Being Human - Act I - Chapter 7

"Please… Just stop… No more…"

Frisk drags himself across the floor with his left bruised arm; his right arm is busy with soothing his chest's wounds and his knees too beaten in to stand. He can taste the earthly flavor of dirt in his mouth as his face slides across the ground with every movement. His body begs for him to stay still, but he knows the alternative is far worse.

He does not stop his sluggish crawl to the exit on the opposing side of the chamber, a sight which spurs him to continue moving in spite of the excruciating pain. The edges of his fingers brush the doorway to freedom. Frisk smiles, hoping this nightmare may soon be over.

"No… No…! Not again!" Vines ensnare his legs and drag him back across the floor, away from his salvation. The vines have not lost their invasive & unforgiving approach, handling him like a bag of trash.

Despite being pulled away, Frisk desperately reaches for the doorway with his arms, as if he could stretch them to freedom. Instead he digs his fingers into the dirt to stop or slow down the descent to no avail, leaving deep scratch marks in the dirt. His heart races out of control and his nails nearly break from the stress of being forcibly yanked backwards.

Bringing him face to petals with his tormentor.

"Hey Kiddo. Where ya going!? We weren't done with our play date. Has anyone ever told you how rude you can be?" Flowey says, having the time of its life while Frisk withers in pain on the ground.

The vines spread across his body like snakes, and like snakes they tighten their stranglehold on him. Knowing the perfect sour spot of inflicting tremendous pain, but holding back before any permanent damage is done. They give the slightest of reprieves, before denying them, and they repeat the process to extend his suffering as much as possible. To add injury to injury, thorns are included in this package of pain, cutting across him from head to toe. Frisk grabs the ground with all of his meager and exhausted strength, although the thought of breaking his arms off almost seems preferable to resuming the "play date".

"Oh, were you trying to reach that exit? I'm so sorry, I didn't realize it. Here ya go, buddy, you'd probably want to go home after all." The vines release him and Frisk seizes the chance to escape on his hobbling legs. Following every screaming instinct & impulse inside him to get away, to never look back, and to stomp on every flower he encounters for the rest of his life.

As Frisk reaches the exit, his heart sinks as vines rapidly grow to block the exit, leaving him trapped with the vicious flower. Frisk does not stop his charge, tearing into the vines with his battered and weary hands. It is a futile attempt as the vines continues to grow in thickness and size. Frisk stops when they assault his hand and a cruel cackle fills the air, leaving him paralyzed where he stands.

"Oh, kiddo, you're so selfish, wanting to leave little ol me behind. If you stop playing with me, I'll get bored, and you don't want me to get bored, do you?!" Frisk turns in dread, unable to tell if it's words are a threat, a question, or a suggestion to explore.

"Why... Why... are... Why are you doing-!" Frisk's words die in his throat as vines force his own hands to strangle his throat.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I can't hear you while you're choking yourself. What was that? Oh, you want to do it again? No problem, buddy. Glad to know we're on the same leaf." Flowey says with a sadistic smile as it continues the strangulation.

"Wait! I gots a better idea. Let's dance together friend! You know it's so hard to dance when you don't have legs. I know you won't mind if I borrow yours." Vines continue to wrap and entangle his limbs in a manner that allows Flowey to manipulate his limbs. Frisk's horror seems to know no end as he experiences Flowey's seemingly limitless creative capacity for inflicting pain.

"Here, I'll lead." Against his will, Frisk dances to Flowey's amusement as the vines force his body to move in a clumsy and awkward fashion. No regard is given to the painful condition and state of his body. Flowey does not ignore the opportunity for self-harm, as Frisk pinches himself or contorts his limbs into uncomfortable poses.

"This is missing something... Oh! I know what it is." Several white pellets materialize around Flowey, which it uses to fire off at Frisk at random.

Frisk tires his damnedest to exert some control over where he moves. But a combination of his exhausted, beaten-down body and Flowey's vines force him to follow the path. The shooting gallery continues, Frisk relishes every shot Flowey 'misses' but takes blow after blow with each hit that lands to Flowey's delight.

