Author's Note: Holy cow, it's been a long week! Sorry for such a long delay! I hope ya'll enjoy this chapter, it's pretty lengthy. It's actually the longest so far!

Chapter 12: Within

"Well… Then there's just one more person I have to worry about now."

I looked straight ahead, past my pulsing soul hovering in my outstretched palms. My eyes met Chara's, I could see their expression dropping with each knife being flung fruitlessly into my shield.

I took a deep breath and gingerly began to drag one foot in front of the other, the soles of my feet scraping across the dust left from the knives that dissipated in my shield. The closer I got to Chara, the harder it seemed to keep my Determination strong. They did not seem to notice this fact as the knives slowly decreased in both number and velocity. My elbows buckled, some force surrounding Chara pushed back against my own, but I kept my eyes directly on theirs. Chara held their ground, a mix of fear and anger strewn across their face.

"Just give up already!" Chara's voice hitched, taking a small step back.

"You know I can't do that Chara! Please, I don't want to fight!" I yell back, I'm only a few feet in front of them now; my arms have been pushed to bend with my hands directly over my chest. My soul continued to pulse a bright red between my hands. By it being so close my chest again, I realize how it has changed. My soul seems denser, a little larger even, but it's still me.

"I've had enough of you and that skeleton's games. You're wasting your time fighting me, just let me win!" Chara retaliated by sending another blast of knives but my shield scattered them all into dust.

Chara fell to their knees, defeated.

"I… I know there's no point in killing you. You'll just start back again from your last SAVE…" I could see tears welling up in their eyes.

I relaxed my shoulders and lowered my arms slightly. "Why do you want to kill me Chara?"

They snorted a little through their tears, using a sleeve to wipe their face. "It's not like I want to… I have to."

I felt my eyebrow rise questioningly. Cautiously, I allowed my soul to disappear back into my chest and I crossed my arms. "What… do you mean?"

Chara leaned back and sat on the floor, shaking their head. "You just don't understand…"

I sat down on the ground cross-legged directly across from them. I could feel the hairs on the back of my neck stand up as I looked over at this human. I remember the memory I intruded on of when Chara first fell into the Underground. The small, kind, and gentle child appeared to sit with me here right now and not the sadistic monster that haunted my dreams.

"…Then make me understand Chara. Why take away Sans' memories?"

They rubbed their eyes before kneading small circles into their temples. "Don't you get it? You think that by breaking the barrier that you saved everyone? You don't deserve to be happy after what you did."

I scoffed. "What?"

"You heard me. You keep fucking up. You think your stupid pacifist morals get you the happiest ending? You think the world you live in right now is actually happily ever after? News flash Frisk, you're wrong." Chara spat, their jaw locking as they looked directly into my eyes.

I felt myself beginning to fume. "Oh so you think genocide is the best route to get this so-called happily ever after? You're fucked up."

Chara slammed their fists into the ground. "Hey, at least everyone is 'free' from that God-forbidden place and he gets what he wants for once!"

I froze. "He…?"

Chara froze as well before turning their face away from me. I carefully uncrossed my legs and crawled closer in front of them, as I did, I heard a barely audible whisper escape their lips.

"It's never good enough."

I stopped and started studying their face; I could see Chara was deeply pain-stricken.

"Chara… what's never good enough?"

Chara hugged their legs to their chest and looked up at me. "Are you sure you even want to know?"

Their hand slowly rose towards me. I nodded and bit my lip. What could they be planning on doing now? Chara's finger tips gingerly rested on my temple before I could see a soft red glow emitting from their fingers. The red continued to spread across my vision before I could no longer see Chara's face. In a matter of moments, the color darkened into the black behind my eyelids.

I blinked. And I blinked again. But my vision did not clear. I tried to reach up to touch my face in order to make sure I was actually blinking but I was paralyzed. I felt myself begin to panic. What the hell was happening to me? What did Chara do to me? Am I dead?

My ears perked up. I could hear something. It sounded like… screaming?

With a sudden push onto my whole being, I felt the air get knocked out of me. I could feel my muscles crying out in pain all over, my brain scattered trying to figure out what just happened to me.

I kept blinking, this time I could feel tears rolling down the corners of my eyes, I seemed to be laying down after all. The more I blinked, a light began to shine down on my face and I could feel the ground beneath me.

Finally, I could raise my head up enough to look down at my body.

My mouth dropped. Oh no, oh no no no no. I was a child again, wearing my stripped sweater and shorts. All of the golden flowers that cushioned me now seemed to mock me. Chara fucking made me reset!

I sat up and smacked my face, fucking shit on a stick. But wait… this isn't my hand now.

Horrified, I looked down again at my body—my arms and torso were still on the ground…

If… If I'm there then…

I scurried off my body and stood up looking down at my new body and clothes. My skin seemed paler and my sweater was now green. Oh my god…

Confusing, isn't it?

