Soulwiped

Waterfall . . .

She heard him muttering behind her before yelling for her. Why was she so annoyed with him? He has been good. He asked for a date accordingly. He has not done anything bad during our date. Why am I so annoyed with him? No, it's deeper. I am bitter. I feel bitter toward him. Why? Emotions could be so complicated. She watched him start walking next to her.

"Talk to me?"

"I can't."

"But, why? What did I do?"

"I am ascertaining it right now."

"Frisky, stop."

She kept walking.

"Please, Frisky Faith? Whatever I did, I'm sorry?"

She continued to walk, still not knowing.

"Come on? Wife? Can't we work this out?"

Then, it hit her. That was it. She understood, but did not want to open up about it. I . . . I appreciate Sans like I have never appreciated anyone else. I hurt when I can't see him happy. I enjoy being around him. I . . . I don't like others like I do him. But. But! She continued to walk, feeling even more bitter now that she understood. He does not feel the same way! He said it himself, and now I know why I always hated it. I . . .I love Sans, but I am nothing but a convenience. He is reaching for me because we are married and he can't have anything with anyone else. I am not his choice. That is why he doesn't care if I can't joke with him. I am equal to anyone else.

"Frisky, please stop." Sans moved in front of her, grabbing her hands and trying to hold her still. "What's wrong?" He didn't get it. They had just been quietly walking along. She said some things out of the blue, but then she seemed to have come unglued and started walking by herself.

"If Friskay had been Chance's mother, you would have married her, even though she repulses you." Frisky suddenly spoke. "You practically would have dragged me in chains, so you would have done that to her too."

Oh, that didn't sound right. "But, she wasn't."

"But she could have been."

"But, she wasn't." Sans knew that for a fact. "There's no way that was the case, Frisky. You're Chance's mom."

"But she could have been." She repeated it again. "And you would have married her."

"As really bad as that would have been? Yeah," Sans admitted. "So?" She just yanked her hands away and walked around him again. Not getting this, I am not getting this. She's Chance's mom, what is her problem? Does she think she isn't? Maybe. They did wipe her mind a lot. "Hey, I promise. You're Chance's mom. The little soul thing with the healer, that can only happen with the parents." Did that make it better? No, she was still walking away. "What?"

"And if she had been," Frisky said, still walking away, "then you would be spending all day with her at work. And, she would be here right now, on this date."

"I . . ." He didn't get it. "I guess so? Since she'd be my wife? But, you're my wife, so why does that matter?" Just moved away faster. Shoot! This date was supposed to bring them closer together, not farther apart.

"Then I am annoyed at not only you but myself." She stopped. "I realize that now. I am annoyed at myself."

Herself? Sans moved up toward her, now that she stopped. "About what?"

"I was annoyed that you are still even thinking of the three-month deal, or that you are thinking that you must make something work because we shall be together for centuries," she finally said. "But I am actually annoyed at myself for not making it clearer when I found out that the barrier would one day come down and that, when we would be in a different territory, things will change. You do not have to stay married to me. I do not have to stay married to you. There are no rules that govern children or family like that."

"Uh?" Uh. "But we're married. Marriage is forever."

"Not out there, Sans the Skeleton, which is what the Underground has and will become. Exposed. It is not a simple habitat area, it will be integrated. Even our marriage is technically invalid in any other area besides the Underground. Therefore, you do not need to do this, and I should not . . . I should not have come on this date." She began to walk away again. "Centuries are not a long time to be with someone, if you can choose to be with someone else. Your future is yours."

And . . . Huh?! "Wait, Frisky!" He got it now. "Just 'cause I'm married to you, I mean, that's not why I'm here."

"You would have been here with Friskay, Sans."

"Not the same way. You don't get it." Shoot, shoot, shoot! "I like you!"

"I enjoy your company too, but that is different."

Why was she being like this? "Monster marriage is forever. I'm not going to ever get rid of you, I don't care if I can in the future. Please? Come on?" This date was absolutely horrible. "I want you for centuries by my side. Will you stop and listen?"

