Chapter Text
Brown eyes flickered open in an instant, their owner shooting up from their resting spot. They ignored the mild soreness in their back thanks to the grey dirt floor below them and slowly got themselves up to their two feet.
“Interesting.” Chara remarked quietly, their chocolate colored eyes narrowed. They had been expecting to awaken in their bed in New Home to the scent of their mother’s snail pie being cooked in the kitchen or their brother’s persistent shaking to wake them up. Instead, they found themselves in a completely different and barren area.
They dusted off their black shorts and glared at the few holes that developed on their dark brown tights, showing off tiny fresh gashes and cuts. Mild injuries. They concluded and didn’t give it a second look. Around them were four stone pillars that looked absolutely ancient, which caused their eyes to narrow even further. This area seemed so familiar to them but they just couldn’t place their finger on it.
Chara walked a bit forward and the soles of their short black boots were greeted by something soft as opposed to the rough floor they had been laying on just seconds ago. Their eyes darted down and were widened at what they were faced with. It was not the golden flowers that were so burned into their memory of when they had attempted something such a long time ago, but it was a smaller human child lying down face first in them.
Their hand instantly went to their pocket, feeling for their blade they always kept around for tough weeds and vines. This time it will see a different use as they drew out the knife and took a couple steps back from the human. Seconds turned into minutes as Chara kept a stern eye on the human with their knife drawn out.
They knew the human was not dead since they saw the barely noticeable breathing patterns coming from their blue, dirtied sweater. Chara slowly approached the human and used one cautious hand to reach out to their shoulder. They turned over the human on their back and expected a sudden sneak attack, but in the end they were shown that the human was simply unconscious.
Chara clicked their tongue and placed their knife back into their pocket. They tilted their head and leaned a bit closer to further examine the human. Their scar covered fingers softly felt around the human’s face and pushed aside a mess of dark brown hair that had been covering their eyes. Chara’s eyes caught the wet trail on the edge of the human’s eye. The human had been crying.
“You do not seem to pose a threat. While you are asleep that is.” Chara spoke to the human as if they could respond. “You would be dead where you lay it weren’t for these golden flowers that have broken your fall.”
Their hardened eyes faltered a bit as something in the chest felt painful for a mere second. Something about this seemed clearly familiar as their gaze went upon the fallen human and slowly up to the bright hole ways above.
They had fallen in a similar manner to themselves years ago.
“I am curious to know what your reason for falling was.” Chara muttered.
Further looking over the human revealed they too were a child, just a few years younger than them. They had much darker skin, messier brown hair, a dirtied blue sweater under a set of brighter blue overalls that had two pink stripes as its design. Their black tights were ripped beyond belief and their brown boots were not a pretty sight as well.
“You are rather cute though.” They said without thinking. Their lips curled into a frown when they realized what they had said and they pulled out their knife again, holding it up to the child’s throat in seconds. “But humans are the enemy. No matter how innocent you may look, child, I will not let you wander into the territory of my subjects and harm them...”
Their mind was practically screaming to slice the human’s throat quickly and get it over with, but something else in them stirred them the other way. Chara’s eyes kept glancing down at the unconscious human and back to the hole above. More seconds turned into minutes and they let out a sharp groan as they placed their blade away.
“If only I had lacked sympathy.” Chara grumbled, trying to come up with an excuse for themselves why they hadn’t killed the human yet. “I do not believe I should kill you. Yet. Home is a very long distance away from New Home and I would rather not carry your soul all the way there. Other monsters may try to take it or it may falter and shatter.”
Chara stood up, their brown eyes glaring at the human below them. “Here is what I shall do, human. You are my prisoner now and I will deliver you to the Capital to my family to see to it what shall be done with you. I have overheard my father speaking with the Royal Scientist about human souls, perhaps you shall be our first candidate?”
Perfect excuse. Chara mentally whispered with a wicked grin at the thought of dropping this child to the front door of that tall skeleton doctor and having him deal with this problem instead of them. Said grin soon faded away once they realized they had to carry the child. They would much rather drag them, but balance and the use of a single arm sounded rather annoying.
“I assume it shall be a decent workout.” They said as they picked up the human and carried them on their back. It was a vulnerable spot, but as soon as the human awakened Chara already had a plan formulated which involved immediately dropping the human and summoning enough magic down to keep them restrained.
“Perhaps you are comfortable enough now.” Chara said through their teeth, not knowing why they felt so caring to this particular human. “Shall we?” They didn’t expect an answer back and began to walk forward.
Chara and their ‘hostage’ passed by a lonely lit patch of grass after entering through the large doorway. Chara didn’t give much thought into it and pressed forward into the next doorway.