Chapter Text
June 2nd, 2021
👍︎☟︎✌︎☼︎✌︎📬︎
✋︎ ☟︎⚐︎🏱︎☜︎ ✡︎⚐︎🕆︎ ✌︎☼︎☜︎ 💧︎❄︎✋︎☹︎☹︎ ❄︎☟︎☜︎☼︎☜︎📬︎
…what was.. th-that…?
☝︎⚐︎⚐︎👎︎📬︎
✋︎❄︎ ☟︎✌︎💧︎ 👌︎☜︎☜︎☠︎
✌︎ ☹︎⚐︎☠︎☝︎ ❄︎✋︎💣︎☜︎📬︎
I swear I have heard your voice before…
✋︎ 👍︎✌︎☹︎☹︎ 🕆︎🏱︎⚐︎☠︎
✡︎⚐︎🕆︎☼︎ ☼︎⚐︎❄︎❄︎☜︎👎︎ ☞︎☹︎☜︎💧︎☟︎
✡︎⚐︎🕆︎☼︎ ✌︎☝︎☜︎👎︎ 👌︎⚐︎☠︎☜︎📬︎
Why do I… understand you…? Wh— flesh? Bone?
❄︎☟︎☜︎✡︎
☠︎☜︎☜︎👎︎
✡︎⚐︎🕆︎📬︎
Who-?!
🕈︎ ✌︎ 😐︎ ☜︎ ☠︎ 📬︎ 📬︎ 📬︎
💣︎ ✡︎ 📬︎ 📬︎ 📬︎
🕆︎ ☠︎ 👎︎ ☜︎ ☼︎ ❄︎ ✌︎ ☹︎ ☜︎ 📬︎ 📬︎ 📬︎
…
Chara sees.
They see grass.
They see feet, sprinting.
Chara hears.
They hear the sound of those little feet, running so fast the poor child's body burns from the exertion.
They hear crying.
Chara feels.
Tears.
On the cheek of a child she does not know.
They feel as if
this child
wants to disappear.
A familiar feeling.
…Garbled words ring in their mind. A memory from mere moments ago echoes like an alarm.
❄︎T ☟︎H ☜︎ E ✡︎Y
☠︎N ☜︎E ☜︎E 👎︎D
✡︎Y ⚐︎O 🕆︎ U✡︎ 📬︎.
The fallen human awakens to the smell of flowers.
…..wh….
Chara's eyes open. a familiar view looms overhead. They lay on their back, staring up into… a clear sky. Framed by vines, trailing down, down, and stalactites reaching towards the ground like claws. The entrance to the underground. Where they fell.
They breathe.
…What..?
Why are they back here?
Didn't their plan fail…?
They…
…
There is no dust here. Not even the faintest scent of it hangs anywhere in the still air of this cave. Just the scent of rain, from the hole above them…
[* Hello..?]
Nothing. Their voice feels so light, so airy. As if their throat was not fully present.
[* …A-asriel?]
…
It is silent.
Chara does not know what they thought this would do. They felt their brother's dust spread across their body as they both disappeared.
He is dead.
So…
Why aren't they?
…They hear a noise.
They move.
Turning their head, their eyes, to the golden flowers around them.
Was all of it a dream?
They sit up, slowly, bringing their knees to their chest and hugging their legs. Their head turns to the left, gaze flitting all around the cave.
It's just like all those years ago.
They wonder for a moment, foolishly, if anyone will be here to come and find them, this time.
They turn their head to the right.
It's—
Another child.
A human child.
Chara startles, a small yelp, at the sight. Atop the bed of golden flowers lays a head of messy, curly, chocolate-brown hair, trapping dirt and leaves. They wear a blue-and-purple-striped sweater. Splayed out on the flowerbed like a pathetic dead bug.
If they weren't laying on the ground like a beat-up starfish, Chara might find the image almost beautiful. Poetic, perhaps.
This was them, a long time ago.
…How long has it been since…?
Chara holds their hand up to their face. It feels so odd, moving. Like their body is near-weightless. When their palm comes into full view in front of them, they see…
…the golden flowers, through it.
Their hand— no, their entire arm— it's barely a faint outline. A ghost of the flesh and bone they once called home.
I am a ghost.
"MMnhnghjghfgh…." The child groans. "o-oww."
Chara debates saying something. They refrain. If their theory is true, this poor soul won't hear them anyway.
The child makes an attempt to pick themself up, pushing against the ground, lifting their head… Chara cannot see their eyes from where they sit, but they can tell they're looking around. Their head moves side to side, seemingly scanning the cave. Eventually they push themself up further, managing to sit down properly amongst the flowerbed, legs crossed politely as they continue to observe.
And eventually their gaze falls upon Chara.
And it stays.
"…Oh," says the child.
Chara freezes.
[* You can— you can see me—?] They sputter.
The human nods slowly.
Chara doesn't dare move a muscle. Do they even have muscles, anymore? Are they even a ghost if this human can see them? Maybe this is the only person that can see them. That would be quite unfortunate, the only person being able to communicate directly being human is not a pleasant thought. Not in the slightest.
None of it matters.
This person can see Chara.
Why are they not scared? No laughing? Not even a question about their eyes?
