"What have you experienced? On the surface, I mean? Before falling down here into the Underground?", you ask me while sparing your first Froggit. "I can't believe you were born that evil. There must be reasons."

What's that supposed to be? A therapy session? I don't bother giving an answer to that. I'm still thinking of an appropriate punishment for you for being so naive, thinking you could save me. Maybe I could take over during your next fight and force you to watch me torturing a monster extra slowly before turning it to dust?

"Did you have good friends?", you whisper while goaty leads you through a maze. A sudden memory flashes into my mind. It's a nice one, about three other children pushing me against a tree and calling me a loser. Maybe I should take over now and push goaty into the spikes? Nah, that wouldn't be horrifying enough for you. There must be a better opportunity later.

"How were you treated at home?" Now, while you're dodging the silly depressive ghost's acid tears, I have a quick flashback about being bludgeoned by my producers for trying to steal some chocolate out of the kitchen. You let out a short scream. What, have you... no, surely you just got hit by one of the acid tears.

"I warn you", I'm hissing back. "Don't tease me. Don't provoke me, or I-"

"Or what?", you interrupt me. I sense something inside you getting stronger. It's your determination. "I have nothing to lose. You took everything from me. At least I want to understand why you're doing all these awful things. How have you lost your hope? Your happiness? Your dreams? Your- ouch!"

There can't be any doubt this time. You sensed my inner pain while I'm hearing all these words. Hopes and dreams, eh? I can tell you what hope is. It's when you imagine that your abusive producers might die in a car crash one day. I can also tell you what dreams are. It's when you finally fall asleep on the floor just because your tiredness is stronger than the pain in every bone, and then you have nightmares about what new cruelties might await you the following day. I don't use your mouth to speak out any of this loud, but you still understand every word. Your determination has become so overwhelming during the last minutes that you have gained full control over your body again. I can't take over at the moment.

Meanwhile you've said goodbye to the ghost for now and made it into goaty's home. We're in your new chamber now, sitting on the bed that used to be mine. You really seem distressed, even goaty has asked you if you're fine. After just sitting there for some minutes, you start to talk.

"Have your parents - I mean, your human parents-"

"DON'T call them parents!" A wave of rage flows through me. A well-known feeling. I'd like to use it for a nice little massacre. But I can't. For now, you're stronger, so I have to play by your rules and listen to your answer.

"O...okay, okay, sorry, please... but... have they... have they ever said 'I love you'?"

"Actually, yes", I reply monotonously. A wave of something strange starts to make itself felt inside you. Is it hopefulness? "It was once, after they had once again punched me for nothing. I asked them if they hated me. They said: 'Hate you? We don't hate you. We love you, dear. Without you, we would have nobody to wreak our aggressions on.' That was the moment when I decided to use 'LOVE' as an acronym for 'level of violence'."

I can feel your determination sinking. Good. Now I can finally take over again. Where's the knife? I... wait, I notice something flowing over your face. I stand up with your body, move out of the chamber and look into the nearby mirror.

It's me, Chara.

But the tears are from you.

And that was the moment. The turning point. Nobody had ever cried for me and my childhood before. Not even Asriel, whom I hadn't told much about my past. The only thing he knew was that I had unhappy reasons to climb Mt. Ebott. But you, you were crying for me. In this moment, standing in front of the mirror and seeing your tears flow over my face, I felt like a life-and-afterlife-long need was finally satisfied. I had no word for it then, but today I know it was the need for pity. Honest, simple pity. That was the moment when I started to care for you, Frisk. That was the moment when you SAVEd me.

However, I still had to learn a lot. I was still full of mistrust, above all toward the monsters. With all I had experienced in my short human life, I couldn't believe in happy endings so easily anymore. But you taught me better, Frisk. Inside your mind, I learned more than ever before. I learned to allow feelings, to do good things, to treat friends. In one word, I learned to live.

I don't know how long I'm standing in front of the mirror just watching your tears. Most of my thoughts and feelings during these minutes are so chaotic that I can't properly describe any of them. But one new feeling makes itself felt more and more clearly: I suddenly feel bad about abusing your body for my entertainment. Then I notice your strong presence inside our body. Your determination increases again, as if you've made a decision.

"Chara..."

"Yes... Frisk?"

"I want my body back. Please."

I quietly nod, and the big red eyes in the mirror become smaller and smaller and the face expression more and more blank and stoic. Your body is yours again.

"Thank you. And... what about my SOUL?", you ask softly, without urging me.

I hesitate, but then I hear myself saying "well... I think you can handle it better than me." I feel that with my allowance, your SOUL is fully switching back to you. I'm astonished myself at first how little resistance I'm offering. But then I understand - it's because of a gleam of hope that has formed inside me while looking into the mirror. Now that your body and SOUL are yours again, I'm again no more than an observer inside your mind. And suddenly...

Suddenly I hate myself for being so foolish! I've let you take full control again, I've given up everything I worked for during the last days and weeks, just because I allowed myself to hope again. Hope that someone would actually care for me. Every time I had hoped for a better life on the surface, every time I had hoped that my producers would now care for me when they had a good day, they would surely have a bad day tomorrow and kick me away again if I stood in their way. Haven't I learned anything from the humans? They don't care. They're selfish and-

"Don't worry", you whisper quietly, but still forcefully and trustworthily. "I won't let you down. I won't give up until you can feel happiness at least one time. That's a promise."

My wave of rage calms down as quickly as it has come. You got everything you wanted, you're the boss inside your body and mind again, and instead of laughing at me and my stupidity, you're still so kind. I don't have any more arguments against you. I also want you to be happy. I want you to get back to the surface and continue your life there, whatever it was like before you fell down into the Underground.

You go back into your chamber, lie down on your bed and we both fall asleep peacefully.