It was in moments like these, that the phantom-child was reminded of Alice in Wonderland. When some human fell down into a world they didn't understand. Ill-prepared, and under-equipped to handle what lay ahead. Reanimating her, binding her to them, like some self-perpetuating, and cruel joke.
This time, it was a girl a little bit younger than herself. Wearing a soft blue dress, with cartoon characters around the ends of it. With blond hair, that was long and curly. A colorful little backpack on her back, depicting some sort of magenta colored dog. A variety of bandages and snacks once contained within it spilled out.
A little notebook, laying, with some blood splattered on it now. Inspired by the nasty injury to the girls leg. Her fall having resulted in part of her bone protruding out. Leaving the child in shock, struggling with the injury.
"Your name is Clara?" Chara inquired. "Golly, that won't be confusing."
Accompanying all these things, was a big bow made out of red ribbon. Worn up in her soft blond hair. The girl doing her best not to cry, or move too much. Averting her eyes from the bleeding wound, attempting to hide the pain.
"Yeah." The girl tried to stand, but fell, whimpering. "Sorry."
The phantom-child sighed some. "Don't...apologize, idiot." She drifted over. "Geez that's uh...not the best wound." She muttered. "Here, follow my instructions to the letter okay?"
"I-It hurts." Clara sniffled.
"Yeah...I know. And it's gonna hurt a lot more for a little bit. But you have to trust me, okay?" Chara requested. "Can you trust me?"
"Y-yeah." The little girl sobbed.
Remembering a lesson on self-healing, Chara walked her though the process of setting the bone. The pain of doing so shared between them, thanks to the link. The new human hesitating, and crying harder now and then. Requiring some reassurances, before finally doing as she was told.
With that accomplished, the phantom-child drifted over to some sticks. Getting her to go grab them. Placing them on the sides of her legs, before wrapping the bandages around it. She wasn't sure if this was the right way to do these things, but she remembered it being something that was supposed to help in situations like these. With all this done, it was at least more steady, if nothing else.
"Okay...now, let's try and get up okay?" Chara suggested. "We need to get this stick over here, okay?"
She motioned to a larger one, with a flatter top. It was...the closest thing around to a crutch. Which was definitely needed, if Clara was going to be able to proceed long enough to find some healing items.
Clara struggled up. "I-it still hurts."
"I know it does." Chara said, smiling some. "Look, you don't have a choice here. You have to get up, so we can get you something to heal this." The phantom-child explained, adding. "And that begins with getting you out of this room."
Clara hopped over, whimpering as she did. Little bits of blood dripping from the wound. Her entire body shaking as she did. A little bit light headed in the process. Reaching the stick, she managed to pick it up. Sticking it beneath her arm like a crutch.
"I-I'm sorry you have to-" The little girl began to apologize.
"It's okay Clara. I'm a ghost, right?" The phantom-girl said, moving around her. "It's not like I've got much better to do, than make sure you're okay."
"I don't know what to do." The little girl admitted, crying. "I-I don't..."
The younger of the two, albeit also the more living one, broke into tears. Her undead counterpart giving a little grown. She could feel a muted version of the same pain, and the fear the new girl was feeling. It was...intense.
However, even as she watched it, she struggled to feel as much pity as she wished she was. How many had come so far? Mychal, Nisha, Stephen, and Alex. That meant this girl was the fifth. A realization that came with a sour taste.
So far, she hadn't managed to save any of them. No matter what she did, no matter how hard she tried...it just never seemed to be enough. They either didn't listen to her as much as they should have. Or...they listened to her too much.
Chara couldn't help but feel a sensation that was a bit unwelcome. Hatred. Hatred at her own failures, channeling it into another thought. She wasn't...she refused to fail this time. Not this time
"Hey, hey. Clara, look at me." Chara motioned. "As long as you do exactly as I say. It'll all be okay, alright?" The other girl sniffled. "But you have to promise to listen. I know what's best, okay?"