It is odd. It is unusual. It makes them very uncomfortable.
Chara wants to go back to being dead.
—
"Uhm…" Frisk mutters. They're terrified. But they don't let the… ghost…?… child know. They might be scared, too. "D-do you… know where we are…?"
[* …The Underground.]
The transparent child answers, deadpan.
"I— that's not—" Frisk huffs. They don't want to talk more than they have to, but, they're scared, and confused, and maybe just a little bit disappointed that the fall didn't kill them. "That's not what I… m-meant. I… I know we're underground, I m-mean—"
[* Oh.]
The child toes the ground with their semi-transparent foot.
[* Do you not… know of this place?]
Frisk coughs. Their fingers press at the tip of the stick they had clutched in their hand when they fell… "Ahem, uhm, n-no…?"
[* Well then.]
The child turns around.
And… walks away, into the darkness.
"W-wait, I don't know where to—"
[* I'm not going to exposit everything to you. Just follow me, or stay there, whatever you think will benefit you more.]
"I- i'm sorry, I—"
The child keeps walking.
Frisk follows them. They don't want to be alone.
"…What's your name…?" They ask, when they get a bit closer behind.
…
"Why are you… see-through? Are you a ghost?"
…
Frisk supposes it's none of their business.
"…Sorry. My… my name is Frisk."
…
…
Frisk hopes they're not silent the whole time…
They fidget with the stick in their hand. It'll be fine. Probably.
The other child leads them through a magenta archway. Before Frisk passes through, they crane their neck upwards, trying to get a good look at the symbol engraved on the keystone.
It… looks like a blurry blob. They squint. Doesn't help.
Weird symbol.
They continue through it, deeper into the cave, watching as the faint sunlight fades the further they walk. It's getting darker.
…Frisk doesn't like that.
And then a flower pops out of the ground.
"Howdy!"
"Wh—"
"I'm Flowey! Flowey the flower."
"What—"
…A yellow flower with a face on it.
They have to be dreaming.
"Golly, you must be new here, huh? Haha! No worries! I'll teach ya how things work around here!"
Frisk looks for the other kid, who has settled right behind them. The flower isn't looking at the other kid. What's up with that?
"Uhm, it— it's ignoring you, uh, kid. What was your na—" Frisk tries.
"Ignoring who?" The flower asks. Stars, it's so unsettling. Friendly, but unsettling.
"Ah, um, no one."
It can't see them? Why can I?
Frisk suddenly feels their chest get dragged out of them— and they're launched forward, closer to the flower. They look down, and their chest is… glowing…?
"See that? That little thing is called a soul!" The flower says. "It is the very culmination of your being."
Frisk remembers reading an old book on the subject, a long time ago. Something about magic, and how it used to be one of the main sources of power, of life… something about humans and monsters having different souls…
They honestly thought those stories were just fairytales, with how often the topic was simply brushed off, whenever someone brought it up.
They suppose they were wrong to assume that, considering they're in the maw of the Mt. Ebott of legend at this very moment. And that there is a talking flower in front of them.
"Your soul starts out super weak, but it gets stronger when you gain some LV!"
[* …What is that flower saying…?]
"What's LV? Why, love, of course!" The flower cackles. "You want to get stronger, right? I can share some love with you, don't worry! Just stay still!"
A circle of… floating white orbs, materializes out of thin air, around Frisk. "W-wha…"
"Love can be shared through little white… er, friendliness pellets. Go on, try to get them all!"
Frisk is hesitant. The pellets begin moving towards them slowly, so they don't really have to move to get them…
[* Wha— are you stupid? The flower is attacking you— RUN-!]
One of the pellets strikes them, right in the chest. They collapse, feeling an unbearable sharp pain deep within their chest. They feel something crack inside of them.
The flower begins to lauch maniacally. "HAHAHAHA! Oh, you IDIOT! In this world, it's KILL or BE KILLED! Golly, you made it so easy!"
"Wh… wha-? I— N-no—"
"Die."
An impenetrable wall of pellets appears surrounding Frisk, in a wall high enough they can't jump. They can't run. Not anymore.
Am I going to die?
They grip their stick tight. It's barely even a source of comfort, but it's better than nothing.
[* What else could I have expected, honestly? I come back from death and then watch someone die. Perhaps this will be painless for both of us, Frisk.]
I— I never caught your name— can't you do anything to help? What even are you-?
[* I suppose you are about to die… apologies. My.. My name is Chara. The pellets will hurt, but it's targeting your soul directly. It should be quick. I… I am sorry I can't do more.]
I— I didn't want to die like— like THIS—!
The flowers' face megins to shift, mangle, contort, into a terrifying, toothy grin. And it laughs. And laughs. And laughs. And laughs. And lau—
—A fireball comes out of nowhere and burns the flower's petals. It shrieks in agony, hissing at the source of the fire, and retreats into the ground.
The wall of bullets fades into nothing.
…Oh.
[* Oh.]
—
Chara's breath hitches at the sight of the queen.
Toriel.
"Oh, that damned— ah, excuse me— that stinky flower. He has always been so rude to newcomers."
