A/N Someone asked last chapter if this is after LOVETALE or a separate universe, and as I can't recall whether or not I ever specified that, I'll say now, this is a separate universe.

Now, on with the story.

Frisk and Asriel were sitting in the guest room, one ready to listen to the other.

'Okay,' Frisk signed. 'I'll tell you. But, please understand, the surface was not a nice place and I never knew anything else for a long time.'

"I get that," Asriel said. "You had to resort to some pretty drastic measures to survive."

'And they were drastic,' Frisk signed. 'I was taught how to use a gun when I was only six years old. They said it was so I would know how to defend myself. My group is not the only one that survived. There are others. Some large, some small. A couple I heard were nice and were hoping to rebuild society, but the rest, for the most part, were mean and sought to survive by any means necessary.'

"Like how?"

'Well, sometimes they would abduct smaller groups and force them to serve as laborers or make them into soldiers. Come to think of it, that is what my group was doing to me. But anyways, that's what they mostly did with adults. For children, it could go almost any way. But the worst was they just killed the kid if they proved inadequate.'

"But… that makes no sense. If the human race is dying, shouldn't they be trying to preserve lives, not take them?"

'You would think, but that's not how they thought. In the world above, it's 'kill or be killed'.'

Asriel was very disturbed by that. He wasn't sure why, but it sent a chill through his spine.

'Anyway, one such group came upon mine. The adults all ran, but I was too slow. I had to run to avoid getting captured. One of the men chasing me said that I wasn't worth the effort it would take and started shooting at me. I ran and kept running, hoping to catch up to my group so they could all defend me, but they left me behind. Eventually, the man managed to shoot me in the leg and I fell. I started crawling to get away, but it hurt too much and before I knew it, he was upon me, pointing his shotgun at me.'

Frisk took a moment to steady themself. Asriel had a bad idea he knew where this was going.

'As I was crawling back, I felt my hand brush something and I could tell from the shape that it was a handgun. The guy didn't notice, just walked closer, either to draw out the kill or ensure I would stay dead, I don't know. But I heard him cock the gun and I acted on reflex.' Frisk blinked back a few tears. 'It happened so fast, but I managed to grab the gun and shoot him. And at that range, it was impossible to miss.' The tears started to fall faster and Frisk did their best to wipe them away.

'T-the next thing I knew, he was on the ground and I was holding a smoking gun, a bit of blood on my face. After that, I managed to get back up and run. I hadn't realized I was still holding the gun until I found my group. They were disappointed I had fallen behind and when I told them I had killed someone…' Frisk forcefully wiped the tears away. 'They saw me crying and told me to man up. They said that people die all the time and if I was this affected, then I was almost as much of a waste of space as those guys thought.'

Asriel felt offended on Frisk's behalf. Saying that to a kid? That was cruel.

'I was only seven at the time,' Frisk revealed. 'It haunted me for weeks afterward and no one felt a bit of pity for me.'

Frisk did their best to wipe the tears away. 'There. That's the story. The story of my first and only kill.' They looked at Asriel, who was deep in thought. 'You see why I couldn't bear to tell you this? It hurts to think about it and talking is worse.'

"I can see that," Asriel said. "But, Frisk, why did you keep this secret for so long? I mean, I can kinda understand why. Taking a life at seven is bad, but it sounds to me like you were justified."

'Justified?! How can killing be justified?!'

"You said he was threatening to kill you and you were scared for your life," Asriel explained. "That's called self-defense. Yes, taking a life is bad, but you can't be blamed for what you did. You were frightened and just a kid. It was the only way to survive."

'But it shouldn't have to be that way!' Frisk signed. 'It shouldn't have had to be me or him. There had to have been a way where both of us could live!'

"But there wasn't," Asriel said decisively. "I don't want to put it that way, but in that instance, it was kill or be killed. And I think you did the right thing. If you hadn't defended yourself, you wouldn't be here now and neither would I. You matter to a lot of people and I'm sure they'd agree, they wouldn't trade your life for the life of a guy who sounds like a genuinely bad person."

Frisk didn't say anything in response. They just curled up against the door. 'It still feels wrong. I don't understand how you can be okay with what I've done.'

"It's a lot to take in," Asriel admitted. "But, you clearly aren't a bad person and like I said, you were scared for your life. I don't think, in that instance, there was a right or wrong decision. It was either you kill him, or he kills you." Asriel looked at Frisk and could see that his words were not having much of an impact. "But maybe just hearing it from me is not enough. Talk to dad."