Chara? I looked around but the chuckling told me I wouldn't be successful.

This is the first time you fell. This is when I first awoke as well.

"I don't understand… Is this a memory? Shouldn't I be in my own body if I'm here?"

Frisk… Do you think you can really connect to a memory if you're just receiving it and not actually experiencing it first hand?

"What do you mean?"

Do you think Sans actually is remembering when you show him your memories? Or do you think he is just a witness to the memory?

I bit my lip. "I guess… He's just witnessing them." My voice caught in my throat. I knew this from the start, sending him memories was only to help a little while we figured out a way to get them back from Chara.

Then you agree it would be better to experience the memory, not just witness?

I paused and then nodded.

Frisk…

"…Chara?"

Do you want to experience my memories then?

I gulped. I wasn't sure what to expect at this point. Looking down at my own young body felt pretty jarring. Being in Chara's actual being felt even stranger. I guess… I guess this is how they must feel sometimes.

At the same time though, this felt completely fine. Maybe not fine, but tolerable. Chara was the one in control now… If I was going to ever get Sans memories back, I need to understand them and the first step is trust.

"Yes, I do."

Chara did not reply. I continued to stare at my body lying in the patch of golden flowers. As I did, a fuzzy warm feeling crept and tingled at the soles of my feet. This sensation smoothly made its way up through my calves and to my hips. Gradually, I allowed myself to enjoy the warm invisible blanket seeming to wrap its way up to my chest and neck. I smiled, the cozy vibration reaching my lips and nose; finally I closed my eyes and succumbed to this pleasant feeling…

My eyes shot open. I looked around and found myself in the Ruins. My hands cupped together over my heart as I looked at the girl on the ground in front of me.

It's… a human?

Who was she? Did she fall?

I walked over to her and knelt down next to her head in the flowers. She looked to be around my age…

"Hey are you all right?" my voice cracked. I cleared my throat, man I must have been asleep out here longer than I thought.

I hesitated before placing my hand on the girl's head, brushing a few strands of hair out of her face. The girl began to scrunch her face up at my touch. Thank God, she was alive.

I stumbled back as the girl abruptly sat up and shook off the grass sticking to her clothes.

"H-hey, I'm glad you're ok." I said as she stood up to look around.

There was a mix of awe and confusion written on her face. She looked down at the golden flowers at her feet, she cautiously stepped around them as best as she could before walking onto the dirt cave floor.

As I gazed down at the flowers, something turned in my stomach. Don't get me wrong, I love golden flowers, they were my favorite after all… But how are they—

"Hey wait up!" I shouted as I realized the girl had already walked down the corridor.

I quickly gathered myself and skidded into the next room. The girl was standing in front of the entrance to the Ruins, when I got closer I saw her conversing with a talking golden flower.

Well, that's different.

"Howdy, I'm Flowey, Flowey the Flower!"

The girl didn't say anything but her face spoke for itself. She was obviously stunned to see a talking flower.

"You're new to the Underground, aren't cha?" The flower beamed up at her, "Golly, you must be so confused. Someone ought to teach you how things work around here!"

The girl gasped as her soul fluttered out of her chest. My jaw dropped, what was this flower doing?

Suddenly, a circle of white pellets surrounded us and the smile on Flowey only got wider. "These are friendliness pellets! Are you ready? Gather as much of them as you can!"

I watched as the girl frozen in her spot. The white pellets swiftly flew towards her body, she crossed her arms in front of her face as a form of defense but it was no use. She cried out in pain and her HP dropped to 1 in a matter of seconds.

"Friendliness pellets my ass…" The girl choked out before crouching into a small ball on the ground, she was trying to shield her soul in her hands. Her choice of words made me chuckle but at the same time I was angry with this stupid flower. I know not all monsters are nice but hell, what was this guy's problem.

"You idiot," Flowey smiled cheekily, "in this world, it's KILL or BE KILLED"

Again, more white pellets appeared and trapped us. I ran behind the girl and wrapped my body around their shivering one.

As the pellets came within inches of our bodies, I saw a familiar ball of flame crash into the flower, and with it, dissipating the white pellets. Flowey's eyes widened and he quickly ran away, however a flower could do that.

"What a terrible creature, torturing a poor, innocent youth…"

I immediately raised my face and let go of the girl. "Mom!?"

She smiled, "Ah, do not be afraid, my child. I am Toriel, caretaker of the Ruins."

The girl stood shakily to her feet. I quickly ran over to my Mom, a smile plastered to my face. Finding this girl reminded me of how Asriel found me when I fell. And a human even!

