"Frisk says a lot of things."

"Don't!"

"They're-"

"SHUT IT!"

Aofil's voice will be heard throughout the entirety of the Underground. It might even pierce the insulated walls and doors of the Lab.

But let it.

Let it topple the CORE cake. Let it shake loose all the crystals visible to make a brief star fall that will be witnessed by none. No human, no monster, no camera.

No living human, that is.

Chara keeps Frisk's gaze set on the large castle in the distance. Theirs would be the only one to see the star fall never to be seen again. The impact as the crystals would shatter against the floor would be only heard by them. Aofil, despite standing right next to Chara, with lips curled in anger and eyes furrowed into a hateful scowl, would hear nothing. Their ears are too flushed with the rush of their heart beating with rage.

"Where. Is. Frisk?" Aofil spits from the bottom of their soul. The words chafe at the inside of their throat like razors, cutting their tongue so that it curls along with their lips into their peering frown. "What have you done with them?"

Chara tilts Frisk's head down.

"Let me just-"

"No!" Aofil whips their tail around Frisk's shoulders, turning the human around to face their heavy and sharp breathing. "There's no 'you', Chara. We said our goodbyes."

"We haven't."

They...

No. …No they didn't.

That doesn't matter though! Not now!

"You seem really damn comfortable being in charge, Chara. That wasn't the tone you had last time! Don't you dare tell me that things have changed." Aofil drags a confused and fearful breath through their clenched teeth. "Why aren't you quivering at the notion of taking control away from Frisk again?"

Please don't say that things have changed…

Frisk's burning red eyes tilt down. "I hugged Asriel."

I?

No…

"How long?" Aofil's frozen expression asks. The words spill out of their mouth like water in an overly filled cup.

Filled with exhaustion and anger.

Chara pushes the slump tail off Frisk's shoulder. It lands with a heavy thud on the cold ground.

"They'll be back."

"That was not what I asked."

"It's what you wanted to know though," Chara retorts before sliding one of Frisk's extended legs back to lean their chin down on the water logged knee. "They'll be back soon."

"How long?" Aofil asks again. "I want an answer."

Chara closes Frisk's eyes for a brief moment. "Until I feel that I'm done," comes a solemn answer accompanied by a sigh. "Signed Frisk."

"No." Aofil shakes their head. "That's too vague for me, Chara. Bring Frisk back now."

"I don't feel that I'm done though."

"You hugged Asriel," Aofil feels that they have to remind. "That's enough."

Just leave!

"Not for me."

"That's not what I took away from it last time we spoke. I'm telling you it is enough, Chara." Aofil slices the air in front of them with their tail."I'm not in the mood to take any damn chances right now. Not now, not ever again. Go. Away. Leave Frisk so they can enjoy their birthday. Leave Frisk so they can enjoy their life. Your words, Chara. Go! Away!"

The last words are cast like curses from Aofil's tongue. They don't care though. None of this right now! No soul stuff, no memorybox solution.

NOTHING!

"We've never really said goodbye to each other," Chara says with a smile summoned with difficulty. They can't even muster it enough to tilt it over to Aofil. "Just wanted to say it."

"Goodbye. Now go."

Chara looks away. "Not really what I had in mind..."

"Too bad. It is what you get. I didn't get the Nice Cream, but I'm gonna be happy with the slight taste I had. Go away now, Chara. Bring Frisk back."

"Comparing saying goodbye to your twin with Nice Cream..." Frisk's eyes close again, hiding the crimson color behind a pair of thin eyelids that open after a short while. "Frisk still wants me to be satisfied."

"And you should be satisfied with that, Chara. You said that you cared so much for Frisk that the mere thought of taking something away from them hurt you. You told me how much you hated to be in control back in that bathroom, but here you are arguing to still stay in control. That makes me really worried, and I can't imagine the worry Frisk is feeling right now."

Chara puts Frisk's hand on their chest, gently grasping the purple and blue striped sweater. "They trust me, Aofil. They're not worried."

"I am not gonna negotiate with you on this, Chara. Last time I spoke to you Frisk almost died, and so did I. It's even worse now that you've interacted with Asriel. Wasn't he the one Frisk and you wanted to absolutely not know that you still existed? Huh?"

