(Preview Note: Let me say this, I HAVE read Overgrowth by Sociopathic Archangel before...and...cri. There's so much cri that I can't bear it. I can't hope to match up to the absurdly high quality that the story gives to the Flowerfell AU, I just do my own thing. Unfortunately, I've recently discovered that Overgrowth has been taken down by the author due to people stealing it and other disrespectful junk, which SUCKS! I really liked it, too. Guess I can't read the English original again to better shape this arc. *Sigh...* ...anyway, to the main story now.)

Me: So...here we start the Flowerfell Arc. Where Frisk's life will get ten times harder no matter what he does.

Frisk: Aw, what?

Red: No fair!

Asriel: Golly...we might be in trouble here...and we don't have Chara to help us. *rubs chin* though...I suppose there was a good reason why he was left behind...i can't put my cinnamon on it...

Frisk: Uh...cinnamon?

Asriel: Sorry, I'm just slightly hungry.

Chapter Start!


Asriel's eyes filled with intense worry as he gazed at the flower covering Frisk's eye. Flowey was still gaping at the two, not at all sure what was going on. The same gobsmacked expression was shared by the canine Red. The only thing she could be completely sure of is that this was anything but normal. Far from it, it shouldn't be happening at all.l

"Frisk...there's a buttercup sprouting over your eye..." Red finally managed to break the silence, still shaking and pointing at the plant in question. Asriel nodded worryingly in confirmation.

"Yes. I've noticed that." Frisk nodded. He could feel the golden buttercup sticking to him as if it were a part of his body...which to his surprise, it was. Frisk would discover that taking the buttercup off of him was simply not going to happen. He lightly tugged at it, only to feel slight pain as if he was tugging on his own eyeball instead of the flower itself. He immediately stopped trying after the pain became bothersome. "It doesn't look like it'll be coming off, Azzy."

"That shouldn't be happening..." Asriel said as he lightly touched the buttercup for himself. Then he groaned while palming his face in frustration. "Why is that there?! How did that happen right when we enter this timeline?!"

"T-Timeline...wait...y-you three...you're not from here...a-are you...?" Flowey shivered, poking his head out from behind Frisk's. "Yes...that's the only explanation I can think of that makes clear sense. None of you are from this specific timeline..." He looked towards Asriel. "You're the biggest proof of this...you shouldn't be you. How...?"

"Lots of hard work and DETERMINATION. That's how. We just kept doing what everyone else kept saying was impossible. Frisk was able to SAVE me. And with that, we we're able to save just about everyone else in the process, and reconfigure the properties of a Reset in our timeline. We made the impossible possible." Asriel said, still gazing worryingly at the buttercup on Frisk's face. "But this timeline is completely different...I don't think I recognize anything about it at all. Sure it looks the same...but I sense the magic atmosphere of this world is significantly darker and more negative than our own. Not to mention, we were only around for a couple minutes and we find out that many things are already wrong here. First off was Flowey."

"M-Me...?"

"Yeah. Our Flowey doesn't stutter and is in fact a complete jerk most of the time. And he doesn't look wilted and beaten up like you do." Red said while folding her arms. "Plus, Toriel is the sweetest woman I've ever gotten the pleasure to meet, totally different from the Toriel you're describing." Her ears lowered a bit. "Not that I can remember other sweet women...amnesia sucks." She lifted her head. "Plus in our timeline, the monsters made it to the Surface. I only showed up a little bit after that."

Flowey seemed flabbergasted by the last part. "W-What?! The monsters actually made it to the Surface, including me?! B-But how?!"

"Like we said. Unbridled DETERMINATION. It kept us going a long way, and it lead to our success, for the most part." Frisk said. "Now...what's with this crazy notion of 'Kill Or Be Killed' being a natural instinct down here?"

Flowey, confused but reassured that these three are of no danger to him, decided to explain to them what was going on, to the best of his knowledge. "I-It's been that way for years...e-ever since the humans sealed monsters down here beneath the Barrier." Asriel and Frisk nodded. This part they knew. "B-But you all probably knew this already...right. At first things weren't too terrible to begin with. The Monsters hated humans for sealing them in the Underground. But for the most part, they were able to make due with what they had and what was provided, and what could be scraped up. And for a while, the monsters prospered, while still wanting to return to the Surface. Then...well...you know that part too, right...?"

"Yeah. Me and Chara's plan...worst plan ever in the history of plans." Asriel shook his head. "I still wish he and I could have taken that back."

