A/N: Phew! Another fic done! And this time, it's an award for the 1st place winner of a writing contest I held some time ago on the Undertale Amino. It took me a long while because of school, but I finally got it done!
For this particular story, the contest winner gave me this prompt (paraphrasing here):
Chara comes back to the world from their prison as a ghost but has no recollection of who they were or what they've gone through. Flowey tries to come to terms with the situation, getting Frisk to help him learn to be 'nice'.
I absolutely LOVED the idea! So I ran with it, following the prompt as best I could. And, uh, wow! I didn't expect to write 3 chapters! Each chapter isn't super long but splitting up the story into 3 parts felt appropriate, so that's how it ended up! So expect the other chapters up very soon, if not over the course of a few days.
By the way, here's a link to the contest winner's profile page:
: / / aminoapps com / c / undertale / page / user / soatan / zE6h _ gfDb1 Kdop ZlYl62m 7Wp vze8D2 p
Go check out their stuff! They're a wonderful poet!
Anyways, enjoy!
…
Hi.
It's me again.
… The flowers are nice today, aren't they? Remember how much you loved to play through the flowers? I know these aren't the same ones. But still. I think you'd like these. They're just like the ones up there. Not a petal sullied by this cavern air. Got some real troopers here, heh.
… But I didn't come here to talk about flowers.
I've… I've come here to say goodbye.
There's no point in me coming here anymore. There never was. I know that's not you in the ground. At least, not anymore. You haven't been here in… a long time. I'm just… talking to myself, really. And I always kind of knew that, but I've stayed here anyway, every day, hoping that maybe… maybe, you'd come back.
It's been almost a year.
In that time, I've come to realize something. Being here is only making it harder to accept that I can't change the past. I know I can't reverse those things I've done. I know that I can't bring you back no matter how hard I beg.
But I can do one thing. I can move on. I never thought I deserved that, but… I've been shown that even something like me can have a second chance at life. And I think… leaving this spot is the first best step.
So, I'll leave you now in peace.
Goodbye…
Chara.
…
Chara.
…
Chara.
…
Wake up, Chara.
It isn't over for you.
Not yet.
You can still be whole.
But there is a price.
[…]
The pressure was intense. They had not realized the weight on their body until they tried to open their eyes. They stopped trying, squeezing their eyes shut instead, trying to make the weight go away, but it stayed. It was a heaviness right at the center of their chest that seemed to diffuse through their limbs, out their fingers and toes. A heaviness. And a warmth.
They licked their lips, the salt of their sweat stinging their tongue, and swallowed, a subtle dryness in their throat as if they had just woken up from a long nap. They took in a breath, cool air flowing through their mouth and lungs. They could feel their chest expand, then fall back, in a quiet rhythm. They tried opening their eyes again, light pouring in instantly. It hurt at first but there was quick relief with the little tears that covered their vision. Finally, the dark world broke open to a great wall of blue. The tears were more free-flowing as they took in the sight and smells of wild grass and field flowers. Their hands dug into the earth below them, squishing the cold mud through their fingers.
They moved to sit up, to see more of the new world about them, but their body remained in place, too weak to move. But they did not mind much. The wind was picking up, strengthening these newfound sensations, and acting like the cool lullaby of ocean water fading in while a warmth blanketed them from the inside out.
But a new sensation that countered the calm was waking up within as their eyelids grew heavier. They could not pinpoint what was causing this new feeling, but they seemed to shake as the dark trickled in. They could not commit to full relaxation, each beat of the dark heart fueling anxiety and keeping them awake. The inner turmoil muddled their thoughts, blocking out the sound of footsteps trotting towards them.
A snort of hot air touseled their hair and startled them. Another new feeling— fear— made their neck stiff, but they worked up the courage to tilt their head back and meet a pair of yellow eyes. The creature chewed away on something like grass, staring at them with half-interest. It sniffed again at their head, tickling their skin and making them giggle, something more of a croak than a laugh with their parched throat, but a giggle at heart, nonetheless.
The human reflexively shooed the creature away but it remained close by, choosing to relax near the human, continuing its grass meal. The human stared at the creature, admiring its fluffy white coat and drinking in its calm demeanor, but it was more than its exterior that drew the human to it. Without thinking, their hand stretched out towards the gentle creature's face. It was unfazed by the first touch and remained peaceful as the human stroked its white muzzle. And peace was fervent within the human, too. The feeling was vaguely familiar, but mostly, it was warm and it was theirs to have and savor. A small smile crept up on their face and still the creature was unfazed, making their smile grow brighter.
