Pre-Chapter Notes: So this took… quite a bit longer than usual to upload. We're in the middle of a big move right now, and the house still needs to be placed. This upload comes from a rental we're staying in while everything gets done. Took a while to get settled in but we're going to be right back to it in a couple of weeks, so apologies for the awkward timing on the uploads. It should get better in a few weeks to a month.

Anyways, this one's a little shorter but we hope you enjoy it all the same!

Chapter 5: Heartache

"My daughter, you must stay determined! Please… wake up. You are the future of humans and monsters..." The sensation of a cold cloth spread across a forehead far too hot to be normal. A soft, furry hand grasped a small, fleshy one as if to drive away the dire illness.

"Dad… I… I just want to see the flowers again… The golden flowers… I want… to show… you." She mumbled – the voice of a small girl, her own and yet different – straining to peel open her eyes. Black figures circled her like phantoms, their details seemingly cut from the fabric of reality, leaving only dark, unidentifiable silhouettes.

"Please, Mama… Don't c-" Violent convulsions wracked her form, drowning out her words in a sea of agony. Her hands, blistered and burned rose to her face in an effort to stave off the fit of coughing to no avail. Trembling fingers lifted from her shuddering face, the warped palms now stained with blood.

Within her mind echoed a scream…

"Worthless… completely worthless."

The voice carried no hatred. There was nothing there at all actually. Just cold, bitter resignation. This was expected. After all, what worth could they hope for in a child without sight? A child fated to walk in darkness forever… what merit could something like that have to those who live in the light?

"See? You should know better than anyone. Show them mercy, and they'll abandon you… just like all the others." A sunny voice stated. The talking flower's face contorted into a grotesque, toothy grin. "Kill or be killed! You know it's true. After all… you've seen it before."

He's wrong… he has to be. But still, the sense of doubt was crushing, and it grew stronger by the moment.

"Poor, pathetic child." That- that was… Toriel? Why was he hearing Mom's voice? "You cannot even walk straight without that invisible friend to help you. How do you know that she is the kind, helpful creature you see her as? How do you know it isn't a trick? Another trick to deceive a fool…"

He didn't want to believe that… but what did he know about her really? How could he be certain that this was not simply a game to her? It wouldn't be the first time.

"Well, here we are. We've come a long way haven't we?" Another voice, distorted beyond recognition but somehow familiar. " You always were a great partner…"

The nightmare shattered in an instant, setting Frisks body to a tremble beneath the blankets. His heart was racing like he'd just sprinted a hundred miles at high altitude. If he wasn't still under the blankets, he might have fallen out of bed when he noticed Lily hovering above him. Her copper eyes looked blood red in the low lighting. Then he noticed the rest of her. She was just as terrified as he was. That terror must have forced her out of his body somehow, and caused the scream that woke him up.

Lily floated above the bed and its solid occupant, shaking like a leaf in the breeze. She didn't seem to notice that she'd expelled herself. Her eyes were glued to her own hands as the fingers fought a losing- battle to stay still. Her chest rose and fell with each sharp intake of breath. The grizzly sight she'd witnessed had scored itself within her mind. Then her thoughts seemed to readjust to her surroundings, and at last she noticed Frisk staring up at her.

"Frisk!" She gasped, quickly lowering her hands to her side. "I'm sorry… I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you."

"A nightmare?" He asked, though it sounded more like a statement.

"Something… maybe? I…" She trailed off, unable to find the right words. "How did you know?"

"I had one too…" He admitted, pushing the blankets off himself and sitting up.

"You… did?" She asked. That was too surreal. Both of them, at the same time?

"Uh huh. Thanks for waking me up." He joked flatly. "I don't think I wanted to see how it ended."

"Frisk, that's terrible and you know it." She said, but she was grinning now.

"Sorry…" He said. "What… was yours about?"

"I…" She seemed reluctant for a moment. "I think it was how I died. My family was there. I could hear them crying. But I couldn't see anyone or recognize any of the voices… it's like whole pieces were missing from it. I just wish the pain was one of them. It hurt… so bad."

