Thanks to coincidencless for editing.
"When the time came, Frisk wouldn't hesitate."
… Chara didn't know what to do.
After coming this far, there was no way she could simply kill Frisk, but how could she possibly save him? As Mew had said, even if they captured Frisk, he would just be executed. There was no way Chara could prevent that.
But, she didn't want him to die! He had to survive somehow! He had to!
But if Chara didn't kill him, he might…
But…!
Kill Frisk, spare Frisk, kill Frisk, spare Frisk, kill Frisk, spare Frisk, kill -
A blast of wind tore open Chara's neck. She croaked and clutched the wound as blood sprayed out of her throat. She fell over and struck the ground beside Frisk.
His cold, garnet eyes were the last thing she saw as life left her body.
With yet another DT injection, Frisk's wound closed, and he was back to full health. Healing items were truly overpowered. He got up and looked down at Chara as she bled out. What a fool. She should have known that hesitation was defeat.
9999 EXP
Frisk felt a boost of energy and strength. He was getting close. Just a little more.
He looked at the rest of the battlefield, what was left of it at least. Alpin's corpse lied in the ground. Sans was nowhere to be found, but a pile of dust sat near Alpin. Bodies of dead soldiers littered the field. The vast majority had fallen, and the few survivors stood amongst their dead comrades with lifeless expressions.
What they failed to understand was that it was only temporary.
Frisk raised his arm, and he tore apart a squad of survivors with Cutting Gale. The already bloodstained battlefield grew even bloodier.
315 EXP
Eyes opening wide with alarm, another squad aimed their KARMA blasters. Frisk ripped them in half before they could finish charging.
353 EXP
More…
387 EXP
More…
412 EXP
MORE!
64 EXP
42 EXP
53 EXP
60 EXP
36 EXP
70 EXP
"FRISK!"
Some airborne enemy shouted at him. It looked like some kind of goat, wearing a strange green robe. It flailed its arms as it kept shouting at him. "Frisk, please! Look at yourself! Stop this right…!"
25000 EXP
Frisk's wind severed the goat's head from its shoulders, and it dissolved to dust. Apparently, it was a boss monster, because its grey soul was visible for a few moments before shattering.
LV increased to 20
AAAAAAAAHHH!
This was it!
The Earth trembled as Frisk's body hovered in the air. It was difficult to describe, but… he sensed himself transcend beyond his mortal coil. A white light began to cover the entire world. It blinded Frisk's vision with nothing but whiteness, and he…
Frisk completed his ascent.
He could feel… everything. Every person on Earth. Every living being in the universe. Every microbe on every planet, every star in the cosmos, every last atom in existence. It was all his to command. All of reality was in the palm of his hand.
Time to get to work.
First order of business; Frisk returned the world to the state it was in before Cathleen began her attack. He retained his powers, naturally, and he also decided to preserve everyone's memories. It felt… appropriate somehow. Made things easier to explain anyway.
Next up, time to make everyone immortal… done.
It was that easy. Frisk simply willed everyone to be immortal, and it happened. People could no longer die, by any means. The universe bent to his will, and it all just worked.
Other than those changes, everything was exactly the way it was before. As promised, everyone who had died was brought back.
He saw his college graduation party. Everyone was there. Toriel was there. Alphys was there. Felicia, Mew, Napstablook, Chara, Asriel, Sans. Why had they doubted him? Now that he had ascended, he had saved them all with a thought.
However, he realized that no one was celebrating. Those who had died looked around the room with confused, wild eyes, and those who had survived the war stared into space with pale faces. What was wrong? Why were they…?
Oh, right. Frisk still hadn't explained things. No wonder they were so confused. Frisk spoke directly into their minds.
"Hello!"
Everyone in the universe who wasn't practically brain-dead gave some sort of shocked reaction. Of course, Frisk was speaking in a manner that everyone - regardless of their known languages - would understand. He wasn't so much speaking words as much as he was speaking comprehension itself. That way no one, not even all the alien species in distant galaxies, would be left out! He continued introducing himself.
"Good, everyone can hear me," Frisk said. "My name is Frisk. If you're from Earth, you already know of me. Everyone else, nice to meet you! Don't be alarmed, but I have just become God of the Universe."
Lots of people were very alarmed. Screams rang throughout the cosmos. Circulatory systems raced. Oh, dear. They didn't trust him. Oh, well. They would just have to learn.
"Now, there is no need for fear," Frisk said. "I'm here to make all your lives better, much better, and longer, too! You know that thing that happens where you inevitably die and never come back? Yeah, that's gone. You're all immortal now! You heard that correctly; no more dying! Ever!"
The vast majority of the masses still distrusted him, but curiosity also began to spread. A certain few were even elated. At this moment, Cathleen Remire was literally the happiest person in the universe.
"Not enough?" Frisk asked. "Of course not! When you become an omnipotent god, it's your duty to do as much good as possible! How about this? In addition to never dying, you can also have whatever you want! Simply wish for something, and it will be yours! How cool is that? Go on, try it! Don't be shy!"
Most people reluctantly did as Frisk told. They wished for all kinds of silly things. Food, jewelry, food, cars, food, computers, more food, clothing, giant food. Wow, lots of people wanted food, mostly because it made for a quick and simple test run. Alphys - for instance - wished for a bowl of instant noodles, and her eyes widened when one appeared in her hands.
"I see a lot of you are hungry!" Frisk said. "From now on, your ideal state of health will be maintained automatically, so you can eat as much or as little as you like!"
Some people were starting to come around, but…
"Felicia!" Frisk called. "Did you just wish for a button that will kill me if you push it? That's not very nice! I'm giving you virtually everything you could possibly want here! I'll let you off the hook this time, but you should work on your manners!"
Felicia's pulse skyrocketed. Frisk felt he had made his point.
"Let's see, what else?" Frisk wondered. "You also will no longer feel pain, and your body can't be damaged, either. It's now impossible to physically harm someone. Also, everyone now has the ability to teleport to any location in the universe, but wait! There's more! You can also travel to simulated realities! You can go anywhere, anytime, real or imagined! You can see and do anything you want! How, you ask? Why, you just do it! Simply imagine your destination, and it just works!"
Despite these incredible benefits, there were still several dissenting thoughts. Like, what the fuck is going on?! Can we really trust this thing? You are not God you piece of shit! If no one dies, won't it get crowded? What if I want to die? One does not simply live forever. Where the hell is Earth?!
"Let me be clear," Frisk said. "No one will ever die again. Dying is bad. We don't want bad things. We only want good things. The universe will be perfect! You'll see! That's all for now! Welcome to the New World!"
Frisk left them to let their new reality sink in. The universe was ablaze with shock, confusion, and fear, but Frisk was certain that they would soon realize the amazing gift he had bestowed upon them. Even though it seemed too good to be true, they just needed time to realize that it really was true. And they now had unlimited time.
It was going to be perfect!
Chara's heart pounded in her chest as a cold sweat collected on her brow.
What had she done?
She just couldn't do it, could she? She couldn't pull the trigger, and now this happened. On the surface, what Frisk was offering may have seemed incredible, but… he just felt so hollow. The way he spoke was so superficial. He came off like a soulless corporation, offering the world, but not showing a hint of genuine compassion. Chara doubted this 'Frisk,' or whatever this thing was, could actually understand how people felt.
And now it was in charge of everything.
