(Note: Thank you so much to the support on this story and for reading! I'd really appriciate a farewell comment, if you feel comfortable. Moving on to new projects tends to be very lonely so I'd like that.
In the afterword I'll outline my next major undertale writing projects and give a little synopsis of them so please give it a look! And Thank you again!)
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Epilogue 5
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Years later...
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"so this is where you've been hiding, huh?" Sans asked.
Frisk turned from where they were sitting in the middle of the flowers as Sans walked out of the shadowed stone cavern into the circle of light provided by the hole in the ceiling. Everywhere the light touched golden flowers bloomed, filling the cavern with a sweet smell.
Sans shuffled up the edge of the flowers, his scuffed shoes had no laces and he was stepping on the backs, "you get tired of playing with the barrier?"
Frisk shook their head, "I had something important I needed to do here."
Sans raised his brows, "taking up gardening?"
Frisk giggled and shook their head again.
"this is where you fell in?"
They nodded.
"it was tough on you, huh?" Sans asked, glancing up at the broken stone above them. "but i'm glad it happened."
Frisk looked around at the golden flowers, "...Me too."
Sans put his hands in his pockets and rocked on his heels, "you must have a reason for being here. it's one of your work days."
"I just..." Frisk hesitated, "...Is the machine done?"
Sans stiffened slightly, "machine?
"The new one in your lab." Frisk said, plucking a golden flower and spinning it between their fingers. They didn't looked up at him, watching the twirling petals. "I'm not very good at machines but I think it's meant for me, right? Chara said it was. In case I become an anomaly." They played with the flower anxiously, "You built it in your lab so even if I reset it would still be there because time is stopped in your lab for things but not people," Frisk hesitated and thought for a moment then corrected themselves, "It's a quantum singularity, that acts upon the room and its contents but does not have enough energy to exert the same effect on living things. But even if it did work on living things, once you stepped into the room you'd be frozen in time too so it wouldn't do any good."
"did alphys tell you about the machine?" Sans asked, sounding tired.
Frisk shook their head, "No. I did notice she's been nervous lately though. She probably hated helping you make it but couldn't say no. She's not very good at saying no."
Sans sighed, "i was hoping you'd never have to know about it."
"It's ok." Frisk said, rubbing a flower petal between their fingers, "I asked you to make sure I never went bad like Flowey. It's a good thing.…." they plucked the petal off and pressed it tight between their fingertips. Frisk looked up at Sans anxiously, "Will... would it be painful?"
Sans shook his head, "the machine? no. it's just a life support system, to keep you alive but unconscious. it'd be like sleeping. it's supported by magic so should extend your life three or four times over. knocking you out might be painful but-" he shrugged.
"And you'll be able to protect the underground from anything with too much determination," Frisk said.
Sans grinned mercilessly, "no one will be able to take control of the time line again, ever, not if i can help it. but..." his smile relaxed and he shrugged, "you're a good kid, i don't think i'll ever have to use it. it's just... in case."
"Once I die, can you take my soul and maybe keep it doing the same thing?" Frisk asked hopefully, "It ought to be possible, like the souls in the barrier, casting even after their bodies died. Even if I don't become an anomaly I'd like you to do that with my soul, I want to stay and protect this place and all of monsterkind forever. Can I?"
"heh." Sans grinned and rocked back on his heels, "sure, anything you want kid." he looked up at the barrier above, clear as a mill-pond showing blue skies and drifting wispy clouds, "they say the circle in the delta rune is an angel from the surface. in a thousand years time they might pray to the human angel who protects monsters from evil."
Frisk frowned, "You could just hide me away, no one has to know."
"nah, once you're gone, they'll need a new Hope," he winked at them, "that'll do nicely. Hope is important to monsters."
"Yeah I know." Frisk smiled. A breeze from up above slunk down into the cavern, curling around the ring of golden flowers and rustling through them.
