One Simple World

Chapter 18: Simply at War

Chara's Point of View:

Everything hurt as I came to.

It was so stupid... I cursed as I came up to look at my wounds, my chest hurting the most from where that stupid soul exploded against me. I cursed my luck at how he got a huge hit in. Slowly standing, my determination magic was the only thing holding me upright as I moved toward the entrance of the only remaining building... the castle.

My fight with that fucking rabbit man lasted far too long as he let the city fall on top of me. But before he could finish me off, he ran out of buildings to use against me. Things to hurl at me. The rubble of the city lay around me at my feet, small enough that it would be easier to avoid if hurled at myself.

But that infuriated me.

"Damn it..." Lifting a hand to my chest, I knew I needed healing before I could get started. Before I could use all my strength. I pushed magic through me to start healing my wounds. A spark of golden magic escaped my hand, but... it wasn't as strong as it was before.

I guess that blast must have been too much for Frisk... even her magic is off limits in these moments. Fine... whatever.Cursing my luck, I leaned against the wall of the castle entrance, its stains somehow still intact as I stood there. They were covered in dried blood of the little mouse monster I'd stabbed that I guess put that bomb against me. The rest of him dusted and blown away in the wind.

My healing was slower than normal without the help of Frisk. I know the blast affected both of us. He managed to wedge his soul between us and cause a lot of pain. He may have even cracked our chains a bit... but we would be fine... we would keep pressing onwards... Iwould keep pressing onwards.

It was an hour before most of my wounds healed and I could carry my knife normally in my hand. Before I could walk normally without the bend in my knee that shouldn't have been there. The broken skull I could feel banging in the back of my head, ringing still from battle.

But it was time to press on. I had to make it to the surface.

Once healed, I stepped inside. The palace had not changed since I passed when I last looked inside. Asriel and I ran through those very walls as we approached. Memories slowly coming to the surface as I traversed through each and every winding corridor. The same tone of cold gray color throughout with colored accents of red, of yellow, or purple.

I even saw the gardens, that same garden that I died in. I couldn't help but stop at it, staring over the same golden flowers and hearing the voice of my father in my head. How he warned me to be careful around them, how some parts were tasty, and others were deadly.

And I used that knowledge to further my own selfish plans. Necessary, but selfish plans.

I didn't deserve to be forgiven, I knew that. But-

The slamming of a door not far ahead gathered my attention. Turning to face it, down the hallway I saw the door that led to that of the judgement hall. A place where Father and his jury judged those that had done wrong. People who didn't know their identities, who snuck around in the swells of people of the underground.

I walked up to the hallway. What was normally a covered hallway to keep dark and prisoners unable to see, the archways and windows were all left open. Artificiallight of the crystals came down through, lighting my way until I made it beyond the threshold.

And then the door slammed shut behind me.

"Hello there, Chara."

The pressure alone that I could feel was pulsing, maddening from how it felt like the very ground I walked on was vibrating my entire being.

The very feeling of fear washed over me and I felt herself sweating, the grip on my knife was shaking, and it took all I had to keep it in my hands. My entire body shivered, something I wasn't able to control as I stood there, my knees almost buckling.

Then, I heard footsteps.

Looking down the passageway, there were two figures that stepped toward me. Hand in hand, the two of them were vastly different in appearancecompared to the other. One was clearly a monster, a skeletonthat appeared male from the body language. Baggy clothes, a wide frame, a blue jacket, shorts, pink... fuzzy slippers on his feet? But I could feel the energy pulsing from him. He was radiating with it. His eye sockets glowed indigo, a single iris appearing within one socket of that color that glowed so brightly, a trail of magic wispedout from the edges of his socket.

But he wasn't the only one.

Holding his hand, a female human was beside him, and I almost couldn't stand once our eyes met. Glowing red, they were so bright I almost couldn't see the actual iris' of her eyes. Brown hair was wrapped over her shoulder in a braid while she was dressed in jeans, boots, a plaid shirt of red and black coloring that hung open, showing a black undershirt while they slowly approached.

They were the two I needed to merge with... their souls...

"I'm sure you know exactly who we are, don't you?"

"So you are actually alive. Francine will be delighted to know that." I tried to keep my voice steady, to not shake before her person. That woman... she was powerful, and she was out for blood... both of them were...

They wouldn't be an easy fight.

The woman looked back at me with eyes that bore down on my figure. The body of her sister. Her gaze was intense, even if her eyes gave so little, and yet so much emotion. "Yes, she is."

Looks like you were right, Francine... why don't you come out and see your sister?

But I was met with silence. Something I thought was strange. I figured she would be ecstaticto see her sister. A beacon of hope, especially with how powerful she was. Her sister... this woman named Angel... she was no joke.

I was actually nervous about howI would beat her... Because I needed that monster soul beside her. But he was no weakling either...

I wasn't sure how I'd beat eitherof them...

Come on Francine... we have work to do. Don't tell me you're going to ignore your very sister who's standing before us? You're not going to fight me?

"I believeyou're looking for something that's no longer with you."

