Underearth/Book 5/Chapter 12

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"Oh my..." Toriel said.

The morning sun peaked carefully from over the horizon, its radiant light piercing the blinking eyes of Frisk and the Monsters.

"Isn't it beautiful, everyone?" Asgore asked.

They all gazed out at the sun.

"Incredible..." Chara whispered.

"Wow... it's e-even better than on TV." Alphys said, her mouth agape. "*Way* better! Better than I ever imagined!"

"Frisk, you *live* with this!?" Undyne asked, just as awe-struck as the rest. "The sunlight is so nice... and the air so fresh!" Undyne took a deep breath and sighed. "I really feel alive!"

"HEY SANS... WHAT'S THAT GIANT BALL?" Papyrus asked.

"We call that 'the sun', my friend." Sans replied.

"THAT'S THE SUN!? WOWIE!!! I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M FINALLY MEETING THE SUN!!!"

"I could stand here and watch this for hours..." Asgore said.

"Yes, it is beautiful, is it not?" Toriel replied. "But we should really think about what comes next."

"That can wait, Toriel." Frisk said. "Most everyone here has never even seen the sun. We don't have to be too hasty with what is to come."

Toriel looked down at him, pondering what he said.

"You are right, Frisk." she said.

"Come on, let's take a seat and watch the sun brighten up this brand-new day."

The Monsters, taking Frisk's advice, sat down in a nice flat clearing not too far from the cave's maw. While the other Monsters chatted away with one-another, Frisk stalled behind.

"You really did it." Chara said.

"Seems that way, doesn't it..." Frisk said. "I just wish I could stay."

"Why don't you?"

Frisk didn't answer.

"Frisk, what is it?"

"Do you know why I ended up in the Underground?" Frisk asked.

"Only what you told Asriel, that you didn't go voluntarily."

"My brother kicked me into that pit. He tried to kill me. Because of that, my first trip through the Underground was mostly dominated by my desire for revenge. To leave the Underground and kill him back." Frisk then looked at Chara. "Well, I did it. Sank your dagger straight into his eye. But when I went through the Underground, I killed others who'd gotten in my way. Sans opened my eyes to that. That's when I discovered the power to RESET what I'd done through the pocketwatch.

"When I returned to the Underground, I went through and got everything just like this. The barrier was destroyed, and everybody was happy. Fast forward a couple weeks, and there I find my brother, alive and causing great pain in a Monster, kidnapping her like he'd done to so many Humans before. Storming after him, I sought to rescue that Monster, like how I'd rescued all the Monsters from the Underground. That was a mistake. Instead, I was killed, and..." Frisk shuttered. "That was when I decided to start my slaughter. My reign of eidocide."

"To throw everything you had away due to a desire for something more..." Chara said.

"Yeah..."

"But you have what you wanted. What you desired. Not only that, you got back what you threw away, and more. You have the power you wanted, and you have your friends back. So why can't you stay?"

"Because if I *wanted* to leave Athens in the first place, I'd have done it long ago."

Chara looked stunned. "Why... why do you want to stay in that city."

"Because my sister is still somewhere in there." Frisk said. "We were separated years ago, after William dumped us on the street. Despite my vast knowledge of wilderness survival that could have led to a far better existence in the forests surrounding the city, I knew I couldn't leave Aliza to rot in that place. For five years, I've worked nearly every day to find her. Slowly searching every last labyrinthine alley until I found her. Despite it still being a work in progress, it's a job I have to do."

Their conversation went silent.

"When I met Artemis..." Frisk continued, "I saw myself. Fighting each day to survive, to protect her sister. She lacked the wilderness survival skills that I had mastered, however. I knew that, one day, within that pisshole of fake civilization, everything would collapse, and Amelia would die. This fear is what drove me to teach my skills to Artemis, to push her out into the wilderness and *thrive*. To do what I wanted to do but couldn't. With what happened to me, she'll be leaving for the wilderness any day now. When she's gone, I can finally set my focus back on finding Aliza and joining Artemis in the wilderness."

"Frisk!" Chara said.

Frisk looked over at her.

"You had somebody there that reminded you of yourself, why didn't you ask for her help?"

"Because *I* lost Aliza. That burden was mine, and I wouldn't impose it on anybody else."

"Are you *serious*!? You just saw what happens when a single person carries a burden that is far too heavy for them. Look what happened to dad."

Frisk looked at Asgore.

"Your friends are there to *help* you. And Monsters? They're the greatest help you could ever ask for."

Frisk remained silent, pondering on what Chara had said.

"Frisk, *please*. Take it from somebody who... who threw everything away for her desire, and never gained it, instead losing more than she even had."

Frisk looked back at her. After a few seconds, he sighed.

"Alright." he said. "But on *my* terms."

Frisk approached the Monsters.

"Ah, young Frisk." Asgore said as he approached. "I have something to ask of you. Will you act as our ambassador to the Humans?"

"I'll do it on one condition." Frisk said.

"What condition?"

"An open request that you'll fulfill."

"I, err... hmm. Alright. Though I should tell you that I can't do everything, so I'll only be able to fulfill your request if it is within my power."

"I understand."

"Then it is decided."

"YEAH! FRISK WILL BE THE BEST AMBASSADOR!" Papyrus said. "AND I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS... WILL BE THE BEST MASCOT! I'LL GO MAKE A GOOD FIRST IMPRESSION!"

With that said, Papyrus ran off down the mountain.

"Welp." Sans said. "Someone's gotta keep him from getting into trouble. See you guys."

Sans then walked back into the Underground.

"Man, do I have to do *everything*? Papyrus, wait!!!" Undyne shouted, running after Papyrus.

"Hey, Undyne!! Wait up!!" Alphys said as she ran after Undyne.

Asgore, Toriel, and Frisk then stood alone. Now mostly alone, Toriel gave Asgore her look of hatred.

"Well, gotta go!" Asgore said before heading down the mountain as well.

"It seems that everyone is quite eager to set off." Toriel said. She then turned to face Frisk. "Frisk... You came from this world, right...? So you must have a place to return to, do you not? What will you do now?"

"I'm sure you'd want me to stay with you, would that be right?" Frisk asked.

"What?" Toriel said, sounding shocked. "Frisk... you really are a funny child."

"I'm serious."

Toriel sighed. "Y... yes, that is what I hope, but..."

"I'll do it." Frisk said.

"What?"

"But on one condition."

A puzzled look came over Toriel's face. "You are certainly keen on your conditions. What is it?"

"You stop being such a piece of crap to Asgore. Actually give him a chance. At the very *least*, actually treat him *nicely*."

Toriel tightened her fists slightly, then released them.

"Well... I suppose. If that is what you require of me, then... I will do my best."

A grin emerged across Frisk's face. "Glad to hear it." Looking back out at the sunrise, the sun was now hovering over the horizon, a great spiked mountain and a towering city standing on either side of it. "Go on ahead, I'll catch up. I just... I need a minute."

"I understand." Toriel walked down the path a bit. "Don't make us wait too long."

"I won't."

Toriel walked down the path, out of sight.

"There you go." Frisk said. "What now?"

"Now? Hmm, perhaps Calibri could help you search. He does seem to be good at finding hidden things."

Frisk chuckled. "Yeah, lucky that." Frisk walked down the path as well, the sun of a new era lighting his way.