Thanks to coincidencless for editing.
A finely dressed man stepped behind a podium, surrounded by a massive audience. His handsome appearance was befitting for a prince. He had long blond hair, blue eyes, a longsword on his hip, and a regal white coat, all complimenting his elegant posture. He spoke to the audience with grim passion. "My fellow citizens! It is with solemn responsibility that I, Vice President Rhys Clovis, accept appointment to the office of President of the World Government. What happened at the Ebott Courthouse was a shameful display of terrorism. Let us be thankful that the only ones to die were radicals such as our traitorous former President Jacob Malcom, as well as the idiotic World Master Frisk."
the newly appointed President Clovis continued to condemn both Frisk and the terrorists, insisting that while Frisk had dug his own grave, the terrorists' unlawful methods could not be condoned.
"Rest assured they will all be dealt with," Clovis said. "General Ackerman is hard at work leading the brave soldiers of the Military Police in cleaning up this threat, including the escaped fugitive Monty Togami. All terrorists will pay the price for acting above the law.
"… however, while terrorism is never acceptable, I do not condemn the goal they were trying to achieve. These filthy monsters, who illegally mass immigrated into our territory, should never have been admitted into human society! Elizabeth Malcom may have been a terrorist, but she knew our ancestors had sealed the monsters away for a reason! Which is why, as President of the World Government, I hereby demand Congress to pass a law banishing monsterkind back Underground!"
The crowd erupted with fervent roars, both in favor and against Clovis's harsh proposal.
"The monsters claim to be weak!" Clovis exclaimed. "They claim we have nothing to fear, but the battle yesterday has proven they are perfectly capable of killing us! If we don't act, Boaris's warning will come true, and if they won't go back quietly, we must –"
Chara turned off the TV.
"… nothing's changed," Chara muttered. "Nothing has changed."
Chara laid down on the couch she had been sitting on. She was in Alphys's lab. Flowey and Elodie sat beside her.
"Well, what did you expect?" Flowey asked. "You didn't actually think anything would change, did you?"
"They're all idiots," Chara said. "The monsters will never go back Underground, and to challenge them is suicide. They should understand that by now."
Key word: should, Frisk said.
Alphys walked over to them, holding a PDA in her hands. "U-umm, I finished checking out the readings."
Chara jumped out of the coach. "What did you see? Is she okay?"
"Y-yes," Alphys said. "Felicia is still there."
Elodie breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank God…"
Ever since Jacob's death, Felicia hadn't spoken a single word. Chara had begun to fear the worst, so she had Alphys scan her soul to make sure Felicia's essence was still active. She was so relieved that it was.
Still, Chara wished Felicia would talk to her.
"… what about Jacob?" Chara asked.
Alphys shook her head. "He's gone."
Well, that was to be expected. Jacob had lost the will to live, of course he was gone. The soul he had left behind was nothing more than an empty shell.
"But we can still use his soul, right?" Chara asked.
Alphys nodded. "Yeah, we can use it to bring Frisk back, or we could use it to make Felicia a new body."
Chara felt a lump in her throat. As much as she yearned to hold Frisk in her arms again, that soul rightfully belonged to Felicia. Before he died, Jacob had given it to her. He may have been a terrorist, but in the end, he had sacrificed himself honorably. The least they could do for him was uphold his final wish.
Felicia, please talk to us, Chara pleaded. I know he was your brother. I'm not going to apologize for what I did, but I am sorry that it had to be done. Please, say something. His soul is yours; how we use it is up to you.
No response.
Elodie held her chest. "Felicia, what do you think?"
Chara frowned. "She's still not talking."
Flowey scowled at her. "Oh, would you quit sulking already?! Come on, Felicia! No one likes a rage quitter!"
Elodie tugged on Chara's shoulder. "Felicia, let me help you! Talk to me!"
No response.
Elodie folded her arms and pouted petulantly. "Oh, fine! Be that way! What do I care?!"
Frisk took control and gave Elodie a teasing smile. "Yeah, it's not like you like her, right?"
Elodie's face reddened as she startled. "Wh-what?! Frisk, is that you?"
