About an hour after the meeting the weird shadow monster, Mettaton barged into Frisk's room. "Just called Sans! He'll be here in a minute!"
A minute? Frisk wouldn't be surprised if he meant that literally. He was kind of hoping he could get some more rest first. But of course, the sooner he got back, the sooner he could make sure Chara and Asriel were okay. For them, Frisk forced himself out of the giant, tantalizing bed and got up.
"Just keep sitting tight," Mettaton said. "Sans will come straight to this room."
Frisk nodded. "Thanks, Mettaton."
Mettaton smiled sweetly. "No problem! Now, there is a small favor I'd like to ask you, but I'll let that wait until you've finished your business with Sans."
"Oh, uh, okay. Anything to repay you."
"See you then!"
Mettaton left. As he continued to wait, Frisk picked up the creepy Gaster fragment. It felt cold and squishy in his hands, and it left behind a sticky, white substance similar to the amalgamates. Eww, he hoped that he wouldn't have to carry this thing for long. He put it back on the nightstand.
Now that Sans was near, a thought suddenly occurred to Frisk. Would Sans want to help him? The Frisk of this world killed Toriel. How did Sans feel when he found out that Toriel died because of the human she asked him to protect?
"Asriel," Frisk whispered, "how has Sans been doing?"
"First of all, call me Flowey," he said. "Anyway, it's hard to get a read on that guy. Even for me. But don't worry; I know from experience that it takes a lot more than a couple kills to get Smiley Trashbag going. The worst he'll do is give you his creepy face."
Frisk didn't want to think about whatever horrible things Flowey did to antagonize Sans... Yeah, it'd probably be wise to think of him as Flowey for now.
"What if he hates me?" Frisk asked. "What if he refuses to help?"
"Hey, if he really hates you, I think he'll be happy to do anything that gets you out of here as quickly as possible."
That was a good point, even if it was a bit sad.
Soon enough, the door opened, and Sans walked in. Frisk waved. "Umm, hi."
Sans seemed to stare straight into his soul. "So, you're back."
"Well, not exactly."
Sans's eye sockets lit up, like he already had an idea what he meant. "Not exactly, huh? Care to explain?"
Frisk was already getting tired of explaining this. "I'm not really the same human who came through here. I'm a different version of him, from another timeline."
"Oh, okay."
Sans. Only Sans would accept that so easily. "Are you not even a little surprised?"
"Kid, it's not nearly the most ridiculous thing I've seen.
Well, okay. Frisk supposed that seeing someone get erased from history itself would make one hard to impress.
"Although," Sans said, "I don't know everything. For instance, if you're not the same kid as before, then I know practically nothing about you."
He was about to tell Sans that he was better than this world's version of himself, but... was that fair? Who could blame him for killing Toriel? The way her HP dropped so suddenly... it was almost like the whole situation was deliberately designed for Frisk to accidently kill her. The other Frisk never meant to hurt anyone; he just refused to use resets. In a way, the other Frisk was more noble than Frisk was. He rejected his power, and because of that, humanity was doomed to face Undyne's wrath as soon as another human climbed Mount Ebott.
"You probably at least suspected this," Frisk said, "but that human possessed a special power. He could turn back time whenever he wanted, but he never used it. I'm not like him. I also had this power, and I used it to undo the deaths of Toriel and Asgore, as well as my own."
And then the barrier was broken, ending millennia of imprisonment. God, Frisk felt so bad for them. His world may not have been perfect, but it was a far better outcome than what they were stuck with.
"Interesting," Sans said, his attention diverted to Flowey. "So, what's the deal with you and Death Blossom?"
Death Blossom? A chill ran down Frisk's spine. Had Flowey killed anyone since the other Frisk left? "Flowey, don't tell me you..."
"Nah," Flowey said, "he just knows what I did."
"What? He remembers resets?"
"Nope."
"Then how does he know?"
Sans winked. "I have my ways. Anyway..."
"No murder today," Flowey promised. "Frisk and I have a deal that I can't afford to break."
"Oh, so the human has a name. This is quite the learning experience for all of us. So, Frisk, why are you here"
"I didn't mean to," Frisk said. "I just want to go home. That's all."
Sans laughed. "Funny, that's exactly what the other you wanted. He just wanted to get back to the surface."
