The school bell rang. The kids had formed a quiet line from their room to the outside doors, but as soon as Mrs. Smith opened the door the students were gone, everyone sprinting the short distance from the door to the playground. Chara lagged behind. He wasn't in a rush to go play alone. He stepped onto the wood chips.
"Hey, Chara!" Niko ran up to them. "Wanna play?"
"Sure." He beamed. "What do you want to do?"
Niko pointed at the other side of the playground. "Monkey bars?"
Chara walked across the playground, a happy skip in his stride. He wasn't all alone. Niko had wanted to play with him. Niko climbed onto the steps, grabbed the first bar, and swung across.
"Look. I can skip bars," Chara boasted and followed him across.
Niko narrowed his eyes. "Well I can do something even cooler!" He grabbed the first bar and pulled himself up, hoisting himself on top of the monkey bars. Perched high above the ground, He sat, his feet dangling over the edge. "Beat that!"
Chara kicked his legs onto the bar and swung himself upside down. "I don't even need my hands." He let his hands fall and pushed his hair out of his eyes, looking at Niko with a grin.
"Heh, I don't know anything else. We should go down the slide."
Chara looked down. The ground seemed much farther away now. He twisted around. "Niko! How do I get down?"
They twisted the garish, lime-green fabric around their fingers. Asriel had given them a heavier jacket for them to wear today. He said they could keep it.
They held it out at arm's length. It wasn't the best color combo. Yellow and green would get soiled quickly. But it was nicer than the other clothes they had, soft too. Chara curled their fingers around the sleeve.
Clattering came from the kitchen. Toriel and Asgore were getting ready. Soon they would all be leaving. They tied their new jacket around their waist. Their feet tapped anxiously against the ground. There was still a part of them that didn't believe the monsters would let them leave. That still believed this was all a ruse. A knock on the door made them jump.
"Howdy, Chara," Asriel opened the door. His voice lacked its usual vitality. He didn't meet their eyes. "Mom wants to know if you're ready to go."
"Yeah." They felt their stomach knot. They closed their eyes, trying to calm themself. It wasn't a ruse. They would be taken to the exit today. They would be able to leave. They struggled to push their fear and doubt away. The monsters were being nice. They had to trust them. They stepped into the hall.
Asriel held up a knapsack. "Here you go. Mom has your food in here. "
Chara took the bag gingerly. Asriel watched them.
"Go on," he said. "Mom has clothes in there for you, too. So you don't get cold in Snowdin."
Chara unzipped the bag. An apple and a piece of pie were wrapped in plastic wrap next to a folded scarf. Chara pulled out the carefully knit fabric. Their name was stitched into the cloth.
Tears blurred Chara's eyes. They felt their resolve to leave falter. They had food, clothes, shelter, and love there if only they would stay. They imagined living there with Asriel. Spending their days playing board games, making blanket forts, running through the town. Planting flowers in the spring with Asgore, and watching the newly planted tree grow tall and strong. Curling up next to Toriel on cold nights, and waking up to the smell of sugar and cinnamon. They didn't want to leave. Did they?
Most importantly, if they stayed here they could start over. Chara's eyebrows furrowed. Could a wish come true for someone as cursed as them?
They wouldn't have to face the people in their town. They didn't know what it was like back there. What if people were still on the hunt for them? If they came to town, would they not be seen as a criminal, returning to the scene of the crime? Even if they told their side of the story, - told the truth - people would not believe them. They would be tried and punished. They hadn't done anything wrong. Maybe they didn't need to go back?
No. They couldn't. They had made mistakes, they had done wrong. They couldn't run from the consequences forever. They didn't deserve the Dreemurrs' kindness. They pulled a pair of gloves out of the bag and put on a wool hat. They had to leave. They owed it to her.
Chara zipped the backpack and and swung it over their shoulders. "Thank you," Chara said, trying to mask the waver in their voice. Asriel grunted in response.
Chara watched him awkwardly. "So," they scuffed their shoe against the wooden floor. "Do you know when we're leaving?"
Asriel shrugged. "Dunno." His ears perked up. "Hey, Mom made us breakfast." Asriel grabbed their hand and pulled them to the kitchen. He picked up two bowls that were on the counter and offered one to Chara. "Oatmeal?"
