To Kill A Chara

How Things Have Changed

"Chara," the skeleton greets, "don't worry. Sans isn't here yet."

Chara turns around, and realizes it's Gaster. "Oh hey Gaster," Chara replies, "what are you doing here?"

"I had a felling Sans would try to kill you if he found you, so I got here first and distracted him to buy time."

"How'd you do that?" I ask.

"I told him Papayrus had fallen on his ice puzzle and broken his legs."

"That's a bit extreme, don't you think?"

"You took Frisk's soul. He's extremely angry at you. You need to avoid him at any cost."

"What do you do when he figures out you lied to him about Papayrus?"

"I'll handle it, don't worry."

"OK. Well, I better get moving. Before Sans realizes I'm in Snowdin." Chara begins to walk off.

"One last thing," Gaster stops Chara, "take this, just in case." Gaster hands Chara a real knife.

"Thanks," Chara smiles, "but I won't need it." Chara doesn't equip the knife, they don't want to give Frisk any chance to take control. Chara continues to Snowdin, sparing any monsters, just like Frisk would. Chara thinks about Frisk. They remember all the good Frisk did. They wonder if monsters would be better off with Frisk. They push these thoughts aside.

They run into Papayrus at the bridge. "Where's Sans?" Papayrus thinks aloud. Papayrus hears Chara's footsteps. He turns around. "Oh my god!" He exclaims seeing Chara, "are you a human!?!"

Chara nods.

"Well then," Papayrus replies, "I, the great Papayrus, must capture you! It appears you've completed all my puzzles! It is so nice to meet another puzzle lover like myself! Tell me human! What did you think of my spaghetti?"

"It was great!" Chara lies. In truth, it was stuck to the table.

"Wowie!" Papayrus exclaims, "you love pasta too! I could never unleash the gauntlet of death apon a puzzle and pasta lover like you! No! There's just no class! No finesse! It appears I will have to capture you the old fashioned way! Until we meet again human!" Papayrus continues to Snowdin. Chara does as well. They run into Gaster.

"Oh hey Gaster!" They greet.

"I almost forgot something," he explains, "I've watched every reset, and if you want to break the barrier, you'll need this." Gaster hands Chara a cell phone.

"Why do I need this?" Chara asks.

"Well," Gaster explains, "two reasons. One is, the way we've messed with the timeline, it could effect the order of things, but one thing I know for certain, is that, above all else, you MUST befriend Papayrus and Undyne. Also, there's a killer robot in Hotland, and normally Alphys would mod your phone so you could handle it, but she won't be at the lab when you arrive. She's still a scientist, but since I'm alive and leading the research, she's not at the lab as much. She still created her robot too, but we'll handle that at the lab. For now, just keep moving."

Chara continues through Snowdin, and begins to move towards Waterfall, but the snow grows thick, and the air grows cold. Chara can barely make out anything, but they can see Papayrus.

"Human!" he exclaims, "I, The Great Papayrus, am forced to make a difficult choice! Either capture you, and turn you in to Undyne, or let you pass, and be your friend! Human! I am afraid, that if I don't try to capture you, Undyne will kill me! I'm sorry human!"

Undyne... kill Papayrus? Chara thinks back to the genocide run. From what they saw and heard, Undyne wasn't evil. She wouldn't do something like that. Something is wrong, but Chara decides to focus on the task at hand. Papayrus triggers a FIGHT.

Chara tries to offer Papayrus MERCY.

"Human," Papayrus explains, "Undyne's been... unstable lately. She's been watching you through Alphys's cameras. The second you left the Ruins, she told me to capture you at any cost. So, I prepared the gauntlet of death. However, the cameras have no audio. Listen, I'm going to use my special attack. A dog tried to take it earlier, but I caught it in the act. Afterwards, I'll pretend to be exhausted. Then, offer me MERCY." Papayrus uses his special attack. Chara's soul turns blue. Papayrus attacks with a series of Gaster Blasters and blue bones. Chara douges best they can. They begin to have flashbacks of facing Sans in the judgement hall.

They remember everyone they killed. They remember their sins. They collapse under the weight of their sins. "Human!" Papayrus pleads, "get up!" Papayrus pleads, "you can do it! Human, I believe in you!"

Chara remembers killing Papayrus in cold blood when he offered them MERCY. At that point Frisk still had control, but Chara got them to go through with it. Papayrus believed in them then too, but this was different. Chara realizes they have to do this, they have to free the monsters, not only to repay them for their kindness, but to atone for what they've done.

Chara overcomes the weight of their sins and continues to douge. Finally, Papayrus pretends to collapse to his knees. Chara spares them. "We should hang out sometime," Papayrus smiles, "come down to my place whenever you get the chance." Papayrus goes back to Snowdin. Chara decides to befriend Papayrus now rather than later. They go to Papayrus's house.

"Human!" Papayrus exclaims, "good to see you! Allow me to show you around!" Chara notices an odd door with a light coming out from the crack below it.

"That's my brother's room!" Papayrus explains, "but he isn't here right now. He should be home any second though." Chara hears the door creak, they fell someone glaring at them. "Oh hello brother!" Papayrus exclaims, "I've made a new friend!" Chara turns around, sweating nervously. Sans is standing in the doorway of the front door...