Frisk bolted to their feet, eyes flicking around as they started shaking. "No… not again!" They covered their ears, squinting their eyes shut, struggling to remember how. How had this happened not once, but twice in a row?
Frisk was sure they weren't doing it. There was no way. Unless… unless they doing something similar to sleepwalking. But... no. That wasn't how this was supposed to work, how could they possibly have focused on DETERMINATION while asleep?
Struggling not to panic, Frisk slid down a wall and buried their face into their arms for a good hour, wondering if they would wake up from this nightmare if they just pretended this wasn't happening. But of course this didn't work. Eventually, they uncurled, standing up and listlessly looking at the flowers lying scattered around their feet. Could they do it... again?
Frisk nodded, fists tightening. It.. it was still ok. It was still worth it. Frisk could still keep going…!
Frisk resigned themselves to another long trek, heading back to the darkness where Flowey awaited.
.
"Howdy kid… what are you doing there? Are you alone? I'm Flowey the flower, nice to meet you!"
"…" Frisk stared wearily at the flower. Was Flowey doing this and just pretending he didn't remember Frisk? It matched up with the flower's personality but Asriel had been awakened the first time around. Flowey had been transformed back into the kind, caring monster he had started out as. None of this made any sense.
"…Hi, Flowey. I'm lost… can you help me out?" Frisk asked softly, forcing a smile with a small amount of effort onto their face. They felt like crying, but they had to smile and just get through it. If they somehow didn't RESET this time, then the memories of those around them would be permanent this time and any impressions Frisk made would be lasting. And Frisk didn't want anything other than the haven of what they had achieved back in the past.
Or was it now the future?
.
Frisk wanted to run through the world, but they made sure to follow their path. Even when it would have been faster just to kill monsters than to talk to them and carefully make friends with anything that moved, that wasn't the kind of person Frisk was.
Frisk wasn't like the people who had driven them to climb the mountain, after all.
This round, Frisk's meeting with Sans was even more ominous. Frisk was about to cross the bridge with Papyrus's uselessly wide bars when the familiar snap of a twig made Frisk pause expectantly.
"…human. you should know better than this. don't you know how to greet a pal? turn around and shake my hand." Sans instructed, his voice cold.
Frisk stiffened, slowly turning around. Sans's introduction was different. Frisk remembered wanting to ask Sans last time, and now the nagging suspicion was screaming evidence jabbing a finger at the figure standing in front of Frisk.
Sans knew something about RESET. Frisk wasn't sure how or why, but Sans… Sans must know that this wasn't the first time this had happened. Did he know what was going on? Or could he just remember RESETS like Flowey?
…then wouldn't that mean Flowey was bluffing? Surely if Sans remembered, then Flowey must as well. After all, Sans didn't seem like the type to pull a RESET when he and his brother were so happy…
Frisk reached out tentatively, grasping his hand in Sans's. They let out a nervous laugh at the whoopee cushion's noise, but as they looked up into San's eyes, Frisk realized with a feeling of shock Sans's pupils had vanished and only black sockets seemed to glare down at them. Their laugh died in their throat and they gazed up at the taller figure warily.
"…" Sans was silent for a moment, then grinned really widely. Too widely. "so you're a human, huh? that's hilarious. you should really meet my brother…"
Frisk opened their mouth. "Sans…" but they couldn't continue. Something about Sans was making Frisk feel… afraid. They didn't like it. Whatever Sans knew, maybe Frisk would try and fix whatever was going on by themselves first. Until then, they could only act like nothing was wrong.
.
Several days later, with the Underground once again cleared and Frisk having gone to sleep nestled against Toriel's side as they slept, Frisk opened their eyes and saw a carpet of bright, golden flowers.
Again.
It happened again.
"…I don't understand…What am I doing wrong?" Frisk whispered, lying listlessly on the floor of the cave as they examined the golden flowers that seemed to taunt them. Frisk slowly closed their eyes. They didn't feel like doing this anymore. Three times running through this was were they started feeling tired and the fourth was where they just wanted to rest. They hadn't even had one day before RESET kicked in this time. They had literally just arrived with Toriel to their new home and gone to sleep, and…
"…I have to keep going, don't I?" Frisk whispered to themselves, pushing themselves up with effort. They forced a smile on their face and tilted their head up forcing themselves to keep looking forwards. "That's right. I have to keep going…"
And with this, they shook the flower petals from their hair and walked back into the darkness.
