"Mmm...unnngggh."
Frisk sloppily sat up in her bed after a long yawn, still exhausted from the day before. The room was dark, her eyes were barely able to make out any distinguishable shapes, but she noticed the other bed across the room and could hear Asriels soft breathing contrasting the ambient silence. She knew where she was.
How long have I been asleep?
"Oh, you're awake."
A familiar voice from the other bed.
"Azzy? Is that you? I can't see."
He sat up in his own bed, stretching his limbs.
"Yeah, it's me. Hold on."
He stood, quietly walked across the room and flicked on the light. It was temporarily blinding for Frisk and she had to shut her eyes for a moment until they adjusted.
"Oh, sorry! You've been out for a long time. I wouldn't be surprised if it's morning now."
Immediately she noticed something on the floor. A detail.
"I hope that's not..."
Asriel shook his head, pointing to another plate on the dresser. She could see the slimy remains of a slice of Snail Pie encrusting the plate. He picked up the other plate on the floor and brought it over to her.
"Nah, this one is butterscotch and cinnamon. Mom made two pies earlier. This one is yours."
Frisk lethargically took the plate from his hands. She had tasted this particular recipe before, on her very first run through this journey, and it brought back fond memories. With fork in hand, she dug into the pie immediately, and her expression as she took that first bite said it all.
"Ah, you like that one. Be sure to tell her that so you don't have to suffer more slimy, delicious Snail Pie in the future."
He smacked his lips together...or at least what passed for lips with that long snout. She wondered if he ever accidentally bit his lips or his tongue with those fangs of his.
"Haha, dork. How long have you been up, by the way? Did you sleep at all?"
He sat on her bed now, shyly kicking his legs over the edge.
"A little bit. My mind was racing most of the night though, and I woke up right around when mom walked in with the pies. I'm not even tired, to be honest. Hell of a day yesterday, huh?"
Frisk leaned forward and reached out to Asriel, grabbing his closest arm.
"Are you okay?"
He nodded.
"Yeah, I think so. I'm just...still in shock that this is all really happening. I'm really here, with my family and friends. I'm really going to get to leave here and see the surface...see it again, in any case. I'm gonna get to live a normal life."
Frisk retracted her arm now, looking away with a heavy sigh.
"After everything we've been through...I wonder if life will ever be 'normal' for us again. I've reset this timeline so many times now, I'm not even sure what is 'real' anymore. And I made everyone suffer this nightmare over and over again. I...what am I going to tell everyone? I can't face them..."
Asriel looked up towards the ceiling, giving a heavy sigh of his own. They were both wise beyond their years because of everything that happened between them, the resets for Frisk and the years of silent suffering for Flowey.
"I don't know Frisk, I'm in the same boat as you, trying to figure out what I'm going to tell everyone...but you know, maybe it's better if we don't tell them. We confessed the things we did to ourselves and our parents, that should be good enough, right? The others don't need to know, it would only confuse and hurt them in they knew the truth. Chara was right about one thing, sometimes it's better not to say anything. In this case, ignorance is bliss, right? I-I know that makes me sound like a coward, but..."
Frisk got out of bed now and stood in front of Asriel, setting her pie down on the night stand. She took Asriels hands and held them up.
"No, it doesn't. You're right. Mom and Asgore know the truth, so it's not just us. And we had a reason to tell them. There's no reason the others need to know, it would only hurt them. I'm done meddling with things best left alone."
He looked at her now, smiling in return.
"Yeah, me too! I just want to live a normal life now, or at least try to, for both of us. It's what Chara would want."
Frisk nodded, but suddenly looked away in disappointment. Asriel cocked his head in confusion.
"W-what's wrong Frisk?"
There was someone who was still left out, someone who deserved to be here, and Frisk felt awful that she couldn't make it happen in the end. Or so she thought.
"I just...I wish I could have saved Chara too...I wish she was here with us."
Asriel leapt out of bed and gently brought a hand up to Frisks face, turning her gaze back to his. He gave her a look of warmth and reassurance, touching his other hand to his heart.
"She IS here with us, Frisk. She always has been. And you DID save her. You just don't know it yet."
"Azzy..."
It took a moment for Frisk to understand what he meant, but then she remembered what she felt before, when she initially gave up her SOUL to save Asriel. Seeing through his eyes, feeling everything he felt, for every second of that brief out-of-body experience. And since Chara gave up her SOUL in Frisks place, not only saving her best friend, but Frisk as well, that meant that Chara must be experiencing what Frisk felt before as well, seeing, feeling and experiencing everything Asriel did, living on vicariously through her dear brother now, even if she couldn't tell them in person.
