With a little help from your friends

Faint sunlight shone down from above. Funny, he always remembered it being more golden and radiant. Maybe that was the barrier. Probably. Now it felt just a little more mundane. It was actually kinda peaceful. As if the cave knew he was resigned to this and was showing proper respect. The flowers, however. Still as vibrant and colourful as ever. One way or the other, he knew he'd have plenty of time to experience this place. Whether it would be in golden light or softer fare would be up to Frisk.

He couldn't help but wonder whether he'd see Frisk again. He had sensed their reluctance to let him leave after the barrier shattered. Probably not much more than his own reluctance, but it had to be this way. Not just to avoid reopening old wounds, but the mending of his own wounds. It would come so easily and could never be justified, and soon he wouldn't care about forgiveness anyway.

Besides, it looked like Frisk was ready to move on one way or the other. Having traversed the underground in his own time, even if not by everyone else's means, he had a rough idea of how long it would take to travel from the exit to here. If they were going to head out to see him, they'd probably set out as soon as they woke up, and would have arrived a few hours ago. Looks like that wasn't the case-

Footsteps.

He wheeled around and stared into the darkness. He couldn't see anything yet, but two things puzzled him: Why would Frisk wait, and...why are there two sets of steps?

They were getting louder. He fought the urge to conceal himself. He had no idea who was coming, and was afraid of having to deal with it being the two he most wanted to see and yet least wanted to see. This fear lessened as the footsteps continued, as they were not the heavy thud of a larger monster. No, they were might lighter, and were the sounds of shoes on the ground, not bare feet. All this did was replace that anxiety with his original puzzlement. Who would want to come see him in this state? Until at last-

"Frisk?"

The child stared at Asriel from the half shadows as they approached. Stoic as ever, but with that DETERMINATION twinkling in their eyes. Asriel didn't know whether they were always so determined, or was this going to be an attempt to get him to change his mind. Better nip that one in the bud. Ugh, poor choice of words.

"I appreciate you keeping me company, but we both know-"

"you mean we three know?"

Focused on Frisk's face, he had briefly forgotten about the second set of footsteps. A glance to the right showed a fixed grin and eyes you couldn't glean anything from. The third-last person he wanted to see right now.

"hey, kid."

Sans' tone was friendly, but Asriel remembered that same tone in the Judgement hall. It was no guarantee of safety. He half stepped back.

"relax, buck-o. had a while to think things through. kid here helped me with that."

"But...what I did..."

"W a s  p r e t t y  s i c k?"

The tone was now devoid of...anything. The chumminess was gone, but nothing replaced it. Sadness, anger, even curiosity, nothing. Only coldness. Asriel remembered that tone too. If he had intended to defend or excuse his actions, it would have evaporated under that baleful stare.

"...yes. Yes it was. Even my..M-mother..."

"yup. You know your priorities. that's what you started with before."

"I- what?"

Sans' hand finally appeared from his pocket, a phone in it. Beep.

"Even my..M-mother...and your brother...so many others...and the only reason Dad was saved was because you were...oh my god I'm sorry..."

The appropriate emotion was not presently available as he heard his own voice say things he never did, though they were on his mind.

"How do you have that? I didn't even think you could carry that over with a res-"

He jerked his head back to Frisk.

"What is this? How many times?!"

*You uncomfortably avoid giving the true answer, fudging by saying more than a few.

"Why?" Why would you toy with everyone like that? I'm not w-"

"pressed them for that more than once myself, kid. i believe it came to blows at least once until tori heard the ruckus. but i guess we gotta explain this. and there's no better place to start with than the legendary fartmaster."

In spite of himself, Asriel smirked. "The Legendary-?"

"long story."

*You explain how at first you tried to let him go, until one day a few years later Sans actually talked about his lab.

"That locked door behind his house?"

"that's the key, kid. turns out they visited it once or twice. not that i remember. anyhow there's a machine in there i never got working right. i promised to tinker with it now and then."

"And what does it do?"

"rusts, mostly. but apparently the kid brought up what it was supposeda do with alphys and she gave out a few pointers. then i get pumped for more details and then suddenly i'm on sentry duty again. not that i realised."

*You look sheepish as Sans glances at you.

"so let's cut the fat and get right to the bone. the machine was originally an attempt to transport beyond the barrier by stepping outside the universe for a split second. initial tests were universal-ly a failure. lotta cleaning up afterwards. i'm told human science helped speed things up."

