MTT Resort Hotel

Frisk woke with a jolt.

Chara had long since faded.

She tried to work out what had happened last night. After so many SAVEs and RELOADs, it was hard to tell what had happened and what hadn't. She'd played a prank on Chara, but he wouldn't remember it. Then, she'd tricked him into revealing his real motives, and he'd been angry.. but he wouldn't remember that either. After that, she'd.. she'd almost been swayed. She had pretended to agree with his plan, and almost convinced herself that was what she wanted.

Frisk went to the bathroom to splash some water on her face.

She checked her reflection in the mirror. Despite everything, it's still me.. but for how much longer?

Could things stay as they were? No – Chara made his goals clear. He couldn't be deterred. She'd already tried.

Another thought danced across Frisk's mind. She struggled to grasp it: right now, she could..

She could go along with Chara's plan. As far as Chara was concerned, their objectives were the same. He didn't remember Frisk trying to dissuade him. Genocide.. she'd done it before..

That was the one way to stay united with Chara.

What then? After I kill all of the monsters? Can I live in a world where there's only Chara and me? Or will I be stuck in a loop of killing and RESET?

Chara said he loves me. It's true that we're sharing one SOUL. At the moment, he treats me well, but how long will that last? Once he gets bored of having no-one to torment, how do I know he won't turn on me?

Look at Chara's own SOUL.. I saw it last night. It's empty and dark. If I join him, perhaps my own SOUL will look like that..

There would be no way out. No happy ending.

I love Chara.. but I can't join him.

The heart locket was still around her neck. It felt heavy, and she wanted to take it off. Where was the fastening? She leaned closer to the mirror.

There was no fastening. The locket was a lock, and only Chara knew where to find the key. The chain was too thick to break, and it was fastened too tight to slip over her head. Frisk gave up after a few minutes. This heart locket perfectly reflected the dynamic in their relationship. She couldn't get out of it.

Then what?

She went to her inventory and pulled out the Real Knife. Here was the solution, she could feel it.

Frisk turned the point towards herself and looked at it. She'd died more times than she could count.

If things ever get beyond hopeless, at least I have that option. I gave my SOUL to save the underground. But I haven't saved it yet. If I gave my life as well, would that be enough? I don't even know. I've committed more sins than I could ever pay for with my life.

Frisk turned the knife to point away from her. This was the other solution. To eliminate Chara.

Frisk turned the problem over and over in her mind. This really was the only way out. Furthermore.. the longer she left it, the more risky it would become. She could feel Chara's emotions and Chara could feel hers. There would be no better time than..

Tonight.

No. Please no. No no no. Anything but that. One more day of peace, is that too much to ask?

I can't.. I'm already falling for him. Who knows where I might be, if I left it another day.

He's already dead. Toriel buried him.

I've seen what he really looks like. Empty eyes and empty heart.

She wept into the sink.

Then she dried her tears.

Frisk dialled Sans' number.

"Hey."

"hey."

"I'm probably gonna leave the Underground soon. And I have a …request. So… how about grabbing some lunch with me today? At the MTT restaurant."

They sat down in a secluded corner of the restaurant. Frisk ordered a Glamburger and fries for each of them.

"well, here we are. your journey's almost over, huh? you must really wanna go home. hey. i know the feeling, buddo. though sometimes it's better to take what's given to you. down here you've already got food, drink, friends… is what you have to do… really worth it?"

Frisk smiled sadly at that. "I can't stay here. I'd like to, because everyone's been really kind. But I have to leave. I-I can't explain it, but something really bad is about to happen and I'm the cause of it."

"i'm rootin' for ya, kid. well, you need my help. so tell me..?"

Frisk put a bag on the table and gestured for Sans to open it. When he did, his eyes shrunk down to pinpoints of light.

"..buddy, this is a lot of cash."

It was. This was the majority of the money Frisk had collected during her stay in the Underground.

"That's right. Since I'm leaving, I won't need it. I'm asking you to give me a farewell party in a few days. You can do what you want with the rest."

"..you're really giving this to me? i'm the laziest bum in snowdin. i love nothing more than doing.. absolutely.. nothing."

"That's too bad. I have another request, and it's not just from me. I have a difficult job to do tonight in Waterfall. If it goes well, I'll give you a phone call. Please could you come and get me? We could meet by that old telescope.."

"i can do that. i'm on duty tonight anyway. so that's all you're askin' me, buddy?"

"There's more to it. If I DON'T give you that call by midnight.." Frisk didn't know how Sans would react. A few days ago, he'd attacked her. She took a deep breath.