"You know me so well."
Elodie calmed herself with a deep breath. "Frisk, what do you think? I know you need another soul, but…"
"Felicia can have it," Frisk said.
Chara was shocked to hear that. What?! But, you said you wanted –
That was before Monty went missing, Frisk interjected. With him at large, it's too dangerous for us to split up. We're stronger together.
Chara couldn't help but smile at that last part. Stronger together, huh? Good to know your flirting is still intact.
I wasn't, Frisk said. It's an objective fact. As long as I stay with you, I can make you stronger. If we were to separate, we'd be weaker. To be safe, we should stay like this until Monty is dealt with.
Sometime during the battle at the courthouse, Monty had taken the opportunity to slip away. The Military Police was looking all over for him, but they had yet to find a trace. Chara didn't know what he was planning, but it was certainly trouble. Monty was bizarre, unpredictable, and dangerous. They needed every advantage they could get.
Okay, Chara said. Good plan. Once we find Monty, we'll take his soul, and then we can save you and Felicia.
Yeah, that's the idea.
Chara was worried about him. In retrospect, it was frightening how quickly Frisk had gotten into the battle. His normal self would never have acted so coldly to Jacob, even if he did deserve to die. Frisk would have wanted to save him, but without his soul, how could he possibly care? Jacob was the bigot president who had made their lives miserable from the start; there was no way a soulless person could have possibly taken pity on him.
But, if he did have his soul, Frisk would have. Chara knew that, and that's what she loved him for. Kindness was an essential trait of any decent person, and that was especially true for Frisk. This version of Frisk was a very different side of him.
Although, to be honest, Chara kind of liked it…
Still, she preferred the real Frisk. After all, Soulless Frisk couldn't even love her. Unrequited love was the mark of a kind person, but… it also sucked. Once they took care of the remaining terrorists, Chara hoped they could finally settle down and find some peace.
So, uh, how are you feeling? Chara asked him.
Not feeling anything, Frisk said. No soul, remember?
That's not how it works, Frisk. You still have emotions, just not love or compassion for other people.
So psychopaths have feelings too, huh?
… yeah.
Frisk sighed. Look, I know what you're getting at. You want to make sure I'm not gonna go 'kill or be killed' on you, right? Don't worry. I won't. Well, I don't think so at least. I may have lost my ability to love people, but I'm not so far gone as to make them suffer for fun.
It was hard to hear Frisk say that, even if it was just his soulless shell.
You're going to regret it, Chara warned him. When you get a new soul, you'll feel bad for how you handled Jacob.
After a long pause, Frisk spoke again. You know, people call me a pacifist, but I've never really thought of myself like that, nor have I ever called myself one. It's something the masses came up with entirely on their own. The 'True Pacifist' they call me. Sure, I don't like fighting, but it's not like I have some kind of religious objection to it. I simply went Underground, met some people desperately fighting for freedom, judged the situation, and decided that they didn't deserve to die. That's all there is to it. I'm not as special as everyone thinks I am.
Chara didn't want to hear this. No, don't say that! You are special! You just made it look easy! If anyone deserves to be called a True Pacifist, it's you!
That's not true, Frisk said. I killed Toriel, remember? I didn't have to fight her, but I killed her anyway.
That was an accident, Frisk! Everyone makes mistakes!
But that wasn't the last time I resorted to violence. When I faced Asgore for the first time, all I could do was fight. I took your worn dagger – the one Asgore had given you – and I hacked away until he was within an inch of death.
But, you didn't kill him.
That's not the point. The monsters never forced me into a truly kill or be killed situation, but if they had, I'm sure I would have chosen the former.
Well, there was nothing wrong with that. If someone had relentlessly tried to murder Frisk, he had every right to defend himself. Maybe he wasn't an absolute pacifist, but there was nothing wrong with killing a murderer to save others.
And yesterday, Frisk said, when Jacob put a gun to my head, all I could think was how badly I wanted to live. I didn't want it to end there. If there was a way I could have killed Jacob to save myself, I would have done it without hesitation, even with my soul.
