Chapter 44

It was the day more Blues arrived at the camp. A lot of them were coming from The Island. There were those Mon looked forward to seeing again, but there was one she hoped didn't come.

Mon decided against being part of the welcoming committee, but she still awoke early to be there for the new arrivals. If there was anyone she wanted to greet, she would. It was being expected to greet everyone and be assigned to show some randos around of which Mon was happy to get out.

At first, Mon didn't see anyone she recognized as she stood a few yards away. Then she began to see familiar faces from The Island. After a few minutes, hidden within the crowd, was Papyrus.

It was as Mon was about to excitedly call out to Papyrus that she noticed who was with him. On his head was Temmie, the two seeming to never part, but Mon didn't mind Temmie too much. It was Papyrus's other associate that had Mon scowling.

Alice saw Mon, smiled, and waved. Papyrus and Temmie, first looking to where Alice directed her gaze, did the same. Not wanting to be rude, Mon forced a grin on her face.

Without waiting a second, Mon then spun on her heel and ventured back to her tent. She didn't want to deal with this. It would be better to go back to bed until it was time to for the camp to wake.

"Mon, wait up!" Alice called, and it sounded as if she chased after Mon.

Mon began to walk faster.

"Mon, wait!" Alice pleaded, shouting louder as if she wanted Mon to think Alice assumed Mon didn't hear her the first time.

Sighing, Mon stopped. Alice was painfully determined. If Alice decided she was going to talk to Mon, they were going to talk whether Mon liked it or not.

"Hey," Alice said, breathless, when she stopped behind Mon.

"Hey yourself," Mon replied without turning around.

"You never returned my calls."

"Yeah, sorry. Can't make contact with the outside world. You know how these secret bases are."

"Your parents and Carla heard from you regularly though."

"Well, family is the exception."

For a while, Alice didn't reply. Mon still didn't turn around. She had begun to hope that Alice was walking away when Alice spoke again.

"How are you doing?"

"Good."

"How's training?"

"Fine."

"Are you still mad at me?"

"Yes."

"Mon . . ." Since Mon still would not turn around to face Alice, the rabbit monster took it upon herself to walk around Mon so that they could face each other. "Don't you even have any right to be mad at me? If anyone, I wronged Frisk, not you."

Although what Alice said was true, Mon still could not find it in herself to forgive Alice for betraying Frisk's trust. Pushing Frisk, who had spent time prior captured and forced to engage in ridiculous "trials" for the sake of entertaining the Underground, to emotionally reveal who she was and what she had lost, was something Mon could not take lightly. If Alice had no problem doing such to Frisk, there was no reason Alice wouldn't do the same to Mon if she had any secrets that could change the tide of the Underground. Not only that, but Alice's actions landed Frisk in this mess, a mess which Mon willingly chose to follow into. The Underground was on the brink of civil war, and Alice helped to accelerate the first fired shot.

"What you did was no careless mistake," Mon said once she was able to find the words. "This is something you knew would have consequences, and despite my pleading you don't do it, you did it anyway."

"Again, I wronged Frisk, not you," Alice pointed out.

"And Frisk has already forgiven you?" Mon asked.

Alice sucked in a sharp breath. She didn't need to say anything. Mon already knew the answer.

"Maybe if we all survive this war you started," Mon said, walking around Alice to continue the return journey to her tent, "then maybe we can talk. Right now, you're dead to me."

If Alice had anything to say, she didn't speak it. Mon kept marching away, feeling like a turd but knowing she truly didn't have it within herself to be kind to Alice. Although they had been friends since childhood, the whole interaction left Mon feeling as if she had talked with a stranger. This didn't feel like the monster Mon knew. This felt like the worst possible version of Alice that Mon could ever meet.

"You got issues with that little white rabbit?"

Although normally Mon would be scared, she couldn't bring herself to care as she stopped walking and responded, "None of your business, Suzy."

Leaning against the rock Mon was walking past, Suzy chuckled and replied, "Whoa, you must be super pissed if you're talking to me like that."

"You can kick my butt for it later," Mon said. Perhaps when she wasn't so heated, Mon would come back to her senses and realize how she talked to Scary Suzy and have deep regrets, but in that moment, she couldn't pretend to care. In that moment, Suzy was just an annoying obstacle between Mon and her bed.

That was why, while Mon expected Suzy to agree to the promise of beating her up later, it surprised Mon when Suzy said, "I'm not good at this sort of thing, but . . . based on that interaction I saw, I take it you and the bunny used to be friends."

Intrigued at the observation, Mon slightly turned her attention towards Suzy and asked, "What makes you say that?"

Suzy shrugged. "The only people who can get to you like that are people who know you well. It always seems that family and friends specialize in getting on your nerves in the most effective ways possible."

"Well, you're not wrong. Have you had similar experiences?"