"Well.. this is difficult to explain. Here goes: there will be another human that looks a bit like me. For the sake of everyone who lives down here, you need to kill it quickly. Tonight if you can."

Sans was shocked. For once, he was lost for words. He couldn't imagine this kid asking him to kill anyone. On the other hand, he had been receiving instructions to kill a certain human. In a strange way, it made sense.

"Sans, listen to me. We've fought before, but we weren't trying to kill each other. Do you remember it? Do you remember what it was like to fight a human?"

"..yeah. actually, i.. i didn't want to admit it, but i was pretty scared.. you read my moves and dodged my attacks. i couldn't do anything."

"If you encounter the 'other' human, it's a lot more dangerous than I am. You need to kill it quickly. Don't try to restrain it or spare it."

"..what? how d'ya mean, more dangerous? how can i win against something stronger than you?"

Frisk struggled to find the words to express the unfairness of a fight between a monster and a human. This Sans had never seen a powerful SOUL driven by the desire to kill. His fondness for Frisk would make him reluctant to fight a human, and therefore, even more vulnerable.

"In the library, there's an orange book. It's about SOULs and fighting: if a monster doesn't want to fight, it will be weak; it will be even weaker against a powerful SOUL that aims to kill. Read that book if it helps you."

Sans counted off his jobs on his fingers: "farewell party, bag o'cash, read a book, sentry duty, chauffeur service from the telescope, kill a human that's nigh indestructible…."

Sans' eyes disappeared inside their sockets.

Frisk put a hand on his shoulder.

"You got it. Great! Thanks for treating me."

She stood up and walked out of the restaurant.

NIGHT

Frisk spent the rest of the day preparing her secret hideout.

The waterfall cave was perfect. It was accessible only by bridge seeds. Secluded. The waterfall would drown out any sounds.

She piled up some bundles of firewood and made a campfire. Most useful of all, there was a Box in the cave, which she used to transport a sleeping mat, pillows, and blankets into the cave. She collected bunches of freshly picked flowers, then lit candles and placed them around the room.

She hid the Real Knife in a crevice in the wall, next to her makeshift bed.

She dressed carefully in the black MTT-Brand top, stowing her own clothing away.

The candlelight glimmered prettily on the underside of the waterfall. The campfire warmed the cave nicely. The scent of wood smoke mingled with the fragrance from the plucked flowers.

Chara would appear soon. Frisk stoked the fire and watched the flames anxiously. She felt sick.

She felt a warm hand on her shoulder. Chara was here. She turned towards him, reaching out her arms. It felt so good to hold him. It was the feeling of her own SOUL coming home to her.

"What is this place?" he asked.

"If we're going to make plans, we need a secret hideout. This is our base", said Frisk. "It's hard to find if you don't know how. And we can't be overheard here. We can talk about anything."

"I love it. You've put a lot of thought into this."

They sat on the makeshift bed, watching the fire. Chara sat behind Frisk, letting her rest her back against his chest. His arms wrapped around her shoulders.

Let us stay like this forever, thought Frisk, I'm surrounded by the person I love. But If I stay with you, Chara, we would destroy this world all over again. I'd be trapped here in an endless cycle of murder and destruction.

He squeezed her gently. "I can feel your love for me. It's as strong as mine is for you. But you feel.. conflicted somehow. There's sadness within you. Tell me, what's wrong?"

Chara turned Frisk around to face him, gently. The sight of his concerned face was more than she could bear. She started to cry.

"What's wrong? Did someone hurt you? Tell me who it is and I'll kill them. No – don't cry. I'm here.."

Frisk shook her head, unable to say anything. Chara wiped her tears gently from the corners of her eyes. He was stroking her face, running his fingers through her hair, and she was doing the same. Then they were kissing.

Chara pulled Frisk into his lap, one hand supporting her back, the other resting on her thigh.

He stretched his neck up to kiss Frisk. She lifted her chin a little, and he started to kiss her down her neck. He moved the chain of her heart locket aside to reach her collarbones.

Frisk was in ecstasy: she could hardly breathe. She had no idea her body was so sensitive. Her senses were heightened because she knew her time with Chara was finite.

Her tiny gasps seemed to excite Chara. He slipped the sleeve off her left shoulder and tugged it down to the elbow. A couple of safety pins popped open. Although completely flat-chested, Frisk felt vulnerable under the intensity of Chara's gaze. She started to cover herself with her hands.

"No.. you're beautiful. Don't hide from me.."