Chara grimaced. I'm so sorry. I wanted to save you, but I was too weak.
… Chara, didn't you once say that you don't want to be my damsel-in-distress? That you can't rely on me for everything? The same goes for me, you know. It's not your responsibility to save me.
But, I should still protect you when you're in trouble, shouldn't I?
Of course, there's nothing wrong with wanting to help your partner out of a tight spot, but don't think for a second that you did anything wrong. It was Elizabeth who killed me, after all. It's not your fault by any means.
Thinking rationally, Chara knew that Frisk was right, but her heart still insisted that she had failed him, that she should have been strong enough to protect him. She knew it sounded unhealthy, but Frisk was her hero, and she wanted to be his hero as well. That wasn't to say she wanted their relationship to be co-dependent. She just wanted to be the best person she could be, someone Frisk could be proud to call his lover.
Besides, Frisk said, you did save me. Even as my soul shattered, your power kept me from slipping into death, and even when you thought I was gone, you fought so hard to protect everyone else. I may not be able to truly love you right now, but I'm still proud knowing that I have such a strong partner.
Proud… proud… proud?!
Chara's lips parted. You… you're proud of me?
Yeah, I'm proud of you, Chara.
"Hey!" Flowey exclaimed. "Are you planning to include us in the conversation or what? What's going…?"
Chara sniffled. "Frisk…"
"What happened?" Elodie asked. "Did Frisk say something mean to you?"
Chara couldn't help it. Tears poured down her naturally red eyes. "Th-thank you, Frisk! That means so much to me!"
Uh, yeah, no problem, Frisk said.
Flowey smiled. "Jeez, why don't you two just get married already?"
Elodie smiled as well. "God, I was so wrong about you."
Chara wiped her eyes and returned her attention to Flowey and Elodie. "Uh, anyway, we've made our decision. As long as Monty remains a threat, Frisk will stay with me."
Elodie frowned. "I see." Her green eyes hardened with resolve. "Felicia, I hope you feel better soon; it's what your brother would have wanted."
"Jacob's soul belongs to her," Chara said. "Alphys, you can help her, right?"
"Uh, I will need some time," Alphys replied. "We've recovered Frisk's body, but Felicia's body was destroyed years ago. I'll need to make her a new one."
Elodie looked at her with a blush on her face. "Umm, yeah, I have some questions about that. Would this new body be, uh, human?"
Alphys straightened her glasses. "W-well, I was going to build her a robot –"
"Eww, no! I don't want her to be a robot!"
"Wh-why not?"
Elodie's face flushed as red as a beet. "Could I talk to you in private?"
Alphys titled her head. "Huh? Why…?"
Elodie grabbed Alphys's arm and dragged her a safe distance away.
"Hmm, I hope those two can keep the secret," Flowey said. "If Gaster doesn't want anyone to know about Frisk, there must be a good reason for it."
Chara was still angry with Gaster, but she couldn't allow her emotions to control her. She didn't like it, but she could see why he wanted to keep it a secret. Gaster, Sans, and the people in this lab were the only ones who knew. She had to tell Alphys so they could discuss his eventual resurrection, and she told Flowey because he was her brother. She also told Elodie because, well, Elodie had insisted on coming with them to make sure Felicia was okay, so it couldn't be helped.
"I can think of two reasons," Chara said. "First of all, it's probably so Frisk can continue being a martyr. It's likely that Elizabeth had more terrorists held in reserve. We should allow the public to think he's dead until we're sure that they've been wiped out."
Flowey hummed with amusement. "Kind of a dirty trick, don't you think?"
"Perhaps," Chara admitted, 'but it's only a partial lie. However, the second reason is for Frisk's own protection. If those terrorists find out that Frisk is still alive, he will have a massive target on his back. We have to keep him safe."
Flowey nodded. "Mhm, yeah. I can see that."
From the other side of the lab, Chara overheard Alphys laughing hysterically as she spoke with Elodie. "Oh! You're worried about that?!"
"Don't laugh!"
Flowey cringed. "I don't even want to know."
Chara smiled. "I'm glad everyone's okay. Well, everyone except Jacob anyway."
