Chapter 10

It had been a day since Frisk and Chara recovered the tutu, but Chara still recalled nothing new or old about his past. Frisk began to question if Napstablook was wrong when he told them this was a late human's item. She also questioned if Chara getting the human items really was what made him remember his past.

"Perhaps we will find our next course of action in Hotland Jungle," Chara suggested. "We have made very good progress thus far. I cannot imagine it would stop now."

Frisk wanted to say something in response, but she couldn't think of anything to say. It wasn't right. Just as she began to think she knew how to help Chara remember who he was and what happened to him, she was quickly proven to be wrong. They were supposed to be closer to learning the truth of Chara's past, but they were no closer than when they entered Waterfall Marsh. They were at a standstill.

After a while, Chara stopped trying to cheer Frisk up. It was enough to make Frisk feel awful. She was supposed to be cheering Chara up, not the other way around.

As they were crossing a bridge, Chara informed Frisk that they were almost to Hotland Jungle. In response, Frisk merely nodded. With the lump in her throat, she wasn't sure if she could trust herself to speak.

"Y-yo. . . ."

Heart skipping a beat, Frisk turned around to see Mon a few feet away. The monster kid cautiously approached Fris. She stopped a little more than an arm's length away from Frisk.

"Undyne said something yesterday," was how Mon began. She spoke slowly and carefully, as if afraid to frighten a wild animal. "She said . . . 'Stay away from that human.'"

Mon turned her head and looked into the distance for a moment before returning her focus to Frisk. "I, um . . . I never had to ask anyone this before. . . . Erm, are you . . . a human?"

Finding her mouth glued shut, Frisk could only nod.

"I see." Mon scratched the back on her neck. "I guess that makes us enemies then. Umm . . . do you mind saying something mean to me? I'm having a hard time seeing you as my enemy."

Frisk shook her head and whispered, "I'm not going to say anything mean to you, Mon."

"What, you mean I have to be the one to start?" Mon fidgeted in place. "Okay, then. Uhh . . . Yo, I . . . I hate your guts."

The tense silence hung in the air for a moment or two. Frisk didn't reply. Instead she watched as Mon struggled to stand still as if she was uncomfortable, not even attempting to attack Frisk and forcefully remove the mask from her face.

"Man," Mon said after another moment passed, "I'm such a turd. I'm going to go home."

Turning on her heel, Mon began to sprint away. However, she tripped and fell sideways. With no railing on the bridge, Mon was left to completely fall off the side of the bridge.

"MON!" Frisk rushed to where Mon fell and peered over the edge. Before she could sigh with relief at the sight of Mon dangling over the cliff, another figure grew close. Heart sinking, Frisk watched as Undyne approached.

"You have to run," Chara warned. "Now!"

"Frisk!" Mon cried out. "Help me! I can't hold on for much longer!"

Frisk, heart beating rapidly, looked between Mon and Undyne. She was already in sight of Undyne, so she needed to get away while she could. Yet if Frisk ran, Mon would be left to fall.

Chara seemed to understand the dilemma she was in, for he suggested, "Run away, Frisk! If you stay, Undyne will catch you. If you leave Mon behind, Undyne might stop to save her, and that would buy you time to get away!"

As cruel as if was, Chara had a point. If Frisk stayed to help Mon, Undyne would certainly capture her. Yet at the same time, Frisk could not be certain that Undyne would save Mon in time, and that was assuming Undyne would stop pursuing Frisk in order to help the child.

"FRISK!" Mon cried out again.

"FRISK!" Chara also cried.

"Human!" Undyne shouted from the distance.

Frisk threw herself to the ground and reached out her hand. "Grab on!" she cried out to Mon. Lying on her stomach, Frisk slowly drew herself closer to the edge in order to reach Mon.

Without hesitation, Mon reached out for Frisk. The two couldn't reach each other, so Frisk scooted closer. After requesting that Mon try again, the girls were able to join hands just in time for Mon's other hand to lose its grip on the rock jutting out from the cliff.

"Hold on!" Frisk cried out as she struggled to keep a hold of another girl her size.

"Yeah, because I was thinking of letting go!" Mon snapped. Then, "Sorry! I'm scared, not mean!"

"Can you get a hold of the cliff again!" Frisk tightened her grip on Mon's hand, afraid that the other girl would slip out of her grasp.

"I got it!" Mon replied after a moment.

"Good, now try to climb back up. I'll pull you, but we have to work together. I can't bring you back up by myself."

Working together, Mon climbed up the cliff as Frisk pulled her up. Once Mon's free hand grasped the edge, Frisk moved to sit on her knees and continued to pull Mon up from the edge. As soon as Mon was free from danger, the girl began to laugh maniacally.

"I'm alive! I'M ALIVE!" Mon threw her arms around Frisk and cried out, "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Returning the hug, Frisk exhaled and let her body droop. Her arms hurt from trying to pull Mon back up. It was only through adrenaline Frisk was able to lift the other girl.

"Umm, Frisk . . ." Chara quietly began but trailed off.

It was then Frisk remembered they were not alone. Snapping her head in the other direction, Frisk saw that Undyne was still standing a few feet away. She had not drawn any closer since Frisk dropped to the ground to reach for Mon.

Did she just watch this whole time?

Noticing Undyne, Mon broke the hug with Frisk and stood to her feet. Her eyes were locked onto Undyne. Then she took a few steady steps forward.

It was to Frisk's utter surprise that Mon starting yelling, "Yo! If you want to hurt my friend, you're going to have to go through me!"

For a moment, nothing happened. Then Undyne slowly began to back away. Soon enough, she was no longer visible in the distance.

"There is no way she had simply walked away," Chara said, sounding as disbelieving as Frisk felt.

"Coward," Mon spat before turning back around to face Frisk. "Hey, uhh . . . Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." When Mon offered her hand, Frisk accepted it and let Mon help her to her feet. "I appreciate you standing up for me back there."

"Hey, we're friends, and nobody messes with my friends." Although Frisk couldn't see behind Mon's mask, she imagined that the monster kid was smiling behind it.

"Man, I really need to get home," Mon then said. "My parents must be worried sick about me. Um, thanks again, for saving my life."

"Goodbye, Mon," Frisk replied. "Be careful out there."

Mon snorted. "I should be telling you to be careful. You're the human here, after all."

Curious, Frisk asked, "Don't you want to take my mask off and try to steal my face?"

Now Mon laughed. "Nah, you can keep your face. I don't need it. Anyway, bye, Frisk. Maybe we'll see each other again some day."

"Yeah . . . , maybe." As Frisk watched Mon carefully walk away, she couldn't help but feel guilty. Frisk could go free, but Mon was forever trapped in Ebott Forest. It wasn't fair.

"We should get going," Chara then said, but something sounded off, like Chara was choking.

"What's wrong, Chara?" Frisk asked, stepping closer to Chara, but he pulled away. Frisk bit her lip. Chara had never retreated from her before.

"Nothing is wrong, Frisk" Chara answered, but it was not very convincing.

"Chara, something is bothering you." Frisk once again stepped forward, but Chara pulled further back. "You won't even let me come near you. What's the matter?"

After remaining silent for a moment too long, Chara said, "Something feels different. Ever since you stopped to help Mon . . . I do not know."

"Did you remember something about your past?"

". . . No, I did not."

Choosing not to call Chara out on his lie, Frisk decided it was time to keep moving forward. She didn't know when Undyne was going to be back, and she certainly didn't want to wait for the monster either. Chara would talk sooner or later, but Frisk would have to wait until he was ready.

"Well, let's keep going then," Frisk suggested as she began to march forward. Chara wordlessly followed.

End of Book Three