RED GHOST
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hey!
little one
can you hear me?
this has all been pretty ruff on you, hasn't it?
but you're doing great
keep going
okay?
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what was your name again?
Frisk?
he saw you out there, Frisk
sorry
i know it's scary
but you can definitely handle it!
stay determined, okay?
good luck!
:3
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Frisk jerked awake at the feel of a dog's tongue slobbering on her face. She dragged her palm across her cheek and took a deep breath, uttering the quietest of blehs as she sat up in bed. A cozy patchwork comforter tumbled away from her as she awkwardly got up, and she tripped over it right away, smooshing her face into the carpet. She rolled onto her back. She didn't see a dog anywhere but she guessed that was normal.
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What time was it? Was it a school day? She couldn't remember. She hoped not.
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She struggled up again and fumbled around for the light switch near the door. Once she got it, she blinked blearily and turned back to the beds. Papyrus's red car-shaped one was immaculate, of course. She groggily dragged her blanket back onto her bed and then flopped over to the computer desk. Papyrus had the screen set to some weird language she couldn't read, but it did tell her it was eight in the morning. Frisk rubbed her head and sighed. Wasn't there something she was supposed to be doing?
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She dragged herself to the closet and changed into fresh clothes and her favourite hoodie. The mirror on the door as she came out made her irises look intensely red. She blinked at herself and leaned forward, pulling her eyelid down with a finger.
"Heh. Spooky," she said quietly. She yawned and stretched, then closed the door and wandered from the bedroom with sluggish steps.
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The rest of the house was dim. Cool light drifted in from the snow coated windows. It was a little chilly.
"Mooom?" Frisk called. "Saaaans? Paaaps?" She yawned. "Dad? Az, you here?"
Nobody came. She wandered to Sans's door, but it was locked when she pushed on it. She pouted and leaned her ear against it.
"Saaans, you up?"
Still no answer. Her heart thumped. He was probably just out, so why did she feel so upset?
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Moping, Frisk wandered down to the kitchen. She checked in the fridge for some food but there was nothing in there. Maybe everyone was out grocery shopping?
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A soft scuffing sound caught her attention and she doubled back into the living room. She could've sworn she saw a dark, purplish shape shifting up the stairs. She hurried to follow it. The incoherent whisper of a voice pulled her along and she excitedly returned to Sans's door. She could hear someone in there, she was sure of it.
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The knob turned this time. She flung the door back only to find the room cold and vacant. The breeze of a small tornado of junk buffeted her hair softly. Cautiously, Frisk stepped inside and peered around. Socks on the floor; blankets wadded in an orb; a mattress with tussled sheets on the floor.
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Frisk sat on the mattress and sighed. Her fingers clenched into the cloth beneath her and her breath hitched. She gulped and her eyes watered. She sniffled and hurriedly wiped them on the back of her hand.
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She tried to head outside, hoping to check for Papyrus training in the path, but that door was jammed, too. That was weird. Door shouldn't be locked from this side. She sighed. She guessed she could use the star in the attic to leave, but it was so cold out there and she was still so tired.
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When she turned back to the room, Asriel was there, yawning, his big fangs flashing. She perked up and went to give him a hug. He snickered and held her snug to his chest.
"G'morning to you, too," he said.
"Aaaazzz, is it a school day? I can't remember," she whined.
"Uhhh… Heh." He snickered. "I can't either. Guess it's not that important." He stretched. "Breakfast?"
"No food," she said. "Nobody's here."
"Ugh, lame." He rubbed his eyes, then looked Frisk up and down as if analyzing something new.
"What?" she asked.
"I… Hm. I'm not sure," he admitted. He shrugged. "Welp. Wanna play some vidya for a bit?"
"Yeah okay."
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Before she knew it, Frisk was huddled up on the couch, controller in hand, playing some game she didn't recognize on a TV screen made of distorted, chunky colours. She blinked. She didn't remember starting it up. She looked at Asriel by her side on the green couch. His pale eyes were fixed with intense focus. She put the controller down.
"Az?" she asked. "What's happening?"
"I'm kickin' your butt, that's what's happening," he teased.
"No, I mean, um…" She couldn't quite place the feeling. She curled up beside him. "Never mind, you win."
"Pfff, lame." He mussed up her hair. His hand stalled and his brow tilted sympathetically, and he quickly paused the game. "Aw, Frisk."
"What?" she asked.
"You got a scar up here, too," he said. "Is it new? Sheesh, got anywhere without 'em?"
"Probably no," she said, sticking her tongue out. "S'no big deal."
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Asriel grabbed her up and snuggled her. He pouted. "Sorry if it was me."
"Pff, as if I remember all of them!" she said.
He rolled his eyes. "…You definitely remember most of them."
Frisk blushed. "L-Look, it's… It's not a big deal." She absently grasped one hand with the other and ran her fingers over the scar on the side of her palm. "Makes me feel more solid sometimes, I dunno." She smiled sideways. "Does that make sense?"
"Not really, sis, you're kinda a weirdo," Asriel said, sticking his tongue out.
"Buhhh, nooo," she whined, sinking back into the cushions.
Asriel snickered. He booped her head gently with the soft tip of his snout. When he pulled back, he stretched and yawned, then stuck his tongue out and shook his head back and forth, his ears flopping all around.
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Frisk tried not to yawn, too, but was unsuccessful. When her eyes refocused, she noticed Asriel's game was still playing even though he wasn't holding the controller. That was weird. Actually, now that she considered it, this whole thing was pretty weird. How'd they even get here? This was their house, wasn't it? Weren't they a universe or two away from here?
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She scooted over her brother and flopped across his legs to reach the small side-table by the couch.
"Dude," he said. He rested his elbows on her back. "Well now I definitely win."
