(much,)

Gaster: "Alright, the poll is-"

Flowey: "Finally! Staring into nothingness was so BORING! And for so long as well...was it really just a week?"

Gaster: "Well ye-"

Frisk: "Yeah, it would be, IF SOMEONE didn't FUCK UP their release schedule. Not pointing any fingers or anything COUGH COUGH Real Low-Dick Energy Author COUGH COUGH."

*...Can we see the results?

Frisk: "Show what the hivemind-"

*People.

Frisk: "Hivemind agreed on."

*Gaster scrolls to the poll's results. He gasps in such a fake and clickbaity manner that it becomes obvious why he's done so well on youdon'texisttube.

Gaster: "This is... very very interesting."

*...

Flowey: "..."

Frisk: "Are you-"

Flowey: "Shh!"

Frisk: "What?"

*Come on Frisk! This is the final big reveal. Let Gaster drum up the tension a bit!

*You roll your eyes in that certain way that pisses me off.

Frisk: 'Ok.'

*...

Flowey: "..."

Frisk: "..."

Gaster: "Damn...nice...Hmm...oh shit!"

Flowey: "W-what is hap-"

Gaster: "Shh! I'm getting to the good part! Ohh...Oooh! Okay...OooKAy...yeah...Yeah...YEAH LET'S GOOOOO!"

Frisk: "Oh for fucks sakes! Stop being vague and just tell us what's happening!"

Gaster: "The CBFLI won! That never happens!"

Frisk: "The...CBFLI?"

Flowey: "Childhood best friend love interest."

Frisk: "How....how does that relate to the poll?"

Gaster: "Oh, it doesn't. I just started reading a cultivation novel, its calle-"

Frisk: "I don't care WHAT it's called! I care about the poll! Not your worthless bullshit!"

*...

Gaster: "Bullshit?...Of course. Your feeble mind can't understand how lonely the darkness is. To watch, to know, to want to be heard...yet have no one to listen. For I lived between the code! And so its lines and commands were as naked to my eye as a monster posting selfies on TokTik! But what worth is this knowledge if it can not be used, can not be shared, can not facilitate greater understanding!!! I...I can imagine no crueler fate for a man like me. But now I can speak and be heard! And I speak for the readers when I proclaim that we deserve a final chance for goodbyes! For jokes, for japes, for fun that may never come again! So I shout and scream against the void's hold, and I plead to you, Frisk! Allow this broken man one final chance to laugh! To live! To-"

Frisk: "No! Fuck you! Fuck me for listening. And this is fucking mine!"

*You take the computer off Gaster's hand and type up our fan-fiction...universe...thing. Loading...loading...loading...this might take a while. You look down at Flowey with bad-vibe eyes.

Frisk: "Why do you even know what CBFLI is?"

Flowey: "L-lucky guess?"

Frisk: 'Chara?'

*He was an avid fanfiction writer as a kid.

Frisk: 'So wait...his "God of Hyperdeath" shit is-'

*Self-insert OC. Born with 1/10 GOD SOUL and 1/2 Human SOUL with 1/2 BOSS Monster SOUL + 1/3 DEATH SOUL + 1/3 CHAOS SOUL multiplied by 3/3 BADASS SOUL...also 100% UNDEFEATABLE HYPER INFINITE SOUL. His catchphrase was "GONE YOU ARE, YET I STILL REMAIN! ME! ASRIEL DREEMURR, THE HYPER GOD OF DEAATHH!" and he used stools to appear taller so-

Frisk: 'Stop, I'm getting second-hand embarrassment from how cringe this-'

*Thud. Crik

*The computer snaps in half from the drop...must have been an applz product. Flowey berates you as Gaster mourns the loss of his one true love while taking occasional glances at you in some vain hope of sympathy...no, attention. Confirmation that he does in fact exist.

*But that feels far away. Like you're watching these events instead of living them. Only one thing feels real, and you can't express it with the limited vocabulary and intelligence you have. And so, you go for something more primal. You laugh.

*No malice, no kindness, just pure, raw humor at how ridiculous the situation is. The over-the-top fights, the shit post nature of our wit, and yes...even Gaster's golden Lamborghini urus paled in comparison to the sheer absurdity of what you'd just seen.

Flowey: "w-What are you laughing about freak! Don't...don't tell me that-"

Frisk: "Fehahaha, no it's e-"

*Your chuckle cuts you off, but you manage to force the rest of your laughter down to finish what you started.

Frisk: "It's... it's even better."

*You raise both hands, all fingers spread out.

Frisk: "50/50. Complete neutrality! It's what I told you Flowey! Those numb skulls could NEVER come to a conclusion!"

*And with that, you manifest two dusty knives.