"Hell naw," Suzy answered. "I barely remember my parents, and I never had friends. Keeps my life simple."

"Must be very lonely, too," Mon said before she realized she was speaking. Her heart squeezed in her chest for just a moment. As much as she couldn't stand to be around Alice, there were still parts of Mon that missed her.

Instead of replying rudely or giving a biting remark, Suzy seemed to think about her response before saying, "Some of us are just better off alone."

"That's the biggest lie we could tell ourselves," Mon said, slowly testing the waters with Suzy, a monster she would normally be too scared to address. "No matter how anti-social we are, none of us are ever meant to be alone. We are not meant to live alone, to bear our burdens alone, or even to celebrate alone. Every single one of us needs community. The biggest way we fool ourselves is believing that we don't."

With Suzy's hair covering most of her face, it was hard to guess what the monster might have been thinking. Perhaps she listened to Mon and took the words to heart. Maybe she barely paid any attention because she decided to dismiss whatever Mon said before she spoke it. For all Mon knew, it could have been anything in between. Not only was Suzy's face covered, but her body language gave nothing away either.

Before either Suzy could respond or Mon could think of something else to say, Frisk came running towards the girls. She was still in her pajamas, and her hair was unbrushed. Her face was red and tear stricken.

"It's gone!" Frisk exclaimed before Mon could ask what was wrong. "My lo-locket, it's go-one! I searched—I searched everywhere for it, but I can't find i-it anywhere!"

Mon resisted the urge to swear. This was not good. What Frisk said next did not make it any better.

"Did you take my locket?!" Frisk demanded, eyes locked onto Suzy.

Baring her teeth, Suzy snarled, "What the hell would I want with your stupid locket?"

Frisk opened her mouth to respond but didn't. Of course, Suzy wouldn't know anything about Chara being connected to the locket. Even if she did, it would do Frisk no favors to reveal to Suzy that she knew Suzy knew Frisk could talk to Chara.

"Maybe as some sort of prank?" Mon suggested.

Suzy scoffed. "I have much better things to do than to play childish pranks. Besides, why is this locket so damn special to you anyway?"

Hiccupping, Frisk stated, "Mom gave it to me before she died."

There was a change in Suzy's body language, but Mon couldn't read it. Suzy's shoulders tensed, but her breath came out heavy. She dug her nails into her arms as if to keep them from moving elsewhere.

"I didn't take your locket, and I don't know who did if anyone," Suzy finally said after a moment. Her words sounded strained. It was impossible for Mon to know if Suzy was even telling the truth.

Frisk deflated. "Sorry I accused you. I'll . . . I'll keep looking."

With that said, Frisk turned around and began to walk away. Mon looked at Suzy, whose body language was still impossible to read. Not having anything to say, Mon wordlessly followed Frisk.

As if she knew what Mon was thinking, Frisk said, "Suzy was telling the truth."

Mon furrowed her brows. "How do you know that?"

"I have been practicing checking for myself." Frisk entered her tent, and Mon entered as well. Shrugging, Frisk added, "I always knew that I couldn't depend on Chara to always do it for me, I just . . . wasn't expecting to have to start relying on myself now."

"Hey, dude, it'll be okay," Mon tried. "We'll find your locket."

Dropping to her bed and placing her face into her palms, Frisk took a deep breath and exhaled loudly. "If someone has the locket who's not supposed to and they wear it . . . Mon, the secret will be out. Everyone will know the truth."

"Yeah, that would suck," Mon muttered. While Frisk didn't respond, Mon fell into deep thought.

The Blues exist because we proclaim that Chara is innocent of the crimes pinned against him and Queen Toriel is right that we should hope to see the sky some day with no feelings other than peace towards humanity. However, what we believe is so far removed from what actually happened. Chara may have committed to the crimes pinned to him, or his confession may be a lie to protect someone else. As for Queen Toriel, based on how she raised Frisk, I don't think she would approve of anything being done about seeing her dream. . . . Knowing about Chara will only make things worse, especially if he does confess to the crimes the Reds say he committed.

"We're just going to have to hope that doesn't happen," was all the comfort Mon had to offer.

"I guess so," Frisk replied, and it was clear to Mon that Frisk did not feel better about any of it.

Amongst those assigned to search though Waterfall Castle, only Mon being selected was a surprise. Frisk was almost relieved, especially since the only other certainty was Suzy. The other monsters Frisk didn't know too well, so it was nice that of the only familiar faces, one would be friendly.

It was hard trying to be happy despite the good news, however.

Without Chara, the day was so much bleaker. Had this been a predetermined separation, Frisk would have been fine. Instead she had to deal with not knowing where he was. She spent the day worried and anxious. Eating was impossible, her heart raced constantly, and her body was covered in sweat that had nothing to do with the heat of Hotland. Her mind was too foggy to think straight. Even Sans's jokes and puns were not that funny.