Frisk DID save Chara, and only now did she realize it, what she had truly accomplished, what THEY had accomplished. She smiled with renewed confidence and joy.
"Yeah, you're right."
She grabbed Asriels hand and pulled him towards the door.
"Come on, let's see if anyone else is awake."
They slowly opened the door, careful not to make too much noise. The rest of the house was dark and silent, except for the persistent sound of snoring coming from the living room. It had to be Sans. They slowly tiptoe'd their way towards the living room, with Asriel noting that Frisk was making much more noise than she realized.
"Your shoes, Frisk. They're really squeaky."
She shook her head, looking down at her tiny boots.
"Sorry. But now that you mention it, I haven't seen you or your parents wear shoes this whole time."
Asriel lifted one of his furry paws, wiggling it around.
"Well, our feet are pretty tough, even on rugged terrain, so we never really had a need for shoes. I could probably walk through the entire Underground and not get so much as a scratch. And our fur keeps us both warm and cool at the same time, even in extreme climates. So for that matter we don't really need much in the way of clothes either, other than for social decency. What Mom and Dad wear is...or, rather WAS, mostly a formality."
His little lecture brought another question to mind.
"Speaking of fur, what's it like?"
He slapped his own forehead at that question.
"Oh, it clogs everything. Dad had to clean the pipes all the time because of it, and it has a tendency to clump and tangle if it's not taken care of properly, especially when it gets wet. You should see how it poofs up when blow-dried. Also, summertime is the worst because of shedding, even down here in the Underground. The house becomes a white mess. But it's not all bad."
She nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, it's really soft, and looks pretty too."
He giggled in response.
"Haha, yeah I guess. But trust me, you'd get tired of it after one day, so don't be too envious. It's not fun accidentally sitting on your tail either."
They had to hover their hands over their mouths to contain their laughter as they peeked around the corner.
Everyone was still asleep, and to their surprise, it was ALPHYS who was snoring, laying against Undynes chest, using her as a makeshift pillow. The whole thing was utterly hilarious and it was all Frisk and Asriel could do to not burst out laughing.
Papyrus was flat on his face, soundless, probably dreaming about spaghetti. And Sans was...
"Wait a minute, where's Sans?"
Frisk said quietly.
"right behind you."
Both Frisk and Asriel jumped in surprise, careful not to raise their voice too high. The others didn't hear anything, thankfully. They turned around and there he was, leaning against the railing of the stairs.
"Don't scare us like that, Sans."
He shrugged.
"sorry."
"What time is it, anyway?"
"4:56 am."
Asriel responded with excitement.
"Oh, it's almost sunrise. We should get going soon then."
Sans held up his hand to calm him down.
"easy, fireball. asgore said he'd wake everyone at 5:00 AM. he's at the throne room right now, tending to the garden. he should be back any moment, and toriel should be up any time as well."
Frisk nodded.
"So, why are you up already then?"
He shrugged.
"eh, i don't really sleep for long periods of time. and it's a good thing that i am awake now, because i wanted to talk to you."
Frisk cocked her head.
"About what?"
Sans looked a little concerned now.
"well...i'm glad you survived the whole ordeal, first of all. when you told me what you were planning, i was so worried, so pissed off, i almost tried to stop you from doing it. i probably should have in hindsight. but it seems to have worked out for whatever godsent reason, and i'm glad you're back, both of you. it's just..."
Asriel spoke up now.
"Just what? What's wrong, Sans?"
He sighed with weary resignation.
"...well, i've been in this position so many times now, i've sort of given up on ever seeing the surface, because each time..."
Frisk immediately knew what he was talking about. It wasn't the first time he had mentioned it, after all.
"Oh, that. Well, good news, you don't have to worry about me resetting anymore. Seems I lost that ability when I...well, anyway, I don't have it anymore."
Sans looked up at her now with renewed hope.
"really? so...this is really happening?"
Frisk pondered that as well. The details of what exactly happened and why were still fuzzy to her. Looking back, Asriel was only able to regain his true form after absorbing the equivalent of seven human SOULs. Though she did not regret what she did for him at the time, it was unclear to her now, how exactly he was able to sustain his body with only a single human SOUL, even one as powerful as Charas. He was no longer in danger of becoming an Amalgamate with the power of Chara's SOUL helping to keep his DETERMINATION under control, but it made no sense to Frisk now, how he was able to maintain his form without reverting into Flowey, when he needed so much power to regain his true form in the first place.
Then Frisk realized, the power that she had before, the power to SAVE and RESET, maybe that was the key. After all, it was what allowed Frisk to confront Asriel when he became the God of Hyperdeath, after absorbing the equivalent of seven human SOULs. If Frisks DETERMINATION and her ability to SAVE and RESET was really that strong, strong enough to stand against the power of seven human SOULs, then even with just a single human SOUL, maybe it was enough for him. Maybe giving up that ability in the process, even if it was unintentional, was the catalyst that gave Asriel just enough power to maintain his form now.
