~Frisk~
If Frisk was honest with themself, they only had one talent. And that talent was acting.
Frisk had played the part of many different people. They had been everything from a teenage girl to a young male toddler. They had learned how to sword fight, dance, shoot, punch and everything else. They knew the Underground so well, even if they were still blind they would easily be able to get through it with just their bare hands. And said hands would be tied behind their back.
Frisk sometimes wished they were still blind. They sometimes wished they didn't have all those talents and that fancy form they took when powering up. So much sacrifice they put themself through to achieve that. So many timelines. So much pain. They weren't even sure if it was worth it...
Frisk's general personality was quite the opposite of the one they were wearing now. They were outgoing, friendly, encouraging and your typical 'good kid'. And they talked. Talked quite a lot. Frisk almost wished they had introduced themself to their friends properly. The humans would get to know the friendly and loving Frisk rather than the quiet and mysterious 'eighth human'.
But Frisk couldn't let the others know their true identity. Frisk knew that sometimes Chara would slip through the cracks and speak to the others. They already had. And Chara had said some unkind things about Frisk; Chara was desperate to build their army. So they tried to get everyone on their side. They used the argument of Frisk's genocide to change their minds, as well as the fact that Frisk was going to...
But Chara's plan wouldn't be effective if the kids didn't know who Frisk was. Cody had come close. But Frisk had shut him down.
Lying...
That was Frisk's only other true talent.
Yet Frisk knew they weren't lying when they thought about the other humans. They were fond of them. They protected and guided them not only to enjoy themself in this... possibly final timeline, Frisk also deeply cared about them and every aspect of their death upset Frisk. Frisk, like Brayden, had some kind of feelings for Faye. Frisk knew in another timeline that they and her had become... very close friends. But... no matter what, Faye would always choose Brayden over them.
Frisk was determined, but they were also a love expert. They could see Fayeden would be a better pairing than Frayesk. So they would let Faye and Brayden be together... for now.
Frisk was currently walking ahead of the others, their head slightly bowed. They had heard what the others had said about family and going home. The thought depressed them. Frisk wasn't sure if the others would get to see their families ever again. The children couldn't even shatter the barrier unless they all died. As for Frisk's own family...
The child didn't want to talk about their family. It just made them sad.
Frisk saved at a SAVE point. They were glad they were using their own determination, rather than the player's or Chara's.
The player...
The kids walked past a city full of grey buildings. Frisk had seen this city countless times so they had no interest in it. The other kids, however, were fascinated.
"How pretty..." Faye admired the many buildings. She sounded upset.
"I guess this is it, y'all," Clover remarked, looking down. "We're nearly at the end."
"Yeah...?" Brayden said, lightly punching the air with a nervous smile. Even he couldn't be cheerful.
"Already?" Melody asked. She sounded... melancholic. "It... went fast, didn't it?"
"Yeah," Cody nodded. "It did."
No one could really be happy when the truth was that they were stuck.
Frisk continued walking, the others following. Frisk was nervous. Time had flown by. They didn't want it to be over yet. They weren't ready to say goodbye.
The kids approached Asgore's house. It was completely grey, like the rest of the city. Frisk saved once more, filling themself with determination.
"It looks like Toriel's home..." Faye commented. She smiled sadly. "I miss Toriel."
Melody squeezed Faye's shoulder. "We all do, Faye. But... who knows, maybe we'll see her again one day. Don't worry. Okay?"
"Okay..." Faye replied.
The kids entered the house. Aside from Frisk and Faye, since Faye gently held Frisk back.
"Hey..." she stared at them. "Be honest with me... do you..." She paused. "Do you deep down... think it was a good idea I didn't stay in the RUINS with Toriel?"
Frisk paused for a moment. They responded with a friendly smile and a nod.
The journey would just not be the same without all the fallen humans.
"Thank you," Faye replied, smiling. She played with her hair. "You... y-you're... my second best friend after Brayden. There... are some things I can tell you that I can't tell him... if you know what I mean."
Frisk nodded.
"Oh... I'm sorry, I'm taking up all your time," Faye blushed. "We should go inside."
The duo entered the grey home. The only coloured object was a vase of golden flowers. A stairway was leading somewhere, but the access was blocked by a chain with padlocks.
"According to this letter, the keys for these padlocks are in the kitchen and the hallway." Percy said, scanning a note on the chain. "It also states that Asgore is in the garden."
"Let's find those keys, then." Clover said.
The kids headed to the kitchen, which was to the left. They first passed a sitting room. It was so similar to Toriel's house... aside from being grey. Faye looked emotional once more. Frisk patted her shoulder. She gave them another smile. Frisk had seen this house so many times, yet even they got emotional.
Perhaps because this might be the last time...
Suddenly, the kids encountered some Froggits.
"A long time ago, a human fell into the RUINS," one of them said.
"Injured by its fall, the human called out for help." the other said.
"They're talking about Chara, right?" Clover asked Frisk. They nodded.
"They fell into the RUINS..." Percy said. "The RUINS was the first home, wasn't it?" He looked at Frisk. They nodded.