[* M-miss—]
"My apologies, my child. I… I am sorry I did not find you sooner. What is your name, young one? Mine is Toriel."
"U-uhm… Frisk."
[* Miss Toriel. I— I'm here, please—]
"What a sweet name!" Toriel smiles. "Goodness, you seem to be hurt. Do not fret. I have supplies at my home, and food for you to eat. I can take you there if you wish."
Home?
[* I want to go home, Toriel. Please. Why can't you— why can't she see me—]
Chara senses something. A thought in their mind, not their own.
They know her? Says the foreign thought.
[* Yes, I know her, she's— she took care of—]
"Oh, my child, you have zoned out. Are you alright?"
Frisk nods. "I'm sorry."
"No, no, it is alright. Here, come with me. I will take you to a safer place."
Toriel reaches a paw out to Frisk.
And she does not see Chara.
Somewhere deep down, they know they deserve this.
—
Frisk takes Toriel's hand, as she leads them through the start of the ruins.
They can hear the ghost laugh-crying behind them. They don't know how to fix it, how to make them feel better.
They hate it.
Maybe… what happened earlier… will work again…?
They think.
…I'm sorry.
A thought. they make sure to think it extra loud.
[* Leave me alone.]
Oh.
I…
Okay.
The goat woman leads them through the room, into the next, where a selection of buttons on the floor sit.
"Oh, I suppose I should introduce this place. I am Toriel, as I said earlier— the caretaker of the Ruins. Many monsters lived here a long time ago, before most branched out into other areas of the Underground. Some still reside here, however, such as myself."
Frisk nods silently.
"This place is very old, but all of the mechanisms for the puzzles that reside here still work in tip-top shape, to many's dismay…"
"…Puzzles?"
"Yes, my child! Just like this one," Toriel gestures to the buttons on the floor. "They must be pressed in a certain order to open this door here. The sign next to the door gives a hint on the puzzle's solution. Many puzzles in the ruins have signs which hint to the solution."
Frisk eyes light up. That sounds really fun, actually.
"Oh, my child, I shall take care of many of the puzzles for you. Most should be deactivated, anywho. So we need not worry."
Frisk nods. They guess it's better that they don't have to worry, but…
[* The puzzles in the Ruins are childishly easy. Unless you are an idiot, you would not have found challenge in them.]
The ghost— Chara, Frisk remembers, is speaking again. This is… good…?
Oh, well. I still think it'd be fun anyway.
"Here, I shall complete this one for you." Toriel says. She walks across the buttons in a particular order, avoiding two of them, then approaching a switch on the wall and flipping it. The door opens with a rumbling groan.
"I will wait for you in the next room!"
And she's off.
…It's hitting Frisk now, that the stone walls around them, and eventhe floor… it's all purple. What kind of stone is purple?
[* Ebottstone.]
"Wha.. you heard my thoughts again…"
[* I cannot tell why, but it seems our minds are connected, somehow. I suppose we'll have to get used to it.]
"…Weird." Frisk shrugs, saving their worries about privacy for a later time. "Okay, so, what's… ebottstone?"
[* It is a type of rock only found in Mt. Ebott. This mountain is a hotspot for magic, so its makeup has unique properties only places of deep magic posess.]
"…That's actually so cool."
"Frisk, dear, who are you talking to?" Toriel calls out from the next room.
"U-uhm—"
[* Ha. She can still hear you.]
"Uhm, talking to myself. Sorry."
Frisk catches a stray thought. They don't think Chara meant to share this one, because all other times they've communicated they've used their ghost-mouth to speak…
[* Stars, they apologize too much.]
Ouch.
Frisk ignores it, and approaches the sign by the open door. They squint, but still can't really make out what it says…
Frisk can hear the ghost sigh. [* It says, "Only the fearless may proceed. Brave ones, foolish ones. Both walk not the middle road."]
"Ohhhh, that's why she avoided the middle ones," Frisk mutters to themself.
[* See? Easy puzzles, easy hints. Only foolish ones would get them wrong.]
They think in their mind, instead of talking to communicate, this time; Thanks for reading it for me, by the way.
The ghost says nothing in response.
Frisk goes ahead and procees into the next room, scanning it for Toriel, She is on the far side of the room, staring at what looks like… spikes, at the exit?
"Now, why would the puzzle here have been reactivated? Perhaps a malfunction? I do suppose they are old mechanisms."
"Reactivated?" Frisk questions as they make their way closer to her.
"Most of the puzzles in the ruins should have been deactivated a long time ago. It has been a long time since there was good reason to." She stares at the spikes in thought. "In times of high security, they are re-activated. But it is more likely a malfunction. There are no monsters that have seen you here yet. And I would be surprised if they thought you were a threat. You are just a child."
Frisk hums in thought. There are indeed more odd creatures down here, then. That's good to know.
So all of the legends were true.
[* There's hundreds of them. More likely thousands. You will have to get used to it.]
Ugh, stop reading my—!
[* It's not my fault your mind is loud.]
Toriel flips the switches for Frisk, and leads them into the next room. A dummy stands still in the center of it.
"Many monsters may be hostile towards you, because you are human. You will need to be prepared for it." Toriel starts. "When a monster attacks , it will initiate a fight, in which your soul will become exceptionally vulnerable. They will utilize their magic attacks on you, most likely, which you can usually dodge with ease."