She fumbled for the drawer awkwardly and pulled out a joke book stashed inside. She slid back onto the couch and peeked into the pages. Fully gibberish.
"Oooh. I'm dreaming." She laughed at herself. "Duh. I'm a dope."
"Huh?!" He whirled to face her and blinked. "What?!"
She grabbed his cheeks and squished them. His fur was soft and silky to the touch.
"Are you real?" she wondered.
"Uh. I think so?" He patted himself down. "How do I tell?"
"You'd know if you're real!" she said with a laugh. "Man, I actually thought I was awake for a bit."
"Are you sure we're not?" He looked at his hands. "I usually get stuck as a plant in here."
She passed him the joke book in reply. As soon as he opened it, he sighed.
"Great," he grumbled. He tossed the book over his shoulder and shrugged. "Well. That's fine. You know what? Good! We need some rest, right? And—!"
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Something thunked above them. Both kids looked up with confusion. Frisk perked up.
"Ooh, d'you think it could be Sans?" she asked excitedly.
"That'd be cool," Asriel said.
Nonsensically, a very normal-looking door swung open in the ceiling upstairs and a tall skeleton in snug grey winter sweater wandered out, completely unimpeded by gravity until his feet touched the carpet. Then, he stumbled, rubbing his skull, and looked around. Frisk's eyes bugged out and Asriel's jaw dropped.
"U-Uncle G?!" he demanded.
"Dad?!" Frisk yelped.
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The skeleton whirled around to the banister, eyes bright. He leapt down and instantly seized them both into a crushing hug, babbling in panicked Creatlach. Frisk's eyes watered and she clung tight to the chilled skeleton man. When he pulled himself back, his dark, broken eye sockets flickered with gold, blue, and purple. He grinned and held each of their faces gently with one hand.
"You're… You're alright?" he asked. "You're together?"
"Y-Yeah?" Asriel squeaked.
"D-Dad, is it you?! Like for real?" Frisk asked, holding his hand tight. "A-Are you okay?! You didn't turn to goo, did you?!"
"Oh, sweetheart." The skeleton rasped out an exhausted laugh and bent down, holding her face in both hands. He touched his brow against hers. "I'm alright. It's all alright."
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Frisk still couldn't tell. Her eyes welled up anyway. "Are you at home? H-How is everyone?"
"I… I don't know." He pulled back to wiped his eyes, his brow furrowed with confusion. "Everything… shifts and moves around me. I… I can't…" He dug into his socket with the heel of his palm. "I'm so sorry, kiddo, my memory isn't… reaching."
"Th-That's okay!" she said quickly. "Please don't be upset!"
"…Maybe he's… a memory?" Asriel suggested quietly. "Maybe that's why?"
"I… I am dizzy," he admitted. "But I think I am… here?" He looked back upstairs. "…Did I fall out of the ceiling?"
"Y-Yeah, looked like it," Frisk said.
"Bain mo cloigeann." He jolted and looked at his hand as the tips of his fingers began to glitter. "Ah… That's… not good."
"Oh!" Frisk's heart beat, hard. She stumbled to her feet. "You're…! It's okay, you're just waking up, don't worry!"
.
The skeleton whipped back to Frisk, knelt, and held her shoulders. "Ah. Then I don't have time," he said. "Kiddo, I'm sorry, my mind is so scrambled. Please don't be upset. But. If you could tell me your name…?"
Frisk's heart sunk and she couldn't keep the confusion off her face. "Frisk."
"Frisk! Of course it's Frisk!" he said, beaming. He held her face in both hands, though his fingers still slowly dissolved. "I will remember. Frisk. I must." He turned to the monster kid and held his shoulder. "It's… Ugh, I'm sorry, and you?"
"Asriel," he said.
"Asriel! Of course!" His expression softened with relief. "Thank you. I will reach you. I promise. I—" He vanished into glittering sand.
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The kids were left stiff with shock.
"What was that?!" Asriel yelped.
"I-It was him, right?" Frisk squeaked. "That was…? I don't underst…"
The whole world before her dissolved, like sand running down the walls to reveal nothing but black beyond.
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Then, eyes. Inches from hers. Pitch black with dim points of light, beaming right into her, freezing her down to her soul. She felt heavy as a boulder and couldn't move as nothing but searing hate made her numb body ache. Fear forced her heartbeat pounding in her chest so hard that it might break her ribs.
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In a blink, it was gone.
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Nothing.
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Silence.
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The dread drifted away, leaving emptiness in its wake. Frisk felt like she was falling. Her mind was muddled and foggy, and all around her was warm.
.
"Frisk? Frisk!" A voice she knew echoed like it was shouted from a mountaintop. "Hey! C'mon, don't you… Ugh, I can't believe this! Frisk!"
Frisk felt pressure on her shoulders. Her head was spinning, like she'd been tossed down a hill in a tube.
"Frisk!" The voice again. Feminine. A kid. "Wake up! You're going to be alright, right? Stay determined. And don't you dare stop breathing!"
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Frisk breathed deep and smelled grass and earth. She flinched and raised a hand to rub at her eye with her knuckles. Disbelieving laughter hit her and she was yanked upright so quickly that her eyes popped open. All around her was the grassy, mysterious, crystal-lit cavern of the Soul of the World. She could see the fanged Papyrus way off in the distance. She limply waved at him and squinted to refocus her eyes. Mostly she could see a green t-shirt and brown hair. Pidge had her— squished her tight. Frisk wheezed and huffed out a laugh. She hadn't thought she'd be so relieved to see a place that wasn't home, but she overwhelmingly was. She hugged Pidge back with shaky arms and a strong grip.
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"I'm o-okay!" Frisk said.
