...but somebody came.
In the Nexus was an unconscious human child about Chara's age. Immediately, all they could think of is that they weren't alone, leading them to rush to the child's side and kneel down. Was this kid... dead? What a question, considering Chara didn't even know if they were dead. The kid wore a similar sweater to theirs, blue with two purple stripes, same dark grey pants, same shoes... Their hair was a little shorter, though, a bit of a darker shade of brown and a bit fluffier... Skin somewhat darker than the pale white skin Chara had as a result of the magic within them...
The kid's clothes were almost too similar for comfort. Were they from the same village? Same lab? Chara wanted to reach out and touch them, but didn't want to risk harming them if their skin wasn't as cold... They instead lifted their hand to their face, barely grazing the skin under their left eye. Did they have the same black eye? Were they both dead? Where did they even come from?
There was too much to ask. What if they didn't even wake up?
Almost on cue, they stirred a bit, Chara's eyes widening in response. They hesitantly reached out, careful not to touch them as they grasped their head and rose. "Are you..." Chara began as they lifted their head to look at Chara. They looked normal enough, throwing off Chara with the whole eye thing and what-not, but... "...okay?" Chara concluded after realizing they'd somewhat awkwardly paused. The kid only nodded in response.
As if that wordless reply set something off in Chara, they began shooting off questions: Do you know where we are? (Shake of the head no.) Do you know who you are? (Yes.) Did you die at any point? (...a hesitant no, accompanied by a concerned look.) Are you... are you from a village near Mt. Ebott?
There wasn't an immediate response, as the child seemed to purposely ignore the question suddenly to look around. They stood up, leading Chara to do the same, as walked a few steps away, seeming to look for something. They wordlessly turned to Chara, suddenly... gesturing at them. Slow hand movements at first, but upon seemingly realizing something, they made a gesture like writing on a piece of paper – and that's when Chara realized, "O-Oh... you can't talk?" Another nod. Of course, stuck in a void with a mute... sort of. That led Chara to another important question, "When you close your eyes... and you think of something, like a memory? Can you see a different place from this?"
The kid seemed confused, staring at Chara for a few moments before seeming to try it. They didn't seem to disappear or anything... but they didn't seem to see things differently in the first place, looking at Chara once again and shrugging. "Okay... give me a minute. If I disappear don't freak out, okay? I'll be right back." That said, they closed their eyes and focused on a place... that place where they fell, shimmering into place around them even as they opened their eyes.
But... the kid was still there, turning to examine the area and looking confused. Chara had brought them, too? "So... you see all this, right?" Another nod. "I... I somehow can pull this up from my memories. Oh, but... um... that's new..."
There was... some sort of rectangular object behind the other child. They turned around to see what Chara was talking about and checked it – a floating object with only the word "NEW". They looked back to Chara, who only shrugged and approached to also check it out. "I was here just before I found you and this wasn't here. I wonder what it is..." They stood beside the child, tilting their head, and reached out to touch it –
Not only did their hand go through it completely, as if it weren't there, but Chara suddenly grasped their hand and screamed. Incredible pain shot through them as they tried to retrieve their arm from the floating object, as the other child turned and reached out to grab their arm and pull them away. Almost as soon as Chara was free, though, the child suddenly grasped their own hand and gasped, looking as though they were in less pain – but Chara couldn't notice. They nearly fell to their knees, barely managing to stay up, taking deep breaths as they tried to comprehend what happened. "What... What is... that thing?"
A few moments passed, both children in agony, and it was only when Chara recovered a bit more from what just happened before they realized exactly why the other was in pain. Part of their hand seemed to be covered in a thin layer of ice where they had grabbed Chara, which in an awful way proved Chara was wrong about them being a fellow lab rat, too. They wanted to reach out and wipe the ice away or melt it with their own warmth, yet had none to offer, leaving them with only a, "I-I'm sorry, I didn't- My skin, it's..."
To their surprise, after a few more moments of the child staring at their hand... they looked up at Chara and smiled. "It's okay," their expression seemed to say, yet Chara still repeated, "I'm... I'm really sorry. Just please don't touch me again, or... it'll just happen again." They nodded, still smiling, causing Chara to look away with guilt. "Maybe... maybe you should wrap it up so it'll melt. I-It'll still burn, I think... I'm not sure..."