But when I stood in front of my Mom, she continued talking to the girl. Sure, she was being really polite to the girl and all, but c'mon this is just rude to ignore me like this. What is the matter—What the hell? Mom… She just… Walked through me.

I spun around and looked as Mom grabbed the girls hand, speaking of how there are puzzles and other nonsense to her. Neither paid any attention to the surprised look on my face. I was frozen where I stood, and again, they walked right through me.

"Oh my God…" I collapsed onto the ground, my hands running through my hair.

I watched as they entered the next couple rooms, filled with emotion, I ran after them.

"Mom! Mom! Please Mom, just look at me! This isn't funny!" I couldn't trust my throat any longer to hide the incoming tears.

And so I followed, weeping and begging to be noticed. When they arrived home, I noticed the tree in the front yard was dead.

I watched as they went inside my home, both of them giggling. I've… I've been replaced. Asriel has a new sister now… I guess I deserve this. I deserve this Hell. After what…

I crouched down next to the dead tree, using my fingers to trace the edges of the bark. This tree… It's as dead as me isn't it?

I'm dead.

I squeeze my eyes shut. I was remembering everything now. The flowers, my Dad's voice urging me to hold on, Asriel consuming my soul…

But why am I here then? Is this my punishment for suicide? Just to see my village one last time…

No. This has something to do with that girl. I just know it, I just… I can feel it, deep within my nonexistent soul. I have to follow her, I need to know what she's doing.

And so I did.

I observed her interactions literally 24 hours. But something strange kept happening, for whatever reason, all the monsters wanted to harm her. These two skeletons and the Royal Guard wanted her captured and to use her soul to break the barrier. Sometimes… she'd die.

Then in a blink of an eye, she'd be back. A few minutes prior to her exchange with that monster. It was a curious thing, let me tell you.

I noticed though, whenever she'd come back she seemed to remember what her mistake was during the fights. I also realized, each time this girl came back, she seemed to hear me when I gave her advice.

As we continued through her journey to reach my Dad, I felt my stomach turning as we learned more and more about what has happened since I died.

These monsters I knew and loved… I was shocked that they kept attacking this young girl. For her soul even! No monster ever treated me like this… It's appalling.

Each monster that fought this girl, even when she was either trying to be friendly or ask for mercy, they continued. Like, like… monsters. I felt myself become angrier and angrier.

But I was also angry with myself. If I never committed suicide… I learned as well my death not only caused the kingdom to lose hope, but to also lose their prince… My one and only brother…

Everything changed after she fought my Dad however.

Stupid fucking Flowey.

Except he cheated. Well, not like this was video game or something, but still. He slain my Dad and stole all the souls from the other dead children.

With those souls Flowey transformed into a literal God. He talked about saves and resets. Was that what the girl was using to come back each time she died? That didn't matter now though. This was Flowey's world and he took complete pleasure out of killing the girl over and over again, over hundreds of times.

That bastard even used the dead children's souls against the girl. Now this fucking pissed me off. Being this metaphysical being I am, I could read the souls as if they were still in their bodies. The hated hurting the girl like this, it hurt them each time in return.

"Help us please!" I cried out.

Suddenly, with each new attack, the souls felt some surge of determination and fought back against Flowey by healing the girl. My face lit up with happiness, she can do this, we can do this.

This girl. Even after being killed countless of times by this stupid flower, she still had it in her heart to forgive him and offer mercy in the end.

And that's when things started taking a strange new turn of events. After our battle, the little prick still had more to offer, something about getting a better ending…

The girl seemed to like this idea. That's when I saw it, the same emotion the other souls had… Determination.

The next series of events included setting up Alphy's and Undyne together before wandering down into Alphy's true lab…

This place. The true lab's walls echoed only broken and forsaken memories. The girl found herself in a room filled with old video tapes. She hesitantly put in an order of tapes that included my parents, my brother, and me.

I couldn't bring myself to watch beside her though. I began crying, only having myself to console with, I started to develop a thick skin. But when it came to Asriel… He never deserved any thing that happened to him when I died…

After we finished in the lab, the girl made her way back to fight my Dad again. I didn't see the point however, she'd just have to fight Flowey again right?

Even she was wary when my Dad pulled out his trident and began to fight her. Suddenly, a vision of déjà vu over came both of us.

"Mom!" I yelled out, I didn't care that she couldn't hear me. It was amazing to just see her again.

She saved this girl again. Soon after, more monsters came and joined us. Pretty much the entire Underground was here, it was amazing.

Without warning, a hoard of vines entrapped everyone, even my parents. My eyes widened as Flowey popped out of the ground and started cackling. He had the souls again, but this time he also had all of the magic of the Underground powering his absurd plans.

But when he tried to attack the girl, the monsters still managed to use some magic to protect her. Flowey started to get frustrated and suddenly, a bright light burst forth from the flower, engulfing everyone and everything.

