Charatale: Epilogue?
Frisk's eyes scanned the same paragraph over and over again. They'd been excited to read this, but couldn't find it within themself to focus on what the words were saying. The book rested on their chest from where they were slouched almost horizontally in a huge armchair. Reading was incredibly difficult for Frisk, after being blind for several years. They'd only just started learning how when the accident occurred. But they'd been working hard to catch up, motivated especially by the slightly demonic ghost possessing them.
Chara was an avid reader, and would get frustrated when Frisk didn't want to let them read. Chara was Frisk's eyes, and so Frisk needed them to see. And symbiotically, Chara needed Frisk to hold the book and turn the pages for them. Not to mention Chara thought it was a crime that Frisk didn't like reading.
Turn the page, Chara's voice sounded inside Frisk's head. They seemed a little annoyed, probably because Frisk hadn't been paying attention and hadn't noticed they'd been on the same page for too long. Usually Chara let Frisk linger, understanding that they were a much slower reader.
Sorry, Frisk responded meekly. They felt Chara's attention turn away from the book, in an almost concerned manner.
What's bothering you? Chara asked. There never was any point in lying to Chara. As always, when one was upset the other could not only tell, but also feel some of it, too. Sharing literally everything was weird.
Do you remember when we first fought Toriel? Frisk asked. They felt Chara's surprise. That had been nearly two months ago, and it was obvious that both prefered not to think about it. You… Frisk trailed off, not even wanting to really think it.
I killed her, Chara finished for them. Yes, I remember. Of course Chara remembered. Though both would prefer to forget, they both could vividly remember the struggle for control as Chara possessed them for the first time, the feeling of swinging the knife, Chara doing everything they could to keep Frisk from calling for help. Then rush of force when Frisk repelled Chara away in their rage over Toriel's dust scattered in front of them.
But we reset, Frisk quickly amended. She's fine. Frisk darted a glance towards the kitchen, where Toriel seemed to be baking. Their soul could sense her moving around, hear her humming softly to herself, the smell of something sweet drifting through the air. She was fine. Everyone was fine. Everyone was alive, they got the best ending.
The best ending? Chara asked. Frisk still forgot, even now, that Chara could sometimes hear more than what Frisk projected to them. How can you know this is the best ending, without seeing another one?
What, like an ending without Toriel there? Frisk frowned, thinking about what could have been different. They hadn't seen Toriel, much, since they'd left her in the Ruins. A thought occured to them. If we hadn't reset, Toriel wouldn't have come to help us when we fought Flowey. I don't think we would have beaten him, They realized.
Asriel might have won. Perhaps not won, but the barrier never would have been broken, Chara mused. Chara liked morbid things, contrasting heavily with Frisk. Chara kept trying to get them to read some Edgar Allan Poe, but even if Frisk was more of a reader they would have stayed away from that sort of thing. Chara's musing on the thought of the people they loved dying wasn't a surprise.
If the barrier wasn't broken, what would everyone be doing? Frisk was hesitant to fuel this train of thought, but it was like they couldn't help themselves. They were constantly worrying about everything, which they knew exhausted Chara sometimes.
Maybe Papyrus would be in the new Royal Guard, Chara suggested. Assuming they made one.
Sans wouldn't change, Frisk supplied.
No. Not a lot would, I suppose. Not with just Toriel gone. Chara hesitated, then seemed to sigh heavily as if a thought had just occurred to them. That's not true. If Toriel hadn't shown up, Asgore wouldn't make it. Asriel killed him, remember? Right after we managed to Spare him.
Oh. I almost forgot about that. Neither of them responded for a few moments, feeling guilty for discussing this only a mere room away from Toriel herself.
Who would rule the Underground? Chara asked eventually. What would the monsters do without a leader?
I don't know, Frisk thought. There's no way to know, I guess.
Are you positive about that? Chara asked suddenly, a slight sense of urgency coming from them as they had a new thought. They pushed the book off of Frisk's stomach and moved to sit up, temporarily borrowing some control. Sitting up cross legged on the huge armchair, they rested their chin on a hand for deep thinking.
No, Frisk warned preemptively.
But think about it, for one second, Chara appealed. They were, of course, getting at the idea of resetting. They could reverse time, go back into the Underground, and see for themselves what would happen. They could go back and kill their adoptive mother, just to see what would happen. It was, in Frisk's opinion, sick. The thought of killing anyone gave Frisk a bad feeling in their stomach.
One second's up. I don't want to consider it. Frisk shook their head, though nobody was watching. Chara got what they meant, though, even though they didn't like it.
You don't have to. I'm already considering it. It'd be easier, you know, the second time. You've already seen it, it won't be as much of a shock. Chara began thinking faster, some of their thoughts overlapping the others, brain going faster than they could put into words. Frisk got the picture, though, vividly. Even if they didn't specifically say it, they understood what Chara meant almost too well.
