Hey all, and welcome to Last Harvest!

As it says in the summary, this work is part of a series, so if you haven't read the previous works, go check my profile. I have a list with the stories in order there, you should be able to get to where you want from there!

Now, long-time readers will note that it is unusual for us to upload on a Sunday. Well, today we are celebrating the one-year anniversary of the first work in this series, Souls Entwined. Today is not the exact date, but since it fell in-between stories, we decided to generalize. In fact, the anniversary of Armless Embrace, the second story, is coming up on Saturday. So we will be uploading an extra chapter then as well.

Which means you guys get five uploads this week, this one, plus our usual Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and the extra one on Saturday. Afterwards, we will return to our usual schedul of uploading three times per week.

I'm very excited to show this story to you guys, Toby Fox owns Undertale, Petal and I own OC's... yadda yadda yadda. Onto the story!

"Alright little guy," Sans said to the seemingly empty basement lab. "Where are you hiding?"

The only response was a small giggle coming from beneath the worktable in the center of the room. Sans's grin seemed to widen and he sauntered over to it, ducking low and reaching a hand under it.

"Gotcha!" But his hand found nothing. And there was no sign of the green-scaled reptile beneath the table. Sans frowned, then straightened, throwing a quick glance around the messy lab, still unable to detect the boy.

"How does he move so quickly?" Sans muttered to himself, resuming his search for the child.

When there was still no trace except for the odd giggle that never actually led him anywhere, he called;

"Alright Alexander, that's enough fun times. Your parents don't like it when you get down here. Let's go upstairs and I'll make you a snack, alright?"

There was no response, and the skeleton sighed. "Alright, then, guess I've got no choice." He closed his sockets and concentrated for a moment, until he detected the child's magical signature. It was difficult to focus on, as he was still young and hadn't grown into his magic yet, but there was more than enough for Sans to find him. At least as long as he put a little effort into it.

"Found ya," Sans declared triumphantly, walking over to the cupboard he had sensed the child hiding in. "Now, are you gonna-"

He was interrupted as there was the sudden crack of thunder and he whirled, his sockets going wide. The shimmering scar that marked where he had closed the Rift had torn open, replaced by a large, multicolored rip in the air, pulsing with energy.

Sans froze, staring at the thing in shock. How had it opened? Had the sealing he had placed upon it not been strong enough, or was it something else?

He was torn out of his thoughts just in time to see Alexander crawling at a surprisingly fast pace straight towards the Rift. Sans flung out a hand, his left eye igniting into a blue inferno.

"Alexander, no!"

Before he could grab the child, and moments before Alexander came into contact with the Rift, something else came through. However, whatever it was became entangled by the child, and, with a yelp, the form fell.

The fusion Frisk panicked, and curled as they fell, instinctively trying to shield the container they held. But as they impacted the ground, the container slipped from their fingers and hit the floor, smashing into pieces on contact. From the shattered fragments, a red soul rose, hovering just above the ground.

Sans blinked, the blue glow in his eye going out. The Rift opening, the easily recognisable child that had fallen through, all of it faded into the background as he focused on the soul floating in the air.

That energy… that magical signature… it couldn't be…

"Chara?"

Frisk froze. He was there… out of all the souls they didn't want to meet. The terrified fusion tried to free themselves from Alexander in a panic. Chara was their distraction-they needed to escape while they could!

Unfortunately for them, Alexander had seized his opportunity. He clung to Frisk's leg with an iron grasp obviously inherited from Undyne, all while giving the older child a toothy grin.

Just a few feet away, the glowing red heart pulsed a few times, then shimmered, reforming itself into a red silhouette of a young girl on her hands and knees. The image looked up shakily, her gaze darting first to Sans, then to Alexander and Frisk, then back again.

"Sans?" she managed, her voice quavering. "Where am I?"

It took a moment for the skeleton to find his voice.

"You're in Alphys's basement. Chara… I…" He struggled in vain to compose himself. "How is this possible? I thought you died!"

Chara managed a small grin, and slowly raised herself to her feet, her motions unsteady.

"Wouldn't be the first time." She blinked twice, and her vision focused.

"Sans," she asked quietly. "How long...?"

"Six months," Sans found himself replying. He was basically functioning on auto-pilot at this point. Chara flinched at the words, barely managing to suppress a shudder.

"Where are the others? Are they alright?"

Sans shook his head in an attempt to clear it.

"They're fine… at least as fine as they could be given that you exploded. That uh, kinda put a damper on everyone."