Chara stroked and eased her hands away until she relented, though she wasn't sure whether she wanted Chara to continue. It felt incredibly good, and also incredibly wrong.

"I.. I- no, stop..! Chara, wait..

But Chara didn't stop.

"Chara, I don't.. know.. if I'm.. ready for this.."

She tried to push Chara away, but her determination to resist was fading rapidly. She gave in to the soft lips and gentle tongue.

Now, he was kissing her down her chest, and Frisk arched her back, let her hands reach backwards until they found the wall of the cave.. the crevice in the rocks.

She cried out a little, half from pleasure, half from anguish, as Chara's mouth went to her breast..

And her hand found the handle of the knife-

She drove it into Chara's back, between his shoulder blades, stabbed him twice before he managed to struggle free. Chara reached out a hand to block her, still disorientated, but she slashed open his palm and knocked him over again and pinned him down. He tried to shield himself, but in vain. Frisk kept stabbing and stabbing.

Finally, Chara's struggling grew weaker. He was choking, shuddering, twitching. His mouth worked, but no sound came out, only blood. Eventually, he stopped moving altogether. Frisk's shaking hands went to his throat to feel for a pulse, but she couldn't feel anything over her own racing heart. She slit his throat for good measure.

During the struggle to survive, her emotions were suppressed. But faced with the aftermath, the consequences, they came back in full force.

For what felt like an hour, Frisk couldn't stop shaking. She wanted someone to hold her and comfort her, desperately, so she sat leaning against Chara, with her back to him. She held one of his ruined hands, lacing their fingers together. Then she turned around to look at his face. The eyes were nearly closed, but not quite – the pupils, now sightless, were pointing in her direction.

And just like that, he's gone. My confidant. The only one who knew me from the world before this one. The only one who knew of my dark past and still loved me. Who will I turn to now? Who will hold me at night?

"Chara! Come back to me! Talk to me again…" cried Frisk in a cracked and broken voice.

But nobody came.

She sobbed bitterly into Chara's shoulder.

Frisk was slumped across Chara's body, and their fingers were still laced together.

A dark shape flickered across Frisk's vision. Through her tears, the candles were blurred spheres of light against the darkness. She dried her tears and looked about. Through swollen and sore eyes, she focused on this strange fluttering object that wafted just above Chara's body. What could it be? It was the color of dried blood, a rusty brown shade, and as shapeless as a fragment of ash caught in the updraft of a fire. She stared. Was it.. pulsing?

It's important, I know it is. But I don't understand.

Despite its ragged edges and some holes, could it be a heart shape? Now it was drifting towards her.

That's my SOUL, she realized. She remembered it as it used to be, plump and bright red, large, bold. Now this thing looks like it might crumble at a touch.

Is this what a broken heart looks like?

Frisk dared not reach out with her hands, but she let the dark red flake come to her and settle in the left side of her chest. Her skin tingled – an echo of Chara's last kiss. She shivered.

I have to move on, Frisk told herself, before I start crying again. I'm not done here.

She thought of leaving the knife to rest by Chara's side, but decided she might need it, and washed it off in the waterfall. She packed as many of her belongings as she could salvage into the Box. She carried Chara and tucked him gently into the bed, so that he looked like he was sleeping. It would be better to remember him that way.

Another pang of grief hit her. Chara was gone and there had been no final talk, no farewell. No closure. There wouldn't be any way to say goodbye or to tell him she still loved him.

Frisk looked at her knife. I could.. go back to my old SAVE. It's not too late. But Chara had made it very clear that he could not coexist peacefully with humans or monsters. This was the only option for a peaceful world. She buried the knife in the very bottom of her box and equipped herself with the stick.

After that, she tried to wash off the blood in the waterfall. Her dark clothing hid the stains well. She started to notice all the injuries she'd acquired: she'd managed to slice her own fingers, and she was covered in bruises, scratches, cuts. A torn fingernail.

Inside the cave, the candles had melted into stumps and wax puddles. The fire was now reduced to embers. Frisk used the last of its light to find her cellphone and call Sans. He picked up the phone after the second ring.

"i'm coming, buddy. meet at the telescope, like we agreed, yeah? i'm gonna be there in a few minutes.."

Then some huffing and puffing and rustling while Frisk thanked him.

There was one last thing to do. Frisk found a save point.

If I SAVE my game here, then there really is no going back. I replace my old file where Chara is alive, with a file in which he is dead. I lock him out of this timeline forever.

SAVE

Writer's note:

I had to cut a few bits out of this chapter, to keep it within the 'Teen' rating. Deleted content will be available on request.