'What? No. I… I can't do that,' Frisk signed.

"Why not? He's an adult. I think he could understand better than I could and maybe even help you in ways I can't," Asriel pointed out. "Talk to him. He promised he wouldn't judge."

Asgore was still working on supper when his phone rang. He answered it and heard Sans on the other end. "Howdy. How can I help you?"

"let me start by saying i'm sorry for what happened earlier," Sans began. "if i had known what would happen, i wouldn't have let the kid touch my attack. heck, i wouldn't have even summoned a bone in the first place."

"Apology accepted. But that's not all, is there?"

"no. um, i've been doin' some thinking about why it happened. you know how my attacks work, how i can hurt even the strongest of monsters," Sans began.

"Yes, I do."

"well, you made me the judge for that specific reason. i've been watching the kid and i can see they're good. but after today, i realized they aren't innocent."

"I agree. I have my suspicions why your attack hurt them the way it did."

"well then, i think we're both on the same page, then. no monsters have been reported missing, so at the very least we know the kid hasn't killed anyone down here. up there, on the other hand, is a different story."

Asgore let out a deep sigh, which Sans heard.

"we don't know everything the kid went through, but i think it's safe to say they went through a lot of crap," Sans said. "from what they said, the surface is hell and they probably had to do some… pretty extreme things to survive. it's not pretty to think about, but it's not hard to guess what they have done."

Asgore sighed again. "I know." Asgore looked in the direction Frisk's room was located. "I tried to get them to open up about it, but they shut me out."

"not surprising. they're just a kid. they're too young to have gone through… that. but i think you'd agree that while they look like a kid, at times they don't act like one. they're… really mature for their age."

"Yes, which is actually quite pleasant at times," Asgore agreed.

"well, i think you should use that to get them to talk about it. when you talk to them, don't treat them like a kid. that's what tori did and i could see it didn't work out for her. treat them like a adult. a shaken-up, traumatized adult, who needs comfort now more than ever."

Asgore smiled. "Thanks, Sans. I will do just that."

"good luck." With that, the skeleton hung up.

Half an hour later, Asgore finished making supper. He had made all of Frisk's favorites and even used the written-down recipe for butterscotch-cinnamon pie they made. "Frisk, supper's ready!" he called out.

Frisk came walking in, their feet lightly dragging on the floorboards.

"Um, I made all your favorites. I thought you might like them after… what happened today."

'Thanks, dad,' Frisk signed, taking their seat at the table.

They ate in silence for a while, before Asgore couldn't take it anymore. "Frisk, you can talk to me about it," he encouraged.

Frisk stopped eating, slumping into their chair. 'I don't want to,' they signed.

"I know. But we must do things that make us uncomfortable. And while I know that this is hurting you, the longer you go without talking about it, the worse it gets."

Frisk started to tear up. They looked up at Asgore, thinking for a moment if they could trust him with their dark secret. Then they decided to take a leap of faith. He was right. It was killing them inside. They had talked to Asriel, but that was only a start. If they wanted to heal, then perhaps Asgore was the best place to go.

They looked down in shame before signing. 'I killed someone,' they admitted. They didn't look up at Asgore, afraid of what they'd see. 'It wasn't a Monster. It was a human, on the surface, before I ever came here.'

Asgore let out a breath. "I had suspected as much," he said. "Tell me what happened." When Frisk didn't immediately speak, he added, "I promise I will listen to it all. I know you, Frisk. You're a good person and I know you wouldn't do something like this without a good reason."

A few tears fell from Frisk's cheeks before they spoke. They told Asgore the whole story, just like they told Asriel a short while ago. It was harder the second time around, but it was also freeing in a way. By the end, Frisk was fully crying, tears falling on their lap.

They still didn't look at Asgore, afraid of his reaction. Asriel had assured them that he wouldn't be outraged and it would be hypocritical for Asgore to get mad at Frisk after he had condemned six children to death, but still, it scared them.

To Asgore's credit, he got up from his chair, walked over to Frisk and brought them into a tender hug, letting them rest their head on his chest.

"I don't know where to begin," Asgore said. "Taking a life, even in self-defense, is never easy."