Flowey blinked. "...He? Your...your Chara is a boy?"

Asriel looked just as dumbfounded. "...the Chara of this timeline...was a girl?"

Red and Frisk both looked at one another as the counterparts processed this startling/confusing information. It would appear that their Chara's are of different genders...both of them find this concept to be incredibly strange. Though of course the events of different timelines can't always be carbon copies. Sooner or later, one with a significant difference from the others will pop up and make the contrast very clear. That's what Asriel was looking for. He sensed a lot of negative energy, and that didn't happen simply by the same events from his timeline. Something was drastically different here.

"When...when I died, and Chara died...everyone..." Flowey shivered as he covered his eyes with his leaves. "I d-didn't think we were so important to everyone to that extent...when we died...everyone just...snapped. With the brightest lights in everyone's lives snuffed out...they've lost any and all reasons to have positive reasons to be happy. Soon they've descended into madness and despair, and their views on life became incredibly cynical and twisted. The monsters have lost most, if not all of their faith in one another. No one truly trusts one another, everyone always has to watch their backs to keep them from being stabbed and ending up as dust. Not only that, Asgore decided any humans that fell down in the Underground be executed on the spot and their souls brought to him. He's also the one that banished Toriel to the Ruins when she didn't agree with him..."

Asriel and Frisk felt themselves stiffen more and more at the basic description of how this timeline is significantly more twisted than their own. It sounds like it only gradually got worse from the children's deaths onwards. And that last bit...

Mom didn't come here on her own will? DAD'S the one that banished her here?! The boys thought in their minds, the seriousness of their situation growing darker, yet darker...

"Everyone is just a twisted, pessimistic, cynical shell of their former selves, trapped within an eternal cycle of melancholy and despondency..." Flowey said, downtrodden. "Ever since then, everyone has taken up the lifestyle of 'Kill Or Be Killed'...and...and..." Flowey whimpered as he hid his face behind his leaves, tears escaping his eyes. "I can't keep going on like this...nothing I've tried, even with the powers of DETERMINATION that was injected within me...I was unable to change anything permanently...nothing I did worked...nothing I do will ever work...I've just stopped trying a long time ago...there's no longer a point to it. No matter what I do, no matter how hard I've tried...everything just reverts back to that same accursed mantra...I can't change anything...I'll never be able to change anything..." Flowey shuddered, his hold on his emotions slipping for a bit. "All I can do at this point and survive...and we all know that surviving and living are not the same thing...but what choice do I have...?"

The trio looked on sadly as the small flower sobbed quietly, which gently echoed off of the walls. They were so used to Flowey being an angry, sadistic, twisted flower. But this Flowey looks like he's been broke a long time ago...it may be because the somewhat hopeful Asriel in this world has died a long time ago. Asriel can't imagine that his former self of this timeline was as bright and ongoing as himself, but not to the point of pure evil. Just...misguided. Most likely, being a flower for so long must have humbled him, rather than turn him into the nihilistic, destructive flower that they we're all used to knowing. He's spent so much time down here with great power, yet being unable to do any significant good with it because the status quo is unable to be broken, so he simply gave up and accepted the cruel reality with bitter acceptance. It would seem that this Flowey knows what it's like to be Sans, but with much less control on emotions.

Red was unable to just watch him sob. "Awww...you poor flower..." Red said as she gently took the flower for herself and lightly nuzzled his petals. "Things must have been so hard for you..."

"*Sniff*...h-hard would be an understatement...I-I'd say close to impossible..." He whimpered, though was able to calm down a little due to Red's nuzzling, cooing, and petting. "S-So...about the timeline...this means that both of your DETERMINATION is higher than mine. I won't be able to come back from death anymore. I-If I die now...I-I'll...I don't think I want to know what happens..."

"...you really don't..." Asriel said, a bit more grimly than he intended. Though he shook his head to regain focus. "But you don't have to worry about that because you're not going to die! We'll protect you. We're going to get through the Underground together, and we're going to break that Barrier!"

"W-What?! No! Nonono!" Flowey shook his head rapidly. "It's impossible! Impossible I tell you! I tried so many times in so many different ways...all of them ended in failure!" He noticed how they all flinched, and lowered his petals. "I'm sorry...I didn't mean to snap like that...it's just...how? In an world as dark and twisted and hostile as ours...how can you possibly succeed where I repeatedly failed..?"

Frisk smiled. "All of those other times, you didn't have an outside variable helping you out. Now that you have a couple, you're definitely going to succeed."