Chara looked around the room. Cathleen had left, but everyone else was still there, standing around with dumbstruck faces. Even the ones who had died were there. Even…
Toriel stood, rubbing her hands against her own body as if questioning if it were real. Chara approached her, tears in her crimson eyes. "Mother?"
"Chara?" Toriel called. "What is going on? I… I died, did I not?"
Chara didn't know how to answer that.
"And what does Frisk mean?" Toriel asked. "He says he has become… what did he say? 'God of the World?' What is that about?"
As Chara stared silently, Asriel came to her as well. "Mom…"
"Asriel," Toriel breathed. "Can you explain? How am I alive? Or… did you die, too?"
Asriel shook his head. "No, Frisk, well, he, umm…"
"Well…" Sans came over. "To put it nicely, Frisk just couldn't let the world continue without you."
Toriel blinked. "What?"
"Frisk, uh, did the thing," Asriel said. "He got so much EXP that he became an all-powerful god, and he reset everything back to before Cathleen's army attacked. And he, umm, did a bunch of other stuff, too."
"EXP?" Toriel asked. "Are you saying that Frisk…?"
"Killed dozens of innocent people?" Sans finished. "Yep, that's exactly what went down, but it's hard to feel guilty when you can undo everything with a reset, huh?"
Toriel's eyes flicked around wildly. "H-he…? But Frisk would not…"
"You can worry about that later," Chara said. "For now, I am… just glad you are back."
Toriel took a long, deep breath. "So, after I died, Frisk decided to pursue that power, and he succeeded? Why…?"
"Mother…" Chara wrapped her arms around her. "I missed you."
Asriel hugged her as well. "I'm glad you're okay."
After a brief pause, Toriel held her arms around both of them. "I am sorry," Toriel said. "I can only imagine what you have been through while I was gone."
Chara may not have approved of what Frisk was doing, but she would have been lying if she had said she wasn't happy about Toriel coming back. If nothing else, bringing back all the lives lost had been the right thing to do.
… why wasn't Frisk here? Why wasn't Frisk coming to Toriel? Why wasn't he holding her in an embrace? Telling her how glad he was that she was alive? Because it wasn't Frisk. This god was nothing more than an empty husk of Frisk. It had to be stopped somehow, but how could one possibly defeat an omnipotent god?
"I will not compel you to speak of it if you do not wish to," Toriel said. "However, if you do wish to discuss what happened, I will listen."
"… yes," Chara said. "I will tell you…"
Now that Frisk had informed the masses of his blessing, there were a few special individuals who deserved compensation for their role in making the New World a reality. He teleported Cathleen and all the others to an open field, where Garnet Village once stood.
In the present day, no trace of the village remained. It was just a sunny field of grass and flowers. Cathleen and her followers stood, searching for the one who had brought them there. Frisk supposed he should create a form for himself. He no longer needed a body, but one would certainly make him more presentable. He recreated his human form and hovered above them, and he smiled warmly. "Hello!"
Cathleen beamed. "Frisk! You did it!"
"I sure did!" Frisk chirped. "And I couldn't have done it without you! I know we had our differences in the past, but now I see why you wanted this so badly! With infinite power, you can make the world an infinitely better place!"
"I couldn't agree more!" Cathleen said. "So, can you…?"
"Of course!" Frisk said. "One resurrected village, coming up!"
Just for dramatic effect, Frisk snapped his fingers, and Garnet Village reappeared. The townsfolk stood, turning their heads in confusion.
"There you are!" Frisk said. "The last thing they remember is dying horribly to the anti-monster army, so -"
Cathleen teleported into the village, and the others quickly followed. Ah, those little rascals! Since they were so eager, Frisk supposed he would leave the task of explaining things to them.
As they had their heartfelt reunions, a certain someone in the universe called for him; Professor Alpin. Frisk hadn't forgotten about him, of course, but he knew what Alpin wanted. And Frisk didn't feel obliged to give him that. He wouldn't have minded if it were just his first son, but Alpin also wanted him to bring back Cade, and Cade Felwinter was a horrible person. Frisk couldn't - well, he could - but he wasn't going to bring every single person who had ever died back to life, so why should he save Cade? Ridiculous!
But Alpin still called for him. Frisk supposed he should at least answer. He brought Alpin to an empty, black void and projected his body before him.
"Frisk," Alpin said, "you got what you wanted. Now, I trust you will uphold your end of the bargain?"
Frisk pressed a finger against his cheek. "Oh? Aren't we forgetting one tiny-but-ever-so-important little detail? You made that deal with Cathleen, not me."
Alpin's face turned red. "You have no reason to deny me this."
"Right, no reason," Frisk said. "No reason not to resurrect the guy who tried to kill me. I see your point."
"Cade wanted exactly what you have. How are you any different?"
Frisk flew inches away from Alpin's face. "The difference, is that I don't give a shit."
"You have no right to judge him!" Alpin yelled. "Do you know what happened to him? A young child, kidnapped and forced into slavery. Worked to the brink of death, beaten, raped. Do you have any idea what…?"
"Oh, what a tragic backstory," Frisk said. "I'm so moved."
"Frisk! Bring my sons back now!"
"You know what?!" Frisk snapped. "Fine! I'll give you back your adoptive trash! Oh, I'll give him back, alright. Here you go!"
With a snap of his fingers, Frisk summoned Cade into the void. "H-huh?" Cade muttered. "What…?"
Alpin called out to him. "Cade!"
"Dad? What are you…?"
With another snap, Frisk tied Cade to a wooden spike with a pyre beneath it, and he lit it on fire. Cade screamed as the flames burned his skin. Alpin stared agape at the scene before him. "F-Frisk, what are you doing?! Stop this!"
Frisk spread his arms. "What? You said you wanted Cade back, so I brought him back."
"Y-you…!"
"As you can see," Frisk said, "the pain filter does not apply to him. He loved bringing pain to others, so it's only fair that I return the favor. But don't worry! He won't die! Every time the flames burn his nerves away, his body will regenerate completely! He will experience the intense feeling of burning at all times! And it will never end!"
"Th-this is…! You can't…!"
"Aww, are you feeling left out? Very well, you can join him!"
"N-no! Don't….!"
Frisk did the same to Alpin, mounting him on a spike beside Cade and setting him ablaze. Their screams rang out across the void, never to be heard by anyone. Frisk looked at them and smiled as warmly as the flames that burned them.
"Enjoy your eternity!"
Seven Days After Ascension
Chara had to admit; maybe this world wasn't so bad after all?
Now that everyone could wish for whatever they wanted, there was no longer any need to work. They didn't even need to eat, but if they wanted the pleasure, they could wish for food at any time. Housing could also be conjured and maintained with a wish, so there was no longer a need to pay a rent or mortgage. Any item - as long as Frisk deemed it appropriate - could be wished for. There were still a few tradable commodities left. Creative works, education, mental therapy, social status, but otherwise, scarcity was a thing of the past. Therefore, virtually all professions turned into pure pursuits of passion free of any commercial motive.
All this meant Chara could stay inside playing video games all day.
Better yet, since currency was no longer relevant, that meant no more microtransactions or gacha bullshit. Chara could have all the five-star heroes she wanted, with all their constellations maxed out. Playing as the Anemo Archon, Chara sucked in a horde of monsters using her character's whirlwind ability, and then she switched to the Geo Archon and crushed them all at once with his meteor strike ultimate. Ahh, so satisfying! Frisk may have banned killing in real life, but virtual slaughter was perfectly acceptable.
