Chara and Papyrus had followed along the tracks for a few minutes now. According to him, they weren't too far from his friend's house. And thankfully, most of the old puzzles that usually blocked the way had been dealt with. The ones that hadn't, he was easily able to overcome it.
The area they'd come to, though, inspired a few curiosities in the girl. The tracks continued as normal branched in various directions. Including over a cliff in one specific instance. Chara noted that the signs here were defaced as well. Crossed and scratched out. But they pointed in all directions, as though they were markers for towns, and cities.
Yet, as far as she could see, it was just tracks, and nothingness. The largest and most notable example, being the trick that just pushed forward. Hanging out, over the abyss. Papyrus noticed her curiosity and stopped briefly.
"These tracks used to carry materials to and from the various cities and regions." He explained. "As well as the mines themselves."
Chara stepped over, and stared over the cliff, at the inky dark below. "Was this one for...trash, I guess?"
"Hmm. I believe that there was a long bridge here once. Lead to a mining town, if memory serves correctly. I was quite young at the time." Papyrus noted, staring at the dark ahead of the broken track. "I believe it was destroyed, after a prolonged strike caused...concerns with its rebel-centric rhetoric."
"Rebel?" She asked, raising a brow. "Rebels of what?" She paused. "Er, too what?"
Papyurs didn't answer her, instead staring out at where the bridge must have been. His natural scowl returning to him, his eyes scanning the dark. He seemed to be lost in memory, before snapping from it, when he noticed her look of concern.
"We're almost there. Come along, Chara." He motioned, turning and following along one set of tracks.
"Papyrus?" She asked. "What did you mean by rebels?"
The skeleton realized he may have said more than he was intending. Electing not to answer, as they proceeded along. The girl huffing some, while hurrying alongside him.
It was best not to dwell on these things, especially with problems cropping up again. The concept made him tense. As they walked, he noticed her staring up at him, clearly searching for an answer he was not providing.
She frowned, pouting some at his neglect for information. Then she gave him a slight glare. His next check revealed she had crossed her arms, and looked away from him. But he didn't relent. They came to a two-way fork, as her next expression became evident to him. She was now sticking her tongue out at him.
"Would you kindly stop that?" He requested. "This isn't information you need, Chara."
"W-why not?" She asked, tugging on his arm. "Papyrus, why won't you tell me?" She asked. "Rebels to what?" She requested. "Why would they blow up a bridge, I don't get it?"
"They didn't." Papyrus sighed tiredly. "Chara, this is one of those things, where it's better not to know about." He explained. "It was dangerous, and violent, and some people get entirely to invested in the concept when it's brought up."
"Was it against like...a restaurant, or something?" She asked, as he gave her a look. "I-I just, sorry, I don't get it?" She explained. "What did they want, was it like...a weather machine?"
"What do you think a rebel is, exactly?" He asked back.
"The bad guys in TV shows." She noted. "Like those Venom guys in Joe Schmoh, the average hero?" She tilted her head. "I think that was the name anyways?"
"And what usually, is the goal of a rebellion?" Papyrus inquired.
"They wanna destroy the world?" Chara asked back. "Er...w-wait, they wanna rule it, right?"
"In a sense. Rebellions form to overthrow a system, or government. An established order of some kind." He explained to her. "That they feel antagonistic for...for any variety of reasons, honestly. Perceived, or legitimate."
"So...who were they fighting?" Chara asked.
"The Royal Guard, mostly." He muttered back. "It's complicated."
This new information began to cause various mental dominos to fall. Specific things clicking together, without much additional need for context. As most of it had already been provided during her time there. It did not make her feel any better, believing she had figured it out.
"It's about Dad, isn't it?" Chara inquired.
"Dad?" Papyrus asked. "I highly d-"
"Asgore?" She asked, a little confused, pausing him. "I've uh...noticed that everyone is pretty unhappy. Even you, and Baylor, and everyone." She noted. "You all...seem like you're really upset, and either lashing out, or...trying anyways." She frowned. "And it's my dad's job to make sure everyone is happy. That's what he told me anyways...so, if that's the case, then he's done something wrong...hasn't he?"
The Skeleton processed this odd statement. "Asgore is your father?" He asked for clarity. "Human I-"
"W-well not, technically." She added, looking around the dark. "I guess...I was adopted when Asriel brought me home. But, they always told me they considered me family...I don't know how much...I believe them but." She put on a weak smile. "It's nice to think...they weren't lying."
Her mind raced with the moments surrounding her arrival. Brought back, as her eyes lay affixed to the dark. Beginning with falling into shadows, resembling in some fashion, the abyss she now stared into. Of hoping to never wake back up.
The memory of confusion. Of a smiling face. A couple stupid questions. Her mind flowing back to the moment, as her eyes closed to revisit it. Hearing the whispers. The images blurred, difficult to focus on.
"It sounded like it came from over here-" A little voice had spoken. "Oh!"