All things considered, the battle had gone extremely well. Almost everyone had already made a full recovery, the only exception being Mettaton, who was still undergoing repairs. Not counting Frisk, the only fatalities were among the terrorists. It was almost a flawless victory. Chara was so happy that everyone had made it.
"Yeah, I guess," Flowey said flatly. "So, hey, I've been meaning to ask, who's the World Master now? It's not me; I've checked."
"It's me," Chara answered. "After gaining all that EXP, my power increased dramatically. As soon as Selena's excess DT was extracted, I became the new World Master. I recorded my first SAVE point this morning."
That was as far back as they could go. Even if Frisk were to become World Master again, his SAVE file had been permanently deleted. There was no reasonable way they could reset to a point before Elizabeth's attack, not that Chara wanted to.
Flowey sounded surprised. "Really? Poor Frisk. You had your magic, and he had his World Master thing. Now he has nothing going for him. How does it feel?"
Hmm, how did it feel? Frisk had been World Master for so long; Chara felt bad that she had stolen it from him, even unintentionally. Power was the ultimate test of one's character, and Frisk had passed it with flying colors. Could Chara be trusted to wield it as responsibly as Frisk had?
You'll be fine, Frisk assured her. I certainly trust you with it more than I trust myself right now.
Chara took a deep breath. Yeah, she'd be fine. She was no longer the misanthropic lunatic who had gotten her brother killed. She had to trust herself.
Elodie and Alphys walked back over to them. Elodie had a calm smile on her face, as if her composure had never faltered at all. "Okay, Felicia. If you're listening, Alphys and I have discussed the possibility of creating a clone of your body, but she'll need a sample of your DNA. Do you know where we might find one?"
Felicia continued to remain silent.
'That's a bit of a stretch," Chara said. "Who would have a sample of Felicia's DNA lying around?"
"Well, it doesn't have to be her DNA," Elodie said cheerfully. "It can be any woman's, really! You have no shortage of options, Felicia! If you want, I'd love to help you choose! We'll find you a gorgeous body that suits you perfectly!"
Frisk laughed to himself. God damn it, Elodie.
Flowey sighed. "Gosh, Felicia. Would you say something already? You and Nora are probably the only people in the world who are actually sad to see Jacob go."
Elodie's tone grew serious. "Well, I know how she feels. My dad is probably going to die soon. I wish it didn't have to be this way, but if Monty tries to hurt Felicia again, I won't let him. I l know what must be done."
Chara nodded. "Yes, if he tries anything, it won't be like last time. Frisk and I will stop him."
Yes, Chara was sure of it. With the power they had gained, they could defeat him. Monty was strong, but together, Frisk and Chara were stronger. They wouldn't let him hurt anyone else.
As soon as he showed himself, he was dead.
Papyrus sat with his friends at the bar, contemplating the battle at the courthouse.
Sans finished off his cup of beer and slammed it down on the table. "Yeah, that's the stuff. Grillby, let's have another!"
While Grillby refilled Sans's cup, Papyrus sipped his milk. "Sans," he said sadly, "why did she have to do it? Frisk was the bestest human ever. Why did Elizabeth kill him?"
"Some people will do anything for survival," Sans answered. "Like it or not, we are pretty dangerous. You can't really blame them for wanting to get rid of us."
Toriel's stool scrapped noisily across the floor as she turned to face him. "Do you dare defend those murderers?"
Asgore held her shoulder. "Tori…"
Toriel slapped Asgore hard across his face. "Do not touch me, Dreemurr!"
Asgore whimpered sadly. "Sorry…"
Toriel chugged down her glass of wine. Her face had flushed red, and her speech was slurred. "Those damn creatures! Murdering innocent children! I hope Gaster makes Elizabeth suffer for what she has done!"
Undyne took a swig of her beer. "You said it! I want to take my spears and turn Elizabeth into a pin cushion."
Papyrus frowned. "Hey, guys, I know how you all feel, but I don't think Frisk would have wanted us to act this way."