The child moved in the corner of Chara's eyes, leaving them worried they were going to touch them again for whatever reason, but when Chara looked they were... reaching toward the floating object. "W-Wait! You saw what just happened, it'll hurt you! Be careful! I already hurt you-" But instead of going through the object, their hand landed on it as though it were a solid object, and they... didn't seem to be in pain. "What? Are you-"
The shimmering of the world around them suddenly intensified, startling them both. Without so much as a sound, everything seemed to blur around them and just as suddenly solidify, changing somewhat. The pillars around them vanished, their leaves littering the floor. Underneath the light from the hole in Mt. Ebott above, golden flowers suddenly burst into existence. There was silence. Nothing happened.
"...what in the world?" Chara asked after a few moments, their eyes on the golden flowers. They... they didn't grow down here, did they? They had never grown down here... that's why, to see them...
They were distracted from that thought by the other child, frantically gesturing in their direction. "What? What is it? Did something else happen? The world got weird for a moment, but-" The child shook their head, suddenly reaching forward and causing Chara to flinch away, panicking. But... but instead of touching Chara, their hand... went right through.
They still immediately pulled their hand back, at which point Chara realized while it was the one that had been icy only moments before it was now... perfectly fine, it seemed? The child still shivered, but didn't seem to be frozen, like... like their hand had passed through a ghost. A sudden drop in temperature in an otherwise warm space. Chara's heart sank. "You can see me, right? But... what? You can see through me?" The child confirmed and motioned with their hands trying to convey what they meant as Chara spoke. Well, was that it, then? Maybe... maybe Chara really was dead.
"...great!" they shouted after a few moments, turning away and crossing their arms. "Just great... Just great!" They stormed off into the flowers, suddenly sitting down in them. The other child came over to look at them in concern, and neither of them noticed the slight frost that formed over the petals of the flowers. "If I'm dead, how- Wait, you can see me! I can't be dead! But what if I am dead? I'm at least a ghost... But if I died and now I'm a ghost, what will mom and dad think? What about... what about Asriel... Ugh!" They suddenly fell back into the flower bed, frustrated, yet did not crush them. No effect at all besides the damn frost that they finally noticed because of the flowers around their head. They turned to glare at the icy petals, and among them... found a stick.
The other child seemed to want to say something, staring at them in concern as they head a slight breakdown but having no words to communicate with. They jumped when Chara suddenly lifted themselves up, turning to them and asking, "Can you write?" More nodding. "Good, then here." They motioned toward the ground, making the other child pick it up before pointing at the dirt around the flowers and saying, "I'm Chara. Can you write your name so I know what to call you?"
After staring for a few moments, the child once again smiled and nodded, rushing to do so. Chara curled up in a ball momentarily, hands around their head, thinking what it meant to be dead. What it had meant to be alive. If they were even actually dead or what the hell was going on. But they stood up before they could make the other kid worry, going over to them as they stepped back and happily waited for Chara to read their name.
/F-R-I-S-K/
Chara wasn't sure what to think. They had tried to take the two of them back to the Nexus so they could go to New Home and see if they could find anybody, but... only Chara returned. Only Chara could go to the still-shimmering New Home. They returned to find the entrance to the underground as they had left it, with Frisk near tears wondering why they were suddenly alone. Luckily, the other child seemed to take things in stride, and quickly recovered as they wordlessly, happily welcomed Chara back.
The two of them would have to walk from here to New Home, which was on the total opposite side of the underground... but they hadn't left for there just yet. Chara had been struck by sudden sleepiness. They wondered what could have caused a ghost or whatever to become tired like that so suddenly. Frisk was fine with letting them rest, though, and Chara soon fell asleep in the bed of golden flowers...
They woke with Frisk cuddled up as close as they could get without actually "touching" the translucent figure. They seemed to be asleep... Chara carefully reached out to attempt to carefully touch their cheek, only to go straight through. Frisk shivered a bit, but did not wake immediately, Chara withdrawing to think on things.
They hadn't met another person, making them... feel like they needed to stay near Frisk. The two of them had each other if nothing else. They hadn't really gone anywhere, though... Chara closed their eyes again and sighed. Here where they fell... if only Asriel would walk in and find them again... then things could go back to the way they were before...
Frisk awoke shortly after Chara, and they made their way down the hall and into the ruins. Chara, despite their current state, thought of their family and was filled with determination.
They weren't really sure what to make of what they found in the next room.
A golden flower stuck out of the ground, with a... smiling face on it. Almost as soon as they entered it greeted them, "Howdy! I'm Flowey. Flowey the Flower!" The two humans glanced at each other uncertainly before looking back at... "Flowey," who went on, "Hmm... You're new to the Underground, aren'tcha?"
