Hello again!
Thank you viewers for being so understanding. I was feeling really down in the dumps earlier, but I'm back now, yay! Publishing this a day early since I lost so much time. Hopefully, with DETERMINATION, I can stay on track from now on.
Also, these chapters are going to get way longer than before. The first two were little introduction chapters, but now we're going through some thick plot. So be prepared.
And Chara is very salty.
UNDERTALE
THE END
A soft melody began to play in the background. It sounded like… a home, one from a long time ago.
*...
Another happy ending. The Player had decided to be merciful this run. Good for them. Now it was time to reset and slaughter everyone again, crushing their hopes and dreams like little bugs.
… Now.
No, now.
*Well, hurry up!They thought. *What's the holdup? You didn't hesitate last time. Get on with it!
Nothing. Just the suffocating silence of the void. They groaned internally. A part of them liked being nothing, but it got rather boring after a while. So insufferably boring, it could drive you mad.
More silence. The darkness seemed to extend onwards forever. It had no end. This was death, just quiet darkness that smelled like soil for all eternity. For however long they were dead before Frisk came, this was their afterlife. Calm, yes, but incredibly monotonous.
Though, they did notice that they were more aware than in the past. Before, it had been like their head was stuffed with cotton. They couldn't breathe or move, and they could barely think. Now, all their senses were clearly defined. They felt something cold, as well as strips of something scratchy beneath them. It smelled like cleaner and perfume trying to disguise a vile truth. They could wiggle around, but they were still stuck in one place. The clouds in their mind were gone, although they still couldn't see. And if they played along with their broken mental state long enough, they could feel the memories of their chest gently moving up and down.
Was this their reward for a True Pacifist run? Not much of one. It wasn't like they had done much anyways, just kept their bitter anger buried and pretended they were still chummy with The Player. What a foolish person. They thought they were above consequences. Ha! Laughable. How they would love to get ahold of their beloved dagger and put it to good use…. *No! No no no. They shivered. The reset had drained all of the L.O.V.E. from the fragments of their soul, but it was still there, in a way. Those moments when the sadistic side came out… they dreaded them. They tried to keep the ugly part of them hidden, but it was like it had a will of its own. It was a parasite, worming its way into their brain, spreading out over their thoughts, corrupting them and turning them to its will. It was only a matter of time before it took over completely.
Maybe they were better off like this after all. Buried deep in the ground, where they could never hurt anyone for the rest of eternity. It was going to be a very dull eternity, but it was worth it. As long as the world was safe from their inner demons.
Suddenly, a loud grating noise came from nearby, making them jump. What was that? Was something in the dirt with them? In their mind's eye, they imagined a giant worm wriggling through the muck. They weren't afraid of monsters (plus they were already dead), but what if the monster swallowed them up? Monsters hated humanity, after all. It wouldn't hurt, exactly, but they couldn't see it being pleasant either. They quivered internally in fear. Then, it happened again. That echoing grating sound, like stone slabs rubbing against each other, except farther away this time. Hmm. Maybe they weren't in danger of being eaten after all. They calmed down a bit, an imaginary exhale of relief escaping. There weren't many things to be afraid of anymore, but the childhood fear of demons sneaking in and chewing up their soul like a gumball hadn't faded, apparently. How embarrassing.
More noise. They strained to hear what exactly it was. It sounded like scuffling, and maybe… voices? Someone must be walking on the flowerbed they were buried under. They glared into the darkness. People had to know they were buried here! Have some respect! Perhaps they were human tourists. That would explain it. Humans were vile, piggish creatures with a tendency to tear down their own, after all.
Well, that wasn't completely true. Frisk wasn't your average human. They were just a kid, and they always did their best to show mercy. Their face was devoid of emotion, but their heart wasn't.
But more than anything, they had made the effort to connect with them. When they had first been bound together by determination, Chara didn't care who they were or what was inside their heart. They just wanted someone to take their soul and crack open the barrier, so monsterkind could be free and humankind could get what they deserved.
