Chara sat with her back against the base of the stone Temmie sculpture, waiting for Frisk to finish in the Tem shop. After the Temmies had dispersed, she had said something about bargaining to pay for college and that it would take a while. So, Chara decided to rest while she waited, with the Temmie that had jumped toward her still asleep in her arms.

As she sat quietly while stroking the Temmie's back, she looked around at the Temmies going about their odd business. One Temmie was watching over an egg in a motherly way, while another was scratching at hives that kept appearing under her fur. Meanwhile a large blue mushroom was doing a dance at its spot in the ground.

As Chara continued watching the Temmies, she felt a nudge on her right thigh. Looking down, one of the Temmies had made her way to Chara's side.

The Temmie looked up at Chara with small beady eyes. "Hi, I'm Bob."

Chara could only stare in bewilderment. She wasn't sure what was more bizarre, the fact that this one was named Bob, or the fact that she spoke normally, unlike the other Temmies. As she was wrapping her head around the strange monster, Bob nuzzled up against Chara's leg before curling into a ball and closing her eyes.

Chara watched and the Temmie in her arms sleep for a few moments before starting to feel sleepy herself. Yawning, it became harder and harder for her to keep her eyes open as a wave of exhaustion washed over her.

Chara and Asriel were walking hand in hand with Toriel through New Home's marketplace. She had told them that Asgore had a meeting with the royal scientist, and so it would be a perfect time to get him a gift for his upcoming birthday. Asriel and Chara were wearing their usual clothes with the addition of a backpack carried by Asriel. While in the castle part of New Home, they would normally be wearing their royal attire.

Asriel would wear a black button up shirt with two silver stripes and a dark green open jacket with two long, wide, strips of fabric trailing from the high collar. He wore black pants, which had a small hole for his stubby tail, but no shoes, just like his parents. The stitching on the jacket was silver, and the long strips had half of the Delta Rune stitched in gold so that when they were lined up next to each other it would show the completed symbol. On top of his head, he would wear an intricate golden circlet with a deep blue sapphire at the front.

Chara, meanwhile, would wear a long-sleeved green blouse with a yellow stripe. She would have a green cape with yellow trimming that covered her shoulders and ran down to the backs of her knees. There were two wide strips of fabric reaching over her shoulders down past her sternum, both ending in a point. At her throat, there was a golden clasp that had the Delta Rune etched into it holding her cape in place. She'd also wear black pants and short black boots. On her head would be a gold tiara shaped to look like vines that had golden flowers blooming around her head along with a sizable red ruby in the center of the largest flower at the front.

There were over a dozen open stalls selling all kinds of monster food. Burgers and hot dogs, colorful fruits and vegetables, a monster with a pushcart selling ice cream, and a candy stall selling various flavors of licorice-like treats. The smell of the marketplace filled Chara's nostrils as she looked this way and that.

However, she stayed close to Toriel and gripped Asriel's hand tighter than usual. Chara had not gotten used to being in such a large bustling crowd, and though all monsters in the Underground cared about and loved her dearly, she still felt as though there was the threat of being attacked.

As their small group made their way through the crowd, some monsters stopped and bowed before them until they passed, while others quickly bowed before rushing off to complete their deliveries. They stopped next to a long line of carts that were being pulled by workers. As they waited for the line to disperse, Chara looked up at Toriel. She was wearing a flowing white sleeveless gown, over which was a see-through lilac mesh overlay covering her upper arms and stopping just short of the hem of her dress. On top of her head sitting between her horns was a gold crown with the Delta Rune made up of violet gems.

Toriel noticed Chara looking at her and smiled as she patted Chara's head. Chara could feel her cheeks get warm and smiled back. Soon, the line of carts quickly moved out of the way and the three of them resumed their walk through the city.

After a few more minutes, they finally reached their destination, a large store that sat between a jeweler's and a small rustic-looking toy store. Sitting in the large windows were various gardening tools. Shovels, spades, rakes, watering cans and hedge clippers, all shiny and ready to get dirty.

Before heading inside, Toriel turned to face Chara and Asriel. She gracefully crouched down so that she was eye level with them both.

"Now then, my precious children" she said, her voice filled with the tenderness of a loving mother. "I am going to get a new watering can for your dad. In the meantime," Toriel reached into her bag and counted out 100g, handing them each half. "You two may get something for yourselves as long as you stay together and look after each other.

"Wow! Thanks mom!" Asriel exclaimed as he excitedly hugged Toriel.

