Chapter 5: The Greatest Friend

Frisk's mind goes blank. The knife comes down with blistering speed. He closes his eyes tightly, but there's no pain…at least, not for him.

Frisk slowly looks over Asriel's shoulder, and his soft eyes balloon with dread. The figure slashes downward, with the slash stretching from his chest to his upper abdomen. Asriel backs away and a large laceration appears on the center of his body. White dust particles begin to leak onto his shirt. Asriel grabs his chest where the knife slash was laid, and he falls backward, into Frisk's arms.

"No, no…not again," he pants as Frisk's eyes tremble.

The figure moves backward slightly, holding the knife in their hands tightly. The back door slides open quickly. Shock, fear, and confusion covers the atmosphere as the attendees stare at the Dreemurr siblings. Frisk's soul pounds violently like a giant mallet beating against a bass drum. He grips his chest with extreme vigor and looks down at Asriel.

"No, Azzy… please." Tears begin to fill in Frisk's eyes as the party goes close in around Frisk. The lanky figure nervously looks left and right, beginning to realize the blunder. "Azzy… please don't give up! You have to live…stay DETERMINED!"

Asriel coughs, and then gently looks up at his brother. "I'll… be ok, F-Frisk", he says in-between strained, agonized coughs. "Remember…when I said…don't kill and don't be killed?" Asriel coughs harder. "I'm keeping my promise. I'll be fine…"

Asriel's voice trails off, and he faints. The dust particle spread on his shirt. Frisk's tears increase and he panics, looking left and right. "SOMEONE HELP! CALL 911 OR SOMETHING!" His soul's pain is increasing; head is spinning; stomach feels sick. He grips his chest again in agony. (My soul…it's hurting so bad…what's happening to me? Is it the fear? Is it me shouting for the first time I can remember? Azzy…why?)

The masked figure sees the crowds increase around the Dreemurr brothers, and they turn to run towards the woods. Out of the blue, Sans teleports in front of the figure, standing there with one eye socket empty and one emanating blue and yellow light from his eye. The figure shudders, but then confidently readies their knife. "Hey kid…" Sans' voice growls deeply. "I hope you're ready for a bad time."

Sans then pulls out his gaster blasters and fires away. The figure moves back and forth and up and down with great quickness. The blaster lasers move with blinding velocity, but the figure moves even faster as the beams burn the grass beneath them. After a few more fires from the blasters, the figure curses to themself and runs toward the back fence. They hop over it and rush into the woods. Sans begins to walk towards the woods with both blasters activated and hovering above him, with his eye still illuminating piercing color. "You'll pay for that, you son of a…"

Before he can chase the figure into the woods, a holler is heard from back at his home. "SANS! GET YOUR LAZY BONES OVER HERE, NOW!"

Sans' illuminated blue and yellow eye turns back to the standard white dot that he normally has, and his other eye returns as well. "Oh…it's Undyne."

Sans turns around and shuffles back to the house. The Dreemurr parents have come out to the back patio, along with all of Frisk's closest friends gathered around the injured Asriel, who is still losing body matter. The chatter flows through the wide-open sliding glass door. Toriel stares at Frisk cradling Asriel in his arms, and her tears flow like a rushing river. She pulls out a handkerchief and blows her nose into it. Asgore then calmly yet worryingly looks down at Asriel and begins to speak to him. "Son! We'll call you an ambulance...and I'll have tea for you when you wake up!"

Undyne stares at him and angrily clenches her spear. "Forget the ambulance, Asgore!" Undyne then points to Sans, who just now got back to the house. "He's faster than any of us! We'll just use him."

Asgore stares at Undyne, then Sans, then slightly raises his voice. "I agree!"

Sans then walks up to Undyne. Undyne angrily glares at him. "It's about time you got over here! We have an injured child."

Sans begins to think to himself again as Undyne frantically looks at Asriel. One of the party goers walks out with a thick piece of cloth, placing it onto Asriel's chest to keep as much dust matter within his body. Sans' brain twists and turns. (If I took care of the figure earlier…or I wasn't sleeping…maybe I could've stopped it…yeah, I didn't feel like it at the time…and maybe someone else could've done something, but…is it my fault? Man, weird feelings, amirite?)

As people gather around Asriel and place the fabrics onto his deep wound, Undyne turns back towards Sans and barks at him. "Now, YOU will take him to the hospital. You can teleport, so you'll get him there in time. This injury is pretty gnarly and we gotta work fast." Undyne sharply points at Alphys. "Take Alphys with you; she can keep him stable while you go to the ER. You're faster than anyone. Now MOVE IT!"

Sans stares up at Undyne, then blankly jerks his head up and down. His eye sockets are glazed over. "I'm on it."

