Disclaimer: I don't own Undertale, and the font gets a one-chapter change.
"Speaking"
Thinking
Chara speaking
Soul speaking
It was a cavern, that the two girls awoke in, already standing upright. A fact that, at this point, didn't startle Andi. No entrances, and no exits, after a quick scan of the area. It was just a small cave, exactly like the one they had fallen into almost a week ago. A large patch of buttercups sat in the middle under a blanket of fresh green grass and in the middle, kneeling on the foliage and stroking one of the flowers... "Asriel?"
"Hmm?" His ears perked at Andi's soft voice, and he turned in their direction. He was... definitely Toriel and Asgore's son, alright. No horns had grown yet, only tufts of white fur sticking up at odd directions. A large bright green and yellow striped sweater, and brown pants with grass stains on his knees. Faint tear tracks were noticeable, as though he had been crying before they had arrived. "Frisk? You're back? B-but I thought-?"
"Found a loophole." Frisk walked over to him without hesitation, and joined him in the flower patch. She smiled, a relieved expression, and sighed. Loophole, huh? So... how does she normally end up meeting him? "I missed you."
"Hehe. I missed you too... Frisk?" The young monster finally noticed her, still standing in the shadows of the room. Andi hadn't budged, not wanting to interrupt the reunion. She didn't know Asriel, and as such, wanted to take things nice and slow. He doesn't recall everything, so what are the chances he already knows me?
"Hi, Asriel." She crept towards the children, her boots stopping at the edge of the grass. "I'm Andi. I'm... a friend of Frisk's." Friend, guardian, sort-of-sister. She was a lot of things to the young child.
"You brought another human down here?" Frisk nodded, seeing the boy's awed face. Awe. Pure awe. He's so precious. And... fluffy. "Frisk, why did... oh, Frisk." His wonder melted away, and he frowned. "Frisk, I already told you. I can't go back."
"N-no, Asriel." Frisk grabbed one of his hands, holding it in her own as though the young prince would disappear if she let go. "No, I... I know how to get you out of here. I know how to bring you back. J-just wait a second, okay?"
Frisk... Andi felt the chill sweep over her left side, and glanced at Chara. The girl had floated close to the ground, letting her feet come into contact with the plants. What? What's wrong? Chara stared at the two children, watching Frisk let go of Asriel's hand and readjust her seating. Chara?
"Andi, could... could you come over here?" Frisk gestured to the flowers next to her, and with a cautious pause, wandered over to them. Chara hovered along right behind her, gazing with a mix of emotions at the children. At... Asriel.
"Frisk, we-we're almost at the end, right? Of getting out of there, right? All that's left is the barrier and... well, you." She gestured to Asriel. "So why don't we get to it?"
"I-yeah, that's all that's left... that's... it." Okay, something was wrong there. Frisk was tired, that was without a doubt. But now... she was hiding something. Before they fought Asgore, her motivation for bringing her to the Underground to 'save' her... what was going on? "A-Andi...?"
"Frisk, answer me... how exactly did you plan to bring Asriel back?" She didn't sit down. She just stood there, face blank. "You said the human souls and our friends would break the barrier, but you never said your plan to bring him back with us." Because if she remained silent, then just like everything else the woman had learned, it was an answer that was worrisome. An answer that, just like Sans, remained above her. Something that... had haunted the child the moment she had reset to the point she had visited the Jennings with her groceries. "Frisk... were you..." Andi's face scrunched, and she felt her throat start to seal up. "D-did... were you going..." say it. She had to say it. "G... give your s-soul to... Asriel?"
There. She said it; as she predicted, Frisk's face went pale. Pale, her own face scrunched up as she held back her own tears, and ever so slowly... nodded. So it's the truth. "You... were going to-Frisk, what were you thinking?" There were tears, that had begun to spring up in her own eyes, and she pulled Frisk closer to her in a one-armed hug. The girl struggled, trying to pull away, but Andi forced her down, keeping her in place. "Frisk. Frisk." You are not backing out of this. "Frisk, explain why you were going to do that, now."
"A-Andi," she stuttered. "I c-can-!"
"Frisk?" Frisk's mouth snapped shut, and she looked at Asriel. Had she forgotten him, the fear and truth clouding her mind of who else was there with her? Asriel frowned, hands clasped together over his chest. "Please, can't you tell us?"
"A-Asriel, I... I-I..." she didn't remove her arm, not until she knew that the kid was going to explain. "I c..." her eyes flickered to her, to her grip on her limb. "... oh..." Frisk sighed, head slumping forward, and Andi let the kid free. "... what... else was I to do?" She turned around, letting her back face them, and stared up at the light. The bright glow struck her dirt smeared skin, but she didn't blink as it met her eyes. "... I've tried... a lot, to... get Asriel back. I-I've thought of everything. And i-it the only thing I could of that I..."
"You were out of ideas," Andi whispered, more to herself. She never did say, in all their talks, how many times she had been through the Underground. If Frisk said she had thought of everything, then she probably had. Oh, Frisk. Why couldn't she have said something sooner? Surely, Sans could have helped her. Or is it the same case as me, where she deemed it unimportant for him to be in the loop?
