There were a lot of things Frisk didn't expect when they came to the mountain. Making monster friends, dying repeatedly, and experiencing Mettaton were all entirely unanticipated. After all, with a name like "monsters" and only legends to go on, what are you supposed to think? Thankfully, Flowey had appeared to be innocent, and Toriel actually was. And all of the other surprises had a precedent - Frisk had made friends before, the dying part was kind of like falling unconscious, and Mettaton was still better than a lot of other stuff on TV.

But waking up beneath a mound of dirt? That was new.

The first thing Frisk noticed was how strangely thin they felt, shortly followed by the realization that they couldn't sit up. They pressed up against the dirt in an attempt to shove it off, but only managed to shake it. They heard a muffled cry of surprise from above them, likely in response to the shaken dirt; they dug more frantically in response, hoping to further attract the attention of whoever it was. Soon, they could hear scratching from above, but it wasn't enough just yet.

This was usually the sort of situation when Frisk saved, right? The fact that this person was going out of their way to help, just like that...it should have filled them with determination.

But it didn't.

No matter how hard they concentrated, nothing came. Frisk felt a chill run down their spine; why couldn't they use determination? If it was gone, they couldn't save or reset! If they couldn't get out of here, what would happen to them? They began to claw desperately at the dirt, and a high-pitched voice became gradually clearer as they got closer to the scratching.

Eventually, they tore through the dirt and shot up to a sitting position, sending a small figure flying backwards. Now that they were above ground, they could see that they were on Mt. Ebbot, near a cliff overlooking the forest below.

The small figure quickly burrowed into the ground, then popped up again, revealing itself to be Flowey. That had Frisk a little confused - did Asriel really change back that fast? The thought of it made Frisk feel sorry for both versions of him.

Flowey stared at Frisk in wide-eyed shock - if it was physically possible, he'd have turned pale. "Frisk...what happened to you?"

What are you- Frisk started to sign, but stopped when they got a good look at their hands; they were entirely skeletal, without so much as a drop of blood to accompany them. They shot to their feet, frantically inspecting the rest of their body. Sure enough, their arms and legs were those of a skeleton, with only a spine and rib cage where their chest would be. Finally, touching their hands to their face revealed the shape and features of a skull.

This didn't make sense. Asriel broke the barrier, Frisk fell asleep. Now they were a skeleton, they woke up buried in dirt, and they didn't have determination.

Wait...a skeleton buried in dirt?

Slowly, Frisk turned around, staring at the headstone marked with their name. They didn't feel cold at all, but their entire body was shaking. They slowly backed away from the grave, tripping and landing in front of it.

"Frisk?" Flowey asked, looking at them nervously.

Why am I a skeleton? Frisk shakily signed.

"I don't know!" Flowey exclaimed. "I left the room after I broke the barrier, and you were still alive then!"

Frisk pulled their knees up into a fetal position, their hands still shaky as they signed. I can't feel determination. I can't save. What happened to my soul?

"You can't?" Now he looked horrified. He concentrated intently on Frisk for a second, then shook his head. "It's not there. You don't have a human soul."

How? That was all Frisk could manage before going back to hugging their knees.

"I felt your soul when I broke the barrier." Flowey admitted. "At the time, I didn't know what that meant - it must have gotten absorbed, then vanished with the others."

Frisk began to rock back and forth, still hugging their knees. This was too much new information, and there were too many implications. They weren't determined, they couldn't handle it.

"You can still feel all your emotions, right?" Flowey asked.

Frisk nodded.

Flowey looked down, considering the information at hand. "The only skeletons we know who move around like this are monsters."

Frisk looked up. I'm a monster?

He nodded. "You must be. It sounds impossible, but that's the only possibility."

Frisk watched Flowey for several seconds, looking for traces of his old malicious behaviour, but all that could be found on his face now was concern. In the back of their mind, they managed enough concentration to be proud of him. For several minutes, neither of them spoke - the mountain was extremely quiet, which only served to give the silence more weight.

"So, what are you going to do now?" Flowey eventually asked.

Frisk adjusted into a regular sitting position. I don't know...I'm scared. Determination got me through the underground. What am I going to do without it? And what about other hu- Frisk stopped, looking at their bony hands again in confusion. Part of them expected that any moment, they would wake up and find their body back to normal. Most of them hoped for it.

Flowey's expression shifted yet again - it wasn't quite shock or horror, not like the way he'd been scared earlier. It seemed like a mix of surprise and sadness, but there was something else about it that Frisk couldn't place in their current state. Soon, the expression turned thoughtful again, though he still looked sad as well.

Feeling concerned about the flower now, Frisk signed to him in an effort to reassure him. Out of everyone, I think I want to go see the skeleton brothers first. Sans is smart, Papyrus is always supportive, and they're both skeletons too.

Flowey nodded. "That actually does make sense."

What about you? Frisk asked.

Flowey shook his head. "Don't worry about me! What about you? Are you really going to go out there by yourself?"

Frisk shrugged sadly. I don't have anybody else to go with me. Maybe I won't need to fight anyone, or I'll just encounter people who I can spare.

"The surface doesn't work like that, Frisk! There are a lot of people like me, and they stronger than you!" Flowey shouted angrily.

Then what do I do? Frisk asked him.

Flowey looked down, then back up at Frisk, seeming very conflicted about something. "I can go with you." He eventually managed to say.

Frisk jumped up in surprise. Do you mean it?

"Yeah, I mean it. Just don't think you can put me in a flowerpot!" Flowey snapped.

Frisk titled their head. I need to take you with me somehow. We can't talk or see each other while you're underground.

Flowey groaned. "Fine, then how about I just wrap around your neck for now? We can find a backpack or something later."

At first, Frisk was nervous about this idea - then they put a hand to their neck, and remembered that they couldn't choke anymore. They nodded awkwardly, and Flowey climbed up hastily. Once the Flower was securely wrapped, Frisk stood up and began to walk down the mountain.

"So, where are you going to go first?" Flowey asked.

There's a small town near Mt. Ebbot. We'll need to stop there first. Frisk explained.

Flowey blinked. "Just 'a small town'? Are you not from around here?"

No, I'm not. I took the bus to get here. Do you know what those are?

Flowey rolled his eyes. "Yes, I know what a bus is."

It'll be interesting to see what things are like now How long has it been since the barrier broke, anyways? Frisk wondered

"A while? I don't know, I kind of lost track of time down there." Flowey complained.

Frisk shrugged. We'll just have to find out, then.