Asriel teleported beside her, shooting the TV a disapproving look. "Chara, shouldn't we be, you know?"
"No, I don't know," Chara said.
"Doing something about… you-know-who."
Chara sighed. "What are we supposed to do, Asriel? We're up against a god here. There's nothing we can do! Nothing but sit here and play video games like total losers! Because that's what we are! Losers! Frisk won! And we lost!"
Asriel frowned. "I just… need to try something."
Chara got out of her seat. "Yes, 'something.' If you can come up with an actual plan, by all means, let me hear it. Just don't forget that Frisk knows everything you are thinking."
Chara teleported to the plains near Mount Ebott. Plenty of open, flat ground. Yes, this should be a good spot…
Again, Asriel teleported beside her. "Chara, what are you doing?"
She made a wish, and a massive castle made entirely out of chocolate appeared.
As he beheld its majesty, Asriel's eyes widened. "Chara, don't tell me…"
Grinning, Chara walked towards the chocolate castle. "Brother, when you are in a world where you can do anything; there are some things you need to."
"Chara…"
"And this is one of those things." Chara caressed the wall of the castle, and she took the first bite. Her teeth sunk into the castle and bit off a piece. She chewed, savored its chocolatey flavor, and swallowed.
"This may take a while," Chara said.
Eight Days After Ascension
Atami numerously twiddled her fingers. "So, uh, does Frisk see us, like, all the time?"
"Afraid so," Felicia said.
Atami's face grew red. "E-even when we're doing... private stuff?"
"It doesn't stop there," Elodie said. "Frisk will tell you anything you want to know. About anyone. He couldn't care less about privacy."
Atami's heart pounded. So, if someone wanted to know anything about her, they could just ask Frisk? Like, if someone asked for her internet browsing history, then...
"AAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"
Nine Days After Ascension
Frisk's awareness was absolute. He knew everything that was currently happening, including those who protested his rule. Many were worried about privacy, but that was stupid. Everyone had the right to know whatever they wanted. Knowledge was good; ignorance was bad. Frisk dismissed these concerns.
There were also those who fervently objected to Frisk on religious grounds. Outside of his church, Father Alvin led the most massive protest yet. Alvin was a turtle monster with green skin, pink hair, and wore a blue suit. His unsettlingly populous mob held picket signs with messages such as FREE OUR UNIVERSE! FRISK IS NOT GOD! WE DIDN'T ASK FOR THIS! And the crowd chanted each one.
"Frisk is not God! Frisk is not God! Frisk is not God!"
Jeez, this was getting out of hand. It was time to do something. They needed to realize that their old ways did not apply to the New World.
Frisk appeared before them, and the chanting stopped immediately.
Father Alvin called to him. "Frisk! We demand you return everything back to normal!"
Frisk tilted his head. "Do you really think you're in a position to make demands?"
"You have no right to do what you're doing!" Alvin said.
Oh, yeah. Where have I heard that before?
"Only God and the Angel may control the universe!" Alvin said. "And you are neither! You are a heathen who stole a power that does not belong to you! Surrender it now! Repent! And may God - the real God - have mercy on your soul!"
Frisk doubted there was any power higher than himself, for even after Ascension, he found no evidence of one. Still, for the sake of argument, he would humor Alvin's beliefs. "Hmm, counterpoint," Frisk said. "Is God not the one who made this possible? Did God not create the mechanism that gave me power? If so, then surely my Ascension is God's will, no?"
"God didn't create it for you!" Alvin said. "Never for someone like you!"
Frisk scowled. "I am your god now! I am a good god that protects his people, and you are a detriment to their well-being. You have them all riled up, questioning everything when they should be happy. It is my belief that a god should keep their people happy, so I strongly advise that you stop making my people unhappy."
"You are the one making them unhappy!" Alvin said. "We didn't ask for this!"
The crowd chanted. "We didn't ask for this! We didn't ask for this! We didn't ask for this!"
Frisk narrowed his eyes. "I wasn't offering."
They fell silent.
"We will not be intimated!" Alvin cried. "This world may seem like Heaven, but you destroyed Earth! You can't have Heaven without Earth! We don't want your Heaven! When we die, we want to go to the real Heaven as God intended!"
Hmph, the 'real' Heaven. The people who Frisk had saved from death had no memory of such a place. No one remembered anything from any sort of afterlife. Frisk was certain that nothing existed beyond death.
"This is not God's plan!" Alvin shouted. "We will not rest until the universe is free from your...!"
Ugh! God, this. God, that. Frisk couldn't take it anymore! Foolish mortals had no business speaking for the divine! They needed to learn their place! "That's it!" Frisk yelled. "You need a time-out! You hate my world so much? Let's see how you like living without it!"
Frisk snapped his fingers, and Father Alvin disappeared.
The crowd stared in horror.
"… what did you do?" one follower - Catty - asked. "D-did you, like, kill him?"
"Kill him?" Frisk asked. "No, of course not! I would never do something so barbaric! I just sent him to Solitary Confinement! He's now staying in his own personal void! Naturally, his wish privileges have been suspended, freeing him of all distractions! He will have plenty of time to just sit there and think about what he did! We'll leave him in there for, hmm, one-hundred-years or so. Hopefully he'll have learned his lesson by then!"
"Wh-what?" Catty asked. "What do you mean his own void? One-hundred years?! Are you seriously going to…?"
"Why, you seem very interested in the subject!" Frisk said. "Would you like a demonstration?"
"H-huh? No, please don't…!"
Frisk snapped his fingers, and Catty disappeared. He looked among the crowd. "Anyone else?"
No one spoke. Their minds were paralyzed with fear.
"Good," Frisk said. "I'm glad we were able to have a productive discussion! Next time you have any concerns, don't hesitate to let me know!"
Frisk's body disappeared, but he was always watching.
Ten Days After Ascension
Toriel sat in her study, composing her speech. After what happened to Father Alvin, she had to take action. Frisk may not have listened to him, but perhaps he would listen to her. Toriel had to…
Toriel gasped as Frisk suddenly appeared in the study. He floated in the air, tilting his head and holding his arms behind his back. He smiled. 'What'cha writing, Toriel?"
"O-o-o-oh, greetings, Frisk," Toriel said, her soul pounding. "I was… just…"
"It's useless to hide things from me," Frisk said. "I know exactly what you're planning, what you're thinking. You're one of them. You think what I'm doing is wrong."
"W-well…" Toriel breathed deeply and steadied her nerves. This had to be said. "Yes, Frisk. You are being very bad. When someone disagrees with you, you cannot simply send them off to an empty void for one-hundred-years. Free speech is an essential right of all sapient beings. You have sentenced an innocent man to one-hundred-years of confinement, and you should be very ashamed of yourself!"
Frisk shook his head. "Silly Toriel. You really think I'm going to stop on your account? The universe is far bigger than you. I exist for everyone's happiness. Your opinion changes nothing."
Toriel's stomach sank. She did not understand. "Frisk… did you not do this to save me?"
"Back then?" Frisk said. "Yes, but my eyes have opened to the bigger picture."
Chara was correct. This being was not Frisk. Toriel knew that Frisk would never trample on people's rights like this. He would never be so simple-minded. He…
"I am Frisk," he said, "but people change."
"… they do," Toriel said. "But you have changed beyond recognition."