Chara drifted down next to them, and sat cross-legged between Frisk and Asriel. She stared at her brother, a half pity-filled look, and turned her attention back to the elder human. You appear surprised. She rested a hand on Frisk's, and the girl intertwined her fingers with hers. The transparent form solidified a little, like a wave washing over her, and Asriel held back the amazed gasp as she smirked at him. Hello, Asriel.
"H-howdy, Chara. I-how long has it been...?" She shrugged, and twisted herself around to put her own back to them, still keeping a firm grip on Frisk to keep her presence in their reality. Too long. I've lost track of how many timelines it's been... guess we're getting comfy then, since no one is acting anytime soon.
"Apparently..." Andi shuffled around, same as the others, and felt the smaller bodies rest against her taller torso. Heh. Had anyone else entered the cavern, should they find an entrance, the sight would have been quite spectacular. Three humans, one of which was only visible due to holding the hand of the youngest girl, and a goat monster. Sitting in a circle, backs to each other, and staring up at the light shining down on them, its source unknown to them all. "... hey, Chara?"
Yes? They... no one was doing anything at any point. Frisk was not giving up her soul, leaving them all in a state of limbo until they came to a new decision. It didn't hurt to-to ask, with all of them there together. "How... what happened?" She asked, still staring off at the wall, only catching glimpses of the children from the corners of her eyes. "You know, when you and... and Asriel?"
... should we tell her, Azzy? Asriel smiled a little at the nickname, though it was a far cry from the happy look she briefly saw a glimpse of earlier, and twisted himself around to face the ghost.
"Frisk knows, and she trusts Andi... I think it's fine." Of course, you do. Chara shook her head, giving a small chuckle. Their interaction... sort of reminded the elder of herself and Frisk. The one who acted goofy, and the one who had to pull in the reigns when things got too crazy. Oh, boy... Chara sighed, brushing her bangs aside with her free hand. I... you know, I haven't actually told Frisk the entire story. I only told her what was deemed important. But if we're... going to be sitting around for a while... I guess it's only fair.
The first thing Chara was aware of, was that her head hurt.
Her head hurt, like a thousand hammers were going to work inside her skull, with both ends of the tool. Ow, ow, ow. "Mmmm!" She raised a hand to her auburn hair, feeling the sticky liquid coating the strands on her fingers. Blood. I... thought that fall would've worked.
Chara frowned into the ground she laid on, giving a loud and very annoyed groan into the dirt. "It sounds like it came from over here... oh!" Shuffling. A voice. Someone... else was down there with her? I'm not the only one? "You've fallen down, haven't you...?"
"N... no. Just decided to... take a nice nap on the ground." The sound of footsteps stopped, and to her surprise, the stranger laughed. She... that wasn't meant to be funny.
"S-sorry, that was... a little uncalled for. Here, l-let me help you." The footsteps stopped, and she felt a pair of hands wrap around her shoulders, slowly lifting her up enough for her to get to her legs on the ground again. Her long bangs still hung in front of her eyes, a curtain accompanying her sealed eyes. She'd open them when she felt like it. When she didn't feel as though she'd vomit from the pain. "So... what's your name?"
"... isn't it sort of rude to ask that without introducing yourself first?" And ask when I could possibly have a concussion? The person fell into silence, either taken aback by her question, or lost on how to respond. Great. Now she felt bad. "... it's... Chara," she answered, a frown directed at herself rather than the mysterious voice. "Since you wanted to know."
"Chara, huh? That's a nice name." The banging in her head subsided, and Chara finally opened her eyes. Through her bangs, the girl had to blink several times to guarantee she was not seeing things. Perhaps she hit her head harder than she thought. Maybe she was hallucinating. But it was rather hard to not freak out at the sight of some furry goat monster smiling back at her, ears falling forward past his shoulders with a friendly tilt of his head. "My name is Asriel."
"... uh, that's a... nice name too." Holy cow monsters are real why are monsters real was that legend-myth-thing real or-!? "S-so... where are we?" Are they going to eat me or use me in some weird spell and-?
"Oh, we're in Home." Did... Home? That was a capital, right? A capital H? What sort of name was that? Am I dead? Is this... some sort of strange in-between? "Come on! My mom can heal you." Heal? He meant bandages and pain medication, right? But if it's healing, then that means I'm not dead. "Do you like pie?"
"P-uh, yeah, I like... pie." She preferred cake, but she wouldn't turn pie down if it was offered to her. Asriel laughed, and sped up their walk, oblivious to her struggle to make sense of what on earth was happening.
"Mom should have some that you can enjoy while you rest," he continued, before throwing a worried look at her. "I-I'm not going to fast for you, am I?"
What... was with this kid? "No, you're not going to fast... does this mean there's other monsters down here too?" Chara asked slowly.
"Yeah! Dad says it's less than when the war happened, but the Underground is full of monsters." His pace quickened, to the point she was almost being dragged along beside him. "Ha ha! Come on, Chara!" If that fall didn't end me, his enthusiasm might. Though-and she had to give a surprised smile at the thought-she had to admit, this monster Asriel... it had been a long time since she met someone who greeted her so openly. Let's just see how this goes. Her hand drifted to his paw, still holding her up on weak legs, and placed her palm over his. Who knows? Maybe I fit in better with actual monsters.
"Hey, Chara! What are you doing up there?"
"Watching the sun, dummy, duh." She stared down at him from her spot on the rock, several feet off the ground. The warmth of the setting sun fell through the hole high above her head, and she watched the light begin to shift up the walls. "What do you have there?"