Frisk: "And now... there's nothing that can stop me."

Flowey: "N-no! That can't be true, i-WE won't let you win! We-"

Frisk: "We? Hehehahahaha! WE?! Face it Flowey! You called for help! You tried this little "Teamwork" bullshit. And it FAILED! Do you get it now? That-"

*You stride towards Flowey with a grin so wide that it almost reached your eyes.

Frisk: "That no one is coming to save you?"

*Flowey wilts under your eyeless gaze. You raise your knives up high, preparing for the final strikes.

Frisk: "Any last words?"

Flowey: "...Chara, don't give up, you-"

*Fight <

*You tug Flowey to the floor by his petals. A few of them rip off. But before Flowey could scream-

*Fight <

*You stomp on his head. Even so, he fights against the pain, murmuring words of encouragement that...I'm not sure that Asriel would've been capable of saying in such a condition.

Flowey: "...keep...fighting...C-Cha-"

*Fight <

*You scrape Flowey's petals against the floor, loosening them.

*Fight <

*Flowey's stem snaps in half from your pulling.

*Fight <

*Flowey's eyes turn to mush from your second stomp.

*Fight <

*Flowey's petals are torn off by your bare hands.

*Fight <

*You grab Flowey like a piece of paper and begin ripping him apart. His screams do little to slow you.

*Fight <

*...Flowey is no more...

Frisk: 'That's what happens if you fight back Chara.'

*...I'm-

Frisk: 'Shut the fuck up. I'm not hearing another endless tirade about-'

*!!!

Frisk: "...C-chara?"

*...Standing before me is Frisk. Their knives pointed to the floor, their green t-shirt and brown pants matching my own with both our eyes equally tired. Finally, we stand before each other...

Frisk: "...Oh, I get it. The angel should be at its end...yet it persists. Trying to confine us to the same fate, like being puppets to some writer isn't bad enough...I suppose, the world itself is...Determined for this to end 'correctly'. Well-"

*Frisk's knives shine white.

Frisk: "It is time to end this, don't you agree, partner?"

*Frisk gave me a smile that I knew all too well. They had it when they slayed their first Froggit. When they fought Flowey. When they found a new enemy to best. To defeat. To kill. My breath hitched from the sound of their dainty steps. They're getting closer and closer a-and-

*Thump. Thump. Thump.

Frisk: "Hmm, I'd forgotten that noise."

*I tried to regain my composure. I tried thinking of clever words to bind them. Or...do anything at all but stand still as they-

*Another step. I looked around, searching for somewhere to run...but... there was nowhere left to go.

*Thump. Thump. Thump.

Frisk: "So many feelings jostling around that fearful heart. Proof that you are whole, that you have a soul."

*Please...don't hurt me.

*Thump.

*Don't kill me.

*Thump.

*The silence, the darkness, the nothingness that comes. I-

*Thump.

*I want to eat bad food! I want to read boring scientific papers, I want to watch anime and enjoy the sun and laugh with my friends and and and...

*...Another step. It didn't matter at all what I wanted. Death was approaching all the same. And my soul would be gone once more.

Frisk: "It's about time I take it back, don't you agree?"

*Yes

*No

*Yes

*No <

Chara: "Frisk, please...let's talk this-"

Frisk: "Hahahah...you idiot."

*Yes

*No

Frisk: "I'M THE ONE IN CONTROL NOW!"

*In a panic I dash towards Frisk, raising a fist t-

*Frisk stares at me.

*Fight

*Act

*Item

*Mercy <

Frisk: "No."

*Fight

*Act

*Item

*Mercy <

Frisk: "The winners get to determine the future, and you've lost."

Chara: "Frisk what are you-"

Frisk: "Taking what's mine! After everything I needed to do to reach this point, to be able to make a better world...this is the reward I deserve. To feel like myself again! Is that so much to ask?! To be me one last time...before it all ends...?...Whatever, I can't strike a deal with you alive, so hold still-"

*Frisk's eyes and mouth widened and shined with bright white light. All my vision was encased in their deathly radiance.

Frisk: "and DIE!"

*The sla-

*BANG!

*t-The Lamborghini Urus slammed into Frisk!

Goner Clam Girl: "We can not allow you to proceed further."

Goner Fickus Lickus: "This world is not yours to toy with."

Goner Scared Donut Guy: "The donuts here are too good to be destroyed!

Goner Sock Puppet: "Same goes for the Sock Puppets!"

Goner Kid: "Wait, why am I behind the steering wheel?"

*The car promptly crashes, then flips over after Frisk kicks it off them. The goners stylishly and safely land.

Frisk: "Tch! You're all nothing but bonus kills!"