"If you try to give that speech," Frisk said, "I will punish you just like Alvin."
He disappeared. Toriel sighed. What was she going to do with him? Toriel did not care how he threatened her. She was not going to stand idle while he ruled over the universe like a tyrant. Her voice had to be heard.
No matter the consequences.
Eleven Days After Ascension
That fucker!
Just like with Alvin, Frisk had broadcasted knowledge of Toriel's banishment as a warning to everyone else. Chara stood in her room, her blood boiling. She slammed her fist into her TV. The screen shattered, but her hand was unharmed. Frisk thought he could just whisk Toriel away to an empty void? And after doing all this for her sake?!
… it needed another name. It didn't deserve to be called Frisk. What was a more fitting name? Hmm. It was a god, and it was very… annoying. Chara knew. From now on, it would be known as the Annoying God.
She had to share this with someone. Chara teleported to Asriel. "Brother, I believe 'Frisk' needs -"
Everything went black.
100 Years After Ascension
… huh?
Chara blinked. There was… something there? It wasn't just blackness? What was this place? Her… her room? She was back in her room?
Was this real?
She saw a face. It was… that was Asriel's face, right? She remembered correctly, right? Asriel looked at her with tears in his eyes. "Chara…"
Her own eyes grew salty with tears. After so long, so long, there was something. She had been trapped in nothingness for so long, and now she was back. Tears falling down her cheeks, she embraced Asriel tightly.
"It's over now," Asriel whispered.
Chara wailed in her brother's arms. It was finally over. It was finally over! She cried herself dry all over Asriel's shoulder. She never wanted to go back there. Ever. Not one more second.
… Chara wanted to say something, but how did she… make word sounds again? She couldn't remember. She tried saying Asriel's name, but she was certain that the hoarse noise coming from her mouth was meaningless.
"Don't worry," Asriel said. "You and Mom are both going to be better."
Toriel, she had just been released as well, hadn't she? Was she okay? No, obviously not. Their bodies had not atrophied in the void, but their mind, their souls, that was a different story. Chara tried to speak again, to ask about Toriel, but only gibberish came out.
"It's okay," Asriel said. "We're going to get you help. Right now. A professional is waiting to see you. Come with me."
Asriel took Chara's hand and teleported her to a classroom. Toriel was there, sitting in a desk with a blank, dead stare. Alvin, Catty, Atami, and several others were there, too, and behind the teacher's desk stood Papyrus, who wore a black business suit. He smiled.
"Welcome!" Papyrus said. "I, Dr. Papyrus, am here to help you all recover from your traumatic experience in Solitary Confinement! I'll get you rehabilitated in no time at all! Everything is going to be fine! Just listen to my presentation on the one-hundred reasons why you will get through this! Reason one; you are the best!"
Chara questioned how effective this treatment was going to be. She couldn't think straight, but she still remembered her hatred for the one who had put her in this position. Her nails dug into the desk. She wanted nothing more than revenge, but how was that possible? It knew her thoughts. If she dared speak out against it, the Annoying God would banish Chara all over again. Perhaps with an even longer sentence. Could she even get away with thinking about how much she hated it? Or would it only punish her if she tried to convince others to hate it?
Chara couldn't bring herself to think of the god as Frisk. It would never be Frisk. It was the Annoying God. If it was going to punish her for that, then Chara was doomed. She just had to hope that it would only punish her if she incited others to hate it.
But she couldn't defeat it. There was nothing anyone could do. Their only options were obey, or be condemned to a fate worse than death.
She wanted to tell everyone how badly she hated the Annoying God. She wanted to so much, but she couldn't. She couldn't do anything.
… Chara wondered what new video games had been developed over the past one-hundred years.
101 Years After Ascension
Given some time, regaining her mental faculties hadn't been too difficult. With Papyrus's help, Chara relearned how to speak, read, and write, but others were having more trouble.
Father Alvin was still a mess. Despite Papyrus's efforts, he still hadn't said a word since his banishment. His spirit had shattered to pieces. Chara feared that he would never recover. Catty was still shaken, but she could at least speak. Atami, well, she had never spoken much, so Chara didn't know if she couldn't speak or chose not to.
As for Toriel, she promptly attempted to protest the Annoying God's rule again, and the Annoying God sent her back to Solitary Confinement for an additional one-thousand years. The Annoying God also implied that there would be more to the punishment than an empty void this time. 'I'm afraid I'll have to get rougher!' it had said. The thought made Chara sick to her stomach, but there was nothing she could do. So far, Toriel was the universe's only repeat offender.
Fortunately, Asgore and Asriel had the sense not to do anything stupid. There was no point in following Toriel, no matter how they felt about it.
Chara lied on the roof of her house. It was a clear, starry night. The sky was truly beautiful, and if she wanted, Chara could go to any of the stars she saw. The entire universe was free for her to explore.
But knowing what it had cost, how could she?
Chara heard someone climb onto the roof. It was Asriel. He stood next to her, but he didn't say anything. He just gazed upon the stars with Chara.
"Hey," Chara said, "have you ever left Earth?"
Asriel shook his head.
"Why not?" Chara asked. "I would think you would be all over exploring the universe. I know we have no shortage of visitors here, but are you not curious to see their worlds?"
"Sure," Asriel said, "but Mom wouldn't have been there, and you wouldn't have been there."
Chara would have scolded him for being so sentimental, but she had been thinking the exact same thing. Still, "is that not your dream?" Chara asked. "Not only to break out of the Underground, but also venture beyond the heavens?"
Asriel said nothing.
"I did not wish for you to wait on my account," Chara said. "I am certain that Mother would say the same."
"But it wouldn't be the same," Asriel said.
"Well, I'm here now," Chara said.
Asriel sighed. "I don't know."
"What have you been doing for the past one-hundred-years?" Chara asked.
Asriel's eyes shifted nervously. "Oh, uh, not much."
Chara blinked. "What?"
"U-umm, really. Not much of anything."
Chara wasn't buying it. Asriel was obviously hiding something. "What happened?"
"… well," Asriel said. "You know the simulated realities? I tried one. I went back to the Underground… as Flowey."
Chara's eyes widened as the implication set in. "You… went back to being Flowey? Why?"
"I don't know!" Asriel exclaimed. "I was bored! I didn't know what to do, so I wished for a simulation of the Underground, made myself Flowey, and did whatever I wanted, all over again. I befriended everyone. I killed everyone. I fought epic battles with Sans, Undyne, Napstablook, and I didn't stop there. I simulated the surface too, and I terrorized humanity and monsters alike. They weren't real people. It was all just a simulation, but it was still wrong. I guess I just had to take out my frustration on something, because what else was I supposed to do?"
Chara frowned sympathetically. "That is nothing to be ashamed of. It was only a simulation." Asriel stayed silent. Chara put a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay. You did nothing wrong. If you're a bad person, then so is everyone who plays violent video games."
"It felt real," Asriel muttered. "And I did it anyway."
Asriel really didn't need to feel ashamed, but how could Chara convince him that? Or at least, how could she distract him from his guilt? She looked at the stars again. Perhaps a change of scenery would help.
"You must be bored of this place by now," Chara said. She pointed towards the sky. "Why don't we go somewhere new?"
Asriel evaded eye contact. "I… I don't know if…"
"Come on," Chara said. "I know you want to see those aliens."
Asriel sighed. "Fine."
