Chapter Five: I'm Headed Straight for the Castle
The sixteen year old walked into the Core, looking up at the monstrosity that was the Core. Almost as if a chain reaction, her magic spiked for a second, causing her to clutch her head in pain. Flames leaked from her tightly clenched eyes, Chara being unable to hold them in.
"You need to gain control of your magic," Frisk said, appearing beside her in physical form, surprisingly looking like her old self. It wasn't like Toriel would have said it, gently with a good deal of firmness and guidance. It wasn't even how Asgore would have, with that fatherly wisdom. It was the way Frisk had always spoke to her, not a single inflection other than love. Chara knew that she was simply stating a fact. While her magic was tied to her emotions, she'd not been able to call it without being in an intense emotional situation, like when the hateful being had tormented her.
Chara concentrated, trying to think of something that would calm her, shouting in pain at the piercing headache. She tried her best to fight the pain to think, but it was clouding her mind.
She felt what her mind made her think was two arms around her. While she knew that feel, she knew she wasn't physically there… not in the sense she had a body. She was just affecting Chara's auditory and vision centers to allow her to see her in a non-invasive way. But, she felt it all the same.
"Remember the stars," Frisk said, whispering into Chara's ears. Immediately, Chara's eyes shot open, burning with a blood red fire that had become calmer. A memory of her sitting in Frisk's lap, both cross legged as Frisk pointed out the stars to her. Before then, Chara had never taken notice of the shining orbs in the sky, but now she could see their beauty as Frisk wrapped a blanket around them both.
"That's Sirius," She heard Frisk say. "It's the brightest one there is. And, the one nearby is the Pole Star."
She'd been fascinated by them, the warmth Frisk provided making them feel even more special. Tears spilled from her eyes as the fires died down, gone in a puff of smoke.
"Thank… thank you," Chara said. "This place… I've always felt weird in here. Of course, we both know there's a more somber place yet."
"Y-Yeah," Frisk said, both of them thinking of the same bloodstained hall that had been there almost as long as the Underground itself.
"I guess we keep going," Chara said. "No sense in waiting here. Last stop before my dad."
"Right," Frisk said. "About… about the nightmares…"
"Save it," Chara said. "I'd rather not remember. I'm not sure why I saw Asriel there. He was dead twenty years ago."
"Yeah… he was," Frisk said, having purposefully kept that little tidbit of information from Chara. There was no way she knew of to help him and she also didn't want Chara to know what he had done… though, there was no guarantee she wouldn't find out.
"I wish he was here," Chara said, standing and continuing her walk. "But, I carry him in my heart. Just like I carry you in my heart."
"I think it's a bit different there," Frisk snickered.
"Well, yeah…" Chara shrugged. "I guess it is."
"Tell me, where did you learn what lingerie looked like?" Frisk asked her companion with a smirk, Chara's eyes widening as her face immediately turned the same shade as her eyes.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Chara said as she walked through the Core to the elevator.
"I've seen some of your more… interesting thoughts," Frisk said with a teasing smile. "I didn't know I rubbed off on you quite that way. Though, I'm sure you wanted me to rub off on you in a… different way."
"Why must you insist on trying to flirt with me!" Chara covered her face. The only person who could get her so flustered was Frisk, even when she was a child.
"It's fun," Frisk snickered. "You're still so cute when you blush."
"Ha ha" Chara said, biting back her original retort of 'you're lucky I love you'. She knew how that would be taken by the incessant flirt.
"Oh, stop being such a flustered Francine," Frisk said. "A little flirting never hurt anyone."
"You would flirt with anyone," Chara glanced at where Frisk was.
"True, but I only ever meant it with one person," Frisk said, shrugging. "Also, looks like the elevator's broken."
"Wait, who was the one person?" Chara asked, but Frisk didn't answer her. This left the princess with quite a few questions.
"Elevator," Frisk brought her back on track.
"Huh?" Chara pushed the button. "Oh, joy. This damn thing. Now we've got to fumble our way through the Core and get lost."
"Lost?" Frisk asked.
"This place is constantly shifting around," Chara said. "Partially due to its magical nature, it constantly moves. So, basically…"
"We should call Alphys," Frisk shrugged.