"I'm sorry…" Frisk said.

"What for?" Lily asked. "It's not like you did anything to me. You aren't the one who made me forget my past after all. Now that I have a piece of the puzzle, maybe I can learn more about who I am."

"I guess."

"What about you?"

"Me?"

"Yeah… your nightmare." She confirmed. "Was it as bad as mine?"

"I don't know." Frisk said. Would it be nicer to say 'no' or 'yes' in this situation? "I kept hearing voices… people I know. Someone from the surface. I can't remember their name, but there were a lot like them. Flowey, Mom… and someone else. I woke up before I figured out who."

"What did they say?"

"The first one put me down a lot. Flowey? He said what you'd expect. Mom, though… it didn't sound like her at all." He thought about telling her exactly what Toriel had said but decided against it. The girl was already reeling from her own night terrors, and he didn't want to give her more to worry about. "The last one… didn't say much. But there was something about the way they said it. It made me feel powerless."

"That sounds horrible." Lily said, letting herself down to sit on the bed in front of her friend.

"It's nothing like yours." Frisk dismissed. "Yours actually hurt… can you still feel it?"

She shook her head. "No, not anymore. Thanks, Frisk."

They sat there for a while in silence, letting the remaining trepidation from the night's events slowly fade away. Neither child could tell what time it was, or how long they'd slept. But neither one wished to brave another trip into the world of dreams either. Not with what was waiting for them there. Still, there was one feeling that Frisk couldn't shake. Even if it was just a nightmare, what if there was a point to it? What if Toriel had simply taken him because it was the right thing to do? Was he putting a burden on her out of desperate and selfish need to belong?

He couldn't tell anymore.

Lily took a long look at Frisk. His encouragement had done a lot to make her feel better, but she could tell that he was still bothered by something. He tried to hide it, and he might have succeeded with anyone else… but he couldn't hide anything from her. It hurt to see him like that, and she wondered if there was anything she could possibly do to help her troubled friend.

"Hey. Why don't we leave for a bit? Stretch our legs, and wake up some?" She suggested. Maybe some fresh air would ease his mind a little. "I don't want to go back to sleep… and I bet you don't either."

She moved to his side and offered him a hand up. He accepted gratefully, and let the spectral girl pull him to his feet.

"That sounds like a good idea, actually." He agreed. "What about Toriel, though? Won't she wonder where we went?"

Lily lifted a brow before looking about the room. Her eyes fell on the stick resting on the end table. "You could leave your stick here. That would tell her we'll be back?"

An air of uncertainty clouded the boy. He'd never left his stick behind on purpose before.

"Don't worry. I won't let you get lost." Said Lily, before pulling him into a light hug. "I promised to protect you remember? Just like you promised to protect me!"

Frisk hesitated and for a moment she thought he was going to say no. In the end, he just sighed.

"Alright. I trust you."

He carefully picked up the stick, running his hand along its wooden surface. It was still as sturdy as the day he first picked it up, and the single leaf on the end still maintained a healthy green hue. After a moment he placed it on the bed, leaning it purposefully against the wall. Plain sight, specific placement, and not likely to fall over if left alone. A clear message.

As they turned to leave, Frisk felt the light tug upon his SOUL. His gaze followed the sensation down to the star he'd created a couple of days back, still sitting innocently among the toys. He reached for it, letting his fingers run along its warm magical glow. He'd never actually touched one before. It was smooth, and flowing like water but his fingers never quite passed through its surface. The star shimmered brighter in response to his touch and for the briefest instant it seemed like time had stopped. Then both the glow and the tugging sensation passed, and he stepped away.

Lily gave Frisk a confused look, and he could tell she must have felt it too. She said nothing however - merely smiled before leading him through the house and outside. The morning air felt nice against his skin as they traversed the ruins.

"It must still be very early. The air smells so crisp and clean." Frisk remarked, taking a deep breath settle himself a little more. "I wonder how there's still so much fresh air this far underground?"