But Frisk was different. Though now they realized sparing everyone was the Player's actions, they doubted Frisk would have done otherwise. They might have fought until their opponent gave up or killed Flowey as revenge, but in the end, they would have chosen the True Pacifist route. And besides, they seemed to have liked them. They smiled internally at their jokes, and their soul would whisper words of kindness when they were sad.
They had been nice to them.
They smiled softly at the memories, but were distracted by a voice that seemed to come from right above them. They sucked in their breath as a nasty thought bubbled to the surface. What if they were being taken out of the ground? Mo-Toriel and Asgore probably wanted them to be reburied on the surface, so they could have a proper funeral and the like. But they didn't want that. They just wanted to wallow in the dirt, alone. If they were taken out, they would see sunlight, actual sunlight. But worse, they would see Toriel and Asgore and Asr-Flowey and worst of all, Frisk. Only to be ripped from them once again to be laid down to rest. Or… what if they were being cremated?! Thrown into a raging inferno, melted, scooped into a jar, then put on display on Toriel's mantelpiece for however long she lived? Forced to watch her raise the only child she had that wasn't dead? To see their adoptive parents and sibling grow old and die? The very idea was repulsing. But the worst part was knowing that they had no power at all down here. If the royal family wanted them in a different spot, there was no avoiding their fate.
In the end, they were just a lost youth, subject to the wills of others. That was the way it had always been. Other humans had always known how to twist a child's natural trust and manipulate it into getting what they wanted. They knew how to make you tick, and how to break you. Maybe that was why they went to that mountain in the first place. To be free. *That sure worked well. They thought. Though they knew Toriel and Asgore truly meant no harm by wanting to move their body, they couldn't help but feel angry. *Just leave me be. Be happy, somewhere else, far, far away. Don't let me get close again. Don't let me hurt you again.
*... Please don't let me kill you again.
Suddenly, more grating, and light! A brilliant, blinding light that completely obscured their vision. Their head pounded as they tried to shield their eyes… *Wait a moment. I can move?
A pair of warm hands lifted them into a sitting position. They could faintly hear people talking, though their ears were ringing. Eventually, the shock of the light faded, and they opened their eyes.
They were in a chilly gray room. The only features were the exit and the graves. Six of them, lined up in a neat row next to… theirs?! They were sitting in their old grave. Standing around them, faces fraught with worry, were six human children. But the most shocking thing of all was that they were breathing. And not only that, their heart was pumping, too. They could feel it, a large drum inside their chest, beating in time with the marching band of their body. *How… how?
"Hey… are you okay?" a child spoke up, startling them. This one was a short boy, with hair like honey and skin like milk. He was wearing a green, striped, long-sleeved shirt with blue overalls. His aura reminded them of a quiet stream in a clearing, or a kitchen alive with heavenly smells of delicious things cooking. He smiled warmly. "Pretty… shocking, huh?" he said.
"Perseverance here nearly had a heart attack!" cried a girl. She had a thick British accent, a toothy, cocky smile, and white-gold hair. A thick pale blue hoodie, also with stripes, and a blue skirt was her outfit.
"H-hey! Cut it out!" the boy who had to be 'Perseverance' shot back. A dark purple shirt and pants for him, with olive skin and dark hair. He waggled his finger, but in the wrong direction. He sighed. "Has anyone seen my glasses?" he grumbled.
"Not me. In fact, I haven't seen any of the things we originally had." replied another boy. The dark blue short-sleeve shirt and leggings complemented his black skin and brown eyes rather well. His blurred image had been poking around the room earlier, presumably for these items, but now he was standing by their coffin, not so far as to seem disinterested, but giving them space at the same time.
"Well, let's go find them! Then we can beat up the guy that killed us all!" yelled a girl. Almost neon orange hair, green eyes, and an orange outfit. They barely noticed all this, however, instead latching onto her twisted words. They clenched their fists and glared at her. It took a few seconds for her to realize. She raised an eyebrow. "What? You don't want to?"
They opened their mouth to lash into that little brat, but all that came out was not even a whisper, more like breathing with words in it. They clenched their throat, surprised. The original boy looked sympathetic.
