The First Time Round

Oh. Oh. Oh! Alphys didn't want to walk up to them at all. She knew she had to, but she soooo didn't want to. As she first started seeing them in the distance, she heard a woman yelling. She jostled up a bit faster, but then stopped when she saw them staring at each other. 

It was like watching the ending season of Mew Mew Kissy Cutie, but even better! Their eyes and eye sockets were just lingering on each other. No one was breathing or moving just staring at each other. It was one of the moments where, if it were on TV, she'd be yelling 'kiss! Kiss! Kiss!'. And if that wasn't cute enough, the human woman just kind of turned away, her face all lit up in a pretty pinkish hue. She even had her voice raised too loud. 

And if that just hadn't been enough, Sans was like, trying to look back at her again, moving all over. She thought he might even turn her chin toward him. It was sooooo awesome! It would have been even more awesome if she knew Frisky as that woman . . . instead of a kid on a monitor she never remembered meeting. 

But then, after all that, there was nothing. They started to just talk like regular. Frisky wasn't looking at him, he wasn't trying to look at her. The moment was just so gone. 

But, it had to be gone. Alphys was there to take her and her son home. Home and away back to their own world forever. They would never see each other again. Keep it together, Alphys! You don't even know them. Th-that could have been something else completely. Yeah, except it wasn't, Alphys! No, don't start the talking to yourself thing. 

So, she moved a little faster and joined them at the hotdog stand. The clueless, romantic pair that would never be. "Uh? H-hi, Frisky?" Alphys waved at her. "Wow, Sans wasn't kidding. You really are different. About the same size though, I think." She looked over at Sans. "Okay, so, I'm here?" 

Sans grabbed a bun for his own hotdog. He squeezed catsup on his hotdog and bit into it. He was quiet while he took a few more bites, looking up again. He didn't say anything until he finished his hotdog and licked his bony fingers. "I hacked it again, found more hidden objects, transported them away, and for good measure I uploaded a virus into their own program to replicate, and they still haven't figured out I'm accessing their entire database from their simple unit." He wiped his hands on his coat to brush the crumbs off. "But that's nothing compared to this joke I just heard from Frisky." He took the MP back out and flipped it around in his skeletal hand. "I'll tell you soon." 

"Yeah, it's a good one," Frisky said, "but is it time? Can I go home now?" Please. Alphys was there, let it be time. She had waited years to finally go back to a real home with her son. Too many years. To even think how young she was when she first became a soldier. Selected and brought to . . . no, nope. Didn't matter. No more thinking that way. Ever again. 

 "Why the rush?" Sans answered. "Miss your life?" 

"You have no idea how much." 

"Kinda do," Sans reminded her. "Alphys took some time to set you up so that you could correct Chance and yourself." 

"Mm hmm. We'll get you back to your proper sizing," Alphys agreed. "And don't worry, Undyne promised not to kill you on the way to the spot. I don't know exactly if I explained everything right, but I'll tag along just in case?" 

"Don't make me go, please, Sans!" 

Frisky looked back and saw her struggling son in Sans grasp before he gave him to her. "We're going home. No more missions." Still, Frisk was far from happy. She looked back toward Sans. "Thanks." 

He nodded and went back over to his booth. "Have a good life, Frisky. Keep throwing a few good jokes in it for the kid, too." 

"Oh." Frisky looked toward the Ruins. "So. Yeah, I . . ." 

"I know what you're thinking," Sans muttered. "I liked them too. No Monster deserves to go, but a reboot isn't what you think it is. So, you better get going, Frisky." 

"Whether it is or not. I get it." She tried to smile. "Thank you for being a good prison guard." 

Sans pulled out the MP3. "Don't worry, there's no connection to you with this thing either. So, up you go." He pointed towards Waterfall. 

"Really shouldn't be leaving," Frisk said as she held him. "I know I shouldn't be leaving." 

