what made me human. I don't have a soul anymore. I tried to play it off but now I don't think I can open the barrier. I wasted my life for nothing. I put you through calling you every night for no reason."
Sans tugged on his shirt collar slightly. "are you a trashcan?" "What?" "then your not a waste of life." "But look at me. I'm ugly." "hey skeletons are pretty good looking. have you meet Jerry. now that guy." He chuckled but got no response from her. "well. i'm not..but you know. your actually kinda bonetiful." Frisk blushed. "What did you say?" "i think you might be more attractive now then you were as a human. i mean. i hadn't seen you since you were a kid, but i know your voice..a a a..nd..it's..the voice i...kinda..grew fond of.." Sans stood behind her, her head rearing up to look into the cracked mirror. "You what?" The shorter skeleton moved in front of the mirror and squatted down, looking at her. "don't look at the reflection. look at me...your call..it wasn't that long ago..i had only recently gotten over it. then you show up again and i felt..i was given my life back. i could forgive myself maybe a little for what happened to you. for you even dieing in the first place. i guess it wasn't until the party..watching you and actually seeing you with the voice of my dear friend for years..i guess i realized that..i..might love you...besides. here." He lifted her hand and placed it over her chest, his eye glowed slightly. "don't feel with your hand, feel with your mind. with your heart. you can't see it, but there is one still there. there is still Frisk's soul there." He blushed even more blue, staring at his hand atop of hers. Her markings were beautiful and intricate. There was swirls all over her hand bones and couldn't help but wonder where else there was this art. He felt his sins crawl up his back. Sans tensed up, falling onto his bottom as she leaned forward, placing her hand on top of his shirt. "I..I can feel yours as well. It's warm." She caught her reflection in the mirror and pulled back, seeing her eye was glowing a bright red. "What am I?! Am I still me? After all this?!" Sans wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight. His younger brother was the only person that he had ever hugged. "after all this. you are still Frisk."
Paparus headed downstairs, rubbing his bottom as he pulled his scarf on, yawning. "Hey dude." He saw Undyne in the kitchen, Alphys holding a bag of ice against her head and encouraging her to drink coffee. "WHY ARE YOU GUYS SO QUIET IN HERE. I DON'T THINK UNDYNES EVER BEEN THIS CALM." "Shuuu! My head. Besides, you'll wake the cuddle party up." "WHERE IS THIS PARTY OF CUDDLING AND WHY AM I NOT INVITED? I AM VERY CUDDLY." Alphys blushed, clicking through her phone with her free hand. "It;s so cute. I had no idea your brother was capable of anything emotion aside pun. "WHAT?!" She guided the tall brother into the kitchen doorway. He saw his older brother on the couch, Frisk curled up beside him, his arm resting around her ,holding the hoodie in place as an impromptu blanket. "OH MY GOD SANS! WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH THE FRISK?!" He sprung up quickly as she barley turned towards him and curled up closer. "Kawaii.." Alphys continued to take pictures. "eh..eh.." He looked between his brother and his couch partner. "its not what you think." "NOT WHAT I THINK?! YOU WERE HAVING A CUDDLE PARTY WITHOUT ME!" Undyne started laughing from the kitchen. "Yeah. That's what he was doing." "UNDYNE BE QUIET. BROTHER. WHAT IS SHE TALKING ABOUT? WHY DOES SHE SOUND...LIKE SHES BEING SARCASTIC? DID YOU TEACH HER THAT?!" Sans snuck around the woman and pulled his brother into the kitchen. "do you guys mind?" "Nope." "Uhh." The two other woman refused to leave the kitchen. "look i..i like Frisk..a lot. don't make it weird please." "WEIRD? WHY WOULD I MAKE IT WEIRD...WAIT...YOU..YOU LOVE THE HUMAN DON'T YOU?! YOU LOVE FRISK. I KNEW IT! YOU WERE ALWAYS SAYING HER NAME IN YOUR SLEEP. YOUR PHONE BILL WAS THROUGH THE ROOF WITH HER NUMBER. HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN TOGETHER!?" "well, i only tried together yesterday." "SANS~! THIS IS SERIOUS." "i know." "So you didn't give her the bone did you?" Undyne asked, barley with a straight face. Sans turned blue, blushing. "that's not a good pun!"
