New Home

Clover's POV

Clover, Ray, and Kat wandered around the Core for what felt like hours before coming across a purple bridge.

"We haven't been here before." Clover pointed at it. "Maybe this is the right way."

"I hope so," Ray grunted, folding his arms. "This is taking forever." Clover rolled his eyes. They made their way across the bridge, keeping their heads low. Clover's soul appeared in front of him. The trio jumped back, letting out squeals as two hooded figures approached them. It was a Madjick and a Knight Knight.

"We don't have the stick!" Clover exclaimed, jumping back. "How do we trick the Madjick?"

"Or put the Knight Knight to sleep?" Kat asked, shaking. Knight Knight glared at them, thrusting her spear forward. Clover leaped out of the way. Orbs fired down from the sky like shooting stars, forcing Clover, Ray, and Kat to weave through them. Madjick floated higher into the air. Clover lunged under him, slipping right past the two monsters.

"Come on!" he called, gesturing to Kat and Ray. The two leaped after him, bolting down the bridge. There was a roar behind them.

"HELP!" Kat exclaimed, her hands around her mouth. Clover squinted to see a yellow figure on the other side of the bridge.

"Alphys!" Clover called. Alphys turned to them with a gasp. The Knight Knight and Madjick skidded to a halt in front of Alphys, their eyes wide. They turned and marched across the bridge. Clover sighed in relief.

"Wha- how are you guys out here?" Alphys asked, gesturing at the air.

"We got separated from the others," Clover replied, resting his hand on his chest. His heart pounded like a drum.

"Where are the others?" Kat asked, her eyes wide with worry.

"I-in there." Alphys pointed to a door. Clover, Ray, and Kat rushed toward the door, banging on it.

"Hey!" Ray called, slamming his fists into the door. "Open up!" He slipped his gloves on, slamming his fist knuckles first into the door. Ray froze before letting out a small cry. "Ow…"

"I-I've tried e-everything I can to open the door!" Alphys exclaimed, running in circles. "Th-they're trapped in there with Mettaton!" Gasps erupted from the trio.

"Then we can't waste any time!" Clover exclaimed, pulling on the doorknob. "Have you tried picking the lock?"

"I-I don't really have anything to-"

"Everyone check your bolsillos!" Clover cut her off. Wait…. What was the english word? "Uh… these things!" he exclaimed, shoving his hands in his pockets. Ray and Kat did the same. Moments later, Kat pulled out a paper clip.

"Will this work?" she asked, twirling it in her fingers.

"Let's see." Ray grabbed the paper clip, shoving it into the lock. Clover let out a grunt. The paper clip bent around as Ray shoved it in and out of the key hole.

"Give me that!" Clover snatched the paper clip out of Ray's hand. He pressed it into the keyhole as far as it would go, twisting it around a few times until he heard a click. Kat pushed the door open with a gasp.

"Nice! Good job, Clover!" She held her hand out, to which Clover gave her a high-five.

"We... we managed to open the lock!" Alphys called, rushing past them. The others followed her. "Are you guys... Oh, my god." Alphys rushed in front of a metal body, shaking it back and forth, "Mettaton! Mettaton, are you-"

"It's just the batteries," Poppy informed, her eyes wide.

"Oh! Thank god!" Alphys sighed in relief.

"That's Mettaton?" Ray asked, pointing at the fancy upper body lying on the floor. "When did he get so sexy?"

"Guys!" Teri exclaimed, her eyes lighting up. Clover glanced up to see Frisk, Teri, and Poppy, standing strong without a scratch on them.

"You're okay!" Kat gasped as she lunged at Frisk, wrapping her arms around them. Clover rushed toward Poppy, wrapping his arms around her.

"What happened?" Clover asked, backing out of the brief hug.

"We went into this room and Mettaton attacked us," Poppy explained, gesturing her hands as she spoke. "I tricked him into turning around so I could flip his switch. I thought it would turn him off, but it ended up turning him on instead." Clover raised an eyebrow.

"Wasn't he… already on?"

Poppy snickered. "That's not what I meant… Anyways, we're fine."

Teri cleared her throat. Clover glanced at her, his eyes widening when he noticed her dark expression. "Staging danger to rescue us from so we'd like you more? So we'd stay in the Underground with you?!" What is she talking about?