They took it. "Thanks." The bowl still felt warm. It must have just been made. The surface of the oatmeal was covered by a sprinkling of cinnamon. They ate slowly, savoring the taste. It might be the last time that they ate cinnamon.
Who knew. It might be the last time they ate anything.
There was a knock from the front door. Chara wheeled their head around. Who was that? Asgore and Toriel would have walked in without knocking. Chara looked at Asriel with a questioning expression. He didn't notice. He was staring sullenly into his oatmeal, stabbing the chunks with his spoon.
Asgore padded down the hallway and opened the door. "Howdy there, Dr. Gaster. Right on time."
Chara felt a foreboding shiver run through them. They remembered that name. The skeleton monster that they had met in town. Why was he there?
Dr. Gaster stepped into the home, hands clasped behind his back. Asgore shut the door behind him. "I am honored to have been invited, your majesty."
Majesty? Chara's spoon slipped from their fingers and clattered onto the tile floor. They had been staying with the leaders of the monsters? Chara's mind whirled back to the comment that the dog had made the night before. The king and queen have been extremely worried at your foolishness. The king and the queen were Asgore and Toriel. That meant that Asriel was a… Chara's eyes went wide. They had hurt not just some random kid monster, but a prince.
"Chara, you okay?" Asriel asked, tilting his head.
Chara forced a smile. "Never better."
"Chara, this is Dr. Gaster," Asgore introduced. Dr Gaster nodded. "Yes," he said. "We have met." He gave Chara a gentle smile. "A pleasure to see you again, child."
"Wonderful." Asgore didn't question how they had met. "He will be accompanying us today to help us pass through a difficult part of the underground." Asgore picked their spoon off of the ground and headed to the sink to wash it. He handed it back to Chara. Chara accepted it meekly.
Not very...kingly of him.
Toriel stepped down the hall. "I have finished packing. Is everyone ready to go?" She was wearing a large backpack around her shoulders.
Not very queenly of her.
Asgore dried his hands. "Yes. I believe it is time to be going."
"But, dad." Asriel whined, leaning back against the counter. "We can't go yet."
"Asriel, I thought that you would be excited," Toriel said. "Why should we not go now?"
"Because..." Asriel looked around the room. "I lost my hat. My ears are going to be all cold." He crossed his arms, his cheeks puffing out.
"My child, what has gotten into you?" Toriel placed the back of her hand on his forehead. "You're not feverish." She shook her head. "Either way, I have a spare hat in my room." She walked down the hall.
Chara looked at Asriel out of the corner of their eye. They hadn't noticed before how puffy his eyes looked. They looked at him quizzically. He stared at the floor, lip jutted out.
Toriel returned and slid a hat over Asriel's ears.
"Mom!" Asriel yanked the hat off of his head. "I don't like it," he whined. "It's too itchy."
Toriel pulled it back onto his head. "You have never had a problem with it before, child. Leave it on your head. You will get frost bite otherwise."
Asriel crossed his arms. He stared at his new red boots, scuffing them on the floor..
"If that is solved, then let us be off." Asgore walked down the steps. At the bottom of the staircase, he brought his hands together. A small flame appeared and lit the way for them. Asgore easily slid the door open, though its hinges squealed in protest.
Chara felt a lot warmer this time. They were glad for the jacket. The hat that they had borrowed slid in front of their eyes and they pushed it back up. They came to the forest. Chara smiled and bent down, scooping up some snow. "Asriel, look, snow." They looked back, expecting him to be happier now. Snow was nice.
Asriel's twisted his face into a frown. He kicked at the snow, sending a chunk flying into a tree.
What had gotten into him?
"Come, children. We must keep going if we want to get to the barrier before the surface grows dark," Toriel said, grabbing Asriel's hand. "Our plan is to be at the end of Waterland by noontime so that we can stop there and eat lunch."
"Waterland?" Chara echoed.
Toriel offered her hand to Chara. Chara took it carefully. "The trip to the barrier is in three main parts. First, we have Snowland, second we have Waterland, and finally we have Hotland.
The snow had started to melt slush in their free hand. Chara shook it off, wiping their hand on their jacket. "Is that far?"
Toriel shook her head. "It is not very far. Dr. Gaster is here to help us skip over the majority of Hotland."
"Skip?" Chara asked.
