An Underswap AU: A Tale of Seven Book 1

Entry # 34: Segmentation Faults

Gerard did mention that Saturn likes pulling people into corners or empty rooms for conspiratorial chats, so Chara wasn't surprised when she swooped down like a hawk and dragged him towards the hidden exit.

"Chara we need to leave, NOW." Saturn breathed, skin so deathly pale she can blend in white bedsheets.

The red eyed boy stiffened ever so slightly. Seeing the normally nonchalant girl so unnerved caused butterflies to go rampant in his stomach. "Why?

"Listen." Saturn said, and the pair zipped their mouths and pricked up their ears. From a distance, the flowers are murmuring typical echoed conversations. Dialogues overlap each other, words and wishes reverberating in a muddled chorus.

Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, until the flower on their left chimed in Chara's voice.

". . . Frisk. . . Are we doing things wrong? Why can't our ending change? Why can't we SAVE them?"

Oh, he remembered that particular scene all too well.

"You haven't changed your route. . . That's why we can't achieve the perfect ending. Let me play the game this time."

That is when he realized that these conversations didn't belong to the Monsters at all. They are memories; pieces of the previous timelines that have absolutely no right to be in the current one because that last RESET should've overwritten them-

And the people whom those forgotten memories belong to are listening to the flowers right now.

Inhaling much needed air to calm his nerves, Chara bellowed at the top of his lungs. "Hey guys! We found the the exit!"

Saturn quickly pushed the dirt wall open, revealing the passageway that leads the next room.

The rest of the children instantly stampeded towards him and Saturn. Neither of the two found it necessary to ask why. Their frightened and puzzled visages already spoke a thousand words.

But the possibility that their oblivious siblings might discover the game is the least of their problems in the present. Gerard nudged Chara as he walked past, an urgent look on his countenance.

"Where's Vi?"

✨ • ✨ • ✨

A few minutes ago. . .

Viorel did one final glance at his most recent drawing, featuring a portion of the Wishing Room, before he stored the pad in his inventory once more. Now that Chara is learning sign language, he doesn't feel too obligated to carry his sketchpad and write his answers and opinions all the time.

The blunette hopped on his feet, gazing at the blooming meadow of blue flowers around him. It's so beautiful here. . . if only she can see it too. Then his lips quivered and he closed his deep blue irises, welling with tears. Highly unlikely, considering she was already buried six feet under.

Shaking his head, Viorel focused on the scrambled whispers resonating in the chamber. Strange. . . they all sounded quite familiar. Almost too familiar.

He immediately swerved his attention to another subject. Travelling alone. . . Chara had said. How would he be able to do so? Last time Viorel checked, Chara is the only 13 year old human in a 13 year old body. He's too young to travel alone. . . Unless. . .

Unless he didn't have a place to call home. Unless he didn't have people he can call family.

Is that the reason why Chara climbed Mt. Ebott? Then why does he want to return to the Surface?