Chara, I don't want to, Frisk told them firmly. But they were beginning to worry. It was always hard for them to deny Chara something, and truth be told Frisk was still a little scared of them. They knew that Chara didn't like being told 'no.' Even if they did manage to hold them off, Frisk was still literally sharing a headspace with Chara, and once Chara got an idea they weren't likely to let go of it any time soon. Even if Chara did nothing to retaliate, Frisk would still be hearing them think about it for a long time.
I want to find out what Sans would do, Chara continued. He'd probably know it was me. But that's good for you, right? He would never blame you. To be fair, Chara was right. Sans was weirdly fond of Frisk, and they both knew it. He also didn't like Chara very much. Once Frisk thought that, Chara almost grinned. They knew they'd at least planted the thought.
Why do you want to do that, though? Just to see what would happen? Frisk asked. They were perfectly content with the way things were, right now. We saved everyone. Why would we take that away from them? At this they felt a sudden rush of emotion, almost enough to make their eyes water. How could Chara suggest that they throw away what they worked so hard for? As if their journey through the underground wasn't borderline traumatizing enough the first time.
...We didn't save everyone. Somebody's missing. Chara didn't have to say a name, but Frisk knew instantly exactly who Chara meant. Chara's thought was so strong that the impression of a child in a green and yellow sweater was the only thing Frisk could see, for a moment. Now they really were blinking away tears.
Frisk collapsed back against the chair, slouching once more. You're right. Frisk missed Flowey, feeling a strange longing for him no matter what trouble he'd caused them.
If there's even a chance, we have to go back, right? Chara asked. They had lost their enthusiasm. Apparently that thought had just occurred to them, as well, and now Chara continued their argument with a mix of melancholy and grim determination as they realized they almost had no choice, anymore.
Everyone can be saved, Frisk nodded to themselves. They could tell that Chara hadn't expected to get anywhere near talking them into this. Frisk wondered if Chara had actually even wanted to convince them to reset in the first place, or were just arguing to see how far they'd get. They suspected that Chara might have been just as content with the way things were as Frisk.
There's no limit on resetting. If we mess up, or get a bad ending, we can do it over, Chara reasoned further. Frisk remembered all of the puzzles in the Underground, and had the thought that they would get very very good at all of them, and probably break some records in their attempt to make everything perfect. They could tell that this wouldn't be an easy task, and that was if he even wanted to be saved. He hadn't wanted to, when they left him last. Just convincing him that he should go with them would be half the battle. But if there was one thing Frisk had in spades, it was Determination.
Frisk thought firmly, We can save Flowey.
And Chara echoed, I think you're right. We can save my brother. No matter how many tries it takes, no matter what we might have to do, we can do it. Chara moved Frisk's right hand, holding out the palm. Frisk moved their own left hand, putting it on the right for an awkward but resolute handshake.
Whatever it takes. We'll find a way. We'll save everyone this time.
"Pie!" A voice suddenly called, breaking the long silence. Frisk jumped in surprise and pulled their hands apart, trying to arrange their legs in a way that wouldn't look suspicious. They opened the book again to a random page. A moment later, Toriel's smiling face ducked into the doorway, gesturing for Frisk to follow her into the kitchen. Frisk smiled and gave her a thumbs up.
...We'll do it after pie, Chara thought as Frisk climbed out of the chair. Maybe tomorrow.
Yeah, Frisk agreed.
A/N: This is a one-shot, and might be the end of this series, though in all likelihood I'll probably do something for the three year anniversary. It would feel wrong to do nothing, right?
But lots of you said that you couldn't picture my version of Frisk, and maybe Chara, ever doing a genocide run. But let's be real, half the point of Undertale is that even the purest, kindest people will get curious, and want to see every ending. Most players want to get everything they can out of this game, and I think that it would probably be the same for Chara and Frisk.
The quest to save Asriel is what I picture motivating them both, in the beginning. The two would start to experiment, seeing what changes, if any, might help them get Asriel back. But as any player knows, it's impossible to really save Asriel. After they realize that, I think they would continue to reset over and over, once they found that there was much more going on than originally thought. Such as, who's Gaster? How did Alphys become the royal scientist? What's up with Sans, anyway? Is Papyrus what he seems?
They'd do neutral runs until they exhausted all the information they could get. Then they'd find that there's one thing they haven't done: kill everyone. Maybe the shock would even be enough to convince Asriel to let them save him. It's worth a shot, right?
I also have a theory that the more LV, EXP, and DT they get, the more powerful Chara gets. I originally was going to write about Chara wanting their own body, and finding that's the only way to get it. The only way for Chara to truly live again would be to absorb enough monsters to be equivalent to a human soul.
Of course they would reset after all that. They would always settle into a post-true pacifist ending in the end. But they'd definitely be very messed up after that. Look what happened to Asriel, or should I say Flowey, after he did the same thing.
Anyways, there's some meta for you, please don't ask me to actually write it. I've learned that if I write something long then I will lose motivation pretty quick and force myself to write it, and then the quality goes way down and I don't want to deal with that.
Enjoy, and Happy Two Year Anniversary!