Deep breath in. Chara, you can do this. Deep breath in.

"Hey, Chara! Do your creepy face!"

That's what they all thought it was, didn't they? A creepy face for a creepy kid. At least now they'd be getting their revenge for it. For the bruises, the cuts, the broken bones...broken words... At least the monsters were nice about how much of a demon Chara was. Funny, every since falling down into the deep abyss, the word "demon" hadn't even been heard. Not once.

Honestly, they thought that falling was going to end their life- after all, that's what they intended to do. Instead, the child found their life not slipping out of their hands, but transformed into a...happier one. One they never thought would happen...

But, unfortunately, it couldn't last.

The longer that Chara stayed, the longer they realized that this place was a mess. The monsters...they weren't happy being trapped down here. If it weren't for the conditions Chara had fallen under, they probably wouldn't be either. So, this was where they found themself.

"Sorry, Mom," they muttered, just barely loud enough for them to hear, let alone the goat boy standing next to them. An image of their biological mother and her smiling face appeared in their mind. They knew what she would say about now...something about kindness in everyone and forgiving...but they shook it out. No, their plan had to go through. It had to go through.

Slowly, they brought the first flower up to their mouth and bit off a few petals, finding the taste mildly bitter but mostly tolerable. It wasn't long before they had begun to stuff their cheeks with the bright yellow blades, allowing each bite to fill them. Ug...this was going to feel awful tomorrow. But that was the point, wasn't it?

"Chara, I don't know if this is such a good idea..."

Chara glanced up at their adoptive brother with a look of agitation. C'mon! They're right in the middle of downing a field of buttercups and you have to start denying them now?

"Are you questioning me?" they hissed back, eyes narrowing. It was made abundantly clear that the child wouldn't ever dare to hurt any of the Dreemurs, or anyone in the Underground, really, save for a few rare monsters that were abundantly rude. Obviously, that wasn't the majority, unlike humans...

"What? No! I'm not..."

Chara then turned back to their dinner. Their last dinner. What would their mom think of them?

It doesn't matter, they thought to themself, wolfing down a few more flowers. My mother is dead. The only humans left are not worth living for. My plan must carry through, even at the cost of my life.

And they knew that their plan would carry through. Asriel already proved his loyalty countless times. He wouldn't pass up the opportunity.

Their plan would carry through. After all, they were Chara.

Deep breath, Chara. You can do this.

A human approached them. Out of all places, in this pitch blackness, a human approached them. It wasn't just a human, though. No, this human- this puppet- was all too familiar to them, and they smiled at the sight. This wasn't a human; this was the human.

"Greetings," they stated, easily biting back a laugh at seeing the confused expression spread across the human's face. "I am THEM."

Yes. "THEM." Not "he" or "she". And if you use one of the other two, you will also get to meet their knife. ...though you'd probably meet it anyway in the next run. They were already planning out the motions.

"The demons that come when people call its name.

It doesn't matter when.

It doesn't matter where."

They watched the human attempt at backing away, but there was nothing to back to. This place was so empty. And it was all their doing! ...hilarious.

"You and I are not the same, are we?"

They watched this human glance over themself. Of course not. Chara would never be able to murder all those monsters with their own hands...it wouldn't feel right. But this human...this human gave them a new found distance that they had never felt before. The monsters were all useless from this human's mind. Quite frankly, Chara couldn't care less for a person like that. But a king must take care of his pawns.

"There is a reason you continue to recreate this world. There is a reason you continue to destroy it."

They paused, still biting back the urge to giggle while watching the human's confusion increase. It was obvious that they were aware of what they had done, but not of the consequences that were to ensue. Such is the nature of someone that distances themselves from reality.

"You. You are wracked with a perverted sentimentality. ...Hmm. I cannot understand these feelings anymore." If they hadn't possessed this human specifically, if they hadn't felt the handicaps of a sick person's mind (or, perhaps, for the sake of the plan, they could temporarily call it a "benefit"), if they hadn't been able to distance themself from the monsters, nothing would have carried through. But now the puppeteer has set down its puppet's strings, if only for the time being. It could no longer feel what the puppet felt. Guilt was surely around the corner, but they were not stupid. Staving off guilt was but a matter of a RESET. Hence, they play their cards right.

"Despite this, I feel obligated to suggest. Should you choose to create this world once more, another path would be better suited." Another path where the monsters lived. One their psyche could handle. Knowing Asriel, it would work. He had already proved his loyalty countless times.

"Now, partner."

When the human tilted their head, Chara nodded. It wasn't like a SOUL was left for them to be speaking to. Only one human could fill the role, only one sick enough to go through with the unspoken idea. "Let us send this world back into the abyss."

With that final word, they held out their hand, no longer feeling the need to force down a laugh. This wasn't comedy anymore. This was business, and business meant deals. Such is the way of a demon, after all.

When the human firmly grabbed a hold of their hand, unflinching and emotionless in expression, Chara's smile fastened. All was well when the pawn followed its king, when a puppet cooperates with the strings leading it. Of course they wanted to bring back everyone. Of course they wanted to erase this terrible world. This terrible, empty world...

"Right. You are a great partner."

It took but a moment for their eyes to begin melting. Something they were used to, certainly, though the calm, evenness of the human in front of them was certainly an interesting sight.

"We'll be together forever, won't we?"

Their plan would carry through.

After all, they were Chara.