Darkness was... everywhere. Frisk felt it in their body, in their soul, in their mind. It consumed their every thought and every feeling. They couldn't see. Well, it had always been that way. They were blind. They had never been able to see.

So how had they come so far? Done such cruelties? Hurt so many people? It wasn't really Frisk themself. It was their guide. Their 'friend'. This being was known as 'the player' and Frisk had a great deal of respect for them. The player always knew what to do and they were always right. So why did genocide feel so... wrong?

A familiar voice went through Frisk's eardrums. Chara's voice. The Fallen Human.

"Greetings," Chara said. Frisk could tell Chara wasn't talking to them. They were talking to the player.

Frisk tuned out as they heard Chara's monologue. They'd already heard it so many times and they were so sick of it they were willing to just throw their SOUL into Chara's hands and be done with it.

Frisk was forced to hand over their SOUL as they had done previously on multiple occasions. It was all because of the player, in the end.

Now Frisk would never get a happy ending.

"You do not look very happy, child." Chara said, once the player had temporarily left.

Before the timeline was reset, Frisk had a few brief moments of time to themself. Though, they had to share that time with Chara.

Frisk shook their head, glancing away with a frown.

"I can understand why," Chara said. "I wish they would stop doing such horrible things too, but I do not have enough power to stop them until the very end of their run. That, or I am giving them far too many chances to stop and reset." They glanced at Frisk. "You deal with them very well, considering they control you like a puppet."

Frisk bowed their head.

"I just... don't want anyone else to die." they sighed. "I don't want anyone to get hurt. I trust the player since they are my e-eyes, I guess, but... I don't like it when they make me hurt people."

"Hmm..." Chara looked thoughtful. "Your concern gives me an idea. How about we help each other out?" They looked inquisitive. "You should know, you gather your determination from the player, since you are not born with it naturally. I will help you get determination without the player's assistance, if you give me your current determination in return." Their voice was slightly dreamy. "We will form a partnership. A working bond. You will be my partner and I will be yours. Every timeline we visit will not involve genocide. You will never have to worry about the player again and neither will I. How about it?"

"Give my determination to you?" Frisk asked. "But won't I...?"

"Your body is used to having no determination for a long duration of time," Chara said. "You will be fine. As long as you do not try to ruin your SOUL with a substance such as HATE."

"I don't even know what that is," Frisk giggled. They tilted their head as their red SOUL floated above them. "Wait, partnership... are you saying you wanna be my friend?" They grinned.

"No, fool," Chara growled. "I do not befriend humans. I am only working with you. There is a difference."

"Aww," Frisk pouted. "But I wanted to be friends with you..."

"Well that's too bad," Chara replied. "But I am assuming you agree to my deal?"

"I sure do, Chara!" Frisk cheered brightly. They gasped. "We should have costumes, and a theme song, and a dance routine! Wouldn't that be so cool?!"

"What have I gotten myself into..." Chara groaned, face-palming. "Right, give me your determination. That should cease that nonsense behaviour of yours."

Frisk was doing some kind of hula dance. They stopped and looked at where they guessed Chara was standing.

"Oh, uh, sure!" They frowned, tilting their head. "... but how?"

"Like this," Chara said, holding up their hands. "I apologize in advance for any severe pain." They reached their hands into Frisk's SOUL, grabbing the energy inside.

Frisk screamed, falling to their knees and clutching their chest. Chara held up a ball of red, glowing energy from Frisk's SOUL and gave it to themself. They felt themself grow much more powerful. Their grey, empty SOUL glowed a vibrant red. Meanwhile, Frisk was struggling to stand up. They were barely making any noise. Chara gave them a look of pity.

"Fear not, child," they said. "You will be dancing again soon."

Before Frisk knew it, they were lying on the patch of golden flowers at the beginning of the journey. They felt content there. Unmotivated. They could stay lying there forever...

