December 23rd

Ace's POV

That morning, Ace woke up to a harsh light and scribbling sound coming from the desk. Forcing his eyes open, he let out a grunt.

"Frisk?" he groaned, sitting up and pushing the wild torrent of blond hair out of his face. Frisk was sitting at the desk. The lamp was on, casting a light over the sea of papers in front of Frisk. They were scribbling on one. What are they doing awake?

"What are you doing?" Ace asked, rubbing his tired eyes.

"I'm making plans," they replied, not looking up from their paper. Ace grabbed his phone and turned it on.

"It's seven in the morning." Frisk froze, glancing at the window. The sky was only just beginning to become orange from behind the blinds. Frisk's cheeks warmed up. They looked back at their paper. Ace staggered off the bed, struggling to keep his eyes open.

"You really wanna help Asriel, huh?" Ace asked, yawning as he stretched his arms out. Frisk nodded. "Well…" Ace tugged his brush through his knotted hair, needing to separate parts of it with his fingers. "I guess if it's that important to you… I'll help." Ace walked over to stand beside Frisk. They gazed at him.

"Thanks…" Frisk's voice came out in a breath. Ace smiled. He gazed at the paper, decorated with several rainbow coloured hearts, though a few were crossed out.

"So what is the plan?" Ace asked, raising an eyebrow.

"When we meet in Teri's house later," Frisk pointed at the rainbow coloured lines they drew on the paper. "We'll each take out an even part of our soul, line them up…" They pointed to one of the rainbow coloured heart. Each part was labelled with one of their friend's names, including Ace and Frisk themselves. "And they'll combine into a soul that we can give to Asriel. Then..." They ran their finger over a line on a drawing of a mountain labelled 'Mt. Ebbot.' "We'll climb Mount Ebbot, carefully enter the Underground, and give Asriel the soul."

"Are you sure our souls will combine like that?" Ace asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I don't know," Frisk admitted, pushing the paper aside. "But if they don't, I don't know what I'll do." Ace let out a sigh. Frisk continued to scribble out their plans for a while, explaining it in probably too much detail to Ace. The sky outside was now bright blue. After a while, Frisk grabbed their phone off the charger. There was a text notification that they quickly opened. Ace looked away.

"Text from Teri," they informed, putting their phone back down. "She says we can come over now if we want."

"I'll ask Mom," Ace replied with a nod. As if on cue, there as a knock on the door.

"My children?" Frisk stiffened. "Are you awake?"

"Yes," Ace replied. Grabbing all their papers, Frisk pulled open a drawer and shoved them in, with no concern for neatness. Toriel opened the door moments later.

"Frisk!" she gasped, putting her paws over her mouth. "You look exhausted. Are you alright?"

"I'm okay," Frisk replied with a shrug. "Just woke up a little earlier than I would've wanted to."

"Alright… Well, breakfast is on the table," she informed, gesturing them forward with her paw before turning and making her way downstairs. Frisk and Ace trailed after her. The usual waffles were on the table, along with a plate of hash browns. Ace sat down in front of one plate. Taking the syrup from the middle, he drowned his pancakes in an ocean of syrup. Frisk did the same. The family ate alone mostly in silence, mostly because they were too busy eating the delicious food. Ace glanced at Toriel.

"Hey, Mom…"

"Yes, Ace?" she asked, putting down her fork.

"Can we play with Teri after breakfast?" Ace asked, taking another bite of drowned pancake.

"If her father is alright with that," Toriel answered, poking one of the hash browns with a fork.

"He is," Frisk informed, splitting one of their hash browns in half with their hands. "Teri sent me a text this morning saying we could."

"Then I suppose it is alright. I will drop you off there after breakfast." Ace and Frisk exchanged glances, smiling. They finished their breakfast in rapid bites, grabbing their things and excitedly getting in the car. Toriel followed them with a smile.

"You two seem excited," she mused, starting the car. "Were you planning anything with your friend?" Ace tensed.