"You don't have to worry about a thing, Flowey! We've got your back!" Red stated confidently, one paw on her hip and the other still holding Flowey.

"We've done many things that should have been impossible in our timeline. We can do them again in another." Asriel stated confidently. Though there was still one couple things seriously bugging him that he knew he had to wait in order to ask.

Where was the Frisk of this timeline? The only ones able to completely remember a Reset are Frisk, Sans, and Flowey. Though it doesn't look like this Flowey knows any sort of Frisk at all. If this Flowey hasn't heard of Frisk... Asriel mentally gasped. This timeline must have been through a True Reset! If Flowey doesn't remember the Frisk of this timeline, no one does! The Frisk of this timeline must have been displaced when my Frisk entered via Sans machine! Though that leaves an even bigger and more concerning question...what were the consequences?

Finding the answer would have to wait, as Asriel suddenly sensed someone coming down the hallway. Flowey flinched greatly and cowered in terror. "O-Oh no...she's coming! Toriel is coming!" Asriel really wanted to believe that the Flower was over exaggerating his fear, but the menacing magic aura he felt seeping into the room proved otherwise. This was definitely the aura if his mother...but significantly twisted into something nearly unrecognizable, if not for the familiar certainty. Flowey lightly tapped Asriel with his vine. "We have to hide! If she sees me, she'll get angry and attack! If she sees you..." Flowey paused, unable to fathom the thoughts needed to imagine such a concerning scenario. It was far too new for him to think of a plausible outcome. "Just...just hide! Quickly!"

"Where?! There isn't exactly a lot of places that give much coverage!" Red said, rapidly looking back and forth. "Uhhh...! The pillars! Behind the pillars!" Red placed Flowey within her cowl and dashed hurriedly behind one of the pillars. Asriel reluctantly makes a beeline for the other pillar, standing straight and hiding behind it. Frisk stays behind, which worried his older brother greatly, if what Flowey was saying is true. He didn't have to wonder for long. He soon saw the woman in question pass through the entrance of the passageway.

He actually felt his soul both cower slightly at her presence. The latter let him know that something was wrong, besides the way she looked.

Toriel wore a much darker version of the Delta Rune robes. The cloth was mostly black while the symbol was violet with a yellow outline. The lower part of her robe was slightly tattered, as well as her purple sleeves. Her horns we're sharper and slightly dirty, and her fur looked like she hadn't fully cleaned herself in a long time. She wore a crimson scarf around her neck, which she seemed to have tightened around her neck to the point that it was impossible to fall off yet not enough to tighten uncomfortably on her throat. She was gently pawing at it, as her blood red eyes stared at Frisk with glee and excitement. Frisk and Asriel could still sense the motherly aura surrounding her...but there was also an intense maliciousness connected to it. And back to her eyes...

Those were the eyes of a broken mother. Asriel resisted the urge to shiver, lest he makes things difficult by giving up his position. He couldn't help it. This was definitely Toriel. But most of the things about her feel so...wrong.

Mom...?

"Well well! A young human has fallen into the Ruins! You seem to be entering the adolescent age, by the way you look." Toriel said with a gentle smile, though Frisk could both see and sense that there was something off about it. It looked like it took a lot of effort to keep the smile from being possessive. Flowey wasn't fooled for a second. Asriel and Red were still hesitant to leave Frisk alone with her, but they couldn't allow themselves to be seen, not with the malicious magic she had seeping off of her. "I suppose we should introduce ourselves, shall we? I am Toriel, Ruler of the Ruins."

Ruler...? That's different. Frisk thought mentally. He shook his head while looking up to Toriel with a small smile. "My name is Frisk. It's nice to meet you, Mom!" Frisk mentally slapped himself for the slip of the tongue. Toriel doesn't know of any Frisk, so of course she would be confused when he said that. he was unable to help himself from saying so. He didn't hesitate and he didn't regret it. But he did agree that the timing wasn't the best in the world.

What the hell is he doing?! Flowey mentally screamed, sweating heavily with growing fear gripping his petals. Red was slightly surprised by how much flowers can sweat...and even more surprised that flowers could sweat at all.

Asriel sighed. Oh Golly...that might not have been the best idea in this scenario...