Aofil throws an ungraceful "Fuck!" over their shoulder as they would a sneeze to be courteous. Now though? It's because they don't want to look at Chara puppeteering Frisk. It brings back too much.

THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO HAVE EVERYTHING PUT BEHIND THEM!

"He doesn't know."

"And how do you know?" Aofil snarls. No, you know what? "You know what? No, don't answer. Let Frisk answer instead! Get. Away. Chara."

"I know how you feel."

"No." Aofil again shakes their head. "No, you don't." They squat down and force eye contact. It's the one and only time they're gonna do this. "And I'm not going to explain why. I am not going to say anything more to you." They poke the tip of their tail against Frisk's chest. "We all need to blow off steam today. All of us, including Frisk. Them mostly. This is all for them, and you've already sullied it for me, and for Frisk. If you have an inkling of what you said back when the last time you took over you'll bring Frisk back out right now."

"Last time?"

Aofil's eyes shoot wide opened from their angrily narrowed state. Shock now holds them open with force, not allowing Aofil to close them and lie that this is all just a bad dream. They have to stare at the truth with a single question swirling inside their mind.

"Last time wasn't the last time you took over, Chara?"

With a pained chuckle, Chara puts up one of Frisk's hands behind their unruly hair, brushing it away from the red eyes shining like two sinister dots. "Sorry, Frisk. Slipped your tongue," Chara apologizes while again moving Frisk's eyes over to the castle in the distance.

"How many times, Chara?" Aofil asks as their mouth clamps shut in fury. The one time they did in that bus station bathroom was already one too damn many, and now they're telling Aofil they've done it more? "Answer me!"

Chara gently puts Frisk's hand on Aofil's tail, "I feel that," and-

"There is no you, Chara!"

Aofil pushes down Frisk's body onto the ground. They slam their knee down next to Frisk's shoulder. It's gonna hurt like hell when the adrenaline wears off, but that's something to worry about after Frisk is back. Aofil bends down their painted face down to Frisk's, their thick layers of paint proving little resistance to the angry folds blooming on their forehead.

"I did this once with Asriel to make sure no Flowey was left behind," Aofil snaps bitterly. "I pushed the face of what I'd done so much to bring back into the ground to make sure it stayed that way. I almost died, had my soul and body fused by magic! In that moment I had to make sure that he would be back. Not Flowey, not anyone else but Asriel would be left afterwards. If it was Flowey, then he'd pretend to be Asriel. He'd live his life as Asriel whether he liked it or not!"

The yellow tail trashes against the ground, whipping up dust behind Aofil. "I trust Frisk, but I don't trust Chara. Whoever you were before, you are Chara now, and I'll be damned if I let that go on. Frisk is the person that should inhabit that body. I don't care who is behind the eyes, but as long as they're not red, and as long as you turn your head and smile at the name Frisk and ignore when Chara is called, then all is fine!"

As if itself possessed, Aofil's tail runs up the length of their back, breaking the teeth of the zipper as it goes. Like a second burst of rain, the metallic teeth fall around the two humans, playing a somber melody as they bounce on the rocky floor. Aofil rips their arms out of their costume, the two squished limbs screaming in discomfort after being freed from their long captivity, but the roar of the raging haze inside Aofil's mind screams much louder.

They grab the collar of the blue and purple striped sweater of Frisk's and wring the slumped head and face up to their own. "I'm more than willing to make sure that only Frisk remains after this, Chara. Just bring them back now, for their sake! How many times do I have to remind you that you were the one that didn't want to be in control?"

Chara again tilts Frisk's head towards the light blue castle in the distance. It doesn't travel far before Aofil's tail is firmly planted against the yellow cheek, tilting the head back so that the crimson can again face the crimson.

"Why did you come back? Why isn't Frisk here? Why is it that you're putting so much worry in me right now, Chara?" Aofil doesn't understand! Their breaths turn into chokes, and they can feel their eyes begin to water with desperate tears. "I'm too tired for this. I can't go through this again! What if the others find out? You said you could feel that Asriel was inside of me before. What if he felt your presence?"

"He didn't."

"I don't trust you."

"The other one who can tell he didn't is Asriel then."

