Undertale
Unseen Influence
Power of the Soul
Wishbone in hand, Frisk looks across the river towards the cavern in front of them. Waterfall is ahead, both in name, and in geography; the area is pock marked with countless waterfalls and rivers.
Frisk wonders why Papyrus suddenly got a monster soul. Papyrus was talking about something being inside of him. Like, an energy, or an unfelt power that he never knew before. What even is a soul, anyway? Is it defined by being strong, human, or a boss monster? What if the world gives souls to those who are worthy?
Frisk shrugs. There's very little reason to mull over this, especially since Papyrus told them that there is an Unseen Influence eating away at the heart of the world… Frisk knows that could only possibly be Chara. Frisk marches into the blue caverns of Waterfall. On the way, Frisk checks their stats.
LV 36. HP 160/160. Frisk blinks at the stats they hold… they look forward one final time, wondering how strong they could possibly get. Wishbone vibrates gently in their hand.
There are no monsters present in the initial room, save one. That monster looks over with an innocent smile.
"Hey… are you here to see her too?" They ask Frisk with a beaming face. Frisk merely smiles.
"You mean Undyne? Yeah, she's the coolest."
"I KNOW RIGHT?!" The monster kid yells out with sparkling eyes. But then they look around nervously.
"But, uh, don't tell my parents I'm here… haha… they said it isn't safe."
"It isn't. You should listen to them."
"Whaaaaaaat? What's all that about? You're a kid too, why do you get to see Undyne then?!" The monster kid puffs out their cheeks, Frisk shrugs.
"Who knows? There's a human on the loose. Might want to be safe, you know?"
"As if! You just want her all to yourself, I won't let you!" The monster kid says with a body full of energy before running off!
However, before Frisk enters the next room, the phone Toriel gave them that they completely forgot starts to ring. Having no idea who it could be, Frisk slowly answers it.
"… Hello?"
"… … … …" Only static is heard on the phone.
"Sans…? Is that you?"
"… …-st up…" Is all that comes through before the call ends.
"What… what was that? Was it Flowey? Sans? Chara…?" Frisk shakes their hand and continues.
They pass into the first room and rustle through some grass, where they catch the eye of someone atop a cliff. Frisk has always had a sense of dread from this room, but has never known why, like someone or something was watching them.
This time is no different. Frisk stands completely still. Before long, with the clanking of metal, the dread fades. Frisk leaves the grass to be met with the Monster Kid again. At this point, Frisk simply dreads the end of Waterfall and ignores them. Frisk saves their game and steps into the next few rooms to be met with other monsters. Along the way in their journey through Waterfall, Frisk came across the Tutu, but decides not to wear it. In fact, Frisk takes off the Bandanna as well. Frisk keeps a tight grip on Wishbone… at this much LV… who knows what could happen to them if Papyrus was telling the truth.
Frisk smiles and looks around. The first monster, Aaron appears. Frisk sighs like they often do, and does what must be done…
Covered in a new layer of dust, Frisk thanks Papyrus and Wishbone immensely. It helps Frisk forgive themselves a bit for what they're doing. The tears have stopped, and is instead replaced with a deep disgust for the situation they find themselves in. Frisk remembers Undyne, and the Monster Kid… Frisk shakes their head. If this is the way it has to be, then that's simply all there is to it. This isn't just their fight, it's Frisk's now too.
Frisk moves on from killing more monsters only to have their phone ring again. Frisk answers it.
"Sans? Are you playing a prank on me?"
"… is almost… …" Is all that be heard through the phone. Frisk squints and blinks once. They put the phone in their pocket and continue forward, finding themselves in a curiously shaded room. They walk forward only to have a spear get chucked at them. Frisk does not look amused, they could probably take 50 spears without flinching, but moves forward anyway.
Frisk cannot really make out who is throwing the spears, but Frisk would be dumb to not at least have a suspicion as to who it's been this whole time, especially with everything the Monster Kid says. Frisk hides in the plants at the end of this area. Frisk cannot really SEE anything amidst all of these tall plants, but they can hear someone get violently picked up… only to eventually hear someone walk away.