"I have to... fight people-?" Frisk mutters.
Toriel chuckles. "No, no, my child. No need. You can strike up a friendly conversation with most monsters! You may stall for time this way, until I come to resolve the conflict. I will ensure no harm befalls you here, Frisk."
“…Oh. O-okay."
Chara wonders.
Why would monsters attack people? Completely unprovoked?
What else changed, since they died? Why is Toriel even in the Ruins…?
What happened?
What did I do?
"Practice talking with this dummy, here, if you will."
Frisk approaches the dummy hesitantly, a stick held in their hand. Chara’s noticed they’ve been holding onto that thing quite insistently...
"Uhm… hi?"
The dummy is silent.
"I'm Frisk. Uh. What's… your name…?"
The dummy is silent.
"Uhmmm…" Frisk recalls a little jingle they once heard for a ragdoll toy a while ago. "Ahem… A cotton heart and button eye, you're the apple of my eye~!"
[* …It doesn't seem much for conversation.]
Frisk giggles, and looks over at Toriel, who seems quite happy with the interaction. Chara sighs.
[* I cannot believe you took this so seriously.]
It's funny!
"Wonderful, my child. You seem very well-equipped to make friends, hee-hee! Come with me, there is much more to explore and discuss before we make it to my home."
The Ruins are vast, labyrinthine, and incredibly annoying to have to watch someone unfamiliar with them go through.
Chara would have walked off and left the damn human a long time ago, but they quickly learned that they're practically leashed to them. Truly wonderful…
Of course, after Toriel left them alone, Frisk wandered off and began to explore. Curious child, they seem like. Chara doens't have much choice but to follow them.
A few monsters have approached in attempts to attack them. Every single time, Frisk takes a hit or two, and then manages to pacify them. simply by… talking. Or, in this case, dancing.
[* The Moldsmal wiggles happily. It seems your attempt worked.]
Frisk giggles as they continue wiggling their hips and arms at the creature. It wiggles back, wubwubwub noises echoing in the room.
[* What a meaningful conversation.]
Frisk decides to try wiggling their leg, too. This makes the Moldsmal jiggle in a different way…?
[* You flirted with Moldsmal.]
What???
[* Moldsmal is flustered.]
The jelly slides ascross the floor, turning the corner at the end of the room, out of sight.
How was that flirting? HUH???
[* Moldsmals show affection by wiggling their lower half. You did the equivalent of that.]
Well, did it.. like it..?
[* It seems so.]
Maybe i'll iust keep flirting with monsters, then! It makes them feel better AND pacifies them!
[* You— what? Do not do that. That is…]
Frisk peers behind a pillar, flips a switch, and hears a door open on the other end of the room. These puzzles are so easy…
It made it happy, didn't it?
[* Yes, evidently it did, but, I don't think it wise to resort to this tactic for… EVERY monster you come across…]
If it works, it works!
The next room is the same kind of puzzle, just slightly more complicated. No biggie.
[* Surely you have other ideas. Simple conversation, perhaps, like you used for the froggit earlier. or have you forgotten how to speak?]
Flirting is funnier, though. And it makes people happy.
[* You— ugh. You are insufferable.]
Well, I’m pretty sure you're stuck with me, so.
[* Stars, let me go back to the sweet silence of death…]
Suddenly, their shared soul is yanked out of Frisk's chest.
Another battle. Great.
"Ribbit."
Frisk spins around to see a small Froggit, croaking menacingly. Or, trying to croak menacingly. None of the monsters here have been actually intimidating, save for the creepy flower. Just hostile. But easily pacified.
Frisk is very good at pacifying people. So it's been a breeze down here, really.
[* Froggit hops close!]
"Ribbit!"
Frisk doesn't know how to understand the Froggit's frog noises, so Chara has had to translate it all for them. Every. Single. Encounter. Frisk can imagine how exhausting it must be for the poor ghost…
"Rib-bit."
[* Froggit says that it really wants to be famous. And that a human soul will make it famous.]
[* Maybe not the best idea to let it have its wish…]
I know, Chara, shut up and let me think…
[* Froggit hops closer.]
I'm not blind—
[* Towards YOU.]
Frisk yelps as they see a tiny, magic-manifested frog leaping towards their soul, dodging the attack just in time.
[* And, yes, you are blind.]
A quiet moment. Frisk is sitting beside a shallow stream of water that runs through the ruins, washing off some small cuts and scrapes they've gotten from battles.
Chara does not know why they decide to help keep the human alive. They would rather both of them die. Two less parasites plaguing the underground.
And yet they read signs Frisk is too blind to read, point out details they can't make out. Warn them of monster attacks if they seem too dangerous to just tank.
Why?
They feel… an obligation.
Whatever voice woke them up from their slumber… it wanted them to help Frisk. And they truthfully, have nothing better to do, being stuck to the soul of a stranger and such.
They do not care about the human. Not in the slightest. They are simply bored.
(They so desperately don't want to be the reason anyone else dies.)
October 5th, 2021
(Three months since the barrier was broken.)