Aofil throws Frisk's body back down on the ground. Chara groans as they're forced to brace awkwardly against the impact. They grit Frisk's teeth and cough out the blow.

"Maybe I'll ask him then."

Frisk's eyes expand in shock. "No." The red of their iris' shrink to almost nothing, and the color drains from their skin, making it sickly green from the surrounding glow. "I didn't mean that you would-"

But Aofil has already turned their now exposed back around, and with heavy steps they round the corner back into the dark blue of Waterfall.

"Wait!"

Nope.

The yellow, panicked hand is thrown away as soon as it's placed on Aofil's heaving shoulders. "I told you I'd force your hand, Chara," Aofil mutters harshly over their shoulder to Chara again reaching out for Aofil to stop.

"He doesn't know!" they scream as Aofil again throws Frisk's hand away from their shoulder. "Just listen to me, Aofil!"

A sharp and vicious turn from Aofil later, Chara finds themselves on the floor. Aofil looms over them, seemingly unfazed by the collision they caused by turning rapidly on their heel and tail. The splash from Chara's fall barely has time to settle before Aofil's voice again fills the echoing room like rushing water from a breaking dam into a plastic straw. "You see now why I can't trust you?" they howl. "I called your bluff, Chara!"

Theirs is the crimson glowing at this point. Merely reflecting in the faded red in Frisk's possessed eyes, blazing with anger.

"I'm...I was trying to keep calm with Frisk's emotions," Chara tries to explain, pleading with hands cold and wet from being submerged into a puddle each. "Now they're surging into me again! I can't control them! I can't..."

Thick tears join the drops of water from the shook ceiling, blending together as they conjoin in the puddles disturbed by the sobbing human sitting with knees tucked in and head bent down.

"At least now I know your favorite animal, Chara," Aofil says like poison, curling their tongue in disgust with each syllable. Chara tilts Frisk's tear streaked face up. "Crocodiles. You got the same tears as them."

They again turn around with a heavy sigh escaping through their clenched teeth.

Aofil's so tried of all of this!

"What can I say to convince you?" comes a choked question that would be inaudible hadn't it been amplified by its own echo.

Drops fall from the ceiling. Even the tiny whisper the question was summoned through is enough to shake the newly formed drops loose. Why didn't they fall before? Why are they only now forcing Aofil to blink in reflex as they smash against their cheek, almost sizzling as they land? It's so quiet, so weak, yet it was what it took to make the drops fall again.

Aofil tries to ignore the question, but with the echoes following them with each step, it's like trying to walk away from the reach of the morning sun as it slowly peers over the horizon. Aofil has been burned too many times though by it. Its beautiful rays always brings with it shadows Aofil have to hide in to avoid getting burned. They've been burned too many times.

Too many...

Drops continue to fall though, some even plucking at the bridge of Aofil's make-up covered nose. They shouted and shouted so much, yet that wasn't enough for the drops to be shaken loose?

So why did Chara's question?

"What can I say?"

Again drops being pestering against Aofil. Again they must ask why? It was even quieter than before.

Aofil has to close their eyes. It's gonna burn again if they look. It's gonna hurt, it always does.

"I just want to say goodbye, Aofil."

Drop. Drop. Drop.

Is Aofil crying now as well? With all the water running down their cheek?

"I just..."

So silent, yet so heavy.

Heavy…

Did Aofil mean what they shouted? What they threw in anger? Was it just hot air? Hollow words with no weight to it? Not enough to disturb the drops above?

Do they even think they meant it themselves?

"You said last time wasn't the last time," Aofil asks without turning their head, slowly opening one eye despite feeling their newly exposed skin frizz all over. It's gonna burn, and it's gonna hurt, yet they can't stop their tongue from asking. "Why is it goodbye now?" They can't stop themselves from wondering.

And drops begin to yet again fall.

"Because...I only come out when Frisk is about to..."

"Die," Aofil finishes without emotion. Their eyes are completely opened now, staring directly into the sun.

Again.

As usual.

As always.

They're not even shocked at the reveal. It's like a purple dot dancing in their vision after too much exposure to the overwhelmingly bright light. It's there, it's intrusive, but Aofil doesn't think about it.

