Chapter 57

Frisk ran as far away from the scene of the attack as fast as she could. Had Undyne not come in time to save her, Frisk would have been trapped in what might as well been an endless battle against Muffet. She was sure Undyne would soon be behind her, and Frisk could catch up with Undyne and receive her help to get inside the castle.

Then something behind her began to crumble.

Turning around, Frisk watched in horror as the covered bridge began to collapse. She couldn't believe her eyes as she searched for Undyne's retreating form with no success. As the bridge broke into many pieces and fell into the river below, Frisk's heart sank as she realized there would be nobody escaping from the wreckage.

"UNDYNE!" Frisk shouted as she ran towards where the bridge stood. She didn't have a plan or any course of action in mind. All she had was a false sense of hope that maybe, just maybe, Undyne would emerge and tease Frisk for being so worried.

"Stripes! Stripes!" Chara ran ahead of Frisk and stopped in front of her. He threw his arms out as if he could stop her.

For the first time, Frisk didn't stop as if Chara were solid. She charged right through him, refusing to stop until she came to the edge of the river. Hands on the guardrails, Frisk leaned forward and called Undyne's name again. She knew it was useless. Yet as much as Frisk logically knew Undyne would not be coming back, her emotions refused to believe what her eyes beheld.

"Stripes, you need to get it together!" Chara shouted as he drew near. "Undyne bought you time to escape. You need to honor her by getting away with the lead she gave you."

Frisk didn't have it in her to argue. She didn't have it in her to do anything. Sinking to the ground, Frisk watched in horror as what was left of the bridge began to float away.

Kneeling next to Frisk, Chara sighed and softly said, "I know you're hurting a lot right now, but you need to keep moving. Others will be coming to figure out what happened. If you're still here when they arrive, you will be caught. Undyne gave her life to save you. Don't let her sacrifice be in vain."

Heart pounding in her chest, Frisk grabbed the guardrails again and pulled herself to shaky feet. Barely able to move faster than a brisk walk, Frisk moved away from the scene. Chara walked alongside her, offering encouraging comments whenever Frisk came to an abrupt stop.

She was having a nightmare. There was no other reason any of this was happening. It wasn't real. When Frisk woke up, she would be back in her bedroom, safely at home in the Ruins. She would tell Toriel all about her horrific nightmares, and Toriel would offer to make her famous butterscotch and cinnamon pie to cheer Frisk up.

Yet as she kept pinching herself with every step forward she took, Frisk was regretful to find that she didn't wake up. She couldn't understand why she wasn't waking up. Certainly this nightmare couldn't last forever.

"I recognize this street," Chara said minutes later as they walked past a street sign. "We are a few blocks away from the castle. We should be there before too long."

Unable to speak, Frisk nodded.

"I take it you are still struggling to accept what happened with Undyne?"

Another nod.

Chara sighed. "I'm sorry. I really am. I know how much you looked up to her. However, if she destroyed the bridge, it's likely because she saw no other way out. Undyne was a brave soldier, and she acted in a way she believed was for the greater good."

What good even is the greater good if it results in all these ashes? Although Frisk did want to ask Chara the question, she couldn't so much as open her mouth. It was as if the effort it took to talk was too much for her. She already expanded a lot of energy walking. It wasn't as if she had that much more to use.

"I'm still here," Chara reassured, obviously having nothing else to offer.

Not even able to so much as smile, Frisk nodded again. Chara reached out as if to take her hand, and Frisk responded by reaching back. The action did nothing to comfort her, but she was appreciative of the effort.

Heart heavy, Frisk kept pressing forward.

Tears stung her eyes.

Her limbs felt to be made from lead.

It was as if she didn't belong in her body.

Breathing was a chore she struggled to do.

Frisk had only gone so far when she heard someone call out to her. Normally, Frisk would have been terrified to have been discovered. Now, she could barely muster the strength to turn her head. Mew Mew stood about ten feet away. She couldn't have appeared angrier even if Frisk personally insulted her.

"Stripes, run," Chara advised, but Frisk could barely understand what the word meant. It was as if she was lost in a sea of murkiness. Although parts of her knew Mew Mew was a threat, she couldn't process that she either needed to get away or prepare to fight.

It was as if time didn't exist. One moment, Mew Mew was far away from Frisk. The next, Frisk blinked, and Mew Mew was right there.

