Warning. Viewer Discretion is advised. The following content may be graphic in nature. - TW in effect
"Atychiphobia. A fear of failure. It may manifest as shame, depression, panic attacks and the sort."
The grey children, had not been idle in their time in Golden Grove.
Ever since they confirmed their target was present, they had been...busy. There were so many displaced monsters. And among them, so many lost children. Beings with no home. Some begging underneath the annoying speakers that belted out warnings. Some taking shelter in places largely unseen.
And for these creatures, these false children, this was delightful. It was easy to lure them away, when nobody was paying attention. It was easier, when there were distractions beyond the walls.
And since that distraction began, most of these grey children had been withdrawn, brought to a dark place. Waiting for a special person to arrive. After all, the creatures were desperate to succeed. To be 'reunited' with their 'lost sister' as they had dubbed the individual.
One the way back, one of the grey children had discovered a group of kids unattended. They were playing in the abandoned apartment complex. So very near to the location it needed to go. Among them, was a deer girl, who seemed to be something of a bully. Rude, abrasive, and ill tempered.
Another was a dinosaur girl, who seemed 'perfect' for their little family. She was sweet, well spoken, and seemed to enjoy playing with anyone who interacted with her. But especially with the deer girl.
The last of the trinity was a monster child, similar to a spiked lizard of some kind, without arms. It knew little about this monster, but he seemed affable enough. Definitely easy enough to handle, for their unique 'adoption' process.
The rag wearing 'girl' began to head over. Wandering from an alley towards the targets. Drawing near enough for the children to notice it.
"Hey, mind if I-" The creature began. Only to hear something, behind it. A sudden force slammed against its face, knocking it to the ground.
The deer girl blinked in surprise. "Woah. Damn. That was a good hit."
The world flashed black, and purple. The creature was surprised by the sudden attack, and staggered to respond to this threat.
Had it been found out? How was that even possible? Nobody should have known it was there.
Rising the creature struck out, with a flash of metal. Surprising the onlooking kids. This rush of attacks being dodged with quick steps. Precise movements, bringing the attack to a close.
The aggressor chose to attack, rushing forward, bringing a punch to its throat. The immediate pain causing the creature to stagger back, and slam onto the ground. Ragged hood falling back in the process.
The creature held a passing resemblance to a certain human. Only with longer, wilder hair, eyes like the abyss, and grey skin. The other distinct feature, being black blood, presently being spat from its lips.
The monster kid called out. "T-that's-it's ink blood. T-that's a creature!"
And now, it's cover was properly blown. Among this, the creature heard the clanging of its dagger on the ground. Scrambling for it, before finding a boot crush down on its hand.
In this case, coming from a source that wasn't its attacker. The creature staring up at the deer girl, presently wearing a scary face. Or, something that would be to a normal monster.
"Not so fast creepy." The deer girl growled.
The dinosaur girl yelled. "N-noelle!"
The creature moved to attack with a swing. Only for the deer girl to be pulled back by her purple counterpart. Avoiding its clawed fingers, freeing the crude knife, and hand. But this newfound freedom didn't last.
The blade was snatched, by someone sliding past. The creature rising, looking to the one who had attacked it. And the one who had just stolen the dagger.
This individual was a child, wearing an oversized black jacket, like a cape of all things. The deltarune proudly etched across the back, in purple. With the hood up, concealing the face.
The attacker spoke. "This is what you call a knife?"
The voice, was much like its own. And the eyes, purple eyes, steamed with malevolence, at it. The grey child recognized those well. Smiling, as the blade slashed out.
The edge of the crude knife slashed through the creature. Spraying inky blood across the area, as it tore through the throat. The crude dagger held at the side for a moment, as Chara watched what it called life fade from its eyes.
She gained XP, but we'll cover that later. I feel like...it's...not the last for today.
Noelle watched, looking a little mortified, before composing herself. "Y-you really showed that thing."
"Noelle?" Chara asked.
"Er...yeah?" Noelle asked.
"Your dad is looking for you." Chara brushed the edge of the knife off on her sleeve, while starting towards the alleyway.