"so, why'd you need the machine finished? what's this place got to do with it?" Sans asked.
"This." Frisk pointed to the save point, etched into the world and the timeline when they first fell into this place. It was a golden, four point star in their mind, bigger than any save point they had ever made themselves. And it never faded.
Sans stared at the empty space then looked at Frisk with a raised eyebrow.
Frisk smiled briefly at his expression. They explained, "When I fell down here, I think I died... I think the fall killed me." They looked up at the distant ceiling, "Remember, in the beginning I could only use my powers if I died?"
Sans nodded.
They continued, "It started here. I died and it woke the determination in my soul and that surge of determination brought me back, awakened Chara and bound us together. At least, that's what I think happened. It made this point my beginning. When I reset it was to here." They pointed to the spot in the middle of the flower bed, "If I ever reset again, it would be to here."
Sans stiffened, staring at the empty air.
"The reset really was an accident." Frisk said with a sigh, "I thought it was my fault at first, and Chara thought it was theirs but it was just an accident. ...Being back here and remembering everything that had happened all at once we both felt a surge of determination that sent us back to this point because... I never learned how to control my magic. I never tried to understand what I was doing." Frisk put a hand over their soul, throbbing in sympathy for what had happened so long ago, "But I don't want to go back, ever," They said softly, "I'm so happy here."
Sans shifted his weight but didn't say anything.
"So I started studying the save point when I had free time."
"free time?" Sans chuckled, "didn't know you had any of that. did you schedule it in?"
"I found a little," Frisk grinned and continued, "I studied your lab too, that's how I found the machine. I wanted to studied how the room and this save point effected time, because they're both fixed points on the timeline. ...I think I understand now and I've been saving up my determination."
"you finally figured out how to save it up then?" Sans asked, "i know that's been a pet project of yours since you changed the barrier."
Frisk grimaced, "It's really awful. Whenever I get a surge of determination, instead of using it I hold onto it. It's like wanting burp but you can't or like... having heartburn."
Sans shrugged, "you lost me there, must be a human thing."
Frisk mirrored his shrug and continued, "I need as much determination as when I first fell. I think I have enough now," They licked their lips nervously.
"what are you going to do?" Sans asked curiously.
"I want to move the reset point forward," Frisk said, "To this point right now. And if it works I'll keep moving it forward, every year, as a fail safe it something goes horribly wrong." They looked over at him and smiled reassuringly, "No more going back to the beginning. The new beginning will be right here, right now."
San relaxed, "no more do overs?" he said softly, hope creeping into his voice.
They studied his face, "Is that ok?"
"course it is, kid." He grinned, "you know how i feel about being stuck in a loop. 'course," His eyes glanced up in thought, "from how you've described your save points and the data we've been able to gather it's just as likely that pushing that much determination into the save point will shatter it."
Frisk nodded, "That's fine. Then I'll just use the save points I make myself, like I always have."
Sans shrugged.
They slowly stood up, brushing dirt off their legs and stretched. Frisk glanced back at Sans and he gave them a reassuring nod.
Frisk soul blazed from their chest, filling the cavern with red light. They took a deep breath, and reached out to the save point, determination thrumming though every fiber of their being. Their magic shot through the point in time, with its nerves driven deep into the flow of time, bound to Frisk like an anchor. Their wrapped determination around the connection, covering, twisting, tearing and wrenching it free from the timeline. The save point wavered. Frisk clenched their jaw, determination flooded through them like molten lead and sank into the save point until it brightened and they could see -everything-
Frisk gasped and almost lost their grip.
They shook their image from their mind and focused on now, forcing the save point to this point in time, this moment. They held the moment in their heart, a perfect future, built with their own hands, with all their friends and family. This place, this now, this was their home. A second surge to determination followed the first, and the save point flared white with magic and sank deep into the timeline.
