Chara was distraught with guilt.
"I'll never leave your side again," they were saying, lying in bed that night. "I'm so sorry."
Frisk still felt disturbed over what had happened, but they didn't want to see Chara blaming themselves for it. "It's not your fault."
"You don't have to try and make me feel better," Chara whispered. "It was my fault. If I had just gone with you, then we could've reset together, and none of this would've happened."
"This isn't the first time people have tried to kill me."
"I'm going to kill them."
Frisk shook their head. "The River Person already took care of them. You don't need to get yourself involved."
"Aren't you scared that there might be more?"
"I am, but..."
The trauma of their experience of being kidnapped was still vivid in their mind. Yes, it wasn't first time people had tried to kill them. But it was the first time they had been bound up, blindfolded, and subject to mental torture. The feeling of helplessness that had pervaded throughout the whole ordeal was scarring. It was a memory that they would not forget for a very long time.
Yet, as traumatic of an event as it had been, they knew that they couldn't allow themselves to falter or give up. They had to stay determined. They had to keep a positive attitude. They couldn't lose courage – otherwise, Killer would win. It was hard trying to maintain their optimism after going through all that. But, for the sake of their friends, for the sake of this world – and perhaps every other world – they had to do it. They had to preserve their determination.
Tonight, however, it was simply too hard of a thing to do.
"Frisk...?" Chara said, opening up their eyes. "Are you...are you crying?"
Frisk sniffed. "Chara. I'm fine."
"...Frisk!" Chara grabbed Frisk and embraced them in the tightest hug that Frisk had ever felt. They buried their head against Chara's shoulder and let their tears fall freely.
"I'm sorry," Chara whispered. "I'm so, so, so sorry."
"It's not your fault, Chara," Frisk said through muffled snobs. "It's not your fault."
Chara rubbed Frisk's back gently with their hand. "It was my fault. I never should've let you go out alone. I was so careless."
Frisk sniffed. "It's okay, Chara. I'm not mad at you."
"You don't have to keep saying that. If...if you want to cry, Frisk, then just cry! Please. I'm here for you. You can cry as much as you want! I'll always be your shoulder to cry on!"
Hearing this from Chara made Frisk feel so happy.
"...Thank you," they said softly. They hugged Chara back, as tightly as they could.
Chara patted Frisk again. "I'll never, ever, ever leave you again."
Even through their tears, Frisk felt themselves smiling. "Thank you, Chara..."
"It's okay, Frisk."
"Thank you..."
Chara didn't let go of Frisk for that whole night, even as Frisk cried themselves to sleep.
In the morning, when Frisk woke up, they felt refreshed. They blinked a few times after opening up their eyes, trying to make sure that they really were at where they believed they were. They were lying in Chara's arms, on their bed and in their little apartment. Their little home. A safe place.
Glancing at the windows, they saw bright sunlight streaming through. It was either noon, or very late in the morning.
They rubbed their eyes and gave Chara a small nudge to wake them up.
"Frisk...?"
"Good morning," Frisk said, putting on a smile. "I think we may have overslept."
Chara still looked drowsy, and they closed their eyes again.
"Let's get up."
"Just let me sleep a bit longer..."
"Okay."
Frisk got out of bed, put on their sweater and pants, and went into the kitchen. It was eleven AM. They thought about making breakfast and began perusing through their refrigerator. They could fry some hash browns, or cook some eggs, or make some french toast. For some reason, none of that seemed particularly appetizing right now. Perhaps it was because the time was closer to lunch than to breakfast. They could try and make brunch instead, but there wasn't much other food left in their kitchen.
A second thought came to their head.
They went into the washroom first to brush their teeth, wash their face, and comb their hair. Then, they went back out and turned on their own laptop, which was on the desk beside Chara's.
Toby and Tem started to chirp. Frisk opened up the cage door and let them out.
On their laptop, they began browsing for places around their neighbourhood to eat brunch. Fast food was always an option, but they wanted to find some place fancier. Unlike when they lived at the laboratory, which was closer to downtown, there weren't too many restaurants near their apartment. The few that were there, they had already tried before, and either they or Chara concluded that they didn't like the food too much. Today, they wanted to find a place that both of them would enjoy.