"So...I uh-" Noelle began, before noticing the purple girl looking mortified. "uhm...yeah, well, you uh...got this covered...weirdo?"
"Mhm." Chara hummed.
The Monster Kid beside the other two commented. "Dude, what the fuck?" He glanced to the purple girl. "Did you see that Suzie?"
Suzie, the mortified one said. "W-we uhm...we should go...t-tell the guards?"
The newcomer who had bailed them out of trouble didn't linger to hear what their plan was. She had business to attend to. But she did glance back briefly, to see them heading off.
Chara sighed. "There goes my chances of making new friends." She reminded herself to focus. "Whelp..."
She came to the manhole, and began to hear the music box playing. It had caught her off guard the first time, but this time it wouldn't distract her. She hopped down, landing with a thud. Her legs hurting from the drop.
Chara cast |Patchwork| on herself. The pain fading. It felt like...she used less to cast it. A lot less. She would keep that in mind. For now, her mind flashed with memory of this encounter.
And in that memory, she felt fear. And through that fear, she recalled despair. And built from those things, she felt...Hate. The nice mans words echoed in her mind.
"Sometimes, to conquer our fears, we must confront them. Sometimes, we must strike them down."
Her eyes fading to solid black, save the purple of her glowing iris.
The demon, Chara, had come.
Beckoned, called by those who spoke her name. By the hate. She stepped down the path, towards the trap that had been laid out, specially for her.
The steady steps, echoing, alongside the shuffling of her jacket. She walked, hooded, concealed, glistening metal in her hand. There were a dozen ways to proceed. Possible ways to avoid this trap. To play it clever. But that wasn't going to happen.
The creatures waited, lurking in the dark. Positive, of their superior preparation, and position. Failing to question how, and why she had struck out at them so quickly. Blinded, by their aspirations, by the opportunity.
They caught glimpses of her, as she moved past the faint lighting. The distant sound of static, echoing in the tunnels, alongside the soft music box. Shuffling things, moving, drawing nearer for the showdown.
The first sound of splashing, movement in the water, didn't deter her path. As she reached the space that forked, forward, and to the right. With a mild divide to the other side. Without breaking her steps, she briefly sped up, and jumped across. Landing, and continuing.
"Hello Sister~" A voice said, somewhere ahead of her, a grey child stepping into the light. "We've been-"
The words were interrupted, by the sheen of a crude dagger, slashing out. It was a dizzying thing, instant, and without hesitation. Ripping up, and through the creature before it had time to process the action. Spraying the ink blood across the area, from its throat. The creature collapsing, gasping, crumbling into a mess on the floor.
The action brought a moment of pause to the others. It was more sudden and brutal than the last. Their grim giggling filling the air. It seemed the game had begun, and they believed themselves desperate to play it. They began rushing towards her. The demon examining the things racing at her from the dark. Snapping her fingers.
The lights that led towards her suddenly beginning to shatter. A pair of phantom hands, clawed things, oozing a sickly ink sliced through the lights. Filling the air with the spark of electricity, and shattering glass. Reaching where she was, tearing apart the last lights illuminating her. The illumination fading, as a grim smile spread across her face.
As something neared, there was a quick slash. Followed by the sound of tearing skin, like leather. Something breaking, slamming into water. The laughter of mad creatures, the sound of splashing water. A set of vicious stabs, and the spray of cold blood, accompanying it.
A creature raced down the tunnel from behind, wires and metal scraping against the wall. Creating a hellish sound as it did so. The static screen of the wiry monster illuminating the space as it went. In time to see the girl motioning. The phantom hands gripping one of the grey children. Beginning to tear in opposing directions.
She turned, and slashed out, a low slash. Slicing through its legs. Causing the creature to slam to the ground, the screen flickering, as the sound of desperate scream filled the air. Accompanied by a sickening sound, like splashing, and things thudding the tile. Sliding off into the water.
It tried to look up, only for a boot to crush into the screen. Leaving only the sparks of electricity to illuminate the scene. Some shambling horror lunged out, resembling a melted monster. A flash of purple from her eyes, seeing the space below it shine. The light faded, followed by a loud wet squishing noise, and breaking stones falling into the water. The light flickered, revealing meaty sinew latched to the ceiling, as a shadowy cube broke apart.