Huh, so the other Frisk came Underground by accident. That was different from him, who climbed the mountain with the intention of freeing the monsters all along. This world's version of the surface must have been very different. Were they even aware monsters existed? Was that possible? Forgetting the war was bad enough, but how could the humans possibly forget seeing Asriel near Mount Ebott in 201X?
Well, that didn't really concern him. Like he said, he just wanted to go home. Frisk picked up the Gaster fragment and showed it to Sans. "Umm, do you know what this is?"
Frisk had never seen Sans's eyes light up so much. Not even his static smile could hide his shock when he saw it. "It... it can't be..."
Suddenly, Sans seized the fragment from Frisk's hands. He stared at it, as if struggling to believe what his eyes were showing him. "Where did you get this?"
"Uh, just now," Frisk answered. "Some kind of shadow monster gave it to me."
"They just showed up and gave it to you? Why?"
"U-uh... to help me get home, I guess. I was hoping you'd know more."
Sans kept staring at it, for quite a while. The silence grew unsettling...
"... heh... heh, heh... Kid, do you have any idea how hard I tried to find him?"
Sans had talked about this before, hadn't he? He said he had 'given up.' Is this what he had given up on? Finding Gaster? And... the others? How important were these people to him?
"I did everything I could," Sans said. "I was determined to save them, to change their fates, but it didn't matter. Eventually, I decided that all I could do was accept that Gaster and the others were gone, forever. And now, after all that, one of them just shows up and hands you a piece of him?"
Frustration filled Sans's voice. For a long time, Frisk knew something was bothering him; he just didn't know what it was. He seemed happy enough on the surface, but sometimes, Frisk wondered if he really knew Sans at all.
"I... I'm sorry," Frisk whispered. "I don't really understand what happened, but I'm sure it wasn't your fault."
Sans sighed. "Well, I suppose I should be thankful you've found this, even if it's not meant for my timeline."
Frisk felt a pit in his stomach. He had given Sans the means to put Gaster back together, except it wasn't his Gaster. This just kept getting more and more depressing.
"Don't worry, I'll help you," Sans said. "I had already given up, so even if I can't bring him back in my timeline, saving him in yours will be more than I hoped for."
Frisk truly felt bad for him. Even with the scarce details he had, he wanted to cry for him. "Th-thank you, Sans. You're a great friend."
"Hey, keep it together. We've got a job to do."
Heh, that was funny coming from Sans. Frisk nodded. "What do we do?"
"Eh, it's not hard, actually. We just take this little head to the machine in my basement, and then we wait."
"What for?"
"Someone back in your timeline needs to do the same thing, and a portal will open.... Does anyone know you're here?"
Frisk sure hoped so. "There were two people with me when it happened. Hopefully they're okay. The other version of you was close by as well."
"Good. If you got a fragment, they should get one too."
Frisk began to feel relieved. This was going to be easy from here. All he had to do was get to Sans's basement. He'd be reunited with Chara and Asriel soon, and everything was going to be fine.
He was ready. "Alright, let's go."
Sans, Flowey, and Frisk left the hotel room. Out in the hall, Mettaton stopped them. "Ah, leaving already?"
"Yeah," Frisk said. "We're going to Sans's house."
"Well, do you mind helping me out first? It's on the way, and it won't take long."
"What do you need?"
"Just wait for me by the bridge between Hotland and Waterfall."
That sounded a bit odd. "Huh? Why there?"
Mettaton giggled. "It's a surprise! You'll see!"
"Uh... okay?"
Well, he had to cross that bridge anyway. It shouldn't have been any trouble.
"Fantastic!" Mettaton exclaimed. "When you get to the bridge, just sit tight! It should only take a second!"
At was the least Frisk could do to repay him. After all, Mettaton healed his wounds and sheltered him when he could have easily turned him over to Undyne. Frisk was perfectly willing to return the favor; he just wished he'd tell him what it was.
"I'll... keep an eye out," Frisk said.
"That's all I ask! See you there!"
"See you..."
That was kind of weird, but Frisk was sure it would all make sense in the end. Frisk walked out of the MTT Resort with Flowey and Sans.
Sans was still holding the disgusting Gaster fragment. "I'll take this and go on ahead. See you at my place."
