3. Nothing better to do

At the very end of a deserted corridor in Waterfall, Flowey was rooted in a patch of shadowed ground, his back to the world behind him. Nevertheless, he could hear presences closing in on him, swift rushing feet waiting to pounce. His stem was tense and alert; his petals quivered a little with concentration. He just had to wait for the perfect moment to turn, and then his pursuers would be history…

He whirled around and bellowed, "RED LIGHT!"

Frisk and Chara both froze in their tracks, eyes fixed on him. Their muscles quivered a little from the awkward positions that they were standing in, thanks to having to stop mid-step – but after a few seconds, it became clear that neither of them was going to falter more than they already had.

He poked his tongue out at them both, then turned his back on them again and said, "Green light!"

Moments later, one set of footsteps caught up to him, and a familiar hand tapped the back of his head. "I win again!" declared Chara.

Flowey – or rather, Asriel, as he greatly preferred to be called since his revelations of a week ago – smiled as each of his siblings flopped down in the dirt beside him. Chara looked triumphantly; they'd won about two thirds of the Red Light Green Light games, even though they hadn't always been so lucky at other games. "Don't worry, Frisk," he said. "Chara just keeps winning 'cause they've got longer legs than you."

Frisk shrugged and smiled. They didn't really care about who won each game; they were just happy to be playing with their siblings.

"If I've got longer legs, then I should have been able to win against you, since you have no legs," retorted Chara. "But that's not exactly how it worked, did it?"

Asriel snickered. At first, the human children had allowed him to be a 'runner', until his ability to pop up anywhere at high speed ruined three or four games by granting him an instant win. After that, he was strictly relegated to 'counter.' Honestly, he was surprised by how much these well-worn familiar activities still entertained him, given that his backstory described him as being jaded from seeing and doing literally everything. Maybe having a full range of emotions made mundane things worthwhile again…or maybe, just maybe, the world wasn't quite as predictable as his programming had made him think it was. Not outside of game time, anyway.

Chara plopped down into a sitting position beside him, legs pretzel-crossed. "Anybody know what time it is?" they asked.

Frisk held up five fingers as they sat down.

"We'll have to go soon. Mom said that dinner would be at six." Chara's eyes slowly shifted towards Asriel, and he stiffened, hunching up his stem defensively. He knew what was coming next. His sibling had said the same exact thing to him every day for the past week before they and Frisk departed for the evening.

"Not tonight, Chara," he said warily.

They huffed at him. "It has to be some night!"

"Why? Why does it have to be? I told you over and over again that it's not a good idea!"

"Because Mom and Dad really miss you—"

"I know that—"

"And since you are you again—"

"Chara—"

"It doesn't really matter whether you're a flower or—"

"Chara, listen!" he burst out. "We've been through this over and over. I know that Mom and Dad aren't going to care what I look like. I know that they would be happy to have me home! But it doesn't matter, because I know for sure that they're never going to believe that this is me!"

No sooner had he finished his proclamation then he felt Frisk tapping one of his petals softly. As soon as they had both of their siblings' attention, they signed, 'Don't fight.'

Asriel sighed. "It's okay, Frisk. We're not fighting. We're just…disagreeing."

"Yeah," agreed Chara, before folding their arms defensively. In typical Chara fashion, they refused to back down once they had an idea solidly planted in their head this way. "But what's your problem, Asriel? Why don't you even want to try going back? You don't know what will happen until you try!"

"I've put Mom and Dad through enough already," he murmured. "They deserve to be happy."

"Hey." They bopped his droopy chin with one finger. "We put them through enough already. Don't go talking all the credit. And you deserve to be happy, too. If they can accept me after knowing everything that I did, then…why not you?"

Asriel puffed out his cheeks in frustration. It was different, their situations and transgressions were so different, and why didn't they understand that?! He could no longer even believe that he'd had the nerve to say that they weren't the greatest person. It was probably the most hypocritical statement he'd ever made, and he had certainly made quite a few over the course of his backstory.