"Ugh. You better be, I swear." Pidge pulled back, her bright eyes shimmering; her pale cheeks flushed ruddy. "You weren't breathing for a sec. You scared the hell outta me."
"Sorry," Frisk said bashfully. "How long was I gone?"
"Like ten minutes maybe?" she said quickly. "It felt like forever."
Frisk's mouth went dry. "Only ten…?! Sheesh!"
"What, was it different for you?" the girl asked worriedly.
"Yeah, like… three days?" Frisk said.
"Three WHAT?!" Pidge put both hands on her head and gawked. "No way! You're joking! Y-You're just pranking me, right?! That's n-not very nice, so you better not!"
"Umm…" Frisk tallied the nights on her fingers, just to be sure. "N-No, I think it was about that much."
"What the actual hell, that's crazy." The girl ran a hand through her bangs and huffed, trying to regain herself. "Well did it help?!"
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"Nyeeeh, Friiiisk!" Papyrus dropped down to hug the two of them close. "I'm glad you're back. We didn't know how long it'd be or anything and if I should make dinner or—!"
"It was three whole days for her!" Pidge exclaimed.
The skeleton gawked and, much like Pidge had, slapped both hands against his head. "WHAT?!"
Frisk had to cover her ears, but she laughed. She reached up and he let her hold his hands as she shot him a reassuring smile. "I-It's okay! It's fine. I promise. I'll tell you all about it."
"Did you see something useful?!" Papyrus quickly turned back over his shoulder and beckoned back towards them. "SANS! Get up, lazybones! She's back!"
"I'll get him," Pidge said, hopping to her feet.
"Um…! Y-Yeah!" Frisk said. "I found Asriel and—"
"W-Wait, you…?" The girl froze, wide-eyed. "You found… A-Asriel?"
"Yeah! I—"
"Ooh, that's such a relief!" Papyrus said quickly, grinning brightly. He took her hand again. "I bet you must b— AAAH!" He yelped and pulled back quickly and stared at his fingertips.
"What, what?!" Pidge demanded shrilly.
"A-Are you okay?!" Frisk asked.
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"Y-Yes! Sorry! Just startled!" Papyrus said shrilly. "Frisk, your bands are very stingy!"
"Stingy?" Frisk repeated worriedly. "Th-They hurt you?"
"Static-like, maybe," he said. He gently tapped them again with his fingertips and winced. "Gosh, that's strong. Did you end up using a lot of magic?"
"…Yeeeeeah," the kid said bashfully.
"We're definitely gonna have to get Sans to do something," Pidge said. "Something like that can't be better than no-bands, can it?"
"They all kept saying any bands are better than none, but…" Papyrus's cheekbones flushed. "I don't know, sister, I just don't want her to get arrested again. I'm worried."
"R-Right," Pidge said. "Yeah. I'll go get—"
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The orb of light that was the Soul flashed brightly behind them. Papyrus shoved the kids back and put himself between them, and Sans, laying on the grass in a heap a ways away, stumbled upright. With a burst of flame, a big, white and purple form of a monster flopped out onto the ground in a heap. Frisk's heart leapt and she ducked away from the kid and the skeleton to run towards him.
"Az," she said shrilly.
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Asriel was large— not quite as big as he'd been in the first world they'd gone to, but still about the same height as Papyrus. The boy pushed himself up on his hands. He lurched forward and grabbed Frisk tightly.
"How behind you was I?" he asked hoarsely.
"J-Just a few minutes. You okay?"
"Yeah. I'm fine. And you, you're…?" His eyes caught on the skeleton just beyond them and he stared blankly, confusion washing over him. "Oh. Damn. Uh. Hi?"
"Hello there!" Papyrus said brightly. "You must be Frisk's brother? It's a huge relief to see you! Welcome!"
"Y… Yeah. Hi," His eyes shifted to the other human near him. "Wait, who's…"
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Pidge's pale face was ghostly white. It was as if she were trapped in the path of an oncoming train. She gritted her teeth. Her eyes welled up and she turned and ran away as fast as she could.
"Sister, wait!" Papyrus called. His brow furrowed with worry. "Oh no…"
"Whoa, what…? What happened, is she okay?!" Frisk squeaked. "Pidge?!" She got to her feet but Asriel held her hand, jerking her back.
His eyes were wide, his pupils in slits; his mouth agape. "How…?"
"What's wrong?" Frisk asked quickly.
"How is she…?" His gaze jerked up to match hers. There were tears in his eyes. "That's… That was Chara. That's Chara."
"…What?" Frisk's blood ran cold. "Az, how c-could it be—?"
"Chara? Of course that's Chara," Papyrus said, wide-eyed. "…Wait, don't tell me she didn't properly introduce herself after all this time?!"
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Frisk stared at the skeleton as if her whole brain had failed to load. Her jaw fell open and she felt woozy. "B-But she… I thought she was…" She pointed at herself. "She's… like me, though, isn't she?"
"Oh! Yes, she's definitely a time kid, and the name on her soul is Frisk," Papyrus assured her. He folded his arms. "Oh, that silly kid, why wouldn't she…?"
.
Asriel slumped where he sat, tears streaming down his face, a rasp in his breath. Frisk held onto him tight.
"Oh no, are you okay?!" Papyrus yelped, rushing towards them. He put a caring hand on Asriel's shoulder. "How can I help?"
"I c-can't… I can't," he said at a whisper. "I'm gonna die, I can't…"
"I d-didn't know," Frisk said.
"I know, I know I know I know," he muttered quickly. "Ohmigod. Okay. Okay." He heaved in a deep breath and then puffed it out. In and out, again and again.
"Frisk, what's…? I'm not sure I understand," Papyrus said.