 "We're free, and it's time to go home." 

"So more people can jump in me?" he said bitterly 

Frisky rubbed his back. 

"They won't," Sans said strolling over to him and ruffled his hair. "Have fun, kid. Stop letting people jump in ya so much. Keep up the laughs and practice your jokes. You'll be okay." He looked toward Frisky. "Get a pet dog too." 

"Well, he does like dogs," Frisky answered. 

"About as much as you," Sans reminded her. "Better get going before X doesn't mark the spot anymore." 

"True." A little bit of humor for her son. "Come on. Let's go find the X." 

"Eh." Frisk didn't really seem enthused. He'd get better when he returned back to base. 

"Don't forget this ol' bag of bones," Sans said as he gave him the lightest of noogies. "But, get out there and start living. You'll be happier you did." 

"Cheer up," Frisky said, trying to help him out as they walked. 

"Don't I get to say goodbye to Papyrus?" Frisk asked. "Momma? How come he couldn't come to this too?" Hmmm . . . "Sans, why couldn't Papyrus come say goodbye?" 

Sans didn't really move. "Better get going." He turned away and headed back behind his booth. Knowing the way Sans worked, Frisky just moved ahead. Sans was never big on goodbyes. 

"What are you hiding from your brother?" Frisk yelled at him from his mother's shoulder. 

That made him jostle a bit, but he just waved. 

"Frisk?" Honestly. Frisk was ready to have a temper tantrum because he didn't want to leave. He was usually a good boy, but when his temper flared, he could be one feisty six-year-old soldier. Frisky kept moving. "That's no way to talk to him just because you are angry. Do you have any idea what he's done for us?"

"No, because nobody tells me anything," he said bitterly. 

"Sweetie, calm down. If you don't, they are going to give you a shot when you get back," she reminded him. "You've got to be a good boy." 

"Like you can talk. You're hiding a lot too. How can I trust you?" He scoffed. "I can feel how much everyone's lying to me, and I'm even gonna leave with more lies. And you're just putting on a pretty face, but I can see beneath it." 

Oh, not again. "95451, you better not start that tone with me." 

"What happened in the Underground? Why won't you tell me?" he asked. "I ask and I ask. Whenever we go on other missions, you always fill me in at least at the end. But, this is the end, and you won't tell me anything about what my own body was used for here." He grunted as he pointed behind them. "Like her too" Frisk pointed as Alphys waved at him from behind. "Why's she following behind us?" 

Alphys was shy, she wouldn't walk side by side as much. Frisky knew that. However, Frisk's attitude was still red hot. "That is Alphys. Say goodbye to Mettaton for me, Alphys? And Undyne. I know we got off on the wrong . . . foot." 

 "Who's the dinosaur?" Frisk asked. "How do we know her?" 

"Oh. When your mom was FRISK, uh, well, uh. She and I met. Well, not quite. I mean, well, I watched her on cameras, but, um, we met before I just don't . . . um, hi?" 

"Oh, that reminds me," Frisky said, remembering where the events had turned. "You should read the letters." 

"What letters?" 

"Letters beneath your door. You should read them," Frisky smiled. That would also help both of them out. Finding each other. She wouldn't be the one pulling them together, but they would find their own ways. 

 "I can feel it," Frisk interrupted the peaceful conversation. "It was bad. I want to know. Why was Undyne trying to kill me? Why did MK tell me Undyne was even trying to kill me when I first met him?" 

"We are PACIFIST soldiers and we do not mess with the Monsters," his mother said a little rougher. "They fear you, but you stay strong. That is the first lesson and you know it. Now, quiet. We are almost there." 

"I don't want another shot." 

"A shot?" Alphys asked in concern, moving a little closer than before. "Is he getting a shot?" 

"Yeah. Have to make sure my soul doesn't fill up. I gotta stay a conduit for any emergency mission," Frisk sniffed. "Sans was too confused with mom's words, he missed it. Mom lied to him." 