"Oh yeah, I forgot about her," Chara said. "I didn't want to bother her, so I didn't. Let's see if she has a current map."
Chara pushed the redial button on her phone. Immediately, she heard Alphys' voice.
"H-Hello?" She asked. "I-If this is about y-your family members, th-then, I don't know what to say. I-I'm still working o-on it."
"Uhhh… what?" Chara asked.
"O-Oh!" Alphys exclaimed. "Ch-Chara! I-It's you!"
"The one and only," Chara said with a slight bit of sarcasm.
"That's good because I don't think I could handle two," Frisk snickered. "I'd probably get a nosebleed."
"S-So… about that…" Alphys said. "D-Don't worry about it."
"Alphys…" Chara said. "If you want to talk to someone who won't judge… I'm a phone call away. I'll come and visit if I have to, but I will listen. Alright?"
"Wh-Why would you do that?" Alphys asked, her voice becoming softer… scared even. "Y-You don't know what I-I've done."
"I've seen and done things that were terrible too," Chara said. "How about this: after I see my dad, I come over and we sit down and talk? You're Undyne's… friend and I wouldn't want to see you hurt any more than I'd want to see her hurt."
"I… I don't think you can help this as well as you think," Alphys said in a quiet voice.
"… I lost the two most important people to me," Chara said. "I know what suffering is, Alphys. Don't bottle it all up. You'll try to do something you'll regret. I did once. It's how I ended up here."
"I… I guess we can talk," Alphys said. "Just… just be careful."
"Alright," Chara said. "Oh, I almost forgot what I called you about. Do you know what the current layout of the Core is?"
"N-No," Alphys said. "Even now, we still don't have a good enough map system for it. S-Sorry."
"It's fine," Chara said. "Thanks anyway. I'll see you later."
She hung up the phone, pocketing it after she'd saved Alphys' number. She continued walking through the Core, Frisk beside her.
"Do you… still get nightmares about that day?" Frisk asked solemnly.
"Which one?" Chara asked.
"The day I died," Frisk said.
"Not as much as I used to," Chara said. "Of course, whenever I did, I found myself sandwiched between a fish and a fuzzy goat."
"That's good," Frisk said. "It's good you could find someone to comfort you when I passed."
"You haven't passed yet," Chara said. "And you're not going to."
"You sound so confident." Frisk said. "You don't even know if Alphys can do it."
"I've got the confidence to put faith in her," Chara said. "Of course, Doctor Gaster could without a doubt, but he's gone. I'm not sure how to bring him back."
"There may be a way," Frisk said. "Not that I know of one."
"We'll work on it." Chara said. "But first, you."
"First, your dad," Frisk said.
"Right," Chara said. "I suppose this stupid Core layout would give us time to talk."
"Ooh, therapy," Frisk said. "Well, I guess I got a loooooot of things to get off my chest."
"Me too," Chara said.
"Well, this should be an interesting ride." Frisk said.
The two came to a fork in the path. A sign was in the middle.
"This way to the warrior's path," Chara read. "This way to the sage's path. All lead to the End."
"Why is End capitalized?" Frisk asked.
"It's the end of the underground. My dad suuuuuuucks at naming things," Chara said. "He named the Ruins 'Home' before it became so run down. Then, his castle sits in 'New Home'."
"I see," Frisk said.
"Not really," Chara chuckled. "Asriel is just a mix of his and mom's names."
"So, by that logic," That flirtatious smirk Frisk was well known for spread across her face. "By that logic, if we had a kid, we'd name them Charisk."
Chara stopped dead still, her mouth slightly open as a red blush began to creep up her cheeks and warm them up considerably. Frisk was doubled over in laughter at this point, fully amused by the question and Chara's reaction to it.
"Oh, look at your face!" She said, Chara crossing her arms and grumbling. "It's so priceless."
Chara sighed, knowing that at least Frisk was being happy instead of tortured by Chara's hatred. She was still making her jokes.
"Ha ha," Chara said. "I'm sure it would. Of course, you know that wouldn't work out."