"Oh right… that…" Clover's eyes widened.

"She did what?!" Ray exclaimed, rushing toward the others.

"That can't be right!" Kat insisted, taking a step forward.

"It is…" Alphys sighed, looking down at the ground. A chorus of gasps followed. "M-me and Mettaton r-really did… stage all of that. But only with his encounters! I...I don't… I don't know why other m-monsters were attacking you! I… I swear!"

"Mettaton hired them to kill us," Poppy informed. "And also rearranged the Core."

"That makes sense," Clover replied, pointing at Poppy. He then glared at Alphys. "But you... You acted like our friend! Why would you put us in danger?"

"I… I'm sorry." Alphys sighed, wrapping her tail around herself as she looked down at the floor.

"Sorry isn't going to cut it!" Teri exclaimed, stomping her foot. "You lied to us!"

Kat rested her hand on Alphys's shoulder. "Hey, if what she's saying is true then we were never in any real danger."

"Yeah," Poppy agreed, stepping to Alphys's other side. "All she did was lie to us, that's way better than how most monsters have treated us." Cierto… (True…)

"She never tried to kill us…" Ray murmured to himself. Clover stared at his friends, wondering which side to pick.

"You don't have to forgive me," Alphys sighed, stepping away from Kat and Poppy. "I know I don't really deserve it…. I know what I d-did was wrong." Alphys shambled back toward Mettaton, her head hung. "And it's not even the only thing I've lied to you about."

"Are you serious?!" Teri snapped, clenching her fists. "What else did you lie about?!"

"It's about facing Asgore…" Alphys sighed. "A… a human soul isn't strong enough to cross the barrier alone. It takes at least a human soul… and a monster soul." Alphys paused. "If you want to go home… You'll have to take his soul. You'll have to kill Asgore. I'm sorry." Clover let out a gasp.

"Kill him?!" Kat exclaimed, recoiling in horror.

"We can't do that!" Teri gasped.

"Wait… " Everyone glanced at Poppy. "If we need both a human soul and a monster soul… that means only one of us can leave!"

"We're trapped down here?! Forever?!" Clover exclaimed, his eyes watering. I'll never see Mom or Madre again?!

"I… I'm sorry," Alphys sighed, still looking down at the ground. "I-I should've told you sooner! I messed up! All I ever do is mess up!" She rushed out the door.

"Alphys, wait!" Kat exclaimed, reaching toward her. However, the yellow monster had already disappeared out the door.

"Frisk…" Clover turned to them. "What are we gonna do? We have no way to leave…" Frisk's only response was silence.

Frisk's POV

Frisk lead their friends down the last hallway of the Core before making their way into an elevator. A cloud of dread was hanging over them all. They could feel it. Frisk pulled out their phone. Maybe I can get Ace to come… and we can break the barrier. The strumming of the keys filled the whole elevator. No answer. Frisk let out a grunt, shoving their phone back in their pocket. There goes that plan. Once the elevator came to a halt, Frisk and the others made their way down the hallway. Frisk saved before continuing onward. They had no thought in their head as they lead their friends down the long hallways. Sill no one spoke. Finally, they walked through a pile of leaves, stopping in front of yet another save point.

"That… looks a bit like Toriel's home." Kat finally broke the silence, pointing at the house ahead. Frisk nodded in agreement. They lead them into the doorway, only to be confronted by more purely gray surroundings. Frisk immediately made their way toward the chain. It stood in front of stairs, with two locks and a note attached to it. They held the note up. Chara...

"It says: Howdy! I'm in the garden. If you have anything you need to get off your chest, please don't hesitate to come. The keys are in the kitchen and the hallway," Chara informed. "Must be Dad…" Frisk made their way to the kitchen. They skidded to a halt as their soul appeared in front of them, glowing like a lamp against the gray landscape. Two froggits hopped in front of them.

"A long time ago, a human fell into the Ruins," they croaked. "Injured by its fall, the human called out for help." The froggits hopped away.

"That was weird," Ray commented, lowering his fists. Frisk continued into the kitchen, grabbing the key off the counter and putting it on their keychain. Their soul appeared again as they made their way through the living room. This time two whimsuns fluttered forth.

"Asriel, the King's son, heard the human's call. He brought the human back to the castle."