They blinked and stared down at the golden flowers, all leaning out as if blown by an gust of wind. Frisk could still feel the weight of the save point like a chain binding them to the timeline but now, it was right here. They smiled.
"holy crap, kid." Sans said, eyes wide, "that was... something. i'm not sure i've ever felt so much raw magic before."
Frisk stumbled over to Sans, legs shaking, and hugged him.
"whoa, you alright?" Sans wrapped an arm around their back and gripped Frisk's arm with his other in case they collapsed.
They squeezed him tight, "...I'm just..." they let out a breath.
Ha patted their back. "relieved, huh?"
"Yeah...but..."They stepped back the relief slowly fading, their eyes flicking back and forth in recollection of what they had seen.
"kid?"
Frisk glanced up at him, their mouth pressed into a thin line. "...When I..." their brown knit together and they paused to rub their face on their sleeve. Their hands were still shaking with adrenaline. "When I pulled the save point free from the timeline, I filled it with determination to keep it stable and for a second I saw..."
"saw?" Sans prompted.
"A branching path, a multitude of possibilities all built on...my choices." Frisk swallowed, "I saw timelines- I saw timelines where I..." Their voice choked in their throat, "...killed everyone in the underground and then Chara and I destroyed the world. And timelines where I never left the Ruins or Snowdin. I saw timelines where I only killed in self-defense and when I tried to leave through the barrier I was caught in the lines of power and trapped in darkness forever." They shuddered.
Sans squeezed their arm and gave them a sympathetic pat, "i lived it once with prince pouty. i know what can happen... i guess, we're lucky with how things turned out. everybody's pretty happy."
Frisk was quiet. They looked down at their hands.
"you didn't do any of those things, frisk." Sans said quietly.
Their brow furrowed, "...but I could have. An alternate timeline couldn't be created from an action I would never take. I am capable of all of those things and in realities sitting right alongside our own, I did do those things."
"eh..." Sans rubbed his head, "i mean... you're right..."
Frisk looked at the flowerbed, bathed in dappled sunlight, "Even the timeline I accidentally reset. Somewhere it still exists, with a Frisk that didn't go back to the Ruins that day with Pop-pop. A Frisk that choose to stay home."
Sans stepped up next to them and bumped their shoulder gently, "y'know, kid, every choice you made to get you here changed you. you're not the same kid that first fell down that hole, not anymore."
"...Yeah..." they nodded.
"at least i know you've been keeping up on the reading i gave you."
Frisk made a face, "it's confusing and awful and there's all this math. I have to use a dictionary when I read..." they grumbled.
Sans chuckled. "yeah, but you're figuring it out."
"I guess."
Chara sighed, "So... if we're done with all the grim dark bullshit, can we head home?"
"what's your rush, kiddo?" Sans said flippantly.
"Pap and I are going to bake a chocolate cake today." Chara headed for the cavern exit.
"...cake, huh?" Sans appeared ahead of them, "i know a pretty good shortcut."
Chara kept walking, "No freakin way." They pulled out their phone and clicked it on, checking the time and picked up their pace.
"the trolley?" Sans chuckled, "it's been up and running for a week. you don't gotta ride it every day."
"You mean, it's only been running for a week." Chara said as they walked past him, "And I'm going to ride it every damn chance I get." They shouted over their shoulder at him, "It's my crowning glory, proof of that all that stupid paperwork and diplomatic bs was worth it!"
"geez. no need to shout." Sans said from a few feet in front of them.
Chara narrowed their eyes and stalked past, pausing briefly to grind their knuckles on Sans head and-
He popped ahead of them, "you're gonna miss the chara exspress." Sans said walking around the corner.
"DON'T CALL IT THAT!" Chara shouted after him.
Sans laugh echoed distantly through the Ruin tunnels, "...king fluffybuns really does pick out the best names..."
Frisk giggled and ran down the hall to catch up with him.
In the distance the bell on the Chara Express chimed faintly as it arrived at Home station.
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The End.
