Life and death, cocoa and gunpowder

Strange noises have been detected in the Waterfall region, some even report seeing silhouettes moving through the shadows, but there seems to be no way to find the root of the matter. Your first reaction might be to think of the echo flowers, whose main characteristic is to continually repeat any line of dialogue they have been able to hear but... no, those close to this cavernous sector assure that these voices come from somewhere else but how, and from where?

No matter how hard they try, the monsters that inhabit these parts could never find answers, at least not directly, since a large part of these sounds come from a poor, lonely soul in pain, who spends his eternity on the shores of an isolated lake in the region, out of reach of any living being, even knowing that they cannot see him, or hear him.

The calm sound of water, coming and going, an endless cycle that reminds her of her miserable existence, someone who looks at this crystalline substance and can't even see her own reflection, someone who has forgotten something as simple as her own appearance.

- How many years have passed already? Little by little, I'm forgetting what it was like to hear Asriel's voice, I've forgotten what it was like to feel the warmth of mom's lips on my forehead every night, dad's encouraging words, even when I clearly didn't deserve them, I...

She can't finish her sentence, that young woman with brown hair and a striped sweater is interrupted by her own tears, which are lost in the immensity of that beautiful lake.

And this happens every day since Chara died from that disease, being forced to remain trapped in the Underground in the form of a spirit, incorporeal, with all the time in the world to understand and suffer because of her mistakes, without even having a chance to rest in peace. What kind of cruel punishment is this, where even death has turned its back on you?

Seconds become minutes, hours are nothing more than the blink of an eye, months and years become imperceptible to her, who returns to the exact same spot every afternoon to lament the past.

There she remains sitting on the ground, with her head down and holding her knees, one more day visiting the calm of Waterfall, it is then that she can hear someone approaching, her expression changes, trying to avoid that someone seeing her cry.

- Here again, uh... ?
Are you feeling okay... ?

It's Clover, a young human with a physical age similar to Chara's, someone who unfortunately has ended up sharing the same fate. He is a cheerful boy, who at first glance does not seem to regret his actions in life, someone good, who seeks nothing more than justice for his neighbors, even if this ended up putting him in imminent danger.

- It's nothing...

An expected response from Chara, it's clear that she hates showing herself weak in front of others, she doesn't want to be around this guy so much, not because she doesn't like him, but because she feels that she doesn't deserve it.

- You're an intelligent girl, and yet, you're very bad at lying.

She tells him while taking a seat right next to him, hands at her sides, without making contact beyond visual.

- I've told you a thousand times that it's not necessary for you to suffer in solitude, right? I've been in your situation for a few months now, but you continue to avoid me, again and again.

The male's tone of voice is calm, he doesn't even seem bothered by Chara's constant evasions, who only looks away, answering with a slight sigh.

- Clover, you've been in this situation for months, I've been for years. At this point, it's very difficult for me to keep my spirits up, even more so knowing everything I ended up leaving behind...

- I know it's hard, I don't think I've gotten used to it yet, but that doesn't mean we should spend our days completely isolated, right? I don't want to force you to be best friends forever or something similar, I'd just like you to understand that you can count on me, at least, to not feel so miserable, just a little.

A sour humor, but one that works for her, her sad grimace is interrupted for a few moments with a very slight smile.

- Enjoy your good mood while you can Clover, it would be a shame if sooner or later you end up being a bitter person like me.

- Believe me, if that moment comes, at least it would be funny to be a duo with a totally explosive and irascible humor.

She finds it hard to admit it, but she really enjoys the boy's presence. How does he manage to keep up those spirits? How can he continue to have that warm smile even after being a victim of this cruel fate? These are questions Chara had never had the courage to ask, at least until now.

- You know, I've always wanted to ask you something...

- Go ahead, what is it about?

The fresh breeze of the region creates a calm atmosphere, an environment in which two souls from the past can expose their ethereal hearts, the silence before the dialogue is extremely relaxing for both.

- How can you still be... you?

The boy tilts his head with some intrigue, to which Chara rephrases her question.

- I mean, since the day I saw you in... this state, you've always remained so lively, cheerful even, you don't seem to have regrets, you don't seem worried about what the future holds for you. How do you do it? How do you face each day knowing that you are no longer the master of your destiny?

- That's a very good question...

- Sometimes, I get a little jealous of your way of being, I'm not ashamed to say that on more than one occasion you managed to make me smile, it's just... How? I've never seen you cry, and I, like a fool, continue to isolate myself to suffer for things that have been buried in the past, I miss Asriel, I miss mom, I miss dad...

He doesn't answer, you can even see him somewhat affected by that question.

- I know that in my time I made mistakes, I was a young and problematic girl, and I regret it. It is now that I realize how much I lost, and that is what hurts me so much, and it is this pain that makes me feel this envy for you, how is it that you...?-

Chara has cut off her own train of thought in an instant, her eyes open in astonishment when she turns to look her partner straight in the eyes, only to realize that he was crying silently.

- Clover...?

This is the first time she sees him cry, his tears, like hers at the time, are lost among the crystalline mantle of the lake, and even in those moments, the boy maintains a smile, a constant memory as sweet as it is bitter.

