The girls came to a point, along these old forgotten roads, where the roads forked.
A destroyed signpost was present, which, while not defaced, had been torn apart. Leaving the directional signs, on the ground. One path, led to what seemed to be a section more filled with water, than not. Another, moving towards a path that rose up to somewhere else.
Chara stepped over, knelt down, and picked up the two sign pieces. "Crystal Cavern, and Echo Field."
"So...which way do we go?" Aliza asked.
The one who had spent the most time in the underground searched her memory. Seeking any indication of where these two places might be, or what they were. Sadly, however, she had no idea. This place was a foreign section to her. Historically, they had gone left to make progress. And, the turns that went right, often veered off the path. So she applied the same logic here.
"I guess, that way." She pointed towards the rising section.
As they walked, Chara glanced up, and examined the ceiling. There were gemstones high above. Resembling stars, in their own way. Aliza noticing this, looking up herself. Letting out a little gasp, as she noticed them.
"It's...so pretty." Aliza commented. "A-are those stars?"
"Gems, I think." Chara responded. "But uh...I remember a lot of monsters treat them like stars. Since, ya know, they can't really see them...on account of the whole being underground thing."
With this, Aliza was compelled to ask. "Hey...do you think...Papyrus, and Metta are okay?"
Chara had been wondering herself. "I'm...sure they're alright. There...there's nothing in the sewers, anymore. So...they don't have to worry about being attacked there."
The steady incline wasn't too steep, but it was a little annoying to walk up.
"Do you..." Aliza paused. "Do you think they'll...come looking for us?" She quickly added. "I-I mean...we do have their key."
"Oh, shoot, we do, don't we?" Chara laughed nervously. "Well, uhm...maybe."
"Should we wait for them to arrive?" Aliza pondered.
"Probably not. This place is pretty, but it's dark." Chara reasoned, while shrugging. "And those things...they're called 'creatures of the dark' so...I wouldn't be surprised to see some in Waterfall." She suggested. "It's best if we try and find somewhere to be. I mean, there has to be a town somewhere in here, right?"
"R-right." Aliza reluctantly agreed. "Sorry. I guess...it was silly to ask."
"Don't apologize. I was...ya know, thinking the same thing." Chara admitted.
Reaching the top of the path, they found that directly ahead of them was a cave, or a cavern of sorts. Which was impressive, considering that Waterfall was one massive cave. In an underground land, that was itself, a cave. Regardless, it had a much lower ceiling. There were even crystals which began to dot the path, with flowers and mushrooms around them.
Eventually, they came to the remnants of a sentry station, and a red door of some variety that blocked their path. The station showed a great deal of damage, the structure barely in tact at all. With dusty papers spread around the area beside it.
Aliza picked one up, dusting it off. "The Mysterious Crystal Cavern." She read, opening the pamphlet. "In reflection, we see what is. What isn't. What could have been." She said. "That...sounds weird."
Chara looked it over, and rolled her eyes. "It's like a funhouse with mirrors." She said. "Guessing it's not the way forward then."
"Yeah...I've uh...never been to a funhouse." Aliza admitted. "What's...it like?"
"Er...I mean...honestly. I'm only aware of them from TV." Chara laughed some, turning to the door. "It uh...hmm."
"Do...you wanna check it out?" Aliza asked, playing with the pamphlet. "Maybe...while we dry off?"
"Aliza...I dunno." Chara hesitated. "I feel like every time we move off the beaten track...it doesn't go well."
Aliza frowned, and closed the pamphlet. "We don't...have to. I just thought we could hang out. And it'd...be fun."
It was fairly obvious that the girl was a bit dejected at the prompt dismissal of the idea. And her counterpart knew it. Sighing some, while fumbling with the music box in her pocket, humming the tune it would normally play. She glanced at Aliza, once more, and sighed.
Curiosity had always been a part of Charas nature. And denying it wasn't an easy thing to do. But having been burned so many times now, she was becoming...hesitant to the concept. What if it was dangerous? What if things were lurking behind the door to kill them? She didn't know, and...it made her anxious.
She felt like this was...a very bad idea. Fumbling around with the switchblade in her other pocket, while stepping over to the door. Mentally preparing herself for the prospect of death, or fighting to avoid her friends death. When had her last save even been?
She was filled with gloom, realizing how far back it would be. The idea of having to do...all of that again. It wasn't very reassuring. She took the handle of the door, and turned it. Letting it creak open, echoing around a cavern filled with crystals, and light. Including entire sections of walls, that were like massive mirrors.
The one directly ahead was Purple. The one to the left was Blue. And the one to the right, was Red. With crystals that matched these scattered around.
Compared to the places they'd been so far, it wasn't actually the largest room. Further, there didn't appear to be anything else within. Hesitantly, she stepped inside. Waiting for the shoe to drop. Waiting for some new thing to come and tear out her throat. Waiting for the pain.
"It's so pretty!" Aliza declared, as Chara jumped. "O-oh, are you okay?"
"Y-you..." Chara held her hand over her heart, panting. "T-that...dude, don't do that." She noticed the other girl snicker a little. "H-hey!"
"Sorry." Aliza apologized, smiling still. "I didn't mean to...scare you again."
"I-I wasn't scared." Chara protested.
"Really, cuz...I think you were." Aliza commented, giggling. "It's okay though...I can be...real scary sometimes. Grrr."
She did her very best growl. And truly, it was a thing of fierce power. Like that of a lion. A stuffed lion. Well, a stuffed lion cub.
It made her counterpart blink, blush, and huff. Feeling slightly mocked, embarrassed, and amused.