Then, there was only darkness.

No… We weren't alone. Only a few yards in front of us was him… My heart stopped. I couldn't move, I couldn't speak… I couldn't believe it.

"Finally… I was so tired of being a flower." He spoke. I covered my mouth in shock. He turned around and spoke with a smile, looking directly at me.

"Howdy, Chara, it's me, you're best friend…" and in a blink of an eye, he transformed, into a much older prince than I had known. "Asriel Dreemur."

That's when everything fell apart for me. My own brother. Not only did he die because of my selfishness, but he also had been trapped as a flower. Is this why I was brought back from the grave? Maybe… Maybe this girl will be the key. This amount of determination… if Asriel could be saved by anyone, it's this girl.

I smiled and watched as she saved everyone else before finally saving Asriel.

But that was just it… Everyone left after the barrier broke. Everyone, except Asriel.

Frisk. She left him. Sure she comforted him and all… But really? That's it? No, Frisk was smart. She must be waiting until she can figure out a way to save him for real.

When she and the rest of the monsters began building that hope slowly diminished as each passing day she grew older and became closer and closer to that stupid skeleton. Each day, my parents got closer together and treated Frisk just as they did me and Asriel.

Frisk could never be me. How dare she replace me and their own fucking son. Everyone forgot me. Everyone forgot Asriel. Even Frisk paid no mind anymore to the events that occurred in the Underground… she had her own life now.

Well… not for long.

She reset. I don't really understand why, but she did. Maybe it was to relieve it all again…. Or maybe she finally was going back for Asriel…

When she reset however, we passed each other in this sort of void I moved freely in.

"Frisk?"

She looked briefly at me but didn't say anything. We were back again in the Ruins. She laid in the golden flowers and I stood there, waiting for her awake once again.

And again. And again. And again.

I dunno what she was doing but instead of starting from a save point when she'd die, she would reset entirely. Each time, just as boring as the next. Each time, the same monsters tried to harm her for her precious soul. Each time my stupid mother automatically treated her as if she was me.

Each time Frisk reset, I could feel my own determination grow. Anger mixed with bitter depression motivated me. She couldn't keep doing this. Either fucking save my brother or avenge the dead.

Just as before, Frisk and I crossed paths in my void before she awoke again. There were a number of times however that Frisk was too weak to continue through. That's when I would roll my eyes and pick her up, carrying her by the torso.

When I started doing that however, I began to have some control over Frisk. She could hear me. Once in a while, I got her to kill a monster during a fight. She'd freak, believing it was an accident and quickly would reset. With each reset, I could come back stronger and with more control over this girl.

That's when I decided, if Frisk wasn't going to save Asriel, I would at least avenge the deaths of those children and take my own vendetta against those who would forget me after the barrier breaks.

This is what Flowey wanted right? Kill or be killed. Asriel was in there. Asriel wants this. He wants to punish those who couldn't recognize him as a flower. With how guilty Frisk feels every time I took control, he'd agree she deserved it after failing to save him time and time again.

I don't how she would do it, but somehow every time we'd fight that stupid smiley trashbag, she'd muster up enough determination to take back control. As if it mattered, she just got us killed instead. I'd scold her and tell her that stupid skeleton could never care about her if he couldn't even recognize her true self.

No one deserved a happy ending more than Asriel. Asriel had no blood on his hands. Frisk had more blood on her hands now than even our father. Asriel should be the one living, not Frisk.

Not Frisk… Not…

Not…

"Frisk."

"Chara…" I collapsed onto the ground. I looked at Chara now, back in my own head and mind.

They shook their head. "Do you see now…"

I turned my head. That wasn't at all what I expected. I could not only see how Chara felt, but actually feel it myself. I hated myself. I hated what had become of me after the barrier broke.

"I am a failure…" I felt a tear streak down my cheek. "I'm so sorry Chara."

They didn't say anything as they stared down at me. Cautiously, they fell to their knees and wrapped themselves around my frame. They chose to comfort me.

Maybe we aren't so different after all.

"I'm going to fix this. I'm going to make this all right."

"Heh… I think it's probably too late unless you reset…"

I shook my head and pulled away slightly in order to look at them. This was the first time I've seen their face up close like this. "No… I know I can do this. I promise I'll save Asriel without having to reset."

"If you don't… Will you reset?"

I swallowed. I promised Sans a long time ago I would never reset again, and Chara knew this. "Can I make a counter offer?"

They paused before slowly nodding.

"If I don't save Asriel, you can keep Sans' memories."

A sly smile twitched on their face before they pushed me apart and backwards into the ground, waking me up.

Author's Note: Thank you for reading! Man oh man, this is where things will start to pick up! I'm very excited to write the next few chapters for ya'll! Please leave feedback~