Unrequited LOVE

Prologue

Drip. Drip.

A small figure stumbled through the snow, battling the merciless wind in their quest to keep moving. Clutched in their fist was a dirtied knife, crimson drops sliding from the blade onto the pristine snow.

*Just a little more.

A tattered sweater hung from the figure's thin frame; faded blue with purple stripes. Their thin shorts did little to protect their bandaged legs from the blistering cold.

*You can do this.

It was so cold. Much too cold for a human child to survive. It was a good thing Frisk was no ordinary child.

They had reseted hours earlier - ending a perfectly boring pacifist run - cycling back to the ruins. There was only one tiny problem; Flowery hadn't shown up. Neither had Toriel, Sans, or Papyrus. Showdin had been disturbingly empty, devoid of any life.

Frisk knew something was very, very wrong. Perhaps it was merely the result of one too many resets? They didn't know but burned to discover the reason.

The snow began to recede, giving way to the slick cavern-like path that led to Waterfall. Frisk followed the path, completing all the puzzles with practiced ease.

They knew the game well, after all.

The Dummy was nowhere to be found, even when they rummaged through the piles of human rubbish to find it.

Upon entering Waterfall, Undyne was also absent, which sent soft chills down Frisk's back. They wandered further and further, each step only adding to their mounting confusion.

*You wondered where everyone was.

Their travels continued through Hotland and The Core. Even the Judgment Hall was empty, light streaming through the tall, cathedral-like windows. Frisk couldn't even remember how many times they'd fought and defeated Sans here, only that the empty hall sent shivers up their spine.

They were about to press on when something stopped them; a jacket, laying in the middle of the floor. Pale green in color, it stood out among the vibrant yellows of the hall.

Frisk picked it up. Strangely enough, there were two large, purposeful slits on the back and it was quite large.

*You wondered how long it had been there.

It didn't matter, because Frisk was keeping it regardless. They slipped the coat over their shoulders and were pleasantly surprised by how soft the inside was. The bottom hem hung over their knees, making it seem more like a dress than a jacket.

*You equipped: ???????

The message confused Frisk. They had never encountered an item without a description before.

A soft scraping noise interrupted their musings. The door separating the Judgement Hall from Asgore's room had cracked itself open.

Frisk felt watched. Even when they slid past the door and walked to Asgore's chamber. The king would most likely be gone, too, based on recent happenings.

The smell of golden flowers invaded their nose, much stronger than before. The scent itself was sour with a sickly-sweet undertone, quite different from the usual.

Then again, nothing past the last reset had been normal; why would this?

The chamber hadn't changed a bit. Towering, moss-covered columns encased the room while the ground was littered with flowers and shrubbery alike. Pockets of light shone down, lighting the space in an almost ethereal glow.