"Oh! I got mom's old camera from the closet." He held up the old device with an eager smile. Several cracks lined the metal and plastic, but Chara noted that it didn't appear to be broken to the point of not functioning. "Do you want to try it out?"
"Hmm... how about you try it out, and you film me?" Paying little attention to her brother, she reached down and plucked a leaf growing from a vine entangling around one of the pillars. Rolling it around in her pale fingers, she winked down at him. "Well? I'm waiting."
"O-oh! Sure, just... just give me a second." Watching the red light slowly come on as Asriel held the power button for a couple seconds, Chara busied herself with the leaf. Bringing it to her mouth, she blew against it, and frowned behind the green as an odd squeak came out of it. "Ha ha ha! Chara, what was that?"
"You've never seen a leaf whistle before?" She lowered her hands, letting the leaf drift away in the slight breeze that fell through the hole. Floating lazily in the cavern, disappearing amidst the golden flowers under her brother's feet. "Is it working?"
"Yeah, I think so... hehe. Hey, Chara? Do your creepy face!" Creepy face? Is that what we're calling it? It was a... trick, that the human girl could pull off. Thinning her mouth, widening her eyes to an unnatural size with the red almost overtaking the white. It was disturbing, and creepy, and watching Asriel's reaction whenever she did it was hilarious.
"Alright then. Be sure to get my good side." She winked, and closed the other eye. Three. Two. One. She gave him the face, just like he wanted, internally wincing at the pain behind her eyes as she pulled it off.
"Ahhh! Hee hee hee!" Asriel laughed, stumbling back from the human in alarm. "Sorry, I still can't used to that." Neither can I. Chara blinked rapidly, reaching up to rub at her eyes. Stings. "Oh! Wait! I had the lens cap on..."
"That's a shame, because I'm not doing it again." Lowering her hands and wiping tears off on her shorts, Chara hopped down to his level. "I don't want to hurt my eyes any further."
"What!? You're not gonna do it again...?" Hehe. "Come on, Charaahhh!" Asriel jumped back in another scream, Chara bringing her face up to his own with a lessened version of the creepy face. Ha! Got you! "C-Chara, come on, quit tricking me! Ha ha!"
"That's what you get, screamer." Chara grinned, punching the monster in his shoulder. And he still got all of that on audio, so he could still count that as a win. "Come on. It's almost suppertime. I heard mom's making a quiche." Asriel hit the power button on the recorder, tucking it under his arm as they began to make their way to the cave's exit. "We can try again tomorrow."
"Howdy, Chara! Smile for the camera!" She did say try again tomorrow... at least it's not the face again. Shrugging, Chara offered the camera a small smile. There. Happy? Asriel held the device up, giggling on the other side. What was it this time? She didn't do anything funny. "Ha, this time I got YOU! I left the cap on... on purpose! Now you're smiling for nooo reason! Hee hee hee!"
"Wow, you really got me there, Azzy." Asriel lowered the camera, shaking his head at her sarcasm. "Hey, uh... Asriel? Do you remember when we tried to make that pie?"
"What? Oh, yeah, I remember..." Asriel lifted the camera upwards, and Chara took it from him, letting him climb up onto the rock next to him. "When we tried to make butterscotch pie for dad, right? The recipe asked for cups of butter... but we accidentally put in buttercups instead."
"Dad got really sick," Chara added, frowning at the memory. It was several weeks ago, when it had happened. They actually did it as a sort of joke-well, Chara did. When Asgore fell ill, bedridden for a few days as Toriel took care of him and the kingdom, she felt awful. She felt awful, and Asriel felt awful.
"I felt so bad. We made mom really upset. I should have laughed it off, like you..." he trailed off at the end, and gave his head a shake. "Uh, anyway, where are you going with this?"
Laughing it off... she felt guilty, but laughter was the first response that had came to her. Wish I acted like you had, Asriel. "... Asriel, turn off the camera."
"Huh? Oh, uh, okay." The red glow faded out as he held the button, and he sat the machine down on a rock nearby. "What is it? Is... something wrong?"
"I... I don't like this idea, Chara." Asriel held the door open for her, letting her slide in. No one was around, their parents busy out in the city. Still, she couldn't but be cautious. She didn't need anyone trying to stop her.
"You're just scared, Asriel..." she replied, before turning around. "And you're crying."
"Wh... what? N-no, I'm not... big kids don't cry." He sniffed, wiping at his eyes to clear what tiny drops had begun to form. "See? I'm not crying." Liar. He wasn't-was... was Asriel questioning the plan? Was he questioning her?
"Azzy, are... are you doubting me?" A spike of anger was in her words, swirled with hurt and disappointment. "I thought you wanted to break the barrier."
He leaned back, the words taking him aback. "No! I'd never doubt you, Chara... never!" Asriel argued back, horrified she was even thinking that. "Y... yeah! We'll be strong! We'll free everyone. I-I'll go get the flowers. Be right back."
Asriel threw her one final look before closing the door softly, and dipped out into the hallway. She held her breath, and sighed once she was certain he wasn't coming back. "I'm sorry, Asriel." Moving towards her bed, Chara got down on the floor, and pulled a small shoe box out from underneath. She... she had to act now. If he came back, the fallen child might not have had the courage to pull through. Determined? Oh, yes. But she loved her brother. She loved Asriel, and having him watch her poison herself... she couldn't do it.
