AMS

FIVE DAYS

"Flowey," Franley breathed.

The flower didn't move from where he was. He was staring out a side window with light pouring in. For a moment, he saw a shred of Asriel in the soulless flower. But then Flowey turned and looked at him. He wasn't smiling, but he wasn't upset either. There was an unreadable expression on his face. Franley breathed and walked closer.

"Chara? Why is half of you a skeleton?" asked Flowey, his eyes narrowing.

"Flowey...I was never Chara. Chara is my uncle. As for why I look like this...my father is Sans," Franley softly said.

Flowey got closer to examine Franley.

"Y-you're related to that Smiley Trashbag? But you're also related to my best friend?" hissed Flowey.

"I'm also related to Frisk. You once thought she was also Chara," gulped Franley.

Now Flowey looked mad.

"I don't know who this Frisk you're talking about is! So I know you're lying to me!" shouted Flowey.

A vine shot up from below but Franley quickly caught it in his hand, startling Flowey. Flowey, for the first time in a long time, was shocked. When he looked at Franley's face, he had expected him to show anger, shock, or confusion. But the one thing he hadn't counted on, was the sorrow and pity on Franley's facial features. Scoffing, Flowey retracted the vine back into the ground.

"Can I show you something?" Franley asked.

"What? Your most prized possession? I've seen them all before! It's most likely some type of item. Most likely a picture," Flowey rolled his eyes.

Franley laughed lightly, catching Flowey by surprise once again.

"Well, it is a picture. But it's proof of there being a Frisk who you thought was Chara," explained Franley.

Now Flowey was intrigued.

"This person is going to attempt to prove me wrong in something? Hmm," thought Flowey, a small smile curling at his lips as he scooted closer while Franley took out his wallet.

He opened the wallet and took out the picture. It showed Sans, Frisk, and Franley as a baby in Frisk's arms. She was wearing a larger blue and purple striped sweater, her hair was cut shoulder length again, and was wearing black leggings. Sans, much taller than her, wore a beige sweater and dark blue jeans with a light blue scarf around his neck as his arm draped around Frisk's shoulders. Flowey squinted as he remembered the kid.

"So...that human from back then wasn't Chara...but is this woman here? This is Frisk?" asked Flowey, looking up at Franley.

"Mmhmm. She grew up and had me with my dad, Sans," smiled Franley.

Flowey shook a little and then his face transformed to look like Asriel's face.

"Franley! By surprising Flowey, now's your chance to load! There's nothing else to learn here! Up ahead is just the broken barrier!" warned Asriel through Flowey.

Franley nodded, about to kill himself when...

"I still have no idea what happened to the King," Franley whispered.

He checked his phone.

"Three days left."

Franley ran ahead while Asriel stared in disbelief. Flowey's body once again began to shake as Flowey regained control. He looked around, wondering where Franley went. His face scowled as he was angry that the only one in so long to actually take him by surprise more than once went off somewhere.

Franley stopped when he came face to face with the broken barrier. He could see the sunlight at the end of it. As if on cue, his vision blurred and he eagerly watched the scene before him. His mom approached the throne room, and looked down at her stick with furrowed brows. Scoffing at herself, she broke the stick and tossed the remnants to the ground. Smiling some, she held her head high and walked into the throne room. The King had his back turned as she approached, wincing as every step she took made a crinkling sound.

"Is someone there? Hold on, please. I have almost finished watering these flowers," sweetly said Asgore.

Feeling somewhat better about her encounter with him, Frisk stayed perfectly still, being patient as she folded her hands in front of her. He shook what was left of the water out of the watering can and onto the flowers, an accomplished smile crosses his features, causing his crows feet to become more pronounced. When he turned around, Frisk's breath caught in her throat. He was so majestic. Just as Toriel was when Frisk had first met her. Frisk had thought Toriel was tall, but Asgore was much taller than her.