The jacket wearing girl pushing forward. The gleam of her dagger, and the knife of another visible for a moment, as the electricity sparked. Pained noises following, as wet feet slapped against the stone. Racing through the dark, the laughter growing less frequent, rapidly.
The last of the light flickering, revealing one of the creatures being held down. Boot against its back, with the ragged hood being used as a noose, gripped tight in the hands of the demonic girl. The grey child gasping, and clawing, blood spilling, as the force began to severe the skin. The light fading, as something thudded against the walkway.
The only light remaining in the dark section, being the faint glow of purple, in the iris of the demon. A splashing sound echoing, as something began to sprint away, the laughter having ended. One of the creatures reaching a section with light further away from her. One of the grey children retreating.
A purple, and black beam of light was sent flying. Dancing off the girls dagger. A grim royal hue, slicing through the leg of the creature. Causing it to fall, splashing in the water. Struggling to rise, head pushing up, as it gasped for air. Only for the demon to grasp its remaining leg.
"W-wait, d-don't-" It was dragged back into the shadows. The sound of water splashing, filling the air. "S-stop!"
The cries of pain that followed were immediately muffled, by a splashing sound, leaving only gurgling noise and thrashing water in the aftermath. The things still lurking in the dark beginning to move, swaying closer to the light. Some of the more mindless still rushing towards this demon. Those that weren't, were turning to run towards the sound of the music box. Even as the soft song came to an end.
There was a wet splash, and then another. The girl becoming visible in a dim light along the wall. Running her dagger through the water, leaving a long trail of black ink behind her. Flowing off her clothing, and person. Unblinking, as the phantom claws moved forth, beginning to shatter more of the lights.
With the music gone, something became audible to the things in this place. A little hum, echoed from the demon. The same sound, as the music box. Carried, softly through the darkness.
Elsewhere, Aliza had been working to catch up with Chara.
However, she had lost track of her at one point. Her counterpart was sadly much faster than she was, after all. She wound up feeling lost, looking around one of the sections of the town that seemed a bit less habited than the rest.
It looked like the direction the other girl had gone. She wondered for a moment, if she had been mistaken. Before noticing a group of kids heading in her general direction.
"H-hey!" She waved. "Have...have you-"
A monster kid in a poncho said. "Dude, don't go that way!"
"Huh?" Aliza glanced.
Suzie noted. "Some girl is...fighting creatures back there."
"Chara?" Aliza asked, before panicking. "With a jacket, a-and, a green sweater?"
"Er, yeah?" Suzie replied. "Maybe?"
"Where?" Aliza asked quickly.
Noelle raised a brow. "You have a death wish, idiot?" She huffed. "What part of creatures, didn't you get?"
"Tell me where she is." Aliza demanded, in a fiercer tone than she had mustered before. "Uhm...please."
"Whatever kinda monster you are, you're both apparently crazy." Noelle remarked, snickering. "That way."
Suzie gasped. "N-noelle, but-"
Aliza gave a nod. "Thanks." She began running off. "Uhm, sorry again, f-for yelling."
The monster kid asked. "S-should we...stop her?"
Noelle hummed. "Well...now that you mention it-"
Suzie tugged her sleeve. "We have to tell the guards, right now!"
Reluctantly, Noelle complied. Some part of her, having wanted to stay to combat the threat. Though, she knew it wasn't the wisest move.
With that, the group of three kids continued their journey to go alert the guards. While Aliza hurried towards the apartment complex in the near distance. Pushing herself to run as fast as she could.
A shambling creature roared, before being rent asunder. Crumbling alongside the remains of another creature, with a flickering television for a head. The girl striding over the remains, towards what should have been a dead end. Were it not for some form of doorway, broken through the rubble, into the water.
Wading into it, she proceeded through the hole. Coming out on the other side, to a sort of hallway, that came to her hip in height. Finding a location that was full of glowing mushrooms along the side. The distant sound of rain, coming from an exit at the end of it.
