Frisk was in Alphys' lab. This time she was scanning their Soul. She was comparing their scans to the scans she got from the human Souls. It had been a bit surprising that Asgore had just given her the six Souls he already had. Frisk hadn't seen them. Alphys intentionally turned them away from where the Souls were kept.
"So have you found anything yet?" Frisk asked.
"I might," Alphys tentatively said. "I believe I've isolated the component that allows human Souls to persist after death. I'm running a comparison between your Soul and the others to find it."
"What's your general plan?" Frisk asked.
"Well, if you're okay with it, I'd like to see if I could siphon some of this stuff out of your Soul," Alphys said. "I did find the blueprints to a machine that should make that possible."
"Will it hurt?" Frisk asked.
"Uh, I don't know," she admitted. "But I promise I'll be as gentle as I can."
"Well, what do you plan to do with the stuff?" Frisk asked.
"We need a seventh Soul to break the barrier," Alphys said. "But since we won't use yours, we'll have to use Monster Souls."
"But Monster Souls don't last after death," Frisk pointed out.
"Normally, no," she agreed. "But it might be possible to make them last longer. All I have to do is inject what allows human Souls to persist into a Monster's Soul, and it should help them last longer. T-then, maybe, we can use them to break the barrier."
"Wouldn't that require many Monster Souls to work?" Frisk pointed out.
"Yes. B-but I will have the king ask around for any Monsters that have Fallen Down to be brought here," Alphys said. "F-first I got to get the stuff."
"I'll need to ask my mom before you do anything to me."
"Of course. The machine won't be ready for a few days, anyway," Alphys agreed.
"If that's all, may I go?" Frisk asked.
"Yeah, go ahead."
Frisk left and returned to Snowdin. Toriel was doing her best to give them more independence, allowing them to traverse the entire Underground without her. By this point, almost everyone knew they were human, so keeping it secret was virtually pointless.
Frisk arrived at Snowdin, hoping to play with their friends with what little time was left in the day. Strangely, though, Snowdin seemed quieter than normal. Few people were out and about, and those that were, weren't making nearly as much noise as usual.
They arrived at the skeleton brothers' house and knocked on the door. Papyrus greeted them and welcomed them in.
"Hey, Papy, do you know what's going on in town today?" they asked. Even though they could say his name, they still preferred the nickname they gave him.
"NOT REALLY," he admitted. "I HAVEN'T BEEN OUT TODAY."
"Maybe your brother knows?" Frisk suggested.
"MAYBE, BUT HE'S AT HIS POST. ONE OF THEM, ANYWAY," Papyrus said. "GOOD LUCK FIGURING OUT WHICH."
"Maybe Noelle?"
"LET'S GO FIND OUT."
They went to the Holiday house and knocked on the door. Rudy answered, though Frisk noticed he wasn't looking too good.
"Greetings, Mr. Holiday," they said.
"Hello, Frisk," he said, putting on a jolly smile. "What brings you here? Wanting to play with Noelle today?"
"Yes, but can I ask what's going on in town first? Everyone's so down."
"Oh. Guess you wouldn't know, living in the Ruins and all that," Rudy realized. "Crystal and Muttler have Fallen Down."
"Both?!" Frisk exclaimed. They knew both of those Monsters. Crystal was Snowy's mom, and Muttler was the father of one of the dog guards, though they couldn't remember which. They knew Crystal had been getting worse for some time, but they didn't know it had gotten that bad.
"A few other folk around town, too," Rudy added. "For whatever reason, they all just… gave up at once."
Frisk shed a few tears in sympathy. They hoped Snowy was okay. Though given the Snowdrake's attitude, he probably wasn't. "Do you know where he is now?" they asked.
"Probably still at his house," Rudy guessed.
"Can you go get Noelle?" Frisk requested. Rudy returned with his younger daughter a few moments later.
"What is it?" she asked Frisk upon seeing them.
"We need to go talk to Snowy," they said. "He needs us."
"But we haven't talked to him in months," Noelle reminded.
"Doesn't matter. He's probably hurting and needs someone," Frisk insisted.
A short while later, they were at his house. His dad let them in. Snowy was in his mother's room, crying by her prone form. Frisk had never seen anyone who was Fallen Down before, though they knew what it was. When a Monster lost all hope, or was very sick, they entered a coma-like state from which they never woke up from. Then, a few days to few weeks later - it varied - they turned to dust. It was one thing to hear it described, quite another to actually see it. Frisk struggled to keep their composure.
