The Capital
Frisk advanced on Asgore's castle. One hand held her stick, the other clutched her heart locket, which remained locked to her neck. She found Asgore watering the flowers in his garden.
"Greetings", said Frisk.
Asgore turned around in shock.
"You...!" cried Asgore, his eyes wide with surprise. He took a step backwards.
They stared at each other, sizing each other up.
Asgore spoke first.
"Oh. For a moment, I thought you were.. someone else. It's a beautiful day. Birds are singing, flowers are blooming. I so badly want to say.."
Frisk held out a hand to stop him and his voice trailed off.
"We both know the law, and what you must do. But, before you kill me, and take my SOUL, I have a last request."
Asgore looked confused. This creature looked like a human child, but its spirit seemed older. It reminded him of himself, an old man, who, looking death in the face, would wearily accept his fate. It had the same dangerous look as the human child he had raised as his own, the child who hated the world so much that it threw itself from the crater of Mount Ebott.
"Let's have a cup of tea together. That's all I want." said Frisk calmly.
Utterly baffled, Asgore beckoned Frisk to his living room, invited her to sit at the table, and put the kettle on. He brewed a teapot of golden flower tea and poured two steaming mugs.
Frisk pulled out her last slice of cinnamon-snail pie and carefully cut it in half with her knife. She offered one half to Asgore.
"I want to thank you, King Asgore. I had a good stay here in your kingdom", said Frisk, sipping her tea. "I met many monsters. They were all so kind! And they hold you in such high regard- do you know that?"
Asgore's hands trembled as he picked up his piece of pie and took a bite from it.
"Let's discuss your hopes and dreams. What are you going to do when you take my SOUL?" said Frisk, reaching out and touching Asgore's massive white paw.
"Truthfully I do not want to hurt anyone. But we monsters are trapped down here in this terrible prison. I want my people to be free. I want them to see the surface. I am sorry, young human, I need your SOUL to give my people the freedom they deserve."
"So when you've taken my SOUL and broken the barrier, what will you do then?"
"With the seven human SOULs within me, I would have the powers of a god. I would destroy humanity.. and let monsters rule the surface in peace."
"How many humans have you met? You've met a few, haven't you? Compared to you monsters, we're vicious. You're right. When you get to the surface, you have no hope of coexisting peacefully. You'd have to kill each and every human. Every last one. Can you do that?"
Asgore nodded. "There's nothing I wouldn't do for my people. After we've had our tea, I must do my duty."
"Let's talk about the prophecy. The one derived from the Delta Rune. Look, there it is, on your robes. Remind me how it goes.. "
"This is the prophecy: The Angel... The One Who Has Seen The Surface... They will return. And the underground will go empty. It's a story, to give people hope. I, king Asgore, will be the one who will set the people free."
Frisk laughed quietly. "Hope? The 'angel' who has seen the surface will descend from above and bring you freedom? Let me tell you, I've met this 'angel' and it wasn't nice. The Fallen Human is the 'Angel of Death'. A harbinger of destruction, come to 'free' you all from this mortal realm..."
"You are misguided, young human. We WILL find the freedom that we deserve. We will decide our own fate, even if we have to fight for it", said Asgore firmly.
"Please understand me, King Asgore", Frisk urged, "if you break open the barrier, this prophecy will come true in the worst possible way. Think back. Remember the first human who fell. Since that day, humans have brought nothing but misfortune to your kind. The best thing you can do, in my opinion, is to stay down here and enjoy your lives in peace. The human world is a horrible place. Up there, it's kill or be killed. Humans will smile to your face and stab you in the back. That's just how we are."
Frisk drained the last of her tea.
"So you've heard what I have to say. You still want my SOUL? I'll give you one chance. Let's take this outside. It's bad manners for guests to fight indoors."
They went out to the courtyard of Asgore's castle. Frisk faced Asgore, holding her knife. She could feel her SOUL writhing inside her: there was a part of her really wanted to kill Asgore; the half that was Frisk wanted to end the fight without bloodshed.