'It hurts so much,' Frisk managed to sign. 'How can you handle it? How do you make it go away?'

"You can't," Asgore consoled. "This pain, this guilt, it never leaves you, but it does lessen with time."

Frisk looked up at their adopted father. 'How?'

"Talking is the first step," Asgore said. "The next is to let us help you with it. We care about you and you need to let us help you through this. This pain is too much for even an adult to bear alone. You are a child. I'm impressed you've managed to hold together this well for so long."

'But the other humans are able to do it and they don't… hurt like I do,' Frisk signed.

Asgore wasn't sure what to say to that. "Some people are able to handle it better than others. But… I don't think those people are like that. If they felt nothing for the lives they've taken, then it means there's something wrong with them."

Frisk sniffed, laying their head back on Asgore's chest. 'I'm sorry I kept this secret for so long. I… I was so scared of how you'd react when you found out.'

"What did you think I'd do?" Asgore asked. "Did you think I'd send you away, kick you out of my home? I'm not heartless. That's too cruel." A thought occurred to him and it explained so much of Frisk's recent behavior. "Is… is that why you left Toriel? Were you scared that is what she would do to you?"

Frisk nodded.

"My god. No wonder you became so scared," Asgore realized. "Seeing her attack me only confirmed that fear, didn't it? So you left before she could find out." He hugged Frisk tighter. "I am so sorry, Frisk. Now I really wish you didn't have to see our fight."

Frisk shook their head. 'No. I would have left anyway. I… I don't think she'd understand what I had to do.'

Asgore lightly rubbed Frisk's head, calming them down. He stood there, Frisk in his arms for several minutes. "Frisk, were you planning to never tell me this? Never tell anyone?"

'How could I?' Frisk asked. 'How do you tell someone that you've ended a life, especially as young as I was?'

Asgore sighed. "Well, I'm glad you told me now. Knowing this, I can help you deal with it. And… I would suggest telling your friends."

'Why?'

"You have trusted them with many secrets before and accepted them very well. They are both reasonable and they do trust you. I think they can help you in ways I can't."

Frisk didn't speak immediately. 'I… I don't know if I can do that, dad. What will they think of me when they find out?'

"I don't know. But I'm certain they will still trust you. They are not the cruel sort and will not abandon you. You three have a trust between you that will be difficult to break."

Frisk lifted their head off his chest. 'Thanks, dad.'

Asgore smiled down at them. "Now, you should get ready for bed. After the day you've had, you need to rest."

Frisk went to Snowdin the next day, heading to the town plaza. They had debated the whole night and decided to tell them now, rather than wait. Noelle and MK were probably concerned after what had happened and would want to know if Frisk was alright.

Asgore was right, they decided. They could trust their friends with this. They hoped.

"Frisk!"

MK's voice got Frisk's attention. They turned around to see both their friends running up.

"Dude, are you okay?" he asked, Noelle behind him. "I'm so sorry about what happened yesterday! I promised I wouldn't do anything stupid again and I failed. Are you alright?"

'I'm fine,' Frisk signed, showing their hand. 'Dad healed me up.'

"Frisk what happened?" Noelle asked. "Sans' attacks didn't do anything to either of us. Why did they affect you?"

"Maybe because they used to be… you know," MK suggested, glancing around at the bustling town.

'That's not it,' Frisk signed.

"Oh? Then why?" Noelle asked.

Frisk looked around at all the Monsters nearby. 'Let's go into the forest, where no one can overhear.'

They both nodded and together they walked into the woods, going far enough in that they wouldn't be seen or heard by anyone. Once far enough in, Frisk stopped and faced their friends.

"So, what is it, Frisk?" Noelle asked.

Frisk fidgeted with their hands for a moment to steel themself. This was going to be hard. 'First, I want you both to promise that you'll listen to the whole thing and to save judgment for after I have a chance to explain.'

"Okay," MK agreed, Noelle nodding.

'Well, I've never talked about this with anyone before, but dad suggested I tell you because I can trust you guys.'

"You can, dude," MK promised. "Whatever it is, we can keep it secret."

'It's not just something you have to keep hidden from everyone,' Frisk admitted. They took a deep breath as they prepared themself. 'Remember what I told you about the surface, that it was bad?'

"Yeah," Noelle said.

