Frisk - Thinking/Flashback

[~*~] – time change

"Frisk" - Dialogue

"Frisk"/*Frisk – Chara talking through Frisk/mentally communicating to Frisk

[Reset]

They run through the cavern as if Undyne is chasing them, hot tears running down their brown cheeks as they pass a purple archway.

They slow down to a stop, their chest pulling in and out as they pant. When they finally get their breathing and tears under control, Frisk pleads, "Asriel, I'm sorry, I-"

"Drop it, Chara," the venom in Flowey's voice causes the Eight Human to flinch.

"B-But th-"

"I said drop it!" the soulless prince growls with a fanged tooth and an eerie glow in their eyes.

The Frisk has seen them frustrated, but never this angry. They take a step back, choking down a sob. "*Sniff* We-"

They're cut off again, though Flowey's face returned to normal. "So much for 'best friends forever'."

This time they can't hold back a sob.

Flowey rolls his eyes, or at least his black beads. "Save it for someone who cares."

That easy dismissal is enough to shatter the thin control Frisk had over their emotions. Now the human is bawling their eyes out, hands uselessly holding the tears back.

Flowey releases a frustrated sigh. "Golly, what a crybaby. And to think I was ever scared of you-"

Whatever else he had to say dies out as a white fireball knocks him away. A beat later, Frisk is wrapped in a warm embrace of their mother, even if Toriel doesn't know that at the time.

[~*~]

I still can't save him.

Over one-hundred times Frisk has done this: wake up over a field of golden flowers and start their adventure again. They did things differently and did– what they called – the pacifist ending, but that timeline, nor the others, gave them an answer.

Why does it always end the same?

They thought of all forms of solutions for Asriel's lack of soul. Give him a monster Soul. Scratched immediately, especially when their partner said that a Boss Monster's soul would be required – the young goat would never accept that. Their other option was to give their soul, which ended in a forced reset. Then it came to split their soul. Their first attempts ended in death.

After spending months learning soul magic, Chara deemed them ready to try it. At the end of another Pacifist timeline, they approached him knowing it would be painful. He protested heavily, but with Chara's aid, managed to split their heart in half.

At first, everything was fine. Asriel was still himself and they weren't dying, but before letting out a sigh of relief, they coughed out blood. Then more and more till they fell on the ground. Their body spasming on their own as their vision and hearing became muddled. Only Omega Flowey has scared them as much as that moment.

The next time they opened their eyes, they were once again lying on the flower bed. Later discovered, by a distressed ghost, that it was Asriel who reset.

Their future plans involved getting knowledge from everywhere. The library, Alphys, the old abandoned kingdom in the Ruins. To sum it all up…they learned nothing new. They knew a monster soul is made of compassion, love and hope. Once a monster dies, they turn to dust – though Alphys never counted on her soul experiments to bring someone back, even if soulless. While monsters can use all forms of magic, they excel at only one element and are atrocious at the rest. Humans, from what Alphys and Mom said, are great in one and weaker on the rest, granting them versatility while lacking the raw power of a monster. Case in point, Undyne the Undying, Sans the 'easiest' monster, Asgore the monster King, and Mom the ex-Queen – the last two holding back against their fights.

From there, they tried different variants like prolonging their stay with Mom, and solve problems differently. Solve issues faster or prolong it. Befriending Undyne during their fight rather than at their house after the 'incident' – the poor fish house never deserved to be burned down. Give suggestions to Mettaton for his show, and even managed to obtain Sans' key to his workshop before getting in the Judgement Hall. And whatever else both of them could think of that would lead them to a piece of information they never heard or an ending where Asriel goes to the surface with them.

I did everything already.

Somewhere along their ninety run, they got desperate, and accepted their partner's suggestion for an alternative ending. From there, they started experimenting in the hopes of a different anything to appear. Frisk then wished they had never done so. Dust, cries of pain, fear, and anger, those timelines were indeed a different experience, and what frightened Frisk the most, was that deep inside, they enjoyed the LOVE he was gaining.

Then at some point, it led down to a mental spiral of elation and rush. With every LV they gained, Frisk's frustration over the repetitive failures ebbed away as their Execution Points increased. Somewhere in their mind, they knew what they were doing was horrible, but between the satisfaction on their quick accomplishments and their partner's encouragement, Frisk was determined to see it to the end.

