Chara: Heh. Not everyone approves of how you decided to save me.
Me: Don't you start! There was already a plethora of ways that people decided to save you too! I knew I was bound to unknowingly do one of them anyway, so I was like 'screw it! I pick this one!'
Chara: Yeah yeah, whatever.
Asriel: Come on, Chara. This is a happy time. Be happy~
Frisk agrees with this.
Chara: Hold on, Frisk. You were given dialogue in the last chapter when for most of the story, and you were given dialogue here. For a majority of the story, your words were described, not told.
Frisk explains that he's pretty much the strong silent type a majority of the time, but he is NOT mute.
Chara: Hmph. That excuse is so lame. *Frisk takes Chara's bar of chocolate. The latter blinks, and holds his hands out desperately, looking ready to cry* Nooooooo...give it baaaaaaccck... *Frisk hands chocolate back, Chara's tears disappear instantly* No one saw that!
Asriel: *smiles* You're just a cute as we are, Chara!
Chara: No! NO! I am not cute! You will NOT put me in that category because there is NOTHING cute about me! NOTHING!
Asriel: *Pats Chara's rosy cheeks with both paws* Boop~
Chara: *angry and embrassed blush* Just...start the chapter, damn you.
I totally didn't name this chapter after my most favorite Undertale AU of all time. It's a complete coincidence...don't look at me like that!
Chapter Start!
You'd think that an absolute battle to the death between the Prince of Monsters/Angel Of Prophecy and a Pacifist Child against the Angel Of Death/The Fallen Child, would have a bit of a tense atmosphere. After all, timeliness were at stake, the future of humans of monsters were at stake...hell, the entire world was at stake! You'd expect that after such a long, grueling, and devastatingly emotional battle, they would be exhausted mentally, physically, and emotionally...
Well...they were. But they find it better to save all of that for another time, when everyone was a witness. While they awaited for the other monsters to get here, they were simply chilling out on the golden flowers after they've all caught their breath. Frisk accessed the Dimensional Box from his phone, and pulled out Legendary Heroes for for the three of them. One thing Frisk can definitely appreciate that monster food, with it's magical properties and whatnot, was much more beneficial than regular human food. They are exceptionally excellent at healing wounds, curing status affects(gonna call em' illnesses on the surface) and restoring stamina by a great amount. Frisk turned towards Asriel and told him about this. Asriel blinked in realization and smiled widely.
"G-Golly, Frisk! I never even thought of that!" He said curiously as he realizes this. He would have went deeper into this...but found himself stuck. He awkwardly rubbed his neck with a sheepish laugh. "Er...I think we should get Alphys on that. We'll ask her about it!"
"Agreed." Chara noted while eating his own Legendary Hero, his strength somewhat returning to him. "You know...I always found it weird that they were somehow able to make a sandwhich into a semi-perfect sword shape. Weird, but impressive." Pause. "...This coming from the kid who can spam time-travel."
"Now that you mention it...all three of us can do it, and have done it." Asriel noted curiously. "Of course there we're different circumstances for all three of us, it ultimately comes down to all of us being able to LOAD, SAVE, AND RESET. All because each of us either died a lot or just wasn't completely satisfied with the ending. But...now we've broken the loop. We've managed to work outside the rules in order to find a better outcome. We've done things much earlier and managed to tighten and secure the bonds between our friends and family. And...we were able to SAVE much more than we've ever lost..."
Chara nodded softly, staring at the golden flowers they were sitting upon. These flowers...the very flowers he used to take his own life many years before...and due to the time shenanigans, that time was significantly extended. Though, he couldn't help but look back. After everything that's happened, everything he's done, and how much suffering he's caused for everyone in the Underground, especially Asriel and Frisk...it was just hard to believe that they still spared him and managed to somehow save him. But still...it couldn't possibly be so easy with the others. Especially Sans.
Oh how much he feared Sans. Even when he eventually had a major it of the skeleton's character figured out, he'd do something that throws Chara's confidence out the window, and replaced with cold-blooded fear. Because Sans has always been watching him. How he hated him because he knew he was taking advanateg of Frisk, and never directly killed them outright in hopes that Frisk would break free. When those hopes were dashed, he had no choice but to be the last stand. And what a last stand he provided. Even with all of his patterns memorized, Sans has always given him a 'bad time'. It was inevitable for him to suffer somewhat for his transgressions. Which only made him dread to see the skeleton again and find that he wasn't erased yet.