…
Moonlight paints Frisk's room a deep, soft blue. They sit at the edge of their bed, and as they stare out the window at the night sky, they wonder.
"Chara?" Frisk whispers.
They are alone in their room. Save for the ghost that lays atop their bed behind them.
It's very quiet, save for the room's space heater unit softly buzzing with warmth. It's getting to be autumn in this part of the world.
Frisk is worried… they haven't heard a stray thought from Chara in a while.
[* Did you need something?] Chara says.
"Oh. Hi. I thought you were… asleep."
Frisk does not say that they were scared Chara disappeared. They're always scared of it. Especially after leaving the mountian.
[* Hi.] The ghost smiles. [* I… er…. I am not tired. You know this, it's hard for ghosts to be tired.]
Frisk smiles back. "Eheh. Yeah. Well, save for Napstablook. Nap is in their name."
[* You amuse me, Frisk.] Chara's grin widens. [* …did you need something?]
"Oh. Yeah." They turn around to look at Chara, adjusting their legs so they're criss-cross, facing them. "I have an idea."
The ghost is laying on their side. Were they watching Frisk?
[* Oh? Do tell.]
"So, now that, uhm, now that Alphys has settled in and all, and, she's moved most of her lab stuff to her and Undyne's house… uhm… we could, maybe, talk to her about… uh…"
Chara lifts an eyebrow. [* Talk to her about what?]
"Making you… a soul. A.. uhm… body."
…
Chara's gaze falls to their hand, which is transparent enough to see the star-patterned sheets underneath.
"..S-sorry, bad ide—"
[* Hush.]
"Wh—"
[* Don't apologize. Stop that.]
"I… okay. Uhm, well, we don't… have to do it. But it's starting to bother me a bit."
[* Why?]
"Well, you… i'm the only person you can talk to, other than when we're around the ghosts. It… it feels unfair."
[* …How so..?]
“You didn't… well, everyone else got, I dunno, a home, or love, or family, after the barrier was broken. Or at least everyone got closure. You didn't." Frisk's fingers dig into the bedsheets. "You're… you're stuck to me."
Chara hesitates. Frisk worries they've said something wrong.
[* You are a wonderful person to be stuck with.]
"I—" Frisk feels their face warm. "Thank you, but that's not the point. It… I…"
—
Chara sighs, and turns so that they're laying on their back, staring at the ceiling.
[* I got my closure when I spoke to Asriel, at the flowerbed. That…]
They chew on their lip. It has been a long time since they considered having dreams, wants, beyond short-term things.
They're not sure that they've ever had any.
[* That is all I wanted.]
"You… you don't want anything else?"
[* I am dead. It would be difficult for me to get anything.]
"I— well, you— you… I think… you deserve to be able to. You deserve a second chance."
Chara knows full well that they do not deserve anything. They are perfectly content with their situation as is.
"Chara, you do deserve it! You—"
[* Stop trying to—]
"I didn't want to! You're thinking loud. And it’s really quiet in here."
[* …Anyway. I am fine here.]
"But are you happy?"
…Chara doesn't think they will ever be happy.
[* That does not matter.]
"You deserve to be happy."
[* I do not.]
"Chara—"
[* I have hurt many people, in life and in death. You know this. We are not having this conversation again.]
"That doesn't mean you don't deserve a happy ending like everyone else."
…
…
"You deserve a happy ending, Chara. And it upsets me that you haven't gotten one."
Chara hates Frisk.
They keep making points, arguments, saying things that aren't true, like that—
—but the way they say it, it almost convinces Chara that they're wrong for thinking it's untrue.
Chara hates that Frisk cares about them.
(They wouldn't trade it for anything.)
(They think it quietly, discreetly, ensuring the thought never escapes their mind.)
[* …How would we even…?]
Frisk's frown turns to a smile the moment Chara asks.
"That's the part we'd need to talk to Alphys about…"
[* I do not think she would be able to do anything. She might have the knowledge for it, but not the methods.]
"So we can try?" Frisk's face lights up even at the slightest assumption.
[* …When Alphys is available.]
"Yes?" Their smile is almost infectious.
[* Yes. I— I do not understand why you are so eager…]
"Eeee, Alphys should be free tomorrow-! I'm eager… just— because!" They flaps their hands in excitement. "I— I'm happy. For you."
[* Why…?]
"Because-!"
Chara still doesn't understand. They've made up their mind, though. They will let this idea play out, however it may. Soley because it will make Frisk happy. And no other reason.
…They've been isolated for so, so long.
They don't know how they will handle being known. They don’t know what they would do with their life, if given a second chance at it. They’ve never truly thought about the future beyond short-term necessities, and rarely, short-term desires. They suppose, maybe, they might have the chance to figure it out, if the plan works.
A future in a world they do not know… it sounds frightening. But, Frisk will be there too, won’t they? And Toriel, and Asgore, and that damned flower-placeholder-thing that Asriel turned into. Maybe it will be worth it.
The conversation continues, onto topics neither of them will remember in the morning. Eventually Frisk falls asleep. And Chara is left to wonder, as their friend snores softly.