"We'll get you some medicine on the surface." he said. He offered a hand, and they took it, slowly climbing out of their coffin. Their limbs ached from lack of movement, and they had to grip the side of the coffin tightly in order to stand up.
"So." a girl in the back said. She hadn't spoken up before, but now moved closer. Straw hair and tanned skin with a stereotypical cowboy outfit, the exaggerated belt buckles and all. She even had spurs on the back of her boots. It looked like she was going to a costume party. Now, she was giving Chara the one-over. After a moment, she continued. "What's your soul color?"
This time, before they could speak, the British girl put a hand over their mouth. "Don't talk. It'll make your throat even worse." she said. She then turned to the yellow one. "Red. Determination. Like the mute kid who beat up that stupid flower." she said.
"Where did you come from?" the blue boy said. It wasn't an accusatory statement, or at least it didn't sound like one. Though, they knew from experience people weren't always what they seemed. They just shrugged. It wasn't like they would tell him, even if they knew.
"Ahem, I, um, have a theory." mumbled Perseverance. He waited until everyone was paying attention, coughed, and folded his hands behind his back. He looked nervous, but a warm smile from the green child seemed to prompt him. "A-After the Prince broke the barrier, h-he returned all the souls to their bodies, i-including ours. R-Right?" he said. The others muttered words of reassurance and general agreement.
"We all saw it." said the yellow girl. "But what's your point?"
He seemed to become more confident at this point, and his stuttering became less frequent. "Well, after he returned the souls to the bodies of the monsters, I noticed some stray souls that weren't strong enough. To return to their bodies, I mean. They were the old, the sick, the weak. They were about to shatter, but then, they started speeding towards red fragments. As more souls were absorbed, the fragments formed into a soul, then vanished." he said. "At first I thought it was the determined child that we helped back then, but I believe that soul might have been the first fallen child that d-died long ago. And I believe she stands before us now." he said. He then turned to Chara. "Is that correct?"
Their heart was thudding. Was that even possible? Dead monsters coming together to revive a human? Their thoughts were so muddy, all they could get out was a hoarse whisper of "I'm a they." It was barely a whisper, but it was loud in the silence that blanketed the room.
The orange and yellow girls raised an eyebrow, but nobody else seemed to react except Perseverance, who blushed. "S-sorry about that." he mumbled, embarrassed.
"Hey, I just remembered, we haven't introduced ourselves yet!" the blue girl burst. They doubted that. More like she had been waiting to see if they were 'cool' enough to know her name. She shook their hand and smiled. "I'm Amelie, but you can call me Patience." she said. "It's like a code name." she explained when they looked confused. She then pointed to the other kids in order of color. "Bravery, Justice, Kindness, Integrity… wait, he's not here. Anyway, he's the blue one, and, well, you know Perseverance." she snickered. "And you," she jabbed them in the chest, "are Determination." she finished.
"Um… I found our stuff!" cried 'Integrity' from outside the room. Everyone bolted out of the catacombs on command, leaving them stuck leaning against their coffin. "Come on, now. We don't bite." Kindness chimed, gently taking their hand and escorting them out. Though they hated to admit it, they were grateful. Their legs still wobbled with the effort of walking.
They walked down the gray halls until they reached the throne room, a garden blooming with golden flowers. As Kindness gave them a reassuring squeeze, they realized they had been gripping his hand harder than needed. Too many memories, happy and heartbreaking, threatened to break their cool facade. They gulped. At least they could chalk it down to nervousness about meeting Asgore again.
The children were clamoring about in the meadow of golden flowers, picking through a pile. Patience put her hair in a ponytail with a cute red ribbon and opened a little play doctor's kit to put in a flimsy plastic knife. Integrity had put on a dusty tutu and was currently pulling on dirty ballet shoes. Perseverance looked happy, as he had finally found his glasses, as well as a torn notebook. Bravery pulled on a boxing glove and a bandanna with a fist on it, and Justice plopped a cowboy hat on her head. They realized that these items had been found by Frisk in different spots in the Underground. But why were they all here?
