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Chara could hear the echoes of their pleading voices. Toriel and Asgore were pleading for them to wake up, pleading for them to stay determined. The last thing Chara heard was Asriel’s plea, hurt laced within the words.
Chara was gone.
Grief and sorrow tore the King and Queen of Monsters, the latter letting small tears escape her eyes, the aforementioned comforting. The couple rose and walked away; Toriel could not bear the sight of losing her child despite being different species; Chara was more than just a human child, they were hers. Asriel stayed put, tears dropping on the striped sweater of the fallen human. “Chara...I really don’t like this plan.” Their plan to save monsterkind was gone. His sibling was gone.
Asriel could not help the stinging of the tears or even the jerk of his own soul as it sobbed as well. A small flash of light began to shine and Asriel’s strained eyes met with that of a crimson heart. It was Chara’s soul. Red. It was a stunning color and radiated warmth. Asriel reached out softly to cradle the heart. The soul seemed alive as it relaxed into the young prince’s paws. A small endearing smile appeared on his face. Asriel sniffled and slowly pulled the soul closer to his body.
They do not know how much passed but it was beautiful. They felt their souls combine with that of Asriel’s. They could feel it; enormous power and powerful energy. They felt whole once again. Opening their eyes, they see their own body. Well, at least Chara’s body. Inside the new form, the two souls, Chara and Asriel, were taken aback. It felt strange seeing this. Asriel suddenly felt sad; Chara could feel his sadness. “Chara...that’s you.”
Chara wanted to laugh it off but decided against. Asriel always was the one with the emotional appeal. Chara had been a bit of recluse when it came to their feelings but things changed after they fell down. Chara took reigns of the form and kneeled down to gently carry the body. “Chara? What are you doing?”
Chara did not answer him. They had their goal in mind.
Destroy humanity.
And they walked.
Pass the hallway and past the barrier. It was just a lone path that appeared in front of them. And they kept walking. Asriel stayed quiet for the remainder of the time. He knew better than to question Chara. Besides, the young prince could always trust his sibling. He could agree that Chara was a bit mischievous but always had the best intentions. Somewhere along the path, the barrier was long forgotten and all that there was seen were open skies. The warm hue of the blue sky brought a bit of comfort to Asriel.
As they reached the end of the path, they could see a village. It looked rather tiny. And homey. Continuing the walk towards the middle of the village, they could see the flowerbed of the golden flowers.
Chara felt a sudden jolt in their soul. They could remember the last time they saw this flower bed. It was the day they fell into the Underground. They often visited these flowers because they brought them comfort and they felt at home. The other villagers did not like Chara mainly for the differences that the child possessed. While the villagers were mostly blond, Chara’s hair was a soft brown; they had long hair but it was always being pulled by the mean children that would cross Chara’s path. And so that is why it is short now一well, was. Chara had cut it with a knife they found one day. There was also the color of the child’s eyes. They were a light brown but under the light, they would show a red color; this was deemed as evil and so they treated them as an outcast to the village. Chara remembered the pain and the sorrow that these humans inflicted on them. Being an orphan in a place where you stick out was the worst thing to happen to them.
Anger fused through the form; Asriel was worried now.
“These flowers? Are these the ones you wanted to see?”, Asriel asked. He could feel Chara’s nod. Asriel smiled. “They’re beautiful Chara.”
And then there was a shot of pain that caused them to be brought to their knees, Chara’s body still in their arms and pulled to their chest. When they looked up, the villagers were out and they had their weapons aimed.
“Cruel monster!”
“Evil spawn!”
“How dare you kill that child!”
“Isn’t that Chara?”
“That poor child! He had a whole life in front of him!”
“Chara was no boy! She was a girl!”
“We loved Chara! How dare you take her away from us!”
The hypocrisy and the disrespect Chara felt was indescribable. They were all liars. They all hated them. Who were they trying to trick here?! Chara was determined to give these people a piece of their mind. Their soul tried to regain control of the vessel but Asriel would not allow them.
“Chara! No, we can’t. We’d be no better than those people!”, Asriel argued. Chara did not want to listen and another shot of pain was felt. The villagers kept shooting them. The being stood still and shielded Chara’s body close to them; Asriel did not want to fight. Chara could see their HP; it was getting low.