"He has magic that allows him to teleport." Toriel said.
Chara suddenly felt anxious to be leaving. If he could teleport them to the barrier, they would be back to their village by late afternoon, for better or worse. "Why can't he teleport us straight there then?" they asked.
"I am only able to teleport short distances with other monsters." Gaster spoke.
"Oh." Chara looked down. They hadn't thought he was listening.
"Mom." Asriel shook his foot. "I got snow in my boot and now my toes are all wet." He rested his head on Toriel's side. "Can we go home and get new shoes?"
"Asriel, please." Toriel wrapped her arm around him. "I thought that you would be excited. You have only seen Snowland and a small part of Waterland before. Today we are going all the way to the barrier."
Asriel kept his head pointed at the ground, not saying anything.
"What's the barrier, anyways?" Chara asked.
"The barrier..." Toriel paused, shaking her head slightly. "It is the thing that keeps up trapped down here. You see, after the human-monster war, the humans sealed us down here with a powerful spell. Anything can enter, but only those with a powerful soul can leave."
Chara glanced away. "I'm sorry."
Toriel squeezed their hand. "You have no need to feel sorry. It is not something you did."
There was no real path to follow, just gaps in the trees that they had to navigate through. In some places, the trees grew too close together so they had to backtrack and find a new way.
They came to a ledge, so deep that the crystal lighting didn't reach all of the way down. The bottom was shrouded in darkness. There was a whoosh sound and Gaster appeared on the other side of the gap with Asgore. Chara jumped. "What?"
"Dr. Gaster is going to teleport us all across," Toriel said. Chara took a step back, shifting more behind Asriel.
Gaster reappeared back on their side of the gap. He held out a hand to Asriel. He took it and they were teleported to the other side. Finally, it was their turn. They gulped, taking his hand.
In a flash, they were on the other side. A bright light blurred their vision and they stumbled forward a step before finding their balance. They shut their eyes until the dizziness passed.
"Mom, my head hurts." Asriel covered his eyes with his hands. "Maybe we should stay here for a little while."
"Asriel." Toriel's tone grew sharp.
He looked up. "But, mom." Toriel shot him a look and Asriel stomped forward.
Chara slowed down, picking up some snow. They rolled it into a ball, a smile already threatening to appear on their face. They waited until Asriel was in front of them before tossing their snowball. The snow crashed over his head.
"Youch!" Asriel jumped, looking back at them. "Chara!" He tugged on the back of his coat and started squirming around. "Cold!"
Chara smirked, watching him dance around like a madman.
"Chara, it's down my back!" Asriel whined, shooting them a frown, but as soon as he locked eyes with them, he started giggling.
They walked on, the snow rushing past their face. Gaster took the lead, going straight. The snow was getting thicker and even though they were all close together, Chara still was worried. What if they got separated or lost here?
"Chara, are you okay?" Asriel turned to them.
They realized they had been frowning. They smiled at him. "Yeah."
"Mom says we're almost there." Asriel grabbed their hand. "I don't wanna get lost."
Chara smiled, their fingers getting warm. Through the trees, they could start to see rock. They were approaching the end of the cavern. The trees started to grow thinner. The ceiling came close to the ground, blocking the snow from the next section of the underground. The snow and dirt turned to stone under their feet. They passed under the ceiling, stepping around a puddle of water.
"Waterland?" Chara looked at Toriel.
"Yes, we have made it."
The crystals were a mix of purple and aqua-marine, casting a dim blue-green light around the cavern. The howl of the wind and snow was quickly left behind and they could hear new sounds: The sound of dripping water and distant waterfalls.
They felt a squeeze on their hand. They looked over at Asriel. He was frowning.
"You okay?" Chara asked.
"You okay?" A voice came from down the hall. Chara's forehead creased. It sounded like their voice.
Asriel's ears perked and he spun around. "Who was that?"
"Who was that?"
It sounded like Asriel. Chara looked down the path. They only other thing there except for rocks and water was a large blue flower. "Hello?" they tried.
"Hello?"
Chara pointed down the path. They turned to Asriel and brought their voice down to a whisper. "It's coming from over there. Is it mocking us?" They narrowed their eyes at the flower.
"Is it mocking us?" It echoed, their voice sounding quieter.
Asriel grinned and Chara grinned too, happy to see him happy again.