Frisk didn't feel Mew Mew wrap her fingers around her throat. She didn't process Mew Mew slamming her into the wall of a nearby building. She didn't hear Chara shout. Nothing happened to her. It all happened around her.

Whatever threat Mew Mew spoke fell on deaf ears. If Frisk was supposed to be afraid, she didn't feel fear. She didn't feel anything at all. It was as if Mew Mew were wasting her time on an empty carcass. Frisk may have been alive according to medical definitions, but she wasn't living.

Pulling out a knife, Mew Mew smirked as she brought it towards Frisk. The human didn't try to fight it. All she could do was stand there and accept her fate.

Yet before Mew Mew could plant the knife into Frisk, her demeanor changed. Self-satisfaction changed to shock as her eyes widened and her mouth parted into a small "o" shape. She took one step back and dropped the knife, the sound of it clattering against the cobblestone reverberating inside of Frisk's skull.

Still unable to move, Frisk watched as Mew Mew grew whiter and whiter. Her body, once practically flesh from the soul living inside the animatronic, began to break down. The fluid motions grew jerky and rigid. Sparks appeared around her neck and joints. In a moment so fast Frisk would have missed it if she blinked, a ghost tried to flee the Mew Mew body, but it crumbled to ashes and fell to the animatronic's feet.

The Mew Mew body, now nothing more than a hunk of junk, crashed to the floor. Standing behind it was Alice, who was now paler than her white fur. Bits of her were already blowing away as if there were wind in the Underground.

"I'm sorry," Alice said, her words an echo. "I saw her attacking you, and I didn't know what else to do. I wasn't sure if the others would make it in time."

Desperately trying to get back inside her body, Frisk tried to reach out to catch the falling Alice. However, her limbs did not move. Her arms did not outstretch to reach for the rabbit monster as she collapsed to the ground.

Coughing, Alice continued to break apart. Frisk didn't understand. Alice wasn't attacked, so she shouldn't have been dying.

Not unless, either Frisk thought or Chara suggested, the spell Alice used to destroy Mew Mew was cast at the risk of this ill effect.

Finally able to move, Frisk rotated from her butt to her knees. Managing some strength, Frisk reached out her hand. Alice noticed this, smiled, and held Frisk's hand.

"You were a good friend," Alice said, tears welling in her eyes. "I will miss you. Goodbye."

Before Frisk could understand what Alice had said, the monster finally broke apart. Her body became nothing more than ashes piled on the ground, her remains mixing with the ghost of Mew Mew's. It happened so fast, Frisk almost wasn't sure what had happened.

Then she understood all at once.

Frisk covered her mouth with the hand that didn't have dust on it. She wanted to scream, but her voice wouldn't make a sound. It was as if her vocal cords no longer worked.

Someone called her name. Frisk didn't hear who spoke. Her eyes were locked on the ash piles, unable to bear what she saw.

First the fox monster who didn't know Frisk but chose to hide her anyway.

Then Undyne, the hero of monsters.

Now Alice, whom Frisk was just beginning to be friends with again.

All these deaths happened in less than a day. That didn't make sense. People you love didn't die in flocks, yet it was as if now that Frisk had come so far, she started losing reasons to fight.

"Frisk!" Someone grabbed her by the shoulders and kneeled in front of her. It took Frisk a moment, but she recognized the skeleton in front of her.

"What happened?!" Sans must have been shouting, but Frisk could barely hear him above the blood rushing in her ears. "Are you hurt?"

All Frisk could do to communicate was shake her head. Even that was hard to do. She felt more like a marionette being pulled by strings than anything else.

In what must have been a snap decision, Sans used his telekinesis to pick up Alice's ashes and scooped Frisk up in his arms. He began to move quickly. Frisk neither knew nor cared where they were going.

Everything from there happened in a blur. They were once again inside a building. Voices echoed inside the walls. Frisk was laid on a couch. Sans may have walked away, but he never left her field of vision.

With no strength to do anything else, Frisk closed her eyes. When she exhaled, all her heartache and feelings of being lost were put into the breath. Then, nothing.

When Frisk came to again, her head pounded. Her mouth was sticky. Everything hurt, both inside and out. When she opened her eyes, the dim light was too bright. Squinting, Frisk forced herself to sit upright even though every part of her screamed to not move.

"How are you feeling?"