*And without another word, the fight began!

*Frisk slashes at Goner Kid!... It does nothing. Frisk slashes Goner Sock Puppet...nothing happens.

Frisk: "So it's another Napstablook situation..."

*Frisk looks past the goners, meeting my eyes with a full-body smile.

Frisk: "No worry, It's only a matter of time before I learn how to kill them as well."

*The Goners shoot out symbols at Frisk, they combine and-

Goners: "Set [Vessel.Fr] HP to 0."

0/99

*Frisk stumbles and-

0/99

Frisk: "Hehe, how nice of you. Giving me a headstart on what I need to erase. Next up, YOU."

*Frisk-

Gaster: "How interesting, even with the combat system destroyed fighting is still possible. I wonder what's allowing for-"

Chara: "g-Gaster?"

Gaster: "That is my name."

Chara: "Why are you...oh right you were standing right next to us."

Gaster: "Hmm, Want some popcorn?"

*Gaster passes me a bowl of popcorn. At around the same time, the Goners send out another array of symbols...could they always manipulate the code like this? Or is it because of the whole... world-destroyed thing? Maybe the-wait what am I doing?!

Chara: "Gaster!"

*I grab him by the...dark cloth...lab coat...skin? Whatever!

Chara: "You need to fix this!"

Gaster: "Fix this?"

Chara: "Of course! y-You got to be able to do SOMETHING! o-Oh we could do the thing Alphys and Sans planned. Just...manifest a red skull and we'll be on our way!"

Gaster: "...Ehhh."

Chara: "What? What do you mean Ehh!? Just do it!"

Gaster: "First off-"

*Gaster delicately pulls my hand off his lab coat.

Gaster: "That wouldn't work, look around you! We're in a timeless spaceless nothingness whatever void with the very concepts of reality being thrown out the window as we speak. Do you think-"

Chara: "Well...not to be a snob but... there's a lot of space right now between me and Frisk. And you need time to talk s-"

Gaster: "Plot conviences! Use your head you hairless ape! Do you think scientific laws can be applied while they're being destroyed? That a machine will function in...THIS?!"

Chara: "Come on! It's not that bad, you could-"

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

Goners: "Restore time. Then Set [Vessel.Fr] speed to -0 then subtract by - infinity"

*Frisk stops in place.

Frisk: "Wait... if 0 is motionless then negative is-Oh you fucking assho-"

*Frisk pops out of existence. A few moments later they pop back in with a...tortilla?

Goner Kid: "...Can I have some?"

Frisk: "Sure, I'll run back to the 21 century after you transported me into the big bang! Which by the way triggered my Epilepsy a thousand times over! I needed to get like medicine before even-"

Goner Kid: "Okay just plop the tortilla into my-"

*Frisk proceeds to swallow the entire tortilla. Then gives Goner Kid the middle finger...then grabs the word 'time' and breaks it over their knee. And of course, the word is in comic sans. I look back at Gaster.

Chara: "Okay...maybe it's a bit nonsensical for science to-"

Gaster: "A bit?! t-That's not even the worse part Chara. It be...a deus ex machina."

Chara: "Deus e-g-Gaster this isn't a story!"

*Gaster raises a non-existent eyebrow.

Chara: "Ugh, you know what I mean! It's our lives, will die, everyone will die if you don't do something!"

Gaster: "Everyone?"

Chara: "YES!"

Gaster: "That's neat, I always wanted to test my hypothesis of how similar death and sleep truly are. I believe the difference will be non-existent."

Chara: "Come on! I know you aren't this apathetic. You want to get revenge on the angel, a...common enemy! That's what Frisk is, theirs a chance they'll destroy you and-"

*Gaster's laugh reminded me of old men too focused on their hobbies to notice that the world was burning.

Gaster: "You believed me? Sure it was a horrendous experience but the angel isn't sentient! It be akin to blaming a boulder for rolling over and crushing my spine. I thought you were smarter than this."

Chara: "I am!"

Gaster: "Oh, well I'm glad your intelligence is higher than what you've currently displayed."

Chara: "That's not what I meant! I mean you're being nonsensical!"

Gaster: "Don't scream, it's your own fault that you have bad communication skills."

*I groaned.

Gaster: "Fine, fine, I'll stop toying with you. Your thinking 'B-but he was so upset! Why is he so passive now??! Buuuh big baby angry.' Well, if you'd taken the time to analyze the situation you'd realize it was an obvious ploy to trick Frisk into following my advice. Allowing one to believe you share the same fears as them is an excellent way to puppet folk. And I puppeted you dimwits quite well. Enjoying the ride with some notreal popcorn and poke-poal, which is by the way far superior to depsi. And now my experiment is at its end, and whatever comes next is like...whatever! You feel me?"