"I am annoyed with myself for many things right now. I was wrong if I didn't explain it right. I am upset with me, not you," Frisky said, "and my feet want to walk it out."

Okay, this wasn't going to be his shining moment, but Sans was getting desperate. "Wow, if we had boards up right now, Frisk would be failing bad, completely almost crushed."

She stopped. That did it. "I am annoyed. I hate to lose though."

"Of course, you are a Frisk. So come over here and talk to me?" Sans moved beside her, exposing her weakness to accomplish everything. "See? Side by side, walking. Not too hard. Getting some points back. Next step is to talk? I'm never leaving you, okay?" Still not happy. "Marriage is sacred, Frisky, I don't want anyone else."

"Centuries is a long time to be with someone. You should make sure it is the right one, instead of the random one that just got tossed onto an experimentation table," she said. "How do you know there is not someone better out there for you, Sans?"

"But." He couldn't tell her. He couldn't prove to her she was the right one without telling her the truth about a forgotten timeline. One day, but not yet. "But. I don't care for anyone besides you. Really. Ever."

"If Friskay had been here, you would be saying the same thing," she countered him. "I. I don't like this. I don't know what you say for me as me, and as me as your wife." She crossed her arms. "I am doing very badly on this date. I can't think straight."

"Yeah, I see?" Sans came closer to her. "First of all, no, that first one would be a no. I wouldn't be out here telling Friskay the same thing in a cruel world where I had to deal with her. Because I don't like her the way I like you." Was he reaching her yet at all? He tried to touch her hand again. "Some touching would gain points?" She didn't care too awful much about those extra points though.

Of course not. The chances that Frisky would be someone he really just happened to want to be with? Even when he knew about the forgotten timeline, he didn't really know. Not completely, not at first. But. "Nobody's perfect. Sorry you got stuck with me." Okay, twice as risky. She was real good at ACT but would she see it? "I know I'm not the greatest thing around. I joke too much. I'm too lazy half the time to make a half-decent joke. I'm just me, and I can't change who I am." He shrugged. "Sorry that you feel trapped that you had to be with me."

"But I don't. I feel like . . . sometimes, I just, I feel like . . ." She touched her hand to her chest. "That. That next to you is where I should be, even if we weren't married. But, there are several better matches for you. And, and I think that . . . that you shouldn't just let yourself go down to circumstance. And." She bit her little human lip cutely. "I don't know how to ACT again with you. This is all coming out weird and wrong, and I am doing everything awkwardly. I feel ashamed. I should have just walked along, that was all it took to make this date successful."

"Well, sometimes success ain't really about doing what's expected." He pulled her closer to him. "Monster marriage is forever, but in the weird backward world where I did end up with Friskay, I'd let her go once I didn't have to take care of her for Chance. But, I can't with you. Do you get it?"

"But what if there is something else for you?" She asked again. "I'm just. I'm just a soldier."

"Kind of short. Kind of lazy. Kind of never been interested in anyone else?" He reminded her, bringing her even closer. "Don't sell yourself short, I'm not that tall of an order."

"I like you," Frisky blurted out. "I. I like you. I think you are wonderful! And. Not 'cause I should." Frisky was blushing hard. "I hate my ACT when I'm around you."

"Funny. I tend to love it."

"I don't. A Frisk should-" Frisky grabbed onto him quickly. She almost buckled on the ground as a laser shot across their view. "What was that?"

"A conversation starter that probably isn't so light an issue." Sans held her beside him as Chara appeared. "You never just show up out of the blue. Did our week just get exciting again?"

"Chara, what's wrong?" Frisky asked.

"Frisky. It's not freezing. Walk home. I have to break up your date to talk to Sans. Now."

"Hm?" Frisky looked between Sans and Chara. "For what?"

"Not saying it again. Go home or hang around Falls on the other end. I need to talk to Sans and like now."