Sans and his 'shortcuts.' It was fine; Frisk didn't feel like being teleported more than necessary. Traveling through alternate realities was enough for one day. "Okay, I'll catch up."
"Bye." Sans walked into one of the alleyways by the MTT Resort, the opposite direction of Snowdin. It was like his magic was designed to screw with people.
Whatever. Flowey and Frisk kept walking. They took the elevator to Hotland. The bridge to Waterfall was just a short walk away. They reached it in no time at all. Frisk stood by the water cooler that was placed by the bridge. He hoped Mettaton wouldn't keep him waiting for long. He wasn't a fan of Hotland's heat, and he always felt paranoid that he might fall into the lava below.
"Hey, you sure you want to hang out here?" Flowey asked. "I don't think it takes a genius to realize that there's something very suspicious about Mettaton's request."
"I know, but... Mettaton's my friend. I know he wouldn't want anything bad to happen to me."
"Right, just like that time he tried to kill you and take your soul. I say we keep moving."
"H-hey, he was only trying to protect humanity! He didn't want Asgore to get my soul and be forced to carry out his plan!"
Flowey scoffed. "You really are an idiot. Don't act like he didn't have any ulterior motives. It's not like he actually cares about the humans. He just wants to brainwash them into liking his stupid TV show. He's nothing more than a narcissistic sociopath."
Frisk did not appreciate that insult. "He is not a sociopath! He cares about his family, and Alphys!"
"He only cares about himself. Mark my words, Frisk. If Mettaton were in charge, anyone who didn't worship him would –"
Suddenly, a familiar pool of magical energy glowed beneath Frisk's feat. He reflexively jumped back, narrowly avoiding the spear that shot up. With his back to the bridge, Undyne approached Frisk once more. How did she know where he was?!
Undyne laughed. "Mettaton was right! Here you are, human! You thought you'd be safe in Hotland, didn't you? Well, think again! Alphys upgraded the cooling dirt on my armor! Now, I can handle the heat no problem!" She brandished a spear. "Run all you want! You've escaped for the last time!"
Mettaton... told her? What? That made absolutely no sense! Why would Mettaton turn him over to Undyne? Another Human-Monster War was the last thing he wanted!
Undyne didn't give Frisk much time to think. She howled her signature battle cry, and she threw another spear at Frisk. He dived out of the way and turned around. The bridge was his only means of escape. He ran across it as fast as he could, with Flowey riding on his shoulder.
Unfortunately, the narrow bridge gave him little room to maneuver. Undyne sent a spear flying right through Frisk's leg. The familiar sensation of burning pain flared across the wound, and Frisk fell face down on the wooden bridge. Flowey fell off his shoulder and landed in front of him. He felt the bridge vibrate as Undyne's heavy footsteps pounded on the ground. He tried to get up, but he stumbled and fell back down. He crawled forward, leaving behind a trail of blood.
"Frisk," Flowey whispered, "at this point, it really is kill or be killed."
No, no! There had to be another way! He just had to...
Undyne easily caught up to him. Frisk turned over to see Undyne pointing a bright spear down at his chest.
Growing desperate, Frisk pleaded for his life. "Undyne, you don't have to do this."
Undyne wasn't going to waste time on further words or showmanship. She gripped her spear tight and brought it down. A useless shot of adrenaline spiked through Frisk's head. The spear slowly closed in, and all Frisk could do was watch...
Click!
Frisk heard something pop, like a small explosion. The section of the bridge Undyne was standing on collapsed, sending her plunging into the lava below. She screamed as the hot lava burned through her armor. Not even Alphys's upgrades were enough to save her from that. With all her strength, Undyne desperately tried to swim to safety. She wildly flailed her arms though the lava, but there was no way she could make it. Her movements became slower and slower as her body succumbed to the intense heat.
But Undyne never gave up.
She just stopped moving.
From the safety of the bridge, all Frisk could do was watch. He felt a knot twist in his stomach. This... this couldn't be real. This wasn't real. Undyne couldn't just... die. Not like that.
"Frisk..."
"AAAAAAHHH!"
LOAD FAILED LOAD FAILED LOAD FAILED LOAD FAILED LOAD FAILED LOAD FAILED LOAD FAILED LOAD FAILED LOAD FAILED
"Frisk!"
