Chap 3:

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As the the figure came into the light, the first thing Asriel could see was its distinctive blue sweater and fuzzy slippers.

"You know, i would probably be doing everyone a favor…" Sans started to say.

Suddenly, a pillar of bones split through the ground towards the child. The ground shook violently and shards of rocks became unearthed as each new bone broke through the floor. Asriel stared in shock as one came hurdling towards him. He tried to move out of the way, but as he dodged it, an entire wall of them came from the other direction and struck him to the ground.

"Ugh! Aghh." Asriel grunted in pain, picking himself off the floor.

"Wait. Please. I don't want to fight you." He reasoned, looking at the short skeleton with pleading eyes.

"You know. I got sick of trying there for a while. After you killed everyone, time and time again. I ended up waiting it out more times than I can count. But now I know that everything will be alright in the end. Knowing you can't "save" anymore." The skeleton said slowly, staring at the monster child with his glowing eye.

Asriel's breath was lost for a moment. How did he know about that? He thought Frisk was the only person who knew besides him.

"How did you? When did? What?" Asriel stammered out, his heart racing.

"Oh, i've known for a long time." Sans responded plainly, looking the kid over.

Asriel backed up slowly, looking for the exit franticly. He saw the way out, but as soon as his eyes reached the opening, a column of bones sealed him in with the other monster.

"You know, I followed Frisk all over the place today. I didn't understand what he was looking for at first, but…I saw him come in here." Sans continued, seemingly saddened by his own words.

His eyes flickered for a moment, before he launched another volley of bones.

Asriel ran from the spray of bones quickly, dodging and weaving his way around the blunt objects. His arm got stuck by one with surprising force. It hurt quite a bit, but he didn't have the time to worry about that now.

"Sans, please. I don't want to fight anymore! I just want to see my family. I promise i'll be good." The monster child pleaded, tears swelling up in his eyes.

"You can take him!"

"Run away!"

"Fight!"

"Don't let him hurt you!"

"Stop him!"

"Reason with him!"

"There must be a peaceful solution!"

Asriel heard a multitude of subconscious voices, each different, and completely unfamiliar. Resonating deep within his body. The human souls! They could sense his panic and were transferring power to him so he could take action. Their determination combined filled him with power.

That's when he remembered.

He had saved earlier using the determination of all the souls combined. Had Sans not seen him take the souls? That must be why he said he couldn't save anymore! He must have thought Frisk had them.

"He's a good kid. He didn't even want to see you get hurt. Which is surprising considering what you almost did to him." Sans continued, ignoring his plea of mercy. "But, he hasn't seen the things you've done first hand. It would be best for everyone if I just ended this...

Sans raised his arm upwards, lifting Asriel to the ceiling in one swift motion. Large skulls formed in the air, and they stared at the child with malice. One by one, they unleashed beams of pure light out in his direction.

Asriel used the power of determination right as the first beam grazed his cheek.

Loading, save file 1:

Asriel opened his eyes. He saw Frisk standing there next to him. They stood peacefully in the patch of Golden flowers.

"Oh, what am i gonna do? Sans is right around here somewhere. The moment Frisk leaves i'll be stuck here with him again. I can't fight him. I won't hurt anybody ever again." He thought to himself, clutching his chest.

Frisk noticed his shocked expression. The human came closer unsurely, looking over his friend for any sign of what was wrong.

Asriel sighed in relief he noticed Frisks concern. He was glad someone was looking out for him. Maybe he could just go with the human. It would be unlikely for Sans to try and fight him when they were together. Even though he didn't feel mentally prepared to meet anyone yet, he supposed it was the best option to just jump into it.

"Thank you, Frisk. Um.. Let's... go see everyone else. I'm sure they will be surprised to see me." Ariel said, a mix of emotions layered in his voice as he tried not to show his previous panicked state.

The human noded sympathetically. He grabbed the monster's hand lightly and together they walked out of the ruins. Only one of them knowing that somebody was hiding in the shadows.

….

….

….

Frisk and Ariel had strolled through the entirety of the underground. Although Frisk had no problem with it. Asriel was having a very awkward time. As they walked through the towns and building leading to where his family was, he caught all sorts of glances and stares from other monsters. None of them were hostile, in fact, most seemed happy to see him. But it was still rather strange to be focused on specifically.

He griped the human's hand tighter as the continued.

After what seemed like an eternity, but was actually just around 30 minutes, the duo arrived in "New home". Asriel paused at the entrance to his old home, forgetting his previous fear of the hidden follower and replacing it with uneasy comprehension of meeting his family once more.