Maybe with what little power you had left...you could SAVE something else
Things suddenly made a lot more sense to Frisk. A newfound smile taking form on her face, Frisk nodded with resounding affirmation.
"Yeah, and honestly, even if I knew I still had that power, I wouldn't use it again anyway."
She put an arm around Asriel now.
"With Asriel back, there's no reason to reset anymore."
Asriel was on the brink of crying again.
"Frisk, c-come on. I'm really not worth that much trouble."
She threw out that notion immediately.
"You are to me. I told you before, it's not a happy ending without you."
He lost it. Immediately he put an arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer, nuzzling her cheek. She was blushing.
"AZZY! Cmon, not in front of him!"
"Haha, too late!"
Sans shrugged and briefly turned his head.
"eh, didn't really need to see or hear any of that, but anyway...you did good, both of you. i'm glad to have you both back. i don't even want to try to make sense of how all of this happened anymore, i'm just happy that things eventually turned out this way. i have no idea what i'm going to do now, though."
Asriel nodded at Sans.
"Yeah, me either."
Frisk reaffirmed them both.
"We'll figure that out when the time comes."
Footsteps from the hallway.
"Oh, you're all awake."
It was Toriel. She emerged from the darkness of the hallway into the low ambient lighting of the entrance, near the stairwell.
"not all of us, the others are still snoozing in the living room, but i can get some buckets of ice water if you'd like."
Frisk giggled at that thought.
"We thought YOU were the one snoring, Sans. Can't believe it was Alphys."
"oh man, you should hear my brother sometimes. his snoring has woken up the neighbors before. we lucked out tonight."
Toriel giggled at Sans suggestion.
"Nothing quite so dramatic, but it is time to wake everyone up. Sunrise is in less than 30 minutes."
Asgore emerged from the bottom of the stairwell now.
"Oh, good morning everyone."
Toriel nodded at the drowsy king.
"We should get everyone ready. Frisk, Asriel, why don't you go and gather your belongings for the journey. We'll be leaving shortly."
They both nodded.
"Okay!"
As they walked back to their room, Frisk stopped to give Toriel a hug.
"Thank you for the pie, Mom. I loved it."
Toriel smiled at hearing that and returned the embrace, gently patting Frisks head.
"You're very welcome, Frisk. Now I know what to make for you in the future."
Frisk smiled back, and followed a waiting Asriel to their room.
"well, i'll get everyone up then. don't worry, no ice water today."
Sans turned and walked back into the living room.
...
Asgore climbed the stairs, stopping in front of Toriel. His expression was one of confusion and shock.
"What a long night. I think I took care of everything I needed to though. Everything except..."
Toriel gave him a look of bewilderment now. Something was wrong.
"Everything except what? You look like you've seen a ghost, Asgore."
Not that her assessment wasn't true in the slightest, given their situation, but it was far more than that now.
"Well...I went to check the coffins in the basement. I was going to give them all a proper burial before the night was over, but..."
Her confusion only magnified when he let his thought trail off.
"But what?"
"...they're empty. ALL of them."
That was the last thing Toriel was expecting to hear.
"WHAT!?"
She pushed Asgore out of the way and ran down the stairs, taking them two by two, being careful not to trip over herself. Asgore calmly followed her down to the basement, to the long room with the coffins. The coffins. Originally this room only had one coffin, to house Chara's body, but Toriel wanted better for Chara and took her body away from this place when she left Asgore, giving it a proper burial in the Ruins, beneath the only tree in the Ruins, the one that never held onto its leaves. Thereafter, Asgore used this room to entomb the children he slew after taking their souls, having at least enough decency to respect them in death. Toriel always meant to come back and give each of them a proper burial since she felt they deserved better, but eventually she became a recluse and never left the confines of the Ruins. But now...
...the coffins were open. Open and empty. The only one that held anything was the first one, with some old wrappings laying at the bottom. Charas coffin.
"Where are they, Asgore!?"
"I don't know! I came in here to tend to them, and they were all like this!"
She gave him a stern look, but his expression told her that he was being honest. They both gave a quick glance around the room before their gaze met each others again.
Suddenly...
"Asgore, you don't think..."