Meanwhile, Flowey's face takes on a terrifying sight that not even a mother could love. With black soulless eyes, a broken jagged mouth, and a contorted twisted face that could only have come from the deepest and darkest of nightmares. The pain, the humiliation, the fear, they all come together to create the worst experience in Frisk's life, since the last time he met Flowey.

"Ugh... Bored now." To Frisk's relief, if one can call it that, Flowey ceases the torture but does not release it's stranglehold on him. Frisk breathes for the briefest of moments until the vines pull on each of his limbs in every direction.

The vines spread across his torso to dig and tighten into him, crushing him like a marshmallow in an iron fist. But like before, it knows the limits. The flower always relents before any permanent harm is done, but no true reprieve is ever given. It merely shifts attention to some other less damaged piece of his body. By now not much was left. All the while its cackling laughter of pure joy fills the air and Frisk's ears.

"Gotta say! You really know how to have a good time! I haven't had this much fun in a while! Almost out of ideas. Give me a second to come up with something. Here, take a breather." To his surprise, the vines actually release him. He instinctively opens his mouth to scream for help, only to taste the fine flavor of dirt as he slams into ground.

"You idiot. I didn't say to take the dirt. But then again, I guess you should get used to pushing up daisies like me." The flower laughs and Frisk cannot find the energy to moan or groan. The pain floods his entire being. His breath falters, his vision blackens, and his body becomes a stress ball of throbbing agony. Frisk wishes this could be over, but knows that it is far from the end.

"Let's see. I've done slashing, throwing, yanking, falling, cutting, breaking, preening, puppet playing-now that was fun- shooting, stinging, bending, juggling, crushing-."

"I... I'm... just a. Kid. Why are... you doing-?!" Frisk says in a broken shambling state when a pellet lands in front of him.

"Who said you could interrupt me!" The pellets charge towards Frisk, stopping an inch before making impact. "Wait of course, we can do crushing." Frisk stutters as Flowey burrows itself underground, disappearing to remerge in front of his face. His eyes tear and he whimpers as the flower stands before him.

"Ah, don't give me that look, kiddo. There's more than one way to crush you. I gotta say, I can't tell you how satisfying this feels, especially after having to watch your mushy goody two shoes act in the Ruins. If I had a stomach, I would throw up."

"I wasn't acting... I."

"Don't lie to me, kiddo. You're not any good at it. You came down and pretended that you're just some innocent happy go unlucky kid. You played nice, you put on a smile, and sure maybe you had some pity. But deep down you didn't care about any of them. You just did whatever you had to get past them. You only cared about yourself in the end. You think you're good just because you played by your own rules and didn't kill anyone. Face it, kiddo: you're just as bad as I am."

"I'm not like you..."

"You know what? I'll gotta agree with you there, kiddo. I wouldn't have been dumb enough to come back here or to leave my biggest meat shield behind. What are you even doing anymore? I know this is all a game to folks like us, but even I don't get you now."

"I just... want to go... back home... and find... Mom." Droplets hit Frisk as Flowey retches on him.

"Oh, stop it. You're going to make me sick. You know what's so stupid about little snot-nosed brats like you? You honestly believe that your little hopes and pathetic dreams can come true. You walk around with your stupid eyes looking up at the stupid sky thinking that just because you want something bad enough that somehow it'll magically happen. I got news for you kid. Things don't work like that in this world." A pair of vines lifts Frisk's head and forcibly opens his eyes so he can stare into Flowey's monstrous face.

"In this world, it's Kill or Be Killed. The only dreams that come true are those who follow the rules. Everyone else is just a loser who gets left behind, a rock to step on to get ahead, or, in your case, an idiot who was stupid enough to get in my way again." The vines tighten their grip on his head to Frisk's displeasure.

"And I gotta say, out of all the dreams I've heard. Yours has got to be the wimpiest and dumbest one of them all." Flowey's face changes to that of a whimpering child.

"Mommy! Please come and save me! Give me a kiss for my boo-boo! Save me from the mean flower! Mommy! Ha! Ha! Ha!" Flowey returns to its original nightmarish face.