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Frisk didn't even know where to start to explain. She took a deep breath, too, and gave it a shot anyway. "She… She's… Chara. I-In our world, she's his sister, but she… She died."
Papyrus's face fell. He offered Asriel a hug and when the big fuzzy monster didn't protest, wrapped him tight in his arms. "It's all going to be okay. I promise."
"What do I do?" Asriel asked shrilly. "Wh…? What…?! Frisk, I…! I don't know!"
"I… I'll go talk to her," Frisk said despite a crack in her voice. She straightened up, but he grabbed her hand tight.
"D-Don't," he said.
"I think it's okay," she said quietly.
"But what if she's—?!"
"I've been here for a b-bit." Frisk gulped. "She's… She never did anything. Let me try."
"I'm gonna puke," he said quietly.
"Let me help." Papyrus lit his hands up with a comforting, sunlight glow. "Yes, if you wouldn't mind talking to my sister, I'm sure that would help."
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Frisk nodded. She kissed Asriel's nose and hurried away, though her heart was beating heavily and she was light-headed. She thought she saw the other girl run off towards the cabin, so that's where she headed. There was an odd, bristling energy over there, too. Dread chilled her, but she crept up to the door and cautiously pushed it open.
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The girl was in there. Frisk could hear her. She was muttering darkly somewhere in the low light. As Frisk crept in quietly, she saw her, curled up against the opposite wall, as far out of the glow of the magic torches as she could get. The girl was rubbing her face with insistent desperation.
"Stop it, stop it, stop it, stop glowing," she snarled at herself, her voice ragged with tears.
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Frisk cautiously edged into the shadows to join her. She gulped. "H-Hey. Are… Are you okay?" she asked softly.
The girl sniffed heavily. She looked up, her irises a burning red. Frisk's heart dropped. The pale girl smiled through her tears and gripped tight to herself, looking down at the floor.
"I-I'm sorry I didn't tell you, Frisk," she said. "I didn't want you to worry about all that crap. I just wanted your time here to, like… not suck, I guess." She chuckled sardonically. "Couldn't even get that right."
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Frisk's mouth was dry like she hadn't had a drink in days. She gulped and, carefully, she knelt down on the floor. "H-He was right, huh? Your real name is Chara?"
"I thought I could hold it together. Seeing him again. I hoped maybe it'd been long enough that he wouldn't see." She shook her head and pulled her fingers through her bangs. "I really blew it, huh? I should have warned you."
"I… I'm sorry, I don't… I don't get it," Frisk said quietly. She reached out and gently put her hand on the girl's. "But, um… I… I'm not, like, mad or anything."
The other kid chuckled. She lightly gripped Frisk in return. "You're still really naïve, huh? I always kinda liked that about you. Let you see the good in stuff, even after all that bad happened to you." She sniffled and leaned back, clunking her head against the wall. "Honestly, I… I was excited to see you. To know it was you, of all the ones… I was happy to get to actually know you outside for a little bit, this time."
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Frisk stared at her. Her mind raced. Couldn't be, could it? But, the way Pidge… The way Chara was talking… She gulped and hesitantly gave voice to her baffled conclusion. "You're…? You're the Chara I met?"
"In the flesh. For real, this time. Sort of." She winked and laughed hoarsely. "Ah, what a mess."
"Wait. Wait wait wait. What?! How?!" Frisk demanded. "Aaaaah, what?! How'd you get…?! How are you…?! Dude, what?! You're literally his sister?!"
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Chara sighed. She rubbed at her glowing eyes and slumped where she sat. "It's a long story."
"C-Can you tell me?" Frisk insisted. She sat down fully and quickly scooted up beside her. "I… I can't believe it's you. It's…!" She put a hand against her head. "You're alive!"
"Kinda," Chara said with a weak laugh.
"I—! Oh my god, you're….! But you…?!" Frisk stumbled over her words shrilly and pointlessly for a few more seconds, and Chara waited patiently for her to finish. "Okay. Okay, okay. I know you said you were going, but I had no idea you could, like, jump outta the world like that!"
"Me neither," she said. "You… sure you wanna do this? I'm okay with it. You deserve answers. I… I prepared."
"Yeah," Frisk said. "Yes. Please."
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"So I figure," Chara said, "from those dreams I had and what I saw, you reset again, right?"
"Yeah." Frisk pouted. "I… I had to. Az kinda went nuts and sorta… kinda… murdered a bunch of people." She put her hands up quickly and waved them as if to cancel out what she'd said. "Um! But he's better now! He's a ton better! I mean… Um…"
Chara chuckled. "Don't worry. I agree." She sighed and knitted her fingers together. "So, when you reset, I'd already left. I… woke up, but I was sort of on the border of timelessness and I had nowhere to go. I guess I used your soul to lock myself out. Probably smartest thing I ever did, to be honest." She had to sniffle, and she quickly and disdainfully wiped her nose on her sleeve. "I was confused. I had a little of you, and I fell here, where there was no ghost of me. I… fused, with this body and soul." She flexed her fingers. "I didn't kill her. She was gone before I got here. So I just… became someone new. Can't tell if it was lucky or not that she looked just like… me."
"…Is that what I found in the Ruins?" Frisk asked quietly.
The girl nodded. "My way in. Burned up behind me. Chucked the bit of you I stole outta me and locked it in there. I think I did that on purpose. Detached us; broke any pathway back. Think I must've decided there was no way I could risk the temptation try to get there again."