"Are you ready?" Frisk asked, turning to his hesitant friend.

"Haha….No. Definitely not." Asriel responded weakly. "But let's do it anyways."

Asriel let go of the human's hand, and went through the door. He didn't see anyone at first, but once he walked inside a few steps, he spotted everyone in the living room, sitting around the table. His mother sat in the large reclining chair, resting peacefully. His father sat in one of the chairs around the table, surrounded by Undyne, Alphys, and Papyrus. They seemed to be in the middle of a pretty heated discussion. No sign of Sans though. He couldn't bring himself to move forward. All he could do was peek around the corner and continuously grow more frightened.

He started to feel tears swell up in his eyes, when he witnessed Frisk casually walk past him. He walked up to Toriel and pulled at the bottom of her dress lightly. The slight movement woke her from her rest, and she smiled brightly.

"Oh! My child. I wondered where you had run off to." She said calmly, looking down at the human. "I do hope everything is allright."

Frisk pulled on her dress again.

"What is it?" She asked, getting up slowly.

She grabbed his hand, and he started to lead her. Wait….He was leading her to him! Asriel started to panic. What was he going to say!? How was she going to react?!

In the stir of the moment, Asriel ran back out the door he had come in from. Trying to avoid the confrontation.

"Uhh….mmhh...ahhh?" He mumbled out, unsure of what to do.

He turned toward the door again, there was no way he could avoid this. The hallway leading up to the door was long, so even if he tried running away, she would surely see him before he could get away, and if he managed to leave, he would have to deal with Sans or Frisk sometime later. There was no real choice here.

He could only watch in horror as the door slowly pushed open. He saw her arm first, being pulled by the human. Then most of her body, covered in that signature purple robe. Then, her soft and happy face, clearly excited about whatever the human wanted to show her. Time seemed to freeze for a moment as her eyes locked onto him. Toriels face shifted from happy and excited to total shock. She looked into her sons eyes for the first time in years.

"M….Mom.." Asriel stuttered, his eyes filling with tears. "I….I…."

He began cry openly, his emotions getting the best of him. He tried to say something between sobs, but it was unintelligible through his cries of sadness. He covered his face with his hands, and hid himself from her view, feeling ashamed and powerless.

"S...Son!?" Toriel said outloud in astonishment.

She watched as tears fell from his eyes. His mouth curved into a distraught frown. She didn't know how this was possible, but she didn't care honestly. He was back!

Toriel dropped to her knees and wrapped her arms around the child, bringing him close to her chest in a tight embrace. She wrapped her arm around him and cradled his body against her. She felt him wrap his arms around her neck, falling against her in a heap of emotion. She felt her own tears start to fall. Her pride and joy was alive, and she could hardly believe it.

"Asriel….Oh, son…" She wept, as she tightened her grip on him. "I love you so much."

She kissed his cheeks and forehead in an affectionate display.

"I...I'm….so sorry…" He mumbled out, holding onto her desperately.

She picked him up off the ground and held him in her arms. She patted his back comfortingly as they walked back inside to the warm house together. He was a lot larger, and heavier than before, but she didn't let that bother her. She was here to comfort him.

Frisk came back inside with them, a small smile spread across his face.

Toriel brought them back to her chair. She sat down and let Asriel get comfortable. He laid his legs across hers, and rested his head comfortably on her chest. He buried his face against her and sniffled actionaly, his constant crying reduced to a couple small whimpers.

As she comforted him, the other people in the room caught sight of the child, and the conversation they were having earlier came to a halt.

"Son!?" Asgore asked from across the room, coming closer to see if it truly was his child.

Toriel nodded her head in his direction, but signaled him to be quiet as he came over.

Asgore looked over his son in amazement. He lay in Toriels arms, his eyes closed and his breath steadying out to a even pace. Content to be in the arms of his family.

Asgore kneeled down next to the chair, and put a soft hand on his son. He looked at his face nostalgically, remembering everything they had done together when he was still alive. He didn't know if he was dreaming or dead or hallucinating, but it didn't matter. He was alive, and well. He couldn't ask for anything else in the world.

Frisk watched the cute display from a distance. He was glad to see everyone having a good time. To see a family's love filled him with determination! Finding his business here concluded for the moment, he walked past every other astonished face and into the kitchen. He looked for something to snack on, and also put his little piece of snowman in the freezer for safekeeping. Meanwhile, everyone else quietly observed from in front of the fireplace.

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…

...