"Well, guess what, kid? Your Mommy doesn't love you. She could never love you at all after what you've done! She's probably glad she doesn't have to deal with you anymore! Because based off of everything that I've seen, you've got to be the biggest disappointment of her life!" Frisk cries as those words reach him.

"Ah. Did I hurt your precious little feelings? Well why don't you cry out for your mommy to prove me wrong? Here go ahead, no tricks this time. Cry out into the darkness and see what happens!" Flowey puppeteers Frisk back to his feet. "Go! Do it! Cry for your precious Mommy to come and save you!"

"Mom!" Frisk says, as tears flood from his eyes.

"Oh, would you look at that? Nobody came. Which means no one is going to get to see you die." The vines continue to tighten around him, their grip far harsher than ever before. A bright red light fills the room as a small red heart appears to float in between Frisk and Flowey. Frisk clenches his hands into fists as the vines dig into his own skin.

"Well, kiddo, it's been fun. Thanks again for being the biggest idiot by coming back here. But now it's time for my dream to come true." Frisk winces and grits his teeth together as Flowey's vines encroach the heart, it frantically moves in a panic.

"But tell you what. I'll be sure to pay a special visit to your mommy when I get to the surface. We'll have lots of fun together. Just me, my best friend, and her. I wonder what she'll do after I break every bone in her body. I can't wait to see the look on her face when I tell her that it's all thanks to you she's dead." Frisk's eyes open as wide as can be. A feeling burns within him, like a cup over spilling with hot water long after being filled. Frisk shakes, not from fear, but from something else.

"Well, goodbye, kiddo. Welcome back-." The vines snap and break. Frisk's chest becomes more pronounced as his breathing deepens and quickens. His arms squirm and his feet stomp as the vines struggle to contain him. Frisk's face flares with wrath, his heart beating a million miles a minute as his blood burns and boils. His eyes stare at Flowey so intensely they would reduce the flower to ash if they could, their usual brown color tinted red.

FRISK IS FILLED WITH DETERMINATION.

"Don't you ever talk about Mom like that again!" Frisk raises his arms into the air with strength beyond his own, severing every vine into pieces. Frisk lunges forward to seize Flowey, the pain a distant afterthought to the righteous fury flowing through his veins. The red heart disappears back into his body in his leap.

In a panic, Flowey burrows itself underground. Frisk does stop, he punches the ground where Flowey stood and creates a crater in its place. Steam may as well have been coming out of his ears as he gasps enormous breaths of air. He takes the moment to dig into his pocket to grab all the remaining monster candy to shove into his mouth, lessening the pain so he can fight. Frisk scans the area to search wherever the flower fled to. He does not have to wait long.

"Well, you got some fight in ya, I see. Well, if you want to do things the hard way, that's fine by me!" Flowey sends two vines charging through the air towards Frisk.

In an instant Frisk grabs both of them in midair. To their shared surprise, Frisk stops their charge and crushes the two vines with brute force alone. To test his newfound strength, he pulls on the vines, even Flowey could not conceal their shock. The vines become limp in his hands as it abandons them.

"Well… this is different. But there's that face again, nice to see that you've dropped the act. Following the rules and playing the game, that's more my style. But I gotta warn ya, kiddo, I've been playing this game a lot longer then you have." Pellets materialize around Flowey as it sits on the opposite side of the room, ready for a fight. "And this time when you lose, you'll lose forever!"

"I won't lose! Because I won't let you win!" Frisk shouts with his back to the exit and a scowl as he faces the wild flower. A piece of him commands him to stay undeterred and determined to end this, one he is all too eager to follow.

Frisk is Filled with Determination.

Frisk charges towards the flower with relentless fury while it stands there motionless. As Frisk comes within reach of Flowey, he extends his hand out to grab it. Only to be yanked backwards, away from the smiling flower. Frisk discovers a vine wrapped around his waist, holding him back as he struggles to move forward.

"You really are an idiot. Did you really think it would be that easy?!" The pellets fire off at Frisk, hitting and knocking him back to the ground as vines continue to tighten around his chest, hoping to break him into two pieces. Flowey summons more pellets to finish the job, while Frisk can only smile.

