Chapter Text
Wind buffeted Frisk’s hair as the midday sun shone down upon them, the rest of their monster family at their side. But they couldn’t share in the elation and relief of those around them, couldn’t feel any sort of joy at seeing the sky for the first time in what felt like ages…
Because their fear was stronger. It flailed and writhed within them like a living thing, icy tendrils of terror wrapping around their guts and spreading across their veins like a curse. Every nerve was tingling, every hair standing on-end. They hardly dared breathe, even as Papyrus shouted something far too loudly at the sun.
Frisk jumped half a foot, whipping about with their mouth open to whisper a warning to the taller skeleton, when a familiar roar in the not-too-far distance had them freezing like a deer. They tilted their head towards the wind, heart pounding in their ears and blocking out whatever the others were excitedly discussing. The wind was tainted with the scent of decay. Adrenaline flooded their system as an instinct so primal so raw with fear in a way no monster had ever managed to come close to, reared its head within them. They bit their lip hard, copper coating their tongue.
“kid?” Sans’ voice was blessedly quiet, but Frisk only spared him a single, terror-filled glance. For a moment, they imagined it—the monsters around them being torn apart by the horrors they knew hid in the shadows of the forest. How much would that hurt to watch? Could they manage to pick themself up and carry on now that they knew what they’d been missing? Now that they understood the concept of safety and warmth and trust?
No. No, they… they couldn’t. They knew they couldn’t.
“Hey, Frisk. What’s wrong?” Chara’s ghost stood beside them, brows furrowed in deep concern, but they shook their head, eyes flitting through the shadows of the treeline at the base of the cliff. There was movement, and they knew it wasn’t another human.
They were out of time.
Another call, closer this time, startled the monsters, but Frisk’s makeshift family showed no signs of urgency or wariness. No fear. For Frisk, this was the last straw. Instincts that’d been with them since birth screamed that they needed to find shelter, to hide, run, stay silent, they’re coming, they’ll smell you, please get somewhere else, KEEP MOVING.
Their fear choked them, their heart pounded so fiercely they swore their very SOUL was about to fly out of their chest. They had to protect them. They had to GO BACK.
Suddenly, the world flickered away, leaving them in that strange black not-space. Usually, they couldn’t access this place without dying, so either their fear had literally caused their heart to stop, or their Determination to protect their friends was strong enough to pull them back here.
“Wh-what the–?!” Chara stumbled at the abrupt change, whipping about to stare at Frisk with something similar to betrayal. “Frisk, what are you doing!?”
They didn’t answer her. They weren’t sure if this space would hold without them dying first, and they didn’t dare waste the chance to protect the only family they’d ever known. They sprinted towards the RESET button, slamming a hand into it despite Chara’s startled cry.
The world shuddered, fracturing and shattering as Frisk was overcome with the sensation of
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Frisk opened their eyes yet again to the familiar cavern roof, the small speck of sunlight cascading through the eerie shadows they knew so well. There was a sharp familiar pain in their left shoulder, a burning ache from their right knee, a barely-closed gash in their side. While this wasn’t their first RESET, this was the first time they’d accidentally broken the barrier. The adrenaline from the sound of familiar nightmares they’d prayed they’d never encounter again still sang in their blood.
Frisk sighed and sat up gingerly, careful of their numerous wounds, most of which were infected. They hardly even felt the fever that was creeping up on them. It wouldn’t matter once Toriel healed them, even if some of the damage would stay. No, for now they rested their head on their good knee and counted their breaths, trying to stay as still and silent as possible, ears strained for any tiny sound, just like they’d been taught.
After several minutes where the only sounds were Frisk’s near silent breaths, the pounding of their heart, and the anxious shuffling of Chara and Flowey, they straightened up a little, eyes flickering about the cavern to assure themself that nothing untoward had followed them into the past. Apparently, this was the silent signal their two companions had been waiting for.
“What the hell, Frisk?” Chara watched them as they carefully climbed to their feet, keeping their weight off their right leg while doing their best to favor their side. “That was… they were free, why would you…?”
“It’s dangerous.” They bit back lightly, voice scarcely a whisper yet still held that distinct note of urgent fear that’d swallowed them on the Surface.
