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Pain… Searing pain...
It was gone so quickly as it started that Frisk could pretend she hadn't been torn apart by the laser. But her memory wouldn't allow her to think of nothing else as she stood in the void. That in-between place that used to be solely hers after death.
"This is all just a bad dream…." A voice came that was soft, quiet and nearly comforting as Frisk peered around, and she nearly relaxed, but that manic laughter started to erupt. "And you're NEVER waking up!"
Louder and louder it echoed around Frisk as she clasped her hands to her ears trying to block the infernal laughter as she felt her soul start to mend. She touched herself, blinking in surprise at being launched backward in time with a LOAD.
"Did you really think I'd be satisfied killing you once?" Flowey cackled, practically sneering as Frisk fought the urge to cower in a corner. She wasn't used to dying, that cold feeling was still in her chest. She trembled as she thought of Flowey's words from before.
He wants to kill me over and over…why? Why? Even nightmares couldn't be this cruel as she dodged again. She had no time to think as Flowey's attacks started up again, and she could see the flower's delight at every hit he gave her.
The WARNING! didn't come as fast as she wanted, as she tried to take that quick breather to ready herself for what came next. Her hand gripped her knife tighter, as she looked around for something to hit her only to hear words.
Frisk nearly cursed to herself, before she would have been more than happy for a Purple soul mage's magic spells. She had pictured dodging their attacks with ease as they would call out spells, and she would inwardly thank her mother for her training in learning all kinds of magic recently.
That was before….
She hadn't pictured this…
"Ruin"
"Slaughter"
The words…
Such ugly, damning words that drained her. The sounds of each cast echoed around her as echoed she saw the words take form and shape not allowing her to pretend it was something different as it taunted her.
"Hatred"
"Trapped"
"Please stop!" She tried to hold back the tears, feeling them come as that desolate feeling tore through her. Tearing her apart more than any attack could.
"Death"
"Murderer"
She blinked, staring wide-eyed as she sank to her knees. That word. That foul word. Please…please… "Just help me…" It was a whisper. She couldn't take it anymore. The words grew louder, and Frisk curled up as that negative aura seeped into her only to suddenly stop.
Slowly it changed, the words comforting and calling her, bringing her health back up like the ones before it with their healing magic. Hesitantly she looked up, but the words of the Purple Soul mage wouldn't leave her mind, especially one…
Murderer…
It slapped her, engulfed her more than the others, and not even the words of healing were doing much as that word ingrained itself. I killed my own mom...I'm the reason she's dead….
If not for me she'd be alive…
She wiped her face, holding herself as she stood and her grip loosened on her knife as she saw Flowey come from the darkness.
She barely dodged one of his vines, though part of her didn't want to. Part of her welcomed it, accepted her own destruction. The thought was there and growing that maybe she deserved it.
But the monsters don't… And Flowey's way isn't helpful.
It was the only thing keeping her going through each hit and dodge. As time passed, she wasn't sure if she'd manage through his next attacks.
The next WARNING! came and it became hotter. Frisk could see frying pans batting fire magic at her that could only come from a Green soul mage. Her thoughts went to the only Green soul mage she met, his eyes shined green, and his smile was bright. She could have imagined even making a friend, the thoughts made her nearly go still until she thought of Toriel.
The poor woman, who was now no more as she saw fire coming at her again. "This isn't very kind of you...is it? Wouldn't you rather help me?" The fire faltered, though Frisk wasn't surprised. Green soul mages were usually kind-hearted, and she gave a sad smile, only to blink at the egg now splattered on her face.
It was delicious, filling, and her health was rising quicker than with the other souls, but it was still on her face, and she could swear she saw a small apologetic smile coming from a direction.
"Thanks for the food?" She laughed a bit at herself, it felt good to smile at something, though so small. Frisk could already imagine Flowey's anger at her being alive after that as small hope started to bloom inside her.
He gave her no time to move as he came into the light, sending whatever he could at Frisk at every turn. She felt sure she was going to die again as she barely managed to get away as the WARNING! flashed. She breathed, feeling victorious for getting through the recent onslaught as she thought to how she would ask this soul for help until the gun was pointing at her.
"Yellow soul?" Frisk eyes widened. She remembered her father's magic and that magic on the phone. That magic caught everything in its path and Frisk was alarmed to see it. Dodging a yellow soul mage's magic was near impossible with their impeccable aim, but as Frisk saw all the red dots around her and on her, she knew she needed to try as bullets flew.
It was maddening as Frisk pushed herself, her lungs felt on fire as she ran from one area to another, earning hits that came too close for comfort but something nagged her. Some feeling that wouldn't go away as she stood still a bit too long and a bullet grazed her.