But…all I did was turn into a Flowey. The same thing Asriel had warned them about the surface.

Said goat monster had already left the dark void Frisk is in; the final place where they faced his god form after he absorbed human souls along with every monster from the Underground, but once his true self was brought back, he destroyed the barrier that kept every monster trapped, and returned the soul even when it meant he would reverse back to Flowey.

Frisk bows their head in shame. It may have started with good intentions, but that almost ended with existence itself. They start to feel echoes of dust grinding between his fingers.

*It was never going to work, was it? Frisk raises their head before turning to the side. Standing next to them is a child that looks so much like them, yet so different. They wear the same brown boots, but their shorts are khaki, and the sweater is light green with a yellow stripe around the chest. They have pale skin with a natural blush, and their hair has a red hue to Frisk's chocolate color. Chara has their rose-colored eyes locked on him with a smile of resignation. Without a body to call their own, they now exist – albeit transparent - thanks to a connection to Frisk's soul.

*Thanks, Frisk. You did more than what I've ever asked of you, but maybe it's time we gave up. Those words are like stabs at Frisk's heart. *Mom and Dad stayed separate no matter what we did. Six humans died because of me, and Asriel will forever remain Flowey. It's better if we stop before I hurt you too.

They shake their head, knowing full well what they're talking about. "It wasn't your fault. I could have said no."

Chara consents with a nod. *Yeah, but you still knew it was a terrible idea. They let out a humorless chuckle. *Asriel also thought my plan was bad. I should have listened to him. I should have listened to you!Their smile becomes more strained, fists clenched to the point where blood would be drawn, and Frisk knows their partner would be crying if they could, so the human does it for them. *Let's face it, I screwed up, again.

Now tears fall freely from Frisk's eyes. Through their connection, waves of hopelessness and acceptance dampens their own desire to continue. After their first run, Frisk knew it was going to be difficult to keep Asriel as himself, but their achievement of liberating all the monsters made them think that saving one more wouldn't be too difficult.

They were naïve, and in many ways still are.

*Frisk, Chara's voice breaks them out of their thoughts. Only now does the human notice the swirl of emotions in their partner has calmed, and, for the first time in all their runs, sounds tired. *You are the kind of friend Asriel needed, not me.

And that was the final nail for Frisk. They take a hasty step forward and wrap their arms around the crestfallen ghost. Being tied to their soul, their arms don't go through like they would with Napstablook.

They wait for Chara to reply or return the hug, but they remain still. Frisk tightens the embrace on their friend. "We're going to save him, and then you can apologize."

They let out a mirthless laugh. *Frisk, he hates me.

"He never said that."

*He didn't have to, Chara counters.

Frisk wants to yell in frustration. Cry at the injustice of Asriel's fate. Hurt something to find some sort of relief. Or to finally give up and wallow in the fear that he can't save everyone.

They feel they can sink deeper into the dull depression of their partner. In a way, it feels nice to give up. Frisk can finally let go of accomplishing the impossible.

…Yet, they can't. They begin to feel that familiar pulse in their chest. The same one that kept them going when befriending everyone – their new friends – and to not break down against the monstrosity known as Omega Flowey, and to ultimately save Asriel, even if temporary.

Frisk wants to dismiss the warm feeling, but…they can't. If not for themselves, then for Chara, like they've done for every monster in the Underground.

The thought of their friend smiling for real fills them with determination!

"I will keep trying," they answer after their tears slowed, and they make sure to send that newfound warmth through their connection.

As they do so, Chara stiffens. *Frisk…don't you have anything better to do?

If Flowey hadn't caused them to break down, they would have done so now. "Yes," they answer with an even tone. "I want to go to the surface with mom and eat butterscotch-cinnamon pie. I want to play with Papyrus and go through his puzzles." They take a breath to hold back a sob. Their tears coming to a halt. "I want to make bad puns with Sans, and watch Mew Mew: Kiss Cutie with Alphys and Undyne."

With every word they spoke, they feel liberated. Despite sharing a bond with Chara, these have been some of the secret thoughts Frisk had around their fortieth reset. More like their dreams of what a peaceful life on the surface would be.

