Chapter Text
“What’s that one, Chara?!”
“Orion’s belt. The best constellation. It’s supposed to be of a man fighting something with a shield in his hand.”
The two Dreemurr children had decided that today, they didn’t want to learn mathematics and history with Toriel, and that they didn’t want to weed and help in the garden with Asgore. Today had other plans for the pair.
Originally, it was the human child’s idea that they skip the day of activities with their parents. Afterall, they were still sort of new to this strange and magical place, and they wanted to explore every last inch while they still had the time.
Asriel, being as stubborn as he is, was surprisingly much harder to convince than the king and queen.
“But I like doing school with mom!” and “Dad said he’d let us plant the special green flowers today!” were arguments thrown at his adoptive sibling.
“We can always do those things another day, Asriel. I heard that all the stars on the surface will shine through to the cavern in Waterfall and arrange themselves just as they do in the actual sky.”
“Wh- really?”
“Yes. So itll be accurate to the sky above on the roof of the cave. Can you understand why I don’t want you to miss this?”
“That… actually sounds kind of cool…”
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And so here they were, lying on their backs and staring up at the rough and very rocky ‘sky’. Asriel, unsurprisingly to Chara, was dazzled by the displays on the roof of the cave.
“It doesn’t really look like a person to me. Wait - ! Why is it called Orion’s belt? And why is he supposed to be fighting- who is he supposed to be fighting?!”
“Hush, Asriel.” The human child silences their beloved sibling. Asriel’s head darts over to look at Chara’s.
“But-!”
“Follow the movement of my hand. Ill trace it out so you can see it.”
Asriel’s eyes drift to Chara’s tiny hand raised in the air above them. Chara’s eyes narrow slightly, as if attempting to make out the outline themselves. Once they finally get it, they start slowly tracing around the outline of the stars.
“The left side…” Chara mumbles, “resembles somewhat of a fork. It’s supposed to be his hand.” Asriel gapes. He still couldn’t see anything, but he nodded and pretended that he did so that he didn’t seem like a total idiot to his best friend.
“The three, closely clumped together here” Chara continues, “Is… I guess, supposed to be his belt.”
“Oh- oh! I see it!” Asriel exclaims excitedly. The picture loosely comes together in Asriel’s brain.
“So- where’s his head? I just… kind of see his shield, his torso and his arm.”
Chara goes silent in themselves for a moment, seemingly taking a moment to think before speaking again. “I’m assuming its up for interpretation. The shapes could really be anything I suppose. He could have lost his head in battle. Or maybe…” Asriel turns his head to look at Chara again. They wear an almost somber expression on their face, save for the small smile that graces their features. They raise their hand again, tracing out unidentifiable lines around the different bright stones and crystals on the surface of the cave.
“…Maybe his shield didn’t work.”
“Hm…”
Asriel turns back and squints at the stars once more, desperately trying to see where Chara is coming from.
“Yeah, maybe…” Asriel says gingerly. He continues speaking, cushioning his arms beneath his head.
“I… really didn’t expect you to show me something like this…”
Asriel knew better than to prod at Chara's past with humanity. They had told him bits and pieces, but really only the bad parts consisting of how they were treated, what the humans were like,
but nothing like this.
He sneaks a glance at Chara, who’s face is distant, and continues.
“I thought you hated human and surface stuff.”
“…”
Chara remains silent again, similarly to what they’ve been doing all night. Usually they would be a bit more talkative, especially during the later hours considering they were always up drawing or reading. But all this somewhat seemed to make Chara a bit sadder, to Asriel’s dismay.
“I… I don’t hate all of it. A lot of it, yes…”
“But things like this… the stars, the sun, the rain…” Chara doesn't finish their sentance. Asriel, in an attempt to cheer their dear sibling up, grabs their hand and turns fully over to them. “When we get to the surface… you gotta show me all of that, okay?!” Chara’s once numbed and void expression morphs into infectious but heartfelt laughter upon hearing Asriel’s words.
“Yeah, okay. But count yourself lucky, Asriel… I don’t show just anyone this stuff. It is reserved for dear companions of mine only.”
Asriel smiles.
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The plan had failed miserably.
Upon witnessing the sight of his dear sibling’s corpse in his arms, the humans that resided in the village fought against and pelted the beast with anything they could find.
Mind and body weakened significantly, Asriel, who had assumed control over his now shared body, was trying to flee from the village. The desperation to not harm any of these people was so great, that it outweighed his desire for the taking of the souls and to free his subjects from the prison they resided in.
Chara however, strongly opposed this mindset.
They couldn't bring themselves to shy away like Asriel had seemed to do. Chara couldn't make peace with the fact that humanity would take something else from them if they let this continue. Their dignity, The monsters of the undergound were both imprisoned by the human race, and now Asriel was going to...
Halfway out of the village, body still being beaten with sticks, pitchforks and other various objects, something shifted within the fleeing beast’s mind.
Control shifted from Asriel, to Chara.
The godlike entity stopped in it’s tracks, still clutching the deceased young human in its arms. The people who were once attacking froze as a sense of impending doom loomed over the attackers in the moments leading up to the entity’s next move. What happened next, can only be described as absolute carnage to both of the children, as he was forced to observe every single ounce of murderous rage his companion unleased onto the villagers. “Chara! Please, stop! They’re going to-!”
Asriel argued aimlessly inside of his own head. But Chara was in control now, unable to listen, unable to hear. They were too busy basking in the screams and terrified shrieks of the villagers they were slaughtering.
The beasts power was too strong. Chara's mind numbed to their urges and their urges only. They couldn't think anymore.
They needed to kill.
“Chara!”
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Horribly Injured but still alive, Asriel limps exhaustedly back toward Mt. Ebott, drenched in blood, sweat and tears. Chara’s body somehow remained unharmed despite all the chaos that was occurring around them, to Asriel’s relief.
5 human souls.
Chara had taken the lives and souls of 5 humans during the time they were in control. During their rampage, Asriel helplessly watched the destruction and horror their former best friend had brought over the innocents that resided in that village. Asriel did manage to regain control once more, immediately fleeing to prevent further harm to the humans and to themselves.
Chara’s presence had gone dormant ever since. They didn’t talk to Asriel as he talked to them anymore, but he was still able to feel them within. Their scrutinising eyes. Their deep frustration and overwhelming annoyance with him. He was able to feel all of that. At the same time however, Asriel wished that they were able to feel what he felt during their time in control. Helpless. Scared. Confused. Even if his perspective on his comrade was utterly changed forever in many indescribable ways, in the end, he still wanted to try and save them. He still loved them dearly.
The path on the mountain leading up to the entrance of the cave winds and bends as Asriel wobbles up clumsily, knees threatening to buckle any minute. A few drops fall from the sky onto the ground beneath the beasts feet. Asriel tiredly glances down at the dirt, and then slowly looks back up at the sky in confusion.
Despite everything that had occurred this gruesome day, Asriel couldn't help but revel in the surface's appearance, especially the massive and vast sky that reigned above him.
The sun was setting in the distance, creating a purple-reddish hue among the clouds, which have now decided to release the rain that had been pent up for a long time.
“It doesn’t usually rain here.” A small, faint voice sounds out within Asriel’s mind.
Asriel remains silent and he gazes at the horizon, slowly becoming more and drenched by the weather above.
“Very rarely. The clouds… might have just had enough today, I guess.”
Asriel pauses before replying. Remaining frozen in place upon hearing their dear friend's words.
“I don’t like the rain.”
He gets a move on.