"I don't know, but I'm glad it's working. Come on!" Lily replied, before gently guiding him passed the leafless tree and down the path to the left.

In time, they arrived at the ramparts that overlooked the quiet city – the same place they'd found the toy knife. There was a stairwell to the right that led to the town proper, but neither had any desire to go that way. Instead, Lily led Frisk to one of the benches lining the parapets. It seemed like this place would have been a popular spot for the Ruins' monster residents but right now it was empty but for the two of them. They sat, and looked out over the quiet city below.

Frisk's head fell and his hands folded in his lap as his thoughts turned inward. He looked like he might have fallen asleep, but in truth his mind was running almost too fast to process. Should he tell her more about the impression that dream left on him? Toriel had been so kind… so motherly. He was quick to jump at that sense of belonging, but… was that really for him? And, what about Lily? The nightmare had gotten one thing right: he didn't know anything about her.

No… even if that was true, just… no. Lily was fine… there was no way she would do anything to hurt him. If she meant to, he would have sensed it right? Just like how he sensed her feelings at the sight of the Ruins' puzzles: that burnt lemon scent of annoyance.

But then, there was another thing: a feeling that he couldn't explain.

Lily turned her attention away from the skyline (or what could pass for one within a mountain). There she noticed Frisk's bowed head, lost in his own thoughts and frowned. This was supposed to help him feel better, not make it worse. A thought flashed through her mind an instant before she pulled Frisk up from his slouch and let his head rest on her shoulder.

"Frisk, something's bothering you. What is it? You can tell me." She coaxed gently.

The boy wrung his hands together for a moment, collecting his thoughts.

"It's… hard to explain. " He sighed. "I feel like… all I'm doing is burdening Toriel. What with my blindness and all, I just feel like eventually she'll want me to leave her in peace. I'm so tired of being a bother."

"I noticed you haven't called her 'Mom' today." Lily observed. "Is that why?" He turned to her with a bit of surprise.

"I haven't?" He blinked a few times. "I guess not… maybe it is? Still…" He resumed his thoughtful expression. "It's not just that. I feel like there's… "something" I'm supposed to be doing. Something important. And whatever it is, it's not here." He gestured out with his hand in a sweeping motion towards the Ruins.

Lily rubbed his arm comfortingly. "Do you any idea what that is? Or where?"

He shook his head, shifting his weight into the hug and gestured wildly with his hand. "No. But I feel like it's right there, in the back of my mind. It's like, if I try not to think about it, there it is, bugging me. But if I go to look for it, it becomes all foggy you know?"

"Like when you see that weird line you see when you look at a bright light?" Lily suggested. "Ignore it, and it seems to move in more, but look at it and it moves away."

"It sounds about right." Frisk said, though he'd never actually experienced the phenomenon Lily described. "Have you felt that way?"

"Not exactly… but more than you might think." She says. "With my nightmare… I'm sure that's how I died, but the more I think about it the less I can make out… and then I think 'How long have I been gone? Is my family still out there?'. I mean I could have only been gone for minutes, or years. Without any memories I just can't know." She sighed heavily, the thoughts weighing more on her now that she was thinking about them.

"Maybe… we should leave the Ruins?" She suggested hesitantly. "If it feels that important, then it probably is… we shouldn't just let it sit. And who knows? I might find something about my past while we're at it. So it could be a win-win for both of us. You know I'll float by you the whole way!" Lily grinned at her own joke, hoping to get a reaction.

"Heheh… Thanks." A small chuckle escaped Frisks mouth before he sobered again. "But, what about Tor- Mom? What do we say to her?"

"I don't know…" Lily said. "Maybe its better just to tell her straight? I mean, it's not like we're leaving forever."

"I guess so."

They stayed like that for a while, conversation fading into silence. Eventually the city slowly began to awaken. Monsters began a steady trickle into the streets to start their day. The two children took that as their queue to return home. Toriel would be awake and would find their message soon if she hadn't already. They managed to avoid most of the monsters near the caretaker's home. A small winged creature approached them, but quickly burst into tears and fled the moment Frisk tried to greet it.