The walk to the Alphys and Undyne's house the next day is one Chara particularly enjoys. Frisk's steps seem lighter, almost as floaty as Chara's. Which is saying something, because Chara is floating a foot or two above the ground beside them, upside-down. Just for the hell of it. And because it makes Frisk laugh.
"D'you think they'll be awake?" Frisk asks, grinning ear-to-ear, staring straight ahead at the sidewalk. "It is a bit early…"
The second Frisk woke up in the morning, they shot out of bed so quickly that Chara dropped their ghost-book (gifted to them by Napstablook, of course). Their enthusiasm is annoyingly endearing.
Chara begins to think it's cute, but they stop that train of thought in an instant. Frisk could hear it if they think it too loudly, and Chara does not want Frisk knowing that they think this about them… they would never live it down. (Would it be die it down, if they are already dead…?)
[* I suppose they could be asleep. But I doubt it.]
"Why?” Frisk looks to their right and sees Chara floating upside-down. They seem to try to hold in the giggles, but they fail miserably.
[* Undyne is usually up training with her dummy in the backyard on Wednesdays.]
"…How do you…"
[* I observed.]
"You're weirdly attentive." Frisk chuckles. "Do you, like, stalk people while I'm asleep?"
[* I simply pay close attention. I do not have much to do when you're asleep, so I listen. She is very loud when she spars. I believe we've had this conversation before, actually… And I— No, I do not stalk people, I can barely leave your room without getting dragged back!]
"I'm bein' silly, Char," Frisk giggles. "We're almost there, by the way. Should be around the corner."
Stars, Frisk is annoying. (Frisk is cute.)
They begin to run, catching Chara off-guard, and they feel the soul-leash drag them along as they speed up. They've gotten used to the feeling, after months of it.
Once Frisk reaches the house, they skid to a stop, run up to the front door, and knock on the door eagerly. Maybe a bit too loud for this early in the morning… Of course, Undyne it's who answers. And she seems to be covered in sweat, towel thrown over her shoulder.
[* I was correct.] Chara says smugly.
Okay, fine, you win.
"Oh, heya punk!" The fish's cheek-to-cheek, toothy grin is almost brighter than the sunrise. "Whatcha doin' here so early? It's only… uh, whatever time it is!"
Frisk chuckles. "We wanted to talk to Alphys about something."
"Oh, well, she's not awake yet. You can hang around for a while 'til she gets up, though! I'm sure she wouldn't mind."
Frisk thanks her, and steps inside, and Undyne closes the door behind them. Chara simply phases through it as it's closing.
Motivated by pure instinct, their eyes dart around the living room— Undyne's piano should be around somewhere…
"Oh— Undyne, where's your piano?" Frisk asks.
Ah. They heard. Chara was too eager.
"Kitchen. Why?"
"…Just curious. Been a while since we've played it."
The former knight gives Frisk an odd look. "You keep saying we. Is there like, a secret invader hiding somewhere?"
"Did you forget that I'm haunted…?"
[* Haunted. You amuse me, Frisk.]
"Wha- ohhhh, right. Uh, sorry, ghost kid. Wherever they are…"
[* As forgetful as she is muscular.]
Frisk giggles at that. "Chara says hi, Undyne."
The woman waves at nothing.
"They're over— eh, nevermind.” Frisk makes their way over to the piano. Chara follows close behind, trying their best to hide their excitement…
…It has been a good while since they've been able to play. Toriel's house does not contain any musical instruments, save for the old music box, if that even counts. (To Chara, it does.)
They float above Frisk, admiring the well-kept keys, the dust-free music stand…
Chara?
[* …]
Chara, if you want to take over and play, I won't mind.
[* …May I?]
Please do!
Chara lets themself fall into Frisk's body. It has never been a good feeling, but that does not matter now.
[* You’re... sure it is okay?]
Of course! I miss when you'd take over that piano in Waterfall… you would always play so pretty…
Chara ignores the compliment. Flexing their— Frisks's fingers, wiggling them, readjusting their position… and…
They press a single key. A clean tone rings out, smooth and warm and beautiful.
"She keeps it well-tuned." They whisper, low enough no one but them and Frisk can hear their words.
They continue, playing the notes to a song they heard a few weeks ago… one thing they will gladly brag about. They can play most tunes from memory with little to no assistance.
It always feels wrong, using Frisk's body for things. But Frisk has always appreciated good music. Chara hopes this time is no different.
They begin to hum the tune, as the lyrics fill their mind… Frisk is singing them, in their thoughts.
…I always thought, I might be bad…
Now i'm sure that it's true, 'cause
I think you're so good,
and i'm nothing like you..
A beautiful song. Chara has come to adore modern music, for the sole reason songs like this one exist. Though, the songs they heard half a century ago, in their early youth, will always be nostalgic for them.
They remember one, in particular…
…and begin to play a few notes.
And they hum the notes of the lyrics along with it.
Frisk recognizes it, surprisingly. They hear faint noises of excitement in the back of their mind.
Oh! Oh! I love this one!
Wiseee meeen saaayyy…
Only foooools, ruuushh innn…
But iiiii, caaaann't heellp
fallling in looooveee~
Frisk's internal dialogue is a bit distracting from Chara's playing, but they do not find it annoying. Not one bit.
wiiiithhhh youuuuuuu…!