This puts much fear into his being. Sure, he has beaten Sans before, plenty of times. But Sans still holds the majority of wins, even if they're temporary. Chara grew stronger, but so has Sans, due to Asriel drastically powering up their souls. Chara dreaded the possibility of going up against a super-magically powered Sans. If so, bad time is going to be such an understatement on the time he'll have.
Asriel seems to have noticed how Chara was feeling. He held his hand out, and a flowing star appeared right in front of him. The belief that he and Asriel would be able to vouch for Chara and prevent Sans from doing something too unnecessarily drastic, and they would be able to have a rather joyful reunion with their parents...
It fills them with DETERMINATION.
Chara blinked in shock. "Asriel...you can SAVE?"
"Just one of the many powers I've been getting over the course of this adventure, ever since I've accepted Geno Frisk's soul, and the soul accept me as it's new host. And then there's the souls of the six children all lending us their power, lending us their DETERMINATION." Asriel smiled softly. "It was enough for us to match yours...and even surpass it."
"Hmph, I should have guessed. You've made friends with deceased children, and in return, they helped you both out. Such a cliché."
"Just because it's cliché, doesn't make it entirely bad. Just...very familiar."
"Still doesn't change the fact that it's been done so many times in anime and other stuff."
"It also doesn't change the fact that it helped us save you." Chara doesn't retort to that negatively, not anymore. He just nods in affirmation, accepting the truth the way it was. After that, Asriel manages to finish his Legendary Hero, licking the crumbs off of his muzzle. "Hey Frisk, is there any more in your Dimensional Boxes?" Frisk shook his head, saying that all that was left was Cinnamon Bunnies. "That'll do just fine!"
Chara scoffed as Frisk pulled a Cinnamon Bunny from the Dimensional Box and handed it to Asriel. "Hmph. At least it isn't Snail Pie."
"Even after how much time that's technically passed for you and me, you still won't let that go?" Asriel giggled playfully, nibbling on his treat.
"Snail Pie looked disgusting before everything went to hell. It'll still look disgusting now." Frisk tells Chara that the Snail Pie really isn't as bad as he thinks it is. He only scoffed again. "I'm not taking culinary advice from someone that eats sweets made of spiders." Frisk says that the Spider Donut isn't as bad as it looks, either. Chara became completely deadpan at this point, almost on Frisk's default neutral expression. "It's official. Both of you disgust me.
The three of them stuck themselves in silence for a very long time, and them they all began laughing. Not pained, sarcastic laughs. Not sadistic, condescending laughs. Not nihilistic, hopeless laughs. No, it was just the laughter of three children, in which one of them has come to save everyone, another was destined t save everyone, and another has been stopped from killing everyone once and for all. They knew it was only a letter of time before their peace would be broken, so they just enjoyed it while it lasted.
Asriel finished his Cinnamon Bunny and fell back into the flowers, his tummy now satisfied. This was proven by the audible and adorable burp that managed to escape his muzzle. He blushed heavily and covered his mouth. "Excuse me..."
"Its a good thing you've practiced your manners." Chara chuckled. It went into silence as he and Frisk also fell back into the flowers, quietly. They stared, bathed by the golden light of the room, as a thought began swarming through his head. "Asriel...you and Frisk are...really weird."
"To be fair, I don't think there's a true concept of the textbook definition of normal, considering what we've been through. That, and how everyone is in general."
Chara rolls his eyes at Asriel's technical humor. "You know what I mean. Even after all I've done, even after the hell I've you two through, as well as everyone else in the Underground, you still find the strength to power through all of that and forgive me. Even save me. Why would you do it?"
Asriel turned his head towards him, a soft smile gracing his muzzle. "We were all in agonizing pain in different ways, Chara. The only way we could end that pain is to help each other surpass our limits. Frisk helped me find the courage and heart to stand up to you in order to gain a better ending, a better future for all of us. I helped Frisk by protecting him as best I can from all the dangers that could possibly harm him, ever since I've gotten my new power. And you, Chara...we wanted to help you by ridding you of your hatred that has been building up for so long. And you helped us, inadvertently, by helping us realize that we can't always depend on peaceful ways to solve our problems."