"But I won't. I'm not leaving the Underground without Asriel. He's my friend too." If their first meeting didn't make them friends, then it was the dozens of times they spent together before a reset – despite Asriel not remembering afterwards.

Then slowly but surely, Chara returns the embrace. Frisk considers this progress. *Are you…really going that far for me?

They shake their head. They know better than to add more to Chara's baggage. "I want to do this. I want to know what it's like to live with a fluffy goat-bro." They softened their voice at the end in the hopes to steer the conversation to a nicer topic.

It works, as Chara's dull grief is gently thawed by Frisk's warmth. *I will warn you, expect a clingy fuzz ball.

"Really?" the human asks in genuine surprise.

*Yeah. Their voice takes a kinder tone, and Frisk is certain their partner is smiling. *After I fell, he would stay in the same room as me, and it's not like I was the nicest of guests either.

As they listen, Frisk becomes aware that this is the first time Chara talks about their past. Throughout all their resets, both were focused on finding him a soul.

*But he was very set on making me his first friend.

"First?" Frisk voices their confusion.

To which Chara nods. *Dumb kids treated the dirt he walked on like gold, but it was okay. I did get a best friend…

Their voice drops, but Frisk won't let them sink back down. "And he got one in return."

They can tell Chara wants to say something, probably to deny it or demoralize themselves again, but thankfully decides against it, and bask in the emotional support as they relax.

Frisk appreciates the silence. It gives them time to reorganize their thoughts. They acknowledge they have no solution for Asriel or an idea to follow. They admit to themselves they're tired, but they won't stop. Chara depends on them. So they will continue to power through, meet Asriel again and enjoy the last minutes of the timeline together. Maybe this time they can talk of what a peaceful life between monsters and humans would be like.

After waiting a few more minutes, they ask. "Ready to continue?"

*I was wondering when you would ask that. They step back, and flash Frisk a grin.

They smile in return. Seeing their partner in a better mood, going through another one-hundred resets didn't seem so bad.

Then a thought crosses their mind, and their smile drops.

Chara notices and frowns. *What's wrong?

Before answering, they look around. "Why are we still here?"

It takes seconds for that to sink into them, and when it does, Chara looks around in panic. *Shit, what now.

"Language."

That is something Frisk always wanted to say. They respect their friend, and know that is rude to change them, but they also don't want to listen to such words.

The problem is, it wasn't Frisk who said that word, and it was all too late to realize there's a presence behind them.

"Greetings, young ones-"

Their partner fades and takes control of their body. A red heart materializes in their chest before Chara dashes several meters away under a second. They spun their body around and summon a red knife in each hand. They glare menacingly as they get into their battle stance.

While Frisk's body had no formal training like Chara's once did, the determination easily exceeds their partner's. The very same that was used to reinforce their body to dodge attacks, or have the energy to last through endless waves of attacks from Sans.

Both are surprised by the monster they're facing.

What they first identify him as is a black gooey mass, almost as tall as Papyrus. The white outline that surrounds him is the reason they know his shape against the black background. Chara comments how they feel like a regular monster.

To add to the strangeness, he has two skeletal hands attached to the mass with a hole in each. And an oval skull with a crack running down his left socket and upwards on his right.

Another skeleton, Frisk comments through their link. I thought Sans and Papyrus were the only ones.

*He's also the problem. "Why are you keeping me here?" Chara orders through Frisk.

Frisk almost reprimands them for the unnecessary aggression, but when they realize it's just the monster and them, being cautious isn't the bad option – though, in their opinion, Chara could do without the knifes.

The skeleton opens his hands and raises them in surrender. "I didn't come to hurt you Demon, nor the Angel."

To say the two kids are confused by the titles is an understatement. Frisk knows about the monsters' legend of how an Angel would free them one day, but they always thought it referred to Asriel since he broke the barrier.

Chara is the first to snap back into focus. "Fine, you know about us. Now tell us why we're here." The 'or else' is heavily implied.

But much to Chara's chagrin, the monster grins. It turns fully crocked and the edges reach its eye sockets. "There's no need for violence. I only wish to offer a solution for the Prince's lack of soul."

This startles Chara. "Y-You do?" It's rare to hear apprehension in their partner's tone.

