Chapter Text
It seemed that, no matter where you were, elevator music was always the same. Quiet but there, in all of its slowly irritating ways that made people thankful that they never had to stay and listen.
Even the elevator out of the True Lab suffered from this same music, Chara was grateful that the two monsters with them were talking over it. Not quite aware that they had woken up, eavesdropping as Undyne reassured Alphys that everything was okay, that the people would be grateful to have their family back together. That as soon as they took the human to Asgore, who would definitely let them rest in a proper bedroom until they were ready.
But, they were ready, they were ready to face the king once again, ready to watch as Toriel came to their rescue. Ready to watch as their friends stood up for them.
But they weren’t really their friends, they were Frisk’s. Even though Chara had started to see some of them as their own friends to, they didn’t even know they existed, they only knew Frisk, not Chara, never Chara.
Maybe it could change; maybe they’d be able to let themselves be known not just as Frisk, but as Chara as well. Maybe, one day, they’d look at them and see them. But for now, all they knew was Frisk, maybe that’s all they’d ever be.
They shook their head to dispel the thoughts, that kind of thinking could come later, for now they had to get Undyne to put them down, they had to fake being Frisk. That meant being nice and smiley and full of boundless cheer as well as optimism. An almost impossible task, but as Undyne slowly pulled them over their shoulder, gripping their stomach almost painfully tight, they tried. They tried so hard, but perhaps that was what gave them away.
The guard’s eye narrowed slightly, placing them on the ground with a slow preciseness that was so unusual of her, “Frisk?” She asked. Chara replied with a quick nod, because they couldn’t know, they couldn’t understand what was going on just yet and damnit Frisk, I’m not a people person, help me out here.
They can see Alphys in the corner of their eye, watching them carefully like she didn’t know them and something is itching at the mind of their mind, one small detail they’re forgetting. Some tiny, minute detail that was important somehow.
Chara can feel Undyne’s claws digging into their shoulders, causing a slight sting as she stares into their eyes with her own. Again, she repeats “Frisk?” this time Chara nods in confirmation that yes, they are Frisk. But it feels wrong, a simple lie for their benefit. They’d never caused Chara to feel… Bad before, so why was it causing these feelings now? What was different?
Undyne’s eye narrows, “You stand differently.” Alphys’ eyes widen beside them as they walk small circles around the pair, looking them up and down with an intense look on her face. She starts muttering to herself absentmindedly. Only the occasional word is audible to the pair, there’s definitely a ‘human’ in there and a ‘Determination.’
It takes all of their will power to stay there, standing in place. They want to pick at their nails, to try and grasp the locket that they haven’t picked up yet, that’s technically behind them. They can’t know, what they are is technically impossible, so there is no way for them to know someone else is using Frisk’s body.
“Chara?”
They backpedal slightly, Undyne lets her their shoulders go as they push against the wall behind them. Breath hitching slightly and their eyes widen. The feeling of brick edges poking their back through their clothes is a thankful distraction because Undyne shouldn’t know that name, Undyne isn’t supposed to know that name. Alphys’ expression isn’t helping, this can’t be happening but it is and that’s absolutely-
Wait, that was part of their note that they’d scratched out, wasn’t it? But hadn’t they scribbled it so it was illegible?
The guard slowly falls onto her rear, leaning against the elevator’s doors, the way she looks at them makes Chara squirm. It shouldn’t be like this, it shouldn’t be like this, they were supposed to stay as an unknown. The way Alphys is watching isn’t helping either, it’s making their skin itch and their fingers twitch.
The quiet stretches out between the three, the monsters watching Chara whilst the child struggles to think. Surely there’s a way to get these women to leave them be until the barrier so that they can finish, because between here and the throne room is Sans and that’s just… That golden corridor brings back too many bad memories for them.
But, these two know that they’re there, they know and actually still seem to care about them. This is all so new, normally when they were in control Undyne and Alphys would hate them, but here they are, looking concerned over someone who is supposed to be long dead. Even if they don’t think they’re that Chara, the fact that they still seem to care…
“I… We should be going… Frisk and I,” they mutter as they push themselves away from the wall. “Don’t… Don’t tell anyone,” they add.