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Chara stared at Frisk with a forlorn look in her eye. "I didn't know how bad I messed up over there. Not for a long time. Toriel from this world adopted me. Papy and Sans, they… loved me, the freaks." She laughed quietly at a bittersweet memory only she was privy to. "Sans is an oracle. He knew something was wrong with me before I even asked him for help with it. We found out who I was together." She clenched her fists. "I… remember. What I did to you. To them. But these guys still loved me. And I love them, now. Weird, right?" Tears began to fall down her pale cheeks again. "I'm what drew you here. Or… Or that piece of you I stole on my way out? Not because of some dumb nightmare, it was more than that." She heaved out a heavy sigh, her shoulders shuddering with her breath. "You hate me, huh? Scared? I don't blame you."
.
"No." The word fell out of Frisk's mouth before she even had a chance to think about it. She shook her head quickly. "No, I… I don't hate you."
"You know what I did. You felt it with your own hands. That was me," she said. "I don't have any excuse for that. Pissed off ghost with screwed up memories or not, it came from me." She looked at her incredulously, red eyes flashing. "I made you suffer. Made them suffer, over and over and over. How can you not?!"
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Frisk didn't know. She didn't have an answer. She knew Chara used to be separate from her memories of the other timelines. She'd only begin to regain them as other anomalies killed, when she could siphon off their determination for herself. She'd murdered the monsters. She'd murdered their parents, their friends; her brothers. She'd hurt Sans so deeply so many times that it was engrained into who he was now. It was the same for Frisk, the determination in her soul forcing her through the actions of countless anomalies manipulated by that angry ghost. She'd felt them die, as if by her own hand. Felt their dust fall on her as she was locked inside the body of another.
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But, the Chara in Frisk's head hadn't been sure that she'd hurt all those people until battling Asriel. Frisk knew hints of the sister Asriel knew. The fun they'd had; the love they'd felt. And if it wasn't for another anomaly's own propensity for violence, Chara would never have had a chance to do any damage anyway, nor would the will to persist.
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Frisk knew all that from her own experience, and from Sans's research on human ghosts. It wasn't inevitable, or else Frisk herself would have been just the same as the other anomalies that had harmed people. The spark to hurt had to already exist apart from Chara— force her to a place where the nature of her condition wouldn't allow her to stop. It wasn't that Frisk didn't blame her. She had to, for her part. But, hating her? Right now, in front of her, as she was?
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Frisk gulped. She felt sick and a little dizzy, and cold so deep in her gut it was a wonder her teeth weren't chattering. However, there was one thing she knew for sure. Asriel's story as Flowey was almost the same as Chara's as a rage-filled spirit.
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She settled down, took a deep breath and, pouting, wrapped Chara in her arms and pulled her close. The other girl stiffened.
"Uh. What're you doing?" she asked.
"You need a hug," Frisk said. "This is rough for you. I'm sorry."
"…What? Rough for me?! I…" Her voice caught in her throat. She huffed out a harsh laugh and she hugged Frisk back. "Holy shit, you're weird." She wilted and rested her brow on the other kid's shoulder. "I-I'm… I'm sorry."
"I know," Frisk said.
"I don't want you to forgive me."
"I know."
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Chara bit her lip. She gritted her teeth as tears bubbled up in her eyes. She choked and clung tight to Frisk. She couldn't catch her breath and began coughing out rough, heavy sobs. Frisk's eyes watered in sympathy and she held the girl tight. She didn't want to say it'd all be okay, because she had no idea what would happen. Even so, she glowed gently for her and rubbed her back. Chara cracked— bawled, shoulders heaving; clinging to Frisk with sharp fingertips and all the strength her arms could muster.
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When the girl managed to settle, she finally leaned back away from Frisk. The only redness left in her eyes was from crying so hard. Her cheeks were flushed and she stared at the ground, frowning at herself as she wiped her face on her sleeve.
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Frisk wiped her eyes, too. She reached out and held Chara's face in both hands and then, gently, pulled her in and bonked their foreheads together.
"Bonk," Frisk said quietly.
"W-What…?" Chara croaked out a weak laugh.
"When we do that, you let me hold some of that heavy stuff so you don't gotta think about it so much, okay?"
"Frisk, I…" Chara flinched. "I-It's too heavy for a good kid like you." She gritted her teeth. "I'm a demon. I've always been one."
"That's okay. Me too," Frisk said.
Chara looked at her with a confused, furrowed brow. "What piece of crap called you that?"
"Guys who didn't like monsters, I guess." She shrugged. "It's okay. Maybe it can be our word, now, instead." She smiled sheepishly. "Anyway. Sans taught me that as a helpful thing when my brain gets too busy. So. If you want. While I'm here." She tapped on her head. "I don't mind holding a little."
"I… I don't understand you," the girl said, her voice cracking. "…Why aren't you mad?"
Frisk shrugged. "This is hard enough right now, I think."
Chara stared at her with the faintest hint of incredulity on her face. A tear dribbled down her cheek and she looked at the ground, snorting a soft, exhausted laugh. "Weirdo."
.
Frisk cracked a smile and got up, offering her a hand. Sniffling, Chara took it and let herself be pulled to her feet. She drew in a long, deep breath and scoffed quietly at herself.
"What a crybaby," she muttered.
"It's okay. I mean. It's a big thing, huh?"
"Kinda just wanna curl up and hide under the table," she said. "Or… under the floorboards. In the dirt. Hey. You wanna help me pry 'em up?"
"We're not wrecking the floor," Frisk said with a quiet laugh.
"Still a goody-goody," Chara teased. She rubbed her eyes again. "Ah, shit, what am I doing? A-And what the hell do I do about him? Oh my god, just kill me again, okay?"
"Chara, c'mon," the kid chided gently. "It's… It's gonna be tough. But… I think if you tell him what you told me, he'll… He'll understand. I think… Just give him a minute, and I think he's gonna be so happy to see you."
"I dunno." There was a reluctant spark of hope in her eyes. "Y… You think so?"
