Frisk met their friends at school the next day. Sans was willing to shuttle them back and forth between New Home and Waterfall. Both saw how tired Frisk looked, though they tried their best to hide it. They explained what had happened with Asriel last night and how the young prince had a breakdown. They both gave Asriel their sympathies, but Frisk wasn't sure if Asriel heard, as quiet as he was.

Toriel showed up on time for class, but she looked slightly disheveled. None of the rest of the class knew about the drama from a couple days ago and thus were unaware that Frisk didn't live with Toriel anymore. Toriel tried to speak to Frisk a couple times, but unless it was school related, they stayed silent. They didn't even look her in the eye, focusing on anything else, or just facing her direction, but their eyes kept pointed elsewhere.

It went like that for several weeks and more and more, Toriel tried to talk to them, but they still remained silent towards her.

It was now the weekend and Frisk was playing with their friends in the forest outside of Snowdin Town. Asgore was visiting for the day, so Frisk could stay for almost the whole time.

While they were deciding on a game to play, Flowey showed up.

"Howdy!" he greeted. "It's been a while, huh?" He noticed everyone's expressions and realized something was going on. "What is it? Did something happen?"

Noelle looked at Frisk, who nodded. "Frisk has moved in with Asgore," she explained. "They're not living with Toriel anymore."

"Really? Why?"

"Can't tell ya, dude," MK said.

"What? Why not? You can trust me to keep it secret."

"Still not telling," Noelle insisted.

"Ugh," Flowey moaned, rolling his eyes. "Fine. Keep it secret. I'll figure it out on my own." But then he got a smug look. "Unless it has something to do with Frisk's mom attacking the king?"

The three looked surprised. "How did you…?"

"Well, you wouldn't tell me why, so why should I tell you?" Flowey rebutted. "But that's obviously not what we're here for. What are we playing this time?"

"Well, we were thinking of a sort of puzzle game," MK explained. "Papyrus has a lot of traps spread throughout this forest, so we were going to attempt one."

"Aren't those dangerous?" Flowey asked.

"The puzzles are designed to catch humans," Noelle answered. "Monsters are in no danger."

"Okay, if you're sure," Flowey agreed.

They found their first puzzle, which was a complex maze with tiles of X's and O's. In order to solve it, all the x's had to be turned to o's, but stepping on a tile twice turned it into a triangle, so they had to be careful of the path they took.

While Noelle and MK looked over the maze, Frisk hung back with Flowey, who took the chance to talk to them.

"So, your mom beat up the king?" Flowey asked. Frisk glared at the flower in answer. Flowey still didn't know sign language and their interpreters were busy. "Golly, that must really sting a bit. Any idea why?"

Frisk looked away.

"I get the feeling you do, but you aren't going to tell me anyway," Flowey observed. "Golly, I bet you're really upset. Whatever it is, though, it must be huge. If only you could turn back time and undo it."

Frisk glanced at Flowey, wondering why that came up.

"I mean, if I could control time and something bad happened, I'd go back and make sure it never happened."

Frisk wanted to snap at the flower when they remembered that they did actually have that power. Twice they died and went back. They could control time as if they were in a video game and were able to load up a previous save. They looked at their hands. Could it really be that simple? They could go back and prevent the fight. But… would it do any real good?

"Hey, dudes!" MK shouted. "We think we've got the whole maze figured out. Wanna come over and help us figure out the path to take?"

Frisk stood up while Flowey burrowed and popped back up next to the trio. Frisk would think on it more later. Right now, they were going to spend time with their friends.

After spending several hours with their friends, it was time to go. Asgore led Frisk back to New Home, letting them walk on their own, rather than taking them by the hand. Frisk made supper for the both of them, Sans arriving with another care package from Toriel. She had been sending them every other day and always with Sans.

As they sat down and ate, their talk with Flowey kept going through their head. Go back and change things. Could it really be that easy? And would it do any real good?

"Frisk, is something wrong?" Asgore asked.

'I'm fine, dad,' Frisk signed.

"Perhaps you are, but something is troubling you, I can tell," Asgore said. "What is wrong? You can tell me, you know."