Frisk worried about how Toriel might react. He definitely saw confusion cross her face. Though soon it was replaced by a small gasp as she covered her mouth with her paws and blushed slightly. "My goodness...'Mom?' I don't know what to say, child. You and I have just met, and yet you see me as your mother?" Not testing the dangerous possibility of denial-as well as not wanting to-Frisk nodded in confirmation. Toriel's smile becomes brighter as a result. "Well...I don't know what to say. Except...if that is what you're pleased with...then you can call me Mom. As for your own name, Frisk...it's such a lovely name. It means to frolic happily, or something close to that." She reached her arms out and picked Frisk up by the sides, causing him to marvel at how strong she was. "Entering the age of adolescence and yet you're still quite small and easy to carry. That is alright. Some don't grow as quickly as others."

Tell me about it. Asriel sighed quietly, recalling how quickly he grew taller than Chara over six years. His focus returned to the duo when Toriel sets Frisk back down.

"Now then, Frisk. Let us be off. I would like to show you to my home as soon as we can. Follow me, don't dawdle." With that, Toriel turns around and walks out of the room, leaving Frisk there to catch his breath, while Red and Flowey were releasing the breaths they were holding during the entire exchange.

Red soon found it safe enough to come out, and walked away from the pillar. Flowey emerged over her head. "Frisk! Are you insane?! Why would you call her that?!"

Frisk shrugged carefully. "I...It was an unconscious blunder on my part. I just couldn't help but to call her Mom. I've been calling her Mom for six years in our timeline. It isn't really something I can switch off on a whim."

"Well you might wanna start learning to, and fast. Like, yesterday fast. I'm sure your Toriel is all fine and dandy, but this one isn't someone you can trust upfront." Flowey said. "I guess we have to go along with her wishes for now, until we can find a way to get away from her and to the exit of the Ruins."

"Get away from her? What are you talking about?" Frisk said curiously. "Mom is going to come with us."

"...Maybe you are insane after all..."

Asriel decided to help better explain Frisk's intentions. "Flowey, you should already realize how lonely she is down here. I don't even need information on RESETS to know this. It may be worse for this timeline's version of her, but that doesn't change the fact that she can't stay down here. It'll be much better for her if she came with us outside the Ruins."

"Yeah! She's been lonely down here for a while, right? Maybe if we just bring her outside and get her to interact with the outside world again, she'll cheer up a whole bunch!" Red said enthusiastically.

"...I'm just checking here...but are you SURE none of you are call crazy?"

It was then that Red frowned. "Okay, how about this, Flower Boy. We're keeping you safe, but we're doing things our way, since your way hasn't been working for a long time. We want to bring Toriel out of the Ruins. And somehow, that's what we're gonna do. So just deal with it."

Flowey blinked a bit at her bluntness. Then he folded his leaves and turned away slightly. "...You're a rude little baby, you know that?" Annoyed, Red decided to tug on one of his petals, rather hard. "OW! OWWOWOW! OKAY I'M SORRY! JUST QUIT IT WITH THE PETALS!" She smirked as she released him, allowing him to nurse the slight bruise.

"Hmph~"

Asriel was a bit embarrassed by their behavior, but he gasped as he sees another flower grow on Frisk's cheek. He pointed at it with panic. "F-Frisk! Another flower grew on you!"

Frisk lightly felt the side of his cheek, discovering that the small flower sprouted from it, and he sighed. "Ugh. Please don't tell me that this is gonna be a thing. I like gardens, and Dad likes gardens. But I don't wanna BE a garden. What do these even mean, anyway?"

"FRISK! MY CHILD! ARE YOU LOST?!" Toriel's voice echoed through the passageways.

"We'll figure it out later. Go now!" Flowey shooed Frisk away as he slumped and hid back into Red's hair. Frisk nodded as he went down the hallways where Toriel's voice originated. Red and Asriel kept the presence to a minimum, which was difficult because of few hiding places that suited their size.

Frisk eventually stopped in a room he was familiar yet unfamiliar with. Said mother was currently rushing up to him and hugged the child tightly.

"Frisk, my child! You've taken so long to get here! I was beginning to grow concerned!" Toriel said while hugging him close in a nearly inbreakable grip.

Frisk blinked as he stared up to Toriel. Of course he hugged her back and nuzzled into neck, bit was still a bit surprised by how tight her hug was. It was almost as if Frisk was her lifeline, and she's afraid he'll disappear if she lets go of him. Her eyes and her hug were indicators of this. I'm fine, Mom. My independence training from before I fell down here has really paid off."

"Oh thank goodness. I am truly glad that you turned out to be quite an independent child. But still, I recommend you stay close to me from now on. I've gotten too excited, I'm not afraid to admit that." Toriel said as she released Frisk and gently petted his head. "Come along now." Once again, Toriel turned and began moving. This time, Frisk followed closely behind her, making sure not to stray too far.