"Yeah," Frisk answered with a shrug. "We were gonna sing karaoke, maybe dance a little."

"That sounds fun!" The car stopped in front of Teri's home, a small tan coloured apartment that blended in with the ones around it. The only thing to set it apart was the pink flower wreath on the door. Frisk and Ace climbed out of the car.

"Have fun you two!" Toriel called.

"We will!" Ace called back, waving. "We'll see you later!" Toriel drove off, leaving Frisk and Ace in front of Teri's apartment. They marched up to the door and knocked. A tall man answered the door, his dark skin and poofy hair almost exactly like Teri's.

"Hi, Teri's dad," Ace greeted with a wave.

"Hello, Ace, Frisk." Teri's dad ushered them aside with his hand. "Teri's in her room with Poppy and Ray." How did they get here so fast? Frisk pushed the door closed behind them and turned to Teri's dad.

"Thanks," they murmured, turning into the small hallway. Ace looked around the apartment. A television was mounted on the wall in front of a small black couch. Tiles adorned the entire floor and a tall counter separated the living room from the kitchen. Ace put his coat on the coat rack. He followed Frisk down the narrow hall to come face to face with an open door, inside of which were Teri, Ray, and Poppy. Teri and Poppy sat on the bed. Ray was sitting in front of them on the ground, leaning on the bedpost.

"Hi," Ace greeted with a smile. The three friends met his gaze.

"Hey guys!" Teri replied, waving. Ace took a seat in the chair while Frisk sat next to Ray. "Now we just have to wait for Clover and Kat."

"They might be a while," Ray replied with a shrug.

"How did you get here before us?" Frisk asked, pointing at Ray and Poppy.

"We walked here?" Poppy raised an eyebrow. "We live like a neighborhood over."

"Oh!" Frisk's cheeks heated up. They looked away, letting out a yawn.

"Are you okay, Frisk?" Teri asked, scooting toward the edge of the bed. "You look like you didn't get a wink of sleep."

"I woke up early," Frisk grunted, clutching something in their pockets. Ace gazed at his sibling. I'm starting to think you never woke up… Or even fell asleep in the first place.

Frisk's POV

Kat and Clover took a while to arrive. Clover arrived first, taking his winter gear off in Teri's room and putting on the ground. Minutes later, Kat was next. She sat down next to Frisk, gazing at them curiously.

"So, Frisk…" Kat bit her lip. "Do you want to… talk about what you brought up yesterday?"

"I would." Frisk pulled the papers out of their pockets, unfolding and straightening them. Everyone scooted forward to see them. "I kind of talked about this yesterday, but now I have an actual plan." They froze, looking up at their friends. "Um… as long as everyone wants to do it."

"Yes," Kat replied with a nod. Ace, Teri, and Clover nodded along with her. Ray and Poppy exchanged glances.

Poppy let out a sigh. "Okay fine." She rested her hand on her chest, tensing as her soul appeared in front of her.

"Not yet!" Frisk exclaimed, holding their hands out. Poppy moved her hand aside, her soul disappearing as quickly as it had appeared. Ray shifted beside her.

"I dunno know… It seems kinda risky."

"When has that ever stopped you?" Poppy asked, nudging her brother's shoulder.

"You're right!" Ray exclaimed, punching his mitten covered fists together. "What am I afraid of?! Let's do it!"

"Let's save Asriel!" Kat added, throwing her arm in the air.

"Yeah!" Everyone followed her lead, cheering and putting one arm in the air.

"So what's the plan?" Ray asked, scooting closer to Frisk to look at the papers.

"Well…" Frisk shuffled through the papers, putting the one with the rainbow coloured heart on top. "So, I figured when we split our souls, it should be an even amount per person but still enough to form one full soul when they come together."

"Come together?" Clover raised an eyebrow.

"Does it work like that?" Teri asked, cocking her head to the side.