Just then, Frisk sat up straighter and pointed towards the end of the room, where the sound of pattering footsteps had started to advance towards them. Asriel was familiar enough with each character's mannerisms to pin everyone down by the sound of their movements, so even before he turned himself around to get a better look, he knew who was coming. It was, in fact, one of the only monsters who he didn't feel the need to hide himself around.

A couple of seconds later, Papyrus placed his hands on his hips as he bounded up to the trio. "Human!" he exclaimed. "And other human! Oh, and Flowery!"

Frisk grinned and scrambled up to hug Papyrus's leg. Asriel frowned at the sound of his alternate name (or at least, at the incorrect variant of it), hunkering down a little. Chara reached out to cup the back of his head reassuringly and said, "Actually, his name is Asriel."

Papyrus, who'd knelt down to return Frisk's hug, blinked but appeared otherwise unperturbed. "Oh, of course! I know the story, but I didn't realize that you like to be called Asriel outside of game time! If that's the case, then…I, the Great Papyrus, will gladly call you whatever you want! Nyeh heh heh!"

"Um, thank you?" said Asriel, suddenly feeling horrifically out of practice at being nice.

Beside him, Chara crossed their arms again, looking mostly satisfied but still not quite comfortable. A little tidbit from his pre-Flowey days suddenly sprang up in his memory: Chara had some kind of subtle distrust towards grown-ups. It was not something that they'd ever mentioned aloud – adults, unlike humans, were not an object of their constant scorn – but there was still a definite suspicion in them whenever they met someone who wasn't a child. He'd have to tell them later that Papyrus barely counted as an adult.

Frisk leaned back in Papyrus's arms, starting to sign with their swift little fingers. Asriel didn't catch every word, since they were standing back-to, but they seemed to be briefly summarizing how they and Chara had found him and determined that he possessed the ability to love again. And Papyrus, of course, reacted to the story with his usual unwavering cheer.

"That's great news!" he declared. "I'm sure that you'll have fun hanging with Fl – sorry, with Asriel! Maybe soon we can all hang out together, but for now, I have a training session, and Undyne gets cross if I show up late!"

"Training?" echoed Chara. "Um…even though the story's set so that you can't ever be a member of the Royal Guard?"

"Yes! You see, even if that's the case, I just enjoy training with Undyne!" Papyrus straightened up and tossed his cape over one shoulder dramatically. "And with her guidance, the Great Papyrus can continue to become even greater-er! Well, be seeing you, humans and Asriel!"

With that, he marched off further into Waterfall, carefully maneuvering around Asriel. Frisk waved goodbye, and Chara's hackles gradually descended as they watched him go.

Finally they said, "Did you see that? Papyrus believed that you were really you once we explained."

Asriel rolled his eyes. "Papyrus believes anything you tell him. Trust me, I know."

"Okay, but…you know, if you did go see our parents again, it's not like you would be going alone." Chara dropped down to their hands and knees in front of him so that they could properly look him in the eye. "Me and Frisk would be there, and we'd vouch for you! Don't you think that Mom and Dad will believe us?"

"It's not that they won't believe you, but they'll think—" He choked off his words as a finger was abruptly smushed against his mouth. Chara's red-brown eyes glittered beneath their fringe of bangs.

"Forget about what Mom and Dad might or might not think and do," they said seriously, slowly withdrawing their finger. "What do you want, Asriel? I mean, what do you really want?"

That…wasn't an easy question to answer, especially since it was one that he'd avoided asking himself since the pacifist run had ended. What he wanted no longer mattered, because for the vast majority of his backstory, he'd been doing nothing but what he wanted, with no regard given to the other monsters that he was hurting. Now it was time to let them be happy without interference. But if he was honest with himself, after so many days of isolation, looking forward to the few hours he could spend with his siblings but all alone the rest of the time – and, admittedly, wondering it would be like to be part of a family again…then, well…

He was used to feeling much older than the age he'd been when he died, but not for the first time over the past week, the reality that he was still just a child reached out and squeezed his heart in its grasp.

"I want to go home," he mumbled.

Chara smiled – but not the brazen I-told-you-so smile that he'd been expecting; this was a much gentler expression. "I want that too. So…why don't you come home…?"

