UNDERTALE
The First Run
CHAPTER 1
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For the past fifteen minutes, all Frisk knew was the sensation of falling. They were falling, falling into some deep abyss of which they had no idea where it led. All they knew was that, an hour before, they had been climbing a mountain.
The mountain of which no one ever returned- and now, Frisk knew why. This must be it- they'd all plummet to their deaths when they reached the top, not noticing the giant, gaping hole.
The stop came all too sudden, as Frisk suddenly slammed against the ground, flattening a cluster of golden flowers. Winded, the child- aged 12, slowly sat up, clutching at their ribcage.
There had to be a broken rib in there. Seriously- how could one come out of such a fall like that, uninjured? They gave a light wheezing noise and shakily stood, blinking their eyes in order to see against the darkness of the place they had fallen into.
"Where... is this place?" they murmured to theirself, squinting a bit. "And how am I not dead...?"
They suddenly froze in place at the sound of another voice, sounding just as young as Frisk themselves were- though possibly a year or two older.
"Oh, lookie here, another kid fallen down. Well, isn't this interesting?"
"Who's there?" Frisk called out, voice laced with fear as they looked around the dark cavern wildly. "S-show yourself!"
A face suddenly appeared right in front of them, scaring them to the point of quickly leaping backwards with a shriek.
"Hello."
"W-who are you?!" Frisk exclaimed, eyes wide as they fell onto their butt on the ground. "Where did you come from?"
"The name's Chara," the entity replied with a wide grin, cocking their head to the side. They took a step closer, and Frisk could make out their features: A childlike face, with bright red eyes and an amused smirk, with a hairstyle nearly identical to Frisk's own. "Welcome to the Underground."
"The... Underground?" Frisk inquired, voice shakin a bit. "What's that?"
"Where we are, of course," Chara replied cheerfully, crossing their legs and sitting in midair- almost like a ghost. "The home of the monsters."
"M-monsters?!" Frisk squeaked, eyes widening further, if possible. "Are they... are they gonna eat me?"
What Frisk said must have been incredibly hilarious, because Chara burst into wild laughter, falling over onto the ground and rolling around.
"Um...?" Needless to say, Frisk was confused.
"Ahaha... Eat you? You're kidding!" Chara snickered, sitting up and swiping a finger across their eye, as though they had tears of laughter- even though they actually didn't. "These monsters wouldn't eat you! Hell, they'd be more likely to hug you and take you in! I'm still here, aren't I?"
They went back up into the air and hung upside down, still grinning madly.
"You... uh... Aren't you a ghost...?" Frisk asked quietly, an expression of pure confusion on their face. "You're floating..."
"Well, yeah, but the monsters didn't kill me," Chara replied, cocking their head awkwardly. "I just, well, died. But hey! Enough about me, now it's your turn for talkin'. Who're you, kid?"
"Er... Frisk," Frisk replied, backing away a bit. This... whatever they were, was starting to seriously creep them out. "H-how... how do I get home?"
"Oh, you can't," Chara stated, ending in a slight amused giggle. "You're stuck here... no one ever leaves."
"...What?" Frisk squeaked, eyes wide as saucers. "B-but... there must be some way out, right?"
"Nope," the ghost said simply, floating a little ways away from Frisk. "See, there's a barrier. Anyone can get in... but only a being with a very powerful soul can get out."
"A powerful... but,.. what if my soul's powerful?" Frisk was hopeful- they just wanted to go home. "I mean... it... it could be, right?"
Chara chuckled, cocking their head awkwardly to the side. "You're really determined, aren't'cha?"
"Um... I... I guess?"
"Well, kid, I'll tell ya what. You let me tag along and I'll humor you by helping you find your way to the Underground's exit. I know this place, and its inhabitants, like the back of my own hand."
Frisk thought about the proposition for a moment, trying to decide whether they should trust this being or not. Finally, they decided that yes, they would trust them... for now.
"Alright," they agreed, averting their gaze from Chara's insane-looking eyes. "You can come with me, I guess."
"Great!" Chara chirped cheerfully, flipping right-side up and letting theirself land their feet on the ground. "Well then, here's how things'll work: I give you tips and help you out, and you let me use you as a vessel."
"...A vessel?" Frisk echoed, squinting in confusion. "What do you mean?"
"At the moment, I'm bound to this place- this room. I can't leave," Chara replied. "I'm stuck whereever my body is. But if I bind myself to you- at least until you die- I can leave, and go wherever you go."
Frisk hesitated for a moment. Did Chara mean... possession? Was Chara asking to live in their head? What would happen to Chara when they left the Underground- would they follow?
With a sigh, Frisk decided they'd give the ghost-thing a chance.
"Alright, you can... use me as a vessel," they muttered. "Do whatever it is that ghosts do, I guess."
"Great to have such a willing host!" Chara exclaimed excitedly, clasping their hands together. "Alright, hang in there, Frisky!"
...Frisky?
Frisk barely had time to contemplate Chara's name for them before the creature disappeared in front of them, and suddenly they felt a strange presence invade their mind. It felt... unfamiliar, and it definitely didn't belong there.
But Frisk knew what it was- it had to be them. Chara. They were there, in Frisk's head.
Well, what are you waiting for? a voice echoed in the back of their head, strange and eerie sounding. You gonna get moving or not?
Frisk gave a shake and their head and steeled theirself, before beginning to walk through the dark underground tunnel.