"Where are they?" Chara asked, not noticing as she floated up slightly into the air. "Mom and Dad, Frisk… and Kid."

"Your family's probably at home right now. Kid…" The skeleton hesitated, and Chara picked up on his nervousness. He spoke before she could demand an explanation though.

"It's Wednesday, so… he's gonna be at your grave."

Chara stilled, her eyes widening in shock, sympathy welling up within them.

"I have to go to him."

"Chara, wait!" Sans called as the girl flew through the air towards the wall.

"Tell my family I'm coming!" Chara called, just before she phased through the wall. "I have to make sure he's okay!"

Sans stared dumbly after where Chara… who was somehow alive, at least in some form, had disappeared. His gaze lingered for a moment, before he slowly turned the lights in his sockets towards the children still tangled on the floor.

Frisk jerked their head up in alarm, their dual-colored eyes widening in fear at his gaze as they tried desperately to free themselves. They remembered last time all too well. The colors draining away, the light vanishing from his eyes...the words that had been uttered.

Alexander appeared immune to the tension in the air, and had now wrapped his legs around Frisk's limb as well, snuggling himself into it and cooing softly. Sans, on the other hand, took a shaky step forward, his gaze never leaving Frisk's face.

"Kid…" His voice was trembling with disbelief. "How did you…"

The former Human stared, and then looked away, giving a helpless shrug instead of an answer. They didn't quite understand everything either. All they knew was that somehow-they had found her, and that they had to bring her back. That was all there was, and Frisk wasn't really sure how to put it nicely that Chara hadn't been dead, but instead, held prisoner on their side of the Rift.

"...she's back," they mumbled, trying to free themself. Their work was done...if they could just get a certain child to let go now…

"I suppose… that's what matters now, isn't it." Sans shook his head slowly in wonder. "Kid… Frisk… you really are something else, aren't you?"

They didn't say anything else as they tried to pry Alexander off their leg, inwardly cursing that he had to inherit Undyne's strength. Their plan was to just come in, run into Alphys, and leave.

It went awry as soon as they stepped onto this side. They were done, they wanted to leave before they broke something else.

Sans looked down at the Human-Monster hybrid's struggle for a moment, then reached a decision. He removed both hands from his pockets and let his left eye begin to glow again, magic crackling at his fingertips. He reached out with his power…

And closed the Rift behind Frisk.

The child whirled as much as they could with Alexander clinging to them, their pupils dilating to the point that there was barely any pinprick of color as their breathing became erratic. They swallowed shakily as they slowly looked back to him, a trembling hand reaching for the tiara upon their head.

"What, you think I was just gonna let you get away that easily?" Sans chuckled. "Buddy, you're not going anywhere…" He reached into his pocket and pulled out a cell phone, giving Frisk a bright smile.

"Not until Tori has the chance to thank you properly for returning her daughter. I mean, can you imagine what she'd do to me if I let you go without giving her that opportunity? She'd throw me through the Rift herself!"

The color slowly returned to their eyes, their hand still poised to grab the tiara. They didn't want to stay any longer-but the problem was that Sans was right. Toriel would just send him to get them later if he didn't bring them now. Besides, they still couldn't run due to a certain green-scaled traitor. Instead, they just settled for a quiet mumble of protest.

"Just sit tight there, bucko," Sans told them, beginning to dial. "Though, with that little guy, I don't think you'll need any help with that."

He put the phone up to the side of his head and waited for a moment as it rang. The moment it was answered, he spoke, not giving the recipient a chance to speak.

"Tori, you're not gonna believe this, but-"

He stopped, his sockets creasing into a frown.

"Asgore? What-"

He listened to Asgore's excited voice for a moment, then,

"What do you mean the baby's coming?"

Frisk jerked their head up in alarm, staring ear fins twitched on reflex, straining to pick up the other side of the conversation.

Sans listened in for another moment, then said quietly,

"Alright, I'll be right over. And I'm bringing… a friend. See you soon."

He closed the phone and grinned down at the little Frisk.

"Welp, good timing on your part… apparently, Toriel's having her baby right now." He reached out with his magic, and used it to take hold of Alexander. The little one squeaked in surprise, his grip loosening enough so that Sans could gently pry him off Frisk's leg. He pulled him over and held him under one arm, ignoring the child's protesting cries.

"Shall we? Sans grinned, holding out a hand to the little Frisk. "I know a shortcut."

The child briefly glanced back to the closed rift, and then at his hand, before nervously and reluctantly reaching forward, closing their eyes as they finally took it.

Sans gave the hand a little squeeze, then he, Frisk, and Alexander disappeared from the basement.