"Not tonight," he said quickly. "I…I just don't think I'm ready for that tonight. But…tomorrow…?"

Frisk hurried up to him, grinning, their hands clasped eagerly underneath their chin.

"Okay! Tomorrow!" agreed Chara eagerly, sitting back on their heels. "We'll meet you at your room before the Ruins, and then we'll all go see Mom. It's gonna be so great…! And you'll be fine, I promise!"

He bobbed his head in admittedly hesitant agreement. "Okay, guys. I…I trust you."

Frisk beamed down at him before signing in his direction: 'We really do have to go now. But we'll see you soon!'

"O-of course." A nervous giggle escaped his mouth. "See you soon…"

When Chara and Frisk finally took off, Asriel retreated to the room in Waterfall where a statue in his likeness now slouched into rubble, hunkering in such a position that the umbrella overhead protected him. The music box tune that haunted the entire game's soundtrack tinkled amidst the sound of dripping water. Just like he usually did when he was alone for the night, he closed his eyes and listened, recalling the secret words that went along with the tune without letting himself remember where they'd come from…

Good night to all the Under

Good night to everything

Still, I can't help but wonder

What will tomorrow bring?

What would tomorrow bring? The question pervaded the loneliness that he always felt during the evenings. Maybe this time tomorrow, he wouldn't be lonely, because he'd be home…for the first time in a long, long while, he allowed himself to hope that it might be possible.

Who can say where we might go

Within the coming days?

Still, there's one thing that I know:

I will love you always…

The following morning, Chara was hopping through the Ruins more than walking, their strides covering at least twice as much distance as usual. One on side, Frisk jogged to keep pace with them; on the other Asriel kept popping up for a couple of seconds, ducking his head back down into the ground, and then reappearing beside them again shortly afterward. His face seemed nervous every time they glimpsed it, and they kept having the urge to reach down and hold his hand – only to recall each time they touched the empty air that he no longer had any hands to hold.

Oh, well, at least he's here and alive and himself. And now I won't have to keep leaving him every night…!

The past week (during which they'd had a reprieve from game time) certainly hadn't been bad, but it had felt subtly off-balance in ways that Chara couldn't help but be aware of. They and Frisk had been going back and forth between Home and New Home, spending some nights with Toriel and others with Asgore. The New Home nights were slightly more comfortable to Chara, possibly just because they were able to sleep in their own bed, but not having both of their parents in the same house made their world feel strangely empty.

However, nothing could compare to the immense hole left by Asriel's absence.

Their adoptive brother was not just the first monster they'd ever trusted, but the first person they'd ever trusted, period. And being separated from him was just weird. It had been weird during the game, when they'd been invisible and intangible and drifting behind Frisk, and it was even weirder now that they existed more or less like they always had but no longer had their constant companion. Well, today, that was finally going to change…even if he was stuck being a flower.

Finally, Home came into sight, and Chara bounded up to the door with Frisk at their heels. They were winded, but it felt good, in a way that no one would be able to understand unless they'd spent time without a body. A moment later, Asriel popped his head up beside them, his mouth pressed into a thin little line.

"You guys ready for this?" asked Chara breathlessly.

Frisk nodded eagerly and flashed a thumbs-up.

"I guess so," muttered Asriel. He looked as if he were preparing to enter a prison instead of a house. Well, Chara reasoned, the sooner he got inside and saw that everything was okay, the sooner he could wipe that gloomy look off of his face. So they pushed open the door.

"Mom!" they called, stepping into the foyer.

"Children?" Toriel's voice sounded slightly distant; she was probably in the kitchen. "You are back quite early! Did you forget something?"

Anticipation sparked in Chara's chest, and they rolled back and forth on the balls of their feet. "No! Can you please come here for one second? We want to show you something…!"

Something…or someone.

They felt Asriel's petals brush against the back of their leg, and they turned back toward him with a grin, their fingers fidgeting with boundless energy. Soon enough, Toriel ducked into the foyer, looking gently perplexed.

"Mom, look!" exclaimed Chara, and in unison, they and Frisk stepped aside like two halves of a curtain to reveal the flower behind them.