"Thank you so much Ms. Toriel, I appreciate it." Chara still had some trouble calling Toriel and Asgore her mom and dad.

It had been a month since she had jumped down into the Underground, Toriel, Asgore, and Asriel had shown her more kindness in that month than she had ever received in the 10 years of being on the surface. Yet, her subconscious still thought that at some point the facade would fall and things would be like they were on the surface, if not worse. Some days were easier than others to push those kinds of thoughts out of her mind, and her brother Asriel was a big help on her bad days. Usually excitable, he was surprisingly calm and patient whenever she needed him. Gently holding her close whenever tears began spilling from her eyes for no apparent reason. Telling her stories when she has a sudden surge of anxiety to calm her down. No matter when or where it happened, Asriel was always ready to help his sister in her time of need.

Chara felt Asriel's warm, furry paw grab her hand. "Come on Chara, let's take a look around!" He began to pull Chara with him back the way they came.

"Stay safe, my children!" Chara heard Toriel calling after them. She looked back and waved with her free hand, before rounding a corner and out of sight.

Their first stop was a candy store. Asriel got himself a bag of gummy monster bears, and Chara bought a couple bars of chocolate. Leaving the store, they began to wander aimlessly whilst munching on their sugary treats.

Chara was in the lead when she heard Asriel calling for her. Turning around, he had stopped in front of what looked like a clothes store.

Moving to his side, he pointed at one of the large windows. "Look at that, you would look so pretty in it."

Chara looked into the window display and saw a frilled sundress held up by thin shoulder straps on a hanger. The dress was mostly the color of grass, with a wide golden-yellow stripe covering the waist. The top part above the stripe was made to look like green flowers gathered together. Sewn into the top of the yellow stripe on the sides, were three thin white pieces of fabric cut to look like long broad leaves.

"Come on, you should try it on!" Asriel grabbed her hand and pulled her into the store with him.

They weaved their way through shelves and racks of clothes of every shape, size, and color. When they reached the counter at the back of the store, Chara noticed that there was nobody there. Asriel spotted a bell next to the old steel and brass cash register. He quickly reached up and pressed the button, sending a clear single note throughout the store.

From back behind the counter, hidden by many selves, they heard what sounded like cardboard boxes being moved around and a voice calling out, "I'll be there in just a moment!"

After a few moments, a stack of boxes appeared and began to approach the counter. As the boxes stepped around the counter it was revealed to be the shop owner carrying them. She was roughly the same height as Toriel but was not a goat-like monster. Instead, she looked more like a large human-like bird. Her feathers were a deep red and slowly faded to a burnt orange the further they got from her torso. She wore a plain white button up blouse and a pair of black shorts, out of which were a pair of bird legs that were shaped like a humans.

After placing the boxes on the counter, she turned to the two siblings. "Now then, how may I help-" She stopped mid-sentence, and her eyes went wide as she realized who was standing before her. "Prince Asriel and Princess Chara!" She quickly bent down on one knee and bowed her feathered head. "It is truly an honor to have you both in my humble shop."

Chara felt her cheeks getting warmer and began to fidget as she was still not used to being treated as royalty.

Almost as if sensing her discomfort, Asriel spoke up with a hint of royal authority in his voice. "Thank you, we appreciate you having us, but please, treat us as if we were just regular customers."

"If that is your wish my Prince then I shall do so." The shop owner straightened back up. "Now, how may I help you?"

Chara glanced at Asriel who gave her an encouraging smile, causing her to smile back. Turning back to the owner she said, "I was hoping to try on the dress you have sitting in the window."

"Of course, you may my dear give me just one moment." The owner headed toward the front to retrieve the dress. After a few seconds she reappeared holding the dress by its hanger. She handed Chara the dress and pointed behind the two of them. "There's a fitting room in the corner over there. Let me know if there's anything you need help with." With that, the owner returned her attention to the boxes she had placed on the counter.

Chara and Asriel made their way to the fitting room. As they were walking, Chara looked over the dress and noticed that the strips of fabric continued around the back. Each one gradually got longer, until the last two that ran along the wearer's spine were long enough to reach the hem of the skirt.