"Y-yes," Asgore said. "You are quite right. I grieve for Frisk as greatly as any of you, but as Chara said, we must not allow vengeance to consume us."
Toriel huffed. "Hmph! Of course the murderer would defend his fellow murderers!"
Asgore did not respond; he just sipped his tea.
Papyrus's heart ached. What had those bad people done to them? This was wrong. It was all wrong!
Sans finished his second beer and placed it on the table. "It's getting late; maybe we should go."
Papyrus opened his mouth to protest, but ultimately decided he'd rather go home himself. "Yeah, let's go."
Sans placed some credit coins on the table. "Here you are, Grillby. Thanks for serving us, like always."
Grillby nodded and quietly took the money. Sans and Papyrus got out of their seats and started walking away. Sans stopped, and he turned to face everyone. "By the way…"
They all looked back at Sans, waiting for him to finish.
"… I was going to say something, but I forgot."
With that, Sans and Papyrus walked out of Grillby's.
Under the night sky, Papyrus and Sans made it back home. Sans stood in front of the door and dug around for his keys.
"Sans," Papyrus said quietly, "it's going to be okay, right?"
"Oh, yeah," Sans replied. "I mean, it sucks that Frisk is dead, but the world must go on."
"That's what Gaster said… Sans, you don't seem as sad as the rest of us. Why is that?"
Sans shrugged. "Oh, I am, but can you imagine me crying?"
Well, no. It was hard to imagine Sans crying. Still, Frisk was dead. If that wasn't worth crying over, then what was?
Sans unlocked the door, and they went inside. Sans turned on the lights, and Papyrus groaned. He had forgotten how much of a mess they had piled up. The whole floor was littered with socks, pizza boxes, wrappers, leftover food… it was a miracle the place wasn't infested with insects and rodents.
Papyrus sighed. "I'm gonna clean up."
"Sounds good," Sans said. "I'm gonna lie down for a while."
Sans didn't even bother to walk upstairs to his room. He just hopped on the couch and quickly began to take a nap. Meanwhile, Papyrus went into the kitchen and retrieved a trash bag. He scooped up as much of the trash as he could. Once the bag was stuffed full, he opened the front door and brought it outside.
Papyrus took a deep breath, feeling the cool night air brush against his bones. He still couldn't believe Frisk was gone. What would life be like without him? How did Chara feel? She had loved Frisk, hadn't she? She must have been…
Wait a minute, wait a minute!
Chara… hadn't she died before? Yes, Chara had died, but then she undied! Why couldn't Frisk do the same thing? Was that why Gaster and Sans were acting like nothing was wrong? Because they knew Frisk would come back?
Papyrus took out his phone and dialed Gaster's number.
Gaster picked up. "Greetings, Papyrus. To what do I owe this pleasure?"
"Gaster! Is Frisk still alive?"
"Hmm? You saw Frisk die, didn't you? How does one recover from a shattered soul?"
"Chara did! And Asriel, too! They died, but they came back! Chara had a red soul, so shouldn't Frisk be able to do the same thing?"
"Papyrus, people with red souls die every day. If it were that easy, this world would be crawling with demons."
"But he was the World Master! If he can't do it, then who can?!"
"Calm yourself, Papyrus. I know you miss him, but you must accept what happened and move on."
"But…"
"Sorry, I have to go. We'll talk later."
"Wait!"
Gaster hung up.
Papyrus fought the urge to throw his phone into the ground. Why?! It didn't make sense! Frisk had more natural determination than anyone, while Chara had never even been World Master! Why had Gaster brushed it off so easily? Was he hiding something?
"Wow! That's an interesting theory you've got there!"
Papyrus gasped. Out of the darkness, someone had approached him. It was a man with long brown hair and menacing red eyes, and the smile on his face made Papyrus's bones shiver.
"I wonder," Monty mused, "what would happen if two demons controlled the same body? How powerful would they be together? I bet it would be a spectacular sight to behold!" He aimed a pistol at Papyrus's head. "Wanna help me find out?"
Chara heard the front door open. Toriel had finally returned home. She clumsily opened the door and walked inside, greeting her with a shaky voice. "Oh, greeeetings my chiiiilld. How are you?"