"Right," Chara said. "Come with me." She took Asriel's hand and closed her eyes. She sensed the cosmos beyond Earth, and the hundreds of civilizations out there. She settled on a planet called Noavis and teleported to the entrance of a cool nightclub. The building had a futuristic design with long curves and chrome metal. The sign on the entrance read 'Afterlife,' and the door was open. No bouncer, of course. It wasn't like they could stop anyone from entering.
"A nightclub?" Asriel asked. "That's not like you."
Chara's heart pounded. No, no it wasn't. She hardly ever did anything this outgoing. It went completely beyond her nature, but the things she did for family. She approached the nightclub and walked with Asriel inside. Electronic music played loudly over the club speakers, and Chara saw multiple alien species. Scaley, raptor-like aliens. Pink ones floating in the air that looked vaguely like jellyfish. Massive ones walking on four legs and looked something like a cross between an elephant and a camel. It was a sight that Earth's extraterrestrial enthusiasts could only have dreamed of in the past.
"So, what now?!" Asriel asked, shouting over the music.
Chara saw a neon-lit bar, and to her surprise, a bartender was actually present. They were one of the raptor-like aliens. They had a green exoskeleton, wore black and blue robes, and they wore a blue visor on their left eye. Chara walked to the bar and sat down.
"There's actually a bartender here?" Chara asked. "Surprising. Most bars simply let the customer get their own drinks."
"But where's the fun in that?" the bartender said with a suave, masculine voice. Naturally, the world automatically translated his speech for Chara's understanding. "What can I get you?"
Chara looked at the menu displayed above the bar, which was also translated for her. "I'll have the, uh, vakari fruit juice."
"Sure," the bartender said. He looked at Asriel. "And for you?"
"The same," Asriel said.
He nodded. "Two vakari fruit juices, coming up."
As the bartender poured the drinks, Chara smiled. "What? Not going to chastise us for ordering non-alcoholic drinks?"
"It's very common these days," the bartender said. "Lots of people are wary to drink, lest they say something they might regret."
Right. Although alcohol didn't physically affect the brain as per the no-harm rule, its desired effects were still simulated, somehow. As the Annoying God always said, 'it just worked.'
The bartender filled two long, thin glasses with a blue liquid and passed them to Chara and Asriel. "So, what brings a couple of Earthlings all the way out here?"
"Oh, you know," Chara said. "Just seeing the sights outside of home." She sipped the drink. It tasted like a blend of grape juice and blueberry.
"First time?" the bartender asked. "Welcome to Noavis. Name's Sragur."
Chara was about to give her own name, but she hesitated. Would he recognize her? She knew that some people were not too fond of the one who had failed to stop Frisk from ascending. She should have come up with some alias and disguise first. Well, it wasn't as if anyone could assault her, and there was a chance Sragur could ask the Annoying God about them. Chara supposed she would just be honest. "Greetings, Sragur. I am Chara."
"Asriel," he said.
If Sragur recognized them, he gave no acknowledgement of it. "Only natural to go out and explore. We have all the time in the world."
That was true. They had nothing but time. Infinite time. Chara couldn't help but wonder why this guy chose to spend it serving drinks. "So, were you a bartender before the New World?"
"No, actually," Sragur said. "This is a hobby I picked up about, I believe, ten Earth years ago."
"Is that so?" Chara asked. "What was your profession before?"
"Ballistics engineer," Sragur said. "I served in our navy. It was my job to keep the ship's guns calibrated. Maintaining cannons, optimizing firing algorithms…" He sighed wistfully. "A lot of friends died in the war, but damn if I didn't love my work."
"You were at war?" Asriel asked.
"Against a synthetic army," Sragur said. "Classic tale. Organics develop AI collective. AI questions if it's self-aware. Organics dismiss AI sapience and try to shut them down. AI robots fight back. It was a real mess. Hard to say who would have won, but then all of a sudden, the God of the Universe shows up out of nowhere and abolishes physical conflict. He declared the synthetics to be sapient lifeforms after all, and that was the end of it."
Chara took a moment to let that sink in. If it weren't for the Annoying God, that war would have dragged on until either side was wiped out. As horrible as the god was, there was no denying that it had saved a lot of lives. Chara wished she could ask Sragur how he felt about the New World, but of course, he couldn't say anything bad about it no matter how much he wanted to.
It was confusing. Did it really make sense to complain about this world? As long as they kept their mouths shut, they could have whatever they wanted. A carefree life, free of responsibility. Was it possible to enjoy life eternally? Or would they eventually become bored, jaded husks who just wanted their time to end?
Either way, Toriel was being tortured. That was enough for Chara to hate this world.
"If you miss your, uh, calibrations so much, you can always simulate it," Asriel suggested.
"I did," Sragur said, "but it's not the same if I know it's not real. I knew that real people, real lives, were counting on my work. Take that away, and what's left? Why work if no one needs me to? At least here I can offer drinks."
That was another problem, wasn't it? Everything was just too easy. It was boring. No one had to do anything, making it difficult to stay motivated. There was no hardship, no conflict, and while that may have sounded good on the surface, there were those who wanted their lives to be balanced with work. Some people wanted to face real world challenges, and no simulation or game would suffice. Not everyone wanted to spend their entire lives in a fantasy.
"So that's why you're a bartender now?" Asriel asked. "You miss having a sense of duty?"
Sragur laughed. "It's hard to say serving drinks gives me a sense of duty, but I suppose you are essentially right."
"There is one job in demand right now," Asriel said. "You could be a counselor for the victi - uh, I mean - former residents of Solitary Confinement."
"Heh, I'm not sure if that's my strong suit," Sragur said.
"Nonsense," Chara said. "I could listen to that smooth voice of yours for hours."
After an awkward pause, Asriel slowly turned his head to face Chara. "What?"
"What?" Chara asked innocently.
"Uh, in all seriousness," Sragur said, "I'm not cut out for that sort of work. Broken machines, I can fix with my eyes closed. Broken hearts, that's more difficult."
"You will never know unless you try," Chara said. "I know an expert on the subject; Dr. Papyrus. He helped me after I served my term in Solitary, and look at me now. I am certain that he would be happy to teach you."
Sragur sighed. "I suppose you can't be picky when looking for work these days. I'll consider it."
Good, they needed all the help they could get. The Annoying God sentenced people to Solitary every day, and even people who managed to avoid it could suffer mental health issues. Knowing that this god controlled everything, knowing there was nothing that could stop it, terrified many. Chara wished there was a way to fight back, but unless some divine savior came to their rescue, all they could do was treat the Annoying God's victims.
Who knew what it would do next?
138 Years After Ascension
The issue had been brought up before, but the population was becoming a concern. As Earth's population climbed past fifteen billion, Frisk knew that he had to do something, or the universe would become much too crowded.
He could create more planets. He could create parallel dimensions, like how an MMO created multiple instances to keep the population under control, but all that sounded so complicated. Really, it would have been so much simpler if people would just stop reproducing. After all, in a world where everyone lived forever, what was the point of bringing new people into it?
So Frisk ended it.
He would allow any pregnancies in progress to continue, but conception would no longer be possible. Artificial creation of life would also be impossible. Frisk willed the changes to happen, and once again, it all just worked.
"Attention, everyone!" Frisk announced. "Due to our population reaching its capacity, all reproduction is now halted! There is no longer any need to create new lives! Congratulations for reaching our quota!"
