Chapter Nine

What does that idiot think he's doing now? The voice grumbled to itself. Frisk had to agree with that. How the hell did the flower managed to get to her in the first place? You want me to get green mode ready?

Frisk nodded.

We could also use yellow mood. It's not strong enough to kill in one blow, but it should make that fool pause for thought.

"Flowery!" Papyrus waved his free hand. "Hey buddy! What are you doing here?"

Putting on a smile, the flower tilled his head. "I'm here to make sure that your quest keeps going smoothly." He gestured to the spider. "Our friend here is helping me out."

"Did you pay her off," growled the fallen child.

"Nope." Hopping on over, the spider child held out a note. "Do you remember this?"

"What's that?" Taking the note, Frisk blinked. It was a message from the spiders of the ruins. They praised Frisk of being a frequent customer and helping so much for the cause. Pulling a donut out, the girl stared at it. "Who thought a minor act would relate to this?" She wrinkled her nose. "But why did you trap us?"

"Frisk, we need you to restart everything." Flowery sighed upon getting a blank stare. "And I don't mean you reload and then come back. We need you to go back to the beginning by erasing everything."

"Why?" Frisk grabbed her head as pain pierced it. "No… I've come too far."

"You don't understand." Flowery pushed his leaves together. "Something is wrong with the world. Someone or something is changing it all."

No, stated the voice, we restart now we will lose so much we have earned. It must be him. He is trying to keep us here forever.

What should we do?

"Frisk," said Flowery, "How much do you remember of the past?"

"Wait a moment." The child glanced up. "You called me Frisk."

"So?"

"You never called me Frisk before." Holding her arms out, the child's eyes narrowed. Her soul glowed a bright yellow.

Hey, shouted the voice, how did you do that?!

"Who are you?!"

"No good!" Flowery summoned bullets around Frisk. "She can only remember fragments! We need to take her alive."

"No worry." Picking up a pair of teapots, Muffet grinned. "We can't lose this. Newt! Music please." A large spider crept over to a radio and pressed on it. Lights spring on to reveal a stage. Quick, ominous music started. Hundreds of spiders rushed out to do a synced dance. Dancing along, the spider girl made her way over to Frisk. "Now, why are you so blue?" Frisk stood to move, but yelped when Muffet poured a purple liquid on her.

The child felt something grabbed her by the shoulder and pulled her upward. She glanced back to see a series of magic lines floating in the air. Her back was attached to it.

Flowery screamed as his bullets glued to the lines as well. "Damn it! Why are my attacks stuck onto lines?"

"It's just how things work." Smiling, the spider girl summoned pastry to her hands. Spiders appeared with stuff as well. "Now, just hold still."

Frisk yelped as a variety of missiles shot at her. Begging the voice to change her soul's color, she went up and down the lines. Donuts, ants, croissants, and bullets tried to strike her her. Many of them moving so fast that they tore right through the girl. The pastry were as hard as rock.

When there was a pause in the attacks the child panted. She glared at her attackers.

Papyrus struggled against his bondages. Yet the more he moved the more stuck he become. "Hold on Frisk! I just need a little bit more time."

"Give up, Frisk!" Flowery bowed his head. "If you keep going bad things are going to happen."

"Not happening."

Shaking her head, Muffet hummed. "She's one determined child, isn't she?" She whistled. "Cupcake. Time for diner."

"Who is Cupcake?" asked Flowery.

"She's hungry and if we want to stop the human we might as well make it permeate."

A growl came from under the child. She yanked her feet up as a cupcake with spider legs snapped at her feet. The lines fell downward toward the beast. The child grabbed hold of the upper line and climbed. Yet at the same time ants smothered the lines.

"Called that thing off!" shouted Flowery. "She can't die!"

"What are you talking about?" asked the spider woman. "I thought you wanted to stop the kid?"

"If she dies we'll-"

Frisk got a ways before a couple of ants bit her hands. Yelping, the child pulled her hands away. She fell into Cupcake's mouth and devoured whole.

. . .