"Well, whatever." Frisk shrugged. "Let's take the warrior's path because you still suck at puzzles."
"I do not," Chara said.
"Name one besides Papyrus' that he fudged up the execution on that you actually solved with no help." Frisk said.
"Uh… the crossword?" Chara asked.
"Nice try," Frisk said. "But, let's take the path of least resistance."
Chara picked the sage's path and, after about an hour of trying the puzzle, she managed to succeed. Taking the runaround, she picked up a nice looking G from a trash can.
"Why was that in a trash can?" Frisk asked. "And, why did you pick it up?"
"Not just gonna let it go to waste," Chara said. "Besides, I might want a chocolate bar in New Home."
"Fine with me," Frisk said. "So, how close are we to the exit?"
"Really close." Chara said as they walked up to an elevator with a door next to it. She walked into the door.
"Why not the elevator?" Frisk asked.
"It only goes back to the beginning of the Core." Chara said. Inside the room stood Mettaton, who was posing in a fabulous way.
"Hello, darling," He said, waving. "I was just posing for my amazing portraits and for our glorious battle."
"Excuse you?" Chara asked.
"Well," Mettaton said. "I'm sure the audience would love to see the brave robot battle the royal princess."
"You're playing it up, huh?" Chara crossed her arms. "Still not feeling up to the challenge."
"Well, flip the switch on my back and you'll have your challenge." Mettaton said tauntingly. "But, be warned, darling: I'm at my strongest when it's flipped."
Chara walked around the robot, flipping the switch. Immediately, Mettaton began to spark and bits and pieces of him began to explode off. Chara, in minor concern that she'd actually killed him, tried to flip it back, only for her to be blown backwards by an explosion of lights and glory.
Smoke poured out from the robot, filling the air and masking the new being that stepped up. Chara tried to peer through the smoke to see who or what it was, but was unable to.
"Oh yeah!" Came a voice that sounded like Mettaton, but… different somehow. Chara's eyes widened as she saw the new form of the robot. He looked like a human almost.
He had black legs like boots and his arms were the same. He had wide shoulder pads and flowing black hair that covered an eye. His eye(s) were purple, glowing with his robotic charms. He had an upside down heart in the middle of his chest and his chest area was purple.
"Hello, darlings," He said to Chara. "It's time for my… grand debut."
"That's not his most powerful form," Frisk said. "But, it's still pretty powerful. Best be careful here."
"So, you want to get fancy, huh?" Chara chuckled. "Well, I suppose I should respond in kind."
She concentrated, feeling the Core's magic flow through her. Her own magic exploded, cloaking her in a brilliant spiral of flames that died down to reveal her, flames bursting from her eye as she smirked.
"Impressive, darling, Mettaton chuckled. "Now, let's make it glorious."
"I'm surprised you're able to have this much control," Frisk said.
"I remembered the stars," Chara said, taking a step towards Mettaton. "Now, Mettaton, let's make this something the Underground can see and hope for."
"Give it your all, darling," Mettaton said. "At least, as much as you can. I know I can put out more."
"You should flirt with him," Frisk snickered.
"I have a better idea," Chara said. "Let's see what you've got. You can't even touch me, Mettaton."
"I'll show you, darling," Mettaton said. "Let's begin."
Mettaton reached for Chara, Chara dodging with some ease.
She ran to the back of the room, not to avoid him, but to get a running charge. She tackled him to the ground, pinning him down.
"Now, flirt!" Frisk said, getting a little excited.
"What is wrong with you?" Chara asked her Mettaton looking on in confusion.
"Uh, darling," He said. "Are you going to get off of me? As much as I'm all for this, it is daytime television after—"
Chara ended that sentence with a sock to his face.
"We are never doing that!" She exclaimed, jumping off.
"Seems I'll have to get a bit more challenging," Mettaton said, snapping his fingers as several miniature versions of his previous form flew in from all around the room, shooting at Chara. She dodged, managing to avoid them for a bit.
"Pretty sure they'll only sting," Frisk said. "But, avoid them anyway."
Chara managed to avoid them all… except one. One of them grazed her, ripping the arm of her sweater. Her eyes widened as she looked at it. Her arm was unscathed, but she looked at Mettaton.
