"Child, where the hell are you ?!"

Chara had enough of looking for the now lost Child until they noticed a familiar glow in a room far away from them.

"Battle Mode? ... that troublesome whelp went on another fight before full recovery !"

The Fallen Child ran to where Frisk's SOUL was fighting yet another monster. They were feeling guilty - but definitely not worried - for letting that one chance of redemption slip away. Wait, redemption? Why would they need redemption when they are already knee-deep in murder, hatred, and pain? Their now half-charred soul glowing redder by the minute.

As they ran around that one last corner. They stopped in shock, as they witnessed Frisk playing with an unfamiliar ghost in some alley.

"Ch- I mean Frisk, what are you doing?" holding back anger from being worried - and finally admitting it - and engaging the two present in that room.

"Oh, uh ... Hello." responded the unfamiliar ghost.

Frisk turned around and waved at Chara, who was still dumbfounded by the scene.

"Hey Chara, I made a new ghost friend." while giggling a little and then presented Napstablook to the Fallen, to which Chara answered with a polite bow.

"Child, are you hurt?"

"Not at all, Napstablook here only wanted some sleep, and friends, even though ghosts don't sleep ..." Frisk paused the minute he realized ghosts do not need to sleep and wondered why Napstablook was doing there.

"Uh, yeah ... I just wanted to meet some people, but got tired floating on the way, and tried laying down. It felt really good so uh ... I stayed there."

Chara facepalmed and Frisk laughed wholeheartedly at their ghost acquaintance's shenanigans. They parted halfway before reaching Toriel's House.

"Frisk, you did well surviving without my help. I thought you'll get your arse kicked again."

"Chara, I am not exactly stupid, plus Napstablook did not want to fight either, so he showed me some magic, even though he cried a lot before doing so ..."

"I see, some ghost-seeking company ended up being your friend. Child, you are kind of ... special."

"I have a name, and I am not that special, I just don't like to hurt those who do not hurt me !"

"I did hurt you, or more likely "killed" you, so you should hurt me if we were going by your words."

Frisk went for another hug instead, and Chara was unable to return it until they decided they should, as awkward as that seems to them.

"You have tried to help me and you were not exactly yourself, even though it was really painful. I forgive you Chara."

The charred soul glowed redder once again, matching their companion's bright color. Of course, forgiving them has not made Dark Chara go away any soon, but it felt pleasant to be forgiven for one sin out of so many. Following the "fight," alley Frisk was in, a bunch of Froggits sitting around. The Child had an idea about how to "fight" them, but those Froggits seem like the talkative type. One especially insisted on how glad they were to Frisk for not interrupting them, saying that their neighbor only did a minute ago.

"Are you done talking? We better hurry before Mother comes back to where she left you."

"I am, almost, just letting that one Froggit tell me whatever they wanted to talk about"

"Patience, huh?"

"What does patience have to do with the matter?"

"You being a patient little follower of mine?" spooky giggles ensued with Chara covering their eyes.

Frisk could only manage a poker face at that wordplay attempt, and yes they were a patient minutes ago, literally. They were fine, even after what Chara ... no whatever that dark manifestation of them was. They sure had trouble keeping their composure around that monster of a human. When they looked again at them, however, Chara looked older, and ... different. I mean, besides being a ghost, they had a grown body. Frisk does not remember much about that, they are sure they were thought that in school but some people had fun bullying them there. The Child shivered at memories they thought one, and collapsed from the earlier pain they suffered.

Chara caught up to them shortly after recovering from their bad wordplay. Those were some of the practice jokes they ran at the time, inspired by their Mother. Although they never knew how Toriel would have got such a quirky hobby. Chara helped the child carry on until they recovered, feeling like talking will not help for were about to arrive at Toriel's house but Chara took a side turn. A dead end with a spider web was all that was there. Frisk was about to ask why would they be here before Chara stretched their hand to them

"Frisk, the G you earned."

"You mean those coins monsters had?"

"Yes, we're low on supplies and I am not sure how well you are doing on the dodging. Better stack up some monster food before we keep going."

"It is basically a spider shop then?"

"With spider food, and Gs goes to funding spiders in ... Well, I do not know while would they raise money. Let us buy a couple of Ciders and Donuts."

While Frisk was unsure of the taste, but let Chara do the shopping. They left half their earned Gs on the web, which was grabbed by skittling spiders and exchanged for two Donuts and a Cider.

"Leave those with you, I'm taking the Donut in exchange for the candy I sacrificed on your nursing."

"I am sorry you had to, you could keep both if you want -"

"I had to bring you back to Mother alive, she would not have survived finding another human body in the Underground."

Frisk nodded silently while they were facing Toriel's house. She was hurrying back to where she left the Child, only to find him there. He was holding a sweater she was familiar with, but she could not remember who it was until she saw a face slowly going corporeal.

"Ch - Ch - Ch - Cha ... ra?"

Chara realized her mother could see them, wondered why then finally realized Frisk holding on to their sweater and pushed them back to become a ghost once more.

"My child, whe- where are you?!"

Toriel's eyes teared up from witnessing someone they thought gone forever, and asked Frisk to show them where they are. Frisk hesitated to interact with Chara as they could snap once they are revealed again. They shook their head and went to cry on Toriel's Delta robe. The queen hugged them tightly while no longer suppressing her tears.

"Thank you for letting me see them one more time, human child."

Chara had no further strength to argue with Frisk and decided to go back into the Ruins for a stroll and catch up with them later on.

"What is the matter, dear? Did you get yourself ... spooked?" cackling ensued in an empty hall of the Ruins, away from monsters, a dark alley Chara knew of when times hit them hard, the one alley where their casket was.