Wait...how did they miss me? It seemed odd to Frisk now that she thought of it, a Yellow soul mage missing so many times seemed odd. Could they be...trying to fight Flowey? By missing on purpose? But how? Frisk tested it, moving enough to not get hit but again they missed, more than should be possible. "I don't know who you are! But I can tell you don't want to do this! Fight him! Fight this! Be determined to find justice!"
"Justice…" It was a bare whisper, but Frisk heard it, but it left her confused. This was no child like the other mages. "My boys…"
Frisk heard it again, that whisper, one from a woman. An older woman if Frisk wasn't wrong, but it left her perplexed. No one would dare let an older, experienced Yellow Soul mage fall here. "Who are you…?"
There was a shimmer, a gleam as the form took on more shape and Frisk could see piles of lucky clovers as they fell on the woman that seemed bathed in her own golden light that matched her soul. "Here…" She held out a clover, and Frisk stared at it, feeling the magic of the ones that were falling as she peered at the woman more.
The familiar looking red scarf that hung around her neck sparked something in Frisk's mind as she thought back to Papyrus. "Who are you?" Frisk ask as heard the woman chuckle then stand as clovers fell from her short hair and she reached forward, placing a clover in Frisk's hair.
"Save them…" She spoke softly, her fingers brushing against the clover gently as Frisk looked away.
"I don't even know what I'm doing…" All she knew was to stop Flowey. But what then? The woman paused, as though she was fighting something and Frisk was sure it was Flowey trying to absorb the woman back.
"I can only i-mage- ine." The woman grimaced at her own pun, but it earned a small laugh out of Frisk, making the woman smile.
"That was bad." Frisk laughed more, unable to stop the smile on her face.
"Sometimes all you need is a bad joke to get you through the day...it's always what Gas would say." The woman smiled a wistful smile that had Frisk tilting her head with so many questions. The woman's form was giving way, and Frisk could see it as it happened. She shimmered, as her eyes held Frisk's firmly as she spoke. "Someone really cares about you. Don't forget…"
Frisk stared at the woman as those words hit her and she gave Frisk a wink with her golden eyes.
"I…."
"Good luck."
Frisk touched the clover, feeling Flowey's presence before she even saw him as she quickly dodged. Still Frisk smiled she touched the lone clover in her hair. She believes in me. All the souls do… Frisk stood tall, bracing herself as she stared at Flowey even as the flower gave further into his lunacy as Frisk dodged and fought back.
She felt her determination as well as the other soul mages as she saw them try to help. She felt the songs, the words, clovers falling, and more as she finally gave Flowey a final strike.
"No! No!" He screamed and wailed. As much as Frisk hated killing anything, she was learning quickly that sometimes it was for the best, and Flowey had to be stopped at all costs. "This can't be happening!"
Frisk stood still, seeing Flowey's glare as he glared at her in such a crazed way that she nearly back stepped.
"You! You!" He continued to scream as Frisk saw him tremble and shake, and she pushed down her guilt at killing a living thing until Flowey smiled at her.
"What…" She looked at him confused, as that condescending smile grew wide. "But I…you…" She was at a loss of words as Flowey's smile shook her to her core.
"You idiot…"
What do I do no- Frisk didn't complete the thought as her soul broke apart as a laser tore through her again, only for it to mend right back. Another blast came after, tearing her apart as she screamed and begged only for vines to hit her next. They took her apart slow only for him to sew her back together.
And it happened again…
And again…
Over…
And over…
She cried and screamed as it happened over and over, more times than she could count. Her head hang low as she dropped to her knees as he dropped her from his hold, her eyes no longer watering. She was starting to feel numb to all of it.
What's the point…She didn't bother moving as the pellets circled her, and she could hear him laughing at her in spite of it all.
"Did you really think you could defeat me?" Flowey laughed, though she didn't bother to answer him. Frisk honestly thought she could, or at least she could. She felt like they could all do it, but now…
Now she felt…
Tired.
"I am the god of this world! And you?" He sneered. "You're HOPELESS."
She couldn't disagree with him if she tried…
"Hopeless and alone..." He chuckled, "Golly, that's right! Your worthless friends...can't save you now! Call for help. I dare you!" He continued to laugh, and as Frisk thought of her friends, new tears started up again as she cried for them.
"Cry into the darkness! Mommy! Daddy! Somebody help! See what good it does you!"
At the mention of her mom, Frisk glared at the flower, slowly standing as she tried to find those pieced of hope in her again. I have to save them…
"Anyone!" Frisk cried out, holding her arm to her that she couldn't even feel anymore. "Please! I can't do this alone!" She prayed and hoped, and for a moment she could see the fear in Flowey, but as moments passed so did his expression.
