Here's the next chapter! Hope you'll enjoy. Also, Happy New Year to everybody!
Noelle was paralyzed in shock. As she looked at the lifeless Frisk lying on the ground, with her SOUL floating above, her eyes filled with tears. "No... No, she can't be gone..!" - Noelle's mind screamed. She then fell on her knees and yelled a pained "No!". Tears started to fall on the ground, while sobs left the woman's lips. She then faintly heard footsteps approach.
"NOELLE? WHAT HAPPEN-"
It was Papyrus. The skeleton had gotten worried while waiting for his wife and daughter to return. He had thus decided to go look for them, despite Sans' protests, having some bad feeling. Papyrus saw his wife lying on the ground and her SOUL no longer being one with the body. His eyesockets widened and he rushed to Frisk and took her in his arms.
"OH MY GOODNESS, FRISK..!" - Papyrus exclaimed, then looked at the glowing red heart as tears filled his eyesockets - "FRISK... HUMAN WIFE, WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU..?"
Noelle looked at her father with a pained expression. Her cheeks and nose were red from crying and there were tear stains all over her face. With another sob, she spoke:
"Papyrus... She… I tried to prevent this… but Flowey, he… Flowey killed her… I'm so sorry… I'm sorry, it's my fault… I couldn't protect her… I couldn't save her…"
Papyrus was barely hearing what Noelle was saying. His mind was focused on the fact that his beloved was no longer alive. But at the same time, he couldn't accept this.
"NO... NO, NO..! FRISK, YOU CAN'T BE GONE! WE ALL NEED YOU TOO MUCH…! PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME…" - Papyrus hugged Frisk's body to his chest - "HUMAN WIFE... I NEED YOU IN MY LIFE… YOU'RE THE SPARK I CAN'T BEAR TO LOSE, REMEMBER..? PLEASE COME BACK… I KNOW YOU CAN COME BACK..! YOU ALWAYS COULD... PLEASE... COME BACK TO ME, COME BACK TO NOELLE… I KNOW YOU CAN…"
Tears were falling endlessly from Papyrus' eyesockets, as he refused to let go of Frisk. The red SOUL seemed to alter from a stronger to a fainted glow from time to time, as though in pain to see him that way. As Noelle watched the scene and heard Papyrus' beg to come back to them, realization hit her. She remembered what Frisk told her about determination.
"My determination permitted me to go back in time and retry what I was doing again."
"Frisk can't come back… but I can..!" - Noelle said to herself as she stood up.
Papyrus kept crying, no longer able to say anything. Noelle slightly approached him and put a hand on his shoulder. The skeleton looked up at her with sad eyes. His expression of grief was a painful sight. But soon, Noelle would make sure this never happened. She said with a determined, yet a bit shaky, tone:
"Don't worry, Papyrus. In a moment, you won't even remember it happened."
Noelle closed her eyes and concentrated. She could feel how her SOUL gathered all the determination she had within and then, she felt as if her head - or maybe the world around her - was slightly spinning. She also felt a stange warmth within her body.
...
Her will to make things right with her family filled her with determination.
Noelle looked around. It worked. She did it. She returned back to the moment when she and Frisk were about to return to the Monsters Village. Noelle breathed out in relief and teared up a little when she saw Frisk standing next to her, alive and well.
"Frisk... Thank goodness..!" - Noelle hugged her tightly.
Frisk returned the hug for a brief moment, before she pulled away and said with a hint of fear:
"Noelle, no… What did you do…?"
At that moment, the same thing happened like the first time. Roots caught Frisk's feet before twining around her body, restraining her. Like the previous time, she was unable to move, regardless of her struggling. Once more, Flowey emerged from the ground at that moment.
"Howdy!" - he said with a smile - "Starting to regret our choices, aren't we?"
"Let Frisk go, Flowey!" - Noelle ordered.
"Sorry, but you already know the conditions! It's Frisk's life for your SOUL!"