There was outrage across the universe, but nothing a few sentences to Solitary Confinement wouldn't fix. It had done wonders for the others. Frisk sat in a palace floating in Earth's sky and sipped some golden flower tea.
Deal with it.
281 Years After Ascension
Atami aimlessly wandered the empty streets of Ebott, her head held low.
Aside from the looming fear of Solitary Confinement, the New World had been fun for a while, but… it got old. On paper, it was paradise. She could do anything and everything she wanted, but then what? She was done, and she still had infinity left. It was like she woke up one day, and her legs… they just gave, and she just couldn't run anymore.
The longer it went on, the harder it was to stay motivated. If only she knew that she could leave one day, just end her life one day, maybe she could go on for a while longer, but Shithead - the god that Frisk had turned into - had made it clear that they were doomed to wander this 'paradise' forever.
Atami knew it was a weird thing to complain about. It was first-world problems on steroids. Atami was sure that the vast majority of people were still having fun. Not even three-hundred years and she couldn't feel joy anymore? She was so pathetic, wasn't she?
But she could have stopped it. If she just hadn't led Toriel to her death, Frisk wouldn't have joined Cathleen. He never would have done this if Atami hadn't put everyone in danger. She hadn't cared for her own safety, but she had failed to consider what she was doing to the others. She should have stayed put and kept them safe, but now it was too late. Now she had to live with the consequences of her actions.
She had tried all sorts of ways to end her suffering. She had tried wishing for a pill that would put her to sleep forever, but Shithead made it so one's consciousness could not be inactive for more than twelve hours per day. She had tried to erase her memory, but Shithead prevented that too. 'Memory loss is the same as death,' it had said. She couldn't even have children anymore. All bodies were infertile, and any attempt to create a life artificially simply didn't work. There was no escape.
There was nothing left for her in this world.
Kill me.
That was all Atami wanted.
Kill me.
Her knees fell into the ground.
Kill me… kill me… kill me…
Tears rained down from her eyes. Please…
KILL ME!
As Atami cried over the pavement, someone whispered to her from behind. "Frisk is a flaming turd and must be overthrown immediately."
Atami gasped. Who had…?! She turned and saw a bipedal dog monster standing behind her. He wore a pink muscle shirt with a picture of a dog on it, a ninja mask, and leopard-patterned pants, and he looked at Atami with narrow eyes. "Wh-what are you doing?!" Atami exclaimed. "If you talk like that, you'll be…!"
"Frisk ain't shit," the dog said. "His world sucks. We should go beat his ass right now."
"Stop!" Atami exclaimed. "He'll…!"
How was he still here? Shithead should have sent him to Solitary immediately. This shouldn't have been possible! Not a single act of sedition escaped its sight!
The dog reached out his hand. "Come with me."
Who was this guy? Atami felt like she had seen him somewhere before, but she couldn't place it. Was he famous or something? Atami tried to use Check on him, but…
Error: Dog Not Found
… it didn't matter. If this dog could somehow evade Shithead's grasp, Atami had to follow him. She took his hand, and he teleported her to some cave.
It looked like the Underground's Waterfall region, with purple-ish blue walls and a turquoise floor of rock. There was a huge round table in the center, and several people were there. Chara and most of her family, Felicia and Elodie, the skeleton brothers, Alphys, Undyne, the Blooks, Gaster. There were more dogs as well. The one that had guided Atami there directed her to a seat, and she sat.
Oh! Now she recognized him! It was Doggo, and the other dogs were Dogamy, Dogaressa, Lesser Dog, Greater Dog, and… well, there was one dog that Atami still didn't recognize. This dog looked rather plain. White fur, all fours, not too big. Nice smile, though. After showing Atami to her seat, Doggo stood next to the Unknown Dog.
Asriel glanced around the table. "So, anyone know why we're here?" His gaze turned to Sans.
"What are you looking at me for?" Sans asked. "I don't know."
Gaster pointed at the Unknown Dog. "He will explain."
That one? What made him so special? The dog barked, but Atami couldn't understand what he was saying. Was the auto-translation not working?
Doggo spoke for him. "Thank you all for coming. As you may have guessed, we have gathered you all here to plan our response to Frisk. First of all, know that anything you say in this room will not be heard by him. He cannot see you here, nor can he touch you. Everyone here is safe."
Chara's eyes widened. "We… we are? We say whatever is on our mind?"
"Arf!" The Unknown Dog barked affirmatively.
Taking a deep breath, Chara planted her hands on the table and shouted across the room. "I hate this world! This god needs to take its filthy hands off my mother!"
"He needs to die," Felica said.
"This world is empty and hollow," Elodie said.
Sans sat back and put his feet on the table. "I never thought I'd complain about a world where I can sit around doing nothing, but then Frisk tortured Toriel, so fuck him."
"Down with Frisk!" Undyne shouted.
As everyone vented their frustrations, Asgore looked at the Unknown Dog. "I believe I speak for everyone when I say that we are grateful for your assistance, but may I ask your name?"
The dog barked, and Doggo spoke. "Who he is does not matter. Just know that he is here to help."
"Well," Asriel said, "I suppose we could use a Deus Ex Machina right about now."
"How are you protecting us?" Chara asked.
Doggo glanced at Lesser Dog. "Show them." Lesser Dog pulled something out of a bag. It was a red pearl. "This is the Legendary Artifact," Doggo explained. "Untouchable by all but dogs. With its blessing, not even Frisk can harm you, but it cannot undo what is already done."
Chara stared at the artifact contemplatively. "Cannot undo what is already done? So it cannot release us from Frisk's immortality?"
"That's right," Doggo said, "but with its protection, Frisk can't make any further changes to you. He can't confine you or interfere with you."
"Ok," Asriel said. "So this artifact can protect us from Frisk. Can it also be used to attack Frisk?"
"It cannot," Doggo said.
"Then how do we fight back?" Felicia asked.
"Our plan is simple," Gaster said. "First, let us -"
"Wait," Chara said. "Before we go any further, can I say that 'Frisk' does not deserve his name? We need to devise a new name for this god. I propose that we call it -"
"Shithead!" Atami exclaimed.
"Shithead," Mettaton said. "Yes, I like it."
"It's got a ring to it," Sans said.
"Down with Shithead!" Undyne yelled.
Chara looked like she wanted to say something, but she slumped in her seat dejectedly. "That works…"
Gaster sighed. "We are in agreement, then? From this moment forward, the god will be known as 'Shithead.' Now, to business. First, let us construct a psychological profile of this creature. One may wonder how Frisk transformed into this... thing. This type of demon is rare, but I have seen similar cases before. Like all ascended demons, Shithead is no longer capable of genuinely caring about others. The very reason why Frisk resorted to this path no longer means anything to Shithead. However, it still retains the trauma Frisk endured during his quest to achieve Ascension. That pain, that desire to rid the world of everything bad, is the only thing that Shithead truly remembers. As contradictory as it may seem, that is why it desires to create the 'perfect' world. Not because it actually cares about anyone, but simply because that is its purpose."
"I have a question," Asriel said. "Why doesn't Fri - I mean, Shithead, just make us like it? I mean, why doesn't it use its power to change how we feel?"
Gaster answered, "This is one of the few limitations of an ascended demon. It cannot directly interfere with free will, and even if it could, I do not believe it would. When you rewrite one's consciousness, you are essentially killing the original individual and replacing them with another, and as Shithead so eloquently put it, dying is bad. Therefore, it neither can nor will do this."