"Here, Frisky, enjoy the rest of your walk without me." Sans took a shortcut to the end of falls. "Sorry. Um. Maybe I can come back soon?" Sans took a shortcut back and saw Chara. "Great. Date was finally getting good. Oh well. What's up?"

"Chance. Frisk. Whatever you want to call my Itty Bitty. He's up," Chara said. "Look, I don't have a lot of time for explaining. I figured everything was cool. I wanted everything to be cool. But, the truth is, Frisk is natural, and while they are awesome in general? Experimentation made them loose. A half Monster half human once went on a rampage, shortly after it was born. It took a nuclear attack against it to bring it down."

"What?!"

"The reason it went off was mainly hallucinogens. Delusions. Illusions. Whatever you want to call it," Chara said. "Anyhow, your kid is fine now. Flowey convinced him to go back down."

"I . . ." Sans touched his skull. "I'm confused?"

"Your Itty Bitty became Frisk. Flesh body with power to spare to blow a hole through the universe," Chara approached him closer. "If I could hit ya on the shoulder for some confidence, I would. Ya see, Chance's whole body had changed, but the mind was the last. It is now awake, and it can't stay. A six year old's mind and all the power he possesses don't mix. It's got to start fresh too."

"Okay." Sans held his bony hand out. "The old memories of Chance are inside the new one, but they are about to be wiped out?"

"Yep."

"Well, that's just a mindwipe. He'll be fine soon. What's the big deal?"

"And this is the part where you take your little butt over to Flowey at home. Pronto." Chara disappeared.

Okay? Chara interrupted his date for this? Not that it was going super smooth, but it looked like it was starting to progress better. Well, Chara wanted him over there, so he'd go and then get back to Frisky.

Sounded simple enough.

Sans and Papyrus' Home . . .

Sans saw Flowey standing by Papyrus' bedroom door when he took his shortcut home. He went up the stairs. When he got closer, he saw Flowey's stems reaching inside the room, but beneath the crib.

"Rocking him," Flowey muttered. "Just rocking. It's your turn, Sans the Skeleton."

Sans saw Papyrus just sleeping away on his bed. He wasn't technically on more hours because of the marriage instead of the committing, but if he was 'wanting to make himself better', then GOLD was GOLD. He moved over toward the crib. Chance was on his back instead of on his side. "So, Original Chance is inside New Chance, huh?"

"Don't take it so soft," Flowey warned him. "Pick up your new Chance. Notice anything?"

"Nothing that says I woke up and almost committed GENOCIDE again. Glad I missed that." Sans picked him up. "He's completely safe though now, right?"

"Really? Really?" Flowey hissed. "And they still call me an evil flower. Just reach down deep, like when you gain a body. Don't put it inside your body this time, but don't release the power."

"Wait, he's wet?" Sans looked at his coat. "It's not snowing outside. How'd he get wet?"

"How do you get wet around the front of your skull?" Flowey said, still almost with a hiss. "He's manifesting sweat and tears."

Oooh. It took a lot to manifest those. Sans moved him out of the room and brought him to his room, not wanting to wake Papyrus. Okay, reach deep down and gather it. Sans grew blue but still couldn't make any contact. "Not working."

"He's down deep, down really deep," Flowey said, hopping his pot closer to the door. "Keep trying. You have to do it."

"I don't know," Sans said. "This could be stressing him out even more. And . . . you know, I'm still wrapping my whole mind around the GENOCIDE part?" He said, looking toward Flowey. "Nobody wanted to tell me that until after, huh?"

"Sans you blasted idiot, stop talking and concentrate!" Flowey yelled at him, bouncing up and down in his pot. "That's why you can't reach him. You're not putting everything into it. You're not getting it."

"Yeah, I do. I don't think anyone's real new to the concept of mindwipe by now," Sans said.

"You tell yourself that. Fine. Go. Go back to your peaceful little date with Frisky. I'll stay. I'll be there for the kid, and then afterwards? I am out of here. So just go, just get out!"