"This... this will work. We'll get them out of here. All of them." She lifted the fist full of golden petals up to her face, the yellow color casting a glow around her skin. "We'll take back the Surface." See you soon, Azzy.
Her final thought given, Chara exhaled deeply, paused... and shoved the flowers into her mouth.
"I got them, Chara!" Asriel jogged up to the door, freshly pulled flowers in his hands. It was a struggle, making sure he didn't grab the stems and roots, but he was satisfied with the work. Juggling the flowers in one arm, he opened the door, letting it swing open freely and bring in the hallway light. "I got the-!"
His sister laid on the floor, unconscious. Blistering red patches lined her mouth, and a stream of blood crept down the side over her cheek, staining the carpet underneath. Shreds of yellow petals stuck to the crimson liquid, and clung to the collar of her sweater. "... Chara?"
She hurt. Chara hurt a lot. Her stomach felt horrible, and her throat burned. She wanted to cry, to scream; she just wanted it all to end.
Then... it stopped. The pain... stopped. Disappeared altogether. What... what happened?
"Chara? Chara, is that you?"
Her eyes opened, and she stared ahead slack-jawed. She... she was on the Surface. At the face of a cliff, overlooking the town far below. "Chara! I-I'm so sorry, I-I did what you s-said, but when I got back you-!"
Hey, hey! Slow down, Asriel. It-it's not your fault, okay? I just... I didn't want to freak you out when it happened. No way could she admit the actual truth. Hey, Asriel? Where...? She was... speaking, right? Then why couldn't she feel her mouth move? And... how did she get on the Surface, outside... of the... we did it?
"Yep! Your plan worked, Chara!" Her plan to get the souls, and to escape the barrier to get them... it worked. I-it worked! Does that mean that-? "I absorbed your soul, just like you said. But, um..." His-their?-head bowed, and Chara stared at... herself.
Her skin was pale, far paler than it normally was. The skin around her mouth was still red, but the blistering had gone down significantly. Her short hair was still smooth and neatly brushed, and to her bemusement, a golden flower had been placed in it, right above her left ear. Asriel, did... my body's gone, right? So why am I still wearing boots?
"It... it seemed weird for you not to have them, if we're going outside." His voice seemed... deeper. Older. We actually seem taller, now that I think about it. "So where should we go, Chara?" Maybe physically, taking my soul made Asriel age...? "Chara?"
Oh. Sorry. She looked around. Asriel, we're sharing your body right now, correct? Can... can I take control for a bit? "Oh, um... well, sure. You sort of did for a moment, when you 'woke up'." She had, hadn't she? She opened her eyes, and managed to take control for a split second to react to the landscape. Okay. Just... I'm not sure how it will feel...
Chara felt a slight tug, and grabbed hold of it and pulled. Whoa! "Ah!" Asriel stumbled forward, and scrambled to regain his hold on Chara's body. "O-okay, I got it... wow, my voice sounds weird." Hey, that's my voice!
Yes, it was, but the inner voice of Asriel was a child. This body was older, and now, Chara had taken the reigns. "Hehe. Let's go, Azzy." She turned on her heal, and started off down towards the overgrown trail. Amber eyes strayed over to the cavern's opening, and she frowned. She... she got out. They got out, left the Underground, with... with her body, and without anyone noticing. "... Asriel? Mom and dad, they... they're not gonna be happy with us."
No, they won't... do you think they'll be happy once they see you're still here? And once we get the rest of the souls? "Perhaps." The ground was soft under her paws, and she had to steady herself from sliding forward. "No one has come up here in a long time." Shocking. When she fell, back when Toriel, Asgore, and Asriel lived in Home, the trail leading to the hole had some evidence of use. In New Home, all that kept them apart from the outside world was the barrier. Such an open hole, leading to an area that the humans feared to tread, of course lead to the path not appearing as well-used. Chara, you fell on the other side. Doesn't that mean we have to walk around the mountain?
"Uh..." she had made some progress, going down the hill, but came to a stop at his question. "I do live on the other side, but both sides are sort of... sister towns? We're close due to the location, and not many other towns are around the base of Mount Ebott."
Does that mean you'd be fine if we went down there instead? Chara had to pause for a moment to think that over, doing her best not to let her thoughts be loud enough for Asriel to hear. As much as she hated her village, the people, her classmates, her... any place, where the golden flowers bloomed would be fine. "Around the edge of the town down there is a cemetery, and in the center is a huge tree surrounded by golden flowers. Asriel, I'd... I'd like you to lay my body there."
Me? Chara, I thought you wanted to-
"I'd feel better if it was you," she cut him off. "Asriel?" ... alright. Can you get us down the mountain? She laughed, but snapped her mouth shut after a few chuckles slipped out. Yeah, the voice was still weird. "No problem."
Down the mountain, past mossy covered rocks that had their feet slip on them, and took a quick pause at Asriel's insistence to watch the deer and fawns race across the path. The mother stared at them, large brown eyes, and continued leaping into the bush. Cool. "Hehe." The ground started to flatten out, and once she was certain that their shared body wouldn't fall over and crush her body, Chara picked up her pace, reaching the bottom of the mountain far faster than when she had climbed it, and headed off towards the town through the woods lining the road.