Frisk nodded, while Chara spoke up, "I've lived here before, and was wondering if-" Flowey interrupted them, seeming to ignore them completely, telling Frisk, "Golly, you must be so confused." He... it... whatever it was, it was right about that at least. Chara had no idea what was going on. They were apparently seriously a ghost, they showed up in the same place as Frisk, Frisk wasn't a ghost, and now they were supposed to travel through the Underground on foot all the way to the barrier while Chara was apparently invisible. Thinking of this as they went ignored, they were startled and momentarily panicked when they saw... Frisk's soul.
It was strangely similar to theirs in color, but they only thought about that for a moment, turning to Frisk's physical body. They looked extremely focused, but they weren't injured... "See that heart?" asked Flowey from the center of the room. "That is your soul, the very culmination of your being!" Ah, the flower was explaining the rules of the Underground? Knowledge of Determination and souls was just as common on the surface, something considered important enough to be passed down since the war between humans and monsters hundreds of years ago.
Something not explained, though, was how to project your soul in fights with magical creatures. Long ago, some humans had a form of natural magic – the reason the barrier existed – but when they died out so did the need for physical manifestations of the soul. Chara had learned of this in the lab when they were very young. They had held onto this knowledge in hopes that it made them less of a freak.
"Your soul starts off weak," the flower said, smile never faltering, even as they said, "but can grow strong if you gain a lot of LV."
"What the heck!?" Frisk looked over to Chara at their sudden outburst, concerned. The flower said LV stood for LOVE, but Chara knew he was leaving out some of the details. "It stands for Level of Violence, Frisk. Don't listen to him, he's trying to fool you. Those 'friendliness pellets' are thorns – they'll hurt you if you let them touch you." Frisk nodded, which Flowey didn't question as he asked, "Are you ready? Move around!"
And Frisk did, concentrating on the movement of their soul away from the pellets. Flowey wasn't amused, and insisted they try again. After a second failure in hitting their target, he was visibly frustrated, asking, "Is this a joke? Are you braindead? RUN. INTO. THE. BU—er, friendliness pellets!"
A final failure and his look turned sinister.
" ' , d o n ' ?"
Frisk nodded hesitantly, while Chara pointlessly moved in between them and the flower, prepared to defend the living child however they could. " ."
Without any other warning, thorns surrounded the two humans, leaving no space to flee. Frisk pulled their soul close to their chest, but there was no protecting it in a fight like this. "DIE." the flower said, laughing maniacally as the thorns closed in around them. Chara ran at the flower, walking straight through the thorns and screaming "NO!" as they attempted to do something, anything to save Frisk. They focused on their own soul, feeling an absence that shocked them, but nonetheless they reached out their hands and-
Ice barely formed on Flowey's petals. His devilish grin was replaced by a look of confusion, and while he was distracted Chara turned to see the thorns had paused in their movement. When they quickly turned back to Flowey – he suddenly went flying, letting out a brief shriek, fire knocking him to the side of the room where he fell flat on the ground. Was he- was he dead? Would he turn to dust?
This question was interrupted by the sound of an all-too familiar voice: "What a terrible creature, torturing such a poor, innocent youth..." Chara's eyes widened, feeling an ache deep in their chest as they slowly turned to see...
"Ah, do not be afraid, my child. I am Toriel, caretaker of the Ruins."
...Mother.
"You are the first human to come here in a long time."
The two humans sat by a pillar as they awaited Toriel's return, having been left behind while she went to... do errands... or something... Chara hadn't been able to focus, following along and only thinking on that, the appearance of their adoptive mother, the fact she'd called herself the caretaker of the ruins... Even now they thought on it while Frisk wrote something on the ground with their stick, trying to focus on too many questions at once.
After saving them, Toriel had told Frisk she would guide them through the ruins. As they left, Chara momentarily stopped to check on their attacker, finding neither flower nor dust in its place. It wasn't dead, and Chara knew they hadn't seen the last of it, but they ignored the awful feeling that went along with that realization and followed along. Of course, Toriel had not been able to see them as she explained to Frisk about puzzles, and mercy, and...
Chara's heart ached terribly, knowing she was within reach and yet...
Why was she here? Where was dad? Where was Asriel?
How long had Chara been gone?
All these things and more bothered them to the point they weren't paying attention, leading them to jump when Frisk reached out to "touch" them. Chara turned to look in the dirt, where a question was asked: "Can I call her Mom, too?" A small heart was drawn next to it, and Frisk was smiling innocently. Chara's first reaction was an unintentionally scornful laugh. "What? I mean, I guess. Just don't forget whose mom she really is." When they caught up with their words and tone, though, and saw how their smile faltered, almost becoming a frown before becoming... an understanding smile... they shrunk back a bit, hugging their legs as they said, "...it's fine. I'm sorry. It's just... upsetting. You get it."