They were both hit with the same optimistic possibility. If what everything Asriel and Frisk had told them was true, that meant that Frisk had died, if only for a few moments, and came back to life when Asriel returned her SOUL to her, after Chara stepped in to give Asriel her SOUL in Frisks stead. Asriel released the SOULs of everyone after cracking the barrier, including the six fallen humans. Could that really have meant that the six fallen humans came back to life too, their SOULs finally free after so long? Could they really have returned to their bodies after all this time? It seemed ridiculous, given that their bodies would have been nothing but bones and mummified flesh at this point. Also, their families would have long since moved on by now. Would they really have a home to return to after all this time?
Then again, the human SOUL was an enormous mystery to both human and monsterkind, even now. And after everything that had happened over the last 24 hours, Toriel and Asgore were willing to open their minds to just about anything at this point. Whether or not it was true, that the fallen children came back to life and left the mountain, neither of them knew, but given everything that had happened, that possibility was relatively tame in comparison, and it was the only explanation that made any sense to them.
DETERMINATION. It was a powerful force indeed.
A feeling of calming peace came over Asgore in that moment. Their childrens efforts had apparently accomplished far more than they had realized. He still felt guilty over what he had done, as he should, but at least now he was beginning to feel like he had some degree of absolution, knowing that the damage left in his grief was somewhat undone now, and by his own children no less.
They looked at each other with serene optimism now. Asgore took his spouses hands into his own, and together they turned, gazing out through the doorway. Neither of them knew if what they had assumed was really the case, but what Asgore said now was fitting in either regard.
"I hope they make it home."
...
Asriel was traveling light and he was intent on only bringing a few important things. The photo of Chara, his camera, and some drawing and writing supplies. He was looking for one other thing, but could not find it, and assumed his parents already had it.
Frisk put her napsack around her waist now, having finally finished the last of her pie. She motioned Asriel to put his belongings in her bag.
"Are you sure about this? I have plenty of room for more."
Asriel nodded.
"Yeah, I won't really miss most of this stuff. These are the things that are important to me. What about you?"
Frisk glanced over her few meager belongings.
"Mementos, mostly, from my adventure here. A little leftover money too, maybe 100g or so. If this is real gold, it's probably gonna be worth a lot more on the surface. Maybe even enough to buy a home somewhere."
Asriel gave Frisk a funny look.
"You should see how much money Mom and Dad have stashed away. It'd probably be enough to buy an entire city on the surface if that's true."
Another thought came to Frisks mind, something she meant to inquire about earlier.
"By the way Azzy, I wanted to ask you earlier, are you still able to use any magic?"
He nodded, conjuring a small star in his hand.
"Of course, I was born with that ability after all. I didn't know it was there until Mom showed me, though, and she taught me how to control it little by little over the years. But it's nowhere near as strong as...well, as it was earlier. And both Mom and Dad are far better at it than I am."
Another funny look appeared on his face.
"Why do you ask?"
"Well, I was just wondering if it was something I could learn eventually. I guess I would had to have been born with the gift, the way you describe it. Oh well, I don't know what I would ever use it for anyway. I just think yours looks really cool."
Asriel started blushing a little. Chara always thought his magic looked kind of silly.
"Haha, well thanks! If you're wondering why my magic takes on the form of stars and colors, it's because magic itself is tied to the emotion and creativity of the one who conjures it. I always thought stars and rainbows were cool, as dumb as that sounds."
Frisk smiled at him. It wasn't dumb to her. The names he gave his spells may have been a little lame but the magic itself was fascinating to her.
"Honestly, I'm not sure if you have to be born with such an ability or not. It might have something to do with the fact that monsters are made of magic to begin with. But if you're interested, I could try to teach you some magic at a later time. You never know, stranger things have happened."
Frisk nodded excitedly.
"Okay! I'll hold you to that."
...
They stopped at the top of the stairs.
"I still can't believe everything that has happened."
Toriel nodded in agreement. They were both still at a point where they were trying to process the events of the last 24 hours, but slowly things were coming into focus for both of them.
"Do you...think we should tell them, Toriel?"
She thought long and hard about that for one moment.
"...no, I think it's best not to say anything. They're both sorting through a lot of guilt right now, and it would only be adding to their burden. They probably already know anyway. They would feel it in their hearts if nothing else. Right now they need us to be strong for them if they're...if WE'RE going to get past this."
Toriel felt like she wasn't beyond blame in this regard either. Had she stayed with Asgore instead of walking out on him when he needed her the most, she might have been able to convince him that what he was planning to do was wrong. She might have been able to stop it from ever happening at all. So she felt like she had to share some of the responsibility of what happened, even if things had finally been set right.
But, on the other side of the coin, none of this would have happened had Asgore not done what he did. Asriel would not be alive and healthy, the Barrier would not be broken, and monsters would still be trapped here. Neither one of them were in a position to explain what had happened, how things turned out this way, but things can only get so bad before they have to start getting better. Maybe that's what this was, the turning point. And they both resolved to accept it for what it was and make the most of it, what they were given back. Their family. Their freedom.