Frisk sighed. They weren't sure if they could tell Asgore about their time powers, but perhaps part of the truth wouldn't hurt. 'I've just been thinking. If you had the power to go back in time and change things, would you do it?' they asked. 'Like, anything at all? With just a flex of your will, go back and make it so that certain things don't happen?'

Asgore appeared surprised by the question and contemplative as well. "Where is this coming from?"

Frisk clutched their arm in nervousness. 'It's just… I want that fight between you and mom to never happen. I was thinking, what if I went back and made it so it never did?'

Asgore sighed and shook his head. "Changing the past is not something you should do on a whim, Frisk," Asgore advised. "Yes, what happened between Toriel and I was bad, but preventing the fight would do no good. Feelings had been building for quite some time and stopping them from coming to fruition when they had might just make the later breaking point worse. And I do not want to go through that again."

Frisk agreed mentally with that. Changing things probably wouldn't work anyway, as Asriel would still remember, as would they. It would be for naught in the end.

"If I might ask, where did you get this idea?" Asgore requested.

Frisk tried to think of an excuse as quickly as they could. Something plausible that Asgore would believe without exposing Flowey. They didn't trust him, but something told them to not talk about the flower for now.

Asgore sighed. "I know it is tempting, Frisk, but I would advise you think your actions through before trying to reset."

Frisk's head snapped up in surprise.

Wait, he knows?!

Asgore chuckled at Frisk's expression. "Did you think I was unaware, small one?"

'But how? No one else knew anything!'

"Let's just say I have some experience with humans resetting time on me," Asgore waved away.

Frisk had so many questions and Asriel's sudden rambling didn't help. 'But how did you know I could?'

"Well, a couple years ago, I had the weirdest sense of déjà vu while doing my daily work. Then, about a year later, it happened again, only this time, I had a clearer sense that it wasn't déjà vu, but that I actually had done it all before," Asgore explained. "I've had this sense of time looping before, both here Underground and above on the Surface. I didn't know if you still had that ability or if you had lost it at some point, but I have my answer."

'But, how do you know I had it at all?' Frisk asked.

"This power to reset is through sheer willpower, but it's only available to the strongest will in an area," Asgore explained. "As you were the only human down here, I assumed you had it at some point before the others arrived."

'What made you think I might have lost it?'

Asgore ran a hand down his face. "As I said, it's only accessible to the strongest of wills. Once someone with a more powerful will shows up, the power is gone. And adult humans tend to have stronger wills than children."

A thought occurred to Frisk. 'If you knew I could just go back whenever I wanted, why put forth the effort to rescue me?'

"As I said, the power is only available to the strongest will and I didn't know if those other humans had stronger wills. Because if they did and they killed you…"

'I wouldn't come back,' Frisk realized. 'Before, when I died, I just went back. But with them, if they had a stronger will, I might not have been able to reset and if I died, it would be permanent.' Something else occurred to them. 'But if any human can have it, then what about the six who fell before me? Would they have had it? And if they did, why didn't they escape?'

Asgore sighed sadly. "Unfortunately, the power is not infallible," he began. "It surges forth in moments of great distress, or when you are in peril. If you lack the will or desire, it will not come to you and you will die a permanent death. I believe that is what happened to them. At some point in their journeys, they lost the will to keep going."

Frisk felt pity for those six. But they couldn't really blame them. Frisk had given up as well, but they were given a second chance and found a reason to keep going.

'Does Toriel know about it? Or anyone else?'

"Not as far as I know," Asgore answered Frisk. "I never shared this knowledge with Toriel, or anyone else for that matter, as I feared what would become of them if they learned. Have you?"

Frisk shook their head. 'Only Alphys. She helped me figure out what it was when it happened the second time. She likened it to a video game.'

"Hmm, an apt metaphor," Asgore mused. "With that kind of power, it would seem like a video game to some extent."

'I'm not going to tell anyone else about it, though,' Frisk signed. 'Like you said, I'm not sure they could take the knowledge well.'

"Good man," Asgore said. "And, also, as I have advised, don't reset on a whim and don't do it to prevent my fight with Toriel. I do regret what I said and did, but not saying it might just make it worse in the end."

'I know. And it wouldn't change anything, really,' Frisk signed. 'Yes, you and she would forget, but I won't. I'll never forget and I don't think I could look at her after what went down.'