After a while, Dad and Mom eventually dropped a bombshell on me. They wanted me to free the monsters from the underground. At first I was stun. Yes, I had an incredible power, but I never told them anything about it. Then they told me the story of how the humans forced the monsters underground. I already learned about the general history. Humans were afraid that monsters would absorb their souls. Not an entirely unjustified reasoning, for a number of monsters had done it in the past. It ended badly for everyone involved, but I was glad when the strong monsters overtook many humans. They deserved it.

The biggest issue the monsters had was that they were trapped in the underground by a barrier. Centuries ago seven powerful magicians had trapped the monsters in their current home. To get through the barrier they needed seven human souls. At least, that was until they made two main discoveries.

The first happened to be me. For a while now the monsters had an idea of how to get out, but they couldn't do it themselves. With their bodies made out of magic, monsters were less durable than humans. I soon learned why they needed me.

My parents took me to the royal labs to meet Mr. W.D Gaster. Gaster was an odd, lanky skeleton, who spent most of his time in working on an experiment. Unable to speak, he used his hands to talk. He needed my assistance in a project. The old man created the core several decades before my arrival. It was the object that powdered the entire underground, but that was its secondary objective. Its first objective was to break the barrier by collecting enough energy to do so. It would take time, but when it was ready, it could be of great use to breaking the barrier.

The only problem was directing that energy. The doctor had tried artificial means, but every cord or gun he used blew up on him. Through volunteers and other living things he learned that monster and animals could take in energy. Yet monsters could only take in so much energy before dying from a nervous system melt down.

This is where I came in. If I could take a large enough energy into my body, I could use it to destroy the barrier. My parents told me that I could choose to do it. It would be a dangerous thing. Yet I would not back down. The monsters had done so much for me. I cannot turn them down when they needed a hero.

So Gaster and I worked together for a while. We learned that I had an incredible ability to absorb energy. Yet it wasn't enough to use the amount we needed. The scientist assumed that my age and my inexperience hindered me. With enough time and patience we could do it.

Word of salvation spread. The monsters from all over the underground spoke of how great it would be to see the skies again. I'll be the first to admit that I missed the sun on my skin. The wind in my hair, but as I thought of what was to come, I feared that humans would harm monsters once more.

Even when I first met the monsters I was scared them. But I was just a scared, little girl- no real threat to anyone. Humans with assault rifles and tanks could tear them apart. I told this to Dad and he took note, but he seemed unconcern. I should had known he would brush me off. Not out of disbelief, but he was a gentle soul at heart. He would rather invite his worst enemy to dinner then attack them. In secret, I planned on the worse case situation.

Yet before any of this could take place a tragedy happened. A traitor among monsters sabotaged us. I started to learn for all their goods the monster could also be fools and idiots.

I started to hate that part of them.

. . .

Frisk sighed as she shot down the bombers again. Her mind went back to her last vision. So whoever had been bothering her was trying to help the monster get out of here. She wondered if the voice still wanted to help the monsters.

Yet before she could think more on it the web came and caught the celebrity. Papyrus said something and the child grunted in response. He collapsed once more onto the ground. Stepping off the skeleton, again, the child sat down and waited for her friend to catch his breath.

"Good grief." The skeleton sat up. "I feel like I'm doing this again. Am I?"

"I got eaten by a cupcake."

The skeleton tilted his head while frowning. "Cupcakes can't eat people. People eat cupcakes. How can you be killed be one?"

"Ask Muffet where she got it. You monsters got a rather interesting ecosystem."

"Eco what?"

"Ecosystem. It is everything that is the living and non-living interacting within an area."

"Oh? Like animals eating plants or rocks skipping off the ground."

"Pretty much."

"Hmm." Sitting up, the skeleton patted his kneecaps. "I guess we live in an odd world."

"Like how full grown trees can grew underground. How does that work?"

"Crystals turn magic into light," stated the skeleton as matter a fact.

"Then how does enough water get down to the trees? Hell, how is it possible for one section of the cave to be so cold, another one humid, and then another one filled with lava."

"That's…that's a good question." Cupping his chin, the skeleton hummed. "Now that I think of it, why do we have so much snow in Snowdin? We do have something of a weather system, but that should spread throughout the cave. It's… odd to say the least."