"That's so cool!" Asriel half skipped-half hopped down the path, his ears flopping behind him. He gave the plant an experimental poke. Chara stayed where they were. It didn't look like a normal flower. This flower gave of a faint blue light. Normal flowers didn't do that. Normal flowers also weren't about as tall as you were.
"What have you two found?" Asgore asked.
Asriel stepped to the side. "See, there is an echo-y flower."
"See, there is an echo-y flower."
Asgore put a hand on his chin. "I do remember seeing something like this before." He stroked one of the flower's petals.
"I do remember seeing something like this before."
"Hello," Asriel said in a squeaky voice.
"Hello." It was a perfect match. Asriel giggled and ran down the path.
They followed him, looking down just in time to avoid stepping in a puddle. They would rather not get their shoes wet. They felt hot. This place was already a lot warmer than Snowland. Chara slipped off their jacket. They squeezed it into their knapsack.
Asriel swung around, almost bumping into them. "You know what, since echo flowers can say anything we say, they must have ears." He thought for a second, "It would also need a mouth so that it could talk. Dad, do echo flowers have souls?"
Asgore chuckled. "I do not think those flowers are sentient. How about next time we see one, you ask it?"
Asriel frowned again. He kicked the ground. A rock flew up, skipping a few times before splashing into the water. The light from the crystals shimmered and danced on its surface. They watched it. The mini waves lost its momentum, the dancing lights slowing down until the puddle stilled.
The others had walked on, apart from Asriel who was watching them, his ears drooping.
"You okay?" they asked.
Asriel shrugged, his frown deepening. He ambled after the group.
Was he mad at them? Chara frowned. They didn't know why, but they didn't want him to be mad. Even if they would be leaving soon, they would rather be on good terms with everyone. He was probably mad that he had to come with them to the barrier, that must be it. He had been complaining, wanting to go back the entire time. Chara opened their mouth to ask him.
"I guess I'm just sorta sad," Asriel said. He looked away.
Chara was taken aback. Sad? They waited for him to say something else.
When he looked back, his eyes were red. "You're going to be leaving." He sniffled. A tear ran down his face and he wiped it away. "Then I'm not going to see you again."
Chara felt something in their chest tighten: Their heart.
"And then you'll forget about me a-and…" Asriel's voice wavered.
"I won't forget about you," Chara said. They looked away. What if no one in their village believed them? Then where would they go? "Maybe I can come back some time and visit?"
Asriel's eyes went wide. "Really?"
"Yeah. I'll try to be better prepared this time. Bring along some rope or something so I won't have to take the long way back."
Asriel's ears perked, his mouth curled into a grin. "That's an awesome idea!" He walked with more spring in his step than before. He glanced behind him. "Come on, Chara. Let's catch up with mom and dad."
Chara smiled and skipped down the path with Asriel, but inside they felt conflicted. They didn't promise to come back. They said maybe. They sighed. If everything turned out okay and they were able to go back, how would people react to them disappearing again and again up the mountain? Would people get suspicious? What if someone followed them?
"Chara. Look at the waterfall!" Asriel tugged on their sleeve, jerking them out of their thoughts.
The waterfall was so tall that they had to crane their neck back to glimpse the top. The water reflected the crystal light so much that it seemed luciferous. Nearer to the ceiling, the water was a vivid aquamarine, almost as vibrant as the gem itself. As it crashed and fell, the color dulled. The water roared, unleashing its fury on the rocks below. Its mist covered everything in a veil of cool water.
The trail winded around waterfalls. The atmosphere was peaceful, - the gentle lull of the water could have sang someone to sleep - but still this place felt sad. The only sound that they heard came from water. It fell from above, splashed when they stepped in puddles, and squashed as they tramped through mud.
The air around them had warmed to an almost midsummer heat. A low hum had started, quiet at first, getting louder with each step. Red light bled out from around the corner. The sound had marked the end of Waterland. They passed one last pool of water. The water bubbled and frothed, steam rising into the air. Chara could feel the heat on their cheeks.
They turned the corner, light forcing their eyes closed. They squinted. A haze of red and orange lit up this place. Not the crystals, this time. Lava. An ocean of lava was below them, gurgling and spitting, waves of fire lapping the sides. They were a few feet from the edge with nothing but lava far below to catch them. They took a step back.