"Yes, you're right. I can't take back what I did, but I will do everything in my power from this day forward to atone for it, to make it right, for my sake, our people, and theirs as well."
Toriel nodded, expecting nothing less from the fallen king, her former husband. Asgore reached into his pockets now, pulling out the trinket that Toriel was still scouring the house for.
"Here, you wanted this, right?"
Toriel held out her hand as he dropped the item in question into her waiting palm. It was another heart locket, but this one was yellow in color, the same as the buttercups in the throne room. This one belonged to Asriel.
"Oh, thank you. I've been looking for this. Asriel was probably wondering where this was too."
She took the other locket out of her pockets now, the one that belonged to Chara, comparing them side by side.
"His idea was so sweet though. It'll take me a while, but I think they'll be happy when the time comes...even if she doesn't stay."
She gently placed both lockets back in the depths of her robes.
"By the way, do we have a camera anywhere?"
He pointed down the hall.
"Should be one in Asriels room still. He'll probably end up packing it but you should ask him, just incase. You should pack anything you need too."
"I don't think I need anything here. In all honesty, I'm ready to move on from this life and start anew."
Asgore nodded. Then he pulled out a small gilded pouch.
"Here, take this too."
Toriel held out her hand to accept the small pouch. She gave it a shake, and the metal jingling inside was a telltale clue.
"There's about 10,000g inside. I have more than enough for myself still, don't worry."
The pouch was enchanted with magic to make it smaller and lighter for easy concealment. In reality, the huge cache of gold inside would be enough to fill a large vault.
Toriel looked at him with reluctance.
"Asgore...I can't accept this."
He shook his head.
"Don't worry about it. From what I've heard, gold is a very valuable resource on the surface so this should give you a good financial foothold if the rumors are true. Use it to establish a new life with them, our children. Find a place to call home, somewhere they can play outside, go to school, make friends...somewhere they can be normal kids."
She looked at him again, then nodded and placed the pouch in her robes.
"What about you?"
"I...I can't stay with you. I have to be an ambassador for our people now, spread the word that we seek peace with the humans. I was hoping to ask Frisk to take up that mantle, but that's too much of a burden for any child. She's already done enough for us."
Toriel looked away in disappointment now.
"I'll visit as often as I can. I want to be involved in their life as much as possible. But this is something I have to do if our two great races are ever going to be able to coexist in peace."
"I...I know. I understand."
She pondered her future for a moment.
"Well, I've always wanted to be a teacher, maybe this is my chance."
He took her hands now, kissing them affectionately. She flashed a shy look at Asgore and was visibly blushing.
"I know they're in good hands with you. You're a great person, and I took it for granted once. Never again."
He stepped away, gazing upon his wifes beauty.
"Well, I'll go see to our guests. You should go and check on the kids, help them with whatever they want to bring. We don't want to miss our first sunrise together."
Toriel nodded with a smile.
"All right then."
She turned and walked down the hall, towards the childrens room.
...
A knock on the door.
"Come in."
The door opened. Toriel was standing in the open frame.
"Asriel, do you happen to have a camera?"
"Yeah, I already packed it, along with Charas picture."
Toriel nodded excitedly.
"Okay, good. It's time to go then. Are you both ready?"
They both nodded at each other, and then at Toriel.
"Ready!"
"Let's go see our friends then."
Toriel held the door open as they secured their belongings, stepping out into the hallway. They both walked side by side towards the stairwell as Toriel flicked the light off and closed the door to their room, following closely behind.
Everyone was waiting at the stairwell. Undyne was groggy, no surprise there.
"Dammit, Alphys. You snore worse than me."
"Y-yeah, sorry. I didn't have my sinus medication with me."
"at least my brother didn't snore last night. seriously, we've had people knock on our door at 3 in the morning, telling him to shut up."
"THEY'RE JUST JEALOUS OF MY TALENTS! NYEHEHEHEHEHEH!"
"sure, if violation of noise ordinances counts as a talent. next time it'll be torches and pitchforks."
Asgore took the lead in front of the stairwell.
"Okay, follow me everyone."
...
As the group emerged from the newly-opened mountain entrance, Frisk noticed that the light of new day was already cresting the horizon. It was only seconds away now. Asriel ran to the edge of the cliff, beckoning everyone to join him. Frisk stood beside him on the far left while Toriel stood to his right, and everyone else lined up beside them for the show.
"Perfect timing. Brace yourself, Azzy."
A few seconds later, the first glare of sunlight emerged over the distant mountains, its fiery blaze slowly casting everything in its golden light. It was blinding at first, and everyone had to shield their eyes momentarily to adjust, but as the sun crept higher and higher, everyone just stared in amazement, feeling its warmth for the first time.