As soon as they reached the fitting room, Chara went inside while Asriel waited for her outside. Inside there were three hooks on the wall to hold clothes and another on the door. On the back wall was a large standing mirror that Chara could see herself in, staring back. Finally, there was a small wooden bench against the right wall. She hung the dress on one of the wall's hooks and sat down to pull her boots off. She then proceeded to peel off her green and yellow sweater and brown shorts. She looked at herself in the mirror again and, after thinking about it for a few moments, decided to take off her socks and brown tights as well. Chara took the dress off its hanger, lifted it up and pulled it over her head.

A bit of struggling later and she managed to get her arms and head out through the other end. After adjusting the shoulder straps and straightening the skirt, Chara turned to look at herself in the mirror. Her bare arms and shoulders were their usual pale white and the hem of the skirt ended roughly three inches above her knees. The only thing that was off was that the straps were sitting at the edges of her shoulders, just barely keeping from slipping off of their own accord. Regardless, her reflection mimicked the smile on her face as she gave herself a twirl, lifting the skirt up and out slightly.

Chara turned and excitedly left the fitting room. She quickly spotted Asriel, who had his back turned to her. Chara lightly tapped him on the shoulder, turning, he revealed himself to be wearing a top hat, monocle and was holding a walking stick that he had found.

"Pip pip, cheerio, 'ello guv'nor." He said with a sophisticated accent.

Chara giggled. "Azzy, you're a big goofball!"

Asriel grinned then slightly gasped when he noticed what Chara was wearing. Chara took a step back and clasped her hands behind her.

"What do you think Azzy?"

Asriel placed a furry finger on his chin as he surveyed the dress.

After a few seconds he clapped his hands together. "Aha, I know!" He hurriedly swung his bag off his shoulders and began to rummage around in it. It wasn't long before he found what he was looking for. Chara tilted her head curiously as Asriel pulled out her golden tiara.

"Azzy, why do you have that?"

Asriel shrugged. "I don't know, mom told me I should bring both of ours, but she didn't say why." Asriel approached her with tiara in hand. Chara bowed her head as he gently placed the golden circle in her hair. After making sure it was in place, Asriel took a few steps back to get a full view of her. Asriel grinned, "Wow, you look so pretty Chara."

Chara felt her cheeks get hot as she smiled from her brother's compliment.

The owner walked up behind Asriel to see how they were doing. Upon seeing Chara, a wide smile appeared on her face. "My princess, you look beautiful in that dress, it really suits you."

Chara could feel her blush deepen. "Thank you, Miss."

"Would you be interested in keeping it?"

Chara looked up into her eyes, a spark of excitement racing through her chest. "Can I really have it?"

The owner nodded. "Of course, no charge." She glanced at Chara's shoulders and noticed the straps. "But it looks like it could use a bit of adjusting. Wait just a moment while I get my measuring tape." The owner left and returned quickly with tape measure in hand. "Alright dear, let's step into the fitting room."

They went back into the fitting room together while Asriel waited outside again. Chara pulled off the dress and the owner got to work taking her measurements. Chara repressed a few shivers as the owner's feathers tickled her back. She measured around her ribcage, the length of her shoulders and arms, and finally her total height. "Alright, that about does it." She draped the dress over her arm. "Wait here while I make the adjustments. It should only take a few minutes."

The owner hurried out of the fitting room while Chara waited for her to return. After a few moments, during which Asriel swapped jokes with Chara through the fitting room door, the owner returned. She stepped back into the fitting room, handing Chara the dress. After pulling it back on, Chara held her arms out while the owner made sure everything was the right size for her.

"Alright, that should about do it." The owner said with a satisfied smile. "Do you wish to wear it on your way out?" Chara nodded eagerly. "Ok, I'll go get a bag for your clothes."

The owner left while Chara pulled her socks and boots back on. She then gathered her clothes and left for the counter with Asriel in tow. The owner appeared from behind the selves with a brown paper bag. Chara placed her ball of clothes into the bag and thanked her before turning to leave.

Before either of them could take a step however, the owner called for them to wait. Turning back around, they watched as the owner walked around to the front of the counter and made a deep bow.

"Thank you, my Prince and Princess, for visiting my store. I hope to see you again."

"Thank you for your time and patience." Asriel responded with his official Prince voice.

After a moment, Chara took a step forward and said in a shy but authoritative voice. "Thank you for the sundress, Miss. I hope to shop here again someday soon."

Chara caught her brother smiling out of the corner of her eye, a look of pride on his furry face. Chara turned and left the shop with Asriel right behind her. They began to head back toward the gardening tool shop when Asriel's cell phone began ringing.