"Okay." Clara sniffled.
"Alright?" Chara asked, just to make certain.
"O-okay." Clara nodded again.
"Good. Now, we're gonna go into the next room." The phantom-child began to float towards the door. "Come on-" She felt every painful step Clara was taking, hobbling, trying to keep up. It was...agonizing in its own way. "that's it. You're doing great." She saw the little trail of blood. "You're...you're gonna be alright."
"I'm sorry." The little girl apologized again.
"Clara, don't apologize to me~" Chara tried to sound as charming as possible, to ease some tension. "I'm your friend. And uh...friends don't have to apologize for being hurt, okay?"
The little girl gave a nod, and choked down the pain. Moving along, and following to the big door ahead. Thankfully it wasn't that hard to push it open, and proceed into the next room. It was a big room, full of pipes going to and from it. One, seeming to have broken. Letting a little bit of heat into the space.
The unpleasant part of the trek coming from the other side of this space. As they came to a little staircase, that led up to a platform and the door out. The phantom-child moved up it, and glanced back, finding her counterpart frozen stiff.
"M-maybe...s-someone will come along, if I'm patient?" Clara asked, hesitant to try and climb it.
"You're bleeding." Chara reminded her with a solemn tone. "Patience isn't...going to help you right now. You've gotta Persevere, right?"
The hesitation persisted. The purple-eyed-phantom staring. Briefly seeing the outline of the little girls soul. It was a light blue thing, and didn't seem all that strong, especially with her injured like this. It was...sad, honestly. Given that, even dead, her own purple soul still shone stronger.
"It'll hurt." Clara noted, looking up at her.
"You said you'd trust me. That you'd do as I say, right?" The phantom-girl asked. "I want to help you, but I need you to get up these stairs. I'm sorry, and...I know it'll hurt. But staying here, will just end up with you...with...you'll just end up more hurt." She explained. "Do you understand?"
With that, the living child started up the steps. It was a difficult experience for her. Each one a little wobbly. She almost fell back at one point, managing to catch herself just in time. Much to her guides relief.
Once up the stairs, it was as simple as moving through the open thresh-hold. The door having been left open for some time now. And then, down the hall that was present past it.
Coming to the end of said hall, it branched, or, forked rather, into three different directions. One going left, another going right, and the last heading straight ahead. The limping girl pausing to look between them.
The path to the left marked as 'Old Home.' It was originally the direction that Chara had wanted to take her new ward. However, a look down that hallway revealed the door to be blocked by a bunch of crates. So that wasn't...going to work.
The path to the right marked as 'The exit.' It appeared self-explanatory, and was full of ancient puzzles. Nobody really went that way, and even she wasn't completely certain what lay in said direction.
The path forward marked as 'The market.' With Old Home blocked off, it was likely to be the only place they could get Clara healing supplies. This was...not ideal. The phantom-girl imagining that as long as they were quick, it would be okay.
Clara asked. "T-the exit...is that how I get home?"
"It's...gonna have to be. But it's not exactly quick. You have to go through dangerous puzzles, and it's quite a walk." Chara muttered, floating to the center. "For now, we're gonna go to the market."
"What's...Old Home?" Clara asked her.
"It's a place a bunch of people used to live, and where some people still do." Chara noted, adding. "It's a little blocked off though, so we can't go that way. Regardless, please go forward into the market."
The other girl finally complied, and began limping down the central path. Following after her spectral guide, towards the market. The air getting hotter each step, the stick digging into her arm-pit. It was...beginning to really hurt at this point. But then, it wasn't really meant for this purpose.
The area that had once been marked as the market, wasn't altogether massive. It had been a place filled with dozens of market stalls, and carts. All centered around an old golden tree, with flowing water moving along little steams to give it a very serene appeal.