"What's this?" Justice said. They looked over to see a worn dagger in her hand. Their dagger. They instantly ran over and snatched it away. Ignoring her annoyance, they turned it over in their hands. A present from Asriel, one they had never received. Its intended purpose was to replace the knife that had broken, the knife that had protected them on the surface. But this one didn't have such a comforting presence. Instead, they couldn't help but think about how much L.O.V.E they could gain right here, right now. These kids couldn't put up a fight. It would be so easy. Just a few slashes to the chest or throat and BAM! Free EXP.
At that moment, their legs gave out and they toppled to the ground, landing face-first onto the flowers. The kids cried out and lifted them up, leaning them against the far wall. Their voices echoed around them, but it was hard to hear through their own dark thoughts. The urge to destroy the knife and all it symbolized was strong, but they couldn't. A tool for murder or not, it had been from Asriel. Throwing it away would be like throwing his memory away. They had done that once. They weren't about to do it again, especially when they actually had a choice. They simply tucked it into their pocket. Out of sight, out of mind.
The worried faces of Patience, Integrity, Bravery, and Perseverance surrounded them, asking if they were alright or if they needed some water. They waved them off and tried to stand up, but fell back on their rear end. As they tried to get up again, they were forcibly pinned in a sitting position by Justice. She had acquired a gun somehow, and was holding it rather threateningly. Whether it was loaded or not, they didn't know, but they weren't exactly eager to find out, so they let Kindness give them a paper cup of water. He now had a burnt pan and an apron with a heart on it. After they were done, he put it in a nearby recycling bin for them. "Do you need anything else?" he asked. They shook their head.
"Hey, is this yours?" Bravery asked. She was holding the heart locket. They nodded, hands gripping their sweater tightly, as if that could keep remembrance away. She dropped it unceremoniously into their lap, and they cupped it in their hands. Another present from Asriel they had never been able to appreciate. But it was their fault anyway, they had poisoned themselves. They bit their lip. Half of the time, they blamed their goat brother for chickening out at the last second and costing them everything. But the other half, all they felt was guilt for tearing that family - and the Underground - apart.
Maybe they didn't deserve to wear this. Maybe they didn't deserve compassion. But they were too selfish to throw it away. It was a glossy, golden heart brimming with memories of safety and warmth and love, and they couldn't let that go. Not yet. So they slid the locket onto their neck. Its presence was far more comforting than the sharp bulge in their pocket.
"Why do you have a knife?" Justice asked. Her tone was neutral, but they could tell she was searching for an excuse to use that pistol. But they didn't know what to say in response. A knife wasn't exactly a normal kid's birthday present.
"Why do you have a gun?" Patience rebutted. She got on their nerves with her fake peppiness, but they were indebted to her. Justice searched around in her mind, but couldn't seem to come up with an argument. She huffed and dropped the subject by stalking away.
They mouthed 'thank you' to Patience (rather reluctantly, sure, but they did thank her at least). She winked, smiling.
"Sorry to interrupt, but where is this king guy, anyway? We have to make him pay for killing us!" Bravery shouted, cracking her knuckles. Anger flared up inside their soul again, and they sent a dirty look in her direction. She noticed immediately this time. "Hey, what's your problem? What did I do?" she asked.
"I don't think you did anything in particular, Bravery. It's just that she-" Perseverance coughed. "I, I mean they are the first fallen, which means they were the one adopted by the Dreemurrs. Right?" he asked, looking at them for confirmation. They nodded. "Yes, so it's only natural they would feel uncomfortable when you talk about killing King Asgore. N-not like that's necessarily the wrong option, i-it's just we should consider the other's opinion before w-we do anything drastic, that's all." he stammered. Blushing furiously, he ran off, not able to take the pressure of everyone staring at him.
"Uh… sorry." Bravery mumbled. "I didn't know. The monsters… never told me that story." she said. It seemed almost like she felt guilty, but that was impossible for humans. They were far off from forgiveness, but making a scene would only create a rift between them and the group. They really needed medical help at the moment, and they didn't want to be left behind. As a result, they just nodded and turned away.
"Well, I still think we should find Asgore. Maybe, if he sees Determination, he'll leave us be." Kindness piped up. They other kids mumbled words of agreement.