"I don't know," Frisk admitted, feeling a prickle of uncertainty. "But we'll have to try…"

"It'll be like one soul." Frisk gazed at Kat as she spoke. "It'll be the same amount I mean… if they don't form one soul."

"True," Frisk replied, nodding. They gazed back at their drawing. "Anyways, after we split the souls, we'll climb Mount Ebbot, enter the Underground, and give Asriel the soul pieces."

"How can we enter the Underground again?" Ray asked, raising an eyebrow. "I thought it was blocked off?"

"It's not?"

"Where did he even get that?" Frisk cast a glance at Chara. The ghostly human was gazing around the room, their eyes devoid of emotion. Frisk had almost forgotten about them.

"I went back to the Underground just a few days ago…" Frisk informed, their gaze darting away. "On the last day before break."

"So that's where you were!" Teri exclaimed, her eyes wide.

"Y que la cuerda era para," Clover muttered, shifting in place.

"I used a rope to climb down, anyways..." Frisk's rested their hands on their chest, tensing before their soul appeared in front of them. "Shall we get this started?" The group exchanged glances. They scooted closer to Frisk, forming a circle on the ground. Still looking unsure, they put their hands on their chest the way Frisk had. Moments later, their souls appeared. Bright red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple light filled the room, glowing off the walls. However, one was missing. Frisk glanced at Ace, who was tensing and shaking but his soul refused to appear. Poppy let out a grunt. Jumping to her feet, she yowled at Ace. The child recoiled with a gasp, his light blue soul appearing behind his quivering arms.

"Sorry Ace," Poppy sighed, patting his shoulder. Ace sat upright, gazing with wide eyes at his soul. Poppy sat back down. She traced the edge of her soul with trembling fingers. "Hey, wait…" Everyone gazed at her. "M-maybe I shouldn't do this… With… with my LV and all…"

"Oh yeah…" Frisk bit their lip. "Your LV is in your soul, isn't it?"

"Should we really give that to Asriel?" Kat asked, raising an eyebrow. "Especially after he was Flowey for who knows how long?"

"Isn't the LV just linked to her though? Because she was the one who…" Teri didn't finish her sentence.

"Killed them," Poppy grunted, folding her arms. "We all know what I did, there's no need to deny it."

"Exactly," Clover cut in, scooting closer into the circle. "You did it, not Asriel."

"Besides, didn't Flowey kill us and probably tons of other people?" Ray asked with a shrug. "Why would Poppy's three LV affect him?"

"If it even transfers like that." Frisk glanced at Chara, who just shrugged in response.

"Fair point." Poppy gripped the side of her soul. "So… how do we do this?"

"Alright." Frisk grabbed the opposite end of their soul with one hand, pointing at the paper with the other. "Follow the drawing I made. Ray, get the part of your soul close to the edge I'm taking." Ray nodded, grabbing the top part of the heart. Teri did the same on the other side. Clover and Ace took the part slightly to the side of the parts Teri and Ray did. Finally, Kat gripped the bottom of her soul.

"Okay…" Frisk stood up. They wrapped their fingers around the soul, already flinching. "I'll do it first…" Tensing, Frisk jammed their fingers into the soul, their blood blazing within them. However, Frisk did not falter. Their fingers pressed hard against the soul until they slipped through. Frisk's eyes widened. The blazing feeling in their body had disappeared. They pulled their soul up to their face to see the piece of it floating in their hand. The group gazed at it eyes wide.

"Oh my gosh," Poppy murmured, her jaw dropped. "It actually worked…"

"How do you feel Frisk?" Kat asked, stepping closer.

Frisk stretched their arms out. "A little tired, honestly."

"Frisk, your hand!" Teri gasped, pointing at them. Frisk glanced at their right hand. A bright red scar now adorned the back of their hand, from knuckle to wrist.

"Huh… Interesting." Frisk pressed a finger against their scar, immediately flinching back with a gasp. Their fingertip burned like a flame.

"Are you okay?!" Kat gasped, jumping toward them.