.
"kid… you really shouldn't have come here, y'know?" Sans stated as he released Frisk's hand. "i don't know what you're looking for here in the underground, but you're not going to find it. you should've been happy with the overworld, yeah? you must not have been the brightest bulb of the bunch if you thought being in a place with less light is better."
Frisk shivered, longingly looking at Sans's coat. They remembered the first time Sans had found them that they had gotten so cold solving Papyrus's puzzles, Sans had lent them his coat until they got to the village. It had been so… warm. There had been Frisk, scared and determined to get out of the hole they had fallen into… literally and mentally… and Sans had offered them a glimmer of warmth they weren't sure they would find after they left Toriel.
…Sans wouldn't let them borrow the coat now, though. Frisk was sure Sans knew something that made him grow warier of Frisk each time they met. But other than saying a little bit more each time they met, Sans acted the exact same… what was he playing at?
"Sans…" Frisk finally asked, standing in the cold and wrapping their arms around themselves. "…you remember me… don't you."
"…yeah."
"I-"
"kid. maybe you have your own reasons. maybe you're too scared of growing up to let go. but here's some advice: you're going to have to face reality sooner or later, whether you like it or not. heh, and this is me that's saying this, so i hope you get the gravity of what i'm talking about here."
Frisk opened their mouth, eyes widening. "No, Sans, it's not what you think, it's not-"
"save it, kid. i won't hold it against you for now. but until this farce is over, let's pretend this is our first time together and enjoy ourselves, okay? when you have done whatever it is you need to, then I'll talk to you on the surface." The skeleton flashed Frisk a small grin, then turned and brushed past Frisk as he walked towards where Papyrus was. "so as I was saying, my brother. he's a human hunting fanatic…"
"Sans!" Frisk yelled, but the skeleton didn't listen to them. So Frisk had no choice but to follow, trying to follow Sans's lead and force a smile on their face again as they pretended nothing was wrong.
Somehow, this time the smile was starting to feel quite fake.
Frisk felt their headache come back as they listened to the two brother's squabble and wondered if they were messing up terribly without even realizing it.
.
But now something was different. Different in a way that frisk couldn't help but falter, tripping over their own steps as they tried to act like nothing had changed.
"IS SOMETHING WRONG, HUMAN?" Papyrus asked curiously. "YOU SEEM UPSET WHENEVER MY BROTHER IS AROUND." The tall skeleton frowned at Frisk, and then brightened up as understanding darted across his face. "DID YOU TWO FIGHT? I CAN MAKE SOME SPAGHETTI FOR YOU TO GIVE HIM AS AN APOLOGY, HUMAN. THERE'S NO WAY HE CAN STAY MAD AT YOU IF YOU GIVE HIM MY SPAGHETTI!"
Frisk just smiled, looking up at the skeleton. "Fight? Of course not Papyrus, Sans and I are friends! Why would we fight?"
"YOU JUST STARE AFTER HIM ALL THE TIME AND THE TWO OF YOU HAVEN'T SEEMED TO TALK THAT MUCH."
"..oh. Is it that obvious?" Frisk asked uncertainly.
"YES, BUT I'VE KNOWN SANS FOR A LONG TIME AND YOU AND I ARE GREAT FRIENDS SO OF COURSE I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS WOULD NOTICE." Papyrus bragged. He grinned, leaned down and gently tousled Frisk's hair. "COME, HUMAN, LET'S GO TALK TO SANS. I'M SURE IT'LL BE OKAY. AFTER ALL, I GUARANTEE IT!"
"…thanks Papyrus. You're a great friend." Frisk smiled at them, and this time it was genuine one.
"EXCELLENT. NOW, AFTER YOU MAKE UP WITH MY BROTHER, I HAVE ANOTHER FRIEND I THINK YOU'LL REALLY LIKE! HER NAME IS UNDYNE…"
Frisk couldn't tell him that they and Sans had been getting along as well as they could. It just felt like a void was opening up between them as every time they tried to breach the SAVE and RESET topic, Sans would either change the subject or vanish. Frisk had gotten the message though. Somehow they had upset Sans, and they guessed all the could do was try and forget Sans knew anything at all for now and keep trying to work out what was going on. Sans had promised they would talk once they were overground again, after all.