More creatures like the one in their company flocked near the little human to lay down beside them. A smaller one of the creatures came close to them, making a funny noise—like a shrill call of a small trumpet— as it bounded over. It took one sniff at the child before it started to nibble at their nose. The child laughed, sitting up, realizing they had the energy to finally sit the moment after they did, and upon doing so, got to take in the whole of their surroundings. More than a patch of grass, a whole land stretched far beyond them with rolling hills and tall mountains, speckled with the golds of poppies and daisies. The child sat there among the creatures, petting them, simply breathing and watching the wind play with the flowers. Nothing was on their mind except for the land they saw and the sensations they felt in the present moment.
"Hey!"
The human jerked their head towards the noise. Another creature, something that was bipedal with lanky limbs and gray hair around the face and head, came charging towards them with a large cane.
"I've had enough of you delinquents. Get away from there!"
The creatures around them bleated and moved away from the child. Their heart raced as they saw their new friends leaving them, leaving them open to this unknown threat. They tried to get up and run, but tripped over themself, their legs wobbling with each step. Mud caked their clothes and face as they tried desperately to get away, fear gripping them with the noise coming from the tall creature getting louder.
"Look what you're doing! You're scaring the flock!"
The little human, panicked and tired, scurried to a nearby tree and huddled behind its trunk, shaking and watching the tall creature closely with wide eyes.
The man rushed to the animal nearest him and stooped low, cradling the head of one with his free hand. "Better not have fed you any bread. You know what that does to your tummy, Missy." He looked over the other flock. "Did they scare you, Snowbell? You hurt? … No injuries here. How 'bout you, Delilah? You okay, girl? … Nothing noticeable. Let's see… 2, 4… 16… 22…" The old man sighed, standing up to full height. In the corner of his eye, he caught the child staring at him from behind the old sycamore tree. He scowled at them.
"Didn't I tell you to get out of here? This is private property! You're not allowed up here, you understand!" He advanced towards the child, getting angrier as the child only continued to stare, making no attempt to move. "You are very lucky that none of my animals ran off because of your shenanigans and got themselves hurt. But this isn't the first time I've seen one of you kids come by here and spook the flock, and I have half a mind this time to punish you myself instead of calling the police for trespassing on my property! Understand? MY property! So get out of here before I—"
The man stopped when he saw the child, anger leaving his face. He lowered his crook and bent down low until he was eye-level with the little human. The child drew their knees closer to themself as the man got closer, their feet getting lost in the mud as they pushed their back farther against the tree.
The man took a pair of glasses out of his pocket and placed them gingerly on his face. With his ice blue eyes, he looked over the child without a hint of rage, concern showing through his furrowed brow. "Hey… you're not one of those teens I've seen before," he observed, his tone much softer. "You're just a little thing. What are you? Maybe 6? 7?" The child only shivered under his gaze, their breathing getting faster the longer the man looked at them. "Can you talk? Where you from?" the man continued to ask. "Did you… get lost?" The man nudged a bit closer to the child and the child began to cry.
"No no no no, don't cry… don't cry. I'm not going to hurt you," he assured, but the sobs went on, muffled by the dirty sleeve of the green and yellow sweater the child wore. The man sighed. "… Poor thing. I must have scared you half to death with all that shouting. I'm sorry. That wasn't meant for you." He stretched a rugged hand out to the little one, grinning slightly, the wrinkles reaching up to his eyes. "It's alright. I won't hurt'cha," but the child turned away, hugging themself tighter.
The man straightened up and ran a hand down his unshaven face. "I can't do much for you if you won't talk to me." Suddenly, his attention was drawn to someone behind him that tugged at his pant leg.
"Hm? Oh!" The man turned and led the other person away from the treed area. "You don't want to be here. This is a sensitive situation, which… I've seemed to have made worse. Um… I'm not sure how to go about this, but I'll figure it out. Maybe you should go on home now and—"
The other person quietly interjected, talking to the man. The child peeked over their crossed arms, their tears slowing down as they became curious of the newcomer. It was hard to see them with the small view they had, made even harder by the newcomer being almost completely hidden from view by the much taller man. But even though the child could not see them clearly, something about the new person seemed kind in the way they carried themself. Something in the way they stood and the way they gestured as they spoke.