Hot, stinging, salty tears welled up in Frisk's eyes. Even though this wasn't his timeline, it broke his heart to see that happen to Undyne. She was dead, and there was nothing he could do about it. No saving. No resetting. Nothing.
Mettaton did that, didn't he? Why? Why would he kill Undyne? How could he? Frisk trusted him. He knew he wasn't perfect, but he never thought he'd do anything like that. Friends don't turn you against your other friends. The thought of being used like that sickened Frisk to the core.
Drained of determination, Frisk lied still on the bridge. Flowey wrapped vines around his arms and started dragging him to the other side. "Come on, Frisk. Don't give up because of one fish."
As if Flowey could possibly understand how he felt. Frisk just let him drag him to the sentry station on the other side of the bridge. His leg kept leaving streaks of blood as he shifted over. Flowey saw something in the stand. "Hey, look. Someone left a present for you."
Inside the station was a starfait and a handwritten letter. Flowey picked up the letter and handed it to him. Grudgingly, Frisk read it.
Human, darling!
Now, I know I'm probably not your favorite person right now, but hear me out! Undyne simply had to go. Even if you survived, it was only a matter of time until some other poor human came and fell victim to her wrath, and you know what would have happened next. She was even worse than Asgore, but worry no more! Now that she's out of the way, I will take over as leader of the Underground! Under my rule, no humans will be harmed, as long as they join my fan club! Your kind can rest easy now!
I know Undyne's death may come as a blow to Alphys. I know how much she cared about her, but don't worry. I'll make sure nothing happens to her. Given some time, I'm sure she'll understand why it had to be done. Really, Undyne should have thought about her when she planned her little conquest against humanity. I know Alphys wouldn't want that. She loves all those comics and cartoons the humans make. It's truly a shame it had to come to this.
Oh, well. It's all over now. Thanks again, human! That's twice you've saved your species from destruction. You've done your part. I'll make sure it never happens again. Maybe one day, humans and monsters will finally live peacefully again. When that happens, I'll make sure you get the credit you deserve!
With love,
Mettaton
P.S. Enjoy the starfait!
Frisk finished the letter, struggling to believe what he'd just read.
"AGH!"
He ripped the letter in half. He didn't care what 'had to be done.' Undyne was his friend. She didn't deserve this. He should have saved her. Damn it! He slammed his fist against the sentry station and sobbed.
Flowey gently shook Frisk's shoulder. "Hey, uh, cut it out. We made a deal, remember? The sooner you get to Sans's place and make that portal, the sooner you can tell me where Chara is. You can mope after you've done all that, okay?"
Chara...
Right, this... this wasn't his reality. He had to keep moving. He had to get back home, where Undyne was still alive. Once he did, everything that happened here would be nothing more than a bad dream.
... no, that wasn't true. Even when he got home, he'd have to live knowing that someone died because of him. Undyne died because he was too stupid to see through Mettaton's plan. His thoughts bounced back and forth between anger at Mettaton and sorrow for Undyne. It didn't matter if she was from another world. The guilt was still the same.
Still, he couldn't give up.
Frisk leaned against the sentry station for support. His leg was still bleeding. He wouldn't have gotten far, if it weren't for the starfait Mettaton had left for him. He didn't want it; he didn't want to be rewarded for killing Undyne. But, he didn't have a choice. If he wanted to get anywhere, he had to swallow his pride and accept Mettaton's gift.
I'm so sorry, Undyne.
Frisk ate the starfait, healing his leg instantly, but the hole in his heart remained.
"I don't get it," Flowey said. "She tried to murder you; why do you feel so bad for her?"
To be fair, Frisk probably wouldn't feel as bad if he didn't know the real Undyne. "It's not that simple. We're friends in my world." He wiped his eyes. "It wasn't supposed to be like this."
"... heh, and to think I almost mistook you for Chara. She'd never act like such a crybaby."
Chara... Frisk needed to see her again. He needed to see her precious smile. He wanted her to embrace him, kiss him, and help him forget all the horrible things that had just happened. Well, maybe he wouldn't forget, but he knew Chara would make him feel better.
He hoped Chara was doing better than he was.
#
Chara was alone in the garbage dump. She sat over the edge of the waterfall with her arms wrapped around her legs, staring into the abyss.