Frisk nodded to signal that they did understand, and quickly erased their words with their shoe. They continued to write once things were clear, and Chara let out a long sigh as they patiently waited. Frisk was the only person who could see them and Chara was being a dick about it. Because of their own decisions. Because of their own mistakes. Frisk waved their hand in front of Chara's face to get their attention again not long after.
"Do you want me to tell her you're here?"
...Chara wasn't sure, honestly. They considered it as they stared for a few moments. Here they were, the ghost of Toriel's adopted child. They had likely hurt her so much with what they'd done, irreparably shattering her and dad's hearts. They had even endangered Asriel's life just because they couldn't accept their fate. And at the same time, Chara thought – no, they knew. She'd love to hear they were there. Even if she couldn't see them, being able to communicate through Frisk would be a joy for both of them. They could get clearer answers from her if she just knew Chara was there. Probably.
"I'll... consider it. While it could be helpful, I don't know if it's a good idea yet. In the meantime... Don't you think we should head after her? She's taking a while, but the ruins only go on for so long. We'd catch up with her eventually." Frisk looked a bit disapproving, which Chara responded to by saying, "Don't give me that look, I know what she said! But we're going to get there eventually anyway, so we might as well go now!"
Written in the ground after a little more erasing was, "Isn't it dangerous?"
"Maybe a little, but... monsters are nice! Usually... They were acting a bit strange. I promise, though, if you're kind to them, most of them will understand you mean no harm. If you really think it's too dangerous, though, we can continue to wait for Mom." Then again, she wasn't really here to protect them... so going on ahead could put Frisk's life at stake. "...that's probably the best option. If the monsters are aggressive, putting yourself at risk just to try and get by them without hurting anybody would be-"
Frisk quickly shook their head, though, putting their hands up in front of them. Their red soul, similar to the one Chara had lost, appeared in front of them with the numbers "20/20" floating, shimmering in front of it. It was... honestly bizarre. Chara had never seen such a thing. "What... is that?" They reached out to touch the numbers, but Frisk immediately made the soul disappear, waving their hands frantically at Chara to warn them away. Maybe it was like that thing from before and would injure them? Either way, Frisk explained as well as they could with just their hands: When the number was twenty, apparently, they were fine (explained with two thumbs up), but when it was zero...
Oh. Oh dear.
"Frisk, how do you know this? What if you get hurt? You shouldn't risk it!" Their warnings were ignored as Frisk picked up their stick and started walking, forcing the ghost to follow. "Frisk? Frisk, please!"
In the next room was a Froggit who pleaded with Frisk to spare monsters, which they seemed to happily agree to. (Which was honestly a relief on Chara's end, but they were still worried about Frisk's safety.) They took a short break to roll around in some leaves, leaving the ghost child maybe a bit concerned with how seriously they were taking things at the moment, momentarily pausing with their back to Chara. When Chara called out for them, though, Frisk lifted themselves up, smiling and deciding to continue on without explanation.
This was going to be a long trip, that was for sure.
A candy box told Frisk to take one piece of candy. They took two.
"Horrible! Disgusting! How could you! Whoever put that there obviously trusted you and you just..." Frisk shook their head, frantically gesturing at Chara, who reminded them, "While it's a nice sentiment I'm a ghost. I don't need to eat, but... you need to go to monster jail."
...After a few moments, they both laughed. "...thanks for thinking of me, though."
They proceeded through the ruins slowly, facing monsters and getting through the encounters and puzzles easily enough. Frisk was so friendly to the monsters, with a little mercy they could usually get away without a problem. At one point they got a call from Toriel on the cell phone she'd given Frisk – which they apparently discussed in sign language while Chara wasn't even paying attention – who asked for some reason... what kind of pie they liked. Before Frisk could press a button to answer, however...
"...wait. Do not tell me. Is it cinnamon?" They hesitated, and then pressed one of the phone's buttons once. "Hehehe. I had a feeling. When humans fall down here, strangely... I... I often feel like I already know them. Truthfully, when I first saw you, I felt... like I was seeing an old friend for the first time. Strange, is it not? Well, thank you for your selection."
Chara wondered if Frisk made Toriel think of them. In a way... it made them bitter.
On the way they met a talking rock. While Frisk seemed startled, Chara wasn't fazed at all. "The sign said three out of four rocks wanted you to push them, right? This one obviously didn't. So it's rude to push it without asking." With some difficulty, Frisk managed to ask through gestures for it to move to the position they needed it to be in, and the humans finally continued on their way.