"You mean this machine works?" Asriel was feeling lost, but something about Frisk encouraged him to keep listening.

"careful, don't wanna spoil things. anyway, frisk here was able to convince me with two things. the first was the legendary fartmaster." Asriel chuckled agian. "and the second was this."

Beep.

"-huh. always wondered why people wouldn't go to that place to solve all their problems. i mean sure you gotta wait a year, and that short guy was really mad at everyone, but-"

Beep.

"But this doesn't make sense! How do you have those recordings?"

*You give a complex explanation of the interaction of chronological manipulation and extra-universal travel.

"What?"

"kid's been hitting the books way too long. short version is if you stay inside the machine, resets don't effect ya. could have stayed myself, but then there'd be two handsome skeletons running around and that would raise awkward questions. so instead they left notes and stuff. some by them, some by me or alphys, one interesting one from royal guard 02. and then we apparently had the idea to keep my phone in there for material that would really speak to us."

A lifetime ago, Asriel would have called this impossible. But here he was, once a flower and, he realised with a dropped stomach, a small part of him yearning to return. Time would run out before long.

"But what does any of this have to do with me?"

"well when you get a new toy, you wanna play with it, right? human soul science here is non-existant, so we don't know anymore than alphys. so why not look farther afield?"

"You mean you've gone?"

"possibly? i don't remember much, though there are some interesting pictures the kid's shown me that'll make great conversation at grillby's. that is, until tonight. helluva ride in it, i should install cushions. anyway. that's why we're here now."

*You interject, feeling like Sans has done all the talking, explaining that you think you've met people who can help.

*You now feel ready to try and save Asriel

"But...it can't work..."

"buck-o, don't knock it before you try it."

"No, it can't work..." Tears "...it...shouldn't..."

"oh, this story again. just gonna spoil it."

Beep. Asriel once again heard his thoughts manifest through the speaker.

"And even if everyone's happy to see me, I'll still remember! I did those things and I just get to have a normal life? How could anyone deserve that? ...but Frisk...well yes I care about them, that's why...if they were here? I'd say sorry. That's *sniff* probably all I'd say. I couldn't say anything else. But there's no *sniff* point in saying sorry if that will hurt them even more...you too, Sans? But Papyrus... *Shudder* ...yeah, in THIS timeline he sees me a a friend, but I was using him...I'd...I'd say sorry to him a lot too."

Beep.

"So we've had this conversation?"

"close enough. pressed you pretty hard the first time, but the kid kept me in check, i gather. anyway this is only one recording. i could play the rest, but i don't wanna sit through it, and we'd best be hurrying along. short story, we all agree you are worth the effort. or at least, frisk believes so. and i gotta go with his gut, since i ain't got one of my own. kid has a knack for calling it, who am i to say no?"

Conflict wrestled within Asriel. What was the natural and inevitable outcome was far from sure how. Now the one he had once perhaps considered his greatest enemy - no, obstacle was closer - was egging him on. And on top of that turmoil, the small yearning to return to the flowerbed had grown slightly. Whatever this was, he had to decide now. But...all those resets. Those...deaths...

And now he suddenly noticed through his increasingly blurry eyes, Frisk had taken advantage of his silence to advance on him. Blinking furiously, Frisk's eyes came into focus with that DETERMINATION, but something else. Tears. A smile. An outreached hand. It had probably been outreached from the moment the barrier first shattered, but never was it closer.

A heartbeat he wasn't quite sure was his own booming in his ears, and Frisk becoming blurry once more, the thoughts of two purple clad kindly souls waiting with a piece of butterscotch pie, it was all too much. With a cleansing breath that was almost a sob, Asriel felt his hand in Frisk's, not entirely sure how it ended up there.

"S-so...so how d-do we do this?"

*You explain you were late meeting him because you and Sans had gone on a trip. Turns out you made some friends.

Both of them looked at Sans, working his phone once again, dialling an unusually long number. It took him maybe thirty seconds to dial. The voice on the other end sounded young, but neither could make it out.

"heya, n. no i haven't "turned back to normal", thanks for asking. anyway, we've met up with the guy. you know, that friend of a friend i told ya about. we're ready if ya still wanna help out. is p still cool with that? okay. sure, hamburgers on me next time, extra ketchup!"

Beep.

"looks like we're a go, kids. hold onto your butts."