The woman's comment startled me, as I watched her figure again. I could see her squeezing the hand of the male skeleton beside her before her magic activated. From her soul, multiple human and monster souls were bound to her... and that male monster beside her was bound to her too. My eyes... I couldn't help the surprised look that appeared on my face while I watched the souls leave her into their own space surrounding her.

And then... they turned into shapes of people...

Some of them I recognized... Some of them were people that I killed. I saw the tall skeleton man known as Papyrus, I saw Undyne, I saw... Mom... Three others I didn't recognize, but they looked similarto Angel, Frisk and the skeletons. Clearly family members of some kind.

And then... one final soul came into being that was small, shaped... similarly to myself. They hung close to Angel's side. As their being came into shape, I couldn't believeit when I saw the face of Frisk only feet away from me.

"What's up, Princess?"

"...What?" There was no way... no way she could have broken the connection... she was the host for fuck's sake! How was she able to get away? We were so connected... she would have died without me!

"Haha! Look at her face, Angel! She doesn'tget it!" Frisk laughed before me, holding onto her sister's other hand before her face turned somber and Frisk looked much more serious, though a devious smile still sat upon her face. "You didn't think that last attack wasn't for nothing at all, did you?"

"There's no way..." I couldn't think as I looked at her and the many souls behind her who scowled at me darkly. All except for my mother and Papyrus who looked on with pitiful eyes. "You shouldn't have been able to escape."

"You can thank Sampson for that. He gave his life to break the chain attaching me to you. It cost me my life sadly, but now I'm merged with my sister." With a brighter smile than I'd ever seen on her, Frisk beamed at me. "This also means that you took over my body, so that soul of yours is attached, and the second you die, your soul will shatter. I bet you won't get a second chance again. What do you think?"

"I think you've told her enough, Frisk." The older sister's words echoed in the hallway. Her soul radiated as she stood there, watching me. Her eyes never left my form, she didn't even blink. "Let us cut to the chase, shall we? Chara, clearly you're after your sister then? Silke? You wish her dead? Frisk has updated me, and the fact that she told you we killed her in our previous life. Yet that seems not to matter to you. You won't stop your rampage?"

I narrowed my eyes to the woman. She clearly had been thoroughin her research of me. "No, I need to see her dead. Then I'll die."

My sister raised her eyebrow. "You know what you're doing is wrong?"

"Of course I do." My comment was quick, effortless. "I'm killing people. I made your sister help me kill people. It's morally wrong, and one of the most horrid things I can do to someone else by forcing them to help me. I tried to tell your sister many times I only needed onesoul. Just one. Once I had them, I would be on my way so I could stop hurting others. With the power of a monster and human soul combined, I knew I could kill her. End that bloodline and be done with it. Then... I could finally stop."

My hands shook as I stood there, from the power, the fear, the nerves, the worries. Everything had my nerves on fire as I stood before them all.

Angel paused as she stood there, the fluctuation in power almost paused, hesitating. "And I'm assuming if we offered to kill her for you, like we did before, it would make no difference?"

"You would be right. I have to see this through."

A sigh escaped her then. "Then you'll understand that we won't let you."

I couldn't even see it. Everything happened so fast I had no time to truly see what was going on before a flash of red hit me in the chest. I felt it. It burned against my chest as I was hurled back into a column. The impact alone broke many of my bones. I screamedout as I fell, and what little bit of healing magic was used right away to hold my body together.

No! I can't die like this!

Witch's Note:

And here we go, the final showdown begins! Chara begins her fight with Angel and Sans, her final battle supposedly. Angel and Sans still seem to be holding back if only slightly while Angel's magic makes the first strike.

Mystic Girl: Oh I've been waiting for this! Finally! Down with the bitch! I've hated this for so long with so many characters killed and I can't wait to see her get what's coming.

Me: Oh trust me, I know. We just had an amazing moment where Frisk was freed last chapter, and now united with all the power of the sisters, family and friends, Chara will have quite the uphill battle.

Mystic Girl: Oh I can't wait! What's next?

Me: You know what comes next! Reviews!

Thechaosmaster: Oh Chaos, I never meant to make you cry, but it is an emotional moment. Something so precious that I loved to share. I'm so grateful you enjoyed the moment, you and Red both. But yes, the time for ass kicking has begun.

What shall happen? Can Chara do anything now without Frisk? Will she push through? Does she take them by surprise? I can't say, but this is the final battle, as two chapters remain.

MysticBoywastaken: Its very like that she is lonely, but no one can help someone who doesn't want to be helped. It has to be her choice. But two chapters remain, you can hold out hope that something will change.

Shadow8Phantom: What an interesting concept! That Chara shall end up just the same as her sister. Burned and destroyed by the hands of Angel and Sans. Very likely, very possible. Our final battle has begun.

midnightwreken: Another who hopes for redemption for Chara? My goodness, the group is growing. If something is to happen, it will need to happen quickly as we approach the ending of this story. It shall only be alive for two more weeks before everything changes…

Mystic Girl: I can't believe its coming so quickly! The book really ends in two chapters?!

Me: It is. We knew that this would be a short story, we knew the number of chapters… and we have things planned for the future.

Mystic Girl: I can't wait!

Me: Good, but now we'll sign off and we'll see you all next week! Love you all!

Halloween Witch and Mystic Girl