Frisk nodded. "Yeah. I… I can't imagine what's gonna happen, but… But he still misses you. A-And I know he was… scared? For a bit. When he was still a flower but, lately when he mentions you, it's almost always a good memory, so… So it might be okay. I think it will."
"…Yeah. Yeah, maybe."
"You ready?"
"Pff, no." She sniffed. "Come on."
.
As soon as they crossed the threshold, both kids were dragged into a tight hug by Papyrus, a jump-scare of affection and warmth.
"Oh, thank goodness," he said. "Are you two okay?!"
"No," Chara said with a laugh. "Were you waiting right there?"
"Well, of course I was!" He said shrilly. "It was such a big accidental shock. And since I'm such a great big brother. And host. I was very concerned. Did you really not tell her your name this whole time?!"
"Look, I'm a knucklehead, alright?" she said, rubbing her face again. She stretched up and smooched the skeleton's cheek. "I… I have to talk to the new guy, okay?"
He nodded. "Of course." He lowered his voice. "It's him, isn't it? From the right world and everything?"
"Yeah," Chara said. She held tight to his shoulder. "Hey. Love you, alright? I'm not going anywhere."
"I-I know." He bumped his brow on hers. "Good luck, sister."
.
Chara shot the other kid a cautious look. Frisk gulped. She saw Asriel had hardly moved, but Sans was with him now, hand resting consolingly on his back. She grabbed the girl's arm.
"Lemme just check on him," she said.
Chara stiffened, but she nodded. "I'll, uh… I'll hide?"
"Don't hide," Frisk said.
"Okay, okay." She edged back towards the door. "I'll… wait. Right here. Um. Ugh, I'm an idiot, okay? Just hurry up."
Frisk nodded and, heart pounding, rushed back across the cavern to her brother.
.
When Frisk got close, Sans thumped Asriel on the shoulder and pointed at her. The big monster's head jerked up and he launched himself at her, wrapping her in his arms.
"Oh my god," he said.
"It's fine," she said quietly.
"I don't understand how this is real," he said.
"Yeah, same," she said. "Do you wanna talk to her?"
"Yes! No! I… I… I have to, right?" he asked. He stared into her eyes. "Did you talk to her? What did you think? It's her, isn't it?"
"It's… Yeah. It's her, but I think… I think whatever happened here, she's different from… From the way she was," Frisk said. "And. These skeletons love her, and she loves them, so I think that's a good sign. And, I mean… I hung out with her for a couple days, and I like her."
Asriel gulped. He nodded stiffly and snorted out a weak laugh. "Y-You like everybody though."
"Nuh-uh! No I don't, I found a buncha people in the last place I didn't like," she said, pouting.
Asriel nodded again as if to ready himself, took a deep breath, then got to his feet slowly as if lifting the weight of a mountain on his shoulders. Sans patted his arm.
"You're doin' good, kid," he said. "I know it ain't easy. Or logical. But. I think you'll find it worth your time."
"…Yeah." Asriel's pale eyes focused on the girl in the distance, who quickly ducked back into the little cabin. He put a hand on Frisk's head. "If anything happens to me… I love you."
"Nothing's gonna happen to you," she said gently. "Do you… want me to come?"
He desperately did, but he shook his head. "I think I gotta talk to her alone."
"Gotcha," Frisk said. "Don't worry. Do the deep breaths."
"Y-Yeah," he said.
.
Frisk stayed back to wait with the skeletons as Asriel headed for a strange cabin in a new universe, bracing himself to confront some version of his dead sister. He was going crazy, that had to be it. Or he hadn't woken up. The dream was twisting before his eyes. He could hardly get a moment with Frisk before something went off the rails. He just wanted to rest, but there was no way he could ignore this. Just keep going, he told himself. It'd end soon. Just play it out and it'll stop when it needs to. Even so, it felt like the longest walk of his life.
.
He could hardly even process the inside of the cabin when he entered. All he could see was Chara's doppelgänger dressed in a light, leafy green shirt, sitting on one of several cushions on the ground, looking like she'd been crying but with a flicker of hope in her honey-coloured eyes. He stalled, rooted to the spot. She locked eyes with him and cleared her throat.
"You look good," she said. "How long's it been?"
The fur on the back of Asriel's neck stood right up and a chill crept down his spine. Something about her voice was different, but it was familiar enough that it burned his ears.
"A long time," he said stiffly. His tongue was heavy. His soul was boiling in his chest. "…You're really Chara, huh? You're really m-my…?"
"Mostly. Sorry. I know it'd be easier if I wasn't."
"But you're… my…?"
"Yeah." She smiled sideways. "I… I know it's messed up. But I'm glad to see you, anyway, Azzy."
.
Asriel grimaced, baring his fangs. It was a dream, wasn't it? This didn't make any sense. But, his insides burned all the same. His soul thunked its beat so hard he felt like it might bowl him over. He folded his arms tight. The girl smiled.
"I guess you want proof?" she asked.
"This is insane. I don't even know if I'm awake right now," he muttered under his breath. He managed a small, sardonic smile. "Last time I couldn't tell if you were a dream or not, I betrayed almost everyone who ever loved me and nearly lost my shot at a soul, so…"
"Look. That's totally fair. I thought about this a lot, actually," she said. "Ever since Frisk said you were with her. I mean, I could go with the worst ones. But this is… It's traumatic enough without that." She shook her head. "I could talk about our secret stories about you and me, the Mountain Emperors, and me finally turning into the monster I always wanted to be. Remember? I drew myself as this huge goat like mom but with horns like our teacher Alcie, with black fur with these big gold stripes. We took it very seriously at the time."
.
The boy began to gawk, his eyes growing wide and bright with disbelief. She chuckled quietly.