"But where do we find him? The Underground isn't that big, but he could be anywhere, and there are monsters all around here who want our souls." questioned Integrity. Nobody seemed to be able to think of a response.
Suddenly, Justice came back, Perseverance tagging along, shy as ever. "I think you guys should see this." she said. Strangely enough, she looked slightly more… hopeful than usual. With Kindness' help, they walked with the rest out of the throne room and through a corridor. They realized this was the path to the barrier. Was Asgore there? If so, why did Justice seem so calm?
The group turned the corner, and a collective gasp echoed throughout the room. The barrier was... gone.
A few seconds of shock coursed through their system before they mentally slapped themselves. Of course the barrier was gone, Asriel and Frisk had destroyed it mere hours ago! They couldn't help but feel stupid at how surprised they had been when first going around the bend.
In place of the barrier, there was a large, deep purple door, with ornate symbols carved into it. It was open slightly. Golden light poured through the crack. Sunlight.
The whole party was frozen for however long, just staring at the door. Without any kind of prior warning, Bravery burst forth and swung open the door, disappearing into the glow. It overwhelmed their senses and forced them to shield their eyes. It was so bright, it was unbelievable. They could hear exclamations of surprise and pain in the background, confirming that the rest were also suffering their fate.
After a while, their eyes became more used to the light, and they could remove their hands from their face, although they had to squint to see. They felt Kindness holding their hand once again and pulling them forward. They let him.
They were suddenly standing on a large cliff. On the horizon, a buzzing city and majestic castle stood tall and proud, their silhouettes standing clear against the sunset. It was a collage of wispy clouds, shadows, and the luminous ball of fire that was sinking into the skyline. The sky itself was a work of art. Pinks and oranges and yellows and blues and just a speck of green, almost like an artist had splattered their paint buckets across the sky. It was then that they remembered as bad as the surface was, there were a few small things that had kept them going, and that they had craved to see again for so long. A sunset was one of them, a gourmet meal that filled a hole inside they hadn't even known was there.
"Wow." Integrity whispered. "It's… beautiful."
"... Yeah." Patience responded softly.
It was silent among the group for a long time. None of them wanted to break this enchantment, so they just stood, watching the sunset. As the sun dipped further beyond the horizon, darkness took over, pouring across the sky and nestling itself behind any objects. Even with night coming, there was not a sound.
Finally, Integrity managed to tear his eyes away from the landscape. "I hate to interrupt, but maybe we should try and find civilization. Find a place to stay. And I know some of us have families to be getting back to." he said, smiling. But they did notice a touch of melancholy in his voice when he mentioned families.
His little speech seemed to awaken the other children from their trances. "Oh yeah, you're right!" Patience giggled. "I can't wait to see my parents! It's been so long! Oh…" she said. Her wide grin suddenly faded. "What… what if they forgot me?"
Perseverance shook his head. "N-no offense, but I don't think that's possible. You've made such an impression in the time we've been together, I-I doubt anyone c-could forget." he said shyly. He flinched a little when she turned, expecting a fierce comeback, but she just hugged him. Surprise, and then gratitude enveloped his face.
"Well, what are we doing just standing here? Let's get moving!" cried Bravery. The kids cheered and clamored down a worn path in the rock face, leaving them behind. Finally, peace and quiet. All the fake innocence was driving them stark raving mad. They settled down on the cliff and let their legs dangle over the edge. It was then that the inevitable question came to mind.
*What now?
What were they supposed to do with their new-found life? A ghost of a smile appeared on their pale face as they imagined living with Frisk and Toriel. They could go to school and pretend to be listening while really striking up conversation in sign language and then giggling like a six-year-old when the teacher looked confused. They could visit Da-Asgore and help him with his garden. They could train with Undyne, watch Mew Mew with Alphys, bake pies with Toriel.
They could be happy.
But that was an illusion. They could never have a life like that. And there was one reason why. Sans. Sans the skeleton, with his plastic grin and glowing eye. That comedian…
A lump formed in their throat as they remembered. Their sickly smiles mirroring each other. The blasters, the bones, the Karmic Retribution. Something red dripping on the floor as he stumbled away, dying. That sensation, the L.O.V.E. filling their soul with dust and emptiness.