"Um…" Frisk blinked after it. "Did I… do something wrong?"

"I think… those are called Whimsuns?" Lily shrugged. "I guess they're just shy…"

They returned home and quickly stepped inside, the warmth of magical flame greeting their arrival. It was comforting, but did little to ease their hearts. They quickly noticed Toriel sitting near the fireplace, a book sitting unopened in her lap. She hadn't noticed them yet, so Lily directed Frisk back to their room to retrieve his stick before returning to the living area. The Ruins' caretaker looked up at Frisk and frowned.

"Are you well, my child? You seem troubled…" She left the book on the chair and knelt before Frisk.

"Um…"

Frisk was trembling. His entire being shuddered under the weight of what he was about to do… of what, in his heart, he knew that he had to. He could not see the motherly monster gazing with concern upon his small frame, and for once, it was good that this was so. If he could, the look she gave would have been enough to shatter his conviction then and there. Determined as he was, determination alone would not be enough to see him forward when those large, kind eyes looked upon him with such care.

"What is it, innocent one?" She asked. Her voice alone was enough to make him quake with guilt. "You can tell me anything."

Lily drifted to Frisk's side and put a comforting hand on his shoulder. The blooming tea scent of her support anchored him. He clinched a fist at his side and looked up toward her voice.

"How… can we leave the Ruins?" he asked softly. It was the most painful thing he'd ever asked.

Despite its softness, Toriel recoiled as if she'd been struck. "L-leave? Why would you want to leave, my child? This is your home… you'll want for nothing here, I assure you."

Frisk lowered his head once more without a response. He knew if he tried to speak, his voice would give out. He couldn't show that to her. His silence told Toriel all she needed to know. She stood, expression grim, and removed her hands from his shoulders.

"I see." She said forlornly. "I apologize, but I have to do something. Stay here, children."

Toriel skirted around the small human and walked briskly toward the foyer. Lily turned in the air and watched her go as Frisk stood stock still, knuckles white as they clinched his stick. White fur and purple fabric glided around and descended the stairs on the far end of the entryway. It was a place neither she, nor Frisk had set foot… she hurried back to the boy.

"Frisk, she went downstairs." The girl said worriedly, though she tried to stay strong for her friend. "Come on, we need to follow her. Hurry!"

Frisk breathed deeply to steady himself, then nodded wordlessly. Following Lily's guidance, he moved to follow his adopted parent into the lower level of the cozy home. Even he could tell that it was like stepping into another realm. Where above lived light and comfort, below was dark and cold. The warmth of fire magic did not carry here. This was an unwelcome place.

Toriel walked some feet ahead of them. Her large, floppy ears heard the boy's steps the moment he reached the stairs. She didn't turn around, continuing with purpose along the dark passageway.

"You wish to know how to leave, do you? Ahead lies the end of the Ruins: a one way exit to the rest of the Underground." She said, her tone unreadable. Before Frisk could respond she continued. "I am going to destroy it. No one will ever be able to leave here again. Now… be a good child, and go upstairs."

Frisk gasped. "Mom, you don't understa-"

"Yes, I do!" her emotionless façade broke for only an instant. "I understand more than you could ever know. I've seen it, time and again: humans come, they leave, they die. You naïve child… if you leave the Ruins… they… Asgore… will kill you. I am only protecting you, do you understand?"

Frisk was chilled by the way she'd said that. Was it really that dangerous outside the Ruins…? The path turned sharply after what felt like miles of walking. Only then did Toriel turn to look the boy. Lily could see her face clearly – an expressionless mask, attempting to hide the shadow of pain.

"Do not try to stop me." She warned. "This is your final warning. Now… go to your room, children."