They soon stumbled across a table with some cheese on it, a nearby mouse hole in the wall emitting squeaking noises every so often. The cheese seemed to be melted onto the table. "One day... maybe the mouse will reach the top of this table and get the cheese," Chara said, nodding to themself as if it was a sure thing. When they turned to get Frisk's opinion on the matter, Chara noticed them... staring at the ground next to the table. "Is something wrong?"
Yet Frisk turned to them and smiled, as if nothing was weird, and continued on their way. Chara was starting to wonder about this kid. Did they just have a habit of spacing out? "Are you okay?" A nod in response. "Are you sure? You seemed to be... distracted?" They shrugged, though Chara wasn't exactly sure at which part. Still, the two of them kept walking.
They eventually stumbled upon a ghost that was... "sleeping." "Should we force it to move...? You could just go through it..." Frisk shook their head furiously, as if the very idea was unthinkable. "You're right, I guess that'd be even ruder..." Frisk waved their hands over the ghost's face until it woke up and inevitably attacked. The ghost seemed sad, though, and in between dodging its many tears Frisk tried to comfort it. When they created a hat out of their tears, Frisk encouraged them with a warm smile and thumbs up, and Chara nodded as they said, "Pretty nice..."
"oh no... i usually come to the ruins because there's nobody around... but today i met some nice people..." Chara's eyes widened, wondering if the ghost meant... them? Before they could ask, though, the ghost said, "oh, i'm rambling again... i'll get out of your way..." and disappeared, clearing the way. Chara just sighed, saying, "They might not be the best option, but... no offense, it'd be nice to talk to more than just you for a bit." Frisk just smiled in understanding. That was... probably when Chara noticed how darn smiley they were all the time...
It was a bit... unnerving? At least it wasn't constant. When Chara "wasn't looking," though, Frisk honestly seemed a bit tired. They weren't frowning, but they looked potentially distressed. Which definitely made sense, considering everything they'd been through so far. Waking up in a strange void without a clue of why, ending up in the underground that was long rumored to be a death sentence for humans. And who knows what had happened to them before any of this. With the monsters attacking, too, they probably didn't have a very good first impression of the underground...
In the next room, there was... a spider bake sale going on. That was nice, Chara supposed, but they never saw it. Frisk happily bought a donut from them while Chara waited in the other room. Not that they outright hated spiders, but the sight of them... creeped them out a bit. "It's the eyes," Chara confirmed when Frisk finally left the room. "But I guess it's better I stay away, anyway. If I accidentally froze any of them they could die."
Finally, after a bit more walking, they came upon another froggit, that told Frisk to come close. While it seemed suspicious, the froggit didn't attack, instead telling them, "Just between you and me... I saw Toriel come out of here just a little while ago. I didn't ask what they were for..." It looked uncomfortable as it said, "We're all too intimidated to talk to her."
The children went out onto the balcony, Frisk going off to the side while Chara looked out over the ruins. Was mother here alone? Wasn't she lonely? She was the queen, so that was probably what intimidated everybody, but... She shouldn't be here at all. She should be back home, with Dad and...
Chara was distracted by something waving in their face, caught off-guard when they realized it was a knife. "What, what?! Where did you- did you find that? That's dangerous!" However, Frisk shook their head and quickly demonstrated... it wasn't real. It was a toy, made of plastic. Chara sighed in relief. "It's not like you need it anyway. Just put it up somewhere!" Frisk placed it on the edge of the balcony, nodding, looking kind of... disappointed? Chara sighed and turned away, saying, "Let's... just go. Mom might be looking for us by now."
As they walked away, they didn't notice Frisk picking the knife back up before hurrying after them.
Finally, they made it to an old, leafless tree in the center of a yard. Coming from around it was Toriel, who was muttering about taking longer than she meant to and hurriedly dialing on her phone. She was surprised to find it ringing close by, and hung up as she rushed over to Frisk. "How did you get here, my child? Are you hurt?"
To even Chara's surprise, Frisk was perfectly fine. They were sure the living child had gotten hit a few times early on, but they were in perfect condition. The two of them began to follow Toriel while Chara pondered this. Maybe they just ate some of the monster candy while they weren't looking? They still had the spider donut, at least...
Frisk paused to stare at some leaves just outside the house, but Chara continued on, figuring at this point they were just easily distracted or something.
"Do you smell that? Surprise! It is a butterscotch-cinnamon pie. I thought we might celebrate your arrival. I want you to have a nice time living here." Too distracted by the fact Toriel really was living in the ruins, and in a place creepily similar to their former home, Chara missed the look of discomfort that appeared on Frisk's face. "So I will hold off on snail pie for tonight. Here, I have another surprise for you," Toriel said as she took Frisk's hand and led them into the hall.