- I wish it were that simple, I wish I were the person you are describing right now, Chara.

A gesture so human that reminds them that even in this eternal limbo, he still retains certain reminiscences of his humanity.

- There is no day where I don't miss them, there is no night where I don't dream of hugging Martlet again, with the maternal warmth of Ceroba, the silly adventures of Starlo and his gang. I swear that I would give my current existence to be able to feel them for another five minutes.

And how could she react to seeing her only friend in this state? She hasn't noticed but, she herself has shed some tears, she had forgotten how painful it can be to see someone like him break down like that, perhaps... it may remind her of a certain goat boy.

- My life on the surface was somewhat empty, it didn't fit in any way, it was there that they entrusted me to go down to the underground to find the whereabouts of the other missing children, an easy mission according to "them", I would never have imagined that this place would give me the best adventure of my entire life, with friends so close that at times I could consider them a family to me.

A lump has formed in Chara's throat, and by pure instinct, her first reaction is to hug Clover by the shoulder, shortening a little the already non-existent distance between them, a tender gesture, improper even coming from her but does it matter? The only person she considers a friend is suffering before her eyes, the one who comes to visit her every day, that boy whom she has tried to avoid with a silly and childish excuse, when he only wants to see her smile.

- Hey, come on... if you keep crying, you'll make me cry too.

It's obvious that the inevitable passage of time has hindered her social skills quite a bit, but there are things that are never forgotten, at the end of the day, it's not the first time she has to comfort a "crying baby"

- I'm sorry, it's just...-

- No, you don't have to explain yourself. Since we met a few months ago, you've always been the one who's come to me seeking to comfort me in my darkest moments, without asking for anything in return, without questioning me for a moment, it would be an insult not to return that favor.

What a beautiful feeling this is, knowing that someone cares about you, and that someone is grateful to have you by their side, knowing that this time, it's her who has brought a smile to their face.

- It must be hard to know that your life was taken away from you so unfairly, I have never agreed with dad's plan but, I am not one to judge, I also make many idiotic mistakes, I am very sorry that you had to die at the hands of that monster.

In the eternal calm of Waterfall, in the dazzling beauty that forms over them a false starry night, it is there, where Chara not only hugs her friend, but she also allows him to rest his head on her shoulders, a simple but adorable gesture, an irony that reminds them that being dead does not prevent them from remembering what it feels like to be alive.

- Thank you, I really mean it..

He comments now a little calmer, drying his tears and then correcting Chara with a small smile that appears on his face.

- And just as a note, I never got to Asgore.

This last thing is really confusing to her, just by looking at the comical expression on his face.

- Excuse me?

- It's true...! I just remembered that I never told you about that part, right? The truth is that I never reached Asgore for a simple reason, and that is that I myself gave my soul to Ceroba.

An answer arrives, and a thousand other questions arise, there is no doubt that this boy is special, and he tells that with a growing smile, as if it were the most normal thing in the world, with a clear sign of pride.

- I mean, what else could I do? The monsters already suffered a lot, I only did what I believed right at that moment. It hurts me a lot not to be able to enjoy a day with them again, but the mere idea that in the future, my sacrifice will help break the barrier, fills me with determination.

Chara's expression at this moment can be described with two simple words, "surprise, and admiration", which even takes a few moments to even understand the way of thinking that this boy has.

- I've always seen you with good eyes, but this? You are truly someone to admire. You and I, we are not so different, we both seek the good for the underground, even if it means putting ourselves in danger...

- ... -

No more words are needed to make it clear that this little chat has strengthened the bond between this pair of wandering spirits, who now only smile as they observe the landscape that surrounds them, even in this eternal dance between life and death there can be happiness, where darkness seeks to immerse you in despair, there is a light of hope that can show you the way again, and that light can come in the form of a great friend.

It turns out to be Clover who breaks that silence after a few minutes, neither of them seems to have any intention of breaking that hug that unites them.

- And to think that you still suffer from mistakes of the past, when it is evident that today you are someone very different. I don't care what you did countless years ago, I care who you are now, I know it may sound stupid, okay? But in my eyes, you are an incredible girl! You have a good sense of humor, you always maintain a calm demeanor that is even contagious, and your way of speaking is quite sophisticated, I like it!

And with those words, a small blush can be seen on Chara's face, but you know what? It's not something she cares about, she doesn't look away or hide her face, she's tired of hiding her feelings, this boy has turned out to be her biggest weakness.

- Clover...

- And your smile is charming!

- . . . ?

There is a small silence after that last phrase that seems to have escaped our favorite cowboy.

- For once, I'll allow your compliment, but don't get used to it, okay? Don't expect me to become affectionate with you from one moment to the next...

She tells him with her characteristic sense of humor

- Thank goodness, that wouldn't be the Chara I know.

"With him here, maybe eternity won't be so bad..."

"If she's by my side, even the darkest night is nothing more than a passing foolishness..."

For the rest of the afternoon, they both remain there, without looking back, enjoying the present while waiting for the future, and without realizing it, they have also ended up holding hands.