A thin rock ledge jutted straight out from where they were, the lava gurgling below. Chara looked at it and their vision swam, the path tilting before their eyes.
They were supposed to walk down that path?
"This is awesome looking!" Asriel jumped closer to the edge.
Toriel frowned. "Asriel, be caref-"
Asriel stumbled over his own feet and tottered, too close to the edge for comfort. Chara shut their eyes, waiting for something bad to happen. But nothing did. They looked over. Asriel was standing on the edge, looking down at the lava. A dark blue aura had settled around him, keeping him from actually falling.
"Asriel you must be careful. You might get hurt." Toriel chided, pulling him away from the ledge.
"If I may, your majesty," Gaster said. "Perhaps I should pass through here by myself. It is too dangerous for the children. Once I get to the end, I will be able to teleport everyone to the other side."
Toriel crossed her arms. "Are you sure that you should be traveling alone? It is risky."
"With my teleporting ability, it should actually be less so than if everyone came along."
"Go then. We will be waiting for you near the edge of Waterland, " Asgore said. He wiped his brow. "It is quite hot here."
Gaster nodded, "Of course."
When they got back to the safety of Waterland, Chara was able to relax. The temperature was cooler there and the path less dangerous, though the ground was muddy. Toriel reached into her bag and pulled out a small tablecloth to sit on.
They grabbed their sandwich. They took a few bites of it, their stomach throbbing more of nerves than hunger. They kept their eyes trained on the path, waiting to catch sight of Gaster. How much longer would this take?
Chara looked at the monsters. They all had been dragged here because of them. They dropped everything that they were doing to help them to the barrier. Monsters were weird. They frowned and turned away. They tried to pass the time by reorganizing their knapsack. They folded their sweater as small as possible so that it would fit better.
"I have made it through Hotland."
Chara looked up. Gaster was back.
"I can teleport everyone there, albeit I get a pause between each trip." Gaster offered his hand to Toriel. They disappeared and he came back alone a few minutes later.
"Can I go next?" Asriel asked.
Asgore stroked his chin. "Can you?"
"Dad." Asriel crossed his arms. "May I?"
"Of course, Asriel."
Chara shifted back and forth, their feet unable to stay steady. They would be next. Gaster reappeared. Even next to burning lava his hand felt cold. There was a flash and suddenly they were away from the heat and the fire. Their knees buckled and a hand pressed against their shoulder, steadying them. Chara looked around, Toriel and Asriel were standing nearby. Gaster coughed and wiped his head, his posture sagging more than usual.
The dizziness passed and they looked around. The last section of the Underground reminded them more of Home than the others. They could see the red flame light, dancing on the wall, reflecting off of the lava place now behind them. It was cooler and flatter here. There were no drops or cliffs that they could fall off of.
"Hey, Chara," Asriel said. "Look at what's over here." He grabbed their hand.
"What?" They were pulled to a patch of sun. Grass grew wherever sunlight touched the ground. At the edges, the grass stalks were bent, leaning toward the light.
Asriel pointed toward the light. "Look up there!" He stood on his tippy toes, grinning.
Chara stuck their hand into a pocket. "What are you looking at?'
"The sky." Asriel stepped into the center of the light. He stretched out his hand. "It's so close, Chara."
Chara frowned. The part of the sky that they could see, if you would even call it that, wasn't pretty. It was a dulled light blue. The sky's image wavered as if they were looking at it through water. This place, this must have been the barrier.
"Are you two ready?" Asgore asked.
Chara nodded, curtly. The cave became masked with shadows that grew darker as they stepped forward. Light glimmered from around the corner.
They gasped. The barrier sparkled with rays of white and golden light, the sunset's rays. It loomed over them, emanating with both a majestic beauty and grief.
Asriel bounded up to it. "Can I?" He turned back to his mom, his hand hovering over the barrier..
Toriel nodded, "Of course, my child."
Asriel reached out and touched it. The barrier's surface rippled at his touch, barely even noticeable.
"This is the barrier," Asgore said. "It is through this that you will leave."
Chara watched but made no attempt to leave, not yet. "I-" Chara racked their mind for words to express their gratitude. They couldn't think of any. "Um..."