"You got a sick sense of humor, kid. Wanna smile that much before you die?"

"Oh, I'm not dying, but thanks for making this a lot easier," Frisk says in pain, but it doesn't stop him from grabbing the vines and pulling on them with all of his might. He lifts the vines out of the ground as they circle around him and back to Flowey.

In a panic, Flowey fires pellets off at Frisk, but his increased distance from Flowey allows him to avoid most of them. The vines do anything they can to break his grip before it is too late: they continue to tighten around him, they grow thorns to cut him, and they burn his hands by rapidly moving. But Frisk powers through all the pain until he rips the vines out of the ground along with Flowey roots.

With a satisfied smile, Frisk pulls on the roots to his heart's content, dragging Flowey through the dirt. With it's roots compromised, Flowey is forced to abandon the attack, releasing the vines on Frisk to set itself free and to re-root itself to resume the stalemate. Free, Frisk wastes no time in running for the flower.

"So, you're not as stupid as you look. Okay Kiddo, let's play a game of catch instead." Flowey burrows itself underground before Frisk can catch up to the flower. He runs beneath the pillar of light and keeps his guard up, vigilant for wherever the next attack will come from.

A ring of pellets forms around him before rapidly moving inwards to his position. Frisk is able to dodge them by ducking to the ground, only to be bombarded by a larger circle of pellets hidden within the shadows of the room. The Pellets assault him from all sides, hitting his body from multiple angles and with a great deal of force behind their blows, sending Frisk to the ground.

"Aw, don't give up on me now, Kiddo! Not when things are getting interesting." Frisk spots Flowey hanging high in the wall, far beyond his reach.

"I won't give up. Not as long as you're here!" Frisk gets back to his feet.

"Ah, you were supposed to disappoint me, like you did with everyone else. But hey! I really like that feisty spirit you got there; it makes you less boring. So, let's keep playing." Rings of Pellets form at random locations throughout the floor, but Frisk remains unfazed by their position.

Frisk is Filled with Determination.

The rings encroach to their center points. Frisk dodges the ring which surrounded him, but the attack does not stop there. The pellets continue to fly out in every direction after crossing their center, forcing Frisk to evade the same attack twice. Due to their numbers and varying heights, the rings of pellets are difficult to dodge, and many do make their mark. The pain is far less than before, likely due to the sheer quantity reducing their quality; however it does not make them any less infuriating to endure.

Frisk struggles to keep pace as Flowey summons ring after ring of pellets from the safety of its wall, allowing damage and exhaustion to build up. Gotta find a way out of this… Can't keep this up forever… But there has to be something to-! A heavy thud hits his head like a ball of hail. Frisk falls to the ground onto his back, looking up to discover Flowey's next devious tactic.

"Bombs away!" There are large white orbs hanging in the sky. Until one falls down towards him, exploding when it reaches a certain height to unleash a tremendous storm of pellets across the entire floor, leaving not an inch untouched.

Frisk crouches under his knees to hide his head beneath his arms to provide as much cover as possible. His arms receive the beating of a lifetime to a point where his grip breaks and he falls onto his chest, the pellets hitting him like a storm of hail. Frisk tries to lift himself off the ground, only for his waning strength to drop him back to the floor. He rolls onto his back, meeting the discouraging sight of another round of large white orbs.

This is totally not fair… I can't take much more… But how can I fight it when only it can fight back… Wait that's it! Frisk grits his teeth through the pain as he slides the stick into his hand and stands up, tripping as he struggles to stay on his feet. Flowey laughs as it sees the sight.

"Hahaha… don't tell me you expect that stupid little thing to beat me." The pain is great but Frisk, remains focused as he aims the stick into the sky, his one and only shot. Despite it all, his arm remains straight, his strength builds, and his eye locks on its target.

Frisk is Filled with Determination.

"Nope. But I know you won't mind if I borrow yours." Frisk launches the stick high into the air, soaring far and away from Flowey to strike one of the orbs in the air. The collision causes the orb to detonate prematurely, spewing pellets into the air to strike the other orbs. They create a chain reaction which fills the ceiling with pellets flying in every direction. Some pellets reach the ground, largely harmless to him as they lost most of their momentum and aim.