Red, Flowey, and Asriel made sure they stayed unseen and stayed unheard while following the duo. Red whispered: "Are you sure you got your facts straight, Flowey? I mean sure, she feels pretty intimidating, but I don't see any heavy reason to be afraid of her or anything."

"He's just lucky. Or maybe it's something else..." He shook his head. "Either way, no one's luck lasts forever..."

"I think we should just stay cautious...I don't want to take anymore risks than necessary." Asriel whispered to them both. "Maybe...just maybe..."

Frisk passed by a certain hallway, only to see that Napstablook was not in his usual spot. He wasn't laying on the floor pretending to be asleep like he probably should have been. Did Mom's presence chase him away? I wouldn't be too surprised, now that I've seen her in action. I hope she didn't hurt him...

After making it past the hallways, the group finally reached their destination. Toriel's Home. It looks surprisingly well cared for, despite what they initially assumed. The trio decides to keep themselves hidden outside while Frisk moved onward inside the house.

Toriel was waiting right at the door, as she scooped him up in another warm hug. "You made it here by yourself, my child! Admittedly I was afraid of nearby monsters harming you."

"No Mom, they didn't." Frisk said. "They...seemed very afraid of you, enough that they completely left me alone."

Toriel's frown disappears, and her smile returns. "Why of course they're afraid. So afraid, that they constantly have to think twice before deciding on an action that could lead into conflict with me." She chuckled softly, though Frisk could feel maliciousness seeping into it. "They know better than to ever cross me." Honestly, this bit intimidated Frisk just a bit, but he didn't allow it to show. A warmer smile returns once again. "But none of that matters now, my child! You're safe and sound in my comfortable home. I'm assure you that you'll feel as such." She released him as she turned to the kitchen. "Oh! My pie is almost done! Can you do me a favor and wait here, my child? I'm certain you'll like the pie as well!" With a hurried pace, she made her way to the kitchen, leaving Frisk in the hallway.

Frisk made sure she couldn't hear him, then opened the door to the house. Asriel and Red snuck in without a single sound, and Flowey emerged from Red's hair once again. Asriel looked around the house curiously.

"It feels surprisingly similar the other one."

"Not completely..." Flowey muttered. "We have to get out of here now. While she's busy and doesn't notice us, we'll have to sneak into the basement towards the exit."

"We're not leaving without her, Flowey." Frisk said sternly.

"Don't you think I've tried that too?! Tried countless times to get her to leave, only to achieve no real suits but getting burned for my efforts?! Why can't you see that she's lost cause?"

"Because we've dealt with someone who used to be far worse than she could ever be." Asriel said firmly, his mind flashing back to he and Frisk's duel with Chara six years ago in their timeline."The odds are stacked agsinst us. But me and Frisk have beaten the odds before...and if need be, we'll do it again."

"Like I said before...deal with it, Flower Boy." Red huffed.

Flowey sighed. Clearly none of them were going to budge from their decision. "...Alright. I can't stop any of you from agreeing to this...though that doesn't mean I still don't think it's crazy."

Frisk smiled. "Glad to see you're finally truly on board with us, Flowey. We'll be needing your help in understanding how this darker world operates. As well as-"

"I knew it..."

Flowey turned pale. He slowly turned around to see Toriel setting a steaming Butterscotch Cinnamon Pie to the side, even though it was slightly burned. "I tried to ignore the possibility for as long as I could...but I just KNEW it."

"Ah...ah...ah..." Flowey whimpered, hiding within Red's pink hair.

"I kept thinking to myself...of course it's the flower! He did it the last six times, of course he would do it again. No matter what I do, the one who ruins it all is the same...God...DAMN...FLOWER!" With enraged emphasis on the last word, blue fire ignited in her paws, which clenched tightly. "I've grown weary of your existence, Flowey. Constantly whispering in the children's ears about escape, constantly pressuring them to leave, always trying to steal them from me...you're nothing but a filthy child stealer!"

Frisk slowly stands up after the outburst. "Mom-"

"Don't you start!" Toriel snapped. "It's too late now. He's already tainted you with his words. It won't be long now. You'll want to leave. You'll leave me down here all alone, just like the six others tried to do. But I couldn't let them. The monsters outside would give them an agonizing death. I had to end their suffering before it could begin..."