Asgore nodded in understanding. "Good choice, Frisk. You do have a remarkable ability, but I have seen too many humans corrupted by it. Use it responsibly and wisely and be sure to think your actions through before you choose to reset. Just because you can erase certain choices, it doesn't mean you can't get rid of them completely."

'I understand.'

"Good. Now, shall we eat that pie Toriel sent over?"

'Sounds good!'

After they ate, Frisk did their homework so they would have time to play with their friends tomorrow. At times, they were tempted to ask Asriel his opinion on what they should do, or what he thought about Asgore's reveal, but he was still silent after that outburst.

The next day, Asgore brought them to Snowdin to play with their friends. Frisk played a game with Noelle and MK, then went to the playground, where there were a bunch of other kids playing. But there was a small group gathered up in the corner.

When they went to investigate, they found Sans lazing in the snow, a bone jutting out of the ground a short distance away.

'What's this all about?' Frisk asked. As they signed that, they saw a couple kids play with the bone, their hands going through it like it was made of air.

"Oh, I think I see what's going on," MK realized. "It's a game. Everyone's daring the other to touch Sans' bone attack."

'Why? Isn't playing with magic dangerous?'

"Not Sans' attacks. They don't work," MK explained.

Frisk was puzzled by that. 'Don't work?'

"Yeah, they deal no damage," MK elaborated.

'But don't all attacks do something?' Frisk asked.

"Not Sans' for some reason," MK explained. "Come on, I'll show you!" He went over where the other kids were taking turns touching Sans' bone attack. Some were just tapping it, others were passing their whole body through it. "Hey, dudes. Can I have a turn?" he asked.

"Knock yourself out!" one agreed. MK wagged his tail through Sans' bone several times and he was completely unharmed.

"heh, showing off?" Sans asked.

"Just showing Frisk how weak your attacks are," MK explained.

'I still can't believe it. You're not hurt at all?'

"yeah, my attacks don't work on kids," Sans confirmed. "besides, i'm not tryin' to hurt 'em, so my attack deals less than normal."

"Noelle, you try it!" MK encouraged.

"Okay, I can try!" Noelle agreed with a giggle. She ran right through the bone, laughing as it phased through her. "That actually tickled a little."

MK laughed. "Your turn, Frisk!"

Frisk looked at the bone, puzzled as to why it wasn't doing anything. But since everyone else was having fun, why not them? After all, everyone else proved it was safe, so it should be no problem.

They reached out with their hand, planning to grab the bone with it. They touched it with the palm of their hand-

Then their vision went red and their ears were filled with the ring of a gunshot, they felt a viscous liquid on their cheek and they tasted copper in the air and could smell it as well.

They dropped to their knees and clutched their hand as it singed out in pain. They screamed at the top of their lungs, clutching their hand to their chest.

"Frisk!" Noelle and MK shouted, running to their side, Noelle laying her hands on their back. Sans was up on his feet in an instant, dispelling the bone.

Frisk uncurled their fingers away from their hand to reveal a deep cut. Frisk wanted to sign, but their hand hurt too much.

"Get the king!" Noelle shouted to MK, who ran off to find Asgore. "I thought your attacks can't deal damage?" she asked Sans.

"they don't. normally," he said.

"Then what happened?" she demanded.

"i don't know!" Sans shouted, slightly panicked.

Asgore came running over a minute later. Frisk was still clutching their hand, holding it to their chest.

"What happened?" he asked.

"We were just playing with Sans' attack, when Frisk got cut," Noelle explained.

"By what?"

"By the bone Sans conjured," she explained. "MK said his attacks aren't supposed to hurt us, but that bone cut Frisk's hand."

Asgore knelt down. "Sans' attacks are rather weak and the damage they deal is often minimal, even when he means it. To do this is rare." He had Frisk hold out their hand so he could look at it. As he did, he caught a look at Frisk's eyes. He didn't like what he saw. "I think I'll have to cut this visit short. You will still see them tomorrow, but I'm going to take Frisk home with me."

"Of course," Noelle said in understanding.

"Dude, are you okay?" MK asked. "I'm so sorry. I… I don't know what happened. That shouldn't have happened!"