The same cannot be said for the flower hanging in the wall. Frisk smiles as the pellets explode in Flowey's face, knocking it off the wall and falling to the ground along with the stick.

He charges to the flower with his outstretched hand to catch Flowey before it hits the ground. His vision is razor sharp on the flower, so focused and tight that he misses two pellets that hit him in his eyes. As Frisk recovers, frustration builds as Flowey manages to reach the ground and root itself once again.

Frisk slides to its location, Flowey's petals slipping through the tips of his fingers. Frisk bangs his fists against the ground as he misses another opportunity to capture the flower. Annoyance and anger fill him, driving a feeling that will not allow him to give up the fight until it is over. A feeling overtaken by shock, as tiny vines tie his hands to the ground, trapping them with the weight of the ground itself. Frisk pulls on them as hard as he can to no avail, lifting on his feet until they become entangled by other vines.

"Try all you like, kiddo, but my roots ain't there this time. I'll admit; you gave me one heck of a fight. I really appreciate that. So before you lose, let me say 'thanks'." Flowey reappears in front of Frisk, keeping a safe distance as it summons multiple rings of pellets to surround Frisk. Frisk struggles to free himself from the ground.

"You haven't won yet." With a great deal of effort, Frisk struggles to release his hands from the ground. He does everything and more he can to move the earth, driven by a feeling. A feeling which drives him forward and one that will not allow him to give up no matter what. Despite the trap, he faces Flowey, beaten and tired, but ready to face whatever will come next.

"You know kiddo, I don't get you. You already lost and you came back here just to lose again. Even I got so bored that I gave up. But you… You just don't know when to give up. Reminds me of a special someone. The only good thing about you." Flowey says.

"Well if that what it means to be good, I'm glad to be bad!" Frisk says.

"Oh, you're not bad… You're so much worse." The rings of pellets encroach and collide into Frisk, bringing him down as he lies limp upon the ground. Flowey taps Frisk's limp body with a vine from the distance.

"Umm… No LOVE. Why do human bodies gotta be so durable? Not even Trash Bag ever gave me this much trouble. But then again, why does it have to be so easy this time? I can only kill him once, better make it memorable. I know she would appreciate that-!" Flowey is interrupted as it is yanked through the ground

With no time to act or react, vines and roots gives way until it's stem enters Frisk's grasp, leaving Flowey shocked. With it's roots severed from the ground it cannot summon any vines to do it's bidding and any pellet would be too slow to escape this newfound grip. Frisk can only smile at this change in fortunate.

Frisk is Filled with Determination.

"How did you do that?!"

"I gave up. Risky, but worth it. The shoe doesn't feel so good on the other foot, now does it?!"

"You can't do this. You're nothing more but a loser and an idiot! I need your soul to- Aah!" Flowey squeals as Frisk tightens his grip on the flower, crushing it's stem.

"Well I'm happy to disappoint you, too." Frisk smiles as Flowey squirms in his hands, unable to escape. Its face losing all of its dread and terror, replaced with something else. A sight Frisk did not expect to see: fear.

"What are you going to do?! You can't do this to me! I need to find-."

"Why not! Ever since I met you, you've done nothing but terrorize me! Hurt me! And you tried to kill me! Even when you weren't there, you were! Give me one reason why I shouldn't end this right now!" Frisk raises his hand into the air, a piece of him overjoyed that this fight can finally end.

"If you're expecting me to beg, it's not going to happen kiddo! Go ahead and do it, I knew you had it in you. Show me what you're really made out of."

"You don't have to tell me twice!" Frisk clenches his hands into a fist above his head.

His mind floods with painful and humiliating memories of the flower, fueling the adrenaline pumping throughout his body like a raging storm. The sensation covers the pain from all his injuries while his mind puts itself back after being torn in pieces by the flower's attacks. All the while, his soul is ready and willing to LOVE.

Frisk is filled with determination.

Frisk swings his fist down towards the flower.