"Asriel…" Chara murmured. "Wait… A long time ago? Has it really been that long?"

"You're the human they're talking about?" Frisk muttered, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes…" Chara sighed. Frisk continued forward, their friends trailing after them through the hallway. They walked into the first room. Two presents laid on the rug, bright against the gray floor. Frisk sat down in front of one. Tearing open the first box revealed a necklace with a heart on the end.

"My locket!" Chara gasped. "Will you take it?" Frisk nodded, slipping the necklace on. They ripped open the next box, a flash piercing their eyes. They shielded their eyes. Glancing back inside, Frisk's eyes widened to see a knife.

"A worn dagger," Chara informed.

"You'll probably need that," Poppy sighed, slouching on the bed.

"Me? Why me?" Frisk asked, pushing the box away.

"We…" Clover was unable to meet Frisk's eye. "...All kind of figured… you'd be the one to do it," he admitted.

"But… I… I can't!" Getting to the surface isn't worth this! Especially not without my friends! Frisk glanced at Poppy. "Why don't you go? You're the strongest!"

"You mean the most willing to kill someone?!" Poppy snapped. Frisk took a step back, their eyes widened. "The last thing I need is more LV." That's true… Frisk let out a sigh. I don't want to kill him… but I'm the only one that can come back after death. It has to be me.

"Okay," Frisk sighed, taking the dagger. "But… let's walk the rest of the way together." Their friends nodded to each other. Frisk lead them out of the bedroom and into the hall, where a bright green key stood on a nightstand. Before Frisk could reach it, their soul appeared. Three Moldsmals slithered forward, leaving a trail of slime on the carpet.

"Over time, Asriel and the human became like siblings. The King and Queen treated the human child as their own. The Underground was full of hope." Frisk grabbed the second key, slipping it onto their keychain.

"Where's all this going?" Kat asked, trailing after Frisk. They shrugged in response. Stopping in front of the mirror, Frisk stared at their reflection.

"Despite everything, it's still you," Chara informed. What's that supposed to mean? Frisk made their way back toward the chain, handing one of the keys to Kat. They twisted the locks open. The chain fell to the ground with a clang, letting them down the stairs. They made their way down single-file. Right as they reached the bottom, their souls appeared, as did two Migosps.

"Then… One day…" The Migosps paused. "The human became very ill," one of them replied before scurrying away. Frisk and the others continued down the hallway. Three vegetoids emerged from the ground, making the group's souls appear again.

"The sick human had only one request: to see the flowers from their village but there was nothing we could do." Is this how you died, Chara? There was no reply. Frisk and the others continued down the hall until two Loox appeared.

"The next day…" There was a long pause. "The human died." Kat let out a gasp, her eyes wide. The Loox shambled away. Frisk's head hung low as they continued down the hallway. Two Snowdrakes fluttered forth next.

"Asriel, wracked with grief, absorbed the human's soul. He transformed into a being with incredible power." The Snowdrakes scurried away, allowing the group to continue down the hall. This is a really long hallway. Three Ice Caps were next, strutting toward them.

"With the human soul, Asriel crossed through the barrier. He carried the human's body into the sunset… back to the village of the humans." Making a left turn, the group continued on. As they made yet another turn, three Woshuas appeared

"Asriel reached the center of the village. There, he found a bed of golden flowers. He carried the human onto it."

"This won't end well," Clover muttered, clenching his fists. They went further before three Shyren-like monsters slithered from the shadows.

"Suddenly, screams rang out. The villagers saw Asriel holding the human's body. They thought that he had killed the child." Why would they assume that? They had no proof, they just jumped to conclusions based on what they thought all monsters were like!

"Humans do that a lot actually," Chara sighed. "They make assumptions based on what they think a whole group of people are like." Continuing forward, the group stopped in front of a line of training dummies.

"The humans attacked him with everything they had," Frisk's eyes widened as the dummies began speaking. "He was struck with blow after blow. Asriel had the power to destroy them all." The group weaved around the training dummies, skidding to a halt again as a Madjick and a Knight Knight emerged from the shadows.

"But…" The Knight Knight began.

"Asriel did not fight back," The Madjick sighed, it's hat slipping over its eyes.