"Where should we go to get the souls?" Birds flew overhead, a few robins and a blue jay, and she knew Asriel was taken with the sight. Heck, he was taken with everything. All of the nature, flora and fauna, was something her brother had never gotten the chance to see before. She could imagine his expression though, even though she couldn't see it. Wide eyes, mouth partially open in a mute gasp.
Hmm... do you think there are human souls in the cemetery? Possibly, if one believed in ghosts. Then again, there were ghosts in the Underground, so... "dunno. We'll just have to wait and see." Sunlight poured on their fur, and Chara picked up the pace, nearly running through the forest towards the slowly growing sight of a clearing. Popping out of the treeline, her grip on her body almost slipped at the sight of the field of buttercups around their feet like a carpet, brushing at their ankles and waving in the slight breeze that fell down over Mount Ebott.
The tree was huge, massive in its bushy foliage, and stretched out over the flowers and several headstones. Dipping into the shadows, feeling the cool of the shade drift over her like a sheet, she approached the trunk and the gnarled roots rising and falling from the ground. The wind brushed the purple robe around, and she gripped her body a little before finally coming to a stop. Chara?
Chara didn't respond. Slowly, she lowered them to the ground, taking a knee as she placed her body between two large roots. Her head fell sideways, hair spreading over the grass, and she had to reposition her arms. True, she was... dead, but she did want to make herself look comfortable. "... well?" You... look like you're asleep. That was what she was hoping for. What's next?
"Next, we go get those souls." She stood back up, and took a few small steps back. Do we dig graves? I don't know how comfortable I'd be with that. A twig, from the sound of it, a rather small one, snapped. A noise, that came from behind them. Chara? "Shh..."
Inching, she spun their body around, robe nearly dragging on the buttercups as she turned to face the entrance of the cemetery. Between the cast-iron fence gates, holding a bouquet of tulips of assorted colors, an elderly woman stared at them with wide, fearful eyes. "Ah... A-aah...!"
No, no, no. No screaming. She-she didn't need this. They just wanted to get the souls, and get back to the Underground. "Please, ma-"
"AAAHHHH!" The flowers fell to the ground at the woman's shrill shriek, and with speed surprising for one her age, took off past the gates towards the direction of the town. Chara and Asriel blanked for a second, until Chara knelt down and grabbed her abandoned body, not caring how messy she did it. Chara, what are-?
"We need to go. Now." Making sure her cold corpse wouldn't fall, Chara quickly made her way back towards the treeline, and started her hurried ascent to the cavern. Someone saw her, and if the woman saw her former body, then the faster they moved, the better. "She thinks I killed m-a kid. She thinks a monster killed a child."
But Chara, you didn't kill anyone. She killed herself. She poisoned herself. That was enough. What do we do now? "We move, before they catch up to-AH!" Chara shouted, a sound almost like a growl with her new vocal cords, as a burst of heat ripped through her shoulder. Her cold body almost fell from her grip, and she felt Asriel rush forwards to catch it as her mind took a dive. Chara!
Shouts echoed behind her, and she turned to see a crowd of people farther down the trail. At the forefront, a man with a shotgun, cocking it as they made eye contact. They... they shot at her. They shot at them. "... grrr..." the same noise from before filled her throat, a low angry noise, and she trembled as the humans continued up the hill, shouting at them with such fury. Another shot rang out, and she spun around as the bullet flew past their head. Chara, run! We can't fight them!
Can't fight them? He wanted them to not fight? Had he lost his mind? Asriel, they are shooting at us! We have to attack! Fight. They could-they'd be able to get the souls. There'd be enough to break the barrier, and enough attacks would be enough to scare the rest away. We only need six souls, Azzy. Attack them, and get them back to the barrier.
But that wasn't the plan! Chara, I didn't agree to kill anyone! They still hadn't budged, their internal argument stalling them as the mob got closer. A click, an echo, and she cried out as a hole was torn in her leg. You are doubting me, Asriel! Stop being a wuss and help me!
Their body trembled, and she felt... something, deep within her. Was this the sort of power she had seen within her friends and family? Magic? Fine. I'll do it mys-! Her body seized up, and before she could act on the feeling-the sensation of power and warmth lurking within her center, she was thrown back into the darkness. Asriel! He... took over.
It's not going to make mom and dad feel better if we murdered people. I'm... sorry, Chara. A burst of heat, and even with the fact she was no longer in control, she could feel it. Chara could feel the fire pierce her chest, a cloud of white dust and fur flying out as it ripped through the other side. A choking sound left their mouth, and had Asriel been made of flesh as she was, no doubt blood would be spewing from their mouth. Asriel!
"We're... we'll go now. We'll leave... heh." There were no more shootings, no more mob rushing up to meet them. Perhaps that final attack was clear to them that they took down the monster. Whatever it was, they let them leave. Limping the same path they took, with a trail of dust at their feet as Asriel lead the way. An ever-growing limp, due to the hole slowly increasing with every few steps. He had to bite his lip from crying out as the same happened to his shoulder, not wanting her body to fall and roll back down the mountain. "... C... C-Chara...?"
Asriel... her response was quiet, and as much as she was angry-furious... she was worried. S... scared. "A-are we g-going to... to die?" ... yes, Asriel. We're... we're going to die. There was no way around it. They weren't going to live. "M-mom, and dad..." tears stained their cheeks, and with a shaky inhale, Asriel pushed himself up to the edge of the trail, where it finally leveled out. The massive cavern's entrance was just ahead to his left, and he held back a whimper. "They're-I-I'm... wh-why didn't I stand up for myself?"
