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Frisk was busy jumping from stone to stone across the riverbank, the calm stream carefully rippling close to their feet but low enough that they could continue their game of keeping dry.
The stone-faced child was on their way to the neighbouring town, they had just returned from a yearly meet up with their friends from the underground and were continuing their journey once more. Apparently there had been a sighting of a child wrapped in bandages scuttling about and that was more evidence than any before that it could be one of the human souls that had fallen long ago. Something had to have left those coffins.
Thinking back to the meet up and ones of the past Toriel and Asgore had asked Frisk if they reconsidered their decision to travel alone; both goats had graciously accepted their answer, trusted they were fine but made it clear there would always be a home waiting for them.
The gesture warmed their heart, they could see themselves accepting that offer one day just as they considered taking the mantle of ambassador but their friend had said to go off by themselves so that's what they’d do for the time being. Even if the search for the other children didn't bear perfect results the journey is what mattered.
It's not that they had gone no contact; every month they’d send a letter to their honorary parents (delayed by even a day and a nagging voice would remind them), the skeleton brothers and the anime lovers. Not to mention the other humans and monsters they had met and reunited with along the way.
Besides, they were never truly alone, not anymore.
Just as what happened in a less happy outcome that still resulted in escaping the underground, Chara stayed with Frisk wherever they went and always gave internal commentary.
Recently they had gained (or intensified) their inclination to keep their pockets as full as possible to the point when Frisk gave some cash as a kind gesture their body would forcibly put it away, not to mention picking up every item on the ground or consuming food immediately regardless of quality or amount had caused trouble more than once.
Frisk wouldn't have them any other way and they knew Chara had grown to care for them (as much as possible) through their travels overground and under. A plucky duo.
However they were missing something- someone else in their shared soul and body.
After the three had freed all the monsters and Frisk left to find places to go their third friend went missing. And they haven't returned since.
The first year since leaving Frisk had been waiting their return, it was just like before where after killing Flowey and going to the surface they’d return after 3 days. A week? A month..? It turned into a year…
Chara suspected they had good reason to leave and they hadn't just abandoned them both and all their friends without proper reason, it was different than before. Frisk grew to accept that answer but it still stung, especially when periodically it felt like their presence was there but it wasn't the same.
Now Frisk was left to their own devices, Chara was still with them thankfully but they both decided keeping the phantom’s existence a secret was best. Everyone only saw Frisk and what they did.
No one directing them on how to behave consistently.
No guiding hand putting suitable clothes on for them
Nothing making their body go to a place without Frisk willing themselves to go first.
No one making decisions for them other than themselves.
Before this, Frisk had gone to Mt.Ebbot to never return.
Asriel was on the right line when he suspected it was an unhappy reason but the trek wasn't made to hurt themselves, just to silently fade away. They had come to find it was the same idea.
Chara never mentioned specifics on why they had gone up the mountain and never inquired Frisk as to why they had done the same, a mutual understanding that it should stay in the past.
What was undeniably different was Chara knew when they were falling into the underground with the subsequent nasty collision forcing them to cry for help alone. Frisk lacked cognizance enough that when they had fallen onto the golden flowers that had saved their life they were unaware what had occurred and by the time they could their body was being puppeteered by an entity going into the next room.
The young child didn't know what to make of their new circumstances, more so when they were forced to look at helpful signs a voice that wasn't their own kept speaking in their head but they accepted it, not bothering to even object to the influence.
Over time their absence of feelings changed; they were acquiescent to killing, accepting fighting to end encounters the first go around but found themselves rooting for merciful options the second run, refusing to meaningfully hurt Undyne after their date when before they were directed to strike her down.
They would be slightly more overt in distaste for certain actions if they felt it wouldn't help (or they really didn't want to do it) or take a stand because it was what they felt was needed.
As their journey progressed they felt more of a compulsion to act the way they wanted to with any choice being because they were happy with the outcome.
They had never felt that way before and believe if they had never fallen that state of nonexistence wouldn't have changed.
Frisk also noticed their narrator’s behaviour changing with how the three of them went about their journey, in the back of their head they could hear slight confusion and precise evaluation with any decision and their input wasn't the most heartening but as time went on that shifted as well.
A presence, their power, that feeling. United they had made it through the dangerous journey towards a new life with their friend leading them to the other side.
The three would be together forever.
Then one disappeared.
It was a brief but significant recoil of that newfound contentedness, almost a betrayal and circling back to square one.
They had helped them live, guided them to individuality, the opportunity to be surrounded by friends and family, so why did one so intimate to their heart leave with no perceived explanation?
The kid in blue tripped and fell face first into the river due to missing their next organised step, Chara laughed with Frisk cracking a smile before returning to their titular stone-face. They had to hurry to reach the next town before sundown so they continued to jump at their own measured and controlled pace choosing the rocks they wanted to jump on.
They just missed when not all choices was theirs and there was a hand showing them where to go.