Snowy turned to see them there. "Frisk? Noelle? Papyrus? What are you doing here?" he asked.
"I'm sorry about your mom," they said.
Snowy tearfully looked at her. "It looked like she was getting better there for a while," he wept. "But then she slept all day yesterday and still hasn't woken up. T-the doctor came by, and I thought he could fix her. B-but he couldn't." He then covered his face with his wings, sobbing into them. Frisk came up and hugged the pre-teen. Noelle and Papyrus followed a few moments later. They stayed with Snowy for several minutes, with Frisk eventually offering to have him play with them. It would help take his mind off his mom for a while.
Though the bird-like Monster was hesitant, he eventually agreed. It felt like old times, especially as they got MK involved. For the rest of the day, they played in the forest, having the best time of their lives. Gradually, Snowy began to smile again, even cracking a few of his terrible puns. For a few hours, they forgot about the hopelessness and Fallen Down Monsters. They were just being kids and having fun.
Frisk returned home after a busy day. They opened the doors to the Ruins and let themself back in. They were greeted by their mother who had baked a pie for them to share.
"How did it go with the doctor?" Toriel asked.
"She thinks she's found what she needs," Frisk answered. "She just needs to take some of it from my Soul using a machine she's built."
"It is not dangerous, is it?" she asked.
"I don't think she'd do it if she thought it was dangerous," they retorted. "With this stuff, we could get out of here quicker. She's planning to use the same thing on the Souls Asgore gave her, so it's not like we won't run out."
Toriel sighed at the mention of the king.
"Something wrong?" they asked.
"I am just concerned for your safety, is all," she answered. "I fear what could happen if this machine is not… gentle."
"You could come and watch if you're worried, but that's not want I meant," they explained.
"Oh?"
"Why did you get mad a moment ago?"
"I did not get mad," she defended.
"You sighed pretty loudly," Frisk retorted. "And that sounded like your 'I am mad at you but trying to not let it show' sigh."
Toriel was surprised Frisk had read her that well. She was also surprised that Frisk knew her well enough to know what a specific sigh meant.
"So, what are you mad about?" they reiterated.
"It is nothing, my child," she tried to deflect, but Frisk persisted.
"Does it had something to do with the king?" they asked. Toriel suppressed the sigh this time. "And that's your 'I do not want to talk about it because I am mad about it' face. But what is it?"
"I am not interested in discussing this, Frisk," she dismissed. "Please, drop it."
Frisk decided to respect it for now, but still, they wanted to know what was so upsetting to her.
A few days later, Toriel went with Frisk to Alphys' lab. She had finished building the machine and was ready for Frisk.
Alphys lead them down the elevator and they arrived at the lower level. As she led them to the machine, they walked through a waiting room filled with beds. And on the beds were various Monsters, all seemingly asleep.
"What is all this?" Toriel asked, gesturing to the various Monsters.
Frisk looked around and spotted Crystal amongst them. "Wait, that's Snowy's mom," they said, pointing to her. As they kept looking, they realized they recognized many of them. "And Muttler, and Shyra, and Aaron's brother. A Moldybygg, a Woshua, Vegetoids, Greatest Dog…"
"I did not realize you knew so many by name," Toriel muttered.
"Wait… are all these Monsters… Fallen Down?" Frisk asked.
"Y-yes. I had Asgore have the families send them to me," Alphys admitted.
"Why?" Toriel asked.
"In a few days time, these Monsters will turn to dust," the lizard explained. "I hope to use the stuff in human Souls – which I have dubbed 'Determination' – to make their Souls persist for a while after death. If we're lucky, we'll be able to use them to break the barrier."
"Do their families know what will happen to them?" Toriel asked.
"They do," Alphys confirmed. "And I promised I'll give them the dust for the funerals."
As she spoke, she led them to the room where the machine in question was located. It appeared like a giant goat skull with four massive tubes attached to it.
"Are you sure you want to do this, Frisk?" Toriel asked.
"If I can help everyone get out of here, I have to do something," Frisk said.
"I just want to know if they are in any danger," Toriel asked Alphys first.
"I've already tested it on the human Souls and they suffered no damage," Alphys explained. "Frisk should be fine. I even turned it down just to be sure." She walked over to an opening in the machine, lifting a glass opening. "Okay, just step in here and we'll get started."