Shrugging, the skeleton stood. "No need to worry about it now."

Yet as Frisk went through the motion of getting to the spider girl, the child thought upon it all. Everything about this world seemed odd. She could understand the monsters and them living underground. Humans used magic, even today, but could magic still create everything down here? Then there was the biggest oddity of all- herself. If she could control time then someone else before her had much have done so. She could hardly be the first person with the ability of saving and loading. Yet the more she thought about her own world she came to a frightening realization. How much of her own history had been rewritten, and how many times?

"Hey Frisk!" Papyrus knocked the child's head. "What are you doing? You seemed to be in deep thought."

"Sorry! I was just thinking about something. Oh, Papyrus, do you know where I can find chocolate around here?"

"There is probably some in New Home. Why?"

"I want some answers and I know someone who might give me it if they are willing to take a trade."

Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate! chanted the voice.

Stepping into the large space, Frisk glared into the darkness. "Flowery, can you please try not to kill me this time."

"Damn it!" The lights flickered on to show an enraged Flowery. "I knew you spiders are unreliable."

"Hey!" shouted the spider girl. "We have them where we wanted! They can't get out without crossing this way."

Hey Frisk, said the voice, want to try out a new mode?

Sure!

Purple mood, on!

Frisk yelped as her body zipped upward. She just grabbed hold of the skeleton as before he got out of reach.

"Since when can she do that?!" shouted Muffet.

"Don't just stand there!" Flowery's face morphed into a terrible expression. "Take them alive!"

"Aw!" screamed the skeleton. Thousands of spiders stepped onto one of another to make giant piles. "Frisk!" With a nod the child glanced upward. A thought summoned many more lines. Leaping up to the next line, Frisk zoomed forward. "They are climbing up!"

The child glanced back to see spiders, pastries, and pellets darting her way.

Hey voice, thought Frisk. Is it possible at all to get my guns out?

No. The voice groaned. We can only take on one soul at the time. If we try to change now we are going to crash into the ground. A howled echoed. Looks like crashing now would be a bad idea.

Frisk glanced down to see the cupcake spider chasing after them. It tried to hop onto the line, but the child do away with those near the ground. "We're nearing the exit!" declared Frisk.

"Oh hell no!" Appearing in front of the door, the flower summoned vines to cover the exit. "You're not getting through that easily."

The child summoned another set of lines. She hopped over to it and dodged a series of lashing vines. The spider girl hopped onto the lines and swung into the path.

"Dearie." Snapping her fingers, Muffet broke a line. With a shout the duo dove for the earth. "It's time that you come to a stop."

Not good! thought Frisk. Not good!

Running underneath them, the cupcake got into position. Its mouth cranked open in order to catch. Frisk thought they needed a shield, but then spotted all of the spiders rushing to join the pet. They were going to be captured.

"Don't worry human!" Papyrus flicked his wrist and his legs came to a stop in front of the mouth. Baffled, Cupcake leapt to snap at the leg. The skeleton sent the child and himself flying through the air. Her heart glowed a dark blue. "I, the great Papyrus, will get us out of here!" The girl screamed as she zigzagged across the room and slammed into the roof. Cringing, the skeleton chuckled. "Sorry! I'm still getting the hang of this."

Can I shoot him, asked the voice.

After we get out of here.

I thought you were forgiving.

Forgiveness is one thing. Ignoring a problem is another entirely.

Agreed.

Frisk's face peeled off the roof and she dropped toward the ground.

"I got a plan!" Climbing onto the child's back, the skeleton sat up and looped his legs around her midsection. One hand held up to keep his magic going. The other started summoning bones and juggled them.

"What are you guys doing?!" shouted Flowery.

"That's what I would like to know!" shouted Frisk.

"Almost done." The top half of a skull landed of Frisk's head. Glancing up, the kid stared as the skeleton lowered a lance made out femurs, radius, and spine bones tucked under an arm. Papyrus also placed a metal cap on his head. "Onward, my steed."

"I'm a girl."

"Mare! We shall run right through the enemy!"