Frisk resumes control of their body, softening their features and narrowing their eyes before their normal color returned. The knifes vanish before dropping the stance. "How?" they ask the question their partner is dreading, for Chara doesn't know what the skeleton wants in return. The human on the other hand knows this is their only real option.

The skeleton lowers his hands, and…shifts(?) himself towards them. "I will give you what you searched throughout the timelines – one-hundred forty-six to be exact."

Now it's Frisk's turn to be startled as cold invades their veins.

Does he know? The thought of his sins being known is terrifying.

"I've seen how you freed the monsters as well as murdered them." Chara readies their magic, prepared to act at a moment's notice. "As you were about to complete genocide, all I could do was close my eyes and wait till eternal nothingness consumed me. Imagine my relief when I felt a reset." He stops about a meter away. Frisk's hands are clenched into a fist, knifes ready to be summoned.

They would usually sooth Chara by now, but they're currently maintaining their emotions in check as well as their professional poker face.

"You surprise me, Angel. Your determination might exceed even the Red Mage that sealed our kind, and it only grew stronger throughout your journey and resets. But you shouldn't waste it on a pointless goal."

This got a reaction from them both: a scowl from Chara, and a flash of anger passed through Frisk's face. "Saving Asriel isn't pointless," they state with a firm tone.

"It is if there's no benefit."

It takes so much effort to hold Chara back that their body starts to shake, but hearing the skeleton cackle was the last straw. "You have three seconds to tell us how to save Asriel. Three. Two."

"Divide your soul."

"One!" The weapons flare to life, and Chara takes one step before Frisk stops them.

The skeleton watches in silence. His smile dropped to a frown. Seconds pass before he smiles again, but it's less jagged than before. "I know you attempted this with fatal results, but I offer a safer method."

This gets Chara to stop. "Show us," they say through gritted teeth, no doubt ruining the calm visage Frisk's face held.

What happens next almost breaks Frisk's control. His eyes flare cyan and orange, left and right respectively.

*Snap*

Both children cringe at the sudden noise. Then what hovers in their field of vision inside a cyan glow, is the monster's index finger. The glow switches to orange, and the bone stretches, its joints disappearing so it looks like an elongated oval. What follows is the bone curving in the center, and curving again on both ends to end as a-

"Heart," Frisk blinks at the odd choice, but Chara still remains wary.

"You weren't wrong," they start. "half your soul would be enough to maintain the Prince's body indefinitely, but rather than physically separating your heart, just allow your determination to flow into here, and it will work as a container."

"Won't it break?" Frisk wants to believe it will work, but even they have doubts of how a finger can work as a container.

He nods briskly. "A monster can absorb a human soul and vice-versa. This," he gestures to the pseudo-heart, "is a fragment of my soul, so when you fuse with any amount of determination you want to impart, it will effectively turn into the first hybrid Soul."

They can tell a tone of intrigue appears in his voice, and that unnerves Frisk and angers Chara.

"He's not some lab rat."

"That's curious. Weren't you the one who suggested murder to obtain information? That counts as experimenting."

Frisk was afraid Chara's killing intent alone would kill the monster. "Will it still be Asriel?" they ask, hoping the answer will appease their partner.

"He lacks a Soul, not a body. Or did you forget your fight against his Hyperdeath form?" It was hard not to remember the godly aura that changed reality on his whim. "His body and mind will always remain the same. I can't predict how his magic will change, but I can only assume it will grow stronger from your determination."

The explanation did better Chara's mood, but not the bitterness left in their heart.

Frisk dissipates the weapons (again) and schools their features. "Thank you, Sir."

"My name is Gaster, little Angel." Frisk wanted to ask why he's calling them that, but the skeleton continues. "Would you mind starting the process? As a personal request, I wish to witness the fusion up close."

They nod, forgetting their question for what's right in front of them: their only chance to save Asriel.

*I don't trust this guy, but-dammit! Frisk understands their friend's frustration. Gaster could betray and steal the new soul, but the skeleton also caught them by surprise and did not harm them. *Fine. We'll do this, but we're doing it my way.

Taking control of their left arm, they extend it. "Give it."

He chuckles, but drifts the heart over. When the glow ends, Frisk can feel the state of the heart. It radiates low amounts of energy, but it's stale, not brimming with life like a monster's.

*Blank slate, Chara murmurs before raising their right hand. Frisk, I need you to focus on powering your soul. I will do the transfer.