Frisk notes that the reality is that the world was not a perfect place. Sometimes the peaceful way out, while he always will prefer that route, was not always possible. Sometimes in order to reach your goal and protect your loved ones, conflicts would have to start. Like what just happened. Asriel and Frisk were given no other choice but to fight Chara, because talking him down was simply not going to work. However, reminding him of how happy he was in his previous life definitely helped a bunch. Frisk sees that Chara has only been exposed to the darker, more sinister sides of humanity. Since he was and still is a child, he soaked in that experience and made it his reality, never knowing what good humans were like because he never took a chance with them again. He believed all humans were evil and despicable, and since he was one, he felt that he should live the part. And Frisk is the human who proved Chara wrong.
Chara turned his head towards Frisk. A calm, yet pleading look in his eyes. "I just...thought that I could erase the evil humans...so that they couldn't hurt anyone again. Hmph. The irony. The hypocrisy of my actions and words...and what they've turned me into." He scoffed bitterly, the jabbing words obviously aimed towards himself. "But why, Frisk? Why are you so DETERMINED to be a good person? Why do you always show kindness towards bad people instead of returning their hostility? What drives you...to be who you are? Is it necessity? Do you feel like you HAVE to be nice to everyone? You always feel like given people second chances. Asriel's felt the same way, and you managed to remind him of it."
"Don't kill, and don't be killed." Asriel nodded.
"I just don't understand, though. Why? Why do you both always feel the need to be good, even if the entire world chooses to do the opposite? How could you possibly find the will to continue to be good people despite how broken the world is?"
Frisk smiled kindly. "The world has always been a broken place, Chara. That's why it needs good people. I stay DETERMINED to do the right thing, because not many people are willing to do the same. The world is not always a kind place, so showing kindness manages to change much more because it's so hard to do sometimes. My quest in the Underground is a very clear example of this. I've suffered greatly because I always chose kindness over violence. In the end, the hardship of choosing kindness has proven to be more than worth it." Frisk looked up towards the ceiling, taking a deep breath.
Chara paused, taking in Frisk's words quietly. Frisk is clearly a very optimistic and kind person, and is childish enough to have fun like most children do his age. Yet at the same time, he's displayed a sense of wisdom, by not being too naive to think that kindness is an easy thing to show, much less maintain. He's also silently admitting that he also has his own flaws. The Pacifist way, while admirable and mostly preferred, isn't always the best solution...that's why Asriel volunteered to do the fighting, and Frisk was mostly support and defense. He made it clear that settling things nicely was not always going to succeed no matter how deeply one prefers it, which is why he was willing to use violence if it meant protecting those close to him.
Frisk may be one of of those very few children who show immense amounts of maturity in specific situations, without losing too much of his childlike tendencies. Asriel is proving to be one of those children as well, being he's still a tad bit more childish than Frisk, despite being older(not counting how long he's been dead). Nevertheless, with these two leading the way, the future between Humans and Monsters is proving to be a bright one, however difficult the path may be.
Chara smiled. "I gave up a long time ago...that's why I lost today. You two however...your DETERMINATION has surpassed mine because of how much you want to do good and not giving up...overshadowed my DETERMINATION to be the exact opposite. Tch...you two are idiots."
"But we're your idiots now." Asriel smiled goofily, as well as Frisk nodding in approval. Chara casually rolled his eyes.
They hear footsteps from the Judgement Hall. Boots...slippers...bare feet...loud footsteps from one of them...Chara sighed, their private time was now over. He stepped up and gazed at the entrance calmly, which betrayed the feeling of his soul, which was filled with great anxiousness and dread at the possible outcome of their confrontation. Asriel and Frisk sensed this effortlessly, and they held one of his hands in response, providing their warmth and reassurance from their souls to his. Only then did he manage to calm down a little.
Whatever the result of this may be, they'll face it together.
The first one to enter, the first one to gaze at the three of them with eyes full of concern...was Toriel.
Of course.
Toriel had been perfectly silent when she gazed at them, quietly scanning them far m her distance. Their clothes were still torn a little, though the food that Frisk stowed away just in case was more than enough to completely heal them up. Again, aside from slight clothing damage, they were perfectly fine. Asriel and Frisk were safe, and alive. But what she needed to know was Chara's condition. Her eyes glowed a brighter red than usual as she carefully senses out Chara's soul. It was a crimson red, more of a blood-like red than Frisk's. And more importantly...all of the malice she sensed from him before...it was all gone. Which can only mean...