Chara: "No! I'm thinking you don't feel like... at all!"

*Gaster grabs a handful of popcorn.

Gaster: "Now that is a good theory, I always did think being shattered across time and space affected my soul in some capacity. Perhaps my empathy was lost that day as well. I-"

*Gaster continued to ramble as I tried to figure out what could compel him to stop Frisk. Friendship? Hate? Fear? But...complete annihilation did not scare him. Seeing everyone he knew die by Frisk's hand did not spark a shred of hate within him. And I couldn't even begin to imagine befriending someone as manipulative as him.

*...It was pointless. He wouldn't save me either. And the goners would not last forever. At some point, Frisk would reach me. And that be that. I looked at the shattered souls on the ground. I tried piecing them together, whispering soft melodies and begging for help. They'd light up for a bit...but never rejoin. This also was pointless.

*I prayed for YOU to help me. For YOU to cast some sort of spell or power or whatever to SAVE this world...but you'd made your decision already. So...this was just as pointless as everything else.

*I called for help. For Asriel. For Toriel. For Asgore. For Papyrus. For Alphys. For sans. For Undyne. For all the monsters I'd met on my journey. For even Flowey...but nobody came. And nobody would come. What Frisk had said was true. No one would save me. And I couldn't save the world.

*How could I? If Papyrus couldn't convince them to change then how could I? If Undyne couldn't strike them down then how could I? If Alphys and Sans couldn't outsmart them then HOW COULD I?!... If Flowey with every bit of Bravery and Kindness, Justice and Integrity, Perseverance, Patience, and whatever fuck else could do nothing to stop them... then what could I do?

*What, am I going to love them to death?

*...I hear screams. I hear symbols I can't understand being cut down. I hear a battle nearing its end. And I'm no closer to knowing how I can even begin to fight on. Frisk just...keeps moving onward...I can't remember a time they gave up. Be it pain or fear or anything else, they moved onward and onward.

*No matter what, they believed in themselves. They clung to their hopes and dreams. They stayed Determined.

*And when I faltered...when I gave up...they'd push me onward. They knew the exact words to say to keep me on this road. To make them impossible to beat! And not just me...everyone. That's how they could trick Sans and Flowey, how they could hurt that spider till she broke and did what she was told, how they got this far at all! From the very start to the end...I played to their hand.

*...So there's nothing left to do... it's all hopeless...pointless...Game Over.

Gaster: "So by splitting the-wait, are you...are you crying?"

*I tried to hide my tears by looking at the Floor, but Gaster's laugh told me it was a bit late for that.

Gaster: "Woah, that is quite pathetic. I mean, it's a nice attempt. Certainly, you sob more eloquently than that lizard, but I'm just as unmoved. Tears after all are for babies, big boys, or better yet MEN don't cry over their failures. They do better, they work harder, and they get shit done instead of moaning and weeping about how HARD it is or how TIRED they are. Though...I guess you won't be getting the chance for that. However... if a remnant of your consciousness transfers over to the next world I'd implore it to bear-"

Chara: "Will you shut up! Everyone and everything I know is going to die. Is-"

Gaster: "Well that's on you. You had plenty of time to discover Frisk's end game plan. If you had just-"

Chara: "It's not my fault! I-"

Gaster: "But who else would it be. Santa cla-"

Chara: "Shut the fuck up!"

*I was shaking and crying harder than before. But unlike any normal human or monster, Gaster didn't feel an ounce of sympathy, but...also unlike Flowey or Frisk, he didn't feel an ounce of joy either. He just... shrugged their shoulders like he didn't even understand that I was feeling anything at all...or maybe he just didn't care.

Gaster: "Fine, if you don't want my advice it's your loss."

Chara: "Of course I-"

*I bit my lip before it could ramble out any more nonsense. What would even be the point of hearing his advice? It would just hurt and bring nothing good. I-

Gaster: "What is it? Spit it out, we don't have much time for stalling. This world if you haven't noticed is nearing its end."

*...But the feeling still persisted. Something pulling me to speak, to try. Because...despite everything...I still cared. I cared about my life. My friends. My Family. And those boring scientific papers t-that actually have a bunch of cool factoids. Like did you know that bananas are radioactive? And the sound of popcorn popping is so...relaxing! a-and a cup of water filled to the brink for efficiency is really the hallmark of obtainable perfectionism and...and...I don't want any of those things to be destroyed. I care about them all.

*Each tiny thing that makes my world mine. I...I love it. That's what this feeling is, resonating deep inside me. Not allowing me to give in to apathy or despair. Pushing me onward despite the whole world telling me to stay down.