"Oh, don't worry, darling," Mettaton said, trying to placate anything that might happen; he was well aware of the human princess's legendary temper when provoked, almost as bad as that of the former queen's. "I'll, uh, get you a new one. It'll have my face and everything."
"This sweater," Chara said, her voice seething with rage. "Was made by me and my mom. I modeled it after the sweater that my closest friend wore except in color alone. Do you know what I'm going to do to you for this?"
"F-Forgive me, darling?" Mettaton asked, gulping.
"I'm gonna fucking SCRAP you!" She exclaimed, the fires surrounding her bursting forth in tandem with her rage. She ran towards the robotic host, who did the smart thing and began to run away from her.
With Asgore
"I forgot to watch that Mettaton episode today," The king said, sighing. "I promised Alphys that I would. Well, at least I recorded it so that I could watch it. I'll just watch today's and then the recorded one later."
He turned on the TV in his house, sitting in the chair he'd had there for years. It felt… odd to sit in it, but he decided to do so anyway. Turning on the TV, he was greeted to the sight of a human in a green and yellow sweater chasing around Mettaton while throwing fireballs at him.
"Reminds me of Tori," He chuckled. "Except… that human… she looks like…"
Immediately, he shut the TV off. He just couldn't continue watching. He didn't know why Mettaton was doing this, but he supposed there was a good reason. He walked back to his garden, deciding to just ask Alphys what was on it later.
With Undyne, Papyrus, and Sans
"Get the TV ready, Sans!" Undyne shouted. "I wanna see if Chara's on Mettaton's show again!"
"Gill out, Undyne," Sans said, dodging to avoid the spear thrown in his direction. "I gotta fix the antenna."
There was a knock at the door. Papyrus ran up to get it. On the other side was Toriel, who was smiling at him.
"HELLO, MISS GOAT LADY!" He exclaimed. "I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS CAN HELP YOU TO FIND THE CORRECT ADDRESS IF YOU ARE LOST!"
"Oh, that's quite alright, Papyrus, dear," Toriel chuckled.
"Lady T!" Undyne exclaimed, moving over. "So great to see you in person again!"
"Hello, Undyne," Toriel embraced the fish woman. "How are you?"
"Been great," Undyne said. "What brings you out here?"
"I'm going to go see Chara at Asgore's," Toriel said.
"Well, come on in, Tori," Sans said, gesturing her in. "I'm sure you goat loads of time to chill. Plus it's cold as ice out there."
"I suppose I could stay for a minute," Toriel said. "It's not like Chara would get hurt heading through here."
"Yeah, right," Undyne gave a nervous chuckle, Sans beginning to sweat a little. "She's fine. Nothin' happened to her on my watch."
"Well, that's good," Toriel said. "I suppose she's already there?"
"Probably in Hotland," Undyne said. "Alphys said she was in the Core and called her."
"I see," Toriel said.
"Well, we're about to watch the latest episode of Mettaton," Sans said. "Wanna stay?"
"For a bit," Toriel said, nodding. "I'll even make you dinner."
"IT IS ALRIGHT, MISS GOAT LADY!" Papyrus said. "I WAS PLANNING ON MAKING SPAGHETTI! THOUGH, YOU REMIND ME OF KING ASGORE!"
"Well, there's a good explanation for that," Toriel said. "But, I wouldn't like to say. Well, how are you all?"
"Great," Sans said, finally fixing the TV. "Aaaand, done. Let's see if Chara got on another episode."
The TV turned on to reveal Chara straddling Mettaton's chest as she repeatedly punched him in the face, censored profanities coming out of her mouth left and right.
"You redacted piece of metal scrap!" Could be heard as Sans covered Papyrus… ears? "I'm going to rip out your redacted Core and shove it so far up your redacted it'll be behind your eyes! This was one of the three most important items I possess and you redacted tore it!"
Toriel's mouth was agape with her shock as Chara gave Mettaton his beating. Undyne was cheering her on, yelling for her to suplex him.