Chara, talk to me. What's wrong?
Did she seriously have to ask? Chara didn't answer her. It wasn't like she ever listened to her anyway.
Chara, please. That thing wasn't you, and it wasn't Frisk, either. You would never do that.
That was a lie, and Chara knew it. If she had only been dealt a different hand of cards; she would have been exactly like the other Chara. Once she had tasted the power of a demon, she would have wanted all of it, and she would have wanted control of Frisk's soul. Forget destroying humanity, she would have destroyed everything. She would have erased everything in this 'pointless' world. Humans, monsters, everyone. Nothing could be more evil.
Please, say something! Chara, come on! Chara!
"Chara!"
A golden flower sprouted from the water. He smiled at her. "You're back! I mean, I was listening while you were talking to that stupid lizard. I know you're technically a different Chara, but whatever! I'm sure you're pretty much the same!"
Flowey... Flowey helped...
"Now, what do you say we finish what we started? I know those weird abominations look intimidating, but don't worry! As long as we work together, I'm sure we can find a way to crush them!"
Flowey helped.
He tilted his face. "Hmm? What's the matter, Chara? You're not feeling sorry for them or anything, are you? Haha, that was a joke! I know you don't care. You even killed Toriel like the useless hag she was!"
Chara's hands trembled.
"Oh, if only she knew who was really responsible for her death. Not just some random kid, but you, Chara! The child she mourned as much as her own son. She took your body with her to the Ruins and gave you a proper burial. Little did she know that would be the biggest mistake of her life! Ahahaha!"
Shut up...
Flowey's smile widened. "Well, that's no problem for creatures like us. We won't give them any worthless pity. Now, let's get back to it. After all, we're both murderers, aren't we?"
Chara drew her knife.
Flowey's demeanor changed immediately. He was shaking. "H-hey, why are you pointing that at me? Take it out on the monsters, not me!"
Chara stepped closer, making Flowey shake even harder. "S-stop that! This isn't funny! It's me, your best friend!"
With a scream, Chara swung her knife at Flowey. He frantically jumped out of the way. "What did I do? What did I do? I'm sorry!"
No, he wasn't sorry. Chara kept attacking, narrowly missing Flowey with every swing.
"Is this about the village?" Flowey asked. "I'm sorry I didn't listen to you! I know it's my fault that we died. I should have killed everyone like you told me to, but I swear I'll never betray you again. Please, just..."
"Shut up!"
Chara landed a cut across one of Flowey's petals and clipped it. Flowey cringed painfully and instinctively fought back with a stream of energy pellets. Chara made no effort to avoid them. They all struck her in the gut, knocking her off her feet. Her back landed and splashed in the shallow water, which began to flow red with her blood.
Flowey looked down at her, still terrified. Chara dropped her knife, letting it sink into the bloody water. "What are you waiting for? Finish the job."
"Chara, what's gotten into you?"
"Kill or be killed, remember?"
"But... that... that doesn't apply to friends."
She shot him an angry glare. "Asriel was my friend."
"Ch-Chara..."
"So why haven't you killed me yet, Flowey?"
Flowey stared at her with his mouth agape. "Do you... do you not want to do this anymore?"
"Killing innocent monsters for fun? No, Flowey. I don't want to do that."
Flowey looked very surprised to hear that. "W-well, if that's really what you want. I'll stop, okay?"
Contradictory emotions stirred within Chara's heart. She felt heartbroken and enraged that Flowey would see her as such a psychopath. Was she really that horrible in his eyes? But at the same time, she knew she deserved it. He was right, that was her.
"How did you know?" Chara asked. "How did you know it was me?"
Flowey choose his words carefully. "Well... I just figured that if you ever came back... you'd be just like me, empty inside. I thought you'd be the only one who could truly understand me, like always... Do you know what it's like? Do you know how it feels to be soulless?"
To an extent, but not the same way Flowey was. Chara could feel the emotions that resonated within Frisk's soul. They weren't her feelings, but Frisk's love and compassion always comforted her, keeping her from slipping into insanity. Flowey didn't have that. He had it much worse than Chara ever did.
If Frisk hadn't been so kindhearted, however... Well, they both saw what would've happened.