"We are very happy to have been helpful," Toriel said. "We want you to know how nice it has been to see some hope. That, one day, it will be possible for humans and monsters to co-exist peacefully."
Now they were the ones thanking them. This made them feel even worse. Chara shook their head. "I haven't really done anything but get in your way." They looked down at their feet.
Chara forced a smile, "I should get going. There is stuff that I need to do." They stepped toward the barrier.
"Wait!" They heard a hiccup and turned. Asriel's nose twitched, his eyes shiny. He ran over, wrapping his arms around them. "Don't leave me."
Their eyes burned. "I'll be back, someday."
He hugged them tighter, his head against their shoulder. "Promise?" His words were muffled by the fabric.
"I promise." Chara held the embrace for a second longer before pulling away.
"Goodbye, Chara," Asriel rubbed his eyes, his face turned up in a half smile.
They should be feeling happy. They were getting out of there. They could go back to the village now, see what really happened and make amends. Why were they upset? They had only known the monsters for a few days. They turned to look at everybody one last time. "Um… Thank you, for everything." They walked forward.
They were not sure what they had expected the barrier to do. Shift around and allow them passage through? Teleport them to the surface? They ran into a completely solid wall.
Chara stumbled back, landing on the cold stone floor. "Wha-What happened?" they managed.
"Chara, are you okay?" Asriel rushed over.
N-no?" Chara stuttered. "Why didn't it work?" They pressed their palm against the barrier. Nothing. Their initial shock was replaced by terror. "It's not working." They pushed harder. Nothing happened. "It's not working!"
"Chara," Toriel said. Chara ignored her. They pounded on the barrier, knuckles burning.
They felt a hand touch their shoulder. "Chara, please. Calm down," Asgore said. "We can figure this out, together,"
"No!" Chara hit the barrier as hard as they could. Sharp pain shot up their hand and they let out a cry. "Why?" They forced themself to their feet and slammed into the barrier, sending them reeling onto the ground. They stifled a sob. "What am I doing wrong?"
"Chara stop, it's not working," Toriel said. "You're going to injure yourself."
"What am I doing wrong!" they shouted. They stood up, hands skinned and bloodied, determined to try again.
"Chara." Asgore grabbed onto their arm, his grip firm, but gentle.
They twisted wildly, trying to get back to the barrier. As if that would make a difference. "Get away from me!" they screamed. They spun around, landing a punch on Asgore's side. They swung again, but Asgore grabbed their wrist.
"Chara, you've got to calm down,"
"No!" They fought to escape. They tried, but they were exhausted. Their legs grew shaky and they fell to their knees. They hung their head, their hands cupped over their eyes, and their shoulders quivering. When they looked up, their face was streaked with silent tears.
"You don't understand. I've got to get back." Their voice wavered and cracked. "I need to try again, please?" Chara resorted to begging. "Please?"
"Chara…"
They could tell by the pitch of Asgore's voice that the answer was no. They sobbed.
"Chara?" Asriel edged closer.
"Asriel, not right now." Toriel called him back. She stepped over to Chara, scooping them into a hug. "I am so sorry."
Chara's cries had devolved into hiccups.
"There, there," Toriel repeated, over and over again. "Everything will be okay, child."
Maybe it would be, if they were selfless. They were stuck here. Their village would never be burdened by them again. No one else would be hurt by them. Chara wiped their nose on their sleeve.
For their village, everything would be more than okay.
Chara buried their face into Toriel's dress. Sobs shook their shoulders. Everyone would be okay. Almost everyone. Something in Chara's chest was shattering. They wouldn't ever be okay again.
"Oh, sweetheart…" They felt Toriel rise to her feet. Chara was too emotionally exhausted to argue.
"Dr. Gaster," they heard Asgore's deep voice ask. "Do you know what is keeping the human from crossing the barrier?"
"I cannot be sure," Gaster answered. "This entire situation is unprecedented. I will have to conduct some tests… for the time being, all that I can conclude is that the human is unable to cross. I wonder…"
Chara's sob turned into a shaky laugh. So they were broken. They didn't need a scientist to tell them that.
They had figured that out themself, a long time ago.
Thank you for reading! Now, check out Ask Drunk Chara on Tumblr! XD I love their art style. I spent this entire morning binge reading it instead of doing my homework. I regret nothing! See y'all next week.