After searching for a few minutes, they discovered that a new cafe had opened up relatively close by. It was just over a ten minutes' walk away. Glancing through its menu, they were happy to find that it did serve brunch.
"Hey, Chara," Frisk said, tapping Chara on the shoulder.
Chara turned over on their bed and opened up their eyes. "Yeah?"
Frisk grinned. "Let's go out for brunch."
"Where?"
"At a new place that I found."
"Why?"
"I want to have a lunch date."
"A date? Today?"
"Yeah." Frisk said, nodding. "I think it'll help get our minds off everything."
"Oh, ummm, okay." Chara flipped their hair out of their eyes and stretched. "I'll get dressed."
Chara got out of bed, put on their clothes, and went into the washroom. When they came back out, they walked up behind Frisk.
"Where are we going?"
"It's this place called 'Tasty Boat'. It just opened up nearby."
Chara giggled. "That's an odd name."
"It has good reviews, though." Frisk scrolled through some of the Google reviews for this restaurant, which ranged from 3.5 to 5 stars, with an average score of 4.6.
"What do they have?"
"Brunch stuff," Frisk replied. "You like omelettes, right, Chara? They have an omelette combo with pancakes for just nine VCs."
"What kind of pancakes?"
Frisk clicked on the menu and scrolled through. "They've got chocolate banana."
Chara's expression brightened. "Why are we still here?"
"Okay," Frisk said, laughing.
They quickly got dressed in their jackets and went out.
Outside, it was cold, as yesterday had been, but at least it was no longer windy. Frisk was cautious as they stepped out onto the streets. They looked around to make sure that no one was following them – in particular, any suspicious looking people dressed in dark robes. Though, on second thought, they realized that that would also fit the description of the River Person. Why did they have to dress so similarly to those cultists?
Chara took note of Frisk's suspicion. Their expression turned fierce, and they put a hand in their pocket, where Frisk knew that they kept their knife.
"Don't worry, Frisk," Chara said. "I'll watch your back. If anyone comes and tries to take you, I'll stab their heart out."
As much as Frisk hated violence, they couldn't help but feel touched over how much Chara cared about them. They giggled a bit. "But don't stab the River Person if they come along."
"I guess."
"Just so you know, the people that kidnapped me yesterday wore long black robes. But the River Person's robes are dark blue and shorter, and they wear this huge hood."
"...I know."
Fortunately, it was day time, so the streets were full of people and a kidnapping didn't appear likely. But the only assurance that Frisk really needed was that Chara was with them. Together, they would know when the other needed help. If anything bad happened, they would reset together, and with their combined determination, they would be able to overcome Killer and return to a better time.
The cafe was at the north end of their neighbourhood, near the city harbour. It was shaped like an actual boat, with a ship's deck as its roof and an entrance door leading into the interior of the boat. There were tables and chairs out on the roof, but the floor was covered in snow, and nobody was eating out on it right now. It was probably too cold to even bother.
Inside, there was a hall filled with tables and eating customers. Windows along the hall gave a clear and calming view of the lake outside. At the far end of the hall was a wooden upright piano, which was currently unoccupied. There was a bar-like counter to the right of the entrance, and Frisk was surprised to find the River Person standing behind it.
"Hi!" Frisk said, waving at them. "I didn't know you worked at this store!"
It was impossible tell the River Person's expression.
"Hello, Frisk," they replied. "Hello, Chara. Welcome to my shop."
"You own this store?" Chara asked.
"Yes...at first, I made my living giving people free rides on my boat at the harbour, but not everyone was willing to trust someone that looked like me." They moved their head in what Frisk presumed was a downcast expression. "Also, as it got colder, boat rides became less and less popular. So, I decided to try out entrepreneurship, and I renovated my boat into this...building. Then, an acquaintance of mine gave me some suggestions, and I started selling things."
"At first, I sold hot dogs, and everybody liked them, so I decided to expand my menu. Now, this shop's a full cafe, and I get quite a lot of customers."
"Congratulations," Frisk said, smiling. "From the reviews I've read of your shop, I can tell that you've become quite successful."