"Noelle, don't you dare-!" - Frisk screamed.
Some vines gagged her, not letting her finish her protest. Noelle looked down at Flowey and after a moment, she asked:
"If I give you my SOUL, you swear you'll let her go?!"
Frisk struggled again, trying to shout something, but the vines muffled her screams and words. Flowey bowed his head with exaggerated drama, and said:
"You have my word."
"Th-then it's a d-deal..." - Noelle replied.
Her heart was beating very fast inside. Noelle felt as though her legs would surrender at any moment. She was scared. She didn't want to die. But if she could save Frisk and the rest of her family from the psycho-flower, spare Papyrus from an unavoidable grief, fix some of her mistakes… she was willing to give her own life. With the right concentration, she managed to pull her SOUL forward. Flowey's eyes shone when he saw the pink heart floating in front of Noelle's chest.
"Finally… It was a pleasure to make a deal with you, Noelle!"
Then, while releasing Frisk from her restrains, Flowey used another vine to grab Noelle's SOUL and violently pulled it to him. Noelle let out a sharp cry when she felt her SOUL being ripped out from her. It was the last thing she actually felt, until she fell unconscious on the ground. Frisk watched in horror how Flowey absorbed her daughter's SOUL. The flower then grunted and started to shudder. But before Frisk had the time to attempt anything against him, Flowey disappeared under the ground.
"No, no!" - Frisk yelled as she rushed towards the spot where Flowey disappeared, then turned to Noelle - "Oh my God, Noelle..! You shouldn't have done this..! You shouldn't have gone back..!"
She then heard footsteps and so she looked up. It was Papyrus. He came, driven by a bad feeling, like the previous time.
"NOELLE!" - he shouted and ran to her - "FRISK, WHAT HAPPENED TO HER?"
"Flowey attacked us by surprise! And he ripped out Noelle's SOUL..!" - Frisk replied, shaking - "He... he trapped me, and accepted to release me only if Noelle willingly gave him her SOUL… Which she did…"
"NO... NO, THERE MUST BE A WAY TO SAVE HER..!" - Papyrus said as he took Noelle in his arms and he emitted a green aura - "FRISK, SHE CAN BE SAVED, I FEEL HER BREATHING!"
"What..?"
Frisk was surprised by what Papyrus said and, with a closer look, she noted that he was right. Noelle was indeed still breathing, even though her breathing was very faint.
"This means her SOUL's still connected to her body, in a way…" - Frisk said with hope - "Papyrus, keep uh 'healing' her, it might keep her alive longer! We must take her to Gaster, he'll surely know what to do!"
"YOU'RE RIGHT..! LET'S WASTE NO TIME THEN!" - Papyrus said as he stood up, holding the unconscious Noelle in his arms.
The couple ran as fast as they could across the Monster Village in the direction of Gaster's house. They had the impression as if it took forever before they reached the destination. While Papyrus was still holding Noelle, Frisk rang the doorbell several times in a row. It didn't take long before Gaster opened the door.
"Human?" - he asked - "You better have a good reason for disturb-"
He noticed Papyrus with an unconscious Noelle in his arms, and his good eyesocket widened. Even though Gaster had no idea what happened, he could see that she was in a critical situation. He opened the door wider, allowing Papyrus and Frisk to enter his house. After locking the door, he said:
"Follow me, I have medical equipement in the other room. What happened?"
Frisk quickly explained the situation and noted that despite the SOUL being ripped out, Noelle was still breathing. Gaster had a thoughtful expression while he was listening and lying Noelle down on the bed. He started to connect her to a sort of life support.
"SO... IT'S NOT TOO LATE TO SAVE HER, RIGHT?"
"No, we still have a little time. I'm not sure how much, though." - Gaster replied, as he was simultanuously typing a message on his cellphone - "I'm asking Alphys to bring some more material. What we have here can only maintain her temporarily. But I have something that'll make sure she remains stable until Alphys arrives."