Frisk entered through the opening and Alphys closed it up afterward. She went over to a panel and began typing in the commands. The machine whirred to life, cooling fans activating. Frisk barely heard anything from inside the machine. The 'eyes' of the machine began to glow as the device activated.
Alphys pressed one final button and they felt an odd sensation as she did. Something felt like it was being pulled from their Soul. Toriel looked at them nervously; they responded by giving a thumbs-up. Whatever it was doing, it tingled, but didn't hurt.
For several minutes, that's how it went. But then, Frisk felt a burning sensation in their Soul that began to hurt. It gradually got worse; Frisk tried to suppress a scream. Eventually, they lost that fight and began to shout, but the noise of the machine drowned it out. They could see Toriel shouting at Alphys, and gradually the sensation faded.
Toriel rushed to them and threw open the door. She pulled them into a hug as they clutched their chest.
"My child, are you okay?" she asked.
"Ow… that hurt," they moaned.
"I'm so sorry, I-I don't know what happened," Alphys apologized. "I g-guess it wasn't built for living Souls."
"Did you get what you needed?" Frisk asked.
"I got some, but not as much as I wanted," Alphys said. "Oh boy, I should check you to make sure you're alright. This way." Alphys guided them to a separate room, pulling out scanners and other equipment needed for examining Souls.
"How are you feeling, my child?" Toriel asked.
"A little winded, but okay now," Frisk answered.
"Okay, let's see what happened," Alphys said, getting to work. "Hmm… there doesn't seem to be any damage. Though I am reading a decrease in the DT, which is to be expected, since we extracted some."
"What happened?" Toriel asked the doctor.
"I think their Soul just didn't like what I was doing to it," Alphys guessed. "So, it was trying to get them out of there."
"Did you get what you needed?" Frisk asked.
"I can start my work with what I've got," Alphys answered. "Though I am going to need more."
"So, when can we do it next?" Frisk asked.
"My child, once hurt you badly," Toriel objected.
"But it didn't do any damage," they protested. "I can help get you all out. I want to help."
"W-well, I think we should wait for your DT to regenerate before we try again," Alphys said. "And I guess I need to modify the machine to make sure it doesn't hurt you again."
"How long will that take?" Frisk asked.
"A few days," she replied.
"Thank you, doctor," Toriel said. "I am still not certain this is a good idea, Frisk," she said to her child. "But I have tried to stop you before to no avail. I just want you to be cautious."
"I'll be fine. It doesn't even hurt anymore," they assured.
Toriel turned to the scientist. "So, you are going to use what you got from the human Souls on the Monsters out there to try and make their Souls persist," she clarified.
"Yes. Hopefully we can get enough to substitute a seventh Soul," Alphys confirmed.
"But Monsters cannot absorb Monster Souls, just as humans cannot absorb human Souls," Toriel reminded. "How would we use them?"
"W-well, I have a theory," Alphys admitted. "You see, I asked myself, what about something that's neither human or Monster? It might be able to absorb both kinds. And… this stuff – the stuff that gives human Souls the ability to last after death – what if I gave it to something not alive? If I injected something with Determination, would it gain the will to live?"
"And what are you planning to inject?" Toriel asked hesitantly.
"W-well, I thought about it, a-and, I thought… why not a… a flower?" Alphys admitted.
"A flower?"
"Yeah. It'd be small and harmless, so if anything happened, we'd be able to contain it," Alphys said.
Toriel shook her head. "This all sounds wrong, doctor," she said.
"I know. But we don't have much other choice," Alphys said. "W-we need seven human Souls, and we only got six. We can use Monster Souls, but we need something to contain them that's neither human or Monster so it can use both kinds. I-it's really the only chance we have."
"I believe in you, Alphys," Frisk said. "If anyone can do it, you can. You're the smartest person I know!"
"T-thanks, Frisk. That means a lot," Alphys blushed.
After that, Toriel took Frisk back home. Something else had been bothering Frisk for a long time, and they felt they needed to know why. As they ate supper (Snail Pie again) they decided to bring it up.
"Mom, can I ask you something?" they asked.
"Of course, my child. What is it?"
"Is… is there a reason you don't like the king?" they asked.
"What gives you that idea?" Toriel asked.
"Well, you shout at him, you glare at him, you tense up whenever he's mentioned…"
"I do not shout," she protested.
Frisk gave her a look which she understood meant they didn't believe her.