"Stop." One of the grey children demanded, holding out a knife, blocking the path. "You...you weren't supposed to act like this."
The purple eyes stared from beneath the hood, at the foe. Stepping, causing the creature to back up. The creature was shaking at this point, hardly able to keep the knife steady. Unlike its counterpart, who seemed unshaken.
Chara didn't respond, she just kept humming, and strode forward. The crude dagger dragging along the wall. Creating an ominous metal noise, as it slid across the stone.
"W-we're sisters, right?" The grey child asked, desperately. "Y-you remember, don't you?"
She got nearer, and it panicked. The creature slashing out. Only for the hit to be dodged. The demons dagger plunging into its arm, causing its own knife to fall into the water. The creature staggering back. As a slash rent through it. Cleaving up through the jaw, and face. The spray of blood, and tearing of bone echoing, as it fell back into the water.
The demon stepped onto the floating thing, pushing it down. Waiting until the bubbles stopped, before moving on. Leaving the corpse to float away.
When Chara reached the end of this path, it was in a place that was foreign, and familiar. Recalling it from the memory with Tera. Waterfall. The location was...peculiar. It was a field of some variety, filled with glowing plants, and the remnants of a playground. Further, it was raining.
Her eyes fell on a lone figure, sitting on overgrown swing, attached to an old swing set. Covered in soft, blue glowing plants. Laughing, and crying, at the sight of her.
This one, had golden eyes. It was different, a bit older than the rest. Like a teenager, with longer hair. Wearing even more ragged, stitched together clothing. There were a few of the other creatures like it there. The grey children. But they showed signs of having killed themselves, to avoid the pain that was to come.
This one, that was twisting the key, of an old music box, had something in its hand. Setting the box to the side, of its seat, letting the song fill the air. Accompanied by the soft, endless rainfall that was present in this place.
"I...waited for you to come back." The grey teen noted, staring at her. "For so long. But you never showed up. The only one who made me feel...anything." She laughed nervously, brushing at the tears in her eyes. "You even...c-called me sister." She shivered. "And here we are...heh, you did it again. M-made me...f-feel something."
The girl stepped out into the field, and stopped a short distance away. One might surmise, there were a few ways this 'could' end. Perhaps the being could be swayed, in some fashion. This creature shown 'mercy.' Maybe there was a moral victory, to showing even the most relentless of killers, compassion.
It spoke. "I...you...don't even remember do you?" The grey teen snickered. "That's tragic. B-but...I can tell you. I-I can be useful. I-"
The metal of the dagger punched in. Striking through the chest of the creature. The blade glistening in blue illumination, covered in dripping black blood, pushed out the other side. The creature coughing hard for a moment, meeting the eyes of the girl. Visibly surprised, but only for a moment.
"You'll...never know now." The grey teen said, confused. "You...could have-"
"I don't care." Chara replied quietly. "You've shown no mercy. So don't expect it from me."
Tearing the knife back out, the blood splashed. The creature choking, losing its grip on the sides. Hands sliding, as it fell forward, crumbling onto the ground. Whimpering and struggling for a moment, at the girls feet. Glancing up, smiling faintly, before falling still. The demon stared down, unblinking, noticing something in the creatures hand.
Picking it up, it was revealed to be a familiar switchblade. One with a dark blue handle. Bearing the name 'Mychal' carved on the side.
Aliza had found the location, and even determined where they had gone. Having heard the distant sound of a music box, echoing up through the open manhole. She began her way down, descending into a place that was, for the most part, pitch black. With only a few flickering lights here and there.
She took a step, not noticing a glitch in space near her feet. As she bumped into something. Gasping, before noticing what seemed to be a flashlight. Had that...always been there?
The bat was sheathed on her back now. The straps of it wrapped around her, the scarf hanging over it. Completing her little ensemble, prepared for anything, or so she imagined.
When she clicked on the flashlight, however, her eyes widened. There were...bodies, and the water, otherwise sparkling in the light, had so much of an inky substance flooding it. Summoning her bravery, she started on, moving towards the sound of the music box in the distance.