Frisk sat up, pulling her hoodie on and heading outside, hearing the people in the kitchen arguing and laughing over Sans. She placed her hand over her chest and blushed slightly. She had a dream about never breaking the barrier and staying here with all the other monsters as she was now a monster. Sans had told her that he loved her and they decided to live together..but..she had promised to open the barrier for everyone. No matter what her..heart said now. She still had a mission. She stood at the edge of Snowdin, staring out at darkness that would lead to Waterfall. "hey kid. are you running away again?" Frisk jumped slightly, looking back at the shorter skeleton. "Would there be away I could tell you no?" He chuckled, stepping closer, his head moving up to the back of his head. "look..could..could i tag along. it's not like work needs me that badly.." "Are you scared?" He blinked and chuckled again. "yeah..kinda..it s..i can't even think of a pun right now. i don't want you to..die again. i..i came down to keep an eye on you after you went to bed. if your soul got lost down here..i..." Frisk smiled, catching his breath. "I would love the compboney." "this woman...is so cool.." "After you Sans." She held out her hand, indicating the way forward. They traveled through the fake stars. Their conversation had long been erased from the echo flowers. Frisk was so happy to just, talk to Sans, seeing the face that actually went with the voice she loved. His puns only seemed funnier when she could see his winks and shoulder shrugs. Sans felt strange as well. He would hold out his hand and guide her across flower puzzles, watch her as she excitedly told him about the things she saw on her journey. About races of monsters that had far traveled into the underground, settling whole towns further past the ruins. How she traveled through a maze of stalagmites and stalactites where only snails lived. It had made her think of Toriel. Sans made a joke about how she should have brought back souvenirs and she laughed saying she couldn't even bring back her cellphone apparently. Sans began to actually grow tired, he forgot how long it took to travel to the Hotlands. The only sense of relief was that the elevator straight to MMT Resorts was working.
Frisk's eye sockets lite up. "Wow. He's put a lot more work into this place huh? It's beautiful." She looked back and noticed Sans shuffling his feet slightly. "so. it's at least another half days journey to New Home. would you wanna half dinner with me?" Frisk snickered, "You want to half dinner with me? or do you want half a dinner with me?" Sans blushed. "touche'. you've gotten good with your puns." "I had the best teacher." "come on. i know a shortcut." "Oh I think not so darlings~" They froze up, seeing Mettaton tower over them. "Alphys sent me all your adorable sleeping pictures." "Sans?" He stiffened up. "What is she talking about." "I can't believe you managed to go for this shorty skully over a star like me. Nah darling, I completely understand, always go for a man that can make you laugh." Sans pulled his hood over his head and pulled it closed. "Yeah. Sans is pretty great huh? But he doesn't feel that same way about me Mettaton. I appreciate the advice though." "what advice?" Sans muttered. "I used to text Mettaton about uh..advice with..flirting with you." Frisk began to turn red. "I know how to as a cute child, but its different when your ah...it's nothing." "Oh dear. I am sorry. You two look so cute together. WELL! I still insist on helping in anyway possible. Even with my handy sewing skills, your clothes sill look like..no offence, wearing a trash bag." "Oh. well. I still like the jacket either way." "Of course of course. It matches your color scheme. However, with some help I made you this!" He held out a box, wrapped in a bow. "Mettaton!" Frisk lite up. "What is it?!" "I can't let my best star, aside from me, save the underground looking like that. I know you have a fascination for stripes." "Oh..ok..?" Frisk opened the box, pulling out a nice and almost expensive looking dress. "Oh..It's a dress." "With pants! I know how..tomboyish you can me." "Oh Mettaton." She hugged him tightly. "Thank you. I think this is the first gift I've ever gotten in a long time. I'm gonna go put it on right away!" She headed into the resort to find a bathroom.