Frisk is Filled with Determination.

Frisk channels all of his might and power to deliver one fatal blow.

FRISK IS FILLED WITH DETERMINATION.

"Please, be good." Toriel said.

Frisk stops his fist in midair before he could strike the flower, taking deep breaths as the world stands still. Everything falls silent, barring the beating of his heart and Toriel's sweet words in his mind.

What the heck am I doing?! Frisk lowers his fist and lessens his grip on Flowey, containing it but not crushing.

"No… No. I'm not going to do it. I won't kill you." Frisk says. Flowey is astonished by this.

"What? Why not?! Is this some kind of pity game? Because you can keep your worthless pity. Now do it! You'd be doing me a favor!" Flowey says its face morphs and its stem twitches to convince Frisk. The temptation to end it once and for all, it is a calling that is hard to ignore.

"No. I won't do it!"

"So, what are you going to do, then? Let me go? You really are the biggest idiot of them all. I'll kill you. I'll go back and kill Toriel, too. And when I get your soul, I'll go to the surface and show everyone that this world is Kill or Be Killed! I won't spare anyone man, woman, or child; human or monster. And when it's all done, I'll kill your mom."

Frisk stands there with Flowey's fate in his trembling hands.

With a hesitant sigh, He lowers Flowey to the ground and even helps the flower root itself back into the ground.

"Why did you do that? Is it too hard for you now?!" Flowey says with a shocked expression.

"No! It would be easy. Believe me, I want to kill you. Every part of me wants to kill you so you can't hurt me or anyone else again. But I'm not going to do it." Flowey looks on with confusion before laughing into the sky like a banshee.

"You really are an idiot." Frisk is surrounded by an impregnable ring of pellets that float around him.

"That's all this world is and I'll teach it to you before you-." An opening is torn open in the wall of pellets as Frisk knocks them away with his stick. Frisk calmly walks away from the flower as the pellets disappear.

"Hey, what are you doing? Get back here!" Vines swing out at Frisk, despite some struggle Frisk is able to overpower them as he crushes or tosses them away with his strength.

"I don't understand. No, you're supposed to fight me! That's nothing else in this world but LOVE. Now come back and fight me!" Frisk reaches the vine covered doorway, tearing through the vines to make an exit.

"I don't understand… I don't understand…. Why are you being so nice to me?!" Those words capture his attention and Frisk returns to the flower.

"Because if I want to be good. Then I can't kill you. If I did that then, I'll just be proving you right. I don't believe that this world is Kill or Be Killed. I'll find a way out of here without killing anyone." Frisk speaks from his soul.

"Really!? You really won't kill anyone? I got news for you, kid. The Underground is not a safe place for human brats like you. Sure, Toriel pacified the ruins. But outside, everyone will be out to get you. Some Monsters far more powerful than me. What will you do if you meet a relentless killer? Will you kill out of frustration? And play by the real rules of this world?"

"No, I won't! It doesn't matter who I met or what happens. After all, I beat you. I'll find a way to get past anyone who gets in my way without having to kill them, and that's a promise." Frisk says, his body quivering and his mind faltering, nonetheless remaining committed to his word.

"Who are you?" Flowey says in confusion, even Frisk can tell that it is genuine.

"My name is Frisk and I'm not a killer."

"But that's impossible. And really not killing anyone, that's the most… Actually… that's a wonderful idea!" It says in a cheerful voice, even Frisk is taken aback by it's statement and the sudden transition in mood.

"No, really, I mean it. Good luck with that, kiddo. I'm rooting for ya." Flowey burrows itself under the ground. "Just don't forget about me, Frisk, because I won't forget you." Flowey disappears under the ground.

Frisk remains there until he is certain that the Flower has truly left him alone. Relief showers over him at escaping the flower, but not enough to banish his doubts. What does it mean by that?! And what did I just get myself into. I don't know anything that's outside of this place. What if I do have to…kill?

Frisk stands up as best as he can, the pain and strain returning in full force as his adrenaline rush wears off. He turns to face the exit to the Ruins. He pulls out the red hair ribbon in his pocket.

"Can I really do this?"