"Cool!"

Okay, I got to admit this is going to be awesome.

"Stop!" Flowery waved his pedals. "You guys don't understand. If you keep going you'll-" Yelping, the flower disappeared into the ground as the skeleton rammed his lance into the vines. They stretched and groaned as they pushed out.

"Just a little more!" shouted Frisk.

"I'm doing that!" shouted the skeleton.

"Get them!" shouted spider girl.

Frisk gulped as the spider armies led by Cupcake charged them. "Hurry up!"

"AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!" With a final shout the vines tore. Soaring through the air, the pair reached the end of the platform. "Sir Papyrus will not to be stop. All shall know that I, Papyrus, helped the human on her quest. We shall make it to the barrier, get you home and-"

"We just missed our elevator."

"What?"

"The elevator." Frisk pointed to the subject disappearing out of view. "We just missed our ride."

"Oopsies!" The skeleton feigned an innocent expression. "Looks like even I can get caught up in the moment of glory." Turning Frisk around, they headed for the elevator. "Anyhow, all we have to do is get in and go up. I'm sure the spiders and the flower will be good sports and let us get away."

"GET THAT CHILD!" screamed an unknown voice.

Just as the elevator came into view spiders swarmed out of the door. Vines followed right after them. Eyes shooting out of his skull, Papyrus charged for the elevator.

Frisk phone ringed and she pulled it out.

"Give me a second to help you!" shouted Alphys. The spiders paused as several barriers came out of the floor and formed several beams. Two of them blue while the middle one a bright orange. The spiders and vines halted. "That should be able to hold them off long enough."

"Oh no you don't!" Muffet rode a tides of spiders. "I won't let you get away. The spider clan will be reunited!"

"F-" was all that came from the phone. The child blinked when it started to vibrate. Pulling it away, she stared at the odd texts that came across the screen.

Mind if I help?

The platform which the spiders stood upon trembled before pulling away from the elevator. Yelping, the spider girl shot a web out of her hand and it stuck to the retreating flooring. Spiders fled back in the room. Their only other option was dropping into the lava.

With a ding the elevator opened. Dropping his lance, the skeleton directed them into the ride. They crashed landed, but the elevator closed shot behind them before they bounced out.

Panting, the skeleton grinned. "Well… We made it. Are you alright?"

Sitting up, Frisk grabbed her nose. "You keep on bashing me into stuff." Tears well up in her eyes.

"I'm sorry." Hugging the child, the skeleton hold her tight. "I needed to get us out there. I'm so sorry for any damage. Hey! I heard that the nice cream guy is nearby. We could buy some ice cream before we go on. Does that sound good?"

Sniffing, the girl nodded. "Please stop hitting me against stuff. I can restart, but it still can feel pain."

"Hey! If you like you can hit me." Kneeling, the skeleton grabbed his head. "Right in the cheek I can take it."

Chuckling, the child patted the skeleton on the head. "I know you meant little harm. Just be a little more careful. Okay?"

"Yes sir!"

The phone ring. Answering it, Frisk smiled. "Hello?"

"Are you okay?" asked Alphys. "We saw everything on the video. You took quite a beating."

"Hey brother!" shouted Sans. "I know that the Frisk can come back, but be a little gentler there. She's just a kid."

"I know that." The younger skeleton frowned at the phone. "Forgive me for doing my best."

"You did well, Papyrus," said Undyne. "Not a lot of people would have thought that fast."

"Next time, can we please try to avoid using me as a horse?" Frisk rubbed her back. "Papyrus's butt is bony and I hate being manhandled."

"From where you're going it should be a straight shot to the core," said San. "I'm meeting you there to make sure that you're alright." Frisk would have asked how, but she kept her silence. A part of her had a feeling how he was doing it. "Take care now. Mettaton managed to get away from the web. There is little doubt that he'll be meeting you before you get to the elevator."

"No surprise there."

"Hey Frisk, we had several more abnormalities in the time line." The scientist hummed. "Things are getting interesting."

"How so?"

"There appears to be a third person who now messing with the timeline. I'm going to try to track it down and figure out who it is. It could be the same person who messed with the elevator earlier."