This was it… the final chance, and both of them knew it. If they turned back now, and allowed her to destroy the exit, that would be the end of it. They could return upstairs and live a quiet, comfortable life with the monster mother. They might get in trouble for forcing her to do this, but eventually everything would go back to normal. They could be comfortable… they could be happy… they could belong.

But…

They couldn't do that. Somehow the children both knew. Nothing is ever that simple. They followed.

Toriel stood before a massive stone door. The same image that adorned her robes was emblazoned across its surface. Her back was turned to them, but both children knew that she noticed their approach. Her furry paws clinched at her side as she stared at the stone threshold.

"You want to leave so badly? Hmph… you are just like the others. There is only one solution to this…" She said, unable to conceal the mote of pain her words carried. "Prove yourself…"

"Mom…" Lily stammered. "Please, don't…"

She turned and faced them. Her eyes locked on the boy in the blue and purple striped shirt. Her head lowered and her arms slowly rose at her sides. Tongues of flames snaked down her shoulders and focused into her white furred palms. A blast of heat spread from her, setting the torches lining the room ablaze and casting the room into light.

"Prove to me that you're strong enough to survive!" She howled.

At the same time as she spoke the words, Frisk felt his SOUL drawn from his body with force far beyond that of any monster he'd encountered. His sight awakened and bright, vivid shapes formed against a blank canvas: His SOUL before him, Lily at his side… and Toriel, a blazing inferno of alabaster magic blocking the way. He shrank back when he saw the flames licking her arms. He could tell at a glance that though she did not burn, that fire was far from the pleasant crackle that warmed the home above.

A gout of flame surged forth at her command. Before he could react, it struck his chest and SOUL with the full force of its might.

"Aaaaugh!" He cried out, instinctively wrapping his arms around his SOUL.

"Frisk!" Lily called, and rushed to his side. "Frisk, you have to get up!"

She grabbed his arm and forcibly pulled him away from a follow-up blast. He collapsed the moment they stopped moving, still clutching his chest with his free hand and shuddering. Something was wrong… the hit was direct, but it hadn't done nearly enough damage to provoke such a response. Even still, the boy looked almost as bad as she'd felt when Flowey's 'friendliness pellet' ripped through her body.

"Get up! Come on!" She pleaded.

"I can't…" He trembled. "I hate fire… I hate fire!"

"Are you helping him?" Toriel's steely voice spoke. She was speaking directly to Lily. "So, you both agreed to this. Very well… then come! Show me your strength, my children!"

"Look out!" Lily shouted.

She shoved the boy roughly, sending him back and herself away in a single motion. An orb of flame surged through the air where they'd been but a second before and burst against the wall. Frisk struggled to his feet as Lily flew to his side once more. Toriel stood there, unmoving but for the twitch of her claws beneath the power of her own magic. Frisk stared at the blaze, paralyzed with fear at the sight of those scaring tongues whipping incessantly along the caprine monster's arms.

"Mom, stop… please!" Frisk's terrified voice called out.

Toriel's stern expression broke for but a moment, an escaped tear was quickly evaporated by the heat of her flames. That was all she allowed before her conviction returned. Her arm swept before her tracing an ark of flame that roared toward the two children. Frisk managed to reign in his fear enough to avoid a direct blow this time, but the hungry blaze still licked the edge of his SOUL, causing him to cringe. He watched her fearfully. The flames bellowed within his ears from all sides.

Toriel began to move. Her arm sent forth a continuous stream of fire as she walked slowly toward him. He ran to the side and the flames followed. Toriel's advance continued, maneuvering him into a corner and forcing him to move toward her to get away.

"No!" He cried.

His arm moved on its own, and his stick struck the fiery monster in her left flank. Toriel gasped and buckled slightly but held firm. She turned about and faced him again. Her face remained as stern as ever but her eyes showed a sense of pride.

"Yes, that's it." She said. "Strike me with all you have!"

