Underearth/Book 5/Chapter 3

</span

"Hey Frisk." Calibri called.

"Calibri! And, er..."

"It's fine, I've told him the important bits, mostly the part about you being the center of RESETs now."

Frisk still gave a worried look to Sans, images of him slicing him open, or smashing his skull in playing through his head.

"Heya." Sans said.

"Hey Sans. Nice to see you again." Frisk then turned to Calibri. "So, this is new. What's going on?"

"I'd like you to... break your sequence a bit and come with us to Waterfall. It won't take long."

"Waterfall? That's, a bit off the beaten path, wouldn't you say?"

"It's important. *Extremely* important."

Frisk turned around, looking at the doorway Toriel had exited through a few minutes beforehand.

"We'll bring you back right to this very spot as soon as we're done."

Frisk turned back around. "Alright, let's go."

Sans grabbed hold of both Calibri and Frisk. Quickly after, Frisk felt uneasy, though the sensation passed just as fast as it appeared, with all three of them standing in a small, nearly featureless room. Looking around, the walls were like that of Waterfall. Against one of the walls was a stone pedestal, atop of which was a small red gemstone, which looked to be as smooth as pearls.

"Where are we?" Frisk asked.

"That is an excellent question..."

"I, uh, may have skipped the puzzle entirely, taking us straight into the room."

"Oh, well, that's convenient."

Frisk wasn't really focusing on what was being said. Instead, his attention was drawn to the gemstone, a feeling within him drawing him closer.

"Frisk?" Calibri said to no avail as Frisk stepped closer to the pedestal.

"TAKE IT." the Timepiece said.

Frisk stretched his hand out and picked up the gem. It resonated with an arcane warmth as a feeling of comfort and security embraced him.

"POUR SOUL MAGIC INTO IT."

Obeying, Frisk focused magical energy into his palms, letting it flow into the gem. As the magical energy flowed in, the center began to shine red. As the energy built, cracks emerged across the gem's surface until it could hold no more and finally shattered.

Red threads erupted from the shards, all of which began to flow into Frisk. As they fell, the shards themselves converted into the same red thread, flowing into Frisk as well.

The power Frisk felt building up within him, it was too much. He felt as though he was going to burst at any second, yet he held firm. When the last thread entered his body, he collapsed to the ground, his body aching all over.

After a few seconds, the aches began to subside, and Frisk regained proper posture, climbing back onto his feet.

"Wh... what...?" a soft, soothing, ethereal voice said.

Frisk froze upon hearing the voice. Looking to the pedestal, he saw a fair Human with crimson eyes, rosy cheeks, and brown hair aloft beside it.

"Ch... Chara?" he said.

"What do you see?" Calibri asked.

Frisk looked back at the Gasters. "It's Chara. Next to the pedestal."

"Interesting..."

"What?"

"I had a feeling Chara's SOUL might be in here, the remainder, at least. When we cracked open that shell, there were only slivers inside. That... ball, must have been the rest of it. Since you absorbed her SOUL, I guess only you can see her."

"Hang on, I thought like SOULs couldn't absorb each-other." Sans interjected.

"Well, it seems the bastard was wrong. Or perhaps he didn't have the full story. Maybe like SOULs could actually absorb each-other under proper circumstances."

"Wait, Chara's SOUL? Her SOUL is now inside me?"

Calibri looked at Frisk. "Frisk, if I may... scan you..." he said, stretching out his hand.

Sighing, Frisk agreed.

Calibri placed his hand over Frisk's chest. An uncomfortable sensation, like somebody grabbing your very heart, happened quickly after.

"I see..." Calibri said, pulling his hand away.

"What'd you see?"

Calibri brought his hands up, red energy flowing from them. Between his hands, a heart-shaped object appeared.

"This is your SOUL, Frisk." he said. "Not actually, of course. Just energy I'm shaping that way." he then said after a worried look emerged across Frisk's face.

Another heart-shaped object appeared close to the first.

"This is Chara's SOUL." Chara's SOUL then flipped over and flew above Frisk's; merging the two lumps at the tops of both as it slowly came down. "It seems that you absorbing her SOUL has made it all look something like this."

The diamond-like SOULs, with one atop the other, slowly rotated. After a few seconds, the energy making up the projection dispersed, flowing back into Calibri.

Frisk remained silent, slowly absorbing this information.

"Anyway," Calibri eventually said. "We should head back. Get Frisk back to the Citadel before Toriel comes looking."

"Right." Sans said, offering his hand to Frisk.

Frisk looked up and reached out to take his hand.

"Oh, one last thing. Frisk," Calibri pulled a large leather bag out from his pocket and tossed it to Frisk. "here's some money. 5,000 G, I believe. Don't spend it all in one place."

"Oh, um, thanks." he said, catching the heavy bag. With his free hand, he took Sans's.

Another uncomfortable feeling later, and Frisk found himself standing in the Citadel, specifically the hallway he'd left before.

"Hey kid." Sans said. "Since Cal was so nice with his gift, here's one of my own." he handed Frisk a small piece of cloth.

"Thanks." he said. "Uh, what is it?"

"It's a pocket. Can store all sorts of things. Anyway, I'd best get back. Calibri can be impatient with these sorts of things." Sans said, winking.

"Alright. See you soon."

Sans then vanished.

Chara floated nearby, watching everything.

Frisk turned to face them. She turned around.

"Chara?" he said.

Chara lowered her head into her shoulders. "What?"

"It's... good to see you again."

Chara slowly turned to face him.

"My child?" Toriel's voice sounded from the doorway ahead.

Hearing the voice, Frisk slipped the large coin purse into the pocket he got from Sans, which seemed to consume it without even leaving an indication it was in there, and stored it in his own pocket.

"Yes mom?" Frisk said without thinking.

Immediately, Frisk realized what he just said. Toriel, too, caught what he'd said.

"Did you just call me... 'mom'?" she asked, aghast at his statement. "Well... I suppose... would that make you happy? To call me... 'mother'?"

Frisk didn't respond.

"Well then, call me whatever you like! As for right now, I have finished attending to the business I had. Come, let us go home."

Frisk, led by Toriel, continued from the hallway; Chara following close behind the pair.