"It's okay, it's not bleeding," Frisk insisted, shoving their hands in their pockets. "It just… hurts a little… That's all…" Frisk glanced at Chara. They held their hand in front of them, revealing a scar identical to the one Frisk had.

"Good job," they grunted, rolling their eyes. "You've achieved the impossible: you injured a ghost." Frisk looked away from Chara.

"Okay!" Ray clasped the part of his soul again. "I'll go next!" With one yank, he ripped out the piece, leaving a gap one one side. Frisk's eyes widened. "Easy as ripping out a loose tooth." A scar appeared on his arm, traveling down to his elbow. Ray glared at it.

"Is that gonna keep happening?" Poppy asked, tilting her head to the side.

"Maybe, Ray replied with a shrug. He put the soul fragment on the bed beside Frisk's. Clover was next. He grunted and shook as he pulled it out, gripping his knee once it was done. Kat was next. She, Ace, and Teri were both cautious, grunting when the piece finally slipped away. They put them aside. Finally, Poppy grabbed the edge of her soul, tearing it out in one harsh movement. A scar appeared on her left hand. All seven soul pieces floated on the bed like items in a video game.

"Is everyone okay?" Frisk asked, gazing at their friends.

"Yeah," Kat replied, running a finger through the gap her fragment left in the middle of her soul.

"A little weirded out maybe," Teri admitted with a shrug.

"These scars won't hurt like this forever, will they?" Clover asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I don't know," Frisk sighed, sitting on the bed in front of the souls. "I don't know if anything like this has ever been done before…"

"We should just be happy we're alive," Poppy grunted, pulling her glove onto her scarred hand. Her soul disappeared into her chest. Frisk did the same to theirs, and the others followed their lead. They gazed at the soul pieces. Frisk grabbed their soul fragment and Ray's, pushing them together. They scraped past each other. Frisk grunted, shoving them together over and over again only for the same thing to happen.

"That isn't working," Chara mused, resting their finger on their chin. Frisk glared at them.

"Was this all for naught?" Poppy asked, shoving her hands in her pockets.

"No," Frisk replied, scooping the fragments into their arms. "We can still give these to Asriel." They glanced at Teri. "Do you… um… have a jar I can put these in?"

"I can get one from the kitchen," she replied, pulling the door open. Frisk hid the soul pieces in their jacket. Teri appeared moments later in the jar, thankfully one they couldn't see through. Frisk placed the souls inside.

"Teri!" a voice called. Frisk stiffened, twisting the jar closed and pulling it into their jacket pocket. Teri's dad appeared in front of the door.

"Yeah, Dad?" Teri replied, jumping to stand in front of him.

"I have a job meeting in thirty minutes," he informed, with a sigh. "Your friends have to go home." They all let out disappointed sighs.

"Okay," Frisk sighed, pulling out their phone. "I'll tell Mom." Ace looked over Frisk's shoulder as they sent a text. Poppy and Clover grabbed their phones, typing out similar texts.

"Can I see them tomorrow?" Teri asked, pointing at her friends.

"Sure," Teri's dad replied, nodding. He glanced at Frisk. "Ace, Frisk." They met his gaze. "Your mom is hosting that party on Christmas, right?" They both nodded. "Teri, you can spend the night there tomorrow."

"Really?!" she gasped, her eyes lighting up. Teri's dad nodded. Frisk's eyes widened and they glanced at their other friends.

"Can the rest of you make it tomorrow?" they asked, heart pounding.

"Yeah," Poppy replied with a shrug. "We might bring our gifts for the next morning though." Ray nodded along with her.

"I can make it!" Kat replied, raising her hand.

"I might be a little late," Clover replied, shuffling in place. "I want to stay to light the Menorah at sunset."

"Alright, we're all good then," Frisk sighed in relief. They jumped off the bed, the jar of souls banging against their leg.

"What's in your pocket?" Teri's dad asked, glancing back into the room and pointing at Frisk. They froze in place.