Gaster then pulled out of a box a small flask containing a red liquid. As he processed to carefully pour the liquid within a syringe, he explained:
"I'll inject a dose of determination in her body. It'll ensure she stays alive, even with her SOUL far away."
"Where did you get that determination from?" - Frisk asked curiously.
"I have that flask since the times I was studying SOULs. I was keeping it for a dark day, just in case." - Gaster answered.
"BUT... HOW DOES IT COME NOELLE'S STILL ALIVE?" - Papyrus asked - "WHEN A SOUL'S TAKEN, THE PERSON..."
"That's most likely due to her hybrid nature. It's true that humans die when their SOUL is taken. But you also know that a monster's SOUL is strongly connected to their body. That's why Noelle didn't die yet. A link still exists with the SOUL, but it won't remain forever. We'll thus have to 'freeze' Noelle's body." - Gaster explained - "That way, the link will be preserved and it'll give you the time you need to get the SOUL back."
"THAT'S WHY YOU NEED MORE MATERIAL?" - Papyrus guessed, getting a nod from the scientist.
At that moment, Sam's voice got heard from behind:
"What's going on..?"
Gaster, Papyrus and Frisk turned around to see that both Sam and Piper were standing at the doorframe. They held worried expressions on their faces.
"Sam... Piper... It's complicated to explain…" - Gaster said, not sure where to start.
The twins saw that Noelle was lying unconscious on the bed, which immediately alarmed them. They rushed to her side, under the sorry gaze of their father and Noelle's parents. The twins tried to call Noelle's name, but there was obviously no response. This worried the kids even more, so they looked up at Gaster, expecting him to explain.
"Noelle..! Oh gosh, what happened..? Will she be okay..?" - Sam asked.
"Dad...? Why is she like that..? Why doesn't she hear us..?" - Piper asked on her turn.
"She doesn't hear you because... she's not really there." - Gaster replied - "Her... her SOUL had been ripped off, and so I'm trying to keep her alive until we can get it back."
"What? Her SOUL's ripped?" - Piper exclaimed with a shocked expression.
"How did that happen?! Who did this to her?!" - Sam asked, getting quickly filled with anger.
"It was Flowey." - Frisk answered - "It happened when Noelle and I were outside the village. Flowey used me as a h-hostage, to force Noelle give her SOUL… I... I tried to free myself from his grasp, but… but I couldn't… I couldn't save her…"
"No... no!" - Sam shouted - "Then what are we waiting for? Why don't you go after him?!"
"WE FIRST MUST MAKE SURE NOELLE'S STABLE. ALPHYS SHALL BRING THINGS THAT'LL PERMIT TO… FREEZE NOELLE WHILE WE LOOK FOR FLOWEY AND GET NOELLE'S SOUL BACK." - Papyrus calmly explained.
"What, so you'll put Noelle in a freezer?!" - Sam exclaimed.
"It's not exactly a freezer." - Gaster replied - "And it's a necessary measure to keep her alive."
"Alive... alive?! You call this 'alive'?!" - Sam started to pace in the room - "How long will she be like this before we get her SOUL back? Will your measures save her?!"
"They will… normally."
"Normally? So, you don't know for sure!"
"Look Sam, I can't give you a certain answer, because I never got to study hybrid SOULs in my career!" - Gaster bursted, getting annoyed by his son's attitude - "Noelle's the only hybrid I ever got to know! But my assumptions sould be correct! So, shall you stop your negative attitude?!"
Because of the argument, nobody noticed at first that Piper was crying, her face burried in the sheets of the bed Noelle was lying on. Papyrus was the first to notice her sobbing, so he quickly sat next to her and put his hands over her shoulders, to provide her some comfort. Piper turned around, looked at Papyrus, then resumed her crying into his chest. Papyrus started to stroke the girl's hair, in an attempt to calm her a little. Frisk decided that it was enough for Gaster and Sam to fight, so she brought Piper's distress to their attention.
"Stop that pointless argument! Piper's distressed, just like we all are, so your argument is the last thing she needs now."
