Broken Timelines ✔️

OVERTALE - Chara's PoV

"This is the plan Chara. Can you just fucking stick to it without asking questions?!" Sans growls, and I meekly nod my head. My brown bangs fall into my eyes and I shy away from the harshness in his voice.

"SANS!" I hear from outside Sans' bedroom, and Alphys comes rushing in.

"Al? What is it? I'm kinda busy with the Punk." Sans sighs, and I know it's because he has a soft spot for Alphys, much like he does for Frisk.

"I've found her. I got through to her. Shocked her a little bit, enough to let Frisk out of the prison of Chara's blackness, no offence Char..." Alphys mutters quickly, and I swear Sans' eyes become bright with HOPE.

"Wha... How?!" Sans splutters, leaping off of his bed and towards Alphy.

"Well, you know how you can visit your other Timelines? Because it's just you and Error, and GasterSans..." Alphys trails off into incoherent mumbling until Sans snaps a finger in front of her face.

"Uh... a...anyway, I reached into my SOUL and found a small missing fragment, which is the part of me that resides in every other Alphys in every other dimension and timeline... I uh, I fought Frisk. She killed me, but she has her memories of this Time, and I spoke to her as my other self was dying. The effort of holding onto a dying SOUL almost killed me, but she was shocked. I think Frisk realised who she really was and what she was doing. I think we can get her back." Alphys pants after practically using one breath for that whole monologue.

"So, what do I do Al? What's the best course of action?" Wow. Sans was asking someone else what he should do? Shocking.

"You need to get to her Timeline with Char and persuade her to swap back. She needs to exit into the waiting room of her own will. And Char needs to... needs to go back of her own accord."

My throat becomes clogged and tears prick my eyes. I have to go back there... and be all alone by the sounds of it.

"I'm sorry Char, but we need to correct the Timelines. You know how damaging it is to have you here..." Alphys whispers sorrowfully. Even Sans seems to be pitying me.

"I'll do it. Don't worry. I'll go back..."

Sans nods sharply, and grabs my hand, pulling me into the waiting room. We march through, past many shortcuts to other Timelines, until we reach Frisk. We step through and I feel the blackness try to invade my SOUL again. Alphys was right, Frisk was stood there in shock.

"Heyya Kiddo, I think it's time you came home, right?"

Frisk turns to us, her deep brown eyes, identical to mine, reflect her inner turmoil.

Her fear.

She holds up the knife and the stick, and I see the blackness that has corrupted her soul try to force her to drop the stick. I walk forward cautiously, and pry the knife from her stone hold. The blackness swirls around us and stabs me in the back, forcing away my happy thoughts, but I keep a hold on my sanity.

Realisation shines through Frisk's eyes, and she clutches the stick to her chest.

"Thank You, Chara." She murmurs softly, and just like that I feel warm. Her LV and my LV swap back to normal, and her golden locket glows red again, just as mine flashes gold.

"You're always welcome Frisk." I smile, I genuinely smile.

She hugs me softly, and I see Sans smile happily when she steps back and into the shortcut with him.

Leaving me all alone....

Oh so alone.

The blackness pries at my happiness, trying to isolate me and make me that murderous monster that I always was, even as a young child.

But the memory of Frisk's voice caressing my name, not spitting it as people always do, it resonates within my SOUL.

I feel happy, I feel cared for...

My SOUL glows Gold and I smile softly.

And then I pass out.