The River Person made a sound that Frisk guessed was a chuckle.
"Thank you, thank you," they said in a softer voice.
Chara had already taken a menu off the counter and was flipping through it. "Where are the chocolate pancakes?"
"The chocolate banana flavour? We've run out," the River Person replied.
The expression on Chara's face was worse than anything Frisk had ever seen before, even compared to their 'creepy face' (which still sometimes scared Asriel).
"This...can't...BE!" Chara said, breathing in deeply. "I came all the way here for that!"
Now the River Person appeared sad. "I am truly sorry for this. Would you like to try one of our other pancake flavours instead? We have strawberry, peach, blueberry..."
Frisk placed a hand on Chara's shoulder. "Come on. We'll go shopping later, and you can buy all the chocolate you want. Let's just get something to eat here right now, okay?"
Chara brushed Frisk's hand away. "Fine."
"I am sorry indeed," the River Person repeated, shaking their head.
"What's the closest flavour to chocolate you have?" Chara asked.
"Uh...Chara. All the other pancake flavours are fruits."
"Well, what's a fruit that tastes like chocolate?"
Frisk groaned. The River Person looked embarrassed.
"Fine!" Chara exclaimed, turning back to the menu. They flipped through it angrily, and then pointed to one of the flavours. "I'll try peach. Oh, and I'll get it with the omelette combo."
"I'll just get the 'English Breakfast'," Frisk said. "With chrysanthemum tea, please."
The River Person nodded. "Thank you. Please find a seat, and I will bring you your orders shortly."
Chara walked down the hall and picked a table that was close to the piano. They sat down together beside it.
"You want to try playing the piano?" Frisk asked.
Chara shrugged. "Am I allowed to?"
"You can ask when the waiter comes by."
"...'Kay."
Chara looked crestfallen. Frisk could tell that they were still unhappy over the fact that they couldn't order the chocolate flavoured pancake.'
It was strange how the little things could ruin a person's day. Things like having one's expectations let down. The world was in danger, and there were people out trying to kill them – but it was a shortage of chocolate that made Chara sad.
Frisk looked out the window beside their table. The sky was grey, and the waters of the lake looked rough and turbulent. There were only a few boats out on the water right now, and they were sailing slowly.
"...Sorry for acting kind of childish," Chara spoke up suddenly.
"That's okay."
Chara sighed. "I was really looking forward to eating chocolate pancakes for lunch."
"I'm sorry you couldn't have that on our date."
"No, really, it's okay." Chara tried to smile, but they ended up looking like they were cringing.
"Chara, we can buy a chocolate cake at the store later-"
"I'm fine, really," Chara repeated. "Sorry, Frisk. We haven't gone on a date in a while, and I had to ruin it."
"You didn't ruin it!"
"Well...I'm going to make it better," Chara said. "There's something I've been wanting to show you. I've wanted to show you it since back when we lived at Alphys' lab, but I had never really gotten the chance to."
"What is it?"
"I'll show you it, if they let me play the piano."
The River Person arrived with their order almost immediately after that.
"That was fast," Frisk said. "Thanks."
"By the way, can I play the piano here?" Chara asked.
"Of course you can," the River Person answered, nodding. "My cafe is here for you to enjoy however you wish."
"Thank you," Chara replied.
They took a few bites of the food and smiled, appearing to like it. Then, they stood up and walked over to the piano behind them. They sat down at the seat and breathed in. Frisk walked up beside them.
"I was trying to compose my own piece," Chara said. "Undyne told me that it sounded good. But I was never able to finish it."
"What's it called?" Frisk asked.
"...I don't have a name for it yet," Chara said. "But, I think, Frisk...when I play this piece, it reminds me of you. I'm not sure why. It's just a feeling."
"Play it," Frisk said, smiling.
"All right."
Chara began the piece.
The first thing Frisk noticed was that it was very simple. The melody started with two notes that kept repeating over and over again, while Chara's left hand played a similarly uncomplicated accompaniment. The two notes that repeated then switched into two different notes, and this happened again and again. It created a mood that was calm and peaceful. There was a feeling of softness behind the notes, bordering on melancholy, and as Frisk listened, they found themselves experiencing a sense of nostalgia.