Frisk missed Chara. Whenever they were temporarily separated, the loneliness of his absence was made easy from the promised reunion. However, there was no knowing when or if she would see him again.

As she sat on her bed that night, knees tucked to her chest as she was unable to falls asleep, Frisk thought about what Chara had told her that night many weeks ago.

"According to legend, if two people with a red soul were to ever cross paths, they would be instantly bonded."

Chara didn't believe the legend, but he also admitted that of every human who fell Underground, it was Frisk he followed. Maybe it was coincidence, or maybe it was fate. Yet what they talked about the night before, about how despite the odds they still met and became friends, it was hard to believe there meeting was left to "it just so happened that." Whether or not their souls were bonded, Frisk believed in her heart and soul that she and Chara were destined to meet. As for their relationship, it was difficult for Frisk to defined.

Two red souls could be bonded to become like siblings, best friends, worst rivals, or more, according to Chara. Frisk closed her eyes and thought about those options. She and Chara were definitely not like siblings, not when Chara's feelings for his brother Asriel never in any way mirrored how Chara felt about her. Best friends didn't feel right, and worst rivals, although possibly the closest, still did not convey the openness and vulnerability they could share with each other.

Frowning, Frisk wondered, And what did Chara mean by "more"? Like there were more kinds of relationships, or a specific kind? Of these, which does he think of me?

Resisting the urge to groan, Frisk threw her head back and took a deep breath. She felt more confused the more she thought about it. Times such as this left her wishing that Chara kept that legend about red souls to himself.

Unable to sleep and not wanting to stay in place for much longer, Frisk quickly changed clothes and snuck out into the night. It was risky to sneak away without Chara there to go ahead unseen and warn her of anyone who would spot her, but Frisk couldn't stay put. Even without Chara, Frisk needed to return to the scene of one of their most important conversations.

At first, Frisk stalked towards her destination. She walked quickly as if she could not get there fast enough. The speed did little to help sneaking, but it helped Frisk know that she was not the only one running out into the night.

When Frisk heard what sounded like a rock splashing into the river, she stopped in her tracks and said, "I'm not running away, if that's what you're thinking."

There was an audible swear before Suzy's voice responded, "I can't believe my cover was blown because I accidentally kicked a stupid rock."

Frisk turned around and watched as Suzy emerged from the shadows. The reptilian monster shifted from foot to foot, scratching the back of her head. She wouldn't look Frisk's way.

Narrowing her eyes, Frisk looked away from Suzy. She kicked that rock on purpose.

"I know my reputation is to run away," Frisk said, staring ahead, "but I am not doing that anymore."

"Then what are you doing?" Suzy challenged.

Seeing no point in lying, Frisk answered, "I couldn't sleep, so I wanted to go for a walk and find someplace isolated to think. I was going to be back way before we needed to go on our mission."

Suzy crossed her arms, hummed, and said, "I don't think you're lying, but if I know you were leaving campgrounds and didn't stop you, and I woke up in the morning to find that you were gone . . ."

"You can come with me," Frisk said, not wanting to say it but not wanting Suzy to drag her back to the camp more.

Besides, Frisk thought, if Suzy wanted to, she could have just followed me undetected.

"I mean, I like my bed," Suzy contemplated out loud as she scratched her chin, "but why not? A little change of scenery never hurt."

Without replying, Frisk became to walk forward again. Suzy wordlessly followed. Being followed by Suzy should have been nerve racking, but Frisk was surprised to find that she didn't mind Suzy's presence too much. Of course, Suzy was ordered to try to grow close to Frisk. This may have been her attempt to begin forming some sort of relationship with the human.

Yet if that was the case, Suzy didn't try to start any conversations with Frisk. In turn, Frisk didn't try to start any of her own. They walked towards their destination in silence.

When they came to the statue where Frisk and Chara discussed red souls, Frisk rested her hand on the head of the statue. The music box still played. Something about the tune made Frisk's heart ache, like she wanted to cry and mourn but she didn't know for whom or what.

"I know this song."

Frisk turned her attention to Suzy. As usual, Suzy's expression, hidden behind her bangs, was unreadable. Her arms were crossed, and she appeared to be gazing downwards.

"What is this song?" Frisk asked, genuinely curious.

She wasn't expecting Suzy to respond, yet the monster answered, "This is the song that was written in dedication to Prince Asriel."

"Prince Chara killed him," Frisk said, knowing based on Chara's words that it was only indirectly he had killed his brother, but Frisk wanted to know what Suzy's beliefs were.

Suzy shrugged one shoulder. "Who the hell knows what's true? The Reds say that Prince Chara was a murderer, but the Blues say that he was innocent of all crimes he was accused of."

"Which do you think are true?"

"No idea, but if I had to guess, maybe both are true."