"Maybe your Chara does," she answered, "but the human who awakened me was different. He was nice, and we didn't kill anyone. My Frisk is an amazing person, nothing like this world's version of him. The warmth of his soul gave me a reason to live again, even without my own soul."
Flowey was shocked again. "Wait, you didn't kill anyone?"
"Yeah, we didn't kill anyone. You know, like normal people." She laughed. "Not that I'm normal. Frisk is the only one who's different here. I'm the same."
For a while, Chara only heard the sound of running water. Flowey had no idea what to say. Instead, he looked at her wound. "U-umm, we need to patch that up. I'll be right back."
Chara lied still in the water while Flowey got her something to eat. He dug through the trash and found a half-eaten glamburger. He picked it up and brought it to her. "Don't mind the smell. It's safe."
She stared at him. Why was he helping her? Why didn't he just let her die like the evil creature she was?
Flowey laughed sadly. "Chara... I've forgotten how to feel remorse. The only thing I regret is what I let the humans do to you. It never occurred to me that you'd feel this way, but if you were really that bad, you wouldn't. You wouldn't be so miserable right now."
What did it matter? She deserved to be miserable. That was why she was sent to this timeline, to be reminded what she was.
Flowey gently held her shoulder. "I just want someone to play with. I guess the game doesn't really matter. Whatever makes you happy, that's what matters."
"Why?" Chara asked. "You don't care about me. You can't care about me."
"No, I can't care about you, but I can find you interesting. Right now, the thing that interests me most is finding a way to cheer you up."
... ha... that was almost sweet.
Flowey pressed the glamburger to Chara's face. "So don't die on me, because that wouldn't be interesting at all."
He may not have been very good with emotions, but he understood logic. Maybe that was what Chara needed. If she died here, she'd only be hurting the people who loved her all over again, even if she didn't understand why, even if she thought they were better off without her. She took the glamburger from Flowey and ate it, fully healing her wound. Her body restored, Chara picked up her knife from the water and stood back up.
"I'm sorry," she said, "but I can't stay here. I have to go home. People are waiting for me."
"Am I one of those people? Well, you know what I mean."
She nodded. "Yes, I have my own Asriel to get back to, and Frisk as well."
Flowey frowned. "Can't you stay for at least a little while?"
"Well, I don't really know how to get back, so we'll have until then."
"... alright," Flowey said. "As long as it gets you out of this garbage dump, I'm... satisfied."
Chara was reminded of a joke Papyrus, of all people, made. She managed a smile. "Yeah, I've really been down in the dumps lately."
"God damn it, Chara."
"Come on, you know you liked it."
"Yeah, yeah. Let's get out of here already."
"Agreed."
Somehow, Flowey helped Chara put herself back together once again. It was far from perfect. She still felt horrible, but Flowey had given her enough resolve to press on. She and Flowey began to make their way out of the garbage dump.
... I'm sorry, Felicia whispered. I've been a bad partner, haven't I?
Well, yeah, but Chara didn't want to rub salt on the wound. Yes, but it's good that you realize it.
I honestly didn't realize how much I was hurting you; I was so focused on winning that I didn't consider your feelings. I'll... try not to let it happen again. From now on, I won't force you to do anything you don't want.
Chara appreciated that, but... Felicia did deserve to have some control too. Like she said, it was her soul.
Felicia... I'm actually glad you made me watch those videos. I had to find out at some point, right? It's good that it happened sooner rather than later.
But you didn't want to see it, and I didn't respect that. Who am I to decide what's best for you?
I suppose when we have a disagreement, we'll just have to discuss it, like mature adults.
And if we don't reach an agreement?
Well, that was the problem, wasn't it? In the end, Felicia was the one who made every decision, whether she was forcibly taking over or allowing Chara to do what she wanted. Unless she decided to go on a deranged killing spree, Felicia was the one in control.
I don't know, Chara said, but I'm truly grateful that you're concerned for me. Until we find a better solution, that's all I can ask for.
... thank you, Chara.
Now, let's go home.
No arguments there.
Meeting Gaster had proven to be a nightmare. Chara had learned a dark truth, and she had no idea what horrors Frisk and Flowey may have been facing. But she knew it would end soon. It had to. All she had to do was find Sans, and he'd fix everything.
Chara walked out of the garbage dump.