"Howdy! How can I-" he suddenly opened his eyes and his smile disappeared, making Frisk shift in her spot. She only made her smile grow, hoping she could convince him that fighting wasn't the way to solve their problems. Asgore obviously looked conflicted as he had stumbled backwards a bit. He swallowed the lump in his throat that had prevented him from speaking and he turned away, not wanting to melt into her smile anymore than he already had. He had to stay strong. For the sake of his subjects. Everyone had been counting on this encounter. He knows what he must do versus what he really wants to do. He really just wants to take this human child in as his own, go find Toriel, and be a family again. But he knows it's not possible.

"Oh," Asgore stays staring out the window for a bit while Frisk stays where she is. He suddenly turns to face her by not actually looking at her.

"I so badly want to say 'would you like a cup of tea', but...you know how it is." He turns away from her once again, walking up to the window as he sees out the side of the mountain they are in. He can see the surface world, but cannot touch it. Not yet at least.

"Nice day today, huh?" he asks while smiling awkwardly, trying to be somewhat pleasant, trying to procrastinate his duty to his people. Frisk smiles and nods at him, which causes the lump in his throat to appear again. Franley could clearly see the King's conflictions.

"Birds are singing, flowers are blooming. Perfect weather for a game of catch," this time Asgore beamed as he temporarily forgot he had to kill this smiling child who had made it this far. Up until this point, it had been his sentries who had to get blood on their hands. No one had ever made it this far.

"I might as well cut to the chase and give them a death worthy of their journey. It should be in front of the barrier," Asgore thought to himself, his features melting away into something unreadable, making Frisk tense up and her smile waver a bit, but she stayed determined to try and get through to him this way. Asgore admired her grit. He admired everything about her. But...

"You know what we must do," he finally spoke. Frisk didn't know his voice could go any lower than it already was. His voice was so low that it made her organs vibrate within her. He turned all the way away from her.

"When you are ready, come into the next room."

With that, he walked off, leaving Frisk to her thoughts. Her lips quivered as tears built up inside her eyes.

"Is there no way to save him?" she wondered. Balling her hands into fists, she wiped her tears and shook her head.

"No, there has to be a way to save him!" she told herself. She took deep, slow, even breaths until she finally calmed down and walked forward into the next room. Asgore was there, waiting for her to catch up. He smiled apologetically at her, knowing this was not easy for her as it was not easy for him.

"How tense," he said.

Her head didn't look up. She was facing the ground, trying to work out a plan to save him. To save everyone. He came closer and wrapped her in a comforting hug. Her tears caught in her throat as her hands lay at her side. He was far too big to hug back anyway.

"Just think of it like a trip to the dentist," he whispered into her ear, making her eyes widen.

He let go of her, a pained smile on his face as he walked forward.

"It'll be over before you know it, I promise. You won't feel a thing," thought Asgore.

Gripping her shirt where her heart was pounding, she walked forward. Asgore had stopped in front of a door. This time, without looking at her, he sighed before he began again.

"If you are not ready, I understand," he spoke softly.

Frisk finally looked up at him as her tears stained her sweater. She wanted him to change his mind, to say forget it and turn around, to have tea with him, to talk about her plans with him.

"I am not ready either."

He disappeared behind the door. That was when she knew he would not stop no matter what. He himself doesn't want to do this, but will do it anyway no matter the cost. Just like how she didn't want to meet him based on what Alphys told her, but continued on anyway no matter the cost. A dark chuckle escaped from the back of her throat. Undyne was right, her and Asgore really did have a lot in common. Deciding to see this through to the end proudly, or as proudly as she can, she held her head up high and pressed on. She shielded her eyes as the room, for a split moment, was engulfed with white. It was alternating between white, dark gray, gray, black, back to white. This process repeated itself.

"This is the barrier. This is what keeps us all trapped underground."

He decides to give her a chance to turn around and stay underground. He was hopeful now. Hopeful that he could save this child.

"If. If by chance you have unfinished business, please, do what you must."

