Disclaimer: Do not own Undertale. If I did, we'd have more comfy moments like this.
-Interlude 3: My friend is the best-
Snow settled softly in fluffy drifts. It wasn't often that we visited Snowdin, much less left the capital. Usually only when mom and dad had business in Old Home. Snowdin reminded me of pleasant winter days, back when I was still on the surface.
Sitting on a bench on the outskirts of town, I took in the sights, letting it remind me of some distant but happy memories. Some of the few I had before... But that life was behind me now. I had a far better one ahead of me now... though I wasn't sure I deserved it. I wasn't sure I deserved him.
"Hey! Chara! Think fast!" Thwap, a snow ball slapped me square in the face. Asriel giggled as I wiped the snow away, brightly smiling as he did so. Asriel had saved me in more ways than one. How could I ever repay him? "That wasn't very sporting of you, Az." I'd figure something out eventually.
"Hahahaha. You should have seen the look on your face!" I smirked innocently as I walked over. No way he'd see it coming. "I got you goo- Waaaah!" Catching him by surprise, I tackled him into a snow pile. "Now what will the great lord Hyperdeath do, his greatest rival has him right where they want him!" I declared with a grin.
Those verdant green eyes of his, a sharp contrast to my carmine, stared back in surprise for a moment before confidence flashed over his face. " The great deity can't be defeated THAT easily, knight! You should know that all to well. Now take this! Star blazing!"
A fist full of powdery snow was tossed my way. I recoiled dramatically for effect with a gasp of surprise. "Devious sorcery! It has only just begun however!" Being a boss monster, some day he'd grown in some horns wouldn't he. I briefly wondered if he'd take after his father. Looking at him now, it was hard to believe that he could grow as large and powerful looking as dad.
Toy wooden swords clacked together, blows traded as we danced around the snowy forest just outside Snowdin, my imaginary knight's blade eventually locking with his 'chaos saber' as his fictitious persona called it.
"Wow. You're really something special, knight... But let's see what your determination does against this!" Oh? A new attack? Not every day Az pulled one of these out.
"I call this move 'hyper goner'! It'll call forth a real spooky skull and suck everything in like one of those black holes!" Well now. "Not even space and time can stand up to it! Don't get your soul caught in it, or you're done for!" And with that he raised a hand high, as if to call the attack down on me.
I wracked my brain for a way that the knight could survive an attack like that and keep in the fight. I was drawing a blank, in spite of my determination. So I decided with what little power they had, they'd do something else instead.
Dropping the sword, I got down on one knee. "I yield. It pains me to admit that I am not strong enough to best you, but better to live than die clinging to my pride. " Asriel nearly stumbled over in surprise. I bet he didn't see this kind of play coming. I was usually much much more... aggressive.
I wasn't ready to end the knight's story yet though, so I did what I felt I had to to keep them in the game. "Tell me, great sorcerer. What drives you to fight. What fills you with such hope and determination?" He stood thoughtfully, not sure how to respond it seemed. Had he not thought of his character's motivations?
After a moment he walked over, and kneeled down, to be eye level with me. "My desire has been to save my people. A terrible curse befalls my kingdom and... It falls to me to find a way to break it. I'm the protector of monster-kind, my dear rival."
I lowered my head on hearing that. Such an Asriel thing to say. Everyone else's happiness before his own. How could someone like this exist? I knew no one like this on the surface... and everyone else... always so nice... I didn't deserve this. "Ah... I see." I sighed.
Lord Hyperdeath... no, Asriel tilted his head slightly. "For what reaso-" He cut himself off, pausing a moment, before softening his voice, becoming almost tender with his tone. "...for what reason do you fight, knight? Surely there must be some noble cause." A warm paw-like hand on one of my shoulders.
My hands dug into the snow, digging thin trails through it. "I... I don't have a purpose. A reason to fight. That's why I fight. To find a cause I can be happy to call mine." Tears threatened to burst forth. I held them back with all my might. Big kids don't cry. You can't let them see your tears. If they do, it hurts worse. That truth was beaten into me and I had the scars to prove it.
"I have no people either... I am alone." Lightly the snow crunched as he stood up, his hand leaving my shoulder. A moment later he extended it down to me. I couldn't help but look up, meeting his eyes.
"Well then... perhaps we can be friends, and work towards a common cause." The smile on his face shone like a brilliant sun. Enraptured by it, I wondered how I ever lived without it. It filled me with warmth... joy... determination. It gave me a reason to live... To keep fighting.
Reaching out I took his hand, and he helped me up. "A common cause. I can live with that." I couldn't help but shiver some, the cold starting to soak in as he supported me. "So. What happens now, wizard?" With a bright smile he replied "We get somewhere warm. Today's a special day after all."
I looked to him questioningly as we made our way back, the long battle finally over. "It is?" He nodded. "Yep. But it's gotta be a surprise, so I can't tell you quite yet!" He paused a moment. "Oh... I left it back home... well we can get it there later!"
It didn't take terribly long before we were back home. It was definitely a long day so I threw myself on my bed. "So... Chara. Did you figure out why today's special?" I rolled over to look at him. "Nope. Not a clue."
He sighed. "Well. I would think you'd remember the day you first fell down." I was more than a little surprised. "You actually kept track of that?" He nodded firmly, holding something behind his back. "Yeah. I remembered you telling me that you didn't actually know your real birthday so I figured..."
"A-anyways! Here!" He thrust a wrapped package my way. I took it carefully, looking to him questioningly for a moment, and upon seeing how brightly expectant he was opened it. Inside was... a thing of beauty. A heart shaped locket not much bigger than my thumb, upside down with a pearl white stone embedded in silver, with a fine silver chain. On the back side the words 'best friends forever' where engraved.
"Hey Az... why's it upside down?" He blinked in surprise for a moment before becoming flustered. "I-it's totally not! That's... that's how a monster's soul is supposed to look! I think...?" He nervously twiddled his fingers together. "And you told me once that you don't like humans very much so I got one shaped like a monster's soul instead."
His grin brightened as I twirled the locket between my fingers. "And since you have a monster's soul..." He rustled under his sweater and pulled out a locket of his own, red and upright. "And here's a human soul for me! We match now!"
It took a moment to process, but I couldn't help laughing when it clicked. "Az, you dweeb... that's just... just so like you... " I don't deserve him, I don't deserve him, I don't deserve him... but I was going to do my best to do right by him.
"I'm going to... never let this go." I put the locket on. Asriel, to his credit, managed to last a good 3 seconds longer than usual before being moved to tears. Before I could even reply, he pulled me into a hug.
"Geeze Az... you're crying again. Why you always gotta be such a crybaby?" I was smiling though. He hugged tighter. "I-i'm not crying you jerk! I'm just really happy! I didn't know if you'd like it and...!" I cut him off. "Of course I like it, Az. It means a lot that you care this much." That you even care at all.
Everything started to become softer. More distant. My vision became less distinct. More... surreal? Oh. This was a dream. I must have been waking up then. Shame... it was nice... I'd have to try to remember it. Heh... Asriel... surreal...
MsYakumo: Got this one out pretty fast. For the most part very fluffy fun stuff. Kids being kids and having a good time. A bit of self-doubt from Chara as well. The actual relevance this has on the story as a whole remains to be seen though. I do hope it proves an enjoyable interlude if nothing else.