"Human," Chara barked into their ear. Frisk nearly jumped out of their skin. "Get up. We have a journey to complete."

Frisk sat up, rubbing their head. They stared at Chara, who was a red, floating ghost. "No player...?"

"No," Chara responded. "Only me."

"Well," Frisk smirked. "I'm lucky I've got such a cute adviser."

"E-excuse me?" Chara asked, blushing.

"Your voice is nice too," Frisk replied, wiggling their eyebrows. "It's as sweet as Toriel's Butterscotch pie. And your sassy attitude... it's just..." They smacked their lips. "Perfect."

"Uggghhhhhh!" Chara continued to blush. "Quit flirting with me! We do not have time for this!"

"There's always time for flirting, baby." Frisk winked at Chara, getting up and doing a dance, pointing finger guns at where they guessed Chara was floating. They walked straight into a wall. They fell over and kicked their legs in the air like a bug would.

"Ha ha!" Chara cheered. "Karma! Finally, justice has been brought to my concerns!"

"Chara I can't get up." Frisk said, still wiggling their legs around.

"Yes you can," Chara replied, crossing their arms. "You just have to try."

"I mean, I can't get up without a kiss." Frisk blew a kiss at where they guessed Chara was hovering. Chara let out another angsty scream.

"Quit being charming!" they grumbled. "We will never leave the Underground at this rate!"

"I'm happy to stay here with you, Chara." Frisk said in a silly voice.

Chara growled.

"Remember," Chara said, floating over Frisk's shoulder as they went through the RUINS. "Always choose MERCY as an option. Never kill a monster. You will pay for it."

"But they're attacking me first." Frisk pointed out.

"That is true," Chara responded. "But if there is a way to spare your foes and you choose to kill them, then murder is not justified."

"Ohhhh," Frisk said. "You're very smart, Chara."

"Not really," Chara blushed. "I have a strong passion for justice."

"I bet coming here makes you feel sad, huh, Chara?" Frisk asked Chara. They were inside Toriel's home. They were in the kids' bedroom.

"Do not discuss feelings with me," Chara growled, looking away.

"It's okay, Chara," Frisk said kindly. "This place makes me sad too. I wish we didn't have to leave poor Toriel behind. Oh well, at least we'll see her again later."

"You certainly are an optimist, no?" Chara asked Frisk. "It is a shame you are barely a human."

"Huh?" Frisk asked, raising their brow.

"Nevermind," Chara said, looking away.

"I cannot stand these idiot skeletons," Chara frowned at Sans and Papyrus. "All that fat one does is tell obnoxious puns and that spaghetti-obsessed one believes he is much greater than he really is. Ridiculous, isn't it?"

"I like them both," Frisk argued. "Sans' puns are funny and Papyrus is really nice once you get to know him!"

"Fair points," Chara replied. "But their negatives outweigh the positives far too much for me. Though, I will admit... Sans' secret dark side does intrigue me. Somewhat."

"Now Undyne," Chara whispered into Frisk's ear as they hid from Undyne. "She is a truly inspiring monster. She is the bringer of justice! Her words inspire monsters to believe in themselves, almost as much as ASGORE's do. How awesome!"

"I guess," Frisk shrugged. "I mean, I didn't really like her much at first, I guess it was because she was trying to kill me. But I warmed up to her."

"Hmm, it would take a lot more than a simple murder for me to hate her." Chara replied.

And then Frisk died to Undyne. Their weak SOUL shattered and their body went limp. A 'Game Over' screen appeared in front of them.

"Child..." Chara stared at their limp body. "Human... Frisk... Frisk, you have to get up!" Their voice cracked. "Please! Come back!" They would never admit it, but the thought of Frisk dying made them terribly upset.

Thank goodness for the RESET option.

"Frisk..." Chara gasped as Frisk spawned at the SAVE point. "I thought you were dead!"