The kids entered the kitchen. In the fridge were tons of unopened containers of snails. White fur was stuck in the drain. A green key was sitting on the desk. Frisk picked it up and put it on their phone's keychain.
"Howdy!" Percy read another note. "Help yourself to anything you want."
"Well, you can't say Asgore's not polite." Melody shrugged. She sighed. "If only he knew the truth about Chara..."
Frisk flinched.
The kids headed to the hallway to get the second key. On the way, they ran into two Whimsuns.
"ASRIEL," the first whimsun said, "The king's son, heard the human's call."
"He brought the human back to the castle." the other added.
"Asriel..." Cody mumbled. "That's... that's their..." He shook his head in confusion.
Frisk gave him a look.
How much did he know?
The kids entered a small, grey kids' bedroom. There were two presents sitting on the floor... and a note. Percy picked up the note.
"Watch my tape..." he read the note. He tilted his head.
"Tape?" Clover asked in confusion. Percy shrugged.
"Look at this drawing..." Faye said, pointing at an illustration on the wall. There was a drawing of a golden flower... and an angel. The Fallen Angel.
Frisk tensed up.
"The prophecy," Faye read writing on the illustration. "I will return. And I will destroy them. Etiam in morte, superest amor."
She paused. "What does that mean...?"
"That's Latin," Percy said, looking at Faye. "I don't know what it translates to, but I know it's Latin."
"Who's this 'them'?" Clover asked. Her expression darkened. "Us...?"
She stared at Frisk, who refused to answer.
"Well, if C-Chara thinks they can destroy us, t-they're wrong!" Brayden said, holding up his fist. He sounded... almost nervous. "We-we're unstoppable!"
"Are you okay, Brayden...?" Melody asked, staring at him with concern. She could see through his façade. She had known him for so long.
"I'm fine!" Brayden responded. "I'M NOT SCARED! I NEVER WAS!"
Frisk made a face. They stared at Brayden for a moment, before looking away once more. Their heart ached.
Frisk looked inside the other present. In there was a worn dagger. What Frisk expected. They pocketed the dagger, giving a glance at the ceiling. They knew Chara was watching them. But Frisk refused to be judged by them. Chara was not entering this world. Frisk was sure of that.
Yet their heart kept aching...
"Best Friends Forever." Cody pulled a heart locket out of the first present. He stared at it. "This... this must've belonged to Chara and Asriel."
Frisk took the locket out of Cody's hands and put it on themself. They held the dagger in their left hand. The realisation of the ending hit them again...
A tear came out of one of their eyes.
"Overtime, ASRIEL and the human became like siblings," a moldsmal said.
"The King and Queen treated the human child as their own." another continued.
"The Underground was full of hope." the third said.
"Asriel... the human..." Cody's eyes widened. He stepped back. "That human in the Void... that couldn't have been..."
Frisk picked up the next key off the desk and put it on their keychain. They forced themself to focus.
Their heart kept aching...
"Chara and Asriel..." Cody looked at Frisk. "They were best friends, right?"
Frisk nodded.
"Oh..." Cody stiffened. "I... I see."
"Are you okay, Cody?" Melody asked the boy, giving him a glance.
"I'm... fine." Cody replied, his voice stuttering.
No one was okay. Frisk knew that. They weren't okay either.
The kids entered Asgore's bedroom. They explored the small and cosy room, which contained a large bed, a Nose-Nuzzling trophy, golden flowers in a vase, a Santa Claus costume in a cupboard, and... a hand-knitted, pink sweater that said, 'Mr. Dad Guy'.
"Aww," Faye observed the sweater. "I think Chara made this..."
"Chara must've cared about these guys..." Clover said. She gazed at some macaroni art of a flower on the wall. "Monsters were... their family."
"Then why are they so determined to destroy the world?" Percy asked.
Frisk frowned.
The kids unlocked the chain to the stairs. They headed down. On the way, they ran into two Migosps.
"Then... one day..." one said.
"The human became very ill." the other said.
The kids continued walking. Vegetoids approached them and continued the story.
"The sick human had only one request," the vegetoids said. "To see the flowers from their village. But there was nothing we could do."
"Chara..." Cody mumbled.
"How did they become sick?" Percy asked. Frisk handed him a buttercup.
Percy stared at it. He made a subtle gasp of realisation, dropping the flower. "Buttercup poisoning..."
The kids gasped, eyes wide in shock.
"They wanted to die, didn't they?" Percy asked Frisk, holding out his notebook. "They killed themself on purpose so they could be revived now and gain much greater power."
Frisk nodded solemnly. Chara also died so Asriel could absorb their soul, pass the Barrier and gather six human souls to shatter the Barrier...
But both Chara and Frisk knew that plan would fail.
"The next day..." a group of Looxs said. "The next day. The human died."
"ASRIEL, wracked with grief, absorbed the human's soul," Snowdrakes said. "He transformed into a being with incredible power."