Asriel was completely mesmerized at this point.
"It's...it's as beautiful as I thought it would be."
They stood like this for at least an hour. The sky was a clear blue, not a cloud in sight.
"I'm more of a sunset person myself. We have to see one of those together too, Azzy."
He smiled at that thought, grabbing hold of her hand as soon as she said that.
"Yeah, maybe tonight!"
Even Sans let his emotions flow in this moment too.
"man, i never thought i'd see this. it feels...awesome. i could wake up every day for this."
"HE'LL BE BORED OF THIS IN NO TIME! LOOK, HE'S EVEN WEARING SLIPPERS STILL!"
Sans elbowed his brother in the side.
"guilty as charged. should have brought my sneakers."
Toriel reassured him.
"We can always come back to collect anything we might need."
There was still a sort of elephant in the room that everybody was missing, or didn't care to address. Nobody knew what to do at this point, and Undyne was the first one to say anything about it.
"Well, we're free, but what now?"
Asgore sighed, looking into the distance. Asriel took notice immediately.
"What's wrong, Dad?"
"I...I have to go."
Asriel flashed him a look of hurt.
"W-WHAT!? But WHY?"
"Well, I..."
Toriel could see how hard this was for both of them, and attempted to interject on Asgores behalf.
"He has to be an ambassador for our people now. He has to meet with the leaders of the human race, to try and establish peaceful relations between the humans and monsters."
Asgore nodded.
"Yes. It's going to be a tense period for our races as we attempt to re-integrate with humanity. I need to be on the forefront of diplomacy to let the humans know that we mean them no harm, that we seek a peaceful and mutual coexistence with them. I...well, I was going to ask YOU to be our ambassador, Frisk, but...you've done so much already. I cannot ask that of you."
Frisk gave Asgore a smile of reassurance.
"It's alright. I wouldn't mind doing it. It's just...I don't really know HOW to be an ambassador. I really don't know or even care anything about human politics."
Asgore smiled back.
"Hehe, yes, and I'd rather see you and my son doing kids things. Playing outside, going to school, having fun."
Asriel was disappointed, but he was old enough and wise enough to see the bigger picture. He fought back the tears this time, taking the news in stride.
"I...I understand, Dad. I'll miss you though."
Frisk and Toriel nodded at his sentiments.
"So will we."
Undyne was concerned as well, and, remembering her vows, now knew what her future entailed too.
"Well, if that's your plan then I guess I'm going with you, Asgore. As a former member of the Royal Guard, it is my sworn duty to protect you from harm, until death claims me."
Asgore looked at Undyne with reluctance.
"Undyne, we seek peaceful relations with the humans. What will it say about us if I attempt to reach out to their leaders with an armed escort at my side?"
Undyne was adamant about her position though.
"I don't need a weapon. My fists are more than enough if anyone chooses to mess with either of us."
She chuckled. Classic Undyne.
"Besides, what if you get in trouble? Who's gonna be there to save you? Even though you seek peaceful relations with the humans, not all of them may feel the same way. Some of them may be hostile, some of them may even react violently towards you. I can't let you face that kind of danger alone."
Toriel nodded in agreement.
"She's right. You should take her with you, for company on the road at least."
Alphys spoke up as well, now knowing what her future entailed.
"If Undyne is going, then I'm going too. As a scientist, my skills and knowledge might be useful on such an endeavor. After all the bad I've done, it...it would be nice to put my skills to use for something good."
Asgore still looked reluctant to say yes, but he knew he wasn't going to win this argument. And the idea of having the company of friends sounded pleasant to him.
"Well, I...alright, you win. It will be nice to not have to travel alone. But remember Undyne, we seek PEACE with the humans. Violence must only be a last resort."
Frisk gave a chuckle under her breath.
Undyne nodded.
"I understand. If there's anything I've learned from Frisk, it's that you don't always have to be violent to resolve something."
Gee, I wonder where they got THAT idea from...
Papyrus looked a little disappointed though and sighed to himself.
"TOO BAD! I WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO THOSE COOKING LESSONS TOO!"
Alphys had an answer to that.
"You guys DO know what the Internet is, right? The humans must have it too. Why don't you guys just stay connected via voice calls or even webcams? It's easy, I'll show you both how."
Sans spoke up now.
"yeah, i can show papyrus too, once we settle in somewhere."
Undyne responded with excitement.
"Really!? Well then, looks like we're still on, Papyrus. You'd better be ready every weekend because I am going to train the hell out of you."
Papyrus screamed in sheer joy.