Except until it ended.
It sounded like the piece was going to transition into something else, something different that would complete the melody, but...Chara just went back to the beginning, back to the first two repeating notes.
"Huh?" Frisk said.
"I know. It's confusing," Chara said, stopping their playing abruptly. "To be honest, I've tried so many different ways to end this piece, but...I never could find the right one."
"Can you play one of them?"
Chara shook their head. "No. It's not complete right now. It wouldn't feel right. I have to think about it a bit more."
"Oh..."
They returned to their seats, and Chara resumed eating their meal.
"I'm sorry, Frisk," Chara said again. "I wanted to show you what I had composed, but I just made it a mess."
"I liked it!" Frisk replied. "It was still a really good piece!"
"But it could've been much better."
Frisk smiled reassuringly. "Just show me it again when you're done.
"Okay...I guess."
The rest of their lunch date became somewhat awkward as Chara ate silently, and Frisk's attempts to start a conversation were struck down by their awareness of Chara's own self-deprecating mood. They didn't know how they could make Chara feel better. Kissing, or doing anything affectionate was probably out of the question.
When they finished, they paid for their meal and went back outside, waving goodbye to the River Person.
"Let's...go shopping," Frisk suggested. "We need to buy food for dinner."
"Okay," Chara whispered in response.
Frisk found themselves wishing that they hadn't said 'huh?' so insensitively. Things could probably have gone better if they had just told Chara that they liked their composition.
The grocery store was, fortunately, close by the harbour as well. They went in and bought enough food for the next three days. Frisk had gotten used to making Japanese food, and also pasta, so they bought a lot of noodles and tomatoes. Chara also liked simple meals like stir fry, so Frisk filled their grocery cart with vegetables and sauces.
When they were done, they went out and prepared to go home.
"...I wish I could have a piano to practice on," Chara spoke up.
"We could get a keyboard."
"Don't be so selfless, Frisk," Chara said in a slightly nasty tone. "That's too expensive."
"I could get you it as a present. When's your birthday?"
"Thanks, but – no, I don't want a keyboard," Chara replied. "I like playing the piano. The keyboard just wouldn't feel the same."
"Why don't you go to the River Person's cafe when you want to play?"
"Would they really let me play every time without buying anything?"
Frisk lowered their head. "That's true."
"Well, they are supposed to be watching over us right now, aren't they? Do you think that means we get any special privileges?"
"...Maybe."
Chara shook their head. "Sorry, but I wouldn't feel good playing the piano, knowing that."
"How come?"
"...Just because."
They were walking on a high street that passed beside the harbour. Chara stopped walking, suddenly. They turned around, facing the lake.
A cold wind blew by. Frisk brushed strands of hair away from their eyes.
"Chara?"
Without reply, Chara walked up to the edge of the street and stopped in front of the railings. They put their arms on top of the railings, and then leaned against it. Frisk walked up beside them.
They realized what Chara had seen.
Looking over the lake, Frisk was reminded of their old house, back when they had lived with Toriel. This was the sight from their balcony, every single day – even though it wasn't the ocean. There was the beach, still full of sightseeing visitors despite that it was far too cold to swim. There was the nearby port, where ships were docked at piers and new ones sailed in and out every day. There was the vast body of water, full of swirling waves, with a never ending horizon. It was a familiar and nostalgic sight.
"Frisk," Chara spoke up at last.
"Yeah."
"Back when I lived in...back in my old life, when I lived in a little village," they began. "We lived by a little lake, too."
"Every day, a new boat arrived. They were visitors or traders, and they always brought interesting stuff for everyone to see. Well, interesting to me, back then, since I hadn't really seen much at all. Sometimes, they had food, and I would really want to eat it. I never could. Sometimes, they brought things like souvenirs or junk or clothes or jewelry, and...they always filled me with fascination. They made me think about what was out there, in the world outside my village."
"...I wanted to run away. I thought of escaping onto one of those boats. But if I got caught, my 'parents' would beat the hell out of me. And...I was scared. Scared that the people on the boats would throw me off, and I would drown, or they would take me to a faraway place where I would die because I didn't know anything. So, in the end, I gave up. I never escaped."