Toriel let out a deep sigh, as her face took a much happier turn, complete with a smile and tears of relief escaping her eyes. "Thank the heavens...!" Her maternal instincts refusing to be denied any longer, she rushed towards the three children and ensared them in one of the most motherly glomps one has ever seen, crashing into the ground with them, without harming them of course. She embraced the three of them in her loving and protective arms. Then she sits up, setting the three of them on her lap and began smothering their heads in a flurry of motherly kisses. Asriel and Frisk began giggling loudly at the immense affection shown by their relieved mother, while Chara was more shocked than anything.
He could feel her enhanced Boss Monster soul, and how it was interacting with his own soul. There was no hate, no resentment, no fear, and no hostility of any kind. If there was any negative emotion swirling in her soul, it was towards herself for being unable to prevent Chara from beciming who he became when he was previously alive. Just...complete love and forgiveness. Two things he feels like he really didn't deserve. But like Asriel and Frisk, she's giving it to him without any hesitation.
"My children! *smooch* My dear *smooch* dear children!*smooch*" She says in-between kisses, wiping away her tears, then returning to her kisses. "I'm so ungodly happy that all three of you are alive! I thought I was going to lose any of you, or all of you!" She said, placing a rather prolonged kiss on Asriel and Chara's heads. "My soul wouldn't be able to hear losing you both a second time...thank you...thank you for not disappearing again!"
"Mama~It's okay! We're fine!" Asriel giggled lightly, squirming a bit in her grip. Frisk smiled contently at the smothering. Toriel was a total smother mother, that much he figured out. But she's learned to ease up...even if it's a little bit. Progress is progress.
"Mother...why?" Chara said quietly, gazing into Toriel's eyes.
"I love you, Chara. I don't need many other reasons to forgive you." Toriel said quietly, placing a gentle kiss on Chara's cheek. He seemed surprised. Then he remembered that the first thing he sensed from Toriel when he first saw her again was sadness and regret, both involving him yet not aimed at him. She's blaming herself for not taking better care of Asriel and Chara.
As this goes on, Asgore stepped inside next. He sees the seen before him, mostly taking in the fact that all three of the children were alive and mostly unharmed. "Bless our souls...they're alive. All of them."
Toriel smiled kindly at Asgore. Asriel was excited to see his father, holding his paws out. "Dad! We did it!"
"I can see that, Asriel!" Asgore smiled as Toriel handed the boy to him, and he hugged the small goat and nuzzles his snout with his own. He was also very affectionate at the relief of his sons alive, planting a kiss on Asriel's forehead, while Toriel continues to cuddle Frisk. Asgore then gazes towards Chara, his soft smile never leaving. He gently places Asriel down, gets on one knee, and holds his arms out. "Chara...come to me, my child."
Chara seemed hesitant, but that didn't stop his body from obeying the request, making his way towards his fluffy giant father, who is also the King of Monsters. When he got close enough, Asgore snatched him up into a hug, being as gentle and loving as he could possibly be. With confusion gracing his eyes once again, he gazed into his father's eyes. "Even...even after all I've done...after all I've..."
"Hush, my child." Asgore softly silenced him, petting his hair and kissing his forehead. "Your hatred of humanity was powerful. It grew to be so powerful that it extended to everything and everyone. We should have done better at taking care of you. That way we might have even been able to quell that tiny flare of hatred before it became a raging inferno. Failing has cost us all deeply, in more ways than one." He gently leaned closer to Chara's face, nuzzling his rosy cheek. "Frisk...has defied fate. All of us have, in order to achieve a better future. As a reward for our efforts, we have Asriel back, and we have you back. And we shall NOT ruin this second chance." Asgore smiled softly, still softly petting Chara's hair, his own eyes softening a bit. "We'll take better care of you. I swear it."
Chara was absolutely dumbfounded. When his mind, heart, and soul weren't clouded by hatred and vengeance...the words filled with warmth, love, and comfort reached him much more easily. He could feel his soul brighten at the promise, even as his own face currently stays blank. He just didn't understand them as well as he probably should have. None of them hated him, even when they have every right to be. Of course, Alphys, Undyne, Sans, and Flowey might be a bit more against this, especially the latter two. Papyrus...will probably gloat that he was right. But the Dreemurrs, and Frisk...he was sensing none of the negative emotions he probably should be feeling. Only love, compassion, and forgiveness from all three of them. He really didn't deserve it...he shouldn't deserve it. But they're giving those things to them anyway...and it's all completely genuine. Why...?
none of the dreemurrs can bring even a single microscopic piece of their being to hate you. they just love you too damn much. your entire existence is beginning to bring them agony because of how much they still love you. they'd rather blame everything that's happened on themselves than to actually hate you.