"Boy! What a shame!" He smirked. "Nobody else is gonna get to see you die!" Flowey laughed as Frisk looked around her, there was no escape from the seeds surrounding her as they closed in. She forced herself not to close her eyes. He's made me feel worthless enough today…
Her determination fueled her as she stood upright, knowing death was coming only for it all to disappear. She blinked, looking wild-eyed as her health rose and she could feel her arm again as she flexed her fingers with Flowey gaping at her.
"What? How'd you…?" Flowey continued to look confused, but Frisk honestly didn't have an answer for the flower herself. "Well, I'll just…" Flowey paused, and Frisk could feel the familiarity of the magic being used to make a LOAD, but it never seemed to reach its peak to make it happen.
It failed?
"What? Where are my powers?" He screeched, sweat now dripped off him as Frisk breathed a sigh of relief as she saw the souls appear. "The souls? What are they doing?"
Flowey's nervousness grew as the yellow soul went forward along with the others, and Frisk saw them use their magic. "No! You can't do that!" Flowey continued to cry out. "You're supposed to obey me! Stop it! STOP!
He screamed out as the all the magic clashed and Frisk could see the last of magic the souls held being used creating a blinding flash of light as she shielded her eyes. Slowly, it was dark once again, and Frisk was alone except for one small golden flower.
"Flowey?" She spoke softly, seeing the flower bowed over as she sighed moving close to it as though he was waiting for death. It's kinda sad… "I'm not killing you…"
"What are you doing? Do you really think I learned anything from this?" He barely turned his head to her and Frisk let out a deep sigh as she spoke.
"Did you?"
"No." He didn't bother saying anything else as Flowey bowed his head once again and Frisk sighed again, sitting next to it.
"Sparing me won't change anything." He looked up at her questioning, but Frisk shook her head at him refusing to hurt the flower further. "Killing me is the only way to end this…"
"I'm not killing you…" I should...I could...but there's nothing you can do at this point anyway. Or anyone can… She frowned thinking of how they would all have to start over now. With no king, in fact.
"If you let me live...I'll come back."
"I'm pretty sure of that…"
"I'll kill you!"
"I'm sure you'll try."
"I'll kill everyone!" He laughed almost, and Frisk looked at him. "I'll kill everyone you love!"
"Still not killing you, Petals…" She mumbled, seeing the strange look pass over his face that was a mix of confusion and something else.
"Why? Why are you being so nice to me?"
"Do I need a reason?"
"I can't...understand…" His brow ridges furrowed, all pinched together with a sadness on his face that made Frisk feel even more bad for the flower. "I can't understand! I just can't understand..."
"Flowey…" Frisk tried to choose her words carefully as she looked at the ground, wondering how to explain to the now stricken flower. "I think that maybe you're just confused...Maybe all you need is a friend." Frisk spoke softly, lifting her head to look at the flower, only for her next words to die as she noticed she was all alone.
Her eyes fell on a tunnel as she sighed, bringing a hand to her chest as she checked herself and her eyes widened at the swirl of white inside her soul now. "Asgore's soul…I can leave…"
She frowned, not understanding at all. "Now what…?" She let her hand go to her chest. "That's why I can see the exit to the barrier…We were fighting within the barrier the whole time." She nearly made her way out, only to slide against the opening that led out the door.
She wasn't sure how long she just sat there, unsure what to do next. She wondered if time was as strange here as it was in the void where time had little to no meaning. Slowly she got u, trying to think of a plan as she stayed in that spot.
Hours…
Days…
Months…
Time passed within the barrier that Frisk stayed in at the little makeshift spot she turned into a home. She felt she had nowhere else to go, and nowhere else to be, so nothing mattered.
I failed…
It was all still in her head, maybe part of her was just waiting to die. Her phone rang, but she didn't bother with it, eating what little food she found as bugs would wonder in her area. She had long run out of monster food, and after Muffet's spider donut, she didn't have much of a problem with eating what crawled in.
Her eyes found the phone as she laid in her spot, and watched the blink of the phone to announce a voicemail. With a long sigh, her fingers brushed over the buttons and touched one as it went to speakerphone.
She clicked her phone as it rung letting it go to voicemail.
"heya. is anyone there?"
"Sans?" At the skeleton's voice, she perked up a bit, nearly answering back until she remembered it was a voicemail.
"
well, i'll just leave a message...so it's been awhile. the queen returned and is now ruling over the underground. she's enstated a new policy. all the humans who fall here will be treated not as enemies but as friends."