Frisk soul turned cold at the realization that dawned upon him. Flowey DID have a justified reason to be cautious around Toriel, besides her fierce dominance over the entire Ruins and her emotional instability. And it was yet another significant convergence away from the similar events of his timeline. "Mom...you...you didn't..."

"They chose to condemn themselves to death by trying to confront the outside world, instead of staying safe with me!" Toriel smiles wickedly. "There's no reason to panic. I didn't make any of them painful. I always made sure it was quick and painless, not like the savages outside would do to them. And as for their souls? They went to Asgore. I didn't want them going to waste." She frowns again. "It's not like I wanted to kill them! I was more than willing to keep as my own! But it's better for it to be by my hands instead of those outside! They won't be gentle like me!"

Frisk shook his head. "Mom...there's nothing gentle about death. It doesn't matter on any circumstances of who, what, when, where, why, or how...but it's NEVER gentle." He should know, due to past experiences on both ends.

"Enough. You're going to leave me, just like the others tried to. But I won't let you." Toriel's paws ignited more fiercely, as Frisk and Red slowly began backing up. "I'll make sure you stay with me forever...as a charred corpse!"

Frisk and Red both began to duck as a heated ball of fire was thrown at them by the furious Toriel. But it was immediately stopped in it's tracks and dissipated as Asriel warped in front of them, paw outward. He casts the flames aside as he stares down his mother, who looked taken aback by the sudden intrusion. Though the reactions switched as soon as she smiled.

"Hehehehehe...HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Toriel's crazed cackle echoed throughout the house, shocking the quad before her. "Why hello there, my dear Asriel. How do you plan to haunt me this time?"

Asriel's eyes immediately widened in understanding, concern, and horror. He didn't think, he just acted as soon as he saw that Frisk was in harms way. H-Haunt...? What did I just trigger?!

"Oh don't look so surprised. You do this to me every day. But that doesn't matter right now..." Toriel grinned as the fire in her paws grew more fierce, as well as the crimson of her eyes. "I'm going to incinerate you all, until you're but mere ashes...won't that be a delight?"

[Heartache: Vetrom Remix]

Asriel wasted no time grabbing Red and Frisk by the wrists and jumped over the railing down the stairs, barely avoiding another blue streak of flames. They rolled down the stairs a bit before landing uncomfortably on the cold, unforgiving floor. Red groaned as she sat up and rubbed her head, Flowey poking out of her hair, slightly dizzy from the fall.

"Oooowww...that wasn't very well thought out..." Red sighed. "Seeing you didn't stop her, it only made her angrier."

"Not to mention unstable...like I kept warning you about!" Flowey complained.

Toriel popped her head from behind the railing, her ears hanging when she cocked her head to the side. "You think this is the first time I've seen you while I'm awake?"

Her paw held out, five balls of blue fire erupted from her palm. Asriel held his paws out and fired five fireballs of his own, and they collided against one another in five mini-explosions. Though it didn't stop Toriel from walking through the smoke, swining her scarf to one side.

"You think this is the first time you looked at me with that pleading look on your face?" A ring of flames manifested around her waist and spreads out down the hall. Asriel once again grabbed Red and Frisk's wrist and dash in the other direction, sharply turning before the wave could hit them.

"Do you think this is the first time that I've had to battle illusions such as this one?!"

Frisk had Asriel and Red duck as another larger fire ball flew over their heads. They all looked before them and saw the exit of the Ruins before them. Flowey emerged again from Red's hair. The exit was literally right there. But Toriel swiftly blocks it off with a wall of fire before they could even touch it, and they were forced to look back towards her.

No escape.

"You think I don't know what you're trying to do?" Toriel sneered, her arms slowly catching fire as she raised them for another strike. "All of you are trying to break me. Break my heart. My mind. My spirit. You've tried many times before, and you won't succeed now."

Red jumped in and slashed two of the flameing orbs in half, while dodging a third one. She's quickly come to the realization that neither of the boys would be willing to harm Toriel no matter how much she would do the same to them. They were fighting solely on defense. Frisk dodged by rolling to the side of another speeding fireball, landing on his side as Asriel stood in front of him protectively. Never would he have imagined that he would have to defend one family member from another. Not like this.

"Mom, you've got it all wrong!" Asriel pleaded. Said plea was callously ignored as pillars of fire rose from the ground was thrusted towards the group. Asriel defensively holds both of his paws at the center of the pillars, causing them to break apart and pass the three by harmlessly. Though he was caught in a sneak attack as fire rose from right beneath him and shot him right into the ceiling, cracking it slightly as he fell back to the floor. "Ugh..."