"Don't think your off the hook mister." Mettaton tapped his foot as Sans had tried to sneak off. "hey, i'm pretty sure i'm hooked, lined and snickered." Mettaton grabbed the back of his hood, lifting him off the ground and turning him. "You need to protect that sunshine you hear. She is crazy about you and I've heard rumors from my production workers. There is a bad feeling in the air. If something happens to her, she will fall and become dust. She won't come back this time." "she's crazy about me?" "Duh! You have no way with the delicate sex do you?" "i wouldn't consider Undyne delicate." Sans chuckled as he was placed back on the ground, Mettaton kneeling down. "I know your lazy and while I'd prefer anyone but you helping her. This is up to you. We all needed you to to take this seriously. We all like Frisk and kinda would love to need her in our lives, but she needs YOU. Don't mess this up or I will never forgive you." He smiled and stood back up. "Enjoy the dinner, and maybe try and have a good time without getting drunk ok? I have tomorrows show to start taping, this beauty doesn't happen over night. Keep her alive you here darling." And the robot was gone. Sans pulled his hood back down, pulling on his shirt. "well. way to put all that on me huh." He scratched his face and then headed to a back alley and to his shortcut. He sat at his favorite table, where you could see the kitchen and the stage for the comedian acts at the same time. He reached in his pocket and pulled out a bottle of ketchup, placing it on the table. His mind was filled with everything Mettaton had just put on him. The thoughts of if its true..that Frisk could turn to dust and never come back. Did she really not have a human soul left. What if he breaks his promise again. Suddenly, all the thoughts began to fade away as Frisk sat down at the table, tugging at her dress top. "It's a little uncomfortable..I guess it's not that bad with the pants. It's still kinda strange to see my limbs so small though." Sans stared at her as she put the hoodie on the back of the seat, not wanting to get food all over it. The clothes fit her frame much better. Even being all bone, she had a more feminine shape then him or his brother. "Sans? Whats wrong? Catty got your toung." She snickered at her own joke.
"kid." She blinked, hearing a seriousness in his voice. "hey..so..you haven't told me yet what will happen when we reach Asgore. you are still human, with a human soul. he will fight you because that's what he believes is what to happen. do you know what you are doing?" "Yes. Yes I know. Don't worry about it." "do you believe you have made the right choices." "Frisk blinked as Sans avoided eye contact, spinning the bottle on the tabletop. "is this all worth it? your actions will be judged and if you won't fight back, Asgore will take your soul and destroy humanity. you can kill Asgore and go home and the monster will stay here forever..or until the next human falls our way..but i guess you didn't get this far from giving up huh? truthfully, it doesn't matter, as long as you were honest with yourself." "Sans." He tensed up as her hand rested atop of his, taking it from the bottle and holding it, placing her other hand on top. "To be honest with you. I don't know if I'm honest with myself. I'm scared. What if..what if I'm not human anymore. What if everyone is trapped here because I had to go off and die." Her hand clenched tighter onto Sans. "i'll be honest kid. when you told me back then of your..special powers. i realized i was right to give up. we would just end up back here again, with no memory of it, except you huh? i know of the timelines, but it's frustrating that i can't remember it." "Sans!" Tears filled her eye sockets. "I don't have that power anymore! This is the last time..if I don't do it this time..nothing will change. That next day will come after I confront Asgore and what happens..happens." She wiped her eyes. "I'm sorry. You don't like crying." She tried to pull back but noticed his hand clenched tighter in hers. "Sans?" "i guess that's why you could use a friends help huh? i told you to call me if you ever need anything." Frisk smiled. "Sans.." "hey the shows gonna start. it's pretty cool. Snowdrake has actually gotten pretty funny." He blushed slightly and pulled his hand free. For that night, they forgot about what was to come and just enjoyed laughs and decent food.