Toriel nearly stumbled over; Chara caught her before she fell. "Mother, you're drunk."
"Oh, it is nothing. Just… just a few cups. That is all."
Chara sighed. This wasn't the first time she had seen Toriel like this. She hated it, especially since her biological parents had both suffered from a severe alcohol problem. The last thing Chara wanted to see was for Toriel to act like them.
Chara held her hand. "Come on, let's get you to bed."
"Noooo," Toriel whined. "We have so much to discuss. For starters, how was your visit with Alphys?"
Elodie and Flowey came over to help. The three of them dragged Toriel to the kitchen table and sat her down.
"Felicia is okay," Chara said. "She still won't talk to us, but she's alive."
"That is good," Toriel said. "What about Asriel? I hear Boaris is scheduled for execution shortly. May we take his soul and give it to Asriel?"
Chara nodded. "Yes, that crazy boar actually requested it. He specifically asked that his soul be used to resurrect Asriel." Why he did, Chara couldn't say. Perhaps he felt it would help him atone for his crimes, but no matter how badly Chara wanted to save Asriel, she would never forgive that insane lapdog.
"Excellent, at least I may have my children back…" Toriel stared down at the table, her face scrunching up in anguish. "Frisk…" She slammed her fist on the table and wailed, her tears dripping down her face. "Frisk!"
Chara felt a pit in her stomach. She knew Frisk's survival had to be kept secret, but she saw no reason to let Toriel's agony continue.
"We should tell her," Elodie whispered.
Chara nodded. She walked over to Toriel and gently held her shoulder. "Mother…"
Suddenly, they heard a knock on the door. Oh, of all times…!
Sniffling, Toriel wiped her face and approached the door. "Who is it?"
"Miss Toriel? This is General Ackerman, of the Military Police. May I come in?"
General Ackerman? What did the newly appointed head of the Military Police want with them?
Toriel slowly opened the door. General Ackerman was standing outside, along with Nate and Nora. They all wore their Military Police uniforms. Ackerman must have reinstated those two, but what were they doing here?
For a general, Ackerman looked surprisingly gentle. She was a fifty-two-year-old woman with calm light blue eyes and long hair as white as snow. She bowed courteously. "Good evening. I have come with a special request for your daughter, Chara Dreemurr. May I speak with her please?"
They wanted Chara? What for?
Toriel's teeth clenched. "What do want with my daughter?"
Her curiosity piqued, Chara stepped forward and introduced herself. "Greetings, I am Chara."
Ackerman held out her hand. "Hello, Chara. I am General Lisa Ackerman. It's a pleasure to meet you."
Chara shook her hand. "Likewise. What is it that you require of me?"
Ackerman stared solemnly at her. "Thanks to the efforts of Gaster, we've extracted some vital intelligence from Elizabeth Malcom, the location of a massive terrorist stronghold. I fully understand that I have no right to ask this of you, but we would greatly appreciate it if you could lend us your support in taking it down."
Two thoughts ran through Chara's mind. First, how had Gaster gotten Elizabeth to talk so quickly? Oh, mind magic, of course. Gaster had probably infiltrated Elizabeth's mind as he had done with Chara. Second, the Military Police wanted her to fight for them?
Toriel shot Ackerman a wrathful glare. "Are you insane?! She is only fourteen-years-old! You cannot ask this of her!"
Ackerman looked back at her shamefully. "I know, but Chara has proven herself to be an exceptionally powerful mage, one of the best I have ever seen. The terrorists are well-armed. We can beat them, but there's no telling how many of our soldiers it'll cost. If Chara fights with us, so many lives could be saved."
Chara thought it over. Those terrorists had to be stopped. They had almost erased Frisk from this world, and they wouldn't have stopped until all of monsterkind was wiped out. She hated them. If the Military Police wanted her to kill them, who was she to argue?
"No!" Toriel shouted. "My child is done fighting! She had suffered enough already! Leave her –"
Chara grabbed her arm. "Mother, it's okay."