The first thing her flashlight fell upon, was what she first mistook to be Chara. Gasping, and hurrying over, only to realize, it was...something that resembled her. She raised a brow, and looked it over. The rag wearing thing, with abyssal eyes, and a deep gash in the neck.
A cold shiver fell across her spine. "Chara?" She briefly called out, hearing her voice echo through the dark.
There wasn't an answer. She swallowed hard at that, and compelled herself to continue. Only getting a few steps, before finding...more. More of these same beings. One with a deep gash across the chest, floating in the water.
Another which had a sickening hole punched through the head, dangling off the side of the walkway. Black inky blood dripping from the skull. Creating a soft sound as it hit the water, nearly making her hurl. Of course, this wouldn't be the worst thing she saw.
She noticed there was something, like a wiry creature, with a television, broken apart. Half-submerged in the water. With the screen slightly above it. Dead, and lacking any light.
She took a step, and felt something fall onto her foot. It was like...flesh. She froze briefly, drawing rapid breaths. Electing not to look at whatever was on the ceiling. Instead trying to hurry past it.
She found that on the other walkway, there was one of the strange Non-Human creatures, missing a head. Noticing it briefly floating in water by the broken tv creature. Her sight barely missing a body floating near it, torn in half.
She noticed a lone leg, seeming to float in the water. Before deciding she didn't want to look in that anymore. It was making her feel even more lightheaded. The smell of the place was...awful. Just awful, so she tried to ignore it, and keep moving forward.
There were other things she uncovered as she traveled. Things that resembled melting monsters, tore into, and slashed apart. More of those strange television creatures. And even something that...for a moment, she imagined looked like some sort of fleshy butterfly.
She gagged hard at that one. Choking back her near loss of her stomachs contents. Her steps eventually bringing her to a point the music box was the loudest. With an entrance on a dead end wall. Going forward, and through the water. Which was, at this point here, pitch black.
Aliza whimpered, briefly wanting to turn back. But she couldn't. She had come so far. She was so close. She knew it. Sniffling some, at a few involuntary tears, she waded into the water. And started forward, shivering from how cold it was, and how much she dreaded each step.
Moving into a space where there were glowing mushrooms all around, she noticed that the path ahead of her was thankfully clear. Little did she know, that if she had arrived earlier. It wouldn't have been. But that had wandered downstream some. So she was spared of 'that' experience.
When she made her way to the other side, she found it came out, at an odd point. In a strange place. A place where it was raining. A place full of luminous glowing trees, grass, mushrooms, and flowers.
There was, what appeared to be the remains of a playground there. With bodies scattered around, and a single one, larger than the others, but grey non the less, off to the side. The only living thing besides her, was found sitting on the swing, head down, listening to the music box.
"Chara?" Aliza spoke.
"Aliza?" Chara asked back, glancing up. "You...shouldn't be here."
Aliza noticed something distinct about her counterpart. That her eyes were like black spheres, with a purple ring for the iris. That they looked...hateful, and unnatural. It prompted a pause, a moment of hesitation, before she proceeded forward.
"I...came to make sure...you were okay." Aliza explained, while glancing up at the rain. "That's...cold rain, huh?"
"You'll catch a cold, like that." Chara noted, getting up off the swing, while removing her jacket. "Here."
She stepped over, and swung it around, placing it onto Aliza. Giving her a solid view of the other girl. Chara had ink across her face in patches like blood. Which were starting to get swept away by the rain, now that her face had been exposed to it. The darkness to her eyes remained, however, as she latched the buckle so the coat would stay on properly.
There was a certain chill to all of the girls breaths. Visible in the air, like ice in sensation. Her hair, at this point, beginning to straighten out in the rain. Covering one of her eyes in the process. She didn't appear to notice how chilly the rain was.
"But, it's yours." Aliza noted. "And...you'll get cold too."
"I'm...fine with the rain." Chara chuckled darkly. "I hardly feel anything anyways."
"Chara..." Aliza looked concerned. "That was...all you...wasn't it?"