Not at all…. it's…
…Chara misses it, when Frisk goes quiet.
"Beh.. Undyne, I told you to not play so loud while i'm sleeping…."
The voice startles Chara out of Frisk's body entirely, stopping the song midway through. It startles Frisk, too.
Alphys is awake.
"Oh- oh! Alphys! I wanna talk to you!” Frisk yelps, leaping out of the piano stool.
"Wha… Frisk, why're you here so early-? D-does Toriel know you're here…"
[* I knew we forgot something.]
It's fiineeee…
They sit at the couple's dining table, Frisk sitting on one end, Alphys sitting opposite Frisk. There's a strategically placed mirror across from where Chara is sitting, so that they can be seen, as well. Frisk thought it was important for them to be a part of the conversation.
Frisk just finished their third plate of pancakes that Undyne made. She's gotten much better at cooking after all this time… they've been scarfing them down like a rabid dog. And they don't care that they look insane doing it.
"Mmgh… so good…" Frisk mumbles. "I want more but i'm full…"
"Heh, nothin' but the best from yours truly!" The woman flexes. Frisk can see Chara rolling their eyes in the mirror.
Alphys is taking much smaller bites. She continues what she was saying a moment ago.
"Why did you guys come to chat? I, uh, don't really have anything to offer other than Undyne's pancakes. A-and those aren't even mine, ehehh…" She pauses. "Ohhh, did Toriel ground you again, Frisk? Is that why you didn't tell her you were coming…"
"Wha— No!! We came to talk to you, not get out of a punishment… And she doesn't ground me, I—"
Frisk can hear the ghost cackling in the chair beside them. They don't bother looking.
"Okay, then, why? What do you need?"
"We, uh, we wanted to ask about, if. Like. Uhm."
[* Don't clam up now, Frisk, this was entirely your idea.]
"Shush— I, we wanted to know if you had ideas about… uh, bringing Chara back. Or. Getting them a body. Or something. Y'know?"
"O-oh." Alphys stares blankly.
"I know it's kind of, like, impossible…? Well, maybe. Sorry to bring them up, but— you made the amalgams. You saved tons of monsters from death. You even did the same thing for Asriel, with the flower…"
"I know, I know, I'm just— this is very different from that. Humans are... your bodies are much less malleable. Your souls don't behave the same way. It's weird that you were even able to wake them up from death in the first place, I…" The lizard taps her claws against the table in thought. She doesn't seem convinced that it'll work.
“Isn’t there a way to try…?” Frisk insists.
"W-well, there is… human bodies can exist after death, as well as souls… I don't know where your soul or body are, Chara, but we might be able to… rejuvinate things… somehow…? Do you remember where you were buried?"
Chara seems startled to have been addressed directly. Frisk reaches a hand towards them, but they seem to refuse to take it at the moment.
[* I… do not know. Judging by where I first awoke, when Frisk fell, my theory would be the flowerbed. At the entrance to the Underground.]
"They say they were buried at the flowerbed. At the start of the Underground."
Alphys grits her teeth. "Hahah… well! That'll be pretty hard to go and dig up, huh?" She pinches her nose. "Gosh, climbing Mount Ebott just to unearth a hundred-year-old corpse…"
Chara lets out a harsh laugh.
[* Robbing my own grave! That sounds like quite an enjoyable weekend.]
[* …And I am not a hundred years old. I believe it would be… seventy? I'll count later.]
"Is it really graverobbing, if they're okay with you robbing it…? Would it just be grave… unboxing…?" Frisk thinks out loud. Chara snickers.
"True!" Alphys chuckles. "Probably unsanitary, but not morally dubious! Ohmygosh," She puts on an infuencer accent. "Hey guys, welcome back to another videooo! Today we're gonna be doing a surprise grave unboxing!"
Everyone's laughing now. Even Undyne, from the kitchen, as she cleans up the pancake mess. Except for Chara, of course. They've never actually watched a single youtube video, Frisk thinks. They barely know what youtube is.
[* Your modern humor confuses me.]
After it dies down, Alphys's smile falls. She clears her throat.
"Ahem— I, well, Chara, if you really want to try, w-we can… take a trip up the mountain to find your body, I guess. We’ll definitely probably need the DT injector, and that was kind of impossible to bring to the surface, ehehe… So we'd need to go down there for this anyway."
[* It was Frisk's idea in the first place.]
"Yeah, it was, uh… my idea. They just agreed to it."
"O-oh. Well I'm not doing anything unless they're a hundred-percent okay with it."
[* I am fine with it, Alphys.]
"They say they're fine with it."
"W-well, I don't actually know if they said that-! You're speaking for them!"
Frisk giggles. "I wouldn't lie about something like this. But you can look in the mirror if you want proof…"
"Oh. Right, I… forgot it was there. Silly me."
Alphys leans forward in her seat to get a better look in the mirror. There Chara is, giving a thumbs-up. Alphys gives one too, and raises an eyebrow. Chara nods in confirmation, lifting their other thumb for good measure.