Sam and Gaster looked at Piper sobbing in Papyrus' arms, and at once they cooled down. Well, Sam was still raging inside, he had that desire to throw things around. He wanted to go kick Flowey's butt (even though he didn't have one) and take back the SOUL he stole. Gaster, being a more productive person, regained his calm and walked up to his daughter. Piper looked up at her father, though still not letting go of Papyrus, after what Gaster spoke:
"Piper, I know what happened is a big shock. But I promise I'll do everything in my power to save your mother."
"You... you really promise..?" - she asked, her voice a bit hoarse after her crying.
Gaster just nodded in response, before resuming his former task. He checked Noelle's vitals after the injection of DT in her body. The data seemed promising.
"She's in no death danger right now." - Gaster commented - "Now we wait for Alphys."
Frisk let out a sigh and sat down next to her unconscious daughter and took her hand in hers. "It's not fair… It was supposed to be me..!" - she thought - "But don't worry, my dear… I'll get your SOUL back, and all of this will feel like just a bad dream…"
It took about thirty minutes for Alphys to arrive with all the necessary material Gaster requested her to bring. The two scientists didn't waste time to work on the advanced life support that would put Noelle's organism "on pause", so to speak.
"It's just terrible..." - Alphys said - "The p-poor girl... She d-doesn't deserve so many th-things happen to her at once…"
"It's not a question of deserving it or not. Sadly, bad things just happen and that's it." - Gaster said with a distant tone - "Luckily for her, we're here to save her. This experience will be nothing but a bad memory."
"Noelle has g-grown on y-you, d-didn't she..?" - Alphys commented quietly.
"I don't see what you're talking about, Alphys." - Gaster replied after a short pause.
"Y-you made an u-unfeeling statement at first. But then, you n-noted how she'll f-feel and recover… and that you're h-here for her…" - Alphys pointed out, despite her cheeks heating up - "I think it's a s-sign that you c-care..."
Gaster didn't know what to say to this, so he kept focused on his task. After long minutes, they finally managed to fully stabilize Noelle. The effects were similar to a hypersleep cabin from space science-fiction stories. Nothing Gaster and Alphys couldn't do with the mix of science and magic. Once Gaster showed to Papyrus, Frisk and the twins that she was stable, Frisk decided it was time for her to go after Flowey and take back Noelle's SOUL. In the kitchen, she found a medium knife that she decided to take with her. Papyrus was a bit alarmed by this and asked:
"YOU... YOU DON'T THINK TO ACTUALLY... KILL FLOWEY, DO YOU..?"
Papyrus was being the good-natured guy he was. Even though Flowey was a true psychopath and his evilness could possibly equal only the one of a demon, Papyrus thought that killing him would be the wrong thing to do.
"No, I won't drift to that path." - Frisk reassured him - "I however need a weapon to defend myself. I'll need it now more than ever, considering…"
She didn't finish her phrase. She then put the knife in a pocket of her coat, then said with a sigh:
"Wish me good luck, Papyrus."
"W-WAIT, I'M GOING WITH YOU..!" - Papyrus exclaimed.
"Papyrus, I'll be fine by myself. I've faced scarier things before."
"B-BUT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO FACE BAD THINGS TOGETHER..! LIKE THEY SAY, FOR THE BETTER AND THE WORSE!"
"I know... It's just that it's something I prefer to do alone." - Frisk said as she took Papyrus' hands in hers, looking straight in his eyesockets - "Flowey's very dangerous. He can break all your bones in no time! If you come with me and he does something to you… I'll just never forgive myself. So please… let me go alone. I promise I'll come back."
Papyrus still looked reluctant about letting Frisk go alone.
"I think you should stay here and comfort the kids." - Frisk suggested - "They're shocked, they're scared and they need faith. Gaster can't be with them, as he's still controlling Noelle's vitals. But you… with your positivity, you can make them feel better."