She had felt so much pain. Barely able to hear the footsteps hurrying over to her. A feeling, like her arm being held.
"You've fallen down, haven't you...are you okay?" The strange boy asked, when she pulled away from his grasp. "Here, get up..."
For a moment she had believed herself dead. That this was merely some odd reaper, perhaps. Helping her to her feet. So she named herself, spoke the words.
"Chara, huh?" He helped her walk from the space. "That's a nice name. My name is Asriel."
That was the start of all the rest. Of her time in the Underground. Even if it was all in pieces, even if she was having a hard time remembering it. It still made her feel a little warm for a while.
And yet, as soon as these memories had overtaken her thought, they were gone. Vanishing into the shadows of her mind. Her consciousness clawing its way back to the surface. Her eyes opening, feeling heavy as she glanced to the skeleton. He was giving her a look of deep thought. She wasn't sure she liked that, and felt a need to offer more clarity.
"We lived in Old Home for a long time. Just us. I don't think they knew what to do about me at first. " She recalled. "But it wasn't long, until, well, we were like a family." She felt her smile strain. "Eventually we moved to, well 'New Home' heh. Dad was never great with names."
Papyrus hummed at this story he was being told. Stepping a bit forward, before turning to glance her over. He was right earlier, it seemed. The name had sounded familiar, and now he knew why.
Chara. That was the name of a human, rather 'the' human. The only one to enter the underground, and be viewed as anything other than a foe. The one history books called 'The future of Humans, and Monsters.' The adopted child of King Asgore, and Queen Toriel. Notably, however, a dead child. A dead hope.
"And you believe that you're that Chara?" Papyrus asked. "As in, 'the' Chara?"
"I don't believe, I know." She replied. "Admittedly, mom was a little doubtful too." She revealed. "She kept thinking I was...a dream, or something."
"You've met with Queen Toriel?" Papyrus asked.
"She found me in the Ruins." The girl explained, electing to not hold things back anymore. "A-and we were...we had gotten home. And then she went somewhere. So, me and Flowey went to find her, but we ran into your brother, and he was a scary jerk. And then some strange person on the phone called, and said she was in Waterfall, and now I'm trying to find her because he said she was in danger, and that a smiling man had something to do with it, and I think that's Sans and-"
The skeleton noticed her fall into the mad ramble, immediately caving to pent up anxiety. "H-hey hey, focus, calm down. Chara, hey-" She hyperventilated some. "take a breath. A few more now. Okay...it's alright. It's okay." He had crouched down, patting her on the back, slowly calming her down. "I'm not...saying I don't believe you. However, I didn't catch any of that." He admitted. "We'll take it one piece at a time, alright?" He smiled some. "Like a puzzle."
"Okay." She nodded.
"Okay?" He examined, as she nodded again. "Alright. Just...start from the beginning, and-"
Before he could finish his sentence, there was a sudden flash of blue. Her soul projecting for a moment, tinted it. Much to their mutual surprise. She attempted to reach out to Papyrus, before being violently tossed through the air.
"P-papyrus!" She yelled out, attempting to grasp at the ledge.
Missing the swing, she plummeted over the edge, and fell hard into the dark below. She could hear shouting from above in the brief moments, before hitting water. Her soul shining bright, the blue fading. Fast, cold water sweeping her through it.
The rushing waves and frost battered at her, dragging her farther and farther away. Her hearing muffled, her vision cast to nothing. Splashing, pulling herself above the water to breath, before being knocked back down into it. Rolling along with the waves. Falling into a dark rest, for a time.
Time passed, cold overtaking her being. Air gradually coming to enter her lungs. A gasp, and then vomiting of water. Clawing at the dirt before her, pain coursing through her body. Choking, spitting, trying to breath. Heart racing, as she looked around. Confused, and alone. Surrounded by a field of blue echo flowers, blue tinted grass, and tall luminous trees.
Chara laid there, struggling for a time. Before finally managing to normalize her breathing. Persevering, rising to feet, even though everything hurt. Her purple eyes scanning the area, her faculties returning to her. She didn't...know where she was. Stepping, she bumped into an echo flower.
"Was that the queen?" A voice asked from it. "She looks hurt."
She stumbled into another. "Why was she running by like that, who are those people?"
The girl wincing, another speaking. "What was she carrying in her arms?"
The voices beginning to echo across the others. Repeating these three questions over and over. The girl grasping the side of her head. Glimpses of Toriel crying, of her running with Chara. Only...she couldn't move. She was screaming, but her mother couldn't hear her. Her body limp, she couldn't breathe. It felt like she was drowning but couldn't drown.
"STOP!" Chara roared with a loud scream, her heart flashing black for a moment. "Stop talking, stop talking, stop TALKING!"
The field grew silent. The girl panting, looking around at them. Swallowing the sensation, while trying to shove the memory to the back of her mind.
Chara began to walk. She didn't know where she was going yet. But she knew she wanted to find Toriel. Everything hurt, and she just wanted her to be okay. She needed her to be okay.