"Yeah." Chara replied, sighing, as she put up the hood for Aliza, whose hands were grasped around the end of the scarf. "Seriously, dork, you'll get sick."
"S-so will you." Aliza huffed. adding. "And...are you...okay?"
"That's what you wanna ask?" Chara raised a brow. "Just that. Not...anything else?" She motioned to...everything. "Anything?"
The girl did have...countless questions. Countless obvious concerns. She had, after all, asked for them, earlier, to be told what happened.
But this was, strangely, was her primary one. The words didn't come to her, so she simply nodded in response. Prompting the demonic child to roll her eyes, pacing. Feet stepping through puddles of rain water, tainted with inky blood.
Chara sighed. "I'm great. Honestly. I feel...fine." She said. "Nothing to rain on my parade."
"Are you hurt?" Aliza inquired.
"I got hit a few times." Chara admitted. "A few...cuts that did. But, I healed that. So..."
"Not the hurt...I meant." Aliza noted.
Chara flinched at that. She knew what was being implied. And she was reluctant to admit the truth.
"I..." Chara sighed, and took a seat on the swing-set. again. "I...if I didn't kill them...more people would have gotten hurt." She said, glancing to her counterpart. "You would have gotten hurt." She examined the grey children. "I found one trying to lure some kids away." She noted. "I guess...maybe that's what they...fed on?"
Aliza noticed the 'would have' instead of 'may have' when referencing herself. Her words going back to what the Non-Human had said to her. About Chara replaying events, if she died. How she would never know, if something like that happened.
"I met them." Aliza said, taking a seat beside her. "The other kids...they're okay."
"Good." Chara began to feel the rain finally. "Are you...afraid of me now?"
"I guess...I should be...huh?" Aliza laughed some. "But...no."
"Why not?" The demonic child asked.
"I...what you did is...scary." The other girl said. "It...made me feel sick, but...you were trying to help and..." She hummed. "I don't think you'd hurt me. Or...anyone who was innocent."
"Heh." Chara almost laughed, before being cut off.
"I am upset...that you left me behind." Aliza told her, gaining a raised brow. "I know...you were scared, but so was I. And...next time...I won't wait behind." She told her, staring sternly. "You don't have to bear it alone."
"A nice sentiment...but you don't get it. You can't." Chara noted, prompting Aliza to raise a brow. "I didn't want you to have to-"
"Have to kill?" Aliza asked. "We're both killers...I won't judge." She got no response, thinking. "I...when I was young...my dad, he..." Her counterpart glanced. "he got upset sometimes."
"Aliza, this isn't-" Chara tried to say.
Aliza continued. "He drank nasty stuff, and he'd...come and swing his belt at me." She spoke, softly. "It...it hurt. So much. Every time."
"I'm...I'm sorry." Chara apologized hearing that.
"One day...I heard...him, and mommy arguing." Aliza continued. "Saying that...he couldn't mix his sleeping pills...with his drinks. Or he could die." She turned to face her counterpart. "I...don't remember what I did wrong...but, mommy locked me in the closet. Heh, I had to stay there...all day. And...accidently found...this box, full of pictures of pretty ladies." She said. "I um...kept one. When he found out...he got real mad at me, and hit me...more than normal. Heh...I couldn't see for days." Her giggle was dark. "So, I mixed them...his pills, in his drink. And he was gone for...weeks." She smiled, a disturbed smile. "He almost died...the third time."
There was a brief silence between the two. The gentle but constant rain, mixing with the song of heartache. The hate, the fear faded from Chara. She felt...she didn't know. It was familiar, and horrible. And, she couldn't help but smile. The two snickering, laughing together softly, not knowing why.
When they finally calmed down, the raw cold of the place could be felt, in its entirety by Chara. The messed up duo sharing a heart to heart, in a field full of corpses. The grim nature of it all, wasn't lost on them. Especially on the purple-eyed girl, when she took it all in.
"Heh...heh." She laughed softly. "Wow...we're pretty messed up, huh?"
"Yeah, maybe...a bit." Her counterpart replied. "Hey...that's uhm...that's a pretty song."
Chara lifted the music box. "Leah made it for me."