"Is it possible that Gaster doing it?"

"That isn't possible." San's voice froze. "He's dead. That much is certain."

He's a scary man, stated the voice, for all his act he's the most dangerous person around.

I'm starting to think you have a point.

"You should be getting to the hotel," said Alphys. "I'll go look up this W. D. Gaster guy. All we know is that he disappeared." Frisk yawned. "You sound tired."

"My life is endangered and I'm running all the time." Frisk blinked sleep out of her eyes. "I could use some rest."

"The hotel should have a room open for you. Go get some rest. I doubt even Mettaton would attack a kid in her sleep."

Closing the phone, the duo entered the hotel. The wide lounge appeared nice enough. Frisk liked the fountain with a statue of Mettaton spitting water. Whoever designed it misaimed the shooting water so that it stained the red carpet around the fountain. A humanoid with a hand for his head allowed the pair to check in. Papyrus was hungry and went to get something to eat.

Frisk went to her room and fell into her bed. Sleep dragged her into the second world.

. . .

Hyped for monsters' freedom built over several months. It brought a smile to my face each time someone came over to me and wished me the best of luck. Even Asriel started to beg me to tell him everything about the surface world. I told him what I could, but even then I had my doubt about a human and monster reunion.

During this time, I went to Gaster for more experiments. There was little improvement. As mentioned earlier, I needed to mature before I could be of use. Yet the more accustomed I got to placing energy into my soul, the easier it would be later on.

My parents dropped me off. Asriel was part of some snail racing club and Mom and Dad wanted to cheer him on. Gaster was a good enough friend and no monster would have attacked me. When I got to the true labs doors I knew something was wrong. Gaster always met me at the elevator and chatted -in his own way- about current events. The elevator door was wide open and the elevator missing.

In the first time in a while I used my save ability. I summoned the elevator and went downstairs. Just as I stepped off I heard angered shouting. It sure as hell wasn't Gaster. At first I stayed in my place too scared to approach. Then the sound of crashing reached me. Being a stupid kid, I rushed over to the main labs. Just as I entered the lab a bright light blinded me.

When the light clear there was a scorch marks on the ground. Notes were burning and objects had been knocked to the ground. I called out for Gaster but no one came. I called my parents at once and the royal guard rushed over. They did what they could, but the only thing they could learn was that Gaster fought with someone and then disappeared. His attacker went with him.

Not willing to accept that, I went back in time again. This time I sprinted for the main labs. I got there in time to see the enraged Gaster assaulting another skeleton. Fire spread through the room as they knocked thing about. I shouted for them to stop, but grappling one another it become obvious they were fighting to the death.

The shorter of the two managed to throw Gaster off and into what looked like an empty door frame. Gastar's eyes showed his shock as the device exploded into his light. The other skeleton was engulfed in it and they both disappeared. Stunned by what happened, I stared at the scorch mark for a while. Memories of my father rushed back to me. I wasn't close to Gaster, but he had treated me well. I was determined to save him.

I failed. I tried tackling, shouting, kicking, banging, and so many other types of things. Yet no matter what I did Gaster always fell into the door and the other skeleton followed. The only thing I learned was that the other skeleton's flashed yellow and blue in angry.

There was nothing anybody could do. People searched for Gaster all over the underground, but he never showed up. With only my vague description, the royal guard could do so little. There were a number of skeletons and their eyes flashing blue and yellow wasn't uncommon.

The worse blow came when we learned that Gaster's life work was destroyed. Whoever Gaster fought made sure his theories on energy conversation was destroyed. The main scheme for the core survived so keeping it maintained and building a new one would be easy. Only I knew how he managed to transfer energy from one place to the other. I did my best to explain the how, but I was a child. It proved too hard for my reach.

And just like that the monsters' hope was crushed once more. The personal worse was seeing my brother's sorrowful expression. I told him so much about the stars and the moon that he had wanted to see them. I hated that look.

That day, I became determined to free the underground.

. . .