"Seems like Mettaton pissed her off," Sans said. "Figured that'd be a bit harder to do… of course it is Mettaton. Bet she's been holding that in for a while."
"I think I should go and see her right now." Toriel said. "I need to make sure she doesn't hurt anyone or her father doesn't hurt her."
"Why would he… oh, right," Sans said. "Well, I'm sure she'll be fine. I mean, you recognized her."
"Neither of us wanted to believe it was Chara at first," Undyne said. "I don't think Asgore will either. Unfortunately, unlike with me, Asgore wouldn't easily stop his attacks."
"You attacked Chara?" Toriel turned towards her.
"Only like we used to," Undyne said. "Nobody got hurt."
"Yep," Sans said, grabbing a ketchup with his magic. "Nobody got hurt."
"But, she was busy," Toriel said. "Doesn't seem like her… especially not now."
"What do you mean?" Undyne asked.
"She was so terrified I'd hate her for getting Asriel killed that she didn't even tell me it was her when I first saw her."
"Wow," Undyne said. "I… wonder how she's gonna take it with her old man."
"That is my concern," Toriel sighed. "I hope he isn't in a mood. I don't think she would try to stop him from killing her if it came to it."
"Why not?" Undyne made to stand up.
"Her guilt," Toriel said. "That is why I am going. If I didn't recognize her at first, he probably won't either."
With Chara
Chara was still landing blows on Mettaton's face, causing several dents to it. Mettaton glanced at the ratings chart nearby, shocked at it.
"Hold on, darling!" Mettaton shouted. "Look at those ratings!"
"I… what the hell is wrong with you?" Chara asked. "I'm punching your face."
"But, look!" Mettaton shouted. "I've never gotten so high a rating here before. We should take some calls. I… I understand your anger with me… the punches helped. But… I truly am sorry. I understand what it means to lose something made by someone you care about."
"I… I guess I'm sorry I punched you a lot," Chara said. "And, I suppose mom and me could fix the sweater. It's just…"
"Save it, darling," Mettaton said. "I already know the story. You told me, remember?"
"What?" Chara asked. "Who are… Happy?!"
"Surprise, darling." Mettaton laughed in his robotic voice. "I'm surprised you didn't recognize me by my voice."
"Yeah, that's why," Chara rolled her eyes, getting off of him and helping him up. "But, I guess you know it. So, uh… no hard feelings, right?"
"Of course not, darling," Mettaton said. "But, you should go see your old man. I heard that he watched some of the show."
"Thanks, Happy," Chara nodded. "And good luck on your career."
"Thank you, darling." Mettaton said before he fell over.
"Happy?" Chara knelt down as Alphys ran in, holding a stretcher.
"D-Don't worry," She said, putting him on it. "H-He just ran out of batteries. H-He'll be fine. I-I still haven't gotten the bugs fixed y-yet. I-I ran here to get him after. I-I would like that, Ch-Chara. T-To talk, I mean."
"Alright," Chara nodded. "I'll be back."
She walked ahead, entering the elevator to New Home.
"This place is somber" Frisk said, looking around. "Too quiet even."
"It is, isn't it?" Chara asked. "Well, how are you doing?"
"I've managed to hold back the hatred for a bit," Frisk said. "Probably not for long, but maybe."
Chara nodded, walking through the grey area. It didn't get any quieter or louder. It just stayed the same. Suddenly, a monster showed up, talking to Chara.
"A long time ago, the humans sealed us up," She said before leaving.
"We journeyed to where we are now," Another said, appearing.
"Soon, a human fell," A third said.
"Wait," Chara said, looking down. "Can you not tell the story? I… I know that one."
"You… you know of the tragic day?" The monsters asked.
"I was there," Chara walked by. "I caused it. Please excuse me. I'm going to see my dad."
"But… to cross the barrier, you'll have to kill King Asgore," One of the monsters, a Loox, said.
"My dad is King Asgore," Chara said. "I could never kill him."
The monsters just looked at her, watching the first fallen human walk away.
Eventually, Chara came to a house that looked exactly like Toriel's.
"It's almost ironic," Frisk said.
"I wonder if dad actually got any chocolate," Chara said, entering the house. "Dad, you in here?!"