"I raise my voice, sternly, but I do not shout."
"Isn't that the same thing?"
Toriel did her best not to splutter at the blunt way they said that.
"So why don't you like the king?" Frisk repeated. "He doesn't seem like a bad person."
"You are young, Frisk. And you do not know him like I do," Toriel said.
"But I thought you lived here your whole life. How could you know him better than me, especially since I see him more often?" Frisk questioned.
"It was before you came into my life, Frisk. A long time before," Toriel answered. "I did not always live here and I did know the king."
"So, what happened?"
Toriel sighed. "He had declared war on the surface and condemned any humans that came down here."
"Condemn?"
"He declared that they were to be killed," she clarified. "Where do you think the six Souls he has came from?"
"From humans who died," Frisk answered, slightly scared.
"And how do you think they died?" she pressed. "It was not of age, I assure you."
Frisk thought over that and came to the conclusion she had been pushing. "You mean… they were… killed?"
"Which is why I would not let you roam," Toriel said.
"But I'm a kid."
"So were they. That did not save them," she said spitefully.
Frisk gasped. "But… but the king wouldn't do that, would he?"
"It is clear he would, given that those children are dead," Toriel said.
"No, he wouldn't. He seems so nice," Frisk insisted, unbelieving.
"Once he was. Not anymore. Not when he declared that innocents were to be killed," Toriel said.
"But why?" Frisk asked. "Why would he do that?"
"Does it matter?"
"Yes! It matters!" they insisted. "I refuse to believe he would kill without reason."
Toriel didn't want to share the pain from her past. But she knew Frisk wouldn't let it drop if they were not answered satisfactorily. "The day before he declared war, his son was killed by humans. He had gone to the surface to lay his adopted sibling to rest, and when he returned, he was dying. He dusted before his father's eyes. The next day, Asgore declared war against humanity."
"The king had children?" Frisk asked.
"Yes. His son, Asriel, and a child he had adopted, named Chara."
"Chara? What were they?" Frisk asked.
Toriel looked down.
"Wait… you said," Frisk muttered. "But Monsters can't… unless they have a strong… wait… was Chara… human?"
Toriel was surprised Frisk figured that out on their own. "Yes," she confirmed. "They were. They and the prince were like siblings. When they died of a mysterious illness, Asriel absorbed their Soul to lay them to rest on the surface."
"How do you know all that?" Frisk asked. "Wait a minute… you look like the king."
Toriel glanced at Frisk. Were they going to guess who she was?
"Wait… were you… Asgore's wife?" Frisk asked.
Toriel's only response was to nod.
"That makes you the queen!" Frisk exclaimed. "But… why are you here? Why aren't you with the king?"
Toriel glanced away. "After he declared war, I could not stand to look at him anymore. So I left," she answered.
"You mean you ran away?" Frisk bluntly asked.
"I did not…"
"No, you ran away," Frisk cut her off.
Toriel tried to justify it, but Frisk wouldn't let her speak.
"So you ran away to hide here? Why? Why not be with your husband? Wouldn't he need you?"
"Frisk, it is not that simple," she tried to explain.
"But if you hated him so much, why did you marry him?" Frisk asked.
"He was a different man back then," she explained. "He was gentle, caring, a soft touch."
"Isn't he still?" Frisk questioned.
"No. Not anymore."
"You sure? Because he's been like that every time I've seen him. Sure, he seems sad, but that's probably because you ran away," Frisk said.
"He is… It is not… ugh, can we please not discuss this, Frisk," she requested.
"No, because I want to know why you hate him. I know I don't know when this happened, but it must have been years before I was born. Why do you still hate him?"
"He is not the same person, Frisk," she justified. "He is not…"
"But the way you describe him sounds like how he is now. Even the other Monsters say as much. So what is wrong?" Frisk asked.
"He declared that innocent people were to die, Frisk. You cannot forgive that," she said.
"Why? Undyne wanted me dead. Look at her now."
"That is different."
"How? How is it any different? Yes, he did a bad thing, but you keep acting like he's still evil. He's not."
"You are a child, Frisk, you would not understand," Toriel said.
"Then help me understand," Frisk retorted. "Why is he still evil? How is he still a bad person after everything he's done?"
"People are dead, Frisk. Murdered for their Souls."
"How do you know they were all killed? What if they died some other way?"
"They are still dead because of Asgore."