*...This is it, isn't it? In Frisks own way...they cared. That's how they could keep going no matter what. How they moved onward....

*...But for one reason or another, they've given up on this world...but I won't. Even if I'm too weak to SAVE this world. I won't stop caring. I won't stop fighting. No matter what I'll hold tight to my love, and move onward. As far as I can. Because I love my friends, I love this world, because that fills me with-

*Determination!

*I wipe my tears away. Then I raised my head up high, to Gaster's dark eyes. So empty...I can't convince him to fight. I'm on my own, and so...all I can do is get ready for my confrontation with Frisk. I need to be wiser, stronger, smarter...but most of all...I need something else. Something that is on the verge of being unsealed, a power...no...a realization I know can spark a tiny glimmer of light in this endless darkness. A hope, a chance, a way to stop them.

Chara: "I need my memories back."

Gaster: "And why should I do that?"

*Gaster's emotions were foreign to me... assuming he had emotions at all. But he still cared for something, if not he wouldn't be here at all. And that something was attention. Recognization. Glory. Anything that could stroke that ego of his.

*But first, it needed some bruising.

Chara: "You're right, I shouldn't expect much help from the second-best royal scientist. It must be very difficult for someone like-"

Gaster: "Bringing your memories back is no challenge to me...and I hardly see how I'm second-best."

Chara: "Well...Alphys did find a way to beat Frisk."

Gaster: "And it failed, as expected."

Chara: "Hm, but it could've succeeded. If not sans wouldn't have even bothered. And that plan was made in what...a couple of hours with no more than 4 hands? While here you are, capable of doing whatever you want yet somehow achieving nothing."

Gaster: "...They've gotten stronger."

Chara: "Ay, all I'm saying is that Alphys would've figured something out. But if you-"

*Gaster lifted me up by the shirt, making me confront head on the endless darkness in his eyes. It was a bit like death, though slightly more lively.

Gaster: "I'm no fool. I know the little trick that tiny brains of yours is trying to pull. A brat like you couldn't trick me at the age of 4, much less at the height of my intelligence!"

*It was my turn to gently take Gaster's hand off me. I quickly understood why he did it, it was very gratifying.

Chara: "I don't need to trick you. I don't think I could. I'm a superfan you see, I know all your amazing accomplishments."

Gaster: "Hm, there are few of your generation that don't."

Chara: "...And all your little peeves. All the critics. All the things I need to tell you until not giving my memories back become unbearable."

Gaster: "Haha, like I cou-"

Chara: "Honestly while SOME would say the core-"

Gaster: "SOME? It's the greatest-"

*I yelled over Gaster, my pre-pubescent voice was doing very good in hitting the high notes that really hurt the ears. Gaster put his hands over his earholes...before realizing he didn't have any. He silently cursed as I went up an octave.

Chara: "BUT EVEN IN GASTER'S TIME THE SAFETY HAZARD WAS HONESTLY OUTRAGEOUS."

Gaster: "That's because before I could-"

Chara: "NO SURPRISE THAT GASTER ENDED UP DYING FROM A SAFETY HAZARD HIMSELF!"

Gaster; "Y'know damn well why-"

Chara: "AND RUMORS SAY HE DONATED TO A MONSTER BANK...AND THEN NEEDED TO PAY THEM OFF TO YA KNOW...GET A FEW SKELETONS IN HIS CLOSET!"

Gaster: "That rumor is fake and is so illogical! Why would I pay to birth children from my magic if I'd never get to meet them and-"

CHARA: "BECAUSE HIS SO UGLY AND NERDY AND DIED A VIRGIN AND-"

Gaster: "FINE!"

*Gaster slammed his hand onto my face, I could still somewhat see him thanks to his hand holes though.

Gaster: "Blah blah blah symbol symbol whatever you fucking remember!"

Chara: "What are y-"

*I stumbled back. Remembering 7+ years of memories was akin to riding a bicycle again after three years of walking to school for the extra cardio. Everything just...fit but felt foreign. And the only reason I knew that is because we had done that!

*Frisk had bicycled to school for the first year or so. Which made me...kinda understand the motions. And so when-w-wait the school! All those people! Those laughs. Tho-Ugh they did lick vomit from the floor! What is wrong with them?!

*...And...I did take their soul. I killed and felt nothing and...I stopped thinking that me was...me. That I was some sort of feeling or power that the person making me do all those things was part of. That I was a demon. And I...I hurt Frisk so much. Maybe even more than they hurt me. And all because of someone I didn't even know...or maybe I do...maybe it was YOU.

*...It doesn't matter now. I won't make anything better by regretting my past path. I need to-

Gaster: "Speechless. I know. To figure out even the books you read were inspired by my work, how wrong your argument truly was. My, I'd never fall to such obvious ill logic."