"Yeah...well, that's not really...ya know, a scary roar." Chara commented, smugly. "It's more cute, than scary."
"You think I sounded cute?" Aliza asked.
Chara blushed more. "T-that's not what I-"
Aliza smirked. "Thanks. You sound cute too."
"I-I don't sound cute." Chara got flustered, making her counterpart snicker. "Ugh, you're such a nerd." She turned, and began wandering around. "Well anyways...it's...safe looking...in here, apparently. So, that's cool."
She was still checking every shadow. Every nook and cranny she could find. However, there really didn't seem to be anything there. Well, aside from them, the crystals, and the crystal wall-mirror things.
Aliza elected to stop teasing the other girl for now. While it was funny, she didn't want to honestly upset her. After all.
Instead, she turned her focus to everything else. Her eyes widening some, as she finally began to take it all in. Moving around the room, noticing the source of light seemed to be a crack in the ceiling to...some light source, higher up than she could even perceive properly.
She wandered about, first stepping nearer to examine the blue crystal mirror. Looking her reflection over, while smiling. It was such a pretty hue, such a wonderful shade of blue. She was drawn to the way it sparkled, and shined in the faint light it was offered.
As she took a step closer, her foot wound up hitting something on the ground. Something that seemed to be a dirt covered rug. With some sort of indentation on it. Curiously, she stepped on the center of the mat.
A 'mystic sound' played, from two speakers at the side of the reflective surface. The sound causing both the girls to jump at first. Chara more so than her counterpart, hurrying over, heart racing, only for nothing to happen. She looked around for the source of the noise, before finding it with one of the speakers.
It sounded like it was a free sound effect for enchanting things, or using magic. The kind one would find on the internet that was royalty free. And something nobody could get sued for using. In others words, kinda cheap, but passable.
"It's just...a thing." Aliza assured her. "It's okay."
"I-I know. But...ya never know, ya know?" Chara laughed nervously.
She noticed she had drawn the switchblade in that time. Holding it rather tightly in her hand. She practiced a little bit of deep breathing, calming herself down. While she did, the speakers sputtered, and began to play words.
The voice was static laden, but audible. "What isn't, is what isn't the things that are what are not things that are but aren't." The 'enchanting' sound played again.
Chara asked the air. "What?"
Aliza meanwhile had examined her blue reflection long enough. Snickered, and turned to the red one. Running across the room and over to it. She noticed there was a mat there too, stepping on it. Her counterpart watching her, before walking along after her.
The voice from the speakers on the side spoke again. "What is, is the state of things that aren't not but are that are not what isn't right now and so is." The enchanting sound played again.
Chara asked. "What?" In utter confusion.
Aliza meanwhile was making faces at the reflective wall. Laughing a little to herself. She noticed Chara wasn't quite playing along, and briefly wondered if the jokes earlier had upset her, or...if she was nervous, or just plain didn't want to hang out. Shaking that off, she motioned the other girl to follow, and led them both to the last one.
They approached the final reflective surface, only, Aliza didn't step on the mat immediately. Prompting a raised brow from Chara, as she approached.
"Do you...wanna do this?" Aliza asked. "Or..."
"Make faces?" Chara asked.
"Yeah. And uh...hang out, at all." Aliza suggested, smiling. "It's fun. I promise."
It was surprising to the purple-eyed girl, that her friend didn't think she wanted to hang out, and make faces. Honestly, it sounded like a lot of fun to her. Though, she felt...incredibly on guard. Waiting for some grim tiding. Some ill thing. Even if nothing was happening.
"I do, honest, totally, I really do." Chara quickly assured. "It's...just...well, what if something happens?" She asked. "Or...some creature shows up, and-"
"Then we'll beat it up." Aliza assured her, adding. "Now c'mon. It's fun." The other girl still hesitated. "Don't make me...uhm...flirt again...got it?"
Chara seemed taken aback by the 'threat' and it took her a second to realize that it was meant to be one. She was...genuinely a bit confused, and a a bit flustered. Who used flirts as a threat? Didn't she know it was supposed to be 'I'll beat you up' or something like that.
"Really pulling out the big guns, aren't cha?" Chara smiled some. "And...alright. We're uh...supposed to be hanging out right now anyways right."
"Mhmmm." Aliza replied, before beginning to make silly faces at the purple mirror surface.
It took Chara a moment to play along. But she did, eventually. First, just sticking out her tongue, and trying to keep it at that. Sneaking glances behind them, to ensure no threat was showing up.
Aliza protested this. "H-hey...no, no!" She huffed. "Sillier." Chara responded by sticking out her tongue, and pulling down her eyelid some. "Better."
The compliment earned a little chuckle, as she started to play along more. Making a variety of silly expressions, as best she could. The two beginning to chuckle or laugh at the silly actions of the others. In the process, Aliza stepped forward, and hit the last hidden button. Beginning the final words of majesty.
The voice spoke. "What Could Be, is ones own sense of wonder. It is the question that drives us. That defines our universe, our timeline, our reality." The girls paused, glancing to the speakers. "It is the question that grants to us, the ability to strive for more. To hope beyond reason. When all reason says not to hope." The voice paused briefly. "It is the question that inspires you. To believe in yourself, and in your friends. There is no challenge, you cannot conquer. There is no evil, you cannot face. There is..." There was a dramatic pause. "merch at the gift shop. T-shirts, mugs, more! Buy now!"
"What!?" Chara asked in surprise, busting up laughing.
The sudden shift in tone, led to the girls beginning to laugh. Well, for a moment that was...it felt almost inspirational. But, at least they had fun for awhile.