He heard the statement that a thoroughly pissed off Sans told him during their battle. He initially didn't care about any of that. He was blinded by hatred, so none of it really reached him. But now he could hear the words with both his mind and soul, actually feel them.
Regret. Intense amounts of regret filled his soul.
you took their love and hospitality and basically threw it back in their faces, despite how much they persistently continue to try and give it back to you.
The more he thought about these words, the more he hated himself for everything that's happened. He was...ruthlessly ungrateful. He really did have no one else to blame but himself. They had tried to reach out to him, tried to nurture him, REALLY loved him, and he felt all of it...but it never fully reached him to the extent of moving on. He was filled with too much hate, and was too busy feeling sorry for himself for his own suffering, never taking into account for how badly his actions affected everyone around him. Well...now he did. And it felt agonizing. The six deceased children, even though they're temporarily barred from the afterlife, were willingly giving Asriel and Frisk the powers they needed to ensure that both Monsters and Humans would have a brighter future...and it made him feel terrible, because his perception of humans was not entirely accurate. And despite all of his actions, the Dreemurrs were readily forgiving him without a nanosecond of hesitation...this succeeded in making him feel worse.
The Fallen Child is a suitable name for him after all, in both the literal and spiritual sense. He's fallen so far into the dark...yet Frisk and Asriel still insisted on saving him and pulling him back into the light, even when he knew that almost everyone else who knew of his existence saw him as that one hopeless case, the only one Frisk couldn't truly save. He and Asriel worked together to prove them wrong.
To add onto it, he was mostly wrong about EVERYTHING.
Chara finally allowed himself to return the embrace that Asgore was giving him, nestling into the crook of his neck fur that wasn't covered by his armor. Asgore smiled widely at this, as well as Toriel and Asriel. They, along with Frisk, were able to grasp the moment, as happy as they could be, fully enjoying the moment.
The Dreemurrs were finally truly whole again.
Then the others came in. Undyne, Sans, Papyrus, Alphys...as well as Geno Alphys and Flowey. The latter, however, was utterly flabbergasted at seeing Chara living and breathing still. Then he was enraged. "WHY THE HELL IS HE STILL-MMPH!" Undyne was quick to stomp on the back of his head, her boot ruthlessly planting(heh) his face into the ground.
"Shut it, weed! This is a beautiful moment!" Undyne gritted her teeth.
"UNDYNE! DON'T STEP ON MY FLOWER FRIEND! HE'S JUST CRANKY!" Papyrus begged, but Undyne was having none of it.
Geno Alphys smiled, undeterred by Chara's presence. "I knew that Asriel and Frisk would find another way to deal with Chara without killing him. I didn't know how they would deal with the situation. I just trusted that they would do it. It was a REALLY risky move...but you know what they say..."
Frisk smiled. "You can't spell 'Frisk' without 'risk'." Instant high-five from Asriel, instant giggles from Toriel. A stifled chuckle from Sans. Annoyed grimace from Papyrus. VERY annoyed grimace. Undyne just rolled her covered eye. Flowey was still saying nothing but muffled noise because Undyne's boot still pinning him down.
"Besides, to get this far, we broke a LOT of rules that shouldn't have been able to be broken. Buuuut...I guess we were too DETERMINED." Geno Alphys shrugged casually. "So...that's it then? Did you all work things out?"
Chara looked towards Geno Alphus shyly, and she saw just how successful Asriel and Frisk were. His eyes were not glowing red anymore, just a normal red. They were no longer filled with hatred, rage, and bloodlust, but now anxiousness, shame, and loads of regret. It was enough for her to realize that Asriel and Frisk really were successful in their conflict. Chara, while still having his magic left...he was no longer much of a threat. It reminded her that he was still a child. A child with lots, lots, and lots of issues...but still a child.
Chara looked away. He didn't even think about making eye contact with any of them, especially Sans. He just felt much safer in the arms of his foster father. "...Yes."
"Ah. Very Good." Geno Alphys nodded softly. "Forgiveness is not an easily feat to accomplish. So being forgiven by the kindest monsters in the Underground, the Royal Dreemurrs, without a second thought...it spells wonders, because you've done much more wrong to them than anyone else." She shrugged. "They're also the only reasons why Sans hasn't atomized you on sight."