Undyne then calmly yet firmly brings everyone inside. As she does this though, a lizard-like creature who's covered in yellow fabric and scales named Monster Kid runs up to Undyne. "But Undyne, why don't you catch the bad guy? You're the toughest monster I know."

Undyne shakes her head and bites her lip intensely. She narrows her gaze at Monster Kid, and leans down to meet him at eye level, placing a hand on his shoulder. "This child's life is more important. Besides, with us around now knowing there's some creep trying to attack our friend...we won't let it happen again. Don't get me wrong; I love to fight." She sadly chuckles at this statement, then continues. "But, that'll have to wait. Mark my words though, that punk WILL be hunted down…but we need to make sure that Asriel survives first."

Alphys then takes a spare spear, chucks it at Undyne, and Undyne catches it effortlessly. "But Undyne, t-they came with a k-knife…using a s-spear will do the trick."

Undyne shakes her head vigorously. "I already said, I'll track down that little twerp later! YOU need to go with Sans and Asriel to the ER. Keep Asriel stable, ok? You can do it."

Alphys gulps. "But Undyne, I…"

Undyne shakes her head and points at Alphys' nose. "You trained some of the doctors there on how to handle monster anatomy; you got this! Meanwhile, I'll take the rest of the Dreemurrs to the ER. They're in no place to drive right now."

Alphys nods solemnly and Monster Kid bites his lip harshly. Undyne looks down at Alphys, forcing herself to smile. "Do this for me, alright?" Alphys then looks at her fist, then clenches it harshly and proudly nods. Undyne smiles. "That's my girl. Now get going with Sans before too long. We can't screw around."

Sans gently takes Asriel out of Frisk's hands, grips Alphys' hand, and then apparates out of the house. Undyne and the Dreemurrs slowly move back into the house. Toriel is still blowing her nose and sobbing. Asgore's body trembles. He's shaking his head and tapping his foot as quickly as an eye blinks. Frisk blankly stares at the ground, gripping his chest tightly with his right hand.

Undyne sighs deeply while quietly staring at the Dreemurrs. "So…I know this is a lot of junk to deal with at once, but hear me out...Asriel will be fine. I'm sure of it. He has too much DETERMINATION to let himself go now. You feel me?" Toriel wails and Undyne pats her on the shoulder. "There…there. He has half of a human soul merged with him, or however it works. Point is, Frisk's soul energy is with him. I'm sure he'll be fine because of that! Just think about it."

Toriel continues to cry, and Undyne scratches her head intently. "Well crap, that didn't work." She sighs, but then continues. Her voice lowers. "Don't worry…we'll get through this. How about we get the car ready and head over to Ebott General Hospital?"

Monster Kid then looks outside the sliding glass door, then runs up to Undyne again. "No wait, Undyne! Don't go. We need someone to protect us! What if…they…return?"

He longingly looks at Undyne, who nervously looks at the monster child, then outside again. Undyne grits her teeth, and then hears a coughing from behind her. She turns around. An elderly tortoise-like figure, sporting a safari cap and tan jacket while sitting in the rocking chair in the living room, snaps his fingers and raises his voice to Undyne. "I'll look after all of you whippersnappers!"

Undyne's eyes then beam with excitement. "Gerson! Call the police for us and report the attack. Understood?"

Gerson nods calmly and Undyne recoils, takes a moment to breathe deeply, and then turns towards Toriel and Asgore. "I get being scared, though. It sucks. You two have already gone through this once before, huh?" Toriel nods softly and continues to hold the handkerchief against her nose as Asgore gently rubs her back. Both of them are sobbing. Undyne nods and begins to whisper quietly to the Dreemurr parents. "I get that this could be a repeat, but…remember when you told me the story of his past? How he escaped the clutches of death through…"

Toriel snaps her head upward to stare at Undyne. Her brow furrows and her eyes fill with fury. "Flowey. Doesn't. Count."

Undyne nods and sighs deeply. "I'm sorry; I was just trying to help ya out…let ya know that your son has bounced back before and he could do it again. Besides, I'll keep his story a secret. Don't worry."

Asgore shakes his head while gently rubbing Toriel's back more deeply. "But Toriel, earlier today you said that you were starting to understand Asriel's past more, right? Undyne has a point."

"I don't want to think about that right now", Toriel whispers sharply.

Undyne nods and begins to walk towards the garage. "We should head over. I'll drive your car, alright?"

Asgore more intensely rubs Toriel's back now as she continues to pull out handkerchiefs from her pocket. Asgore solemnly shakes his head. "Understood, Undyne."

Toriel shakes her head and speaks through sobs. "We…c-can't lose…o-our child again...w-what if we do… lose him again?"

Asgore says nothing more as he tightly embraces Toriel as they walk to the family care. Undyne then looks down at Frisk, who is silently staring at the ground. "Let's go see your brother, ok?"