"You see, you've failed in those endeavors. Because I know what my world looks like, and it's agonizingly more realistic than you."

"G-Get up!" Flowey squeaked as a ring of friendliness pellets fused into Asriel, healing a majority of his damage.

"Unlike my children, I knew how cruel this world was! But they didn't listen. Asriel and Chara didn't stick close to me . And because of that, they're both dead." She said with a shaken, cracked laugh. "Because I didn't want them to see the cruelty of the world I lived in, the other six had to die as well. It was my mercy to them. A fast death, far more favorable than the ones given out there."

Red shook her head. "You didn't even give them a chance, Toriel! You should have known they couldn't stay here with you forever! Sooner or later, they would want to explore outside the Ruins on their own free will and not Flowey's! What then?!" She was answered by another ball of fpame shot towards her, which she sliced vertically. Her sword was growing hotter beyond her limit ,so she discarded it for the time being.

"Do not play judge with me! I've done what I must!" Toriel roared as four larger fireballs shot from above her head. Asriel once again countered with his own fireballs of the same size, and they abruptly canceled one another out with destructive force. "Your mind games won't work on me, do you hear? My children are dead, my husband banished me, and the monsters have turned to complete savages! Can't you see? My mind...my heart...my spirit..." She grinned while shaking her head, a disheartened and shattered laugh escaped her lips. "You cannot break what has already been broken..."

Asriel resisted the tears beginning to escape, by shaking his head to regain focus. "Mom...please. Listen us."

Toriel shook her head, her smile nonexistent. "My son died years ago. You're not real."

"Mom..."

She refused. She covered her ears as more flame streaks shot out towardss Asriel. "I told you to stop. You're not real. You're just a figment of my shattered mind!"

Asriel was barely able to avoid the fire. Even with blood know running down his left eye, he refused to give in. He walked forward, undeterred. "I'm not going to fight you, Mom."

"Be silent!" She shouted at him, closing her eyes tightly to also block her vision of him.

"You're sad, and you're lonely. Everyone you knew and loved left you behind. They wrongly cast you aside when all you did was try to keep a family together. Losing me and Chara, Dad banishing you, the Kingdom blaming you for letting it fall apart...it broke you. Then you started to believe it."

"You know NOTHING!"

"You didn't want to experience the feeling of someone abandoning you ever again. You we're afraid that they other children would do so when they wanted to go on the outside. So you killed them before they would get the chance to leave you. But you feel guilty about it, and have no one to express it to."

"Shut up! Vanish, damn you!" She shouted as she swept another wave of fire towards Asriel. He pushed his paw outward and caused it to dissipate on contact. "Why are you so much more persistent than the other illusions!?"

"Because I'm not an illusion, Mom."

"I grow tired of this ruse! When will it end?! WHEN WILL IT END?!"

Asriel stopped moving, hesitant to continue when he saw her gripping her own head. "Mom...please...don't hurt yourself like this. You don't deserve it, even if you think you do."

Toriel's breathing grew erratic, to the point of hyperventilation. It wasn't going away. This being sounded like Asriel, looked like Asriel, talked like Asriel...but it should be impossible. Why does it feel like this son was hers, but not hers? And why does he continue to reach out to her, try to comfort her, instead of lashing out at her for her failures like the other times? Why...why did he...?

"...Mommy...?"

Her restraint broke.

[Music Stop]

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

The quads hearing protested against the shriek comparable to a banshee, but Asriel refused to look away and back down.

"AAAAAAAaaaaaaAAAAAH! GAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Still grabbing the sides of her head, Toriel fell to her knees, the flames dying out around her. Her head now lies lower than Asriel's, who watches her with intense sadness gripping his soul. Frisk was the same away, unable to bare seeing his mother like this, even if she's from another world entirely. Red simply couldn't watch at all, hiding her face behind her cowl.

Flowey, for obvious reasons, found watching this the most difficult, hiding in her hair once again.

Soon, Toriel stopped screaming in agony as she simply stared at the floor, breathing heavily as her eyes were wide and bloodshot, tears beginning to drip below her. "...Why...?" She whimpered quietly, not speaking to anyone in particular. "...Why must my life be a curse...? Every time I try to right a wrong, I only end up making things worse. My family has been torn apart. The Kingdom is tearing itself apart. I've slowly been losing myself to the darkness...and I have the deaths of six children on my conscious..." She hiccuped, shutting her eyes. "Why...why must everyone abandon me...? Why did they leave me behind to rot and dust...? Is...is this my punishment..? To slowly go mad in my own loneliness? Please...anyone...tell me why. Why have I been condemned to this eternal hell..." She slowly sat up and caressed the scarf in her paws...it didn't take long to finally figure out that it belonged to this timeline's Asriel. "...I just want to see my husband...and I want to see my children... I don't care about my own suffering anymore...but please...let me have my family back..."