"It wasn't a lie. Just, we don't need to focus on that." 

"My soul can repair, but they have to keep damaging it." 

"Ohh." Alphys made a slight moan. "Frisky? Is that true?" 

"Don't. Worry. The chances of him being called back are very slim. And there won't be any shots yet, if he's a good boy." Frisky patted his head. "Imagine. You could go back, play games, and see your friends before we start a new life." She tried to tickle him to make him laugh, but it wasn't working. 

"Ugh?!" 

Frisky looked back at Alphys as she made a strange sound. "What?" 

"N-nothing! I just remembered, I have something super important to do. Five minutes, tops?" Alphys stepped backward. "Just, uh, wait here for me?" 

Strange. Frisky watched her leave. 

"I want to know what happened," Frisk started on her again. "Why won't you tell me?" 

"Hon, I can't tell you right now." 

 "Ooooooh, I think you should!" 

"What?" Frisky looked down and saw Flowey. Snowdin would have been a cold place for him, but why was he there now? "Oh, Flowey." 

"Mmmm. You know what sucks, little Frisk?" Flowey answered. "Parents never listen to kids. But, I'm not a parent. I know what's going on. I listen." 

Frisky took off. Forget the five minute wait. It would probably turn into a thirty minute wait anyhow, and she wasn't sticking around for Flowey around Frisk. "Flowey, I'm sorry. No games, not with my son." 

 "Who are you?" Frisk asked him. 

"Frisk, don't talk to him." 

"Oh by all means, don't talk, Frisk, to the honest flower! I just know that you didn't just have a bite to eat with Sans. He battled you over, and over, and over! You died thousands of times by his hands!" 

"Flowey!" Frisky yelled. 

"Momma doesn't want her baby boy to know the truth. Well, well, well. It's funny, isn't it? They keep soooo much from you. But, I know, you've been keeping something from them toooo." Flowey moved back into the ground and popped up just ahead of them. "I remember everything in the Underground. I know everything in the Underground. You know who else remembers a little too besides you? Sans the Skeleton. He remembers plenty about killing you." 

"Frisk, don't listen," Frisky warned him. "I will explain everything in better detail later." 

"She doesn't know everything. Mommy doesn't know everything." 

"Flowey." 

"She lies to you just as bad as the Skeleton did, but she still doesn't know much at all." 

"Flowey!" 

"About the Ruins, the Monsters, or even Balancers." 

"Balancers?" Frisky looked down at Flowey. How did he know that? "You just know the Underground." 

"Sure I do, just like I'm an average flower that manages to keep my mind after every one of your sickening resets. I wouldn't know a thing about conduits. Re-reeeeesets. Why, I'm sure I know nothing more at all." He laughed. "I also know why they didn't give you a MP ni-ine, and it wasn't because of discontinuation. It's because that model has a more forward communication program in it, where you can see . . . what's going on with everyone down here in the Underground. They didn't give it to you, because they don't want you to know." He chuckled whimsically. "Your real mission. Lots of communication down in the Ruins, you know." 

Frisk cringed. Flowey's face became evil looking. Then, it fixed itself. "Mom, how do you know this guy?" 

"I'm special, with a lot of DETERMINATION," Flowey answered. "I also got really, really, bored of the same thing over and over, so, I . . . want to make doubly sure that nothing brings us back into that kind of hell." 

"Sans will do no such thing," Frisky answered. There was no stopping Flowey from talking, and the more she ignored him, the worse he would become. He just popped out of the ground, and back in front of them constantly. Strange. Usually he'd say something and just leave until a battle. But, as long as she kept moving forward, she'd get to that X. 

"He would for family," Flowey said darkly. "He did lose family. He doesn't want to lose anymore." 