Frisk continues staring at the ground. He seems even more expressionless and calmer than usual. As Frisk walks past Gerson, he gently looks up at Gerson and whispers towards him. "That knife wound was meant for me. If the police come here and ask any questions, give them my testimony."

Gerson lowers his head, saying nothing. Undyne gently pushes Frisk and the rest of the Dreemurrs out to the family car, and they all hop in. With a quick jolt, the car is on the road, speeding up to the hospital. As the Dreemurr car pulls out into the driveway and speeds up the highway, a young and tall yet bulky purple monster walks on the other side of the road. Her massive hands and arms are resting in her pockets, with a black hood covering her head. She turns towards the car and stares at it as it speeds towards Ebott General Hospital. "A party…" she murmurs to herself. "With all this negative energy? That's weird…" The monster continues muttering to herself as she continues to trek towards the other side of town, towards the orphanage.

…

The sun has set. The Dreemurrs, Sans, Undyne, and Alphys are all in the waiting room on the third floor of Ebott General. Most of the group are asleep. Toriel is hunched over in a prayer position as Asgore rubs her back gently. Frisk keeps looking at the clock and tapping the arm rest on his chair. A human doctor walks out from Asriel's room, holding a clipboard.

"I have news." The ones asleep wake up instantly, and the doctor walks one pace closer to them. Toriel's eyes burn red. The doctor continues. "Fortunately…your son survived and will make a full recovery. He arrived in time."

Toriel and Asgore hug tightly, and Undyne excitedly pumps her fist. Alphys wipes her forehead in relief. Sans stands there silently, with his eyes looking blank. Toriel turns towards Sans and glances at him with her brow trembling, and he doesn't seem to notice her. The doctor continues giving her report. "He will definitely need rest, due to the depth of the knife wound. And, due to the hours as well, we request that only one visit him for now since he's already exhausted and we must close the visiting hours in a couple minutes. I hope you all understand."

Undyne smiles and gives the doctor a thumbs up. "Thanks, doc! We really appreciate it. But, who should Asriel see?"

Frisk then turns his head towards Toriel and Asgore. Toriel gently looks down at Frisk and rubs her hand through his hair. "It's alright my child…if anyone should visit our Asriel tonight, it's you. We understand."

Asgore nods and smiles at Frisk as well. "I agree. I bet your brother would love to see you. We will visit first thing tomorrow morning."

Frisk nods slowly and silently, and he walks into the room labeled "370", which is where Asriel is located. As Frisk walks in, he turns to see Asriel in bed. Asriel's eyes are closed and there's a breathing tube attached to his snout. His body looks very pale and there are heavy bags underneath his eyes to boot. Despite this, Asriel's limbs still look strong and sturdy.

Frisk sighs a bit, then grabs a chair and pulls it up to the side of the bed where Asriel lays. He takes a breath, and then speaks gently. "A-Azzy? Are you there? It's me, your best friend."

Asriel slowly opens his eyes in full and peers over at Frisk. He smiles softly and chuckles at his brother. "Howdy, Frisk. I told you I'd be ok."

Asriel chuckles weakly, then coughs, and then Frisk leans forward. Frisk shakes his head quickly. Asriel leans forward a little more and frowns, with his eyes growing sadder with each second. "Frisk… are you ok?"

Frisk drops his head onto the mattress. He begins to cry on Asriel's bedsheets, covering the side of the bed in water. Asriel's face shrouds with worry and he reaches out slightly to Frisk. "Frisk, I…"

He lifts up his head, sadly and angrily staring at Asriel. "You idiot!"

"Frisk…I'm sorry, but…"

"Y-you promised me you'd take c-care of your soul, and y-you go and do that?! You could've died…I know you have part of a h-human soul…but what if you…i-if you…"

Asriel shakes his head and gracefully folds his fingers together. "I'm sorry. I know I was being reckless for doing that…but, I care about you very much. You're my best friend and I wanted to protect you…to rescue you, just like how you rescued me from my prison." He coughs again and carefully thinks for a moment. "I don't mean to throw myself into potentially deadly situations, but I wanted to protect you. That's why I did what I did."

Frisk shakes his head passionately. "What if you fell? I-I can't get over that. W-what if things went wrong? What if…and…look, this keeps happening to you and you're f-freaking me out!"

"How, bud?"

"First, you want to give back your soul to me just to make me feel better, and now t-this…why do you keep throwing yourself in d-danger?!"

Asriel frowns and bites his lip, staring down at the bed sheets again. "I'm really sorry, Frisk. It's just that you've done so much to help me…I wanted to help you. I hurt you more than enough back in the Underground…now, it's the opposite. I want to do all I can to help you…because you're my brother and I love you."