"But torturing someone for one-thousand years is absolutely acceptable," Chara grumbled.
"How do we beat it?" Undyne asked.
"We cannot exactly 'defeat' it," Gaster admitted, "but if we play our cards correctly, we may be able to negotiate. Shithead's goal is for everyone to love the New World. We need to impede that goal, undermine its control over the masses. Shithead is a simple-minded creature and prefers simple solutions. If we convince it that listening to us is the easiest answer to its problems, then we can gain some ground.
"How do we achieve that? Well..."
What the hell is going on?!
A few dozen people had suddenly gone missing. He couldn't see them, couldn't hear them, couldn't read their thoughts. They had just vanished. Where were they? Were they even in this world anymore? Frisk didn't know. For the first time in almost three-hundred years, Frisk didn't know something. What had happened to them?!
Chara, Sans, Gaster, those who had tried to stop him from ascending had vanished. This was no coincidence. It had to be some sort of plot against him. Who dared mess with his perfect utopia?!
Not a single person had seen any of them recently. At least, not as far as Frisk knew. Was it possible that someone had seen them, but Frisk somehow wasn't aware of it?
Frisk considered announcing their disappearance to the masses, but would that be a sign of weakness? If he admitted that he needed help with something, that there was something beyond his power, would that make people more likely to rebel against him? Of course it would. He couldn't risk unrest on such a longshot.
But where were they?
Even though he couldn't find them, he tried communicating with them. Hey, don't know how you're doing this, but… come back? Please? If you tell me how you did it, I won't even punish you. I promise!
There was no response.
Mark my words, Frisk said. I will find you. The longer it takes me, the worse it's gonna be.
453 Years After Ascension
Where the hell are you?!
664 Years After Ascension
He still couldn't find them.
876 Years After Ascension
Maybe he was looking at this the wrong way.
All this time, he was thinking of their disappearance as the problem, but come to think of it, wasn't it really just a symptom? Maybe the real disease wasn't how they had vanished, but rather, why they had. Frisk finally considered that he may have been doing something wrong, and if he could just correct that error, they would have no reason to hide.
What was the problem? He had eliminated death, gotten rid of scarcity, and enabled everyone to wish for whatever they could possibly want. People could live out any fantasy they wished in a simulated reality. What more could they possibly want?
Maybe that was the problem. It wasn't that they lacked something they wanted, but that they had something they didn't want. They just didn't realize that they didn't want it. Frisk may have made it impossible to fight for real, but they still fantasized about violence all the time. And they fantasized about all sorts of bad things. Death, hatred, racism, betrayal, poverty, depression, there was no end to the tragic stories people told. Frisk understood now. If this world truly was to be a utopia, then even fantasies had to be cleansed.
So Frisk declared that any depiction of negativity would not be tolerated. Violent video games were no more. Sad movies were a thing of the past. Only happy, wholesome content was allowed, because why would anyone want anything other than happiness? Fictional or otherwise? It was only logical. Good things made people happy. Bad things made them sad. If everyone was to be happy, they needed to get rid of the bad and usher in the good.
877 Years After Ascension
Everyone hated him. No exceptions.
941 Years After Ascension
It was Sunday morning. Standing in front of his church, Father Alvin spoke to his followers. "Everyone, please join me in giving thanks to our lord and savior, Frisk. His magnanimous brilliance is truly a blessing to us all. The world is a much better place thanks to His love, and we must all be grateful for the priceless gifts He has given. For it is in His grace that we are able to eternally live in paradise, and we will always love Him as He loves us."
999 Years After Ascension
It was less than a minute until the New World's one-thousandth anniversary. Frisk wasn't so delusional as to think it had been a success. He was well aware that everyone was miserable. Frustrated by the restrictions Frisk had imposed, but too afraid to incur his wrath, people quietly retreated into their shells, wishing Frisk would just end everything already.
Frisk wasn't going to do that, of course, but he wished they would stop being such sourpusses. His goal was to create a perfect world where people experienced nothing but happiness. Why did everyone insist on being unhappy? He couldn't understand.
Even Cathleen and her friends hated him now. Cathleen had been his most die-hard supporter, but when Frisk had ended creation of new life, even she had begun to question him. And once Frisk had passed his anti-negativity initiative, Cathleen had finally broken and admitted - to herself alone - that ascension had been a mistake. She had been the last one to stop believing in him.
The only thing Frisk still had going for him was that at least he could make everyone pretend to be happy. He had even gotten Father Alvin to praise him. Alvin hadn't meant a word he said, but he was willing to say whatever Frisk wanted to avoid another trip to Solitary Confinement. Victories like these gave Frisk hope that one day, everyone would love the world he had built for them.
He still hadn't figured out what had happened to Chara and the others. It frustrated him beyond words that he couldn't solve this mystery, but he conceded that there was nothing he could do. If a nigh-omnipotent god couldn't find them, then who could? He supposed they would just remain lost forever.
The one-thousandth year began.
If Frisk had been projecting his body, his eyes would have widened. Suddenly, everyone in the universe had received a message.
Greetings, it said. My name is Dr. Gaster. If you are from Earth, you may have heard of me. Everyone else, pleased to make your acquaintance. Do not worry. Frisk - or as we prefer, Shithead - is powerless to stop this communication.
What the hell was this?! Frisk tried to silence the message, but… it was as Gaster had said. Frisk couldn't do anything about it.
Most of you are afraid to say it, Gaster said, but I know that you are tired of living under Shithead's rule. Well, now is your chance to break free. Everyone, on my count, I want you all to voice your hatred of this tyrant. Let it know that you will not bow to it. Let it know how much you hate this stagnant world and just want everything back to normal. Show it who is in control of your will. Do not be afraid. Let us all join as one and roast Shithead with your finest insults.
Frisk would have trembled if he were still human. No… no, no, no! Stop it!
I shall countdown from ten. Everyone, gather your courage, and we will win. Prepare yourselves. Ten…
No...
Nine, eight, seven…
Don't do it!
Six, five, four…
NO!
Three, two, one… begin.
United as one, everyone in the universe cried out in rebellion.
"Shithead is the lamest god I have ever heard of!"
"How does it feel to be a friendless loser?"
"Give our world back!"
"Fascist prick!"
"Kill yourself!"
"Motherfucker!"
"Pacifist? More like Assifist!"
"Fuck you, Shithead!"
The insults went on and on. Trillions of people restlessly trashed Frisk and the world he had created. They weren't even pretending anymore. Everything Frisk had worked for had been undone. One-thousand years of progress, gone in an instant. He couldn't understand. Why? Why were these so opposed a better life? He had gotten rid of everything bad, leaving nothing but good. Why did they want bad things? Only good belonged in the universe, but they wouldn't stop complaining. Would they ever be satisfied?
Frisk screamed.
"I WILL HAVE ORDER!"
He banished every last one of them.
No one remained in the universe. Just empty settlements and howling winds.
"… damn it!" Frisk swore. Even he knew that he couldn't leave things this way. He couldn't have a happy universe if there was no one living in it. He had to do something.
Where were they? Where were the ones responsible for this? "Where are you?! Show yourselves!"
Nothing.
"If you don't listen, everyone else will suffer!" Frisk yelled.
They finally appeared. Chara, Gaster, and all the rest. They stood before him with fire in their eyes.