Frisk blinked in surprise at that info, trying to picture the motherly goat as ruling queen, but as her mind went to Asgore and his last moments her spirit deflated more. They're good people…at least no one else who falls there will die.
"it's probably for the best, anyway. the human souls the king gathered...seem to have disappeared. so, uh, that plan ain't happening anytime soon."
Frisk winced hearing that, as glad as she was for the souls help, they had used what was left of themselves to do so. Her mind went to the yellow soul, her mind briefly wondering just where the woman came from and how she came to be there.
She wanted me to save them…and her boys…Her brows pinched together. Monsters, maybe? Are her kids monsters?
"but even though people are heartbroken over the king...and things are looking grim for our freedom..." Frisk could feel her heart drop at every word as he continued. "the queen's trying her best to not let us give up uh hey, if we're not giving up down here. don't give up wherever you are, okay?"
She smiled only slightly, picturing him as she laughed at herself. It hadn't taken her long to realize Sans had given up on life a long time. Though she was unsure of why exactly, and his next words sparked a bit of fire in her.
"who knows how long it will take...but we will get out of here."
"SANS!" Papyrus's voice boomed as she backed away from her phone a bit, she had grown so used to the quiet Papyrus's voice hurt a bit. "WHO ARE YOU TALKING TO?
"oh, nobody." Sans snickered, and Frisk rolled her eyes at the teasing a bit.
"WHAT? NOBODY? CAN I TALK TO THEM TOO?"
"here, knock yourself out."
Frisk heard the shuffle of the phone being passed and a loud gasp, "WAIT A SECOND...I RECOGNIZE THIS NUMBER!" She could hear him clearing his throat as he began. "ATTENTION HUMAN! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS AM NOW CAPTAIN OF THE ROYAL GUARD! IT'S EVERYTHING I EVER DREAMED OF!"
I'm glad for you, Papy…
"EXCEPT...INSTEAD OF FIGHTING," Papyrus faltered only slightly, "WE JUST WATER FLOWERS...SO THAT'S EVER SO SLIGHTLY WE'RE HELPING DR. ALPHYS WITH HER RESEARCH! SHES GONNA FIND A WAY TO GET US OUT OF HERE!"
Alphys? Frisk thought of the small yellow dinosaur monster and then the CORE she had created along with Mettaton. If anyone can, it's Alphys.
"UNDYNE IS HELPING HER TOO! THOUGH...TO BE HONEST, HER METHOD OF HELPING SEEMS KIND OF EXPLOSION INDUCING…." Papyrus sighed, and Frisk didn't blame him as she thought of the fish woman's method of cooking. She prayed poor Alphys's things didn't get too damaged, yet a small part of her wanted it to happen. That part was still stinging from what happened between the two of them.
"BUT I THINK ALPHYS LIKE HAVING HER AROUND." Papyrus laughed until he gulped on the phone, leading to Frisk wondering more about a skeleton monster's anatomy. "UH OH."
"Hey!" Again, the phone was grabbed, but the noise was much worse than when Sans passed it over to Papyrus. "What are you up to, punk?
"PLEASE DONT NOOGIE THE PHONE!"
Well, that explains the noise…
"Hey!" Undyne yelled out, "Who's in charge here?
"ME!"
"Oh...yeah, that's right!" Undyne laughed. "I quit my job as leader of the Royal Guard. Actually, since we won't be fighting anymore...The Royal Guard totally disbanded. There's uh, only one member now."
"BUT HE'S EXTREMELY GOOD!" Papyrus added quickly.
"Yeah! He is!" Undyne laughed and could hear lots of scuffling. "C'mere!"
"PLEASE DONT NOOGIE THE SKELETON!"
"Anyways, now I'm working as Alphys lab assistant. We're gonna find a way out of this dump, once and for all!" Undyne screamed out louder than usual, making Frisk's spirits sink at her failure to save her friends. "Oh, yeah and I'm a gym teacher at the queen's new school! Did you know I can bench press seven children? Awesome, right?" She laughed, and Frisk tried to smile at the woman's voice, but there was an edge to it as Undyne let out a deep sigh.
"Hey...I'm sorry about what happened with Asgore. You were just doing what you had to...It's not your fault he..." Undyne sighed again, and Frisk frowned, holding herself now. "Ah, darn it. I miss the big guy. Come on, Undyne! Snap out of it!" She took another breath, as she continued. "Uh, I guess I'll tell you how Alphys is doing. Well, she's the same as ever..." Undyne's voice was laced with worry, and Frisk quickly felt bad for her wishing ay bad on the dinosaur monster.