Have you done this before?

*No. That's why I want you to focus on your part, and I will keep your soul from fusing. Ready?

They nod, and at Chara's signal, concentrates on their determination. A red heart materializes over their palm, and immediately they feel a drain.

[~*~]

Tired.

That's all Frisk is sure at the moment. They know they have to get up, but for what, they can't remember.

*Frisk, wake up!

They flinch at the noise, and grunts in hopes that whoever is talking would let them sleep longer.

*Come on, Partner. You can sleep later. Right now we have to get to Asriel.

Asriel. Their head bobs to the side. Awareness begins to creep in, but so does fear as they realize how defenseless they are. What they last remember is being in the nothingness with a monster they don't fully know.

*Frisk, relax. You're fi…you're not hurt. They want to ask about the pause, but remains calm knowing their partner will keep them safe.

What happened?

*You…fainted at the end. I-I should have noticed how tired you were getting. Their voice cracks. *You almost died because of me and I-

Now it's Frisk's turn to panic, jolting to a sitting position. What they first see is darkness. Their first thought is the void, but dismisses this as light comes from above. Looking up, they see the faint rays of sunshine leaking through a hole. Looking down, they see a circular patch of grass. This is where I met Flowey, and the first time they were wounded via 'friendliness pellets'.

*You were down for a long time. To their right, Chara is down on their knees, eyes fixed on the ground. *I did the whole routine: talk with everyone, travel back and talk to every monster. It all went well, but I think the comedian knew it was me.

It's okay. I will tell Sans what happened later. Aside from Flowey/Asriel, Sans is the other monster that knows about the resets, between other things.

Then it clicks to them. Their eyes are wide open! They quickly narrow them and search around for anyone who saw them, only to realize there's no need for it's just the two of them.

They sigh in relief, but remember something that's more important. Chara, what happened to the soul?

*It worked, they seem to have shrunk away. Their hesitance makes Frisk worry. *We can give it to Asriel, but Frisk…your soul… They turn their head to the side. *Look at it.

Despite the dread flowing through their bond, Frisk isn't affected by it. To be more precise, their soul seems to resonate against those emotions. So they're more curious than afraid as they raise their hand.

A single thought brings their heart out and, for the second time that day, their eyes widen.

Their red soul, if it can be called that anymore, has shrunken to half its size, and is now surrounded by a second heart composed of the remaining six traits: patience (cyan), integrity (blue), bravery (orange), kindness (green), justice (yellow) and perseverance (purple).

Their mind tells them to be horrified. Their soul, their very being has been changed, and yet, they're calm. It pulses, and they feel a wave of strength and comfort filling their body.

Their eyelids lower, and look at their friend with a sincere smile. "Chara, it's okay. I'm fine."

That was apparently the wrong response, because they snap their head in their direction, eyes shedding tears that can't be seen but felt. *NO Frisk! You're not fine! You almost died and that freak did something to your Soul! Because of me, you lost your ability to Load!

They don't allow their smile to falter, for that would only worsen Chara's fears. "We knew it wouldn't be easy, but if this is the only way to save Asriel, then I don't mind."

*You-you really don't? They flinch as if knowing Frisk's answer will be reproaching.

"I don't." They rise to their feet, and extend a hand towards them. Chara only looks at the gesture in disbelief. "Let's go tell our brother the good news."

They raise their hand but stop mid-way.

"It's okay." Those red eyes shift to theirs. "It's still me. Isn't that what matters?"

Chara looks at them as if they're meeting for the first time. Then they laugh, but Frisk finds it worrying that they're feeling both relieved and unease, *You changed.

"I don't feel different," they reply, but their smile dipped a little.

*Maybe you can't, and I don't know if that's a good or bad thing. Their emotions settled down to the hopeful side as they clasp Frisk's hand, and they help raise their partner. *I'm not fine with this, but Asriel is waiting for us.

They nod, silently agreeing to leave this conversation for later.

They walk hand in hand to an archway, but as they pass, a sense of finality hits Frisk. Their heart beats faster as they walk down the corridor. We're actually going to do this. No more resets. The thought of never repeating their adventure brings them a peace of mind, and when they finally reach the small room with the golden flower bed, their heart swells with so much joy they think it's gonna burst.