Frisk managed to sign with one hand. 'It's okay,' they signed. 'It's not your fault. You… you did nothing wrong.' They looked down, a memory constantly looping. It's mine.

Asgore got Frisk home and looked over their injured hand. The cut was pretty bad, but he could heal it. Cupping Frisk's hand in his own massive pair, he channeled his magic, a soft green light enveloping his hands. He looked up at Frisk, who was sitting in Asgore's chair. They looked very sad and haunted by something.

"Frisk, are you alright?" he asked gently. They turned their head away, refusing to look at him. "Did… did you see something when you touched Sans' attack?"

Frisk shook their head, but Asgore could tell that wasn't true.

"Sans' attacks are most unusual," Asgore began. "Normally, no matter how hard he tries, they deal very minimal damage, to the point where they can't even cause harm. However, his magic does have a unique attribute to it. I do not understand how he got it, but his attacks can drain health away depending on how much harm you have caused others."

Frisk looked up, nervous about what Asgore just said.

"And the more you have harmed others, the more the drain affects you. It also has the effect of bringing up the memory of the deed when you are struck by it. So, I'll ask again – did you see something when you touched his attack?"

Frisk looked tempted, but they looked away again and kept silent.

Asgore felt bad for Frisk. He could see from the look in their eyes that they had and Sans' attack hurt them rather badly, so they must have done great harm. He didn't want to think it, or say it, but the draining effect really only triggered if someone had killed in the past. But he didn't want Frisk to have done that. That was too much of a burden for someone so young.

Once Frisk's hand was healed, they pulled it out of his grasp. 'Thank you,' they signed. They hopped onto the floor and started walking for their room. 'I'm just going to go lie down until it's time for supper.'

Asgore laid a hand on Frisk's shoulder. "Whatever it is, whatever you have done, you can talk to me. I will listen and I won't judge. Promise."

Frisk pushed Asgore's hand off and resumed their walk. They entered and closed the door to their room, leaning against the door. They covered their face with their hands before sliding down to the floor. They were struggling to hold back their tears, getting harder and harder by the minute as the memory refused to go away.

"Frisk?"

Frisk took their hands away to see Asriel kneeling next to them. Now they really had to hold back their tears. 'What?' they signed sharply.

"You tell me," Asriel responded. "I felt that, too. We share the body, remember? That attack hurt. And I did hear everything dad said."

Frisk looked away. 'I don't want to talk about it.'

Asriel was hurt by that and could see the irony in the moment. But he wasn't going to be deterred. Whatever it was, it was hurting Frisk. They need to open up and get it off their chest.

Just like Asriel needed to get his own issues out.

He sat down next to Frisk. "Look, I don't know what's wrong, but I do know you can't keep this secret. You said it yourself, holding stuff in never works out."

'Now you admit it?'

Asriel sighed. "Yes. I do. I was wrong to be quiet about… everything. I'm sorry. I was hurting so much when my parents fought and I blamed myself. Everything bad that's happened since I died is at least partly my fault. I… I am sorry I tried to keep it all to myself. I see now how wrong that was. In not saying anything, by not confiding in anyone, I just ended up hurting myself more. And I did that because I thought I deserved it. That I deserve to suffer for what I've done.

"But… I'm starting to see that I don't. I… I can see that I don't deserve to punish myself for my mistakes, at least not this much. And having you to talk to about all this… you really helped me out before and you want to keep helping me, but I'm trying to push you away. I shouldn't do that.

"And you shouldn't do that, either." He turned to face Frisk. "I consider you my friend, Frisk. I really do. You have a secret, something big that you haven't shared with anyone yet and today, it just had a light shone on it. It's tearing you up and it's hurting you to think about it. But not saying anything will just make it worse. So, whatever it is, whatever you have done, tell me and I'll listen. I promise that I'll be understanding and that at the end, you'll still be my friend."

Frisk looked at Asriel. 'Are you sure about that? Because what I've done is… really bad. And… I don't think anyone could forgive me for it.'

"You don't know that," Asriel said. "How can you? Besides, I think I have a pretty good idea what it is. I promise I won't get mad and I'll be understanding."

Frisk looked away for a moment, debating to themselves. After a while, they looked back, hoping they wouldn't regret this.

End of Chapter 24