But Frisk had started realizing something about the RESETS. Each RESET made everyone go back to as they were… except Frisk couldn't remain static like everyone else. They couldn't change what they experienced, after all. Frisk would be different each time, each interaction, and Frisk started worrying it wouldn't be a problem of how to escape the time loop, but of how much of Frisk was the same when this was all over.
.
"Frisk… it's fine. Someone has to stay and tend to the flowers, after all. Don't you have somewhere to be?"
"….yeah, I do." Frisk whispered, but they didn't move, instead remaining where they were. "Asriel… I have something to ask you. Something that you might not…. like."
"…? What is it, Frisk?" Asriel asked, confusion flitting across his face as he stood and turned towards the human.
Frisk hesitated again, but they had to ask. "Asriel… do you still have Flowey's powers? Can you still RESET?"
"I-I… no. I don't, Frisk… why?" Asriel asked, surprised. "Only the person with the most DETERMINATION keeps the power, you know? You can still RESET so no one else can do it now, right?"
Frisk stiffened. If Asriel didn't have it, if Sans didn't have it, if Frisk didn't have it… because they didn't have it. Frisk had tried, really tried, but they couldn't go back OR frowards now. Frisk was unsure of what would happen if they died, but for now, they tried their best to not think about it. The answer to this entire mess was that someone else was RESETTING. Someone that Frisk was unaware of.
"…Thanks, Asriel. That helped… Take care of yourself." Frisk whispered, and as Asriel smiled sadly and waved, Frisk turned and started the trek back to where everyone was waiting for them.
.
"Sans, we need to talk… please."
"what is it now, kid? can't it wait? paps just discovered a spaghetti restaurant and is going wild. it's hilarious."
"SANS, WHO ARE YOU TALKING TO? I NEED YOU TO HELP ME DECIDE IF I SHOULD TRY THIS LASAGNA OR NOT AS I'M NOT SURE IF IT QUALIFIES AS SPAGHETTI."
"…i don't think it does, paps. i'm talking to the kid."
"OH! HELLO HUMAN, HOW ARE YOU! ARE YOU AND SANS GETTING ALONG WELL? WHEN DID YOU EXCHANGE PHONE NUMBERS? YOU SHOULD COME EAT SPAGHETTI WITH US."
"Hello, Papyrus. Of course I'll come, but some other time okay? Um, do you mind if I just talk to Sans for now? It's about… the thing I was worried about before…"
"OH! WHY YES, OF COURSE! SANS, TAKE THE PHONE BACK. I JUST SAW SOMEONE GET A DISH THAT LOOKS AWESOME, I NEED TO GO FIND OUT WHAT IT WAS."
"okay kid, you've got my attention, what is it?"
"Sans, please, I need to ask your advice about using RESET… you know something right? I need to know if-"
"…not now kid, i'm busy enjoying the surface for the first time with paps…isn't that right? i'm sure you know what needs to be done, or not done, after all. i'll come over tomorrow to talk to you. this can't be done over the phone."
click.
Frisk stared blankly at the phone for a moment, frustrated. They sat in their bedroom, wondering if it was worth it to try and not fall asleep. They weren't sure what was going on, but it seemed that whenever they fell asleep the day after they got out of the Underground the RESET happened after the first RESET. It wasn't that much time, and Frisk wondered if they should enjoy it if they could. Maybe they just shouldn't sleep and try to stay up as long as possible… it was just frustrating Sans just had to pick a time to talk to them that would never come.
"If only Sans would listen to me," they whispered, feeling older than they actually were and more tired then they would have previously believed to ever be.
Eventually, they got up and went to go read about snails with Toriel, once again falling asleep curled up next to their mother.
.
The next time Frisk woke up, they sat up, shook golden flowers out of their hair, and set off determined to make Sans talk to them for real this time...
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Knowing that reviews might spur the author into writing another chapter, you are filled with DETERMINATION.