Frisk shakes his head again. He leans in closer to Asriel with a tragic, sorrowful growl in his voice. "And there's another thing…Flowey. Even if you didn't die, you could've reverted back to being Flowey, I…didn't you think about mom and dad?! They don't want you to lose your real body again! What then?!" He takes a moment to breathe. "I'm not sure what would've happened exactly, but…in the best-case scenario, you lose your real body again. In the worst-case scenario, you die. I just don't understand…why you'd play with fire like that."

Asriel looks back up at Frisk. He clenches his hands together and nods slightly, while his eyes slightly wet and the windows to his soul tremble humbly. "I'm sorry, again. I'm sorry to cause you to worry. I just…I don't want to lose you. Besides, I'm still here." He lets his hands relax and his tone shifts to a more confident pitch. "I kept that promise of not killing and not being killed. And, I'll continue to keep it. Doesn't that comfort you at all?"

Frisk leans backward in the chair. He places his hand onto his chest again. The tears stop and his soul calms down a little, but his voice still reveals itself at a quiet volume. "I-I was scared, Azzy."

Asriel sadly but calmly nods and gently touches his chest. "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil."

Frisk raises an eyebrow and leans in towards Asriel. "Wait, what do you mean?"

Asriel then turns his head and looks out the window. The moon glistens and the night sky dances with bright, beautiful stars. He then looks back at Frisk and sighs. "Oh, I'm sorry…I'll explain. It's one of those phrases that I've been trying to remember lately. It's helping me get through this now, too."

"How is it helping you?"

"I've learned a lot since getting my real body back. And, well…one of the things I'm learning is that getting upset doesn't help."

Frisk scratches his head again. "I'm sorry bud, but I'm still not sure what you mean."

Asriel nods. "I just think that now, even in bad times like these, I shouldn't worry."

"What makes you say that?"

"Well…no matter what happens, my God will comfort me and I'll fight to push through and work through problems in the right way…even when things get very low."

"Oh…well, that makes sense, I guess."

Asriel nods and smiles slightly. "I still have my moments; you know it. And, I know this gives me no excuse to be reckless like I was, but I know I feel a lot more at peace than I used to. I'm better now…and I'll keep getting better the older I get." He smiles at Frisk and gives him a half-hearted thumbs up. "I'll be ok, ok?"

Frisk nods. "Well, if it helps keep you calm, that's good. I just wish you'd be more careful, Azzy."

Asriel nods quickly. "I won't squander this second chance. I promise."

Frisk leans in towards the bed and gently hugs Asriel. "Well…I somewhat understand what you said, I think. Just…please stay safe, ok?" Frisk's eyes grow misty and he nods slowly. "I love you, Azzy."

Asriel's eyes grow misty too. He quickly and gently hugs him back. "Love you too, bro."

Asriel releases Frisk. He nods and smiles slightly while rubbing the back of his head. "I'm sorry again for making you worry like that. I'll try to not run into trouble again." Asriel then looks up at the clock, and the hands are reaching high. "Hey, you better go before the nurses yell at you. Visiting hours are over now."

Frisk nods and quickly gets up from his chair, heading to the door. "Yeah…I know. You get good rest, alright?"

Asriel smiles slightly and nods slowly. "Yeah…for sure. See you around."

Frisk waves at Asriel and closes the door. Asriel peers out at the night sky and watches the stars. After a few minutes, he closes his eyes gently and sinks into his bed, relaxing his entire body as the heart monitor continues beeping. Asriel smiles warmly as he drifts off to sleep as the stars pass through the sky. This time, things are different. One thing is certain: the elder Dreemurr sibling is filled with hope and DETERMINATION.

…

The Ebott sports bar is filled with monsters and humans alike enjoying the games and partying the night away. A muscular, purple scaled, female monster is currently relaxing at the counter. She takes a quiet bite from the tortilla chips and then sips again on her beverage of choice. As she watches a hockey game on television between one burgundy and blue clad team and another green and white clad team, the game is interrupted by the local news station. A reporter comes online and begins speaking in a monotone voice.

"Good evening. This just in: there has been an attempted murder in the town of Ebott, Colorado. Witnesses at the scene seem to be giving mixed reports, but one correlation is that the would-be assailant is wearing an odd-looking mask. We will not be releasing the name of the victim and his family at their request. The injured is currently in the hospital; recovering but alive, thankfully. If you see any suspicious persons in the Ebott area, please report your findings to the local police department."

The sports bar erupts into hushed whispers as they stare at the television. The purple monster places her hood back on her head again and taps her scaly finger onto the bar top. She whispers to herself. "Wait, could it be…just maybe…" She nods and pounds the counter as a couple citizens turn to look at her over their shoulders. "Maybe it is time…to do something about it." With a quick huff, she throws some cash onto the bar top and rushes out of the sports bar. After heading out the front door, she begins marching up the street with vigor, being eclipsed by the dark, eerie road.