"So he killed them? You saw him do it?"
Toriel was unable to respond.
"I want to understand why you hate him so much, mom," Frisk explained. "But I just can't. It's like you're choosing to be mad at him for some reason."
"It is not a simple matter," Toriel said.
"Then explain it," they pleaded. "Tell me why you've decided to actively hate him."
Toriel wasn't able to provide an answer.
"Do you not know why yourself?" Frisk guessed.
"No. I have a reason," she said.
"I know Asgore's done a bad thing, but you keep treating him like a bad person. And you act like he's wanting to kill me for my Soul, when it's very clear he's trying to avoid it."
"Avoid it?" Toriel asked.
"You were there, mom!" Frisk shouted. "He asked Alphys to find another way to break the Barrier. He's trying to not kill me. Can't you guess why?"
"Do you even know why?"
"No, but I think I can guess," Frisk admitted. "He doesn't want to kill me. I don't know why, but maybe he's doing this to help people. Maybe he has to do bad things to help people. He's not a bad person, and he's trying to find a way to break the Barrier that doesn't involve my death. So why do you keep treating him so… badly?"
Toriel didn't have a good answer.
Something occurred to Frisk just then. They weren't sure if it was the right answer, but it did explain a lot. "Do… do you still love him?" they asked.
"What?! That is ridiculous," Toriel protested. "Why would I still love that whelp?"
"Well, you did describe him a while ago, and he's still like that," Frisk explained. "Are you trying to be mad at him so you don't feel love for him?"
"Absolutely not," she insisted, though she realized she didn't sound convincing as she said that. Shaking her head, she stood up and collected their plates. "It is late, you should go to bed."
She went to the kitchen to wash the dishes. Frisk showed up, hopping onto the counter.
"I'm not trying to make you mad," they admitted. "I just don't want to see you keep hurting yourself."
"I am fine, Frisk," she admitted.
"No, you're not," they denied. "You keep hating the king, when clearly you don't want to. You tell me he's unforgivable, but you're the only one who says that. I want to believe you, but everyone else tells me different. So either they're all wrong, or you are."
"I will not deny that I probably do still feel something for him," Toriel admitted. "But I am too disgusted with him to look at him. I just keep seeing that man he became every time I do."
"Because you hate that man, or hate that you didn't stop it?" Frisk pressed. "Do you hate him because you don't want to say you hate yourself?"
Toriel froze up at that. It hurt to hear that, but she couldn't deny that Frisk might have a point.
"I know it's hard," Frisk said. "It's hard to forgive. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't try. And you need to. You keep hurting him, and yourself whenever you act the way you do. Don't you think it's time to move on?"
Toriel was doing her best to suppress her tears. She didn't want to cry in front of Frisk. "I want to. I really do. But… I just do not know how. Not when hate has served me well for so long."
"He's family. The only family you have," Frisk said. "You might not want to like him, but a part of you still does. You need to forgive. Not forget, just forgive."
"I know. But it is hard. I am not sure I want to."
Frisk looked down. "Family is more than who we share blood with. It is the bonds we share. And family always loves one another. You remember who said that?"
Toriel took in a shuddering breath, a single tear falling from her eye. "I did."
Frisk reached over and took their mom's hand, rubbing it with their smaller fingers. She looked at them before lightly chuckling.
"Oh, I have been a hypocrite, have I not?" she said sadly, rubbing Frisk's head with her free hand. "Thank you, my child."
"I just don't want to see you hurting, mommy," they said.
She hugged them, which they returned.
Asgore was in his house, standing over the fireplace, looking at a picture of his family. How he yearned for those days, when things were simple. Before this crushing darkness, and before the loneliness consumed him.
He was just about to start preparing for bed when he heard a knock at the door. It was late, so he was puzzled who that could be. He set the picture down before answering the door. To his surprise, it was Toriel, wearing a cloak.
"Tori? What are you doing here?"
"Might I come in?" she asked.
"Of course," Asgore agreed, stepping aside to allow her passage. "So, why are you here?"
"To talk," she admitted. "It has been too long."
Asgore could see a bit of guilt in her eyes, but also faint determination. She had come here for a reason, and he would hear her out. "Very well. I shall make us some tea."
"I would like that."
He walked off to get the kettle ready. Toriel was trembling beneath her cloak. This would be hard, talking to Asgore after severing ties to him. But she would do it. For Frisk.
End of Chapter 13