“Dangerous? You mean because of the humans? Why would that change anything?! They know about the humans. Frisk, they had it! We finally had it! Don’t you understand what this was to us?! Why would you take that away?!” Chara’s voice was reaching wince-worthy levels, at least to someone who was used to staying quiet for survival. Though Frisk knew only they and Flowey could hear the ghost, it didn’t stop their heart from skipping several hard beats at the volume.
“Please don’t yell.” They lifted their head and tensed, waiting for any sign of an attack. After a moment of nothing but the steady rustling of the flowers beneath them, they relaxed a bit.
“I’m with Chara on this one.” Flowey popped out of the soil with a displeased frown. “Frisk, I know you’ve RESET a few times before, but… even I think doing it after all that is a bit… much? Now I don’t personally care about their freedom,” the soulless prince crossed some vines like one would a set of arms, “but it’s a little cruel to those you call your friends, isn’t it?”
“Woah, Zazzy, you sound like you almost care.” Chara grinned.
“It’s Asri— Wait! Flowey!” He hissed. “And I don’t care! I’m just annoyed that things keep going back like this! Nobody really likes being stuck in a time loop they can’t control, you know.”
Frisk shrank in on themself a little. “It’ll be fine if we stay here.” They whispered, hand migrating subconsciously towards their injured side and dipping beneath their shirt. The hot stickiness that clung to their fingers, slick and filled with the stench of iron, was an old, familiar comfort. They took a deep breath and grabbed their backpack from where it had fallen alongside them, pulling out some old used bandages.
They didn’t want their only favorite shirt to be ruined because of something like a little blood. They also didn’t want to worry anyone when they reached Snowdin, or Waterfall or Hotland. They blinked when they realized that they didn’t want to stay in the Ruins with Toriel. They wanted to explore the rest of the Underground and befriend everyone again. To do puzzles with Papyrus, and eat at Grillby’s with Sans. To pretend to cook with Undyne and maybe even sit down and watch anime with Alphys—Frisk was deeply curious about the media they’d only heard whispers of once or twice.
“Mom’s gonna wanna heal that.” Chara winced when Frisk pulled up their shirt to tend to the wound. “Holy shit, when was the last time you ate? I think you’re thinner than Sans!”
“Just this morning when Papyrus gave me some breakfast.” They stuck out their tongue.
“I meant in this timeline.” Chara mirrored their childish action.
“Look, idiot. I’m a flower and I know that’s not healthy on a human.” Flowey deadpanned. “Not that I care, but you look ready to keel over, and I’m pretty sure humans are only supposed to leak red, not… whatever that is.”
Frisk rolled their eyes as they studied their wound for a moment. They hadn’t had the chance to properly rinse it out earlier, and now they were paying for it. Normally they’d hesitate to use the last of their drinking water on cleaning a wound, but this time they knew they’d be able to find plenty of clean water at Toriel’s house. And Sans’ place. And Snowdin in general. And… actually, there were a LOT of places where they could get clean drinking water here. So cleansing a wound now, even when it was going to be healed soon enough, was fine.
“It’s an infection.” Chara explained with a scowl. “Which is bad. Jesus, Frisk, were you always in this rough a shape when you Fell?”
Frisk nodded absently and tied off their bandages, pleased when they realized that none of the blood was visible on the outside of their sweater. They didn’t bother to answer the concerned inquiries, instead choosing to make their way towards where Toriel would undoubtedly appear. They glanced at Flowey for a moment, only to get an eyeroll in response.
“Ha, that’s cute. I’m not sticking around to get burned, thanks. See ya.” With his piece said, he vanished into the ground once more.
Frisk hid their smile as their adoptive mom rounded the corner, pausing at the sight of a filthy, injured human child. “Oh, Dear!” She approached cautiously, mindful of her large size and what would probably be a frightening appearance to one who didn’t know her. “Hello, little one. There is no need to be afraid. I am Toriel, the caretaker of these Ruins. You seem to be hurt… please, allow me to heal you.”
Frisk nodded with a gentle smile, holding their arm out to the monster. Toriel’s eyes lit up as green magic glowed at her clawtips, gently washing away aches and pains from bruises and cuts they’d carried for ages. Though Toriel didn’t know the extent of their injuries, so she couldn’t know to heal all of them fully, the worst was taken care of and Frisk let out a sigh of relief when their body once again moved the way they wanted it to. Their fever didn’t completely vanish, but they felt the fog in their mind clear significantly, meaning it had been downgraded to something negligible on their list of priorities.