"YEAH I CAN'T WAIT! WATCH OUT WORLD, HERE COMES THE GREAT MASTER CHEF PAPYRUS!"
Alphys snapped her head in surprise, as if she had just remembered something urgent.
"Oh! By the way. I replaced Mettatons batteries while Frisk was away yesterday. He left without saying goodbye, something about wanting to meet his fans and giving them all a fantastic encore. Frisk and I know what that means, having been on three of his shows already, so don't be surprised if you see him on television soon. He could even become an internet phenomenon."
Frisk was a little sick at that thought.
"I am NOT tuning in for that show. I've had enough brushes with death in this life time."
Alphys laughed.
"YEAH ME EITHER!"
Asgore spoke up with renewed enthusiasm about the future.
"Well, I guess I can stay in touch with you guys even from far away then. I'll contact you all every day!"
Toriel nodded happily.
"We'll look forward to it."
Asriel jumped with glee.
"YEAH! I'm gonna hold you to your promise to visit though!"
Asgore smiled.
"As often as I can."
He knelt down and beckoned his son over for a hug. Asriel ran to him immediately as his arms closed around him. Frisk crossed her arms together, giving him a smile and a wink, and Toriel walked up to him as this was going on to give him a farewell kiss on the cheek.
"Be safe on your travels."
They pulled away from each other. Asgore nodded at Toriel, then at the kids, and beckoned Undyne and Alphys to join him.
"Alright then, we're off. See you soon."
Toriel, Frisk and Asriel waved goodbye as the traveling trio made their way down the mountain side, until they disappeared from sight.
Toriel took Asriels hand, bringing it up to her face to nuzzle, and reassured him gently.
"We'll see him again soon, don't worry."
Asriel smiled.
"I know."
Papyrus was ready to see the world now. He could contain his anxiety no longer. There was a small village directly in front of them, not far from the base of the mountain, but of greater interest to him was the looming city in the distance. He figured that was as good of a place as any to start.
"I'M OFF TOO! TIME TO SEE WHAT LIFE ON THE SURFACE IS ALL ABOUT! I THINK I'LL START WITH THAT BIG CITY WAY OVER THERE! CYA GUYS!"
And he wandered off in the same direction as the others.
"uh oh."
Sans expressed concern for his brother.
"guess i'd better follow him and make sure he doesn't get into trouble. we've gotta find a new place to call home now, too."
And he started walking away, in the opposite direction Papyrus and the others were going.
Haha, same old Sans.
Toriel called out to him.
"Wait, will we see you guys again?"
Sans turned and nodded.
"oh yeah, i'm sure we'll find you guys again. as i understand it, it's a small world. i have your cell number still too, so don't worry."
She nodded.
"Okay, take care then!"
He nodded back and, with hands in pockets, began his descent down the other path.
...
Toriel looked around. It was just her, Asriel and Frisk now.
"Well, it seems everyone has left."
Asriel nodded.
"So what do we do now?"
Toriel looked a little worried, and Asriel picked up on it quickly.
"Mom? What's wrong?"
She shook her head.
"Oh, it's nothing, I just..."
Both Asriel and Frisk cocked their heads at her in confusion. She knew she couldn't hide her feelings any longer.
"Well...Frisk, you came from somewhere on the surface, right?"
Frisk nodded, gazing out across the land.
"Yeah, though I can't remember where. I honestly don't remember anything before the fall. I could have come from that village down below, or maybe that big city further in the distance, or somewhere else entirely. I just don't know anymore."
Toriel reluctantly followed up her inquiry.
"So that means your parents...your biological parents I mean, are out there somewhere too?"
Frisk was a little bit uncomfortable, not by the question itself, but the way it was put to her. She felt like Toriel and Asgore were her parents now, but she couldn't shake her feelings about her past or her birth parents, not knowing who they are. Her earlier conversation with Asriel at the flower bed quickly resurfaced bad thoughts.
"...yeah, I guess they are. I don't remember anything about them either though, what they look like, where they could be, nothing. I don't even have a picture or a memento of some kind to remind me of them."
Toriel sympathized with Frisk, lowering her head in regret.
"I see...I'm very sorry to hear that. And I'm sorry for asking such a difficult question, I didn't mean to..."
She looked away from Frisk now, on the brink of crying, fearing that she knew what was coming. Frisk reassured her though.
"No, it's okay. Don't worry about it. I've been asking myself the same question since yesterday."
Toriel nodded, feeling a little better, but she was still uncomfortable, bracing herself for the worst.
"So, what will you do now? I imagine you probably want to leave, to go find them..."
To Toriels surprise, Asriel felt the same way about Frisks situation, and took it much better than she had anticipated.