"I'm here now so that they can heal back up. I'm keeping appearances. Well, for the others, that is. That's why I'm in control, so that the monsters don't have to worry."

"From when? How long have you been in control, Chara?"

More drops.

"When Frisk was spun around in Snowdin. I was the one that let go of the heart." Frisk's voice grows louder with each word, accompanied with wet footsteps sloshing around in the water filled shoes slowly lifted and fearfully set down. "I also woke up with dad asking Frisk if they were alright."

Aofil's head tilts down as their sigh leaves them lightheaded. "And they weren't?" they ask after replacing the air inside them clumsily. "They weren't alright?"

"I could hear them again when Asriel and I ate at Grillby's," Chara explains as they stop just behind Aofil. "Then they..."

"Don't trail off," Aofil begs. "Please, Chara. Just say it." They're gonna be exposed for longer if they wave to wait. "I'm too tired to let you collect yourself, I'm sorry."

"I..understand." Chara takes a deep breath behind Aofil, unknowingly breathing out onto Aofil's naked back. It's warm.

But it's not…

...

...It's not burning?

"Then Frisk asked me if I wanted to walk a bit for them. They were still a bit tired from having been spun around like that. A birthday surprise for me, in a way."

"Our birthday was months ago, Chara," Aofil reminds solemnly over their shoulder.

"I said so as well."

"And Frisk didn't listen?" Of course they wouldn't.

Aofil doesn't have to see to feel Chara shaking Frisk's head. The icy drops hitting their back with force tells it for them.

Again, it doesn't burn?

"Do you remember what I gave you the last birthday we had together, Aofil?"

"No," Aofil turns around to meet their twin, "I don't." They come face to face with the bright red light that have hurt them so much. Done them such incredible pain that they were forced to move away. Such pain that they had to lie to themselves just to get through the day.

But now?

It's cold. It's not burning, it's cold from their newly exposed skin being introduced to Waterfall's atmosphere.

Maybe… Maybe Aofil's really is a monster now? Not just the costume, but inside them as well. In their heart, in their mind, in their soul. The whole of their soul, not just the part that is Asriel.

They finally kept the promise they made their parents.

Aofil has moved on.

They shine a smile towards their twin. "What did you give me?" they ask with genuine curiosity woven into their question.

And are showered in the crystalline water crashing down from above.

"A pendant," Chara only manages to say before they pause to assert Aofil's reaction to almost drowning in the flash flood from the cavern ceiling.

"Heart shaped," Aofil finishes after swiping their plastered fringe from their eyes.

No red to be seen.

Frisk's eyes again widen, this time in surprise. "So you-"

"No," Aofil says almost as an apology. "Just a guess."

Chara nods Frisk's head painfully along with an even more pained smile. "Right, guess that's my go-to gift."

Chara's been sitting Frisk's body in that puddle now for quite some time. If the intent is for Frisk to get better, then Chara should probably stand up sooner rather than later. As Aofil's gaze sweeps the water underneath Chara, they finally realize. "Oh," Chara says before pushing up while drying off Frisk's eyes.

Doesn't really help much with those wet hands, to be honest. Instead of streaks of tears there is now muddy strokes. "Could we go back to the outlook around the corner, please?" Chara asks while impatiently turning Frisk's head a bit earlier than they planned to. "It's...a good view. Brings me calm. I'm beginning to feel Frisk's emotions wash over me."

"Wash over you more?" Aofil retorts while stretching their sweater to help clean up Frisk's cheeks.

"No," Chara says without shaking Frisk's head. Would be a bit rude to Aofil being nice enough to clean the runny mud with their own sweater. "Those were mine."

Aofil still does not like Chara saying that. It sounds too much like Chara is going to stay. Aofil's not one to lecture about lying about emotions though.

That is something they still have to remind themselves of.

Aofil distracts the reason of their lamenting sigh by fruitlessly brushing off the brown stain on their yellow and orange striped sweater. "After you," they shoot over casually to Chara after licking their thumb to perhaps help with the stain removal.

It does not.

Oh well.

They look up at the ceiling, at the stalactites pointing viciously down. One last drop disconnects from its mineral appendage, hitting Aofil between their eyes.

"Don't push it," they mouth with a slight chuckle before following Chara towards the outlook.