Chapter 93

Once Frisk and Burgerpants relieved themselves and washed their hands, they sat in the bathroom while Frisk texted his family back and forth.

Sans and Toriel were nearing the end of the adoption papers. It wouldn't take them longer than 2 hours to finish everything up.

Papyrus and Undyne volunteered to keep Mettaton as distracted as possible while Frisk took down the ratings.

Napstablook and Alphys were less than an hour's walk from the studio.

Whoever got there first, Frisk's job was to stall for time and stall for time he would.

"I still can't believe I'm doing this," Burgerpants said leaning his head back against the bathroom wall. "Going behind his back is one thing, but blatantly going behind his back in front of thousands of people is something else."

"I know," Frisk said standing up in excitement. "I can't wait to see the look on his face. This will be glorious. Now, come on. I've said my prayers and sent my messages, and I'm good to go!"

Burgerpants reluctantly got to his feet and followed Frisk out of the bathroom. Something else was weighing on his mind and he was trying to figure out how to breach the subject with the excited human boy walking next to him back to the stage.

"What?" Frisk said reading the new text from Calibri in surprise. "Calibri just said he and River are bringing back the instruments from Euphemia's place now. She's the evil twin?! I can't believe it. She is nothing like him…"

Frisk continued rambling about Euphemia and what she had put him through just as they approached the door leading back to the stage.

Burgerpants knew he had to act fast or else he might never get a chance to ask.

"Frisk?" Burgerpants asked stopping in his tracks in front of the stage door. "Can I ask you something?"

"Yeah, sure," Frisk said while texting Calibri back. "What's up?"

"Uh, Frisk," Burgerpants began unsure of how to proceed. "You remember when we were sabotaging Mettaton back on the news set? You said something about seeing Mettaton jump through a wall. What did you mean by that? Something about that sounded very familiar."

Frisk froze in fear for a second before his nervous eyes wandered upwards to meet Burgerpants' gaze. His eyes were not angry or suspicious, just kind of curious.

"What do you mean?" Frisk asked barely taking a breath.

"Well, that scenario of Mettaton breaking through a wall, something about that sounds very familiar like it's something I watched before," Burgerpants continued oblivious to the boy's frightened emotions. "Not like in real life or anything, but like in a movie or a TV show or something I watched in a dream. Do you know what I mean?"

"Uh, yeah, sort of," Frisk said vaguely unable to lie to Burgerpants as he did with Mettaton.

"Now, that I think about it, it almost feels like déjà-vu," Burgerpants said. "Talking to you feels like déjà-vu, too. I feel like we have almost met before."

As Frisk stood there staring at the ground, Burgerpants' suspicions began to grow and he finally asked, "Have we?"

Frisk didn't know how to respond and he didn't feel like lying anymore, so he said, "Yes, we have. I can go back in time using blood magic and my own determination."

"So, that's why you have the scars?"

"Yeah, I wanted to give you guys the perfect ending, but I always kept screwing it up. I haven't hurt anyone this time but I tried again a few days ago and almost committed suicide when it didn't work. My family saved me and God took that ability away from me. Now, I have to get everything right. I've never been able to get past Mettaton, so now, that's what I have to do."

"Did you ever kill me?"

"No, you always sold me food to help me keep my strength up. You always helped me. Even in the run where I almost killed everyone, you still helped me because Mettaton wouldn't allow you to leave work to flee with the others."

Burgerpants went silent as he took in all that he just heard. Frisk feared the worst.

"Burgerpants, I'm sorry," Frisk said pushing open the door. "If you hate me forever, fine, but I would still really like you to remain my friend. God has taught me that it's impossible to go on without the love of other people in your life, and I need all the help I can get to stay a good person. Whatever you think of me, I'm going to keep making things right."

Frisk walked through the door and let it swing shut behind him. He walked forward with his head held high only looking back for a second to see if Burgerpants was following him. He wasn't.

Oh, well. It didn't matter. Frisk had work to do, and an indie song his mother and he had played long ago came to his mind to do just that.

"Oh, hey, Frisk," Inferno said upon seeing Frisk walk backstage. "Where's Burgerpants?"

"We got in a fight," Frisk said simply. "I don't think he wants to play on-stage with me anymore."

"Oh, no," Inferno replied. "Do you want me to talk to him?"

"No," Frisk said. "I'm okay with performing alone."

"Alright, then. Are you ready to go on-stage?"

"Yes."

"Then, follow me."

Frisk smiled confidently as he followed Inferno back to the stage while the latter was on the phone with Mettaton.

Frisk looked out at the audience and took a deep breath.

"Alright, Frisk," Inferno said. "Mettaton said you could get yourself on-stage after he gives his introduction."