Turning her head, Frisk saw Chara sitting at the foot of the couch on which she lay. At first she was confused, then she remembered what happened. First the fox girl, then Undyne, and now Alice. If Frisk had tears, she would have cried. Instead, the weight of it all pushed her back down onto the couch.

"Tell me this is all just a bad dream," she whispered as she balled her fists and rubbed her eyes.

"I could, but this is a nightmare from which you cannot wake."

Sometimes, she hated Chara's honesty.

"Yo, guys, she's awake!" exclaimed a familiar voice. Frisk heard approaching footsteps and then the voice closer and louder this time saying, "Frisk, how are you feeling?"

What Frisk wanted to say was "like death," but she thought it might be an insult to those who actually lost their lives. So, Frisk sighed and said, "I felt better."

"Yeah, I think we all have. . . ." Mon was silent for a moment before softly adding, "I was such a turd. I refused to forgive Alice, and now . . ."

Finding the strength, Frisk opened her eyes and turned so that she lied on her side to face Mon. The other girl looked down, tears streaming down her face. She said nothing else, nor did Frisk have anything to say.

After a moment, Mon decided she needed to talk to take her mind of everything. She explained to Frisk that the building they hid inside was condemned but had yet to be scheduled a day to be torn down. "Or at least that's what Suzy told me. Considering this building seems to be holding up all right, even if it is a little neglected, I don't know why whoever owns it just doesn't have it repaired."

Not in the place the question anything, Frisk just let Mon ramble. At least it seemed to help Mon handle everything that had happened thus far. If Frisk could have had her own version of relief, she would have taken it.

As Mon talked, Sans quietly entered the room. He didn't speak, and neither Frisk nor Mon said anything to him. Nobody was being rude – nobody really had anything to say to each other.

Mon explained how Sans and Alice found them at the rendezvous. Without Frisk present, nobody was sure what to do. Then Undyne, who couldn't sleep, discovered the group and offered to help the search to find Frisk. While Undyne, Sans, and Alice split up to search for the human, Suzy led Mon and Jasper to this hideout. They were not here long before Sans returned with Frisk in his arms and Alice's ashes magically being carried behind.

Sans didn't know anything for certain, but he told them that he was sure Undyne wouldn't be coming back.

Frisk tasted bile in her mouth at the mention of Undyne and Alice. She couldn't so much as speak to confirm what Sans had said about Undyne. Wrapping her arms around herself, Frisk used all her strength to hold herself together.

When Mon ran out of things to say, she just sat there. Frisk had nothing to offer. Even Sans remained silent as he sat at the other end of the room.

Chara, who spent the whole time sitting at the end of the couch, did not speak. It was clear to Frisk that he wanted to comfort her, but he didn't have the right words. There probably was nothing to say.

For a while, nobody spoke. Frisk lied back down to stop the complaints of her aching body. She would have to get up again, but for now she chose the path of ease.

This is all my fault, she couldn't help but think. The worst part is, my actions did not lead to this. It's being what I am that has tilted the dominos of destruction since the beginning.

Mon suggested that Frisk put off confronting King Asgore, and the others seemed inclined to agree. Only Suzy voiced that doing so was dangerous as Frisk's presence in New Home had to have already been made aware to the king. While nobody appeared to think Suzy was right, they all showed her respect by not arguing.

Not that it mattered what anyone thought the best course of action was.

Frisk had come this far.

There was no more putting off the inevitable.

Although Frisk wanted to pretend to fall asleep, she didn't stay pretending for long. The moment she could twist her body into a comfortable position, she lost consciousness. It wasn't the most restful sleep, but when she awoke hours later, she felt as if her soul was once again within her body.

The others were asleep, too. Sans was passed out in the recliner, his snores filling the silence of the room. Mon curled up in her sleeping bag on the floor. Jasper was huddled in the corner, a blanket wrapped around him. Only Suzy was absent. Looking around, Frisk saw no sign of the monster.

She locked eyes with Chara. He stood at the other end of the room, and he nodded. Without speaking, they had communicated everything about their next step.

Knowing what she needed to do, Frisk slowly rose from the couch. She was still dressed in her armor, and Chara's ring was still on her finger. That was all she would need.

As she softly stepped through the room, Frisk wished everyone goodbye. She hoped it would not be their last meeting, but after her day, she could not be sure anymore. While she would always come back after facing death, they never would.