"Clutching the human…"

"Asriel smiled and walked away." The mercenaries disappeared into the shadows. Kat's eyes watered. The group continued forward, stopping again as three Final Froggits hopped in front of them.

"Wounded, Asriel stumbled home. He entered the castle and collapsed. His dust spread across the garden." The Froggits hopped away. Three Whimsalots were next, their heads hung low as they spoke.

"The kingdom fell into despair. The king and queen had lost two children in one night. The humans had once again taken everything from us." Three Astigmatisms approached.

"The king decided it was time to end our suffering. Every human who falls down here must die. With enough souls, we can shatter the barrier forever."

"They're desperate," Frisk realized aloud.

"No wonder they're so hell-bent on getting our souls," Poppy sighed, clutching her chest. The group continued forward. A Migosp, a Moldsmal, and a Loox crawled forth.

"It's not long now," the Loox began. "King Asgore will let us go."

"King Asgore will give us hope."

"King Asgore will save us all." A Pyrope and two Vulkins stopped behind the other monsters.

"You should be smiling, too," the Pyrope insisted, hopping up and down.

"Aren't you excited? Aren't you happy?" the two Vulkins asked, smiling brightly.

"Not really," Poppy muttered, pulling her arms into her chest. Finally, a Froggit hopped to join the cluster of monsters.

"You're going to be free," the Froggit insisted. The monsters all went their separate ways, allowing the group to make their way down the rest of the hallway.

"I caused all this…" Chara sighed. "Our stupid plan just made things worse… what was I thinking?!" Plan? What plan? Chara fell silent. Frisk lead the group ito the next room, shielding their eyes from the sudden bright colours.

"The king can't be far ahead now," Frisk sighed, reaching out to save. "You guys should go back."

"Is this goodbye then…?" Teri asked, her eyes wide.

"For now…" Frisk let out a sigh. "I guess it is."

"We'll miss you Frisk," Poppy murmured, wrapping her arms around them. Kat, Teri, Ray, and Clover crowded around Frisk, wrapping their arms around them too.

"Adios, mi amigo," Clover whispered, patting Frisk's shoulder.

"Take care," Teri sighed, looking at the ground.

"And don't miss us too much," Ray replied, backing out of the hug. "We'll be fine down here." He gave a thumbs up. Kat said nothing, simply staring at Frisk. The hug lasted for a few more seconds.

"Here." Kat held out a Starifait and a hot dog. "You need these more than I do." Frisk pocketed the food.

"Thanks." Lingering for a few moments, Frisk's friends turned and left the hall. Frisk made their way forward. Light poured in through the windows, making Frisk believe for a brief second that they were back on the surface. They skidded to a halt as a shadowy figure appeared before them. Frisk's heart pounded. Bells chimed in the distance, breaking the silence.

"So you finally made it." Frisk's eyes widened when Sans' voice filled the air. "The end of your journey is at hand. In a few moments, you will meet the king. Together… You will determine the future of this world. That's then. Now. You will all be judged. You will be judged for your every action. You will be judged for every EXP you earned. What's EXP? It's an acronym. It stands for 'execution points.' A way of quantifying the pain you have inflicted on others. When you kill someone, your EXP increases. When you have enough EXP, your LOVE increases. LOVE, too, is an acronym. It stands for 'Level of Violence.' A way of measuring someone's capacity to hurt. The more you kill, the easier it becomes to distance yourself. The more you distance yourself, the less you will hurt. The more easily you can bring yourself to hurt others. But you… you never gained any LOVE. 'Course, that doesn't mean you are completely innocent or naive. Just that you kept a certain tenderness in your heart. No matter the struggles or hardships you faced… You strived to do the right thing. You refused to hurt anyone. Even when you ran away, you did it with a smile. You never gained LOVE but you gained love. Does that make sense?"

"Not really…" Chara muttered.

"Maybe not." Sans closed his eyes. "...Now." He opened them again. "You are about to face the greatest challenge of your entire journey. Your actions here will determine the fate of the entire world. If you refused to fight… Asgore will take your soul and destroy humanity but if you kill asgore and go home… monsters will remain trapped underground. What will you do?" Sans paused. "Well, if I were you, I would have thrown in the towel by now but you didn't get this far by giving up, did you? That's right. You have something called 'determination.' So as long as you hold on... So as long as you do what's in your heart… I believe you can do the right thing. Alright, we're all counting on you, kid." Sans winked. "Good luck." Then just as quickly as he had arrived, Sans disappeared. Frisk continued forward. They stopped in front of a wide doorway.