He would never forget. If they ever showed their face around him, around anyone he knew, he would relentlessly hunt them down until they were a deep-fried, bloody mess skewered like a kabob. They could just imagine their parents' reaction. One of their long-lost children, magically brought back to life, only to be torn away from them by the cruel hand of fate. It would drag her down into an abyss of grief, and drive him into a blind rage. It would rip their hearts apart.
They could never be with their family. Instead, they would have to be as far away as humanly possible. For their safety as much as their own. They bit their lip. Where to go? Alaska? Brazil? The Sahara? Was there anywhere on Earth they could ever be with their true kin, the monsters, and not be in danger?
"Hey… what are you still doing up here?" a voice said. They nearly jumped out of their skin in surprise. Kindness winced at their angry expression. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you... " he coughed. "It's dangerous up here. Come on, we found a paved road nearby." he said. He gestured towards the trail, but fumbled when they didn't move.
"Do… do you not have a family up here?"
They tucked their knees to their chest. They did have a family. The problem was, they could never go near them again. But he would never understand that, so they just nodded curtly. He sat down next to them, cross-legged. "Well… you could always stay with one of us. Integrity… he doesn't have one either. Well, not one that would... take him back, y'know?" he smiled awkwardly. When they didn't react, he squirmed under the pressure until he finally sighed. "There's food and shelter and… there are people who care about you. Come with us. Please?"
They made a resentful face and shook their head. *No thank you. His face fell at their flat denial of his offer, but then some kind of realization dawned on him. "You want to stay in the Underground." he said. "I can understand that, but… everyone's probably moved out by now. Especially the royal family. You should come and look for them on the surface." he exclaimed hopefully. They just shook their head again. They were not going. He looked rather hurt, and went quiet again.
"Do… do you have unfinished business down there? Or… do you want to..." he gulped. "If that's the case, then I won't let you!" he cried, flipping from his somber mood to a far more passionate one. "There must still be something for you to live for! And if you can't find it, we'll help! I promise!" he yelled.
They stared at him with a confused expression. They had just met, why was he so concerned? And why was he being so nice in the first place? He was a human. They always had ulterior motives. Just because he was nicknamed 'Kindness' didn't mean he actually was kind.
They got to their feet. He immediately leaped up and grabbed their arm. Maybe he wanted to sell them to the black market. Or perhaps he thought the more kids his group had, the more pity they would gain. Pathetic. They tried to stalk off, but he planted his feet and wouldn't let them. A minor panic set in as they struggled to free themselves from his grip. "I won't let you! Nobody should feel like they have to end it! I can, no, all of us can show you that this life is worth living. Please?" he said. He seemed desperate. Not like they cared. He was a human, and that meant he was the scum of the earth, no matter how nice he acted.
Filled with determination, they ripped their arm from his grasp. They would have ran, but they could barely stand yet. He gazed at them with a hurt expression. "Why..? I… I just can't understand…" he mumbled.
"I don't want to." they whispered. It was an extremely quiet voice in comparison to his, but it was louder than it was before.
His jaw practically dropped. "If you don't, then why? What's left in the Underground for you?" he said.
They honestly didn't know how to answer that, so they just shrugged. Without warning, a piercing voice rang through the air. "Kindness! Hey, what's taking so long? We need to get moving before dark!" the speaker yelled. They couldn't tell which child it was.
He looked hesitant. "Go on." they said softly. He stared at them, quivering, before finally giving up and walking away down the trail. He looked back once or twice, face blanketed with regret, before disappearing.
They sighed. *Good riddance. They then turned towards the cave entrance. They didn't really want to go back in there, but it was too dangerous out here in the wilderness. Mind made up, they walked towards the gate. Their boots clacked against the jagged stone. Wait… were cracks appearing in it? Right in front of them…
Suddenly, the ground broke apart, and a golden flower popped out. One they knew very well. He stared at them with a mix of glee and apprehension. It was him.
It was him.
"Howdy, Chara. It's been awhile, huh?" Flowey said.