Frisk walks out only to meet once again with the Monster Kid. Frisk sighs again. Frisk continues on, killing monsters that appear. Onionsan does not appear. Onionsan is smart. Frisk reached what they thought was Max LV without ever attacking Onionsan, so Frisk can at least rest easy knowing that they are alive. Soon, Frisk is met with Shyren. At first, Frisk merely draws Wishbone, but Frisk has grown tired. With a heavy heart, Frisk sits down with Shyren.
"…?" The shy monster lets out. Frisk merely closes their eyes and begins to hum a tune. Shyren smiles and begins to follow along.
They sing to each other for a few minutes. A few monsters show up to hear, but they wisely avoid Frisk, but Frisk doesn't mind. Frisk sings as much as they can with Shyren before it becomes apparent that Shyren is about to leave. Frisk sighs and stands up. Shyren never saw the blade coming.
The crowd quickly disperses. It's strange… Frisk felt the absence of someone they remembered feeling before…
Frisk moves on to a rainy basin, only to be once again met with the Monster Kid. The rain pitter patters on Frisk's head. It's soothing, somewhat. Frisk and the Monster Kid walk down the rain trodden path, Frisk drowns out what they're saying… instead focusing on the task ahead. Before they reach the dark reaches, Frisk stops and looks at themselves in a nearby puddle.
What they see nearly causes them to scream!
Frisk climbs up the far mountain without the Monster Kid's help, much to their astonishment. Long ago, that climb was impossible… but Frisk has grown strong. The rules are different now. Frisk saves their game again. They walk across a sprawling maze of wooden supports over a seemingly bottomless pit. The monsters that lived in these underground areas must have built these bridges to safely navigate the dangers of the world below. Frisk knows that the monsters didn't choose to live down here, and were instead forced… Frisk feels a bit sorry for them.
On cue, a helmeted monster comes to attack Frisk, this time from below. However, Frisk's increased speed and power allows them to dodge all of the spears without trouble, and soon finds themselves at the dead end. The armored being Frisk recognizes as Undyne follows from behind.
Frisk won't give her the satisfaction. Frisk jumps instead, falling for several seconds before landing softly on a bed of golden flowers. However, as soon as they land, an electric jolt of memories floods into their mind.
"It sounds like it came from over here…" A heart wrenching familiar voice lets out before continuing.
"Oh! You've fallen down, haven't you… are you okay?"
"Ngh… who…?"
"Here, get up…"
"Thank… you… my name… is Chara…"
"… Chara, huh? That's a nice name. My name is Asriel Dreemurr…"
"Asriel…?" Chara lets out. Asriel helps Chara walk. Chara weakly opens their eyes, hair spilling over their face.
"Why… are you helping me…?" Chara asks with tears in their eyes.
"What do you mean? Do you need a reason to help someone?"
"You… don't know who I am, Asriel… you should have just left me…"
"Don't say that! I'm taking you to my mom and dad, they'll help you!"
"Help… me…?"
"We don't know how to get out of the underground, but I'm sure you want to go back…"
"…" Chara says nothing, Asriel working very hard to help walk for both of them. Chara looks over.
Asriel is a monster kid, short in stature with fluffy white fur and a face full of determination. Chara is almost amazed at the act of compassion given to them…
"I… I don't know what to say…" Chara trails off, walking weakly with Asriel's help.
"That's okay… you're still probably shaken up from falling down…" Asriel says with a genuine smile. Chara can't help but hide their face and cry a small bit.
"I… don't want to go back, Asriel…"
"Huh…?"
Frisk's eyes shock back into reality. Landing on these yellow flowers gave them a flashback to Chara… but why? Chara's influence over Frisk is gone.
It was at that moment that Frisk remembers what they saw in the puddle, then looks at the water below. Along its reflective surface, Frisk can once again see what they saw before…
Open eyes… rosy cheeks… Frisk growls and slashes at the water with Wishbone!
"I'M NOTHING LIKE YOU, NOTHING!" Frisk roars and yells, slashing at the water strong and fast enough to cause it to flash to steam!
"GET OUT OF HERE, GET OUT, OUT, OUT!"
Author's Note: I'm rehosting the Unseen Influence Trilogy on account of my patron vanishing. This story will be deleted if he ever returns. Until then, enjoy yourself.