"Papyrus is going to be fine," Frisky insisted. "You said it yourself, the resets are over. He's either going to reboot or not. It's up to him, but I'm not involved anymore. I'm going home." She would not let Flowey get to her. He always knew things, popped up, spied, and kept secrets. This was no different. 

"Might as well turn around then. There's no way he'll let you go when he finds ooouuut." Flowey's face turned big and dark. "You will never see your world again. Before this is over, you'll be trapped in the Underground, forever." 

"Leaving right now," Frisky said stubbornly. "Should have bothered me earlier. What, too cold to stay in a conversation? Pop by long enough to find a few secrets and move off?" 

"Sans won't let family go." 

"Papyrus will be fine." 

"I never said it was Papyrus." Flowey's face fixed itself all nice again. "Toodles! I'll see you at the X." 

"Who was that?" Frisk asked again. "Mom? What's he talking about Sans' family?" 

"Um. Well." The Forgotten Creatures. Gaster. No, no, different topic. "That flower was Flowey. He was once a nice, pleasant boy. Now it's complicated to explain. You see, Monsters do their own experiments down here too," she settled on. "Flowey doesn't feel anything." 

"He's a flower. Why's he a flower?" 

"Well, his dust was different I suppose. He joined his soul with a sister he had. She was human. They were as strong as the very first Balancers." At least he was asking about easier things. Actually, if she just filled him in on Flowey and some of the history of the Underground, maybe it would be enough to reach the X. She just didn't want to get into all the grisly details yet. 

After a few minutes of explanation though, Frisk interrupted her. 

"Wait." Frisk lifted his head to look at his mom. "Everything went bad because of an accident?" She nodded her head. "Mom. This ship knows everything about the Underground. All the locations, all the items left behind. Why would they miss something like that?" 

"I don't know." 

"Mom. They wouldn't." 

Frisky stopped and looked at him. "They took years to plan Mission Surface Seven. They wouldn't jeopardize it like that." 

"Flowey said Sans tried to kill me." 

"It's complicated." She started to walk again. "It's really complicated." Give me an encounter or something to distract him. Where are all the encounters? 

"Is he how we busted out?" 

"Yes," she muttered. "Really. I don't want to concentrate on this yet. Give it time, okay? Sans is a friend. He's good. He's . . . uh, things were difficult." 

"That's how we got small, you got mixed up with his data because he was in the way?" 

"Yes." 

"But my body was already here, so why would I get mixed up in teleportation? I guess it doesn't matter. Technically not human." 

"You are human. Conduits are human," Frisky tried to convince him. "You are my boy, you are human, and we are going home. I promise. These negative thoughts, they are going to disappear very soon. You need to stop worrying about an emergency where you would need to be used. Okay? Those chances are slim anyhow since they'd have to replenish memories again. We'll be civilian. We won't have any of our memories from when we were soldiers. You and I, we'll have a house and a car and a new life waiting for us because we've paid our dues. Please, cheer up." She really needed to do something. "How about a joke? Let's see." 

"No, I'm not. Flowey knows it." 

"Knock-knock." 

"How are re-resets created, mom?" 

"From humans, Frisk, which is why you really need to cheer up. Okay? Come on, be a sport." She tried to tickle her son. "Guess what? Both of us will finally meet your grandparents too. Remember all the letters they sent? We'll be going with them. I don't know where it is, but I will be given back my old memories from before I was a soldier. And you, you will almost have a fresh slate of memories too. When that happens, I will be able to tell you all about them. And, that will be good? And I'm sure it's a beautiful place where you can make friends, go to school, and be a normal kid." She rubbed his back again. "Just keep your spirits high. A home that's ready for us, full of people who will just love you to bits, it's just around the corner." 

"No, it's not." Flowey popped up right by her foot. "You know what the best thing about this is?" He cackled. "I don't know what's going to happen! I've been bugging you, so for all I know, maybe Sans put two and two together. Or maybe he's just sleeping. Or maybe the little conduit's put it together. Or maybe no one has figured out anything and you'll just leave the Underground forever. Or maybe you'll just be trapped down here forever. Ooh, goodie! I can barely contain the excitement!" 