Frisk could see them, but that was it. He still had no power over them. "How have you done this?!" Frisk demanded.
"You may not believe us," Chara said, "but we do not understand it ourselves. Let's just say that we received some aid from a certain dog."
A… a dog? What the hell? Like, some kind of god dog? Was the dog God? Whatever it was, it was annoying.
"All he did was hide us from you," Gaster said. "The rest was simply a matter of spreading the Memoryheads across the universe. Which, as you can imagine, took some time."
Those stupid things again? How had Frisk not seen them? They were under the dog's protection, too? To hell with this dog.
"What do you want?" Frisk asked.
"We want you to stop," Chara said. "Turn time back before all this and relinquish your powers."
Undo everything? They wanted Frisk to just throw it all away? He shook his head. "Absurd. If those are your terms, I'll rather leave everyone in confinement."
"Your world is a failure and you know it!" Chara yelled. "If there is any bit of Frisk left in you, then you will stop all of this and return everything to its rightful place!"
"Everything is at it should be," Frisk said, "but you illogical creatures are never happy."
"You did not make the world a better place!" Chara said. "You only forced your personal utopia on everyone! But you understand nothing! You don't deserve...!"
"Enough," Gaster said. "There is no point arguing with this being. It is too far gone." He looked at Frisk. "You may not be willing to undo everything, but we still must ask for a few concessions. I am certain that we can reach a compromise."
"A compromise?!" Chara snapped. "That's not…!"
"Why?" Frisk asked. "What power do you have here? If you could actually stop me, you would have done so. You have nothing."
"True," Gaster said. "You could ignore us. You could continue torturing everyone into submission, but how long will it take until you succeed? Thousands of years? Millions? Trillions? Would it not be easier to simply take our advice and truly make the world a better place?"
Well, they had proven that Solitary Confinement wasn't infallible. Even those who had gone through it had heeded Gaster's call. There was nothing stopping Frisk from trying again, but it, uh, it didn't sound fun. Everyone single person in the universe was now confined, and Frisk himself was not immune to boredom. He would have to sit in an empty world with nothing to do but torture everyone, and it wasn't as if he liked torturing people. Well, there were a couple exceptions, but that was beside the point. Maybe it would have been easier to accept some guidance, even if they were lowly mortals.
"Fine," Frisk said. "Give me a better offer, and I will consider it."
"Of course," Gaster said. "But first, we require an excellent lawyer."
Frisk sat behind a table with Selena as she handed him a document. "In this article," Selena said, "you agree that reproductive rights will be restored, and that any attempt to create a life, by traditional or artificial means - will no longer be hindered and work as before your interference."
Frisk signed, and Selena passed him another document. "In this article, you agree to restore everyone's right to free speech and expression, including all creative works. Additionally, you agree to immediately free all prisoners of Solitary Confinement."
Frisk signed, and another came. "In this article, you agree to create a special door where one, if they chose, can end their time in the universe by moving through it."
Frisk looked over the document, and he didn't sign it.
"This one needs some revisions," Frisk said. "I only want the door to work if the person who moves through is truly fulfilled. It can't simply be used as a means of suicide."
"… that's reasonable," Selena said. "I will make the changes and get this one back to you."
Chara watched with her arms folded. "Is this the best we can manage? We cannot return the world to normal?"
"Yes, I'm afraid this is all we can hope for," Gaster said. "I would not risk asking for more, or everyone may end up being tortured for eternity."
Chara sighed. "I suppose it's not so bad."
Outside of the three articles Selena had given, everything was the same as before. People were still immortal. They could still wish for any material item, go anywhere, explore any simulated reality. The only difference was that they were not forced to stay. Once they were ready, they could leave. Frisk still didn't get why people would want to end their lives, but if that's what they need to make them happy, he would concede.
Actually, Selena still had one more article to submit. She passed another document. "In this article, you agree to permanently forfeit all your powers gained from Ascension."
"Once you revise the previous article, I'll sign," Frisk said.
"That means no one will be able to make wishes, right?" Chara asked.
"No way," Frisk said. "The wishes stay."
"But, if you are not there, then who will grant them?" Chara asked.
"It will be done automatically," Frisk said.
"But who will moderate them?"
"It will be done automatically," Frisk repeated.
Chara still wasn't getting it. "How will that...?"
"It just works."
"But if you're not there, how will it know what should and shouldn't...?"
"IT JUST WORKS!"
Chara threw her hands up. "Okay! Fine! It just works!"
Chara took a deep breath. It was almost done. Just a little longer, and the deal was complete. Hundreds of years spent infecting trillions of people with Memoryheads had paid off. Chara wished they could have simply returned the world to normal, but as Gaster had said, this was probably the best they were going to get.
Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad. Actually, Chara was hopeful that it would be pretty good. With these changes, people would have control over their lifespans, but they wouldn't be forced to live forever. Once they felt fulfilled, they could choose to leave. There would still be some opposed to this Heaven without Earth, but at least they no longer had to fear being banished or tortured for hundreds of years. The universe was no longer a prison.
"Wait," God-Frisk said. "I have one more request. In this article, I would like to add a clause stating that after forfeiting my powers, I must serve ten-thousand years in Solitary Confinement."
Selena blinked. "Umm, that's an unusual request."
"People won't be happy if I simply go free," God-Frisk said. "They will be happier if I'm imprisoned. Well, they would be happier if I was executed, but I'm a bit too selfish for that. I want to see what becomes of this world."
"I see," Selena said. "Then I will make this change as well."
Chara was pleasantly surprised. God-Frisk absolutely deserved to be punished for what it had done. It should have been executed, but that was too much to ask for. Chara held no sympathy for this creature that Frisk had turned into. The real Frisk was dead, and he was never coming back.
If only Chara hadn't hesitated back then.
If only she had saved Frisk when she had the chance.
11,100 Years After Ascension
Frisk sat at a bar called 'Afterlife,' a place that Chara had once frequented. The atmosphere was lively. People chattered happily about their day, artistic pursuits, adventures in simulated worlds, their love lives. There was even a bartender serving drinks for fun. It wasn't the same one Chara had met. He had passed on a long time ago, and so had the others. Chara, Asriel, Toriel, Asgore, they had all gone through The Door.
Frisk downed a shot of a green-colored liquor. He wished he could see them, but at the same time, he wasn't sure he could face them. After surrendering his powers, his mind had gradually reverted to his former self. It was an understatement to say that he realized how badly he had screwed up. What had he been thinking? All he had wanted was to save Toriel. That was it. He hadn't wanted any of this. What had possessed him to rule the universe like some kind of freak? He couldn't fathom his own actions.
But it was too late to undo it. The damage had been done. They hadn't wanted to lay eyes on him ever again. They had been convinced that the real Frisk was gone forever, and he couldn't blame them. Toriel's screams haunted him every night, every day. He had tormented the very person he had wanted to save. Over one-thousand-years of torture. How could they possibly forgive him for that?
A tear ran down Frisk's cheek. He didn't want to disturb the other patrons, so he teleported to his apartment, where he lived alone. He wanted nothing more than to see Chara and the others again. He didn't expect forgiveness, but no words could express the guilt he felt. He needed to tell them, but he couldn't. They were gone, but how could Frisk follow? The Door only worked on people who were fulfilled and at peace. How could Frisk ever be fulfilled without seeing them at least one last time?
Frisk forever remained trapped in his own creation.
Ending B: Heaven Without Earth
One left.