"With the human SOUL, Asriel crossed through the Barrier," Ice Caps said. "He carried the human's body into the sunset. Back to the village of the humans."
"This story won't have a happy ending..." Faye said.
"No," Melody frowned. "I don't think it will."
"ASRIEL reached the centre of the village," Woshuas continued. "There, he found a bed of golden flowers. He carried the human onto it."
"Suddenly, screams rang out," Shyrens said. "The villagers saw ASRIEL holding the human's body. They thought he had killed the child."
Chara...?
"The humans attacked him with everything they had," a group of dummies continued. "He was struck with blow after blow. ASRIEL had the power to destroy them all."
"So why DIDN'T HE?!" Brayden asked, tensing up.
"I don't think he could..." Cody answered. He had a sad smile on his face. "I wouldn't be able to."
"But..." Knight Knight said, slamming her podium on the ground.
"ASRIEL did not fight back." Madjick added.
"Clutching the human..." Knight Knight said.
"Asriel smiled and walked away." Madjick concluded.
"Wounded, ASRIEL stumbled home," Final Froggits said. "He entered the castle and collapsed. His dust spread across the garden."
"But..." a group of Whimsalots continued. "Suddenly, the human appeared in ghost form. They foretold of a prophecy. A prophecy that would save monsterkind."
"The human said that when seven humans had fallen down, the child would use the power of their souls and return," Astigmatisms said. "And with that power, the human would shatter the barrier."
"So the King declared that every human that fell down here must die." Moldsmal said.
"Yet no humans have fallen down," Whimsun said. "Not even one. Until now."
"Now..." Misgosp continued. "Finally. The Fallen Angel will rise, and we will be free at last."
The humans glanced at each other.
"You should be smiling, too." Pyrope added.
"Aren't you excited?" Vulkins asked. "Aren't you happy?"
"I'm scared..." Faye responded.
"Me too." Melody admitted, hugging herself.
"WELL, I'M NOT!" Brayden yelled, sweat-beading. Frisk could tell. He was lying.
They were scared too.
"You're going to be free." Froggit concluded, its voice harsh and raspy. Frisk tensed up.
Chara's voice.
"That voice..." Cody looked anxious. "I know that voice... that kid in the Void... that's their voice."
"Kid in the Void?" Clover turned towards her brother, her brow raised in concern.
"I... that kid..." Cody's face paled. "That was... that was Chara... I was... I was talking to Chara..."
"You were talking to Chara?" Clover's stare hardened.
"Yeah, but... I didn't know it was them!" Cody replied.
"How did you not know it was them? We've seen their appearance," Percy replied. "They look like the nameless one."
He gestured at Frisk.
"I thought they were some altered version of the stick kid," Cody replied. "They were grey... so it was hard to tell."
"That's another reason why going into the Void was a bad idea," Clover growled. "Chara's messing with you!"
"Guys, come on!" Cody pouted. His voice cracked. "Chara was helpful... a-and kind! They saved my life! And... without them, I might not be here." He made a face. "What if... what if Chara's not as bad as we think they are? What if they're just sad and lonely? What if instead of fighting them... we can help them? We did it for the monsters, right?"
Frisk's face was indescribable. Chara was actually getting someone on their side. Frisk couldn't let that happen. If it did... their plan wouldn't work.
"I hate to say it, but to be fair..." Clover paused. She took her hat off, holding it to her chest. "Everyone deserves a second chance."
"Yes," Percy nodded in agreement. "If there is anything this journey has taught me, it is that."
"Then... maybe... we should give Chara another chance..." Melody's face brightened up.
"So, we're gonna kick Chara's butt in the nice way?" Brayden asked.
Frisk froze. They... they couldn't let this happen... they couldn't let Chara win...
If they did... they would just suffer more.
Frisk noticed something in the corner of their eye. It seemed to be a man...
The man that speaks in hands.
Cody seemed to notice him as well. His eyes widened in horror.
"But he should be..." Cody cried, tears coming out of his eyes.
"Why're you crying, bro?" Clover asked him, grabbing his shoulder.
"He... he's not supposed to be... alive..." Cody sniffled into his sister's shoulder.
"Huh...?" Clover asked, looking confused.
Frisk choked up. They could barely breathe. The man, with glowing eyes, sent them a message in Wingdings. Frisk had learned some Wingdings from all the times they had tried to SAVE Gaster in other timelines, so they translated the message...
"I WILL BE BACK." the message read.
Frisk fell to their knees, stress making their heart race. They forced themself not to panic.
Not in this timeline. Usually Frisk would want Gaster to return, but here... he could ruin everything...
Chara knew this. They had to.
"Are you okay?" Melody asked Frisk with great concern, placing a hand on their shoulder.
Frisk frowned, brushing their hair out of their face. They stood up and pulled out their sword. Chara was going to have to try a little harder than that.
Frisk would not let Chara win. They promised that to themself. And they knew how to convince everyone who was the real villain.
The eighth human pulled out a SAVE point, everyone watching them with interest.
Frisk knew it was time...
Time to tell the story of the REAL Fallen Angel.