... it's my fault for pressuring you. She wanted to hug him. She wanted him to see her smile, almost always confident and reassuring. It's... it's both our faults. They started down the cavern, and took note of how the barrier didn't affect them going in. Their limping was worse now, and Asriel was practically dragging himself along as he reached the door to the castle at the end. Their breathing was soft, and their vision started to dip in and out. Come on, Asriel. You... you can make it. The grey hallway, and then they'd reach the throne room. Their eyes started to fall, and he barely made it around the corner into the golden room of buttercups before they fell forward. Chara's long-gone body slid from his grip, and he managed to push her out of the way before he landed. Landed, among the flowers that poisoned her, and body vanishing into the garden in a cloud of dust.
Two souls, one upside-down and white, the other dark red, floated together. The white shook violently, fractures crossing over it, and Chara could only watch in silent horror as Asriel shattered, disappearing into the rest of his dust.
Sh-she couldn't. Sh-this was her fault, b-but she... she couldn't die. N-not yet. Not yet. Not when she still had to get the souls. Not when she still had to break the barrier, and give the monsters the world above back to them. I don't want to die yet. Her soul, her entire being, shivered, and she could hear voices outside of the throne room. I don't want to die! Mom. Dad. Her brother. S-she wanted them back. She wanted them all back! I DON'T WANT TO D-!
Six.
Six souls, six humans, fell after Chara. Six, who came to the mountain. Some due to curiosity, some who never saw the hole and fell in by accident, and some who fell for the same reason as herself.
The light blue patience, who succumbed shortly after leaving the Ruins from the bitter cold. The youngest human's ribbon and toy knife were lost in her explorations whilst staying with Toriel.
The orange and dark blue souls. Best friends, who had different methods of driving through their journey. Orange lasted longer than his friend, who had raced towards Waterfall in a mad rush to escape the oncoming Royal Guard. He had fought everyone head-on, never backing down from a fight, trying to provide a distraction so she could hide. For the orange soul, it was a light blue attack, that ultimately struck him down. A sword, tearing through his stomach.
As for the blue soul... she never stood a chance, with ballet slippers and the strong currents and slippery rocks.
Purple came next. Perseverance; someone only a small step backwards from her own red heart. Their death was cruel, and like the blue soul, was not the responsibility of the monsters. It was in a cave, where an unfortunate encounter with a startled Woshua led them to losing their glasses in the dark room, only with the large crystals to offer dim light. Their matching purple glasses, too big for their face, were lost in the void, and without sight... starvation was not a way they had wanted to go.
Justice fell next, as did the kind green soul, only a few weeks before him. Their travels nearly overlapped, with the yellow soul managing to reach the Core before being struck down by members of the Royal Guard inside the massive machine. He was thrown backwards, and a light blue laser passed through him. The remains... were not a sight that the two guards liked to remember.
The kind child. The last one to perish, roasted alive by a Pyrope while evading the Guard as well. Six souls, six children had fallen down, until a silence befell the Underground for years. A deathly calm, tense, wait.
A wait... for the seventh human to fall.
A wait... for the last soul to fall.
A wait...
... for Chara's dying wish to become a reality.
And... that's that. Chara didn't fall back, unlike Asriel and Frisk. Attempting to try would have had the girl phase through all three of them. That's what... got us to this point.
"... so we... just wait here, for something to happen?" Andi asked. "For Frisk to come up with another option?"
"... or I give him mine." Frisk's reply was met with grim looks, and Asriel brushed the grass around him with a sigh. "We can't stay here forever."
"She's actually tried," Asriel added, getting a brow raised from Frisk's guardian. "Nothing happened." Great. In that case, they only had two options on what they could do next.
"Hmm... hey, Asriel?" He hummed questioningly, floppy ears twitching at his name. "Where's the six human souls?" The monster turned around to face them, as did the others, and he put a hand to his chest. They're inside him, still? The green fabric twisted under his palm, and he closed his eyes.
"... they're there, but I... huh?" He lowered his hand, and frowned. "It feels like they're... hiding."
Hiding? He looked at his sister, mirroring his expression. Asriel, what are you...? She fell silent, looking past Asriel; through him. The others followed her gaze, and the quartet stared at a sight that-judging from Frisk's expression-was not normal.
The souls, all lined up along the edge of the grass, observing them. "What are they doing?" Andi whispered to Frisk. The young human didn't answer, instead watching the hearts drift forward, some more hesitant than others. Were they listening to them? Did they hear Chara's story? Frisk's? "Guys?" The yellow soul drifted to the front, taking the lead in front of all of them. The wisps of soul drifted around rising and falling, until they began to reform. Branching outwards, forming outlines.
"... justice." It was. The cowboy hat, and pistol hanging on its hip. Their eyes were glowing yellow, no determinable sign of pupils or irises. Just... gold. A cowboy costume vest over a long sleeved shirt and torn jeans and worn sneakers. Frisk looked around to the others, seeing them turn to each other, mimicking a glance, before copying their leader's actions.