“Thank you.” Their voice was soft as ever, but the monster before them gave them a sweet smile.
“Of course, my child. Come, follow me. It has been a very long time since someone has fallen down into this place, but I will show you around. Things are a little different here in the Underground than what I’m sure you’re used to…”
Frisk nodded and hummed, making sure to look at her both eagerly and expectantly as she explained puzzles and Fighting to them, but they’d been given her guidance enough times to have almost memorized her words. Still… It was fun to traverse the Ruins with Toriel. Once the monster left to go prepare the house, Frisk took their time solving all the puzzles.
Chara and Flowey trailed along, watching them warily, as if trying to figure out the solution to a particularly difficult puzzle. Frisk ignored their staring in favor of purchasing some Spider Cider and a Spider Donut—Muffet would be really happy when she learned Frisk had helped out her children in the Ruins! Hopefully Frisk wouldn’t die to the spider monster this time.
“Frisk…” Chara finally spoke up when they were just a few tunnels away from Toriel’s house. “You… you don’t want to go back to the Surface, do you?”
Frisk shook their head violently. The Surface was honestly the last place they wanted to go. “I like it here, Underground. It’s safe.” They savored the word, now that they could finally understand its meaning. Until they Fell, the word ‘safe’ was synonymous with ‘not badly injured’ or ‘not dead’. Now they felt like they finally understood that extra emotion that the older humans they’d met had spoken the word with. Safe wasn’t ‘uninjured’ or ‘alive’, safe was safe. It was an absence of fear or the need for survival. It was a warm pillow beneath your head and a gentle presence nearby watching over you. It was the soft hum of magic in the air and the promise that you’d wake up in the morning. The word safe encompassed so many things that Frisk hadn’t even known existed… things Frisk never wanted to live without again.
“Yeah, you still haven’t told us what you mean by that.” Flowey huffed. “Is there something about humanity you haven’t told us? Remember, monsters don’t exactly get a local newspaper from up there.”
Frisk paused, turning to look at the flower and the ghost. Right, they wouldn’t really understand, would they? Frisk had RESET before they could really grasp the situation. The idea that they didn’t know was still quite foreign to the child. It wasn’t something that they’d ever dealt with before. If you were alive, it was because you survived. Because you lived, which obviously meant you knew the state of the world itself.
The Underground didn’t have that, though. The monsters had been sealed centuries ago, or so Frisk had been told. Really, now that they thought about it, there was probably a lot about the Surface they didn’t know. Of course, Frisk also wasn’t sure how to explain things, when all they’d ever known was a broken world. They had almost no context for what it used to be like—for what the monsters expected.
“I don’t know what a newspaper is.” They shrugged. It was probably some kind of communication system. “It’s not the humans I’m worried about.”
“Not the humans?” Chara’s expression drew into one of concern. “What else is there?”
“The Abominations.” Frisk’s voice fell into something dark. “They’ll kill everyone if we go up there. I can’t…” Their breath hitched. “I don’t want to watch them die.”
Flowey and Chara shared a heavy look. “Maybe you should tell someone. Well, someone alive.” The ghost corrected herself before Frisk could comment.
“Hey! I’m alive!” Flowey protested.
“I meant like Dad! Or mom? Someone who can do something!” Chara crossed her arms. “Sorry Zazzy, but I doubt a flower will manage to convince monsterkind that there’s something seriously dangerous up there.” She paused and turned towards Frisk. “But that doesn’t mean we can’t go. Frisk, monsters are stronger than you think. Don’t count everybody out just from this. If the worst befalls us, then we can start over—just like always. You don’t have to explain everything now, but… please tell someone. Give us this chance.”
Frisk bit their lip and hesitantly nodded. They didn’t like the thought of bringing everyone out of this sanctuary, but maybe seeing things firsthand would convince Chara that it was for the best to remain underground.
“Hey.” Flowey had an uncharacteristically serious expression on his face. “If things are really as bad as you say—or aren’t saying, as the case is here—then… tell Smiley Trashbag.”
It took Frisk a moment to understand who that was. “Sans?” They echoed in confusion. “Why would I…?”
