Chapter Fifteen
The child entered the Barrier room to have the King give his final words as last time. However, a fireball knocked him away, as Toriel, Caretaker of the Ruins and Queen of the Monsters, appeared to save the child. Toriel realized she should come forth to save the child if she really wanted to protect them, and repremanded Asgore for being wishywashy and having humans killed and waiting so long for another one when he could have took a soul and taken the six he needed outside immediately. The child's eyes widened a little, as she remembered that Asriel and herself had made this plan before and failed. Then more friends began to arrive: Undyne, Alphys, Papyrus, Sans, and even Mettaton returned alive and well, all meeting and recognizing one another.
"Hee hee hee. My child, its seems as if you must stay here for a while. But looking at all the great friends you have made… I think… I think you will be happy here." Toriel said with such a gleeful smile.
"H-Hey, that reminds me. Papyrus… YOU called everyone here, right? Well, besides, uh, her. Uh, anyway… if I got here before you… How did you know to call everybody?" Alphys asked.
"LET'S JUST SAY, A TINY FLOWER HELPED ME," Papyrus replied.
+ Nooooo! I forgot he talks to Papyrus!
'Nooooo!' The child thought with widened eyes as Alphys had the same expression and said,
"A tiny… flower?"
On cue, a vine attacked the Monster before the child as they were stringed up in electric vines to keep them at bay. Then Flowey popped up from the ground with his snarky grin,
"You IDIOTS. While you guys were having your little pow-wow… I took the human SOULS! And now, not only are THOSE under my power… But all of your FRIENDS' SOULS are gonna be mine, too! Hee hee hee. And you know what the best part is…. It's all your fault…"
At this point, the child and the positive voice already knew it was, but chose this path and were ready to battle to the end to resolve it.
"… And now, with their souls and the humans' together… I will achieve my REAL FORM. Hee hee…"
+ Oh 'hee hee' yourself to get kicked!
- Pffft
"Why?" The child asked, growing tired of him showing off and just trying to understand the weirdo for once to see if she could find a way to talk to him.
"Huh? WHY am I doing this? Don't you get it? This is all just a GAME. If you leave the underground satisfied, you'll "win" the game. If you "win," you won't want to "play" with me anymore. And what would I do then?"
+Hey! You want to break the fourth wall? Bring it!
"But this game between us will NEVER end. I'll hold victory in front of you, just within your reach… and then tear it away just before your grasp. Over, and over, and over… Hee hee hee," Flowey taunted.
+ Geez, what a stalker… is he who I think he is?
- Who?
+ The prince
"…" The child found Flowery's words to be an opportunity to save everyone, and maybe to get a few more questions she had in mind answered.
"Listen. If you DO defeat me, I'll give you your "happy ending." I'll bring your friends back. I'll destroy the barrier. Everyone will finally be satisfied. But that WON'T happen. You…! I'll keep you here no matter what! Even if it means killing you 1,000,000 times!" Flowey said, as he attacked the child while they stood strong to each blow.
Before the final blow was struck, the child's friends began sending barricades of their magic to protect them, and eventually all the Monsters came together to protect their friend, the human. However, Flowey took advantage of this and collected every soul there to transform into his real form.
After a flash, a form appeared before the child. The form of another child… a kid goat monster.
"Finally. I was so tired of being a flower," He said, as he turned towards them with a smile and said,
"Howdy! Chara, are you there? It's me, your best friend."
He then transformed into an older and larger form of goat monster with long and curved horns, sharp shoulder pads and a robe with the symbol of the prophecy on it, and a heart locket just above it. His eyes were darkened besides two slits of light, and had two slits of darkness on the sides of his cheeks.
Asriel Dreemurr
The child began to wonder, but understood why she was there right now. Her soul, her mind, her heart, every part of her being realized why she specifically was here right now, and why she specifically had to be there now. To finally face the past to change the future once and for all, including herself.
+ Now to finally end this once and for all… and to break through to this kid!
- And he's a goat so calling him a kid makes sense.
+ Eyyy
Asriel began speaking to the child as she survived his named attacks, saying he no longer cares for the timeline and just wants to reset everything.
+ I mean… he made it clear earlier he just wants me to keep playing so that makes sense…
'Playing…' The child thought, realizing she needed to keep holding on to get through this battle.
'Just a little more then. Just need to reach further and further…' the child kept thinking as Asriel taunted that he would return everything back to zero, all their progress and everything they have accomplished.
+ Just got to get through this. There has to be a way since I have new things… hopes and dreams…
The more attacks he through, the more they learned, and the more quicker they became.
"Because you want your "happy ending." Because you "never give up.""
"Your "determination," the power to get this far… Will be your downfall!"
Asriel then used a powerful attack by absorbing the timeline, but then he decided, since they survived, that he would have to go a step further. His body changed more dramstically as he grew colored wings, sharper teeth, and hearts upon his arms and one particularly in his circular chest cavity. He attacked more fiercely as the child had to keep it together to survive. He remarked that everytime they die their friends would forget about them.
+ … But you haven't.
The child was injured more severely and this time, but refused to die. Knowing this battle would keep going, the child then realized she had to reach out to the positive voice this time, the one who's determination has gotten her this far, and now will use her determination along with their own to attempt to find victory in this struggle. She closed her eyes for a moment as everything grew dark, and a voice within her spoke to the positive voice,
"Can't move your body. Nothing happened…"
+ Oh heck…
"You struggle… Nothing happened…"
+ …
"You tried to reach your SAVE file. Nothing happened… You tried again to reach your SAVE file. Nothing happened. Seems saving the game really is impossible."
+ Darn it. What could I do then? We can't give up! There has to be a way…
"… But… Maybe, with what little power you have… You can SAVE something else."
+ …
Her eyes shot open, and revealed the SAVE option.