The hall was just as familiar as the room before, and it was little surprise to Chara when she stopped outside a specific room and said, "This is it... A room of your own. I hope you like it!" While Frisk stared at the door, processing the information just given to them, Toriel pet their head, making Chara admittedly... a bit jealous, perhaps. They didn't say anything about it, feeling it was silly. "Is something burning...? Um, make yourself at home!" With that, Toriel ran back to the previous room, towards where Chara knew the kitchen was. This was too bizarre.
The two children went into the room, which despite feeling familiar was... a bit different from what they remembered. There was only one bed, and... a lot of kids' shoes? A lot of toys? They looked through the many things in the room, not really sure what to think, as Frisk dug through various drawers. When they finally turned to ask what they were looking for, Frisk was already holding up a... notebook.
A notebook with five words: "Do you want more answers?"
"Q. Why are you here?"
"A. I came to the mountain and fell in."
"Q. Why did you come to the mountain?"
"A. I had to."
The answer baffled Chara. "Why?" they asked aloud, while Frisk stared at them, looking more serious than they had previously. They began writing and returned the notebook to Chara after a few moments.
"Something called for me, so I came. I thought it was strange. I wonder now if it's because of you and thought that is why I found you. But the tug comes from elsewhere."
"That makes sense. I mean... I wasn't awake until just before you got here. Or just after? I'm not sure..." Chara shook their head, wondering about it but having more questions in mind. "That aside... Did you come from the village near Mt. Ebott?" A nod. That's what they'd feared. Chara wanted to ask if they were still continuing the experiments they had done long ago, but... they didn't know if they could handle that knowledge. They didn't want to upset Frisk possibly, either, if they were anything like them. So instead they asked, "...do you... do you have a family?"
The response was a nod, accompanied by a somewhat sad smile. Part of Chara was relieved, but... that pained expression had them curious. They wouldn't ask.
Not wanting to ask anything else for the moment, Chara suggested they explore. The two of them first went to Toriel's room, where Chara made a mental note of the queen-sized bed. Dad definitely wasn't here with her, even though they'd held out hope this entire time that he would be... They peeked into Toriel's open journal, finding nothing but puns about various things, and after laughing at a few Chara noted, "It's... It's really nice to know she hasn't really changed at all. Even though circumstances obviously have..."
They continued down the hall past a room that was undergoing renovations, and ended up at the mirror. While Chara had looked into this mirror previously and noticed their slight appearance change, now they could not see themselves at all. "I wonder why my eye is black now. Do you have any idea?" Frisk only shrugged, though, which wasn't very surprising.
When they returned to the bedroom, Frisk immediately went to sit and write something, holding up a page that just said, "I'm tired." Chara hadn't even thought of it, but... they were dead. Did they even need sleep? "Oh, um... okay. You should sleep then. I'll just hang out here or go back to where we met for a while." Frisk looked at them with a bit of concern, but they assured, "I'll be fine! Really. I could use some time alone to take this all in anyway."
Frisk continued to stare at them, but eventually gave in and nodded. Chara watched as they went to lay down and snuggle up in the blankets, smiling a bit as they sighed and tried to relax. This had to be a lot for them. Chara remembered when they fell into the ruins, injuring themselves badly in the fall... if not for Asriel finding them, they surely would have died alone. They felt maybe it'd have been better that way, but...
"...good night, Frisk." Chara whispered as Frisk settled in. They turned away and sighed, closing their eyes and focusing... returning to the void they'd woken up in.
They stood there a few moments without knowing what to do.
And then, with everything settling in slowly, they fell to their knees, collapsing into quiet sobs...
...When Frisk woke up, they were alone. They rubbed their eyes, listening to the peaceful sound of a music box from somewhere. The tune was unfamiliar – maybe one of their siblings had brought back a new one? How long had they been asleep? They felt like they had a strange dream...
...when they opened their eyes, they saw the unfamiliar room. They quickly remembered... it was no dream.
They clenched their fists a moment, not sure how to feel. They could feel the toy knife pressed against their skin under their clothes. Toriel was nice to them. She was Chara's mother. All the other monsters were nice. Frisk didn't think they'd have to use it, even now, but... it was just a precautionary thing anyway.
Breathe in. Breathe out.
On the floor, near the bed... was a slice of the pie Toriel had spoken of, on a small plate. They weren't particularly hungry, despite not eating anything so far... They figured they'd just go wrap it up after talking to Toriel, so they picked the plate up and headed off in the unexplored direction of the house.