“A-..Asriel...please”, Chara spoke, voice soft and exasperated. “Please leave from here!”
Blow after blow, Asriel did not try and attack. And he did not try to move. Chara did not want this to happen. Not their brother. Why won’t Asriel leave?!
“I can’t lose you Asriel. Please let’s go home”, Chara cried. Asriel listened and despite the blows from the humans, they made their way back to the Underground. In the throne room, Asriel could not move any longer. Chara felt their brother’s soul dimming.
No. No. no.
No. no. no. No.
No. NO. NO! NO!! NO!!!
“Asriel no...don’t...mom and dad will be sad if you”, Chara couldn’t finish their sentence. Chara could feel their souls. It was matter of time before Asriel falls down and Chara’s soul along with his.
Chara did not want this.
They didn’t want to see Toriel and Asgore to find Asriel’s dust and their own body in the throne room.
They didn’t want to cause harm to their family. They wanted to help. They wanted to give back to these monsters. They were all happy to meet Chara and welcomed them into their life with open arms.
The reason they climbed Mt. Ebott was to end it all. Legends say that those who travel to the mountain, never return. Chara was hoping for that fate.
But no.
Instead, they found a family. They found people who cared for them and respected them. They found love and compassion, feelings they thought were gone. Eating butterscotch-cinnamon pie with Asriel while Toriel told jokes or having a cup of tea with Asgore brought emotion back into their life. They were determined to give everyone a happy ending.
And maybe they were wrong. Maybe killing humanity was wrong. They just wanted those people to feel the pain they felt but what is the point now?
Chara will be gone and so will Asriel.
And for what? For Asgore and Toriel to not lose one but two children.
Chara could feel the souls break. Asriel, with his new form, held tight Chara’s deceased body. And slowly, Asriel let out his last breath and dust covered Chara’s body.
They were both gone now.
At least, Chara thought so.
Chara found themselves in a void. It was dark and silent and anxiety-inducing. Being reminded of those years of abuse really began to mess with them. Chara screamed into the void.
But nobody came.
Chara closed their eyes, hoping this was all a nightmare. But nothing happened.
And then they woke up.
Chara could see the golden flower bed from when they first fell. Except there was something different. Someone else was there. A child around the age of ten. Young and out cold. Chara kneeled down and patted their cheeks. But their hand just passed through. Chara let out a scream. Were they...a ghost?
The child stirred and sat up, rubbing their eyes. They looked around before their eyes landed on Chara who felt a moment of shock. This child bore the same eyes that Chara did.
“Can you see me?”, Chara asked.
The child nodded. They began to sign. “Are you an angel?”
Chara chuckled. “I don’t think so. I think I’m a ghost.” The child nodded in agreement. They rose up and dusted their shorts and their striped sweater before looking up to Chara.
Chara thought for a moment. Maybe this child can save everyone. Maybe they can succeed where they failed. Maybe.
The child revealed their name to be Frisk. Cute. They were mute and so sign language was the way they communicated. Chara was really glad they learned it then when they still lived in the human village; they always had a feeling it would come in handy. Hah.
Chara stared at the child for a moment. They wondered why Frisk climbed the mountain. "Hey uh...Frisk?", Chara spoke.
The child turned to meet Chara. "Why did you climb the mountain? You do know of the legends right?"
Frisk stood still for a moment before signing. "I had a dream where I heard a scream. It came from the mountain. It sounded like someone needed help." Oh dear, what an earnest child.
And so the journey began. The flower (Flowey) was kinda scary but was thrown aside literally when Toriel appeared. Seeing her again really pulled at Chara’s heartstrings. I wonder if she still remembers me, Chara can't help but let their thoughts ponder. Frisk noticed the sad longing in Chara's eyes as they saw Toriel walk away.
The ghost Napstablook was adorable and the only other that could see Chara, considering they were a spirit as well. They were a dapper individual as well. And seeing the butterscotch-cinnamon pie again felt bittersweet. It sounded from what Toriel said that years have passed. How many though? That Chara did not know.That is until Toriel spoke of the other children who had also fallen; they were in shock at what had become of their home once Asriel and Chara were gone.