At this present moment however, the water had gone dry. The beautiful tree, left a withered husk. Broken pipes that led in from above, once meant to vent the heat out, now pumping more into the room. The carts long since broken or vandalized.
The phantom flowed through the broken stalls. Heading to a familiar point. Double checking for things long forgotten.
In this case, something left over, that Alex had not picked up. Hopefully it was still there. Sure enough, there was a mini-fridge that had been left. Flickering with magical power.
As she'd hoped, there was still food, and drink within. No doubt quite awful in taste, but thankfully magical enough not to fade. Her thoughts being interrupted as she began to feel hotter. The linked sensation inspired by the intense heat beginning to affect her counterpart.
Clara let out a heavy breath. "C-chara...it's...it's really hot in here."
"I know. Just, hurry over here. Get what's in this little fridge thing, and go." Chara requested.
The other girl hobbled over, beginning to sweat. It was hard to breath in this room. Her makeshift crutch hitting a crack, prompting her to stumble and collapse in front of it.
Clara let out a scream of pain, having hit the space where her leg was hurt. Her phantom counterpart feeling it through the link, albeit in muted form. It was agonizing. But, there wasn't time to be in pain. If it was going to end, it had to be dealt with.
Chara spoke up. "It's right here. Come on Clara."
"I-it hurts." The other girl sobbed, blood pooling around her leg. "S-so hot, a-and-"
Hate boiled in the phantom-childs heart. The heat, the pain, it was...overwhelming. And, if Clara didn't reach the fridge, it would probably kill her. The thought of this new human dying. Of failing...again...it infuriated the phantom.
"Open the Fridge." Chara ordered, in her most commanding voice. "Now." Her eyes becoming abyssal, save the purple iris.
The little girl gave her a look of fear, quickly crawling over to do as she was commanded. Opening it, to retrieve what was inside. A couple bottles of magical water, and an ancient, well preserved set of mini-sandwiches, with toothpicks in them.
The next order didn't need to be spoken. Clara merely acted on it first. Quickly eating down some of the mini-sandwiches. The magic beginning to mend her. Before taking a drink, as the bone in her leg mended. The 'Ice-Waters' doing the trick, spreading a chill through the living humans body. Her leg, finally, healing over.
"I-it...worked?" Clara sounded surprised.
The sense of relief was immediate. The coolness provided by the drink temporarily muting the effects of overheating. Temporarily.
"As I said, healing items." Chara commented. "Now...you need to get out of this room. It's too hot."
Clara gave a half-nod, and got up. Stumbling a little, but catching herself. Her initial hobble, becoming a steady jog, as she hurried out of the room and into the hallway. A place that was...much cooler by comparison.
The phantom appeared before the little girl, looking her over. Well, the bandages were bloody. But then, so were the ends of her dress, and her shoes at this point.
But, Clara was alive, and her leg was usable, and not completely busted up. That was a win. It inspired the ghostly-girl a little. She had managed to help, although, it had taken a bit more...force than she desired.
The blond girl smiled some. "Y-you were right...it doesn't hurt."
"All you have to do is trust me." The phantom girl noted, floating around her. "And do as I say. If you can do those two things, I can help you get home, Clara."
"I'm sorry I...d-didn't, er...I was...afraid and-" Clara began. "I'm sorry I wasn't listening."
"It's alright. You were scared, and in a lot of pain. I'm not mad." Chara assured. "Now c'mon. We need to start getting you out of here, right?"
It felt like there was an agreement between the two. Notably, a human was finally willing to listen to the phantom properly, and do as she said. Something that was going to be essentially, to keeping Clara alive as things went.
And, as long as her counterpart did as she was told...maybe, just maybe, they could survive this. All they really needed to do, was get Clara to one of her parents. Asgore, Toriel, either one would keep the child safe, or so she desperately hoped. If she could do that, then Chara could finally save at least one life.
Bound together, the pair proceeded into the ruins. Filled with the patience needed to endure, and the perseverance needed to succeed.