Frisk had just found the front door and reached out to grab the knob when a voice behind her said, "What do you think you're doing?"

Sighing, Frisk turned around to face Suzy. The monster sat at the foot of the stairs, her head hanging downwards. She sounded tired, but she didn't look as if she was capable of rest.

"What I always do: Run away when I think doing things on my own will make me a hero." Frisk frowned. "Are you going to stop me?"

Suzy shook her head. "In the morning, I'm going to send everyone home. Alice's ashes . . . Mon won't argue with me if I task her with personally seeing to it that Alice's family is able to have a proper funeral."

"What about you? I know you weren't keen on being with me as I fight King Asgore."

"I will meet up with you, so don't go kicking the king's butt until I'm back."

"You're really just going to let me go and expect I will wait for you before I do something dangerous?"

"Look, we both know if you stay, the others will want to bring you with them. If you're already out there on your own, I can at least convince them to leave so I won't be slowed down as I try to find you. We both have responsibilities, and it's clear that we both want to see them to the very end." Now Suzy looked up, and for the first time, Frisk saw Suzy's yellow eyes through her thick dark bangs. "Whether we like it or not, the fate of the world is in our hands. I think it goes without saying that neither of us wants to screw it up."

The hope for the future between humans and monsters, Frisk thought. It felt like such a cruel joke, that everything depended on her. She had never been anything special, and now, by a twist of fate, she was the most important person in the Underground. Her choices would lead to consequences for every monster. With a bitter feeling, Frisk realized that every choice she made since leaving the Ruins had consequences.

She remembered what Chara had once said about although he didn't hold the weapon that killed Asriel, it was Chara's actions that led to that mournful day. For so long, Frisk couldn't understand why Chara spent a century blaming himself for the death of his brother. Now, having lost so many lives too close together, Frisk understood completely what Chara had felt. She put everyone, Ember included, in the position to die. Even Muffet and Mew Mew, Frisk's enemies, were now dead because of her actions.

As was her people in the Ruins.

As was Mettaton.

As was the residents in Snowdin Two when Mew Mew attacked.

And as was the dog couple from so long ago.

The Reds were not wrong to hate her.

"You should probably go," Suzy said after Frisk failed to respond. "It's better if you're long gone before anyone wakes up and sees me letting you go."

Unable to speak, Frisk replied with a nod. Wasting not another second, Frisk quietly went through the front door and fled into the night. It was then she realized time appeared to not have moved at all since before Sans found her.

"How much time has passed?" Frisk softly asked Chara. He guided her by indicating where she should turn with the point of a finger.

"About a day," Chara answered just as softly. "You were injured pretty badly. Even now, you appear you need further rest."

Frisk shook her head. "I don't know how I possibly could rest. Not with everything going on, and with so much on my mind."

Silence, and then, "You blame yourself for the death of Undyne and Alice."

Chara didn't even phrase it like a question.

"How did you know?"

"I know that look you have in your eyes. It's the same one I once tried to hide."

"But weren't you executed shortly after Asriel's death?"

"Yes."

"Then . . . who were you trying to hide the guilt from?"

When Chara didn't respond, speaking only to give her directions, Frisk came to a slow realization. While the Reds claimed Chara was responsible for a number of murders during his life, the Blues claimed those crimes were pinned against him. Since Chara had personally told Frisk about three of his killings – he briefly mentioned a first kill, then when he had to kill to defend himself from a would-be assassin, and the in-depth detail of his final kill – she knew the Blues were not correct. However, even Suzy had once alluded to perhaps both were right. Perhaps Chara did awful things like kill those people, maybe even more than Frisk knew about, but she entertained the possibility that not all those kills were his despite his receiving the blame for it.

Frisk couldn't make sense of it. If Chara didn't kill all those monsters, he could have long ago assured Frisk that he was no mass murderer. Unless, similar to Asriel's death, Chara blamed himself for the deaths in which he did not hold the weapon. Chara had even claimed killing his own brother. To him, he as good as killed those monsters even if someone else was the one who did the deed.

"Chara," Frisk said slowly, unable to look at him, "you didn't kill all the monsters the Reds said you kill, did you? The Blues argue that those crimes were falsely linked to you, but there has never been another suspect to those crimes. Is there . . . is there someone you are trying to protect?"

Although he didn't respond, Chara's silence was an answer enough.