An orange soul, with a bandanna tied around its head and a single glove over its left hand, wearing a tank top and the bottoms of a martial arts uniform. The free hand was wrapped around the dark blue's, wearing a worn but still clean ballet uniform; their hair was back in a loose bun atop their head. Behind the yellow soul, but still close to them, the green soul gave a shy wave. Their hand held a frying pan, its ghostly mimicry displaying stains from its use, as did the apron under its button-up shirt and pants.
Off to their side, the same as the dark blue and orange, the purple and light blue souls stood together. The purple held their arms over their chest, hugging the notebook as though their life depended on it, purple eyes peeking out behind large rectangular glasses. To their side, Andi's attention was drawn, seeing a color all too familiar. Patience. The soul was small, smaller than the others. The ribbon she wore, same as the one in her hair right, hung on the side of their bushy hair. And in the front, held in their right hand, was the cursed plastic knife that Flowey kept forcing her to take.
They stood up, the eighth and first fallen humans still holding hands to keep her stable on the ground, staring at their audience. "What do you think they want?" She glanced from the souls to Frisk, who only stared in confusion. Justice crossed its arms, glancing around at its fellow fallen, before pointing a sole finger at Asriel. The goat blinked, and copied the gesture. What are they doing? The sole's arm fell, and opened its mouth.
You want him back? She held back a startled shout at the voice. It was echoing, bouncing around the cavern, but distinctly male. You really want him back, after what he and... her, have done to us? He... wasn't wrong. If it wasn't for Asriel and Chara, none of them would have died after falling down. They might have lived happily with the monsters, just as Chara had done prior to death-by-buttercup. What makes me certain that you won't 'reset', as you put it?
Yellow soul. Justice... the same trait she had seen in Sans, along with her own patience. Because she won't. Andi looked to Chara, seeing her give the fellow ghost a neutral look. No one is going back, ever again. Frisk nodded alongside her, and the boy's eyes slid to the lone adult with them.
And what about you? Do you think they deserve a second chance? Did... did she? For Frisk, she wanted to. Oh, how she wanted to. Asriel definitely showed regret, but there was still his actions as Flowey after he fell down. It didn't appear as though he was responsible for the humans' deaths, but he still manipulated them, long after their bodies decomposed. Torturing them, enjoying the power he felt and playing with her friends like puppets on strings. Sans has some idea of what he's done, though he never told me.
Then... there was Chara. Without her, none of this would have happened. Without her, Frisk and her would still be on the Surface. Living how they were before... now, after all of what she had been through, Andi realized just how boring that would be. Enjoyable, yes, but she had had more fun the past few days than most of her twenty-some years of life. But back onto the topic at hand... did Chara deserve a second chance?
... she's bonded with Frisk. So through all of the timelines, all of the different resets, she went through them. Perhaps Chara was not there at the very beginning, but Frisk must have had some effect on her. She... she wanted to attack them, and though she had not outright said it, appeared to hold a grudge against humanity. She... didn't climb for a good reason. Chara, and Asriel, and Frisk... all three of them had done a lot to the residents of the Underground. "I..." she felt all eyes on her, alive and dead, and she stared up at the light pouring down on them. Where was that coming from? It appeared as though they were almost in some form of limbo, with no ways in or out. "I... yes. They... they do." All of them. They all deserved a second chance.
... hmm. Justice still frowned, but the scowl lessened. The other souls mumbled among themselves, and Andi noticed the aqua soul staring at her. Hi? She smiled, looking past the yellow ghost, and the small child gave a little wave by their spot next to the purple soul. Then take it down. He held out a hand, watching Asriel expectantly.
The young prince nodded, and reached out to take it. Maybe it was the fact that Asriel's form wasn't entirely solid, or perhaps he held a shred of determination within himself just like Andi and Frisk, but he managed to grab hold. It was not the same as Chara's form, her appearance was more solid than theirs, but the matter was more-or-less the same. The yellow soul looked to his friends, and held out his other hand, a silent message for them to take hold. "It's going to get bright," Frisk whispered, watching the green human take hold. "Very bright."
Purple grabbed on next, putting their book away to free their hands. The ballerina followed, while the fighter took hold without the hesitation as their friend. A hum, similar to the sound at the barrier, echoed around the cavern, and a stream of light flowed from one link to the next. The youngest soul was all that was left, and she took a moment to slide the plastic knife into her pocket, careful to not let it get caught on her clothing. Here we go.
The instant the aqua soul took the braver one's, a ripple of light shot out through the chain of seven. Frisk and Chara gripped each other, the energy nearly knocking them over, and Andi felt her own boots slide under her, nearly tearing up the grass beneath them. The buttercups were swept up in the release of magic, petals swirling around them before the rest of the light shot upwards. Up, towards the opening high above their heads.
The sound was deafening, almost as bad as when Frisk and the souls set Flowey on fire. A boom, nearly sending all of them to the earth as it made contact with whatever was above. The light went out as shards fell above, fading to dust before it got too close, and the cavern went dark. Pitch black, with their only light being the six colorful ghosts. Did we do it?
The aqua's voice was high, soft, and hopeful. She looked up at the perseverance soul, and they nodded. Yes. It wasn't a huge, joyous answer, but it was all that was needed. The job was done, the deed complete. After such a long, and traumatizing journey... she had done it. She had survived the Underground.