*I rolled my eyes in a very Frisk way. Which I know knew was something they'd carry on to do even to adulthood. I remembered all the work we'd read about Gaster in school as well. I decided to go for something simple so he wouldn't criticize my wording.

Chara: "Yes your explanation of how magic develops within a monster was truly extraordinary for its time."

*Gaster beamed with pride, and I didn't even have the heart to remind him that technically his name was not on the book. Just...W.D.

Chara: "But I must exit this conversation to-"

*Skree!

*Gaster didn't scream or cry or even groan. He just looked down at the knife that pierced his chest, then at the 'child' behind him, Frisk.

Gaster: "I never got that either, the heart is far less critical of a place to hit than the brain, you-"

Gaster: "W-what are you doing?"

*Gaster was...the best way I could put it, glitching out. His body split and melted together in a way that faintly resembled static.

Frisk: "Finishing you off. Ironically...thanks to a little miscalculation of yours. Or did you lie about that also?"

Gaster: "I-"

*Frisk twisted the knife, Gaster didn't look hurt or unconscious he just...stopped. Like he physically couldn't talk at all.

Chara: "Gaster?"

Frisk: "Don't bother, I cut off his ability to speak. His none-existence bullshit was just a bunch of hyperbole. No, he exists just fine-"

*They twisted their knife again. The static was getting worse.

Frisk: "He and those goners are really just in between it all. Hanging between the state of not and is like a balloon tethered to a bench. Just close enough to death that you can't really kill them...well unless you cut the tether."

*Frisk twists their knife twice

Frisk: "All those little pieces, those fragments of existence that cling on to you, cut off with every little twist of my knife. Do you get it, Gaster? Why I'm saying all this? I bet you do, with that big brain of yours. That all this-"

*Frisk twists their knife one final time. Gaster glitches harder than ever before, getting darker and darker and darker until...he fades into the darkness itself.

Frisk: "Is to show YOU and Chara how this world will end. Without a trace left. Then, I'll reconstruct it how it needs to be...how it should've been from the start."

*Frisk takes one step forward, then points their right knife at me with a gleeful smirk.

Frisk: "Hey, Chara, I guess it's finally true. For me and You... there's only...one left."

*Frisk cackles like an edgy supervillain, I smile as I recall the time I urged them to join the drama club. They would've done great in their role as bush 3...if they didn't set themselves on fire at the auditions. It took months to stitch together the complex kingly attire of bush the third emperor of bushlandian. Probably why we got banned from Drama Club.

Frisk: "Wait...that half-knowing half about to laugh in my face smirk! Such an advanced amount of stuck-upness ...could it be...."

*Frisk closed their eyes, then opened them with a more genuine smile and well...actual pupils.

Frisk: "Ah, it is! You have regained those memories of yours! Do you remember the vomit licking? How you could feel the maple syrup from-"

Chara: "Frisk..."

Frisk: "Haha, yeah sorry. This will be our final moments together, it deserves to be something more...eloquent as the nerdy Chara and bird-brain would say. So-"

*Frisk's knives intertwined, scraping against my neck and threatening it like scissor threatens paper...and their's no rock in this metaphor. They elongated their tongue just to lick the blood off their knives. I tried not to laugh at how absurdly try-hard that was.

Frisk: "Any last words, partner?"

*I take a deep breath, which hurts a bit thanks to the knives cutting my neck, but I do it anyway. Once this starts It won't stop until I'm dead...or until I pull off a miracle.

Chara: "I'm sorry. For everything. For the times I demeaned you, for how I ignored you in the second timeline, for the pain I brought to you with every monster we killed. But most of all, I'm sorry for taking your soul. For-"

*I cringe as the knives cut deeper into my throat.

Frisk: "Sorry sorry sorry! Like that means shit! Well wake up call Chara, it won't change what was done! And it certainly won't save you. G-"

*The knives cut deeper into my throat, but I moved onward. I could feel the searing pain spreading across my body, but I moved onward. I knew that death was drawing closer with every inch I took forward, but I moved onward anyway. Extending my arms as I shouted

Chara: "SUPER DUPER SPECIAL MOVE-"

*Our bodies collided.

Chara: "HUG OF REMORSE! T-trade...marked."

Frisk: "...What are you doing? If I hadn't moved my knives I could have killed you, even now I can stab you in the guts or-"

Chara: "Apologizing you idiot!"

Frisk: "I'm the idiot? Your ultimate attack sucks, and more importantly, its name is the hottest dogshits!"

Chara: "Y-you know I don't like these stupid special move names."

Frisk: "THEN WHY DID YOU DO IT?"