Sitting up, Frisk cried. The sorrow that struck her in her sleep overwhelmed her. How many times have the monsters tried and then failed to earn their freedom? How many times had she given it to them and taken it away?

"I'm tired," stated Frisk.

Agreed. The voice sniffed. Why do we have to suffer?

Smoothing out her clothing, Frisk went into the dining room and found Papyrus nagging Sans. "I keep telling you that a seven hour nap should be enough rest." The younger skeleton scooped up his noodles and cheese. "Why are you so low on energy?"

"I guess I'm just worn to the bone." The elder brother laughed while the younger groaned. Frisk stared at Sans for a long while. "Hey Frisk." Sans waved at the kid. "What's with that look? Aren't you going to come and sit down?" The skeleton picked up a bottle of ketchup and drunk it.

Frisk nodded and did as told. As she sat down the child saw Asriel sitting in front of her. Toriel and the king sat to their side. A depressing silence fell upon them.

"Come on guys," said the king. "I know it looks bad now, but we still have time. Chara, you're still young." The king offered her a kind smile. "When we get home we can have a chocolate cake." Frisk nodded, but she didn't speak.

"Child." Toriel soothed as she patted Frisk's arm. "You done everything you can."

"Asriel, can you please come with me."

"Okay." Putting his fork down, the goat boat followed Frisk out into a back alley. "What up?"

"Do you remember our little talk?" Frisk offered a smile. "The one where if we had no other choice we could do that."

Arsiel's eyes widened. "We can't! It's too dangerous!"

"Arsiel. What choose do we have?" Frisk pointed to the ceiling. "You said it yourself. I'm the first human in ages who came here. What are the chances that one, must less six more, are going to fall in? What are the chances that I will even be alive by then?!"

"Don't talk like that!"

"What are the chances that Dad or Mom are going to be alive? Hell, what are your chances of not living for hundreds of years down here?" Turning around, Frisk kicked a trash can. "No! I won't allow that! I won't let you stay down here for all of eternity!"

"Chara…"

"I will do it!"

"Frisk!" Sans shook her shoulders. "What are you doing?"

"Is she alright?" asked a voice.

"Yeah, is she?" asked another.

Frisk turned to a dragon and cat who had a lot of trash on them.

Betty and Catty, noted the voice.

"I'm fine." Frisk covered her eyes and took a deep breath. "Just… things have been hard on me as of late. Do you guys sell stuff?"

"Yep." Catty dragged a bag forward.

"Plenty," stated Betty.

"Frisk," said the skeleton.

Looking down in the bag, Frisk searched through it. "What's that?" She pointed to a key.

"Oh?!" Catty picked it up. "It's some key we found in the dump. For just fifty pieces you can have it."

Something told Frisk to buy it and she did. Sans watched this all with a keen eye. The two ladies then started to flirt with the skeleton.

"Sorry girls." Offering a smile, Sans pointed to his chest. "There nothing her but an empty captivity and I got no bones to please you with." He grabbed hold of the child's arm. "Let go back inside. Papyrus is worry about you."

Tucking the key into her pocket, Frisk just got into the door when the taller skeleton tackled her. "Hey!"

"Are you alright?!" The skeleton offered her a tearful face. "You started acting weird and I thought that I might have broken you."

"I'm fine!" Frisk chuckled. "I'm just a little shaken, that's all."

"Oh." Peeling himself off, the taller skeleton huffed. "Well… it's good to see that you are alright. I was right to consider that your body is sturdy."

"Should we go to the city?" Sans looked to the broken elevator. A group of people stood around it and waited for it to be fix. "Too bad we can't just take the easy way."

"Yeah." Frisk nodded.

Don't forget to save, the voice reminded.

Frisk glanced to her side to see a star. "I'll go do that." Once she did so Frisk headed for the door. The skeleton followed her. "Are you sure that you guys want to come with me. What about Alphys and Undyne?"

"They are on standby," the older skeleton informed her. "If we need them, we can call them."

Feeling a bit more determined with the skeletons at her side, Frisk exited the hotel through a back door. She stopped when a white dog laid on a short bridge. It offered her a smile.

"You shall not pass!" The white dog launched forward and exploded.