Chara turned around and leaned their back against the railing. They sighed audibly, but their expression was relaxed. "Well. You know what actually happened. I did escape, but not on a boat. Instead, I ran up a mountain and fell into a hole."
"But, you know, sometimes I find myself wondering about what could've happened if I escaped on one of those boats," they continued. "I sure wouldn't have discovered the underground, and I wouldn't have messed up my brother, ummm, Asriel's family. Maybe I wouldn't even have died. Still, at the same time, and I know it sounds selfish, but it's not like it hasn't completely worked out for me..."
"Chara," Frisk spoke up. "If you hadn't done that, I wouldn't have met you."
As Chara opened their mouth again to speak, they suddenly paused. Frisk turned to look at them. Tears were welling up in Chara's eyes.
"I...I wouldn't have met you," Chara repeated.
"Chara?"
"I..."
Chara wiped at their eyes with their hand. "I wouldn't have met you, either, if I hadn't killed myself."
"..."
"And the monsters might all still be trapped in the underground," Chara said. "I might have grown up to become a successor to the throne. Asgore and Tor-mother would have grown old, and they might have died, and I might have become the new queen or something..."
"Queen?"
"Well, Asriel would've been the king, so..."
Frisk giggled. "You would've married Asriel?"
Chara laughed. "Maybe. Or maybe not."
"Anyways, if I was still alive...maybe, we'd have treated every new human who fell into the underground as a friend, instead of taking away their souls. Maybe, even though monsters would still be trapped underground, at least they'd have been able to coexist with humans peacefully."
"But...aren't things pretty peaceful right now?" Frisk asked.
"Yeah, I guess, if you forget about Killer."
Chara stood up straight. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to go on a tangent, thinking about all this. It's pointless, because none of this happened. And it's not like I would've preferred it to, well, meeting you..."
Frisk smiled warmly. "It might have happened in some other timeline."
"I want to forget about all this timeline crap."
"...I know."
Chara turned to look in the direction that they had come from. "You know, Frisk. I just thought of something."
"What is it?"
"...I want to show you, but we'll have to head back to the River Person's cafe."
Frisk had an inkling of what they meant. "All right. Let's go."
"Really?"
"Sure!"
They walked quickly back to the River Person's cafe, and when they entered, Chara asked if they could use the piano again. The River Person nodded, and Chara went to sit down on the bench. Frisk walked up beside them again and sat down in a chair.
"Here we go," Chara said, taking another deep breath. "I think...I think I know how to end this piece now."
They started playing again.
It was the same piece, beginning with the same two notes that repeated over and over again. But, Frisk could feel something different in Chara's playing now. Before, they had seemed reluctant, almost unemotional. Frisk could sense a new feeling in the piece now. Instead of just being calm, or melancholic, or peaceful, it carried with it a sense of hope. Within the piece, there was a growing determination, until...
...until it sprouted fully, from the part where Chara had left off before. They didn't go back to the beginning. They continued, with a new melody, which progressed the piece perfectly. It was a melody without the pattern of the repeating notes, and yet it fit the mood in a way that was pleasantly surprising. The melody was no longer wistful, but carried a sense of resolve, full of warmth and spirit.
And then Chara surprised Frisk even further, continuing the piece into a section that sounded wholly different. Now it was light-hearted and bouncy, with a new and yet familiar melody that Frisk felt they had heard many times before. As they listened, they started to feel more and more cheerful. It was so beautiful.
Finally, the melody became slow and calm once more. It repeated a different set of notes, building up to its finale, and then resolved on a perfect ending chord.
"That was so beautiful," Frisk said.
Chara turned around, standing up, and took a short bow. Frisk giggled.
"Thank you, Frisk."
"Do you have a name for it yet?"
Chara thought for a moment. "I want to dedicate it to you."
"So...?"
"I want to dedicate to the moment I met you," Chara said. "And, that moment..."
"...is the moment that you fell down the hole on Mt. Ebott, and landed on the flower bed."
Frisk nodded.
"So...I'll call it..."
"Fallen Down."