'Well, I never told you how bad it was. Or… what I had to do to survive.' For the next hour, Frisk told them what they had told Asgore, about the time they killed. It was easier this time than before and they weren't sure why. At first, the words had come out stilted, but eventually, they just flowed out, Frisk telling them everything that happened. Frisk started crying halfway through, at which point Noelle came over and hugged them, MK offering what physical reassurance he could.

Once it was over, Frisk felt a little better now that two more people knew. But the important part wasn't just telling them, it was what came after. How would they respond?

"Man, that sucks, dude," MK said after a moment. "I mean, I would think the worst you would have done was cut someone, but… to actually kill someone?"

Noelle looked like she wanted to say something, her mouth moving several times, but nothing came out.

"I… I don't have any words," MK said. "I know you're not a bad person, but killing is usually bad, but he was going to kill you, so you had to protect yourself, but…"

"You okay, MK?" Noelle asked.

"I don't know," he answered. "I honestly don't know. This changes a lot. It's going to change how I look at you, Frisk."

'MK. Are we still friends?' Frisk nervously asked, hands shaking.

"Yeah, yeah," MK said with a small smile, though his voice didn't sound sincere.

"Killing someone when you're only seven," Noelle muttered. "That is… wrong in so many ways."

'I'm sorry,' Frisk signed. 'If there had been another way…'

"I know," Noelle assured. "I know you would have tried to find another way. But… there wasn't."

"Yeah, yeah. There was no other way," MK agreed. "I don't want to think like that, but you had no choice. And… I'd rather you had killed him than the other way around."

'Thanks.'

"Frisk, if I may ask, were you going to keep that hidden from us forever?" Noelle asked. "Were you planning to ever tell us?"

'How could I?' Frisk signed. 'There's no way to comfortably tell your best friends something like that. There's no way to tell anyone that.'

"I see," MK nodded. "Man, I need to just… think on that."

"Wait, does the king know?" Noelle asked. Frisk nodded in response. "Does Asriel?"

'First one I told,' Frisk responded.

"Who else?"

'Aside from you two, no one.'

"And you should probably keep that to yourself. There's no way to tell everyone without mentioning what you used to be and bringing up the surface."

"Wait, I just thought of something," MK realized. "Or just realized something, maybe – is this the real reason you left your mom? You were afraid of how she would react to learning this?"

Frisk nodded. 'You saw how she treats dad. What do you think she'd do to me?'

"Man, as twisted as that is, it makes sense," MK said. "I'm so sorry, dude."

Frisk shook their head. 'I don't want pity. I just want it to stop hurting. I want it to stop killing me inside.'

"Well, we can help," Noelle said. "Or at least try."

"Yeah, we will." MK agreed.

'Thank you. Both of you. You are true friends.'

"Hey, do we tell Flowey this?" Noelle asked.

'Definitely not,' Frisk signed.

"Yeah, maybe best to keep it as secret as we can," MK agreed. "But is there anyone else we should tell?"

"Maybe the skeleton brothers?" Noelle suggested. "And the captain, and the royal scientist, given they know the other things. But not Frisk's mom. Not yet."

"Why not?"

"I don't really trust her to take it well," Noelle answered. "And I don't think Frisk does, either."

'I don't.'

"Well, I guess we know what we're doing today," MK said. "Brothers first? Get it out of the way?"

'I was kind of thinking I could wait until I was ready,' Frisk signed.

"And when would that be?" MK sarcastically asked. "Sans probably already suspects, so at the very least, we should tell him. And it would probably be better to get the explanations over with as quickly as possible so it will hurt less. And maybe so I can hear it a couple more times, cause I'm still having trouble believing it."

Frisk thought on that for a while, weighing the benefits and the downsides as much as they could. All four were adults, so they would be understanding. Frisk hoped they would be understanding. Sans might already know, but Papyrus probably didn't and Frisk didn't want to lose their friendship with him. But Papyrus was optimistic to a fault and deeply empathetic, so he might stay.

Alphys had skeletons in her closet, so she would be understanding in a way the others wouldn't. She might handle it well. Undyne, though, Frisk wasn't sure. She didn't like humans all that much and she might understand Frisk's choice in the end, so she would probably be accepting as well.

'Okay. Brothers first.'

"Cool. Let's go," MK said, leading the way.

"You don't have to do this now, Frisk," Noelle said to them.

'I know. But I'm never going to be ready again, so might as well do it now.'

End of Chapter 25