"...yeah, I can't imagine what that must feel like. I'd probably want to leave too if I were in your shoes, Frisk. "
Frisk looked down at the village below, their words giving her serious pause.
"I've thought about this for a while actually. It's true, it does hurt, not knowing who they are or where I come from. Part of me DOES want to leave, to go find them."
Both Asriel and Toriel nodded reluctantly at Frisk, not wanting to let her go, but not wanting to stop her either.
Except...
"But there's another part of me, a much bigger part, that reminds me of all the friends I've made, what this journey was for, and what I found at the end of it. And it's urging me to stay."
They looked at Frisk with surprise now. Frisk was staring directly into Asriels eyes, but her words were directed at Toriel.
"And besides, I made a promise to someone very important to me. And I REFUSE to break that promise, now or ever."
Asriel knew she was talking about him. Frisk walked up to both of them now and took both of their hands into her own. They were emotionally touched by Frisks feelings and their hands were shaking in her gentle grasp.
"I-I know I have no right to ask this after what I've done to you, but, well...would it be okay if I...if I..."
Toriel dropped to her knees immediately and enveloped Frisk in the biggest hug she could give, lifting her clean off the ground. She was in tears by this point, beyond happy to hear what Frisk was asking.
"OF COURSE YOU CAN STAY WITH US, FRISK!"
Now Frisk was the one crying, burying her face into Toriels robes as the fabric absorbed her tears.
Asriel joined in their embrace now, putting one arm around Frisk and another around Toriel as she pulled him in closer. They stayed like this for several minutes before Toriel finally pulled away to speak her true feelings.
"It's so funny, Frisk. If you had just said that earlier, then Asriel wouldn't be here with us now, and none of this would have happened. I can't believe how fortunate we are, knowing how things could have been so different, but I'm so glad that things happened this way."
Asriel agreed completely, a bawling mess again. He wasn't kidding when he said he was a crybaby, but Frisk admired him for it, being honest with himself and his feelings. Strangely, it really showed his strength of character.
"I wouldn't have let you go anyway, sis! I would've chased after you and dragged you back, like yesterday."
Frisk started blushing again. Asriel really wasn't shy or bashful about sharing his feelings.
"Azzy...well, I guess I'm not leaving anytime soon then, heh."
He hugged her even tighter now, ruffling her hair.
Ouch.
"NOPE! There is no escape from the legendary Hugmaster! I'll NEVER let you go, Frisk! You're stuck with me forever and ever!"
Frisk giggled at his sentiments. He was only playing around, but she loved seeing him be his happy, dorky self. She immediately knew where he got the idea for that nickname though.
"Haha, stealing a page from Sans book already, huh? You're such a dork, Azzy!"
He finally let go, howling with laughter in response. Toriel knobbed her hands around her eyes, trying to drive away the tears.
"Oh, I do wish Asgore had stayed to see all of that."
Frisk immediately remembered something upon hearing those words, catching the tail end of the thought that popped into her mind right before Sans left.
"OH WAIT!"
She dug into her napsack, pulling out the cellphone that Toriel gave her a while back, the one that Alphys upgraded for her.
"I still have everyone in my contacts. I don't know about Undyne, but Alphys has her phone still, so as long as she's with Asgore, we can talk to him any time we want!"
Toriel and Asriel looked at Frisk excitedly.
"REALLY!? AWESOME!"
"Wonderful, Frisk! We'll call him tomorrow then."
They both nodded enthusiastically at her. Frisk now gazed out at the huge city in the distance.
"Okay, so back to Azzys question. What do we do now?"
Toriels attention had been drawn to the village below, and it seemed like a promising place to start, even though it was the same place where Asriel was mortally wounded so long ago. It was Chara's home town and he felt somewhat uncomfortable returning to the place where all of this had happened, but that was a long time ago. He knew that he could only truly overcome his personal demons if he confronted them, and knowing that Frisk and Toriel were by his side this time, and that Chara was at least with him in spirit, gave him the courage to do just that.
"Well, let's just make it down the mountain to start and see what happens."
With nothing better to suggest, all parties nodded in agreement and Toriel held our her hands. Asriel took one, Frisk took the other, and with a share of smiles between each other, they began their descent down the mountain, towards the village, to finally see what life on the surface was all about. Though she was a great parent in the past, Toriel was faced with a huge responsibility once again, the task of raising two kids, and she could only do it right if they were grounded somewhere.
They were all looking for the same thing, a place to call home, and as they made their way down the mountain, their thoughts all turned to what the future had in store for them. Only time would tell, but as they made their way down to the village below, Frisk reflected on one particular thought, a placard she read in Waterfall foreshadowing a prophecy that, having now saved Asriel too, had at long last been fulfilled.
The Underground went free.