"if it were up to me, you'd be done, kiddo." Sans said darkly, eyes hollowed. Then he shrugged. "but it turns out, I'd ain't up to me, so that's that." He winked his right eye, though his left glowed cyan. "don't think you're completely off the hook. you've done some stuff that can never be forgotten. i've got my eye sockets on you."
"I don't expect any less from you, Sans. I don't deserve forgiveness, everything I've done is inexcuseable. And yet..."
"Forgive, But Don't Forget, Sans. We know." Asriel nodded. "Frisk and I forgave and saved Chara. However...we don't forget what he's done. In fact, we're going to be sure that we never forget at all." He narrowed his eyes. "Which is why Frisk and I are going to do something drastic, to ensure that something like this can surely, truly, NEVER happen again."
"how do ya plan on doin' that, asriel?"
"Something Frisk and I have been dying to do for a long time...we just needed the right time, and the right circumstances." Asriel turned towards Frisk. "Frisk...it's time."
Frisk nodded readily, as he gestured for everyone to meet at the Barrier. Confused but compliant, everyone followed Frisk and Asriel.
(The Barrier)
The whole group gathered at the Barrier, just like Asriel and Frisk asked them too. Though they were still wondering what could they possibly be thinking about doing. They just asked for them to come with them without much of an explanation. Chara was anxious about what they could possibly be up to. Though they could see that they were incredibly serious about their intentions, because even Frisk adopted a more focused expression while still being mostly neutral.
Sans tilted his head. "ya gathered us all at the barrier. what are you two up to?"
Asriel and Frisk both looked towards one another, and nodded. Frisk held his hand out, a few feet into the air. After a few glitching noises and a few brief shifts of reality, an option appeared over their heads. The very sight of it filled Sans with a type of dress that's so immense that it felt like he would collapse just from looking at it. He almost did. Those two dreaded words...every once in a while, when his memory manages to pick up the pieces, he'd remember these words, and he hated them with all of his being.
True Reset
"We've pretty much done all we can in this timeline. Everyone's decently happy, we saved Chara...now the only things we have to deal with are the Barrier...and this." Asriel stated, not taking his eyes off of the game-like font above him. "This is what Chara used to manipulate Frisk. A Reset rewrites all of the progress one makes and starts from the beginning, with tidbits of memory managing to remain for some of us. It's why many of us are able to remember memories of other timelines, always giving us the feeling that we've lived some specific experience before."
"But a True Reset...it does what it entails. It completely rewrites everything we've ever done and rewrites everyone's memories...think of it like completely starting from scratch." Geno Alphys explained. "Everything we've ever done, everything we've achieved, all of our memories...then it's all just gone in the blink of an eye, and no one can remember it. Not one single detail. It all vanishes and no one will notice. No one will completely remember...except Asriel and Chara. Flowey too, now that he and Asriel are two different beings. They're a special case. Not even Frisk or Sans can remember much after a True Reset."
Undyne slightly glared at the two digital-like words floating above them. "So...this button thing is like a serious danger to us, huh?"
"VERY dangerous." Sans glared. "at least with a normal RESET we can somewhat pick up where we left off and we'll do better the next time. hell, things might even be a bit easier to manage, if we act accordingly. but that...those words there? it's been successful at breaking my spirit. i've forgotten many things that can never be remembered, due to that stupid button. of course...i'm still a bit more peeved with the maniac that kept pressing it." Chara sunk a bit more into Asgore's arms at Sans' venomous voice. "so, kiddos. what do you plan to do now?"
Asriel sighed deeply, as Frisk brought the button down to the two of them. "The True Resets have done a lot more harm than good...but it ultimately paid off in the end. We saved the monsters, Frisk saved me, we saved Chara, and now monsters are to begin integrating with humankind, in a much more gentle manner than all the other times. If it ever goes into a deeply, deeply terrible situation...then Frisk will use a RESET as an absolute last resort. Then we can try again at a designated SAVE point, with hopefully better results. But one things for sure...we can't keep going back to the point of not remembering anything. We need to start learning from our past mistakes, not repeatedly going back to them. From this point on...we need to start truly moving forward."
Flowey seemed to be catching onto what Asriel was implying, and scoffed...more in anticipation than animosity. "You're bluffing. Don't tell me you're actually...there's NO WAY that's gonna work!"
"Let's find out." Asriel said while looking towards the ground, his eyes being overshadowed slightly. He held his paw to the side, as a Chaos Saber slowly materializes in his paw. Sans held up his bony hands.
"woah woah, what are ya doin', kid?"