"Or our ultimate techniques. You're such a dork, I can't believe I let you talk me into that. Crimson Claymore, right? I kinda can do that one for real now. It's not as cool as the one we drew, but it's definitely not too shabby." She smiled. "Or I could talk about sneaking out to that candy store in New Home. What was it called? Sweet Dreams, I think? So cheesy. And the time Dad found us and I was so sure he'd be furious— I almost threw up, do you remember? But he wasn't, and he made it a game instead. Or… Or what about my first birthday with you, when you guys still had no idea what to do with a human? And mom made me this heavy red sweater because she was afraid I'd be cold underground with no fur. But it was way too much; I could hardly move in it!"
Asriel's pale eyes welled up. "C… Char—"
"Hm. It's nice to reminisce, but then I thought…" She rubbed her head. "Well. That's all stuff you know, too. Obviously. And if you thought it was a trick or a dream, a false me could say anything already in your head. So. I thought, I could say something that I'm pretty sure, after everything, your dreams would never let a fake me say to you. Because mine don't let the fake you say it." She smiled. "So. Here it is. I still love you, Azzy. And… I'm sorry."
.
Asriel's throat caught. There was Chara. His Chara. His vision blurred with hot tears. He dropped down to his knees and slammed his hands into wooden planks of the floor. The cabin walls rattled.
"What were you thinking?!" he barked.
Chara blinked. "Uh…"
"Your plan! It killed us! Mom and Dad broke up, the Kingdom went nuts! Other humans died because of us; dad became a killer because of us! I became a time travelling psycho flower; you became a murder ghost! If it weren't for Frisk, we'd both be stuck!" Tears streamed down his cheeks. "You were our hope! And we just… We died! We should never have gone out there."
"No, you were our hope. And we were dumb kids," she said softly. "…I loved you."
"I loved you, too!" he snapped. "More than anything."
.
Chara shook her head. "That's why I wanted to do it," she said, frowning. "You guys didn't deserve what happened. Humans are stupid hypocrites. They thought they were locking away all the evils of the world, but they were the ones doing it! Crime and murders and all that didn't stop when monsters were gone, humans just did it to each other even more since they lost their precious scapegoat! They're evil cowards for doing what they did."
"Sure, and we became evil trying to undo it," he said.
"You were the one that let us die," she said. "You stopped us from fighting."
"I couldn't! I couldn't be like that back then."
"But you agreed to come with me," she said.
"I know! I had to," he said. "…You're my sister." He growled and pointed accusingly at her. "You're my sister and I had to watch you die for days."
"Hey, I was the one who had to die for days with you guys all crying over me! How do you think I felt?!" she said. "And then I had to die again when you wouldn't let me protect you from stupid arrows! I died twice to try to save you losers and I couldn't even do that right!"
.
They stared at each other steadily for a long while. Asriel snorted. His claws dug into the wood. He pulled back and couldn't help a smile from straining his face. Chara snickered. It was absurd. Horrifying. Unimaginable. Asriel laughed, spitting it out in an involuntary burst. His sister broke into cackles at the sound. She held her head; choked and coughed. They sounded like a pair of hyenas.
"We're… We're so stupid," Asriel wheezed.
Chara laughed even harder, wrapping her arms around herself and rocking forward. "W-We died and we're here and w-we're idiots!" Tears began to stream down her face. "We ruined everything."
"Oh my god, did we ever." Asriel huffed and wiped his eyes, snickering weakly. "Holy crap."
.
Chara smiled. She reached out for his hand. He took a deep breath and grabbed her gently. Felt weird. He used to hold her hand all the time. Felt like it'd been eons that they'd actually touched and one of them wasn't trying to stab the other. Their manic mirth subsided and they both tried to catch their breath. Chara cautiously wiped her eyes.
"Really wish you hadn't killed me so many times," he said quietly.
"Same," she said. "Though, if I remember right, you did a lot of that my way, too."
"Yeah, yeah," he muttered. "God, what a mess."
"For sure," she said, nodding. She patted his big paw affectionately. "I missed you, Azzy."
.
He gritted his teeth. After a few seconds heavy with silence, he sat back on the ground and brushed his hands under his eyes. He sniffled. She opened her mouth to say something, but then thought better of it. He sighed out deeply and then pulled her into his arms. She slumped into him and gripped him around his chest.
"Y-You're still such an ass," he muttered.
"I know." She smirked. "Kinda like this new attitude you got, though." She reached up and pet under his eye and down his cheek, her fingertips gently running through the dark fur of the stripe branded into him. "Kept a little of that edge, huh?"
His lip quivered and he huffed, pushing his snout against the crook of her neck. She held his head and, as she let out a shaking sigh, stroked the fur between his horns and closed her eyes.
"Well. M-Maybe not so much," she teased, her voice hoarse.
.
He snorted quietly. He wished, desperately. He wished he was little again. He wished he could ugly sob like he used to when he was a tiny kid. He wished there wasn't a fight or flight response still running through his body. He took another deep breath to settle himself.
"I'm… sorry, too," he said softly.
"I know you are," she assured him.
"S-Super sorry."
"Mhm."
"…Love you."
She leaned her head against his. "Love you, too."
.
Asriel rested with her for a moment before he loosened his grip and leaned back. She still sat on his leg, grabbing his arm. He took a moment to really look at her. His memory was so burned with her frozen, wicked smile and gleefully bright red eyes, a visage that painted itself onto anomalies she stole. To see her, warm and tired and uncertain— to see a genuine, if subdued grin on her face… This couldn't just be a ghost anymore, right?
.
Asriel gulped. "I… I couldn't go back. My soul can't just reset back to… you know, thirteen years old, naïve little butterscotch kid, all that stuff. I can't forget. I don't deserve to, honestly."