Frisk walks through the darkness, clutching his side and torso in vain attempts to soothe the pain and anguish from Flowey's attack. Without the adrenaline to keep the pain at bay, every effort is a painful one. It is an experience he would love to forget, but one that will stay with him in mind and flesh. Nevertheless, he manages to arrive at his destination, just in time to fall onto his knees and head.

"My Child!" Toriel leaves the golden flower bed that she was attending to rush to his side. Toriel lifts Frisk off the ground as she rubs her hands across his body. A glowing green light shines across him, the pain fading away as she heals his wounds.

"Child, what in the underground happened to you?! Who did this to you? Please tell me that-." Frisk silences Toriel as he wraps his hands around to give her a deep hug, one Toriel is all too happy to complete. She engulfs him in a warm and comfortable embrace that allows the green magic to encompass his entire being. The urge to bury himself within her robes as irresistible as ever.

"You're alright. Thanks goodness." His voice cracking as happiness overwhelms him, an almost alien feeling after so much pain, but utterly exhilarating in this moment and time with Toriel.

"Of course I'm alright, my child. Why wouldn't I be? You are the one who needs assistance! Now please tell me, what happened?"

"Flowey said it would try to hurt you. I had to make sure you were okay."

"That fiendish flower did this to you. Oh, my goodness, I am so sorry. I should have been there to protect you. This is my fault."

"No, it's not. You were just trying to protect me. I can see that now. I'm sorry it took me so long to figure it out. I can be really dumb."

"You give yourself too little credit my child. Since you are here with me now, I can only assume you were able to triumph over the flower. Wait did you-?" Toriel's voice takes a nervous turn.

"No, I didn't. I mean, I really wanted to. But I talked instead and Flowey eventually went away. Just like you said, you were right about everything. Sorry for coming back though." Frisk looks away from her until she steers his face to look upon her.

"Oh, no! You have nothing to apologize for, my child. I am so happy to know that you were able to defeat that vile flower and that you have returned to me!" She says with tears of joy on her smiling face.

"Then why did you tell me to never come back?" Toriel casts her head away.

"Asriel. Chara. Lily. Arthur. Elizabeth. Leonard. Susan. And Clint. They were all my children. I cared for them. I provided for them. And while they made mistakes, I loved all of them. I also failed all of them. No father or mother should ever outlive their child, and I have already seen 8 of you come and go. I am sorry child, but I could not bear your loss as well. Forgive me for being so... so weak." Toriel says as her voice breaks and guilt washes over him.

I was so wrong... But I have to fix it... This time for sure. Frisk takes Toriel's hands once again.

"Here, I want to give you something." Frisk takes out the faded hair ribbon from his pocket and he leaves it in Toriel's hand to her surprise.

"What! Where did you find this?" Frisk tenderly grasps her hand, the ribbon flowing between their palms.

"In the Ruins. I want you to look after it for me. Because when I'm finished, I'm going to come back for it. I know you're worried about me, but I'll be okay. I promise. No matter what happens I'll be back for that ribbon. So take good care of it." Frisk stares into her as tears stream down, no longer tears of heartbreak but of joy. They embrace each other in a hug.

"Thank you so much my child! You have no idea how much this means... Oh, I am so rude! I never asked you for your name. What is your name?"

"My name is Frisk, yeah I know it's not a good name."

"Well greetings Frisk, I am so glad to meet you."

"It's great to meet you too Miss Toriel. I'm also sorry. Their faces turn, but refuse to allow the inevitable to drag down their moods.

"So, you still intend to leave." Frisk nods in silence. "Frisk, I wish you the best of luck out there in the rest of the Underground."

"I really hope so." Frisk says, doubt and fear weighing heavily upon his mind, but vanishing upon witnessing Toriel's bright and warm smile. He hates himself for being so foolish with her. "Because when I found that ribbon. I was really scared and worried about you. My imagination went to some crazy places."

"Such as..."

"Maybe you have baked me into pie and eaten me or something." They remain silent for a few moments until they laugh at the same time.