"What I need to do." He raised his paw up high, bringing the blade with him. "We don't need this button anymore...so it's time for it to go." He swung the Chaos Saber down and sliced the button down the middle. At first, nothing happened for a couple seconds, seemingly giving the impression that the idea failed. Then...
...Crack...Shatter...
There was only one true, surefire way to find out just how significant this event, this moment was. If one REALLY wanted to know just how significant Asriel and Frisk's actions were. All you had to do was look at a certain short skeleton.
That's right. When experiencing agonizing physical, mental, and emotional pain, Sans has never totally lets up his eternal smile. Even when he was killed, his smile faltered, but it never dropped. This is how you tell when an event REALLY does show how dramatically things have changed with that action.
It was only for a very slow yet still noticeable ten seconds...but Sans the Skeleton...stopped smiling completely. The True Reset button, which has played a major role in making a rather permanent scramble in his memories...destroyed, just like that. He was never able to deal with them. Fractures in his memories from normal Resets, he could handle well enough by piecing them together. A True Reset leaves entire irreparable giant gaps. That filled him with hopelessness and despair. Now...it was gone. And Asriel has clearly made sure that it can never be used again...by getting rid of it altogether.
Sans sighed deeply as he placed a bony hand over his skull. A deep chuckle escaped from him, though it was more from relieved disbelief than something being funny. "...heh...hehehe...hehehehehe...wow. hooooboy. i can't...i just...really. wow. now...i'm usually a pretty witty guy. but right now...i really can't find any words to describe this feeling. this innese weight off my chest and mind has been lifted. and...wow..."
"Relief, joy, hope? Those are three pretty good words to describe the feeling." Geno Alphys smiled.
Undyne stared at Geno Alphys, concern clear on her face. "So...what's going on with you? You're mission is, uh...kinda complete. And yet, you can't go back to your own timeline...because it's not there anymore. What are you gonna do?"
"Basically? I'm just gonna settle in this timeline. There's nowhere else I can go, so I might as well be happy right where I am. The Undyne of my time would have wanted me to keep on living. I was feeling a bit suicidal on this mission...but now that it's complete...I think I deserve a break."
"I get the f-feeling we ALL do..." Alphys smiled at her counterpart. "S-So...the only thing left to do is to b-break the Barrier. But how do we-"
"Leave that to us." Asriel smiled softly as he walked up to the Barrier, with Frisk alongside him. Asriel placed his paw over his rainbow colored soul. Chara's eyes slowly rose in understanding.
"The power equal to seven human souls are needed in order to break the Barrier. Your rainbow soul is equivalent to seven human souls, because they all willingly shared their power with you in some way or another, with Geno Frisk's soul being in the center...you can single-handedly break the Barrier!"
"It's a complicated concept, but not one I'm willing to put down. We've been breaking a lot of rules that have been holding us back, and it's made our progress better. Lets not question it too much."
"I can totally live with that." Geno Alphys shrugged.
Asriel nodded, then he turned towards the Barrier once more. "All of our struggles...all of our sacrifices...all of our newly formed bonds...they've all been leading up to this. The Human Souls that make up my new, powerful soul. Verena. Justin. Ace. Lizzie. Richard. Lisa. and Geno Frisk. Despite what happened, they still want the same thing...for monsters and humans to finally get along. Their wills are aligned with my own...including Geno Frisk's. With their power...with their DETERMINATION alongside my own...it's time to take this Barrier down...for the final time."
(Final Power)
Asriel closed his eyes slowly, the symbol on his Delta Rune robes glowing. His floppy ears floating upwards along with his robes. His rainbow soul began flashing the colors of the human souls, which began appearing around him and slowly rotating. They all began glowing brightly alongside his soul, and the Barrier Reacted to all of the power.
There was a large crack, and the barrier broke in two, opening like sliding doors, and completely disappeared from view.
The Barrier...was finally down.
(Music Stop)
Asriel stopped glowing, and he opened his eyes after the deed was done. He turned towards everyone with a small smile. "Well? Let's go. The Surface awaits us, and we surely have a lot of work to do." Frisk nodded readily, as they began moving for the exit to the Underground...
Though they suddenly stopped by the appearance of the six human souls...which manifested in spectral formations of the six children. Needless to say, Asriel and Frisk weren't too surprised to see them.
"So...you finally did it. You found a way to break the loop by breaking every rule that's held you both back...not bad." Ace smirked.