Her blazing arms shot upward and summoned forth a shower of burning rain. Cinders showered both children from overhead, striking down in patterns almost impossible to dodge completely. A few of them struck Lily, and she grit her teeth as a couple of points of her own limited HP were shaved away. Still more struck out at Frisk, biting into his SOUL like piranhas in a frenzy. He managed to bat a few away with his stick, not bothering to question why the seemingly fragile wood failed to burn.

Lily watched the confrontation, lending what support she could. Inside she wished that there was more she could do to help her friend. If only she could speak, it might have been possible for the two of them to convince Toriel to simply let them pass. But alas, she was relegated to advice and support as well as avoiding whatever wayward fire happened to come her way. A task that proved a challenge of its own. Frisk, in his fear, barely even registered her words.

Toriel advanced once more, the flames bending to her will. Snaking trails of fire arced along the ground around her. Her robe billowed as they slithered outward, approaching the boy at breakneck speed. Frisk stumbled forward through the flames, and managed to avoid one of the flaming serpents. The other curved about the room and made for him from the other side.

"Behind you!" Lily cried her warning.

Too late. He stumbled back to avoid the line of flame, and nearly bumped straight into Toriel. The woman looked down at him without expression, balled a fire-wreathed fist and struck. Again Frisk reacted, more on instinct and struck out in an effort to defend himself. His stick struck her in the arm, sending it askew. The impact caused her to lose focus on the flaming snakes which sputtered and died as she stumbled back.

Toriel's teeth grit from pain, but she still refused to give up. The strikes she'd taken did not seem particularly damaging, but an attack made with purpose is painful indeed to her kind… and fear is a powerful motivator. She panted heavily as she continued her assault with another volley of flames. The boy was scared, but he was not backing down. That was good… that was the strength she wanted to see.

Her muscles twitched, and a new surge of arcane fire joined with the rest. Her arms were coated almost entirely in the magical inferno, and her eyes blazed orange with power. She threw her arms outward, and pillars of flame erupted from the ground itself. The stone floor glowed with the heat of the columns as they filled the entirety of the room. Frisk staggered through them: left, right, forward, stop, right again, back.

It wasn't enough. A single misstep, and the boy was caught in the chest by the edge of one of the pillars. The magical fire ate into his SOUL, devouring his HP in one ferocious bite. The force of the attack sent him spiraling backwards. Breath forced itself from his lungs as he landed on his stomach.

"Frisk!" Lily shouted.

She rushed at Toriel, putting herself between her friend and the Ruins' fiery guardian. It would do no good. Toriel could not see her, and would not cease her approach.

Amidst the pain, the roaring of the fire and Lily's voice, Frisk heard it. A sound that didn't belong… a clattering of something small against the stone. He reached for it, and his small hand wrapped around something cool and plastic. A shimmer of light rippled through the toy knife that Frisk grasped in his trembling hand.

[EQUIP]

With a shaky hand, the boy raised the plastic blade and pushed himself to his knees. He could hear Toriel's slow footfalls behind him. He could smell the thin smoke of magical fire, and feel its heat at his back.

And he was afraid.

Once more, his body moved on its own, an action fueled by a desire to preserve his own life. It was enough. The knife flashed around in an arc, its polymer edge cut like steel against the magical body of the Ruins' caretaker. A large, straight gash arched through her caprine form, the strike cutting clean through her chest where her own SOUL resided.

He did not feel the throb of power within his own at that same instant.

"Urgh…" She staggered back.

All the air in Frisk's lungs forced itself out at once. Toriel stepped back once, twice, before collapsing onto one knee. The flames flickered and vanished from her arms, leaving her broken before him. Frisk reached out instinctively, then his sight fell on the knife he now held. Bound to him now, the blade's thin outline stared back at him in all its plastic glory. It was only then he realized what he'd done. To protect himself, the little lion was forced to bear his claws.

"You are… stronger than I thought." Toriel said through gasps of breath.

"No…" Frisk whispered. "No, I… I didn't…"

"M-mom…?" Lily drifted down, and knelt at Frisk's side.

"Listen to me… small ones." She rasped. "If you go beyond this door… keep walking as far as you can. Eventually, you will reach an exit."