Chara flew through the city, unmindful of the people around her as she passed through buildings and cars alike, her whole being focused on getting to the graveyard. She had to be focused, else she might remember how exhausted she was. Six months in that…

She couldn't think about that now. She couldn't afford to falter. Getting to Kid was what was important, and she'd expend what was left of her energy to do that if she had to.

Finally, she reached the graveyard, exactly at the border between the Monster district and the rest of the city. She wondered briefly if that had been meant as a message to Monsters when they first arrived on the surface.

But her train of thought was interrupted when she saw him, sitting beside a large grey headstone with her name on it. There were no dates on it, just the words, "Taken from us too soon." She put on an extra burst of speed, eager to see his face again… and then stopped.

Doubt crept into her mind. It had been six months. Technically, it hadn't been that long, but… what if he had moved on? What if he'd found someone else… someone who had been there for him when he needed it? What if… she didn't fit into his life anymore?

Just that thought was somehow more painful than being trapped in the soul jar had been. She swallowed, then floated a little closer to him. She had to find out, one way or the other, right?

"Hey, babe," She called softly. Instantly, Kid froze, then twisted his body around so he could stare at the ghostly figure behind him. Chara managed a weak smile.

"Sorry I'm late…"

Kid blinked slowly at her, not saying anything for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, he said;

"Who… are you?"

Chara gave a hurt gasp. Surely he hadn't… forgotten about her already, had he? She floated a little closer to him, though she stayed well out of arm's reach.

"It's me, Chara. Y-your…" she had to stop at the confused look in Kid's eyes as he rotated around completely to face her. "Come on, babe," She pleaded. "You haven't forgotten me already, right?"

Kid shook his head slowly.

"You can't be Chara," he stated quietly. "She's dead. You don't even look or sound like her. Whatever's going on here… it's not funny."

He sounded tired and resigned, like he couldn't even muster up the energy to be angry at the idea that someone was pretending to be her. A far cry from the energetic, cheerful boy she remembered. Chara bit her lip, trying to think of how she could prove herself to him.

She took a deep breath. This was going to be draining, but she had to take the risk. Kid let out a startled gasp as her form morphed, changing from that of a small Human girl, to a robotic one. The form he had truly met her in. She looked at him again.

"Is this better?" She tried for a smile. "Sorry I can't do the voice, that kind of requires me to actually have a physical form… which I'm sorta lacking right now."

Kid stared at her for a moment, "Ch...Chara?"

"That's me."

Kid gave a heavy sigh then he slumped, his eyes closing fully.

"I was afraid something like this might happen," he muttered. "Guess I'm just lucky it took this long."

"W-what do you mean?"

"This is just like the thing with my family again. You're not really here, I'm only seeing you because I…" His voice trailed off.

"Kid… no, this really is me. I never really died…" her shoulders began to shake, and she was barely able to keep the tears from her voice. "Please…"

Kid just shook his head. "Everything I want to hear." he murmured. "But you died, Chara. You're just something I made up to try and cope with that. Please…" his voice became a pained whisper. "Don't make this hurt any more than it already does."

It was too much. Chara lowered her head into her hands and began to cry, trying to keep the sounds quiet, but ultimately failing. She fell to her knees, shaking violently with the force of her cries.

"W-why are you crying?" Kid's voice asked. "You-"

"I'm s-so sorry, Kid! I said I was always gonna be there for you, but I wasn't! I… I…" She broke down even further, no longer being able to communicate as she wept uncontrollably.

"P-please stop." Kid's voice was strained, and it sounded closer than it had before. "Y-you look like her, and I can't… I don't want to see this!"

Chara barely managed to raise her head to look at Kid's face, which had tears slowly trickling down the yellow scales. That sight made her weep even harder. She knew that she was just hurting him more, but she couldn't stop. He was right there… she could feel the magic that comprised him before her...

And suddenly an idea flashed through her grief-stricken mind. She hurled herself towards him, ignoring his startled cry. She reached close, threw her incorporeal arms around him, and then…

They became one.

Kid shuddered as incredible power began to surge through him. His body began to shift, reforming itself with the new magic held within him. He started to grow, his legs lengthening and the now heavy claws on his feet scouring rough furrows in the dirt. His head morphed too, his muzzle grew longer and broader, becoming more like a crocodile's. A line of blood-red spikes burst from his back, following his spine down to his tail, which cracked and whipped about with a flexibility it had not possessed before.