"Wow, Chara," Frisk giggled. "Sounds like you really... Chara 'bout me!" (Pronounced 'Care-a')

"YOU RUINED THE MOMENT!" Chara groaned, as Frisk burst into tears of laughter. "I DO NOT CARE ABOUT HUMANS! I DON'T!"

Yet Chara couldn't help but blush.

"Would you smooch a ghost?" Chara asked, gazing at Mettaton's questions. "What kind of preposterous question is that?"

"Well, I'd certainly smooch a certain ghost." Frisk winked at Chara.

"You are too smooth," Chara growled. "Far, far too smooth."

"Smooth as your skin?" Frisk wiggled their eyebrows.

"I SWEAR-" Chara looked like they were going to pull their hair out.

Chara went silent during the ASGORE fight. Frisk could understand why. ASGORE was a father figure to them, and there Frisk was, forced to hurt him. Frisk felt bad for Chara as well as ASGORE. They didn't deserve this.

Chara was also remotely silent at the end when their best friend Asriel Dreemurr appeared.

"Continue forward, Frisk," they told Frisk calmly. "You have the power. You have the strength. You have the DETERMINATION. You can win."

Frisk's SOUL suddenly glowed red. It had come back at last.

Their DETERMINATION.

Frisk felt... joyous. Finally, they had got the happy ending they had always wanted. There was no need to worry about getting suddenly reset. No player. They were the one in control now.

"Well done, human," Chara told Frisk. "You have become independent."

"All thanks to you, Chara," Frisk grinned at Chara. "I wish I could bring you back as a physical form. Then I'd give you a massive hug and we could dance together!"

"I would rather not participate in that dance." Chara responded, folding their arms.

"Hey," Frisk said, their face lighting up. "We should go exploring."

"Exploring?" Chara asked. "Why?"

"Well, there's no player to worry about, so we should check out some other timelines and stuff!" Frisk replied, their bottom lip slightly twitching. "I heard there's a timeline where everyone's super edgy, or this other timeline where we're all gods! Or this one where we're all mafias!" They jumped around like the young child they were. "Don't they all sound aweeeeesooomeee, Chara?"

"I am surprised you do not want to settle in just one timeline," Chara frowned.

"That's boring, Chair," Frisk replied. "I wanna check out other timelines!"

"Did you just call me an object of furniture?!" Chara asked, making a face.

"Yep, and I've got plenty more nicknames where that came from!" Frisk grinned.

"Someone kill me," Chara grumbled. "Again."

Frisk and Chara visited many timelines together. Chara would never admit it, but they were beginning to warm up to the silly eighth human. Frisk was certainly a charmer, Chara wouldn't lie.

You cannot get attached to another one, Chara told themself. You can't.

But then one day, Frisk had something to show Chara. The kids walked through Waterfall, gazing all around.

"Ah," Chara sighed. "Even though I have been here countless times I can still admire this beautiful place."

The two continued for a bit more, before Frisk told Chara to close their eyes.

"Now take a few steps," Frisk said, gently holding Chara's arm. Chara was slightly tense. "Almost there..." Frisk grinned. "Okay, you can open up your eyes now!"

Chara opened up their eyes. In front of them was a bed of golden flowers shaped into a heart. Right in the middle of that was a card. Chara picked the card up and read it.

Hey Chara,

Thanks for being awesome! I know you don't like being friends with humans and all that, but I hope you don't mind that I think you're one of my buddies. You can be kinda mean sometimes but I still think you're really smart and cool. You're really good at knitting, drawing, gardening, descriptive writing and your memory is amazing! You have way more talent than me, ha ha. I'm glad I got to meet you though. I hope we can be friends for a very long time! Then perhaps I can finally teach you the dance.

I love you!

From your friend,

Frisk.

(P.S - I hope you like the flowers, I'm no gardener like you so it took aggeeess to grow them.)

Chara almost dropped the letter. Their eyes kept glancing over one phrase.

'I love you'

"..." Chara read over that line again and again. Their heart pounded.