Asriel and Frisk immediately ran towards Toriel and leapt at her into a super warm, comforting hug, not caring one bit about possible consequences. Tears ran down from Asriel's eye and Frisk visible eye as they gave this version of their mother a very much needed hug. Her situation was similar to their Toriel, but it was twisted into becoming so much worse and much more heartbreaking. Without hesitation, Toriel hugged the boys back, silently crying the last of her tears away.

"Mommy...I know that none of this makes any sense now, but I promise it will later. For now, you can still set yourself on a better path. You can still redeem yourself..." Asriel murmured into her bosom, but she was able to hear him nonetheless. He wasn't bluffing. If he and Chara could redeem themselves, anyone could.

"...How...? How can I possibly redeem myself after such a lifetime of agony?" Toriel muttered.

"Leave the Ruins with us." Frisk answered, slowly brightening up.

"W-What...? Children, I cannot..."

"Toriel. The more you stay in the Ruins, the worse you'll get." Red said while patting her shoulder. "The only way you're going to start recovering...is if you leave with us. You can't do that by sitting in the dark feeling sorry about yourself. You have to get up and want to make yourself better."

Toriel pondered such a notion, quietly. After a moment, she gently pulled away from the children with a nervous chuckle. "I...I do not know if I am capable of such a thing...but I shall try." Asriel and Frisk smiled at this. "I would offer you all my pie...but I'm pretty sure it wouldn't be that good anyway. I'm not exactly the best cook."

"We'll try it anyway!" Asriel and Frisk beamed at the same time. The smiles caused Toriel to blush brightly and smile at them. She then scoops them into another hug, clearly happy with how well things turned out.

I can't believe it! They actually pulled it off! And if they pulled THIS off...then maybe...Flowey decided not to indulge himself into possible false hope. Instead, he'll do what he's best at. Watch and learn.

...Did he hear something? He thought he heard something. A feminine voice...a very familiar one...

He might be starting to remember.

Unknown to everyone, Frisk grew six more flowers on his right arm...

(?)

Hm...what do we have here? The timeline completely Reset...yet I'm not in it? How?

...Oh. It would seem that a male, younger version of me has replaced me for the time being. And...oh no...he...he inherited my curse...

Because of how he accidentally entered the timeline, his curse is significantly worse than mine.

How many times he dies no longer matters...the flowers...no matter what, they'll gradually grow all over his body, sapping him of his magic, his souls energy, and his DETERMINATION. And the more he spares, the faster the flowers grow...

If he and the others are too late, and they don't break the Barrier before all three of them are completely gone...he'll be lost forever.

This trial...it is truly cruel.

...

...

...Sans...Flowey...

You both probably can't hear me right now...but please understand their plight...and help this group through this trial.

If this Frisk and his Asriel succeed where we partially failed...we'll all get the happy ending that we should have gotten before...and it'll stay that way.

But until then...

...Sans...

...Even with the pain, sadness, and anger laced into your soul...even if this is not the Frisk you hoped would return...please...do the right thing. I plead with you to protect him, just like you and Flowey did your best to protect me.

...I'm counting on you.


Me:...Welp. This is gonna suck for Classic Frisk, isn't it?

Frisk: Who was that speaking...?

Me: Ah ah, none of that. No one knows...accept probably the readers.

Frisk: Awww...

Fell!Toriel: What is this place? Where am I? *Looks at audience* Who are they?! *Flames ignite in paws* I don't know who you all are, but keep away from by children, lest you enjoy the sensation of obliteration!

Red: Um...they're readers of this story, Toriel.

Fell!Toriel:...Oh. Um...er...*flames die out, gently smooths out dress* Sorry for the misunderstanding. It is very pleasant to meet you all!

Asriel: *rubs neck* That was close. It's...a bit too complicated to explain. Just like our current situation.

Fell!Flowey: This is weird...really weird...we suddenly shifted, and what was with that voice? I swear I heard it before...I'm really trying to remember..

Asriel: I wonder what's happening in the main timeline...

Me: I'll be sure to start with that next time to kinda smooth things over. But until then, farewell for now, readers!