The house was quiet and empty, a note lying on the chain blocking the basement off.
"Looks like he locked it up again," Chara said. "Gotta find the keys."
"You could just hop it… oh, I get it." Frisk said.
"What?" Chara asked her companion.
"You want to explore the house, don't you?" Frisk asked.
Chara sighed, nodding. She walked into the kitchen, opening the fridge. She sighed as she saw there were no chocolate bars in it.
"Of course not," She said. "But, whatever."
"He clearly wants your mom's pie" Frisk said. "He's got about a hundred different recipes scribbled out on that book over there."
"He never could cook it," Chara said. "Glad mom gave me a piece for him."
"How has that survived?" Frisk asked.
"Magic," Chara said.
"Fair enough," Frisk sighed. "Well, there's a key in the sink."
"Sweet," Chara said, taking it. She walked into the hall, entering the first door on the left.
"Your room looks exactly like Toriel's room in your house minus the other bed." Frisk said.
"It's also purple in there," Chara said.
"Right," Frisk said. "What's in that box on the ground?"
"If I'm right," Chara said, opening it to reveal a collapsible blade of a red metal that looked finely crafted. "It's the blade Asriel also gave me."
"Why would he do that?" Frisk asked.
"I was fascinated by them," Chara said. "From Undyne's spears to a sword to dad's trident. It wasn't about their killing capabilities, it was their craftsmanship. Though… I used this blade sometimes for… less than healthy purposes."
"I saw the scars," Frisk said. "I know what you did."
"Yeah…" Chara said. "Don't tell my parents, alright?"
"They don't know?" Frisk asked.
"No," Chara said. "Only Asriel and Undyne knew. I… I was too scared to tell mom and dad."
"I understand," Frisk said. "So, are you going to take it?"
"Yeah, I guess," Chara said. "Feels sentimental after all."
"You gonna take another nap?" Frisk snickered. "Most of this journey has involved you sleeping."
"Ha ha," Chara said. "By the way, you're surprisingly normal and not hate covered."
"I think… you're starting to let go of your hatred," Frisk smiled, cupping her cheek. "It's making me more stable."
"I… I guess with you, there's less of a reason to hate," Chara said, with a sad chuckle. "But, let's find that other key."
Frisk nodded as Chara pocketed the knife, heading to the end of the hall. She looked in the mirror there, seeing her face and clothes. They were a good deal dirtier than before and there was the ghostly image of Frisk next to her.
"Despite everything, it's still you," Frisk said. "So much more gorgeous than I remember."
"Stop it," Chara said, cheeks tinges with pink. "Now, let's find dad. I got the key. I see it next to this plant."
She took the key, pocketing it and heading out through the basement. She walked through until she made it to a golden lit hallway. Both she and Frisk shuddered. They knew what was coming.
Chara walked in, taking a glance around at the somber hallway. She'd been present for several of its… uses, but she'd never liked it all that much. She looked around, seeing the blood and dust that lay in the corners. Of course, she didn't know who the Judge was this time around, but she had known the previous. Whether or not they were still around was something to be discovered. Frisk retreated into Chara's SOUL, knowing what to expect.
Chara walked to the middle of the Judgement Hall, hearing something behind her. She turned around to see what it was. When she turned back, she saw Sans standing there, hands in his pockets. Immediately, Chara knew what he was. The two looked at each other, Chara's ribbon blowing slightly in the breeze that wafted through the windows.
"So," She said. "You're the Judge."
"Yep," Sans said. "How's it feel to know that?"
"Normal," Chara said. "But… it—"
Chara dropped to her knees, clutching her head in pain as she felt a flood of memories rush back into her head. She saw Sans, saw Frisk, saw… blood and death.
"You…" She managed to strain out. "You're the one who…"
"You guessed it, kid," Sans said. "Of course, I somehow remember all this stuff, so don't get too upset. You went through a rampage of the Underground after all."
"What are you going to do?" Chara asked, still clutching her head as she looked up at him. "Kill me?"
"As much as the thought would be entertaining," Sans said. "We both know how little good that does. Plus, it ain't like you killed any monsters. Also, your parents would murder me if I did that."