"Mom… I didn't mean to."

"I know… do not blame yourself. I am proud of you…" She said weakly, before looking toward Frisk's side, straight at Lily. "Both of you." She coughed. Dust began to fall from her wound. "Asgore… you mustn't let Asgore take your SOUL. His plan… cannot be allowed to succeed."

"Mom… MOM!" Frisk cried, as tears streamed from his eyes.

"You can't!" Lily cried at the same time.

Both children ran to the wounded monster and enveloped her in a hug. She smiled, wrapping own weak limbs around them. Somehow, she almost seemed to know that Lily was there as well. Frisk buried his face into her robe and sobbed, his tears staining the fabric. Lily cried against her neck, clinging to her with all the strength her incorporeal arms could muster.

"It's alright… you'll be fine." Toriel said, a pile of dust forming at her feet. "Be good… won't you? My… children…"

With that, her head lowered. Frisk and Lily cried out, begging her to hold on… but there was nothing either child could do. Toriel's body went limp, and the wound in her chest grew. It spread across her body, scattering it into dust that settled in a pile beneath them. The torn fabric of her robes settled over it like a funeral shroud. In time, all that remained was a SOUL; a pure white inversion of Frisk's own, radiating a warm light. It trembled in the air before it too shattered into fragments and vanished.

"MOM!" Frisk shouted, falling to his hands and knees amidst the dust that was once Toriel. "I didn't want this, I didn't! Come back, please! Come… come back…"

"Why… why did she fight?" Lily cried. "Mom… this is wrong. This isn't…"

Neither child could speak. Their words were drowned out by the silence of the chamber and their own emotions. Tears fell from Frisk's eyes and mingled with Toriel's dust and the tattered remnants of her robe. He buried his face in his hands as the darkness took his sight once more. Let it… he deserved far worse after what he'd done. Lily cried openly. In the back of her mind, she knew she would feel sick for doing so but she didn't care. She had no strength to stop the stream of tears.

"Frisk…" She said through bleary eyes. "We- we have to go. Mom told us-"

"No!" Frisk shouted, and he refused to move. "I won't! I won't leave her like this!"

"There's… there's nothing we can do." Lily retorted. "We have-"

"I don't care…" Frisk continued. "This… no… I can't accept this. I won't!"

"Frisk, please…" Lily reached her trembling hand for him. He made no response when she placed it on his shoulder. "She- she…"

She couldn't say it. Even thinking that she was gone hurt far worse than any nightmare.

"This isn't what I wanted…" Frisk muttered, trembling beneath his own weight. "I hate this…! I want to go back. I want… I want her back… bring her back!"

His cry echoed through the empty chamber and beyond. Once again his SOUL emerged from his chest, filling his blind eyes with magical sight. The cold touch of stone and monster dust disappeared a moment later, as solid ground vanished beneath his feet. At his side, Lily watched in awe as the chamber shifted and distorted around them, passing in a reverse-blur as some unseen force pulled them backwards. The warped facsimile gave way to a flash of brilliant light which pierced even Frisk's veil of blindness, filling both of their vision with white. Neither of them could tell how much time passed in that all consuming brightness. But when at last it faded both children's gazes fell upon a singular point.

There, in the middle of the familiar box of toys, in a familiar red-walled room, shone a familiar golden star.

Authors' Notes: Well this one was an emotional ride wasn't it? Writing Toriel's death was hard even if it was never going to stick.

Also, yes. Frisk has a serious case of pyrophobia. This was hinted at somewhat subtly in the last chapter but here it really comes to the fore. The poor kid basically went full on fight-or-flight the moment the battle started.

ShiningwingX: A somewhat personal note. My first experience with the Toriel fight ended with her dying. I wrongly assumed that if I brought down her HP enough that she'd become spare-able as is told to you by the Froggit at the beginning. However, I never actually encountered the one toward the end that hints what you're actually supposed to do… so that was a big shocker and my response was pretty much what Frisk did here: an immediate load.