"Maybe a little more reclusive than normal. Seems like something's really bothering her...but she can get through it! I'm there supporting her! That's what friends are for, right?" Undyne chuckled, though it started to sound forced. "Hey, where ever you are...I hope it's better than here...It took a lot of sacrifices for you to get there. So where ever you are. You have to try to be happy, okay?"
I ruined everything…
"For our sakes! We'll feel better knowing our trouble was worth it. We're all with you! Everyone is! Even the queen! Hey, wait for a second! Toriel!" Undyne screamed. "Do you wanna...?"
Frisk could hear a softer voice, but she couldn't make out the words no matter how much she strained to hear them. Her heart felt like it was in a vice grip, she had no clue what Toriel would say, but part of her didn't want to hear the woman's voice. Her motherly nature would pour through the phone and Frisk couldn't bear it.
I messed up so bad…
"Heh…she says she's busy…" Undyne spoke back to the phone and Frisk relieved a breath she was holding.
"BUT IF SHE KNEW WHO WE WERE TALKING TO…" Papyrus yelled out only for Sans to interrupt him.
"we wouldn't get the phone back for at least a few hours…"
"WE HAVE THE MERCY TO SPARE YOU FROM HER." Papyrus laughed, but Frisk felt nothing like laughing.
"But call back anytime okay?" Undyne took the phone back, and Frisk tried harder to hold back the tears that were starting to come. "She'd love to talk."
"oh, whoops. this thing's almost outta batteries." Sans had grabbed back the phone, and Frisk was finding it hard to breathe, as she loathed her existence. "so, hate to cut this short, be seeing you, ok, buddy?"
"BYE BYE FOR NOW" Papyrus yelled as Undyne said her own goodbyes.
"See ya, punk!"
Frisk blinked back tears best she could as she heard the click of the voicemail ending, and she trembled slightly trying not to cry harder thinking about how much harder things were for them now. "Birds are singing...flowers are blooming, on days like these...people like me...should be burning in hell…." Rubbing her eyes she saw a golden flower, immediately she knew who it was as she sniffed.
"Why? Why did you let me go?" Flowey's head tilted with the stem and Frisk shrugged, not trusting her own voice right now. "Don't you realize being nice...just makes you get hurt? Look at yourself...You made all these great friends...but now you'll probably never see them again…"
"Don't remind me…"
"Not to mention how much they've been set back by…you." Frisk winced at his words and Flowey only snorted, "Hurts, doesn't it? If you had just gone through without caring about anyone...you wouldn't have to feel bad right now."
Frisk breathed out, glaring. "I don't regret making friends with them…"
"I don't get it…"
"Me neither" Frisk laughed at herself, "I thought I was doing everything right."
"If you really did everything the right way...why did things still end up like this? Is life really that unfair?"
"Did you really just come here to taunt me?"
Flowey sighed, no longer looking at her as much, settling more in the dirt as he did. "What if I told you...I knew some way to get you a better ending. You'll have to LOAD your SAVE and well...in the meantime, why don't you go see Dr. Alphys? It seems like you two could have been better friends. Who knows...maybe she's got the key to your happiness…"
Frisk thought it over carefully and sighed as she slowly got up, "That's better than nothing, and I don't have a better idea." She needed to do something, anything at all, but was trusting Flowey smart?
"See you soon!" Flowey grinned at her as Frisk focused, bringing the SAVE star that filed away the many SAVES and LOADS of a Phoenix. She concentrated as the world warped, yanking her back as she blinked again, once again staring at a star near the entrance.
"I'm back near the throne room…I need to get going." She held her bag back to her now that it was back on her arm.
It was a long walk as she made her way from New Home and through the Core, she was glad she remembered where to go, or the trek would have been even longer. It made her wonder just how long she'd been in the Underground. Time had long since lost meaning as everything bled together on her journey.
RING!
"What.?" She blinked at her phone, wondering what could it be as she placed it to her ear. "Hello?"
"Hey! Uh...this is Undyne..." Undyne swallowed and sounded nervous to Frisk's ears, which seemed odd to her since she couldn't imagine the fish woman less than her confident self. The phone became muffled as Undyne yelled at Papyrus to shut up and how it was his idea which only piqued Frisk's curiosity more. "Human! You have to deliver something for me! Uh, please?"
"I..." Frisk sighed slightly, thinking about the detour but she couldn't ignore her friend. "Sure…" She smiled, hearing Undyne's relief.
"Great! I'm in Snowdin still, in front of Papyrus's house! See ya, punk!"
"Bye." She smiled, hanging up the phone and slipping it into her bag as she made her way to Snowdin.
Please, this time….
Let me save them.