The X was just ahead, right where the sign that teased about failing a puzzle lied. Fitting. She set Frisk down and went to fetch four flowers to reach the spot. 

"How often has the flower lied?" Frisk asked her. 

"That's complicated too," Frisky told him. "He can tell the truth, but you shouldn't trust him for accurate information. Just, enjoy the company, I suppose." 

"Sure, enjoy the company," Flowey whispered as he appeared by the boy's foot. "So? Tell me? Did you figure it all out?" 

Frisk rubbed his shoulder. 

"Ooooh. Are you going to tell her, or wait? Or do you think your mommy would even listen? Because parents never listen. If you tell her, she'll probably say you're seeing things that aren't there. Then again, your mom isn't really on the same level to even understand it, is she?" Flowey popped away from his foot, and showed up at the other one. "I'll be over in the other corner, ready to watch the fireworks." 

Finally. Frisky stayed in her spot. She wasn't surprised Sans didn't give her the MP back, but she didn't need it. It was a convenience, but as long as this was the spot they expected to sense a human in, it should work. Otherwise, there would have been at least access to one during her mission before the big error. 

Although, what Flowey was saying was bothering her. Did he know something about Sans family? Was it the reason he refused to reboot? She had no control of whether he rebooted or not, and she didn't know what the Balancers would do if he didn't. But, the mission was over. The Underground wasn't her concern anymore. It was just . . . Maybe I should have told him about his family? I'm sure he would have said it was pointless. Different timelines didn't matter. So, why did he say that? Is Flowey saying there is a way I can recover the erased back again to him? Or is he just messing with me one more time before we leave? 

She tried to ignore his shooting stems all over the place too, especially on the walls. If he's trying to block us, it won't work. Teleportation doesn't work that way. Not that she would say that out loud. She'd had enough of Flowey that day. 

Frisky waited for the silvery stream to come down upon her, but instead saw . . . multiple streams . . . many multiple streams around her. "Oh no." Was she getting arrested? If everything was fine, she'd have gone straight up, but others were coming down, beaming around her. She moved out from the corner of the stream, almost falling into the water. 

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Flowey shook his petals to prepare himself as he grew his stems all around. Over here. Over there. Some over there. Flowey usually used a seed attack, but this time, that wouldn't do any good. He'd have to use his much smaller known magic. 

Growing. Growing his roots and stems. While those two Frisks were messing around and just standing there looking up like idiots, he'd been working all around. He couldn't just grow it like a jungle though, he was going to have to snap himself out of the situation fast without getting tangled. That meant some fast thinking because it was obvious what would happen next. He pulled himself back into the ground and popped up just a little beside the moron in charge that came to confront them. 

"95452. You finally accomplished the mission, congratulations." The Frisk who called herself Frisky noticed the appearance of the moron beside Flowey. The idget clapped as he came over toward her. "Good job." 

"Accomplished the mission?" Frisky held her son tighter as she saw more streams of people coming. "I don't understand, Sir?" 

Of course not. If you did you would have taken the Ruins, silly. Flowey just pulled himself back into the ground and pulled a move he rarely pulled. He started to climb his own stems. He moved over around the top of the area, right above the Frisks. 

"Doesn't matter now," the idiot from before kept speaking. "You can go home to your loving family, isn't that what matters? We just need that little conduit right there now." He pointed to the boy. "Don't be stupid, 95452. You're completely surrounded. There's no way to get out, or we would have waited for this until you were on board." 

"Then why didn't you?" Frisky growled, keeping her son close. 

Ooh, look at that. Momma can get primal. Ha ha. Can't grab him yet then, not until she's desperate enough. 

"Lots of interference, can't track anything, it's like a fog down here, and we aren't risking losing it." 