"Seems you're good at your job," Chara said.
"Seems you're a bit different than the old stories," He said as Chara's headache stopped. "You look a lot like the one who traipsed through the Underground on a killing spree."
"I modelled this sweater after hers," Chara said, walking past him. "Now, I have an appointment with my father."
"Be careful, kid," Sans said, teleporting away. "You ain't the only one with things they hold dear."
"I'll be resting," Frisk said. "You should be alone with him anyway."
Chara walked into the throne room where Asgore was watering some flowers. His back was to Chara, but even hunched over like he was, he still towered over the sixteen year old. Chara, as timid as a young child, went over and pulled on his cape a little, the same fears she'd had when meeting Toriel rising back to the surface as she suddenly became very afraid of what he'd say to her.
"Just a minute," Asgore said in his big deep voice that Chara missed so dearly. "I'm almost done watering this plant. It's been thirsty, so I'm trying to get it all the water it needs."
After about a full minute, he stood up, rising to almost twice Chara's height. He turned around, looking down. The smile on his face faltered as he looked at Chara, a strange expression covering his face. Chara was looking down, trying her best to hide her fears and watering eyes.
"I… I see," Asgore said with a heavy sigh. "I figured that you would come to see me."
"Dad…" Chara said, her voice barely above a whisper as she looked up at him. Asgore looked at her, their eyes meeting as he simply looked at her.
"I… I'm sure you know what has to happen," Asgore sighed. "I'm sure you're aware of how you have to escape."
"I don't want to leave," Chara said, her voice choking up as she looked down. "I want to see you."
"Human…" Asgore said, looking down in shame. "I'm sure you were told what I have done to the rest. I'm sure you're afraid of what will happen now."
"Please dad," Chara said, looking up at him again as her tears began streaming down her face. "I don't want to fight you. Please don't make me."
"I…" Asgore said, clearly taken aback by her addressing of him. "Human… I am sorry. It can't be any other way. I must think of my people."
"But, dad," Chara said, latching onto him. "It's me, Chara. Please don't hate me."
"Ch-Chara?" Asgore asked. "I… I'm sorry… I don't recognize you. You… You can't be Chara. She's been dead."
"It's me, dad," Chara said, holding onto him tighter. "Please believe me."
"If you are Chara," Asgore looked down. "Please tell me the story that Chara entrusted to me."
Chara looked up at him, knowing the exact story he was referring to. She sighed, beginning the story.
"On the surface, I didn't have the best life," She said, knowing that Asgore was to be trusted with it, as she had trusted him with guarding the uncensored version. "I was… tortured. I was born with red eyes and everyone labeled me a demon. They would cut me, burn me, and beat me, all in the name of keeping me at bay. They wouldn't feed me and they wouldn't clothe me."
She could see Asgore's hands clenching, but she knew it wasn't directed towards her. It gave her some hope that he would recognize her. She could feel Frisk's sorrow as well, knowing that the ghost knew of all her pain.
"Until I was four, I was their… plaything." Chara said in a shuddering whisper. "They treated me like something lower than an animal. I was constantly covered in cuts, burns, and bruises with no time to recover from them. The only time I could be free from them was when they were gathered for their town meetings. They would lock me in a dark cellar with iron chains as 'demonic warding'."
Asgore was trembling with rage, just as Chara had seen him do the first time she had told this story. It was the first time she'd seen him angry… well, aside from when he'd first seen her body.
"I once escaped." Chara continued. "I made it into the woods where I cried myself to near sleep. However, someone picked me up. It was a human. I was so scared that they were going to hurt me, but she didn't. She treated me with nothing short of genuine kindness. She… she even called me her little angel. She's… she's everything to me. She taught me how to read… how to write, she showed me the stars and the sky. She let me live a life I'd never known. But… one day, two years later when I was six, the humans found her."
Chara paused, looking at Asgore to see his expression. He was angry, truly angry.