"Like hell it is!" Toriel shouted. "You are not going with them! I forbid it!"
"Miss Toriel," Nora chimed in, "I understand that you don't want to lose Chara, but keep in mind that everyone is someone's child. Every one of us that falls in battle is a family devastated."
"Nonsense!" Toriel cried. "You are all adults that made your choices! Chara is too young to make this choice! Go fight and die, but leave my child alone! This does not concern her!"
Nate raised his hand. "Umm, if I may, based on the intelligence we have gathered, there is a strong possibility that the terrorists are plotting to assassinate Chara as we speak. She may be dragged into this fight regardless of her decision."
Toriel screamed deliriously. "Why?! Why do they insist on hurting my child?!"
"Chara," Ackerman said, "it is your decision. I will not blame you if you wish to stay out of this. You have already seen your share of fighting, but please consider it."
"Well," Flowey said, "I am definitely not a child, and I will gladly sign on to fight those terrorists."
Toriel gasped. "Asriel, no! You are not going, either!"
Chara tried to reach Felicia. Hey, Felicia, what do you think?
I don't give a shit! Felicia yelled. Do whatever the fuck you want!
Ah, finally! Felicia finally spoke to her! Even if Felicia hated her, Chara was glad to hear her voice again.
Gosh, Frisk said. If I didn't know any better, I would say she was an angsty thirteen-year-old. Oh, wait…
Frisk, what about you? Chara asked. Do you want to fight?
Honestly, I have no idea what I'd say if I had my soul, but right now? I'm all for it.
"Elodie," Chara said, "what do you think?"
"It's not an easy question," Elodie answered. "On one hand, I don't want you or Felicia to die, but saving those who are in trouble is common sense. It's your choice, but if you choose to fight, then I'm coming with you."
Toriel's nonexistent blood drained from her face. "No! What is wrong with you children?! Stop this talk at once!"
"Hey!" Nora exclaimed. "These terrorists are from the same organization that murdered Frisk! Don't you want them to pay for what they've done?"
"I would rather keep the ones I have left!" Toriel countered. "I… I cannot lose them! I cannot lose anyone else!" She faced Chara. "P-please, do not go! Stay with me!"
Chara frowned. "I'm sorry, Mother. I can't sit by and let these terrorists kill more people. I have to fight."
Ackerman pressed her fist against her heart and dipped her head. "Thank you, Chara. We thank you from the bottom of our –"
"No!"
Toriel flung a deadly fireball directly at Ackerman's head; Ackerman reacted immediately and swiftly dodged the missile. It flew past her head and exploded violently in the yard.
"Stop it!" Toriel screamed. "Stop it! Stop it! You cannot take her! You cannot! You… you..." She collapsed to her knees, sobbing.
Ackerman knelt down, fixing Toriel with a gentle gaze. "I understand how you feel. My mother also severed in the Military Police, but she didn't want me to follow in her footsteps. When I told her that I wanted to enlist, she begged me not to. She wanted me to live a peaceful life, but I couldn't. I know how hard it is for a parent to watch their child run into battle, and I know what I'm asking is a crime. I know I'm breaking the rules by asking an underage child to fight for us. If she accepts, I swear that I will do everything in my power to keep her alive, and if – despite my best efforts – Chara dies, I swear that I will repay you with my life!"
What?!
Nate gasped. "General! You can't be serious!"
"Well, then," Nora said. "I guess we'll just have to make sure Chara doesn't die."
Toriel stared at Ackerman with her mouth wide open. "You… you are mad…"
"I want to save as many people as possible," Ackerman said. "Sometimes, that means putting people in harm's way. I know this is a horrible thing to ask, and I don't expect you to forgive me. However, I am confident Chara is strong enough to survive; that is why I'm gambling my life on it."
Hmm, Chara liked this woman.
"I cannot support this," Toriel breathed. "I will not support this."
Chara pat Toriel on the back. "I will come back alive, Mother. I promise."
"Chara…"
Chara felt her phone vibrate. She pulled it out of her pocket. A message from Papyrus? Chara opened it, and her heart nearly jumped out of her chest.
"… what?"