"Okay," Frisk replied as he took a step towards the stage before Inferno placed his hand on his shoulder.

"Whatever it is you're planning, I'm behind you all the way," Inferno said. "The rest of the crew is, too."

"Thanks," Frisk said before he walked to the stage to sit down at his piano.

As soon as he did, Mettaton came back on-screen.

"Welcome back, beauties and gentlebeauties!" Mettaton said from the other side of the colored-tile obstacle course. "Thank you so much for your patience! Now's the time for my lovely contestants to cross the tile puzzle! So, without any further ado, I ask you, Mr. and Mrs. Skeleton. Are you ready?!"

"Hell yeah!" Undyne replied in annoyance. "We've been ready forever!"

"Yeah," Papyrus said confidently. "I, the Great Papyrus, can do this puzzle in my sleep. Bring it!"

"Okay, but before we begin, are you sure that you don't want me to take the violin from you?" Mettaton asked. "It might get damaged in this challenge…"

"No way!" Papyrus interrupted. "My wife and I are giving this violin to Frisk! You can't have it!"

"I told you to cut the wife thing," Undyne said under her breath.

"Whatever you say, Mr. Skeleton," Mettaton said. "Now, I know you have managed the colored-tile puzzle before, so I don't need to bother explaining the rules."

"Correct," Papyrus replied briefly before he and Undyne exchanged proud smirks.

"Then, let the challenge begin!" Mettaton said to much fanfare. "For this stage's musical accompaniment, I give you my son, Frisk!"

The spotlight turned on Frisk back on the stage at the studio. It was time.

He took the microphone and said, "I'm not your son!"

"What?" Mettaton asked in surprise.

"This song is dedicated to my real family, the ones who have helped me the most," Frisk said into the microphone with a smile as he began playing the opening piano chords to one of his favorite indie ballads.

"What is this?" Mettaton asked but no sooner did he open his mouth than did Undyne purposefully hop onto a green tile with Papyrus following suit.

"Hey, pretty boy!" Undyne taunted. "It's time to fight!"

Back on stage, Frisk sang, "You heard my voice. I came out of the woods by choice. Shelter also gave their shade, but in the dark, I had no name."

From back at Toriel's house, Sans watched the performance with a smile.

Frisk continued playing piano chords and sang, "So leave that click in my head, and I will remember the words that you said. Left a clouded mind and a heavy heart, but I am sure we could see a new start…"

Mettaton continued listening to Frisk's performance, but between avoiding Undyne's spears and Papyrus' bones, there was nothing he could do to react. That little brat had planned this.

After playing a few different chords, Frisk sang, "So when your hope's on fire but you know your desire. Don't hold a glass over the flame. Don't let your heart grow cold. I will call you by name. I will share your road."

Frisk began playing his chords faster. As he did, he heard the sound of a drum accompanying him. Frisk looked over and saw Burgerpants playing on-stage next to him. He looked over to him in confusion without messing up his chords and Burgerpants responded with a smile and a wink.

"But hold me fast," Frisk sang into the microphone. "Hold me fast 'cause I'm a hopeless wanderer! And hold me fast! Hold me fast 'cause I'm a hopeless wanderer."

For the several measures of instrumental music, these two had together Frisk shed his happy tears and let himself smile before they continued.

"I wrestle on with my youth," Frisk sang as Napstablook and Alphys watched on his phone while riding with River and Calibri on the boat. "We tried so hard to live in the truth. But do not tell me all is fine! When I lose my head, I lose my spine!"

Napstablook smiled and felt his determination growing with Frisk's during the next few instrumental measures.

"So, leave that click in my head!" Frisk sang. "And I will remember the words that you said! You brought me out from the cold! Now, how I long, how I long to grow old!"

Papyrus and Undyne continued listening to the monitors while listening to Frisk play and sing. Papyrus paused a moment to smile at his little brother while unbeknownst to him his mother was watching him on her desktop computer.

"So, when your hope's on fire, but you know your desire," Frisk sang. "Don't hold a glass over the flame. Don't let your heart grow cold. I will call you by name. I will share your road."

Burgerpants followed Frisk's rhythm more closely as he played the song's final instrumental part.

"But hold me fast," Frisk sang with a dramatic pause. "Hold me fast 'cause I'm a hopeless wanderer. And hold me fast. Hold me fast 'cause I'm a hopeless wanderer! And I will learn! I will learn to love the skies I'm under. And I will learn! I will learn to love the skies I'm under! The skies I'm under!"

Frisk finished out with the song's quick and upbeat instrumental portion to the applause of a cheering crowd. But when he was done playing, he turned to smile back at Burgerpants.