"You..." they looked at Frisk, holding back tears. "You... love me?"

"Of course I do, Chara!" Frisk grinned.

"... no one has said that to me for years..." Chara said, their breathing heavy.

"Years?" Frisk asked, raising their brow. "Wow Chara, you're really old!"

"Yes," Chara chuckled. "Compared to a living human, I am indeed."

"Well, age is just a number," Frisk said, smirking. "You're still just as cute."

"Y... you love me..." Chara wiped their eyes. "You really love me..."

"Aww, you're crying!" Frisk giggled.

"No I'm not!" Chara replied, covering their face. "I-I don't cry!"

"Come on Chara, admit it," Frisk giggled, poking their tongue out. They held Chara's hand. Chara blushed. "You love me too."

Chara sighed. They put their head on Frisk's shoulder. The two sat down and admired the flowers. Chara looked content. They felt content. Finally, someone truly loved them. Someone was happy to be in their presence. Someone cared about them. They had something to live for.

They hadn't felt content since...

"You will always be with me, yes?" they asked Frisk, hope in their eyes.

Frisk smiled approvingly at them.

"Of course, Chara," they said. "Don't you worry. I'll always be there for you. We're partners after all, right?"

"Yes," Chara smiled. "Yes, we are."

Chara knew it now.

"I do," they said, still smiling. A happy smile. "I do love you back, Frisk."

One day, Frisk had a dark look on their face. They seemed twitchy and... afraid of something. Chara immediately felt concerned.

"Frisk," Chara patted Frisk's shoulder. "Is something troubling you?"

Frisk gritted their teeth. "The Player. They're coming back."

Chara frowned and folded their arms. "No they are not. You escaped from them ages ago. Don't you remember?"

"I haven't been completely honest with you, Chara," Frisk responded, tense. "The player's always been at the back of my mind. They're always gonna find a way to come back, no matter what I do." Frisk gritted their teeth. "They're hurting me. They're hurting you. Everyone."

"Frisk, you are being a fool," Chara argued. "Your fear is getting the better of you. There is no player here. They are gone."

"They were never gone," Frisk responded, their voice quiet yet intimidating. "There's only one way I can get rid of them. I have to kill them."

"That is not possible!" Chara grumbled. "The player is from another world, you simply can't just kill them in cold blood!"

"Then I'll become powerful," Frisk replied. "Powerful enough to stop them. And for that, I'll need LV."

They glanced at a timeline. A pacifist timeline. Then at a reset button.

"No," Chara said, holding up their hand. "You cannot."

"I don't have a choice." Frisk responded, holding their hand over the RESET button.

"You do have a choice," Chara growled, clenching their fists. "You have always had a choice! This is not going to work! Don't do it!"

"The player took away my choice," Frisk replied. "This isn't just for me, Chara. It's for everyone."

"If you are planning to hurt everyone, that is!" Chara snapped.

"This will make us happy," Frisk insisted, their fists clenched. "This is the only way we'll ever be happy."

"But... we were already happy..." Chara said, holding out their hand. But it was too late. Frisk reset.

Chara knew they had to stop Frisk at all costs. They could not let their partner get corrupted by power. Luckily, Chara had the determination to do so. They continued to stand in Frisk's way.

"This is not what you want!" Chara yelled, tears threatening to fall.

But Frisk simply ignored them. They murdered monsters left and right, increasing their LV. Monsters they had cared about. Gone.

Chara tried to reset, but Frisk had too much power. Chara could only scream at Frisk to stop.

By the end of the run, Chara had nothing at all to say to Frisk. Frisk wanted to visit other timelines to raise their LV even more. Chara stood in front of Frisk.

"You fool!" Chara yelled. "You are no better than the player if you think anyone will stand for your behaviour!"

"You're in my way." Frisk responded, holding out a knife.

"Good!" Chara growled. "I refuse to let you continue!"