“Trust me.” Flowey scowled. “That guy… he’s more than he seems. He’s close to the King, don’t know why though. Chances are, if you tell him, he’ll forward that to Asgore for you. We might be able to skip the whole ‘trying to kill you’ bit.” His expression morphed into something maniacal. “Or I can crash the party like I did on the last run! It was so much fun!”
“Please don’t.” Chara deadpanned. “I’ll make Frisk tell mom on you.”
“Like I care about that?” Flowey’s grin widened. “That old goat can go yell all she wants, I don’t care.”
“No, I mean I’ll tell mom your name.” Chara’s smirk was absolutely wicked, and Frisk watched the interaction with a slight smile.
Flowey froze. “You wouldn’t dare.”
“Try me.” Chara grinned. “Don’t you remember that time after the Halloween party and—”
“Stop it, STOP IT!” Flowey cut her off. “Shit, you really would…”
Chara chuckled. “Once mom knows who you are—soulless or otherwise—she’ll become so overprotective of you that you won’t have the chance to attack anyone. And you know it.”
“I can just kill her myself, if that’s the case!”
“And yet… in all the time you had the RESET power, never once did you ever kill mom. Dad? Oh, plenty of times. But not mom.” Chara’s grin became sharp, something Frisk would say was almost predatory, though in a strangely friendly way.
“H-How would you know?! You weren’t even awake during that time! I didn’t see you until Frisk fell!” Flowey screeched, and Frisk flinched violently.
“Quiet, please.” They begged, and the two shot them an apologetic look.
“I don’t know, I just know.” Chara’s voice was much softer this time. “Point being, you’ve never killed mom. So drop the pretenses, and don’t go all homicidal flower garden on us this time, okay?”
Frisk giggled as Flowey spluttered, and they decided that they’d procrastinated enough. They rounded the corner, smiling softly at the massive tree that greeted them. Toriel stepped out from the other side phone in paw, before noticing them and rushing over.
“Oh, dear! Were you wandering around the Ruins alone? That’s quite dangerous. Are you hurt anywhere, my child?” Gentle paws hovered around them nervously, still uncertain if touch would be appreciated.
Frisk shook their head, ignoring the sound of protest that Chara made at the action. “Everyone was really friendly down here.”
Toriel relaxed, a proud smile blooming on her muzzle. “I am relieved to hear that. Come, my child. I have a surprise for you.” Frisk smiled softly and took her paw in their hand, startling the monster lightly. Toriel seemed elated that they’d reached out for her, and gently squeezed their hand in thanks.
Frisk enjoyed the sensation of soft fur—Toriel’s hugs were equally fluffy, and for some reason they always made the feeling of safety more intense. It made them feel like nothing could harm them when they were within her grasp, and privately they wondered if that’s what a mother’s protection felt like.
The first thing that hit them as they walked into the house was the warm smell of a freshly baked pie. “Surprise! I made you a butterscotch-cinnamon pie! I hope—”
Frisk cut her off with a hug, and while they couldn’t reach much of her, Toriel’s voice halted at the action. For a moment, she stared down at them in surprise. It wasn’t but a few heartbeats before Frisk felt her crouch down to fully embrace them. They utterly melted into her arms.
“You must be tired.” She hummed as she carefully straightened up, taking Frisk with her. The human child stayed relaxed, so Toriel didn’t move to set them back down. “I’ve tidied up an old bedroom for you… it’s yours now.” She shifted their weight a little to open the door with the ease of practice only a mother could master.
Frisk rested their head against her chest for a moment, listening to the steady beating of her heart. There was the strange soothing musical-like beat that accompanied her heartbeat that Frisk figured was her SOUL—it had a very soft gentle melody it gave off. Frisk made a mental note to ask about that later.
The goat monster gently lowered them into the bed, pulling up the covers and tucking them in. Toriel was the only person who had ever carried them after they’d learned how to walk. Honestly, it was nice to allow someone to care for them like this. Frightening, sure, because allowing anyone that level of power or control over them was unnatural and scary, but… it was also soothing in a sense. Relieving. For once, just for this moment, they could just… float away in their own mind and trust someone else to protect them.
They snuggled into the softness of the mattress beneath them, languidly kicking out a single foot against the smooth cool fabric of clean sheets, as they burrowed their face into the embrace of a feather-stuffed pillow. Sleep came swiftly, and took them before Toriel had even shut off the light.