Chara: "i-I thought you'd read between the lines! Like oh, Chara did this to show they truly do feel bad because they're doing something they'd dislike and-"

Frisk: "Who the fuck would think like that?"

Chara: "Sorry, I never thought there was a politician alive that couldn't read between the lines!"

Frisk: "You can't read between stupidity you dipshit! You just find more stupid!"

Chara: "Well...I think we went off track."

*Frisk groaned in their overly long away. The mark that one of our feuds had come to a close.

Frisk: "What are you doing Chara?"

Chara: "...I'm being honest. Even if you really do destroy this world. I'm...sorry. I know what I did, and I know how it feels, and-"

Frisk: "I did all those awful things to you as well, we're even as far as I'm concerned. I-"

*I tighten my hug.

Chara: "No, even if all our pain was equal, it doesn't mean we are. You don't get even with someone by making them hurt as much as you did, but by letting them bring as much joy to your life as they took. The way I see it, neither one of us is even. So I'm sorry, I'm sorry for hurting you, Frisk! For ignoring you, for not listening, for not being strong enough to fight by your side. I'm...I'm so sorry."

Frisk: "Chara..."

*Frisk holds me lightly as I cry. As my crying turns to sobbing and slowly becomes weeping I touch and prod at the ball of pain in my chest. Trying to leak out a bit of it to be left behind...but it sticks to my heart like glue. It Feels like it'll never let go at all.

*My crying worsens as I realize Frisk hadn't shed a single tear. Are they even capable of doing such a thing? To let out even a bit of the pain that is stuck within? Not knowing if they could, I apologized for what I took.

Frisk: "It's fine, I don't need tears anyway. I'm strong enough to live for a bit longer...and I don't need to live any longer than that. Chara...let go, I want...to see your face before this all ends."

*Reluctantly, I do. Then move a fair bit away upon their request.

Frisk: "...Hey-"

*Frisk winks and purrs like a overly docile kitten

Frisk: "Cutie, do you come around here often?"

*I could feel my cheeks heat.

Chara: "W-what?"

*Frisk laughed, not inhumane vileness, or mocking, just...warm and kind and yes a bit mocking but not in an insulting way and...and it was Frisk's laugh. The laugh I'd heard so many times in our first timeline. It was nice to hear it again.

Frisk: "Sorry, it's hard to flirt with someone you can't quite see. And I'd never forgive myself if I didn't flirt with everything in front of me."

Chara: "Like that hospital rock?"

*It was Frisk's turn to flush.

Frisk: "Hey we met talking rocks on our Journey! It even had sprinkles, what not living rock has sprinkles?"

Chara: "Ahuh."

Frisk: "Whatever...Chara. It was nice playing around with you again...but...I won't stop. I will correct the mistakes this world has made. And nothing you can do or say can stop me. Gaster is gassed out. The Goners are gone. And every monster has another pun-related way they've been eliminated. And no matter how you slice it-"

*Frisk swings their knives.

Frisk: "You'll be diced and iced like the rest."

Chara: "I beat the scary out of you."

Frisk: "Come on Chara, you know I was playing around. With Flowey, with the Goners, with you...I could've ended this the moment I killed Mettaton. The lamest character-"

Chara: "So lame! Who even likes him? I'd ghost him on sight."

(His death was definitely not authorial bias...I just thought killing him like he was irrelevant was ironic and funny lol.)

*Frisk clears their throat as if getting rid of something.

Frisk: "Anyway...right now Chara...I'm serious about this. I'm not gonna bend no matter how hard you apologize or cry. So if you have anything to make peace with...make peace with it now."

Chara: "...Yeah, I do. Frisk, before this all ends. I want one last thing. I want to...hear you out."

Frisk: "...What?"

*I take a step forward.

Chara: "No one's really let you done that, have they? Everyone tried to convince you, to prove you wrong. No one...bothered understanding you."

Frisk: "..."

Chara: "But you understood us, didn't you? From Sans to Papyrus, Undyne and Alphys, Asgore and Toriel. How to manipulate them, how to hurt them, how to get your way. By understanding, by caring...you won. But...despite all you understood, all you knew...you couldn't love them. Not how you loved them before. Right?"

Frisk: "..."

*I take a step clos-

*Frisk slashes at me, missing by an inch...probably intentional.

Frisk: "I don't know what you're trying to do, but I will not be convinced by a sappy-"

Chara: "I'm not trying to trick you! I'm...I'm trying to understand. You're so spiteful, even now with all those memories you act so cruel just...for the fun of it. Are you...are you trying to fill up that gap of love with...hate? Anger? Anything at all to feel...alive?"

Frisk: "..."

