Dimensions

Prologue: Please Don't Go...

It was a bright and early morning on the surface, too bright and early if you asked Chara. Grumbling, she turned over and covered her head with her blanket.

"Come on, you promised." A calm voice called outside of her window.
"I'll promise tomorrow!" She grumbled in response.
"I'll get you more flowers, yours are dying."
"To-mo-rrow."
"I'll let you come to Mount Ebbot with me if you get up, right now." They called back.

For some reason, this did the trick. Chara quickly shot out of her bed, being silent as she got dressed as to avoid waking the others up in the orphanage. Once her shoes were on, she was out the door.
In front of her, a young man sharing her same red eyes was half-smiling. He readjusted the pockets to his hoodie so he was more comfortable. She crossed her arms, now something seemed fishy. "Okay, what gives? What's with the creepy smile?" She questioned.

He motioned for her to follow him, the two quietly walking away from the orphanage and into the nearby woods before he stopped to reply. And in response, he took out her favorite brand of chocolate bar and handed it to her. "I know they don't spoil you properly, but I wanted to give you a present." He responded, fully smiling now.

Chara grinned in response. "They barely let me do anything without watching me. Thanks!"

"You can have that on the way up, I have a promise to keep right?"
Nodding, she opened the chocolate and began to eat it as they made their climb up. It took them a while, and she held onto the wrapper to get rid of it properly later, but just as they arrived on the mountain, the sun began to rise. Taking her hand and gently leading her to the cave entrance for a better view, the two stood next to each other and watched the sun rise.
"Happy Birthday, Chara."

---

"No! Leave him alone!"
"Stop it! You're hurting him!"

---

After the sunrise, they found a nice spot to sit and talk, it was like their escape.
"Hey Cloak?"
"Hmm?" The young man responded to his name.
"How did you know it was my birthday today?" Chara asked. "I didn't even know when it was."

He looked out towards the sky and smiled in a gentle manner. "I just decided today was your birthday. Everyone should have one, and people should celebrate you. Not scorn you. Orphan or not." He replied calmly.

Chara smirked in response. "Oh yeah! Big brother Cloak gonna make sure people like me today!" She joked.
He laughed in response. "Yeah right! My old man still hates my eyes, I'm not gonna be able to force people to be good." He started, then his smile vanished for a moment. "You have to want to be good, no one can force that, not even monsters."

Cloak and Chara were silent for a few moments. "Cloak?"
"Yeah?"
"Are...are you still gonna free them? When you're older?" She asked apprehensively.
He looked at her in response. "Do you want to come help?"
She quickly stood up. "C-Can I?!"
Chuckling, he gently pulled on her sweater to get her to sit back down. "Yes, I promise." He started. "I'll wait until you're old enough and take you with me, we'll both set things right, together."

Looking out towards the sky, she smiled. "Together."

~~~~

"Man, I kept you out so late your caretaker is gonna kill me." Cloak said, rubbing his neck sheepishly as they walked back, night had fallen already, the day was already gone.
Chara shrugged. "She doesn't really care anymore. Last time she just called me 'demon' again and told me to stay away from her."
"You know what? No, you're not going back there." He said, suddenly grabbing her hand. "You're staying with me, no arguing."
"But what about your Dad?!" She asked as she was dragged.
"Who cares?!" He responded.

"I do!"
A loud, booming voice in front of the two made both stop in their tracks, Chara subsequently falling on her behind.

He reeked of alcohol, again. He didn't care, he just grabbed Cloak by the collar in front of the village. "So you don't care about your old man huh?! The fuck is that all about HUH?!" He yelled.

"No! Leave him alone!" Chara protested, barely managing to pry the older man's hands off of his own son. She felt the sting of a slap instantly, but it stung more than usual. Shakily lifting her hand to her cheek, she felt a cut. He cut her with something!

"Stop looking at me with those goddamn demon eyes, little brat!"
She couldn't move, she was frozen in fear. She braced herself for something, anything, but when she opened her eyes Cloak was stopping any more harm from coming to her. "You leave her alone!" He shouted.

"Don't you yell at me, boy!" His father shouted, smacking him with the same glass shard. Cloak yelled out in response, covering his left eye.

"Stop it! You're hurting him!" She protested, and as she was about to try and help her best friend, he stopped her. "Chara you have to run! Go now!"
"But-!"
"Go! I'll catch up!" He promised.

Hesitantly, she did as she was told. She ran, back into the forest.
If something happens, you run. You wait for me in the cave. You promise?
She wiped tears from her eyes and kept going, she kept running until she was out of breath, now standing in tbe darkened cave of Mount Ebbot. She was terrified, she really had no where to go to now. Slowly, she walked further into the cave, she figured maybe finding a light or something would help. Some kind of help, any, she just needed at this point. She was worried, more worried than ever.

She didn't venture too far in, not yet. She kept going back to the main entrance once she caught her breath. She waited for him.
What if you don't come?
I may not come right away, but I'll be there. You know how he is.
What happens if you DON'T?
...Then you've gotta carry out my wishes. Okay? You gotta free them.

She waited hours, hoping and praying, but he never showed. She looked back into the cave, into that darkness, and took a deep breath. "I made a promise." She said softly, to herself.

She walked inside, even further into the darkness. "H-Hello?" She called. "Is anyone there..?"
No response. She kept walking. "Is anyone- AHHHHH!" In the middle of her sentence, she tripped on a vine, falling down a hole deep in the cave to who knows what below.