Quickly answering it, Chara could tell that it was Toriel on the other end. Asriel explained where they were and what they had been up to. He soon ended the call with her and placed the phone back into his pocket.

"Mom says it's time for us to head back home and to meet her where that long line of carts was." Asriel began to lead the way, knowing the city better than Chara. "She also said she can't wait to see how you look in your new dress."

Chara couldn't help but smile as she followed Asriel through the twists and turns of the crowd. It didn't take them long to find Toriel across the street as she was taller than most other monsters.

When she spotted them, she quickly hurried over to their side of the street. When she saw Chara, she gave a small gasp. "Oh, my child, you look so beautiful! Did you remember to thank the nice shop owner?"

Chara nodded her head as Toriel pulled her and Asriel into a warm hug. As Toriel stood back up, Chara noticed that she didn't have Asgore's new watering can.

"Hey Ms. Toriel, did you forget the watering can at the store?" Chara asked tilting her head slightly to the side.

"Oh, er... I'm having it engraved with a message and our names." Toriel responded.

"Oh, alright." Chara said with a small smile.

"Come along now my dear children. Your father and I will need to get started on dinner soon." The three of them began heading home, with monster citizens bowing on both sides.

When they finally returned home, Chara left her boots by the door and followed Asriel to their shared room while Toriel headed for the kitchen. Chara could already smell their dinner wafting throughout the house as she and Asriel got out some toys to play with.

After some time, there was a knock on their door accompanied by Toriel's voice. "Children, supper is almost ready."

Chara and Asriel quickly put their toys away before heading toward the bathroom to wash their hands. When they were finished, they raced each other to the dinner table where plates and silverware were already set out. Toriel and Asgore walked out of the kitchen with a large platter in Toriel's hands and a lidded pot in Asgore's. Asgore was wearing an apron over his royal vest. After dinner was served, being spaghetti and meatballs, the family began to dig in while talking about their day.

When they were finished with their meal, Toriel took everyone's dishes to the kitchen. Chara knew what was next, Toriel's amazing butterscotch-cinnamon pie. But she was surprised when Toriel instead brought out a small white box with a red bow on top and placed in front of her.

She stared at it quizzically before looking up at Toriel who was standing behind Asgore with her hands resting on his shoulders. "What is this?"

Asgore smiled at the innocent question. "You'll have to open it to find out."

Chara returned her attention to the gift and began to tentatively unwrap it. After getting through the wrapping paper and bow, she opened the box and looked inside. Sitting on a soft cushion was a golden heart-shaped locket. Chara gently lifted it out of the box and, noticing a clasp on the side, opened it. Inside was a picture of her and Asriel, both of them holding a bouquet of flowers, though Chara's face was mostly covered by the flowers in her arms as she was camera shy. Chara could also see Toriel and Asgore standing behind them with Toriel's hand on her shoulder. Etched on the inside of the front of the locket were the words 'Best Friends Forever.'

Looking up from the locket, Chara turned to look at Asgore and Toriel. "I... Thank you so much."

Toriel shook her furry head with a gentle smile. "It wasn't our idea my dear child."

Chara turned around and watched as her brother pulled an identical locket out of his pocket. She felt tears beginning to run down her cheeks as was overwhelmed with the love she felt from her family and the happiness that filled her heart.

"I... I... l-love you all s-so m-much..." Chara sobbed, unable to keep the tears back as her family pulled her into a warm, gentle group hug. From that day onward, Chara and Asriel kept their lockets with them at all times.

Chara stirred as she began to wake from the dream she had been having. Opening her eyes, the first thing she saw was Frisk sitting across from her, a gentle smile on her face. As her senses returned, Chara's back was stiff from sleeping sitting up. After a few moments, she looked around herself and saw that she was surrounded by what looked like the entire village's population of Temmie's, all of them sleeping soundly. Thankfully, they all began to wake up, stretching and pawing at the ground, allowing Chara to stand from her spot on the ground.

After her own stretching, she returned her attention to Frisk. "How long has it been?"

"About an hour, I had finished 20 minutes ago, but you looked so peaceful that I didn't want to interrupt your nap." Frisk's smile grew as she got up as well.

Chara nodded." Alright, then let's get going."

After they said goodbye to the Temmie's (Frisk saying goodbye, Chara simply petting a few of them) they left the village and began to work their way through the trees once again.

*The author gave you the reader some backstory on Chara's time with the Dreemurrs, though he feels like he might have put a little too much detail into it.*

*This somehow fills you with Determination!*