"You do more than I do," Chara said. She drooped sadly. "It's not fair, huh? I don't… feel it the same way, since coming here. Even Frisk feels it more than me, sounds like. That's not fair, either."
"So you got a clean break? You can't have. You remember me," he said.
"No, not quite, it's… hard to explain," she said. "I didn't remember everything. For a while. Sans helped me. This was… you know, after they adopted me, and I helped save this kingdom and stuff. So I had that as a foundation, kinda. But I remembered you the whole time. And I remembered her a bit, too." She clenched her fists. "I… I think I'm not… that bad, here. I think maybe, if those skeletons still love me, I'm… okay, you know?" Her eyes welled up again and she wiped them quickly. "I was never different than them, you know. The other humans."
"I think you are," he said.
She laughed and shook her head. "Figures the only human separate enough from that stuff was made by a monster, huh?"
"She told you about that?" Asriel asked.
"Oh, yeah, we were starting to be friends before I screwed everything up." She shrugged. "And she doesn't have a bellybutton."
"A what?" The monster blinked blankly.
"A bellybutton, Azzy!" She raised her shirt just enough to show hers. "She doesn't have one! Humans are supposed to have one."
"…Huh." He huffed out an exhausted laugh. "Of course."
.
She cracked a smile. She wiped her eyes again and took a deep breath. "I-I… I think you deserve to know. I wanna tell you everything. Same as what I told Frisk."
"Yeah." He gulped heavily. "Please."
She grabbed one of his paws tight in both hands. They both braced themselves. Asriel gripped tight to the girl he thought he'd never see again. He hoped he wouldn't be sick.
.
Chara's story began in a daze. A confused, amnesiac kid stumbling to life in a garden, knowing nothing but her name and those of her siblings. She was certain, at first, that Frisk must be her sister, and that her beloved brother Asriel being a monster was completely normal. When a massive, stormcloud coloured, ram-horned Toriel found her, it wasn't a shock. She felt like she knew her already.
.
She'd been adopted. Stayed a year, missing those siblings but knowing no way to find them. Her meagre red magic blossomed, and her new mother trained her with a sword. Her new home was the Ruins deep within stone walls. A barrier sealed them in. Chara could leave, if she wished, but she wouldn't be able to return until the King was defeated. She did not wish to leave.
.
But then, Toriel fell ill. The only cure was freedom, so Chara set out into the Kingdom beyond.
.
A long time ago, another human with magic had fallen into this world. Though he was adopted by monsters, he joined the humans beyond the Kingdom's borders and returned only to assassinate the monsters' Prince and Princess. The betrayal and loss of his children wounded the King's heart so deeply he lost himself, too. His magic was so powerful that the Kingdom fell under a curse of rage and grief, and Toriel was banished and sealed away for trying to stop him. The barrier and even the mountain prison itself was his doing. It wasn't until much later Chara learned the names of the royal children were ones she was deeply familiar with.
.
She'd met all kinds of new friends on her quest, every battle freeing the minds of those she defeated. She'd even gained her new skeletal family members and made allies out of the Captain of the Royal Guard and the Archwizard. And, once the King himself was beaten, the curse over everyone dissipated. Toriel was cured.
.
It wasn't until after all that did Chara ask Sans to help her with her memories. It wasn't particularly hard for him reaching through her into the Soul of the World. He watched them first. Asked her if she wanted to leave it behind. Warned her it wasn't pretty. Holding onto the threads of Asriel and Frisk, Chara refused and reclaimed everything. She didn't leave bed for a week.
.
Chara was stone-faced and stiff, explaining it all to the floor as if reciting a speech. Asriel wasn't— he was fidgety and had a billion questions he didn't ask, each new sentence sending him reeling. When she got to the part about how she'd reemerged locked out of their world and plummeted through the void after Frisk's reset, he couldn't contain it anymore. He hid his eyes behind his hands as tears raced down his cheeks, soaking his fur and dribbling down his jaw. He desperately tried to focus on her story despite his soul buzzing in his ears. Those words: locked out… They filled him with deep, dark dread.
.
"Hey. Crybaby," Chara said sternly, cutting through his racing thoughts. "C'mon. I've had to do this twice now, the least you could do i-is look at me."
Asriel sniffled deeply. He peeked out between his fingers to see Chara frowning at him resolutely, her honey-coloured eyes glistening gold with the huge tears that had welled up in them. The boy wheezed and he yanked her into his arms again. She let out a little gasp and gripped to him tightly.
"O-Oh. S-So that's why…" she mumbled.
"I-I can't take it. I c-can't…" He shook his head back and forth. "I know w-we're garbage b-but I…! I want you back. So… So bad."
"I know," she said softly.
"How do we…?! What do we do?" he asked.
"I… I don't know." She sighed. She nestled into him closed her eyes. "Let's talk about that later, okay?"
"B-But…!"
"Please, Azzy?" She sniffled and chuckled, rolling her eyes at herself. "Sorry. Not to guilt trip. It's just… exhausting."
"Yeah." He heaved in a deep breath. "Yeah. Y-You're right. Let's… Let's just… pace ourselves."
"Thanks."
.
Chara snuggled up. Her soul tentatively reached out, glowing a soft red through her shirt. Asriel's watery eyes went wide. He carefully let his soul touch against hers. It was warm. He closed his eyes and he could hear the faintest wisps of a song that wasn't his. One that reminded him of cool stone, of distant wind whistling around the top of a cavern, of a tiny kid fallen down, and deep, toasty nostalgia. He hummed the tune softly. Chara's cool, strong fingers gripped tightly to him.
"It's not mine," she mumbled.
"It is now," he said.