Before Asriel could say anything, Frisk had him in another hug. Tighter, much tighter than their first hug. Empty hand dangling limply for a moment, before meeting with his other around Frisk. And yet, a part of him resented this. He wanted to hope, but the growing resentment was met by an equally growing fear that it may be too late...

And then the heartbeat grew even louder, and through his tightly shut eyes a faint red light pierced his lids. DETERMINATION filled him anew. As did love. For his parents naturally, but the residual bonds all of the underground had forged with Frisk in one way or another still lingered within him, allowing his own direct bond to grow ever stronger. Whatever came next, Flowey would not have his say until this was over. This was time for the last great hope.

With his compassion and love stoked, and his connection, through Frisk, to everyone in the underground, he began to hear something...peaceful. Music? It wasn't bombastic or dramatic, it was almost like a nursery rhyme. It steadied him as it repeated, and yet also strengthened his focus. It was almost like DETERMINATION, but there was something subtly different. From a subtle shift in Frisk's stance, he knew they could hear it too.

He could sense all the bonds now, and now it felt like there were...too many? Four bonds he didn't recognise were forming from Frisk and Sans, they felt different...human? But it was even more than that. Each of these bonds started throwing out many times more connections. A second tune began playing along with the first, simpler but complimentary, forming a melody that seemed to capture the true meaning of...love? Family? Something above them both? And more bonds spread out. Before long they outnumbered the monster bonds. And soon dwarfed them. These new friends knew a lot of people. And as these bonds strengthened, Asriel got glimpses of the owners.

A happy schoolteacher...boisterous musicians...dedicated students...courtiers in a palace...brilliant scientists...a number of souls seemingly at rest...monsters? He thought of Temmies...a kindly mother, which made him pang for his own...and someone who felt like the anomaly? A final bond formed, and it was strange. A soul at rest had a bond that was dark, as if what they cared for couldn't or wouldn't return the feeling. But before he could ponder this, these bonds grew even stronger. He could feel something approaching.

He thought he had hope before, but it was nothing. What was pouring through him and Frisk could have cheered up the world thrice over. The sheer weight of well-wishes was almost overbearing. But that was just the passive benefit. A

babble of words and voices, impossibly jumbled to make any of it out, flashed through his head, but the tone was clear: Yearning. Please let it happen. Whatever "it" was.

The monster bonds were not to be denied. Perhaps aware of these bonds on some level, Asriel felt them light up, filling with hope and yearning, even if they didn't quite know what they were yearning for yet. Two he could feel were lingering near the exit of the underground lit up the brightest, even if they themselves didn't realise it, and another tear slid down his cheek. He understood now. It was more than hope or yearning.

It was prayer.

*Your SOUL is filled with DETERMINATION, and you begin to pray for the safety of Asriel...and his friends.

The prayer was being answered. An indescribable force was coalescing in the petitioners, and beginning to make their way to where they stood. Some contributed a lot, some a little, but the effect was beyond comprehension. Even that one strange bond seemed to send a significant chunk their way, seemingly urged on by the soul at rest. The other anomaly bond seemed to be contributing a lot too.

He could tell this was a force with little comparison in the universe. His brief time as a god gave him a knack for sensing such primal forces. With the right intent it could destroy anything. The barrier would have been nothing but air to it, he as a god would certainly have been crushed with little resistance. But no such intent of destruction was there, the yearning and the voices and the song guided it to something only described as a miracle.

And then it hit.

It did no harm, but he felt like he came apart. It was a mental effect, like the force was building his mind from the ground up. He could see parts of himself being slowly put back together again. A couple of parts remained unused, and before they disappeared he recognised them as the fear and resentment he'd been starting to feel as Flowey started worming his vines back in. The force was adamant: You don't get to go back to that. As his memory reinitialised however, he found he could still remember Flowey's actions. That would still be for him to deal with, but in the rapture of this force that didn't seem to matter much.

His emotions slotted into place now. There was not much difference, Flowey impulses aside, but as his grief and sorrow were put into place, it felt a little different, and a young and kind whisper briefly filled his ears.

"...it's okay. They love you. You don't have to fight it..."

As he rebuilt, he realised that Frisk had been sent to wherever-they-were to watch his reconstruction. Frisk didn't appear to need an overhaul. Or perhaps his DETERMINATION kept it from affecting him? Probably best not to think about it.