Minutes passed, and everyone remained huddled in front of the chair Toriel sat in. Nobody dared say a word, lest they disturb the moment. Asriel had stopped crying, and was now just resting against his mother peacefully. He forgot everything that worried him, and now was in a blissful state of warmth and love. He could feel his mind slipping away from him as he rested on the plush and fluffy figure. The cuddly cotton cloth of her robe soothing him. Eventually, he drifted off to sleep, knowing only that he was surrounded friends and family.

"He's exhausted." Toriel whispered to the others silently, a worried expression plastered on her face as she ran her fingers over his head, looking over the mentally and physically taxed child.

"We should let him rest. In the mourning we can figure this all out." Asgore whispered back.

She nodded in agreement, and slowly picked her son up once more. She cradled him in her arms, and then brought him to his old room. She placed him under the covers with the utmost care, and then lovingly pulled them up to cover his body. She kissed his head lightly before turning around and going back into the hallway of the building. She stopped only once, to look in at him briefly through the doorway.

She returned to the living room shortly after putting him to bed. Now only a multitude of questions left in her mind. She returned to her chair, but refused to sit down. At this moment relaxing was the last thing she expected to be doing. She looked at the others in the room. They seemed as confused as she was. They all had no idea what had happened, or what they were going to do now.

"So….uh...What happens now?" Alphys asked unsurely, breaking the silence.

Nobody responded for a moment, the question hanging in the air like a thick mist.

"I don't know. I suppose we'll just have to find out what happened, and after that...I guess we will just try to resume where we left off." Asgore answered, rubbing the back of his head. "I just...don't know where we would even start."

Toriel thought deeply as he said that. Something was off.

"Where is Frisk?" She asked suddenly.

"I saw him go into the kitchen." Papyrus responded.

She immediately went there in search of the human. It seemed he was no longer there though. The only evidence of his presence was few monster candy wrappers that littered the counter.

"Hmmm...Where could he be?

….

….

….

Frisk sat in front of the barrier. He watched as it fluctuated between black and white, and gave the illusion of a long, endless hallway. He felt strange. He was torn between two sides of reasoning. He knew he could no longer get through the barrier. He had given the other souls up to save a life, which he felt was the right thing to do at the time. But now he realized his entire journey was pointless. He wouldn't be able to leave. He wouldn't see the outside world again. His family was gone forever.

The child held himself, wrapping his arms around his knees sloppily. His face held its distinctive, unemotional visage, but he was deeply troubled on the inside. He forced the feelings aside, and let his thoughts just meld together in a heap of discoherent rambling. It did little to distract him, but there was nothing more he could do.

The human continued to rest, staring into the void. An unknown amount of time passed, and he was joined by another figure. The soft footfalls of which could be heard echoing out into the distance.

"Frisk…." It said softly.

The child didn't acknowledge the voice immediately. He took a moment to shake off his drowsy state of reflection before turning to meet the friendly face.

Toriel looked down at him sympathetically, a weak smile on her mouth.

The human stood up tiredly, rubbing his eyes. He looked at her curiously.

The moment reminded her of the first time they met. When he looked at her in such awe. As if she was the most amazing thing. That one moment of pure innocence. It was a pleasant moment.

She sat down and crossed her legs, then beckoned for him to sit down, which he did without hesitation. She pulled him closed as they sat together, and shortly after, began to rock back and forth soothingly, humming a sweet melody. He held her hand, interlocking his fingers between her much larger and fuzzier ones.

"I would ask something of you my child. Can you tell me about Asriel. How you came to meet him." Toriel asked, breaking her cheery tune for only a moment.

The next half hour or so was filled with a lengthy explanation of the child's adventures in the underground. From when he met Flowey the Flower, to when he cooked with Undyne, until this point now.

The two continued to talk for a good deal longer too. About the past, future, and their dreams. Eventually the topic of where he would go now came up. He admitted there was no place for him now, considering the way out was blocked permanently.

"You know. The offer to stay with me is still open. I would love to have you here with us." She told him with a hopeful voice. "We have a extra bed you know. I'm sure you would have fun sharing a room with Asriel. The two of you could do all sorts of fun, safe activities."

The human grinned at her words, and accepted the offer.

Maybe he could make a new family down here….

End Chapter 3:

Hello again! I hope you are all doing well. I tried to make this chapter as realistic as possible, but if you feel that the characters or events could be portrayed differently, or improved, please leave a comment or PM for me so that i can make this an even better story. Also, if anyone has any jokes, or thinks of fun stuff Frisk/Asriel can do with Sans and Papyrus, I would love to hear it. I need some ideas on what i can have them do. Or if there are any subplots like AlphyXUndyne or something.

For next chapter, it will probably be more about bonding and having a good time, with some secret events mixed in.

Anyways, until next chapter. bye!