"ASRIEL!"

The goat monster, in his green-yellow stripped shirt and brown shorts, jumps in place. He turns around, eyes wide and hands raised to his chest. When their eyes meet, realization flashes in his eyes. His paws move down, and he offers a timid smile. "Golly Frisk, you scared me, but I'm glad you're here-whoa, wait!"

Frisk just couldn't wait any longer. They dashed over to the boss monster and tackles him into a hug. He manages to keep them from falling and embraces back.

"Fr-Frisk! What are you doing?!"

Frisk, after a quick cheek-to-fur nuzzle, pulls back with their hands still around the monster. They see his cheeks are tinted red, and realize this is the first time they see him flustered. They would tease him, but they have good news to deliver, "I'm bringing you to the surface."

The goat losses the blush, and now looks horrified, "Frisk, you can't do that! I-I'm going to turn into Flowey soon-"

A finger placed on his lips stop him. A red hue on his cheeks reappears, "You won't."

They step back, and take out their phone and open their dimensional box. There is one item that stood out: Fused Soul.

It's hard to believe this is it, but they're glad it's over. Pressing the Use button, the soul appears in front of them.

After seeing the changes of their Soul, Frisk isn't shocked by the appearance, but Asriel is staring at it slack-jawed, "Frisk, how…where did you get this."

At this, they freeze. Frisk never thought of how to explain this to Asriel. How they had given up their power to control time to make him a heart. If they told him, he would most likely refuse and then blame themselves for abandoning that power. In a way, he and Chara are alike.

They know it's the wrong choice, but they will avoid the topic for now. After putting the phone away, they move their hand under the heart, letting it hover above as they move it closer to the boss monster.

The red heart has a clean shine, and at its center is a small white heart – not upside down like a boss monster's. It appears mundane in comparison to Frisk's, but they can feel the power in it. Unbridled and directionless, they know it will change once Asriel takes it. Not once thinking of how he could abuse the power, for Flowey was cruel, he shows compassion. They learned that much about him when meeting him back in the first pacifist timeline.

"Asriel." This gets his attention. "Now we can go the surface together."

Instead of crying in joy like they expect, he looks at the ground in guilt. "Frisk, I-I can't…" This causes the human to frown. "I mean, is it alright for me to have that? I…I killed everyone as Flowey. What if-what if I do it again?"

Now they understand. Unfortunately they do because it's a feeling they don't wish to know. Their free hand closes into a fist, and the feeling of dust between their fingers claws at their happiness.

A hand on their shoulder snaps them back to reality. On their side, Chara is looking at them with the concern Frisk usually gives.

They smile warmly at them, and mouth, 'thank you,' before facing Asriel. "Nobody can blame you for that. You were soulless, and…you're not the only one who murdered."

His eyes lock onto theirs. "Frisk." It's almost a whisper, but it is enough to convey his sympathy.

"I wish I could forget about it. Tell myself they're nightmares, but it happened, and resets don't take the dust away. So that's why…" They stop, waiting for the knot in his throat to loosen. "That's why I want to go to the surface. I don't know how useful I will be, but I want my friends to have a happy life there." Frisk knows it won't be easy to build peace between humans and monsters, but they're not someone who gives up when facing the impossible. "We can both make up for our mistakes." Even if it takes their entire life, Frisk will pay for their sins somehow. "So…" The soul in their hand glows. "Let's go with Mom and Dad to the surface. We can live as a family while we do our part."

Without intending to, Asriel looks like he's about to cry, but that shaky smile is worth it. "Okay, Frisk." He wipes the tears with a sleeve. "I will go with you." He moves his paws next to the soul, and a red flash covers them both.

A/N: Wow, this was a ride of itself. Just trying to make everything flow right was a challenge. Had to move paragraphs around and shorten or add information where it was needed.

And don't worry, next chapter we will be seeing plenty of the DxD cast, and that's going to be fun to write. So as you wait, please fill free to leave a review, any questions or suggestions you might have.

And as for what happened to Frisk, I will leave that till much later, because this isn't the last we will see of Gaster.

P.S. I will thank my good friend Tapp for fixing the grammar where it was needed :D Without him, this chapter would have several mistakes.

P.S. (5/26/2018) Minor grammar changes and a few modified sentences. Extra additions at the beginning.