She caught sight of her shadow on the ground. A small child with a knife in its hand.
Here we are.
Again.
This is how the Genocide run ended.
Despite everything, we're both still here.
Can I really control myself?
Am I still myself?
No.
Frisk the savior.. the hero.. she's lost.
From the first time I decided to kill, many timelines ago, I've changed forever. I thought, with my power, I was above consequences.
I was wrong. But I wonder:
Maybe there's a glimmer of a good person left?
I have to believe there is.
This battle will tell. I can't let Chara win, or I'll lose all of my essence.
Asgore looked very reluctant to fight. "What are you waiting for?" Frisk called to him, "How are you going to get to the surface? How are you going to destroy humanity if you can't fight one human child?"
Asgore grimly flung out his first attack, a spiral of fireballs that surrounded Frisk. Her LV was so high that she hardly felt any pain. She walked calmly towards Asgore, who started to back away, but not fast enough –
Frisk slashed Asgore across the chest, meaning only to slice open his armor-
Somehow, even though the tip of the knife only scratched him lightly, a terrible wound opened up.
No! I didn't mean it! That's not what I wanted!
Her heart felt sick, but her expression was impassive.
So much blood.
Asgore fell to one knee.
Is this the power of hatred? My Level Of ViolencE? My great capacity to cause pain and suffering?
Frisk stood over the monster king. His blood was soaking into his white fur and his armor was ruined. Yet he was still alive.
Frisk pulled out her cellphone and dialled Toriel's number. She begged Toriel to come to Asgore's castle, to heal someone gravely injured.
Then she turned to Asgore, who was now lying on the floor, groaning with pain, trying to stop his own bleeding. "You have no hope against humanity. We're much too strong for you. Be grateful for what you have and don't get any ideas."
Frisk turned and walked away from the defeated Asgore. Finally, she had done what she set out to do. The monsters could live peacefully here in the Underground.
She wanted to feel good about it, but she didn't feel like a hero.
She remembered her own determination to save the Underground, no matter what it cost. She remembered her desperation to do the right thing. But right now, she didn't feel anything at all.
There was one last task to be completed. She had to release the human SOULs that Asgore kept captive. Maybe doing so would heal her own damaged SOUL.
Frisk proceeded to the basement of the castle. It was well-lit, warm, and dry. Every effort had been made to preserve the dignity of the humans, whose SOULs were harvested to free the monsters. Each body was laid to rest in a coffin. Each SOUL had its own container.
Every human had a label with their name, both on the coffin and on the soul container, but Frisk couldn't make them out: the ink had long faded.
Frisk opened the soul containers and freed the SOULs.
She recalled the fight with the All-Powerful Omega Flowey; the spirits of the other humans had healed her each time her SOUL took damage. They had reached out to her, protected her, saved her.
Please come with me, she begged. You helped me once.
She gathered them in her hands and held them close.
The orange SOUL spoke: "I am the spirit of Bravery. All of us can see into your heart. You lied about your bad deeds so the monsters wouldn't hate you. You're the worst kind of coward and I could never work with one such as you."
The pale blue SOUL spoke: "I am the spirit of Patience. But I see there is no place for me in your heart. Everything you want, you must have it, taking it by force if necessary. I cannot redeem you."
The deep blue SOUL spoke: "I am the spirit of Integrity. I see that your own moral code has no strength at all; you act to get what you want, not through a sense of right or wrong. I cannot teach you."
The green SOUL spoke: "I am the spirit of Kindness. I see almost no kindness at all in your heart. Every kind deed of yours comes tainted from a selfish motive. Forgive me, I cannot join you."
The yellow SOUL spoke: "I am the spirit of Justice. I stand against criminals like you! You committed genocide! You murdered everyone you met, all those innocents! And now you think you can pretend all of that never happened? With all my strength, I will oppose you!"
The purple SOUL spoke: "I am the spirit of Perseverance. You have abundant perseverance, but you used it for terrible things – killing the people who would defend their world. I refuse to help you."