"Yeah. I'm missing something." Sans looked toward Chance. Okay. Build it up as much as possible. This is important to Chara. This is important to Flowey. I don't get it, but if an evil flower is acting like I'm evil, then it must matter. So! Come on. Come on. He gathered his energy again. Kid, you there? Nothing yet.

"Act like the first time he changed into a Skeleton," Flowey said. "Don't worry about hurting him. Trust me, that part's fine. Just contact him, just reach him, now. Please?"

Okay. More. Chance? Nothing. Hey, Buddy, it's Sans.

"He already doesn't know that name, Sans," Flowey warned him. "Call him Frisk, and if he stops recognizing that, call him 95451. And when you reach him, try to project an image. Make him feel like you are there."

More power. Sans could feel a lot of power moving through him. He held his son in his arms closely, pouring more power into communicating. As much as he could. Frisk? 95451. Hey? Anybody there? Come on? Hello?

Sans?

Finally.

Image, Smiley Idiot, image projection!

It was risky. Chance was still a newborn. A newborn who almost committed GENOCIDE somehow. Yeah, fine.

Sans looked around and saw a projection of Flowey, near Chance's head. Chance's body wasn't moving. Not even a little. He walked over to him. "Hey, Chance, how you doing?"

Chance's eyes focused on Sans. "Oh." His mouth finally moved. "Sorry. Who's Chance?"

"Um. Sorry." Sans snapped his bony fingers, making a crunchier snap sound. "Frisk. How you doing, Frisk?"

"Sans. You're . . . you're the guard who greeted me," Frisk said, trying to focus. "You. You followed me too. When I was good."

"Um, yep. That's me," Sans said. "I took you out for Grillby's too. Remember that?"

"Yeah. Kinda. I think so." Frisk's eyes darted around. "I am somewhere and I can't get out. There's no board. I can't ACT. I can't . . . quite remember how I got here . . ." Frisk looked a little toward the side. "Flowey is here though. I must be somewhere near the end . . . when Flowey got me."

"Yep." Flowey chuckled. "You bet, Frisk. You're in my deep, dark world."

"Uh."

His eyes. Frisk was lost. So lost. "Uh, hey kid?" Sans winked at him. "Loosen up, you can't be there. 'Cause I'm here."

"Flowey . . . doesn't feel the same," Frisk said. "Nothing feels the same. I feel alone. I can't explain why, Sans, but I . . . I should hear people." His eyes darted back and forth. "I should be hearing other voices."

"Oh." The Frisks. "Yeah. They all split from you. Congrats, pal, you have your body back." Although he still couldn't seem to move it.

"Sans?" Tears started to well up in Frisk's eyes. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry about all the times I hurt the Monsters."

He knew? "Don't sweat it, kid."

"I . . . I killed Papyrus. I killed him and you never knew he would come back. I murdered him in cold blood," Frisk started to move his head slightly. "I can't say I'm sorry enough."

"Hey, it's okay." Geez. "How's he knowing this?"

"And I'm sorry, I really am. And I'm sorry I came back. I didn't mean to. I know you said to stay away from you and Toriel. I didn't mean to ever bump into you again."

"Flowey, how's he know this?" Sans asked the flower. "Flowey!"

"This isn't a mindwipe, it's a soulwipe. Everything that he learned as Chance is going, Sans. Everything. From the tiniest conversation, to all the resets that were laid to rest in his head. It's all cropping up. Everything," Flowey insisted. "What he remembers, and what he wasn't supposed to, but happened with him. Anything that ever happened with his body. In a way. This is completely FRISK. Dying."

"That poor snowman," Frisk said out of the blue, tears shedding to the ground. "I should have taken him all the way through. He would have been a happier snowman. Wait, I did? You said I did? Did I, Sans?" Frisk's eyes were darting from corner to corner, just like Frisky's. "No, I didn't. I ate him. I left him a pile of snow and I ate him."