Toriel stiffened at once, staring at him as if he was a severed limb that someone had left on her doorstep…but she said nothing. That was…a little ominous. Chara was familiar enough with adults to know that they were often at their most dangerous when they were completely silent, but if she wasn't going to talk, then they'd just explain everything before she had a chance to get really made. That way the crisis would be averted, right?

"Mom," they started quickly, "me and Frisk went to go see Flowey a few days ago, just to check on him and maybe keep him company, but it turns out that when it's not game time, he isn't really Flowey! I mean, he's Asriel! He's not evil and he's not soulless and he can feel things just like everybody else, because he's Asriel and he's finally come home…!"

Frisk nodded in over-emphatic agreement, resting their fingertips against the back of Asriel's head.

Toriel still said nothing, and he was starting to wilt a bit beneath her withering gaze. Still…Chara liked to believe that they could see persistent hope still flickering in his eyes. As long as none of them gave up, they were sure that Toriel would be convinced eventually…

"M…Mom?" he tried in a faint voice.

Toriel's eyes flared wide, and she looked as if he had slapped her – or as if she were about to slap him. Then she took a deep breath, and at last she spoke, quick and tense but still patient:

"Children, listen to me," she murmured to Frisk and Chara. "I know that you had the best of intentions, and I commend you for your kindness, I really do. But this…this thing has tricked you. The only thing he ever does when shown kindness is take advantage of it. He once told me the same lie that he has now told you; he spent weeks here in my house, and I welcomed him, because he told me that he was my son and I wanted more than anything to believe him. I believed him then. I cannot believe him now. And I suggest that you two step away quickly before he tries anything."

With that, she reached out to them, but Chara recoiled. Frisk darted in front of Asriel and stood with their arms held out protectively. 'He is not a thing!' they signed, scowling. 'He is Asriel!'

"No, Frisk, he is not Asriel!" snapped Toriel, before catching herself and smoothing over her tone of voice. "Not anymore. I am sorry, I know that you only wanted to help, but…can you not see that he is beyond saving completely?"

Chara's face tingled icily. Their mother had certainly been strict on some occasions, but they had never known her to be so cruel. How could she talk about her own son like this…?!

Then Asriel began to emit a horribly strained, choked-off laughter.

"I knew this would happen," he said darkly, his stem quivering with suppressed emotion. "I knew that you'd never believe them…! Why would you?! You think that you know everything! I-I was hoping that you might listen to them, but…!"

Without warning, he rounded on the two human children, his petals bristling.

"Why did you bring me here?!" he demanded. "Why did I ever let you talk me into this?! Especially YOU—" This was directed towards Chara, who flinched. "You and your stupid plans that do nothing but make everybody miserable! Why did you have to come along?! Why didn't you just leave me alone like I asked you to?! Why did you have to make me believe that – that things would be all right?! You…you're such…!"

A hysterical sound burst out of him – laugh, sob, or hiccup, it was hard to tell for sure.

"I'm such an IDIOT!"

With that, he vanished into the ground, like a dream boiling away in the morning sun.

"ASRIEL!" screamed Chara, dropping to their knees, hands falling upon the patch of floor where he'd disappeared, but they were far too late. Face contorted with desperation and anguish, cheeks going from pink to vivid scarlet, they leapt up to face Toriel. "Why did you do that?! Do you know how long it took to get him to come here?! We were finally gonna be a happy family again, but – but – you ruined it, and now he hates me–!"

Frisk tapped their shoulder and urgently signed, 'He doesn't hate you. He's just hurt.'

Chara shook their head, and now Toriel was opening her mouth to say something, but they didn't care what it was at all. They had been so sure that she would see reason, but…but…leave it to a grown-up to do something like this…!

"Come on!" they said, snatching up Frisk's hand and shouldering open the front door. "We're leaving!"

Toriel's eyes widened, and she hitched up her robe to start after them as they ran out. "Chara!" she called sharply. "Where do you think you're going?!"

"To find my brother!" they shrieked. "And maybe to find somebody who will actually believe the truth when it's right in front of them, unlike you!"

With that, they shut her out of mind and began to run back through the Ruins, shouting Asriel's name.