Frisk pleaded urgently with them. "You'll fade. You'll disappear if you don't come with me." Tears welled up in her eyes.
The blue soul replied: "We'll disappear but we'll preserve who we are. We will always be ourselves".
One by one, the souls faded, their whispers still circulating.
"you lied.."
"you hurt people"
"…manipulative.."
"…cruel"
Frisk grasped at them with her hands, but she couldn't make them stay.
Their honest words burned Frisk to the core of her SOUL. They saw her how she truly was, judging her by the sins she'd committed across every timeline. And now, she saw who she truly was, too.
A few kind deeds in this world had only served to mask the selfishness inside. On top of that, she was judged for Chara's sins too, for she had given her SOUL to him and now they were as one. All of her pain and Chara's malice blended together, and she lashed out, smashing the SOUL jars.
Finally, her strength was spent. She lay amongst the coffins and SOUL jar fragments, with her bleeding fingers and aching heart.
Hopeless and alone.
She wept bitterly.
Wearily, she made her way to the barrier. This was the last checkpoint. There was her Box, and a save point, conveniently placed as always.
Frisk went to her Box and lifted Flowey out. All of her body, her limbs, felt heavy. She tipped the bucket upside down so that Flowey fell onto the ground in a tangle.
"What are you doing?" he asked, disorientated and astonished.
"You can go too, if you want", said Frisk. Her eyes looked dead. Empty. No hope, no joy, no compassion.
"Really? You're not going to stop me?" said Flowey. "Is this about last night? Er.. ha ha.. that was just a bit of fun.."
Frisk shook her head. "You're free, Flowey. I won't force you to come with me. I'm going to the surface, but you can stay here. People are kind in the underground. I don't think we'll find much of that where I'm going."
Flowey found the bucket on its side and wriggled back into it. Now it was Frisk's turn to be surprised.
Flowey looked squarely at Frisk, without any fear at all. "There's only one person in the world I know I love. And that's Chara. That's you – right now, you're more Chara than Frisk. I've already seen all this world's got to offer. Everyone's so predictable in the Underground. But you.. you're capable of anything. You're the only interesting and exciting person I know."
Frisk agreed. That much was true.
Flowey continued: "You said before, you don't belong here. Neither do I. But both of us are well adapted to survive on the surface. So let's go. But before you do, solve this puzzle. It's a riddle."
"A puzzle? Really…?" said Frisk, narrowing her eyes.
"Only the fearless may proceed. Brave one, foolish ones. Both walk not the middle road." Flowey recited.
It was a mural from the Ruins, Frisk remembered. Actually, it's good advice for navigating the Underground. If you're going to be a True Pacifist, you have to show mercy to everybody. Likewise, if you're going to kill monsters, you'd better go all out. Anything else, and your attacks are weak and nobody takes you seriously; you don't achieve anything in the Underground.
She finally understood. A heart fighting within itself would not get very far.
Her SOUL burned with a feeling she couldn't describe. She felt it, as it melted and fused. Bright red determination radiated from her eyes. The pain from her wounds faded until it seemed inconsequential.
Flowey nodded approvingly.
Calmly, Frisk slid the Real Knife into her belt. She packed up any supplies that might be useful.
Twilight was shining through the barrier. The sun had nearly set.
Soon it would be-
NIGHT
"This is your last chance. Just say the word and you can live happily down here", she said to Flowey, placing a finger on the handle of the bucket.
"Where's the fun in that? It's KILL OR BE KILLED!" laughed Flowey with his creepiest smile.
Deep in her heart, Frisk embraced Chara. Her hand touched her heart locket – 'Best Friends Forever'. She flashed her own creepy smile at Flowey. Then she gripped the bucket handle and stepped through the barrier.
Together, they would explore the Surface world with no SAVEs and RESETs.
Together, they would face all challenges and grow strong.
THE END
Writer's note:
Thanks for reading this and staying with me until the end.
Love, Mongo Xx
BunnyTheBonnie: Thank you!
Nick Write: I'm definintely questioning my sanity. I bet my other readers are, too!