"What? You want to talk to them?" the man asked, perplexed. "I appreciate the help you've given me this summer with the sheep. Even given me some new ideas on what to do with the wool. Nothing I was expecting from an ambassador! But I can't ask you to do this. It feels… a little strange asking a child to deal with this sort of problem…"
The other person spoke again, the wind picking up around them as they talked, revealing some of their short, chestnut hair. Their hands were small and dirty, but not due to a lack of care but more as a result of it, potter's soil encasing their palms and nails.
"… Hah, well, that is true," he conceded. "How can I really say 'no' to you with all that you've been through. I've heard of a good many things you've done for the Monster community and really the whole community in general. I don't see why you can't handle this. So, be my guest. But I'll be over here watching in case something goes wrong."
The old man moved aside, revealing the other person, but the child only caught a glimpse of them before they plunged their head back down into folded arms, cutting off all senses of this strange world around them. Except for the sound of footsteps moving softly through the dewy grass.
The footsteps stopped very close to the child and the little one felt their face grow hot. Moments went by without the new stranger saying anything. The child thought to peek again as curiosity welled up inside them, but fear in meeting the stranger's eyes kept them cautious, so they waited for what the other would say.
"Hi." Finally, the other did speak, taking in a noiseless breath. The child could almost hear the smile in the other's small but sure voice. "My name's Frisk." Frisk. That is what they called themself. Something that was tangible and one to build their observations on. Something that the other said so easily.
But the next words the child heard seemed to have more resistance in the tone, as if this 'Frisk' was having a hard time finding the words, but they finally spoke again. "But you already know that. Because… you're Chara, right?"
The child lifted their head at the question, forgetting their fear for a moment when confusion pushed it aside. They looked at the stranger next to them. It was another child, with the messy, chestnut hair they had seen, but with their better view, they could see the other's skin lightly dusted with dirt, adding an earthy tone to its sunflower color. A soft, shaky smile adorned their face with a matching pair of kind eyes, eyes that were filmed over with water, it seemed to the child. They looked over at the other's hands, small, pudgy, and trembling. Without warning, the other's hands reached out towards the child, but the little one recoiled at the stranger's advances. As that was all the other was to them. A stranger.
Frisk's face fell as they took in the confused and fear-filled gaze of the other child. A twinge of sadness and their own confusion hit their heart when the child withdrew from them, made worse when they saw the distress welling up in the lost child as shallow breaths after Frisk moved to hug them. They stepped back from the child and tried not to look at them, but it was hard when they were sure they knew who the little human was. Frisk took a breath to give life to a question burning in their head, yearning to ask if they remembered them at all, but with the stress they saw clearly written on the child's face, they dropped the question, their shoulders drooping. They were not sure what to do.
Until the bleating of a sheep gave them an idea.
They walked away quietly from the sycamore, then ran all the way back to the old man, whispering a request in his ear.
The child had buried their head again in their arms, waiting for the voices to leave so they could run away. To where, they did not know, but far away to be alone again.
But before they could make their decision, a ringing of a bell came closer and closer until it was right by their ear. They flinched but relaxed when they saw their fuzzy friend sitting next to them. The other sat next to the creature, eyes closed, head bent down, same soft smile as they caressed the creature's back. The child hesitated to reach out, wary of what the other would do. But at the creature's prodding, they were already stroking its muzzle once again before they could register the action themself. They were still nervous, but that did not stop the little grin that crawled on their face.
"You like the sheep?" Frisk asked, head still turned away from the child, though unbeknownst to the child, Frisk's eyes watched them carefully.
The child cocked their head. "… Sheep?"
The other nodded. "Yeah, sheep. I like 'em, too!"
The child stared at the creature thoughtfully. "… Sheep."
Frisk reached into their pocket, akin to a pouch sewed onto the center of their shirt. The child craned their neck to peek at Frisk's hand but quickly turned away before Frisk could notice their curiosity. Out of the corner of their eye, they saw the other put a closed hand near the sheep. To their surprise, the sheep turned its head towards the stranger's hand. It sniffed at the stuff for only a moment before it quietly nibbled at the other's palm.
Frisk reached back into their pocket with their free hand and pulled more of the seed-like stuff out, dropping some as they gingerly moved towards the child. "Here, you wanna feed her some?" Frisk asked. The child looked at Frisk's hand, flaky powder adding another layer to this stranger's skin, then glanced at Frisk. They slowly nodded, though still wary of Frisk as they held out cupped hands. The feeling of the stuff pouring into their palms felt like sand swirling into an hourglass, smelling like home-made bread and the trimmings of… pie.
