Under Water 2: The Red Harren [completed]

XIV

Frisk's POV:

Chara, MK, Asriel and I sat around the table, joking around, as per usual.

"So, you somehow woke up an hour late for school, didn't save your twenty paged essay regarding politics, out of all the subjects, missed the bus, and ran to school in the pouring rain?" Asriel said aloud, sounded flabbergasted at the pure thought.

Chara grunted, typing away on her laptop, trying to get the essay finished quickly, writing down the parts they remembered before they disappeared into the void of her mind.

"You sound so surprised, Asriel," Her pitch was teasing but irritated at the same time, "As if there are not extraterrestrial forces trying to ruin my life, and Frisk's, too."

I tensed up, remembering the fact that everyone in our small friend group knew about Nightmare's challenge, his promise to ruin one or the other.

"We won't let him do that," MK stated, determination filling his voice.

"He's off to a start already," Chara groaned, putting her head in her hands as she mumbled something.

I pulled the laptop towards me, Chara letting out a distressed shout as I do so, before I explained to her in a hushed tone, "I'm helping you get this thing done."

She frowned but didn't protest. I got to work with editing; something I found particularly therapeutic and easy for myself, something Alphys had told me I was good at before and apparently after the incident.

Chara leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms, not making eye contact with me or the others. She shivered, "What if he wins? What if one of us breaks? What is he going to do to us?"

Asriel frowned, "He isn't going to win."

"But what if he does?" Chara glanced up at him.

Asriel and MK exchanged a look, "We can't know. He's really unpredictable. Though, if he does win, he won't win for long. We'd get you back." MK reassured her.

I glanced up from the screen, narrowing my eyes at him for a second, trying to figure out who he was talking about. Based on everything that had happened; how Chara and I functioned, our present mental state, all the factors, it was a fifty-fifty chance of one of us losing it first.

Though, I had dealt with being "dead" for the longest time, meaning anything he could dish up shouldn't be too bad. Chara, she would. . . She would probably lose faster if Nightmare got a hold of her.

I glanced down at my phone, checking the time; lunch was nearly over.

"I'm going to head to class early," I slide the laptop back to Chara, "Share that with me that way I can continue editing."

She let out a relieved sigh, "Bless your soul."

I smiled, nodding a small nod, saying my goodbye's to the two boys before going to my locker, locking away my lunch for after school. I hovered at the open door for a few seconds, staring at the brightly colored art calendar.

If someone was going to lose, it was going to be me. I would be a much stronger fighter against Nightmare, and more experienced against his strength. I wouldn't let him pit my friends against themselves and each other. I wouldn't let him pit me against myself. I didn't need to be my own enemy, on top of the numerous others that were on my heels.

This was one battle I would not lose. Not today, not tomorrow, not ever.