"Are you sure you're ready for this?" Chara asked. Frisk glanced down at their dagger, their hands shaking.

"I… I…"

"Look, I don't wanna do it either but… you have to if you want to leave." Frisk let out a sigh. Clutching their dagger, they reached out to save and made their way through the doorway. I'll come back... Through the doorway, was a garden of golden flowers. Light shined down from the ceiling. A tall figure stood in the middle of the garden, his back to Frisk as he hummed to himself

"Dum dee dum. Oh? Is someone there? Just a moment! I have almost finished watering these flowers." The figure shifted in place. "...Here we are!" The figure turned around, revealing a cheerful face. King Asgore. "Howdy! How can I…" Asgore glanced down at Frisk, immediately frowning and taking a few steps back. "Oh…" Asgore turned to the side, letting out a deep sigh. He glanced back at Frisk. "I so badly want to say, 'would you like a cup of tea?' But… You know how it is." Asgore made his way toward the edge of the garden, looking out at something outside. He looked at Frisk. "Nice day today, huh? Birds are singing, flowers are blooming… Perfect weather for a game of catch." Is he… stalling? He looked back at Frisk, his eyes gloomy and unfocused. "You know what we must do." Frisk nodded. "When you are ready, come into the next room." Frisk shambled after Asgore, only stopping to save. "How tense…" Asgore commented. "Just think of it like… A visit to the dentist." Frisk continued to follow. Asgore stopped in front of another door, beside which a save point stood. "Are you ready? If you are not, I understand. I am not ready either." Asgore disappeared through the doorway.

"Last chance to turn back," Chara muttered. Frisk let out a sigh. They saved before following Asgore through the doorway. They were immediately confronted by a wall of pure white. Frisk shielded their eyes. A huge wall stood before them, flickering between black and white.

"This is the barrier," Asgore informed, his voice soft. "This is what keeps us all trapped underground." He paused. "If… If by chance you have any unfinished business… Please do what you must." Frisk stood in place. For a brief moment, they considered giving Asgore their soul. No, I can't. Kat, Papyrus, Teri, Sans, Ray, Undyne, Poppy, Alphys, Clover… Toriel and Ace… all of them deserve freedom but Asgore… I can't let him destroy humanity.

"I'm ready," Frisk muttered, gripping their dagger. Silence followed.

"I see," Asgore sighed. "This is it, then." Asgore turned to face them, his gaze fixed on the floor. "Ready?" Frisk nodded. Seven glass containers emerged from the ground, all empty, though perhaps not for long. Frisk's soul appeared in front of them. A strange light filled the room. The soft hues of twilight were shining through the barrier. Determination blazed in Frisk's heart. No turning back now. "Human… It was nice to meet you. Goodbye." Looking down at the ground, Asgore shoved his cape aside, revealing a giant red trident in his paws. Shaking, Frisk gripped their dagger.

"Frisk… if you don't fight you'll die," Chara muttered.

"I know…" Frisk glanced up at Asgore, his head bent down, eyes concealed by his hair. They swung their dagger against Asgore's armour. The king barely flinched. Raising one of his paws, Asgore shot fire right at Frisk. They lunged out of the way but had no time to catch their breath as more fire rained down from the ceiling. Frisk slipped around them, heart pounding in their throat. Just as they thought the attack was over, something slammed into their head, smacking a scream out of Frisk. Jumping to their feet, Frisk shoved the slice of pie into their mouth. The heat faded, restoring Frisk's strength. Asgore stood still. Frisk jumped into position, waiting to dodge the attack.

"The pie!" Chara gasped. "Mom used to make it all the time… Now's your chance." Guilt pricked at Frisk's heart. They stepped closer to the king, slashing their dagger across his armour. There was a screech. Yet Asgore still barely flinched. Frisk leaped back as flames rained from the ceiling. They weaved through to stand in the gaps of the fire rain, covering their head with their arms. Frisk lunged forward, slashing the dagger. Asgore stood still. Fireballs rained down from the ceiling. The floor beneath Frisk flashed red and before they could move, flames shot through them. Their entire body screamed in pain. Frisk leaped away, falling on one knee as another fireball slammed into their back. Frisk looked at their arm. Their skin was bright red, some parts so charred that they were black as soot. Frisk's eyes watered. They forced themself to their feet, only to be dragged to the floor again. Frisk struggled for a few moments before going limp.

