Work Text:
Chara was scared and alone floating in an endless black abyss. It had been so long since Chara had seen light that they almost forgot what it was. That there was anything in the world other than this abyss. Maybe this is hell, they thought to themselves because I would deserve it for getting Asriel killed.
The two had thought they found a way to free monster-kind from underground, but in the end, the only thing they managed to do was get themselves killed. Maybe Asriel had made it home and Mom and Dad healed them, but Chara thought if that happened they would still be able to talk to Asriel. Like they had when he first took their soul. They missed talking to their brother.
A red light flooded the abyss they were floating in causing them to cover their eyes. They hadn't seen color in so long. With the color came a voice. Soft and scared. Why could that flower talk? Where is this goat lady taking me? Am I safe? Chara twisted their head till they could find where the voice was loudest then swam through the abyss to closer. As they got closer they could see what the voice was seeing.
Walking in front of the voice was their Mother. Tori! Chara reached out but knew they wouldn't be able to reach her. They could watch. Chara settled in to watch this voice with their mom. Watched as they were led home and given a bed. The voice spent almost a week with their mom before asking how to get home. Chara had never wanted to leave, but this voice wasn't them and they guessed it made sense a child would miss home. Mom told the voice they couldn't leave.
In the end, Mom thought she needed to fight the voice to show it the dangers. Chara banged against the wall keeping them quiet. Begged Mom to understand why the voice wanted to leave they were already scared. Chara could hear the voice even if it seemed they didn't speak their thoughts aloud. Chara knew their mom would hurt the voice but the voice didn't know that. They didn't trust mom the way Chara did. When the wave of fire came Chara knew none of it would hit the voice. Mom would never aim at a child. The voice didn't know that. The voice tried to jump out of the way. Right into the path of the flame. The voice died quickly.
They woke up in bed. Chara heard the voice convince itself it was a bad dream. And it happened again and again and again. The last time Chara found themselves chanting with a quiet voice that they hadn't used in so long.
"Don't move. She won't hurt you." Like the voice could hear them too they didn't move this time.
The voice stood on the other side of the door for a long time before moving away from it. They met Sans and his brother. Chara thought he was funny, and found themselves laughing at his dumb jokes. Sans thought the voice didn't like his jokes, but Chara could hear them laugh. The voice was just so quiet. Sans led the voice through town warning them about his brother, but Chara didn't know why. No monster would hurt a child.
But at the edge of town, they were stopped. Dragged back to a dog house time and time again. The voice seemed so upset, and some nights Chara felt them die in the cold. A child wasn't suited for this kind of weather. In time the voice got passed the skeleton, and they moved on to the part of the underground.
Time and time again Chara watched the voice die. Chara at times pointing out things to do better or when to move out of the way. Sometimes it felt like the voice could hear them other times it didn't. But Chara knew one thing. The voice was kind and scared. Chara wanted to help. Wanted to wrap them in a hug the Asriel used to do for them. Chara could only hope Dad would fix things when the voice got to him.
Listening to their Father tell the voice why he had to kill them Chara cried. Their dad should be fixing this not killing children! Why would he do that? When he killed the voice Chara reached out in that brief moment the voice felt closest to them.
"Don't worry. I'll get you home. I'll protect you." Chara told them tears flowing down their face. Chara had never understood why the monsters were locked away before, but watching them kill a child. Hearing the plan their dad made to get out of the underground. Chara could kind of see just a little way they might have been.
Taking them back to the start Chara balled their fist ready to kill anyone who had hurt the voice.