"Oh, yes, my child. I am the evil goat monster who lives in the ruins. Looking for special ingredients to bake my devious delicious pastries, and there is no ingredient more special then children." Frisk is tickle tackled by Toriel, rubbing the soft furry tips of her fingers along his sides. Frisk laughs, needing a good laugh after everything that has happened since he first got here.

Sadly, all good things must come to an end. "Do you have any advice?" Frisk asks.

"Advice? Well I believe the best thing you can do is try to make friends out there in the Underground."

"Friends? I was never very good with that kind of stuff. I promised that I wouldn't fight. But what if I'm not good or strong enough?" Toriel's hands land on his shoulder to fill him with confidence.

"I will be honest with you, my Frisk. There are monsters that will try and fight you out there. Please believe me when I say that they are not bad. But I know that you can do it. You found it within yourself to spare that flower. Even I could not do that, as far I am concerned that makes you far stronger than I. Follow your soul and I know that you will find your way." Frisk smiles, a gentle candlelight flame igniting inside his soul.

"And what about you?

"Oh, do not worry about me. Someone has to take care of these flowers. Speaking of which—here, you can have seconds, and this as well!" Toriel grabs a picnic basket she had with her. "Butterscotch Pie! And here is a phone. It may prove to be useful to you out there on your own."

Frisk receives a delightfully warm piece of pie that makes his mouth water and an anarchic cellular phone from the digital Stone Age.

"Thanks so much." Frisk says as he eats the pie. It is delicious and chewy with every bite, crusty on the outside but soft and delectable on the inside as his sweet tooth cheers in joy. "Wow, this is amazing!"

"I knew you would like it Frisk, after the last one. The butterscotch does well to cover up the snail slime." Frisk chokes on the food, fighting back the urge to barf, until he spies Toriel's sly smile.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself. I did not mean to hurl your feelings." Toriel laughs to herself while Frisk makes his best impression of laughter to spare her feelings.

"Hey. What did the time traveler do at the buffet? He went back for seconds." Frisk says with a mouth full of pie to Toriel's amusement, as she grabs a piece of pie for herself. Frisk and Toriel eat their pie together as slowly as possible, to share their company and time as long as possible. Once they take the final bite, they stand to share one final hug and farewell.

"Goodbye Miss Toriel and thank you for everything." He departs with great reluctance, but nevertheless makes his exit. Toriel does not remove her eyes until the very end, when Frisk disappears out of her sight.

"Good luck my child. I truly hope that you find a way out and may all your dreams become a reality." Toriel returns her attention to the bed of golden flowers.

"How interesting, you didn't inform him about the barrier." Says a young human girl as she emerges out of the shadows, her voice is cold, calculating, but intensely curious.

"Is this your way of keeping him down here with you, or are you still trying to protect him? At this point, I would find either option believable. I wonder what he will do when he learns the truth. Perchance it could destroy him? Or perhaps not, he does seem to be made out of sterner stuff. He has certainly proven that to me… or could that be her doing?" She paces in a straight line, keeping her hands formally folded over her red and orange striped sweater.

"So many questions and too few answers, I hardly know where to start. Well, it is still too early to speculate. After all, this is the beginning of their journey. They have quite the treacherous trek ahead of them. And only they and time will determine how it will unfold." She brings her golden brown hand to her concerned face in a curious gesture.

"It's better I don't interfere with them, not after what happened the last time." She says in a firm voice before it falters. "But if they can't stay the course, they'll wind up back here sooner or later. If they work together, they'll just hit rock bottom. Who knows… perhaps Flowey will finally have it's day. I really shouldn't get my hopes up." She tenderly grabs the blue hair ribbon tying her messy long brown hair into a ponytail.

"But can they really do it?" She speaks in a veiled whisper, before letting go of her hair ribbon.

"Well, I suppose things can always be nudged into the right direction. Perhaps there's a way they can help me after all, and it's not the first time I've played shadow. Isn't that right, Queen Toriel?" Toriel continues to tend to the flowers in silence.

"Glad you agreed with me. Well, time to tell another story. I wonder how it will end: Life? Death? Something in the middle? Only one way to find out, I suppose." She follows Frisk.