+ YES! Let's do this!
The child used the Save option and began reaching out to the Souls that resonated within Asriel. As she did so, she challenged each Monster she had encountered before in more negative states and restored with her memories their own memories of her, breaking them from control and saving them.
+ I'm getting all of them Saved! If I can't reach a save file… then I'll make one!
'I'll make a Save file… a Saved file!' The child thought, as they followed the resonations to save all of the Monster Souls.
Then Someone else appeared.
+Did we do it? Who is someone else? What do we need to do, kid?
'… Strangely, as your friends remembered you… Something else began resonating within the Soul, stronger and stronger. It seems that there's still one last person that needs to be saved. But who…?' The child replied.
+… Him
'Suddenly you realize. You reach out and call their name,' another voice within the child said.
The child followed their self and opened her mouth and screamed,
"Asriel!"
"Huh? What are you doing…?!" Asriel said as the child reached forth.
A memory unfolded between both of them. The child, Chara, had fallen, and Asriel, the young prince, found them and brought them home. The child felt her soul awaken her memories, as Asriel also did do while having a saddened look on his face.
+ Gasp! That wasn't us falling now! It was from before! We came before…
'You feel your friends' SOULS resonating within ASRIEL!' Chara said.
"Wh… What did you do? What's this feeling…? What's happening to me? No! NO! I don't need ANYONE!" Asriel yelled out.
"Asriel, I'm here for you," Chara reached forth.
"Stop it! Get away from me! I'll tear you APART!" Asriel screamed out, trying to resist.
"… Asriel, I'm here… I'm right here. Talk to me Asriel. Talk to ME!" Chara said.
"Chara… Do you know why I'm doing this? Why I keep fighting you…? I'm doing this because you're special, Chara. You're the only one who understands me. You're the only one who's fun to play with anymore," His attacks began to miss.
"…"
"… No… That's not JUST it. I… I… I'm doing this because I care about you, Chara! I care about you more than anybody else!" Asriel confessed in heartache.
"But, if you do, then stop… I didn't return to stay like this in a loop, I'm here… to finally end this…" Chara replied.
"I'm not ready for this to end. I'm not ready for you to leave. I'm not ready to say goodbye to someone like you again…" Asriel responded.
"…"
"So, please… STOP doing this… AND JUST LET ME WIN!" Asriel roared as he sent a power beam of energy against her.
Chara stood her ground as she took in his attack head on, feeling she deserved this and knowing she needed to stand against it to help him too.
"STOP IT!" Asriel yelled as Chara's hp would not give in and even went into decimals.
+… Dude, you're suffering so much…
Asriel stopped his attack, for it was futile.
"… Chara…"
"…"
"I'm so alone, Chara…"
"…"
"I'm so afraid, Chara…"
"…"
"Chara, I…"
"…"
"I…"
Everything once again faded to white, and as it cleared, the two children were face to face.
Asriel held one arm over his face as he wept.
"I'm so sorry. I always was a crybaby, wasn't I, Chara?"
"…" The child felt their old self finally calm, and looked upon Asriel with new eyes that he noticed.
"… I know. You're not actually Chara, aren't you? Chara has been gone for a long time. Um… what… What IS your name?" He asked.
"My name… is Frisk," The child, Frisk, replied.
"… "Frisk?" That's… A nice name. … Frisk… I haven't felt like this for a long time. As a flower, I was soulless. I lacked the power to love other people. However, with everyone's souls inside me… I not only have my own compassion back… But I can feel every other monster's as well. They all care about each other so much. And… they are about you too, Frisk," Asriel said as Frisk's expression softened to smile as she took all of this in.
"… I wish I could tell you how everyone feels about you. Papyrus… Sans… Undyne… Alphys… Toriel. Monsters are weird. Even though they barely know you… It feels like they all really love you. Haha. … Frisk… I… I understand if you can't forgive me. I understand if you hate me. I acted so strange and horrible. I hurt you. I hurt so many people. Friends, family, bystanders… There's no excise for what I've done," Asriel said.
"…" Frisk contemplated this, as she allowed the positive voice the option of what she should do, as an offering of thanks to them.
+Forgive Do not
+ … How can I not…? He's quite a villain, but… he's just a kid still
"Wh… What? … Frisk, come on… You're… You're gonna make me cry again… besides, even if you do forgive me… I can't keep these souls inside of me… the least I can do is return them," Asriel replied.
+ Boy just accept my forgiveness. I don't hate you, I just can't stand the flower is all.
- Hehehehe
"But first… there's something I have to do. Right now, I can feel everyone's hearts beating as one. They're all burning with the same desire. With everyone's power… With everyone's determination… It's time for monsters to finally go free," Asriel then used the power he had to finally break the barrier.
The barrier was destroyed.
Frisk felt her soul finally at complete rest. Asriel then turned to Frisk and told them they had to go because they can't maintain their form without the souls they will release, and will become a flower again.
"So.. Frisk, It's best if you just forget about me, okay? Just go be with the people who love you," Asriel looked down in sadness.
+Comfort him Do Not
"…" Frisk approached Asriel, as she wrapped her arms around him, and in a few seconds he did the same.
"I'll miss you…" Frisk said, as Asriel felt his eyes water.
"Ha… Ha… I don't want to let go," He said, as Frisk patted his back knowing he didn't.
They departed from their hug, as Frisk stepped back.
"Frisk… You're… You're going to do a great job, okay? No matter what you do. Everyone will be there for you, okay? Well… My time's running out. Goodbye," Asriel slowly walked along.
"By the way… Frisk. … take care of Mom and Dad for me, Ok?" Asriel asked, and Frisk acknowledged him and herself as she nodded firmly.
"Frisk! This is all just a bad dream…! Please, wake up…!"