"They killed her," Chara said, tears continuing to stream down her face. "In one of the most brutal and horrendous ways possible, claiming she was a witch and a caster. Then… they threw her body down the mountain, Mount Ebbot. I… I couldn't live without her… they continuously tortured me after that. But… they wouldn't let me die. They wanted me to suffer more. One day… I managed to escape. I dragged my wounded body up Mount Ebbot and fell into the hole. I… I didn't want to live, not if I couldn't have Frisk. And… well, you know the rest. Asriel found the unconscious, bleeding, naked child lying in the flowers and got you and mom…"
Those big strong arms that had been one of her sources of comfort wrapped around her, holding her close. She looked up at Asgore to see the tears in his own eyes.
"My child," He said. "You have come back. I am so happy to see you. I… this feels like a dream. But, I hope it isn't."
"It isn't, dad," Chara hugged him tightly. He released her, his cape moving aside to reveal the sweater he was wearing. It was pink and had the words "Mr. Dad Guy" in golden cursive, knitted by Chara (with Toriel's help).
"You…" Chara said. "You're wearing the sweater I made you."
"It is my most treasured possession," Asgore said with a smile. "That and the headband Asriel gave me. And the spear Undyne had made me."
"I… I love you, dad," Chara hugged him again.
"I love you too, Chara," Asgore said. "So much."
"I thought…" Chara said hesitantly. "That you'd be mad I got Asriel killed."
"Chara," Asgore said. "You had only the noblest of intentions when you enacted that plan."
"You… you knew?" Chara asked.
"I did," Asgore sighed. "But, I didn't tell your mother because I didn't want her to think that you did it on purpose. Her heart wouldn't be able to take it. When I saw the buttercups, I knew."
"Right," Chara nodded. "I'm sorry."
"It's alright," Asgore pat her. "Now, let's sit down and eat. I know it won't be as good as your mother's cooking, but I'll try my best."
"Actually, I got some of her cooking right here," Chara said, pulling the pie out and handing it to him. His eyes began to water further as he looked at it.
"She… she made me a piece of pie?" He asked.
"She did," Chara said, nodding. "She told me it was special for you."
"Well, I think we can go and eat this, in the house, Cha—" Asgore began before thousands of magic bullets impaled him at a speed neither of them saw coming. He crumpled to the floor, Chara trying to support him.
"Dad!" She exclaimed. "Quick, eat the pie!"
"Chara," Asgore told her in a wavering voice. "Tell your mother… I still love her."
With that, his body turned to dust, his SOUL emerging. Chara looked at it, her eyes beginning to cry black tears as she reached for the SOUL. She was going to take it and exact the most painful revenge on whoever dared to—
But, before she could, another magic bullet pierced his SOUL, shattering it.
"Daaaad!" Chara let loose a wail as she saw him… the first being she'd seen when she woke up. Flowey was right in front of her, smiling an evil smile that only showed hatred.
"You… you… killed him." Chara said, looking down at him with shock and hatred.
"Of course, Chara," Flowey laughed. "I told you it's kill or be killed. I needed him out of the way so I could get my prize."
"Prize?" Chara growled, reaching for him, but he ducked under the ground, popping up behind her.
"Exactly," Flowey laughed harder. "What's he been guarding this whole time?"
"Guarding?" Chara asked as realization dawned on her. Her eyes widened as six SOULs began to circle Flowey. There was a light blue SOUL, an orange SOUL, a dark blue SOUL, a purple SOUL, a green SOUL, and a yellow SOUL. They began to draw closer to Flowey as he began to absorb them.
"NO!" Chara rushed to grab them before he could get them, but they fully absorbed into him. Chara was blown backward as the world went black around her, but not from her unconsciousness.
And, here we've come to the finale of the neutral run portion. Next chapter will be the fight against Flowey and I have some interesting ideas planned for it. I hope you enjoy it.
Frisk's death is something I needed to address here because it was pointed out to me that if Frisk died, how'd she get to do the genocide run thirty years later. I already knew how, but I hadn't mentioned it in here. If you have any questions, let me know.
I know I rushed through the Core and New Home, but there's really nothing to the Core besides Mettaton and New Home just retells the story Chara already lived. I wanted to get to the meeting of Asgore and Chara because I wanted to have it be the end of this chapter and transition to the Flowey fight.