The child's eyes glittered with wonder as the last bit of flakes fell into their hands, startled when the sheep began to lick up the food, but soon melted into the soft strokes of the animal's tongue. Frisk giggled. "Yeah, sheeps' tongues are pretty soft. It's a lotta fun feeding them oats." The child nodded, mesmerized by the grazing animal.
Frisk looked at the child, sitting cross-legged across from them now, their head resting on a closed hand, taking in the child's awe. Frisk still wore a soft smile, but it trembled slightly. They took in a few breaths, preparing themself to speak. "Sheep are real gentle animals," they said, clearing their throat, "and really nice, don't you think?" The child nodded, not taking their eyes off the sheep. They simply moved their cupped hands towards Frisk, and Frisk readily refilled their share, saying, "You know, there are also lots of people who are the same way."
"People?" the child asked, tilting their head.
Frisk nodded vigorously, glad that the child was more comfortable to talk to them. "Yeah! Like me and you. And there are lots of nice people. Like Mr. Vertullo," they commented, jerking their head towards the old man.
The child screwed up their face and stuck out their tongue. Frisk could see how dry it was. "Don't like him," the child said. "He's mean."
"Aww, he's not mean," Frisk assured. "And he really didn't mean to scare you. He was scared himself! He cares very much for his sheep and didn't want them getting hurt. Sometimes when people get upset, they lash out, but they don't mean it."
The child pursed their lips and hummed, looking away in thought.
"But, like I said," Frisk continued, "there are lots of nice people out here. People… that I think you should meet."
But the child shook their head. "Nuh-uh. I'm staying here. With sheep," they said defiantly, sliding closer towards the animal.
"Are you sure?" Frisk asked, worry crinkling their brow. "It'll get dark. You'll need somewhere to sleep and something to…"
The child only shook their head again. Frisk sighed, back again at square one, but they could not help but smile. At least the child was more comfortable in their presence and was residing in a safe area. Perhaps they could stay with Mr. Vertullo, Frisk thought, at least for the time being. But given the workload he had, it would be too much to ask of him to care for a child. Frisk had to think of another option.
The child continued petting the sheep, but their mind began to wander at what the near future would hold. They knew that as the day waned, night would come, and they would have nowhere to stay. The thought of being stuck with the man frightened them, but the thought of being alone in the dark frightened them even more. The only one who did not frighten them, who seemed kind and welcoming (if not a little strange) was Frisk. Maybe they could trust them.
The two children sat there in silence for a time, the bleating of sheep the only sound that broke apart the cool wind. The old man still watched from a distance, but was more at ease, focusing more on the flock around him. Other than the mystery of a missing child in the midst, it was a pleasant, simple Sunday afternoon.
And it was close to lunch time. The child's tummy growled. They blushed, side-eyeing Frisk to see if they heard the sound. Frisk was looking away. They breathed a sigh of relief. But were still very hungry.
Frisk then got a mischievous but well-intentioned gleam in their eye. They yawned loudly and stretched. The child watched them curiously. "Wow, I'm hungry," Frisk said aloud. The child watched as they stood up to full height, a simple four feet off the ground. The other tapped a finger on their chin and struck a thoughtful pose. "So much to choose from for lunch. I got milk, apples, ham and cheese sandwiches… hm… noodles… cookies." They peered down at the child who was licking their lips. The child met their gaze and immediately turned away, looking out into the distance. Frisk smiled. "I have way too much for me to eat. Maybe… you wanna help me? We can eat and sit out in the grass and watch the sheep."
The child shrugged. They tried to look aloof, but it was hard to ignore the grumble of their stomach.
Frisk only grinned wider. "Well, come on then!" They stretched out their hand. The little human looked it over, that small, warm, pudgy hand. They looked at Frisk, seeing their deep brown eyes for the first time, dark and cool like the soft mud that greeted them when they first awoke. They took a deep breath, raising a cautious hand as they looked up at Frisk.
"You'll… be with me the whole time?"
Frisk pulled the child up, squeezing their hand firmly. "I won't leave your side."
Then the two walked through the grass away from the sycamore tree to a humble cottage in the distance. It was all but silent, but the child had their own burning questions in mind.
"So… since you're with me… maybe we can see those nice people…?" They looked down at the ground sheepishly. "I… don't have someplace to stay…"
Frisk beamed, giving the child's hand a firm squeeze. "Of course! I know lots of nice people who will be happy to help you!"
"So… after lunch… where will we go after?"
Frisk smiled at them again, guiding the little child down a well-trodden path. "Home."
A/N: Hope you liked it so far! Any and all critique is welcome! Also, check out my profile if you're interested in a status update. :)
See you soon!