"…Okay. That settles that, I guess." The scientist sits back down. Suddenly her eyes shoot wide open. "We, uh, also need to ask Toriel." She chuckles, giving an awkward, nervous grin. "I don't wanna have an angry queen at my throat, and all…"
Frisk groans. "Can you imagine?"
"Ohoho, yeah." Alphys places her hands on her hips and raises her voice's pitch to mimick Toriel's. "How dare you take those children back down there without telling me! You are endangering them! Have you no decency? No maternal instinct?"
Both Chara and Frisk begin laughing. Alphys is surprisingly good at that.
"I am very glad you came to talk to me first, Dr. Alphys. I would have been very cross with you if you hadn't."
"Y-yes, I was worried you'd be mad. It's mostly up to them, anyway, not me. I'm just the one who'll do the dirty work…"
Toriel nods. "Mhm. Speaking of which, Frisk, do you have a mirror?
Frisk silently shoves a hand into their pocket, grabbing their compact mirror, and opening it. They keep one with them everywhere just in case they come across a friend who wants to speak to the ghost. Their eyes search the room for the ghost in question, and they gesture for them to come, to be seen. They hesitantly float back over to the couch.
Toriel walks over to Frisk, leans down, and peers into the glass. Chara adjusts themself so they're visible within it.
…Frisk sees them make eye contact.
There's a moment of silence. Both of their expressions shift, just a bit.
"…Chara, are you certain you want… this?"
They nod.
"Are you certain you are alright with them using your body to do so? I… I worry that it.. may not be… a good feeling. For you."
They nod again, quicker this time.
[* …I will be alright.] Chara mutters.
Toriel squints at the mirror. "Uhm— Frisk, what did they..?"
"They said they'll be alright."
"…Alright. I… I will not stop you." Toriel sighs. "But, please, Dr, handle their body with care. Should your efforts come to bear fruits, I would rather the body they reinhabit be an intact one…"
The queen and Alphys continue to discuss further. While they're talking, Frisk looks to their left, where Chara sits. They wrap an arm around their barely-corporeal shoulder. A chill envelops the air around their arm. A side-hug.
Well, about as close to a hug as you can get, with a ghost. They think a thought loud enough for the ghost in question to hear…
You'll be okay?
[* I have said so. Many times.]
Have you thought about it more than, like, the two seconds it takes to say yes?
[* I have, believe it or not. I have pondered over it plenty. And I've decided that it's worth the attempt, even if it… bears no fruit.]
Mm. Okay. I'm glad.
For maybe the thousandth time, Frisk wonders what it would be like to actually hug their friend. They suppose, if things work out as intended, they'll be able to find out. The thought fills them with an odd feeling…
…A good feeling. But an odd one.
"…and, please be sure to bring Undyne with you," Toriel asks. "I believe she will be useful in keeping you all safe, should the worst happen. I would ask for more of you to go, for safety, but, the more souls that go, the more there will be for you and me to worry about…"
"Of course, I— I'm sure we'll be fine, the CORE has stayed running pretty smoothly since the barrier broke." Alphys is fidgeting with her tail as she speaks. "There are still plenty of monsters who stayed in the mountain, to this day, even— and the communications I've had with them all indicate pretty smooth sailing for everyone still there."
Toriel nods, smiling. "Indeed! I have spoken to a few people as well. I am more concerned about how they will react to… humans, considering most who still reside below seem to be rather, er, conservative."
"Yeah, I get that. But, uh. Worst that could happen is someone really angry tries to attack them. Eheh, and we both know Undyne could take care of that…."
"Yes, yes, you are right. That does make me feel better."
A moment of silence. Toriel seems to be thinking. Worrying.
"…How long do you estimate the trip will take?"
Frisk perks up. "Oh! Yes! I was wondering that too. Are we going straight there and coming back, or—"
Alphys sputters. "Woah, woah, okay— we can't just take a quick round trip. I need the DT machine for this. Like I did with all of the other experiments. U-uhm, we might need to… stay there a while…?"
Toriel blinks.
"How long?"
Alphys hesitates.
"U-uhm, I… I don't know…?" She sputters. "W-well, science is not a one-and-done thing! It's— it's going to take a while to even prepare their body for testing, m-maybe two days if I'm fast… a-and who knows how long it'll take to actually, erm, try and resurrect them…"
Toriel pinches her nose. "So, a long time, then."
"P-probably a month…?."
Frisk perks up. "It'll be like a long-term camping trip! We could like, make s'mores in Hotland, and have a campfire in Snowdin, or…"
"Frisk, this is a scientific trip, not a—"
[* I would thoroughly enjoy watching flames engulf something.]
“Of course you would, silly.”
“—AHEM, we'll probably just go straight to the lab from New Home. It's not a very long trip once we get to the barri— uh, the cave entrance…? Now that the elevators are working properly.”
"Aw…"
"B-but, still, we’ll all have to pack for, like, a month's worth of stuff. And if we need more, I can always just… have Undyne take a trip back to get things. It'll be pretty easy."
It continues to go back and forth like this for a while, Alphys posing ideas to Toriel and Frisk and answering and asking questions. Eventually, all of the details are worked out, and all that's left to do is… prepare for the trip.
The mountain awaits them. Frisk hopes all the time and effort will be worth it.
They hope Chara will get to live again.