They only paused a moment to look at the stairs.
When Toriel saw them entering the room, she smiled, setting her book down in her lap and saying, "Up already, I see?" Frisk smiled back, nodding, setting the pie down on the table for a moment in case they had a reason to speak to her at the moment. "Um, I want you to know how glad I am to have someone here," she went on, "There are... so many old books I want to share. I want to show you my favorite bug-hunting spot. I've also prepared a curriculum for your education!"
There was a mixture of excitement and sadness in her tone. Frisk could only think of Chara, this poor woman's dead child... If only she knew. Frisk had lost their father, but they could only imagine the pain he would've felt had it been the other way around.
"This may come as a surprise to you... but I have always wanted to be a teacher." Toriel paused a moment, eyebrows scrunching up as she thought about what she said, and she added, "...actually, perhaps that isn't very surprising. STILL." She smiled once more, for a moment looking happier than she had the entire time Frisk had been with her. "I am glad to have you living here."
After confirming with Toriel they didn't need anything, they went to go wrap the pie up in the kitchen. They poked around a bit, but found nothing but chocolate in the fridge and fur in the sink. There was nothing really in here.
Including... Chara.
Frisk hadn't seen them since they woke up. They leaned against the counter, wondering if they were okay. Wondering what they should. They couldn't stay here – they had to keep going. If not to return to their home on the surface, then to do what they'd aimed to do in the first place. But how were they supposed to get out? If they asked Toriel they'd break her heart. Chara may not want to leave. Frisk knew that... they'd be happy here. They could be happy here.
But... there were things they had to do. They had to remain... determined.
That's how they'd gotten this far, after all. They wondered if Chara couldn't see the save points because they weren't determined enough or because they were a ghost. Frisk wasn't going to mention it anyway, considering the whole system was crazy enough without the idea of progress saving. But... if they died...
They had to keep going. They had to live.
They had to get out.
So, hesitantly, they went back to Toriel and signed those inevitable words: "How do I exit the ruins?"
Her eyes widened for a moment, but then she smiled. A fake, worried smile. She stood up quickly, startling Frisk, and told them, "...I have to do something. Stay here." With that, she hurried away, leaving Frisk no time to grab onto her and say anything else. They hesitated to go after her, taking a few steps before pausing. Looking to the bookshelf, where a single book stood out. They stepped toward it and picked it up.
It was a history book... They opened to a random page. "Trapped behind the barrier and fearful of further human attacks, we retreated. Far, far into the earth we walked, until we reached the cavern's end. This was our new home, which we named... 'Home.' As great as our king is, he is pretty lousy at names."
Frisk's heart ached a bit, knowing humans like them had caused the monsters such pain. Even so, they'd been so... accepting. Frisk had befriended so many of them, despite needing Chara's help at times. Their kindness...
It filled Frisk with Determination.
They finally chased after Toriel, knowing exactly where she had gone without even thinking about it. And it wasn't long before they met up with her in the hallway of the basement. "You wish to know how to return 'home,' do you not? Ahead of us lies the end of the ruins. A one-way exit to the rest of the underground. I am going to destroy it. No one will ever be able to leave again. Now be a good child and go upstairs." She continued walking, but Frisk ran after her. They wouldn't let her do this.
She paused again, turning to look at Frisk sadly. "Every human that falls down here meets the same fate. I have seen it again... and again... They come. They leave. They die."
She could see the look in their eyes. She knew they wouldn't back down. But what she didn't know, what she didn't see, was Chara, appearing very suddenly between them. Chara, who looked back and forth between the two of them, turning to Frisk specifically to ask, "What are-"
But Toriel continued on.
"You naïve child... If you leave the ruins... They...
Asgore... Will kill you..."
Chara's eyes widened as Toriel once again smiled sadly. "I am only protecting you, do you understand? ...go to your room." This time, as she turned to walk away, it was Chara who chased after her, asking what she meant despite their words being lost on her. At the sight of Chara, Frisk had faltered slightly. What were they going to do? They... they couldn't let this happen. But they couldn't hurt Toriel. Especially not with Chara there.
As they caught up, Toriel did not turn to look at them, only saying, "Do not try to stop me. This is your final warning."
She proceeded to the door. Both children, desperate and afraid, followed her there.
"You want to leave so badly? Hmph. You are just like the others." Chara's eyes widened. Others? What others? All the children's things in the room, the separation from father, saying he would kill Frisk... what had happened since they died? They wanted to scream and ask her, but they knew it wouldn't help anything.