When Toriel allowed Frisk to leave, the child was torn, Chara could see that. Leaving the ruins were difficult but Frisk held on. No matter how difficult the encounter was, Frisk never fought back. Chara had to admit, this kid was something else.
The skeleton brothers were a blast. And super strong. Well, at least Papyrus was.
And Chara learned something. Frisk loved to flirt. It always made Chara crack a smile. It reminded them of whenever they would make cute comments to their brother who always flustered without fail.
And crossing into Waterfall was something new; Chara was amazed at the Echo flowers. Chara whispered something into one and hoped its message would be heard. Frisk neared the flower and heard what sounded like a small voice.
"Chocolate."
Frisk giggled and looked up to Chara who stuck out their tongue. As they strolled through Waterfall, Chara noticed a statue. It was being pelted by the raindrops that fell from the ceiling. Frisk gestured to the other room where they found an umbrella. Heading back to the statue, Frisk positioned the umbrella where it covered the statue. A melody began to play and Chara was taken aback. If they didn't know any better, it sounded just like the melody from their necklace that was gifted to them by Asriel. The other child could see that Chara appeared sad. Frisk reached for their hand to comfort but it was no use. They just phased right through.
"Thanks Frisk. The thought counts."
Running from Undyne was a bit terrifying. Chara did their best to help Frisk in telling them where to run. Luckily, Frisk was amazing at dodging. Every monster that crossed their path, mercy was always what Frisk aimed at. Fighting Undyne was challenging but they made it through.
Running away works wonders.
Meeting Alphys and Mettaton was fun albeit the killer robot wanted to kill Frisk. Alphys was a bit nerdy but overall, great company. She had even upgraded the phone that Toriel had given Frisk. Making their way through the core was a breeze thanks to Alphy's help who always seemed bashful whenever Frisk told her so.
Deeper in the core, they reached Muffet. Frisk had bought something from the spiders in the ruins and was saved from an intense battle. Whew!
Performing with Mettaton was a blast for Chara. They had no idea that Frisk was so sassy and such a good dancer. They both danced together while Frisk dodged the attacks that Mettaton threw at them. Hanging out with Undyne and becoming her friend was a sight to see and then to visit Alphys in her lab, shrouded in secrets. There was a newfound understanding for the monsters that Chara and Frisk had met. Even more so, Chara was determined to help Frisk save everyone.
Walking through their old home, Chara felt guilty. Staring down these familiar halls and their room which he shared with their brother brought them sadness. If they hadn't been so selfish, maybe they could still be here. In their old room, there were two boxes, one with a worn dagger and one with a heart locket. Frisk grabbed it and opened it. Inside was written "Best Friends Forever."
"You can put it on Frisk. It suits you."
Frisk nodded. The child looked around the room and noticed an old photograph. The family looked happy.
"They were your family, right?", Frisk signed. Chara nodded, solemnly.
"Stay determined Chara. We will save them."
Chara floated down to Frisk and gave a curt nod. Now to continue.
Now to meet the king.
But as they walked through the Judgement Hall, near the middle, stood Sans. He told Frisk that while they never earned LOVE, they gained love. Chara felt their heart well up. They wanted to cry. The skeleton was right; Frisk gained love through everyone they met.
Before Sans walked away, he turned to wink at Frisk, giving them words of encouragement. The young child nodded and walked down the rest of the hallway. Chara floated to follow when Sans coughed.
“really glad you can lift their spirits, kid. keep it up.” And he was gone.
“What a strange guy”, Chara spoke to them-self. And now to catch up with Frisk who had turned a corner and was standing in front of coffins. Each coffin had a different color. A different name. The first coffin had the name “Chara”.
Frisk turned to look at Chara. “Is that you?”, they signed.
Chara nodded. “Yeah. It was.”
Frisk pursued their lips and looked rather worried. Chara floated down to them. “Hey. It’ll be okay. You can do this Frisk”, they encouraged the child. Frisk gave them a sheepish grin.
“Thank you.”
There in the throne room was Asgore, watering the golden flowers. It literally felt like Chara was thrown back into time. Into a time where they were happy with their family, happy surrounded by the golden buttercups. Chara gave a firm nod to Frisk who began to walk forward, making their presence known.