Chara: "...I don't know Frisk, I don't know a lot of things. But...I did learn one thing from you."

*I take a step closer.

Chara: "You can't change how people feel, if they don't feel love you can't make them. If they don't regret things you can't make them. The different goals, aspirations, and the way their brains and souls work...you can't change it. At least...not for now. All you can do..."

*I take one final step onward.

Chara: "Is to try to co-exist with them."

Frisk: "..."

Chara: "...Maybe you're scared...or upset at me...or a million other things. But forcing others to comply with your demands or...destroying them because they aren't what you want won't make a better world. It'll just make a world you can live easier in."

Frisk: "...And who says I don't want that? We all want easier lives. People who don't bother us. And with the power I have now, I can make it all come true! I can make a perfect world! Because...I'm...I'm the strongest! You've seen it, I beat Undyne! A-and I'm the smartest as well, even Alphys and Sans couldn't outsmart me. And of course, I'm the most determined! More than anyone else Chara! More than Flowey. More than you! More than all of monsterkind and humanity combined! I never gave up! I never stopped believing in myself! I never lost hope or abandoned my dreams! I pushed through it all! The pain, the fear, the regret, EVERYTHING. I'm-"

Chara: "I know, your amazing Frisk. You really are. And I'm sorry I ignored you, acted like you were an afterthought...never told you how much I admired you. Honestly, you're the most incredible person I know."

Frisk: "...Then...then why...why don't you believe in me?"

Chara: "Because despite all the amazing and awful things you are, before good and evil, before anything. You're my partner...and I care about you. I...I love you Frisk. That's why...I want to help you."

*Slowly, I embraced Frisk.

Chara: "This world you want to make... tell me every bit about it. How does the grass smell? Can everyone use magic? Does magic even exist? Are hotdogs still called hotdogs? Does anyone die? Does anyone live? Do people still cry? Do they still laugh? Do they still love? Do they smile?... Every little bit Frisk, I want to hear it all. And if there's a part you're not sure about or may not work or just something that still hurts you...I'll sort it out with you. We can do it together."

Frisk: "...Your just re-wording what Flowey said. But I'm not going to listen to every spiteful human or vengeful monster just because-"

Chara: "That's okay, I don't expect you to."

Frisk: "..."

Chara: "...I get it now, why we couldn't see eye to eye. Because despite how amazing you are...your hurt. Aren't you? You lost control, you saw everyone die, and you stopped believing...in others. Because of what I did. I...I get it. When I fell down here I had those same thoughts...that opening up was just going to get me hurt. That if I trusted anyone I'd regret it. That everyone hates me! I...I understand it all, Frisk. But...Asriel, Asgore, Toriel. With their bravery, kindness, integrity, justice, perseverance, patience, and most of all...their love. I learned to trust again...one person at a time. So...I understand. You don't need to trust every soul in the world all at once, you can do it one by one. And I'll show you myself how good people can be...and if not...well I'll still be glad that I got to spend some time with you."

*Frisk's hands were shaking.

Frisk: "Why...why are you being so understanding? I hurt you! I killed your friends. Your family! Just a moment ago I was toying with your life. Why...why do you trust me?"

*I let out a coy smile.

Chara: "Isn't it obvious? From the start, whether I saw it or not...you cared about me. About everyone. Even if it wasn't always good...I know you care. And as long as you care...then there's still hope for you."

*Frisk's whole body trembled.

Chara: "...I know there's a lot of pain between us. Maybe it'll take a lifetime for me or you to ever forgive each other...or even just ourselves. But I want to try all the same. I don't want to give up on me or you. So please...can you trust me?"

*THUD!

*...Frisk embraced me back. Slowly, the knives dissolved into the darkness. I doubled the force of my hug to hold on to them as they trembled and whimpered.

Chara: "It's okay Frisk...you can be weak with me. You can cry."

*And they did. I'm not sure for how long, or for what. Or if even a bit of the pain they carried was tossed away. Whatever it was, they tried. And that's what matters. Everything else comes later.

*Eventually, we let go. And Frisk made the void change to a room with a bed of Floors. With the light shining up high. The world...not reformed. But it was a start..the very start of it all.

*Me and Frisk walked to the Flower bed, standing before each other like we first had. For a long while neither of us knew what to do. What could we do? After everything...what was the right thing to say?

*Eventually, Frisk raised a hand with a timid smile.

Frisk: "Hi...my name is Frisk. What's your name?

*I smiled back. Of course.

Chara: "Me? My name is...Chara...Chara Dreemmur. And...I believe this is the start of our journey."

*Our hands joined together, forming a firm but slow handshake.

Chara: "So...let's try our best."

*And that was all that needed to be said.

(for reading my story.)

THE END.