They had stayed in the void crying for a long time. But they had also been thinking... maybe Frisk was the hope the monsters of the underground needed.
But it wasn't that simple now.
"There is only one solution to this. Prove yourself... Prove to me you are strong enough to survive!"
Without seeming to think about it, Chara moved in between them. They turned to Frisk with such a desperate look, Frisk was a bit... startled. Toriel's voice behind Chara asked, "...wait. Why are you looking at me like that? Like you have seen a ghost." Chara's eyes conveyed a feeling of pain Frisk had never felt so... intensely. "Do you know something that I do not?" They did. They knew of her suffering child who could not communicate their presence, who could not reassure her everything would be okay. Who could not do for her what she'd done for them long ago. Who could not take back their mistakes. "...no. That is impossible."
Frisk looked beyond Chara, at Toriel. Their soul appeared, the battle beginning, and as they focused again on their friend...
Chara could only look them in the eye and hopelessly plead, "Frisk... She doesn't know what she's doing... She's scared, and hurt, but... she doesn't want to hurt you... Please... don't... don't hurt my mother anymore...!"
They felt the knife against their skin.
There was an easy way out of this.
They smiled.
And used mercy.
It was hard at times to avoid Toriel's fire attacks. Frisk continued to dodge without attacking, sparing her every chance they got. They would not fight.
"What are you doing? Attack or run away! What are you proving this way? Fight me or leave!" Toriel's continued to speak as she attacked, but when Frisk looked to her they did not show their fear. They did not show their doubt. They smiled at her patiently. "Stop it. Stop looking at me that way!" Her attacks became more intense as she screamed, "Go away!" Frisk worried for a moment they could not avoid them, but...
Quickly realized despite the onslaught of fire magic heading toward them, every attack was missing as if on purpose. Toriel, for a few moments, became silent as Frisk stood there and looked at her, their soul in perfect position for her to attack. They stood their ground. They would remain determined.
And Chara, who had only been able to watch, useless in the face of Toriel's flames, stood beside them.
The fire died down.
"I know you want to go home, but... Please, go upstairs now. I promise I will take good care of you here. I know we do not have much, but... we can have a good life here." Frisk stepped toward her, smiling. It was clear their mind was made up. "W-Why are you making this so difficult? Please, go... upstairs..."
Frisk stopped right in front of her, looking up at her, with Chara slightly behind them. Toriel stared back down at them and... after a moment, she laughed. "Pathetic, is it not? I cannot save even a single child. ...no, I understand. You would just be unhappy trapped down here. The ruins are very small once you get used to them. It would not be right for you to grow up in a place like this."
The monster woman sighed, and kneeled down to look Frisk in the eye. There was something in her gaze like recognition, and she was obviously close to tears as she said, "My expectations... My loneliness... My fear... For you, my child...
I will put them aside."
Frisk's soul returned to them as it ended. Toriel stood again, shoulders slumped, not looking directly at Frisk anymore. "If you truly wish to leave the ruins... I will not stop you. However, when you leave... please do not come back. I hope you understand."
She once again leaned down to hug Frisk tightly, holding them for a few moments as they reached around her to return the gesture. Chara could only watch, ignoring the familiar pain in their chest as Toriel told Frisk, "Goodbye, my child." To Chara... it felt like something they themselves had needed to hear. They would not burden their mother with knowledge of their existence. This was likely... the last time they'd ever see her.
She nearly left, Frisk staring at the door without looking back, when she turned to look at them one last time. Without them looking, she had a frown on her face, one that worried Chara. Could they... could they really just leave like this? She walked away, but Chara immediately turned to ask Frisk, "...can we follow her? Please? I can't leave things like this. There may be nothing I can do, but..."
Frisk continued to stare at the door, and Chara was worried they would not agree. But they finally nodded. She was nowhere in the house above, but while they were there Frisk packed a bag with all the things they had collected, sneaking in the toy knife. They took the piece of the pie that had been left for them, figuring they'd save it for later. One last reminder. And finally they took the notebook, figuring it was the easiest way of communicating with Chara.
Eventually they went all the way back to where they had started, finding Toriel again. She seemed surprised when she saw Frisk, who signed something to her that Chara couldn't understand, but smiled. "Do not worry about me. Somebody has to take care of these flowers." Without looking at them anymore, she turned back to stare at them. The children looked at each other, unsure of what to do.
Chara stepped forward and, careful not to go through her, hugged her as best they could. It was the only thing left for them to do.
It was time to leave.
And as they did, neither saw when Toriel bowed her head and began to cry, remembering all too well that familiar, cold embrace of her child...