Frisk knew what he was trying to do. But it's like Sans said. She didn't come all this way just to give up, just to throw in the towel. So, she shook her head and stayed put. Asgore inwardly sighed.

"Don't you get what I tried to do for you? Why didn't you just go?" he thought sadly as he turned around, a painful expression painted on his face.

"Ready?" he asked. Frisk nodded determinedly.

On either side, containers came up from the floor, each one except for one with a floating human soul inside. Frisk was then pulled into battle. Twilight was shining through the barrier. Frisk's journey was finally coming to a close. She was filled with...DETERMINATION.

"Human..."

She perked her ears to listen carefully to whatever it was he wanted to say and was surprised when he looked up, smiling genuinely at her.

"It was nice to meet you," his face then turned sad again, "Goodbye."

Without warning, a helmet fell over his face, shielding his expressions from her as he yanked a large, red pitch fork out from under his robe and destroyed her mercy option, startling Frisk to no end.

"There really is no going back now."

Watching while chewing on his nails on one hand, Franley noticed how much stronger Asgore's attacks are compared to Toriel's attacks. Of course, Toriel had been holding back. Frisk dodged, then tried talking to him. She dodged more until she realized talking won't get through to him. Noticing she was low on health, she took out the pie and ate it. Asgore recognized the smell and his attack and defense lowered.

"Oh man..." whispered Franley, his hand going up to his mouth.

He watched intently as Frisk alternated between dodging and striking, though her strikes held no malice behind them. But they held pure determination to get past him. She had turned off her feelings to just power through. After many strikes from both sides, Asgore grunted as he fell to one knee. Frisk noticed just how weak he was now. He had no intent of fighting anymore. Not when he knows what will happen if they continue. He doesn't want the war to continue anymore. He figures he'll try once more to save this child. But in a way that will cost him his life. Smiling and feeling self pity, he began.

"Ah. So that is how it is. Human, this war has gone on long enough. You have the power. Take my soul, and cross through the barrier," he said, sorrow in his voice.

Frisk lowered her fist and unraveled it. Her mercy option reappeared, though it was heavily cracked. She didn't care. She just wanted to give him a chance. Wiping her tears and smiling, she pressed mercy.

"You would rather stay down here and suffer, than live happily on the surface?" asked Asgore, his deep voice cracking from the intense emotion he was feeling. He finally looked up, smiling at her as the tears fell. The tears...they were from his happiness and gratitude.

"I promise you, for as long as you stay down here, my wife and I will take care of you to the best of our abilities. We can sit by the fire, telling stories, and eating butterscotch cinnamon pie. We can be like...like a family."

Hope shined in both their eyes, and just as Frisk began to run towards him to attempt to hug him, familiar white pellets surrounded around him, shocking them both. Before he could say anything the pellets closed in, breaking his body.

"NO!" screamed Frisk with her hand outstretched, reaching for him.

His soul was still there, shaking in place. She picked up the pace and ran for it but stopped when more pellets appeared...and broke his soul. Her hope and heart broke at the same time his soul shattered and scattered into a million pieces before her young, impressionable eyes. Franley lost it, and was crying along with his mother. He had never personally known the King and he was crying. To be fair, Frisk had only just met the King as well and even she felt like she had known him her whole life. Flowey's large face appeared in the darkness, going off about something that Frisk didn't quite hear. She was too busy crying her heart out. Too busy feeling like a failure. She just wanted Flowey to kill her so she could load and try again. But she blacked out. When her eyes fluttered open, she was in complete and utter darkness. This time, with no one around. Squinting, she saw something small, yellow, and twinkling in the distance. She ran towards it, and pressed it. Her menu appeared, but she couldn't do anything. Beginning to panic, she yelped and fell backwards as she watched in horror all her progress get erased. She silently reached out with a shaking hand, fighting back the tears and scream that threatened to escape. When Flowey appeared this time, she paid attention, no matter how his words made her blood curdle and her heart race uncontrollably. Franley couldn't believe what he was seeing either. After many many failed attempts, the souls Flowey took lost their determination to help Frisk, and her repetitive painful, scream induced deaths no longer amused Flowey. Deciding to give her a chance to redo things to make things more interesting for him, he brought her back to just after Asgore was killed. Frisk woke up in a cold sweat. Looking around, she wondered how she got back in front of the barrier. Just to make sure, she brought up her menu again and sighed in relief when she was the one in control again. She didn't know what to do. She didn't want to reset, but she didn't want the King to be gone either.