"You have something that's mine," Frisk said, a dark look on their face. They stabbed the knife through Chara's chest, pulling out their SOUL. They ripped out the determination they had given to Chara so long ago and gave it back to themself. Their body glowed a vibrant red as Chara fell to their knees, their body now pale and beginning to crack.

"I thought that I could trust you,

That you were my friend.

But it seems I was mistaken.

You're no better than them."

Frisk went to timelines Chara and themself had visited and ruined them for more power. There was nothing Chara could do.

"Leaving those you loved in darkness,

Do not care to look back.

Blinded by determination,

Your greed is a fact."

Chara watched as the loving and friendly child turned themself into a monster. Only because they were afraid.

"So follow your determination!

Karma will come eventually.

Then we will see the true monster,

The child bathed in selfishness and greed."

Frisk had got more and more powers. They could summon spears, Gaster Blasters, and they had endless talents. Chara refused to cry.

"Once you lose that determination,

Do not come back calling for me.

Even when you lose everything that matters,

You will still be nothing to me."

Chara looked at the letter Frisk gave them.

Of course, Chara. Don't you worry. I'll always be there for you. We're partners after all, right?

Chara re-read the letter over and over again. Their eyes glanced over the last three words.

I love you!

"You are dead to me, human," Chara growled. They tore the letter in half and threw it away. "You will regret this."

A tear fell down their cheek. It landed on their golden locket.

"Everyone is a traitor," Chara sighed, their voice cracking. "I really am alone..."

They sobbed.

"With my new powers, I know how to stop them," Frisk said. "I need to access the ERASE button."

They glanced at a particular timeline. A timeline for an Alternate Universe known as Grouptale. A universe neither Frisk or Chara had visited previously.

"This will end it all," Frisk said, determined. "We'll never have to worry again."

Chara clenched their fist. For the last time, they had to try talking to Frisk.

"You are a fool," they spat. "This will not work. You will not only endanger yourself, but you will endanger everyone. If you really wish to stop the player, you will fight back."

"You don't know what it really feels like to be controlled," Frisk argued. "There are so many timelines where I feel trapped because of them."

"I understand that timelines with the player will not let you do this, but you do not understand. You will die. Everything and everyone you love will be gone." Chara pointed out. "AFTER ALL..." Their face melted. "SINCE WHEN WERE YOU THE ONE IN CONTROL?!"

"I wasn't," Frisk replied. "But we won't have to worry about being controlled ever again."

"You think you're doing something heroic?" Chara snapped. "You really think you are saving the world?"

Frisk nodded.

"You really are an idiot." Chara growled.

"Join me, Chara," Frisk said, holding out their hand. "We'll do be heroes together." They had a kind look in their eyes. "Just like old times."

I'll always be there for you.

"I will NEVER help you," Chara snapped, pushing Frisk's hand away. "Go to Hell."

Frisk looked down in despair.

"You were the one who wanted to be partners in the first place." they muttered quietly.

"YOU ARE THE ONE THAT BETRAYED ME!" Chara screamed, clenching their fists.

"I didn't have a choice." Frisk responded, glancing at their palms.

Black goop came out of their left eye.

"YES YOU DID!" Chara yelled back. They breathed heavily. "YOU KNOW WHAT? I WILL STOP YOU MYSELF. I WILL MAKE SURE EVERYONE KNOWS THE TRUTH ABOUT YOU. I WILL SAVE THE WORLD!"

Frisk turned around with a glint in their eye.

"That's our new deal," they said. "Me vs you, Chara. Let's see who's the real hero."

"You will suffer and your soul will rot in the fires of Hell," Chara growled. "I accept your deal."

"Game on, Chara," Frisk replied.

"Game on indeed," Chara said snidely. The kids shook hands in agreement.

Chara had fallen asleep on top of the eighth human. Frisk didn't feel tired. They just stared at Chara's sleeping face. They felt a pain in their heart, but they kept smiling.

Alone together. Forever.

If only...

If only.