"No way!" The mom tried to hold onto her son, but more soldiers were coming to get him. "What's going on?!" 

"It's alright, you and the boy are going to be safe. Hell, it's like royalty now." The human held out his own MP and talked into it. 

Ah, target number two. Come to Flowey . . . 

"What is taking so long? It's still jammed? Find another way to bypass it!" The annoying human rolled his eyes. "Technical difficulties. What is with all the technical difficulties?" 

"Good!" The momma moved backward with the boy and fell into the water. Other soldiers tried to grab her, but she tried to swim upstream. Except that area just wasn't very big. 

"Where are you going to go?" Her boss taunted her. "You're free, just hand over the conduit and give in." 

Now. Now she's desperate. 

"I really, really don't want a reboot." 

Frisky held her son close, but she saw Flowey from above. His stems were still reaching all over the place. All over, but they were coming straight for her son. Knowing that her trust was low in Flowey, but non-existent in her team now, she had no choice. She loosened her grip and watched Frisk sail up into his stems. 

"I really didn't want to save the day. This is ridiculous." 

Her superior cried for assistance as his arm was wrapped around by Flowey as his loose stems took his MP. Soldiers tried to shoot, but Flowey just laughed. 

"Sure! Like it would be that easy. Toodles, and thanks for the MP thing. Been wanting to collect this one for years!" Flowey flung the boy high into the air, and then his whole body snapped like a rubber band back to it's original shape too fast for anyone to do anything about it. 

"Why wasn't that tracked?!" 

"It's not really deemed a Monster, sir. It was one of the Guardians." 

Frisky remained still, hoping Flowey knew what the heck it was doing. "Why are you coming after my son? You have plenty of conduits. He earned his freedom just like I did." Her boss wasn't answering though, and soldiers started to swim toward her and grab her. 

"Bring her to the transport area," her boss demanded. "At the very least, we've got her. He'll have to come back if he wants his momma again." 

----------------- 

Frisk yelled as he saw the ground approaching fast. No way, I won't be able to survive that! "Aaaahhhhh!" 

"Ooh, uppsa daisy!" Flowey said grabbing him again. "Enjoy the ride? Let's do it again. This time, aim for Snowdin, silly!" 

Aim? He couldn't do that. "You know I can't do that! Aaaahhhh!" 

Flowey just chuckled as he went back underground. 

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"Uh, Sans?" Alphys voice stirred him as she touched the arm of his coat. "Hi. I just need to ask you about something. Probably quick. I don't know if she's going to wait for me." 

Sans tried to get some sleep. Decent sleep was hard on that couch of theirs. Not only that, but it was always easier to deal with things when he just slept his time away. "What is it?" 

"I was following along, talking to Frisky, when I saw something wrong with her son." Alphys twiddled her fingers. "His hand. It . . . changed?" 

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"Floooooowwweeeeeyyyyyyyy!!" 

"Hello!" Flowey popped up high into the air with a nice smile and grabbed him again. "Look, you made it! Brr, it's cold," he complained. "Come on, it's time to say a big hello to someone." 

"Are you going to fling me again?" Frisk asked. 

"Nope!" 

Frisk screamed again as, this time, he felt himself going underground with Flowey. 

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"Looookyyyy what the stoooork brooought!" Flowey laughed as he showed up behind Sans post. Sans stood up immediately. "Long time no see?" He tossed the boy into Alphys arms. "Good catch!" 

"Chance?" Sans still seemed stunned to see Flowey. "What's going on?" 

"NEUTRAL, formerly PACIFIST, soldiers are chasing your other Frisk down. Funny, huh? Shouldn't be the type." Flowey giggled. "Type, that's funny, isn't it?" He turned his entired petal head around. "Oh, come on, not even a giggle? That's what I get for bringing him back to you? But, he's not really meaningful to you . . . yet. You'll know the second time around with my something special." Flowey's face turned dark as he cackled before he left. 

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