When Asgore turned, he was taken aback from Frisk. He told them that the reality of the situation pained him but it had to be done. Asgore walked out of throne room. Frisk looked to Chara for any word of encouragement. But there was none. Chara did not know what to do now. "We can do this."
Frisk nodded, their determination shining from their eyes. Entering the room with Asgore, the air was suddenly heavier. Both of the children could see the small tubes that held the souls in place, the other human souls. Frisk stood strong and determined.
Before the battle offically began, it was suddenly stopped by Toriel and everyone else! Papyrus, Alphys, Undyne and Sans. Every other monster they had encountered also showed up, in support.
Chara could see Frisk’s shoulders ease down in relief. Chara smiled softly.
Frisk was surrounded by so many that loved them. So, it appeared they would be stuck in the Underground for a while longer. And the idea appealed to Chara. Maybe this way they can work towards a plan for freedom to be within their reach.
And then Flowey attacked.
And everything went black.
Frisk was on their knees, small scraped decorating their legs.
Chara floated near them. “Are you okay?”
Frisk nodded and their attention was caught by someone else.
If Chara had a heart, it would stop right about now. Because the individual that stood before them was someone they only dreamed of ever seeing again.
Their best friend.
Asriel Dreemurr.
A God of Hyperdeath.
Hopes and Dreams were the only thing in Frisk’s mind. They were going to SAVE. Dodging the attacks, Frisk’s soul was determined. Chara can only watch, not being able to help.
This was Asriel now? Chara felt a sting. If they hadn’t done what they did at the beginning, maybe Asriel would be alive now. “Frisk! Please! SAVE everyone!”
Frisk’s soul resonated with something, deep within the entity that stood before them. Frisk reached out and slowly but surely, SAVEd every one of their friend’s souls.
Chara cheered and suddenly, they felt a resonating of their own. For a moment, it felt like they possessed their soul again. There was one more person to SAVE. Chara reached out their own hand and it landed on Frisk’s shoulder. The other child turned, stunned at the contact and then a big smile appeared on their face.
“ASRIEL!”, they called out.
Asriel stopped attacking and stared dead at Frisk. “How did you...why was that..” Asriel trailed off. “I..” And he began to attack again. And every time, Chara reached out. Attack after attack, they reached out to their brother, their best friend.
A bright light shone and Asriel, in his child form, appeared once again. He was crying. Frisk took the chance to close in and reached out for his paws. They forgave him. Asriel let himself melt in the hug with Frisk. And then another light began to shine bright. Chara could see the souls of monsters and the six human souls, easily distinguishable by their colors.
The barrier was broken.
Chara stared at Frisk’s body; they were knocked out but otherwise still alive. Chara felt a sudden peace. Their family was free. They were all free now.
Chara could feel themselves disappeared. Was this it? Peace at last? They saw Toriel and Asgore’s enlightened faces when Frisk awoke, their mom and dad, they will be missed dearly. Frisk had an ecstatic smile and turned to look for Chara, who when found, gave them a thumbs up.
"You did good kid. But I think it's my time to go." Frisk nodded and raised a thumbs up of their own.
Chara closed their eyes and let the bliss overtake them.
When they awoke, they were laying on a bed of golden flowers. They sat up and stared at the endless field of the flowers. Tears streamed down their eyes as they finally realized that this was peace.
“Finally! You were taking forever to wake up!”, a voice called out. Chara felt their throat tighten, turning their head to meet the voice.
"Golly, and here I thought, I was the crybaby”, Asriel stood before Chara, their paw reached out. Chara pushed the paw away and tackled their sibling, rolling in the flowers, laughter erupting from the two of them. Their laughter died down as they laid in each other’s arm, content.
“I’m sorry. For everything”, Chara began. “I was dumb.”
“Chara, we’re free. Mom and dad are free!” Chara laughed and hugged their brother closer. They really were happy. They know Frisk will take care of the rest; they proved to be a determined child.
After all, their soul was also a bright and warm red.
“Come on Chara! Let’s play!”, Asriel pulled up their sibling and began to run. Chara laughed and followed after Asriel.
Take care of them, Frisk.