Raising a brow, Frisk stated "That's an interesting viewpoint."

"Well," Suzy began, "I'm sure Prince Chara had to do something terrible to justify the Reds condemning him of those crimes; and unless Prince Chara had some good, redeeming qualities, the Blues are absolute fools for taking the side of one who murdered so many of their kind. The problem is both sides take extreme perspectives of what might actually be the truth. It's hard to know what is true, but to an extent, I think both sides might be right."

Shades of purple. Biting her lower lip, Frisk swallowed and asked, "Why are you a Blue then?"

"Believe me, I'm not. I was just born into a family of Blues, but I don't believe any of it for myself."

"Would you rather be a Red then?"

"I would rather we not be so divided over something that happened a hundred years ago."

Before Frisk could respond, she heard a soft voice in the distance calling out, "Chara? Chara, are you there? It's me, your best friend."

Frisk sucked in a sharp breath. Slowly, she slid her gaze to Suzy. More surprising to Frisk than the soft, disembodied voice was the posture of shock in Suzy's stance.

"You heard that too?" Frisk whispered.

"Oh, you also heard that? I thought there might have been something in the mushrooms I uprooted and ate on the walk here."

"When did you eat mushrooms? Oh, never mind. Follow me."

"Don't tell me what to do, human," Suzy snarled, but she still quietly followed Frisk.

Poking her head around the corner, Frisk's heart stopped. It was Flowey. Not only that, but Flowey had the locket.

"Chara, can you hear me?" the flower asked, using a voice that did not sound to be his. "Please, answer me. I never meant those things I said. Please, Chara. I'm sorry."

Suzy, upon also looking around the corner and seeing the talking flower, began to exclaim, "Holy shi—"

"Shhh!" Frisk rebuked, elbowing Suzy, but it was too late.

Flowey snapped his head around and saw the girls only a few feet away. His demeanor went from one of surprise to one of intense anger. Making a sound of disgust, Flowey slung the locket at Frisk.

"So, you think you can make a fool out of me?!" he snapped. "Well, congratulations, Frisk, you did it. I hope you're happy!"

Then without another word, Flowey burrowed underground. Frisk could only stand in shock. She wasn't sure if what she witnessed was real until Suzy walked past Frisk.

"Well, now we know who stole your locket. Damn, I've never seen a talking flower before. Any idea what the hell that was about?"

Frisk was about to yell at Suzy to stay away from the locket, but she stopped herself when she saw how gently Suzy picked it up by the chain. Inspecting the locket for only half a moment, Suzy walked back to Frisk and extended her hand. Cautiously, Frisk reached out and accepted the locket from Suzy. It took all her self-control to not throw the locket over her head. Chara would have to wait until Frisk was no longer with Suzy.

"I'd say that was one hell of a prank," Suzy began, "but I don't think you did that on purpose."

Mouth suddenly dry, Frisk found that she could not form a response. What would I even say? I already know she knows, but I don't know how much she knows.

"Based on what you know," Suzy said slowly, as if she herself was hesitant to speak, "do you think the Reds or Blues are right about Prince Chara?"

This is her roundabout way of asking what Chara told me.

"The Reds are right," Frisk replied, seeing no point in lying. It didn't matter what she said anymore. Flowey may as well as confirmed everything for Suzy, and Frisk would be a fool to pretend she could trick Suzy by this point.

Suzy tilted her head to the side and asked, "Do you believe it?"

"No," Frisk didn't miss a beat to answer. What she didn't voice was that she agreed with Suzy. It was without a shadow of a doubt that Frisk knew Chara did some of the terrible things he and history claimed he did, but Frisk didn't believe it was all as true as Chara and the Reds claimed.

Chara ruined so may lives, but all he truly wanted was to make everyone's lives better.

Chara may claim he had killed Asriel, even if indirectly, but it was never a result he sought.

Chara killed people, but Frisk could not understand what would motivate an otherwise kind person to do such horrendous acts.

Something happened in Chara's past to set him on the path he walked. Not that it made him innocent of all crimes, but things were not as simple as black and white. There were so many shades of gray to the deceased prince that Frisk could only hope that perhaps someday, Chara would unravel them for her.

"You're right," Frisk finally admitted, clutching the locket tighter. Looking up at Suzy, she added, "I don't know exactly what happened, and I'm sure I have less facts than you do, but I know in my heart that what you believe is true. Both sides are a little right, but it's not just Reds or Blues. There are shades of purple to this story. I only wish I knew what was the truth of it all."

To that, Suzy didn't have a response. Such was fine with Frisk. Suzy was supposed to try to get close to Frisk anyway, so Frisk had no problems letting Suzy think she made progress.

Finally, after minutes passed, Suzy said, "We should probably get back to the camp."

Holding onto the locket and wordlessly vowing to never let it or Chara go again, Frisk replied, "We should."