Even the spikes on his head and tail had turned crimson, matching the eyes that had opened for the first time since the transformation had begun. Red, on a background of pitch-black. Kid let out a roar, and massive, bat-like wings erupted from where arms would normally be, flapping once or twice experimentally of their own accord.

His clothes and visor had vanished in the transformation. In their place, a set of heavy chains wrapped about his torso, crossing his chest in an X formation. Thick, dark green leggings covered his lower half.

The being Kid had become, now standing at a good seven feet tall, let out a final shudder and his scales turned a brown so dark it could easily be mistaken for black. And then, the transformation was complete.

Kid blinked. Once, twice, three times.

"What… just happened?" he asked, surprised at how deep his voice sounded now.

You, love, just absorbed a soul.

Kid jerked in alarm at the sudden, familiar voice speaking in his head. In his mind's eye he suddenly saw an image of Chara as he remembered her, one hand on her hip and the other brushing a wayward strand of hair from her face. She was smiling brightly at him while he stared dumbly.

"How… what…?" Suddenly, he realized that he could feel another presence within himself. It was far weaker than he had remembered, but there was no mistaking that energy.

"Ch...Chara? Is that… is that really you?"

Yes. Chara's smile remained on his mental image of her, though her eyes turned sad. I'm so sorry I was gone, Kid.

"You're… really back." The Monster breathed. "And.. you're inside me now?"

Normally it would be the other way… Chara grinned, taking advantage of Kid's poor choice of words. Kid flushed in response, and Chara laughed.

"Chara…"

Aw, but you're so cute when you blush. The girl teased. I haven't gotten to see that in months!

Kid lowered himself to the ground, so he was carefully sitting by Chara's grave again.

"I'm so confused…" He muttered. "How did you survive? I mean," he added quickly. "I'm glad you're back but, I thought you were gone forever! And then you came back, and we fused and-"

Chara flinched, her face morphing into an expression of remorse.

I'm sorry, she whispered. I just… you didn't believe it was me, and I didn't know what else to do, and-

"Hey," Kid soothed as Chara began to cry again. "Yo… it'll be okay. We'll um... we'll figure this out, alright? If you're really back… if you're really here...that's all I really care about. We can figure out everything else later, okay?

O...Okay. Chara sniffed.

Kid smiled, though his red eyes began to water.

"I missed you so much…"

I missed you too.

"So, umm… what do we do now?"

I… don't really know. Chara admitted. I hadn't exactly planned to give you my soul. I mean, technically it's been yours for a while, but I didn't think I was gonna give it to you literally as well.

That earned another blush from Kid. Despite how confused he was over what had just happened, feeling Chara's soul next to his own… well, it would take a lot more than this to bring him down from the euphoria that was shooting through him. He grinned widely.

"Yo, well, whatever we do, we do it together okay?"

Yeah… together. That sounds good. Kid's smile faded slightly at how faint Chara had begun to sound. He suddenly noticed that the image of her he had was beginning to waver.

"Chara?" He asked in concern. "Are you alri-"

His whole body began to convulse as he felt Chara's presence completely fade. He let out a scream as pain suddenly wracked his body, and he was left with a feeling of total loss.

He opened his eyes, which had closed of their own accord, and found himself lying face down in the dirt. He spat out a mouthful, suddenly realizing he was back to his original form, even down to his normal clothing. Which meant…

"Chara!" He whipped his head about wildly until his eyes fell upon a small, glowing red heart, lying in the dirt not too far away. He scampered towards it, hesitating just before touching it.

"Chara?"

There was no response. If he touched the soul, would he would fuse with it again? He didn't know how this worked! It might not be safe, but how could he carry it without touching it? Someone else had to know some way to get her better…

He cast about desperately, noticing his open satchel lying close by. It must have been knocked over in the commotion and its contents were spilled everywhere. He bolted for it, grabbing the handle in his teeth and rushing back to the soul, gently maneuvering it so that the little heart could slide effortlessly into it.

Alright, now where to go? He remembered Alphys and Undyne saying they were going out someplace, so he wouldn't be able to find them... Maybe her parents would know something! They must have seen something like this before!

Now determined, he ran out of the graveyard, past the few people who had been gathering at the commotion, and out to the street. He'd lost her once, he would do anything to make sure he didn't lose her again!

Author's note: Kudos to anyone who saw this coming... at least the part with Chara returning. Bet you weren't expecting the fusion though. I feel I should mention though, since there were more than a few people unhappy about Chara exploding in the first place; This was always the plan. In fact, this story was written out before we uploaded the final chapter of Forging Rifts. We never actually intended for her to die at that point.