"You cannot give up just yet," the deep voice murmured. Asgore…? "Chara! Stay determined…" Frisk's heart blazed, forcing their eyes to pop open. They looked away. They were back outside the huge doorway, near the last save point. Frisk shambled back into the room. Asgore explained the barrier before the battle began again, the gentle shades of twilight still shining through the barrier. Frisk weaved through the flames, eyes narrowed in determination. The second they were hit, they snarfed down the piece of pie, getting crumbs all over the burning battlefield. Frisk took the opportunity to slash at Asgore, the dagger barely grazing his armour. Asgore's trident flickered a light blue. Frisk forced themself to stay still as the trident swung right through them. They lunged toward Asgore. However, no matter how many times they slashed and swung their weapon, the king still didn't move. Flames circled around Frisk, closing in around them. Frisk slipped through the gaps. As soon as the flames disappeared, Frisk slashed Asgore's chest. He let out a grunt. Frisk continued to weave through the flames, stranding or running through the colour-changing trident and attacking when they had the chance. Asgore swung his trident back and forth, switching between orange and blue. Frisk leaped through orange and paused during blue. Something rammed into their side, knocking them away, their side scraping against the ground. Frisk pushed themself to their feet, glaring at Asgore. Then they froze. Asgore stopped swinging, his breath coming out in ragged gasps.

"Asgore has low HP," Chara informed, their voice flat. Frisk glanced at their dagger, stained red. Their eyes widened. I can't...

"You have to…" Chara sighed. "If you don't… you'll die… and he'll…" There was a broken sob. "He'll destroy humanity…" Frisk bit their lip. Leaping forward, Frisk slashed their dagger. They landed on one foot as the dagger sliced through the king's skin, filling the air with a horrible screech. Frisk cringed as blood sprayed through the air. Asgore let out a grunt. He gripped his chest, falling onto the ground on his knee. Frisk took a step back. Covering their mouth, tears streamed down Frisk's cheeks.

"Ah… So that is how it is…" Asgore sighed, eyes watering. Frisk shook in place. "I remember the day after my children died. The entire underground was devoid of hope. The future had once again been taken from us by the humans. In a fit of anger, I declared war. I said that I would destroy any human that came here. I would use their souls to become godlike… and free us from this terrible prison. Then, I would destroy humanity… and let monsters rule the surface, in peace." That doesn't sound very peaceful. "Soon, the people's hopes returned. My wife, however, became disgusted with my actions. She left this place, never to be seen again. Truthfully... I do not want power. I do not want to hurt anyone. I just wanted everyone to have hope… I cannot take this any longer. I just want to see my wife. I just want to see my children. Please... Young one… This war has gone on long enough. You have the power… Take my soul, and leave this cursed place." Frisk gazed at Asgore. They glanced down at the dagger, shaking in their hand. Frisk took a step closer. The dagger was thrown aside, landing on the ground with a clank. Asgore's eyes widened.

"After everything I have done to hurt you... You would rather stay down here and suffer... Than live happily on the surface?" Asgore paused, his eyes watering before he smiled. "Human... I promise you... For as long as you remain here... My wife and I will take care of you as best we can. We can sit in the living room, telling stories... Eating butterscotch pie... We could be like... Like a family…"

Frisk nodded. "I'd like that." Before Asgore could stand up, bullets appeared all around him, slamming into him.

"NO!" Frisk and Chara's voices mixed together. Frisk froze in place as Asgore's body split into pieces, his dust falling into a pile on the ground. All that remained was a trembling white heart. Moments later, a bullet spun into it, cracking the soul in half before it split into pieces so small they couldn't be seen. A smiling face emerged from the ground, petals framing their face.

"YOU!" Frisk gasped, clenching their fists.

Flowey grinned harder. "You IDIOT! You haven't learned a thing." The flower giggled. "In this world…" Flowey's soul molded into something straight out of a horror movie as souls circled around him. "It's KILL or BE killed." He cackled as darkness consumed the room.