"Leah?" Aliza asked.
"She uhm...she was the lady who wanted to adopt me." Chara told her, before adding. "She...died on...the same day. Funny enough."
Aliza let out a sad laugh, frowning. "I'm sorry Chara."
"Hey, at least I got adopted by religious nutjobs who tortured me right?" Chara made finger guns. "I'd have hated to have that loving family crap."
Her dark snicker, got one in response from her counterpart. The duo couldn't help it. Despite how awful it was. Perhaps, specifically because it was. But it began something, darker.
Aliza sniffled some, and smiled. "Did I...tell you I got locked outside one day?"
"Oh, whay'sat?" Chara asked.
"My mom said it's cuz...I-I'm awful, a-and have no friends. C-cuz nobody likes me." Aliza laughed, a sad laugh. "S-she said she wouldn't let me...back in until I got one." She wore an odd smile. "It's been years, heh, a-and I...I keep believing she was right."
The 'punchline' to this terrible thing resulted in more grim laughter. The purple-eyed girl getting up from the swing. Turning to face the other girl.
"I feel like my mere presence, leads to suffering for others~" Chara spoke, as the girls laughed. "I'm constantly haunted, by death, pain, and hate. A-and I get people killed, trying to help them. It's no wonder I tried to kill myself, right?"
Aliza countered immediately. "I drank the same mix, I gave dad-" She laughed. "I-I was...wasn't able to move, f-for days. And nobody cared!"
Chara held her stomach, laughing hard enough, to fall to her knees, in a puddle. As Aliza stumbled from the swing, much in the same way. Barely holding onto it, while covering her mouth, as she cackled madly. Her eyes, like her counterparts, betraying the pain.
"I...I don't e-even know if I'm real-" Chara began, trying to stop the laughter. "or some f-fake creature. A-and I drowned myself, be-because I had to watch you die!"
Their shared bout of madness, hysteria, consumed them. The duo falling into the laughter, for a time. But, the return diminished, the jokes halting. It couldn't sustain forever.
In its place, as the sound of it became less, and less frequent, the rain grew louder. Until finally, the two were sitting beneath one of the trees. Having managed to get themselves there. Side by side, filled with a shared sense of misery, and understanding. Quietly listening, watching it fall around them.
"Do you...think we're broken?" Aliza asked.
"Maybe." Chara replied.
"Did...did we do something wrong?" The orange-eyed girl asked, frowning. "It can't...the world can't just...be bad, can it?"
Her purple-eyed counterpart glanced to her. "I...I don't know." She responded quietly, thinking. "It's...it's not all awful, though. There are some...good people in it." She smiled. "Friends, like us, and that...kinda thing."
Aliza looked to her, and asked. "We're...friends?"
"Yeah." Chara replied, smiling. "I think...we're friends." She blushed some. "I mean...we don't, you don't have to be my friend. I just, ya know, earlier, you said something about-"
Aliza hugged her. "I do." She said, smiling. "I'll...we'll...uhm..." She hummed. "W-what...do friends do?"
"Hang out, explore, help each other." Chara shrugged. "I-I dunno...it's...complicated." She hugged her counterpart back. "So...yeah."
"Awesome. Okay...that's, okay..." Aliza sniffled. "I'm...I'm sorry about laughing...so much."
"I'm sorry too." Chara responded, sighing. "Okay...well...no more getting emotional, right?" She pat her counterparts back, and released the hug. "It's really rainy, and...I'm starting to get cold now."
"O-oh, sorry." Aliza hurried, getting to her feet, where she took the sheathed bat, and then the jacket off.
"W-wait, I wasn't-" Chara sighed, as it was handed back, while she rose. "Thanks...dork." She declined the bat.
"Well, you were cold." Aliza noted warmly, putting the sheath back on, glancing at the tunnel. "Can we...uhm...not go back that way?"
"Yeah I uh...don't think it's a good idea." Chara put back on her jacket, and turned to the only path that led out. "C'mon...let's get out of the rain."
Her hand was offered, and then taken. As the two started off. Seeking a way out of the rain, together.