"...ALRIGHT, FRISK. I'LL STAY HERE. BUT BEFORE YOU GO..."
Papyrus pulled Frisk into a tight embrace. Frisk returned the embrace and then looked up at him.
"I... I HAD A BAD FEELING WHEN I WENT LOOKING FOR YOU AND NOELLE. BUT FOR SOME ODD REASON, I... I THOUGHT SOMETHING WOULD HAPPEN TO YOU."
Frisk closed her eyes as she felt pain pierce her heart. She remembered how heartbroken Papyrus was when he found her dead. The "resets" had the effect to create déjà vu feelings. Frisk stood on her tiptoes and planted a quick kiss on Papyrus' teeth.
"I will come back, Papyrus." - she promised again - "And we will get Noelle's SOUL back."
Soon after that, Frisk left Gaster's house and walked in the direction of the Underground. She knew that if Flowey wanted to flee, he'd go the further he could, that is in the Ruins. Of course, Frisk had to go through her parents' house, where she had to explain them the whole situation. The two Boss Monsters were obviously shocked to hear what happened to Noelle.
"Oh my... this is terrible. The poor babe..." - Toriel said as she wiped away a tear.
"I'm shocked..." - Asgore said honestly - "But let's have faith. Even though Gaster has a questionable morality, he also has an unparalleled intellect. If there's anyone who can save Noelle, it's him."
Toriel suggested to go with Frisk through the Underground, but Frisk declined her offer. Frisk thought that considering Flowey's identity, Toriel and Asgore's presence could potentially make things worse. After a short debate, Toriel gave up and allowed her daughter go alone. When Frisk was determined, it was impossible to make her change her mind. Her parents wished her good luck before Frisk left New Home. And so, the journey lasted for a while. Luckily, the Riverperson was still there, which made the journey considerably shorter. It was yet long enough for Frisk to think. She knew that going against Flowey was very risky, considering that she lost her "advantage" years ago. And on the top of that, Flowey had Noelle's SOUL. It probably made him more powerful. Frisk recalled her fight against his omega form, a memory that still sent chills down her spine. That battle was the most psychodelic thing she ever lived. This also made her wonder if with Noelle's SOUL, Flowey would use his SAVE and LOAD technique again. "I hope he won't…" - she thought fearfully. Her fear didn't shatter her determination though. She was ready to die one million times or more to save her daughter. "But maybe, Noelle can resist Flowey's control? The six SOULs did rebel against him that other time…" - Frisk pondered. It was with those thoughts that Frisk finally made it to the Ruins. As she crossed the big door and walked down the corridor to Home, Frisk mentally prepared herself. Once in the old Toriel's house, she took a moment to look around and let good memories go through her mind. It was where she's been taken care of for the first time in a while. It was where Frisk felt again that familiar warmth she forgot since the death of her real mother. It was where she tasted the infamous butterscotch-cinnamon pie for the first time! Despite everything, Frisk couldn't help but smile to herself. But then, she thought she heard something in one of the rooms. Quietly, Frisk approached the child's bedroom, carefully wrapping her hand around the knife. She waited outside the room for a long moment, gathering her courage. She inhaled and exhaled deeply several times, before quickly opening the door. In the dark she saw a movement, so Frisk raised the knife above her, ready to strike if the flower came any closer.
"No, wait..!"
Frisk froze. The voice was familiar but, it didn't sound like Flowey's. The person stepped out in the light coming from the corridor. As soon as Frisk saw him, she let out a shocked gasp and dropped the knife on the floor.
"Asriel..?"
A/N: So yeah, Frisk does remember her own death after Noelle reloaded her file. She doesn't think too much about it because she's more concerned about her daughter's life now and also because she was less affected by her death than by Papyrus' grief. (Yeah, that's what True Love is!)
Papyrus knows about Frisk's (former) ability to SAVE and LOAD. The spouses have no secrets from each other. So, he was actually referring to this when he begged her to "come back".
But now that Asriel's alive, how shall the family deal with the situation..?