"Peanut butter," they blurted out. Ray snorted beside them. "I like having it as a snack…" Teri's dad smiled and walked off, prompting a sigh of relief from the group.

"Okay." Frisk turned to them, keeping their voice low. "So we have a plan. Meet tomorrow at my house, hike up Mount Ebbot, and give the souls to Asriel. We clear?" Everyone nodded.

"Alright, let's go home," Clover replied, making his way out of the room. Frisk walked beside him and Ace, while the others trailed after them. Poppy and Ray suited up before pushing the door open and marching out into the snow.

"Bye!" Teri called after them, waving.

"Hey, Frisk," Kat murmured to them. Frisk met her gaze. "Can I hitch a ride with you and Ace? So… so we can hang out more?"

"Um… sure. You're pretty eager to see me lately." Kat's eyes widened, and her gaze darted away.

"Um… Sorry?"

"No, no, it's nothing to be sorry about," Frisk replied, resting their hands on Kat's shoulders. "It's just… something I've noticed."

Kat let out a sigh. Pushing Frisk's hands away, she turned away and shoved her hands in her pockets. She beckoned them forward with her head. Frisk followed her into the kitchen away from Teri, Clover, and Ace, who chatted among themselves.

"So you've noticed?" Kat kept her voice low. Frisk nodded. "I guess I should tell you then…" Kat looked away, her head hung low as she spoke. "I know it's silly but… I've missed having you as my sibling…"

"Missed me?" Frisk asked, raising an eyebrow. Kat took a step back. "Kat, there was no room for me in that house. I love your parents, but Toriel and Ace are my family now."

"I know, and I'm not asking you to give any of that up but… it feels like we're not as close as we once were." She paused to sigh. "Sorry, I know I'm not making any sense."

"It makes sense to me." Kat met Frisk's gaze. "And you're right… We haven't been spending as much time together anymore, but that doesn't change the fact that we're friends. I still like spending time with you and I don't mind seeing you as much as you want. You're my partner for a reason. You… you don't have to miss me."

Kat cracked a smile. "Thanks…" She pulled Frisk in for a hug, which they quickly returned. "But I don't think I'll stop missing you…" she whispered. Frisk shrugged, patting Kat's back.

"Frisk!" Ace called. Frisk glanced at their brother. He was pulling his mittens on and pushing the door open. "Come on! Mom's here!" Frisk pulled out of the hug. Kat trailed after them through the snow, and the three made their way to the car.

Poppy's POV

Finally. Frisk finally told us what happened after Flowey absorbed our souls, not in much detail but still! I can finally finish this book and hopefully publish it! So, basically, Flowey absorbed our souls to achieve his 'real form' which is Asriel, Toriel and Asgore's dead son… So apparently he has Asriel's memories but Flowey himself was accidentally created by Alphys (however that works) but without a soul, Asriel can't look like himself or feel love. So, to solve that, we're going to give him parts of our souls to absorb so he can feel love and look like himself again.

"What are you writing, Poppy?" Poppy slammed her notebook shut. Her parents were both gazing at her from their spots on the couch, though Ray's eyes were fixed on the television.

"Nothing!" she gasped, her heart pounding in her throat. Her mother raised an eyebrow though she said nothing.

"She's working on her novel!" Ray blurted out. Poppy glared at him, holding her pencil up as if it were a knife.

"Oh, yes, how is that going?" Poppy's mother asked, taking a sip of water.

"It's almost done," Poppy replied, pushing her pencil into the spiral of her notebook. "I know I've been saying that for a while but Frisk told us what happened. I'll ask them for the full details after Christmas."

"Great!" Poppy's mother lounged backward in the chair. Opal jumped in her lap, rubbing against her chest and purring the entire time. She began to pet her. "We can get it published soon then!"

"That will be exciting," Poppy's father agreed with a nod. Poppy nodded in agreement. She looked back at the television, which blared classic Christmas specials for the rest of the day.