"... what now?" The humans' attention turned to Asriel. "Frisk, you know that-without the souls, I'll... turn back into a flower." Does that mean Sans and Toriel and everyone else returned to normal? Asriel let go of Justice's soul, though the rest of the kids still held on. "Frisk, I-I don't want you to give me your soul."
She won't. His head turned to the green soul, who smiled at him. ... we will. Asriel didn't get a chance to open his mouth, nor did the others get a shot at asking what the ghost meant. The ghosts closed their eyes, all in different displays of emotion, and in something akin to a vacuum seal, retracted back into their heart forms. Faint strands of soul essence still drifted from them, linking them together.
"Are...?" Are they, what? What did Frisk think they were trying to accomplish? Are they suppose to... vanish, after breaking the barrier? Is that when Asriel goes back to a flower? Chara took a step forward, arm falling behind her as Frisk kept hold. The hearts bobbed, and the ghost stared at them mutely. What was it, that was happening? An unsaid message? Some... telepathy, paranormal thing? "Chara?"
Chara lowered her head, giving a soft chuckle. It wasn't humorous. You said so yourself, Frisk. I still have some determination left. She raised a hand to her chest, and to their shock, a red heart drifted into view, joining the rainbow of hues already around them. A darker red, than Andi's and Frisk's, where the soul only showed its color around the edges. It's... hollow. The red didn't reach the center, only leaving something similar to a cookie cutter behind. Take... take my soul, Frisk. She forced herself to get the words out, having them catch in her throat. With what determination I have, I can act as a... husk, to hold the others.
Husk. Hold the others. She-she wasn't. W-was Chara honestly suggesting using herself as a vessel for the other children to-? "C-Chara, you... you can't...!" Chara laughed bitterly, looking from her hollow heart to Asriel. Tears stained the fur under his eyes, and he sniffed. "I-I just got you back, and you're leaving again?"
Still a crybaby... she reached forward, and brushed her thumb against his cheek. The digit fazed through the strands and water, but the young monster still smiled at the gesture; a watery, forced smile. Besides, who ever said I'm leaving? It just means I'll be haunting you instead of Frisky here.
Frisky. Had it not be such an emotional moment, she would have laughed at the nickname. "But, Chara..." they looked to Frisk, almost forgotten in the siblings' conversation. "That's... not enough. We need more." More. The colors would fill Chara's empty soul, but the amount of determination was still small, shy of what they needed. Then, wouldn't that mean that Frisk would... no.
No.
She would not let that happen. Sh-Frisk went through hell to bring her alive. She had suffered so, so much over the timelines, wearing herself and Sans down with each load. Each reset, bringing them back to beginning like a video game. And now, she wanted to give her own life for Asriel, to make sure the two factors for the perfect ending were fulfilled. Asriel would be brought back, reunited with his parents. Herself would continue her daily routine, and not... whatever she had brought upon herself on the Surface. Frisk had committed her entire nine years to the monsters, just wanting them-just wanting her... to be happy. But sacrificing herself...
She knew Chara was watching her. Perhaps she even knew what she was thinking, judging from her facial features. She... there was a reason, why her soul was like this. When she did that ridiculous battle in the secret room, with Sans giving her advice, that was her clue. Her reason. My reason... it was-who was she fooling, it was a crazy idea. A thought that, if she went through with it, would destroy all of Frisk's work. All of what she tried to do. However, if it did work...
The blue and red soul drifted to the forefront, and the children fell silent amidst their conversation that she had tuned out of. "Andi?" She lifted the heart up to her face, watching the faint lines of color trail onto the opposite side in a nearly straight line. Focus to split. Feel the soul, and will it to split. "Andi, what are you-?"
The warmth swept over her hands, and she bring both palms apart, watched the colors divide with ease. Both hands held upwards, each supporting the two halves, Andi took a knee in front of the trio. She was... terrified, scared. Her heartbeat though was... a mix. Of frantic, and of calmness. Perhaps because she was arguing mentally in the back of her head. Out of the corner of her eye, she looked at the souls, having moved closer to Chara upon taking out her own soul. Act. Andi... dismissing Chara's warning tone, she smiled at Frisk, taking in the child's confused look. Thank you, Frisk.
She smiled, an action that she hoped met her eyes, and shoved the red half of her soul directly into Chara's awaiting husk.
"Andi!" The reaction was instantaneous. A flare of pain raced through her chest, the missing half of her being noticed immediately. Screaming, the woman fell to the black floor, blue half falling with her arm outstretched. It was almost exactly like when Undyne had killed her. It went dark, and it went fuzzy, but this time, there was no blood. No metallic taste flooding her mouth and lungs. She couldn't breathe though. She wasn't even sure if her organs were functioning. All she could do was writhe in pain, eyes sealed shut as her entire world imploded. It hurts it hurts it hurts IT HURTS!
A cool swept through her chest, and she felt a shake on her right. Felt... tears, fall freely onto her burning skin. "Andi! Andi, wake up! P-please, you can't leave me here!" Another violent shake, and she forced herself to register Frisk's desperate cries one final time before shock took her into unconsciousness; a state she had no idea if she would come out of or not. "ANDI!"
"This is all just a bad dream... please, my children, wake up!"
I hope you liked the portrayed of Chara here. A lot of chapters have focused around the main cast, and it was nice to get to explore Asriel and Chara and how things came to be. Though I... may have overdone it in terms of length. Whoops.
Until next time!
Angel