"And I can see that you were successful in your objective, given how we can no longer sense malice from Chara's soul." Lisa noted.
Toriel's eyed widened in realization, as she stepped forward before all of them. "You six...you were the Ines that gave Asriel and Frisk their new found power...weren't you?"
"We were getting a bit tired of seeing the same thing over and over again without any lasting change. So we decided to directly interfere. And boy, did it do wonders." Richard smiled. "It's a good thing we've made a lasting difference in timelines. Now at last...it's time for us to go. We've been kept from leaving for so long...it's finally time for us to head for the afterlife."
"You won't find our bodies in the coffins. They'll disappear when we do." Lizzie said quietly. "We just...wanted to take our time to say goodbye."
Verena leaped out and, despite being a spectral being, managed to hug Asriel, sobbing comically. "I'm gonna miss you, my sweet sweet cinnamon roll! Be a good boy and stay fluffy and cuddly for me, okay?!"
"Er...um...okay." Asriel smiled, blushing brightly.
Justin picked up his Empty Gun and aimed it at Chara. "Chara. You struck out once. Then you struck out the second time and it messed up everyone's lives. Luckily for you, Asriel and Frisk betted on the third time being the charm. Don't screw it up or you WILL be sorry. Much more thsn you are right now." He set it back in his holster.
"he has the right idea." Sans muttered.
"Anyhoo, its time for us to go. We've done our part, and it truly made a difference. But..." Lisa was the first one to walk up to Toriel and hug her by the leg. "Of course...we'll never forget the kindness you showed us. You've done your best to care for us however you could. We appreciated every moment of your love for us, as if we were your own. But now you have the chance to be with your true children. We wish you and the monsters a bright and happy future."
Soon enough, all of the deceased children gathered around Toriel and got her into a hug. "We love you."
Toriel blinked a couple times, then her muzzle curved into a smile as the tears once again began to fall. She then bent down and hugged all of them at once, as best as she could. "Dear children...I love you too. You shall not be forgotten." She squeezed all of them in her hug for a couple moments, before she releases them.
They then made their way towards Asgore, and they began hugging him as well. Before the confused King could respond, they spoke the words he didn't know that he desperately needed to hear from them alone: "We forgive you." Asgore's eyes widened at the two words spoken from them. Then he smiled with immense relief and a bit of sadness, and gladly return their group hug, and he was big and fluffy enough to do so. He then released them, and they all stepped back.
"It's time for us to go. You're all going to do good. We believe in it." Verena smiled. All of them then began disappearing into bright flashes of light, disappearing into the skies, after each waving and saying their goodbyes. Lisa was the last one to do so.
"You guys are the future. Be sure to stay DETERMINED." She smiled. "Not that I'm concerned about that part. It's what you're best at." Asriel and Frisk smiled widely and warmly at her praise. Then at last, she disappeared along with the others.
After such a long period of suffering in many different ways...the six deceased children could finally make their way to the afterlife, in peace.
"...BROTHER...I THINK I MAY HAVE SOMETHING IN MY EYES."
"what would that be, bro?"
"TEARS!"
"You're not the only one..." Undyne muttered, wiping the tears away from her exposed eye. She was tough and all, but there's no way for her to keep a straight face after something like that.
That piece of business was taken care of. Now for the next stage...
Me: This chapter was around the length if the last one...but I decided to split it up a little. As a result, you'll find that the next one will be a lot shorter than expected.
Asriel: That's okay! With the story almost over, it's about time we relax with the long chapters, St least for now.
Asgore: Indeed. We'll have a lot on our hands. The main threat is gone, but our struggles are not yet over.
Mettaton: Agreed, darlings! After all, our last couple of chapters will be setting the stage for our lighter and softer sequel story! Or should it be considered a spin-off of sorts?~
Me: *jaw drops in horror* DUDE!
Mettaton: Oh My! Spoilers! Do forgive me, Benny, I couldn't help myself. But it looks like the jig is up early~
Chara: *Deadpan* You know full well that you did that on purpose.
Me: *angry eyebrow twitch* Great. Just great. Wait until the next one, fellow readers. Now if you excuse me, I'm gonna go kick Mettaton's ass. *Chases him out of the room*
Asriel: *Blinks, them awkwardly holds arms out to you with a shy smile* Anyone want a hug?
Frisk readily accepts hug. He also pulls the reluctant Chara into the hug. Frisk and Asriel were okay with this. Chara just felt awkward.