"Kid." Sans bent down to him. "It's okay. There were several things that happened, but they don't matter. None of them matter! Okay?" Please stop. Please, please stop this, I can't take this.

"I . . . I fought so hard. I fought so hard against you. I'm so sorry. I just wanted your little hit point. I craved it, and I don't know why, and I am so sorry!" Frisk yelled. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry for everything, Sans! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"

"Kid, no, stop!" If only he could touch him. Comfort him.

"I'm sorry I broke our promise. I'm sorry I stepped over that line. You never even hurt me. No one else gave me a chance. No one else did, just you, and I'm so sorry." Frisk tightened his fist. "Mettaton's cooking show was kind of cool. Undyne fixed spaghetti. Flowey was always the first thing I saw when I came Underground. When I came from . . . from somewhere. I guess, I fell from the mountain. Right, Sans? I fell from the mountain?"

Sans couldn't even speak that well anymore. "Ye."

"I wonder where I came from. I wonder if it was nice or not." Frisk blinked a couple of times. "Hey, who are you? I'm Steve. I am new here to the grassy jungles. I think. Where am I again? The Pit of No Return? That was a good place for a burger. I'm sorry, I can't see the colors of your shoes. I bet they are blue and turquoise though. Maybe."

"He's fading off, Sans . . ." Flowey looked toward him. "He's not even Frisk now."

"AM and PM speak Monster so much better than me, but I'll show them. I'll learn better. Learn better than ever." He looked back toward Sans again. "Um. Who are you?"

"Oh." Sans just tried to give him the biggest smile. "I'm Sans. Sans the Skeleton."

"Oh. Hi. Nice to meet you. I'm 9 . . .5 . . . I don't . . ."

Then, Frisk just disappeared, like a gust of blue wind. When Sans opened his eyes, Chance was still in his arms.

Except now, he had his eye sockets opened, with his little lights looking at him questioningly. He even started to reach out with his tiny little bony hands.

"It's not easy being lost," Flowey said as he hopped over slightly. "He's not lost anymore. He's got his new beginning now. Make it count for him, Sans."

"Sans!" Papyrus shouted, coming in from behind them. "Ooh, it's that naughty flower again!" He went over toward him. "Oh, you see? I told you he opened his eyes. Cute. He's staring at you, Sans." He placed his hand on top of Sans' shoulder. "Probably wondering who you are."

"Dad." Sans lifted him up slightly. "I'm dad, son. And everything's okay from now on, I promise." He brought him in closer to him, but felt him trying to move away. Much like . . . much like Frisk would do.

"You okay, Sans?" Papyrus asked. "You're all wet. So's the ground. So is Chance. Have you been manifesting tears?"

"I just need a minute, Pap," Sans choked. "Uh. Frisky is at Waterfall's edge somewhere. Could you find her and pick her up? Thanks."

"Um, okay?" Papyrus said, "but don't trust that flower, he tried to topple Chance's crib. Sans?" Sans just closed the door as he walked across his room to the small window.

"Soulwiped. Mindwiped."

"No achievements. No regrets," Flowey said. "Thanks for not letting him down, Smiley Trashbag. He'd been stuck there since the transformation. He even tried to escape it, like any sane person would. But, like a good Frisk, he did the right thing. All he wanted . . . he just wanted to be found again before he began again."

"He forgot he was Frisk."

"Well, he isn't anymore. It's all wiped away." Flowey stretched from his pot a little higher. "Look into his little eye sockets. There's nothing there anymore. He's not stuck in darkness anymore." He smiled and bounced back and forth. "He gets his new beginning! Right from the start. He can't do what he once did anymore, but I think it still tugged him developmentally up a few months."

Sans watched him tug at the furriness of his collar coat. "Flowey. Give me a few minutes with him, okay?"

"Uh. Sure, Sansy." Flowey started to hop out of the room.

"Oh. Flowey?"

Flowey looked back toward him.

"You're a good flower now."

Flowey . . . felt something stir inside of him. Good flower.

For the first time, he was called a good flower.