But wait, Frisk suddenly grimaced. something WAS removed from Frisk. Like a shadow...?

Another young child stood with the other two. A simple smile and rosy cheeks. Their eyes...Asriel couldn't make out whether they were friendly, exhausted or hostile. But before he or Frisk could say anything...

"Don't worry. I'm going to find peace at last. Don't be a crybaby about it."

And with that flat farewell, the eyes closed and the body faded away, leaving what looked like a very tired soul. And another soul? And another? He didn't know what this meant, but there were countless souls cooped up in his old friend.

Frisk looked unsettled. But before they could do anything, one, two, five, all of them rushed away, their red light shining down on the scene for a while. On some level Asriel knew perhaps the oldest wound of all had just been mended, and he would cry later, but the force kept him focused on the now.

The force was applying the final touches. For a moment Asriel felt like he was losing the ability to feel, like Flowey was resurgent. The resultant panic quieted down when he could see his emotion build as a white ball in front of him.

Seven small somethings started working on it, shaping it, each reminding Asriel of a smell. Spaghetti...Ketchup...Armor Polish...Books...Flowers...Butterscotch Pie...Wood, like a stick or branch taken from Mount Ebott.

And when they were done, a small white heart was in front of him. Frisk looked on approvingly. There was no emotion now. Asriel cupped the heart in his hands almost mechanically, the heart approached his chest and fj989awh8\3f*"$WALUI(F:WEH(F*F'fhoheF£(*FH(W3h"£&*($£!?~{~>>{£{>$~£F{FD>£"~£SANESSSSS£"~>DFf...............

******

"...and i said i'm sure he'll wake up, don't bleat about- oh, hey kid."

Asriel was lying on the ground, before the flowerbed. It was a lot darker than before, he must have been out a while. He felt drenched in so many ways, like he sat in Hotlands for a full day. His cheeks were particularly damp, and he

knew it wasn't sweat. His body felt exhausted, but his mind was brimming with energy. No, more than his mind! His...

"helluva light show they put on for ya, kid. i'd probably be sunburnt, but, you know, skin."

Frisk was sitting on a rock. They looked exhausted to, and unlike Asriel it was in mind and body. That final exorcism must have been tiring. Not that it stopped them getting up and once again offering their hand to Asriel.

"so, did it work? or do we have to go back to that kung fu guy and grab those magic balls?"

The cave's darkness was almost soothing after the experience of what they had done. But as the two children held hands again, it lit up slightly. A red light, and a white light.

"huh. guess that will do it. congrats kid, the soul looks neat."

Emotion exploded once more. Joy and Wonder, excitement and shock, but also relief and sadness. But the sadness was different. Tears flowed, but without sobs. The venom behind the tears was gone.

"*Sniff* I feel different. My body feels like it's really mine, like I can be happy again. I AM happy again! I'm still sad however, but it's a different kind of sadness."

*You ask Asriel what he means.

"Well, before it was less sad and more...despair. You saw through that despite my best efforts, Frisk. That no matter how things turned out nothing could work out well for me, that nothing SHOULD work out well, that I deserved nothing.

Now I think back to what I did as Flowey, and I still feel terrible about that, and I'll still dream about it, but it's like...I'm not hating myself. Whatever your new friends did, they encouraged me to forgive myself for what I did.

It's not like it never happened, but now I believe I can really put it right. I'm determined to."

*Your face looks suddenly passive, save a quivering lip.

"welp, congrats frisk. when most folk would think the end is thigh, you figured out how to help everyone."

*Your appreciative shrug is interrupted by realising the pun and frowning somewhat.

"anyway, since your dues to monsterkind appear to be fully paid up now, i better start showing some respect before tori catches wind. see you around, prince."

"Wait, you're leaving?"

"yeah, gotta pack before i leave the underground. get my socks in a nice neat ragged jumble of washed and unwashed, you know the drill."

*You ask if Sans can take you both with him.

"nah, you might wanna stick there a moment."

"Why?"

"i miiiighta texted the gang with frisk's phone saying they should meet up here."

"Wait, what-"

But he was gone. Footsteps could be faintly heard. Many sets, including heavy thuds.

*You ask Asriel how he wants to handle this.

Nervous eyes looked back, but only for a moment. "...Do you think "Howdy!" is a little forward?" Laughter. Uncontrolled laughter. The cave was finally empty of everything else.

And in a quiet town worlds away, four young children feel happy for their new friends.