Before they manage to take the first step, a blue hand grabs their arm, “you don’t have to do this punk, it doesn’t have to be your soul.”
When Chara pushes the hand off, they reply with an almost harsh “for the good of all monsters… You’re going to be free.” They turn Frisk’s eyes down the path before they continue to march on, the loose gravel crunching beneath their feet. They can’t look back; they can’t see Undyne conflicting with their care for them and their desire to free monsters. They can’t see Alphys watching them dejectedly because they know that’s how they’ll look; they have to leave them for now, just for a little while.
Minutes pass, the skyline of New Home, if it could be called a skyline, slowly drifts by with every step. The memories come almost unbidden, of walking this path unsteadily behind the Dreemurrs, racing Asriel home for the biggest slice of pie… The first time Frisk walked this path, a slightly dusty frying pan in hand. What had their LOVE been during their first run? How many times had Frisk killed in fear?
The soft pats stop as they move from stone to grass, the small house before them fills them with nostalgia, just like every other time they saw it. They’d almost forgotten that the True Lab’s elevator stopped before, not after their old home, pulling a small laugh from the child. Walking through the doorframe brings a small smile to their face, memories flooding through their mind, despite how long it had been nothing had really changed.
Soft warmth pushes itself against Chara, reminding them that they need to get going, so they press onward. Passed their old bedroom, not even peaking inside to see if the presents are there because of course they’re there. When they pick up the familiar key, there isn’t a monster that ‘attacks’ them to tell them the story of the prince and the human. The same is true when they walk back to the kitchen, the second key on the counter lying atop a small note, no monsters.
The quiet was almost deafening, it hung in the air unlike the other times they had walked this path. No monsters, no story.
When they return to where the lock and chain always are, they notice that it isn’t there… The path is completely open. A shiver runs down their spine as they descend the stairs, a chill wrapped itself around their small frame.
Same hall, it’s the same hall just without the people. That would be good any other time, but Chara didn’t want to be alone right now, Frisk was still resting so they had nothing to distract them from the weirdness of this.
Once again, New Home’s skyline (underline? Groundline?) passed by beside them, again Chara ignored it. This time hunching forward slightly as they wrapped their arms around themself, hands on their forearms. Just, keep going, this’ll be easier once we get to the throne room, maybe by then Frisk will be ready to take over so they can try to relax.
The entryway to the final corridor comes all too quickly, they hope that Sans, just like the other monsters, won’t be here this time. The golden tiles are achingly cold through their worn shoes as they force themselves forwards, passed golden pillars and tall windows. Light streams in as brightly as ever, despite the lack of sun it really is a nice day outside.
When they turn back to the corridor, the skeleton, the comedian, is standing there; hands in his hoodie pockets and the all too familiar grin plastered across his skull.
“so, you finally made it,” He starts with, just like every other run bar a few. “the end of your journey is finally at hand.”
It’s always the same, it’s always the same, even after Frisk told him that there were two last people needing to be saved, he always followed the same script. “you two will determine the future of this world.” That was new, at least, has he got a new script?
“but that’s then, now, you will be judged. For every action, every exp you’ve earned. for every bit of LOVE you have.” The short skeleton lets out a small laugh, “of course, this time you didn’t hurt anyone. you never gained any LOVE, but you did earn love, which i think the other kid will appreciate,” so he kept notes about what Frisk had told him, and being the over observant skeleton he is, of course he’d notice they weren’t Frisk.
“of course, that doesn’t mean you’re naïve,” the skeleton winks, “just that you strived to do the right thing. the kid’s lessons finally sunk in, probably had something to do with what undyne put you through, right?” That wasn’t anything like the truth, it hadn’t been Undyne, it had all been Frisk, who had taught them how to forgive, to not push their pain and anger on others.
Sans closes his eye sockets, “looks like i get to take it easy this time round,” his eyes snap open as the soft footfalls begin to echo through the corridor. “maybe this time will finally be the last time, huh kiddo? i don’t know about you… but i’m getting really tired of these resets.” Just before Chara reached him, he takes a step to the side, vanishing as he does so.
Hopefully this is the last time, hopefully.