"Either way, no matter what I do, I can't beat Flowey. Those human souls gave up," croaked Frisk, the emotion strong in her voice as she broke down in sobs.

The human souls were gone, Flowey was no where around, and Frisk felt useless. She ran back, back to the corridor where she accidentally bumped into Sans' chest. She looked up at him, the pain in her eyes spoke volumes so he didn't even have to ask what happened, but he wondered why she hadn't taken the soul and left.

"A flower name Flowey...killed him and detroyed his soul before I could take it. I tried to spare him. He was in the middle of telling me how he would father me. I was relieved! Flowey took it all away, and the souls he took...gave up on trying to help me," Frisk sobbed.

Sans dropped to his knees and held the shaking girl in his arms, his eyesockets closed as he shushed her comfortingly and rubbed circles on her back while his other hand stroked her hair. It felt like an eternity until his mother fell asleep in his dad's arms and he watched his dad carry her back to his house.

Franley opened his eyes, wondering what was shaking him.

"-id. Kid!" yelled Flowey.

"H-huh?" asked Franley, blinking to get used to the light.

Panicking, he looked at his phone. It was counting down the last hour.

"Flowey! I need you to do something!" Franley panicked.

Flowey shrunk back a bit and narrowed his eyes.

"Do something for you? No, I need you to keep surprising me!" demanded Flowey, "No one, besides Chara, has been able to entertain me! I need you!"

"I promise to keep surprising you if you do me a favor and kill me. I got a trick I wanna show you. No it's not loading," lied Franley.

While Flowey searched Franley's features for any hint of lying, Franley was busy controlling his breathing and heart rate as his phone was counting down the last five minutes.

"You promise to keep surprising me? To always entertain me?" softly asked Flowey.

Franley smiled and flashed a thumbs up. "I promise!"

Nodding his head, Flowey got a vine ready, and Franley put his hands behind his back to show he's not going to try and catch it this time.

One minute left.

"A-are you sure?" asked Flowey.

Franley could have sworn he heard actual concern in the flower's voice, but he was cautious to not show his surprise.

"Positive. I promise you'll find this extremely intriguing."

Franley closed his eyes so he wouldn't have to watch the vine coming at him at a blinding speed.

Five...

"Well, if you say so..."

Four...

Flowey steadied the vine, getting it ready to pierce right through the heart.

Three...

"Here it comes," whispered Flowey.

Two...

He shot the vine forward just as the timer hit one, and Franley was dead. Opening his eyes, he saw he was in a dark abyss, and he saw his options before him. Reset, load, or regenerate.

"That was a close call. But, I made it. Just like I promised everyone at home," sighed Franley.

Feeling accomplished, he pressed the load option, and felt his body be pulled back through time. Felt his skin regrow over his left half, felt himself lose control over his magic, felt himself get months younger.

"Franley! Wake up!"

Franley shot his eyes open, and choked back the lump that formed when he saw his dad right in front of him, shaking him with a worried expression on his face. Sighing in relief, Sans opened a shortcut.

"Come on, son. It isn't safe down here. At least not for me," winked Sans.

Nodding, Franley grabbed hold onto his dad's bony hand as they disappeared through the shortcut. Just when the portal closed, a vine shot out but missed. Flowey appeared then, staring at the empty space.

Sniff.

"Stupid liar. You promised," croaked Flowey.